029: I've got a hole in me pocket

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> After a night's rest (a well-earned one, considering the travails of hauling a petrified Stephanie back to the inn after the fight) Rosemund greets her two surviving friends in the morning with excitement. "Oh, I was praying to the lord of sunlight all night, and I think--I believe I can fix Stephanie!" she gushes in the common room of the Broken Oar. "Probably."
<Franceska> "Even I could not manage that-- I mean, yes? How wonderful."
<Julia> "Oh, that's more immediately pertinent than what I learned, yes," Julia nods brightly.
<El-Cideon> "I think that I can also bring dead people back to life and possibly transport us to other worlds," she adds casually. "Although I will not be certain until I try! I was just so full of revelations in my dreams last night, but dreams only come true through hard work and persistence."
<Franceska> "Well then, the only sensible choice is to experiment on Stephanie before we attempt a resurrection," Franceska says reasonably.
<Julia> "My, you have been productive, Rosemund!" Julia applauds. "Lets try with Stephanie, then?"
<El-Cideon> "Yes!" she agrees enthusiastically, moving to where statue-Stephanie has been posed mid-taunt in her room and intoning a plea for Pelor to breathe life back into his faithful so that she might continue the good work elsewhere!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10+8 she's hero pointing this
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10+8 she's hero pointing this and gets 24."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> The spell breaks before the eyes of all: stone flakes off, Stephanie's limbs limber up again, the light comes back into her eyes, and she regains awareness just in time to be subject to a bonecrushing hug.
* Franceska claps politely.
<Steph> "I- I'm undefeated in battle!" she announces, before losing her breath and starting to cough.
<Julia> "Welcome back, Stephanie," Julia smiles happily.
<El-Cideon> "Is that so?" Rosemund teases despite herself.
<Franceska> "No, she is clearly lying."
<Steph> "No, no, you don't lose if you run away or come back from the dead, it's just a setback, a setback," replies Stephanie, grimacing. "What happened? I've been having this amazing dream."
<El-Cideon> "Tell us about your dream, Stephanie," Rosemund says. "I had one myself!"
<Julia> "We killed Pheretima in an extremely horrible way, but the Dao got away," Julia says, before frowning at the unintentional rhyme.
<Franceska> "So did I, actually. Although it was really just a memory of our triumph over that poor misguided woman."
* Franceska peers at Julia. "Are you sure? We still have that dao corpse to question. It might well have been him."
<El-Cideon> "Only one of them," Rosemund clarifies for Stephanie's benefit.
<Steph> "Oh, good! Well... I dreamed about... people walking on me. I think I was the floor. It was oddly relaxing," muses Stephanie. "Nothing to do but sit around and sort of 'be', you know? I mean... in the end, we all just exist. We're all existing, even if we're not 'doing'. Isn't that amazing? It really takes the pressure off, because you'll 'be' no matter what you 'do' or don't 'do'."
<Julia> "Hmm, I doubt it, but I suppose..." she shrugs. "While we're all sharing though, what happened to Pheretima did inspire me I think, and I've worked out a few more terrible spells I can use!" she concludes happily.
<El-Cideon> "That is, ah, that is very inspiring, Stephanie," Rosemund manages eventually.
<El-Cideon> "Is that so, Julia?"
<Franceska> "Excuse me, I'm going to burn my shoes."
<Steph> "I know. It's... it's strange!" Stephanie turns to a nearby table. "I understand the frailty of 'doing'. And how easily something that is 'doing' can be reduced to only 'being'," she muses.
<Julia> "Oh yes. I think I can kill a person just by touching them, now," Julia says, making the hug on Stephanie a group one.
<El-Cideon> "I can see that this has been a profoundly philosophical experience for you," Rosemund adds politely.
<Steph> "That's.. that's great. I think I can punch a hole through stone, now." replies Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund blinks. "Well, that should be very useful at some point in time, I am sure. So we have all learned something from all the trouble we went to in town?" She concludes, with a nod: "We have been tested and grown stronger for it!"
<Julia> "It must be so," the necromancer agrees, letting go of the pair.
<Franceska> "I only learned I hate this place," Franceska says apologetically, before she starts walking away. "And I really must go to get a new pair of boots."
<El-Cideon> "Oh!" Rosemund remembers. "Shall we head to the temple as well? I would like to try doing something for that poor child also."
<Julia> "Certainly," Julia says, happy to go along with whatever now that they don't have anything pressing to handle.
<Steph> "Oh, yeah, sure," replies Stephanie. "Nobody deserves to go like that. Hey, Julia! I figured something cool out, too," she adds. "Umm. So sometimes, your spells don't work? But... um, that's because- that's because they have their defenses up! I think I've got a way to knock them over," she says. "It's... it's turning it back on itself so it zeroes out to nothing. I can do it when people
<Steph> try to hit me with magic, sometimes, but I think it's the same principle. Demon blood has perks, I guess," she muses.
<El-Cideon> Everyone's welcomed back to the temple of Ehlonna, Kardanus himself still wearing autumn foliage, and led to an alcove at the rear of the shrine where the nameless victim's body has been laid out and been carefully preserved against decay. "This one might be more difficult," Rosemund says, biting her lip. "Wish me luck!"
<Julia> "Good luck!"
<Franceska> "Good luck," Franceska wishes, there to support Rosemund. She can even think happy thoughts of offering gainful employment this time around!
<El-Cideon> Rosemund clasps her hands over the child, a sparkling diamond clutched between them, and intones a series of praises and pleas in florid celestial before continuing in common for all to hear: "Lord of sunlight, please bestow your mercy upon this poor child," she prays fervently, "taken before her time by cruel and wanton forces. Let her see through all her years in peace and happiness, let her find love and fulfillment in a full mortal life!" The diamond grinds down to dust between her hands, sparkles in a facsimile of sunlight over the dead girl's prone form...but in the end, nothing obviously happens. Breath and color do not return to the deceased, and at last Rosemund shifts uncomfortably and shares a look with her friends. "Um..."
<Franceska> "Are you sure you did that right?" Franceska asks, turning to look at Kardanus. "Did Rosemund did that right?"
<Julia> Julia steps forward to put a hand on Rosemund's back. "I'm sorry," she says, though it validates her suspicion that someone used as a sacrifice probably didn't have much of a soul left to recover.
<El-Cideon> "Insofar as I may discern such things, yes," Kardanus allows. "It was an admirable plea."
<Steph> Stephanie winces. "She's probably in the hands of some demon, and, uh, can't," she admits.
<El-Cideon> "Something is wrong," Rosemund says. "I, I could feel myself reaching out, searching for her, and extending a hand to draw her back to us, but there was...it felt like there was nothing out there. I do not know--I think someone may have...done something with her. I do not think she exists anymore." She shivers. "Oh, but I have never done this sort of thing before, I may be intuiting the situation improperly..."
<Julia> "I think you're right, Rosemund," Julia nods sombrely.
* Franceska purses her lips. "Then there is nothing else to try. Your own experience aside, we have someone here who would know better than most."
<El-Cideon> "You exceed my own capacities for being able to attempt such magic casually," Kardanus admits. "I am inclined to trust your judgement, child."
<El-Cideon> "But that is terrible!" Rosemund gapes in fright. "Why would someone do such a thing with a little girl? What would--how--" She shakes her head. "Oh, perhaps I do not wish to know!"
<Franceska> "Demons."
<Julia> "There are things which devour souls, leaving nothing left," Julia says. "There's nothing that can be done after that happens."
<El-Cideon> She sighs, turns to Kardanus and bows respectfully. "Please bury her properly and plant a tree over her grave," she says, wiping away a tear. "There is nothing else that we might do for her."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund sags with disappointment once outside the temple again. "I think I would very much like something to drink at this time," she says in a small voice as you walk back to the inn.
<Franceska> "Yes, there really is no bright side to this, as much as I keep on looking," Franceska admits. "A drink sounds about right."
<Steph> "Sounds good to me."
<Julia> "After I suppose we can try talking to the burnt out genie corpse," Julia adds as they go to get liquered up.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund is much more mellow with a few ales in her; now she's quietly pensive instead of actively morose. At the trading outpost, you find the vault just as you'd left it: full of melted and useless junk with one notably tall corpse charred in the center of the room.
<Julia> "Tell me your secrets, corpse!" Julia demands, casting speak with dead.
<Steph> "Oh, come on! This stuff must have been worth something," laments Stephanie, crestfallen.
<Julia> OOC: DC 18 will unless he's neutral like me
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10 and gets 30."12 [1d20=20]
<Franceska> "Blame Pheretima for that," Franceska tells Stephanie. "I know I did, and seeing her die horribly made up for a lot."
<Steph> "How horribly?" asks Stephanie, after a moment.
<El-Cideon> But greedy to the last, the late dao keeps its secrets close!
<Julia> "Sorry, I tried," Julia shrugs. "I could turn him into a minion but then he'd never talk."
<El-Cideon> "It would serve him right!" tipsy Rosemund says with a dash of vindictiveness.
<Franceska> "It was the most horrific death I have ever heard of."
<Julia> "She died around the corner, you can go see for yourself?" Julia tells Stephanie.
<Franceska> "It took her a very long time."
<Steph> "Ooh, you have to tell me, Franzy!" gushes Stephanie, before doing just as Julia says.
<El-Cideon> Around the corner, Stephanie finds what's left of Pheretima's stripped corpse near the backdoor and the slave pens: caked with vomit, rat droppings, lacerated fantastically, and generally in a more humiliating state of disrepair than Stephanie is accustomed to seeing corpses, even ones she makes herself.
<Franceska> "Oh, I don't mind. First, there was her escape to safety, merely a single door away from freedom only to find skeletons barring the way all of a sudden. Now, I only heard about this part but it was no doubt horrific alone," Franceska says, following suit. "Then came the fumes and the rats...."
<Steph> "It's wrong to laugh over a defeated enemy," reflects Stephanie. "It's very wrong. But there's no law against it, right?"
<Franceska> "None whatsoever."
<El-Cideon> And so the team settles in to await the promised delivery of William Alcembron at the hands of the drow slaver Thela Ilvari. It's a quiet couple weeks: there's drinking, dinners with Mercedes, no doubt arcane experiments when time and privacy allow, and no reprisals from any escaped dao. Yes, a relaxing couple weeks...that goes on and seems likely to stretch past that appointed time well into a third and might give one doubts about the drow noble's good word, until finally two strange things happen one busy morning. As the group sits to breakfast at the Broken Oar, the door slams open and two figures stagger in: one is Thela Ilvari, ragged, harried and exhausted, hair all out of order; the other is a slender, even emaciated woman with hints of both human and elven heritage, long red hair going to gray despite what looks like relatively few years behind her, the once-pretty half-elven woman now looking somehow...emptied and vacant. She trails Thela on a leash. The drow mistress is able to mutter a few incoherent words before simply collapsing into unconsciousness before you all.
<Julia> "What?"
<El-Cideon> And outside, before the door swings shut, can be observed two contrary forms of motion: townspeople rushing west away from something, and guardsmen hurrying east, where a great bellowing voice may be vaguely discerned even at this remove, not so much to understand the words save the anger behind them.
<Steph> "Um. I'll go check it out," suggests Stephanie, walking outside.
* Julia flags down the innkeeper to get two stiff drinks put before the two elves.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie can see, far to the west, wings looming above the western buildings of the city. Big ones. Draconic.
<Steph> "How the fuck did that get in here?!" exclaims Stephanie. "Hey, guys, there's a dragon! It's..." She squints, to see what colour it is!
* Franceska doesn't trust herself to speak. Instead, she just projects boredom and hopes someone starts saying things that make sense.
<Julia> "A dragon?!" Julia stands up and rushes outside to go look.
<El-Cideon> The innkeep rushes over with two stout ales of such powerful proof that it makes one's eyes sting even several feet away. The half-elven woman takes one, blinks at it, drains the mug as if laboriously recalling how. Thela blinks into wakefulness just from the odor. "I--what?" She looks up and around her.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees the wings are a deep purple, verging on black, and glitter like gemstone in the city's constant aura of magelight.
<Steph> "Oh, wow. That's not one of the normal colours!" exclaims Stephanie. "Um." She sucks in her breath. "Have you ever killed a dragon before?" she hisses, to Julia.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund kneels down and magics away Thela's exhaustion so that the weary drow might talk with more ease.
<Julia> "No, but I'd love to try!" she says, bouncing on her heels. "Thing, go and get Friday out of her closet!" she instructs her familiar who flies off to do her bidding. "You know that succubus you killed? She's been living in my closet... er, unliving, anyway," she says for Stephanie's benefit.
* Franceska waves for the innkeep to bring her a drink as well, as she will surely need one to deal with Thela's story.
<Steph> "Hey, how about we don't? It doesn't seem to be doing anything," says Stephanie, nervously. "I can't fight a dragon! I can't fly!"
<El-Cideon> Thela inclines her head in faint thanks, takes the mug and sips from it, wincing. "Human brew," she grouses, "but strong. It will do." She climbs to her feet, steadies herself on a table. She looks worn even after the spell, somehow. As the innkeep delivers in turn to Franceska and anyone else needing reinforcement this morning: "I regret the lateness of this delivery," Thela admits. "There were complications."
<Julia> "But..." Julia begins, unable to muster much of an argument, just giving Stephanie a very hopeful look.
<El-Cideon> The dragon doesn't seem to be marauding or pillaging, from what Stephanie and Julia can see. The wings are stationary on the other side of the city, save an occasional agitated flutter.
* Franceska takes a sip, raising her eyes at Thela. "Complications?"
<Julia> Seeing that it isn't actually razing the city though, she eventually relents. "Thing!" she calls loudly. "Put her back in the closet!" Hopefully he heard that from inside.
<Steph> "No. No dragonslaying," insists Stephanie. "Um. But I'm gonna get over there and, uh, chat. Yes," she decides, starting towards it. "I probably won't be incinerated?"
<El-Cideon> Thela gestures to her silent companion. "Brijid Alcembron." The other woman, dressed in rags and quite filthy, shows a flicker of recognition at the name, but does not speak.
<Julia> "Lets just see what Thela knows about this? The timing can't be coincidental," Julia suggests, poking her head back into the inn and hearing that last bit. "But I thought the mind flayers had her?"
* Franceska frowns, and looks over at Rosemund. "You know how bad I am with names, but I was certain it would be a male this time. Is my mind going?"
<Steph> "Oh. Righto," replies Stephanie, before moving back, sadly.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund shakes her head.
* Franceska returns her eyes to Thela. "This certainly looks like a woman."
<El-Cideon> "The illithid will I daresay demonstrate little concern for his former possessions without a head," Thela says. "William has proved to be...beyond my reach. I procured his sister in his stead. Not precisely the terms of our agreement," she admits. "I trust this may be overlooked given the special effort it required."
<Julia> "My, that is going above and beyond the call of duty," Julia agrees, impressed.
<Julia> "But what about the dragon?"
* Franceska tilts her head. "Beyond your reach in the conventional sense, or dead? If the former, supplying us with the relevant information about his location and condition would indeed cover everything, along with his sister."
<El-Cideon> Thela shifts uncomfortably. "Yes, the dragon. The illithid was, insofar as I could discern the workings of their operation, extracting the essence of his slaves so that they might in some way be utilized by his employer." She nods outside. "I did not trouble to ask precisely what for."
<El-Cideon> "The former," she answers Franceska. "A jaunt to the plane of death is quite beyond my means, I trust you understand. He lives yet, insofar as I am aware."
<Steph> "Why is there a dragon?" asks Stephanie, after a moment. "What did you do?"
<El-Cideon> "Nothing unwarranted."
<Julia> "Is the dragon going to try and kill us or destroy the town?" Julia asks, still somewhat hoping for a chance to kill it.
<Franceska> "Your family lives on the plane of death?" Franceska asks, mildly impressed.
<Steph> "He's alive, on the plane of death?"
<Franceska> "That would actually make things very interesting, wouldn't it?"
<El-Cideon> "I couldn't say," Thela says vaguely to Julia. To Franceska, she shakes her head: "We live in the Underdark, please. Your wayward friend is there because he made himself trouble for his new mistresses."
<Franceska> He actually sounds worth seeking out one day! "I suppose it couldn't be helped, then," she responds.
<Steph> "How do you stay alive on the plane of death?" asks Stephanie, turning to Rosemund.
<Julia> "By having a condition like mine?" Julia suggests.
<Steph> "Didn't think of that."
<Franceska> Maybe she can just leave him there, on second thought.
<El-Cideon> She nods, going on. "He was promptly castrated upon delivery, but I am told that even this did not curb his insouciance, and in a fit of pique one of my sisters threw him from a cliff, as they are wont to do when distressed." She shifts uncomfortably, as if from remembrance. "He survived, to his credit, but in a quite crippled state. Normally unfit thralls such as this would be fed to the spiders, but perhaps to his fortune--though I could not promise it is so--one of our trading partners was in town and took him in an exchange."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund shrugs at Stephanie. "Well, there are spells I hear of that might inure one against the damaging effects of some hostile worlds?" she guesses.
<Steph> "I'm surprised you came here personally," notes Stephanie. "I guess you had to go chat up the brain-eaters yourself?"
<El-Cideon> Thela looks at Stephanie. "We had an arrangement," she says firmly.
<Steph> "So we did," replies Stephanie, after a moment. "Well. A pleasure to do business, then?" she offers, extending a hand.
<El-Cideon> She nods and shakes Stephanie's hand firmly.
<Steph> "Well, now, for your sake, I think you should leave town?" muses Stephanie. "Perhaps while everyone else is bothered with the dragon, as I don't think they're very into slavers here anymore."
<Franceska> "The dao really messed up," Franceska agrees.
<Steph> "There are things you just don't do."
<El-Cideon> "It's quite on the wrong side of town," Thela observes. "I could not exactly run home at present."
<Julia> "Maybe we should leave as well?" Julia says, not having anything to stick around for anymore.
<Steph> Stephanie glances at the newly-freed slaves. "I think we should get Ms. Alcembron a bit cleaned up first," she suggests.
<El-Cideon> "So who has taken William?" Rosemund asks. Thela answers, "She calls herself 'Queen Auranelle,'" which name prompts a little gasp from Rosemund. "The provenance of the title may be questionable, yes. Her servants appear from time to time and barter for our ailing thralls, trading relics from the negative energy plane in exchange for the chattel. The advantage is quite ours, in truth, but if they are willing to be fleeced so easily..." She shrugs.
<Julia> "Wait, wasn't she our queen? And murdered at that?" Julia says, puzzled. "Is she a ghost or a lich?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods in confirmation. Thela only shrugs again. "I do not follow human politics. I may say that the scent of undeath is strong on her servants, however. I have spoken with them some little bit. I understand that she maintains a castle in the void. For what purpose our infirm and useless are of value to her, I cannot say.""
<Steph> "What..." Stephanie's eyes tighten. "The people she bought," she says, after a moment. "Were they all from Solata?"
<El-Cideon> "We draw our laborers from all parts and all races," Thela says without evident shame. "My little mine is no main supplier of such to Ilishtir, whose appetites are manifold."
<Steph> "I think," says Stephanie, glancing at Rosemund. "We ought to talk to your aunt about this."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods vigorously. "Yes, quite so, but, ah...Are we only going to leave while there is a dragon menacing the town?"
<Franceska> "Are you feeling menaced? I am not feeling menaced."
<Steph> "Well, you can keep an eye on Brigid while we check it out, then?" suggests Stephanie, heading out the door.
<Julia> "Wait for me!" Julia says, getting up and hurrying after Stephanie.
<Franceska> With a sigh, Franceska follows.
<El-Cideon> "Um, certainly," Rosemund concludes, taking the vacant woman's hand and leading her to a chair, talking to her soothingly without obvious reaction. Thela remains behind as well, not looking eager to step back out on the streets.
<El-Cideon> You move quite against traffic making your way to the eastern edge of the city, the citizens in whole rapidly evacuating the opposite direction. Only when you reach the city limits, near the old dao trading outpost, do you find a standing crowd again: city guardsmen in gray, Primarch Arwin standing with a squad of bodyguards, and one lone figure standing out before the crowd, human, slender of build, straw hair going to gray. He is engaged in negotiation with a huge winged reptile who simply looms over the assembled crowd. The dragon's body looks cut from gemstone rather than scaled, and the light plays with particular brilliance in the multifaceted eyes that sit deep in its brow above a long, fanged snout.
<Steph> Stephanie is keen to listen in!
<El-Cideon> "I am the authority on the facts and figures of our humble town, and I may assure you that we house no drow within our borders," the man says, resolutely but sounding small in the face of such a beast. "No citizens of that foul race clutter our account books, I may say from experience."
<Julia> "They have a camp a few days away!" Julia shouts helpfully.
<El-Cideon> The dragon speaks in a rumble that can be felt in the chest. Level and stern with an insistent air of furious indignation. "I know their stink," it challenges. "I followed it here. She INVADED my home, SLAUGHTERED my servants, and ABSCONDED with my property. This is not a subject of debate, human. I will have recompense, or your city will suffer for harboring her--" The massive, toothy head turns and fastens its eyes on Julia. "And yet her trail led me here," it says skeptically.
<Franceska> "How old is the trail that you followed?" Franceska calls out as respectfully as she can while yelling at a massive gem dragon.
* Julia shrugs. It would be suspicious to argue too much, she's done what she can to divert it.
<El-Cideon> The man in front looks annoyed at being interrupted by strangers, but doesn't stop anyone from doing so now that the dragon's belligerent attention is elsewhere. "I was at rest when the theft occurred," it says, ruminating. "I lost a day therefrom, and three in pursuit. But she cannot have more than a day's lead."
<Steph> "She might have gone to the Abyss, then," reflects Stephanie, out loud. "Yeah, that's the only way out of this town where you wouldn't be able to follow her easy. And it's such a drow place to be."
<El-Cideon> OOC: bluff?
<Steph> roll 1d20+22 it's hero time, chaps
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+22 it's hero time, chaps and gets 30."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10 and gets 27."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> "Their *common* haunt is the Underdark," the dragon ponders aloud, scratching its chin with a claw long as a sword. "What would bring the drowess to such remotes?"
<Julia> "Er, a huge dragon out for blood?" Julia suggests.
<Steph> "Their goddess lives there, don't she?" replies Stephanie, glancing at Julia. "Probably the only thing big enough to protect her!"
<Franceska> "She probably likes it down there, anyway."
<El-Cideon> "So she does," the dragon rumbles, considering this theory. "So she does, their wicked spider bitch goddess, who looks well upon such perfidy as has been perpetrated here! No doubt she'd even be rewarded for it!" He draws himself up in full splendor, spreads his wings, grinds his claws together. "Oh, you have no idea what an artisan of which we have all been deprived on account of this foul creature! What a crime it was! But I shall make her know, her and whatever fiendish presence draws her into its web! This Rhadinace swears with all due fury!"
* Franceska is really happy Rosemund isn't here to see this.
<Steph> Stephanie is a bundle of nerves- but, good service! Smile, smile!
<Julia> Well good luck to him. She'd still like to kill him and turn that fury to her own uses, but such is life.
<El-Cideon> "A journey I must prepare for," he concludes, settling down on all fours. "Wrongs to be righted, vengeances to be wrought! The Demonweb Pits shall burn with the fires of justice!" He turns to leave, but in parting adds: "But mark this, little ones--should she escape me again, I know now her regular haunts on this plane, and I *shall* return to seek her out again should she go to ground amongst you. If she is not turned promptly over to me at that time, there will not be a brick left to mark the remains of your festering hovel of a city. Mark this!" So saying, Rhadinace wheels around and stomps off from whence he came.
<Julia> "And alls well that ends well," Julia says, turning to her friends. "Lets go home?"
<El-Cideon> The watching crowd collectively releases a sigh of relief. Arwin turns around and looks over the three of you. "I can't decide if I should thank you lot or clap you in irons, but at least he's gone," he concludes before leaving with the mayor.
<El-Cideon> "What happened?" Rosemund inquires on your return to the inn.
<Franceska> "We most definitely did not end up telling a slaver to go and attack our enemies elsewhere."
<El-Cideon> "That is good," Rosemund declares. "Once was enough!"
<Julia> "I think the dragon was rather overestimating himself, but it's no longer our problem. Shall we go home?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, I have got her talking a little," she says, gesturing to Brijid, who now wears fresh clothes and has been washed up a little. "She...cannot really hold a conversation, but sometimes she will react if you mention something familiar to her."
<Steph> "No, I need more drinks," replies Stephanie, putting into action her cunning plan to get Thela completely smashed, and then leaving an anonymous tip at the guardhouse before they leave.
<El-Cideon> "He is gone, then?" Thela asks for confirmation, accepting a wine herself.
<Steph> "Yeah, he's off to the Abyss, looking for you. So you're safe~"
<Julia> "Do you think there's any magic that can heal her mind?" Julia asks Rosemund. "At least she still has it, anyway," she adds, taking a good look at Brijid's head.
<El-Cideon> "And why would he doing that?" she asks, looking at Stephanie carefully.
<Steph> Stephanie shrugs. "You go the extra mile for us, we go the extra mile for you?" she replies, chirpily.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund frowns. "I am not sure. It is, well, I am not entirely sure what happened to her. I tried my spells to restore her wits, and they did not work. She looks as though nothing was done to her physically..." And indeed, Julia can see no sign that the woman's brain has been physically removed.
<El-Cideon> Thela's jaw works silently. "I am obliged to convey my gratitude," she says with obvious effort.
<Julia> "Being around people she knew might help. Perhaps we can drop in on Marina and Marcus?" Julia suggests, sitting back down and going to her unfinished wine.
* Franceska visibly struggles with the prospects of going to the elf heaven.
<Steph> "I could go for the great outdoors," agrees Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, I do long for the wild again after all this time underground," Rosemund echoes. "Real forests! All due respect to Kardanus's temple, but a forest where real sunlight plays through the leaves..."
<El-Cideon> Brijid glances at Julia, blinks at the namedropping. "Axe," she says, pointing dumbly.
<Steph> "I just want to see the sky again. I want to feel like I'm not a wuss, too," mumbles Stephanie.
* Julia smiles. "Is that what Marcus favoured?" she asks, trying to engage the poor woman.
<El-Cideon> Her mouth opens, closes. She nods, before spacing out again.
<Julia> "Well there's hope at least," Julia approves, leaning back and sipping her wine.
<El-Cideon> Thela finishes her wine, stands to leave. "It has been satisfactory dealing with you," she allows. "Endeavor not to die needlessly on your travels." Before she can exit, Rosemund interjects: "Before you go, you should be aware that the dao are dead and there is no one here to sell you slaves anymore."
<El-Cideon> "And?" the drow counters. "So it only stands to reason that one day you will run out," Rosemund continues. "So maybe you should just..." She looks to Stephanie. "What is the mercantile expression, cutting your losses?"
<Franceska> "It does seem like the smart thing to do," Franceska agrees.
<El-Cideon> "You are proposing that I go home?" Thela says flatly.
<Franceska> "It is also the safe thing to do, if the dragon comes back."
<El-Cideon> "That is correct!" Rosemund says. "Everyone in town will certainly tell him right where you are if that happens. Everyone in town is in agreement now that there should not be any slavers in Peridot, after all."
<Franceska> "And the dwarven paladins have been feeling rather heroic lately, and out of targets...."
<El-Cideon> "It would almost be worthwhile if he burned down Ilishtir instead," Thela muses. "That said, I fear my sisters as much as any dragon." She grinds her teeth, silently.
<El-Cideon> "Where are you bound?" she asks at last.
<Steph> "Can you disguise yourself?" asks Stephanie, tilting her head. "Like, really good? As not a drow?"
<El-Cideon> "Not *that* well," she says to Stephanie.
<Julia> "We're going back to Solata first," Julia says, "But our travels for more of Brijid's comrades will take us across many more planes after that."
<Steph> "I think you'd better put this on, then," says Stephanie, eventually, passing Thela a hat. "The command word is, uh, 'There's a hole in my pants,'. In Elven."
<El-Cideon> "A human city is not my ideal destination." She chews this over silently for a moment, pride ultimately deflating. "But as I do not know just what that might be..." She takes the hat, tries it on, gives Stephanie a skeptical look and then tries out the command phrase.
<Steph> With a flash, the drow turns into... whatever kind of person she was thinking of at the time!
<El-Cideon> Thela's outward appearance adopts that of a pale, blonde elf, decidedly prettier than her normal self. "I would not imagine I look better," she says. "But less conspicuous, perhaps...Very well. I have another proposition, if you are prepared to listen."
* Julia nods obligingly.
* Franceska agrees that it is not an improvement over her normal look, but remains quiet.
<El-Cideon> "I see no reason my sisters should benefit from the fruit of my labors. If I am to leave my post, spite compels me to see the chattels dispersed here rather than sent home. This is agreeable and one hopes may dissuade future human reprisals? The males in my service will be commanded to return home. They have served well enough. For myself I request safe transport to better environs on another world."
<Franceska> "It can be arranged," Franceska agrees, seizing upon the opportunity.
<Julia> "I don't mind any of that," Julia agrees.
<Steph> "I like the way you think," replies Stephanie.
<Franceska> "And you have no idea how difficult it normally is for us to come to agreement, nevermind this quickly."
<El-Cideon> "I will have oaths upon this point," Thela presses. "I am under your protection while in human lands."
<Steph> "Alright, but only if you don't do anything Pelor would frown upon," replies Stephanie, after a moment.
<El-Cideon> "It is true," Rosemund echoes. Franceska. "Has that ever happened before?"
<Steph> "We've agreed this plane sucks?"
<Steph> "We agreed the last plane sucks, too," she muses.
<El-Cideon> "I will do what is required for my survival," Thela answers. "So long as your shining god does not frown upon this."
<Franceska> "We usually agree far more easily on what we dislike."
<Julia> "Marina was nice... and Mercedes was nice on this one. We should look out for anyone who's name starts with an M next time we're on an unpleasant plane."
<Steph> "But what about Morgan? That guy was an asshole."
<Steph> She pauses. "So only girls?"
<Julia> "Makes sense," she nods.
<El-Cideon> "I believe that we are all in agreement," Rosemund concludes for Thela. The drow nods, composes herself before leaving. "Very well. I will make arrangements and return in several days. I expect that you shall wait for me as promised." She turns and sweeps out into the street.
<Steph> "Hey, don't lose my hat!" insists Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> This dealt with, there's only the matter of saying goodbyes to anyone who might be missed before leaving town!
<El-Cideon> Mercedes is effusive in a mix of thanks, scoldings, and embraces for anyone stopping by to bid her farewell. "Leaving already?" she says. "When you've only just turned the town upside down?"
<Julia> "Best to get out before it rights itself, then?" Julia says dryly.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, certainly, leave someone else to clean up the mess? I would sympathize if that someone wasn't me," she sighs.
<Franceska> "You might also want to move your hiding spot, while you are at it."
<Steph> "We've got things to do, bad guys to kill, you know?" replies Stephanie, hugging Mercedes back. "Don't be a stranger, okay? Come by Solata anytime you get sick of having rocks for a sky," she offers. "I'll put you up real nice." She hovers for a moment. "But it's a glorious mess, right?" she adds. "Dao are gone, a bunch of slaves got freed, what's to hate?"
<El-Cideon> "I can hardly move the Red Rose, dear," she says to Franceska. "Oh, don't take me amiss," she says to Stephanie. "All in all it's better now than it was. Certainly now that I'm actually here to say so~" she reminds everyone.
<Franceska> "I just meant the one in your room," Franceska responds with a shrug.
<Julia> "And it was very dreary when you weren't around to say so," Julia reassures her. "I suppose if you did bring the Red Rose to Solata the customers would end up hurt by the much greater strength living here has bestowed to your staff, anyway."
<Steph> "Yeah. Hey, can Peridot handle a dragon like that?" asks Stephanie, a moment later.
<El-Cideon> "I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to, dear," she says lightly to Franceska. "Oh, we don't play rough, dear," she says to Julia. "Well, unless that's what the customer wants."
<Franceska> "If you say so," Franceska says, content to let it go.
<El-Cideon> "That's really the watch's job to say," she says to Stephanie. "Well, I'll advise Miss Bello it may be of benefit to keep more of her hired hands around. But at least this time we know the beast might be coming back, no?"
<Steph> "Yeah, I gotcha," replies Stephanie. "I'm gonna try and get a decent guild to set up down here, and they'll bring some mercs with 'em, too. Oh, yeah!" She rummages in her pockets, and pulls out a flashy ruby badge. "I got you something!" she gushes. "A parting gift~"
<El-Cideon> "My word!" she declares, thoroughly impressed. "How thoroughly dashing of you." She favors Stephanie with a particularly friendly hug. "I'm afraid I've nothing prepared in return--well, unless your friends are prepared to wait a bit for you," she adds quietly.
<Julia> Julia takes the hint and discreetly slips out!
* Franceska leaves with a roll of her eyes, intending to use the chance to say goodbye to Brenna.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund blinks and beats a hasty retreat!
<Steph> "Er, no, not today! I just wanted to give you this. As a friend," clarifies Stephanie. "To be honest, it's about time I start looking for The One," she admits.
<El-Cideon> "Ah well," Mercedes sighs. She leans in and gives Stephanie a chaste peck on the cheek. "That will have to do, then. Take care of yourself, will you?"
<Steph> "No worries! If there's no decent guy on all the planes, I'll come back. I'll come back and live here," replies Stephanie, patting Mercedes on the shoulder. "Take care yourself!"
<El-Cideon> Rounds of farewells are completed with a stop at Ehlonna's to say goodbye to Brenna, who graciously thanks the party again for freeing her from an eon of torment and declares her preference to stay for the time being, as an extra hand in case dao or dragon reprisals occur, and quietly piece her life back together if not. Around this time a train of ragged, freed slaves weaves its way into the city from the east, the populace in general responding to this occurrence with with happy mobs as lost family members seek each other out. Sometime during all this hubbub, Thela insinuates herself back into your presence, still in elven disguise. "I am more than prepared to leave if you are," she announces quietly, looking away from the displays of rejoicing and affection in the streets.
<Julia> "I'll just need to fetch Friday and we can be off then," Julia says, all too happy to go back to a sunny land of light gravity!
<Steph> "Yeah, look all those happy faces! Can't stand 'em myself," replies Stephanie, grinning brightly as she sets out.
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none!'
<El-Cideon> It's with a literal weight off of everyone's shoulders that the party finally slips out of the tunnels and caverns of Earth to return back home, blinking at unaccustomed sunlight (and in Thela's case plainly dazzled by it). Rosemund lets out a whoop of joy just on seeing the open sunlit sky again. A few days of travel see you back in Amaranth, no doubt with stories to share and catch up on!
<Steph> "I can walk on my hands again!" were Stephanie's first words. But now that she's here, the first thing she does is go to claim her portrait!"
<Julia> With her zombie cutting the part of a well dressed woman, with a choker over her slit throat, a cloak over her wings, and a veil over her glassy dead eyes, Julia hopes she can at least pass casual glances as they enter civilization once more. "I need to buy a proper home to keep my things in. Do you know anything about that, Franceska?"
<Franceska> "I could negotiate a favorable deal for you," Franceska promises. "Perhaps even as I look into a little property of my own. Do you have any preferences, aside from a cavernous basement and a roomy closet?"
<Julia> "My, you know me so well!" Julia beams.
<Franceska> "Any extras beyond those?"
<Julia> "I suppose remoteness would be helpful as well, otherwise I'm not terribly fussy," she says after a moment's thought.
<Franceska> "Oh, that should definitely help narrow it down! I can work with that."
<El-Cideon> Allister is well done with Stephanie's work by the time she tracks him down, secluded safely in a small, anonymous apartment. The painting is a life-sized rendition of the model and demonstrates supreme talent--the recreation is astonishingly lifelike and convincing. Upon the canvas, Stephanie sits crosslegged on a throne of sculpted earth, the throne having a solid, hand-made look to it. She is nude and represented in full fiendish glory, despite the painter never having witnessed Stephanie's true form, and bears an expression of serene confidence in all that she might ever choose to do. Each palm is upraised; above her right hand a sphere of glistening water coalesces, above her right a simmering orb of flame. The winds of Limbo swirl tortuously about her, sending her hair in a wild whirl above her.
<Steph> "How'd you know I look like that?" asks Stephanie, curiously. "Wow, though. This makes me look like a great wizard! Dad always said I should be a wizard."
<El-Cideon> "That is who you are," Allister conveys with a mere shrug.
<Steph> "Serious?" replies Stephanie, looking it up and down. "How come you picked this motif?" she asks, curiously. "I'm a sword and dagger girl, not a mistress of the elements! Though I did learn some neat tricks lately," she muses.
<El-Cideon> "I judged that the locale suited your nature," he explains. "Predictability would not seem to be among your traits, except insofar as one might confidently predict you to be unpredictable." He shrugs again. "Or such is my perception."
<El-Cideon> ~