Ragnarok's Den [IC]

[Hazuki]

The trip was a long one for you. Through the swamps and the darkness that encompassed this segment of Kari; set deep in the heart of the land. So few chose to tread the paths and wilderness that lead here. Out of superstition, fear, or because they're simply smart enough to know there isn't anything for them.

Dirty wooden planks sit across crystal clear water, unlike the muddy and stinky bogs that had surrounded the village. The houses are ramshackle and thrown together; made out of the bendy wood of the trees that stay thick throughout the heart of Kari. It wasn't the best craftsmanship that made this maze of boardwalks, ramps, and wooden buildings - but it seemed to endure well enough.

The night should cover the village in a cloak of darkness, but glowbugs danced around in swarms across the crystal waters that run throughout the ground. Their light is just enough to see where you're going, but just dim enough so you can't see through the water or around the corner. Then you hear the gentle rhythmic pounding that sends ripples through the water. And you know you've arrived in Ragnarok's Den.


AsheA chill wraps around you as you finally come to the door you've been searching for; a chill unlike the cold or the dampness of the wooden boards that sit just above the stream. A thick and rough hide are stretched from edge to edge, covered with fur to keep the warmth in, you suppose. Above the door sits a wooden sign with an image carved into the worn material; that of a four-signed post, split in twain. Crossbroke Tavern.

There is more noise coming from the inside, past the door. The faint murmuring of people talking; a melodical tune being played by a small group of instruments at a methodical pace, and the crackling of a fire, whose smoke plumes out of the top of the wooden building. You've not seen many of the locals, but then, the night is old and even the glowbugs seem to be dispersing into smaller groups.

You remember that Rue has messaged you already; telling you to write her a message about how your first meeting goes. Opening the door with a long and drawn-out creak, you enter Crossbroke Tavern...

PilgrimYou've been inside Crossbroke for just a short while now; Neris asking you to be early to your meeting with Alice and to hop off to Crossbroke right away. You've not had much company apart from Red, the changeling woman who owns Crossbroke, in your position standing by the bar. A form sleeps next to you, half sprawled across the counter; Verna, a tiefling teenager who can never seem to get enough sleep, despite her clerical duties for the village.

On the far end of the room a small troupe of bards play their lutes, flutes, and violins with their nimble halfling fingers. They've been her for an even shorter time than Alice, Red telling you that they're passing through and only came the night before. Their music is pleasing to hear, but though you haven't spoken to them yet, you know they have an open invitation to challenge a member of the troupe for a prize.

The door to your right opens, squeaking as the wood scraps against more wood and the air of night bursts in, closing just as quickly as it opened.

ArashkArashk's initial reaction, written by Cryptic OceanUpon hearing of this mysterious woman, her simple demeanor and her desire to remain as she is reminded Arashk of Odin, who often visits Midgard in the form of a simply dressed old man in a pointed hat and grey robes. He felt his Wyrd resonate, destiny seemed to be calling him. Was this the sign he had been waiting for? A servant of the All-Father, awaiting for the worthy to undertake a task for the glory of the gods, and the betterment of Midgard? Or perhaps a simple girl in need of brave men and women to ease her burden? He had to be certain. He had to consult the gods.

He turned to grab a nearby fish lazily swimming along in the shallow swamp-water. Biting off its head and spitting it back from whence it came, he deftly slices the creature's tender underbelly open, spilling its entrails onto a nearby rock. Idly consuming what he did not use, he watches as the blood flows and drips across the moist stone. Carefully, he removed the entrails from their spot upon the rock to see the impression they had made in the blood.

Serpentine and mighty, the grey of the rock showed perfectly where the innards had once been, tracing the figure of the World Serpent itself. The blood curled and twisted about it as if it were a tumultuous sea, he could make out the jaws of the mighty serpent, opened wide, its jagged teeth awaiting for prey. The portent was clear. A great darkness was stirring, and the gods, whether this girl knew it or not, had sent their messenger.

Rising up with a purpose, he made his way to Crossbroke, determined to speak with this Alice, the slumbering Valkyrie, the messenger of the gods.It has taken you a while, but you've arrived back to Ragnarok's Den, a short trek away from your epiphany regarding Alice. The Crossbroke Tavern you see her in is just as you remember it from your other visits, but you finally see her as you enter through the second door into the tavern, and decide to take your steps.

Runmyr waits outside in the stream; you've visited enough to know he shouldn't be in the taverns.

AsamiYour entrance into Crossbroke took place before the night came; quick footsteps through the swamps getting you to the village more quickly than many other travellers. Despite your early arrival, you've not seen many of the villagers as you wandered aimlessly for the Corssbroke Tavern, the maze managing to trap you fort a short while before finally entering through the hide-covered door.

You have been sent to Ragnarok's Den, and to meet with Alice, by the Elder of the Lavender Lotus Clan. She wants you to do as Alice wants, but will not say why beyond that it is experience you shall need, and it will surely benefit the Clan in the long term. She gave you one last warning before you left the mysterious island of Azuma; to watch out for Kameko, your estranged friend from childhood. The last you saw of her was her silhouette walking away from the monastery, alone, two years ago. The last you heard of her, a whisper through one of the many flowered fields. "Yana."

Inside of Crossbroke, you were left alone in your seat in the corner of the room. An older changeling woman has offered you a drink once, but nothing else. You didn't want to approach Alice just yet.

The scent of smoked ham entices your nose, filling but not overpowering the air inside of Crossbroke; the ale, not potent, the blazing fire's smoke unoffensive, and not a single strain of swamp water stink invading. Warmth pulses from the fireplace set inside the wall opposite the door, wrapping around you like a freshly knitted blanket, or an enthusiastic pet.

The walls are made from a darker wood than the worn bordwalks outside, a soft sheen that dances across the framework of the tavern, the floor spotless, with woven rugs strewn across under the tables and next to the fire. The chairs support people from a small sleeping tiefling to a heavily-muscled half-dragon; bowls crafted from bone resting emptied on the taken places.

There aren't many others in the tavern on this night; a handful at most, beyond the troupe of halflings that stand against the far back wall, beneath wide painting of the night sky. The same night you could see by standing outside on the highest boardwalk. It's calm; be it the music of the bards or the little populated room, everyone seems at home.

You take your steps across the tavern, and see three others doing the same; this only makes it feel more like you should approach the table where Alice sits.

The Other People walking to Alice's table

Akash:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw5r36pExE1qbph7no1_500.jpg

Asami:http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/356/f/d/mizumi_ninja_girl_by_hellobaby-d35ezr9.jpg

Pilgrim: http://fayren.cghub.com/files/Image/129001-130000/129299/056_stream.jpg

Ashe: http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy229/KibatheWhiteWolf/redirect1-1.jpg

You take your seats around the circular table that Alice sits on; her own hands resting against the dark wood, paleness a stark contrast to it. Her eyes seem sunken but bright as they look over you and the people you're with, but she sits up straight in her seat. She clears her throat.

Alice is the one on the right, and yes I did find the image after:http://images.wikia.com/americanmcgeesalice/images/5/50/AliceDesign.png

"Hello. All of you." Her voice is soft against the gathered people's ears; lips small and not moving a lot more beyond what she needs to speak. They hear her clearly anyway. "Call me Alice. Ashe Razor, Asami, Akash Gungfang, and Pilgrim, wasn't it?" She asks, a simple smile passing on her face as she doesn't wait for an answer from the huge Warforged girl.

"Ashe, you're here because Colonel Zaroffe ordered you to be. Asami, you're here because the Eldrer of the Lavender Lotus ordered you to be. Pilgrim, you're here because it seems like the right thing to do, and Neris helped you along that road. Akash, you're here because you feel you have been called by the gods." Again, Alice waits for no answer.

Behind Alice, a changeling woman dressed in an apron and a cotton dress offers her a smile. "Would you like some ale, alice?" Red asks, but the apprehension is clear in her voice, like she knows the answer.

"No, thank you." Alice says, gently waving a hand as if to push the owner away. She turns her emerald gaze back. "I'll hold no secrets; I don't want there to be mistrust. My senior needs a group of people to perform tasks; people who could be reliable. You were chosen by your own seniors, through contact with my senior. To start with, a small task. Over time, you'll learn more."

"I won't ask of you anything long-term. You can choose not to take the task if you don't want it. You need to retrieve a mirror, from a cave, from some," Her voice lowers to a whisper as she speaks her next word. "Fey." She pushes over a cylindrical case to the centre of the table. "There's a map to the location and of this general area."

"If you need immediate compensation, I can give you coin once yo return with the mirror. I am not doing this task because I am not a fighter. No, I will not reveal who my senior is. No, the mirror does not belong to these Fey. No, it will not be a difficult task, if you don't play the fool." Alice's talking almost ends, finality in her words. "Ask any questions you have."

[Jzadek]

"Fey?" Pilgrim asked apprehensively, a metallic rumbling emanating from her jaw, "I am not knowing this word. I should be assuming that it means something not pleasant? Like..." she thought for a moment, "Bandit?"
She found this Alice woman unnerving. She seemed to be a manipulator, a shadow. Unlikely to be honest. To Pilgrim this was an alien mindset, she had always preferred to be straightforward. It prevented complications. You may blind enemies if you lead them into the fog, but you won't be able to see any better than them. The maze may trap even it's creator. Keep things straightforward, and at least you knew what was about to go wrong.

"You said that you are holding no secrets,", Pilgrim thought about her words slowly, "But you are not telling me many things. Who is your... the word you used was senior? I am not knowing this. Why did you not tell us? Why are you wanting us to find this mirror? That is seeming suspicious to me, that you have not told us these things."

Her attention was not entirely focussed on Alice, however. While she heeded the contact's words, she was distracted somewhat by the music. It was beautiful, as all music was to Pilgrim, winding through pitches of sound in a way that, somehow, brought out something that stirred something primal in everyone. As usual, she once again fervently wished that she knew how to play the worn and rugged harp back in her little airship, docked not far from here. She had tried on numerous occasions to bring something from it herself, but she could never make anything more than random plings from it. She couldn't see the principles at work in it. Perhaps one of the group would help her, but she was afraid to ask.

Pilgrim looked around at the others. They were an odd lot - a hulking mass of lizardflesh, taller even than she, a soldier clearly loyal to some lord or order by the symbol on his tabard and the young warrior, so clearly away from her home. Similar to Pilgrim herself, then. They, too, had come to see Alice. She wondered why.
"You are being here why?" she asked them, and then, because she had the sneaking suspicion that her common was not entirely right, "I am apologising for my common. I am sorry, I am not knowing how to speak it very well. You are having confusing tenses, and you are having many words for the same thing."

[CrypticOcean]

Araksh was filled with a sense of awe. She was able to divine their names, their purposes, their deepest convictions with but a gaze. He listened to her words intently, her confident demeanor only solidifying his divination. This was a Valkyrie. Clearly she did not wish to tell them that they were in service of the gods so that the attention of the gods' enemies were not drawn. The golem's suspicion of this irked him, his tail sliding across the ground rather abruptly, kicking up dirt and dust. He mastered his temper, however. This was an inappropriate time to channel the fury of Thor.

No, at this moment, he needed the Wisdom of Odin. He focused his mind on the patch of leather grafted over his left eye socket, the eye that had once inhabited it having long sense been removed. He could not falter in this task. If he had to challenge fey, he would challenge them without fear or mercy. He turned to the strange golem, not wishing to have Alice waste her time on such questions.

"A Fey is one of the Un'syliar, the Fair Folk. They inhabit the untamed wilds, and are expressions of the natural places they dwell within. I understand they have powerful ar'kanthisth, magic. As for the nature of our task, I do not believe our hands are being forced. Our Wyrd, Fate, cleaves us together. There are many reasons for secrecy, only few of them are malicious." he said with a nod. Runmyr let out a low rumble in his throat, causing Arashk to chuckle quietly.

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a chunk of raw, freshly-skinned meat, and tossed it into the waiting maw of his crocodile. The beast swallowed the chunk of meat whole, letting out another growl of satisfaction as he lounged onto his stomach, feet splayed out awkwardly at his sides.

Arashk turned back to Alice, his hands resting upon the table. His deep, raspy voice rumbled up back through his chest once more as he spoke.

"Will this mirror need to be wrest from the Fey by violence? Are they even aware of its value, or does it simply rest in their home?"

[NeoSeraphi]

OOC:
You guys suck. :smallannoyed: Seriously, why am I ending up being the only one who has a crappy written description instead of a bad-ass picture? :smallsigh: You know how hard it is to find an elf male picture that is well-drawn and doesn't look like a total pansy?

Ah well. This is what Ashe looks like:
http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy229/KibatheWhiteWolf/redirect1-1.jpg


Ashe listened quietly as the strange-looking girl gave her orders quickly and succinctly, then paused to ask for questions, as if just remembering that the people she was speaking to were, in fact, alive and capable of responding to her.

Ashe looked annoyed. "If you know who sent me, and you know so much about me, then please, I would prefer it if you referred to me as Private Razor." A civilian who addressed him by name? That was just rude. Sure, he wasn't part of her nation's military, but if she was going to show respect to the Commander, she could at least extend him the same courtesy.

Ashe glanced down at the map. "The task seems easy enough. And you certainly managed to assemble some competent and skilled-looking warriors for the job." His eyes swirled to each of his new companions in turn. They were all very impressive, and Ashe had no doubt that each one of them would be a match (or more) for him in one-on-one combat. That was good. He could rely on these people, and work with them, without having to worry about picking up their slack. At least, if his initial assessment was correct. Profiling someone was important, but there was that old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover" as well. Still, if any of them seemed nervous about the ordeal, they certainly weren't showing it.

Ashe's eyes returned to the map. "How long do you expect this task to take?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Ashe wasn't in any particular hurry, but his birthday was coming up in one week, and he knew Rue and the rest of his company were planning a small celebration for him. He could just imagine the words Rue would write if he told her he was going to be working. "What? You can't make it? But you said this job was only going to take a few days!...Argh, fine! Whatever! Have a nice birthday, jerk!"

Ashe visibly shuddered at the thought. Though he and Rue were both on the cusp of elven adulthood, she still occasionally clung to a childish demeanor, and Ashe couldn't blame her. Being an adult sucked some times. Most of the time. A lot. Like right now. He hung his head.

[Jzadek]

"Ah, you referred to the Ao-Saedhe, then," Pilgrim nodded, and then her metal face grew grim, "I am not liking this plan. The Saedhe are unfond of iron. I am of iron. This may be resulting in hostilities."

The cogs in her jaw whirred irritably. As soon as the lizardfolk opened his mouth to speak of fate, she was already in. Whether he - or perhaps she, it was hard to tell with reptiles - was correct or not, a destiny was a precious commodity for Pilgrim. Her destiny was Celia's destiny, which had come to a cruel finished nearly five years ago. Having some new aim would be a gift from the gods who she was forsaken by.

"Are you of male?" she asked the lizardfolk, "Of female? Or something else altogether? Some lands are having lizards which are neither and both at the same time."

She nodded. "I will be doing this task for you," she decided, "But I would still like to be knowing why this mirror is wanted by you."

[Hazuki]

A patient gaze lies across Alice's eyes as Arash answers many of Pilgrim's questions for her, offering a thankful smile to him as he finishes. "Thank you, Arash. To answer your question to begin with, it may not need to be taken with violence. I'm sure you're aware of their ways and that violence is not their forte."

She gestures to Pilgrim once more, the smile gone from her face but her voice steady and tongue quick. "The identity of my senior is no secret; I am simply not telling you it. My senior told me not to, and so I shan't. The mirror must be taken because it is a relatively small task to what my senior hopes you will achieve; but an important one. The Fey can do many things with a concept, a thought, a reflection. This mirror doesn't belong to them, but they possess it; and so its owner is in peril."

"Of course. Private Razor." Alice's head slowly turns to the elf; a smile once again on her lips. "But this is no work of mine, and I do not know much about you. The task should take no longer than two days; the location is not far."

[INoKnowNames]

Why couldn't this task be completed by one group? If this woman's masters contacted the Lavender Lotus, why not simply request for more of her sisters to achieve the required results? Surely her order would be as effective as any of the people gathered, here, if not more so, Asami assumes.

And for that matter, why young Asami? There are so many more people far more talented and experienced than she, yet it was upon her shoulders The Most Honorable Elder placed this mission upon. Why?

No. To question the will of the order for any reason is dishonorable, and simply being in a strange environment amongst strange people, even the most suspicious of people, from the bestial to the unnatural, is no reason for Asami to forget the code of conduct that she was sworn to. To fail the Lavender Lotus is unquestionable, and to dishonor her clan even more so.

Asami simply sits, taking in every single detail provided by Alice, as well as the concerns of her allies. Between the odd furnishings and unsavory company, Asami desperately wishes that this meeting could have been held in another place. And she finds herself wondering about her companions themselves, the odd reptilian fellow and the golem in particular. But no matter what doubts she might hold, many of which are shared by them as well, she has been tasked to trust in them, and to complete this mission, for the sake of her sisters.

During a moment of pause, Asami speaks only one concern, as she fights to keep her mind at ease, and her demeanor honorable. "When might we be able to begin the task at hand? Are any further preparations required?"

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk raised a scaled brow at the golem. He thought his gender was fairly obvious, but perhaps golems simply had a harder time telling the difference, since their shape was forged. He smiled slightly, and in an amused tone, said "The females of my people are not warriors. Admittedly, my upbringing was not of my kin. I am Dovuriskth, I am a male. It is my Wyrd to fight, and fight in the way of the Aesir, the gods." he finished with a proud nod.

"I am prepared when my kinsith, my companions, are."

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe sighed and nodded at the lizardfolk's words. It had only been eight months since he joined the military, and yet, he was now feeling so uncomfortable around these people. Had he really gotten used to the disciplined, coordinated thinking, planning and execution that quickly? Well, either way, his mission was to retrieve this mirror. That was all he needed to know. He'd make it work somehow. But first, he needed to establish a connection with his companions. Camaraderie was very important, and the first step is as simple as an introduction.

"Well, I'm ready to head off. But before we do, I'd like to introduce myself. I am Private, Second Class Ashe Razor, of the Sengrinus Royal Army. I'm looking forward to working with all of you." He gave a sincere smile and hoped that one of them would pick up the hint and keep the ball going. He wasn't holding his breath for the golem, but the lizardfolk seemed friendly enough, and the girl, well, she just seemed kind of quiet.

[Jzadek]

"I am pleased to meet you, Private, Second Class Ashe Razor, of the Sengrinus Royal Army. I am looking forward to knowing all of you, too, though I am confused as to why I would want to know only part of you." Pilgrim said, bowing her head shyly. She understood very little of what he had just said, however. It was a long name.
"I am not knowing of your naming customs," she admitted, "Am I to call you by your first name, Private? Or last name, Royal Army?"
Her brow lowered. She could sense something about the man. Something deep within her saw him as kindred. At first, she was confused, but then she realised.
"You are a, ah... Paladin, are you not?" she exclaimed, "A warrior of justice?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe blinked, staring in confusion at the living construct. "Er, no. My name is Ashe. You can just call me Ashe, or Private Razor. Whichever you prefer," he said slowly, his disbelief overshadowing his normal pride in his rank. Her complete lack of social graces was both astounding and...slightly endearing, for some reason.

She called him a paladin, and then added, "a warrior of justice?", at which Ashe's chest swelled once more with pride and he nodded. "Indeed. I am a paladin of Freyr, the Elf God of Victory. Wherever injustice or evil lurks, I shall seek it out and right all wrongs!"

Ashe opened his eyes, which for some reason he had closed, and then glanced around. His sword was out, pointed at the ceiling, and his off hand was clenched into a fist that he held over his heart. He was standing up, and one foot was resting on his seat. Or rather, he was putting all his weight on that seat, as if to crush it with sheer force.

Ashe blushed and quickly sheathed his blade, sitting back down. "I apologize. I have no idea what came over me." he muttered, looking at his feet.

[CrypticOcean]

He looked straight into the eyes of the man before him, his face making his expression hard to read.

"Quite a series of titles. Unfortunately, the Alfs and their titles garner no respect here unless deed can match them." he stated somewhat bluntly, "I am Arashk Gungfang, and I channel the gifts of Midgard." he finished with a bow respectful bow of his head. He pulled out a chunk of raw meat as he felt hunger tug at his stomach, consuming it without pausing, continuing to speak as he finished chewing, wiping the small amounts of blood that dribbled down his lower jaw away with the back of his arm.

"I, too, look forward to seeing on of Freyr's chosen at work. I have heard many tales of the Alf's skill and grace with both blade and wit."

[INoKnowNames]

As she listens to those gathered at the table, Asami finds herself curious. At the culmination of the elf’s grandiose performance, she has to catch herself, her mouth momentarily agape in awe. Were all people this prestigious? Or was the choosing of these beings to work with her… or for her to be allowed to work with them, considering their various standing, more significant than she first assumed? The will of the master is not only without flaw, its inner workings are far beyond someone of her lowly status.

Realizing it would be dishonorable not to say something herself, she delays only for just a second; to ensure that her poise was dignified and honorable, noble and graceful. “I am but a humble servant of the Lavender Lotus Clan. My name is Asami.”

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe took a breath and forced himself to regain his composure, before looking up and smiling. "Well then, Pilgrim, Arashk, Asami. I'll be counting on all of you to watch my back when we're going up against these fey, and don't worry, I'll do the same for each one of you."

He felt a little sick to his stomach watching the large lizardfolk eat a slab of raw meat, but he steeled himself and managed to ignore it.

"Well then, no sense in staying around here when we have a job to do, right? If this owner really is in danger just because the fey have the mirror, then every second counts. So, unless any of you have any objections, I propose that we leave for our destination immediately."

Ashe tried to phrase his words carefully, but they still came out entirely not how he wanted it. He wanted to try and sound like he was being reasonable and planning things ahead, but it just ended up sounding like he was trying to be bossy and superior. Ashe was seriously starting to believe that the reason other people thought elves were haughty wasn't because they were ignorant, but because elves had some kind of inbred genetic predisposition to sound like complete jackasses, even when they were being careful not to. He hoped that the group would just ignore it.

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk grabbed the map case with a respectful bow to Alice, clicking his tongue twice to signal to Runmyr that they were leaving. The massive beast slid out from its resting spot, now fully revealed due to his master no longer blocking him from view, and no longer half-hidden under the table. He let out a low growl as he walked the stiffness out from his muscles, his tail sliding back and forth in a serpentine manner along the ground. Arashk pocketed the map in one of his belt-pouches before looking to the elf.

"Agreed, Ashe. The sooner we take our first steps, the sooner we shall understand the nature of our service, and do what needs to be done."

He looked over to Asami, intrigued. She did not look nor sound as though she was native to this area. Her clothes were not made of fur or hide, nor were they even sewn of cotton or flax. They were far too polished, if such a thing were possible to do with cloth. Yet, they did shine like freshly burnished axe-heads. He realized his gaze was lingering, feeling slightly awkward, he locked his gaze into her eyes. She was young, very young...part of her almost seemed to be held in awe. He knew not what to say, for his tongue was not that of Baldur. He simply began to move for the door, Runmyr in tow.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe smiled in relief. "Glad you see it my w- is that a crocodile?" He stared as the great reptile king crawled out from underneath the table. "Great Scott! Arashk...is that...a friend of yours?" His first instinct was to slay the beast in order to protect the lizardfolk, but it seemed almost...indifferent to the rest of them. And it was following Arashk, but not attacking him, though Arashk seemed completely unguarded. So...was it a pet or somesuch nonsense?

Ashe relaxed, but retained his confusion. Turning to Alice, he gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. "We shall return with the mirror shortly." He followed the crocodile out of the tavern, standing against the outside wall and waiting for the warforged and the young girl to follow.

Now was as good a time as any to file a report. Ashe drew his scrolls from his pack. One was kept in a black onyx-encrusted case. Zaroff's. Ashe opened it and scrawled out a message.

DM:

"Met with contact. Three others, all heading for new destination. Going to retrieve a mirror from some fey thieves. Possible confrontation. Will proceed with caution."


The words shone for a bit, then started to erase themselves as they traveled to Zaroff's scroll. Ashe put the scroll back in its case and slid it back into his pack, before picking up the other case, this one ruby-encrusted, and opened it. He started to write on the scroll.

DM:

"Met with contact. Three others, all heading for new destination. Going to retrieve a mirror from some fey thieves. Possible confrontation. Will proceed with caution."


The words shone for a bit, then started to erase themselves as they traveled to Rue's scroll. Ashe packed the scroll up and put it back in his backpack, glancing up at the sky. He attempted to assess both the time of day and the forseeable weather, so that he could plan the right pace for their trip.

[Hazuki]

The pale woman nods in her seat, her form visibly relaxing on the chair as the party all gets up to leave. Glad they were leaving, or maybe tired as the rings beneath her eyes would suggest? "Farewell, and good luck. I will still be here." A finality in her tone as the last of them move to the door.

Red stands by the counter of the bar, watching Ashe, Pilgrim, Arashk, and Asami leave, poking an unconscious tiefling in an attempt to wake her. Her eyes widen as she sees Runmyr. "Arashk! How di...oh just bugger off!" Some may not be able to tell the subtle tics of a Changeling's face, but it was clear to all that this one had simply given up in quiet frustration.

AsheZaroffe:
"Status written down, Private Razor. Proceed."

Rue:"Met with parents. One other, reporter wanted to try cake. Going to eat some. Possible deliciousness. Will proceed with gluttony. Now you be careful, Ashe!"

The blanket of darkness still rests upon Ragnarok's Den.

The group, though small, sets off from the boardwalks and clean water of the outcast village with a purpose in their motions. They tread through the swampy water and plants, making use of the lizardfolk Arashk's own knowledge of the wilderness of Kari's heartlands, though his crocodile seems perfectly at home in the marshes.

The night slowly gives way to day through the stroll through the swamp and rocky trails, the sound of many creatures echoing throughout and around them but none getting close enough to cause worry. With a peek at the map provided by Alice, they find themselves at a rocky crevice which matches the description scrawled onto the back; hill of stone covered in moss and all kinds of plantlife. Next to the dark cavern's entrance, however, is a small structure.

Finely crafted wood and wheels sit beside the bulk of it; covered with fancy engravings and stirrups for animals to pull, a barred window with fine silk curtains pulled far behind it, with the name "Drawfo's Goods" placed on a sign just above the travelling caravan itself. As they step closer, the party seems to see a dwarf with a frown deep on his firm brow sitting just inside the bars and in front of the carriage-contained curtains, mumbling rapidly as he seems to count grains of rice on a tiny wooden counter.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe sighed as they marched. "Really? No one else is surprised that there is just suddenly a crocodile with us? Just me then? Well, okay. Guess it's a local thing." He remained quiet for most of the rest of the way. His scrolls started to glow and he stopped walking and opened them both up.

Reading Zarroff's reply, he couldn't help but stand at attention and salute the scroll, even though Zarroff couldn't see it or anything. Ashe hung his head as soon as he realized what he did. The commander sounded so rigid and strict, even in writing, that it was kind of intimidating. Ashe put the scroll away and pulled out Rue's. Her response made Ashe sigh in relief and shake his head. That girl...always doing her best to take him down a peg. Without Rue, Ashe probably would have lost his sense of humor months ago. He put the scroll back in its case and resumed walking, a smile on his face.

The group reached their destination, but there was a dwarf with some kind of caravan standing outside the entrance. Ashe raised an eyebrow. How curious. Walking up to the dwarf, Ashe gave him a winning smile. "Hello, sir. Is everything alright? You seem a bit troubled. Do you need some assistance?"

Ashe realized that he was on a schedule here and that his companions might have issues with him just stopping for a chat with another traveler, but Ashe couldn't just ignore this man if something was troubling him. It was a soldier's duty to help those in need, no matter what. Ashe wouldn't turn his back on that principle, after all, that's what led Zarroff to save his life in the first place.


Diplomacy check to influence the dwarf's initial attitude towards Ashe:
[roll0]

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk smiles sheepishly at the Changeling as he exits the bar with Runmyr in tow. Waving in farewell, he exited with the rest of the group and began their trek.

"Runmyr is a good warrior, and a better friend." he said with a sage nod as they traveled. Afterwards, he and the crocodile were both quite silent, focusing on guiding the group through the treacherous swamps.

He was not quite sure what Ashe was doing with the paper. From the strange posing and careful reading, he could only guess it was some kind of ritual. Perhaps it was how the Paladin renewed his divine connection? He would be sure to ask. Arashk allowed Ashe to serve as the party's face for now. He looked over the Dwarf's cart, attempting to see if he could discern anything interesting about it. He leaned on his spear as he waited, Runmyr lounging lazily in the nearby bog-water.

[roll0] Just a little spot check to see if the wagon looks familiar or has anything of interest on it that Arashk would recognize.

[Hazuki]

A calloused hand runs over the dwarf's forehead, a grumble that was unsuitable for Asami's ears. His bearded face looks up to Ashe, eyes seemingly filled with frustration. "'Ello. And no it isn't!" He barks at the elf, though his anger doesn't seem to be at the presence of the arrivals. "That woman has me cooped up in here counting her rice so I can't move to sell any of my wares!"

The far-reaching eyes of Araskhk catch items behind the curtains through a small gap, a few kinds of magical wares as well as many that could be used for an average person's survival in the swamp. "My mules got spooked, so I was stuck! Then the woman comes out of her cave and tells me she can get me up and runnin' if I make sure all of her ruddy rice is here! And I keep on having to restart!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe frowned a bit, confused. "Your mules became afraid, so you had to stop moving, and then a woman offered you her assistance in exchange for a small favor? That seems like a fair trade. After all, this is your livelihood. A simple menial task in exchange for such assistance seems like it would be a great deal to you." Stroking his chin, Ashe glanced back at Arashk. "I apologize sir. If you would excuse me for a moment, I need to converse with my companions."

Ashe turned his back to the dwarf and walked over to the lizardfolk. "What do you think, Arashk? You're good with animals, right? Could you possibly soothe this gentleman's mules so that he might be on his way? If there is a fight in this cave, we certainly don't want any civilians nearby. They might get caught in the crossfire."

[INoKnowNames]

Resolute in her determination to assist her allies as she can, Asami is silent but watchful as they travel together. She speaks little, observing as best as she can. The significance of those picked for this mission still eludes her, but to learn from them as best as she can is one of the new goals within her mind. To return improved, and with honor.

Although... the people are strange to her.... one man, Arashk, appears to be more beast than man. Although he at least appears to be natural being. Asami knows not what to make the one called Pilgrim, although to inquire would certainly be a rude thing to do. The last member of the group, Private Second Class Ashe Razor, at least appears to be close to a regular being, but all of them his mannerisms are the most exuberant... quite an odd group...

There must be some reason Asami was chosen to go, as well as to work with these people. It mattered not to her, so long as the mission ended in success, and she would be able to take glory back with her when she returned to see her sisters.

Stopping just before the entrance of the next point of interest, Asami watches and observes both her allies, particularly Ashe, and the dwarf of the caravan. "Who might this woman be?" she asks the dwarf, a look of curiosity cloaking her face, as it had many times during the trip as she watched her allies.

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk nods at Ashe, but looks back over at the dwarf before returning his gaze to Ashe.

"This was not part of our task. I have suspicions of this cave-dweller offering such a...pointless endeavour in exchange for an unknown assistance. Doubtlessly she is one of the fair folk we are to handle. We could spend days in the swamp searching for mules, if they yet live. Not all of the creatures here are as kind as Runmyr. It is also possible that they sank into one of the many mires...chances of survival for two pack animals here are...quite low." he stated gruffly. He looked over at the cave and back at the dwarf once more.

"However, we may be able to work out an agreement with the dwarf. The are dangers in the marsh that my expertise and gods-given gifts cannot supersede. If we return and calm his mules, in exchange, he may be able to part with a small amount of his wares in order to aid our journey. ...It may well be his Wyrd to have been placed in our paths. If we must do this task, it would best to do it quickly. The longer we tarry, the likelihood of this man's pack-beasts being eaten or killed continues to rise." he said with finality, grabbing a handful of swamp muck.

Taking it into his hand, he muttered a few words in ancient Draconic, allowing the mud to drip through his hands before tossing it suddenly with a flick of his wrist onto a nearby stone. He observed the marking for a moment, nodding at what he could clearly see as the sign of Freyja. Her mercy favoured this man, and he could not defy her will.

He began to look through the mud in order to find a sign of any tracks while the rest of the group discussed with the Dwarf.

Not sure if that would be a knowledge nature or a survival, so I will roll both.

[roll0] Survival
[roll1] Knowledge: Nature

[Jzadek]

Pilgrim did not speak for a long while, deep in thought, staring out across the muddy stretches of the marsh.
"I am having an airship docked in the village," she offered, not turning around, "From sky, we will be seeing more, finding the mule more quick, and no threat from creatures-not-kind-as-Runnmyr. Could be carrying wares, too."
This was not an entirely selfless act. There was so much life in the marsh, and Pilgrim would be fascinated to see it all. Plus, she did not like the idea of leaving Valiant behind, nor her harp.
"Do you know playing music?" she asked thoughtfully, "I am liking to learn."

[Hazuki]

The dwarf stands still in his carriage, pushing some of the rice grains to the side and wiping something off of a blackboard sitting on his lap. "I don't know what that woman is, but she sure had magic, and this wasn't a fair deal! I have to start again with the countin' every time I spill some, and the bags have holes in 'em! I don't know who she is, I didn't ask, I just wanted my mules back!"

Another grumble is heard from the dwarf at Pilgrim's question, a hand running through his beard and a sigh coming from his lips. "I...have a book about stringed instruments an' a pair of gloves to help you play better. Door's there." He points a stubby finger to the side of his carriage and the sturdy closed door.

Arashk:Despite your knowledge of the swamp and tracking abilities, you don't seem to be able to find any tracks that could belong to a donkey or donkeys, nor anything that could come from their hide.

You know that donkeys are sturdy creatures that are mostly reliable, though not many come near Ragnarok's Den, because not many merchants do.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe groaned, crossing his arms. It was like this whole problem with the dwarf's mules was set up just to make them waste time...wait. Ashe blinked. Did the fey...were they able to tell that the group was coming? Why else would they trick this dwarf who was clearly no threat to anyone? If this was a diversion...argh, but Ashe couldn't just leave this guy when he was in need, and of course, his point about not wanting civilians caught in the crossfire was still valid.

Ashe clenched his fist. "Damnit! Alright, group vote. Who votes we help this man now, and who votes we come back out as soon as we get what we came for? I vote in the latter, if only because I don't want our prey to have the time to realize we are here and escape."

[INoKnowNames]

"I honestly do not understand the dwarf's situation.... there are so many variables that seem odd..." Asami responds, her arms folded over her chest, and her head cocked to the side in confusion at the dwarf. "Why does he take orders from someone he does not know? If she has magic, does that mean he is cursed? Why would he be forced to count rice? And why would it be stored in bags with holes in them? It makes little sense."

"As much as this man may need help, I agree with Sir Ashe." She looks back to the party. "His problems are numorous, and our time is valuable. I would gladly assist him once we return from our mission, since his life does not seem to be in jeopardy."

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk looks over to Ashe. Had he not already explained just that earlier before consulting the gods? He grumbled to himself, elves were apparently as flighty as the tales had detailed, even the most regimented among them were wracked with indecision.

"I see no tracks, nor signs that animals of any description fitting a mule have been through here. Their tracks would have stood out enough, as they are not exactly...common. Freya casts her favor here, but it is possible I misinterpreted her message. It could be a warning, not a call to aid...an Aesir of love, and yet, of war. Perhaps she means to hasten us to our confrontation. I suggest we move on."

[Hazuki]

A loud grumble comes from the dwarf behind bars, the tiny grains of rice being pushed to the side of his wooden board again. "I never asked for your help anyway!" His work continues as the group decides at last to enter the darkened crevice just beside the dwarf's carriage, only the faintest glimmer of light existing past the craggy points inside the mouth.

Their footsteps come to hard ground, Private Razor standing at the head of the group but seeing not more than the rest could, a narrow path they walk between rough rocks of a hundred different shades of grey. The walls seem to breathe with them, light casting the tiniest of shadows across their faces yet growing larger to reveal their surroundings. The rocky walls, once dry and dusty, are now covered in various vines and plants, thorny and flowered, enveloping them but somehow not overpowering the knowledge that they were travelling to the inside of a mountain.

The sharp elven senses of Ashe notice that they're descending through the curving halls, just before a stumble across a thick and gnarled green vine brings his attention ahead, to the kissing breeze of an open cavern.

Larger than Ragnarok's Den itself, the cavern is a huge dome of plants, thatched from the nature of the Fey themselves to create a home of pulsing plantlife, the rush of a waterfall pushing along the outside of the high-reaching dome. It runs in rivulets, visible through the smallest gaps left in the forest-thatched dome, yet large holes are left all along the edges so the beautiful water, while muddied and dirty on the surface, pools in silvery lakes across the cavern. With no more roads inside it.

Asami:
At the very far end of the room, you see a dark hand slip behind large hanging leaves.

[INoKnowNames]

With guilt in her heart, Asami stays with her allies to travel inside of the cave. Her mind still lingers on the dwarf as they make their way. What if he needed their help? What if he held some significance in the mission? What would happen if he was supposed to have received their services, and something befell him while they were off? Hopefully they would be able to finish up here and return to assist him…..

The way inside seems to be long… and disorienting. Yet, the path is very natural… majestic… beautiful. Several times during the travel, Asami has to remember that she had stopped walking to admire the scenery, and has to move faster to stay caught up with her allies. One could be lost in such a place, but it would not be the worst possible fate one could experience….

Her feelings toward the beautiful caves was magnified several fold as the group eventually entered a large cavern plush with life. Everywhere the eye could see, nature had conspired to place as much wonder as possible. Asami found herself dizzied merely trying to take in all the sights; distracted by the amazing flora and beautiful water.

However, none of this stops her from noticing movement at the end of the room. “Hello?” She calls out. “Please respond, if you can understand me!” After a pause, she repeated her request in each language she was fluent in, while backing up toward her allies.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe kept one steady hand on the handle of his blade as he trudged through the cavern. The other hand held his shield high. Ashe walked in front, protecting his comrades, but then suddenly one of them broke ranks! Ashe glanced backward as he heard the movement, only to see Asami move past him. She seemed to be calling to someone at the end of the hall.

Though it was improper, now was not the time for formalities. Ashe sheathed his blade and placed his right hand firmly on Asami's shoulder. "Allow me, please," he said, before walking past her. Drawing his blade again, Ashe concentrated on the space Asami had been calling to.

"We are here for the mirror," Ashe called aloud. "If you are Fey, take us to your leader. If you are not, please point us in the direction where they can be found, and we will let you on your way."


Ashe is detecting evil in the direction of the space.

Spot check: [roll0]
Listen check: [roll1]

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk and Runmyr moved as one, waiting for whatever the two were speaking to. His eyes looked deep into the darkness, parting it with ease. Although the moment perhaps was not the best, he could not help but admire the beauty of the cave they stood in. Its wind-hewn walls, the roots from plants parting the stone as though it were but soft mud, the cool, damp air. It was a marvel what the gods had crafted here on Midgard.

As Ashe had already taken the forefront in communicating with...whatever it was he and Asami had heard, he simply remained silent. Watching and waiting.

[Jzadek]

Pilgrim found herself feeling highly uncomfortable in this grotto of natural beauty. It was like going to a wedding in pyjamas, or being a giant in a dwarven cave. Everything around her was forged by the passage of time, the power of a living, breathing world, over hundreds, thousands, millions of years. Stone from primordial years, plants that had seen civilisations rise and fall, a triumph of the organic processes that governed the earth. And then there was Pilgrim, sat in the middle of it all, the failed experiment of a grieving artificer, rejected by even her own creator. A creator that wasn't a god, or nature, or the astonishing forces of the cosmos. A creator that had hammered her out from iron and deadwood and adamantine, an artificial thing that wasn't even considered to be alive by some. At best, she was out of place. At worst, she was an offence to the world.

She began to wander off track a little, studying leaves and flowers, looking for insects, placing her hands on the trunks of ancient vegetation just to feel what it was like. As she did so, she could imagine the years that had gone by, that the plant had witnessed and not witnessed in this cave. Somehow, the latter was more impressive. It was one thing to see a mighty conqueror of old sweep across the land, quite another to miss that it had even happened. She thought of her own age - barely four years alive, a short time for humans, let alone the plants and whatever else made it's home here.

"I am thinking... I should not have come," she muttered, inspecting a cluster of vines, "I don't belong here..."
But then her eyes settled on a single vein of ivy snaking across a rocky wall, carved out by whatever had created this cave. The ivy, dark green and beautiful. The ivy, drawing life from the lifeless rock. The ivy, so familiar, its image etched onto her own metallic shell, the curve of her shield and the blade of her sword. The ivy, awakening something in her mind; just the shadow of the child of a memory. But there was still something very definitely there, no matter how faint. And even a speck of dirt can cause great annoyance when caught in the eye of a dragon.

The others seemed to have spotted something. Her hand went immediately to her sword, and then faltered. Was it right to draw an iron blade in this most sacrosanct of places? But if the others were in trouble...
She drew her blade, ready to join the fray if an aggressor loomed.

[Hazuki]

The air breezes, the water runs, and the plantlife stays as it is for a few quiet moments after Ashe and Asami's loud words. A waterfall ripples vividly, and from behind it another form emerges. A short form, muscles lean and lightly drenched in water; droplets of it running down from her fingers and the leaf-woven dress that seems ruffled along her body.

Beautiful, like an elf but something more. Skin like a dusky night sky, eyes like a warlock's flame, and flowing black hair floating just behind her, like a blurred image. She stands at least half of a dome away from the group, making a subtle gesture to them with the tips of her fingers to come closer. "Greetings." Her words ring like a sonnet in the ears of the gathered group, the plantlife of the cavern seeming to get brighter by her mere presence, the beautiful flowery scents more potent in their noses. "Please, come closer, with your weapons away. There is nothing to fear, here."

Ashe:You can detect no evil in this place.

[Jzadek]

"I am not trusting this one," Pilgrim rumbled, though she half-sheathed her sword, "It is of the Saedhe to decept and make truths lies."

Nevertheless, she took a step forward, and extended a hand, her head bowed. She looked back up again at the fey creature, and began to speak in Auran - after all, she reasoned, when addressing something like that, she didn't want to sound like an idiot.

"Dhe sihayn Ao-Saedhe, thaen rhil. Selhan fynn ghlaes Pilgrim ula-aed, saihta inra mhalath ynri. Pilgrim... Celia... celnaht waerd-en paladinhe, dhomor dhevi waerd-en tai-nhyr. Pilgrim-Celia suthan enr-aos, dhomor nhyr ular. Shalahan etsan muerthas."*

She bowed, and took a step back, all the while her mind screaming at her for her forwardness. This wasn't the way to do things! This certainly wasn't the way she did things!
But she had done it now, and making that stand made her feel good, as did using her native tongue again - to be able to articulate herself was a great relief after so long speaking like a child. She supposed she was, but language - her language - was one of the few things she could do, having it programmed into her as soon as she was created.


*Only view if you speak Auran:
"Greetings to you, lady-of-the-forest. Be forewarned that while I have no intention of causing you harm, I will not hesitate to fight if I see any display of aggression from you. I... she... may not be a paladin any more, but that does not mean that I won't step up to defend those who need it. I say this with all due humility, but know that I will stand by my word. I have no fear to die."

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe hesitated, keeping his hand on his sword and stepping forward slowly. "Hello," he said without emotion, Pilgrim's words echoing through his mind. Don't trust her. Ashe could not sense any darkness within her, but a person didn't have to be evil to be his enemy.

"Please, identify yourself," Ashe requested, "and tell us where we might find the fey intruders who seek refuge from the law in this cavern."

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk looked to Ashe, raising a brow. He stepped forward, using his spear as a walking staff, Runmyr gnawing on a nearby rock idly, for reasons that only the great beast could fathom.

He stood at Ashe's side, bowing his head slightly in respect to the fey. He then turned his head to him, his covered socket fixed into the elf's own eyes.

"Perhaps you should show more respect to this place and its inhabitants. You are the intruder in this place, and within this cave, we intrude. A task was requested of us, not an inquisition. This place was forged by the gods. The Fair Folk are an expression of Midgard's unspoiled natural wonders."

He turned his attention back to what he knew to be the Fey. He spoke in her native tongue, remembering that Wulfgar said that such nature spirits were pleased to hear that mortals took that time to understand them.

(Spoken in Sylvan)
"Lady of the Green, it is told to us by the Sleeping Valkyrie that you hold an object of great importance here. It belongs to another, and we have been tasked with bringing it back. If an arrangement could be made, I swear to you that I shall uphold my side of the bargain. The object in question is a mirror."

After speaking, he observed her briefly, attempting to determine exactly what type of fey she might be. He was aware there were many different kinds, and decided that it would be best to be familiar with this one, so that he may better know how to bargain with it. Or assist Ashe in bargaining with it, more likely.

[roll0] Knowledge: Nature

[Hazuki]

The woman's ears twitch in the slightest way at Pilgrim and Ashe's words, though a smile comes to her full darkened lips. "Well, it was a little bit of a lie. There's nothing to fear for people who are polite. And I'm sorry, but I do not speak Auran, though I hope to learn someday." Her graceful steps move over the soft leaves that litter the floor, feet undamaged by the rocks and thorns. She lets her fingers tickle the surface of the waterfall she emerged from.

When Arashk speaks, she listens, body still like a great oak and gazing forward."The sworded man! If you guess my name, I'll tell you if you're right. But your wise friend speaks truthfully; this is my home, and you are guests here. But;" Her emerald eyes match Ashe's from across the cavern. "We aren't under your law. My home will turn against you as surely as you will try to force it under yours." Her tone remains soft and melodic, but the warning spreads among the flora like a ripple.

She watches Arashk's speaking to her in Sylvan with a glowing smile spread across her face, head tilted to the side as a curious animal's would be. "I have a mirror here; it's in my waterfall. Of course you'll uphold your side! But we'll need to make a bargain, first..." Her head turns over each individual present, looking them over as if choosing a target. "Does anyone have a hand I may borrow?"

Arashk:Nymphs are fey that typically resemble elven women, not just physically beautiful, but literally blindingly so. They usually dwell in forests, streams, waterfalls, or coves. They are the gaurdians and protectors of these and the portals to the faerie realm. It is said that their beauty can lead anyone who gazes upon them to either blindness, madness, or even death. However, they can suppress this ability if they wish. They absolutely hate anything that is either evil or ugly.

Nymphs are commonly used as envoys for the Fey; the ones who many pacts are made with, and who can make valuable allies if a good pact is made. This nymph in particularly does not appear to be as beautiful as a fully matured one, leading you to believe she may be a juvenile nymph, and thus less powerful.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe turned to Arashk, considering his words carefully, and then nodded. He sheathed his sword completely, and reattached his shield to his back, before stepping forward once more, closing the gap between himself and the creature by about half. "I apologize. You are indeed not under any sort of jurisdiction here. However, we have come here to retrieve stolen property. I am not accusing you of stealing it, but perhaps the person you acquired it from had stolen it and did not tell you? Anyway, if you possess the mirror, we would very much like to have it back."

She asked for someone's "hand" to "borrow". Ashe froze. What the heck was that? And yet...he was the one who was trying to compromise here. If this was her offer, he had to accept, lest the negotiations fall through and everything turn violent. She said "borrow", not "trade" or "have", so maybe she wasn't going to take his hand or anything crazy like that.

Ashe frowned, but nodded and took the last few steps forward, standing before the fair creature and looking directly into her eyes. Wordlessly, he extended his right hand out, palm up, and waited expectantly.

[INoKnowNames]

"Be careful..." Asami whispers as she watches Ashe go.

The place was beautiful... never before had Asami encounted such a local so natural... so serene.... and the figure only enhanced the splendor of the environment, she herself appearing almost divine...

But looks can be quite decieving. This far in the middle of unknown territory, with few options for escape and little knowledge of the region.... were this a trap, the odds of survival would be almost impossibly stacked against them....

Despite that, the almost enchanting beauty of the land, and the mistifying nature of the being before them puts Asami a bit further at ease than she normally would have been. As Ashe walks, Asami slowly traces his path.

[Hazuki]

The skin of the woman's hand is silky against Ashe's, gentle fingertips closing around his palm. She pulls a thorn off of her dress of leaves, and with a quick scrape against her own skin, coats the tip with a drop of blood, and holds it over the back of Ashe's hand. "If this group is yours, if this group wishes for this," A small circular mirror glides along the surface of the pooled crystal water, matching the sketch on the case of the map. "Mirror, and if you are all willing to..."

An uncertain sound comes out of her lips, clucking her tongue for a few moments before another smile brightens her face. "Oppose Hell whenever you can. Scribble out, chisel away, or yell over the written or spoken name of Hell every seventh time you see it, say yes, and we will trade these services."

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe stared at this strange, dark-skinned woman in confusion. "You want me to...swear a crusade...against Hell? To...erase its very name from existence, to oppose it 'whenever I can', but only every seventh time?"

Ashe was beginning to think this chick was a few cards short of a full deck, but she was offering him the mirror, that much was obvious. Besides, it's not like Ashe was particularly fond of Hell anyway. So, what did he really have to lose here?

"Very well. I, Private Second Class Ashe Razor, do hereby swear, on my life and my honor, to oppose Hell whenever I can, to scribble out, chisel away, or yell over the spoken or written name of Hell...every seventh time I see it."

[Hazuki]

The woman looks Ashe in the eyes, before turning her gaze to the rest of his group. "No, that's not how it works. If this group is yours, if this group wishes for this mirror, and if you are all willing to oppose Hell whenever you can. Scribble out, chisel away, or yell over the written or spoken name of Hell every seventh time you see it, say yes, and we will trade these services."

"You didn't say yes... I'll negotiate the terms, but I must be the one to make them. Unless you are Fey, yourself." She says her final words with a tone of disbelief.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Oh. All of us, huh?" Ashe glanced back at the group. If she wanted all of them to agree, then why had she needed Ashe's hand? Or was she planning to drip blood on all of their hands? None of this was making any sense, but Ashe couldn't speak for the group. That wasn't his right.

"Very well. I say yes." Ashe stated simply, after a moment of silence.

[CrypticOcean]

Arashk watched silently as the pact was made. He was slightly uncertain as to what this would entail. On the surface, it did not truly seem like much of a bargain. The fey was seemingly gaining nothing from the trade, other than allowing the Alf to oppose Utgard...and perhaps its goddess? Hel had her place in the world, as a shepherd of the dishonoured or tragic dead. Was this what she meant for them to oppose? As blasphemous as that in of itself would have been, the fey still did not stand to benefit from that.

He knew the Fair Folk were strange, but perhaps he did not understand just how strange they were...or perhaps there was far more to this than his limited perception could see. How he wished he had the wisdom of Odin! Alas, he had to rely on his faulty mortal perception, and it gave him little insight as to what the Fey's grand machinations were, if there were any at all. Although she was a lesser Nymph, he did not wish to presume that even the least of the fey were not capable of long-spanning plans.

He looked at the Nymph, entranced by her beauty for a moment, before turning his gaze back to Ashe. He did not seem to take the Fey very seriously due to this request. They were here for the mirror, so regardless o the stipulations of the bargain, they had to bring it back. He simply hoped it would not be something that they all regretted later on...he would have to meditate on this for a moment before giving his answer.

[INoKnowNames]

Asami stared at everyone involved, her eyes lingering on the fey for quite a while. Even with her limited experience with the world, the entire situation seemed less and less simple as events unraveled themselves. How much of this did Alice know? Might this all be an elaborate trap? What would her sisters have done...

Still, it does not yet seem to be the time or place for hostilities, and Asami had no intent to disrupt this meeting if no one else objected. As she approaches Ashe and the fey, Asami takes another look around, trying not to be fooled by the splendor of the environment. She especially eyes the waterfall with personal intrigue. Asami tries to think of anything that her clan would have taught her... and she tries to listen to her instincts, honed in service, to figure out what to do next.

Listen:[roll0]
Spot:[roll1]
Search:[roll2]
Sense Motive:[roll3]
Knowledge (Nature):[roll4]

[Hazuki]

Asami:
You hear nothing but what you have been hearing from your group and the woman before you.

The woman's words hold no particular interest or inflection that you can discern, and the teachings of your clan seem to elude you.

Your eyes see just past the falling water of the waterfall, catching the figure of a tall creature, about the same height as Pilgrim, standing inside. It's humanoid in appearance, thick vines twist and snake, combining to form gangly arms and legs, ending in sharp thorn claws. Its head is defined by leafy growths, and its wolfish face has the appearance of aged, cracked wood.

Arashk:You remember much of Wulfgard's teaching of the Fey and their pacts. They are composed of a series of elements, each pertaining to the Fey pact-maker's whims, as only Fey can create and close their own deals.

The rules for Fey pacts with non-Fey creatures are as follows:

The first part is a Task, which can fit into any number of categories, decided upon by both the Pact-Maker and the Pact-ee.

The second is an optional part of a pact, a gift rewarded for the completion of a Task. If the Pact-Maker and Pact-ee are not trading tasks, the Pact-Maker will decide upon a Boon. with the Pact-ee.

The third part of a Fey Pact is the Sanction; what will happen if either side of the bargain fails their part of the Pact. The Sanction is powered by Fey magic itself. The Pact-Maker decides the Sanction, and need not tell the Pact-ee the Sanction if the Pact-ee does not ask.

The final part of the Fey Pact is the Duration; how long the Pact-ee and Pact-Makers have to complete the Task, how long the Boon shall last, and how long the Sanction shall last.

[INoKnowNames]

"All we need to do is say Yes?" Asami asks the woman. Unable to detect any ill intent or decipher any meaning, and ill knowledgeable over such beings, Asami is content with complying with the fey's request.

As Asami stands next to Ashe, she notices another being, behind the waterfall. A rather monstrous creature, humanoid yet natural, for lack of a better word. "Um... if you don't mind my asking, did you bring anyone else along?"

[Hazuki]

"You need to say yes." The nymph answers Asami, taking her gaze away from Ashe. Her eyebrow quirks every so slightly at the silence of their companions. "Bring where?" She asks in return to Asami's second question.

[INoKnowNames]

"Please forgive my rudeness, ma'am." Asami responds. It took her half a breath to realize how this situation would seem from a different point of view, and her prior question was made without any sympathy. She and her group were the outsiders here. Of course there would be other creatures living here. They are more natural to this location than Asami and her group is. It would be no less rude for her to ask as she did than it would be to question the children in a home as a mother addresses a guest. Still... the being behind the waterfall did cause her heart to skip a beat, and even now still gives her a feeling of worry.

Asami stands next to Ashe, and extends her palm to the woman. "I say yes."

[Hazuki]

With no replies from the lizard of the warforged, the woman gestures for Asami to come closer to her, taking Asami's hand into the one holding Ashe's, so both are visible. She pokes the needle into the back of each person's hand, a symbol of thorns and vines twisting around them with a gentle green glow before fading into their skin. Disappearing as silently as it came.

"And so, we're done. You are the subjects of this pact, beause of your companions wariness." The woman speaks with a serene calm in her voice, and her eyes gazing across her cavern. She bends on her knees, water rippling at the tips of ehr fingers, and retrieves the mirror, tossing it to Ashe, and letting droplets of water flicker over them. "So you can leave."

You get the feeling that it is a demand, rather than an allowance. Pilgrim turns on the spot, and immediately begins to walk back the way her group had came. This place made her nervous.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe just stared at the woman as she poked a thorn into the back of his hand. There was a strange glow, and some kind of tattoo appeared for just an instant, and then vanished without a trace. He started to open his mouth to ask a question, but stopped as he saw the mirror flying towards him. Ashe caught it quickly and looked down to confirm that it wasn't damaged, before the dark girl told him to get out.

Ashe frowned, but slipped the mirror in his backpack and nodded to the others. It was indeed time to leave. They had what they came for. No need to stick around now. Ashe turned and headed for the exit.

[INoKnowNames]

Asami was stunned for a moment, curious about the situation she found herself in. What did she just allow herself to be roped into? And would her sisters approve? It seemed on the up and up, but one can never be too cautious... although now, it may be too late.

Asami bows before the woman, before running to Ashe's side. She whispers some of her concerns in his ear. Do you know what happened just now? Is this really so simple that we should be leaving without further question?

[Hazuki]

Arashk:
Feel very free to post Arashk's reaction to all of this, still.

The group of four travels their way back through the twisting caves, away from the bounty of natural wonder that lies buried deep in the mountain. The marks on the back of Asami and Ashe's hands lie dormant and unseen, even as they pass back into the swamps of the Heart of Kari. The sun has risen more fully as they step onto the mud once again, bathing them in its light.

The trip back to Ragnarok's Den is significantly darker, the shadows cast by the plants and trees and large rocks next to slightly smaller rocks flicking across them like a gnomish flipbook. Once again, Runmyr leads the way and, with Arashk's aid and knowledge of the swamp, they find themselves on the brink of the village and its crystal clear waters.

There are now people moving around on the boardwalks, chatting or moving about from building to building. People of various races and breeds, working together to mend the boardwalks or bring barrels of brew to the taverns, some with smiles and others grumbling stupidy about the work. A few of te townsfolk give small waves to the people as they pass, more given to Arashk and Pilgrim than the newcomers, but still there.

They first see Alice standing on the highest walkway of Ragnarok's Den, resting her pale hands on the railing, clothes the same and as ragged as they had been before. She watches as the group goes to meet her atop it, standing straight in the middle and giving a small bow to the returning group. "Private Razor, Asami, Arashk, Pilgrim. How did your task go?"

[CrypticOcean]

He had been too lost in thought. Arashk had spent far too much time thinking, and had been unable to ask the Dryad the specifics, all of the important things he could have told Ashe. It was too late, however. The Pact was sealed, and the consequences would reveal themselves in time. He only hoped he could quicken his thinking by this time. He was not just a scholar, but a warrior as well. He had to learn to act when an opening presented itself.

He bowed to Alice as he approached her, taking his seat slightly off to the side of her, Runmyr trudging along passively to hunker down next to his master. His clawed hands folding upon the table, he settled into his seat, then spoke.

"No violence erupted, but a pact was made. We retrieved the mirror, as promised. I am shamed in that I did not contribute to the pact...there was much I could have done. It was the first time I had been involved in such a thing with Fey...I was unsure what to expect."

[NeoSeraphi]

As Ashe walked past Asami, she questioned his judgment. Ashe closed his eyes, his fingers clenching around the mirror. "We are guests here," he said quietly, his eyes on the ground. "We have what we came for. We were asked to leave. Refusing to do so would be rude and hostile without warrant. So we go." He left the cavern.

The group returned to the tavern. Ashe looked at Alice for a long moment after she asked how it had gone. Wordlessly, he drew the mirror from his bag and slid it across the table to her. "We did what you asked, of course. Would you expect us to have come back otherwise?"

This woman..she knew what would happen in the cave. She must have! Every time Ashe blinked that symbol that appeared on his hand was there. What was this? What had he agreed to? That was clearly some kind of magical binding ceremony the girl had performed on him. Ashe's divine gifts assured him that no evil power lurked within his body, but... Still, Ashe felt...trapped. And he didn't like that. Not one bit.

[INoKnowNames]

"The mission was complete." Asami chimes in. "Hopefully your next assignment will be as easily accomplished as your first task was."

Though she does not speak her concerns, Asami also hopes the next assignment will shed further light into the darkness… the dwarf incident was odd, and the ritual performed by the woman infinitely more perplexing. And Asami still had no reason why she was selected to take part in these activities.

[Hazuki]

Everyone:
Pssst...you did read my post, right? And that Alice is standing on a boardwalk of Ragnarok's Den?

Alice takes back the mirror from Ashe, holding it loosely in her hand and slipping it into her apron. Her fingertips rub against the apron briefly, her stance returning to its full height. "Thank you for retrieving it. There's always a chance of failure, Private Razor. And a rhyme, wasn't that nice?" She quips with a brief smirk. "None will be so easy as this, I can tell you that. Will you be wanting some...payment?" The woman asks, with a small gesture to a loaded pouch resting on the beaten wooden railing.

"Now, I'll need to borrow Pilgrim for a short time, assuming she has no objections?" An eyebrow arcs at the tall warforged, whose head nods briefly after a few moments of thinking.

"If it's what I must." Pilgrim's head turns to the brief comrades she'd made. "I enjoyed my brief time spent with you. May we meet again. I will need to say goodbye to my...friends here."" She speaks as an afterthought to Alice, who simply nods.

"Once I have finished this meeting. Now;" Her eyes cut to the three remaining of the group. "Your next task will be waiting in Singrenus; where I will be meeting you. You will be chasing down an undesirable element; so you'll be right at home, Private Razor." She offers another smile to the elven soldier, and another to Arashk. "Perhaps not so for yourself, but there are many temples in the city, and much knowledge in the Kari Mages Guild. If there is nothing else, you can say your farewells and walk to Singrenus."

Asami: As Alice takes the mirror, you notice that she keeps the reflective part faced down and away from herself.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe nodded. "An undesirable element? No problem. I can call my troop in for backup, with that many of us there will be absolutely no chance of failure. I'm sure Lieutenant Marsailles would be willing to head the operation as well, that would give us a great advantage. He's a tactical genius."

Ashe decided the first thing he would do when he left would be to contact Zarroff and Rue, then he'd take the group to the city and meet with Ta'lel privately, ask him to assist them and bring the rest of the soldiers. With Ashe, Rue, Ta'lel, and the other 9 men and women of their division working together, along with Arashk and Asami, this would be a piece of cake.

Ashe turned to Pilgrim and bowed his head. "It was a pleasure working with you. I hope that we meet again, someday."

[INoKnowNames]

As she watches Alice take the mirror, Asami can't help but notice that Alice kept the reflective side facing away from herself. This detail seemed odd... but not important enough to question, at least not at the moment. To bother bringing up such a thing would be rude, especially with the many other doubts still within her mind.

"Good bye... Pilgrim" Asami speaks to the being. Hopefully Alice will return her soon enough, or that her significance is not to the order of which Asami has been tasked.

"If you do not mind my asking" Asami begins, turning toward Alice, "What is an "undesirable element?". Asami glances toward both of her allies, her head tilted in even further confusion. Hopefully, she would understand the mysteries presented to her soon enough.

Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Hazuki]

"How you handle it is your own choice, Private Razor." Alice tells the elven man. A more settled gaze rests on Asami's question. "A small group running from their duties. A person hurting others, but never quite a murder. And a couplet of troublemakers from beneath the earth. I'll tell you more when we meet again, but my information is limited at the moment too."

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe nodded. "Very well. Then we'll take our leave. Arashk. Asami. Follow me. I can lead you both back to Singrenus without an issue." He gave a polite bow of his head to Alice, before turning and walking out of the Den.

As Ashe walked, he drew his scrolls from his backpack, sending his commander and comrade an update.

DM:

To Zaroff: "Mission complete. No casualties. Returning to base now. Will make contact with client again in Singrenus."

To Rue: "Mission complete. Everything is taken care of. I am coming home now. See you there?"

[INoKnowNames]

Asami bows toward Alice. "May we all travel safely, and our tasks be completed without fail." She then walks over to the railing and retrieves the pouch. One last look at Pilgrim and Alice, and Asami begins to follow Ashe. Hopefully this next assignment would alleviate the questions that everyone seemed to carry.

[Hazuki]

The lizardfolk known as Arashk turns to Alice as Asami and Ashe turn to leave Ragnarok's Den. "May I go with you? I have many questions but do not want to hold up my brief companions. I believe my journey and knowledge would be better expended, with you."

Alice watches Arashk for a few moments, looking over his rather imposing form. On the floorboards, Runmyr pads with a gentle knocking sound as the woman lets out a light sigh. "Very well. You may travel with me. But no more. Goodbye." She spins on the heels of her shoes, turning off with a sure stride across the creaking floorboards. Pilgrim follows behind her, a goodbye already said. Arashk nods as he passes by the two remaining people who first mer Alice, a silent farewell. Runmyr plops past with a strange alligator grin.

As the three move along the wooden boards with Alice, it dawns upon Ashe that it will take a long time to simply walk back to Singrenus. His birthday is by the end of the week, and Ragnarok's Den is at the very heart of the continent; walking would take them far longer.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe waved to the group. "Farewell, friends. Though we only knew each other a short while, it was a pleasure travelling with you. I wish you well in your endeavors, and hope that the road to Singrenus will be safe and the long journey will not take its toll too harshly on you."

As they left, Ashe blinked. "Wait a moment. 'Long journey'? Oh no. Oh no, no no no! This is bad. If we go back the way we came, we will still be on the road when my birthday comes around, and Rue will kill me. She will wait until we have a sparring practice together and then jump on my back and activate all of her hidden blades and skewer me like a pig! Man, this isn't good. I need to get back to Singrenus faster than that...hey, I know. Maybe someone around here knows a shortcut? Right. Asami, we need to ask around and figure out the quickest way to get back to Singrenus. Will you help me, please?"


Ashe spent the next few hours walking from person to person, asking "Excuse me, I need to get to Singrenus by the end of the week. Do you know a route I can take that will get me there in that time?"


[roll0]

[INoKnowNames]

Asami looks back and forth between the two groups, before bowing again to her former traveling companions. “Thank you for the time we’ve had together. May your endeavors be prosperous.” Inside, Asami is not completely certain what to think. A feeling that they might not encounter each other for a while had begun to well within the pit of her stomach, and if they were still needed for her duties, she would have trouble trying to find them again. She kept the fear hidden back under optimism that everything would be alright.

As they walked together, Ashe seemed to break out into a panic. Asami watched as he bared his thoughts, partially confused, partially interested, and partially amused. This 'Rue' reminds Asami of Lady Chiharu, her mentor. Disappointing her is definitely not an option. Apparently, Ashe felt the same about Rue. “I’ll help in any way I can.” Asami responds to Ashe, a warm smile filled with memories of her home etched across her face as she speaks.

Asami follows Ashe around, mirroring his sentiments to those he had not questioned, in an attempt to expedite the process and learn how to sooner reach Singrenus.


Since it has been brought to my attention that it is merely a DC 10 check, I shall indeed roll to aid another in Gather Information.

(1d20+2)[13]

Yay!

Also, blatant copy pasta!

[Hazuki]

The two ask around Ragnarok's Den for a good few hours, finding the most success in the two taverns in town. In one, and meeting Red once again, Asami and Ashe learn of the tiefling Cleric who could likely take them to Singrenus for a favor once they arrive, that could take them to Singrenus almost recently. Along their way around, they see Pilgrim one more time, who offers them the use of her Soarwood rowboat. While it would not be particularly faster than walking, it would mean they wouldn't be impeded by rough terrain or having to sleep.

There are also roads that lead underground that would allow them to get to their destination more quickly, though Ashe knows that to do so would invoke danger from the Drow that dwell beneath. Or, if the group were so desperate, they might return to the woman in the den of thorns and see if she had a way of getting them there.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe walked around town for a long time. Several options were presented to him. He hesitated, standing in the middle of town, weighing all of his possibilities. One of them involved dealing with a demonic cleric. Right. Like Ashe was going to break his paladin's oath that easily. He might as well ask to be reassigned to an incubus lieutenant instead of Ta'lel. Then there was the option of rowing all the way there to Singrenus. However, that would either require rowing all the way back to Ragnarok's Den in order to return Pilgrim's boat, or keeping it from her for Ashe's own goals. Neither of those was a good thing to do, especially considering how naive the girl offering the boat to him was. He would feel like he was taking advantage of her.

Then there was the strange dark-skinned woman in the cave. She certainly seemed powerful enough to help them return. But it was such a ludicrous favor, there was no guarantee she would assist them, and then that would just waste more time and cause Ashe to be delayed even further, which would anger not only Rue, but...Ashe shuddered in fear, despite his paladin courage...Colonel Zarroff.

So that left one alternative. "Underground..." Ashe said aloud, lost in thought. "We could travel underground and take a route directly to Singrenus. We'd be cutting it close, but if we hurried, we could make it there in time. The only problem is that we might be facing some...enemies. Dark elves, and other aberrations that wander where they are safe from the light. There will be some stealth and possibly some deadly force involved, but I would of course protect you with my life. What do you think?" he asked Asami.

[INoKnowNames]

Asami considered the four choices currently laid out for she and Ashe; partake of the aid of a cleric’s services at the cost of a favor for said cleric, borrow Pilgrim’s transportation from her and need to return it after the assignment has been completed, return to the odd woman in the caves and seek her assistance again, or venture underground in spite of the dangers such a path would provide. Asami spends a few moments thinking after Ashe turns to her for her input.

"It would probably be fastest and most simple to take the subterranean journey, would it not? Provided we keep moving, we should be able to spirit ourselves away from danger." Asami responded. "If we are to be forced to fight, I hopefully would not be a burden to you." The words were hard for her to speak; the possibility that failure on her part might bring shame onto her clan. She shook her head. Focus is best not wasted upon such thoughts. “I am resolute in this decision if you are, Ashe.”

[Hazuki]

Ashe and Asami follow the directions of Red to the swamp paths that would take them underground; though she gave a warning that it's quite cold and dark down there so they may have neeeded a light. They move past the entrance after a short trip through the swamps; cold with wind blowing down it and whistling in their ears, darkness beyond the small mouth of the cave and little else.

With some little light they push into it; to be as quiet as possible would make their trip too long, so they had to hurry at least some, though they kept aware of their surroundings through the twisting cave that dug into the earth for a length they couldn't guess; only knowing that it felt as if the cave was compressing around them before they finally came to an open area; a tall yet narrow cavern stretching far out of their view, the end unseeable.

The only path is down, to the ground of this Underdark valley, or back up to where they came. Only themselves and the stone; and three whispy glowing figures wondering far, far below, touching the walls without a sound emerging to Asami and Ashe's ears.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ashe walked through the cave slowly, feeling his anticipation rise with each step. The Underdark. A dangerous, forbidden place where dozens of innocent elven men and women were probably being kept in slavery and imprisonment. Ashe bit his lip and stopped in place over the cavern. His legs shook a little in fear. The rumors had been there, all through his childhood. "Don't go into the Underdark, the evil drow will snatch you up and cook you for dinner!"

Ashe felt a chill run through his body and slowly wrapped his arms around himself, hugging himself tightly, as a trickle of doubt began to form in his mind. But then another image formed. Rue, sitting at a table with the rest of his troop, waiting expectantly, only to receive a scroll saying he wouldn't be making it. The rest of the troop would leave, and Rue would stay, sitting at the table, her expression a mixture of sadness and hurt. Ashe sighed and clenched his fists, drawing his sword and shield. "Do not let your guard down, not even for an instant," he instructed Asami, before taking the last few steps and descending down into the Underdark.

[INoKnowNames]

Asami cannot recall much about the path they had chosen to take, at least beyond the obvious. The route would be dangerous, taxing on the senses and flushed with life different than that in the over world. And the possibility of intruding into private territory is high. Had she paid more attention during her time studying, she might be a bit more informed. Alas, it's far too late to have time for regrets.

Only delaying to breathe, Asami grabs hold of the handle of her blade, prepared to unleash it at a moment's notice. "Understood." she replies to Ashe, as she follows him into the Underdark.

[Hazuki]

The group of two moves further down the path into the valley, their footsteps echoing lightly across the valley though the glowing figures remain silent, moving aimlessly across the valley. They seem not to notice the two approaching; as if they were animals out of touch with the world around them. They move around and behind the rocks in an aimless pattern.

One such moving wispy humanoid moves out from behind a rock, its features becoming more distinct as the couplet gets closer. Silence followed by more, until a dagger appears in its hand, launching through the air at Ashe and piercing his heart as if aimed from just a foot away, three devices strapped to it soaking into his blood where the dagger hit.

The elf immediately crashes to the ground in his armor, clunking with his sword, shield, and body to hit the floor in a lump.

Ashe is Unconscious.

Asami, you go! Rolled top in initiative.

[INoKnowNames]

"Please stop! We aren't here to fight!" Asami dashes in front of her fallen partner, pulling out her katana in the process. An aura of shadow coats her body as she moves. As she stops, she holds her sword in a defensive position, in an attempt to further protect herself and Ashe. "We're just traveling! We don't mean any harm! We'll leave immediately if you please let us go!" Begging for mercy may be her only chance at getting out of here alive. Hopefully they might allow her to carry Ashe back to civilization... Asami surveys the situation she finds herself in.

Swift Action to officially initiate the Child of Shadow stance.
Move action to move at least 10 feet to get infront of Ashe, to at least help gain focus onto herself. Child of Shadow grants her Concealment for this.
Standard Action: Total Defense to gain +4 to her Armor Class, but no Attacks of Opportunity.
Free Action: Wish to not die.

Listen:[roll0]
Spot:[roll1]
Diplomacy: (1d20+4)[11]

[Hazuki]

The glowing figure stands where it is for a moment as you spot a brief flash of magic surround it, before it charges forward across the gap between the two of them, taking a precise strike straight at Asami's heart with a wicked-looking long blade, striking straight through her concealment and defensive katana stance. The young warrior's arms fall to her side, and she falls to the ground as a blackness clouds her vision. Defeated.

...

Nothing. The first thing to reach Asami's nose. Against her skin, it feels the same. Still. She realizes that her muscles feel weak; her blood sluggish as it slowly works through her veins. Even with the armor no longer covering her; she feels heavy. Then the cold against her spine, touching through the feathery silk than rests thinly across her, a cloak tied up at the front. Stillness and chill. And heavy, restricting materials wrapped around her limbs. Her wrists, elbows, forearms, upper arms, ankles, knees, and thighs. A thick band is wrapped around her neck.

Her eyes open, seeing a low-hung ceiling made of a dark and shimmering stone; purple of the darkest shade but otherwise blank. She can hear voices of a tongue unfamiliar; but long and easy on her ears, like the elven language. They're close; though she cannot tell without looking.

Ashe and Asami, remove all items from your inventories.

Asami wakes first, so Ashe's will wait.

[INoKnowNames]

To have lost so easily... the final images she saw before passing out, being run through by the mysterious being and slain in one blow, her fighting style not even remotely slowing it down... the nightmare appeared over and over again in her head, to be the final haunting thoughts Asami would have before she died.

After a moment, however, feeling began to return to her body. She's not dead, at least not yet, though her body certainly feels like it wants to disagree. Asami attempts to move, only to find herself forcibly bound. Struggling in her weakened state would be futile.

"Ashe?" she whispered, hoping that he might hear her while those that captured her did not. "Ashe?" She looked around, and listened as hard as she could, hoping to catch a sign that she was not alone in this situation.

Listen:[roll0]
Spot:[roll1]

[Hazuki]

Asami sees nothing in the darkness that surrounds her; no light for her eyes to pierce, and the shadows she could normally use for herself giving her nothing to grasp. Even as she moves her head, she hears only the clunking of heavy chains that attached her to the slab of stone. She can barely lift her head a foot above the slab itself, though the sound echoes across the walls. She can't guess how large the room was, only that it wasn't as small as the area she's chained to.

The speaking voices stop suddenly, followed by the sound of a mirthful snicker and the grinding of stone. She hears footsteps getting closer until a silky voice purrs around the slab, walking around before stopping by her side. "She wakes. How do you feel?" It asks, a small shimmer of light washing over the room to light the area immediately surrounding Asami, revealing dusky blue fingers holding a glowing orb between their tips, and the face of a smirking elf appearing just above them.

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/120/7/8/Drow_Mage_by_AnasteziA.jpg

[INoKnowNames]

Completely restrained, possibly alone, and at the mercy of her captor, there's very little Asami can think to do. This journey was a mistake on her part... at the very least, this passage certainly was not one she should have considered so hastily. Alas, it's far too late to lament.

Her foes could have slain Asami during her unconsciousness. There mere fact that she is alive means they don't intent to kill her, at least not immediately. With that thought in mind, Asami answers the elf. "I'm only feeling as well as one could in a situation like this. Where is the man who was traveling with me?"

[Hazuki]

"That was what counts as a man on the surface?" The light bounces across the woman's face as she snickers again, and Asami can tell that even she looks quite young into womanhood. "He's chained, a little outside of C'Carilym, the city you're in now, even!" She twirls the orb around her fingers, little more than a pellet that she then tries to balance on the tip of her finger.

"Not allowed in, though. But, not important. Why were you in the Underdark? Her voice turns like a knife, her eyes cutting to meet Asami's.

[INoKnowNames]

"The surface is full of all different kinds of people." Asami responds, trying to defend Ashe. He seems to have made enemies here in the Underdark, Asami assumes. She wonders if Ashe knew this elf personally or not.

"We're traveling, trying to reach a place called... Singrenus." Asami continues with a brief pause to recollect. "Going through the path we tried seemed like it would get us there fastest. We mean no ill will, and will gladly leave without strife if allowed." Asami turned her head slightly away, but kept her eyes locked with her captor's.

[Hazuki]

The woman listens to Asami's story with her smile faded, perching on the side of the stone slab and looking at the ceiling with travelling eyes. "Oh, I do love Singrenus..." She speaks with a voice of dreamy remembrance. "I've been there a few times, messing around at the docks mostly... Unfortunately for you, I can't," Her inflections twirls around identifying her own inability, as if finding it somewhat distasteful. [B]"Let you go. Not within my power..."

"I am Elam'Shinae Oss'Duis." She introduces, head twisting upon her shoulders to smile at Asami. "I can get you out of this room, if you're nice. What's your name?"

[INoKnowNames]

The chances of survival seemed to increase as the situation moves onward. Failure and Dishonor may not yet be Asami’s final fate. A small smile finds its way onto her lips.

“My name is Asami. And I swear that I am no threat at all; merely a humble member of the Lavender Lotus Clan.” After introducing herself, her smile fades a bit. “Miss Elam’Shinae Oss’Duis?” she asks. “If you do not have the power to free me, would you not be in trouble to chance my escape by releasing me from this chamber?”

[Hazuki]

"Call me...Shinae." The Drow woman says, getting to her feet and placing the pellet of light on the edge of the slab. A heavy sigh escapes her lips as she grabs hold of one a heavy metal binding. "I don't plan on releasing you from the city; you would only be captured again, and next time by someone less charitable than myself. Perhaps the other Priestesses." A low and harsh chuckle bounces off of the walls, into Asami's ears.

"Would you like to mingle around C'Carilym? If you behave, you may be able to become a servant of my...Mother's House." Shinae asks, slipping a key down her sleeve that lands silently in her hand. "It's the best you can hope for; this fair city makes a lot of trade, and there are worse places to be. Will." She touches the cold metal of the key to Asami's forehead. "You." A smirk crawls across her face, her sharp nails scratching along the key. "Behave?"

[INoKnowNames]

"Miss El... Shinae." Asami corrects herself quickly as she responds, her eyes glued to the key on her forehead. "While I carry absolutely no intentions of misbehaving, I am afraid I will have to reject your generous offer." She breathes out a sigh, and stares into the celling. "As nice as C'Carilym must be, I am devoted to my clan, and must accomplish the tasks that they have set out for me. I only wish to reunite with Ashe so that we may continue our journey."

Asami turns to look at Shinae. "What must we do to earn our freedom and safe passage?"

[Hazuki]

Shinae nods, slipping the key back into her sleeve with a flick of her arm, rolling the small orb of light up with it. The room falls under a blanket of darkness, Asami's vision once again blocked completely. "Nothing, because I cannot get you that, and nobody else will try. You can't bargain your way out of this. But..." Asami feels a finger press at each of her forearms, followed by a faint glow of magic as a sharp pain digs into her muscles. "Perhaps this will let your mind open..."

Perhaps Shinae moves away from the slab, though Asami cannot tell as pain like dragging rusty knives moves across her muscles and nerves, covering every inch of her body and behind her eyes. The worst pain she has ever felt, in her life.

[INoKnowNames]

Asami attempts to speak again, but is quickly silenced by raw agony invading her body, ravaging her mind. Every fiber of her being yells in pain, and she herself, after but a moment of struggling against it, cries out as well, teals trailing down the sides of her face.

"Please... Shinae...." She struggles against her bonds, struggling against the pain, knowing all too well that there was only one way, beside the cold embrace of death, to free herself from this assault. "Please... Stop!" She summons what little strength she has left, and screams through clinched teeth, doing her best not to bite off her own tongue.

[Hazuki]

The pain rushing through Asami's muscles comes to a sudden stop as a gentle brushing of the air glides across the room; like somebodyy swiftly turning. There is silence for a moment. "Yes, Asami?" She hears Shinae speak softly from elsewhere in the room; still hidden in the darkness.

[INoKnowNames]

This undignified loss would be quite a difficult hurtle. Tears, not of pain, but of sorrow, still ran down the woman's cheeks as she attempted to look to the celling again. To endure what hells wait for her is her only option now.

"What..." she whispers, sniffling through her words and fighting back the urge to cry. "What is... going to happen to me now? What does your mother... expect of people like me?" She pauses, having to fight to hold back a sob. "Will I never see the surface again?"

[Hazuki]

"No, you won't be my Mother's." Shinae says, a hint of joy in her voice as light once again blossoms over the room and a silky tissue is pulled out of her sleeve along with it. "I caught you, so you will be mine. But as I'm part of the House, you'll be under our protection. I think I'll get you to arrange my assets while I'm away, and while I am here, you can serve as company." She informs, as the key unbinds Asami's left arm from the slab, and the tissue slips into her hand.

"The surface..." The Drow seems to roll the word over her tongue, glancing at the orb in her palm. "If you behave, you will. I promise." She offers the young girl a smirk, though she can't tell the exact reason behind it. "I don't like torture, you know. It leaves scars that can't be healed by magic or time, so let's try to avoid it. Yes?"

[INoKnowNames]

Asami feels the tissue in her hand, and her arm free. She makes no attempt to move either, continuing to stare into the celling, tears still falling down her face. "I'll behave..." she utters, a sense of resignation in her tone, apparent in her breathing as well.

After a moment, concern awakens within her. She turns to Shinae. "What about Ashe? The man who was with me? What's going to happen to him?"

[Hazuki]

Shinae shrugs, her face going back to its normal state. "I honestly have no idea. I left him with Braisin, so he's probably going to be with Braisin's fellows." She speaks, her hand twitching slightly. "Will you wipe your tears please? It will make your skin sore if you don't."

[INoKnowNames]

The girl heaves a heavy sigh and brings the cloth to her cheeks. Following orders certainly wouldn't be new, but being a slave will certainly be a far cry from her former duties.

"Will he be okay with this... Braisin person?" Asami asks Shinae.

[Hazuki]

A giggle escapes from Shinae's lips as she begins to unlock Asami's binds to the table, rebinding them to each other so Asami can move of her own will. "I doubt it. Braisin does like his poisons." Her vestment flutters behind her, as she approaches further away from the stone slab, the light following her. She gestures for Asami to follow. "It's more civilized in the city. Don't worry your head about it!"

[INoKnowNames]

"I'm guessing it would be too much to ask if we could check on him." Asami responds as she follows Shinae. "I suppose I can also assume that everything I had with me is gone, too." The tears have slowed, but the feelings of despair have not, and her sighs are full of hurt.

[Hazuki]

"It is too much to ask." The Drow laughs, tossing the pellet of light to Asami with a flick of her wrist and running a hand along some seams in the wall of the room. "Let's see...your magical items have been put to use to feed the slaves, your outfit has been stored in my chambers, your blanket and bedroll are also with the slaves, and everything else is in the treasury." Shinae's fingers glow briefly as a thin slab of wall slides away, and she steps beyond.

[INoKnowNames]

At least nothing seems to have been permanently lost... in time, they might be recoverable... hopefully Ashe will be alright....

"So... would it be too much to ask where we are going now?" Asami asks as she follows her captor.

[Hazuki]

"Of course not, Asami." Footsteps move into the next room, a set of spiralling stairs made out of a jaggedly-cut stone, almost like waves that move along the walls. Each step sends a small echo along the steps, and each breath is heard. Sounds from anywhere else are absent. "We'll be going to the market! We can find some clothes for you, if you'd like, but mostly just to see what's there..."

[Hazuki]

The two arrive at the top of the spiral, finally, as they step out into another room. Long and curving hallways that are almost too narrow to walk side by side in, wrapped around the stone like a viper. Shinae walks through the darkness without a second thought, leaving Asami and her pellet of sunlight to follow the gilded tail of her skirt. "You're being quiet." Her voice travels behind her.

They pass through another door, the air lighter against Asami's skin, though she can only see just past the aura of light provided by the pellet in her fingers, she can feel the area around her is huge; the sounds of a city all around her, echoing off of the walls that escape her vision. She can feel the presence of thousands of inhabitants beyond her, like they could surround or swarm her at any moment. But all she can see is the spiralling ebony tower she's just came out of, and Shinae smiling proudly at the city. She extends her arm, palm against her hip. "Take my arm."

[INoKnowNames]

"I'd never prepared myself for anything like this." Asami calls out to Shinae as she follows what little she could see, though she remained lost in thought otherwise. The path seemed to twist and turn, and before long, any thoughts of escape had perished. The city would be as a maze to someone with little experience outside her home. Asami could only hope to gain her freedom, starting with earning Shinae's support.

Eventually, she follows the woman to a point in the tower that felt different from the labyrinth below. Asami felt like she had come closer to the world, or at least the nearest semblance of it. She turns to Shinae. "What normally happens to people like me who enter this place?" Asami asks as she wraps her arm around Shinae's.

[Hazuki]

"If people like you are brought here, you'll serve as my handmaiden while I'm home. Preparing my food, clothes, that sort of thing." Shinae begins a slow stride along the edge of the platform upon which they stand, turning her gaze away to watch the scenery. "And you'll be supported by my House's wealth, living a life better than many. The politics are murder, but you'll be safe; we don't normally care for the servants of our rivals. You might even be adopted into a new home!"

Her quiet chuckle bounces off of the narrow path they talk upon, stature straightening considerably and her crimson eyes darken. The sound of society crawls ever closer to the pair. "But you can also be demoted for being a bad handmaiden. You'll be used as a trade good, or just made to do the work too dirty for the other servants." The Drow speaks these words slowly. A smile slides onto her lips again. "And when I'm gone, you'll be free to do as you like in the tower! Just don't play with my things."

[INoKnowNames]

"I suppose I could be in worse standing..." she responds, genuinely trying to stop her own sadness. Wallowing in the disparity of the situation wouldn't bring her any closer to freedom. Perhaps she was destined to meet this challenge.

"Where might Ashe be, if you don't mind me asking?" Asami questions Shinae as she follows her around. If she could somehow get in contact with him, that would be a decent step towards escaping from here and returning to the world above, as well as to Alice and her prior assignment for her clan. Hopefully the Lavender Lotus wouldn't hear of her capture at all...

[Hazuki]

The sounds settle into a hum as Asami sets foot into the market alongside Shinae; many small stone tables and quickly set up banners hanging over the edges. The stalls contain mostly magical items and oddities that Asami has seen from her home in Azuma, as well as from other places during her travel to Ragnarok's Den, though there are a few set up with mountains of fruit set up in baskets, tended by caravans who seem to be from the surface rather than the Underdark.

Other Drow Nobles are browsing through the market, most with handmaidens or even a small collection of soldiers or mages that carefully watch the area around them, but few seem to pay specific attention to Asami, even as Shinae approaches the first stall of fruit with smiling eyes. "Outside the city, I told you!"

[INoKnowNames]

“Right…” the woman sighs as she looks around, noticing all of the different servants tending to the upper-class. How many of them had been thrust into slavery, captured during their business by the denizens living in this place, she ponders.

Asami’s normally quiet voice drops to a near inaudible whisper. “If you don’t mind me asking, is leaving the tower without your escort even a possibility?” she questions Shinae while looking over the fruit.

[Hazuki]

The fresh fruits seem to be of the kind from all over the world; slightly chilled to the touch with a juicy color. "No, sorry. We can't have handmaidens running around doing their...handmaiden business without us!" Shinae seems to laugh softly, as she tosses a small pouch of coins to the changeling that tends the stall, swinging a basket under her arm and proferring a crimson apple to Asami.

"Which reminds me; I'll be leaving C'Carilym again after some rest, later." Shinae speaks softly, so as not to be overheard as she walks close to the other woman's side. "So things won't be too hard on you, eh? But please don't try anything, okay? You're my first handmaiden..."

[INoKnowNames]

Asami nods at hearing of Shinae's news, but says nothing about either of her other comments, using the fresh fruit provided by her captor as excuse not to respond. Hopefully Shinae's absence will give her a chance to figure out a plan. Maybe she can get in touch with Ashe if luck is with her.

[Hazuki]

Alright, I'm back. I'll get a post up by tomorrow night - hopefully. :smallsmile: