The Age of Mortals

[FoxWyrd]

The return to consciousness is exhausting and the temperature high. You’re each drenched in sweat from the heat of this room and as you open your eyes, you see a dragon with scales of a deep crimson lying in a perfect stillness in the center of this room which curves into a dome hundreds of feet above. Throughout the room are small pockets of magma where the floor has been carved out to allow the heat in.

There is a skittering in the corridor nearby. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of tiny feet are moving at a frantic pace. There is a life to this place and for some reason, you are a part of it.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Oh man, I'm alive? This is mildly annoying... Damian Gray slowly sits up and looks around the room. He first takes notice of the large reptilian beast that lies in the center of the room. Where am I? Damian shakes his head. No good, can't remember anything......maybe I did die? That would be nice.... Damian sees the other bodies on the floor, then sighs. Guess I'll wait for whoever those people are to wake up, unless they're dead....hmm He shrugs his shoulders, deciding to wait.

At first glance, Damian Gray seems to be a healthy young man wearing simple black and white robes. A closer look shows sunken cheeks, a wirey frame, and dark circles under his dead grey eyes. Under his robes which hang off of him very loosely, a well toned, but thin body can be seen, the skin pale, barely showing signs of being alive. On the back of his neck, hidden by long shaggy hair, is a Black Ankh perfectly imprinted into his flesh.

[SpeedWitch]

Damien did not have to wait long for the next stranger to come to, as it turned out. The robed ratfolk near him opens his eyes and first spots the dragon, at first thinking this to be a dream, but as he becomes aware of the heat and sweat on him he tenses up, a few small, half-silent squeaks coming out of his mouth. He quickly sits up and tries to orient himself, wondering what abyssal ****storm he's found himself in.

[FoxWyrd]

There is the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the corridor. They are faster than the normal pace of a man, but the distance being made isn't as fast.

[Greenflame133]

Magenta gnome with short pink curly hairs reaching to her sholders looks around. She is wearing leather armor in light color and has crossbow on her back but dosn't think to reash for it. In fact she ignores moust;y everything around her. Seems she is missing something, and she dose miss something, something nearly as natural for her as limp. She find a bit for space and sings a song to call it back. Ones speaking Sylvan can understand words, but even ones who don't speak can enjoy it's melody and voice of nimble singer


first roll for how good song is [roll0]

I'm going to use IRL songs. This ones is The Disenchanted Forest by Skyclad
YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42HvIkK0qjw)
Lyrics (https://genius.com/Skyclad-the-disenchanted-forest-lyrics)

[ChaoticHarmony]

Well the Rat is up...that probably means the others are alive too. Damian is about to speak up when the pink haired lady suddenly starts to sing. Ummm.....what? That.....no something is up with that singing. Damian slides his hand down his side, and is relieved to feel his weapons still on him. He takes a hold of his double chained kama and prepares himself as he tries to figure out why the strange little person is singing.

Rolled an 11

[FoxWyrd]

Coming into the room is a creature roughly three and a half, maybe three and three quarters feet tall. It is encased in armor made from thick bone and it carries a great sword of the same material. It stops and looks at you all and says something in Draconic.

[AutumnLotus]

The short human girl awoke to the sounds of song and frantic movement, a bad combination if there ever was one. It was one of those days...right? Hoisting herself up off the ground, Elizabeth checked over herself briefly. Weapon? Check. Armor? Check. If all else fails, she had options. The questions of how and why could wait, she was a woman of action. Marching up to the dragonoid figure in the center of the room.

As the girl opened her mouth, to proclaim her natural superiority to all lizardkind and challenge it to quickly wordplay, Elizabeth noticed her self acknowledged opponent was worse for ware. Dead enemies were no fun, she knew.

"Verdammt! How can I slay you if you decide to croak while I sleep?" Elizabeth exclaimed sadly. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to just start examining the room. Something was coming, and if grand adventure wasn't in the cards then escape was the next best option. Unsheathing her exquisite saber, the girl moved about the room looking for an escape route.

[FoxWyrd]

The armored creature shouts with a high-pitched, squeaky voice, "Throw down your arms, Godslayer; your life need not be extinguished today."

[AutumnLotus]

Elizabeth stares down at the lizard creature , more confused then alarmed. Weren't lizard people large and imposing? Then again most monsters were bigger then her. Was it a baby? What do you call a lizard baby anyways? Lost in thought, the girl resheathed her weapon. This lizard baby was no threat, no matter what the armor inferred.

"Settle down there little fellow. No violence needed here".

[SpeedWitch]

The ratfolk sees the events unfolding before him--the people on the ground, the singing, the armed dragonborn barging into the room--and would slowly scoot away from the one called "Godslayer." His eyes scanned the room for possible exits.

[Greenflame133]

After about a minute of singing a bear like creature shows out of nowhere to say, in Sylvan. "Are there more so brave and honest. Who would die to save my forest?". Lexara hugs it by the neck "Ashie! Finally you were here". Shen nearly screams still using Sylvan. Ashie replies "but where is here?". That gets Lexara puzzled. she look around a bit more and then locks her sight at other peoples in the room. this time speaking in common "anyone knows where are we?"

[FoxWyrd]

"Have you no idea what you've done?" he asks incredulously. "You all have damned this tribe to die. Without their master's protection, they will certainly be picked off by the other denizens of the darkness beneath. You have damned them all to be picked off one-by-one by the Drow, the Orcs, the Illithids, and the other ilk." The creature's squeaky voice grew increasingly irate with each word until he shook his head and took a deep breath.

"I should kill you where you stand," he growls. "I should gut each of--"

Loud bells echo throughout the caverns and the frantic movements of before become much faster-paced.

"Damnit all," He says to you all before he turns and shouts down into the Caverns, "Redfangs and Bloodcaps, reinforce the Western Gate! Ironclaws, protect the Hatchery! Move, move, move!"

He turns back to you one more time, "Stay here. They won't make it this far into the Warrens and I can't risk letting them get their hands on you." He immediately turns around and sprints with his sword drawn. It is only a few moments later that you can feel the ground shake from explosions.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian stares in silence. Just when he came to the conclusion that the Gnome is simply a nervous wreck. An armored warrior comes bursting in. After that, another small woman jumps up from the nearby pile of unconscious bodies and insults it? Then some large furry beast appears I KNEW it was something more than crazy, the warrior leaves. "Well then.....this is turning out lovely isn't it." Damian begins walking toward the crimson red dragon. "it won't last long I'm sure. We might as well save them the trouble and finish each other off."

[AutumnLotus]

Elizabeth strolled away from the departing warrior child, turning her attention to the dead dragon. She was no ranger, and had difficulty with even cooking for herself, so skinning their apparent victim was currently out of the question. But it was a material treasure trove that would not be wasted. She needed assistance, guidance on where she was and how to capitalise on it. For justice and the greater good, obviously. She needed Minions.

"A Fight is on, lords and ladies. I don't know who you are, or how we got here even, but what I do know is that a land under siege is a people in need of saving. I, Elizabeth Von Krell the Godslayer, request your aidin saving those poor lizard children" the woman proclaimed, striking a knightly pose before bowing gently. "Who is with me!?"

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian ignores the 'Godslayer' as he examines the carcass of the once deadly beast in front of him. Recognizing it for what it was, Damian finds a spot that won't be immediately noticed and begins slashing at it with his kamas. After a few glancing blows off of the scales, one kama strikes true, piercing the thick flesh and releasing a shallow stream of blood. Damian fills a vial up with the tainted blood, then slashes at it again. As he attempts to pierce it again, he acknowledges the woman known as Elizabeth by saying. "And why.....should I care? The moment we attempt to help, I have no doubt they will turn on us, and probably skin us alive." Damian manages to pierce the flesh again, creating a new stream of blood. He fills a second vial as he continues to speak. "....well....I have nothing better to do I guess, I can't remember what my goals are, which is typical. I'll help.....for now...."

[SpeedWitch]

The ratfolk watched this exchange go by, the scent of the dragon's blood begining to waff around the room--and he realized exacly what and who this dragon was, where they might be, what that kobold was going on about, and a good idea of how screwed everyone in this room was.

He instinctively reached for his spellbook--then notices he had a spellbook. He looked down, pulled the book from out of his robe, and opened up the cover. A signature was on the inside cover.

And it was then that Ricken knew he didn't know who he was.

He would take another moment to agonize over his revelations before breathing deeply, standing up, and taking a good look around at his compatriots. "Aah... Excuse me." He cleared his throat, remembering to speak up--aparently that's something he has to keep track of. "Just a quick tally here--how many of us can't remember anything before waking up in this room?"

[AutumnLotus]

"Well of course I know who I am! My name is Elizabeth, adventurer extraordinaire! Many a folk know of me, such as-", it was as that point that the girl realized something. She knew her name, and that she was a warrior. Adventurers were warriors, so it was assumed she was one. But beyond that...she could not remember. Who was she, really? She felt like it was important, that She was important in some way. But was that her memories, or just an assumption on her part. Huh.

" I forget. That is strange, and not to my liking. Do you think the lizard youths cursed us, for killing their king?"

[ChaoticHarmony]

"If they are, they are far more powerful then you give them credit for. The only sure way to know wouls be to go and capture one." Damian waits a moment to see how Elizabeth responds. "If they did, then they are clearly evil and must be killed, for the sake of the unhatched youths that could be redeemed, if not, then all the more reason to help them defend. Either way, I'm sure we are doomed to fail. It would be much easier to crawl over to the corner over there and cry." Damian twirl his chained kamas a couple of times. His face remains a blank slate.

[Goaty14]

Nearby, a lone body lay on the ground. Not just any body, the body of Watakaki, infamous slayer of mortals, known for his immense savagery. He was out cold, at least he thought he was... wait, what? He was actually awake
As his eyes sprang open, Watakaki jumped up from the ground, yelling a bloodcurdling rage, "WAAAGH!". Looking around with a crazed look, Watakaki set his sights on the dead dragon, rushing over and gruesomely lapping blood from a wound.
After subsequently hunching over and staring at the ground, he turns around and looks at the others, muttering "Who're you?"

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian turns towards the newest member of the awakened just in time to see him lap up the blood of the dragon. Well....that will eventually resolve itself Damian turns his attention back to the warrior Elizabeth, waiting for her response to his suggestion.

[AutumnLotus]

Elizabeth glanced over to their newest awakened associate. The immediate outburst was really unnecessary, the blood drinking unsavory at best. She prayed that, if they were, infact, fellows that this man was hired cannon fodder. Nodding to him while repressing a grimace, she moved her attention back to the sour minded man.

"If they have cursed us, protecting them will build good will towards releasing the spell. If it isn't witchcraft then all we have is a culture under attack from rising monsters." the girl countered, pointing a gauntlet clad hand to the exit passage. "And most importantly: it's the right thing to do. We can deal with turncoats and witches afterwards".

[FoxWyrd]

As you all journey out to follow the Warrior, you hear the echoes of shrill screams of Kobolds. The deeper you get and the closer you go--you see four Drow circled around a Kobold.

One is holding its arms behind it's back and the other three close in quickly with their rapiers ready. The leader of the group sticks his rapier in the creature's gut, to which it lets out a shrill scream. The other two go to each side and go for a side.

The kobold's screams grow louder as the agony continues until the three all jerk out their rapiers and stick them in the creature's skull. It falls to the ground lifeless and the Drow turn their focus to you all. The Leader holds up a fist and the others lower their weapons for a moment.

"Are you friend or foe?" he asks, his eyes not moving from Elizabeth's.

[FoxWyrd]

The party encountered a small group of Drow who sadistically executed a kobold resulting in trauma in some members of the party.

Fortunately, they were able to overcome the encounter and on the bodies they found:

4 Suits of Leather Armor
4 Rapiers
4 Backpacks
20 Days of Trail Rations
4 Waterskins

On the Captain's body specifically, they found:

A necklace with a coin made of a strange metal on it.

Everyone receives 45 XP.

[FoxWyrd]

The group takes the opportunity to rest up over night after dining with the leader of the Kobolds, Sir Keeper Kelare, and make plans for the coming day.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian wakes with a start, shivering and sweating from the demented dream he was having. For a long moment, he cannot remember where he is or how he got there, but as the fear passes, the memories return. He recalls the absorbtion of what were they? Ghosts? And he remembers the exorbitant bliss he felt as they entered him. While his past seems to still be a blank page, he is sure he has never felt such happiness, such POWER as that moment. The rest of the evening was a bluer, the dinner with the reptilian warrior, the task requested of the group he found himself in, the journey to this room and falling asleep, all hazy. As he lies there calming down, he stares at his shaking hands and wonders to himself Why.....why in this moment of weakness, do I feel so ALIVE..... Knowing that sleep will be impossible now, he gets up and searching the room, analyzing anything(or anyone) within with his dead eyes.

[FoxWyrd]

The room is largely spartan, but there are a few (crude) books. Outside of your room is a kobold who looks at you curiously.

[ChaoticHarmony]

"Would you please turn around, I wish to prepare for the day." Damian says to the lone Kobold. While his face remains stoic and expressionless, his eyes seem to light up slightly.

[FoxWyrd]

The Kobold tilts its head and scurries off, but not before returning with pants--far too small for Damian, but the gesture is thoughtful.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian raises an eyebrow slightly at the small gesture. "Thank you." He holds out his out slightly, as though accepting the small pants. When the Kobold comes close to hand them to him however, Damian immediately attacks him, aiming two strikes at the Kobold's windpipe.

[FoxWyrd]

Your blows collapse the Kobold's trachea. The resulting pain knocks it into unconsciousness and the lack of air ends up suffocating the creature.

[SpeedWitch]

Despite going straight to bed after talking with Keeper (and avoiding questions from his fellow amnesiacs as best as he could), Ricken would find himself being one of the first to wake up. He hadn't gotten much sleep anyways, with everything that's been on his mind lately, the memory loss, the dead dragon god, Damien absorbing the souls of several drow corpses... that last one especially unsettling. Ricken hoped that his theory was wrong, but he still felt the need to tell the group about it, although he would make sure not to break his promise to Keeper. At least, until he couldn't bear that either.

Having stared at the ceiling for far too long, Ricken would get up and attempt a morning routine: shaving with his dust filled razor kit, refilling his canteen of water, putting on his sash, robes and hat, and taking the time to write another entry in his journal--which was not only hard to read due to most everything being written in code, but also because everything was a bit blury. He wondered if he lost his glasses from the fall he took earlier, or even before that, and resolved to get a prescription from the next town he went to.

Next, he looked ahead in his spellbook to see if he had any more powerful spells that would have slayed a dragon, but alas, most of the pages after 1st level were blank. He wondered how he could have been so fearsome without the proper spells.

Finally, just as he started to hear the hustle and bustle of kolbolds out in the hall, he took stock of his invontory: a scarf, extra parchment, two ink vials, one full and the other empty, and rolled up in a patchwork cloak was--

What the hells?

Ricken would pick it up gently, examining every angle of the object, then flex his fingers and chant a spell. And then, after staring at it for far too long, he would say "Hello?"



Anyone nearby would hear something hitting the wall with a thunk.

[Goaty14]

Watakaki wakes up.
Watakaki arises.
Watakaki gets dressed, picks up his weapons, noticing the odd markings... WHAT!?

SOMEBODY TOUCH... WAAAGH!


Anyone nearby would hear something hitting the wall with a thunk.

Watakaki sits down.
Watakaki knows he wouldn't have paused, but to say what, he is not sure.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian wakes a second time in the morning, the dark circles under his eyes especially prominent this morning. By no accounts did he have a peaceful sleep the remainder of the evening. He yawns and stretches before noticing the body he left in the middle of the floor. I'm going to have to deal with that so it doesn't become a problem....with my luck, I'll have my neck broken in revenge. Damian moves out of the simple bed he was lying in and gathers his this, not bothering to go over everything as long as he has his weapons. He then moves over to the body and, grabbing a leg, begins to drag it out of the room as he begins to look for the Warrior. Keeper was his name I think.....

[FoxWyrd]

You find him.

[Greenflame133]

After she waking up Lexara dressed up under the blanket. She didn't wanted to reveal herself, as didn't really knew anyone in the room. She knew their faces but no solid memory. They were like combats or something. She puts on her armor. She has many questions but no words for them conversation.I’ they do

[Goaty14]

Going out of his room, having done nothing else, Watakaki groggily walks into the next room, disregarding the current inhabitant, and clumsily drops to the ground. Rolling over, he speaks "Creature, might you have a moment?". He then gets up, looking mad, and speaks both soft and firmly "Somebody touch my weapons. I need your help".

[SpeedWitch]

Hunched over with his back turned, Ricken would jump up in shock and swivel around, hands hidden behind his back. "I um, um. Sure."

[FoxWyrd]

Watakaki sees a glimpse of the item that Ricken tries to hide. It is the skull of a ratfolk with coins over the eyes and seeing it is incredibly uncomfortable. When Watakaki so much as glimpses at it, he feels the crushing sense of his own mortality upon his mind.

[Goaty14]

Disregarding the item, Watakaki presents both his Scimitar and his Kukri to the man before him. "These... markings, do they hold meaning?"

[FoxWyrd]

Everyone in the party advance to level 2. You are at exactly 2000 XP for moving this far forward in the storyline.

[SpeedWitch]

This post is an edited conversation from the discord server.

"Woah." Ricken would take a step back, then lean in to view the swords, one of his hands reaching up to adjust his spectacles--then, realizing he had no spectacles, pointed a finger at the blades. "Are these magical?"

"Are they?" Watakaki questions.

"I don't know," Ricken said. "You mind if I check?"

"Who am I to say no?"

Ricken held out his hand over the blades. "Detect Magic."

His palm would light up with a white aura for a brief moment, then dim out. "... huh."

"Huh? Out with it, we haven't all day"

"W-well, the spell failed," Ricken said, bringing his face even closer to it. "I don't consider myself that daft when it comes to spellcasting, so I have to wonder if it had something to do with these runes... my spell didn't even fizzle out. It just sort of. Stopped. Like it forgot what it was doing."

"Ok, but what are the markings? My question need not concern magick."

"I don't know." The ratfolk began to trace every letter with his eyes, scowling. "I don't think I've ever come across this language myself, but its familiar to me... not one of the major races I think, although I admit I'm not too keen on elvish... I just wish I knew where I had seen this before."

"You've seen it now." Taking it back, Watakaki examines the weapon as the ratfolk did. Handing it back, he mutters "You're reading it upside-down"

"Wait what." Ricken looked back down, and his eyes nearly burst out of his skull. "It's Aboleth. Ancient and incomprehensible to me, but... still Aboleth."

"What's that?"

"Giant tentacle monsters with powerful psionic abilities." He covered his mouth. "****."

[Greenflame133]

Lexara is quit confused. "you appear to know creature it's referring to, what is it? Perhaps I could soellcraft it for you.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian taps his finger on the table he is sitting at, completely bored. He has already finished his breakfast of various creepy crawlies. Kobolds have such strange diets... as he awaits his apparent allies to come. It looks as though even Keeper is starting to doze as they wait. After another few minutes of waiting, Damian stands up with a sigh. "I shall see what is keeping them....with luck, perhaps they have escaped this dreary place by murdering eachother.....how sad they left me out from such proceedings...." Damian walks out of the room, barely leaving any time for Keeper to respond.

[Goaty14]

Turning to the visitor at the door, Watakaki says, sounding annoyed "Could you knock? Here it is, take a good long look!" and with that, Watakaki throws his kukri at the doorpost closest to Lexara, embedding itself into the wood with a solid thunk.

Watakaki doesn't like other people spying on his beloved weapons. Maybe he's not so sane after all...

Attack Roll (if it's needed): [roll0] (-4 for improvised weapon)

[Greenflame133]

Lexara clutches/picks up wapon throw at her. "my apologies" she replies almost without thinking. Her sights and mind are focused on the weapon. She says few words in secrets language of the Druids and makes simple gesture.


Unarmed touch atak to catch watashi [roll0]

Words and gesture are part of casting detect magic.

Rolls for more info from the spell
Spellcrafting: [roll1]
Knowledge Arcana: [roll2]

[FoxWyrd]

You know it’s incredibly old, but you don’t know much beyond that.

[SpeedWitch]

"Anything?" Ricken asks, twiddling his bony fingers.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian walks through the various halls, seeking out his fellow amnesiac. After several wrong turns and mishaps, he eventually begins to hear their conversation, and walks toward the sound of their voices. "How disappointing, it sounds like they're still alive and well. A pity for them.......I wonder what could be keeping them, we need to move on. Maybe they want to give up on this while thing....that would be nice....." Damian approaches their room just in time to here Ricken ask "Anything?" "Unlikely......things don't just work out for beings like us so easily......what are you talking about?" Damian asks, walking in.

[Greenflame133]

"There is a faint oura but still something. Blade might be just one part of a set, or perhaps magic it so old it dosn't function same way we are used to, but that's educated guess." Lexara replies handing back the blade "were you found such a thing, anyways?"

[FoxWyrd]

You all hear the same bells you heard from before. This time there are far less feet to scurry and throughout the halls, you hear Keeper's high-pitched, squeaky voice, "Godslayers, help us!"

Everyone roll initiative in Discord.

[FoxWyrd]

After a brief skirmish with the Drow Emissary, the party is led to Kas-Narev.

As they come through the gates, they see the city and streets are in disrepair with patrols of dominated guards walking the streets and from some apartment buildings, you hear screams as Drow are dragged from their homes by the guards towards a monolithic building in the center of the city--a grandiose palace that doubles as a temple.

You are led into this palace where you see dozens of dominated guards standing at attention and on a throne made of flesh is a Drow woman lying across the seat. She looks at the group and then to the Emissary, "These are the Godslayers?" she asks, her voice sharp.

"Yes, your infinite grace." he responds sheepishly.

"And what of that one?" she asks, pointing to Damien. "Why is he not awake?"

"They proved resistant--he had to be subj--" he says.

"I said I wanted them unharmed, did I not?" the Drow lady asks. "Are you above my rule?"

A look of dread washes over his face as he drops to his knees, "No, no, not at all."

She sighs as she looks at him. "I gave you a courtesy and you throw it in my face," she says. "Tell me--do you think I am stupid? Do you think that they are stupid? Certainly you must."


"No, please! I'm begg--"

He falls silent and you all can see the moment his eyes glaze over. He shuffles over to the side to make way for you all to approach her closer. She looks at you all and then arches a brow, "So you the ones who killed the Tyrant."

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian suddenly awakens with a start. He gasps for air as he slowly comes to the realization that he is awake, and lying uncomfortably on Watakaki's shoulder. With a depressed sigh, he taps Watakaki's back. "So disappointing......they pulled their attacks so I wouldn't die, how inconsiderate.......what is happening currently? We're probably going to be forced to see whatever dreadful queen that man wanted us to see.......hopefully she'll kill us quick, so we can be done and over with it......." Damian sags on Watakaki's shoulder, still as tired as before, but also feeling invigorated strangely.

[FoxWyrd]

The Queen moves her gaze to Damien and sarcastically rebuts, "My sincerest apologies, Master Human, but your head will remain attached to your shoulders so long as you comply."

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian suddenly stiffen."We're already here!? Great.....now I've made an even bigger fool of myself. Please put me down Watakaki..........I should have guessed it would be like this....." Damian sighs loudly as he waits to be let down.

[Goaty14]

"What, no. This man (pointing towards the drow captain) killed this tyrant!" Watakaki says, dropping Damien onto the floor (meaning the captain "killed" damien). "But he's alive now, somehow, so it's fine".

[Greenflame133]

Ashie walks over to Lexara and they talk about with each other in secret Language of the druids

[FoxWyrd]

The Queen looks at the group, "Do you know why you are here?"

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian lands on his feet shakily. He is definitely still feeling the beating he had taken earlier. He then looks at the Drow Queen, taking her in, trying to read her. "I will probably be completely incorrect and end up insulting you.....but if I had to venture a guess.....you heard about our apparent slaying of your enemies's God, and now wish to set upon us some equally difficult task that you yourself are more than powerful enough to complete yourself, if it wasn't so below your station. Simultaneously, you wish to see if such pathetic creatures such as us are really capable of killing such a powerful entity......." Damian sighs again. "Of course, whether I'm right or not doesn't really matter.....we're probably gonna end up disappointing you, and be forced into a dominated labor as punishment....."

[Goaty14]

The Queen looks at the group, "Do you know why you are here?"

"No, I do not know why I am here."

[FoxWyrd]

"On the contrary, I do not doubt your capability," she says with her lips curling into a grin. "Rather, I would like to put your talents to use, although not to the degree of killing Avernicus. This city is in a state of turmoil due to the recently shift in power and I would like it stopped. The means of which I would like it stopped is you all."

"I implore you not to consider this a temporary employment opportunity however," she says, her smile disappearing. "But rather, I need to see if you will be useful to me in the coming days, and allow me to assure you that you most definitely want to be useful to me. If you have doubt of that, then I encourage you look around yourself and realize that enthrallment is the least of the things I could do to you all--the very least."

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian stares blankly at the Drow Queen for a brief moment, then slowly draws his double chained kama. He anticipates that this will draw a reaction from the dominated soldiers, but(hopefully) before any of them attack, Damian speaks. "Under normal circumstances, I would readily decline your offer, and simply force your hand in relieving me of this pitiful life I still cling to. But you have already proven to be far more powerful than I. And so, by the Laws I choose to follow, I will obey your rule......for now. If I or my compatriots are lucky, perhaps this will still lead to a gruesome and horrific death....."

[FoxWyrd]

"You are wise beyond your years, Damien," she says, staring into his eyes with a penetrating gaze, before moving back to the group as a whole.

"This city is divided," she begins. "There are those who do not acknowledge my right to rule and that is--in a word--unacceptable. I could simply kill them, but that would be wasteful of their unique talents. There is of course, only one whose talents I concern myself with. Benerius Eldiras, the Songbird of Kas-Narev. His musical compositions have weakened my hold on these people and you will bring Eldiras to me so that I may--inspect--just how it works."

[Goaty14]

"Yea, I guess we should go do that now... heh", Watakaki says. A bead of sweat appears on his brow.

Behind his back, Watakaki hands Damien 3 coppers.

[Greenflame133]

Nothing becomes clearer to Lexara so once again she simply stay in the back waiting for others to make decision

[SpeedWitch]

Ricken likewise hangs back near Lexara, doing his best not to attract attention to himself. He feels his makeshift bag to make sure the skull is completely hidden.

[ChaoticHarmony]

"Not that I believe it will help us at all, but would you have an idea of where we can begin looking for this 'Songbird'? Knowing our luck, we would get lost in the tunnels and go mad before we found him, if we didn't have an idea of where to search."

[FoxWyrd]

"The Songbird is in the city, but even I do not know all of its intricacies; I find their architecture most peculiar," she says, inspecting each of you. "While the mindless can give no answers and his subjects won't willingly part with the information of their captors--there is something in the laboratory below that could help you. I suggest you make haste and keep your eyes down until you find one of the laborers who will take you to what you need."

[Goaty14]

"Yes, of course" Watakaki says, and turns to leave hastily, and motions for his allies to follow.

[Greenflame133]

Lexara follows. How ever strange or crazy this guy may be, he is only one who seems like they know what they are going.

[FoxWyrd]

The trip down to the laboratory is uneventful, but when you get to the door leading into it, there is a Drow with a face that looks a lot like a half-way melted candle there with a set of blindfolds. He hands them to each of you. "Put these on."

[Goaty14]

Watakaki gazes upon the doormat that he approached, picking up the blindfold and dropping it at his feet, he audibly mutters "No". Watakaki then forces himself past the man, swinging the doors to the lab wide open.

[Greenflame133]

Lexara rushed to stop him, but she her self got stop by Ashie who grabbed her shirt with her teeth. "Let him go" Ashie said

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian shakes his head and sighs at Watakaki's decision. He looks toward the disfigured Drow and extends his hand, waiting for him to hand the blindfold over. "Please forgive our dense friend's rudeness. He chooses not to think of the wonderful, horrendous consequences of his actions. He will probably go insane one day and end up killing himself. Isn't that a lovely thought?"

[FoxWyrd]

The Drow extends the blindfolds and when they're on, he leads you down a long, spiral staircase.

[FoxWyrd]

You are eventually brought to a room and the blindfolds removed where you see a ghostly white Drow. You can tell it's a Drow by the minor details of the bone structure as compared to the surface elves.

This Albino Drow has a blindfold over its eyes and nothing else on. It is huddled in a corner and reeks of rotten food and excrement and it makes no motion initially when it hears your footsteps totter into the room. It then raises its head and tilts it, as if examining you despite being blindfolded.

The Drow with the Melted Candle Face looks at the Albino and then to the group, "This is the Probe. It will be your tool to dig through the memories of anyone not willing to be forthcoming."

[SpeedWitch]

"Ah." Ricken takes a few steps back to make sure there's several people between him and the Probe. "Not the healthiest looking fellow, are they?"

[Greenflame133]

"yeah you guys could clean her up and dress her beforehand, we should do it regardless if we are going to take her out of laboratory" Lexara replies as she fight herself between not looking at all and starting obsessively

[Goaty14]

Watakaki slowly steps back from the monster, internally weighing if he should kill it, or make a run for it.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian simply stares at the poor creature, feeling neither pity nor disgust at the sight of it. He turns to the half melted Drow. "So what you are saying......is this......Probe.....cannot in anyway point us to where the Songbird or anyone who knows anything about the Songbird. We have to simply grab a random citizen of the Queen's domain, and hope that they know something useful.........of course.......why should I think it would be easy........"

[FoxWyrd]

The Deformed Drow looks at Lexara with a confused look before looking at the Probe's pelvic region and shrugging. Whatever had once been there was certainly not identifiable any longer due to the smoothness of it. He then turns to Damien and scans him up and down a few times over.

"Do you think I care how you handle the Songbird?" he asks as if such a notion is utterly preposterous. "I do not--quite frankly--I do not care one iota about it given I know you've been given a fool's errand, now take this thing and do as you're told. I am not here to entertain your complaints."

[ChaoticHarmony]

Damian continues to just stare blankly at the deformed Drow, seemingly not paying attention to his words. When the Drow finishes speaking, Damian sighs and says "I wasn't complaining to you......simply confirming of what our course appears to be......of course, you probably don't care and hope the Songbird rips out our foolish, idiotic brains......." Damian begins to turn away but stops for a moment. "By the way.....would you know where there might be a religious sector down here, would you? Any temples or churches?

[Goaty14]

Watakaki stares at the situation.
"I know. Big man need not young weak ones. Big man find little bird. 'Tis easy. Watakaki back for dinner."
And with that, Watakaki turns to leave, should anybody intervene.

[Greenflame133]

Lexara says nothing but rolls her eyes when drow tries explain himself. Then go after her companions.

[FoxWyrd]

The Candle-faced Drow gives a mighty sigh and puts a few X's on a map pulled from his bag. "Will there be anything else?" he asks as he hands over the map.

[ChaoticHarmony]

"Apparently not......heeeeeeeh....I guess we'll return when we have someone for the Probe. Thank you for the map, it hopefully will end up being a trap, and we will all get crushed under the weight of rubble. That would be nice....." Damian takes the maps and follows the others out of the room.

[Goaty14]

Watakaki, looking back, points to the door.
"We go" he loudly speaks
and with that, watakaki heads to the nearest tavern.

[Goaty14]

As Watakaki and the party head to "The Skinned Halfling" (the only tavern around with any activity), Damien and Watakaki both spontaneously lose all of the bones in their body and regain them, hearing a grandfatherly voice commanding them to do as he says. Nobody is able to identify the identity of the voice, though some speculation has occurred (I think it's the albino probe).

After studying the building and unsuccessfully trying to toss Damien headfirst into the building, Watakaki & co. search behind the building for a backdoor, finding a trapdoor. We ended on discord with Watakaki opening the trapdoor, and charging headfirst into the pitch-black depths...

[FoxWyrd]

As Lexara casts light on Watakaki's armor right before his delve into the secret room--there is the sound of running. When the light floods the room, one can see a few dozen emaciated Drow scurrying away from the group, but a few grab whatever's available like a broom or an inkpen and prepare to defend themselves.

The leader of the group, a taller Drow with crimson eyes, looks at you all as he tightly grips the broom. "Speak," He commands.