At the Edge of Humanity {IC}

[blackwind1kaze]

Seeing that tai wasn't talking much and that a treant just made everyone, including himself, think of any horrifying past they all had, Vutha tries to lighten the mood. "So Tai, if you had to choose one, which would you choose? A mushroom compelling you to eat it without knowing what the consequences were, or jumping from 400 feet in the air with no means of escape?" Vutha asks Tai before drinking the water that the treant offered him.

[Stegyre]

Tai

Stirring from revery, Tai starts to analyze. "Well, any mushroom that can compel me to do anything – that would be troubling, right there. I would trust my mental faculties to be proof against a fungus, and sorely disappointed if they weren't.

"But engaging your hypothetical, rather than fighting it, I find there are too many unknowns with eating, and I would not trust anything that wants me to eat it. That seems a bad warning sing, right there. On the other hand, jumping from 400' – and I assume that by 'no means of escape,' you mean no means to avoid falling the 400' down to the ground – well, that would be serious, but at least, it is known. I may not be able to avoid hitting the ground, but I can make contingencies for when I do, say, ready to heal myself at the instant of contact. (I understand that's really not so hard: I've seen clerics do it, and I think, if you just, like this, and this, and a sudden show of piety . . . . Yes, I think that would be the way to go.

"But I think I am most in favor of avoiding such situations. If I am ever in a situation where I must eat fungus of unknown consequences, or where I must throw myself from 400' in the air, I have already failed to adequately prepare. One should have contingencies, and contingencies for one's contingencies. Hm, yes."

While his words pause, his thoughts race onward, I'm already at work on the mental immunity, but he has a point: I don't yet have much means of protection from a fall. I need a means of flight. Hm.

[Silver Night]

Verin Pak

"Which'd you pick, Vutha?"

[blackwind1kaze]

"Well, for me it'd depend on two things. First is would my weapon be on me and the second is my enemy on the ground from where i'm going to be falling from. Otherwise I'd choose the mushroom as at least if it'll kill me i'd consider it a worthy foe", Vutha says in response. He then looks back at Tai and says, "Under normal circumstances I would agree that most would agree with you on the mushroom uncertainty, however, there are those under poverty of some kind that would take the mushroom without question due to it's food."

[Silver Night]

Verin Pak

"I'd eat the mushroom, myself. I mean, it's gotta be a pretty tasty mushroom if you're compelled to eat it, right?"


Once the dinner conversation is over, Verin will find a hidey-hole to sleep in. He will be up, bright (if beady) eyed and bushy-thoraxed and ready to go in the morning.

[JonRG]

Jerid snorts into his water glass. "I am always prepared for falling 400 feet." He puffs out his chest a little.

[blackwind1kaze]

"Yes but that's because you're a dragon jerid. so of course you're always prepared. Thus my question isn't suited for someone with wings or the normal capability to fly", Vutha politely retorts to Jerid's response.

[Swami Monsoon]

"Unless I had a parachute or some kind of magical device, it seems the choice would be obvious. Falling 400 feet ends only one way. At least with the mushroom there's a chance..."

[whoiam]

For her part, Alala... suspected she'd eat the mushroom. You didn't live as long in slavery as she had done by refusing to obey when your life was at stake. She doubted the two weeks she'd been on the run would have changed her mind much in that respect...

"Or it's a horrible mushroom, and the compulsion comes because you wouldn't choose to eat it without one..."

Alala doesn't have much to do before heading to bed herself. Having packed away her spares, she gets started - laying out her bedroll, weighting it down with her chain at one end and her saddle and packs at the other. From the handy haversack she then withdraws a small mirror, and begins checking her hooves with it. While Verin's threats of pebbles weren't exactly going to be cowing a combat veteran, it was still a good idea to keep anything from getting stuck where it could irritate or bruise her feet. After all, if she injured one of those she'd have to keep up with the party by flight alone, and that.... probably wouldn't work.

Inspection complete, she puts the mirror away again, and slowly lowers herself onto her side on the bedroll.

"Well, goodnight, 'family'...." There was really no hiding the fact that she found the entire concept a little alien... and the treant's argument on the point not especially convincing. Still, it probably didn't matter much. If the treant's information was accurate, then all she had to do was provide the 'strength' to back up Jerid if the dwarves questioned the dragon. Convincing the dwarves they were family would be the job of someone... better at lying, probably.

[Stegyre]

Tai

Tai waves as the others, one by one, make their way to their respective nests. He has a few hours of study ahead of him, before he retires, as he lays his books upon the table and begins to read in the candlelight . . .

. . . much later, he closes the books and puts them away, taking his bag to one of the walls – preferably one not too occluded with hangings – he prepares his own nest: he concentrates, not so much upon the surface of the wall but upon the space it is in, as his mind bends the dimensional fabric, making a small bubble off of the prime material reality, a space, he thinks, not unlike his companion's extradimensional haversack.

Once the bubble has stabilized, he looks around, seeking to avoid prying eyes, before climbing through the invisible portal to his own resting place, to sleep, perchance to dream.

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I'm taking a few fluff liberties here: thanks to the ring of sustenance, Tai needs only 2 hours of sleep. It makes sense he would devote his extra time to studying. I've also assumed/fluffed that he was able to reserve 3 pp for generating his psychoportive shelter (CPsi).

[~Corvus~]

Conversation is lively as you all eat and enjoy the bounty of foods that Abdul's staff brings.

It is with heavy stomachs and merry minds that you all find your places into many of the circles of sleeping that Abdul's sanctum offers its honored guests. You all sleep for 9 hours (Or in Tai's case, he sleeps for 3), and wake up quite refreshed.


To break your fast, there are root vegetables, fruits and soups yet again ,except for Jeridexeles, whom is only served raw meats. At the conclusion of your meal, the same dwarf who came to greet you at the beginning of your last breakfast comes to greet you again. He is again dressed in a double-breasted black chef's coat with a brown smock over it. He has tidy, short hair and his beard is woven into a few tight braids. Fer ett gold eech I'll have preparred an extra daysmeal fer each o' ye, 'cept... he points to Alala. Fer ye its twelf. It will fill ye oop all dey. Good fer travels.

[~Corvus~]

Whether or not you all take the deal offered by the cook,* you are all ushered quickly from the rest & dining area of Abdul's sanctum to let other guests eat and partake in food that your party neither eats nor filches.

Spoiler: *

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If so, let me know in your next post and deduct 8/12 GP from your sheets.

You are all given leave to explore the area with the admonition from another treant, Bewaare the markeeetss as some slaaaverrrs could taake youuuu awaaayyy.

Indeed, the areas outside the eating areas are yet full of other people, this time selling...humans, mostly. The walls look high, and yet there almost seems an endless network of corners and rooms for people to buy and sell people.

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The atmosphere of Abdul's has changed since its inviting presence last time, this time tinged with a desperate air of people trying to make ends meet. Most of the well-dressed people you see or pass carry long tubes, and Vutha and Tai catch the the Abyssal words meaning Obedience Runes and Slave Inscriptions on their sides.

[Stegyre]

Tai

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"I'm just going to take this moment to point out that your world has an embarrassing paucity of viable images for 'rat-in-a-stylish-trenchcoat' on your wonderful worldwide web, so-called. I suggest you all get together and fix this, before I open an interdimensional portal and take matters into my own paws, if you get my drift."

Tai shells out the coins for the meal. Good food is one of life's simple pleasures; do not pass it up merely because you do not need it, he thinks. He adds a few extra coins. "It seems we are off to see the dwarven counsel at the Gemsmoot. Any advice?"

. . .

Before stepping out into the crowds, Tai adjusts his hat and raises the color on his coat. He concentrates on the hat for a moment, imagining the features of a young gnome male, then checks his appearance in a looking glass.

Spoiler: Disguise

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Actually, since I'll be out in public among slavers and what-not, I probably shouldn't know just how good the disguise is. I'll leave the roll to ~Corvus~, but the modifier is +23.

Seeing one of the well-dressed "gentlemen" with a tube, he decides to learn what he can of the slave markets. "My good man! Pardon the interruption, but I am newly arrived from Sodis and was looking to perhaps do some shopping in these flesh markets: something muscular to carry my luggage and perhaps something softer to cook my meals and warm my bed when I want. What is the price of the meat around here, and how do you go about keeping it in line?" He gestures vaguely to the long tube.

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Diplomacy (1d20+5)[20], Gather Information (1d20+5)[15]. To the extent it helps Know(local-whichever locale this is) (1d20+8)[19].
(I'm saving the Inspiration points, in case I have to bluff my way out of trouble.)

[~Corvus~]

The Treants, for once, are silent about the Dwarves and the gemsmoot. That is, at least to Tai.

Instead, he manages to--for a time, at least--separate himself from the others. After several minutes of searching, he corners a man whom is perched by what appears to be a Molding Hut (A boutique for tree-folk to cultivate their decorative moldings).

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My good man! Pardon the interruption, but I am newly arrived from Sodis and was looking to perhaps do some shopping in these flesh markets: something muscular to carry my luggage and perhaps something softer to cook my meals and warm my bed when I want. What is the price of the meat around here, and how do you go about keeping it in line?" He gestures vaguely to the long tube.

Good thing yuu caught me on break, son. Now I didn' know gnomes dealt in the flesh trade. He has a raspy drawl to him as he replies, like a man from a Lone-Star State, and he looks Tai up and down. Wut, didjer move out to Versuvia leave ye wanting ter fit in? He gives a guwaff but continues after Tai gives him a look.

I can give yuu a few recommendations, but it sounds like yer lookin' for a horse an' a slave-girl. Get 'em young, ride 'em both 'til they broken in, and take good care of 'em. Las' night they sold outta sus'nance-inscr-- inscr-- sus'nance runes: Buy em' once, slap 'em on, never have ta feed 'em again. Cuts off their life a few years, but they's always healthy. Ye looks around tho, a young girl yer size 's prolly already taken.

A donkey'd be yer size, travels further 'n a hoss, harder ta train but lasts longer, strong, easy ta feed, and drops turds that burn good, too. Best purchase I ever made was right in town here, woman named Mearle Shue. Ol' woman is mean as they come but never a finer hoss raiser in all o' Versuvia.

[whoiam]

Alala stumps up her 12GP for the breakfast. While she didn't have Tai's lack of need for food, she shared his enjoyment of it. (Not least because good food had always been such a rarity for her...) Still, she did manage to find a chance to gripe to her colleagues: "Honestly, charging me extra just because my stomach is bigger than Tai or Verrin...", although it's hard to take the complaint seriously - mostly because Alala never developed enough of a poker face to hide the hints of a grin, even as she pretends to scowl.

And proceeds to stuff herself

With that done, she makes her preparations for the day - packing up all her equipment and stowing her melee weapons again - pretending to be human would be hard enough, she wasn't going to pretend to be a human knight or... well, come up with a reason why a human would be using such a large spiked chain.

Besides, as there was a price on her head, walking around with the chain visible might just ring one too many bells in onlooker's minds...

The bow at least was fairly safe to carry openly, she thought. It wasn't one of her 'signature' weapons like the lances and the chain. Though she'd have to be careful not to let anyone else try it out - claiming to be a horse archer might work, but explaining why her bow's so stiff most humans would need a gang to help them draw it would be... difficult.

With Tai having skipped out on the group already (so she can't ask if the armor's safe to wear), Alala will (unless someone else objects) just pack it in her bag of holding again, and pull on her regular chain shirt instead. Than, concentrating on the ring, she'll make herself appear to be a mounted human once more.

"I think this'll be good enough to get me out of town, but stopping to chat to people's just going to give them a chance to spot that I don't really know what I'm doing in this form. I should probably get outside of town before the streets get too busy. Which way are we going? I can get a safe distance out onto the roads and wait for the rest of you to catch up...

Uh, I think this would mean one of you would have to find where Tai ran off to, though."

[Silver Night]

Verin Pak

Verin puts up the 8 gold for the meal, requesting something more meat based, as her species is largely carnivorous.

She tests out her hat, trying out something that will stand out a bit less, perhaps a small dog. If she isn't able to manage that, she will at a minimum make herself look like a larger Neogi, as being a dwarf Neogi is just asking to be enslaved. "Best I get out of town too, all the slavers around. I'm a hot property."

[Swami Monsoon]

"Agreed. It looks like everyone and everything is a hot property around here. And you don't have to be something else to become a victim... the sooner we can get out of this place, the better."

Omar doesn't say it out loud, but he'd also like to get as far away from Abdul as he can. From the looks of the slave market, the merchant wasn't just excusing mistakes. He was enabling atrocities... He stays close to the others... and today he is using the magic of his hat to make his plain traveling clothes appear just a bit fancier. Being mistaken for somebody poor... and perhaps expendable... seems like an especially bad idea right now.

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He will also purchase a meal.

[JonRG]

Jerid coughs up the 8 gp gladly. There's no amount of money he wouldn't pay for delicious meats. He was avoiding Watt for now. The young man found his unfortunate transformation into a dwarf rather humorous. Also, his taste in beer was atrocious. Stupid gem. It was giving him wicked cravings for the stuff, even though he'd never drank alcohol in his life. Maybe he'd have to change that... Jerid grunts at Omar's statement. Dwarves were terse. Grumpy dragons disguised as dwarves were terser still.

[blackwind1kaze]

Vutha doesn't need to pay anything so he just focuses on using the ring to bring back the disguise he had last time. However, he can't seem to find Abdul anywhere so his questions will have to hold off until then.

[Stegyre]

Tai grimaces, in some consternation at the man's obtuse answers.

Spoiler: Tai Thinks

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I may have to be a bit more blunt to find out what role these tubes play in controlling the "cattle." That could be important, if one of us ever ended up with slave runes, or for that matter, if one ever needed -- or wanted -- to cause a disturbance among the slaves. "First, understand how something works; then you can break it," as the Chaos Theologian said.

"Thank you, my good man, that was very useful . . .

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for certain definitions of "useful": the ones synonymous with "useless"

. . . I was wondering, however, about these rods everyone seems to be carrying about and the tubes the owners seem to be carrying about: what do they do and how do they work?"

[~Corvus~]

The slaver looks around uncomfortably. Since yuu aren't from around 'ere, I guess it's new to ya.

These-- He holds up the tube of inscriptions Thes're runes on paper 'n ya slap 'em on a slave an' they alter their brain fer life. 'Leas tha's wha tha sellers say.

He leans into Tai and lowers his his voice. But if ye ken keep a secret...This purple robe man, he...dun' like our slavin' an' so he gives us sus'nance ins-- runes ta make their lives a lil' eas'yer, ya know? Makes our lives sim'pler an they live better ennyways.

He looks down at his rod. Can' say wha' these're for exactly, but they make our lives a lil' better. So we keep 'em. Look I'd love ter chat, but I s'pose Ya gotta get back ter yer fam'ly. Get a hoss at least, if'n not a gud slave gerl ya ken ride on the side. Makes yer life better 'n yer carrot happy. The man winks at Tai before quickly scooting away. He ignores any further protests the (ostensible) gnome has to say and hurries out of sight.

Tai catches wind of a delicious-smelling food-scrap pile nearby, and although it smells fresh, he gets the sense that some of it has been sitting for hours--the breads and apples and low-grade beer scents he smells might just do the trick for him--or perhaps make a welcome rotting addition to a pack.

__________________________

As Omar, Jerid & Watt, Alala, Verin and Vutha make their way from Abdul's dining area into the Sanctum, Vutha sees a man in receives a shock of recognition: It is Grand Tarok, Thaumakarch of the Rethi Enforcement Guild, in his Humanoid form. A Rethi who has mostly always been a thorn in his side.

Spoiler: Grand Tarok

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Grand Tarok looks over the party, and gives a nod with his glowing right eye while his armored face betrays little emotion. Vutha Suaco, I heard you were on this world, and I had to see you for myself. An ur-dekarch as yourself relying on such companions is...amusing at best. I have tracked down several Blooded here already and...disposed of them in this strange Sanctum. He pauses, letting his glowing eye gaze through the party again. You and your...companions...are being tracked.

[Stegyre]

Tai

My "carrot," Tai sighs, mentally, as he watches the slave scurry away. It amazes me, the number of euphemisms humanoids use for their sex and breeding. I could probably compile and publish a lengthy dictionary . . .

No, who am I kidding? Take an existing dictionary and pick out any word. There is not a one that, with a wink-and-nudge they would not use to refer to the male parts, the female parts, or the act, itself. It's a wonder they found time to build a civilization.

Having learned what he can, he makes his way back to the others . . .

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Leaving it up to ~Corvus~ whether Tai arrives in time to see any part of the encounter with the Grand Tarok. At least, we'll get the party back together.

[Swami Monsoon]

Omar thinks for a moment...

"Tracked? For what purpose? Do they want to kill or capture us, or do they think we're going to lead them to something they want? And are the ones following us, uh, people like yourself?"

He wonders if the mysterious trackers are after all of them or just Vutha, but asking that out loud would seem rather selfish...

[blackwind1kaze]

"at least I'm not killing for no reason brother", Vutha at first says. However upon hearing what Tarok has to say he responds,"do you know who exactly is after us?" Vutha then looks at Omar and says, "more than likely not. If my brethren where hunting us, Tarok and the rest of the enforcement guild would have been here, though mainly it would probably be just for me." Vutha looks back to Tarok awaiting a response.

[~Corvus~]

The dire rat manages to find himself between a man in what appears to be orange and decorative armor and the party.

The man shrugs. Tall, thin orcish man with extra-pointy ears and a bow with glowing sigils? I heard them earlier talking about a RethI that could become like a Giant, and how they would ambush you as you exited this place.

He looks to Omar, his voice dripping with condescension. If my people were following you, we would not set traps and archers, and you would have little warning.

As for them...It sounds like you accidentally foiled their plan to possess a dwarf and killed some of their companions? How...tragic it couldn't have been on purpose. Maybe you'll even prevent them from fleeing this time?

[whoiam]

Alala took the implied insult fairly well, really. As a slave, she'd had plenty of practice at dealing with implied inferiority...

"Well, we were there to protect the dwarf. Only partially successful on that respect, sadly. Especially sadly in that if we'd been after the hunters and not the dwarf, we might have been able to get them all at the first time of asking.

Still, this isn't too bad as news goes. Spring one ambush, kill whoever we missed first time, grab some more loot and move on. Let's just hope that magic bow is strong enough for me to use, hm? I always used to snap human-spec ones..."

[~Corvus~]

The man frowns at Alala. He mutters infernal words under his breath and says, That bow has a sanguine legacy to makes the stars weep. It has more value than any of your...trinkets.

He exhales, breathing through nose and a sneering mouth. Vutha, this world's fate was prophecied long before you were birthed. Come, end your quest and rejoin the Harvest so we may depart from this doomed sphere. If...they he nods to Alala and the others are actually useful, maybe they can be assimilated into our ranks. Especially... his gaze lingers upon Omar and Jeridexeles. Their skin tingles as if a hand touched them. Yes, they carry Old Magics. They might even...survive a Grafting. His smirk returns to Vutha. Shall we?

[whoiam]

"That wouldn't surprise me, " Alala admits cordially. "You don't make an awful lot of money as a slave, not even a gladiator. I also honestly don't care much - it doesn't matter how valuable a bow is if it shatters in my hands the first time I try and draw it in anger."

Alala had only a very vague, fuzzy idea of what things were actually worth - she'd had access to money for very little of her life, after all. But she did have a good grasp of the practical value of things. So to her, the book value of the bow didn't matter if it was useless to her.

[~Corvus~]

Tarok
The man ceases his smirk and again frowns at Alala. She feels as if her whole...body...is being touched as he stares at her. After severa long minutes he giggles. Then again...it appears you do have a garment that hunters might kill you for. But why you don't wear it... After a pause, the disguised Rethi gives a genuine laugh. Your ignorance overwhelms me.

Female, he says to Alala, I am Grand Tarok of the Rethi Armaments division, Thaumakarch second-rank. You have in your possession a garment worthy of my respect. He gives a short bow like the one Vutha gave earlier: one fist is pressed across his chest, the other folded behind him at his waist. Be sure you or your companions use it well. That vest sings with longing to be reunited with its shattered soul.

He turns again to Vutha. Vutha, perhaps your... his mouth twists with distate, peers can be useful. We can pay in Astral Pearls. As he says the word "peers" his body shudders as if he has eaten something nasty. But I cannot linger much longer.

[Stegyre]

Tai simply looks on silently, seeing no good reason to draw attention to himself.