Gai-len [IC]

[PersonMan]

Siel doesn't bother to dry herself when she emerges from the water and watches Nala with obvious curiosity as the human does so. She follows the human woman without any sign of fear or uneasiness, although she does try to move quietly.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

You approach the man to about 5 feet. He does not respond to your presence and remains motionless. Tralkor notices something and whispers to tell you that he can spot that the man is breathing. His low voice reverberates splendidly in this cavern.

[Derjuin]

Vrishchika follows Nala, her eyes on the catacomb walls and the old throne until they reach the man in chains. Strange monument for a tomb, she thinks before turning her head to look over the ragged man. With Tralkor's information, she inches closer to the man and gently nudges him on the leg with her boot a few times, trying to see if he is conscious.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

He reacts immediately, as if stung by a bee, retracting his leg. He raises his head and looks up to you. His voice seems a bit hoarse as he speaks: "Who are you, what do you want from me?" He speaks Orc flawlessly. You notice that his ears now poke through his hair. This man looks an awful lot like a elf. Definitely elf...Dark elf maybe? He lowers his head again. "Leave me alone..."

Siel:

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Wow, this man will have a story! This man is intensely sad and afraid. You'd say he has not had a happy moment in years....maybe his whole life. Loneliness and a sense of failure are the strongest emotions you sense.

[PersonMan]

Siel breaths in slowly, shaking visibly. Although it's fairly difficult to see in the darkness, after a few seconds it's clear that a blue aura is beginning to form around her. She looks at the man with an expression one might normally associate with one that a collector has when gazing upon a particularly rare of beautiful object. Stepping forwards, she edges past Vrishchika and looks down at the man. "Show me your pain," the fey says, just before releasing a sound that should be impossible for a throat to produce. It's something like a mix of bells, flowing water and leaves in the wind.

By now, Siel's allies know the sensation that this brings. Their bodies and minds are filled with new energy as their sadness is pulled from them. Clearly visible is the stream of blue power flowing to Siel, with most of it coming from the chained man. The fey has her arms stretched out, absorbing the suffering being drawn to her by the clearly supernatural tone she produces.

It isn't easy to tell precisely how long Siel's 'song' lasts, but before a minute passes she stops, although the effects continue for a while after. The strange creature seems to be more vibrant, somehow, the grief she's absorbed lending her great vitality. "You're...exquisite. If only you tasted like Nala, you'd be perfect," Siel comments, looking to the human woman as she speaks.


OOC:

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Perform: (1d20+12)[16]

Using Extract Suffering, 8 uses of Scream of Suffering left today.

In mechanical terms, I don't think this would do much of anything worth mentioning, but in fluff terms she just came across a banquet, and Siel isn't one to turn down something like that.

So, now we have an elf who no longer has any sadness to wallow in. Maybe he'll be more helpful now? Doesn't matter to Siel, anyways, she's happy with what she got.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

Siel:

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Sorry, but I am a bit confuzzled. Extract Suffering corresponds with Extract Grief on your sheet, meaning you used Inspire Courage?

Just need to know so I can respond in a way that makes sense.

[PersonMan]

DM:

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Essentially, yeah.

Extract Grief sucks the suffering out of my allies, making them fight better and allowing me to discharge the gained pain for other stuff (a fluff thing about ability order).

[Autopsibiofeeder]

As Siel is performing her vocal art, the man again looks up. When she is done, you notice that he is very confused. "Who...what? Who are you? You know you are not supposed to be here?"

[TinselCat]

Nala gies Siel a pained look at the comment about her taste, even though the discomfort at the comment is hard to summon, almost as if the ability to feel that has been drawn out of her. Which in turn should make her even more uncomfortable. A feeling which she knows she should have and still can’t quite manage. A strange feeling that ends up as a tickling, nagging fuzz in the back of her mind.

Instead of dwelling on it, she turns to the man. "That’s none of your business." That sounds sufficiently orc-like, she decides. "Who are you? What are you? And what are you doing, chained to a wall?" She has a good guess on the second question, but it's still worth asking.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

The expression on his face is now somewhat annoyed. "Right, knowing who you are and what you are doing is none of my business. And you knowing that about me is your business......how? He smiles and shrugs, as far is that is possible when you are chained to a wall and then let's out a sigh. "I am nobody....a prisoner as you can see. But, there used to be a day when people would call me Cor." He looks at you. "Seriously, what are you doing here? Nobody ever comes here, except for the Drow." He pauses a small moment. "I am pretty sure there is a penalty on defiling their graveyard."

[maestrodesigns]

Tralkor stays in the background somewhat. He's definitely interested in the strange elf-like person, but he prefers others handling the social interactions.

Siel once again manages to surprise him with her strange Fey abilities, he still can't really place her connection to the material and the spiritual world. It's as if she's completely alien to this world sometimes.

When the prisoner speaks, Tralkor listens intently. He's quite curious as to how the fella ended up here and why someone would be held prisoner in a 'graveyard'...

Between listening to the conversations going on, he looks around some more, trying to understand this strange crypt-like space they were in.
Wrapping up dead people and stuffing them in walls was unlike anything he was used to. Back home they simply burned the remains. That way the spirits were set free from their material bonds and free to go wherever they pleased. This crypt, to him, felt like a prison for the souls of the deceased. He really couldn't figure out why one would want to bind the souls of their ancestors to a particular place like this.

[TinselCat]

"Graveyard," Nala echoes. Not that the word surprises her, but it’s hard to put a simple term to such a strange place. So this is what the little lizards had mentioned. She gets chills up her spine for a brief moment. They’re going into this challenge blind.

"Did you become a prisoner because you came here?"
I'd rather not stay here any longer than necessary. She takes a look around the cavern. "Where is the city? There must be another exit."

[Autopsibiofeeder]

"Not quite. I entered the city through the front entrance. The one I guess you passed but did not notice. Turns out my kind is not welcome here." He shrugs. "Look closely in the bushes at the entrance of the cave. There's also a passage here in the back, behind the throne." He then adds, mumbling, "if you can find it."

[TinselCat]

"Front entrance," Nala repeats flatly, feeling more than a little stupid. Of course. Who would expect them to go through a graveyard to reach a city? No wonder the entrance had been so hard to find. Can you even imagine trying to take trade goods through such a tunnel?

She turns to the others. "Let's go find that front entrance. I'd rather not go any deeper in here." Getting on the bad side of their potential hosts would be bad enough, and the fact that this place makes her uncomfortable is enough of a reason on its own.

OOC

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Letting everyone know - I don't think I'm going to have internet access at all before next Tuesday.

[Derjuin]

Vrishchika turns around, taps Nala on the shoulder, and leans in close. Should we try to free him? He did point us in the right direction... she whispers, glancing back to the shackled elf. He may be of further use to us, especially if he knows what he's doing.

OOC:

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Sorry for the delay in posts, I had the weirdest error with Giantitp. Everytime I tried to go to the website, my browser told me it didn't exist But it seems to exist again!

[PersonMan]

Siel looks over to Vrishchika, aware that she is whispering but not knowing what the strange human is saying. It doesn't interest her to a great extent, anyways. For now, she was simply enjoying the feeling of the new suffering flowing through her.

[TinselCat]

Nala hesitates. The issue of the elf does bother her. His predicament reminds her too much about their capture by orcs when they had first reached this monstrous continent. Letting him go would bring them great danger, but if they just walk away...it would haunt her.

She sighs. "Taking him with us invites trouble. He was put here for a reason, whatever it is. But I don’t think we can leave him here."

"If we release you from here," she tells the elf, "You will show us the hidden entrance." She waits to see his reaction to the demand.

[maestrodesigns]

Tralkor patiently awaits the conclusions of the conversations taking place. He still didn't really understand the social interactions taking place.
If it were up to him, he would simply release the Elf. It was clear he didn't belong here, here being a crypt for the dead and him being alive and stuff...

It never was that simple though; he knew there probably was an extensive social and political reasoning behind every decision made by his companions.
While he wasn't able to relate to such reasoning, or even understand it sometimes, he was definitely aware of it being the smartest way of solving stuff.

He looks the chains that are holding the Elf. I wonder... with a little help from the ancestors.... Yeh, I bet I can break m if needed.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

He looks up, clearly puzzled. "Uhmmm...will you then promise not to slay me afterwards, or turn me over to your authorities?" He shakes his head and mumbles something, not in the Orc tongue, but in common (your kind of common): "Spend 35 years avoiding being captured by Orcs, only to end up being released by one." He looks up, to the roof and sighs "Hei-Corellon", which sounds like Elven.

[TinselCat]

"My auth-" Nala begins, and halts mid-sentence. The disguise works!

His words in common are almost lost on her. Having not heard them for so long, it takes a moment for her mind to process what he said. Then she goes cold all over. For a long moment she just stands there, trying to process the implications of that casual comment. "T-thirty-five years?" she stutters in common. Forming the words again is harder than expected. She turns to Tralkor. "Can you get him down? He's from our home." Her words are shaky, and sound almost far-away to her ears. She sends a sideways glance towards Vrishchika. Can you even believe it?

[Autopsibiofeeder]

He has the weirdest expression ever on his face as he carefully scrutinizes Nala's orc-looks. Then his eyes dart to the others, that also don't look as if they came from overseas. "Wuh...rfns?" It does not sound like that means anything in any language.

[PersonMan]

Siel smiles. "How interesting," she says. "This would be the first other person you've met who may have been from your homeland here, right?" The fey understood the language the elf and her human comrades were speaking because the elf had taught it to her. She didn't have much experience speaking it, though, as...well, only a handful of people she had met spoke it.

[maestrodesigns]

Tralkor smiles. Breaking stuff was something he secretly liked. He cracks his knuckles while summoning some extra strength from within.

He then walks over to the Elf and grabs the chains firmly in his huge hands."You might want to close your eyes and prepare for a little roughness, these chains look pretty sturdy."
His arms swell up as he slowly applies his now almost giant-like strength to the chains.

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Tralkor casts Bull's strength and patiently attempts to break the chains. Take 20: DC 27.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

As Tralkor approaches the elf he reacts jumpy, instinctively making a motion to protect his face with his arm. Fruitlessly, since his arm is stuck in the chains. Tralkor grabs the chains and starts working them. Despite his great strength, it does not look like he is getting anywhere at first. Then his face turns red and the veins and arteries on his arms start looking as if they are about to explode.
Just as it seems he is about to give up, a loud sound like the cracking of a whip accompanies the snapping of the chain. Pearls of sweat form on his forehead as Tralkor beams with pride.

Still bewildered, the elf stares at you while he massages his shoulder. "I am sorry, but ehm. Well, thank you, but...who are you?"

[TinselCat]

"I'm Nala," the human introduces herself. "Although you may be put off by my appearance, looks are decieving. I'd rather not say too much in this place." She takes a long look around the graveyard again. The silence around them and the loudness of their own actions makes her very tense. "It should suffice to say that we share a common goal. Were there any others with you?" She remembers the slaughter of the rest of their party quite clearly. It's hard to realize that she and Vrishchika are really the last ones - such a short time after their arrival. Weeks? A month? She shakes her head. "Let's go back outside."

[Autopsibiofeeder]

"Hello Nala" he slowly get's up. "I am afraid I have been alone for a long time." He then nods "Getting out of here sounds like a plan."

[maestrodesigns]

With a big grin and a content sigh, Tralkor wipes the sweat from his forehead.
Still grinning and while slightly underestimating his temporary strength, he slaps the Elf on the back. With an enthusiastic booming voice he addresses the Elf; "Good thing we found you here fella! Just a little longer and you would have joined the stiffs here." he swings his arm around, pointing out the many graves around them "I'm Tralkor by the way! Nice to meet you!"

[PersonMan]

Siel nods to the newly-freed elf. She turns her head slightly towards Nala, feeling a minor change in her aura. It had the same scent as it always did. Despite the amount of pain she had already absorbed, the fey wanted to taste Nala's suffering again.

"I'm Siel," the fey says. Further explanation wouldn't be necessary, at least not yet.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

"Hello Tralkor....Siel. Thank you" he mutters, while you see his confidence grow, as well as his trust in you.

You leave the cave together with moderate haste. You notice that the elf is surprisingly fit. As you take the swimming and ooze-cave detour he tells you that he has never in these years seen anyone enter through that route.

The elf indicates that he wants to get away from the entrance as soon as possible. "I should not be seen here. If I remember correctly, there should be a river close by. We could perhaps hide out there for a few moments. I could wash up, and we could talk some?"

[TinselCat]

"Yes," Nala agrees. "Let’s do that." Once they reached the river, she looked around and assessed their surroundings. After being satisfied about their security, she starts. "Years? How did you survive? How long will it be until they notice that you’re gone? And here’s what I really want to know – what happened to the rest of the convoy?"