The Necromancer's Pact: Private Conversations

[Dr._Bob]

As a little experiment, I am opening this thread up for players in the Necromancer's Pact campaign. It should be used for "private" conversations that aren't occuring between the group members as a whole.

Feel free to read the conversations, but remember not to use any information IC that your character wouldn't have been privy to.

If multiple conversations are occuring simultaneously, please try to make it clear which conversation you are participating in (e.g. using a common heading).

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan & Druid
Danceing Dragon Window
________________________

Elthan watches to make sure Yix has left the Lizards tail alone for good before stareing out the window with the druid. He lets silence prevail for a minute before speaking. "I would say you look troubled, Druid, but you're almost always like that.. What's in your dreams that bothers you?"

[blackfox]

Katrin and Tiriel
Katrin's Room
________________________
The sun rises, and the panther transforms quickly back into human form. Katrin looks around the room, and notices that only Tiriel is there. "I didn't... hurt anyone, did I?"

[kuja.girl]

Katrin and Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon
________________________

Tiriel blinks the sleep away from her eyes,
"No, but you did worry a lot of people. And I know I need to catch up on some sleep.

She takes the time to organize her thoughts thru the haze of sleep that muffles her brain,
"I don't know how much you want to talk about it, but I think we need to at leasr talk about what to do next time. That way we can plan out shifts or something.
Her voice is matter of fact, but she stiffles a yawn and then grins at her friend.

edit: ROFL [ hr] works now so my reason for the edit is moot.

[blackfox]

Katrin and Tiriel
Tiriel's Room
[hr]
"I don't know, I don't really... want to talk about it, unless there's some way I can get rid of this curse. I'm scared I'll hurt someone, even kill someone, without knowing it."

[kuja.girl]

Katrin and Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon[hr]"I understand not wanting to talk about it, but if you're really worried about hurting someone, wouldn't you want to take steps to avoid that very thing from happening?" Tiriel says, "I don't know much about this lycanthrophy-thing. I mean, I know that it's supposed to be bad and hard to cure, but you're not a bad person and we all know that. And besides, someone in this group is bound to know more about it... "

Tiriel's voice trails off and she looks thoughtful for a moment,
"It not like you're the only one with secrets anyhow. That trigger-happy wizard has had a hard time too..."

She breaks off, realizing that it's really not her story to tell, and that she's being hypocritical when it comes to secrets.

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan & Druid
Dancing Dragon Window
Post-Evandur
____________________

Elthan waits for the Druid to get settled back in by the window. He eyes the Yix on his shoulder, but decides to ignore his prescence for now. Hopefully he wouldn't interrupt with any sillyness. He directs his head in the direction of the newcomer as if asking about him.

"So, what has been on your mind?"

[runehawk]

Elthan & Druid
Dancing Dragon Window
Post-Evandur

{OOC: Sorry KOG, Evendur doesn't actually know my name. Only Trinark and Fizahn do and he's a few posts from telling you his name himself. So you may want to edit your post.}

"I will not speak of...". His eyes dart to the side to indicate the young blond stranger. The verdant magic-user doesn not even honor him with a him.

Glancing over the lizardman's shoulder, Elthan may take in the newcomer's feaures and recognise as a straggler from the hydra attack at the bridge.

The reptilian brow furrows. He pauses and sighs before taking in a deep breath.

He looks you(Elthan) in the eyes and states,
"I..need your help"

He holds your gaze and you read his expression.
He doesn't seem an impotent figure of pride wont to confess a need for help.
Instead he looks more as a friend would, worried what it cost you both, while possessing the surety that you would help.

He glances at Yix and releases him at this point if he hadn't already. A bemused twinkle in his eye. If Yix lingers, it is quite clear he will not continue.

[blackfox]

Katrin and Tiriel
Whichever room it is, I'm confused now.
[hr]
"I do want to prevent it from happening, it's just that..." Katrin closes her eyes and breathes deeply. "I recieved the bite during a very... painful... time of my life. I don't want to think about it any more than I have to." She opens her eyes again and looks at Tiriel. "But believe me, I want to stop myself from hurting people, I want to get rid of this curse, more than anything."

[kuja.girl]

Katrin and Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon [hr]

ooc: my bad I'll change that - stupid cut and paste messsed it up. I think the three of us (Tiriel, Si'rene and Katrine) are all sharing a room.

Tiriel nods, "I understand. You don't have to tell me anything more, but let's try to work this out, together. I think there's a good chance that there's at least one in this group who might know somethings that can help. I just, well, you seemed like you needed help so maybe I pushed too far. But you're a friend and you seemed like you needed help..." Tiriel finishes somewhat lamely. She's not sure what more she can say.

She's my friend, and the friendship seems mutal. But I really which she had trusted me enough to have told me about this before it became an issue. Of course, who am I to talk. I really should tell her, and Si'rene too, but it's just not something I like bringing up. Some people tend to view it as a braging point, or a power thing, but it's not.
Soon. Soon I'll tell them - but not yet. I don't want Katrine to lose her focus here...

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan & Druid
Dancing Dragon Window
___________________

It was an honor of a sort to hear the Lizard ask for help. He would never ask unless he truely trusted the individual. Elthan knew that the Lizard was open with few, and would listen to his consul, but this was a sort of proof that the Druid had bonded with him. Elthan nods and looks back with complete faith in the Druid, "Of course I'll help, Druid. What is it that needs to be done?"

[runehawk]

Dancing Dragon Window
Lizardkin Druid

As Trinark approaches them with a vaguely puzzled expression in his face and breakfast in his hand, he smiles and bows his head to the innkeeper courteously.

The druid continues,
"It has been ? moons when our hunting paths first joined. I ran with ones not of the people never before then. Warmblood and Coldblood walk different paths. "

He sighs.

"Strange times make strange packs. The Balance was disturbed. My people were roused. They beat the drums of war and cried out for death. Not the kill of the hunt we desired. They wished to fight back to protect the lands of the people. "

His brow furrows as anger mixed with sympathy is directed at Elthan now.

"Your coming. ssSethra's coming. Much changed. Many died. Fight . kill. defend. "
The momentary anger dissipates in a flash. It is clear that while aware of your role in Sethra's release had caused him anger at one time, he's accepted that you acted in ignorance and is more angry at the backlash of that singular event in multiple lives. He sympathises with you as well for the great trouble that you and the others had overcome so far adn the further cost that would lie ahead as you chase the fiend down and try to set things right.

He looks at the floor now as a tinge of shame enters his expression.

"Pinkskins."

He looks up at you
"Humanss. Elvess. Dwa-rfss.Nooh-mes. All ssame to lizardkin", he says with no small measure of regret on his face.
"You know thiss. I told you before. So they.."

His eyes focus elsewhere as he searches for the words,
"pre-pare?", looking at you quizzically.

"for war. I tell them ssome unseen enemy but they not listen. Only ssee enemy not-hiding."

"Pinkskins", he echoes again. This time with the coherence that the lizardpeople had mistaken Sethra's incursions as antagonism by the humans in the town you had set out from.

A look of seriousness comes to him now.
"That is when I follow vision-quest. I came alone. No pack"

Something Linda had said to you in the underdark comes back. She and your clone had been teaching and learning from the lizardman and she had shared a little something when you had asked her how she was able to interact with the lizardman. In her studies with Ogden Homme, she had found out almost all of what little the civilized races knew about the lizardpeople. They were A reclusive people who dealt in warm marshes disdaining arcane magic and favoring a rugged living. They hardly left their immediate areas and ventured out and if they did so, it was always in packs.

The fact that the party that set out from Ogden's had only encountered lizardmen but never singularly until this particular one that had joined you only leaps out at you now!

OOC: sorry for the long post. ICwise, the SH party know that i need to kill Sethra to [u]restore the imbalance in nature/u] he represented and the threat to the region/home. After that the compound losses they had suffered had simply made him a common enemy and forged a bond for us, so we don't really know ssathiya's backstory. I doubt anyone other than Trinark knows about the situation 'back home' for ssathiya. Plus ss-man 'talked' to Elthan II and Linda in the underdark unofficially(away from the posts). Possibly bec. they translated and explained things to him and had questions for him which he answered cautiously. I don't think ssathiya knows you're not yr clone, KoG but that's fine. It's just gonna confuse him and he's fine assuming you're the one he knows. What r yr thoughts on this?

[blackfox]

Katrin and Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon
[hr]
"I do need help. I just... don't want to be shunned, like I was before. I don't want anyone to know who won't understand."

[kuja.girl]

Katrine & Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon[hr]

"Well, I have to say that it would take a lot to stick out in this group. Next to Trinark, the lizardman, and the tiny dragon - you're probaly one of the more normal ones."

[blackfox]

Katrin and Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon
[hr]
Katrin actually smiles at this. "So, who do you think might be able to help? Who would know about... lycanthropy... Who would know enough to know if it can be cured?"

[kuja.girl]

Katrine & Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon[hr]
"Well, that lady Kiah might. She seemes fairly knowledgeable - if you can get past her pushiness. Besides that," Tiriel shrugs, "I'm not sure. We're a big group now & I don't know everyone well enough. We might just have to ask."

[blackfox]

Katrin and Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon
[hr]
"I guess we'll just have to go ask Kiah, then." Katrin stands, turning towards the door.

[kuja.girl]

Katrine & Tirel
Room at the Dancing Dragon[hr]
"Guess so. I'll be down in a little bit, I'm going to take a nap."

ooc: might as well have her nap now.

[blackfox]

Katrin and Tiriel
Room at the Dancing Dragon
[hr]
"Alright, I'll see you later." Katrin opens the door and walks out.

[kuja.girl]

Evendur & Tiriel
Dancing Dragon Inn[hr]

Tiriel wakes up sometime in the early afternoon. She takes her time getting out of bed and belatedly realizes that she's hungry. She opens the door and just barely stops in time to avoid stepping on a man who seems to be asleep next to the door.

She recognizes him in an instant.
"What are you doing here!"
The words burst out of her mouth more loudly than she intended, waking him up.

[on you now DS]

[blackfox]

Katrin and Kiah
Outside the Dancing Dragon
[hr]
Katrin motions Kiah to come around the corner of the inn, out of earshot of the rest of the group. "It's about my... curse. Do you know anything about lycanthropy? Can it be cured?" Her expression is sad and grim.

[Lost Sage]

Katrin and Kiah
Outside the Dancing Dragon

Kiah's surprise quickly turns to concern and companion at Katrin's words the poor girl, she's having a lot of trouble accepting this - who wouldn't?

"Well..., to be honest, I don't know. I've never heard of it being cured."

Kiah watches Katrin closely to see how she it taking the news. How strong is she? What advice would be the best for her?

"... but there are many things I haven't heard about. But now that I think about it I expect it's called a curse for a reason. And if the curse was removed by the right person at the right time in the right place then it may work. But I don't know what that would be."

"I am truly sorry that I can not stay and help with this. What little I can give you is my opinion on it. I would say that you need to accept your situation and trust in yourself. You have lycanthropy, that's a fact. What you do with it is up to you. If you want to get it cured then don't let your embarrassment or your shyness get in your way. And don't hide from your friends. They are not friends if you have to hide it from them."

"If you must live with it then you need to accept that to. You and the cat will grow closer together over time. In a way you are lucky. It could have been a rat, or... " she shudders "... a wolf. There is a bear-human in my area. I have found that he is a good person, and a good bear."

Kiah looks a Katrin closely

"It seems that you are not aware of yourself in cat form. That is surprising. Maybe it's because you don't want to accept it."

"That is all I can give you. Except that, well, I don't know what gods you follow but if you wish you can take this symbol."

Kiah holds out a small figurine of a unicorn, done in silver.

"This is Ehlonna's symbol. It means many things to me. But what I would say here is that you have a right to be who you are, lycanthropy or not, and to survive and prosper. But never forget that no matter how different you are you are still connected to everyone else. And your wellbeing and theirs work together, like fingers on a hand."

[Dark_Stalion]

Evendur & Tiriel
Dancing Dragon Inn

Evendur is startled from his "internal reverie" by Tiriel's yelp. Scrambling up he wipes embarased at the damp patch that has formed on his collar.

"I... I'm so sorry, Tirriel, I didn't mean to startle you, I... Oh gods, I've gone and done this all wrong again." He pauses as he composes himself, both physicaly and mentaly. His gaze sweeps over Tiriels long blond hair and face for a moment before he speaks again.

Sune, she is beautiful. If only I could convert her. No, damn it, not the time to be thinking of this now...

"Tiriel, I appologise as I have yet to introduce myself to you properly. I am Evendur Dunhelder, Paladin in the service of Sune, at your service." He bows slightly at the waste, taking her hand to kiss it in the time honoured tradition of Sunite followers. "May I speak to you for a moment. I believe we would find it to our mutual benefit. Also there is the matter of... how we met previously, which I believe you will want want, and deserve, some kind of explanation to. Will you allow me in?"

[kuja.girl]

Evendur & Tiriel
Dancing Dragon Inn[hr]

Tiriel hesitates, surprisingly she seems a bit embarrassed.
"Yes, we should talk," she looks at Evendur, and then the stairs. The smell of fresh bread and whatever other wonders the inn keeper has made make her stomach groan in protest at the thought of waiting.
"Err... do you mind if we go downstairs? I could really use something to eat before we get too far along."

ooc: since this isn't happening in "real time" we won't be joining the others, yet. I figure that she and Evendur can grab some food and take one of the tables near the back of the common room.

[blackfox]

Katrin's expression remains set throughout Kiah's speech. She accepts the silver figurine with a smile that does not touch her eyes. "Thank you, Kiah. I will always remember your advice." Katrin returns to the inn.

[Dark_Stalion]

Evendur & Tiriel,
The Dancing Dragon Inn

Evendur looks slightly aprihensive at the thought of encountering the people who had regected him without a thought earlier that day, but squares his sholders and, smiling at Tiriel, realises that his stomache too calls for something edible.

"After you, my lady," he replies, bowing slightly as he motions for her to take the lead.

Downstairs Evendur is thankfull that the rest of the party has dispersed and not yet gathered for mid-day meal. Offering Tiriel a seat at a discreat table in a corner he holds the chair for her, seting it under as she sits. Catching the Innkeepers eye as he seats himself opposite Tiriel, Evendur reflects that things could be far worse.

If nothing else, I should be able to enjoy a relatively plesant lunch with a beautiful young lady.

By the time he is seated the innkeeper has arived at the table, notebook out, pencil at the ready.

"Go ahead, Tiriel, you order what you want, and then I'll... explain some things about myself to you. All I ask is that you hear me out, nothing more."

[kuja.girl]

Evendur & Tiriel
Dancing Dragon Inn [hr]

Tiriel raises an eyebrow at Evendur's manners, but takes the seat she's offered. She quickly orders a meat pie and some cider from the inn keeper. She waits until after her table-mate has ordered before replying,
"I have to confess, between your... transformation and sudden disappearance, you've had me, and some of the others certainly, very confused and worried. We know nothing about you.

"The fact that you've rejoined us," and she can't help but grin, "this time, fully clothed, tells me that you've probably made some sort of decision." She holds up her hand, "But, before we get to that, I think you'd better start from the beginning."

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan
Dancing Dragon Window
_______________________

Elthan takes his time absorbing the Lizards speach in complete silence. Flatly, he states "An invasion, then?" He pauses to think about the possibilities. It was distressing to think that people not aware, or even directly affected by Sethra were being thrown into harms way. The Lizards would assault the settlement, after which the villagers would bring in reinforcements and in a fit of anger and outrage wipe out the Lizardmen.

He looks up from his musings and locks eyes with the druid, looking betrayed but his voice lined with concern. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? We can't let that happen, they.. It would be a disaster..." He turns around as he trails off into more thoughts.

"This was happening when we left, wasn't it? Months ago..." He says without turning around, head hung. "Mybye Ogden.." His voice trails off again, and he pauses as he lifts his head back up to reality. "So you came alone? I think I understand, though mybye not as much as I'd like. No one supported your departure, no one supported mine." He voice began in sympathy and ended in sadness.

He shakes off the feeling after yet another pause and becomes curious. "What was it you wanted to ask, though?"

______________________

(OOC: For the clones, Elthan wants to pick up where his more outgoing half left off with the lizard. He knows it will probally confuse the lizard to explain, and that he'd probally be happier not knowing (though if asked, he will try his best to explain) Elthan II probally related some of the things he heard in the underdark to the original, though possibly not much.
At this point, Elthan is concerned with whats happened back 'home'. He's worried for the villagers and Ogden because they probally won't know whats happening, and for his friends 'pack', which stands under a very large risk in what they're doing. He's a little confused at when this happened or will happen because of the Lizards consistant present-tense.
Right now, he understands from the Lizards practical catch phrase that 'the pack' is a pretty important part of thier culture and such, and according to the particualr situation, stubborn mates on the wrong course, leaving without anyone is pretty heavy. Like Elthan said, an act of no support or possibly worse as he suspects. Elthan knows why the lizard left with them (he's practically preached it since they've come together), but knowing the conditions in which he left (and some of the consequences of those conditions) really puts some things back on his mind.

[Dark_Stalion]

Evendur & Tiriel
Dancing Dragon Inn Common room

Having ordered a steak and cider Evendur settles across from the lovely warrior.

"As I mentioned before I am a paladin in the service of Sune, Godess of love, beauty and pasion. Some believe this is shallow, I know, but oft times the inner soul of a creature can be observed on the outside. Is not the Goblin, one of the fowlest creatures alive, not also one of the meanest? I know there are exceptions, and one trained for it is capable of destinguishing good people from evil, but it is remarkable how often goodness of spirit and goodness of thought and deed go hand in hand.

"Anyway, I remember the events leading up to... my change almost as though they happened yesterday. On my travels I have come across many situations of unkindness where beauty is left to perish or wallow in hurt and decay. One such time I came across a farmer and his daughter. The farmer was a large man, given to vicious tempers. I could tell this from my first meeting with him, and his threatening behaviour. Unfortunately I had mistimed my journey and the nearest cenre of habitation was almost half a day away. As it was almost dark, looked like rain and I had tired of sleeping in the undergrowth, I decided that it would be worth offering this man money in return for somewhere sheltered to sleep for the night. The greed of this man was nigh insatiable and he took roughly half of what I had on me in coins. Still, it meant that I would have shelter from the coming storm.

"As the transaction was finished I noticed a fearfull pair of eyes at one of the windows. When the farmer went to collect his catle in for the night I decided to investigate. I do not think that this man truly understood what I was or he wouldn't have let me stay the night at all. Maybe he did not think what he had done to this poor creature was wrong. What I discovered was a young girl, not more than sixteen or seventeen who's dark locks framed a face of exquisite beauty. She was malformed, however, her legs never having grown properly to support her weight. When I entered the room she recoiled instinctively, almost like a ferile animal, using her arms to propel herselfaway from me as far as she could. she whimpered, begging me not to hurt her. It was a while before I could calm her down enough to trust me. Then all her tales of woe came spilling out.

Evendur looks troubled by his memories.

"Abused by her father in ways unthinkable to any decent person, she had lived a wretched life, living within the confines of this very room for most of it. It was as though I was the first person she had ever talked to, which is fairly likely, as her father would normaly keep the door locked. Presumably my arival had interupted something and my money had made him forget about it.

"The tenants of my faith decree that I must perform a loving act each and every day. To take this child away from her terrable father and life would surely be an act of love. She did not love life, and if I could persuade her to do that it would be a great service to my Godess and to this poor creature that lay prostrate in the bed beside me. I decided to take her to a convent only a day out of my way where this girl may have been tended with love that she had not known in her short miserable life. When I informed her of this the girl became qute animated, and I saw hope shine through her desperate eyes.

Evendur frowns and shakes his head.

"That night I was visited in my dreams by an image of the sun shining bright in a midnight sky. The image forbade me to take the girl, claiming that it would be the death of the both of us. Having never recieved a visit from Sune before I dismissed it as a bad dream, and bad dream it seemed as the images of blood and murder that accompanied it haunted me for a long while after.

"Well before dawn I woke and gathered myself together. Going to the girl's room I found the door pulled shut as I had left it, the farmer must have forgoten completely. I woke her quietly, hand over her mouth and when she realised who I was I hoisted her up over my sholder. Carrying her was going to make the journey much slower, but as far as I could see it was going to be worth it with the improvement I would be making upon her life. The farmer would probably be thankfull for having one less mouth to feed during the winter as well.

"Out into the night I took her, carrying her through the soaked grass. No rain fell, and I praised Sune, though I know that she has little power over it and in retrospect had no inclination to help me in this endevour. Over an hour I stumbled away from the house into the woods that surrounded the farm. It would not be long before I could sumon my stead to make things easier for us, but then disaster struck. I stumbled and suddenly the world arround me shifted. I could see her lying upon the sodden turf, stunned. I tried to get up and help her, but my body refused to move. Gods, was I parralised? I tried to move my eyes and look around, but even they refused to respond to my will. Then she screamed.

"It was a heart rending sound, full of fear. She cried out for me, but I could not move to help her. All I could do was watch as figures rose out of the undergroath around her. There must have been thirty or more, shaggy wet fur clamped down around their ugly bodies by the rain of the night. In the terrable dawn I saw her slaughtered by more gnolls than I would have hoped to defend against, especialy burdened by the girl's. I saw her corpse riped to shreds..."

Evendur shudders, his eyes downcast and sorrowfull, tears welling up in his eyes as he forces himself to remember.

"It was the first time I ever had questioned my faith," he fumbles onwards, shivering as though cold, "but then looking back Sune had told me not to and I had gone against her wishes, or at least what she had seen coming for me. And what of me, what had become of me? My soul now resided within one of the creatures that had slane her. No, that is wrong, Karzak had not participated in that sport. Karzak was... unusual. He had no interest in torturing creatures unable to defend themselves. But I go off at a tangent. Sune transported my soul to share, or rather be carried by this creature that I hated so. In one way she saved me. I would never have been able to stand against so many. In another it was... a form of punishment. I would live as a gnoll, every time I saw my reflection it was not of who I once was, and soon I felt my mind slipping, becoming more like the Gnoll. That was untill Sune came to me again. Sune would talk to me from time to time. I don't know why she cared for me so much, as I see that she did now, maybe she sees something greater that I need to be around for. Who knows the reasons of the Gods.

"The point is that she kept me sane, all the way through my imprisonment, up to the point when Karzak... died. I do not like profiting from the death of a creature. I kill where nessesary to protect myself and that which is pure and beautiful, but not for pleasure, and I take no pleasure in killing or death. I think your Lizardkin friend in some way blames me for the death of Karzak, as I took his place in the world in a way. Others seem to have picked up on this dislike and have ostracised me for no apparent reason. Come to think of it they did seem rather protective of the little dragon.

"Anyway, that is my story of how I came to be what I was when you met me, or rather Karzak. Does that answer your question?"

Evendur leans back in his chair, eyes closed, his food hardly touched. He finaly opens his eyes and looks Tiriel in the eye. It is frightening, almost like the Gnoll looking at her, but the impresion passes quickly and it is just a tired man, hagered by experiences that few would want to bare witness to.

[Ooc: Sorry for the length. I know te details are, to a large extent unessesary, but Evendur is trying to persuade Tiriel to take him with them, and so he is explaining himself as much as possible, showing that he is kind and compasionate, not someone to be hated, he hopes]

[kuja.girl]

Evendur & Tiriel
Dancing Dragon Inn Common room [hr]
Tiriel says nothing until Evendur completes his story. She is an attentive listener and misses nothing. It's obvious that sharing this story wasn't as easy as the man had hoped, yet it was something that needed to be to done. After Evendur finishes she takes a moment to work his story into the puzzle of recent events.

"Okay. So let me see if I have this right. In trying to help someone you got yourself into a situation where you would have been killed, but your goddess intervened and transfered your 'soul' into the body of a gnoll, the ones you blamed for your misfortune. Then when Karzak, the gnoll died, your soul and body were reunited and..." she makes a vague circular gesture, "here we are now. It's an, odd, story. But I'm inclined to believe it."

This story may make sense to the lizardman. He may even be able to except the man as being different from the gnoll that he knew...trouble is it's a bloody strange story. Still, it's no stranger than some of the other things that we've been through. And at least it makes some sense.

"I guess my only question is 'what now?' When you left us I figured that you had some where you needed to go, but now you're back. And you purposely sought us out and I can't help but feel that there's something more than guilt or debt behind your actions." Tiriel speaks calmly and without malice or suspicion.