[Nexus] Temples of Dalachrech I

[Harnel]

[Riverside Temple - Kail]

"And the other thing?" Kail could certainly use a slave or two. Especially given her troubles walking at this point, but she wants to hear the other option first.

[Earl of Purple]

Riverside Temple- Kail

"In addition to my end-of-the-line offer, I can also tell you what to expect during training. You can't train now; it'll have to wait until after you are a mother. Well, most of it. I think parts of your instruction won't be hampered by pregnancy." Azurelle would be interested to know if Kail buys slaves whether she buys male slaves or female ones or both. Azurelle prefers young females, and she knows that Kail had a short fling with Terrowin, but she doesn't know if Kail is completely heterosexual. She also doesn't know what Kail wanted that was so important she asked Blagzrukel for help.

[Harnel]

[Riverside Temple - Kail]

Well, Kail would have continued to approach Terrowin about it, given that he knows what she was an is apparently okay with it. less so in recent times as she finds it harder to move and is having trouble with pains.

"That sounds wonderful then. Is there a particular subject you'd like to see me use this on?" she eyes the different slaves here. which to choose?

[Murkus]

Originally Posted by Earl of Purple

Hermitage- Altar Room/Vision

Do as Elezibethele bids, or if you meet them, do as Terrowin or Defelent asks. Terrowin supersedes Elezibethele, but use your discretion with regards to conflicting orders between Elezibethele and Defelent. If Elezibethele plans to kill Terrowin or gets bored of waiting for him to die, inform Me immediately. I ask little from My followers; when you aren't acting on orders, your time is your own. I'd prefer it if you spent that time spreading My gospel and converting new worshippers, but I care little. I have more important things to do. The voice continues to make the mind-scape ripple.

"Ah, yes, lord," Percival says, bowing his head. He sounds nervous. Most of his old bosses had tasks for him - targets, duties, quests. Dalachrech was beyond them in more ways than one. Percy wonders at the scope of the 'things' this vast alien presence has on his to-do list. He's beginning to doubt Dalachrech's servants strengthen him at all - he probably doesn't need it. "I shall protect your priests with my life." His mind starts to recede from Dalachrech's presence, the image still swimming. "I am sorry for disturbing you."

[The Alexandrian]

[Temple of Underside]

"And hisss poverty gives him licenssse to pressside over my life and govern me? To sssteer my path for his own gain? Hah! Honessstly, I'd think that he'd be worried for the sake of his family if not for himssself! Throwing their livesss to the wind like that! I'm not one to be controlled."

Three rolls her shoulders casually. She is indeed calmly implying that she wouldn't just strike him down. Her righteous fury would definitely lead her to wipe out his bloodline. The culture she hails from is known for "barbarism," not "mercy," though Three would insist that by ending her oppressor's pitiful existence she would be doing him a favor.

A streak of something more animal than human flashes through Three's eyes, dilating her pupils down a notch for but an instant before withdrawing without leaving any signs of its interference in the first place. She briskly shakes her head from side to side, smiling blissfully as she continues.

"Not by sssomething as sssoft and pliable as that. My life is my own, and I've chosssen to ssspend it with you as your ssservant of my own volition. Had sssomeone tried to deprive me of that choiccce, they'd be dead. Or, in the cassse of those ssslaversss, two of them would be dead. It isss that plain and sssimple."

-------
[Elezibethele's Room]

If I recall correctly, long anticipated curtains are happening here right now...

-------
[Riverside Temple]

Oooo! Whips can rip apart tender flesh so easily! Like hot knives through butter! But inventive torturers can often do so much better.

How people can be so dreadfully cruel is beyond me.

But not beyond Toy, apparently!

With great gusto, Toy attempts to lash her rebellious victim! She'll keep that up for a time before giving in to her darker side and picking up a dull knife, should Azurelle permit it. She doesn't appear to be inclined to rake it across anyone anytime soon.

She's studying it. Feeling the weight. Drawing it through the air with some level of amusement.

She's also watching the other two slaves and sizing up Azurelle's companion out of the corner of her eye. The fact that she's pregnant sets her off immediately. She tries to assess how precious or expendable she is to Azurelle from what little scraps of conversation she can pick up between the dutiful completion of her assignment.

After all, you wound one person you take two out of a fight, if one cares enough for the other. Given Kail's condition, all it would take to defeat her is a little push. And the closer she is to the hole in the floor, the more advantageous the prospect would seem...

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage- Altar Room

Funnily enough, most of His more important matters include hiding His vulnerability from His rivals, enemies, friends, allies, underlings and superiors. The main reason why Dalachrech doesn't ask Percy to do anything for Him directly is because He's too weak to see if it's been done. Dalachrech is weaker than the other demon lords; but 'weaker than the other demon lords' is still 'much more powerful than a balor'.

Percy won't, however, retreat from Dalachrech just yet- Percy did not initiate this vision and has little to no control over how it ends. You are incapable of disturbing Me- I chose to give you this vision. I disturbed myself with you, rather than any other way around. When this vision is complete, you will find something on the altar. Take it, and use it well. That's when the vision ends. Waiting on the altar is a sphere, the right size to fit comfortably in the hand of the average human. It's half white, and half blue, with a large button where the two sides meet. The blue half is decorated with a net-like pattern.

Temple of Underside

"The goblin's culture is different to your culture, and my own culture is different from both. The goblin has likely already sold his youngest daughter to a passing slave caravan to keep his mine going. He'd be unlikely to afford you, in truth; he'd be lucky to buy a crippled elder, let alone a slave bred for work in its prime. All goblins work, save their priests, rulers and nursing mothers, but no drow works unless they're a male or a priestess." Charynrae smiles at Sylvia, her savage pet/lover, and continues to stroke her.

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele's Room

Yes, that is where they were left. And Elezibethele won't release Mine until either dawn or she's disturbed.

Riverside Temple

Unfortunately for Toy, she is presently the one person in this room that Azurelle feels is the most expendable. After all, if Toy dies then Azurelle still has her sisters, and Azurelle knows Toy's buttons; if Despair or Mel'ara die, then Azurelle has lost the chance to know where to press to cause maximum pain, and if Kail dies then Azurelle has lost two potential paladins, the ex-lover of somebody she respects an awful lot and possibly made a glabrezu angry at her for letting its unborn child die. Toy is, however, allowed to use whatever she wants on Mel'ara, so long as Azurelle can watch. This includes any knife she wants, though it'll take some looking to find a dull one- most are viciously sharp, leaving cuts more similar to those from paper than a dagger.

"Wussy, take off your clothes and stand there, sticking your hands up." Azurelle points to a spot beneath a pair of manacles. Conveniently, she'll be able to watch the expression on Mel'ara's face, which means that Mel'ara will witness just how much the new spells work.

[Murkus]

Hermitage - Altar Room

Ah. Well, at the very least, he's clever enough to last in such a savage place.

Percival raises his head, back in reality, and blinks. Normally, he would've called that a bad meeting, but Dalachrech granted him a boon anyway. He reaches out to take the Pokeball artifact, wondering what it's purpose could be. A bomb, perhaps? Or a magical device?

[The Alexandrian]

[Temple of Dalachrech - Underside]

Sylvia attempts to nuzzle Charynrae as she lets out a deep, rumbling purr. After the purr is concluded, she continues to softly debate philosophy with her mistress.

"Ssso, goblinsss produce offssspring in order to make money? That makesss no sssenssse at all."

Slyvia judges. She places a high value on personal liberty and family togetherness. And she'd kill for much less. An insult warrants a duel to the death in the society she hails from.

"I'm sssurprisssed people can live down here for ssso long without the sssun. You ssshould really let usss take you up to the sssurface. It isss much nicer up there. I think you'd really like ssseeing all of the treesss and animalsss."

Nature! Sylvia loves it! She stares up into Charynrae's eyes, a pleading glimmer in the corner of her eye.

[Wolfbane]

Hermitage - Azurelle's Room

Waterstrider will give the air a sniff to make sure they're alone for now before keeping an ear against the door, keeping a look-out.

[C'nor]

[Riverside Temple]

Despair nods, stripping off her clothes, and going over to the indicated spot, where her hands are put up, exactly as she was instructed. Not that she doesn't know what's going to happen, of course, but she's also well aware that Azurelle went through plenty of trouble to get her - as well as that she's proven herself not only enjoyable but useful in capturing others, and obedient -, and thus expects that she'll be healed rather than allowed to die.

Also, now that her clothes are gone, it's quite obvious that a pair of purpleish-black wings, similar to those of a fallen angel, and only half-real, have sprouted from her back since the last time Azurelle saw her naked.

[The Alexandrian]

[Hermitage of Dalachrech - Azurelle's Room]

Waterstrider may just happen to detect the scent of two adolescent human females in the room along with the rest of his party when he takes a whiff of the air of the room (in addition to whatever Earl states he detects, if anything). Technically, they aren't in the same chamber as the courageous band of heroes, but they are in a chamber which should have some sort of air exchange with this room through cracks in its seal (otherwise the slaves would die of suffocation whenever Azurelle left them for a prolonged period of time, I'd imagine). Depending on how acute his senses are, he might be able to hear the nearly inaudible clink of chains from behind one of the walls and/or muffled sobbing. I'm under the impression that the hidden door leading into Azurelle's personal slave-holding cell is fairly soundproof, but given her nature, she may not have soundproofed it entirely so that she could listen to the wailing of her captives without having to open the chamber door, but that's up to Earl to decide.

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Altar Room

The object has a large button in it. Maybe Percy should try pressing it to find out what happens?

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle's Room

The two females that Waterstrider can smell are beyond the plain door next to the wardrobe. The door is locked. The bed smells of four different people; one is there regularly, the other two less so. One of those other two is in the room beyond the door, which isn't soundproofed- slavery's accepted in the Hermitage, and all the important people have slaves.

Azurelle doesn't keep a journal, unfortunately for Justin. There's a pouch of coins in the pocket of a dress in the wardrobe, and all the clothing inside is either a silk dress or practical soft leather tunic designed for wearing underneath metal armour; the exception being a green tabard depicting a double-ended centipede in red. In a drawer is a selection of metal plates, all lacquered red; a custom-made suit of platemail made for Azurelle. The breastplate has a black lacquer double-ended centipede displayed prominently on it.

The chest is filled with knives, whips, and devices that blur the line between sex toy and torture implement.

Under the bed is a long, low chest with two keys resting on it. The chest is also locked.

Underside Temple

"No, goblins are very fertile. If a goblin can't support those they produce, they have to sell them or starve the children or themselves, and it's more profitable to sell them. And I'd like to visit the surface with you, see whether people are telling the truth with this fancy talk of water that falls from the sky sometimes but mostly doesn't and is sometimes really cold and solid." Charynrae has never really believed in rain. She'd need to witness it herself to believe in it. She continues to stroke Sylvia.

[Murkus]

Hermitage of Dalachrech - Altar Room

Percival does indeed press the button! It's not pointed at him, thankfully.

[The Alexandrian]

[Underside Temple]

Sylvia makes a disgusted face at the remark pertinent to goblin fertility.

"That'sss jussst... Yech! I never underssstood why anybody would want to have kidsss."

Sylvia comments before glancing back up at her lovely mistress. Well... Maybe...

"Unlessss you want to have kidsss... If that isss ssso, I'd be honored to carry them... But I'm not entirely clear on how that sssort of thing worksss. I'm a warrior myssself."

She's a warrior, not a doctor!

"I'll ssstart arranging thingsss with the othersss ssso the journey will be ssserene once we've finished here sssometime tomorrow."

Sylvia purrs. I'm starting to wonder what a purring half-human's voice sounds like now...

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage- Altar Room

Should the button be pointed at any nearby horizontal surface, a large, ant-like creature comes out. Its exoskeleton seems to be made of steel, but the eyes make it appear to be an organic creature. The Durant tilts its head.

It's now controlled by you, and so you decide its moves, name and text colour.

Underside Temple

"Should I ever want children, I'll lay them myself, don't worry. But you do need males for that; it's just about the only thing they're good for. If you really want children, though, I could go buy a male and try for a clutch. Don't worry; I'll eat him afterwards. Oh, and if we do go to the surface, could it just be you and me?" Charynrae nods as she speaks about males, and there's a smile on her face.

Sylvia might also want to put some clothes on before she wanders around the Temple. It's unlikely that she'll meet anyone, though.

[Murkus]

Hermitage Altar Room --> Percival's Quarters

Percival blinks at Durant, then at his Pokeball, then at Durant. What was this? Some sort of demonic pet? A minion to do his bidding?

"Do you speak?" He asks the creature.

"Durant," replies the gruff Pokemon.

"Is that your name?"

"Durant," He repeats, with little amusement.

Percival frowns. Oh well. Best not to neglect a gift from a demon lord. "Very well, 'Durant'. Follow me." The Durant does as he's bid, clicking metallically, though more out of an instinct to follow a trainer than anything else. Percival heads back towards his quarters, intending to give Eericka new responsibilities.

Presumably it's after nightfall on the same day Percy flew Eericka out to the beach, and she may well have fallen asleep. Though he didn't specify where, and the demon already told her he doesn't sleep. If she's bold enough, perhaps Eericka's taken the liberty of sleeping in Percival's bunk. Of course, if not, there is plenty of other space in the sparse room.

[The Alexandrian]

[Percival's Quarters]

It would seem that, upon evaluating Eericka's position in Percival's room, she had no intention of snoozing when heartless sleep seized control of her body. She is slumped over in a chair at a table, or if no chair and table is to be had, sprawled on her side on the floor. Before her rests a book, obviously the focus of her studies before she fell to nature's harsh demands. It is shut tight so that the binding would not suffer from her sound slumber. In truth, she is enjoying this nap more than any before it. Instead of being confined in a puny cage more suited to the rearing of animals than people, perhaps more akin to kennels than cages, even, stuffed like a school of sardines into a tin, she has space in which to stretch out her limbs, or maybe even a chair if she is sufficiently blessed.

The book she was perusing, as the title would indicate, is a brief survey of geology. The dutiful slave must have wanted to expand her knowledge base as per her master's wishes.

-------
[Underside Temple]

Sylvia blushes a fair amount, embarrassed on account of her own lack of knowledge involving reproduction. She's not yet completely dismissed the "children suddenly appear in the woods or in caves and are miraculously stumbled upon by others of their same kind" concept, but she does realize full well that males need to be eaten in order to yield offspring. It is safe to say that she will never be interested in breeding ever again.

"I'm happy without children. Being with you isss what fillsss me with joy."

Sylvia now attempts to reciprocate Charynrae's hair brushing, thinking it the only appropriate course to follow.

"Going to the sssurface alone would be quite romantic. After you sssee the wondersss it hasss to offer, you might decide never to return down here ever again."

[Murkus]

((I should really remember brackets on my location tags more, given Percy's speech 'color'))

[Percival's Quarters]

There's a stool plus a dresser, and together they're appropriate for reading and slumping. Eericka will likely feel a hand on her shoulder, and that hand attempts to shake her back to consciousness. Given that he's both a former human and not very good at being cruel with children, the shaking is rather gentle. "Eericka. Wake up. I've work for you." He spies the book she's sleeping beside, raising an eyebrow. She listens well, at least.

[The Alexandrian]

[Percival's Quarters]

Percival shall be able to rouse Eericka with relative ease. She jumps a tad as she is touched so softly, not genuinely expecting to be roused so tenderly. She was certain that she would be hosed down as was usually for every...

Where is she? Eericka blinks as she surveys her surroundings in a fit of mental puzzlement.

Oh! Really! Wow! So it wasn't just a dream after all...

"Good morning, sir. What do you need of me?"

She inquires with a warm grin. And then her gaze comes to rest on the pokemon following Percival around. She quirks her head a good twenty degrees to the right and scrutinizes it intensely.

[OrchestraHc]

Originally Posted by Earl of Purple

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle's Room

The two females that Waterstrider can smell are beyond the plain door next to the wardrobe. The door is locked. The bed smells of four different people; one is there regularly, the other two less so. One of those other two is in the room beyond the door, which isn't soundproofed- slavery's accepted in the Hermitage, and all the important people have slaves.

Azurelle doesn't keep a journal, unfortunately for Justin. There's a pouch of coins in the pocket of a dress in the wardrobe, and all the clothing inside is either a silk dress or practical soft leather tunic designed for wearing underneath metal armour; the exception being a green tabard depicting a double-ended centipede in red. In a drawer is a selection of metal plates, all lacquered red; a custom-made suit of platemail made for Azurelle. The breastplate has a black lacquer double-ended centipede displayed prominently on it.

The chest is filled with knives, whips, and devices that blur the line between sex toy and torture implement.

Under the bed is a long, low chest with two keys resting on it. The chest is also locked.

Azurelle

Justin swipes the coins without a second thought. Ooh, but a locked chest and two keys. Jackpot. He pulls the chest and keys out and tests which one works for the chest.

[Murkus]

Originally Posted by The Alexandrian

[Percival's Quarters]

Percival shall be able to rouse Eericka with relative ease. She jumps a tad as she is touched so softly, not genuinely expecting to be roused so tenderly. She was certain that she would be hosed down as was usually for every...

Where is she? Eericka blinks as she surveys her surroundings in a fit of mental puzzlement.

Oh! Really! Wow! So it wasn't just a dream after all...

"Good morning, sir. What do you need of me?"

She inquires with a warm grin. And then her gaze comes to rest on the pokemon following Percival around. She quirks her head a good twenty degrees to the right and scrutinizes it intensely.

Hosing her down would probably ruin the Hermitage's book, and require a change of clothes.

And a hose, for that matter.

"You see that?" Percy asks rhetorically, glancing toward his new Pokemon. "It is a gift from Lord Dalachrech. I need you to take care of it for me." At least when he's away. The demonazi looks a bit sheepish, requesting knowledge from a slave. "And if you happen to know what giant ants eat..."

[The Alexandrian]

[Percival's Quarters]

The very notion that she will be attending to that...creature's needs gives Eericka pause. She's never seen anything like it before. She doesn't know the first thing about administering care to such a beast. And it looks like a bug. Given that Dalachrech is the Lord of Invertebrates, it must be related to him somehow. Perhaps it is sacred. Oh gods. If she messes this duty up, there's no telling what the consequences might be...

"Normal ants are attracted to sugar, and can't seem to get enough of the stuff. Giant ants would..."

Eericka stops short angling her head to her left now and giving the monster of an insect a discerning and discriminating once over.

"Eat something much more significant, I'd hypothesize. Depending on its natural habitat, this could range from fungi to leaves to smaller beasts, which doesn't help narrow things down very much at all."

"Those mandibles would lead me to believe that it isn't all that different from a worker ant, whatever it is. I'd start with something sweet and not too hard to locate in the wild. Maybe an apple? I've never seen anything quite like this thing before."

It will be rather interesting to analyze the creature's behavior and habits, thinks Eericka!

[Murkus]

[Percival's Quarters]

"Should I let him go and hunt or somesuch? Like a falcon?" Percival is honestly unsure. He can understand why a steel ant the size of a large dog could be useful, but wishes Dalachrech had given him something more simple. He straightens and looks at the Pokemon, scratching near one of his tiny horns. It seems he's having the same concern - is this thing sacred? Should it be treated as such? "An apple... yes, I'll try that. Where should it... sleep? How odd, a master looking to his slave for guidance. Once again, he lapses into talking like she's his equal. Owning a slave wasn't real big in Nazi Germany.

Durant, realizing he's being talked about, approaches Eericka and 'sniffs' at her with his antennae.

[Darkcomet]

Originally Posted by Earl of Purple

Outside The Hermitage- Forest

"I zshall take you to Elezibethele, yesz, yesz. Follow, and be keepingk up. I not sztay for sztraggelersz." It would appear that the mind control has worked, though the ettercap's mind is very different from that of a human. The ettercap turns and easily lopes off through the woods towards the fort.

The ettercap won't stop until it reaches the edge of the woodland, at the edge of the 'moat' of bare soil surrounding the Hermitage.

Originally Posted by Harnel

[Hermitage - Forest]

((Apologies for the delays. Apparently I was unsubscribed to this thread for whatever reason, so wasn't seeing it update))

Harnel shrugs, moving along at a good speed behind the ettercap. He's not particularly worried about getting attacked at this point since he's following behind one of the creatures that lives here.

Originally Posted by Morty

[Hermitage - Forest]

Wenomir follows the ettercap. That should make things easier...

Originally Posted by Shadowcaller

[Hermitage - Forest]

The Cessie elemental follows along as well, waiting for DC to start blasting the gate, that would be her cue for doing the same. If they needed destruction, destruction is what they would get.

Hermitage- Courtyard

The hermitage might not even be there once they're finished you know?

The members of the WATCHTOWER party get a telepathic message.

Deal with our guide and follow after me.

DC, for his part, hovers up into the air and starts flying toward the Hermitage itself at high speed, red aura flaring up around his right hand and growing the further he goes.

He won't be hitting his destination/target yet, though, giving whatever's in the 'moat' a chance to attack him if it can bother flying people at all.

[Morty]

[Hermitage]

Where's Elezibethele? And how do we get inside? Wenomir asks, looking at the Hermitage and placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to kill the ettercap if it snaps out of the mind control or anything of the sort. Finally they're there. Now just to make a ruckus so the others can free the slaves in the confusion...

[Earl of Purple]

Outside The Hermitage

The bare ground around the Hermitage is dotted with the lairs of giant trapdoor spiders. There's enough of them that getting across is very difficult- if one walks. DC's flying above them, so he doesn't trigger any of the tripwires that alert the spiders that there's prey nearby. The patch of bare ground is just longer than the range of a bow shot from the roof. But I don't know how far a bow can be shot on average.

"Elezibethele isz inszide the Hermitage. To get acrosszz, you use the path." Those aren't very helpful answers, but the ettercap answered the question it heard being asked; ettercaps aren't as smart as people, and they think in a completely different way.

Underside Temple

"No matter how much I like the surface world, I won't be able to stay. I have to be here for my parish, and to train Will in the ways of the faith and the duties of the clergy." Charynrae stops stroking Sylvia's hair and reaches over to give her a hug.

[Harnel]

Originally Posted by Earl of Purple

Riverside Temple

Unfortunately for Toy, she is presently the one person in this room that Azurelle feels is the most expendable. After all, if Toy dies then Azurelle still has her sisters, and Azurelle knows Toy's buttons; if Despair or Mel'ara die, then Azurelle has lost the chance to know where to press to cause maximum pain, and if Kail dies then Azurelle has lost two potential paladins, the ex-lover of somebody she respects an awful lot and possibly made a glabrezu angry at her for letting its unborn child die. Toy is, however, allowed to use whatever she wants on Mel'ara, so long as Azurelle can watch. This includes any knife she wants, though it'll take some looking to find a dull one- most are viciously sharp, leaving cuts more similar to those from paper than a dagger.

"Wussy, take off your clothes and stand there, sticking your hands up." Azurelle points to a spot beneath a pair of manacles. Conveniently, she'll be able to watch the expression on Mel'ara's face, which means that Mel'ara will witness just how much the new spells work.

[Riverside Temple]

Kail doesn't say anything for the moment, watching things at work. It was always nice to watch, after all.

She'll go to sit on the floor away from the slaves, but close enough to have a good view. Unfortunately for Toy, she's not anywhere near the door into the attic anymore.

[Hermitage]

"And What about those who can fly?" Harnel seems umamused by the lackluster answer, but he follows behind the Ettercap, moving along with it a swiftly as need be.

[The Alexandrian]

[Underside Temple]

Sylvia appears to be a tad distraught by this new, relevant snippet of information. She had hoped that she'd be able to convince everyone to move up to the surface from this desolate, depressing place. In her mind, the surface world is a marvelous place, fit for any creature that isn't hellbent on claiming the title of world's first Morlock! Well, maybe she'll still be able to persuade Charynrae to live up atop the ground, if she plies her trade superbly enough.

And then, all of a sudden, hugs!

Sylvia returns the hug happily!

"That's okay. We can visit anytime you want, then! It shouldn't be too difficult to access from this location!"

Sylvia must not have been able to see outside her cart for the duration of her journey into this deep, dark realm.

-------
[Percival's Quarters]

Eep! A giant steel ant is sampling Eericka's Scent with its antennae! This is what she gets for nearly sharing the name of a Celadon City Gym Leader! I hadn't even thought of that up until now!

Needless to say, Eericka is hesitant to respond to the pocket monster's attention. At the very least, it hasn't bitten her, so it must not be all that carnivorous after all.

"Animals prefer to sleep on soft things like cushions from what I have read, but I really haven't a clue. I wish I did. I mean, there must be some sort of text on this...this..."

"What's its name again?"

Eericka leans over and slowly but surely moves to try to pet the pokemon, her palm facing upward in a gesture of peace, as she read was proper in the handling of domesticated beasts.

"I don't think it's particularly aggressive in its most basic nature, unless it tries biting me, in which case I trust you'll help remove it from my arm, if at all possible."

Because a medic that is short an arm is fairly useless to a wounded soldier!

[Murkus]

Percival's Quarters

((I'm surprised you remember the name of a gym leader. I can't remember the first city in the friggin' cartoon. ))

Hearing the word 'name' again, and apparently understanding, it chitters gruffly, "Durant."

"It doesn't seem very exciteable. Perhaps it's some sort of guard-dog for Dalachrech's servants." Percy watches Eericka attempt to the pet the creature. It's antennae flutter across her hand, and then recede to allow her stroking. The Durant actually seems to enjoy it, and is of quite the passive disposition.

Then it's head moves up, and it's mandibles open. The Durant attempts to 'taste' Eericka's fingers with it's mouthparts. Perhaps scaring her without intending to.

[Wolfbane]

Azurelle's Room

Waterstrider does hear and smell the pair hiding. His heart feels heavy, slow, and hot as he realizes what must have been happening. With a low and angry growl, the Wolfen heads to the door and grabs the knob. He doesn't bother trying to turn it and instead chooses to simply use his impressive strength to try and rip the door open.