Time to Go to School

Above all the Chosen are a roleplaying group, and this forum is the place to do just that. All posts are expected to be in character except when specifically noted otherwise. A few rules to keep it fun for everyone are posted within, please read them before posting. Otherwise we encourage everyone to participate. Please keep the out-of character discussions to the Out Of Character forum.

Moderators: Shir'le E. Illios, Bhaern Quel

Post Reply
NathreeDe'Shezbron
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1259
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:13 am
Location: Dublin CA

Post by NathreeDe'Shezbron »

((I'm pulling DM luck on this one... bite me ;) ))

Elwyn didn't tarry long after the majority of the blaze had been contained. Since he wasn't about to leave his sand in this abominable conglomerate of rickety tents and run down buildings, every single eye had followed the sand on its path back to his gourd. However, there the easy tracking ended. In a similar flash of lightning, Elwyn vanished, leaving a charred spot on the rocks, and the smell of ozone as the only two indicators he had been there.

He wasn't particularly sure where the tricky drow sorceress had gotten to. However, he had a few loose ends to be tied in the cluster of tents that passed as the largest inn. Located just south of the market, Elwyn couldn't quite make the distance in a single jump, so he chose to appear on top of a building that showed as much reed roof as the mud floor underneath. For a moment, it seemed as if the roof would collapse, but Elwyn managed to collect himself, and "jumped" again just as the whole thing came tumbling down, upon the head of a very angered old man who was as old as the house, and a younger woman, most likely his daughter. She was as malnourished as the man was old.

Elwyn appeared just behind one of the few buildings that the city had, and out of the corner of his eye caught what he thought was a familiar face, but as he looked back, the moment passed, and he shrugged. Hanging his head low, so the voluminous cloak hung to cover his face, he blended in with the ragged, yet obviously better off, patrons of the area. He hurried to the collection of tents that signified the inn, and pushing aside the flap, tossed in a bag of gold pieces. He knew he had grossly overpaid, but he was in a hurry. He looked around the market, and with a sigh of frustration, he turned around, and wandered off aimlessly towards the larger complex of tents and stalls that served as the market place. He sat down near a stall that sold what once had to have been fresh fruit, but the produce had been wilted and dried out by the heat of the sun.

Wrapping his cloak around himself, Elwyn hid his hands, and pretended to fall asleep, however, under his cloak, his hands wove and danced, and a nearly invisible line of the metallic sand snaked out from the top of his gourd, and made a fairly obvious path to one who could detect magic. He hoped the watch hadn't yet expanded their investigations this far yet. It would be a shame to kill them. Now, he could only sit and hope that Inrii was headed in the direction of the market.
A fight need not end with the death of participant. A fight also ends when the desire to do violence is gone.

Zyeke
User avatar
BaravarImrathiln
Maid
Maid
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:06 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by BaravarImrathiln »

((OOC: Sorry for the absence. Things got messy with my apartment, and it's [i:inq8rxxx]really[/i:inq8rxxx] hard to make a coherent post from a cell phone.))

Illorya watched the battle as they walked their camels through the main thoroughfare. The flames and racket faded a little, but they were taking a leisurely pace, watching and resting their exhausted camels. At one point, she shifts her posture, readying her small, hand crossbow, loading a dart. She feels her companion's hand on her arm, restraining her. She looks at Baravar a moment, confused.

"Shouldn't we do something, Istryl? Innocent people are dying because those two are fighting." Her question is not naive, just idealistic. She was new to the surface world, learning her way among the peoples of the Sunlit Realms. She had seen a lot, but nothing like this. Never such wanton destruction. Not since she'd been a Priestess of Lolth in Menzoberranzan. It was hard for her to believe that had only been three years ago, but it was true.

"No. This won't carry on much longer, and if they choose to resist us, Illorya, what can we do to stop them? We are tired, our camels thirsty. We are not prepared to enter a battle now." He smiles gently at her, gently taking the reins of her camel from her. They were both exhausted from days of desert riding. They'd be grateful for water and sleep. And as tragic as the random death of the day was, Baravar had seen far worse, had fought against it.

"We must not get involved in such things before we are ready, Illorya." He continues leading the camels toward the cluster of large tents that served as the village inn. It would do, centered as it was on the village well. They needed some supplies and a few days of rest.

Illorya sighs a little, reluctantly following her friend, deftly uncocking and unloading the little crossbow. She knew Baravar was right. She remembered the old saying about wizards, but decided the more accurate phrase for this instance was the one about the elephants and the grass. They couldn't do anything right now to help. It broke Illorya's newly tender heart, but she knew that even her healing spells couldn't do much good for the injured right now.

So, as the fight rages onward, the two weary travellers ignore it and walk toward the village in, looking for beds for the night. There, they might learn more anyway, as the village well was there too. That meant every bit of important news would pass through there sometime in the next few hours, and both of them would be there to hear it.[/i]
I do not love the bright Sword for its sharpness,
nor the Arrow for its swiftness,
nor the Warrior for his glory.
I love only that which they defend."
~ JRR Tolkien
Inriiaynrae Jaelre
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1444
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 7:30 am
Location: Panama City, FL
Contact:

Post by Inriiaynrae Jaelre »

((well, your back so thats good. as for luck...technically i woulda said- logically, if its in the slums, then the most probable meeting place is the market place since didnt get to finish before the little tiff. ))

Inrii walked slowly as her mind went thru a hundred thoughts from the short meeting. At the moment, it would only take the smallest of things to set her off. But she kept a reletivily level head slipping thru the part of the city and past a few others. Her keen eyes spotted the magical energies of the human wizard. At least he had some sense to think come to the market place instead of hunting her down in the buildings. She passed a familiar couple (the ones who didnt flee), but continued on. the young disguised drowess looked back, moving the hood slightly to peek then continued on. There was no doubt something of them. likely a disguise tho she didnt have finative proof. the magical energies radiating from them or one of them, and not necessary arcane. She would have to watch out.

Inrii stopped in front of the stall, disgusted by the fruit quality and not helping her already clearly sour mood, a near extream opposite from before.
"ori'gato's alu rivvil," she said bluntly to him ready to be done here.
Main character: Inriiaynrae
Second Character: Ariali
Antagonist: Alya
NathreeDe'Shezbron
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1259
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:13 am
Location: Dublin CA

Post by NathreeDe'Shezbron »

Elwyn looked at Inrii and shook himself as if he had been awoken from a fairly sweet dream. The iron sand retracted back into his gourd, seeming for all the world as if a swarm of gnats had picked the fruit stall to pester.

He shrugged [color=red:3dp1veoy]"Well, I suppose we could head out, drow, however, what with the afternoon being incredibly hot in a summer, we can hardly trudge across a desert on our own."[/color:3dp1veoy] Elwyn laughed softly, [color=red:3dp1veoy]"Well, I have a mount that will not tire, but I think it would be best to rest the night in town, and head out early in the morrow. Come."[/color:3dp1veoy]

He turned around, and started walking towards the tents of the inn. As he walked, he softly spoke to Inrii in the drow tongue.

[color=red:3dp1veoy]"I am sure that you noticed a pair of camel riders that had passed through here. I speak of the two people who witnessed our fun earlier this day. Either they are were born with no eyes nor ears with which to hear, or they are more than they let on."[/color:3dp1veoy] He waved his hand impatiently, [color=red:3dp1veoy]"In any case, they went to the inn, and I think it might go well if we were properly introduced."[/color:3dp1veoy]

Elwyn's pace picked up, and the two arrived at the inn. The landlord was serving some nondescript meat along with some beer, which had to be drunk through a special straw that filtered out the residue. Elwyn's eyes immediately saw the camels, the only pair of beasts that were visible in the vicinity of the inn. He waved Inrii toward the place that Istryl and Illorya sat in the shade of one of the tents, looking with a moderate amount of disgust at what they were obviously not used to seeing this particular quality of food.

Elwyn ordered two meals, and handing one to Inrii nodded in the direction of the duo. He walked over to them, and dropping his gourd on the ground, sat down, leaning against it. He made sure that his face was angled so they couldn't see under his hood, and untying his black cloth that covered his mouth and chin, took a hearty bite out of the hunk of meat on his plate.

[color=red:3dp1veoy]"Ye two look lik' ye got somethin' up yer bums you do. Ain'tcha ever had snake befor'?"[/color:3dp1veoy] This was said in the drow tongue. He chuckled, and looked at their reaction.
A fight need not end with the death of participant. A fight also ends when the desire to do violence is gone.

Zyeke
Inriiaynrae Jaelre
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1444
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 7:30 am
Location: Panama City, FL
Contact:

Post by Inriiaynrae Jaelre »

She nodded to the logic of it, swiping at the flies. '[color=green:2ft6kcw2]filty human city[/color:2ft6kcw2],' she said to herself. the drowess had before traveled at night, so she hadnt experienced the worst of the desert yet. But she knew well how bad it could be.
"ula. nind alur inbal folbol conamoril," she mumbled following the wizard. ((fine. but they better have something comfortable))[/size:2ft6kcw2]
[quote:2ft6kcw2]I am sure that you noticed a pair of camel riders that had passed through here.[/quote:2ft6kcw2]
"siyo. gaer zhah folbol...endar bauth mina. Nind ph'naut fridj fol helothannin. yornurn faer. ((yes. there is something...different about them. They are not just some travelers. powerful magic.))[/size:2ft6kcw2]

Inrii took the plate and followed, casting a quick spell of poison detection over it- a habit she [i:2ft6kcw2]always [/i:2ft6kcw2]did. Her disguise still up, she dropped the cowl from her head and let her waist length mop of bluish silver hair fall around her. The girl still had the black half mask on her face, matching the black everything else. She said nothing sitting down, noting that the human asked his question in her tongue. He too had the same suspicion she had about them, despite not having a magical disguise.
Main character: Inriiaynrae
Second Character: Ariali
Antagonist: Alya
User avatar
BaravarImrathiln
Maid
Maid
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:06 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by BaravarImrathiln »

They look up from their unappetising meals. They'd been debating digging into their own supplies rather than eat the unpleasantness before them. They'd eaten far worse in their travels together, but they weren't sure felt like tolerating this sort of food today. They both look up at the approaching pair. Both of them were still masked against the heat and the dust, their faces still hidden by the desert veils.

Baravar looks up as he's addressed in Illythiiri. It was a language he knew well, but on the surface it wouldn't do, in general, to respond to it in kind. That would give far too much away. He gives the strangers a bland look and a shrug.

"I've eaten worse, but it's hard to justify paying good silver for this." He replies in slightly lilting common. There was no trace of an accent left in him, nothing to betray an origin in one of the great Drow Cities of the Underdark. A small smile enters his hidden eyes. He notes the Drow sorceress, recognising both of them from the...entertainment earlier.

Illorya looks askance at the plate of food once more, remaining silent. She was a little surprised her companion hadn't replied in Drow as well, but she let it pass, remaining silent beside him. She wasn't sure where Baravar was going to go with things, but he answers it a second later, his voice still blandly friendly.

"You two would make dangerous company. What do you need from us?" He keeps to the common, though it's obvious that he understood the Drow Speech well enough.
I do not love the bright Sword for its sharpness,
nor the Arrow for its swiftness,
nor the Warrior for his glory.
I love only that which they defend."
~ JRR Tolkien
NathreeDe'Shezbron
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1259
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:13 am
Location: Dublin CA

Post by NathreeDe'Shezbron »

Elwyn chuckled quietly, [color=red:3mo12srd]"You need to familiarize yourself with the customs of the area you are trying to invade, drow. No resident of the desert would answer after hearing gibberish spoken to them. I would most likely be placed under the tender and loving care of the guards."[/color:3mo12srd] He spit on the floor, his disgust with the local authorities obvious.

He shrugged,

[color=red:3mo12srd]"I noticed the two of you enjoying our little spectacle. I hope it was to your enjoyment? I am well aware of what the drow call 'sport'."[/color:3mo12srd] He raised a hand to forestall any questions, [color=red:3mo12srd]"No, we two are not enemies. Hardly even acquaintances. I do not even know her name, to be honest."[/color:3mo12srd] He pointed at Inrii, and with his other hand replaced the cloth cover on his face, as if there was some grand deformity that he wished to hide.
[color=red:3mo12srd]"In any case, I suppose that the larger the group, the more seriously my old master will take my request."[/color:3mo12srd] Elwyn sighed, and the flap of cloth on his mouth fluttered and for a moment something metallic glittered on his throat. Elwyn raised his head, so Istryl and Illorya could see his bright green eyes, [color=red:3mo12srd]"Something of mine was stolen by those I used to call family. I cannot get it back on my own, and so I'm recruiting. Of course, there will be a few trinkets for you all to collect and plunder at your leisure. And these trinkets have been buried in tombs of the ancient kings of Shoon, and Netheril, when both empires fell. I have heard tell that even a few Imaskari settled in this area."[/color:3mo12srd]
Elwyn shrugged, [color=red:3mo12srd]"It all depends on your luck... And if you can impress me with a simple task."[/color:3mo12srd]
Last edited by NathreeDe'Shezbron on Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
A fight need not end with the death of participant. A fight also ends when the desire to do violence is gone.

Zyeke
Inriiaynrae Jaelre
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1444
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 7:30 am
Location: Panama City, FL
Contact:

Post by Inriiaynrae Jaelre »

Inrii remained silent, tho vigil in watching her surroundings- those coming and going as well as possible target for later (she's also a rogue)[/size:1rph4m30]. with her skin temporarily brown, she wasnt as worried about authorities, not unless they figured out she had been part of the problem.
Cutting into the meal, she just listened to the conversation while attempting to size up the two, slightly curious of them.
Main character: Inriiaynrae
Second Character: Ariali
Antagonist: Alya
User avatar
BaravarImrathiln
Maid
Maid
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:06 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by BaravarImrathiln »

Baravar shrugs a little bit, obviously not threatened by the crack about the guards and about the gibberish. Illorya is a little more uneasy with the reply from the tall human. She frowns a little bit, setting her food aside, finally deciding that it wasn't worth it.

She looks up at the pair, her red eyes glimmering in the light a little bit. She drops her cowl and veils, revealing a beautifully featured Drow female. Her hair was flowing blonde, pale golden, rather than silver. She sets her jaw, looking up at the others.

"And what is this task, o high-and-mighty-human? If we are invading, do you think we would travel this way? There are easier ways to gain access, to gain information." She looks at the other. "Not all of the Dark Elves follow the Demon Queen, and we do not all desire conquest." She sighs, her face softening a little bit as she replaces the cowl and veils. "I walked that road once. Never again."

Baravar remains silent through all this. "Istryl" was a title between the two of them. It was dialectic Illythiiri, and it meant "Noble Teacher." She had called him that since the day they'd met in the forests near the Chondalwood. She'd needed his help, having managed to betray both the tenets of Lolth and those of Eilistraee. She had lost her way, and while a divine intervention on the part of an avatar of Eilistraee had restored her priestly magics, she wasn't altogether certain that she wanted to follow the Dancing Maiden's code. Baravar wasn't especially religious, but in his homeland, Men, Elves, and Dragons all lived in a single society, and he had taken to the code of Bahamut, for all that it mattered to a Ranger. A Drow Ranger, raised with easy, welcome access to the surface, following the tenets of a Draconic deity. He was peculiar by any measure.

Still, he remains silent, letting Illorya take her initiative, letting her make use of her excellent instincts.
I do not love the bright Sword for its sharpness,
nor the Arrow for its swiftness,
nor the Warrior for his glory.
I love only that which they defend."
~ JRR Tolkien
Inriiaynrae Jaelre
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1444
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 7:30 am
Location: Panama City, FL
Contact:

Post by Inriiaynrae Jaelre »

Inrii seeing the other drowess reveal herself proved what she reasoned. it was usually her race, who was clearly elven even in disguise, who went to extremes to keep hidden till otherwise needed.
She watched the female, deciding if she was a spider-kisser. tho unlikely, she had to be sure, focusing on the food and her surroundings.
[quote:hd3u7vno]Not all of the Dark Elves follow the Demon Queen, and we do not all desire conquest."[/quote:hd3u7vno]
Inrii's attention perked up to this, her head canted slightly, crimson eyes studying the pair.
Setting the plate down, she leaned forward staring intently then signed, "[color=blue:hd3u7vno]if not a spider-kisser, a dancing lady? or better?[/color:hd3u7vno]"
a few ideas were forming in her head. but she had to see how it would play out. She also glanced back to the human's reaction to the signing.
((by the way, the half-mask shows her as a follower of the Masked Lord- even if she aint religious. figured especially as a former priestess would know that. and possible have slight response to it. and not probably a human would know enough of the sign to understand even if he caught a few words.))[/size:hd3u7vno]
Main character: Inriiaynrae
Second Character: Ariali
Antagonist: Alya
NathreeDe'Shezbron
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1259
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:13 am
Location: Dublin CA

Post by NathreeDe'Shezbron »

Elwyn sighed, and shook his head.

[color=red:22zusf8q]"Whatever you may be, the drow I have collected all died with Lolth on their lips, or Vhaerun. I believe that was what they called him. Though that was mostly males..."[/color:22zusf8q] He shrugged, and waved a hand dismissively, [color=red:22zusf8q]"And what would bring a drow to the surface, if not conquest? As far as I know you all despise the sun, and all your cities are below ground."[/color:22zusf8q]
A fight need not end with the death of participant. A fight also ends when the desire to do violence is gone.

Zyeke
Inriiaynrae Jaelre
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1444
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 7:30 am
Location: Panama City, FL
Contact:

Post by Inriiaynrae Jaelre »

"so you do have some knowledge of us in there," Inrii said off handedly, "tho not much," smarting off, "some of us Illythiiri are from the surface. born and raised here."
Main character: Inriiaynrae
Second Character: Ariali
Antagonist: Alya
NathreeDe'Shezbron
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1259
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:13 am
Location: Dublin CA

Post by NathreeDe'Shezbron »

Elwyn shrugged.

[color=red:1m4opxv9]"The only knowledge I have gleaned from your race is that you are skilled fighters. I have never been to the drow cities in the Underdark, and have tried to avoid their attentions as much as possible."[/color:1m4opxv9] He laughed, [color=red:1m4opxv9]"Of course, my collection used the hold half a dozen drow. Each a replacement of the one before it. Your wizards are particularly adept at blowing my puppets apart."[/color:1m4opxv9] He shook his head, [color=red:1m4opxv9]"A very violent bunch, you drow are."[/color:1m4opxv9]
A fight need not end with the death of participant. A fight also ends when the desire to do violence is gone.

Zyeke
User avatar
BaravarImrathiln
Maid
Maid
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:06 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by BaravarImrathiln »

If the one they knew as Istryl understood any of the sign language, he didn't show it. In fact, Baravar understood every gesture, every finger waggle. But still, he remains silent, watching the others from behind his shielding desert veils. Nothing so far had required him to make any moves or interfere. Illorya, much to his pleasure, if not surprise, was managing herself well.

The former priestess looks the other female over a long moment as the other two bicker about the nature of the Drow and their usefulnesses. She didn't get involved. She, too, understood the sign language, but the language itself wasn't sufficient to explain her current state of belief. It was a simplified language, better suited to battle-command than theological and moral discussions. She remains silent as the other two bicker a bit, the question forgotten for now, apparently ignored. She thanks nothing-in-particular for the spare moment to nibble a bit of dried fruit and collect her thoughts. She was given confidence by the presence of Baravar beside her, and by the fact that he had shown no sign of interfering.

When the others turn back to her, she isn't fazed by the conversation about a collection that included Drow. She'd heard far worse things in Menzoberranzan before she'd fled that city. Had [i:32itw2lr]seen[/i:32itw2lr] worse than the puppets. She wasn't sure that this human fully grasped the depths of the evil of the Drow of the Underdark, or if he was even capable of that sort of understanding. For now, she would assume he was capable. It only made sense.

She looks blandly at the pair.

"Not spider kisser. Never again will I tread that paths with all its pitfalls. Nor, however, am I in the service of the Dancing Maiden." She shrugs a bit, not getting into greater detail than that for now. Never reveal more than needful was one of the first lessons any Drow learned in the City of Spiders.
I do not love the bright Sword for its sharpness,
nor the Arrow for its swiftness,
nor the Warrior for his glory.
I love only that which they defend."
~ JRR Tolkien
NathreeDe'Shezbron
Lord||Lady
Posts: 1259
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:13 am
Location: Dublin CA

Post by NathreeDe'Shezbron »

Elwyn waved a hand dismissively.

[color=red:ndn9nf6z]"I am not here to debate morals nor religion."[/color:ndn9nf6z] He put his plate on the ground, [color=red:ndn9nf6z]"I came here with an offer of a job, and a promise of adventure and long lost riches."[/color:ndn9nf6z]
A fight need not end with the death of participant. A fight also ends when the desire to do violence is gone.

Zyeke
Post Reply