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Archive: Ch. 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter.

Posted by The UsherFor group archive 1
The Usher
GM, 625 posts
Recovering Heroes
Lost in the Forge
Sat 15 Nov 2014
at 09:20
  • msg #1

Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

[Chapter 3b takes place at a point in time which is future to the attack on the garrison. Lya has gotten herself captured and Evrik got captured in a botched rescue attempt. Other setting details will be revealed as the characters discover them.]

The Usher grins with anticipation: A new character is introduced! EvriK! Although at this stage in the play, the world is fraught with danger!

Lya felt herself bumping along in a cart, much like the one old Bill Figgins had been driving some time ago. Her body ached and cramped. Her hands were bound securely behind her back and her knees and ankles were bound as well. When she felt strong enough to open her eyes, she did so to find herself staring upward at gray clouds on the verge of rain. She was breathing through her nose, because her mouth was stuffed with a gag. She tried very hard to sort out what was going on and how she'd gotten here, but right now thinking made her head hurt.

She turned her head to the side and saw another person laying on the cart deck beside her, but unmoving. It was a male, human-looking except for the slightly knife-like features similar to her own. He had dark brown hair and wore well-oiled leathers. That was about all she could tell about him. She felt weak and tired and very hungry and as the cart hit a bump, she felt a little bit sick in her stomach as well.

Just a quick little scene to get this Chapter started. Evrik's been patiently waiting. I'll post if/when I can over the weekend, depending on the cold and snow where I'm at...
Lya
Half-Elven Thief, 137 posts
Hits 12/12, AC 13/14
Init +1 / To Hit +2 / 1d6
Tue 18 Nov 2014
at 14:41
  • msg #2

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Lya closed her long lashed eyes again, covering their jade green irises while she tried to make sense of her situation.

Her slender form was bound. Bound. A shiver ran through her and she fought against panic. She would have whimpered except even her mouth was bound...with a gag. She strained against her bonds without moving, testing them. Her hands were bound behind her she found and her...yes...her knees and ankles as well. She dreaded to think about how she might have been touched and where while she was unconscious and trussed up. Concentrating, she listened to the aches of her body, trying best she might to discover what had been done to her while she was out.

Next she calmed herself as best she could and took stock of what her senses were trying to tell her. First her sense of touch, though that had been much abused and was transmitting a whole catalogue of complaints to her. Warm or cold, damp or dry.

She then listened to her surroundings with her faintly elven looking ears. The sound of the cart was obvious as it made it's jolting way along. But what kind of road was it jolting over? What other sounds could she hear...birds, wind, the sounds of the sea, people? She listened and sorted.

Finally she took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. First she looked herself over best she could. What did she still have? How was she dressed? Were her weapons still in their sheaths on her belt? At her back? Did she still have her pack? Her locket?

After that she looked over at the still form beside her but she couldn't make out much from it except what she had already discovered. Another half elf and male.

The world, it seemed, was suddenly sprouting with the byproduct of elven and human misbehavior. First Haymane and now this one. Misbehavior, at least in the eyes of her father's family, who had so callously sold her off to a fat desert city prince as a concubine. Exotic for her looks and her mixed heritage. She, herself, had become nothing more than a bauble. And now a captured one she reflected.

Shaking the woolgathering from her head she looked about the cart she was in and then tried her best to sit up and take a look at her surroundings. Where was she? How had she gotten here? She tried, hard, to remember the events that had befallen between when she'd recovered the sword and locket and now.
Ervik
Half-Elf Scout Bard, 1 post
Wed 19 Nov 2014
at 13:34
  • msg #3

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

A low rumble wakes the woodsman from his induced slumber. His eyes flutter open to see storm clouds gathering above him. Ervik attempts to move but quickly find that he has been bound. In addition, his muscles ache and his head throbs with pain worse than the morning after a victory celebration.

The half-elf strains his muscles in an attempt to loosen the bonds but he only succeeds in tiring himself needlessly further. Instead of continue the fruitless endeavor, he attempts to recollect his thoughts of how he ended up in such a predicament.

At the same time he shifts his body and twists his neck to get a view of his immediate surroundings. That is when he spots his cellmate; a female with chiseled, yet comely features.

Ervik goes to speak but quickly realizes that his mouth is gagged with some soiled cloth. Disregarding the bitter dryness in his mouth, he instead nods his head and slightly raises his eyebrows to acknowledge her.

The woodsman then returns to his surveillance of the cart and their captors.
The Usher
GM, 632 posts
Recovering Heroes
Lost in the Forge
Fri 21 Nov 2014
at 00:37
  • msg #4

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

The bumps of the cart were a little too consistent to be the random mudholes of a country road. Looking upwards and over their heads towards the front of the wagon, the tied-up duo could see a pair of gray-clad soldiers driving the cart. They were conversing in a language that neither of the pair could understand, but at least to one of them was becoming at least recognizable as of late.

A quick scan of the wagon's contents showed that they'd been thrown in with a load of supplies, weapons and tack. Near the tailgate boards were two bundles which belonged to the two of them. After what seemed like a moderate amount of time the wagon slowed a little and the sound of horse-hooves on cobbles could be heard. Above them, the gray clouds which had been threatening rain, let loose with just a few teasing drops.

~~~~

Lya had been working her way North and East in an effort to reach Falport and find a ship to get her further away from lower Zeland and the nightmares she'd experienced there. What might have been an enjoyable journey had been anything but. The farmers in the region seemed to have suddenly become depressed, even apathetic towards their crops and animals after the earthquakes and storms which had taken place. There had been fires and quite a lot of devastation. They seemed to no longer be the same friendly and helpful folk they had been before. She'd remembered Old Bill Figgins and wondered how he was getting along.

Besides the change in the general feeling of the region, there were now occasional patrols of gray-clad soldiers along the major roads and always a few posted at bridges. Lya had carefully avoided them, but once had observed a confrontation between a farmer and his family who seemed to have just given up and had pulled stakes. The soldiers demanded that they return to their farm and would not allow them to cross a narrow bridge. The farmer had tried to coax his team across, disregarding the given command. His life ended moments later in front of his wife and children.

The beautiful Elfish young woman felt less than beautiful by the time she'd reached the outskirts of Falport. Her clothing was torn, her hair was a rat's nest, and she felt constantly soaked to the bone and hungry. It had taken much of her skill she'd learned as a thief to secure new raiment and money for food. Falport was under the control now of a small contingent of the gray-clad army and the city, like the countrysides around it, seemed to be a place which had lost all hope. It was puzzling, for the size of the occupying force didn't seem large enough to really have the kind of power necessary to run the place, but it was said the Falport authorities barely raised a finger in defense, the city watch just dropped their weapons as if they were a burden. They didn't seem to care. The feeling was so pervasive that Lya felt herself wondering why she would even bother to try and leave. In fact, she felt little desire to do much of anything that wasn't absolutely necessary for her own survival. It was the images of the vision Haymane had shared with her that kept her from slipping completely into the slothful sentiment.

One day her ship came in, rather it was the ship of a raggedy looking crew and a grizzled captain. They seemed immune to the affects of the city and surrounding area, and strangely the gray-clad soldiers paid them little heed. Lya disguised herself and gained the promise of passage to Zel City, the capital of Zeland, and hopefully a place where there was much more opportunity for a girl of her... talents. Besides that, she was sick of the stench of swine.


~~~~

The wagon came to a halt, and the sounds of guards talking with the wagon drivers could be heard. From their position in the bottom of the wagon, they only caught the last part. "...хајде путем..."

The wagon jounced ahead and they were moving through a gate in what must be a city wall. In the brief time they saw it, they both noticed the moss growing on the heavy wooden beams. The gate, up until now, had been very rarely used. Soon, on either side of them, they could see buildings constructed of stone and beam, strong and stout and similar in architecture to those throughout Zeland, a nation of hardy and hard-working folk.

Then they turned down a very narrow street. The gray sky seemed far above them do to the gloom of the way they traveled. It was cooler here. The normal sounds of a city seemed to come to them, only they were subdued and the two both felt that same weight upon them, urging them to give up, to quit, and to no longer even care...

~~~~

Evrik had chanced upon the young half-elven woman as she was about to board the ship leaving Falport. His story had been similar to her own, for he too had been working to remain hidden and trying to make his way to the port city. So far, the woodsman had been able to shrug off the feelings of despair, and he was highly motivated to be on that ship.

Not long after they'd boarded and moved out of the harbor leaving Falport, another series of storms blew in. It seemed especially stormy lately and unseasonal for the late summer. The air felt cold too. The captain and crew were not overly friendly, the kept to themselves and left Lya and Evrik alone for the most part.

It was perhaps the third day at sea that they were invited by the captain to his cabin to share a meal. During that time he asked a lot of questions and seemed to gage the reactions to them more than the answers. He told them that Zel City had just been taken over as had all of the other cities in Zeland as far as he knew. The invasion had been quick and for the most part, fairly bloodless. People seemed to just not care...

He offered them a chance to get into the city in exchange for taking some information to a contact of his there. Had they known what that might entail, they might have just jumped ship and risked dealing with sharks.


~~~~

The wagon again clattered to a halt before a gate or some other obstruction. The driver and other soldier seemed to be agitated about something. Then there was only gurgling noises...

A couple of shady-looking men appeared, not dressed in gray nor any other sort of uniform. They produced daggers and deftly cut the cords which bound Lya and Evrik. Once they were free, they could remove their gags.

"If any of this is yours, grab it and let's move. We don't have much time!" The speaker was the taller of three men dressed in the dirty and torn vestments of lower class laborers. One of the men pulled the bodies of the dead soldiers down, stripped them of their uniforms and then slid them down through a drainage duct that ran along the cobbled street.

~~~~

This scene won't be long, but you'll have a chance to RP out a little bit of the backstory of how you got here and why you were bound and gagged. This will set up the rest of the chapter.
Ervik
Half-Elf Scout Bard, 2 posts
Mon 24 Nov 2014
at 13:41
  • msg #5

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

The woodsman tries hard to remember the encounter with the soldiers and what lead him to his current predicament. He is just recounting his seaward journey and the captain's offer when the cart comes to a halt.

The half-elf's stomach tightens as he sees three grubby men appear, two holding daggers. Ervik stares in surprise as the men cut the bonds that bind his limbs and that of his new companion. Rubbing the aches from his wrists, he hesitates at the tall man's words. He casts a glance to the woman; trying to judge her reaction and read any cues in an effort to discern if she knows what is going on.

Cautiously, Ervik slides forward and dismounts from the cart. He grabs his weapons and his pack and gladly puts them on. Feeling somewhat more confident in his situation, he falls in line behind his captors. As they begin to march toward their destination, he looks to the half-elf and says dryly "The name's Ervik."
Lya
Half-Elven Thief, 141 posts
Hits 12/12, AC 13/14
Init +1 / To Hit +2 / 1d6
Mon 24 Nov 2014
at 18:25
  • msg #6

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

As soon as the men cut her ties Lya was up. Enough of this. She quickly rifled through the packs in the cart, deftly searching through them for anything that might be of use to her, food to round out her meager supply, small weapons to add to her arsenal. She had given up believing in future fortune and took what she could when she could to ensure her immediate survival.

What was so wrong, she wondered as she sorted through the packs, about wanting a few good things and to live peacefully and comfortably? It wasn't like she wanted to be rich or powerful and it wasn't like she'd ever stolen from decent hard working people. In fact, she'd gone out of her way to be helpful, especially in recent times. But it seemed that whoever kept a tally of such things was in a thorough snit and was taking an almost perverted glee in further ruining her already ruined life. Be that as it may she refused to feel sorry for herself anymore and instead was rapidly adopting an "up yours!" attitude. If "Tally Keeper" wanted to be in a snit she could give it snit for snit back!

After quickly going through the packs she turned, found her own pack, checked the contents, set it and her other equipment and garb to rights and hopped down from the cart.

When Ervik re-introduced himself some of her memory came back to her. They'd met, briefly, she recalled, as they'd gone aboard that misbegotten sow of a wallowing tub. Then they'd met again when that scurvy ridden excuse for a ship's captain had inundated them with questions and a request to perform a service. If she could only remember what had happened between that meal and waking in the cart!

She nodded to Ervik as she looked about her and drops of cold rain fell on her dirt smeared face and tangled hair. "Lya."

Hitching her pack higher on her back she followed after the men who'd liberated her. No one did anyone favors without expecting something in return so she began immediately formulating plans to ditch these rough looking men and whomever they worked for as soon as their intent towards her looked to be even worse than she already expected it would be.

Quickening her step she came up alongside one of them and in a low voice asked, "What is this place and who are you people? Not that I'm not glad you freed me but there's too much I don't know." Her look was intent and direct.

OOC: Should Lya find any food in the supplies she'll take anything that is small and looks like it might keep. Should she find small weapons of any sort, especially anything that she can hide about her person, she'll take those too. Of course, should there be anything else of conceivable value that is small enough and / or light enough to take she will take that also. Lya will try her overwhelming charisma to elicit a satisfactory answer from the man she asked her question of.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:53, Mon 24 Nov 2014.
The Usher
GM, 640 posts
Recovering Heroes
Lost in the Forge
Mon 24 Nov 2014
at 22:55
  • msg #7

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Lya quickly shuffled through the contents of the cart as the three ruffians and Ervik waited impatiently. There were some barrels of early summer apples and a few other foodstuffs, some cheap swords and pieces of armor, several bundles of arrows, boots, soap, crockery, and other necessities to bolster the needs of a squad of soldiers.

OOC: You find standard stuff. Flip me for it. 1d2. Odd I "win" and you gather nothing useful, Even you "win" and you get three useful items of your choice.

Two of the men moved out at a rapid pace through the alleys. The other hung back toward the rear, not so much in the way of a guard keeping prisoners from escaping, but more to keep a watch over their tails. They went a few blocks, with the leader of the fivesome stopping at each intersection for a quick look before the crossed a narrow street into another alley. Once they had to stop behind a wagonfull of straw and manure for a party of gray-clad soldiers to pass. That's when the leader chose to answer Lya's questions, leaning in and whispering in her ear. He smelled like the alleys and his breath was hot.

"Ya be in the Old Court, the part of Zel City which was here first. We're to help ya deliver whatever it is ya be bringin'! An' we can't tell ya our names 'cause we don't trust ya... an' it ain't allowed ya, at least not yet. Come on!" He turned away quickly lest the charms of a beautiful, but disheveled Elf-girl beguile him from a mission he was obviously committed to. The second of the ruffians smiled at his companion and shook his head which elicited a scowl from the first.

The leader spurted across the cobblestone road and motioned for the others to follow. After several more long moments of winding around in alleyways and corridors between the riverstone buildings, which may have only been done to confuse the two of them, Ervik and Lya were brought to a simple wooden door. One of the ruffians went to the far end of the passage and the other trailed back the way they'd come. One scratched his head, the other groped at an itchy armpit. These must have been some signals, for when the signs were switched, the leader pounded thrice upon the door and then led them down inside.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:54, Mon 24 Nov 2014.
Lya
Half-Elven Thief, 145 posts
Hits 12/12, AC 13/14
Init +1 / To Hit +2 / 1d6
Mon 24 Nov 2014
at 23:17
  • msg #8

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Lya snorted derisively to herself as she discovered nothing useful in the barrels, bags, and packs. Didn't these people know to provide for destitute thieves down on their luck? Nevertheless Lya availed herself of several tasty looking apples and a couple of bars of soap before turning to pick up her pack.

quote:
OOC: You find standard stuff. Flip me for it. 1d2. Odd I "win" and you gather nothing useful, Even you "win" and you get three useful items of your choice.


16:07, Today: Lya rolled 1 using 1d2 with rolls of 1. "Usefull stuff".

OOC: Just a short post to fill in the necessary description that results from the die roll. Will post again later.
Lya
Half-Elven Thief, 146 posts
Hits 12/12, AC 13/14
Init +1 / To Hit +2 / 1d6
Tue 25 Nov 2014
at 00:10
  • msg #9

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Lya passed Evrik one of her apples as they went along the alleyways while she ate another. "Here. If your stomach is as queasy feeling as mine is this might help."

When they came to the wagon the smell of manure fell like a miasmic cascade down to her sharp elven nose and her already queasy stomach became even more nauseatingly unsettled. Then the leader of the ruffians chose at that moment to whisper in her ear. Well to him it may have been a whisper but to her sensitive ears he might as well have been holding forth at some wharf-side tavern. The smell of him and his hot breath on her cheek were almost more than she could bear but she kept her face passive and, by not looking at him directly, managed, though it was a close thing, to not liberate the contents of her stomach into his face.

As they made their way across the Old Court, Lya made a concerted effort to keep her sense of direction intact and to memorize the way out from here if the need should arise. She couldn't blame the man for not trusting her. The feeling was mutual and returned with interest. As far as what they carried...who was to say? The Captain, gods rot his hide, had been more cagey than she felt was necessary, but she was not about to go prying into whatever it was they were delivering as it's intactness might well spell the difference between being "brought into the fold" or ending up yet another, albeit delectable, body floating anonymously in the fetid sewers of the city.

OOC: If you like I could roll INT to see if Lya can keep her sense of direction and memorize how they got to the door and roll WIS to see if she realizes it might be a good idea to try. Heh. Just trying to take a more "proactive" (gods how I hate corporate speak) roll in Lya's welfare.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:12, Tue 25 Nov 2014.
Ervik
Half-Elf Scout Bard, 3 posts
Mon 1 Dec 2014
at 19:07
  • msg #10

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Ervik catches the unexpectedly, tossed apple and flashes a toothless smile at his companion. "Thanks, it has been a while since I've eaten one on this journey," he says to her dryly.

The woodsman delves into the apple eagerly; it's crispness breaking the silence of their journey through the alleyways. He took in the sights of the city, carefully attempting to find recognizable areas.

As the group hides from the watch, he overhears the whispered words of the leader. Like his companion, his ears easily detect the whispered words. He runs his hands through his hair as he tries to recollect what he has heard about this city.

Moving onward, Ervik finds the ruse they use to signal their arrival comical. As they make a move into the building, he takes the secluded moment from the guards to whisper to Lya. "I stand beside you should the time come," he hisses under his breath.
The Usher
GM, 644 posts
Recovering Heroes
Lost in the Forge
Mon 1 Dec 2014
at 20:22
  • msg #11

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Just inside the doorway was a narrow landing with bare stone walls. The leader of their rescuing threesome and one of the other men accompanied Lya and Ervik through the door, which closed behind them. They stood in dark silence for a few moments before a word was uttered and the stone wall illuminated slightly before it began to shimmer. Their leader walked up to the wall and then went right through! He seemed to pass through the water illusion.

Beside the two half-elves, the other ruffian was grinning. "Bit unnerving idn't it?" he asked in a low rough voice. "It won't hurt ya..."

The sensation of passing through the illusion was unique, something like putting one's hand into a bucket of cool clay, but this was all over. Once on the other side, the sensation stayed behind and the wall again solidified. Before them was a hallway going to their right, and a very narrow spiral staircase leading down. They were forced to walk single file. The leader led the way, which is something a leader ought to do until they'd descended two or maybe three floors deep into the earth although there were no other side doors or anything to gauge this assumption by.

Finally, they passed through a thick wooden door which was shut behind them by the other ruffian. The leader strode forward into a large dimly lit room with a crude but large table covered with maps and scrolls. Around the table stood several men and one woman. Most of them looked to be similarly dressed as their ruffian guide save the woman and one man.

They were directed to stand to one side as their leader spoke quietly with the others at the table. Both Lya and Ervik could easily overhear the man's words. He was simply telling the others that a message had arrived and the two newcomers were the messengers.

The man who was not dressed as a street ruffian moved away from the table and walked over to face them. He was handsome in a sort of unfinished sort of way. His simple doublet and hose were clean but not very fancy. His bearing bespoke leadership, possibly even nobility. He gave them each a tired smile. "I won't keep you long, I'm sure you're very tired and you both look like you could use a bath. Why don't you give me your message and then I'll have my men see you to an Inn or anywhere else in the city you'd like to go."

He placed his hands behind his back and stood expectantly.
Lya
Half-Elven Thief, 161 posts
Hits 12/12, AC 13/14
Init +1 / To Hit +2 / 1d6
Tue 2 Dec 2014
at 12:21
  • msg #12

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

"Well",said Lya cautiously, "if there ever was a message then I don't remember it. The last thing I do remember is getting questioned by the Captain of the ship we were on and being asked if we would deliver a message for him. After that...nothing. If he gave us a message I have no memory of it nor do I have anything that he may have given me as everything I do have is what I had before boarding the ship. Unless, of course, it was written on me somewhere. So maybe that bath isn't such a bad idea. Would you care to watch while I bathe?" she asked sardonically.
The Usher
GM, 650 posts
Recovering Heroes
Lost in the Forge
Wed 3 Dec 2014
at 00:51
  • msg #13

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

The expectant man's eyes narrowed as Lya claimed she knew nothing of any message, but then his eyes became very wide when she asked her brazen question. He stood there for a brief moment blinking his eyes at the unexpected remark.

"Something wrong with your jaw muscles Waldric?" the only other woman in the room asked. "It sort of looks that way, you know, with your mouth hanging open like that..." The woman pushed herself away from the table and walked gracefully over to stand before Lya and Ervik.

"Please don't startle our poor Waldric so young lady, he's just barely escaped from that awful monastery he's been held prisoner in for the last twenty years..." she leaned forward and whispered, "he gets a little tongue-tied when he sees a pretty face."

The man, Waldric, seemed then to shake off his condition at the jest of the woman. A slight scowl replaced the look of shock and he pulled the woman back to stand behind him. He glared at her briefly. "If you don't remember the message you were to deliver, then you're really quite useless to us. Now why don't you try real hard to remember this time. and believe me, we'll know if you're lying, Miss...?"

Beside him the well-dressed woman smiled, but there was an edge to the way she held her eyes. The two got the feeling that these were people that shouldn't be crossed.

[Private to Lya: Something about the name Waldric sparks your memory a bit, but you can't seem to put your finger on it. In fact, you're not really convinced the memory has anything to do with your current circumstances. Your thoughts seem fuzzy and slippery.]

[Private to Ervik: Something about the name Waldric sparks your memory a bit, but you can't seem to put your finger on it. In fact, you're not really convinced the memory has anything to do with your current circumstances. Your thoughts seem fuzzy and slippery.]
Lya
Half-Elven Thief, 162 posts
Hits 12/12, AC 13/14
Init +1 / To Hit +2 / 1d6
Wed 3 Dec 2014
at 16:42
  • msg #14

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Lya was tempted, sorely, to roll her eyes and sigh eloquently but forbore. Instead she answered, "Lya. My name is Lya."

She was through being intimidated and bossed around by every two-bit wannabe that came along in her life so she returned Waldric's hard look with one of her own, letting him see the hard core of fire and resolve that she usually kept hidden under her soft, beautiful, exterior.

"I don't care much for you're tone friend.", she snapped. "A person might begin to believe that you think you own me. You don't. So now I ask how you came to know to rescue me and my companion from that cart. I have told you what I know and I really don't appreciate being suspected of wrongdoing by someone I've never met. Suppose you tell us some things now. Maybe that'll free up something from my memory if there is anything to remember. For all I know my companion and I are the message. As in maybe we were sent to help you."

OOC: Did a successful charisma check, should you choose to take it into account, to see if Lya can browbeat Waldric into at least reasonableness with the force of her personality. Not trying to see if she can get him to eat out of her hand of course. At least...not yet. Heh.

09:44, Today: Lya rolled 3 using 1d20 with rolls of 3. Charisma check.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:52, Wed 03 Dec 2014.
The Usher
GM, 653 posts
Recovering Heroes
Lost in the Forge
Wed 3 Dec 2014
at 18:56
  • msg #15

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

The leader of the ruffians and his man snorted humorously when Lya said her name. They grinned at each other and mouthed the word "Lya-er" at each other.

Waldric seemed to miss the joke as he was suddenly under the influence of lips too full for an elf and a slender neck too long for a human. Lya had been blessed with the beauty of human coloring and curvature as well as the exotic angles and proportions of the elves. Even when terse she was stunning. Even with ripped up clothing, bruises and hair that looked like a rat slept in it, she was dangerously attractive. He seemed to stammer a bit, again finding it difficult to form words properly. The other men standing around the table straightened and focused on the pretty creature in their midst.

It was the woman who spoke next, breaking the spell as it were. "Oh snap out of it, you're all acting like a bunch of cloistered monks or something." She eyed Lya up and down and pursed her lips as if to say something, then shook her head as she thought better of it.

"She's telling the truth Waldric. Give them the antidote..."

Waldric hesitated but a moment and went to a wooden box on a shelf near the table. He glanced around at the other men who nodded their assent. He took two small stone vials from the box and brought them over to Lya and Ervik. One last look at the woman, who nodded, and he gave them over.

The stoppers were sealed with wax so the contents would not leak, and there was a slight aroma of sweetness, berries perhaps?
Lya
Half-Elven Thief, 163 posts
Hits 12/12, AC 13/14
Init +1 / To Hit +2 / 1d6
Wed 3 Dec 2014
at 22:30
  • msg #16

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

Lya reached out her hand without hesitation and took the stoppered vial from Waldric's hand, broke the seal, and, looking him in the eye the whole time, removed the stopper and upended the vial letting the contents fall into her open mouth. When the vial was empty she shut her mouth and swallowed the draught. At this point she had no intention of showing anything less than courage and resolve. Later she could take herself to task for her impetuous behavior. Licking her lips with teasing seductiveness she handed him the now empty container and waited for the antidote to take effect.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:44, Wed 03 Dec 2014.
The Usher
GM, 655 posts
Recovering Heroes
Lost in the Forge
Thu 4 Dec 2014
at 18:48
  • msg #17

Re: Chapter 3b - The Hunted and The Hunter

The liquid went down smoothly and indeed tasted as it had faintly smelled. As everyone's eyes remained locked on each other for a long tense moment nothing happened. Then...

The room began to grow dark...
 The floor began to sway to and fro...
  The walls of the room seemed to push outward...
   The ceiling disappeared and was replaced by stars...


~~~~

Lya found herself standing on the deck of a ship. A man stood beside her and another, a scruffy-looking Captain was handing her a vial... She drank it with a trembling hand.

"...is the only way we've found to smuggle people into the city. The Oraxian army has tight control over the Capital. Ships are currently forbidden from leaving or entering the river. You'll be trussed up as political prisoners to be delivered to a stockade where such prisoners are being tortured and murdered. Fear not, you'll be rescued and our agreed upon payment will then be given you..." the Captain's voice sounded far away and difficult to separate from the sound of waves crashing on a seashore and the wind flapping in the sails.

"...you'll not remember any of this from the time you drank the poison. Like I explained earlier, it is for our protection... and yours. Should the rescue fail, which it won't, and you are tortured, you will have nothing to tell and you'll either be thrown back into holding or killed quickly... if you were to remember anything, well it's best not to think about it..."

The swells of the sea made her stomach churn and her face ache. She felt as if she might vomit.

"...this is the message you'll give when you're given the antidote and your memory of this night returns: The Seven have Fallen. The Highs are now Low. Flames have been Put Out. Sparks Smolder in the Darkness. One has Flared. The Hawk Hunts..."

Lya then drank a second vial and began to feel as if she were sinking through the deck of the ship into the cold waters below...

~~~~


The slipperiness in her mind seemed to slither away and her memories returned. Those gathered around her were members of a resistance against the occupation of the gray-clad army of Lord Orax. Lya had agreed, many nights ago aboard a leaky ship, to take a message to the resistance in exchange for a very tidy sum and a measure of protection within the city. She'd been told that the Capital, Zel City, was likely the safest place to be at the moment for at least Zeland had been taken quickly and was not in open, bloody war like her surrounding nations.

As promised, the poison was negated by the antidote and her memories returned. Now it was expected she give them the message. As her dizziness passed, she could not help but notice that many hands had gone to rest on weapons.

"Lya, please tell us the message."
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