Not able to say anything else right now, Joseph just nodded, and sat closer to Aelynia, trying to get the cloak as well around them as possible.  It was magical, he could almost feel it when he took it on, and he could only hope it would help shield them from the storm.  No matter what, though, they would brave the storm - together.  So close to Aelynia had Joseph gotten in just a number of days, and while none of the others had been there to see his kiss, to hear his whispered words, the fact that he had walked willingly out into the storm to be with her said a great deal, he was sure.

Tuar handed the string over without a second thought, more interested in the carved stone, but it was shortly afterward that even that held little interest to him.  He looked up at Lysande as she gave him the small peck on his cheek.  At first he didn't really believe it had happened, but as she blushed it became apparent.  The half-elf's own face took on a small tint of red as he awkwardly attempted to scan the stone for any other details he might have missed, oblivious to anything else.

As the storm continues to rage, the sky darkens to almost black as night. But even as it seems fiercest, the winds begin to weaken, almost imperceptably at first, but then you definately can tell the worst may be over.

The two captured men, struggle fitfully, trying to loosen their rope bindings.  They stop when the Zhentarim guard swings a heavy booted foot at their heads.  The Zhent asks no one in partucular, "So when c'n I cut their heads off?"

 The young Bedine horseman, Ha'laam, approaches Lysande and Glim, something obviously on his mind.

"In ze packs on ze bandits horses.  I- - I found rations for only a day, maybe two. Zey travelled light."


This message was last edited by the GM at 13:39, Sat 25 Nov 2006.

Lysande glares at the Zhents "If you want to return to your outpost alive, then you stop abusing the prisoners. There will be no torture in my presence, I have more effective means to get into their heads." with that she turned to the approaching Ha'alam "I understand, thank you. I already thought we were close to their base, Mourn's sketch seems to indicate an entrance from the dry riverbed."

Sighing she cast a spell turning back to their prisoners "Now then... you have the possibility to be helpful to our cause. Let me ask you a few questions:

1) Where is the entrance to the lair of the Black Scorpions?

2) Who and what is your leader? And...

3) How many raiders populate the hideout?"

The Zhent guard gives an insolent snort, but under Lysande's stern gaze, he backs off and returns to his spot near the cave mouth.

As for the bandits, they both look to be of Bedine descent, although one has a  lighter cast to his complexion than usual.  That one curls his lip in a silent snarl, and spits at Lysande's feet without talking.  Hal'aam gives a gasp and steps forward, hand on his blade hilt. You remember that Vikko had told you in one of his long lectures that spitting in such a manner was considered a grevious insult among the Bedine.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:31, Mon 27 Nov 2006.

"Hold, Hal'aam.  There are still question left unanswered."  Alister wonders if she will be able to pry out the answers thru magical means.

"Oh they are quite cooperative, whether they like it or not." she said to Alister with a vicious smile, then looked back at the prisoners. "The cave system is maybe half-a-day's ride through the riverbed atop a plateau. I should think that El Aqrab'azim will not be happy if I tell him you gave me the information to find him."

She chuckled as the man spit on the ground "Spit as much as you want, it will only make you dry out quicker. Now there is a little more I want to know. Tell me more about those strangley, shadowy figures. What are they, I am certain there are at least some rumors floating around. - Oh and before I forget: Is there only one Sphinx-rider or are there more?" Lysande's voice was dripping with sarcasm, she knew their minds were squirming to keep the thoughts to themselves but her magic had proven stronger and for once she allowed herself to revel in that feeling.

Tuar stood where he was, turning the stone over and over in his hands, keeping one eye on Lysande and her playthings.  He looked down at the carved lady in the stone, wondering if his goddess was truly with him and if she would be willing to help.  "Or perhaps she is already," the half-bred elf muttered aloud.  Lysande was getting information from these bandits, probably through some spell or another - unless the tales about the regal elves' ability to read the thoughts written on their face was a truth.  Whatever it was, he trusted Lysande's word - even if he didn't trust the bandits'.  "You've seen other elves?  Captured other elves?"  He knew they took some prisoners, and there was a chance - however small - that they might have elves as well as bedine.

The bandits look with suprise at Lysande, as she appears to be reading their very thoughts! They try to move further away from the sun elf, but their bindings do not allow it.


Ha'laam pauses at Alister's request...but his hand remains upon the hilt of his sword.

"Yes Tuar, they have seen one who looks like you." Lysande says. Her voice becomes soft with concern "Is she your sister?" The sun elf was tempted to read her friend's thoughts but had the decency and respect to hold back.

"Who looks like me?"  Tuar had the question in his voice, though Lysande's eyes answered it.  He stopped fiddling with the engraved rock to look back to Lysande, his face almost - though not quite - in a smile.  "I don't know, Lys."  He turned his eyes away from the elf and to the two bandits.  His face quickly formed into a scowl as he neared them.  For the moment, he held back.  It might not have been as easy should his sword had been in hand.

Lysande nodded confirming Tuar's question but did not reply to his statement. She addressed the prisoners again "So one last thing before we decide about your fate: What is the best way to approach your hideout? And what traps do we have to lookout for?" the sun elf wanted to know as much as possible about their enemy before going on. Taking on several scores of bedines was difficult enough, adding two adult sphinxes and some cloaked figures might just be more than they could swallow.

Following a whim Lysande drew her dagger and neared the two bound men, putting her foot on the chest she stopped his struggles and cut open his clothes over his abdomen inspecting the flesh and looking for any puncture wounds like she had seen on Mourn.

The more aggressive bandit sneers, saying </red>"You vill die before you get within a t'ousand feet, berani."

The Zhentarim shake their heads, and the skinny one provides his own advice, "Flay some skin from his back, elf.  That would be much more productive it seems to me."

Lysande's subsequent body search draws fierce protestations from the captured men.  Even Ha'laam gasps in suprise, "Lady, women do not just...", but he falls silent, seemingly silencing his opinion to her judgement.

The storm continues but by dusk it has run its course and those looking out of the cave mouth are treated to a dazzling display of twilight purples, pinks, oranges, and reds across the sky.


This message was last edited by the GM at 23:19, Sun 10 Dec 2006.

After taking a small sip from his waterskin, Joseph offered it to Aelynia, smiling as he looked out at the sky.  "It is beautiful, is it not?" he whispered, and slowly turned towards the elven lady.  "Almost as beautiful as you," he quietly told her, and smiled softly.  "I am glad I was here with you, Aelynia. . .  There are no place in the Realms I would rather have been, than right where you are," he said, and after a moment to concider it, he leaned in to place a soft kiss on Aelynia's lips.

Alister knelt and silently prayed to his god.  He thanked him for protecting them from the storm.  He was also asking for tips on what to do with the prisoner and finally for the battle ahead.

"No torture.  But don't give them any chance to escape."  Alister thinking aloud.

Lysande growled at the Zhents "You are here to observe and retrieve the goods that were stolen from the Zhentarim. You are not here to criticize my methods of interrogation. If you cannot or will not understand then be ready to be left in the desert without help when you need it." She turned away from the obnoxious merchants and towards Alister "I agree, no torture necessary. I was looking for a puncture mark similar to one I found on Mourn, but they have none. Now do you have any suggestions on what to do with them? If we bind them and leave them here, they are sure to end as the critter's dinner, who made his lair here." she said. While she did care little about the lives of the raiders, she was not willing to stoop down to their level and kill them in cold blood.

Tuar ignored the conversation between the Zhentarim and Lysande; he knew that Lysande was right whatever she decided.  Instead of concerning himself with those matters, the half-breed looked out at the sun with a half-smile on his face.  "She would have liked that.  Always had her head in the clouds, she did."  Tuar turned away from the setting sun, turning to look at Lysande.  "They're part of these scorpions, right?  The people who killed the entire caravan?  And kidnapped an innocent elf?  Leaving them here to be devoured is too good for them."

Lysande smiled gently when Tuar showed his anger "I agree, yet would we not become the way they are if we give in to our emotions? We are better than them and we will not become despicable beings like them." she put her hand on his arm and looked him in the eye wondering what to find there.

"But, but Lys!  They deserve it!  Look at what they did to us; we were almost dead.  And now they have an elf in chains?  They, they. . .  No we need to do something."  The half-breed's face is changed into one of anger.  Anger greater than normal anyway, and gone is the eager curiosity.  In his eyes, however, moisture is building.

"Stop right there Tuar!" the sun elf says and stands right between him and the prisoners, her hand comes to rest on his chest. The half-elf can feel its warmth but also some strength. She looks into his eyes again, trying to reach his soul "Do you think she would want you to harm helpless men?" Lysande shook her head slowly "Tuar, if you give into that anger and hurt or kill them now, you will injure your soul. I have seen people consumed by their hatred, people who had all the best intentions. Do not become like them... please." the last word is said softly almost inaudibly and Tuar can recognize the deep emotion in Lysande.

"But Lys. . ."  Tuar looked back at the elf, their eyes meeting.  With a scowl, the half-breed turned away.  "Fine, Lys, do what you want with them."  The half-breed moved back a little further into the cave, away from the people.  His sword was back in his sheathe with his hand reluctantly moving away, back to his pouch where he had placed the goddess-blessed stone.  "I'm here," Tuar mumbled as he messed with the stone.

"Alister, what would you suggest?" Lysande said. She wanted to go after Tuar but decided against it, they would talk later. When, she didn't know.

"Are you thru with them?  Ha'laam, what do you do to captured bandits.  It is the land of the bedine so it will be the bedine's law that will judge them."

"I have seen and heard enough to bring us into their lair tomorrow. They are yours for judgement." Lysande said slowly, weighing every word.

Ha'laam's eyes widen in suprise at Lysande's pronouncement,"But I am no..", but he stops, then stands tall, as he gains an inner resolve.  Looking at the bandits, he proclaims so all can hear, "By Difa Binwabi the penalty for banditry is death.  You may die by ze hand of man or under ze eye of A'tar. What will you do?"

The more talkative bandit hisses with a sneer, "And you are ze man? Phah! Ghashim akh-Berrani! You will execute us!"

Ha'laam flinches at the insult, but he does not lose his composure. "Ze choice is made. Ze punishment will be done at last light, and ze bones left for ze jackals and night creatures."

He steps away, and faces Lysande, Glim, Alister, and Tuar.  Speaking quietly and quickly, the young man makes a request, "Can...can one of you help me take zem into ze desert? I haf not..not executed any man before."

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:24, Wed 20 Dec 2006.