Bhalla flicked the ball of fur in her hands. There was no way for her to tell what time it was or how much had passed since the Deutsche had thrown her into this whole in the ground. She only knew why - they had been fed up with her for trying to escape one too many times. They had shot others quite easily and happily for much less, and she didn't know why she had not suffered the same fate.
But now they had shoved her into this hole, with steel bars as a roof, occassionally dropping down food for her.
If she was lucky.


There was some commotion outside and the steel bars were lifted. Then someone was pushed down into the hole, almost hitting you. Then the bars clanged down again.

It's an Axtzal, wearing dirty rags, his fingers and toes webbed. He's clearly seen better days.

mattaki stumbled as fell to one knee as he was dropped in to the pit. He stayed in a crouch with his hood still over his head his face in shadow.

He sensed someone else in there with him but allowed the other to make the first move.

THe Axtzal wasn't a warrior but he did know how to defend himself, still his mind called out for the living power he controlled but would not fully come to him. it was like the taste of a fine meal that you got echoes of throughout the hours after but only a taste. Tantalising but not the real thing.

He sighed he would need to get his spear back if he was going to taste that meal again he knew it was close his connection with it told him so. But first things first was whoever was in the pit with him going to attack or not and then after solving that unanswered question he would need to work out how to escape

Bhalla did not like the hole. She hadn't liked the cage, nor the hut with the barred door, either. She had not liked the violence that had been done to her people, never mind the violence done to herself.

She most particularly did not like the Deutsche. Their words were too sharp in her ears and mouth, and they were murderous savages.

Later, she would probably be too hungry to be angry at them, but for now, the gnim wanted little more than to turn their "Maschinen" against them. She'd been trying to break one, this last time, to get its insides open and see where it bled. It had pushed her beyond the safe bounds of fate. "Nicht dumm. Kein Tier." That's what they'd said, along with "schwach." Stupid barehide bloody-handed giants. Bhalla tried to remember which pieces of the wagon had moved. It was a more interesting question than "when will they feed me?"

Then the Axtzal was thrown in. That was less immediately useful than food, but certainly more interesting. [Language unknown: "Con om teec, astsetkor? Ughwa wi nceasttic o ivloni, aiel N ardse set adsi itesou O noti."]

Mattaki heard the voice and realised what he was dealing with, and relaxed a, little before just turning his head he studied the little one before him

[Language unknown: icnaou hou ine strad redoerles ch Men tra atadil. Be ce Eketon e ll Ntiartman Trndpl. ecte Ut ri wa an, intencera ate a Anyeaueaueau waul din. whe ss str inion dini fowe t ionpresan]

Bhalla shrugged. [Language unknown: "Ngneus u Palich. Ecthersti os ic inpe a int lethsail E poure ount stssnc nte. Tapaus atolnd eepro adneou, wil. Es N t iveomencerut as weliro ce on diho ne le ous p articaest. Pr usacca ver terasttin."] The gnim mimed firing a rifle. [Language unknown: "Fo ouswhioun. Er ilerlo wafo Eeti'sema we hietro nc po."] She looked up toward the distant slivers of light. [Language unknown: "Blendeven ta ilil ourlinman k ivave stiicaome."]

[Language unknown: Ca ti ers e, liwasi set t iltr'haaton ieilou virfi homo liwaev itmi wa ofne ut an ou io P anywheast een urthac earticmantra]

He needed to get out if he could he didn't want to be experimented on so he started looking about his space for anything that might help



12:22, Today: Mattaki of the Thunder Crags rolled 1,2 using D8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2.  Notice roll
This message was last edited by the player at 11:23, Tue 10 May 2022.

There was not much to find here - they were in a hole in the ground, roughly rectangular, maybe three meters deep, and the hole was covered with iron bars.

The floor was littered with what looked like remnants of food and one corner, apparently, had been designated as the relief corner by Bhalla.

There was a wooden bucket with water in the opposite corner, but nothing else.

[Language unknown: re liarut hoek i A hattictic ove larst ss ta venlo menughoun o in thof of ver ble manstinti tho enna ac mentr acwas enone m thaoneint noaimi ck eau pl traio na chma siek stail si preus ai helo n ers hi our m rout el ing ne wiilan] Asked Mattaki to his new found friend

[Language unknown: "Ortastave. Hewhul ect dayard'ectnti maicen, N noes. Arma, lihas Cealmeet. Estul utof ma earmanres. O pre u erevtr, laofpo, k ni."] The gnim rolled her head, then her shoulders, then flexed her long, long fingers. [Language unknown: "Ndoer urday hourutart ulore u ho, Ndemanast."] Still, she prepared to climb and see what could be seen.

OOC: Do you want an Athletics check to get up, or can I just try a Notice?

((Athlethics from Bhalla, and either Athletics or Strenght from Mattaki))

The gnim clambered up gamely...

OOC: 10:15, Today: Sarwan Bhalla rolled 23,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+6+5)23,5.  Athletics

17:46, Today: Mattaki of the Thunder Crags rolled 3,3 using D4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Strength

((Can't waste that Athletics roll)

Mattaki lifted up the gnim, but the last weeks had taken their toll. His shoulder protested against the weight and the movement and it was all he could do to give the gnim a push upward and Bhalla stretched herself as much as she could, barely managing to wrap two fingers of one hand around one of the steel bars.

She hung there, precariously for a moment before she was able to grab onto it with the second hand, then swung her feet up and hooked them in, too.

She could only hope that a Deutsche guard wasn't around to step on her fingers.

((Notice roll!))

Bhalla clung to the grate. Visibility from here was rather less than spectacular, but it didn't stop her from greedily sucking in fresher air than she'd had for days...

OOC: 05:48, Today: Sarwan Bhalla rolled 2,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.  Gnim Gnotice!

mattaki waited patently for his little friend to see and hear what he could before he stretched up to help them down off the grate

((gnim gnotice... that made me chuckle. Take a benny!))

It wasn't quite easy to see, pressed up against the iron bars like that. But the fresh air, at least, was welcome. What Bhalla could see were the walls of buildings, the watchtowers among them, which seemed to be carved out of a single slab of stone. She closed her eyes and listened.
There were the boots of the Deutsche, marching across the ground. Shouts and orders in their weird language. From somewhere, strange music could be heard, as if a lot of musicians played together. It was a nice, peaceful song and seemed completely out of place.

Bhalla also heard the stuttering rumble of some Deutsche machines.

[Language unknown: "En Usdiomit. Oveastame ni theounwer. Intesting ss intingcom. Bleametioave eshas tedardtin."] Bhalla dropped lightly back down to the filthy floor of the hole. [Language unknown: "Erai hoar lo ndomch ai ect. Nicehi foet mi me ic whpl."] She couldn't hide her disappointment, falling into an easy squat and wrapping her long arms around her knees.

Mattaki and Bhalla spent two days in the hole without anyone so much as throwing down water or food. On the third day, the cage bars were lifted and a rope ladder was lowered. The shouting coming from above was obvious, both were told to climb up, but it took some effort.

Once the two had ascended, they were lead to the large building, but then split up inside. Bhalla was brought downstairs into the basement, the stairs uncomfortably high for her, but convenient enough for her jack-booted wardens.

The basement opened to a large chamber, on each side four prison cells. No natural light came down here, but there were glowing orbs that illuminated the basement without flicker or smoke.

In one of the cells, Bhalla saw a groups of Gnim, their hands gingerly touching the metal bars. Two others on the same side housed an Axtzal, both naked, one chained to the wall, the other sitting against the wall, his arms wrapped around his knees. He showed many injuries.

On the other side, the cells were empty. All except one. She smelled and heard him before she saw him. A giant Ef-Fruk sat in the cell, hunched against the back of the wall. He looked distraught, his skin a dry, cracked grey. The horns that ran from his temples down the side of his head and the fingernails were of a light pink color, not the usual dark, rich red that was typical for the race. At the bottom of the horns, there was even a ring of white.


Near the bars of the Ef-Fruk's cell was a large piece of grilled meat, seemingly untouched.

---

Mattaki, on the other hand, was taken upstairs and led into another large room, with a long, t-shaped table. On one end, there was a plate with various fruits, bread, and a large bottle of water.
His guards pushed Mattaki into the chair. The food and water was just out reach.
Another German walked in and sat down on the chair to Mattaki's right.
[Language unknown: "One. Lesughere foris lling throil te retees. A aiour evee meing t, ardes wanipe atdi lealre, Ch un ica nteha si."]

The man pointed to the bottle of water and said: "Wasser. Was-ser. Wasser."
Then he pointed to the piece of bread and said: "Brot. B-rrr-oooot. tt"
He nodded his chin at Mattaki. "Jetzt du."

Bhalla had always been a slight thing, and it was willpower more than anything else that got her up the ladder and, eventually, down into the new prison. She told herself that she did not feel faint. She told herself that she would find some way to escape once again. If she was not entirely sure that she believed that, at least she had gotten good at pretending.

The gnim's head was trying to spin as her eyes adjusted to the light. The Ef-Fruk looked like a victim of despair, the Axtzal victims of more obvious abuse. She was not sure what she could do here, still a prisoner, and looked cautiously at her captors for any sign of command.

One of the guards stabbed his weapon - a long, thin club - between Bhalla's shoulder blades.

[Language unknown: "Ac m, estureate. Whina inos ortounsetest urpliv." ]he said, and pointed at the cell next to the Ef-Fruk.

mattaki looked at the man before him with still staring eyes. He knew his powers would be of no use without his spear but he'd be damned if they thought he was going to drink or eat the food even though he was hungry.

He leaned forward and took the jug pouring the liquid into the cup.


lifting the cup he looked the man straight in the eyes and smiling slowly turned the cup upside down emptying the contents onto the floor next to him

[Language unknown: mishe e ss nde din ] he said in a pleasant voice still smiling at him
This message was last edited by the player at 17:32, Tue 07 June 2022.