"I do not doubt your eyes, as you are clearly beloved of Sarenrae, but I did not see this creature myself. There are tales of godsent harbingers, visible only by a single person, the one whose doom is being portended. I sincerely hope this to not be the case in this instance, but if it is, know then that you shall not be forgotten."
"That is somewhat of a relief, as I have not heard of a harbinger sent to two doomed souls at the same time in this fashion."
Thurrios grins, "perhaps Abadarians ones would be?"
Narkû looks to the others and asks, "So Narkû ready for more 'infiltrationing', Narkû thinks we should head to yonder
building," pointing at the one with smoking coming out of it.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on Falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit;
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Despite pointing directly at it when gesturing to the house across the river, Julius completely misses the bird and its antics.
Looking at the others, Julius hears the talk of the gods' harbingers, and he shakes his head.
"It's just smoke guys. Nothing more." Continuing to shake his head at their folly, he waits with the expression of one burdened to endure the silliness of others.
Narkû begins 'infiltrationing' his way to the building with the smoke rising.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on Falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit;
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"There was a bird there, Julius!" protests Sarala, rolling her eyes, "You woulda had to have seen it... It was menacing and it jumped in the hatch so now you can't see it. It had beady little eyes. Malevolent. Like bird eyes."
She doesn't put much effort into being stealthy, figuring her footsteps will be adequately covered by the clanking of Narkû's armor.
Narku and Sarala approach the building, any efforts at stealth ruined by the former's loud, heavy armor. Thankfully, while grating on the ears, the sound does not exactly travel very far.
Closer to the building, you pick up an odd, not entirely unpleasant odor, difficult to describe in its complexity. The building's windows appear to have been boarded up, leaving only its intact wooden door on its northeastern side.
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Julius rolls his eyes after watching Narkû try to move quietly and Sarala follows behind the half-orc in what appears to be a semi-mocking fashion. As he retrieves his thrown javelin, he tucks his wand away. He gives the weapon a few exploratory hefts to make sure it's still viable. Then glancing at Thurrios, Anapa, and Marossa with a raised eyebrow, he asks, "Well, after that," he gestures towards Narkû and Sarala significantly, "should we just go to the door and knock?"
Despite his question, Julius attempts to move towards the obviously occupied dwelling quietly as well.
However, it would seem this was just to mock Sarala, as if serious it fails terribly.
Narkû turns back to the others with a big silly grin, obviously proud in his 'infiltrationing' ability, and waves the others forward.
Narkû contemplates dropping to the ground and belly crawling to the door with this natural skills of 'infiltrationing', but waits for the others to approach first.
Yep, this is all Narkû... Narkû needs not training to be an 'Infiltrationingor'.
Anapa follows after the others, his armor making sneaking difficult.
Thurrios will join in, of course.
The party approaches the smoking building, their attempts at stealth all but hopeless. As though to take pity on them, when the party comes near, someone makes it known that their effort was for naught.
"I know you are out there~," says a decidedly feminine voice, from within the building. Despite being muffled, you can hear a distinct musical quality in its tone. "Please, come right in. There is much we can talk about. I won't bite... much. Teehee~"
Narkû turns to the others, an obvious look of disappointment on his face as he shakes his head.
"Hmmm... Well Narkû guesses the 'Infiltrationing' is over now. Are you a gnoll or something else?" Narkû asks the voice.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on Falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit;
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"Oh ho ho! Have we found the love interest in your future legend, Mighty Thurrios?" Julius says with a wink to the ifrit. He does he best to flatten his hair after Sarala's mussed it with a rueful look to his friend.
Standing, the arcanist stops pretending to be any more adept at sneaking then he is and sweeps back his dust cloak to better present his form—and free up his weapons and hands if he was being honest. Approaching the door to support Sarala, he waits for the inevitable reveal...
"Oho, I am something else all right," the voice replies, tinged with laughter, "But no, I am no gnoll. And a little birdie has told me that you are not, either. So again, why don't you come in? Preferably before Kardy's pet finds out that you denied him his meal."
Narkû walks over to the door, extending his arm for the handle, "Well you hear her, not a gnoll. Now no nash, nash on Narkû, lady."
He pulls open the door to reveal the interior to everyone.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on Falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit;
Thurrios will have Tempest drawn as he enters.
When Narku opens the door, a pungent odor comes roiling out of the building, right into your faces. You can pick up on the smell of blood, smoke, and perfume, as well as the middling presence of some less savory substances. The air reeks, but it is not outright harmful or sickening.
The source of the smells becomes clear as you enter the tannery. Six large cauldrons line the far wall, each sitting over a fire and filled with a bubbling concoction. The room initially appears empty, until a loud squawk! draws your attention upwards toward the high ceiling of the building, where you see the tannery's resident.
Perched on the rafters is what appears to be a cross between a vulture and a human. Though her body is that of a scantily-clad woman, in place of hands and feet, her arms and legs end with long, sharp talons. Sprouting from her back is a pair of large, tattered wings, folded and nestled against her body. The woman has no hair, a crown of black feathers instead running from the top of her head. Her face is, at first glance, quite attractive.
At her side on the rafter is a small bustard, which busies itself by preening its feathers.
The bird woman looks down at your group demurely, her flush lips curved into a small smile.
"My, my. You are most certainly not gnolls," she says with a titter, raising a taloned finger to her lower lip. She looks at each of you in turn, locking eyes with Julius briefly, before turning her attention toward Thurrios, or rather, the weapon in his hand. Eyeing Tempest, she motions toward the weapon stowed on her belt, a spiked morningstar. "Come now, there is no need for that. I mean you no harm. I believe that we can... parley, no?"
Narkû lets his head drop when he hears the 'Lady's words.
"Narkû knows what 'parley' mean... Narkû will stand over by windows and keep eyes open for trouble. Narkû promise not so say nuttin', while you talk to the 'Lady'."
Narkû walks over to a window that looks out to the village area and watches for trouble. It is fairly obvious that Narkû knows his social skills are not on par with anyone in the group and that this type of situation must have occured routinely in his past.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on Falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit;
Thurrios doesn't waver as he responds to the creature, "now, parley is a word we did not expect to use here, given that the area is infested with gnolls. However, we did not come to slaughter every creature we found either, so if you offer parley we will surely listen. However, with you all the way up there, and me being down here, I cannot imagine that the presence of my blade should disturb you as my arms are not long enough to reach you. Thus, with the area still likely having gnolls outside, I would feel more comfortable holding my blade firmly while we talk. Not to protect against you, since we are parleying, but against the gnolls. So then, what terms do you offer, and what do you request? For we cannot expect you to give without getting, and likewise for us."
With a nod, Narkû tosses the whetstone to Sarala.
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"Oh don't be so suspicious, Thurrios the Furious. I'm sure this pretty lady," Julius smiles and winks at the feathered woman, "just wants to be sure that the only kiss you'll give her will be with that honeyed tongue and those silken lips rather than stormy steel."
"Allow me to, on behalf of my rather dour fellow, accept your wondrously thoughtful invitation to enter your home and avoid possible complications. I imagine you must understand the meaning of our presence in this place, but it is curious why you choose not to ally yourself with the gnolls against us and immediately warn them of our presence. Civilization is not often kind to those of your race unless I'm mistaken."
Julius eyes casually look around and attempt to gauge anything of note about the room before settling on their host, a sly smirk on his lips.
The woman giggles with delight upon hearing Julius' words, covering her mouth with a talon as a lady might. For a moment, it does not seem certain that she has even heard Thurrios, though after calming down a bit she responds.
"Fair enough, Furious one," she starts, batting her eyelashes at him from afar, ”I really do mean you no harm. You are right to assume that I want something of you… and that I will give you something in return. After all, I do believe that we may have similar goals in mind. But first, I do believe an introduction is in order...”
The feathered woman stretches out, opening her black wings and posing evocatively. Her feathered companion stretches its own wings out, but for entirely different reasons.
”I, am Undrella the Beautiful,” she enunciates proudly, tossing the lot of you a smoldering gaze. She drops the pose after a while, but the intense look in her eyes remains. Undrella averts this stare to Julius, leaning forward on her perch ever so slightly.
”Now that that is out of the way... I suppose it is a matter of fact that I am allied with the gnolls, to answer your question. Or rather, there exists an understanding between us. You see, the current Kulldis chief is - or was - my dear lover. But as of late, he has been astoundingly cruel to me… It was fun while it lasted, but now I tire of this arrangement.
”I want you all to kill him,” she finishes, her smile widening.
Thurrios privately delights at the request, "Undrella the Beautiful! And may I say that the title fails to fully describe your majestic self. I am Thurrios, just Thurrios. I am not so great as you to have an extra moniker, despite my companion's gest. You request that we commit murder for payment, but surely you most know we are not accustomed to being hired assassins. As discussed, to get something, one must give something. If we are to stoop as low as to be ruffians in the night, the boon you offer must assuredly be as lofty as the depths to which you would have us go. What then is to be our reward for committing this crime on your behalf?"
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Julius chuckles and defers to Thurrios' response while doing so. Upon the end of the inquisitor's speech, he says,
"Undrella of Beauty Resplendent, our mighty friend the Furious is a modest one and, it should be noted, believes a great deal in the balance of justice. Clearly, we are greatly honored you would ask us to be the ones to provide the justice you request for the lover who has slighted you. Trust me when I say, that despite the bloodthirsty intent behind your desire, I do not believe we find this act contrary to our own purpose here. Yet, I do think my companion's question is a fair one. Given, as you surely know, how certainly outnumbered we are in this place, a guarantee the reward matches the risk is not a selfish one. Would you not agree?"
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, boys,” Undrella demurs in an admonishing tone, ”Routing the Kulldis is not the favor that I ask of thee. After all, given that little mess you made outside, I would say that you are already here to do precisely that. Whether you know it or not, you will already have to kill my dear Kardy, regardless of what I say. But as you said so yourself, you are horribly outnumbered.
”What I offer to you is my assistance in this matter. I can give you information, as well as an edge against the Kulldis. The question then, is what you have to offer me.” The harpy looks back and forth between Thurrios and Julius, slowly licking her lips. ”I believe I already have a few things in mind…”
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Julius chortles obscenely and moves closer to Thurrios. Nudging the inquisitor in the side, he stage whispers, "Looks like the lovely maiden in your hero's tale is taken with you after all."
Julius glosses over the fact he has also received lash fluttering looks from their host.
"Good thing you're so big and strong. I'm sure someone like me would never be able to handle as much lady as our dear Undrella clearly is."
Stepping away from Thurrios, he approaches Sarala. Julius begins to speak more loudly. "Why, my dear Vanaran, you look like you have some unpleasant smelling residue on your clothing. However did it get there?" Julius points to some remaining Dust Digger gore that he himself wiped on the hem of her outfit and had not washed out in the river.
"Allow me to assist you with removing this gore. I can free you of the foul smell of decay which should make it possible for beautiful and delicious people to approach you without reeling back in alarm and concern as to whether you are going to eat them."
The arcanist casts prestidigitation and proceeds to carefully excise the aberration goo while casting a rather careful eye to see if the words he has spoken resonate with their host. Julius' performance may be rather obvious as his words do not come out in a natural cadence, nor are the motions smooth but rather exaggerated as if intended to be a demonstration.
"Undrella the Generous, you should be named, as assistance in handling our mutual foes is, of course, more than welcome. However, I am not sure what exactly your assistance is, despite your stating it was information and such, but I am also not clear on what you want from us, as you have only hinted at it. I am not the best at word games, so perhaps if you were to express your desires directly, we could get down to making this deal, which I am sure will be mutually beneficial to both parties."
"Fair enough, Flame Lover," Undrella starts, clearly enjoying herself, "My conditions are twofold." For a moment she glances at both Thurrios and Julius coyly, before continuing.
"My first condition is that once you have concluded your business with the Kulldis, I be allowed to remain here in the tannery. I am quite fond of my craft, and would be loathe to abandon it," she says, gesturing toward the cauldrons in the room.
"The second is more a... test of sorts. You must certainly be formidable to have killed those gnolls so easily, but I need something more. Tangible proof that you can get the job done. In the old slave market, just across the bridge, there is a serpent. Bring me its head, and I will betray my lover for you! After all, what would become of me if you were to fail, and dear Kardy found out that I helped you?"
"Undrella the Wise. You would have us slay a serpent for you? On the surface this seems a simple enough request. Can you confirm that it is just a serpent, and not some trapped celestial, that we would be thrice-damned for having slain? Or some other moral conundrum shall not befall us due to the death or conquest of this serpent by us on your behalf?"
Thurrios thinks for a moment, "and your request to stay in the tannery seems reasonable, but I must insist that there be an agreement that you be as congenial to any of our fellows who come to settle this area, as you have been to us."
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Disappointed Undrella did not decide the trade he had offered was of value to her, Julius approaches Thurrios and places a hand on the ifrit's shoulder.
"While I am certain that is a discussion we will need to have someday, my justice minded comrade, there is no real purpose in pressing the lady further until we've proven we can deliver results. She's already placed herself at grave risk not informing the large gnoll company at large of our presence—which she could have easily done as we battled on the bridge."
Julius exerts a little pressure with his hand on Thurrios' shoulder trying to emphasize his words' deeper meaning to Thurrios as he cannot speak plainly without alerting the harpy.
"Now it is our turn to provide courtesy," Julius sketches a bow towards the monster with the alternating smell of decay and sweetness. "Is there anything else you think we should know before we go? Otherwise it would seem we should make haste to deliver this snake its just reward as your good favor is desired for all our benefit."
"Nothing so complicated as that, my dear. It is a perfectly mundane creature."
She taps her chin thoughtfully, considering Julius' question. "Hm. I suppose I should warn you not to linger on the streets for too long. When it comes to Kardy's allies, the gnolls are the least of your worries..." She winks at you from afar. "That one was a freebie."
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"Is the snake poisonous?" asks Sarala, looking towards Julius a moment and says hesitantly, as if asking him to confirm what the right word is, "Venomous?"
She decides to rephrase, "If it bites me, will it just really hurt, or is it going to make me sick or dead? Oh! Oh, I've got another one! If I lay down, how many mes long is it?"
The harpy looks at Sarala as though she had not noticed her enter. The passion in her eyes dims appropriately, but the smile on her face only spreads.
"Venomous, yes. And probably large enough to swallow the lot of you whole. Have fun~!"
"Very well Undrella the Courteous, we are off to address your snake problem!"
Thurrios will head on out of the building, "ok companions, which way to the slave market?"
Narkû heads outside with the others, slips around the corner and goes back into 'Infiltrationing' mode looking out for danager.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on Falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit;