Once the group has finished looking throughout Delvehaven, Azhar gets close to Amaya, putting his arms around her from behind.
He bends close, kissing her behind her right ear.
Mr. Straw watches carefully as Cassian and Janiven head towards the large, stylized room where the entrance to the secret tunnels lies. He leans over and elbows the Draggy and there is a puff of smoke that accompanies the 'You're crazy' look on the pull toy's carved face.
Everyone else heads to the room at the base of the stairs. And find the Insect Museum. The walls of this room are decorated with hundreds of mostly smashed glass display cases that seem to have once contained thousands of insects, spiders, and other arthropods. Yet more impressive are the larger, giant-sized vermin that have been preserved and are on display. Dog-sized ants, man-sized spiders, and even a horse-sized scorpion are mounted in threatening postures, although in each case, the immense preserved monster is badly damaged and, in some cases, in pieces.
Tarvi, seeing into the room past the others, shudders at the mass of insects, doing poorly at hiding her distaste for the bugs.
Once you both have reached the hidden lounge, she closes the final door behind you. A pause as she walks across the room to the old journals, a half-smile over her shoulder, "Would this still count as a mission for you?"
Thekla smiles at his description of his group. "Sounds decently balanced overall. Big group though..." Her head cocks to the side, "I would think that would make your elegant little manner of disappearing into the shadows a little less useful."
"My team is far more... traditional? Just the five of us. Liv takes the lead when we are doing a social con. Me when we need to slip in and out without anyone knowing about it. Our heavy hitter is a brawler, but decently smart about it. Joe makes sure all our equipment is beyond reproach... but she really doesn't like coming out on jobs. And round it off with a tactical expert for when we have to do something big."
A pause, then curious gets the better of the thief, "Just how bad is her taste in men?"
He plays her body masterfully, wringing beautiful music from her songbird throat. Her body tensing, pressure building. Her own hands alternating between urging him and hanging onto the world with the tension in her hands as her body comes so close to the edge of release which Cassian doesn't allow her to cross.
A precipice she flies from as his body takes hers. A long note, pure, is lost in his mouth. Her legs wrapping around his hips as she takes him, then moves with and against him, the long build of tension released in shivering spasms of pleasure around him.
Both the Raven and the doctor listen to hear if the untimely cry has alerted any of the merchant's defenses... but all remains quiet in the home.
She looks at him, riled emotions still brewing just under the surface. Finally she nods. "This is the biggest room though... maybe if we move the table into that room so the floor space is all clear?"
A half-smile, a tad of normalcy as she seems to settle back into her skin, "Or the roof garden so we don't risk breaking anything?"
She loses control of a sound that is half-gasp, half-moan as he returns to the important issues. In a voice that shudders, broken words that barely string together. "Pity... we're leaving... it... behind."
And if she says more after that... it isn't in a language of words. Just of wants and yes.
"Your mother is ... ambitious?"
A shrug that turns to a nod half-way. "Yes. Both of our parents really... but mother is is dominant one when it comes to getting things done."
A pained smile, "She is utterly convinced that life will be far more pleasureable when her daughter is a cloistered and cossetted member of the aristocracy. That the money she and father have will buy them a place amid the movers and shakers of Wiscrani." The smile fades, "And of course, there first born dared to inconvenience her by being male."
Tarvi's smile is matched with an expression of delight on Zsz's face. "That's wonderful!"
"And if it did really work..." A happy stretch, "Then I can con my brother into loaning me some his stash and pick up what I need for a real project." The idea of her work as, finally, a physical reality lighting up her features, a fire of passion in her blue eyes.
The group full united, the plan goes into effect. All the apartments on this street heavily shuttered against the night, light barely leaking through. The odor of cooked cabbage still hanging in the air from the evening meal.
Zsz's disguise doesn't attract the aerial hunters, but the reason is obvious. About half-way down the deadly street, Zsz finds the mangled remains of the most recent, and still warm, victim.
Azhar recoils from the room, looking slightly green, covering his nose and mouth with a bandana. He looks around, apparently half expecting to see someone...who is probably not there.
perception: FT included, FE not included
"I don't think you met them there, Azhar." Tarvi says. Her stress on certain words just slightly off from her normal speech.
"Oh, okay." Azhar shrugs, then blinks, "Them?" he inquires, not judgmentally but definitely with curiosity. "So two different people caught your interest? Did things go well with either of them?"
sense motive on Tarvi's speech inflection:
About half-way down the deadly street, Zsz finds the mangled remains of the most recent, and still warm, victim.
"Damn." Azhar mutters under his breath. "Shall we look for a statue that still has blood on it or try another night so they're less likely to be suspicious of us?"
Zsz's stomach rumbles as she looks at the bugs. "Sorry," she says, sounding slightly embarrassed. "Been a while since lunch."
A pained smile, "She is utterly convinced that life will be far more pleasureable when her daughter is a cloistered and cossetted member of the aristocracy. That the money she and father have will buy them a place amid the movers and shakers of Wiscrani." The smile fades, "And of course, there first born dared to inconvenience her by being male."
"More pleasurable for who, exactly? I cannot imagine you enjoying being either cloistered or cossetted."
"Have they tried to marry you off yet?"
"And if it did really work..." A happy stretch, "Then I can con my brother into loaning me some his stash and pick up what I need for a real project." The idea of her work as, finally, a physical reality lighting up her features, a fire of passion in her blue eyes.
"Hm," Zsz says thoughtfully. "Do you plan on taking commissions?"
"Oh, okay." Azhar shrugs, then blinks, "Them?" he inquires, not judgmentally but definitely with curiosity. "So two different people caught your interest? Did things go well with either of them?"
"You're so certain it was only two? You don't think me capable of seducing even a mere roomful of people?" She sighs sadly. "I must be losing my touch. It used to be, when I told someone I'd been on a date, I'd get asked, 'Oh? With how many people? Was the orgy lurid enough? How many days did it last? What summoning spells did you use?' I guess I just need to admit to myself that I'm not fourteen anymore and such questions are forever gone."
Gravlax looks at the displays, pausing for a moment at the man-sized spiders. "More impressive when they're attacking you directly," he says to no one in particular.
Gravlax looks at the displays, pausing for a moment at the man-sized spiders. "More impressive when they're attacking you directly," he says to no one in particular.
Zsz nods ruefully. "To my mind, it's the traumatic insemination attempts that are really annoying. I mean first, they could ask. And second, I don't even have hemolymph, so most of the time they're just piercing your abdominal cavity for no reason at all."
Cassian grins. "It counts. I thought Buzz was going to spoil our fun for a second." Using his picks, he quickly locks the door.
"She picked the biggest idiot in the group to date," he says, shrugging. "I think she wants someone to protect. But again, none of my business. They're associates, not friends." The resigned tone hints that he doesn't have any of the latter.
"My group is a bit large, and pretty unwieldy. They're not the quietest bunch, either. But any group needs a scout, and me and Rygel can do that. Plus, there's so many of them, someone's always distracting the bad guy when I need to slip a blade in his liver."
He sips at the brandy. "If you already have a crew, why'd you come out with me? Why not get that gang together?"
He joins her in bliss, shuddering helplessly in her body. He falls still for long moments, finally sitting up to look into her eyes, brushing the wet strands of hair from her face. "You really are beautiful, you know that?" he says, kissing her lips once.
("It could be anywhere now, on any rooftop, blocks away. Unless one of you is a good enough tracker to find it by following the blood drips in the twilight?)
"The rest of you stay hidden." Azhar looks grim, "If it left a trace, I will find it." ("Zsz, if I pick up something keep in touch with the others please.")
Survival: FT, track includedIf the gargoyle has left any traces, Azhar follows them with unexpected rapidity.
"You're so certain it was only two? You don't think me capable of seducing even a mere roomful of people?" She sighs sadly. "I must be losing my touch. It used to be, when I told someone I'd been on a date, I'd get asked, 'Oh? With how many people? Was the orgy lurid enough? How many days did it last? What summoning spells did you use?' I guess I just need to admit to myself that I'm not fourteen anymore and such questions are forever gone."
Azhar blinks. His mouth opens, no words emerge. Finally, he says, "Apologies...Again, I am apparently not well enough traveled."
bluff:has not seen it as a common cultural practice, no. aroused, yes.
Zsz nods ruefully. "To my mind, it's the traumatic insemination attempts that are really annoying. I mean first, they could ask. And second, I don't even have hemolymph, so most of the time they're just piercing your abdominal cavity for no reason at all."
Zsz finds new ways for Azhar to lose his ability to speak.
Zsz finds new ways for Azhar to lose his ability to speak.
"Well," Zsz says briskly. "Rest of this floor, then the unexplored upper level? Will that give Janiven and Cassian enough time to, um, 'search the Lounge for hidden clues', so to speak?"
Azhar blinks. His mouth opens, no words emerge. Finally, he says, "Apologies...Again, I am apparently not well enough traveled."
Zsz seems puzzled. "It doesn't necessarily involve going any great distance."
"Well," Zsz says briskly. "Rest of this floor, then the unexplored upper level? Will that give Janiven and Cassian enough time to, um, 'search the Lounge for hidden clues', so to speak?"
"Oh," Gravlax says. "Oh."
"Yes, let's take our time."
Zsz seems puzzled. "It doesn't necessarily involve going any great distance."
"No, I'm sure it wouldn't." Azhar agrees.
"Well," Zsz says briskly. "Rest of this floor, then the unexplored upper level? Will that give Janiven and Cassian enough time to, um, 'search the Lounge for hidden clues', so to speak?""Oh," Gravlax says. "Oh."
"Yes, let's take our time."
Azhar still looks like something he ate is disagreeing with him. He nods curtly, then looks around again. Still searching for something that isn't there, and not really expecting to find it...or him.
The Raven does a quick halfling count.
"Wake everyone who is asleep, and be ready," he says, still in Halfling.
"When you hear yelling or flames or smell smoke, head out into the courtyard. The gate at the" "will not be locked. Go two blocks that way, and I will meet you when I have finished here. I will lead to you to safety. I have ... " he poses "...papers."
He turns to the raven. "Doctor, are you ready to excise a tumor?"
"More pleasurable for who, exactly? I cannot imagine you enjoying being either cloistered or cossetted."
"Have they tried to marry you off yet?"
"Pleasureable for my parents I've always assumed... since they did the hard, hard work of raising me." The sarcasm thick in her voice. A shrugs, a half-nod, "Cass and I have always managed to ruin said plans before they got to far along. We had the advantage that my parents couldn't look to eager or they would have chased off the people they were trying to catch."
"Hm," Zsz says thoughtfully. "Do you plan on taking commissions?"
A brightness in the smile, "Once I'm certain I'm not a flim-flam man, yep."
Janiven shrugs, "She's certainly more aware than some of the others..." She's there, next to him when he turns back from locking the door, to steal a kiss for a brief moment of sweetness before she sinks to her knees before him.
Green eyes looking up the length of his torso as her fingers start to pull at laces, "But I have a hard time letting other people's concerns get in the way of what I want."
A smile at his description of his group. Another sip at her drink, "Half of them have gone, at least on the surface, legit." A shrug, "We did well, made a lot of gold and managed to kill most of the people who would have hunted us down for what we did. Smart people get out and lay low at that point."
"If I needed them, they'd come, but," her grin growing, "I wanted to see if what you could do... and what were looking into may impact the guild... but it probably won't touch my girls either way."
"Why'd you let me tag along?"
She brushes a kiss to his fingers after he brushes the hair out of her face. A happy smile, "On the outside, yes." The muscles of her stomach tighten as she leans up towards him a little, "But you make me feel like my beauty is more than just skin deep."
The pretty small woman does look impressed by the pose... if not quite understanding the words after. The doctor stretches her wings, doing a little posing of her own. Playing the dumb bird, she further terrfyies the halfling woman with the squawked out, "Kill 'em all, kill 'em all."
As the party moves through the partially destroyed insect collection, Mathalen suddenly blanches, bolts out of the room and up the stairs. The only other person who seems to notice anything is Fiosa, who freezes in the center of the room. Her blank eyes wide, her body starting to shake with the strain of holding so still.
"Pleasureable for my parents I've always assumed... since they did the hard, hard work of raising me." The sarcasm thick in her voice. A shrugs, a half-nod, "Cass and I have always managed to ruin said plans before they got too far along. We had the advantage that my parents couldn't look too eager or they would have chased off the people they were trying to catch."
"The eternal dilemma of the nouveau riche."
"And yet, here you are on a date with a genuine ... foreign, extremely minor, unable to inherit, scion of an aristocratic house. The irony?"
A brightness in the smile, "Once I'm certain I'm not a flim-flam man, yep."
"Well, I shall likely be requesting some once that happens. I should warn you that I have appallingly expensive taste, though."
Zsz leans back, finished with her meal.
As the party moves through the partially destroyed insect collection, Mathalen suddenly blanches, bolts out of the room and up the stairs. The only other person who seems to notice anything is Fiosa, who freezes in the center of the room. Her blank eyes wide, her body starting to shake with the strain of holding so still.
Zsz's hair whips forward, grabs Fiosa, and deposits her out of the room. Zsz follows herself immediately after.
The Raven and the doctor leave.
The Raven goes to the indicated doorway/gate and ensures that it is unlocked.
Then he goes to the roof.
Zsz's hair whips forward, grabs Fiosa, and deposits her out of the room. Zsz follows herself immediately after.
Out of the room, Fiosa starts to breath again, and starts to violently brush off her small form. Not seeming to need to push away Zsz's hair... but something else.
He grins, brushing an affectionate hand through her hair. "Well, I'd get to work if I were you."
He shrugs. "I'm a sucker for a pretty face, I guess."
"It is, trust me," he whispers, kissing her again. Very gently, he disengages his body from hers, shifting to cuddle up behind her.
Out of the room, Fiosa starts to breath again, and starts to violently brush off her small form. Not seeming to need to push away Zsz's hair... but something else.
Azhar appears to be recovering somewhat, "Where?" he asks curiously, then stares suspiciously into the room.
Out of the room, Fiosa starts to breath again, and starts to violently brush off her small form. Not seeming to need to push away Zsz's hair... but something else.
"Are you all right, Fiosa?"
"The weather is decent, I think the roof garden will do," he says. He sets down his weapons and strips out of his armor.
There is a bit of bounce in his step, as though he has some riled emotion of his own to work through. "Anything new you're working on?" he asks on the way up. "Or do you want to just go at it?"
He listens carefully to her non-words. At the appropriate time, he stands, leans forward, and begins working with her to break the desk in earnest.
His desire, communicated in grunts and gasps, is strong -- and responsive to hers.
"And yet, here you are on a date with a genuine ... foreign, extremely minor, unable to inherit, scion of an aristocratic house. The irony?"
Tarvi sucks in her breath through her teeth, "Happily neither Wiscrani nor Cheliaxian nobility which are the ones that Mrs. Merro cares about."
She chuckles, "Actually, I have to enjoy that irony. So, so close to what Mother would want and yet nothing that she would want."
"Well, I shall likely be requesting some once that happens. I should warn you that I have appallingly expensive taste, though."
Zsz leans back, finished with her meal.
Also finished, Tarvi looks at the windows before she tucks the remainder of the food into the basket. "Appallingly expensive taste is always a good thing in a patron of the arts."
"Let me test out the theory on Cassian's things first though. I'm his sister, he has to love me even if I curse his magic items."
Her tongue darts out to moisten her lips as her hands finish their job. "Not work, Cass." Her head ducks, her tongue swirling, tasting, "Far too much pleasure in it to call it work."
With that, and an bright grin, she takes him into her mouth. Her eyes still looking up, reading him, as she sucks, licks, caresses and teases. Rediscovering him.
Thekla chuckles, the sound rumbling in her throat. "Danger. That is always a dangerous reason." She pours herself a little more of the liquid offering it to Cassian. "So even knowing I have responsibilities of my own, do you still want me along?"
She snuggles into his body, a happy murmur. She peeks over her shoulder, her lids heavy with tired pleasure. "I missed you, Cassian." A very light pink blush colors her skin, [smaller]"I was so happy when I found your notes, love."
Out of the room, Fiosa starts to breath again, and starts to violently brush off her small form. Not seeming to need to push away Zsz's hair... but something else."Are you all right, Fiosa?"
A pause and then the halfling woman nods. "It wasn't just the bugs coming to life... it was the guilt he had over being fed his friend..."
A shaky smile and she looks back into the room, "It isn't as... heavy in there as it was. I should be alright."
And, except for the quiet sounds coming from the slave pen, all is quiet. There continues to be movement in the shuttered house, but no more than there was before.
"I think a plan might be a good idea..." Just the hint that going at him might not be beneficial to his health.
She follows her movement quiet, controlled, "I think I've figured out something similar to what you do to projectiles. Maybe that...."
Her eyes fly open as he leans forward, as their bodies join. One leg curves around his hip the other foot staying above his shoulder, the majority of her weight supported on her arms as her body moves in tandem to his.
Under her the desk makes noises no lightly made desk should ever make.
He finishes quickly. "That was lovely, Jan. Thanks. Should we get back to the others?"
"To be honest, I assumed you had responsibilities. Everyone does." He shrugs. "You've acquitted yourself thus far. All that remains to be seen is how you work on a real job. A tough job. Something that should get out blood up... or spilled." He grins. "Nothing like walking the razor's edge."
"It was fun for me too. Once I knew you were still interested, it was no question I'd go after you again. It's a shame, because I was looking forward to our first night together, after the performance. The lingerie, the oil... it was going to be wonderful." He kisses her neck. "But I suppose that will now happen either here... or at the theater, or wherever you eventually decide to move." His hand snakes under the cover to pat her ass lightly. "In the meantime, we can just have lots and lots of sex to keep us happy."
After looking around for imminent danger, Gravlax heads off to look for Mathalen. Hoping that she's not still running.
Just for the sake of checking, The Raven checks to see if the roof access is again bolted from the inside.
He attaches his grappling hook to something solid. "Same bedroom or a different one?" he asks the doctor. "For him, not his men."
"So, we should start by throwing things at each other?" He nods. "I think that's a great idea. Spoons are cheap."
He smiles at her, a genuine smile. "Anything else to test that will require preparation?"
As they move, his arms go around her. For connection. For leverage. So that he can support her when the desk finally goes. His attention entirely on her.
Also finished, Tarvi looks at the windows before she tucks the remainder of the food into the basket. "Appallingly expensive taste is always a good thing in a patron of the arts."
"Let me test out the theory on Cassian's things first though. I'm his sister, he has to love me even if I curse his magic items."
Zsz nods. There is a momentary silence, a comfortable pause.
"Well," she says, sounding somewhat regretful, "Shall we start on the way back before we risk getting jumped tonight more frequently than we'd planned for?"
A pause and then the halfling woman nods. "It wasn't just the bugs coming to life... it was the guilt he had over being fed his friend..."
A shaky smile and she looks back into the room, "It isn't as... heavy in there as it was. I should be alright."
Zsz nods. "Very well. I think it might be best to move on from this room, though."
Fiosa nods. Then a smile, genuine beneath the shakes, "Just got to get through it to the door."
Gravlax heads off, upstairs to see if Mathalen stopped at a logical point. Meanwhile, cautious checks of the insect display room proves that whatever dark energy overwhelmed the two women has dissipated... for now.
The door on the far end opens to a long set of stairs up. At the top, another door. The chamber beyond showcases a staggering array of model ships, most of them damaged. Many of the miniature vessels seem to have once been displayed inside bottles, but these displays are now universally broken. The ships themselves come in all sizes, ranging from a half-foot in length to a massive seven-foot frigate on a stand in the middle of the room, its masts broken and hanging askew in a tangle of rigging.
At the top of the stairs, Gravlax finds one of the doors leading out thrown open, a trail in the overgrowth clear.
Looking outside, not far away, Mathalen huddled in a small ball in the overgrowth.
His smile calls one of her own, although it deepens the confusion, the restlessness, in her stance.
She shakes her head, slowly, "I don't think we need anything else."
The door to the roof has a bolt on the inside, but no other security. A brick lays in easy reach to wedge open the door so the pair doesn't get locked out for the night. And on the roof, a simple vegetable garden and a hard slate open area marked with chalk in esoteric lines of childhood.
The table, even as it groans and creaks dangerously, is lost to Mathalen. Her dark eyes locked with his, her body losing to pleasure. Calling to his with convulsions and pressure.
Then the table loses it purchase on its current reality.
She goes over the a bookshelf, grabbing a few journal volumes that she'd looked at during the group's first foray into the private lounge. A pause, "Not quite what you were imagining without the danger of a horrible monster interrupting us?"
"Want to check the last exit from the tunnels, see if that connects to the rest of the complex?"
She smiles nods, "Oh, I have responsibilities," a heavy sigh. "More than I care to think about on some days."
A grin, "Just what do you want from Lothario?"
Cali shivers the instant before Cassian kisses her neck. Her body heating with a blush, "I don't see a downside to this plan..."
Her body moves against his, finding the point where her body touches his in as many points as possible. Her voice, small, sleepy, "And thank you for rescuing me..."[/b]
"We scared him." Her voice pleased at this last thought.
Stands up and then folds the cloth once Zsz does. "Just a bit after curfew..." She cuts herself off. "And I'm not going to finish that though on the grounds it would curse us."
Cassian grins. "It was lovely, Jan. Thank you. And yeah. We should at least pretend to be doing what we said we were doing."
"Want? I want him dead." He pauses. "You didn't think we were tracking him down to tickle him, did you?"
He hugs her in reponse. "Any time. No matter what happens between us, I will always be something you can count on." He settles in, ready for sleep.
"Well, there was this monk I once knew that was convinced a strongly worded rebuke would change a man, but no." Thekla shrugs.
She thinks for a minute, "Just him?" Her eyes dark, "Hard with that many people around in some ways, but easier in others..." Shakes her head, "It's been a long time since I went into someone's lair blind."
"What is your contingency if you find yourself in over your head?"[b]
Her hand slides over the skin of his arm, one last word before she tips to sleep, [b]"I love you Cassian."
"He's the one who wronged one of ours, means he's the one who pays."
A sip from the brandy. "Oh, I'm always in over my head."
Cassian stays awake, watching the poor girl sleep, wondering what she could possibly see in him. Eventually, he cuddles up behind her and drifts off himself.
Stands up and then folds the cloth once Zsz does. "Just a bit after curfew..." She cuts herself off. "And I'm not going to finish that though on the grounds it would curse us."
"Good idea," Zsz says equably as they make their way out. "Even though nothing could possibly happen, the worst is surely behind us now, we'll be perfectly safe if we take the shortcut through Dead Man's Alley, and that eerie noise is undoubtedly only the wind."
The Raven frowns. "How can we excise him if he is nowhere to be found?"
Then he shrugs. "Oh well. Nothing to be done for it."
The Raven prepares to rappel out and down through a different window than last time.
"Someone will be surprised," he comments to the doctor. "And it might be me."
Gravlax walks over to Mathalen, stopping about five feet away. He crouches down. "Are you okay?"
Gravlax stretches, bounces for a moment on the balls of his feet. Gazes out over the city, then turns back to Mathalen. "I'm ready," he says. "You want to start?"
His body calls back, reaching out to her response. Answering the questions in the affirmative. Stoking the desire with more of the same. Supporting her weight with his arms when the desk finally collapses.
As the group starts to move into the room, a panel slides open on the far side, revealing Cassian and Janiven. She shrugs, "Place really isn't as big as it seems."
As you look around the mariner's room, it seems that the northern wall fades away, giving a view of the ocean from shipboard. The ground rises and falls under your feet from the motion of the waves.
Between you and the edge of the ship, there are two men: a hale and heary human male with dark hair with a crossbow hung from his belt and a thin elven man. The dark human yells, his voice ringing only in your mind, "We didn’t lose all of this and endure those torments to tinker and meddle with our one spoil from the whole damnable affair."
The elf snaps back, "And yet again the trademark Bisby hesitance stalls what could have been a gripping chapter in his dreary chronicle."
The dark man dismisses the elf with a glance, snapping out a retort as he turns his back on the smaller humanoid, " from you! You’re here to chronicle my deeds, not dictate them! Keep your place!"
A look of violent hate passes over the elf's features as he starts to move towards the human's unguarded back. And the vision fades.
The dark man dismisses the elf with a glance, snapping out a retort as he turns his back on the smaller humanoid, " from you! You’re here to chronicle my deeds, not dictate them! Keep your place!"
A look of violent hate passes over the elf's features as he starts to move towards the human's unguarded back. And the vision fades.
"It's always a bad idea to insult your bard," Zsz comments. "Grendel's mum was actually a very nice woman. Liked to drown the occasional warrior, certainly, but there are certain expectations when you live in a lake, no one held it against her until she told some scruffy poet at a party that his kennings were pedestrian at best. So it goes."
One of the dolls looks up at Zsz, "Does that mean the story you're telling us isn't true either?" The dragon puffs a welcoming ball of smoke in Cassian's direction.
On the second floor, you find a mass of rooms, all dusty, untouched for years, but plain with none of the signs of intrusion of the lower floors.
The dolls refuse to go upstairs on, as Molly Missy puts it, "Those are guest quarters and guests who have been invited to the lodge should not feel they are being harassed by the security."
The shadows in the streets start to lengthen as the sun dips down near the horizon, your group having discovered the secrets locked in the Delvehaven since the fall of Aroden.
Mathalen turns her head toward Gravlax, eyes wide. "They came to life... unlife?" She runs a hand through her hair with a shudder, the sleeve falls down enough to see wounds that look remarkably like human bite marks.
"They ate you but I felt myself getting full..." She swallows, shudders in revulsion and spits out the feeling of swallowing.
One of the dolls looks up at Zsz, "Does that mean the story you're telling us isn't true either?" The dragon puffs a welcoming ball of smoke in Cassian's direction.
"Not at all," Zsz says. "Just because some storytellers lie doesn't mean they all do."
The dolls refuse to go upstairs on, as Molly Missy puts it, "Those are guest quarters and guests who have been invited to the lodge should not feel they are being harassed by the security."
The shadows in the streets start to lengthen as the sun dips down near the horizon, your group having discovered the secrets locked in the Delvehaven since the fall of Aroden.
Zsz glances out the window and then back towards the dolls.
"I realize you likely have duties here," Zsz says, "But even if so, I think the most responsible of guards still deserves some time off."
"If any of you would like to visit the world outside this lodge, I'd be happy to offer my home as a resting place for you for however long or short a time you'd like, to however many or few of you would like to be there at any time. Since we have knowledge of how the wards work, you could return here whenever you wished."