”NO!” She suddenly puts her hands over her mouth as she realizes she shout, ”I mean I didn’t get hurt.” Then the hawk squawks at the young women, ”Fine, thank you for asking.” She says like she’s being forced too. Looking up at the ceiling to see if any more fragments are on the way down. ”What did you mean by having a dream too? And do any of you know that name I spoke of?”
"Ouch!" Durida cries out in a little bit of pain as some of the debris flies out at her. She takes a large chunk right in the side and the pain almost doubles her over. She manages to keep her footing, and inspects the new wound. "Oh my..."
Kiley stands up and goes to check on Durida. She makes a face as she sees the bruise already forming where the debris hit her.
"Alright, that should help. Let me know if it still hurts."
Kiley stretches out her side that got hit and turns to Aciera, looking a little concerned.
"Sorry, I don't know that name. The only thing that happened in my dream was someone asking, 'What's the price?'"
Kiley isn't sure what to make of Aciera yet, but she has a good idea of what the hawk is, even if only because of the glares he keeps receiving from her.
"So, does he have a name?" Kiley asks motioning to the hawk.
As the cleric unleashes a wave of positive energy it hits the young dhampir, Aciera clenches in pain for the holy power and tries to shake it off then looks on to the group hoping they didn't see hurt by it.
"Her name is Lende, she is my keeper or at least she thinks she is, hehe." The laugh is forced and uncomfortable.
Kiley looks puzzled for a moment when she sees Aciera wince from positive energy flowing into the room. Then something in the back of her head clicks. She looks positively horrified for a second before schooling her face into something like a mask. She walks over to the young witch and takes her aside before talking to her in a low whisper.
"You're not human, are you?"
She moves her hands up ready to defend her self, waiting for an attack that never happens. She whispers back, "No, I share blood with an unholy being known as the shadow man. Some call me a Dhampir, please don't attack me cause of my bloodline." As she says this Aciera keeps her hands up and Lende leaps onto your shoulder ready for action.
Kiley tries to keep her shock from causing her to cry out. She puts a hand over her mouth as her eyes go wide. She manages to walk over to the wall and use it to support herself as her breathing becomes quick and shallow, and her words stream out in a rush.
"I'm sorry. I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry. I didn't know an-an-and I... I'm sorry."
She slides down the wall until she's almost curled up into a ball. Her eyes are watery with the promise of tears to come and her body trembles.
I-I hurt someone. I hurt someone! I'm a healer, I don't want to kill people I want to help them, and I hurt someone!
Kirallah studies the two women quietly noting the unusual exchange in silence.
Perception
Pausing for a moment she tilts her head, listening.
"There's a clock in another room or hallway somewhere. It just chimed the 6th hour."
Kiley hears the clock, but her mind's too busy racing for her to determine it's meaning. She's still trembling and keeps repeating "I'm sorry." over and over in a small, quiet voice.
Maena cocks her head for a moment in reaction to the distant chiming, then turns back to watch the conversation cooly, The elf, at least, seems to be aware of her surroundings. Flying axes, broken murals, a jury I've never seen before and now a clock. Perhaps I am still dreaming.
She speaks, her tone a little harsh, "Pull yourself together, Daughter of the Dawnflower. There was no lasting harm done, and I think we have larger issues than this one's strange heritage."
Kiley flinches at Maena's tone. She slowly stands and manages to gather some of her composure back. Her voice is still shaky, but she manages to speak without stumbling over the words.
"Yes, I... well, I'm not used to causing others pain."
She waits until Maena is out of earshot before
"How bad is it, Aciera?"
"She's right, but I don't think she has the same concerns as I. I'm more worried about how I'm supposed to keep everyone in one piece. I don't have anything from my goddess that can help you today, and I'm not sure what she's going to think of me asking for a spell meant to harm people to heal you." she gets steadier as she talks, almost as if talking this out wears through the grief and the shame of what she did. "*sigh* A Dhamphir is someone sired by a vampire. I guess 'shadow man' is what they call them where you're from. Vampires are harmed by the holy energy I use to heal people. I guess they pass that curse along to the children they sire." She pauses for a second before asking, "Where are you from anyway?"
Maena's expression softens a moment at Kiley's response, but hardens again as she hears the harsh voice of one of the sisters who raised her in her thoughts, Such weakness will get you all killed...Can you count on her saving you if she fears harming the half-dead?
She turns to Kiley and speaks in a softer tone, like one giving a lesson to a child, "Inflicting pain, even accidentally, is an unfortunate part of reality... however, we cannot allow such small accidents to stay our hand when the time comes for action... Sometimes small amounts of pain are the price that must be paid to save lives." She pauses for a moment, as if trying to decide to continue, before offering, "I apologize for my tone... This place is unfamiliar, and I feared that you were losing your senses."
As Kiley steps away to have her whispered conversation, Maena's eyes narrow slightly, A half-dead, myself, and I do not think the healer is fully human either... Perhaps I was incorrect about dismissing her strange heritage... perhaps, we are here because of our respective bloodlines? No, that doesn't explain the dwarf or hobgoblin.
Halgrak
Halgrak's face turns paler as he speaks
"It's six o'clock, We have to get out of here, now.
The Sun is setting.
I don't want to be here."
And starts moving towards the double doors
surveys my surroundings seeing the cleric put out he tries to comfort her, putting a hand on her shoulder There its ok, it simply does not make sense to be upset about it as you did not know, I mean what are the odds of your energy harming? You know for the future. Besides we have more pressing matters like how we ended up here. looking at halgrak Why what happens at 6 o'clock? What happens when the sun goes down? What devilary is this place? I will find any magic that has been set loose on us
Durida sighs in relief a little as the healing energy washes over her and thanks Kiley for her aid. But her relief turns to confusion at Kiley's sudden breakdown with Aciera. Listening in to their conversation, Durida was always something of a gossip, she lends a few comforting words to Kiley as well. "Come, we should all be movin', now." She nods to Aciera as well and then realizes she hasn't introduced herself. Proffering her hand for a shake to anyone who is willing to take it, she says, "Me name is Durida Valhig."
"It's okay. Some say I already lost my senses a while ago."
Kiley smiles weakly at the self-deprecating joke. She accepts the kind words quietly, with a small nod.
Pain is not something to treat so lightly. Others shouldn't suffer just because I made a mistake, no matter how unintentional. Kiley notices the unholy symbol Maena carries.
Asmodean... She looks back at the mural on the ceiling, and something clicks in her mind. Great, she was probably smirking the whole time Durida and I were getting hurt by a big... chunk... of... She notices the hole where the sword should be. Well, that clears something up.
The thoughts spin in her head as different pieces of what is obviously a puzzle seem to fall into place. Aciera and I both had dreams. Mine was of someone asking "What's the price." Aciera saw someone she did not know, or heard about them. Kiley gets the rest of the non-jurors' attentions and brings them into a huddle.
"I think that the trial was turned into a farce, and one of them," she nods her head towards the jurors,", may have something to do with it. Aciera and I both had dreams before waking up here. I'm guessing you did, too. Mine was of someone asking "What's the price." I think someone took a bribe. I also think that all of our dreams hold clues to what happened, and I'm guessing that something is at work here to try and right a wrong. Anyone familiar with Iomedae?" She looks around, waiting for anyone to respond. You get the impression that when confronted with a puzzle, the young cleric seems to run with it trying to solve it with everything she's got.
Durida speaks quietly in response to Kiley. "I saw somethin; rather unpleasant... I saw a man bein' hanged and I thought it was me. Which is ridiculous 'cause obviously I am no man. I think it must be th' man that was on trial."
Maena frowns, "In mine, the magistrate pronounced sentence, naming the accused a kinslayer, in accordance with the jury. From his disgust and rage, it seemed the accused truly was a blackened soul and deserved to hang, though I may be allowing his passion to influence my views as I did not hear the evidence, and my natural inclination is leans heavily on the side of Justice and Discipline and so I respect the Magistrate's authority..."
She pauses for a moment, somewhat surprised by the admission, but then shakes her head and continues, "Having said that, however, I do wonder if it is wise to stand about when we have been warned that something sinister is about to happen at sunset?"
over hearing kiley I to had a dream, a woman was knitting a swaeter for a small child, and a hooded figure approached, her and she seemed very alarmed.
Surprised that the cleric doesn’t attack her after admitting her race, she gives her a light smile and whispers back ”You didn’t know, It’s okay it really didn’t hurt that much. Luckily I was ready for it just in case. Thank you for not attacking me.” She pats her cold hand onto Kiley’s hand, ”I have a spell to heal myself just in case, just like undead the unholy energy heals me but doesn’t define me.” Lende squawks proudly at that comment, let us focus on the task at hand and say all is forgiven.”[/b]
As she listens to the others share there dreams she pipes in hers, ”Mine was of a hulking man sawing off a women’s head off and carrying it like a lantern. He kept repeating himself, saying “Show me the way, Sashrala, you can do it. Use your magic to show me out of here. I love you. I love you so much”. I swear her head was still conscious after he cut it off. Soo much blood.” Her stomach growls a little bit as she finishes with those words.
Kiley listens to Maena, trying to keep an open mind, but the fact that the man could have been falsely accused and killed for money keeps coloring her thoughts. Justice bought with blood, and discipline bought with fear are as useless as a bandage already soiled and a fire that only destroys.
She looks at the Dhamphir with mixture of curiosity and horror, but mostly curiosity. I guess a hunger for blood gets passed along as well.
"That's rather gruesome. I'm surprised that you aren't ill. That's how most of the acolytes react when they first see more than a scratch."
Kiley thinks for a minute before saying anything further.
"I think something is trying to right a wrong here, but I also agree with Maena about staying here. We need to find a way out, or at the least see if there are any clues."
She turns to the jurors and makes her voice loud enough to be heard and understood, but soft enough, she hoped anyway, to keep the ceiling from raining down on their heads.
"Anyone remember the way out?"
Kirallah listens to the others describe their dreams.
"I do not sleep in the traditional manner, and while unconscious I had no dreams. Someone is tampering with the minds of those here, a sick experiment. We should find the persons who put us here."
as Run to the door and opens it.
He goes left runs to the double doors and tries to open them.
with a fear full of fear and fear soaking his voice
"S**t, were trapped here."
the other members of the original jury follow Halgrak
Kiley does a quick look at the two groups, and comes to the very sobering realization that she is one of the strongest present. Oh, we are in trouble if we have to bust that door down.
"Don't suppose anyone has any ideas?"
"We can try findin' another way out. Maybe a back door?" Durida doesn't seem to like the idea of exploring more of this seemingly haunted place, but it may be there best chance at escaping.
Room 1
Eight enormous marble pillars fill this great
hall, holding aloft grand balconies. Years of dust
cover the floor, and muslin coverings are draped
over the railings of baroque staircases curling
like lazy serpents up to the raised landings
above. A rusted chandelier above sheds the dim
light of a few guttering candles. An impressive
grandfather clock more than ten feet tall rests
against the center of the western wall, its face
decorated with guilty souls suffering Asmodeus’
torments: evisceration, force-feasting of coals,
scalding blades tearing them apart, and other
less savory punishments. The clock stands
between a set of impressive oak doors and a
lone oak door of equitable splendor, identical
to another set across the hall. The largest set of
doors is at the south end of this long hall. They
are barred against the night.
Letting out a big puff of smoke as he talks
"HA HA HA Halgrak is scared little b****."
he tries the doors and they don't move a inch.
Takes a big drag on his cigar and streams the smoke out angrily
"Who's the F***er pulling this sh**.
I think they locked her up from the outside.
When I find the A**-Monkey, They are Dogmeat."
in his british accent
"Oh my it does appear as if we are trapped here."
“You don’t fear lads, Old Tablark’s seen more ghosts
than these walls ’ave rats. Nothing to quake
about. We’ll send this foul spirit a’packin’ or
me clan name ain’t Hammergrind!”
she starts to play with her necklace.
She whispers to Kiley and the other non-jurors, "I wonder what they know of this place that we don't. I'm sure if we can find a room with a window they should have them to well barred." After she says that the young dhampir sneaks over to the door in the northern part of the room (The one that shares another door with the previous room.) She listens on the door before she thinks about opening it.
Kirallah quietly studies the jurors, trying to gage their responses to the circumstances and likely course of action.
"Perhaps. That might be our best bet." Kiley whispers back. She follows the young woman, but makes sure to leave her backpack behind. She tries to match the witch's stealthy steps, but manages to almost trip over her own two feet. She looks apologetically at Aciera as the noise echos off the walls. She also puts her ear up to the door to see if she can hear anything.
Maena shifts uncomfortably, I know not what is going on, nor who can be trusted. It would be so much easier if I could just put them all to the Question until I got the truth of the situation... She sighs for a moment, then shakes her head, I will need to be more subtle in my determinations, I suppose.
"I am curious, good Tablark, what you know of this ghost?"
"I know Nuttin about him, but I'll send him back to were he came from."
Kiley Sherrow Perception Check please
Will Saves Everyone