Victrix remains a mystery to Simon, but he gets a hunch that the ugothol feels some sort of emotional connection to the aasimar, bizarre as that might seem.
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Internally shrugging, Simon passes over the exchange. Probably sees her as some kind of provider, or that cultivating an attachment will help it to survive. Certainly no different that a human marrying an orc.
"First, I think we need a name for you, something human sounding. Does your species have gender? If so, are you male or female?"
"We have no genders," the creature says. "We are capable of producing both sets of sexual organs for the purposes of procreation."
Ema shuddered at that last response about "procreation" as flashes of her past torment came back to her. Her face turning green Ema said, "I can't take this conversation," she said stiffly. With that she turned and left, heading back for her room, to try and get the memories to stop.
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Well, that is certainly going to make it hard to control their numbers. I suppose that is mostly Ramona's problem now, though I need to make sure the colony stays safe if the research facilities are going to prosper.
Simon's hand starts involuntarily gripping on the spear shaft and he schools it to stillness, but understands Ema's reaction.
"Ema, please, don't go far. We can't afford to split up right now."
Returning to his examination of the ugothol, he continues "I will call you 'Gary', I think. How about numbers? Is it just you, or are there others?"
"Truth be told, I don't have any real preference as to how you appear." Victrix shrugs at the ugothol.
"I will call you 'Gary', I think. How about numbers? Is it just you, or are there others?"
"I'm pretty sure they're the only one." The aasimar looks back at Simon, sparing a glance at Ema as she (understandably) retreats.
"I am the only one. If others survived the fight here, they have no interest at trying to integrate themselves with your community again. I am hoping to forge a new path for myself," 'Gary' says.
"If you have no preference for my appearance, I shall change myself now so that we may meet with your governor. The process is...uncomfortable. I would prefer privacy for it."
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"Perhaps a birthmark. They make people uncomfortable, for some reason. If they have a more nornal reason to be uncomfortable around you, maybe they'll be less conscious of other irregularities?
Gary is a man's name, so be male. Probably on the younger side to explain why you don't habe a trade already."
Victrix glances at Simon before approaching 'Gary' and handing them the bundle of clothes. They're rather plain--a grey tunic, pants and brown shoes.
"Here ya go." She gives 'Gary' a smile before turning back to Simon and walking away.
She keeps her back turned to 'Gary' as he changes shape.
'Gary' disappears into the undergrowth. For several minutes, you can hear horrible popping and squelching sounds, accompanied by cries of agony. Finally, after an uncomfortably long ten minutes, a young human man emerges, wearing the clothes Victrix offered. He has short, sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, and looks fairly nondescript. He breathes heavily, the transformation clearly having taken a lot out of him.
"Is this acceptable?"
Victrix's eyes widen in surprise and horror when the sounds of popping and squelching start coming from the woods. The agonized cries cause her to look over at Simon, wondering if he feels the same thing.
...I'm suddenly more appreciative of my own shapeshifting power. Ramona said that it was painful for them to transform, but... by Cayden's mug, how can anyone be so cruel to do that to them?
When she turns around to see 'Gary', she approaches him and nods. "...y-yes, that'll do just fine."
She reaches down and takes 'Gary' by the hand.
Gary hesitates before taking Victrix's hand. He smiles, then, the shy smile of a young man whose crush just told him she likes him. With a glance at Simon, he allows the aasimar to lead him into the town to meet with Ramona.
Ramona spends quite a while interrogating 'Gary,' questioning his motives and whether or not he will commit to the terms she has set for his life in Talmandor's Bounty. At length, she relents, seemingly satisfied with his answers. At least, for the time being.
It is very late at night when the governor finally releases the ugothol into Victrix's custody. 'Gary' looks around and lets out a soft sigh. "Thank you again for everything you have done for me. I will make sure you do not regret it."
Ema ignored Simon's request, she wasn't staying close to that thing and she needed to get her mind off of it. Unfortunately she was pretty sure that being alone wasn't going to work. She decided to do something she didn't think she'd ever done before and headed towards the bar.
When she got there she went straight to the bar and Ema said, "I want to forget things, what have you got that will work?"
Tending the bar, the rail-thin Helbret Koors eyes Ema with a quirked eyebrow. "I have some pretty heady spiced coconut rum. A few glasses of that, especially with your lithe frame, and the rest of the evening will be nothing but a pleasant blur."
Ema thought it over and then nodded sharply, "Yes, let's try it." She wasn't going to tell anyone about Gary, that simply wasn't happening, because even though she felt this was a terrible idea she knew of one Stalker that pulled it off and thus it was possible that a second could. She grudgingly accepted that it had the right to try and she wouldn't foil that but she would be ready to end it with a rather large "I told you so" should it prove her right.
When the drink was served she quickly took a deep swig before giving a gasping cough. It took her a minute to say more and then she managed to get out, "Yes, I think this'll work."
Helbret clucks his tongue. "Just... Make sure you have a safe place to go to at the end of the night. The Eagle's Roost is not responsible for any lapses in judgment you might make while intoxicated."
Ema nodded firmly before taking another, deep drink, of the rum. She managed a few more deep swallows before she finished the glass.
Ema made it through four glasses, much to the bartender's shock, and started on her fifth when she was getting buzzed. "Hey, the shoughtsh went away," she had a flash of what was disturbing her again and said, "Nope, it didn'.
"One more pleash!" She got her fifth drink and just managed to finish it when the weight of the alcohol finally overwhelmed her and sent her from buzzed to thunk! Ema's face hit the table after the fifth drink leaving her stunned.
When Simon picked her up to take her home Ema was little more than an Ema shaped lump of boneless flesh. She had just enough focus left to look at his eyes and slurr out, "Awwwww, Big Broshshshsh....Big Bro Schiiiiimon'sh taking me ome."
Ema's head lolled against Simon's shoulder and she giggled, "I should shank you Shimoo." With that she seemed to lose consciousness as the rum had the exact effect that she desired.
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Moving Ema outside as gently as possible, Simon whispers soothingly. "Don't worry, Ema. You're safe. Sleep it off."
Once outside, Simon uses Enlarge Person to make it easier to move and carries her home as gently as possible.
Tucking her into bed, he makes sure a bucket and pitcher of water are nearby, then heads to the kitchen to brew a dose of Alchemist's Kindness. Sitting where he can hear if Ema needs anything, he waits or Victrix to come home.
Victrix feels quite relieved when Ramona's interrogation concludes.
"Thank you again for everything you have done for me. I will make sure you do not regret it."
"You're welcome." Victrix nods.
"How're you feeling now?"
"Nervous, but cautiously optimistic. And, uh, a tad hungry..."
Victrix nods and leads Gary off to a quiet, secluded spot to feed.
"Now, there's the question of where you're going to live." She starts as she takes off the top of her chainmail. "I'm thinkin' of getting a house built for Antona and I--and I could see about buildin' another room for you to live with us."
"I would like that. If you will have me." Gary's body turns itself inside out as he snaps back to his natural form, then he gently puts his face against Victrix's neck and sticks his tongues into it to feed.
Victrix lets out a little giggle as Gary's tongues poke into her neck again. "Well, I'll have to make sure Antona's comfortable with it, too..."
After a short time, the ugothol withdraws its tongues. "I hope so. I do not want her to be afraid of me. And... I want to be close to you."
Victrix pauses before digging out her last oil of lesser restoration and rubbing it on her neck.
Then she nods. "Anyway, do you have somewhere to live in the meantime?"
"There are still several tents outside the palisade for the newly arrived colonists who have yet to have houses built for them. Ramona instructed me to dwell there for the time being."
"Okay then." The aasimar starts putting her chainmail back on.
"I... I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, then. Stay safe."
Gary nods and stalks off. Victrix returns home to find Simon waiting up for her...
"Hey, Simon." Victrix waves to the half-orc as she returns home. "How's Ema doing?"
Victrix looks at Ema with a sympathetic eye. "Hmm. Well, make sure she has plenty of water to drink in the morning. That should mitigate the worst of her hangover."
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"Yes, and I brewed her some..." Simon squints at Victrix's neck, then looks away and blushes "...um.... some Alchemist's Kindness. That should help with her head at least." he stammers out.
Plopping back down in the chair, he busies himself straightening things that don't need to be straightened. "You should be careful. I noticed that Gary has formed some kind of emotional attachment to you. That can't end well for either of you."
Victrix blinks. "Oh...?"
...emotional attachment? ...maybe I shouldn't be surprised by that. I mean, I'm pretty much the only one who's been treating him with basic kindness--
She shakes her head. "I'll keep that in mind. I'm guessing that'll be a conversation to have with him another day..."
...and with Antona.
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"Yes. I noticed the way he was looking at you during our encounter earlier. I am not sure what his actual feelings are. He probably doesn't either."
Simon chuckles. "If you're not careful, you might end up as some type of god figure. In ten thousand years, archaeologists will come back to this island and find a giant statue of you with smaller statues of shapeshifters bowing to it."
Settling back into the chair and getting as comfortable as possible, he yawns. "Go ahead. Get some rest. I'll stay here in the hallway in case she has a nightmare or something. Tomorrow, I think I'll go visit with the Locath to do some shopping and see if we can find out anything about this underwater city."
The night passes without incident. The next day, Simon heads north from the colony to meet with the locathah. Koloshkora is happy to catch up with the investigator to trade stories and wares.
"Talasantri is a major trade hub for aquatic people of all sorts," she says. "They view surface dwellers with suspicion there, though. The majority of its citizens are merfolk and aquatic elves, but there is a sizable population of our people there, as well as a smattering of other people."
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"Suspicion... I suppose that is understandable. Surface dwellers certainly would not be common.
We would like to visit the city regardless. Would your contacts within the city perhaps be able to provide some introductions to help us learn to move about the city more freely or guide us? Help us to learn the local customs so we don't stand out any more than necessary?
We are also interested in locating someone named Rillkimatai. Do you know this person?"
"We will send word to the local locathahs that you will be visiting soon," Koloshkora says. "They'll send somebody to meet with you when you arrive to guide you through the city.
"Everybody in Talasantri knows Rillikimatai! He is an aquatic elf seer who has lead the city for over a hundred years. He is a hero to the city and well-respected."
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"Thank you, Koloshkora, that will be very helpful. It might be a couple of weeks yet before we are ready to take the trip. I will let you know before we depart so that arrangements can be made."
Simon is surprised to learn that the elf they are supposed to meet is so important. "Leader of the city and a hero? That is very interesting. I should make sure to learn as much as I can of Rillikimatai before we leave.
Tell me, is it hard gain an audience with him? We do have an introduction message of sorts from a surface elf who seems to know him, if that helps."
"It will likely not be easy for surface dwellers such as yourselves," Koloshkora admits. "Perhaps if you befriend an important patron in the city, they could put in a good word with you with Rillikimatai."
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"Do you have any contact with anyone who would be considered an important patron?
I also mean to check in with Vriskirsa, to update her with our current status. I'll have to remember to ask her as well."
Simon will complete the shopping tasks, additionally purchasing another 20 potion sponges.
As he is preparing to head back to town, he remembers one last important thing. "Koloshkora, I imagine it is possible that we will need to spend multiple days in Talasantri or the surrounding area. Are there structures available where we could get out of the water for a time?
We should have water breathing sorted out, but we will need to rest, study spellbooks, brew extracts, and that sort of thing."