Bree keeps to the Drow tongue since all are able to speak and understand it thanks to the creepy old elf who cursed them all with Drow form. She wouldn't want to be overheard speaking anything else.
"Indeed, and might know where other slave holdings are, as well as can probably lead us more quickly through the slave quarters when needed."
Do you keep the tour-order or go to the slavemother at once?
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Finish the tour and head in, it's just info at this point, so a summary and back to the mother would be great :)
The rooms in the far north of the house are kennels, stables and a torture chamber. In the larger stable cave geckos and smaller lizards are kept (which are still large enough to be ridden) - while in the smaller stable only a very special breed of lizard mounts are kept, beasts nearly as tall as warhorses, imposing predators of the Underdark.
Close to the "standard" torture chamber, where the tools look just handy, is a "performance" torture chamber, here everything looks like it was designed from a mad designer with a soft spot for great cruelty.
The last rooms on your tour are a large ballroom and the Hall of Ancestors where long rows of portrays line the walls. In the centre of the room is a fenced area in which strange flesh-warped drow wander around...their bodies are highly mutated and they rather remind you of living artworks than of humanoid creatures.
Katerin grimaces and flatly states "Charming" at the sight of the perverted monstrosities of flesh.
Bree finds herself with her arms crossed beneath her breasts, hands resting on the pommel of her daggers as she thinks of her brother in the hands of these people. Her expression remains stoic, however and she says nothing.
Winter continues modelling his grim and humourless personality, partly to maintain an air of discipline, and half because he wants to smite the Denmother into the next age of man.
Kabal spit to the ground at the sight of the mishapen drow in the cage but he grinned in spite of the horror... at least they did it to other drow... He shuffled his feet and hoped their little procession would move along soon.
Still shook by the disgusting sight, eventhough only on the inside, you return to the Slavemother's interrogation chamber. Undamesta still sits behind her stone table, like a queen giving audience to subalterns.
Here again? she doesn't seem to be overly happy to meet you again.
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"Yes, Slavemother. We have taken in sights of your wondrous halls, and I found my eye caught by one of the beasts you keep. As all of our help seems to have been... left behind on the surface, we are in need of a body or two that we might have at our disposal. One of the lizard-beasts seems capable. What price would you ask of its purchase?"
Bree finds herself reaching for her braid, her hand making it halfway before she sees her own dark drow skin and stops halfway there. Instead she adjusts her clothing and crosses her arms beneath her breasts. She allows herself the briefest of fantasies; lunging across the stone table and slicing the Slavemother's throat.
Undamesta arches an eyebrow
Just arrived and already asking for something? Well, the one you speak of is a troglodyte I know very well, a strong one and cunning...I'm not sure you are able to handle that slave properly...
Unwilling to let Sable falter so early, Sebastian smoothly steps in to override his faltering attempts with his own honeyed words "What he means to say is use this as a test... if we handle the beast well, then you know you have chosen well... if not, then you have cheaply discovered that we should instead be destroyed"
Diplomacy:
Good call ;)
The slavemother was about to get angry and dismiss the whole idea, when Sebastian's honeyed words bring the conversation to a pleasant end
A test...indeed, I like testing...200 pieces of gold and the slave is yours.
"What means to say is use this as a test...
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"We accept your conditions." Sable goes to reach for her (his) coinpurse, "Most of the coin I have on my person are sums pried from the cold hands of surface dwellers. Will these be acceptable, Slavemother?" Sable will pull out a fistful of golden coins, offering to allow her to inspect them if she wishes.
The slavemother doesn't seem irritated by the coins at all
Nice tokens these are...do you know anything about them...for example, where was this one minted?
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"As I understand it, these coins from a port town by one of their oceans. A place full of chaotic vagabonds without purpose or function. A place ripe for the plucking, or picking rather. A den full of daggers and throats calling to be slit by a neighbor down on her luck."
Sable blatantly expresses his disdain for the slums of Riddleport.
"Whether these were minted there or a city nearby, I cannot say."
Sable pulls out a few of the Gold Eyes he kept from the casino. "These I pried from, well let's just say she was less than fortunate. Trinkets of small monetary value, but hoarded like they were dragon's gold by those who kept them. I collected a few as trophies. Please take a few of them as a novelty."
Your knowledge of the surface world is impressive. How long have you been there and what other stories of the Lands of Sun do you know?
the slavemother seems genuinely intrigued.
No...I have not but I heard that the lands above are even vaster than below, more varied, colourful...so many races, so many possible slaves...anyway, your knowledge of the surface world could turn you into a much more useful member of House Vonnarc than I had thought in the first place. Return to your chambers now, I have to talk to some people.
Bree is concerned that it is a trap, something about the Slavemother's inquiries has her on edge. She fears that somehow someone said or did something wrong that gave them away. She keeps her fingers wrapped around her daggers and her eyes opened as they make their way back to their quarters.
"That all went reasonably well. We just need to maintain our discipline and edge, no doubt we'll be used as cheap fodder for some nefarious deed. Out of towners always make good lackeys, because they can always be removed in the clean up afterwards and no one will notice or care. Never mind, it is all good information... speaking of information, what did we need to know about this...place" Winter enquires whilst gesturing he means the broader settlement.
Back in their chambers, Kabal dropped his kit and took a set on an available chair. He began methodically sharpening his falcate despite the enchanted blade having never lost its edge. It was more of a means to keep his mind off of their predicament than a need to maintain his gear.
We're in the thick of it now. We have the slave mother's full attention and we're surrounded by enemies.
Bree seats herself near Kabal and begins doing the same to her daggers. "I just want to get out of here as quickly as we can, preferably with as little fighting as we can manage."
It takes quite a while until there's suddenly knocking at your door
It's me, Gadak...I got your servitor plans.
Bree moves to the door, using the door to conceal the dagger that is still in her hand. She pauses a moment to look at her companions to see if there is any reason to wait to open the door.
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Caterine shrugs at Bree's implicit question, but keeps a hand readily near her whip handle just in case.
I heard that you have bought a slave...an interesting choice. He is kept in his own cell now...but he's still in the cell block down the corridor. Well, back to your servitor plans...You're lucky, Undamesta gives you the option to choose whether you want to be a house servant or a guard servant.
Gadak slowly enters the room and reminds you a bit of a shy cat, ever ready to flee.
Winter looks across to the women folk, awaiting their instruction on the matter.
"Guards of course... our blades are not for show"
Winter just curtly nods understanding.
Bree, bored with nothing to readily stab, returns to her spot by Kabal and resumes sharpening her many daggers.
Gadak arches an eyebrow
Guards? All of you? How uncommon...maybe I should emphasize that a guard's life is much shorter than that of a house servant...I mean in general.
He takes out a coal pen and begins to write your names down
Kabal had no idea what being a house servant would entail but knew his skills would fit being a guard fine enough. He didn't like the veiled threat from the snotty drow at all though.
Bah! We've lived this gods damned long and survived the surface haven't we?
"Be silent," Bree says softly, but with evident threat to Kabal. "We wish to work as guards. We enjoy having the opportunity to kill. Is that a problem, Gakak?"
Sebastian initially is intrigued by the the though of the house servant job. The opportunity to learn of the Drow would be greater in close proximity to those in power. But the danger level would be higher as well...much higher. Simpler to disguise playing a dumb sword-swinger, how hard can that be? And hopefully much further from the whips.
He is relieved when that seems to be the consensus.
Well...your choice...follow me to the Lady of the Blade.
Gadak turns around, he seems a bit disappointed, and for a second it sounded like he sighed.
He leads you out of the palace into the gloom of the courtyard again, every now and then purple lightnings ripple down from the towers' spires and bathe the place into a ghostly unlight.
To your right, in a separated area, two long columns of black-clad soldiers silently train standard sword tactics - attack, parry, dodge...
Gadak points at the warriors
Go over there and ask for her..she will know where to use you.
Caterine doesn't respond to Gadak, instead moving over to where he indicated - coiled whip held in one hand.
Bree curtly nods to Gadak and with Caterine and Sable, walks towards where he says the Lady of Blade can be found.
Winter grins, wondering how this might end.
Kabal nearly groaned aloud at the sight of what he considered a 'rooky program' in session but then reassessed that some of his pals playing the part of soldier could use a little training in the basics. He muttered under his breath once they were far enough away from their guide.
Back to school with a bunch of bloody cut throats... Well, this should be fun. Ten gold to the first one to draw drow blood?
Bree smirks at Kabal's challenge. "I'll take that bet."