"Whoa, whoa, easy there! We're not here ta hurt ya. Promise. We were sent ta find the cook, her employer is all worried about her goin missin!"
Paul turns and sees the wolverine - claws extended - leaping toward Alar.
His eyes narrow...
"You picked the wrong guy to mess with, bub," he thinks when sees The Wolverine.
|
"Something shape-shifty just attacked Alar!" Bart rushes forward into the cavern, grabbing at his amulet for security, and tries to determine as he moves toward his friend what the creature is. He stops a good fifteen feet away from the critter and holds up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, easy there! We're not here ta hurt ya. Promise. We were sent ta find the cook, her employer is all worried about her goin missin!"
Hearing Bart's call, Ayreth rushes around the corner to assess and assist and casts Guidance on herself.
Just as Bart calls out, trying to calm the wolverine, it snarls and rears up. From the opposite side, behind one of the hanging canvasses a young woman in scratched studded leather armor with wild hair rushes out , growling. Her skin is covered in small patches of short fur, and as she growls, you can see prominent canines. Her eyes are bestial as well, deep amber and slit like a feline. She is armed with a rapier and a dagger, and wildly swings the first weapon at Alar, hissing as she does "Leeeave mee aloone!", the wolverine attacks simultaniously. Alar is untouched by the woodland creature,and the woman strikes a well placed blow, but it bounces off his magical armor.
"We mean you no harm. Are you Leera? Do you know of her?"
Blue Heron moves to interpose herself between the boy and the shape changer but makes no move to attack
"That's definitely Leera. Her scent is the same. Leera, listen, we're not here ta hurt ya. Dalviss is worried about you and he sent us to help. Well, actually he sent us to look for the rock that fell from the sky, but first he asked us to look for you." Bart wrinkles his nose and chews on the straw between his teeth. Alar doesn't react, his armor accepting the blows. Then he carefully takes a five foot step back away from the pair, not exposing himself to more attacks or looking away, but not attacking either.
Gii is surprised by the sudden appearance of the wolverine and Leeara, but regains his wits quickly. "They speak the truth. We mean you no harm, lady Leeara. We only wish to bring you back, safe and sound," he assures.
Leeara's frantic movements and wild eyes seem to calm a little (she is still unfriendly/hostile, but she seems to be willing to listen to you). She peers at you with prominent feline eyes, noting the number of your party and listening to the tone of your voices. She still holds the rapier and dagger before her but she isn't attempting to attack you at this time as none of you are attempting to harm her or the wolverine guardian.
"Leeeave mee aloone!", the wolverine attacks simultaniously.
When Bart see's the woman relax he gives a sigh of relief and plops down onto the ground, relaxing. "Guess we know what happened to those crazy guys at the front of the cave... Alar, come here, give them some space, yeah?"
Bart breathes a bit easier now that it looked like they could avoid fighting, but after a moment he knew it wasn't quite over yet. Leeara was still fearful of them, and probably with good reason. Doing his best to play up the fact that he was a kid, Bart stretched a little, exaggerating his height and drawing attention to how short he was. People liked kids. Usually. "First things first, are you alright? Gii over there's not half bad with healin, if you need a check up. When you're ready o course, unless it be serious or sometin."
"First things first, are you alright? Gii over there's not half bad with healin, if you need a check up. When you're ready o course, unless it be serious or sometin."
Paul glances at the woman, and then the wolverine.
Knowing that wolverines enjoy the taste of rabbit, he fishes some of the scraps of dried rabbit meat out of his pocket and tosses it to the wolverine.
"Hey bub, it's alright - we ain't here to bleed you... We're mates, see?" he says and tosses the scraps of meat to the animal.
Gii leans heavily on his staff, glad that she appears to have calmed down for the moment. "Yes, I can provide aid if you are in need of it."
"It's a summoned creature, Paul. It might only like celestial rabbit." Bart chuckles a little, but then adds, "Or fiendish? I don't know which side ya called him from but he's an impressive critter."
"It's a summoned creature, Paul. It might only like celestial rabbit." Bart chuckles a little, but then adds, "Or fiendish? I don't know which side ya called him from but he's an impressive critter."
"A gods damned summoned monster, eh? Huh - who knew..."
The woman backs up (to U3), taking stock of everyones' position. She nods to the wolverine and it backs away as well (to V4), though still baring its teeth. Clearly she is still wary of the interlopers to her hideaway.
She squints her eyes and bares her own teeth.
"Whaaat do yooou wannt?"
Bart frowns at Paul and takes a moment to free the straw from his teeth to stick his tongue at the man. "I think I did, considering I just said it! And she probably knew too since she summoned the thing... I think?"
Bart takes a breath, then sticks his straw back between his teeth to chew on it. Inwardly he was a nervous wreck. He did not want to start a fight with her again and she was clearly having a lot of trouble. "I mentioned earlier. Dalviss be callin the lot of us... well most of us, some of us just sorta tagged along, to check out the rock that fell from the sky. Others tink its a star, Dalviss tinks its a ship, and we're ta investigate. But then he's sayin that people are startin ta go missin and well I ain't one to turn away from folk that need help. He mentioned you by name, was quite worried about ya, and he asked us ta help ya get home. Not sure whats going on wit ya or if ya want to go home, so I guess what I'm tryin ta say is... we want ta help. You. The town. Dalviss. Anyone dat needs it, I'd say."
"That Mister Crenn sent us. He's mighty worried; wants you back at the inn, where you're safe. What say you? Will you return with us to Dustpawn? We're at your service!", she said in her usual jovial fashion, with a smile on her face.
"That Mister Crenn sent us. He's mighty worried; wants you back at the inn, where you're safe. What say you? Will you return with us to Dustpawn? We're at your service!", she said in her usual jovial fashion with a smile on her face.
Paul glances at Yuki, and shrugs.
"Yeah - it's alright - we're friends... You understand? We're hear to help," he says, trying to talk to the lady directly.
Leera relaxes the tense grip on her blades and her posture slouches slightly. Brushing away some of the black, tangled hair that has fallen in her face, you can see that one of her ears has almost totally transformed and the other, only slightly pointed. She lets out a mewing sound, that could be interpreted as a sigh. Again she looks at the group, and then looks towards the exit behind them. She leans against the wall, most of the fight out of her, and suddenly seems exhausted.
"Damn thiiiis affliccction. Daaaamn thattt womman. Thiss niiightmare doesn't seemmm to ennnd!"
"Affliction? That why ya smell like a cat and got all that changin goin on?" Bart glances to Alar briefly, to confirm that scent, and then looks over to Gii. "Ya know what she's talking about? Anyway ta cure it, maybe?"
Leeara gives a little hiss at some recent, bad memory.
"Leaderrrr shooooot withhh bolttttt. Poissson. Chaaaangge." She gives a few cat-like growls, before sinking back against the wall closest to her nest, shrinking away from the light.
"If I may, miss Leeara? I would like to check your body, to see if there is any way I can help you. Would that be alright?" Gii keeps his distance, hoping to not provoke the woman.
Bart grins as he pulls up his shirt and the mithral chain shirt beneath it, revealing a horrid looking bruise that was well on its way to healing itself. "Some kind of log thing hit us in the other room! Damn near killed me I tink. But Gii over there went and healed me right up! He's pretty smart too. Been teachin me a few tings about my own magic. I bet he can help."
Bart turns to Alar and the Lion turns to face Bart, and suddenly the young lad goes quiet, though it seemed like he was focusing on something intently. In truth he was having a private discussion with Alar, trying to figure out what could be affecting the woman.
Blue Heron smiles, "Much that is strange is happening, but do not doubt that we want help you."
Leeara hears the request and at first shies away, deeper in the shadows of the rock wall, before emerging back into the light, with a low meow and hiss.
"Yessss. Checkkk."
Bartholomew tilts his head to the side, then opens his mind to the magic aura's of the world around him. He tried to do as Gii suggested, but this time he tried to do it with Leeara's aura instead, opening his mind to the magic around her.
|
|
Ayreth backs up and waits by the entrance. No need to overwhelm the poor woman. Her comrades seem to be successfully talking Leeara down, and she does not want to break that flow. "If I can help in any way, please let me know," she quietly says, sitting down with her back against the wall. She offers Leeara a friendly smile.
Gii nods, handing his weapon to Bart before moving slowly to approach Leeara. When he arrives at her side, he begins to look the woman over for any obvious sources of the affliction. Still being careful not to seem threatening, he asks while inspecting her, "Miss Leeara, does the name 'Dominion of the Black' mean anything to you?"
Yuki moves away. Happy she could help. But with medical and magic things not so much. This aint her cup of tea
"Ill let you guys handle the rest"
she gives them room to help the poor girl out
-Posted with Wayfinder
Bart blinks when he finally see's it. He barely understood it really, but he saw it. Her Aura was almost self destructive with how it looked, violent, savage and turning on herself. He could almost see her mind deteriorating as he watched the Aura continue to change her. With a wince, he stands and steps toward Gii cautiously. "Stuffy Pants, ya might want ta see this."
Bart recasts his detect magical spell and signals for Gii to do the same, then looks to the woman for a moment. His reusing stuffy pants wasn't to infuriate Gii but to calm his own mind with a bit of humor. He respected the man by now, especially for what he was willing to teach, but Bart was still not quite used to just how cruel the world could be despite his own experiences. It helped to make jokes. "It be magic, not a disease. It's changin ya and bad. Tink it's going ta take your mind if its not stopped. I tink... I tink its outta my league. How about you, Gii?"
Gii gives Bart a hard look, too wrapped up in his inspection to find the joke funny. He gestures softly, casting a spell and using it to inspect the woman.
"Miss Leeara, does the name 'Dominion of the Black' mean anything to you?"
A series of small growls issued forth from Leeara and she pointed a taloned finger toward the other, small chamber/cavern.
"Yesssss. Deaddddd mennnn folllow meee." She shook her head as if attempting to clear her mind and order her thoughts.
Somehow she seemed to be able to speak more clearly for a moment. "Followed four strangers from inn. South into hills. Nesher Mine. They meet with tall woman. In dark, sparkly robe. Speak in language I do not under-stand. Strange orbs, crystals on table. I grab one and run. Woman saw and shoot with crossbow. Fled, but poisoned." Leeara points to her nest. "Orb in nest. Somewhere." Suddenly a series of growls and meows erupted from her mouth and words were harder to speak, again.
Leeara scratched at the festering wound on her shoulder where the crossbow bolt hit her. "Helllppp meeee."
Gii nods at Bart. "You're right," he says to the man. Turning back to Leeara, he holds out a hand. "Miss Leeara, I have an idea. What is afflicting you in a potent magic. I believe I may be able to dispel it, at least temporarily. But I cannot say what will happen if I try. Do you want me to attempt to?" The Nethian looks her straight in the eyes, and there is no falsehood to be heard in his voice or seen behind his spectacles.
"Just wait a few minutes, miss Leeara, and I will ask great Nethys for a way to help you." Gii kneels down where he stands, and begins to pray for guidance.
After fifteen minutes, Gii stands once again and then smiles softly at the woman. "In his grace, great Nethys has helped me find the answer I seek. I shall now try to cleanse your body of this dark magic."
Leeara watched the knelt man for minutes and then he stood and touched her in hopes of ridding the affliction from her.
Leeara closed her feline eyes and waited. She opened them and looked down at her hands, her body. "Workkk? Healllled?"
She waited again, but Leeara did not feel (or look) differently and she let out a long wail.
Gii frowns, the magic still coursing through her body. "Blast. Maybe if we can get you back to town, the church can help," the Nethian ponders, turning back to look at the rest of the group.
Yuki nods. It wasnt the best idea to leave her here not to mention leave her here like this
-Posted with Wayfinder