Eri just turns away from him, rolls her eyes, and sighs. As far as she was concerned there was no "true god". There was just her Goddess that she had known from a young age. The one that would whisper things to her in the dark, the one that eventually freed her from her cage when she was ready to be done with her "master". The one that has always been with her and helped her in her darkest hour. The one that helped her say what she needed to in order to get the stupid humans arguing. Gio and the others helped too...but she believed in her Goddess with all her heart and nothing would dissuade her from her belief.
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The man looked at Gio, and with the same whispered yet loud tone, "And what symbol would that be? The True God has many faces."
"The pentagram of Asmodeus," Gio replies in a dull tone.
"There should be one in your quarters. Your coming was anticipated."
She nods, "Of course it was." Looking over at the man she asks, "I suppose there will be clean clothes in there for us that fit us perfectly as well? I'm pretty sure we are all going to want to get cleaned up and don't want to put these filthy rags back on."
Gio simply shrugs. He longed to have the cold metal of the holy symbol between his fingers once more, to have the power Asmodeus bestowed upon him at his disposal and the comfort of his conviction restored.
"This is quite generous, oh they even have my size." Aleister says gathering up a few items.
"A man does not know about the fit, but each room has a special hot spring that will rejuvenate. Blessed by your Benefactor," The man responded back to the girl.
She nods, "Well...he said that we were expected, so I'm sure they planned on having stuff that would fit you. It is pretty generous at that, it makes me wonder what we're gonna be expected to do to earn it." Looking over at the man she gives him a half smile, "That will be most welcome, so thank you and our benefactor."
Raising an eyebrow at the elvish phrase, Ravannalonna takes in the array of weapons and armor. "I am afraid I find armor to be far too...inhibiting, though a crossbow may be useful in an emergency." she says.
"Ok. Lead the way mister... Uhh, what was your name again?" The Halfling asks.
Heading to the door, he turned the Halfling, "A man is no one. But if you prefer a name, Taqan will suffice."
Taking the lead once more, it doesn't take long to reach your quarters. Each door is labeled as such: Child of Beasts, One who lives between, Daughter of the Damned, Angelic Champion of Devils.
"Each have been tailored to your tastes."
Smiling at her door she points to it and says, "That's me!" Laughing a little she goes in the room and kind of ooohhh's and aahhh's at what she finds. The things on the bed were nice, but just the thought of having a comfortable bed to sleep on was enough to make her happy. She tests the softness of the mattress on the bed before laying back on top of the soft thick covers and sighing, "Ahhhh...now that's the stuff." She says before getting up and looking around at the other stuff in the room. There's a basin with nice smelling soap and a rack with a clean towel and wash cloth of soft thick material on it. The room seems pretty simple in taste since Eri is a simple person. There is nothing extravagant about the room, but everything is suited to her needs.
Setting her axe and armor down in the closet she goes to the box and opens it. Inside the box is, an explorers outfit that fits her perfectly and includes black leather sturdy boots, black leather breeches, a belt, a dark red shirt with a black vest, black gloves, and a black cloak. The outfit has plenty of pockets for her to store trinkets or whatever she might need to put in them. A grooming kit, a barbarian's kit, and a compass. Just the bare necessities since she doesn't like carrying around a bunch of stuff with her.
Smiling at her find she leans her head out the door and says, "I'm gonna get cleaned up now, I'll see you guys later." Closing her door she strips out of her nasty rags and tosses them in a pile on the floor to dispose of later. Grabbing the washcloth and soap she goes to the hot spring pool and steps down into it, sighing as she lowers her tired aching muscles into the water. Taking the nice smelling soap from the basin, she scrubs herself vigorously to get off all the dirt and grime that had accumulated on her in the last several days. She cleans every single surface and then some, making sure to get the dirt out from under her nails and scrubbing her skin until it tingled. Finally she scrubs her head twice and washes the soap out until it feels smooth and clean. Once she's done with her bathing ritual, she wrings the extra water out of her hair before getting out of the pool and dries off with her towel. With the towel wrapped around her she goes to the wooden box and pulls out the grooming kit. Going to the basin, she uses the chewing stick and powder to clean her teeth thoroughly, before taking the comb and scissors to her hair to comb out the knots and trim the split and dead ends off of her hair since it had grown quite a bit in the last year. Taking off a few inches and just leaving her bangs a little long so they can be swept back with the rest of her hair it comes to about her shoulders in thick waves of a dark brown color. Using the brush, she brushes it out and leaves it down for now to dry. She then goes back over to the box and pulls out the outfit. She puts on the clothes except for the cloak which she folds up and puts in the back pack with the other things. Going back to the bed she picks up the cloak on it and smiles as she secures it around her. Going to the full length mirror in the room she smiles and nods her head as she takes a look at the final result of her labors. Satisfied with the results she opens her door and goes out to find the others.
Gio goes to the last room, clearly less amused by the label on the door than Eri. Silently, he goes inside to find the room made up like one of the dormitories of an Asmodean church with its simple and barren stone walls. Gio sets down his gear and places the cloak with it before sitting on the bed. The mattress was far too comfortable, shattering the illusion that he was back at his beloved church. Sighing, the aasimar opens the box.
Inside, he finds a backpack with a canteen, flint and steel, a bedroll, a spell component pouch and a grooming kit. He moves the bag aside to discover an iron (un)holy symbol of Asmodeus in the box, the red paint of the pentagram glossy and new. Lastly, he pulls out a leather bound copy of the Asmodean Disciplines. With a small smile, he thumbs through the (un)holy text for a moment before stripping off his rags and climbing into the pool of water.
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Aleister finds his room easily enough the handle lowered quite a bit compared to the others and opens the door. Inside the simple and dimly lit room he finds a magical fireplace, a well furnished bed furred and feathered presumably, a simple wooden desk with ink and parchment and an armoire with a few sets of clothes, a Burglers Outfit and an Explorers Outfit among them. In the chest he finds a Backpack, Bedroll, Belt pouch, Canteen, Flint and Steel, Grappling Hook, Mess Kit, Mirror, Silk Rope, Soap, Thieves’ Tools, and a Wrist Sheath(Spring Loaded) and a few common daggers. Short of food it was enough to travel on for some time.
What stands out most to the Halfling however are the paintings that line the wall. Thought to be burned and apparently reproduced straight from Aleister's memories are several portraits of his family going back several generations. After some time he strips himself of his prison garb, tossing it into the magical fireplace, he takes a long and much needed bath.
Walking into the well appointed room, Ravanalonna breathes in deeply of the scented oils burning within, filling the air with a heady sensuous aroma that matches the ambiance of the rich candle light. The bed looks soft and plush, a welcome reprieve form the cold hard wood and steel of the cage.
On the plush divan in one corner she finds a laquered box, containing a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, and grooming kit, along with a bottle of perfume.
Draped across the bed, she spies clothing, well made, silk or satin, the kind of clothing one would expect to find in a brothel. Smiling at the thought, she sheds the rags, tossing them into the fireplace and setting them alight with a snap of her fingers. As she walks over to the bed, the stylized scorpion tattoo comes to life, becoming a tiny greensting scorpion the makes it's way down her leg, jumping off to settle on the bed.
she steps into the bubbling pool, the water hot enough to set her skin tingling, just the way she likes it.
Looking around she takes the tray and goes back in her room. Taking it over to a little table she uncovers it to see what it is.
Gio dries himself off and dresses in the red and black cleric's vestments provided for him and goes to the door. He opens it and looks around. "Hello?"
Eri: The tray contains various cuts of meat that looks like it was cooked rare, and smells absolutely delicious.
Gio: You see a covered tray on the ground in front of your door. As well as Aleister's and Ravan's door. But not Eri's.
Gio picks up the tray and takes it inside. "Food, I'm guessing."
He takes the cover off the tray.
Her eyes get a little large as she practically salivates over the meat. Picking up the tray she takes it over to the bedside table and sets it down so she can climb onto the bed. Once she's settled on the bed against the pillows she picks up the tray and puts it in her lap before picking up a piece of meat and popping it into her mouth. Cooked just the way she liked, which was barely at all, she closes her eyes and enjoys the flavorg of the meat.
Gio: Uncovering the tray, you see a well organized meal of smoked meats, boiled vegetables, and freshly squeezed fruit juice. Very reminiscent of the balanced meals he used to have before his church was destroyed.
"It's open." Aleister says.
After a few moments without a response the halfling pulls himself from the bath and quickly wraps a robe around himself before opining the door and looking around. He takes the tray back into the room and sits down at the desk before opening the container.
Gio takes a whiff of the meal before eating it with some restraint.
Eri sits quietly in her room and enjoys the food.
Stepping out of the bath, Ravan makes her way over to the door, heedless of the water cascading off her naked form as she moves to the door and opens it.
Aleister: The tray, you noticed, was pretty hefty. So whatever is on it is either a single heavy item, or lots of it. Removing the cover, it turned out to be food and a pint of dark beer that smelled like the one from your families own stock. The food consisted of a large bowl of mushroom stew and three loaves of a dark bread.
Ravan: Opening the door, you find no one there, but you do see a covered tray in front of your room. Taking the tray inside, you remove the cover to find a small bowl of strawberries, a bowl of chocolate sauce, a plate of figs, cut up watermelon, a plate of roasted pheasant cut into strips, and a glass of sparkling wine.
Eri: As you savor your meal, there comes another knock at the door.
Being careful not to spill anything, she sets the tray aside and goes to the door. Trusting that they are in a safe place for now, she opens the door without asking who it is first.
Eri: As you open the door, you see a short old woman holding a pitcher of what appears to be freshly pressed apple juice.
"Apologies Dearie, I forgot to add this to your meal."
She gives her a nod, "That's alright, the meat is pretty juicy. That looks good though, do you have a cup?" She asks as she takes the pitcher from the old woman and sets it on the little table.
Eri: Nodding, the old woman reached into a pouch on her hip and pulled out a wooden goblet. After handing it to you, she bowed, turned, and walked back down the hallway.
Taking the wooden goblet she thanks the old woman and after she leaves, Eri closes her door and returns to the table with the juice sitting on it. She pours herself a good amount of juice and then takes it over to the bedside table and sets it down as she gets back up onto the bed. Pulling the tray back onto her lap she takes a couple more bites of the meat before taking a long drink from her goblet.
Aleister takes his time eating to enjoy the meal to his fullest. Once finished he leaves the tray outside the door and settles himself in bed for the night.
Once Eri has had her fill of both meat and drink, she sets the goblet on the little table with the rest of the juice in the pitcher just in case she gets thirsty later, and puts the empty tray outside the door. She then goes to the basin and washes her hands, cleans her teeth, and washes her face. Once everything is all clean and dry, she goes to the bed and pulls back the covers. Laying down in the bed, she pulls the covers over herself and snuggles down in the bed. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, she relaxes as she allows sleep to take hold of her.
Taking the tray inside, Ravan sets it down on the bed, drying herself off before beginning the delectable meal, savoring both the delightful flavors and the sheer decadence of doing so in a luxurious bed, a celebration of defiance against the foolish puritanical system that sentenced her and the other former prisoners.
Pleasantly full, Gio takes the tray and sets it outside. He pulls out the holy text and reads until he feels drowsy enough to go to sleep.
Getting your first real restful sleep since your initial imprisonment, you dream peacefully.
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Gio wakes up from the dream and washes his face with some water. Archbishop? I must have some intentions I don't know about.
He straightens out his vestments and begins his day with prayer, breaking from his tradition for once. I don't know what will happen today, so I best make my devotions now.