"Big, you say. How big? It's possible that they're growing larger than normal because of some effect of the Worldwound's energies changing their growth potential, or perhaps it is some species of insect up from the Darklands."[b] The elf continues on in this vein for some time, hardly bothering to pause for breath or responses as he speaks.
Suddenly, he stops, then looks around with his sightless eyes. [b]"Are we continuing on, or are we stopping to look for something?"
Nenthil starts to look around for anything of use. Keeping his crossbow ready for any more threats.
"Just catching our breath for a moment and taking a quick look, sir." Ozgo replies as he watches Nenthil search the area.
"Find anything?"
There doesn't seem to be too much of value here. This area does once appear to have been a campsite, and it looks like the one who used it for such didn't ever vacate the premises. There is a pile of bones with what looks like the remains of chainmail scattered around it just past the torn bedroll. On or near it, Nenthil finds three stubs of candle, a bent fishhook, 10 ft. of badly frayed hempen rope, and a copper brooch of a bat with amethyst eyes perched on a mushroom.
Nenthil picks up the items and places the brooch on his cloak in a moment of whimsy.
"A few things, nothing overly useful but better then nothing I would say. I think we should move on."
"Onwards and upwards then."
Weyland sets to move out, sword in hand.
Reinnwulf shakes the gore from his spear, then slowly calms back to normal. The man seems to deflate slightly, as his rage-fueled muscles succumbed to physical exhaustion. For a minute, the barbarian warrior cannot do much more than shake as the adrenaline flows from his system. Then, as quickly as it came on, the exhaustion is gone.
Reinnwulf actually looks cheerful as the effects of the berzarkrieg leave him, like a man who found his calling in life to his liking. Evidently, nothing excited Reinnwulf in life like battle.
"Well, that was great fun, hey? And if the loot was a little drab, at least these insects will not be following us, waiting to devour us in our sleep?" He smiled a big toothy smile at Horgus. "As friend Weyland says, onward and upward!"
"I'll see what's ahead then."
Allysen takes a deep breath and moves ahead as silently as she can. Listening and watching for anything untoward.
Ozgo quietly follows along with the others, after checking the non-combatants for any signs of distress or injury. Satisfied, he moves up to the front of the group and carries on.
Although uncomfortable, the noncombatants appear to be doing alright. Horgus isn't shy about making it known that he's unhappy they were left there in the dark, and Aravashnial again tries to direct the group in how to proceed.
Allysen tries to sneak around to the tunnel that leads back towards the way they had come.
Tries.
"Well, no one ever said that Desna's grace would fall into your lap." Allysen muses to herself. She takes the tunnel the grroup took and arrives behind the party.
"Sounds likes there's snakes ahead, but I think I found something useful. The only problem is I'm about eight feet too short to reach it."
"If it involves climbing I am not the best, in fact I would say I am barely average."
He adjusted the crossbow in his hands in case whatever lay ahead came down towards them.
"Lets see what you have found Allysen!"
Ozgo follows the girl back to the ledge where she located the pack.
"Humm...perhaps one of us can 'boost' you up to the ledge, or close enough to grab the pack."
"I-I guess so."
Allysen stutters as she looks at the others.
If they found out what I am... The rest of that thought leads down dark paths while fear grabs her heart in an icy grip.
I'm not much of a climber, but if we can't find another way, I'll shed this armour of mine and give it a go."
"I am usually a good climber, but I can boost you up if you prefer"
OR
to aid another
Allysen, with Reinnwulf's help, begins to climb up to the ledge.
With a boost from Reinnwulf, Allysen manages to climb high enough on the rock wall to snag the pack from overhead. She drops to the ground, and pulls the contents out of the pack to reveal to the group.
"Nice. An extra backpack is always good to have."
Nenthil had moved back and does so more when the dust flies from the bag's fall. Turning his back to the others for a moment he cast a spell well away from anyone before returning to examine the items of the bag.
"Looks like we have some food, and some vials of stuff. An-ah-ah-CHU!"
The dust from the pack causes Allysen to sneeze, which in turn causes the hood of her cloak to fall off her head and the scarf over her face to fall down.
Her skin is pale, almost white, and her hair is midnight blue. The tips of pearly white fangs can be seen in her half-opened mouth. Her dark, sapphire-flecked eyes dart from face to face, and panic can be seen welling up in them. Her boots scrape along as she backs away from the others, until they hit a rough patch and she falls backwards on her rear.
Reinnwulf stared at the bard, with a look on his face like his best friend just ate his dog. His grip on his spear tightens as he rasps out, "What are you?"
A startled Ozgo takes a step back and raises his holy symbol.
"In the name of The Inheritor, what are you? Why have you kept yourself hidden in this fashion?"
While slightly shocked his mind worked faster. Nenthil rarely lost his temper, he saw little point in it really. But he knew what she was and it was clearly understandable why she hid it.
"Enough, she is a tiefling. She was born that way just as I was born as I am. Considering your reactions it is clear why she hid her features. Now show some sense and control yourselves."
This kind of thing was what started the witch hunts and killed innocent people for nothing.
"Pah! Not everyone's opinions and reactions are driven by rumor and stories. If you had seen your sister tortured and killed by demon worshipers and their foul magics, maybe you would have another reaction. We cannot help being born what we are, but that doesn't make her any more or less dangerous. Her kind have a reputation for a reason."
It took all of Reinnwulf's strength to put aside his weapon and face Allysen squarely, without flinching. Slowly, Reinnwulf lowered his spear and hackles. He wiped his face with his left hand, clearing away a sheen of sweat that should not have been there. "Still, you have offered no cause for harm, and for that I regret treating you as one of them. I'll not say I won't have to kill you before this is over, but that time is not now."
Allysen's back hits the tunnel's wall, and tears born of fear well up in her eyes.
Nenthil had come to her aid, and she was grateful, but the others worried her. Especially the large man that went by the name Reinnwulf.
"I-I..."
One hand reaches up to her neck, and a hint of silver can be seen as she grabs at something under the tunic she wears.
He looked at the big man with a coldness that rebelled against his fiery nature.
"My one and dearest friend, a innocent child at that, was burned alive by the very crusaders who claim to fight the horde. I have seen equal evil from ignorant men like yourself then from demons and cultist. Do not use your past suffering as an excuse or presume it is greater then another's. Allysen has shown herself to be nothing but a gentle and accepting soul, I care not for anything else."
Adjusting the crossbow in his hands, he lets out a deep breath.
"We should move on."
Osgo keeps a cold eye on both of the 'otherworlders', but says nothing more. His training at the cathedral always warned him of such creatures, and to always be wary of their actions, but to be fair it also told that these were just people, and no more or less good than a regular human off the street. For the time being he would watch, but treat them as he would any unknown person.
Weyland calls upon Iomedae's blessing to know the true nature of his companions. Detect Evil
"The corruption of her body has not tainted her soul. Remember Reinnwulf, evil hides behind fair features and fair words as much as behind foul. Lead on child, there is no need to fear harm from these quarters."
Allysen sniffs and dries her eyes before pulling the hood up once more. Her gaze sweeps the group, coming to rest on the three who had not spoken yet.
Dare she hoped that these would accept her for who she was, rather than despise her for what she was?
"R-right." She says as she turns to Weyland.
"What do we do about the snakes? I could try to lead them into a trap, i-if you think that'd work..." her voice trails off into silence as she seems to shrink to an even smaller size.
Of the other three, only Horgus Gwermm has any kind of startled reaction. "What are you? And you, wizard? What are you that you find such kinship with a ... a ... thing like that?"
At the commotion, Aravashnial turns his blind face to each of the voices in turn, trying to make out what's happening. His murmured questions of "What's wrong?" and "Is the girl some kind of leper?" go all but unnoticed in the commotion.
Anevia's reaction is possibly the most supportive. After a good solid look at Allysen's face, she steadies herself and whacks Horgus with her crutch. "Shut up. So she's hellspawn, so what? It's not like there aren't plenty like her serving openly in the Crusades already." Turning to the rest of the group, she continues. "And can you blame her for hiding it? Look at how all of you reacted when you saw her. She's just a girl, and she hid that part of herself that would make people frightened for no reason. She's done nothing but help you so far, and you threaten her with death. She'd be better off leaving you to fend for yourself in the dark. We all have secrets here, things we'd rather not tell others. So hers is outed before the rest of us. That makes her unlucky, not a monster." Anevia stumps over to Allysen, and giving the rest of you a withering look, pulls the girl in close for a hug.
"Snakes...right. Yes, a trap would be good, if you can get them to move with you. But, take care not to overextend yourself. As the lady says, you have helped and your ability to see in the dark is invaluable." The gruff Reinnwulf has a hard time with apologies, though it appears that this is a case where one is merited. Even still, he cannot bring himself to say the words. His hackles have smoothed out, and his demeanor has shifted from threatening to simply watchful, though. That is something.
Allysen begins to wonder what exactly Anevia could be referring to when she finds herself drawn in for a hug by the other woman. She stiffens in surprise, but returns the embrace after a moment.
"I'll be careful. I have no wish to die here. I just want to keep everyone from getting hurt."
Perception:
Osgo notices a look between Anevia and Horgus.
"There seems to be a number of secrets floating around this small group."
He looks directly at Anevia and then Horgus.
"Anything you might like to tell us...either of you?"
Anevia looks you square in the eye as she replies, "If I have kept any secrets from you all, then they are none of your business, just as your secrets are not mine." Horgus blusters, and Aravashnial remains silent.
"Secrets are like wounds, in many ways. Some close over on their own, and no one is the worse, and some fester and rot. As you say, your secrets are your business...until they aren't. Let us be off!"
"Well, now that we have that settled," for now anyway,"what do we do about the snakes?"
Allysen asks, just a little quiver in her voice.
"If you are still up for leading them into a trap, we will kill them, and do it with minimal danger to ourselves or our charges."
"I agree. I dislike secrets in general, but sometimes they are necessary. Especially when the secret belongs to another. Do we have to kill the snakes? Is there any way around them?"
"At this point, killing something is very necessary."
Ozgo moves towards where the snakes are suppose o be, his sword and shield at the ready.
"Come on, lets get going!"
Allysen leads the others towards where she heard the snakes, keeping an eye out for a good ambush spot. Once she finds one, she turns to the group.
"Aravashnial, what kind of magic do you practice? If it's the kind that makes fire and sparks can you hit more than one target at once?Anything that's left can be taken care of by the others." She looks, around, her cheeks burning red, "Th-that is if someone else doesn't have a better plan."
Easy. Now is not the time to have a clash of wills, especially with one of them being yours!