Faeleen lets out an even more world-weary sigh than what she usually does. She had tried her best to ignore the conversation going on in the woods behind her, but after the topic has drifed into murdering her ignoring isn't on the table anymore. "Look, think about it for a moment, I'll have to go to talk with my friends over a minor little thing."
She returns with haste back to where the rest of the group is waiting. With a fire kindled from anger and arcane energies shining from her eyes, she faces Jethop and begins snarling in a harsh, profane language.
"Survival, you say? Well, that depends on your definition of "survival". If "survival" for you means being a slave, wallowing in filth and breaking your back with work while sucking up to your masters, then by all means; Let's kill the drow, bring their remains to Chaulnazeen, and spend the rest of the day licking clean the soles of Doctor Khan. But I'm not like that!"
The tiefling takes in a deep breath, having said what she had said in one loud burst. But before exhaling, she begins another tirade in the same language.
"If you were like me, if instead of being a bloody slave you'd want to be free, then you'd stay quiet and let me do what I do! I'm not going to be a slave! I'm going to get rid of this bloody collar and get my revenge to that bastard who sold me to the drow!"
Again, she breathes in and continues talking, though now slightly calmed down, her speech not being as fast and her tone drifting back from "angry" to the more characteristic "mocking".
"That old drow said that she's able to loosen our collars; I'm not letting this opportunity slide away. We already have enough "proof" to present to Dr Khan; there's no need to kill any of the remaining drow. So we are doing this; I win the crone from these small guys—they are already drunk and half my size, no way I'll lose—and then we'll make her loosen our collars. Travel to a city and find someone capable of magical coercion if needed. But we are not going to go back to Chaulnazeen before we have made the first step on the road of getting rid of these collars from which the drow yank us around. But hey, It's not like I can force anyone to be free. Perhaps being a slave suits you. Maybe you'll "survive" for a month or so before the drow tire of having you around. But I, whether I live or I die, will do so with my head held high, not bowing before anyone who tries break my will!"
With that, she turns her back to the group and swiftly heads back to where the leprechauns are, a smile replacing the fury that only a moment ago was so clearly seen on her face. "Sorry it took a while. Have you decided yet?"
The Ravener gnashes his teeth at her, looming over her. If she thought she could physically intimidate the murderous thing, she miscalculated.
The Ravener looks on the edge of attacking her.
As Faeleen returns to them after announcing her intentions for all the world to hear, Jokum sighs and rolls his eyes before muttering, "So much for any element of surprise..." He listens to Faeleen and Jethop's argument, frustrated by his inability to understand either of them. I'll need to learn this language. He quietly whispers into Jethop's ear as he see's the rising tensions, "We can still kill them, but it would be preferable not to have to fight these fey. There's also a chance the drow could slip away in the confusion. Best to take them still bound."
Grrazz shakes their furry head at Faeleen's and Jethop's guttural caterwauling. Though the good thing is that no one is actually trying, yet, to tear any one else into bloody pieces.
They settle down again and wait, adjusting themselves slightly to make the small child still on their back's position a tad more comfortable/bearable.
The leprechauns are talking quietly among themselves when Faeleen returns to their midst, leaving the Ravener gnashing his teeth in the darkness behind her. He's out of vision range, but his angry slavering can just barely be heard at the campfire, and the leprechauns glance at each other warily.
"Lose, and we'll be taking three quarters of all of you and your companions' gold, missy." he strokes his beard, his face serious.
Grrazz covers their snout with both paws as 'whuffling' sounds emanate from the furry shape.
Seeing that she doesn't carry all that much gold compared to the cost of her gear, and that little isn't even her, Faeleen has little trouble accepting the offer. But not too eagerly, of course. "Harldly an even bet, but I'll accept."
The leprechaun breaks into a wide smile and clears off a wide flat stone to use as a table. "What're you challengin' us to, missy? And be warned - fey drink is not the drink of the mortal realms!"
Faeleen looks slightly nonplussed at the leprechaun's question, which causes all three of them to break out in raucous laughter. "Didn'a quite think that one through, did you, lass? Ah well, I can't resist a pretty face, especially on a girl as STUPID as you."
Before Faeleen can even bristle at the leprechaun's rude remark, another leprechaun is at her side, holding out a flagon that he fills from his waterskin. It's dark red and smells extremely potent. "Tha' there's whatsywine...brewed from a family recipe! Ye're lucky you have no spirits about ye yerself, miss, te try it!"
The leprechauns all smile at you in unison, revealing yellowed teeth. "We go flagon for flagon of whatsywine. If ye can handle three of them, in a row, and before Tallybuck finishes his, we'll consider the contest settled."
Faeleen nonchalantly grabs the flagon with her tail. "Ready when you are."
The tiefling and the leprechaun square off, and a second leprechaun moves between them. "One, two, three, GO!" he cries, stomping his feet in emphasis.
Faeleen suppresses a gasp of surprise when the whatsywine hits her mouth. It's sweet - sweeter than anything Faeleen has tasted since her imprisonment. Too sweet, in fact. It's difficult for her to gag it down, but damn it, she drinks for freedom.
The first drink is finished by the leprechaun first, barely. The little bugger smirks up at you, but you can see he's already a little drunk - the drinks he's had already tonight aren't working in his favor.
That really comes to show itself in the second round. Having developed a thirst for it during her first flagon, Faeleen chugs it down rapidly, beating the leprechaun by several seconds. In a desperate panic, he gulps down the third one as fast as he can, but it's just a split second too late. Faeleen lowers the flagon from her lips with a gasp as she finishes the whatsywine. You have just enough time to feel triumphant before your stomach churns from the huge amounts of liquid forced into it.
You swallow down your puke and keep your composure. The leprechaun opposite you burps long and wetly, and you're afraid a little puke might come out at the end of it, but blessedly, it doesn't.
You're now completely, utterly smashed. Take damage to all physical stats for hours. In addition, take damage to all mental stats for 5 hours. Well done!
The Ravener moves around in the dark to be able to pounce on the old woman and the child should Faleen fail.
I'd normally ask for a stealth check if you were trying to go unnoticed, but the leprechauns are shouting so it isn't needed. :)
See/hearing Jethop (Or is it?) move off into the dark Grrazz slowly rises to their feet and pads around the camp, looking for a better angle of approach.
Slowly, it dawns to Faeleen that she has really won the contest. Without even needing to cheat! Always a gracious winner, she shakes the leprechaun's hand while slurring something absolutely unintelligible, then turns her attention to her prize. Who, on the second thought, looks pretty heavy. But hey, no point in trying to drag her away alone, right?
"Grrazz! Get over here!"
Grrazz perks up their ears at the call and, with a glance over their shoulder at Amelia, they come trotting into the clearing, all 'professional' riding dog...thing...like.
"Woof!"
(^_^)
The leprechauns shout in fear and jump away into the trees when Grrazz appears in the clearing, looking no less terrifying for the angry-looking young blonde girl riding its back. In their haste, they leave some of their bags behind and cast invisibility, disappearing into the trees and leaving the tieflings to their spoils.
The boy stares at the ground sullenly, and the crone drow is mumbling a neverending and angry stream of invectives into her gag. The drow cleric is shaking with silent rage as her red eyes stare hatred and fury at Faeleen.
Inside the leprechaun's bag you find 6 adamantine throwing knives, 2 potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, and a small pot containing enough gold for 1500 each if split evenly.
The Ravener stalks out of the woods towards the cleric.
"A drow betrays her oath? How shocking, but you won't get off so easily. You will remove our collars or you will die in inches as I devour you from the feet up."
Hearing Faeleen calling for Grazz, Jokum begins to pick his way through the underbrush. At the edge of the clearing, he spends a moment looking around into the darkness before shrugging and walking into the firelight.
Frowning down at the drow, Jokum twists his mouth in distaste, looks the cleric in the eyes and says, "I had hoped we could reach an agreement before, but it seems drow treachery knows no bounds." Sparing a sidelong glance at Jethop, a part of his mind recoiled in horror at his threat. "As you can see, my companions are all too ready to inflict horrors on you to get what they want. I would have preferred to end this by keeping to our bargain but I believe your attack has forced our hand." Jokum pauses to gesture towards the heads hanging from Beleste's belts.
"Why would we have all but yours? I can't fathom a reason, despite my impressive mental acumen." Pausing for a moment, Jokum leans closer and says in a quiet tone, baring his teeth, "Perhaps you have a suggestion?"
The cleric spits when her gag is removed. "Agh! The treachery was yours, demon vermin! If your...beast... she glances at Grrazz, hadn't begun DESTROYING our wagon, we would have kept to the deal. Impressive, your abilities to lie to yourselves..."
"Even now, I possess the ability to weaken your collars' hold on you. But you'll just kill me afterwards...what's the point?" she asks. She looks browbeaten, but aware of her own imminent death.
Beleste would move out from the cover of the trees and speak up. "The beast acted on its own. We had given it no sign to attack, however before we could call it off you turned your men upon us. We can see how that turned out for them."
"However you have a glimmer of hope. While you have little more than our word that you will be spared in exchange for your services, we could just kill instead. I assure you there is no hope in that path."
Grrazz crouches to let Amelia dismount. Once the girl is 'free' from their back Grrazz simply wanders over to the Drow Matron and begins to randomly sniff about the crone's person. Before thence wandering randomly amongst the other prisoners and giving them a once over....or twice if something smells interesting.
"Snuffle, snuffle, sniff, snort, wuffle..."
Linus watches silently from cover. Always watching.
The crone smells like old mothballs and the boy smells like cheap soap. The cleric glares at Beleste, then glances about herself, and shrugs. "It's not as if I have anything to lose...I'll need my hands freed to perform the spell."
"Heeey! Don't go! He's really very nice and..." Faeleen stops once she realizes that the leprechauns have utterly disappeared into the pleasantly swinging and rather blurry landscape. Not feeling quite stable enough to go search for them, she instead joins the little group that has formed around the drow crone.
"Hey, come on guys, let's not talk about killing and death and... Whoa!" Faeleen says and then, suddenly striken by a bout of dizziness, almost falls over and has to grab someone's shoulder to regain stability. "What I'm saying is that... You know... What was I saying again? Oh yeah! You're making me feel blue. And there's no reason to feel blue, I'm sure that she'll be a dearie and loosen our collars. So let's not feel blue. Let's feel green instead! That'd be great!" With that having been said, she reaches out and mutters out a brief spell simple enough to be cast even when drunk. The spell doesn't seem to have any drastic effects... Except that Jokum's hair has mysteriously gained a bright green hue.
Chill man, it's just Prestidigitation.
"You know that we have powerful casters among our group. If even one of them hints at you casting something other than what is intended, I will cut you down where you stand." As he speaks, Beleste unsheaths his sword and cuts the bonds holding her arms. "Now loosen the hold of his damned collar on me and I will make sure our bargain is honored."
The cleric gets to her feet, a little unsteadily. Her pupils are strangely dilated, a symptom that Jokum recognizes as a symptom of the lingering effects of illusion magic. Despite her wooziness, she clears her throat and straightens her spine as she stands before Beleste - a defeated, but unbroken, opponent.
Slowly, she lifts both hands up, and waits for you to kneel slightly so she can actually reach the collar. When you do so, she rests both palms on it and a black mess of spiderlegs appear from her palm. The spider legs grip the collar, and you hear a faint hissing sound of acid on metal, though you feel no heat or pain. She lowers her hands moments later, and sighs. "Your doctor master will still be able to hurt and kill you using the magic of the collar. I don't have the tools to remove that enchantment. But you are no longer bound by her word. Your free will is restored." With a resigned expression, she holds her hands up for the rest of you to approach and offer your collars. Despite herself, the corner of her mouth briefly turns up as she glances at Jokum's hair.
"Menextmenextmenext!" Faeleen exclaims and almost crashes into the drow crone.
One by one, the cleric casts her spell on all of your collars, if you so permit. That done, she stands before the crone and the boy and stares you down.
Faeleen waves lazily at the drow who is staring her down. "Um... Why aren't you running away already?"
"We still need some form of proof from them that they are dead. Give us the magic you promised before as sign of your doom."
Frowning at Faeleen, Jokum touches his now green hair before shrugging and chuckling, "It seems that drink took something out of you... probably your wits." Taking a moment, he changes his hair's back to its original black.
Jokum watches what the cleric is doing closely, taking a moment to give himself the ability to observe the magic at work. What next? She will release us and the drow will want to leave. But then, we won't have proof of the their demise unlike the rest. Frowning thoughtfully, Jokum steps up and allows the drow to work her magics. Exulting in the sense of freedom, even if only mental, Jokum looks at Jethop and nods, "He has a point, it will look suspicious to our master should we return without some additional proof. We return with heads from the other four of you companions but nothing from you. I suppose we have the dagger from you, but perhaps there are some other trinkets that should identify you?"
You recognize the spell as divine in nature. You think that it's most likely tied to the Abyss, Lolth's home, and bearing her distinctive, if unimaginative, spider motif trademark.
The priestess shrugs. "Keeping in mind that your master believes you incapable of lying to her, telling her that we were incinerated in some fireball should be plausible. But to back up your story, take this." she removes her noble House's broach, which all drow nobles wear. "I'd never part with it unless I had to. She'll believe you."
The crone and the boy stare daggers at you from behind the priestess' back.
"A query, if I may be so bold. Why do you think they wanted you dead? Mmmm?"
Grrazz absently sniffs at the boy's pockets again...
"The other's should hand over their house broach as well. I doubt the doctor will be satisfied with one. She will want a token to show that each of you has been dispatched."
"None of your business," the cleric snaps at Linus. Turning crisply, she tanks the broach off of the protesting, and still gagged, crone, and the boy who is shying away from Grrazz. Amelia watches all this with interest.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"While I would just as easily see you and the rest of your kin stripped of all your belongings, you have held up to your part of the deal." As he speaks, Beleste moves to the boy and elder drow in turn to cut their bonds. I suggest you move quickly as I don't think our companion is too happy with the concept of letting you live.
The Ravener will gnash his teeth helpfully. In truth he had eaten well this day, and letting them live was a finger in the eye of the other drow.
"I'm glad we were able to conduct our business without further killing. As far as I'm concerned our arrangement is concluded and you're free to go." Turning, he motions to Beleste and takes the brooches, studying them for a moment after giving himself the ability to detect magical auras. After having studied them for a moment, Jokum returns them to Beleste.
"Now that this business is concluded, I believe we've need to decide what our next step is." Jokum pauses a moment to look at Amelia before continuing in an aloof tone, "Amelia, you still wish to go through with this ritual? To 'claim your birthright' as you so charmingly put it? There is a promise of power, but little in the way of specifics. Can you elaborate?"
"Honored priestess, no longer bound to this collar I can tell you I am in contact with those that disagree with what has been done to you. I am charged with gathering evidence. I took this assignment to see you. Please let me hear your side of what happened. "
As Amelia regards Jokum, the cleric helps the crone and the boy to their feet and leads them off into the darkness without another word, staring hatred at Linus as she retreats out of the firelight. "As I said, the power is mine by right," Amelia repeats, stubbornly. "In this life or the next, Asmodeus will see me elevated. But the Master has plans for me on this plane. Perhaps..." Amelia rubs her chin thoughtfully as she looks around at the dangerous party surrounding her. "Perhaps even you tieflings are here according to the will of the Prince of Darkness. His machinations are beyond the scope of our mere mortal minds..." the dreamy-eyed look that Amelia gets when she mentions the Lord of Evil is not unlike the starry-eyed look prepubescent girls get when Justin Bieber is mentioned. She even gives a dreamy little sigh before her eyes sharpen again when she looks back at the wizard. "So yes. I am still making for Outsea to complete the ritual. A merciless group like yours could stand to benefit from the...visitors I will be playing host for. Will you aid me? "
You feel that she's utterly convinced she is of vital importance to Asmodeus. Whether this is true is still uncertain. You also sense the truth in her eyes when she makes her offer of...benefit.
Meanwhile, the broaches all contain the same spell - a spell of levitation, giving you perfect maneuverability at a flight speed equal to your ground speed. This time, there are no trap spells woven into the enchantments, so you can use them as long as you're wearing them.
Beleste would keep one of the broaches and offer the rest to the others.
"I am fine with escorting you to where you wish to go. Especially if it offers me power in return. I wish for nothing more than to have the ability to escape these accursed drow and perhaps pay them back for their kindness."
"My guests will require something of you in return, of course," the little girl comments primly, one finger to her lips in a deceptively innocent gesture. "But I'm sure they could handle whatever task you wanted of them. Legend holds that hoardevils are quite capable."
The Ravener starts picking its teeth from boredom. This girl is so stupid. The lower beings don't give power. They take it . . .. A strange malaise begins to seep into its mind. No! . . . Not now . . .
The pig boy slouches in on himself shuddering.
Grrazz trots over and settles in front of Amelia, awaiting her to regain the saddle.