"Oh, those are pretty," Uthe comments on the earrings that Say'ri gathers before following along behind the gunslinger. She adjusts the wide hat on her head, mindful of the glowing stone swirling in orbit around her head.
Jazadi certainly welcome's Dhakira's attempts at providing a shoulder to lean on, and she's happy to do so in turn.
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Jazadi sniffs. "Odd... this cobra couldn't have been dead for longer than a day."
While they're talking quietly during the evening, Dhakira reveals her fears of inadequacy to Jazadi " Do you think it's my fault that Ammon is dead? I'm your healer, was there something I failed to do? How could I let him die? Hoe can I trust myself to keep you all alive?." And she starts sobbing, her face in her hands.
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Dhakira examines the snake "That beast hasn't been dead more that 12 to 24 hours. Someone's been here recently like Say'ri said. Let's be on our guard."
She follows the other.
Though she almost misses it in her own grief, Jazadi does notice Dhakira's vulnerability. In all the time she knew her, Dhakira never struck her as someone whose composure ever cracked, even under great duress--she conducted herself with an almost steely resolve when the manor's haunt tried to enspell them, fought valiantly to save as many lives as she could at the auction, and refused to back down in the face of Pharasma's 'trial-by-psychopomp'.
But here... here she was, her guard down and showing that she and Jazadi had more in common than they thought.
"...Dhakira, it's not your fault. You did everything you could to save him." The archaeologist starts, her voice wavering and teetering on the brink of sobbing. "I should've done something. I should've tried to trip her up, grease up the ground beneath her--anything instead of just standing there like a lump."
"You've pulled us out of more scrapes than anyone else I've ever met. Hells, if it weren't for you, I'd..." Her voice catches in her throat, and she takes several breaths to hold back the tide of tears just a bit longer.
Seeing her friend's grief mirror her own, Dhakira puts her arms around Jazadi and tries over her own doubts to reassure her. " It all went down so fast, there was no stopping that awful creature. Now all we can do is pay homage to our dear friend's courage, and continue the fight, even if we don't have his protection anymore." Jazadi's support help lessen her tears a little.
Jazadi sniffs, and some tears leak out of her eyes despite her best efforts at restraint.
"Dhakira... do, um, do you want to share a room tonight? I don't feel comfortable sleeping alone anymore."
Dhakira is taken aback, and hesitates but a fraction of a second, then a shy smile appears between the tears and she answers "That would be really nice to not be alone tonight. If you don't mind sharing my prayers to Pharasma." And she takes Jazadi's hand and follow her upstairs.
Jazadi does not object to joining in prayer to Pharasma when bedtime rolls around.
She does not initiate anything untoward--such things should not come from a place of grief, lest they lead to even greater regrets. But for the night, she does sleep a bit more soundly... even if the dreams that come herald nothing but pain.
Between Jazadi and Jamie, the door opens to reveal a long, semicircular hallway lined with small chambers housing up to two dozen human bodies apiece. The bodies are in various states, some have been immaculately mummified and others have just been left to the elements of time.
Halfway round each corridor to both the East and the West, are two bedchambers, tucked in between the other chambers. Each of the bedchambers are simple, however contain a collection of essential oils, fragrances, and perfumes worth 750 gp, as well as various coins from different eras worth 300 gp.
Each corridor ends to the East and the West so you have little choice but to keep heading deeper into the centre of the building.
Four columns support the ceiling of this large chamber, filled with stone tables and curtains of tattered velvet. Stone fonts carved with images of scarab beetles and whippoorwills stand between the columns to the east and west. Two sets of double doors exit the room to the south, and doors to the north sports relief carvings of Pharasma as both deliverer of life and harvester of the dead. Deep, chiseled gashes mar the goddess’s carved face.
Various books, tools and half-finished carvings and other creations are scattered around the room and strewn about every surface.
More importantly, in the centre of the room, tied up in chains is a man, slumped unconscious with two prowling lions guarding him that look up upon the opening of the door. As soon as the lions notice that you are trespassers, they both let out a loud roar before stalking towards you.
Dhakira casts a spell to summon Justin the eagle, but she puts more energy into the spell hoping that he will come with friends.
Unfortunately only Justin appears, in flanking position near the lion attacking Jamie if possible.
Justin makes a full round attack against the lion
Say'ri's pistol let's off a sharp bang that echoes around the chamber and lodge's itself deep into the Lion's torso, just under its leg as it roars with pain, blood flowing fast from the bullet wound.
Justin's claws scratch at the other lion's face, leaving raw claw marks.
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Jamie's confident grin turns to an open-mouthed scream of horror as Velriana rips Ammon's heart out of his chest! "AMMON!" she shrieks, her crossbow falling from numb fingers as her lover collapses. The halfling rushes over and drops to her knees, squeezing Ammon's hand as he draws his last few shuddering breaths and then, with a horrible finality, lies still.
"No... No! You can't die!" Jamie sobs. "You can't... Don't leave me..."
She and Ammon had cheated death once before. But any hope of the warrior doing so a second time is crushed when it becomes clear that nobody in Wait is capable of performing the miracle of resurrection. It is Jamie's turn to feel like her heart has been ripped out as she attends the funeral, to overcome with grief to even perform a eulogy. For once in her life, Jamie Vernisant is at a loss for words. She clutches the simple silver necklace around her neck, the crook and flail of Osiris that Ammon always wore, as she weeps and weeps...
***
The next morning, Jamie dons a black veil and decorates her eyes with dark kohl makeup to show that she is still in mourning. She performs her séance in front of the mausoleum Ammon was entombed in, drawing upon her potential future as the warrior's disciple, then grimly draws her long curved blade as she walks beside Say'ri at the head of the group. She says little, her expression one of grim determination.
When the lions pounce and claw at her, she growls back as she assumes a defensive stance and slices upward at a diagonal angle!
Jazadi brings her magic to bear, hoping to trip at least one of the lions!
While it would seem that the environment is an anathema to plant life, numerous scrubs, grasses, and weeds survive in the harsh, dry heat. Uthe calls upon these from her fey blood. Grasping tendrils spring forth from the ground, attempting to ensnare the attacking lions.
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Bound in chains, the unconscious figure in the center of the room stirs at the sounds of battle; most notably - gunshots.
He appears to be a reddish-haired human wearing platemail, but it's hard to make out much more from a distance. Of course, with two lions trying to eat your face, you probably have other priorities?
The lion in front of Jamie unfortunately manages to stand its ground, its tail flicking in frustration. The second lion's feet gets caught up in some ensnaring vines, cracking the cool stone slabs on the floor.
Jazadi lunges at the lion attacking Jamie. "No! Bad kitty!"
Jamie narrowly dodges the lion’s claws as she hacks at it again!
Justin attacks the lion in front of him.
Dhakira channels positive energy, excluding the lions.
Uthe sends mystical bolts into the one that Say'ri is facing.
A flurry of blades, claws, bullets and force bolts fell the two lions for good, leaving you all alive - albeit extremely battered. The man in chains stirs and appears to be climbing back towards consciousness.
Unfortunately your triumph is short-lived as a woman with flowing black hair emerges from the room beyond.
"Your tenacity has impressed me." The woman says. "I am willing to talk if we can all be civil and do without the weaponry."
Dhakira raises her hands, hoping Justin will stay around another couple of seconds, while they acertain that she really means them no harm.
« Madam, we don’t look for trouble, but respond when it finds us. Will you let me pray to my Lady Pharasma to heal my friends, they were quite hurt by those animals. » While talking, she walks slowly, non aggressively towards the man onthe altar, trying to see how hurt he is.
"Tell us what you are doing here, and why this man is chained up. Do not dare to betray us, or we will make you pay," Jamie says sharply. It seems her grief has tainted her usual cheerful attitude.
Slowly, the bound figure slowly raises his head and grimaces at the torchlight reaching his eyes - the same torchlight that flickers across his gold-reddish hair and gives the illusion of small flames dancing across it.
Even at a distance, it's clear that he's startlingly beautiful, almost unearthty so, and as he gradually straightens and reacquaints himself with the here ans now, the man remains remarkably calm despite being at the complete mercy of all the strangers in the room. Perhaps he didn't scare easily, or perhaps his inherent dignity didn't allow him to show it.
His gaze glides from the group to the black-haired woman behind him and back. He then seems to reach a decision of sorts.
"The Daughters of the Desert, I take it?" he asks you. "Be careful. There are strange half-lion half-human monsters here and they have powerful magic. I think that's what put me to sleep. Don't let your guard down."
Uthe's eyes narrow in suspicion and her tail swishes wildly back and forth, the bells ringing her anxiety. She rushes off a quick cantrip and scans the woman's aura for illusory magic.
Dhakira stops a split second, taken aback by the man's beauty, then continue to approach the stranger while making to not appear aggressive towards him or the woman with black hair. "Well met strangers. My name is Dhakira Menedes the fifth of Erekrus, follower of Pharasma. Sir, are you in need of healing? Is this person holding you against your will?"
Uthe realises that the image in front of her is just that; radiating illusory magic. The caster must be fairly nearby however.
"Come now, there is no need to be so displeased." The woman says with a frown at Jamie's curtness.
"I don't get much company out here, and it would be delightful to have a few moments of polite conversation." She adds pointedly, towards Say'ri's loaded weapon. "How about an exchange? You tell me something enjoyable, and in return I will tell you about the interesting things that I've seen going on around here recently."
The woman doesn't seem phased by the chained up man sitting in the room, that Dhakira is tending to. In fact, she completely ignores him.
"Sir, are you in need of healing? Is this person holding you against your will?"
The man stares at Dhakira and blinks a few times, then slowly looks down at his chain bindings and the corpses of the lions who were just guarding him. "...My lady, I won't judge you for your preferences, as I well know that some are into this sort of thing. However, as I cannot in good conscience call this crypt a bedroom, I believe I can safely conclude that someone is keeping me chained here against my will. If it is that specific lady behind me? Probably, as I recognize her voice from when I was captured, though the image is very different. It also appears somewhat telling to me that she was this close to the fight without the lions picking up on or attacking her."
He's trying very hard to be polite and give a diplomatic answer though there's a slightly incredulous and sarcastic undertone in his response.
His gaze then shifts to his bindings, which strain against his arms as he tries to move. "As for being injured, it appears my arms and legs are still attached, and I don't seem to be bleeding out. Though, I would be very grateful if you could take off these things so we could take a better look?"
"We're sure that her image is very different," Uthe says after examining her aura. "Because this is a mere figment - an illusion." She looks around seeking a hiding place for the caster. "If you sincerely wish to speak with us then present yourself. Otherwise, we'll assume your intent is hostile and act accordingly."
Dhakira adresses the man sternly "Now young man, sarcasm is not called for, I'm just trying to help, and wanted to ascertain the identity of your captor-s, to determine if this person in front of us is trustworthy. Though from what you're telling me, and what Uthe (the pretty cat person over there) just revealed, it seems that she might not be." She tries to undo the chains while talking and checks his state of health.
Uthe's visual quest for the hidden speaker is interrupted as she turns a surprised gaze at Dhakira. She tips her head in confusion before stepping closer to Say'ri.
"Did ... did she just call us ... 'pretty'?" she questions the gunslinger in a strained whisper. "Why would ...? Is she ...? We don't understand. Is she trying to flatter us? We know that we have the grace of our mother, but no one's ever referred to us as ..." She seems completely flustered. "Are we ... pretty?"
"Very well." The voice says. The figure in the doorway vanishes and another, much larger one appears on the balcony above the doorway.
"You see, I am treating with you fairly. Are you going to do the same?"
"Yes, Baby," Uthe replies to Say'ri with a smirk, turning back to look up at the woman on the balcony.
"We have never dealt with anyone less than fairly," she replies. "We also do not hesitate to repay betrayal ten-fold. So what do you wish to ... She pauses as if searching for the right word. "'Treat' is the word, yes? A'as'pht? To bargain or negotiate? Yes, I think 'Treat' is the appropriate term. Although we believe that it is strange that the same word is used to refer to giving someone something at no cost or to pay the cost for someone else. Taldane is a most peculiar language." She shakes her head. "What do you wish to treat about?"
Dhakira adresses the man sternly "Now young man, sarcasm is not called for, I'm just trying to help..." She tries to undo the chains while talking and checks his state of health.
The man looks away momentarily and remains silent as Dhakira approaches. "...I see. Then I apologize if my words have offended you. I suppose this whole situation has me more on edge than I should be. Thanks for your assistance."
From up close, as she works the chains, Dhakira can see two peculiarities in his facial area.
The first is that he carries a necklace of sorts that only has a simple ring hanging at the bottom.
The second is that he wears a headband, from under which the bottom end of what appears to be an unusually large and wide scar-like figure protrudes on the right side of his forehead.
The figure sighs heavily tired with all this to and fro and attempts to change the subject away from bargaining, as this catfolk is clearly quite shrewd. "So whatever would a nice group of adventurers doing coming out to a place like this?" She asks with a wink, ignoring the goings on with Dhakira and the chained man in the background.
"We're not sure what a 'nice' group of adventurers would be doing here, but we're looking for something," Uthe answers. "Clues we seek. Clues as to why the city has been flooded with vile undead. We also seek a ... well it could best be described as a magical compass." The amurrun's tail swishes rapidly back and forth. Mindful that the group isn't in a tight bunch, she moves to get a better view of the woman.
Dhakira accepts the man apology. She discreetly tries to see if the scar represents something.
Since the man doesn’t seem to need or want her help, she turns to the business at hand and tries to help Uthe.
« Yes Madam, like my friend says, we’re not looking for trouble, just information. »
Dhakira accepts the man apology. She discreetly tries to see if the scar represents something.
Dhakira doesn't recognize the small part that is visible, though she's a good enough healer to realize the scar has a very unnatural shape and is probably the lower extremity of a marking of some kind that was either deliberately cut or seared directly into the skin of his upper face.
Meanwhile, the man turns to the figure on the balcony, eyes narrowing and his posture tense. It's clear he's restraining himself from interfering in the conversation, though with some visible difficulty, perhaps not willing to sabotage your efforts.
The woman momentarily prickles at the statement and lets out an involuntary tsk, seemingly not all too pleased at the idea of undead on her doorstep.
"Thats all well and good, but I cannot also just give you this information for free when you seem oh so keen to take my new play toy with you." Finally her notice turns to the scarred man. "And I was going to have such fun with you. I'll give you all a deal. I can give you some information that you need, but he gets to stay with me and my sisters." She states, a glint in her eye.
Jamie steels her gaze and raises her blade. "No deal. He comes with us. Tell us what you know, or you will regret it."
"...Ma'am, if it's company you're looking for, there are more socially acceptable ways of finding it than kidnapping someone and holding them against their will. There's no need for you to keep this man prisoner." Jazadi finally speaks up, having been quiet since the negotiations began.
"We're not here to fight, if we can avoid it. And you're clearly powerful enough to draw people to you of their own free will. You're better than this." She gestures to the bound man. "If you give us the information we seek, we can all walk away from this happy."
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Dhakira cast a sideway glance to Jazadi with a half-smile and murmurs pensively "Well, bondage can be nice, in the right circumstances...Erm"
She then turns her attention again to the current state of affairs. She opens her mouth to help Jaxadi, but realizes she has the situation well in hand, and doesn't want to risk making things worse.
Dhakira cast a sideway glance to Jazadi with a half-smile and murmurs pensively "Well, bondage can be nice, in the right circumstances...Erm."
Dhakira's comments on bondage draw the figure's attention back from the life and death negotiation going on behind him. Then his visage breaks into laughter, perhaps overcome by the sheer rediculousness of the sitaution. "True enough. You have good taste, Priestress - on multiple accounts." he comments, following her gaze to Jazadi.
"...Actually, it seems you are all quite attractive; there are many worse potential last sights. Though... I wonder if this is a sign from the Lady... a band of warrior women to appear right now? " he muses, the last part seemingly directed to himself rather than the priestress.
"Well you're asking all the wrong questions." The lamia says with a sigh. "What you should be asking is 'Have you seen anything unusual recently'? To which I would reply 'why yes I have'. There's been a lot more activity at the Ghoul Market during the day - and ghouls are nocturnal of course. There have also been a lot of men in gold masks wandering around and pilfering things."
She gives a pout. "Now, since you're going to be rude and insist on taking my toy away then I insist that you leave. Frankly I don't want to spend any more time with the angry little one. Leave, please."