Azoth frowns a little, but tells of his circumstances anyways.
"I have a terrible curse that might spark an unwelcome amount of interest from the Count. I have no desire to be studied like a lab rat. Also, I am an elf. He is known to think of non-humans as less than people. I would die before becoming a slave."
And take down as many as I can in the process...
Azoth's slight frown turns into one of deep anger, but it is clearly directed at someone other than those present. After a couple moments, his face returns to normal.
Azoth, after listening carefully to the conversation, speaks up.
"That could easily explain why he's here. I know nothing of nobles and their incessant squabbles though."
Silvio would know a lot about nobility. It's likely that he might be on to the truth.
"If Silvio thinks that's the case, then I'm willing to humor you for now." His bow arm drops further down with bow held loosly, but not put away.
Knowledge Nobility:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
She doesn't get my full trust yet though. I'll stay on my guard to protect our party and...
Seeming to forget that he's voicing his thoughts, Azoth subvocalizes and moves his lips
Anyone who passes DM's requirements:
"my new friends?"
Can I call them friends? What am I to them? At least one of them doesn't hate me for my markings. I can't lose someone like that. And the other has been helping to make Sheena happy. I'll keep them safe.
DM:
It is my intention that Azoth is going through an emotional struggle. He's not familiar with having people like him. He's only ever had one true friend. I'm trying to show that in his thoughts.
Azoth fusses with his clothing for a moment and then steps from the shadows into the light. He has his bow in his hand, but has lowered it into an unthreatening position.
"I would like to know as well. We are those who would be heavily affected by his awareness."
If it's the case that Azoth can change what he wanted to do, then he will stay on the ground, but within the shadows of the trees. I will keep his stealth rolls though, since I rolled them already.
Out of curiosity, would it have achieved the same purpose to just stay stealthy among the trees? I'm asking in order to understand how to play as this character in the future. My goal was to act like a normal wood elf would in most fantasies, where they typically are at home in wooded areas and are hard to see without them showing themselves intentionally.
As far as not knowing whether the stealth check succeeded or not, I figured as much. That's why I was wanting him to check his markings to see if he was being noticed. Maybe that's asking too much though. Let me know what you think.
"I don't like this at all. Especially with Rodnas recently reminding us of the Count earlier... I suggest caution as well."
Azoth starts inching towards the darkest shadows nearby. Whispering, but loud enough for just the group to hear him, he says,
"I will provide support from the shadows as needed. Do not look for me or give any indication that I exist. I will stay within earshot if you need to tell me something."
With that, Azoth slinks off into the shadows and passes behind a tree.
DM Azure_Zero:
I based this next roll on the Shadow Hunter feat as well as the total stealth skill. Hopefully I did it right. Do I also include the silent hunter category too? I left that one out, because I wasn't sure if that counted as an insight bonus.
Stealth:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
If the stealth check succeeds:
Azoth climbs the tree silently and hides within its foliage. He has chosen this particular tree for a reason. Its branches appear to give him a clear path to the next several trees in the direction of the camp fire.
After Azoth is convinced he has hidden himself well enough in the boughs of the tree, he removes one of his gloves and peers at his markings. If they are not glowing, he will do the following: He places his glove into one of his pockets. If it is glowing, he puts the glove back on. He is hyper aware of the markings on his hand due to the consequences he believes will happen if it is seen by his companions.
Azoth does not re-appear on the other side of the tree.
Hearing Rodnas' statement, Azoth gets an idea. He notices where the Lantern is and walks up to it. He grabs it and holds it in his hands.
The Lantern appears to be sturdy and sufficiently protected by metal. It should hold up to anything Latte's accidental nature would do to it. I think it would be a good idea to give it to her.
He walks back over and holds the Lantern up to Latte,
"Latte. I think it would be a great idea for you to hold it. Thank you for offering. That way the both of us can still use our bows. What kind of weapon do you prefer?"
If he sees it, here is my plan IF you'll allow it:
The Lantern appears to be sturdy and sufficiently protected by metal. It should hold up to anything Latte's accidental nature would do to it. I think it would be a good idea to give it to her.
He says,
"Latte. I think it would be a great idea for you to hold it. Thank you for offering. That way the both of us can still use our bows. What kind of weapon do you prefer?"
Azoth's internal emotions explode with a savage intensity. Disbelief clearly shows upon his face. Slowly, he calms down with a few deep breaths. He responds to Noya and Silvio's comments,
"Those two are certainly an abomination, but at least their own mother still cares for them. Mine hated me so much, she left."
Azoth genuinely believes that his mother left him out of hatred for his own perceived ugliness.
"The townsfolk will do nothing but jeer and jest if I took that thing. They'll probably call for a redo of the ceremony. But, if I am the one who must, I will bear the burden. I will not be able to offer my expertise with the bow while holding it though. It will promptly be dropped without a second thought in the right circumstance."
I've finally found another like her. I will not let them be harmed while idly sitting by.
I could finally get the recognition I deserve with this honor, but it would also give others the opportunity to see my real self. I cannot have that happen.
Much more negatively than he meant to, Azoth replies,
"Count me out of that nonsense. I cannot take that responsibility. That's a terrible idea."
Azoth pauses for a moment.
"No one wants to see the most hated person in the town carrying that thing anyways."
Latte is clearly reluctant to talk about what happened to her that day. I don't blame her."
As if a switch was flipped, Azoth's suspicions towards Latte have clearly diminished. Remembering her kind words to him, Azoth speaks up as well in comfort.
"I understand your reluctance to talk of past things, Latte. Wounds of emotion always take the longest to heal. And they never heal without help. My own still haven't completely done so and they weren't caused by such a traumatic event. If you ever feel the need, I also would be more than willing to offer a listening ear to help as much as I can."
Continuing on in a breathless whisper, Azoth adds,
"Just as she did for me. It's only right."
Azoth breaks out of his reverie at Noya's question, but in his disbelief of hearing someone ask for his opinion, he misses his chance to answer. Seeing that the others might be teasing Silvio, he becomes much more intent on listening to the conversation. In an attempt to help Silvio out, he awkwardly asks,
"Who is this nameless person? I don't recall anyone performing other than Silvio. I usually don't care much for performances though, so I probably missed it."
As Azoth looks around, he comes to the conclusion that only Latte saw what happened and completely ignores Noya's attempt at changing the subject. He stares at Latte's face as if he were a wizard deep in the study of the world's most interesting spell. His face flashes through several emotions. Concern. Disbelief. Wonder. Finally, he settles on perplexed and a flood of questions burst out of him,
"Latte. Why do you not recoil in disgust at my appearance? Why do you apologize to me as if you're concerned about what I think? Why do you care about whether I'm upset?! I don't understand! You should be..."
He suddenly trails off, pauses a moment as clarity begins to weave across his face, and whispers so quietly, that only Latte can hear,
Latte:
"You're just like her..."
"Latte. Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate your promise. Thank you."
Looking utterly exhausted, he slumps back into his chair, looking lost.
As Latte touches Azoth's shoulder, he notices that part of the markings are visible and freaks out. He quickly pulls his suit back into place and starts glaring around at everyone in the room. Extreme concern is etched deeply into his face.
The interaction between Rodnas and Mayor Uptal breaks Azoth out of his reverie. He shakes his head as if to clear it and sits up straighter after vaguely recalling Noya's last comment. He turns to her and says,
”I’m sorry. My deamons torment me sometimes. I don’t like to talk of my curse. It makes me ugly. I am an abomination.”
He pauses for a long moment as if to make a difficult decision.
”My curse gave me tattoo-like, crimson markings that I bear all over my body. They glow brighter when they are visible to others. They are horrendously ugly and no one can bear the sight of them. It is for that reason that I wear such concealing clothing."
I hope they do not ask to see them. I cannot bear to think of their derision of my repulsiveness. No one should have to see such a hideous creature.
Azoth's face turns to utter fear and he begins to frequently glance at the door.
Azoth beams uncontrollably at Noya's first words, but suddenly becomes much more somber when she continues.
After she finishes talking, with his head hanging low, Azoth nearly inaudibly replies, "Oh. I'm sorry I brought it up. I know something of curses myself."
It becomes immediately apparent that Azoth is no longer paying attention to the outside world. His thoughts immediately turn inwards as he starts struggling with his own inner demons.
Some time after Noya spoke of Sheesha, Azoth sits up straight and exclaims excitedly,
"You're the one she always talks about meeting at the Orphanage! The lady who is extraordinarily strong but also the kindest woman Sheesha has ever met!"
Azoth immediately shoots up out of his chair startling everyone present and bows much deeper than is necessary.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You may not remember her well, but you always say such kind things to her. Every time she sees you, her mood improves significantly. You help her forget the troubles brought about by her family. Thank you."
After his outburst, Azoth suddenly blushes, realizes how embarrassed he is, and sits down awkwardly.
More like he does not want the count to cause trouble with the people or disrupt the peace in town, as you do have a few friends.
That and you might also be selling bows so well made the locals prefer them and the Mayor sees them as a premium product of Kassen.
Azoth would still be surprised, as he doesn’t consider these things to be special enough to warrant the Mayor’s consideration. It is good to know the mayor’s thoughts on the situation however, because I can turn this into a learning experience for Azoth to trust others more.
Azoth happens to overhear part of Noya and Latte’s conversation about Noya’s concerns about the orphaned children.
Those children aren’t able to do anything for anyone right now, but she continues to care for them. She is known for being destitute all the time, but despite all that, she cares enough to do what she can for them. I wonder if they are similar…
”Noya, but do you happen to know someone named Sheesha? You kind of remind me of her.”
Ah. That's right. He's from the country. If I recall correctly, he's apparently got some major issues. I heard somewhere that he thinks very similarly to the people in Cheliax. What abominable things do they do there again?
A 5 ft 7 in elf walks into the room. His distrust of others can be clearly seen in the way he observes everyone else in the room. He has shoulder length black hair that has been tied back into a loose ponytail. The only skin you can see is of his face, as the rest of his body is covered completely. The dominating piece of clothing is the deep black floor length cloak that covers nearly everything else. Well fit leather clothes and a lanky build can occasionally be seen underneath as he moves.
He sits at the seat nearest the door and proceeds to fuss with his clothes for several moments. Nearly everyone in the village knows of him. His name is Azoth Mondschein and he has a reputation of being a loner.
