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Kapelo raises an eyebrow at Nempura's words, perhaps put off by the mention of outsiders and overprotective fathers. "Yeah, lots of emphasis on cooperation would be good. Just don't let any angry watersinging Chords freeze my blood or anything, okay?"
Nempura, Kapelo casually makes sure he is sitting next to you, allowing Oak to climb in first to take the rear of the boat. "So this is your hometown we're coming to, eh? What's your family going to say about all the crazy danger you got yourself in, eh?" He laughs. While the gesture is overly familiar, you can tell he is trying to be friendly, in a self-assured, ifrit kind of way.
Kapelo takes a moment to formally address Nempura before he steps off the boat. "My apologies Lady Nempura, I spoke out of turn about your boat and your abilities. I hope you will accept my apology." He gives a typical ifrit bow, adding a small flourish, much showier than a staid and proper bow among undines. After he debarks, you hear him ask Oak, "Can I have a pinch of tobacco, Oak? Thanks, you're one of the good ones."
For once, Kapelo is silent. He shrugs, and gets on board as if it was his idea.
"And besides, Volcano probably thinks it's a sin to sit in an iceboat like some kind of River-worshipper. Everything's a sin, right Miss Paladin?"
Kapleo raises an eyebrow. "I do not believe I agreed to take a boat made by a girl who just learned how."
Kapelo spits at the drygrief, and follows with a lightning-fast score to the right eye, then immediately to the left eye. The craterous sockets pour out thin blood and stolen tears.
Without waiting to coordinate with the rest of you, Kapelo charges forward with ifrit speed at the creature.
"Ha!" he cries as his magical blade slices across the mouth of the crater-eyed creature. He brandishes the sword, admiring the silvery blood of the drygrief. "You thirsty for more?"
Kapelo, enraged, readies himself to charge at the thing. "LIES!"
Kapelo follows Freya's lead, covering her left flank and still keeping a suspicious eye on the undine. Voice pitched low, he says, "I don't see anything, Miss Paladin. Are you sure your god isn't giving you false visions?"
Kapelo, quick as a snake, steps between the undine and Nempura, his blade already drawn, ringing angrily. "That will be enough, sconosciuto. Stay calm or maybe you don't sing anymore ever, eh?"
Kapelo, seemingly unsatisfied with the responses he has garnered, walks away, stalking off to take check the readiness of the pogonas for the day's journey.
Kapelo swaggers over, helping with a few light loads to prepare the wagon for the day. "I just hope they aren't as wantonly murderous as the guardians of the Temple. Elens who spend their lives too close to the gods seem to think they are gods themselves, eh?"
The roguish ifrit simply observes everyone else speak regarding Yorse. He seems a bit overwhelmed at the idea of a demigod so close by. ***
Kapelo, for once, says nothing. His hooded eyes reveal little of his thoughts as he observes the flow of conversation.
Kapelo ducks and flinches at the ghostly sound. "What the volc was that?"
In a conciliatory tone, Kapelo says, "Badhbh, sit up front with me and the pogonas for a bit, will you?"
"I'm speechless about these fingers you have made for me. I didn't get a chance to thank you before our silly group started arguing yet again." He clears his throat. "So, anyway, thank you. And you're right, I think with the some good gloves the eles won't even know the difference. Heh, if I ever make it back to Hearth to resume my old life, maybe I can still win some more tender hearts before I die."
"Why non-lethal? We have plenty of evidence that these guys are corrupt pieces of..." He looks ready to swear, but then glances at you, "eh, all I'm saying is, why give them a chance? We're trying to protect ourselves here, and if they keep running around trying to kill us, why shouldn't we kill them back?"
Nempura, as a friendly parting shot, he says, "I rely on luck, and if that doesn't work I can run pretty fast. Enjoy your scrubbing, bella." He produces what seems to be another of Freya's cigarettes, lit showily by a small flame belched from Kapelo like baby dragon with an upset stomach. "Miss Paladin is right. Let's finish up with everything and get going."
Smiling widely, hands out palms up, "When it comes to dueling?" He shakes his head, frowning, somber now. "I have found no elen better then myself." He almost reaches for his blade with his right hand, then deliberately draws with his left instead, then sheaths it again. "Just give me a few days to get used to this vol-" He looks at Nempura mid-curse, and changes to, "this new hand and everything will be right as roads."
Kapelo shrugs indifferently. "Si. Daily practice, or better yet twice daily, is part of being excellent at what I do."
Kapelo claps at the last part, "Grandioso! I love to hear talk of that orribile place being torn down." He looks over at Freya. "Metaphorically, speaking, of course." He grins, a bit of sweat on his forehead as if he has been exercising after he finished making breakfast.
Kapelo smiles back at Nempura, bowing back slightly, playfully. "I slept good, as I always do after good exercise. And you, Lady Nempura?"
Kapelo casually sidesteps your attack and raps you sharply on the shoulder. No blood drawn of course because he does not use the tip, but it stings for a moment. "So what were you saying about you buying me a drink?"
You notice that Kapelo is wielding his dueling blade in his left hand, despite having the scabbard positioned for drawing with the right. Your eyes go back to his wound, inflicted by the glass shards of a dying inquisitor. The index and middle fingers are gone. "So when you lose, are you gonna blame it on last night's drinking, Miss Paladin?" He salutes you with his sword, respectfully.
Kapelo quickly finds wood close by, gives a portion of it to Nempura with a flourish, and lights it with a showy spark of flame from a clap of his palms. Dusting his hands as if congratulating himself on a job well done, the duelist walks toward a nearby clearing to practice his blade forms.
"I vote for Nempura to cook, I guarantee she's the best out of all of us," Kapelo says, smiling.
Kapelo suddenly starts laughing, almost dropping the reins as he shakes with mirth. "I just realized. We said we were gonna meet up this afternoon for lunch, right around this time. When we thought we were safe in that place, even for a second." He sobers. "I mean, it's funny because it's so sad."
"Hmm, where to, that's a good question. For now, north is the obvious answer. We won't have to decide whether to go on the eastern roads or follow River west for a day or two. No reason to borrow trouble from tomorrow when today is so horrible, eh?" He laughs cynically.
Kapelo takes the reins graciously from Nempura, with a skilled hand. "Ah, that pogona smell. You won't mistake that for anything else, am I right?" Turning around to address Freya, "Hey, what's the harm is keeping some valuables around? Who knows, might meet some poor helpless elens in need of the warmth of both coat and wine, eh? Or maybe the poor souls will be us, eh? Don't turn down good luck when the gods accidentally give us some. I'll pay it back when we wake the town up, you have my word as a v'Adril."
Kapelo laughs, the sound unexpected among the aura of quiet around so many sleepers. "Nempura! And now you steal, too! I like you more and more!"
"Maybe it's all a trick. He set up Novalie to fall asleep just in case he died, and this new one in Hearth has no power over us at all." He clutches his sword. "The idea of that pig getting away after all this time, laughing at me..." He trails off. "Listen, we should check to see if what he said was true - is this whole town asleep now? And if it is, we need to get all the sleepers inside their houses, safe, and then get out."
"I have protection against priests." He spits the word. "Besides, the, eh, old Ky La died maybe before he could communicate with this new Ky La. Maybe he doesn't even know I'm here. Could be he is threatening Nempura and the swamp girl."
Realizing he's been more focused on his anger than the conversation, Kapelo shakes his head. "Right, yes, we should leave before anything gets worse-" As he says this, Nempura falls the ground. Asleep.
Kapelo smiles in appreciation of your fury. "And now you know why I wanted to stab the porco. Anyway, we should focus on the good things - we're alive, we're awake, and I think killing those darkspawn was good, and now saving this little egg is good too." He strokes his chin. "The way Ky La was talking, it was like he was in control of the sleeping sickness, and he was using it to control the rest of us, too. Sounds just like him."
"They are friends of mine, Miss Runaway Paladin, skilled warriors like yourself. Ky La revealed himself when he attacked us. I tried to tie him up, take him alive, and he shattered into cutting glass and did this." He holds up his right hand, which is conspicuously missing the index and middle fingers.
After the fire dies down, Kapelo takes something from the ashes. Sticks? "Nempura, I can see the question on your pretty face. Always worrying." He winks at you. "I know she drinks because I smelled it on her breath. Heh. What does she call you? Princess?" "Anyway, let's go find her. Maybe she'll go to a bar? Or her family's house? Or both?" He seems to have recovered from his injury, thanks to Nempura's healing, and most of his swagger has returned.
Looking thoughtful at Nempura's last idea, Kapelo says, "Hmm. You mean like a magic duplicate? Sure, that would be his kind of business. Let's start with burning the pieces, eh? I like it." Turning to the large oread, "Oak, could you please gather up some wood to build a cozy bonfire around this foul mess?" He smiles. "I'll provide the spark." "In the meantime, where did Miss Drinking Paladin go?"
Remembering himself, Kapelo bows deeply to Nempura. "And I am rude twice, for you have saved my life." He performs a strange fritan gesture, where he pantomimes kissing the palm of his own hand and then laying it at your feet. Addressing the rest of you, he says, "I for one could do with rest and refreshment. Who knows the way to, eh, Iyanni's home?"
Nempura casts her spell on Kapelo, and the bleeding eases. He stands up, looking at the ruined pile of glass and blood in front of him. "Yes, Oak, you are right, terribly rude of me to forgo introductions." With his left hand, he indicates the bird and the oread. "These are Badh and Oak." Then he gestures toward the rest. "Guys, these are Nempura, Freya, Novalie, and eh, didn't get the swamp girl's name. The dead piece of merde is Inquisitor Ky La."
The index and middle fingers of Kapelo's right hand lie in the midst of the pile of broken inquisitor glass. "Porco Vulcunus!" he swears through clenched teeth. He is bleeding profusely now.
Kapelo starts yelling in sudden pain, clutching his hand, but you are all currently engaged in melee and cannot see exactly what has happened. Ky La Still lies bound and gagged.
Kapelo rears back with the garnet-studded pommel of his rapier and knocks out the inquisitor cold. Ignoring the rest of you, he begins tying him up and gagging him.
Kapelo waves to the others (save Freya, who is far away) and says, "Do not worry about the bird and the rather large oread gentle-el. They are my companions, only to protect me from the foulness of Inquisitor Ky La."
Ok, Ohkwarikó and Badhbh, I'd like you to enter "en media res" or whatever the phrase is - in the middle of the action. So roll init. Kapelo told you to stay back, but now that he is attacking Ky La that would be your cue to join the fray. The inquisitor is the only target for now. Ohkwarikó, would "Oak" be alright as a nickname from Kapelo?
Kapelo's voice rings from behind Ky la, "No more spells, inquisitor! No more threats, no more extortion!"
His blade pierces the inquisitor from behind. He turns to Freya. "Now is the time to choose! Is mind magic and threats to your loved ones not enough?! Kill him, or kill me!"
Badhbh, what do you think about this: During your wanderings, you and Ohkwarikó briefly stopped at Hearth to resupply before heading south again. You were approached by a wealthy ifrit who wanted to get out of town, immediately. Talking fast, he bought you whatever caught your eye, like the grey ioun stone that started floating around Badhbh's head. He also gave you gold (that explains how you have 2nd level wealth). (do you have an affinity to shiny things, like a jackdaw, or was this just one particular magic item you wanted?) So when you are ready to start posting, the two of you will have a temporary agreement with Kapelo to act as his bodyguards, as long as it does not interfere with your own personal missions and oaths. Reasonable? Not trying to railroad, just trying to figure out together where they are coming from, and why.
"Sure, all of you meet me for lunch, say twelfth candle, at that noodle place down the road that just looks like somebody's house. We'll have pho and discuss our foes, haha." He gives you a short bow with some sarcastic flourishes.
"Well, do you know the saying 'the heart will write the play?' That's what I feel like. I'm trusting my instincts, and my gut says you are okay." Another provocative eyebrow, and he says as a quick whispered aside, "The cute watersinger has a good heart anyway. The jury is still out on you, Miss drinking and smoking paladin." His fritan accent intentionally thicker as he jokes. Rolling his hand as he holds the cigarette, escaping smoke slightly swirling from the motion, "Anyway, I told you I have a gift. If there's still darkspawn around, I am completely immune to it. If you want me to prove my worth and prove my story, then let me stick around the stage, eh?" He waits a beat. "And be just a little less abrasive. That would mean a great deal. " Smiling, smoking.
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