Paera looked back and forth between the orcs and Vik curiously, but kept quiet and decided to follow his lead as the tribesmen led them along. Okay, this is either going really well or very very badly...just have to wait and see...
Her eyes widened almost comically when something caught her eye as they entered the cave, and she quickly tried to compose herself. Oh wow. Oh wow! This was certainly not the time to talk to her comrades about it though.
She was caught completely off-guard by the elder's well spoken common, and tried to hide her surprise for fear of offending him further.
"W-what happened to your village?" She doubted anything they brought to the island could possibly drive these warrior from their home. Surely one bugbear would be no match... She gave the others a brief glance, and decided that it would be wisest to tell him the truth rather than try and cover anything up. They couldn't afford to anger him further.
"If we brought trouble...we did not mean to. We were fleeing from a war, and we had to restock our supplies to continue our journey. We didn't know we had one of the invaders who drove us out hiding onboard. He was a bugbear...he got away, and we don't know where he is, but that is the only evil we know of that has come with us. We're sorry about intruding...I mean, we saw the totems and we figured it was a warning to keep out, and we were going to respect that, but there are more of us who came inland earlier to try and find food and supplies. We hoped to talk with you, to ask for your permission to search your jungles for them."
Paera had pulled her hood back up, trying to keep her hair under control in the growing winds. She was thinking of how they were going to approach the village now that they had found it when Vik alerted them to their unexpected company.
After muttering that these were orks they were facing, she racked her brain, trying to remember if she had heard anything about whether or not they were ever known for having peaceful tribes. They weren't attacking at least. Yet.
"No sudden movements," she whispered. Keeping her hands away from her sword for the moment. Her mouth had gone dry, and she couldn't think of anything these people would possibly understand.
She glanced at the others and raised her right hand, palm outward. She nearly said "Hello." before catching herself. Who knew what "hello" could mean in their language?
Paera slipped her hood off, wiping the sweat from her brow. She found herself actually looking forward to whatever rain was coming, despite the trouble it might bring. "Hope they're getting barrels ready at the beach." She turned to the others with a wry grin. "Hey, think these Grey Ones will give us shelter before the storm hits?"
If Bo tells us about the follower:
Paera stopped herself from looking back to try and spot whoever was trailing them. "So...do we let him know we've seen him and keep moving or wave him over?" Her question was directed more at Vik. She wasn't very familiar with dealing with isolated tribespeople, and the Ulfen was the closest among them to that description as far as she was concerned.
Hey guys, are we going in close to the totems or far away? I'll know for sure how I need to post, because....that will save isn't going to go well for me.
Oops, sorry. I thought the roll was to know what exactly we were looking at. Sorry about the confusion.
Paera was quick to agree with Bo. "I gotta agree. I'm getting the feeling this is some sort of alarm. Messin' with it would probably upset 'em."
She rubbed her chin and voiced the question that had been bugging her. "But...we gotta go in there. But we're going to try and meet these people too. So do we bother with entering the jungle as far from these totems as we can, or do we go straight in, set off whatever warning there might be, and make it obvious that we're coming to them?"
Paera's eyes widened and she quickly took of the torc, staring at it for a moment before placing it in her pouch. What the hell? I really need to speak with Tila now...
Disable Device: 13
When the matter of entering the jungle to speak with the people who placed the totems was discussed, Paera did not have much to add. "I guess the best thing we could do is not go in with weapons drawn and try not to seem like we're looking for a fight. We're strangers in their home after all, and they've given us plenty of warning to keep out. Does anyone know anything about these folks? The "grey ones"?"
Bo-Dan and Wrath:
Spoiler:
Paera allowed herself to take in some of the attention at her lover's insistance. She remained quiet though when Bo-Dan spoke of how important she was to her, but did well to hide the shame in her eyes. She was thankful for the distraction Eliisal's adulations provided, and even pressed gently for more details of her nation's heroes and exactly how they were similar. She was grinning again now.
After a while, it really did start to get to her. It warmed her heart to be among a family such as this, even with their troubles. She glanced at Khraisi every now and then, thinking that she would have a gentle word with her about listening to her mother. Hell, about appreciating that she had a mother... But not now.
After Khsimi's crushing hug, which Paera was certain popped her back at least, she leaned forward to Ellisal and whispered as if conspiring with her, but loudly enough so that her mother, and more importantly, her sister, could obviously hear, "If ya'd like to learn some of those moves, we might be able to teach ya a thing or two about defendin' yourself." She winked at Khsimi and tilted her head towards Khraisi, hoping the older woman caught her meaning.
"Well," Paera hooked her arm through Bo's, her uneasy mood shaken off and forgotten for the moment. "You did your good deed for the day! Ya hungry?"
Paera frowned a bit at the mention of Emallion being upset. She still needed to speak to her again but... She glanced over at Bo-Dan for a moment before turning back to the conversation.
Paera's eyes lit up more and more as Captain Venn told them about Iceeyes. She thought she had sold the idea to him for certain until he warned her about how successful previous attempts to find his treasure had been.
She nodded emphatically at Milhar though, for the first time, when he suggested it could be something to look into later. "Yeah, of course! We gotta make sure everyone's settled in and protected first!" She put the torc on as she spoke. It was a bit of a good luck charm now as far as she was concerned. Nevermind the luck the previous owner apparently had...
Yep Pae, others can make a knowledge local check if they have the skill. Knowledge history will also help. Remember they need to be trained skills though. Also, you can read the writing and understand it without any issues if you speak varisian, the knowledge check is just in reference to the name Iceeyes. Cheers
Oops! Sorry about that.
Paera would have said this instead during the meeting everyone!
"And then there's this." She held the torc forth for everyone to see, pointing out the map carved upon it. "This is what I found on that body in the water. The words are in Varisian. 'They say Iceeyes treasure is secured within. Beyond the village of the greys and at the base of the fire mount, look ye to the cleft foot.'" She pointed at the volcano. "'Fire mount'?"
She couldn't keep the grin from fighting its way onto her face. "Look, where we're heading these people are going to need money to get by." She gave each of them a pointed look, hoping they remembered what she had mentioned about their destination. "Maybe this could help!"
Assuming Milhar talks about the web in front of all of us:
"Wait, what web?"
Wrath and Bo-Dan - Family In Need
Spoiler:
Wow, that was him? Everything kind of weaves together! :)
Paera had a somewhat worried look in her eyes as they approached the Khsimis, the kind of look that one had when they cross to the other side of the street rather than walk by a potential brawl. But Bo had to keep her promise, and Paera wasn't going to leave her side tonight.
As she caught what the argument was about, she couldn't help but smile softly. The mother was just trying to protect her daughter. She believed her mother would have treated her the same way if she were...
She put the thought out of her head as the younger girl announced their presence. She placed a hand behind her beloved's shoulder and pushed her forward slightly. "Yep! Bo will do anything if she promises to." She looked at her ves'tacha, hoping to push her into the center of attention. She deserves it, she thought. She deserves it a lot more than I do...
There was love and admiration in her eyes, but there was a hint of guilt and worry that played over them for the briefest of moments.
I haven't forgotten the fight. Just waiting for the right time to say something or add to whatever Bo says. :)
Paera had been grateful for the distraction of being introduced to the family Bo-Dan had sworn to help and the dinner with the young boys' family. She had eagerly taken up her lover's invitation to meet the former, and seemed reluctant to leave her side for long at all. She seemed to be on the edge of saying something more, something that had been on her mind and eating at her for a while, but she always found an excuse to not want to sour what brief moments of peace they could find.
That night after she cleaned the torc, she held it up against the sky and studied it for some time, wondering at what the markings could mean. She even turned to the skull to ask, "You wouldn't happen to know what all this is about, would ya?"
She held onto Bo tightly as the time for the funeral came. She noticed the change in the captain's demeanor, and even she had a hard time holding onto her spite towards the man. She was beginning to rethink her harsh judgment of him... She whispered a silent prayer to the goddesses he beseeched to look over the dead, as well as one to Desna and Shelyn, to help the husband and wife find each other, whereever they were going.
Later, as the captain brought up the other pressing matters, Paera pulled the torc out of her pouch, wondering if she should bring the matter up.
On the matter of Rafiki, she met Bo's look and nodded. She took no joy in what she said next. "No one forced his hand, and he got a lot of people killed already. To hell with him. But..." she turned her eyes to the captain. "How do you plan on doing away with him without making the refugees more nervous than they already are? A lot of 'em might think he deserves death, but I know I'd start worrying if I were in their shoes. A bunch of foreigners executing one of them after killing a bunch of them before their eyes. What about marooning him?" She almost made a bitter remark about the matter of the offering of meat and killing two birds with one stone, but even she was too shocked by the thought to repeat it.
She began to twirl the torc around her fingers. "And the natives...if we do try to talk with them, we need ta be real polite. They haven't hurt us out here on the beach yet, even after the mess yesterday."
She stopped spinning the torc about and held it forth. "And then there's this. I found it on that body in the water. Anyone here have any idea what these markings mean?"
As she rounds people up, the two boys who were asking her questions earlier run up to her. They delightedly hold forth the skull and the torc she recovered from the waters edge. The boy who qestioned her ealrier says "If you'd like, my mother says you and your friend can eat with us tonight. She says no Iffreati would have spared those men"
Paera tussled the boy's hair despite herself. "Thanks!" she said with a forced grin. She gently took the skull and the torc from them, adding, "We'll come by, promise! We just have to make sure this fellow is taken care of, okay?" She nodded at Bo, hoping the acceptance by at least some of the refugees would raise her spirits after her close call earlier. "You should go back to her for now though. It's dangerous near this jungle."
Paera kept looking over her shoulder at the totem and the jungle beyond as the refugees moved back. She nodded in that direction. She hoped they were not being watched, but if they were, she hoped whoever was out there understood her meaning.
"Gods, Bo...what the hell is going on here?" she felt lost for a moment, though she tried to hide her fear as she drew close to the monk. So much senseless death...the sight of that man's head twisted around by Algret's blow and the screams of his wife...it had her stomach twisting. She rested her head on Bo's shoulder, wishing they were far from this place.
After she composed herself, she approached Algret, trying to keep the edge out of her voice as much as possible. "When it comes time to bury them, we've got another body out in the water." She presented the skull and the torc, but did not hand them over. "A skeleton, it's been there for a long time. Broken neck, looks like. I figure if we're burying our dead, he'd appreciate the ride."
She listened intently as the news from the ship came, her face darkening. She was relieved she was wrong about her first assumption, and doubly glad she had not shared it, but the fact that they had a bugbear on the loose... "Hopefully, if he wasn't insane and tried to put out to sea, he'll stumble through the jungle and piss off whoever is putting those totems out. They can have the bastard, I say..."
She was glad to see the captain leave the beach though. One less sight to enflame the refugees' temper. And her own. Gods, get a grip, girl! He's probably barely holding it together himself... It was difficult to know she couldn't place all the blame on him, as easy as that would have made matters...
"Hey, Bo." she asked gently. "Did you want to take that family up on their invitation, or...do you have to do that...whatever it was you promised?" She still didn't fully understand all the rules and codes Bo-Dan seemed to set for herself, though she knew they were deeply important to her. "It wasn't your fault, you know..." she held Bo's hand tightly, hoping her ves'tacha believed her.
Paera sheathed her rapier with a frown. She was relieved it was over, but disgusted that how far the fight had gone. "Are the children unharmed?" she asked Algret as she came to heal the fallen, a bit more snap in her question than she might have intended.
She moved over to meet with Bo-Dan briefly, thankful that she was alright at least and that the woman she had struck accidentally was mostly fine. "Thanks for the save, Bo." she whispered as she held her for a moment, almost as if it were a consolation. She wanted to stay with her at that moment, but there was so much going on at once. "C'mon! We gotta get everyone else calmed down before they get themselves lost in the jungle..." She held her beloved's hand tightly as she pulled away, hoping to keep the monk moving and trying to distract her from what just happened. She would have to ask her later about what she promised the woman...
As she passed by, she saw Vik taking one of the men to face the captain. She shouted angrily at both of them, "Try not to murder anyone else for a moment, alright? Somethin's goin' on here!" She had a faint notion of what, but she couldn't be certain. The way the man's demeanor shifted so suddenly...she hoped she was right about what it was, but she hoped she was wrong about who.
"Hey!" she shouted to the crowd. "It's alright, it's over! There's not gonna be anymore fighting!" She could promise little and couldn't think of an explanation for what just happened. All she could do was implore them to remain calm.
Paera stopped in her tracks, struck by the sight and how powerless she was to stop it. "Damn you..." she mutter, not knowing exactly who she was cursing, the mutineers, the captain, Algret, or herself.
The fight was still going though, against all reason. This madness had to end one way or the other. She gave the captain a hateful scowl and turned towards the man still fighting Vik, charging and screaming in anger, as she tried to hit him in the back of the skull with a wild punch with her rapier's hilt. "Idiot!! Are you trying to throw your lives away!?" she spat.
Paera grinned back at her ves'tacha, that wild, almost manic-grin she got when she was a little too excited. "Thank the gods for you, Bo!" she said as she ran alongside the monk. Together they were unstoppable, as far as she was concerned.
As she ran back onto the beach, she yelled out for someone, anyone to fetch her attackers from the water. She had quite a bit to discuss with those men. She tried to keep pace with the faster Bo-Dan until she saw Algret's situation. Damn! Two of 'em on her, and they don't look like they're any more used to a scrap than those other two. Are they trying to get themselves killed? Then she say the boy. With a vile curse, she broke away from Bo-Dan to help Algret. "Be back in a bit! Be careful around that big guy!"
She ran as quickly as she could. Algret's attention seemed to be on the man that had knocked the boy aside, but the woman...
Running as quickly as I can towards the woman fighting Algret and making a subdual attack if I can reach her. Subdual Melee Attack: 10
Damage: 7
Oops. She better hope I get to her again before Algret!
Paera's eyes widened at how close her assailants' attacks came to hitting her as she tried to duck and weave on such uneven ground.
"Bo! What the hell is going on?!" she dared to take the time to ask after the monk took one of the men down with an expertly thrown stone.
She was absolutely confused, but she knew she couldn't take any time to sort it out while someone was trying to kill her. She ducked and unleashed an awkward uppercut against the man still attacking her, in an attempt to knock him out with the hilt-guard on her rapier.
Paera clutched the torc as she surfaced again. She was troubled by the implications of the skeleton's state, but this threw her mind off track for a moment. Until she looked up at least.
"Uh...guys?" Oh hell! What's going on? Something I said? Mutiny after all, what?! She was about to dive underneath the waves again when she saw the stone Bo-Dan threw strike one of her attackers. Oh thank Desna for you, Ves'tacha! She lunged forward as quickly as she could in the water, drawing her rapier and attempting to strike the other man's face with the hilt with the same motion.
Paera surfaced and drew a deep breath after nearly losing what little she had left underwater. She was still holding the skull in her hands, but kept it away from her body. "Gods!" she coughed. "There's a skeleton down there!" She pushed the skull into the hands of the boy that had been talking to her, and without making certain that it stayed in his hands she dived back beneath the water to examine the rest of the skeleton, wiping the sand away as much as she could.
How long has this fellow been here? she wondered. It was sheer curiosity that had her looking more closely more than anything else, though she told herself that it was to find out the cause of this person's death, for the sake of the refugees, and she kept an eye out for any valuables on the side.
The next time she surfaced to catch her breath, she told both of the boys, "Hey, can you go get someone for me?! There's another "half-Iffreeati" like me with white hair, a dwarven priestess, and a big hairy Ulfen guy! Tell 'em what we found!" She then dove under again.
Wow, sorry about that Wrath. I must have been completely out of it yesterday... Please ignore my last post then.
Paera wore a mischievous smirk, ready to play upon the boy's apparent ignorance of her heritage by claiming his mother was more right than she knew. But when something caught her eye the thought completely slipped her mind. She forgot fishing for the moment and stepped closer to get a better look, diving under the water if she had to.
Pae, can you make either a survival check or an untrained profession fishing check, whichever you wish. It's not that hard to catch fish in the fish trap. Your level of success will determine how well the group does as a whole for this first catch. Any details you'd like to add in terms of how you fish may affect the result (good plan = bonus, dodgy plan = negatives hehe.). Alternatively you can use just the flat roll.
Paera's going to try and find a fishing net and someone willing to help among the crowd. If the water is clear enough, she's going to wade out a bit and start throwing it out and drawing it back. She's never fished this way before, but she doesn't think pole-fishing is going to do all that much good. She's mainly hoping the way the reefs are laid out has drawn a decent population of fish in. She's no expert on this though, she's just guessing(like me!). ;)
"I agree", Paera nodded at the others' assessment. "This could just be a warning not to go any further...maybe..." She turned towards the jungle, peering into the green but not taking a step further in. She pointed at herself and at the others, then towards the beach emphatically, then towards the jungle and finally waving her hands negatively and shaking her head. She had no idea if anyone was watching, nor whether anyone would understand her meaning, nor if they would care, but she thought it couldn't hurt.
As the other passengers were brought to the beach, she made her way amongst them, warning any who would pay attention to stay on the beach and to keep their children away from the water.
Paera followed Bo's lead up to the totem, taking the other side and trying to keep her eyes open for trouble. Still, the strange appearance of the thing was enough to distract her from paying full attention.
Perception: 11I completely forgot about the half-elf senses bonus. I need to put that in my profile...
"Don't look at me..." Paera said, quick to pass the responsibility of tracking to someone with actual experience. "Wonder if it just walked up to the beach to watch the fight?"
Paera grinned back at the children, cheerfully replying, "We know!" and almost planting a foot victoriously upon the dead creature before she saw Bo's wound.
"Gods, Bo! It got you pretty good. You too," she nodded at Vik. She fished around in her belt for anything to cover their wounds, glancing at Algret in the hopes that she could provide healing for her ves'tacha and the barbarian. "How bad is i..." she began to ask before she noticed the strange totem.
"That wasn't there before." she stated, the wariness back in her voice.
Paera cursed as she slipped and missed her mark, and cursed again when she saw the other creature advancing towards Algret and the children. "Oh gods! The kids! Bo, help him!" she shouted, stepping away from the one attacking Vik and dashing to get between the other creature and the children, making a mad stab at the thing's face as she did so.
Moving to the other creature and attacking if I can move quickly enough. I don't expect to hurt it much, but it won't go after the children at least. Melee Attack: 13
Damage: 3
Yeah, you called it Wrath. I'm really, really sorry about taking so long.
EARLIER:
Milhar Korashi wrote:
"Could you tell me what the worse things are, please?" Milhar looks up from the reef at the woman.
Paera looked at the others, hesitant to go into grimmer details that might be passed around carelessly. "Nothing I know for certain...but there's rumors...people disappear pretty often up there. There's talk about folks being sacrificed to buy safety out on the frontier."
BEACH:
Seeing Vik's hackles rise, Paera began to ask, "Hey, Big Guy. What's wrong?" Then she saw what was wrong. Bo-Dan was already in the fray by the time she shook off her surprise and dashed in after her.
She attempted to hop over the things claws as she went further ahead, trying to get it between herself and Bo before lunging with her rapier.
Paera, info about Gergythia and the Varisians. Let people know if you're happy to share the info.
** spoiler omitted **...
Wrath:
Spoiler:
Wow, awesome! I just need to ask about one detail: Paera was raised by Varisians after they picked her up as an infant. Are there still "gypsy"-like Varisians wandering the land or are they almost entirely a sea-faring people?
I feel guilty asking more questions after all you've written already. ;)
"Yeah, anything that means someone else is doing the heavy lifting is fine by me." Paera agreed with Bo's suggestion with a grin.
She watched the groups preparing to head out with interest. She waved to Tila, and stared curiously at the pack that belonged to the woman with the seeming bodyguards. "Y'know, I guess another perk with those reefs is that it'll be harder for them to ditch everyone here." she mumbled to her group before her face turned grim.
"Guys, I don't know if you know all that much about where we're heading, but I can tell ya it probably isn't going to work out for these folks. It's frontier country, but there's plenty of Chelaxian nobility lording over it. And if someone doesn't have enough money to make it on their own out there, they pretty much become slaves. That and there's worse things out there..." She looked around the ship, at all the refugees, and sighed. "There's no way most of these people have enough on 'em to buy their safety. If they could get along and had some real leadership holding them together, they might have a chance of striking out on their own up there. I think I might have an idea...but it really depends on these people. If you guys find out anything about how these folks are splitting themselves up, could ya let me know? And please, don't tell any of 'em what I just told ya. Not yet at least..."
She almost mentioned what she remembered about the pirates so many were worried about, but she held her tongue just in time, a glimmer of shame passing over her face.
I only have Knowledge(local). You can't use the others untrained, right? I guess that means I'm going after general knowledge and rumors like you said in the OOC then. Here goes! edit-Ha!
"I'd say getting some of the worst of 'em off the ship and into those other groups would make things easier, but that's just askin' for trouble." Paera chewed her lip in thought. "And sticking close to the hotheads is just gonna make 'em suspicious and more irritable. We got any entertainers onboard? I figure that's one way to keep a good lot of them occupied for a while. Take their minds off things for a bit, at least."
She looked to Bo, wondering if any of her skills would be useful there. Paera's performance for crowds tended to involve shell-games and usually ended with a hasty disappearing act. That was something they absolutely did not need in this situation.
Paera had not really expected the proposal the captain had ready for them. As he spoke, some of her fears and suspicions were laid to rest, while others were born. She was particularly worried with the mention that some on the ship wished to see the captain removed. Paera still wasn't sure whether or not she was among their number.
As Milhar and Bo put the question to the captain directly though, she couldn't help but grin faintly as she crossed her arms, finally relaxing now that she knew they weren't being set up to be removed. She looked away to hide her widening grin as her beloved pressed the issue. Gods, right to the heart of things as always, Bo. So difficult sometimes! Her small dose of good humor disappeared when the captain exploded in rage, and it was all she could do to keep her hand from straying to her sword. She couldn't hide the anger on her face though even as Bo remained calm and resolute.
As they left and the group began discussing the matter, Paera spat in disgust and fetched a cloth from her belt for Bo, who she then wrapped her arm around to calm her, though it was more to keep her own temper in line than Bo, who seemed to have taken it in stride. "Charming fellow. So maybe he is willing to take everyone all the way to Gergythia. Gotta wonder if he knows what's waiting for us there."
She turned to the others. She didn't dare fill Algret and Vik in on what she thought she knew yet, not until she was absolutely certain they wouldn't be overheard. "So assumin' he's being straight with us, we are gonna need those supplies if we're gonna have a chance of making it. I gotta admit up front that I don't know much about hunting though. I know he's certainly right about there being some hotheads onboard looking to bleed someone. Figure we should be the ones guardin' the ship? We've done a good job of that once already."
Wrath:
Spoiler:
Should I roll to see what I know about Gergythia and the Varisians the captain had expressed worry over earlier?
Damn, too late! Paera thought as she eyed Vik and Algret in the distance when Mjobo came to fetch her. Spent too much time looking over at that volcano... "Right, feast in our honor, eh?" she joked. She had not exactly hidden her distrust of the captain all that well, but surely he wasn't calling together all of the people she had thought to confide in because he suspected anything. Surely not....
As she noticed the look Mjobo gave Bo-dan, her stomach twisted into knots. Damn, he does know then... She tried to keep a good face forward, but already she was trying to weigh the odds. Four of us, big guy is no slouch even barehanded and the priestess has magic. And Bo is Bo, so even if they confiscate our weapons at the door, we're not defenseless, except me. Not much good without a blade... Still, if the worst happens, we can roll with it...
A bit of sweat beaded on her forehead before she brushed it away.
Wrath:
Spoiler:
I swear I'm not going to attack the captain, Paera's just nervous and extremely suspicious is all. :)
"Right...gotcha." Paera quietly answered Tila's warning, brushing her hand over where she had the necklace tucked beneath her clothing. She was willing to forgive, but trust...well that was hard for her to give out anyway. Just before she left, she turned to ask the halfling woman another question. "Hey...what is a 'Whal'?"
Bo-Dan & Wrath:
Spoiler:
Before Bo takes off, Paera will mention that she'll talk to Vik, since there's no tension between them. She kind of hopes Bo will do the same with Milhar. ;)j
Paera almost called out for Bo to be careful despite the monk's assurance that she was already. She sat leaning against the crate and watched the sky for a moment after her beloved left, saying a silent prayer for her, and everyone's, safety.
There was something else Bo-Dan had mentioned. The captain had been worried about Varisians... Then she heard the call of land being spotted.
Paera ran across the deck and tried to see what had been found. Oh gods, please let there be food. She then reminded herself of her earlier fears that the human cargo would be left on the first island they came across. It seemed she and Bo needed to speak to the others sooner than she thought. Smoke and ash...
She picked her way through the crowd, trying to find the barbarian and the dwarven priestess.
Paera's emotions were still storming as Emallion explained herself, but pity was beginning to edge ahead of everything else. Oh, royalty then. So we have a pampered princess onboard. she thought bitterly at first before closing her eyes. One who just lost her entire family, probably...gods...
Tila's scolding of the noblewoman broke her out of her thoughts, and she tried to remember the strange words she was using. She would have to ask her about those later... Sun God...she's more than nobility to her people then...
She didn't have the heart to add any further retorts after what Tila had said, and nodded to the halfling as she turned to do as she was asked. She paused after a couple of steps though, looking at Emallion one last time. "If you're so scared, then just ask for help. I'll give it freely, but I won't be taken advantage of." She had managed to soften her tone, though her anger was still under the surface of her voce. Whatever Emallion's response is, she'll go get the fish now.
Would Paera have heard anything about the Sun Gods or how the royalty of this nation worked? Is it a sort of pharaoh-ish thing?
Bo-Dan & Wrath:
Spoiler:
Paera was napping fitfully, the events of the day still bothering her. When she felt Bo near, she reached out to hold her tightly, without a word, burying her face in her beloved's shoulder. She just held her for a time, as if she were afraid Bo would be gone if she dared to let go. She didn't want to talk about what happened, she only wanted to know that Bo was there and to let the monk know that she loved her.
I'm just keeping Paera's mouth shut about the day's events to keep everything smooth timewise until the next day. :)
Paera had stuck close to Bo-Dan the next day, as if she were afraid to let her out of her sight. She was almost clingy. But her expression darkened as her lover told her of what she had learned, even though her eyes had brightened a bit at Bo's meeting with the gnome. "I knew it..." she muttered, quick to leap to judgments where the captain was concerned. "Damn, and we can't just warn everyone because they'll probably panic and kill him and half the crew. And if the ship survives that mess there's no way they'll be able to sail it properly. Not to mention being unable to use the engine at all...damn!"
She crossed her arms as she leaned against a crate. She frowned a bit, looking hesitant to say what was on her mind. "We gotta tell someone, but they have to be able to keep it a secret. People that could work the crowds and keep 'em calm, y'know. Like that dwarven priestess. And this Mjobo guy sounds alright, but I don't know if we should talk to him yet. And...damn...there's something else. We've got royalty onboard, apparently." It was this that she had been avoiding. "You know that griffon rider, Emallion. She's one of the emperor's daughters. I don't know if the captain knows already, but if he does find out she'll be offered to the first pirate ship that finds us. He's willing to trade these people off for his safety before whatever treasure he has locked up in there, at least."
She might have more to add, but I need to know how someone from earlier today answered an offer. :)
Paera listened in disbelief as Tila explained matters in a round-about way. Gods...she was in my head?! She was making me think those things! Her body felt numb as she accepted the halfling woman's gift. She was relieved that she had not betrayed Bo-Dan, but outraged that her thoughts, her heart, had been violated so. She shakily got back to her feet, nodding to Tila's suggestion to find something to do. "Th-thanks...I will..." She tucked the bauble inside her clothing.
As she slowly made her way to the edge of the deck, she heard Emallion's sobbing. Her first instinct was to keep walking and leave her to wallow in the misery she brought on herself. She had actually made several steps away before she stopped, her shoulders sagging in defeat against her conscience. Paera never could leave well enough alone.
She slowly approached the crying rider, keeping a healthy distance from the griffon. Any closer and it would be trouble for certain; it would certainly attack if Paera gave in to the urge to break Emallion's jaw. She didn't announce her presence, she simply started to speak, "You know, I got thrown out of my clan when I was younger than you. I was alone for a damn long time, but I managed to stand on my own two feet before I met Bo. Now you're gonna have to. Right now, more than anything I wanna knock your teeth out for what you did to me, but I'm too stupid and soft hearted for my own damn good. You want my friendship? Earn it. You want people to look up to you? Earn it. But don't you ever try to take it like that again. I'm no one's for the taking."
Paera's fists were shaking. She had never felt such a strong mix of disgust, anger, and pity before.
I was going to roll Diplomacy, but I'm not even sure it's appropriate, considering this is half an offer of forgiveness and half a warning. ;)
"Whu-" Paera managed to nearly ask what Tila meant before her warning came true at the railing.
After that horrible moment had passed, she still clung to the railing, leaning heavily over it and breathing raggedly. "What-what happened? I was..." Gods, what was I thinking? I was drawing my sword on her...what did she mean? Why did she strike her like that? Why was...why was I thinking about...oh Bo... Her thoughts were in such a storm that she didn't quite notice the tears on her face.
Paera rubbed her arms as she looked away for a moment, her right hand tracing the tattoo that held her life's story along her left arm. "Nah! Me an' Bo, it's more than...." She trailed off. Was it more than just loneliness? She had never thought she had known love before Bo-Dan came into her life. How could she be sure what she felt was real? How could she be sure she didn't simply cling to the monk for fear of being alone?
She shivered at the troubling thoughts. She wanted to find Bo-Dan and speak with her, to have a moment alone with her on this crowded ship, but if she really wanted to, why was she staying by the rider's side? The beautiful rider who knew what it was to soar so free in the sky...
"I..." she looked absolutely lost before she heard the commotion on the deck. She was almost thankful, and somewhat regretful that her moment with the rider had been interrupted. She was afraid to dwell on which she felt more. "What's going on?"
She's not moving to interrupt the fight yet. Right now she's thankful for the distraction. She is ready to jump in if things look like they're getting dangerous though.
Paera was taken a bit off-guard by the rider's reaction, but didn't hesitate to bask in the gratitude. "Ah, it was nothin'! You probably saved my life up there. The least I could do was make sure no one swiped your stuff!" The woman certainly had a charm that Paera both envied and found attractive, but she kept her thoughts restricted to admiration. Like the Tien lily entwined with the Varisian rose tattooed over her heart, Bo was likewise never far from it.
As they left at the halfling's request, Paera subtly motioned with her thumb. "So, uh...what's wrong with her? Pretty protective of your mount, huh?"
The request to tell of her past might have been considered a mistake by most people. Paera was only too happy to oblige. "Ha, that's a long story! I was raised by Varisians back in the old country after my parents died fighting a dragon that was terrorizing the countryside. They may have fallen, but not before taking that overgrown lizard down! They had me sent away by a servant to keep me safe, since the old wyrm had a lot of followers that would be looking for any way to get revenge. Anyway, I stayed with the clan that adopted me for a while before striking out on my own, like my parents. I've been all over the place since then. Oddjobs and sailor's work mostly, but me and Bo are gonna hit it big one of these days. She's my friend, by the way. She helped get you down too. I don't know if you managed to see her or not with the poison...anyway..."
She rambled on, bouncing back and forth between various points of her life, embellishing a bit here and there whereever the facts were a tad too mundane. She managed to sidetrack herself onto the subject of airships and flying animals with some frequency.
[ooc]I literally cannot type everything Paera will say unless someone stops her. She really will keep going until the listener has had enough. :)
I'm fine with it if everyone else is! Paera should probably work in the rigging, but she's curious about the griffon too. That and she's trying to come up with a solution to the problem she's imagined with the captain.
Paera will visit the griffon rider
Paera's stomach growled, having given most of her rations away to the ailing mothers who seemed to need it most. Her initial hesitance towards the captain's plan was eroding because of the hunger.
While milling about on the deck, she saw the griffon and its rider up and about on their designated part of the ship. She made her way over to them, noting how everyone else seemed to be keeping their distance. "Hiya!" she waved as she approached, as cheerful as she could be under the circumstances. She had heard about the rider's attitude, but paid it little heed. When dealing with such people, she tried to charge right in, accepting the fact that if she didn't manage to be disarming enough to get close she would be hitting a stone wall. "We met earlier. Kind of. I've been holding onto this for ya, too." She held out the amulet she and Bo-Dan had taken for safekeeping.
She whistled at the sight of the beast, even as she kept a healthy distance. "Is he good to fly again? He had taken a really nasty spill before we could get him out of the rigging." She tried to keep the conversation in motion, to avoid the proud woman simply writing her off. "Good job on that by the way!" she smiled at the halfling woman.
"Gods, it must be wonderful to be able to ride him. Useful too! We sure could use an extra pair of eyes scouting for the ship, lookin' for islands or watching out for pirates." she went on, staring at the griffon in genuine admiration. If it was going to take flattery to get the rider in the air again, she was certainly ready to flatter.
Paera had thrown herself into whatever activity she could to help the crew and passengers, anything to keep her from thinking about the city they had left behind. She knew she had to keep moving or the full weight of what had happened would crush her.
She kept to that defense mechanism even after the captain made his announcement. "This isn't good." she whispered to Bo.(and any other PCs nearby) "If we run into pirates, and where we're heading we will, the only way we're going to last without fighting it out is to pay them off." She looked around at the crowd for effect. "And we don't have much to spare except people."
She knew she was quick to become suspicious, but she had already painted the captain in a negative light in her mind.
"Hmpf. I'll get it then." Paera said sharply. She knew it was smarter to keep the man in the infirmary if he was indeed a healer, not to mention it would keep him away from the passengers who wished him harm, but she still couldn't keep from taking that last shot at him as if she was stepping up to a task he had shirked. Even as she did so she silently cursed herself for behaving so before Bo.
She reached out and held the monk's hand briefly, sharing a look to reassure Bo-Dan that she would be right back and that the wounded would be better off with her stepping out for a moment rather than Bo. Paera had no real talent for healing, but her love's medallion would certainly be a blessing to those down here.
She then stepped out, picking up her pace once she was away from the wounded and breaking into a run to get to the spoils of war before someone else took the bottle.
Paera will run and pick up that bottle and bring it back unless someone intercepts her.
"The griffon's fine." Paera said with more of a snap than she would have liked. It was clear in her voice that she was trying to rein herself in, at least. "And to hell with the captain. We'll hold onto her belongings. She probably saved my life up there earlier and I'll be damned if I trust that bastard with that amulet." Whatever anger towards Milhar she had managed to hold back found a much easier target in the captain.
She looked to Bo-Dan with an apologetic glance, she knew her temper was running high, but her eyes showed that she meant what she said. She did fully intend to keep the rider's amulet safe. There was no larcenous intent in the offer. Bo-Dan had a knack for making her feel guilty whenever she so much as thought about backsliding towards more casual theft.
As upset as she was, Paera didn't have the heart to hurl any more bile at the apparent pariah. He was hated enough as it was. After he left she quietly said to the others, "Gonna be a lot of trouble for that one on this ship. If someone doesn't watch his back he's likely to wind up with a knife in it."
She softened her voice and spoke to the griffon-rider. "Hey, just relax alright, we'll get you some help in no time." she tried to reassure her as she beckoned for Bo to help her continue to the infirmary.
Paera will still in awe over how light the griffon really was. Must be hollow bones...never thought about that... She admired the beast more than she should have at the time. It was easier to keep her mind on that. Better to keep from thinking about the city they were leaving behind. The people they left behind.
She watched curiously as Bo-Dan used her strange medallion, wondering again what it's exact nature was. She was burying herself in other distracting thoughts later, as they carried the rider into the ship.
Once what seemed to be the beginning of a fight started, Paera was actually caught off guard when Bo asked her to hold on to the rider and then stepped forward. It took her a moment to catch on, but her eyes narrowed once it became clear why the strange man Bo and that even stranger man were defending was so hated.
"Well you're going to be popular, I can tell already." she said, venom just under the surface of her voice. As far as she was concerned, he was no better than the captain. She was grateful Bo had left the rider in her arms; it had spared her from having to defend the man.
The fact that what he had done had likely saved them infuriated her even more. She couldn't help but feel like her life had been bought with the blood of innocents.
"Whew!" Paera was relieved that someone who knew something about these animals was onboard. She listened intently to the halfling woman, nodding as she hung upside down fromt the ropes she had her legs wrapped about. "Gotcha! Bo, you ready? You gents too?"
She grabbed one of the ropes entangling the beast and waited until the others seemed to have a firm hold themselves, and then cut the end with her dagger.
Paera saw the quickest path to get close to the wounded beast, and set herself to cautiously climbing across the guide ropes. She would have gone faster, but whatever was burning in her blood curbed her usual foolhardiness for the moment. Can't do them any good if I hit the deck from this high...
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a flash of light strike the griffon, seemingly coming from a man climbing up the rigging. It didn't seem to cause harm, but she cursed under her breath and paused for a moment, wondering if the creature was going to panic.
If it doesn't:
"Stay away from the beak-y end!" Paera called out as she got closer. She tried to approach the griffon from above to see if she could get the rider loose without sending all three of them plummeting below.
I'm not sure which rolls are going to be needed here.
"Gods..." So much was happening, from the griffon and its rider now caught in the rigging, to the crisis narrowly averted below, and the fading screams in the distance. Gods...those people.... She wanted to sink to her knees right then and there, but there was still so much to do and it needed doing right now. Think about it later, there's still people in danger you can help, damn it!
She started for the ropes at the edge of the nest when she heard the call from Bo-Dan from below. Looking over the edge, she was shocked at how bloodied her lover had been, but the monk seemed alright... "Bo! I'm fine, just a scratch! I'm going after the griffon! We need to get him and his rider out of the rigging, now!" She shouted at any sailors she could spot. "HEY! GET UP THERE AND LET THEM DOWN EASY! DON'T GET TOO CLOSE AND DON'T PANIC IT!"
She then bolted for the ropes, examining the situation and trying to spot the best way to first get the rider to safety and then hopefully do the same for her mount.
Paera could feel something burning in her blood, but somehow managed to keep her arms still as she held her aim on the goblin. She had intended to put an arrow in the goblin's head as soon as the child was safe, but as a dwarven priestess and some...she wasn't quite sure what...charged him, she lost her clear shot.
Looking away in frustration to see where Bo-Dan was, she noticed the incoming flyers. "Oh no..." Things apparently hadn't gone well for the city's aerial forces after all, she thought. She quickly let an arrow fly at the closest of the griffon rider's pursuers.
"Heh." Paera grimly chuckled as her foe was knocked out of the sky by the very person she had been admiring earlier. "Thanks..." she said quietly as she tenderly held her bleeding side and looked down on the deck.
She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Bo-Dan was safe, but when her eyes passed over the child... She inhaled with a hiss at the scene as she immediately drew another arrow, but she did not fire. Her aim had been off throughout the battle, and the shot she was thinking about making was much further away than the attacking bees and wasps had been. Still, to simply stand there in the Crow's Nest and do nothing while the girl's life was at stake....
Sweat beaded on her brow as she held her bowstring taut.
Paera almost wanted to just stay as she had fallen against the edge of the nest and simply watch the battle over the city. The sight of that one particular griffon rider had struck a chord in her. Gods, if only I had one of those, I'd show these.....good luck up there, whoever you are. Her eyes flashed back to the goblin rider still within range. Pushing herself back upright and wincing from the pain, she took aim once more.
"HEY! BASTARD! WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET!" she shouted as she let another arrow loose. The pain in her side was flaring as she did so however...
"Stay still, damn you..." Paera muttered as she let loose another arrow towards the wasp rider. Her constant, nervous glances at Bo-Dan's descent did little to help her concentration.
"I'm fine!" Paera waved her friend's worrying away. In truth, she was trying to keep the overheard screams out of her mind. She didn't see it, but she could imagine what must have happened to all of those people still on the gangplanks. She wanted to hate the ship's captain with all her heart at that moment, whether it was reasonable or not.
Picking herself back up, she went wide-eyed at Bo's sudden descent from the nest. She started to follow, but the sight of the wasp riders still in flight kept her in place. "I've got your back, Bo!" she called out, taking aim at the wasp rider closest to her beloved.
