Head still ringing from the fall Risl stands up. She sways a little, putting a hand to the wall of the pit to stay upright. A smile of cheerful determination cross her face as she tries to scale the wall.
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Risl heard the commotion down at the end of the room, and was only faintly aware of what was going on as she continued to search the room. She tapped the floor with her quarterstaff, watching it collapse in, thrusting her arm in the air with a triumphant, "AHA!" Risl hollared as if she had just outsmarted something way more important than it was. So, to the end of the hall she went, oblivious to the fact that Alton had found a safe passage to the door. As she reached the last pillar, Risl turned again to her right and over-confidently began to step into the unfamiliar hallway. Luckily, she realized her error before she stepped, pausing with her knee awkwardly in the air. She tucked it back down where she stood, glad no one could see her. Risl squinted again looking for any more traps, tapping with her quarterstaff as she went. Still overly excited about finding the previous trap, the gnome wasn't quite as careful as she could have been.
Risl grinned back at the three, glad Helios was up and doing better. She felt bad that she couldn't have helped him, but dropping a rope down to try and pull him up would have only swiftly pulled her down into the pit. So, she concentrated on finding a way out of this place. She moved forward a bit as carefully as possible where she had checked for traps, "Looks safe this way!" She held her breath as she turned to her right to check for more traps along the floorboards.
Risl gasped a the traps are revealed, and especially as Helios tumbles, head first into one. She tiptoed as carefully as possible around the room to try and discover another part of the path. She turned the corner that they had just safely traveled and cast her eyes on the ground to the north, squinting to see if she noticed anything.
Before the others rush off into the awaiting room Risl removes a pouch of berries from her pack that she had picked earlier in the morning. She whispered a soft prayer, opening the bag and blew a glowing stream of air into the bag. All the berries in the bag glow momentarily and then fade, leaving only four continuing to glow. As they walked toward the next room, she handed two of the glowing berries to Helios, the other two glowing berries to Alton, and a few regular berries for herself and Talis for a nice little snack.
Risl congratulated Helios and Alton, while grinning aside at Talis, "Good job boys, look like you had to save us girls this time. Those skeletons were oddly strong for being, well, bones." She put her sling away, and called over Ooro to help her survey the room before heading over to the bodies. Risl approached the two bodies, couching down to look carefully at them as she had done to nearly every other dead thing they had come across. She mused to Ooro, "I wonder if they owned the horses. Maybe they were done in by the same creature?" Risl canted her head as Ooro hooted softly, listening intently to him before informing everyone else of her findings.
Risl, finding herself rather irritated with the damn skeleton decided not to attack it again. She plodded up to Alton and quickly traced her fingertips over his shin, a soft white light trailing a bit behind her fingers. "May the Forest Spirits guide you, Alton. Bring and end to this."
Risl grumbled at the skeleton, unhappy that it had hurt her owl. Again she pulled another bullet, aimed, and fired at the same skeleton, intent on smacking it around a bit.
Attack:
Risl pulled her sling from her pack and readied it with a bullet as she sidestepped to the right, keeping the dazed skeleton in her eyesight. Seeing that Ooro had been completely unsuccessful, as talented as he was, her concern grew. "Ooro, back to me. Hang out and wait, and try not to get yourself in trouble." She concentrated hard on the skeleton but felt a bit ruffled as Ooro nearly flew into her head as she shot the bullet.
Attack:
Risl gave a heavy sigh, blowing a stray leaf out of her bangs as she did, "I know this is a crypt and all, but this is starting to get ridiculous." She moved fully into the crypt, turning to the skeleton on her right, "Don't you know you're supposed to be dead? That's why you have no skin and stuff. Jeeze." She rolled her eyes, as if the thing really should have known better. As she spoke to the skeleton, Risl raised her quarterstaff in the air, swirling it around her head until a bright white ball of light appeared, growing brighter with each full circle. As the light became almost blindingly strong, she threw back her arm and then flung the quarterstaff forward, pointing it at the skeleton as the ball of light shot across toward it. Her eyes fixed upon the skeleton, still pointing with her quarterstaff, Risl called Ooro from the entrance, "Ooro, go tickle that sack of bones with your talons."
Risl gave Helios a little half-smile, thankful for his understanding and care. She stood with the pack she had found, and after filling everyone in with the details on the dead horses, offered them the loot inside. "I don't really need the rations, and you guys gave up some of yours to help me feed the wolves. There are some arrows and quiver, some pillows, and... oh! Talis, here's a few pints of lamp oil. Can your lamp use it?" She offered the oil to the human. "If anyone else wants anything, have at it." As Helios readied himself to enter the archway, the gnome gripped her quarterstaff tightly, eyes flaring with determination to find the ones who were responsible for the massacre. Risl took a few steps into the archway of the crypt and suddenly glowed ever so softly white. It was only momentarily, and very faint, but it was there. It had become a bit more obvious that the girl was gaining a little color. Even though Risl was covered in mud and dirt, her skin had a distinct pink tinge to it, although faint. Her eyes had become a much brighter purple, and her hair had gained even more golden highlights. As she flashed with light in the archway, even more color flooded the gnome. Risl hadn't even noticed.
Heal Check:
Risl touched down on the ground and quickly slid forward, the slick mud not containing nearly enough traction to stop her momentum from the descent. With a crinkle of her nose and a little laugh she hopped up from the ground. Her whole back side was a complete gnome-shaped wall of mud, and her already tangled blonde mop stuck up in the back from the mud slide. Her eyes followed Ooro as he perched himself on a tree, "Thank you, that was fun! I told you we would be just fine. Don't forget to grab my pack, Ooro." Just then, Risl's eyes turned to what was in front of her. The giddy, innocent gnome's smile fell almost immediately as she viewed the array of death in front of her. To see a man pushing up daisies was unsettling for the forest-dweller, but to see animals - especially multiple animals - laying lifeless before her in such a manner was beyond disturbing for the girl. Risl's stomach churned as she continued to stare, aghast, and slack-jawed at the equine massacre. The way they were still tied to the posts in a group was deeply troubling and odd. She approached the scene and knelt by each body, examining it as well as possible to try and decipher what might have caused this atrocity.
Risl thanked the the group sincerely for helping to feed the wolf pack. She, too, took meat from her rations, though she put significantly more down as not to make the others rations too light. ------------------------------------------- In the morning Risl cast out her typical prayers of guidance and protection to the Forest Spirits, and made her way with the rest of the group toward the valley. Even though the weather was cold, rainy and dreary, it certainly didn't dampen her spirits. Risl bounded around like her normal bubbly self, slipping and sliding in the mud with her bare feet as they traveled. "I love the rain. It's a blessing, you know. The Forest Spirits have granted us good luck!" The gnome stopped every so often to tilt her head back to taste the rain, her chaotic curls mixed with all sorts of forest debris nearly reaching the muddy ground. Upon reaching the rise she pauses and looks down it, quite obviously pointing out, "It's steep, and muddy. If it weren't quite so steep it might make a good slide." As she prattled on about more absolutely inconsequential things while the others discussed practical ways of descending the cliff, Risl slid off her backpack and dropped it right into the mud. With her signature series of whistles, Ooro circled down and alighted on her vine-wrapped gauntlet. Her eyes sparkled with amusement at her owl as she pointed down to the valley and asked, "Down please, Ooro? Just there, that will be fine. Then come back up and retrieve my pack." Risl gently stroked the owl as her fingertips glowed with a soft white light. With his talons firmly gripping her gauntlet, Ooro lifted the gnome into the air and began their descent into the valley.
Risl's eyes bulged out in horror at Talis' suggestion. She would never think that killing a forest creature that she didn't have to, if there was a viable alternative option and her life wasn't in direct, immediate danger. With tears in her eyes at the very thought she cried out a loud, "No! We can find a way, even if I have to give most of my rations like Helios suggested. I can find edible flora, I'm sure. I promised the wolf we wouldn't hurt him, what if his pack, or another animal found out and told the forest spirits?" The tears in her eyes and the conviction in her voice, especially the offer to give her own rations if necessary portrayed that she was truly sincere in her plight. However, Risl was a gnome, and a tiny one at that; if they all decided to kill the wolves, what could she do?
Risl slumped back into her normal posture as soon as the wolf was out of sight. Until then, she ignored Alton completely. Seeing the situation was safe, she stood and nodded to Alton, "Fluently, it seems!" She giggled the sickeningly cute, high-pitched giggle of a gnome female. She filled in her companions as she headed back toward camp, "I talked him out of eating us, which is the good news! The bad news is somehow he thinks I'm the Alpha, and that if we don't get him food, he'll be eating my backpack." She paused a moment and then as if something had hit her over the head, she tapped her finger on her thick lips in thought, "Perhaps he meant he will eat us all, and that really did us no good then. Either way, I think we should find him some food. Poor thing has a family to feed before the winter, and it certainly gets cold out here!" Perhaps Risl was a little too empathetic toward her forest friends.
Risl moved closer to the wolf, soothing it with her voice and body movements. She continued to speak to it, "There is no nead to fear, I won't hurt you. I am a friend and protector of the forests and all her inhabitants. I can help you find food, perhaps. I am sure you have a pack to feed, and we wouldn't want them to go hungry." She studied the wolf closely, her eyes peering into his own as she tried to soothe the animal. To further show him that she was harmless, she knelt to the ground, even being as tiny as she was, and beared her throat to him as she spoke.
Risl was nearly asleep when Ooro hooted, and she immediately became aware of padded feet approaching the campsite. She was keenly aware of her surroundings, always, due to the dangers that lurked naturally in the Forests. She shot up out of her bedroll to her feet, immediately alerting the others to the situation, "We have a visitor! Oooh look at his eyes, they're basically glowing!" Risl stepped out toward the wolf on light feet, walking slowly as not to spook him, "Poor guy looks hungry." Really, she should be more afraid than she was, though she was certainly tentative and respectful of the animal. Once she was about halfway between the wolf and the fire, Risl slowly lifted her quarterstaff into the air, whispering to the wind for the ability to communicate with this animal. A small light surrounded the tip of her quarterstaff as she looked to the wolf, and began speaking to it in low, but unchallenging growls and yips. "Greetings, untamed of the wild! I am Risl, and these are my companions. We are only seeking rest here for this one night. What is it that you approach us for?"
Risl thanked Helios profusely for carrying the logs over, "They're just a wee bit too heavy for me, I think." With that, she gathered a bit of dry tinder and arranged it under the logs in the firepit. She pulled out her flint and steel and set about lighting the fire. After letting the sparks fly into her nest of kindling, Risl cupped her hands to allow the heat to increase. As she did she blew into her hands, and within a few moments, the kindling started to lightly glow with flame. She quickly placed it under the tinder and firewood and tended to it until a crackling fire warmed their surroundings. With the warm fire going, she stood and made her way to each of her companions, hugging them each tightly and whispering a small prayer on their behalf toward the forest. She bid them all goodnight and curled up on her sleeping roll. Ooro perched above Risl's head, hooting softly, comfortingly as she drifted off to sleep.
Risl ushered in the others after rifling around the small campsite, It doesn't look like this is worrisome. In fact, look! They left us some firewood. Isn't that kind of them, to have thought of us all this time later?" She unhitched her blanket and bedroll from her pack and rolled it out, claiming a spot for her own. "If someone wants to roll those big logs over here, I can light them on fire, it's getting a little cold." As she sat down to enjoy some of her day's rations, Risl couldn't help but think how creepy it was to be camping not so far away from a dead body. She kept thinking about that rat, that damn dead rat that nothing would touch after the snake had its way with it. A chill overcame the small gnome as she continued pondering the demise of the unlucky poisoned fellow. At Helios' offer for first watch, she added, "I will take third watch, when it is darkest. I've got good eyes for the dark."
Risl purses her lips as she comes to the final conclusions of what brought around the end of this man, "The rat, like this man, was not tasty." She only half-explained the rest of her comment, expecting them all to perfectly deduce what she meant. She rattled off the rest of her diagnoses as she bounded toward the campsite. There wasn't anything left for her to do, and the gnome certainly wasn't going to stay around to keep the dead guy company. Whatever other business they had with his shiny things, was their business. Risl arrived to the campsite, Ooro in the lead and began poking around it curiously.
Risl lifted her arm into the air as the owl alighted onto her gauntlet. She furrowed her brow after a series of hoots and ruffles from Ooro, "It doesn't look good." She followed Alton and the rest down to the body, gagging at the scent of decaying flesh. She pulled a flower from the garland in her hair and pressed it to her nose to avoid having to smell it any longer. "I should at least check and see how long he's been dead. Maybe I can figure out what did him in. I've seen a lot of death in the Forests, from many different things." Risl inspected the man's body, contorting her face here and there as she poked and prodded with a large stick; more long, than thick, really, as she didn't want to get too close to the corpse.
Risl pulled the map out of her bag once again as she noticed the forest coming to an end. She could likely find her way anywhere she needed to go without the map in the forest, but to make the others feel more comfortable, she had used the map anyways. She looked up to Ooro has he soared above her, becoming increasingly nervous as the trees became increasingly sparse. Looking down at the map without really looking over at the lake, she nodded and stopped, pointing out rather uselessly, "We're here. It's marked on the map, I wonder what they wanted from a la..." She cut herself off as she finally looked at the damn lake. She caught one glimpse of that fog and the dark form and immediately felt stupid for even questioning why they were sent here. It really should have been obvious, considering what they had experienced earlier. Risl took a deep breath and took a few steps back into the group, finding a nice, safe-looking spot beneath the arch of Helos's legs. She sent out Ooro to take a closer look at the dark form with her typical series of whistles. After, Risl looked to the other two in the group, "Any thoughts?" It was not unintentional that she hadn't asked Helios for his thoughts as well; she hoped that due to her nervous leg-clinging, he wouldn't notice.
Risl did her signature wobbly gnome waddle-run up to the men, extremely happy they were alive, but also concerned for what this may have done to them. She dropped to her knees between the men and gently shook each of them. "Wake up?" Risl uttered it as if she didn't quite believe that they were still alive. After that kind of illusion, she really didn't know what to believe.
Risl whipped around to her right, immediately facing Talis. She had witnessed another of her companions fall by the hands of what had originally seemed to be a group of orcs. As the realization of what had just happened fully set in, she alerted Talis, "The orc! It's an illusion! No wonder my bullet missed and Ooro couldn't bite him. Still, they're down, one of them must be real!" With that, she gave another series of sharp whistles as she began to load up her sling, "Ooro, set your talons upon the other orc! Tear him to shreds!" Risl turned back toward the orcs and concentrated hard at aiming her sling perfectly at the third orc. With a whispered prayer to the Forest Spirits, she again let the bullet fly.
Risl gasps with horror as Helios is ripped asunder by the orcs. She hadn't known him long, but she couldn't help but hold a soft spot for the simple brute who had sworn to protect her. Somehow, Risl felt as if she had failed him in some way. Anger rose up in her body as she clambered to her feet. She simultaneously pulled her sling from her pack and moved a bit closer to the orcs. Risl began aiming at the entangled orc, her arms unsteady from the rush of adrenaline and ire toward the pair as she called out, "Ooro! The one caught in the vines. Go!" She was ready to release the sling, but took pause as the orc spoke. After the orc swore to eat the remains of her companion, the tiny gnome went from angry to truly pissed off, and suddenly found her arms steadied and her aim improved. Risl narrowed her eyes and let the bullet fly toward the prone orc.
Risl spotted the orcs immediately as she unwittingly danced her way into the area, ahead of all her companions. Frightened by the group of orcs, having not expected anything to happen so soon, she turned to run. As she did, she witnessed her companions readying themselves for a possible fight, and Helios charging forward to attack the orcs right off the bat. Risl took a deep breath and turned around. She pressed her eyes shut and tilted her face toward the sky, whispering something unintelligable and listening very carefully. After a brief pause, she suddenly snapped her head forward, determination in her eyes. Risl now knew what to do. She called out a loud command, "Ooro, assist Helios!" As she did, Risl knelt to the ground and pressed both of her palms to the cool earth, her eyes focused intensely toward the orcs. "Forest flora, hear my call, bind my enemies to your soil where they stand!" As Risl dug her fingers and hands into the earth, thick vines sprouted from the ground at the feet of the orcs, their tendrils creeping their way upwards.
Risl thanked the others for their help as she stood from the ground. She brushed herself off as she moved toward the Mayor, though she's so dirty anyways, it hardly made a difference. She watched as each of her companions gained a package, and as hers is placed in her hands, squeals with excitement. Rarely had Risl been given anything; she had to forage for, or build anything she had needed living alone in the forest. Risl tore through the twine holding the package together, scrambling to see what was inside. Risl opened her backpack which was already filled with various items for the journey, and one by one placed each of the new items inside after thoroughly inspecting them. She was so engrossed in finding the perfect spot for all her new goodies, that she didn't even hear the Mayor hint to how dangerous the upcoming journey might truly be. Once everything was placed, she swung the backpack over her shoulders, with fairly little trouble. She tightened her leather armor with a grimace, following Alton's example, even though she hated the constrained feeling it presented. Grabbing her club and quarterstaff, Risl whistled a series of high pitched notes, and Ooro dove down from the air to perch on her custom gauntlet. Waving her ornately decorated quarterstaff in the air, the gnome skipped up behind the rest of the group, exclaiming with way too much naive excitement, "Let's go!"
Risl tried to wade her way through the sea of legs and asses to catch a glimpse of the Mayor, her wobbly gnome head ducking to and fro in an effort to find a suitable space to squeeze through. She pushed and prodded at the legs of two men, the only pair of legs firmly holding her back from claiming a spot with the adventurers. Finally, the two men that she had been trying to pass by noticed her, and moved aside to let her through. Unfortunately for Risl, this moment happened to simultaneously coincide with her final effort to shove herself through their legs, resulting in an overcompensating push into thin air, a quick running stumble, and then falling flat on her face. Risl's quarterstaff rolled out of her hand as she blew dust from beneath her tangled hair, a muffled voice calling out a simple, "I'll do it."
So, I totally forgot about this thread entirely. This is also my first PbP, and I am rather new to Pathfinder in general. Actually, new to any game that requires roleplay with dice. So, please bear with me if I happen to do something stupid, as the learning curve is rather steep for me here. Humiliation is bound to happen, but I am totally cool with being made fun of for it. You are all awesome so far! I'm having a blast. EDIT: Forgot to say that my job is rather hectic, and my downtime is slim to none, especially this week. I was scrambling to post when I could today and nearly got caught, so if I go quite a while without posting, I truly, thoroughly apologize. I am not ignoring you all, and really, really hope I don't end up holding everything up.
Risl utters a trillingly melodic laugh and shakes a tiny finger at her owl companion "Tsk, tsk, Ooro. I told you not to chase the mice. You can hunt in the woods, not in the inn. You might eat someone's pet that way." She turns back to Olmira, telling her of her new companions, and of the journey that she is about to embark on. Also, Risl fills her in on the message that she received from the forest spirits, the single Morning Glory flower. After conversing for a while, Risl asks for her advice, "Olmira, we are leaving before the sun rises, I do not know when I will be able to seek your advice again."
Risl bid the others farewell, waving emphatically to each in turn as they went their separate ways from the tavern. She had been incredibly nervous walking into the tavern at the beginning of the night, and now, walking out of it, Risl felt a sense of intrigue and excitement. Still, she was rather relieved to be outside again, since she had never really been comfortable inside any sort of fully enclosed building. Risl flitted about the town, her bare feet barely making a sound as she danced about, searching for the hut of her mentor. As she moved, she spoke to Ooro, who was forced to fly in circles to remain slow enough as not to lose Risl completely, "What do you think of them, Ooro?" A staccato giggle rolled forth from her lips a few steps later, after a series of hoots from her companion. "I think so too, I don't understand why people were making such awful faces at his performance, it sounded rather fine to me. Too, the gypsy was certainly fun, it was quite interesting to compare her magic cards with the voice of the forest spirits. I hadn't expected them to meet so agreeably." Risl continued to twirl down the road, the lights from the scattered lamps and buildings beginning to fade as she made her way toward the outskirts of town. Ooro continued to trail along, soft hoots echoing into the night. "Yes, there was him as well, and I too don't quite understand his offer. He looked at me as if I was missing a leg, or like I was one of those special chipmunks. You know the ones, Ooro, the ones that were never quite right again after that unfortunate incident with the squirrels and the flying acorns." Finally, she weaved her way through a smattering of trees, and spotted the hut of Olmira Treesong, her beloved mentor. She pulled open the door of twigs and twine, and slipped inside the dimly lit dwelling to tell her mentor all about the night's events.
Risl plucks the deep royal purple flower from the table. Her fingertips caress the ridges of the single-petaled cup-like bloom as she twirls it within her hands. Her eyebrows furrow as she deciphers the message of the blossom, and after a moment gives a single terse nod of her bulbous head. "It seems the forests mostly concur with the Gypsy. The color of the bloom is clearly signifying a departure before dawn, while the world remains in the blue dusk of night." Risl pauses and looks over those at the table, a heavy sigh releasing from her small chest, "However, I have also been warned about the dangers that may await us, and that is why the poisonous Morning Glory has been selected."
Risl's overly large, pale violet eyes again widen as the cards are flipped over. A small squeal of excitement, so high pitched it can barely be heard, escapes from her as each card is overturned. Her head, unproportionally large from the size of her diminutive body, bobbled side to side, her lips pursed with curiosity as she experienced this new, or new to her, phenomenon. To Risl, the idea that the past, present, and future could be determined by reading a set of cards was unprecedented. She glanced over to Ooro, her owl companion and whispered, "Are you paying attention, Ooro? We must tell the forest of these cards, their meanings, and see what they make of this." With a shrill whistle and a distinct flail of her hand, Ooro outstretched his magnificent mottled wings and lifted into the air, heading straight for the forest. As Risl turned back, her pale eyes, skin, and hair seemed to glow with just a hint of added pigmentation. Her eyes became a slightly brighter violet; her previously near albino skin showed a tinge of healthy pink; her pale, alabaster curls shined lightly with the faintest highlights of honey-kissed blonde. It was barely discernable to all but the most perceptive of adventurers. "I will shortly have an answer from my own spiritual guides in the forest."
Risl, having hidden behind the leg of Helios the whole time, watched the encounter curiously. She hadn't many opportunities to watch interpersonal interactions of any kind, really, and it thoroughly amused her to observe the small spatter. Once everything was settled and everyone began speaking about leaving, she crawled out from under her protector's shadow and clambered up onto the tall tavern bench with surprisingly little effort. She knelt down on the wood, sitting upon her feet to give her a bit more height in overlooking the table. As Talis began to shuffle the cards, Risl's heartbeat began to rise. She had never seen any sort of fortune telling, oracle reading, or any other way of speaking with the so-called "Fates." Her only way of making decisions was to ask Ooro, or the flora and fauna of the forest directly. With probably a little too much gusto and excitement, she slapped a single, tiny palm against the wooden table as she exclaimed, "READ!" It was the loudest sound the Gnome had produced thus far.
Risl nearly jumped from her seat at the sound of the booming voice rising from Helios, especially as it seemed to be directed right at her. It took the startled Gnome a few moments to process what had just happened, and the proposal that had been made. She scrunched up her nose and contorted her face, obviously thinking quite hard about the man's offer. She glanced toward the window, where her feathered companion resided and whispered to him, "What shall we do, Ooro?" Risl paused, staring intently at the owl as he tilted his head and ruffled his feathers. It seemed she was actually receiving, or truly believed she was receivng, an answer from the owl. Risl dropped her legs from her defensive position, and scooched herself forward, mustering all the courage she could. In a tiny and lilting voice she replied, "We accept your offer of protection, as long as you will assist in protecting the forest flora and fauna as well. They are my family." Really, what could Risl do? He was large, and obviously rather powerful, and she was rather tiny and quite squishy. It would be illogical not to accept his protection, at least for the time being. However, she couldn't help but wonder what sparked the swift proposal, and why he had looked at her in that odd way. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she would remain silently suspicious until she figured it out.
Risl sits quietly at the table, her knobby knees pulled up and pressed against her body, both of her lithe arms wrapped around her calves tightly. Her chin rests upon her knees as she gazes out the window, completely aloof. She hardly knew any in the tavern, as nearly all of her time was spent in the forests. Due to her isolation, Risl had grown increasingly uncomfortable inside buildings, and had developed a near crippling timidity around others. Her long nearly white-blonde hair cascades down her sides and back, nearly reaching her bare and dirty feet. She barely touches the food before her, biting her lip, silently unapproving of the mutton that had been served her. Instead, she munches on small edible flora that adorns her hair and overly elaborate self-weaved hemp clothing. Risl lifts her head only slightly, peering over the table as she hears a commotion. As she becomes aware of the massive, boisterous man that had entered the tavern, her large, slightly faded violet eyes widened with the slightest tinge of fear. |