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Impatience creeps into Shalina's voice as she waits, "Well, get on with it. I'm not about to wait around with you for reinforcements so you can break your word."
Shalina moves up close to the group of guards still holding onto the prisoners so that they would know she was close due to the nearness of her voice. "Release them."
Shalina's voice projects outwards, "It sounds like we are both in agreement. Your men are fortunate to have a wise and level-headed commander. I have no desire for your blood to be spilled either. However, if any of you seek to re-enslave tomorrow those you free today, things will change. So I would consider carefully what you choose to do tomorrow. But for today, you let the slaves go and you can leave as well."
Shalina keeps moving around the courtyard so that they can't pinpoint her position. "Just because slavery is legal doesn't make it right. And you were given warning of my presence. There were two guards whose lives I spared who found their way back to you to warn you. Did they not?" "To those who seek to oppress others, I am definitely not considered to be a hero. Of that you have the right of it." Seeing that Tekk had been spotted, Shalina moves to put herself between the Chelish and the paladin just in case someone decides to take a shot at him. She actually chuckles albeit mirthlessly, "That is no mercenary." The bard projects her voice so that all guards may hear her next revelation, "I know many of you consider Inck a heretic but continue to work for him because he pays you handsomely. Let me assure you that that will quickly end. The home of his benefactors in Sothis is rubble, burned to the ground. The Iuncus' have no more money which means Inck has no more money. How long before he starts enslaving you all to accomplish his work? And as your commander has already stated, you consider slavery legal. I am offering you a chance to save yourselves. I have no desire to fight any of you. But I will if you force my hand."
Shalina gives a snort of derision, "You hide behind slaves and yet you judge me for using magic?" She moves stealthily up close to the officer and says a single word, "Hypocritical," before she dances away again.
Moving to the other side from where she started, the bard proclaims, "I am Shalina Sekh-at. Some of you may know me as Shalina the Stalwart. You have the heretic you know as Inck to blame for my presence here. I have no qualms with you per se. However, I do take exception to slavery. Release the slaves you cower behind, denounce Inck, and leave this place. If you do this, there will be no more blood shed on my part."
Shalina's eyes narrow as she focuses her anger on the retreating Chelish dragging slaves with them. Being strangely comforted by being able to hear Tekk even though she couldn't see him, she advances on the guards holding slaves. As she moves she thinks to herself, They will know the fear that they have wreaked on those unable to fight back because I will fight for them. The Chelish will know my name...I am death. Still invisible, Shalina brings her glaive down on every Chelish arm she can see still holding on to slaves. As limbs fall limply to the ground her disembodied voice adds to the chaotic yelling, "Run!"
Shalina is torn between following the messengers and staying to help with the slaves. Ultimately she decides to not pursue them but rather stay to help Tekk and the slaves. However, she could make their run extremely uncomfortable. Quickly switching weapons, she loads her heavy crossbow and sets off three shots in rapid succession.
She doesn't even wait to see if her third bolt penetrates flesh before she's moving towards the slaves being manhandled by the guards, many of which were using them as human shields. As she moves, she switches back to her glaive.
Whether it is the boggarts, Sivvek, or someone else, Shalina is never one to look a gift camel in the mouth and so she speeds after Tekk in order to take advantage of the distraction, the hasting, and her invisibility. Her disembodied voice speaks from Tekk's left, "Direct as many slaves to the exit through the ruins as possible and I'll cover you. Or if you can get them out easier by where the tree fell then do that. It would seem we have an ally out there and maybe they can help." Shalina releases her rage and raises her invisible glaive, striking at whatever Chelish guard she comes to. She makes sure she keeps moving to maximize her attacks and the chaos. Her invisibility makes it difficult for her quarry to know where she is and the fact that she keeps moving makes it doubly so.
Shalina looks at both her companions in turn. "Are you ok working together without me to get as many slaves as you can up here and through the tunnels? Maybe start with the lizardfolk so that the humans will follow? Or maybe Tekk rouses the humans and Gerrik goes for the lizardfolk? The humans probably won't follow Gerrik readily, unless you can find some that understand polygot. I can also make you both invisible if you prefer but then you won't be able to see each other." She motions at Tekk, "You should put your armor on..." But he's already unpacked and began donning it before she gets the words out. She helps him with some of the the buckles and straps to make the process go faster. She holds up the uniform they took off the other guard and holds it against him. With a small frown she says, "That isn't going to fit so no disguise for you I'm afraid." "I'm going in using magic to make me invisible and I'll try to take out whatever guards I can and create a diversion so you guys can get as many slaves out as possible. I'll also do what I can so that they can't raise an alarm. Speed will be paramount so I''ll also quicken our movements magically. If the guards have already left to get reinforcements then we'll get the slaves out and deal with that when they get here. The good thing is that even in ruins, this structure is defensible." "Gerrik, any idea of how many guards there may be?" She looks at the two questioningly, "Ready?"
Concern colors her face. Keeping her voice in a whisper she says, "Am I the only one who thinks it strange that there isn't a single guard in sight? What's to keep the slaves from trying to escape?" Shalina chews the inside of her cheek as she thinks, "Gerrik, is this where you were kept? Why do I only see humans and not lizardfolk? If this is where you were kept, what do you remember about the layout? And is there a way for them to raise an alarm with the rest of the camp?" "I'm thinking that I make myself invisible and take a look around. I'd like to find out how many guards there are or if there is something else we're missing."
Shalina is grateful for Tekk's question because it helps put things into perspective for her, even if it does make her feel like a horrible person. "Well, when you put it like that...we came all this way to stop the Chelish from accomplishing what they're doing down here, not to free slaves. The only way to stop the Chelish is to understand why they're here. As much as I want to save as many slaves as possible, that isn't my main priority at the moment. We need to stop Inck and end things once and for all." She focuses on Gerrik, a mixture of sadness and determination in her eyes, "You will need to lead as many slaves as you can free to safety. The ones who aren't able to get away or are recaptured, we will come back for afterwards. You will need to expect pursuit but you know the land well and the slaves will do much better with your guidance than the guards will do in the chase. Hopefully many guards will be lost in the Sodden Lands while you make your escape." She puts her hand on his shoulder, "Do what you can. We don't expect miracles," she looks over at Tekk, "although one would be greatly appreciated right about now." She begins walking resolutely towards their destination even though she has no idea what exactly awaits them. "We better get moving. The more we tarry, the greater chance of the camp being alerted to us coming."
Shalina matches Tekk's smile, feeling comforted that the paladin wasn't upset with her. "I agree. We can definitely count on her hatred of Inck and her wanting to thwart his plans. But I won't go searching her out to work directly with us without discussing it with you first." The bard continues to act as translator as they discuss the freeing of the slaves. "I guess we should have some sort of plan in place for those we free. Gerrik, is the orange grove a possibility for a safe place that they can stay for a short while? They'd have food and could get some rest. Or would it be too easy for the Chelish to follow? And will you be taking all the slaves we can free or just the lizardfolk?" She sighs, "I'm really torn. I think that us staying with the slaves will increase there chances of escape and survival. But it would also be the best time to get back into the camp and try to find out what Inck is looking for. But then again, it's probably only the slaves that get sent into the water so taking that away would greatly hamper their progress. I just don't know what to do. My heart wants to go with the slaves but my head wants to get into the camp." She shakes her head, "I just don't know."
Tekk just stares at Shalina saying nothing. Her thoughts swirl in thousands of different directions until finally she shakes her head to focus herself. What am I doing? Would I really choose someone who worships Asmodeus over someone who has always had my back? I must have had a moment of stupidity "I still don't see many good options but one thing that is clear now is that we can't work with Caedia. Forget that I brought that into the equation. I was hoping to get her help in breathing underwater but I will find another way. If I have to choose between you and her then I choose you, Tekk. I'm sorry for having put you in a tight spot." Feeling surprisingly relieved by her final decision, she turns her attention to the freeing of the slaves. "It may be best if we free the slaves first and let Gerrik lead them out. Then I'll make my way to the water and try to figure out what Inck is looking for."
Despair threatens to overwhelm Shalina like the unending rain threatens to drown them. She had been forced to work with Baskir for the greater good which had had soul-crushing results and here she was staring into the gaping maw of evil once again but saw no alternative. In that moment she feels utterly drained. Her eyes reflect a degree of woe not usually seen in someone her age. "Anything I do here in the Sodden Lands risks our lives. I could never fully trust a Chelish but I think I can trust Caedia in her hatred of Inck. Yes, she serves Asmodeus but doesn't he also consider one's word a binding contract? If she agrees to something then she has to keep her word, right? I didn't name anyone else when I spoke with her so my life is the only one at risk where she's concerned." "But you're right about the slaves. Maybe we should help Gerrik free his people before infiltrating the camp. We can deal with freeing the human slaves afterwards. Maybe the loss of all of the lizardfolk will throw the camp into enough chaos to be to our benefit." Her eyes seem to beg Tekk for understanding but there is a hint of uncertainty. "I'm not a person of faith. I won't pretend to understand how this arrangement might tear at your soul, how it must make your skin crawl to even be in the same space as a priestess of the Prince of Lies. To me, it's the same as working with Baskir but it's probably a thousand times worse than that for you. So I can't ask you to come with me. I'm sure Gerrik could use your help in freeing the slaves." She rakes a hand across her brow, "I just don't see another way. How could the universe possibly think I was remotely qualified for this?" Shalina looks pleadingly at Tekk, "Please tell me that you see another way and I will gladly do it."
Tekk's frown does not escape Shalina's notice. "You don't agree? I'm sure you have questions or concerns so let's here them. This has never been a dictatorship but a partnership." Her face softens, "I value your input, Tekk. And part of me feels like I'm disappointing you once again."
Shalina contemplates Gerrik's comment about the mark possibly being a trap, "Is there any possibility that the Chelish may have learned your clan's markings? I don't think we have much choice but to follow it." Shalina felt so weary that it threatened to discourage her. This added to Tekk's valid, albeit sobering, questions seems to magnify her feelings. "Even at full strength, I don't think a full frontal attack is survivable. Also, if we free the slaves first then I don't think there will be an opportunity to achieve the other things we need to do. Plus, with all the rain I don't think we can lead the slaves back this way. I propose that Gerrik stays hidden in the ruins once we make our way through. We infiltrate the camp in disguise - the guards may have run off but we still have the uniform for you to wear and I can use magic to disguise myself. We possibly get help from Caedia and I go search where Inck has been looking - under the water. Once that is done, we rejoin Gerrik and get the slaves out. Or if our presence doesn't go unnoticed and we draw the guards away from the slaves then Gerrik can lead as many of his people out as possible and we deal with the humans afterwards. But there are so many moving parts that it is really difficult to formulate a concrete plan." Her face looks grim at Tekk's last comment, "All we can do is hope because it's not like we can get them back. As usual, it happened and we'll have to deal with the consequences."
Shalina shrugs, "Does anyone really know what Sivvek does and why? But you're correct, he wouldn't be sticking his neck out to free any slaves let alone human ones." She meets Takk's eyes, "So you think the Chelish have been placed devils down here as security? I just assumed that it had been down here from the time these ruins became ruins although it is difficult to know. It was surprising to me that the Chelish ran off in terror at the mention of the garipan. I would think that if there was something under Chelish control down here, they would have been more smug than scared. I guess only time will tell." Shalina gives a small smile of relief when Tekk says that the Old Gods could grant him the necessary power to heal the weakness she felt. "Tomorrow would be fantastic. As long as there's hope, I can be patient." At the paladin's question about turning back, she shakes her head emphatically. "There's no turning back at this point. The water is rising quicker than I would like and I think you're right in that this path won't stay open for much longer. We keep going and we follow the markings by Garrik's clan."
Shalina's brow wrinkles as Gerrik affirms her thoughts, "Any idea who may have been down here and which side of the ruins they would have been coming from? Could they have been a fellow slave who made it through the ruins? If walking the same path as us, and kudos to them for getting past the undead unscathed, why would they be down here? It's not exactly pleasant down here." . Thoughts continue to race through her mind, "If they have enough historical knowledge of these ruins to navigate them then they could be an asset." Then a thought occurs to her, "Could it have been Sivvek?" When Tekk places his hand on her shoulder, the immediate comfort makes her realize how exhausted, drained, and miserable she was actually feeling. It took all her will power to not physically lean against him for a moment of respite where she didn't need to be strong As the healing power dampens some of the pain, she closes her eyes in a brief moment of peace and breathes deep. "Better." She then meets Tekk's gaze that reflects her own level of tiredness, "I never want you to feel like I take your healing for granted. It is a gift of your faith and I don't want to be disrespectful of that by asking you to use it on me all the time. That's why I don't ask. Although, those undead did something nefarious to me when they touched me. I feel like they literally took pieces of my life force from me. I feel less capable than I have in a really long time. Normal healing seems to be useless in restoring me to full strength.. Does your faith have any way to combat that kind of damage?" But Tekk's words make their point. She wouldn't do anyone any good stumbling around practically dead. And now that her attention is focused on how hurt she actually is, she adds her own healing tune to close up more of her wounds.
She sighs as she watches the Chelish rabbit into who knows what danger. Part of her hoped that they met their demise in the ruins because she couldn't have them finding their way out and warning the camp. "Fear can make men behave rashly. You'd think they would have realized by now that they are safer with us than on their own." Although tired, Shalina grins when Gerrik finds the mark. "How fortuitous. If it weren't for that marking, we'd be wandering around down here for who knows how long. But do you find it odd that someone from your clan was down here to make this marking? Hopefully wherever it leads will be a place with less water."
"I shudder to think of what horrible havoc that garipan will wreak on our world. I wish I would have decapitated it. Now I'm constantly going to be looking over my shoulder." Shalina gives Tekk a weary smile, "Your power of faith is amazing and key to our survival. I am eternally grateful that you came along with me." She looks over at the wall of fire blocking any potential retreat. "The flames are another reason I don't think that thing is dead. Often times magic will dissipate when the one in control of it dies. Not always, but often." Shalina inclines her head towards Gerrik, "You are too kind to say but I merely survived against the devil. I wouldn't say I did well. But I guess a lot of people would consider surviving as doing well. Not everyone fights a denizen of hell after all." She looked over at the Chelish, "Although others make friends with them." She pats Garrik reassuringly on the shoulder, "You are not a fool. Just the unlucky one who fell into the crack. It could have happened to any one of us. You mentioned ropes and wreckage. How big of a space was down below anyways? And what kind of wreckage?" She points at the original openings that had drawn them into the room to begin with. "That is our only path. It looks like once again, we are being directed towards some destination. Hopefully we'll find a safer place to rest."
Shalina stands with her glaive at the ready, not trusting that she had actually killed it. "I don't think so. It melting into the floor seems like magic somehow but I can't tell exactly what. It may be going to lick its wounds or it may be preparing to reemerge through the floor and attack when we let our guard down." She moves towards Gerrik and the Chelish, "No matter at the moment. Gerrik is free and that thing is gone so let's get moving. I need a safer place where I can catch my breathe. I feel utterly drained." She takes a closer look at Tekk, "Those undead didn't touch you, did they?" Shalina then holds out her hand to grasp each of the Chelish's forearms in turn. "Thank you for saving Gerrik and not giving up. It would have been easy to run away but you didn't. You have my thanks and my respect for that." Bending down towards Gerrik she asks in Polygot, "Are you alright?" She stands quietly for a moment trying to sense whether it was safe to keep moving or if the creature was returning.
Shalina actually manages to smile at Tekk's words and glare at the demon simultaneously, "I know you are, Tekk. That's how I can fight with abandon." Her lip curls in a snarl towards the demon. "You'll have to do better than that. You'll find me more formidable than a giant spider." As she speaks, she sweeps her glaive down and around with the intention of cutting the demon off at the knees.
Shalina returns the demon's gaze with a glare of her own. The danger of her predicament cuts through her rage and she quickly realizes that she needs to extinguish the flames if she wants to finish the disemboweling that she started. Using her natural agility and her augmented strength from her rage, she does a one-handed cartwheel away from the demon using the water flooding the floor to extinguish the flames. She lands back on her feet, glaive in one hand and no longer on fire for her other arm.
[ooc[I'm not sure if she needs another roll other than the acrobatics. If so, let me know[/ooc[
Shalina doesn't have time to contemplate what Tekk was trying to tell her as she moves to face the demon. She subconsciously files what she thinks he says and is dismayed to once again feel the chilling touch of the undead. She hates the feeling of increasing weakness as she prepares to bring her glaive down on the focus of her rage. Part of her wonders if she will die down here but at least her death would buy the others the time they needed to escape. But one thing was certain, if this was her day to leave this world then she would take the demon with her. Tapping into her bond with the earth as well as her mythic energy, Shalina moves with strength and grace to maximize the damage she can cause.
Shalina pushes aside the pain as well as the disturbing feel and smell of burned flesh as her rage explodes to the surface.
She glances briefly at Tekk and she knows that he can tell from her body language that retreating was not an option for her with Gerrik still in danger. Hoping that Tekk would be able to deal with the remaining undead, she turns her attention to the demon.
However, the charred bodies of the two undead remain in her path and she has to dodge around them in order to get to her real target. Her limbs don't respond as readily as she would have liked and the water presents an obstacle that she isn't used to but she resolutely moves her body forward.
Satisfied that the Chelish would fish Gerrik out, Shalina continues to fight for their lives. Her eyes widen slightly as more headless undead rush towards her. She barely manages to avoid the draining touch of her new foes before reacting with more force.
However, the laughter momentarily unnerves Shalina causing her to miss her second swing as she spares a glance to see if she can tell where it is coming from.
Seeing Gerrik disappear under the water causes Shalina's stomach to knot because he was in danger but her hands were full with the wight determined to rip her limb from limb. Sadly, her only hope were the Chelish for saving the lizardfolk. In a commanding voice she instructs them in a tone that makes it very clear she expects them to obey or pay the consequences. "You two better start acting like the soldiers you are and help Gerrik or so help me I will hunt you both down and make sure that you never ever have children!"
Shalina gasps as she feels life being drained from her that seemingly heals the undead at the same time. "Tekk, don't let it touch you! Bad things happen when they touch you." She continues to fight for her life while doing her best to evade being touched.
While Shalina racks her brain trying to figure out if there was anything special about these undead - other than the fact that they could function without heads - she brings her glaive down on the one that had tried to kick her.
Shalina is half listening to the Chelish guards as she studies the room but when the words register she stares at him aghast, "You didn't just say that did you?" Her voice drips with acid, "Of course it wasn't the slaves." She turns as she shakes her head at his ignorance which is when she spots the sunken bodies. She holds up her hand to stop everyone's advance. "Stay! Everyone stay." She points at the bodies, "That is not normal. Someone or something is submerged. It may be the bodies or it may be something lying in wait. If it's the bodies then they're trapped on something. If it's something else then we may have a fight in our future."
Shalina shakes her head slowly, "I never thought I would ever say this but I choose the disembodied heads. As much as their presence is disturbing, the statue makes my hair stand on end. I guess we should be grateful that they're human heads and not lizardfolk or boggart considering the Chelish are the only humans around here that I know of." She turns to the Chelish and points at the heads, "Anyone you know?"
Shalina looks around the room searching for anything out of the ordinary.
Shalina smiles, "The statue is my concern, yes." "I understand that detecting evil auras isn't a precise science so I will defer to your expertise on the matter considering I have none." She looks up at her glowing blade and decides that they need a brighter light for traversing the room. She hums a tune similar to that she uses to channel light but it is more intricate and longer than before.
The statue looms before Shalina and she hesitates for a moment to ask Tekk something that is weighing on her mind. "Tekk, how long does the aura of evil exist in a place? Can you tell whether something is currently tainting a place with their evil presence or whether it was previously used for evil?"
Shalina nods at the two, "If there are doors on the other side of the room then that's where we're headed. I must say, I don't like the feeling of being herded by some unknown director whether it's the Chelish or someone or something else. But we've come too far to turn back now. I'll go first to light the way and to look for any surprises that may be waiting for us. Let's hope that that life-like statue stays a statue."
With lit glaive in hand, she begins to purposefully move forward while taking care to be very aware of her surroundings.
Shalina sighs resignedly as her bolt fails to find purchase in the darkened room. She gives Tekk a half-hearted smile, "Once again, you appear to be right." She hums over the blade of her glaive causing it to glow with light. "Let's go see why someone wanted us to go into this room and if there are any other exits further into the ruins. We need to find our way through if we're going to infiltrate the camp from this side." She looks over at the Chelish, "Don't worry, I won't make you go first. Although I do expect you to stand your ground and fight it if comes to that." With all her senses attuned to detecting danger, she moves into the room with only her glaive providing light for the group.
"You're right, Tekk. It's probably a temple inside the fortress but the devil statue as a source of worship is perplexing. But whoever carved that statue did an extremely good job. They managed to make stone seem like real flesh." Shalina loads another bolt into her crossbow that she enchants to glow with light. "I think I saw a wooden pillar that maybe I can get this to stick into so that we have some light."
Shalina's eyes flash momentarily with anger at the willful destruction of this place. This was more than just a rampaging creature at work. There was someone malicious destroying these ruins. Not that she was completely surprised considering what had happened to the spiders. Knowing that Tekk had her back as always, she nods at him before she lets loose her bolt. She tries to ignore the rising water as she watches with baited breath to see what the light would reveal in the darkness. She wasn't really sure what she had been expecting but the devil statue centered in the room had not even been a consideration for the bard. "Now that looks like something that could tear some giant spiders apart or haunt your nightmares. Seems like an odd place to have a statue like that. I had assumed these ruins were some sort of settlement fortification. Could it have been some sort of temple instead?"
As soon as the room is once again engulfed by darkness she sighs, "Looks like I'll have to find a better way to illuminate the room."
Shalina pauses to consider their two potential paths. Seeing the narrow path and the broad way, she can't help but think about a morality story her mother had told her when she was little. The narrow path was rarely traveled because it was difficult but led to righteousness while the broad way was traveled by many because it was easy but often led to trouble. The story gives her pause but the thought of crawling on her belly out into the rain makes up her mind. She may be dooming them all but in her mind she chooses the broad way into darkness. But she is no fool. Stumbling into darkness is not something Shalina is willing to do. She readies her crossbow and hums over a bolt until it begins to glow with light. "It looks like someone is shuttling us towards the place they want us to go." She motions towards the paths that seem to be recently blocked. "Unless we want to do some manual labor to undo what's been done, the dark chamber is our choice." She moves closer to the entrance of the dark chamber and looks at Tekk briefly to see if he has any objections as she raises her crossbow with the intention of letting loose the lit bolt to penetrate the darkness.
Understanding dawns on Shalina as Megus reveals what the Chelish, what Inck, is looking for. Her eyes also sparkle with excitement at the mention of a map. "That makes a lot of sense. That would be exactly the kind of knowledge that someone would spend such a lot of resources on. A map is precisely the best kind of incentive for me. We need to get to it before the Chelish, to stop them before they destroy anyone else's home." "Go in peace Megus, Swampseer of the tribe of Shining Water of the Greenheart. And may you find your people safe and unharmed. I look forward to when we meet again." A ghost of a smile plays on Shalina's lips at Megus' departure and her last dig at Gerrik. That boggart liked tormenting the lizardfolk a little too much. She looks at Gerrik with kindliness, "I understand that generations of bad blood exists between your two peoples. But I would wager that she would say the exact thing about you if the tables were turned. Just something to think about. So far I have found you both to care deeply for the Sodden Lands and your people. You may have more in common than you would care to admit. Besides, if she was outright evil then I'm sure Tekk would have set off alarm bells." She grins at Tekk teasingly, "My paladin is getting cold feet? That doesn't bode well. We better get moving then before you run away and leave me with bickering locals and evil interlopers." Shalina gathers the Chelish and they take up their original marching order as she refocuses on the task at hand and moves deeper into the ruins.
A radiant smile lights up Shalina's face which seems very out of place in their present surroundings. "It makes my heart glad that we will be allies against the Chelish. I truly believe that all of us together will be much more effective against them than any of us can be on our own." She turns to Tekk barely able to contain her joy, "Megus has agreed to help us! Isn't that fantastic news? The more allies the better, especially when they've lived their whole lives in the Sodden Lands." She looks around, aware that they needed to be moving forward. She had stayed still for too long while negotiating with Megus. "So what is next for you? Do you stay with us or do you go back to your people? One thing I am curious about and maybe you can provide an answer considering you are the Swampseer. What would the Chelish be looking for under the water in the sunken city?"
The fact that she never even attempted to offer anything to Megus gnaws at Shalina while they get ready to leave. Turning to Megus she says with an apologetic tint to her voice, "It occurs to me that I should at least offer you something. In my mind, I'm assuming that it won't be good enough for you to accept it and so it was easier to not offer than to have my offering rejected. Anyways, all of that to say, I'm sorry that I appeared to not be respecting the customs of your people." Shalina digs through her things and pulls the following out of her bag. "To you I offer these two large rubies." She holds them up next to Megus' necklace, "A very nice compliment to your grandmother necklace." She holds out her scrollcase, "Since you are a priestess of your people, you may appreciate magic. This scrollcase contains the scrolls that I brought with me from my home in Osirion. An offering from my home to yours." She holds out three small tablets, "These are also from my homeland. They will purify tainted water. They can even help against diseased or poisonous water. As one who enjoys spending time in water, you may appreciate them." The bard watches Megus intently to see how she will respond to her hostages, although she preferred to think about them as tributes. At least now if her offerings were rejected, that was on Megus and not her. Which is something she couldn't have said if she had never made the offering at all.
"But when what I treasure most are people, knowledge, and history then anything else I could offer you wouldn't mean anything. The hardest thing I had to do in the last little while was to choose my most prized books to save from the inevitable Chelish pillaging back home and then having to leave them behind to come here. It appears that we may be at an impasse and for that I am disappointed but I also understand. Go back to your people and I wish you all the best in surviving the Outsiders. I will do what I can with Tekk and Gerrik." Just as she is coming to a conclusion with Megus, Tekk voices his concerns that Shalina can't argue with. "I agree, we need to get on with it. You can only try to convince someone for so long before you have to accept defeat. Let's go."
Shalina put her hands on her hips, regarding Megus blandly, "And I would do the same for him because that's what you do for the ones you care about. But neither of us would ask the other to outright kill another being for their sake so it is kind of a moot point." She looks relieved when the boggart says that the hostage wasn't supposed to be a person. "That was kind of my point, I couldn't give you another life as hostage...even those two." The bard watches Megus cautiously, "So, we've agreed that the hostage isn't a person. I give you a thing of value and then you do what with it? Hold it in trust? And what would you accept? Most of what I carry is needed to ensure success against the Chelish." She offers, "I have monetary wealth in the form of coin and gems." Shalina holds up her scrollcase, "I also have scrolls should you want magic instead." "And if we come to an agreement on my part, what help will you be offering in return with our alliance?"
Shalina is impressed with Megus' station and says as much. "That is fascinating. A priestess would suggest you are a worshipper. Do you serve Gozreh or someone else?" She snorts when the boggart suggests that Tekk would abandon his oaths more readily than herself. "Tekk is a paladin that serves the old gods. If anyone will keep his oaths, he will."
Shalina is about to answer Tekk when she catches the word 'hostage' spoken by Megus. She recoils as if she's been slapped. "A hostage? You want a hostage?!? These people aren't objects to be negotiated with. I could never live with myself if I agreed to such terms. I plan to help free those enslaved, not to enslave anyone myself."
Shalina looks back and forth between Megus and Gerrik, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she watched them. "I love learning about other cultures. What is a Swampseer? Is that why you wear that necklace?" She looks surprised when the boggart asks what she offered as security. "Apparently my oath is not good enough even though I don't give it readily. What is it that you seek that would convince you my intentions are true?"
She sighs, "I understand fighting against those who are obviously destroying your home and way of life because that is what lead me here. But I don't understand attacking someone before speaking with them first. I obviously don't look like the Chelish so why would you assume I'd be like them?" Shalina sadly watches Gerrik stalk off, "I'm sorry, Gerrik. I'll add it to my list of mistakes and regrets." Her voice dies off as he disappears from sight. She leans down and begins to cut the boggart free. "You're lucky that me helping you isn't contingent on you liking me and I didn't heal you just to leave you helpless and to die of thirst. That is something that the Chelish would do, not me." Before she finishes freeing him she adds, "But if you act aggressively towards any of us on your way out to rejoin your people, I will have to defend us with severe prejudice." She finishes cutting the webbing and stands back with her hand on her weapon. "I had hoped we could have found a way to fight against the Chelish together but you have shown me otherwise. If anything, please speak with your people and have them stay out of my way. I have no desire to fight boggarts as well as the Chelish."
Shalina raises an eyebrow, "Some people say thank you but sure, we can move directly into the part where you remind me that I may not like you and begin to regret my life choices." Regardless of the boggart's words, she offers him more water. "And why were you hunting me in the swamp? Other than trespassers must die, of course. I got quite enough of that in the swamp but you seem more reasonable. And if you were truly in the swamp, then you know that I let one of your people go. I have no desire to fight unless I have to." She glances at Gerrik to see his reaction before continuing, "I didn't meet Gerrik until after the swamp. And your old foes have only allied with me in order to rid the Sodden Lands of the invaders. And as soon as that happens then I can go home. The invaders are looking for something under the water that is harmful. I want to stop them and I want to free those they have enslaved. What I would like to do is work with both the boggarts and the lizardfolk to make that happen." Then Shalina moves to something more pressing, "Can you tell me what happened here? Are you alone? Who or what killed the spiders? Why are you even here?"
Shalina gives a half nod, "I don't know boggarts the way you know boggarts but I did fight some of them with Sivvek when we first arrived here. I know you're at odds with each other but I also think you have things in common, even if you don't want to admit it. Regardless, no creature should be harmed when it is helpless. A piece of you will die with it if I let you bash it with that rock. If we help it and it tries to harm us then I will be the first to raise my blade against it.
She glances over at Tekk as he speaks, knowing he is right. Keeping an eye on Gerrik in case he decides to use his rock after all, she reaches out her hand towards the boggart and begins to hum softly. Her hand glows softly with healing magic before the energy passes into the boggart. She then takes her waterskin and squeezes water into its open mouth. She considers squirting water all over the boggart's face but decides to wait instead. She ignores the Chelish's questions as she waits to see if the boggart will gain consciousness.
Shalina inwardly groans as the boggart comes into view. Her opinion of the creatures was not necessarily good but she couldn't outright kill a helpless one nor let it be killed. She places her body between Gerrik and the boggart, fully intending to prevent harm from coming to the boggart but not at the expense of Gerrik. She looks at the lizardfolk pleadingly, "Please don't. It's helpless and nothing deserves to die in such a manner." "I know that your people and theirs are enemies. But if no one extends mercy, nothing will ever change. Think about what could be accomplished against the Chelish if your two people worked together against them instead of each other." She points at the boggart, "I don't think that that is just a regular boggart. If you look at its necklace it would suggest that maybe its someone of importance."
Shalina's voice sounds puzzled as she continues to look around, "I agree that the level of senseless violence suggests Chelish but why would they come down here just to rip apart some large spiders?" She immediately freezes as one of the bundles moves. It looks slightly different than the rest. Did that mean it was an egg sac now filled with thousands of small spiders? Shalina shudders and takes a few deep breaths to calm herself as her fear begins to surface. Or was it another victim that had somehow survived and needed rescuing? The fact remains that Shalina has no idea what was inside and she desperately wants to know. She stands frozen for what seems like an eternity as her phobia of swarming, wriggling insects wars with her curiosity. It is a close fought battle but in the end, as usual, curiosity wins out. She takes a tentative step forward and moves to cut the bundle open.
Shalina gives Tekk a grateful smile. Not only for having her back as usual but also for having laid down the law for their unwilling guests. She initially dry gags as the smell threatens to upend her stomach contents but she manages to keep her composure. She frowns as she quickly realizes that the devastation unleashed on the giant spiders was not done out of necessity or instinct but out of some perverse pleasure. "No natural animal did this. It almost seems to have been done by someone or something who enjoys killing for the sake of killing. The burned areas are also concerning." She turns to Gerrik and asks in polygot, "Have you ever seen anything like this before?" The bundles of webbing catch the bard's eye and she wonders what they may contain. She moves closer to get a better look.
Shalina doesn't want to meet whatever ripped off the legs of the ginormous spiders, at least not alone. She slowly backs out of the room and collects the others before moving back to where the corpses were. "You were right, Gerrik. There are numerous bodies of huge spiders in the next room. I may need your help in figuring out what killed them." "And for the rest of you, I may need your help to fight should that thing come back. For now, we need to figure out what we could be up against." Trusting Tekk to guard against danger while she looks at the bodies, she moves closer to the corpses to take a better look.
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