Blood for the Abyss going East

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Those going east post here.

 

"Withdraw your sword knight, I'm no looking for a confrontation, just an answer to my question"
Kashim rises his empty hands to show no weapons.
"I have been in much blood-shed, and I'm not ready to shed more; I can tell I'm not in my home land anymore, however I don't know how I end up in here"

 

Soren pulled his sword back into a guard position, inwardly glad of the excuse to relax his arms somewhat. He called upon his power as a warrior of his god, and summoned his ability to detect evil. He saw none near him, but kept his sword en garde. Just because someone wasn't evil didn't mean they weren't a threat.

"Start from the beginning, sir" he ordered.

 

Kashim picks up is naginata, and breaths deeply

“As I said before, I know am not in my homeland. I was in the middle of a fierce battle against my neighbor nation, which has been in war to each other for many generations now; anyhow, this battle was almost to its extinction when an Oni magically turns up in the middle off the field. No one moved as the Oni started to look all around him, at some point he finally saw me, came close to me and cast, or so I think, some sort of spell. After that everything went black, then some blinding light came thru and well…here I am!”

Kashim then closes his eyes for a moment with the intent to clear his mind and find calmness.

 

"You're In Sunglow", interjected Orianna, "Of it's relation to your native lands, I have no idea, I'm new to these lands myself."

Orianna's eyes lit up and she began to smile.

"Since you'll likely be here from some time, why don't you come with us, you don't seem like something evil... though after kissing Darrik, I don't think I have the insight to intuite anything. Helping us would allow you to purchase passage back to your homeland. I'm sure Mayor Greendale would pay for your services and if not, I'd be willing to pay your way back with the coin I'll be earning."

 

?I apologize about my rudeness, my name is Aki Masahiro, although am know simply as Kashim. It will be an honor to accompanying you in your travels, even more if you think that can get me passage to my country. It is imperative that I find a way to return, I am to be in the side of my lord and see thru the end of my country conflict.?

Kashim then holds both hands together and bows

?As for payment for my services, it is not of need. More than so, it is I who should find some way to repay you if am to find a way back home with your help.? Kashim quickly looks at Soren ?You may relax knight, as of now my loyalty lays with you and your group?

 

Orianna beckoned to Soren, Kashim, Valis and the other adventurers heading east.

"So the adventure begins...", Orianna shook her head, "If anyone could cast a restoration on me, that would be great..."

 

Soren shook his head. "Nay, lady Orianna, the day draws long, and night approaches. WHile we may have little trouble in the dark, the others are less able. We shall camp."

He dropped the pack from his shoulder to the ground, and began rummaging in it, pulling out a pair of blankets, a small iron pot and a firelighting kit. He gathered a few sticks from round about, and within ten minutes or so had a fire lit, and a pot of water boiling over it, and was arranging his blankets near the fire.

 

Jeurson looked up at the strange newcomer. Circled around him and lokked him up and down. Finally after his uinspection he let out a long whistle.

"Nice sword." he simply noted and slumped down again already bored of the man.

 

Valis chuckled at Jeurson, he nodded to Kashim. "So do any of us actually know the way to this Yaun ti temple. Or are we just running towards the rising sun until it appears it front of us."

 

"Thank for your comment, but I'm not sure on which sword you refereed to, as I carry two at all times" Kashim said as he nudge is head towards the Halfling.

As everyone started to settle down and make camp, he move to a fallen tree near by and sat on it, he then looked at Oriana. "could you help me, I think I should take advantage of this small rest. I require help removing the chest part of my armor"

 

Orianna knew it probably wasn't a good idea to help Kashim, specifically in her current state where she was more impulsive then normal, her cursed kiss always brought the succubus in her to the surface.

"I'd love to help you take off that armor."

A less then innocent look settled across Orianna's face. In the end, no matter how hard she tried to do other, it was always her need that controlled her.

 

Soren watched her carefully as she offered to help Kashim. He sheathed his sword, and dropped it next to his bedding, and pulled a smaller weapon from his pack, placing it in his pocket. If she tried anythign dishonourable, it would be preferable to take her down with a knuckleduster than a sword. It was hardly a typical paladin weapon, but he realised that sometimes your enemy needed to be taken alive, if not unharmed. He unstrapped his gaunlets and the armour covering his arms, watching her carefully as he removed his own armour, alone.

 

Orianna noticed Soren watching her, normally she enjoyed when men watched her, but she got the distinct impression Soren's observation had nothing at all to do with any sort of physical interest in her. As much as Orianna disliked the morality of others conforming her life, she did not doubt that the paladin, if he wanted, would have no issue subduing her.

Orianna sighed and gave Kashim a soft smile as she removed the samurai's breastplate.

"Paladins can be no fun you know... but then I suppose a samurai like you has his life ruled by codes and duty as well."

 

Soren managed to get his own breastplate of after a moment's stretching. He silently thanked the gods for different styles of armour- while Kashim's needed help to be removed, his own could be taken off by one person if no-one else was available.

He preferred to do it himself, because taking off someone's armour showed you it's weaker points, and he would rather keep that information to himself.

He dropped the large plate on his bedding, and bent and removed the leg armour, setting that down too.

Haing finished with his armour, he checked the kettle over the fire. It had boiled, and he hastily removed it from it's holder, and poured a packet from his pack into it, then began stirring it slowly.

When he looked over at Orianna again, he saw her staring back at him, and he gave her a smile, and winked.

He was sorry for hs reaction to her prescence, she had done nothing to deserve his wariness, but her heritage betrayed her, and his own outsider blood called him to strike her down, to send her back to abyss, but he had to subdue it.

He sighed. It was going to be a long quest.

[ March 01, 2006, 12:16: Message edited by: Daie d'Malkin ]

 

As Orianna help Kashim removing his armor, he did not understand the looks that she was give at him, but did not make much importance of it.

?Is not so much as code, but as the way that I have chosen to exist, although you are correct on the duty part, Bushido is my duty and my way of life, without it I?m no one!? Kashim reply at Orianna?s comment.

As the upper-armor came off, Kashim bow to Orianna on gratitude, ?Thank you for your assistance?

 

After Orianna finished removing Kashim's breastplate, she went to seek a quiet place to catch a few moments of sleep. Movement beyond the light of the fire was picked up by Orianna's darkvision and she, without the foresight to warn others or seek aid, used her skills in stealthy movement to blend into the shadows and try and figure out what the movement was. The close proximity of Sunglow dulled Orianna's mind to the thought that something dangerous could be out in the wilderness east of Sunglow.

After heading in the direction she had seen the movement from and searching the area as thuroughly as she could with her darkvision. Orianna was about to return to camp when she heard an unmistakeable sound and felt a sharp stinging pain in her right leg. She instinctively used her tanar'ric magic to bring a blanket of magical darkness down upon herself and then went down on her hips as she extended her legs to feel the wound. It might have been a called shot, Orianna was not sure, but she was thankful the shot had not been a body shot. As several more arrows sped harmlessly past Orianna, she was able to determine the rough location where her assailant was. Orianna decided to flank her opponent's position and use her stealth to get in close enough to use magic.

Orianna found her adversary perched in the lower branches of a tree, seemingly content to fire arrows into the blanket of magical darkness. Orianna began to whisper incantations and make gestures to cast the spell Ice Dagger. Orianna's opponent noticed Orianna's casting, but too late, the spell had already gotten off.

"Truce! Truce!", said a beautiful and exotic, but strangely lethargic voice.

Orianna took a better look at the speaker, it was a woman, clearly a ranger, wielding a bow and a strange weapon she had never seen before, almost like a bolo, but with a three spiked hook on one end a weighted ball on the other. The woman had raven hair and ivory skin, her other colorations Orianna was unable to make out with darkvision. The woman was clearly beautiful, graceful and seemed to have an charming, almosted honeyed air to her, leaving Orianna with feelings of jealousy.

"Who are you?", Orianna asked.

"My name is Casselia Nightfeather, most just call me Raven because of my hair, which is something unusual around these parts... not that I need to explain that to you. I am being trained as a ranger for a nearby village and was patrolling this area, I thought you might have been a yuan-ti pureblood, one can never be too careful in this area with them around, you will be hard pressed to meet a foe as clever and perceptive as a yuan-ti pureblood in this area.", the more Raven talked, the more natural her voice became.

"I'm Orianna Fellblood, if you can't tell in this light, my eyes in the light will give away my demonic heritage... that probably wasn't the best way to start a conversation was it? I swear though, you needn't worry about me, I'm nothing evil."

"You should not worry, I am more interested in balance then I am in good vs. evil. Nature has a place for you regardless of whether you kill the innocent or kill the guilty."

Raven looked at Orianna inquisitively.

"Are you alone or do you have friends around?"

"I'm with friends... I could take you back to the camp if you'd like."

"I would like that, then maybe I could show you to my village... I assume you are on a quest, maybe my village's ranger, Ivellios Amakiir, a wise and power ragner, could help you."

"Oww!"

Orianna's leg was a lot more tender then she had remembered it being in the fight.

"Let me help you."

 

As Orianna left after the prompt help with Kashim armor, Kashim close his eyes not seeking rest but to concentrate in his inner-self and meditate. With no time he was able to full access his Ki , not much longer after that came a vision in his mind; long and past has being since he had recollected this memory?

The silhouette of a man stands before him, and although almost invisible, a dark and sinister shadow lurks behind it

?However, just as soon as the vision came into his mind a shock-like feeling overrun his whole body, interrupting his focus. As he open is eyes with alertness, Kashim observed as Orianna limp towards the camp with an unknown figure behind her. In a single motion, Kashim stand up and hold his katana ready to draw, except unable to remove that vision from his mind.

?Lady Orianna, are you okay?? Kashim spoke, although all his attention was deliver to the strange person.

 

Orianna smiled.

"I'll live. Simply had a bit of a misunderstanding.", Orianna pointed to the woman next to her, "Raven thought I might be a yuan-ti pureblood."

"Yes, it was a most unfortunate mistake and to make up for it I will take you to my village as so the moon elf I train under can be of assistance to you for whatever your quest maybe.", said Raven in her beautiful, exotic and almost intoxicating voice, "With my knowledge of the surrounding land, it should be no problem for us to make it to my village in half a day's march."

 

Soren stood up, and picked his scabbard up, slinging it over his back, and touching the hilt of the greatsword for comfort. Though he remained on a different plane to his home, though he travelled far and fought dangerous foes, the magic of the blade served to reassure him.

He stepped over to Orianna, and pointed at her leg.

"Lady Orianna, do you wish me to heal that?"