Blood for the Abyss

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Jeurson waited around making up songs about departure, he believed it fitting but still wasn't good enough to be sung. He looked around and realized everyon was packing and he nothing to bring. He looked around and went to the stores, he picked up a small pack, a pack of bolts for his crossbow, some food and sleeping roll. He was quite satisfied and went back to waiting.

 

Skiffle did her best to be out in the open, yet melting into the background. Acting like everyone around her was a fitting way to pilfer little objects. She kept her mouth yapping as a distraction.

She took small, easily lost things like quartz crystals and bits of leather. She even got lucky by finding a dust ball made of long elven hairs. The Tall humans would pay high prices for junk like this. A bit of threading, some knotting and viola! An 'authentic' elven hair bauble!

Finding Valnar, she sat down with him and crammed food inside her mouth. Elven waybread was too delicious for words! "To speak of this delicacy would be a crime," she uttered like an actress, holding a half-chewed piece of bread to the light.

 

"Well, you can blame the hormones of the Jiiap, our.. well, creators. Kiorn, the Avariel, was the king and leader of their Mountain home. Bialla, the beautiful aquatic elf, met him on one of her travels," He grinned, "And the rest you can guess for yourself."

He turned back to Culculna, "A few of our legends mention the Drow. We never said or told anything evil or fallen about them at all. We eyed them as equals almost, different from the perfect elves. Our Royals have had some trouble with mainland elves in the past."

"Tell me, where do the Drow reside? We have only heard of different Drow figures and politicians."

 

Orianna was one who had little respect for power structure. Rarely ever content to just back and follow another, when the leader did not do as Orianna wanted with haste, she quickly would use her charisma to get things going her way.

"Come on, we haven't the time to stand around, we need to get moving eastward quickly. Our inaction leads to two things, firstly worsening the position of those in Sunglow and secondly, lessening the likelyhood of us getting paid for our services. So for Sunglow, for Pelar and I suppose for loot, let us march into the east and let the bards sing of our heroism in the salvation of Sunglow!"

 

Silviras kept his other questions to himself [for now], and spread his wings. He hopped off the tree, falling quite gracefully, until pulling up into a perfect soar to the ground.

 

Culculna was struck by Silviras' question. As Silviras soared to the ground, he thought about its implications. He had forever been under the impression of the Drow as evil. It was what his mother had imparted upon him from his earliest memories. It was the reason she had never taught him her native dialect. Furthermore, he had been met with such hatred by those two Sun Elves...
Culculna had met no other elves aside from those two, his parents, and now Silviras, Ja'a'la, and her kinsfolk. He had always suspected other elves (and all other races, for that matter) of sharing the Sun Elves' point of view. It was for this reason that he had disguised himself whenever entering a new settlement. "Mabye I am just being paranoid" he thought.
Turning to Ja'a'la, Culculna asked:
"Tell me more about your fellow wood elves."

 

DarkStrider posting as Valnar

As Valnar sat there eating the food the elves an eerie howl split the silence of the night, it sounded like a wolf but more than a wolf as well; Valnar moved to the edge of the camp and shouted into the night in a strange guttural language. A few moments later another voice could be heard in reply and in the same language, Valnar called out once more and then turned to the rest of the perplexed group and said

"Friend of mine is, expected further north encounter him, please no sudden moves make, nervous is he round peoples as is companion of his"

Valnar turned back to the edge of the woods a smile forming on his face this could be fun. As he thought he heard a gasp behind him as a massive wolf stepped into the clearing followed by a person that dwarfed Valnar himself by almost 2 feet and was dressed in a patchwork of autumn colours, "Ho Fanten, ho Fenris" Valnar greeted them.

"Ho Valnar" the half-giant repled and then seeing the elves bowed to them and greeted them in their own language, turning back to Valnar "I'd felt a need to head south for some days now now I see why, what are you up to Valnar? I would not have thought your hunt finished yet."

"Hunt finished not, side-tracked am I by city of Sunglow, mission important is, can hunt later. Robson, captain explain will mission ours".

 

Skiffle looked the newcomer up and down. "That's a ...big... druid."

 

Ja'a'la and Shalm heard the commotion in the camp and looked down. The hair on Shalm stood on end but at a word from Ja'a'la she quieted then leaped down the rope ladder to greet the new comers. Shalm pranced warily around the large wolf gurgling softly in greeting.

Ja'a'la followed to the ground joing the group staring at Fanten and Ferris.

 

Soren was shaken from his daze by the impatient tiefling's words, and nodded quickly, before stepping to the front to lead the way.

"Very well, for Sunglow, and for honour" he added, marching towards the eastern gates.

Within a few hours they were far from Sunglow, heading deeper into the eastern lands. There ws no sign of the tower yet, but he hardly expected to find it on the first day. No, instead he searched for somewhere to camp that nght, for the sun was low, and night approached, its dark wings already spreading across the sky.


The group moved now in an easy huddle, rather than the tight positions he would have them adopt were a threat to emerge. He found himself alongside the tiefling woman, Orianna. Her looks kept drawing his gaze, even as her blood made his skin crawl, and eventually, he decided that he'd best speak to her.

"Forgive me, Orianna Fellblood, but I find myself curious as to how you came to be in Sunglow. Life on this plane must be difficult for one such as yourself."

 

Jeurson looked around , kicked some rocks and became very bored. He groaned silently and fell asleep. He dreamt of purses full to the brim and riddles and songs. He slept with a smile.

 

[Continues from Kashim's character thread]

The Oni started to look around until his eyes met mine, he then approach me and began to move his hands as if casting a spell. Just a second had past by, but everything turn pitch black, I could not see, hear or sense anything....it had seem like a long period of time had past by since the Oni had cast his spell, but in fact was only a second. A blinding light envelop this new set up camp and as the light started to dissipate, Kashim appeared right in the middle of the camp.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Kashim scream at the Aasimar; "And what about the Oni ? Where is it? What has he done? please answer me!!"

 

DarkStrider posting as Fanten

Fanten and Fenris stepped back as more people arrived he was always wary around people they seemed taken back and frightened by his and Fenris's size, and treated them differently; it was he preferred the sparsely foreted hills of his home where only the occasional giants roamed.

"My, there are a lot of you if you are travelling north then I can help guide as can Fenris here" then looking directly at Skif he continued "My, but you're a small one are you what they call a gnome I've never met a gnome before"

Meanwhile Fenris eyed the female wolf as it moved around him growling softly in his own throat to everyone's surprise the large wolf laid down and rolling over bared his throat to the female wolf.

Fanten looked down and said "Do not be surprised wolves are a matriarchal society and males often submit to strong females that they meet, it is the next step that will determine what happens" and he waited.

 

Shalm sniffed at Fenris then licked his muzzle. Then she began gamboling around trotting away from Fenris then stopping and looking back.

Ja'a'la laughed, "I thought Shalm was large but Fenris is more than a match for her. This should be interesting. Now is there anything we can get you?"

 

Wrapping herself around one of Fanten's tree trunk legs, Skiffle said, "I'm calling you George. You will be my other ride. I'll sit on your shoulder and braid your hair." Leaning waaaay back, she stuck out a tiny hand and introduced herself. "Skiffle Nutbunny, Finder of Unlost Objects."

 

Orianna smiled at Soren.

"The same way I seem to get anywhere in my life, poor judgement and impulsivity. It seems no matter how I try there are certain blood traits I can't seem to suppress.

Orianna sighed.

"There was an aasimar I met on another plane, one of the many I seem to wander without knowledge of the planes, he was perfectly beautiful and so I tried to follow him to another plane, but it would seem I failed at that."

Orianna smiled once again.

"Sunglow really isn't any worse then most of the other material planes I've been to though, I'm an outcast most everywhere I go, but I'm use to it... just because I'm assumed to act a certain way doesn't mean I have to."

Orianna suddenly turned to face the man who had just appeared in her and Soren's midst.

 

Culculna's query was interupted by the appearence of a half-giant. With the cat-like crace he displayed before, Culculna flowed to the ground in time to hear Fanten speak.

 

DarkStrider posting as Valnar

Valnar laughed at the way Skif spoke to Fanten while thinking it might do his friend some good to be around someone like the cheerful gnome. "Friend Fanten being careful needs, soon Skif around fingers will wrap".

Posting as Fanten

Smiling Fanten leaned down carefully and gently but solemnly shook the gnome's hand "Pleased to meet you Skiffle Nutbunny, I am Fanten Hillstrider and I'm very pleased to meet you; and if you want to braid my hair for me you are always welcome to sit on my shoulder, it's so much easier for someone else to do it. Now then why doesn't somebody tell me what in the mother's name you are doing and how I can help?"

 

As the starnger appeared in their midst, and Orianna halted her words, Soren's greatsword lespt into his hands, and he pointed the heavy blade at the intruder, holding it at arm's length, showing the strength in his arms.

He felt his muscles protest, but locked them rigidly. A leader, a paladin must show no weakness; these lessons had been drilled into him not only by his angelic mother, but also by the other celestial beings involved in his education and chlidhood.

 

Culculna broke the silence. "We are venturing north, in hopes of finding a lost elven city that may hold magic and answers to aid us in the defense of Sunglow. The city, sunglow that is, has been besieged by orcs under the comand of foul half-demons, or so I am told. The elven ruins we seek were the last to fall to these cambions, and it is our company's hope that there we might find information that will aid us against the cambions. Valnar here has assured us you might be of use in this endevour, Sir Hillstrider."