ooc:[Freya]
Aanile has taken a leave of absence. Freya will be treated as an NPC until Aanile's return. This first post should catch her up to the group.
After Taylen's departure, Freya stands slowly. She walks up to each of the two unmoving orcs in turn, and strikes each one over the head with her quarterstaff, just to be certain of their fate.
Just as she turns away, Freya haults, noticing a glint in the corner of her eye. She returns to the orc sprawled against the tree, and kneels down. Pulling on the creature's finger, carefully at first, then more aggressively, until a small, round object rips free. For a moment she simply stares at it, unblinking. Then, slipping it into her backpack, she walks out onto the trail, then over to Taylen.
"Mrr, something not rright," she says slowly in Common tongue.
[/Freya]
The water is clear, and as pure as you could hope for. The road has been long, and a good drink might easy your weary form. Your hands also feel soothed by the touch of the water, despite the slight chill of it.
It takes an effort to drag your wet clothes and possessions out of the water. Your garments cling to your skin, and if not for their multiple layers, they might prove very revealing. As if having clingy garments was not uncomfortable enough, much of your gown is now stained red, thanks to the small pool of blood you had to wade through to climb out onto the orc's body. Your wings will take a little while to dry, so for the moment, you're stuck walking.
Everyone
The little winged girl climbs out of the water with a splash. Her garments are soaked and blood stained, and appear to be wrapped rather tightly about her. Despite how uncomfortable her outfit must be, she has a smile on her face.
Just upstream, the lizardman appears to be kneeling over the water, mumbling something too quietly for you to make out.
edit: Drak's too far away, scratch that. [ 04-16-2002: Message edited by: Reyolen ]
I wasnt the one that was knocked out by a PUNY orc's color spray, now was I?
No. I was BUSY doing things to help save our dwarven friend, who likely would have been KILLED by one of those nasty orcs, while YOU were sitting here taking a nap.
Yer damn straight I look like a mess.
[ 04-16-2002: Message edited by: Reyolen ]
I was getting these. They looked like they may be important...
But YOU are too pretty. too worried about how you look to do anything PRODUCTIVE now, aren't you?
[ 04-16-2002: Message edited by: Reyolen ]
like you arent a filthy creature there either, Silvain...
She then walks over to the lizard...
I...I just wanted to apologize, for how I treated you upon meeting you...
After that comment, she listens, and makes out a song...
...what would that song happen to be?
She is like the swallow, that flies on high...
She is like the river that never runs dry...
She is like the sun, beaming on the lee shore...
I love...
my love...
but love is no more...
He then looks up, as if waking from a distant dream.
"Huh?"
I had just apologized for my mistakes, of mistreating you...and I was asking what that song was...
A beautiful song...
ooc:Reyolen and Arttemis
I know you could read the description I have to Falaanla, but I'm giving it over anyhow.
The robed elf holds in his hand a pair of shiny gold rings. Lining the inside of each ring are four small spikes, spaced equally around the rings' circumferences.
"It's so pretty," she says, holding the ring up to the sunlight between her thumb and index finger.
"Hmm... very interesting... quite a quaint object, indeed. I don't believe I can determine the lore behind it, but... hmm... mayhaps..."
ooc: Using the Appraise skill on the ring.
"You have no need to ask for forgiveness. It appears my kind have betrayed nature in their greed, and you should by all laws of the Shalm fear such a thing."
"As for the song... my keeper had a soothing voice. He kept telling me that he had happier songs he could sing to me, but I liked that one. It sang of all sorts of things I had no idea about. And now I've seen them all. You've even matched the spirit lady I always envisioned."
He then pauses for a moment.
"You're wet. Wet wings can't fly."
[ 04-16-2002: Message edited by: Reyolen ]
It now comes to your attention, with your focus momentarily drawn by the halfling, that there is a small bird sitting on his rather expensive hat. In fact, all his garments appear to be of a courtier's ilk, rich and colorful, if tattered and worn.
Arttemis
You can see nothing new about the ring. It looks like gold, possibly valuable. However, those small spikes would make it rather unpleasant to wear.
Opening her palm with the ring towards Taylen, Freya continues in Elven, "More of us than them. And this." She pauses, looking into Taylen's eyes, then down at the ring in her palm.
[/Freya]
Yes, there were these rings on the fingers of the orcs. Their hands, they were deep in the water, so I dove in to retrieve the ring off the orc's finger, seeing as none of the others over there cared to. Of course, the ring, it is spiked on the inside. It would seem that it didnt want to come off too easy. That is why the river up there is stained with the blood of that orc, and also my gown...
And yes, it IS quite difficult to fly with wet wings...
...and thank you, for that compliment...
The prongs are small and straight, each pointing directly across the ring at its opposite prong. The prong also feels odd, as if it might have a hollow like a serpent's fang.
Taylen, Aanile, Jean, Reyolen
As you examine the rings, something suddenly happens. All at once, the four prongs in each of the three rings extend towards each other, nearly meeting in the rings' respective centers. A thick purple ooze begins to drip slowly from each of the four points, and after a few seconds, starts to pool and drip down the rings.
"It will be difficult for you to keep up, when we move again. I will carry you once we resume our journeys, until you are able to fly."
He looks back into the water again, peering into the flowing stream intently.
"There... are there... fish here? I've read of them." [ 04-17-2002: Message edited by: Drakkenmaw ]
Thank you...
As for fish, I did not see any, though I am sure there are a couple in there somewhere...
Silvan bends down, and with a bit of regret, picks up the slimey ring carefully and brings it close to his face, so he can examine it closely, which he does. He looks for any sort of runes or writing, and of any trigger or way the slime could have come out. He also thinks back through his head for any spells that seem like the effects of the ring, and to what purpose they would serve. [ 04-17-2002: Message edited by: Reyolen ]
I knew a girl, who played on the seaside...
Her spirit so free, in the blue sky she'd glide...
She danced with the wind, breezing through her pearl gown...
While the weight of...
my heart...
held me to the ground...
He then pauses once more, before turning to Saeessira and examining her form closely. He leans towards her, looking curiously over her as he speaks.
"What is a daysprite? I know now that you are one, but I have never met one of your kind before and none of the tomes spoke of you."
You know what sprites are, I am sure?
And I am sure you have heard of half elves?
Well, a daysprite is kinda like a half elf, except daysprites resulted from the breeding of a sprite and a halfling.
Sae then nods...
Mind if I ask...why are you different from the others of your kind? All I have heard of them was that they cared not for others, only themselves, and they liked to kill and eat people like me...
"I have never had any contact with my kind, until this fortnight itself. Knowing as much as I do about them, I understand why they are feared now. They mock nature with their needless bloodlust.
I was raised away from them, left to the Order of the Sand-Reed Shalm for care. But as for why I cannot do you harm..."
He closes his eyes slowly, and lowers his head.
"...I am a failure. I have defiled the teachings of Obad-Hai, for I cannot follow the instincts of an animal. I could not bring myself to hurt those among you who attacked me last night, and I could never hunt one like you. It must be a test, to see if one can kill something crafted as the treasure of the Shalm itself. And I cannot."
You can find no sign of runes, or in fact of any imperfections on the ring's surface, with the exception of the four prongs themselves. The purple goo makes your effort difficult, and it continues to drip from the tips of the elongated prongs, and begins to stick to your fingers uncomfortably. Wherever the vile-looking substance touches your skin, it feels slightly warm.
Arttemis
The purple ooze coming from the ring in your palm begins to run onto your hand. The substance is warm to the touch, and reminds you somewhat of what happens when you bury your knife too deeply.
Taylen
The surface of the ring is smooth, without even a notch that you can find. The purple goo makes your efforts more difficult, but as far as you can tell, there is no trigger of any sort.
In the corner of your eye, you see something run by, from the side of the trail where you and Freya left several orcs dead, to the far side. It does not pause, but leaves something behind as it disappears into the foliage on the south side of the trail. A thin black shaft, straight as an arrow, lies on the ground in the center of the trail, where the creature passed. Something else runs by you, this time coming from the bridge. It passes in a blur, and disappears into the underbrush, following the path which the fleeing orc followed shortly before.
Ruvyen
To your amazement, the orc strewn across the support rail against which you rest suddenly shows signs of life. It presses off the rail, stumbling backwards, then regains its footing, and runs away off the bridge. After a few seconds, it disappears into the foliage, and you can see no more of it.
Falaanla & Drakkenmaw
A small glint of silver appears briefly in the water near the stream's center, followed by a small splash. The slender silvery object disappears into the water, practically invisible against the grey stones of the stream bed.
Maybe its a fish...
Sae jumps quickly into the water to see just what it was that she saw...
"Are... are you okay in there?"
Jean shakes his head and looks closer at the ring.
"Yes... quite odd indeed... it seems to be almost secreting this liquid... I wonder..."
Jean holds the ring up to the light, studying its structure carefully. He runs a finger along the outside of the ring, as if trying to trip something.
"Now, this seems to me like it would have to have some sort of reservoir for this fluid...
this would be only natural, you see. For fluid cannot come from something such as this from nowhere, no? Yes. Quite interesting. Truly."
[Freya]
The fellin woman hisses as the two creatures streak by, and stands up on her toes, her tail flipping quickly up behind her, then down towards the ground again. She glances briefly at Taylen. "Mrr, not rright..." she says in Common, trailing off quickly as she darts after the creatures into the foliage.
[/Freya]
