The Evil of Ravenholm - Chapter 2: The Ashen Mountains

[Vorastrix]

Pelloth, who had followed close to Hars replied to the voice, "Oh, well thank the gods, for harm is the last thing we would wish to befall us." a wry tone in his voice. He tried desperatly to see through the rain. Rain hadn't been something he was accustomed to in the underdark, but darkness was, and he hoped he could use his underworldly sight to see the stranger more clearly. "What are your intentions then?"  

[NayrVentess]

Pelloth, with his drow eyes can see clearer than the others. The stranger appears to be a tall human, wearing thick but wet animal hides that cover most of his body. He has a sunrod in his left hand and nothing in his right. He strains his eyes, trying to see where your voices are coming from but he seems to not be able to tell, so he says into the darkness, vaguely where you are, "I am but a man who has run out of luck, and food. Would you have any to share? I fear under these hides I am wasting away."  

[Vorastrix]

seeing the man clearly, he thought to simply strike the unawares mand down. It should be an easy task, and Pelloth did grasp his rod underneath his cape, but he thought it prudent to question the man further. "How did you come by such unfortunate circumstances." and thinking it might loosen the man's tongue further he inquired, "Might we have some food to spare, what have you in return?" hoping that the possible prospect of food might encourage the man to speak. He also did his best to stay out of the man's light, cautioning on the fact that the sight of his ebon flesh might frighten the man sooner then he wanted.

[[stealth: 19 if it matters]]  

[SporkMaster5000]

((gah, that'll learn me to dawdle on my posts.))

Gerash also kept well out of the man's light as he listened. The prospect of any information the man might have about where he'd been or was headed was quite tempting. He really didn't enjoy relying on Daelos for all of their navigation on the mountain.  

[iDragow]

Slipping the large sword into its sheath on his back, Grashuk nimbly hurried amongst the trees lining their little clearing. He hoped that the branches would give him some more concealment, especially if this creature was from one of the near-by villages, and wasn't exactly of a favor towards some of the more beastly races.  

[NayrVentess]

The man slowly moved closer as he spoke. "I have no possessions to speak of to offer you, although you can feel free to pick my brains. You never know, I may have something of the verbal variety to offer you. As for how I came to be his way, I will tell you over food, if you will have me." The light from his almost broken sunrod is now near to your feet.  

[Arc Vembris]

He best be careful to whom he offers his brains in this company though Hars to himself.

"We have little to spare, but some is finer than none to a starving man." Hars calls out in a rough basso voice. He gestures the others away, Hars' human guise wouldn't startle the traveler as the faces of his companions might.  

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash uses his ghost sound to whisper to Grashuk, without risking being spotted, not wanting to attempt to convince the man he was just old, and not an animate corpse, "We'll give him some of your rations. If he doesn't give us any information that requires his continued survival, you can eat him."  

[joe-dude667]

Cain could feel his limbs paralysed by the poison in his blood, but this sick b*****d was actually making him shake with rage. Keeping his mouth shut, he just stared at the lousy elf as he desecrated the symbol to his Lord. He was going to eat that scum's heart, the vengeance making the black blood all the more sweet.

The feeling was coming into his arms, albeit a little numb from the ropes. Cain waited until Daelos was comfortably out of sight, then slipped out of the ropes in one quick flick of the wrists. The anger was fuelling him, making all his movements seem easy. Surely The Elder Eye was sending him power.

As he landed on the floor, he made his way not to the vial, but his symbol. Showing allegiance to The Elder Eye was more important than life itself, and if the Elf had tricked him yet again, he wanted to die with his Lord. With the symbol around his neck, he made his way towards the vial, the world becoming increasingly dizzying.

He picked up the glass vial, choosing to bite into the glass to retrieve the liquid. The poison was effecting him heavily now, and getting off the stopper would have taken too long. The Kenku could see his blood covering the shards of glass he spat onto the floor as he stood for a moment to compose himself, hoping this liquid would stop the dazing poison.

[[Acrobatics check: 29. This post is assuming that I succeeded the check. If not then this is just some weird, poison-related, hallucinogenic trip Cain experiences before death. Either way it still happened. In Cain's mind... ninja ]]  

[NayrVentess]

((Sorry for late reply guys, been in London all weekend seeing Green Day....they were ******** Awesome too! >.< ....anyway, back to work whee ))

In the Forest

Whether by a mistake on Daelos's behalf, luck, sheer brilliance, or divine intervention, Cain escaped with barely any effort. He had landed on the wet ground and made his way firstly to his symbol and then to the vial of liquid he hoped was an antidote.

After spitting out bits of blood stained glass, Cain waited for the antidote to take effect. In just a few seconds, the world stopped spinning for the Kenku, his insides stopped churning and his purpose once again became clear. The test had been passed, but what would Cain do now?

At Camp

(Assuming that everyone bar Hars is hidden), the human walks foward, until he is next to Hars. As he makes his way and first sees the human Hars he says with a suprised but happy tone in his voice, "Ah! I did not expect to see another human out here, not one who isn't wearing the purple uniform of Valleta anyway. Pleased to meet you friend, my name is Gregg Torchbearer...yes that is my real name." He then drops his light source and then looks around confused. "I swear I heard at least one other voice with you, did I not?"  

[joe-dude667]

The antidote worked swiftly, in turn giving Cain a side effect of a great peace and relief. With his head clear of distractions, he walked back over to the pile of wood he dropped as the first dagger hit him.

His allies wanted wood. And they sent him to get it.

He picked up the small pile of branches, along with the knife used to poison him, and slowly made his way back to the camp.  

[Arc Vembris]

Hars speaks plainly with black hair matting down his dark face in the rain. "My friends remain in shadow to hide our numbers. You see, we are brigands in dire straits. You have nothing to give us so you are unworthy of our time and effort, though we would know what you do as knowledge aids all of us. If you tell us true and well you are welcome to our rations. If not, we'll kill you. We can't have you sharing knowledge of us on down the road, and we can spare a ration as well. I want to assure that death is a hair's breadth away, and I would rather not draw my blades in this rain unless they have a job to do. However, I can recognize a fellow against his luck and I sympathize, so tell us true and the meal is yours, as well as your life."

Hars leans back casually, though really he is creating space enough for his arms to draw steel unimpeded. "So tell me, Master Torchbearer, what of the lands you have traveled through, and how have you come upon such ill luck?"  

[NayrVentess]

Throughout Hars' speech, Gregg looked at him sternly. You feel as though you have won him over, but despite your threats, he doesn't seemed frightened by you. You get the sense that, rather than you not being intimidating, it's that he feels like the world wouldn't miss him too much if you did happen to cut him down. "Hmm, good speech friend. And what can I call you?" He then steps further forward, and asks for the rest of you to reveal yourselves, so he can eat and tell you anything that you wish to know. Although it appears that he may have ignored your questions, he makes it seem that when everyone is gathered and a bit of food is in his hands, he will begin.  

[Vorastrix]

"You try out patience torchbearer." Pelloth called out, ever moving, out of the light. "either you have information of use to us, or you are dead." to reiterate his point, he put a curse on the man and readied his rod for a fight. "So speak, or die where you stand?" He had considered revealing his race, but dismissed that thought, thinking that stealth being a greater ally then potential fear, however he decided to add, "my companion may think killing you a waste of our time, but I would be more then happy to make you a sacrifice to Zehir"  

[SporkMaster5000]

"You're more than willing to make anyone a sacrifice to Zehir, Pelloth," Gerash says, a bit perturbed at the Drow's ever-ready rod. He wondered how drow society got along with such utter disregard for self-control. "Grashuk, toss him some rations. And you," he said, stepping into the light, "start talking. Pelloth doesn't like doing as he's told."