Arc 2 - Heart of a Monster (Completed)

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge's brow would furrow. "Kuori... shut up," he would say plainly. "The two of us didn't walk all the way out here so you could pick a fight. We're here to see if you and Shayne are willing to grow up for a little while, be adults, and let the guards hold your weapons for a while. Please," he would say, with a bit of pleading in his voice, "Please tell me we didn't walk all the way out here at this late hour for nothing."

Revenge would turn his head towards Petra. "Do you know where Shayne is, Petra?" The inflection in his voice would indicate he seemed somewhat concerned about the man's safety.  

[PupSage]

Kuori waved him off and said, "He is in his tent having private time. And that was my way of asking why half of our Tiefling squad is overcooked." She ignored the other part, there was nothing adult about walking into a place unarmed.  

[Noname 51]

Interrogating his notes would have to wait, he heard his name... By Revenge, none the less. Curious, Shayne stood up and walked out of his tent. "I would say, controlled electrical discharge. Impressive..." Shayne said almost in awe, after a brief visual examination from his tent. "I would say, someone didn't communicate with their mouth?" he finished with a snide chuckle. "Hungry?"

Turning his attention to Revenge, "Don't concern yourself over Petra's safety, Rev. Kouri is a descent guardian... Though, you would know that... So, why are you out here?"  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would smile with a bit of relief when he saw Shayne hadn't been murdered in his absence. "Valac was zapped by an archmage trying to defend my wife from him," he would explain to him, answering Kuori's question at the same time. "That's why we're here, sort of. We're not here to pick fights or get heckled." He would look to Valac, then add, "Well, I won't be getting into any fights, anyways."

Revenge would look to Petra now. "Petra, you... made the right decision remaining here with the others. Things got complicated, real fast. When we met with the archmage, the very first thing he did was cast dispel magic." He wouldn't go into more detail than that with Shayne here and who knows who might be in listening range. "That's why we... well, at least I... came here to talk with you two."

Waving his hand to Shayne's question of 'hungry', he would move to take a seat near them. "Despite how upset Abby got, she was still willing to sacrifice her dignity to help the people back in Gladesdale. The fact that Valac and I went immediately hostile to the archmage for casting spells at her was at odds with what she wanted. Valac was trying to stop him before he did any more harm, and was lightning bolted for his efforts. I'm still not one hundred percent on the archmage's motives, but he simply dismissed us at that point. Valac might have saved all of us, for all I know, because of the collateral damage to his assault that the archmage became distracted by."

Making an open-handed gesture as he continued. "Abby still believes we can salvage this trip and wants to speak with him again in the morning. It's why I... chose to come out here to see you. If either of you are willing to put aside your gods-damned weapons and try to help her. Shayne, the archmage Kail took somewhat kindly to Twyla's interest in his research so I thought that if you were keen to see first-hand an archmage's research, being an educated man, you accompanying her tomorrow morning would improve his mood further. Kuori, I need you to talk to Abby since you know the whole situation probably better than anyone else - and there's more I have to tell you, but I'm not going to if you can't help us."

A pause, before he would turn to look at Valac. "We'll probably be staying on this side of the gate for a while. Since I brought it up, would you want to get our weapons, in case those bandits are feeling ballsy?"  

[Mongooseh]

Valac would be grimacing in restrained contempt at the two arse hats known as Shayne and Kuori. As Revenge asked him to fetch their weapons he would sneer at the two and answer Revenge, "Yeah... Sure... Bandits."
Valac would then go ask the guards for his weapons and Revenge's.  

[Noname 51]

"Under normal circumstances, if Abby, You or Shortstack asked, I would hand over this 'god-damned' staff without hesitation, just out of thanks for your kindness to me. I even asked, for someone to give me a reason to, but you didn't. Now you come back, after something bad happened and... just look at Valac." Shayne motioned open handed to the teifling barbarian, "Valac isn't someone who goes down easy, restrained, maybe and judging from the single shock mark, he did! Aside, from being almost everything I aspire to be, as a wizard. I have a reason not to go inside and talk to the man. And unless if you give a stronger one, I don't see why I should..."

With a calming deep breath, Shayne turned from Revenge and the group and started back to his tent. "Rev, you should know most men won't defy the will of their loving wife. I will suggest talking with the lady of the house instead, Posy was it? Ether way, Hiya said, she is nice, down to earth, a farmer's daughter, and is the boss around the manor. In fact, most of her children take after her more than him....And try talking to Selma, I hear she is a master of rituals and potioncraft"

Stopping just short of his tent, curiosity struck again, and he turned back to ask "Why did you come here anyway?"  

[PupSage]

Kuori's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean sacrifice her dignity Naim. Where in the nine hells is your wife?" She approached him, arms shaking as they spread out and grabbed his shoulders, frost creeping up her fingers.  

[Kowsauni]

It was hard to get a read on Petra with the way she kept her face hidden but she gasps when Revenge mentions dispel magic being used against Petra. She eagerly awaits fro revenge to answer Kuori's question.

As Valac approaches the gate and asks for their weapons back. The guards look at each other a bit confused. "So you are spending the night out here then? Very well..." A couple of the guards from the gate house bring out the weapons.. Valac's Fullblade looks impressively polished and sharp. (enhancement bonus increased to +2 till the end of the next encounter) It seemed his aggressive display earlier made an impression.  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would look to his right shoulder, then back to Kuori. "Are you truly so ignorant of the situation, Kuori? I misjudged you. First off, it was 'Naeem' - if you're going to call me by the wrong name, do so correctly. Halima is gone, just like he is. Now unhand me, you uncivilized brute."  

[Noname 51]

One doesn't get so defensive on how a name is pronounced, unless it is tied to a personal idea. "Naem?" Shayne tried to copy how Revenge says, "Naem, would be you? The fact that your apprehensive, says so much... Then... Halima is a... daughter?" he spoke out aloud his own thoughts, hoping someone would prove them false...  

[PupSage]

Kuori's grip tightened. "Answer. The. Question."  

[Rain Yupa]

"When a caterpillar metamorphosizes into a moth, do all Goliaths obstinately call it a caterpillar still, or is that just you?" Revenge would respond coldly. "If you listened, you would know I answered your question. If you ever listened, you would grasp the inanity of your questions. Yet, you continue to be insulting to my culture and to me, and I've just about reached my tolerance for it. I walked all the way out here, by choice, to ask you - both of you - for your help. Though as soon as Valac and I showed up, the both of you have been incredibly rude and disrespectful, first to him, then to me."

Revenge snorted. "Hit me if you must, if it helps justify your bloodlust and warrants your next kill, Kuori. I was a fool to have ever thought I could rely on you."

Quote:

Well, I suppose that counts as a Divine Challenge. Kuori is marked.

 

[Mongooseh]

Valac had cheered up a bit to see that they had put a razor edge on his trusty Fullblade and was admiring their work on the way back. He was admiring his sharpened full blade in one hand and carrying Revenge's halberd in the other as he returned to the campsite.

What he returned to was frankly a s**t show. Kuori had Revenge grappled and Revenge did not look too pleased about this or something in general.

"Revenge what's going on?" Valac asked as he gripped his FullBlade slightly tighter anticipating something.  

[Noname 51]

"Rev, you have given nothing, but a very short story that says, Apples don't fall far from the tree, The strongest warrior on your team was easily dispatched, Abby is willing to sell herself into slavery, something happened to Gladesdale and you have some plan to make it all right."Shayne said with a sigh, "Then act like you did us a favor, coming out here and demanded us to follow blindly into the dragon's maw...naked. Did I miss something?"

"Oh, and hello, My name is Shayne. I like giving people nicknames, and For the last few days, I was a prisoner to a bandit with 'Foot' in his name. I was rescued by adventuring team, who's Paladin said they're being hunted by a 'group of skilled arcane users' and wants me to join. And have since told me nothing. Forgive my behavior and questions, I didn't study tefling culture and seem to be having a very bad week!" again, he let out a deep sigh in an attempt to calm down. "I refuse to fight."

"The only part of your explaination, I got was; Petra is fearful of dispel, you need our help for something and it involves me giving up my staff and pretending to be at awe of the Archmage." To which he set the staff on the ground. "The only part, I want to know is... why?"  

[Kowsauni]

Petra would stand up from where she was sitting and speak in a desperate voice. "Please... stop fighting. Kuori, I think Abby must be all right... otherwise Revenge here would be acting a lot different I imagine. I'm going to go in and check on her, though. She must still be in the manor. Please... don't kill each other while I'm gone."

Despite announcing her plan to head to the manor, Peta continues to linger by the fire pit, possibly waiting to see if everyone calms down first.