Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[Psychofish]

Ilikan nodded, noting how the general was indicating he could go immediately- since the man didn't seem agitated by the company, that was a hint that either it was time sensitive or eating at his mind. Either way, no reason to tarry- he'd miss some of the gambling and drinking, but also a lot of the grunt soldier work, rebuilding and fortifying and the like. Do a good job quickly, and maybe he could bring the man a drink afterward, get his mind off that side and his work for a few hours. Everyone deserved as much after a hard won fight, he figured.

Unless the general had more in mind for him, he'd excuse himself with another casual salute and go on his way, wading into the medical wing, looking for the tallest figure in the room when he found it-

-standing over the second tallest figure in the room on his cot. And having quite the emotional moment, it seemed.

The warden didn't interrupt, giving the pair a healthy distance so as not to interrupt, staying just close enough to keep a good eye on the injured goliath. One, or perhaps both, of them was going to be his best shot at the otherwise daunting task of finding the right path to a secretive settlement in the wake of an army, after all.  

[Kowsauni]

Tristan

Tristan would chuckle at Ruin's request but would nonetheless pick up the magic wand and examine it. After a minute or two he would come back with a counter offer. "I don't usually deal with magic items, beyond my potions of course, but I tell you what, I'll give you 7... no, let's say 8 healing potions for the wand, but that is the best I can do. As for my sleep grenades, they cost 400 gold a piece and I'm afraid the price is not negotiable--although..." Tristan would look at the wand again. "I suppose I could trade you one grenade for this wand if you would prefer that deal."

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General Valmist would thank Ilikan for accepting his mission and then bid him adieu so that he may question the rescued goliath. As Ilikan leaves the general's office, he would see a grumpy looking goliath woman he didn't recognize waiting in the hallway outside. She wore white and blue leather armor that strangely left her midsection exposed. Across her abdomen ran a long horizontal scar. She would say no words to Ilikan as she brushed past him to enter the general's office. She would close the door behind her and Ilikan could hear the two begin to talk but could not make out what was being discussed as he walked down the hallway to the medical wing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kuori catches her younger brother completely off guard as she embraces him. He looks stunned until his sister removes her helmet. "Kuori... is that really you? I... I never thought I would see you again. So much has happened since you left." Tears began to well up in Augmahl's eyes. "It's great to know that someone else in the family is still alive...and you say Maukein is alive as well, but betrayed us somehow?"  

[PupSage]

Kuori would begin to explain her encounters with Aria, the demi-monsters, and the encounter with Maukein. "So now she wants to go down and save everyone she can, but Aria will likely just take the surviving women and put them through the same experiments."  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Pulling two additional potions to his side of the table, “The wand for the grenade and these for 150 extra and you have yourself a deal.” he would reiterate. (three potions and the grenade)

“I know you saw who I walked in with and you seem like a man who gets around...” Ruin spoke as he slowly prepared the coinage for the transaction, “...and I find myself currently wondering if you heard anything about the Arian military heading this way? I have friends in the service...” Not that any answer would change his choice on the transaction, but he may miscount a few extra coins in Tristan’s favor for the info.

(Not sure, if such a blatant bribe would need a bluff roll, but just in case
Bluff: 16 Nat 1... sweatdrop )  

[Rain Yupa]

Quote:

SCN_ Grey_fox rolled 1 20-sided dice: 1 Total: 1 (1-20)

((I accept your offering and shall grace you all with my presence.))

"Let's leave the two of them, Valac. I think they need to catch- Revenge would start saying to the Barbarian, turning to leave when he saw a human soldier a few steps away observing the Goliaths.

"Can I help you?" he'd ask the man politely.  

[Kowsauni]

Tristan

Tristan would flash Ruin a sly smile. "I believe that is an offer I can accept." The alchemist reaches into a pocket within his coat and pulls out a potion similar to the sleep grenades Ruin had seen being used in the battle at Gladesdale. To his further question Tristan would respond."That is an interesting question to ask out of the blue, but then I am acquainted with your present company. I'm afraid I am not at liberty to discuss one of my best patrons, but I'm sure you know more about their intentions than I do. I simply make them potions."

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Augmahl would put his head in his hands. "That... that is a lot to take in. I don't even know what to think. After what they did to her, are you sure she is even still our sister? I can't believe Maukein would betray our tribe... if there are any of them left." Augmahl would look down at the bed crestfallen. "I... I don't know what happened to our village. I was out hunting with Gautham when we were overtaken by Drow and forced to work for them. Gautham..." Augmahl would suddenly look up at Kuori, his face full of anguish. "Gautham! He's still out there. He... he..." Augmahl would get too choked up to talk and would try to get of the bed but he was still to weak to stand up, let alone go anywhere. After a moment of calming down he would continue. "The drow were forcing us to retreat back to the Underdark with them but once we saw friendly soldiers we made a break for their line. We weren't fast enough to get away so Gautham fought back against our captors so I could escape. He--his... body... is still out there. The soldiers here only recovered their own fallen. He deserves a better fate then to be left rotting amongst those monsters. Please, you must retrieve our brother so his soul can be properly laid to rest!"  

[Psychofish]

Rain Yupa

Another Goliath- they'd only mentioned one from the Lost Light tribe, but this other certainly seemed soured on something. Ilikan was curious- but he didn't stop to try and eaves drop.

No, he'd get chance enough to do that in the medical wing it turned out.

Though he wasn't trying to pick up every word the two exchanged, the familial attitude came through. If this one was Lightlost too, maybe he wouldn't have to worry about seeing if the refugee could be roused to guide him- or survive the trek if he did.

The tall man blinked at the voice directed toward him, turning his head to look at the horned man addressing him. And quite a bit of armor- not a regular soldier, this one. Actually, he was fairly certain several in the room had not been there for the battle, by the looks of them. "Aye, if you know the way to the Lostlight settlement, I'd be much obliged. Bit of reconnaissance, and hopefully relief." He cracked a smile, relaxing with a shrug. "Otherwise, I don't care to interrupt that. I can wait."

"Ilikan Vaimei-Laga."

The taller man extended a hand, relaxed and friendly if rough around the edges- until the wounded Goliath rose in pitch, struggling, drawing the man's eyes back.  

[Rain Yupa]

The red-skinned paladin would glance down at the human's outstretched hand, reaching out with his own to shake it. There was a brief hesitation with the younger Goliath's outburst, causing him to glance over his shoulder, before returning to the gesture and shaking the hand.

"Revenge, Valac," he'd merely say as he gripped the hand, shaking briefly as he gestured towards the fellow Tiefling with a turn of the head. He'd then nod towards the door, and move to step outside to allow the Goliaths as much modicum of privacy as he could bestow them.  

[Mongooseh]

"It's getting emotional." Said Valac as he nudged the new comer out the door with Revenge, "So Ilk was it? We're going underground to collect some white scalps?"  

[PupSage]

Kuori would pull her younger brother into her arms again, "Hey there, its okay. I'll make sure he gets his funerary rites done. Thats part of my duties now." She will pull back, "So the drow kept you alive, what kind of forces were the squids using to fight them?" It would be an unlikely alliance, but the enemy of my enemy could be a temporary ally. The thought made her stomach turn a bit, the spider worshiping elves were some of the sickest and deranged people she had ever encountered, but she would take one of them over a mind flayer any day.  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

(I will update my character sheet after we leave. Ruin wants to ask Revenge and Kouri something first.)


Trading his gold and rod for the potions, “Then could you give me any pointers when being with them?” The extra gold was off the metaphoric table and back in its purse. “Those I walked in with, I mean.”  

[Kowsauni]

Tristan

Tristan would take the wand and gold from Ruin and trade him the sleep grenade and three healing potions. "Pointers? Well, you might want to advise the barbarian to try knocking on a door rather than kicking it down. He might get better results that way. Other than that, they sure are a contentious bunch. If it wasn't for their common cause, I'm sure they would have killed each other by now. By the fact you are with them and the question you asked, means you have joined them on their crusade. That rabbit hole runs deep and there are those who would flood the whole warren before letting one rabbit escape. It would be a shame to lose a valuable new customer."

Sleep Grenade
This device is about the size of a large apple, with indentations all around that are suitable for grasping.

Consumable
Attack Power (Charm) Consumable (Standard Action)
Attack: Area burst 2d3 - 1 within 10 (creatures in the burst); +14 vs. Will.
Malfunction: If you roll a 1 on an attack roll with this grenade, you fall unconscious (save ends).
Hit: The target is slowed (save ends).
First Failed Saving Throw: The target is instead unconscious (save ends).

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Augmahl would shake his head to Kuori's question. "The Ilithids weren't fighting the drow, they were working with them. It was an army like I had never seen before--beholders, drow, mindflayers. They all had united to try and take the surface. I don't know how such an alliance came to be but it started to break down once the armies of the surface began to beat them, at least as far as I could tell. We were kept at one of their camps to to manual labor; there were others from our tribe that had been captured but I didn't get a chance to really talk with them. I...I didn't see or hear of any of the rest of our family."  

[Psychofish]

"Aye, aye. Near enough." he grinned at the second tiefling's inquiries, letting them escort him outside. "Job is to head down under and find that village the two inside are discussing- find out if its still there, and what we can do for them, what they can tell us. In and out without provoking a battle on unfavorable ground- but I imagine we'll need to trim a few scouts and laggards on the way."

He didn't have the name of the new one yet, but it didn't matter too much. He could talk to the injured party, but he knew they didn't have up to date information from what he'd caught. The rest of the conversation, he missed, but that was what he needed to know- that this new armored goliath could could show them the way.

"Took the job solo, but I'm never adverse to some good company."  

[Rain Yupa]

Making sure they were out of earshot of anyone who might have been distressed via post-battle PTSD, Revenge would listen to the human explain his presence.

"If this village is our destination - and it certainly seems to be the case - then we are likely traveling the same route. As a servant of Sehanine, I will do everything in my power to end suffering. While you may be seeking a somewhat stealthy path..."

Revenge would look to Valac, then back to Ilikan.

"... I cannot suffer the continued practice of senseless warmongering, torture, and enslavement that the Drow may be engaging in. I will engage them at first opportunity. Valac, is it safe to assume that you're not going to pass up the opportunity for some proactive bloodletting?"

After Valac's response, he'd then continue. "If you want to use such an opportunity to travel undetected, then I have no qualms of you working around us. If you wish to travel in our midst, then you best be prepared to have your hands dirtied. If I know Kuori, we'll be departing immediately."  

[PupSage]

Kuori seemed confused, "But ..." Her mind stabilized a bit, "Did you see if there were Dueger as well? Maybe it isn't so much an alliance as it is the Illithids taking control?"