Ch 4: Part 4: To Serve Evil: Session 63

[15:40] <@Kilarra> *****Second Darkness*****
[15:40] <@Kilarra> ~~~Chapter 4: Endless Night~~~
[15:40] <@Kilarra> -Session 63-
[15:41] <@Kilarra> While hunting down some driders that had fled from House Vonnarc, Kjell experienced a crisis involving his personal morality. He found it difficult to cope when caught between two unfavourable options, having so often before been so sure of the right thing to do. Hopefully, he can endure this trial.
[15:43] * Kilarra frowns at Kjell, "We need you with us on this Kjell. We can't let this mission fail now just because you can't stomach it."
[15:44] <Aluthyra> Kahree is currently scowling at the backs of the drow guards. She doesn't like it either.
[15:48] <@Kilarra> Kjell nods to Aluthyra, "Then I suppose I shall have to endure this. It's just that I've always been so sure of the right path to take, but in this case, the ambiguity is so disconcerning."
[15:49] * Kilarra shrugs, "That's life. Sometimes there are difficult choices. It's not very often you can actually invent a better way out when stuck in a situation like this."
[15:50] * Aluthyra nods. "We do our best, Kjell, and with this situation, this may be the best we can manage."
[15:51] <@Kilarra> The two drow guards return with the severed heads of the three driders. They toss one each to Aluthyra, Kilarra and Kjell, "Since your friend with the maces did most of the work, you can make yourselves useful and bring those back."
[15:52] * Aluthyra frowns in disgust, holding the head far from her body to prevent any blood from staining her clothes or dripping onto her person.
[15:55] <@Kilarra> Kjell frowns at the head, and pulls out a scrap of cloth to wrap it in before setting it inside his Haversack. He sighs and stands, getting ready for the trip back.
[15:55] * Kilarra is not impressed, but doesn't object and follows Kjell's example
[15:57] * Aluthyra follows Kjell's example as well, glad to not have to carry the head personally.
[15:57] <@Kilarra> The guards motion for the party to hurry up and follow them back to House Vonnarc.
[15:58] <Aluthyra> Kahree sighs and nods, following after the guards.
[16:01] <@Kilarra> The journey back is uneventful. The guards leave the party to go back to Undamesta, returning to Drovoanis upon their arrival back at the Vonnarc Palace.
[16:03] <@Kilarra> Kjell sighs as the drow guards leave them, "I suppose Undamesta will be wanting proof of our having dealt with the deserters."
[16:04] * Aluthyra nods. "Quite. And I would prefer to deliver these to her quickly so that we do not need to hold on to them."
[16:05] * Kilarra nods, "Agreed." She heads towards the stables to reach the servant's quarters more quickly.
[16:06] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns. "Do I need to come along then? I really could care less about seeing Undamesta again."
[16:10] <@Kilarra> Kjell shakes his head, "I suppose not, but if we are to be 'rewarded' for our efforts, you might wish to be present." If there was to be some sort of reward, he planned on giving his share to Kahree anyways. She had sympathized with him, and he was beginning to suspect why.
[16:11] <Aluthyra> Kahree sighs, nodding. "Yeah... reward. Alright."
[16:12] <Aluthyra> Kahree follows after Aluthyra and Kilarra.
[16:13] <@Kilarra> Kjell follows as well, to Undamesta's quarters. He presents the drider head along with Kilarra and Aluthyra
[16:15] <@Kilarra> Undamesta seems impressed when she's presented with the trio of drider heads. "Well done, all of you. I was curious as to whether or not you'd be able to handle this."
[16:18] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns, crossing her arms, hating every moment of -not- being able to kill this drow.
[16:20] <@Kilarra> Undamesta collects the heads, then sets three platinum pieces on the table in front of her, "For your efforts," she claims, then departs with the heads. Whether to mount them somewhere as a warning or simply dispose of them is anyone's guess.
[16:20] * Kilarra picks up the Darklands currency curiously. "So they have their own coins too. Interesting."
[16:22] <Aluthyra> Kahree scowls. "Three platinum pieces. Great." She shakes her head, turning to leave. "Don't want a reward for that anyway..."
[16:22] <@Kilarra> Kjell declines picking one of the coins up. "Considering she did not assign us additional work, I suppose we are free for the rest of the day."
[16:23] * Kilarra looks to Aluthyra, then pockets the coin. "Souvenir," she notes with a weak smirk.
[16:24] * Aluthyra nods. "It would seem so, though I do not think there is anything I would like to do that the drow consider... 'fun' in their free time."
[16:25] * Kilarra looks to ALuthyra, "Do you need to bathe again? Could take those other two platinum pieces and put them to at least upholding some of your integrity."
[16:26] * Aluthyra nods. "I suppose that option would work."
[16:26] <@Kilarra> Kjell follows Kahree out. He wanted to talk to her, but wasn't sure how to posit his curiosities without being blatantly rude
[16:27] <Aluthyra> Kahree continues to the room and lays down in bed. On her back, she sighs, staring at the ceiling.
[16:27] * Aluthyra takes the two remaining coins. "Shall you join me, Kilarra?"
[16:28] * Kilarra shakes her head, "Not for that price, at least not for another while yet."
[16:28] <@Kilarra> Kjell mutters the password and enters the room, seating himself on the bottom bunk of the other bed that Aluthyra and Kilarra tended to share.
[16:31] <Aluthyra> Kahree continues to stare at the ceiling, figuring she'll eventually tire and simply fall asleep.
[16:33] <@Kilarra> Kjell looks to Kahree, "You don't talk about yourself much," he notes.
[16:33] * Kilarra escorts Aluthyra into town to visit that expensive bathhouse
[16:34] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns. "Yeah."
[16:35] <@Kilarra> Kjell notes, "Do you refrain from speaking of yourself because there are things you do not wish to dwell on? Or perhaps unfortunate things that happened to you."
[16:38] <Aluthyra> Kahree sighs. "Both." She raises an eyebrow, turning her head to look at Kjell. "Why do you care?"
[16:39] <@Kilarra> Kjell looks to Kahree, "Well, you are our companion now, and I at least like to know a bit about my companions. Travelling the same road makes us allies, but it is good to have friends as well."
[16:40] <@Kilarra> Kjell notes, "Especially in a place such as this."
[16:41] <Aluthyra> Kahree sighs, looking back up at the ceiling. "Well, I was born in Qadira, specifically Sedeq. Know anything about either?"
[16:42] <@Kilarra> Kjell shakes his head, "I am knowledgeable in a few things, but geography beyond Varisia's borders is not one of them."
[16:45] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "Well, Qadira's in the Inner Sea region. Dunes, deserts, ruins... that kind of stuff. Really big on trade. If it has value, they trade it..." She frowns. "Wealth above all else. A common sentiment in Qadira."
[16:46] <Aluthyra> Kahree continues, "Sedeq is a large trade city. Known for spice, and... other things."
[16:46] <@Kilarra> Kjell ponders that a moment, "Does that include humanoid trafficking?"
[16:49] <Aluthyra> Kahree scowls. "Yes. They're known for their genie binders... Keep the genie's in chains and breed them for Ifrits, oreads... most commonly." Her frown turns into a slight smile. "The genie's do not take well to their children being enslaved, even though forced into having them. Occasionally, a genie escapes. And they aftermath is... satisfying."
[16:53] <@Kilarra> Kjell nods, "What about you then? Are you a product of such an unfortunate siring?"
[16:55] <Aluthyra> Kahree sighs. "Yeah."
[16:56] <@Kilarra> Kjell has very plain disgust on his face. "I am glad then, that you escaped such a tormented existence. How did you manage it?"
[17:02] <Aluthyra> Kahree smiles softly, though pain looks hidden on her face. "One of the genies escaped and started causing havoc. Me and another, an oread... escaped. I wanted to help the genie-- start bashing heads-- but he told me we needed to escape. So... we ran. Qadiran horsemen came after us though. You can't outrun that."
[17:02] <Aluthyra>  Kahree scowls. "They threw nets over us. We couldn't move. We-- he couldn't move. You saw me cast a spell of fire. It's because I'm an Ifrit, that I can do that. I burnt off the rope, and when they were beating him for attempting to escape, I hid within the grass of the plains."
[17:02] <Aluthyra> She shakes her head. "They didn't find me… but I never saw him again. Didn't even know his name."
[17:04] <@Kilarra> Kjell sighs, "I am sorry you had to endure such a thing. Cayden Caelian above all else, prizes freedom. Such practices are a violation not only of his wisdom, but of even the most basic respect for fellow living beings."
[17:07] <Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs. "Well... thinking back on it doesn't do any good. So I just try to forget about it."
[17:08] <@Kilarra> Kjell nods, "There is truth to that, though forgetting about the suffering of others when you have known their pain is perhaps a touch disrespectful. What would you do, if you could go back?"
[17:10] * Kahree frowns. "I dunno... If I could, kill all the slavers, but I can't do that on my own. I mean... there're close to 90,000 people in that town, so you'd need an army to do that. So... I guess find that oread. Even if I just bought him and let him go... he deserves it."
[17:13] <@Kilarra> Kjell nods, "Indeed. Slavery is a vile practise, and if I could I would see to it the slaves down here were freed as well. Unfortunately, that would really only give them the freedom to be killed, as we saw with those driders." He sighs, "This place is perhaps too twisted for what is good to take root."
[17:15] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "Yeah, well, I'll be eager for this mission to be over." She smiles. "Y'know, that's a good idea... I think I'll try to find that oread, after all of this. It'd take a while, but... still."
[17:18] <@Kilarra> Kjell smirks, "That seems like a noble endavour. Perhaps, if you had the aid of others, you could rescue more than just him."
[17:19] <Aluthyra> Kahree raises an eyebrow. "You think more people'd actually help?"
[17:28] <@Kilarra> Kjell nods, "Of course they would. Not only could you rally allies among the enslaved, but I am most certain that there are others who feel as I do about such a vile practise."
[17:29] <Aluthyra> Kahree smiles, leaning back in bed. "Good... then I've got something to look forward to."
[17:35] <@Kilarra> Kjell smiles, "I could certainly use such a good quest to lift my spirits after an experience like this place."
[17:36] <Aluthyra> Kahree raises an eyebrow. "What about that... half elf girl? Think she would come with?"
[17:37] <@Kilarra> Kjell shrugs, "That would be up to her. I wouldn't hold it against her though if she elected to stay and pursue her dream of being a cyphermage."
[17:39] <Aluthyra> Kahree snickers. "Well, hopefully she comes along for your sake. Long distance relationships can be trouble, or so I hear."
[17:46] <@Kilarra> Kjell chuckles, "Well, she is delightful, but even if I have feelings for her, I shouldn't let them stand in the way of more noble ambitions. Cayden Caeliean encourages love and the spreading of positive feelings, but there are more important things than a single relationship."
[17:47] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks. "Right. And thanks, Kjell. For the talk." She nods, slipping under her covers. "Think I'll catch up on sleep, though."
[17:49] <@Kilarra> Kjell notes, "Nothing saying I couldn't come back to Varisia afterwards that is." He nods to her and climbs up top to his own bunk, "Thank you for sharing. Hopefully, with some time and a bit of luck, we can save your unknown friend, and perhaps others as well."
[17:49] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods, closing her eyes as she leans into her pillow.
[17:50] * Aluthyra sighs happily, exiting the bath with her clothes and self now clean. "Refreshing, once again. I admit, the baths here are nice."
[17:51] * Kilarra nods, "I should hope so, for the price."
[17:52] * Aluthyra nods, giving Kilarra a quick hug before proceeding away towards their room. "And with luck, we will not be here for long."
[17:58] * Kilarra nods, "For sure." She heads out with Aluthyra.
[18:03] <@Kilarra> As they head back through the crowded streets of Zirnakaynin, A drow noblewoman and her Entourage pass them in the street. They stop as the drow noble eyes Kilarra and Aluthyra.
[18:05] <@Kilarra> The drow noblewoman eyes their signet rings and frowns. She whispers something to her quartet of guards, each of whom draw their rapiers.
[18:10] * Aluthyra scowls. "Kilarra, behind me." She points to the guards. "They mean to attack."
[18:11] * Kilarra nods.
[18:11] * Aluthyra draws her bow...
[18:12] <@Kilarra> The drow guards make the first move, two of them stepping to flank each Kilarra and Aluthyra, stabbing with their Rapiers.
[18:17] <@Kilarra> Aluthyra takes a glancing blow, but Kilarra gets a blade right in her gut.
[18:17] * Kilarra grimaces, but isn't gonna scream for these drow.
[18:18] * Kilarra instead grabs the sword arm of the drow who stabbed her and floods him with negative energy.
[18:19] <@Kilarra> The drow yells out and is quickly silence as his life is snuffed.
[18:20] * Kilarra lets go, allowing his smouldering corpse to fall. "Anyone else?"
[18:22] * Aluthyra raises her bow, firing four arrows; two at each of the guards farthest away. Turning around, she frowns at the third, aiming carefully as she fires a single arrow his way.
[18:25] <@Kilarra> Aluthyra manages to catch one of the drow right through the eye, felling him immediately. The other two are punctured once each.
[18:27] <@Kilarra> The drow continue their attack on Aluthyra, while they still had her flanked. Kilarra however, was freed up by ALuthyra's eye shot.
[18:27] <@Kilarra> They cannot touch the nible monk though
[18:29] * Kilarra turns to the remaining drow and raises her palm, aiming for one of the injured drow. "Burn." She blasts his with a searing ray of light.
[18:30] <@Kilarra> The drow is made extra crispy, and falls to the ground.
[18:30] * Kilarra looks to the drow noblewoman, "What posessed you to think attacking servants of House Vonnarc was, in any way, a good idea?"
[18:31] * Kilarra has to blink some stars out of her eyes however, that searing light not being good for her drow disguises eyes.
[18:32] * Aluthyra nods, turning on the final guard, and launches a barrage of four arrows at him.
[18:33] <@Kilarra> The last guard is skewered.
[18:33] * Aluthyra frowns at the noble. "It would be best you do not try that again." She aims her bow at the noble...
[18:34] * Kilarra looks to Aluthyra, "Should we let her leave with her foolishness, or make further example?" She asks in a manner that would hopefully seem drow-esque to any in the crowd looking on.
[18:34] <@Kilarra> The noblewoman flees
[18:35] * Kilarra looks to Aluthyra with a smirk, "Not worth your arrows, the cowardly wench."
[18:35] * Aluthyra frowns. "I think we should-- well... I suppose that is that." She sighs, quickly collecting her arrows from the downed drow. "Well, it is good that -these- arrows are stronger than most, and I will be able to recollect."
[18:38] * Kilarra chuckles, "Fair enough. Let's go home." She waits for ALuthyra to collect her arrows, ten heads back to House Vonnarc
[18:38] <@Kilarra> -End Session-
[18:38] <@Kilarra> Rewards: 1 EL 10, 3 EL 8; 6000 Experience Each.