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Post by Kai Wren on May 16, 2019 18:52:33 GMT
The Professor looked between the adventurers, and slowly, she shook her head.
“What I think isn’t really relevant to you.” She said, at last. "Suffice it to say... no. You haven't saved them. It's too late for that."
Standing up, she patted herself down, wiping the dust from her clothes, and she gave a light flick of her hand towards the caravan. She was no powerful mage, that was for certain; but she was still a gnome, and had a touch of magic in her heart, even if she didn’t feel it right now. Dancing lights bounced and swayed from the awning of the caravan at her gesture.
“Pack up your things if you want a lift back to Waterdeep. You’ve got ten minutes before I’m heading off.” She said, “If you want to stay here anyway, fine. I won’t stop you. But this is clearly beyond your capabilities. If you can’t work as a team, you’ll only get yourselves killed. This is too important for me to gamble on... well. You.”
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Post by pastels on May 20, 2019 10:22:46 GMT
“Now, now. Please, let’s not be hasty.”
Proserpina put down her lyre and rose from her seat in alarm, hands held out in a placating gesture. Despite her kind smiles and generous affection during the short time their group spent together, the fire now flickered upon a face tight with concern, upon eyes shadowed with fatigue.
Please. She gave Thea a pleading look before she spoke again. Help.
“Today has been a challenge, of that there no doubt. And I speak not only of the discovery we made, but also of our personal differences,” she kept her head high, and her voice strong. She didn’t glance to the side at Dhaunmyr or Gigi; one half-hearted poke at the matter and they would be at each other’s throats again. Well, Dhaunmyr would. “I dare say ‘tis not a good showing… and for a multitude of reasons. We were surprised, underprepared… and now we bicker amongst ourselves.” The tiefling held a hand up to cut off any interruptions.
“Yes, for valid reasons, but no doubt exacerbated by our adverse conditions.”
Like children over the last scrap of meat on a harsh winter, pulling knives on one another.
But Proserpina stilled her tongue. The matter was complicated, and she would do both parties a disservice by limiting it to one phrase. Even so… The way this was carried out? Now she had no idea if Gigi wanted to continue. And she was the one who brought her back from near-death.
“I say we rest,” and here she let her voice break. Look, it said, look at me and remember how I fell. “Rest. Please. Let the night cool our tempers and fears. Then tomorrow we can try again to discover the source of this horror and extinguish it, before it can leave this ghastly tomb. All of us can surely do better than this, now that we know what we face.”
Persuasion: EqGb_dM|1d20+7, or 1d20+7 (Disadvantage)1d20+7·1d20+7
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Post by Kai Wren on May 20, 2019 12:48:49 GMT
"By all means. Rest." The Professor said, "If you want, you can sleep in the back of the caravan. But I'm not staying here. The sooner I'm on the road, the sooner I'm back to Waterdeep."
And... that was that, as far as she was concerned. She'd given them the option. They had a few more minutes to make their choice, whilst she busied herself preparing the ponies and their equipment.
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Post by moralhazard on May 20, 2019 14:39:39 GMT
Thea couldn’t keep up the cheerful smile once they reached the camp. She had done her best to distract Dhaunmyr, but his problems with Gigi weren’t solved, not remotely. She didn’t know if he was willing to try forbearance; she had all but begged for it, and he certainly hadn’t agreed. In truth, Thea hadn’t understood his answer at all.
More than once, Thea glanced over to Professor Gostlethorn. She wanted to speak to her; she wished rather desperately that she could offer the woman some comfort, but she knew there were no words that could suffice. She liked the gnome, very much; although she hadn’t met her companions, Thea was sorry for them as well.
Thea cleaned the dagger she’d thrown at the ghoul, and in the end tucked her ripped clothing away in her pack - the seamstress who had made them was lovely with the mending cantrip - and changed into something more comfortable for the evening. She found herself with an uncomfortable amount of time left remaining, and busied herself with sketches, thinking of new glass blowing pieces she might try to make from today - mostly the elk. Thea wondered if she could capture the elegance in the long lines of his muscular body. She wouldn’t bother trying to capture his desperately annoying noise.
She tucked her things away and joined the others by the fire, listening to the professor. Thea had heard so much about her colleagues already in this trip; the professor’s words were touching, striking a deep cord in her. The Professor even explained, better than Thea could have, why Gigi’s words hurt Dhaunmyr so. Surely, she thought, surely Gigi would understand now? It wasn’t even courtesy at this point, it was the most basic of decency.
“Oh Professor, no...” Thea whispered the words beneath her breath when Professor called herself a ghoul, face soft and sad.
Gigi’s response was - rude, ignorant, tone deaf, and infuriating. Thea swallowed back the anger it provoked, but Dhaunmyr didn’t. He burst out again, furious, and went for Gigi; for a moment, thinking of what he had said earlier, Thea was genuinely afraid, but it passed when all he did was yell.
And then the Professor spoke again. Thea stared at her, wide-eyed. Her gaze went immediately to Pippa, but she was too stunned to speak as the tiefling tried to calm the Professor, or at least urge her to patience. To no avail.
Another minute ticked by. Thea’s things were packed already; they hadn’t had much time to unpack before entering the tomb, and the things she had gotten out during their rest had been on the top, and put back away before their conference.
“We should stay,” Thea rose, looking at the others - at Pippa, first, then at Dhaunmyr and last at Gigi. If she spoke first - if she asked it of them - maybe. There was a chance, wasn’t there? That they would do the right thing?
“Please,” Thea clasped her hands together in front of herself, wringing them slightly. “It’s weeks back to Waterdeep, and weeks back again - whatever horrors are in the tomb below, we can’t count on them staying put. I - I know we didn’t sign up for this, but it found us. The Professor is right - we need to work together. But we did well today! It was difficult, but we - we fought together. Surely that counts for something?”
Thea faltered a little, feeling the poor reception of her clumsy efforts like a blow. She thought of Tomas, Pieter and Judisia, and pressed on. “Maybe we’re not the - the most qualified choice. But we are the only ones who are here. We can’t just give up and leave.”
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Post by moralhazard on May 20, 2019 17:15:09 GMT
Persuasion (disadvantage): VWYWG6h_1d20+5 or 1d20+51d20+5·1d20+5
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Post by Kai Wren on May 20, 2019 18:23:36 GMT
Professor Urbania Gostlethorn paused in the process of wrapping the bridle around the lead pony. Thea’s words were heartfelt, she could feel that much. Where Proserpina was imploring her not to act in haste, Thea was imploring her not to take a far greater risk. Perhaps that was what struck the chord. Urbania wasn’t given to acting in haste. Even with her heart broken and a cold, sick fear gripping her soul, she was trying to look at things with as much rationality as she could.
For a long moment, she looked up towards the sky, and tried to order her thoughts. Thea might be foolish enough to go on, even if nobody else joined her. She might throw her life away. And even if she didn’t, she knew the risks that were waiting within that tomb. Did she have the right to hide that knowledge? She’d lived her whole life fiercely in pursuit of education. It went against everything she had tried to stand for, to threaten the group with ignorance so that they were forced into adherence to her will.
She ran her hand over her face, and walked back to the campfire.
“I’ll try and explain this as … concisely, as I can.”
Her voice was quiet, and she looked so small. Even compared to how tiny she usually looked. It was as though she had been… rung out, twisted, and then put back down.
“We’re talking… 24, maybe 25 thousand years ago. There were Eladrin and Elves, and they were … mostly, the only civilisations. The world was young. Magic was not like it is now. The rules hadn’t been, they hadn’t been set the way they are now. The Gods were also … different. Everything was.”
She sighed, “I’m not explaining this very well. Look. What you need to know is, there was this empire. One of the first. Aryvandaar. They were strong, and like any empire, they wanted more. More territory, more power, more strength. They were warlike, and they weren’t… they weren’t evil, exactly, but they were … people, I guess.”
She spread her hands out, and there was an obvious effort to focus. Light dance and played between her fingers, reminiscent of the cracks in the ceiling which had provided light.
“They knew how to find spaces where the barriers between worlds were thin. They liked to use those spaces to research magic. We travelled down into the tomb, but what we were really doing wasn’t moving away from the surface. We were moving towards somewhere else.”
She smiled, tears sparkling in her eyes.
“I can imagine how happy that would have made Tomas, when he realised it. Just breaching the wards on the doors to get in? That, must have been an incredible feat. Even after all these millennia, the magic of the Aryvandaar? It isn’t like anything we have today. There’s so few records, and… and anyway, I don’t think this was one of their big sites. It is too remote. There’s no other ruins. I think this was used to research their war magic.”
Her smile faded, and she looked down at her hands.
“Specifically.” She continued, “I think they were studying what we’d call necromancy here. See. The Great Elk was a powerful defender of Aryvandaar. I think that we, and my friends, poked around, and set off the experiments they had in there. Then, those experiments triggered a … guardian, a failsafe. Something the Aryvandaar left behind so that the monsters they were making wouldn’t get loose.”
Finally, her gaze lifted to take each of them in turn – seeking eye contact before she finished.
“I don’t know what Harman has found down there. But I suspect that if he’s found an ancient artefact of Aryvandaar origin? One that could remain potent after all these millenia? One tied to the creation of undead? He’s, not going to be Harman any more.”
Her shoulders sagged slightly.
“And if I’m right about all of that, and those people died so close to a Plane good for that kind of research… their souls will already be gone.”
Her final piece said, at last, the party had just enough time to start rousing themselves for a response…
… when an enormous spirit elk[/i] suddenly burst through the top of the tomb, and flew up into the sky, streaming trails of bright green energy in its wake as it majestically soared towards the clouds, its bellowing cry echoing for miles around.
HWAOROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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Gigi
Approved
5 Cleric of Graves
Posts: 109
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Post by Gigi on May 21, 2019 0:18:32 GMT
Over the course of the next discussions Gigi kept silent, no shock and awe there. Focusing on her cigarette, not looking around at anyone in particular at all, the healer kept her appearance of nonchalance the entire time. Let them think what they wanted to, her voicing her own thoughts or counters to what was presented wouldn't make a difference. Their minds were made up just as hers were.
Her eyes only flicked up to look towards Dhaunmyr when he, rather violently she thought with an air of slight concern, stomped over and started to berate her to her face, then laugh. Asshole. She was the bitch here? She wasn't the one yelling at anyone, laughing at them, or wishing ill will.
She blew a smoke ring at him as a silence response, how could she not with him standing so close and laughing?
The professor added another little snide comment and her upper lip curled at the side around the cigarette. Tarnish her name, her personality, her style, habits, and mannerisms - sure. But to target her skills as a healer?
" ...---" She had been about to snarl something in defense of her healing, and how her not being here some days ago had no baring to the fact they were stupid enough to enter an unknown threatening tomb without a healer on site when Prosperina interrupted the silence. Simmering herself, Gigi took a deeper inhale of the calming tobacco. The Professor immediately dismissed Pippa's concerns, of which Gigi snorted. The Professor might have hired her, and Thea was her primary first concern, but Pippa was one of hers now. Holding someone's spirit did that.
"...---" For a second time she was going to snark something unhelpful when Thea took up the mantle of attempted peacekeeper. Which prompted the Professor to calm down and actually explain more of why the hell they were even here.
"...---" The elk exploded into the sky.
Oh for fucks sake. She thought with a very irritated snarl in her head.
"So you want to go back into the crypt, where a nice tidy sum of... Ohh... How many chants did I whisper... 6 deaths happened?" She glared around as she continued. "I'm counting Pippa in that number, by the way. She was one heartbeat away from dying. One. Heartbeat. For good. Past the point of no return. And that was with all of us doing our best." A side-eye looked at everyone but Dhaunmyr, who she was ignoring entirely. "And that best isn't that great either. As you said Professor" The sarcastic use of the title clearly in banter from the request of earlier. "You got what you paid for. If you wanted better you should have coughed up more coin for better odds on your gamble."
"Necromancy isn't something just to fucking dabble in. Pick it up like a puppy and set it down until you want to play with it later. It stains you, changes you. The things found in there aren't going to just let you prod it with needles and make notes like it's some sort of peaceful research experiment in a controlled lab. Gods damn." Her pent up irritation came across as a razor thin light up of her tattoos, the green light delicately thin and small.
She looked at Thea then, still sitting where she'd been the whole time. "You want to continue? For what ends? You want your body brought back to Philip? 'Cause chances are we're all gonna die down there now. The guardian... moose... whatever thing left. That place is a playground now for the necromancy magic if anything else living walks in." And I can't keep everyone alive if that shit happens for real, was the unspoken last bit of that sentence. But admitting that would be admitting fear. "But by ol' means, let's get to it again in the morning." She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure we'll be even better than we were today. Especially when one of you has clearly denied any healing or aid on my behalf going into the future."
Gigi didn't want to go back in. She had been away from Waterdeep longer than she expected to already, and it was pulling on her conscious, making her uneasy and nervous. If they went back in? Who knew what other aliments they'd face. Pippa's spirit tear was just the beginning she was sure of it. If they had even just one other healer, or someone had the foresight to bring potions to help them help themselves even just a tiny bit she'd have felt more confident. But the sole survivability of four others rested on her shoulders for when they inevitably missed a trap or took a wrong turn due to their inexperience, and that weight was heavy. Leaving now? Leaving now guaranteed everyone lived. And if she had to make everyone here hate her in order to survive? She would. Because at least they'd be alive enough to have emotions.
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Post by enchilada on May 21, 2019 11:19:12 GMT
Dhaunmyr was unswayed by Miss Proserpina’s attempts to calm the Professor, much less was he convinced he should stay. He was happy to leave. He had done his job. He didn’t see any point in continuing with anything here, like, what exactly had he done to show anyone he was even capable of staying? Much less he was capable of fighting things that were barely even there. He’d managed, just. Just.
But then, that meant that he could continue to do things that were genuinely of worth, that were helpful, that protected these people. He should have seen this earlier. Underdark or no, he was the one that was supposed to die first, not Miss Proserpina, that was for sure, but nobody assembled here should have gone down before him.
That brought his mind around to facts, and, what they were, was someone who was — deep down, perhaps — scared of him. The reason she behaved as she did was because of what she knew, or thought she knew, about who and what he was. It was too late to make an apology, really, but it wasn’t too late to do his job, shut up, and grin and bear it.
He didn’t like the idea of doing that, truth be told, at all. Dhaunmyr did not want to just push forwards with Miss Gigi, but he really had no option. Would it be cowardice to wait until they had rested to make any attempt to explain himself? Perhaps. But that was what he was. A coward.
Without much, or any, ceremony, he stumbled away to listen to the Professor in more detail, gaining his grace by the end. Intensity in his eyes, he wanted to fully understand, to know. With this, and with Miss Althea’s perfectly reasonable assumption that whatever was in there would be out by the time they were able to get more experienced people in, Dhaunmyr had to admit defeat in his want to leave. More than anything, he needed to stay, he needed to protect these people, if he could, and he needed to make sure there would be nothing roaming the wilds if he could not do such a thing.
“Thank you, Professor.” Dhaunmyr was doing his best to be humble, and he was definitely extremely sheepish. He was only just really realising the implications of his behaviour. He couldn’t imagine how he had allowed his anger to fill him so completely. Miss Gigi had done no more than throw a petty insult, one that he returned. Dhaunmyr knew he was not a drow, and everyone else knew that. It was good enough, right? And, maybe he could prove her wrong. So far, he’d really only proved her right. Eilistraee gave him strength, but she also gave him responsibility. He had to show people that men and women like him were entirely harmless, decent members of society. Dhaunmyr was a decent member of society. “We have to ensure there is no further danger. I suppose it means we might... go back and... perhaps... um.”
He wasn’t sure, he wasn’t really prepared for this.
Then there was the elk. A graceful creature of greater understanding and knowledge than he had ever anticipated. It was clear certain people disliked the noise it made. Dhaunmyr didn’t, it was too connected to the nature of it. Beyond everything, it transcended. And he couldn’t, he wouldn’t, allow it to be wrong about him.
“No. We have to ensure there is no further danger to everyone other than ourselves. And someone needs to set down and step up. I don’t expect any of you to do so, I should have, from the start, done this anyway, but... That doesn’t matter now. We are going to have a rest, and, when that is done, we will breach the place again. I’m going first. I will enter doors, I will interact with the environment if such a thing is required. Nobody gets hurt before I do. And we are communicating before we do anything. I’m not someone who can admit to having any more than a very basic understanding of magic, but, as long as we all speak in plain Common what the intentions are, I’m sure we will be fine. Communication is going to really change the game here, that, and waiting until everyone is recovered. Are there any objections to this, other than general pessimism and useless griping?”
His companions had their roles, they had their moments. They’d said what was necessary to move on, and they’d done their magic. Dhaunmyr really had not done what he should have done. He should have moved on, he should have been the one entering doors, touching things, accepting traps. He should have been, but he didn’t. But it was in his heart that he would step up and he would assume his role, he couldn’t panic and hide and try to stay at the back if there was no front. Maybe it had taken him all that time to realise what he was supposed to do, or maybe it was the elk, or maybe it was something else he couldn’t explain, the way the breeze was different, his beliefs, his honest and genuine conviction that he was a pious, devout, committed follower of Eilistraee, that she was with him and she would guide him and he wouldn’t suffer while she was with him any longer than he allowed himself to wallow in pain. And if he died, god forbid, she would guide him and give him to the correct gods and — everything would be okay. Perhaps he’d be allowed to be some kind of tribal elf in the woods, green and brown. Natural and surrounded by what he, admittedly, loved. He didn’t care. He would do his best to make sure — no. He would make sure at least everyone else was safe home.
Even if he was a coward.
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Post by pastels on May 24, 2019 14:02:30 GMT
Proserpina glanced at the faces warmed by the fire and saw that her words had no effect. That hurt worse than what the ghouls did. But when Thea spoke, their eyes fell on her, and she saw the tides of favor shift to her side. They had the same agenda, that enough was true… but the failure smarted worse when someone else succeeded shortly after. She turned back towards the gnome, limbs stiff as wooden planks, and watched as Urbania wrung an explanation from within that shrunken form. Then she sat down.
She forced a smile. Nursed the bile in welling up under her tongue. She was good at that. Pretty little tiefling, nearly dying in a godsforsaken tomb, where her precious wits and charm had the defensive power of a swaddling sheet. And just now… Well. It wasn’t your best, was it?
Cue the giant elk. Again.
Proserpina’s eyes were wide and blank when Gigi spoke up. She turned towards the healer, yes, but the words washed over. Only the parts about her near-demise stuck. No, no, no. Focus. The tiefling blinked and lowered her eyes to the cleric’s metal arm, watching the green light dance against the shadows. She was right, wasn’t she? How many tales had Pippa read about ill-fortuned sojourns into ruins tainted by magic? More importantly… Why didn’t she learn? What the Professor said about this site being the remains of a research center, and by an ancient, all-powerful empire no less… It was enough to send most packing.
Let them bicker amongst themselves. None of them ever paid her any heed, anyway. Let the genasi and the elf die facing this tomb and its ancient contraptions. She could just leave with Gigi. Yes! In Waterdeep, at least, her talents would work—she would feel loved and admired and noticed, there, not wrestling with tempers and her own gaping inadequacy.
Proserpina inhaled deeply and unfurled her fists, which had wormed creases onto her skirt. Her fingernails left behind scarlet crescents. Do it.
What are you waiting for, love?
It was so, so easy for that vicious side of her to take over. At a moment like this? It was vital she find clarity. Her thoughts were already starting to paint Thea and Dhaunmyr with thin, ragged lines drawn with venom. The latter even more so. See how he spoke as though it was easy dropping into a grave. It was truly the height of refinement for this level of cooperation and planning to only occur after the damage had been done to her psyche.
Stop it. Inhale. Exhale. Remember the blue curtain with pearls…
She knew she would think much better after this… this fog in her thoughts has cleared, but at the moment? Leaving the three martyrs was as appealing as a suckling pig would be to a starving man. She planned to revisit the thought come morning.
“Well then. I suppose we’re mostly in agreement on the one thing?” A gargantuan achievement, really. The tiefling spoke through gritted teeth, her tone as acerbic as stomach acid, “Any last speeches, threats, platitudes, and other such drivel before we turn in for the night? Or shall I string up my lyre and begin our lullabies?”
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Post by moralhazard on May 24, 2019 14:30:09 GMT
Hope against hope - the Professor turned back to explain, looking at them. Thea listened, trying to understand. Magic - she knew something about magic, but it sounded as if that wouldn’t help her here. Wouldn’t help any of them, not here.
A guardian inside the tomb to keep the experiments at bay. Thea couldn’t help a quick flash of relief on her face. Perhaps they were safe, then? But - Harman - possibly corrupted by some kind of powerful artifact. Thea bit her lip. How long had passed since he had gone inside? Might he still be there? If he was lost, now, was it better to let him stay or to try and find them? Or was it already too late? Had they already breached the wards?
There were too many questions left unanswered.
A huge elk - the same huge elk? - burst out of the tomb, streaming into the air. Thea watched it, wide-eyed, and turned to the Professor.
“If we can get there - then can they get here?” Thea said, slowly, starting to ask.
Gigi burst in, then, her anger like a tidal wave bursting over the conversation, dousing the hard work Thea and Pippa had put in. Thea shot her a hard glance at the mention of Phi, but said nothing. She, at least, could try to be mature about this.
Dhaunmyr, funnily enough, had reversed course, ready to go in. Pippa was - Thea couldn’t be sure, but her tone was angry and bitter.
Thea ignored them all, looking at the Professor. She did not interpret Urbana’s response as a concession; she half expected the professor to turn immediately back to her wagon. It was clear Gigi still wanted to go with her, and perhaps Pippa too. Well. At least with Dhaunmyr, she wouldn’t be alone.
“If you tell me that by leaving, I do less harm, I will go,” Thea folded her hands in front of herself, the breeze in her hair dancing and swaying. “If you tell me it is already too late, if our meddling has made a mess and if there is nothing we can do to put it right, then I will accept it. But if there is a chance that whatever took your friends is a danger to more than just then, and if maybe, outclassed as we are, we can put it right - then I will stay. Can you promise me it is not so?”
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Post by Kai Wren on May 28, 2019 17:52:41 GMT
The Professor gave Pippa a long, cold look.
“Are we in agreement?” She said, coolly, “Because from where I’m standing, you are all still heavily divided. She.”
She gestured to Gigi.
“Does not want to enter. He.”
She gestured to Dhaunmyr.
“Very much DOES. And she.”
Another, final gesture, to Thea.
“Does not know what she wants.”
She shook her head with irritation, and pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Of course whatever is going on in there is a threat.” She said, acidly, “That’s the entire problem. I very much doubt that this will remain contained. I have no idea what the limits of its power might be. I don’t know what its purpose is. What I do know, is that if you go in there and die, best case scenario your souls are lost forever. Worst case, the monster in there uses you to make something far nastier than the abominations that my friends became. Can you stop it? No. Because you can’t even listen to one another, let alone understand each other and work as a team.”
Pronouncement made, she turned on her heel and walked to her carriage again, getting up behind the ponies, and into her driving position.
“Last chance. I’m reporting this to the Watchful Order. Hopefully they’ll send some people who know what they are doing. And I’m leaving now. Three weeks or no, it’ll get there quicker if I don’t waste any more time. If you want the lift, get in the back and bed down.”
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Gigi
Approved
5 Cleric of Graves
Posts: 109
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Post by Gigi on May 28, 2019 18:37:29 GMT
The professor dismissed Thea's concerns by scolding them all again as if they were children, then saying she had no idea what the possible future held even if they did go back in. That was clear enough decision making for Gigi right then and there.
"Then start backing Thea, we're heading back. Prosperina and myself called it. She's called it." Gigi pointed to the professor. "Not much division of opinions overall when it comes down to it really. And now? The Order whatever is gonna come in like they probably should have to begin with, with a lot more skills and abilities then we've got. So the crypt can be sealed properly." Overall she was still completely ignoring Dhaunmyr as if he didn't exist.
Three weeks of travel back was going to be a long, long trip. And if she was lucky? It'd be in silence. The healer pushed herself up off the ground, shucking dirt and debris off her pants as she stood, and began helping with the preparations to depart. First though? She walked around to where Prosperina had sat and leaned down to whisper in a subdued voice. "I'll cover your clean up duties tonight so you can turn in inside the back of the wagon. If anything starts to feel strange? Let me know, immediately. Even if later and I'm asleep? Wake me up. Now, get some sleep," she smiled lightly then -the smallest of tugs at an upper lip- "healer's orders."
Not waiting or expecting much in the way of response back, much less thanks, Gigi stood back up and progressed through the camp takedown chores they all had established the first few nights into their journey - both hers and Pippa's.
((I've got 9,561 word count for Gigi, not counting the aside, which will be turned in once it's done so it doesn't hold up the finalizing here))
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Post by moralhazard on May 29, 2019 2:48:23 GMT
Thea stood, defiant and a little proud. Her hands were folded in front of her; a gust of wind rippled through the night air and tugged at her clothing, dancing through the cloth. It picked up in her hair, which swayed and bounced around her head. Then the professor spoke, cold and furious and - right. Thea deflated, slowly; her clothing lay flat against her, and her hair settled down into place, momentarily still against her head. She had done enough harm already. They all had. What could she accomplish? Gigi and Pippa meant to leave. Just she and Dhaunmyr would be - overrun. Even if they sat outside as guardians, there would be nothing they could achieve just the two of them. Gigi barked at her, and Thea looked up at her, hair blazing out in defiance, faint tears glinting in the corner of her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to shriek at the human in fury, to tell her - exactly where to put her condescending words. Thea had never asked her to come along; she had never wanted to be involved in Phi’s business, not before and less now. But - she didn’t. Thea swallowed down the anger and frustration into a hard ball somewhere in the pit of her stomach and she - she nodded. With a faint attempt at a smile, Thea turned to Dhaunmyr. “We’d - we’d better go then,” Thea agreed, quietly. “I’m sorry, I - I still thought maybe we could... help.” With that, shoulders hunching up, Thea turned to do her part to quickly break down the camp and grab her bag, settling into the wagon. She drew her knees up to her chest, folded her arms over them and rested her face on her forearms. Misery throbbed in her chest, and her hair swayed gently, almost soothingly, brushing her arms in a way that looked almost comforting. For a moment, she had nearly been strong.
((Word count: 6,503))
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Post by Kai Wren on Jun 16, 2019 9:53:42 GMT
Closing this off here.
Wordcounts
Kai - 6284 = 1260 xp & gold Prosperina - 7851 = 1580 xp & gold Thea - 6503 = 1310 xp & gold Gigi - 9561 - 1920 xp & gold Dhaun - 5814 - 1170 xp & gold.
4 x ghouls - +200 xp 2 x wights - +100 xp 1 x spirit elk - 1/2 xp reward - +137 xp (rounding to 140)
Kai to assign xp & gold later.
Prosperina - 2020 xp & 1580 gold Thea - 1750 xp & 1310 gold Gigi - 2360 xp & 1920 gold Dhaun - 1610 xp & 1170 gold
No additional gold reward as the mission was not successfully completed. No other treasure discovered.
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