Part I: Spy Games (Karlene Blackcloud intro)

[spike]

Orphanage: either outside of Lagos, Kingsport, or Triport

What you know of these places:

Lagos: somewhat of an unruly town of bravados, and families bickering over an ancient feud over land disputes.

Kingsport: quaint, charming, beloved town known for producing exquisite weaponry of rare manufacture, producing blacksmiths and craftsmen, and components for Nyr's booming shipwright industry.

Triport: : military outpost city, garrison stationed here. Quelling brigand infestation and maintaining safe trade routes is its primary purpose. Adventurer's come here seeking work.

[Chris1234]

After resetting the password for the protal into this safe-house, Karlane continues to trial and optimise the spring loaded wrist sheath (for a dagger) while she waits for the 3 ex-prisoners to finish searching the basement.
"What did you see or discover?"

{OOC: They already had 10s of minutes while she was praying}

[spike]

They returned and Zyn reports having found a large storeroom full of food, and another filled with frozen dead bodies suspended by chains.

Valtor: "It seemed our jailer was something of a cannibal'

Garosh: "No, he was a priest of Demogorgon. He only disguised himself as a lowly guardsman. I overheard him speaking in some foul corrupt language once and spewing prayers to his patron demon. He was aiming to create a secret shrine to his vile God'

Zyn: 'Makes sense, many like him where I come from. Lovers of demons. Karlene, what to do now? Lead us out of here'

Your natural dexterity enables you to grow accustomed to the spring loader.

[Chris1234]

"Do you think the gas that was piped to the room upstairs could be quickly and easily removed for use in the open to knock out a ogre? Might be traveling on a wagon," the priestess muses out loud as the 5 head upstairs to the ground floor.

[spike]

Valtor laughed, 'No need, my sweet. I already informed you of my supreme skills, of which you were ignorant of earlier. I will give you a means of destroying the ogre without much effort"

Nym: "Ogre! Hah, I'll cut him down to size fore your tricks do, my surface cousin'

'Azbrog noquar shintardalum' Valtor retorted (drow fool, you know not my power in elvish)

Garosh: 'as much as this is all entertaining, by the time you two lovebirds actually finish quarreling over who gets to do what my blade will have found the ogre's vitals'

Azonia, Whisper, Sarancen came down the steps, Sarancen was escorting a completely naked woman who smelled of...sex. She also smelled of cheap perfume, sweat, and other nice aromas.

A buzzing, flying insect flew into the room and hovered onto Whisper's shoulder, peering at you with animated eyes. It looked alive, as if possessed of sentience for an automaton.

[Chris1234]

Karlane suppreses a sigh and points at the unclothed woman, "Who are you? Where are your clothes? And how do you come to be in this place?"

[spike]

The woman, who was possessed of a bodacious, ample set of breasts and a womanly body scoffed 'you jealous or something?' she giggled stupidly. Sarancen sighed then threw a cloak around her 'cover up, wench' he said, then turned to you 'we found her upstairs pleasuring some fat piece of orc dung. He drew a whip on us and me and Azonia peppered him with bolt and javelin. He went crashing out the window and some mastiff's out in the courtyard tore his body to pieces as if they haven't had meat in some time'

Azonia 'ah, you found the prisoners you were seeking I see. Good work. Though I distrust you, dark elf. Watch yourself or you'll find yourself dead fast'

Zyn didn't say anything.

For some reason when Whisper's eyes fell on the drow and the big bellied elf it triggered some sense of familiarity. But nothing solid, just a sense of comraderic nostalgia. You remember fighting alongside a drow named Zor and an elf named Valtor who also had a goblin slave as this one does. However this one seems more benign and less evil than you remember the other one to be. This dark elf seems less talkative and outgoing as Zor was.

[Chris1234]

"No, just aware of the cost of keeping secrets," replies Karlane. "You choose to keep yours." She is careful to mention no names nor give much away in front of the uncooperative nude.
She turns to Azonia, "I believe he is not typical of his race in ethics and deeds. I suggest measure him on his deeds."

"Whisper, I will be back within 10 minutes. And then we can talk. Rest of you, control any prejudices, no fighting each other."

The priestess faces the nude girl again, "Girl, come with me," and looking at Idrys adds, you too. Just you."
She walks towards the portal, activates it and steps through with the girl and Idrys, crouching as she does so.

======
Idrys does as bid, curious to see what his sister has in mind but trusting to her judgement.
If the cloaked nude resists, he will force her to comply with escalating force as necessary. (Hand on arm; arm twisted behind back; both arms pinned; subdued and hoisted over the shoulder. Screaming gets a punch in the stomach or back.)

[spike]

move to main thread.

[Chris1234]

A crouching Karlane plus the cloaked nude girl and Idrys step out into the Salt bogs. She looks around as soon as she arrives.

{OOC1: Are the Salt bogs the ones somewhere near (south?) of Harby? Or..? And what does she see on looking around.?}

move to main thread.

{OOC2: OK, happy to parallel post. Assumption is Karlane and Idrys will return from the bogs. The cloaked nude will not be. Happy for me to continue parallel posting on that basis?}

[spike]

(ooc: yeah that's fine with parallel)

The salt bogs are 10 miles south of Harby.

You materialize upon a cluster of hills dotted by trees and shrubs, in the distance you see the bogs and several giant dragonflies hovering around in the air, benign and docile. The twin suns of Scarlor radiating from the east and the west filling the skies with a subtle green and azure hue.

You see what appears to be a simple ranch just north of your position, about 10 minutes waft through some shrubs and meadows.

When you move around, a magic mouth spell utters the following in a distinct, articulate voice:

Karlene, if you are hearing this, I have been assigned as your new handler. I am Nyssa, annointed as yur new mentor. The arch priest wishes for you to bring the stargems to the place you were originally bound, so that we may better study them and record their dweomers. It has been a tedium trying to locate you, and I pray this message reaches your ears. I had to pay two hundred gold for a mage to lay it at this place I was told you may pass through ere long.


Idrys remembers the name Nyssa as the first priestess he met before during the start of his adventure.

Idrys will say 'touch the ground there, where that boot print is' he points with his sword toward a woman's footprint in the dirt.

When you do so, you are struck with a vision of a beautiful female priestess who is human adjacent to a mage who is laying the magic mouth spell here. She says 'Are you certain she will pass this way?' and the mage answered 'possibly, difficult to be absolutely certain'. The female cleric muttered 'where can she have gone? I wonder' The mage said 'something is shielding her from scrying. It must be the gems'

The woman said 'yes, that makes sense. A mere lowly acolyte in possession of stargems! It is unfathomable! I can't wait to snuff the lights out of this Karlene Darkcloud's pretty little eyes once and for all!' she hissed angrily, 'Then her sister will reward me with power and I will reward myself with those powerful gems!'

[Chris1234]

Karlane walks across a few paces as if in thought.
When she's roughyl on the opposite side of the cloaked nude woman to Idrys.
Turning to the woman she says, "Secrets have a cost. And costs can bite. Your secret on the whereabouts of your clothes cost you those clothes. Now, what is your name?"

[spike]

The naked woman said 'Lady Bianca, why? I charge double to sleep with women!' she said with a feisty pout. Then to Idrys she said 'Hmnnnn, you like what you see don't you? Got any gold?' she giggled.

[Chris1234]

While Bianca is turned round to talk to Idrys, Karlane silently steps forward and slaps her, "Eyes on me, girl!"
She continues, as she throws a pair of shoes (probably from the broken ones' lair) on the ground, "Your answer gets you these. Now, walk with me."

She walks the girl, Idrys on the girl's far side, a minute or so to the south, maintaining silence, and then stops. "Look at me, girl. Tell me of your lineage. Tell me how you came to be in that place."

Idrys remains behind 'Lady Bianca'.

[spike]

Lady Bianca laughed, 'Lineage indeed! Hmmm lets see my mother was a drunken fortune teller and father a soldier who raped her when she gave him a bad fortune telling, then she had me. But then before he raped her he cut her face up so bad that no other man would want to touch her again. I ended up there because that fat greasy pig would have had his friend eat me if I wouldn't be his little meat puppet. They brought me there from some rank, foul smelling sub basement outside Lor where they kidnapped me. I only ended up working outside of Lor's walls because some crazed lunatic was hunting down women and severing their limbs, some of the girls at the Succulent Succubus would wind up with missing arms and legs. They say this bastard eats their limbs. The city watch can't even catch him'