"An excellent thought to transport Solitude back to Longsaddle," Roxana says to Rash. "I've a fair bit of skill in patching folks up from my days on the farm, but there'd be more practiced healers in town." she says to Solitude. "But I will certainly do it if you wish."
Then she turns from where she's been focused on Solitude. "Has it gotten late already? I'd really thought we'd make it back by nightfall. Well, I could make us all a bit of dinner if we had some proper food. The dried meat that was here plus my rations are not going to lend themselves to much of a meal. Maybe just for tonight we rely on rations?" She looks about, seeming concerned about making sure everyone gets a meal.
In the storage room Rash notes that no, the other two prisoners have not regained consciousness yet.
Anita, hearing Rash's recommendations, looks at him seriously: "I understand that you disapprove of the way I behaved when I was a Zhentarim. I can only say that I don't know, I'm confused... Taking advantage of who is weaker, of those in a disadvantaged position, for me it has always been something to do without even thinking about it. Because the others would have done the same with me, with positions reversed".
"But I'm not fooling you..." the girl with the ponytail assures "Experiencing compassion, like you had with me... I'm not saying it changed me suddenly, it's clear that the tieflings are right, I haven't become someone else all of a sudden… but at least it makes me realize that there may be other ways of seeing things. And I really don't want to disappoint you, Rash. I will try to treat these two prisoners as delicately as you would. Which of course could include hitting them on the head as hard as you did with me in the tunnel, if they really don't understand the situation and try to free themselves… but… I'll refrain from hurting them just for fun, like I would have done until yesterday".
"You'll see," the young ex-Zhentarim smiles "your future assistant will pass your test. In the meantime, just take care of yourself, okay? I don't want to lose my new boss before I've even started helping him..."
"I know you won't disappoint me," he tells her. "You have already come a long way from when we first met... and in less than a day! If you need to smack one of them to prevent an escape attempt you may do so with my blessing. Just remember that they are people like you and I who deserve respect even if they need a reprimand."
He pauses, looking lost in thought for a moment.
"It's a shame that so many had to die today... I'm sure that there were others just like you: young and mislead by cruel men. I asked the others to spare as many lives as we could... but..."
He sighs sadly. So much wasted life... it hurts him to think about it.
"Well, the past is behind us. But perhaps we should ask the holy woman if she would be willing to perform funeral rites to send the fallen into the next life peacefully."
Anita rests her hand on the one the half-orc placed on her shoulder: "Yes, Rash, the past is behind us. And this is a harsh world. After all, we were trying to kill you ourselves.. I don't think you could have done much more than you already have".
"About the funeral..." the girl with the ponytail looks surprised "I hadn't thought about it. Do you think it can really help? I don't know much about religion... It's good for a dead person, to have people around who pray? Do they notice it? Does it do them any good? I mean... they always stay dead, don't they?" but she finally shrugs "Well, sure that can't hurt anyway".
"I don't know much about it myself," the half-orc admits. "But it would at least feel better than simply leaving all of them to rot..."
He remains silent for a few moments. Then he takes a deep breathe and rises to his feet.
"Well Anita, it's about time for me to go get some sleep. I'll make sure to get you and these two some breakfast first thing in the morning. If all goes well we should all be able to get out of here within the next few days."
He pauses a moment to pick up the discarded length of rope and tuck it into a pouch. Then he gives the girl one last smile, before closing and locking the prison door for the night. He'll then go ahead and eat a ration pack before going to sleep in one of the old beds.
(OOC: Also, since I the player neglected to give an answer to Solitude's request in post #666, just assume that Rash agreed without hesitation to protect her however he can).
After the fights Aidwyn has been quiet most of the time, only speaking when spoken to, but helping in any way she could along the way, either freeing the prisioners, with the wolf ( she gave the halfling her dagger as a parting gift ) or transporting the uncounscious zhentarim to the prison.
She seems to be looking at Solitude specially. She offered the golden eyed tiefling her own cloak to help cover her, and gave her her spares clothes too, but only being able to mumble some words to her.
When the method of healing her leg is bring up the young girl tries to reassure her.
" I know you have no real reason to trust us but... but please do it, maybe even the Harpells have something that could help you, if not healing it magically at least for the pain of the procedure... I.. give you my word that I will take care of you while you recover and do not let anyone harm you again... at least until you regain your strenght, but for now try to rest and recover... " with that, and no waiting for a reply, and feeling her own cheeks burn she goes to the other side of the room, thinking of how stupid she sounded.
"I am at a lost with magical things " Aidwyn admits "But it seems logical that a magical bean capable of bring back the death is hidden in a magical old dungeon from the Harpells, they being a family of powerful wizards and all... Why they should have left such a powerful and useful item here for so long, evades me, but I must admit that for the first time I start to have hopes for Lady Martha and her... situation. Now I do not know if I could help you with the mistycal riddles but count me in to go back down there and try to figure it out... It seems that we cannot do nothing more for the fate of the goblin or the prisioners right now but I must say that I admire you Rash and the way you are behaving with that girl... maybe there is hope for her... "she says not really knowing what the half-orc had already spoken with Anita but having noticing the change in her attitude.
(OOC: @Frandal: All good, only remember the lady Aidwyn is questing for is Martha, not Anna. How can one forget Martha 'Shoeless' Sharnshield... Ah, vacations...)
Solitude looks at Aidwyn with an indecipherable expression, initially, when the girl proves so attentive towards her, then she seems to decide that such kindness does not hide deceptions or ulterior motives and the shadow of a smile appears on her lips: "Thank you".
(OOC: Aidwyn, please, make a Persuasion check - just to determine how deeply Solitude was impressed by your attitude)
So, if I well understand, you are taking a long rest in the dormitory, right? Do you also organize guard shifts? (If so, decide what the shifts are and who takes them...) Or are you counting on the fact that no one should come and disturb you in the 'Beatiful Den'?
"Of course.," Spira says to Rash. "No matter how evil they became, they weren't demons. Somewhere in their lives there must have been some spark of good, even as children. I will certainly see them to rest, and pray they face a more merciful court than they gave. I'll arrange for that, and then come back and take my turn watching while the rest -- rest." She chuckles briefly at her own pun. "I won't be able to sleep for a while after that anyway, and it's probably a good idea to set guards in case anyone unfriendly comes along --- like perhaps a Zhent that had heard of this place and wanted to join up with Mhurren Flick."
On her way out, she stops to speak to Solitude. "You have my word too. If you trust me to reset your leg I will do my absolute best for you, and in any case I will keep you safe until you are healed or you choose to part ways with us. And -- I can't pretend to know what you've been through just because I'm another tiefling, so I won't preach at you, just share how its seemed to me and how I've been able to do what I do. Its always seemed to me that if I become the devil everyone else is telling me I am, they win. And I'm damned if I'm going to let them win." With that, she sets out to collect the fallen Zhentarim in the guard room nearest the arch, pausing only to say to Obadiah, "You are a good man, in spite of what some may have said to you. I saw the pain in your eyes at having to fight so many of these Zhents to the death, and I would be honored if you wanted to help me bear their bodies somewhere we can put them safely to rest."
================================
(OOC: Help action on Aidwyn's Persuasion check? Or should I roll a separate one?)
"I will help you too" say Aidwyn to Spira " and make watch with you after that."i am worried about our prissioners too. Not only they could escape or try to take revenge on us when they awake, but perhaps something may lurk inside and they are tied after all... perhaps it's a good idea to move them here too during the night.."
(OOC: OK, thanks to Spira's help, Aidwyn can have Advantage on her roll to impress Solitude - so, Aidwyn, just roll another time and we keep the highest of the two rolls)
Rash considers Aidwyn's proposal to bring the three Zhentarim into the dormitory. Anita would be so disappointed if they have to tie her up again no sooner than she's been granted a measure of freedom... also, somehow he suspects that the three of them will be safer if they have a locked door between them and their own former prisoners.
"I doubt that they'll be in much danger while they're locked up in their own prison," Rash says. "Though it might be a good idea to post a guard, just to be safe for both them and us. Spira, I can help you move the dead so that you can perform the funeral rites."
Rash will be happy to take whichever watch as he can see in the darkness... though he would be the first to admit that he isn't really very perceptive (as demonstrated when he forgot that both entrances to the tunnel needed to be climbed through to escape), so it would probably be best for him to be partnered with someone on his watch.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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"I'm damned if I'm going to let them win" Solitude repeats, for a while, to itself, like a mantra.
As you prepare to rest, the ex-prisoner tiefling approaches Aidwyn and proclaims, "I decided to trust you all. After all, you're the first people I meet who not only don't give me trouble... but actually help me. Better even than my parents did, who abandoned me at an early age... Or that 4sshole Asmodeus himself did, who after causing the appearance of our race, abandoned us to the prejudice of the world without defending ourselves".
"You..." his scleraless golden eyes look at everyone, one by one "I'll stay with you. I can even help you in what you're doing, if you explain it to me. Like everyone, if I aim a crossbow and pull the trigger, I kill someone I may be capable of. And my tiefling heritage has left me with a few small magical powers. I could be of use to you".
"Or if you prefer," she shrugs "I'll wait here calmly until you're done".
"Given the condition of your leg Solitude, you might be better off just getting some rest," Roxana suggests. "But I'm certainly open to you helping as best you can."
With nobody answering her regarding a meal, she goes ahead and just grabs some of her rations to eat. "I can take a watch too I suppose. Better to be safe. And a watch on the prisoners is good too."
"Well," Rash says to Solitude as he does his best to arrange one of the broken beds into a comfortable sleeping space. "I wouldn't be opposed to having you come along... though the leg does worry me a bit if there are traps in the basement that we're going to have to deal with..."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Aidwyn blinks a couple of times and feels her palms sweaty. What’s going on with her when she looks at Solitude? She clears her throat before talking
“Thank you for trusting us. We do not know what we could find down there, seems to be some kind of magical maze of something. We are looking for an object to help an expecting mother.She got herself a diviner that gave her clues that the solution of her problem could be hidden here, and here we are, Loki g for it. Hopefully you wouldn’t need that crossbow, I doubt that there is nothing alive down there but as Rash said it could be hard. If you want to come along I would help you if that temporary limp bothers you… “
(When Aidwyn is on watch she will break on bed and make a crane using a large piece of wood and the sheets to make it more comfortable for Solitude and leave it besides her without waking her. This will be later but I didn’t wanted to forget to post it ;) )
Solitude seems to be pondering carefully: "On the one hand, I'd be happy to help you... You still freed me, even if not all the guilty ones got their due punishment... And yet, there's some truth in what you say too. .. With my leg, if there were particular acrobatic moves to do, I could be in the way... and I absolutely don't want this".
"Let's do this, if you agree: I'll try to go with you," the tiefling ex-prisoner proposes, "but if I slow you down... I'll go back and wait for you upstairs".
Whether you accept or refuse, Solitude settles into the bed you have prepared for her, and for the second time since you have known her, her lips part in the unusual shape of a smile: "Thank you. I would offer to also take a shift, but after the ordeal of captivity I'm exhausted... I need complete rest to recover. I'll try to make myself useful later, if you allow".
(Roxana History Check: 5)
"An excellent thought to transport Solitude back to Longsaddle," Roxana says to Rash. "I've a fair bit of skill in patching folks up from my days on the farm, but there'd be more practiced healers in town." she says to Solitude. "But I will certainly do it if you wish."
Then she turns from where she's been focused on Solitude. "Has it gotten late already? I'd really thought we'd make it back by nightfall. Well, I could make us all a bit of dinner if we had some proper food. The dried meat that was here plus my rations are not going to lend themselves to much of a meal. Maybe just for tonight we rely on rations?" She looks about, seeming concerned about making sure everyone gets a meal.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
Roxana can't think of any particular historical figures or references, based on Spira's description.
In the storage room Rash notes that no, the other two prisoners have not regained consciousness yet.
Anita, hearing Rash's recommendations, looks at him seriously: "I understand that you disapprove of the way I behaved when I was a Zhentarim. I can only say that I don't know, I'm confused... Taking advantage of who is weaker, of those in a disadvantaged position, for me it has always been something to do without even thinking about it. Because the others would have done the same with me, with positions reversed".
"But I'm not fooling you..." the girl with the ponytail assures "Experiencing compassion, like you had with me... I'm not saying it changed me suddenly, it's clear that the tieflings are right, I haven't become someone else all of a sudden… but at least it makes me realize that there may be other ways of seeing things. And I really don't want to disappoint you, Rash. I will try to treat these two prisoners as delicately as you would. Which of course could include hitting them on the head as hard as you did with me in the tunnel, if they really don't understand the situation and try to free themselves… but… I'll refrain from hurting them just for fun, like I would have done until yesterday".
"You'll see," the young ex-Zhentarim smiles "your future assistant will pass your test. In the meantime, just take care of yourself, okay? I don't want to lose my new boss before I've even started helping him..."
Rash puts a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"I know you won't disappoint me," he tells her. "You have already come a long way from when we first met... and in less than a day! If you need to smack one of them to prevent an escape attempt you may do so with my blessing. Just remember that they are people like you and I who deserve respect even if they need a reprimand."
He pauses, looking lost in thought for a moment.
"It's a shame that so many had to die today... I'm sure that there were others just like you: young and mislead by cruel men. I asked the others to spare as many lives as we could... but..."
He sighs sadly. So much wasted life... it hurts him to think about it.
"Well, the past is behind us. But perhaps we should ask the holy woman if she would be willing to perform funeral rites to send the fallen into the next life peacefully."
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Anita rests her hand on the one the half-orc placed on her shoulder: "Yes, Rash, the past is behind us. And this is a harsh world. After all, we were trying to kill you ourselves.. I don't think you could have done much more than you already have".
"About the funeral..." the girl with the ponytail looks surprised "I hadn't thought about it. Do you think it can really help? I don't know much about religion... It's good for a dead person, to have people around who pray? Do they notice it? Does it do them any good? I mean... they always stay dead, don't they?" but she finally shrugs "Well, sure that can't hurt anyway".
"I don't know much about it myself," the half-orc admits. "But it would at least feel better than simply leaving all of them to rot..."
He remains silent for a few moments. Then he takes a deep breathe and rises to his feet.
"Well Anita, it's about time for me to go get some sleep. I'll make sure to get you and these two some breakfast first thing in the morning. If all goes well we should all be able to get out of here within the next few days."
He pauses a moment to pick up the discarded length of rope and tuck it into a pouch. Then he gives the girl one last smile, before closing and locking the prison door for the night. He'll then go ahead and eat a ration pack before going to sleep in one of the old beds.
(OOC: Also, since I the player neglected to give an answer to Solitude's request in post #666, just assume that Rash agreed without hesitation to protect her however he can).
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After the fights Aidwyn has been quiet most of the time, only speaking when spoken to, but helping in any way she could along the way, either freeing the prisioners, with the wolf ( she gave the halfling her dagger as a parting gift ) or transporting the uncounscious zhentarim to the prison.
She seems to be looking at Solitude specially. She offered the golden eyed tiefling her own cloak to help cover her, and gave her her spares clothes too, but only being able to mumble some words to her.
When the method of healing her leg is bring up the young girl tries to reassure her.
" I know you have no real reason to trust us but... but please do it, maybe even the Harpells have something that could help you, if not healing it magically at least for the pain of the procedure... I.. give you my word that I will take care of you while you recover and do not let anyone harm you again... at least until you regain your strenght, but for now try to rest and recover... " with that, and no waiting for a reply, and feeling her own cheeks burn she goes to the other side of the room, thinking of how stupid she sounded.
"I am at a lost with magical things " Aidwyn admits "But it seems logical that a magical bean capable of bring back the death is hidden in a magical old dungeon from the Harpells, they being a family of powerful wizards and all... Why they should have left such a powerful and useful item here for so long, evades me, but I must admit that for the first time I start to have hopes for Lady Martha and her... situation. Now I do not know if I could help you with the mistycal riddles but count me in to go back down there and try to figure it out... It seems that we cannot do nothing more for the fate of the goblin or the prisioners right now but I must say that I admire you Rash and the way you are behaving with that girl... maybe there is hope for her... " she says not really knowing what the half-orc had already spoken with Anita but having noticing the change in her attitude.
PbP Character: A few ;)
(OOC: @Frandal: All good, only remember the lady Aidwyn is questing for is Martha, not Anna. How can one forget Martha 'Shoeless' Sharnshield... Ah, vacations...)
Solitude looks at Aidwyn with an indecipherable expression, initially, when the girl proves so attentive towards her, then she seems to decide that such kindness does not hide deceptions or ulterior motives and the shadow of a smile appears on her lips: "Thank you".
(OOC: Aidwyn, please, make a Persuasion check - just to determine how deeply Solitude was impressed by your attitude)
So, if I well understand, you are taking a long rest in the dormitory, right? Do you also organize guard shifts? (If so, decide what the shifts are and who takes them...) Or are you counting on the fact that no one should come and disturb you in the 'Beatiful Den'?
"Of course.," Spira says to Rash. "No matter how evil they became, they weren't demons. Somewhere in their lives there must have been some spark of good, even as children. I will certainly see them to rest, and pray they face a more merciful court than they gave. I'll arrange for that, and then come back and take my turn watching while the rest -- rest." She chuckles briefly at her own pun. "I won't be able to sleep for a while after that anyway, and it's probably a good idea to set guards in case anyone unfriendly comes along --- like perhaps a Zhent that had heard of this place and wanted to join up with Mhurren Flick."
On her way out, she stops to speak to Solitude. "You have my word too. If you trust me to reset your leg I will do my absolute best for you, and in any case I will keep you safe until you are healed or you choose to part ways with us. And -- I can't pretend to know what you've been through just because I'm another tiefling, so I won't preach at you, just share how its seemed to me and how I've been able to do what I do. Its always seemed to me that if I become the devil everyone else is telling me I am, they win. And I'm damned if I'm going to let them win." With that, she sets out to collect the fallen Zhentarim in the guard room nearest the arch, pausing only to say to Obadiah, "You are a good man, in spite of what some may have said to you. I saw the pain in your eyes at having to fight so many of these Zhents to the death, and I would be honored if you wanted to help me bear their bodies somewhere we can put them safely to rest."
================================
(OOC: Help action on Aidwyn's Persuasion check? Or should I roll a separate one?)
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
"...Like that of Asmodeus, for example..." someone mutters, behind, after the 'more merciful court' part of the speech.
(15 persuasion)
"I will help you too" say Aidwyn to Spira " and make watch with you after that."i am worried about our prissioners too. Not only they could escape or try to take revenge on us when they awake, but perhaps something may lurk inside and they are tied after all... perhaps it's a good idea to move them here too during the night.."
PbP Character: A few ;)
(OOC: OK, thanks to Spira's help, Aidwyn can have Advantage on her roll to impress Solitude - so, Aidwyn, just roll another time and we keep the highest of the two rolls)
(Nice! a 20 total on the second roll )
PbP Character: A few ;)
Rash considers Aidwyn's proposal to bring the three Zhentarim into the dormitory. Anita would be so disappointed if they have to tie her up again no sooner than she's been granted a measure of freedom... also, somehow he suspects that the three of them will be safer if they have a locked door between them and their own former prisoners.
"I doubt that they'll be in much danger while they're locked up in their own prison," Rash says. "Though it might be a good idea to post a guard, just to be safe for both them and us. Spira, I can help you move the dead so that you can perform the funeral rites."
Rash will be happy to take whichever watch as he can see in the darkness... though he would be the first to admit that he isn't really very perceptive (as demonstrated when he forgot that both entrances to the tunnel needed to be climbed through to escape), so it would probably be best for him to be partnered with someone on his watch.
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"I'm damned if I'm going to let them win" Solitude repeats, for a while, to itself, like a mantra.
As you prepare to rest, the ex-prisoner tiefling approaches Aidwyn and proclaims, "I decided to trust you all. After all, you're the first people I meet who not only don't give me trouble... but actually help me. Better even than my parents did, who abandoned me at an early age... Or that 4sshole Asmodeus himself did, who after causing the appearance of our race, abandoned us to the prejudice of the world without defending ourselves".
"You..." his scleraless golden eyes look at everyone, one by one "I'll stay with you. I can even help you in what you're doing, if you explain it to me. Like everyone, if I aim a crossbow and pull the trigger, I kill someone I may be capable of. And my tiefling heritage has left me with a few small magical powers. I could be of use to you".
"Or if you prefer," she shrugs "I'll wait here calmly until you're done".
"Given the condition of your leg Solitude, you might be better off just getting some rest," Roxana suggests. "But I'm certainly open to you helping as best you can."
With nobody answering her regarding a meal, she goes ahead and just grabs some of her rations to eat. "I can take a watch too I suppose. Better to be safe. And a watch on the prisoners is good too."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
"Well," Rash says to Solitude as he does his best to arrange one of the broken beds into a comfortable sleeping space. "I wouldn't be opposed to having you come along... though the leg does worry me a bit if there are traps in the basement that we're going to have to deal with..."
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
Aidwyn blinks a couple of times and feels her palms sweaty. What’s going on with her when she looks at Solitude? She clears her throat before talking
“Thank you for trusting us. We do not know what we could find down there, seems to be some kind of magical maze of something. We are looking for an object to help an expecting mother.She got herself a diviner that gave her clues that the solution of her problem could be hidden here, and here we are, Loki g for it. Hopefully you wouldn’t need that crossbow, I doubt that there is nothing alive down there but as Rash said it could be hard. If you want to come along I would help you if that temporary limp bothers you… “
(When Aidwyn is on watch she will break on bed and make a crane using a large piece of wood and the sheets to make it more comfortable for Solitude and leave it besides her without waking her. This will be later but I didn’t wanted to forget to post it ;) )
PbP Character: A few ;)
Solitude seems to be pondering carefully: "On the one hand, I'd be happy to help you... You still freed me, even if not all the guilty ones got their due punishment... And yet, there's some truth in what you say too. .. With my leg, if there were particular acrobatic moves to do, I could be in the way... and I absolutely don't want this".
"Let's do this, if you agree: I'll try to go with you," the tiefling ex-prisoner proposes, "but if I slow you down... I'll go back and wait for you upstairs".
Whether you accept or refuse, Solitude settles into the bed you have prepared for her, and for the second time since you have known her, her lips part in the unusual shape of a smile: "Thank you. I would offer to also take a shift, but after the ordeal of captivity I'm exhausted... I need complete rest to recover. I'll try to make myself useful later, if you allow".