Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 1 | AC 15 | HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 2 | Spells Known 2 | Spell Slots 1/1 | Slot Level 1 | Innate spells 1

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Considering Svana's words, Ree'lyn shows an expression of both, interest and realization. - " Some of these animals have similar habitats and habits as some small creatures found in the Underdark. I am wondering how challenging would it be for...Chandra to mimic one of them. If a group of hostiles sees it, they might not pay much attention to it if all they see is a regular animal, common to our fauna."

Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 1 | AC 15 | HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 2 | Spells Known 2 | Spell Slots 1/1 | Slot Level 1 | Innate spells 1

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Having caught Phineas' curiosity, Ree'lyn glances to the Gnome's direction and nods. - " I have traded with some of them, yes. You may see each of them individually, but they are constantly in touch with a sort of hive. A communitarian mind. Much like the telepathic link we are experiencing, but in a much deeper aspect."

Svana's head perks up at Phineas' inquiry, at first wondering if it was aimed at her or in general. "Personally, I haven't but... My father, mother, and... brother... have." She leaves it at that, hoping the others join in on that topic. She turns back to Ree'lyn, tapping her finger on her chin. "There are limitations to what she can be, though, I have not tried to summon her as something out of those lines... If we come across such creatures, I could give it my best shot?" Svana was always willing to try new ways to utilize her spells especially if it would come to be a benefit for them in the long run.

"I hate those bastards! Had scrap with one a few years back. Almost got me but Deep Duerra had blessed me with her divine  favor." He lifts the amulet "I carved my amulet with its skull."

Ash quietly keeps tabs on the conversation as she sits beside Amara, eating the octopus with much hesitation before eventually caving and eating it, still slowly, but dutifully until her portion is gone from her plate. She then sits her plate to the side and retrieves her cards, skillfully and carefully shuffling them absentmindedly as she watches the others discuss amongst themselves. 

Amara glances up as Ash comes over. Ash sees she's studying a large piece of paper that holds a map of a large portion of the Underdark, including depicting many cities and outposts of the Underdark-dwelling kind, all labeled in Elvish. Ash would spot Velkynvelve on it. Amara was certainly carrying no such paper when she sat down, and it's a mystery where it came from (or is it). Such a map could only have been created after many trips through the Underdark. "Just trying to place us, dear. I'd like to see how far we are from Blingdenstone and also how long it might take us to get to the surface-not to mention where we'd be if we got out."

Jezzika, now interested herself, leans over to look at Amara's map. Nodding sagely at it, she says, "Most impressive, I must admit." She took a deeper look, pointed to a spot on the map. "Yes, excellent. Velkynvelve was here. Mhm." She moved her finger along, "Here, the Darklake." She moved her finger again. "Two days this way from the Darklake is a place called The Oozing Temple." And, moving her finger along the Darklake, "Sloopbludop is here, the koa-toa village Shuushar is referring to. And over here.." her finger moved north on the map, "Gracklstugh, here. And, then Neverlight Grove on this part of your map." She thought for a moment, and then placed her finger on the map one last time. "Our end goal: Blingdenstone. More or less about 34 days away from where we are now. I have to admit, whoever made this map was very accurate."

Ash smiles at Amara and reads over the Elven words for a minute before looking at her curiously and speaking in elven.

"C'est curieux comment vous l'avez étiqueté en elfique? Pour empêcher les autres de le lire, je suppose. Quelle que soit la raison, il est agréable d’avoir un navigateur et une carte. Autant de réconfort que cela est dans cette circonstance."

 She then goes back to shuffling her cards slowly and skillfully, doing a few calming tricks with them before putting them back in a simple stack, closing her eyes for a minute and breathing calmly before taking the top card, not looking at it and putting the rest back in their case, sitting the single card in her lap. 

Ash takes another deep breath and flips the card, frowning at the upside down sun. She mutters to herself softly. "Huh... That doesn't... bode well..."

Duke moves over to Ash, when it sees her pull out her cards. " Inquisition: What is the purpose of those cards?"

Ash glances up a Duke for a minute before moving to get the rest of the cards from their case, offering to show him, however not letting them leave her hands, almost possessively. "They're... Tarot cards. Typically used to predict the future or one's destiny. Sometimes considered a con man's tool for easy money as long as they can improvise. I... confide in them sometimes... Although they're not always accurate." She pauses for a minute to get look down at the card she pulled before tucking it back into the stack. "Interpretation is a little weird though... For example... I pulled a reverse sun. Typically the sun is meant to signify happiness. However in the reversed state, the sun means unhappiness. Now that can mean a few things. Obviously our situation right now is a less than ideal one. Or... It could mean some more obstacles we need to push through in the future." 

Ash seems to get lost in thought for a minute before refocusing and looking up at Duke. She offers him a smile and shrugs. "But they can always be inaccurate...." There seems to be a slight hesitancy in her last words, something that so far, would seem out of personality for Ash from Duke's observations. 

"It was a group effort," Amara says briefly to Jezzika before answering Ash. "Elle ecrivait d'elfes, bien sur elle est en elfique. Ils sont suppose seulement elfes la liraient."

Translation:

"Hopefully this will make getting around down here significantly easier."

"Inquisition: If they are not always always reliable, why do you continue to use them? If this unit did not consistently meet standards, it would either be replaced or sent back to be repaired."

Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 1 | AC 15 | HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 2 | Spells Known 2 | Spell Slots 1/1 | Slot Level 1 | Innate spells 1

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"Although I can't summon a familiar spirit, I have grown fond of a few animals in my years. Particularly my lizard mount and spider mount." - Ree'lyn breathes deep as his memories and details rush through his mind so he can orderly explain to everyone the same through their telepathic link.

"These horse-sized lizards are built low to the ground with legs splayed wide. Their steady gait, sense of balance, and ability to walk on walls and ceilings make them ideal mounts for patrolling Drow soldiers. Mine was awesome, if I may say so." - looking disappointed to Svana he adds: - "Taking from the options you offered, I don't think Chandra could be turned into a mount lizard. Sadly."  - as if he just thought of something, he goes on with his lecturing: - "However, there are small lizards called spitting crawlers that grow up to 2 feet long including tail. Slim, with froglike toes and a gray-green complexion, they resemble skinks. They can easily climb walls and ceilings and tend to freeze in place for extended periods if they have been spotted. They attack prey and repel predators by spitting acid, which they can do three times per day. This potent acid attacks flesh and metal, and it has been known to destroy an entire metal shield. Their flexible bodies allow them to leap more than 10 feet and survive 30-foot falls unharmed." - a sudden smile crosses the Drow face as he finishes his sentence.

"Here you will find the cavvekans, which superficially resemble the dogs of the surface world, except instead of fur they have black, velvet-smooth skin. Their ears are upright and pointed and their noses have leaflike projections similar to those of certain surface bats. They have sensitive whiskers, small eyes, and a slender build. Cavvekans are nearsighted and can see in the dark or light only to a range of 10 feet. Like drow, they are temporarily blinded by bright light. Their extremely sensitive hearing makes up for their poor eyesight, and they can detect creatures within 120 feet of themselves. Because their senses are superior even to the dark elves, drow use cavvekans as guard and hunting animals, for the creatures can track by scent almost as well as a bloodhound. Because of their rarity near dangerous drow cities, cavvekans are rarely taken as pets and are used mainly as work animals. In the wild they are cautious scavengers, but they fight as a pack to bring down larger weakened creatures, including humanoids." - looking up to the cave pitch black ceiling, as if looking for something, he finds his next topic.

"As for bats, we have dire bats, which are sometimes bred to fight each other in arenas, either in the air or crippled and forced to walk in a crude arena, with bets being placed on the fights, also as flying steeds. I doubt your spirit friend could be turned into that one as well." - the Drow shrugs in disappoinment. "The same for the night hunters, as they have 7-foot wingspans and sharp triangular tails. They can see in the dark at a greater distance even than drow, and instead of using sound to navigate in the dark, their eerie screams are used to strike fear into prey. They are sometimes domesticated and make aggressive pets, and both surface dwellers and drow have taken them as familiars. They are sometimes called dragazars in honor of Dragazar, the first adventurer who was known to have tamed one. They fight with a bite and follow up with slashes with the tail." - getting caught up in his speech, Ree'lyn intensifies his narrative with gestures mimicking the beasts mannerisms.

"The sinister is a weird mantalike levitating creature having a 9-foot wingspan. Although they are not evil, sinisters are sometimes captured and enslaved with magic and forced to serve the dark elves. Drow wizards have devised a spell that can tune in to the sinister's natural telepathy and use them as an early warning system in their towers. They have a strong bite, possess the ability to freeze enemies in place with hold monster, and are protected by a natural force field that deflects ranged attacks, making them greatly desired as bodyguards."

 "Spiders are also a favorite type among us. The flying spider is a mutant creature. It looks like a normal spider with a body about the size of a human hand, except it has a pair of translucent gossamer wings that allow it to fly clumsily at about the speed of a dwarf's walk. These flying spiders are as poisonous as their landbound cousins and appear to be originally of hunting spider stock, for they are adept at jumping into the air to catch prey and use webs only to secure captured food in their lairs."

Ash contemplates Duke's question for a second, giving Amara an understanding nod. "They've never truly steered me wrong. I guess they're the only thing I truly have faith in? They also mean a lot to me. Yama... the woman who raised me... taught me how to use them... Gave me these... So they're... special to me." 

She seems to trail off and get lost in thought for a moment before regaining focus again, awkwardly fluffy her hair a little with a small smile. "Hehe...."

"Declaration: This unit has encountered multiple humanoids who have placed their faith in various entities. This unit is not able to make a judgement on which, if any, of those entities can be trusted to produce optimal results. Observation: Humanoids display a tendency to possess items for reasons other than optimizing performance. Inquisition: Why?"

Talike has been silent for most of the journey so far. Among other things, the pack of demons entering Velkynvelve seem to have disturbed her. 

"Food. I should probably eat. I hope none of you mind if I take a little of this." She glares at Ree'lyn as she says this.

Talike reaches over to slice off a piece of the Rocktopus. She sits down near Enkindle, if only because they jumped off a cliff together.

"I don't like these people in my mind either. If they can hear my thoughts, then who knows what else they can do. By the way, I don't think I caught your name."

Ash studies Duke for a minute, feeling the slight burn if her tattoo from her previous statement. Yes... you two... now piss off for a minute. Stop burning me...

"In all honesty, Humanoids grow attachment to items, whether that is emotional or mental or even physically. My cards were given to me from someone special, therefore I have an emotional attachment to them. Think of it as like a limb, but attached to your thinking and mind?"

Ash cringes a little at her struggle of an explanation but leaves it at that, prepared to answer more questions from Duke. 

Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 1 | AC 15 | HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 2 | Spells Known 2 | Spell Slots 1/1 | Slot Level 1 | Innate spells 1

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Turning to face Duke, after the warforged's declaration, Ree'lyn put on a grave face. - "Duke, more often than not these entities mean trouble and control over the individual. Pawns to be used for their selfish games."

"Declaration: This unit was one of many disposal units programmed to work at the Landfill in the City of Waterdeep. Multiple units were sent away and replaced in situations where entropy occurred or they failed to meet performance standards. Inquisition: What makes humanoids special to other humanoids?"

Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 1 | AC 15 | HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 2 | Spells Known 2 | Spell Slots 1/1 | Slot Level 1 | Innate spells 1

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Ree'lyn walk over to Stool, who has been released by him since they made the resting stop. " Remember to come to me before we break camp. We are not going to leave you behind. You stay with me." - then grabbing the Myconid, the warlock walk to the other escapees who were with them. "So, Jimjar, Buppido, Sarith and Shuushar. Did I get that right? To Blingdenstone, then? Any information I may add to sketch my own map of this area?"