((OOC: if we say we’re all within about 30ft of each other then maybe exact positions don’t matter too much. This can be a little more cinematic than exact, maybe, anyway ;-)
Also, yes, I think anyone can speak at any time, so feel free to chip in with responses as we go. Maybe there will be more talking here than fighting anyway. Maybe...))
Ash is a Tabaxi. And currently, this might justabout be apparent, maybe. Might depend on how familiar people are with Tabaxi.
Right now she looks rather scruffy. She’s mostly covered up with black and dark clothes. They are mismatched, as if scavenged from places. Just cloth, nothing fancy. She also has a sash of cloth around her waist and hand- and feet- wraps of dark/black cloth. She has a simple hood or cowl of black cloth shadowing her face and a dark bandana mask over her mouth and nose. She might look like a modern-day ninja, if ninjas had to make their own clothes from found scraps of cloth and clothing. Although mostly covered, tufts of brown ‘tabby’ fur can be seen poking through here and there, and her eyes are unmistakably feline and a brilliant, startling green. Her posture too is quite feline: up on the balls of her feet, a lot of softness and spring in her knees and spine. She is around 5ft 2” ish. But taller if she didn’t stand so low and coiled. Her hair is a little matted and messy too, like she has slept rough for a time. ((The picture below is more of her looking at her best - which she is not right now!))
Ash listens to the remarks back and forth, and in a rasping voice interjects, “Gods! Are none of you ‘Guild’?!.... oh Nula save me! No code then! But... Then who are you?!”.
Ash’s body is pressed close against Ben’s. Her head is over his shoulder (just). Her mouth Is very close to his right ear. All the time, Ash is slowly ‘persuading’ Ben back, inch by inch, away from the others, with the points of her daggers, bringing him with her (probably only 5 or 10 feet) back towards the tree she came from (ie towards the west).
”You’re not sightseers... not easily spooked...”, she looks everyone over, spying their gear. “What are you here for?”, she demands. She jabs Ben, not enough to do damage, just enough to get them talking...
Ash responds to Ben with a deep, low growl that he ’feels’ more than hears: resonating through his whole body, “g-r-r-r-r-rrrr!.. ...Mmmmm... You!...’Planetouched’!..... are in NO position to try anything right now, believe me!....”.
Shouting to the others, ”Try it if you like!!... Go on, half-man!... And him!” (indicating Ess) “He looks more like a mouse than a man right now... quaking like he is....”.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ash growls again, still backing away with Ben, “I am woman... I am man... I am a devil...... I am a ghost!... I am your worst nightmare!.......... ..I am fire... I am ash........ I.....”.
((While she is monologging, something itches in her brain....))
((Yeah, I totally like the idea of non-combat here, I was just setting up initiative and the map for IF something goes gown. Which could still happen!!))
During everything that has been happening, Ess would've been taking his bow from his back, and shaking while he is doing it. Ash was right to say that Ess looks like more of a mouse than a man right now (and really fitting..... Grwobert, did you read back in our story?!? Very cool coincidence if you didn't. Meta, Ess used to be part of the Dead Rat Gang and used to be a wererat.) and he is shaking and can barely hold the bow. But he does have an arrow aimed for Ash and Ben. "DUDE!? WANT ME TO TRY AND SHOOT IT!? What's it saying to you!?"
Then Ess realizes what Ben is doing to the feline looking creature because Ben did the same thing to him a few days ago. He calms down a little, and then says to Ash"Yeah... I'm Ess. And that's Kay."
And then Ess puts away his short bow and smiles at Ben.
Ash pulls her daggers away fast, with a faint ‘snick’ sound. She bumps him away from her with her hip, and pulls her hood and mask down, with a huge smile on her face, “HaHaaa!.. And THAT’S how you do it, old man!... Ha! Not as fast as you once were? Eh??... I had you! Admit it!”. Her daggers vanish into her clothes with a flourish.
She stands looking at Ben for a second, a second more... then her face breaks into sadness and relief. She rushes into him and wraps her arms around him. “Oh, thank Nula for a friendly face!! Oh thank the gods! These past days! These past weeks!!.... ...They had me, but I got away!”. She’s crying into his shoulder. “You have to help me! For old times sake!”.
She holds him at arms length and indicates the house. She whispers conspiratorially, “But THIS!.. THIS is the answer, my friend. I’m so glad you made it!....”.
She steps back remembering herself, and faces the others desperately trying to fix her fur, “I’m sorry, I’m ‘Ash of the Fire’, Thief of The Varied Trades: ‘retriever of objects lost’.”, She smiles at that, and performs a flamboyant half-bow-half-curtsy.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Maybe not as fast, but what I've lost there I've more than made up for in skill! You did have me, but luckily for you Ess and Kay like me well enough not to just jump you. You know how it goes!"
He chuckles then eyes widen in surprise as she hugs him.
He gives her a warm pat on back,
"No need for tears, I'm here now. They aren't going to find you here. I barely even found here! I can help you, we all can. Right, gentlemen?"
He raises his eyebrows at Ess and Korrik and makes an expression of, dunno.
After she introduces herself he will ask, while he helps prestidigitate her clean,
"Ash, dear, do you need something to eat? Ess will grab you something."
He nods at Ess to get her something then asks,
"What brought you to this house? I truly wasn't expecting to find you here."
Ash almost can’t speak while Ben cleans her... She half-closes her eyes and almost forgets which way is up. She’s just absolutely in heaven.
She can just about manage “Uh-huh... yup. Yes please...”, when he asks her about food. But she hardly moves and just breathes the words, worried that much more than that would break the spell or make the cleaning end. And that’s saying something because she’s almost starving, but she needs this more than food right now...
Slowly, she starts feeling like herself again - after weeks of grime (or is it months?). Eventually, she answers Ben’s questions about the house, “I heard from ‘sources’, ‘the grapevine’, my contacts, even legends.... So many things pointed to this house, but it took me and Fidd to put it all together. To realise it all meant HERE... and ‘riches galore’!... ... Now we just have to get in and take it!... But that’s the trick, isn’t it?!”. She looks at the house with her startling green eyes, her pupils, slits; her newly-clean fur now rippling gently in the sea breeze.
Ash confesses, “We had to split up, so we could lay low for a while” she looks a little ashamed, but justifies her actions with, “So says the code! It’s standard procedure!... .....He fled North. I came south.... I owe him my life. I just hope he was as lucky as me......”. She gladly sits and eats whatever food is offered to her. She seems to have nothing on her but the clothes she wears and her daggers.
((Ah, right, forgot about the ritual casting. He'd have tied off the horses then, and be shortly behind Ben, eyes closed as he stifles a yawn.))
"B-wuh?", he adds helpfully, blinking away his post-yawning watery eyes, startled by the sudden arrival of a hissing feline-person.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((OOC: if we say we’re all within about 30ft of each other then maybe exact positions don’t matter too much. This can be a little more cinematic than exact, maybe, anyway ;-)
Also, yes, I think anyone can speak at any time, so feel free to chip in with responses as we go. Maybe there will be more talking here than fighting anyway. Maybe...))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Ben stiffens,
"Uhhh... Korrik...Ess? Help!"
"But-... where di-... wait- ...what?", Korrik contributes eloquently.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
"Ghost?"
Ben offers to the conversation.
Description of Ash:
Ash is a Tabaxi. And currently, this might just about be apparent, maybe. Might depend on how familiar people are with Tabaxi.
Right now she looks rather scruffy. She’s mostly covered up with black and dark clothes. They are mismatched, as if scavenged from places. Just cloth, nothing fancy. She also has a sash of cloth around her waist and hand- and feet- wraps of dark/black cloth. She has a simple hood or cowl of black cloth shadowing her face and a dark bandana mask over her mouth and nose. She might look like a modern-day ninja, if ninjas had to make their own clothes from found scraps of cloth and clothing. Although mostly covered, tufts of brown ‘tabby’ fur can be seen poking through here and there, and her eyes are unmistakably feline and a brilliant, startling green. Her posture too is quite feline: up on the balls of her feet, a lot of softness and spring in her knees and spine. She is around 5ft 2” ish. But taller if she didn’t stand so low and coiled. Her hair is a little matted and messy too, like she has slept rough for a time. ((The picture below is more of her looking at her best - which she is not right now!))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
"I.. I don't think it's a ghost?"
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Ash listens to the remarks back and forth, and in a rasping voice interjects, “Gods! Are none of you ‘Guild’?!.... oh Nula save me! No code then! But... Then who are you?!”.
Ash’s body is pressed close against Ben’s. Her head is over his shoulder (just). Her mouth Is very close to his right ear. All the time, Ash is slowly ‘persuading’ Ben back, inch by inch, away from the others, with the points of her daggers, bringing him with her (probably only 5 or 10 feet) back towards the tree she came from (ie towards the west).
”You’re not sightseers... not easily spooked...”, she looks everyone over, spying their gear. “What are you here for?”, she demands. She jabs Ben, not enough to do damage, just enough to get them talking...
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
"Uh...is this a situation like when I met you two the first time Ess and Kay? Should I react the same way?"
He goes along without resistance.
Ash responds to Ben with a deep, low growl that he ’feels’ more than hears: resonating through his whole body, “g-r-r-r-r-rrrr!.. ...Mmmmm... You!...’Planetouched’!..... are in NO position to try anything right now, believe me!....”.
Shouting to the others, ”Try it if you like!!... Go on, half-man!... And him!” (indicating Ess) “He looks more like a mouse than a man right now... quaking like he is....”.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
"Okay. If you demand? Hey, are you female?"
He turns his head a little to try and see the cat's face.
"You sound like a lady?"
((Ash needs to make a wisdom save!))
Ash growls again, still backing away with Ben, “I am woman... I am man... I am a devil...... I am a ghost!... I am your worst nightmare!.......... ..I am fire... I am ash........ I.....”.
((While she is monologging, something itches in her brain....))
Wisdom save: 8
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
((Ash is charmed now, she sees Ben as a friendly acquaintance.))
"Hey! It's you isn't it? How have you been? What's brought you here?"
He will wait for her to get less stabbing then turn around.
"Hey, I would like to introduce you to some of my friends. This is Ess and that is Kay."
He then waits for the cat lady to introduce herself to his friends with a smile.
((Yeah, I totally like the idea of non-combat here, I was just setting up initiative and the map for IF something goes gown. Which could still happen!!))
During everything that has been happening, Ess would've been taking his bow from his back, and shaking while he is doing it. Ash was right to say that Ess looks like more of a mouse than a man right now (and really fitting..... Grwobert, did you read back in our story?!? Very cool coincidence if you didn't. Meta, Ess used to be part of the Dead Rat Gang and used to be a wererat.) and he is shaking and can barely hold the bow. But he does have an arrow aimed for Ash and Ben. "DUDE!? WANT ME TO TRY AND SHOOT IT!? What's it saying to you!?"
Then Ess realizes what Ben is doing to the feline looking creature because Ben did the same thing to him a few days ago. He calms down a little, and then says to Ash "Yeah... I'm Ess. And that's Kay."
And then Ess puts away his short bow and smiles at Ben.
Korrik's body relaxes almost imperceptibly.
"Yep, I'm Kay... did you say you're a ghost? You seem pretty solid."
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((OOC: Ha! Brilliant!))
Ash pulls her daggers away fast, with a faint ‘snick’ sound. She bumps him away from her with her hip, and pulls her hood and mask down, with a huge smile on her face, “HaHaaa!.. And THAT’S how you do it, old man!... Ha! Not as fast as you once were? Eh??... I had you! Admit it!”. Her daggers vanish into her clothes with a flourish.
She stands looking at Ben for a second, a second more... then her face breaks into sadness and relief. She rushes into him and wraps her arms around him. “Oh, thank Nula for a friendly face!! Oh thank the gods! These past days! These past weeks!!.... ...They had me, but I got away!”. She’s crying into his shoulder. “You have to help me! For old times sake!”.
She holds him at arms length and indicates the house. She whispers conspiratorially, “But THIS!.. THIS is the answer, my friend. I’m so glad you made it!....”.
She steps back remembering herself, and faces the others desperately trying to fix her fur, “I’m sorry, I’m ‘Ash of the Fire’, Thief of The Varied Trades: ‘retriever of objects lost’.”, She smiles at that, and performs a flamboyant half-bow-half-curtsy.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
"Maybe not as fast, but what I've lost there I've more than made up for in skill! You did have me, but luckily for you Ess and Kay like me well enough not to just jump you. You know how it goes!"
He chuckles then eyes widen in surprise as she hugs him.
He gives her a warm pat on back,
"No need for tears, I'm here now. They aren't going to find you here. I barely even found here! I can help you, we all can. Right, gentlemen?"
He raises his eyebrows at Ess and Korrik and makes an expression of, dunno.
After she introduces herself he will ask, while he helps prestidigitate her clean,
"Ash, dear, do you need something to eat? Ess will grab you something."
He nods at Ess to get her something then asks,
"What brought you to this house? I truly wasn't expecting to find you here."
Religion (who is Nula?):12
Ash almost can’t speak while Ben cleans her... She half-closes her eyes and almost forgets which way is up. She’s just absolutely in heaven.
She can just about manage “Uh-huh... yup. Yes please...”, when he asks her about food. But she hardly moves and just breathes the words, worried that much more than that would break the spell or make the cleaning end. And that’s saying something because she’s almost starving, but she needs this more than food right now...
Slowly, she starts feeling like herself again - after weeks of grime (or is it months?). Eventually, she answers Ben’s questions about the house, “I heard from ‘sources’, ‘the grapevine’, my contacts, even legends.... So many things pointed to this house, but it took me and Fidd to put it all together. To realise it all meant HERE... and ‘riches galore’!... ... Now we just have to get in and take it!... But that’s the trick, isn’t it?!”. She looks at the house with her startling green eyes, her pupils, slits; her newly-clean fur now rippling gently in the sea breeze.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
"Good! Seems great minds and all that. Where's Fidd at? Up another tree around back?"
He will step back and look around for anyone else lurking before having her come take a seat on the grass and eat.
Ash confesses, “We had to split up, so we could lay low for a while” she looks a little ashamed, but justifies her actions with, “So says the code! It’s standard procedure!... .....He fled North. I came south.... I owe him my life. I just hope he was as lucky as me......”. She gladly sits and eats whatever food is offered to her. She seems to have nothing on her but the clothes she wears and her daggers.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss