** Part I: Fire and Ash **

[Chris1234]

As an afterthought, Karlane adds, "Can anyone here do Identify? Maybe not today, but tomorrow?" as she looks at Erodan and Whisper.

[TristenC]

Idrys smirks when his sister returns coated in blood. Damn, did I miss lunch? He takes her suggestion that he guard the wardrobe with aplomb. Certainly. But I'd rather just step through with Sarancen and Azonia and be done with it now. He largely ignores the new 'scattered' mage [nothing personal Matt, it's just Idry's character reacting to Whisper's character.] until he proposes going through the wardrobe. I don't suppose you have any... useful magic. Something designed for combat or stealth? The fangs slide down, unbidden, but he looks at the corpses about him with distain for their filthy blood.

[spike]

Saracen scoffed at Karlene, 'What!? Are you bloody mad! This isn't a charity, and if it is I'll elect myself as treasurer. These are nothing more than liberated slaves, what use have they for gold? Their freedom is sufficient enough a reward. Besides, one day in the far future we will all wish for our piece of the pie...a little fortress-villa in the Nyrian countryside, servants, kingly meals, a vineyard or three, and not to mention all the little rugrats my wife will bear me'

Erodan said 'Much as it grieves me to admit, he has a point. Gold would be useless to a slave, it would only get them endangered by outlaws. You could, however if I may be so bold as to suggest a better course of action...take them to the trinity tower in Lor, your ancestral estate. You can give them jobs each o' them'

Then all of you heard conversation emanate from the wardrobe-portal:

voice: "Traygar, you're a simpleton fool! The architect is very much alive overseeing the operations at the Dwemer ruins. The watcher-assassin only killed one of his decoy's in the throughs of penetrating one of his master's slaves. A minor transgression, really.

mans voice: "Ah, splendid. If he were to die, God's forbid this heresy but if he were our prolonged lives would be negated, and we would age and wither without those beautiful slaves to sustain our very existence, bless their delicious life force."

Another voice: "You forget my dear, the Engineer is the master. His apprentice is impressive, but nothing compared to his true master. We've nothing to fear. Whoever our enemy might be, they only disposed of Scarn, who was a liability at best. These new enemies did us all a favor. Have them watched closely, we may require them at some later time'

[Chris1234]

This one slipped through the cracks:

{OOC1: @Spike - Roughly What time of day is it? How long have the (main party) been on the go?}

"So, no one has caltrops? And no one here is wounded? And no one here has the ability to Identify, correct?" Karlane summarised, before continuing," Idrys, thank you. Azonia, thank you, too, for your agreement. Lucien, would you kindly keep watch below and stop arrivals into the basement? And Erodan, care to flesh out your suggestion a little?

When Erodan has finished replying, Karlane nods to him, "Let me think on it" and moves round to Saracen, "Agreed that you shall have your equal share of the gold now. But you shall not share in benefits arising from these ex-prisoners."


{OOC2: @Spike - Please tell me about 'the Trinity Tower in Lor, (Karlane's) ancestral estate.' Is that the one where she's bossed about?}

[spike]

Time: 10ish pm

Erodan: : 'That was all my lady, if you escort the prisoners to snake river you could send them downstream via a river barge, pay the pilot a respectable fee, and deliver them with a writ to allow them entry into the tower. It would require Idry's mark and something to identify him as who he is, perhaps something he was given to you a namesake of some sort. Although, now that I think of it a Lorian priestess could provide them shelter within the temple of Lor if she requested it'

Trinity Tower: primary keep of House Telemvor in Lor, mid sized fortress Aso known as the Place of Panthers.

NEW: since Idrys and Karlene aren't tired nor sleepy at all, Azonia and Saracen go to sleep, and Whisper sleeps after studying his runestick for some spell-recovery, muttering beneath his breath. Erodan also sleeps after a meal of bread, cheese and dates.

During the snoring of the sleepers, Idrys keeping a sharp lookout didn't hear subtle footfalls behind him, when a little vicious creature crept out of the ventilation shaft trying to wrap a garrotte around his neck. It was a medium sized, grotesque meazel in search of fresh prey, hoping to silently off the sentries which protected its potential meals for the night. Frustrated it tossed its garrotte and pulled a shortsword out of its scabbard, only reaching to about Idrys's chest in height.

DECLARE ACTIONS

[Chris1234]

Spike - You're trying to force this along. Why won't you let the players set the pace?

You will recall that Karlane said she was to do things before people settled down. That hasn't changed. Unless 60 or 70 uncoordinated people go to sleep within minutes of each other at 10pm.

[SARRMATT]

[Ooc:] Whisper will memorize the spells and quantities listed on his character sheet. That is unless there is some combination of the meager spells on his rune stick that would protect him better from neck biters and or inflict damage upon them. That is if Whisper would know such of a thing. If so then go with that sort of load out and let me know.

"Nope, worthless." Whisper responded to the question on his usefulness from Idrys. He remained silent to Karlane's questions and ideas. While some ideas had minor merit the mage's familiarity with teleportation magics and walls left him with little worry now that the armoire faced the wall.

[spike]

Spike - You're trying to force this along. Why won't you let the players set the pace?

You will recall that Karlane said she was to do things before people settled down. That hasn't changed. Unless 60 or 70 uncoordinated people go to sleep within minutes of each other at 10pm.

What things? Karlene is free to do the tasks she wishes to knock out during her watch but setting/erasing the bindings of the second stargem will be impossible until she has it identified . The dhampirs are the only ones not currently sleepy. Whisper is asleep in the bed regaining his spells. Azonia and Sarancen are sharpening their weapons and practicing their combat skills with one another.

The freed slaves are currently resting and relaxing in the massive hall below, after engorging themselves on the stored provisions of the tridents until their bellies were going to burst. Saracen and Azonia are going to take watch turns below to ensure the slaves are protected.

[TristenC]

Idrys draws his longswords and sets to cutting the thing up into bite-sized chunks.

[spike]

IDRYS (17, -12 hp's) eviscerates the hideous humanoid, skewering it through with a forward thrust of the invisible blade. It emitted a death wail as it died still attached to his invisible sword. You pry it off with your foot and free the weapon, wiping the blade of the creatures black ichor. It's clawed talons outstretched eagerly for the sleeping vulnerable magic-user, its eyes looked crestfallen in sadness at the loss of such a fine meal it might have enjoyed.

[SARRMATT]

[Ooc:] did anyone else hear the scuffle?

[TristenC]

Idrys disposes of the filthy corpse somewhere out of the way.

[spike]

Idrys went to work disposing of the very dead hideous thing, when out of the gaping wound in its stomach inflicted by his invisible sword dropped a leather drawstring purse containing coins that falls to the floor. Yous stuff the form into the ventilation shaft and hear a satisfying sliding noise as it plummeted downward into darkness.

[TristenC]

Idrys inspects the coins to see if they bear any unusual markings, or if they just seem the likely remains of some careless trident who ran afoul of the creature.

[spike]

Same exact coins the other trident's carried.

Erodan said 'Idrys, I must remind you on the eve of tomorrow a messenger will be coming out of the north toward Harby, at behest of Lomag. This particular messenger is a blood raven mercenary and a decent swordsman like yourself. That highway is broken and in disrepair, seldom patrolled and frequented by lone highwaymen. It will take him a little longer riding that path, especially if reports ring true that Kobold raiders have been seen ambushing travelers along the way. Will you still intercept him?"