Decadents and Dropouts IC

Phyliss Ovida

"Well, I wonder as well. Something is wrong. You are all hiding in a corner, while I try to entertain our guest all alone. I even get the feeling that something is going on and I am the only one not knowing of it. Why are you acting all so strange?" She looked at Trunfor. "And you look like a mope, although I thought you should be a bit more cheerful, as there was a very special day for you today."
 
Trunfor Blackheart

Trunfor felt guilty at her words, "I don't trust your... friend. I know who he is, despite the disguise. He's a mindfrayer, a race that I know a lot about. Not only that but he's not very polite. He tried to break into my mind, but luckly I repelled him. But let's forget that."

He shook his head and grabbed her hand in his, gently squeezing it, "I know that it was a special day for me, and I thank you for it. You don't know how happy I was. Never have I experienced something like that."
 
Phyliss Ovida

"A mindflayer.. never heard of that, but I am not surprised he has some aracane powers... But I am sure he meant no harm. Maybe he was just trying to assure himself..." Phyliss looked back at the merchant and turned back to Trunfor. "You know, I would be dead and you would have never met me if Kasmir wouldn't have helped me when I was in really big trouble. So he can't be that bad, can he?"
 
Trunfor Blackheart

Trunfor looked at her in disbelief, "Never heard of a mindfrayer? They have a basically humanoid body, but their head is octopus-like. They have four tentacles around a lamprey-like mouth, and require the brains of sentient creatures as part of their diet. They even enslave creature and make them mindless slaves. They live and are encountered in the Underdark, just like drow."
 
Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss had indeed never heard of such a creature, and it seemed hard to believe that Kasmir was such a thing he described. Trunfor had to be wrong, but it would be very undiplomatic to tell him right away. So she thought a moment before she answered.
"I never saw him eating someones head, and he sureley did never try to harm me... Hmm, think of Relic. She is a drow. And she isn't that bad, I saw you talking with her. I have an idea. You come over to me and look at Kasmir, and you will see if he is a thread. If you still ponder if he tried to break into your mind, you can just ask him right away and see what he answers. How's that?"
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

Crossing his legs, yet remaining seated, Kasmir the Merchant only smiled as the courtly manners would require him to, allowing the gorgon time to consider the whys and ifs. He quietly stared at the gorgon's backside as she walked over the deck towards the fiendish spawn.

Relic seemed to have distracted the Dragon-blooded enough, but how quite enough? Probing into her mind, he knew that the creature was not far too convinced at all...

Ahhh, indeed. Kasmir was about to be no more. Just as Relic predicted. Just as he knew that the Sorcerous Half-Fiend would be the most troublesome of Phyliss' new acquaintances. At first, Ma'ant considered that the merest presence of another male would be challenged - for that meant competition. In the very basest of primal instincts, but that would be so, nonetheless.

He sat down quitely, enjoying the tea, smiling at anyone that would give oneself the work of staring at his satisfied, sitting form.
 
Trunfor Blackheart

Trunfor bit his lip and looked away, "I'm under oath to follow your command. Unless that oath breaks, I'll do as you command and protect you. If it makes you feel better I'll talk to him, but know this, mindflayers are evil incarnate. If this one is 'good' then he'll be the first of his kind."
 
Phyliss Ovida

"Now I really hate to command you into anything you don't want. But I think it is better you confront your worries then to hide. Maybe you find out that he isn't the evil thing you suspect. If he would be, he wouldn't have helped me back then. And I hope you don't think that I have no brain in my skull left. So we just give it a try and you speak with him." Phyliss took Tronfur gently by his hand. She didn't use any force. Although Tronfur was stronger then her, she was sure that he would just walk with her if she would move. She still hoped that Tronfur was just suspicious because it was in his nature after all the abuse for his outer appearance, and that Kasmir would be able to smooth him. She steered back to the improvised table. "You see, Kasmir, my friend Tronfur isn't unpolite at all, he is just worried a bit."
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

"I would not say unpolite at all."

Kasmir the Merchant said, smiling. Almost in defiance, mockingly, taking his tiem to see if Trongur would snap and eventually attack him - as so were the spirits of most fiends and those of fiendish blood.

"Instead... I would say something different. Your friend, my dear Phyliss, is filled with prejudice. Something that, personally, I would doubt to see in such an... heterogenous group."
 
Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss smiled, while she kept a hand on Tronfurs arm.
"You must understand, that we, what you gently call heterogenous, but the majority calls monsters, are often victims of attacks and hate. You know my story; and I am after all female and used to the human customs, and at least I find at least male admirers and sometimes protectors... but just think of him. It is even worse. So, I hope you will understand if he is suspicous, not even fearing for himself, but more for me and my safety."
 
Trunfor Blackheart

Trunfor knew that the mindflayer was baiting him, but he wouldn't fall for it. Trunfor had faced many enemies, some worst than a simple mindflayer.

"Prejudice for protection maybe. I don't hate anyone for their race or species, but for their actions. You tried to infiltrate my mind and then spied on me and Phyliss. Actions that don't show or deserve respect. I know what you are mindflayer and I mean you no harm unless you show yourself to be a threat."
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

It was smiling that Kasmir welcomed the last of Tronfur's barbs. After all, as Relic had already told him, the sorcerous fiend had, somehow, read through his mantles of deceit. Good. A worthy oponent, if they would ever reach the means of combat.

"I am happy to congratulate you, Tronfur.", Kasmir raised. As a human, he stood a little shorter than the half-fiend, but knew that in his actual form both would be of the same height. "I did reached further into your mind than into most. You was... a challenge to be read."

"You have deemed me Evil, my friend. Evil. Why should you find me so? Was it my... diet? Was it my crew? What first denounced me?"
 
Trunfor Blackheart

"What is evil? A force that seeks to destroy. Or an illusion of the mind to simplify the meaning of all. Or a balance to good as is positive energy is to negative energy? I myself am evil, you could say, for I have a tainted soul. I will never be truly good, but I seek to redeem my heritage and deny it."

Trunfor paused and took a breath, "True you can't help you diet, but as for your crew. They are not sentinel being anymore. You, or another mindflayer, did experimentations on them to make them voidminds. The perfect slave, and slaver is an ideal that should not be allowed."
 
Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss kept listening. Kasmir did not deny being a mindflayer, although she had never heard of that species again. It didn't shock her to much, as she was a gorgn and had just done a half-fiend and a half-dragon before, but it gave an explanation why Kasmir had helped her. So he wouldn't be really eil, but was more of an allie. She didn't understand that magic background, although she was by no means stupid or illiterate. She decided to keep quiet for the moment.
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

"Indeed and interesting conclusion." Kasmir smiled in his condescendant tone. Although he knew already that was hardly a way to make friends between others at least as proud as himself, it was a racial trait that he usually refused to lower for the sake of socially accepted good manners.

"However, my friend, would be the ones that pledge to destroy Evil become Evil themselves in the process? After all, by that simplist logic - one that destroys another is Evil. Would the knightly paladin that smite the blackguard be evil himself?", he smiled at the philosophical debate, knowing that it was just about to strain beyond the true subject, and that would not be appreciated. "An illusion to oneself's mind? Most likely, I'd say. A reason. A shield. An excuse to the most abominable acts."

"But that alone would be Evil? Or rather the act would be Evil?", the exotic human smiled again, knowing that he was unfortubately alienating Phyliss from the conversation. "I am beyond your mere inquiries, hellspawn. In respect to all of you, I have maintained this illusion. This... face. Some would deem it so much more attractive than my own, actual one."

"Maanzecorian said so: That one should only be judged after all is weighted in the plates.", Kasmir - or better, Ma'ant trully remarked, "Should you wish to discuss my voidmind thralls - for the term 'slave' is... innacurate - I would gladly sit down and discuss it as an scholar."

Kasmir turned to Phyliss, then.

"My dear, I feel much for not revealing these... unpleasant details about me earlier. Should you wish - ", he turned back to Tronfur. "I would gladly unmake the veil of the illusion. So you may behold my true features."
 
Phyliss Ovida

"I am surprised, but not angry. I know the reactions of people against anything alien just to well." She was more curious then afraid. "I haven't heard of your species yet; nobody ever talked of them. But was your own background the reason that you took the trouble to get me out of mine back then?"
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

"As should all of us.", spoke Kasmir, his smile fading into a more serious, stern gaze, his words also taking upon a more strict tone - yet as serene and confident as before.

"Yes. And No.", he lifted one hand to scratch at his goatee, "I admit that I was surprised to meet a gorgon that walked freely into the courtly circles, and seemed more than well-versed in then. I had never expected the noble and wealthy men to be so... understanding."

"But then again, I had infiltrated their circles using these... garbs, that do not really dismiss my true nature. I AM a merchant.", he turned to Tronfur, "But also an Scholar. I could not let a friend, even more one that suffered her own share of prejudice and misconceptions to be felled like a street whore, taken by violent sailors."
 
Trunfor Blackheart

Trunfor sighed and rolled his eyes at the mindflayer's reply. A blackguard was evil, devoted to killing and destroying. Stopping him would be good, give him a chance to surrender and if he still fights, then be rid of him. The god Lathander supported this ideal.

Trunfor glared at the mindflayer, "I'm not your friend." Then he turned and left. He needed to talk to someone who actually showed respect and understood him. He needed to talk to Gryph.
 
Phyliss Ovida

"Uhh, well, that's the way he is." Phyliss was abit annoyed that Tronfur just left them that way. She sighted, but knew it was no use to argue with him.
"I'm sorry that our talk ended that way. He is so terrible stubborn in some things... but although very sincer. I know he would die for me, and I hope we will never get into a situation like that."
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

'Coward'. Was the only word that Ma'ant thought about. To come and denounce his true self, but at the same time refuse to join into an argument and discussion? However, the illithid knew better than speak it aloud. The demonic one could get offended and turn on him - and by no means he would wish it. Not right now, that he had found Relic again.

"I can see why he would do it.", he smiled back at Phyliss, not letting Tronfur's last retort to affect his mood. "However, it did not... seemed that he was really trying to get along. More like waving a finger at me." He should not even had dignified the halfbreed with his offer to unmake his veil.

"Well, we can't please everybody, eh?"
 
Phyliss Ovida

"He had trouble to get along with Relic at first, but she managed to smooth him. I even hated herself in the beginning, but we came over that. And Gryph, well... he is a complete different type again. He and Tronfur had some quarrel as well, but now they seem to respect each other. I want to say that they just needed some time to adjust." she looked over to the others. The crew was somewhere out of sight, and her friends were on different places on deck. "What shall we do now?"
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

"Relic... she is... dear to me."

"But into another subjects, my dear Phyliss...", Kasmir spoke now, as if he had just forgotten he had admitted his true self, "I would ask you of what course do you wish to trace. I am... aware that your fiendish partner was willing to set sail for the City of Splendours. However, I cannot say that such small cargo ship would endure the tempest that the Sea of Swords usually was over it's vessels..."
 
Phyliss Ovida

"Oh..you see, I am quiet broke myself. My friends might have some cash, but I would not be able to buy another cog. So I have to ask my friends for any more spendings that have to be done... Don't you think our cog would do it? And this city... is it a place where a gorgon can walk without being stoned? I've beeen to many cities by now, but this country is rather new to me."
 
Ma'ant'Zek'Ur

"That's why I do wear my concealments and illusion, my dear. I would certainly be pursued by abomination-hunters and all that kind of people... Waterdeep is a huge cosmopolite center. Perhaps... into the most exclusive circles. I could... help you in that regard."

"And although your vessel COULD do it... I would rather make the way on the back of a caravan's horse - or into a more... seaworthy vessel. Perhaps a full merchant ship? One fit for the saltwater rather than upstreams?"
 
Phyliss Ovida

"I survided and sometimes even did well in some cities, and that alone. With my friends, I do not feel afraid, and you know I can be cool and intimidating if out in the streets, so I do not worry to much. But I am always keen on contacts. As for the vessel, I just can't buy any other, even if I would sell this. You would have to persuade my friends to do that."
 
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