Decadents and Dropouts IC

Trunfor`s eyes widened in surprise, "Wha-What umm how?" He shifted his wings uncomfortable and wondered what had come over all of the women he had met. He thought about Phyliss and smiled again, she would never betray him.

"Don`t worry, I won`t tell anyone. I`m bound by my oath to follow any command you give me."

Relic

Often Relic didn't know why she did the things she did. Like getting up and leaving a perfectly good opportunity. But she sensed something more interesting waiting for her outside. Trunfor would find it rather confusing that she just suddenly up and left him, but with the feeling in her gut and the sounds of Phyliss approaching the room, there wouldn't have been any 'fun' anyway.

It was only now, peering through the darkness from the shadows that Relic followed someone. The Zaeel merchant she had been rather enjoying down in the tavern. For a while she hoped he might have some coins she could take. It wasn't until she noticed his little 'change' that a smile spread across her face.

Now that really was interesting.

Following him for a while, she soon walked up behind him. So he could see her early enough not to get a fright out of. Her hood was up over her hair, but her facial features showed through.

"Leaving already? Or have your Orc friends decided to bother you some more?"

For now she planned to keep the secret. Mainly because the group itself was still new to her. She only really liked Verialyn, and ever since she had been separated, it kind of felt more like she wasn't welcome. That suited her fine.

"Someone of your ability surely doesn't need to worry about them."

-Z-

The young elf was the last person Z thought to run in to out here. Honestly he thought she'd have just broken in to Zaeel's room to look for that coin. She did a good job of masking her approach to him. If she hadn't wanted him to see her Z doubted if he would have. He wanted to believe if he hadn't been lost in thought he would have heard her, but it was clear she had both talent and experience with stealth.

Without breaking his gait or even looking at Relic, 'Zahn' groaned. "Oh yes, I have nothing to worry about from a raging half-orc that has two feet and two hundred or so pounds of muscle on me. I'm sure getting nice and close to use my kukri will work fine, I mean it isn't like he would probably bash my skull in or stab me with that blade-hand of his before I am close enough to get a slice in."

Z stopped at the intersection and looked around before taking the road he assumed went to the docks. "What about you? Bored of your friends already?"

Relic

Chuckling, Relic could relate to that battle of strengths. After all, she would never fair well on even terms against a larger more powerful enemy. That was why she reduced the enemy's abilities first, then fought them normally, and finished them off with glee.

"Lesson one, a larger enemy is useless if you disable the small yet very important nerve clusters first. He is then simply a statue waiting for death. If you have speed, and stealth, you can remove their main strengths quickly."

Walking along, she soon joined him. Usually she might attempt to link arms, but considering he seemed distracted she decided to just accompany him.

"Or, through the use of a poison you can slow their movement, or blur their vision. One tiny cut is enough to kill even the strongest of creatures with the right ingredients. Or just paralyze them so you can have fun, before killing them the old fashioned way."

Smiling, she shrugged her shoulders, quick to reply to his comments about her 'friends'.

"Most definitely."

-Z-

Zahn looked over at Relic and arched an eyebrow. "Grot and I have a history, you know. I've tried a lot of tactics to get him out of my hair. The bugger is hard to bring down even by orc standards. Usually he's too armored to allow access to standard weak points. But even without armor I've found that blows designed to paralyze or kill most humanoids aren't enough to stop him. He is constantly raging on drug cocktails and when he fights he throws in the good old orc rage. I've yet to make a poison that is strong and fast enough to even phase him while he's raged. And I once made a poison that brought down a chimera."

There was a stack of boxes outside a house that Z stopped to lean on. He kept talking to Relic while he scanned the area. "Bastard is smarter than he looks, too. When the rage ends he is very vulnerable, and always has someone to cover him. I've found the best tactic to not get killed is to just not fight."

Zahn shook his head softly. "Last time we tangled he took twelve sedative laced bolts and didn't even flinch. One in the heart, three through the ribs in to the lungs, one in the stomach, one in each femoral artery, one in each shoulder, one just below the left knee, one just above the right knee...last shot got him square in the jugular and I barely saw any blood." There wasn't anything immediately out of place, so Z started walking again.

Relic

"Sounds like a challenge no doubt about it. He must have one hell of a metabolism, you might even see him die of plain old wear on his system from the drugs before too long. I know of a few toxins you might have more use with, slow acting, but I've heard of mammoths starving because it takes so long to wear off. Back when mammoths were more common."

Walking again, Relic wondered just what he was looking for, but kept that to herself. It was a simple stroll. Thinking back to her own toxins, she wondered if he could withstand the paralysis caused by ingesting Doublesweed Thorn milk. It was extremely rare, only grew in the very tops of trees in one of the small forests near the mountains. They only flowered once every three years, and although they always had thorns, it was only those over one hundred years old that contained the toxic milk. And only when they flowered did the milk become it's strongest. Luckily, Relic had stored two viles full of the milk she had harvested several years ago. Before the fires that reduced the already rare plant.

Looking around, she stopped him.

"Are you looking for something in particular? You seem a little uneasy... more so than for someone walking the docks."

-Z-

Z chuckled softly at Relic. "A healthy sense of paranoia ensures a longer life. So why so bored with your friends? I would have thought they could use your help for this whole boat thing."

He finally saw what he was looking for. The guildhouse for the local sailor's guild. At this time of night that was the best place to start the search. He started walking directly towards the guildhouse.

Relic

Laughing at his reply, Relic continued to walk after him. Wondering just when he might tell her to go away. Like most men she pestered in the streets might. But he seemed unconcerned that she followed him. The Guildhouse seemed to be where he was heading, and she raised an eyebrow. Her stops there had shown interested, and drunk men, many of who didn't have enough coin to concern herself with.

"Unlike them, and your employer," she smiled as she mentioned that man, "I do not share their attraction to the idea. I was merely here due to curiosity...and several of Phyliss' friends appear to be carrying heavy packs. I don't lie about my intentions, nor cover them up. The boat seems a little naive."

As they got closer she sighed.

"Afterall, what would humans fear more. One lone 'monster' like us, or an entire group who fortify themselves into one place. Personally, I feel safer on my own. And I don't like having to worry about others."

-Z-

"So your plan for life is to just travel on your own and never have anyone depend on you? Not a bad plan, you know. Certainly makes things easier if you don't have any responsibility to anyone else. Nothing quite like being able to move around the world at whatever pace you want with no one to get in your way or judge your life."

Zahn didn't have any right to judge her, because he knew what her plan in life was. It was the exact same plan he had been following for fifty years. It kept him alive, so there is no reason it couldn't do the same for her.

She had a valid point about groups of 'monsters' as well. "In my experience, a group composed of things most people are afraid of tends to end with the group getting killed. So you're probably better off not sticking with them." Z opened the door to the guildhouse and paused before he stepped in. "I mean they don't mean anything to you, right? And it isn't like they would have a better chance to survive if you decided to help."

Z was talking to himself as much as he was talking to Relic. He needed to get this boat fiasco over with soon. He moved in to the guildhouse without even a glance back at Relic.

Relic

"I like to think I keep them on their toes. It's not like I want them all burned at the stake..."

Heading into the Guildhouse, she moved over to stand at the bar. Letting him do whatever it was he needed to do. For now she simply waited for one of the bartenders to approach her so she could order a drink. The show of a gold coin helped catch their attention and she soon sat drinking from a mug.

She recognized several individuals that seemed to live out of the Guildhouse. But none seemed to care that she was there. Yet.

Would I be of any help to them? It's not like they want my help, or have asked for it, or acknowledged it. And aren't I just hoping that Verialyn might show up? She could be dead, or have moved on. I don't even know her that well anyway.

Watching the crowds, she kept her gaze merely to passing by Zahn's activities.

-Z-

Zahn moved around the common room sizing people up. Of all his skills the ability to read people was his best and most valuable. Nothing popped out at him at first, but then he saw something. Two men here didn't belong. They weren't sitting together, but they were working together. Subtle body language was being thrown back and forth across the common room by these two. They had strategically positioned themselves in the room for observation, but not of the entrance or exit. They were watching the staircase that likely lead to the guildmaster's office. They noticed that Z had picked them out, but didn't do anything.

They weren't here to spy on Z, and Z didn't need to make any enemies, so he didn't draw any attention to them. He was just here to buy a boat. Finally, he spied someone who might be able to help.

Human. Male. Late middle-age. He was likely a sailor most of his life. Tan skin, bleached hair, horrible teeth, rough appearance. What set him apart was his clothing. Not fancy by any means, but nicer than any sailor would wear for a night of drinking. He had a few pieces of jewelry on, nothing ostentatious but it was enough to show he had money. The fact that an semi-attractive harbor-whore was in his lap certainly spoke to him having money as well.

The man sat at a square table with three other men drinking with him. Z moved towards them and did his best to listen in to their conversation. He was too busy fondling the whore to talk, and the sailors were too drunk to be coherent. He wasn't showing any signs of intoxication, though. Odd.

When the elder sailor noticed Z he just shot him a glare. "If you're the whelp from the treasury you can just turn around, now. That tax is fucking stupid. If your city wants my coin, they can take it from the whore when I'm done!" He slapped the girl on the part of her ass hanging off his lap. She just gave a well acted giggle and a nice fake smile.

Zahn crossed his arms and looked the man in the eyes. "I'm not from the tax office."

The man arched one of his bushy eyebrows. "Then what? Just here to clean up the tart after I give her a plow?"

Z kept a steady and neutral tone. "I'm looking to buy a small boat. Know anyone selling?"

Gryph

He was outside, strolling through the streets, the hood and armor masked who and what he was and he liked that a lot. There was tingle in the air and he knew that magic users or hunters were on the prowl, but he wasn't the target, he was sure it was not the barbarians who was after Phyliss, that left the strange human, Trunfor, Canut and Relic. He frowned, wondering what exactly Fate was unfolding here for them. He scoffed and kept walking, he passed a door when a voice called out from inside,

"Hey big boy, want to have some fun?"

He looked at the bawdily dressed woman, grinning in the shadows of his hood,

"I doubt that you can provide the fun I'm after."

He kept on walking, realizing that he was in the more seedier part of town, maybe some thugs would try and attack him? Oh what fun he will have and gain some coin in the process as well.

The Narrator - Haerdon

Haerdon had arrived in the town rather late. He lost completely the track of the gorgon and her giant, whom he had never seen again. But if they would still be in the city, he would find them. Gorgons weren't that common, after all. He had seen three in his lifetime, and the two others he met in dungeons were no normal human would ever get in. And if they would, nor ordinary man would come out alive. He just had the stroll through the taverns and listen. Somebody would knew where his prey would be to find. The only problem was, that there were plenty of taverns. He had stopped counting them, as well as he had stopped counting the beers. He could afford them now, and he could took some more. He just went out of the tavern to check for the next. Then he saw this giant fellow in armor walking. Could it be? Nah. Nobody mentioned armor, and there was no gorgon in sight. Just anopther huge fellow, just like him. Even quite larger, he had to admit. But he had taken any enemy down yet, so the stranger should not provocate him.

Phyliss Ovida

The gorgon chuckled. "Don't worry, Tronfur. I wont force you into anything. The only thing I ask you is to get along with all my friends, and you did well up to now." she renembered Zal. "But sometimes, you should be a bit more thoughtful if it comes to human relations. I have lived along humans for all my life, and I could only survive because I studied their habits and manners. I have dealt with noblemen, rich merchants, and landlords and criminals as well. Each need their own treatment. The only one I do not get around with are peasants, but I can handle the upper class quite well."

Gryph

Something drew his attention and he cast a glance to the side and there was the barbarian, from descriptions given by Phyliss he would be Haerdon, which was the one who wanted to get his hands on her. Gryph grunted his displeasure and sniffed the air, the magic was the same as the wizard that was at the estate. He decided that it had become time to remove this threat, he hated being hunted when he had done nothing wrong.

The Narrator

Now that big fellow had noticed him, and Haerdon was not so drunk that his senses had left him. There was danger, but he was nobody who run away, and he had brought down bigger giants. Maybe this challenge might give him a clue wher eto find that snake-hair bitch. He had his weapons ready, but he did not touch them yet. He walked forward, meeting the eyes of the stranger. Not the normal human eyes, he noticed.

Gryph

He eyed the barbarian as he walked towards him, he had no spat with the barbarian at the moment, he was looking for the wizard. When Haerdon came even closer he turned his attention towards him, if he was going to start something, Gryph was going to finish it.

The Narrator - Haerdon

The huge creature made no attempts to attack him, but was alert. He did not make any signs to speak to him, so Haerdon had to change plans. In the clear light of the morning he could see his strange eyes, and the mouth - the clothes could not hide the fangs. This fittet exact the descriptions that the survivors of the raid gave him, except the armor, but maybe he found something fitting in this city. There were other huge creatures as well. So, if he was right, this man knew most likely where the gorgon was. He could not ask him, of course, and following him unnoticed was no longer possible. He had to think of something fast. Even if dangerous, he could not risk to loose that trace.
"Say, what are you looking at me? Do we know each other?" did he growl.

Gryph

Great just what he needed, Heardon looking for trouble or maybe a way to get to Phyliss. Gryph eyed the bulky barbarian and decided not to get into a fight, unless he was pushed into it.

"Not really. Not every day that I see such a hearty specimen of your race."

The Narrator - Haerdon

So this creature wasn't as dumb as Haerdon had expected. He had hoped for an impulsive reaction, and getting asked who he was. Haerdon had already thought of a fake name and a backgroundstory that should help him gainin thrust of Phyliss protector. Maybe he was wrong, and this was just some other creature? There were many weird beasts in such cities.
"Allright! Then take a look at me then! I am Koslak, the mighty. Who are you, then?"

Trunfor

Trunfor smild up at Phyliss, "I`ll get along with everyone as you command and don`t worry, I won`t cause any problems." He could get along with Gryph easily and even with Zheal for Phyliss seemed to trust him.

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss carefully pushed Canut; he was indeed asleep. "He had to be very tired. I wonder what he wanted to ask me?" said the gorgon softly. "I think he is the only one who really likes me without having the slightest sexual interest in me, but that makes him unique in his friendship." Phyliss put her arms around Tronfur again. "You are all unique in your way. Do you know where Gryph went?

Trunfor smiles, loving the attention he`s been getting from Phyliss. "Ummm.. yes he`s downstairs last time I saw him. He was eating a simple meal."

He grabs her hand in his and gently squeezes it, "You really think I`m unique?"

Phyliss Ovida

"Why of course, we are all unique and very special." she grinned. "We are very special monsters indeed, if they like to call us that way. But we are not dull and boring like them. Yes, we want to live and we will live. And we will find ways to enjoy life."

Trunfor

Trunfor grinned sheepishly and chuckled a little, "Thanks, no one has ever said such a nice thing to me such as that. I`ve lived in isolation so long that I`ve never heard such compliaments. It`s nice."

He thought to himself for a minute then looked into Phyliss`s eyes, "My life has changed for the better ever since I met you and I want to thank you for accepting me."