Decadents and Dropouts IC

"Phyliss is a mammal as well, you know? But now you got me a little curious. You are not suggesting we will be paid to skinny-dip in a volcano, are you?"

"She's got the scales, dosen't she? That's enough, and do you see a volcano around here? This is bellows work, you know, for forges? Nobody in town is ever willing to do it, becuse it burns their skin right off, so they need to import metelworked goods at a premium from the Imperial Holdings. It isen't SISSY work, like selling yourself out to a person you've never even met." He put extra empasis on the last part, just to rub it in
 
Name: Relic

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Race: Dark Elf

Occupation: Thief/Wanderer/Assassin

Appearance: Black would be a good word to cover her usual look. Although she wears a deep purple shirt tucked into her pants, which are black. Black like her hooded jacket, her boots, her gloves and gauntlets. She also has a small crescent shaped purple stone on a piece of black cord around her neck. Her eyes are a icy blue around her pupils, but a dark blue almost black ring around that. Her features are typical dark elf, sharp pointed ears and high cheek bones. Her hair a deep purple hue with silver streaks, cut short and scraggy looking apart from one high bundled, long pony tail that falls about halfway down her back.

Personality: Mischievous would be the best way to describe Relic, who enjoys nothing more than following a mark for a few days to get the spoils of great thievery. Her skills often make her a much wanted commodity in the less than rich villages and towns, with her often taking jobs as a scout, information gatherer, spy or assassin. This makes her a very resourceful, quick thinking elf that enjoys her work. Her outer shell is hard to crack, and she very often trusts anyone, even if they think she does.

Weapons: Poisons and blades. She uses a good combination of poison laced daggers for close quarters combat, the smallest nick sending a deadly toxin into the blood stream. Small accidents over the years have helped build her own unique immunity. For ranged attacks she uses a small blow tube, firing sharp darts at her target. If they hit, the same toxin spreads causing a type of paralysis.

Equipment: Standard wanderers pack, parchment, lock picking tools, ropes and hooks.

Skills: She has a good sense of her surroundings, keen hearing and smell, and can see in the low light conditions of dusk and dawn better than humans. Her footsteps are silent, unless impossible to be for instance walking on the crackling magma (lava) plains.

History: Relic was found in a burned out village, wrapped in a purple cloak with a crescent shaped necklace in her hand. She was less than five years old. She was abandoned until a mountain man found her, crying out for food and walking the ashen ruins. He took her with him, and raised her, but never as his own. As soon as she could understand he told her what he saw, so she would know her past. She was around fourteen when the man left her, he had trained her to survive as much as he could and was heading up north to the snow covered mountains. She could not follow.

Her training to sneak came from hunting down small prey, and also from picking pockets in town for a measly meal. Nobody cared much for her until she ran in with a Mercenary Clan. She had infiltrated an office, using a nearby roof to climb up. But she had been caught, and had jumped instead of getting caught. At sixteen she was in bed for four months whilst her leg healed, the broken bone getting fixed back into place.

Her spirit to stay alive and not be taken captive seemed to give great enjoyment to the Mercenary who she had jumped away from. And he took her under his wing, training her in the use of toxins and how to be a worthwhile assassin. Now she does missions for the Mercenary's, or for whoever pays.


----


There had been word spreading around of a band of travelers moving across the land, the townsfolk of the town were not so tight lipped. Of course they had no specifics to tell, but it had peaked the young girls interests. And now, following the last few miles of tracks at walking pace she could sense they were nearby. Dismounting from her mare, she patted it's neck gently before walking ahead. It's hooves were covered in wolf hide, to soften the clip-clop sound it made even on the soft earth. Her own steps were light as a feather, her toes touching first and slowly lowering the heel. She felt something under her foot, a stick and chose to place her step on a clean patch before it made a sound. This would seem excruciatingly slow, but when it was second nature it felt normal, just walking down a path.

There was no smoke on the breeze, and the cloaked figure chose to pause. She pushed the reins onto a branch to keep the horse back, and crouched down. Sneaking along the small animal tracks almost on all fours to keep her body below the brush.

There were voices up ahead, she stopped, scanning her head from side to side to pick up individual tones and sounds.

"...so they need to import metal worked goods at a premium from the Imperial Holdings. It isn't sissy work"

The words, 'Imperial Holdings' and 'at a premium' peaked her interests.

She lay down softly, creeping forwards to look out at the small gathering of people. The horses would prove problematic if she wanted to get nearer. For now she lay still, listening. Her tongue licking her teeth, wondering if it would pay out following. Her cloak covered her face in shadow, and her eyes peered out intently.
 
"She's got the scales, dosen't she? That's enough, and do you see a volcano around here? This is bellows work, you know, for forges? Nobody in town is ever willing to do it, becuse it burns their skin right off, so they need to import metelworked goods at a premium from the Imperial Holdings. It isen't SISSY work, like selling yourself out to a person you've never even met." He put extra empasis on the last part, just to rub it in
"You know, Canut" Verialyn said with a glance at Koetia "I would have thought you of all beings would be able to accept that everyone has his own road to happiness. But it seems intolerance is not a purely human trait after all."
 
"You know, Canut" Verialyn said with a glance at Koetia "I would have thought you of all beings would be able to accept that everyone has his own road to happiness. But it seems intolerance is not a purely human trait after all."

"Look," he snorted. "All I'm saying is, you have things you're good at, I have things I'm good at. This just so happens to be one of those situations where I'm the one with the talents we need. You go off and do whatever it is you want, but my contacts are willing to pay out the nose for somebody to work the bellows, and its something you are physically incapable of doing."
 
"O.k., if you put it that way you are right.

But maybe your contacts have other work to offer as well, one I am good at?"

Verialyn smiled again.
 
"O.k., if you put it that way you are right.

But maybe your contacts have other work to offer as well, one I am good at?"

Verialyn smiled again.

" Not unless you'de be willing to work at the "girls only" house, if you know what I mean," he stated with upmost honesty. The Endless River towns where major trade centers, so brothels for all tastes sprung up almost weekly, and torn down just as often.
"Provided it's still there, the owner owes me big for helping build that add-on," he shifted himself on the horse, Koetia leaping up and scrabling to get onto his bow-legged lap. " In fact, if I called in favor on every adult who owes me along the whole river, it would almost buy me a tropical island. Hey! Easy girl, down!" he commanded softly, Koetia obedantly dropping.
 
There seemed to be a heated conversation, but Relic couldn't help keeping her eyes on the bouncing, playful child. Well, not so much a child. It was uniquely canine as well, and it didn't seem to have much of a brain, poor sod. Relic watched on, the conversation seemed to be about working to raise funds, working on the forges with some argument over the equality and racial strengths of each other.

Her keen ears listened for anyone moving in the undergrowth, getting caught too soon would be a grave error in judgment.

She did find it funny how they were talking about the towns along the Endless River. At least she knew a basic heading to take if she lost them along the way.
 
"I know what you mean, and you are correct that is not how I would like to earn my money. As much as I enjoy a romp or two now and then, the fun ends when a dozen guys line up each and every night to stick ther best piece into you." Verialyn answered honestly.

"That leaves us with another problem though. What am I supposed to do while you work those bellows? I know I will grow restless if I just sit lazily on my pretty little behind for weeks. And seeing that we might have pursuers, separating might not be the best idea, either."
 
"I know what you mean, and you are correct that is not how I would like to earn my money. As much as I enjoy a romp or two now and then, the fun ends when a dozen guys line up each and every night to stick ther best piece into you." Verialyn answered honestly.

"That leaves us with another problem though. What am I supposed to do while you work those bellows? I know I will grow restless if I just sit lazily on my pretty little behind for weeks. And seeing that we might have pursuers, separating might not be the best idea, either."

"Um, guys?" Canut cocked his head. 'I said "all girls house" for a reason, you know. Anyways," he shook himself of that obviously touchy subject. " I honestly can't help you, there isen't alot for human woman to do down in these parts except make babies and clean house. And it looks like maid work is the last thing on your mind. I honestly can't help you here."
 
Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss had been dozing off for a moment and didn't follow the whole conversation. Mammal, Scales? She had tits and snakes, allright. Probably got the best of both. So what? She noticed that Canut mounted the pony again, and this brought her back to mind.
"Hey, what is that? I thought we were going to rest now. I am tired, I was drunk, got fooled by slavetraders, tricked by a shapeshifter, maybe traited by a drow, raped by a barbarian and..." she bit her lip. She didn't want to speak of Haerdon, but it slipped out by accident. "Nevertheless..." she hurried to say, "can't we wait till tommorrow?"
 
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"Hmm, only "all girl" houses. Where do the guys then go to ... scratch their itch?
Maid work can be fun for a few days, particularly when they have the kinky and scant sort of maid uniform" Verialyn smiled "but you are right, it is probably not something I would enjoy for months.

I would suggest we first try to get to one of these docks, and I see what I can find once we are there."

Then she registered what Phyliss had said. She bent her head and whispered into Phyliss ear: "Haerdon had done what to you?"
 
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Phyliss Ovida

The gorgon blushed and looked away. "Ah, I don't want to speak about that." She got up and walked away a few steps, looking into the darkness, avoiding to look at her friends or to answer. Suddenly she saw something. A human wouldn't have noticed anything in the dark, but she was sure she saw a movement.
"I think there is somebody out there." she said in a low voice.
 
Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn had followed Phyliss, and softly touched her shoulder. Then she whispered.

"I am sorry. I had not thought this would turn out that way. I was up there having my fun, and you... I am sorry..."

"I think there is somebody out there."

Verialyn tried to follow Phyliss' gaze and see what the gorgon had seen.
 
Phyliss Ovida

"It was my own fault." she uttered. She carefully pointed with her thumb to the direction of the movement she had seen. But she couldn't see anybody now. But she was sure that there was somebody hiding out there. Did the sandcrawlers tracked them down? She just renembered that she had killed one with her venom, but turned the other one to stone. He might have survived, like the others.
 
Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn looked in the direction Phyliss was pointing, but she could not see anything. If a spy was out there, he probably had taken good cover by now.

"Come back to the camp, no point brooding out here alone". With these words she turned around and walked towards Canut again.
 
"Only contact I've got in that feild," he shrugged. "There are plenty of places for both genders, but I never did anything for them," he realized he had stumbled into some pretty risky terriotry here, concidering the naked dog girl that kept following him and only him, but he went on anyways. "I think after the... day we've had, it would be smart to get a good distance away from town before we set up camp."

His attempt to get off topic wasen't working concidering how much his two companions kept glancing back their new canine companion. "I'm going to ask you something important," he said calmly to both of them. "What exactly do the two of you think of this girl?"
 
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Verialyn Kallidis

"Well, we are already three hours away. If the catch us now, they will also catch us if we go on for a few more hours, only we will be even more tired."

"Regarding Koetia, I honestly do not know yet what to think about her. She seems to be happy to be with you, and she also seems completely harmless, so I have no problem with her."
 
Relic flattened herself against the earth, her chin digging into the ground and her entire shape seeming to become more flat bread like than human. Her shoulders aching slightly as she forced her shoulder blades together to get even lower. One finger pulled the undergrowth in front of her over her form more, slowly though to avoid the movement getting picked up.

Someone in the group, if not many of them had good vision in the dark...she would remember that.

Hunting humans was easy, their eyesight and lack of hearing ability made getting close almost child's play. But the majority of other creatures and races had no problem seeing into the night.

Holding the branch still formed another problem, her shirt falling open just enough to reveal the glimmering shiny crescent shaped necklace that dangled from her neck. She hoped the wind wouldn't change causing the trees to sway about letting the moonlight through.

It may just be enough to reveal her position.
 
Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss was a bit in a fix now. She didn't want to hurt Canuts feelings, nor did she want to lie to him or ignore the question.
"Umm, I'm willing to give everybody a chance without any regards to looks. We are all intelligent creatures, and most of us "monsters" are. I am not so sure about her. I fear she is just an animal in a human body."
The gorgon tried to hide her disgust, hoping that Canut would not notice her mixed feelings against Koetia.
She felt a little embarrased, but then she recalled something more important. "There is somebody out there." she looked again, and saw a reflection, only for a moment. Maybe a blade? "Just about there!" she pointed at the place where she suspected the person.
 
Damn!

Relic's position had been pointed out exactly, and her eyes narrowed at the gorgon. Pulling a thin tube about a foot long out from her sleeve, she was about to remove a poison tipped dart out of her little wooden box. But she paused, there were a lot of people to get through if they were going to attempt to catch her. She could dart the horses, but then she would have to escape them in a foot race at least until she got to her own horse. That was her best bet, or she could disappear into the shadows.

She could dart them directly, but she wondered if the gorgon would be effected as much. The rest were very unlikely to be immune to the sea snake venom. But she looked reptilian, she could be the problem. Maybe a blade was the only way to deal with her.

Slipping the tube back into her sleeve, she got up and stepped forward into the clearing. Showing herself to everyone. Her calculating face now replaced with eyes of hatred and the look of deep loss. Her body held itself as though she had travelled many months.

"Give me...," she breathed heavily, "MY SISTER BACK!" she screamed.

Looking towards the happy little dog girl. This would have to be one hell of a poker face.

"How can you be so cruel as to do this to her!" She fell to her knees, her shoulders sagged a few heavy sobs escaping her as a tear dripped onto the ground. Then, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve and stood up, drawing her daggers.

"Give her back now...or I'll...I'll kill you all." Her voice had a hint of childish temper in it.
 
Veraliyn Kallidis

Verialyn's attention was immediately caught by the black form raising from the ground. So Phyliss had been right, there was someone out there.

She immediately readied the sword (what an impression would she make wielding that seemingly oversized claymore?) and approached the ... drow. Yes, indeed, a dark elf. That girl would fit right in into their exotic gathering.

Once Verialyn was about three yards away from the drow she said in a calm voice "We know nothing about your sister. At least I do not. And please put these" she gestured with her sword towards Relic's daggers "away. Nothing good will come from it should you attack us, and you might be the one to end up dead."
 
Phyliss Ovida

The gorgon could see the person clearly, another drow. Not quite in a good position for eyecontact yet, so they would have to wait for a drow statue. Phyliss didn't understand what she was talking about, maybe she was insane, but this was probably a trick to confuse them. Phyliss had her invisible magic shield, that would protect her from most physical and magic attacks, if they were not to strong. Sadly, they didn't help her against Haerdon, because he just could have twisted her neck. If he had just hit her with a sword, she would have survived that. Now to this one. Most of Phyliss spells were for pure defence, and quite well for that, but she had a lack of attack spells. She could turn people to stone temporarily, if they met their eye, but that was it. For close combat she had her snakes. Still, there were her pyrotechnic skills... She didn't dare to us them in the stable, because she would have burned herself to death most likely. It worked best on materials that would burn easy anyway. Just like dry underwood. She shouted:
"Don't try to fool us with this nonsense talk. I have just had enough of you slavetraders."
The underwood around the drow bursted into flames. Phyliss waited for the slavetraders reaction, and even prepared for a sudden attack, if she would run from the fire directly towards them. "Don't worry, rely on your shield." she said to herself.
 
Relic backed up a step when the woman carrying the claymore neared, it was a formidable weapon and she would have no chance blocking it with simple daggers. Evasion was her only choice and she readied her stance in case she had to jump away. Her stance got slightly lower as more voices were directed at her and she tightened her grip on the hilts of her blades.

She listened as Verialyn spoke to her, but she glanced from side to side. From the dog girl, back towards her exit. This may have been a very bad idea. She lowered her blades slightly, to show she was listening. But her face remained the same, showing her well forged lying skills.

"It's my sister I want, that is all. I swear on our parents graves." God she hoped they hadn't learned to much more, the people in the town, and the slave traders hadn't given much information away.

The gorgon shouted something to her as the underbrush around her ignited. She cursed the retched creature, her exit now fully alight. She jumped forward and away from Verialyn with surprising agility and athleticism, hitting the ground and rolling before springing back into her previous stance.

"Fine, I lied."

She smiled showing a full set of white teeth, her canines nice and sharp. Her diet kept them in fine tearing and chomping order. She stood up straight and puffed out her chest. "I'm following a job. Or more so looking for one. You're going to the Forges no? I just assumed you would have something of value to sell to them." She put her heel into the soft dirt and started to dig a little hole.

"I'm a thief okay, not a saint."

"But I am far from a slave trader, and would prefer not to be associated with that type of scum. I may steal, but I don't steal lives...well, not in that way at least."
 
Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss was fully awake and sober now. She was still on alert. She fixed the drow and wondered if she should turn her to stone just at once. Still, she wanted to hear what she was saying and hold her spell back. Certainly this one was a liar, and even admitted it. But maybe they still could get some information from them.
"Why should we believe you that? The slave traders tried to trick us several times, with all kind of fake identies."
 
Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn stood slightly before Phyliss now, but left the talking to the gorgon. She listened in to the conversation, and watched the dark elf carefully, taking careful notice of every movement.

The drow probably was already planning either an escape or an attack, so she inwardly prepared herself to intervene and protect Phyliss if necessary.
 
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