Decadents and Dropouts IC

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"Oh..now I recall....Verialyn?" the gorgon looked up to her, her head aching as if someone was pulling each of her snakes in a different direction. She looked down to the kobald. "Verialyn, this is my friend Canut...and this is Dea..." she looked around and saw that Dea had left his place, she saw the drow standing at the bar. At least he could have waited to listen to the kobalds tale. She pointed to the drow. She turned back to Verialyn and Canut. "Canut, she is more of our kind then human." the gorgon whispered again. "If trouble breaks out here, she'll be on our side. This place is no good."

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn sat down on the empty chair between Phyliss and Canut.

Now that she was close enough to Phyliss she could not help but to smell the faint traces of alcohol in her breath. However, judging by their last encounter, if Phyliss had not stretched her limits to far she should still be able to handle whatever perilous situation was impending. At least that was what Verialyn hoped.

With a quiet whisper, bare audible even for Canut and Phyliss she asked: "No good? This tavern does not strike me any worse than the regular run down watering hole filled with lecherous men. What exactly is the problem?"

 

[swordandsandle]

"First off, most taverns are loaded with lecherious woman too," he gave the strange girl a remember-that glare. "Secondly, this place may LOOK like an ordanary taphouse, but it's run by an underground sydicate, specializing in "Monster" slaving. We where just trying to decide on a way out when you inturpted us."

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn decided to ignore the remark about lecherous women - for now.

"So what were the options you were discussing?"

 

[swordandsandle]

Canut realized he probebly wasen't going to like this woman very much.

"If you must know, they've put a shapeshifter on us. So, we're waiting for it to shift so we know where it is and then we can avoid it."

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"I thought it was the barbarian, but I might be wrong." the gorgon gazed at the two barbarians, who just got their beer served. For a moment she saw four barbarians and two waiters, and she shook her head.
Phyliss thougt for a moment.
"But...he will not shift before our eyes, if he is no idiot. How can we make it shift, so that we notice?"

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn thought for a moment. Then she whisperd.

"Maybe it will be enough if we lure it to strike at us - when it does not suspect that we expect it. Once it is dead, it will shift back to its natural form.

What made you suspect the barbarians?"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"I don't know if it is him. I just thought he looked to strong to be real. But maybe he is after all. Maybe the shapeshifter has turned into somebody less eye-catching." Phyliss looked around. Even if the barbarians were just unaware travellers, they could mean trouble, or maybe help as well. Even if involuntary.

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn Kallidis

Out of the corner of her eye Verialyn scrutinized the muscled barbarian closer. Just like Phyliss she found the mountains of muscles borderline unnatural, but could not tell for sure.

"Hmm, if this is the shape shifter there might be a way to find out. As far as I know doppelgangers can change only their outward appearance. So even when shaping in a form as muscled at this it would not become stronger." "Which means all we have to do is to get the guy to do some weightlifting for us" she added with a smirk.

"But what else do you how of this syndicate? How do they usually operate, what would happen for example if we just stood up and walked out of the door? Would they jump us once we are outside?"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"To be honest, I don't know anything about them. Canut just told me."
Phyliss looked carefully over to the barbarian. She know that it could be a provocation if he would just notice her staring at him, and she tried not to hasten things.
Phyliss thought: "If I don't get anything to eat soon I will drop drunk to the ground." But she didn't dare to tell that to her friends.

 

[swordandsandle]

!!!!

"I have an idea," Canut pulled both their ears in, whispering in his most hushed tone. "I'm going to leave the table, heading somewhere or another. The pale woman can call for food, and then the shifter will have to show himself! It's his job to serve the food."

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn whispered back: "They employ a doppelganger assassin as waiter? That is one of the more interesting covers I have encountered so far.

But it is probably worth trying. Just make sure you stay in line of sight, otherwise the shifter might get to you without us noticing."

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"That sounds like a good idea." said Phyliss. And the waiter might just bring her ordered food as well.

 

[Belinda35]

The Narrator

Finally a waiter arrived and brought the roastet chickenmeat that Phyliss has ordered. The waiter appeared as a normal, human man.

Phyliss Ovida

The gorgon watched the man as he put the plate on the table. Was he the shapeshifter, now disguised as ordinary man? Or was it just anyone of the staff, while the shapeshifter was up to something else? She didn't know, but at last she had some proper food. Wait! Maybe the have put something inside? No, if they were slavetraders specialised in exotics they wouldn't poison their livestock. Phyliss guessed that she was probably quite some expensive merchandise, but she didn't feel that fluttered about. She tasted the food, and it did seem allright. Of course, they could thave used someting not lethal, just putting her asleep. She had to take the risk, or else she would collapse from starvation. No food for days, if you didn't count the rats head. She started eating carefully, but it tasted well and gave her back some strength.

 

[Cherubian]

The Narrator

After the third or fourth mug of beer the two barbarians started to openly stare at Phyliss and Verialyn with increasing frequency. This was accompanied by some quite lively conversation and gesticulation.
Even the fierce looking barbarian with the horned helmet cracked a smile once or twice.

Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn pretended not to notice the stares of the barbarians for now. She whispered to Phyliss "Seems alcohol is stronger than prejudice, we might be making some new 'friends' soon... "

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

The gorgon finished her meal but avoided to look at the barbarians. She felt better now, but was still drunk.
"I know that type. They would chop of your head in the dungeon and look for the hidden gold you never had, but as soon as they are in the pub they go: "cute snakes on ya pretty little 'ead, baby." Let's see what will be coming to us."

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn Kallidis

"Well, those snakes ARE cute. The rest of you isn't shabby at all, either, and that dress you are wearing makes this obvious for everyone to see" To these words, a smile crossed her lips.

"Regarding our well muscled and well intoxicated friends, it seems pretty predictable what will happen" Verialyn continued, while looking around the room seemingly aimlessly. "First they will drink a few more mugs of beer for courage. Then they will walk up to our table, sit down while forgetting to ask for our permission first, offer us a drink or two, and then ask us if we want to continue the party in a more private atmosphere in their room. They might skip the part where they offer the drinks".

"About that time they will also realize they have not booked a room yet" Verialyn smiled again. "Nevertheless it might actually be a good idea to play along ..."

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss leaned over to Verialyn. "Canut warned us definately not to take a room here, because we might not leave it the way we would want to."
The gorgon turned back to take a quick look at the barbarians.
"So, we still have time to choose between us. Which one of them is going to be a warriors memorial statue, and which of them is going to volunteer for a blood donation?"

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn whispered back at Phyliss "But what option other than one of the rooms do we have? I doubt that even those two barbarians would be willing to fornicate with us right here on the table, and if this is indeed the facade for a syndicate we are under close scrunity as long as we are here. Hmm... maybe they might be willing to take things to the stables, especially considering they do not have a room themselves yet?

Either way they will provide an unsuspicious way to leave the taproom. And if one of them is the shifter, this way at least we have isolated it."

"As to taking our pick, I fear their masculine ego will not allow us to make that choice. Not that it matter much to me, they both look rather tasty" Verialyn replied with a wicked grin.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"Hmmmpf." Phyliss was more into the slean, stylish adventurers and charismatic mages then into this beefy musclemen, but she had to admit that Verialyn was quite right about their masculine ego and their state of arousement. She looked around for her other friends. Canut wasn't to be seen, but she had learned enough of him not to be alarmed about that. If he wasn't seen, he didn't wanted to be seen, either using his small size and skill or magic. Dea was gone, too. She thought that was more peculiar.
Phyliss whispered back. "The tavern itself is small, but it is connected to a rather large complex, who know how many secret rooms, doors and hallway this place has. There might even be a labyrinth below, and I don't know how many people this sandcrawlers can bring up against us and how strong they are. I think we could finish off the barbarians if we are just against them, even as drunk as I am. I wonder what side they are on. Are they just horny fools, or do they belong to them?"
The gorgon looked back quickly to Veralyn as the two muscled warriors arose from the table.
"Now, too late, here they come. What do we now?" Phyliss wished she could get sober right know, but there wasn't any chance to that. She wondered if the barbarians already realized the state she was in.

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn quickly whispered back:

"We have one big advantage right now. These sandcrawlers do not know that we know about them, and they do not know what we are capable of. So its our best bet to hope that either these two do not belong to them, or that the sandcrawlers think these two are enough to handle us. Either way we might get away far enough before anyone notices we are gone.

And what to do now? Well, smile!"

With these words Verialyn turned her gaze to the approaching barbarians and did what she just suggested: Give them a welcoming smile.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss thought that her friend wasn't that wrong. They could handle two men better then twenty. Even as drunk as she was, why should she worry to much? She had her magic and if it came to close combat, she had her deadly snakes. Of course she had meet people who were protected against magic by their own powers or mighty artefacts, and she had heard of people unharmed by venom because of magic, artefacts or natural immunity. These barbarians sure didn't look like if they had magic knowledge of themself. Artefacts? She had to be extreme unlucky if she met some who had artefacts that would protect him before magic and poison the same time. So she smiled, as Verialyn proposed, and found that the wine made it easier to smile at the approaching men.

 

[swordandsandle]

"As to taking our pick, I fear their masculine ego will not allow us to make that choice. Not that it matter much to me, they both look rather tasty"

Even from across the room, the attempted eye-lasers and air daggers could be felt coming from Canut's eyes, projecting full force at the vampire

He had taken to setting himself down near the main counter, ordering himself a plate of wild pork (it tasted sort of like rat), to keep up the facade. It smelled rancide, full of worms, and probebly infected. Just the way he like it.

Taking a rather large chunk off, he notice the two huskey fellows approching his companion and their rather rude accosiate. Personally, he diden't care one way or another what happened, althougth if they tried to head out to a room, he knew he would have to intervean to save Phyliss, who would probebly demand he save the vampire as well. Ah, such was life

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss kept smiling, as the two large fellows dropped on the chairs at their table. They didn't asked for an invitation, just as Verialyn had predicted. They looked at each other and grinned, as if reassuring themself. "I wonder which of them is going for me." thought Phyliss, knowing that she wouldn't be to happy either way. "I hope I can really rely on magic and snake-poisin here..."
She looked around in the room and saw Canut, far away in a dark, remote corner. He was eating, but looking over to them, and she felt a bit reassured. She hadn't thought much of kobalds before, but she had changed her mind about that during this day.

 

[Cherubian]

The Narrator

The half naked mountain of muscle took the seat next to Verialyn and immediately started to use the superior vantage point provided by his height to study her cleavage. All he managed to utter while he as able to direct his gaze to Verialyn's face for a few seconds was a short "Hullo, I'm Ulfgard, whats'er name?".

His leather clad companion took the one remaining seat, the one adjacent to Phyliss. His previously fierce demeanor was now replaced by a gentle smile. As he took off his hornet helmet he addresses Pyliss "Ignore Ulfgard, he can be quite rude at times. My name is Haerdon, may I know who the two lovely ladies at this table are?". He clearly seemed to be the better-mannered and probably also the brighter one of the two.

Verialyn Kallidis

Verialyn suppressed the reflex to tell Ulfgard "my eyes are here". It seemed Phyliss had gotten the better deal, not that it mattered much to Verialyn right now. She waited for Phyliss to start the introduction.