Re: A Gift from a Distant Friend

[Michael Briggs]

The hairs on the backs of everyone's hands and heads suddenly spark to life.  The atmosphere of the room charges violently as Shyam's desire digs deep down into lust...desire....hate.  All traits of the demonic horde.  

Everything feels like it wants to gravitate towards the witch in the room.  Like a black hole sucking in all the energy, the power and electricity both tear into Shyam's hands.  An immense convergence spills towards sneaky demon in the darkness in a single line of light.  

The Children of Maidenshire are each frozen in awe of the raw power, too much to even speak; only observation remains as a tool to the group.  In demonic, a deep, insidious voice hammers at the walls like a ton of bricks.  The roof blows off the church, shattering it into fine debris.  The walls of the desecrated, holy sanctuary tumble out and away to the woods behind.  The tree in the previous room on the dias, a sacred tree planted as a representation to Shanadan is crushed under the high quality stone.   A blast of force shakes the trees that still stand after the initial explosion.  

*****

Nothing remains of the room.  Sinking deep down into a pit of despair, Shyam lays partially held up with her arms. Before her, a striking but insane demon stands over 50 feet tall on a thrown of stacked bodies of all sorts.  Most look alive, others appear to have given into hopelessness.  The world burns and screams match the cacophony of the demon prince's voice.

"Mwuahahahahahahaha!" It calls out in laughter.  "Welcome my descendant."

*****

In the sanctuary, the world is at a hold.

[Michael Briggs]

The Demon looks at Shyam and says in a voice that causes more shouts of pain from the world around it, "Do you want your friends to live?"

The frightened and scared girl simply replies, "Yes."

"Then I give you this contract," the beast snarls with a wave of its hands.  "Sign it and they will not be destroyed."

A contract written on flesh appears in front or Shyam; a quill of fire appear before it.

"Don't hesitate, child."  The demon laughs, "Your brother's life hangs."

Tarlman's words come back to her and her hand moves to her hair where the branch he gave her is, yet she has no substance, cannot grab it....  There wasn't anything else she could do, their deaths would be her fault, yet she could stop that.  Only to do so would be to give herself over to the demon, to prove Dras right...even the laspe in time is what he had seen.  10 years, she would have 10 years to figure out how to break the bond...it would be that or she'd have to...yes she'd see herself dead before the end.  It would be either her life or his.  

Her hand burns as the quill is grabbed with such intensity and urgency that mirrors the young witch's inner turmoil.  After penning her name to the contract, both it and the quill disappear.

*****

The blast is over before anyone can say or do much.  The whole scene is surreal at best.  A shield of red energy covers the group for a second.  Shyam lays unconscious on the ground in the middle of a small impact crate; five feet in diameter.  The demon is no more.

[Don Alley]

"That was interesting.", Quentin states, eying Shyam warily.

The hole in the ground containing Shyam stunk with the remains of eldritch smoke. Quentin assumed that either of the lovestruck members of the group would quickly go to her aid. As he had no healing powers of his own, he decided to scout the area out and ensure there were no further signs of danger.

[Russ]

  Shocked, Karchok stands on shaky legs and turns in a full circle eyes wide and staring.  He could barely comprehend what had just happen.  Shyam had turn to the demon and then... the temple exploded.
  Suddenly noticing Shyam laying prone in a small crater, Karchok's feet are moving before he is even aware of it.
  "Shyam!" the druid calls out, as he runs to his sister's aid.  Moving past Synxol he glances down at the fey touched human as he runs.  "Some one help out Synxol!"
  Sliding to a stop just before the crater, the half-orc looks down at Shyam.  Careful to not step on his unconscious sister, he gets into the crater.
  Cradling Shyam in his arms, Karchok quickly casts a healing ritual upon her.
  "Are you okay?" the druid ask softly, concern clearly visible upon his rough hewn orcish features.
                                                                 
  Standing up and shaking his fur clean of dust and debris, Ghost looks around and whines.  The large wolf's ears laid back as he looked around and sniffed, slowly creeping towards the sound of his brothers voice.
  Scar opens an eye and looks around.  Undeterred by the chuck of wall that was resting upon the great scarred reptile, he stands up.  Hissing angerly, the reptile spines rattle as he looks for what just hit him with the two legs big hut.  Not thinking the nearby warm blood capable, the reptile moves towards the druid, grumbling and hissing the whole way.

[Andrew Airmet]

Tempus reeled from what happened, absolutely confused as to why a simple toss of the torch would cause such a horrific destruction of the building.  Nothing about it made sense.  That's when he heard Karchok call out.  He turned, and saw the crater, and saw Karchok rushing toward it.  Tempus' confusion started to clear.  Shyam, Karchok had said Shaym.  Was she in the hole?  Was she ok?  Tempus rushed after Karchok, arriving in the crater a few moments after him.  As usual, Tempus had been beat, but he brushed that thought inside.  Instead, he moves in close, wanting to help somehow but not knowing how.

"Shyam...is she ok?" Tempus asked Karchok, concern and fear on his face.

[Loki]

Closing his eyes for a moment, made all the more interesting since his cheek was swollen from the magical barrage he had just experienced, Synxol realizes that he had momentarily lost consciousness.

Coughing a bit of dust from his lungs, before it can find purchase, he wheezes, "I can handle the attack on me, and nearly dying, but to dirty my clothing, THAT GOES TOO FAR!"

[Russ]

 "I don't know, I hope so" Karchok says with a shake of his head, claws braided into his goatee clicking together sharply.  Knowing the healing magic would have stabilized her enough to be moved, the young druid carefully stands up.  Looking at the edge of the hole, he frowns and gently lays Shyam on the ground outside of the crater she was laying in.  Quickly pulling himself out of the hole, Karchok kneels next to sister, black eyes mirroring his concern.
"Is everyone all right?" Karchok asks, eyes not leaving Shyam.  

[Erek]

Reflexively raising his arm to shield his eyes from the intense blast,
Keryth is taken aback at the sheer power Shyam has released. Looking
around at the utter devestation, Keryth focuses on Shyam, the poor
girl appeared to be unconscious. His immediate thought was to run
towards her, to help her in anyway he could, but something held his
legs in check. It may have been elven pragmatism, or the surrealness
of what had just transpired, either way Keryth's thoughts turned to
Andrasticial's warning about the young witch. Was Shyam losing
control? His thoguhts raced through a thousand possibilities, with
Lady Marei and Dras' advice echoing in his mind. The image of the
demon prince threatens to destroy all hope of saving Shyam from the
previous fates of her kin. Forcing his will over his thoughts and
gripping his ancestral sword, Keryth holds onto the his hope that they
will defeat the demon prince.

Breaking from his thoughts, Keryth runs to where Shyam has fallen,
kneeling next to Karchok he says, "Shyam, fight his control, we are
all here with you.". Seeing Karchok's confused look as he still
cradles Shyam, Keryth realizes he is still invisible. Ending the
spell with a thought, Keryth adds, "Sorry about that Karchok, was
waiting for the demon to show itself." pausing briefly he speaks with
sincerity to the half-orc, "We must put all our petty squabbling and
differences aside if we are to remain vigilant in our cause to help
Shyam. A tiny misstep or untrusting pause will spell ruin for us
all."

Standing slowly and looking at their recovering group, Keryth let's
his normally reserved thought flow out, "Listen to me and listen well,
if any of you had any delusions about the immensity of the task we
have before us, they should all be gone now. We fight incredibly
powerful enemies that play at our weaknesses and will destroy each and
every one of us for simple pleasure. For you newcomers to our little
group, this," Keryth gestures to the ruined temple, "is a sobering
example of what we face on our quest. If we are to stay among the
living, we are going to have to find more complimentary ways of
handling encounters. That demon almost wiped out half us with a
single blast, and I'm sure the next ones we encounter will be even
stronger. Let us move away from this desecrated ruined temple and
find a place to heal our wounds before something else comes calling."

Looking down to Karchok, for once, Keryth says, "Will she be alright?"
concern evident in his voice.

[Don Alley]

Quentin definitely wanted to add to Keryth's lecture, especially about idiotically running into the temple before the two scouts had a chance to scope things out.

However, right now some in the party are worried about Shyam, and others were concerned about the strange power she possessed. Now was not the best time. Keryth could play the hard ass, and Quentin decided he could come in later with a more measured tone.

[Jbizzle]

Rashear coughs for, trying to clear his lungs from the explosion of
stone, dirt, and dust due to the blast of eldrich might from Shyam.
Seeing that Karchok hovering over Shyam he hopes for the best, knowing
that the druid would look after her and see to hear needs as best as
the half-orc could. Rashear felt worried about how, and what her
'gift' would due to her and possibly others that she cared about.
Sheathing his other blade, he moves over to the other person lying on
the floor, hearing Keryth's words, Rashear nods saying " He is right,
carry the wounded and let us find somewhere far away from here to make
a camp."
Rashear reaches Synxol and snorts at his whining " Perhaps you have
forgotten a rule: When hunting, expect to get dirty. Now be quiet for
a moment, and I'll see what I can do." Rashear starts chanting, as
the power of the spell starts to build, the tone shifts, reminding one
of the rain quenching the dry land, soothing the scorched earth.
Sighing slightly by the effort of casting that spell he glances at
Synxol and offers his hand to help the man up off the ground "Now if
you are done embracing the ground, perhaps we can be moving."

[Bob G.]

When the room exploded, Cal'Shir froze for a moment surprised at the
power unleashed. Then he was watching for falling debris, ready to dodge
anything that might cause injury. Everything blew outward, so there
didn't seem to be much to worry about, he later realized. But that red
flash...what the hell was that? He'd ponder that later. Odd, that.

There was no sign of a child, and that worried him. Not because the
child was missing, but because there probably wasn't a child in the
first place. This demon, and the incident with the hell hounds, they
were being played, and Shyam was the target. He was pretty sure they
didn't want her dead, she was too valuable to them alive, if she could
be turned. She sure seemed to fight the demons with all she had. At
least, part of him hoped there wasn't much more to her power...if it
came to the worst. He'd watch her closely, to make sure she wasn't
showing signs of getting power hungry. That would surely lead her to her
demon side.

"I take it the demon is gone? There's no kid, let's go." He tucked his
darts away and made to help anyone who needed it.

[Loki Mischief]

A deep breath rattles through the sorcerer's lungs bringing new life
to his tissues. Synxol reaches out an embraces Rashear for his
assistance, "I appreciate your assistance." Accepting the offered
hand, he hops to his feet, a bit too quickly making him swoon as he
realizes the full scope of his injuries, and starts the process of
cleaning himself with magical fluff balls (prestidigitation).

[Russ]

Gathering up Shyam in his arms he nods his thanks to Tempus.  The half-orc had noticed that the human was the second one to see if his sister had been a okay.  Despite the destruction she had apparently caused, he still ran forward to check on her.  'I don't know if he is more fool hardy then myself, or just incredible brave,' Karchok thinks to himself.  Looking again at the young humans face as Tempus watches Shyam, a faint grin slides across the half-breed's face for the briefest of seconds.  'Or perhaps something else.'  Turing his head to look over at where Synxol was being helped back to his feet by Rashear.
'Rashear, it is a good to see you again," the young druid says simple, a faint smile tugging at his tusked lips.  He was glad the ranger had decided to rejoin their hunt.  'It's always better to hunt with those you know,' the druid thinks, looking over to Synxol.
"Are you okay?" the druid asks of the fey-touched sorcerer.  The magic user had taken several significant magical attacks, and the druid was unsure just how close to leaving the mortal coil the magic user had been.
While waiting for the response from Synxol, Karchok turn to look at Tempus.
"Tempus, I hate to ask, but would you mind doing me a small favor?  Would you mind helping me find the torch that I threw?" the druid asks with a slightly embarrassed look.  Considering his arms were full of unconscious Shyam, he didn't think the young man would mind too much. 
Hearing a faint whine, Karchok turns from Tempus and looks down.  Seeing Ghost slink up and Scar angrily plod towards him, the druid immediately feels guilt for ignoring his brother and the fearsome reptile. 
Kneeling down, Karchok balances Shyam so that she leaned against his torso so that his hands were free.  Within the span of a few moments, the druid completes two similar sounding chants.  The forest green light that had gathered around his hands pours over the wounded animals, soothing their burns and contusions from the battle and explosion of the temple.  Karchok wordlessly ignores his own burns, he could deal with those later.

 

[Loki Mischief]

Synxol assesses his grevious injuries for a moment, and simply
chuckles, "Nothing that a few days rest won't cure. Thank you for
your concern."

The sorcerer's movements speak a very different story, as each step is
agonized and tentative. "Was the child's life stolen in the collapse?"

[Michael New]

Upon hearing Synxol's question, Smithy decides to be useful and searches around for any evidence of a child, dead or alive.

(Perception: 17;  Survival: 22)

[Erek]

Nodding to Rashear for the confirmation to leave quickly, Keryth is
glad that the human ranger had returned. He notices that Quentin
seems to want to add something to the conversation, but instead
remains silent. Not really expecting a response from Synoxl, Keryth
is not surprised when the fey-touched being appears to no even
register what he said. Karchok, however, surprises him at his total
lack of any response to Keryth. Feeling a bit put out, he adds to his
last question, still keeping his tone calm, "Karchok, is Shyam
alright?"

[Jbizzle]

Rashear looks down at his hand, pretending to take offense at the
dirt, while wiping his hand off on his trousers giving Synxol a sly
grin letting him know that he was joking. Looking back at Karchok he
says " I would like to say that it's good to be back, perhaps next
time we could avoid battling with demons. Keryth, good to see you as
well." The sly grin turns into a full fledged one, It fades quickly
when he looks at Shyam. Recalling Saint Tarlman's words he suppresses
a shudder, resolving to keep a close eye on her, that is if he would
be able too, he moves forward, He looks around and says " It seems
that in my absence that we have picked up a few more additions to our
hunting party... This place still smells disgusting, we can talk on
the way, I'm sure that I can find one of my older campsites, we will
be safe enough there... from most natural things." He trails off as
he starts to move forward, towards what was the entrance to this
former temple of Shandan. Saying a brief prayer under his breath,
asking Shandan to watch over his lost flock and to give him strength
for his journey.

[Loki Mischief]

Synxol leans against some of the rubble, sufficient to provide him
with a platform to clean himself from, knowing full well that his
hindquarters are getting filthy in the process. If frowns were
sufficient to rid the world of dirt, then the sorcerer's facial
expression would be enough to clean a quarter section of land.

Throwing a wink at Rashear, he blows on his hand and blows half of the
magical cleaning fluff balls over towards the other man. "You are
obviously a man of taste and breeding. Welcome, I am called Synxol."
There is a strange sylvanish accent that barely caresses the fey-
touched man's words.

Offering his hand to Rashear, the wizard busies himself with his hand
impossibly deep in his satchel, wincing as he asks his damaged body to
do far more than it wishes to, and drawing out a bottle of fine wine.
His teeth pop the cork free and he offers the first pull to the
Rashear. A playful look plays across Synxol's face as his eyes dance
in merriment of what the day might offer.

[Jbizzle]

Chuckling Slightly at Synxol, Rashear shakes his head at the wine
saying in Sylven " I thank you for your offer, but I will have to
decline as I have no taste for wine after today, it would just taste
like ashes. A guide shouldn't dull his senses while others are
depending on them, being lost in the woods is fine only if you are by
yourself." 'fine taste and breeding, feh not likely, maybe if father
had been of noble blood.' Pushing other defeating thoughts from his
mind he continues his movement towards what was the entrance, feeling
slightly awkward around the group, wishing that he had replaced his
pipe and tobacco pouch just to get rid of the smell of what was left
of this place.
Knowing that his magic would last a while, made the former temple,
now a ruin hard to stand in. Strange and disgusting smells kept
assaulting him, some of them were familiar to him, most of the party
was... of course there was their, observer/ guide. She happened to be
very, very ..... distracting looking but there was something about her
that put Rashear's back hair up. 'That one would also require keeping
an eye on... as if I didn't have enough people to watch over.' He
muses, upon reaching the entrance he grabs the ion stone still
floating around him. Stuffing the stone back into his belt pouch, he
fingers a small horse figurine wondering if he should summon his steed
now, or wait.

On May 30, 7:17 pm, Loki Mischief <chaoticallyincli...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Michael Briggs]

The group finds themselves a safe camping spot a few miles away from the church that was just destroyed.   Karchok puts Shyam down, but his arms burn with pain for carrying the young girl so far.  Upon being set down, Shyam wakes from her unconsciousness.  

"That...was....AWESOME!" the guide says in her usually emotionally detached way.  The worg seems as impressed and looks at Shyam with a glint of fear in his eyes.

[Don Alley]

Quentin settled down for a bit after the interesting fight. Seeing the others getting settled in, he decided people had calmed down enough so that they could have a talk.

"Guys, we need to have a discussion," he says in an inviting voice.

"Like all of us, I want our team to be effective and functional, so we are successful." He looks around, invoking a sense of inclusion with them all (except Diedre and her pet).

"That last fight saw a number of issues with our response. We have 2 stealthy people at least who can scout. We have fighters to control the battlefield and healers. We need to learn to work together, and use each others skills for the benefit of all."

"I propose we allow people who are skilled in their tasks to actually handle those tasks, and give them the time and space to do so. If we go rushing into every trap that is laid for us, we WILL perish. Our good intentions", he looks at Shyam, "are nothing without effective means of engaging our enemy. If we allow our feelings and compassion to send us into danger without precaution, then we die."

"Can we at least agree to that; before we all start asking Shyam exactly what happened in there?", he says smiling, knowing the more pressing topic of conversation is likely to be her unbridled display of power.

[Russ]

  Karchok lets out a sigh of relief as Shyam slowly opens his.  Leaning back, he rubs his his burning arms.  At the sound of the Huntress, the young druid looks over in her direction for a few moments and considers her words.  The power that Shyam had displayed was awesome to behold in a mind shattering kind of way.  And not something he wanted to experience again.
  Glancing over at Quentin as he speaks the half-orc considers his words.  He only saw one problem.
  "So how exactly do we train work better as a team as we travel?" the young druid asks.  Besides, he wanted to buy Shyam a few minutes to get her head in order.  He had never seen anything like come from Shyam in all the years they had grown up together, even at her worst rages.  Karchok wonders briefly if that is what happens when she cannot control of her power.  Not that it really matter to him, she hadn't incinerated them, and Shyam had definitely removed the taint from the demon.

[Don Alley]

"Well, we have to figure that out for ourselves, to be sure. It starts with mutually held goals, and values", he glances at Angel when he says it. "I'm sure deep down inside we all feel that helping a child in danger is an important thing."

"Now, I'm not criticizing any one person, so let's keep this in the spirit of improving ourselves.", he interjects to assauge any rebuttal that might come up.

"We heard a child scream. Outside, we had people arguing loudly. We had two scouts trying to go get a closer look, then we had the entire effort undermined by loud bravado, and the group rushing the door."

"Once in, we were engaged by an enemy, stayed too bunched up, and continued to fight it on its terms, in darkness. Only pure... luck", he nods at Shyam, "allowed us to escape. And while I do not profess to understand the power that was wielded, I think it wise to not rely on it."

"I know that I thought this was a trap, and stayed back. The setup was just too perfect. If we had better reconnaissance, and better situational command, I think we could have lured it outside to fight on more even terms."

"That's just my take on it, and just for this fight. We are all likely to have opinions, and we should reassess every single fight. It helps to plan as well as to review."

[Andrew Airmet]

Tempus did his best to retrieve the torches, or what was left of them.  As they travelled to the campsite, he lagged a bit behind Karchok watching to see that Shyam was still ok.  When they arrived, Tempus sat down on the group.  His head was still hurting from when he had hit the floor.  One of the new comers, Quentin was it?  Was talking.  Tempus did his best to follow what was going on.  He had spent a good deal of the last battle utterly confused as to what was going on.  First, the room had been dark, second, he had an untimely fall.  Tempus shook his head trying to clear it.  Things were a bit blurry after that.  Wasn't there fire, and weird flashes of light, and then the whole building was gone and Shyam was out cold.

Tempus shifted, feeling a bit sheepish.  Perhaps his old style of fighting wasn't the best one to work in a group?  In the past, charging in blindly often seemed to work the best.  Anything else seemed too complicated to Tempus.  Saying nothing, Tempus sat quietly, with the faintest of frowns on his face.

[Bob G.]

Cal'Shir kept quiet during the walk away from the destroyed temple. He
wanted to search the ruins to see if there was a trace of the demon but
he knew Karchok wasn't going to wait while holding Shyam in his arms. So
he followed, silently, as he replayed the events in his mind several
times. The explosion had been beyond anything he expected. Then that red
flash that seemed to protect them from falling debris, what was that? If
Shyam was unconscious following the blast, how was she still able to
produce that shield? Most importantly, could she wield that kind of
power without it pushing her toward the unspeakable? Power corrupts, so
the saying starts.

[Jbizzle]

Rashear lets out a small sigh, 'it always seems to come down to
this.' He thinks, waiting for Quentin to finish, after a letting him
wind down he says " Good idea, but of course training more helps all
of us. All though some of us seem to fight on impulse." Glancing at
Tempus, "Still all the best laid plans will change forcing us to react
differently, we shall have to work on that all well."
"We could talk about how we should proceed, in situations, how each
one of us should move depending on the conditions of combat and what
we are facing. We all have different styles, tricks, spells, and
abilities, we can explain how we should move, and how we should
fight." He Trails off thinking for a few moments then says " I'm sure
that some of you are hungry, I will be back in a hour or so with food.
We can all talk more later, for now just rest and spend some time
reflecting." He turns, pulling his bow off his back, testing the
string he makes a note to get a few more strings sooner or later.


OOC: I will post more when I get off work @ 4 am.
Survival check: (9+15 =24)

[Don Alley]

Quentin listened to the dismissive tone of the newcomer. In what was so typical of this group, an offer and chance at being constructive was shot down by someone else.

"Actually," Quentin says in a measured voice, "I think we should talk about it now, while the events are fresh in everyone's heads. If you wish to reflect, please go hunt."

To the rest, he turned and said, "To be clear, I am no battle tactician, but I am also not talking solely about battle tactics. Gathering the facts of things before the fight is often as important as the fight itself. We, as a group, need to commit to being more careful, and work more coherently as a team."

Looking right at Rashear, he adds "And that means not undercutting the others when performing their talents."

"If we can learn to leverage our abilities, from scouting to ranged attacks, to spells, to fighting, to healing, we have a real chance at success in our quest."

"That means working as a group, not undermining other peoples' actions, and maximizing our abilities."

"In that last fight, how different would things have been if we knew there was no child in the room?", he finishes quietly, letting everyone consider the course of events that might have happened.

[Andrew Airmet]

As the two new comers spoke, Tempus continued to listen.  The new comer had given him a glance.  Tempus had seen looks like that before.  He was too dangerous to be around other people.  Tempus felt his anger rising, and struggled to keep it in check.  After all, Shyam and Karchok both seemed to want him here, even if the others in the group were out to get him.  He realized that the new comer had asked a question.  Tempus' anger burned away the previous feelings of shame.

Tempus rose to his feet, and picked up his things.  "If you don't like how I fight, I'll just leave." Tempus growled at the group.

Tempus gave a brief glare to Rashear and Quetin.  At least the newest member of the group had given him an excuse to leave.  "I'm going hunting."

Tempus pulled his own bow of his back and took off from the campsite, in the opposite direction Rashear was going.

[Don Alley]

Quentin sighed and finished before Tempus could leave "No one said they didn't like how you fought. I for one think it was quite brave. How do you know right where to swing each time? How do you know when to dodge? "

He had repeatedly failed to reach this individual, almost as if he didn't want to like Quentin. He hoped the warrior would turn to answer, but didn't give it much hope as he went into the woods.

[Loki Mischief]

Synxol snaps his folding chair into position, places his mostly full
elvish wine bottle beside his foot and busies himself with the task of
lighting a small cigar. Colourful naked nymphs sinuously surf along
with his exhaled breath (prestidigitation). While the effect is
crude, it is sufficient to rouse the interest of any that watch too
long.

Having no interest whatsoever in joining the debate, the sorcerer
instead focuses on getting good and rip roaring drunk.

Feeling a slight buzz, he waves good-naturedly to those moving off to
hunt for supper.

[Bob G.]

Cal'Shir was going to talk to Rashear about his return, now that would
have to wait. The ranger went one way, and the emotionally fragile
Tempus went the opposite direction, following a comment that made the
rogue wonder if he planned to come back. "Quentin, you speak wisely, and
yes, everyone should have kept quiet while we were scouting, but once
Shyam went running into the temple, all bets were off. What was that
about Shyam, why run off before we were ready?" He looks at the young
lady before turning quickly to Quentin and hastily throwing an aside out
for all still there to hear "By the way, if Synxol gets drunk again, I
have dibs on cutting his throat!" Cal'Shir smiles a crooked grin.

[Loki Mischief]

Synxol raises the bottle to toast Cal'Shir and takes a long pull of
the fruity liquid, "Here! Here! I will drink to that. The bastard
<hic> has been skating along for far too long without pulling his
<hic> weight!"

[Don Alley]

Quentin shrugged and moved off a bit from the group. If they were going to continue to act in a way that befit amateurs instead of trained professionals in their arts, then so be it. Quentin made a mental note not to get too attached to the group. He was their ally, as well as his assignment.

In his service to the king he's had to infiltrate, pose, sneak, and sometimes kill. On rare occasion it was his job to ensure certain noble ladies acted with... indiscretion... with him, and ensure they were found out. Of course, he was always in some form of disguise, usually a foreign nobleman or dignitary of some type. The resulting scandal was usually enough to shut up one family or another, and was a clear message from the royalty that they could screw someone over in far more ways than one.

He had to remember that while this group was similar in age and ability, their upbringings were far different. In many ways, the group has not had to grow up at all. It was not surprising the king assigned him to the group, as well as one of The Six. The core group's inexperience would kill them if they didn't take heed soon.



Clearing his head of these unpleasantries, Quentin closed his eyes leaning against a tree. He faced away from the group in case any were very good at reading facial expressions. Then he actuated the telepathy ring.

'Shyam exhibited incredible, unbridled power today.', he communicated. After a few moments, he received a reply, letting him know one of the mages in the king's spy network was listening.

'She single-handedly directed enough power at a demon that she destroyed it, and the fortified rock temple we were in. Somehow, a red shield of force seemed to protect the rest. How anyone can exhibit that much power as well as that much protective force simultaneously is astounding.', he added. 'When the smoke cleared, she was unconscious in a crater several feet deep. Unharmed.'

He visualized the events as he saw them, so that the handler might see them if possible.

'The group remains easily swayed by emotion. The demon used the sounds of a child in pain to lure them in, which it did easily. I fear that with the group acting so predictably to obvious stimuli that they will be no match for the evil that awaits us. '

'Our guide and her pet remain useless.'

'End.'

He waited patiently for a dismissal or directive from the handler.

[Michael New]

Smithy is taken aback at the throat-cutting comment, but soon realizes
it was a joke, especially after Synxol makes light of it.

He takes a position where he can best see any threats that come to the
party. He remains standing there, quiet, wondering about Shyam's power,
and and about the elven wine, too.

[Loki Mischief]

Watching Smithy's eyes flit to the bottle, Synxol raises it and cocks
his head to the side. "Forgive my manners. I had offered it to
everyone last time and no one had partaken, so I had taken that as the
normative response. Everyone here is welcome to have a drink."
Glancing over at the talking Worg he chuckles and says, "Or another
bath."

[Michael Briggs]

"A bath?" the worg asks Synxol quite directly.  It snarls as it considers the proposition, but remembers the extraordinary destruction wrought by the young witch.  "If it weren't for your untouchable princess, I would have already enjoyed the feast of your organs, fey."

[Michael New]

Smithy considers all that has happened recently, and nods his head.  "I'll have a sip, if you don't mind.  If we each have one, we may prevent you from getting too intoxicated."

He smiles after he takes a mouthful of the wine.  "Very good, and I think it's best not to waste it on those who don't appreciate it.  Thank you."

[Jbizzle]

Rashear drew back on his bow, making sure that the arrow was notched
correctly, taking aim, he waited for the deer that he had been
stalking
turned it's head, right as the arrow sunk into it's neck. Seeing the
deer collapse Rashear moved closer, another arrow notched in case the
blow wasn't a fatal one, as he stalked closer he saw that the deer
wasn't moving, however upon reaching the deer he noticed that the
shaft of the arrow had cracked.
Sighing slightly at the loss of an arrow he knelled over the deer,
whispering "Sorry friend, I needed you for my pack." Removing the
arrow without damaging it further was the next goal, then he started
to work at field dressing the deer. reminding himself to save some of
the organs for Ghost 'I'm sure he love that.' Pulling out his water
skin to wash his kukri and his hands, he started back to the others.
Getting back to the campsite he noticed that the man who had started
talking about poorly they had done in the last battle standing by a
tree he says " Sorry about earlier, we haven't been properly
introduced. My name is Rashear Valkmore, I traveled with this group
until we had... returned to Maiden Shire, I didn't mean to cause any
offense. You are right about how we fight in battle, I was trying to
agree with you, but it came out wrong. I've spent too much time
hunting by myself, after I left the others, too much time thinking as
well, now if you will excuse me for a few moments I will need to
finish getting this deer ready." He finishes with a grin, hoping that
he had mended some bridges, 'Now where is Tempus, well when he get's
back I'll apologize to him as well. When he get's back I'll talk to
the others about what has happened, or work with them on our style of
fighting.' He thinks while moving to work more on the deer.

[Loki Mischief]

"A feast of my entrails would require a very fine wine indeed," Synxol
smiles at the worg, and throws it a little wink. It was the second
time he had been threatened in the span of perhaps 20 heartbeats by
those he traveled with. Perhaps it was their way of showing how much
they cared.

Laughingly passing the bottle to Smithy, the sorcerer leans back in
his chair and contentedly closes his eyes, so he can enjoy the
alcoholic buzz and the lingering effects of the halfling smoke. "I
have not yet begun to defile myself."

[Leslie Lock]

Shyam sat, curled up near the fire listening to the others talk as her
mind whirled about over what had happened. How they had gotten to
this campsite she didn't know, nor did she really care at the moment.
With her face burried in her hands, she holds them tight over her
eyes, the deep throbbing that creeps along her temples a sign of the
upcoming migraine.

Between the torment of what she almost did and what she had done, a
nagging continues to pull her back to the vision she saw, "I don't
understand, how could there not have been a child...I SAW a child.
The demon was tormenting it, we all heard the scream."

[Michael New]

Smithy tries to be reassuring.  "I looked for evidence of a child there, but I couldn't find any.  It was a ruse, and if fooled almost all of us.  We need to be prepared for that in the future.

On the other hand, if you did indeed see a real child, and its life was used as a trick to force us to action, well...  it is no longer.  So, you see, the end result is the same.  Except, of course, that the demon killed an anonymous child, as demons are wont to do.  And the child suffers no more."

[Michael Briggs]

Quentin is replied to with a simple mental projection, "Keep with her and note any other changes."

[Don Alley]

Quentin ended the telepathic conversation with the mage as he heard the last words from his handler. Shortly thereafter, the newcomer approached.

Quentin listened, and smiled at the man. "No offense was taken Rashear. While I want what is best for us all, I'm not going to take any disagreement to heart. I think we all want what's best for the group but may have different ways to get there."

"My name is Quentin Donovan."

"Tempus is a tough one. I don't think he accepts that I am essentially an employee of the king sent to aid the group and keep watch over Shyam. I think he believes that anyone not heart and soul on her side is an outsider to the group. It doesn't help that he has a habit of listening to about 40 words at any time, then getting up, cursing, and wandering off. Any advice on how to deal with him?"

Smiling, Quentin adds "I guess that also means if you want to apologize to him over something, keep it under 40 words."

[Loki Mischief]

Seeing that Smithy intends to stop the sorcerer from getting
inhebriated again, Synxol reaches impossibly deep inside his satchel
and fishes out another bottle, this one half full, and takes a long
pull. Letting out a little contended sigh as he hunkers deeper into
his chair and tries to ignore the constant ache he feels from his many
wounds.

[Erek]

Making their way to the campsite, Keryth dismisses Karchok ignoring
him as concern for Shyam and nothing more. He stays silent through
the short trip, mulling through the last encounter. Keryth had
entered the temple first, a brash move so uncharacteristic of the elf
- were the humans rubbing off on him?

Listening to Quentin's attempt at diplomacy, Keryth realizes the man
has good ideas. Watching Rashear and then Tempus both walk off in
different directions, he can't help but think that Quentin needs a
better approach.

Seeing shyam finally stir, Keryth feels grateful, letting his relief
show with a small sigh and faint smile. He walks over to her, concern
genuinely displayed across his elven features. "Are you alright,
Shyam?", he asks. Hearing the rest of the group recounting the fight
with the demon, Keryth adds, "I was the first one in the temple, Shyam
and the rest followed. There was no child, it was but a ruse, and I
believe their was some magical compulsion that affected some of us.".
Keryth doesn't take his eyes from the young woman.

[Leslie Lock]

Shyam pulls her hands away from her eyes to look at Keryth, and they
reveal much of the stress the girl is under. "I'll live, I just need
to rest."

Hearing Keryth speak of the compulsion Shyam shakes her head in
confusion. "but I saw it. It was just like the time with
Oglendaizen."

[Russ]

  Thinking about how the hunting party had assaulted the polluted temple, Karchok frowns slightly.  Keryth, Shyam and Angel had all run into the temple first. 
  "If Shyam had a vision of a child being tortured, it's no surprise that she would run in first.  What was odd about the whole thing was that Keryth and Angel both ran in as well," Karchok says from where he was sitting to the right of Shyam.  Shifting his weight, he winches at the burns the half-orc had received from the demons fireball.  "Having been in several fights together, I think their reaction was very unusual.  Recently, we have encountered beings who can effect our thoughts with their own.  I wonder if the demon possessed similar abilities."  Looking around at the rest of the hunting pack, he shrugs.  "Of course, it might have been magic as well."
  Tapping his chin, he looks over at Shyam thoughtfully.
  "Did anyone happen to notice if Shyam's eyes were covered by the white film when she has a vision?" he asks, looking around at the others again.  He wondered if the demon had somehow manipulated Shyam's sight. 

[Bob G.]

Cal'Shir had been noticing a trend that Karchok's question brought to
mind. "White, her eyes turned white. I've noticed sometimes they go
black, and sometimes they go white. We need to know why, that may help
us. Some of her visions, such as what happened at Maidenshire, was what
was happening immediately, others, possibly the future" he shudders at
the thought of the demon in the ruined city attacking him "and now we
have a false vision. Did anyone see what color her eyes turned when she
had that vision of a demon charging me?"

[Leslie Lock]

Shyam is shocked by this news, her hands going to her eyes. Hearing
that the change color when she has a vision was frightening and also
enlighting at the same time. No wonder the others looked at her so
strangely, granted most of the time they were reacting to what she had
seen and there wasn't much time to speak of the issue.

[Loki Mischief]

Synxol feels a bit vacant, but decides to press on anyway, "We are
sure there was no child in there? or are we just guessing it was a
ruse because no body was found?"

Guilt washes over the sorcerer if there is a chance that there could
be a child suffering while he is in repose.

[Michael New]

"The latter, in my opinion.   But it is too late.  We tried, but if there was a child we failed, and now there is nothing we can do.  We must continue our quest." says Smithy.  All business.

[Loki Mischief]

Spellcasting is Synxol's only response to Smithy's words, as he slowly
sensuously dances in a tight circle, seeking to make a connection with
powers beyond himself. Less than a dozen heartbeats later his call is
answered as a tear is the sky deposits a canine-headed humanoid with
well-groomed appearance and polished greatsword at the sorcerer's feet
(summon monster IV: hound archon, mana: 25/36). The choice had been
simple, since the creature was goodly, spoke his language and had the
ability to track by scent and the brains to act autonomously.

With a voice that holds far more authority than is normally exhibited
by the fey-touched human, he points towards the temple, "An injured
child might be in the ruins. Notify me if they continue to draw
breath, so that we may free..." It takes him a moment, and a few deep
breaths, to refocus the effect of the drink to the periphery, before
he can speak again, "So that we may free it. If it fell then please
notify me of its location."

[Erek]

Turning to look at Karchok, Keryth says, "I too saw images of a child
being tortured...it was what compelled me to enter the temple."

Looking back towards Shyam, Keryth moves towards the young woman.
Kneeling down beside Shyam and laying his hand on her shoulder, he
says softly, "You are not alone." and after a brief pause Keryth adds,
"Rest and recover, hopefully Narshall will have the answers we seek."

Standing once more, Keryth gives Karchok a slight nod and walks over
to speak with Angel. The demon's blast had severly injured him, as
well as a few others and he hoped the priest would be able to help.
"Angel, are you able to speed up our recovery? Another encounter such
as this one and I do not think we will make it to Narshall with
everyone among the living.". Thinking of Quentin's words of strategy
and tactics, Keryth thinks it best to tend to their wounds first.
They would have time after their rest to discuss cohesive fighting
techniques.

[Bob G.]

The shocked look on Shyam's face, accompanied by her hand going to her
eyes, tells Cal'Shir she didn't realize her episodes had a physical
effect. "You didn't know, did you?" he asks the girl. "When you have
your visions, sometimes your eyes go all black, sometimes they go all
white. That's one reason we move in close when you have these in public.
It wouldn't do to have too many people see that change. Somebody might
start a panic."

[Michael New]

Smithy approaches Shyam and those talking with her.

"Can you tell us exactly what you remember, and what of what happened was intentional on your part, and what wasn't?"

[Loki Mischief]

Encompassing the hound archon within the embrace of his spell, Synxol
gives himself and the creature alacrity of movement (haste, mana:
22/36). His every thought is wracked with guilt if there is any
chance that they left a child slowly suffocating within the collapse.

Matching the hound archon's movements, he sets off at an impossibly
fast sprint back to the collapse, fully intending to continue to
summon archons until he has scoured the entire area, or has run out of
magical spell energy.

[Russ]

  "I've noticed that your eyes are covered by a film of white when you have a vision.  When we are in darkness, your eyes are covered by a sheet of blackness," the young druid gives her right shoulder a comforting squeeze.  "Sorry, I thought you knew, it's nothing too shocking," he adds, a gentle smile tugging at his tusked lips. 
  Laying a little ways to the side, Ghost looks over at the hunting pack.  Getting to his paws, the wolf pads over and lays down right next to Shyam, laying his head on her leg.  He was pretty sure he was overdue for an ear scratching.  Scar looks at the four legged move over to the others and snorts.  The large reptile closing the eye he had  opened and falls back to sleep.
  Karchok look up at Synxol when he begins his summoning magics.  Unsure as to what the caster was up, he suddenly realized when the mage gave the summoned archon it's marching orders.  Wrapping the two in a familiar sounding spell, the two sprint off the direction that the hunting pack had come from. 
  Before Karchok could advise against it, Synxol and his summoned companion bolted out of the campsite.  The half-orc druid signs quietly, hoping Synxol did not find a suffocated child.  Or a child's body at all, for that matter.  Karchok was almost complete sure that the child noise, and the influence that had come over several of his pack mates, where caused by the demon.  He hopes that the only thing that Synxol can uncover is proof that it was a mental attack.  And that would mean no bodies.   
  "Be careful," the half-orc calls out to the two in sylvan, before they are out of earshot.

[Michael Briggs]

The Summoner, Synxol, finds himself without a traveling companion fairly quickly as he heads back to the church ruins.  Talking can be heard not far away.

[Erek]

Watching Synoxl run off with a summoned celestial being, Keryth shakes
his head, "Does anyone know anything of this Synoxl? He seems most
unusual." pausing for a moment Keryth wonders if he should go after
him. "I suppose at least a few of us should accompany him, lest the
demon had friends that come looking for him. Rashear, want to go see
what mischief our strange summoner companion finds?"

[Russ]

 "Tarlman said that he should accompany us," Karchok says, glancing in Keryth direction.  "He was summoned by the Saint's ritual, and helped at Maidenshire.  I believe he said he has spent his entire life up until now living among the fey.  So, he might be... a little off by human standards."
Looking for a few moments in the direction Synxol had taken off in, the druid chuckles.
"He shows a great deal of restraint for someone raised by the fey, though," Karchok thinks of the fey that he had met and trained with still chuckling. 
Slowly growing more serious, he looks around at the others from where he was still.
"I still don't believe that there was a child in the corrupted temple.  I think it was the demon manipulating peoples minds," the druid says seriously.  "My concern is if the attack was magical or mental in nature." 

[Loki Mischief]

Synxol hopes to gain information about scents from each successively
summoned hound archon. As soon as he hears talking, the sorcerer
turns invisible and continues on toward the ruin.

[Erek]

Turning to regard the half-orc, Keryth smiles slightly at Karchok's
acknowledgment of him. He was beginning to think that he had crossed
some line with young druid, and did not want that, especially with
Shyam's condition growing ever-more dangerous. Pleasantly he says,
"He is definitely the odd one, although I have never spent time in the
company of such a fey before. His thoughts seem to be a little
disorganized. I believe we should go after him though, Synoxl barely
survived that last encounter.". Keryth looks to Rashear, "You should
accompany me, like old times," he says with a wry grin, "and hopefully
we'll not run into any more dragons!" a hint of eagerness creeping
into his voice as he mounts his horse and turns to the direction of
the destroyed temple.

[Michael Briggs]

Even with his the assistance of the Archon's, only the scent of strangers not in the party are found not far away.  Its hard to say if any are a child or not, without pursuing the voices.   Strong words and yelling can be heard, like a heated argument is underway.

[Jbizzle]

Rashear looks up, seeing Keryth mount his horse, grins while pulling
out a small charm whispering " Come, Mist walker I have need of you."
As the charm glows slightly A black horse slowly starts to appear.
While not as big as some of the other horses, the horse itself seems
to radiate a sense of pride and power, putting the charm back in his
belt pouch he says " Please no dragons, I barely walked a way from the
last one." mounting his horse he starts to follow Keryth.

[Leslie]

Talk of a dragon brings back the memory of Maidenshire and it's destruction. "If that red beast shows itself again I will destroy it.".

Sent from my iPhone

[Erek]

Grinning as Rashear moves to join him on a magical steed, Keryth looks
back to the rest of the group. Hearing Shyam's comment he responds,
"I was not referring to a red my dear, rather a green one that Rashear
and I encountered. That will be a story for a different time. We
will be back with Synoxl in short order," Keryth says, 'I hope', he
adds silently.

Facing the way they had come once again, Keryth sets off with Rashear
at a quick pace. Astride the steed, and with only the human ranger as
company, Keryth breathed a sigh of contentment.

[Loki Mischief]

Disinterested in what might have caused the argument, Synxol invisibly
continues to sprint towards the ruins. Considering that no scent had
been found, he decides its best to wait to summon his next archon
hound when he is on site.

[Bob G.]

Seeing Rashear and Keryth ready themselves to go off after Synxol,
Cal'Shir gets a thoughtful look on his face as he counts the number of
people not going. He asks Rashear "Is the magical ability of that horse
such that you can instruct it to come back here to let us know if you
have any need of us? Or would you rather I came now? We shouldn't split
the group up too much."

[rpgamer]

Angel was feeling darkness within himself, having kept relatively
quiet since the explosion. Instead he busied himself with assessing
the groups health using his deathknell spell to help. After preparing
medical supplies, he moves over to Karchok and Shyam, lightening his
mood to the task at hand . "Let's start with you Shyam. You seem to
have taken to main blast dead center, then I will see to the others."

As some of the others in the group start to wander off on their own
again, the cleric sighs but continues with his treatments. Calling
upon his deity, healing energies surge from his hands. "Shyam, do you
remember the events immediately leading up to the blast? I think
everyone would like to know better what happened, if not why, at least
what." He looks at the druid for support.

[rpgamer]

That should be Deathwatch, not deathknell which may come at another
time, :-)

[Leslie Lock]

"I'm ok see to the others." Shyam says as Angel moves to provide
healing. Karchok's earlier spell had removed many of the major burns
that Shyam suffered from and her own healing power was handling the
rest.

"As to what led up to the blast, you were there Angel. I believe I
understand now why so many are frightened...I can't let the power get
out of control like that again. Next time I might not be able to
protect...." her words trail, the significance of having not only
endangered but then saving the others weighing upon her. And then
there was the issue of seeing a vision that may not have been real.
"I still don't understand how I could have seen like the other times
but it wasn't real...and why did you change your mind Angel. You were
set againt going into the temple yet at that last scream you were next
through the door."

[rpgamer]

Shyam's words stung and the creeping darkness within Angel sought to
stike out at the girl while she was still in a weakened state. He
managed to contain his anger with no more than a scrunched brow to
show for his struggle. Hate can be so invigorating. A small smile
creased his lips.

"True, I was right. I was right not to bring the group into danger.
But something, or someone (his stare at her hardens for a briefest
moment, then lightens again) compelled me, and apparently others to do
what you wanted all along. Your powers are most impressive and deadly
and potentially boundless."

A slow breath, then, "If I was paranoid, ... but, I sensed you had
only good intentions. Nevertheless, no one cared to listen to what I
had to say. Instead most made it a point to mock and attack me
personally. However, I am a big boy and only answer to my god. I
believe that demons are no longer afraid to walk this land. I believe,
they're inspired by the knowledge of you and conspire to nurture your
demon-side. Whatever we believe, especially you, can and will be used
against us. The rest of us may be nothing more than a soothing cocoon
from which one day you will emerge, burst out as an unchecked
destructive emotional force."

(attempt at humor, chuckle and a glance to the druid) "Don't fret,
Karchok, myself and your other true friends will not so easily be
swayed. Just because you heal, see, and strike like a demon, doesn't
mean you are one. Besides you're way to cute."

[Michael New]

"So, what you did back there, blasting the demon, protecting all of us," ask Smithy to Shyam, "that was all out of your control?"

[Jbizzle]

Calling back to Cal'shir "I would welcome you to come along, 'it would
be for the best." Rashear keeps Mist Walker at trot.

OOC: More to post when I get off from work @3: 30 Am

[Bob G.]

"Very well" Cal'Shir answers Rashear as he springs to his feet and gets
on his mount. "Keep your eyes open" he calls out to the others as he
spurs his horse into a gallop to catch up with the ranger. "Did I tell
you it's good to have you back?"

[rpgamer]

Watching about half the group depart, Angel comments loudly, "And they
had such beautiful speeches about staying and working together."

[Don Alley]

Quentin rejoined the remainder of the group after noting some rode off to look for evidence there was a child.

While he personally tired of the priest's sarcasm, he made no show of it. He doubted the man had the group or its interests at heart. Quentin certainly didn't fault him for that, he was in the same situation. But he did wonder if the priest could be counted on to do the right thing in a pinch, or, as previously demonstrated, would leverage his abilities with contracts and other manipulative mechanisms that ended in fealty.

"There are two needs: Let Shyam rest up a bit, and determine if a child is still at risk. Working together does not mean staying huddled up at all times."

Quentin found a nice log to sit on and relaxed for a few minutes with the group. He kept his eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary.

[rpgamer]

Turning to face his pain in the ass comrade, Angel smiles "And I wish
I had your great ability to read minds and intentions. There were no
discussions what was best for the group, just individual decisions to
depart. You think Tempus also went looking for a child? You think
there wasn't time to huddle for a quick consensus? Yet you were so
adamant about leading the way into that temple of false hope and
doom."

[Don Alley]

"Priest, if you gauge my words and the merit of my intentions on how the quick-tempered Tempus responds to them, then you deserve to reach whatever idiotic conclusions you come to.", Quentin smiles sweetly. To any onlooker using sight only, they would think he was complimenting or expressing the depths of his deep friendship to the man. He hoped the juxtaposition between the two attitudes let the priest know how he regarded him.

"And if you put their spontaneity at my doorstep, so be it, but I'll wager this was afoot long before I arrived."

"The difference, wise Priest, is that rather than MOCK the group, I chose to have a conversation about it, and invited any and all to participate and offer advice. I highlighted certain skills and let them know they were valued."

"All you offer is ridicule and attempts to generate subservience."

[Leslie Lock]

Shyam had already been standing up in anger over Angel's previous
remarks. She had mearly been curious as to his change of heart, so
adament not to enter the temple before, then rushing at the sound of
the child's scream. With Karchock saying that there may have been
magic or some sort of mental control over them his comments towards
her insinuated that she was the one who compelled the group to enter
the Temple. "DO NOT PUT THE BLAME FOR THIS ON ME YOU EGOCENTRIC
ASS!" She swings, attempting to slap him in the face. "Just because
you care for no one but yourself, does not mean the rest of us are
going to set aside common decency in the time of need. Yes we should
probably have waited as Quentin says we should have, but I was not the
one that made you run into that temple and I will not be accused of
it."

[Don Alley]

Quentin knew the witch was upset, but had never seen her actually attempt to strike before. He was relieved her instincts turned towards the slap and not to that more potent and sinister power that lurked somewhere in her subconscious.

He doubted the altercation would be more than a heated argument, but very subtlety ensured the dagger he kept concealed under his sleeve was available.

"Why don't we all take a moment to close our mouth and clear our heads..", he says. "We all have different ways of doing things, and sooner or later we'll need to respect that or part company."

As if to dismiss the tension in the area, he looks around their vicinity and sighs. "It's a nice day."  In actuality, he was looking and listening for any signs that Shyam's outburst attracted unwanted attention.

[rpgamer]

Shyam's impulsive move to slap Angel catches him off guard, and he
turns to face Shyam. He gently rubs the sting, feeling the reddening
flush his cheek. His other hand firmly grasps his holy symbol hanging
around his neck. With a smirk to cover his discomfort, he calmly
states, "Do you feel better now? Instinctively you knew who to turn to
in your anguish. Who else in our group is so willing to suffer for
you. I'm glad I was here to help heal your pain."

Addressing both of them and the others around to hear, Angel adds,
"I'm sometimes amazed that I should be the only one attacked verbally
and physically for my own 'opinions', mere words of my observations,
whether perceived as mocking or not. Whereas I have always asked for
discussions and consensus building, others have let individuals ride
away without so much asking where are you going and when will you be
back. Hard to truely have a conversation with the group, without the
group. I think that clearly demonstrates who has the better interest
of the group."

"I'm saddened that so much fear and hate is misplaced. The lich,
demons and their minions are our foes. Yet others seemed determined to
be devisive, not respectful of another's perspective. Shyam, did I not
say that I sensed only good intentions from you? If you really wanted
us hurt inside, you surely could have done so, but again, that is only
my own observed opinion."

When Quentin remarks about 'we all have different ways of doing

things, and sooner or later we'll need to respect that or part

company,' Angel is caught off-guard a second time in a short span of
time, but genuinely smiles more brightly and adds, "Well said comrade.
May we all take counsel from your words of wisdom."

[Russ]

  Sitting on the ground, legs splayed out comfortably, supporting himself with his arms.  He watches Angel and Shyam, his roughly hewn features blank of anything resemble emotions. The observent might note that his black eyes warm as a shark's, and never stopped moving between the two.
  Not seeing any true signs that Shyam was going to lose her temper, he felt no need to intervene.  She hadn't called forth any fire and there was no smell of burning ozone.  Most importantly, the hairs on the back of next weren't standing straight up.  And Karchok truly doubted that this was the first time a young woman had slapped the priest in the face.
  He was more worried for Angel, for his continued goading of Shyam was starting to saw through her last nerves.  Given the destruction that she had just recently caused, that was just a bad idea.  The young druid had no doubts in his mind that his sister's power had grown. 
  "Alright you two that enough," Karchok says, figuring this was the best time to butt in.  He was somewhat surprised at how much he sounded like Delvin at that moment.  His tone mirrored that of their fathers when he and Shyam had been fight over something stupid for far too long. 
  "Quentin is right, time for a break.  Shyam, Ghost has been patiently waiting for the ear scratching he says you owe him," Karchok stands up.  Stretching his arms, he winces as a burn rubs abrasively rubs against his clothing.
  "Angel, can you think of any ways to help us protect against mental intrusions from magic?  Preferable one that don't involve maces to the skull," the druid asks grinning faintly, attempting to be diplomatic.  'I hate dealing with people,' he thinks absently.  He thought about warning the priest against continually goading Shyam.  Thinking that it would be better to wait until later tonight, nobody like having faults thrown in their face in front of everybody else.

[Russ]

  Listening to priest, Karchok just shakes his head.  'Forget it.  If she roasts him, she roasts him, I really don't care anymore,' he thinks.  While the priests was true to his own nature, one of half truths, lies and manipulations, and the druid couldn't fault the man for being true to himself.  He was just getting awfully tired of it.  In the span of a few minutes he had gone from all but pointing his finger at Shyam and saying "You controlled my mind!", to his typical fake friendship act. 
  If it wasn't for the fact that they needed him for the time being, Karchok would have let the scavengers pick his bones clean.  But, if nothing else, the human was a fountain of knowledge.  And that, the half-orc found useful.  With a glance at his left arm he thinks, 'Okay, and he is not that bad at healing, so that's another plus.'
 

[Michael New]

"I have seen this in the military," says Smithy, addressing all present.  "It happens when soldiers - men and women of action - are forced to inaction, and usually within a confined space.  They begin to bicker, and typically they complain about the officers.  Sometimes the complaints are valid, and sometimes not.  Some officers should not lead people.  

But in a disciplined army, these soldiers keep their opinions of others to themselves.  They stick to the job at hand.  How to gain ground, how to garner information.  They are focused on a common task, and that keeps the emotions in balance and the altercations to a minimum."

He pauses for a bit, then continues, "But our group is no army.  We have no leaders.  I think we should have, but that is just my professional opinion.  We are an anarchy, like it or not, and some of us are less disciplined even though we are as effective as the others.  It's not my place to judge, or to try to lead or even organize this group, so I shall not attempt it.  I can only offer a suggestion: Keep your negative opinions of other to yourselves.  Constructive criticism, if you think it can be taken as such, is always useful.  We all can learn from our mistakes.  I too was fooled by the child's voice, and I admit that and I have learned from it.  So now I defer to advice learned not from my military superiors, but from my mother: and that is, if you can't say something nice about somebody, say nothing at all.

And please don't think that when I am quiet, I'm thinking evil thoughts about you all.  It's just my way."  He smiles.

[Don Alley]

Quentin noticed a pattern in the priest's ways. He would mouth off, and when he was called out on it he claimed to be the victim and a virtual martyr. He claimed he was attacked for his opinions and others were not, but no one else in the group took such a sardonic and mocking tone with the others. Even the socially disadvantaged Tempus respected others better by just grumbling and walking off into the woods. After listening to the others, he nodded and moved away from the main group, getting a good vantage point to see up and down the road and around them.

He was grateful for Smithy's speech. It was clear that this group would not function out of camaraderie, so discipline and professionalism would have to suffice. He hoped those were not in as short a supply as the first.

[Jbizzle]

Rashear gives a wry smile, "Thanks, I was going to tell everyone what
has happened over dinner." He shrugs, peering around, looking for some
signs that Synxol had passed by, ' gods wasn't he drunk? How far
could he have gone?' he asks himself.

[Leslie]

Shyam gives Angel a look of pure disgust. His twist of words on e again turning the blame onto her. He knew nothing of anguish or suffering if he perceived this as such. No, he only knew how to instill her anger, only knew provocations. "Your sick!"

Every word out of his mouth at the core was an attack upon her and the others, yet he claimed to be the only one attacked???

Karchok's words break through before she retaliates further. How they were expected to travel with Angel, to rely upon him, she didn't know. She just knew she didn't want him near her.

She stomps towards the waiting wolf, moving away from center of the makeshift camp. Sitting next to wolf, she faces out into the distance. Her thought settling upon what happened earlier, how she had nearly killed everyone in the group, and what she had to do to save them. Most of the group, she do so again, one she now wonders about, one she recalls seeing at another time, seeing looking much older, in a different place.... Her eyes narrow and she clenches her teeth.

Sent from my iPhone

[rpgamer]

Angel watches Quentin and Shyam take their tantrums out of his general
area. He observes that his comments once again fall on the deaf ears
of emotionally disturbed kids, deadly unchecked children. If only he
had a way to tap into that impulsive destructiveness, so much
potential, so little to show. Thank the great hunter, he was a most
patient man that adjusted his intricate plans accordingly. He would
collect payment in full, ... plus interest.

Quietly he talks to Karchok and Smithy for them alone. "Well that
wasn't very productive. Help me out guys. Is it my role to be the
group's lightning rod?" (light chuckle to humor the tension) Should I
be like the two of you, with little to say? Wouldn't one look at all
angles wherever that may lead to determine the most promising group
action or review results of an action by the group on its
effectiveness?"

"Smithy, you were hesitant and the last to enter the temple. Why
didn't you back up my concerns? Why didn't you offer any constructive
criticisms on how to better discuss a course of action then, and now?
Help me out."

"I'm sorry Shyam wouldn't answer your question about what actually
happened in the temple. If history is an indicator, I doubt she will
explain it to anyone, even Karchok, her brother. I don't understand
her intentions for not sharing with the group what she experiences,
sees, hears, and feels. It makes me feel irrelant to helping her
during our missions. It makes me feel disadvantaged when facing the
unknown. I guess it's especially hurtful because it doesn't have to be
this way. I feel the group is weaker, more unprepared, and in greater
danger than it could otherwise more easily be."

"Karchak, help me out. You have had good advise before."

[Michael New]

Smithy replies to Angel, "I think each individual in the group is very capable, so criticizing their actions is not likely to sit well with them.  That's the core of it.  Especially Shyam - she is a Sorcerer, and they are notoriously emotional - it's part of what gives them their power.  And you did suggest that she had compelled you and others to do what she wanted, against your will.  Those kinds of insinuations are unfair, and are never taken lightly by anyone.  In the future, if you have suspicions about anyone (aside from me), you can voice them to me privately if you like.  You can trust me to keep it between us, and I have no ties with anyone here.

I was not hesitant to enter the temple - I was merely following the sound advice of the scouts.  Aside from that, I didn't think there was time to have a discussion.  Remember, I too was fooled by the child's voice, and that's why I hurried to enter the temple."

[Russ]

  "My advice priest, is to stop goading my sister.  Before it gets you killed.  And not necessarily by Shyam," Karchok responded, his black eyes as warm as flint.  "Play your damned games on people other then your traveling companions.  Your manipulations might serve you well, in civilized lands.  Out in the wilds, no so much.  I tire of it.  And if I'm tired of it human, you can be god's damn sure others are too." Karchok had clearly reached the limit of bullshit he was going to put up with concerning the priest and his sister.  If the human was too stupid to realize the danger he was in, it was his own head.   
  The druid looks at Shyam, who was obviously still very angry.  Turning to look back at the human priest, all traces of emotion had left his face.
  "If you continue to insist on playing with fire, you will be consumed by it," the druid says flatly, doing nothing more then stating a fact.  That said, the burned druid turns and goes to check on Scar and Ghost's injuries. 
 
  Ghost's "woof's" happily and paws at the air in Shyam's direction.  His tail wagging furiously at the attention, he licks Shyam's face.  The large wolf could smell the anger rolling off his pack sister, but didn't think it had anything to do with him.
  Scar opens his eyes as he feels the druid steps nearing him.  The battered reptile grumbles at the half-orc, annoyed by the interruption of his nap.  He hurt, and wanted to sleep the pain away.  The two-legged warm blood had other ideas.  Making his odd mouth noises, the druid's hands brightened.  After the warm blood's gentle touch, the pain radiating from his front leg and paw faded away.
  
 

[rpgamer]

Angel shakes his head as Karchok walks away too. "So tell me Smithy.
Is it my fate to take any and all criticisms from the others, yet not
be able to provide such in kind, even if it's constructive? because
one is too sensitive? one is too protective? one is too defensive? Are
you also as well endowed as a psychic to know my intentions and
meaning behind my words. I accept the others at face value, yet they
have not demonstratively shown why they don't return the courtesy.
Perhaps Diedra was the smart one here by keeping to herself, lest the
group attack her for appearances alone." His mask of confusion hides
the churning of options available to him. He would pray for guidance
later. He would not go astay to this goals.

[Michael New]

"You asked me about you, and so that's how I responded.  You asked Karchok about his sister.  You know he's very protective of her, and if he sides with her in any given argument it's understandable.

I'm pretty sure if you don't criticize the others, they won't criticize you.  If it does happen, it takes a wise person without a big ego to shrug it off.  Sometimes silence is the best option - at least that tends to be my strategy, but then I'm not very good with people...

I can't speak for them, but you know that aside from my advice now, which you solicited explicitly, I haven't had any harsh words for you or about you, have I?

I think your assessment of your role in this group may be different from what the others think.  They don't want a leader, and if they did, it would likely be Karchok or someone else."

[rpgamer]

"Hmmm. Interesting perspective. Thank you for your honesty. I think I
will take you up on confiding in you. Please don't take my lack of
tact or criticisms personal. I will do the same, so don't hold back.
We have shown we can have a productive conversation without our egos
interfering. I appreciate the dialect. I'll take my leave to see what
our mystery woman is pondering. (chuckle) That's Diedra, not Shyam, if
you were concerned. If in short order, you hear a worg feasting on a
screaming priest, please feel free to aid him." (chuckles) Angel turns
to walk over to where Diedra and presumably the worg have stationed
themselves.

[Michael New]

"Yes, we can.  And if that thing attacks you with more than words, I'll be there instantly."

--
----------------------_/ /\/\ /\/ -----------------------

[Andrew Airmet]

After stomping away angrily for a few moments, Tempus finally feels himself calm down as he focuses on hunting.  Hunting.  It used to be a thing of survival for him.  Oddly, ever since he had picked up that "magic" ring, he hadn't needed to go hunting.  Still, it was delicious to have some fresh food every once in awhile.

After some time relaxing and hunting, Tempus makes his way back into camp with three rabbits.  Tempus pauses.  No one seemed to have a lit a fire.  He paused there a moment, sizing up the camp.  It appeared that some people were missing.  Everyone seemed to have split up into different groups and were talking.  Tempus considered making his own fire, and then he noticed the wolf and overly large lizard.  Setting down the rabbits definitely wouldn't work well.

Finally, Tempus decided to moved over to Karchok and Shyam.  He could see that Shyam was more awake now.  Feeling a bit sheepish, Tempus glanced at the ground.

"I..uh..caught some rabbits.  Do you think you're...uh..."  Tempus trailed off, not quite sure what to call the wolf and the lizard.  "Animals, would like them?"

[rpgamer]

As Angel makes his way over to Diedra, he catches some movement in the
camp and notices that Tempus has returned. The big guy apparently was
successful in his pursuit of game at least thrice. Maybe the cleric
would be so lucky. Of course his prey was more deadly. When he nears
the strange woman, he keeps alert to her worg and their reactions.

[Michael Briggs]

Diedra sits whittling away at a stick.  She seems to be talented in wood carving, as her whittling produces a rather perfect looking child statue.  As she carves the idol, her lips are pursed in a whistle that makes no sense what-so-ever.

The worg isn't far from her, laying about on the ground with its head on its paws.  It opens an eye in Angel's direction, and then closes it as if to note to the priest that it doesn't feel endangered.

[rpgamer]

"Nice wood craft. I like your blade work." Angel remarks casually and
steals a glance to the worg to make sure it hasn't shown any
disapproval at the priest's approach. With a nod to Diedra, he
continues, "Impressive detailed work on that child statue, quite
realistic. Obviously one of your many ... talents. Is it a toy doll
for a friend or represents something else special? Someone you know?"
More lighter conversation would definitely lift the cleric's mood. And
besides, her appearance is tantilizing on the eyes and calls forth
more carnal thoughts of pleasure, just the distraction he needs.