A spell gone awry...

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Vailintin
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A spell gone awry...

Post by Vailintin »

Foreword: Before I get this ball rolling, some of this will make use of canon characters. VERY little however, more often than not just vague references to familiar names. If anyone thinks they can manage to play out one of them, and then only if it can be worked in, mail me and we can talk about it. Oh and, as long as posts fit, I say the more the merrier.
Vailintin
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Post by Vailintin »

One more day on the road, Tristian, and his family's private training ground, in the facade of a traveling circus, would soon be nearing the famed town, Longsaddle where, as the bards told it, resides the Wizard family who played many times over instrumental roles in the legendary life of that famous dark elf ranger. OH, how the young mature elf has been looking forward to performing for Wizards. The mundane crowds were fine, but always he had to hold himself back for them, but Wizards, these worldly and wise people had little to nothing to fear from he and his kin. Like any other elves, he and his family had been welcome, most anywhere goodly races gather, even to Evermeet, but rare were the audiences, that did not fly into a frenzied panic when the stage was filled with lycanthropes. That solitary, dark family secret, had seemed a terrible burden, until now.

As with all members of his family, Tristian had been given free reign to decide what manner of adventurer path he would follow, and the answer came to him, when he'd met the "love" of his life, someone who would not judge him for what he was, either way, who would one day be his animal companion in full once he'd achieved sufficient experience as the druid he chose to become. A dire bat, a female. The phenotype of his family's curse, the same. Some might say, Nature herself, made them for each other.

But this night, was a night to have fun, and perform his acrobatic routines, without restraint of his 'true' self. Little would the overeager Tristian know it, but after arriving in town, his first stop was the Ivy Mansion, and there he would run across another of the Harpell family's many arcane experiments, another dangerous spell about to go wrong. Without even realizing he'd started anything, knowing so little about the arcane ways, all around him suddenly went black, teleported, though he hadn't realized it, until his eyes adjusted to the gloom. The teleporatation, for that matter had put him not too far from the birthplace of that famous Drow he'd oft enjoyed hearing tales of, Menzoberranzan. Alone, cut off from his family, and those crazy wizards who put him there, the very out of place pale elf, with his dark hair but distinctly red eyes, a trait hinting at his family's secret, in a cavern. A BIG cavern, and it soon occurred to him, the air feels heavy, and then he knew he was deeper in the earth than any mere cave.

As the dreaded realization sunk in, anxiety piqued his senses, feral stirrings of his animal side, focusing on survival, sounds of possible distant predators, scents, and even the slightest flickers of movement, having him glancing about wildly, until ultimately he resigned himself to the animal within. Shedding his clothes first, storing them in a light pack, he lays out a simple trouser and vest combo tailored for his other self, and then, the transformation is released.

He bites back the urge to cry out at the pains of changing, afraid of being caught exposed. Quickly donning the tanned leather garments, a short chirp issues toward the ceiling to gauge its distance, and off he leaps into the brief flight to move up to those stalactite heights, and there to remain, half-crawling, half-flitting across the relative safety of Underdark ceiling, in search of a way out, or perhaps a nice walled in city, with people who won't kill him. He'd heard the tales of course, knew that some Drow might kill him on sight, and others wouldn't. To Selune he prays, to deliver him to safety, or at least into the guiding hands of friendly folk.
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Post by Bergeth'fryn »

A pair of eyes, darker than the cavern, darker than the shadowy skin around them, darker than the void took in this scene. The owner of the eyes, Barvl, had watched this one for just long enough to know he was an outcast and that it was because he could change his form. Barvl could sympathize, he had never fit into any people's 'society' and considered, briefly, revealing himself, however, he instead sunk back into the stuff of shadow, his home plane and continued to merely observe, through the boundry. Just watching, and waiting. He didn't know what he waited for but he believed it necessary. In his shadowy half-plane observatory he scanned the surrounding area for others. Any others.
Back home, we used to eat those things you call nightmares.
Vailintin
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Post by Vailintin »

Observed, Tristian barely had an opportunity to know it, in this too strange endless cave, the air (to his perception) didn't move right, many new scents assaulting him, the press of gods only knew how many miles of stone over his head. For now there is only his animal-like procession far from the ground, and occasional chirps that call out, more in hopes of finding other bats, mundane or dire within the vast Underdark depths, whom might answer his calls, provide information, perhaps even serve as a spy network.
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Post by veraka »

((alright, just an fyi, there are direbat caves and nests within the Underdark, especially near Menzoberanzzan))

Three figures roamed within the caverns of the Underdark near the drow city of Menzoberranzan. Three sets of eyes glowed even in the pitch-black darkness that surrounded them; one set radiated a silver hue, and was quite tall off the ground. If any were familiar with physiology lore, they'd know this to be an attribute of an aasimar. Towering at 6'7". Veraka towered over most, if not all, that he came into contact with. Though the darkness was pitch black, his platinum dragon armor radiated color.

The second pair glowed deep red, much like a drow; though the blackness of the caves cloaked movement, Neriah moved with the fluidity granted her by her elven heritage, her footfalls canceled out by her enchanted knee high boots. She was barely under a foot shorter than the aasimar to her left. Her tail twitched in frustration as the aasimar's aura gave off a tingling feeling that always bothered her.

To Veraka's right, the set of ice-blue eyes that glowed belonged to his animal companion and trusted friend, Aurora. Being a winter wolf granted her many abilities, including darkvision.
The three walked toward Menzoberranzan, or in the direction they thought was Menzoberranzan, unaware of who or what was watching them.
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Post by Vailintin »

In the warm air of these underground depths, some things do not escape Tristian's notice, a scent, though slightly off, he knows belongs to a canine, something vastly out of place down here. He'd never heard of anything canine this deep, except for beasts of the lower planes, and he did not notice the scents that usually accompany those wretched things.

In the dark, with his echo-location, and heightened sense of smell, picks out both general direction, and general shape. The former sense, however, possibly alerting Aurora, as the high-frequency chirp is bounced off her and her companions. Still the origin of that detection does not reveal itself openly, they are three, and he is one. That is, until he begins to hear calls back from other bats, to him, his other kinfolk. Between natural ability to speak fluently with bats and Druidic abilities, the delayed appearance is no longer put off, as he coordinates two others to join him. Sure, they aren't as fast as he on land, his hybrid shape suited slightly better than they for land, and still.

Still they come, stopping the trio of companions in their tracks, one of the other dire bats, flanking him off to his right, the other remaining airborne It is one thing perhaps to see a dire bat in Underdark, especially with their common presence in this area, but another entirely one one of them stands on longer legs, upright, ten feet tall, and possessing arms with hands, as well as wings, and for that matter, dressed rather simply in what's little more than a tanned hide vest and leggings, suited to his present size.

The tense moment, he folds one wing to his back at a time, then dips into a shallow but respectful bow, not trusting anyone he doesn't know yet... and there are so many of those so far. Keeping eye contact, "Please... come no farther, and tell me who you are. " He doesn't speak a lick of Drow, but the subtle accent of his command of the common tongue, is distinctly elven.
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Post by Bergeth'fryn »

A shadow seemed as though it detached itself from the very walls of the dark cave as Barravellsee'iin revealed himself. Though his hands were empty they never strayed far from the weapons on his belt. He looked at the others and said the one who could change shape, "H-hi. I-i-i ... f-friend?" Struggling to even speak the drow tongue he had been born to. Since it had been months since he had spoken a single word.
Back home, we used to eat those things you call nightmares.
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Post by veraka »

Aurora's keen ears pick up a slight chirp, and within an instant she puts her ears back and lowers her self in a defensive stance, her teeth barred, issuing a low growl, not knowing what is up above and in front of the three.

Both Veraka and Neriah, hearing both Aurora's warning growl and the voice that echoes off the wall, draw their weapons; Veraka pulls out his mastered weapon, Marala Vharc, which instantly crackles to life, electricity arching up its wicked adamantine edge.
Neriah hisses in frustration, unfolding her own wings through her cloak, revealing her as a fey'ri, and drawing both of her sais from her boots.

All three stand there for a split second, in battle ready stances, when Veraka sees the huge bat like creature that stands before the trio. Even though he was a giant among others, he'd never seen a 10' tall, stood upright like a human, and had arms. It looked like a a fusion between the dire bats that now were circling them and a human or elf. It was what it spoke common that threw the aasimar off.

Veraka, being a Divine Crusader for the Dragon-Father, was not about to attack outright unless provoked, so he lowered his crackling sword, but did not sheath it.

"Who we are? I could ask the same of you?" the aasimar said evenly, as his scanned over the over-sized bat, looking at its aura (Celestial Vision, Detect Evil). Seeing that the creature's aura glowed that indicated a non-evil alignment, Veraka decided to indulge its question.

Neriah, noticing Veraka's reaction, decided to lower her weapons, but did not sheath them either, for she was to much accustomed to betrayal, except from the aasimar lover that she'd recently stumbled across from the last time they'd last crossed paths. Even despite her background heritage, what with fiend blood in her veins, Veraka had accepted her for who she was now. As a result of this, she trusted no one but him, and to a limited degree, his winter wolf companion.


"I am Veraka Orden, Champion and Divine Crusader of the Platinum Dragon," he said, returning the bow to the bat, if nothing more for formalities sake.

Seeing that his fey'ri friend, and lover, was not in the mood for introductions, he decided to introduce her as well; "This is Neriah, and the winter wolf is Aurora of the Northern Lands."
After that, Veraka gave a meaningful stare to the bat, his expression saying 'Your turn'.

It was the voice in broken drow that caused the aasimar to turn his head, seeing another elf enter, he waited for the bat to say something to the newcomer. If he was not able to understand drow, Veraka was more than capable of speaking it.
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Post by Vailintin »

First the large bat calls up to his other new friend, telling him all is well, that he may return to his rest. The other beside him, he steps back to give a gentle hug to, asking this one to stay near, promising good meals for the companionship, then peers back to Veraka, "Tristian Gyssemitori, Follower of Selune, Servant and Guardian to the Earth Mother in all her incarnations." About to add in some mention of the notable cities he and his family are on good terms with, those mostly ruled or led by powerful wizards, but then there's this Shadow thing appearing, and every one of his senses especially that nowhere in his knowledge of Nature, ought such a thing exist, and instinctively he tries to reach for his bow, realizing, it was left back in his wagon, not needed for social encounters.

He cants his head as the shadowy person speaks, and it's all gibberish to him. He glances to Veraka, for some sort of explanation, wings now unfurling and preparing to launch him into an escape from what looks to him, like an ambush.
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Post by veraka »

The aasimar raises a brow at Tristian when he introduces himself, but at the mention of Selune, he relaxes, knowing that any follower of Selune is either a good aligned dire creatures and were-creatures.

It is the curious glance that Tristian throws his way that makes Veraka hazard a guess that the bat doesn't understand drow, which also leads him to figure the bat is of an elven lineage.

Turning to the newly arrived drow, Veraka speaks to him in drow; "If you are a friend, who are you?"
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Post by Bergeth'fryn »

Upon seeing the confusion on the shapechangers face, and his hostile reaction, Barravellsee'iin drew his favorite dagger and crouched. "W-what? W-w-w-where?" he asked in his stilted drow, thinking he had missed some threat in the area.
Back home, we used to eat those things you call nightmares.
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Post by Bergeth'fryn »

Barvl looked to the hulking human one. "I-i-i-i'm Barvl. F-f-ro... F-fr.. Of Shadow."
Back home, we used to eat those things you call nightmares.
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Post by Arya Baenre »

{{OOC: I am assuming that there are no lights lit at the moment?}}

Slipping past a patrol, Kathryn moves into the nearest hiding spot she can find, doing her best not to be noticed. She had taken the wrong path to Menzoberranzan, and ended up quite a ways back, and now she was trying to find a better, less guarded way to the city.

Her soft boots make no sound as she makes her way through the cavern and into a corridor, what would have been tell-tale signs of heat masked by the [i:2o2eectq]piwafwi[/i:2o2eectq] she wears, hood pulled low over her face. The sound of voices, loud enough that it seems as though they do not fear detection, stops her. Intrigued, she walks closer to the wall to avoid any chance detection. She slips her head around an opening, dots of glowing pink staring out at the group before they vanish as she closes her eyes.

When it is clear the group is not drow, and, it seems, have only just met, she steps in the cavern, pulling her hood from her face and crossing her arms over her chest in the common Underdark greeting. She nods at the tall figure, having seen him speak in perfect drow moments before. "I mean you no harm if you do not harm me." She pauses for a moment to indicate that it is no idle threat, placing her hands on her hips and spreading her cloak apart in the process, the silver lining a weapon-handle on her waist glowing a dull red.

She looks around at the rest of them, noticing a bat near the others at another entrance, and an animal aside from the three she had seen originally. There is a silence as she seems lost in thought for a moment, her eyes hazing before she starts, and looks around as if she had never seen the place before. "Is there a reason for a group like this meeting here in the Underdark?"
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Post by Bergeth'fryn »

The shadow who introduced himself as Barvl hissed and spun, flinging his dark cloak around behind him. As his spin would have been completing he melded into the shadows again. Back in hiding, he again watches the others.
Back home, we used to eat those things you call nightmares.
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Post by veraka »

The aasimar nodded, and turned back to Tristian, saying in common, "This here is Barvl, from the Shadow, which if I had to hazard a guess, would mean the plane of Shadow. He means no harm, which I would have to agree with; his aura speaks true enough of his character."

Neriah beside him snorted, "hmmph, why you openly trust people just because your little vision says they're not evil; one of the best way to get yourself killed." She folded her arms across her chest, not at all satisfied with how Veraka carried out his abilities and his meetings with folk.

The aasimar sighed, knowing all too well that Neriah said this out of personal experience; "Look, my dear; I trust my instincts, just as you trust yours. The difference is that I've never been let down and betrayed by those whom I've befriended," he said, removing his platinum scale helm and smiling at her.

The fey'ri wasn't completely satisfied, but she knew, and had seen first hand, what her aasimar lover was capable of unleashing upon those that did betray his trust and friendship, or just those in general, who threatened him and those he cared about.
"I still say that you trust to much, but like Aurora, I'll trust your judgment, despite what my bloodline says," she finished, rubbing up against his breastplate.

Veraka didn't care about what others thought about Neriah's open displays of affection; if others thought it wrong that one such as her shouldn't be with him, then to the Hells with them and their high nosed opinions.

Veraka focused his attention back on Tristian; "So tell me Tristian, follower of Selune, what brings a guardian in her name to this everlasting place of darkness?"
In War, Justice; In Peace, Hope; In Death: Sacrifice
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