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Haynuus was close, yet he could never afford a cigar. His weakness was one a true warrior would never have. That caring for when your friends or comrades at your side had fallen. It was a grave error for a fighter such as he, yet... Perhaps it was not the end of his story.

He could still hear the circlet whispering to him after all.

For Ameena, the world seemed dull and grey. Everything was hazy and foggy, as if thick translucent sheets had been placed over everything. Her nose and ears may well have been stuffed with leaves, for her senses were just as dull.

Looking around, she could see a strange shape near her. It took a moment for it to resolve in her mind. It was hard to see, but it seemed to be Garax sitting in the chair. He help something - perhaps one of the bottles from the table? - and took a long pull from it. He then stood up, unsteadily it seemed, and with a swift movement kicked out at Ameena.

She felt nothing. It was perhaps then, that Ameen perceived the strange dull shape that the foot had connected with. It seemed like her body, except her body was actually right here. Except her actual body seemed to be whiter than it should be. There seemed to be a bit of a glow coming from it.

Ameena couldn't detatch from what was - apparently - her corpse. There was a very dull beat, like a small drum, that might be her heart still beating. However, it was a beat that was slowly down. Perhaps she could leave once it stopped.

Across at where Haynuus should be, there was another dull shape. It, too, was lying on the ground. Garax had stooped beside Ameena, and picked something up - something pointy. His dagger. Why would he need it? Then again, if Haynuus was really dead...wouldn't he be visible too?


Surprise! The first damage roll meant Haynuus would have been knocked unconscious only, not knocked into dying. And since Garax was still fighting skillfully and a little meekly, not all out attackign with rage, there was no reason for him to keep swinging once Haynuus started falling. Haynuus took 11 lethal damage, so his non-lethal is actually 3 over his hit points right now (whcih are at 11.) Now, that would usually require about three hours of rest to recover those hit points. However, you might recall a reference to your bodies - due to the weird time stuff - apparently being a little fast in using up food, but also healing...


Garax moved to bend over the body, dagger apparently in hand, when there was a odd sensation that came from the other door. It appeared to open, and a black void - shaped like a person, but terrifying in its absolute darkness - moved through the room. Two other humanoid shapes followed, which seemed oddly white and lumpy, and also a carried an aura of horror about them.

Garax stood up to face the black void, and getsuring started. After a few moments, and more gesturing towards Ameena and Haynuus, some form of consensus appeared to be reached. The black void crossed the room, moving to where the chest had been. Some soft glows appeared to be aroudn the large black table-like slab.

Garax's shape came up to Ameena. And bent down. All of a sudden, Ameena's vision was filled with white. Shapes snapped out at her, blobs of grasping white that only later resolved themselves into semi-formed heads and arms. Worse yet, the things did not have faces. Where a face should be was a flat white area. Occassional shapes like the bulge of an eye and nose or the gap or a mouth would try to form, only to be smoothed away again.

The white horror ended when Ameena - or rather her body - was apparently dumped unceremoniously onto the black table.

The black void was looking down at her. Slowly, very slowly, a face resolved there. It was cruel, and elven, and for one horrible moment it appeared to see her perfectly, and then her vision blacked out...


Ok, leave it there. KInda hard to advance the story from Ameena's perspective and not have her do anything, though in this case she is semi-trapped as a passive observer. Anyway, so I'll give Ameena a chance to react and make some rolls. Ameena is tied - by her rght foot - to the right foot of her corpse, so she cannot go anywhere. Otherwise, she is free to look around and tryto perceive the dull shapes in the real world through perception checks. Or she can try to focus on something else, or do something else (Not sure what, of course, but feel free to ask).

After that, next updat will a) fill in the gaps of anything Ameena perceives, and then b) continue the narrative a shortish time later, where Haynuus regains consciousness with 11 hit points and 11 lnon-lethal damage, and Ameena regains awareness with whatever is happening. Dun dun dun!

Obviously, Ameena will only be aware of what Haynuus sees and hears if she makes a really good perception check at that point, while Haynuus will be unaware of anything Ameena is experiencing.

Not really sure of what's going on, Ameena attempts to make as much sense of it as she can. Is she dead? But if that's her body, she's not fully free from it. it looks like her body, but somehow she doesn't feel as...connected to it as she normally would. Maybe she's very nearly dead, and her spirit hasn't fully freed itself yet.
But what about Haynuus? She can't see his spirit anywhere. Maybe he's not dead. Or maybe he's not as nearly-dead as she is. Or maybe he died first, and his spirit has already departed. Though she recalls that dying is quite a bad thing to be doing here, because of...something.
Everything seems rather hazy - thoughts that would occur to her physical form don't occur to her spiritual one. She wonders who all these shapes are, but really only recognises the one who killed (or almost killed) her in the first place, that large human who attacked herself and Haynuus. And she remembers Haynuus, because he's her friend. As for the other shapes, she feels as though they're probably trying to do something to her, or at least to her body, but due to her strange feeling of detachment she doesn't feel panicky so much, not like she would if she was in her body. She feels more simply aware that they're probably going to do something that isn't very nice, and that she would rather they didn't do that. Maybe they'll wake her up. Maybe they'll fully kill her. She recalls that something really bad might happen to her spirit if that happens, and remembers only that it has something to do with Garax's armour. Or something. Maybe this big black surface her body's now lying on has something to do with it.
She decides that, since she's probably not really fully dead yet, she might as well see if she can find anything interesting to look at. Since she's aware that she's probably just a spirit right now, she supposes there's no reason she should remain in the shape of her living body, since...well, that's all it is - a body. Her spirit, like the spirit of any other living creature, would have shaped itself to fit that bod, much like water shapes itself to fill whatever contains it. As such, she wonders whether she can spread herself out, and how far, and how sight will work if she doesn't picture herself as having eyes any more. Maybe she doesn't - after all, her body has eyes, but spirits don't. Do they? Surely not. Spirits shouldn't have any kind of real awareness of the physical world, because they're not really part of it. So, maybe she can spread herself out and...sense things, somehow. Even if she's about to fully die and her spirit finally float off to...wherever it is spirits go when their bodies are dead, she's still murafu enough to want to explore this strange-seeming place she finds herself in. After all, how many other chances is she likely to get?

OOC - So, Ameena figures that she's basically a blob of ethereal energy which retains the shape of a murafu because that's what her body is/was, and can therefore, if she thinks about it enough, spread herself out and explore the room with whatever senses her spiritual self has. Obviously, I don't know whether I can do that, so if I can but it needs a roll, let me know because I don't know what it would be. I did htink maybe a Will roll but that's more for resisting stuff, and I'm not resisting anything so much as trying to do something. However, here's a Perception check for whatever Ameena's spirit might detect in the local vicinity (or however far she can spread herself out)...11 (1+10)...d'oh, lol. Maybe spirit-murafu aren't as good at sensing stuff as normal ones, lol. Well, she's not fully dead so I suppose she's still getting some kind of interference from her body, or something .

Interesting idea, but that's actually, a dangerous thing to try and do. The only thing that ties her to her body, and thus the material plane, is the shape and form and being she used to be. IF she's goign ot just spread out...she may as well just drift away... Luckily she's not quite dead yet. I might have forced you to make a will save to avoid simple 'ascending' if Ameena was truely on -10hp and dead!

Ameena's attempt at exploration almost ends in disaster. Her mind starts to break apart, as she tries to think beyond the conepts of eyes and arms and free herself from the connection to her body. Her thoughts drift, she doens't really perceive the room in any meaningful way as a room, and drifts through the things in it and past it, simply becoming ephemeral mist, drawn upwards towards some strange light....

Only when her body is moved is she snapped back to her form, only slowly coming together as she is dropped onto the altar, pulled by that one teather on her foot which is frayed and almost broken. She has the perception of eyes again, as she sees the elven face...

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"...long will this take," says a voice in Hyanuus's head. For a moment everything is a little bit jumbled and then what has happened starts coming back to Haynuus. Luckily, the circlet is whispering for him not to open his eyes, as he does not appear to be regarded for the moment. So he still has that.

"I am sorry, but I am not Soorec, our queen requires ministrations for this form of binding." It's another, ragged voice, and Haynuus realise it is not in his head, but somewhere else closeby. "Perhaps you should be spending your time ministering to our queen instead of complaining."

"You let assassins of Soorec come this close while you were distracted by your new plaything! I almost died stopping tem from murdering you, you ungrateful broken shell!" Haynuus realises the first voice is Garax. His voice, too, sounds strained and weary.

"I told you, they are not assassins. At least, not of Soorec's. They are companions of the Larethian priest - the other one. I came as soon as soon as a heard. Such lowly creatures, perhaps you are growing soft," says the ragged voice. The more Haynuus listens to it, the more Haynuus relaises there is an odd chill hearing it. And speaking of chills, the room feels very cold. Very cold.

"If I grow soft it is only from playing your pathetic games and bowing to your pathetic goddess! This is not real soldier's work. This is not a set of games. I should never have listened to you. Soorec will be laughing at us, and who knows what moves Dargat is making against us."

"And now I think you really ought to to give words of penitance to our queen," said the voice with a hiss.

"I have no faith in her, nor you."

"And luckily I am finished now. For I doubt you will find summons to her will work well in your mindframe. And it seems your faith in your own body and skills is a little...misplaced."

"You dare!"

"While you still have need of my skills, and my queen. Yes, I dare to suggest you should show me a little respect."

There is an ominous pause. "And yet you still require Soorec's aid, and knowledge even as you pontificate," says Garax.

There is another ominous pause. "Let's get these prisoners secured, shall we?" says the ragged voice finally. "And then we can clear up this mess, and discuss our requirements in a more civilised manner."

Haynuus feels it getting colder still...sudden;y strong hands, hands that are chilling, reach down and grasp him.


Ok, feel free to roll perception, etc if you want Ian. Remember, you are coming too with an equal amount of lethal and non-lethal damage, and are therefore still i na bad way - currently you are staggered, which means you would be limited to one move or standard action a round. Not the best state of affairs to try and get up and do anything, but it is still something you can attempt if you like.

Otherwise, as you might guess, you are going to get carried to the prison where Deephold is. Can anyone say jailbreak? Roll me a fortitude save if you please, but you can add your +4 for having endurance to it.

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Ameena came to again in the same odd ethereal state. The place was still grey, and she was still - for better or worse - tied to her body by a small snag at her foot. The black shape was still right beside her, low strange words coming to her consciousness.

However, an odd movement caught her eye on the table. There appeared to be an even more ephemeral version of herself, with an even thinner strand attached, being pulled away from her. It was being pulled to the side by a strange black shape that was present in this place.

Ameena looked at the ephemereal her. It looked like her, but with better equipment. Ameena was aware she had been that other Ameena, but now it seemed like a separate part of her - like somethign to aspire to, not somethign she was.

The black shape turned. Ameena was staring at a black furred, black cloaked, red eyed version of herself. "Awake at last," said the figure, even though clearly Ameena was not properly 'awake'. Even as the dark Ameena spoke, the black tall shape with the occasinal elven face was still moving aroudn at the side of the table. It was almost as if that shape were speaking, and the dark Ameena was the representation of it.

"It will be so much fun to get to know you better," said the dark murafu. The dark murafu pulled the other version of Ameena way. "And you shan't be needing this interesting thing. No, that's mine now." Suddenly Ameena was pulled down by something, and felt another anchor point just below her left armpit. She was looking up at the grey dull roof of the room. Slowly, the red eyes Ameena came into view. "Lots of time though. Best sleep again for a while..."

The black Ameena faded, and the room grew lighter. The black figure by the table came into more focus, and the elven face was visible. It was cruel, and haggard. And then Ameena's vision darkened....


Ameena maybe has a sentence or two - and no, not one of your huge run on sentences - to perhaps say anything to the weird version of herself, or try and sneak a look at anything else. The dark Ameena, as you might guess, is something to do with the priest. Meanwhile, the ephemereal Ameena is a representation of her future memories and essense that the priest has discovered and has split off from Ameena. She's not lost that - like everyone else, she still will be able to recall that period of time, etc. However, Ameena can now return to being 'Ameena' again. So while she'll recall the future stuff, and still have the shapes of her expereinces everywhere, she will start to remember her initial adventures with the gang, and Haynuus. It's up to you if this reverts Ameena back to a more skittish murafu, or if the echoes of her future self give her a little more backbone. Obviously, she will start to recall Helm again.



Anyway, next update will be to fill i nthe gaps with Haynuus and Ameena, and then providing nothing interrupts, you guys can get shoved in prison and start meeting certain people, and start planning certain jalbreaks!

Ameena is still somewhat confused by whatever's going on. She does know, however, that she doesn't like what's being done to her, though she isn't really sure what that is. Whatever this dark-looking version of herself is, she somehow doesn't really think it's actually her. She thinks, probably, that this false murafu (for what true murafu would act this way?) and the large, dark, unpleasant creature nearby are somehow connected - maybe the former is some conjuration of the latter. She doesn't want to be here, she decides. Not trapped, like this. But what can she do? And what is that other version of herself, that this dark creature is taknig away from her?
She briefly wonders what might happen if she tries harder to wander off - what happened at her first attempt, although unintended, has made her think that she probably is still alive somehow, at least barely, and if she tries hard enough she'll probably break her spirit free of its physical self, which will, of course, then die, and be released to wherever it is spirits go after that happens.
Except she probably won't. Not here. Not with all these unpleasant creatures about that can interact with stray spirits in this way.
And besides, where is Haynuus? Has he already passed on ahead of her, or has she left him behind, alive and in his body? She has no way of knowing. Surely these dark creatures are planning to kill her, or something. Maybe they want her spirit for themselves. But she's not dead yet. Maybe Haynuus is in the same state, adrift yet attached to his body, and trapped in the same way she is. She should try to find him, make contact, or something. There's still a chance he's alive, and that she's not about to die - if she lets go now, she might be leaving him behind. Alone.
And she can't do that.
"I don't think you're really a murafu." she says to the murafu-looking creature. "I suppose you're going to say lots more horrible things to me - well, I think I'm just about dead anyway. So you can't really scare me."
She doesn't really have time to say much else before the dark creature exercises whatever control it has over her (the very thought of someone having such power would probably terrify her into turning tail and running, were she fully in the physical world right now) and causes everything to black out again.

OOC - Ameena's gonna look a right mess when she wakes up, lol - I bet she's covered in blood and her cloak's probably in a bit of a sorry state as well by now. I bet ol' Deephold will think they're trying to lock up some kind of weird giant dead rat or something. Well, it depends on what they do to her. Bastards .
Oh well, all of us except Westian have been in what in EQ is known as the Purple Club now. Well, as long as I get healed enough to actually wake up again, lol.

Haynuus was definitely not with it. He should be dead, deceased. Most of his enemies would have eaten him by now, he reasoned. Yet these people were obviously so cultured that not only will they not eat them, but will do something far worse. It will be torture. He feels the chill touch of someone obviously not normal. The coldness at first goes through to his very bones where contact was made but then Haynuus remembered. The holy symbol! Discreetly, he touches the symbol that rests in a pocket of his brown leather trousers. It was not only enough to deflect the cold but send it back to his owner. He felt better, but his vision was still blurry. His head was still a mess.

It was then he heard Ameena speak. Was it Ameena?! It sounded like her but it was a voice that carried a certain purpose to it or intent. There! He can hear her now. THAT is Ameena, although she isn't talking for long at this point, he is happy. Groggy and happy. Oh it's almost like closing hours back at the Red Dragon Inn again.

OOC - Perception check; Fortitude check (1d20+2=8, 1d20+10=30)

OOC - Umm, Ameena's not conscious - it's her spirit speaking. I don't imagine normal, physical hearing would be able to detect that. Ameena's body is almost dead and probably looks rather a mess right now - Haynuus has just about recovered consciousness but is, I presume, hearing only non-spiritual noises.

OOC - Ahh, but what would he think he hears her saying?

The confusion is that you haven't died and seen the ethereal plane before, whereas everyone else has gone through this in one form or another. Ameena is actually 'awake' in the ethereal plane, which is layered over the material plane. So if she uses good enough perception, she can see into the real world. And more importantly, she's in spirit form and so can see the weird stuff in the ethereal plane. The dark Ameena is not in her skull - it was 100% real (or as real as these thigns go for a manifestation). What exactly it was...you guys will see...


Haynuus found it hard to check things out when he had to concentrate on not breathing, and on trying to slow his body down. His heart was thumping in his chest, and there was a gaggling or barely audible voices in the circlet trying ot advise him every time his thoughts drifted to a topic.

However, it was much easier pretending to be dead. He used the chill of whatever was carrying him (and despite the coldness, there was definitely a smell to the thing that made him think it was dead) to pretend to be dead. The chill itself didn't bother him, and he managed to not only take the numbness of it without care, he managed to lock his body against shivers. So perfect was his concentration that he realised he probably looked dead.

Of course, if the journey carried on too long, he might actually managed ot concentrate himself to death. There was, afetr all, a reason the body liked to make all those pain signals.

Still, the jounrey did not seem to take too long. Which was suggestive that if they could figure out where they were, they could escape quite swiftly before detection. Perhaps. Haynuus, unfortunately, did not catch much of the conversation the two had. ONly one small part after a pause, where Garax or Dolo obviously got closer to the two being carried.

"What was the purpose of the visit, Garax?" asked the ragged voice of what must be the elven priest Dolo Smitre. "Were you checking up on my new 'distraction' "

"Distraction it is! Your flights of fancy are blinding you to what is occurring." Garax then started coughing. There was a nasty sound that could have been spitting.

"Realising what my world is like, are we?" asked Dolo, amused. "Our queen will be so happy. She likes humility." Despite the mocking tone directed at Garax, there was real bitterness that could not be disguised.

"She must be so proud of you begging Soorec for your medicines, then," Garax literally spat. Dolo merely laughed, for it was obvious Garax was sorely in need tf healing himself.

"Our queen does not care what we mortals do and what deals we make with each other, as long as we are loyal," said Dolo, the words louder as if directed directly at Garax, who must have been standing closer.

"I am loyal to Gholst. Remember that. As long as your queen does not lie, and allows him the power she promises, then she will have his loyalty, and with it mine."

"Lie to yourself all you want. YOu knew the opportunity I presented to you. You know, deep in your heart, what you really wanted. Taking Gholst along was merely a sop to your conscience. You want Gholst right where he is now, where he is happiest, and you want what you never had while he was alive. THis mess you soldiers are in is not of my making."

"Yes it is! That is why I came to find you, you arrogant son of dark elf whore. Soorec's creatures attacked the soldiers. Dargat moves to the higher levels of the dungeon. Even Gholst disappeared, briefly."

"He manifested?"

"No, he was still in that pathetic mage. All comes to a head, though. Things are stirring. The fragile peace will be broken, you see. Dargat or Soorec will see their time has come and move, as they have been manoeuvering."

"When we both know it is your time, and the time of our queen."

"Shut up!" said Garax.

"I only speak-"

"We are your other priest. Why we do not slit them ear to ear, I do not know."

There was the muffled sounds of a solid door opening, and then after a brief trip (where ominous clanking could be heard in the distance, though what had it Haynuus just could not make out) another sound of keys in a lock and another solid door opening.

"GET BACK!" bellowed Garax right in Haynuus's ear, although it was obviously not directed at Haynuus. "I do not know why you keep him," said Garax quietly to Dolo.

"Just liek these two, he is a man of goodness. I can sense these things. A very useful thing."

"Bah, the orc looks dead. Why can't you use him."

"Oh, is he? What a waste of a trip, I could have used him. Still...now I see that prime specimen, I will relent. Leave the or's corpse as a wonderful present for the other two when they wake up. I shall have fun breaking the elf god's finest. This rodent thing will do as insurance, for now. And the orc did seem a prime specimen of strength. But no...we shall break this dwarf, and I do not have any doubt I will have the half-elf willingly be mine. And then, none will be able to stand against us, Garax."

There was an ominous silence.

"You look worried," said Dolo, and there was concern in his voice. "Please, let us attend ourqueen, and heal your wounds." There was a careful note in the elven priest's words. Reluctantly, and with a vacant note, Garax agreed.

Whoever had been carrying Haynuus and Ameena threw them violently into the the room. There was a rittle of a door. There was a deep silence.

Ok, thought I'd use a post-break just to swap from Haynuus-only information, to having both you guys come back to your senses.

Haynuus's body finally warmed up a little as the unnatural chill was removed, while Ameena slowly came too in the cell, the shock of the fall waking her up. The two were near a solid wooden door, with a half moon slit cut high up upon it. Torchlight from beyond that door gave the only pale illumination in the room. Ameena had a hard time seeing anything, although Haynuus saw things perfectly.

The room was about thirty feet square. There seemed to be nothing but ruined flooring (to Haynuus's eyes) and the smell of stale air (to Ameena's nose). Haynuus could see, and Ameena could vaguely see, but mostly smell, a figure at the other end of the room. He was hunched over, as if sitting, but he was small anyway. One might assume a child or halfling in size, were his head not proportioned like an adult and his body wide of frame. To Haynuus's eyes the figure had plain clothing on, and a neta set of facial hair and rough looking hair on his head. To Ameena's nose, the figure finally smelled like the scents she could associate with dwarfs. Although certainly not as earthy. And there wasn't really a papery smell as Westiah had suggested. Then again, he was quite far away.

Ameena realised first that she didn't seem to have her pouches, though she seemed ot have her cloak. There was an odd lump under her left arm - it was something hard, like a smooth cold lump as big as a human fist imbedded into her side. And it smelled, literally, of nothing.

Obviously, if Ameena would have concealed something in her cloak and not just relied on her pouches, then you can make a thievery/sleight of hand roll to see if it remained concealed.

Meanwhile, Haynuus came to the realisation later - once his body had warmed up and he could feel - that he too was missing his pack. His circlet seemed ot be such a tight fit on his large head that it had nopt been plied off. And he still felt the edges of the holy symbol hidden in his trouser pocket where he had managed to recover it.

Still, everything obvious - his blade handle included - apparently had been taken from him.


Then again, the more important thing appeared to be this. If this was not some form of a trick, then they had succeeded in doing something Westian had been determiend to do for quite a while since they had found themselves in this place. They had managed to find Deephold.

Hadn't they?


Right, and I'll stop there. Feel free to make the usual checks. Feel free to make the usual reactions to what has just happened. More importantly, time to realise everyone's alive, and that you have a cell-guest. And, you know, eventually you've got to work out how to get out of here too

Haynuus sat up slowly, so as to not to surprise their prison mate. He thought he'd address Ameena first, so as to start a conversation.

"You okay? You look like you've gone through hell. In need of a good priest even..." Those last words was Haynuus' humour once more. He hoped that the squat figure in the corner was indeed the priest that Westian had been looking for. He looked over the murafu half wrapped in her cloak. So fragile he thought. Yet if anyone could get them out of here it would be her.

"Hey." He cast his voice over to the other figure now. Still lacking in conversation skills he let the Hey hang in the air a little too long while he looked over the figure to try to work him, or her, out (1d20+2=9). "How long have you been here?" He hoped the new figure didn't mind that he omitted the fact that he was actually here to rescue him.

OOC - Had Ameena thought of attempting to do so, there is no way for her to have concealed anything within her cloak anyway - it doesn't ahve any pockets. It's literally just a (now probably rather raggedy) piece of waterproof cloth, with a hood, that she wears around her. Did Haynuus manage to get the holy symbol back, then? When did he manage that? I thought its string got cut and it fell on the floor somewhere during the fight.
Since she's been able to recover consciousness, I presume the wonderful Dolo has done at elast some form of healing, or maybe Ameena regenerated it herself (you mentioned something about the group having some weird kind of super-fast healing earlier). Either way, what are my current hp now? I'll assume for the moment that no-one bothered to clean her up, since I don't see why they would if she's a prisoner and all that . And as for that weird lump thing, if it's the size of a human fist, you realise that's probably a little smaller than her head? On her, that's really quite big .

BIC - Ameena stirs, shifting slightly, and realising at the same time that she's back in her body again. Or did she dream whatever happened before? There's something not quite right about her head - she feels something...odd about her memories, but since she's not fully awake yet, she doesn't really concentrate on it at this time. She feels a fading pain in her side which she gradually realises comes from having been thrown onto the floor - the shock of the impact must have helped rouse her, though she half-wishes it hadn't done. She decides she'd much prefer to be pleasantly asleep somewhere now. Then again, remembering the strange, spirit-like dream she had, if it was a dream, she isn't sure she wants to do that either.
By now her nose is being assailed with smells - blood is strongly among them, and she moves a paw, feeling a stickiness which seems as though it's all over her fur, and belatedly remembers the fight with Garax which caused her to be in this state in the first place.
The next thing she smells is the pungent scent of half-orc. More specifically, Haynuus. And it's not a dead-smell. So he's alive! Ameena feels glad. Apart from that, the main overriding smell seems to be that of a staleness in the air, as though this place isn't frequently occupied.
But wait...there is another smell, though she doesn't recognise it straight away - it's a species she recognises, but she can't quite place it at this time. She finally decides to open her eyes, though can't see much when she does so. She moves herself, carefully and slowly, and peers around until she spots the familiar form of Haynuus nearby.
"Oh!" she exclaims, somewhat weakly due to her current physical and mental state. "I...I'm glad you're alright."
The relief in her voice is plain, and she begins attempting to wriggle over to him. However, all this time her right forepaw has been feeling its way across her body, as she almost unconsciously checks herself for any serious injuries. Suddenly, she finds something. Something on her. She instinctively flinches her paw away and awkwardly rolls into a crouching position, raising her left foreleg so as to get a better look at whatever it is she's just found.
Whatever it is, it seems to be actually attached to her in some way. Flashes of her spirit-vision come back to her but are overridden by her instinctive response, which is to try and get away from this strange thing even tohugh she has no idea what it is. It doesn't even have a scent, and this scares her even more.
"What...what is it? There's something...I...there's something in me!" she stutters, scrabbling frantically backwards and clawing at her side with her right forepaw as though she can hope to dig the whatever-it-is out with her claws alone.

OOC - Perception check for a slightly(and albeit somewhat brief) closer inspection of the...thingy...20 (10+10). Deephold can wait for now - I want to find out what the hell you've done to my poor murafu now .

OOC - I should really try and draw some kind of picture of a murafu at some point - I had thoughts in mind once of an image depicting all four (original) party members, but I've never got round to it and three of them would turn out rubbish anyway 'cause I can't draw humanoids very well . I would imagine her to be maybe around the size of a fairly small dog...bigger than a Jack Russell, but smaller than a collie (and, obviously, lower to the ground ). That's not including the tail, obviously, and she has a slimmer build so she weighs less than she may appear. Her tail is about as long as she is. When she stands upright and stretches out fully, her height probably more than doubles - if she was standing next to me she'd probably come up to about my waist, but I'm not exactly tall - on someone of average height (which I'm guessing Westy is), probably about thigh-height. On Haynuus, whom I imagine to be somewhat taller, not even that - maybe knee-height? Hence why having a conversation with them whilst on the move is somewhat difficult for her, since her head is probably about 10cm off the ground or something .
Meanwhile, it looks like I simul-posted with Ian last night. Okay so my post is timed at six minutes after his, but I was still writing mine when he posted his so I didn't notice it . Sorry, Ameena's not ignoring Haynuus - actually, looking over what I posted, her words to him can fit in as a response to what he says to her, so that's alright .
And just to get the memory thing clear, does Ameena now remember stuff from both runs, or has she forgotten what she knew about the First Run or something? It sounds as though those memories have somehow been "stolen", or something. I have also noticed a similarity in the colour scheme between that "dark murafu" and a certain other individual - whether this is coincidence or not I suppose I'll find out at some point .

"Hello there," said the figure at the end of the room in return to Haynuus. He said it in low, measured tones. His voice was neutral enough and soft, although could not disguise the metaphorical gravel in the throat of any dwarf, no matter where they had lived their lives.

Unfortunaltely the hunched figure presented a very small target for Haynuus to quite get to grips with, even with his Darksight. Still, the colour of a man's trousers - be they black, brown or dark grey - could be important, and for now Haynuus couldn't tell! Still, the dwarf reminded Haynuus of Westian in some undefineable way, even though Haynuus now had a chorus of whispering voice to define new words for him! Just as Westian had commanded Haynuus's respect and trust somehow, the dwarf had a very measured, reassured way about him that was unlike the very cruel and self-centred way all the soldiers and their allies in this placed seemed to have possessed.

"It is easy to lose track of time," says the dwarf, "but I think I have been here in this cell a few hours. I have certainly only been in this place a day at most. I had not realised so many walked the halls of the Grey Lord. I hope the soldiers of Gholst are kept busy."

Ameena's bustling distracts from the attempt at conversation with the dwarf. Her panicked reaction does not reveal too mcuh in this light, until she presses it. It is definitely solid, like a smooth gemstone in texture. Pressing it too hard, such as rolling around, actually makes her bones ache, and her head hurt at the back of her skull. Worse yet, touching it with her bare hand sudden;y conjurs the image of that dark-faced and red eyed alternate Ameena. And very rarely, a flash of something else - some strange horn-helmed figure.

"The rodents of this place speak?" says the dwarf in surprise. "I had not known. The foulness of these soldiers reaches new depths, in that case." The dwarf shuffles forwards. "Calm yourself, please" he says in Ameena's direction with a low, soft voice. "Let me see the area, I am familiar with some of the practises of Loth's followers, if this is their handiwork."

The dwarf comes forward only half the distace, either unwilling to intrude, or still suspicious of his two new cellmates.


Ok, update up! Ameena didn't really need to roll perception here, it's like a take 10 (passive perception) if you are out of an immediate situation. Still, I've honoured your roll and given you some information. Wherther more will be forthcoming over time, I'll let you find out

And yes, Ameena now has the memories of both runs. There is still that connection (remember the pale string) to her FR memories, so just like Haynuus she is sort of straddling both. Unlike Haynuus, I imagine she would be more attached to the SR (present day) memeories than the future (FR) memories. If you think differently, feel free to play it that way instead. Note that her memories are not the only thing that carries over travelling between time. There is a link to the future, and some tempral energy too. Whether that is what was represented by the future Ameena being pulled free, I'll leave to your imagination


Lol, so the usually loquacious murafu isn't instantly diving at the new character. Haynuus might have a chance for some DIPLOMACY!

OOC - Well, the reason the usually-loquacious murafu isn't diving at the new character is becuase you put a nasty stone thingy in her side!
As for the memory thing, that all sounds rather complicated, lol. I think I'll just stick to Ameena having muddled recollections of both and just generally being confused by it all .

BIC - Ameena manages to stop panicking, just about, as she becomes aware of another creature in the room with herself and Haynuus. Her right forepaw twitches in an almost involuntary way as she resists the urge to continue clawing and pulling at the stone-thing - though she fears this thing, whatever it is, she is more fearful of the strange images that flicker in her mind when she touches it with her paw. She vaguely wonders why touching it with a paw makes any difference, when the thing is obviously in constant physical contact with her anyway, but only wonders this very briefly as the other creature comes near and she recognises him as a dwarf, putting his visual appearance (such as she can see of it in the dim light, anyway) with the smell she picked up on waking.
She then takes another moment to realise that this must be Deephold, the person Westian is looking for. Finally, it takes another moment for his words to permeate her fear-riddled brain, and then one more for her to hesitantly stutter a response.
"I...no, I'm not from here." she manages to say. "I'm not a...creature of this place. I suppose you think I'm a rat, but I'm not - I'm a murafu. Maybe I can explain, but...but..."
She glances fearfully down at her side again.
"Do you know...can you fix this?" she asks, her normally inquisitive eyes wide with fear. "What is it? Can you get it out? I don't like it. I think that...person put it in there. But...I don't want it. Can you help me? You're Deephold, aren't you, yes? So I think you're probably a friend - Westian said so. So maybe you can do...cleric-things too...and maybe that means you can do magic to get rid of this?"
She glances down at it once more.
"It makes...images...in my head, when I touch it with my paw." she says quietly, as though merely saying the words will make those images come back.
She abruptly realises that she should probably let the dwarf get a closer look, and shuffles forward in a sort of half-crouch, turning her side toward him so he can see.

OOC - If Deephold wants to touch the blackstone thingy, she won't flinch away unless it hurts or makes the visions reappear, or he makes any sudden movements which might startle her .

OOC - Only if she fully remembers that herself - I seem to recall that her brain might cave in, or something, if she manages to recall all the details . And the only way she's likely to become more violent and stuff would be if she took such severe damage to her mind/personality that she was pretty much irrevocably altered - the whole pacifist/friendly thing is pretty much inherent to her basic nature .

"You've been here... A couple of hours?" His voice trails off in thought. His new level of intellect told him that something may be wrong, and even if he put two more circlet's on his head he probably wouldn't be able to work it out.

"As Ameena said, Westian of the clericy West-Lothian order asked us to look for you. Hey, I have a holy symbol. Is it yours?" He pulls out the symbol, moves over and offers it to the dwarf. "Maybe you need it to help the ra.... Murflu. Her name is Ameena, mine is Haynuus." He waits to see if the dwarf is interested in the symbol and then withdraws to a safe distance.

"My apologies," says the dwarf with a small, slow nod. "My studies go high and wide. I am afraid my studies on practical matters and nature become lacking until missions such as these." The dwarf shuffles forwards to look at the region Ameena is indicating. "Fixing it may be difficult. Protecting you from the effects will be a matter of meditation and prayer. Both your own and mine."

The dwarf is about to say more, but then Ameena's pronouncement of his name freezes him. The dwarf looks from Ameena to Haynuus and back to Ameena. He takes a perceptable step backwards. "I have a name, yes. And that other name you say may well be of my order." Again, the dwarf took another step backwards.

He looks suspiciously at Haynuus as the orc begins to speak. Only when Haynuus produces the holy symbol does the dwarf raise a bushy eyebvrow. He noticed something on it. "It is indeed. I left it with someone." The dwarf shuffles forward slowly, avoiding Ameena even as the murafu is trying to to show her side to the dwarf. He reaches out tasntatively to take the holy symbol. However, after the inital touch, before Haynuus can release the symbol, the dwarf puts his other hand upon it, also takign the orc's hand. It seems an oddly familiar gesture considering the look of suspicious the dwarf has.

"It is the symbol of the Lord Larethian. Carellon Larethian. His name be praised." The dwarf seems to look for some form of reaction from the orc. Not seeing anything obvious seems to be a relief to the dwarf, and he takes the symbol with a word of thanks and a nod. He looks from it to Haynuus. "My thanks, I gave it away to someone who needed its protection more than I. How did you come by it? "

The dwarf then moved back over to Ameena. "My apologies, I will look at your side now that we have cleared matter up. I am indeed who you say I am, but I would beg you not to think upon that name." He also looks to Haynuus as he says this. "I would further suggest you not share your own names so casually." Deephold then moves slowly left and right to look at Ameena's side, gently touching a limb to indicate she should move so the minimal light could be allowed to catch the gem in other ways.

"How do you know..our mutual friend? And how did he send word to you? I am amazed he was told of my mission, let alone be allowed to send a message. I wish I had met you before I entered this place. The guides I secured were...less than able." There seemed genuine sadness instead of condemnation in his words.

Deephold then addressed Ameena directly for a moment. "Do not be alarmed. No ill should come to you." Deephold placed his hand on the holy symbol he had secured around his neck, and with his other hand gently reached forwards to touch the gem. "Lord Larethian, guide my mind and bring forth the knowledge I have secured to aid this being. She is afflicted by a minion of one you hold as a mortal enemy. In your name, all good is done."

However, when Deephold's hand touched the gem, Ameena screamed. It did not seem to be in pain, it seemed to be in an odd, high pitched rage. Her eyes flared red in the half-light, and she attempted to bite Deephold's hand, gouging a small lump of flesh out of the back of his hand. He quickly pulled away with surprise. Ameena, eyes back to normal, regained control of her body.


If ever there was a metagame reason to discover the mystery of the black gem and get rid of it, it would seem to be this - you need to stop evil DMs making your character do non-character things. If this possession still crosses a line with you controlling your own character, let me know and I won't do it again. However, this time was definitely not Ameena...Ameena can have a very good guess at what strange thing just suddenly took her over though.

OOC - The "brain caving-in" thing was a reference to the events that occurred very shortly after she parted company with Helm . And from the looks of things, something of that has been possibly drawn out of her and...utilised, somehow. Technically, since when someone is possessed they by definition dont have control over themselves, I don't object to it at the moment. it depends on what you get her to do .
One question - Will Ameena know what she's just done, or will her mind have "blanked" for the few seconds it took her to freak out and chomp Deephold's hand? I'll hold off posting till I know, since obviously it'll affect her reaction somewhat .

OOC - Okay then...

BIC - Ameena is only half-listening to Deephold as he talks, then feels somewhat hopefuly as he turns his full attention to the...stone...thing in her side. She wonders whether, after his comments about names, it's a good idea for him to pronounce Larethian's so loudly. Then again, from what she's gathered, Larethian is someone very, very powerful who can hear people no matter where they are, even down here in this terrible place, so maybe it's alright because Larethian is more powerful than...the person who does bad things with people's names.
However, when Deephold touches the stone after making this pronouncement, she suddenly feels very strange and experiences that same bizarre not-fear that she felt when she and Westian were fighting the undead creature back in the Elements' cave. However, this time it's worse. Much worse. And she can do nothing as she lunges forward and bites at Deephold's hand.
Suddenly, she's back in control of herself again and freezes, staring at the wound on Deephold's hand in shock. She bit him! She just deliberately attacked someone who was trying to help her, someone she's been told all along is a friend - what has she become? It must be the black stone - she would never have done such a thing before, and it only happened when Deephold tried to...do whatever he was going to do to it.
But how does she know it won't happen again?
Slowly, she looks between Deephold and Haynuus, feeling as though no amount of apology will be enough for what she's just done. She slowly starts to back away from them as though anticipating some kind of wrathful response to her behaviour.
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I mean, I did, but it wasn't me. I don't think. It must be...I think whatever they did...this stone thing...I've gone bad. I think you should probably...probably stay away from me, in case I do something worse. I don't want to hurt anyone. I never did...and...but I just did and I couldn't stop it...so maybe I'm not really me any more. Just...I think you should probably just...stay away."
Though it hurts to say those words, since it goes against her very nature to push friends away, she feels that it is best - it's lucky she has no weapons worse than her teeth, otherwise who knows what harm she might have done?
She suddenly turns, and bolts away from the dwarf and half-orc, darting over to the nearest wall and cowering there with an overwhelming sense of fear inside her. Then that fear, mainly of the stone (the Darkstone, she decides to call it) in her side, finally breaks free and she turns on herself, soem part of her thinking that perhaps she can remove it if she tries to gnaw it free - she's a murafu, after all. Her kind can gnaw wood into all kinds of shapes, so why can't she chew this Darkstone thing out of her?
She wrenches her cloak off, hurling it as far as she can (which isn't far, considering she's not all that strong and cloaks aren't particularly aerodynamic), then sets upon her own side, heedless of the pain or the blood.

OOC - Ameena does 1 damage to herself (yes, I rolled it, fortunately I rolled low ). She doesn't care about lethal/non-lethal right now. She just wants this thing out of her. For the purposes of the other characters' responses to this, if they try to come near her she'll try to move herself as far away from them as she can, but she won't try to attack them (obviously, I would hope ). If she noms herself again and manages the full 3hp damage, that will reduce her to zero.
Anyway, well done, you've completely fraked out my character now - you didn't expect her to actually attack a friend and then just shrug and move on, did you?

Haynuus stares in horror at the events. He didn't realise at first just why she was requiring healing. He assumed it was the cuts and bruises from the fight earlier, she had also just been thrown on the floor - hard. It was then he saw the lump. He thought it was strange but as soon as the cleric started to apply his magicks Ameena had reacted with fury. She blurted out things he didn't quite understand. Then the worst had come. To see her mutilate herself was more horrible than any fight he had been in. He put both hands over his mouth and gave a silent scream. Of all of them she was the most sensible, the sanest one amongst them. For her to do such a thing to herself must be a sign she is in hell itself.

"Wait!"