In reply to camp (msg # 387):

Justin moved about the interior of the ruins pausing at different locations

    luthien and Riku, brave the   hard  drenching rain.  every now and again a wall of  rain hits them as the wind  kicks up, when the  wind pases, they  are just hit with hard Rain.

  Not  far from the Canvased 'door'...they  See a dead Goblin, its   throat ripped..a Huddled  Figure near it , as it tries to protect itself from the harsh rain.

Luthien detects evil again. A goblin with its throat slashed doesn't actually mean anything, but he's finding himself VERY glad his faith renders him immune to diseases. He'd surely catch cold at the least, otherwise.

"Who goes there?"

  Please.... do not ..harm me...I am seeking  the ones..who are seeking ...a..Lady....  the hand  is up as  if to feebly hold off a sword  stroke.

Luthien hasn't even drawn his sword, and doesn't plan to at this rate.

"Be more specific. What Lady are they supposed to be seeking?"

..of that...I cannot speak, even should you chose to try to slay me...I seek...Arrows...

Luthien's sword is still notably NOT drawn.

"For what purpose do you seek the Arrows?"

  Her Cowl covers her face, the water soaked through for a while, it would seem,....a message, from one that....walked the Plank....

Luthien says, "Look at me. I am one of the Arrows of whom you seek. What is your message?"

...an arrow  you might be...But i must speak to the elf....Unless he has been slain...

Luthien sighed, and nodded.

"Very well. Come with me." '

She didn't look particularly dangerous. Most likely she was not, unless she was a polymorphed something else. Which was always possible, he supposed.

And he'd lead her back to camp.

Elf? Slain? she says speaking up.  Which Elf do you wish to speak to?  We've got a few in our company.

From his watch station, Justin turns as Luthien accompanies a half soaked and bedraggled find out of the rain. Casting a speculatively cautious eye over the figure. Devout doth appeareth Thee hath been successful; be yon the source of Thy investigation.

  Kree was taking his  turn at stirring the pot, when they entered the ruins. The Person  all But staggered into the  warmth of the CAve -like structure..she pulled back her Hood.

  The woman that had  ran the messages ,..and had  met them In Ironmound...the  Vampire.....forgive me..I am week..i have been away from...town..for  a few days...I managed to find a Goblin bandit, near your camp....I hate Goblin Blood...

In reply to camp (msg # 401):

 Justin did a double take of the woman, assuming her dislike referred to the spilling of it; which in itself was odd, especially coming from anyone who was affiliated with Kree.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:11, Tue 03 June 2014.

Luthien nearly FACEPALMED when he saw what he'd brought in. Still, he looked at Commander Kree. Tempted as he was to press his holy symbol to her flesh and watch what happened...wait a minute...

"Why were you of all people huddling in the rain? You should be beyond mortal discomforts."

  Come  by the fire....we do not have  what you need...but i will tell you this?..In Olant, there are 2  Halfling  Pirate Ships...any one of thier  crew is fair Game...even..should you bring the rest of your clan...

 Ivy looked up,..Nara!...you are far from Home!


 ...you'er  Dwarven friend  sough me out in the District...according to him, the Emperor sent notice that the  Princess's peopel were  found  derad...But the princess and her  hadn maidain, were not found...they..they suggest you come back..they may want to send you into HArgen Territory itself...

 The woman with the caught her Breath as Mara said  that death claimed  all but the Princess and the handmaiden....they have not  made it to Hargen....when i escaped, they were still in the Furman's chain,...

 ..Nara..you will rest with us this Night..when the Day comes..head to Olant...Kill a few of the Halflings...for that matter..anyone who isn't wearing  an Arrow  Pin, or Empire  flag...when Night Falls...tell them  we have the handmaiden..and are on the trail of the Princess...

Luthien kind of regrets being so merciful now, he'd never have brought in a vampire had he known of it. In fact, he'd have been tempted to leave her for the sun.

But...having already shown mercy, he can't very well take it back now.

So he steps over to Justin.


He's not sure what to do about it. Forcing her into the sunlight with presented holy symbols would surely deal with the problem...except for the fact that the Commander clearly didn't consider this a problem! Still, he feels guilty now.

Of course, there was also the fact she had to rest in her coffin, and unless she'd dragged it along with her, she'd have to go clear back to town to find any rest. So maybe she'd be gone before the night was through.

Riku nodded now knowing why she felt at odds with herself.  She gave Nara a nod and went back to her own resting perch trying to keep warm.

Rolf watches on silently.  He doesn't trust this woman of the night, but Kree seems to, at least to an extent and Rolf had agreed to serve the Arrows which means that he would follow Kree's lead.  "We should set watches for this night, if goblins are as near as it seems, we must be vigilant."

  Nara Looks around..she seems   a bit worried, her  eyes Going to the Holy folk, and she  moves to sit inbetween  Ivy and Kree..leaning closer to Ivy.

 The Woman Looked  at Kree, Ivy and the ...'woman' Youi...You would deal with a Creature  such as this!

 Kree's head  snapped  to look Isra, His  teeth almaost turned to a snarl as he  said,..This...'creature' and her  pack have aided the  Arrows, mor times then the   gods be damned Empire ..ever  did!...and   when  they feed on our enemies..it  just makes the world a nicer place....

  Walking Over  he Crouches  right in front of the woman who now looked frightened,..The Empiure...cares for the Empire....Hargen...cares only for HArgen..that is the top of  the Mountain...the  boulders  roll down hill...then end Up crushing   people  such as us...So?..You will forgive me if  I take the aid of someone who has proved her worth to us...from both sides of her life...

 He doesn't take his eyes of Isra..her eyes  look right into his  as he Points to Nara without Looking,..Nara knows...Damned  and well... that i would slay everyone of her pack, should they ever harm an Arrow, or My people....,

  Standing , the  Elf Looks around at the others,..Does  anyone  else have  any issues...air them now..i will not stand of any misgivings  while  we continue  out  mission...

Luthien went ahead and aired them, then.

"It is, to say the least, rather irregular for people like us to work with the undead. It is...difficult to believe that a vampire can be trustworthy, let alone a worthy friend. This says nothing against who she might've been before she was turned, but negative energy has a decisively corrupting influence on those who are."

Of course, she could've simply crushed the Commander's will with her gaze, but Kree was hardly exhibiting the traits of one who'd been dominated by a vampire's gaze.

"I would, at the least, like to hear how such a friendship was formed...and what makes her different enough from other vampires to make her trustworthy in the first place. It is not a common trait among them, after all. Though I must admit my sense of darkness picks up...strange readings from her. I don't suppose there was a helmet of moral and ethical reversal involved, or something?"

(OOC:By which I mean helm of opposite alignment, but I don't think characters would say the word 'alignment.')

Riku spoke up when Luthien spoke.  I've been in her "home" so to speak, she said.  Along with Kree, we were perfectly safe, though my skin may have told me differently.  I, for one, am content with her until she proves otherwise.

She'd been resting on the tree branch above the vampire and Kree, Ivy.  Hopefully her voice was loud enough to be heard.

   With a Nod to Lutien , Kree  says,..Riku has heard this story before...she  and I  visited  her people in Bowshot....

 He held His hand  Out to Ivy, Ivy tossed him  one of the Bottles Of  Wine  and he took a drink  Passing it to Isra and she passed it  along,  A few  years  ago  Ivy and I were  leading  a group of Arrows  on a HUnt  at the  far west end of the KArth swamp...we  were not supposed to...but I knew there  were slavers there..so..we lead a group..all Young, trusting...eager... he Looked to Nara who had  taken  some wine in a tin Cup  Ivy had.

  We hit the Slavers, through surprise..and Sheer Bloodlust..there was a small clan of Vampires there...they had been  Captured  by the slavers..using  HolyChains..they forced them to  turn  the slavers..ever so slightly, so that the slavers could have the power of the VAmps, but none of the weakness...not a real smart choice..but..slavers  are not noted for being smart...

 ..Ivy went down early..he  leaned  againstt he wall and tried to use his bow..The  Slaver Leader was about to brink his Axe down on  Ivy..I could not stop it  from where I was, as I had gone to Blades..Nara was knew...she had been freed, just a month before  on another  Raid...she Joined us  ...well..she   Attacked the Leader from the BAck..Even as her blade slide trough  his Back, His BAttle  Axe caught her Head.. she fell  Hurt..Dying...most of Us were hurt or dead.

  we had to decide  what to do with the VAmps...they had Never bothered us...there were no rumors of Vamp attacks near the Village...that was when the leader said, we could save her..if we wished...Ivy was the first to vote  yes...feeling it was her fault she ...died?

 Ivy Looked down at the Bottle of wine and took another drink.

 ..he turned her...she ...'lived'..we allied ourselves with that Clan...the Leader was  killed by a Cleric of Mina  a few Months later...Baron ..is now thier new leader...I despise him, and he  hates me...one day..I will have to Kill him, i am certain...but for now..they aid us..we aid them, by pointing out....food...She will gain the strenght back, to get back to Ironmound, by taking some of those  Halflings or Human slavers.....but she has risked Much to come here....

 Imagine...Luthien ...how much it  would take of you...to enter a room full of  Vampires, merely to give them a warning?

Luthien nods. It WAS highly unusual for a vampire to put herself at risk.

"Speaking of which, where is she sleeping for the day? Unless her newfound ethics grants her resistance to the sun somehow, she must be in her coffin by daybreak. The story of how she turned is interesting, by the way, but it doesn't explain why she retains any of her humanity. There are people, Holy Warriors even, more powerful and of greater purity then I who lost all semblance of honor when they became undead. It is highly unusual for anyone to resist the corruption of the undead. As for warning vampires, it is difficult to imagine any scenario where I might wish to warn vampires of anything. Stake them, certainly. Rip the top off their shelter and expose them to the sun, absolutely. But warn them?"

Luthien does look a little confused about how this happened, but he did still bring her here and did not draw his sword upon her even when he had her alone in the rain.