Noct Yaegir Vignette - Moonlight Before the Mountains

[Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher]

The old orc let out a hearty laugh and patted Melfa on the back.

“Cold? Ah, of course of course. I forget how troubled your kind can be by chiller climates. Come then daughter of Kotir and let me show you a hidden wonder of Crobhear!”

Karsk began to make his way across the hall, stopping to pluck Ispir off the ground with alarming ease. Aiming to carry the young bard like one would a rolled up rug.

“You shall come too child. I see you shivering alone like prey in this house of hunters and will not allow such an injustice. Now let us three go off and be warm!”

Those who would follow, were led down into the depths of Crobhear. To a room beside where one of the keeps several wells could be found. Beyond the unassuming door there stood a formidable bath, finely carved from the stone of the cliff. It had a chamber underneath with which to start a fire and heat the bath like a giant cooking pot. As well a simple drain that would empty water out the cliff face if unplugged.

Karsk went right to work, drawing water and collecting wood for the bath, imploring whoever else “joined” him down to pitch in.

 

[Sigrun Flintfeet]

Sigrun glanced across the room at Vel'duith, noting her distinct change in demeanour. At first she had seemed so exuberant, as if even a dwarf's presence couldn't strike her wonder and joy from seeing the moon. But for some reason, it changed when Sigrun questioned her vision.

Strange. Perhaps she had simply been reminded of present company and rediscovered the awkwardness. Or perhaps, she had been reminded of something else. Regardless, she left in rather a hurry. Sigrun closed her eyes, but her attention drifted carefully after the wet slap of feet going across the room, followed by the rushed rustling of clothes.

And like that, the drow had left, the door slamming defensively behind her, like a closed gate. Sigrun mentally shrugged to herself. Who knew how someone from the deepest parts of the Underrealm thought? In truth, it relieved her to be in her own company once more, though she did find herself nursing a spark of curiousity at her counterpart's sudden fluster.

 

[Vel'duith Voiryn]

Vel'duith searched her thoughts as she fled to the barracks, her unsashed robes billowing in her wake. If Sigrun had guessed what visit she had alluded to, she hadn't shown it, despite surely knowing of those sorts of tales of the drow. She herself had encountered accounts over and over again in books of history, where a bloodthirsty raid-party of what she knew to be masked drow children had come with sword, knives, and glaive in the night to some village, leaving fire, carnage, and weeping in their wake. She bitterly remembered her yathrin's lies. The only swords she had seen wielded had been in the hands of her cadre-mates. There was no enemy army poised to strike. There were truly not even any enemies. Only people who had gone to bed in peace, doomed to be awakened to their slaughter.

It had been years since the violent, disturbing memory of her blooding-raid had resurfaced in a reverie, and she hadn't even been meditating when it did just now. So, why now? Thinking back, the change coincided with her choice to follow Sse'elah's dogma and teachings. Before that, why, most meditations, no memories came to her at all, only a strangely calming, mind emptying void. Now she was daily haunted by seemingly every foul memory she had ever had. Was Sse'elah indeed behind it? Was this some message, some lesson? The drow paced a moment in the hall outside the barracks, and pondered. This keep seems quite old - might its library here harbor any enlightenment beyond the expected cryptozoology, thanatology, and weapon-treatises among its shelves?

Stepping slowly to avoid waking any still sleeping, Vel'duith pulled a short beam of deep red-dyed spidersilk from her pack, sat down, wiped the dust from her chilled feet, and began wrapping them in the silk. She rolled the spare ends after cutting off each makeshift footwrap, fashioning them into simple silken cords to bind the wrappings together. Appraising her handiwork, a slight grimace twisted her thin lips. Hideous. But it would just have to do for now.

Nearly afraid to sit and clear her mind anew, the drow decided to seek solace, distraction, and perhaps even enlightenment in the library. She tied her robes the rest of the way closed, pulled a comb through her hair lest it start to tangle, tucked her silver dagger into her robe-sash, and started down the side-hallway the young guard that morning had told her led toward the library.

 

[Melfa]

The old orc let out a hearty laugh and patted Melfa on the back.

“Cold? Ah, of course of course. I forget how troubled your kind can be by chiller climates. Come then daughter of Kotir and let me show you a hidden wonder of Crobhear!”

Karsk began to make his way across the hall, stopping to pluck Ispir off the ground with alarming ease. Aiming to carry the young bard like one would a rolled up rug.

“You shall come too child. I see you shivering alone like prey in this house of hunters and will not allow such an injustice. Now let us three go off and be warm!”

Those who would follow, were led down into the depths of Crobhear. To a room beside where one of the keeps several wells could be found. Beyond the unassuming door there stood a formidable bath, finely carved from the stone of the cliff. It had a chamber underneath with which to start a fire and heat the bath like a giant cooking pot. As well a simple drain that would empty water out the cliff face if unplugged.

Karsk went right to work, drawing water and collecting wood for the bath, imploring whoever else “joined” him down to pitch in.

Given her penchant for warmer climbes, most wonders of Crobhear remained a mystery to Melfa. Though let no one say she was not a Komodi of curiosity. The promise of intrigue was near enough to all one needed for stringing the frigid heathen along with them. Especially when the tiny man with the warm cups would be going as well.

Melfa followed, stiffly and slowly and dragging her mountainous collection of furs and leathers. Down down down they went.

Into the chamber Melfa trudged, her breath no longer fogging from lack of inner warmth. She might just have to bed on embers tonight.

"Haaaaaaa-" split her cracked lips and pointed teeth, aureate eyes glinting from the dim flicker of fading torches on the walls, "an bath!"

She scuttled like a snapping turtle making way for a pond over to the hearth and began to jerkily load it up with wood while Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher worked the water.

FWOOOOM!​

Went Melfa's firebreath. No kindling needed - the stack immediately caught, flammable venom dribbling through the pieces.

Ispir Sione

 

[Ispir Sione]

Ispir would blink as he was simply..... picked up!

The words of the muscular orc made the small bard pout who, waving his arms and legs in surprise, would suddenly clutch his cap to his head and retort.

"I-I'm not a kid! I'm just short!"

The protest would fall on deaf ears however as he bounced and jostled with every step that Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher took. The instruments making an occasional accentuating sound with the movements as Ispir added a second hand to holding his cap in place. Looking about frantically for anyone he knew to help him out of this situation he would wave them for help as much as he could before craning his neck to try and look up at Karsk and ask.

"A-Also where are we go-....."

The question was answered by their arrival and Ispir's eyes widened in surprise. Then his features bloomed a bright salmon and he would wriggle free of Karsk's grasp as the orc transitioned to focusing on gathering wood for the bathes. The tall cocoa-addicted dragon woman from earlier aided him in preparing the warm baths and Ispir would idly fidget with his cloak as he made not-so-subtle scooting motions toward the door.

"I umm... I appreciate the offer but uhh..."

Coughing into a hand and averting his aquamarine eyes he would keep them trained on the floor as he confessed softly.

"I don't.... think I wish to bathe with others present."

Melfa
Voe
Sigrun Flintfeet
Vel'duith Voiryn
Andel Moon​

 

[Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher]

The tub was filled and the water was warming nicely. Karsk was making jolly chatter of little consequence, setting things back in their places before joining Melfa in the water. When suddenly the young human he had invited (kidnapped) said something clearly for the first time since Karskgorak had picked him up.

The old orc leaned close to Ispir’s face. So close it almost seemed like he was going to poke one of the young bard’s eyes out with a tusk.

“Hmmmmmmm. That this is where you cleanly try to draw the line little human.”

Karskgorak straightened up and let out a booming and hearty laugh. “Ah! How utterly varied you humans can be! Why I’ve known humans as brave as any orc, and others who seemed scared of their own shadow. Yet here is a human courageous enough to ascent the world’s spine, yet not to bath publically!”

“I shall respect your hilarious request ‘short’ though I implore you stay all the same! Old men like me tell our stories best when young people are about, gives us something to inspire!”

The affects that Karsk wore were tossed to the side in a careless fashion, save the spirit blade which was propped carefully against the tub. The uncovered skin was just as green toned and scarred as the rest of him. Though it was quickly submerged in the well heated water.

“Ahhhh, to think there was a time when I considered hot baths little more than a frivolity.”

Karsk glanced over at Melfa and grinned.

“It was old Balak Kotir that taught me the error of my ways. I once went to pay honor to his court, and he insisted that I join him in a fine dwarven spring he had recently added to his holdings. I remember quite vividly objecting to the idea on the grounds that ‘the river was right there’!”

 

[Voe]

Outside in the covered tower Voe and Otho waited patiently on watch.

Long wind howls came and went, overlaying like a strange chorus of wails.

It seemed as Voe poked at the fire that it would be an uneventful night aside from the nice bit of hot chocolate and company they had enjoyed earlier.

*PAT*
"Oh no."

*PAT-PAT*
"Come on."

*PAT-PAT-PATTATTATTAPATTATTA...*
"Blasted rain."

Otho looked up at the cloth cover that now drummed with raindrops as the downpour cascaded.

"I know."
Voe empathized with the creature as it let out a perturbed whine even as he wrapped his cloak tighter about himself.

"But what do you want me to do? I can't change the weather."
Unhappily Otho rested his large head on his paws again and let out a mighty huff.

 

[Melfa]

Melfa had, perhaps, quite a few more layers to doff than her orc counterpart and she did so with graceless efficiency. First the various piles of pelt, leather, and wool. Then clawed, four digit hands made quick work of her armor beneath. There was little to speak of under the metal and hardened leather aside from her scale-covered self with which she allowed full and unabashed display to all who cared look.

Modesty was not a word in Melfa's lexicon. She wore no cloak for thoughts nor form.

Into the water with barely a plop. Its steaming, bubbling, frothy surface lifted another few inches as her large self joined Karsk. Submerged with nary the pinpricks of her heated gaze peeking out beneath her crown of horns, a grin split her face as she surfaced only enough for a laugh that sent steam plumes between her lips, <<Kotir need much armor for him soft skin...>> a low rattling sound effected a chuckle and sent shivers across the water from the komodi, giving her orcish words a much rougher intonation to the unknowing ear.

Her slit pupils shifted to Ispir Sione, "If small man not bath, can scrub Melfa back."

She had some spots of scale rot that should couldn't easily see or reach.

 

[Vel'duith Voiryn]

Vel’duith padded into the dark, empty library, waving her cantripping finger to light several candles as she approached the bookshelves. The meager candlelight was more than sufficient for her faintly glowing garnet-hued eyes to start scanning through the shelves. Many tattered, dogeared treatises on weapon use, dusty tomes detailing the accounts of past monster hunts, no few apparently even older than she. Manuals on wound care and antivenom preparation. A textbook on proper taxidermy - well consulted, judging by the specimens she had seen earlier in the great hall. All the things she might expect monster hunters to keep right at eye level where they were most readily found. Another old manual, showing numerous repairs, bore a hardened leather cover illuminated, once colorfully!, she noted, with the proud title, “LAWES of thee NOCT YAEGIRN.” She pried that one gingerly out, bringing it to a corner table, waggling the tallest candle on the holder there alight. She then returned to the bookcase. Her next quarry would surely be classifed as quite miscellaneous among such a specialized group of library-goers, so… the least accessible shelves would be a good place to start looking.

The wisp-thin dark elf dismissed the heavy-looking ladder in the corner with a softly-aspirated “tsk,” then proceeded to cautiously appraise the construction of the bookshelf before her. She gave several strategic points a few test knocks, smiling broadly at the hearty, toneful reply of the fully cured, dense, thick-cut hardwoods. Her lips pursed in an approving, nodding pout, the dark elf nimbly scaled the corner of the shelf, until she was able to poke her head over the top shelf, her unbound snow-white hair falling like a curtain over her shoulders to her mid-back, fanning out as she carefully leaned further toward the center of the shelf. She tugged out a card-bound notebook, hand-labeled "Thee MYRIAD FAITHES of AERETHIL, dutifullee compiled by WIKI, a monk," brimming with dusty leaves of side-notes. With another satisfied pursing of her thin lips, the drow then let herself back down to the floor, straight into a brisk walk over to her chosen nook, waggle-snuffing the candles lighting the bookshelf as she went. She deposited the notebook beside the illuminated tome, a quite satisfying cloud of dust lifting into the air, wafting and twirling upon the castle-draughts. Then Vel'duith settled into the high-backed chair in a catlike curl for warmth, tugged the tome of rules onto her lap, opened the cover, and began reading.

 

[Ilharess]

Stretching, the winged tabby flutter-plopped down to the barracks bathroom floor. She padded past the blissfully alone, comfortably soaking dwarf Sigrun Flintfeet , casually bumping the hallway door open with her head, the only sound that of the door latch, followed by the door closing gently on its own. She stretched in an arching twitch from tiptoe to wingtip, before starting a lazy saunter back toward the barracks entrance and the main hall. Her charge was somewhere beyond, she sensed. She wrinkled a pink nose at the bitter wind as she jaunted to the main hall double doors, which she again opened with a head bump. The door swung open enough for her to slip in, then reclosed itself with a dull thump. Not this passage, no... nor that. Oh! Of course, it's the dusty, mildew-smelling one, with a light hint of some burrowing worm or other.

Just as her flabby rump turned into the passage, she heard the main doors open, and a husky, gravelly panting of a very excitable canine variety, but the smell wasn't that of dog at all. ...Lizardy, with a strong hint of ozone... OH SCAT, A DOGSLOBBERING LIGHTNING DRAKE?!

She bolted away down the corridor, scampering and flapping as fast as she could muster... library- no! ...I'd be gobbled straight down... before I could get her pointy nose... out from the book... if she's like most wizards.... STAIRS DOWN! ... That.... should trip the beast... right up!

And down the stairs the winged tabby went, leaping into a ceiling-hugging glide, feeling... steam?! IS THAT ORC-SWEAT?? And that little bard?! How many places... for bathing does.... one human castle need?! NOBODY IN THEIR... TOWNS... BATHE AT ALL!!

Voe
Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher
Melfa
Ispir Sione

 

[Voe]

"OTHO STOP!"
Voe's voice was lost to the wind as he called the drake-hound back.

Otho ran, chasing the winged cat-beast down in great bounding strides that brought him loping into the keep and down the stairs through the door and bam. Into the bathing room.

Claws clattered along the stones as Otho chased the winged cat all about the room, running under Ispir's legs, knocking over buckets, right past Karskgorak and slipping into baths, making them shake and spill onto the floor. Heedless of the chaos he caused Otho even barrelled into the tub Melfa was using as Ilharess sought shelter behind it and instead of going around leaped into the air landing with a mighty splash into the warm waters ending the chase.

As the energy died he shook his great head, letting his floppy head fins flop and flap about his flat skull and looking up at Melfa, gormless as a babe, licking his snout with his tongue. Tail still splashing water everywhere.

Somewhere behind him Voe gave chase after getting a temp to take his place on the Covered Tower.

 

[Vel'duith Voiryn]

The dark elf's ears perked up at the sounds of some manner of ruckus in the outside hallway... a chase? Claws on flagstones, mrowling, grunting... flapping? Surely it isn't Sse'elah's emissary.... She heaved the tome of rules back onto the table, quickly steadying its rattling, then kipped up into a hurried walk to the hallway door, poking her snow-maned head out just in time to catch a glimpse of a scaled tail slapping a corner of the wall, then descending a stairway with echoes of grunts and scrabbling. The grunts almost sounded like a more robust version of that uttered by laboring riding lizards of the Underream... Curiosity piqued by the echoing clamor, clawscrabbling, flapping, and floor-muffled exclamations of surprise, she followed the stairway down.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase just as the drakehound landed in the bath with a splash, she stepped through the arch and took in the scene. Sure enough; Ilharess sat on the far, dry side of the bath, grooming herself non-chalantly. The young bard from the prior evening's mummy discussion sprawled out on the floor, the statuesque she-dragon from the courtyard and a rather... experience-laden looking cretok interrupted from bathing, both staring at the equally befuddled-looking drakehound erupting from the bath in between them, its wake sloshing water over the rim of the tub in seemingly every direction but the winged tabbycat's. A wispy, snowy eyebrow arched in bemusement before the dark elf turned back toward the fairy creature.

"...Ilharess?! What in the six hundred sixty-six layers of the abyss just happened?"

The winged tabby paused just long enough to sit up and make an exaggerated introductory gesture in the direction of the disturbance in the water with a paw.

Melfa
Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher
Ispir Sione
Voe

 

[Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher]

“Gahahaha! It is as the one saying goes ‘draw hot water and people will come’ though I doubt the tea masters of that small desert nation meant bath water, yet here we are!”

Karsk laughed at the emerging chaos around him and soaked peacefully.

“Feel free to join in you fresh faced fellows. This water was poured and heated for all who would care to enjoy it!”

 

[Melfa]

Melfa did not even blinked at the chaotic scene as it unfolded. Slit pupils followed the raucous here to there, nictitating membranes flickering sideways over her eyes at the splash of water as the reptilian belly-flopped into the large bath before her.

"Wat-" the komodo canted her head to one side as through the water her own prehensile tail slithered up to curl around the tiny dragonet. "Haaaa, ssssssagira," she hissed over a grin at the little thing, flickering her forked tongue across its nose and lifting her clawed hands to take hold of it from her tail.

"If it too cold for Melfa, too cold for sssssagira." She sank back against the side of the bath and placed Otho upon her chest where she could preen and scritch at its scales with her claws.

 

[Vel'duith Voiryn]

The dark elf mulled the orc's invitation over for a few seconds. I did cut my earlier bath somewhat short... it would be a chance to meet other Yaegirs... and as venerable as this orc looks, I might even hear a new tale... Additionally, the dragon-woman from the courtyard was there. Vel'duith's curiosity being more than sufficiently piqued, she inclined her head slightly in response, palms open, before unsashing and removing her spidersilk robes. She neatly folded each in reverse order, layed them atop a mostly dry table, untied and removed her improvised silken footwraps, then stepped into the bath opposite Karsk and settled in. My, this is marvellously hot... She sighed and settled even further in, letting the water cover her to her chin, her snowy hair swirling about in the water. She inclined her head towards the orc again.

"Lu'oh eyyil! My compliments, ser... this bath is splendidly hot!"

Voe
Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher
Melfa

 

[Voe]

Otho happily nestled into Melfa's attentions. Crooning as he did and nuzzling her back, scratching scale on scale in satisfaction.

Voe however made a fumbling stumble down the stairs and slipped half the length of himself along the flagstones almost to the edge of the great bath.

"Breath, of, fuuuuuck!"
He exclaimed before catching himself with a huff and taking in the scene.

The scene of more than a few naked people.

"Ah! Uh..."
His cheeks went a darker shade of green.

"Has anyone seen, Otho!"

The Drake-hound pressed itself to Melfa more, as if proximity would hide him. He knew he was not supposed to run off but Voe locked eyed with him and employed stern and unwavering eye contact to not observe Melfa or any of the others as more than peripheral entities... despite how attractive he thought they all were.

Melfa
Vel'duith Voiryn
Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher
Ilharess
Ispir Sione

 

[Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher]

Karsk leaned back against the rim of the tub, a grin was on his face as he watched Vel’duith submerge until she was little more than head and hair above the water.

“My my, so you are the drow who has come to seek entry into this illustrious order. I had trouble imagining what one of your kind could want in virtuous monster hunting, but now I see you fit in better than most!”

The steam filled room echoed with the sound of Karskgorak’s laughter, yet again. In fact, it was starting to get hard to tell if the old orc actually laughed because he found things funny, or if it was some kind of compulsive behavior.

"Ah! Uh..."
His cheeks went a darker shade of green.

"Has anyone seen, Otho!"

Karsk looked at the young tiefling with a perplexed expression.

“I have no inclining as to what an Otho might be young hell-touched. If you refer to the drow she is right here, if you refer to the winged cat, I believe that it left. Oh, and if you refer to the winged Lizard, I believe that good Melfa here is crushing it against her body.”

 

[Melfa]

Melfa was quite distracted preening and crooning in Komodan at the wee bab.

Her claws scritched and scratched, tickled and poked as it rolled about on her chest, splashing water and nuzzling against her. She'd never been one for pets - too often on the move through dangerous places and missions. Too often again finding herself in situations where survival depended on just what one was and was not willing to eat.

At the end of the day, Melfa would eat a pet if it meant her survival.

Today was not one of those days. No, she would much rather coddle the dear little Otho.

 

[Vel'duith Voiryn]

Vel'duith smirked at Karskgorak's little jab. "I have heard some cads tongue-wag that orcs largely follow our example in matters of virtue shown to neighbor-races..." She let her voice trail off before continuing.

"But as for me, I have chosen to follow a different path. I have my whole life cheated my society's and even my mother's expectations, and kept my own virtue through such meager means as I held within my control. But for how long might one expect to survive so? Is it even possible to ever thrive, in such conditions? I felt like I was trapped in a never-ending maze, invisible yet palpable walls barring every outward escape, cunningly-hidden oubliettes waiting for me around every corner, awaiting the fateful event that I should finally trip and tumble into oblivion."

The dark elf swirled the water with a fingertip, the eldritch patterns on her hands and forearms gleaming softly beneath the water as a ghostly image of herself appeared to illustrate her tale as she continued it. The wispy, silk-shrouded figure crept through ruins and sewers, sneaking past horrible beasts of the Underrealm, using illusions, distractions, prestidigitations, and legerdemain to slip into guarded vaults and abandoned ancient ruins, after each escapade returning to an imposing, wirily muscled drow woman of indeterminable age who would abruptly snatch each prize away before casually flinging a small silken pouch to the floor, turning, and leaving.

"You see, my reputation as a book-thief in Zar'Harel was built not on spilt blood but airtight discretion. I always plotted my heists so as to avoid bloodshed and prided myself on leaving neither evidence nor trails of bodies to explain the vanished tomes and treasures I took home to Vallabha-Ilhar -my dear mother."

Vel'duith's nose wrinkled and her face soured as she pronounced and translated the honorific, and then waved away the illusionary scene.

"Perhaps this path I chose left me more receptive to the unexpected discovery of a wholly different way. To the ideas of long-forgotten Sse'elah - perhaps she is called "Seelah" here? - who advocates for atonement and rejoining with the other elven races. She taught kindness towards one another without transaction. Cooperation toward profound and lasting achievements, with the benefits shared by all rather than hoarded by a few. I have perhaps too many winters within this world to fancy that any society has truly ever accomplished such without it crumbling into corruption all too soon. I still feel somewhat like a particularly naive child when speaking my newfound creed aloud! But it is inspiring to have already discovered some who embody these ideals, on the very same day I progressed under the sun. And as Ilharess there..." She gestured to where the winged cat had sat a moment prior. "Oh! - I suppose she has wandered off again. Such seems to be her way! Anyway, she put it to me that the Noct Yaegir offer as sure an avenue for atonement as any under Tancred's sun."

Voe
Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher
Melfa

 

[Voe]

"Just ignore him Voe!"
He muttered to himself only having eyes for his task and trying not to let the reference to his heritage, one that so clearly defined him in the faces of others such as Karskgorak as a thing of evil for what else may come from hell but evil, lay unaddressed and looked down upon Otho who could not hold his gaze for his own shame.

"You've got your scales soaked. Now what am I gonna do with you?"

Scales like Otho's absorbed water and held it underneath, he'd need to be drying in the sun for a couple of hours and it was already cold and raining outside. If Voe took him out again now he'd get sickly and that was the last thing he needed.

Otho attempted to excuse himself with a whine and the biggest, saddest eyes he'd ever put on which earned him a long sigh from his master.

"Fine..."
His hand rubbed frustration from his hair like it was dandruff as he tried to both think and not stare at anyone's nudity.

"Okay, Melfa, please don't let him go outside again or he'll get sick. Keep him here... please."
Cass had given him the rundown on who was who though typically Voe kept to himself. Tonight was the most socializing he'd done in days.

"I have to get back on watch Cuddy is in the covered tower and THAT..."
He leered down at Otho who attempted to hide behind Melfa.
"... is where we should be but now I guess it's just me."

Unhappiness formed on his features. Now he had to go back up the stairs alone and sit in the cold, wet tower till dawn. Otho was what made such a long shift bearable in the first place which is why he hesitated a moment before moving again.

Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher
Vel'duith Voiryn
Melfa

 

[Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher]

Karskgorak sat and listened to the Drow recount her tale and her creed. Stroking his beard in a wise and wizened manner.

“Quite an interesting story elf, though your telling was dull the content more than made up for it! I must say that I am interested in seeing how a book thief makes herself into a night hunter.”

“I am Karskgorak the Fiend Crusher!” The old orc exclaimed, extending his arm in an offered handshake. If Vel’duith were to accept the offer she would feel a grip inconsiderate of the difference in musculature between the two, if not, she would not.

“And now if you would excuse me for a moment, I believe this water could stand to be a little hotter!”

Water splashed against the cold stone as Karsk stepped out of the great stone bath. Once out he started chucking more and more wood into the furnace that heated the tub and water.

“Melfa, i will let you be the judge of when to stop warming the water, if you would be so kind.”

 

[Vel'duith Voiryn]

The dark elf smiled, waved and vanished, her dark form seemingly folding in on herself, only to reappear a split second later in triplicate, in three different parts of the bathtub, one Vel'duith standing to accept the offered handshake, then vanishing into a silvery mist upon the touching of their hands. The remaining two false Vel'duiths waved and similarly vanished, leaving the smirking, giggling original fading back into view, just where she had been in the first place, the gleaming eldritch patterns on her forearms slowly fading back to normal. She sat up, grinning broadly, raising her empty palms from the bath and inclining her head toward him in a more formal greeting.

"Vel'duith Voiryn, Ser Karskgorak, former second-daughter of House Voiryn. If these monsters should have eyes, I think I may prove of some use, particularly in luring the prey out to a safer battleground than its own lair or a village full of unfortunates who might otherwise be caught up in the fray. I can also devise some traps, light to carry yet strong enough to hold the prey for a moment's advantage, if there be some smith or tinkerer about with whom to collaborate on such a thing. I do wonder if Sigrun dabbles in smithing at all; the Dwen'deles are of course legendary at such craft."

She relaxed back into the bath, smiling and nodding at Karsk's suggestion to heat the water even more.

Melfa
Voe
Karskgorak Fiend-Crusher