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Prosper looked at his guide, and squared his shoulders.
"Alright. Le- Whoa!!"
The sudden exclaimation was caused by the untill-then unnoticed Acedia crawling up his leg.
"Acedia??" he asked, but then, not waiting for an answer (who else could it be?) he said; "Alright, now let's go."

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Acedia squeaked an affirmative response and curled up on Prosper's shoulder, digging her tiny claws just slightly into his shoulder to keep from falling off. "You're walking funny," she informed him after a minute or two. Didn't offer any way to fix this, however, just pointed it out.

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As they walked, Prosper began to think of his mother. What would she say about this? What about his dad, or the old sea dog who had been just as much a father to him as any?
"You're walking funny."
The sudden voice (she could talk when not herself?) interupted his thoughts jarringly. Casting a sidelong glance at the rodent on his soulder, he wispered; "I know. It feels strange being this tall. I'll get used to it."

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Tem shut the gate behind him and said: "Ok, here we go. Now remember: If we get separated it's imperative that you find your way back here, so mark well this location in your mind. Now, let's go see if there's any free High Flayers left in the city."

Tem led Prosper and Acedia down a long brick-sided unlit tunnel. Prosper could barely see, but thankfully Tem had though to bring a torch with him and the ground was flat and level. Soon, they reached another staircase. This one had a locked iron door blocking it, though.

"Blast!" said Tem. "This wasn't here before either. How much new stuff did they build while I was gone anyways? Hold on, I'm gonna telepath a message to Micheal and ask him to see if it's magicked."

Tem sort of flailed his tenticals around his face and his eyes too on a bit of a far-away look. Afyter what seemed like an eternity he finaly said: "Alright, Prosper. Micheal says it doesn't look enchanted from the astral plane. It's too solid to kick down... " he said as he thumped the iron door with his palm "...so I guess you better try and pick the lock or this is gonna be the shortest spying mission in history."

<GM's Note: It's a standard iron bolt-and-tumbler lock. Should be easy to pick>

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Prosper looked at the door. Large, imposing, and solid, it looked nearly impassable, especially since it still looked very new. But street-life had taught Prosper a simple lesson: nothing is ever totaly secure.

Kneeling down the rouge looked at the lock, and the area around the lock. It didn't look too complex, although an outside look didn't tell him much.

He took out the lockpick kit, wondering if he could still pick as well has he had been able to. It seemed like such a long time ago. Selecting a pin, he inserted it into the mechanism, feeling around with it. No, it wasn't a complex lock, it would be fairly easy to get. Taking anothr pin, Prosper inserted it and set to work, jiggling a little this way, a little that way, switching one pick for another, llistening carefully the entire time.

About twenty minutes later (it's not as easy as it looks, ok?) the boy thought he had it, but then the pick slipped. Muttering under his breath, Prosper tried again, slower.

Click.

The lock came. Prosper breathed, and began putting everything away.

"That should do it." he said, and stood up, steadying himself a bit from the strange feeling of being taller than he was.

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{ Rat!Acedia sounds like Acedia breathing helium. Acedia's voice is comparable to KT Tunstall's. }

"You've only got until sunrise," she reminded him, and then was quiet until they came to the door, whereupon she scurried up to sit on top of his head, moving back to his shoulder when Prosper got to his feet again. "Hope there aren't many more doors like this with locks to pick."

{ We're approaching 4000 posts :o! }

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get LOST

The door slowly creaked open.

:creeeeeeeekkk:

Temm peered inside: "All clear."

Beyond the door was a large underground chamber that contained various wooden boxes and crates piled high, row after row. Tem said: "Alright, at least this room is like it used to be. This is the lower basement of the Luxor Inn. Looks like they're using it for storage these days. We should be easily able to make it to the surface from here."

The three interlopers moved among the boxes and crates. Most of them were filled with old linens and bedsheets. Some had maid uniforms, rugs, dishes, forks, spoons, and so on: About what you'd expect to find in the basement storage room of a medieval hotel, including rats and mice, who were busily making homes for themselves in the variuous crates. One of them said to Aceida: "Squek? Squeeky squeeek, squeek squeeeeeek!" Acedia thought she could almost understand the rodent... It was as if it was frightened and expected that the strangers were gonna try and eat it. It didn't understand why Acedia was riding one of the strangers. It promptly ran away, disappearing into a rat-hole some rodent had chewed into the wall.

On the other side of the room was a wooden staircase that led up to an unlocked wooden door.

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Prosper looked around the room slowly, and, seeing nothing of importance, began moving through. Suddenly it occured to him that he was walking into a city not only full of Drow but of Mind Flayers as well. How was he going to keep from being found out through his thoughts? Anxiety began to well up in him, but he forced it down and, turning to Tem, asked;
"Will you be blocking my thoughts from other Flayers?"

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Tem said: "Oh yeah, that's not a problem. So long as I can see you, I can create a false ethereal image the others will 'see' when they try and scan your mind. Piece of cake."

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"What kind of place is this?" Acedia questioned rhetorically after the rat spoke to her. "If I'm right - and there's a chance I'm not, my ratspeak is a little rusty - the rats here are afraid of being...eaten...?" She blinked and scurried around to sit on Prosper's other shoulder. "Either rats are some kind of delicacy here or there's a seriously huge number of people living below the poverty line." She looked to Tem for any kind of answer, although he'd been away too long, most likely, to know about the current economic and/or gourmet situation.

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get LOST

Tem said: "Uh, actually... some Mind Flayers do consider rodent brains to be a nice light snack. Not us High Flayers, though. We're more civilized than that, I think."
With that, Tem proceeded up the stairs.

Meanwhile, back at the camp, Micheal was busily scouting out Astral Space, and the rest of the party were sitting around, resting and chatting.

Suddenly, Marcus smelled a Drow... a single Drow... it was outside, by the boulder.... and it was coming inside!

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"Good," replied Prosper. Then the short conversation about rodent brains happened. Wanting to move on, Prosper kept his mouth shut and followed Tem up the stairs.

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Tem said: "Now remember: You're a Drow, and I'm your slave. So don't be afraid to push me around a bit if the role calls for it. I can take it." Tem opened the door and was surprised: A High Flayer woman was in the hallway ahead, chained to a laundry cart she was pushing down the hall. Thankfully, her back was towards them and she didn't see them. Tem discreetly walked in and walked up behind her. He put his hand over her mouth and whispered: "Don't scream. It's alright, we're not going to hurt you. Are there any guards around?"
The woman shook her head, then Tem took his hand off her face and said: "It's ok, he's not a Drow. It's a disguise."
The woman said: "I... I know nothing. Nothing!"
Tem said to Prosper: "Oh wow, she's really scared. The fear is just pouring off of her. I don't need to read her mind to know that she feels like she can't take the chance that you're actually a Drow and this is all a trick."
The woman said: "The overseer will be angry with me if I'm late again. I can't take another whipping. Please, let me go."
Tem said: "Really, It's OK. We're here to fight the Drow. We're not gonna get you in trouble. Look into my mind. Am I lying?"
The woman said: "You.... you speak the truth!? But, how can this be?"
Tem said: "Long story, no time to explain. Look, we're trying to hook up with the resistance. Can you help us?"
The woman said: "I.... I want to trust you. I want to believe you... but... This could all still be a trick somehow. The Ilithid have been utterly ruthless in crushing the resistance movement. There's so few of them left, I can't risk betraying them to another trick of the Overseer."
Tem said: "Who's this Overseer? Is he in charge around here?"
The woman said: "No, he's just in charge of us slaves. He reports to a General Martua. There is one that could tell you more... the Gnome who has parked his ariship in the market square. The Drow mostly leave him alone because he's usefully to them. I think he can help you... I don't know anymore, really. I need to move this cart now. Good luck." And with that she pushed the cart down the hall again, turning into a room and shutting the door behind her.

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"Captain!" The Lizzard bellowed. "We got one of them Drows! Send the magick men over here!" Marcus drew his sword, which would of course be no use against this enemy. Nevertheless he charged in the Drow's direction anyway.

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<Two questions. One: is this city subterranian or not. And two, isn't the cave entrence (where the rest of the party is) a ways off through a winding, twisting tunnel? Is Marcus' smell that good?>


"Alright," wispered Prosper, although he felt anxious about causing any abuse to Tem, but if the Flayer said he could handle it...
After the conversation with the Flayette, Prosper looked at Tem and said; "The square then. I'll lead." And with that he set off.

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[GM's clarification: The Mind Flayer city is above ground, but you're currently in the basement of a hotel. The Drow that Marcus is smelling is at the entrance by the boulder.. the secret entrance that Tem originaly led the party to, remember? That was before they encountered the door that Eruantian broke. And yes, Marcus's nose IS that good.]

Prosper found his way to yet another set of stairs that led up; To a hallway with one window at both ends, and six doors along either side of the hallway. Tem whispered: "Ah, I know where we are.. quick, out the window before someone sees us." He crept over to the window and slid it open. Outside it was dark and nobody was on the street.

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Acedia remained quiet and tried to look like some kind of decoration on Prosper's clothing after Tem clarified the other rat's fears. After getting precious little information from the female flayer, she remained quiet another minute or two before piping up. "You know, if I remember correctly, the Drow society is female-dominated. Taryn should've come with us. This has to look weird, unless Michael disguised you as a woman, Prosper...?" She raised herself up a bit to check that Prosper hadn't been magically cross-dressed. The shoulder she was sitting on was more on the side of masculine, though.

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Prosper gave a look at Acedia, "No, I'm still a man. I think Micheal knew wot he was doing."
Prosper peeped out the window, onto the dark street. No one in sight. Silently, his head begining to pound with excited blood, the boy slipped out, and waited by the window for Tem.

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Tem whispered: "The market square is to the east. Follow me."

Keeping to the shadows, the three interlopers crept three blocks past rows of houses and offices until they reached an open square. It was flanked on all four sides by four massive brick & marble buildings, in the classic style. Tem whispered: "Ah, the Grand Halls Of Commerce. Good to see they survived the invasion."

The square was deserted, with all the market stalls and tents closed up for the night, their wares having been moved somewhere else. In the center of the square was an enormous (yet, deflated) Gnomish Airship. Despite the fact that it's balloon was completely deflated, it was still tethered to the ground with ropes tied to the marble columns of the southern Grand Hall. Prosper estimated that the gondola must be about 80 feet wide, 150 feet tall, and about 200 feet long. There were market stalls and tents set up in front of it. Along with it's associated tents and market stalls, it took up the entire southern section of the market square. The Gondola was made of wood, and was shaped (and built) like a ship of the oceans. There were two entrances along one side; one was open, the other closed. The open entrance has a set of stairs that led up to an open door. Light could bee seen emitting from the opening.

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<I thought Zepher might wan't to put something in, but, eh...>
Prosper looked up and down the empty square, seeing noone, and then studied the Airship. After a pause, he sated simply;
"Let's move. But before we reveal anything incriminating to him, we should make sure he's on our side."
Prosper began to walk across the square, trying to act like he supposed a Drow worrier would do. He thought for a moment; Did I just say something with an air of command? Yes, he had, but why? He didn't have any direct controll over this mission, all he was was the man in duisguise. Tem deffinatly knew more about this than he did.

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Tem just nodded and said: "I'm right behind you."

The three moved past the market stalls. Tem was putting on an act, pretending like he was a slave: His back hunched over, he kept his head down, and his feet took on a sort of shuffle-step, as if he was lame in one leg. He was keeping about three paces behind Prosper.

Prosper and Acedia didn't see anyone around, but that didn't mean there wasn't someone there.

When they were just about to the Airship entrance, Acedia heard a familiar sound... the hooting of an Owl... like the one that hung around with Thiurendel back in that forest where the party has saved all those Druids from that Dragon. But... that couldn't possibly be the same owl, could it?

At the door of the grounded Airship, a Gnomish man dressed in chain-mail and holding a Gnomish Clockwork Crossbow stood guard. As he saw Prosper approach, he raised his weapon and said: "Halt. Who goes there?" Prosper didn't see any malice in the guard's face: It looked like he was just doing his job, calling out the prescribed challenge like he was supposed to do. As a matter of fact, the man had looked downright bored until he raised his weapon, and even now he didn't look very enthusiastic. Prosper and Acedia heard Tem whisper: "He's expecting your rank, your name, and a password. Make up and some evil-sounding soldiery name and then say 'Merkrath's Teeth Bleed Tonight'... I don't think anyone noticed me pull that bit from his surface thoughts."

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Meanwhile, back underground, Marcus was stalking a Drow. Drek whispered: "Marcus, wait."
Drek crept up to Marcus: "Is there just one? How many can you smell."

<GM's Nose... er ... note: There's just one.>

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"WHO THERE?!?" Marcus whipped around, sword in claws...and lopped off a good bit of Drek's hat.

"Oh, it's just you, Mister Drek. Um...just one o' thems." He kneeled down and picked up the damaged headgear. "Sorry about that...hehe...thought you were a monster..."

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Drek was not amused... but he managed not to yell. His face, however, showed his displeasure: "H'shi!!" he ... an expletive that means something in Elvish that I cannot translate for you and still retain our PG rating. Drek took what remained of his hat off his head and calmly put it in his pocket.
He continued, whispering: "For crying out loud, watch where you wave that thing: You nearly took my head off." Drek took a deep breath and said: "Ok, ok... If the Drow enters the cave, we'll have to take him down. Otherwise, don't do anything. He's obviously on patrol. If he fails to report back to his commander, that will likely bring even more Drow out here to look for him." Drek took his bow off his back, strung it, and picked a barbed arrow from his quiver. He kept the bow ready, but didn't notch it yet. He moved to the opposite side of the room from Marcus, keeping both him and the cave entrance in view.

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<OOC>Horin is with this group, yes? Also, I would post more often, but I've always thought of Dwarves as quiet people, only talking when it needs to be done. </OOC>

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<OOC> I didn't get that impression from Gimli. </OOC>

<OOC>Well, the difference is Horin is a doctor, while Gimli was a figher, I guess I'd imagine a Dwarvish doctor as a quiet old man, almost. Fighters a bit more loud and talkative. Although, in the event that there's ale about, Horin may become VERY talkative.</OOC>

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<GM's Note: Your character's personality is, of course, completely up to you. Just have fun with it.>

Marcus could smell the Drow move closer to the boulder... it was coming inside... so much for doing this the easy way.

The Drow set something down outside the crack in the rock behind the boulder, and then it went inside.

Drek whispered: "Here he comes... stay hidden. We'll ambush him from behind when he passes us. Hand signals only from now on."

Meanwhile, back at the Gnomish Airship, The Gnomish guard with the crossbow was still waiting for an answer to his challenge.

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<OOC: Andrew is a Monk and he can be a bit rushy when other's are in danger, I also have a problem deciding what to do Droid, as I try to be realistic.>

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<OOC: This place just got quiet...also, I finally had the time to write the backstory of the Monastrey of Rets (it is a bit rushed), if it is accepted by Sarge that is...

The martial arts Andrew Tsif uses originated as a sport in Voc (a place that is said to be where the West meets the East), back in its early days; it had a reputation for being rough and low on rules, although it had a bit more order than some think. It was eventually picked up by the soldiers of Voc incase they had to resort to unarmed combat.

The exoticness of Voc caused fear that they may break up from Skara Brae and if this event did happen it would encourage other places to as well. Weapons were banned to prevent an uprising, so the Soldiers focused on unarmed combat and trained in exotic weaponry, so it would be harder to recognize.

While training some soldiers found that they could manipulate a strange energy, little is known about it other than the fact it is generated by the individual who uses it. This energy was called chi and its powers were soon taken advantage of by the soldiers.

Soon after the discovery of chi, the soldiers preferred to be called monks rather than…well…soldiers. They wanted to be seen as not only an army but seen as somewhat special due to their unique training. It seemed that the monastery of Voc was sure to last.

However as time passed, the monks started to argue, some wanted to focus on other goals rather than act as an army while others wanted to focus more on certain techniques, eventually the monastery broke up and the monks spread to places all around Skara Brae, most of the Monasteries’ locations were hidden to protect themselves from potential threats.

The monastery of Rets, Andrew’s community, believed that their training was a gift and they should use it to help make a world the better place. The Drow were an obvious threat to this, being barbaric and some worshiping the darkness, so one of the main objectives of the monastrey is to make them less of a threat to the innocent.

If you find any problems Sarge and accept this, you can fix this lore..yay for Retcon>

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