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Holmes: Unseen by Cassio, Tez watches him being lead by the goblin to a strange cave.
Holmes: The cave is lit from above by glowing rocks of some sort, and reveal a variegated floor, covered with iron grills.
Holmes: Beneath these grills can be heard the lamentations of many goblin slaves.
Tez pauses to peek at the slaves, but continues along the way, keeping to the shadows and silently wondering if her band back in Ardania is faring well.
Cassio follows silently wondering what the life of a goblin slave is like, and wishing his mind didn't wander so much
Holmes: The goblin leading him holds up a hand to stop Cassio, and then he gestures for them to hide behind a massive stalagmite. The sounds of a group of goblins coming in from another entranceway reach their ears.
Cassio moves behind it as silently and deftly as he can
Tez just...stays out of sight.
Holmes: There are sounds from the other end of the room, and goblin speech. The goblin translates, whispering, "They're dropping rocks and stuff on Kerem... curious about him."
Cassio responds quietly, "ow"
Tez moves to a place where she can watch them drop rocks without being discovered.
Holmes: From her new position, Tez can hear Kerem groaning in pain.
Tez is torn. Funny, or in need of rescue?
Holmes: Tez also notes that the fat goblin with the belt of keys has added a new shining key of largish design... Kerem's key.
Tez eyes the keys. So many keys. She looks to see if Cassio seems to feel the need to be a hero.
Cassio seems intent enough to just follow the goblin's lead for now
Holmes: The goblin keepers tire after a bit of torturing Kerem, and draw their cruel scimitars as they prepare to open some other pits to withdraw some slaves.
Holmes: The Jailor's crew are fairly well equipped for goblins, with cured leather cuirasses that gleam polished where they're not covered in filth, with the occasional protrusion of iron.
Tez watches them curiously, noting both their activities and how they move, measuring them up as potential enemies. Her fingers caress the hilt of her sword unconsciously.
Tez wonders, as she watches, whether these are creatures anyone will be particularly mad at her for slaying.
Tez: ::Agnes, do you mind if I kill these goblins here?::
Tez: ::Err. Murlogi.::
Holmes: The half-dozen goblins spread out a bit as they go looking for the various pits in which to find the stock that they seek.
Egani: ~~Uh...sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What? Why? Not particularly, but these things are best done quickly and quietly here.~~
Tez perks up a bit. ~~Oh, good then. Thanks! They're kinda torturing Kerem, so I thought I'd rescue him.~~
Holmes: Despite some difficulty, Cassio keeps an eye on each goblin's movements, and makes sure that they don't note him there.
Tez draws her sword and shield and basically saunters over to the one with the keys. "Hi!" she says cheerfully. "I need that key *point* and that man *point* back please. They're mine."
Cassio gets a little tense, moving his hand firmly onto the hilt of his sword scowling just a bit
Holmes: The Goblin, which Tez recalls spoke some halting Rhiani before, takes a while to formulate a reply.
Holmes: But he does manage to get his particularly nasty looking blade up between himself and Tez.
Tez grins, and her eyes gleam. It is clear that she had hoped he would try to fight her, so that she would have license to kill him. She looks rather bloodthirsty as she towers above him.
Holmes: The goblin, for a moment, hesitates, Tez being a fearsome seeming foe to him. But then he looks at his flunkies, and realizes that if he backs down from this, he may as well retire (mortally, likely).
Holmes: So the goblin lunges forward with a crazed croaking war cry.
Holmes: Cassio, peering safely over the stalagmite, can see the goblin charge Tez.
Cassio scrambles the rock rather inelegantly, drawing his sword as he does so, whipping it around wildly but finally into position
Cassio 's face is unreadable, its so controlled it looks free of emotion
Tez 's eyes glow with an eerie red light, which spills from them like tears of blood, flowing down and over her body which suddenly seems even stronger. The grin grows even wider and her voice echoes a bit. "Oh, good, the baby was getting thirsty."
Tez swiftly catches the goblin's sword on her shield, knocking it aside and following it up with a quick slash to his shoulder, then turns to meet his little friends. It seems their sheer numbers will overwhelm her at first until Cassio comes to her aid, and she rallies, beating the creatures to the ground and leaving them groaning in her wake.
Cassio ends up executing mostly a diversion, for the rampaging Tez, which suits him fine
Tez punches the last goblin in the face with the edge of her shield, and then stands back and surveys the carnage. She turns to Cassio, the red glow fading into her skin. "Today you are a hero." She smiles, then saunters over to the first goblin, collecting weapons along the way from fallen Murlogi. She retrieves the key ring and fingers Kerem's bright key.
Cassio: "Sure, or perhaps a diversion for a combat machine known as Tez."
Cassio smiles faintly
Tez: "I couldn't have done it without you," she replies generously.
Cassio nods
Tez walks over to Kerem and pokes him a bit
Cassio tries to find his goblin buddy
Tez releases Kerem from his bonds and slings him akwardly over her shoulder, then wanders over to Cassio.
Cassio is looking behind the rock for his goblin friend
Holmes: The goblin, it turns out, had ducked inside of one of the now open pits. He peeks out, and seeing Cassio, comes out tentatively.
Holmes: "You defeated the Jailor?" it asks, incredulously.* Tez: "Hey do you think we should stick them in some cells?"
Cassio scratches his head, his sword resting on the metal grate floor, "Uh, yes. Something like that."
Tez licks the edge of her sword, "Goblins taste funny." She cleans the blade, then sheathes it then begins to drag the gob..Murlogi into their own cells.
Holmes: Kerem groans in semi-consciousness
Holmes: As Tez pulls the Jailor towards one of the cells, she notes the goblins in the cell in question suddenly get slavering looks on their faces, anticipating having this one to themselves.
Tez looks at the Jailor, then at the other goblins consideringly. "Hmmm."
Holmes: "We must free them, and lead them to safety... the ones that will join in the revolution of the Dark Gods!" shouts Cassio's diminutive friend.
Tez: "What, them?" she points at the excitable goblins
Holmes: "Yes, yes!" he turns to them, and speaks in the Murlogi tongue. Several of the goblins become more excited, and others seem distrustful. Yet others somewhat non-committal. But they all queue up to exit the pit.
Cassio blinks with a look of exasparation
Tez shrugs and looks through the keys, trying a few in the lock
Tez: "Listen, if any of them try to attack me or anything, I'm going to be a little angry."
Cassio: "Something about revolution of the dark gods sounds... not so nice."
Tez: "Can you tell them that"
Cassio: "Oh yes dear, we are just enjoying the revolution of the dark gods right now, spot of tea?"
Tez looks askance at Cassio
Cassio: "It was a joke?"
Tez: "The dark gods thing wasn't MY idea. But they were going to move against the High King right?"
Holmes: Tez has now found the right keys to a couple of pits, but realizes that the number of keys here must mean many more pit halls, or other uses for the keys. The goblins start milling about... some of them look like they might bolt at any moment.
Holmes: It occurs to Cassio and Tez that one or more might do so unnoticed, the more there are out of the cages.
Tez tosses the Jailor into one of the empty cells and locks it. "Oh right I was supposed to be quiet." she mutters.
Egani: ~~This will be interesting. What are you doing here anyway?~~
Tez: ~~Following Cassio. I thought he might run into trouble *grin* ~~
Egani: ~~Good thing you're around to keep him out of trouble. :) ~~
Holmes: Despite the danger it represents, Cassio's goblin complains, "You need to let them all out!"
Holmes: "Why do you hesitate!" he cries. "The Dark Gods will certainly reward you well for your aid here!"
Tez crams the other bloody goblins into cells as well and dusts off her hands. She looks down at the goblin who spoke, "They're not sworn to me."
Cassio: "I uh, sort of told him I'd free them all."
Tez: "In return for what?"
Cassio: "Getting Kerem out."
Tez: "But he didn't do anything." she points out.
Cassio: "Obviously he didn't help us for that, but I'm just saying."
Cassio nods
Holmes: The goblin, trying to follow the conversation, awaits their final decision.
Tez: "Hm. Well, if you keep all this a secret until we are to leave, I'll give you the keys."
Holmes: "How am I to keep it a secret?" asks the goblin. "Surely this will be discovered. You must flee with us to the secret place! Else you will surely perish."
Tez: "Carefully. Besides I bet your secret place is dark and boring."
Tez looks at Cassio, "Well, he's your friend. You decide."
Holmes: "But somebody will come along and find these ones," the goblin points out. "At least kill them!"
Holmes: He points at the ones in the pit.
Cassio contemplates and the finally concludes, "I say we let them out. Slavery is a horrible thing, even for these fellows."
Tez: ~~Agnes can you make them forget about ...everything that just happened?~~
Egani: ~~Uh...hmmm...~~
Tez: ~~But wait until we are gone.~~
Tez contemplates whether or not a sacrifice would draw spiritual attention... the Jailor was rather irritating after all.
Tez sighs deciding she oughtn't do so yet, gathers the others, and follows the loud goblin to the secret place.
Tez: "It will be a secret." she informs him. "Do not let it be broken."
Holmes: The goblin nods.
Holmes: He leads them out of the chamber to his secret place, wondering what magic these people have used to assure the secret.
Holmes: *
Holmes: *
Holmes: A while later, Tez realizes that the long tunnel that the goblin is leading them along must be leaving Ohidnar... unless the city is far more vast than she had been lead to believe previously.
Tez: "Are we leaving the city?"
Holmes: The goblin turns, and takes a second to process the question. Then he understands, "Oh, you thought that the secret place was in Ohidnar? It's not, it's a distance away, along secret cave paths. There the warriors of the Elder Gods assemble!" his eyes always light up when he speaks this wayy.
Tez: "Oh. Huh. I wonder where the others are."

Holmes: The female goblin body that now houses Alquas stands before Egani's workbench.
Alquas flexes his new fingers.
Chimrea had explained to Egani that she needed to talk to a spirit who was described as being in "the fiery depths." She hoped that, living here, he'd have some idea what it meant.
Alquas casts a knowledgeable eye over Egani's paraphenalia. Wihout asking , he starts rooting through it.
Alquas: "Is this oil of armigua? It seems to have fermented."
Alquas sniffs the bottle and makes a face.
Alquas: "Hmm.... the olfactory sense is different... quite potent. Fascinating, really."
Egani: "It's supposed to ferment -- that's what the Kumrot yeast is for. It concentrates the essence of future."
Alquas frowns at Egani. "Indeed? That seems a waste." He places the bottle to one side with exaggerated carefulness.
Alquas: "Do you have any Kaliphra essence?"
Egani nods and gestures to the top shelf.
Alquas: "Ah, good, good..."
Egani: Chimrea, there is an ancient creature in the deep vents. I'd guess that's what you're looking for...but it's not so easy to get down there.
Alquas: "Infusion of athamcrite... gelphwater... carrot juice..."
Chimrea: "When you say 'not so easy,' how bad do you mean? I think it's very important for me to speak to Salamander."
Alquas: "Sulphur.... armigo powder cut with... flour? ...some musty-looking ophala juice... no, that's rat poison..."
Egani: "Salamander is no friend of the High King so traffic isn't encouraged. And you have to go down a thermal vent far enough to reach the deep heat."
Egani: "You need to take lots of water."
Egani: "Too bad your dad's not here, he was good with fire."
Chimrea thinks about the weight of rock already hanging above her, about sneaking past goblins and going deeper down to meet a spirit she's not even sure she's qualified to bargain with. She feels very far from home.
Alquas: "Water should not be a problem. At least, if I can make this work.... I need a crucible. And some chalk."
Chimrea: In a small voice, she agrees, "It's too bad, yes."
Chimrea turns away suddenly and moves over to the wall, trying to look like she's inspecting the shadows again and not blinking back tears.
Egani: Keeping track of Alquas' behavior with a corner of his attention, Egani supplies the foreigner with what he needs and turns back to Chimrea. "I think you can do it, probably some goblins do -- there are fire opals recovered from those depths."
Chimrea: Turning back with a bright smile on her face, Chimrea says, "Good! Do you happen to have any material here that induces a trance when inhaled or drunk? I'm afraid I'm away from my normal tools."
Egani: "Sure! Many kinds, actually. Lots of stuff like that is needed for surgery."
Alquas ignores everybody and clears some space on the floor.
Egani directs Alquas to an appropriate space.
Chimrea: "Please tell me if we're imposing on you too much, Egani. You've been very kind."
Chimrea knows better than to hope Alquas will hear that as a hint to be polite.
Alquas: "No, no... that space will not do!"
Egani: "No, no, I'm getting a kick out of seeing you kids. You bring back memories." Anyone looking might be startled to see Agnes' smile on the face of the old tinker, if only for a few moments.
Alquas: "I have to consider the geometry of the space, man!"
Egani raises his eyebrows at Alquas. "Sorry?"
Chimrea whispers to Egani, "If he's being too difficult, I can try yelling at him a bit."
Alquas returns to his previosuly chosen spot. "I would show you the trigonometry if I thought it would be worthwhile."
Alquas: Chalk breaks in his new fingers. "Curses!"
Alquas: With more care, he chalks straight lines from the edges of the room, converging on the area he designated at certain angles.
Egani: "I assumed from your interest in reagents that you were a specialist in the essences. But I can see that you can't read beneath the veil. This is a very...interesting...choice of location for your...um...trick."
Alquas eyes Egani as contemptuously as he can manage. "Interesting, yes."
Alquas: HE places the crucible in the centre of his space, and busily chalks three concentric circles around it, swearing occasionally when the chalk breaks again.
Egani shares a sidelong glance with Chimrea.
Alquas: The insides of the circles are then laced with a few hasty symbols, a mixture of two powders added to the crucible, and the rest of the reagents arranged at the intersections of various lines within and around the circles.
Chimrea: Chimrea, caught in the act of rolling her eyes at both of them, asks Egani, "How long will it take to get to the deep areas?"
Alquas: "Athamcrite with the Earth, 72 by 12 East... gelphwater 14 by 16..."
Egani: "I'm not really sure. It depends on whether you go directly down the vent or take the old, unused dwarven tunnels."
Alquas: Satisfied, Alquas stands up.
Alquas: "Now, just any form of igniferous material to set it off."
Alquas: "Um.. please."
Egani: "Phosphoressence in the third drawer...it's in oil, bring a whole phial out."
Alquas does so.
Egani: "But there are places going down the vent where you'll need ropes and such to navigate."
Egani: "Maybe we could hook up with a mining crew for the trip."
Chimrea: "Are we talking about hours or days, though?"
Alquas is somewhat put out that his big ritual moment doesn't seem to be holding anyone's attention. He decides to start it anyway, exposing the phophoressence to the air. It promptly bursts into flame.
Alquas: "From air comes fire and into earth..."
Alquas: He drops the flame into the crucible.
Egani: "Days taking the safe tunnels, less than a whole day taking the primary vent if all goes well."
Chimrea nods to Egani, but her eyes are wide and focused on Alquas' ritual.
Alquas: A large amount of nothing happens. Then the fire goes out.
Egani leans in and whispers to Chimrea "if you can get him to work right over there, I think he'll find more success."
Egani tends to tidying some stuff up -- something that he doesn't appear to have much practice with.
Alquas: "I don't understand.."
Egani: Facing away, Egani shrugs. "Like, duh..." he thinks.
Alquas: "It must be this quirrelroot powder, I thought it looked too green..."
Chimrea: "There are many spirits clustered in this area--it's possible that's interfering somehow," Chimrea suggests. She points over to the spot Egani indicated and adds, "There aren't any of them there, so far from the walls."
Alquas: "Spirits?" Alquas examines Chimrea sceptically.
Chimrea: "Do we need to have another conversation about you dismissing everything I say?"
Alquas: "Oh... yes, well... if there were spirits... I suppose... it couldn't be helped... yes, I'll move over there."
Alquas waddles over, collecting things hurriedly and not meeting anyone's eyes. He begins again, less theatrically this time, with the quiet efficiency of the shamed.
Chimrea grits her teeth and counts to ten, then twenty. She has no idea how Alquas manages to cause such strong and simultaneous urges to comfort and strangle.
Chimrea: Realizing Alquas probably doesn't want any more of an audience, she joins Egani at the workbench. "For a trance, I'd prefer something that won't risk killing me, just make it easier to let loose of the flesh."
Egani: "Ah, for how long?"
Chimrea: "A few hours? I understand these things aren't exact." For the first time, she starts to wonder who she'll have to help her down there.
Egani: "No problem. I have regular shipments of dried Edgash leaves come from civilized ports. Y Ou ? can chew on them and as your saliva mixes with the herb, it'll create a mind-altering reaction. Good stuff."
Egani: "You won't feel any pain at all, though, I hope that's an acceptable side-effect."
Chimrea: "That sounds perfect. Thank you so much." Chimrea looks like she's about to say something else, then stands there chewing on it for a long moment.
Chimrea: Finally she asks, in a total non sequitur, "Did you ever meet one of mother's friends named Fazeris?"
Egani looks startled. "Sure...like your mom, he was from Kaitain. I don't recall what he did, but I think they were close. But, then, so many people looked up to your mother."
Egani: Egani is obviously remembering. "Why do you ask?"
Chimrea: Casting a nervous look to make sure Alquas is still occupied, Chimrea says, "It's just that Tez said something about my blood and his being the same, which doesn't make any sense. I thought if you knew them both, maybe you could figure out what she meant. Probably nothing, I know, because Tez is sort of crazy."
Chimrea: She looks sorry she brought it up, but also hopeful that Egani will agree about Tez' certain unreliability.
Egani: "You know, it's funny how inheritance works. Fazeris and Isadora were of a racial type, somewhat different from your father and you sure do favor your mom. In some ways you look more like Fazeris than Okhfels -- but that's just how it works sometimes. Agnes looks more like Marcia than me...lucky girl!" Egani smiles.
Chimrea gives an echoing sickly smile. "Yes, that's it." She looks back over to Alquas, hoping he'll finish soon.
Egani: "Is she a student of heredity?"
Chimrea: "Her family's aristocratic, so she knows a bit about that sort of thing, I guess. Mostly, though, she's been going around talking about blood all the time."
Egani: "Agnes mentioned that she was trying to figure out what her relation to Akalatan is, so she's probably quite immersed in the lore of blood. I wonder what she would mean by 'same' when talking about blood."
Alquas: "Z'tarr damn it all!"
Alquas runs up to Egani in a harried manner. "I need more potent elemental foci!"
Alquas: He glares at him as if he expects them to be handed over immediately.
Egani blinks usefully.
Chimrea could kiss Alquas for distracting Egani, but decides that would send the wrong message.
Chimrea: "What kind of foci?" she asks instead.
Egani: "There is pure elemental fire in the depths where Chimrea and I are planning a visit."
Alquas ponders how to explain the complexities of elemental theory to the layperson.
Chimrea recognizes the look on Alquas' face. "The short version."
Alquas: "The elements are...", he begins, bu then he eyes Egani. "That is, the Shanvajar school says the elements are endowed with a certain... personality."
Alquas: "Through science and chemistry we seek to tame their wilder natures, but when we wish to harness them at their purest we have to allow them expression."
Chimrea tries to parse that. "And you need these expressions of the elements on hand before you can do your ritual?"
Alquas is in full on rumination mode. "It is in fire's nature to consume, but also to embrace, you see.... the more... romantic asiirji talk of it like love..."
Chimrea: "Short version," she reminds in a warning tone.
Alquas: "So, the element itself, yes, in as pure a form as can be found, but also a certain.. emotional context? A sort of... ritual action?"
Alquas: "This is easier to explain in my native tongue."
Egani: "To my way of thinking, there is more pure and less pure. Which do you want?"
Chimrea is looking at Alquas positively askance, now.
Chimrea: "There's plenty of fire down in the vent," she says, hoping to avert another long academic argument. "What do you need to gather here, before we leave?"
Chimrea: She swallows. "I mean, assuming you're willing to come along."
Alquas: "Well... I imagine water and air will not be in any superior supply in the vents, so I will have to gather those here." He looks around him. "Unfortunately."
Egani: "I have purified essences, but I'm afraid the emotional context will be quite sterile."
Alquas: "Hmm. Well, that may have to do for the air... I don't suppose there are any underground rivers or springs here?"
Alquas: "Water is strength, see? Water that has carved through rock...?"
Egani: "Sure, but not close. The water supply comes from surface seepage, mostly. The priests have a holy well, if you want to stop by there first."
Alquas: "Holy? No, no, that would interfere..."
Chimrea: "Water goes where it's pushed, but over years it carves through mountains." Chimrea looks at Alquas, surprised--she actually thinks she and he are talking about the same thing, for once.
Egani: "Then water from my distillery is probably your best bet."
Chimrea: "Are there places where water drips down from the ceiling in these caves? Where it goes bit by bit, over time?"
Alquas: "Yes, Chimreah, exactly. Water desrves respect above all elements." He turns back to Egani. "I will take some purified aqua in lieu. Perhaps we shall be lucky and make a discovery."
Egani grins while supplying the water.
Alquas: "As for air... what do you have?"
Egani: "Essence of air, or, of course, just air." Egani gestures around the room.
Alquas ponders the essence of air. "I may just hold my breath, if it is all the same to you."
Chimrea: "So, do we need to gather anything else?"
Alquas: "No, no. This will do for my purposes.
Egani returns after being gone a while. "Sorry, I had to make arrangements."
Alquas: "Of course, there are the practical logistics to consider." He yawns.
Alquas: "You will indeed need drinking water after all." He eyes his failed ritual markings. "Unfortunately."
Chimrea: "Hey, Alquas? Thank you. I know you have a lot to deal with right now, but right away you agreed to help me. I really appreciate it."
Chimrea starts loading up on water.
Egani hefts a large waterskin.
Alquas: "I should probably make an effort to dress less basically, as well."
Alquas: "What clothes do.... goblins... usually wear?"
Egani: "A stunningly wide variety, actually. Anything is fine."
Alquas: "Ah? Good, good. I will need a mirror."
Alquas: "If I am to be a goblin, I will be a well-dressed one."
Chimrea isn't quite sure how to process Alquas' vanity coming out of a goblin.
Chimrea: While he makes his preparations, she carefully stows a packet of Edgash leaves in her bag and checks her meager supplies, trying to distract herself from thinking too much about the coming task.
Egani: "Sometimes the young elite women of the Murlogi will color themselves head to toe in powdered pigments."
Alquas: "What a shame I lack any."
Egani: "Mostly for special occasions -- parties, festivals, etc. Agnes used to run in a crazy crowd."
Alquas: "I don't suppose anyone has a needle and thread?"
Egani: "Of course."
Egani pulls open a huge drawer in a cabinet "but if you're just lookng for clothes, I have a ton. Bodies always come with..."
Alquas: Ah, yes, that will be fine. Clothes then. Female ones, I suppose. And um, goblinoid.
Chimrea tells herself to be patient, that Alquas is just trying to get comfortable in what must be a very awkward body. She just barely manages not to pace by the door.
Alquas: Alquas finds a suitable dress and makes a few alterations, and then spends the better part of half an hour grooming his unfamiliar features with whatever is to hand.
Egani openly boggles at her priorities.
Chimrea: Finally Chimrea can't take it any more. "We need to go now."
Alquas: "Fortunately, I was just finishing."
Alquas: He turns. "What do you think?"
Egani says "Right this way..." and strides out of the workshop and down the hall.
Chimrea bites back a very nasty response and says to Alquas, "I think you've done a wonderful job. Let's go see if we can find your elemental foci."
Alquas: "Indeed."
Holmes: As the group proceeds from Egani's chambers, a figure silhouetted by one of Egani's braziers, follows them, unseen for the nonce, as they head for the primary vent.

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