Week Fourteen, Day Three

 

[Skip ahead to completion of training.]

            With their new skills honed, several members retake their tests in hopes for better ranking and wages:

            Jeffrey fairs well in endurance and hand to hand, but less so in marksmanship. Rank 4 awarded.

            Luke fairs decently in endurance, average in hand to hand, very well in marksmanship and amazingly well in first aid.  Rank 4 awarded

            Lilly fairs decently in endurance, average in hand to hand and very well in marksmanship.  Rank 7 awarded.

            Grey Eyes fairs decently in endurance, very well in hand to hand and decently in marksmanship.  Rank 5 awarded.

            Wishing to return to New Lyshy by way of acting as guardians for a shipment bound there the team asks for certification of their rank and skills to be used as proof of their worth.  Grey Eyes wants a vehicle for the group of their own for the trip and tries to rent a simple cargo van.  She is asked if she has any driving experience and she uses her diplomatic skills to convince that she indeed does.  The cost turns out to be 10 W per day with a 50 W deposit which will be refunded when the rental is returned.  She takes it to Lilly’s graveyard and hides it there for the time being.  Hoping to bring a gift to Dlar Grey Eyes looks for a likely target, but comes up empty handed.

            Wanting to secure living currency should they make it to Lyshy Jeffery “searches” a house using Mathew’s badge under the pretence of possible stolen goods.  The search turns up nothing of course, but he notes there are six individuals inhabiting the house, two adults and four young.  He leaves for now planning to perhaps come back later to collect.

            Luke tries to convince his sister to allow him access to someone who could show him better spells than he currently knows.  She denies him this saying he is not ready.  Luke instead sets to work learning amanuensis.

            Expecting that she may have to transport prisoners to New Lyshy Grey Eyes attempts to get something useful as a sedative.  She gets a little from her parents but it will not be enough for such a long trip.  She asks Luke for a better source, and his best answer using his herbalism is a kind of mushroom that might be found in the area.  The mushroom is subterranean and not very common.

            Luke informs Randolf that there is going to be a trip made to Lyshy soon and asks if he wants anything from back home.  Randolf is actually more interested in going back for a visit at least so he tells Luke he wants to come as well.

            To end their day Lilly and Grey Eyes pay a visit to Dlar’s lair.  Grey Eyes seeks out the diviner she met at the party named Laybryda as she is looking for a way to read minds.  She explains that she wants to know what Dlar is thinking so she can please it better and asks for something that can do that.  Laybryda says she might be able to get a scroll for ESP made for Grey Eyes which might do as she wants.

            Lilly looks for Vern and pulls him aside for a snuggle.  She wastes little time in trying to pry more from him about Annalisa  to help her efforts to remove her as leader.  She finds that while Vern does not want to see Annalisa die in general, he would not feel so bad if she was devoured by Dlar.  Such an end is to poetic and fitting that Vern is in fact looking forward to the day to come.  If Lilly has her way that day may come much sooner than agreed upon.

            Grey Eyes checks up on any new information dug up about Lyshy and its imports.  She finds little new or that could provide a clue as to how they forged such unique and difficult to repair tools.  Done upstairs she descends to visit Dlar personally.  Dlar is as always happy to see her.  She offers herself to Dlar as a sort of temporary prey, permitting Dlar to sip her life so long as not so much is taken that it kills her.  Dlar happily agrees and only takes a few moments to swallow her.  Once swallowed she gives Dlar a tummy rub from the inside lets and Dlar taste her by giving its long tongue personal attention.

 

            Curious about the effects of the healing talent she was shown on a zamonudi, Grey Eyes tries to use it on Dlar.  While she believes she was able to enact the ability there is no discernable affect on Dlar.  Not knowing why the attempt seemed ineffective but in no position to figure it out Grey Eyes relaxes and lets herself keep Dlar warm.

            With a little free time to himself Jeffery decides to earn a little favour with Dlar and sets out to hunt, for an “Amanda” if possible.  As is becoming his custom he begins his search at a club.  As no one is wearing name tags he has to settle for choosing someone who looks available for a little company.  He spots someone likely with yellow hair watching the others dance.

            Asking if he can sit down and getting a “yes” he takes a seat and buys drinks.  Her name turns out to be Sophi, not exactly what he is looking for but still worth his time.  He offers her a dance which she accepts.  Trying to show his stuff he instead only manages to give evidence he suffers from epilepsy and causing Sophi some embarrassment.  She returns to the table to sit down and he follows.

            Trying to patch things over he orders very fine wine [15 W value]  and asks a little about her.  She lets on that she has an office job dealing with sensitive documents, none of which she is willing to talk about.  He orders more drinks and asks if she would like to try the dance thing again.  She is sceptical but accepts anyway, hoping he will be better this time.  Better this time he is, much better.  Sophi is suitably impressed and comments he could very well be some sort of “drunken savant”.

            Leaving Grey Eye’s in Dlar’s care Lilly does a little hunting of her own.  Following Grey Eyes lead in hunting practice she sets out to hire a prostitute.  Finding someone suitable she hires her “for a friend” and asks that she follow.  She follows Lilly up to the gates of the cemetery that Lilly calls home but flatly refuses to enter.  Lilly offers her more pay to continue, and despite her fears of entering the payment coerces her in.  Lilly points out that her place of residence is the large house on the edge of the cemetery but that the more secretive door is located in the mausoleum ahead.

            Lilly opens the door to the mausoleum and steps in first, closing the door behind them.  She steps over to Murray’s tomb and says the way down in under the lid.  Moving the lid aside she says “Murray, I have someone here to see you”.  “For me?” is the only response from the now open tomb.  Lilly nods as Murray half-rises and fixes his empty gaze on the petrified victim.  With one arm Murray grabs her and drags her into his tomb, the closing lid muffling her screams.  The screams continue for some moments, slowing fading into silence.  The lid pulls back and the now withered body of the girl is tossed to the floor.  “So sweet, you are to kind to me Lilly” Murray says as it turns to regard her.  Lilly asks if she should dispose of the corpse but Murray says that it is not necessary just now.  Murray asks her if she will be staying home today and she says yes.  Helping her inside Murray closes the lid once more leaving only a crack for air, and the two of them embrace in the deathly quiet dark.

 

            Jeffery feels that now is the time to make his move, and asks Sophi is she would like to leave and find a place to stay for the two of them.  She does not blow him off totally and shows some interest but does not seem willing to go that far just yet.  She hands him a ticket and says that if he really is interested in her he can meet her “at the time and place”.  Looking at the ticket he finds that it for some sort of dance and musical production that is set for five days from now.  He smiles and agrees to show up.  Sophi reminds him to wear his best before going on her way.

            Out of luck for company for the moment Jeffery makes a stop to pick up a little wine and some exotic tiger ice cream.  He brings his goods home with him and looks for Kikah.  He finds her sitting in the den with three platters of snacks and dipping sauce.  He sits down with her and readies himself for a relaxing evening.

 

Week Fourteen, Day Four

 

            Pulling herself out of her shared tomb, Lilly remembers that she has a body to deal with.  Shovel in hand she makes he way out into the cemetery and digs a quick shallow grave with no marker.  The corpse from the night before is buried, joining the growing number of nameless graves.

            Jeffery decides to go meet up with Grey Eyes and figures that Dlar’s lair is a good place to check.  As expected Grey Eyes is still there, having apparently spent the night inside Dlar again.  Dlar is happy to see Jeffery and gives him a warm welcome.  Lilly shows up soon after Jeffery, Grey Eyes joining them both after being spat up.

            Dlar seems to have been thoughtful while Grey Eyes slept and has questions for its favourite servants.  Dlar has noticed that only Grey Eyes and Lilly visit often and seem to like being around it while the others only come when they need something.  Dlar is saddened and confused that its cultists do not like it and try to avoid it.

 

            “I saw someone up above that was alone and shaking.  I think they were shaking because they were cold.  They did not look happy.   Another came to them and hugged them, and they shook no more.  The other must have warmed them.  Is this why you mammals are warm, to share your warmth with others?  I want to be warm too, but I am always cold.  I do not have warmth of my own to share, all I do is take.  I take and I take and there does not seem to be enough warmth in the world for me.  Is this why my girls are scared of me, because I take but can’t share.  Am I a monster?”

 

            They try to reassure Dlar, telling it that it has always treated them nice and they like it.  Lilly says that its Annalisa that makes them scared of Dlar.  Dlar becomes suddenly very interested and wants to know why.  Lilly says its because she has to much power, since Dlar cannot tell time it is up to Annalisa to say when someone's time is up so Dlar can eat them.  Since Annalisa was the first to join then it makes sense she would be the first Dlar would eat, which means she can’t tell Dlar who is next.  Dlar understands that at any point Annalisa could say it was time when it was not.  It is at this point that Dlar begins to understand what dishonesty is, a concept it was not aware of.

            Having implicated Annalisa as the problem Grey Eyes asks Dlar what it would do to make its girls feel better, if it would release them from the twenty-five year limit.  Dlar agrees immediately that it would, if it would make them happy.  A short time into their plan and they begin to divide power of the cult between them.  Lilly is put in charge of most of the bucks, Grey Eyes is put in charge of educating Dlar about the world, and Kati is kept in the position of treasurer.

            While schemes are made Jeffery goes back upstairs and asks Vern if Kati is around.  He nods and says she’s in back in the kitchen.  He also says he heard about what he did to Kati and congratulates him, what he did took her down a few pegs and she is a bit more humble now.  Just as he was told Jeffery finds Kati in the kitchen, Joshua and Tyler are also there likely up to no good.  Kati notices him quickly and seems very uncomfortable to see him.  She stammers when she talks while trying to look friendly.  Jeffery does not seem to be interested in her exactly but more in what she can do.  He hands her his favoured weapon and asks if she can make some sort of enchanted version within a 300 G budget.  She agrees to think about the matter and come back to him with a set of plans later.

            With matters settled with new leadership Grey Eyes follows after Jeffery to inform Kati of the changes, taking a bit of cheese offered by Vern on her way by.  Kati is rather surprised to hear that Annalisa has been for the moment pushed aside and the death sentence placed on them all had been lifted.  She learns she is going to be officially the treasurer as she is the best qualified to deal with the goods in Dlar’s possession.

            Waiting down bellow Lilly decides she had better go get Grey Eyes and perhaps Kati as well to help develop their plans a little more together with Dlar.  Dlar is unhappy to hear that soon it will be left all alone again but Lilly tries to comfort it.  She places down a watch and says she will be gone for just a short time, and will return before the hands get to “this” point.  She informs Dlar a bit on how to tell time with the watch and ascends the stairs.  Dlar is left alone intently gazing at the watch.

            On the way she stops to talk to Vern letting him know there are big changes for him and the other bucks ahead.  She asks him to meet her at a nearby restaurant so that she can talk to him about what is to come and how it will affect him.  He agrees to meet her soon and for the time being goes back to his original job as greeter.

            Lilly brings Grey Eyes and Kati back down and finalize things with Dlar a bit more.  With this done between them Grey Eyes and Jeffery offer to go find Dlar an “Amanda” for it, as Dlar has always wanted to try one.  They decide their best odds to find someone named Amanda quickly would be from a school.  Grey Eyes dresses up to look like a student as best she can while Jeffery goes looking as an enforcer.

            They try the closest school to Dlar’s lair and check the library for any yearbooks that are current.  Three are found that might work and their names are told to Jeffery.  He makes his way to the office and informs the secretary that someone named Amanda with a general physical description has been implicated in vandalism and he needs to see if such a person is here.  Complying with an enforcers request the office calls the three down to meet with Jeffery.  He points out the yellow haired one as the likely one he is after and tells her what she is suspected of.

            Amanda denies she has any connection with the crime and states she was not even drunk that day so she could not have done it while being unaware of what she was doing.   Working with this he says he is glad she said as much, as the one accusing her is under suspicion of lying to enforcers like this in the past.  He asks if she would be willing to come with him down to his station and give evidence against this person.  She agrees to help prove that her accuser is wrong and a liar and comes willingly.  While escorting her from the school Grey Eyes comes up slowly from behind and casts sleep upon Amanda, sending her into slumber.  They restrain her and carry her back to Dlar’s lair.

            Meanwhile Lilly meets up with Vern and informs him of the changes while acting casual about it.  She tells him that they are now going to be equal in their job in the cult, capable of earning favour from Dlar just as the females do instead of just contributing to the females own efforts.  He is also to be put in charge of the other bucks, Lilly will be the only one other than Dlar itself with greater power than him in this matter.

 

            Jeffery and Grey Eyes present Amanda to Dlar who is very happy to see her.  Seeing Dlar resting upon its bed of bones frightens her to the point of being petrified and gives no resistance as she is stripped.  Dlar has a taste of her just before swallowing not only her but Grey Eyes as well.  Grey Eyes hopes that Dlar can exempt her from being permanent prey while being able to watch just what happens to Amanda.

            Jeffery, not having much else to do and seeing the cheese without anyone manning it takes up the job himself.  Instead of just offering it to whomever comes through the door he holds it until he gets a kiss.  He tries a few himself in the meantime and takes a few drinks for himself when he feels like it.

            Still with Vern, Lilly orders roasted mushrooms and drinks [13W 4S].  Lilly asks if he can get all the bucks together in a few days so that they can be informed of the new changes as a whole.  Vern does not feel this is possible and asks for a week, as attendance is infrequent even among the bucks.  After the meal Lilly decides she should introduce Vern to Dlar as it seems they are not familiar with each other.

            Vern and Lilly arrive back at the lair and descend the stairs.  Lilly introduces Vern to Dlar in with short formality and lets them get to know each other a bit better on their own.  From inside Dlar Lilly hears Grey Eyes invite her to join in and witness what appears to be an interesting way to die.  Lilly seems willing to take up the offer and asks Dlar to eat her as well.  Dlar is of course happy with the idea and agrees.  She strips and tells Vern not to worry and it will be okay for her.  He watches with a disturbed look on his face as Lilly gleefully steps into Dlar’s maw.  A few moments later Lilly is gone, and he and Dlar are left alone to talk things over.

            Grey Eyes stays pressed against Amanda and watches her closely.  As her hide melts giving her a horrid appearance Grey Eyes asks Vern to get a makeup kit from a purse near Dlar and get it down to her.  As asked a makeup kit lands in the gut with them and she moves to pick it up.  She opens it and tries to show Amanda what she looks like but fails.  While everyone can see themselves and others by way of the spiritual vision granted by the gleeah it would seem it cannot be reflected in the mirror which appears to be a disk of darkness.  Grey Eyes casts a light incantation to brighten things up a bit.  Grey Eyes twisted smile grows as Amanda screams at her own reflection, choking on her own fear.

            Lilly looks about in the gleeah hoping to find a few trinkets left over from other prey.  She does find an assortment of rings, none of which appear to have any magic about them.  Figuring it would be best she asks Dlar to bring her up to its mouth for a moment so that the rings can be added to the pile Dlar rests on.

            Grey Eyes and Lilly watch as Amanda’s spirit sputters and goes out, her flesh rapidly melting and evolving gas.  Dlar belches a few moments later and its all over.  Grey Eyes and Lilly mull over what they saw, but its Lilly that comes to an understanding.  From what she witnessed she finds the inspiration for Dragons Gut Touch.  With the show over the two of them snuggle up and take their rest in their master.

            Vern returns upstairs and passes by Jeffery who is still on self appointed cheese duty.  Vern asks him who put him there and he just says he felt like doing it himself.  Vern looks like he has a lot on his mind and seems far off.  Jeffery asks him what is up, and Vern just says he saw things he really didn’t need to.  Jeffery just nods and says they do that all the time.  Jeffery is about to ask him something when Vern blurts out “Wanna go get drunk?”.  Jeffery smiles and agrees to what is a splendid idea.

 

Week Fourteen, Day Five

 

            Lilly is the first one up and the first one back out.  After being spat back up upon Dlar’s bedding she cleans herself up a bit and gets dressed.  She seeks out Vern upstairs in the kitchen area where he as been passed out for many hours.  She employs a cantrip to help sober him up some and get him on his way gathering the cult together as asked.

            With Vern off doing as asked Lilly takes it upon herself to improve the look of the lair while everyone else goes about their days business.  Jeffery and Grey Eyes take their van out to hunt for Dlar, asking Dlar to alert her once Analisa is awake wherever she is.  Its not long before Grey Eyes realizes that for some reason her mouth is blue, apparently perpetually full of gleeah.  Not wanting the problems associated with other forms of hunting they again turn to the streets and a little trickery.  Acting as if they are doing checks on proper forms and regulations for prostitution they try to round up a few.  Some have their documentation in order, and some do not.  They manage to get three before Dlar warns Grey Eyes that Analisa is up and likely on her way.

            Taking what they have back to the lair they cuff and escort the three they have down to Dlar.  Jeffery slices the clothing from one and offers her up as his portion of the work.  Dlar is happy enough to accept and takes only a few moments to swallow her.  With that done he turns returns upstairs to find Kati and see how the work about his “order” has been going.  Grey Eyes instead takes the time to amuse herself with the most attractive one first before making an offering of her own.

            Jeffery finds Kati upstairs in the kitchen and is shown three plans for the enchantment he wanted.  He is offered fire, frost and thundering.  Of the three choices he opts for the last in hopes that it will be the most useful.  He removes the cash limit on the enchantment and just asks it be done right.

            Its not long before Analisa finally shows and finds Jeffery on the main floor.  She asks him bluntly where his two “friends” are and he just says they are down with Dlar again.  Hearing this does not make her feel any better than she already does and she becomes determined to see what they are up to.  First, however, she wants Jeffery out of the way for the time being and uses her granted powers to lay a sleep spell over Jeffery.  He manages to shrug off the effect and forcefully takes Analisa down to see Dlar.

            Lilly and Grey Eyes are waiting for her when the door opens, neither looking all to friendly.  She confronts them about the changes being made and how they bringing ruin to what she has built.  They inform her that she built it not for Dlar but for herself, using lies and deception of Dlar, who should be her master in all things.  Dlar seems rather pleased with the new style and has grown very fond of Grey Eyes.  When Analisa blurts out it does not matter what Dlar thinks as she knows best Grey Eyes becomes vindictive and asks for permission to punish her.  Given permission, Grey Eyes jumps from Dlar’s side and rushes Analisa who manages to erect a simple shield spell just a moment before Grey Eyes reaches her.  It does little to help as a tazer stuns her.  With the practiced ease of an enforcer Grey Eyes cuffs Analisa hand and foot and lays her on the ground helpless.

            Analisa is taken upstairs and is handed over to the bucks for their own amusement and payback for being used all this time.  Grey Eyes takes Analisa back down and amuses herself with as well before enticing Dlar to eat them both, giving Analisa an “early retirement”.

            Luke pays Ethan another visit at his shop in hopes of convincing him to provide a copy of Deep Slumber.  Ethan is unwilling to provide Luke with a spell of that power as Luke is not likely ready to handle it.  Luke manages to convince Ethan that it would only be used in dire circumstance where death would be the only outcome.  Agreeing that taking the risk to save yourself at the cost of perhaps losing control of a spell is sensible Ethan agrees to personally get a copy from the mystic college while Luke and Krystal mind the shop.

            Ethan returns later with the requested scroll in hand.  He explains it took him longer than he would have liked, but the students have a fondness for challenges.  Luke takes some interest in this notion but for the time being he is more focused on the scroll.  Having what he came for Luke and Krystal leave Ethan to his shop keeping so that he might learn from the scroll after making a quick copy in his books for him.

 

Week Fourteen, Day Six [Day off]

 

            Not on actual duty the group just does as they wish for today.

            Grey Eyes makes good on a threat she whispered to Annalisa and drinks gleeah out of her now empty skull.  This very much officially moves the control of the cult from Annalisa to other more eager hands.  After being spat up she watches a Dlar weaves Annalisa into its bedding, where she lays down beside and licks gleeah from the bones.

            Jeffrey hooks up with Katie in order to better plan his weapon to be.  He asks that his new kama be made from an exotic metal that psychoactively reacts to the emotions of those near it, in this case anger.  Upon it he wishes the thundering enchantment they agreed upon.  As this is more complicated he also removes the pay limit and just asks that it be done well.

            Jeffrey and Grey Eyes decide to return their rental van and pay 45 for the time it was used.  They in turn get their 45 deposit back.  Returning to the lair Grey Eyes talks to the bucks there a bit about methods they use.  After talking shop she asks Dlar if it would like someone else much like it did Amanda.  Dlar really has no idea what it wants so it decides a look through another year book would help.  Joshua and Tyler do not have any such books with them this time around much to Grey Eye’s disappointment, she just tells them to bring one next time for her.

            Not having much to do personally, Luke makes another visit to Ethan and offers to help run the store a bit with Krystal.  He helps take stock of herbs available while Krystal moves from bin to bin checking for contamination.

            Not long after Grey Eyes arrives Jeffrey also makes his way to the lair.  He meets back up with Kati and questions her a bit more about a warning she gave about enchanting his Kama.  She points out that the notion of enchanting a psychoactive material could well open one’s self to hazards.  Taking this as advice he changes his order to an unenchanted Kama of the same material, and an enchanted one of mithril.

            Lilly returns to her home in Murray’s crypt.  Wanting to bring something nice home for him she tries to ensorcel a pair of does not far from the crypt with sleep.  The spell fails and knowing something odd just came over them they run.  She is tired and instead of continuing to look she buys a stash of candy before ending her day.

 

Week experience point total 975