Part and Parseltongue
Log Info
- Title: Part and Parseltongue
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Aryia, Jinks, Seyardu, Mikilos
- Place: Roleplay Nexus: Arcanists' Guild Dungeons
- Time: Wednesday, December 22, 2021, 10:10 PM
- Summary: Aryia, Jinks and Seyardu venture into the Arcanists' Dungeons to speak with the Lamia. They are joined by an Arvek Nar guard, Leumarhk, who is strangely friendly, and later by Mikilos who is simply friendly. Conversation with the Lamia is difficult, she's using a strange varient of draconic that's mixed with sildanyari and myndsandrall, pronounced by a widely different mouth for acoustically altered ears. Still, there are enough linguistics that passable parseltongue is managed. The lamia's name is N'tsssa, she's the matriarch of a clan that lives in ruins. She came to Alexandria with Lars so she could relocate her clan to the arena and be resident monsters. Also, she likes killing humans. Everyone advises her, killing humans is bad, don't do it, and for a few more details on her story. It seems she was charmed, as she wouldn't have come alone. Lars snuck her in, as a party member, so the watch wasn't aware. There are some things N'tsssa isn't saying, but it's hard to pin down. Leumarhk explains she's not imprisoned for anything, mostly her own safety, but he isn't sure she should be let out on her own, as she makes a lot of sudden, aggressive moves. Mikilos agrees to help 'family' and offers her a place in his magic shop. N'tsssa agrees, they work their way out, and she is released with a sign, 'I am a safe monster - The Watch'.
-=--=--=--=--=-<* Roleplay Nexus: Arcanists' Guild Dungeons *>--=--=--=--=--=-
Getting here requires passing a number of checkpoints, scans, and security checks. Once arrived, however, ones senses feel stifled and full, as though the mouth and ears were filled with cotton. This feeling will not leave until one exits.
The dungeons consist of a series of long halls, among which there are many rooms. Here, magic is blocked--thanks to heavy symbols engraved in wrought iron. These iron symbols lay resting into stone, itself carved. Nethercite, that terrifying legend of ages, lays placed into the walls. Guards may be found on regular patrols.
Here, the Guild takes no chances. Here, the most dangerous of mages await trial--or face imprisonment. And lately; willing plague victims. Along one particular hall, a door lies open. Outside it are a set of sith-makar guards. Past that and inside the room is a small table, with cards on it. A few dice. A set of chairs and some bare cots. Buckets labeled SOAPY WATER.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order -=-=-=-=-=-=-= Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a resolved look about her. Jinks 3'4" 39 Lb Gnome Male A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. Mikilos 6'8" 180 Lb Dawn Elf Male Tall male dawn elf, rosey blonde and handsome. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= NPCs of Note -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Leumarhk Hobgoblin Male A cool purple guard with green highlights, friendly. N'tsssa 'Hissa' Lamia Female A vibrant orange-scaled lamia, cursed and confusing. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
The Arcanists' Guild Dungeons
Deep beneath the Arcanists' hall are the magic-suppressing dungeons. The nethercite construction prevents any kind are arcane effect. Oddly, magic items aren't allowed. No reasons are given, they might strain the capabilities of the stone, or be used inappropriately once a prisoner leaves. Everything magic is removed at the first checkpoint, and later ones should anything be 'forgotten'. No weapons are allowed either.
The guards seem to have improved since the poison cake incident. They are more diligent, they are inflexible on the procedures. Everyone signs in. They'll have an escort, a guard who takes them down through the various checkpoints to a cell. Many in this section are empty.
The cell of interest is full of a large snake, coiled around herself like she's draped off a branch, half on the cot, half off, and facing away from the bars. Her coils fill the space, which was meant for a smaller creature. One could reach through and pat her. She faces away, her 'rump-equivalent' aimed at the door, her head tucked into a corner.
"Lamia, you have some visitors!" The guard announces, trailing the group.
This was the first time Aryia had been in the Arcanists' Guild Dungeons.
She felt completely off her game. The mute had to surrender everything on her that was magical. Her jacket, her necklaces, rings, armbands, cloak, boots, everything. She wasn't prepared for this, so she walks in, with only socks, pants, and a long sleeved shirt.
The pools she tries to reach within her felt murky and turbulent. Disturbed. Like nothing she could normally push her body to do were completely inaccessible. And it made her feel vulnerable.
That is, until she was every other poor sod in the same state as her, so she had a leg up if something physical came to terms. She keeps her journal, just in case, her looking around curiously as she goes down the halls. Her torch bright eyes were dampened to a candle. The suppressing magics of the dungeon affecting that too.
Jinks' longcoat is an asymmetrical thing most assuredly designed by an artiste with a distaste for convention. It's a soft, dark leather and fur lined, with a wide hood draped out to the shoulders and a half cloak entirely obscuring his left arm. A single row of four black buttons with emerald jewels descends below his right breast.
At the insistence that he surrender his enchanted arsenal he smirks and sighs, teasing the wizards that they don't seem quite as confident in their anti-magic wards as he'd expect. He strips out of the fine coat and sets it on a hook before setting about to meet their host's demands.
The gnome hums to himself as the belt comes off along with his dangling rapier, quivers, and pouches of reagents and scrolls. He toys with suspenders that mold into a harness for his bow when he shrugs out of them before leaning the weapon against the wall. He sheds three stacked rings from the second-to-last finger of his right hand into a bowl before collecting two and putting them back on.
Last he reaches for his crown, pausing and turning to face the wall before he lifts it off his head. None of his fantastic dress or jewelry vanish for want of the illusion-conjuring circlet but the bandages wrapped around his left chest and shoulder come into view beneath his thin, silken shirt. He takes a moment to inspect himself before taking up the coat and pulling it back on with a sigh to ease away the moment's tension.
"... hopefully she speaks Draconic as the naga-memory suggested," he mutters, realizing he won't have his translation magics.
Seyardu joined the rest of the group in visiting the Arcanist's dungeon. There was an awkward moment when asked to relinquish all her goods as she looked at her clothing, but she is quickly seen to a side room, and returns in a leather skirt and top, her almost ever present breastplate and satchel gone and stored with the guards there. It was strange, feeling so vulnerable out in the city.
At least Aryia was there, and almost as dangerous as normal, and more so than many in the dungeon in those circumstance.
She joins the others descending deeper, until they reached their location. She waves to the Lamia, and steps back. "Peace on your nest. We are here to speak to you, if you wish. This one is named Seyardu, would you share your name with us?" She asks, watching them for any form of movement. <Draconic>
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+20: (8)+20: 28 (Lamia Intimidate vs DC26)
HSSSSSSS!
There's a sudden lashing of the coils. The snake, the lamia, whips around and charges the bars at the sibilations of the draconic. She thumps against them, stopped in her aggression towards Seyardu.
She's an intimidating sight.
"A lot of the other guards are sith'makar. Hissa, ah, she doesn't seem to care for them." The guard says, from the back. He's an Arvek Nar, with an unusual skin colour, a purple-grey that also has elements which are vibrant green. "I'm Leumarhk Dew. You can call me 'Lou', just not late for dinner and if you have questions... sometimes it helps to make humming noises at her." He hums.
Sssss! Her attention turns towards him. Then, she notices Jinks, and the sight of the little gnome makes her back down. She curls away from the bars and sinks lower, making a serpentine bow towards him.
"Do you understand me?" <parseltongue>
GAME: Aryia rolls linguistics: (10)+4: 14 (vs DC 28, Difficult 30 - 2 for draconic related)
Aryia flinches and takes a step back from the sudden advance of the lamia. She puts her hands up in front of her in a surrendering motion. Hesitation in her frame from being settled by the ferocity exhibited. She gulps, glances to the Arvek Nar speaking for a moment, then returns to the prisoner.
She flips to a new page in her book, thinks for a moment from a time when she ran into lamia, then scribbles on her page in large letters. She turns it around.
"Can you read this?" it reads in improving Syldayari. <Sildanyari>
GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (20)+17: 37 (As Linguistics)
Jinks jumps at the lunge, overly-conscious of the fact that he's unarmed and unarmored; he doesn't even have his spells in this place. He frowns and closes his eyes for a three-count, reminding himself the city's worth of wealth piled outside is helpful but not required. He finally steps forward, doing his best to look relaxed as he comes up to the bars. His nose almost filling in the space between two.
"I don't know how much you could see behind that helmet... but I wanted to say that I'm sorry. Before we go any further." He glances back at the Arvek, then Seyardu, and finally lamia once more. "I'm sorry for my part in what happened to you. I don't know that you belong here." He tilts his head and moves his eyes, indicating the bars.
Turning to Aryia he offers, "She might speak a language native to the nagas and the like, called Parseltongue. But the Weave-memory suggested most Lamia would understand Draconic as well." <draconic>
The gnome turns to look at her again and hums a quiet tune. A peaceful melody for a lazy afternoon.
Aryia just remembers fighting lamia, and hissed in sildanyari to get them to stop fighting. It was... interesting trying to translate broken sildanyari from them, through Aryia who couldn't write at the time and couldn't use sign language. Also it was in Ecclesia, whose lamias might be different.
The Arvec Nar was ready for her lunge, and not surprised by it. He seems lightly armoured for a typical guard. There's something in the way he stands that suggests he's skilled and rather happy to fight unarmed and unarmoured. "It's not draconic. The other guards have tried that."
Warily, as if the page might explode or some other trap be triggered when she sees it, the lamia looks at the page. Her tongue flicks out. She shakes her head.
She looks at Jinks, "You understand. You understood before." <parseltongue>
Except, tranfixed by her serpent eyes, the gnome has an epiphany. It is draconic, in its roots, for a different shaped head and odder ears. A lot of the sounds shortened to be harder to understand, or lengthened. Deliberate, to differentiate it from the competition's. It might as well be a different language it is so changed.
The lamia sways, unclear if she understood, but picking up on tone, and behaviour.
Seyardu is the one most affected by the sudden lunge of the lamia, and she was pressed against one wall despite the bars. It takes a moment before she finally relaxes, and sighs. "I mean you no harm, miss. I am sorry if you do not like my kind, but I am here to help, I promise. Along with the others here." she replies in the same language. <parseltongue>
Seyardu leans back, and looks to Jinks, letting them speak for now.
Jinks blinks slowly, confusion evident on his features. "Somehow... maybe." He smooths his goatee in thought. "I saw something was wrong and sought insight through the Hymn." He lifts one hand, wrapping is loosely around the bars as his eyes seemed locked on the lamia.
"I know magics but... I can't use them here." He shrugs and tilts his head back towards Seyardu. "Does she speak as you do? The same language?"
Aryia frowns, closing her book and crossing her arms. "Well, tell me if there's anything important, I can't understand a damn word." <Handspeech>
She grabs the bars and shakes them, locked onto Seyardu, "Why theeeeese?" She threads her hand through to point at the guard, "Why he walkssss free and not me. How my magic isssss blocked?"
Angry, it would seem.
"What help? How do you know Larssss?" <parseltongue>
Leumarhk seems elated to be singled out. "Oh! You can talk to Hissa? I've got so many questions! What's her name, we can't keep calling her Hissa if she's got a real name."
Mikilos wanders his way down, having gotten word there are communication troubles. As an expert linguist, perhaps he can help. And the wizard does want a better grasp of this whole 'Lars' situation. "Good evening everyone, how fares things?" He peers at the Lamina though the bars, frowning mildly.
GAME: Mikilos rolls linguistics: (5)+31: 36
She speaks a wild variant of draconic, It's understandable but deliberately weird because they are cursed-elves. Some mysandraal might be in too, as well as sildanyari. It's enough of a varient to be its own language.
"The translater! Finally!" The guard says, a purple and green Arvek Nar that is on the fuzzy side, "Hi, I'm Leumarkh. I've got a lot of questions. For her. I have a lot of questions, but I'll stick to the relevant ones here."
"Lamia aren't regularly seen in the city and hold a... specific reputation." Jinks answers. He'd pulled his hand back when she moved up to take hold of the bars. He's doing his best to remain relaxed and friendly but he's familiar with a few of this particular breed's tricks. He doesn't have much in the way of good judgement and awareness to spare to their cursed touch.
"The Arvek Nar have been recognized as citizens of Blar and other lands. We still need to understand why you've come to the city." He glances at Mikilos and nods, smiling thinly before turning back. "This place stops magic because of the materials used," he steps to one side and knocks on the nethercite blocks.
"We know Lars isn't who he pretends to be." He adds, lifting his hand to lightly touch his sternum, "I'm Jinks," he folds his hand over and indicates the lamia with his fingers splayed and palm upturned. "What's your name?"
Aryia breathes a sigh, her resting on her back foot and pursing her lips. Her journal opens back up, and she writes idle notes, an spare hand waving the Mikilos as she spots him coming in.
Best she was right now was a body guard if anything broke out.
"N'tssssaa," the Lamia answers, hissing aggressively at Jinks, and another one for the Arvek Nar guard. Mikilos too. She has to hiss at everyone. Looking at the wall, she taps it loudly with her tail tip, mimicking Jinks' action with the nethercite blocks, "The waallssss."
"To fight." She makes a squeezing motion with one hand, "to bring the tribe to fight. Live in the city." <parseltongue>
"Let me know what she says. We also want to know how she got into the city." Leumarhk adds
The lamia gets an odd expression, even for her, as if she thought of something she hadn't considered.
Seyardu sighs, and shakes her head. "The prison is for your own safety I am sorry you have to stay here for now. They cannot use magic to control you here, and your mind, Lars is known for that." She states, trying to placate the lamia. "Until it can be resolved, we do not want anything happening to you."
She looks to the guards, and sighs. "Lars is under no circumstances allowed to visit this prisoner, am I clear? If he even attempts to see them, let me know. He is persuasive, and can be dangerous because of that."
"You seek to live in the city? Can you tell us more about that?" <parseltongue>
Mikilos listens carefully, nodding slowly, a mild frown on his features. 'I believe her name is N'tssaa. I've heard of this dialect, but never met a native speaker, so translation may be flawed. She came to live in the city?' The elf steps foreward, bringing his hands together, touching them to his brow, his chest, and then out in a giving gesture. A ritualized formal motion of greeting. It's stilted, ancient, and quite likely wrong, but very polite. "Greetings unto you. This One is called Mikilos. This One comes to help with speakings. Want understand and learn knowledge of facts." <parseltongue>
Aryia sighs, she take notes for people of the parts she can understand. She taps her pen on the page and points at Leumarhk.
'N' is about as far as Jinks gets before Mikilos has set into his translation. He steps back and glances from Seyardu back to the 'nar, nudging the larger guard in the hip and offering a lopsided smile. "We would appreciate it greatly if Lars was not allowed in. And I'll make the same request of the school's masters. We're in the middle of an investigation and we're concerned about his relationship with these women.
"We're not interested in coming in here and telling you how to do your job or anything," he grins and chuckles. <goblin-talk>
The lamia stands there, her orange scales blending into the dark. She sways, almost hypnotically, but she's talking to herself. Hissing, to herself.
"It doesssss not make sssensse. I would come, with subordinatessss." Then Seyardu lays it out simply. Her reaction cuts across racial barriers as she seethes with indignance, "Lars CHARMED me!"
She seems quite angry at that. Mikilos' presence is not calming, although his words seem to be. Her tongue flickers. She clasps her hands, touches her brow, her chest, makes a giving gesture. A much shorter one, not as much reach. She also seems stilted, performing the motions.
"Greeetingsss untouched one. Thisss one is N'tssssa. This one wantsss also." Her gaze encompasses all, "Yesss. The idea issss still good, even if hiss way do iss not good." <parseltongue>
"So, maybe one of you could give me a transcript when you're done. That'd be great." Leumarhk says vibrantly, "Also don't give away all the defenses."
He nods to the nudge, "College of Bards stuff, got it. Improper influence."
Her eyes glare without emotion, her gaze gravitating towards Jinks. He is the smallest, the easiest to look down on. She's very tall, and can stretch up. "To live here, the tribe. Fight in the arena. Sssssstudy, to undo the cursssse."
A glance, at everyone, none are human, "Kill humansss. In the fight. Yessssss. Get. Larrsssss." Her tail wiggles with delight. <parseltongue>
"Lars said, they would want usssss. We could live, in the arena. Make it ourssss. Yessss." She elaborates further.
Mikilos frowns, annoyed on a personal level. "Killing humans would anger many. I did much work to avoid any killing in arena. Summon creatures do not die, just fade. Creature maybe live in area, fight for show, maybe yes. Fight for kill... less yes." He considers. "Curse. Know little of curse. Would learn more, maybe help break." <bad parseltongue>
"I am not surprised he did so. It is something he is known for." Seyardu offers, sighing as she does. "If you wish to live here, there are better ways to go about doing so. To find work and a place, as long as you abide by the rules of the city."
Mikilos' response does make her pause, and raise a brow. "Please, no killing of humans, or other races here. If you wish to live here, you should not do so, it is one of the laws most grievous to break. It would bring the entire city down on your time, and disrupt any plans for undoing the curse." <parseltongue>
"It's grift." Jinks sighs, lifting his hand to hook a thumb into a belt he's not currently wearing. A grunt and he finds a pocket of his jacket instead. "And a sort of slavery," he adds, stepping forward again to address the lamia.
"Lars maintains a stable of women to do the dirty work of mercenary contracts for him. Then he uses them as his personal promoters to... enhance his own legend." He presses his lips together thin and clenches his jaw. "You weren't brought ot the city with your agents because you were meant to be a tool and a plaything."
"Some of the fightmasters at the colosseum are exploiting the temple closures to charge extravagant fees for healing magics; they called you 'medusa' and had wizards petrifying combatants. Then charged a higher rate to undo the damage..."
"He sssssaid. They can't summon. They need, ussssss." N'tssssa replies, calmer, her tongue less visible. She's even dropped down so she isn't the tallest present. "Larssss said, they will want all the tribe. Larsss said, make good show. Met rulersss."
She hisses away to herself. "Yessssss. Show."
Jinks, and his explanation, gets a lot of attention and prompts some more frustrated hissing. "Did not agree, medussssa. Would not be, medussssaa. INSULT. Did ssseee, Larsss women. They fight for ussss. Larsss say, hisss arena issss bigger. We all should hve come."
Presumably she notes the caution against killing humans, but doesn't respond to it. She faces Mikilos, "The cursssse. On ussss, that makess usss thisss. We were elvessss." <parseltongue>
Mikilos considers. "Lars is a liar. But maybe some parts are true. I don't know what the masters of the arena want." He considers more. "A powerful curse. God level. Less strong curse would not work in this place, you would be elf here." <parseltongue>
"So you're having a discussion, that's great." Leumarhk says, sounding unusually cheerful. Not just for an Arvek Nar, he seems a generally jovial juard. Guard. Not the stoic, staring, stereotype of few words that they often seem to be. He may have been struck in the head. "So, we need to know her name, why she came here, how she got in, because there's no record of her arriving at the gates or the airstation or the docks, so we want to know that."
"Monsters aren't illegal in the city, per se." He waves his hands, "lots of adventurers have weird companions, otyughs live in the sewers, there's an ogre who works down at the docks, and so on. As long as they know the rules, 'no killing people', 'no stealing', and that they aren't allowed to be in combat, even if its self defense and the other person totally deserves it, we give them a sign and they can shop or whatever they want to do."
He shrugs, "Technically... she hasn't even committed a crime, that we're aware of. She's only being kept here because no one can speak to her. Until you guys."
"Lars says a lot of things. And as far as I am aware, it is not his arena." Seyardu snorts. "There is work here, if you need. Places to study and learn. But Alexandria is a city where all live together. You will need to do everything you can to support that. I am sorry if Lars forced you to come here as you did, but if you can abide by that, you are welcome. No killing or theft, and no fighting against others. I do not know how that law applies to the colosseum, however." <parseltongue>
The cleric looks to the guard, and nods. "We have their name, and we believe we know how she got here. But she can not leave this area until we get to the bottom of what happened to the colosseum. It would be dangerous for many people, including her."
GAME: Seyardu rolls sense motive: (11)+11: 22
"'N'tsssssa' is her name. As the wizard has said," Jinks turns to face Lou. He pushes his left arm out from under the half-cloak and crosses both over his chest. "She was brought into the city by the aforementioned Lars and his retinue. He found her in ruins and promised her a chance to fight in the arena and access to the city's libraries so should could find a way to thwart the Lamia's Curse."
The gnome turns back to the cursed creature and uncrosses his arms. "Do you remember how you came into the city? Specifics. An airship? Boat? Carriage? Were you in a crate or cage? The officials have no record of your arrival."
Lou takes out a notepad and makes some notes, recording what he's been told. Not solely because Aryia beat him to note-taking.
The lamia is flickering her tail back and forth, it she were a rattler, it would be quite loud, as it is there's a whssss of air. "He ssssuggesssted, to come, and alone. To come, isss a good idea. I have arena. I make fightssss. Biggerr arena, bigger fightsss."
She looks at Jinks, head tilted, "Airsssship! That wasss a trick of Larssss. In, a sssmall room. Sssmaller than thisss. Walked in, with Larsss and hisss group. Gave name, one of hissss women. Usssed dissguisse, to be hisss woman. Went with him through city to colosssseum. Meet fight masssterrrss. Larsss leave."
"Then they trick me into the helmet!" Her voice rises alarmingly, and as she snarls her fangs drop down. <parseltongue>
N'tsssa seems to be talking around a few things, but answering truthfully what she does say. Sounds like she snuck in using magic, some lamia are capable of that. Sounds also like she didn't like the airship, and the charm might have worn off while she was in it, and Lars had to re-charm her.
GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (6)+17: 23 (as Sense Motive)
Does she seem like she'll be a danger if let out? That's a definite maybe, lamia are quite powerful on their own compared to the average person. She's dangerous even if someone bumps into her.
Mikilos frowns and nods. "Lars abuses magic. Uses it for bad things. Pretends to be a friend. But not sure is all his idea. Stop Lars, maybe just find a new person in his place." He ponders. "Lars has friends, some fooled, some know better but friends anyway. This place is unpleasant, but safe. Outside, maybe better, but maybe not safe." <parseltongue>
"I've arranged an introduction with the fightmasters." Jinks announces simply. "Through Pris. She and I have an..." he clears his throat. "Date." He'd feel less awkward about the manipulation if they weren't all standing here talking about another minstrel abusing his talents to take advantage of people.
"Lars smuggled her into the city on an airship. Used an illusion to pass her off as one of his harem," he explains to the 'nar in Trade. "I imagine if you check the record you'll find he returned with one more lady than he left..."
"That is dangerous, to believe him. He will use magic if words do not work, and keep said magic up. And, forcing people to pretend to be his women, that is a common one. Or forcing them to be that."
Seyardu growls, and shakes her head. "Please though, be honest and clear with us. We are here to help, but you can not avoid subjects around what happened. Especially if we are to get to the bottom of this and see justice done."
"Your kin, were they notified that you were going? And the circumstances around your departure?" <parseltongue>
"Yessss. Thissss on isss matriarch. They wait. My return. Make ready to join here." N'tssssa hisses. She listens carefully to Mikilos, her head bobbing in agreement. This aligns with her experience. "He ssssaid... he hasss influensss here."
She ignores the gnome's tradespeak conversation.
"I meet the fight massters. They say, prove self, I do, then the trick follows" <parseltongue>
"Okay, thanks." Lou keeps writing, "I will. Sounds like this guy, if someone asked him 'why is there one more', he's just gonna be using a spell to make them forget that question. Or, let it slide."
Mikilos nods to Lou. "Or some one was sent ahead to scout, took another route, whatever." <tradespeak> The elf turns focus back to N'tssaa. "My home is large, built into the mountain. Most magic works, but some has been stopped over whole city, make sure no demons can get in. If you wish, I would welcome you as guest." <parseltongue>
"No idea how your tastes curve, Mikilos, but mind those hands of hers; her touch is blighted." Jinks mutters in the trade tongue. "Even if a snake lady would be quite the story for the memoirs." He bumps a fist into the sil's hip and smiles then nods to Seyardu. "I'll see when I can get Pris to introduce me. Let you know."
Finally, the gnome turns back to the lamia and does his best to shape the strange Draconic dialect. "Mistress N'tsssssa," he nods. "Apologies, again. As much as you may've wanted A fight the one you got wasn't it. I owe you something in return," he decides with a wink.
Now it's time to get dressed. He turns and heads for the staging room and his waiting equipment.
"He does have influence, but working with him, nothing good will come from it. Working with others in the city, those trusted, that is how you can make a place for your people here. Setting a good example for those who will join you." <parseltongue>
She turns to Mikilos, and raises a brow. "Is this home where Braelnoir stayed for some time, by chance? If so, it is not safe there. Braelnoir was found out and re charmed by Lars. If that is the case, it could happen again, there."
Mikilos nods to Seyardu. "No place is perfectly safe, but my home has yet to be broken into. Brae took chance to visit the market."
Seyardu then turns, and, had the lower planes lost all temperature in them?- smiles to Jinks. "Thank you, and please keep me updated on what you find, as well as Braelnoir. And take care. Lars knows we are working against him, most likely."
"Yesss." The lamia adjusts herself in the small cell. A lot of snake coils slide over snake coils.
Leumarhk makes some more notes. "So. Gotta say, she's a bit jumpy. She makes a lot of aggressive seeming moves. Some don't react well to that, are looking for an excuse to commit self-defense. Or they're from a place that thinks it's fine to run down peasants who don't get out of their way quick enough. Normally after we read them the city laws and they promise to obey we let the out with a sign."
"It'll convince most people. I think, with her, one of you should always be with her when she's out." He glances at Jinks, doesn't say anything further.
"Thisss one. Accessspts your offer, uncursed one." N'tsssa hisses at Mikilos. She shakes the bars. <parseltongue>
There's some further back and forth, and conversations that need translating. Instructions are given, her cell is unlocked and she's let out, allowed to go with the group.
They get their magical equipment back.
She gets a sign, 'I am a safe monster' with the seal of the Alexandrian guard. It's a square placard as wide as her torso that hangs off the neck. It's demeaning.
"So, have a nice day!" Leumark waves as everyone leaves, "try not to let her rampage, we'll get blamed for saying she's safe when she isn't. Everyone seems to have a terrible opinion of the guards, that wouldn't help."
Mikilos works on a nice brooch that makes a floating 'certified safe' illusion
OOC
Language drift, Old English to English, 1400 years, same race, not trying to deliberately distance
https://heorot.dk/beowulf-rede-text.html
Where all the scaled ladies came from
<OOC> Jinks says, "*so she could"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Gonna guess Caracoroth is to blame. Seems like his bag. Dumb green elves. Whammy them into crazy, destructive snake ladies."
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods! Highly likely. :)
<OOC> Jinks says, "'How crazy you want these elves to be, boss? On a scale of 1-10?' "Did you say 'scales!?'""
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "HA"