The Octopus Magus

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Log Info

  • Title: The Octopus Magus
  • Emitter: Delilah
  • Characters: Delilah, Donna, Ashes, Elyanna, Merek
  • Place: The Afterlife
  • Time: Monday, March 29, 2021, 8:41 PM
  • Summary: The Valethor Gang and Merek continue their journey through the Underworld. Tessa, their Psychopomp, leads them to the one person willing to speak to them, who was also murdered by Bethany's murderer. The person, Magus Ectra Na'garren, is an octopus headed humanoid with a bad attitude and a limp, a memory-eater, a mind-flayer, and rather friendly all told. She deigned to speak to them, asked if she could eat their brains, accepted no as an answer, demanded to know why they were wasting her eternity of time; a warm welcome all things considering. All fill her in on what's been going on, and make various offers, which she rejects. Merek suggests she give the information because it's the right thing to do, and she attempts to glare him to further undeath. Ectra finally offers to answer questions, if she feels like it, in exchange for whatever interesting memories might be in various skulls. She reminds them, as human cattle, one of their greatest aspirations should be being devoured by her. Donna and Merek's questions receive non-answers and dismissive taunts. Donna reveals a moment when she hated Delilah the most, a time in her childhood where she had to to pretend she didn't exist while Delilah was showered with gifts. Merek reveals that nothing trumps his experiences in the Iron Hells, when he was being tortured after a wasted sacrifice. Ash's question gets some answers, Veren Maltear, a human, killed Ectra twenty years previously. The Illithid attemps to pull the greatest humiliation from the Mourner's mind, and largely fails as the ashen Arvec has had countless embarassing moments and struggles to determine the worst. Elyanna builds on Ash's question, asking the means, and getting a lot of useful information on Veren. In return, Magus Ectra wants to know what the greatest cruelty the noble hobgoblin ever inflicted was. For much the same reasons as Ashlee, Elyanna pauses to think...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Donna        5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A black-haired human girl in black robes.
Delilah      5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A golden haired human girl in white robes.
Merek        5'10"    215 Lb     Human             Male      A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face
Elyanna      5'11"    153 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers. 
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  NPCs of Note  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Tessa                            Human             Female    A redheaded Psychopomp, bearer of Bethany's soul, deceased
Magus Ectra Na'garren            Illithid          Female    A octopus humanoid scholar, deceased
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GMs -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Delilah      5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A golden haired human girl in white robes.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

The travellers in the realm of the dead have gotten what they've wanted -- more or less, that is. Bethany has received the help she needed to defeat her personal torment, and escape whatever it was that had been done to her and followed her into the afterlife. Well, that and she get a little personal time in with Delilah, a much needed catharsis for both women, it seems. The latter now stands with her sister, still dripping wet but slowly drying off.

Tessa stands before the group, and nods once everyone is assembled once again. "I believe Bethany is going to be needing some time here, but I will come back to check on her later. But she is going to be fine, now; just fine. That much I can promise." She smiles, and clasps her hands in front of her. "So. I believe there is one person, killed by the same who murdered Bethany, that I can take you to. Getting her to talk will be your difficulty, however." She takes a step to the side, and with a gesture, summons a black fire-ringed portal into being, accompanied with a quiet woosh of air. "When you are ready," she offers, "But remember -- stay together."

Merek nods a bit to Tessa, taking the time to adjust that robe which he wears, then he will begin to follow with the party, and will keep with them, to keep safe while he watches the place.

Draping her arm around Delilah's shoulders, Donna regards the portal with no small amount of trepidation. After all, if this one is going to be difficult to talk to as compared to *Bethany,* then actual danger might be more than a possibility. Sharing a guarded look with her sister, the brawler looses a long, slow sigh. "Aight... let's go, then."

Ashlee stands, quietly contemplating the afterlife of humans and bugs. Tessa's observation gets a short nod of acknowledgement from her. The news that there's another who might speak to them, perks the ashen Arvec's interest. She stares at the black ringed portal.

Merek's fidgeting catches her attention, but draws no comment. Donna, then Elyanna get a look from her. She adjusts her grip on the strange whip. She acquieses, "I'm ready when you are."

Elyanna's demeanor is still reverent though her poise has returned. She considers the sisters, the Seer, and Mourner before returning to their hostess and gives a bow. Lady Alenthor is taken care of, and things between them are as they ought to be. "I am ready." She catches the look from Ashes and arches an eyebrow, glances down to her souvenir, then, "Is it giving you trouble?" she asks softly.

"It's ok, for now." Ashes says, "I think it will be a problem soon though."

Tessa ushers the group through the portal, and follows after them, accompanying closely to make sure nobody gets left behind or... stuck. Otherwise, it's a more pleasant journey than the previous shifts the travellers have been through; under the guidance of the psychopomp, it's a relatively uneventful trek through a field of mist; though this time, there at least feels like there is grass underfoot. It even takes long enough that Delilah's skin dries off, if not her hair.

Eventually, the grass gives way to polished stone, cold beneath bare feet, and the mist recedes from an enormous library; many floors, open walkways and balconeys with no railings, and a sheer volume of books and scrolls, tablets of stone and clay, artifacts of all manner, bones and stuffed specimens, chemicals, plants...

it is impossible to take it all in.

"Over this way," beckons Tessa, leading everyone down a spiral staircase, along a passageway lined with shelves of books that appear to be bound in skin from various... sentient races, then down another flight of stairs into a section of library hewn out of rough stone and much more poorly lit, all the while skirting around various souls clad in everything from beggars robes to royal finery or simply nothing. But deep in the bowels of this place, there is the one soul that the gorup did not come here to avoid.

Seated at a desk in a darkened chamber, filled to overflowing with unruly stacks of books and scrolls, sits a black robed figure, focused on a singlular tome of... singular size. As the group enters, she looks up from the words; her body seems humanoid enough, but her head has a fleshy, purple sack on the back, like an octopus, and she has four long, rubbery tentacles lined with suckers where her mouth ought to be.

"Magus Ectra Na'garren," Tessa announces. "I have brought you visitors."

Well, that's something. Ashlee stares, then stares some more. The various book claddings caught her professional interest and not a little bit of curiousity. It was odd to see the range of clothing, somehow she expected more evenness in the treatment of the dead.

Now she stands before the desk, eyes roaming over the stacks of books, and scrolls, before coming back to linger on the strange, humanoid figure.

"Hello," She says simply, in monotone.

This was... the opposite of expected.

Donna's mouth falls open slightly, at the sheer mass of wizard stuff on display. Then as they go further down the 'tower,' more of it seems to belong to a particular *kind* of wizard. And then, at the bottom of it all, is... an octopus mage? Or wait...

"..........Oh," Donna says, as the copper drops. "...Glad t'meet you, Magus."

At which point Donna starts to eclipse her sister, just a bit. Protective instincts, and all.

Merek looks to the Magus, "Magus." The man stands to the side. For the moment, he has no questions, there's a look about the place, while he thinks. "Well, it will be interesting to learn more things about it all. I wonder if we can actually change the way that the Law sees the party."

Elyanna follows Tessa's guidance through the portals with a nod of understanding to Ashes, "I can try to take if for you." Once in the next layer of the Beyond, her attention wanders only so much, the decor not so much troublesome as simply being too much of it, and so she is mostly making sure no one drifts off after a shiny thing.

Soon enough, as the group is led to the... uniquiely complected Magus, the hobkin looks the figure over, but says nothing at first, not until the silence is broken by Ashlee and she sounds a simmilar, if more emotive, "Hello."

There is a look to the sisters, then, "Our intent is to burden your patience as little as possible."

Ectra holds out her hand and a long, silvery staff floats from a corner of the chamber into her hand. With its aid, she rises, and walks with a stiffened gait towards the group, looking each over in turn with black, pupilless eyes. She paces back and forth, examining with her shark-like gaze.

Tessa, for her part, retreats back out of the chamber and shuts the door with a soft but very audible click.

Ectra grunts, a strange, gurgled sound, as she walks back to her desk and reassumes her seat, after turning the chair so she can face towards the travellers.

"I have eternity," she replies, finally speaking. Her voice is like broken teeth being dragged across a damp washboard. "It has been some time since Tessa last brought me visitors. I suppose I shall have to endure your presence." She pauses, and squints. "Unless," she muses, pointing at Delilah, who shuffles a bit further behind Donna, "You give me the naked one as a sacrifice. A sorceress' brain makes a welcome snack."

"Nothing in the spirit world is going to change the living's." Ashlee says, still staring, assessing the female thing with her new standards. The tentacles and the octopus addition to her head raising even more questions in the Mourner's mind.

Is her flail related, somehow. Would asking be rude? Even displaying the weapon might contain some sort of social significance. Best to keep it dangling down by her side for now, far enough away no tentacles are going to accidentally touch.

The Mourner's efforts to comport herself like a normal person, as best as possible in the circumstances, appear doomed to fail upon Ectra's request. Delilah's brain, after all the trouble they've got through to save her head. "She needs it still. We have questions, and not eternity."

"I don't think that's possible at the moment, and you were in the Halls all that time?" Merek asks, "Well, interesting. Why do you keep in the Halls?"

"Yeah, uh, no," Donna says, shifting to fully block Delilah from line of sight, "that's a pass. Ain't sacrificin' my sister, no matter how many times she *forgets where she put her clothes.*" This last, followed by a jaundiced look over her shoulder. "Seriously D, c'mon..."

"There has been a significant investment in her well being." Elyanna returns in a counter the cultured side of bland, "The greater interest of our gathering is in the one who sent you outside the breathing world." She reaches out for Donna's shoulder as the brawler gets incensed by the illithid proposal, "Easy." she says softly in a coached, soothing tone.

"Uhh, yeah, uhm, how 'bout not with the brain, particularly not *my* brain--" Delilah sputters as she edges sideways to hide fully behind Donna. "An', we left 'em in Bethany's torment," she half-whispers, "I know 'xactly where they are, I just didn't want to ask Bethany to go back there and get 'em, right?"

Hiding behind Donna has the distinct advantage of covering the fact that she is, now, beet red in addition to terrified.

The Magus snorts. "Pity. Being dinner has always struck me as a perfectly cromulent aspiration for you simian races. But I am dead, and no longer need to eat." She steeples her fingers in front of her. "Still. If you have gone to trouble to save this one," She glances at Elyanna, then back towards Delilah, "Then you seem to have saved someone who is simultaneously smart about some things and absolutely vacant about others." She turns her gaze next to Merek, and quirks an eye-ridge, "None of your business, whelpling." A single hand slams her tome shut.

"So. You are currently wasting my time. I might have an infinite amount of it, but that doesn't mean I no longer value it. *So*. What do you want, and what are you willing to give me for it?"

"I have this whip." Ashlee says, raising her hand so the cat-o-trio-tentacles is writhing around at head level. She positions it so they hang in front of her mouth, similar to Ectra's own. The Mourner then gives unsolicted beauty advice, "you could use it for extensions if you feel inadequate."

This gem of insight delivered, the ashen Arvec continues. "The one who murdered Bethany Alenthor also murdured you. If you have some unfinished revenge in the lands of the living, we could help in exchange for information about that one."

Merek seems to think about the words of that Magus, while he nods a bit. Then he takes a look and lifts up a brow at Ashlee's offer. "Well, I would like to know if she will consider the question first, then negotiations." The man doesn't like the idea of actually assisting something that doesn't seem too benevolent with anything back in Prime Material.

"It has been something of note." Elyanna replies smoothly, though she gives a side-eye to Merek as he gets barked at by their hostess. She looks back to the Magus just in time for Ashes to make her... offer. Just as well this conversation isn't being held over drinks, if the look the red woman shoots the ashen one is any indication. This abates, somewhat, as the Mourner says good things. Merek's objections are weighed, then, "We are here, now. Tarrying will no doubt add interest to the price we could otherwise avoid."

Still, the hobkin turns back to the tendrilled coutenance and broaches, "What say you, Magus? Would you court an offer for your knowledge? If so, what ideal price would you set against some minutes of your infinite time?"

Start at ideal, then see if they can nag her down to a 'good enough' they can stomach....

"Easy, D," Donna murmurs, straightening and staring the Magus eye-to-eye. "It's like they said. If absolutely nothin' else, we can make sure th' one as did for you finds their way here sooner, rather than later. It ain't much, but, it's somethin' I'm guessin' as you'd find a treat, yeah? If that don't interest you... Then, let's talk. Understandin' that some deals, we likely just ain't gonna make."

The Magus rises once more from her seat, leaning on her staff as she hobbles the distance back to stand in front of the group -- in front of Donna in particular. "So protective," she hisses, hunching her shoulders and dropping down to look Donna in the eye, close enough that one of her tentacles brushes over the brawler's lips, and she can smell the foetid stench of rotting fish. "So protective of your twin. You two are a single curiosity split in two... fascinating."

She moves on to stand in front of Ashes, and give her a similar, in-your-space observation. "The Stillborn," she muses. "You died once already. Interesting that you would come here. Even more interesting that you would have that." She gestures towards the whip, before she retreats once more, and laughs, an even more hideous sound than her voice. "Your type are always the same. You demand services but offer nothing in return. My killer is mortal; death is eternal. That person will be here eventually. What value is it to me to hasten the process? Eternity is eternity, even if you subtract a few decades." She gestures towards the whip. "And I can make my own, if need be."

Ectra glances at Elyanna, then to Merek. "You should listen to her," she advises the seer. "But first, you should answer the most salient question. Why. Why, should I help you?"

Merek seems to think about it a moment, listening to everything while he nods a bit when the Magus will come to Elyanna and along to him, "Well," he nods a bit at that nice advice, then he takes a look to the Illithid, "Well, two reasons. Because it's the right thing to do, and because someone used magic to affect the people in the Halls, even possibly the one that managed to kill you."

While the Magus' back is turned, Donna frantically scrubs at her lips, but not a moment before, and stops immediately when the illithid looks about to turn around. "'Cept the right thing don't matter to some folk though, Seer," Donna points out, without heat or judgment. "Some folk, y'gotta get personal... An' the good Magus here got everythin' she could want, looks like..."

The brawler's brow furrows, and she takes another look around the study. "'Cept... Seems to me as that'd be its own problem. If y'don't mind my askin', Magus... What's new since you had visitors before?"

"It is." Ashlee agrees with Magus Ectra, it has been a very interesting series of events that brought her here. Choices and actions she will review in a nice bed of leaves at some point. Although she wasn't aware there was a 'type' for her, or that she was making demands. Perhaps the Illithid means their group in general.

She fixes Ectra with one of her stares, and shrugs, letting the whip-weapon hang down at her side. "You have no reason to. We ask what you might accept in trade for information, guessing what interests you. You dismiss these conclusively. Do you want to play twenty questions? Is it bigger than a bread box?"

The Mourner pauses, perhaps she should peruse her 'politeness' pamphlet a little more. "We can act in the real world, assist you here, provide info, fetch things. You seem to know our limitations. Besides eating one of us, if you can't think of something we can do for you, we're unlikely to. What do _you_ want?"

"We can make certain your name is still known in the mortal world." Elyanna proposes, scanning the nearest array of books with an air of stately detachment, "We have clearly been bereft of your legend. You introduction was the first time your name graced my ears." She arches an eyebrow and looks to her fellows, "How about you, had you heard tell of her, before?"

She doesn't need wealth.

She professes not to need vengeance.

She doesn't need wisdom.

Hugs.

Or the magic of friendship.

Let's try appealing to ego.

Ashes looks over at Elyanna, then back at Ectra, "I didn't think of that one."

"How little you know of the Illithid," Ecta hisses. "I assure you I am *well* known to my own kind, and remain so. You have not heard of me? I am not interested in the opinions of cattle. You are not my equal, you are my food. Or I suppose you're going to tell me that you visit the shepherd and tell tales of your greatness to the lambs before their slaughter?" She laughs once again, and the silver staff ringss audibly on the stone as she lurches forwards.

"So. since you all lack imagination, I will tell you what you shall give me. You will ask me questions; one of you will ask, one at a time. And I shall answer, if I choose to. And then, you shall share with me your memories." Her eyes narrow. "I will tell you what to focus on. What to *remember*. And it will be shown to me, and you will suffer pain and terror -- but ultimately, you will not be harmed. Not permanently. Refuse to show me what I demand and I will answer no more questions."

The Illithid draws herself up to her full height. "So then, cattle. What will it be?"

Donna has done a lot of things, since leaving Rune. Many unpleasant, but all with the desire to keep her sister safe. There's some mental waffling, then, when the illithid makes her request, but then the brawler straightens. "Done. My question; Did you see the face of the one that killed you?"

"Yes," Ecta replies. "Next time ask a better question, and don't expect me to give you anything for free." She stalks forwards, closing in until she is standing right within Donna's personal space once again; her fingers cup the brawler's chin, and she leans forwards. "You will not be harmed," she states, plainly; and then she leans forwards, tentacles splaying apart and wrapping aroung the back of Donna's head; she can feel the hardened point of the Illithid's beak up against the bridge of her nose, and the stench is horrendous.

"You care so deeply for your sister," the magus whispers. "Show me the moment you hated her the most."

"Wasn't expecting anything for free," Donna says, closing her eyes. "But now someone else can ask."

Donna is ten years old, and once again the Valethor estate has an Important Visitor. Someone for the twins' mother to show off their golden prodigy to, and important enough the entire household staff has been bent to preparing a grand feast. Someone important enough, that extra steps have to be taken to protect the secret; that the Valethor family had twins, not a single child.

"Your mother wishes me to tell you," says the head servant -- perhaps more upset than a ten-year-old might readily see -- as he closes the door of the pantry, "that you may have anything you like to eat from here. If you can keep from beating on the door, perhaps she'll find something from the feast for a treat."

It doesn't matter that Donna patently doesn't believe her mother could be that charitable, *or* diplomatic, not to her. What matters is that she's being locked in the pantry so Important People don't know she exists, and Delilah gets fancy cakes and all manner of delicacies while much is made of her, while Donna gets raw vegetables, salt beef, and hard cheese. And it's entirely likely that she'll get in trouble if she doesn't cut portions cleanly.

She has never hated her sister for existing, and never will again, more than she has now.

Wrapped up in Illithid tentacles, Donna finds that thinking about the experience is, as promised, in no way pleasant.

It's like drawing a rusty ripsaw through the middle of your head.

As Donna focuses on the memory, she finds herself unable to stop thinking about it, even as the agony mounts; pain that clenches the jaw and feels like eyeballs will burst from the skull. Around Ecta and Donna, the scene plays out, the vision replacing the room for the moment while it lasts.

But at last it ends, and the Illithid retreats. Donna will find that her sister is pressed up against her from behind, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, resting her head against the back of her sister's neck.

Ecta, meanwhile, has moved on to stand in front of Merek. "You," she seethes. "You, who have the strongest magics of anyone by far. Show a little wisdom with your question."

Merek looks to the illithid, while he seems to think about it. "Alright," he then waits for Donna to ask her question. The man listens, then watches while it is answered. While he watches the scene, he doesn't comment upon it, he just nods a bit to Donna. He then begins to focus his attention on the question, while he speaks to the Magus, "What details do you know within your memory, that would best permit us to track the one who killed you?"

"Disappointing," sneers the Illithid. "I had expected better. I have no idea what 'details' within my memory would help you, as I have no idea what you already know, or what resources are at your disposal, or indeed what you would need to know to track down the one you seek. Happily for you, I can stand to do this for as long as you can remain upright and conscious. I will not be held responsible for what happens to you if you pass out in this place -- nor will I care, either."

A hand takes Merek's chin and tilts his head upwards, as the Magus leans forwards to envelop him as she did to Donna. "You are comfortable in your magics," she whispers. "Show me the moment of your greatest personal terror."

It seems there will be more than one question per person, just one at a time, for as long as they can endure.

"Well, it will assist those that ask next, that opinion won't change what we are here for," Merek mentions, while he takes a look to the Illithid, before stepping forward. With that in mind, he begins to seek his memories. Well, it doesn't take him long to find it. Because it's something that he carries with him every day. It brings up the scene, for all to see. There is blood, so much blood, and dark fires that lift to the skies. There is torture, and all manner of darkness. But, that is not the focus.

As the tortures renew, there is only one thing that comes to mind. It was why he was there. He had failed to save someone, they had tried to save him. Through everything he endured, he couldn't stand the thought he sacrificed himself, only for another to be thrust into the darkness before him. Every moment spent there was a reminder of that failure. The failure to save someone else. When it finally would settle in, that would be the moment of personal terror, which can be found amid it all.

By the time that is finished, Merek begins falling to the floor amid his robes, trying his best to stay up. He knew eventually they were saved, although for all that time, he did not know. He only recalled the moment he saw Kira thrown into that portal.

"No stamina," observes Ecta, watching Merek collapse, after the scene plays out around them -- and leaves Merek's head absolutely throbbing. She brushes her fingertips over her tentacles, before moving on, with the soft thump of the staff. "Two questions, both a complete waste of time, but such... delicious memories. Yess."

The Illithid comes to a halt in front of Ashes. "What will it be, then, dead child that walks," she hisses. "Utter your question to me. Make it worthwhile."

The living dead girl stares up at the memory eater. Stares in the same way she watched Donna's hatred play out, and Merek's suffering. Sympathy, and thoughts she pushes aside. She does not judge. Pain and memories for answers, "Ok."

Heeding her admonishion, Ashes looks over at the others, "The questions should build on each other and what we know. Explore connections. Magus Ectra saw her killer. Tessa tells us this is the same person at Bethany. Are they the pawn or the mastermind?"

And then it all clicks into place for her, the thing she's wanted to know since the trial, now with added overlap. Who is in the centre of her little venn diagram. "What is the name, recognizeable features and a method of locating the person who had motive, opportunity and success in killing you and Bethany and the intention of framing Delilah? I hope that's worthwhile. It must have been very frustrating being taken out by a cow; I'm so sorry."

Ash's words are monotone, as always. She makes the effort of adding a rising lilt when she says 'Delilah?' as that is the question. The rest is observation, expressed as blandly as possible so the Illithid can't decide to answer it instead.

The Mindflayer leans down and glares at Ashes, eye to eye, almost *touching* eye to eye. "You have a spine attached to your brain stem, little heifer," she snarls, almost bemusedly. Almost. "My killer's name was Veren Maltear, though I expect she has changed it by now. When I knew her she was a human woman, similar to those two," she gestures towards the twins. "I am certain she will have changed her appearance many times, along with her name. I have no idea how you would find her, since I have been dead for twenty years and I have not been keeping tabs on her."

The Illithid steps sharply forwards, and envelops the Mourner in her tentacles, pressing beak to bridge of nose. "You're a mouthy little cow," she whispers. "Show me the moment of your greatest humiliation."

Ashlee holds her ground as Ectra steps close, closer, into her personal space. One's place and control over it is integral to Arvek Nar. Her instinct is to resist, her training is to resist, the savage races the hobgoblins war against look for weakness, as do other hobs. Her breath is caught, held, she stares into the octopus eyes, so perfect. Her own are dark and feral. She stands nose to beak, answers the Illithid's observation, "I am."

A mouthly little cow with a brain and a spine. On the stubborn side too, holding back the memories. In part, because there's so many, carefully tucked away where she never has to think about them.

When she was a wandering waif, after Nan Mochtrath... died, and the children of a strange village tore her clothes off, threw rocks. Kicked her, laughed.

The major, screaming at her, when she came back and her unit didn't. How often did that happen. The nick-names, the looks, being the jinx and curse on the regiments.

Nan Mochtrath just ... ignoring her. Kicking her out to figure out how to deal with her own filth, with finding something to eat. She wasn't a protege', she was a vessel which was taking too many years to mature.

All of them are humiliating, to say nothing of the thousands of faux pas and social mistakes she's vaguely aware she makes all the time. Even her friends, she can barely treat decently. For the longest time her only friends were the dead and she almost wishes... her current ones were.

Dancing naked and drunk in Ma Rosie's! That crosses her mind, not that humiliating. Not as much as watching the naked and drunk dancers in the Black Diamond. Not as much as seeing Merek watching them...

Not as much as breaking up with Merek...

NO! She's not having that memory. The little heifer rebels.

As Ashes' mind feels the boiling pain of having her memories ripped out and thrown about for all to see, the Illithid breathes heavily against her face, exulting in what she takes -- until the Mourner resists. Ecta's beak parts, and a moist, gray tongue slithers across the hobgoblin's nose and almost up one nostril. "Delicious," she pronounces. "But if you want to ask another question, you will... find it in you to share that last one. You *will* share it."

The Magus retreats, and her gaze falls upon Elyanna, at long last. "Your turn," she snarls. "Ask of my what you will."

A black eyebrow twitches with a quick, wrinkling spasm of cinnibar skin.

Upjumped subcreature.

Then Donna is leaping for the hook for them all. The expression on Elyanna's face begins with shock, and darkens as she turns toward the brawler with a sharp, "Fool!" in <Goblin>, before she is back to Trade, "For us all, then? And without seeking surety against our questions?"

She shakes her head, incredulous and brings a hand to her face. She takes a slow breath.

Humans.

She watches the 'exchanges' with some suspicion, and marshals her resolve into recentering herself for the assault she knows is coming. The witches of Bludgun have hobbies, too.

To Ectra the Keeper turns, and toward her she steps, holding her gaze the while, "I want to believe such a thing would take means, and planning, or.... overwhelming power..." she says with a subtle razor in her tone, though her expression is all business, "How could such a human as this Veren Maltear possibly best you?"

"Veren studied under my tutelage for years," Ecta explains without missing a beat. "I did not normally impart my knowledge to cattle, but in her case, I was paid... handsomly, by her family, and so I refrained from making a meal of her, to make a powerful tool of her instead." She rolls her shoulders dismissively. "One of my rivals paid her to turn against me. Still, her plan was surprisingly elaborate. Too elaborate; she did not pay attention to my teachings as well as she might." She steps forwards, using one finger to tilt Elyanna's chin upwards, and then from side to side, getting a look at her face from different angles.

"She used her skills to break into my bedchambers, and cut my throat in my sleep. She did not 'best' me in a traditional sense. Her method is deception, misdirection, lies, and cowardice."

The Illithid envelops Elyanna's head at that moment, squeezing her almost painfully. "Now," she hisses. "Your soul is more stained than you care to admit. Show me your moment of greatest cruelty."

Ghoulish cp line.png

OOC Convos

<OOC> Delilah Shall set, but before I do, I want you all to know that this plot has surpassed 60 logs. This is beyond what I ever thought possible and I love you all for helping make it possible.
<OOC> Ashes says, "wow"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "nice :)"

<OOC> Merek says, "Hungry, not at my best."
<OOC> Merek says, "am here"
<OOC> Ashes says, "it can eat your brain first"
<OOC> Ashes says, "then me and Delilah can fight for being second"
<OOC> Merek says, "Merek tells local illithid 'because it's the right thing to do'."
<OOC> Merek says, "literally no one is surprised."
<OOC> Elyanna tickles.
<OOC> Donna says, "DO NOT HUG THE ILLITHID. YOU WILL REGERT."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "There is one salvation for Merek! He has no brain to nom! :P"
<OOC> Whirlpool ducks.
<OOC> Donna swat. :P
<OOC> Merek says, "As long as my question helped someone else is what matters."
<OOC> Merek says, "That said I'm going to skim over some things."
<OOC> Merek says, "Because Merek's personal terror can't really be described here, seeing as where it was."
<OOC> Merek says, "But hey, easy points, if you've been tortured in the literal Hells you at least have a very good idea which memory it is."
<OOC> Merek :P
<OOC> Ashes says, "see, what would be interesting was if it wasn't the Iron Hells."
<OOC> Merek says, "Honestly, I can't think of anything worse. Because that's the only time he also lost all use of his magic's ability to save him."

<OOC> Delilah says, "She's taller than everyone here."
<OOC> Merek says, "'Being taken out by a cow'"
<OOC> Merek says, "idk but my sides were taken out"
<OOC> Merek says, "hee"
<OOC> Delilah Gets back from laughing her head off. That was *HILARIOUS*. I love it.
<OOC> Ashes tries her best.
<OOC> Donna says, "Yeah that was a good'n, and it's very rare to be able to properly sass a Mind Flayer, whether or not you mean to. XD"
<OOC> Ashes means to misbehave... :)
<OOC> Ashes says, "Elyanna's net is out again but she's trying to get back"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "i missed anything after ashes's cow"

Pose not used
When it stopped

I was in the Iron Hells, endless tortured in unspeakable ways, liquid gold poured down my throat to travel the length of my body and expel out my orifices, followed by lead, then lava. Feeling my flesh vaporize from the inside, exploding in chunks, unendurable agony that goes on, and on. And then... it stopped. No Eclavdran, no helper demons, no explanations. I was left to wonder, what's going on? when are they coming back? Have I failed my friends, is he off torturing them instead? why did he stop. The fear, of the unknown, on top of the fear of the known pain that could resume at any second, was what pushed the physical atrocities over into the psychological. My body wouldn't break, my will wouldn't bend, but the unknown,.... the unknown could swallow me.