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<blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1537153" data-attributes="member: 15043"><p><strong>Sigil</strong></p><p></p><p>The first thing that met the eyes of the party as they strode into the bright light of a Sigil day was the simple fact that there was not a sun overhead.... but sunS! Two twin yellow orbs hovered near each other in the sky, providing light that was about the same as the light in their home plane.</p><p></p><p>The second thing that struck them was exactly what Tess warned them of; while uncommon, there were a few demons and devils on the streets, as well as a few celestials. Most of those in the street were from a wide variety of races... some they recognized, like humans, elves, dwarves and halflings, and a few they didn’t, such as the mysterious mercanes, or strange spindly humanoids with pale yellow skin... which Aeron comented were githerazai.</p><p></p><p>Around them, the city itself was impressive as well. The street they were on, judging from the slightly run down nature of some of the buildings, was a side street. But it was as wide as the greatest avenue in Iskeldrun. The ‘slightly run down’ buildings on either side also towered into the sky, the smallest of which seemingly as high as the Imperial Palace in Iskeldrun. The streets were mostly covered in shadow, as the crowds murmured and shifted to their destinations.</p><p></p><p>“Well,” Shaun said in a somewhat awestruck voice, “we’re here. What do we do now? Any idea where we might find out where our man was headed?”</p><p></p><p>“Where do we even begin asking?” Orion asked quietly, his eyes also looking about in wonder.</p><p></p><p>“Hmm,” Tess closed her eyes for a second, and pinched her nose. A second or two later, her eyes flitted back open. “We should split up and canvass what we can. Take, say, three hours. We’ll go in pairs, to make sure no one is alone, and I have no doubt any of us can tangle with any of the rogues who might try and liberate us of our funds... just use common sense.”</p><p></p><p>“In other words, no leaping into blind alleys and the like after demons,” Shaun commented dryly to Vin, who gave him a frown.</p><p></p><p>“Well, I’ll head this way,” Siabrey pointed up the street. Vin promptly announced she would accompany her. Shaun took Geoffrey, and headed up another side street, while Tess and the others would scout out this immediate area. If trouble arose, the two scout groups were to return to this location, where the bulk of the party’s firepower could be concentrated...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Siabrey looked about in frustration. Fully two hours into their search, and she and Vin had received only the same reply to their queries... the “Great Mages” were not presently here on this plane... or the person questioned just didn’t know. </p><p></p><p>“C’mon Vin,” Siabrey motioned, “let’s start heading back. Maybe the others know of something.” They walked for a bit, before a burning question that had been bothering Siabrey for a bit finally became too annoying, and she blurted it out.</p><p></p><p>“Vin... they said you hated demons. Why was that?” The half-elf stroked her fox deeply as the question was asked, and it took a few minutes before she was ready to reply.</p><p></p><p>“The people that murdered Uncle Elarion were demons... they had changed shape into humans, and he didn’t know what they were when he made his deal with them.” She gave a big sigh, “To hunt them down, I had to learn about them... that is why to this day I can recite the vulnerable parts of a vrock’s anatomy by heart, or tell you that a sharp palm blow where the head connects to the neck on a quasit can shatter its spine, killing it.” </p><p></p><p>Siabrey’s eyes went a little wide. <em>There really is an angry, vicious person underneath... it explains despite her emotions Diogenes had her as... what? A professional killer? That would be the best way to describe it...</em></p><p></p><p>“If it sets you at ease, Majesty, I cannot do the same with humans,” the archer said with a slight smile, before nuzzling her fox again. “They haven’t hurt me as much as those demons.”</p><p></p><p>“Vin, lemme tell you... I’m relieved,” Siabrey gave a grin herself. “Even though I haven’t seen you in combat yet, I can only imagine those- what are you looking at?”</p><p></p><p>Vin had stopped in the middle of the road, staring off to the side. As Siabrey followed her gaze, she saw what the archer was staring at.</p><p></p><p>In an alley of sorts to the side of the road, just out of eyeshot of anyone who wasn’t specifically looking, two tall creatures stood. They both were green, with featureless faces save their large, black eyes. Their heads were elongated, and sloped back past the forehead. More alarmingly were the two figures beside them.</p><p></p><p>There were two human girls... one looked to be about five, the other looked to be perhaps twelve. One of the creatures had the small five year old in its grasp, a wicked looking knife at her neck. The other was advancing on the older girl, his blade drawn.</p><p></p><p>Siabrey could read into the archer’s mind, but Vin was raging. She’d been taken advantage of when she was younger, and her heart burned furiously at seeing what might be occuring. Without consulting her charge, she started over that way, only to have Siabrey grab her shoulder.</p><p></p><p>“Vin,” the Empress said quietly, “Let us see if this can be resolved without bloodshed. Should it be necessary, my blades will join yours.”</p><p></p><p>Gruffly, the archer nodded.</p><p></p><p>As they drew close to the two creatures, they could hear the one advancing on the older girl hissing at her... the words seemed wet and dripping, as if its throat was full of phlegm.</p><p></p><p>“Your father... yessss... he owesss usss many magical itemsss...” it snarled, “and ssshould he not complete our requessst, we ssshall make due with your blood...”</p><p></p><p>The girl stammered out a few sentences that she was in town for supplies, and that she nothing of her father’s supposed deal with them. The two creatures which Vin said were some kind of yugoloth, had not noticed Siabrey or Vin’s approach, till the former spoke.</p><p></p><p>“Unhand her!” Siabrey said commandingly, Kelir and her washazaki already drawn. Vin’s longsword and shortsword were also out.</p><p></p><p>The yugoloth holding the little girl stared at the two of them for a split second...</p><p></p><p>...and then slashed open the little girl’s throat, nearly cutting her head from her body. His compatriot spun, and the two jointly charged the Siabrey and Vin, leaving the older girl to scream over the body of the younger.</p><p></p><p>Vin was the first to react, and the scream that came from her throat was bloodcurdling. Before Siabrey’s blades had even moved, the ‘archer’s’ two swords spun through the air in graceful, deadly arcs, and the Empress could only watch in horror as the yugoloth disappeared into a multitude of pieces under her ferocious assault.</p><p></p><p>The other yugoloth swung at Siabrey, and the Empress dodged his blade before Kelir found the back of his head as her washazaki found the front of his neck. The dual swings slashed his head into two parts, and sent them flying from his collapsing body. It was only then that for a brief second, the Empress had time to consider what the so-called archer had done... and she realized she never wanted to cross sword blades with her bodyguard either.</p><p></p><p>“Oh honey!” Vin’s rage had already disappeared, and she had wrapped her arms around the older girl, who was still screaming. “They’re gone! They’re gone! Ssh! Shush! It’s okay!” she rocked the girl back and forth, whispering calmly in her ear.</p><p></p><p>“My sister! My sister!” the older one cried. “My father will be so angry!”</p><p></p><p>Siabrey walked over to the little girl, to confirm what she knew was true... the little girl was dead. With an angry sigh, the Empress arose, and she caste a feral glance at the bodies of the two yugoloths still in the alley.</p><p></p><p>“Vin... Grumki has the power to bring people back from the dead... he could do the same for this little girl!” Siabrey said suddenly. The Empress took off her cloak, and wrapped the little girl’s body in it. “Let’s hurry! Come on.... honey, what is your name?”</p><p></p><p>“Annette,” the older girl whimpered. “My father is the wizard Asuri! Please, I want to go home!”</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Shaun and Geoffrey’s search wasn’t productive either it. After a few hours or looking about, Geoffrey, still annoyed that he hadn’t found anything to drink, pointed ahead to a liquor stand on the side of the street.</p><p></p><p>“Boss, I’m thirsty, I’m going there,” he announced, ducking into the crowd before Shaun could catch him and hold him back. </p><p></p><p><em>Dammit, Geoffrey!</em> Shaun raged, <em>You’re more effective to us when you’re angry... and you’re angry when you haven’t had any alcohol!</em></p><p></p><p>As the rogue ferreted his way through the crowd towards the liquor stand, something to the side of the stand caught his attention...</p><p></p><p>...a little girl, holding out a hat. A few passerbys put small coppers into her hat, while many others scoffed. As he watched, a larger, more brutish man came up, and pointedly took a few silver from her, making a threatening fist before disappearing into the crowd.</p><p></p><p>Shaun’s mind immediately jumped back to his own past... how he had lived for a few months after running away from his parents. “Eeked” an existence would be an understatement. Hunger was what drove him to steal at first... its just he eventually became so good at it that it became his career... until a few months ago.</p><p></p><p>Gingerly, Shaun walked up to the girl, and pulled out ten platinum, and put them not into her hat, but into her hand. “Little one... keep the most valuable coins on yourself, not in the hat,” he smiled, “that way those big brutes won’t find them unless they search <em>you</em>, and most are too busy roughing up others to do that.”</p><p></p><p>The little girl stared in awe at the coins in her hand. “T...t...thank you sir,” she stammered.</p><p></p><p>“Where are your mother and father?” Shaun asked, dreading the answer he expected. As he’d feared, she shook her head in confusion. “You don’t have any parents?” he asked, and she nodded. Shaun held out his hand, and gave a sigh.</p><p></p><p>“My name is Shaun Dice. I’m your friend. Your name is?”</p><p></p><p>“Sarai,” the little girl said. By her voice and big eyes, she couldn’t have been much older than six or seven. The a squealing, light rumble came from her belly, and she looked down.</p><p></p><p>“When was the last time you ate?” Shaun asked, worried.</p><p></p><p>“Two days ago. she held up her hands, evidently proud she could count. “A butcher left a chicken’s head out behind his shop, and I took it.”</p><p></p><p>“Come with me, Sarai. I’m going to get you something to eat. How does ice cream sound?” The girl looked at him funny, and raised an eyebrow. <em>She doesn’t know what ice cream is.</em> “Here... hold my hand. Its really really good!” Shaun promised, as his mind panicked, <em>I can’t leave her here... she’ll die! I’ve got to take her with... maybe Siabrey, Tess or one of them will know what to do with her.</em> He looked around for her erstwhile halfling companion, and it wasn’t too long before he spotted Geoffrey holding a bottle that seemed to contain liquid flames.</p><p></p><p>“They call this *hic* ‘The Abomination’ drink! *hic* Costs one gold per bottle, but by god, its got some *hic* kick!” the halfling slurred, causing Shaun to groan.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>While Aeron, Hidalas and the others stayed by the building the party had left, Tess and Grumki wallowed into the crowd nearby, peppering them with questions. While Tess was diplomatic, the blunt Grumki pointedly asked, “Who here would know the Abyss, yet is not a fiend?”</p><p></p><p>Ironically, he was also the one that got the most positive replies. The majority of respondents agreed that one of the “Great Mages” would be the best choice... all had lived hundreds if not thousands of years due to their innate knowledge of magic (and unlike weaker mages who were forced to turn to lichdom, these people kept themselves alive, and not twisted by evil), and while there were those inside the city of Sigil that hawked such information, such information cost a massive price. The Great Mages, depending on what one offered them, could possibly do such for free.</p><p></p><p>However, there was, for the most part, disagreement on which mages were present. Rumors said that Leomund had walked the city only two days prior, in search of chaotic roc feathers for some ceremony on his homeworld. Others said that the great Elminster had been trying to get a chip in a favorite blade fixed. Tess and Grumki both merely looked at these people in confusion... they had no idea who they were.</p><p></p><p>Several people near the end of their hunt finally agreed that one of the mages the party might contact <em>was</em> present... a man named Asuri. While he was a fountain of knowledge, he was not the same as many of the other greats... indeed, he was jealous of them. Advice poured from all quarters to not mention Mordenkainen to Asuri... the latter was still furious the former had stolen a spell idea some centuries before... some spell that had something to do with a hound. Asuri had never been married, and had no children, thus kidnapping schemes would be harder. Tess hadn’t asked for that information, it had been blurted out by an unscrupulous yugoloth.</p><p></p><p>Taking this information to heart, Grumki and Tess returned to the main group just as Shaun arrived with a little girl in tow. Promising to explain later, Shaun took the small girl into a nearby ice cream shop. Only a few seconds later, a desperate looking Siabrey, Andar and Vin burst from the crowd. Vin held a girl of about ten in her arms, while on Andar’s back was a bloody cloak.</p><p></p><p>“Grumki!” Siabrey shouted. “Grumki! We have a little girl that was murdered! Can you raise her?” </p><p></p><p>“The strength of Kord surely can raise the weak that have been oppressed!” Grumki said, lifting the bundled cloak off of the fox’s back. “I shall need an alley. The powers that can rebuild her body may not be for the faint of heart.”</p><p></p><p>Quickly a nearby alley was scoured out, and Grumki laid the little girl down, beginning his prayers. Tess, Siabrey, and Vin took her sister back to where the rest of the party was, calmly telling her that her sister would be fine.. only time was needed.</p><p></p><p>“You were very brave today, Annette,” Siabrey brushed a hand over her head in a calming manner. “Your sister will be fine. We seek no reward with your father... helping you was the right thing to...”</p><p></p><p>“Who was her father?” Shaun, now back from the ice cream trip, whispered to Vin. Sarai, for her part, was oblivious to the crisis at hand, and was laughing eagerly as Andar licked her as she licked a strawberry ice cream cone.</p><p></p><p>“Some wizard named Asuri,” Vin replied, and Tess’ ears perked up.</p><p></p><p>“Asuri?” the bard hissed, and Vin nodded. Tess’ eyes went confused. <em>But according to that yugoloth... and that mercane, and those others we asked... Asuri had no children?</em></p><p></p><p>From the alleyway where Grumki was at work came a sudden roar... a half-orc shout of surprise and alarm. Grumki’s massive form lumbered out of the alleyway, towards the party. His face reflected shock and confusion of its own.</p><p></p><p>“The dead little girl! She was no little girl! She was a fiend!” Grumki screamed.</p><p></p><p>= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = == = </p><p> 0.o</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Emperor Valerian, post: 1537153, member: 15043"] [b]Sigil[/b] The first thing that met the eyes of the party as they strode into the bright light of a Sigil day was the simple fact that there was not a sun overhead.... but sunS! Two twin yellow orbs hovered near each other in the sky, providing light that was about the same as the light in their home plane. The second thing that struck them was exactly what Tess warned them of; while uncommon, there were a few demons and devils on the streets, as well as a few celestials. Most of those in the street were from a wide variety of races... some they recognized, like humans, elves, dwarves and halflings, and a few they didn’t, such as the mysterious mercanes, or strange spindly humanoids with pale yellow skin... which Aeron comented were githerazai. Around them, the city itself was impressive as well. The street they were on, judging from the slightly run down nature of some of the buildings, was a side street. But it was as wide as the greatest avenue in Iskeldrun. The ‘slightly run down’ buildings on either side also towered into the sky, the smallest of which seemingly as high as the Imperial Palace in Iskeldrun. The streets were mostly covered in shadow, as the crowds murmured and shifted to their destinations. “Well,” Shaun said in a somewhat awestruck voice, “we’re here. What do we do now? Any idea where we might find out where our man was headed?” “Where do we even begin asking?” Orion asked quietly, his eyes also looking about in wonder. “Hmm,” Tess closed her eyes for a second, and pinched her nose. A second or two later, her eyes flitted back open. “We should split up and canvass what we can. Take, say, three hours. We’ll go in pairs, to make sure no one is alone, and I have no doubt any of us can tangle with any of the rogues who might try and liberate us of our funds... just use common sense.” “In other words, no leaping into blind alleys and the like after demons,” Shaun commented dryly to Vin, who gave him a frown. “Well, I’ll head this way,” Siabrey pointed up the street. Vin promptly announced she would accompany her. Shaun took Geoffrey, and headed up another side street, while Tess and the others would scout out this immediate area. If trouble arose, the two scout groups were to return to this location, where the bulk of the party’s firepower could be concentrated... Siabrey looked about in frustration. Fully two hours into their search, and she and Vin had received only the same reply to their queries... the “Great Mages” were not presently here on this plane... or the person questioned just didn’t know. “C’mon Vin,” Siabrey motioned, “let’s start heading back. Maybe the others know of something.” They walked for a bit, before a burning question that had been bothering Siabrey for a bit finally became too annoying, and she blurted it out. “Vin... they said you hated demons. Why was that?” The half-elf stroked her fox deeply as the question was asked, and it took a few minutes before she was ready to reply. “The people that murdered Uncle Elarion were demons... they had changed shape into humans, and he didn’t know what they were when he made his deal with them.” She gave a big sigh, “To hunt them down, I had to learn about them... that is why to this day I can recite the vulnerable parts of a vrock’s anatomy by heart, or tell you that a sharp palm blow where the head connects to the neck on a quasit can shatter its spine, killing it.” Siabrey’s eyes went a little wide. [i]There really is an angry, vicious person underneath... it explains despite her emotions Diogenes had her as... what? A professional killer? That would be the best way to describe it...[/i] “If it sets you at ease, Majesty, I cannot do the same with humans,” the archer said with a slight smile, before nuzzling her fox again. “They haven’t hurt me as much as those demons.” “Vin, lemme tell you... I’m relieved,” Siabrey gave a grin herself. “Even though I haven’t seen you in combat yet, I can only imagine those- what are you looking at?” Vin had stopped in the middle of the road, staring off to the side. As Siabrey followed her gaze, she saw what the archer was staring at. In an alley of sorts to the side of the road, just out of eyeshot of anyone who wasn’t specifically looking, two tall creatures stood. They both were green, with featureless faces save their large, black eyes. Their heads were elongated, and sloped back past the forehead. More alarmingly were the two figures beside them. There were two human girls... one looked to be about five, the other looked to be perhaps twelve. One of the creatures had the small five year old in its grasp, a wicked looking knife at her neck. The other was advancing on the older girl, his blade drawn. Siabrey could read into the archer’s mind, but Vin was raging. She’d been taken advantage of when she was younger, and her heart burned furiously at seeing what might be occuring. Without consulting her charge, she started over that way, only to have Siabrey grab her shoulder. “Vin,” the Empress said quietly, “Let us see if this can be resolved without bloodshed. Should it be necessary, my blades will join yours.” Gruffly, the archer nodded. As they drew close to the two creatures, they could hear the one advancing on the older girl hissing at her... the words seemed wet and dripping, as if its throat was full of phlegm. “Your father... yessss... he owesss usss many magical itemsss...” it snarled, “and ssshould he not complete our requessst, we ssshall make due with your blood...” The girl stammered out a few sentences that she was in town for supplies, and that she nothing of her father’s supposed deal with them. The two creatures which Vin said were some kind of yugoloth, had not noticed Siabrey or Vin’s approach, till the former spoke. “Unhand her!” Siabrey said commandingly, Kelir and her washazaki already drawn. Vin’s longsword and shortsword were also out. The yugoloth holding the little girl stared at the two of them for a split second... ...and then slashed open the little girl’s throat, nearly cutting her head from her body. His compatriot spun, and the two jointly charged the Siabrey and Vin, leaving the older girl to scream over the body of the younger. Vin was the first to react, and the scream that came from her throat was bloodcurdling. Before Siabrey’s blades had even moved, the ‘archer’s’ two swords spun through the air in graceful, deadly arcs, and the Empress could only watch in horror as the yugoloth disappeared into a multitude of pieces under her ferocious assault. The other yugoloth swung at Siabrey, and the Empress dodged his blade before Kelir found the back of his head as her washazaki found the front of his neck. The dual swings slashed his head into two parts, and sent them flying from his collapsing body. It was only then that for a brief second, the Empress had time to consider what the so-called archer had done... and she realized she never wanted to cross sword blades with her bodyguard either. “Oh honey!” Vin’s rage had already disappeared, and she had wrapped her arms around the older girl, who was still screaming. “They’re gone! They’re gone! Ssh! Shush! It’s okay!” she rocked the girl back and forth, whispering calmly in her ear. “My sister! My sister!” the older one cried. “My father will be so angry!” Siabrey walked over to the little girl, to confirm what she knew was true... the little girl was dead. With an angry sigh, the Empress arose, and she caste a feral glance at the bodies of the two yugoloths still in the alley. “Vin... Grumki has the power to bring people back from the dead... he could do the same for this little girl!” Siabrey said suddenly. The Empress took off her cloak, and wrapped the little girl’s body in it. “Let’s hurry! Come on.... honey, what is your name?” “Annette,” the older girl whimpered. “My father is the wizard Asuri! Please, I want to go home!” Shaun and Geoffrey’s search wasn’t productive either it. After a few hours or looking about, Geoffrey, still annoyed that he hadn’t found anything to drink, pointed ahead to a liquor stand on the side of the street. “Boss, I’m thirsty, I’m going there,” he announced, ducking into the crowd before Shaun could catch him and hold him back. [i]Dammit, Geoffrey![/i] Shaun raged, [i]You’re more effective to us when you’re angry... and you’re angry when you haven’t had any alcohol![/i] As the rogue ferreted his way through the crowd towards the liquor stand, something to the side of the stand caught his attention... ...a little girl, holding out a hat. A few passerbys put small coppers into her hat, while many others scoffed. As he watched, a larger, more brutish man came up, and pointedly took a few silver from her, making a threatening fist before disappearing into the crowd. Shaun’s mind immediately jumped back to his own past... how he had lived for a few months after running away from his parents. “Eeked” an existence would be an understatement. Hunger was what drove him to steal at first... its just he eventually became so good at it that it became his career... until a few months ago. Gingerly, Shaun walked up to the girl, and pulled out ten platinum, and put them not into her hat, but into her hand. “Little one... keep the most valuable coins on yourself, not in the hat,” he smiled, “that way those big brutes won’t find them unless they search [i]you[/i], and most are too busy roughing up others to do that.” The little girl stared in awe at the coins in her hand. “T...t...thank you sir,” she stammered. “Where are your mother and father?” Shaun asked, dreading the answer he expected. As he’d feared, she shook her head in confusion. “You don’t have any parents?” he asked, and she nodded. Shaun held out his hand, and gave a sigh. “My name is Shaun Dice. I’m your friend. Your name is?” “Sarai,” the little girl said. By her voice and big eyes, she couldn’t have been much older than six or seven. The a squealing, light rumble came from her belly, and she looked down. “When was the last time you ate?” Shaun asked, worried. “Two days ago. she held up her hands, evidently proud she could count. “A butcher left a chicken’s head out behind his shop, and I took it.” “Come with me, Sarai. I’m going to get you something to eat. How does ice cream sound?” The girl looked at him funny, and raised an eyebrow. [i]She doesn’t know what ice cream is.[/i] “Here... hold my hand. Its really really good!” Shaun promised, as his mind panicked, [i]I can’t leave her here... she’ll die! I’ve got to take her with... maybe Siabrey, Tess or one of them will know what to do with her.[/i] He looked around for her erstwhile halfling companion, and it wasn’t too long before he spotted Geoffrey holding a bottle that seemed to contain liquid flames. “They call this *hic* ‘The Abomination’ drink! *hic* Costs one gold per bottle, but by god, its got some *hic* kick!” the halfling slurred, causing Shaun to groan. While Aeron, Hidalas and the others stayed by the building the party had left, Tess and Grumki wallowed into the crowd nearby, peppering them with questions. While Tess was diplomatic, the blunt Grumki pointedly asked, “Who here would know the Abyss, yet is not a fiend?” Ironically, he was also the one that got the most positive replies. The majority of respondents agreed that one of the “Great Mages” would be the best choice... all had lived hundreds if not thousands of years due to their innate knowledge of magic (and unlike weaker mages who were forced to turn to lichdom, these people kept themselves alive, and not twisted by evil), and while there were those inside the city of Sigil that hawked such information, such information cost a massive price. The Great Mages, depending on what one offered them, could possibly do such for free. However, there was, for the most part, disagreement on which mages were present. Rumors said that Leomund had walked the city only two days prior, in search of chaotic roc feathers for some ceremony on his homeworld. Others said that the great Elminster had been trying to get a chip in a favorite blade fixed. Tess and Grumki both merely looked at these people in confusion... they had no idea who they were. Several people near the end of their hunt finally agreed that one of the mages the party might contact [i]was[/i] present... a man named Asuri. While he was a fountain of knowledge, he was not the same as many of the other greats... indeed, he was jealous of them. Advice poured from all quarters to not mention Mordenkainen to Asuri... the latter was still furious the former had stolen a spell idea some centuries before... some spell that had something to do with a hound. Asuri had never been married, and had no children, thus kidnapping schemes would be harder. Tess hadn’t asked for that information, it had been blurted out by an unscrupulous yugoloth. Taking this information to heart, Grumki and Tess returned to the main group just as Shaun arrived with a little girl in tow. Promising to explain later, Shaun took the small girl into a nearby ice cream shop. Only a few seconds later, a desperate looking Siabrey, Andar and Vin burst from the crowd. Vin held a girl of about ten in her arms, while on Andar’s back was a bloody cloak. “Grumki!” Siabrey shouted. “Grumki! We have a little girl that was murdered! Can you raise her?” “The strength of Kord surely can raise the weak that have been oppressed!” Grumki said, lifting the bundled cloak off of the fox’s back. “I shall need an alley. The powers that can rebuild her body may not be for the faint of heart.” Quickly a nearby alley was scoured out, and Grumki laid the little girl down, beginning his prayers. Tess, Siabrey, and Vin took her sister back to where the rest of the party was, calmly telling her that her sister would be fine.. only time was needed. “You were very brave today, Annette,” Siabrey brushed a hand over her head in a calming manner. “Your sister will be fine. We seek no reward with your father... helping you was the right thing to...” “Who was her father?” Shaun, now back from the ice cream trip, whispered to Vin. Sarai, for her part, was oblivious to the crisis at hand, and was laughing eagerly as Andar licked her as she licked a strawberry ice cream cone. “Some wizard named Asuri,” Vin replied, and Tess’ ears perked up. “Asuri?” the bard hissed, and Vin nodded. Tess’ eyes went confused. [i]But according to that yugoloth... and that mercane, and those others we asked... Asuri had no children?[/i] From the alleyway where Grumki was at work came a sudden roar... a half-orc shout of surprise and alarm. Grumki’s massive form lumbered out of the alleyway, towards the party. His face reflected shock and confusion of its own. “The dead little girl! She was no little girl! She was a fiend!” Grumki screamed. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = == = 0.o [/QUOTE]
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