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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Archon Basileus" data-source="post: 7430070" data-attributes="member: 6855545">EVERYONEThe rogue survivors are at a loss, as is the victim. The trio remains silent as they get scolded by the half-orc. After a long while, the lady is the one to open her mouth, heating up as gestures become more agitated and vivid."Red beard a' Muradin, no need ta get preachy!" - she waves her hand around. "It ain't the color o'your skin, shaman... It's just that ya're mercenaries! I mean, I'd sooner see a mountaineer such as this one..." - she motions towards Morgrym and lays a hand on his shoulder. "Ta pull his weight..." - she retrieves her hand, sniffs it and cleans it at her bloodied skirt as best as she can - " ... but a merc?" - she falls silent, studying him for a moment. "True what they say 'bout you, shaman. Quite smart, quite honored. Bad combination, if ya ask me..."Her gestures are peculiar. Brutal, brave and still, quite refined. Indeed, she might be a Valley Damsel, daughter to some important dwarf at the mountains. They're simple people, but well trained. The way she brandished the dagger showed skill, but lacked experience.No dwarf would tolerate such dishonor. Mountaineers, above all, praise the way they decorate hair and beard as clan legacies, lineage privileges. No, this one was shaved on purpose. Odds are he became a convict at Carvall's Prison. It's said they shave and mark dwarves like this over there, to make them forget their origins and pay the price of shame.The merchant speaks in a feeble, exhausted voice, trying to control his twitches and spasms from the cold air around."At first it was just a smuggling operation. Then it turned into slave capture, when the orcs got involved. They could easily get people from outside the valley, operating beyond Dram's attentionc- or concern. But as they found those - things" - a shiver still runs through him, even after knowing of their deaths - "the game changed completely. We began feeding the oozes. In exchange, they'd possess bodies, wander around, spy. The Naga told the boss about them... And then, afterwards, the boss became obsessed with Dram's business." - he glances towards the group, ashamed and afraid. "He didn't hear us. He wanted to spy on the big guy himself. He was preparing some of the ladies to become infused with the things..." - he shakes his head in denial. "Pretty stupid, if you ask me."The bald prisoner glances at her in fear."You... You don't think there's worse down the mine, do ya? Behind that ominous door, across the chasm... Oh, oh no, nononono!" - he becomes agitated all of a sudden. "Is that why they'd never let us in? Ok, ok... I'm ready, I'm ready now! Take me up, I'll tell you everything, everything, I'll go back to prison, I'll take the gallows, but please, please let's leave these mines!" - he motions to rise, but seeing the quartet brings him to a  halt.As Shayuri glances over her shoulder and towards the dead Naga, she sees the very last flames of her magic dying out against the lift's floor. A last glimmer still waves to her, still, and amidst the distorted mess that once was the snake creature, something glitters under the dying flames... @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=24380" target="_blank">Neurotic</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=4936" target="_blank">Shayuri</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=6801311" target="_blank">KahlessNestor</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=87106" target="_blank">MetaVoid</a></blockquote>

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