stonegod's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: Ch. II [IC]

[Stormwind]

Ashlyn turns a steady gaze on the druidess as she speaks, "I'd swear that your tongue's a tad sharper this morning, ... still you make a good point and I for one am all for searching out that creature and finishing it. Perhaps we might even find the library and the crypts on the way."

Ashlyn then murmurs a short phrase, the words fading into incomprehensibility even as they are spoken, and a soft light seems to flow over the lady paladin invigorating her and wiping away the traces of fatigue that were beginning to appear.

Finally she places the symbol of ravenkind around her neck once more and picks up her shield and blade, ready to move out.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Jarrith at Janis for a few seconds after his attempt to offer assistance is thrown back in his face. He keeps his smile locked on her for a moment, then suddenly he stands up and turns to the other. "Janis' time of the month again, it seems. Funny... I could have sworn she had it just a couple days ago. And a couple days ago before that. And last week. Twice." He leaves her be and begins walking around the chapel, taking stock of the ways out. "I'm all for finding the library. I agree that should be our next place to go, because we need that tome. Both for the job we were hired to do, but also for the answers it is supposed to contain."

He glances back at Tessa and asks "Do you have any blessings to remove the effects of lack of sleep? I have one more prayer for that which I can use on Sir Khensu, if you have one to bless Marot with." If Tessa responds in the positive, Jarrith nods, then casts a blessing upon the shifter, which immediately awakens and refreshes the big man.

 

[pathfinderq1]

He glances back at Tessa and asks "Do you have any blessings to remove the effects of lack of sleep? I have one more prayer for that which I can use on Sir Khensu, if you have one to bless Marot with." If Tessa responds in the positive, Jarrith nods, then casts a blessing upon the shifter, which immediately awakens and refreshes the big man.

Tessa nodded. "I can do that," she replied. Invoking the power of the Sovereign Host, she did what she could to assuage the warlock's fatigue.

OOC: Tessa will use her Lesser Restoration on Marot, as suggested. With her ring, she shouldn't be too fatigued herself, and if she is, she isn't exactly a front-line fighter, so she shouldn't be too handicapped. If we live, she will get a decent rest later.

 

[James Heard]

"One of these days your humor will earn you a long shift in a coffin, feral," Janis mutters, her eyes mere slits as she gathered her things for the day's killing.

Her face remains in an unusual complexion the entire time, even more bone white than normal with barely disguised disgust and fury, her fists clenching and releasing in the more or less automatic gesture that Janis often uses to attempt to relieve the blood flow to her lips when pressed together this tightly.

 

[stonegod]

Rest avoided by fatigued vanished, the group reexamines their location.

[You are in the Chapel. The raven icon and anything left on the dead Karrnathi zombie are still untouched. Tessa has the book of Knight of the Raven rituals.]

Status
T: Unharmed, down 1 lesser restoration
J: Unharmed, down 2 lesser restoration
J: 38/38, drained 2 levels

 

[s@squ@tch]

Marot the Deadly

"At which point are you going to realize that everyone needs help at some point?" He says to the pale lady.

"Here you are, afflicted by the curse of the werefolk, now bitten by a vampire, and yet you still refuse all aid proffered."

Marot shakes his head.

"You will be the death of us all, woman."

Now, turning to the others,"Any idea where they keep the books in this joint?"

 

[James Heard]

Janis snarls with rage and contempt at the barbarian's effrontery.

"I will certainly be the death of one of you if you don't stop with your sanctimonious meddling, savage!" Janis swings at a nearby wall with a jab to take the head off any trouble that might transpose itself between herself and her rage.

Wheeling on the intrusive, repulsive little man, Janis wags an accusing finger.

"Next you'll blame me for the King's men I met on the road while leaving Cyre, I suppose that was my fault too? Save your words. I have nothing more to say to you, b#%tard. You're nothing but near human garbage that I've had the displeasure of finding myself associated with!" Janis says, swiftly raising a bony hand to forestall further comment at her cloudy expression.

"How does it feel to shine a light on the heart of others while festering inside you own? When I need a valet to attend my affairs I shall inform you." Janis says icily.

Janis frowns as she turns. I'll kill him. I'll really kill him, she thinks. I'm just sniping and grousing at the feral and the others, but if that cretin says one more word I'm going to find a way to feed him to the vermin that infest this place.

 

[DEFCON 1]

As Janis goes off on Marot... Jarrith stands there looking at her. She's out of her head. She is truly out of her head.

After her fury overflows and spews forth... Jarrith can finally stand it no more. "All right! That's it!!!"

He steps right over to the little woman and points a finger right into her face, not caring one lick how she might react. "You are nothing but a vindictive, pissy, little shrew of a woman who thinks that having hardships growing up gives you the right to look down upon everybody else! And I've put up with you and your constant sniping all these years because we were usually fighting a common enemy... despite the fact I'd much rather see you teleported across the entirey of Khorvaire than actually spend time with you!"

Jarrith points to Marot. "But when you start threatening MY FRIENDS with harm... THAT'S IT!!! I'm done! I do not know if this is the lycan curse that is wiggling away at your soul, the injuries the vampire gave to you are cuaing your head to blow up, or if you have finally just given up all pretense of being a civil, rational human being... but I will not spend ONE MORE SECOND working with you! I'm done!"

He turns to the others and says simply. "So long as this woman stays with the group, I will not be. She's going to be the death of us all... either by finally giving into the curse, or slicing our throats in the night. I'm heading back to the village, and then will be leaving this land altogther... Master Ochem and his commission be damned!"

He turns and starts walking out of the chapel to leave the castle altogther.

**********

OOC: I realize the James has been "playing the character" as he thinks Janis should be played... but at this point there is no conceivable way Jarrith (and Khensu by extension) would ever continue with the group the way it is going. The Jarrith/Janis dynamic has always rested on a razor's edge, but with James insisting on taking Janis further away from the group all in the name of "following what the character would do"... I'm not willing to try and justify why Jarrith would stay grouped with her anymore. I now have to do what MY character would do... which is finally leave that woman behind altogether.

Basically what I'm saying is that if James does not choose to have Janis submit to the curse removal and try and fight against her nature now... rather than voluntarily following it deeper into the darkness, then Jarrith and Khensu are dropping out of the game. I just don't find trying to roleplay against Janis rather than against the NPCs to be fun anymore.

Sorry to have to be that way... but the whole "lone wolf" in the party gimmick is so played out and it makes abolsutely no sense why the others would put up with it. Especially now with her threatening members of the party.

 

[pathfinderq1]

Tessa stood silently, her mouth half-open in amazement as the simmering tensions that had festered for so long erupted into near-physical conflict. She reached out almost reflexively as Jarrith began to walk away, but she pulled her hand closed, unable to find the words that might bring the man back. It must be the aura of the place- it was enough to twist the mind even fully awake, and the night had been a long one. "Perhaps now is not the best time to go seeking through this foul place," she said, little louder than a whisper for fear of setting off another tirade. "At least until we are united, perhaps we might go back to the village. If cannot work together, we will find only our own deaths, I fear..."

 

[s@squ@tch]

Marot the Deadly

"Savage?" Marot says cooly,"If by insulting my region of origin brings you solace, then so be it."

"Are you so self absorbed to not see that you pose an imminent threat to any one of us? Did you not see the sheer power and ferocity that possessed Jarrith in the wood?"

He pauses for a moment to see if any of that made it into the recesses of her brain.

"If not for Tessa's prayer, several of us would probably be 'taking a long shift in a coffin' -- to use your terminology."

"But you play and toy with the curse, testing your mettle and resolve against it like it is some carnival game. You will eventually lose. And then what? How many others will you make suffer for your arrogance?"

He shakes his head as he puts his hands palms down on the altar.

"I cannot continue with you -- the vampire last night was powerful enough an adversary -- having another at your back is sheer madness."

He sees the stalker and inquisitor heading towards the door.

"Hold up brothers, I feel I must join you."