Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

[Tassadar]

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Precious treasure, the greatest inspiration of valor. Euria's hunger for troves of ancient treasures had led the young nymph to peril many times, and now she seemed to be going into yet another misadventure while chasing rumors and legends of priceless artifacts. The unusual beauty had traveled from Crolia on the scent of a trove of artifacts, the hoard of an ancient frost wyrm that had supposedly been slain long ago. Her journeys were bringing her South, but before she could enter the mountain that guarded a narrow pass leading from Crolia to the Amazon she would have to pass through the Gormoia mountain range.

The region she was entering was one she knew was home to many orcs, their tribes wandering the hostile peaks and valleys that were almost perpetually covered in snow and ice. They were not a kindly people, but neither were they guaranteed to be hostile, and by her estimation her journey would take at least two weeks. She needed little in the way of shelter and could live off of her own skills even in so inhospitable a land, but still had to pick her exact route.

A straight path through the mountains would take her by an ancient fortress once maintained by the elves in ages past, possibly holding its own treasures but also possibly held by bandits... Or worse. To take a path slightly to the East would take a bit longer, but much of her journey would take her through somewhat warmer valleys that were known to be inhabited by the orc tribes. Going further West would take her on the fastest route, at least by time, but the regions would be the harshest as she stayed on a high elevation, going from cliff to icy cliff and past a volcano before she would reach her destination.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Euria idly played with a few strands of hair as she gazed out over the snow-covered landscape. The lands ahead were cold and inhospitable, but she was confident in her ability to provide for herself regardless. She'd been taught to hunt, how to find shelter, everything she needed to survive on the road like this... Her more bestial features only made it easier. With the trouble she'd managed to get herself into since her parting from the huntsman who had performed the ritual that had altered her this way, it had probably saved her life several times over.

She did sometimes regret leaving him, but she just hadn't been able to hold back her insatiable appetite for treasure and adventure any longer. She'd met with some, if mixed, success so far, as the masterfully crafted jade-tipped spear which had become her favored weapon, and some of her other more unique equipment could attest to. Unlike many treasure hunters, the nymph had no real need nor desire for wealth. She could provide for herself, and money was useful for little more than occasional luxury or paying for the service of an alchemist when she visited human towns.

No, she was in it for the treasures themselves. Simply the chance to see such items of peerless craftsmanship or vessels of ancient power was enough for her most of the time, but she still desired to find some for herself. Seeing them was one thing, and she would never pass up the chance, but the idea of delving into ancient ruins, exploring, working her way past traps and guardians and finally uncovering ancient treasures... that was her dream. Perhaps she'd listened to a few too many exaggerated adventurer's tales, and perhaps she was a little overly zealous in her single-minded in her pursuit of these ancient treasures, but such dreams were not so easily forgotten.

She had several paths available to her along her way to her destination, a rumoured hoard of an ancient frost wyrm, which was bound to contain artifacts and treasures of all sorts. She could only imagine what she would find there, if it truly did exist, and she was more than willing to make the trip on the chance that it did. It was exactly what she had dreamed of for years. That didn't mean she wasn't willing to make a few detours along the way, though. The treasure had been there for a long time, there was no need for her to rush.

One of her potential routes would take her past an ancient fortress, elven based on what she'd been told, but long abandoned. Whether it had been reclaimed by anyone else, or taken as the lair of bandits or other undesirables, nobody had been able to tell her, but if it remained abandoned, it might hide treasures of its own. The straight path it was then, she decided. For better or worse, other ancient structure along her path with potential treasures of its own was not an opportunity she was willing to pass up.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: ???

And so she went. The direct path to the mountain took Euria down roads long left abandoned, but the inhospitable region had only buried them rather than covered them up with green as one might have expected in the more verdant regions of the world. Frigid wind threatened to rip the warmth from the nymph's body, but her faerie heritage left her more resilient than any mortal being to the howling cold, and she pushed on through the snow. For two days she walked, moving between mountains that reached like sleeping gods up into the sky, their crowns covered in ice that never melted while their bodies were bare rock, black and gray in the light cast by the covered sun.

Neither man nor beast moved to stop her, what few creatures she encountered ignoring her or avoiding her unless she tempted them to come near. Crows and elk, hares and wolves, minks and bears and foxes, these were her only companions, the creatures of the mountains few and far between. More dangerous creatures were rumored to live in such climates, but she luckily encountered none of them, and on the morning of the third day she crested a ridge covered in thickly packed snow and saw it.

The fortress was old, but constructed by beings who knew well how to build a structure to withstand the storms of the mountains and that most deadly of elements; time. It was built in a hexagonal shape, each of the walls standing a full twenty feet up from the ground, and some having an added natural barrier in the form of cliffs that were about another twenty feet or so high on two sides. At each corner stood a small tower, its windows narrow slits through which an archer could no doubt fire as on incoming foes, and the dilapidated siege engines at the top of each tower suggested that any besieging force would suffer for trying to claim it. A stream ran through the fort, water trickling down the side of one of those cliffs, but other than that much of the valley in which the fortress lay was flat and bare save for a distant stand of pines on its Western edge. A narrow path led up to the gate of the ancient fort, the gatehouse taller than the rest of the walls but not quite as tall as the towers. The gate lay open, the door smashed in and lying on the ground, covered in a thin layer of snow.

Beyond the gate lay the interior of the fort, the courtyard empty save for a well sitting off on the left, and in its center lay the keep, a solid rectangle of granite that stood like an ancient gravestone in the center of the ruined fort. Its doors lay closed, the oaken doors still solid and bound in spellworked bronze that had never tarnished. No windows on the massive block looked as if they might permit her entrance, leaving her to choose how she might want to gain entrance, or if she wanted to explore the courtyard further and seek another entrance of some sort. The only other building visible from her vantage point was what looked like it had once been a stable on the opposite side from the well, which had long since collapsed and was nothing but a ruin of rotted wood and crumbling stone.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

The path to the fortress was uneventful, as most of her trip thus far had been. The air had only grown colder the farther she had gone into the mountains, threatening to overcome even her supernatural resilience. She found herself wondering if she should have dressed more warmly. Her leathers were more than enough most of the time with the resilience against the cold her faerie heritage provided her, but she'd never come this far into the mountains before. It was only a discomfort at this point, however, and of more pressing concern was the fortress now coming into view as she crested yet another snow-covered ridge.

It was still remarkably intact, if obviously weathered... and showed no signs of being inhabited at a distance. Between its location and construction, she could not imagine any army having an easy time taking it if it were properly manned. A stream flowing through the fort meant that it would have been easily besieged either. The nymph carefully made her way along the narrow path leading up to the main gate, relieved to find it already open, the gate seemingly long ago smashed open. Getting inside would have been a challenge otherwise, and she wasn't sure she'd have been able to overcome it alone.

Unfortunately, the gate to the keep itself was still intact, and most likely enchanted based on the how few signs of age it showed compared to the stone around it. There were no windows that looked like she'd be able to squeeze through, not that she'd expected any different in a fortress meant to keep people out. Her ears perked up as she prowled the grounds, listening intently for any sign that she wasn't as alone as she seemed while she looked for alternate methods of entrance.

What appeared to be the old stable was in ruins, the only other building visible from the main gate, but there could be more on the other side of the keep. Though she expected nothing from it, she first strode straight across the courtyard to test the main doors. The was always a chance they hadn't been left locked, of course, but she had little hope for such an easy solution. If that proved ineffective, she would simply circle the keep, looking for any windows that she might be able to climb to and squeeze through, or any other structures that might provide an alternate entrance, or even hold secrets of their own.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: ???

The door, of course, proved locked, and if pressed didn't so much as budge or rattle against any efforts to break through it by way of simple brute force. Circling the building, Euria would find no signs of windows of an any more convenient variety than what she had already seen, nor of any breaks in the walls that she might be able to exploit, but there was another collapsed building with a fallen water wheel attached to it that the stream ran through, and another attached to the main keep that that stream ran into. The water churned past a grate of the same undamaged metal that bound the front door, and the stone around it was reinforced and less weathered than the rest of the keep, likely somehow protected as well. The only other buildings inside of the fort were the towers, each of which had a door facing inward, and the one nearest to Euria from the back of the fort had had its door smashed in. Thinking back, she wouldn't remember seeing any part of the stream in the first half of the fort either, but it did still come out from under one of the walls near the gatehouse.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

It looked like there would be no easy entry, Euria mused as she examined the bars that the stream ran through into the keep proper. They were still sturdy, seemingly preserved by magic in the same way the main gate had been, meaning they wouldn't be easy to break past. Something was odd about the stream however. If flowed in here, and out the other side of the fort, but she hadn't seen the stream at all on the other side of the keep, which meant it must go underground at some point under the keep. Where the water flowed out outside of the walls... that might be worth checking. If it didn't have the same preservative magic, she might be able to use it to gain access.

First, however... there was a tower she had seen with its door smashed in. It wouldn't hurt to poke around in there a little before moving on, who knew what she'd find? Probably nothing worthwhile, but it never hurt to look. It wasn't as if she had to hurry. Making her way back toward the tower with the broken door, Euria slowed her pace, moving more carefully and stealthily as she approached, surreptitiously peeking into the doorway before entering. The place seemed empty, but she wasn't about to go blindly walking into what might be some creature's den.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: ???

Going to the tower, Euria would find herself in a simple dark cylinder, pathways along the fortress walls branching to in both directions, and a set of stairs going up. The stairs up likely led to the top of the wall, while the passageways along the walls would take her towards the other towers. Peeking down the passageways, Euria would spot narrow shafts of light coming in through them, likely from arrow slits, but in the one to the left she would see a patch of dark dried out on the stone, and on closer examination and a sniff of the air she would recognize blood that had been spilled within the last few days, as well as footprints on the dust in the floor. What might have lost the blood or caused it to be spilled was impossible to tell, the dust too disturbed around it to get any clear imprints.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Euria blinked a few times as she stepped inside the tower, eyes adjusting to the darkness as her natural night vision began to kick in. The interior was disappointingly empty, though she hadn't expected much to begin with. After all, people didn't usually keep interesting things in their walls and guard towers. Still, it was worth investigating. If there was anything she had learned in her time "treasure hunting", it was that it was always worth checking even the most likely of places.

Her choice quickly paid off, if not in the way she was expecting. A dark stain on the wall caught her eye in the wall passage, and when she moved in to take a close look, she quickly discovered it to be blood. That alone wouldn't be any cause for concern, as this had once been a fortress and likely the site of battles in the past, but as she kneeled next to it, she realized that the distinct scent of blood was still present. This was not some stain from years past, but relatively fresh, or at least spilled in the past few days.

Not so abandoned after all, then. Euria mused as she looked around, now noticing where the dust on the floor had been disturbed by footprints, though they were too indistinct to recognize. Probably several days old as well. She'd have to be more cautious from here on, though. It was possible whoever was here had also been unable to get into the keep and simply moved on, but it was also possible that they might still be around. She reached back as she stood once again, retrieving her spear and shield from where they were slung over her back.

Weapon in hand, she began to make her way carefully around the length of the wall through the passages, keeping her eyes—and ears and nose—open for any sign that whoever had bled all over the wall, or whoever had caused them to, were still around. If she found nothing of note when she made it back around to the first tower with the open door, she'd make her way up the stairs to the top, using the high ground provided by the top of the tower to take another look around the courtyard, just in case it might highlight something she hadn't seen from the ground before she went back outside to check where the stream drained out from.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: ???

Drawing out her spear and shield, Euria would advance down the corridor that had had the blood on the floor, the rest of which was fairly boring. She would be able to go all the way to the next tower, but before she could turn back she would hear a door open, and by peering through one of the killholes meant for archers in the walls to fire into the courtyard she would see the front door of the keep opening. An orc strode out of the keep, a towering figure with black hair and a black beard, both tied into three long lines each. He wore thick furs, Euria able to recognize the skins of bear, wolves, and moose among the ones covering his form, and a greataxe hung over his shoulder.

"Spirits damned cold.... Why couldn't we have gone South?" he grumbled to himself, scratching the side of his head and then wandering over in her direction. He reached a spot near the hole that Euria could see him through and slipped aside his furs to reveal buckskin trousers, which he hurriedly unbuckled and exposed himself to take a piss, giving Euria an uninhibited view of what he had to work with, which happened to be quite a bit. There was another tower just ahead, including a door that she might go through in order to confront the orc, but how Euria wanted to handle the sudden appearance of someone from the tower was up to her.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Euria pressed herself up against the wall, ears perking up as she listened to the footsteps of the orc who had just exited the keep, moving steadily in her direction. She clutched her spear tighter as he approached, heart threatening to burst out of her chest. Had she been seen? She had thought this place was abandoned, maybe inhabited by beasts or outlaws at worst, but these were still orc lands, after all. It was still possible that whoever had taken up residence were outlaws of some sort, but was that a risk she was willing to take? Who knew what the orcs would do to her if they had discovered her sneaking around inside their fort?

Fortunately, it seemed she'd still gone unnoticed for now. Surreptitiously peeking through arrow slit in the wall beside her, she realized he hadn't been coming for her at all. No, he had just come out here to... Oh. No, no, this is not the time! Euria berated herself, tearing her eyes away from the orc's admittedly impressive manhood as he freed it from his trousers. Apparently he'd only come out here to relieve himself, and he just happened to come in her direction by coincidence...

She managed to calm herself somewhat, though her heart continued beating furiously for an entirely different reason. Sometimes her nature could be quite inconvenient, and as if simply being a Nymph, well known for their promiscuity wasn't enough alone, such primal desires had only become harder to control since the ritual which had bonded the spirit wolf to her, among all the other physical changes it had caused. She didn't regret it, but as helpful as it had been for her, it came with its own share of problems. One of which was making it very hard to keep still now, not only hearing every movement of the orc despite having turned her head away, but also catching a whiff of his scent on the air, her improved senses working against her in trying to suppress her natural urges.

On the other hand... perhaps there was some merit to revealing herself. Not simply confronting him, of course, that would be foolish. She had... other talents, however, and if thing went wrong, she had a few methods of escape in mind already. Returning her weapon and shield to their places on her back, she crept forward to the door in the nearby tower. She carefully removed the bar holding it shut and easing the door open, shyly poking her head out once the orc had finished and was decent once again.

"Um... E-excuse me!" She called out, her voice sounding timid but loud enough to carry to him. Better to play up her apparent weakness and defencelessness, something she'd had much practice doing, even as she began to work her magic, seeking to ensnare his mind and make him more pliable to her will. She was prepared to quickly retreat should things go badly, but even if she failed to subtly influence his mind, she hoped her performance would keep him from thinking her a threat. "I-I seem to be lost, and I came here seeking aid, but I was beginning to fear this place was empty! Perhaps you can... help me?"

Spoiler

Attempting to use Charm on the orc, and preparing to shut the door (and bar it again if she has time) if she fails and he acts hostile.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 42/47, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Resistance: Euria wins, yon orc is charmed

"Well... Hello there," the mysterious orc said as he hastily put his manhood away and turned to face Euria. He had jumped slightly at her appearance, evidently surprised, but upon seeing her the grin that swept over his face was purely appreciative as he surveyed her from head to toe. It would be hard to miss the way his eyes lingered on her bust as it strained to escape from her top, and that was when her magic hit. She easily ensnared his mind, making him at least temporarily compliant and friendly, and as he'd never made a move for his weapon upon seeing her unarmed she had little trouble securing her hold.

"Eheheh, well I'm sure I can... Help you," he grunted confidently as he stepped toward Euria, his gaze managing to settle on her face and stay there. His expression was confident to the point of arrogance, but he didn't take more than half of the distance between the two of them before stopping, leaving her with ten feet of open ground and the doorway in which she stood between her and him. "You're the first stranger we've met in a while," he said, "name's Torguk Arlienz, Torguk the Bold to some, but my friends usually just call me Tor! I'm here with a squad to fix this place up, but you don't look like any humie or elf, so you're welcome inside."

His gaze drifted down to her chest again as his grin widened, "you'll find plenty o' companionship, a warm bed to rest in, and we've just about got the lay of the land so once you've had a good rest we can send yah on your way.... Wherever yer goin!"

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Euria smiled softly as he spoke, letting her magic sink in. She hadn't missed how his gaze had lingered, but she'd long since gotten used to receiving such looks. Besides, it could only aid her here, though she'd have to take care not to let things go too far. While she couldn't deny that it was tempting, and from the quick glance she got she could say with confidence that he was rather well endowed... and from what she'd heard of orcs, she suspected his friends inside would be as well.

She was not adverse to such... companionship, as he'd so subtly put it, on occasion, but she was not so promiscuous as many of her "sisters" were. She also had her own reasons to be here, so it would be best to be on her way as quickly as possible. Still, the offer of a real bed was hard to pass up, it was a luxury she rarely had in her travels, and in a way one of the things she missed most. She could only hope that his friends would be as willing to take her in... and let her go afterwards. She wasn't confident in her ability to influence them all as she had him.

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you Torguk, I am Euria," she introduced herself, finally stepping out from the doorway, though she didn't close the remaining distance further once she was fully outside. "Thank you for you offer. It would certainly be a nice change to sleep under a real roof again, and it has been quite lonely on the road. I would not want to impose on you or your squad however. If you are busy with your work, I could be on my way with only some directions."

While she did put up a token protest, she did not expect him to accept it, not with what he was obviously after, and she would follow without further protest if he chose to lead her inside. She was a little nervous, however. Torguk was friendly enough, but she wasn't sure how friendly he would have been had she approached him without exerting her subtle influence on his mind. She doubted she'd be able to do the same to everyone inside, so she'd have to hope she wasn't getting in over her head by following him.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 42/47, Status = Fine

"Ahahaha, you won't be imposing, I assure you!" Torguk replied, "I'm sure the rest of my squad would be.... Delighted to have you!" As expected, the charmed orc would have none of her suggestion that she just be on her way, and quickly closed the distance between them to wrap an arm around her lower back so that he could pull her towards the door into the keep, though after a moment his hand drifted down slightly so that his fingers could press into the soft flesh of the nymph's ass.

The door had been left partially open, and he pulled it open to reveal a hall that had once been ornately decorated but was now something of a crumbling ruin. It ran for about forty feet and was lined by stone columns, with a pair of doors on either side and another up ahead. The ceiling was about twenty feet high, but when Torguk led her through the door at the end of the hall and into what had clearly once been a large dining hall, its contents as broken up as the last save for a single long table that had been repaired. The rest of the room's former contents had been swept to the side, multiple broken and rotted tables simply pushed aside to make way for a dozen or so bedrolls that lay scattered around haphazardly past the sole remaining table and the chairs surrounding it.

There was currently no one else in the second, larger chamber, but that didn't seem to bother Torguk. "Everyone's at work," he explained, "clearing the halls, bringing in the rubble so we can take what we might use. The only other room we've done much in is the kitchen, if you've got anything to put away just pick a spot, no thieving to worry about here like you'd have to take care of with a bunch ah' humies."

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

"Well, thank you for your hospitality, then. I hope the rest of your squad feels the same," Euria replied amicably, hiding her nervousness behind a simple, friendly facade. It was impossible to miss his implications, despite the tone of her responses implying otherwise. That she might appear ignorant to his intentions didn't deter him in the slightest however, in fact it almost seemed to egg him on further.

She would have to be very careful what she said if she wanted to walk back out of here without incident, and preferably after actually getting a good night's sleep. The more she thought about it however, the more she wondered if this was really worth the risk. Certainly, Torguk would leave her alone if she wished, and maintained her influence over him, but she couldn't rely on such methods to deal with everyone here. She'd have to be... diplomatic.

"Ah, if you don't mind, I'd prefer to hold onto them for now. I don't have much, and I don't mean any offence, I just... feel more at ease with my things at hand in an unfamiliar place." She gave him her best subtly pleading look, pouting slightly when she paused for a moment, waiting for his response. She didn't expect him to fight against such a seemingly benign request, but people could be unpredictable that way. "Should I wait somewhere for now? I wouldn't want to disturb your friends while they're working."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 42/47, Status = Fine

Torguk simply shrugged as Euria opted to keep her gear on her, "suit yourself! I just figured I'd offer." He grinned at her broadly, a hand once more slipping around her waist but now dragging Euria in a little bit closer, "ahhhh, if you don't want to take a look around, I can certainly think of... Something that might help pass the time." He began to pull her in closer, masculine pheromones easily detected by her sensitive nose hinting at his plainly obvious intent. Should Euria allow it, the orc would pull her into an open mouthed kiss, a somewhat less intense display in orcish culture but nonetheless intimate. Liaisons between friends weren't uncommon among his kind, just as in hers, and with her mental hold still in effect that was likely what he considered her. Should she let their lips linger together, the orc would hold her in the kiss for a moment before she felt his tongue gently flick against her lower lip, seeking to deepen the kiss by engaging her tongue with his own, and quickly proving himself a passionate and able kisser in the process as he teasingly swirled the tip of his lingual muscle against her own.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Euria flinched almost imperceptibly as Torguk's hand reached around her waist once again, torn momentarily between accepting his rather intimate touch and pulling away. It was not unpleasant, but she was hesitant to show any vulnerability, especially when his friends might happen by at any moment. She didn't think they'd do anything rash, especially if she was with one of their own, but that nagging worry, the feeling of not being safe here, continued to fight against her desires. Those desires were not so easily ignored either, however.

Though she did not share the same priorities that her sisters did, neither did Euria ignore her more carnal desires, and they had only grown since her transformation. It was becoming even more difficult to ignore them now as she was pulled closer to the orc, the scent of his pheromones almost overpowering to her keen senses. She had been on the road for some time now, and it had been quite long since she'd last been with a man. It was certainly a tempting prospect, and she'd heard many things about orcs that she had to admit she was curious to learn the truth of for herself.

Before she knew it she'd been caught up in the moment and allowed him to draw her into a kiss. She froze for a moment as she felt her head tilted upwards and his lips pressed against her own, her thoughts coming to an abrupt halt. Her hands slid up to his chest, initially intending to push away, but after another brief hesitation she gave in to his gentle probing, enthusiastically returning his kiss with perhaps only a little less vigour and certainly no less skill.

As much as her body ached for her to continue to the inevitable conclusion if things continued to progress this way though, she could not afford the risks. Until she knew that she was not in danger from the others here, she couldn't allow herself to get out of control, as she knew she would if they went any further. It wasn't until well over a minute later that she finally broke away, turning her head away and averting her eyes shyly, her cheeks flushed lightly.

"I-I'm sorry, but we shouldn't, not now..." She spoke up after taking a moment to catch her breath. "I am... weary from my travels, and should you not return to your companions before they begin to wonder if something has happened? You were only outside to, um... take a short break before returning were you not? I would hate to be the cause of any sort of misunderstanding, and I'm sure we will have plenty of time later, perhaps once I've had a chance to rest for a short time?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 22/42, EP = 42/47, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Pleasure: 3 + 4 + 13 = 20, just enough for her to not go Horny.

The hesitant acceptance of the orc's kiss only caused him to advance further while Euria responded, one of his hands cupping her ass while the other drifted to her chest, slipping easily beneath her top to slide across her bare flesh. The orc was a decent kisser, simplistic but also vigorous, passionate, and he certainly knew how to use his hands. Even at the odd angle he was forced to take to reach his target his rough skin sliding against the sensitive skin around her aureola and the nub at its center. She could feel the orc's heart pounding through his broad chest, feel the corded muscle tensing with anticipation beneath his skin, and her own body responded in kind.

The orc's lips pushed against hers harder, his tongue twirling in her mouth while his hands kneaded her soft flesh, sending minor pulses of pleasure that caused her to hunger for more. Feeling his rough palm circling the tip of her breast rapidly caused it to harden, the limited stimulation still effective enough to send little shudders through Euria's body. Her faerie blood began to boil with lust, her extended period without a partner making her need all the more intense.

She managed to finally push him away just before it would have been too much to continue resisting her urges, just as he was starting to slide her top away to bare the breast he'd been groping to the air. He frowned lightly but finally nodded as she rebuffed him once more, though her questions caused him to frown speculatively. "I'm supposed to be on watch, actually, but out here it's only a formality," he replied, "you're the first person we've seen in a while. No clanless thieves or human bandits to worry about, and we've broken the elves already. With the wars between tribes ended until we've conquered the human lands there's nothing more dangerous than a curious bear to worry about, and we don't even see them very often here anymore.

"I'm basically going to be standing on the roof of the tower for the next few hours until someone takes their turn. I don't think you wanna keep me company up there though, it's cold enough to chill the blood up there. Maybe not enough of a problem for one like you, but it's still hardly stimulating. You can stay here and rest, if anyone stumbles in on you just tell them I said it's okay, they shouldn't bother you too much." He seemed intent on heading off to do his work, at that point, but she could ask him something further, join him, or go and find something else to do if she so wished.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

"Ah, I suppose that's true. I hadn't expected to meet anyone out here myself." Euria gave her reply once she'd managed to extricate herself from his grip. Not a moment too soon, either. His touch was not the most skilled she'd felt, but it was more than enough to garner a reaction from the nymph. It had been quite some time that she'd been alone now, and she feared that had she allowed him to continue she wouldn't have been able to resist the temptation to simply give in and allow him to ravish her as he so obviously desired to. Some part of her certainly wished she had done just that, craving his touch once again now that it was gone.

"I just need a chance to get a little rest. I... may join you later, if you have not returned when I start to feel a little better. The cold doesn't bother me much." She flashed a brief smile to him before turning to survey the room once more. "Is there, um... somewhere I could lie down for a little while? I wouldn't wish to use someone's bed without permission." There were a number of bedrolls in the room, but they likely all belonged to the orcs here. Having one walk in on her alone might be enough of an issue on its own, as she still knew little of how the orcs not under her sway might react to her presence. She wouldn't want it to happen with her having taken their bed as well.

Under the effects of her charm, she didn't think it unlikely that he'd offer her his own, which would be perfectly acceptable to her. If for some reason he did not offer her one, she would simply take a seat at the table, not wishing to push the issue even if she was capable of doing so. It would only take a few moments for her to get comfortable, leaving her pack and weapons on the floor at her side, but it would be some time before she could truly relax. His touch and his kiss had been more than enough to get her a little worked up, her body preparing itself... and now she was left without any sort of outlet. She tried to steady her breathing, calm herself. It would pass shortly.

Still, several minutes later she found herself sheepishly glancing toward the door to the room, sliding her hand out from under her shirt where it had slipped while she'd begun daydreaming, idly mimicking the way Torguk had been groping and playing with her nipple earlier. This wasn't the time or place for that, she couldn't let her guard down, not when she wasn't sure what the others might do when they found her.

Her mind was quickly drawn back to all the various stories she'd heard in the past. She'd seen a few orcs before, but never so much as spoken to one. She'd heard plenty of stories though. She remembered a few particularly... graphic ones her sisters had recounted back before she'd left to strike out on her own. In particular they had featured elven maidens and a great many orcs. They were only stories, of course, but she couldn't help but imagine herself in their place, and think about just how close she might be to that right now. The idea scared her, but she couldn't help but feel intrigued as well. Before she knew it, she'd begun to doze off, her mind filled with some particularly erotic dreams...

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

Spoiler

Euria: HP = 59, PP = 42, EP = 47, Status = Fine

"Well, if you do, I'll be up on the tower. Just follow the stairs up to the ladder, it's not exactly hard to find. Rest wherever you like in the meantime," Torguk said before going through a doorway to the side of the room and vanishing, leaving Euria to fend for herself. That might have been considered odd to some, but her magical implantation into his mind had led the orc to treat her like a trusted friend, and so to him it probably seemed quite expected, though the short term magic wouldn't last for very long. That left her with a choice of where to sleep, and as he hadn't pointed out his own bedroll she could pick one and risk offending someone or choose somewhere else to take her rest.

Either way, she wouldn't be bothered while she let herself idle, not during her impromptu exploration of herself in the aftermath of Torguk's groping at least, nor in the first hour or so after. An orcish woman came clomping down the stairs a short while after that though, flaming red hair tied into a bun and her body bare save for a pair of buckskin trousers, leather boots, and a thick gray vest that left her muscular arms bare and strained to contain her full bosom. She stopped short upon seeing Euria, surprised to see the nymph at all in their resting place.

By that point Euria was asleep, however, and so she wasn't bothered and instead left promptly. A few other orcs came by, most gazing curiously at the resting nymph and only ever half perceived as she stirred in her sleep. Eventually, however, the orcish woman would come again, and this time she would rouse Euria quite deliberately, grasping her somewhat roughly by the shoulder and shaking her until she awoke. "Torguk told us who you are," she said somewhat gravely, "and how you got here. I am Elena, and our work for the day is coming to an end. The rest will be coming down for our night's meal, have you anything to put forward for your share?"

 

[Astarte]

Re: Seek, Seek Fortune (Astarte)

"Hmm... Ah!?" Euria gave a surprised squeak as she was shaken awake, bolting upright in the chair she'd taken a seat in to rest, and apparently inadvertently fallen asleep in. It wasn't the most comfortable place to rest, but it was better than the floor and she hadn't wanted to risk causing trouble with anyone who might come by. It took her a moment to remember where she was, nothing quite registering in her mind until her eyes settled on the orc woman at her side.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I hadn't intended to fall asleep, I must have been more weary than I thought." The nymph apologized once she had fully awakened, listening to the woman who had awoken her. What she said made sense, she couldn't expect too much without giving anything in return, but she wasn't certain how orcs handled these things. She knew that their culture varied greatly from what she'd grown used to among humans, so she didn't think that the handful of human currency she had left would get her much here.

"I am Euria" She introduced herself in turn, hesitating a moment before continuing. She'd need to pick her words carefully to avoid offending her hosts. While Torguk may be under her spell, the rest of them were not. "I'm afraid I don't know the... customs among your people. I am a hunter, and provide for myself on the road, so I have little with me to offer, but if there is anything I can do to help in exchange, I would be glad to."