Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

"You think a god would choose an emissary so lightly that your continued presence would make no further difference?" the "elf" asked dryly, amused rather than accusatory. It was her only interruption as Naltaibur went over her own reasoning, though the smirk spread across her face didn't fade. When she paused, the woman chuckled softly and quipped; "And she has nice tits!"

Her smile shifted into a pensive look as Naltaibur continued, and before the elf could get any further she interrupted Naltaibur at the end of her first sentence; "Whether you wish to or not, that is the world that you live in." She let Naltaibur finish after that, however, not only her theorycrafting on what she might do but all of it. Mavra wasn't there, nor was anyone else, the only ones on the top of Avenshire's keep herself and her strange conversation partner.

"You've given this some thought.... But not enough it seems," after Naltaibur's cryptic question and turn to look over Avenshire's wall. The fort was well inside of the city, far from the outer walls that separated the city from the countryside beyond. There was no telling from here what might lie beyond the city gates, the invasion having largely taken place inside of it but no word having come from beyond, but even if she wished to find out she would need to cross miles of Therion to get there.

"You've thought of what you want to do... Of what you think you could do to evade the consequences of that one unfortunate act... What you have not done is think about what the woman you are trying to save might say on the subject." The elven looking stranger sat on the parapet that Naltaibur was looking over, staring directly at her as if she could see through the mask and right into her eyes, if not her very soul. "The woman to whom you are so attached is a demon... Come from Hell directly. A land of deception, where one's form is what they choose and where escape from the consequences of one's actions is a matter of necessity. If she wished to escape, she could. And she would have by now.

"And instead... She stays. In the place she adopted for herself, where she chooses to keep a form in which her nature is obvious for all to see, even when bigotry and events that were beyond her control threaten to see the very people she had tried to gain acceptance from, the people she has fought with all her waning strength to defend despite how they've treated her, might very well kill her. How successful do you really think you'd be in taking her out of here?"

She let that question sink in for a moment before continuing without giving Naltaibur to formulate a well thought out response; "You might be willing to abandon your duty to this city and to the thunderlord in order to flee to protect her... But she isn't. And as dire as the situation might be... You do realize that Therion has entered something of a crisis, don't you?" She gave a pause to let that settle in too, "a crisis in which all manner of things might be just... Swept under the rug. Forgotten. It happens in the courts all the time... You just need to make it happen a little earlier... Get the idea?"

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

"M-maybe?" was all Naltaibur could muster for a retort. Her conversation partner had shut down her attempts to reason away why her leaving wouldn't matter very much pretty concisely. "I mean... he DID tell me it was only because I was a healer..." Upon hearing the elf call her an 'emissary,' Naltaibur reconsidered her place in these events... she'd felt a lot less vital when she thought she'd only been given this task because she was there. She also conceded the elf's additional praise with a nod... shutting down any deeper thought on if her big speech on the demonesses' finer traits were just an excuse for the lonely elf's craving for those quite nice tits.


"I was sort of expecting to be able to talk her around... 'we'd be together, and you wouldn't be dead' seemed like a sound argument to me," Naltaibur said, when the mystery elf mentioned that she hadn't considered Mavra's thoughts on what to do. "When you put it that way, though, perhaps... well, no. You're certainly right about her not leaving willingly."

"But I don't understand what you mean, though, no. I don't want to bring it up amongst the others - last time I did, Annabeth started screaming, and we all thought we were in for a repeat of the assault that caused all these problems. Aluwin and his lot are the -least- hostile towards her, and they're mistrustful at best, and Caden tried to kill her before anyone could stop her, if you were watching that happen - I doubt I could get them on my side for this if I were to do anything to keep them silent... and if Mavra caught wind of me doing -anything- underhanded... well. I would prefer she not hate me."

"I could try to convince Annabeth that, since her child is indeed untainted, it was a sign of favor for Mavra, or... something, and get her to bury her resentment. I... seriously doubt that that would work, however - silver-tongued, I am not."

"I could say that she is Doraleouses' emissary - I've been using Uldric to bear that title, since he is his priest, and all. ...Perhaps I should have asked how she came to be in the cathedral before I arrived? Whatever, I doubt this plan will bear fruit either..."

"There's always bribery, I suppose? I don't think it'd take amongst my folk, but I might be able to get the fortresses' commander on my side. I'm not sure how well that would work, though... I don't know his character, nor what would happen if aid or other officials come from Dragonsbane. Plus... well, I don't -actually- have very much to bribe anyone with except for all those congealed invader heartstones I've been collecting."

Naltaibur turned and slid down the crenellation, hands propping her head up in her cheeks as she tried to think up anything else she might be able to do. Killing Annabeth's child was simply out of the question, for a thousand different reasons. Killing Kormag and... probably Annabeth? Also out of the question. Sending them out on a patrol, and then killing them? That... mmmight work, but it left an incredibly awful taste in Naltaibur's mouth just thinking about it. No. And besides that, unless she eliminated everyone who had witnessed what had happened, Naltaibur wouldn't even know if it would work.

She tried to think up other scenarios, but nothing really seemed to work in her head. Anything involving third parties Naltaibur really didn't think would work - such outsiders would only judge Mavra by her demonhood. Could she get Mavra and Annabeth to talk to each other? Gods, that sounded like a nightmare - Annabeth, if she said anything, explode and accuse the demoness of horrible, vile things, and Mavra would probably take it all to heart. Naltaibur filed that idea just before her absolute last resort.

The only idea Naltaibur thought had a remote chance of working was to declare an ultimatum - if the group tried to take action against her demoness, she would simply cease her work here in Therion. But this was her quest, not theirs - would they care? She doubted - after all, she'd convinced them to aid her, not the other way around.

The elf's masked face was in her hands as she slumped, trembling on the ground, unable to figure a solution to this problem. Damn, why did people have to be so complicated? Surgery was so much more simple in comparison.

"I do not get the idea, no. I am very out of practice; dealing with people beyond telling them to choke down nasty potions everyday, that bathing is not just an 'elf fad', and to wear protection when they go out whoring is truthfully beyond me. Would you please indulge me with a hint?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

The woman before Naltaibur sighed as the elf rejected the idea of bringing it up to the others outright, and began going over her internal logic and puzzling out a few possibilities. She seemed amused at points, especially when the comments about her usual practices in her daily work came up, but after Naltaibur asked for a hint she sighed again. "Look... All of them don't have the same... Zeal... That a select few have, right?" she suggested calmly, "the others would probably just as easily forget about things if their... More vehement comrades were convinced to forget about it."

She began to twiddle her thumbs, her frown deepening. "Believe it or not, the priestess would be happy to sweep this under the rug. Her pride, her position, and a secret she keeps close to the chest all demand it. Her you can negotiate with and things should be fine, if you can corner her when she's on her own.

"The mercenary, the one who nearly killed Mavra, is another matter. He is a coward, his convictions flimsy. It would be easiest if you simply entered his mind and erased what happened, along with his reactions. He'll never be the wiser, and if you can talk to his companions not mentioning it to him that should work just fine, your efforts to erase his memory will never be tested. Alternatively, you could confront him. Threaten him, remind him of your power and your chosen path, and remind him that internal conflict endangers everyone. Done well, he might cave.

"The soldier... He will be the hardest. He does not hate your lover, despite his faith. He simply wishes to see justice observed. His conviction is his anchor in this time of crisis. Him, I believe, you will need to make forget. I advise trying to do it while he sleeps, when his mental defenses will be weakest.

"Now obviously, the others might bring things up by accident, but I think those three will be the most important ones to get to. So far, the city's crisis has kept what transpired among you a secret from those outside your immediate group. Act quickly, and it will probably stay that way."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Several minutes passed as Naltaibur simply sat where she was, turning these thoughts over in her mind. Annabeth had a secret, did she...? Naltaibur wondered what it was. It would make for a powerful bargaining chip if she knew what it was... but she didn't, so the night elf decided not to dwell overmuch on it. Annabeth ought to be still in the clinic, Naltaibur thought... with all the injured in there, it might be difficult to catch her alone now... though if she could catch her in a storeroom or something, they might have a moment to speak. It might be something to do with the manifestation of Doraleous - her Star God had no form, and from what she remembered, neither mages nor women held much regard in her faith's hierarchy. All of that was mere speculation on Naltaibur's part, though - she didn't think she had anything to back up that assertion, so using it in a negotiation would be a shot in the dark - and Naltaibur did not put much faith in lucky shots in the dark.

Kormack... he likely wasn't sleeping, as far as she knew, and Naltaibur was unlikely to catch him alone even if he was. She would have to do him later in the night.

Naltaibur thought she'd prefer to cow Caden into keeping quiet... memory alteration was tricky, after all. Removing his memories of the event itself would be fairly simple, since they would be clustered together at that moment in time in the records of his mind. However, Naltaibur would then have to search through the rest of his thoughts - how many times he'd thought of it again as the day went on, whether it had colored any of his other thoughts (probably lustful ones, towards Mavra or Anna... and perhaps Naltaibur herself, since she'd admitted to sleeping with Mavra - which was caused by Annabeth's rape)... and if she missed anything, he might start making a fuss. Far better to make him understand why he should keep quiet... both that it would keep the group from falling apart, and because of what she could do to him. It was a shame she hadn't gotten to show off her experimental spells to the group... that would've helped. He, as one of Aluwin's mercenaries, surely understood the need for group cohesion, though - even if he'd not already seen how vital it was in their long trek here. She didn't expect too much trouble with him - Naltaibur thought she should start with him.

She ought to speak to the rest of the group as well... make sure they knew to keep quiet. She most definitely wanted Annabeth's agreement first, however, at the very least.

She thought Mavra mightn't like what she was going to do... so hopefully she needn't tell her beloved demoness, at least until after everything was settled.


At last, Naltaibur stood, stretching a bit and rolling her shoulders, trying to work out some of the stiffness and soreness that had worked itself into her body with all the exertion of the past few days. "Well, if I must act quickly, then I ought to act now. I don't suppose you might bless me with any other nuggets of wisdom? I feel like Annabeth's secret would be too much to hope for..." Unless the strange elf stopped her, the night elf would bow... and slip a dactyle from her coin pouch, making sure the elf saw. Naltaibur turned and started to walk away... but stopped.

"Errr... just between you and I, madame... uh, elf? For a brief moment after I'd left from speaking with Doraleous... I wondered what might've happened if I'd asked if he wanted a blowjob. I... well. They tell stories of people who speak to and are given tasks by the gods, but I've never heard tales of something like that... I thought it'd be nice to be a first. I-is that blasphemous? Should, uh, should I feel bad about it?"

Spoiler

Plan to check for Anna, and then Caden to see about Diplomacy-ing them. I'll look for Anna in the infirmary - if she's there and it looks like I can get her alone, I'll go for her, I'll try talking to her - if not, I'll look for Caden. Probably look for Aluwin or Uldric and the gang, ask if they'd seen him.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

"S'not my position to say," the woman said in apparent amusement while Naltaibur was stretching and divesting her coin. The strange elf quirked an eyebrow at that, but as the elven doctor started stumbling over her words her curious look turned into a smirk. "Call me Aya," she supplied simply, before Naltaibur's comment caused her to go stone still.... Before bursting out into uproarious laughter. It took the woman over a minute to stop laughing, another half minute to control her snickers, and then a few more seconds for her to catch her breath.

"No... No you shouldn't feel bad," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Oh, please, great Thunderlord, let me suck your dick!" she said, miming an impression of Naltaibur before bursting out into renewed laughter for another few moments. "You... Well, it would have been an interesting conversation I'm sure. Something to regret til the end of your days I'm sure," she continued after once more taking control of her endless snickers.

The woman didn't seem to have anything else, and would start giggling again as Naltaibur left to get on with her plan. Annabeth was found in the infirmary, doing the final portions of set up for the secondary one now that the people they'd rescued were resting in the primary one. Caden she passed in the hallway on the way to find Annabeth, alone, and she could confront him there if she so desired.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur inexplicably managed to turn bright red, despite her mostly charcoal complexion. Maybe deciding that this flighty mystery elf - Aya, apparently - that they'd only met earlier this morning was a good confidant wasn't the greatest idea. Then again, Aya bursting out laughing told Naltaibur that this suspected-divinity's omniscience wasn't complete, which helped... um, nothing really. Further analysis of the situation on Naltaibur's part was broken when Aya mimed Naltaibur begging to suck cock. The night elf had to admit... it was an amusing thought. She bit her lip to stifle her own, quiet giggles - though the doctor still fidgeted with embarrassment.

"Hopefully that end is later rather than sooner. Well, I ought to get to it, I suppose. I hope you're not going to mysteriously vanish now that our conversation's over - that seems to happen a lot in the stories I've read. We could talk more about Mavra's tits, or the other inappropriate notions I've had during this whole nightmare, or whatever."

Naltaibur nodded, and made her way down the stairs, thinking that she ought to write in the back half of her research journal about how she just had a casual conversation with a being possibly beyond her comprehension about how she'd met the honest-to-god patron deity of her city and wanted to blow him. If ancient texts with hidden secrets and lost arts existed, perhaps so too did ancient text about stupid little things like this?

Naltaibur added to her list of regrets that she didn't ask this Aya to mark her gravestone if all her plans now backfired. 'Met Doraleous, regretted not sucking his dick' sounded like as good an epitaph as any.


The doctor bypassed Caden, wanting to see how things went with Annabeth first. Naltaibur found her working the infirmary, setting things up for whenever their next influx of refugees would come. Checking the area for any that might overhear them first, Naltaibur approached the priestess. If they weren't alone, Naltaibur would ask Annabeth to accompany her somewhere - anywhere that looked where they wouldn't be overheard. The infirmary storage room, perhaps.

"I apologize for leaving you here to prepare the clinic alone... I was very wary of sending off the others without magical support, and... well, I wanted to make sure those we'd left with the alchemist were escorted safely. I also apologize for being callous, earlier." Naltaibur's fingertips drummed against her thigh, unsure how to broach the topic at hand... until she decided a direct approach would be better than no approach at all.

"I... please, I beg mercy. I'm sure you hate my guts by now, but... I don't want to lose Mavra. I can't lose Mavra. Yet, I am sure she is too stubborn to run, and I am unable to abandon the duty given to us. I wish to put this incident in the past... please say this is possible, Annabeth." Naltaibur had thought on her words as she had descended. However, despite her practice reciting her request in her head, the night elf was unable to keep her voice from quivering.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

"Break a leg!" Aya said cheerfully, still somewhat teary eyed after her long bout of laughter.

Annabeth would accompany Naltaibur to the side storage area, where they wouldn't be overheard, and following the doctor's apology she patiently replied; "It is alright... Why are we in the closet? What do you want, doctor?"

It was clear from her tone that Annabeth's patience was very limited, but as Naltaibur launched directly into her request the priestess's annoyance ebbed, turning into shock. She glanced at the closed door, then at the floor, sighed, and finally looked back up at Naltaibur's mask with an empty expression. "Yes. Behind us... Is the best place for what transpired to be. Just... When this crisis is over, you will not make any effort to contact me again. Nor will.... Mavra. I do not intend to stay in Therion, but I am not telling you where I intend to go either. Convincing the demon will fall to you, but I want nothing more than to hear nothing of this ever again."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

"That's... that's all you want?" Naltaibur asked, trying to keep incredulity from creeping into her voice. Suspicion tugged at her thoughts. "Ah... I mean, I think it's a reasonable assumption that you don't want anything to do with her or I anymore, but... well, I was expecting to have to pay... something." Naltaibur knew the followers of the Star God, held little esteem for women and sex-in-general, but... she wasn't sure what that meant for Annabeth. She didn't know the depth of the woman's devotion, nor her reasons or thoughts... she could hardly even guess as to what her reasons for this were. The appearance of Doraleous high in the Therionian skies, as he struck down the invader's apparent 'ship', might've shaken her faith... but again, she didn't know the woman well enough to make any conjecture with any useful certainty. That blasted elf... curiosity as to the priestesses' secret itched at Naltaibur's mind, but she dare not risk angering the woman by trying to inquire.

"...Then, I'll speak with the others, and this will disappear. Is this... satisfactory?"

Spoiler

God, I am the worst at updates.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

"What payment could you offer that I would want?" Annabeth responded in an impatient tone that bordered dangerously on rage, "what repayment for shredding my vows could you or your demon offer me that would hold any meaning to me whatsoever? It is not out of any affection to either of you that I do this, but out of necessity. My church teaches me of the ways of her kind, of their lies and their evil, and I see how easily she has ensorceled you into her willing defender all too clearly. She tried the very same upon me, but my will was stronger than hers, even if my body was not. We are told not to forgive their sins, for they are unrepentent and unworthy of the Star Lord's salvation, their filth destined to stain the physical world forever rather than see redemption in the presence of the Lord!

"But, as much as vengeance might sate that, practicality takes precedence. Whether or not you are truly evil or simply misguided and manipulated, you are useful to us. The daemon above directed you here, to aid in saving the souls of those in this city, and your worth in that holds more value than the good that would be done by punishing Mavra for her... Vileness. So I would have it ended, forgotten enough that it would simply smooth over without further issue. For the good of the city and its people." Her passionate tirade seemingly finished, Annabeth fell silent, and with that and any exchanges that might follow from it Naltaibur would be free to proceed on to the next item on her agenda in the quest to keep Mavra from the executioner's block.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur stood, one of her hands clenched, as she swallowed her frustration. The events that had transpired would not inspire any friendship in most, it was true... Annabeth still thought Naltaibur a thrall, Mavra evil simply for her demonhood, and Naltaibur continued to hate her for her blind devotion to the alleged word of some alleged god. The Star God seemed to embody nothing but contempt; contempt for other gods, for demons, for magic, for women... how could Annabeth, woman and mage, continue to believe in something that despised her so? And seemingly, the Star God's gospel preyed on the vulnerable, men and women who felt abandoned by whatever other beings they put their faith into. Did not the demonic and the Star God's cult run in parallel? They'd been hunted by every other faith, slowly pushed to extinction, scorned by all else... was it not the same with demons like Mavra, who Naltaibur had found starving herself to death - who had even voluntarily sealed up where she could do no harm? Surely it had been voluntary... she didn't recall the room being locked, nor was it guarded when she was inside, examining the Turned, as she recalled... and Mavra hadn't tried to escape, either. Even if her reserves had been too low to break free, she'd been locked in with the tied-down Turned... she could have easily rejuvenated herself with them... and presumably hadn't. Had she done that, she could have escaped easily by using that rending magic she had - she most certainly was not held against her will.

Perhaps the only thing the Star God did that Naltaibur liked was... nothing. Claiming as he did to be the 'One True God', an utter lack of presence and potence was the only deed that had ever been attributed to him. Perhaps it was some cult hush-up, or perhaps their dogma dictated that life was to make its own place... whatever it was and as far as public knowledge could be trusted, it seemed he really and truly had never appeared and meddled in mortal affairs - even when his followers were being killed off. Naltaibur appreciated that, to some degree... no inscrutable being of incalculable power ruling over them... but, given the choice, she thought she preferred the sort that suddenly materialized to kill incomprehensibly immense flying monsters in the sky.


As dearly as Naltaibur wanted to defend her love, Mavra's safety came first -and infuriating Annabeth was sure to be a detriment to those plans. "So be it," the elf said at last. "Today's events never happened - I will see to it that the others understand." The doctor crooked and arm, and bowed. "I had hoped to lessen the hostility between us, but I see that was naive of me. I bid you good evening, Sister."

Naltaibur turned on her heel, and left. As she did, she collected one of the syringes from her bag, and filled it with the paralyzing poison she'd brewed up earlier in the day. Caden was next.

...Though, as satisfying as injecting him full of venom and cowing him into submission would be, it would be safer simply to alter his memories, Naltaibur thought. Still, she kept the syringe tucked away... perhaps something would go wrong, and she would need it.


She did need the man alone, though... and asleep, ideally. Perhaps she ought to wait... yes, Naltaibur thought that would be best. The doctor instead sought out Father Uldric, wishing to pull him aside, where they might converse freely. She wanted to use him as the Priest and Emissary of Doraleous to help convince the others to stay quiet... though, the Father had displayed little desire to play the part. Naltaibur wasn't sure if she could trust him to do it himself - she wanted to test him out some, see how he might fare if she asked him to speak with the others.

Truthfully, though, Naltaibur also wanted to ask him some questions about Mavra, as well... the first such being how he knew Mavra - how she'd come to his cathedral and how long she'd been there, for starters.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

"What hostility?" was Annabeth's cool reply, directed at her back as the mutated night elf spun to depart.

Preparing her syringe of paralytic poison in case she needed to use it on the other key problem, Naltaibur would then be able to find Uldric among the rescued captives, speaking to them of their experiences and offering them some solace for those who had had their lives devastated. He would allow Naltaibur to take him aside, looking at the masked physician with a curious look as she brought him over to an isolated side room.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur considered ignoring Annabeth's comment and walking out as if she'd not heard it. It certainly would be the dignified response, she thought...

But instead, Naltaibur spun, looking at Annabeth. A brief moment passed, and the night elf held her arms out to either side, with her hands relaxed open, palms upward, as if she were asking a question. Naltaibur didn't need to say anything aloud; her body conveyed what was in her mind all too clearly.

'Really?'

The elf then turned, and left.


"I-I'm sorry for taking up your time, Father, but ehmm... to be frank, I wanted to talk about Mavra," Naltaibur started, once they were alone. "I've... grown attached, and yet it's only been some two days, most of which was spent trying to avoid having our souls obliterated by these freakish gray beasts. I-is that strange?" Naltaibur said, nervously fidgeting as she spoke in a hushed voice with the priest - though her voice still seemed loud in the closed space of her mask, as she forced herself to speak louder, that she'd be audible to him. "May I ask you of her, now that we're... relatively safe? F-for starters, how long have you known her? How did you meet, and how did she come to be in your chapel? Has she been there long? ...Has s-she always been so... withdrawn?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

Naltaibur's dramatic spin had her staring at a still stony faced Annabeth, and she maintained that look right up until the elf ended her gesture and finally turned to leave.

Uldric's expression as Naltaibur brought her concerns to him was distinctly gentler than Annabeth's, though he still frowned thoughtfully as she explained her concerns. "Strange? Well, not necessarily. It's hardly unheard of for bonds to grow quickly under duress like we've been under for the last few days. I know you're probably worried about the whispers behind your back since you and Mavra have begun your... Relationship, but I don't believe that she is manipulating you.

"I can't say that I've known her for a long time, but I think I know her well enough to say that that isn't her style. She came to my chapel a month ago after being homeless in the outskirts for a good while before that. Mine was one of the only temples that hadn't turned her away when we gave food to the poor and needy, and she started coming by regularly after that. She made inquiries about cloistered life, but the followers of Doraleous do not sequester themselves like those of some faiths, and ultimately after finding out about her conditions I invited her to stay so that she might somehow learn to control her curse in relative isolation. Unfortunately, such has proven impossible so far, and as you can see she only becomes starved if she goes too long without... Sating her hunger."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

"I don't mean to imply that, Father Uldric... if I really were ensorcelled, I don't believe I would be so free to question and examine if I were or not, nor would I be able to hear so many people pose the question. Perhaps magic from the demon realm works different than the sort I understand, but... well, I just don't think so, there would be no sense to it... for creatures of magic to have domination magic that don't instill loyalty to the caster, as our own spells that hold dominion over the mind do. No, I've long believed that the only enchantment I'm under of hers is the perfectly natural sort that comes with affection." Naltaibur brought a gloved hand up, fingers fidgeting as they pressed against her masked chin. "...Academy learning, you know. Magic theory and the like was something I was interested in, back then. Still is."

"I just..." Naltaibur let out a sigh, and found herself staring at the floor, shoulders slumped and head hanging. "I don't know... I just feel like I barely know her. I think she's a wonderful person. She's kind, and caring, and sweet, and compassionate, and brave enough to follow me out into the infested nightmare that Therion's become, and patient enough to endure all the mistrust she's given. But I just... I don't know much about her. There hasn't really been the time or opportunity to... just speak together. I honestly just wanted to hear more about her from you, that's all."

"As for her 'curse'... the phenomenon can happen to just about any race - humans, elves. Anyone. It is a literal erosion of the soul, not just some madness that overtakes her. What I mean to say is... avoiding satiation would be a bad idea. It is a -need-. She would die... just as you or I would die, if we stopped eating, or breathing." Naltaibur sighed, and ground her teeth, hidden away inside her mask. "As the soul also powers magic, it's possible she might be able to make due by consuming sorcerer's draughts, made to replenish the soul for casting spells. I'm not entirely sure if that would work, however..."

Naltaibur sighed. "...Father, Annabeth wants this to disappear. I'm sure you have some notion of the tenets of her faith, yes? For now, all I ask is that you not speak of it. If you think they will listen to you, ask the same of the others... everyone but Kormack and Cayden. Say nothing to them about what I've just told you. I will speak with them personally... and they will be made to forget."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

"Forgive me, but... You would probably be better served talking to HER if you want to get to know Mavra," Father Uldric said gently, "I don't know her that well either. It is... Difficult in general to get to know someone who is so innately different from oneself in a short time. There are things about demons that a mortal man like me cannot even comprehend."

He would frown, but ultimately nodded in response to her explanation about how the curse of a succubus worked. "I will defer on your expertise on this," he said simply, "I will admit that it is not a subject that I am particularly studied on."

The old priest let out a sigh that might have been relieved as Naltaibur revealed that Annabeth wanted to sweep the incident under the rug, but then frowned as she as much as admitted to her plan on how to handle it. He couldn't seem to come up with a better option, however, and after a few moments worth of consideration he blew out his breath in another deep sigh and said; "Very well. I can't say that I fully approve, but under the circumstances... I can't think of any better options. I will try and convince the others, they will have to avoid mentioning it entirely in order to ensure that Kormack and Caden don't accidentally remember once you're... Finished with them."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

"True enough, I should ask her... it's just... she's not very receptive to company, at present." Naltaibur stood. "It's not perfect, but then, nothing about this situation is. Sorry to have left such troubling things with you, Father." The doctor took off her hat and swept her arms out as she bowed, and turned to leave, stalking off to find Caden.


Enhanced strength and her refractive 'mirrors' to amplify the her magical hold and control... Naltaibur thought both would help once she found Caden. Naltaibur rolled up her sleeve and tugged down a glove just enough to expose the back of her wrist, which she ran against her blade, pulled just enough out of its sheath that she could cut herself with it to empower her magic with lifeblood. Saying the words quietly to herself as she walked along, she felt gleaming planes of power surround her magical core, both amplifying and shielding her, mind, body and soul, shimmering even brighter with Naltaibur's physical essence as well as her magical being in the mirrors' makeup.

She spoke another familiar recitation, and felt her blood gleam and get sucked up by her magic, welling back into her body as cords of arcane power soaked into her muscles and bones. The night elf's petite form didn't swell or bulge with muscle growth... but when she needed to, Naltaibur's movements would be enhanced with the force of her magic, mimicking her muscles and tendons, while a sheathe of power enveloped her skeleton, helping it to withstand the added strain Naltaibur's spell was going to inflict on it.


As she hunted Cayden down, the doctor swept aside the anxiety that once Mavra found out what she'd done, she'd lose her, regardless. The demoness didn't excuse her own actions as the necessity Naltaibur saw them as... If she herself had willingly been trying to conquer her need for other's energy as Uldric had said, then Naltaibur thought it likely she'd be condemned by her lover for letting her be weak. Naltaibur didn't know if Mavra would forgive her for trying to hide away the truth... but she couldn't let the possibility that her actions would leave her scorned by the person she was trying to protect stop her. If she lost Mavra this way... at least Mavra would be absolved. At least it would be Mavra to leave her, and not someone else taking her away.


Once she'd found him, Naltaibur walked up and tapped him on the shoulder, before grabbing him by the wrist. "Cayden? Would you come with me, please? I'm worried you might experience a delayed reaction similar to what happened to me earlier, from the fumes the potion might've given off while it was being brewed. It's a rare occurrence, but I want to be sure." Naltaibur led him off to some secluded room where they wouldn't be bothered - an unused dorm room or somesuch, perhaps. "Too many people in the infirmary for me to concentrate properly," she'd say if asked.

When she found a suitable place, Naltaibur would have him lie down and relax. She explained the procedure to him - it would be quite a lengthy diagnosis, so she would put him to sleep for it, for both their convenience. A few standard precautions would be taken in case something went awry - Naltaibur did not specify what kinds - and he would wake up once the check was done, and she'd made sure there were no lingering toxins in his body. When he consented, she cast the anesthetization spell she'd devised herself, pulling ambient power in to write the arcane glyphs that would blanket Cayden's sense of pain, awareness, and consciousness. Once he had gone under, Naltaibur closed what shutters or windows she could, took a pair of manacles and bound them to the bed or chair's posts, and then gagged him with a leather strap, to keep himself from biting his tongue... conveniently also keeping him from screaming.

With the man secured, Naltaibur began the process of editing his memories, taking his memories of Annabeth's rape from his mind. She left in the freakish throat-lain invaders and Naltaibur's confession of her relationship with Mavra - spurred as an explanation of how Mavra was uninvolved in afflicting her with them, as they came from the invaders in the previous battle, which she reinforced to make sure he believed the explanation in his memory. The rest of that morning would be relatively uneventful, if tense, given how stressful their trek had been, until the arrival of the elf. From then on, Naltaibur looked through Cayden's memories going forward, taking from the mercenary any musings he'd had through the rest of the day on Mavra raping Annabeth... replacing a few with similar thoughts he'd had on the two women she'd seen floating about in his thoughts, so he would not think it odd later that he'd not thought about them through the rest of the day. She took care to use Cayden's perspective as she replaced his thoughts and memories, meticulously erasing any trace of the unfortunate deed...

Spoiler

Cast Arcane Armor (Resistance) and Lesser Strength (Body) when I find that fucker, using Blood Magic. Both are level 2, and should give me +24 Res and Body, IIRC.

Anesthesia (L3), Diagnose (L1) to look Cayden over (It's a totally simple check and I lied about it!), and the 8 EP option for Mind Worm to edit his branethinkies.

Like hopefully these EP costs don't actually matter. I'll try to rest up after I finish if I can to recover - if not, delicious EP potion.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

"Good luck," Father Uldric said in parting, having no other words for the deed that Naltaibur was to do.

Leaving the priest's side, Naltaibur would prepare for the encounter with a few spells that enhanced her concentration and strength. Blood magic strengthened them further, and concentrating on the maintenance of those spells might help in easing her woes as she hunted down the next subject of her hunt.

Caden was found speaking to Aluwen in a distant corner of the fortress, the mercenary leader speaking heatedly to his subordinate for some reason but pausing as he spotted Naltaibur. Caden would look surprised, doubly so when the elven doctor tapped him on the shoulder and he found himself facing her masked form, but despite the singular event causing tension between them the man still apparently trusted her. He looked to Aluwen, who simply folded his arms, nodded, and said; "Go on then, we'll talk more about this later."

Despite holding a sour look at first, Caden would follow Naltaibur to a remote, lonely corner of the fortress where it was unlikely that anyone would walk in on them. "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the infirmary," he asked after a few moments, but her answer would silence him for the duration of their walk. When they arrived, he looked uncertain but ultimately followed her instructions, lying down on his back on a table and allowing her to explain - falsely - what she intended to do.

He bought every word, trusting her even despite what had happened with Mavra, and when he was unconscious she could begin. The fortress had no windows here, for she had gone underneath the walls, and only one door leading into the small abandoned office with only an empty desk, a wooden chair, a table that Caden's unconscious form was lying on, and a few empty bookshelves. Her efforts to bind his unconscious body proved unnecessary, as he would remain asleep throughout the process of editing his memories, first removing the reminders of Mavra raping Annabeth and stitching the holes in his mind closed with idle fancies she found floating in his mind, which could be fairly mundane or even lewder than the actual events. Mavra apparently looked good in a nun's habit, in Caden's imagination, and both she and Annabeth looked quite nice while the restrictive outfits were sliding into pools at their feet.

When the deed was ultimately done, Naltaibur was exhausted, and had only to awaken Caden after finishing in order to be mostly done with the matter. If Uldric dealt with Kormac, as he'd promised, then she would mostly be in the clear, but what she wished to do with herself after that was up to her.

(Gain 8 xp)

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Before waking Caden, Naltaibur loosened and pulled her mask off, letting it rest pulled up onto her brow. She collapsed back into the sole chair in the room, letting the dull pounding in her head subside some, wiping sweat off her tri-colored face with her sleeve. The night simply sat there, catching her breath... and then started to work the tension in her body out, rolling her shoulders to loosen them. When she was at last ready, she shook Caden back to wakefulness, told him she'd found no trace of the toxins from earlier, and then helped him to his feet, sending him on his way.


She had to agree with the man, though. Mavra looked quite nice in a nun's habit...

She wanted to spend some time with her demoness... her warmth, her scent, that compassionate way she had about her, hidden away behind Mavra's guarded public demeanor... Naltaibur just wanted to be wrapped up in her lover's arms.

Instead, she went back outside, to check the sky and how busy the few souls within the refuge were, to see what time it was. Were it late and quiet, Naltaibur stalked off to find Kormac and finish the job.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 49, PP = 58, EP = 56, Status = Fine

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 56/79, Status = Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 52/53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Pregnant

With Caden dealt with, Naltaibur had her moment to try and recover. It had been a very trying few days, and her entire being was fraying by that point, the stresses put on her in body, mind, and spirit all weighing heavily. Even so, ultimately she got the mercenary up and sent him on his way, leaving him somewhat groggy but otherwise alright, and then went out to find the sky clear and the rest of those they shared the fortress with largely standing guard or organizing parties to go out and retrieve more refugees or clear more areas of the alien menace. It was getting late in the day, and Kormack was visible on the wall, holding a crossbow and watching over the surrounding streets.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Sending Cayden out and finding quite a lot of time until she would be able to do her work on Kormack, Naltaibur sighed. She stalked off, to find someone and figure where her folks (and Kormack in particular) would be bedding for the night, if that had been assigned or if it would simply be 'wherever they chose' for now. Things looked to be settled for now... which was good, because she barely felt up to fighting off anything.

A much heavier reliance on her magic than she was normally used to these past few days had left her feeling drained, and her body ached with fatigue. Even things that didn't even physically exist hurt - her seed of power felt overworked, insomuch as her soul could feel. If she had to describe it, she would perhaps describe it akin to that stiff, cramped feeling one might get from standing all day...

"I'm not that out of magical shape..." the elf grumbled as she tromped her way through the fortress, annoyed with her sorry state. "Some of the greybeards back in the Academy used to do this sort of thing all day, too... not to mention those healers in the central Healer's Guild hall..." The fact that she felt herself slow and puff for air as she climbed a set of stairs as she headed to her room to rest only irritated the elf further. Sweat dripped down her nose... an annoyance she'd yet to figure out how to deal with other than taking her protective mask off entirely to wipe her face. She usually used some basic cooling spell to deal with it from the Water-domain of spells... but, well, in her current state, she thought better of that idea.

Finally reaching her room, Naltaibur sighed with relief. She could rest for awhile and let some of her aches and fatigue fade. Hopefully, her body wouldn't finally give out on her and burst an artery in her brain or somesuch while her guard was down. She still had work to do.



Well... rest was what she'd had in mind, anyway. But as soon as she stepped into her room, she found Mavra, asleep on the bed, clad only in stockings and a tank top. Naltaibur stared at her beautiful demoness, sprawled out in the bed for a bit longer than she intended... when she realized what was happening, the night elf entered the room proper and shut the door behind her, locking it. Pulling off her mask, Naltaibur swallowed and gazed at her red-skinned demonesses' beautiful body for... probably far longer than she would ever want to admit.

She seemed... serene. Unweighted by the problems that had been eating at her earlier in the day... when Naltaibur finally finished admiring her Mavra, she swallowed again, and made of the table in the room, pulling out her research journal and pen from the sack tied at her hip. Setting her things down quietly, so as not to disturb her, Naltaibur tore a blank page from the back of her book, and wrote Mavra a note. She let the ink dry as she set about undressing, hanging up her hat, shedding the heavy, waxed leather robe, her gloves, boots, trousers, then pulled off her softer, sweat-and-blood-stained white linen undershirt and hose. She hung the larger, thicker leather layers over the back of a chair, folded (a bit sloppily) her inside-layer and placed it on the table - until Naltaibur was clad only in her underthings. Gazing down at her body - so much less gifted than the demonesses' save for the 'gift' of her male parts, which the demoness could call anyway, and her coal skin marred with veins, ripples and splotches of another night elf's purple and an orc's green, Naltaibur bit her lip. She supposed the colors were nice to look at... but they were foreign. Unnatural. And she couldn't explain them without also explaining her research... at least, she couldn't explain them to any concrete or satisfactory degree.

But Mavra didn't care about any of that. To Mavra, Naltaibur was fine just the way she was.

Eyeing Mavra again, Naltaibur folded up the note she'd written, with far more care than she'd given her clothes, and carefully scooted into bed, trying not to wake her demoness. All she dared was to rest against her shoulder and to drape an arm around her lover, the other clutched against her the doctor's own chest. She carefully slid the note into Mavra's hand, and breathed in the demonesses' wonderful scent. Just being close like this with her... Naltaibur swore she could feel her headache abating already, and the elf smiled, as weariness overtook her.


Note:

Spoiler

Even the strongest have moments of weakness. These do not define us. No matter what, even if you doubt yourself, I know you that you are good.​