Healing the Soul (ranger)

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 15/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant

"Someone was watching you?" Lord Aaron sat up and looked at Chloe, his gentle eyes sharpening. "Good thinking... It's sad to say, but in these desperate times some have taken to thievery to get by, and a tavern girl is an easy mark when she... Well, no offense, but you haven't got your city legs back yet. Worse yet, some are willing to take people like you, newcomers, for granted in even more... Unsavory ways. You're obviously quite able to take care of yourself, but it's good to avoid having to test that when you can anyway. Did you happen see who was watching you?"

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Chloe shook her head no, somewhat ashamed she didn't try to look and letting her fear get the better of her in that moment. "Well needless to say I wanted to tell you just in case. I wouldn't want to trouble you or your staff." Leaning away from the door frame Chloe began to bow to say good night when her purse jangled slightly reminding her of her thoughts before the sudden surprise on her way home. "Ahh Lord Aaron I almost forgot!" Pulling out her purse Chloe counted out 15 denari and set it down. "My father always told me to pay my debts. I know its not much right now but if I have another day like today I should be able to pay off the remaining amount tomorrow. Have a good rest Lord Aaron." Hearing the kind lord out if he had more to say Chloe would after a moment bid him evening once more and retreat to her room.

Once inside she would pull the curtain and lock the door before slipping into her light sleeping attire. Settling into the soft bed Chloe felt the seeming emptiness of having spent so much energy during the day and as her body tossed in her attempt to get comfortable her mind wandered to something Nina had told her. Apparently female mages of the past thought that energy was closely related to sexual stimulus and that a woman could replenish her own vitality by pleasing themselves. Of course Nina was an unrepentant perv and no doubt just wanted to see if Chloe would try it. Of course at the time she had balked at the idea simply thinking it was ludicrous and finding little proof of such measures in any of her research.

Biting her lip Chloe blushed, maybe that had been Nina's intent all along to get Chloe to look up such lewd stories. Blushing even more at the thought of the naughty things she had read, Chloe couldn't help but trace her own hand along her side sending the slight tickling sensations across her skin. Her own smooth fingers followed the curve of her body till they met the swell of her left breast. Here she let her light touch give way to a gentle grope of her own breast her index finger and thumb teasing her already erect nipple. Gasping softly Chloe continued to message her left breast while her right hand slide down her belly reaching the rapidly damping sex. Her finger traced over the smooth hairless flesh till her she felt her own feminine fold which sent a slight jolt threw her body. This caused her to blush even further as her mind raced of the lewd act she was performing. Not wanting to tease her self any longer she slid her finger into her sex which swallowed the intruder hold. Gasping again she felt her pussy clench her finger trying to suck it deeper into her pussy. Pulling back a little she slid yet another finger into her hole causing her to moan lightly. It was all too much and soon the scent of sex wafted in her room as she masturbated herself, imaging all sorts of lovers till she finally climaxed and drifted into sleep.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 15/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant

"That's alright," Lord Aaron replied reassuringly, though he seemed somewhat absent, lost in thought. He seemed shocked when she put much of her tips on the table in front of him. "Ho... No no, my dear! Keep it, I insist... You are a guest here... If you really must pay me back, at least keep most of what you earn to spend on things that you want! You're young, you should have fun while you can!"

Whether she insisted on simply paying him back quickly or took back some or all of her coin, Chloe would be excused to go up to her room, to be by herself. Luckily, none of the servants would bother her while she let herself drift into less than proper memories, followed shortly by less than proper behaviors. Whether or not she allowed the puritanical inhibitions absorbed from the Southern gentry over the years to remain with her after her time at the Academy - indeed, given her preference for partners it seemed she had not - Chloe would suffer no interruptions as she teased herself, went on to outright play, and ultimately brought herself to orgasm. She went to sleep hungry, having not eaten dinner that day, but exhaustion and post orgasmic drowsiness let that fade easily.

Of course, it would become a problem tomorrow morning, when she got up and got ready for work. Still, that day would pass without too many serious issues. As would the next. And the one after that. Her money steadily trickled in from tips, and at the end of the week she got her first stipend for her actual labor, a modest sum compared to her combined tips but still a healthy sum. In all of that time she had had no further problems, no sense of being watched... Until she walked out the door on her last day, when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickling again, and any thoughts of what she might spend her time on over the weekend were lost as warning bells flashed through the back of her mind.

(Chloe's tips: 13, 12, 14, and 17 denarii respectively, plus 25 for work.)

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Nodding to the stately Lord Chloe would take back most of her money though she would leave at lest 5 of the coins behind and bid Lord Aaron a good night. After an exhaustive day and a pleasant night Chloe would wake to feel a gnawing hunger and immediately regretted skipping dinner. Resolving to not make that mistake again Chloe would meet Lord Aaron for breakfast and dinner each day. This went on for a better part of the week with Chloe paying off her debt to the kind lord slowly with her tips. She had almost finished off paying him on the final day when the almost forgotten feeling crept back upon her. Remaining calm Chloe snapped her fingers as if she just remembered something and turned to enter the inn once more. Trying to remember if she the small place had a back door Chloe would make her way threw the inn. If she was right then she would simply alter her image before heading out the back door if not she would find an out of the way location to change her form and head back out sticking with groups of people trying to get lost in the see of humanity.

Chloe spends 25 denari to pay back lord Aaron over the course of the week. She is also using magic to alter-self to hopefully sneak out the back if not then to look like a customer leaving out the front.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 71/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant, Alter Self

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: 30
Stealth: ??

The bar did possess a rear entrance, one leading out into an alley, and in the small room before it that was used as a storage closet where they also kept trash for collection Chloe could cast a spell to alter her disguise. However she chose to make herself appear, Chloe would go out into the back alley, the street itself only a short ways away and the wheeled bins the only thing between her and the evening crowds wandering the side street on which her place of work sat. As she stepped out into the alley, however, she heard the door into the storage room open again and footsteps coming toward her quickly. Several sets of footsteps.

A glance back would show a group of people, four of them, none of whom she recognized immediately. There came a sudden noise from in the alleyway, a clanking crash as one of the bins tipped over, but if Chloe turned all she would see was a dog coming out from between the one that had been knocked over and one that hadn't been. It was a mangy creature, its dark fur matted and a number of old, poorly healed wounds showing, including a slight limp in one leg. It turned to look toward her, but didn't move, and if Chloe turned back she would see that the group following her out of the bar was gone. The door leading back inside was closed now, and certain elements of the closet were out of place from where she'd last seen them...

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Chloe's heart nearly jumped into her throat when she caught a glimpse of the people following her. Her gut reaction was to run but just then another noise seemed to scare her as well as her pursuers. A quick glance back would show them gone. Looking forward to the noise maker Chloe found a rather mangy looking mutt. Eyeing the hopefully dog and not a overly large rat Chloe would approach the animal only to stop a few feet away and kneel down. A part of her called out for her to run but her training to heal the wounded won out. From her kneeling position Chloe would gently call out to the dog. "Come here buddy I won't hurt you." Taking a bit of her lunch Chloe tossed it out ahead of her between the dog and herself. Still as much as she wanted to treat the dogs injuries Chloe wouldn't hesitate for long if the animal appeared unresponsive. IF that was the case she would leave the rest of her lunch and head back staying with crowds of people to stay safe. It seemed her time in the capital was at an end. Two events with in a week was just too coincidental.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 71/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant, Alter Self

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: 32
Stealth: 24

Attack: Miss.

The dog didn't react to the offered food. At all. That was an odd enough sign, but as she observed the mangy beast more odd things continued to pop up. It had milky white, unblinking eyes, and its chest didn't move as it should have. No puffs of air came from its jaws, and no light shown when she looked into its eyes. Unfortunately, her closer look seemed to signal to it that it had been discovered... Whatever it was.

It opened its jaws, and the smell of rot suddenly washed over Chloe before something shot out of its throat, something green and fleshy and weblike lunging directly at her face. Luckily for her, she had noticed how unnatural it was and she had come well prepared with her protective magical gear. The fields produced by her enchanted jewelry slowed it enough for her to recoil away, ending up crawling backwards on her backside, but she got out of the maximum reach of whatever had shot out of the dog's mouth, and it retracted back into the strange beast's jaws before she could get a good look at it. She heard shuffling and a crash to her right, and a group of people came pouring out of the tavern beside her, all of them with white milky eyes and vacant expressions.

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Looking back at the noise and then back to the dog Chloe scrambled to her feet letting her alter self spell drop in a shower of sparkles. "It seems they where right. You can't even trust a dog in Therion." Acting quickly Chloe brought forth her magic to summon a light elemental to keep the new comers busy while she dealt with the mongrel after all it was the only one blocking her path to escape.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 71/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant, Alter Self

Light Elemental: 60 Body, 60/60 HP
Creatures that strike the light elemental in melee take 3d6 heat damage. Creatures in a grapple with it take 3d8+3 heat damage. This creature gets 2x the Pain Resistant and the Hard to Hit Talents, as well as the Immunity (Heat/Fire) Special Mutation.

Dog?
Man1?
Man2?
Man3?
Man4?

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success.

Dog attack: Miss.
The men all try to skirt around her elemental...

Scrambling to her feet, Chloe conjured a man-sized figure of golden light between herself and the attackers coming out of the door, causing them to stop short... Like statues, almost, albeit not for more than a few seconds. The dog, in the meantime, lunged at her, silent except for the sound of its claws scraping against the cobblestone. Odd and eerie as its silence might be, Chloe was able to dive aside and make a break for the street while the men were edging around her elemental, leaving her path towards the crowd some thirty feet ahead seemingly clear...

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

With her alter self spell down and her light minion behind her Chloe had a chance to escape. Still feigned injury or not a four legged animal could still catch her in a dead run. Turning her attention to the beast only a moment Chloe called forth binding chains of light before making good her own escape.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 57/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant, Chains of Light

Light Elemental: 60 Body, 60/60 HP
Creatures that strike the light elemental in melee take 3d6 heat damage. Creatures in a grapple with it take 3d8+3 heat damage. This creature gets 2x the Pain Resistant and the Hard to Hit Talents, as well as the Immunity (Heat/Fire) Special Mutation.

Dog?
Man1?
Man2?
Man3?
Man4?

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success.
Attack: Hit.
Resistance: ??

Her next spelling causing chains of light to appear and coil around the dog, it seemingly collapsed in its new bindings. As she fled, Chloe heard it emitting a high pitched whining noise with ever rising volume, something no dog she had ever heard could make, but all too soon she was away. With the men milling away from her elemental, Chloe was able to escape into the crowd, some of whom looked confused by her apparent hasty rush out of the alleyway. Some looked down the alley, but whether or not she wanted to make a scene of this or try to pass it off was up to her.

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Chloe would rush on by not worried about the onlookers or the rude comments as she pushed her way threw the crowd. Only after she had made considerable ground did she slow enough to mix into the crowd and drop her spells that hadn't already failed due to distance. Heart pumping Chloe moved with the citizens clearly she was safe at lest for the moment in the crowd. If she reached Lord Aaron's estate did she take a moment to catch her breath. Still she was in danger and clearly what ever pursued her was not keen on giving up just yet. Opening the door Chloe had magic charged in her hand. She would not be caught unawares if they had some how managed to infiltrate the elder mages home. The thought made her sick and she truly hopped the man was alright. If her fears proved unfounded she would tell Lord Aaron everything and tell the kind old man she was leaving this place was no longer safe for her.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 57/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant

Making haste, Chloe managed to return to Lord Aaron's home, and found it as placid and pleasant as ever. She burst in to surprise a couple of servants, but soon found the lord of the house sitting down reading, as he often seemed to do. He noted her panicked look immediately, and set his book aside. Her explanation brought a frown to his face, but a knowing one, and he held up his hand to her and said; "This is most troubling... It's much too fast... Chloe, I don't mean to sound threatening, but I cannot allow you to leave. Not yet, anyway. Please, sit down... I must explain why you were brought here, specifically. And what it is that is after you."

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Chloe stood stunned a moment... "What... you knew it would come after me here? I thought this was supposed to be a safe place." The magic in her hand would fade but her anger only increased. What was the point of the whole ordeal then? Was she just bait. "W.. what is going on Lord Aaron... once I know then I will decided if I'm going to stay or go." Obviously Chloe would not be taking a chair her own near miss back in the ally way and this sudden revelation from the Lord Aaron left her uneaseed at best

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 57/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant

"It was," Lord Aaron replied calmly, his expression serene but stern. "I didn't know anything, I just suspected you might be targeted by something based on what I was told about the incident that you discovered. You were brought here, instead of somewhere much farther away, because I know more than most about what you stumbled upon back at the Academy. I was - and I suppose still am - something of an expert... On outsiders. You remember the invasion from two years ago, when the grey menace came from the skies? The things that were active in the catacombs, that your coworker Saijen was involved in summoning... They're similar to the greys, but far far worse. A nest of them was growing under the Academy, kidnapping people sent to the healer's quarters who might not be missed, but luckily they've been wiped out now. Thanks to you. Unfortunately, I was told yesterday that Saijen escaped... And that he was acting with two other students who also escaped.

"When I learned that, I expected you might be sought out for revenge... But if they found you this quickly, in so large a city, when you were disguised, it means they had a way to track you. Probably a personal item, or something with some of your blood on it. That means that you won't be safe anywhere, no matter how you try to hide, not until they've been caught again."

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Chloe stood a moment before taking a seat. A moment later she started crying holding her stomach and the life growing within. What was she going to do. It wasn't safe for her anywhere it seemed. After a moment of crying Chloe would lean back up and wipe her tears away. "Then Im just going to have to get rid of him."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 57/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant

After finishing speaking, Lord Aaron would move over and pat Chloe on the should, allowing her to cry it out for as long as she had to. "Yes... Even ignoring the threat to you, these sorts can only cause more harm the longer they are free. But... You must know all of your options. So long as you are here, I can guarantee your safety, at least as much as is possible in this situation. I have fought these monsters for more than fifty years, and the only place safer would be in an angelic sanctuary. But... That would mean we would never know how long it would be before the culprits were captured. I have no idea how long it would take; years maybe, and even I might not be able to guarantee your security for that long. If you are willing... I can teach you about these creatures, how to fight them, how to find them, and maybe we could capture them here, before they hurt too many more people. Just remember, you aren't a prisoner here. I do not recommend that you leave, but I cannot force you to stay either. The choice is yours, Chloe."

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Forewarned is forearmed as Grace had once told her, and while her instinct was to run it would do little for her or the child. Especially if they could track her so effectively. Frowning she looked up at Lord Aaron. "This seems to far for petty revenge Lord Aaron. There must be something more to it if they are willing to chase me across half the kingdoms." As far as Chloe knew she had only revealed the things where a bouts. Was it her child? Hardly anyone knew and even then pregnant woman where not a rarity in the world. Still one more thing rushed to the fore of her thoughts. "Lord Aaron are my friends alright? Or are they...." Chloe looked down unwilling to say it. She had left them in the hands of the healers at the academy. They where the best in the world but if these things where like the aliens then healing magic would only ever do so much. Still finding the truth of the matter if Lord Aaron knew it would allow Chloe to decide that knowing how to hurt such creatures would be a welcome talent. And Lord Aaron could provide safety long enough for her to do some research on her own. If she was going to be a target than her child would need a safer mother....

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

Spoiler

Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 57/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant

"It isn't.... Or at least, we have no reason to believe it is anything more. You must understand, dealing with outsiders... It's madness. And it inspired madness. Part of the reason mages who dabble in that vile sort of magic are so hard to apprehend is because they are beyond rationality. They're unpredictable, especially ones who have managed to hide among those who are pursuing them."

He frowned, drawing in a breath and letting it out in a deep sigh, and in that moment the portly mage looked very, very old. "Those rescued from the sewers were, as far as I have been told, going to be alright. Some just.... Were not rescued. They had been down there too long, and those things... Had crawled inside of them. The ones I heard were associated with you directly, however, had not been down there long enough to be permanently affected. Their memories of it will be altered for their protection - not a pleasant practice I know, but a necessary one - and they will be told that they fell afoul of a demon who had snuck into the Academy.

 

[ranger]

Re: Healing the Soul (ranger)

At lest the others where safe. Herself on the other hand... seemed to be in more danger than ever. Looking up at Lord Aaron she spoke with as much confidence as she could muster. "Lord Aaron when do we begin?"