THREE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX
(I/C)
“I dunno,” Wyn rubbed his chin. “But I tink I ‘ave dis Matron figgered out.”
Lyra was wrapping up her own bathing, Candella making her way over to the washing basin with Lannis’ towel and washcloth, and quickly scrubbed the two towels that were already in there. They made a wumbling noise as they were rubbed vigorously over the washboard, and then once cleaned, she rinsed them clean. Taking them with her back around, she placed the blue gem over each one of them, and the water in the towels wicked away, leaving them dry. She gave each one a flick and folded them swiftly, replacing them on the rack. “Are you about finished?” the Matron asked Lyra.
“Oh yes,” the Cleric agreed, ducking down low enough once more to rinse her hair a last time and then stood up, arms folded across her body. She stepped into the offered towel and sighed as she dried herself off. “Matron, I cannot thank you enough. This was wonderful.”
“I live to serve, Summer’s Child.”
“You know,” Lyra continued, “There are lovely baths on the floor beneath us as well. Are those also your territory?”
Candella smiled. “In some fashion in the past they might have been, but as of these days, the halls are not safe for me to traverse so I limit myself and my time to here.” She tilted her head. “Maybe in one day they will be again.” She turned to the rest of the party, “Would anyone else like a bath?” she asked, already banishing the water in the tub with the blue gem.
Abraxas looked over at Kovid and then held up his hand. "No se if the bath is el idea mejor por throwing off our scents, pero I'm sure it'll feel good.”
“Terrific, Honrado Salazar. If you wouldn’t mind removing your garments, I can get the water ready for you. By the time you are set, the Lady here should be dressed enough to make room for you.”
“Gracias. Eh, perhaps most of the bath hot, and then the end of the bath cold?”
“If you want, I can do that for you.”
Lyra had worked her shift down her body and had belted it in the middle, sliding her long skirt up. Dressed enough she vacated the area near the bath and the Fighter went next, dropping his equipment one piece at a time as he stripped off his armor plating. Turning to the wizard he asked, “Perhaps, Señor Laffest, you can EsCry on La Dyke-chess antes we leave? Then we can head right for her. Finish her off. Unless she is still gassy.”
“Sure, sure. As soon as I stop looking like a sexy lighthouse I can get right on that, Pointbreak.”
Brendon tapped Lyra on the arm. “Lass, lend me your flail if you can. I’d like to make a loop on the bottom of it. Something to help you keep from losing it in battle.”
She handed the Lolthian weapon over with a grin. “Thank you, Brendon. Something to keep the sling…er…Flail! Flail from flying off will do me good.” He unraveled another section of his rope and then cut it and began to unplait it (Remove 5’ of rope).
Placing one foot in the tub, Abraxas sighed and let his leg sink all the way up to his knee. “That feels muchos wonderful!” He reached over and took the offered washcloth and allowed himself to sink lower into the tub. Once there he sat down on the submerged bench and proceeded to scrub the grime and filth from his body. “Very very nice.”
“Your happiness is mine,” Candella replied.
Looking around, Abraxas asked, “Señora Candessa, theo-rhetoric-ally, como mucho tiempo would it require to charge the Ishtari Eye if someone had it in its box? Minutos, horas, dias?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t know that,” she said with a depreciating wave. “I am not a magic user, nor one of such wonderful brilliance. I would imagine that if there was such a person, she..or he..would know. I imagine it wouldn’t be long though.”
“Ah, gracias.” He glanced over at Lannis who already had the crate once more in his lap. He was running his fingers over the surface of the Crystal and smiling (Int >13, no roll) before giving a thumbs up.
Meanwhile Lyra had fully dressed and was running her fingers through her damp hair, untangling the few knots with her fingers. She held out a bar of the elven soap to the Matron and bowed her head slightly. “Please, Matron. For your hospitality.”
Looking it over, the goblin closed her one eye and bowed her head in return, taking the soap. “I thank you, Summer’s Child. Blessings of the goddesses and your own upon you.”
“I wanted to ask, Abuela,” Abraxas casually pointed his washcloth at the Matron, “How close are you with the goddesses? Which of them do you feel the closest to? How close with Morrigaan are you? Lolth?”
“So many questions, Honrado,” she chuckled, spreading her hands softly. “There was a time that all the goddesses were worshipped and honored equally. I have been privy to their touch, their miracles, and their presence at all different times. I am in a unique position to have been lucky to be so. So as for any that I feel closest to? That’s like asking a mother to pick which child they love the most. I revere and love them all as equally as I can.” She shrugged slightly, “I do feel the most sorry for Lolth. I feel that she was unfairly targeted by the worm’s mother. Dissension was spread and the Ispan made decisions based upon the advice of his most learned theologians, without learning of what the long term effects of such an edict would eventually wrought.”
“Si, si.” He dipped his head and sighed. “What of her children? Have they all been dispatched or sent away? Are any remaining here?”
“Lolth had many children, she is the Mother and that is her aspect. Children are the future and are not dispatched or sent away. A child’s place is to learn from its parents and those who raise and nurture it. A day will come when the child will grow and have to take on adult responsibilities. The best a mentor can do is to shower a child with love and respect for they are hungry for it. And finally to trust that the child would do the right decision at the right time without regret.” She turned to Lyra, her voice growing stronger, and asked the cleric, “Don’t you agree, Summer’s Child?”
“Ah, yeah, um. Sure!” Lyra seemed to be unsure and then casually offered. “I mean take me, right? I regret even coming here. I mean, I could have not taken this job and not had to be abused and go through all of this and been happy in my own little much smaller unfettered world back in Specularum.”
“Priestesse,” Wyn frowned. “Are you serious?!”
“Me?! Maybe. Yeah…No, not really.” She sighed and frowned. “I guess I’m really sorry that I second guessed myself at one point. I mean, the Goddess Aine had offered to give me the power to charm and control snakes, and I like snakes, I do. But I thought, when am I gonna run into snakes? Seems rather limited. So I didn’t take it and then WHAM. We run into them and I’ve regretted my decision ever since.”
“Abuela, can I ask you some questions about the other people in the Castle?”
“You may, but remember, I am not at liberty to reveal anything about the others that might walk the halls. The same way that you would not want your private comings and goings telegraphed.”
“Oh. So…what Mirabelis would want? What she desires more than working for Corfard? Something that could entice her to leave his employ?”
“I wouldn’t know, Honrado Salazar. You might ask her if you wished.”
“Oh..do you know anything about the goblin that teleports around?” he tried to ask next.
She smiled softly and replied, “Again, I could not tell you, Honrado.”
Lannis frowned. "Candella, you won't tell anyone we were here, will you?”
“Not at all, Magister Lannis,” she replied.
“Great, great,” he felt around his backpack blindly, fingers reaching in, “I don't have much to HOLY SHIT I CAN SEE AGAIN!” the light coming from his eyes ended and he blinked a few times marveling at the room. ON seeing the Matron his brows rose in surprise. “Ok, didn’t expect that,” shaking his head he took out two of his elven rations and handed them to the goblin. “Look, I don't have much to offer, but please take this."
She bowed her head low and smiled. “Thank you, I appreciate the effort and gesture.”
“Hmm,” Abraxas was tapping his foot under the water, trying to think of something the Matron could answer him. “Then..What is Nergal to you?" He asked hopefully. “Can you tell me that?”
“He is the great unclean one, Honrado. Foul, decay, and filled with a hunger to devour the world in filth, disease, and pestilence. As for anything else to me, he is a non entity at best, easily dispatched with clean air, sunlight, and warm fire.” She held the yellow gem up. “Are you ready for the cold now?”
“Si, si!” He steeled himself as she lowered the yellow gem and the water cooled rapidly. Shivering he grinned at the party and then ducked uner the water, sputtering as he sprayed water everywhere. “Now THAT is refreshing!” Abraxas spent the last few minutes rubbing the cold water all over his body before making his way to the steps. He climbed out and took the towel the Goblin had offered him, rubbing the cold off his skin. “Abuela, that was fantastico.”
“I am so happy to hear that, Honrado Salazar.”
Sighing deeply, Kovid stepped up and raised his hand. "I guess it's my turn."
The Matron raised her brow in surprise, mirroring the confused and reflective look the dwarf had as he stepped up. “Goodson Manslayer, I am…pleased to hear you say this. Come, you are welcome here.”
Abraxas had gotten his cotton undergarments up and was already getting dressed. Giving the dwarf a thumbs up, he made room for his friend to step closer. Once there, Kovid lowered his three hammers and started to drop his packs and bags. "I apologize Gob... uhm, Matron Candella. My experience with your kind has never been, well kind, but you don't seem....” He paused, searching for the words and then gave up. Shrugging his breastplate off he pointed to the tray next to her. “The red gem please."
“As you wish, Goodson,” she said, fulfilling his wish and refilling the tub with hot water after banishing the filthy water away. “And I can hear the words you said…sas well as those you did not. I thank you for your thoughts.”
Kovid was quiet as he dropped the last of his clothing aside. Giving the water a once over he took a deep breath and then slowly lowered himself inside, groaning with undisguised pleasure as the hot water caressed his skin as he entered the bath. Once submerged, he took the offered soap and began to clean his hirsute body with a strong hand. “I'm no elf,” he began.
“No shit,” Wyn muttered, frowning at seeing that much body hair on any one creature that wasn’t either a wolf or a bear.
Kovid continued unaware of the elf’s comments, “but the prior keepers of this castle, disciples of Ishtari and the other three goddesses, seem to have aided our quest...,” he looked the Matron over with a calculated glance. “and aid us still. Thank you.”
“You are welcome, Goodson Manslayer. But I am a mere Matron here and keeper of the baths and not a great hero or adventurer as you are,” her one eye glinted in the candles that she had relit. “But I do what I can and hope that it is enough to help in some small way.”
“It does,” he said with content. “It does indeed.”
From the western door, Wyn lowered himself down to a seated position and gave Candella an introspective look. “I been thinkin, Matron... ye be born in deze lands, lived here longer than you cen remember, and ye be injured just as de castle be despoiled... may ye be some kind of avatar of dis place? Connected with the core of de castles very being?”
She glanced over at the elf and gave a slow grin. “Why Sieger, what an…odd thing to suggest.”
Giving her a sly smile in return, Wyn continued, “If this be true, I guess it be fitting dat you be de matron of baths for de princess. I suppose Ispen must have been very doting on his daughter.”
Her smile faded and her lone eye grew thick with unspent tears. “That is so very very true. Halgafar was a fair ruler, a wise counselor, and an honorable elf. But he was first and foremost a devoted father. His final thoughts as the rainbow ward snapped into place and then went horribly awry were of his daughter and her safety.”
It grew quiet except for the sounds of Kovid splashing in the water. “I’m sorry,” Abraxas said.
“Pardon?”
“I said I’m sorry.” He was twiddling his fingers slowly. “I totally screwed up when we were facing Seth.”
“Who the fuck was Seth?” Lannis asked.
“De Yailer.”
“Oh. The trog?!”
“Yeah. I should have worked harder to no allow the problem to escalate. We could have dealt with him fairly and given him what he wanted. And then had a deal to borrow it back again.” Abraxas ground his foot against the marble floor. “Also, Senor Lannis, you handled the blinding light spell better than I did and you also seemed to handle the fear spell better than we picked on you for doing. I regret being selfish and questioning my commitment to the group and this adventure.”
“Wow,” Lannis nodded his head slowly. “That’s…that’s really good, Abraxas. Thanks for saying that. And for getting my name right.”
“No problem, I haven’t gotten your name wrong once yet.”
The group chuckled and then it grew quiet again. Wyn turned back to Candella and further asked, “Are ye only de matron of baths?”
“I believe I have said that I am, dear Sieger,” she said with a smile.
“Non, non. What I mean is, is dere a power source of some kind dat cen be restored in dis castle dat would rejuvenate you in some way, and extend your abilities beyond dis room? Or are you just bound to dis location?”
“Bound here? No, Sieger. I am not. But this is my first charge as impressed upon me by the Ispan so it is in that duty that I can…jettison any other tasks I might have been responsible for in order to…focus all my attention here. I have wandered the halls before but it is with trepidation as the usurpers forces have little love or respect for the Ispan or his charges. And I have been…hurt…often for my trespasses against them. So to answer your question, I can leave, but it is dangerous for me to do so and for the time being, brings with it only hurt and pain for me to do so.”
“I am so sorry.”
“Worry not. If the day comes and the usurper is driven from these halls, that will only help. And one day the Dawnlands might have a new Ispan to wear the mantle and bring green and gold back to Acreage. On that day I will stride the halls without fear once again.”
“I hope to be able to see dat one day.” The elf noted that the time was almost up. “Cen ye tell us more about de night dat de dragon en his minions came to despoil de castle?”
“There isn’t much I can tell. I can say that the Rainbow Ward had been failing after 3 decades and the worm had arrived anxious to plunder the Castle for its treasures. He came with axes and fire, with blood and with pain. His followers dug and struck and hit and worked themselves against the ward until Corfard himself used his own draconic life force to shatter the base of the ward. He then strode the grounds and broke parts of the Castle to make his way to where he wished to go. The halls were…teeming with unsavory types, and they plundered and searched and burned their way through.”
“What was that night like you ask?” she shuddered, her lone eye welling up with tears. “It was, for me, the end of everything.”
In the gathering silence, Kovid finally pushed himself out of the water and approached the Matron. “Candella, thank you.”
She wiped her eye clean. “You are welcome.” She drew herself upright again and looked over the party. “Well, I have enjoyed our time together and I hope you are feeling better and cleansed once again. Goodson Manslayer, please get yourself dressed and then I will unlock the doors. You will have a few minutes to yourself before the doors need to be opened, so be at ease. I am unsure of where your next destination is to be, but I wish you all the best of luck on your further journey.”With that she slid over the steel lock from the south door, and then the same on the west door.
And we could hear LOTS of noises and howling and yelling going on outside. Hobgoblin voices were shouting and there seemed to be strange echoes and banging noises coming through the baffles on the north end of the room. It seemed like there was lots of angry presences in the Adept’s chamber as well as the main hall north of where we were currently holes up
Time now is Day 8, 10:10 AM
(OOC)
Alright! And that’s it! Where are we going? What’s the plan? And you have 5 minutes before the doors can be opened by outside forces from beyond the chamber.
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