Quickly, the group reaches the place where Ian found the dog.
There in the shadows, they see an animal strangely unfitting to this place in the Abyss: A badger.
It simply lies there, sniffing and watching something that hides behind a large stone plate leaned against the wall.
As they reach the badger, the Masked Gnoll begins casting a spell.
*Blackthornes scratches his head*
"Know, is this the dog you thought you saw shadowknife, or is this infact ms. Daisy?"
As Blackthornes speaks the words "Ms. Daisy", the badger looks up to him for a short moment, then looks back to whatever is hidden behind the stone plate.
Ian raises an eyebrow. "Well it certainly isn't the dog."
"Now Ms. Daisy, what did I say about sticking close to me? There best be something good behind that stone plate!"
As the rest of the party chases after the Masked Gnoll and Miss Daisy, 'Rex' quietly slips away...
[OOC - Actually watching the street and especially the sky from hiding for anything sneaking up on the party from behind, but they won't know that....]
After finishing his spell, MG speaks with Ms. Daisy. The badger winces and squeeks, obviously confused, making a step towards the Masked Gnoll, then back again, until it stays where it is watching him obviously unsure what to do.
'Rex' observes the surroundings, but so far he can't see any immediate danger.
MG scoopes up the badger and holds it close to him as he gently wispers....
"You don't want to get are names in the dead book do you? What is so important that you would leave your bag? If anything happen to you I don't know if my heart could take losing you..."
As the Masked Gnoll speaks to Ms. Daisy and takes her on his arm, the badger begins to yelp, interrupted only by fearful chittering. Ms. Daisy attempts to break free of the Masked Gnoll's hold, obviously afraid of him.
MG adresses the rest of the party while still holding the struggling badger...
"As far as I can tell, Ms. Daisy is scared of something guys....I'm hoping she doesn't now something we don't, but regardless I think we should be ready for anything. Ms. Daisy isn't one to just freak out unless there's a reason"
The massive bulk of gnoll then puts the badger down, then makes his way slowly up to the stone plate.
"Actually, Gnoll, if there is something behind that then putting our hands within reach would be a bad idea. I'll take care of it, but be prepared to defend yourself if whatever behind the plate has claws."
OOC: Ian, without making any obvious motions, attempts to lift the rock plate straight up.
[OOC: I assume you mean with the telekinesis ring? Or how do you attempt to lift up the stone plate?]
OOC: with his ring, however he wants Rex to think he's using the powers of his mind.
OOC: Ian looks around, and realizes that Rex is not there...
Slowly, the massive stone plate lifts up from the ground, then sideways - giving free sight on a wet and dirty puppy crouched against the building's wall. It looks up at everyone in the group, shivering all over, its round eyes wide open in fear.
"It's a puppy!!!"
MG puts away his flindbars and makes his way to the small dirty dog, then looks at Ms. Daisy, then back at the dog, then at Ms. Daisy, then at Blackthorns, then at Ian, with his giant flind eyes open wide and in a slightly whinny voice he asks...
"Ian, we can't leave this poor dirty dog in this horrible place....so I was thinking.....maybe Blackthorns needs a friend.....him and this puppy look alot a like....there bot dirty and scared......can we keep him?"
*At this point 'Rex' re-joins the group from ouside*
"The coast is clear for the moment, bloods. What did ye find?"
He looks at the cowering puppy, dubiously at first, then smiles widely. "If that's truly what it looks like, then good job bloods! Ye've been in town less than an hour and already caught dinner. Could I have a shank? I've been living on naught but corpse-maggots for five days now, and you don't even WANT to know what I was forced to eat five days ago."
"Well, thats the same dog I saw earlier. Fine, Blackthornes, he's your responsibility. And if it turns out to be some sort of ravenous hell-beast... then its STILL your responsibility."
Ian sets the stone plate on the ground (with ring) and starts to walk away, then turns around and mutters. "The resemblance is uncanny..."
'Rex' looks at Ian. "His responibility? It seems to me, manling, that if it turns out to be a polymorped demon to be all our problem, not just your companion's. Your end of of our bargan requires that certain present individuals actually live to reach this tower of thine, as does mine own part."
He looks at the dog with renewed suspicion. "If it is a demon, bet thy life that it will turn on us at the worst time. Just don't bet mine."
"It may actually be exactly what it looks like, the poor lost companion of an unlucky planewalker. I suppose is is just as likely to be a poor lost planewalker." He cock his head as he examines it from a distance
[OOC: 'Rex' is standing just inside the entrance, but to one side so a wall is to his back, and does not want to get closer, as his time in the Abyss has made him rather paraniod]
"I vote you start poking it with any cold iron blades ye bloods have brought along. If it turns out to be just a dog, we can dress it quickly and bring the meat with us. 'Tis best not to linger too long in one spot, especially when we have a destination."
[OOC: Spot check to examine the dog from a distance. Looking for any strange features; wearing a collar, eye color (I know i'm too far to see detail), pattern of spots resembling a rune, tail/no tail, wounds, blood on paws or muzzle...]
Ian gives Rex an odd look. "I'll assume that the term manling refers to me being half human, however I would prefer if you don't call me that again."
"But back on topic, I honestly don't care what it is, it's slowing us down. Every moment we spend here debating the fate of a..." Ian looks at the dog. "... puppy, those Vrocks have another moment to set a trap. So whatever we do, do it quickly."
A frusterated gnoll voice speeks up...
"I say we take the puppy and if it does turn out to be some...fiend or devil or whatever it is i'm here to kill then I'LL deal with. But right now i'm not going to let that poor thing lose it's life in this horrible place!!!"
The Nabassu sighs and shrugs his shoulders.
"Well, the seers have a little saying that goes something like 'If something seems like a coincidence, ye aren't paying close enough attention.' Perhaps we were meant to find this, whatever it turns out to be. Perhaps it will prove the key to getting us to our destination, somehow."
He looks at the puppy longingly, and and says under his breath, "...tho I am so very hungry."
"Anyway, the half-elf ... sorry... it was Ian, yes? Ian is right, we dare not linger."
'Rex' finds nothing unusual about the puppy, except of the fact that there IS a puppy in the Abyss...
*Blackthornes looks at the poor little thing, and gives it a long stare. Finally, he will try to pick it up.*
"Hey there little fella, what're you doing in this horrible place?"
*Blackthornes looks at Ian*
"thats all right. If he turns out to be a ravonous hell beast, I will turn him on you."
OOC: If you insist on a listen check to pick this up, I rolled 6 + 11 (mod) = 17.
Ian absentmindedly reaches into his pack, and brings out a handful of trail rations.
"Take these then, no sense having an ally weak from hunger."
He then turns to the group. "So, is it settled, then?"
"You break that pup's heart, I'll break your jaw Blackthorns. He's your responiblity now so you need to be a good mommy."
'Rex' takes the rations from Ian and bows. "Many thanks, Ian. I appologize for any offence I have given." He looks toward Blackthornes and the Masked Gnoll. "Ye bloods all have good hearts, I can see. Watch that those hearts be not thy undoing. I unfortunately have seen such things be the death of men in this place."
"Now, shall we go on? Follow this way, bloods."
Seeing that the puppy hasn't mauled Blackthornes yet after picking it up, Saath takes a closer look (assuming we're on our way to the tower again).
'Chant in the Cage is that there's an abyssal layer of murderous cute, furry animals. A berk'll think himself in the upper planes, but ones he tries petting those cute sheep he'll find that their wool is quite sticky and acidic... I just hope this isn't a stray pup from that layer.'
The puppy, still trembling all over, presses against Blackthornes, looking at him with large round eyes and making soft squeeking sounds.
After a few seconds, the puppy begins licking Blackthornes' hands, still squeeking all the time.
As the group continues the way through the city, leaving the pile of bodies behind them, they walk the streets without trouble for a full two minutes.
Then, a large wooden sign was rammed into the ground, and a few words were written on it in five different languages - probably with blood. The words say: "Dare not cross this street, lest ye seek true death."
Ian looks at the sign for a moment. "Hmmm. Well, unless there is a specific reason why we should take this street, I say we just go around. Any objections?"
"Considering the tanar'ri mindset, I'd say it doesn't really matter where we go", Naruk says. "This could either be a serious warning, or a test to see whether we easily subdue to threats, or a trick of someone else who tries to keep the tanar'ri away from here this way... probably with little success. It's a fifty percent chance that going another way is either the right thing to save us or the right thing to doom us."
Ian closes his eyes and looks like he is in deep concentration. "Well, if its a legitimate warning, then walking in there could result in the death of at least one of us, probably whoever walks in front. If its a bluff, then we can probably scare them off with a show of force. But untill we have any evidence of a ruse, we have to take it at face value."
"If its a test to see if we are likely to take the threat seriously and go around it, showing us a easily scared targets, this implies that the fiend, or fiends, that set this up are unsure enough of their own power to not directly engage any enemy they see, instead attacking the ones less confident in their abilities."
"Either way, I say we should go around, if only to keep our options open. That street may be trapped or hiding an ambush, but its more difficult to trap all of the surrounding streets as well."
Ian opens his eyes. "But no promises, of course."
Naruk nods. "I can follow your logic... but I'd like to know what your intuition says about it."
"Save time, go around. Why?" Ian asks.
Naruk nods again. "I've always been one to follow my logic and ignore intuition. I'm currently learning to look beyond the edge."
'Rex' looks at the sign. "Hmmm....'seek true death'... Y'know, maybe its not a warning at all. Maybe we've got a crypt full of Dustmen around here."
"There are plenty of undead ... uh ... 'residing' in this burg, it would not surprise me to find Dustmen about. I myself have no use for their philosophy, but neither do I fear them."
"However, I agree with Ian, there are likely to be fewer problems with going around than going through."
Naruk nods, once more. "Well, this is not a crossroads... so either we go back to the last crossing, or we go between the buildings... which isn't technically a problem, there's space enough between them, but they do offer better chances for an ambush."
[OOC: The last crossing is about twenty yards behind the group; they passed a few crossing streets since the pile of bodies.]
"Then I say we head back to the nearest crossing. I'd much rather keep the party in peak condition then needlessly weaken ourselves if we can avoid it."
Naruk turns around and waits for the party to return to the last crossing.
*Blackthornes is still carrying the puppy, and completely ignores the masked gnoll's comments. Infact, he pays almost no attention to anything but the puppy for a while. When Ian and the others speak of the warning he seems content with puppy, but nods his head ocasionally. Finally he looks at the other members at the cross roads and says:*
"Why are baby animals the cutest? I have a hard time understandng this. When my bothers and I would hunt, I could never kill the younger animals, but I never had a problem killing adults. The spawn of sentient creatures are so innocent. How could evil possibly harm them? I myself cannot, though I sometimes wish to. Damn their cute and cuddly ways!"
*With that he gives the puppy a giant hug.*
oopsie, sorry for the double
'Rex' looks at Blackthornes and the puppy and shakes his head. He mutters under his breath, "Of all the places for such sentiments. Just my luck to fall in with addle-coves more concerned with waggily puppydog tails than survival..."
He turns to Ian and Naruk. "I'm not sure I like this backtracking. I'd much rather go around by cutting through an alleyway or straight through the ruins than go all the way back to the last crossroads. And before ye ask, no, I haven't any logical reasons behind my reservations, other than the waste of time it represents when we should be seeking our tower. Call it a gitchy feeling, nothing more, but there it is."
He looks around. Suddenly changing direction while walking, he trots over to a partially ruined wall on one side of the street and stops, listening.
Ian slows a step, and says "Blackthornes, I'm absolutely astonished by your ability to cuddle a dog and keep an eye on the skies, all the while with your crossbow at the ready." Ian says.
"Keeping the dog is fine as long as it doesn't distract us. If we get ambushed because someone was too busy petting a puppy to to stay alert, then that dog becomes four legged rations."
He then turns to Rex. "Well, if you want to scout out ahead for us and check it for traps, be my guest. I'd rather stick to the main roads. Being in a tight space in the middle of a Tan'ari infested city sounds... unpleasant."
"Well, what am I to do with it? I can't aim a crossbow and hold the dog. Will it follow me and the rest of us? If not, then what am I to do with it? And you show no pity for the poor thing at all. Aren't elves all about the protection of the weak and stuff?"
*blackthornes will put the puppy down and see if it follows him on foot by walking a little ways ahead of the group.*
"Im sorry if I seem to babble on about how I feel. Rogues like me on Toril hardly ever travel with a party. I never used to talk this openly with others, only to myself."
With every step Blackthornes makes, the puppy follows him closely - it almost appears as if it was glued to his boots. Every time Blackthornes stops, it squeeks once, looking up at him with large round eyes.
The Nabassu simply nods to Ian. He gives the hitherto silent Ophelia a wink...and vanishes.
[ooc - scouting ahead to the crossroads and checking for traps and ambushes]
Ophelia takes a cautious step backwards, obviously not trusting the nabassu.
'Rex' searches for traps and ambushes... and actually finds something: A fine golden line drawn into the muddy street, most of it actually covered by mud, creating a large circle with almost the entire street crossing inside it.
What it does or how it is activated is hard to say - in any case, the group has already passed this circle once on their way further down the street.
'Rex' returns to the group without becoming visible again. The group hears his voice.
"There is something suspicious at the crossroads. A golden circle. I don't know what it is, magical trap, marker, or whatever, but I don't trust it one bit. I can tell what it's not. Not a pit trap. Not a snare. Not a mechanical trigger of any kind. If milady is, as I suspect, a sorceress, perhaps she can determine more than I can. In the meantime, stay wary bloods. I did not find any ambushers, but the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, as we say in the scouting business."
*Blackthornes will bend down and pet the puppy and then look up at the others.*
"Welp, there we go. seems He will just follow me around. Of course, I will have to check and make sure he is there every now and again, and I will have to feed him now and again.....no name though. Names are what lead to attachment, and just what I need is some little noise contraption following me around on my stealth duties. If it comes down to needing me for such I appoint you, masked gnoll, as his secondary gaurdian."
*he will then go back to his duties of watching the sky.*
As "Ms. Daisy" makes her grand entrance, Ian is temporarily stunned.
... the hells?
He suddenly snaps out of it as the Masked Gnoll gives chase. "Hey now, don't split up!" He says, following the Masked Gnoll.