[3.X/PF Midnight] The Spark of Hope <Recruit 0/6>

[Mortane]

Kere shrugged turning to face the way they'd come, her sharp eyes searching the shadows for any sign of movement. They didn't know how much time they had and she was nervous that they'd soon be pursued. Glancing at the now open box she arched an eyebrow somewhat curious who would choose to lock keys within a locked box that would require another key to open. Seemed a bit counter intuitive, but then again she'd heard of odder things.  

[Euphoric Ghost]

[combatshombat, let's explore dungeons and solve puzzles, lulz]
These humans; they all looked alike, some are just short, tall, some uglier. He wondered if they were like the others who hated him for what he was, or if they were like those he grew up with. Either way, he owed them, and his home was no more- might as well travel with these ones.
He stared at them, quietly, while one of them freed him from the shackles. He tried not to move too much, no sudden movements so he wouldn't frighten them. People were always frightened of him.
"I am called Olruuk," his seem to emanate from something large, deep and hollow, “How did his-“, he eyed the other orc, “master die?”  

[inukai132]

Inukai hesitated before bringing his hand back to his side. "We're not sure, b-but we need to g-get whatever sup-plies we can and g-get out of here." Inukai's voice was more stern than it had been that day. The group needed to get out of this place or they weren't going to make it.  

[Euphoric Ghost]

"I need weapons." Spoken like a true warrior, or maybe an orc.

He's always relied on them. If his presence fall on deaf ears, a weapon in his hand usually would make them listen. Though, growing up- and large- his fists were at times good deterrents.  

[Mortane]

"We're searching for equipment as well before we try to make our escape." The elfling spoke glancing over her shoulder at the massive orc.

"Why were you down here? If I may ask? I thought they usually brought new recruits round the barracks. Not down here." She asked glancing around a look of disprovable and disgust on her face when she eyed the dungeons. Looking back at Olruuk, as he'd introduced himself her eyes fell on the angry red chafe marks left by the chains her gaze softening.

"Mind if I take a look at those? I'm Kere by the way." Kere asked motioning to the marks and giving him a small smile in greeting.

(Rolling heal check with a mod of +2. I'm assuming it's a d20 like pathfinder if I remember correctly. so 13 + 2= roll of 15 for Heal)  

[Euphoric Ghost]

His eyes, milky white with a reddish tint, almost pink, moved to the tiny elfing. She was healthy for a slave. He wondered what her use was for. He's heard stories of what they did to slaves, but this one's spirit didn't seem broken. Maybe this one was special.

"They took me prisoner when they attacked my village, and I was to be made one of them." He turned his hands palms up to show her the rest of his wrist. "You're a healer?"  

[Jacior]

Martin let the last of the shackles fall to the ground in a heap. He then tried all the keys to see if there was one to remove the broken cuff on his wrist. There wasn't one, but it was nice to have a hope. "Krog. This!" Martin pointed at the giant orc. "This, is not my bow. Where is it?" He was demanding and impatient.  

[Mortane]

(If I recall a 15 passes a basic heal check)

Kere looked over his wrists wincing at the raw skin as her tiny hands worked over the wound for a moment glancing up to catch his curious gaze. "I was a 'gift' of sorts to the Captain of the guard. You could say I'm his favorite hunting hound or was. Either way I was trained in basic first aid and healing to tend to his wounds should he get injured. In this case though I'll be plying such a trade on you instead." She answered surveying his injury with great care.

"We'll have to pass by the kitchens to get out. You're lucky, it doesn't appear to infected, but I'll need to clean it with some water and then bind it. They should still be some clean rags in the kitchen as well. You look as though you could use a bit of water and food yourself." Kere replied looking up at him patting his arm reassuringly, being careful to avoid any of his injuries.

"I'm sorry about your village. I was too young to know about the outside world beyond the boundaries of this fort and the nearby forest when I was gifted to the Captain. I'm going to find out what's out there now though Olruuk. We all are and we're taking you with us if you want to come." She offered with a bright smile, a fire in the little elfling's eyes that glittered even in the dank dark of the dungeon.  

[Euphoric Ghost]

His orcish hide had little problem when dealing with the metal binds, it was chaffed, but it could have been worse. Olruuk has gone through worse. His size afforded him a decent living, but for a price of being a work horse in his village, literally, since he used harnesses for pulling carts and other heavy objects.
“Thanks,” he gave a nod to the elfling.
He followed Krog closely. This one seemed broken, and trustworthy enough, besides it had no master to betray the group to. He walked close as they descended into what seems to be a spiral stairs. It was dizzying. He wasn’t used to this kind of darkness. He wasn’t used to walking down so many stairs either.
The orc was disturbed by the room. It was like the butcher’s kitchen, but it lacked its ambiance. Judging from the tools and daggers found around the room, things were cut here, and he had a gut feeling it wasn’t animals nor was it used for food.
He made sure not to touch anything and wove around the room gathering what he needed. His eyes, of course, easily found the weapon he was looking for.
He turned to Krog to thank him, then wondered, “Will Krog come with us?”  

[inukai132]

Inukai dropped one of the bones so that he could hold onto somebody's shirt or shoulder as they climbed down. The darkness was eerie and he didn't want somebody taking a turn and him not knowing. He clutched his makeshift club in his left hand like it was a safety rope. As they descended and he lost track of how many stairs they had walked down a light blue glow enveloped the group. Inukai let go of whomever was in front and looked around at the room.

All sorts of instruments, goblets, and bottles of liquids lined the walls, all of them foreign to Inukai. In the center was some kind of well filled with a liquid that reminded Inukai of blood cut from a dying deer. The floor was covered in blood as well and Inukai tried to step around it as much as possible as me made his way to the weapons rack.

He picked up two cedeku and a suit of leather armor with steel studs and donned it. He also strung a shortbow and quiver across his other shoulder. Having protection, both offensive and defensive, made him feel a lot better about the situation. He sheathed the swords, one on his waist the other on his back and stood ready to face the stairwell up and out of this evil place.  

[Mortane]

"You're welcome." She replied the little smile never fading from her face though soon the cheerful elfling grew quiet and solemn as they descended the dark stairs. It was unnerving, not even her sharp eyes could pierce the darkness and the silence left her shivering. This was not the quiet darkness that hid her and wrapped around her like a cloak. This was a dark, hostile, solid black that covered their eyes like an executioners hood.

When the blue light came into sight she was filled with a mix of relief and fear at the sight before her. The little creature slunk down trying to make herself as small as possible as she slipped across the room to the weapons rack. Kere's little ears were pricked, listening for the slightest sound of a threat as she looked over the weapons rack. Reaching out she took a thing of hide armor that was small enough to fit her without too much trouble. Buckling it on she grabbed a drop sheath, slipping two darts into place in it's hold to hide them beneath her sleeve before turning back to take her pick of what else she might need.

As Kere shouldered a lightcross bow and the needed bolts she paused, the light glinting off metal on one of the shelves catching her eyes. Turning, careful to avoid the blood she shifted a few vials aside. There near the back was a little weapon and vial that Kere had only heard whispered about from the fellow slaves. Picking up the vial she stuck it in her bag, her hands gripping the handle of the oddly shaped knife.

A sepi, the bane of any enemy of the jungle elves and their kin. Smiling grimly she took her place by the door out awaiting the others. Hearing Olrruk question of Krog planned to leave with them she turned her attention to the other orc in curiosity.  

[Jacior]

Martin saw his bow immediately upon entering the room, the milk-white wood of the weapon stood out clearly in the gloom. He sprinted to it, clutching the wood with the ferocity of a man denied sun all of his life. The bow was easily the most well-crafted one any of the group had ever seen, powerful and supple. "Why is it all the way down here?" He muttered aloud, the sound piercing the gloom. His voice was much stronger now, renewed by the touch of his bow. He grabbed an assortment of things that weren't otherwise ruined, swiftly donning a pale suit of leather armor. He shoved in his pack other things that were lying around, including lots and lots of arrows. The armor suited him well, he moved in it like it was a second skin.

He spotted sacks in the corner of the room and picked one of them up. "Spices? Salt? What is this kind of stuff doing down here? Planning on making a feast down here?" He shuddered at the thought and packed the sacks away. "These are worth much." He shouldered the pack and wrapped himself and his bow with long, unstained lengths of cloth. It was darn near impossible to tell anything about him, save that he appeared human.  

[inukai132]

Inukai turned to Kere whom had joined him beside the stairwell. He hoped to make some idle chit-chat and maybe learn more about the elfling.

"So, w-what did you decide on K-Kere?"  

[Mortane]

Turning she glanced at the human. Combing through her memory Kere recalled he had introduced himself as Inukai. Giving him a nod the little elfling appraised him with a careful eye sizing her new ally up.

"I found a pack, some rations and basic equipment either left over from whoever had been brought down here last or was being stockpiled here. I also picked up a light crossbow that's small enough for my use and the bolts to go with it." She spoke shifting to show the pack she'd hooked over her shoulder along with the quiver of crossbow bolts.

The little elfing now wore a set of worked dark brown hide armor over her light travelling clothes she'd stolen before meeting with the group. Around her waist Kere wore a strange sort of belt that Inukai had seen among the weapons. It was a long length of braided leather and robe with two hollowed out stones tied to the ends.

Noticing Martin's actions to disguise himself she followed suit raising the hood on her travelers gear to cover her pointed ears and taking one of the lengths of cloth to wrap around her face. She had no plans to approach civilization of any sorts, but eventually what Kere could not catch she would need to trade for and if she wanted to blend in among the humans she needed to appear human.

Though she strongly hoped the orcs and her could just wait in the woods or something till their little group of humans got what was needed.

"And this." She spoke up after a moment of silent pondering, turning to hold out her precious find to show him. Gripped by her was a small wicked looking little knife, the weapon fitting the elfling's hand as if made for her. The dim light glittered along it's razor sharp edge and Inuikai had no doubt that a well place cut from it could very well be an enemies end.