Welcome to Gaia! ::

((Definitely some stuff to consider! I am working on a rough outline mapping out what I was imagining, and we can go from there!
Also, I agree that forcing the idols on X'el would be hilarious...and evil. But still, I'd laugh.))

Vor'dra suddenly found herself standing somewhere else entirely.
She was surrounded by darkness so the size of the area was impossible to tell. It seemed to be a vast space, though the atmosphere was all but claustrophobic. And it was positively frigid. Unnerving, to say the least.
She was also noticeably lighter. Upon further inspection, there was nothing but toned abdomen where once her gravid belly had been. An equally unnerving sensation after having been encumbered for so long, to be sure.
Something tugged at her senses and pulled her into a steady walk. Whatever it was got stronger and she moved, though she felt herself turning in all sorts of odd directions along the way. The darkness eventually seemed to lighten a bit and she was able to make out more about where she was. There was nothing but inky blackness in the sky and the ground beneath her hooves was reflective like water but solid like stone. When she noticed her reflection there, Vor'dra noticed that she wasn't alone; someone in shadow was following her.
She spun to face them, but there was no one there. Another glance at the reflection showed that the figure was once again behind her, so she spun again. Still no one. A laugh shattered the silence, wild and crow-like. Then Vor'dra could feel a hand rest upon her hip like a bird finding its perch. The sensation was joined by that of a body drawing up against her back, and then a chilly voice whispered just outside her ear.
"Closer..."
Then in the blink of an eye, Vor'dra was once again standing in the cavern amid her companions as though no time had passed.

X'el, who had been at just the right angle to catch all of what transpired, stared at the pile of salt that had once been the city guard in shock. She was well aware by now that some of her newfound companions were an interesting lot, but that was something she hadn't imagined a simple human being capable of. Then again, it did appear to take a lot out of the wild mage...if that is in fact what he really was. Recent events left her unsure.
She spared a glance at Cassius to ensure he was still alive and smiled in amusement as the angry succubus gave him a kick to the ribs.
"It will certainly make our movements through the city easier, not having to explain a very obviously enthralled city guard escorting us everywhere." X'el said in response to Roxanne's comment, turning back to her. "So, you say your conditions are the result of contact with cursed artifacts. I can't help but notice you neglected to say what became of said artifacts." She noted the interjection of the exotic woman with the charred arm. "Only that the men who previously possessed them are now dead."

Cassius stirred when he felt the kick.
He wasn't exactly sure why he was currently sprawled out on the floor of the cave, but a nagging feeling of regret told him it couldn't be from anything good. When his vision began to clear, he couldn't help but notice something large and spherical hovering over him. As his eyes adjusted it became clear that it was the swell of Vor'dra's fertility, and he noted that the view he currently had of the pregnant succubus was one he wouldn't mind having under less strange circumstances.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he slowly got himself to his feet.
"Stars and stones, my head! What happened?"

((I had been considering trying to commission pictures of some of these characters, but hadn't really figured out who to get them from yet! Honestly, I imagined Cassius to be like a young Bruce Campbell with lavender eyes and long wavy hair, wearing black leathers with purple accents and lots of feathery accessories. I dunno where you'd get a close reference for that, though! Ha-ha!))

X'el nodded, allowing the subject to drop for the time being. It wouldn't do her any good to start a conflict, especially when she didn't know exactly what she would be fighting for. She needed to know more about these cursed artifacts, but she had time.
Her hand absently pressed at her lower back and she felt a tingling erupt from there. X'el noticed her eyes look the pregnant warlock over slowly, almost of their own volition. She was feeling a pressure between her hips that had been too long in need of release, and it was demanding satisfaction out of nowhere. Her mind was telling her that it must've been to do with what the succubus was currently feeling, but that didn't mean it wasn't something she wanted all the same. Thinking of the gravid demon did little to help her situation.
X'el bit her lip and turned, taking several long steps away from the carriage to clear her head.

Cassius blinked a few times after being slapped. Vor'dras hand left a warmth on his face that was beyond the sting of pain. His eyes met those of the succubus as he rose to his feet. He heard what she was saying, but it didn't make any sense. Desperately struggling to remember what happened, Cassius began to pace back and forth along the stream.
"No, I couldn't have..." he began, glancing at the pile of dust. "I mean, I wouldn't have..."
Some fragments buzzed around in the haze of his recent memory. In his mind's eye flashed the wicked smile of someone that looked a lot like himself but with glowing eyes and pale skin. Cassius chirped at the sight and was suddenly surrounded by thick purple mist. Moments later a raven in mid-flight emerged from the cloud as it dissipated, wildly flapping its way across the cavern and into the open door of the carriage.

((You read through the whole thing....even I didn't do that. I am impressed, well Welcome aboard i guess))

Michiyo shook her head at what was unfolding. "Roxanne, you do have a
way with words. A poet, one might say." standing slowly, looking at her belly
'one day I will figure out what to do with you. You are quite heavy you know'
she thought to herself as she made her way after the drow.


"Your name was X'el, right?" Making her way over to the drow. "I may not
be able to answer any questions about the artifacts...being that i don't have
any myself." she paused placing a hand on her belly. "I willing to help in any
way I can. You know the saying Enemy of and Enemy is a friend. And I only
know Roxanne around here so making a new friend would be nice."


((I'm getting a little fancy with my posts, lets see how well this looks))

(Welcome to our mess of fun that is this RP MF! blaugh If I'm not mistaken, we'd had the male character handle the cursed artifacts with no problem... But I assume the male fairy wasn't a typo so you wanted him pregnant or was the pregnancy for a female companion of his?)

(Pitch that concept of Cassius at Cross Crescent on DA! Like I said, he does awesome concept sketches and works really fast. I'm sure he could make you a badass Cassus reference with those details.)

Lurching backwards as Cassius suddenly transformed into a bird and bolted past her, Vor'dra lost her balance on her hoofed feet and fell backwards onto her plump rear with a dull thump of flesh meeting stone. "Oww..." Vor'dra started to complain but when she realized no males were nearby to make the most of it she quickly stopped. Rolling onto all fours, her large belly touching stone it was so big, the pregnant succubus pushed herself back to her feet and stomped after the bird. "Don't make me come in there and sit on your little bird body!" She said, her pregnant waddle much slower than the fleeing Cassius.

"Why thank you Michiyo." Roxanne said with a beam of pride. "I wouldn't go so far as saying a poet but I appreciate the thought..." The warlock's sentence was interrupted as a large sparkly blue object impacted somewhere above them and fell at their feet in heap. Despite her surprise, Roxanne held ground far better than her succubus (mostly thanks to bracing herself with her staff). "The hell is that..." She muttered, lightly poking it with the toe of her boot.

((Hurray for new characters! It's like I told you Viper, her character is gonna be a very different addition to the party! Lots of interesting little quirks to "him." Ha-ha!))

Inside the carriage, all was quiet. The only signs that the raven had flown through at all were the occasional black feathers twitching upon the ground. Said-feathers seemed to indicate that the raven had flown into the area upstairs, to one of the bedroom doors. A crude sort of birdhouse was on the face of the door, almost as if it had grown out of the same wood, and it no doubt provided entry to the room beyond for someone in a more avian form.

X'el crouched into a defensive stance when she caught sight of the blue glow that was fast-approaching. It certainly wasn't of a hue that the fanatics of Suncrest would likely conjure, but their proximity to the Underdark had her wary of everything; even her own people would be an unwelcome sight, under the present circumstances. As her eyes were able to focus on the thing the closer it got, she knew she could relax. The radiance was little more than the natural aura of the fae-folk -a powerful source of proponents used in the darker arcane pursuits common among her kin- and it wasn't all that strong to begin with.
When the little creature came to a crashing stop at their feet and Roxanne toed it with her boot, X'el smirked. She leaned down and took the fairy by the back of its neck, not exactly gentle but sure and practiced. Hers wasn't a specialty in magic, but she had partaken in her share of ingredient harvests back home.
"Hm. Just a fairy, albeit of the larger variety. It isn't dead, or it wouldn't be glowing. Perhaps just overexcited. Typical of their kind..." she said in a matter-of-fact tone, using her thumb to prod the pixie's cheek. "May be best to put the thing out of its misery. Or rather, our misery; wicked little tricksters, these creatures."

((Ah! I apologize. I'll go back and edit my last post so that it makes more sense, then! sweatdrop ))

((Shade may also be joining back in soon!))

X'el grimaced at the thought of letting the thing live, but she relinquished her hold nonetheless. Again, starting conflicts over petty differences in opinion would serve no purpose. Instead, she resolved to keep an eye on the far creature instead. It was an interesting specimen, appearing completely fairy-like in appearance but being of a size with the human.
"As you will. Just be wary of making any bargains with it, and keep an eye on any personal treasures you may have." X'el said, following Roxanne but not deigning to assist her in carrying the "I can't speak to any remedies that may help with its recovery. We usually fed them on sweet morsels, back home. Perhaps milk and honey? If you have it."

The room seemed far smaller than it really was, because the space was so cramped; stacks upon stacks of curiosities and oddities covered the floor. Books, weapons, art, and even toys could be found in this pile or that. There was no rhyme or reason to any of it, no order to be found. If there was any furniture about it wasn't apparent at first glance.
In the center of the room, rising high above even the tallest of the stacks, was the tree Vor'dra found herself standing near the base of. It was pale and barren, and most interestingly, it grew right out of the floor. There was a nest of what looked like fine silks wrapped in a myriad of jeweled bands that sat in the thick of branches near the very top of the tree.
The raven was perched among the lower eaves, watching carefully as the expectant succubus approached. After a moment, it squeaked a couple of times and hopped closer to the center of the tree. It's feathers ruffled up and a fine lavender mist enveloped it. When the cloud dissipated Cassius was sitting on the branch with one leg dangling, leaning back against the trunk. He looked troubled.
"I'm afraid I must apologize. For what I did. Whether or not I approved, the decision to kill that man was not mine to make." he looked askance at Vor'dra, not quite meeting her eyes. "I just...lost control. That hasn't happened to me since... Well. It hasn't happened to me in a very long time."