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 Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:18 pm
Micar'al was more jumpy today than he had been for quite a while... but then again it wasn't every day that he had to wait just a few tunnels away from one of the larger cities in the west dark in a mostly unused area of the underground world they inhabited. People made him a little jumpy, okay... very jumpy, and he wasn't really sure who he was expecting to meet either... they might be rather... large... what would he do then..? He had little money aside from what he owed... maybe he could buy them off with bones..? "What do you think...?" He mused to his companion, his eyes flicking down to meet the others blank stare. He was met by silence... "Oh Well you're a lot of use to me today, you bonehead..." he muttered darkly, knocking the skull he held in his hand once on top of its bony head. "You know Yorrik. I don't know why I keep you around sometimes... I really don't..." he sighed and let the hand that was tucked into the skulls empty head flop to his side...
The place was perfect really... there was a large wall against which was propped a very large boulder, the tunnel had an opening in the side just behind the large stone which he could flee through if he felt the need... the item was important, yes... but so was his life and skin in his opinion... He could see quite a long way down the tunnel that led on towards the large rock, so he should get a good warning for when his item arrived on the scene with whoever happened to be carrying it... that was also good... and he was sure Yorrik would handle the situation admirably...
With a small jump, a rather inelegant scramble and a little flail he pulled himself up onto the boulder and managed to balance himself on top, peering down the path he was expecting the delivery to arrive from.. the path behind the boulder was mostly unused and led to the surface world, he didn't think too many people knew of its existence... he certainly didn't blab about it unless he had to. With a wrinkle of his nose he clacked Jorrik's teeth at himself... "You'll have to speak up when he gets here..." he stated in a serious voice. "He won't be able to hear you like I can..." he sighed once more and clacked the skull, "He's not late yet.. stop complaining... and you can't possibly be hungry.. you're just a head... it wasn't pretty the last time I let you share my dinner..."
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:51 pm
 The day had been waneing. Divintra's day had been very uneventful, and as a result had been lacking in the manner of coins. Still, it had not dampened the youths mood any. His purple eyes were still alight with a unexplained energy. His lips were not turned downwards, no wrinkles aged his young boys face. No, Divintra was just fine with the day's events. Why? Because, nothing horrible had happened. A day that was uneventful was one that he could appreciate. No death, no fear, no pain. Yes, today had been a good enough of a day for him.
It had been mere whim that made him pause at the sound of a 'pssst'. Now, as a rule, when you heard someone hiss at you it meant they wanted to keep a low profile. It also meant they were either in danger themselves and attmepting to pass that danger off to you, or that they themselves were the danger. Divintra was a well informed lesser class drow. Looking over at the drow waving at him, he gained a uneasy sense. Divintra carefully apprroched the drow. He had something wrapped in his arms too. It was too small to be a person. Maybe it was a baby...that weird thought just unsettled Divintra. Of course it was not a baby. What drow would wrap a baby up and hand it off to a kid?
"Sir?" He questioned the man in his usual respectful manner. The man again gestured to him.
"Your the white delivery boy yes? You take things to where they need to be tooken yeah?" Divintra nodded his head slightly. Why did this man seem so relieved?
"Here here. Take this for me and I'll pay you a silver." That made Divintra's head jerk back. A silver? Maybe it really was a baby!? He looked at the package that was already held out to him. Well...a silver. That was more then he made in a month really.
"Fine. I'll deliver it. Where is it going?" Divintra held out his hand first for the coin..and oh! How prettily it shone after the man pressed it into his palm. It nearly vanished against his skin. Then next came the bundle. A oddly wrapped package that Divintra needed only one arm to really carry properly.
That was...oh...about twenty minutes ago? The directions given to him unsettled him even more. Outside the city? In a secluded tunnel? It was a terrible set up and Divintra regretted being tempted by the silver piece now. He frowned lightly to himself with one arm wrapped about the package and his other free hand in his pocket stroking his glass ball. He was partly tempted to chuck the package down the tunnel and rush off. Monsters were out here! What if he came across a hook horror or something? All for a silver!
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:43 am
It wasn't that long after he'd climbed himself up onto the top of the boulder that Micar'al heard footsteps echo around the corridor that stretched before his crimson eyes. Said eyes narrowed slightly as a figured came just about into view, pale and almost luminescent in the darkness... a gloaming..? No... he wasn't quite sure... he clicked Yorrik's jaw up and down in his agitation at the arrival of someone else, when he had secretly been hoping that the whole deal would fall through... as much as he wanted the item was it really worth the amount the worry over it was probably knocking off his lifespan..?
Suddenly in a quick flurry of movement he flung himself off of the large rock, skidding to some degree down the side of it to conceal himself behind its large, mostly round bulk, it just felt a little more secure.... he was never really safe. He had followed Lloth at one time, yet it was true... but these days his worship had faded to scorn and scepticism... his religious views were transient now, he'd say he worshipped who he needed to survive in whichever area he was in at any given time, but never really sold himself to any of them though. It was no surprise though, as a shaman he was easilly picked out as disloyal to Lloth however, and on more than one occasion he'd found himself on the bad side of some of her more fanatical supporters... always scary... A little like walking in on a pair of hungry driders and a small nest of salamanders...not really something you want to find yourself in the way of after you've been there once...
Finally as he heard the footsteps getting even closer he decided it was time to get this under control, Yorrik style. With more confidence now he thrust out his arm, the skull fitted neatly over his hand and turned its dead eyes towards the approaching figured "Hold it right there pale one..." he stated in the slightly higher, lilting voice of his skully companion. "What brings you to this tunnel... out of the usual range it is... driders and beasties creep around... might make a meal of you, they might, they might!" he paused, tiling the skull down in an attempt to make him look thoughtful... "Unless... have you brought with you an item...?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:22 am
There came a noise from ahead in the tunnel. A clattering type of sound that brought more images of hook horros and bugbears to his mind. Divintra froze in his steps, poised to turn and flee in the case that something should thrust itself around the corner and rush him. Fortunately for him no creature appeared to make a meal of him...or just rip him apart for the sake of it alone.
Still, that did not ease his worries any less. Surely, if someone was down here then they were capable of taking care of themselves. Thus, they would have cleared the area out for this delivery...right? The train of common sense was what calmed him down and unfroze his feet from the floor. A silver...a silver... if he made this out alive he would make damn well certain he did not let his greed make his descions for him any more! When Divintra came about the corner he was shaking his head. Silently berating himself for his foolishness. Though he really could have just dropped the package and fled. If he did do that, it would tarnish the reputation he had managed to forge for himself. A reputation that seemed to just be getting better and bringing him better rewards...though it seemed the best ones came at a very dangerouse cost!
A swift movement brought Divintra to another quick stop. His purple eyes shot forwards to the sight of...of...
A arm.... sticking out behind a rock. With a.... skull .... on the hand.... and it was...
Jaw...moving..and the person was.... talking for it?
Needless to say, Divintra's mind was processing the obvious very slowly, with a growing look of disbelief and confusion upon his jaw gaping face. He had not even registered what was being said to him until the skull tilted in imitation of a thoughtful pose.
"If there...was anything here... I think it would have tried to eat you already..." Divintra finally was able to answer. Though he felt extremely odd talking to a skull of all things. Ugh! he couldn't ever imagin putting his hand inside a persons skull! Rather he fisted his hand about the glass ball inhis pocket.
"Besides, I am sure once they got a look at me.... they would think I've gone bad or something. So unless it was a carrior crawler I would not be too afraid of being made a meal--- I do have a package here. Are you the one that is supposed to accept it? Or is there...ah..someone...with...you?" He wasn't talking to the skull. Seriously...honestly. He wasn't talking to the skull... though it was hard not to believe that given the circumstances of this...drop off.
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 8:56 am
"Some things that seek to eat bide their time till their meal expects them not..." he clacked the skull up and down. If he leant just a little to the side he could see the strange delivery boy... what a pale man! Like a ghost or a glowming! Pale like the men of the above world! Down here that skin was strange... it shone in the dark when the light was barely there... the comment about his colouration though made the slightly quirky young Drow chuckle, a surprisingly low chuckle, a voice that would, with the way it was speaking with the skull possibly have been expected to be more higher pitched.
After this spell of amusement he clicked Yorrik's teeth together contemplatitively and finally mused aloud in the higher voice of the skull "Some do not care how good their meat is as long as it was once the flesh of the living... but that is no mind, creatures just now there do not seem to be... we are in luck, lucky lucky luck..." he chuckled again, more shrilly now, the guise of the skull. At the mention of the package though, the young shaman felt himself grin... "Wonderfull..." he stated, his voice slipping back into its lower tenor rumble before he shook his head, better let Yorrik handle this for now.
"What do you mean someone with me? I'm here, is that not enough?" He queried once again, wishing, not for the first time that Yorrik had eyebrows. It would much easier to make him scowl if he had eyebrows... it was a shame that he didn't... maybe he could craft him some one day... he'd probably like that.. Yorrik that is... he'd be able to waggle them again... "Who were you expecting to see...?" He had to find out it word of him was spreading... he didn't need the worshippers of Lloth trying to skin and eat him... spider fearing savages...
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:52 pm
The way this person...skull....skull wielding...whatever or whomever! The way they talked sent uneasey tingles down Divintra's spine. He did not feel too frightened by this...other. But he certainly felt a little on edge. The talk of waiting monsters did not help his nerves either. He did hear the chuckling from behind the rock. That is what made him feel this other was not a real threat to him. If he could find hurmor in such a bad joke then he couldn't be plotting something unpleasent...at least not right now.
Divintra rather wished he could catch a glimpse of the other. All he saw of him was a arm. A slender black skinned arm. That did not give him any sort of insight on who he was dealing with. It was definatly a drow, and he was definatly a male. With the skull present Divintra was of the opinion this male was either a necromancer, or a little deranged. He preferred the first choice, though not by much. There was something about necromancers that made him feel ill. It just was not right, what they did with the dead. About as not right as using some poor dead persons skull to talk through.
"Yes...in luck..." He slowly agreed. If there had been anything lurking about he was positive it would have struck now. They were in a small space and it made it difficult for them to really escape something. Plus they weren't exactly going anywhere either. A non-moving target was easier to hit right?
The next time the skull spoke, Divintra felt at a loss. If this person was loopy, as he really seemed to be. Then he probably viewed himself and the skull as two different people. That would mean...ugh...that the skull was pretending to be alone despite the fact he had a hand shoved up into it's cranium? Or...the person was just puppetteering with the skull and was well aware of who he was and the situation. That meant he was just a extremely creepy drow and Divintra really did not want to think about just -how- creepy he coul be. Necromancer. He had to be. It simply made way too much sense.
"I.." okay...how the hell should he answer this? Maybe he shouldn't at all... He didn't want to guess wrong and make this other drow angry at him... "Do you want your package or not? If you want it you should come here and get it. The merchant paid me well to make certain it is safely delivered, so I'm not leaving it here for you to pick up. So I'd like it if you came and collected it so I could get back inside the city before someting ugly shows up."
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:13 am
The Skull on the hand was slowly turned around, apparently to face the Drow that was concealed behind the large boulder. Its jaw clacked up and down afew times and some furious whispering followed each of the movements. Finally, in a slightly louder voice, though not by much came the words "Oh fine then, be that way Yorrik." And the skull was plonked unceremoniously down on the floor beside the big stone. Micar'al was just going to have to take matters into his own hands if Yorrik refused to be useful to him. Besides, this ghostly drow, he must be almost as much of an outcast, though not out of choice one would think, as Micar was himself... so could it hurt to speak to him? Probably, but beggars couldn't' be choosers, and most of his own funds had been sunk into that package the other Drow was holding, not that his wealth had been great, but if he lost that he would have made himself little better than a beggar for no reason. The life of a Shaman... oh how pointless and poor it was, well... until you grew stronger, then it was pretty awesome actually.
"Here I am." he stated as he stepped out from behind the rock. He was fully grown already, he'd not grown in years, but had managed to only reach the height of 5ft2. This was fairly common for a drow, but it did sometimes mean he struggled to reach up to some ledges that looked like they might contain something interesting. It did however mean he could flee through smaller spaces with some level of ease however... "I'll take the package now," He looked far more rational than you'd probably expect from someone who talked with a skull, and his voice was quite low and very even. "I'll even reward you for your troubles. Many wouldn't have brought the package out here." He reached down to a small pouch that hung at his hip and unhooked it, lifting it up and giving it a small jingle.
"You're an unusual looking fellow, you know." He mused as he let his eyes linger on Divintra, "I can't say I've met many of the white-skins that I've heard dwell down here... what is your profession?" He was curious, he couldn't help himself really. It was part of the reason he'd fallen from Lloth's favour and into the path of the Shaman. Curiosity. Lloth forbade interest in the surface, he was fascinated, she forbade many natural rituals, he loved them... all in all she told him he couldn't do many of the things that he wanted to do, so he ignored her. He paid for it of course with his banishment. But you could even flout that as long as you were careful...
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:50 pm
Silver...a silver piece. He'd gotten a silver piece out of this... Divintra had to keep reminding himself over and over again. Yes, remind himself as he overheard the sound of whispering and watched the person behind the rock argue with the skull maybe? Definatly crazy. He had to see the skull as a different person... Vhaerun guide him! Divintra knew that the more strange experiences you had in life, the better equipped you were to deal with it, but this was a bit much! Divintra was unaware that he was shaking his head a little until the other drow stepped out from behind the rock and spoke to him. His head paused, and he flicked his purple eyes over the other.
He had not been expecting what he saw. Micar was quite close to his own height. As Divintra was still just a young boy he was still small after all, but time would definatly change that. Still, it was the strange green marks the other was wearing that made him blink his eyes. He was getting a odd sense from the other...but he was not sure what it was. He'd never felt anything like this before. Ever since his Dream Divintra had been getting all these strange feelings about other drow.
He began to cross over to the other drow. Once again the clink of the coins sent a small flutter into his chest. More money? Well he wouldn't say no to that! Not now that he was here already! Divintra was not ashamed to note that he quickened his pace to close the gap between himself and the other drow. Once it was that he stood before Micar Divintra began to pass the package over to him. His eyes were still eagerly on the coin bag. It was the comment on his strangeness that made Divintra hesitate.
The comment on his skin was just common to him by now. News that there were others was a strange bit. It was the question as to his profession that made him feel strange again. Divintra tilted his head slightly to one side as he carefully formed his answer in his head. "Yes Sir. I suppose I am a bit of a eyesore andunusual looking. I did not know there were others cursed like me. I feel pity for them then.... I'm just a simple delivery boy though. There is no place for someone like me in the city Sir. Who would want something as ugly as me around their shops or homes? If I may say so Sir, it's rather odd for someone to want a package delivered here outside the city..."
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Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:44 pm
"I wouldn't call you an eyesore..." Micar'al stated with a small quirk of one of his eyebrows. "You're a surprise, that is sure, your kind are not usually allowed to roam free like this, I'm sure some matron out there would find a much better use for you than running errands to strange people who chose to meet outside of cities... as odd, as you may think that.." He wasn't sure what to say to him in response to the question as to why he'd chosen to meet out here...
The sensible thing would be to avoid it, right..?
"I don't trust people..." Apparently he wasn't having a sensible day. Not surprising really. He and Yorrik had had an argument after all. "I Don't like them, I don't like the way they talk, or walk, or look or dance or sing.. I don't like their buildings and I don't like their ways.." he sure was judgemental for someone so clearly young.. "I'd rather be away from them, especially when gaining my latest possession..." He let his hands flop to his sides for a moment a she studied Divintra... he was an odd one.. he'd end up captive before long.
"Watch out for yourself.. you'll be sought..." he was in a talkative mood.. unusual... "You're a prize.." he tugged the package from the other males hand and tucked it under his arm, holding out the money pouch he had promised. Luckily the potions this would help him make would earn him a pretty penny.. all well then, he would tip this strange pale delivery boy...
"You really shouldn't call me Sir... I'm Micar'al... I like it better."
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Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:13 pm
Thank the God that he had left the skull behind. What was more, he was carrying on a bit more...sanely. But Divintra suspected that this would not last too long. Insanity rarely vanished.
"Your words are very kind Sir..." Divintra began as Micar would counter his claim at being an eyesore. His cheeks tinged a second later with the faintest of pinks. Being thought of as something not ugly was appreciated by the boy. Though that pink tinge faded quickly as Micar continued to speak.
Divintra tilted his head in utter confustion. "M-matron? Oh...oh no no." Divintra's white haired head shook as he handed the package over to the other male. His kind were not? There were...things behinds those words. Things that made him glance at his white skin uneasily. He felt the package pulled from his hands, and Divintra turned his now frightened gaze upon the other male. "Sought? Prize? S-sir I'm just...a commoner. Less really. I'm no more a prize then a white pebble amoung grey stones. Still just a stone like all the rest really."
He had his pay now, his delivery had been made. At this point Divintra should have been backing away. Instead though he found himself standing firm and facing the strange and obviously crazy drow.
"I apologize Micar'al. I will not call you Sir anymore...may I ask though...I know it's common sense not to trust people but...did something happen that would make you take such extremes to avoid them?"
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 6:05 pm
"Commoner you may be, but your skin is pale, little delivery boy, pale like the face of the surface moon when the night is dark and full of creatures.." He chuckled quietly. "Your type are special you see, the dark fold down here like to keep you, train you and put you to work for them.." he placed his hands on his hips, his head tilted to the side. "You'll need to be careful you little pale one, you need to find a place in the dark where you can hide your pale face.. I've seen the likes of you.. white in the dark, sneaking through the shaddows, somehow unseen.. special skills they say yo have.. take care, little pale one, take care! You cannot hide in the dark as well as you could were you dark like me.." He smiled again, a slightly cool expression as he let his eyes rest on Divintra.
"I do not... think like other Drow... we do not get along. I scare them, they shun me, they hate me and would kill me if they could... but I do not think I should tell you, little pale one, what it is they would kill me for." He smiled again, brushing his fingers back through his messy hair. "I'm sorry if I frighten you, really frightening you.. killing your confidence, crushing your security.. but you should think.. the people in the underdark are sick, a sickness, a plague.. they kill they destroy, they ruin... you will see this.. little pale one, you will..."
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 7:36 pm
Divintra was feeling a greater sense of unease. Yet it wasn't exactly because of Micar'al, but more about what he was saying. Divintra's eyes had returned to look at the white of his hands as if somehow his skin was going to just...leap off him or something.
"Special skills? Mom used to..." He trailed off What had his mom done? She made him repeat a silly mantra when he was scared and trying to hide. She also made him rub soot into his body. Turning his pale skin to a dirty grey. Hehad always thought it a odd quirk. Once he started to do well for himself, he had taken to bathing and keeping himself clean more often in the hopes of attracting better customers...
Was he getting these customers now because they were under some false impression he was held by some influenecial House? It was..a disturbing thought. Divintra forced his eyes to leave his hands, so he could focus on Micar more. "Drow are always trying to kill other drow. I don't think you really need a reason for them to try." Divintra gave his shoulders a uncomfortable shrug, and crossed his arms over his chest as he attempted to place a unconcerned smile on his face.
"I know what our people are like. Really I do. I've seen them at their worst. I've lived in the streets and hidden when the drunken Lords came killing for their amusement. I've seen what happens if they corner you. I've seen a lot of things. Supposed friends abandoning one another when in danger... I know to be careful. I just. I didn't know that my skin was something to be...well...a danger to me?" Divintra let his eyes fall afterwards as he continued to speak. "No...don't apologize. You've...warned me really. Of a danger I wasn't aware of. That's far more dangerouse then walking around ignorant."
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 8:54 pm
The shaman wrinkled his nose at the white skinned drown in front of him. "Pale one, you think on a level far more innocent than you know. WHat you have seen may indeed be horrid, but you have seen but the tiniest puddle of depravity in relation to the giant ocean that is out there to be discovered... a drip from a crack to the surface as compared to the depths of the glimmersea... you have seen nothing!" His last comment was slightly louder, and he swung a hand to point at Divintra.
"You will have to take care. You will know in time what it is to be a Drow, what it is to truly suffer.. unless you learn to watch yourself.. Drow hide in shadows... look for danger even where you see only safety... don't trust a soul, or a rock, or a creature.... don't even trust me or yourself!" He flapped his hands in a slightly exasperated manner.. "It's.. I know something.. I know I'm right! Look in the shadows, look in the light! Never stop looking!" He had been called paranoid, but this happened sometimes.. he would just... be totally convinced of something and he'd cling to the idea like a starving dog to a bone.
"You need to look okay! Okay pale one! You need to look out! Or the noose around your neck will tighten! And you'll never break free! Never! Look in the dark! They'll get you!" He seemed rather panicked all of a sudden, and he leapt away from the rock and scooped up Yorrik.
"I will leave! I must now go!" The package was cradled close to him, tucked into Yorrik's head. "Be vigilant! Be safe! And one day maybe I will see you again with your face still on your skull! If not I may see you again yet! But My hand will wear you!" He lifted up Yorrik and literally fled, his sanity seeming to have snapped once again there at the end... he hated forewarnings... they distressed him as he could never work out quite what they meant...
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 7:31 pm
Divintra was not certain...but he thought he was insulted. Innocent? After what he had managed to live through? he didn't think he was so innocent. Just...a bit more respectful then he needed to be...and perhaps a bit more compassionate...but that was only because he had not had proper guidance. The lacking of a father and loss of a mother had left him with a lot of desire to avoid the world on a whole, but he still managed to get by.
As Micar began to raise his voice, Divintra felt a uneasey tingle starting in his spine. He backed away from the pointing hand and the steadily growing agitated drow weilding it. Divintra continued to back awy, the shaman's paranoid and loud words were..well..they were frightening. When Micar turned to leap and reclaim his skull, Divintra took advantage of that moment to turn on his heel and bolt from the area. His purple eyes were wide as he pumped his arms and fled like a little white rat down the tunnel. The other boy was just...crazy! Pure crazy! And Divintra had been terribly spooked for some unknown reason. He cast a glance over his shoulder once, his white hair flickering behind him as he fearfully checked to make certain there was no skull baring crazy man coming after him with a dagger to wear his head or..whatever ti was he thought to do. At the sight of the empty tunnel behind, Divintra was relieved...but he did not stop running until he reached the dark safty of the city..oh no...not until he was past those gates and gasping for breath. Crazy....crazy drow!
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