RP:Chase the Styx

Part of the Surface Tension Arc

Synopsis: This is a continuation of the game Gevurah set up for Styx and Vakko. The deal is that if Styx can escape The Underdark with Vakko and other soldiers in hot pursuit, then as soon as she reaches the surface she is free to pursue employment in Gevurah's service as an assassin. If she is caught, then she's dead. Styx uses magical potions to change her scent and appearance to that of a drow to escape the guards in Trist'oth. Vakko doesn't try to pursue Styx on foot, preferring instead to use a portal to the surface to intercept the assassin topside. Vakko and Styx then meet in the Sage Forest and discuss Styx's escape. Styx tells Vakko that she wishes to train under Gevurah and learn from the High Priestess how to channel Vakmatharas's power from her. Vakko warns her that Gevurah is temperamental and is difficult to ally.

The Underdark

Vakko was not fast on the heels of the half orc as was the guards and assassins that were under the direct order of the high priestess. He tended to enjoy his hunts and would not wish them over to quickly. As he walked he could hear the prayer to the god of death, it made him smile, but for now he had more pressing matters. A few turns brought him to the armory, there he started to strip off his soiled clothes and armor, soiled from Gevurah’s own little bucket of fun that she had dumped on Styx. With fresh armor on, and a goodly number of other arms and armors stolen and stuffed into an enchanted bag of holding the mercenary would now take up the hunt. As she still seemed to be in the fort, from the flow of drow soldiers, he gave a slight shrug of his shoulders and followed the flow of fodder, hoping on top of hope that this half orc assassin and apparent priestess of the death god would at least put on a good show.

Styx didn't hesitate once one of the guards freed her. She moved swiftly - perhaps to match the guard's speed - but she was stronger. Styx wrested his arm to an uncomfortable angle, for a few seconds before giving his wrist a rather satisfying crack. Styx, now freed, moved in such a way that the guard would shield her from any arrows that might fly her way. She had planned her escape, and the bandolier she requested was at the guard's feet. She fetched it quickly, draping it over her form. Thankful they didn't strip away her armor, she dug into one of the pockets for a small vial. She popped it open and downed the contents as quickly as she could. Soon after, she dropped her meat shield, darting for the fort's exit. She moved fast, practiced in her athletic ability. As she made her way to the street, she leapt upward. Rather than sticking to the road, she opted for the openness of the rooftops, having scaled a small home in about three maneuvers. Styx knew she didn't stand a chance at the initial wave, and the soldiers were hot on her heels. Styx grunted as the potion she drank started to take effect. She reached into the bandolier again and fetched another vial. This one she smashed against her chest, literally changing her scent from the stale pisswater she was covered in. Two objectives down, one to go. Styx changed direction frequently, losing the drow a squad at a time. She'd jump down to the street, only to be greeted by more drow to chase her. Styx couldn't get a break, not like this. But she had done her research. She started for one of the exits to the city, running hard. She huffed through the exertion but showed no signs of slowing down. Even as an arrow sank into her shoulder.

Vakko, now rather interested in the chase as he no longer smelled of a drow sewer, he will have to thank Gevurah for that one the next he sees her, for with the start of her little game the high priestess took her leave. This did not fully bother Vakko as he found her slightly infuriating from time to time, but on the other side of that same coin he found her so very entertaining, this though caused the mercenary to smile as he did not follow the now flood of guards and drow soldier out the main gate and off into the streets, he opted for a stair that would take him to the roof of the fort. From there he would slip to the wall then to a nearby roof. The sounds of chase where easy to follow it the ever still underdark city, it was not long before he was running along a rooftop across the street from the one occupied by the half orc. But he made no move to intercept her, he was having much too much fun watching her run for her life. Vakko skidded to a stop on the edge of one of the last buildings on the outskirts of the city. Styx had dropped from her own roof and was now at a flat out run for the tunnel mouth. That tunnel had two exits that would open before her, if she survived that arrow hit. He smiled a little more watching her stagger. Her words about who had hired her gave him the answer he needed as to the exit she planned. He gave a chuckle as he watches the drow soldiers pour form every ally to give chase, laughing a little more he thought of how far they would chase her, how far would the common soldiers give chase towards the surface without guidance from a commanding body. With a slight shrug of his shoulders he would draw forth a small black wand with a bone white tip. Holding the wand before him he spoke the command word and a small bolt of magic shot from the tip to burst into a wide circular portal before him. the portal gave way to the sight of a blasted forest, with a dark tower, the exit from the lower world that the drow had used to invade the forest of Sage. His best bet so he passed through, the portal blinking out the moment it’s control want passed through. But honestly if he was wrong he did not care, Gevurah owed him a new set of armor, disappointing her would be nearly as much fun.

As Styx started approaching the gate, the potion she had taken earlier had taken full effect. Styx's skin had turned a dark purplish hue, with her hair showing completely white. Her eyes, however, remained yellow. Her facial structure didn't change, but now she appeared to be a particularly 'ugly' drow. The half orc dashed for the gates, and dove into a tavern on the side of the street. Other than everyone suddenly looking at her, they didn't seem to mind the sudden entrance. The other guards that were giving chase simply ran past the tavern. After the first three, Styx sighed a bit, almost relieved. She reached over her shoulder and yanked the arrow free. Beauty was, no one seemed to care that a stranger darted in with an arrow jutting out of her shoulder. Thankful the arrow's poison didn't reach Styx's skin - stopped just short by her steel chainmail layered just beneath her hardenned leather armor. The disguised half orc waited for the rest of the war party to pass by, killing the time by stalking the bar quietly. She finally slipped out the door, catching a male raising a glass at her as if to wish her luck. From here, she was able to acquire a map with a route for her to take to the surface, and less exciting events transpired until she left the city.

Sage Forest

Styx huffed, finally starting to feel her breath run short. She had run long and hard, moving at nearly full speed until she reached the entrance. Her endurance was commendable but full blooded orcs could run harder for longer. The dangers of the underdark had not been easy but when Styx broke through to sparkling daylight, she rejoiced. Finally free of the twisting tunnels - she had followed the path taken by the assassins to track her way back. The half orc, half elf glanced behind her, trying to discern if she had any followers. After a few moments, Styx moved to lean against a charred tree and let out an exhasperated gasp. She had pilfered enough weapons from the drow during her exit to at least enable her to fend for herself. The half orc groaned, sinking to the ground as Vakmarathas' influence started to leave her.

Vakko sat idly on a fallen and charred treat not so far from the cracked ground exit that lead into the lower tunnels, the main opening used by the drow and other dark forces to lead their attack on the surface elves not so long ago. He knew this was the most likely rout that the half orc would take, as it was the most direct, and most recently traveled from what his scouting would tell. He had grown tired of waiting as was idly flipping a dagger deftly in his hand, the blade was long and slightly curved, made of mithril with a polished wooden handle and a gold vine inlay that moved from the hilt into the blade. An odd weapon for a drow, more suited in style for the forest elves, that is who he took it from after all. Hearing the labored breathing a slight smile creased dark lips as he watches the half orc crest the last craggy rock to reach the surface. He allowed her a moment to herself to catch her breath before speaking. “Took you long enough, I honestly thought you had either gotten lost or eaten.” His words coming in flawless common speak.

Styx had caught her breath in a matter of moments, only needing the time to sit down to seemingly fully recover from the harrowing ordeal. She looks at Vakko calmly, his presence seems to irritate her more than anything else. Emotions were starting to show! Styx had quickly realized this and emptied her face of any expression. "You people continue to underestimate me..." Styx had been wearing a hood, but pulled it back to reveal that her skin had actually changed to a dark, blackish purple, and her hair was bleach white. Her eyes were still a piercing yellow and for all intensive purposes, she appeared drow. But the potion was starting to wear off. Splotches of her skin would start changing one at a time, soon revealing their natural taupe green hue. - How else to escape a city of the drow than to look the part? "I'm more surprised my plan worked after the start of it was botched."

Vakko ginned a little more when he saw her transformation potion in action, she did look the part. The yellow eyes could be explained away easy enough. Eye color did not mean much to the drow, yes most where some variant of red but that was not saying there were no other colors out there. His own eye, colorless save for the black pupil at its center, was actually a magical construct to replace the eye that had been destroyed. “Yes, typical drow tend to underestimate others thinking that the drow are the pinnacle of life in all the lands. A rather narrow minded view of things but it suits us well enough.” He stops the blade spinning in his hands and leans back on his charred seat, the blade coming up to tap against his chin. “Your plan most likely worked because the simple sodiers where looking for an orc with green skin and would never think to think that you have changed your skin tone to blend in with the surroundings. Always taught to follow orders without question, works well enough in most instances, not so much when hunting an assassin. I am impressed not that you snuck out of the city, but you got past the monsters. That is not small feat in and of itself. Well done, nameless half orc.”

Styx smiled coyly. "The mindflayers didn't give me much trouble when they realized I was wearing a disguise." The remainder of Styx's color returned. She truly appeared more of a stocky green-skinned elf. But more later. She glanced at Vakko with her expression removed again. "Are you fascinated? You seem fascinated."

Vakko gives a slight shake of his head to her question. “Not wholly, you are not the first to get out of the city and past the beasts, doubt you will be the last. Not many are for the return trip though.” Slowly he pulls himself from his seat and with a flip of the dagger he slips it home into a scabbard strapped to his leg. Lightly his hands fall to rest on the hilts of his enchanted blades, not a threat mind you, it was more force of habit. Slowly the mercenary takes a few steps to close the distance between him and the half orc to but a few paces. “Why did you take the job to kill drow, when you knew it could end poorly for you?” A slender eyebrow is arched with the question.

Styx laughed softly. "You don't see the play, do you? I had tracked the activities of the assassins. One of them slipped - he wore a symbol of Vakmarathas. Rather than simply barge into the underdark of my own accord - it happened that the Sylvan clan wanted a scout for the drow city. I figured I would get paid. The patrol that caught me did so because I allowed them to. And the rest is as you know it. Personally, I did not expect the results I got. High Priestess Gevurah is formidable. I'd like to talk to her more when we aren't trying to kill each other. Perhaps she can teach me to properly channel Death Lord's power." Styx seemed incredibly deliberate in her delivery. An assassin never does anything on a whim. Whimsical assassins were dead assassins.

Vakko was not sure just how much of that he believed but to delve too deeply into it may cause more trouble down the road so with a shrug he simply let it go. Why the elven elders would want at rout to the drow city was beyond him. To mount an attack that unifies that dark place would be deviating to the target of all that hate. Chaos is what drow do, but any attack to the city would give that chaos a focus, and just the thought of that made the mercenary smile all the more. “I doubt she will ever not wish to kill something. Even with my dealings with her, I am never sure if I will leave the meeting unscathed. But that is half the fun, the thrill of not knowing.” He is a creature of his own entertainment after all.

Styx nodded. "Then I've told you too much. Since you prefer not knowing." Styx rose to her feet, stretching her muscles. "Of course, I failed to gather enough information for the elves to truly mount a counter assault. Pity, really. I think they might miss that sack of gold they paid for my 'suicide' mission." Styx smirked. She loved it when her abilities were questioned, and she was able to effect a solution to a problem. "If you'd be so kind to let Gevurah know violating the rules of her game was something of great personal importance." She produced a single gold coin and flipped it at Vakko. "No one takes these daggers and keeps them." Styx turned to walk away, presumably to re-stock on her equipment. Her escape was costly, after all.

Vakko snapped a hand up and caught the coin idly rolling it between his fingers he watches the half orc start to leave. “The drow weapons you took will not last long in the light of the sun, restock quickly. You may even be able to trade them before they become fully useless to some merchant who does not know the limits of drow crafts on the surface.” Long ago he had procured suitable equipment for himself to use on the surface as he was a liaison between the dark city and the lands of the sun. Slowly he tipped his hat to her and turned to start off the other direction deeper into the Sage forest.