@0    = ~At your command, Mistress.~
@1    = ~(Study him.)~
@2    = ~(Smile at him.)~
@3    = ~(Kiss him.)~
@4    = ~(Embrace him.)~
@5    = ~Amuse me, male.~
@6    = ~Enjoying your new role, my sparrow?~
@7    = ~Join me in the Lust Chambers, male.~
@8    = ~Never mind, male.~
@9    = ~As you wish.~
@10   = ~(Though in appearance he is quite different, Haer'Dalis seems largely unaffected by the changes his new body has brought about. He moves and strikes with the same easy grace you have come to expect from the bard.)~
@11   = ~(Haer'Dalis lifts a lock of his snow-white hair and stares at it for a long moment. With a mournful sigh, he lets the hair slip out of his grasp and tosses it out of his face rather more forcefully than necessary.)~
@12   = ~(The illusionary Drow male studies you in return with the same scrutiny.)~
@13   = ~Like what you see?~
@14   = ~Turn your eyes elsewhere, male.~
@15   = ~You are a fine specimen indeed.~
@16   = ~(Ignore him.)~
@17   = ~Indeed, Mistress, but surely you would not be offended if I said I liked what I cannot see far more, aye?~
@18   = ~Forgive my impertinence.~
@19   = ~Of that I have no doubt, though I think perhaps being too noticeable for any reason here in the Underdark would be ill advised.~
@20   = ~(Haer'Dalis stands now shorter than his true form, his skin a deep dusky gray and his eyes like sparkling pools of red wine in his face. The markings on his chin and cheeks are gone, as are his blue locks, replaced now by a fall of pure white hair tucked behind delicate, tapered ears.)~
@21   = ~I don't like you in this body.~
@22   = ~This body suits you.~
@23   = ~(Run your fingers through his hair.)~
@24   = ~(Touch his cheek.)~
@25   = ~(Trace the edge of his ear.)~
@26   = ~Hey, I'm taller than you now!~
@27   = ~As fascinating as this experience is proving to be, I do not mind admitting that I very much look forward to retrieving my true form, my raven.~
@28   = ~(The tiefling closes his eyes and tilts his head into your touch, and for the briefest of moments, the Underdark seems to fade away.)~
@29   = ~(The bard reaches up and retraces your touch with his own fingers, a frown forming on his face as he is reminded of the missing markings.)~
@30   = ~(Haer'Dalis sucks in a sharp breath at your touch, his eyes blinking rapidly for a moment before he pulls hastily away from your touch.)~
@31   = ~I, ah... do not think that wise at present, my rav-- mistress.~
@32   = ~Hah! Well, do not get used to it, little one!~
@33   = ~(Haer'Dalis replies with a cautious smile, but there is a mischievous light in his crimson Drow eyes.)~
@34   = ~(The tiefling-in-Drow's-skin bows to you with stiff formality.) You honor me, Mistress.~
@35   = ~(The bard moves in close to your side to speak softly.)~
@36   = ~My raven, I do not believe smiles carry the same meaning here amongst our dusky friends as they do on the surface. I would caution you to use them sparingly.~
@37   = ~What has this humble male done to provoke a smile, I wonder?~
@38   = ~You humble me, Mistress.~
@39   = ~I think perhaps you read my mind, Mistress. This humble male was amusing himself with thoughts of our last tryst. It has been too long, do you not agree?~
@40   = ~(Though the face he wears is foreign, it is not hard to recognize the surprise and tenderness that warms Haer'Dalis' eyes at your smile.)~
@41   = ~That you can smile, even now, even here... My raven, you humble me with your strength.~
@42   = ~(Haer'Dalis seems surprised, but answers your kiss eagerly enough.)~
@43   = ~(Hard, hungry lips and teeth find your mouth in a kiss that is messy and leaves bruises behind. When you break apart with a hiss, Haer'Dalis smirks, seeming every bit the Drow male he appears to be on the surface.)~
@44   = ~Ah, the games we play. Aye, my mistress?~
@45   = ~(Though he makes a show of turning the act into a display of base passion, Haer'Dalis tenderly brushes your cheek and neck with his fingertips in a slow, loving caress that lingers until the kiss ends.)~
@46   = ~Forgive me, but I fear we will draw undue attention to ourselves, my raven. 'Tis best to keep your distance.~
@47   = ~(The bard pulls you against him and presses himself back against the nearest solid object, making it appear to any who might see that you are dominating him. His mouth finds yours almost desperately, his fingers winding in your hair as he hums low in his throat.)~
@48   = ~(His lips trail from the corner of your mouth, to your jaw, to your ear, his breath warm and soft against the sensitive shell.)~
@49   = ~I am here, my raven.~
@50   = ~(Haer'Dalis returns your kiss with only minimal pressure and no passion. When you part, he gives you a strange, guarded look before turning his gaze elsewhere.)~
@51   = ~(Haer'Dalis seems reluctant to give in to the distraction at first, but after a moment he relaxes into the intimacy of your lips on his. His expression is almost wistful when you part.)~
@52   = ~I ever find delight in your games, my mistress.~
@53   = ~I am here, my raven. Your sparrow is here.~
@54   = ~(Haer'Dalis returns your kiss with a slow, burning passion, the movements of his lips and tongue deliberate and unhurried. He ends the moment with a sigh, then tilts his head to nuzzle his warm breath against your throat.)~
@55   = ~I see Veldrin with my eyes, but I taste <CHARNAME> on my tongue. That is... reassuring.~
@56   = ~Forgive me, but I do not think such gestures are wise in present company. This sparrow doubts that we are ever truly alone here.~
@57   = ~Unless you intend to slide a poisoned dagger between my ribs, I do not think this is a common Drow practice, Mistress.~
@58   = ~(The Drow-disguised tiefling sends a furtive glance around you and apparently decides it is safe enough to risk a quick embrace. Though the warmth of his arms lingers only briefly, he murmurs a soft reassurance against your cheek.)~
@59   = ~Eager for my touch are you, my mistress? 'Twould be my pleasure to give anything you desire of this humble servant.~
@60   = ~Curious of my new form, are you? Aye, this sparrow is curious of yours as well.~
@61   = ~(The Drow-disguised tiefling sends a furtive glance around you and apparently decides it is safe enough to risk a quick embrace. Though the warmth of his arms lingers only briefly, he murmurs a soft reassurance against your cheek and ghosts a kiss against the corner of your mouth.)~
@62   = ~(Haer'Dalis pulls you tightly against him and presses lingering kisses along your jawline.)~
@63   = ~I was in need of your touch, but now that I have you, I know not how I will bring myself to let you go.~
@64   = ~This fleeting form seems built for only two amusements, my raven - betrayal and lust. I have experienced neither of these pleasures with you, nor would I wish for such things to spring from hands that are not my own.~
@65   = ~Of course, Mistress. Should I sink my blade into the back of some unsuspecting fool? Or perhaps seduce some lowborn female that I might lure secrets from her lips? Simply grunt and point when you decide, aye?~
@66   = ~I fear our situation makes amusement difficult to conjure.~
@67   = ~There are many males eager to amuse you, Mistress. They watch you with hunger born both of lust and ambition. Mayhap you should seek one of them instead.~
@68   = ~This fleeting form seems built for only two amusements, my raven - betrayal and lust. I have no appetite for the former, but for the latter... That I shall leave to your discretion, of course.~
@69   = ~Find a place to closet us away from these vigilant eyes, and I shall amuse you over and over until I have memorized every curve and crevice of this new form you wear, my dusky raven.~
@70   = ~There are many males eager to amuse you, Mistress. They watch you with hunger born both of lust and ambition. Mayhap I should be jealous?~
@71   = ~'Tis an actor's dream, a thrilling fantasy to pit his skill against the threat of torture and death!~
@72   = ~It will grow tiresome before long, I imagine, but 'tis an intriguing lesson regardless.~
@73   = ~Never before have I worn the skin of my character so literally. At times, it is quite disorienting, but glad I am to have you at my side, my raven.~
@74   = ~(Haer'Dalis studies your eyes for a long moment, his expression somewhere between bemusement and sorrow.)~
@75   = ~I... I would not be distressed to see this act behind us, my raven.~
@76   = ~(He blinks in surprise, but nods and obeys your command.)~
@77   = ~As my mistress commands.~
@78   = ~(Haer'Dalis does not bother to hide the desire and curiosity in his eyes as he bows once and obeys your command.)~
@79   = ~That seems unwise, Mistress. You should instead focus your efforts on not being killed.~
@80   = ~(The room he leads you to is decorated in the typical dark, garish opulence of the Drow culture. As private as it seems, it is likely you are being watched even here.)~
@81   = ~(Still playing the role of obedient male, Haer'Dalis turns to you and tilts his head in deference, the eerie crimson light in his eyes revealing no emotion.)~
@82   = ~What is your command, Mistress?~
@83   = ~Pleasure me, male.~
@84   = ~No commands. Do what pleases you.~
@85   = ~I... don't know...~
@86   = ~I wasn't serious about this. Let's just go.~
@87   = ~I've changed my mind. Let's get back to work.~
@88   = ~(A flash of relief crosses his features, but he only nods in silent assent and follows you from the room.)~
@89   = ~(The bard's approach is deliberately slow, his strange crimson eyes never leaving yours. His body is warm and close, his breath soft as he leans in to nuzzle his nose against your neck and angle his lips toward your ear.)~
@90   = ~I cannot lie, my raven. I have long desired you, and even in this form I desire still to hear your breathless cries, my name frozen on your lips, your body moving below mine. Even so, I would not have our introduction into these things come through shapes that are not our own.~
@91   = ~I want this, Haer'Dalis.~
@92   = ~Please, just...~
@93   = ~Promise me we'll do this once we're out of here, then.~
@94   = ~You're right. We'll wait.~
@95   = ~Should we survive to see the stars once more, I swear to make love to you 'neath them 'til you cannot tell sky from ground.~
@96   = ~(His kiss is harsh, sudden and fierce, but ends with a slow, languid sweep of his tongue and a loving caress of his fingers across your cheek.)~
@97   = ~Come. Let us return to our duties, that we might end this sooner.~
@98   = ~(His hands ghost over your hips and press softly against the small of your back to pull you against him. Lips so recently tickling against the shell of your ear press gentle, unhurried kisses to your jaw and neck.)~
@99   = ~Why now? Why here?~
@100  = ~I... gods... because you're doing *that*...~
@101  = ~So much death. So hard to feel. Please, Haer'Dalis. Just help me feel *something*.~
@102  = ~This body is so beautiful. I want you to know me like this, not as I really am.~
@103  = ~Stop. We'd better stop. Let's just--~
@104  = ~(His low chuckle causes his lips to vibrate softly against your flesh.)~
@105  = ~Shall I stop?~
@106  = ~Don't you dare!~
@107  = ~More... please...~
@108  = ~I think that's probably a good idea. Yes, stop.~
@109  = ~(The bard goes very still and pulls back to search your face with concerned eyes. One hand rises to your cheek, gently pushing your hair aside to caress your jaw and sweep along the column of your neck.)~
@110  = ~If that is your desire, then I shall do my best to fulfill it.~
@111  = ~Please...~
@112  = ~No. Wait. I don't... maybe this is a bad idea.~
@113  = ~(Haer'Dalis slumps against you and his shoulders begin to shake. It takes a moment for you to realize he is smothering laughter against your shoulder.)~
@114  = ~My raven, my dear sweet <CHARNAME>. Know you nothing of this sparrow? Beautiful this form may be, but that alone would never make it desireable. I long for *you*, not for Veldrin. I do not believe I have ever made a secret of that longing. Had you but allowed it, I'd have long ago memorized the contours of your true form with tongue and touch alike.~
@115  = ~If you give yourself to me now, swear you will give yourself to me again should we survive to see our natural forms once more. *That* is the <CHARNAME> I desire.~
@116  = ~I promise. Now kiss me, my sparrow.~
@117  = ~I can't make that promise, but I want you to have me now.~
@118  = ~Maybe this is a bad time for this. Let's just go.~
@119  = ~(Sadness is an odd emotion to see on any Drow's face, even an illusionary one, but it lingers on the bard's face for a moment before he nods slowly.)~
@120  = ~(With the reassurance of your permission in his ears, Haer'Dalis draws you in for an insistent but unhurried kiss. His battle-hardened palms frame your face, then trace the contours of your neck until he is skillfully plucking at the clasps of the garments hiding you from his sight.)~
@121  = ~(Relax and allow him to proceed at his own pace.)~
@122  = ~(Lean into his touch and start stripping him as well.)~
@123  = ~(Stop his hands and begin undressing him instead.)~
@124  = ~W-wait... maybe...~
@125  = ~Stop! This isn't right. Let's just go.~
@126  = ~(Groaning under his breath, Haer'Dalis takes a sudden step away from you, his hand raised palm outward in a universal sign of surrender. His face is lined with concentration and desire, but also with sorrow.)~
@127  = ~I cannot do this. Please understand how I long for you, but not like this... I beg you, my <CHARNAME>, not like this.~
@128  = ~Please... I need you...~
@129  = ~We both have roles to play, male! Get back over here, or so help me...~
@130  = ~But I thought you'd want--~
@131  = ~Yeah, it's a little weird, isn't it. Okay, let's get out of here.~
@132  = ~Gods, you're right. Let's just go.~
@133  = ~No, my raven. What you *need* is to finish what we started here and continue the hunt for your soul. It pains me more than you know that I cannot do what you ask of me, but it is... wrong. Even I can see that.~
@134  = ~Forgive me.~
@135  = ~You cannot risk exposing me without exposing yourself, so save the dramatics for those who know how to properly employ them. It pains me more than you know that I cannot do what you ask of me, but it is... wrong. Even I can see that.~
@136  = ~It matters not what I want! It... My raven, I wish I could at times share my mind with you, that you could more easily understand me. It pains me more than you know that I cannot do what you ask of me, but it is... wrong. Even I can see that.~
@137  = ~(The bard releases a sigh of relief and rests his forehead against yours.)~
@138  = ~Glad I am that you realize this. Thank you.~
@139  = ~(The room he leads you to is decorated in the typical dark, garish opulence of the Drow culture. An enormous, round bed dominates the space, and a fresh bath steams invitingly from the corner. As private as it seems, it is likely you are being watched even here.)~
@140  = ~Put your talented hands to good use. I require a massage.~
@141  = ~(A flash of disappointment crosses his features, but he only nods in silent consent and follows you from the room.)~
@142  = ~(His approach is deliberately slow, those unfamiliar crimson eyes never leaving yours. His body is warm and close, his breath soft as he leans in to nuzzle against your neck and press faint, open-mouthed kisses against your sensitive skin.)~
@143  = ~Whatever could my mistress possibly desire from a lowly bard such as stands before her? Mayhap I ought put this talented tongue of mine to good use? Shall I bring you to raptures until you are breathless and unable to speak?~
@144  = ~(Nod in silent agreement.)~
@145  = ~Haer'Dalis... please, yes...~
@146  = ~Do not tease me with words, male. Serve your purpose.~
@147  = ~You may begin.~
@148  = ~What exactly did you have in mind?~
@149  = ~I don't want to be so selfish. We can both enjoy this.~
@150  = ~I'm in the mood for something a little... rougher.~
@151  = ~Perhaps a massage is a better idea.~
@152  = ~I wish to taste every line and contour of this new form of yours, to paint my name along your thighs with my tongue, to hear an exquisite chorus of pleasure and sighs leave your lips. Allow me the honor of spoiling your appetite for any other male.~
@153  = ~(His expression falters for a moment, a flash of some unnamed emotion flickering across the borrowed face he wears. He leans in close enough for you to feel the heat of his skin, and his lips hover above yours, parted in anticipation.)~
@154  = ~Do you desire something beyond pleasure? So many others could offer you just that, my mistress... my raven... my <CHARNAME>...~
@155  = ~Allow this humble bard to honor you with more than lusts of the flesh. Let me... love you.~
@156  = ~(His expression falters for a moment, a flash of some unnamed emotion flickering across the borrowed face he wears, then he is striding toward you with a distinct air of urgency. He stops only when he is close enough for you to feel the heat of his skin, and his lips hover above yours, parted in anticipation.)~
@157  = ~Is pleasure all you desire? So many others could offer you just that, my mistress... my raven... my <CHARNAME>...~
@158  = ~You may try, male.~
@159  = ~'All love is foolish,' but... you may make the attempt.~
@160  = ~Is that some sort of confession?~
@161  = ~Of a truth that was already known, perhaps. Please. Allow me this?~
@162  = ~I... forgive me, Mistress, but you will have to seek the pleasure of another male at present. I have lost my appetite for obedience.~
@163  = ~(Without a backward glance, the bard strides stiffly from the room.)~
@164  = ~(Haer'Dalis takes a few steps back and lets his eyes trace the lines and contours of your body, assessing and analyzing your borrowed form with growing intensity. It's impossible to know what he's thinking, but the heat and dark desire that flare behind his eyes is equally impossible to ignore. He practically lunges for you, his teeth clacking against yours as he demands a deep kiss from your mouth before jerking back to pant hot words against your lips.)~
@165  = ~As you desire, my fierce mistress, so shall it be.~
@166  = ~(You barely have time to register that he has moved at all before Haer'Dalis is on you, his strong hands possessively kneading your back as his mouth devours yours with lips and teeth. His words come out in breathy, bitten-off phrases as he pushes you toward the bed.)~
@167  = ~Give me your body... to use as I desire... but for a short while... and this sparrow will make certain your needs are sated.~
@168  = ~Do it, but you'd best please me, male.~
@169  = ~Yes... harder!~
@170  = ~You're not going to hurt me, are you?~
@171  = ~No, I want something... gentler. More personal.~
@172  = ~(The sound he makes low in his throat makes his disgust at your question perfectly clear.)~
@173  = ~No, my hound.~
@174  = ~Allow me to ease away your tension and stress, my mistress. Would you consent to a massage?~
@175  = ~Yes, thank you.~
@176  = ~Only a massage?~
@177  = ~No, I want something a little more intimate.~
@178  = ~Ah, let us see how things go. Mayhap it will be a happy ending for us all, aye?~
@179  = ~Why would such a powerful female as my mistress seem suddenly so uncertain? Mayhap I ought put this talented tongue of mine to good use? Shall I bring you to raptures until you are breathless and unable to speak?~
@180  = ~Why do you hesitate? Do you believe I could deny you anything? My mistress... my raven... my <CHARNAME>...~
@181  = ~Have you any idea... how I long for you? Give me your body... to use as I desire... but for a short while... and this sparrow will make certain your needs are sated.~
@182  = ~'Tis a dangerous amount of freedom you offer me, Mistress. Mayhap I ought put this talented tongue of mine to good use? Shall I bring you to raptures until you are breathless and unable to speak?~
@183  = ~Anything I desire, at my fingertips? Can you truly offer what I most long for? My mistress... my raven... my <CHARNAME>...~
@184  = ~(Haer'Dalis distracts you with a long, lazy kiss as he guides you to sit on the edge of the bed. Flashing you a sly, promising smile, his nimble fingers move to loosen your shirt.)~
@185  = ~(Allow him to lead.)~
@186  = ~(Reach for his clothes.)~
@187  = ~(Stop his hands and pull him in for another slow kiss.)~
@188  = ~(Yank your shirt over your head and toss it aside.)~
@189  = ~Is this too strange? That we're doing this in these bodies that aren't ours?~
@190  = ~No, stop. Let's just go.~
@191  = ~(He draws in a sharp breath as you work to bare his skin, his own hands going very still for a moment. One quick, heated glance is the only warning you are given before he is pressing you back into the bed, his firm body pinning you as he growls a demanding kiss into your mouth.)~
@192  = ~(His breath catches in his throat as he watches you work, but after a moment, he stops you with a gentle touch and stares down at your hands. When he meets your gaze finally, there is desire in his eyes, but also something nameless and far, far deeper.)~
@193  = ~(His fingers brush tenderly against your face, then twine in your hair. Something changes in the way he is touching you, and even as he kisses you again and pulls you closer, it becomes clear that this is not so much an act of lust anymore as it is an act of love.)~
@194  = ~(He draws in a sharp breath as your flesh is bared to his sight. His hands go very still, and it is almost humorous just how fixated he is on your breasts. One quick, heated glance is the only warning you are given before he is pressing you back into the bed, his firm body pinning you as he growls a demanding kiss into your mouth.)~
@195  = ~(The bard makes a show of undressing you slowly, his fingers lingering and painting featherlight patterns against your arms, your belly, the side curve of your breasts. His breath traces along the edge of your sensitive Drow ears, and every few moments, his teeth find some new, tender spot to leave faint indentations in your borrowed flesh. Despite the heat and desire in his eyes as he bares your thighs, his attention is focused fully on your pleasure.)~
@196  = ~(Relax and enjoy the attention.)~
@197  = ~Oh gods... I want... more...~
@198  = ~W-wait... stop, we should stop.~
@199  = ~Enough! Get away from me, male.~
@200  = ~(His whole body goes still at your words, and his expression is that of a man at war with himself. Whether he suffers a victory or a loss is unclear, but one quick, heated glance is the only warning you are given before he is pressing you back into the bed, his firm body pinning you as he growls a demanding kiss into your mouth.)~
@201  = ~(As he moves to kiss you, his fingers brush tenderly against your face, then twine in your hair. Something changes in the way he is touching you, and even as he kisses you again and pulls you closer, it becomes clear that this is not so much an act of lust anymore as it is an act of love.)~
@202  = ~No, my dusky raven, this is for you, not for me. Enjoy this.~
@203  = ~But I want you to make love to me, Haer'Dalis.~
@204  = ~No, I want you to take me - hard, fast, right now.~
@205  = ~(Haer'Dalis chuckles low in his chest, his sudden smile predatory and dark with lust. That is all the warning you are given before he is pressing you back into the bed, his firm body pinning you as he growls a demanding kiss into your mouth.)~
@206  = ~(You can feel him smiling against your lips, then his tongue moves gently and teasingly against your mouth, begging you for a deeper exploration. After a breathless moment, his hands return to their task.)~
@207  = ~Eager, are we?~
@208  = ~(Even though he laughs and teases you, his eyes have darkened considerably, lust etched across his features. Almost as if he cannot help himself, he drops haltingly to his knees and draws the waiting tip of one breast into his mouth, humming in soft approval as his tongue begins a skilled and hungry exploration of this new body of yours.)~
@209  = ~I find it fascinating. 'Tis as though I must learn you all over again. But, if you say it is not your wish to continue, then I will gladly withhold my desires that we may revisit them once this is all behind us. Assuming we survive, of course.~
@210  = ~Don't stop.~
@211  = ~Learn each other all over again, hmm? I like that. Go ahead.~
@212  = ~Let's just stop. Maybe we can try this another time.~
@213  = ~No, this is too strange. I'm sorry.~
@214  = ~(The last of your clothing is stripped away in a hurried whisper of cloth, then Haer'Dalis settles himself to lounge comfortably face down between your knees. His sly smile promises both mischief and fulfillment. Slowly, tortuously, his talented fingers massage the length of your thighs in deep circles, relaxing away the tension of countless hours on your feet while also introducing a whole new sort of tension.)~
@215  = ~(The first touch of his mouth is a suckling bite against the hollow of your hip, an action he immediately repeats on the other side, though the second one is harder and longer, as if he wishes to mark your dark skin. Each breath he exhales chills the damp patches on your skin, sending gooseflesh rising across your body. His traces the line where your leg meets your body with his lips, pausing for the occasional nip as he gauges your reaction with a furtive glance at your face.)~
@216  = ~(Remain still and let him continue.)~
@217  = ~H-Haer'Dalis... stop... teasing!~
@218  = ~My raven, when you say my name like that, I...~
@219  = ~(Warm, rough palms cup your backside, pulling you up and against his mouth in one hard, demanding motion. The world around you narrows until all that exists is the man between your thighs, the tongue and teeth manipulating your heated flesh, the sudden and inevitable rush of completion that drives through you.)~
@220  = ~(When you regain your senses, Haer'Dalis is resting lightly against your belly smirking in apparent satisfaction as he idly caresses your skin with his fingertips.)~
@221  = ~Beautiful.~
@222  = ~What about you?~
@223  = ~That was wonderful. Thank you.~
@224  = ~That's it?~
@225  = ~I've had better.~
@226  = ~What are you doing, male? Get off me!~
@227  = ~There will be other times, my dear. Much as I might like to linger, this is neither the time nor the place for us to let our guard down for long. Take a moment, but we should get moving quickly.~
@228  = ~Those delicious sounds you made were thanks enough for this humble sparrow. Much as I might like to linger, this is neither the time nor the place for us to let our guard down for long. Take a moment, but we should get moving quickly.~
@229  = ~Ah, my insatiable mistress, alas that we do not have time to fulfill every fantasy of yours, hmm? Much as I might like to linger, this is neither the time nor the place for us to let our guard down for long. Take a moment, but we should get moving quickly.~
@230  = ~Hah! Mayhap I have had better myself, but we cannot always have what we most desire, can we? Take a moment, but we should get moving quickly.~
@231  = ~(Haer'Dalis loudly sighs his disappointment, but obediently backs away.)~
@232  = ~(Though he looks perplexed, the bard obediently moves away and waits for you to dress with his eyes averted.)~
@233  = ~(His eyes narrow and his expression goes cold. Obediently, Haer'Dalis moves away and stands with his back toward you as you dress.)~
@234  = ~(The bard's eyes close as he leans in to kiss you slowly, almost tentatively. His hands caress your shoulders and slide all the way down your arms to twine your fingers together in a tight, intimate clasp. Whispered, broken words slip from his mouth, his breath warm and damp against your lips.)~
@235  = ~(When he finally begins to undress you, his touch is lingering and unhurried, teasing and tracing along the lines of your form. His eyes remain closed.)~
@236  = ~(Relax and allow him to lead.)~
@237  = ~(Begin to strip away his clothes as well.)~
@238  = ~What's wrong? Why aren't you looking at me?~
@239  = ~(He pauses to catch your hands and bring them to his clothes, urging you silently to undress him as he continues his languid efforts to remove the last of your garments.)~
@240  = ~(Begin to slowly strip away his clothes.)~
@241  = ~(Undress him as quickly as you can.)~
@242  = ~(Drop your hands back at your side, challenging him to do it himself.)~
@243  = ~(Haer'Dalis goes very still from time to time as your hands bare his skin, small sighs of longing whispering between his lips and deep lines of concentration furrowing his brow.)~
@244  = ~(Though he chuckles darkly at your eagerness and murmurs something about patience, the bard makes no true attempt to discourage your efforts.)~
@245  = ~(Finally cracking his eyes open, the tiefling-turned-Drow raises an eyebrow at you in mild but slightly amused annoyance. His hands leave your body to tug at the clasps and cloth hiding his nudity from your sight. He makes a show of peeling each bit of cloth back at an agonizingly slow pace, his intense, heated gaze never leaving your eyes.)~
@246  = ~(When he stands before you fully exposed, he smiles with just a touch of arrogance in his expression, then closes his eyes once more and reaches to remove the last scraps of your clothing.)~
@247  = ~(After you are both fully nude, Haer'Dalis takes an impossibly long moment to run his sword-roughened fingers across every inch of your skin. Like an artist, he paints the sensation of touch across your shoulders, down your arms, under the curve of your breasts, then he drops to his knees and sweeps one hand along the seam of your thighs while the other caresses the curve of your hip. His arousal is evident, and his breath puffs hot against your stomach as he presses a faint row of kisses just below your navel.)~
@248  = ~(Enjoy the attention and wait to see what he does next.)~
@249  = ~(Drop to your knees and kiss him.)~
@250  = ~Oh... Haer'Dalis, your hands feel so good...~
@251  = ~What is this nonsense? Are you going to take me, or bore me to death?~
@252  = ~Stop. I think we'd better stop.~
@253  = ~(Despite his own need, the bard spends several more moments touching, teasing and stroking your flesh, honoring your body and expressing his affection and longing for you through his fingertips. Wordless, he catches your hands and tugs you downward, bringing you to your knees in front of him.)~
@254  = ~(An appreciative and hungry groan trembles between your lips and his as he draws you closer. His fingers linger on your jaw and cheeks, stroking, memorizing, then his touch moves to your waist to pull you against him.)~
@255  = ~My... my raven, have you any idea what hearing you say my name in that tone does to this poor sparrow?~
@256  = ~(A wave of annoyance crosses his features, but he retaliates by planting a firm, suckling bite against the ridge of your hipbone, the pressure hard enough to leave a mark if you were wearing your own skin. Wordless, he catches your hands and tugs you downward, bringing you to your knees in front of him.)~
@257  = ~(Haer'Dalis' eyes snap open in surprise and he stares at you in disbelief for a moment. After a pause, he removes his hands from you, allowing you to move away. Awkward silence fills the room as the pair of you dress.)~
@258  = ~(Slowly but firmly, he guides your body to him, urging you to sit on his lap, straddling his thighs.)~
@259  = ~(Slide against his legs, teasing him with the wet heat at the crux of your thighs.)~
@260  = ~(Seat yourself firmly astride him and thrust down against his hardness, claiming him and forcing him to claim you in return in one swift motion.)~
@261  = ~(The bard groans his approval and moves in shallow thrusts against you, rubbing and teasing you in return as he peppers fierce kisses across your chest and up the column of your throat. His patience for the unsatisfying torment does not last long, and you barely feel him shift below you before his hardness thrusts up and into you, filling you completely in one smooth motion.)~
@262  = ~(The bard hisses a surprisingly filthy string of fractured phrases between clenched teeth as he firmly grips your hips, forcing you to remain still for a long moment.)~
@263  = ~I... my raven... <CHARNAME>... I...~
@264  = ~(His words are lost as his arms come fully around you, his face pressed firmly to your breasts as he pulls you down onto him over and over again, his body flexing and rising to meet yours in a slow, lazy grind of flesh-against-flesh. Ropes of muscles bunch and shift beneath your hands, and you can hear your lover panting breathy declarations of affection against your skin.)~
@265  = ~(Lose yourself in the sensations.)~
@266  = ~I... Haer'Dalis, I love you... oh, don't stop...~
@267  = ~(Tighten your thighs and inner muscles around him, attempting to drive him over the edge.)~
@268  = ~This is... this is too much... stop... Stop!~
@269  = ~(Haer'Dalis gasps and sighs your name as his body goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then slumps bonelessly against your chest.)~
@270  = ~Ah, my raven...~
@271  = ~Mmm... again?~
@272  = ~(Sigh in contentment.)~
@273  = ~I didn't know you had it in you.~
@274  = ~We shouldn't linger.~
@275  = ~(His touch turns hard and possessive at your words, his lips and teeth pressing a burning kiss into the flesh above your heart.)~
@276  = ~(His face contorts into a grimace of pained concentration, but his body will not be denied. A moment later he goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then slumps bonelessly against your chest.)~
@277  = ~Forgive me. This sparrow is selfish...~
@278  = ~I wanted to watch you, my sparrow. Wanted to see your face and hear the sounds you make...~
@279  = ~Don't be silly. Sometimes we give, sometimes we take.~
@280  = ~You'll just have to make it up to me another time.~
@281  = ~Yes, you were. Let's just go.~
@282  = ~(Haer'Dalis looks positively agonized, but it is too late for him to stop. His body goes rigid, his fingers digging into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard pushes himself hastily away from you, his unnatural Drow eyes searching your face worriedly.)~
@283  = ~Forgive me, <CHARNAME>! I could not... I...~
@284  = ~I shouldn't have reacted like that. I'm sorry.~
@285  = ~I told you to *stop*! How could you?!~
@286  = ~It's done. Let's just go.~
@287  = ~(Haer'Dalis smiles and kisses you softly, but still does not look at you.)~
@288  = ~My eyes cannot help but see Veldrin. But my hands...~
@289  = ~(His palms cradle your face, tracing the slope of your cheek and the sweep of your neck.)~
@290  = ~My hands see <CHARNAME>.~
@291  = ~(Nod in understanding and allow him to lead.)~
@292  = ~(Begin to strip away his clothes.)~
@293  = ~That's really strange, Haer'Dalis. Let's just go.~
@294  = ~No, 'tis not strange. Give yourself over to me, my raven. Trust me.~
@295  = ~(Though his disappointment is written across his face, the bard nods and steps away from you.)~
@296  = ~(With no hint of hesitation, Haer'Dalis' clever fingers tear at the cloth keeping your bodies separated, popping seams and sending the occasional button skittering across the cold marble floors. His demanding, forceful mouth leaves yours only to ply harsh, biting tracks along the column of your neck and your exposed collarbones. The touch of his rough palms against your naked skin fluctuates between desperate longing and forcefully demanding.)~
@297  = ~(You are both nearly nude in moments. Trapped between your bodies, his throbbing need is impossible to ignore.)~
@298  = ~(Return his near-violent advances with your own bites and scratches.)~
@299  = ~(Pull him atop you as you fall back on the bed, urging him wordlessly to take you.)~
@300  = ~(Pull him against you on the bed, then quickly flip him on to his back to take control of the moment.)~
@301  = ~Stop! You're hurting me!~
@302  = ~No more, male! Get off of me!~
@303  = ~(The pain seems to fuel his lust to greater heights, and low, throaty moans wash against your ear as he pulls you fully against the hard contours of his borrowed body. His tongue laves your throat, then his mouth drops lower to nip roughly at the top of your breasts.)~
@304  = ~(Dazed with desire as he is, Haer'Dalis still pauses to lock his gaze with yours before thrusting hard into you, a joining that is equal parts pain and pleasure. His arms tremble and sweat beads on his brow as he forces himself to slowly work the two of you into a smooth rhythm.)~
@305  = ~(The slightest devious shift of his expression is the only warning you get before the moment of calm is ended.)~
@306  = ~(His pace doubles in a heartbeat, his hips slapping against your thighs with each punishing thrust. His arms wrap around your back, pulling you partially upright and against him, giving him even greater control over the situation. It cannot last long at this pace, but Haer'Dalis holds off his release, urging you with his demanding body and with pleading whispers of encouragement to follow him over the precipice.)~
@307  = ~(Give in to the sensations.)~
@308  = ~(Loudly wail your approval as your passion peaks.)~
@309  = ~(Wait for him to finish.)~
@310  = ~Stop. Stop! Let me go!~
@311  = ~(Haer'Dalis gasps and sighs your name as his body goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then releases you and collapses rather gracelessly at your side.)~
@312  = ~Hah! You abuse your power o'er this frail bard! I will need a moment... or twenty. But this... this I could grow accustomed to, my dear Veldrin.~
@313  = ~Aye. My words exactly.~
@314  = ~There are a great many thoughts running rampant through my mind that you've yet to see brought to fruition, my dear mistress.~
@315  = ~Aye, you are correct. 'Twouldn't be wise to let our guard down o'erlong.~
@316  = ~Let us not extend our stay here for too long. Much as I wish to linger and create yet more memories such as these, there is still much to be accomplished.~
@317  = ~(His face contorts into a grimace of pained concentration, but his body will not be denied. A moment later he goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then releases you and collapses rather gracelessly at your side.)~
@318  = ~Ah... careful, my devious <CHARNAME>... such words from you lips do terrible things to this sparrow's willpower, and I fear we will ne'er again leave this room should you continue.~
@319  = ~True enough, though that does not absolve my pride.~
@320  = ~That I will, you have my word as a Doomguard.~
@321  = ~(Haer'Dalis looks positively agonized, but it is too late for him to stop. His body goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard pushes himself hastily away from you, his unnatural Drow eyes searching your face worriedly.)~
@322  = ~'Tis best if we put this behind us, aye?~
@323  = ~I am so... so very sorry.~
@324  = ~(Haer'Dalis pulls fully away, catches you by your hips, and flips you bodily onto your stomach, filling you immediately in this new position. With your face pressed into the silky cushions, the bard thrusts wildly into you, his body bowing over your back as he slips his hands under you to palm and knead your breasts. It cannot last long as this pace, but Haer'Dalis holds off his release, urging you with his demanding body and with pleading whispers of encouragement to follow him over the precipice.)~
@325  = ~(Haer'Dalis gasps and sighs your name against the nape of your neck as his body goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your hips as he pulls you in for one last, deep thrust. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then releases you and collapses rather gracelessly at your side.)~
@326  = ~(A frustrated sound rumbles from low in his chest, but his body will not be denied. A moment later he goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your hips as he pulls you in for one last, deep thrust. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then releases you and collapses rather gracelessly at your side.)~
@327  = ~(Haer'Dalis flinches, a strangled groan caught in his throat, but it is too late for him to stop. His body goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your hips as he pulls you in for one last, deep thrust. Shaking from exertion, the bard pushes himself hastily away from you, his unnatural Drow eyes searching your face worriedly as he shifts to look at you.)~
@328  = ~(The bard accepts your dominance readily enough, though he is far from passive. Skilled, wandering hands travel from your waist to trace the contour of your breasts and map the pebbled peaks of your nipples. Beneath you, his body never stops moving, the hard heat of his desire begging your entrance for completion.)~
@329  = ~(Impale yourself on his length.)~
@330  = ~(Tease him mercilessly, but do not allow him to take you.)~
@331  = ~This is too much. We have to stop.~
@332  = ~(His eyes roll back in his head as he groans his relief, then he catches you hard against him and begins to thrust up into you with wild abandon. It cannot last long as this pace, but Haer'Dalis holds off his release, urging you with his demanding body and with pleading whispers of encouragement to follow him over the precipice.)~
@333  = ~(Haer'Dalis gasps and sighs your name as his body goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then relaxes beneath you with a weary sigh.)~
@334  = ~(His face contorts into a grimace of pained concentration, but his body will not be denied. A moment later he goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard moves against you once, twice more, then relaxes beneath you with a weary sigh.)~
@335  = ~(Haer'Dalis looks positively agonized, but it is too late for him to stop. His body goes rigid, his fingers digging deep into your back and hip as he pins you against him. Shaking from exertion, the bard lifts you off of him and shifts aside, his unnatural Drow eyes searching your face worriedly.)~
@336  = ~(He tolerates your teasing for only a single, frustrated moment before his patience vanishes. Using his natural quickness and strength, Haer'Dalis flips you onto your back and settles quickly between your thighs, thrusting into you harsh and fast as his lust-dazed eyes stare into yours. He sets a brutal pace, his hips slapping against your thighs as he struggles to hold off his release, urging you with his demanding body and with pleading whispers of encouragement to follow him over the precipice.)~
@337  = ~(Haer'Dalis stares at you in disbelief for a moment, then slowly removes his hands from you, allowing you to get up. Awkward silence fills the room as the pair of you dress.)~
@338  = ~(The bard jerks away from you as if struck, his usual mask of emotions falling away as he momentarily regards you in open distress.)~
@339  = ~Forgive me, I... Please, let us just go. Know that I would never intentionally harm you in such a manner.~
@340  = ~(Haer'Dalis nods absently and takes to the task with a sense of professionalism and pride, but he makes no effort to hide his curious and wandering gaze as he strips away your heavy outer garments and gestures for you to take your place on the bed.)~
@341  = ~(Follow his instructions.)~
@342  = ~(Stretch out on your back and smile invitingly at him.)~
@343  = ~(Cross your arms to cover your near nudity and scuttle to the bed, pulling the cover up to hide your body.)~
@344  = ~Let's postpone this. We have much to accomplish still.~
@345  = ~(Humming idly under his breath, the bard slips onto the bed beside you, then lightly straddles your upper thighs. His weight rests on his knees, but you can feel the warmth of his skin as he leans forward to draw his fingers softly down your shoulder blades a few times, giving you the opportunity to adjust to his touch.)~
@346  = ~(It is likely that Haer'Dalis has been trained to perform this sort of activity, because his strong hands seem to know exactly where to press to coax every drop of tension from your body. His calloused palms rub firm circles against the knotted muscles beneath your skin, and he makes a low sound of satisfaction each time you sigh.)~
@347  = ~(When he is satisfied with the state of your back, he slides down your body and continues his efforts on your legs and feet. By the time he is finished, it becomes a simple thing to forget that you are in the Underdark, soulless and surrounded by Drow. There is nothing in all the realms beyond this room, this bard, and his soothing touch upon your body.)~
@348  = ~Tsk, tsk, none of that, my raven! You shall receive what you asked for, and there will be no seduction to stand in the way of it, aye?~
@349  = ~(sigh) Fine, fine...~
@350  = ~(Pout and refuse to turn over.)~
@351  = ~(Haer'Dalis smiles as he approaches, but when he reaches the bed, he grasps you firmly by the hips and flips you onto your stomach. His voice purrs in your ear.)~
@352  = ~Behave, my dear raven. You shall not regret this.~
@353  = ~Hah! You realize I have seen you far, far more naked than you are at this moment, do you not?~
@354  = ~As you wish, my mistress.~
@355  = ~(Haer'Dalis walks beside you, humming idly under his breath and seeming lost in his own thoughts.)~
@356  = ~(Flirt with him.)~
@357  = ~Do you have a moment to talk?~
@358  = ~I think we need to talk about our relationship, Haer'Dalis.~
@359  = ~Ah, it's so nice to stay at an inn for a change! I cannot wait to have a proper bath.~
@360  = ~(Turn back to the task at hand.)~
@361  = ~(The tiefling appears to be ignoring you.)~
@362  = ~(Watch him.)~
@363  = ~(Hold his hand.)~
@364  = ~(Lean against him.)~
@365  = ~Haer'Dalis, there's something in my pack that keeps poking me. Can you see what it is?~
@366  = ~(Play with his earrings.)~
@367  = ~(Play with his hair.)~
@368  = ~How fare you, my sparrow?~
@369  = ~I'm in the mood for a bit of poetry.~
@370  = ~(Trace the markings on his face with your fingertips.)~
@371  = ~(Push his hair behind his shoulder and rub the back of his neck.)~
@372  = ~When we rest on our travels, we ought to put our bedrolls together.~
@373  = ~Next time we rest at an inn, we should share a bed.~
@374  = ~Now, is there something else you need of this sparrow?~
@375  = ~No, let's keep moving.~
@376  = ~(Though slight of build, Haer'Dalis is strong and fast, his steps light and sure. There is an effortless grace to him, and at times it seems as if his feet barely touch the ground.)~
@377  = ~Is it common for Primes to stare at others as you are staring so intently at me?~
@378  = ~Well, you *are* rather unusual.~
@379  = ~No, I just like looking at you.~
@380  = ~(Blush and avert your eyes.)~
@381  = ~Don't flatter yourself. I wasn't staring.~
@382  = ~Am I? I had not noticed, my raven.~
@383  = ~Aye, it is the hair, is it not?~
@384  = ~I shall take that as a compliment.~
@385  = ~Yes, this I can see. But why, I wonder?~
@386  = ~This sparrow should lie and tell you he disapproves of your attentions, if only to see your reaction.~
@387  = ~Hmm. Mayhap I should watch you a while, then, to see for myself what pleasure you derive from this activity.~
@388  = ~(Haer'Dalis chuckles to himself with an amused shake of his head.)~
@389  = ~(sigh) Women of the Prime are strange. Or perhaps the strangeness is specific to you, my raven?~
@390  = ~Ah, suddenly shy? Do not fret, my raven. I do not mind being your distraction.~
@391  = ~No, certainly not. I must have been mistaken. It could have been any number of lovely maidens staring holes in the back of my head.~
@392  = ~Ah, I see. If you wish, I could teach you to lie more convincingly, my raven.~
@393  = ~(Haer'Dalis shrugs and turns away, but every time you look his direction thereafter, he meets your glance with a small, knowing smile.)~
@394  = ~(Haer'Dalis is holding one of his swords aloft at an angle, frowning at the nicks along the edge of the weapon. Of all his possessions, the twin blades are the only things he ever makes a fuss over.)~
@395  = ~(The tiefling catches your gaze and smiles, revealing himself to be in pleasant mood as he offers you his arm.)~
@396  = ~Come, my dear raven, walking is so dull. Let us dance toward our next battle!~
@397  = ~(Haer'Dalis taps the flat of his fingertips against his thighs as he walks, creating a thrumming, complex rhythm that you cannot seem to ignore even when you try to focus on something else. When he notices your attention, the tiefling's hands grow still and and the pulsing rhythm vanishes. The bard says nothing, but he offers you a small, mysterious smile.)~
@398  = ~This sparrow might begin to make inappropriate assumptions about a young woman who cannot take her eyes from him.~
@399  = ~(Haer'Dalis notices you watching him and tilts his head thoughtfully your direction, but says nothing.)~
@400  = ~(The tiefling languidly rolls his shoulders, letting out a tired sigh as his lean muscles bunch and shift.)~
@401  = ~I wonder if we hounds would be just as weary at the end of each day were we not burdened with the weight of our armor. Of course, then we would become known far and wide as 'the company who rushes onto the battlefield as naked as the day they were born!'~
@402  = ~Which could, perhaps, keep some of our enemies at bay. Shall we test that theory, my raven?~
@403  = ~(Though Haer'Dalis frequently calls himself 'sparrow,' in truth he more closely resembles a large cat. Neither overly tall nor muscular, the tiefling steps gracefully on silent feet, his dark eyes constantly prowling his surroundings, yet he maintains an air of careless calm in almost all situations.)~
@404  = ~(Your bard companion draws stares everywhere you go, though it is difficult to tell whether this is because of his silver tongue and charming smile, or because of his blue hair and striking facial markings.)~
@405  = ~(Either way, Haer'Dalis hardly seems to mind the attention.)~
@406  = ~Hmm? Have I done something to warrant your undivided attention, my raven?~
@407  = ~Oh, I was just daydreaming.~
@408  = ~Don't flatter yourself. I wasn't staring at you.~
@409  = ~Aye, that happens to this sparrow on occasion as well. Especially when you are walking ahead of me on one of our long, dull marches...~
@410  = ~About your humble bard, I hope.~
@411  = ~Do I imagine the blush that colors your cheeks? Whatever thoughts could have been circling in that lovely head of yours?~
@412  = ~The feeling is mutual.~
@413  = ~Mayhap I should lengthen my stride and puff out my chest a bit, put on a better show for you, aye?~
@414  = ~You are absolutely breathtaking when you do that, my dear.~
@415  = ~Are you... oh, what is that Common phrase? Undressing me with your eyes? Aye, that is the one.~
@416  = ~'Tis intriguing how your spirit soars no matter what comes, my raven. Most Primes would lament their fate in your shoes.~
@417  = ~(Haer'Dalis offers an amused smile and a quick wink in reply.)~
@418  = ~It took me quite some time to adjust to the quick smiles of you Primes. In Sigil, simple kindness is rare and fleeting, not to mention that the baring of teeth does not translate well to some cultures who call The Bird Cage their home.~
@419  = ~What I would not give to crawl inside your mind at moments like this, my raven.~
@420  = ~(Haer'Dalis responds with a wide, pleased grin and a wondering shake of his head.)~
@421  = ~Chaos. You wear it well. Or perhaps it wears you?~
@422  = ~(The tiefling bows dramatically your direction.) You flatter me beyond measure with your sweet attentions, my raven.~
@423  = ~(The bard tilts his head to one side and studies you thoughtfully for a long moment.)~
@424  = ~(Haer'Dalis seems lost in thought and does not acknowledge you.)~
@425  = ~(The tiefling smiles in return, but his eyes are dark and brooding. A frown returns quickly to his face, making it clear his thoughts are not on pleasant matters.)~
@426  = ~What makes you smile, I wonder? Is it death stalking your footsteps that makes you grin? Doth entropy bring you the joy I see in your eyes? Do you revel in the destruction you've wrought? Are your dreams filled with gleeful accounts of chaos and madness?~
@427  = ~Or perhaps you were merely being friendly? I am uncertain which answer I prefer.~
@428  = ~(Your hand slides easily into his grasp, but he makes a 'tsk' of disapproval and moves your hand to the bend of his elbow instead.)~
@429  = ~Like thus, my raven. Now, when battle comes, as it surely will, I can better defend the fair damsel with my broad shoulders and shining armor! Hide 'neath my shield, <CHARNAME>! Your honor shall go unblemished!~
@430  = ~Hah! Even this skilled actor had trouble keeping a straight face on that one, my dear friend.~
@431  = ~You give quite freely of your affections, my raven.~
@432  = ~Yes, I do.~
@433  = ~Only to you, my sparrow.~
@434  = ~It's not affection. I'm planning to use you as a shield the next time we're attacked.~
@435  = ~Does that bother you?~
@436  = ~Er... maybe you're right...~
@437  = ~Such direct answers steal away all the mystery and intrigue I've built up in my mind. And yet, oddly enough, I cannot say which I prefer - the knowing or the wondering.~
@438  = ~Hah! This sort of honesty I can appreciate, even with such cruel intentions.~
@439  = ~On the contrary, I find it refreshing when a woman does not always act as her peers. You are independent. 'Tis nothing to be ashamed of.~
@440  = ~'Twas merely an observation and not meant as reproach.~
@441  = ~(The bard curls his fingers around yours, caressing your knuckles with his thumb. After a moment, he raises your hand to his lips for a soft kiss, a small smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.)~
@442  = ~Who would have thought a powerful woman like yourself would seek such petty comforts.~
@443  = ~You wish me to fight one-handed? Aye, 'tis a challenge I accept, my raven!~
@444  = ~(Your fingers lace comfortably with his, and he flashes you a faint, rueful smile. You walk in comfortable companionship for longer than is probably wise.)~
@445  = ~(You reach for the tiefling's hand, only to find that you've misjudged the swing of his arm and missed him altogether. You stretch again, and again the same result - his hand remains just out of reach. On the fifth such attempt and failure, you glance up to see barely contained amusement written across Haer'Dalis' face as he watches your antics. Knowing his game is up, he catches your fingers in a tight clasp and leans in to kiss your cheek.)~
@446  = ~My sweet raven, you shall never know how very much I admire your persistence.~
@447  = ~Ah, my dear <CHARNAME>, you read my mind at times. I was just musing what it would feel like to hold chaos and destiny in my hands. I thank you for reminding me.~
@448  = ~(Haer'Dalis seems surprised to feel your fingers slide into his grasp, his dark eyes drinking in your expression as if he is hoping to find an answer to some unknown question written there.)~
@449  = ~(After a moment, he flashes you a too-quick smile and kisses the back of your hand before releasing you.)~
@450  = ~(The bard appears to be wrapped up in his own thoughts and merely pats the back of your hand absently before wandering away.)~
@451  = ~(Just as you swing your hand toward him, Haer'Dalis turns your direction. Instead of grasping his fingers, you end up smacking him rather firmly between his legs with the back of your hand.)~
@452  = ~(The tiefling's eyebrows shoot upward, then his mouth twists into a wide grin of amusement.)~
@453  = ~Ah, I should not laugh and encourage you, for had I been dressed for less than battle, you'd have done me a fine injury with that wayward hand. Do be more careful, dear raven, aye?~
@454  = ~(Your hand slides easily into his grasp, but he smiles and moves your hand to the bend of his elbow instead.)~
@455  = ~'Tis an honor to protect such a finely distressed damsel as yourself.~
@456  = ~Have you any idea how distracting your touch can be?~
@457  = ~No, perhaps you should tell me.~
@458  = ~Am I bothering you?~
@459  = ~Your touch distracts me as well.~
@460  = ~Of course you do.~
@461  = ~The next injury I receive in battle because I was busy daydreaming about your hands on my skin will be testiment enough of your powers of diversion, I think.~
@462  = ~Oh, most certainly. And I do not mind in the least.~
@463  = ~Hah! And so we shall both die whilst our guard is down, but at least we shall do so with a smile upon our faces!~
@464  = ~(Your fingers lace comfortably with his, and he flashes you a soft, thoughtful smile. You walk in comfortable companionship for several minutes before he lifts your hand to press a kiss against your palm.)~
@465  = ~(One minute you're enjoying the weight of his hand curled around your fingers, and the next you feel yourself spun into a tight embrace. Haer'Dalis dips you backward, weapons, gear and all, and brushes a warm but faint kiss across your lips. With his eyes half lidded and his silver-blue hair falling about your face in tickling waves, he smiles as he drinks in your expression.)~
@466  = ~'Tis no simple matter to catch the child of a god unawares. Glad I am to have managed such a feat and lived to tell about it.~
@467  = ~(Apparently lost in his own thoughts, Haer'Dalis doesn't acknowledge your touch at first. After a moment, he stops and takes your hand in both of his, eyes focused on his task as he flexes your wrist and digs his thumbs deep into the muscles of your palm. The slow, hard massage radiates outward to each of your fingers in turn, twisting and soothing with expert touches.)~
@468  = ~(When he finishes, he finally glances at you with his dark, unreadable eyes. A smile graces one corner of his mouth before he reaches for your other hand to repeat the treatment.)~
@469  = ~(A chaste but lingering kiss pressed to your lips concludes his spontaneous pampering.)~
@470  = ~(His sidelong glance is warm and teasing.)~
@471  = ~Is my raven feeling a bit needy to<DAYNIGHT>?~
@472  = ~(Haer'Dalis says nothing, but silently accepts your weight against him. Occasionally his fingers trace along the edge of your arm in an absent gesture.)~
@473  = ~Are you unwell? This humble bard believes you sleep far too little for your own good.~
@474  = ~Aye, I believe a good, long sleep is in order for the both of us, my raven. Death will surely catch us up in a blink should we drag ourselves onward for much farther.~
@475  = ~(Sighing, the bard rests against you as well, creating a balanced counterweight that allows the both of you a moment of reprieve, however brief it may be.)~
@476  = ~(He seems to misinterpret the approaching sway of your body as your way of asking for more personal space. He moves away just as you begin to tilt sideways, and you're forced to stagger inelegantly to catch yourself. Haer'Dalis doesn't seem to have noticed.)~
@477  = ~(How it happens, neither of you seem to know for certain, but through some twist of poor luck, you both end up sprawled on the ground. Rubbing his knee, the bard gives a pained shake of his head and helps you up.)~
@478  = ~Between the two of us, there seems to be one too many left feet, aye?~
@479  = ~No, wait...~
@480  = ~(The tiefling turns you gently toward him and pulls you into a full embrace. He sighs against your hair and his hands tighten against your back.)~
@481  = ~This... this I prefer, dear raven.~
@482  = ~Mayhap I should simply carry you, aye, little one?~
@483  = ~Here, my tiny raven, this will be better for the both of us, methinks.~
@484  = ~(He sits down and indicates that you should sit behind him with your back against his. The two of you lean against each other for a peaceful moment.)~
@485  = ~(Haer'Dalis just happens to twist and shift at exactly the wrong moment. It's too late to catch yourself any other way, and you're forced to grab a double handful of the bard's rear to save your nose from being smashed painfully against his back.)~
@486  = ~(Though he startles in surprise at the sudden invasion of his personal space, the Doomguard is soon laughing merrily as he pieces together what has led to your spontaneous groping. His dark eyes sparkle with teasing amusement.)~
@487  = ~All you had to do was ask, dearest raven.~
@488  = ~(Haer'Dalis says nothing, but silently accepts your weight against him. His fingers lace together with yours, his thumb leaving warm trails across the back of your hand, and you feel a ghost of a kiss grace your temple.)~
@489  = ~You look weary, my dear. This humble bard believes you sleep far too little for your own good. Perhaps that is partly my fault, aye?~
@490  = ~(The tiefling turns you gently toward him and pulls you against his chest. He sighs into your hair and lets his hands knead up and down your back in a slow, sensual embrace.)~
@491  = ~Your arms are a comfort to me. I admit, I am a bit mystified how that came to be.~
@492  = ~(He sits down and abruptly pulls you into his lap, curling himself around your smaller body for one peaceful moment of rest.)~
@493  = ~(Though he begins hunting for the source of your discomfort with impassive professionalism, the bard's voice is decidedly teasing when he starts musing aloud.)~
@494  = ~Careful, raven. Invite me to touch you often enough, and I might begin to believe that you are doing it for no other reason than to feel my hands upon you.~
@495  = ~(sigh) I cannot believe these words will pass through my lips, but your pack is an even worse disaster than my own!~
@496  = ~Hmm... I see nothing, <CHARNAME>. Mayhap this mystery pain is trapped beneath your garments? You should check when next we rest.~
@497  = ~Let us take a look a--~
@498  = ~Ah. Ahem. My raven. Do *not* move.~
@499  = ~(Out of the corner of your eye, you see the bard draw one of his swords and turn the point toward your left shoulder.)~
@500  = ~(Remain still.)~
@501  = ~What in the Nine Hells are you doing?!~
@502  = ~(Lurch away from his blade.)~
@503  = ~(Everything is very still and silent for a heartbeat, then you feel the pressure of the tip of his blade against your back and hear a sickening crunch before the weight pulls away.)~
@504  = ~(The bard looses an explosive sigh and tilts the sword for you to see. Impaled upon the point is a beetle the size of your hand, its thick, spiked legs flailing helplessly as it works its dangerous pincers in a vain attempt to free itself.)~
@505  = ~You made a friend, <CHARNAME>.~
@506  = ~Trust me.~
@507  = ~No! Wait!~
@508  = ~(Something claws on needle-like feet up your neck and has almost burrowed its way into your hair before you manage to dislodge it. A beetle the size of your hand scrambles away on spiked legs, leaving you staring after your unwanted passenger.)~
@509  = ~Hmph. You should have trusted me, my hound.~
@510  = ~(He whistles to himself as he searches under your pack, then the bard suddenly goes very silent and still. A heartbeat later, you feel a tug against your pack, and the tiefling moves into your sight, his face somber as he regards the splintered arrow he has pulled free.)~
@511  = ~My raven... You ought not turn your back to archers in the future, aye?~
@512  = ~What a curious coincidence, for I too feel something sharp attempting to dig a hole in my spine. Come, let us sit together a moment and sort out our collection of trinkets and rubbish.~
@513  = ~(The bard hums thoughtfully as he fishes around in the space between your spine and your pack. His fingers playfully poke your ribs from time to time, searching for a reaction, but after a moment he withdraws a small twig and tosses it aside.)~
@514  = ~'Twas naught but some jealous tree's attempt to bring you pain. Shall we go return to the road?~
@515  = ~Forgive me, my raven, but I think you are more than capable of handling the matter yourself, aye?~
@516  = ~Why do I suspect you desire little more than to bring me to my knees on your whim, tiny raven? If 'tis truly a bother, I suggest you remove your pack and conduct your own search.~
@517  = ~(Haer'Dalis crouches down behind you to ease the weight of your pack to the ground. He slides one palm down your back, checking for the source of your discomfort, then begins to examine your pack. After a moment, he sighs and shrugs.)~
@518  = ~I can find nothing, little one. Mayhap it shifted when the pack dropped?~
@519  = ~If you long for my hands upon your skin, my dear, all you need do is say so. Games are unnecessary.~
@520  = ~Hmm... I see nothing, <CHARNAME>. Mayhap this mystery pain is trapped beneath your garments? You should ask this sparrow to give a more thorough inspection when next we rest.~
@521  = ~Whatever would you do without me here to search you for pests, <CHARNAME>?~
@522  = ~Hmph. I thought trust was well established between us, but I see I was wrong, my hound.~
@523  = ~My raven... I will guard your back, but you must be more careful.~
@524  = ~(The bard hums thoughtfully as he fishes around in the space between your spine and your pack. His fingers stroke and linger along your ribs and low across your back, his breath warm and constant against your neck as he stands closer than is strictly necessary for the task. Eventually he withdraws a small twig and tosses it aside.)~
@525  = ~'Twas naught but some jealous tree's attempt to bring you pain. Should I perhaps continue my search, in case there are more villains lingering?~
@526  = ~(Haer'Dalis eagerly complies with your request - by embracing you from the front, his arms beneath yours to pull you snugly against the hard planes of his body. His hands slide beneath your pack, supposedly searching for the source of your discomfort, but with his open mouth pressed to your neck, whispering soft nonsense against your sensitive flesh, it's difficult to say if any progress is being made.)~
@527  = ~I can find nothing, little one, and I suspect you knew I would find exactly that. Mayhap a kiss is in order to encourage your poor bard to trust you once again?~
@528  = ~(Haer'Dalis tilts his head obligingly when your fingers brush aside his hair to peruse the assortment of gold and silver hoops adorning his right ear. He lets out a soft murmur as your fingers move against his unusually hot skin, a curious playfulness in his sidelong glance before he pulls away and shakes his hair back into place.)~
@529  = ~(The tiefling is staring off vacantly into the middle distance when you innocently raise your hand to jingle his earrings. Haer'Dalis startles in a moment of uncharacteristic nervousness, catching one of the rings roughly on your outstretched fingers, and he recoils with a hiss of pain between his teeth.)~
@530  = ~Give fair warning when next you feel the need to abuse this poor sparrow, aye raven?~
@531  = ~(Your finger brushes delicately down the row of shining rings, a faint, musical chime reaching your ears as they bounce against each other. Haer'Dalis smiles at the sound.)~
@532  = ~And now you will think me less mad when I say I ever hear music in my head, my raven.~
@533  = ~Do you like my decorations, fair friend?~
@534  = ~I do. They suit you.~
@535  = ~I wish I had some pretty hoops like that for my ears.~
@536  = ~They're a bit impractical.~
@537  = ~There's too many of them. They look silly.~
@538  = ~I've always hated earrings.~
@539  = ~Thank you, <CHARNAME>.~
@540  = ~Aye, they would suit you well.~
@541  = ~I cannot argue with that. I once had a cambion grab hold of them and tear the whole lot straight out of my ears! I was most grateful for healing magic that day, I can assure you.~
@542  = ~Oh, but a male must adorn himself with more shiny baubles than the next male if he wishes to attract the attentions of lovely females. Even the simplest of birds knows this, my raven.~
@543  = ~'Tis a good thing you have little need for them then, aye?~
@544  = ~Oh! Easy, my hound. I believe that last battle nearly saw me less an ear, and 'tis still tender.~
@545  = ~Your affection is always desired, but not always wise. You may play with me another time, my raven, but let us focus on other things for the moment.~
@546  = ~If you are attempting to count them, let me know the number, aye? I do believe more than one have fallen victim to your enemies.~
@547  = ~Careful, my raven. Your frail Doomguard's ears are rather sensitive, and your touch is... alarmingly distracting.~
@548  = ~(Haer'Dalis preens a bit at your attention, and his eyes follow you long after you've moved away.)~
@549  = ~(The bard replies your advance with one of his own. His open palm hovers just above your skin as his thumb traces a long trail from the tip of your chin, along the line of your jaw, then finally up the curve of your ear. His fingers curl lightly in your hair before he winks slyly and pulls away.)~
@550  = ~(The tiefling's mane of silver-blue locks sifts between your fingers like spun silk, the hair lustrous and thick enough to make even a modest woman jealous. Something about the way he glances at you makes makes it clear that he is proudly aware of the envy he inspires.)~
@551  = ~(The bard sighs with dramatic sadness as you curl a strand of his hair around your finger.)~
@552  = ~'Twas once much darker, my raven, when this sparrow was young and foolish. It seems to become more silver by the year. Wisdom and reason tell me 'tis part of the natural decay of all life, but vanity insists otherwise.~
@553  = ~(Haer'Dalis makes a soft hum of pleasure as your fingers feather through his long locks, but the sound is cut short by a grimace of pain when you accidentally catch one of the decorative braids with a sharp tug.)~
@554  = ~The worst pain is the one we welcome willingly, aye?~
@555  = ~Think you this sparrow a kitten, waiting eagerly for you to stroke him at your whim?~
@556  = ~Enjoying this sparrow's plumage, are you? If it interests you so, keep an eye out for anything that might be nesting in there, aye? I would not be surprised, considering the places we often choose to rest our heads. Put your curiosity to good use, hmm?~
@557  = ~(You lift one of the beaded locks woven into the bard's hair, studying the intricate details of both the braid and the carved objects threaded into the hair.)~
@558  = ~They are reminders, my raven, of memories I never hope to forget. That particular memory has been with me for a number of decades, though my sister would cut off your hand for daring to touch it. Women are strange in that way, wouldn't you agree?~
@559  = ~(Haer'Dalis watches with interest while you weave a lock of his hair into a tiny braid. He regards you with open surprise, then a sudden contemplative tenderness softens his face briefly before he shakes off his bemusement and gestures for you to walk ahead of him.)~
@560  = ~Hmm? Was there something in my hair? No, no, answer this poor sparrow not. If 'twas so, I do not want to hear what it was.~
@561  = ~Mmm... if you but call for a rest, I would gladly lay my head in your lap and give you leave to do this for the rest of the <DAYNIGHT>.~
@562  = ~(The tiefling draws in a sharp breath as your fingertips thread through his hair, nails catching against his scalp. The gaze he turns upon you is heavy and thick with sudden, unexpected desire. He closes any distance between you in an instant, his hands now in your hair, cradling the back of your head and tilting your mouth to hover but a hairsbreadth from his parted lips.)~
@563  = ~(You can feel the indecision in his touch.)~
@564  = ~Temptress...~
@565  = ~(He releases you and turns sharply away.)~
@566  = ~I am well enough, my raven. Longing for The Cage at times, but worry not for this sparrow.~
@567  = ~Anxious, my raven, anxious for battle! 'Tis no shortage of violence in your fair presence, but this poor bard's appetites are oft insatiable.~
@568  = ~There is a stone in my boot, a buckle of my bracer has snapped clean in two, something in my pack is digging into my spine, and I have an insufferable tune spinning circles 'round my mind. All in all, I am as well as can be expected, raven.~
@569  = ~I fare well, for my thoughts are filled with you. Strange, is it not?~
@570  = ~Hmm... why *is* a raven like a writing desk...? Could it be that... Oh, apologies my dear raven, but my mind is lost within itself. Let us speak some other time.~
@571  = ~Splendid am I, my raven. The beautiful sky overhead, blood on my blades, a powerful woman beside me, food in my belly, death waiting around the corner and music in my heart! What more could a Doomguard ask for?~
@572  = ~Dead on my feet is what I be, my hound. Let us to rest, lest this tiefling make his bed on this very ground!~
@573  = ~Bruised and battered, but worse have I seen. I shall live to see another battle, have no doubt of that, my raven.~
@574  = ~My wounds pain me greatly, my relentless hound. If you wish to see me a grave man, let us press onward; if you wish for me to fight by your side for another day, I must seek healing immediately.~
@575  = ~Weary, worn and battle sore, my raven. Let us have rest! This actor cannot keep his mask in these circumstances, and I shall surely terrify you with my true face!~
@576  = ~Aye? A bit of rhyme I heard long ago has run circles 'round my mind this last hour. 'Tis one verse I devote to you, my raven.~
@577  = ~For one brief moment, let me see into your mind
Let me wander through your past to see what I might find
Let me dive into the darkest recesses of your heart
Help me understand you, down to your deepest part~
@578  = ~But will you, I wonder? Aye, I wonder indeed.~
@579  = ~For you, my raven.~
@580  = ~In her darkest hour
She refuses to cower
She screams to the night
'Not without a fight!'~
@581  = ~When all seems lost
And not worth the cost
She throws back her head
'I am not yet dead!'~
@582  = ~Shadows lurking behind
The night tempts her mind
She cries, wild and free
'You cannot have me!'~
@583  = ~In her worst nightmare
She will never show fear
But scream to the night
'Not without a fight!'~
@584  = ~Fate cruel and menacing
When nothing would stop us
You lashed your arrows to prey
Upon our own foolishness~
@585  = ~Insecurity tipped that so poisoned the mind
I lash out at you Fate and your bolts of despair
Sent with such venom to keep us apart
To deny us true love and the embrace we desired~
@586  = ~But you oh Love! Do not try and hide
You trickster you are not innocent in this
Blood is on your hands with your elusive techniques
To enrapture complete, then perform such torture~
@587  = ~As you dangle us, your victims upon the rack
Stretching us past the point of tolerance
I look upon lovers in the mist, specters all
In the tragedy of epic love abounding~
@588  = ~Cruel you two Vixens are
How I hate your very names
I would dash your heads upon the rocks
But in my misery I am weakened~
@589  = ~In my rapture I cannot see past her
I am powerless to defeat you here
Fate and Love who gave you the power
To perform such vindictive miracles~
@590  = ~The world was ours! Life was only a step away
With one kiss as the fairy tales portray
We would have succumbed to you Love
With one moment, our life would have paid you tribute~
@591  = ~But cruel Fate and elusive Love
You denied us our ransom and stole our fancy
Paralyzed our young minds with curare
Brought our false fears to bear with your shots~
@592  = ~How I hate you Fate! How you pain me Love!
I forsake you both! I challenge you to meet me
For battle awaits you, your doom awaits!
I shall shame you. Even to the shame of my house~
@593  = ~As I stand here with only shield in hand
String your vicious bows, aim them foolishly for my destruction
Launch your barbs, line your sights with my heart
But your poisons cannot touch what is not there~
@594  = ~For my heart is sent away from me
Freely given to roam the Stars above
I challenge you Fate! I decry you Love!
For I have found what you sought to deny~
@595  = ~Alas, this sparrow is of a different mind altogether at present. Perhaps another time, my raven.~
@596  = ~I recall a dark but lovely verse I once learned from a Prime. 'Twas a man scorned by love, or so he claimed. This sparrow saw him in the arms of a different lover every other night, so 'tis possible his sincerity was lacking.~
@597  = ~Oh Love, oh miserable Love
Who spurned you so?
To make your gifts seem so unattainable
Should they only be imagined in old tales
And the dreams of fairies in the fields?~
@598  = ~My diamond, so much like the sun
Life-giving, yet so far out of reach
May the internal fires of the sun
Burn through me and leave me not
A once burned shell, blessed with no beating heart~
@599  = ~Oh how glorious to be consumed by the sun
To have your flesh dyed red, for all to see!
Oh I miss you so when the rains come
My whole body aches for you once again
'When,' I cry, 'will you foul clouds run away!'~
@600  = ~How my mind laughs at the plight of us mortals
With one life to live, and one soul to give
All our days should be spent under the sunshine's rays
But quiver not again, the clouds will soon depart
As the day no longer lingers, bracing for deep nights~
@601  = ~Oh Love, oh miserable Love!
Who spurned you so?
To make our efforts seem for naught
No! I refuse your libations to defeat
I call forth my destiny, to one day be free~
@602  = ~It cannot be described
It can never be named
It is not confined
And never ashamed~
@603  = ~It can be beautiful
It can be terrible
It can be wonderful
Or completely unbearable~
@604  = ~Perfect it is not
And yet it is wise
It can never be bought
Or won as a prize~
@605  = ~It has more strength in one
Than a thousand men
It cannot be undone
Nor can it condemn~
@606  = ~I often wonder what these silly poets think as they build impossible expectations upon ephemeral emotion. Ah, but 'tis not this sparrow's place to judge the artist for their art, I suppose.~
@607  = ~I once found a scrap of parchment crumpled in the hand of a dead courtesan. Never you mind why this poor sparrow was searching her body to begin with, but scratched upon this paper were several sad verses that have lingered in my mind ever since.~
@608  = ~No matter what I do
I can't seem to get ahead
When I think I'm moving forward
I find I'm falling back instead~
@609  = ~I struggle and I strive
To make things work out right
But when I look around me
My dreams are nowhere in sight~
@610  = ~I carry this exhaustion
Reaching to my very core
I'm trying to keep going
But my everything feels sore~
@611  = ~I keep fighting so hard
To keep my hope alive
I'm stricken with despair
As I struggle and I strive~
@612  = ~Alas that I am shackled by sure gravity
Drawn to the heavens, but held to earth
Down in the dust of this pale, dry crust
If only I could hold the stars at night
And be consumed by their infinite light~
@613  = ~Absorbed by the expanse of the spans of stars
Released into the eternal light of the sun
Never in my dreams would I have dared
To feel the piercing malaise of my heart
I feared the stars when I was young, but never will I again~
@614  = ~(The bard catches your hands and raises each of them to his lips one at a time, his nearly black eyes sparkling as if in amusement, but his expression is solemn as he watches your face.)~
@615  = ~Your sun will set and yet will rise again
In between the moon's gentle changing phases
Like your heart's steady, gentle rhythm
Rides upon my breast like a golden locket
I have come to believe in your destiny
To ride upon the waves of your embrace 
Sailing to nowhere and everywhere at once~
@616  = ~To hold you against me closely
Your flesh intertwined with mine
Oh how my heart cries out for more
As I wait upon desires and my dreams
To be with you in each fragile living moment
Or hear your voice whispering upon my ears
And holding your hands, feeling each heart beat
As our passion collides and bursts forth anew~
@617  = ~(Haer'Dalis gives you a heavy, lingering gaze that starts at your feet and caresses its way up your body to eventually stop at your eyes.) Though short has been my stay on the Prime thus far, I begin to appreciate its scenes and scenery more with each passing day.~
@618  = ~The rain comes oh so sudden on this scene
So softly falling, lightly glazing
The green, green grass of spring
As the water pools in mountains soon be spilling
Building, building, gathering such speed
Flowing, flowing as the river always rushing
But slowly down the walls does the water fall
The raindrops plunge and merge together 
With the clear blue waters
As the river flows, flows, flows~
@619  = ~The river slowly graceful 
Holding tightly to the canyon walls
Feeling 'round each bend and curve
Touching every rock and crevice
Caressing every rock and crevice
Merging swiftly merging
Eroding slowly along the canyon
It continues building, building
The water swiftly meeting, greeting
As the river flows, flows, flows~
@620  = ~The river quickly shifting, 
Ever flowing, rougher going
As the rapids do approach
The water dashes, splashes, dashes,
With fierce white foam, its interactions
Grasping, grasping every rock and crevice
The tension escapes, as water imparts
Harmoniously overtaking the limits of the canyon wall
Rushing, rushing, splashing at the canyon walls,
As the river flows, flows, flows~
@621  = ~Then the rapids ending, ending 
Calmly slowing with smooth trails upon the river
The water silky, now so silky, rubbing
Along the canyon walls, slowly
Ever slowly, the water gently caressing
Along every rock and crevice
Lightly scratching every rock and crevice
As it slowly marches toward the deep
The river flowing, flowing out to now calm seas
But the river will be always flowing, ever flowing~
@622  = ~Aye, my raven? Ah, do my marks bother you?~
@623  = ~No, I just find them curious. They look like scars.~
@624  = ~On the contrary, I find them quite alluring.~
@625  = ~They're so strange.~
@626  = ~My father, tortured man that he was, flew into a rage one night and took his fury out on my young face with a carving knife. I can still hear my sister's screams, feel the hot blood pouring down my neck as I struggled...~
@627  = ~Hah! My raven, you should see your face. 'Twas nothing so traumatic, I assure you. I was born with these marks, perhaps a gift of my mother's heritage. They are no more painful than freckles, I imagine.~
@628  = ~(Your naked fingertips explore the intricate marks on the bard's face. They appear to be scars at first glance, the flesh smooth and glassy like poorly healed burns, but the symmetry and flawlessness of the lines suggests some other origin.)~
@629  = ~(After a moment of indulging your explorations, Haer'Dalis traps one of your hands and gently bites your fingertip, an amused smile on his lips.)~
@630  = ~(The bard murmurs appreciatively under your attentions, tilting his head back to allow you to stroke the smooth lines adorned on his chin. With his eyes half-lidded and a sleepy smile on his lips, he looks much like a cat enjoying a good scratching.)~
@631  = ~Ah, uh, my raven, as much as I adore your attentions, 'tis quite difficult to watch for danger with your hands fluttering about my face so.~
@632  = ~(Haer'Dalis seems amused by your interest, and allows you to poke and prod his face for several moments before he laughs lightly and pulls away from you.)~
@633  = ~(The tiefling pulls away when you reach for him, flashing you an inscrutable glance before he turns to hide his face from your sight.)~
@634  = ~(Haer'Dalis is frowning and appears lost in thought when you raise your hand to stroke his face. His reaction is a sharp intake of breath, a flinch and a lurching step away from you, leaving you standing with your hand hanging in the air while he stares at you with something very much like fear in his eyes.)~
@635  = ~(One blink of those dark pools, and the emotion is gone, replaced by awkward amusement and a sheepish laugh.)~
@636  = ~My imagination was run away with me, my raven. Forgive my ridiculous antics.~
@637  = ~(As you idly trace the patterns, Haer'Dalis raises his hand and trails his fingers across your cheeks and chin, drawing an imaginary mirror image of his markings on your flesh. His smile is warm and perhaps a little wistful.)~
@638  = ~Ah, my raven, that tickles!~
@639  = ~(sigh) Must you poke and prod me like a slave at market?~
@640  = ~(The kiss begins innocently enough, just a simple brush of your lips against his, but you both lean in for more, over and over, deepening the contact with every kiss until your display borders on obscene. Breathing raggedly, Haer'Dalis pulls away and runs his fingers through his long hair, now tousled by your affection.)~
@641  = ~My raven, you are a burden upon my self-control. A burden I do not mind in the least.~
@642  = ~Let us abstain from such pleasures for the moment, my raven. You would not wish me to lose my head for a kiss, would you?~
@643  = ~My dear raven, you taste like mystery and destiny. An addictive combination.~
@644  = ~Mmm... as delightful as this is, we must not linger overlong lest out enemies catch us unawares.~
@645  = ~(You lean in to give the tiefling a kiss on the cheek, but he turns his head suddenly to catch your mouth with his. A hum of pleasure rises in his throat as he pulls you into a fierce embrace, his tongue teasing your lips for only a moment before he pulls away. He tilts his head and smiles, a promise shining in his dark eyes.)~
@646  = ~(The bard cradles your face in his hands and kisses you lightly on your forehead, your cheeks, the tip of your nose, and finally, lingeringly on your lips. He is smiling as he gestures for you to walk ahead of him.)~
@647  = ~Come, my lovely raven, let us be off lest I forget why we are here to begin with.~
@648  = ~(Just as you turn to him, Haer'Dalis also turns toward you, catching both of your hands in his. Carefully, as if you are fragile or delicate, the bard raises each of your hands to his lips and lightly kisses your palms. Twining your fingers together, he pulls you close and ghosts a kiss against your forehead, his breath leading a warm trail down between your eyes and the length of your nose until his lips finally caress yours.)~
@649  = ~(When the moment ends, he says nothing as you draw apart, but he keeps one of your hands tucked into his grasp for several more minutes.)~
@650  = ~(Haer'Dalis picks you fully up off the ground, his arms tucked securely around your waist, and kisses you lightly on your forehead, your cheeks, the tip of your nose, and finally, lingeringly on your lips. He is smiling as he settles you back on the ground.)~
@651  = ~Come, my tiny raven, let us be off lest I forget why we are here to begin with.~
@652  = ~(Though he is not a tall man by human standards, Haer'Dalis is tall enough compared to you that unannounced kisses are impossible when he's standing up. Fortunately, he is crouched on his haunches to adjust his pack, providing you a rare opportunity.)~
@653  = ~(His attention stays fixed on the task at hand as you approach, and a tiny upward twitch at the corner of his mouth is the only warning you get before he grabs your shoulders and uses his own body weight to rock backward, dragging you unceremoniously into his lap. Nimble fingers caress the back of your neck as he plunders your mouth with a quick, ravening kiss. His breath is hot and heavy against your lips when he releases you.)~
@654  = ~There are so many things I wish to do to you right now, my little tease, even here in the dirt for all eyes to see.~
@655  = ~Not to complain, but if you intend to seek my lips often, perhaps I should walk on my knees so I have no need to bend to your whim so often.~
@656  = ~(Haer'Dalis sighs, leaning into your embrace.)~
@657  = ~I am a creature who thrives off of complexities, off of confusion and argument and mystery, and yet the simplicity of being in your arms undoes me every time.~
@658  = ~Forgive me, my affectionate raven, but I do not wish to let my guard down. Later, you have my word.~
@659  = ~As pleasing as it is to be the object of your desires, I would much prefer we save such displays for times when we carry less leather and metal on our persons. 'Tis not nearly as erotic as some might think, aye?~
@660  = ~Are you certain your mother was not a succubus? I have known many in my life, but none made me lose my focus the way you do.~
@661  = ~(The bard seems distracted and barely returns your embrace with more than minimal pressure. When you pull away, however, he gently kisses the corner of your mouth and places your hand in the bend of his elbow, offering you a wan smile as you set out arm in arm.)~
@662  = ~(The tiefling catches you around the waist and spins with you in his arms, sweeping you up in an amorous display of affection. He presses his lips against the side of your throat, murmuring something too quiet for you to hear, but the vibration of his mouth sends chills over your skin.)~
@663  = ~(He releases you after a moment with a sigh and a smile.)~
@664  = ~(The moment you reach for him, Haer'Dalis turns and takes a step closer to you, his shoulder colliding with yours and knocking you both off balance. You try to catch yourselves and each other at the same time but only succeed in sending the tangled pair of you crashing to the ground, the tiefling squashed beneath you.)~
@665  = ~(He groans, then lets out a pained laugh, dark eyes sparkling even as he grimaces and tries to sort out the mess that is your limbs, armor, clothing and weapons.)~
@666  = ~If you wanted me on the ground this instant, all you had to do was ask, my hound. Save me the bruises, aye?~
@667  = ~(You start to wrap your arms around the tiefling's waist, but he grasps your hands and drops to his knees instead. Unbothered by the filthy ground beneath him, he places your arms around his neck before embracing you, his palms warm against the small of your back.)~
@668  = ~You are a powerful creature indeed, that you can bring this Doomguard to his knees for little more than the promise of your warm embrace.~
@669  = ~Mmm... oof!~
@670  = ~Oh, dear one, we shall have to carry about a stool for you to stand on for moments like this. Bending to your desires is a terrible burden on this poor sparrow's back!~
@671  = ~(The tiefling loops his arms around your waist and lifts you easily off the ground, sweeping you up in an amorous display of affection. He presses his lips against the side of your throat, murmuring something too quiet for you to hear, but the vibration of his mouth sends chills over your skin.)~
@672  = ~(He sets you gently onto the ground after a moment with a sigh and a smile.)~
@673  = ~(The tiefling graciously accepts your attentions by slipping his hand around the back of your neck to mirror your actions. For a long, lazy moment, the two of your do nothing more than enjoy the feel of one another.)~
@674  = ~(The bard's rumbling groan of appreciation is surely lascivious enough to draw stares, but he seems far too busy enjoying the feel of your hand on his skin to care what anyone else - including you - might think of him.)~
@675  = ~No, not here. Save your touch for another time.~
@676  = ~(The bard cringes and gingerly moves away from you.)~
@677  = ~I am grateful for your touch, my dear, but I fear my flesh is far too tender at present. When next I feel it wise to take a blow in your stead, do be kind enough to remind me of this moment, aye?~
@678  = ~(Haer'Dalis happens to turn suddenly just as you reach for him, and your hand catches him squarely in the throat. A choked sound escapes him, and though he recovers himself quickly enough, the look he casts you is equal parts exasperation and amusement.)~
@679  = ~Oh, you are temptation made flesh, fairest one, but let us save such intimacies for places that afford us greater privacy.~
@680  = ~(His chin drops hard against his chest as the tension drains from the line of his shoulders under your ministrations. Soft words of appreciation slip between his lips in whispered snippets, and when you withdraw, he gifts you with a contented smile.)~
@681  = ~(He chuckles softly and sweeps you up in a warm embrace.)~
@682  = ~Seeing you poised on the tips of your toes just so, straining to reach this sparrow's plumage... Ah, you are far too adorable and wonderful for your own good, darling <CHARNAME>.~
@683  = ~(The bard seems to read your mind and kneels before you just as you reach to touch him. He holds your gaze as you run your fingers over his heated skin, honest affection shining in the dark pools of his eyes. Taking your free hand in his, he lifts your palm to his lips and brushes faint, tickling kisses across your palm and the tips of your fingers.)~
@684  = ~A pity we cannot linger, my sweet <CHARNAME>. Thank you for this.~
@685  = ~(Haer'Dalis clearly did not notice your approach. Just as you reach up to touch him, he moves your direction, colliding rather painfully with you in a clatter of gear and weapons. His hand whips out to steady you, but the both of you stumble to your knees in a messy and painful tangle.)~
@686  = ~Ah... raven... we have to stop meeting like this, aye?~
@687  = ~'Twould be my pleasure, fairest raven.~
@688  = ~Are you certain that is what you want? Do not think me reluctant, but give the question some thought. Intimate interludes are not the same as prolonged companionship, and I would wish you to know your mind before you dive in, as it were.~
@689  = ~(He moves in very close to you, but does not touch you. His eyes burn with naked longing.)~
@690  = ~If that is your desire, know that you will not wake rested the next day should I have anything to say about it.~
@691  = ~(A warm, lingering kiss seems to be the only answer he is willing to provide.)~
@692  = ~My raven, at most times I am more than content to be used by you. But in this? No, I fear this I cannot do. Not even for you.~
@693  = ~My raven...~
@694  = ~(He shakes his head sadly, his eyes guarded.)~
@695  = ~That would be most unwise.~
@696  = ~And... you think your lover will not notice this new arrangement? Is he, perhaps, blind, deaf and dull-witted?~
@697  = ~I have little interest in being butchered in my sleep by your jealous lover, my hound. I shall have to decline.~
@698  = ~(Haer'Dalis walks beside you, silent and thoughtful, but his dark eyes stray your direction frequently.)~
@699  = ~(The tiefling appears to be lost in his own thoughts.)~
@700  = ~What turns your attention my way, raven? Are you well?~
@701  = ~I just needed to reassure myself that you're still here.~
@702  = ~(sigh)~
@703  = ~You look tired, Haer'Dalis.~
@704  = ~I need your touch.~
@705  = ~There is nowhere I would rather be.~
@706  = ~Until the moment entropy catches me up, I am yours, my raven.~
@707  = ~If I should ever willfully leave your side, know that I would not do so in secret. I am here, <CHARNAME>.~
@708  = ~(He lifts your hand to his lips and brushes a kiss across your knuckles, but his expression is troubled and his touch is brief.)~
@709  = ~(He echoes your sigh, then flashes you a grim smile.)~
@710  = ~If there were ever a time to drink ourselves into a blind stupor, this would be it, aye?~
@711  = ~(The tiefling's arms pull you close and cradle you firmly against his chest. Leaning into the embrace, he seems to be drawing comfort from your presence.)~
@712  = ~Rest has not come easily for any of us, methinks. This too shall pass, aye?~
@713  = ~As do you, though I think perhaps the theft of your soul is a good excuse for looking less than perfect.~
@714  = ~Worry not. 'Tis nothing that cannot be cured.~
@715  = ~(His fingers capture yours tightly and he presses a kiss against the crown of your head.)~
@716  = ~'Tis something I gladly provide.~
@717  = ~(His hesitation is noticeable, and even when he finally moves toward you, his only action is to brush your cheek with his knuckles. His dark eyes are well guarded, and it's difficult to imagine what he might be thinking.)~
@718  = ~My feelings reflect yours, but we must not let down our guard.~
@719  = ~(The tiefling catches your gaze and holds it for a long moment, his impossibly dark eyes revealing no hint of emotion. As he turns his gaze away from you, his brow furrows in deep thought.)~
@720  = ~(Haer'Dalis hums a slow, sorrowful tune under his breath. His faraway expression reflections the emotions of the melody.)~
@721  = ~If you've a need, name it and I shall see it done.~
@722  = ~You are a wonder to me, my raven. I cannot comprehend where you find your smile each morning.~
@723  = ~(The bard's answering smile lacks its usual enthusiasm.)~
@724  = ~(Haer'Dalis nods once and looks away.)~
@725  = ~(Haer'Dalis responds with a wondering shake of his head.)~
@726  = ~Oh, how chaos clings to you. 'Tis your second shadow.~
@727  = ~Your attention always flatters me, but mayhap we ought focus on more important matters at present.~
@728  = ~This humble sparrow only hopes your smile is not a mask for your true feelings, my hound.~
@729  = ~(Your hand slides easily into his grasp, but he moves your hand to the bend of his elbow instead, pulling you close so that your hip brushes against his with every other step.)~
@730  = ~Your touch is a welcome distraction, my raven.~
@731  = ~(The bard curls his fingers around yours, caressing your knuckles with his thumb. Even when necessity forces you to move apart, he seems reluctant to let go.)~
@732  = ~(At the touch of your hand, the bard stops and turns toward you, his eyes searching your face carefully. Whatever it is he sees there seems to reassure him, and he offers you a slight smile before twining his fingers with yours.)~
@733  = ~(Your fingers lace comfortably with his, and he flashes you a soft smile. You walk in comfortable companionship for longer than is probably wise.)~
@734  = ~(Startled, the tiefling jerks away from your hand, only to let out an explosive sigh when he realizes it was only you.)~
@735  = ~Apologies, my raven. It seems that all this crawling through dungeons has taken its toll on my nerves.~
@736  = ~(He glances down at your conjoined hands, then turns a sincere and thoughtful look toward you.)~
@737  = ~Thank you, my raven, for allowing this humble bard to participate in the grand play that is your life.~
@738  = ~(The tiefling turns you gently toward him and pulls you against his chest. He sighs into your hair and lets his hands caress your back in a slow, soothing embrace.)~
@739  = ~(He does not speak, but the warmth of his arms around you says more than a thousand words.)~
@740  = ~(Haer'Dalis casts you a regretful glance and shakes his head.)~
@741  = ~Let us not delay, my raven. Not now.~
@742  = ~(Haer'Dalis tilts his head obligingly when your fingers brush aside his hair to peruse the assortment of gold and silver hoops adorning his right ear. He lets out a soft murmur as your fingers move against his unusually hot skin, and he offers you a warm sidelong glance before he pulls away and shakes his hair back into place.)~
@743  = ~(Haer'Dalis turns away when you reach for him, though it's difficult to say if he is ignoring you or if he simply did not notice you.)~
@744  = ~This sparrow has certainly seen better days, but then so has my raven, aye? Such is the price of this life we lead at times.~
@745  = ~Spare no worry for me, raven. You've enough to weigh you down already.~
@746  = ~We are all of us scarred and worn and pieced back together, are we not?~
@747  = ~I do not know. (sigh) And I do not know *why* I do not know, or if I should worry that I do not know.~
@748  = ~(Haer'Dalis catches your hand and holds it against his cheek for a long moment. His eyes are mysteriously void of emotion, but his fingers tremble against yours.)~
@749  = ~(After a moment of indulging your explorations, Haer'Dalis traps one of your hands and kisses the tip of your finger.)~
@750  = ~(One blink of those dark pools, and the emotion is gone, replaced by uncharacteristic embarrassment and the faintest hint of shame.)~
@751  = ~(As you idly trace the patterns, Haer'Dalis raises his hand and trails his fingers across your cheeks and chin, drawing an imaginary mirror image of his markings on your flesh. His attention wavers and he stares in open wonderment at your bottom lip before physically shaking off his bemusement.)~
@752  = ~There will be time for such things later perhaps, my hound.~
@753  = ~(Though his touch is brief and hesitant, Haer'Dalis spends a long moment gazing into your eyes after you part. It looks as though he is searching for something.)~
@754  = ~(The bard seems distracted and barely returns your embrace with more than minimal pressure.)~
@755  = ~Save your strength, my raven. These trials are not yet at an end.~
@756  = ~(His hesitation is obvious, and you watch a war of emotions flicker behind his eyes.)~
@757  = ~My raven... I am here for you. Whatever you need of me, I shall provide if I am able.~
@758  = ~Indeed? Is something the matter, my raven?~
@759  = ~No, forget I said anything.~
@760  = ~I think you have the wrong idea about us. I just want us to be friends.~
@761  = ~It's about Anomen...~
@762  = ~It's about Gavin...~
@763  = ~It's about Edwin...~
@764  = ~It's about Kelsey...~
@765  = ~It's about Tsujatha...~
@766  = ~It's about Angelo...~
@767  = ~It's about Solaufein...~
@768  = ~It's about Kivan...~
@769  = ~It's about Xan...~
@770  = ~It's about Keldorn...~
@771  = ~It's about Aran...~
@772  = ~It's about Valygar...~
@773  = ~It's about Lask...~
@774  = ~I am disappointed, but I understand. I wish you every happiness the realms have to offer, dear raven.~
@775  = ~Alas, I shall miss the warmth of your skin against mine, but all things must have an end. I wish you every happiness the realms have to offer, dear raven.~
@776  = ~The valiant and hypocritical defender of your virtue? Aye, what of the hound?~
@777  = ~It was nothing. Never mind.~
@778  = ~I thought you should know that there's nothing going on between the two of us. I'm just not interested in him.~
@779  = ~I think I might be attracted to him.~
@780  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Anomen... what would that mean for you and I?~
@781  = ~Whatever is developing between the two of us, I thought you should know that I'm not serious about him.~
@782  = ~This relationship I have with Anomen, I think it might be getting serious.~
@783  = ~I'm not sure how you'll react to this, but would you perhaps consider helping me make him jealous?~
@784  = ~I know it might seem like I'm committed to him, but it's not as serious as it might seem.~
@785  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Anomen and myself.~
@786  = ~He's neglected me a bit lately. Will you help me make him jealous?~
@787  = ~Whatever spark might have been between the two of us is dead. It's over.~
@788  = ~Anomen and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@789  = ~Indeed? I do not understand the appeal personally, but mayhap you see in him what I cannot.~
@790  = ~Beyond this sparrow questioning your taste in men?~
@791  = ~Mayhap he is aware of this? Anomen is not the sort to take such matters lightly, or make attachments with casual intent.~
@792  = ~Indeed, and no doubt he would agree. He is not the sort to take such dalliances lightly.~
@793  = ~Surely you realize that would put this sparrow at no small measure of risk, aye? Make no mistake, I do not fear the hound, but such tactics have a history of spectacular misfires.~
@794  = ~His is a heart of light and kindness, aye? 'Tis perhaps a bit too bright for this sparrow. What of him, my raven?~
@795  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Gavin... what would that mean for you and I?~
@796  = ~This relationship I have with Gavin, I think it might be getting serious.~
@797  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Gavin and myself.~
@798  = ~Gavin and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@799  = ~Indeed? It seems your taste varies widely, aye?~
@800  = ~Mayhap he is aware of this? Gavin does not seem the sort to take such matters lightly, or make attachments with casual intent.~
@801  = ~Indeed, and no doubt he would say the same. He is not the sort to take such dalliances lightly.~
@802  = ~'Tis a rather cruel game you suggest, and I do believe your Gavin would agree.~
@803  = ~Ah, our red-cloaked sparrow-hawk. What of him, my raven?~
@804  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Edwin... what would that mean for you and I?~
@805  = ~This relationship I have with Edwin, I think it might be getting serious.~
@806  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Edwin and myself.~
@807  = ~Edwin and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@808  = ~I see. Mayhap I should not question your impulse, but I wonder if the wizard feels such things for anyone but himself.~
@809  = ~And is Edwin aware of this?~
@810  = ~Indeed, and that is no small wonder in itself. That he would prove to be the devoted sort is news to this sparrow.~
@811  = ~A dangerous proposal, my hound. Would you truly wish this frail bard to find his end at the hands of such a mighty Red Wizard?~
@812  = ~...~
@813  = ~I deserve an award for that straight-faced utterance.~
@814  = ~The sweet-tempered sorcerer, aye? What of him?~
@815  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Kelsey... what would that mean for you and I?~
@816  = ~This relationship I have with Kelsey, I think it might be getting serious.~
@817  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Kelsey and myself.~
@818  = ~Kelsey and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@819  = ~Truly? How curious.~
@820  = ~And is Kelsey aware of this? He does not seem the sort who appreciates such easily dismissed attachments.~
@821  = ~Aye, so it would seem.~
@822  = ~'Tis a rather cruel game you suggest, and I do believe your Kelsey would agree.~
@823  = ~Ah. I know not what to make of the elf, truly. What of him, my raven?~
@824  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Tsujatha... what would that mean for you and I?~
@825  = ~This relationship I have with Tsujatha, I think it might be getting serious.~
@826  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Tsujatha and myself.~
@827  = ~Tsujatha and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@828  = ~He carries intrigue upon his person like a well worn cloak, that much is certain, but attraction?~
@829  = ~I do not believe Tsujatha to be capable of anything that is not serious, my raven.~
@830  = ~Ah. 'Tis a risky venture you propose, for the both of us mayhap.~
@831  = ~Is it true he was your brother's ally? I do believe that adds much credibility to the notion that anything can be bought. But what of him, my raven?~
@832  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Angelo... what would that mean for you and I?~
@833  = ~This relationship I have with Angelo, I think it might be getting serious.~
@834  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Angelo and myself.~
@835  = ~Angelo and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@836  = ~Truly? This sparrow would say that seems an odd match, but stranger pairs have existed and thrived, I suppose.~
@837  = ~Then perhaps you should not torment the man with hope, hmm?~
@838  = ~'Tis a surprise to this sparrow, but it seems you speak truth.~
@839  = ~I suppose that depends upon what exactly you'd like me to do.~
@840  = ~Ah, our poetic refugee from the Underdark. What of him?~
@841  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Solaufein... what would that mean for you and I?~
@842  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Solaufein and myself.~
@843  = ~Solaufein and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@844  = ~Drow are beautiful, aye, but I sense you mean more than physical attraction.~
@845  = ~Then I advise caution, for this can only end in pain.~
@846  = ~So it would seem.~
@847  = ~(sigh) My raven...~
@848  = ~There stands a man of infinite vengeance and sorrow. What of him?~
@849  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Kivan... what would that mean for you and I?~
@850  = ~This relationship I have with Kivan, I think it might be getting serious.~
@851  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Kivan and myself.~
@852  = ~Kivan and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@853  = ~I cannot question his beauty or his intrigue, but I must question the wisdom of pursuing a man such as he. Let your heart be sure, my hound, or let it feel naught at all.~
@854  = ~Then you be a cruel hound indeed.~
@855  = ~I will not insult you with doubt, but I do find it difficult to believe.~
@856  = ~I think mayhap such tactics will not work on all men, my raven.~
@857  = ~A most amusing berk, is he not? Much like this sparrow, and yet so very, very *not*. What of him, raven?~
@858  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Xan... what would that mean for you and I?~
@859  = ~This relationship I have with Xan, I think it might be getting serious.~
@860  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Xan and myself.~
@861  = ~Xan and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@862  = ~Hah! A fine jest. Wait... you speak truth? My raven, I find that very odd indeed, but I shant judge you for it.~
@863  = ~Then why bother? Oh, and now this sparrow begins to sound like your poor elf! Alas, how I rue the day!~
@864  = ~A bit too serious for my taste, aye.~
@865  = ~And you think he will respond to such things?~
@866  = ~A noble hound of better quality I've yet to meet. What of him?~
@867  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Keldorn... what would that mean for you and I?~
@868  = ~This relationship I have with Keldorn, I think it might be getting serious.~
@869  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Keldorn and myself.~
@870  = ~Keldorn and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@871  = ~Are you certain what you feel is attraction and not pity? Even *I* pity the poor berk.~
@872  = ~Then you are cruel to him, and naught but pain will result from such games.~
@873  = ~It does seem so, aye.~
@874  = ~I do not think the paladin will respond well to such games, my hound.~
@875  = ~The sellsword with the unique tongue and roving eye? Aye, what of him?~
@876  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Aran... what would that mean for you and I?~
@877  = ~This relationship I have with Aran, I think it might be getting serious.~
@878  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Aran and myself.~
@879  = ~Aran and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@880  = ~Aye, you and many other women as well, it would seem.~
@881  = ~I might suspect he views you in a similar light, though 'tis not unheard of for a man to change his ways for the right woman.~
@882  = ~Out of curiosity, are you certain he is of a similar mind?~
@883  = ~Ah, the games we play, my hound...~
@884  = ~Our brave and noble protector of forests and virginity alike! What of him?~
@885  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Valygar... what would that mean for you and I?~
@886  = ~This relationship I have with Valygar, I think it might be getting serious.~
@887  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Valygar and myself.~
@888  = ~Valygar and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@889  = ~The air of mystery and tragedy he carries is most intriguing, I admit, but the man loathes and loves too much for this sparrow. Magic for the former, and female companionship for the latter, to be perfectly specific.~
@890  = ~That is something you should tell him, and not this sparrow, methinks.~
@891  = ~A fascinating turn of events, to be sure.~
@892  = ~Are you certain that is wise? Hah! What a foolish question did pass through these lips!~
@893  = ~The arrogant Calishite of questionable parentage, aye? What of him?~
@894  = ~If, hypothetically, I was perhaps interested in pursuing Lask... what would that mean for you and I?~
@895  = ~This relationship I have with Lask, I think it might be getting serious.~
@896  = ~Things have become pretty heavy between Lask and myself.~
@897  = ~Lask and I are no more than friends now, but I want him back so badly! Help me win him back, Haer'Dalis!~
@898  = ~Aye, he is an attractive man, though I wonder if he is capable of affection for anyone but himself.~
@899  = ~The carrion crow does not seem the sort to do things by halves, my raven. Mayhap you should be more cautious.~
@900  = ~Strange, and stranger yet...~
@901  = ~Your Lask does not seem the sort to respond well to such things, though perhaps that is your hope, aye?~
@902  = ~Ah. I see. Well, that is good to know, I suppose.~
@903  = ~You are a grown woman, free to choose what lovers you will. I assume by the way you ask this question that you wonder if I will cling to jealousy or force you to make a choice or some such?~
@904  = ~You don't seem the possessive type.~
@905  = ~I was trying to be considerate. I didn't want to put you into a situation that would make you uncomfortable.~
@906  = ~It's nothing more than curiosity, really.~
@907  = ~Can you honestly say you *wouldn't* make me choose?~
@908  = ~I really don't know why I brought it up.~
@909  = ~Then you know me well, though I will be perfectly blunt and add that I also do not make a habit of being used for o'erlong by the whims of others. 'Tis a tiring game when one is the toy itself.~
@910  = ~I thank you for the courtesy, but I assure you that 'twas unnecessary. I am not known for withholding my opinions, as you might have gathered by now, and would not hesitate to vocalize my complaints if any were to be found.~
@911  = ~Shall I insert a quaint proverb about cats and their curiosity, hmm?~
@912  = ~Aye. I can honestly say just that.~
@913  = ~No? Well, I shall be here when you remember, hmm?~
@914  = ~While I cannot profess joy at the prospect of seeing you in the arms of another, I also cannot claim any distinct sense of disdain for the idea either. Do what pleases you, my raven.~
@915  = ~Thank you for your understanding, Haer'Dalis.~
@916  = ~Wow. How... refreshing.~
@917  = ~You wouldn't fight for me?~
@918  = ~That's just disgusting! You would really *share* me with someone else?!~
@919  = ~Ah, I do not know if 'understanding' is the correct word, but you are most welcome nonetheless, dearest <CHARNAME>.~
@920  = ~As your reaction leads me to believe you are aware, most other prospective lovers will not share your sparrow's opinion on this. I can be discrete, if that is your wish, but all the discretion in the world is often not enough to blind a man forever.~
@921  = ~Just... keep that in mind, my raven.~
@922  = ~Hah! If there is any woman in the Prime and beyond who does not have need of a champion, it is you, my <CHARNAME>! I would not insult you by presuming, and you oughtn't insult yourself with the implication.~
@923  = ~That is not to say you are not a woman worth fighting for, but in some petty squabble of jealousy and ego? No. Never.~
@924  = ~'Twas you who brought this up, my hound! Now that the truth is known, you are welcome to trade your affection for this sparrow to anyone who might desire it and be done with me.~
@925  = ~I have to wonder why you tell me this. Do you think to provoke jealousy with knowledge that I already possessed? Or mayhap 'tis the opposite? You fear I will become possessive and wish to reassure me that such measures are not necessary?~
@926  = ~I didn't want you to think I was losing interest in you.~
@927  = ~I had to be honest with you. I don't keep things from people who are important to me.~
@928  = ~Maybe I just want you to fight for me.~
@929  = ~Such neglect would likely be obvious to this bard. As much as I appreciate the courtesy, and your continued affections, you need not worry that I require petty reassurances. I am here if you need me, however you need me.~
@930  = ~Honesty is... something I have little enough experience with, in truth. As much as I appreciate the courtesy, and your continued affections, you need not worry that I require petty reassurances. I am here if you need me, however you need me.~
@931  = ~Alas, the heart wants what it wants. If that means your affections have turned away from this sparrow, then so shall it be.~
@932  = ~No, it hasn't turned from you. That's exactly the problem!~
@933  = ~I'm just so confused. I don't know what I want!~
@934  = ~Maybe it's best if we just end it now.~
@935  = ~I want you to fight for me, Haer'Dalis.~
@936  = ~Problem? Why?~
@937  = ~There is little need for you to make a choice at present, my raven. Well, not unless your other significant other forces a confrontation, of course.~
@938  = ~Is that truly what you desire?~
@939  = ~Yes. Let's just be friends, Haer'Dalis.~
@940  = ~No. I care about you.~
@941  = ~Glad I am to hear that. Come, let us dwell upon these thoughts no more.~
@942  = ~The game of envy is a dangerous one, my raven. I do not mind playing a lead role in such tawdry little shows, but mayhap the seeds are already sewn? If your eye wanders my way, your other love will surely take notice.~
@943  = ~Beyond that? I think it is in my best interest to play a passive role and see what comes of all this, aye?~
@944  = ~If the loss has brought you pain, then I am sorry for that, but I admit I am pleased to hear this. I do not count myself a jealous bard, but neither do I wish to share you, my raven. Thank you for telling me.~
@945  = ~And work to reverse what entropy has torn asunder? No, my raven. Not even for you would I attempt such a thing.~
@946  = ~Of course, my raven. What do you wish of me?~
@947  = ~Tell me about Sigil.~
@948  = ~What exactly is a planewalker?~
@949  = ~Will you tell me a little about the Doomguard?~
@950  = ~What is it like to be a tiefling?~
@951  = ~Why did you decide to pursue the life of a bard?~
@952  = ~How old are you?~
@953  = ~What would you say if I asked you to share my bed with me this evening?~
@954  = ~Tell me about your parents.~
@955  = ~Will you tell me about your sister?~
@956  = ~What happened to you in the Blood War?~
@957  = ~Where is your mother now?~
@958  = ~Why did you leave Raelis to join up with me?~
@959  = ~Do you miss Sigil?~
@960  = ~Weren't you supposed to be writing a book or a play or some such about me?~
@961  = ~I need to talk about Yoshimo.~
@962  = ~After all this time, you've finally met Imoen.~
@963  = ~Have you ever heard of someone surviving without a soul?~
@964  = ~You've seen a lot in your life, Haer'Dalis. Have you ever seen anything like the Slayer?~
@965  = ~The Underdark is finally behind us. What did you think of it?~
@966  = ~Those elves certainly weren't the friendliest lot.~
@967  = ~Bodhi is finally dead for good.~
@968  = ~Haer'Dalis... can we win this?~
@969  = ~Never mind. Let's move on.~
@970  = ~Oh, my raven, I fear I could ramble on for ages and eons about my fair home. Have you something specific you wish to know?~
@971  = ~Nothing specific, no. Perhaps you could just tell me something of your experiences there?~
@972  = ~What *is* Sigil?~
@973  = ~What does it look like?~
@974  = ~Who lives there?~
@975  = ~Who's in charge?~
@976  = ~Nevermind. I'm not really interested in Sigil.~
@977  = ~Oh? Such a pity.~
@978  = ~Hmm... It may surprise you, but this sparrow's favorite haunts were not taverns, inns or bordellos - though the Brothel of Slacking Intellectual Lusts was always a delight - but where I found the most joy was in the markets. I frequented the many curiosity shops, always in search of new and wondrous items, or I would simply find a shadowed corner from which to watch the Lady's Handmaidens as they worked, or the petty thugs and harlots weaving into the crowds to ply their skills. Many times I would swap delightful stories with wildly superstitious fishwives or wanderers passing through. Aye, 'tis the markets I miss the most, fair raven.~
@979  = ~Curiosity shops? We have those here on the Prime, you know.~
@980  = ~What kind of superstitions?~
@981  = ~Handmaidens? Why would some lady's handmaidens be interesting?~
@982  = ~You mentioned thugs and harlots - are these sort common in Sigil?~
@983  = ~The brothel of... what now?~
@984  = ~Let's talk about something else.~
@985  = ~Oh, aye, I have browsed a few here myself, but none can compare to the wild madness found in a city that touches all planes. 'Tis not uncommon for foolish youths to dare one another to buy an item at random without knowing its possible uses, just to see what will happen. The outcomes were... unpredictable, to say the least.~
@986  = ~Ah, memories...~
@987  = ~There are quite a many more than I could name, and some are not at all dissimilar to the paranoid beliefs I see here on the Prime. In the City of Doors, however, most fear stems from the threat of the ever-present Lady of Pain and her swift and merciless wrath. Almost all residents believe that simply to speak her name aloud is to tempt fate. I knew many otherwise perfectly reasonable folk who would fall apart or stare about in terror at the merest mention of the Lady!~
@988  = ~I don't understand. Who is the Lady of Pain?~
@989  = ~That seems pretty extreme.~
@990  = ~That's insane.~
@991  = ~Interesting.~
@992  = ~I can understand the poor rabble clinging to their bizzare beliefs, but even the educated believe that nonsense?~
@993  = ~Is she really as dangerous as they believe?~
@994  = ~They must have good reason to fear her so much.~
@995  = ~The Lady of Pain is the silent, ruthless and ever-vigilant ruler of my fair Sigil, though I often wonder if that is the title she would use for herself. 'Tis she who maintains the balance and preserves the neutrality of her Cage, opening and barring what portals she will, when she will. Despite her obvious power, the Lady refuses to be worshiped and will not long tolerate mockery, bringing about a swift end to any and all who dare test her patience. As far as this frail sparrow can tell, all the Lady of Pain desires is Sigil's continued stability.~
@996  = ~Aye, as are most blind beliefs. Though the Lady is clearly not one to be trifled with, 'tis obvious she does not sit about, wringing her hands, waiting to overhear her name in casual conversation so that she might Maze the poor berk.~
@997  = ~In truth, it might be reasonable to say that the wealthy and powerful fear the Lady even more, for 'tis they who stand out above the crowd and have much to lose. You must understand, the Lady herself is no myth. She is very real, and she wields terrible power, my dear raven.~
@998  = ~Oh, aye. Though I believe that many of the superstitions surrounding her are exaggerated or downright foolish, the Lady herself is no myth. She is very real, and she wields terrible power, my dear raven.~
@999  = ~Oh, not just *some* lady - *the* Lady. The handmaidens I refer to are the dabus, strange floating creatures with sickly skin and brilliant white hair. They are most curious beings, speaking only in rebuses that many find difficult to comprehend. They are the keepers of Sigil, tireless workers who labor to maintain buildings and streets.~
@1000 = ~Who is this Lady you speak of?~
@1001 = ~So these dabus are... women?~
@1002 = ~They *float*?~
@1003 = ~What are rebuses?~
@1004 = ~So, they're slaves.~
@1005 = ~I... No, I would not say that. Nor would I say they are male either. 'Tis something of a mystery, that, though the same question surrounds the Lady of Pain herself, whom many describe as not a lady at all. Mayhap the answer will be made clear someday, but this sparrow has no desire to go poking at that particular nest of vipers.~
@1006 = ~Indeed. They move to and fro suspended above the ground, much like the djinni. It is quite something to watch them at work, unfettered by the need to keep their feet on the ground.~
@1007 = ~A rebus is a sort of puzzle where pictures represent words or phrases or pieces of words. It sounds far simpler than it is, though this bard never had much trouble understanding the dabus. 'Tis most amusing to watch the Clueless attempt to sort it all out, though. Hah!~
@1008 = ~In truth, I do not know. Only the Lady could answer that for certain, and no one foolish enough to ask her would live to pass the truth on to anyone else. Some say that the dabus are training to replace the Lady when she dies, and others still claim the Lady has already died many times and been seamlessly replaced by one of her handmaidens. 'Tis all wild speculation, however, and considered a dangerous topic in the Cage.~
@1009 = ~Cities of the Prime are often rife with the less morally inclined elements of society, and Sigil is much the same only in far greater number. Walk down the wrong alley and you will find yourself surrounded. Turn the wrong corner and you will be assaulted, either by eager ladies of the night or by bloodthirsty thugs. In my home, the man who can make himself inconspicuous and unimportant in the eyes of those watching him is the man who lives a long life.~
@1010 = ~Mistress Grace's brothel, aye, run by the Sensates. I never had the pleasure of meeting the lovely succubus who first owned it, but the tales of her are most intriguing. The brothel itself is a most peculiar experience, my raven, focusing not on stimulation of the body but on stimulation of the *mind*. I daresay, you might enjoy it very much indeed.~
@1011 = ~I would *never* go to a brothel!~
@1012 = ~That's disgusting.~
@1013 = ~Stimulation of the mind? What does that mean?~
@1014 = ~What is a 'Sensate?'~
@1015 = ~Sounds fascinating.~
@1016 = ~I'm always open to new brothel experiences.~
@1017 = ~Tsk, a pity.~
@1018 = ~Patrons often engage in lengthy discussions or games that are very challenging. 'Tis difficult to describe, I fear, and is best understood through experience.~
@1019 = ~The Society of Sensation is one of the many factions of Sigil. They hold that life is a long and winding series of experiences - sensations, as it were - and only through these feelings can true enlightenment be reached. They are a interesting lot, if this sparrow may say so.~
@1020 = ~Should you find yourself in Sigil someday, I heartily recommend you visit the fair establishment yourself, my dear <CHARNAME>.~
@1021 = ~Shall I go on, or have you thought of something in particular you wish to know?~
@1022 = ~You mentioned superstitions. What kinds?~
@1023 = ~Why would some lady's handmaidens be interesting?~
@1024 = ~You said something about a brothel...~
@1025 = ~'Tis a city, my raven, but one unlike any you've ever before beheld. It resides atop the infinite Spiral at the heart of the Concordant Opposition. The City of Doors it is called, and for good reason, for Sigil contains portals to every Plane in existence. It is a nexus, a meeting point, a cross roads, and a prison.~
@1026 = ~Aye, it is a cage, *the* Cage, some would say, with innumerable entrances and exits, and all of them locked. Without a key, there is no escape. But with the right key, or the right connections... my raven, the possibilities are endless.~
@1027 = ~And you lived in this cage?~
@1028 = ~Just how many portals are we talking about?~
@1029 = ~When you say 'key' I somehow doubt you mean the small metal sort for chests and frontdoors.~
@1030 = ~That sounds amazing.~
@1031 = ~What you describe is hard to believe.~
@1032 = ~I have spent most of my life within Sigil's embrace. It is where I was born, and is the only place which compels me to return. One might say it is the only cage I submit myself to willingly.~
@1033 = ~Numbers beyond measure, my friend, and in shapes and sizes that vary widely. Doorways, windows, picture frames - passing through any of these and so many more could whisk you away to the planes in the blink of an eye!~
@1034 = ~In Sigil, a key can be anything - an object, a person, a word or phrase, even an emotion. If a person should wish to travel somewhere specific, it is reasonable to declare it impossible without knowledge of the portal's location and its key. Of course, it can be a simple thing to wander the wards and happen upon an open portal to *somewhere*, but... well, it is never wise to jump out the window, my raven.~
@1035 = ~Perhaps someday you will see it with your own eyes. It is truly magnificent.~
@1036 = ~Was there something in particular you wished to ask?~
@1037 = ~Nothing specific, really. Perhaps you could just tell me something of your experiences there?~
@1038 = ~Thank you. That's all I wanted to know.~
@1039 = ~Of course. I hope I've sufficiently satisfied your curiosity.~
@1040 = ~At first glance, it is not all that unlike the cities of Amn, full of buildings, vendors, crowded streets, a diverse populace wandering hither and yon. But when one takes a moment to look more closely...~
@1041 = ~You see, Sigil itself is shaped like a torus, a hollow tube curved in on itself to form a perfect circle, with the city spanning the entirety of the inner wall. There is no sky overhead as you are accustomed to seeing, no sun or moon or stars. When a person looks up, there is another part of the city looking down.~
@1042 = ~It likely sounds very strange to you.~
@1043 = ~Yes, very strange.~
@1044 = ~Actually, it sounds fascinating.~
@1045 = ~It sounds dangerous.~
@1046 = ~Eh, it doesn't sound all that impressive.~
@1047 = ~Many of the Clueless who passed through the city said the same, but I must admit that your Prime seems just as odd to this sparrow at times.~
@1048 = ~It is indeed, even to one such as myself who has known it all of his days. It holds many secrets, more than this sparrow could ever hope to discover, and perhaps that above all else is why I return to my home again and again.~
@1049 = ~Oh, it certainly is, but so is Athkatla, is it not? In Sigil, just as in any city of the Prime, the key is to avoid ignorance. Behaving like a common berk will get a person killed, as will being unprepared or lazy, or drawing too much attention to oneself.~
@1050 = ~But these things are common sense for most reasonable creatures, aye? Or they very well should be.~
@1051 = ~This humble bard's words cannot do it justice. Someday, if you are able, I suggest you travel there to see it for yourself.~
@1052 = ~Many, many creatures, from everywhere you can imagine and beyond. Only deities are forbidden to enter the city, and those who tempt my Lady Pain's wrath do not survive to repeat their mistake.~
@1053 = ~Tanar'ri, baatezu and all their various forms of progeny are common enough, as is your race and other races of the Prime. From the mysterious native dabus, to the hulking thokola, to the honorable four-footed bariaur, Sigil is a city of wild and vast diversity that touches every ward from the Hive to the Markets and beyond. There, this sparrow would not be surprised to see an aasimar sharing drinks with a githyanki and an abishai, or a drow entertaining a celestial at a brothel.~
@1054 = ~All these races exist together peacefully?~
@1055 = ~It sounds terribly complicated.~
@1056 = ~How chaotic it must be.~
@1057 = ~Weird. I don't think I'd like it much.~
@1058 = ~Not in the least. As long as the stability of Sigil is not threatened, its inhabitants are free to do as they please - *if* they can survive the consequences, of course. That isn't to say the city is a constant battlefield, but violence and bloodshed are commonplace.~
@1059 = ~I suppose it is, especially to one who has not grown up exposed to such things. To this bard, it is simply 'home.'~
@1060 = ~Hah! So you can easily guess why this sparrow finds it so very appealing, aye?~
@1061 = ~It can be overwhelming, even to one such as myself. Still, I adore the madness and chaos that can only be found in Sigil.~
@1062 = ~Fifteen separate factions rule o'er the day-to-day functions of the city, each with their own agendas and personal dogmas, scrabbling and scrapping for as much power as they can hold without drawing the Lady's ire. I, as one of the Doomguard, count myself among their number. Yet none of them would exist if it were not the will of the one and only true ruler of Sigil.~
@1063 = ~The Lady of Pain, silent and ruthless, ever watches over her domain. 'Tis she who maintains the balance and preserves the neutrality of her Cage, opening and barring what portals she will, when she will. No one and nothing passes through the City of Doors without her knowledge. Her rule is law, and to defy her laws is to invite a brutal death. Or worse.~
@1064 = ~'Or worse?'~
@1065 = ~Is she some kind of god?~
@1066 = ~Have you seen her?~
@1067 = ~Bah, she sounds like another one of your tall tales.~
@1068 = ~It is said that the lucky ones are flayed alive, but that those who have truly angered the Lady are taken to one of her private Mazes. There they are doomed to wander without hope of escape, slowly slipping into madness. A terrifying prospect, if you want this bard's opinion.~
@1069 = ~Perhaps. Very little is known of her, and any who attempt to learn more are killed or vanish without a trace. She is one of the few true mysteries in the multiverse, and perhaps the only one I have no desire to investigate.~
@1070 = ~I...~
@1071 = ~Once, my raven. From a distance.~
@1072 = ~Let us just say that I have no desire to repeat the experience, and we shall let the subject rest.~
@1073 = ~Then do not believe me, my hound, but I would not visit the Cage while such doubts dwell in your mind.~
@1074 = ~Why, my dear raven, a planewalker is precisely as the name implies: one who walks the planes.~
@1075 = ~Surely there's more to it than that.~
@1076 = ~Is there some kind of requirement for being a walker of the planes?~
@1077 = ~Huh. Ask a stupid question...~
@1078 = ~Conversing with you always leaves me with a headache.~
@1079 = ~It is surprisingly uncomplicated, my raven.~
@1080 = ~If you mean rules or guidelines, most certainly not. 'Twould hardly be a life that appeals to this bard if it were so.~
@1081 = ~Tsk, come now! There are no stupid questions.~
@1082 = ~Well, that's not true. But this question of yours was not one.~
@1083 = ~Oh delightful hound, you have no idea how often the feeling is mutual.~
@1084 = ~There are some common traits in many of those who choose to walk the planes. Nearly all are practitioners of magic, perhaps more out of expedience than necessity. Most planewalkers choose to travel alone, but for this sparrow it is preferable to have some companionship. What is an actor without an audience, after all?~
@1085 = ~Of course, while we are rightly called plane*walkers*, walking itself is not truly a requirement. Some of us run, or crawl, or perhaps float, and I even once met a man who danced his way across the planes. Strange fellow. Just watching him prance along made this sparrow weary.~
@1086 = ~But truly there are very little in the way of absolutes when it comes to planar travel.~
@1087 = ~So anyone can do it?~
@1088 = ~But, *why*? Why spend your whole life wandering in strange places?~
@1089 = ~It sounds amazing, Haer'Dalis.~
@1090 = ~You prefer to have company with you, hmm?~
@1091 = ~Yeah, I didn't need to know all that, so are you finished now?~
@1092 = ~Well, I suppose anyone *could* do it, but the better question might be whether someone *should*. 'Tis not a life for everyone, that much is certain.~
@1093 = ~To see sights that few eyes have e'er beheld. To be the first to set my boots into exotic lands. To find an audience who has never before seen this sparrow, and watch the awe on their faces as they see me perform for the first time. To meet new and unexpected companions.~
@1094 = ~To meet people like you, my raven.~
@1095 = ~I know it is not a life that all can enjoy, but there is no other life for this Doomguard.~
@1096 = ~Does it? Mayhap you wish to experience it for yourself, once all this madness of the moment has been put behind you?~
@1097 = ~Me? You mean anyone can be a planewalker?~
@1098 = ~Honestly, I don't understand why someone would want to spend their whole life wandering in strange places.~
@1099 = ~I would love to!~
@1100 = ~Maybe.~
@1101 = ~Oh, I doubt it.~
@1102 = ~If I did, it wouldn't be with you.~
@1103 = ~I do indeed, my dear <CHARNAME>. Why? Mayhap you wish to join this bard and experience it for yourself, once all this madness of the moment has been put behind you?~
@1104 = ~No, I was just clarifying. You are truly weak if you need constant companionship.~
@1105 = ~<CHARNAME>, at these moments you seem less a raven and more a vulture.~
@1106 = ~Ah, but surely I've said enough to sate your curiosity for the moment. All this talk has me eager to stretch my legs. Let us put our boots to the road!~
@1107 = ~It would be my infinite pleasure to introduce you to the life of a planewalker. Provided we survive our current adventure, of course.~
@1108 = ~Should you wish it, I would be delighted to introduce you to the life of a planewalker. Provided we survive our current adventure, of course.~
@1109 = ~A pity. You would doubtless cause as much chaos and destruction across all planes as you do here in your own Prime, and I would be most pleased to see it.~
@1110 = ~How fortunate for me.~
@1111 = ~Surely you are not blind to the irony of you speaking those words to me, my darling hound.~
@1112 = ~We are the guardians of decay, the saboteurs of meaning, the agents of destiny. And that destiny is that all things falter, all things fail. The multiverse is a snake that has caught its tail in its mouth... and begun to swallow.~
@1113 = ~And what happens when this 'snake' finishes swallowing?~
@1114 = ~So... what? You just wander around causing chaos wherever you go?~
@1115 = ~Are the Doomguard an order? An army? A culture?~
@1116 = ~I see. Thank you for the explanation.~
@1117 = ~What a depressing view of the realms.~
@1118 = ~Then, my raven, the world will be made perfect through destruction.~
@1119 = ~Anything else you wish to know?~
@1120 = ~Are Doomguards an order? An army? A culture?~
@1121 = ~No, that's clear enough. Thank you for the explanation.~
@1122 = ~Hah! Do I imagine the way you leer at this sparrow when you ask that?~
@1123 = ~Some of us spread chaos, certainly. Others revel in more direct destruction. Ours is not a philosophy that can only be approached from one direction.~
@1124 = ~Perhaps a little of everything. We are one of the fifteen factions of the City of Doors, our headquarters being Sigil's Armory. Those who revel in destruction must have the proper tools, aye? There we forge weapons to spread our influence.~
@1125 = ~You are most welcome.~
@1126 = ~Do you think so? Odd. I find it quite the opposite.~
@1127 = ~What a peculiar question, my raven. 'Tis difficult to answer, as I've never been anything else. Was there something in particular you wished to know?~
@1128 = ~You don't mind, do you? I don't want to seem rude.~
@1129 = ~What is a tiefling, exactly?~
@1130 = ~No, not really. I just wondered if there was anything odd or interesting about your heritage.~
@1131 = ~Do you have any strange urges?~
@1132 = ~You don't really look like a tiefling.~
@1133 = ~I suppose you and I have something in common, both of us bearing tainted blood and all.~
@1134 = ~Forget I asked.~
@1135 = ~Oh, this sparrow does not protest your interest in the least. You are not the first to find me curious, my raven, and I much prefer the attention of your questions to wary sidelong glances.~
@1136 = ~I didn't really want to know anything in particular. I just wondered if there was anything odd or interesting about your heritage.~
@1137 = ~Very well. Do you have any strange urges?~
@1138 = ~As you wish, my raven.~
@1139 = ~A tiefling, my dear lady, is the offspring of a Prime, often a human or an elf, and any denizen of the lower planes. This sparrow is the product of a union between a demoness and an elven sire.~
@1140 = ~Oh, there is a fine mix of both, I'm sure. I am told I have an aura that makes Primes feel uneasy, and they sometimes complain of the scent of sulfur on my skin, though I think they exaggerate.~
@1141 = ~No, I've noticed both myself.~
@1142 = ~I think so, too. I've never felt uneasy around you.~
@1143 = ~Oh, trust me, the smell is definitely there.~
@1144 = ~I've never noticed anything like that.~
@1145 = ~Truly? And you never complained? I suppose I should be grateful.~
@1146 = ~'Tis a pleasure to hear you say so, my sweet raven.~
@1147 = ~I shall simply pretend you are not implying that I stink and move this conversation forward.~
@1148 = ~Was there something else you wished to ask?~
@1149 = ~No, that's all I wished to know.~
@1150 = ~Hmm... I occasionally feel the uncontrollable longing for cinnamon. Alas, 'tis a vice I admit freely! Mmm, the craving has hit me...~
@1151 = ~Oh, do not look at me so. I understood your question well enough. My blood occasionally leads me to flirt with situations I might not otherwise dare to try, but in the average day, I sense little influence from it. 'Twas quite different when this sparrow served in the Blood War for a short while, of course.~
@1152 = ~What is the Blood War?~
@1153 = ~You served in the Blood War?~
@1154 = ~Different how?~
@1155 = ~Strange. I expected you'd feel more influenced by your blood.~
@1156 = ~I expected as much. You don't seem like you're struggling for control or anything like that.~
@1157 = ~The eternal conflict between tanar'ri and baatezu, my raven. I find it surprising you've not heard of it.~
@1158 = ~Aye, that I did, for only a year and yet that was plenty long for this poor sparrow.~
@1159 = ~Perhaps we can discuss it another time.~
@1160 = ~Perhaps you are projecting your own struggles upon this sparrow.~
@1161 = ~Oh, believe you me, I struggle for control on occasion, but 'tis typically not my blood that I rage against. There are other passions that overwhelm me at times.~
@1162 = ~Aye? And how many tieflings have you seen, my raven, to make such a judgement?~
@1163 = ~Well, none actually.~
@1164 = ~A few here and there.~
@1165 = ~I thought most have tails and horns and such, and yet you have none of that.~
@1166 = ~Then how would you know what to look for, I wonder.~
@1167 = ~'Tis true that many of mixed blood bear markings of their heritage, but it is hardly a rule. The color of my hair does suggest something unusual in my blood, but that perhaps can be attributed to my elven sire.~
@1168 = ~Perhaps we might. Considering the inclinations of your late father, I imagine our blood could lead us both down rather different paths than the ones before us now, aye? But to live like a beast and be used by any inclination other than my own thoughts and desires? The idea brings me unease and curiosity in equal measure.~
@1169 = ~I'd never let my blood rule me.~
@1170 = ~Being a bit beastly every now and again has its appeal.~
@1171 = ~I cannot imagine a more bloody path than the one I'm on right now.~
@1172 = ~The taint does not use me - *I* use the taint, and it bends to my will and makes me stronger.~
@1173 = ~Never? Oh, never sounds terribly boring, if you ask this sparrow.~
@1174 = ~Oh, on that we must agree.~
@1175 = ~I can, my raven. I can.~
@1176 = ~Do you? I suppose only time will tell. This sparrow wonders if he will live long enough to see you discover the truth.~
@1177 = ~'Twas as natural as breathing, my raven. Verse and song and acting - aye, foremost acting - have ever been in this sparrow's heart as far back as my memory goes.~
@1178 = ~I feel much the same.~
@1179 = ~It was never quite so effortless for me as you make it sound for you.~
@1180 = ~It sounds wonderful. I'm a little jealous, to be honest.~
@1181 = ~Hmph, poetic rubbish. What nonsense~
@1182 = ~You were never tempted to pursue any other profession?~
@1183 = ~I doubt it was as effortless as you make it sound.~
@1184 = ~That makes sense, I suppose.~
@1185 = ~Aye, we are much akin in these matters, are we not? I find it most delightful to travel in the company of one who understands my inner workings so well.~
@1186 = ~Oh, I do not mean to imply that it was without trials. There were moments of terrible doubt, moments when I had convinced myself that I would be better off scrubbing chamberpots in some filthy inn. But those thoughts never lasted overlong, and each time I would wake in a gutter, I would drag myself out again.~
@1187 = ~Nonsense. You are an artist at what you do, my dear <CHARNAME>. Be proud!~
@1188 = ~Ah, just what this sparrow needs. A critic.~
@1189 = ~I most certainly was indeed. I dreamed of being a mercenary, of relying solely on my blades and my wits to see me through, but... Well, let us just say that one cannot hide from who they are.~
@1190 = ~I suppose it is most truthful to say that the Art chose me, rather than the other way 'round. For a time, I put much effort into ignoring its call, but it soon became clear that I was as likely to escape the need to breathe as avoid my calling.~
@1191 = ~Such a question is considered socially improper, is it not?~
@1192 = ~Only if a man asks a woman.~
@1193 = ~I suppose so. I apologize.~
@1194 = ~It may be rude, but I'd still like to know.~
@1195 = ~Not at all.~
@1196 = ~Stop dodging the question.~
@1197 = ~Hmph. I say, that does seem rather unfair, my raven.~
@1198 = ~My raven, are you always so quick to retreat? 'Tis not a desirable trait in a leader, I must say.~
@1199 = ~I will tell you the number of my years, but only after you guess at the answer.~
@1200 = ~I hate guessing games.~
@1201 = ~Oh, I love guessing games!~
@1202 = ~I assume you're older than you appear, considering your planar blood.~
@1203 = ~I wouldn't even know where to begin to guess, though.~
@1204 = ~You can't be that much older than I am.~
@1205 = ~Oh, just tell me!~
@1206 = ~Never mind. Forget I asked.~
@1207 = ~Then, if not love, you shall at least learn to tolerate them if you wish me to entertain your query.~
@1208 = ~Truly? Then glad I am you shall find delight in this, my raven.~
@1209 = ~Why, simply pick a number, of course.~
@1210 = ~I assure you, I am.~
@1211 = ~My but you are an impatient one. *sigh* As you wish, my hound.~
@1212 = ~I suppose that would depend upon how old I appear in your estimation.~
@1213 = ~You look rather young to me. No more than thirty, I would guess.~
@1214 = ~You speak with wisdom born of experience, so I'd guess you are at least in your forties.~
@1215 = ~Honestly, I don't know.~
@1216 = ~Your humble sparrow admits that he is now eighty and six years of age. I believe I had a birthday pass me by just recently, in fact.~
@1217 = ~Eighty-six?!~
@1218 = ~You certainly look good for your age.~
@1219 = ~That explains the way you talk.~
@1220 = ~No wonder you look so tired and worn at times.~
@1221 = ~Your birthday? You should have told me! I'd have gotten you a present.~
@1222 = ~How long do you think you might expect to live, were you to survive to be an old man?~
@1223 = ~Pfft, what nonsense. You cannot possibly be that old.~
@1224 = ~I see. Thank you for telling me.~
@1225 = ~You are most welcome, of course.~
@1226 = ~Aye, I have seen and done much in my years. That these experiences reveal themselves through my tone comes as little surprise to me, and you are not the first to remark on it.~
@1227 = ~I beg you, my raven, say not such things to your poor frail sparrow! Entropy shall surely take me over, but I face such decay with a glad heart and no regrets. Any weariness you see in me is surely the result of your driving leadership, aye?~
@1228 = ~My dear sweet raven, you are beautiful beyond measure. Such a delightful sentiment is enough to warm this sparrow through and through.~
@1229 = ~My blood is influenced by both the longevity of the tanar'ri and the agelessness of the elves. I cannot be certain how many years this body would provide, granted I am not eaten by some fearful creature you happen across in our travels, but I would not be surprised to see two hundred years or more with parents such as mine.~
@1230 = ~But surely your question has been adequately replied, aye? Let us return to our tasks and test the length of my life, if only for a short while longer.~
@1231 = ~My but you are a forward one, aren't you? 'Tis no critique, mind you, but such a direct approach is indeed rare, especially here on the Prime.~
@1232 = ~I am flattered by your request, dear raven, but I fear I must decline. I shall take your example and be perfectly blunt. Whilst your request is a simple one, and a pleasing one, *you* <CHARNAME>, are not quite so simple. In this particular case, this sparrow would very much like to know what exactly he is getting into before diving in, if you'll pardon the tawdry imagery.~
@1233 = ~That is not to say my mind may not change, of course. It has a habit of doing precisely that.~
@1234 = ~Ah. I suppose I did promise to answer any question I first asked you, aye?~
@1235 = ~That you did.~
@1236 = ~If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to tell me.~
@1237 = ~I just want to know more about you.~
@1238 = ~Don't play coy, bard.~
@1239 = ~I hardly expect you to tell the truth, so you might as well begin your fantastical tale.~
@1240 = ~'Tis not my discomfort for which I fear, but yours.~
@1241 = ~I will not lie. Your curiosity is most flattering.~
@1242 = ~Oh? Will the truth disappoint you then, I wonder?~
@1243 = ~This story of mine, it is not a short one, but if you wish to hear it, I shall grant you the insight you seek.~
@1244 = ~It would mean a lot to me.~
@1245 = ~Get on with it then.~
@1246 = ~Can you give me an abridged version, perhaps?~
@1247 = ~On second thought, let's just leave the past in the past.~
@1248 = ~As you would have it, my raven.~
@1249 = ~Hmm... my father was an elf with a fetish for planar blood who experimented on various bloodlines of tanar'ri and baatezu. My mother was a rather temperamental cambion. I was the product of one of my father's experiments, though I have been blissfully free of either of their interference for many years now. Does that suffice?~
@1250 = ~Whoa, perhaps the long version would be better after all.~
@1251 = ~It does. Thank you for sharing that with me.~
@1252 = ~When was the last time you saw either of them?~
@1253 = ~What rubbish. I knew you'd spin a yarn instead of telling me the truth.~
@1254 = ~You are most welcome, my sweet friend.~
@1255 = ~I last saw my father as he fled through a dimensional rift to I know not where, my sister in tow. My mother... she I last saw during my time in the Blood War, conscripted at her recommendation.~
@1256 = ~I beg your pardon, my friend, but I've lost my appetite for this topic. If we could move on, I would be most grateful.~
@1257 = ~Ah, but of course it is a lie. Clearly it would make much more believable a tale if I said my fairfolk father was madly in love with my demonic mother and we lived in blissful happiness all of our days until some great tragedy tore me from their embrace.~
@1258 = ~Surely, my raven, you do not believe you are the only creature in the realms with an unbelievable childhood.~
@1259 = ~As you wish. My sire was an elf, a moon elf if that matters to you, and a rather powerful mage. Or a *very* powerful mage, by his own estimation. He moved from his fair home on the Prime when he was in his second century of life to build a tower in Sigil where he could conduct his research with less criticism and scrutiny.~
@1260 = ~Go on.~
@1261 = ~What kind of research?~
@1262 = ~Scrutiny? Was he meddling in things his fellow elves disapproved of?~
@1263 = ~I am unsure what his initial studies focused upon, but his interest eventually settled most obsessively upon the properties and abilities associated with the blood of the denizens of the lower planes.~
@1264 = ~Oh, most assuredly.~
@1265 = ~He began to experiment on various races of tanar'ri and baatezu, though he was careful in the beginning to avoid drawing attention to himself. He would bribe his subjects, or simply charm a creature whom no one would miss. There are many such beings in the City of Doors.~
@1266 = ~Eventually he grew bolder, abducting stronger, more powerful creatures to test his theories upon, and he took great pride in his collection of both living and dead specimens. My mother was one such prize.~
@1267 = ~You mean... your father caged and tortured these people?!~
@1268 = ~I don't understand. Was he trying to create a harem, or some sort of army of progeny to carry on his name or something?~
@1269 = ~Clearly you inherited your boldness and reckless tendencies from your father.~
@1270 = ~Your poor mother...~
@1271 = ~That and more, I'm sure. He was ambitious, blindly so, and only his experiments and theories mattered to him.~
@1272 = ~Even to this day, I do not fully understand his goals. 'Twas not about him, or so he always insisted, but about something greater, something for the future of elven kind.~
@1273 = ~My raven, I take that comparison as a compliment.~
@1274 = ~Hah! Perhaps I should tell you a bit about her before you waste your sympathies.~
@1275 = ~The battle to cage my mother was a long one indeed. Father often referred to her as 'the one who nearly got away.' She was the first of his pets that he allowed to conceive a child by him, though she tried many times to tear her unborn babe from her womb if that tells you anything of her feelings on the matter.~
@1276 = ~For all the trouble my father went to in his efforts to make certain I was born unharmed, it appears he was a victim of his own high expectations. I was not what he sought to create, and that became only the more obvious as the years passed.~
@1277 = ~Go on. ~
@1278 = ~That's horrible, Haer'Dalis.~
@1279 = ~What was so disappointing about you?~
@1280 = ~I still don't understand. What was he trying to create?~
@1281 = ~Do not look upon me with pity. 'Twas such a beginning that showed me the truth of the multiverse.~
@1282 = ~I was too much artist, and not enough fanatic. My mind did not dance to the tunes he sang, and for that he despaired.~
@1283 = ~Perfection, my raven. He sought perfection.~
@1284 = ~When my failures became too obvious to ignore, he created a new child, this time with a baatezu. Unlike my mother, this planar creature was most pleased to aid my father's research willingly. In my half-sister, he believed he'd found the answer to his question.~
@1285 = ~Unfortunately, he was unable to enjoy his supposed success for long. I was but a young man, and my sister little more than a child when my mother escaped her bonds.~
@1286 = ~And she wanted revenge?~
@1287 = ~Escaped, or was set free?~
@1288 = ~You still lived with him, despite his rejection?~
@1289 = ~Of course. Would you not desire the same had you been caged and tormented, forced to take part in unspeakable horrors against your will?~
@1290 = ~Ah... it matters little, my hound. Freedom was her goal, and freedom she received.~
@1291 = ~Perhaps you misunderstand. 'Twas not a free life that I lived. My father's home was a prison to all within its walls... himself included.~
@1292 = ~Mother's wrath razed the tower to the ground, but Father and his perfect child fled through a planar rift just as the fighting broke out. When the dust settled, all who had survived the chaos found themselves suddenly free of my father's influence. This sparrow included.~
@1293 = ~That's an astounding tale.~
@1294 = ~No offense, but that sounds really farfetched.~
@1295 = ~And that was the last you saw of your parents?~
@1296 = ~Did you ever see your sister again?~
@1297 = ~My father, yes. My mother... she I last saw the day I was conscripted into the Blood Wars, at her recommendation.~
@1298 = ~Ah, and I did not even think to add my usual embellishments. A pity, as you'd surely be gawking in speechless wonder if I had.~
@1299 = ~Many have said the same of your own exploits.~
@1300 = ~Aye, that I did. That, however, is a tale for another time.~
@1301 = ~Ah, lovely Saalyn, fierce half-devil, unmatched in her prowess with a blade. What do you wish to know of her?~
@1302 = ~Were you close?~
@1303 = ~What is she like?~
@1304 = ~Where is she?~
@1305 = ~Ah, forget I mentioned her.~
@1306 = ~Very well.~
@1307 = ~As close as any two baatezu and tanar'ri ever can be, I suppose. When we were young and living under our father's thumb, I was not permitted to interact with her or even see her for more than a few moments at a time. Father feared I would taint her perfection just by breathing the same air.~
@1308 = ~You sound bitter.~
@1309 = ~That must have felt horrible.~
@1310 = ~I'm sure it wasn't all that bad.~
@1311 = ~What about after you escaped your father?~
@1312 = ~Do I? Ah, my raven, I wish I could say you are wrong, but I fear there are some memories that will chafe until the end of my days regardless of how much time passes.~
@1313 = ~That it did. But... What is that saying I've heard? What does not kill us makes us stronger? Aye, I am grateful for the strength I've earned.~
@1314 = ~If that is what you wish to believe, then I am not inclined to correct you.~
@1315 = ~After the tower that was my home crumbled to dust and I stumbled alone into the streets of Sigil, I was certain I would never see my father, mother or Saalyn again. As the years passed and I heard not a whispered rumor of any of them, I only became more certain, and I was content to put the past behind me. After all, I had no reason to carry fondness for any of them.~
@1316 = ~Then one night, as I sang bawdy songs on a tiny, crumbling stage in a crowded brothel full of drunkards, there she was. Saalyn had found me.~
@1317 = ~It was just her?~
@1318 = ~Wait, go back to the part where you worked in a brothel.~
@1319 = ~She was looking for you?~
@1320 = ~The way you say that almost makes it sound like she wanted to kill you.~
@1321 = ~Aye.~
@1322 = ~Hah! My raven, you are very predictable. Believe it or not, this sparrow was not always the proud and mighty Doomguard you see now before you. As you well know, sometimes we must humble ourselves to survive.~
@1323 = ~That is precisely what I thought when our eyes met across the room.~
@1324 = ~The last time I saw Saalyn before that moment, our father still controlled her. For all I knew, she had been at his side all those years, training to be his perfect pet assassin. And now she was coming for me, to trim up the loose ends of my father's ragged legacy.~
@1325 = ~But that wasn't what she wanted at all.~
@1326 = ~She told me she had been on her own for years, that Father was dead - by her hand no less - and that she had been searching for me. She... she wanted me to show her how to live a normal life, because that was the one thing Father had denied her. I was not certain I could believe her, but time would prove her honesty, and I am glad she and I did not have to kill each other.~
@1327 = ~Was there something else you wished to know?~
@1328 = ~No, that's all. Thank you for telling me this.~
@1329 = ~Oh, where to begin? Saalyn is a warrior, hard, uncompromising, incapable of seeing life in shades of gray. The childhood she endured left her with very little in the way of compassion or humor. Surly at the best of times, cruel and murderous at her worst, she gained much temperance after a few years of association with yours truly.~
@1330 = ~She's very different from you.~
@1331 = ~She sounds like a horrible person.~
@1332 = ~So, she's strong.~
@1333 = ~What does she look like?~
@1334 = ~As different as night and day, as you Primes are fond of saying. Our mutual disdain for our deceased father was not all we shared, though, and I have many fond memories of my sister.~
@1335 = ~I suppose some might see her that way. She was certainly less than amiable when first we found each other again, but hers was a battered and wounded soul. I cannot blame her for what she became in that tower.~
@1336 = ~Aye, stronger than this sparrow even. I do not jest when I say she is my superior in open combat.~
@1337 = ~If I describe her ebony hair and ivory skin, you might easily picture a creature of beauty, but in reality Saalyn is a being built to destroy through violence and it shows in every aspect of her features. Like myself, she bears very few outward indicators of her planar parentage. One might think she is simply an unusually large elf at first glance.~
@1338 = ~Of that I cannot be entirely certain. I last saw her the day I fled to the Prime with Miss Raelis. Saalyn helped us escape a group of hunters very like the ones from which you rescued this humble sparrow.~
@1339 = ~Why didn't Saalyn come with you?~
@1340 = ~That was brave of her.~
@1341 = ~And you just left her behind like a coward?~
@1342 = ~Aye, it was. And I did not deserve such loyalty from her.~
@1343 = ~When my sister snarls an order, only a fool would refuse to follow it. Because she would simply knock him over the head and throw him through the portal anyway. (sigh)~
@1344 = ~You must understand, my raven, when I left Sigil there had not been peace between myself and my sister for many, many years.~
@1345 = ~She turned on you?~
@1346 = ~What happened?~
@1347 = ~I thought you had fond memories of her.~
@1348 = ~What did you do to drive her away?~
@1349 = ~Quite the opposite, I fear.~
@1350 = ~Oh, I do. I will continue to remember those times with fondness until the day I cease to breathe.~
@1351 = ~'Twas after my time in the Blood War that everything changed. Saalyn and I had been traveling together with a group of wayward minstrels for more than a decade when chance would have it that we crossed paths with the baalor lord my mother served. And in the blink of an eye, everything I knew was turned upside down.~
@1352 = ~It was more than a year before I escaped my captivity and fled back to Sigil. Saalyn found me shortly thereafter, but...~
@1353 = ~I don't understand. Shouldn't you have been happy?~
@1354 = ~Ah, I get it. Devils, demons, eternal battle and all that.~
@1355 = ~You really expect me to believe that you were completely changed after just a year?~
@1356 = ~I was happy. But it was not enough.~
@1357 = ~I do not know if I can adequately explain it to one who is not of the planes. It is not as simple as saying 'baatezu and tanar'ri must always kill each other.' Many of both dwell in Sigil, and they are not constantly at war. Despite what I've heard other tieflings claim, *I* do not feel the urge to tear the throat from every baatezu spawn whose path I might cross.~
@1358 = ~Yet, when Saalyn would sit near me... I could sense her presence like a festering burn beneath my skin. I could hear my mother's whispers, my master's commands, urging me to kill her before she betrayed me. I was utterly convinced that Saalyn meant me harm.~
@1359 = ~Did she?~
@1360 = ~It sounds like you were under some sort of enchantment.~
@1361 = ~You were too weak to resist your mother's manipulations.~
@1362 = ~Did you try to kill her?~
@1363 = ~If she had wished me dead, my sister could have killed me on numerous occasions.~
@1364 = ~Perhaps. It makes little difference now.~
@1365 = ~Indeed I was, and I have suffered for it.~
@1366 = ~No.~
@1367 = ~I drove Saalyn away, distanced myself from her in every possible way. It was around that time that I began to roam the planes in earnest. I wrapped myself in the Doomguard philosophy and discovered the truth that had evaded me for so long. I lost myself in my pursuits, in my Art and my travels, and I changed much over the next few decades.~
@1368 = ~I would see Saalyn when my wanderings brought me back to Sigil. The uneasiness I suffered in her presence after the Blood War faded to nothing as time passed, but the damage had already been done. The easy friendship we once nurtured never returned.~
@1369 = ~Still, I was and ever will be grateful for my sister. After all, my dear raven, 'twas Saalyn who first introduced me to Miss Raelis, and if I had not taken up with my former mistress, you and I would never have met.~
@1370 = ~My raven, I am loath to withhold any tale from you, but surely you will forgive me if I decline to answer.~
@1371 = ~That bad, huh?~
@1372 = ~Oh, come on! Please?~
@1373 = ~I never thought a Doomguard would have trouble discussing his past.~
@1374 = ~Why don't you want to talk about it?~
@1375 = ~You're even weaker than I thought if you cannot stomach a simple discussion.~
@1376 = ~Worse, my friend. Far, far worse than anything you can imagine, and a thousand times less meaningful. Perhaps that is what bothers me most about the Blood War. It is fully, utterly and in all possible ways the most *pointless* war ever fought.~
@1377 = ~I beg you, <CHARNAME>, do not look at me so. I do not enjoy denying you anything, but I have no desire whatsoever to relive this bit of my past.~
@1378 = ~This sparrow is not perfect. As much as I wish at times that I could detach myself from the emotional entanglements of past events, alas that I am a mere mortal and must suffer through my own weaknesses.~
@1379 = ~<CHARNAME>, 'twas nothing but blood and death and screams and madness. And while normally I am one to revel in such things, the violence of the Blood War is not one I can embrace.~
@1380 = ~'Tis not the discussion that turns my stomach. 'Tis the remembering.~
@1381 = ~Thank you.~
@1382 = ~Now, let us return to the road.~
@1383 = ~Oh, probably somewhere around the last place I left her. The Abyss, if I recall correctly. The Sixth Pyre, perhaps? No, it had to have been Hollow's Heart. Or was that... hmm...~
@1384 = ~Well, regardless of where she is, she is surely busying herself by proving how terribly useful she is to the nearest tanar'ri with the most power.~
@1385 = ~So, she's still alive?~
@1386 = ~Being your father's prisoner must have been a real inconvenience for her then.~
@1387 = ~Why did she drag you into the Blood War?~
@1388 = ~I see. Well, let's get moving.~
@1389 = ~Of course, my raven.~
@1390 = ~She is a cambion, my raven, an immortal demon. Though I suppose your sire was immortal once and look how that turned out for him. Still, the likelihood that someone has discovered a permanent way to rid the planes of my mother is rather slim.~
@1391 = ~Let me get this straight. You believe that all things fade and die, that decay and entropy come for everything, yet your own mother is *immortal*?~
@1392 = ~I'm surprised you didn't try to kill her after all she put you through.~
@1393 = ~Aye, well. I have never claimed life was without irony.~
@1394 = ~Honestly, this sparrow was only interested in escape. By the time I had the freedom to entertain thoughts of revenge, I was too far away to do anything with them.~
@1395 = ~Was there something more you wish to ask, or should we return to the road?~
@1396 = ~No, I don't have anymore questions. Let's go.~
@1397 = ~Hah! Aye, it was most inconvenient indeed, though I cannot truly blame her for resenting her cage.~
@1398 = ~How did she really escape?~
@1399 = ~No, I wouldn't want to be locked up by some mad mage either...~
@1400 = ~Sounds like she belonged in a cage.~
@1401 = ~I freed her.~
@1402 = ~Make no mistake, 'twas not charity that guided my hand, but selfish desire to see an end to my father and all he held dear. And... perhaps I could not bear to see her caged any longer. No good deed goes unpunished, aye?~
@1403 = ~My raven, you simply must work on your subtlety.~
@1404 = ~Part of me agrees with you, though I do not like to admit it. Cages, cages, always cages. No creature should have to suffer them, no matter how terrible they may be.~
@1405 = ~In truth, I know not why my mother dragged me into the Blood War as she did. Most of the time she seemed utterly disinterested in me, and when she did turn her gaze my direction, there was no scorn or hatred in her eyes. In some ways, I have wondered if perhaps she believed she was helping me by bringing me into the conflict.~
@1406 = ~Helping you how?~
@1407 = ~That's absurd, Haer'Dalis.~
@1408 = ~Maybe she wanted you to be part of the family business. Uh, so to speak.~
@1409 = ~You gained strength in the Blood War. She did you a favor.~
@1410 = ~Just looking at you had to have reminded her of the things your father did to her. I'm surprised she didn't kill you.~
@1411 = ~I do not know. Part demon I may be, but I do not claim to understand the inner workings of their thoughts. It was merely the impression I was given as my mother and I served our master.~
@1412 = ~Is it? Perhaps you are right, my raven. Regardless, it was a very long time ago and matters little in the present.~
@1413 = ~Actually, that is a fairly accurate summation of my impression as well. She seemed to think that joining the Blood War was inevitable for me, but that under her tutelage I might make something of myself. How odd to speak that thought out loud...~
@1414 = ~I do not disagree with you, but there are many ways to grow stronger. I'd have chosen another way to gain that same knowledge if I'd been given a choice.~
@1415 = ~When I freed her from my father's cage, for a moment I thought she would do just that. Even starved and tortured as she was, she could have easily crushed the weak child trembling at her feet. But she told me to run instead.~
@1416 = ~And with that, I believe I've had all I can tolerate of this particular topic. Come, my curious friend. Let us go.~
@1417 = ~Many reasons, my raven. Perhaps it is simplest to say that it was time for this sparrow to move on.~
@1418 = ~What other reasons did you have?~
@1419 = ~She didn't make much fuss over your departure.~
@1420 = ~Do you miss her?~
@1421 = ~Were you lovers?~
@1422 = ~I'm surprised she didn't ask you to leave after you botched the gem theft so badly.~
@1423 = ~Well, 'tis likely obvious that I was curious of you, my loyal rescuer. Perhaps I felt I owed you a debt of gratitude. I was also eager to experience the Prime Material Plane through more than the dim glimpses I caught from inside the playhouse walls.~
@1424 = ~I'm glad you stayed.~
@1425 = ~You tore yourself away from the life you knew and abandoned your companions out of simple curiosity?~
@1426 = ~Were you and Raelis lovers?~
@1427 = ~As am I, my dear <CHARNAME>.~
@1428 = ~My curiosity is rarely simple, but your assertion is not untrue. 'Tis far from the first time I've uprooted on a whim, and it will not be the last, I daresay.~
@1429 = ~No, that would not be her way, and even if it were, she knows me well enough to realize that no amount of theatrics would have swayed me.~
@1430 = ~So, she knew you'd leave sooner or later.~
@1431 = ~That she did. As a planewalker herself, she perfectly understands the urge to wander and does not blame me for it.~
@1432 = ~'Parting is such sweet sorrow.' I do, my raven, though truly I think of her with fondness and not with longing. I count myself fortunate to have known her.~
@1433 = ~I'd rather you not think of her at all...~
@1434 = ~Oh, my darling raven, jealousy looks utterly ravishing on you! Let me remind you that it was *you* who began this particular conversation. But there is no need to raise your hackles, I assure you. You have my full and undivided attention. Most of the time.~
@1435 = ~That *is* a rather personal question, now isn't it? I'm surprised at you, my raven!~
@1436 = ~I'd just rather you not think about her. At all.~
@1437 = ~Don't play coy! Give me the details!~
@1438 = ~I'm just curious.~
@1439 = ~I apologize if I've offended.~
@1440 = ~No, you aren't.~
@1441 = ~Fine, don't answer.~
@1442 = ~You are one nosy little gossipmonger, aren't you?~
@1443 = ~No need for that, my raven. I had hoped that my teasing would reveal that you are in fact jealous of my former mistress, thereby feeding my starving ego, but alas that you did not rise to the bait.~
@1444 = ~No, I suppose I am not. You've called my bluff.~
@1445 = ~Miss Raelis and I were indeed lovers from time to time, and as you saw firsthand, we parted amicably. There is really nothing more to it.~
@1446 = ~Why do you ask? Surely you cannot be jealous.~
@1447 = ~Maybe I just don't want you thinking about her.~
@1448 = ~Of course I'm jealous! I don't want to think about you with someone else!~
@1449 = ~I'm a little jealous, but mostly I'm just curious.~
@1450 = ~She's in your past, so I don't see what reason I'd have to be jealous.~
@1451 = ~I'm just trying to figure you out.~
@1452 = ~You are absolutely correct, my dear <CHARNAME>. Though your jealousy would surely feed my poor, undernourished ego, don't you think?~
@1453 = ~Oh-ho! Many have tried, and failed. I am eager to see if you fair better than the rest, my raven.~
@1454 = ~Why do you ask? 'Tis not as though I still carry on with her whilst dallying with you.~
@1455 = ~I freely admit that I'm a hypocrite. I'm jealous, Haer'Dalis! And she's not even here to be jealous of!~
@1456 = ~I... that is to say...~
@1457 = ~It's curiosity, not jealousy.~
@1458 = ~I have no idea what you're trying to imply.~
@1459 = ~Say nothing, my hound. There is no need to babble.~
@1460 = ~Ah, I see. If that is how you wish it, then so it shall be.~
@1461 = ~You think so? Miss Raelis appreciated the risks I took upon myself, even if events did not always go as planned.~
@1462 = ~I don't want to think about how she might have shown her appreciation to you...~
@1463 = ~I'm glad you chose to stay.~
@1464 = ~Perhaps you're right.~
@1465 = ~I only appreciate risks if they're accompanied by rewards.~
@1466 = ~I cannot disagree with that, my hound.~
@1467 = ~I hesitate to say this aloud because I do not wish it to be true, but I fear the spark within Miss Raelis which had for a time so thoroughly captivated me was fading away. Where once brazen courage and mad chaos danced behind her eyes, all this sparrow could see in the end was fear.~
@1468 = ~Considering what was chasing all of you, I can't blame her.~
@1469 = ~You weren't at all afraid? Even after being locked in that prison?~
@1470 = ~Perhaps she was wise for that. A life of recklessness tends to be a short one.~
@1471 = ~That kind of life can drag even the strongest person down.~
@1472 = ~She was weak to give in to fear.~
@1473 = ~No, I don't suppose I can blame her either. Although it was a mess she created, so I doubt anyone but Raelis is truly responsible for all that followed.~
@1474 = ~Well, that's hardly fair. Aye, this sparrow was indeed fearful to find himself in that place, and I am not ashamed to admit it.~
@1475 = ~I cannot deny that there is some wisdom in that.~
@1476 = ~You may be right, though I certainly hope you are not. I cannot comprehend how it is better to cower in the shadows and live than it is to stand in the sun and die.~
@1477 = ~It pains me to admit that your words echo my thoughts.~
@1478 = ~But this fear I speak of in Miss Raelis, it is not the sort of momentary, fleeting emotion that waxes and wanes from circumstance to circumstance. No, what I saw in her was... terror, constant and consuming. Where once she lived each day as it came, caught up in the mad whirl of the planes, now she clings to her life with the desperation of a drowning man.~
@1479 = ~This bard will never live like that.~
@1480 = ~Ah, but surely we've exhausted this topic. I find myself eager to fill my mind with something, anything else.~
@1481 = ~Why do you ask, my dear <CHARNAME>?~
@1482 = ~Sometimes I see you staring off at nothing at all, and I wonder what's on your mind.~
@1483 = ~I miss Candlekeep, and I thought it might be the same for you.~
@1484 = ~You seem homesick.~
@1485 = ~I want to make sure you're focused and not letting yourself get distracted.~
@1486 = ~Ah. I apologize. This sparrow did not realize he was wearing his heart on his sleeve, as it were.~
@1487 = ~Oh, I would not take it so far as all that.~
@1488 = ~Worry not, my hound. Your bard is ready, eager and unburdened by hapless longings. Lead on.~
@1489 = ~I cannot deny that I long for the city of my birth. A planewalker I am, and a planewalker I shall ever be, but The Bird Cage is and always will be *home* to this wandering bard. Though she knows I cannot tarry overlong in her arms, the embrace of my sweet Sigil waits for me.~
@1490 = ~But I do not dwell on it, raven. Either I will live to see her again or I will not.~
@1491 = ~That's a healthy attitude.~
@1492 = ~You move on so easily.~
@1493 = ~Sometimes I wonder if you care about anything or anyone.~
@1494 = ~Most likely the latter.~
@1495 = ~I'd like to think so, aye.~
@1496 = ~I would not say it is always easy, my raven, but I have lived long enough to be confident in my approach to life's ever changing terrain. 'Tis far better than the alternatives.~
@1497 = ~I admire your strength. I wish I could take life in stride the way you do.~
@1498 = ~Alternatives?~
@1499 = ~More of your nonsense? I think I've reached the limit of my tolerance for your rambling today, bard.~
@1500 = ~That's cold. Sometimes I wonder if you care about anything or anyone.~
@1501 = ~If you say so.~
@1502 = ~I was not always thus, <CHARNAME>. There was a time when this sparrow allowed attachments to temporary things to shape his world. It never ended well, but had I not endured those experiences, I would likely never have realized just how foolish I was.~
@1503 = ~Aye. Bitterness and madness are common enough, but the worst of all ways to face life is the one most often seen.~
@1504 = ~Stagnation.~
@1505 = ~Complacency.~
@1506 = ~'Tis a form of living death, my raven, that a man could be content to do nothing at all.~
@1507 = ~You have a healthy attitude.~
@1508 = ~What a coincidence, my hound, for at this very moment I've reached the limit of my tolerance for your moody snarling.~
@1509 = ~Do you indeed? That is unfortunate. There is likely no proper way to respond to such a statement, so let us away.~
@1510 = ~Ah, but now you've filled this bard's mind with desires long ignored! Quickly, my raven, use your talents to find my blades an enemy and drown my thoughts in battle!~
@1511 = ~There is nothing 'supposed' about it, my raven.~
@1512 = ~Then where is it?~
@1513 = ~Is that why there's parchment practically bursting from your pack?~
@1514 = ~I don't see you writing all that often.~
@1515 = ~I think you're full of rubbish. Let me see it.~
@1516 = ~Is your journey over, then? Are you ready to declare your story completed?~
@1517 = ~Well, no... I just...~
@1518 = ~Of course it isn't.~
@1519 = ~It will be soon.~
@1520 = ~Oh, don't be like this! I just want to see it.~
@1521 = ~Fine. Be stubborn.~
@1522 = ~I've never claimed to be organized. Or tidy.~
@1523 = ~Then you should pay more attention.~
@1524 = ~I assure you, my <CHARNAME>, I have done, and will continue to do for as long as I have breath, just as I claimed I would long ago. But your tale has not run its course, not by any stretch of the imagination. Be patient.~
@1525 = ~What? Never! A true artist does not go about flashing his unfinished creations for anyone to see, the subject itself least of all.~
@1526 = ~That was a bit dramatic, don't you think?~
@1527 = ~Did you just call me 'it?'~
@1528 = ~See! You *are* full of rubbish!~
@1529 = ~Not really, no.~
@1530 = ~Tsk, don't pick apart my melodramatic ravings.~
@1531 = ~I do indeed.~
@1532 = ~Aye, my raven, 'tis a grim turn, is it not?~
@1533 = ~Grim? The bastard betrayed us!~
@1534 = ~How could he have done something like this to me?~
@1535 = ~Grim, yes, but I think I feel sorry for him.~
@1536 = ~He had no choice, though that does not make it hurt any less.~
@1537 = ~I knew I couldn't trust him.~
@1538 = ~If only I could bring him back to life and kill him all over again!~
@1539 = ~'Twas no fault of your own, that much is clear. His path was set long before your paths crossed, it seems.~
@1540 = ~'Tis a rare person who can sympathize with their betrayer. He chose his side long ago, and 'twas a poor choice indeed, but still I think I understand what you mean. How things might have been different, had he known what was to come.~
@1541 = ~I wonder, does knowing now that one of your own could smile and lead you into the face of such pain and torment worry you at all?~
@1542 = ~You knew he was up to something, didn't you?~
@1543 = ~It does worry me. Who can I trust, Haer'Dalis, if not those who fight at my side?~
@1544 = ~A little, but I cannot let the actions of one man sway my entire way of thinking.~
@1545 = ~Not really. He was under a geas, after all, one made long before we'd ever met.~
@1546 = ~Nothing worries me. I am skilled enough to escape any foolish attempts at betrayal.~
@1547 = ~Glad I am to hear you say so. I would not wish for bitterness and suspicion to take you over.~
@1548 = ~I would doubt such bravdo and think you a fool, but seeing what you've overcome thus far makes me wonder.~
@1549 = ~Have faith, my raven, that all will be as it should, and know that this sparrow will never betray your company. I am here, as long as you have need of me.~
@1550 = ~How can I be sure of that? It could be that you knew Yoshimo was up to something.~
@1551 = ~Thank you, my sparrow, for lifting my spirits when I most need it.~
@1552 = ~I suppose I'll just have to take your word for it.~
@1553 = ~'As it should be' is often not the same as 'as I want it to be,' and that is not a pleasant thought.~
@1554 = ~All life exists to die, right Haer'Dalis? Your philosphy doesn't exactly inspire hope.~
@1555 = ~I have no need of your comfort. Let's get moving.~
@1556 = ~You are most welcome, my dear one.~
@1557 = ~I am pleased you accept my word, and pleased to be in your company 'till entropy catches me up.~
@1558 = ~Ah, but you've become quite skilled at adjusting to less than desirable outcomes, have you not? You will make do, I am certain.~
@1559 = ~'Tis only as hopeless as you wish to see it, my dear friend. Death is not the end, and opens the way for life and renewal. Surely there is hope in that, aye?~
@1560 = ~If I did know something of his motivations, how would you feel?~
@1561 = ~Gods above... you *knew*!~
@1562 = ~I would feel betrayed all over again.~
@1563 = ~It would break my heart.~
@1564 = ~I don't know. I suppose you'd have to be more specific.~
@1565 = ~I'm sure you'd have your reasons for not warning me.~
@1566 = ~I would feel like tearing your head from your shoulders!~
@1567 = ~And we would not want that, would we my fair raven? Come, we've delayed long enough.~
@1568 = ~Let us pretend, hypothetically of course, that your sparrow could sense the geas upon our dear departed blood hound's heart. Would my silence on this subject alarm you?~
@1569 = ~Enough word games! You *knew*.~
@1570 = ~I'd certainly say it would!~
@1571 = ~Yes, it would, so let's speak no more of it and move on.~
@1572 = ~I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's just go.~
@1573 = ~I wouldn't be able to trust you anymore.~
@1574 = ~Please, Haer'Dalis, just be honest with me.~
@1575 = ~Would it alarm *you* to know that if I find your 'hypothetical' situation is true, I would strike you dead where you stand?~
@1576 = ~Aye, that I did.~
@1577 = ~And you said nothing? Why?~
@1578 = ~You... you bastard!~
@1579 = ~How could you betray me like this?~
@1580 = ~I thought you cared about me...~
@1581 = ~I'm not surprised.~
@1582 = ~I should kill you were you stand!~
@1583 = ~As did I.~
@1584 = ~I implore you, my dark hound, give me but a moment to explain!~
@1585 = ~My dear <CHARNAME>, you must believe that I adore you beyond my wildest expectations. If you would but let me explain.~
@1586 = ~The truth is, this sparrow could feel the shackles of sorcery upon our dear departed blood hound's soul. 'Tis something I've more experience with than I care to dwell upon, in fact. Truly, though, I did not know he was conspired with your mage tormentor.~
@1587 = ~Why didn't you say anything? You could have warned me, and I'd have thrown him from our company!~
@1588 = ~You were a fool not to tell me! Things could have been different if I'd but known!~
@1589 = ~I don't believe you. I think you knew more!~
@1590 = ~If you had known he was partnered with Irenicus, would you have told me?~
@1591 = ~That makes sense, I suppose. I still wish you'd said something sooner.~
@1592 = ~I believe you, and I understand.~
@1593 = ~Get away from me, you damned fool! You've proven yourself unworthy of me!~
@1594 = ~Aye, though I do not believe things would have turned out any differently.~
@1595 = ~For what it's worth, my dear one, I am pleased we escaped with our lives, and I will do everything in my power to avenge what was stolen from you while I yet draw breath.~
@1596 = ~I... <CHARNAME>... if that is your wish, then I shall obey. Forgive me.~
@1597 = ~What can I say to convince you, my raven?~
@1598 = ~Say that you love me.~
@1599 = ~Promise you will keep no more lies from me.~
@1600 = ~I... don't know. I think I just need time.~
@1601 = ~Nothing. Let's just move on and forget about this.~
@1602 = ~There is nothing to be said, so just get away from me! I want nothing more to do with you!~
@1603 = ~Is this the sort of affection you desire, my hound? Adoration confessed under duress, and you unable to be sure if it is truth or a prettily painted lie?~
@1604 = ~I don't care if it's not true! I just need comfort, so say it already!~
@1605 = ~I think you do love me and are just afraid to admit it.~
@1606 = ~I don't know what I want anymore, Haer'Dalis. Everything is such a mess.~
@1607 = ~No, it's not what I want. Forgive me.~
@1608 = ~Would you believe me if I spoke such words?~
@1609 = ~Comfort can mean so very many things, but even this actor cannot be all things at all times to all people. I cannot give you what you demand, and I am not sorry for that.~
@1610 = ~Then let your confidence be enough for now.~
@1611 = ~There is naught to forgive, I assure you, my raven.~
@1612 = ~Even had you known, can you truly say the outcome would have been different? You would still have sought Imoen and the foul mage Irenicus, with or without Yoshimo's influence, aye?~
@1613 = ~True. I could not leave Imoen to her fate.~
@1614 = ~I couldn't let Irenicus get away with all he's done, so I suppose you're right.~
@1615 = ~Maybe we'd have found another way. Maybe we'd have gotten here sooner and taken him by surprise.~
@1616 = ~What sort of stupid questions are these? No one can know what might have been!~
@1617 = ~You make excuses for yourself instead of offering regret!~
@1618 = ~I don't care! You kept vital information from me, and I cannot trust you! Get away from me, you fool!~
@1619 = ~Or maybe we'd have arrived too late. Maybe Imoen would have already been dead, and your mage long since departed. You cannot torment yourself with these thoughts, my raven.~
@1620 = ~If you believe that, then you surely realize how foolish it is to cling to resentment towards this sparrow. You have my confession, and I can offer you little more that I have not already sworn.~
@1621 = ~Would you have me pretend, then? To work up a false tear or two, to fall to my knees and beg pardon for my transgressions?~
@1622 = ~(sigh) I do not wish to fight, my raven.~
@1623 = ~Aye, she is a strong young woman to have survived that place alone. Her eyes are haunted, my raven, more so even than your own. 'Tis likely she has suffered worse atrocities than you realize whilst imprisoned.~
@1624 = ~Please don't make me think about that.~
@1625 = ~I know, and I wish I could do something to help her.~
@1626 = ~It should have been me! She was so innocent...~
@1627 = ~We all have our burdens to bear.~
@1628 = ~She needed to grow up. Now she has.~
@1629 = ~I don't care. All I wanted was Irenicus.~
@1630 = ~You have enough burdens, do you? No, you are right to silence this sparrow's song. 'Tis hard enough without digging the knife deeper, aye?~
@1631 = ~*Something*? My raven, you have done far, far more than *something* for that poor girl. If 'twere not for you, she would either be dead or still trapped in a fate worse than any death. Do not belittle your efforts.~
@1632 = ~Do not punish yourself with such foolish thoughts. Each of us walks our own road, and 'tis not for any berk to take the place of another.~
@1633 = ~Aye, you are wise to acknowledge that, and honest as well. If she is as strong as I suspect, then these terrible moments will do naught but buy her greater strength.~
@1634 = ~Mayhap 'tis so, and you would surely know better than this humble bard in this particular case. Still, your words smack of bitterness, my hound.~
@1635 = ~And that wanting has now turned to necessity and desperation, aye?~
@1636 = ~Tell me, what was your sister like before this? Is the change in her dramatic?~
@1637 = ~Is it ever! It's like looking at two different people.~
@1638 = ~She was a very silly child when we first left Candlekeep.~
@1639 = ~All of her charming innocence is gone.~
@1640 = ~Is it strange that it's hard to remember what she was like before?~
@1641 = ~I prefer this Imoen to the sniveling little brat she once was.~
@1642 = ~I never paid much attention to her.~
@1643 = ~'Tis a change nearly all living creatures must endure, these growing pains, though I doubt many can claim such literal pains as you and your kin have experienced. Does it sadden you, this change in her?~
@1644 = ~Very much. She didn't deserve all this, Haer'Dalis.~
@1645 = ~A little, but knowing now that she is a Child of Bhaal like myself, I wonder if this was unavoidable.~
@1646 = ~I'm trying not to think about it.~
@1647 = ~I have my own burdens to bear.~
@1648 = ~Are you kidding? It's about time she had to deal with something she can't just laugh off!~
@1649 = ~Life is never about what we deserve. You, my raven, should know that better than anyone.~
@1650 = ~Ah, a very intriguing notion. I like not the idea that anything might be unavoidable, but the lure of power such as moves through your blood is a mighty thing indeed. It seems unlikely that she might have avoided the Irenicuses of the realms forever.~
@1651 = ~Mayhap you should.~
@1652 = ~As do we all.~
@1653 = ~I have heard it said that those who laugh the loudest feel the most. Mayhap you have ever misunderstood the source of her mischief and lightness of heart.~
@1654 = ~Would others say the same of you?~
@1655 = ~Hah! Good point.~
@1656 = ~Definitely, though no one was as silly as Imoen.~
@1657 = ~Maybe I was a little silly. Once in a while.~
@1658 = ~I was a rather serious minded child, actually.~
@1659 = ~Absolutely not! Not if they wanted to keep all of their teeth in their head.~
@1660 = ~I couldn't possibly care less what they thought of me then, and I still don't care now.~
@1661 = ~We all began as something and someone else, aye?~
@1662 = ~I would have liked to know her then, I think, if only to witness this vast silliness you speak of.~
@1663 = ~This bard is relieved to hear that.~
@1664 = ~A pity, that. Childhood is the only time of life when such antics are not only tolerated, but expected and accepted.~
@1665 = ~Hah! And threats such as these are the mark of a mature and thoughtful youth, aye?~
@1666 = ~Methinks you ought learn to lie, my hound.~
@1667 = ~Perhaps not all, my raven. Given enough time, any wound can mend.~
@1668 = ~Perhaps not. Is it difficult to remember what *you* were like before your departure?~
@1669 = ~Yes. Nearly impossible, really.~
@1670 = ~Sometimes.~
@1671 = ~Not really difficult, no, but I don't let myself think about it.~
@1672 = ~Then I would say it is no great surprise that you cannot recall Imoen's former self either. I must admit, I would like nothing more than to see a single glimpse of the girl you once were. I would not wish you to be that girl again, for as you surely realize, I am decidedly fond of the woman you now are, but 'twould surely be a sight to behold.~
@1673 = ~I would never suggest anyone dwell upon the past, but that does not mean we should forget who we once were. Certainly not intentionally. Remember that, my raven.~
@1674 = ~Then I would say it is indeed a bit odd.~
@1675 = ~I wonder if she prefers this 'you' you have become to the 'you' you once were as well. I suppose it matters little either way. You are who you are.~
@1676 = ~I know not why, but that seems a pity to this humble bard.~
@1677 = ~This sparrow wonders, had you ever imagined Imoen could be a child of this Bhaal you call father?~
@1678 = ~Not even once, Haer'Dalis. It's still something I'm having a hard time accepting.~
@1679 = ~No, but maybe I should have. Maybe I just didn't want to see it.~
@1680 = ~I always wondered why she was brought to Candlekeep. I guess I know now.~
@1681 = ~There was always this weird feeling when I was near her, but I never made the connection.~
@1682 = ~Proof that the only thing in life that can be predicted is death, aye? Such a strange and curious twist in your tale, and in hers as well.~
@1683 = ~This does not seem the sort of thing that had many signs and portends attached to it, my raven, but 'tis true that the eye only sees what it wishes to see.~
@1684 = ~Aye, it makes one wonder just how much your fair monks knew of her. That sort of secrecy is such an odd beast in this sparrow's opinion.~
@1685 = ~How very interesting. I wonder if she felt the same.~
@1686 = ~Glad I am that you chose to bring the wayward wren with our company. She has as much at stake as you do, my dear raven.~
@1687 = ~It's my fault she ended up like this. I *had* to bring her.~
@1688 = ~We need each other, at least for now.~
@1689 = ~She's just taking up space until I find someone who's less of a liability.~
@1690 = ~No, she most certainly does not. Hers is the weaker soul, hence the reason Irenicus tossed it to his worthless sister and took mine instead. I have far more on the line than Imoen.~
@1691 = ~Quiet your guilt, fair raven, and let us work toward your goal instead.~
@1692 = ~Necessity is an interesting bedfellow, aye?~
@1693 = ~My hound, I can conjure a dozen reasons why any and all of us are liabilities. Including yourself! Mayhap you should not be so dismissive, aye?~
@1694 = ~Your estimation of yourself never ceases to awe this humble bard.~
@1695 = ~'Tis a pity she remained with us but for a short time. She has as much at stake as you do, my dear raven.~
@1696 = ~I wish I could have brought her with us, but... Oh, Haer'Dalis, I *should* have brought her with us!~
@1697 = ~She would have just gotten hurt more than she already is. This was necessary and for the best.~
@1698 = ~No, she would have been a liability.~
@1699 = ~Rumors and tall tales, aye, but stories of truth? Proof I have witnessed firsthand? No, my raven, I have not.~
@1700 = ~But it has to have happened before! I can't be the first one to survive something like this.~
@1701 = ~(Fight back the tears stinging your eyes.)~
@1702 = ~I see. I suppose I expected that answer. I just hoped that... (sigh) I don't know.~
@1703 = ~Then what good are you? What use is a bard who knows nothing?!~
@1704 = ~I will survive this. I will not allow Irenicus to succeed! That power is *mine*!~
@1705 = ~Technically speaking, Imoen survived it before you did, but I suppose that is not what you mean. You must realize that surviving the separation is not the same as *living* without a soul.~
@1706 = ~(sigh) My sweet <CHARNAME>...~
@1707 = ~(He pulls you into a tender embrace and presses gentle kisses against your temple as he holds you. Even so, his words are hard and commanding when next he speaks.)~
@1708 = ~You are stronger than this. Do not allow your soul-thief the satisfaction of this sort of victory. I take hope in this obvious indication that your emotions remain intact, but if you allow yourself to fall apart, I fear there will be no way to put you back together again afterward.~
@1709 = ~You hoped. My raven, that you hoped at all is a wondrous sign to this sparrow. If you can feel, if you have the ability to hope, then all is not lost. Take comfort in that as I do.~
@1710 = ~I understand your frustration, and normally I would be glad to accept your tongue lashing with all the grace this bard can muster. But... let us just say I fear your stability is not what it used to be. If you need to vent your anger, find an enemy to sink your claws into.~
@1711 = ~Then do not stop. Do not hesitate. Do not give up until he is ended.~
@1712 = ~I know of no other way to put this, so I shall simply say it. Without your soul, you will wither and die or... perhaps fall to some worse fate that I shall not put to voice. Regardless, you *must* retrieve that which is yours, or die trying.~
@1713 = ~I will not fail.~
@1714 = ~I know, Haer'Dalis. It's just hard to keep going sometimes.~
@1715 = ~Now that you've stated the obvious, can we go?~
@1716 = ~Save your foolish advice! You are here to kill those who cross me, not to lecture me on things I already know!~
@1717 = ~And you will not do it alone, my dear raven. Everything I am is at your disposal.~
@1718 = ~Speak no more of such things, and wipe them from your mind. Only one thing can come from such melancholy, and that is failure.~
@1719 = ~(Haer'Dalis catches your hand in his and briefly lifts it to his lips before gesturing for you to move on.)~
@1720 = ~Aye, that would be wise.~
@1721 = ~I am here for you, my hound, but I warn you that your temper is sure to lead to your downfall if you do not control it.~
@1722 = ~Similar in appearance, yes, in abundance. There are many even who are similar in function and behavior. The planes are filled with beasts beyond imagining, some mindless, some cunning, most somewhere betwixt the two. But these creatures are usually not capable of this fascinating shape-shift that o'ertakes you, and I have never felt in their presence what I feel in yours.~
@1723 = ~So, I'm unique?~
@1724 = ~What do you mean, how I make you feel?~
@1725 = ~I wonder how much control I have over it.~
@1726 = ~What else can you tell me about these monsters?~
@1727 = ~I cannot imagine being the Slayer or anything like it all the time. It would be unbearable!~
@1728 = ~That aura of yours I once mentioned to you long ago, do you remember? 'Tis an odd tingling behind my eyes when you are near, hot and angry and impossible to focus upon and yet equally impossible to ignore. It has always been there, but now...~
@1729 = ~'Tis o'erwhelming at times, my dear <CHARNAME>. This sparrow fears the rage inside you will smother and kill, though I know not if the victim will be your enemies, those who follow you, or you yourself. Mayhap all three?~
@1730 = ~Curious as I am, the memory of your clawed fingers seeking to tear holes in my lovely face has put a damper on my eagerness. If you do test your limits, be kind and give fair warning, aye?~
@1731 = ~Only what you already know, or can likely guess. They are deadly and dangerous, powerful and feared. Even so, they are also targets of stronger creatures. A beast such as your Slayer would make a fine prize pet in some Master's army, you see.~
@1732 = ~I am certain there are many other creatures who cannot imagine the horror of being a mere <PRO_RACE>, either.~
@1733 = ~I should of course mention that not one of the Slayer-like creatures I've seen was of divine parentage. This taint of Bhaal within you manifests itself in a way I fail to understand.~
@1734 = ~I... Forgive me, but I think 'twould be best to end this conversation. As strong as my curiosity is, I am haunted by a strange sense of foreboding each time we mention this beast within you. Come, let us move on. Please.~
@1735 = ~In truth? 'Twas spectacular, my raven. To find such a place here on the Prime was an unexpected delight to this sparrow, for many planewalkers search their entire lives to find a place with half as much intrigue and danger as the Underdark offers. If 'twere not for the urgency of your quest, I would have wished to linger there but a while longer.~
@1736 = ~Are you *crazy*?! The Underdark is horrible!~
@1737 = ~I suppose I should have expected you to say as much.~
@1738 = ~You can always visit it again someday.~
@1739 = ~It was fascinating, I agree.~
@1740 = ~Your loathing of the place is clear enough, but I do not understand the why of it. Tell me what *you* saw in the place, then.~
@1741 = ~Let's see... dark elves, mind flayers, beholders... With such charming denizens, what's not to love?~
@1742 = ~It was so oppressive. The darkness was so heavy, I felt like I could barely draw breath.~
@1743 = ~Between all the backstabbing, betrayal and manipulation, I don't know how anyone or anything survives down there.~
@1744 = ~My opinion is probably tainted by the circumstances that brought us there. In a different situation, maybe I'd be able to see it differently.~
@1745 = ~I was too focused on escaping to pay much attention.~
@1746 = ~Ah, my poor <CHARNAME>, in that darkness now behind us you saw only the barest glimpse of the sorts of creatures that exist across the planes. Mayhap that is why your frail planewalker sees it otherwise. Still, did you feel no desire to understand them? To spy their inner workings? To breathe in the essence of their culture?~
@1747 = ~A little, I admit.~
@1748 = ~Maybe, but I'm not sure curiosity is enough to override my other rather strong feelings about the place.~
@1749 = ~Not even a little bit, Haer'Dalis. Let the hells take the Underdark, and all within it!~
@1750 = ~Ah, this sparrow can sympathize with that feeling, aye. 'Tis the sort of nagging constant that increases in intensity the more one focuses upon it, or so I've found. But do you see nothing fascinating in the mere fact that such a place exists? 'Tis no cave or hole 'neath the ground - 'tis like unto a whole new Plane!~
@1751 = ~I never thought of it like that. I suppose it is a little interesting.~
@1752 = ~But they do more than survive - they *thrive*! Does that not fascinate you? Do you not long to explore their inner dealings until you understand them better than they understand themselves?~
@1753 = ~Perhaps, though I think this sparrow would prefer to involve personal opinion rather than ignore it, regardless of how it might prejudice a person. Mayhap another trip to the bowls of these lands is in order, once all this current madness is behind us?~
@1754 = ~It's possible, I suppose.~
@1755 = ~I don't know about that.~
@1756 = ~No, I don't think so.~
@1757 = ~Not a chance in the hells, Haer'Dalis!~
@1758 = ~A pity, that, my hound. Mayhap another trip to the bowls of these lands is in order, once all this current madness is behind us?~
@1759 = ~Do I imagine the disapproval in your tone?~
@1760 = ~No, I admire you. It takes amazing strength to see things as you do.~
@1761 = ~I like you just the way you are, my sparrow.~
@1762 = ~You do imagine it. I was just making an observation.~
@1763 = ~Hah! You hardly need my approval, do you?~
@1764 = ~You're always so infuriatingly *pleased* to be anywhere you happen to be. It's irritating!~
@1765 = ~Amazing strength, you say? Or amazing stubbornness, or amazing foolishness, aye? Hah! My raven you o'er flatter this humble Doomguard. 'Tis naught but childish curiosity that fascinates this bard at each passing locale. Do you feel nothing of that yourself? Did you truly pass through the Underdark and feel no fascination and longing to learn *more*?~
@1766 = ~I did. It was a truly wondrous place.~
@1767 = ~And I am ever glad for that, my sweet raven. I know not how anyone could pass through such a grand place as the Underdark and feel no touch of longing to explore further, no sudden need to comprehend the whole of those who dwell there.~
@1768 = ~It was a truly wondrous place.~
@1769 = ~I admit, I felt a little of that.~
@1770 = ~I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not sure curiosity is enough to override my other rather strong feelings about the place.~
@1771 = ~Personally, I didn't feel that.~
@1772 = ~Have you gone mad, Haer'Dalis? Let the hells take the Underdark, and all within it!~
@1773 = ~I see. Forgive my assumption then, my raven. I know not how anyone could pass through such a grand place as the Underdark and feel no touch of longing to explore further, no sudden need to comprehend the whole of those who dwell there.~
@1774 = ~True, and true. Ah, you know me too well, my dearest <CHARNAME>. I know not how anyone could pass through such a grand place as the Underdark and feel no touch of longing to explore further, no sudden need to comprehend the whole of those who dwell there.~
@1775 = ~I cannot be other than what I am, my hound! 'Tis naught but childish curiosity that fascinates this bard at each passing locale. Do you feel nothing of that yourself? Did you truly pass through the Underdark and feel no fascination and longing to learn *more*?~
@1776 = ~Aye, I suppose I could at that. Would you return, if given the chance?~
@1777 = ~With you? Certainly.~
@1778 = ~I would indeed.~
@1779 = ~Perhaps, but not anytime soon.~
@1780 = ~Probably not.~
@1781 = ~If we should survive these events yet to come, mayhap we could return and see more of the splendor of this underground haven of darkness and shadow?~
@1782 = ~Well, 'tis good you have left it behind you, then. 'Twould be wise to guide your steps a bit more carefully if you should wish to avoid such places in the future, aye?~
@1783 = ~This sparrow would very much enjoy a return trip to the darkness below, one driven by less urgency and more curiosity. 'Twould be grand to have you at my side should that day come, my raven.~
@1784 = ~Aye, unfriendly and deceptive. Believe you me, my raven, that a liar knows a liar. Our fair Elhan is as untruthful a berk as ever I've seen.~
@1785 = ~What makes you say that?~
@1786 = ~He must have good reason for his behavior.~
@1787 = ~Delays, and yet more delays...~
@1788 = ~We have no choice but to trust him for now.~
@1789 = ~Fool bastard *will* get out of my way if he knows what's good for him!~
@1790 = ~Aside from the evasive speeches and forced inquisition into our associations? My raven, surely you jest. The elf could not have made his act any more obvious had he worn a straw wig and read from a poor wrought script!~
@1791 = ~Aye, perhaps, though 'tis likely that his good reasons are not in our best interest. Let us hope this sparrow is wrong on that.~
@1792 = ~You are right to be impatient, my hound. To have hope that at long last we shall truly catch your mage-thief up, only to be forestalled by embittered elves...~
@1793 = ~There is always a choice. 'Tis fair to say our course is best served by serving this elf for the moment, but I shall leave the trusting to you, for I trust not myself with the task.~
@1794 = ~One way or another, aye?~
@1795 = ~'Tis rather enlightening, truth be told. My dear father would have everyone believe that Tel'Quessir are the picture of beauty, honesty and flawless perfection. There is a strange satisfaction comes o'er this sparrow now that I see 'tis otherwise.~
@1796 = ~The People are not always at their best, you know. Perhaps you should not judge this Elhan too harshly, Haer'Dalis, nor should you cast aspersions upon all Tel'Quessir simply to spite your father.~
@1797 = ~I have never understood the arrogance of my fellow elves. It only weakens them and makes them look like greater fools.~
@1798 = ~Perhaps it's because I'm only half-elven, but I have never understood the arrogance of my fellow elves. It only weakens them and makes them look like greater fools.~
@1799 = ~I don't pretend to understand the nature of all elves, but perhaps you should not judge this Elhan too harshly, Haer'Dalis.~
@1800 = ~Elves prove their arrogance and ignorance at every turn. That they could not even hold this Lanthorn of theirs is proof of their ineptitude!~
@1801 = ~I can understand how that might be satisfying.~
@1802 = ~Careful, Haer'Dalis. Your bitterness is showing.~
@1803 = ~I apologize, my raven. 'Twas thoughtless of me to speak ill of those you might very well count as kin. If it is any consolation, I do not think of you as some extension of Tel'Quessir - I think of you as <CHARNAME>.~
@1804 = ~Aye, this sparrow has come to realize that the true downfall of the elves lies in their own pride. Mayhap 'tis unwise to speak ill of those who might well be our allies, but on occasion, truth cannot be ignored.~
@1805 = ~Perhaps not. 'Tis unfair to speak ill of those we might well call ally soon enough.~
@1806 = ~Then this sparrow is not completely mad? 'Tis good to know, my fair <CHARNAME>.~
@1807 = ~Hah! Aye, it is, is it not? Mayhap this frail bard ought not expose himself so publicly, hmm?~
@1808 = ~Let us hope that we were not deceived on this bargain, at least. Should we return this Lanthorn of theirs and still find that our path to Irenicus blocked...~
@1809 = ~We won't. I have faith, Haer'Dalis.~
@1810 = ~Then we'll deal with that obstacle when it comes.~
@1811 = ~He will not escape again. No matter what it takes, he will *not* escape again.~
@1812 = ~Then someone will die. Lots of someones, most likely.~
@1813 = ~I refuse to entertain thoughts like that. Let's go.~
@1814 = ~(sigh) I know not whether to fear for you and the crushing disappointment that you will one day face, or whether I ought to fear for myself as I follow your faith so blindly.~
@1815 = ~One moment at a time, aye? Wise, my raven. Wiser than I at times.~
@1816 = ~If it is in this sparrow's power to make certain of that, then know you can call upon me.~
@1817 = ~If only murder were enough...~
@1818 = ~Has it brought you any satisfaction?~
@1819 = ~No. Irenicus remains.~
@1820 = ~Not really, but at least she got what she deserved.~
@1821 = ~I thought it would, but...~
@1822 = ~Satisfaction? No. Relief? A bit, yes.~
@1823 = ~Oh, undoubtedly, but this isn't over yet.~
@1824 = ~Hah! Did you see her face at the end? The fear, the disbelief! It was a wondrous thing to behold, wasn't it?~
@1825 = ~The mage will not escape our efforts forever, my raven.~
@1826 = ~Aye, would that all who wrong us get half as much.~
@1827 = ~It feels nothing like you expected? Aye, that is the truth of vengeance, and 'tis a cold comfort this sparrow knows well. There is naught that can be done but to accept it and move forward, my raven.~
@1828 = ~Because Imoen's soul is safely returned?~
@1829 = ~Yes.~
@1830 = ~That, and some selfish reasons as well.~
@1831 = ~I'm not entirely sure why I feel that way.~
@1832 = ~It means I'm one step closer to Irenicus.~
@1833 = ~If Bodhi can die, so can her brother.~
@1834 = ~The light returns to her eyes quickly. I hope to see the same in yours soon enough.~
@1835 = ~Why? Does her death give you hope that Irenicus can be defeated?~
@1836 = ~I'm just glad she doesn't have Imoen's soul anymore.~
@1837 = ~If she can die, so can her brother.~
@1838 = ~A pity the girl is not here with us. 'Twould be good to see her begin to return to being the girl you once knew instead of the hollow shell I first met.~
@1839 = ~Ah, my raven, my raven! Do remind me never to become your enemy, aye?~
@1840 = ~Do you truly believe Irenicus is within our grasp now? Or will he slip free once more, as he did in the aslyum, as he did in the Underdark?~
@1841 = ~He's not going to escape again.~
@1842 = ~I don't think he went to all this trouble just to run again. He's after something specific.~
@1843 = ~No matter how far he runs, I'll be right on his heels. He'll slip up eventually.~
@1844 = ~Damn it, Haer'Dalis, do you just want me to give up? Is that it?~
@1845 = ~Keep moving, and stop talking about things like this.~
@1846 = ~I hope you are correct.~
@1847 = ~Aye, this sparrow feels it, too.~
@1848 = ~My hound, how long can you keep hunting? How long until your sanity is crushed 'neath the weight of your soulless existence? This cannot carry on.~
@1849 = ~If that were my wish, I would say nothing, my fierce hound. I would stand aside and watch as you fall to pieces, and I would revel in the entropy of your fate.~
@1850 = ~You must be prepared for the possibility that you will not succeed. *I* must be prepared for that possibility, though it is--~
@1851 = ~Ah, come, we ought not delay, aye?~
@1852 = ~What were you going to say?~
@1853 = ~Is it really so hard to tell me you care?~
@1854 = ~(sigh) Let's just go.~
@1855 = ~Coward.~
@1856 = ~Either shut your mouth, or stop holding back!~
@1857 = ~Must I truly put voice to my worries? Would it be any comfort to add my fears and doubts to your own? No, my raven, ask me not for such things.~
@1858 = ~Oh. Well. Great.~
@1859 = ~What, no doom and entropy and death to add to that?~
@1860 = ~I assume you expected me to have a different reply.~
@1861 = ~Must I truly state the obvious, my raven?~
@1862 = ~You asked if we can win. To that there is only one reply - we *can*. There is always that possibility. Now, *will* we? I know not, my raven. Truly, I know not.~
@1863 = ~You sound troubled.~
@1864 = ~I suppose any chance is better than none.~
@1865 = ~We won't fail. I won't let us fail.~
@1866 = ~Do you think we're prepared, at least?~
@1867 = ~I don't know what I was thinking, looking to you for encouragement.~
@1868 = ~Right. Let's just get to it.~
@1869 = ~That is perhaps not the best word for what I feel, but it shall suffice. I am anxious to know the conclusion of this drama, and that feeling alone is... odd. I revel with equal fervor in both the journey and the destination, yet I find the thought that further delays may yet keep us from Irenicus to be frustrating and pointless.~
@1870 = ~I want your soul returned to you. I want to look once more into your eyes and see <CHARNAME> gazing back at me.~
@1871 = ~No more shall we wait. Go, my raven. Lead us to your fate.~
@1872 = ~'Twas not luck that carried us thus far, my raven. You are no mere child who needs be told their value. Your skills and abilities speak for themselves. Let them now speak to this Irenicus in a voice both loud and bold, and we shall see what is to come of all this you have suffered.~
@1873 = ~(Haer'Dalis catches your hand in his and lifts your knuckles to his lips for a slow, lingering kiss. Turning his eyes up to watch your reaction, he then turns your hand over and kisses the sensitive pulse point of your wrist as well.)~
@1874 = ~This bard would happily encourage you in so very many ways, my sweet <CHARNAME>, but time is not our friend at this moment. You soul waits for you, but how long will it wait? Let us delay no more. Onward.~
@1875 = ~(Haer'Dalis catches you up in his arms and kisses your lips with all the urgency and need of a dying man. After a wild moment of passion, his touch softens and his lips shift to pressing gentle murmuring brushes across your cheeks, your chin, your nose, your forehead.)~
@1876 = ~I could not possibly agree more, my raven. Whilst this sparrow loves the road and all the adventure and danger it brings, it could certainly do to be less filthy.~
@1877 = ~I'm having a bath brought up to my room. Why don't you join me? I'll wash your back, you wash mine...~
@1878 = ~You should have a tub brought up to your room. And you should invite me to join you.~
@1879 = ~Enjoy yourself while we have the time.~
@1880 = ~I fully intend to. Rest well, <CHARNAME>.~
@1881 = ~You as well, <CHARNAME>.~
@1882 = ~A most intriguing offer. This sparrow wonders if you mean to tease him, or if your desires are honest.~
@1883 = ~Perfectly honest. Interested?~
@1884 = ~Are you willing to find out?~
@1885 = ~Desires are never honest, mine least of all. But in this I know what I want.~
@1886 = ~No, I suppose it's not a good idea. Rest well, Haer'Dalis.~
@1887 = ~I jest, my friend. Enjoy your rest.~
@1888 = ~I should? And why is that? So you may wash this sparrow's feet?~
@1889 = ~Feet, knees, elbows... and anywhere else you want me to touch.~
@1890 = ~Precisely. I have a devious foot fetish.~
@1891 = ~My sparrow, I want you naked, I want you wet, and I want you alone.~
@1892 = ~If you're going to play coy, forget I said anything.~
@1893 = ~Ah, never mind. Enjoy your rest.~
@1894 = ~Very much so.~
@1895 = ~I would be a fool to let this chance pass me by, my raven.~
@1896 = ~You must know how much pleasure it brings this sparrow to hear you wax philosophical whilst expressing your longing for me.~
@1897 = ~Hah! Whether or not you jest, I cannot deny I find you all the more intriguing for such a declaration. What other secret longings hide in your heart?~
@1898 = ~Ah, a woman who knows exactly what she wants and does not fear saying so. 'Tis a splendid vision that stands before me.~
@1899 = ~Hold! Tsk, you've no sense of humor, my surly friend.~
@1900 = ~What would my raven say if I were to pay for a bath big enough for two? Would she be inclined to accept such a proposition?~
@1901 = ~I was the one who propositioned you, wasn't I?~
@1902 = ~She would.~
@1903 = ~Hurry yourself, tiefling, before I change my mind.~
@1904 = ~I'm not sure. Convince me that this is something I want.~
@1905 = ~On second thought, perhaps this isn't the best idea.~
@1906 = ~You began this game, my dear. Should not *you* be doing the persuading?~
@1907 = ~I suppose it's too late to play hard to get, isn't it?~
@1908 = ~Oh? What then must I do to persuade you, hmm?~
@1909 = ~Tsk, must a girl beg for a kiss?~
@1910 = ~Oh, I would say that it is indeed.~
@1911 = ~Very well. Call for that bath-built-for-two.~
@1912 = ~This filthy raven would very much enjoy your company as she grooms herself, sparrow. Is that plain enough for you?~
@1913 = ~Perhaps not. Rest well, fair raven.~
@1914 = ~Oh, my dear <CHARNAME>, you cannot imagine what your teasing is doing to this poor helpless sparrow...~
@1915 = ~The thought of you on your knees, begging for *anything* is an idea I would give much to see become reality.~
@1916 = ~Give me but a handful of heartbeats to make arrangements. I shall shortly return to fetch you.~
@1917 = ~I'll just have a drink while I wait.~
@1918 = ~Perfect.~
@1919 = ~Don't take too long.~
@1920 = ~(Haer'Dalis takes your hand and flashes you a warm smile, then bows with a flourish and presses a quick kiss against your knuckles before disappearing into the crowd.)~
@1921 = ~(Order a drink while you wait for him.)~
@1922 = ~(Wait patiently.)~
@1923 = ~(Tap your foot impatiently as you wait.)~
@1924 = ~(Decide this is probably a bad idea and slip off to your room.)~
@1925 = ~(When he returns a few moments later, Haer'Dalis raises a playful eyebrow at your drink.)~
@1926 = ~Seeking a taste or two of liquid courage, are you?~
@1927 = ~Judging by the color of your cheeks, you've indulged a bit as well.~
@1928 = ~I'm just relaxing a little.~
@1929 = ~What else am I supposed to do when I'm bored?~
@1930 = ~Ready?~
@1931 = ~I have indeed, oh perceptive one. It isn't everyday that a half-goddess invites me to bathe with her.~
@1932 = ~Play your cards right and it just might become an everyday occurrence.~
@1933 = ~Please don't put me on a pedestal...~
@1934 = ~Let's see if you're up to the challenge, shall we?~
@1935 = ~A challenge I readily accept.~
@1936 = ~I meant to tease you only, my raven. I cannot deny that I desire you, but I long for you because you are <CHARNAME> and for no other reason.~
@1937 = ~Come, take my arm. Your bath awaits.~
@1938 = ~(Silently take his arm.)~
@1939 = ~It's about time.~
@1940 = ~(Slide past him to lead the way to his room, letting your hips sway in silent invitation with each step.)~
@1941 = ~I know better ways to ease your tension, my dear <CHARNAME>.~
@1942 = ~Many ideas come to mind...~
@1943 = ~(Haer'Dalis returns a moment later and offers you his arm.)~
@1944 = ~Your bath awaits, my raven.~
@1945 = ~(When he returns, Haer'Dalis laughs and offers you his arm.)~
@1946 = ~Come, my eager raven. Your bath awaits.~
@1947 = ~Some things cannot be rushed, I fear.~
@1948 = ~(The bard curls his fingers over yours and guides the pair of you toward his room. The hallway is empty when you reach his door, and instead of opening it he twists quickly to press your back against the hard wood.)~
@1949 = ~(Haer'Dalis hums low in his throat in appreciation. You can hear him following at a short distance behind you, but in the empty hallway outside his room, he slips an arm around your waist and twists quickly to press your back against the hard wood.)~
@1950 = ~(The door creaks under the pressure as Haer'Dalis pins you with his body, his hands moving to cradle your face as he murmurs something about 'irresistible' and 'lips.' His eyes flicker over your features for a moment before he leans down to kiss you.)~
@1951 = ~(Meet his lips eagerly.)~
@1952 = ~(Let him kiss you.)~
@1953 = ~Nuh-uh, not so fast.~
@1954 = ~Wait!~
@1955 = ~(Push him roughly away.)~
@1956 = ~(The door creaks under the pressure as Haer'Dalis drops to one knee and pins you with his body, his hands moving to cradle your face as he murmurs something about 'irresistible' and 'lips.' His eyes flicker over your features for a moment before he leans down to kiss you.)~
@1957 = ~(Soft, full lips capture your mouth in a longing and insistent kiss. You breathe in the faint scent of wine and brimstone as the tiefling pulls you closer, his arms strong and solid around your waist as he deepens the kiss. His tongue teases across your lower lip and you can feel the growl in his chest rumble through you, leaving your mouth tingling. Restless fingers caress along your jawline and the edge of your ear, then slide into your hair, as if he wants to memorize you with his touch.)~
@1958 = ~(The need for air forces you apart, but Haer'Dalis smiles wryly and rests his forehead against yours.)~
@1959 = ~I am loathe to shatter this moment with logic, but I fear I must ask you to answer me plainly. This sparrow is a lover of games and manipulation alike, but in this I need a plain answer from you.~
@1960 = ~My raven, if you enter this room, you and I will be doing far more than bathing, and I have no intention of letting you leave for several hours at least. And you will likely need another bath by the time we finish. In fact, I guarantee it.~
@1961 = ~If this is not what you wish from me, speak now. I will not hold it against you should you choose to excuse yourself.~
@1962 = ~Are you mad? What did you think I wanted when I asked to share a bath with you?~
@1963 = ~Several hours, you say? Prove it.~
@1964 = ~All I wanted was a bath.~
@1965 = ~This was a mistake.~
@1966 = ~(The bard draws in a sharp breath through his nose, then throws himself into the kiss with obvious relief. His hands skim up your hips and waist, eager to touch and learn your body.)~
@1967 = ~I... Well, it does make me sound rather stupid when you put it that way, but I wanted no misunderstanding, you see? Bah, since you don't seem inclined to do it for me, I will shut my own mouth with a kiss.~
@1968 = ~(And he does, his lips and tongue mapping the contours of your mouth as his hands skim up your hips and waist, eager to touch and learn your body.)~
@1969 = ~That is my intention.~
@1970 = ~(He dips to kiss you again, his lips and tongue mapping the contours of your mouth as his hands skim up your hips and waist, eager to touch and learn your body.)~
@1971 = ~I see. Then I must insist you have a bath brought to your own room. If you will excuse me, my raven.~
@1972 = ~I am disappointed, of course, but glad that you realized it before things had gone any farther. If you will excuse me, my raven.~
@1973 = ~(Soft, full lips capture your mouth in a longing and insistent kiss. You breathe in the faint scent of wine and brimstone as the tiefling pulls you closer, his arms strong and solid around you as he deepens the kiss. When he realizes that you are mostly unresponsive, he pulls away with a puzzled look written across his face.)~
@1974 = ~(The bard groans in protest, but obediently eases his hold on you and leans back to meet your eyes.)~
@1975 = ~Is something wrong, <CHARNAME>?~
@1976 = ~Yes. We're not in the bath yet.~
@1977 = ~No, I'm just eager for that bath.~
@1978 = ~I think there's a misunderstanding. I'm here for a *bath*.~
@1979 = ~Wait. There is something that must be made clear first.~
@1980 = ~(Clearly unprepared to be shoved, Haer'Dalis staggers backward and hits the far wall where he stands blinking at you in surprise and confusion.)~
@1981 = ~<CHARNAME>...? Have I misunderstood?~
@1982 = ~(Lunge at him and kiss him fiercely.)~
@1983 = ~Oh, I didn't mean to push you so hard! It's just... I want that bath...~
@1984 = ~You don't touch me without permission. Ever. Is that clear?~
@1985 = ~(Haer'Dalis practically snarls into your mouth as he returns the violent kiss that is all teeth and tongues. His battle-hardened hands grip your hips with bruising force, but before either of you can lose yourself in the wave of passion, it is his turn to push you away. Panting, he regards you with dark, heated eyes.)~
@1986 = ~(Haer'Dalis narrows his eyes at you in calculation before slowly approaching to stand but a hairsbreadth from you. His gaze never leaves yours.)~
@1987 = ~Will you permit me to touch you, my deadly half-goddess?~
@1988 = ~Why should I?~
@1989 = ~(Somehow Haer'Dalis manages to get the door open and maneuver the pair of you into his room, kicking the door shut with enough force to crack the frame. You break apart long enough to discover that there is indeed a large tub filled with steaming water in the corner of the room.)~
@1990 = ~(Ignore the bath and turn back to the bard.)~
@1991 = ~So... you wash my back, I'll wash yours?~
@1992 = ~Undress me, my sparrow.~
@1993 = ~Well? Take those clothes off, bard.~
@1994 = ~This was a very bad idea. I have to go.~
@1995 = ~No, no my raven. Bath first! I must insist. We are both rather... putrid.~
@1996 = ~I am *not* putrid!~
@1997 = ~My raven, you are enticing, desirable and utterly intoxicating... but you are also filthy and you reek of the road.~
@1998 = ~I will gladly wash your back, your front, and anything else you wish me to thoroughly clean, my raven.~
@1999 = ~(While distracting you with breathless kisses and nibbles and exploratory touches, Haer'Dalis' nimble fingers make short work of your clothing. When at last your body is bare to his sight, he takes a step back from you, hungry eyes roving over every curve, every muscle, every scar, drinking you in with his gaze.)~
@2000 = ~Well, this is hardly fair.~
@2001 = ~Are you done memorizing me?~
@2002 = ~(Tap your foot impatiently.)~
@2003 = ~I do. You cannot possibly imagine how much.~
@2004 = ~No. Perhaps I never will be.~
@2005 = ~(Haer'Dalis laughs and shakes his head, his eyes sparkling with warmth.)~
@2006 = ~(While distracting you with breathless kisses and touches and the nearness of his bare skin, Haer'Dalis' nimble fingers make short work of your clothing. When at last your body is bare to his sight, he takes a step back from you, hungry eyes roving over every curve, every muscle, every scar, drinking you in with his gaze.)~
@2007 = ~(Silently allow him to admire you.)~
@2008 = ~Breathtaking.~
@2009 = ~(Without a word, Haer'Dalis slowly begins to strip away his own garments, his eyes fixed on your face. Once nude, he stands unashamed before you.)~
@2010 = ~You're positively shameless.~
@2011 = ~I know.~
@2012 = ~(Lean, feline muscles cover the tiefling's frame, his olive skin littered with scars and tattoos. What look to be claw marks pucker the flesh of his left breast, as if someone or something tried to tear his heart from his chest. A scaly green serpent tattoo circles his entire torso, twisting over his ribs and around his lower back. Etched on his stomach, its snarling jaws are clamped around its own tail.)~
@2013 = ~(A faint trail of silver-blue hair wanders between his abs and lower, the color only a few shades darker than the hair on his head. His desire for you is obvious, and the tiefling seems perfectly at ease under your scrutiny.)~
@2014 = ~Such a beautiful tattoo.~
@2015 = ~(Touch the deep scar on his chest.)~
@2016 = ~(The tiefling busies himself with removing your clothes, pausing occasionally to whisper kisses across your bare shoulders.)~
@2017 = ~(Turn toward the bath.)~
@2018 = ~It is beautiful and full of truth. Yet I have eyes only for you, <CHARNAME>.~
@2019 = ~(With a grim smile, he catches your hand and kisses your palm.) The appetites of some women are quite literal. I nearly met my end that day, but it seems this sparrow does not taste as good as he looks.~
@2020 = ~But I wonder... do you?~
@2021 = ~(Haer'Dalis moves away from you, his gaze thoughtful but guarded. After a pause, he gestures toward the door and turns away from you.)~
@2022 = ~(Without preamble, the tiefling ushers you into the bath, moving slowly and carefully to keep as much of the water from sloshing over the side as possible. It is a snug fit with the both of you in the tub, but Haer'Dalis immediately sets to work with a cake of soap and a soft wash rag.)~
@2023 = ~(His hands follow the lines of your body, easing away not just the dirt and grime of the road, but any lingering tension and discomfort your lifestyle brings you. There is tenderness beneath the lust in the bard's touch, and it is an easy thing to lose yourself in the sensations of the moment.)~
@2024 = ~(So caught up in learning each other, neither of you notice that the water has gone cold.)~
