Meeting Robs

As you continue your expedition out of the nautiloid, you come upon a trail of blood. [[Follow the blood.]]

You follow the blood to the best of your abilities -- and it is not very difficult, there is a lot to follow. Eventually, you come upon what appears to be a young woman standing above a smattering of bodies. [[Perception Check Passed]] [[Perception Check Failed]]

You notice the five bodies are all turned face up, and their eyes have been carved out. The woman's clothing is splattered with crimson, and hands are drenched in blood, it seems like she clawed them out with her bare hands. You spot the crown of thorns upon her head and recognize the woman to be an Aasimar, a half-celestial being. [[Religion Check Passed]] [[Religion Check Failed]]

There are five bodies, but you don't notice anything in particular about them, or the woman in front of you, aside from there is a lot of blood, and her hands are drenched in it. [[Religion Check Passed]] [[Religion Check Failed]]

The garb the woman bears is reminiscent of light clerical armor you've seen in the past, but you've never seen exactly these before. Judging from the color and the style, it's likely she worships some sort of dark deity. Though you could have probably gathered that from all the blood. [[Odd. I've never seen a religious ritual quite like this before.]] [[What's going on here?]] [[(See if you can discern anything else about the scene before you.)]] [[(Stay silent.)]] [[(Attack.)]]

She is dressed in almost all black, making the bloodstains on her clothing tough to spot. You don't notice anything in particular about her style of robes, nor the scene in front of you. [[What's going on here?]] [[(Stay silent.)]] [[(See if you can discern anything else about the scene before you.)]] [[(Attack.)]]

Your voice startles the cleric; her shoulders tense up and she nearly snaps her neck with how quickly her head turns to look at you. She opens her mouth to defend herself, but she is only able to choke out a groan as your tadpoles connect. [[Continue.]]

Your voice startles the woman; her shoulders tense up and she nearly snaps her neck with how quickly her head turns to look at you. She opens her mouth to explain herself, but she is only able to choke out a groan as your tadpoles connect. [[Continue.]]

There's not much to see that you haven't already. The woman is standing perfectly still, staring down unblinking at the body directly in front of her. Her fists clench and unclench, and her lips part ever so slightly, like's trying to figure something out. She does not notice you, but her //tadpole// does - it connects with yours as soon as it senses you. [[Continue.]]

The woman is staring stone straight at the body closest to her, completely unmoving. She does not notice you, but her //tadpole// does. [[Continue.]]

A shockwave of pain is sent through both of your skulls. You are met with flashes of visions of the nautiloid, the faces of the bodies before you, and finally, a massive, blurred expanse of pitch and crimson. Odd, this is much shorter than any of the other tadpole connections you've experienced before. Her expression remains completely stoic, but her hands shake with nerves as she speaks. "What the hell was that? What did you just do?" [[It was the tadpole.]] [[Never mind that. What the hell did you just do?]] [[It's a long story. What happened here?]]

Something clicks in recognition. "The vermin in my head? You have one too?" She pauses after her question, but does not actually give you time to respond. "Wait. The ship... you were there. I saw you. In- in my head... just now. Was that the tadpole?" [[I'm finding a surprising amount of people with them, yes.]] [[I'm guessing we were both tadpoled in that illithid ship.]] [[Never mind that. What the hell did you just do?]]

Her expression is largely unchanged, but you spot her brow twitch. She stands up a little straighter, glowering at you. She says nothing in response. [[(Persuasion) I'm just curious. Not every day you happen upon a girl in front of a bunch of eyeless corpses.]] [[(Intimidation) You're going to tell me, or I'll add your body to the pile.]] [[You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.]] (No, this is too suspicious.) [[(Attack.)]]

Her expression is unchanged, but she shifts her weight uncomfortably from leg to leg. She isn't sure how to answer. She isn't sure if she should. [[(Persuasion) I'm just curious. Not every day you happen upon a girl in front of a bunch of eyeless corpses.]] [[(Intimidation) You're going to tell me, or I'll add your body to the pile.]] [[You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.]] (No, this is too suspicious.) [[(Attack.)]]

Her eyes flit from you to the rest of your party, sizing everyone up. She can tell she is outmatched, and frankly, she's exhausted. "I see. Then... you might be able to help me." There is a barely noticeable twinge of hope in her voice. [[I hope you're not expecting me to add to this pile of bodies?]] [[I'm a helper. What do you need?]] [[I might. What's in it for me?]] I don't think so. [[(Attack.)]]

Her head tilts slightly to the side. "Illithid ship? Is that what those things were? ...Sorry. I'm not... I think being, er, //tadpoled//, as you put it, really messed with my memory." [[To what end?]] [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]] [[Bummer. Well, see you. Good luck with the corpses.]]

For the first time since noticing you, she looks away from your face and down to the bodies surrounding her. Her fists clench at her sides, and her body tenses up again. "I don't know what to tell you." She sighs, still looking from corpse to corpse. "I was trying to leave the crashed ship, and find someplace I could get my bearings, but all of a sudden, everything was black. Next thing I knew, I was standing here. I know as much about this as you do. I swear." [[(Suspicious. Is she lying? Insight check.)]] [[I don't believe you.]] Bullshit. [[(Attack.)]]

She takes a small step backwards, bowing her head slightly, but still keeping an eye on you. "No need for that. I know how this looks. But you have to believe me, I have //no idea.// I was walking away from the ship crash to get my bearings, and suddenly... suddenly I was standing above these people. I don't know anything else. I swear." [[(Suspicious. Is she lying? Insight check.)]] [[I don't believe you.]] Bullshit. [[(Attack.)]]

"It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't. You know as much about what happened here as I do. I blacked out and suddenly I was here." [[Okay...?]] [[(Stare blankly.)]] (No, this is too suspicious.) [[(Attack.)]]

A battle ensues, and you have caught this mysterious woman completely off guard. In her inventory you find a +1 dagger and a set of light armor +1, along with a scrap of paper that has been torn apart and drenched in blood, the only three words you are able to make out are 'Robs', 'cleric', and 'blood'.

You size the aasimar up, looking for any telltale signs of lying, but you can't find any. At first, you think she might be lying by omission, but you soon realize she genuinely does not know. She is telling the truth, to the best of her ability. [[...Well, shit.]] That memory of yours... [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]] (You're still getting a bad feeling.) [[(Attack.)]]

"Honestly, I don't expect you to. I know how unbelievable this all must sound. But I promise you, I am telling the truth. I can't remember a single thing from before the parasite was forced into my head. It has //really// messed with my memory." [[To what end?]] [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]] [[Bummer. Well, see you. Good luck with the corpses.]]

"Don't look at me like that." She sighs. "Look. Maybe you can help me." [[I hope you're not expecting me to add to this pile of bodies?]] [[I'm a helper. What do you need?]] [[I might. What's in it for me?]] I don't think so. [[(Attack.)]]

She stares blankly back at you. [[(Stare blankly.)]] [[Okay, this is getting us nowhere.]]

"Oh, hells. No, of course not." [[I'm a helper. What do you need?]] [[I might. What's in it for me?]] Unlucky for you, that's exactly what I intend to do. [[(Attack.)]]

"I don't have much to offer in the way of coin or loot, but I am a veritable fighter and healer. A cleric. If you need some proof of my prowess, well..." She gestures to the bodies at her feet. A cleric, you said? [[Of what deity?]] [[I see. Well, you seem like a useful person to have around...]] [[Actually... maybe it would be for the best if we split ways here.]]

"Really?" Her tone of voice is... pleasantly surprised. "Thank you. Well. This... thing. In my head. The parasite. I think it's started to eat away at my memory. Heavily. And I'm not sure what to do." [[We're all searching for answers. Why should I help you?]] [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]] [[Actually... maybe it would be for the best if we split ways here.]]

"All of it. Saying 'messed with my memory' is a complete understatement. I woke up on that ship with nothing in my head but a name and a headache. I didn't even know I could fight until some imps tried to attack me in there. Turns out: I'm rather good at it. And I have some healing magic. I think I'm a cleric?" [[Of what deity?]] [[I see. Well, you seem like a useful person to have around...]] [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]] [[I find it hard to believe a cleric could be capable of such senseless carnage.]]

"...Just like that?" Her gaze is still vacant, lips still a flat line. But you've given her another sliver of hope, and it echoes subtly in her voice. [[Just like that. Join my party.]] [[Just like that. Head to my camp, we'll speak more there.]] [[Actually... maybe it would be for the best if we split ways here.]]

She rolls her eyes and turns away from you. "Whatever. What a waste of time. Goodbye."

"I honestly don't know. I can''t remember. I try to remember, but it's all a mess of crimson. I won't sugarcoat it, I'm sure it was someone violent. My clerical abilities are based around the blood of others. 'Hemocraft', I believe is the word?" [[Alright...]] Your memory... [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]]

"Thank you. I //am// very useful." She politely (and maybe a little proudly?) bows her head. "So... my request. This... thing. In my head. The parasite. I think it's started to eat away at my memory. Heavily. And I'm not sure what to do." [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]] [[Actually... maybe it would be for the best if we split ways here.]]

"That seems a little narrow-minded to me. I can't remember what god it was that I worshipped, exactly, but I... I get the feeling it was a dark god. My clerical abilities are based around the blood of others. 'Hemocraft', I believe is the word?" [[Alright...]] Your memory... [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]]

"Thank you. Oh, my name is Robs, by the way. I remember that, at least. Pleasure to meet you." Congratulations, you've welcomed a blood-soaked cleric into your group!

"I'll head there now. Thank you. Oh, my name is Robs, by the way. I remember that, at least. Pleasure to meet you." Congratulations, you've welcomed a blood-soaked cleric into your group!

The woman frowns, then huffs and rolls her eyes, turning away from you. "Whatever. What a waste of time. Goodbye."

"You can say that again." She sighs. "Look. Maybe you can help me." [[I hope you're not expecting me to add to this pile of bodies?]] [[I'm a helper. What do you need?]] [[I might. What's in it for me?]] I don't think so. [[(Attack.)]]

"You blinked first." She snorts, the most display of emotion you've seen from her this whole time. "Anyway. Um. Maybe you can help me, actually." [[I hope you're not expecting me to add to this pile of bodies?]] [[I'm a helper. What do you need?]] [[I might. What's in it for me?]] I don't think so. [[(Attack.)]]

"I don't have much to offer in the way of coin or loot, but I am a veritable fighter and healer. A cleric. If you need some proof of my prowess, well..." She gestures to the bodies at her feet. "Maybe I can help you, too." A cleric, you said? [[Of what deity?]] [[I see. Well, you seem like a useful person to have around...]] [[Actually... maybe it would be for the best if we split ways here.]]

She stares at you, waiting for you to say something substantial. About your memory... [[A sign of ceremorphosis, no doubt. You're lucky I found you when I did. Come with me, I'm searching for a healer.]] [[Actually... maybe it would be for the best if we split ways here.]]