Makara IC

Adelinde can't help but frown as the boar talks, her dislike for the man becoming more personal with every word as her tail flicks near her feet in irritation. It takes her a moment to snap out of her thoughts when the genasi speaks to her. "Hmm? Oh. ...Personally I don't really like ANY of these choices, but I refuse to be made a slave or enslave anyone else so there's really only one I can even tolerate." She says with a sigh as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Oh and uh... Hello." She adds the last bit a little awkwardly, her angry demeanor slipping a bit.

Steam & Parveth
"Hmm, that's a good point," the genasi puts her hand to her chin, overly posing in thought.
The wood elf lets out a sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose at Steam's actions. "It would seem we only have one reasonable choice then." She takes a step toward the blue fire, but Steam catches her shoulder with a gentle hand.
"Are you sure? After the...event...we can be soldiers, I wouldn't m-,"
"It's fine." The two stand there for a moment longer, before the genasi nods and lets the wood elf continue toward the blue fire. She turns to the tiefling, letting out a breath and clapping her hands together before breaking into a smile once more. "Whoof! Well, now that we've got that settled. We can get to the good stuff!" She swings an arm around the tiefling and starts walking them towards the blue fire. "It's nice meeting you! I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but meeting like this is better than not at all, I think. You can call me Steam, my dour friend is named Parveth."

As the four make their way to the blue fire pit Adelinde notices Salty Pete heading over to one of the red ones.

Adelinde can't help but chuckle quietly at the friendly Genasi. "Likewise, and my name is Adelinde." She blinks, leaning to the side to look over the genasi as she sees Salty Pete heading towards one of the red fires and frowns angrily. "Can you excuse me for just one moment?"She asks the genasi before slipping out of her arms and quickly following after the old sailor, tapping him on the shoulder when she reaches him. "What are you doing?"

Salty Pete turns around to look at Adelinde and looks not at all surprised at her question. "I'm surviving this situation best I can. I'm meant for the sea and I certainly won't last a year breaking rocks or breaking my back planting seed. An' this way maybe I can steer them away from our home somehow. Don't think I don't see that look in your eye. I know you don't approve, but you and your family don't rule here and if I'd thought for even a second you'd choose to be a damn fool and put yourself in so much danger I never would have agreed to take you away." At that he looks over in the direction she was heading and then just gives her a very sad look and waits to see if she has anything more to say.

Parveth
The wood elf nears the blue fire and nods in acknowledgement to the dragonborn, before looking around to see what choices others are making.

Steam
The genasi nods and lets the tiefling slip away from her, and continues on to the blue flame, snuggling herself up against Parveth when she gets there. Parveth is not amused, but doesn't fight it, rather accustomed to it by now.

Most people seem to be remaining where they are, a small number are going towards the red fires, and a few people are hesitantly moving in the direction of the blue fire but most of these seem to change their mind and go back or go to the red fires instead.

The dragonborn returns the nod to the wood elf...

Steam
The genasi waves enthusiastically at the dragonborn and very genially says, "Hey, you! Seems like we'll be seeing each other for...for at least a little longer!" Her general enthusiasm stalls briefly as her recent experiences resurface in her mind, but she pushes through after a pause.
"I don't think I caught your name earlier..." she leads in.

"I am Drachedandion Ketha," announces the dragonborn. "It's good to see others take this path."

Parveth
The wood elf nods, and says, "I am named Parveth Xiloscient. Goldpetal is an...acceptable translation, if you have not mastered elvish. It is fair, for now; it will be good if others ally as well. I know not how much of the ruins you have seen but I do not have high expectations for a small group as ourselves against what lurks 'neath them."

Steam
The genasi gives Parveth one last hug-squeeze before moving away and sitting down relatively close to the fire in an attempt to warm up a bit. "Eh, I'm sure it'll work out alright. This seems like a path 'the Old Boar' would like people to take. Shows courage and such, and if they actually succeed they accomplish what scores of people choosing the other options would over much longer periods of time." she says, with a nod to the Boar. She spends a moment watching to see if anyone tries to approach the dragonborn, or show any form of recognition of Ketha on their part.

"And keep sheepdogs away from sheep," comments Ketha...

Steam
The genasi shares a somewhat confused look with the wood elf, before asking Ketha, "I don't think I've heard that phrase before; what's it mean?"

"It's not really a phrase" replies a stony-faced Ketha, "People will follow a leader strong and brave, so they'll send the strong and brave away."

Steam
"Ohh. That's a good wisdom." The genasi nods, before rolling into, "I mean, they could also just choose to follow the strong and brave rather than being separated from them, but I can see your point." She pauses for a moment as Parveth sits down next to her at the fire, before Steam continues to Ketha, "Are you from a largely pastured area, then?"

Adelinde looks Pete over for a moment before looking away with a glower and a growl of frustration. "No, I can't say I like the idea of you capturing other people and putting them through this for that man. Not at all." After a moment she sighs, placing a hand on Pete's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "Just... don't become like him or his men okay? You're better than them. And for what it's worth, none of this was my intention. That's all him." She says with a glare towards where the boar before looking back towards Pete. "Be careful okay?" She asks and hesitates for a moment before turning and heading back towards the blue fire, sitting down near the others with a soft sigh.

Pete nods and says, "I will. I'd ask you to but you've clearly given up on that already." as he also walks away and gives a laugh.

Ketha considers for a moment, and gives a small nod...

Steam & Parveth
The two watch the tiefling as she joins them, the genasi giving her a friendly smile and small wave and the wood elf opting for deep brief, longing acknowledging eye contact.

A few moments later it seems pretty much everyone has made their final choices. The vast majority chose not to stand by any of the colored fires. Somewhere over thirty people chose to join the Boar's men, including Salty Pete (or better known to some of you "That guy the Tiefling went over to talk to and then came back with a sour look on her face") and two of the people Ketha had been captured with. Around the blue fire is the four of you, a human couple in their fifties, a male halfling, a male teenage shifter, and a elven female.

Some men, one in an officer's uniform of the Lf'ern military which Parveth & Steam would recognize (the uniform I mean, not the man who in this case is an elf), walk up to those around the red fires and lead them off to the north.

Other men move closer to the other people around, organizing them into groups.

The Boar, the woman in the grey cloak, the two people in the brown cloaks, and the fifth member of that group, who turns out the be a male drow, walk over to the blue fire where you are. The drow looks over the people assembled and then motions at the other five while looking at one of the people in the brown cloaks, "You two take those five." The brown cloaked people nod and tell those five people to come with them and wave over two more of the Boar's men to escort them. Their group heads in a westward direction. As this happens the drow looks at the four of you and says, "Come with us."

You are lead eastward. After you've walked for about five minutes, far enough the the noise of the assembled people doesn't require raising your voice to hear people over, the drow asks, "What are your names and previous occupations?"

"Drachedandion Ketha, adventurer," is the formal reply...

Steam & Parveth
"I am Parveth Xiloscient. Before being drafted into your service, I roamed the forest and provided rare ingredients for wizards."
"I'm Steam, I uh...roamed...markets for rare ingredients for wizards."
Parveth cuts her eyes at Steam. The genasi looks pretty pleased with herself.

"Adelinde, scholar." She replies shortly.

The drow turns to the grey robed woman and says, "Char?"

Char turns to look at each of you in turn, at which point you can see she's a somewhat attractive woman with short and messy red hair, grey eyes, pale skin, and has a scar across her right cheek probably from some kind of blade. Pointing at Ketha she says, "Wizard.....knight? Something like that." she shrugs and moves on to point at Steam, "Warlock. Pact with..... ooooh. Fire, a girl after me own heart this one!"

The drow raises an eyebrow and when Char doesn't expand on this he sighs.

"Sorcerer? No that's not it. Oh... a bard. Well, miss 'scholar' there will be lots to unearth for you here to sing about later. Assuming nothing rips out your pretty little throat." Char says and gives a cackle.

The drow rolls his eyes. Char doesn't notice. He coughs and points pointedly at Parveth. Char looks at the drow then to Parveth then back to the drow, shrugs and says, "Can't tell.." At this the Boar, without even turning around to actually look at anyone, states, "Ranger. Can tell from how she moves. If she has magic it's the natural kind." The drow looks at Char and Char shrugs and the drow looks at Parveth and shrugs as well.

Steam
The genasi fawns a bit, as though flattered by the grey robed woman. "Aww, thank you! I feel like we should be friends if I don't die immediately."

Arcana check:

Parveth
The wood elf adds a shrug to the chain, and holds the pause for a moment before asking, "Will we be returned our possessions before entering the ruins again? I am fairly sure the answer is 'they've been redistributed already,' but I ask still."