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Post by wolsey on Dec 17, 2018 20:07:30 GMT -8
"I knew what Rabbit's experiences were but I didn't know that was so exceptional, she is definitely blessed, though. She has the eyes of the gods, and her experiences with Lolth have not been good," Luke says, dancing around Rabbit's personal experiences.
"I would never ask anything of her. She knows what we can do, and if she is interested she will do it. Freedom of choice is ultimately the most important part of my beliefs," He says.
"You never answered why your own handmaidens are not fully healed," he smiles pleasantly as he reiterates his question.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Dec 18, 2018 1:17:52 GMT -8
Realizing that Luke isn't going to let the question go, Izzy takes another drink and makes herself more comfortable on his bed. "They don't fully belong to me. Faer’tana... Rabbit's mother has lent them to me as bodyguard while I finish setting up my house. She is punishing them by not allowing them to heal. It isn't something I can control." She doesn't look very pleased by that, whether that is because she cares about their health, or because it usurps her own authority isn't clear.
IZZY
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Post by wolsey on Dec 18, 2018 18:22:09 GMT -8
Luke smiles and asks, "So what happens if some random person heals them against orders outside of the Drow culture? Sekhmet hates authoritarian stupidity."
He drinks he drink and his gaze wanders to the doorway where he is pretty sure the two women are stationed.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Dec 19, 2018 4:21:28 GMT -8
Izzy shifts on the bed, watching the tiefling and pursing her lips, slightly surprised by the words of the cleric she sits up. "It would depend on the matron or commander in charge. Some may put them to death, and even the person or persons responsible for healing them without permission as well for interfering with Lolth's command." A smile crosses her face, "Then again, there are those who might be grateful since their own clerics refuse it, if it is the right leader they might be..." She draws in a deeper breath, "incredibly grateful in return..." She chuckles at Luke, clearly indicating physically she was not the first kind of leader. "How could someone not be grateful for fixing something they themselves cannot repair."
IZZY
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Post by wolsey on Dec 19, 2018 5:55:34 GMT -8
"Sekhmet does not bend on the cruelty of others, and healing is one of her chosen vocations. As it would do no further harm, I will fix the matter at hand. I don't like looking at those 'punishments' as it's just a cruelty," Luke says.
"Is Rabbit the reason you are here to talk to me?" Luke asks.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Dec 19, 2018 6:19:22 GMT -8
Izzy gets quiet, and for a moment it almost appears as if she isn't sure what to say. "Yes... No... I am not sure. We parted ways under very complicated and extreme circumstances. One part of my reason here is Alluvian and to determine how relations might change between our people. Another reason is Keyleth and determining if she has a claim, or any of the old treaties that bound us if she calls us in need. But mostly I came for Rabbit, or at least to see how the situation with her life stands." The look on her face shows that is an understatement of concern mixed with anger,
"As for Rabbit, part of my visit is her mother. She has heard stories of your band of explorers and when she heard her daughter was alive and working with you, she has sent people to find out what is going on so she can decide what to do next." She hesitates before continuing, "the other part is myself, I want to know how she is doing, who she is with and if they are taking care of her. She needs care in a way that some don't catch, and it can have fatal results for many around her, although usually people not close to her if she can avoid it." She looks at Luke hard, assessing him "Are you taking care of her? Do you know what to do if she has a melt down?"
IZZY
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Post by wolsey on Dec 19, 2018 6:47:20 GMT -8
Luke makes note of the phrase 'treaties' to discuss with Nesterim later, and says, "Keyleth is real. The moon blade she carries called to her when we retrieved the body of the last King Surana of the Elven peoples. It chose her, and and speaks to her. They have researched her bloodline, and the moon blade chose correctly. She is a direct heir. She has spent the majority of her adult life in the Order of the Red Band. She still holds those values and beliefs. She does not hold any enmity towards the Drow, and counts Rabbit as her sister the way surface folks see sisters."
"Does that help with your diplomatic mission?" Luke asks, before changing topics.
"As for Rabbit, we are together, and she is loved and cared for by her friends. I don't know what you exactly mean by a 'melt down', but before we were together, I was her healer. She came to me when things went wrong. Before us, she worked for a man in Kokand, and he bound her with magical bindings at her request to keep her from harming anyone. We've recently removed all that, because it's not needed. She's dangerous, but only to her enemies, or if someone tries to harm one of us. She's doing very well for someone that has been through what she has," Luke says.
"She sleeps next to me because she doesn't like to sleep alone, and cats are always dawn to wherever I go. She is favored by multiple gods, but follows none. She's a good person," Luke says.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Dec 19, 2018 6:56:19 GMT -8
Izzy listens intently about Keyleth, she gives a small nod at the end of it and then as she listens about Rabbit her face becomes more empty of emotion, as if she is putting reactions away. "It is good to hear that Keyleth is real. It will shake my people up eventually and give the ones not in power a chance to move around and maybe change the balance. It also might let us change some portions of our culture. It will however make her a lot of enemies with my people. They would see her as an upstart, I am glad she has friends like a ... paladin?" she says that with a question in her voice, "and handmaiden."
She takes a deep breath, unsure if she should continue talking, then seems to make a decision moving forward.
"I respect your protection of Rabbit and I am glad to hear she is surrounded by people who care about her. I am glad she found a tiefling who will protect her like this, along with a surface sister and friends. I am surprised after her leaving the underdark the way she did that she would have anything to do with gods in any way."
"I am not sure why, but I feel like I can trust you about her. Has she ever told you about the training or about her conditioning. Would you like some background on her? I can only think it would help you, but some of it is uncomfortable to say the least so I want to ask if you want to hear it first."
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Post by wolsey on Dec 20, 2018 6:54:16 GMT -8
"Keyleth was not born to rule, but she has a really good team that supports her. She holds the values from her order, and is a good person," Luke says.
"Rabbit doesn't have anything to do with the gods, but they favor her still. Her experiences with Lolth and the Underdark have definitely given her pause in regards to even basic contact with the gods," Luke says. He leaves out the Island of the Gods, and anything of detail. Izzy might read as a nice and a concerned ex-lover, but he didn't know here or if anything he told her would be used against them and Rabbit.
"I know everything about her conditioning and training. I find it rather awful, and sounds like it was designed to break a person down in spirit until they follow commands to the death. It's not a practice I am in favor of. Rabbit and I hold no secrets between each other," Luke says gently. He's not sure if Izzy wants to undermine Rabbit with him by focusing on her "bad" history, and he doesn't offer to share that Rabbit and he shared minds during the ritual he did for her.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Dec 20, 2018 7:18:14 GMT -8
Izzy seems relieved at the obvious way Luke cares for Rabbit. "I assume you know she is hunted by her mother right? Don't worry she is safe around me, and I won't allow her sister to make a move. She killed a lot of drow to get out of the underdark, a lot of handmaidens as well." Her words indicate that handmaidens aren't considered drow in normal context.
She cocks her head looking at Luke, as if she is smelling or hearing for something. Once again underlining the way Rabbit sometimes behaves as if her eyes are secondary.
"I can promise you I hold no ill will towards her, I caught her right before she got away and she wouldn't fight me. She laid her swords down and kneeled waiting for me to take her head back to her mother." Izzy seems a little troubled by that memory as she retells it. "I told her to run."
She concentrates fully back on Luke with her eyes, "You know there are still commands that can be given to her verbally, and she will respond to them? I am not sure if she can tell you them herself, they try and forbid that. After all, the matrons don't want to give that kind of control out. I might be able to help with other things as well. As a handler I was given more knowledge about how handmaidens are created then I think she knows."
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Post by wolsey on Dec 21, 2018 6:04:32 GMT -8
Luke regards Izzy, and says, "I did not know that she was hunted by her mother specifically, but it's not shocking, and I am aware there were commands. I did not know what they all were. It would be nice to get a list, because we have been disabling them as we find them. That's why a handler probably would never work for her again, as she's not beholden to too many commands these days."
"She told us you had let her go when she saw you hear. I am grateful for that. I'm very fond of Rabbit," Luke says.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Dec 21, 2018 6:12:22 GMT -8
Izzy gives Luke a smile. "You are very welcome sir."
She taps her fingers on her lips, "Has she realized yet, or told you that she was here as part of our people's raid last time the surface elves did this ritual. She was actually very successful and earned a lot of wealth here. Actually I think this is where I made my most single battle wealth as well" Izzy looks around and then back to Luke "She always had a hard time telling where she had fought, the frenzy really makes most of their battles blur together."
"Does she frenzy a lot? She sometimes would try to hold it back, or would finish the frenzy and start crying." Izzy looks slightly sad and uncomfortable at that "The matrons hated that with her. She got reeducated several times. I don't think they ever had a handmaiden that took that many 'Quiet Rituals' before she finally fell into line fully. If she wasn't as good as she was, and the daughter of a matron herself I suspect they would have put her down a lot sooner."
IZZY
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Post by wolsey on Dec 22, 2018 9:46:51 GMT -8
Luke regards Izzy, careful to keep his face flat. The woman seemed to keep wanting to bring up parts of Rabbits past that would have likely cause a problem for anyone else.
“It’s unfortunate that Rabbit was put through so much hardship,” Luke says.
“I found it shockingly easy to undo most of the Hand Mauden bi dings. I think any handmaiden with sufficient motivation would find Sekhmet’s clerics capable of helping them. Are we the only ones to notice?” Luke asks.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Dec 22, 2018 12:34:15 GMT -8
Izzy sighs, frustrated she isn't getting her message across, after a few moments she smiles at Luke and puts it aside. "It isn't unusual, but that is because Rabbit is the first handmaiden I have seen taken into captivity... not that it really is captivity but no handmaiden leaves normally, I am not sure how she survived the ritual and the harrowing and still maintained herself, but it is why I liked her so much then."
She shifts on the bed watching Luke, "I didn't expect it to be easy to remove the bindings, but l am glad it was. Although her dark mistress" Izzy rolls her eyes like a teenager, even though her tone is said reverentially towards Lolth "Would probably take offense at it. Lolth is very very possessive over her handmaidens."
Izzy looks concerned and her voice quiets down, "Are you going to get her heart back? She isn't permanently free without it..."
IZZY
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Post by wolsey on Dec 22, 2018 13:32:12 GMT -8
"Taken into captivity? You think Rabbit is the very first to ever leave? Or, considering that is was not insurmountable to deal with the Lolth bindings, the first that has ever been spoken of? This process have been going on for centuries. Are you sure Rabbit is the only one?" Luke asks.
"Like I said, Lolth is not the only diety that Rabbit has attracted notice of. Corellon watches over her, even though she would never follow him. Sekhmet sends cats to her, and sings to her. I'm sure if we bumped into more, she might attract them as well. The reason she made such a great handmaiden for Lolth, is that she should have been a cleric or paladin. She has the power to channel divinity in that fashion. Unfortunately, because of Lolth, and the handmaiden process, Rabbit will probably never feel comfortable with that, or pursue it," Luke explains. "Why take some of your most powerful women and rip them down until they mindlessly obey commands, if you didn't want to control their power, and never chance that power will disobey?"
"As for her heart? We have a plan in place for that. Rabbit isn't ready to take that step. When she's ready, we will fix that last bit for her. She can have that whenever she feels she wants to do it. Rabbit moves in her own time." Luke says.
He smiles pleasantly at Izzy. His innate nature giving him a leg up on this conversation where his experience might lack.
"I would suspect any high priestess worth her salt, would have known what Rabbit was by the time she hit puberty. The gods favor her, and she was heavily favored by both Lolth and Corellon at the time. I have spoken to Corellon directly, and I know his feelings towards her. I found it interesting that Corellon sees the Drow as his children still. He seems willing to shield them when he can. I did not expect that," Luke says.
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