Missing Caravan

[Nacesh]

"And leave that...that thing alive to cause more chaos and endanger more lives? I cannot agree to that."

"As long as those lives are not our lives." Nacesh nods with determination, looking straight into the eyes of the knightly priestess.

"... If we can find some way to avoif having the flames come back at us that is, otherwise all we can do is press on the hard way, which is exactly what the creature wants."

"Controlling wind would do the trick but I haven't developed that ability yet."

"We make our way up those stairs, as carefully as we can, given the trap capabilities of that miscreation. When we reach it, we kill it. No mercy or quarter will I give it, for it has given none itself. It made its choices."

Nacesh waits politely for the lady to exhale the fume before noting,
"Kobolds. Trap capabilities of kobolds."

This is not the first occasion that the man expresses his respect (but not trust) towards this reptilian race.

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina's eyes open wide at Nacesh's responses, almost glowing with angered surprise as she slowly turns to look at the sorceror.  She didn't lash out at him, but she wasn't happy.  Her voice is quiet but has the solidity of iron behind it. 
"Listen closely, Nacesh.  That was a very selfish-sounding statement you just made.  I will forgive you for it, but you must know this.  I am going after that creature and I intend to end it.  You can join me or not, that is entirely your choice.  But it will be a move not calculated to please me if you do not.  We set out on this journey to save members of a caravan that are abducted.   It would be a folly to do so and then leave the cause of it alive to abduct others.   And this is entirely beside what it had done to the kobolds. "

[Betimi]

Betimi watches the exchange between Selina and Nacesh coolly.

"Thus far I have seen nothing that makes any of these kobolds a less worthy race than you humans. Sure they fight for the survival of their family and clan, the same as can be said of any human tribe that were in their place. This Unreth creature that enslaves and preys upon everything it encounters, that is our foe, not the kobolds."

As Tomreal makes progress doen the stairs she moves up behind him, crystal shard at the ready to launch at any foe that presents itself to threaten Tomreal.

[OoC I know out of combat you normally cannot ready actions, but my intent is essentially a 5'step and readied action to throw a shard at anything that threatens Tomreal]

[Gilley]

Gilley looks between Nacesh and Selina as the stand-off, before stepping forward. "Right, mates. I think what your magicking friend meant..." Emphasis on 'friend.' "Is that it would increase our chances of survival if you all got some rest. Being a captive tends to give you time to get your beauty sleep, but you lot look tired. As much as it pains me, it might behoove us to take a strategic retreat, cut down the other captives, set them free, then find a defensible position for camp. We can revisit this once we are rested, and less prone to biting each other's heads off."

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina sighs once again, knowing that she could trust Betimi to at least be surprising. In this case, it was a pleasant surprise as she defends the Kobolds as well, which Selina had not actually mentioned, but they were endangered all the same. She regards Gilley for a time. Getting some rest was something Selina had been advocating for awhile, and now she had more vocal support. She nods to him, backing away from the conflict she had just experienced with Nacesh.

[Betimi]

"It has only been a few hours, but we have been pushing hard, and our spellcasters are depleted."

She looks back at Selina and Gilley and nods.  Reaching out her free hand she places it on Tomreal's shoulder to forestall him from cutting through the next section of web.

"I cannot change the vestige to which I am bound until a full day has passed which it has not, but if I am correct Selina you are in a similar predicament, your deity will not empower you again as her agent until a particular time of day?"

"Let us free those prisoners in the corner there, thenm seek out Sir Piper and find somewhere safe to recoup until Selina at least can regain spells. If you are willing to wait until tomorrow morning, then I will reach into the void and bond with a being that will solve our web problem."

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina nods once more, grateful that everyone was more or less of the same mind. She had to commune with her goddess at night, and she wasn't certain what time of day it was.

"I agree that a rest would be wise, and sorely needed for some of us. We can locate and free the members of the caravan, as well as any kobolds in the area. When we are more prepared, we can affair the monstrosity."

[Nacesh]

Nacesh listened patiently to everyone to add their insights and answers Selina's final proposition immediately.

"Agreed."
He turns away to look for the people he can free easiest but stops and turns back to Selina.
"I am selfish as long as keeping my life for myself is considered."
Turning to Gilley, he adds with a smile,
"And I am a friend"
Finally to Betimi,
"And kobolds may be friends as well. What I said about traps was meant as an acknowledgement and not an offense."

Nacesh all but stumbles over Mardak's limp body and stops for a moment.
"He deserves dignity like anyone else," he says and waves towards Gilley, indicating that his help would be appreciated to gather the body and fetch it into safety while the girls free whoever is possible to be freed.

[Betimi]

Betimi looks at Selina when Nacesh inquires about what do with Mardak's remains.

"I do not know how you surface dwellers dispose of remains, our overseers generally fed the dead to other minions or to fertilize other food sources.  I have not seen any such practice among your people, so I have no idea how you  deal with the fallen to prevent their use against you."

She makes her way carefully to the bridge across the chasm, across from where the captives are strung up in teh web and begins to cut the webbing barring the way with her spear.

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina closes her eyes briefly, murmuring softly. "No. I will provide the service, Nacesh. I do not think he was loved, but you are correct. He deserves a proper burial."

She turns to Betimi as she hovers over Mardak's prone form, arranging his body into a suppine position and closing his eyes. "Did you not attend the service I had performed for the caravan guard earlier? That is how we 'surface dwellers' generally 'dispose' of our dead. We believe that living beings are more than just flesh and bone. That there is a spirit within that grows and struggles. When Life ends for that being, that spirit must undertake another journey. Burials are our way of seeing the spirit on its journey in, what we hope, is a safe manner."