Kordruk Steelborn sits in the tavern drinking and watching the form of Ro'an in the corner. The man that he has been told had a hand in so much evil that night, but seems to have broken in the after math.
"What is it like to have voices in your head?" The dwarf says to the air and takes another drink from his cup. "Why, are so many hearing voices? I understand that some of the Grehloks hear the Drow, but why not all of them and why do some hear it more than others? Does Ebrahim hear the same voice he once did or has it changed? Is there a way to stop the voices?"
"I miss the good old days when I could work and create and not have to fear for my soul at all times. Simpler times, when the weight of the world had not yet been revealed to me. When the Lords of the Golden Halls watched over me and my people, but now I live with people that follow the Eldest and fight amongst themselves constantly." Muttering to the air.
After a moment of thought the Dwarf would rise and approach Ro'an. Setting the cup next to the Grehlok. "Here, you need to drink, and try and find balance again. This town is not going to be safe for the broken or those that hide in the corners. We pissed off the Drow again and they will be coming for us." With that Kordruk will walk back to the table he was watching over the form or Ro'an pulling out a flask and resuming his watch. "Besides, I want something stronger." Then taking a drink from the flask.
Ro’an cowered in the corner of the tavern. Shaking uncontrollably as his mind floods over and over with memories from his time in the Drow prison, the ritual performed on him against his will, and the Drow’s dark ritual. The world outside Ro’an’s mind had become distant like a lost friend or faded memory.
He still had not gotten used to how much louder everything seemed now so any sound terrified him, made him flinch, and cower that much further into himself.
No matter how hard Ro’an tried he could not organize his thoughts. Every time he tried all he’d hear and see is the Archon yelling at him before he felt his mind cry out in agony as he collapsed on the Tavern floor that night. Waking only to ringing in his ears. His friends concerned faces surrounding him. Ringing he sometimes thought he still heard.
Ro’an coughed, hard, blood splattering against the wood. His chest pained from the continued coughing. Old dark stains making it apparent he had been doing this for a while. Several days, maybe a week. Ro’an couldn’t remember anymore? Time felt strange to him; like a miasma instead of a steady stream. Ro’an had started to look sickly.
As Kodrok approached, Ro’an clasped his cloaked around him more closely. Shivering. Shutting his eyes as hard as he could as Ro’an only saw what he thought was a Drow, maybe? He couldn’t be sure.
He hears the figure say...something...to him, but the words do not seem to register. They sound almost muffled as the next wave of terrifying memories comes crashing back into Ro’an’s mind replaying more horrors.
Ro’an opens his eyes as they widen in fear and terror. As he does his body slumps against the tavern wall, again, as he loses consciousness in the rapid fire replay flashing through his mind.
A petite woman with short white hair stood at the frame of the tavern back door, vigilant and wearing a quiet but profound gaze of pain at Ro'an. She hardly knew this greylok, always seems to sway between low town and high-town, appearing lost and not quiet comfortable in any particular crowd. His entire body is suffering from pure and unrelentless darkness,.... Far worst than she's ever seen, more than what most endured with the Spawn of Shorthar. No, this was more of layered amount of pain, a matrix of horrors and possibly even suffering an illness. Her stomach twisted, it reminded too much of her own torment endured just three weeks ago, enclosed in the cells of greylock torture. She remembered,....she did very much remember seeing Ro'an asked to do so many ghastly things. ... It's hard to approach him and not be affected, not fall in that hole with him. For this reason, she was apprehensive to help. Not because she didn't want to, but in fear she would loose herself in pain again... She had to be ready herself before tending to others.... Aleena can hear Cliff's long distant haunted words, 'take care of yourself first or else you are no good to anyone else...' (I will try my best,...) she thought to herself, as if to reply the long gone memory. As he collapsed, her eyes enclosed firmly in a wince.... (Heavens.....he's the worst I've ever seen. The last person I've seen with this high ammount of suffering was Alonai. With her eyes gorged out and seeing nothing but pain, that poor elf died. Even now, three years later I cannot forget...) Aleena lamented in deep thought. Reopening her eyes, she made a long pensive stroll towards Kodrick in her white wintery gown, the plank decking echoed as she stride closer. Near Kodrick she whispered softly. "...allow me to take ze look at him? He be most best off resting anyway......." Her dark eyes squinted painfully at Ro'an physic, stepping close enough to kneel at foot from his body. Her eyes panned across his physic seeking any immediate signs of wounds, and then measuring slowly his health.... (Tiro, as I look at this greylock, even now I can only marvel how much stronger you are in spirit compared to other ones. This poor lad can barely contain even a single day in New Haven and a night with the Drow. I can only imagine you left us for this very reason.....to have sanity. And yet,..it barely helped. This one however, didn't come up with the same idea as you did. Instead of leaving he now suffers pure layers of unknown hell. I could only hope that perhaphs a tiny flame of light, may help him in his darkness?....) she wondered... Her hands dung out for a towelette and began gently wipping away the blood from his face and easing his figure to rest more comfortably. Scooting him away from the puddle of blood, awaiting for any reactions....
As Ro’an’s mind thundered replaying his memories from the Drow prison suddenly they stopped and Ro’an found himself surrounded by darkness. Then the darkness cleared and he saw shapes that looked vaguely like people in a village, then the shroud of darkness fell again and when it lifted he was standing in the rain looking up at a stone tower as roaring erupted from the forest behind him.
As Aleena begins to assess Ro’an, Ro’an starts shaking. Then Ro’an‘s back arches in a violent upward motion as Ro’an cries out, “No don’t hurt them!” before settling again. Only to turn his head as if looking at something, “RUN!”
Outwardly Ro’an does not seem wounded. There seem to be bruises still healing that if touched make Ro’an wince in pain. His color seems pale, it’s not clear why he is coughing up blood. At the application of the damp towel Ro’an wakes briefly, his eyes rolling wildly in their sockets as if they are having a hard time focusing on Aleena, “....Alyria?” Ro’an mumbles in a hoarse voice before passing out again.
Aleena pondered a bit, while wipping her wet hands on her skirt from the damp towel, her eyes drew away from Ro'an for a moment and spaced out in thought. She was recalled the way the greylocks were, in that enclosed prison,.... Their torment, the way they had total control of everyone's lives, fate and breaking them down with every violent turn. Enjoying the violence or dragged in to it, as did Ro'an. Her face frowned at the very helplessness she felt, watching Percival and others die, and Ro'an? He was but a pawn, a walking weapon. Infact,...he still is. Probably the one Greylok that has been puppeted the hardest in her experience. Thornir seems to resist well, but can show signs of potential threat again as he did with Katesh. She's been apprehensive to be alone anywhere with him... But what would stop Ro'an to become a walking hand of violence again? He could be controlled. How long will it take before even Ro'an would....enjoy the violence himself? Laughing.....to see everyone in pain? How horrifying.... And right at the moment, Ro'an suddenly sat upwards and yelp out ! Aleena immediately leap backwards grasping a hand over her side for her staff. Her eyes bugged out wide, and she gasped so sudden it came out in a high pitched shriek. "....!!" Then, he said a name similar to her own,...? Or was it Elaria? The Greenspeaker?.... She wasn't sure, all she can hear is her own heartbeat in her ears and staring hard at Ro'an before he collapsed again in a heap. -kathud!- Heaving, Aleena can feel her skin shaken with nerves at their edges. After a long pant, Aleena felt her hands were slightly shaking, there was signs of fight and flight in her very body. She gazed to her fingers and saw hints of tiny sparks splintered around her fingernails, magic ready to launch at any moment in a most instinctual response. Holy Fire would have blazed Ro'an if he even so much as launched at her. It suddenly became evident to Aleena,....what has happened.
She's scared of him.
With a heavy frown of shame, her muscle tension relaxed and the edge of mana disappeared under her skin. She curled her arms against her and felt a strong urge to step away from him.... As much as she wanted to help him, there was a very traumatic resistance in her fighting back, she knew Ro'an truely had no control of his body... In fact, she even suspected Drow fowl play controlling Ro'an involving that strange ritual weeks ago? Ro'an first consent to Alaniel's experiment and then later denied it? She's been around Tiro, or Rothe, long enough to know Dark Elven manipulation when she sees one.... (.....the Drow do so on purpose.) Aleena thought to herself. ( To make us all attack the Greylock, causing conflict in our town and dissidence.. And it's working. The drow even now, try to secretly divide us all and conquer. Rothe may be gone.....but they simply replaced him with Ro'an. And to be honest?) She frowned sadly. (He's probably more dangerous than Rothe ever was. Ro'an is more malleable to the drow's control, and his most quiet and gentle interaction with others allows many to let down their guard....)
Aleena recounted standing up and observing him. (Oh Ro'an, forgive me. Please forgive me....I am still not my own self again. I too have so many internal wounds to heal.) she thought to herself.... Gazing briefly back at Kodruk, she observed the new addition to Knights Transcendence almost in some kind of apathy? She hasn't shared much with him or know him really well? He seems very stoic and always seem to gaze at her with scorn? Or maybe he's like that all the time? Either way, the little priestess was very keen to read physical cues through out her life in traveling. She won't deny that men do out-weigh her in fighting and she doesn't press her luck if not necessary. So naturally, Aleena won't go out of her way to insist conversation if others display no desire to interact.
Besides, in her culture, it would be considered rude to abruptly insist on making one-self known if the person hasn't shown given an opening?... At least, that is how she was raised. She wasn't sure about the dwarf? She's been wrong before, many who appeared rough were actually warmer than a teddy bear, but she can't assume they ALL are like that. Best to watch and observe until she can be certain..... Meekly, she shyly looked back to Ro'an, she held her staff with a helpless frown, before closing her eyes with an internal prayer. (Oh Eldest of Light,..may you be with him in these dark days ahead. Let him see clarity, let him fight back the horrors that try to claim him, and provide a light in his mind and heart. with courage and virtue..)