Daseil #1: Exploring

Despite a fitful night of almost restless sleep, the tiefling wakes up the next day with a start, her subconscious mind having noticed something that she herself was not actually aware of yet. _Something _was poking around the area.

Rather than take the risk of outright confronting whatever it was that was investigating her improvised shelter, she grabs the little knife she stole, and gets low to the ground, silently moving opposite from the source to try and get the drop on it. She rounds a tree and takes a peek, to see another woman, her features shrouded with full-body concealing clothing.

Daseil's eyes go wide at the sight of another person. To hell with the fact that they might have been here to rob her, a person might mean answers!

"Hey! Hey hold still! Don't come closer, don't run, I need to ask you some questions!"

She flinches, but doesn't run, stammering out a response.

"H-how did you see me?"

This puzzles the naked tiefling, who steps out into the open, covering herself with one arm and a tail, and gesticulates in her direction with the knife.

"The fuck do you mean? You weren't invisible! I just _saw _you. Doesn't matter, look, where the hell are we? Where's the nearest town?"

"Town? There's nothing but forest for miles. I don't know for how long. Or how far. The best you can do is fend for your own and hope nothing big or strong crosses your path."

"Fucking hell."

Daseil lowers the knife down to the floor with a dejected expression on her face, before piping up again.

"Well where did you come from? Do you have a group or something? We could work together, there's no reason to be alone. I don't mind if you've robbed people before, I ain't exactly got a clean history myself either."

Her words net her an appraising glance from the bandit-woman, who seems to consider them for a moment.

"That's not a good idea. The group I'm with.... They wouldn't take kindly to your.... type. Best I could do is sneak out some clothing, but after that, you're on your own."

The Tiefling, releases a deep sigh, then leans on a nearby tree.

"I'd appreciate that, though I haven't really got anything to trade."

"It's okay, just wait right here and don't run away! I'm not going to look for you."

She quickly disengages from Daseil, and leaves through a clutch of trees. However, the Tiefling isn't one to trust so easily. Anything that sounds too good to be true probably is, and this situation doesn't smell right. Rather than leave the area entirely, she tries to find a position nearby from which she can hide and observe, to reveal herself if it turns out she's just being paranoid.

A nearby tree-top proves to be appropriate; and she quickly clambers up its side through use of her clawed hands an feet, to have her hunch proven correct.

A whole group of people, including some sort of giant with a big club, approach the location where she'd just been, and she watches from her concealed position above. It doesn't take long for them to turn on the woman who had brought them here, accusing her of lying, and wasting their time.

Daseil has to turn away as they collectively **** her to the ground and begin to strip her clothes from her. She has to divert her attention for some time to avoid unpleasant memories of her own first experience in this horrible forest; apparently every member of their small gang wanted to have a turn with the bandit woman. When they eventually finish, they bring the **** woman with them. But they leave her clothes strewn around the nearby forest, and that's something the tiefling is thankful for.

After she's sure they're gone, she wastes no time climbing down and putting her clothes on, taking a moment to cut a small tail-hole into the back of the pants to ensure they won't fall down at an inopportune time.

(Gained 75xp, Daseil Levels up! Gain +1 Caution, +2 Energy and 'Expertise: Sneak (Enhance Caution when used to sneak or hide)' Ability)

That's not the last encounter she has with the bandits roaming the local area; some time later on her explorations, she runs face-to-face with one of the men she saw have their way with his companion earlier, but after a quick exchange of blows, manages to **** a retreat from him with use of her knife, and escapes before he can bring any more reinforcements to bear on her.

(Gained 75xp)

Her wandering eventually brings her to into some more rocky terrain; and she's glad to finally see some change in her environment. However, the sight of worn bones puts a downward spin on her mood, and she sticks close to the walls, hiding in whatever darkness she can find until she's located the source of this horror; a troll, eating something she doesn't want to think about, in a little camp cleared of greenery. Across the clearing, she spots a small cage, with what appears to be a living human man inside it.

That forces her to make a decision. It's not so easy to just leave when she knows the sort of fate she'll be condemning this guy to, but fighting a troll is borderline suicide.

She decides to wait until the creature leaves or falls asleep before making any move. It takes some time, but she manages to remain hidden in a nearby bush for hours, with nothing but the horrid sound of this troll eating; until that eventually switches to loud snoring. Once she's made absolutely sure that he's asleep, she begins to tiptoe forwards as quietly as she can, to get close to the cage and examine its locking mechanism; really just a knot, but a quick gesture from the cages occupant indicates a bell towards the top, which would ring should it be opened.

The Tiefling curses under her breath, and clambers up the cage to wrap a hand around the clapper of the bell. Once she has it in her grasp, she'll gesture with a tilt of her head, indicating that the captive should open the door. There's a creak that seems earsplittingly loud, but thankfully to her, doesn't wake the troll. She gives him a few frantic gestures to follow her, then drops down to the ground and leads a path out of the clearing, as far away as she can handle before they have to stop to rest.

Later in the evening, as she's setting up a place to rest for the night and preparing to go to sleep, she'll finally start talking to the rescued man.

"Picked a good time, huh? How're you doing?"

"I- I don't know. I woke up here this morning and then I got captured by that thing... What is all this?"

"That happened to you?! Fucking hell, here I hoped you'd be able to tell me what's going on. Same thing happened to me, couple days ago. Got no idea what's happening."

"Fuck. I don't know anything. I- I don't even remember anything prior to that... This is messed up."

(Gain 100xp)

While settling down to sleep for the night, the Tiefling gives him a momentary soft look; but it's brief, and hard to notice amongst her demonic features, anyway.

"Well, we should stick together. Strength in numbers and all that."

He nods, and the two of them eventually fall asleep, taking watches to ensure that nothing sneaks up while they're resting.