#[ DUO ] jaheira / thcdoomed

[dragonsfell]

@thcdoomed gets a little starter in Act Two/Three ish

If there was ever more of a reason to be weary; it was this troupe of individuals with ilithid tadpoles in their minds. Doubt was already given, but she would never to be one to put all her trust into one basket merely for being their sliver of hope against these TRUE SOULS rising. Blades were sheathed but they weren't to leave her side either.

Jaheira knows a younger version of herself would be hastier, nosier too, and she was still that second thing. In her line of work and living, getting any advantage over secrets were invaluable. There was already one other of that group that she had been weary of, by appearance alone, and she had wondered when spawn had gotten so brazen with strutting. However, it's not the first that unlikely, or more specifically unlikeable alliances were made. Hexxat comes to mind.

She's seen the pale elf stalk off alone the few nights that this party has rest near the Last Light, presumably to hunt (a few of her harpers confirmed this). It is when this DRONIA presents with fangs hiding behind the lip (the biggest tell) and her eyes catch in the light differently, a glowing red hunger, not too dissimilar to the spawn in her company's, that Jaheira was going to poke the bear and see what bears.

❝ I didn't know sanguine hunters traveled in packs. I've always found them to be rather selfish eaters, not inclined to share prey. ❞

[dragonsfell]

This would far from be her first encounter with any kind of ilk that fed off of blood. One distinct memory comes to her when a vampire had been invited into the company of Gorion's ward; Hexxat, whom she had spent many a night waiting for the vampiress to sink her teeth into someone's neck. Ready with her blade to slay the monster, yet she had not drawn then. The vampire died becoming mortal, but that's not the tale or reason for her thinking now.

Jaheira holds her tongue, perhaps in her old age, sparing Dronia a moment to defend herself. In another time, she may have had roots entangle her feet while she draw her blades. Yet she stays from that, because Dronia had the tieflings to vouch for her. That much was true and with this Absolute cult amassing, along with that weapon she carried which killed the tadpole she had kept for sussing out true souls; her movement is paused.

However, she holds her stance with crossed arms and hard line for eyebrows, a tight lip as she judges. MY HEART STILL BEATS ⸻ ❝ Ah, that would be called a dhampir, no? ❞ Schemantics is what she would have called it, her younger self especially wouldn't fuss over them. ❝ It matters not the word or division. ❞

The definition or word really didn't matter, what mattered was what she did with her thirst. Once, she may have believed that kind of hunger devoided someone of their soul. Except Jaheira has lived a many long years where she has sent people prove otherwise.

❝ It matters what you do with that hungry, that is what is true. I have seen many a strange thing by all means you should have tentacles and cut down, you should be joining the lunatics in Moonrise Tower, faithful to the Absolute. ❞

Yet she wasn't, and so stays her blade. Jaheira drops her guarded stance, because they were in desparate times and she had to trust her along with the company that she kept. ❝ You are not the first blood fiend who has tried to control their thirst. You already had the benefit of doubt, Dronia, and that stays true. ❞

The Harpers had Isobel, so not all was hopeless without Dronia and her company. They could carry on without them, but if Jaheira had to talk odds. It was slim, and she liked their chances with more weapons in their arsenal.

❝ Fight it, your thirst, but do you have plans for if you fail? ❞ It's a grim question, she knows, but it came with a vital answer. Jaheira's already made up that she will trust her, at least she had to, because they had a greater battle to fight against.

This was going swimmingly, the two leaders of the different factions already butting heads. Well, not quite, Dronia didn't want a confrontation, her mind was already a mess as is, but Jaheira didn't trust her. That wasn't going to go well for any of them. But how could she convince her that she was safe when she wasn't even sure about that? She'd spent the last few days hiding away from everyone afraid of herself more than anything else they'd faced so far. Maybe Jaheira was right to distrust her.

To fear her.

Or maybe that was the others, maybe Jaheira only had resentment or animosity toward her kind. Gods, she hates even thinking in those terms. Her kind. They weren't her kind or her kin. They were abominations, Astarion aside, and she was determined to kill every last one that had attacked her village, ending with Demasc Volkar who she'd slaughter herself if she didn't die trying.

Surely her behavior since arriving hadn't helped anything. That first night she had felt paranoid, a sense that something was very, very wrong and she couldn't shake it. Only for her body to undergo a painful transformation into this. Jaheira had no reason to trust her.

"No! I didn't die! My heart is still beating. I'm alive." In some capacity at any rate. She grasped at her head, teeth grit in frustration. Control yourself, Dronia. "Look, I didn't know... I barely survived the attack, I dragged myself to a friend's house in a neighboring Dale. He saved me, gave me something to drink for my injuries. But I ran out of it in the Shadow Cursed Lands and..." She chewed at her bottom lip. "I won't feed on your Harpers, I have no desire to feed on anyone, just animals. Astarion will behave too. Please believe me. The tieflings can vouch for us, we saved them."

[dragonsfell]

As the acting High Harper here, she was looked toward for leadership. A role that she has long since comes to terms with, decades of doing this than following like she once had. She had seen a great many things, and this True Soul cult was concerning. A mind flayer invasion without ceremorphosis; that's a terrifying thought but Jaheira had to do better than show that.

The Harpers had to get ahead of this, especially in this damned shadow cursed land. Dronia may be saviors, already gained the trust of one of her people here. However, they hadn't done something to earn HER TRUST and every step they took here had to be done with thought, because they may only have one shot at this. It's why she put Klauthgrass in their drinks to clear up additional doubts and make sure this wasn't a misstep into the dark.

So for this new ally to come back with fangs, something she only caught a glimpse of paired with report of her going off without her whole party, after such a short time after meeting Jaheira. It won't stand to go unsaid, not when her theory could put them risk still.

❝ And let me guess one killed you. ❞ Jaheira says, the tone of her voice flat revealing nothing. Truth was needed, Jaheira needed to trust her or everyone in this inn was already dead. ❝ I have had my dealings with illithids and vampires; if the illithid isn't making you hungry, then the call for blood must be. Your companion, the pale elf, he's one too? You bring more danger that you admit to. ❞ She won't have anyone preyed upon.

Everything still felt so new, raw, terrifying. As if dealing with grief and a tadpole in her head wasn't bad enough, Demasc had left her with a little present. Jalen must have lied, this only manifested after she ran out of the elixir. It was never meant to help her injuries heal, it was keeping her transformation at bay. The red eyes should have been a sign something was wrong, before that night she had the softest forest-green eyes. The crimson reds that greeted her when she awoke from her near-death were startling and new.

And of course, it had to happen here, at the last light in, surrounded by the living and their pounding hearts that sounded like a cacophony of war drums. She had grown withdrawn, even when the others had tried to check in on her. Only Karlach had been able to break through her defenses enough to talk to her at any length. Most of their time at the inn she spent in some far corner of the barrier, sometimes in the stables, anywhere but around the main hub of the group. The few times she was dragged out of hiding to be around others was solely against her will. She must have been making one Hells of a great first impression on the Harpers. They were probably wondering who the fuck Lassandra brought them.

So when Jaheira approaches her for the first time since that first night, Dronia can't look at her, at least, not outright. The urge to skitter off like some wild beast had grips her for a brief moment, wishing not to be seen by anyone. What a mess she must look, hardly the leader the group deserves at the moment.

"The last experience I had with vampire spawns there was a small army of them, led by their master, when they destroyed my village." Her words come out bitter, but how could they not? She lost everything, even her humanity has been stripped from her. "Do not lump me in with their ilk."