07. Denthanus's Fort

Gyrax sits next to Caex, and offers to scratch her head while she listens, testing to see if Caex is the kind of commanding officer who likes being petted. Though really, is there any other kind?

"Alright, well, what can you tell us, Silk?" Cyrus tilted his head, his staff in hand. "And I was thinking The Party Mix myself..."

"There is a technique that would allow me to bind my shadow to all of yours. There is little risk involved but we would forever be bound together. The payoff, however, is that each of you would be as silent as I. As long as you were near me, at least. What say you?" He cocks an eyebrow at you all. "I will not do this if any of you disagree." He looks specifically at Gyrax. "This will leave a taint of shadow on your soul, pretty bird."

Gyrax hmmms. "I suppose it's not too much to ask that I leave a sprinkle of sunshine in your soul in return, eh? I'm not sure I'm ready for another one-sided relationship."

ooc Seriously, though. How would this affect my roleplaying? I'm all for enriching the character, you understand, but I don't wanna clash too much with your vision of what the repercussions would be.

OOC: There honestly is no repercussions for using this power. I'm just doing this for flavor. It's entirely up to you on how Gyrax would react to the proposition.

"Well, I've got nothing else to lose. And besides, perhaps being bound to someone who masters the shadows themselves might allow me to advance my spells in a new direction..."

OOC: All you guys have to do is agree to it, if you want, and then I'll do the rest.

OOC: I already agreed basically.

Gyrax cannot stay serious forever, and she finally grins at Silk. "Well, I can't say I've known you that long, Master Silk, but I trust you're a gentleman at heart, and would do nothing that would hurt me needlessly. Do I need to do anything?"

ooc Um... so, any news on our kobold friend?

OOC: I've left him a few messages.

Koraph is staring directly at Silk with a very unnerving look upon his face. "You won't take my orb, but you will bind your soul to my shadow. As a future heir to the throne of the dragons, I spit in your direction.", and he turns his back to Silk."But... if you swear your allegence to my eventual throne and take my blood orb, When I ascend your kind will be an ally. And my power behind you. I will agree in that case."

"My, for such a short creature, your head is awfully far into the clouds...", Cyrus joked at his speech.

Silk cradles his temples in his claws, a pained look on his face. "The orb was useless. What I propose will allow us all to sneak into the fortress. And I am not binding my soul to anything. I am binding our shadows together. But, if you don't wish to come then that is your choice." He turns to the krenshar. "Caex?"

At the mention of her name, Caex opens her eyes and realizes she has been quite enjoying the rubbing of her head that Gyrax was doing. She hangs her head a bit as if slightly embarrassed, and nods her head at the gnoll.

"Good. Then those of you who don't require me to bend a knee, step closer."

Cyrus chuckles at Silk's comment and obediently steps closer, having learned to trust the gnoll.

For the moment.

The krenshar, curious as to what the gnoll had in mind, and also glad to have an excuse to leave Gyrax's side for a moment, comes over to Silk.

Gyrax actually looks more excited at the prospect at this point than one would expect at the whole Lets Taint Your Soul Forever So We Can Sneak Past Some Guards This One Time thing. She cannot resist giving Koraph an uninvited hug and a bow before joining Silk. "My sword is at your service, Sir Silk."

The gnoll glances once more at the kobold. "You sure you won't join us, Koraph?"

"On the one hand, I can stay here, and possibly be discovered, eaten, carried off by some unknown thing that I haven't met yet or all of the above. OR... I could disgrace my soul a little and hopefully live to see my future." Koraph shrugs his shoulders. "You can't blame be for trying!" as he chuckles a bit. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice you... shadow-y snarly... I don't know why but I just can't think of the right words to describe you. I'll get back to you on that." Koraph reluctantly walks over to join the group in the ritual. "I was going to say wet dog, but it isn't descriptive enough."

"Perhaps what you should say is nothing. Alright, puppy, let's do this."

"Right." Silk shows you all where to stand, at four points, facing inward. He stands in the middle and begins to concentrate. The light dims around you and each of your shadows swivels around to reach toward the assassin. Dark claws from the gnoll's own shadow embrace them and entwine with your own. Silks eyes fly open and his shade form takes over. The transformation continues through the connections until it engulfs each of you as well. The chill of darkness travels up your bodies until each of you are left standing in your own shade forms.

Gyrax's eyes glow with the golden light of Pelor. The strength of her faith has kept her soul clean but still benefits from the transformation.

Koraph's swirl between green and blue, ever changing in his madness.

Caex looks out from blood red orbs.

But Cyrus' is the strangest of all. Perhaps due to his lack of eyeballs but there is no glow. A white smoke pours from his shadowy sockets instead.

Silk chuckles and seems pleased with the outcome. "Now you need only be near to me and you will share my shadow."

---

OOC: Okay, I think that's enough of my domination for now. Basically this power allows you to use MY Stealth modifier instead of your own whenever you are within 5 squares of me. It's a stance so it ends only when I switch to another stance or end it. Since I don't have another stance I should be able to keep this up for as long as we need to.

Gyrax nods and gets closer to Silk. Like, really close. Invading the personal bubble.

"Ahem. Near me, meaning, within about twenty feet or so."