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It was a long journey from Emberstrand to the Ruins of Rabanastre, the crumbling ancient capital city a beacon on the edge of the Giza Plains. It's once beautiful upper city, tall towers and domes crumbled and destroyed. Except for the restored splendor of the old Royal Palace were now the imps who have made the city their home have errected their temple. A new feature for those visiting, the canals that once were filled with oozing mist are now full of sparkling, clear water, the royal gardens are open, an extension of the Temple grounds that the Earth, Water and Air imps have moved into repopulate and landscape. For Ainsley and her group of intrepid adventurers the sunny vistas and welcoming halls of the Temple to Lord Rael are not for them. For them it has been a 5 hour jaunt through the mist shourded under-city, fighting off a variety of annoying fiends to reach this place, the mighty, stone portal to the Garamsythe Waterways. Somewhere inside Graff Delzhig, the Moogle Thief has taken refuge and with him according to the information Ainsley has procured a shard of dark Nethicite... and all the treasure Graff has stolen and of course the 1000gil bounty for his defeat or capture.

Kupor is a moogle with white-tan fur, long ears in the Ivalice style of moogles. He wears a simple cheap brown tunic and green breeches. He wears nothing on his feet. Draped around his form is a thin red cloak that moves easily, hiding the movement of his arms when tucked in. His long sword is strapped to his back, just poking out from the cloak. Atop his head is a flat conical hat made of thick straw reeds. His pompom pokes out from it.
Carrying nothing. (Currency: 1 pennies)

There is not a lot of amazement out of Ainsley as they travel. She isn't /grim/, she's just quiet, reserved, almost business-like. The fights with the fiends along the way involved the use of absurd amounts of fire magic, at least one or two completely reduced to ash by the stoic reptile. Everything about her suggests she is not in it for money, but for a mission. And when they reach the threshold to the Waterways... she glances at the border, frowns, and begins forward, motioning for the group to continue wordlessly.

Silmeria hefts her blued-steel Gunblade, resting it across her shoulder as they come upon the portalto the waterways.  Holstering the pistol carried in her other hand, she tucks away a lock of hair, glancing at Ainsley, then back at the trio accompanying them.  "Have a care," she says quietly, brushing a fleck of ash from her sleeve.  "If the old stories are anything to go by, the thief's Nethicite will make magics... difficult... to bring to bear against him.  Kupor, Zhgir... are you all right?'

Zhgir, for his own part, has been focusing much of this five hour period on important tasks, such as observing the integrity of the group, and eyeing Kupor's pom. One which he was currently eyeing with such intensity that it made him look frozen. "Zhgir? Oh, Zhgir's fine. Shush now, he must focus." He says with a dismissive wave of hand, and then returns his attention on Kupor. And resists. Like he has been resisting, for the longest of time. His mandibles twitch. The arachnid cloaked in burnt brown may have had too much time on this trip.
In truth, Kupor and Ainsley are not terribly well acquianted. They have a passing knowledge of each other. Kupor knows that Ainsley is a scholar who teaches the poor. She has proved herself with words to be kindly enough. When asked to accompany her into a dangerous situation, to recover an artifact of rather evil origins, he volunteered. He did not need to hear of treasure, or bounty.
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The swordsmoogle is actually a rather accomplished Hunter. It's just that he only hunts small jobs and lives in poverty, as he believes he must in his own stringent code.
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The fight with Fiends is a rare time to see Kupor. Many in the city have not seen Kupor fight with his sword. Precision, skill, and fervor to destroy monsters come together to make him a rather tiny lethal ball of death. He takes no visceral pleasure in it, but a satisifaction he is helping the world at large by ridding them of life. The moogle bears a few scars, as he is most often in the front, but he deals with them well, "I am well, thank you," he adds with a nod, pom bouncing once, but in such a well to not obscure his vision.
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"If he is wise, kupo, there will be many ambushes. If he has grown paranoid," Kupor is wellversed in tales of ancient evil from his childhood of hero obsession, not all true, and many feature evil objects that twist the mind, "There may be only him. And a great deal of traps. It would be wise to be on our guard."
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He is pointedly trying to ignore Zhgir.

The short man in the black hooded cloak, known by the name of Lee, sticks close to Ainsley for most of the journey, like a masked shadow, though a somewhat talkative and irreverently jovial one, which kinda ruins whatever "brooding shadow" image he might have had, to the point that it's unlikely that it was something he was aiming for.  And his part in the fights involved a lot of up-close in-the-face martial-arts'ing and drunken-looking weaving/dodging, with the occasional rare burst of strange midnight-black fire of his own, in support of Ainsley's more traditional blazing fire, when needed.  In the end, though, regardless of why Ainsley is here, it seems Lee is here for Ainsley above all else, in support of her chosen endeavor, as the lizard scholar motions the group to continue, and nodding his cowled head to Silmeria's words of warning with a chuckle, speaking with his familiar (to Silmeria and Ainsley, at least) semi-smooth cockney-ish accent, "That'd cause a fair bit o' problem, if'n it's true, Silm, no doubt."  Then, after Kupor's reply, all the while eyeing Zhgir's impressive focus from time to time, "Likewise wi'tha traps an' paranoia, should those be th'case as well."

As the party move into the entranceway of the Waterway it becomes blatantly clear to Ainsley that the entire entranceway is trapped and trapped well. However as the Lizard Scholar turns to warn people there is a click as Silmeria steps on a button, a rattling noise set off by a stone Lee brushes against and one rather worryingly flagstone that sinks down beneath Zhgir. Ainsley however spins like a true adventurer, shouting out a series of instructions to everyone as the traps go off threatening to squish, fry, boil and impale the party. A dive forward under the swinging log laden with spikes, a dart forward a timed jump across the pit that opens up, a ducking weave around a eries of whirling chains laden with spikes, a slide across a patch of flagstones over to the opposite side of the waterway to avoid the spikes that jab down from the ceiling. It's a hectic dash down a good hundred yards of trap springing corridor but even with Ainsley's quickly shouted responses it isn't an injury free dash and by the time they reach a safe spot at a junction of tunnels everyone except Silmeria is sporting wounds of some sort and Kupor has been struck by a series of poisoned darts that left him paralysed and having to be rescued by a quick thinking spider-guy!

As the party stops and gets their breath a voice cackles form down a side passage, a capering figurwe well out of reach "MINE! This is MINE! LEAVE NOW!" and then they are gone... the small shape vanishing and cackling as they run.

When they get to the end of the tunnel, Ainsley presses a hand to a shallow wound on her arm, blood soaking into her sleeve. She frowns at the sight, and turns to begin providing a cure spell to the party wherever will help the most, largely disregarding the damage on her arm until it is the only thing left to worry about. The crazy person? He gets but a glance, a dangerous gaze that shows that she wants nothing more than to light him aflame for the taunting... but she refrains from doing so when he flees. Then she turns to progress... slowly this time, with more care. She frowns softly. "He is like a storybook antagonist," she remarks aloud, evidently sharing the genre-savvy knowledge that Kupor has. "Leave it to an insane moogle thief to get excessive with his lair defenses."

"...Does he *realize* we couldn't turn back now if we wanted?" Silmeria muses, absently batting at her skirts, heaving a deep sigh as she turns to Zhgir, and his poisoned burden.  "Oh, you poor thing... And... I don't think *any* of us know a proper healing spell..."  Biting her lip, the priestess looks over her shoulder at the passage the thief had taken, then heaves a deep sigh.  "Well.  THere's no help for it, I suppose.  Zhgir, would you like one of us to take Kupor for you?"

Zhgir brushes his front - the leather still smoking - as well as gingerly touching his side with muffled hisses. Then to Silmeria, Zhgir lifts his head and for a moment, looks utterly befuddled. Then he shakes his head firmly. "Nono, Zhgir is happy with him right where he is!" He replies with a wide grin - and then jostles the moogle hoisted across his back and held there by his two extra arms. "He has wings, and a sword! Sword with wings! Queen of dead must be crazy if Zhgir would give that away!" Then over his shoulder, "Zhgir can use your sword for you, yes? Leave a bit of string for you to tug at? Or maybe just shout out Kupo when I should swing?" 

A funny thing, swordsman are meant to battle things they can see or know are there, and not horrible horrible traps. However, Kupor, thankfully, is not like most common men. He moves with each trap, and actively attempts to move with each one, to little avail. At the log, his attempt to grab one of the spikes and leap over is not quite successful. The movement through the chains is less than optimal. The flagstones, at least, his height and speed prove an advantage as he slides through on his side.
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When the final trap springs, Kupor turns with the rush of air and the sound of springs and brings his hand up, catching one of the darts. Then realizing his mistake and his failed reflexes, he twists himself, allowing the darts to fall into the meat of his shoulder, arm, and back, neatly pinning his cloak to his body. His speedy gait becomes a ragged stagger.
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He is pulled from the hallway, thankfully(?) by Zhgir. "No." "No." "N-no." The last falters with a burst of paralysis. There is a pause. Zhgir did offer to carry him without complaint. He feels he should offer some solace.
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He gives Zhgir his hat. Then addresses Silmeria, hoping to save himself from further Zhgirism.
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"I will be-" He shudders and convulses briefly as a fit of the paralysis takes him, then lifts up his hand. "It will pass, kupo." He is trying, again, to ignore that he is being held by Zhgir. He is getting good at ignoring life's curveballs "If," shudder, "it is true, then he will ... have trapped a great beast from the sewer to use in his defense against us, or a being of evil summoned, kupo ... by the object itself." Kupor was /really/ into the hero story thing.

Lee pauses a few steps past Ainsley to catch his breath after the Mad Dash Of Traps, bearing a few cuts of his own that bleed just a bit.  Instead of partaking of Ainsley's cure spell, though, he instead fishes a small wineskin from under his cloak, taking a few sips from it before stashing it away again,  following along a couple steps behind Ainsley, "Jus' means we'll 'ave ta chase 'im like one, then, luv; I dare say, of all th'villains we *could* chase, could do fair worse'n one from a caper novel."  Grinning back over his shoulder at Silmeria from under his mask, he holds up one gauntleted hand, finger raised, "Ah!  Well he...  Um..."  He trails off in thought, then shrugs, lowering his hand again, "Insert appropriately witty comment here, eh?"  He withholds comment about Kupor's current state, though he can't help but chuckle a little as Zhgir claims him as some strange combination of weapon and Stuffed-Animal-Backpack, but on the subject of fixing what ails the moogle, Lee can only shrug in helpless agreement with Silmeria, for the moment, "Wot little I could do'd only be good on m'self."

Which is about when the big green cloud of gas plompfs through a vent in the ceiling and envelopes everyone.... it hangs around for a moment then slowly passes revealing the adorable sleepy bundles of Ainsley, Silmeria and Lee.... Kupor and Zhgir are still up and Kupor is starting to get movement back in his limbs a his constitution pushes off the paralyses.....

"What--" Slump. Ainsley is certainly not expecting to get sprayed with sleep gas. She falls over in a heap, and thanks to her small size, succeeds in avoiding blooding herself any further. But she is still drooling, snoring, and slumped in an awkward and unflattering way.
It happens too fast for Silmeria to even get a word out.  Still turned to Kupor with gentle worry on her face... then the cloud descends.  And when it passes, she's simply curled up on the floor, head pillowed on her arms, as though simply laying down for a nap.

Lee flinches at the puff of gas, head turning, and seeing Ainsley and Silmeria both collapse to unconsciousness, his eyes going wide, "Oh bloody ffff~"  Just enough time for it to register, and that's as far as he gets before joining the two ladies in Suddenly Unexpected Slumber, dropping like a sack of potatoes to the floor.  And he purrs, strangely enough, in his sleep; who knew?!

Zhgir coughs into his cloak as he waves away the omnious looking cloud, looking around in alarm. When nothing else happens and they are presented with three of their compatriots in comatose state, he turns towards Kupor, "Zhgir is beginning to think you are his zh'gard." He points out with a brief grin on his face, before the purring distracts him. A cat? Here? Distraught, he starts to look around the room they are in, eyeing the passages. "Zhgir doesn't have enough shoulders to carry them all..." He waves a hand at Kupor. "Perhaps leave them for the moment and see if someone will come for them, yes?"

The moogle leaps off from Zhgir's back. He looks confused at the 'zh'gard' comment, but decides it is better not to ask. He straightens up deliberately and focuses himself. "We will neither carry them or leave them behind. Do as I do, kupo."
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The moogle has studied under many masters. As such, he is well versed in the effects of Sleep in the world. Kupor staggers over to Lee first. Should there be a problem, he assumes Lee and himself will be best able to keep it distracted while the others are woken.
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Thinking back to his master, Kupor puts his hands in front of him, taking a deep breath. He places both hands together deliberately and begins to rub them together with some speed. He continues on until they ache, then lifts his hands apart and in front of him.
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Then he smacks Lee across the face, precisely and once.

As Kupor's hand slaps into Lee's cheek a voice echoes from over head, "Awww you are awake!" a voice grumbles from over head, "That just spoils the fun!" up above is a moogle, a rather large crossbow aimed at Zhgir's chest, "What do you think you are doing not falling asleep so rude how am I meant to rob you all now!" He is dressed in leather armour, a long black cloak and a frown mars his face as he glares down at everyone. "I mean you sneak into my hide out, set off all my VERY expensive traps and then don't have the courtesy to fall unconcious! I mean seriously kupo-po! That is so rude!" Of course Lee is starting to slowly come round but well it's hard to wake up, groggy headed and confused with a horribly odd taste of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Brussel Sprouts on his tongue....

Zhgir stares curiously after Kupor as he makes his way over Lee, and does all that difficult looking routine that must have taken years to perfect. Then Zhgir winces. Silmeria and Ainsley. Another wince. "Zhgir believes he should-" He was about to walk away, before being confronted with a crossbow aimed at his chest. Raising his head, he tilts his head at the shouting moogle, his mouth hanging slightly open. Idly thumbing a satchel by his side, flipping the flap open, he continues to listen with the dead gaze of his - until he tosses a bundle at the moogle. "I'm Zhgir!" He says with a bright grin on his face, "And I come bearing gifts!" For a moment, nothing happens. Then moths. Moths, flying everywhere in panic towards their newfound freedom. [Annoy]

"KUPO!" the crossbow wielding moogle shouts and ducks back, running along the beam as moths come up and around from everywhere and then ZHING! Crossbow bolt SLAMS into the stone next to Zhgir, showering him in stone chips as the moogle vansies therough an opening over head that leads off from the beam....

Kupor turns towards the moogle, moving quietly. He will [Cover] Zhgir should the crossbow fly, but for the moment he lets the thief talk rather than interrupt. He gazes steadily at the moogle, trying to look for signs of madness. Talk like this could simply be overdramatic thief talk.
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Then, knowing full well talking will be pointless while Zhgir is free to act, Kupor simply waits. Zhgir acts as expected. Well, at least he doesn't make any horrible threats, he just... Kupor lifts his eyebrows appreciatively. Moths. That is strange, yet resourceful. He nods to Zhgir, then Lee. "Wake the others up, kupo, if you would." Kupor takes a bundle of rope from under his cloak. "I will secure our route."
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Taking two firms steps, Kupor leaps from the ground to a nearby wall. He twists just as he hits it, kicking back off of it up towards the beam. Then, just as he begins to slow, he kicks off the air itself and lands onto the beam. He makes quick work with the rope to secure it.

Kupor... is just brilliant! Sadly only Zhgir was really with it enough to watch the show... which is a shame! It was a superb act of Moogle Athletics! Rope is secured for the others and the moogler can see that the path the mog thief took is rather small, the others will have to crawl to follow but the moogle should be able to walk through it.

Lee is smacked!  And he blinks his crimson eyes groggily at Kupor, his pupils contracting briefly to cat-like slits before returning to normal as he mutters and mumbles incoherently at the moogle, one gauntleted hand waving ineffectually in Kupor's direction.  The monologuing from above, a direction he has relatively easy view of given his position, draws his attention, and more, slightly louder, incoherent muttering of a generally displeased and complaint-filled nature.  And then the after-taste fully registers, and his face scrunches up in marked displeasure, and more incoherent muttering, this time in a tone of disgust.  
Distracted as he is by the pairing of nasty Brussel Sprouts with tasty seasonal spices that he misses all the to-do with moths and missed crossbow shots, instead working his way unsteadily, and slowly, to his feet.  He is aware enough by the time Kupor starts his gymnastics, however, that he stumbles a step or two to Ainsley, though whether at Kupor's instruction or not is hard to tell, sinking to his knees beside the scholar and lifting her sleeping form to a more upright sitting position, giving her cheek soft pats as he murmurs softly in her ear, to bring her to wakefulness as smoothly as he's able, rather than abruptly or shockingly.

From awake, to asleep, to awake again results in a very groggy lizard reaching out to grasp at Lee when she hears his voice, and pulls herself up in a sort of embrace, mumbling complaints. "What, love...?" And then she realizes where they are, and that she is being openly affectionate without realizing it in a very inappropriate context. She gathers herself up to a stand and grumpily pats dust off of her clothing, and ... notices the crossbow bolt. "Well. It's good we have such a varied group," she remarks, then wanders over to help with Silmeria, placing hands on her shoulders and giving a little shake. "C'mon. We have a Moogle to slap and a Nethicite piece to retrieve."

"...No tears," Silmeria murmurs, curling up tighter as her shoulders are shaken, clearly quite out of it, "j'st dreams...  Shhhshshshsh...."

Silmeria is still sadly asleep, but I am sure the Handmaiden of Hade will wake up soon but every moment spent waking up the party gives the thief more time to escape deeper into the network of tunnels he has claimed as his home! And in the distance... far down one of the tunnels a heavy "CLANG" sound echoes off the walls followed by an ominous roaring sound.... something is coming.....

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