<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Status</div><div class="spoiler_body">Profane Gift (Telepathic link to Ishtar, +2 Dex)<br/><br/>Spells remaining: 6 of 7 1st, 6 of 6 2nd, 4 of 4 3rd, 1 of 1 from bonded object<br/>Quiver: 15 common arrows, 10 silvered, 9 cold iron, 2 Tangleshot, 5 adamantine arrows, 2 greater hushing arrows, 16 +1 Dragon Bane, 1 Rayne's Resumption<br/>     (pack: 40 common, 5 silvered, 9 cold iron, 1 tangleshot, 5 adamantine arrows)<br/></div></div><br/>For days, Rayne was jumpy, and half-expecting Telethrax to reappear, darkening the sky and launching a sudden retaliatory strike on the enlarged group in the castle.  Sure, she told herself that it would take a long time for him to heal up, but even so....<br/><br/>Eventually she relaxed, a little - she couldn't remain so vigilant, for so long.  And besides, as she told herself, there was a chance Telethrax would simply fly away in search of easier pickings, lucky to have escaped with his life.  But that entry in her quest log made it impossible to quite believe that.  On the other hand, there was the excitement of gaining a new level to compensate for that new nemesis... it was always fun to choose new feats and spells.  Sort of like shopping, but free!  Having seen the effectiveness of having a third arrow in each round she eventually settled on pushing that to the limit, selecting the Rapid Shot feat and making Haste her new 3rd-level spell.  It seemed a wonderful spell usable in many situations, and it would be her only one for some time.<br/><br/>And, even greater compensation, was the warm glow she felt at having saved both the B team, and Telethrax' breeding characters that had not yet been teleported to safety.  If she had chased Telethrax, only to have those behind her taken... but on the other hand, with Telethrax slain, they would surely have been able to rescue the others... she stopped herself from continuing that line of thought.  There was no guarantee they'd have caught up with the dragon in his own element, or that he wouldn't have turned the tables on his would-be hunters.  It was the sensible thing to do, and the arcane archer was mostly satisfied with siding with Starstrike's caution over Sabrith's impulsiveness.<br/><br/>A welcome distraction from stewing over Telethrax was her participation in clearing the streets and buildings of Port Lannis to the point where the city reverted to relative normalcy and security.  It was cathartic to work with the others, mowing down countless mobs and seeing real progress, instead of having them come back stronger the next day.  Zombs and Grogza were back with them, simply "killed" rather than anything worse, and now the PCs were bolstered by the various freed survivors of Telethrax' foul plot.  Certainly it made Rayne feel better about getting Lizzie into such trouble, now that she was being hailed as one of the main figures in chasing off the dragon and rescuing Lizzie's "brother" and the other PCs and NPCs.  She was only briefly taken aback by the brother's form - she had been keeping her eyes open for anyone who might be Lizzie's brother for so long, and she'd never thought to ask just what, or who, she should be looking for!  The half-elf accepted the accolades with ... reasonable modesty, although in fact she was rather surprised, then pleased, with how things had gone against Telethrax right up to the point Rayne brought the flood down on them all.<br/><br/>On top of all that, there was the vindication of her trust in Ishtar, who had been invaluable in getting the heroes into the fray, and pulling the survivors out.  Surely the succubus would be more accepted now - there were congratulations and thanks due all around.<br/><br/>So, all in all, it was a rather chipper Rayne that strolled through the castle, greeting the newly-free including the new elven ranger bombshell, and eventually coming to Lizzie with a few requests.  The unique arrow went straight into her quiver, which still bristled with her remaining Dragon Bane arrows - she still considered Telethrax' return their most immediate danger.  But she had other fantastic items in mind.  "Lizzie... I think I mentioned before, that I'd really like to upgrade my bow... and I have the spectacular Starbow in mind.  Better enhancement, a nifty effect, and I think the look would suit me, you know?"  Rayne grinned.  "I'd sort of miss the nice Holy effect on this one, though..." she brandished her precious bow "...I don't know if it's possible to add that, too?"<br/><br/>The half-elf's eyes unfocused as she imagined herself with such a beautiful weapon, and the dazzling light effects it came with.  Perhaps there were a few stars in her eyes, at that.<br/><br/>"But actually... there's one other item too, though I've never seen a set.  But it was one of things I looked up when considering an archer.  I don't know if you can make either of these things, but... do you know the Bracers of Falcon's Aim?"<br/><br/>Of course, Rayne realized that there might be challenges in creating such items, especially the bow ... and even if it could be done, then she'd have to go through the time and expense of a ritual to transfer her Bond to that new item.  And then, Lizzie would no doubt be kept busy, re-equipping some of the others.  But it was worth asking, surely.<br/><br/>As the city re-formed around them, of course, it could also mean the re-opening of shops capable of supplying things beyond Lizzie's abilities... and it did mean the re-opening of taverns, for which Rayne was quite grateful.  She was happy to be able to enjoy a drink that didn't taste of the castle's store-room, and slowly fresh food began to make a reappearance too.  Now that they had to live in this place... such niceties were becoming more important.  The relative liveliness of the city was very welcome too; even if they were just NPCs, it felt less like they were besieged and in imminent danger from all sides.  Rayne appreciated that, and - assuming Zombs considered it safe - opted to sleep over an Inn at least some of the time, luxuriating in the fresh sheets and hubbub of (virtual) life around her.<br/><br/>And in those taverns, the quest boards propagated their offerings.  They seemed quite typical for EHO pre-Change, which was comforting.  But looking over the White Stag quest, Rayne wondered... "Wish" was a powerful spell, and unique in how open-ended it could be.  Could it possibly be a means of cracking the shell of the game?  It was surely worth considering... but Rayne had come to trust the sage advice of the others, especially Zombs and Starstrike.  She headed back to confer with them.  "I'm just not sure what's possible, but... it would be a great opportunity.  Does anyone know anything about this White Stag, or that city?"  Getting there shouldn't be too difficult, with Dixon as her mount.<br/>