<div class="floatright">(http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/064/7/c/7c496429774b2f17f79b6744947f0795.jpg)</div>Status: Skirt damaged<br/>HP 68 of 82<br/>Spells remaining: 5 of 7 1st, 4 of 4 2nd, 0 of 1 from bonded object<br/><hr/>"Mmm... it's not all bad, then."  Rayne didn't mind getting XP for evading a creature like that Ngoga - she'd always thought experiences should bring experience.  And it had been quite an interesting chase, too... although that musk, that too was different.  She hadn't fought an Ngoga before, but thought she'd have heard of that sort of effect.  She remembered that sudden response running through her body - though it hadn't come to anything, fortunately.<br/><br/>It was some distance later, most of the way to Melangwi Outpost, when the next Sending scroll arrived.  As before she let Horse continue taking her onward, while she read - read through twice, trying to absorb it all.  She hadn't thought about the safeword, but if no other system commands were being picked up... yikes!  She felt a sudden chill; if that Ngoga had been just a little faster, or had unseated her with a lucky strike... she rubbed her arms as if cold, then read through again.  A special event, now?  She didn't think anything had been announced, so was this part of the ... the change?  And "raping everywhere" was hopefully an exaggeration, Starstrike just meant "raping lots", surely, "more than usual".  If safewords weren't working... but players?  Surely once they understood there was a problem, they'd settle down.  That... must surely be difficult for some.  She shivered again, glanced around at the thick jungle, and touched her bow for luck.  "Sysops missing" ... what the hell?  Rae-lynne wished she could sit down with Teagan and talk this over.  But it didn't sound at all safe to go to Port Lannis now... her nose wrinkled as she considered the odd stain.  For a moment her mind supplied a vision, a bedraggled Starstrike, cum dripping from her chin as she furtively completed her Sending... no, that couldn't be.  Starstrike could handle herself.<br/><br/>Rayne tapped the stylus against her teeth, then whipped off a reply on the back of the scroll.  "Quiet here past Melangwi Outpost.  May stay and try to contact sysops.  Arcane Archer now; if you need me, call.  Or come here?  Be safe!"  The scroll and stylus vanished as before.  Rayne hoped Melangwi Outpost would be safe, or at least, safer than Port Lannis by the sound of it.  It wasn't unheard of to have a city become a fighting area, with mobs moving in, but this was always pre-arranged, so nobody was taken by surprise when they logged in and found the streets crawling with goblins and necromancers.  So "safe" was a loose concept, and safe areas could be changed within the parameters of the game.  She definitely wasn't comforted by the thought that these changes might be unannounced... that gave her enough to fret on to carry her to the gates of Melangwi.<br/><br/>She dismounted, Horse vanishing into the virtual stables, and entered the courtyard that basically<em>was</em>Melangwi.  It did feel good to sense the subtle change as offensive functions were disabled - just for her own reassurance she gripped her bow - yes, it was as usual: she could hold the bow, but not nock an arrow.  Her rapier stayed firmly sheathed.  Returning her bow to her back she checked the Teleporter - gray and silent, sure enough.  Well, normally she enjoyed travelling the "slow" way anyway, but it did carry some extra risk.  But as she'd Sent to Starstrike, she'd try her options here, first.<br/><br/>'System: Help'.  No effect, as before.  She sighed, eyed the generic NPCs that occupied the watchtowers and gate, then wandered toward the few shop-stands.  The other PC stood out immediately - NPCs didn't wear that default underwear and nothing else!  It wasn't bad, though Rayne liked her own side-tied bottoms much more - they were cuter, and somehow felt nicer, too.  She had nothing on top, as her chain shirt included a soft lining with moulded cups that comfortably supported and enclosed her rather generous "endowments".  But either this girl had had some bad luck, or she enjoyed exhibitionism - not too uncommon in EHO.  As Rayne approached, it became clear - she really was a tiny thing, this other player, the proverbial "slip of a girl".  The collar merited a second look - new with this patch, or maybe Rayne had missed an earlier one.  It sort of suited her.... but a growl from Rayne's belly drew her attention to the enticing aroma from the kebabs.  Did she<em>need</em>to eat, now?  She'd better.<br/><br/>She stood close to the girl, and looked down.  "Hello there, I'm Rayne.  Can I buy you a kebab, and then maybe talk?  You... well, you've noticed the Change, right?".  She was just being polite, but then she thought of the hunger in her eyes... could she really not afford 5 coppers?  "Make that four kebabs, please, two for each of us." She paid the vendor with a gold piece, put the 8 sp change in her pouch, and handed the girl just one skewer, to start.  If she was really hungry, she might be more inclined to stick around for the second...<br/><br/>There was a bench nearby, and Rayne would try to get this unfortunate-seeming stranger to join her on it, and share what they knew.<br/>