<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'>> "If I have a vote, it's for neither." Louissa says. "Unless someone <br>> tells me how this thing can help Ted... and the rest of us. The dwarves <br>> obviously imprisoned this creature for a reason, and I'm not all that <br>> keen to second guess them."<br><br>> The creature laughs. "Your friend Ted Smythe is dying. Little by <br>> little, bit by bit. But I have the knowledge to heal him, truly heal <br>> him, not just concoct some druid's potion to give the illusion of <br>> health. More I will not say, lest you leave me here. I will bargain my <br>> freedom for Ted Smythe's life. Besides, he can prevent my flight or the <br>> use of my powers. He has the D'kuram-roetha."<br><br>> Looking away from the hideous thing, she asks "What is this D'kuram-roetha?"<br><br>> "Don't worry your little head off about that, Lady Louissa of New <br>> Poughkeepsie." the creature says. "Worry about Ted Smythe."<br><br>> "Well, I vote to bring it along, as long as Ted can control it." she <br>> says finally.<br><br>[Justin]<br>"Freeing it is likely to be a very bad idea. If it cannot free itself, and it cannot summon aid, then the prison is still secure. That prison may well be the only thing keeping it from taking all of our minds over, given that even through the prison, it is reading our thoughts. As for its claims? Demons lie, and the Old Ones taught them how. Be very careful when bargaining with either, particularly about any claims they make. Every mortal creature is dying from the moment of birth, it's the one certainty to a mortal life. But anything an Old One can do to a mortal to prevent that is always the most vile of corruptions. Some fates are worse than death."<br>[/Justin]<br></div></body></html>