Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Dwarmin]

"oSirio." The half-elf corrects, politely

He thinks a moment.

"An offer almost too good to be true...we have a suspicious, however, that the guard might be infiltrated by these...insurgents. Are you aware of this? A shield is much more useful if it does not grow a hand and stab you in the stomach-if you will permit me to mangle a metaphor."

[flame99]

Ava let herself be swept along. She wasn't much of a dancer, placing her feet down like she was going into a battle-stance rather than a dance, but she tired her best. Despite herself, it was somewhat fun to whirl around. She let a smile grow. Simply for appearances. Of course.

She hoped Osirio would forgive her for that particularly nasty step on his foot just now, though...

---

Ava nodded at Osirio. So that was why he was wearing the silly hat. She remained silent as they slipped away form the party to meet the Lords.

She regarded the cloaked figures with a neutral expression. "Oriso"? She raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed, looking at each of the figures in turn, studying the masks.

Uthra aside, you look over them, from left to right. The first wears a black mask, with red carvings depicting...Well...You aren't sure. It's a number of curves with no evident pattern or shape. The second wears a white mask with black carvings depicting an eye. The third wears a gray mask carved with a sword in silver. The fourth is Ulthra; the fifth wears a blue mask with a droplet of water carved in a lighter blue. Sixth wears red, with a golden flame. Finally, the seventh wears a blank, pure-white mask. You also note that the robes of each matches the main color of their mask.

"oSirio." The half-elf corrects, politely

He thinks a moment.

"An offer almost too good to be true...we have a suspicious, however, that the guard might be infiltrated by these...insurgents. Are you aware of this? A shield is much more useful if it does not grow a hand and stab you in the stomach-if you will permit me to mangle a metaphor."

Uthra shares what seems to be a glance between his fellows - How do they even see, for that matter? The masks have no holes - before Uthra speaks once more. "They have infiltrated the Guard. Sinthol, rally some of the top-ranks. Those we know are trusted. The heads of the chapters should be safe. Tell them to feed their subordinates conflicting information about the actions of their peers, and let's see what they act on. We may be able to root out the traitors that way. Pray tell, Osirio, do you know how to find this man?"
The gray-masked one, evidently Sinthol, stands, and mutters a few words. With a brief flash of light, it disappears.
Ulthra seems to take special care to pronounce Osirio's name correctly.

[Dwarmin]

Osirio reaches into his pocket-slowly, so as not to be stabbed or blown up-and brings out a note.

"We found this on the body of a kobold we killed. The handwriting is similar to a certain signature, one of Gerald Rath-a man hired us, and sent us to die, apparently....I suggest you perform a scrying upon it, and see who it leads you to. It may be a false lead. We will deal with a man, once we know they are guilty.

As for your offer, I suppose we must accept.

Only a single condition, might I ask, and more terrible metaphors. Consider when one pulls a diseased root from the ground. Would it not be better to have a healthy seed in it's place? I would ask that if my Bold Men remove a traitor-that Osirio be considered to take a place in the guard, or better. If we succeed and win, in this most dire game, would we have not proven trust? Osirio is merely a mercenary...but, he has designs to be more, much more. Can you satisfy my desires in this regard?"

Action: If they agree, agree in turn!
---
Sometime, before or later...

Osirio took a moment for a bit of fresh air from the press of the crowd, telling Ava he needed to find a privy. He needed a moment...there was something on his mind. He went down an alleyway, then turned around and leaned up against a wall. He was feeling well enough, though nearly insensible from lack of sleep-he had been running all day on adrenaline, and hadn't slept at all the previous night.

No, there was something else on his mind.

"Revi. I need to talk with you. Are you here?" He asked quietly, feeling a bit ridiculous. This was the name he had only used with Ithy's...back when he had known her much better.

He had a feeling she would be close, watching over him....or maybe it was just lack of sleep.

[GiglameshDespair]

Spellcraft check to work out how they're teleporting. Which spells? Items?

"Vhy us?"

Ava glared at the masks. Those who hide themselves behind others earned no respect from her, even if they must be powerful mages. If it ever came down to a fight, it may be good to know. Spellcasters were always the hardest to kill, though once she got in range they tended to splatter easily.

[Dwarmin]

Osirio thought a mask was a fine way to announce to the world you didn't wish to be identified. Especially if you wore them in public. You could easily mask your numbers, be they too few or too many-and shuffle faces around as needed. When someone died, you just gave his mask to someone else, and thus seemed immortal. Seven identities could be used for any number of purposes. Given that the Lords were likely people who were invested in the city, they could be literally anyone-and the masks kept everyone guessing...

Osirio wondered if they were powerful spellcasters, or if they relied more on trickery, misdirection and subterfuge than raw power. Most likely both...Osirio tended to face spellcasters head on, when he could-thought he didn't like to, he could withstand a degree of magical assault-he had been training most his life to channel his interior energies into defense...

Action: Osirio also his Knowledge: Arcana to see if he can recall any meaning of the symbols on the masks

Rank/+5

[GiglameshDespair]

Also Knowlege Arcana at +2. Spellcraft was at +3

[flame99]

Action: If they agree, agree in turn!

"Ah, you're a man with ambition, I see. I like that. The terms sound agreeable. I shall see to it, once the turn-coat is dealt with."

Ava manages to discern, in general terms, what was being used. It would appear to be a magic item, though the effect is identical to Dimension Door.
Osirio looks at the seven masks. Ulthra's sun is an old symbol of order, you recall. Used by some of the earlier goblin tribes to differentiate themselves from their wild(er) brethren. The black one seems to be a sort of blend between two symbols used by early elves; they represent insanity and pain. The eye doesn't have any symbolic meaning that you know of. The water drop, flame, and sword are all fairly obvious; representing water, fire, and combat respectively, of course. The blank one is, well, blank.

[GiglameshDespair]

Ava narrowed her eyes at the ignoring of her question.

"Vhy us?" she repeated, louder.

[flame99]

Ava narrowed her eyes at the ignoring of her question.

"Vhy us?" she repeated, louder.

You were in the Undercroft. From our reconnaissance, there was a kobold cult working with the insurgents down there. You would inevitably figure out the truth of things, and it would be safer and more profitable for all parties involved, save the insurgents, for us to contact you and explain who is the good and bad guy in this fight. And, besides, you're a small, skilled group of warriors. While a chapter of City Guard might be able to out fight you, they'd be detected the instant they got anywhere near an insurgent fortification. You, on the other hand, might be able to slip through unnoticed, strike quickly at important targets, make your way out while destroying their front lines, and do all this quickly and relatively easily. Should a large number of City Guard approach, every fortification would be armed, generals and lords would be spirited away deep in the Caverns, important information would be destroyed, and so forth.

[Dwarmin]

Osirio nods, noticing the twitch in Ava's left eye she gets right before she attacks someone. With any other woman, he might have put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, but with Ava he was sure she would just growl at him like the wolf he knew she was if he did that.

When she the wolf, Ava was not like any other woman Osirio had known. One had to be careful around her...which made the times when Ava put the wolf to sleep and became like...no one else he had known, for that matter-all the more intriguing. Osirio had to think more on that, but for now...well, Instead, he offers his own opinion in the terms of conciliation.

"...Indeed, I am supposing it is being the fair answer. Left to our devices, we might blunder into your plans unwittingly-be destroyed unerringly-or even end up working for your enemies, blind to the greater truth. It is better if work toward a common goal.

Now, before we make ways-what else can you tell us about these insurgents we will fight? My Company Cleric claims they intend to summon a terrible force into the world, what caused a devastation in the previous incarnation. Do they have the ultimate power to do this thing? Is it, as they say 'the worst case of the scenario'? What other forces do they have at their command-or, what ultimate forces command them?"

((I'm willing to move the scene on after they answer this last question.))

[flame99]

"Your Cleric is correct; we have found evidence that they have been attempting to summon ancient demons. And, in fact, this is primarily where you come in. Not slaying the summoned demons, of course, but rather preventing them from being summoned in the first place. As for other forces, we know they have vast numbers of savages at their command, and that they have no shortage of black magic. For who is controlling them, the hand behind the dagger is as of yet unseen, but they are clearly a formidable tactician or grand fool, if they think themselves able to take out Aretrian.
Finally, your first assignment. At 225 Hallas, there is a small noble's home. We believe him to be connected to the insurgency. Your goal is to enter this home, and destroy or capture him and any other insurgents you can find. Capturing him alive is preferable, but it will be a difficult task to transport him much of anywhere. You are permitted to use lethal force.
And, I think now is a good time to end our conversation; we must go check on Sinthol's progress, and I'm sure that you've preparations to make."

With that, each stands, chants their invocation, and disappears.

[Dwarmin]

"Just so. This thing will be done. Be gone with you now, my mysterious new friends. I believe we have a wedding to conclude."

[GiglameshDespair]

Ava relaxed back into her stoic face.
"Very vell. Let us get back."

She turned her back on the Lords and began climbing out of the cellar.

"Zhey vill vonder zhere ve've been if ve take too long."

[Dwarmin]

Osirio followed, ducking down to avoid hitting his head on a ceiling beam.

"When the bridge and groom escape from the press for a moment, they merely smile and nod to one another. They must expect we are, busy, yes?"

He laughs-a real laugh, from a man who usually fakes them.

[GiglameshDespair]

"Ohhh? Iz zat a duty you vill expect from your vife?"

One eyebrow lifted, but in flirting or a warning, who could tell?