Valith nods, then leaves to focus on finding a wheelbarrow, or a push-cart, and also a hood for his head. A crow-beaked plague mask would be absolutely ideal, but I'm not sure those are available. If we can't find one, keep looking; I need it to make this trip at all convincing and convenient, to pass off Cassius as a plague victim or something along those lines.
Valith nods in the Grandfather's general direction. Obeying his orders, he slowly walks out of the Conclave through the door, shutting the door behind him and hearing it lock immediately. The sun just rose, so he's out in the open. From what he can see, there still aren't many people out on this cloudy day- probably a wise decision on their part, as criminals typically lie in wait for unsuspecting targets in this area of the city. Valith does notice a mangy beggar or two, one of them lacking a leg and the other having a blood-crusted cloth tied around his eyes. Neither of them pay him much attention, though, seeing as one lacks eyes and the other is shit-faced drunk off hobo wine or other such swill. Valith sets off in search for a push-cart or wheelbarrow and something to cover his head.
The acolyte Valith discovers a tipped-over wheelbarrow. It must have stored food of some sort before, because it is loaded with untied and empty bags and sits next to a blood trail on the ground. Some poor farmer must have taken the wrong turn and ended up in the slums instead of the market. Valith, in a moment of ingenuity, picks up one of the cloth sacks and uses his claws to cut eye-holes in it before donning it like a hood. Nobody could see his face now, but he does look a a tad conspicuous.
After an uneventful power-walk to the building at which he left Cassius' faceless corpse, Valith sets the wheelbarrow against a wall and climbs the building. As he reaches the rooftop, a horrible realization hits him as he finds no corpse. Cassius' body is
gone. Valith pauses in confusion. He
knows he killed Cassius, he watched him die and sliced his face off as a trophy. But no amount of staring at the pool of blood is bringing the body back, and Valith knows he has to get back to the Conclave and tell the Grandfather.
Against his better judgement, Valith runs full speed back to the Conclave and knocks on the door. The Grandfather unlocks the door and lets him in and is immediately confused. "
Where is Cassius' body, Valith?" Valith explains what he has just experienced, and the Grandfather looks increasingly worried. "
This means someone else took his body, and I can be almost certain that it was another Watcher. He must have had a partner nearby. "
The Grandfather sits at the round-table. "
I suppose it is good that I called on two associates to welcome them into our fold, because this Conclave's next task is to find whoever took Cassius' body and kill them, as well as any witnesses nearby." As the Grandfather says this, two cloaked figures emerge from the shadows behind him. "
The healer, Sapphire. And the drifter, Jonathan."
"
You have your task, Acolytes. You must move out the moment the sun sets. Watchers usually gather near the bazaar in the Trade District. Look for individuals in groups that use odd hand-gestures when speaking, and follow them discreetly to their base of operations. From there, you kill everyone inside. No survivors. Gods bless, Acolytes."
See about collecting any nearby bugs and putting them somewhere secure for safekeeping. Go to sleep afterwards. There's no sense in being worn out going into the next task.
After listening to the Grandfather, Azur searches the dark and dirty parts of the convent for insects or other invertebrates. He discovers a cluster of of centipedes of sort. Before he can scoop them up, though, they begin to scurry towards his open palm like they already know what he's trying to do. Coiling around his arm, they chatter and click excitedly. He then marches off to the quarters along with the others, who collectively sleep go to sleep.
Hours later, the Grandfather wakes them all up and reminds them of their task.
"
Once more, be careful. We can't afford exposure at this strength, there are too many heretics. Godspeed."
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Topic: Roll To Heresy: A Minimalist RTD About Cults [DEFUNCT] (Read 16290 times)