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[filiusenox]

"Lead on."

[Dwarmin]

'Tala' had seen William leave the gate, and had followed. She floated up behind the pair, as silent as a ghost. Her bruise still ached slightly, but she wasn't playing up the injury anymore.

"Did I just hear that my poor Will got himself banished from the kingdom? That's a shame. What did you do to anger the Queen so, William? She seemed in a good enough mood this morning..."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, maybe even a little mockingly as she followed them. She wouldn't go far, just enough to see how they reacted-right now, he was stripped of his mask, and maybe she could see the real William for once. Why not?

[micelus]

Retcyl nodded and walked to the Embassy. His stay in the treasure room may have unhinged him a bit, but he'll get better, they always do. Retcyl passed by a nearby beggar and told her "Tell your boss to meet me at the Embassy" and went on. He turned to William and said:

"I'm allowed to help those lesser than us, can't I?"

After a few more minutes of walking through mud and filth and stone, they arrived at the Embassy, Hugo's work of art.

Entering, they were immediately greeted by a barrage of hatcuri apologizing for their inability to aid in the search efforts. Retcyl said there was no apology needed and told the innkeeper to the get the best wine available and bring it up the the Study.

"We'll talk in my study dear William, safer there."

Retcyl seated himself at his chair and gestured for William to sit down. The study has shelves filled with books and hatcuri crafts. On the desk are 3 piles of paper and letters, all in the hatcuri script.

"Now William, why have you been banished? Were you not the one who spoke of caution that night in the Robber's Flask?"

Arrange a meeting with the Gang at the Embassy.

[SeriousConcentrate]

Tristan nodded. "Of course. I will respect her wishes." He removed his swordbelt and shield - just in case - and handed both to Joséphine. "Keep an eye out for trouble. I'll be back within the hour, hopefully." He kissed her on each cheek - as well as his other two guards - in parting, then followed the guard to the throne room. There, he saw the Queen for the first time. Not at all like the stories, he thought ruefully. She was tall for a woman, true, and armored, but she was hardly the hellbeast he'd heard about. At least physically. She did seem a little upset at the moment. This is definitely not the proper time to give her my country's greeting, he thought. Instead he settled for briefly going to a knee with a bow and began speaking so as not to intrude overmuch on her time.

"Your majesty, my name is Tristan Winterbourne, of Dalannor Isle to the south. Lord d'Allemagne," he paused for a moment to press his fist against his chest as was proper when speaking of his king, "heard rumor that your city has recently had a great influx of the hatcuri. In the hopes of providing assistance should they prove unruly and strengthening the bond between our kingdoms, he asked me to personally lead a force of fifty watchmen to bolster the ranks of your magistrate. I have here a roster of my men and their ranks." Tristan paused a moment to remove a scroll from his pocket and hand it to a nearby guard, unsure if that was protocol or if he had erred by not giving it to Laythe personally. "Although I myself am a palace guard, I have served as a watchman previously and am willing to assist your magistrate as well." He folded his arms behind his back.

"He has also asked me to act as a diplomatic liaison, and if you wish to send him any message you need merely to find me. Is there anything you wish to ask of me?"

Introduce myself to the queen and inform her of my majesty's intent. Offer her my service as well.

[filiusenox]

William can barely keep his voice level. The volume rises every now and then, only to be damped down when he realizes it. There's not a single hint of bragging, but then again, there wasn't a hint of mercy, either.
"I conquered a small castle by myself, my regiment fought the people fighting to take it back and killed them, I arranged for Ligoria to buy three parcels of land for cheap, and angered a few unaffiliated and minor nobles."

In Rectyl's study:
"You heard what I told that attention whore, Tala. And as for discretion...it just happened, couldn't control it and I didn't want to."

[micelus]

"Well yes, but it would be rude to say. The Queen is angered that her vassal has gotten her into trouble. Even so, a ruler must side with her vassal unless something grievously wrong has happened. This doesn't happen in Hatcur; a ruler is always on the side of his vassals..."

After a few moments Retcyl continued.

"Where exactly are you heading now? Back to Lonemine? I have a dire feeling that you'll get yourself killed there and I wouldn't want that to happen...I'm starting to like you."

"This might sound offensive but...Would you take oath as a Hatcuri? That would save you from banishment...You would technically be a diplomat...But you'll still have to leave the city...Us hatcuri have been forced to leave."

[Dwarmin]

"Well, that is impressive. Perhaps a little too much for our Queen to bear in one sitting.

Well, I am sorry to see you go, William. But, both you and I know it won't be quite that easy, will it? Make sure to keep in touch-I might send flowers, now and again."

'Tala' backed off with a wry smile. He was out of the game, for now anyway...

[Taricus]

"Very well. I guess you're familiar with the laws here. at any rate my guards can show you to your quarters."

[filiusenox]

"My family will kill me the instant I step on dock...and now they know better then to send one murderer after me at a time..."

Willia pauses for a while, staring into the fire.

"How binding is this oath?"

[SeriousConcentrate]

"My lady," Tristan said. Although he had been dismissed rather summarily, he felt that it had gone well considering that before he had gone in someone had stormed out and the guard had said she might be in a foul mood. He left the throne room and rejoined his allies outside to retrieve his weaponry, feeling a bit naked without it. "Come. We will acquaint ourselves with the city before we settle in," he said, heading off towards the sounds of the market. In his experience, if you wanted general information, you found the market and listened to the women gossip. That was what he planned to do now. Also Aimée and the Lévesques could use some time browsing foreign wares. It would be an experience.

Go to the market and listen to/encourage gossip, particularly anything related to local crimes and scandals. Also try to get a feel for the political situation as it stands and how the general populace views the nobility. Finally, my guards shall disperse to do the same but stay nearby just in case anything untoward happens. If necessary, play up my accent since foreign women love the French Dalannor way of speaking.

[micelus]

"Who exactly is your family? I don't know much about you or your family, but aren't people of the same blood supposed to look out for each other, or was my friend Locanil wrong in this presumption?"

"Anyway, the oath is as binding as...well not really. You can forsake being a hatcuri anytime, it's just that people rarely do. Hatcuri don't because they're born with it, and humans...well if they're going to cross the ocean and go to Hatcur it's a waste to just forsake the oath."

Retcyl rummages through a few papers and says:

"Ah the  oath of alliance is 'I join the Empire'. Yeah, it's not much but it was a hastily written oath-everyone who were making the oaths of alliance were assassinated at the same time. The assassins just wrote this down instead. Much easier then reciting some speech at least...Oh, and as a human you have to show that you've joined Hatcur. Hatcuri don't because it's obvious...*Looks through a few pages*...Uh, would you rather I stab you in the heart or mark your hand with a tattoo that will dissapear in two years?"

[CyberGenesis]

Arrange a meeting with the Gang at the Embassy.

The same young man arrives at the embassy, directed to you by an attendant.

"I see you've made progress around here. May I ask what use we can be to you?"

[micelus]

"Yes, yes I have."

Gesturing to William, Retcyl says "This here is my associate, I trust him with anything that is said."

"Now I have a problem to present to you. Us hatcuri are leaving the city. The Embassy will stay, just in control of my dear friend Hugo. I will still need your services however, I need to know the goings of the city and the ways of the people close to the Queen-Lady Tala, General Vandire, Lord Kathos, Diplomat Avitus, Diplomat Hyte, and any other who speaks with the Queen or has business in this city...Can your people do this?"

[Dwarmin]

Go to the market and listen to/encourage gossip, particularly anything related to local crimes and scandals. Also try to get a feel for the political situation as it stands and how the general populace views the nobility. Finally, my guards shall disperse to do the same but stay nearby just in case anything untoward happens. If necessary, play up my accent since foreign women love the French Dalannor way of speaking.

[2] As you try to listen in, you are spotted and the street quickly empties. People are obviously paranod here, for what reason you can't say...but even you catch a few lines about the master theif "Lord of Crows", who has been pillaging the capital, often right under the Queens nose. Apparently he stole an ambassador yesterday!

[3] Next, You strike up a conversation with a group of young people about the how they view the nobility...there are three nobles appointed at this moment.

-The Queen hasn't made any public appearances lately, but they've got no reason to complain either. Opinion on her recent charitable actions to the poor are mixed, naturally. They all express a desire for her to get the capital under control-what with the Crow and the recent prison break and the robbers prowling the streets...all in all, you get a lot of shrugs, not even concrete rumors. Quite frankly, no one knows much about her, aside from the fact she killed her entire family to seize the crown. Rumored that the Queen on the throne is actually an imposter-the Real Queen has taken the guise of the Lord of Crows to win back her kingdom, so they say.

-Tala Alanis is known as a young, previously unknown Noblewoman that hails from parts unknown. Other than being very pretty, and holding the most extravagent parties, no one is exactly sure what she is doing. A man speaks up and says the young woman has actually begun to go through military training, and expresses the idea she may be trying to become the Queens surrogate daughter. Another woman says she has an estranged brother who lives on the Alanis Family Lands, and says lots of strange ideas about government are being practiced there-like, what if the people could rule themselves, instead of a King or Queen? Exciting stuff, everyone agrees. Rumored to be having a steamy affair with the most popular artist in the city, Hugo van Vissersdorp.
"I saw her go into his studio-and Hugo always sends them away with a smile, if you know what I mean...you know what I mean."
"I thought Hugo preferred, erm...
"You think a man that amazing limits himself to pleasing one gender?"

-Nikephoros name elicits a positive reaction from them. He's the dashing General of Ligoria they say (and not a day over 35), appointed by the Queen very recently. Some of them can't help but embellish the tales they've heard about his long military career, which is impressive indeed. Theres a few off duty soldiers in the group who say they would follow Nikephoros to Hell and back, naturally. All in all, a man of honor, they say. Also, rumored to be looking for something hidden underneath the city.

"I heard he's was poking around the undercity, looking for the Dread Pirate Langs fabled Treasure Hoard, but his men were attacked by a skeletal demon that rose up from the stone...there was also a rolling boulder. It's true, every word!"
"Everyone knows the Treasure doesn't exist. He's actually looking for the fountain of youth the Mad Alchemist Greenmoore built under the city. Not to say he needs it-I think he doesn't look a day over 35. That man needs a wife. Is he courting?"
"Generals not gonna let a single woman tie him down, when he can have three every night in camp..."

-William Vadud, a shady mercenary captain who was recently heard to have been banished by the Queen. Apparently he killed a whole castle of enemies or something. He's generally believed to be a bit insane and handsome. Rumored to be member of a secret society of Nobles that drinks the blood of kidnapped virgin maidens under the full moon.
"My sister 'attended' him awhile back, she's not quite been the same ever since! Keeps getting sick, and she wears baggy clothes like she's hiding something. Vampires for sure!"
"Are you sure she's not...with child?"
"How do I know YOU'RE not a Vampire?"

[5] Yes, the ladies do swoon at your accent. Rest assured, your name will be going through the wringer soon...

[NUKE9.13]

This weapon was perfect. It was beautiful. It was dangerous. Kathos wanted it. This weapon was going to be his weapon. He looked at the man on the ship, and said two words.

"Your price?"

The man grins. His teeth sparkle.
He nods to his servant, who turns to you and says [4]
"My master thinks you appreciate his work. He thinks you will use it as it is intended, and as such, he will offer you a fair price. One quarter"-he looks to the man on the ship, who nods slightly-"One quarter ducat, any accepted coinage. A very reasonable cost for such a... device, and my master will provide an amount of powder and shot to go with it."