The Wrong Guys IC II

[Ajadea]

With everything decided, you all head up the stairs to meet these refugees. It's not particularly hard to figure out which room they're in, given that they are talking in mixed whispers of what sounds like Common and Elven and smatterings of other, more guttural, languages.

You open the door. People stare. There is a blond human boy sitting on the floor who cannot possibly be older than seven, slightly in front of a young woman who might be his sister. They certainly bear a resemblance to each other. There is a young human man as well, the only person moving in the room. He is cleaning a dagger with a blade black as night (so not that black, when you get down to it). A dwarf sits on the bed, a hunk of cheese halfway to his open mouth, and another, in studded leather, standing a few paces in front of you with a spear in hand. Behind the dwarf is a male orc with a handaxe and greasy black dreadlocks, who is standing on the table in the far right corner with an expression somewhere vaguely between shock and embarrasment.

The boy speaks first. Or at least vocalizes first, screaming loudly and jumping up and clinging with all the might of a terrified child to his possible sister's upper torso and face. The angry-looking armored dwarf speaks second. "Who the hell are you?"

[Strawberries]

That is...actually not a bad question. Audric stands very still on the doorway, hands slightly away from his body and in plain sight to show he is unarmed. And it doesn't help that I have no idea how to answer. He takes a careful step forward, looking over at the people in the room. The orc is the most obviously out of place: what is an orc doing in Attalin, and how did he manage to move around and avoid being killed, anyway? "My name is Audric" he says, settling for the most neutral introduction he can think of "I need to talk to you."

((Detect Magic on the people in the room, please))

[Ajadea]

"A little more detail would be nice," the man with the dagger says. He sounds almost bored, which is generally not the reaction you would expect in these circumstances. He examines the blade for a moment, then grabs the pointy end with his bare hands and uses the hilt to identify each individual by turn. "I'm Felix, the screaming kid is Connor, the lady being mauled by the aforementioned kid is Sandra, the one with the tooth problems and foot odor is Kurag," At this, the orc shakes his head, growls something incomprehensible in a deep voice and jumps down off the table. The floor seems to shake slightly. At least Connor isn't screaming any more.

Felix continues undaunted. "The guy with the spear is Mortren. The guy with the cheese is Arheilt. Personally, I think his parents were expecting a girl." Arheilt glares sullenly. After a moment, Kurag speaks. "If you need to talk, talk. It is not like we have much to do but listen." He speaks slowly, but he has a good command of the language. It looks as if he is assessing you.

Audric

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Most of the magic in the room seems to be coming from Connor. Some faint transmutation, but mostly a whole lot of scared and wild arcane magic like a tangle of yarn. It feels reminiscent of a starving cat backed into a corner, the sort spits and hisses and is one move away from trying to maul your face off.

Felix has some dim magic on him, splotching his hands, face, and back. Honestly, he looks more like the victim of a spell, or several spells, than a spellcaster himself. The black dagger he toys with radiates moderate necromancy.

Arheilt...he is marked, faintly, with hair-thin lines in grass green and fire orange and smoky gray. Around his wrists, and ankles, and forehead, and neck. Through his eyes as well. Stronger than a victim, weaker than a caster. Not a warlock, but reminiscent of it.

No one else here has any magic.

[Savannah]

Rana just glances at Audric, clearly expecting him to take the lead in talking. Shadow leans against her side slightly but still watches the people warily.

[Strawberries]

The boy. I have to be careful with the boy, otherwise something bad could happen. Children's emotions are less controlled, and they actually can be more dangerous than adults, he has been taught. That is why they teach us to kill them quickly. The paladin purses his lips, and very deliberately avoids looking at the child. Avoids acknowledging his presence at all, giving him the time to calm down, and instead looks from Felix to Kurag.

"A bit more detail. Very well." He says " My companions are Rana and her wolf, Shadow. The big man behind me is called Llaars, the halfling Antal, and the tall boy here at my side is Paral. I know that Michael is smuggling people out, and he has nothing to fear from me on that regard. But I am told some of you want to stay and fight. I am here to tell you that this would be a severely bad idea, for a number of reason. And believe me, my Order is not the first among them."

[Ajadea]

Kurag laughs. "Indeed? And what is there to fear, as long as there are the few like me who can enter and leave almost freely? You cannot teach the rest of your kind to see what cannot be seen at all. They would have to kill the entire populace to be absolutely sure..." He smirks, showing his fangs. "And, well, if they do that, my job is done for me." Considering his expression looked like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar a moment before, Kurag looks very sinister right now.

"Your Order? You're a-" Sandra pauses and mouths the word paladin, possibly to keep Connor from going into another screaming fit. She is holding him a little tighter now.

"More to the point, there's something worse than you in this city?" Felix asks. It is clear he doesn't believe you."Please, do tell."

[Strawberries]

Too many people speaking, all at once. Audric chooses to address Sandra first. If she is scared... well, children can pick up on emotions very quickly: his first priority is to calm her down."Yes. Yes, I am. But you do not need to be afraid, and neither does Connor" he answers, gently. He spreads his arms slighty, gesturing to point out he is unarmed.

He turns to the orc, then. He has to crane his neck slightly to look at him, but he makes a point to meet his gaze. His tone becomes a bit harder "That is what you want, Kurag? To see all of us dead? The city and all of the people within it? That is a noble goal, to be sure." he says, voice heavy with sarcasm "And yes, there is something worse. And it is threatening all of us, magic users or not - the firsts more than the others, actually. If you do not believe me because of what I am, I can have my word backed up by a druid, or a sorcerer" He gestures in turn at Rana and Paral as he says so . "But why would you care? You want to see this city in ruins, do you not?"

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Llaars frowns at Kurag's comment. Taking a deep breath, he furrows his brow and gestures toward the fanged man. "You sound like one of the reasons casters get such a bad reputation. I can understand a grudge against the Order, but none of those people out there that you're so eager to hurt have ever done anything to deserve that." Outnumbered or not, if Audric couldn't talk these guys down, Llaars now had it in his head to make sure they don't get a chance to do what they were threatening.

[Ajadea]

Sandra relaxes visibly. Connor stays firmly fastened to her blouse.

"You are the first person who has even made the assumption I am here for noble reasons. If the paladins rise against the people, the people shall in turn rise against them. The cities fall and the tribes rise. Orc lives matter not to you pinkskins, no? Why do you think your lives mean anything to me?"

Mortren rolls his eyes and sighs loudly. "Kurag, stop pissing off the paladin. Personally, I want to hear about this other threat."

[Strawberries]

"He is not a caster, Llaars" Audric clarifies, for his allies' benefit "Connor is, very much, and Arheilt, too, if I am not mistaken. I cannot understand what you are, sir." he says to the silent dwarf. Though I do doubt you are going to explain it to me.

He takes a deep breath and prepares to explain for the second time in the day "Her name is Iil'ssaran" he says, addressing Mortren, but sweeping his gaze across them to look each of them in the eyes in turn "She was a sorcerer, long ago, in the age of Kallean, before she was killed. But her spirit stayed bound on this world, until she was awakened, in this town, by a woman named Irena Wainwright. She took possession of Irena's body, and has committed the worst atrocities even since. Torturing magic users, performing sick experiments on them, stealing their magic to sustain herself... She is using their bodies as nothing more than a tool." It may not be first time he explains this, but his voice breaks in exactly the same way when it comes to describe Iil'ssaran savagery "She is unbelievably powerful, and she is trying to find others like her, her old companions. Should she succeed...your wish may be granted in advance, Kurag" he says, turning to look at the orc "But I do not believe for a moment that they would stop wirh this city."

[Ajadea]

Kurag shakes his head and laughs again at Audric's words (which part exactly is unclear), but at least does not say anything more.

"Wait wait wait. The healer had a thousand year old ghost in her head, and the ghost eats... magic?" Felix glances at Connor. "Cause, that, that just... I don't even know where to start on that. Ghosts? Really?"

"I'm not scared of ghost!" Connor says indignantly. "I'm sure you aren't." "'specially not a preforming ghost with a cold. Not scared of tools either. Hammer's not scary. Plow's not scary." To be fair, he is probably somewhere around six or seven years old, and it is likely he's simply grasping for the words he can understand.

Mortren sighs. "It would be a great help if people would tell me what the hell was going on more often. Arheilt."

The other dwarf continues eating, pointedly ignoring him.

[Strawberries]

Audric has to suppress a laugh that would be very inappropriate at this time A performing ghost with a cold. I am going to call her that next time I meet her, should it be the last thing I do. She may kill me, but it would be worth it just to see the expression on her face.

"Yes, really" he answers Felix."Believe me, I wish I was lying, but I am not. Why do you think a druid would have agreed staying in this city, helping me, if the danger wasn't real for everyone?"

"And to answer your question from before" he says, addressing Kurag, again "I was under the mistaken impression you considered yourself better than us. I have been called naive before." Also, an heretic and a fraud. Especially by that rumormonger, Ethin. He is beginning to suspect that the other paladin may have been right, at least on some counts.

[Ajadea]

"I do not think I am better, by your human standards. But I am honest about my murdering. And that-"

"Can we save the ethics chat for another time?" Felix snaps at Kurag. He then turns back to you. "So, insane murdering ghost lady, right? Eats sorcerers and magic and probably puppies or something. Interesting and all, but what are we supposed to do about all that?" He is still toying with the dagger. Somehow, he does not seem to have cut himself.

"You can figure out what to do by yourself. I am getting out of this mad city as soon as I can, and so is Connor," Sandra says. She's clearly scared out of her wits - the idea of a crazy ghost can do that.

"Good for you both."

[Jallorn]

Ah, me first thinking, here was something Antal understood, Run long enough, hide long enough, and sooner or later you run out of hiding places. But fine, run, we'll stand, we foolish wisemen. All we ask is for a chance, a chance to save your buts, and here it is. I'll put it plainly, thanks to The Order, what little magic knowledge exists is so meager and fractured, that two casters often have such disparate knowledge as to be unable to tell each other everything. I want to gather what knowledge we can, here Antal spares a glance at Audric, not to use it as a caster, but to combat a caster who knows more magic than the whole rest of the world combined.

[Ajadea]

"The only thing I know about magic is that Connor has it," Sandra says, a little louder than strictly necessary, especially in such close quarters. "I don't know what sorts or anything, just that he has it, and because he does, people want him dead. I live - used to live on a farm. What the hell do you expect me to be able to do against a caster who, as you said yourself, is probably more powerful than all the others in the world? Put sheep ticks in her knickers?"

Mortren frowns, glancing from Kurag to Arheilt to Connor. "Weellll... if a paladin's coming here, it's got to be serious. Antal, was it? I'll tell ya."

"Mortren, don't-" Kurag actually draws his handaxe as he speaks, looking quite murderous indeed.

"Between your precious secret- which is pretty much out anyways, and our necks, I'll sacrifice the former for the latter any day. Kurag's an illusion maker from somewhere out up north a bit and east a bit more. I'm fairly sure he didn't even know other sorcerers existed before two or so years back, let alone that he was one."

"My lack of whatever signs the paladins see is another illusion, I believe. A disguise for whatever magics I have. To match the one that hides this," he adds, drawing one finger across his fangs and up his green skin.

[Strawberries]

"Antal..." Audric starts, then forcibly shuts up. The halfling's 'plan' makes him uneasy, but it has brought this people to cooperate a bit, and he can't afford to argue with Antal in these cicumstances.

"No, you are right - you must go, as soon as possible" he says to Sandra "Connor is not safe, here: every single one of us would be able to tell what he is at a glance. I...you have to be careful with him: his magic is mostly uncontrolled and wild, and it may cause harm to you or himself".
He holds Sandra's gaze with a concerned expression...and suddenly has an idea. "Paral" he asks to the socrerer. He obviously has got to adulthood without blowing himself or anybody else up, he must know something about managing uncontrolled arcana "Perhaps you and her could talk for a bit, and you can help her with any questions she may have?"

He looks at Kurag when he speaks "By Aldaran" he mutters, amazed. "May I?" If it doesn't look like the orc will chop off his head, he gets as close to him as he can, staring at him intently, and activating his magic detection abilities again.

((Detect magic again, please, taking his time and looking for any sign he may have missed before))

[Ajadea]

"Don't need a paladin to tell me that one," Felix mutters, using the hand without a pointy knife in it to rub his shoulder.

Paral nods and slides past the rest of you to go sit on the bed next to where Sandra stands. He says something, makes an elaborate gesture of some sort, and a floating ball of orangish-reddish light appears. Connor wriggles out of Sandra's grip, jumps down onto the bed, and bats it away from himself, giggling. Sandra looks caught somewhere between awe of the incredibly blatant magic and fear of spontaneous head-explosion or something of that nature. You can hear him explaining, or at least trying to, somewhat quietly over in that corner so he does not interrupt the rest of you.

Kurag does strongly look like he's considering chopping off someone's head. In light of this, Mortren backs away several paces. Most people would, when faced with a highly displeased orc with an axe and violent tendencies. But Kurag doesn't do anything more aggressive than glare and fidget.

Audric

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No tells. No signs. Kurag looks/feels/sounds/smells about as magical as Llaars. Which is to say, not magical at all. There's a mild something you pick up after a while. A sort of subconscious sound that could easily be part of your imagination. That's it.

[Strawberries]

"Dammit, I did not mean a practical demonstration!", Audric hisses to himself, but not loud enough to disturb the two sorcerers in whatever it is that they are doing. Now is really not the time.

He stares at Kurag for a couple of seconds more, then steps back, outside the orc's personal space, inclining his head in a gesture that is part acknowledgment and part thanks for being still able to breathe. "Remarkable. I cannot pick up anything at all, even when I know there should be something. " he says "I think Iil'ssaran may have a similar trick: it is the only way I can justify her staying in this city for so long without anyone of us being aware of it." He looks at the orc, an expression of honest curiosity on his face "Do you need to consciously think about it, or is it something that comes natural to you?" He remembers another thing he wanted to know "And if I may ask... from understairs, I got the impression there were some...elves among you?"

[Ajadea]

Felix shrugs. "No. I'm up from that way though. Just doesn't make sense to live there and not speak a bit. Mortren's fluent, Kurag's... comprehensible, at least, and Arheilt speaks Elven better than Common, not that he's much good in either. It keeps Veltaros from trying to butt in and it's the only other language all four of us," here he indicates Arheilt, Mortren, Kurag and himself, "speak. Nice when you don't want to get yelled at every five minutes." Arheilt mutters something that sounds raspy and generally unpleasant and shifts position slightly, tangling the bedspread even further underneath himself.

[Jallorn]

I had not realized you did not speak common, Antal says in dwarven, I apologize, though I have something to ask of you, here, Antal reiterates his request for magical knowledge.

[Ajadea]

"I do not try to hide the magic sign," Kurag says. "I cannot not explain how I do this. It is the way I am."

Arheilt looks up at the dwarven words and then speaks again in a questioning sort of tone.

Antal

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"How many of you speak my native tongue?" he asks.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Uneasy at the sight of the fidgeting orc, Llaars sets his feet in place to lunge toward him if anything should set him off. Even in the tense situation, he can't help but distractedly smile at the sight of Connor swatting at Paral's spell. Guess not all magic is as bad as people say it is...

[Jallorn]

Dwarven tongue

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I think just me. I've always made it a point to know as much as possible, about everything. Why?

[Strawberries]

Audric turns to Arheilt and shakes his head to signal he doesn't understand what he is being asked, then looks at Antal again, waiting in case he wants to translate something.

[Ajadea]

Arheilt nods in response to whatever Antal said, and continues to speak. Whatever he said apparently is not something Mortren likes, because he interrupts in Common. "You did what." Felix throws his hands up in the semi-universal aspect for 'beats me' and Kurag grunts non-committally - clearly neither of them speak Dwarven. Arheilt barely spares them a glance before he continues speaking.

Antal

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"Because I am marginally more willing to trust you than that paladin. I have talked to demons-" here Mortren interrupts. "Talked to demons. No bait is required, only an empty promise of service. Any idiot with the right books can call up one of the little deal-making ones. They all want to get out of Hell."

[Strawberries]

Audric looks from Antal to Mortren, a concerned frown on his face "What? What did he do?" he asks to both and no one of them.

[Jallorn]

Antal ignores Audric, continuing with his conversation.

Dwarven

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Er, isn't that dangerous? More dangerous than most magic I mean?

[Ajadea]

Mortren opens his mouth as if to speak, but something Arheilt says seems to stop the words. After a moment, he tries again. "Arheilt meddled," he says, "In things that no person should be meddling with."

Antal

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"Not one of my smartest choices, no. I regret it deeply. I have no useful skills. I have no skill in weapons. I am no craftsperson, shocking though it may sound. I cannot find the faith in myself to become a priest of any religion. I have been helpless before. Even this seemed like a valid alternative. I changed my mind halfway, but... it seems I will always bear the scars."

[Strawberries]

What does that mean? Did he hurt anybody? Is he a danger right now? Audric is tense, but doesn't put those thoughts in words. Antal would tell him if that was the case,wouldn't he? Except, the halfling hasn't exactly shown outstanding amounts of common sense - or even normal amounts, if he has to be honest with himself. He stays silent at the moment, but tries to decipher what's going on from Antal and Arheilt's expressions. ((sense motive - (1d20+9)[20]))

[Ajadea]

Audric

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It doesn't take a genius to tell that Arheilt has a very guilty expression on his face. Antal seems curious, and perhaps a tiny bit worried.