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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    RogueGirl

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    Default The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    She stood holding a burning torch in her hand. Grinning hungrily she looked down upon the village below. Turning to her minions beside her she shrieked; a feral howl as they leapt off the ledge and down onto the main street.

    Laughing at the ease of it all, she swept the torch round and caught the thatch of the houses nearest to her. The flames were a delight to watch and she rejoiced with glee as the screams from families came from inside.

    Her minions were no longer beside her, and she watched dispassionately as they ran through the streets killing any person that was foolish enough to be walking them. Inelegant, but then they had always preferred brute strength to finesse.

    She, on the other hand, liked her victims to suffer, and she had always been fascinated by fire.

    She spun as she felt something smack into her legs from behind, and with a knee-jerk reaction cast her hand out to strike at the offender. Her hand froze just shy of her target; a cold expression marring her young features. It was a child—a young boy no older than four—sat on the floor, tears streaming down his face. He looked almost demonic in the light cast by the flames. She liked that.

    She leaned down to him but he flinched, backing away.

    "Don't be afraid," she laughed and ruffled his hair.

    Her hand tightened its grip on his hair and she pulled. He lifted from the ground and squirmed for a moment before the hair came away from his skull, scalp along with it. His scream joined the cacophony of the others in a twisted barrage of harmonies, and the blood ran down his face mingling with the tears.

    Soon becoming bored with his incessant whining and cries of agony she lifted the boy in one smooth movement, throwing him into the fiery inferno of the house nearest to her. His screams rose into a crescendo and he was consumed by the blaze—clothes, hair and skin alike, alight and burning.

    She laughed again, he was a human torch; a doll that a child had tired of and had decided to burn it for fun—that’s exactly what he was—he was her doll and she didn't want to play anymore. Her attention span was very short. She didn't even stay to watch him die.

    The blaze had spread now and the entire town was alight and alive with terror. She could feel it, drink it; it was intoxicating, the most powerful of drugs. Pain. Death. Misery. There was nothing to compare. No mere mind altering substance had that power.

    She howled again, calling her fanged, malevolent minions to her. A few villagers had managed to escape the attack, but it didn't matter. They had been more than adequate. She watched them all appear one by one, drenched in blood and smirking.

    She smiled back as the last scream died.


    You wake with a start, sweat dripping from your brow and clothes clinging to your frame. Of all the dreams and nightmares that have plagued you, that was by far the worst and the most vivid. Your skin is on fire; be that with a fever or the lingering flames of your dreams, you’re not certain. That time it felt a bit too real and close for comfort. Checking the time you still have many hours left until sunrise, and you try and get as much sleep as apprehension allows your eager, inquisitive minds to get.

    -----------

    It’s the morning of your meeting with the Keeper of the Flame. Torrential rain has hounded the nation continuously for the past ten days, and the fallen autumn leaves—rather than being a myriad of colour and a sight to behold—are nothing more than a dank, rotting carpet of mulch underfoot. Many modes of travel are slowed, aside those that only luxury can afford to grant. Even so, a handful of lightning rails have been stopped in their tracks by sudden mudslides and flash flooding. Even airships are finding navigation difficult.

    However you managed it, you arrived within Flamekeep on time and go about your business in the City before duty calls.

    -----------

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Keld Denar's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    Karo

    Waking from the dream, Karo strips down and heads over to the wash basin in his room. Using the cloth, he cools his feverish body with the tepid water, washing away the smell of panic before dressing in his chain shirt and casual brown huntsman's leathers. Lacking the "finery" that the situation would probably call for, these clothes would have to do. Carefully packing up the rest of his clothes and possessions into his backpack, Karo leaves the room and strolls down the hall, glaive pitched over his shoulder, the protective leather cover securely tied securely around the sharp blade.

    Thank you, he says the the innkeeper, signing the receipt on the paperwork for the room which had already been paid for. Would you mind if I leave my horse stabled here for a few more hours? I have errands to run while I'm in town. He tips the innkeep with a gold from his own purse and leaves the inn.

    Karo leaves the inn and heads staight to the citadel, his cloak shielding him from the worst of the rain. Under the protective roof of the Flame Keep citadel, Karo shakes out his cloak and reaches into his oilcloth messenger pouch stamped with the seal of both House Orien and the Courier's Guild and pulls out a scroll tube. Packed inside of the scroll tube are two letters from the Pontif, immaculately preserved and uncreased. Waiving over an acolyte, Karo mentions his appointment and inquires about the location Pontif's audience chambers.
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
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    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Ditto's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    Tannop Barrowbright

    Miserable weather... most inauspicious. Tannop frowned up at the torrent, still flooding the stately streets ceaselessly as it had ever since he boarded the lightning rail yesterday. He had allowed for delays on the journey, but the trip had been without incident. Rather, it seemed the worst of the rain had merely lost track of him for a few short hours in Sigilstar before catching his scent and following doggedly behind him.

    He had looked forward to having half-a-day in the city to find his local footing, stir some of his favorite haunts, and so forth. It was not to be, unfortunately. The redoubled force of the rain kept everyone about their hearthside. He was an outdoorsy-cityfolk sort, enjoying the move and pulse of people flowing through the streets about their business. It was not to be, at least at this stage of the trip. Shutters were tight, and peddlers hawked their wares from stoops and alleyways, if at all.

    Even so, he choose (perhaps unwisely, for the sake of his outer garments) to strike out into the weather and evade the confines of his inn. The gnome had always appreciated the subtleties in situations, but this dream after morbid dream was not a trend that suited him. He was drenched through before reaching High Street, but such was the price of freedom. Pounding the cobblestone paths at least let him breath in the air of the city.

    Hm. Hmmm. No, that was decidedly of the cesspool-family of odors. Less air-of-the-city on the agenda, I think.

    Abandoning his determined stroll in the rain, Tannop angles his path toward the basilica. He had an hour to kill before noon, and whiling away the morning in his room had failed just as surely as the streetside jaunt had. There was always business for House Sivis to attend to in a clerk's office, so he made his way to the college of cardinals' deep bureaucratic bowels. He knew several clerks by name, but wasn't overly familiar with any save one. Most eager to catch up with this old acquaintance Kurikken, but not wanting to barge in on a fellow professional in his workplace, Tannop merely took a long route through the chambers while weaving his way to the Housemaster's office.

    It was courtesy to check in when visiting a major hub, and Tannop was ostensibly on business. That's the long and the short of what he'd told his office, and they didn't take much note of it. Some of his business was often little-documented, so 'Barrowbright - unavailable' was all the comment they marked on their ledgers in planning out the week's appointments. Kurikken's missive from the other night had engaged his attention, happy to wonder about anything beyond his personal mysteries for a short while. He had indicated that he would find Tannop when he thought the time was right, and he respected that decision... but that didn't stop Tannop from being seen within Kurikken's sphere, just in case he'd like that right time to be right now. Discretion was the better part of ... oh, something or other, but Tannop was nosy.

    Spoiler
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    Happy to exchange pleasantries with a Sivis gnome, or chat with Kurikken if he wants to be seen... or just skiptime up to Noon, anything works.
    Quote Originally Posted by zyphyr View Post
    They don't actually love Gold, they only say that to get it into bed.
    John Dies At The End
    Sauron vs. Voldemort

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGirl

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    Ashe

    Ashe woke, burning up and shivering, the smell of burned flesh clinging to her and sticking in her nostrils. Nightmare blurred into memory. She stood, took two steps to the night-pot, and was thoroughly sick.

    Once done, she sat up on the bed, knees drawn to her chest, back against the wall. That's the worst dream yet. Unwilling to move, she used magic to turn up the oil lamp, driving away the shadows. Sleep was a very long way away, and she felt dirty all over, and she hadn't thought to bring a book with her.

    Why did I have to be inside her... its... her head? Vile. Just vile.

    And the child. She willed herself not to think of her own children. They are well, and safe, and far away from whatever is going on inside my head. The dragonmark dream, or whatever that had been, she wasn't sure had been entirely in her mind, though. And the Keeper's summons, certainly not. Urgh. Slowly she sipped water, and slept not a wink, and the night wore on.

    With the first peep of dawn she was up and dressed. She regarded her own face blearily in the mirror. Urgh. Her long white-blonde hair was a mass of tangles, and while her face remained unlined, she looked very far from her best. I look like the aftermath of a Cyrean party.

    Thankfully, she didn't have to live with that. With a word and a few gestures, she changed her form, and the face of a freckled, redheaded young woman grinned back at her. A thought-command, and her clothes shifted and shaped to fit. Right.

    She skipped down the stairs two at a time, and rang the inn's bell until someone answered. Good morning! She found a kind of forced manic cheerfulness, if played with conviction, often turned into the real thing. The inn-servant looked at her blearily. A fine morning, is it not? she asked, dancing over to the shuttered window and throwing it wide. No, it's really not.

    She plopped two gold pieces down on the counter. I have had an unspeakably vile night. I would like your finest hangover-or-general-illness cure, and a private, hot bath, with strange looking soap and all the usual completely unnecessary luxuries. Then I would like directions to somewhere quite foolishly expensive for breakfast, the kind of place which has dozens of books and where you can sit, being warm, looking out of a window at everyone else hurrying past feeling wet and miserable. Thank you!

    "Sorry, what?" She repeated herself again. Soon she had in hand some sort of strange purplish concoction in a cup. She took a swallow. Egg... possibly bacon, and, Flame, is that brandy? She took another swallow. Soon, her stomach settled down into some kind of stunned quiescence.

    Once alone with her bath, she locked the door, shifted back into her normal form, and scrubbed and immersed herself in bitingly hot water for an hour. She then dressed, used her metamagic rod to shift again into the red-headed girl. With her cloak bundled over her head, she was only minimally soaked by the time she got to her destination, and after several hours spent reading about current events and lazily grazing on excellent Thranish cuisine she felt almost human again. A lot had happened in the last two weeks, and it took some time to sort it out in her head. While she kept glancing outside, hoping to see the mysterious Cyrean from the lightning rail, she managed to restrain her impulse to go searching for him, for the moment.

    Come half an hour before noon, she made her way towards the cathedral, found a quiet corner outside, and shifted into her natural form. Rings and jewellery went on, although her sigil ring stayed reversed. Then, letter from Jaela Daran in hand, she went in search of the Cardinal.

    Goodbye, normal life. Hello, politics. Given how disturbing things in the last fortnight had been, she didn't feel the vague sense of disgust at this that perhaps she should.

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    Deducted eight gold for the unnecessary luxury.
    Last edited by RavenGirl; 2011-10-28 at 08:16 AM.
    In all their rule and strictest tie of their order there was but this one clause to be observed,

    Do What Thou Wilt;

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    RogueGirl

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    "You’re the first one to arrive." A deep, gravelly voice seems to echo through the entrance chambers, interrupting the acolyte before he has chance to reply. "Karo, correct?" He swiftly retrieves the letters from the hands of the confused disciple and makes sure they are out of sight. He nods his head and the acolyte shuffles out of sight with a quick, submissive bow.

    A heavily decorated military man stands before you, fully armoured with a navy blue velveteen cloak draped from his shoulders. Hardly a comfortable-looking mode of dress, but as a man of such apparent rank it was likely to be mandatory within the confines of the Cathedral. He shakes Karo’s hand before looking up towards the main entrance, noticing the other expected guests arriving precisely on time.

    "You all seem to be punctual. That’s good." He says to Karo with a wide smile on his face. With each step his boots sound a distinct metallic click across the marble, making his way to greet the others. He does so with the same cheery disposition, smile and a confident handshake, then proceeds to walk towards an open door.

    "Please, follow me this way. I am High Cardinal Baerdren ir’Davik, Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar." He flashes a quick smile. "However I’m not as pretentious as it sounds, and abhor the title, so please just address me as Baerdren. If you insist and feel more comfortable with formalities, ‘Sir’ will suffice."

    It’s not until you’re all far beyond the entrance way and outside of the range of prying eyes and ears that he addresses you further. "I hate to have to ask this of you but I must remind you to keep this meeting to yourselves. Even from the other people within these walls. It’s not every day that people are granted an audience with the Keeper of the Flame herself, and I would not wish it to attract any unwanted attention."

    The Cathedral itself is full of winding corridors adorned with a multitude of painted murals, carvings, and other displays of master craftsmanship such as statues and busts of previous Knights and Cardinals. You continue to walk down identical corridors for a full fifteen minutes, winding around and descending down beneath the main Cathedral floor. Eventually you reach a set of modest-looking wooden double doors and Baerdren stops, rapping his knuckles softly against the wood. A sense of apprehension wells in your stomach as they slowly creak open, and Baerdren beckons you to follow him in.

    Stopping her pacing to and fro in her room, The Keeper of the Flame looks over to the door and nods in acceptance at your arrival. The entire scene seems extremely informal as you notice that you are walking into her private quarters rather than the audience room you would normally be expecting. The doors close neatly behind you, and the High Cardinal casually saunters over to a chair beside a heavy dark oaken table and takes a seat. He offers the chairs to the rest of you.

    "I am pleased to see you arrived safely. Take a seat." The Keeper of the Flame addresses you and starts speaking with a nervous look on her face, but her features light up briefly as she notices the stiffness and uncertainty in all of you. "Please, relax. I might be the Keeper of the Silver Flame and the ruler of the nation of Thrane, but from now on I beg for all of you to forgo the formalities. What I’m about to tell you stretches further than the boundaries of official business, and it requires the level of trust only granted to close friends. I would like to start building that relationship with you now rather than later, so don't feel like you have to be on your best behaviour just for me."

    She sighs and lets her own body relax. No longer is she the child prodigy, shining prized possession of the Church, but a fully grown woman with an immeasurable exotic beauty. Until this point you had only seen Jaela for a brief moment from a distance whenever she addressed her people at public events. Up close and personal you can now see that her eyes are hauntingly unusual. Her irises are far from normal, swirling like pools of molten silver with flecks of blue and green reflecting in the artificial light of the room. Jet black hair—recently cut incredibly short—frames her face with numerous streaks of metallic silver and grey, a great contrast to her darker skin. There is only one thing you could think of at that moment that could be more captivating, and that would be the Silver Flame itself.

    "These are my private chambers and I have personally protected them from any forms of scrying or magical detection, so no one will hear a word that is said in here and I would like to keep it that way. Word of this meeting must not leave this room under any circumstances." Jaela says, clearly concerned. It's now that you see her playful expression change, and the seriousness of the situation settle upon her persona. "First of all, I believe your lives are all connected, but potentially in danger."

    She walks over and takes her seat at the head of the table. Jaela places her hands firmly together, touching her pursed lips to her fingers in quiet contemplation before she meets the gaze of all of you to continue speaking.

    "There is something that all three of you share. You were all there on the Day of Mourning, and you all somehow survived without a single scratch. You all have no memories of what happened, you have hardly physically aged since that day, and four nights ago you were all subject to a strange phenomenon that caused a mark to appear upon your skin.

    "I’m sure you are wondering how I know all of this, and it is because it was the very first vision that was granted to me by the Flame—Thirteen people surviving the Day of Mourning, walking out of the mists of the Mournland with strange marks adorning their skin. You are three of those people in my vision, and before we continue I think it would best to introduce yourselves fully. You're going to spending a lot of time together."


    Jaela pours three glasses of sweet-smelling wine and Baerdren hands them to you. Continuing to then pour herself a glass and take a sip, Jaela smiles playfully.

    "I'm Jaela, pleased to meet you."

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Keld Denar's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    Karo

    Karo follows the high cardinal, staring in awe at the massive cathedral around him. This place dwarfs even the Enclave in Passage and the great Lightning Rail station in Karnath.

    Meeting Jaela, Karo listens carefully to her words, making mental note of them. He takes the offered glass of wine from the cardinal and sips it absentmindedly while listening to the Pontif.

    I see...Jaela. the name comes a little forced. So there are others? I mean, beyond us three? Karo looks around at the other two brought into the room with him.

    What is the cause of this? Why us? Why now? The Day of Mourning was almost 20 years ago. Whats significant about now? How do I make the dreams...the nightmares go away. Who is this woman who haunts my dreams? This evil, evil woman? The man pauses a moment, taking another drink of the wine in his hand after that torrent of questions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY!
    _________________________________
    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    RogueGirl

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    "I appreciate your enthusiasm, and I also know that you have questions but they can wait for now. Like I said, we need to build up a measure of trust before we go any further." Jaela sits back in her chair with a soft smile on her face. "Introduce yourself to your fellows. Even if it's only your name. It's only polite when you sit down and drink wine in fine company."

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Ditto's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    Tannop still found the scene a bit surreal, for all his practice in posturing. He followed Karo's lead and took a solid draught of the proffered wine, feeling its warmth spread through him as he gathered himself to respond. "I am Tannop Barrowbright, of house Sivis. Formerly of Cyre, now I station myself in Sigilstar as a counselor. I've had the pleasure to make the acquaintance of the Lady during my tenure there," he says, inclining his head to Ashe. Looking to Karo again, Tannop continues "I can understand my neighbor's tumult of questions. These dreams that have plagued me - we three alike, it seems - these past several nights invite answers! I am somewhat relieved to know that the visions are shared, which means I'm not growing mad. But that then lends credence to the notion that they are all to real - somewhere, sometime out there, and that thought makes me shudder just as much."

    Spoiler
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    As I've said in the OOC, 'counselor' is the catch-all word I'm going with to describe the suite of legal/mediation/translation/notarial services Tannop provides, sort of combining all the elements Sivis espouses. I'm just going to pretend that that word is in common enough use with this meaning that everyone can understand roughly what I do.
    Last edited by Ditto; 2011-11-01 at 06:49 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by zyphyr View Post
    They don't actually love Gold, they only say that to get it into bed.
    John Dies At The End
    Sauron vs. Voldemort

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGirl

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    Ashe

    It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Baerdan. I am Ashe. Her returning smile is brilliant and brief, and she follows along behind the others with a quick glance of surprise at the passingly familiar Tannop.

    The others see a slight figure who remains hidden beneath her hood throughout the long and twisting journey, catching an occasional glimpse of a blue eye or upcurved cheekbone. She proceeded through the cathedral, fascinated despite herself by the grandeur and the religious faith on display. Inside she skittered with nerves, and coming face-to-face with one depiction of paladins slaying something or someone evil, she bit her lip, thoughts racing through her mind.

    Though her heart is fluttering with nervousness, her face shows none of it. On reaching Jaela's chambers, she tosses back the hood of her cloak revealing a face of striking beauty set under long braided white-blonde hair.

    She heard Jaela out, then took a deep sip of the proffered wine.

    Her eyes go sharp at the others' mention of the dreams, though she waits before responding. Vile dreams. Her voice is soft and low. At least I am not alone in them. I will do whatever it takes to make them stop. Though whatever they might presage terrifies me.

    She nodded at Tannop in return. And I am Ashe Corus, of Sigilstar. She gave Jaela a long look, her hands clenched in her seat, and something misted her eyes. Then she gave out a sharp sigh, and said simply also once known as Lady Nyenna d'Cannith of Cyre. She stood, her clothes flowed into the elegant, subtly revealing garments of a noble scion, and she gave a flamboyant Cyrean bow. At your service. She sat.
    Last edited by RavenGirl; 2011-11-01 at 08:27 PM.
    In all their rule and strictest tie of their order there was but this one clause to be observed,

    Do What Thou Wilt;

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Keld Denar's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Path of Least Resistance (Group 1 IC)

    Karo

    My appologies, Ma'am. I didn't mean for that torrent of questions. It's just been so...draining, these last few years. Any information you have is like a life raft for a drowning man.

    Drawing his shoulders back slightly, Karo continues. I am Karo d'Orien, of the Couriers Guild, origionally from Passage in Aundair. Karo takes another draw from his wine glass and then gives a slight nod to Jaela.
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY!
    _________________________________
    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    RogueGirl

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    "I suggest you commit to memory the names of your new associates. These people may be strangers today, but they are soon to become family." The High Cardinal raises his glass as a quick toast then proceeds to polish off his wine in one mouthful. Standing up tall and proud, he bows his head respectfully to you all before averting his attention back to Jaela. "If you will excuse me, I have preparations to make. I shall inform the others of their arrival."

    "Understood. We shouldn’t be too long, and I will send them to you when I am done." Jaela nods as Baerdren leaves the room in a rather hasty manner.

    Taking her time with finishing her drink, Jaela looks at each one of you in turn. Her eyes, an ever-churning sea of silver, seem to caress your mind with calming thoughts. All anxiety seems to fade from your mind, and whilst you can still feel your apprehension tickling the back of your thoughts it is no longer in control.

    "First of all I wish to apologise for making this all such a scene. I’m sure there could have been better ways to contact you all, but I felt I didn’t have much time." Jaela says, her soft voice somehow managing to fill the large room that you’re in. "Why not much time? I refer to the vision that I had last night, and if I am correct a vision we all shared. I can still taste the acrid smoke on my tongue, the stench of death clinging to the back of my throat, and not even wine as fine as this can replace it."

    She takes her last sip and slides the glass to the centre of the table, her hands visibly trembling but you sense of exhaustion rather than anything else. Her voice also starts to show signs of countless nights without much sleep. "If you were to ask me why this all came about, and specifically why now, unfortunately I could not tell you. I have no knowledge about your newly manifested marks or what they mean, but I do know that you’re not alone.

    "For each one of you, upon manifesting your mark, I have been granted vision of clarity beyond anything I have experienced before. I see a re-enactment of the original vision I had, and the day you all walk out of the mist of the Mournland. I then see your pained faces as the manifesting mark drains you of your energy, and me of mine. I confess that I have been struggling myself to keep the visions from exhausting me completely. Even with the power that the Flame grants me I have to be wary that it does not leave me too vulnerable, but it has been extremely difficult.”


    Beneath the table is a drawer from which Jaela produces a set of professionally sketched portraits with ideograms drawn underneath them with a painstaking attention to detail. She carefully scatters them across the table for you to see.

    "Luckily I seem to have a profound and useful talent with the arts. I produced these myself from my own visions, so no one else was involved or knows anything about these." Jaela seems to speak with some apprehension, but your attention is firmly on what you see before you. You recognise yourself in one of the portraits, and also the faces of the others around you, and further pictures of strangers. The portrait of your own face has a symbol, just like the rest, and you instantly recognise it as it being part of your new manifestation. Tannop; a musical quaver wreathed in ethereal flame. Karo; a collection of whorls contorting into a bestial shape. Ashe; an elegant silver dragon coiled around the figure of a troubled woman.

    "Contacting you, it puts the count up to five out of the thirteen survivors on the Day of Mourning that I have contacted. You are to meet two other people later on today as they are under my command within Flamekeep, and I know of three further people who have died through suspicious circumstances or have committed suicide." Jaela points to three of the portraits with a dark expression. The first is a young halfling woman and the symbol of a serrated scythe. The second is a human man, a decorated soldier, with a gruesome scar contorting his face and one of his eyes clearly missing; his symbol is that of two dragons circling a skull with damage to one orbit. The last one is of a striking young woman, and the symbol of a large blackened claw. "That is the face of Seneschal Ofejjaia of Korth, successor and rival to High Cardinal Baerdren and daughter to Regent Moranna of Karrnath. She was found dead two days ago, apparently of her own volition. It seemed to be a ritualistic suicide conducted in her home here in Flamekeep, but I’m not all that convinced. You may investigate if you wish, but I have something more pressing for you to attend to first. Ask Baerdren for further information about the investigation into her untimely demise."

    She carefully collects the portraits of the deceased and slides them back into the drawer, and draws your attention to two remaining portraits in particular. “However it is these two people I am more interested with. I have had visions of these people and know of their location—the Argonth, the mighty mobile fortress, in Breland. I wish to contact them, but in my current state of weakness and the current events that are about to transpire within Flamekeep at any moment I cannot afford to leave my position here and travel there myself. There are only a handful of people I trust here at the Cathedral, and I need as many of those people by my side as possible.

    “If you were to help me track these people down I believe it would be a lot easier for them to understand if the explanation came from others who have shared the same experiences, and in turn they may have more information that we both seek. I will answer any further questions that you may have, withholding no information if I know the answers, but I thought it would be wise to lay out my proposition to you first.”


    The Keeper of the Flame leaves the table and walks over to another section of her chambers to retrieve a large silver platter containing a fine selection of fruits, cheeses, smoked meat and bread. After placing it in the middle of the table and gesturing for you to take whatever you wish, she sits back down and lets out a troubled sigh. "I know everything has happened all at once but I'm trying to help as much as I can. I'm making a concerted effort to try and find out as much information as possible as to what is happening but keeping it all quiet is proving more difficult than I first thought. Please, ask anything you like. The last thing I want is for anyone to feel any more confused."
    Last edited by Azaril; 2011-11-05 at 01:48 PM.

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    Karo

    Used to being put to task by the Senashals of the Guild, Karo methodically commits every word about the mission to memory. I understand that this is a matter you wish to keep quiet. We will undoubtably be questioned in our travels, especially if we plan to board the fortress of Argonth. I have been on the Argonth on guild business, and even with the papers I had, I was only permitted in the courtyard while the fortress was moored outside of Ardev. If we are actually to go onboard the vessel, well, we'll need a very good excuse.
    Last edited by Keld Denar; 2011-11-03 at 10:34 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY!
    _________________________________
    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

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    Jaela nods to Karo. "You raise a very good point. While the true nature of all of this is to be kept secret, it is up to you whether you remain yourselves in this mission or try to pose as someone else as you travel."

    "I already have people in position on the Argonth and I will send word that they are to expect you." She says, speaking with a clear hint of pride in her voice. "Your reason will be a simple one and not far from the truth. You are there to personally deliver a message to two citizens regarding sensitive personal matters, and that sending a missive was too risky. Baerdren has a lot more information than I; I'm just the person who comes up with the plan and he makes it happen. You are to meet with him after we have had our chat here."

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    Karo

    Do you know who this...woman is, or demon, or whatever she is, who haunts our dreams?
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY!
    _________________________________
    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

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    Jaela shakes her head with a frown at the thought of the traumatic event that replays in her head. "Unfortunately, no. The only thing I do sense is that she—or whatever it is—is some kind of ancient evil. Likely Khyber related, which is something I'm not happy about at all." She gives Karo a quick, worried look. "I don't think it's just a mere dream. A prophetic vision of some kind, perhaps. I know this because I lost the ability to dream in a normal way some decades ago—since I shared this vision with you, it is likely to come to pass in the near future."

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    Tannop Barrowbright

    Tannop raises his eye, both eyes in fact, Ashe's revelation. Through their brief acquaintances, and his previous time in Cyre proper, he hadn't suspected any inkling of this connection. Curious!

    The gnome straightens in his chair at the discussion of documents & Argonth. "I may be able to assist with any necessary paperwork we might need for travelling. I see a lot of this sort of thing in my work and have a certain talent for developing them. Talking with Baerdren will see what other preparations we'll need... I agree with your sentiment, Your Excellence- Jaela- I think this news will come best from others who find themselves in the same situation as our two subjects on the fortress. That brings the count to 10 of the 13 Cyrean survivors you've identified, yes? With these three-" he points to the three portraits Jaela has not discussed yet, "-still as unknowns?"
    Quote Originally Posted by zyphyr View Post
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    "I normally wouldn't be able to condone any such act of forgery, but as things stand..." Jaela can't help but let a hint of a devious grin cut off her sentence and part her lips with delight, but she is quick to return her expression back to something more suitable. Less excitable. "I'm sure it is more than acceptable to prevent any defamation to one's character, should that concern you."

    Inching her way back to the table she takes another look at the portraits of the people she hadn't mentioned. "Eight identified, not ten." There is a slight pause with another roguish grin, allowing the gnome a recount his mathematics. She pushes two pictures into the centre of the table, and the parchment they are drawn on looks a lot older than the others. A striking human man with unsettling ice-blue eyes—the only portrait to contain any colour at all—and a male shifter that appears to look more feral than most. "But those two, you are to meet later on today. Endymion ir'Askarda and Kashan."

    There's something about these other people..." She takes three aside, her eyes scrutinizing them again until she finally shrugs, unable to come to any further conclusion. "I don't know. I feel like I've seen them before, that they should be sitting at this table with you even though they are not. I don't know their names, but they seem awfully familiar to me."

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    Tannop

    Tannop pointed to the two in Argonth. "I was counting those as identified, but I suppose we don't really know who they are yet, known location or no..."

    He points back to Endymion and Kashan. "And these two, you say were right here in Flamekeep? Did they reach out to you, or you to them? I could see them seeking your counsel if they were so near, with such a dramatic set of circumstances as we've all been experiencing. What can you tell us about them?" Tannop examines their drawings again to look at their marks.
    Last edited by Ditto; 2011-11-05 at 09:24 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by zyphyr View Post
    They don't actually love Gold, they only say that to get it into bed.
    John Dies At The End
    Sauron vs. Voldemort

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    "That's right, they are here in Flamekeep. I have been in close contact with them both since they arrived." Her voice is soft and her body visibly relaxes at their mention; it's clear to anyone that she sees them as close personal friends rather than just Flame-related acquaintances. "You'll get to meet them and ask them all the questions you like when you see them. It's not my place to be disclosing personal information about someone whom you can ask yourself. They will both be more than willing to answer you."

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    Ashe

    Throughout this Ashe has been sitting back, carefully listening to each point that has been raised. Her only reaction has been to blanch somewhat at the revelation that three of the other marked people are dead. At last she sits forward, steepling her fingers as she speaks.

    My lady. Jaela. I appreciate your candour and all that you have shared with us today.

    Do you have any thoughts as to what this might mean? These marks are not like house marks, and seem tied with the loss of Cyre as well as what befell New Cyre. The great mystery and grief of our age. And why should we not grow older? That is a great power in itself.

    These dreams are not like other dreams. They carry danger. Though whether it is the dreams themselves that are dangerous we do not know, yes? She sighed. If we are sharing all with each other you must understand, before we begin, that I have children. If this mark is carried by the blood, like other marks, then it affects them too. She caught Jaela's eye. If something should happen to me, I would be grateful if you would see them safe. If all of you would, though it is a lot to ask.

    And as for travelling incognito, I do have a certain talent for such matters. She smiled for the first time, filled with a sense of anticipation that she had not felt in decades. Though if we are to board the Argonth itself, I think that I should not use magic directly in the attempt. I need not travel as myself, though, and I can help you both change your own appearance without the use of magic, if desired.
    In all their rule and strictest tie of their order there was but this one clause to be observed,

    Do What Thou Wilt;

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    "I won't lie to you, Lady—" Jaela catches the word on the tip of her tongue. "Sorry, Ashe. I can't guarantee your safety with all of this, but I can say that your odds are a lot more favourable if we work together to figure this all out. The safety of your family is paramount, and I shall take great care of them personally." Her face lights up at the mention of family, showing the sincerity of her words.

    "I can only speculate about the marks at this point," she sighs with clear frustration of not knowing more, "but I think I can say with come certainty that they won't be carried by blood; your children should be fine. Whatever caused the Day of Mourning caused this to happen to all of you, and my idea is that the agelessness is more for preservation of the mark itself. I have also noticed some sentience and survival instinct tied to the marks, but you should speak to Endymion more about that. He knows far more than I."

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    Ashe

    Ashe breathed out deeply. I thank you again, Jaela. She leaned forward as though to take the Keeper's hand, then obviously thought better of it; still, her feeling was obvious. So long as my family are safe, I will be well and can rest easy. I do not want them caught up in this, and so far they know almost nothing. Less than you might imagine.

    So long as that is settled we can move on, I feel. She helped herself to a little of the food. The last vision truly turned my stomach, and the sooner we can get to the bottom of all this, the better.
    In all their rule and strictest tie of their order there was but this one clause to be observed,

    Do What Thou Wilt;

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    Karo

    The village from the dream...does anything about it look familiar? If it indeed exists, and the dream is truly prophesy, would it be possible to warn them?

    Ashe, being a member of the Couriers Guild, I believe it would be easiest for me to travel without disguise. It wouldn't raise any suspicions, and the tabard often opens more doors than it shuts.
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY!
    _________________________________
    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

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    "The only thing I saw during the vision were the burning buildings, and nothing to distinguish them from any other wooden structure. It could be a multitude of places."

    Jaela stands and straightens her clothes, and lets out a sigh of relief. "I’m grateful that none of you have turned me down with this, given how bizarre the situation is. I wish I could give you more information that I already have, but I’m currently falling short." She picks up the portraits of the two she has asked you to find and runs her fingers delicately over the drawings, a look of familial concern shadowing her expression. "Perhaps when we have contacted the people within the Argonth we might be able to come to more of a conclusion as to what is happening. I feel personally responsible for the safety of these people—for you."

    "I think it would be best if you continued on to see Baerdren. He is better equipped to answer any remaining questions you have about this task. I’ll continue to be vigilant with my research into this phenomenon, and I will inform you immediately should I discover anything new."

    Jaela quickly notes down the directions of where you need to go, knowing very well how much of a maze the Cathedral can be. "All I can say is try not to wander off too much, it's easy to get lost. I'll let him know that you are on your way."

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    Karo

    Before we go, do you have any way for us to contact you? It might be worthwhile for us to remain in contact even after we leave Flamekeep. If not, how do we gain audience with you in the future? Can we relay messages via Courier? Can we reach you through Baerdren, or should we contact you directly?
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY!
    _________________________________
    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

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    Tannop

    Nodding to the Keeper gravely, Tannop says, "It would do little good to refuse this charge, if we're just to be left with haunting dreams and fevered nights with the promise of carnage on the horizon. No, we have this strange common bond, and sorting it all out is the only way to settle it." Reading over Jaela's notes, he bows gently (still unable to *entirely* shake the formality of her position from his mind) before excusing himself to find Baerdren with the others. "Milady."
    Quote Originally Posted by zyphyr View Post
    They don't actually love Gold, they only say that to get it into bed.
    John Dies At The End
    Sauron vs. Voldemort

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    Ashe

    Ashe looks at the drawings of the unknown pair in the Argonth closely for one last time. I thank you again, Jaela. I hope that we can bring a swift resolution to this, before it proves too telling on us all.

    With this she bows elaborately, and takes her leave with the others.
    In all their rule and strictest tie of their order there was but this one clause to be observed,

    Do What Thou Wilt;

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    "I shall devise a way to contact you that doesn't leave the method open to too much scrutiny. I wish I could divulge more information as to why it can't just be made straight forward, but that would put you at more risk than you potentially are already." Jaela's voice is flat, the matter she is keeping from you clearly not a trivial one. She sees you out of the door and bids you farewell for now as you head on your way.

    ---

    The directions you were given were very clear and concise, turning the seemingly maze-like passageways into a simple journey from one room to another. All of the corridors, as many twists and turns as they take, all seem to spiral downwards into the underbelly that spreads out under the entire city, not just the Cathedral. Down here is almost like another residential area of city you never knew existed built for those of the Silver Flame—a bustling hive of people to-ing and fro-ing; ignorant or oblivious to your presence, you’re not entirely sure.

    You eventually reach a door that is set apart from the others, jutting out from the wall in a bay of its own. The intricate design above the door depicts symbols of the Church mirrored either side of another symbol that you recognise as representing the Knights Templar.

    You knock, the door creaks open to the sound of Baerdren’s beckon, and you walk in.

    Another hallway greets you, not much different than the ones you just spent time working your way through. More doors, more alcoves, more artwork, more statues, and more impersonal furnishings to match the majesty of the Cathedral itself. You’re sick of it already.

    "Please, come this way." Baerdren’s voice echoes through the stone walls, originating from an open doorway at the far end of the corridor. You quicken your pace and join him in the first lavishly decorated room you’ve seen since you arrived. Even Jaela’s personal chambers didn’t feel this homely, and it’s a refreshing change from all the grey stone and gaudy blue cashmere hallway runners.

    Baerdren isn’t alone in the room just as you expected, and beside him standing tall akin to royal guards—albeit more awkwardly stiff—are the two people you expected from the draw portraits. Even given the apparent age of the parchment on which you saw, their faces match the artwork perfectly and it’s clear that they also haven’t aged a day.

    "I would like to introduce you to my two associates. Firstly my new Seneschal—given the recent death of the late Lady Ofejjaia of Korth—Endymion ir’Askarda."

    "Greetings." The tall man says with a courteous nod. He is well-muscled and with eyes as eerily piercing as the drawing suggested, wearing armour that is clearly uniquely crafted and a style unlike anything you have seen before. His hair is a darker shade of blonde, sweeping across his brow from a central parting and at a length a little too long at the back to be left untied. Overall he looks immaculately groomed and all manner of imposing.

    "And Kashan, the spy-master of the Keeper of the Flame." The shifter bows deeply with his arms folded behind his back, but makes an effort to keep his amber eyes on you at all times. His physique is slim but cut with hard muscle, and his facial features pertain more to lycanthropy than human with an expression that shows nothing but completely control over the beast within. A quick flash of a grin shows inch-long canines that are swiftly hidden again behind his lips.

    "I’m pleased to finally meet you all." Endymion visibly relaxes, a smile softening his features as he speaks. "We have a lot to discuss, and whilst you are here foremost to receive more details about your upcoming mission, right now I’d like to address you on more of a personal matter."

    "As Jaela has most likely told you, Kashan and I went through much of the same as you. We received our marks five and ten years ago respectively, but we were both unconscious at the time."

    "Not to mention young and stubborn." Kashan gives a sly look to Endymion, fuelling the flames of a playful rivalry.

    "And arrogant." Baerdren adds, raising his eyebrows questioningly to Endymion and a smirk to Kashan.

    "Oh come on Baerdren, we’re both Templars, not to mention Paladins. Arrogance comes with the territory, worn as a badge of honour. I’m not sure about his excuse, however." Endymion sits down and jeers at Kashan, thankful for the cheerful reprieve.

    "Quite true."

    "In point of fact when it happened to me I spent the time on my back spouting the voice of the Flame, saying the exact same words as Jaela who was over a hundred miles away here in Flamekeep." Endymion pauses and grins. "I still do, sometimes. Repeating the Voice in unison with Jaela, I mean. Just that she doesn’t require a seizure to make it all happen."

    Kashan rolls his eyes. "What he’s trying to say is that we haven’t got a clue what happened, and… well, you three do. We shared the visions with her Lady Keeper to some extent—" He leans back against the wall after turning the attention back to you, plainly more comfortable within the situation than his companion, but still perturbed about the recall of the event. "—something we had never really experienced before."

    "We didn’t share the same level of clarity, but we felt more of an understanding and kinship with the people we saw. It was only recently when we discovered it was you that a face was put to the whispered names and shadowy figures." Endymion says, comforted now by your presence. "Please, tell us how it happened and what, if anything, you saw at the time."

    Whilst the jovial nature of the people before you would normally be enough to rouse suspicion of this all being a hoax—especially given your previous experience within the Dragonmarked houses, hardly expecting high-standing people to act so casually—the bizarre nature of the situation calls for a light-hearted atmosphere or get swallowed by the intensity presented to you. This being your first foray looking behind the austere mask of the Church of the Silver Flame, it's hard to know what to expect, but you're slowly starting to understand the need for such an attitude.
    Last edited by Azaril; 2011-11-12 at 10:27 AM.

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    Karo

    Looking tentatively back and forth at the others, Karo speaks up. It was night. There was fire everywhere. Screams. Death. Shadows from the flickering firelight everywhere. A woman, or demon-in-woman-form was walking through the carnage, an aura of authority surrounding her. The malice she projected was almost tangible. Karo goes on to describe her physical features, hair color, clothes, and any distinguishing features.

    The creatures she commanded were feral. Beastlike even. I didn't recognize them, but I could describe every minute detail about them, so vivid was my dream. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do you know possibly who or what this woman-fiend is, or what the nature of her pack may be?
    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY! AILHAY THULUCAY!
    _________________________________
    A beholder’s favorite foods include small live mammals, exotic mushrooms and other fungi, gnomes, beef, pork, colorful leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, insects, and birds.

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    "That was the dream you had last night, yes." Baerdren looks to Endymion and nods. "I think what Endymion is asking you is what happened the night your mark manifested itself."

    "Yes, that is correct. I'm sorry for any confusion. Jaela told me about the dream you shared, of which we did not, and we'll get onto the subject of that shortly."
    Last edited by Azaril; 2011-11-14 at 12:07 PM.

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