The Return of the Scarlet Empress IC

[industrious]

Matsui

"They were going to investigate you as a possible Anathema. I managed to convince them you weren't one."

[Lix Lorn]

Sierra blinks in surprise.
"Oh. Um. Okay then..?"

[horngeek]

Rose nods. "Thanks... they're going to expect me to join in the Cleansing, aren't they?"

[Tavar]

Child waits for the other two women to leave the room before starting.


"You should probably be a bit more careful with those adamant artifacts: with Lookshy supporting the Cleansing, might make you more of a target for Anathema Hunts. In any case, remember Grass Lighting, especially if you need help. I move around too much, but I keep in touch with her. If I can help you, I will."

And, maybe, you can help me later on...

[industrious]

Grass Lightning

Grass Lightning reaches out with her staff, and raps Child on the head with it.

"Child, you're being a gods-damned fool. We only barely made it out of Thorns, and that was more due to luck than anything. You can't go up against a deathknight, Child. You're just...you."

She then storms out, muttering curses under her breath as she does so.

Once outside, she stares at Aya, the energy imparted by rage now gone.

"My friend is the only other survivor left that I know of. And now he's going to try to go after a deathknight because he has more courage than brains."

Matsui

She nods, lips thin.

"Once you're properly introduced to the group, the sorcerer there is going to make us all a proper 'sworn brotherhood.' Which would instantly reveal that you're not Dragonblooded."

She chooses her next words carefully.

"I was able to see through the lie that is the idea of 'Anathema' only because I knew you for so long. But they...they're fanatics. Well, three of them are. They won't see it that way. And we can't just run from them, since they now have Lookshy's backing. I always hear tales of Anathema slaughtering sworn brotherhoods. If I were to help..."

She trails off meaningfully.

[horngeek]

Rose sighs. "Looks like we're going to have to go for the violent approach, yes. I'd prefer not to draw steel on them first, though. Fortunately, my combat style allows for that.

I'm not sure how the rest of the fort will react, either."

[Aevylmar]

Skandi strolls over to the nearby Besi. When he gets close, he bows, sweeping an imaginary hat. His eye scans over the jade artifacts and over the bits of zombie remains that hadn't yet finished disintegrating.

"This woman just cut through a small army of zombies almost single-handedly then introduced herself using her personal name. She'd be taking charge if she was Lookshy. Child thinks she's a dynast, I have no reason to doubt him, so that means she's probably with the Cleansing..."

"Greetings, Dynast. I wanted to thank you for your help against the undead outside. My name is Kasdin - I'm working with Looskhy - and I was planning on hunting down the deathtouched Anathema who summoned them. Care to come with?" He smiles cheerfully.

Spoiler

Show

How does Child know Skandi's name? I'm almost completely certain that he's never said it. The only person who knows it is Isa, and that's because she can read minds. He's still worried about the possibility that someone would connect it with the stories that have started springing up in the North.

[industrious]

Matsui

"Given that we heard the shouts from a while back, not well."

She sighs, dropping her shoulders, and unconsciously runs a hand over the hilt of her own daiklaive.

"Though that necromancer Anathema means that they've at least got some sort of target other than you."

[horngeek]

Rose absentmindedly corrects Matsui. "Exalted, not Anathema.

Looks like I'm going to have to reveal the nature of my Exaltation, then, or it's going to happen anyway."

[Illyceria]

Aya gives Grass Lightning a friendly smile as she stands outside of the room with her. "He will go regardless if you hit him again. However if it will put your mind at ease I can go with him, If he gets cut up I'm certain I can tend to him, if nothing else I'll be sure to bring him back, I have less courage and perhaps a bit more brains." She had only one other reason to go, and that was to ensure this necromancer didn't get further with his attacks against people. The East's stability might hinge on that.

[Guancyto]

"No," Besi says flatly, turning away from Skandi, "you are not. Someone with that blade, leading someone like me?" she pointed at Skandi's sword with her back still turned, "you'd be killed within the day."

Her ponytail bobbed as she walked away, "but you may come with me."

[industrious]

Matsui

Matsui looks at Rose, her eyes resigned and her smile wistful.

"You must do what you think is right, Rose. That's all I can really ask."

Grass Lightning

She manages a weak smile in return.

"Thanks. I'd...I'd appreciate that."

[The_Snark]

Fascinating.

Maren stands still for a few seconds, contemplating. The presence might still be a demon, though it didn't feel quite like one. Not alien enough. Ghost? That feels more likely, except that the Loom usually weaves ghosts into its tapestry with relative ease when they entered Creation. Only the strangest creatures of the Underworld fail to harmonize. A curious puzzle. Almost as intriguing—and considerably more practical right now—is the fact that the presence seems to be hunting the same quarry she is. It knows something useful.

After a moment, Maren slips into the building closest to the unseen stalker. Thankfully, nobody is home just now, its owners presumably out helping to clear away the remains of the battle. She pads up the stairs cautiously, avoiding the oldest and creakiest-looking steps, and raps on the inside of the second-story window.

She crooks a finger, beckoning it inside.

Spoiler

Show

Dex + Stealth to move quietly: (10d10)[5][1][1][8][8][10][5][6][5][2](51)

Continuing to scan Penumbra's thoughts: (10d10)[9][2][9][10][4][4][9][3][5][3](58)

[Lix Lorn]

Child waits for the other two women to leave the room before starting.

"You should probably be a bit more careful with those adamant artifacts: with Lookshy supporting the Cleansing, might make you more of a target for Anathema Hunts. In any case, remember Grass Lighting, especially if you need help. I move around too much, but I keep in touch with her. If I can help you, I will."

And, maybe, you can help me later on...

"Oh... um. Yes." she nods. "That is a good point, thank you."

[Aevylmar]

"No," Besi says flatly, turning away from Skandi, "you are not. Someone with that blade, leading someone like me?" she pointed at Skandi's sword with her back still turned, "you'd be killed within the day."

Her ponytail bobbed as she walked away, "but you may come with me."

Skandi keeps step with her, looking serious. "That sounds reasonable, assuming you can take a break from the Cleansing long enough to hunt this one necromancer. I don't care who's in charge so long as he goes down."

[Guancyto]

"You misunderstand," Besi answers, casting her eyes over the other members of the Cleansing who had come in but not making any sort of gesture in their direction. Her would-be compatriot can figure it out, she's quite sure. "they're going to hunt him too. Otherwise I wouldn't care either."

[Tavar]

Satisfied that he's settled his possible debt, Child exits the room, running into the two ladies. Stopping for a moment, he tries to reassure Grass.

"Grass, I'm not going to confront who ever's responsible head on or anything. I'll probably just try to get in touch with the next target to warn them, and then help support the Cleansing. I'm not entirely stupid you know."

[Illyceria]

Aya gives him a playful smile and raises an eyebrow as she leans back slightly, "Then you will not mind if I help in this endeavor? That certainly seems far more fun than chasing down an undead loving horror." She shrugs though and glances to Grass Lightning for a slight moment. "Besides if the other men and Cleansing folks are busy with the necromancer, it might do to have at least one other with you when warning the other targets. Who knows if we can beat them to those others, yes?"

[Incendius]

Penumbra easily catches sight of Maren as she enters the building. Penumbra notices this with detached disregard, but quickly loses interest in keeping track of the woman. Considering how Maren tried to hide her furtive enrance, she was probably just a looter, and thus someone of no consequence. The petty crimes of other people are beneath Penumbra's concern. The possibility that Maren had spotted her and was entering the building for a confrontation never crossed her mind. After all, individuals that can keep track of Penumbra are very rare indeed.

If Penumbra were a lesser person, she would have fallen off of her perch in surprise when Maren rapped on the window behind her. Instead, she steps off of the windowsill and onto a solid piece of air, twirling as she does so, bringing her bow up so that it aimed directly at the window. She holds this pose for several heartbeats, cautious and wary, but Maren's invitation soon catches her curiosity. There is no way that Penumbra would go inside the building and potentially trap herself, but simply conversing with this mysterious stranger is fair game.

Penumbra slowly lowers her bow, watching Maren's expression as she does so. She notices that Maren isn't tracking her motion with her eyes, likely indicating that she can't actually see through Penumbra's invisibility; a useful thing to know. Penumbra pricks her finger on one of the iron tipped arrows in her quiver, drawing forth blood. She drags her bleeding finger up the glass window, visibly leaving a bloodtrail that forms a line, and then caps it off with two more slanted lines, completing an arrow that points up to the roof. With that done, Penumbra treads up the air to wait on a spot across from the roof's hatch.

[Aevylmar]

Skandi nods. "Of course." He glanced at the other members of the Cleansing for a moment, then looked at Besi with new respect.

"Ever-changing Luna, but this woman's got guts! She has no way of knowing that the Scavenger Lands or any fraction thereof support her, and she's planning to abandon any formal Wyld Hunt structure and backup to charge off after an expert-necromancer, probably-Thorns-backed, Abyssal with only one or two Dragon-Bloods as backup. I wonder if I can afford to let her live?"

[horngeek]

Rose sighs. "Thanks."

Golden Essence appears in the air, collecting and forming a long katana-like blade in its sheathe. "If I'm not going to be hiding anymore, I might as well bring this out..."

[industrious]

The Courtyard

Mnemon-Caras Pell looks at Besi, nods briefly, and head into the inn himself.

Second Floor Corridor

Grass Lightning raises an eyebrow at Child, clearly not having any of it.

"I hope you're leaving tomorrow, at least. You'd be even more of a fool to set out at night."

One of the Dragon-bloods from the courtyard stomps up the stairs, and grunts at the trio's presence, dismissing them all as merely mortal.

Outside Rose's Room

"...out."

There is a sharp rap on the door.

"If I'm not interrupting anything," a low voice comes from without. "I would like to join all of us in sworn brotherhood as quickly as possible. There are Anathema out there, after all."

[Tavar]

Child watches the dragonblooded go by: this many non-Lookshy definitely means a Wyld H-a Cleansing. Could be good, could be bad, really. It gives him a bit of time to think, though it doesn't really amount to anything: the only way he could really convince her that he stood a remote chance would be to reveal anything, and Child isn't nearly foolish enough to do that.

"Any help would be appreciated.

And, well, it mostly depends on when the others want to leave: it's clear I'm just a passenger here."

[Illyceria]

Aya nods as watches the Dragon Blooded walk by them annoyed. She glances to Child and smiles softly. "I guess then it is just a matter of time then. Might be good to time to get a nice hot meal before we leave. Waiting otherwise is going to get boring quickly." She tilts her head after a moment as she listens to the dragon blooded as he knocks on the door to one of the other rooms.

[The_Snark]

Maren is almost tempted to laugh as she feels the unseen watcher's thoughts dissipate in a flurry of shock and alarm. Almost. It recovers with surprising swiftness, surprise giving way to tightly controlled tension. Like a drawn bowstright, taut and ready to surge into motion. Maren is just as happy not to be holding a weapon just then; she can sense the threat in the air. She holds her breath.

But no attack comes, and after a second or two she's sure it won't. Faint zephyrs whisper echoes of caution into her ear: wariness, not active hostility.

Blood materializes on the window. Not a ghost. Not a demon, either—and belatedly Maren realizes that it was foolish to think it was; she never could have overheard an immaterial creature breathing. Whatever the watcher is, it's solidly present. Her face twitches in a grimace: stupid assumption. Can't do that again. Thinking you know more than you do can get you killed.

Time enough to chide herself later. Even if the message weren't clear, she can sense the watcher's intent clearly. Maren nods and ascends a small ladder into the loft, carefully unlatches a trapdoor in the ceiling, and pulls herself up, perching on the rim.

"Well," she said to the empty air, "here I am."

[Incendius]

"I'm not sure how you spotted me, but I doubt you'll tell me. I wanted to speak with one of you anyway." The empty air responds with a rough voice, like that of someone who doesn't speak very often, or whose vocal cords have been injured by some happenstance. "I should tell you now. Your little friends scurrying around down there looking for the necromancer aren't going to find anything. He disappeared from inside the officer's quarters. I never lose a trail, but his stops cold right there, and there was nothing left to follow. I have no idea what it means, but it looked like he used a key that didn't fit in the door's lock, walked through the door, and vanished."

Penumba remains wary, but she lets a little bit of excitement creep into her thoughts. She wants this bastard dead, but she has no way of carrying through on that idea. Maybe this individual, who almost certainly has some powerful magic to be able to notice her, understood what had happened and could give Penumbra the information she needed to track the necromancer down. She had been stupid to not pay attention to Shattered Mirror's attempts at teaching her, and she now regretted it deeply. There is much more to the world than she knows, and that includes people and powers that just aren't going to leave her alone. If she is to survive, she needs to learn more, so something like this can't happen again.

[horngeek]

Rose breathes in, gathering herself, then answers the door. "Gathering would be a good idea, yes. Lead the way."

[Tavar]

"Sounds like a plan to me, Miss...?"

[Illyceria]

Aya gives Child a friendly smile, "My name is Aya, Aya Crystalis, wandering traveler and a minor healer."

[The_Snark]

"Hm."

Isa considers how best to play this off; act as though she knows more than she does, and hope to intimidate or confuse the watcher into giving away enough to keep up the pretense? Or present her ignorance honestly, and hope that she can glean answers and keep up her cover?

"Where," she asked after a minute or so, "did he come from? Can you trace how he entered the fort?"

Spoiler

Show

Continuing to read Penumbra's thoughts. I'm not sure if you want me to keep rolling with every post?