Peril and Fame (IC)

[Lord Of Mantas]

Spoiler: Previously...

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Valamir

Valamir rests a hand on the taller woman's shoulder. "Easy, Irène, I was merely jesting. I grew up on the streets of Kintargo, so I try to avoid entanglements with Hell Knights whenever possible myself. Even at the best of times, many of them are not exactly nice people. Consorting with devils and all that." Valamir peered down both ends of the alleyway. "In truth, I have no idea why there are Hell Knights in Magnimar, but they've been granted authority over the investigation for poor Anders Boone's murder. If I'd know there were HKs here, I don't know as I would've taken passage." Valamir's mask of self-assurance falls, just for an instant, and Irène might get the feeling that Valamir is just as concerned, but better at hiding it.

"I'm trying to figure out who is framing you. I need to learn more about Anders Boone, but the very fact that someone is framing you leads me to believe that this whole affair is about you, rather than poor Mr. Boone. It would probably be easier to just get Boone drunk and stab him where nobody could see if it was about him. So, the question is this: Do you have any enemies, or anyone who would want you out of the way, either permanently or for a smaller length of time? There are relatively easy ways to get the truth out of people, spells and whatnot that the HKs could use, but this investigation is keeping you out of the way of something else for at least a limited time, I believe."

Valamir leaned back against the wall of the alley and looked Irène up and down, "We don't want to linger anywhere for very long, but excuse me for saying so, and I mean this in what would normally be a positive sense, you stand out in a crowd, so at least put the hat on. It'll help disguise you. Speaking of which, is there anything you want to tell me? I noticed something back at the tavern with your eyes...

"Of course, if you don't want to, that's perfectly fine," he added quickly, "But at least anything that would help us track down whoever might want to inconvenience you, or remove you from the picture."

At Valamir's reassurance that he had only been jesting, Irène waved her hands slightly. "I'm sorry, Valamir, I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just - this really wasn't how I was expecting today to go."

At his questions - both the second and the first - Irène visibly withdrew, wringing her hands, and found that she could not look Valamir in the eye. Half a minute passed in silence before she looked at him, a tremor in her voice.

"The answer to your first question is related to the second." Reaching for her gloves, Irène began to unbutton her right glove, slowly. "There are only two people on the entirety of Golarion who know what I am about to tell you. The first is my adopted father, and the second is the dwarf who gave me my original morningstar. Ordinarily, I would have waited much longer before making you the third, but... well, two reasons. I can tell you're not exactly fully human, and, well, you've helped me at dire risk to yourself."

Irène rolled up her right glove.

"As such, I think you have the right to know."

The glove came loose, and Valamir was met with a shocking sight. At first glance, Irène's hands were as any other lady's hands, long and delicate, but for one crucial detail. At the end of each of her fingertips, where her fingernails would ordinarily be, were a collection of razor sharp claws.

Irène looked up at Valamir once again, her right eye once again blood red. A look of simultaneous sadness and relief was plastered across her face as she began to tell her story.

"I was abandoned by my mother when I was only a few weeks old, and left to die in an abandoned shack at the bottom of a gorge. By some miracle, I was rescued and raised by a traveling minister in Galt, a cleric of Desna named Gahariet Levesque. Early on, we realized that I was different from other girls - objects moved on their own around me, random chilling whispers were heard in my vicinity, and I had strange, frightening dreams. Then, when I hit puberty, it got worse - my fingernails began to sharpen, I discovered I could see in the dark, and whenever I got stressed or excited, my right eye would turn blood red. For the longest time, neither of us knew why any of this was happening. But one day, we got on the wrong side of an angry mob, and they threw a pitchfork at him. When it pierced his chest..."

Irène visibly shuddered.

"That was when I first manifested my magic. A pulse of energy, the color of the night sky, that left our attackers senseless, and scattered those it did not touch in fear. Pulling my father to safety, I tried as best I could to heal his wounds to no avail. In desperation, I cried out to Desna to save him - and then it happened again. Blue energy, suffusing from my hands, closing his wounds - and then, my vision went white."

"The next thing I knew, I awoke upon an endless plane of white fog, atop a beautiful crystalline lake - and there, not 30 feet away, was the most beautiful indigo butterfly I had ever seen, - at least 100 feet in its wingspan. Then, she spoke to me, and I realized what was happening. I was having a vision, a message sent to me by the Great Dreamer herself."

Irène smiled broadly, a slight tear forming at the corner of her eyes. Then, she spoke again, haltingly.

"And it was then that I finally learned the truth about my heritage."

"Years ago, a warpriest of Desna from Magnimar, a man by the name of Agustín Iturburua, journeyed to Galt to stomp out a coven of hags. He failed, and was captured alive by their leader, a boreal annis hag, who intended to use him in a dark ritual. As you may or may not know, there are no male hags. When hags want to create a new one, they capture a man and rape him. When the offspring - always a girl - is born, they drop it off on the doorstep of a foster family to be raised there."

"I... am the spawn of that union. I am not human, Valamir. I am a Changeling."

Irène let a few moments of silence pass as the truth hung in the air.

"Desna revealed all this to me, and explained that it is the reason for my power. Because of my blood father's faith, I was born with the power to channel Desna's magic directly, but my mother's blood carries with it a terrible curse. I am haunted by the dark spirits of the ritual used to conceive me, and at night, when I seek solace in my dreams, they call me back to my mother. And if I answer, I will be turned into a hag, a monster."
Irène clenched her hands, a firm and resolute expression on her face.

"And so I have come to Magnimar for two reasons. Firstly, I have heard that my father yet lives here, hidden away. When I spoke with The Amazing Zograthy, it was to seek aid in finding him. I..." She faltered yet again."I do not know what I will yet do, when I find him. But I wish to know what kind of man he is. But in the second reason, I am resolute. Desna said that she would grant me the ability to work wonders, to do good in the world, to resist the evil call of my heritage. And so from the moment I found out the truth, I have trained in the art of spellcasting, of combat. Then, a little over a year ago, I heard rumors that a hag coven matching what little I know of them was seen in Varisia. And so I have come here."

"I have come to find my mother. I have come to kill her, and her coven. And in doing so, I will escape my fate of becoming a monster, and rid the world of her evil once and for..."

Irène's eyes suddenly widened. A look of simultaneous fear and excitement passed over her face, and she began to laugh.

"My goddess. It makes perfect sense. I have no enemies, save my mother. She must have heard of me, used magic to disguise herself, and murdered that man to put me away."

Jamming Valamir's hat onto her head, Irène was briefly surrounded by a flash of light. Seconds later, where she had stood was a much shorter woman, a rather shapely brunette peasant girl with curly hair and tight cream and light blue dress. Decorating her immaculately done curls was a wooden comb in her hair.



"I am not running. I am going to help prove my innocence. I am going to find her. And I will end her."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Zuberi gave the kindly old woman a nod.
"If you could direct me to a sawmill, I will retrieve your firewood as soon as I am able."

The monk set off across the city, his task before him.

Spoiler: OOC

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Zuberi will try to find a sawmill and see if he can buy the firewood wholesale. He doesn't want to steal wood that otherwise belongs to a landowner.

[Nefarion Xid]

Vai and Aethra
Shrine of Sarenrae, Underbridge
Sunday Afternoon

Terisha grins in a pained, humorless sort of way. "Ayala would be too proud to tell you, and she'd kill me if I did. But I don't think she's willing to return to the depths of the Crow. She told me of the things you saw... it's too dangerous for her. You and Alessandra are equipped to deal with that sort of thing."

Spoiler: Vai - Sense Motive

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Vai begins to suspect that Terisha would prefer that Vai lead, rather than Ayala.

Varsq
Nirodin Villa, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

The two guards look Varsq's way for a moment before turning back to each other and resuming.

"Look mate, you can't just stipulate that it's magically got more heads until it wins. That's infinite regress, that is. A logic fallacy. Of course at some point a hydra with an undefined amount of heads is going to win!"
"I reckon it's twenty. Twenty heads would do it."
"... I can't visualize what a snake with twenty heads would look like. Why don't you draw us a picture?"

Amaya
Lord Mayor's Menagerie, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

The trainer's mustache bristles at the notion the ape should just be allowed to run around unchained. "Prince Mandali is tame, of course, but he's still a gorilla! He'd climb on things! He'd run away and be half way up the Arvensoar before you can say 'Oh mama...'!"

The trainer was just about to smugly snap his suspenders when Prince Mandali (who had meanwhile been enjoying a heads scratch from Amaya) gave his chain one sharp pull and dislodged it from the stone pillar behind him. In the same motion, he scooped up Amaya in his free hand, pinning her firmly to his shoulder like an infant.

The children began to scatter while the trainer stammered, "J-just... just stay calm!"

Niiz
Good Dog Brian, Dockway
Mid Morning Sunday

Captain Rowan Blithe had endured years of jokes about the name of her fine ship. She never took it to heart and never minded telling the story of how it got its name. Suffice to say, Brian had been a very good dog and no one dared say anything cross about his namesake after hearing the short tale.

Niiz couldn't have been pulled from the water by a better captain without divine intervention, or perhaps because of it. There were many who plied the waterways around the continent of Avistan who would have robbed her or something far worse. But good Rowan considered Niiz a miracle and let her recover in the captain's cabin. In the seven days since, Niiz got her strength back and the Good Dog Brian continued its way up the north coast. On Sunday it arrived at its destination in Magnimar, pulling in on the dock opposite of the Minkaian Minx.

On deck, Rowan was there to see Niiz off and wish her well. "You're sure you wouldn't like to stay on? I'll tell you a secret: being a sailor isn't that hard. You'll catch on quick!" The way she smiled made the two scars on her lower lip wrinkle.

[Tychris1]

Varsq
Nirodin Villa, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

Varsq was losing his patience fast, the conversation that seemed more important then him didn't help to soothe his temper either, and soon he began to grind his teeth softly. He had wasted enough time with two slack jawed inbred flesh heaps drawling on a subject they clearly had no idea about, and it was time to drop any pretense of getting through this without expending resources. But first....

"It doesn't matter how many heads a damn Hydra has, Dragons fly and can just float away from the heads. 20, 30, a 100 heads doesn't matter. Now,"

His outburst was now punctuated with him reaching into his pouch and tossing fistfuls of gold coins at the two bored guards.

"Can you please do your damned jobs and let me inside so I can bring this vital information to the Nirodins?"

His face contorted into a harsh scowl as his chest heaved up and down, clearly tired from such an expenditure of air and anger, and twitched impulsively a few times. Taking a deep breathe in, Varsq straightened his hat, pulled on his wrinkled shirt to straighten it, and stopped his heaving.

Spoiler: OOC

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Varsq throws 56 gold pieces at the guards.

[Nefarion Xid]

Varsq
Nirodin Villa, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

The two men look at Varsq, then at the scattered, then at each other. One finally removes a worn pieces of paper from his pants pocket and, after unfolding it, presses it against the bars for Varsq's inspection. Depicted in genuine artistic detail and labeled is a cavern 80 by 50 by 20 feet.

"Already considered!" says the pro-hydra guard. "Hasn't got the headroom."
"Hasn't got the headroom," repeated the second in total agreement.
"Right? No unfair terrain advantages. They can't fight on an open field, as that would clearly favor the dragon. Nor can they do battle underwater, as that's the hydra's domain! So we've settled on this cavernous arena for our hypothetical clash of the scaly titans."

At this point, Varsq honestly couldn't be sure if they were purposefully being unhelpful or not.

[Othniel]

Valamir

Valamir was silent for a long time, first as Irène told her story, and then for many long moments afterward as he thought about all she said. "I don't pretend to know anything about hags and covens and other such things, but if I can help you, I will." Valamir waited as the hat changed his companion's appearance before remarking, "Pretty. That'll do, but I prefer the original."

"Now then," he continued,"What next? Prove your innocence, and then build up resources to find your mother? I have a feeling going straight for her, even if you should find her location, might be foolish. She is likely well protected and any assault must be well-planned and well-equipped. Any ideas on who to talk to next?"

[Kasanip]

Niiz
Good Dog Brian, Dockway
Mid Morning Sunday

Niiz had been watching the approaching city grow with a look of amazement on her face. It was large and wonderful. She could only imagine how many people lived here. She tried to compare it to something, but there was nothing to compare with in her head. The rock was so large, the seagulls were crying loudly. It is good to be alive.

She stretched languidly as the captain came to say goodbye.
"Unfortunately, the ocean and I don't get along very well." Niiz declined the offer with a small laugh.
"Thank you for everything, Captain Rowan. It is divine blessing that our paths could meet." She offered her hand to Rowan.
"I don't know what I will do now, but this city seems like a good place to stay. There are lots of people, lots of stories, lots of things to fill my head. Oh, I would be happy to help repay my debt to you, however. Just... not on the ocean." Niiz said with embarrassment.

Spoiler: OOC

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I look forward to playing together!
Niiz is happy to repay the debt to Captain Rowan for help. If it is work or payment, she will do her best.
Otherwise, probably she will try to find an [inn] or place to stay before to explore the city.

[zabbarot]

Spoiler: Rubbin' Elbows

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Shimura
Derexhi Villa, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

Shimura is able to summon the Derexhi's house mage for just such a purpose. An arcane novice with little in the way of prospects (and perhaps little magical talent) could certainly do worse for himself than serving in a noble's house, mending and cleaning. Within five minutes, he's ready to appear in high society, or at least swill brandy with a rich mercenary in his cronies.

Randred, joined by his son Ontor, make the short walk with Shimura to the Serpent's Run where they're escorted by pages to the Derexhis' reserved box, one of several balconied areas along the lowest ring of the arena. A tarp in Derexhi's house colors (white, black and gold) has been prepared over the space and a cart of assorted spirits stands beside a table with bowls of chilled fruits and a platter with kebabs.

Ontor is a stocky lad of nearly twenty one years. He isn't a fraction as good looking as his rakish father. His eyes are too small, his jaw too large and his V-shaped bushy eyebrows give him a permanently unpleasant look, as if he's stared too long at the sun. He speaks only when spoken to, like a good youngest son should.

They're soon joined Commander Ismeir Odinburge and Captain Acacia Uriana "of the Tower" (a proper explanation of what that means isn't given) and then by Sir Canayven Heidmarch and his wife Sheila. Derexhi lazily makes introductions, but is far more interested in the liquor. He pours two fingers for everyone except Odinburge.

"Still sober?" mocks Randred.
"For one more day, Derexhi," is the blithe reply.

Ismeir Odinburge has a kind look to him, almost serene. His blond hair is greying, perhaps more from stress than his age. The captain is unremarkable in appearance with black hair cropped just beneath her ears. The two officers, Derexhi, and Canayven are soon consumed by talk of politics, particularly about Korvosa and Queen Ileosa, leaving poor Shimura more than a bit lost and still un-introduced.

It was then that Sheila Heidmarch sidled up and softly said, "Good evening," in his native tongue.

Shimura
Serpent's Run
Sunday Afternoon

Shimura did his best to keep track of the conversation, but the names all might as well have been ancient Osiriani. So he just sipped his brandy appreciatively and nodded when it seemed appropriate. At least that was the plan.

"Good evening to you as well, Lady Heidmarch," he replied. He almost didn't realize she had spoken in Minkaian at first, but the transition was natural and he replied appropriately. "The view is impressive, yes?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Elysia
Xin-Bakrakhan Ember Piling Garrison
Exact Time Unknown

They'd known the day was coming for a while, far longer than the general public, who indeed had heard it through the grapevine before the now-panicking Azlanti, but it still felt surreal watching it. The Starstone was... pretty. That was a strange way to describe the end of the world, but there was no getting around it. The silver streak in the sky screamed toward a distant continent, throwing off a shower of light.

Then the stone morphed and sealed itself under the magic of the wizards outside, and the room was only lit by the arcane flames burning away in the wall sconces, as they always had and always would. "Well. This is it." Elysia turned from the newly forged wall, ignoring what the wizards were doing outside to continue the restructuring of the piling. Instead, she turned to her captain, awaiting his reply.

"No need to make it sound so final. This plan was drawn up by the Runelady herself, or so they say. We'll rebuild in no time and forge a new empire atop the ashes of our so-called peers."

"Sure, it's just... what if some of the others had the same plan? Waiting it out, I mean."

"Well then we're no worse off than we are now. Better, in fact, because each nation that misses the opportunity leaves more resources for the others. Besides, we're cutting it dangerously close at the hundred year mark. Any sooner and there's a good chance the atmosphere might not be breathable yet. As it is, we're going to have a hell of a time farming."

"Right..."

"You worry too much, Elysia." Feldaris clapped a hand to her shoulder, the red tassels on his armor swaying as he turned. "We are the elite of Bakrakhan. We'll be known as the founders of a glorious new age! I'll be right here with your instructions when we wake you up - the higher-ups are going to take some time to asses the situation after the long stasis. This spell is a doozy - a full temporal lock. You will, in fact, be impervious to all harm." The mage they'd been waiting for arrived at that moment and began setting up the complex ritual, moving about the room and making arcane gestures. "And now it's time. We're going to be very busy in the near future. I hope you made the most of your time off with the others."

"Yes sir." Elysia couldn't help but grin, even past the butterflies in her stomach. That Starstone had been moving fast. Suddenly, she was all for moving the process along. Only one thing bothered her. "Is there time for me to strike a neat pose? Just in case I get left behind as an invincible statue for all time?"

Feldaris laughed his booming laugh, causing the mage to shoot him an annoyed look as he continued his ritual, now adding the occasional magic word to it. "When you're revived, you will be facing my superiors. Shouldn't you be saluting when that happens?"

"Ah... of course!" Elysia made her way to the circle in the middle of the room. She settled herself, murmured a quick prayer to Lissala, and took the parade attention stance - polearm back, fist across chest. Gaze straight ahead and unflinching. The elite of Bakrakhan did not raise their eyes to imaginary betters. Superiority was known... or it was not. "I... am ready."

Then the mage finished his spell, and for an instant, everything went black. The last thing she heard before the odd, mystic lurch was, "That's the spirit. See you next cent-"

Roughly 10,000 years later...
Magnimar Bridge District, Irespan, The Crow
Starday Night

The light had shifted. Two of the wall sconces guttered feebly, and the rest had gone out. A slight motion of Elysia's boot made a sloshing noise, and she looked down to find herself ankle-deep in water, standing over the faded decorations that she remembered. To top it off, something was dripping on her, which ruined most of the gravitas of the lone-warrior look. "Wow, this place went to sh*t in the last hundred years." The lieutenant coughed. "I... I mean, Optio Elysia reporting for duty! What are my orders, sir?"

The low groan of stones settling and some sort of odd slithering shuffle noise were all that came back to her. "Sir...?" She sloshed her way out of the depression in the floor and onto relatively drier stone, releasing her ioun torch and her other ioun stone - still cracked from Dari's stupid drunken bet - into the air. "Sir? Feldaris? Magister..." Hells, what was his name again? "...Draxus? Anyone? Hello...?" She rounded the corner to her bunk room and found it full - floor to ceiling - of bat guano. Fireballs for everyone, she thought dryly. Elysia fought down panic as she ran scenarios through her mind.

Fact: Seawater should not have made it this deep into the piling, even with 100 years to corrode it.
Fact: Xin-Shalast was up to something the last time we had any reliable intel on them.
Fact: My superiors are not here, and the chain of command seems to be entirely absent.
Fact: This means that I am in charge of the garrison until such a time as I meet a military or social superior.
Fact: My mission was to guard the relic in the hidden labs until new orders came after the stasis. If the garrison is not secure, then neither is the relic. I have to go retrieve it. Then I'll make my way out and figure out what to do. Hopefully I'll find someone down below who can tell me what went wrong.

Plan firmly in mind, along with the dwindling hope that this was merely the greatest stasis prank of all time, Elysia spun and splashed back through the pool room to the other side, seeking the stairs deeper into the facility. Lissala have mercy, what is the *utilities* level going to smell like after 100 years? We're supposed to have summoned minions for this crap...

[hi-mi-tsu]

Spoiler

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Amaya
Lord Mayor's Menagerie, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

The trainer's mustache bristles at the notion the ape should just be allowed to run around unchained. "Prince Mandali is tame, of course, but he's still a gorilla! He'd climb on things! He'd run away and be half way up the Arvensoar before you can say 'Oh mama...'!"

The trainer was just about to smugly snap his suspenders when Prince Mandali (who had meanwhile been enjoying a heads scratch from Amaya) gave his chain one sharp pull and dislodged it from the stone pillar behind him. In the same motion, he scooped up Amaya in his free hand, pinning her firmly to his shoulder like an infant.

The children began to scatter while the trainer stammered, "J-just... just stay calm!"

Amaya
Lord Mayor's Menagerie, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

Suddenly, she was in the air. Startlingly high in the air, in fact, but she didn't have time to react to that thought before she landed with a thump on the broad shoulder of the "prince."

Observation: Her weapon was pinned down.

Observation: The gorilla was clearly not quite as tame - or as constrained - as the trainer had been led to believe.

"I am calm." Externally, at least. Wouldn't do to make the giant animal currently pinning her down anxious.

"It appears that your chain, however, was really rather pointless, wasn't it?"

Slowly, she tried to free her blade. At least then she'd have a modicum of defense if the gorilla suddenly turned on her...though for the moment he seemed to be content to just hold her.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Spoiler: Previously...

Show

Valamir

Valamir was silent for a long time, first as Irène told her story, and then for many long moments afterward as he thought about all she said. "I don't pretend to know anything about hags and covens and other such things, but if I can help you, I will." Valamir waited as the hat changed his companion's appearance before remarking, "Pretty. That'll do, but I prefer the original."

"Now then," he continued,"What next? Prove your innocence, and then build up resources to find your mother? I have a feeling going straight for her, even if you should find her location, might be foolish. She is likely well protected and any assault must be well-planned and well-equipped. Any ideas on who to talk to next?"

Coming down of her high of excitement, Irène nodded. "Yes, yes, of course. I never anticipated taking her out would be easy - so taking her out will wait for some time, I think, even after I prove my innocence."

"As for who to talk to next, we've already talked to all the witnesses, so I really don't think that would yield any fruitful line of inquiry. What would really help would be to be able to inspect the crime scene - maybe check for clues that the guard or Hell Knights missed. Of course, the others might have a second opinion, but we should try to use that as a last resort - I'm not dragging anyone down with me."

[Othniel]

Spoiler: Previously

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Coming down of her high of excitement, Irène nodded. "Yes, yes, of course. I never anticipated taking her out would be easy - so taking her out will wait for some time, I think, even after I prove my innocence."

"As for who to talk to next, we've already talked to all the witnesses, so I really don't think that would yield any fruitful line of inquiry. What would really help would be to be able to inspect the crime scene - maybe check for clues that the guard or Hell Knights missed. Of course, the others might have a second opinion, but we should try to use that as a last resort - I'm not dragging anyone down with me."

Valamir

"Well, not all the witnesses. There is still Lucy, the girl at the Oyster. But yes, we should investigate the scene. As for how to gain access without raising suspicion, I suppose we could ask, but I would hazard to guess the HKs are watching the place sharply, if not cordoning off her room. They'll likely expect the "criminal" (begging your pardon) to return to the scene of the crime. Not that I've ever done that before, mind you," he ends lamely.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Spoiler: Previously...

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Valamir

"Well, not all the witnesses. There is still Lucy, the girl at the Oyster. But yes, we should investigate the scene. As for how to gain access without raising suspicion, I suppose we could ask, but I would hazard to guess the HKs are watching the place sharply, if not cordoning off her room. They'll likely expect the "criminal" (begging your pardon) to return to the scene of the crime. Not that I've ever done that before, mind you," he ends lamely.

Irène actually giggled slightly. "Suuure you haven't."

"In any case, I agree. Which is why, and I hope you'll forgive my laziness, I will ask for you to do so in my stead. As far as the legwork goes, I should probably be uninvolved as possible unless fighting bad guys comes up. That way, if the Hell Knights do ever capture me I'll honestly be able to say I've never set foot into the Oyster in my life and that I've not tried to interfere."

[Othniel]

Valamir

"Very well then. I shall continue the investigation, but what will you do? Keep me company on the streets, and hide in the shadows while I go inside? As I am known to have been in your company, the HKs may be watching me as well, assuming that you may turn up. The disguise will help, of course, but it will not endure high scrutiny."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Irène twisted a lock of hair around her finger as she thought. "Well, personally, I'm hoping that I only need to wait for you once. Ideally, an investigation of the Oyster should reveal two things to look at, and then we can split up and take them on individually. Maybe you could go investigate the Oyster, and then meet with me somewhere in, say, a couple of hours or so? Say, the Seerspring Garden by the Lady of Blessed Waters? That way you spend as little time in my presence as possible and they won't get suspicious of you."

[Othniel]

Valamir

"That sounds like a plan," Valamir agreed. "And it's not that I don't want to avoid spending time in your presence, but that it's safer that way - for both of us. Where will you be going in case you don't show up and I need to look for you?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Once Irène responds, Valamir will take his leave of her and head for the Oyster.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Irène thought carefully. "How about the Irespan? It's where this adventure began for both of us."

[Othniel]

Valamir

"The Irespan is a good choice," Valamir confirmed before taking his leave with parting words, "Lady Luck watch over you."

[Nefarion Xid]

Zuberi
Bazaar of Sails

Zuberi correctly guesses that if he were to simply grab an axe and head out of town to procure some firewood the old-fashioned way, someone would probably be angry at him for hacking down a tree on their property. Even in the likely even that no one saw him, it would still be a crime. Probably not a crime worthy of Hellknight involvement, but there's no telling with these northerners!

If it were later in the year, there would be porters all over town with stacks to sell. But during the summer, most residences only needed a few logs a day, and even then those were were the households that couldn't afford enchanted cookwear or campfire beads. As is, Zuberi only locates a half cord of wood for sale on the edge of the Bazaar. Naturally, the unscrupulous vendor demands twice what it's worth when he sees the foreigner.

"Sorry bub, supply and demand you know? That's... that's just the market. If it were up to me, but em... external forces, invisible hand and all that? We're really just all a slave to money til we die. So, two gold then?"

Shimura
Serpent's Run, Alabaster District

Sheila's lips purse and her eyes close for a moment before her nose wrinkles and she laughs nervously. She resumes in her native dusky Taldane, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I've been studying Minkaian for months, but there's only so much you can learn from books."

She looks to the crowd that's slowly filtering in to find their seats. It would still be hour until the start of the first fight.

"I was just trying to be welcoming since Derexhi is being his usual self. This lot, eh? They think that if they talk about the world's problems enough and ho and hum about what really ought to be done, then then things will be all right in the end."

Niiz & Alessandra
Old Fang, Dockway

When people in the Dockway are asked about a place to stay, they always say the same thing. If there was another inn in the neighborhood, it seemed most people couldn't name it. Niiz arrived at the sea-side entrance of the Old Fang just as a tall, bald man with dark skin and rippling muscles departed. Within, she finds the common room (with its long tables and the barracuda's head on the far wall). It's now empty except for the dark haired woman with the bright red scarf who's just finished her conversation with the older woman who must be the proprietor.

Amaya
Lord Mayor's Menagerie, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

"Fifteen years, lady! Fifteen years and not a problem until you show up!" the trainer hisses through his teeth before slipping around in front of the ape with his hands out, desperately trying to keep him calm.

Meanwhile, Amaya is successful in delicately prying away the gorilla's fingers and finds the grip of her sword. Prince Mandali is satisfied to rock Amaya gently and sniff her hair.

[hi-mi-tsu]

Spoiler

Show

Amaya
Lord Mayor's Menagerie, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

"Fifteen years, lady! Fifteen years and not a problem until you show up!" the trainer hisses through his teeth before slipping around in front of the ape with his hands out, desperately trying to keep him calm.

Meanwhile, Amaya is successful in delicately prying away the gorilla's fingers and finds the grip of her sword. Prince Mandali is satisfied to rock Amaya gently and sniff her hair.

Amaya
Lord Mayor's Menagerie, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

"What can I say? I'm utterly charming." Feeling her sword slip out of the gorilla's grip, the woman relaxed visibly and smiled down at the trainer. The man was so...aggravated. It was almost funny.

"He's not doing anything, you know." She would be more concerned if he didn't put her down on his own in a few minutes, but for now, she was content to be held and sniffed. It was better than struggling and running the risk of upsetting the creature. She didn't want to hurt him, after all.

"I think you're too concerned for the situation. He's perfectly calm."

[Tychris1]

Varsq
Nirodin Villa, Alabaster District
Sunday Afternoon

How do the living even manage to collectively remember to both breathe and blink constantly? Varsq was stunned, absolutely and mind bogglingly stunned by how stupid two people could be that they could metastasize into some kind of greater brain of open mouth breathing drooling ignorance. Grumbling incoherently to himself, Varsq set down his backpack and pulled out his mithral buckler from it. Balancing it on top of the bag, Varsq proceeded to sit on it as close to the guards as possible so that he would be at almost equal standing with them. It would appear that all reasonableness was dragged away into some murky corner and beaten savagely over and over again until it cried out for its mother and blacked out, most likely then getting its organs harvested for sale later. If Varsq wanted to proceed through these gates, he'd have to settle down to their ignorant level.

"Alright so lets get some basic things straight. This is a Young Red Dragon and it's fighting a regular plain old Hydra. Great. The Hydra has regenerative properties but thanks to the Red Dragon's fiery breathe attack, the Hydra won't be able to regenerate from the combat. The Red Dragon's got two claws and a bite, so everytime they clash inside the cave the Red Dragon's taking 3 heads off the Hydra before falling back and scorching the overgrown snake. Hydra bites hurt for little fleshies like us but for a big Red Dragon it'd be like pin pricks against his hard scales, and with each bout of violence the Hydra loses more heads and thus becomes less effective. This is ignoring the fact that Red Dragons, they got magic blood, and they can cast spells like it's no issue. The Dragon could reinforce it's tough scales, make'm real nice and hard so that the Hydra bites don't do any damage at all. Not to mention, Dragons are smart, REALLY smart, way smarter then humans even, and Hydras are dumb. Dragons got the ability to think and outsmart the Hydra, just run around in circles skirting the thing while roasting it up nice and easy."

Varsq reaches through the bars, grabbing the piece of paper and scribbling a crude picture of a hydra and a dragon, with the dragon skirting around the edges of the battleground and the hydra chasing after it.

"So it's basically like a 12 headed dog fighting a sorcerer who throws fireballs. Sorcerer beats the dog every time. Now if this were a Cryohydra well the fight might be a bit more even if it wasn't for the fact that Red Dragons can ward themselves against the cold, and then suddenly we're back to where we were. So, does that solve your debate?"

People these days.

[zabbarot]

Spoiler: Roll intimidate for small talk.

Show

Shimura
Serpent's Run, Alabaster District

Sheila's lips purse and her eyes close for a moment before her nose wrinkles and she laughs nervously. She resumes in her native dusky Taldane, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I've been studying Minkaian for months, but there's only so much you can learn from books."

She looks to the crowd that's slowly filtering in to find their seats. It would still be hour until the start of the first fight.

"I was just trying to be welcoming since Derexhi is being is usual self. This lot, eh? They think that if they talk about the worlds problems enough and ho and hum about what really ought to be done, then then things will be all right in the end."

Shimura
Serpent's Run, Alabaster District

Shimura laughed and smiled in an encouraging sort of way. "Your accent was not bad at all. You do not need to make a fuss over me though. I am just here to sip brandy, and maybe show off a pretty sword if conversation comes to it." As if to punctuate his statement, he took a sip of brandy. "Where are my manners, I am Shimura Hachiro," he said while bowing appropriately, "Lord Derexhi has graciously offered me a loan so that I may open a smithy in the capital district."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Zuberi crossed his massive arms, eying the man and the wood for sale up and down.
"For that price I would expect delivery included. Or should I take my business elsewhere?"

[Nefarion Xid]

Valamir
Shucked Oyster, Dockway

Valamir arrives at the brothel to find a Hellknight stationed in front of the barred entrance. The street is thick with prostitutes who ply their trade despite the 'recent unpleasantness'. Tents have been erected around the premises so as to provide privacy and escape whatever decency laws the guard might enforce. The proprietor and madam is nowhere to be seen.

A brunette in a clingy blue dress winks at Valamir. "I like your hair, sweetie."

Zuberi
Bazaar of Sailes

"Delivery, pshaw," groans the firewood seller. "I mean, it's what I got the cart for, isn't it? Tell you what, just for you mate, I'll deliver anywhere in the district gratis.

Vai and Aethra
Shrine of Sarenrae, Underbridge

"Careful, Vai," Terisha mocks playfully, "That sounds dangerously close to a good deed. Sealing up a planar rift for the benefit of all the good people of Magnimar. Are you going to volunteer at a soup kitchen next?"

Irène
En route to the Keystone District

Keeping an ear out for gossip (particularly about her), Irène doesn't learn much new information. Her name is on a lot of lips, and by noon it's almost common knowledge that she gave the Hellknights the slip. They've supposedly stationed Armigers are every city gate they can, but their manpower has run thin. They simply don't have the numbers to search every ship departing today. They had a fruitless sweep of the Dockway sewers. Most sane citizens believe that if Irène really did flee into the sewers, then she must be dead -- eaten by swamp barracudas, or maybe...

"Maybe the Forever Man got her," says a lanky man with a goatee and a bandoleer full of potions and wands to his friend, a grim looking dwarf with a crossbow with scars covering his naked arms.
"Quicker death than the barracudas, right?" laughs the dwarf darkly.

Varsq
Nirodin Villa, Alabaster District

The gatekeepers look to each other for a moment before finally shrugging. "Fair enough," says the pro-hydra guard, apparently completely appeased as he retrieves his artwork from Varsq.

"So em," the second guard hums while producing a leather ledger from an alcove in the gatehouse. "Who was it you said you were here to see? Mister..." He twirls his hand in a small circle, waiting for the halfling to give a name.

Spoiler: Varsq

Show

+500 XP for Varsq. Many laughs were had.

Amaya
Lord Mayor's Menagerie, Alabaster District

Despite the trainer's attempt to calmly and quietly lure the ape over with biscuits, Prince Mandali suddenly breaks into a run, loping towards the menagerie gates! The two city guards gape dumbly at the charging gorilla and simply leap aside. It's a bumpy ride, though it seems to Amaya that he's trying to be as gentle with her as possible.

[Othniel]

Valamir

"Hey there, gorgeous," Valamir replied as he flashed a smile at the girl. "I'd love to stay and find out whose fingers are fastest, but I'm on an errand from a friend to speak with Lacy. She around?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Diplomacy, go! (1d20+14)[25]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Spoiler: Spoiler...

Show

Irène
En route to the Keystone District

Keeping an ear out for gossip (particularly about her), Irène doesn't learn much new information. Her name is on a lot of lips, and by noon it's almost common knowledge that she gave the Hellknights the slip. They've supposedly stationed Armigers are every city gate they can, but their manpower has run thin. They simply don't have the numbers to search every ship departing today. They had a fruitless sweep of the Dockway sewers. Most sane citizens believe that if Irène really did flee into the sewers, then she must be dead -- eaten by swamp barracudas, or maybe...

"Maybe the Forever Man got her," says a lanky man with a goatee and a bandoleer full of potions and wands to his friend, a grim looking dwarf with a crossbow with scars covering his naked arms.
"Quicker death than the barracudas, right?" laughs the dwarf darkly.

The still-disguised Irène leaned forward, interest on her face. "Forever Man? I don't think I've heard that one before."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Zuberi nodded. He wasn't terribly experienced with bartering, but he attempted to draw out the conversation nevertheless.
"Two gold, you said? Could you make change for larger currency? I do not wish to inconvenience you."

[Kasanip]

Niiz
Old Fang, Dockway
Mid Morning Sunday

"Good morning!" Niiz called out the greeting with a big smile. Maybe it was an interruption of the conversation, however she was not worried. As she approached, Niiz curiously looked around the room.
""Wow! That is a nice fish." She complimented the barracuda's head before finishing to approach the proprietor and the guest.
"Sorry to interrupt!" Niiz chirped. Even though the cheerful appearance suggested it wasn't such a concern. "I just arrived and was hoping this inn has vacancies?"

[Snowfire]

Vai and Aethra
Shrine of Sarenrae, Underbridge

"Careful Terisha," Aethra chuckled from beside her clansib. "Nothing says we can't use a good thing to our own advantage." She winked. "And soup kitchens can make surprisingly good recruiting grounds if you know what you're looking for."

[Tychris1]

Varsq
Nirodin Villa, Alabaster District

Grumbling to himself, Varsq put away his mithral buckler back into his backpack and threw it back over his shoulder. Finally he could begin to progress with his glorious plan. Puffing up his chest, Varsq pepped up as the guard asked him for his name. "Varsq. The name's Varsq, and I have an important message for the Lady Claudia Nirodin and her father."