MERC XVII: You Can't Take the Pay From Me

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office 2]

"I should mention that the ritual find the persons birth name, so even if you don't know this spider companion by this name, it might be the one given to him at birth." Astrana clarifies.

[Zefir]

[Astrana's Office 2]

Fade nods.
"If this is correct, Illophen is behind this." he says in his typical voice. "Since the device is still working, we could use this for our advantage."
He then turns to Nadas.
"Search through your belongings, again. We need to make sure this is the only device she uses for you."

[Recaiden]

"Thank you. I'll go double check everything."
Nadas gives a thankful nod and goes off to search for anything else that oughtn't be among his belongings.

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

Raril holds his hands out wide, open and welcoming. "What do you need me to do?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

That's nice. Astrana crosses her arms over her chest. "Nothing really, I just need to see how a harmless entity reacts to you, that's all." She replies with a equally welcoming smile. "Tiny little bird sprite, they are lovers of music, but only from things with souls." She explains.

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

"Music, hm?" Raril sits on the edge of the bed and his hand naturally falls to his breast pocket. Surprised to find something there, he pulls out a silver harmonica. "Huh, fancy that. I guess I can do music." He puts the instrument to his lips and gives it a few test blows before launching into a song. It's sad, full of minor notes, and fairly pretty. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the music, but it didn't blow you away, either. It was technically correct, and nothing more.

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

"Hold on a moment, I'll get the birds first." Astrana says before she runs off to get what appears to be a empty bird cage. "If it likes your song, it will appear before you." It will up to Raril's player if Raril actually get to see the sparkling bird entity sitting within the cage.

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

There is the tiniest flicker of movement from inside the cage, but... it could have been imagined. Wishful thinking.

Raril lowers his harmonica and looks up at Astrana, curious and concerned. "I didn't see anything."

[Zefir]

[Astrana's Office 2]

Fade nods at Nadas as she goes. Then he turns to Astrana.
"I tell the boss about your needs." he says. "Currently he is busy. My shadow didn't got in yet. Is there anything else I should tell him?"

[Dipsnig Office]

And the shadow knocks again.

[Green Elf]

[Astrana's Office 2]

Jacob walks into the office, looking for Fade and Nadas. When he sees them, he asks, "What's going on here?" He seems slightly distracted by something going on.

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

Astrana puts down the bird cage. "You didn't? As I suspected then, it is too bad. Those birds are amazingly beautiful." She strokes her chin. "Not all you memories are gone, you still remember how so speak obviously. Perhaps there is tiny bit of soul left in there? It is said that those without souls can't create anything new. Yet you are experiencing new things and adapting..." She looks over him. "Are you sure you didn't see anything? A glimpse, a contour? You might slowly be growing a new soul."

[Astrana's Office 2]

"Thanks, I-" Then the door suddenly swings open and Astrana turns to the person who just walked uninvited into her office with a stare. "Can I help you? I prefer if people knock before they invite themselves in."

[Recaiden]

"Magic." Nadas replies shortly, on his way out. Then he finishes leaving to search again.

[Zefir]

[Astrana's Office 2]

Fade just looks at Jakob, nods at Astrana and heads for the door.

"It's just something for the contract I work on." he says. "And I should say, I may just have proofed that you were lied to." his voice remains emotionless.

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office]

"Come in." Dipsnig's actually available now.

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

"Maybe?" Raril shakes his head. "I can't be certain." The drow looks down at his harmonica, turning the instrument over in his hands. "It wasn't that good, was it? The music. Music needs soul." He sighs.

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

"I do use music a lot in my own rituals, but I'm not sure I'm the best judge in your choice of instrument." Astrana comforts as she takes a seat by the bed. "I thought it was average though. Nothing special, but more than I'd expect from a soulless person. I will make sure that your soul is returned however, that's what they're paying me for, right?" She smiles.

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

Raril smiles back at her. "Right." His expression quickly falls, however. "Paying? Oh gods, do I even have money?" He starts patting his pockets, eventually producing a large coin purse. The drow opens it up and peers inside. The smile returns to his face. "Now that's what I'm talking about." He says, pouring out a few gold coins into an open hand. There seems to be plenty more where they came from, too.

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

Astrana has never denied any coin in her life, and she certainly wasn't going to start now. She accepts the coins and then hands them over to her tail which puts them away into her pocket. "I heard you and Dipsnig were business partners, so don't worry about that. Just relax while I prepare the ritual, 'kay? If there is anything, anything at all, just call my name."

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

"I guess I'll just stay here and try not to turn into a vicious animal." Raril says with a wry grin. If the full moon was coming, he wasn't sure what that would bring. "Maybe that's what this collar is for?" He tugs at the gold band that was cinched around his neck. House Xar'Cha's spider on its web design was emblazoned on the front in gold and sapphire.

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

Astrana tilts her head, she hadn't even thought about it until Raril had called attention to it. "Pretty sure you shouldn't take it off. If you've been a werewolf, you might have found a way to control it somehow. May I take a closer look at it? I might be able to figure out its purpose."

[Zefir]

[Dipsnig's Office]

"Come in." Dipsnig's actually available now.

[Dipsnig's Office]

Fade's shadow slides through the doorframe. He then stands there and looks at the boss.

"I'm here for several things. First of Jakob has abonded the work on the contract."

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office]

Dipsnig quirks an eyebrow.

"I just spoke to him on the phone, and he seemed willing enough to continue working. He did try to claim the job has been done because Ilpholin wasn't hunting Nadas, but I convinced him otherwise."

[Zefir]

[Dipsnig's Office]

"I'm not aware of that." Fade's shadow says. "He just told me that last time I saw him. Thought he just meets me at Astranas Office.
That brings me to another point. Since your aware of Illophen, do you know if she got a intelligent spider with her?"

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

Raril leans closer so Astrana can get a good look at the collar. It was all smooth metal and didn't appear to have a clasp or closure. If she examines it for magic, she'll find its main use is as a tracking and scrying device. There's other spells there, designed to cause pain or force compliance.

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office]

Dipsnig nods.

"She did. She had a large spider she rode around everywhere, and I believe it was intelligent."

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

Astrana picks out a small shell from her pocket and holds it near the collar for a while. Then she puts it against her ear instead and Raril might hear a weak voice whispering something to her, which causes her eyebrows to raise. "Raril... this is a control device. It is used to track, control and torture its wearer. I've seen some tieflings wear similar devices, but this is more sophisticated than that." Does it have any enchantment that prevents or dissuades it from being removed?

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

"What?!" Raril is surprised to hear that and starts looking for a way to get it off. Unfortunately, it cannot be removed except by another who knows a code phrase. "Why would I be wearing something like this? Because I'm a werewolf?"

[Green Elf]

[Astrana's Office 2]

Fade just looks at Jakob, nods at Astrana and heads for the door.

"It's just something for the contract I work on." he says. "And I should say, I may just have proofed that you were lied to." his voice remains emotionless.

"What evidence would that be?"asks Jacob.

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

"I don't know, it seems to require a code-word to remove too. It won't get off otherwise." She pauses, taking a step back. "I... am sorry. But you've lived a long free life here in the nexus, as I understand it. Perhaps you've managed to flee from whoever controls it, or they have been slain? You might have done it for all we know, that's what I would do with whoever crafted such an awful thing."

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

Raril frowns. "I'd ask if you think I'd be capable of that, but the way I can handle the knives I'm carrying, I don't doubt I could kill someone." The drow was rather well armed, with a matched set of shortswords and a rapier and long dagger belted around his waist. Doubtlessly he had more blades hidden on him, as well.