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  1. - Top - End - #721
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Lady Selancourte

    All the world's meat

    One of her eyebrows rose for a tiny bit. "You did notice the riots and the common rule rhetoric Lamm has been spreading amongst his followers? This is a revolution, not a civil war between noble houses." she replied in a puzzled tone. "If dear Sergeant Verik here is to be believed, Lamm wanted nothing but the chaos and bloodshed of a revolution before दास convinced him to actually see it through. His instruments stay the same though; and a frenzied populace and those creatures we have just seen - those aren't the instruments of a clean "old regime out, new regime in" coup. So your confidence is sadly misplaced, I think."
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  2. - Top - End - #722
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    Carla

    - All the World's Meat -

    "Let´s not bore the man with talk of politics. We´re not here to torture him." Carla said with a snappish tone to her voice.
    "Before we go on our way, Verik, anything else you could say about what this lady Meliya shared about her plan and what you thought about her? You were a guard for long enough, I doubt you´d just accept a beautiful noblewoman with a grudge against her family at her word.

    Or at least you better,
    she thinks. Now if that damn diva can shut up about her politics, maybe you'll be able to say something about what that Arkona girl had to do with all this.

    **************

    - Citadel Volshynek -

    Carla lets Gavin handle the introductions. The man seems to have had rather the grudge against this Varik fellow. It's a pity, she muses inwardly, the man is easy on the eyes, but by Gavin's account, a first-rate slimeball. And now the marshall was out... hum, let's hope she remembered to inform someone about the bounty on Varik.

    "Did the Marshal leave anything for us?"
    .
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  3. - Top - End - #723
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    All The World's Meat

    Verik shakes his head. "It wasn't a plan, really. We had been seeing each other for three months or so when Lamm approached me. She just. Encouraged me to help him. Said it would be an opportunity for her to escape the other Arkona. That after we could be together, forever."


    Citadel Volshynek

    Grau whistles, and a couple guards enter the office. "Gentlemen, take Verik below, and have him processed. In the morning, we're bringing this traitor to Longacre to await trial." They salute, and drag Verik away.

    Sergeant Soldado begins to pace. "No, Kroft didn't leave anything for you. To be frank, we expected you to take a few days at least. I'm sure when she gets back your payment will be arranged. And no, I have no intention of sending you to intercept the Black Moot Ardino. I'd prefer you all to stay alive, and I have no way of guaranteeing that if you run headlong into danger. A Black Moot will have some of the most powerful criminals Korvosa has to offer. I can't stop you if you decide to go. You're civilians, not under my command. But I will certainly suggest you do anything else. If Lamm's men really are waiting for Kroft to show at the Dead Warrens,
    I'm sure she'd appreciate backup. If you wanted to be doing something right now, I suppose I'd advise you to head that way. But it's late, and I have confidence in the Field Marshall. My advice would be to get some rest. You've all done a great service today."
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  4. - Top - End - #724
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    Ardino nodds to Grau. "Then I guess we best head out." he said, bowing slightly. He then turns to leave.

    After they leave the building, he stage-whispers to his companions while looking forward. "So are we going to help the Marshal in our new duds, or will we retire for the evening?"
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  5. - Top - End - #725
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    Dirkust turned to Ardino with a inquisitive look. I thought it was obvious. We can't let Kroft be ambushed. I.... Dirkust paused as the feeling of tiredness overcame him once more. I'm not completely drained. Not yet. Besides, I can 'recharge' with a little effort. He spoke as if it was a joke, but how it was funny could be anyone's guess.
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  6. - Top - End - #726
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    "Of course."

    Gavin says without looking back as he purposefully leaves the citadel on a course for the Grey District.
    With or without anyone's help, he would not let the Captain walk into any sort of ambush.
    Going as someone other than himself as Arindo suggested though . . . that was interesting.
    He had almost forgotten about his pact, although now that it was brought to attention his face started to itch.
    He needed to wait until they were safely out of the citadel and in some back street before trying to remove his mask again, however.

    He had to admit, there was a certain thrill to the idea of riding to Kroft's rescue as a mysterious masked stranger.
    This could be a good night after all!
    I didn't actually intend to kill EVERYONE. It just sort of happened.

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  7. - Top - End - #727
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    Lady Selancourte

    All the world's meat

    "Maybe I am." she replied, impassively.

    She wasn't surprised by Verik's answer to Carla's question. The man was telling the truth.

    Vestis turned away, her eyes on the knife, and, more as an afterthought, she whispered "वस्तुओं अपनी जादुई रहस्य का पता चलता है."

    The knife is magical." she stated, matter-of-factly, to the others. "But I have no idea what it does, nor which school of magic it belongs to."
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  8. - Top - End - #728
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    Grau frowns. "Damn fools. Alright, if you're insisting on heading out, I'm sure Kroft would appreciate the backup. Here, take these healing potions. At the very least, if you get into a scrap you'll need something to keep you standing."

    The sergeant starts rummaging around the Field Marshall's desk, and pulls out a small wooden box. Inside, set into some cloth, are five vials filled with a deep red liquid. Three are labelled 'Least', and two are labelled 'Lesser'.

    Spoiler: OoC
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    You receive three potions of Cure Light Wounds, and two potions of Cure Moderate Wounds.



    Gray Quarter, Korvosa
    11:17 PM

    The air has taken a definite chill, and a thin mist obscures the path ahead of you. Even during the best of days, the Gray Quarter is not an inviting place, but in the depths of the night, and on such a night as this, the massive graveyard of Korvosa is positively eerie. The group has entered, following the instructions provided by Verik, the portion of the Gray Quarter called the Potter's Ward. The destination of the corpses of the poor, on either side of the path you currently walk, you can see mounds of unmarked dirt - the only indication of mass graves from some of the city's more unfortunate periods of history. Scattered among the mounds are crumbling mausoleums, left unused for decades, perhaps centuries, the families they belonged to long ago having left, or fallen into obscurity. A rat skitters across Ardino's feet, clutching a small bone in its mouth.

    After a short distance of walking into the Gray Quarter, you hear indistinct shouting up the path. You start to see the shapes of people running in your direction.
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  9. - Top - End - #729
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    All The World's Meat

    Carla's expression shows she does not think very highly of Verik's judgement in the matter. Still, there is no point to prod him further, it appears he doesn't have much more to hide - and no doubt the nice young fellas at the guard precinct would get more out of him if there was anything more to get. The question is, she thinks behind her sneer if the Arkona girl was a naive heartthrob who didn't know what she was getting into or a manipulative bitch who was planning to get Verik around her finger and actually seeking to get involved with Lamm. The latter was a whole lot more likely. Not every noble was as careless and naive as a certain lady of stature about two decades ago. Carla makes a mental note to ask Gavin about Verik and if he's the sort of a man who would be easy to bamboozle like that.

    She all but ignores Vestis' petty remark, just shrugging. She is too tired and annoyed to play good guard, bad guard right now. She just nods at the mention of the magical knife. Knives aren't quite her cup of tea, but an enchanted one would be worth good money.

    Citadel Volshynek

    Back at the room, she says a brief, but not empty "Thanks" to Grau as she picks up the box. "I'll do my best to make sure we don't need them. These are no doubt at a premium right now." As they leave, she makes an effort to remember the guard's faces and to smile their way. She wouldn't mind hearing a rumor or two about what else Verik might have mentioned, and it pays to be nice.

    Outside, she just adds. "Count me in. Things are pretty messed up lately, and I think the Marshal could use a hand. I'm a bit worried that Baldrago might have seen a bit of my new outfit... but it would be worth the risk."

    A few minutes later, as they go, she turns to Gavin. "By the way, Gavin, after that, mind if I ask you a few things about that Verik fellow? You seem to have some history with him. Wine's on me."

    Gray Quarter

    The mist and the stench make Carla's skin crawl. She calms herself that the most dangerous things around are probably her and the people with her, but she is still tense. She wraps a yellow scarf around her mouth and nose to take some of the smell away, and keeps her ears sharp. She notices a dark corner and motions the others to stay back. There, she takes a deep breath and wills the change to overtake her.

    It is easier than the first time, almost like her body and soul have been holding it back and now are relieved to let it happen. Her clothes and amror straighten and get a strange shine to them, the metal looking almost organic, while the leather has a velvet-like sheen to it. The yellow elements are subdued and in the color of old gold, and her mask slightly more feline and expressionless than last time. She rejoins the other with a quiet nod and a spring to her step.There is a scent around her that, while it cannot overcome the stench around her entirely, masks it somewhat into a heavy, cloying but not entirely unpleasant aroma.

    As she spots the figures, she narrows her eyes at the silhouettes and has her hand on her heavy weapon "Someone's coming.Look sharp."
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  10. - Top - End - #730
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    Before they entered the Grey Quarter itself, Ardino looked for the nearest empty alley. If it was time to suit up, he wanted to do it with a modicum of privacy. And while he could probably just will the transformation, this was to be his first official outing with the power, and some things needed a sense of gravitas that a ritual (be it mystic or mundane) provides.

    He takes a deep breath, performing one of his earliest techniques, what Cloudseeker had referred to as River Style. It favored a flowing style; of flexibility over force. A few seconds in, however, he brings both arms crashing to the floor before bouncing back to his feet. Where his fingers had touched the ground, water sprang forth, the sounds of pipes and strings guiding his aquatic dance. Each footfall brought forth more water, though it did not seek the lowest point as it is wont to do. Rather it floated in the air around him, suspended by some unseen force.

    As the song reached its crescendo, he ends his performance by stomping into his final stance, legs wide and arms spread to give him the maximum range and sense of balance. On cue, the water, which has started swirling about him in the final moments all came crashing down over him in a cacophony of water and foam. Then, not a second later, all the water dissapates, as though it had never been and in its place, Ardino's alter ego, clad in blue scale armor and bandanna, exactly as he had appeared the night of the first transformation.

    Once he finished, Ardino then heads off with the others to help the Field Marshal.
    Last edited by digiman619; 2017-12-16 at 04:43 PM.
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  11. - Top - End - #731
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    Dirkust followed Ardino into the alley. There was some solidarity to this occasion.

    Dirkust held out his hand, palm upwards. A ripple of dark energy pulsed out of his palm and coalesced into a single raven's feather. What sounds like a pipe organ echoes in the alleyway, punctuated by kraas of disembodied ravens. The pulsating energy exploded, wreathing Dirkust in a maelstrom, lifting him gently off the ground a few inches. As the sounds built, the raven's kraaing grew to terrible shrieking. Black blurs rushed from every shadow, enveloping Dirkust in a flurry of feathers. Dirkust's clothes shifted, growing long and flowing and swiftly darkening as if stained by the darkness. His clothes finish, a dark shroud that runs the length of his body and ends in tatters reminiscent of ragged feathers. Feather's dance in a whirlwind, obscuring Dirkust's face. One after another, they collided with his face. The feather's took shape as a mask, an elongated beak giving him the profile of a raven. With a final resounding KRAA! the maelstrom of energy and feather's burst. Standing tall, with shoulder's squared and a confident smirk, Night Raven has arrived.
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  12. - Top - End - #732
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    Gavin shrugs at Carla's question but is not able to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

    "Not much to say. Used to be fellow guardsmen. He sold out to Lamm, I didn't, and so he framed me on Lamm's behalf apparently. But if you have questions about him, sure, we can talk about it more over a drink at a tavern, assuming we survive the mess waiting for us in the Grey District."

    Unlike the others, Gavin does not transform immediately, instead pulling up the cowl of his new cloak (which was now missing a strip along the left edge) over his head. Hopefully that would be good enough to disguise himself amongst the others for now. As soon as they passed through the gates into the Grey District, however, Gavin reached up and brushed his fingers across his face while focusing on how he had felt in the opening moments of his transformation. His face slipped aside in response, collapsing into his palm as a wooden mask as his new metal face glittered in the moonlight.

    A burst of wind kicked up at that moment, sending debris and a few dried leaves skittering across the ground nearby, the sound strangely resembling human speech, although it is too quiet and garbled to make much out. The keenest ear nearby may have been able to make out something like "I need a hero" as the leaves passed them by, but then the wind fades and Gavin's mask dissolves into a bunch of caterpillars that make themselves scarce under his sleeves and cloak.

    Going, as usual, for a less circumspect approach, upon seeing the approaching figures Gavin draws his rapier and advances.

    "Who goes there!?"

    He calls out to the lead figure.
    I didn't actually intend to kill EVERYONE. It just sort of happened.

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  13. - Top - End - #733
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    As Gavin calls out, the figures run closer, slowly becoming more distinct. A group of six people, dressed in simple armor, with various weapons at their side. Behind them is a large man dressed in dark gray plate mail, carrying a longsword. The chest plate is carved in the face of some kind of fiend, and his helm has two horns curving forward as he charges.

    It occurs to you the armored man is chasing the other-

    "By the divine authority of the Order of the Nail, you are hereby commanded to put down your arms and submit to judgement!"

    The armored figure stretches out his free hand, and trails of black smoke spiral out from it. They twist and snake around the legs of the fleeing people, who promptly trip and fall to the ground.

    You are roughly twenty feet away from the group of six, and the gray knight is another twenty feet away.
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  14. - Top - End - #734
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    Gavin isn't entirely sure what he was witnessing here, but there was no doubt from the knight's attire or his address to the fleeing people that this was a member of the Order of the Nail. A Hellknight.
    Gavin hated Hellknights - it had started off as an impersonal dislike developed from hearing stories from veteran guardsmen, but that dislike rapidly soured into hatred after having a few scattered dealings with Hellknights during his brief career as a guardsmen. They were always judgmental, arrogant, and unflinching in their beliefs.

    Given that these people were likely citizens attracted by Lamm's promises of societal upheaval, it was likely that the "judgment" the Hellknight referred to meant "summary execution for treason".
    Gavin didn't much care for these idiots about to be executed either - they had shown up with whatever weapons they had available, so it was clear that they had wholly bought into Lamm's promises of a reckoning. Which did, indeed, make them traitors on top of being idiots. But . . . there was still a process to be followed, and the professional guardsman in Gavin was awakening after years of slumber.

    And so, instead of minding his own business and leaving these people to face their inevitable punishment summarily, Gavin sighed and stepped forward.
    He continued walking forward until he was just short of the group of fallen traitors, but he kept out of easy arm's reach from them and did not circle around to block the Hellknight's progress towards them.
    Getting between a Hellknight and his quarry was a good way of getting yourself labeled an accessory in their mind.
    He kept his rapier in hand for the moment, but kept it down at his side rather than brandishing it in a way that might be seen as threatening.

    "Good evening, Ser Knight. Excellent work in apprehending these criminals. Do you mind informing me of what crimes they are accused?"

    Gavin said with false cheer, uncertain if the Hellknight would actually appreciate being called such - some of them seemed touchy about such things. He then turns his attention to the people as his feet.

    "If you value your lives, you will do as Ser Knight recommends, drop your weapons, and lie still. Those who surrender will be taken into custody and not harmed until the Arbiters decide what is to be done."

    Gavin speaks this last bit forcefully, not for the benefit of a threat but instead to make sure that the Hellknight is reminded of the fact that he does not have the authority to summarily pass judgment on criminals. At least, unless he had indeed been granted special authority to do so, in which case a whole lot of people were going to die tonight - and some probably for littering.
    I didn't actually intend to kill EVERYONE. It just sort of happened.

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  15. - Top - End - #735
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    While Ardino thought that Gavin had the talking in hand, he decided to step to the side as to get better positioning if this starts to go south.
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  16. - Top - End - #736
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    Lady Selancourte

    As they made their way to the grey quarter, one after the other, her companions veered to the left and to the right to transform in some lonely backalley. Vestis did not stay to watch - somehow, it felt inappropriate, so she only noticed the dance with water and the whirlwind of feathers in the periphery of her eyesight.
    It was time to transform herself, and the fact left her with a faint queasiness in her stomach.

    Still, she broke off as well as they passed a suitable dark backalley, and slipped into the shadows.

    Breathing heavily, Vestis closed her eyes and concentrated. Her last transformation had happened without her truly having any control, but this time, somehow, it simply came natural.
    Down there, at the hem of her dress, the black cloth started to smoulder, then to burn. The fire grew, encircling her around the dresses' hem, flames licking upwards in entangling movements, as she stared down at them. They grasped at her, ensnaring her body - Vestis shivered despite of the heat, since she knew exactly where they came from. The heat grew as the fire quickly spread over her clothing, and would soon be unbearable, but somehow, she felt strangely removed from the process. Vestis knew the forces she was dealing with, and also exactly what she had to do.

    It was a pyre. The Chelish noblewoman spread her arms wide and raised her eyes to the sky.

    "मैं मशीन के प्रति निष्ठा का खंडन करता हूं!" she proclaimed firmly and solemnly, before convulsing forward in pain, or rather, the thought, the expectation of pain, as a searing white light abruptly and forcefully engulfed her from the inside, drawing criss-crossed cracks all over her skin. Burning, smouldering black lumps of her flesh fell off, crumbling into ashes, on the floor and between her fingers as she idly caught them.

    What remained, what was revealed was another body, a new body made of polished gold, intricately carved with gentle designs suggesting feathers. The blinding white light washed over the burning ruins of her mourning dress, and replaced them with an elegant floor-length gown of deep red silk, and a cape of gold and white.

    When her raven hair was engulfed, it changed as well. It grew white as the light itself, translucent, and began to shimmer in all the colours of the rainbow. As if it had a life of its own, the strands of hair began moving, writhing.

    As she reached up at her face, she found it replaced with the mien of comedy again.
    Now wasn't that amusing.
    ____________________________________________

    It had to be him, didn't it? That was not good. Not good at all. At least part of her felt that way, and wondered what exactly it was Gavin was planning here. The rest of her, though, was mainly amused at the mental image of the hellknight's viewpoint - people in weird costumes suddenly appearing from thin air to interfere with his duties.
    At first, she stopped in her tracks, quickly whispering with subtle movements of her hands before pointing at Gavin, forming an emergency connection to him.

    "I know this man. He's a hero of his order, he once fought off 30 attackers at once. You might want to back down. Now."

    Her steps were quick and playful, and seemed a little bit charmingly tipsy, as she followed Gavin to the curious scene.

    "What crimes? Why, they are part of those common rule ruffians, of course!" Her voice was different now, still pleasant, but it seemed as if it was the voice of a different woman. Cheerful, if a bit mocking, but nevertheless amiable; it also had a strange, subtle flavour of sadness, almost as if there was a second voice, barely concealed.

    She tucked her arm into Gavin's, as if that was a natural movement for the two of them, and looked at the hellknight, her head slightly inclined to the side - her face concealed by the ever smiling porcelain image of comedy, and a moving strand of translucent hair falling over the mask.

    "My apologies, Maralictor, my little brother here always wants to play hellknight. Don't let yourself be interrupted. Would you mind if we watched?"
    Being sent away was the most favourable outcome right now - she surely hoped the Maralictor wouldn't recognise her.

    Spoiler: roll
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    Carla

    Behind the mask, Carla's eyes narrow. Hellknights are always trouble, and not the kind of trouble she normally cares to get involved with. In fact, her initial reaction to the call is to run for the hills - or any nearby alley - but she has learned long enough that with the law here, that is often a pure admission of guilt,and hellknights... well, as far as they were concerned, they pretty much are the law.

    Plus, I'm with the guard now. That has to count for something. Except I'm not sure they'd believe me if I told them this, right now, passes through her mind, and she wills herself to appear confident. That, at least, the mask helps with.

    Gavin's taking point in this situation is surprising, but not entirely unwelcome. If they could be persuaded to come, the Helknights could make a significant difference in case the Marshal was in trouble, and she'd much rather they were dealing with something important than butchering these wannabes. While Lamm and his pet demagogue - or more likely, demagogues - deserved a thousand deaths, for every one of them there would be a hundred or more stupid bastards who'd get roped in, used up, and hung out to dry. I'd know, she thinks.

    She approached the scene, standing near Gavin, glowering at the fools. If they listened to him, it could still save their lives. "You heard the man. Weapons down, hands up. No funny business," she says with a clear menace in her voice, as her hand is on her weapon. If the Hellknights ask, he is a guard, they are with him, the getups... are not illegal, so screw it. Wait, did they have any proof of guard belonging on them? Vestis' attempt to steer the situation make her twitch. Gavin has already stated the way it was going to go, does she want to be in charge of everything? Oh wait. Nevermind."He's a guardsman. That's his business."

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    Ardino sighed slightly. Carla, why couldn't you just wait? he thought. Now he had to act to keep up the con, and he only hoped that Carla would play along. He walked over to her, putting his arm around her waist. "Illena, dear. Let the the man work. We don't want to miss the party."
    Spoiler: OOC
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    There is a brief pause, as both ruffians and Hellknight start to fully register the strangeness of the group standing before them. Quickly, the Hellknight's prey resume their struggle to rise and escape from the shadows binding them. The six newly minted thugs glance at the weapons hanging from your belts, and back to the Hellknight, wondering which direction to try and run next.

    Their wonderment is cut short, turned to unthinking terror as the Hellknight picks up the nearest one, and guts him, slicing across the abdomen, and dropping the twitching corpse back to the ground.

    "Under normal circumstances, the whole group of you would be detained for questioning with regards to why you are in a restricted area. You are being given a rare opportunity, a rare mercy. I will assume you are lost. Do not do anything to dissuade me of that assumption. The Gray Quarter is currently closed to non essential persons - members of the Guard, the Order of the Nail, and the Churches of Pharasma and Asmodeus. Depart. Now."
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  20. - Top - End - #740
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Gavin is deeply concerned by Vestis's whispered message of this particular Hellknight's skills, although he is equally curious how she recognized him.
    Then again, a man that could fight 30 others at once was an incredible sight, one that Gavin was rather skeptical was actually true rather than some sort of exaggeration.
    Unless . . . well, given how these six poor bastards had fared, him against 30 ill-equipped common citizens was believable.
    Gavin was glad that his transformation had made his mask into an immobile mask, else the Hellknight would surely have seen the sneer of disgust Gavin was directing towards him.
    If it was possible, even without intending to, such was the strength of Gavin's thoughts that they went back along the connection Vestis had made to him.

    This man isn't a hero. He's a butcher.

    But, butcher or not, it was clear that this man was dangerous.
    Gavin wasn't sure quite where he fit into the Order of the Nail's hierarchy, but clearly he was beyond a mere recruit, as Gavin had been hoping when he first saw the Hellknight approaching.
    Even if he had been a mere recruit feeling his oats, as it were, Vestis's warning would have been unnecessary however.
    Gavin had no intention of attacking the Hellknight, as regrettably, while the Hellknight was overstepping his authority here, he was still in his own twisted way attempting to restore order to the city.
    And forced to choose between him and these treacherous fools who (presumably but not confirmed) had swallowed Gaedren's lies hook, line, and sinker . . . Gavin would choose the Hellknight. Every time.

    And yet, Gavin's relief at the Hellknight's dismissal turned to dismay as the man picked up one of the panicked citizens and gutted him with no more concern than a fishmonger preparing the previous night's catch for market.
    He had been telling Kroft the truth when he had said he didn't think he could be the man he was again - a proud and loyal guardsman of Korvosa.
    He had spent too long sulking about in the shadows, concerned only with his own survival, staying out of sight of men like Ser Hellknight who were convinced of their own righteousness.

    And yet . . . and yet despite his desire to do that very thing right now, to sulk away into the fog and let the Hellknight continue with his righteous butchery, Gavin found that he couldn't move.
    He may or may not be able to be a guardsman again, but in that moment Gavin knew with cold certainty that he couldn't be the man he had been these past five years either.
    He had to become something else entirely. Something new.
    And whatever that something was, it wasn't something that could just let the citizens of his city be coldly butchered without even a pretense of a trial.
    It was just . . . the principle of the thing.

    But there were lofty ideals, and dreams . . . and cold reality.
    And the cold reality was that there wasn't a damn thing Gavin could say or do that would give him the power to make the Hellknight stop.
    Power . . . wait, wasn't that what this really was about?

    A thought occurred to Gavin then, one that caused him to see the Hellknight officer in a whole new light.
    What was a high-ranking Hellknight doing chasing down a handful of thugs?
    He had people for that, so that he could focus on the more important things.
    Even if he was the type to get his hands dirty, as someone who engaged 30 opponents at once, supposedly, he clearly had the power to wipe the entire group out all at once.
    Yet he was making a big production of killing this group, stalking them through the fog, yelling at them, and killing them one by one instead of just incinerating them with one spell all at once and being done with it.
    It was all about power - the Hellknight had it, and he was bored.
    And so for lack of anything better to do, he was playing with these people like a bored cat with a mouse.

    If Gavin was going to save this lot's miserable lives, he needed something more interesting to distract the Hellknight with, and he needed to convince the Hellknight this lot wasn't worth his time to finish killing.
    And with another sudden flash of clarity, he knew exactly what would be worth the time of an officer of the Order's personal attention - but first to remove the current mice on the chopping block.
    He wasn't sure if he still had a mental connection to Vestis, or that she would be able to hear his own thoughts, but he tried to send her a mental warning of what was about to happen anyway.

    I'm about to do something that's . . . probably colossally stupid. If it goes wrong do whatever you need to keep yourself and the others safe.

    Gavin didn't fully understand his new abilities yet, but just by pondering how he could put his newfound power to use ideas unfurled in his head like blossoms opening to greet the sun.
    One such ability was something he understood the basics of having seen it used before during a guardsmen raid, but never thought he'd have the ability to harness himself.
    He had been planning on trying it out on some of Lamm's thugs tonight anyway, and well . . . these did seem to be some of Lamm's thugs.

    Slipping his arm out from Vestis's grip, Gavin suddenly threw his hand forward, summoning the power.
    Focusing on it, he spread the power outwardly, like blowing a bubble over the minds of the hapless citizens who truly were in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight, and into those minds he planted one single, simple suggestion.
    Sleep.
    A burst of magic flowed out of him, and as soon as he felt it Gavin threw himself down onto his knees in front of the Hellknight.
    Words tumbled out of his mouth in a rush, his own fear only helping sell the appearance of an inebriated young man pouring his heart out all at once.

    "Forgive me Ser Knight! My sister is right - I have always admired your Order. I wanted to try to enlist but Mother wouldn't permit it! Even so I have always tried to support Order within the city, and believe you are the embodiment of that Order! Please forgive my friends for this trespass, it was all my idea. We were on our way to a party in the East District, you see, when we overheard some - well, they looked like common-birth scum Ser Knight, the sort of gross criminals infesting this city's underworld. They were talking about meeting at the old Porphyria tomb near the center of the Grey District, and they mentioned something about Gaedren Lamm being there - that's the man all of these common-birth scum are screeching about these days, isn't it!? My friends said it was none of our business but I insisted on finding one of your Order, or at least a City Guardsman, to report this information immediately, in the event that it was important! Is that why the district is closed off at the moment? Are you going to put an end to this parasite who defiles our great city with every moment he yet draws breath!? Never mind, I do not need to know such things,
    only that you will look into this matter immediately, before the criminal scum can escape!"


    Gavin paused to take a breath, and then immediately concluded his breathless rant with another, spots starting to dance in his vision from speaking so rapidly.

    "Grant my one last honor, Ser Knight! Allow me to be a Hellknight in spirit just this one night! Let me be your sword arm now, and permit me the honor of dispatching the rest of this group of criminals in your stead!
    Their blood isn't worthy of staining your blade, but mine has yet to be blemished! I swear, though I lack your strength, I will ensure these filth do not rise to pollute Korvosa again! You must hurry onward and cut out the black heart of this abomination, before he escape justice!"


    Panting from the exertion of spewing that entire litany of nonsense out of his mouth, Gavin remained on his knees, head down.
    At least if the Hellknight decided he wasn't buying any of it, the end would come swiftly.

    Spoiler: Actions
    Show

    Whoo boy, here we got!
    Standard - Making use of my transformed form's spell-like ability "Sleep" (should knock out 4 HD worth if they fail their Will saves, DC should be 13 - 10 + 2 Con + 1 (1/2 level of 2nd). Negating the point of Burn for activating it with a point of Panache (already marked off).
    Free Action - Falling prone (or on his knees anyway) in his square/in front of the Hellknight
    Move/Extended Action - Giving the whole spiel above to the Hellknight, informing him of Lamm's super-secret meeting at the Porpyphia Tomb with the rest of the criminal underworld, and requesting that he leave to go deal with that and leave Gavin to "dispatch" the remaining commoner thugs, all but 1 of which will hopefully be now sound asleep (so much for having a captive audience to the executions).

    Since I don't really feel like botching the result and getting Gavin's head cut off in the bargain by Ser Hellknight, Gavin will be taking 10 on the Bluff (and if needed a Diplomacy) check.
    That gets him a 17 Bluff, 17 Diplomacy.

    If he can't take 10 in this situation, here's the rolls for those.

    Bluff - [roll]1d20+7[/roll]
    Diplomacy - [roll]1d20+7[/roll]

    Oh right, this was an edited post, so the dice roller is inactive. To the OOC thread!
    Last edited by Inspectre; 2018-01-12 at 09:43 PM.
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  21. - Top - End - #741
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Lady Selancourte

    Would she have defended Vulso if she had heard Gavin's comments on him? Doubtful. She would have before the "execution", but now - how the hellknight had administered the thug's punishment was unneccessary and distasteful, and somehow she was more upset by this that she normaly would have, she felt.

    Gavin's monologue right now though - they had already gotten out of this perilous situation, and then he went and made it exciting again. Well, she didn't really mind, she found, even though she would hate it if it came to a fight.

    "You forget yourself!" she began scolding Gavin, "The most holy Order of the Nail indubitably already knows about this meeting at the tomb and has knights heading there as we speak. Those common rabble can't exactly keep a secret very well. Now get up and let us leave, let the Maralictor do his duty; he's not in a hurry, after all."
    She tried hard to banish the mockery from her voice.

    Spoiler: roll
    Show
    And rolling a bluff check to support Gavin's story!
    (1d20+10)[12]
    Last edited by aberratio ictus; 2018-01-13 at 10:49 AM.
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  22. - Top - End - #742
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Gavin lets his power loose. Four of the five remaining thugs drop unconscious, the last still too unnerved to truly struggle against the shadows holding him fast. The masked man drops to his knees in front of the Hellknight, who looms over him, unmoving. There is a brief moment of silence, and Gavin feels a chill go down his spine as the red glow gazes into the young guardsman.

    Slowly, the knight leans down, putting a hand on the much smaller man's shoulder, and whispers a single word into Gavin's ear.

    Spoiler: Gavin
    Show
    "Liar."

    Make a Will Save.


    The Maralictor stands back to his full height. "Truth be told, the Order was unaware of this meeting. If you speak truly, you will be well rewarded for the information. Perhaps arrangements can even be made for a trial, to see if you have what it takes to join us. In any case, do as you will with these five. I would hope that my point has been made." And so saying, the knight turns, the tip of his sword brushing against the cloth of Gavin's shirt, and he stalks back into the mists.
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  23. - Top - End - #743
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Once the Hellknight was out of sight, he removed his arm from around Carla's waist. "Sorry for that, but I needed to sell the con." He then turns to the rest of the party. "So where do we go from here?"
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  24. - Top - End - #744
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Spoiler
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    Going to use Charmed Life on this one, as I doubt the Hellknight has anything good in mind (so an extra +3, bringing the -1 Will Save up to +2. If it's some sort of enchantment spell like Suggestion, Gavin might have an additional positive *or* negative modifier, depending on how he feels about it.

    Will Save: (1d20+2)[22]


    Gavin remains down on his knees for several long moments after the Hellknight has left.

    As he goes, when he is sure the Hellknight is too far away to hear it, he smiles beneath his mask and whispers.

    "Have fun, you and Lamm killing each other, you son of a bitch."

    Then he finally lets out a long exhale and jumps back up onto his feet.

    "Well, that was unpleasant. You have my thanks for coming to my aid . . . Sis.

    Gavin said looking to Vestis, a note of humor creeping back into his voice, although he swiftly turns serious.

    "I would rather you didn't endanger yourself again on account of my own foolishness, however. That man could have killed us all without breaking stride.

    Gavin turns his head to nod acknowledgement at Carla and Ardino.

    Thank the two of you as well for coming forward to help sell the bit . . . although I don't think Ser Knight bought it entirely. I guess we continue on to our previous destination - Lamm's little recruitment drive. Is our raven friend still around, or did he wisely run away when Ser Knight showed up?"

    Gavin looks around for Dirkust for a moment, then shrugs and turns back to the fallen citizens.

    "So does anyone have some rope to tie these fools up? And as for you . . .

    Gavin turns his attention to the sole remaining wannabe thug that was conscious, but still held immobile by the strands of shadow the Hellknight summoned.

    "Perhaps you had better explain what you were doing here before Ser Knight found you all. The truth, please, because clearly he thought you had all done something worthy of his time to kill you all."
    Last edited by Inspectre; 2018-01-16 at 06:30 AM.
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  25. - Top - End - #745
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Dirkust let out a ragged breath as the Hellknight finally left. He turned to Gavin and in a hoarse whisper he asked. What in the Hells were you thinking!?
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  26. - Top - End - #746
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Lady Selancourte

    She let out a small, amused sigh. "And I would rather you didn't endanger yourself on account of your very own foolishness, but we can't always get what we want, can we?"

    Of course, she was glad it hadn't come to a fight against Maralictor Vulso, but still... the man's reaction seemed strange, not what she had expected from him.
    This shouldn't have worked.
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  27. - Top - End - #747
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    "I suppose not, Milady. Things would be very different right now if we could."

    Gavin replies, imagining Gaedren Lamm behind bars where he belonged instead of running amok.
    But then he wouldn't be here now, with people who apparently cared whether or not he threw his life away.
    That was a welcome change from the past five years working with other scum who'd sell him out for a silver.

    But it did make doing the right thing more inconvenient, Gavin mused as he turned to Dirkust.

    "Well, first it was too late to slink back into the shadows after I called out, only to learn that a bloody Hellknight was about - and apparently a very dangerous one at that."

    Gavin glanced at Vestis, the question entering his mind as to how she knew so much about that particular Hellknight.
    Was it just a story she had told him to make him afraid of the man and less likely to do something stupid, or did she recognize him somehow?

    "And then . . . I couldn't just let him slaughter these people. Not like that, not without even a pretense of a trial."

    But wasn't that exactly what he planned to do to Gaedren Lamm? Cut him down where he stood, with Gavin himself playing the role of judge, jury, and executioner?
    Perhaps there was a slim difference in that he didn't know these people, but he knew what Lamm had done.
    It was a cold comfort.
    I didn't actually intend to kill EVERYONE. It just sort of happened.

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  28. - Top - End - #748
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    Lady Selancourte

    "Speaking of our new friends - what are you planning to do with them, now that you saved them from the Maralictor's justice? Surely you've thought that far ahead?" she asked, her tone rather casual, considering the situation. "I loathe to mention it, but time may be a factor currently."
    Somehow, she was far less bothered by this than she should be, part of her felt.
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  29. - Top - End - #749
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    "Actually . . . first, I want to hear from them what they're doing here. And if they're unable to come up with a convincing argument for them not being more fools following the siren call of Gaedren Lamm, we take them with us. Knock them out again when we get to our destination, and leave them for the guard to find. It's better odds for them than what they would have had with Ser Knight."

    Gavin concluded with a shrug. It was a better plan than he usually had before getting into these types of situations, he felt.
    I didn't actually intend to kill EVERYONE. It just sort of happened.

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  30. - Top - End - #750
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    Default Re: THEChanger's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy

    It is good that Carla's mask hides her features, because her confused look is something she'd rather her companions do not see. She gives Ardino an arch look like she thinks a noblewoman would, and does not answer - or, for that matter, push away his hand. There's enough confusion and different plans among their number without her adding to that just now. Then Gavin starts another performance, and it takes no little willpower not to sneer at the absurdity of it all.

    The farce seems to have worked, for all that's worth, and the Hellknight leaves them be. With any luck, the information he was given could get him and his fellows to hound someone who's actually worth sending those hellhounds after.

    She waves off Ardino's apology, a smile visible under the baroque mask. "Don't worry - I am not a snowflake to melt at first touch, my dear. This was a frustrating experience, however. Congratulations on our leading actors," she says, nodding at Gavin and Vestis with a hint of humor in her voice. "I do appreciate the intent behind this absurdity, though. Well done. Now, I got some rope, but are you really planning on taking that lot in? I thought we were in a hurry."
    Last edited by The_Shaman; 2018-01-19 at 05:22 PM.
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