Inside 65: A Very Busy Intersection

[Earl of Purple]

32D Highwill Road

"Other talentth are altho utheful. Mageth, healerth, artifitherth, inventorth and tho on." Is what the stitch-covered man with the lisp in a bear mask says. 'Other talents' are why most of these people are in the room.

"So, we are doing this? Very well. Does she live in a palace, a castle, a manor? Something else, like an aircraft or warship? What's it made of? Wood, stone, metal? Ice? What are her capabilities? Her bodyguard's? What technology does your world have? Electricity? Guns? How common is magic? Are there any unusual rules to the local magic that may affect our abilities, like no pyromancy? How powerful are the wizards, can they challenge gods or can the best do no more than light a candle? What do the servants wear, or are they all undead or constructs? The more you can tell me, the better idea I have of what we'll need and who to send. It'll still take a few days to sort everything out, summon the agents in question and bring them up to speed." The last thing they want to do is fail and give the tyrant some technology or device that completely changes the way that world fights wars, after all. And the 'few days' will both help Lazorath plan the plot and let me decide on things of my own; how many agents I want to run, first of all.

There is something we need done, rather quickly too. But for now, just answer Bunny's questions. The Aetherborn with the David Tennant mask speaks, when given an opportunity.

[Peppered]

32D Highwill Road

As much as Meredith agrees that Orion's cousin should not be left in charge, she can also see a few issues with the plan's end goal. "I find it extremely risky to remove someone from power without having a replacement in advance. And even then, perhaps your kingdom has had enough single rulers and ought not be a kingdom. If the rules can be broken so far as to put a nearly unstoppable tyrant in control, perhaps you should think about trying to make one person gathering all the power extremely difficult in the future." In other words, democracy. Meredith's father had not been a king or a noble. He had simply been powerful in a land that respected power. Had their land been a kingdom, Meredith expected her father would have planned to steal the throne. Luckily, their laws had meant a distribution of power that her father had grudgingly accepted to take his place in. And although she calls his massive sphere of influence an 'empire', it was not one literally. She wondered if something similar would help Orion's country heal.

[Deathkeeper]

[Market Street]

"Whatever did this eats souls," says Kalya, sounding a little concerned. Sounding much less concerned than she really feels. Stoicism is a well practiced skill for her.

"I'm afraid I couldn't learn much more than that," she says.

Market Street

"Well, that sounds like something you leave to professionals. So maybe we should just go tell the cops, huh?" suggests the teenager, hammer-arm shaking.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Around sunset, Wenomir is sitting on a roof in a remote part of the city, next to a few bottles of beer. He looks like he's waiting for someone, and while they're not here yet, he stares off into the distance.

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

The flapping of leathery wings draws close, and with a thump, the half-dragon Wenomir was waiting for arrives; Harnetta, wearing jeans and a tanktop, and carrying a lawn chair and a portable wine cooler. "Hey, hope I didn't keep you waiting long." she says, setting up the chair so she can lay back on it, looking up toward the stars.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"I'm fine," Wenomir says, shrugging. "It's quiet up here. Thanks for coming."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"I like rooftops. They give you space to think, while still being close at hand." with Harnetta settling in, she reaches for some of her wine; it has a peculiar smell, like there's wood mixed into the wine scent, but that doesn't stop her from drinking relatively quickly. "So, do you want to wait until we're both no longer sober, or get into why you needed this right now?"

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir takes a long drink of his beer.

"I'd rather start right away. Once I'm drunk, I'm not sure what will happen." He sighs. "I've got a lead on what happened to Kr after that battle. I think she's alive and at least somewhat independent. Which isn't as good a thing as I thought it would be."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

Harnetta takes a swig of her own, "Let me guess; because that independence means she should have been able to contact you already." the half-dragon leans back, looking up at the stars. She lets Wenomir speak though; she wants to see what he thinks about this before offering her own thoughts.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir drains the bottle of beer and smashes it against the roof, in a sudden burst of movement.

"Yes. I met the demon Tobias had told me about. It was wearing her body, in the temple above AMEN. I killed it. And now I know what she did after the siege." He reaches for another bottle. "She broke into our Riverside safehouse. I saw a recording, but all it showed was a weird cloaked figure, carrying my old sword. Now I know it was her. She was... body-swapped with that demon. Then she broke into your old home. Stole a load of adamantine. She left the same sword behind as she escaped, which is how I know. But there were no other break-ins, and our other safehouses and secret places have been untouched. So the other demons know nothing about it. Besides, I know they're anything but monolithic." He's rambling now. "It's starting to sound like a joke where I'm the only one who hasn't seen the punchline."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

Harnetta doesn't even flinch when Wenomir smashes the bottle, instead just drinking more from her own, "Sounds like there's a story here, and we need to find out what it is before we make judgements on it, yeah?" she thinks for a moment, "Adamantine takes special consideration to shape it. You either need forges hot enough to render it molten - not an easy proposition, and leaves enough smoke that we could easily find it - or it's in a facility that uses plasma smelters, and there's only a few of those, even in a place like the Nexus."

"I'm concerned about what she's using the adamantine for. Armor and weapons are the most obvious answers, but that doesn't quite feel like KR. On the other hand, it's quite possible she's being coerced into theft and staying away from you."

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir slumps, some of his outraged energy flowing away from him.

"That's... possible. I had to hear it from someone else, I guess. All the explanations I came up with rang hollow to me. I just want some answers, even if they're not the kind I'd like. Is that too much to ask for? Apparently, it is."

[Lazorath]

"The Queen resides in a palace made of white stones, and laced with gigantic chains that surround it. The kingdom is ancient and doesn't hasn't discovered much technology that I've seen during my travels if any, but she is a woman that thrives on power. Ever since I was young she was viewed as more of a weapon than an actual person. I'm not entirely sure of her capabilities because we hardly sparred together. When we did, it didn't require much for her to take me down," he sighs in discomfort, it was clear that his consistent failure to out power growing up had weighed heavily on him.

"She is a fierce warrior, and a brutal tactician. Her strategies in previous conflicts usually resulted in the destruction of her enemies which is one of many reasons that she is feared. She harbors countless secrets within her palace, but many years ago I learnt that my family harbored a foreign source of magic that resided deep within our blood. Upon learning this, she digressed from her path solely as a warrior to be able to wield it. Some say it's simple blood magic, but I don't think that's the case," he speaks, his eyes looking to the council and Meredith, worried that they may change their minds to assist him.

"Before fleeing the castle, I faced her in order to obtain something that was of value to her. When we sparred she used several enchantment spells which made her armor as sharp as her Zweihander that's abnormally large in width. She tends to fight with that in one hand, and her whip that has blade-like thorns covering it, but from what I noticed using the magic does take a slight toll on her."

"The people aren't familiar with guns, but those that have traveled are, and magic for the most part is the same back home. The civilians that reside are weak and defenseless, but her royal highness and her army are extremely loyal to the throne and would even give their lives to protect her reign. If any spell caster was powerful enough to challenge the gods it would be my cousin. The people back home aren't powerful enough to face gods, but many are very capable of killing, I assure you."

"Members of the royal army wear armor depending on their specialty while servants wear simple gowns or tunics and pants. The generals," he pauses wondering how he should go about explaining them, "the generals...have all been experimented on to further their abilities. She currently has nine which she can summon at will with the use of her magic, but none of them should be handled recklessly. Each and every one of them should be considered dangerous in their own right."

After listening to Meredith Orion nods his head in approval, "maybe it would be best to give the people the power of choice. The idea of a sole ruler is dangerous, a council chosen by the people would be better. Dividing the power as opposed to handing it to one person would be beneficial to everyone, and we would finally be able to restore peace to my homeland," he finally manages to smile once more, the horrific face still remaining.

"A few days would be needed to get things in order," Orion agrees, "but with the teleportation and barrier spells applied we would only have to worry about facing a few dozen soldiers, and her generals before facing the queen herself. I must add though that by helping me you all might be placing your lives on the line..." he worries as he looks to them, "I have three allies hiding within the kingdom that will help us when the time comes, but this will be dangerous."

"What is it you need done?" Orion questions the Aetherborn.

(Having several days to prepare would useful indeed )

[McBish]

[Delmah Phor - Xar'Cha Palace - Gardens]

Sornnolu watches Cait with an appraising eye. "I take it you do not have such a luxury?"

Time for Cait's favorite active, lying about her family. "Yeah not really. My dad died before I got to know him. Some wishful thinking there. "My mom was always in her own world, and she passed when I was barely a teen. I lived with an aunt, but we were never very close. And no siblings. A pretty sad excuse for a family."

[Earl of Purple]

32D Highwill Road

"So, stone and metal. Any clues on the metal? Aluminium, steel, brass? It'll help." Because one of the abilities I like doesn't work with every metal. "I think I'll need somebody from you, Digger, and somebody from you, Diamond. Digger, go for earth. Diamond, I think steel, or pewter. Maybe iron, if steel or pewter aren't available. Fido, a faerie please. Flight, with invisibility as a secondary. Group if possible, alone if not." The bare-chested man with the mole-mask nods, followed by the woman with copper jewellery whose face is concealed by a glittering crystal mask. The little Nixie in the dog mask also nods.

There is a slave caravan headed to Skyside. Slavers are always a target when we are aware of them, but this time the slavers aren't the problem. The Aetherborn is then interrupted by the ghoul.
"Slavers are always a problem. Always. They should be a target." The voice emanating from behind the bird mask is rather vehement on this.
"There ith nothing we can do about the thlaverth. Thethe jutht work for the Guild in Thkythide, thtopping them won't hinder the Thkythide Thlaver'th Guild. The Guild knowth too much, if they couldn't afford to lothe thith group they wouldn't have thent them." Teddy sounds like this is a long argument between them.
"We've got them on the run. They haven't been active for months."
We do not. They still buy and sell people. They just buy from one world and sell to another. Their work on this world has been reduced, but they are not 'on the run', they are more powerful than ever. And ever paranoid. We are not the only group acting against slavery. But as I was saying, the slavers aren't the problem. Kill them if you can, but for once, it's their stock that has us worried. One of their slaves is a human, looking to be in his late twenties or maybe early thirties. He got caught by the slavers after he fled his own world, where he is wanted for mass murder. Every year, at the winter solstice, he kidnaps somebody, tortures them, kills them and drains their blood, which he then treats and bathes in according to an arcane ritual. Somehow, and our own wizards don't know how this works, the ritual extends his life and youth. He has been murdering people for, to our best guess, at least a hundred and fifty years. We do not want this ritual to spread, nor must he be allowed to reach Skyside. We have no agents in that lawless den of iniquity, and it is the perfect place for him to thrive. We have a sketch of his appearance, and the name he was using before his actions were discovered and he was forced to flee. The aetherborn pulls a piece of paper out from a pocket of her sari, and pushes it across the table. Like the parcel, this stays in place when she is no longer touching it, despite the fact that all the Council are illusory projections from their own individual lairs.

((One of my favourite RP activities are running dungeons, so I know what's involved in planning a plot. Though yours isn't quite a dungeon.))

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"Life isn't always fair, but you and I have been in this long enough to know that things are rarely as cut-and-dry as they seem. Don't go in half-cocked, but don't miss an opportunity, right?" Harnetta continues to drink her wine, leaning back and looking up at the stars.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"Some opportunity," Wenomir quips. "All I know is that she stole a big load of adamantine. I'll hire MERC to look for it, maybe they'll turn up something. Big, dumb warrior Wenomir rushing off on another wild goose chase," he says, with a strange pitch to his voice. As if he's imitating someone else.

[Murkus]

Tina's Apartment

My colleague requires your presence without the cause of your absence being known to others you might consider friends. I am here to bring you to a location of colleague's choosing. I suggest that you come without any further resistance, or I will have to follow my colleague's orders to (how do you mortals put it?) cut to the chase. explains the Riverman. He indeed does not know what a gun is.

Fettina mulls that one over with some apparently serious consideration.

"Yeah," she says, raising the gun. "No, thanks."

She pulls the trigger, emitting a highly focused beam of orange light, like something from an arc welder. Though who knows what it will do to Charon, suffice to say it's of a high enough temperature to melt through the wall behind him - and several walls and support beams after that.

Her hands shake, and she screams, but she shoots true.

Digi-Dance Dive

The blonde looks over the newcomer for a moment, her cheeks turning a little pink at just what exactly he was wearing, but she eventually shakes her head in disbelief. "I'd wonder if that outfit counted as trying a little too hard, but maybe I'm just a bit out of touch with fashion now days. At least for places like this." She admits, giving a small sweeping gesture with her drink towards the club in general. "As for okay...well, no, not really." She adds with a small shrug and a sip of her drink before looking at it in disgust. "But I'm alive at least so I have that going for me. And why does every drink here taste like molten candy and citric acid? And not in a good way. Third one in a row."

With a sigh, she sets it back on the counter to ignore it. "I know it is probably bad club etiquette for me to suggest it, but there's probably better people to talk to here than me. My friend up and abandoned me so I was thinking about heading out anyway. I can at least buy you what they call a drink here for your trouble though. Someone needs to drink this god-awful stuff and it isn't going to be me."

[Digi-Dance Dive]

Fetty snorts. "Why do you keep drinking them if you hate them?" He asks, and picks up the offending beverage, suddenly finishing it in one go. He deposits it hard on the counter, and it makes the curvy glass spin. It almost even looks intentional.

"There. One drink," Fetty says, and thrusts out his hand. "Now you can go home. If you want. But then I'll have wasted my time coming all the way over here to see if you wanted to... come relax." He smirks, and will try to run his thumb over her fingers. "Don't go and dismiss me and my taste just like that, babe." Fetty almost seems offended.

"I'm Fetty, by the way."

[Celticbear]

Tina's Apartment

As quick as Tina pulls the trigger, a wall of water rises from the ground and deflects the beam into hundreds of smaller beams that go in every which way. Once the gun eventually runs out of ammo or charge, or until Kharon (looked up the spelling. Plus this makes my guy not sound like a seventeen year old high schooler) gets annoyed by expending power, he sends the wall of water rushing at Tina. With her hopefuly distracted, not enough time to tell, Kharon rushes towards Tina looking to grab her.

The time for talk it seems is finally over.

[Peppered]

32D Highwill Road

"Stopping slavers and murderers sounds noble enough. If you don't want them reaching Skyside, where would you like us to," Meredith pauses and chooses her word carefully, "interrupt them? If you know this much, you must know what route they are using." She refuses to use words like 'kill' or 'attack'. Talking has to be the better solution. 'Never deal with slavers' had been yet another life lesson passed down from her father, but then again her father had been a slaver, in a way. Meredith isn't sure she wants to kill anyone. She can, and if pressed, she might, but if it could be avoided, isn't it better to try?

[UncleWolf]

Digi-Dance Dive

The woman laughs a bit after Fetty's display and gives a genuine grin as she leans on the bar to look at him. "No, I wouldn't dare dismiss you or your fashion sense. I will always recognize it since it is downright horrible. And that's coming from someone wearing bellbottoms." She says, her tone revealing that all she's doing is teasing rather than being serious. After Fetty's introduction, she offers her hand delicately towards him to shake or kiss or to do as he pleases with it. "And please, my name is Nora, not babe. I haven't been a babe in a long time." She points out. "And I think I might be convinced to hang around a bit longer to...relax. Though I would prefer if you translate the damn drink menu for me so I can order something normal and not overwhelmingly sugary-sweet. Asking for a straight bourbon only got me a dumb look." She explains with a shake of her head.

[Lazorath]

32D Highwill Road

"The chains are large, thick, and made of brass. There were few, but I've been away for nearly a year now so it's hard to say how many there might be now."

Orion remains quite as he listens to the council members argument over the slaves. If they approached him years ago he would've sought for a peaceful resolution that would result in no casualties, but witnessing the vile and malicious acts caused by his cousin's rule had changed him. He may have had royal blood, but he lived under the fear of her and her tyranny which left him with no remorse for the wicked. He had been a victim for far too long, and snapped in the process.
It came down to him either being a victim, or him fighting back, and he viewed this situation the same way. Yes there was a chance they could change their ways, but he didn't have much hope, and would be ready to slaughter them if necessary.

As the Aetherborn provides them with more information on the slave his horrid face begins to intensify.

"Are you asking us to murder a murderer, or capture him?" Orion questions because these details need to be clarified.
Killing the runaway murderer might be tasking giving his abilities, but Orion already comes to the conclusion that capturing him would be far more rewarding, and entertaining.

((I was thinking that we could start with your plot to Stop the Slavers and Murderers before we go on to mine))

[Murkus]

[Digi-Dance Dive]

"I meant my taste in women, but yeah, the getup isn't my favorite either," Fetty says, taking it all in stride. "Is that all it's gonna take to convince you? Because, sad to say, I don't think any of us understand it either." The bartender gives Fetty a glower from nearby, and he flashes back a grin.

"They probably don't have bourbon here. But we don't have to stay here..."

[Tina's Apartment]

Fettina keeps shooting until the gun's battery gives a beep. Well, that wasn't too surprising, but it definitely should have been impossible.

She screams as she's grabbed, bloodcurdling, and tries to smash the butt of the gun into Charon's face.

[UncleWolf]

Digi-Dance Dive

"I think you vastly underestimate my desire for a drink I can recognize. If I have to leave here to get it, then I will." Nora admits with a shrug and a smile as she frowns at the drink menu a bit longer. A moment later she simply shuts it and looks up at the bartender. "Actually, if you can make something like a Long Island, I'll take it. Sweet but not too sweet, easy to drink and easy to make. I'll leave triple the price in tip if you can manage it." She decides before tilting her head towards Fetty. "One for him too."

Assuming the bartender makes the drinks, she'll pass her hand over the payment scanner to allow the chip there to deduct the amount right from her account and true to her word she'll leave a hefty tip. The drink doesn't look like a Long Island given that it was neon green and giving off a cloud of fog, but a sip through the straw seems to please Nora and she gives it a nod. "I don't think I'm leaving just yet, Fetty. I'm still a bit too sober and the music is actually growing on me a little bit. But why don't we find a place away from the bar to talk a bit more? Make you work a bit more to get me to leave with ya." She says, still smiling a bit at the younger man before standing up and stretching in front of him.

[Shadowcaller]

[Tina's Apartment]

"Great, now let's get out of here." Tellysandra remarks, still waiting for him at the spot he left her.

[Celticbear]

Tina's Apartment

Ignoring the the pistol whip, Kharon goes into the living room, his pale white canoe waiting for him.

[Earl of Purple]

32D Highwill Road

"Brass. Perfect. You have no problems with brass?" Bunny turns to Diamond, who shakes her head.

They are encamped and have been for two days, waiting for two of the slavers to return from a contact who has provided them with slaves before. They won't return, as they are too busy pushing up daisies. The rest won't stay still forever, but aren't making any moves yet. They are located at the base of an onyx statue depicting an angel. It is not a nice angel. I will provide transport, if you accept the mission. If you can capture the blood-bather alive, it would be appreciated. The bounty for him in his homeworld is greater alive. However, he is an old serial killer with a yearly ritual. He avoided suspicion in the murders for a long time, and we don't understand his magic. He is dangerous and not be underestimated. As for the slavers, they have a collection of vehicles, all rather battered and customised to better fit their new purpose. Three double-decker busses fitted with individual holding cells, a motor home for the head of the convoy, a large van holding their food and ammunition, another for spare parts and tools, and two small cars for scouting. We have counted about fifteen slavers, and estimate twenty to thirty slaves, though we have not been able to get an accurate count.

((Yeah, that was my thought too. I've got this as planned as I have anything, so it gives me a bit of time to organise myself for yours, Lazorath.))

[Peppered]

32D Highwill Road

"I see several ways to play this," Meredith says to Orion, "depending on how reckless you want to be. We can charge in, swords and spells brandished, against that many people, or there are more subtle options. If we can pull people away from the buses and van one at a time, I can try to control them and send their own men against them. It would make a fight easy, but may cause chaos enough that the murderer could slip away."

"Another option is to walk up to them and talk only. If we can get enough people to look me in the eye, I can enchant a number of them, but it would be far weaker and likely more rushed. There would still probably be a fight with whoever is left standing."

"Another further different option is to try and sneak in and control the murderer himself and whatever guards are around him, and then try sneaking him out. But that... well, you know how good I am at stealth. You would have to be a buffer of sorts, in case anything goes wrong and we are detected. Of the two of us, only you can actually fight."

"And that, for now, is all I can think of. Thoughts or further ideas?"

[Lazorath]

32D Highwill Road

"This isn't going to be easy regardless," Orion's face tenses as he focuses hard on the issue.

Blue, he thought to himself, if my eyes were blue sneaking in and out of their base wouldn't be an issue, but I haven't been sad in months. I haven't had the time since I'd been too busy fleeing for my life...but if I can be of use then I must do what I can, he concludes.

"Charging in could be reckless for both us, and the slaves. It might be the easiest, but the risk of casualties makes the first option too risky."

"The second option might be more peaceful, but it would still put us at a great disadvantage because if they do resort to violence we wouldn't have the upper hand to launch a surprise attack which is what makes the first option valuable."

"I hardly have any stealth skills, but there was a time in which being stealthy saved my life," he pauses, "I believe the third option would be best. This mask may shroud the true colours of my eyes, but it doesn't shroud its abilities, " he continues whilst turning to Meredith, "I could turn us invisible giving us the time needed to sneak into their camp. You could put the murderer, and the guards near him under your control causing the guards to turn on one another while we escape with the murderer, but it won't be easy...as I said before, my cousin experimented on my eyes so I could never lie to her about how I truly felt. The only time I ever turned invisible was when two of my friends had been murdered. I would've been next, but they suddenly froze. They couldn't see me so I ran," he takes a deep breath from having to briefly relive his past.

"It only works when my eyes are blue...when I'm sad, and my back's against the wall in a do or die situation. I haven't reached that level of sadness in years. If I can use it again the plan will work. I would have to lure one of the slavers, and put myself in harms way before the ability activates, but it will work...if I can somehow relive and experience that sadness."

[Earl of Purple]

32D Highwill Road

"It is my experience that slavers don't put up a good fight. They are too used to picking on the weak and defenceless, and their nonlethal weapons and tactics give them a disadvantage in a fight to the death, especially against those in clothing or armour that hampers their weapons." But other than that brief interlude, the other members of the council remain silent, letting the two recruits plan unhindered.

((Let me know when you're ready to go.))