Guardians: Requiem of a Slumbering God (IC)

[PeacefulOak]

Fiehran

The young goth shrugs. "Whatever. Let's just get moving, I'm bored of being out here. Let's get to the exciting cult-vention." His voice is deadpan, perfectly matching the tone of a disinterested goth kid. He fishes a wrinkled bill out of his pocket and buys a robe.

Don't worry friends, I'm very engaged here. It's all an act.

[Snowbluff]

Old Town Hall (Exterior)
Umbria, Frontieria
Ash Fierhan Proto Chashe

"Ah yes, thank you," the robe seller says. He takes the bill, and flicks it and holds it to the sun. Well, as close an approximation to the sun the usual Umbrian gloom allows. He stuffs the bill into his robe. With one hand he tosses a new robe at the emo version of Fierhan.

He looks at Chase, pausing for a second. "Yes, we do use the robes as a kind of uniform in the Cult of Sheol. It's working on a bit of a cult-classic look. A little new agey, with some old texts thrown in. Judging from your symbols you have some of a religious background, it shouldn't be to out of the ordinary for you." He pats his robes. "The robes are available online from the store or you can have one custom tailored. You can order the templates and make them yourself or have a seamstress do it. I'm mostly here to make a quick buck on last minute attendees. There is no formal sign in, but there is a book where you can get on the mailing list, with email as an option as well. The cult doesn't have membership fees, but there is a Matreon where you can donate and get extra stuff, like t-shirts and extra sermons from the high priestess." The robe seller snaps his fingers in thought, like something is on the tip of his tongue. "Have I seen you somewhere, sir? You look familiar.'

Kadic's House
Umbria, Frontieria
Kadic

Kadic's hand raps on Clarity's head through the sheets. Her "skin" responds to the trauma by hardening, causing a dull noise when Kadic hits her.

"I don't have to explain anything!" The next words that come out in her soft voice are in an unknown and ancient tongue, but stop when Clarity wakes wit ha start. She sits upright, her blue hair falling onto her shoulders and her similarly colored wings stretching out to the sides. She looks around, her eyes bleary, as her hands pats over the side table to find her horn rimmed glasses.

"Oh, hello, Kadic." She gives one of her signature knowing, gentle smiles as she puts on her glasses. "I didn't expect you. I'll put on some tea..."

Lamia Lamina, a large white and black snake, slithers in from behind Kadic, climbing up his legs and torso to rest on his shoulders. "Oh, this is a surprise," the serpent says. Lamia was formerly the familiar of Diael, but after his demise, she was a vagabond, only to be taken in as Kadic's.

[IZ42]

Kadi's House
Kadic

Kadic groans. He smiles ruefully, rubbing the back of his head, "Offering to make tea like you're the host? Typical. It's been two years, gal, you need to find your own place. I'm sure the mansion can house you."

He stiffens slightly as Lamina crawls up to a perch or sorts on his shoulders, then relaxes, lightly stroking the serpent as if to reassure himself that he still didn't harbor a residual fear of snakes. "What kinda snake can't even keep sneaky pests of a certain avian bent out, Lamia? Snack, make sure Clarity didn't mess with much."

He sighs again, and drops his bags, a finely made matching quiver and backpack, stained leathers and colorful stitching paired with some sort of bone or antler button. He hangs his cloak, a dappled grey hooded cape of sorts, revealing a tightly trimmed white guardian's coat, closer to a jacket, decorated in tasteful silver embroidery, and adjusted his glasses, lig.ht glinting off them for a moment. Compared to the lanky teen a couple years ago, he was lean and muscled through two years of fieldwork, though hints of a near-starved frame showed through anyways. "Tora and Bittersweet would probably like to know I'm back in town, as would Ananthropos. Do either of you two know their current whereabouts?"

[Yasahiro]

Ash Arashi

Ash proceeded to pay for the robes, putting them on, albeit he had few words. Heretics or not, at least compared to his faith, but he had to commend this thoughtfulness.

"Ye can always have some much higher quality robes, an' then sell them a' even higher price. Nobody wants to buy same thing twice, and they'd rather make one good purchase. Even if it's more expensive than usually, it's still last moment convenience. And would make the regular robes seem cheaper in comparison. Ye don't have ta listen to me, 'm not an expert, but just my two thoughts."

[LoyalPaladin]

Leon Gloryborn
Bittersweet's Cafe

Sitting near one of the front windows of his favorite cafe in Umbria, Fronteria's #1 nice guy graciously accepts a sweet drink from the good to eat Bittersweet, mouthing "Thank you!" politely to her, before continuing with his phone conversation.

"Yes, yes. I remember. Home by eight and don't forget to pick up salted caramel ice cream from the store." His face maintains a charming smile, warming all those who look upon it. "Right, Create Food and Water is not a proper substitute for your favorite store bought brand. I promise I won't do that again. Uh huh. Yes, eight PM, I remember. Okay. You too. Goodbye." He hangs up the phone, and lets out a cheerful sigh. "She means well." His bright smile widens when he makes eye contact from across the room with an old friend from training. Her expression read "please don't come over here", but that couldn't be right.

He stands up and makes his way over to a table of two, Tora and another woman he had yet to meet. "Good afternoon, Tora!" He pulls her up from the chair gently for a warm embrace. "It's so nice to see you. How was your last mission?" His gaze turns to the girl sitting with her. "Where are my manners?!" His face wretches in horror at his statement, before returning to its charming expression. "I'm Leon Gloryborn, apprentice Guardian to Sissy." He bows grandly, taking the girl's hand in his own and planting a light and polite kiss upon it.

[PeacefulOak]

Fiehran

Catching the robe and smoothly settling it around his shoulders, he turns to the rest. "Let's go, this is lame. Inside might possibly be less lame... so yeah."

[Snowbluff]

Old Town Hall
Umbria, Frontieria
Ash Proto Chashe Fierhan


"Well, that sort of deal doesn't fly with my business model," the robe seller tells Ash. "I just sell to people who don't plan ahead. Getting people to charge extra for overdone robes would either cut into profits or make people less incline to pay."

The team filters into the meeting room with their robes. The room is wide with a tall ceiling, with rows of old wooden armchairs facing a center stage. ON the stage is a very large but vaguely humanoid figure in a bundle of cloth resembling the robes of the throngs of cultist that are entering the room. In front of this figure is a stone table and a podium.

Some of the cultists sit, other hang out on the fringes, while other hang out by the snack table and drink cool-ade.

A single robed figure, in many ways indistinguishable from the other cultists, steps up to the podium. The hood of her robe covers most of her face, revealing only an incredibly pale mouth. She places a stack of empty pages in front of her and begins a speech. "Sheol faced the masters of the land, and said to them 'I am in your hierarchy, but I am not of it. I have overcome it. Many cycles ago, we reached up above, and pulled down the gods that begot us. We believed that we could take their place, and become masters through ascending above our constraints. But you failed. You toiled and fought over scraps. You circled like vultures over your superiors. You scratched into the dirt everything that you have made here. Now, this Council here stands before me, and I look down on them..."

The reading goes on, and the cultists look on.

Spoiler: Proto

Show

Proto recognizes these words, however. This is a true account of Sheol's Ascension to Godhood and Denouncement of the Grand Elven Council.

Spoiler: Everyone

Show

You can still talk to the robe seller.

Kadic's House
Umbria, Frontieria
Kadic

Clarity chuckles. "What, because you locked the door the place is suddenly yours?" She laughs and gets up, heading into the kitchen. "'Oh me Kadic, me think lock stop machine angel," she says in a humorously deep and grumbling voice. She turns around and gives Kadic a wink.

Lamia opens her mouth slightly in the snake equivalent of a laugh.

"That mansion is full of guardians anyway. My kind don't mix with them for reasons," she continues as she put a teapot onto boil. She can be rather cagey when it comes to her nature and how it relates to others on the planet.

"You can't blame me for this, Kadic. She's bigger than I am," Lamia protests. "I haven't seen Tora since Diael died, either. So I don't know what's up with her. Ananthropos is creepy, so I avoid him." Lamia rubs her nose into Kadic's neck.

Bittersweet's Cafe
Umbria, Frontieria
Leon Gloryporn

When Tora meets eyes with Leon she immediately averts her gaze, swearing under he breath in multiple languages. However, it's to no avail as the man picks her up and hugs her. Like a disturbed house cat, she hisses an squirms in protest until Leon decides he has administered the appropriate amount of mandatory physical contact, giving the next dose to the girl sitting opposite to him, who was giggling all the while.

"Oh, nice to meet you. I am Edinah, WMOC officer," the young woman says, as she blushes slightly. Edinah is short, with a blond pony tail and wire frame glasses. She's dress casually, as is Tora. "Sissy is a lot of fun. No wonder why you're such a hoot."

"Last mission was-" Tora stops herself and frowns. "Well, it wasn't your business, Leon." She puts her hands on her hips. Her long tail twitches in agitation.

Meanwhile, Leon's phone is buzzing with a thread of text messages of Sissy recounting a tale of how she had to make a cheesecake alone, ever since Caerulea left on assignment. She does get clingy when left to herself.

[LoyalPaladin]

Leon Gloryborn
Bittersweet's Cafe

"I'm glad you made it back safe." He says earnestly to Tora. "I'd have missed your striking stripes! Speaking..." He brushes a little something off Tora's fur. "Been visiting Winslow for your 'medicine' agian?" He pouts.

To Edinah, he beams. "Edinah. What a beautiful name, well suited to a beautiful woman such as yourself." He nods, convincing even the most grouchy soul in the room that Edinah was, in fact, beautiful. "It is a pleasure to meet you, and I hope we cross paths again sometime. With the rate WMOC and the Guardians cross paths, I expect to be in your cuffs within the week." He chuckles, with complete innocence. "Here, in case you're short a medic sometime!" He hands her his card, which features a list of his medical achievements and bullet points his abilities. "Caerula told me words waste time, and that by that logic, I waste too much time." Rolling his eyes, he smiles. "So give me a ring sometime."

Spoiler: Text to Sissy

Show

"We can make cheesecake this weekend if you like! It's one of my favorites."
"You'll never guess who I ran into! Tora and her friend Edinah!"

[Yasahiro]

Ash Arashi

Now then, Ash wasn't that great at infiltration missions... but he could still express genuine interest here. Oberon won't smite him for listening to the mass, however he does keep one thought open for the group.

"So do ya have anything specific we should do as this goes on or do we just wait for the end of mass. Okay with either."

[IZ42]

Kadic's House
Kadic

Kadic grumbles to himself as he picks up the sheets pilfered from his bed and tosses them back into his room, "'S mine cuz I bought it, can't expect a birdbrain to respect common decency anyways."

He replies in a louder, slightly teasing voice as he returns, "Bah, I'm sure they can be convinced to eschew tradition once in a while, if only for the sanity of a fellow member."

"You know that's no excuse. She looks like a bird, you're literally a snake, do what's natural. I'll have to find Tora then, because I have a sneaking suspicion that she's in town. Just this sense of debauchery, ya know?. Ananthropos is harmless, or at least moreso than your old partner. So what if he's a bit pale? I guess I'll have to head down to Bittersweet's."

[PeacefulOak]

Fiehran

Paying a minor amount of attention to the curiously robed creature making odious pronunciations, Fiehran searches the shadows with his eyes for any powerful figures who may know more than they appear to. He also watches around for the face of a nondescript cultist in case he needs to make a costume change.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

I can sense the relative strength of surrounding peeps, looking for someone strongish in the area. By the way, how crazy strong does Mr. Speaker seem?

[Snowbluff]

Old Town Hall
Umbria, Frontieria
Ash Proto Chashe Fierhan


"How many of the people who know are too concerned with the dirt to understand the bigger picture. Here, Sheol was telling the the Council that they lacked perspective, and lost sight of their true goal. We must remember to never lose sight of our path. Now, I have our guest speaker with us today." The speaker steps down from the podium.

The guest speaker, the large creature under the many clothes and robes, sits behind the stone table. "Greetings, believers," it begins. It's voice echoes unnaturally despite the crowded room, a terrible scratching noise, barely decipherable. "I'm cursed. Many times, I am cursed. It aches it aches it aches. I'm cursed," it stammers before it gathers itself again. "I was once like you." A hand, distended and long, stretched and bone white, unfolds itself from inside the pile. It spreads its long fingers wide towards the crowd. "Pain, unimaginable pain. I call for Sheol, but she does not listen. She is above us. However, with her superiority, she understands what is needed to cure me. The void keeps its secrets well, from all but those who show their devotion." It rears what you believe to be a head towards the sky. It's veil falls slightly, revealing twisting, writhing flesh barely holding into many rows of bent teeth. "Sheol, what price do you demand from your servant? Free from the pain! It's all I ask! I have tithed, I have prayed, I have fasted, but no end is in sight!"

The first steps up again. "The cost for Sheol's aid is not cheap. Who will step forth, and give their life for this man?"

"I will!" Declares an older cultist. "I don't have anything to live for anymore. You all have given me so much," he says as he steps up to the stone table. "Time I gave back."

Many cultists look around nervously as the guest speaker draws its other hand. In its grasp is a sword with a blackened blade, with a sinister grin embedded in it with teeth. You may recognize it as Black Dahlia, the sword of Diael. Perhaps this is the artifact Tora was seeking?

Spoiler: OoC

Show

From here, it's difficult to determine anything about the speaker. The person's voice is barely audible, and the robe conceals everything about them.

Kadic's House
Umbria, Frontieria
Kadic

"Nom!" Lamia says as she clamp her mouth onto Clarity's shoulder. "See? It's no good. She's not bird sized."

"Yeesh, it's not like I walk around your place naked. Get off my back," Clarity protests. She finishes pouring the tea. "And what's this about tradition?"

Lamia finally releases her mouth from Clarity's shoulder. "I don't know what you mean by debauchery. Tora's a perfect gentle woman with good body heat."

"I know she's thick or whatever, but did Puritanism make a come back with mortals?" Clarity shrugs. "Does she corrupt the minds of men around her?" She laughs.

"Meanwhile there is no way Ananth isn't chopping up bodies in his basement. And not for mushrooms, either," Lamia says grumpily. "It's too bad my master died before we could check it out."

Bittersweet's Cafe
Umbria, Frontieria
Peon Gloryporn

Tora grumbles under her breath, conflicted on whether to accept the compliment or to tell Leon off.

Edinah giggles again. "Oh, I'm sure you won't be trouble. Most of the complaints that get filed and fines charged were against Diael. He would just do whatever he wanted." She crosses her arms and nods. "Sissy was very well behaved. I didn't have to write her up once. She played it by the book, and with a wink and a smile." She sighs and looks at Tora sadly. "Still, I miss the power couple. How're you coping?"

"Caerulea and I are working together now," Tora says, partially avoiding the question. "She gets along fine with me," she remarks at Leon.

Sissy texts Leon with a long, insecurely making jokes at Tora's expense. However, he does receive an affirmative about making cheesecake. "It's a date!"

[Yasahiro]

Ash Arashi

Sermons and enthusiasm are one thing, but here we have yet another moment where cultists just show that they are a bunch of heretics. He could feel his fingers itching to burst into flame, let his whip of fire form. Create a javelin and hit that damn sword just to stop this. But he wasn't stupid, it wasn't his first mission, as much as he hated this. They were cultists, they deserve it, he told himself, just to bear it. They deserve it...

'Does any of you have ANY plan right now? Or are we just going to stand and watch this happen?!'

[Xgya]

Proto

Proto looks at the robed man, his expression hidden by his new black hood, yet his hands, for the very first time as far as anyone he know can remember, are trembling.

*This is an outrage! First they blaspheme against Sheol by invoking the Ascending Virtues in public and then DARE ask for somebody else to pay for Sheol to answer their prayers, something no true follower would EVER condone.*

Then, realizing he's telegraphing these thoughts out to everyone, he hastily adds.

*...or so I've heard. I have studied the cult in detail and even have a section of my library dedicated to the subject of old gods.*

And continues on with his diatribe.

*The cult of Sheol is supposed to be a secret one, hidden, with multiple layers of secrets given to only a select few. Handing a deity whose portfolio includes hidden knowledge and secrets' secrets out in public for everyone to hear has GOT to be the highest form of blasphemy there is! By all means, these people are lucky Sheol is unable to answer prayers right now.*

He then starts taking steps towards the stage, obviously intending a less discrete approach than originally planned. He simply mutters, audibly enough to be heard by people close by.

"This farce must be stopped.
They have been duped.
The secrets are real.
The precepts they follow are not."

[IZ42]

Kadic

Kadic sighs and waves off Clarity as he takes the tea, taking large swigs in between commentary, barely having had anything else to eat that day. "Bah, nevermind that ya bum. Been a while since I had home brewed tea, even if it is home brewed by a trespasser."

He takes a sideways glance at Lamia, I've seen snakes your size take on 200 pound boar and win. Snakes have got weird unhinge-y jaw things, no complaints." He finishes the tea, pushes the cup back onto Clarity, "She also diddles with her students after getting far too inebriated to be functional and has all the subtlety of a pissy Otyugh. Sounds awful lot like debauchery to me. She is, otherwise, a fairly cool cat, yes I am using that term figuratively and literally, and I think it's right of me to go say hi to her."

Kadic groans at Lamia's conjecture, "The poor dude is just a tech geek. Not much worse than Diael in his eccentricity if you wanna be like that. Dude had some pretty juicy secrets if I remember what a certain Sonia told me. I bet you he'd greet me friendly as ever if I walked in his storefront right now."

[LoyalPaladin]

Leon Gloryborn
Bittersweet's Cafe

Leon nods knowingly. "Sissy is still well behaved, if a little eccentric." He shrugs, as if letting some sort of fake weight off his shoulders. "We're making cheesecake Saturday. Assuming she doesn't eat it all in one sitting, I can swing some by WMOC if you're interested. I'm not the best cook, but I'll follow the instructions to my best ability." He's being polite, he knows anybody can make a decent cheesecake.

"It's no surprise you and C. get alone, Tora." He smiles. "Though I'm surprised she hasn't gotten curious about your se-" He looks at Edinah briefly as his phone buzzes, he types out a quick "Most definitely!" to Sissy and then looks up. "I'm sorry, so rude of me. I've forgotten what I was saying."

[Togo]

Chasne looks at the robe seller.

Not from one of these events. You sell other clothes at other gigs, maybe? He says with a grin. Anyway, I'll take one of these. Looks like they're starting up in there, and I don't want to be a jerk my first time, you know?

His ears perk up, as the shouting starts, inside.

Oops. Have they started already? I didn't think there would be public debate at one of these things, or at least... not this early. I'm not sure I know enough to join in...

[Snowbluff]

Old Town Hall
Umbria, Frontieria
Ash Proto Chashne Fierhan


"Well, I do sell t-shirts at concerts for a living. That and scalping tickets," he says, shrugging. "best get on, then. The speaker's sermons are really good. Offer some perspective. Sadly, my robe business has been keeping me from them. I make do with the online stuff, but I have no idea what's doing on. Still, the best way to learn is to dive right in. "

Chashne enters the building, only to find a strange sight of the large creature at the altar, holding what looks like Diael's old sword over an old man in a robe, ready to sacrifice him. Proto is going on about how strange this seems for a cult of Sheol, and Ash is losing it, asking if they should do something, all over telepathy, of course. What will the team do about this?

Kadic's House
Umbria, Frontieria
Kadic

"I am a not a bum, I am, uh, residentially impaired," Clarity says. "Not like I can get a home here anyway. What am I supposed to say when they ask me my birth date and credit number. 'Oh I was made thousands of years ago and credit numbers didn't exist back then.'" Clarity shrugs.

"That's prejudice again snakes, and I am not a real snake," Lamia protests. "Also she doesn't taste good." She looks up at Clarity. "No offense, of course, but you taste like caulk, plaster, and eggshells."

"No offense taken." Clarity says. "What has Tora been doing with her students? Anyway, 50 bucks says that you get chopped up and made into a cyborg."

"Oooh, I bet 100 bucks that you get attached to another mortal. Also I need to borrow 100 bucks. I have no money," Lamia counters. "Diael didn't chop anyone up for fun, either. Though, I guess having to reassure people about that doesn't inspire confidence..."

"Still, I bet Tora is at that insipid coffee shop. What was it, Buttersweats? If you need to see her, I'd guess that'd be the place," Clarity says pensively, sipping on her tea.

Bittersweet's Cafe
Umbria, Frontieria
Leon Glorytorn

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Edinah says excitedly. "I didn't know she could cook. I bet it'd be great to sample something you guys made. Still, isn't it quite a bit away, the Guardian Tower? How are you going to be getting back?" She puts a finger to her chin in thought.

"WHAT ABOUT MY SEX?!" Tora yells, thoroughly offended. She grabs Leon at the collar with both hands, her hazel eyes narrowing as they look straight into Leon's. She's strong, far stronger than he remembers her being. Her eyes seem to burn with an almost familiar intensity. She really has taken after her master.

Edinah chuckles. "What about it?"

"Oh, um," Tora pauses as she lets Leon down. "It's uh, because of how heterosexual I am. Caerulea is always interested in psychological phenomena. She's fascinated by all sorts of classifications and minutiae. It's great, you should talk to her about it sometime." Her recovery is clumsy at first, but she manages to finish on a note resembling human speech.

[Togo]

Chashne barely breaks stride before moving along the nearside wall, moving towards the front, scanning the seats as if looking for someone.

Oops, sorry I'm late, don't mind me, excuse me, pardon me, sorry, is that your dog, yes very sweet, can I just squeeze past, thanks, 'scuse me..

Eventually he reaches a chair near the front, and settles down. The he speaks, in a stage whisper that suggests inaudibility without in any way achieving it:

Wow! Big ambomination, guy on an altar, some kind of telepath trying to take the stage, and we're doing religious philosophy on top! No wonder this place is packed - it's quite the show!

The he frowns, and nudges his neighbour, speaking slightly louder.

Hey, they're not really going to kill that old guy, are they? I mean, that would be mean. Not to mention, like, totally illegal, right?

[LoyalPaladin]

Leon Gloryborn
Bittersweet's Cafe

Taken aback at first, Leon examines Tora closely when she grasps him firmly. Then silently, he gives her a telling, knowing look. It's meaningful, as if to say 'Oh I see'. He brushes the new wrinkles out of his well stitched blazer and smiles at her. "Super heterosexual." He adds, trying to strengthen her argument. But he is a terrible liar.

With a nod and a pat on the back, he winks at Tora and turns to Edinah. "It was wonderful to meet you, miss." He smiles widely. "Don't worry about WMOC being out of the way, I like to go on long jogs anyway! If the weather doesn't hold up," He looks to the sky, doubtful. "I can always drive over, or ride the motorcycle." He shrugs. "Cheesecake, like love, is an unstoppable force, unhindered by distance."

Spoiler: OoC

Show

"Super heterosexual."

Bluff
(1d20+4)[5]

EDIT:
NATURAL ONE. NO WAY!

[PeacefulOak]

Fiehran

Seriously? Seriously. OK folks, let's do this then. We won't be able to hold Proto back. Give me a minute to grab their attention, then go on the big guy I suppose. I would suggest aim to restrain and question, rather than kill. He sighs and shifts his image within the cloak, adding a bit of bulk and a powerful face with grey-green eyes, solid features, and a jawline that could pass for a granite block.

His voice suddenly booms out, filling the area around him. "Blasphemers! Fools and lackeys, gathered to lap at the puling dribble of half-truths and barely held secrets. Did you think that the SHADOWED ONE would allow you to blaspheme in his name? Did you think that the paltry blood of a misguided fool would draw his blessings?" With a thought, he begins to rise into the air and shed light around him, the light glowing a strange off-white grey color. "Sheol is the Shadowed One, the God of Secrets, the Knife in the Darkness. What use this farce of a congregation?
There is no church, no chapel to Sheol. Only whispers in the darkness, prayers murmured in the darkest recesses of your mind and soul belong to Sheol. By all rights you should be slain where you stand, and that twisted figure at your side should descend into the depths of the Darkness." His thoughts reach out, brushing delicately across the mind of the one with the sword, bidding him to become a friend. "Still, perhaps you intend well. Surrender yourself to me, one of the Chosen of Sheol, and I will grant you his Mercy. Surrender, and be granted peace." His attention turns to the crowd for a moment. "For the rest, I urge you to LEAVE, lest you find yourselves in the gaze of the one you claim to seek."

Spoiler: OoC

Show

So many things....
Taking 10 on Bluff (Chosen of Sheol, etc), gives me a 38.
Using Eternal Charm on the Sword-wielder (DC 25).
Taking 10 on Diplomacy vs. the Sword-wielder (hopefully charmed), gives me a 42 (which also happens to be the Answer!).
Rolling Intimidate vs. the Crowd (1d20+30)[36]

[Xgya]

Proto

The grey-tinged cherubim takes flight, not removing his cloak, but pointing an accusatory finger towards the stage as he takes position above them, his voice stern and the normal breaks between his sentences accompanied by stern looks.

"BLASPHEMERS AND THIEVES!
KILLING THE GOD YOU CLAIM TO WORSHIP!
Gods of secrets.
Having their secrets revealed.
WOULD YOU SOONER AWAKEN A GOD OF LIFE BY KILLING EVERYONE?!?"

Then, following on Fiehran's speech.

"DESIST OR BE PURGED!
THE CHOSEN DEMANDS!"

He lifts his arm and aims at the stage. A bolt of pure plasma fires from his palm and aims at the stage near the speaker, leaving scorch marks.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Shooting a laserbolt at the stage near the sword-wielder.
So, Aid Another on Diplomacy and Bluff.
(1d20+4)[11] Bluff.
Auto-success on Diplomacy through Cunning Knowledge.

[IZ42]

Kadic

Kadic walks back over to the door as Snack flits back from his inspection of the house, making mechanical chirps, "Certainly impaired in some form or another, bedraggled excuse for an angel..."

He pokes Lamia in the head, "Facts are prejudiced now? News to me. He shrugs, We're not taking bets out on the person who actually owns this house, or I'll kick both of you out, I swear. Besides that, I'm already part cyborg if you'd been paying attention since I entered the door. Now I'm going down to Bittersweet's, Clarity, and I am going to find Tora there are make her life as difficult as possible. You're free to come along, your personality should help."

He laughs to himself, turning towards the door and planting his flat cap on his head, leaving his quiver, backpack, and bow behind. He steps outside and glances about for a moment, then heads in the direction of the diabetically sweet catfolk's café.

[Snowbluff]

The old Town Hall
Ash Chashne Fierhan Proto

"What?" The guest speaker asks Chashe incredulously. "Of course I'm going to kill him. This is a sacrifice to prove my loyalty to my god! Weren't you listening at all?!"

"What gall!" the first speaker exclaims at its podium as Fierhan hops up to the stage.

The cultists listen intently. Most of of them take their leave, but a few others make sure to fetch some popcorn to watch the religious upheaval in progress. "Well, someone has to be here to document this," one of them says.

The sword wielding guest speaker is unimpressed. "A farce indeed. I have seen visions of Sheol's face. I know her avatars by name, and you are not they! Poor, foolish mortal! I was one like you, blinded to the truth. This is what Sheol demands of me! The emptiness of the void, in her abscence, this is what she draws from me!" The guest speaker raises its weapon. "Sheol! Wise and powerful, Sheol! If you wish my offerings cease, then show thyself!" The speaker turns towards Proto, not recognizing him as he shoots magic in his direction, and proclaims "And as for any inferior, pretender gods that doubt my methods, come! You will be made offerings at her altar!"

The first speaker, however, is spooked by the display of Proto's power. "Criminy! I'll have to pick this up some other time," It says as it leaves through a back door.

Spoiler

Show

Roll Init, I guess

Kadic's House

"I'm quite, good, thanks," Clarity says peacefully. She carries an aura of calm. Her level of reassurance can be agitating at times. She always acts like she knows something Kadic does not.

"I'll be staying for now, Kadic," Lamia says. "It'd odd seeing Tora again."

Kadic departs

Bittersweet' Cafe

Edinah is confused. "I, uh, that's nice. Oh, I have to go," Edinah says nervously.

"What, no!" Tora says. "C'mon, stay a little. It can wait."

"No, uh, I've got an experiment running running," Edinah continues sheepishly before she hurries off.

Tora's ears droop as Edinah leaves, and as Leon goes after her, she slumps into in a chair. She orders a drink.

By the times Kadic arrives, Tora is arguing with Bittersweet. "No, just leave the bottle," she says.

"Bittersweet hates to see you like this," Bittersweet says, obviously conflicted. Tora's reckless and self destructive habits are exactly the kind of thing that would make Bittersweet a handsome profit, but on the other hands she's a loyal customer.

[LoyalPaladin]

Leon Gloryborn
Streets of Umbria

Putting his palm in his face, Leon puts a hand on Tora's slumped shoulder, pulls her in gently, plants a platonic kiss on her head, and says "I'm sorry, T. I'll go make it right." He puts some money on the bar for Bittersweet, to pay for his tab and leaves extra for some of Tora's.

Sprinting out the door after Edinah, he draws his sports coat tight, to keep in the warmth, his breath hot on the mid-Autumn air. "Edinah! Wait up!" He calls after her, slowly catching up. "Whew! You can move." He says exasperatedly. "Let me walk you home, we can chat." He smiles warmly, offering up an arm for her to take.

[Xgya]

Proto

Still pointing in an accusatory manner, Proto waits for an opportunity, flying right above the speaker now, a hundred feet in the air above him. His cloak lifts up for a second, revealing his spindly chromed legs as Defense Drone starts its gyratory movement around Proto.

"There IS a liar present.
In front of us all.
Claims to worship Sheol.
Ignores Her decrees.
Reveals Her secrets.
Acts like all liars do.
Blames his accusers of his own crime."

Proto quickly sends a few queries through the telepathic channel.

*My weapons aren't ideal for direct combat, I'm afraid. Useful to scare folks away, flashy, but otherwise just as effective as their mundane equivalents - though I consider myself a good marksman. I came here on a reconnaissance mission, I did not prepare tools to capture or detain; I can kill him, sure, but that isn't why we're here today.
Also, be warned, a field surrounding me forbids teleportation temporarily, so if that's part of your modus operandi, make sure you're not caught.*

Finally, after a small moment of silence, he looks at the cultist.

"That was your first and only warning shot."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Delaying until the cultist acts, sending mental commands to Number Two to open the gateway and push Timmy out at a moment's notice.

[Togo]

Chashne looks around, his grin fading. Oh, we're going to really catch it when we get back.

As cultists start to flee in all directions, he nudges his neighbour again. This... this isn't part of the gig, is it? As she starts scrabbling to her feet, he does likewise, looking around at the growing chaos.

He shakes his head.

So, how did the secret infilitration go? Oh, fine, fine, I mean apart from the riot. Riot? Oh dear, well did you manage to hear anything useful? Oh yes.. we have several minutes of incriminating meeting to discuss.

[Snowbluff]

Short post for Lp...
Umbria Streets
Leon

"No, this doesn't make any sense..." Edinah is muttering to herself. "Why are things like this..."

As Leon approaches, she looks surprise. "What? Huh? No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Edinah says defensively. "I'm just trying to sort some things out." She pulls her jacket closer to herself, shivering in the cold.

[LoyalPaladin]

Leon Gloryborn
Streets of Umbria

"No no, this won't do." He frowns for the first time today. "Take this." He pulls off his nice wool sports coat and wraps it around Edinah, letting his residual warmth soak into her. "I'm naturally warm, so I'll be okay." He makes sure it's snug and runs his hands over the jacket, warming it with friction. "I'm parked just around the corner, why don't you let me drive you home then. If walking is unacceptable." His smile trickles back. "Come on." He offers his arm to her. "I won't take no for an answer." His smile warms the soul with sincerity.

[Yasahiro]

Ash Arashi

'Glad we're all on same page, lads.'

He stepped forward, letting the hood fall off his face as he rose one of his hands into air, energy forming between his fingers and slowly coalescing into shape of a javelin... moments before sound like that of many birds chirping filled the air as electricity covered the newly created weapon, twisting it and making it look as if Ash was holding an actual lightning bolt in his hand.

"Might try to bring to your attention the fact that you're surrounded.. But I'd rather talk to ya about how moronic is asking goddess of secrets to APPEAR if she wants you to cease."

Spoiler: OOC and rolls

Show

Delaying until the first blow or strike is made...
Still an Initiative roll
Initiative (1d20+2)[5]