Darklords

[wxdruid]

Arha

"The only thing I care about concerning this," her hands cover her pregnant belly, "Is delivering it safely, that's all. If the wizards can move it along? I'm all for it."

[Maurkov]

Hiram

"Safely. Right."

"Not that you aren't both attractive, but I thought he had tired of women. Or it that why you want to bring me along?"

[wxdruid]

Arha

"Quite frankly, if he can ignore Sharon and I together, I would be very surprised. Even if he does, I will contact him, using my methods. I also suggest when we're ready, that we move out of here and into nice accommodations in the city. It'll be less obvious that we're connected to anybody outside of our own group. To be coming and going from here, no matter where the entrance/exit is, it will be obvious that we're not staying in the city, unless the guild has an entrance/exit directly in a hotel. And even then, we still would need a room to be legitimately there."

[Maurkov]

Hiram

"Please elaborate on 'your methods,' and the gambit you'll use to draw him out."

[wxdruid]

In response, Arha twists her wrist, shaking her bracelets. "One of these was given to me by him. Specifically for contacting him and Lady Ibis."

[Maurkov]

Hiram

Hiram nods. "And the gambit?"

[amanodel]

Sonny

The large man just sighs when the others still have doubts about their connections. He lets the girls explaining the situation, and stays in the background.

During the day, Sonny will also quickly visit the city to do some shoppings.

[stimpius]

Tamis

Next morning the young Tamis comes bouncing up and meets the others,

Smiling to Sonny and nodding to the rest she announces

"I hope we have a plan now, otherwissse im incredibly bored and might have to find waysss to have fun."

[wxdruid]

Arha manages to rein in her temper. She doesn't like telling unknown people every single little thing about herself. "Because he wants something that we now have! That's why. And, No, I don't feel the urge to expose myself anymore to you."

[Maurkov]

Hiram

Like information on a certain assassination plot... Hiram keeps his gaze stoney. "I had hoped your outburst last night could be attributed to fatigue. You need to keep secrets? Fine. I think we're done here."

[wxdruid]

Arha feels like stabbing him a few times... it's always so satisfying to feel the blood run over her hands and watch their eyes as they dim into death. Or....she'd like a really handsome man in her bed, that would be equally satisfying... Considering that the first one isn't going to happen quite yet, she thinks she'll go in search of the second one. She has enough money to get what she wants. All of this flashes through her eyes and she gets really close to Hiram.

"I do not like you, I do not like what you think of me, I do not like what I see in your eyes. I can see it, you think I am untrustworthy, I think the exact same thing of you. I am not patient, I am not happy being pregnant. I know we've been brought here to complete this task, kill off this man's son. I would kill my own if I had the choice, but I DO NOT!" Her hands are clenched by her side, her nails drawing blood from her palms, "After I am rid of this burden, After that..."

Arha turns, she unclenches her fists, looks at her hands, the sight in some odd way calms her, she licks her palms clean, taking her own sweet time.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Sharon

Sharon wraps an arm around Arha as the stress starts to get to her. "He wants me. More specifically he wants some information I happen to know. Happy now?"

[wxdruid]

Arha turns to Sharon and puts one arm around her waist. She leans against her, resting her cheek on Sharon's shoulder, her face towards her neck. Her hair obscuring her expression. The contact further calms her.

[Lochar]

Kithas

"While I don't know what this information is, nor do I care at the moment, you could make the request to meet him somewhere off his own grounds. That would bring him outside of at least part of his protections."

Kithas gives a look to Ahra and Sharon. "You could even claim that you're being courted for that information by other parties, so you don't wish to tip your hand by going into his sanctuary. Or something to that effect."

[Tar Palantir]

Silme wakes early, and joins the group as they begin their planning. The endless political machinations and mistrust between the two groups quickly bore him, then irritate him, then anger him. Finally, he says, "We need to get all of this mistrust and suspicion out of the way now. If we work together, then I watch your back, and I expect you to watch mine. But if you don't give us everything you know that can help, then we can't help you succeed. We were brought together so we could work together. So no more secrets, alright? We tell you everything, you tell us everything, and when we're done with this, you go your way, we go ours, and I regain my father's sword and enjoy a well-earned retirement out in the middle of nowhere. Fair enough?"

[Maurkov]

Hiram

Hiram holds eye contact as Arha approaches. He inhales, and his face flushes. When she turns away he continues to stand silently. Finally, he shakes his head.

"Happy? No. I don't enjoy making enemies. I am, though, nearly satisfied."

Hiram thinks while Kithas and Silme speak.

"I am not interested in the secret. Not if the price is all of mine. I only care how its nature affects our planning. Wait. If you have a secure channel of communication, and the thing he wants is information, why is a meeting necessary?"

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Sharon

"Arha has the means of communication, and I have the information. I've not had any trouble thus far, gaining audience with someone noteworthy. Which brings me to another point. Any plan that will bring him to us will not bring him out past his protections. To get past his protections we need to be inside them. An open invitation inside will get us past most everything. It's like a beehive. The wasp seeking entrance faces the combined might of the hive, but once inside, it's largely ignored. All the bees assume it's supposed to be there."

[stimpius]

Tamis

Lost in her own thoughts she snaps back to reality as the others finish talking and says in a low whisper,

"Arha, you ever threaten Hiram again like that, for whatever reassson and I will kill you before you know what hit you. And I really don't want to do that, becaussse you sssseem to be alright asss a persson. I agree with Sssilme, get it our of your sssyssstem now, before it getsss painful and boring for all of usss."

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Sharon

The sorceress's eyes narrow as the elf speaks. "'I don't like you. I don't like what you think of me and I don't trust you' is a threat? Get over yourselves, people. We're supposed to kill this Vito, not each other. Hiram has hounded us since we arrived about our secrets, yet he chooses to reveal little of himself or of the rest of you. If there's a party among us with a grievance, it's the three of us, not the four of you. I suggest you calm down, Tamis and get a little perspective. My suggestion still stands. We make arrangements to be let in past his defenses to meet with him, not try to lure him outside somewhere. He'll be more at ease in his territory and less on guard."

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha tenses up for a moment before she relaxes again against Sharon. She's glad her face is hidden from Tamis. She knows that they more or less need to get along, but she doesn't like the process of getting to know the other group and is impatient and irritable. She whispers into Sharon's ear, her breath light against her skin. "Yes, but we need to get a place in the city first and even before that...I need to have this child. It'll be so much better after that is over with."

[Maurkov]

Hiram

"I believe there was an implied threat," says Hiram, nodding to Tamis.

"I'm sorry if you feel I've wronged you, but if you were a little more forthcoming, I wouldn't have felt the need to beat it out of you. Figuratively speaking. I have no personal interest in this mess except ending it with him dead and me alive. Entering his stronghold might assist in the former, but makes the latter unlikely. Your reticence was an obstacle to both."

"You believe he will be more vulnerable in his stronghold. I believe that in town he'll only have a fraction of his defenses available. Some are not mobile. Some will remain behind to protect his assets. If we can't have a consensus, lets find the majority opinion."

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Sharon

"And then what?" she asks Hiram, clearly frustrated with his intransigence. "By going to him, I can have him naked as the day he was born, at which point, sliding a dagger into his heart should be easy. How do you propose to kill him in a public location with his guards and whatever else he brings along?"

[amanodel]

Sonny

Enough of this childish behaviour! - Sonny's voice is harsh and loud, filling the entire room - It is my job to threaten people, so you please be quiet.

He waits for a moment, then continues.

Now, it is much better, isn't it? Since we are too well known to even consider sneaking around, we must do the first part face to face. We can get to the inner sanctum of Vito and Ibis easily. We have news that might interest him. If we mention that we visited Nightengale, and we have some magic horn with us, it will surely be sufficient. If someone could make a false magical horn, it's all the better. We can even lure him out, and set up a trap. You four can either come with us, or wait at the ambush.

Sonny looks at the other four members, and explains some things.

I suppose you haven't heard about the mercenary gang often referred as the 'artifact hunters'. But it is well-known in the noble circles, and most of them seek our company so they could put their hands upon a shiny artifact of some kind. Defeating dragons, vampires, mind falyers, drows and demons gets one's name pretty known. Altough I don't know about gnomes, I haven't tried that.

It is not a secret, most of the elite class knows it already, and were you not playing in gnome tunnels, you would have heard about us as well, I believe. You can keep your secrets if you wish, I don't think we would find it interesting, though.

And since no other noteworthy plan has been told, we will go by this, and if fail, we try to work with Sharon's khm... abilities. We do the talking, you wait for the opportunity. Clear?

Sonny's voice is very confident as he tries to get the group together. He's not intimidating anyone directly, but it feels like he's already made his statement, and he's not going to discuss it with anyone.

[stimpius]

Tamis

"Dropping him a firssst time in public may be no problem at all. Watch the object over there."

She will point to an object about 100 yards distant, be it a tree bush bench chair anything.

She will check first to make sure that they are alone, then Blue you know what's gonna happen here.

Tamis steps back into a shadow unslinging her bow as she goes. Knocking an arrow, she vanishes and from 50 feet across the way on the right you see you arrows streaking fire fly into the object then barely 6 seconds later another 2 join it from roughly 100 feet in the opposite direction.

Tamis then steps out of a shadow behind the group.

"Now you know all my sssecretsss. And possssibbly why i don't trussst any of you."

[Maurkov]

Hiram

Hiram steps to a drawer and from in produces a signal horn. He tosses it to Sonny. "Yes. Draw him out. It's all I've asked for."

[amanodel]

Sonny

The large man bows when Tamis performes her skills in steath and archery.

Good move, lass. But I doubt it will be suffiecient against Vito, who is said to dwell in the shadows as well. Also, if you take my advice: be careful about insulting people who are more powerful than you are.

She gestures towards Arha as he speaks.

But again, you're a talented girl. The shadow world is a dangerous business, and you can handle it well. Just be careful, lass.

Ah, ladies, don't you happen to have access for strong light spells? I remember shadow entities don't like that.

He sports a dry smile, then he turns to Hiram.

We will do what is possible. Just be ready when he'll come out. He's greedy, and most likely he'll attempt to get the horn without payment, if you know what I mean.

[Maurkov]

Hiram

"Now that that's settled, those of you who know him, what can he do?"

[wxdruid]

Arha, now composed, turns and stands next to Sharon. She replies...

"I met him when I was working with and for Lady Ibis. They gave me this bracelet in the event we found any artifacts. I can contact him using the bracelet. I know Vito IV wants anything associated with Loki. I am also quite sure he would love to meet Sharon.

"Vito IV prefers to put himself above others, he thinks nothing of stepping on anyone in his way. He wants the best of everything and he prefers to stay out of the public eye. He wore black greasy chainmail when I saw him and had a few of the mannerisms of a professional thief. I do not know his exact abilities, he didn't demonstrate them to me."

"I am pretty sure that Sharon and I, and possibly Sonny can get in to see him. I wouldn't try to get anyone else in with me. Sonny's suggestion of saying we have the horn outside the city is a good one, and he may fall for it, but I would not guarantee that he will. He may demand a hostage. In that case I will volunteer myself. I know I can get out of most buildings."

"I expect he will be very hard to draw out, and hard to kill. To me, the first step should be meeting with him. To do that, I need to be done with being pregnant, as I have already stated. And the group as a whole, needs to properly enter the city where he is and be seen. And then seek an audience with him via the bracelet."

[Maurkov]

Hiram

"There's something bothering me about the setup, let me think about it while you're getting," you waves towards her belly, "taken care of."

"He has greasy armor. That means he doesn't like to be handled, and the defense he's chosen is to wriggle free. That would keep him busy. If he's going to try a double cross, he'll bring some muscle with him, but no so much as to spook you. If they are few, well, I'd like to see your dominate in action."

[BlueWizard]

Both priests will have heard of a group of Asgardian Artifact Hunters, this search was known for some time. Those who looked for artifacts differed, but this practice has been going on for years in this mostly 'good' organization. Vito IV, is high priest of Loki, the mischievous and sometimes evil god of the Asgardian pantheon.
The nine hells and the priests of power dislike most of this Asgardian organization. There is secret war with most of these priests. Loki has been the one unfortunate Asgardian ally to the guild with any strength of force.

Within a day, Arha's 'situation' will be 'taken care of'. Sharon and she will disappear for about a day, and Tamis will get the same warning from the incubus to keep away, regardless of what the evil shadow-elf does.
{Sharon and Arha will be secretly informed of Tamis' attempt to follow them in shadow form the night before.}
The one thing you will notice is that the gold streaks in Sharon's red hair will now turn black. {OOC- Though she will be able to magically {or unmagically} dye this back, and in that case, I'll erase this bit... }

As to the spy network, Hiram will get a report that Vito IV is now vacationing in Port Carmen. A sort of jungle resort island, that is mostly wild-lands.
A few of you may have passed through here when going to the Yuanese lands or even the open sea. It is an in between point for the orc islands to the south and the vast lands of the Yuan Empire to the Southwest.
Some nobles go hunting at Port Carmen.

Likely, the Fourth was visiting the secret temple of Loki there. The priests of Asmodeus and Power often had access to the Guild's spy network before even Vito the Third himself. This is the case of this secret temple of Loki near Port Carmen City on the north side of the isle. Both Hiram and Kithas will get this information shortly after they discover Arha's lack of baby now.