Farrina surveys the establishment.
"I think I did a show here once," she says thoughtfully. "If I recall, one of the crowd didn't care for my disappearing/reappearing egg trick."
The entertainer rolls her eyes.
"I told him it washes out."
At Dayne's suggestion of a stiff drink, she moves behind the bar to investigate.
"Hmmmm ... let's see if there's anything left, shall we?"
Alcohol, proof that the gods love us!
Alcohol, proof that the gods love us!
Farrina's voice echos out from under the bar where she appears to be rummaging around.
"Or proof that they can't screw up everything."
"Alcohol. Proof. I get it. Good one guys."
Trying not to listen to the banter, Til actually investigates the space.
There isn't much around, Tilorean. The register has long been emptied and there are no signs of recent habitation. The man you brought with you has been beaten unconscious, and has yet to wake up.
We need to tend to his wounds. Alas, I am no healer
[ooc] did my heal check gain us anything?[ooc]
Not finding anything salvagable to drink, Farrina returns from behind the bar to take a seat at one of the tables.
"No luck. The place has been stripped clean," she says with obvious disappointment.
She reaches into her bag and produces a deck of Harrow cards. With a skillful flourish, she begins shuffling them.
"So who's up for a game of 'Chase the Monkey' until the ruckus outside dies down?" she asks. "We can start with small stakes if anyone's short on funds."
The Fabulous One pushes up the scarves around her wrists.
"No magic, I promise."
Deal me in!
"Do you need any help tending to your noble friend?"
"Seeing as I don't really know what I'm doing, any help would be appreciated."
It appears that the man has been beaten unconscious. He is not bleeding out and would likely recover on his own with enough bed rest. Magical healing will clearly aid his recovery.
"I don't know much, either, but I figure we stretch him out and try to make him comfortable. We could use the bar, the floor, a table . . .."
Jego lays his hands on the man, uttering a quiet prayer and calling upon divine power to heal his wounds.
The man is clearly still injured, but some of the worst of his injuries mend before your eyes, and he wakes, albeit groggily. He looks around, clearly confused.
"W...where am I? What happened?"
"You were knocked out by some dottari but you're safe now...relatively speaking."
Indeed, some common thugs wer about to deal grave damage to your noggin, but we routed them and you are safe for the moment. Beorn gestures around We are in an abandoned tavern and can wait out the riot.
Farrina gathers the cards from the table.
"Care to join us for a hand or two?" she says as she begins shuffling the cards again.
In a stage whisper to Beorn, she adds, "He's a noble - maybe he's got more than a few coins in his pouch."
Still looks too bruised to be a proper card partner
Still looks too bruised to be a proper card partner
"So you're saying that he might not play as well as he should?" Farrina replies with an expression of extreme innocence.
"How terrible!"
Dayne makes a face at Farrina as if to say ...come on...
"Ignore her. My name is Dayne. Who are you and what were you doing taking on a squad dottari alone?"
Dayne makes a face at Farrina as if to say ...come on...
Farrina responds with a innocent smile.
"Ignore her. My name is Dayne. Who are you and what were you doing taking on a squad dottari alone?"
"Yeah," Farrina adds with a giggle, "That's the kind of thing crazy people do."
She frowns.
"Well I wouldn't, but I mean your normal garden variety crazy."
Her smile returns.
"Farrina the Fabulous, pleased to make your acquaintance."
Settling down into a semi-comfortable position to start the wait, Til turns to the injured man. "This man," pointing at Dayne, "was very interested in keeping you from being beaten to death. We just helped get you clear. But, I'm curious, why would the Thrune's thugs be out to kill one of the Victocoras? What have you done to attract that sort of attention?"
Beorn the Divine, aspiring singer.
The man grins a bit sheepishly, raking a hand through his sandy hair.
"Ah...well, I don't think they were after me, specifically. They had set upon a couple of the protestors and...well, I couldn't let anything happen to them. Looks like I bit off a bit more than I could chew. I should also...probably not wear my ring out in the open, eh? As you have so shrewdly divined, I am a Victocora. Rexus is my name and it would please me greatly to have you call me by that.
I was looking for some of you at the protest...I can only assume it's fate that you happened upon me and managed to rescue me. I suppose a bit of an explanation is in order, eh?
Until last week’s Night of Ashes, I was one of this city’s nobles. My parents’ estate burned to the ground that night— I escaped simply because I was studying at the Alabaster Academy during the fire. There
were other fires that night, as you know— fires that many believe were started by Barzillai Thrune or his agents in an attempt to squash any spirit of rebellion Kintargo might have.
Now more than ever we need that spirit of rebellion to stay strong, but Thrune’s actions have driven into hiding those who would stay strong and resist. Those who could once rally the city to a cause, such as Lord-Mayor Jilia Bainilus and my parents, are missing at best, and are more likely dead. I cannot do this on my own, but with the aid of talented citizens such as yourselves, I have hope that we can. Will you aid Kintargo? Will you save the city from the devil?"
You have to ask? OF COURSE!
"You weren't there, or at least I don't remember seeing you, but several of us were speaking out against Thrune during the protest. I don't think he has any friends in here with us."
At being reminded of the Night of Ashes, Farrina's face goes dark and she looks uncharacteristically nervous and fearful. Quickly, however, the timidity is replaced with her customary glibness.
"To be totally honest," Farrina adds with smirk, "I don't think he's got any real friends out there either. So how hard could it be?"
She shuffles the deck of cards in her hands one more time, and flips over the top one.
"See?"
The card shows a fool with a mask being hounded by goblins (The Idiot)
"Dammit!" She snarls in frustration as she flips over the next one.
An undead knight (The lost).
"Cut it out, Francis! Leave the cards to me."
She rapid picks the cards back up and stows them away in her bag.
to Rexus and those who have already agreed:
"Do you know what you're asking? You want to go up against one of the most militaristic and powerful Empires in the modern world. if you're hiding an army somewhere that'd be great, but we are simply out manned and out matched. The only way they've taken power is because there is nothing they won't do. You saw them today, how they treat their own people. What makes you think we stand a chance?"
My friend you are just in a slump! It is perfectly understandable that after such a violent display that one would become disheartened and surrender. However, we must not let that discourage us! We will take small steps and turn the hearts of Kintargians against the mayor and oust him!
"And what, vote him out of office? The mayors authority doesn't come from 'the hearts of Kintargans'. It comes from the soldiers loyal to him, of which there are many."
"No, I'm not hiding an army," Farrina responds rising from her chair and displaying her empty hands. "But you'd be amazed at what I can hide," she continues as a blue sphere appears as if out of nowhere in her left hand.
"Nope, it's not a army," she shrugs. "Hells, it's not even a weapon."
The Colorful One moves her hands and the ball rolls from her left to her right hand. She raises it for all to see.
"But you'd be amazed at what a little misdirection can do," she adds with a giggle. She holds up her left hand and where it was empty before, it now holds a dagger.
"You say we need an army. I say b+@!&#~!. If we need an army then we're doing it wrong. An army will draw the full military might of the empire. That will do nothing but get us dead. What we need to be is a dagger in the right place."
As quick as it appeared, the dagger is gone.
"Although to be entirely honest, I don't have a f+~~ing clue why we should put ourselves on the line anyway."
The entertainer's voice, normally bold and brassey, shifts in tone to a softer and deeper note.
"Because they closed the opera, that's why. Did you ever hear Leathias sing? or Drombun? or Shensen? It was transcendence. To take that away from the people is an heinous act of such cruelty that ..."
Farrina pauses and mimes sticking her finger down her throat while making a gagging noise.
"Oh please! I'm ten times the singer that Leathias is," she says, her voice regaining its normal edge. "But before I can get on that stage and prove it ... we need to be a dagger."
"He does not derive his AUTHORITY from the soldiers. He derives his POWER from them. Authority comes from the loyal service of people who choose to follow you. Kings have nobles who support them, who have other nobles who support them, who have normal people who support them. None of my neighbors have convinced me they support Thrune. Most of them cower in fear of his power. An evil like Thurne must be overthrown, or everything that makes Kintargo Kintargan will be lost. As she says, though, we can't meet his power with power. It would take too long and attract more power in his defense. We have to be invisible, invasive, indefatigable, and . . .. There has to be another good word to finish that with."
"Oh, you are a tempter," Farrina says to Tilorean. "I could never resist a straight line."
She begins ticking off on her fingers as she continues.
"Incapable, inept, idiotic, ignominious, impulsive, impenitent, immoral, impaired, impious, irresponsible, irritating, insane ... "
Her eyes roam to the ceiling as if looking for inspiration.
"I could say irreverent, but that's a little on the nose."
You think irreverent is the word that's too on the nose?
"Did I miss any?"
"Yes, at least the right one."
Farrina looks confused and then thoughtful for a moment, before smiling.
"Nope, pretty sure I covered it all," she says with conviction.
So what do you say, Dayne? Join us in this endeavor!
"You're walking to your doom..."
Then he remembers the code of Torag, as taught to him by his father:
my allegiance is to my people. I will do what is necessary to serve them
"...but I will walk with you. Do we have a plan?"
Well good Rexus, we have a beginning here. Do you have any ideas on how we could start?
As for Brassire, let us find ways to turn his proclamations against him. He says he is offering a bounty on vermin? Well let us set up rat farms and enrich ourselves at his expense!