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Aw, where are my manners...name's Lyle, Soliel said in an embarrassed tone, good ta meet ya then Ky, and you too Sela. Yeah, there's prolly gonna be more than words with Bannali. He upset some plans withn his double-crossin' and my employer wants that ironed out. Now you both seem like nice folks so I don't wanna get you caught up in too much. Bannali is a bad seed, you'd be doin' everyone a favor if you could let me know where to find him.
You currently have no sense of what Ky's attitude toward Bannali is.
"A pleasure Lyle" Sela tilts her head toward Soliel.
Ky responds by rocking her chair slightly back on the rear legs, "Interesting. I know of two individuals that might currently fall under that description of having some grudge against Bannali for plans gone awry. One a drow and one a former member of Coran's best and finest protectors of the peace."
Ky takes a small sip from her glass.
"As to his whereabouts, most recent word is he has been spending some time in the filth of the sewers." she gives a distasteful frown. "I could probably get you some info a bit more specific..." she leaves it hanging for a moment. "Tell me, do you represent one of the aforementioned individuals or a third party as yet unknown in this web?"
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Nothing
Soliel kept her guised expression smoothed but her thoughts raced. Nothing, nothing at all She prided herself on her ability to read others, in truth it had been perhaps the one ability she came by naturally when training to join the Friends. To not read anything regarding what this "Ky" thought of Bannali.....it could only mean ability at deception exceeding her own to detect it. Frankly, few had such ability. She recalled what she was told about this so-called source: has good leads, but don't let her in your head. Good advice
Well now, I don't think my employer would like it much if I went givin' away his name. I guess you could say a third party, see'n how as "former" members of some city protectors prolly don't pay too well. And who'd wanna work for drow? She added the last with a meaningful look at her interlocutor. So, let's stick with "third party". But good to hear I could get paid by a few folks for dealin' with Bannali. She added the last with a greedy smile.
Ky lets out a quiet laugh. "To right you are." Your not at all surprised to get the lie in that statement. Ky likely doesn't care whether she works with any particular race, drow or otherwise, so long as she can ply her trade.
"You catch on quick Lyle. For a cut I can put you in touch with both of these other individuals. Though you may want to talk with them first before you go after Bannali - they may offer aid in coin or other forms prior to you 'speaking' with your friend, but likely won't care if you come to them as an after thought."
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Soliel's mind was racing but she focused on the task at hand. Hm, how big a cut you lookin' to get? she asked warily. You give pinpoint locations on both of 'em, the drow and the former do-gooder and, yeah, I'll talk to them first, see how much they'd be willin' to pitch in. My employer never said nothin' about not cashin' in on others' interest in Bannali.
"5% is my usual cut."
"You can find the drow living in the ledges. He's taken up residence with a family by the name of di Alkanov."
"Our former army officer will take me a bit more time to locate his exact whereabouts, couple days at most. You make whatever arrangements with the drow, come back and pay me my share, and I should have the info for other."
The ledges is a small section of the city that lies on the northern edge of Coran. Stairs and catwalks lead up to a half dozen rich homes that are actually built into and extending out of the side of the cliffs.
The name di Alkanov is immediately recognizable as one of the most powerful merchant houses.
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di Alkanov's? she grunted, that's a pretty fancy place to be hangin' out. All right, I'll check it out. Might have no pay right then, folks want stuff done 'fore they pay much. Give ya your cut of anything I get up front though. I'll be back in a couple days for whatcha have on the Army guy. Both of 'em together can have the whereabouts for Bannali....after that's when we get our REAL pay. Another greedy grin, and then a farewell. Soliel then briskly headed back down to the ground floor and out the front door of the establishment. She did not spare so much as a glance to Ian or Edmond. No reason to draw a connection between us, they will know to reconvene at the Tower
As she made her way out onto the street still in disguise, she kept a keen look out for anyone following her. At first opportunity she slipped into a deserted side alley and cloaked herself in near-invisibility . She then carefully checked her possessions to ensure nothing had been slipped into her gear. More than once she had heard of magical tracking devices used this way. Afterward she shifted her disguise again to that of a non-descript human merchant woman and exited the alley in stealth, becoming visible again when the opportunity presented itself. Taking her time and taking a circuitous route with several stops at shops to ensure she is not followed, Soliel made her way back to the Tower. As she closed in she again found an unobserved space to drop into Stealth and entered the Tower grounds, reverting to her true form and visible only once inside.
Back at the Tower, Soliel paced an inner corridor, waiting for her companions to arrive back. She then sought out the Masters to make a report.
Once those in the Tower leadership who were present and available were there, Soliel offered the customary Friends salute before making her brief. I believe we have made a major breakthrough in information, though with risks. We were able to re-connect with the man named Dether, who pointed us to a woman named "Ky" at the Iron Gullet. This Dether appeared to have no warm feelings for Bannali and warned us not to be too open with Ky as she was well-connected. We went to the Iron Gullet, and following a....distraction Ian helpfully created, she briefly glanced over at the ex-guardsman, I was able to locate and made contact with Ky. She and a friend of hers, both rather attractive women with no discernable guards of any type in an establishment of the Gullet's nature, were quite willing to provide information.
Taking a breath, she went on. Keeping in mind Dether's warning, I was disguised as a mercenary looking to collect for an unnamed source regarding Bannali. Ky was interested in who I worked for, which I left unsaid. However....I would not be entirely certain she believed either my disguise or my deception and I was unable to read her feelings about our quarry.... A brief bloom of red in her pale cheeks showed just how hard that was to admit. Ky stated that Bannali was somewhere in the sewers, but had little additional information on his precise whereabouts. She did however let it be known that two others were interested in Bannali: one a drow and the other a "former Army officer". For an agreement of a 5% cut of any profits made, she promptly provided the location of the drow: in the Ledges, living with the di Alkanov's. The ex-Army officer she stated she would track down and provide contact information.
Another breath. I believe we have several major targets involved. The "drow" she refers to may most likely be Firyin, the fugitive leader of the Criminal usurpers. Why such a person would be permitted in the home of possibly the most powerful merchant family in Coran is unknown. Brother Tomlin's note mention a young man of that house who served the Tower at one point. Perhaps he could assist? The "former Army officer" may very well be our elusive Lieutenant Banmor. Why again he would have an issue with Bannali is intriguing, but in this case the man is at least as interesting to find as Bannali himself.
But there is one last piece. This "Ky"....how is it an attractive woman with no guards could reside openly unmolested in the Iron Gullet? She appears adept enough to potentially see through a trained Friend's deception and able to mask her own motives from the same. Few can do such. At the same time, there has been one target our group has sought out for quite some time. A target that has not turned up in the expected haunts and who has done the Tower grievous harm. I believe "Ky" is in the fact Mistress Diguri, leader of the Criminals. Soliel let that sink in for a moment before continuing. She would of course have no compunction about selling out Firyin or anyone else not with her faction. And we should be careful about doing the bidding of one such as her, but the leads are promising.
Soliel waited to answer any questions before going on. I recommend the following course of action, subject of course to your revisions. First, we address the Daemon situation in the sewers. With luck Bannali himself may be neutralized at that time. Second, we follow up with the di Alkenov lead and their house drow. If possible and necessary we obtain information on Bannali and then eliminate the drow. Third, we obtain a location for this ex-Army officer from "Ky" and deal with him the same as the likely Firyin. Finally, a brief smile crossed her face here before just as quickly vanishing, we assassinate Diguri.
Edmond will finish the ale he was nursing and leave about 10 minutes after Soleil does, though he will head back to the tower without much in the way of delay, though also not in a rush. He'll stop for a pint at a much more friendly establishment on the way back to the tower, to make it seem as if he was a young mage out bar-hopping, as they sometimes did.
Masters Hast and Isul listen intently to Soliel's report with growing interest.
"This is most fortuitous if all is as you believe it is."
She looks to Master Hast, who simply nods in agreement. "We will call Aurelion back from his duties in the Hold immediately while you deal with the daemons, and proceed according to your recommendations."
Ian knocks at Soliel's door.
He's back in plain clothes, out of armor. Stoic. He nods. "Can I come in?"
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Soliel froze momentarily when she heard the knock, unaccustomed to visitors and cognizant that the Tower itself was recently attacked. Unlikely they would knock she ruefully reminded herself. But ever cautious, she cloaked herself invisibly and grabbed one of her blades before slowly opening the door. Finding it was Ian, she briefly glanced around to see if there was anyone else with him before becoming visible again and sheathing her blade.
Of course, she answered the ex-guardsman's query in her oddly accented Common, but held a curious look on her face. As she stepped back from the door and let Ian in, her barely furnished room came into view, as did the acrid smell of her bubbling alchemical kit. In truth the kit, a cot and a small shrine were all the furnishings present. After Ian was fully in the room she closed the door and asked, Why do you visit? Is there some tactical considerations for tomorrow we failed to discuss?
Ian walks in and surveys the room. "Tactical? Nah."
He approaches the shrine and leans closer to examine it. "Abadar, right? Laws, cities, that kind of thing." He looks around the room again, then to Soliel. "I don't know much else about you, you keep up a mask, hide it all inside." He walks up to her, a little too close.
"Gotta be more to you than that," Ian's near enough that she notices there's a bit of alcohol on his breath, though he acts pretty sober.
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Soliel's eyes narrowed and her pupils faded to a dull black, the one sign to the world that her ancestry was not all human. She could hide it, the way her pupils changed color with her mood, but chose not too in this case. She stepped back from the much larger man as she replied, a pivot step that brought her closer to the door of the room.
Yes, Abadar. The one of very few deities that understands that Order of Law and its proper dispensers is the only thing standing between us and the Abyss. As for me....did Brother Tomlin explain nothing of the Friends to you? For those of us that understand what the Mageocracy stands for, there is no higher honor than to devote one's self to it's defense. And to whatever that defense requires.
Arms now folded in front of her she gave the ex-guardsman an appraising look, and a frown. Brother Tomlin advised me of your....substance use. Does the liquor replace the pesh, or is it merely an addition? Soliel's body language made it clear that no answer was likely to be the right one. I will remind you as Brother Tomlin did, we have a Duty to the Mageocracy to be at peak performance when executing our tasks. I certainly hope, her tone more than suggesting she expected her hope would be dashed, that you will have slept off the influence of any such substances by morning. Pesh withdrawal, as I am sure you know, makes one sluggish. I would not want to have to waste my time making doses of the drug to suppress such side-effects.
She placed on hand on the door but did not open it yet. Now, was there anything else?
Ian walks to the door but stops and looks at her. "I'm always ready, always sharp, when I need to be. You should try to enjoy life a little when you're off duty, or one day when you're older you'll look back and realize you could have easily done both: your duty, and some fun."
He hesitates a moment to look her in the eyes, but then just walks out, heading back to his room. That clearly didn't go as well as he'd hoped.
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Soliel returned a flat-eyed look in response to Ian's advice. A good night to you, remember that tomorrow is an important day, she said as the ex-guardsman turned to leave. Her eyes had lighted to a dull gray, but were as cold and emotionless as ever as Ian left and the door gently closed behind him.
You should enjoy life a little she repeated internally to herself in a mocking tone, now he sounds like that idiot Roland. She turned back to her percolating alchemy set, and lifted a piping hot beaker with her bare hand to check the progress of the contents. Almost ready Setting the beaker back on the flame she mused, the man is not totally wrong. It IS important to have some enjoyment in life.
Soliel thought back to a few past missions, to the feeling when a life ebbs out of a body at her hands. Few humans seemed to completely understand that joy. She supposed she had her mother's influence to thank for that. Such a conflicting figure, her mother. The woman was a devil, literally, and one that sold off her daughter as an afterthought. But also the source of so much that brought Soliel her own power. No love, such a trifling emotion, but respect for dear old mum, yes.
After completing her alchemical restocking Soliel locked her door with the usual wire-strung alarm for intruders and slept. Afterward, she rose, said her prayers to Abadar in the way of the Friends, and completed her morning ritual of turning a few compound packets into elixirs before eating a Spartan, nearly tasteless breakfast. Morning preparations complete, she met up with Edmond and Ian to set out to the sewers, making no mention of Ian's visit the night before.
As the group prepares to descend into the sewers once again Master Isul approaches with a half-orc trailing just slightly behind her. Dark brown hair, a dark red leather coat over a clean and pressed white shirt distinguishes him from the stereotypical half-orc.
"This is Captain Wraxus Drake, formerly serving in the guard and until recently was on patrol between Coran and Gumlat. Given that Master Bellafini now has other responsibilities to attend to we've changed Wraxus assignment. His well proven worth in the field should be a good match for the difficulties you are taking on. I'll leave it to you to brief him on your current endeavors."
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Soliel rapidly goes to position of attention as Master Isul approaches, pounding her right fist to her chest in salute. Yes, ma'am. We will ensure Captain Drake is properly briefed and prepared for the mission. We will not fail this time.
Soliel render salute again as Master Isul left then turned to the newcomer. Her look was one of scrutiny, a sizing up, but otherwise her features gave away no feeling. In oddly accented Common she stated, the Masters have entrusted us with several missions of high importance. I certainly hope you are prepared for a change of scenery, as where we are about to go is not nearly so pleasent on the eyes or nose as the Coran-Gumlat roads. If you have questions, ask.
Pointing to her companions she added, this is Ian, her gesture went to the large, older man in plate armor with a greatsword over his back. And this is Edmond, noting the non-descript halfling also with the group, and this is.....snake-man....Edmomnd can tell you a bit more about his...friend.
Ian nods as he's introduced. "Former guard."
Wraxus salutes Master Isul before stepping forward toward the assembled group. "Pleasure, to meet you all. This city is my home, and its defense is my charge. In this duty I have seen many places and faced my share of danger. I doubt I'd be given such an assignment as this had I not."
Looking down at the two vials still resting in his left hand, he slips them into a pocket of his jacket before continuing. "Given the nature of these potions, shall I assume we will be getting a bit wet?" Despite his obvious orcish heritage, Wraxus is eloquent, well mannered, and stands with a distinctly straight posture.
"Snake man is my bodyguard." the halfling says wryly. "I hope you like burning things."
Wraxus smirks. "You think me a blazer, how quaint. Yes, if needs be I can wield spells that scorch and burn. Any halfwit can cast a fireball at a crowd, wounding friend and foe alike, just as a raging orc can brutally cleave with an axe. But to use skill, as your companions undoubtedly can with their blades, that requires something more... my knowledge is far more diverse, ranging from enhancing my allies to altering the terrain around me. But, I am perhaps most skilled at conjuring allies from the Realms Beyond to do my bidding... Shall I be ready with some celestial sharks for this aquatic foray?"
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Soliel watched the conversation between Edmond and the newcomer with an unreadable expression, before taking the opportunity to jump into a pause. You misunderstood what he intended, Captain Drake. Edmond hopes you enjoy when things burn. He is quite adept at such, and needs little assistance. For your part, conjuring allies can be quite useful, for they can easily be sacrificed without risking the sensibilities of the squeamish.
But to your question: not just water, but sewer water. The creature we last fought there can control the water levels, so conjured creatures that favor such conditions would be advantageous. Taking a step back as if addressing the whole group. Now, are there any other preparations before we depart?
Ian seems satisfied with the new recruit, though he sighs and glances at Soliel when the half-orc starts his monologue.
"Yeah, welcome to the glamorous city life, I almost f%#$in' drowned in sewer water. Let's go do it again, but this time I'll be able to breathe that sewer water. This'll be fun."
The group makes its way back down into the extensive sewer systems below Coran, the stench of the waste of tens of thousands making for foul air.
Ian chugs a waterbreathing potion, draws his sword, and goes in first.
Wraxus looks down at the watery entrance. "I take it you are already familiar with what lies ahead, and so we have little need for major reconnaissance at this time?"
Soliel moves quietly into the pool room, but Ian doesn't seem to have the patience to wait for her or for Wraxus option of scouting via magic, and enters a moment later.
The bodies of the ceustodaemon slain earlier are no longer present.
A strange cacophany a noise enters your mind. After just a brief moment you realize it is something trying to speak directly to your mind, but it is in no language you know.
Watching Ian storm directly into the pool, Wraxus shrugs. "Guess not." And quaffs the first water breathing potion in his possession. He will also cast mage armor, using a charge from his lesser extend rod, granting it a 12 hour duration.
Edmond will drink his waterbreathing potion when the others do.
A ripple of water emanates from somewhere near the center of the pool, but otherwise everything continues quietly.
Ian grunts and holds the side of his head, pointing the greatsword out at the water.
"F@&$ers trying to talk to me, in my head. Can't understand it."
He waits till he can see something to attack, and then he'll attack it.
Edmond will place a blessing on each party member and snake man, giving them +1 luck to all saving throws for an hour.
Wraxus takes a more aggressive posture at Ian's cursing. "Who is trying to talk in your head, that shadow in the water?!"
Seconds continue to tick by, while the center of the pool begins to froth and bubble, a cascade of waves lapping the edges of the walkway, but still the daemon does not reveal itself, seeming content, for now at least, to allow the group to make the first move.
Ian walks down into the water and goes looking for the beastie.
Wraxus sighs as before beginning an incantation. "Great, I get assigned to the team of mutes and madmen. Here we go..." Wraxus's hands circle and weave as he starts the lengthy arcane spell.