"Sister!" The ghost exclaimed as the two men attacked. She lunged at one of the men with an outstretched arm, fists balled up tightly. Though the image is that of a child struggling helplessly, the wounds inflicted tell another story.
"I beg of you!" She pleads, tears of blood flowing down her cheeks and the deep gash of her neck wound reopening, contorting into a horrifying caricature of a frightened, wounded little girl, "Leave my sister alone!"
"Hmph, barely a warm up. Hopefully those in the inn are more entertaining."
Kiyomi has the information that they need and Julie seems to be literally tearing through the pistoleros. There was no need to dally out here further. She enters the inn quietly to evaluate the combat.
The battle between the fencer and the ... other combatant seems to be well matched at the time. But the two thugs against the two sisters is unfair. She'll hurl an invisible blade at the nearer one.
[ooc]1 becomes 3 for 16 damage[/dice]
The Courtyard.
Julie obliterated the final pistol fighter, slicing him in half with a strike from the evil weapon.
The Common Room.
The woman with the Estoc once again tried to block the assault incomming, desperately trying to survive.
Only one of the attacks was blocked, leaving the woman with the Estoc in critical condition. Still, with no obvious way to back up she attacked again, hoping to land a strike.
Both attacks landed on the men fighting Karnelia, making them both retreat in fear. Kiyomi cut one down with her attack, leaving one running for the backdoor and the leader fighting Ellara.
Ellara growled as the woman struck her, but instead of ripping out her throat, the girl chose to talk instead. "If you don't want to die, surrender now." she said, staring into the woman's eyes. "Whatever you're fighting for isn't worth dying over. This is the only chance I'm going to give you." she didn't actually NEED to kill the woman - and indeed, sparing her would probably be better long-term, especially if they could extract information from her.
Ellara's request is punctuated by two men's heads flying through the window, their faces grotesque masks of death.
"I'd listen to the lady, she's far more civilized than I."
"Fine, fine." The woman raised her thin-bladed weapon up and dropped it. "Not enough gold in this job to be worth dying over anyway. I assume this is the bit where you ask me all the questions in return for me leaving?" She glanced at the severed heads. "Ouch. Well, most men don't need those anyway. Who were they?"
"More lackeys, perhaps hired by a different face or banner, but to the same end, no doubt."
Ellara's body shifted and morphed back to her human form - although she didn't mention that she'd chosen to retain a few tricks that might come in handy instead of totally reverting. "Whether or not you leave depends on your answers. I do not recommend trying to lie to me. Who are you and who do you work for?"
Kiyomi follows up on this with her words at an even tone, but hard as an adamantine chisel. "You will also tell us what your exact orders are and where you will go to report. Should you lie, we will extract this information in such a way that your agony will not end with your death. Your only bargaining point is that we will immediately go after the man who hired you and you will have the opportunity to run very far away very quickly. If you contact anybody else in the conspiracy, we will find you."
"Lie? Me?" The woman smiles brightly, but her eyes dart between the four of you. "I wouldn't dream of it. No, not a single thought of that." Sighing, she looked around. "I'm a mercenary. My orders were to hunt down three people - the Princess' bodyguards - and use them to find the Princess herself. Can't find any of them, though. But Sir Bearington over there showed up, and while none of the spells we were looking for said it was what we wanted, I thought to myself 'A big bear running around with a piece of pretty the Princess' Druid bodyguard wears? Seems pretty likely a connection.' And so we found it and poisoned it. Either it's the Druid there own self, or a Druid's pet. Either would be useful."
"Who were your orders were from, and what were you to do with the Princess once you found her?" Ellara asked, leaning a bit closer and letting her claws grow out of her fingertips. Honestly, she was expecting something like 'it was all anonymous and I've no idea who I'm basically committing treason for, nor did I bother to set up reasonable safeguards to protect myself from anyone willing to go this far', but at least she could hear it from the woman's own mouth. If nothing else, Ellara was fairly certain the woman had realized that lying - or even dancing around the truth - would be a pretty bad idea. Especially given how the kingdom might treat her if she didn't cooperate.
(Not that she intended to actually hurt the woman if she cooperated. Ellara could be scary, yes, but she was also honorable and fair. If the woman surrendered and cooperated, she'd be treated accordingly. Ellara might even speak on her behalf and recommend leniency from a court if she cooperated enough.)
Lady Karnelia looks on as the interrogation progresses, struck silent by the sudden appearance of the two decapitated heads and the brutal slaying of her assaulters.
S-such violence! Is carnage of this caliber truly necessary?
Similarly-frightened, Little Sister seeks shelter within the confines of etherealness, disappearing back into Lady Karnelia's consciousness.
"From my boss, master of the Red Banner Mercernary Company, Val Teldos Gamor." Holding up a hand, she added, "And no, I have no idea who he took this job from, or if this is even an official hire and not simply cashing in on the whole hunt situation. I just do what I'm told."
"Then you know nothing of use to us. Keep quiet." If she even glances at her weapon, she will shake her head.
After she is gone, Kiyomi will say, "We have two middlemen to follow up on. Val Gamor and Bandel Firus. If one of them has the princess, we could rescue her before they move her. If we choose wrong, or if neither has them, then we've wasted precious time. The other option is to report this to the palace. What say you?"
Julie's eyes flit between Lady Karnelia and the heads for a moment, noting her fellow noble's disapproval. Lady Julienne looks down, perhaps ashamed of the reproach of someone of standing, however ill-favored by the court they are.
However, at the mention of the mission, Julie's reclaimed her imperious composure, "If these men are indicative of their quality, the answer is simple, follow both leads. If I can take out a squad of their men in my nightclothes, they will fare even worse once I am properly attired. To say nothing of how they may simply be convinced to give us the answers we seek." She pauses for a moment. "Question, who is Bandel Firus and how do we know about him?" Julie looks to Kiyomi, mildly confused and hesitant to admit so.
Ellara raised an eyebrow. "Your plan was to find the princess... by killing the only person in the immediate area who could have helped you find where she was?" she asked, clearly skeptical. Either this woman hadn't thought her plan through very well or she was genuinely stupid, and mercenaries weren't usually stupid.
"Alternatively, a third lead is our bear... friend? Apparently?" Julie notes Ellara referring to the bear as a person, and also seems confused on that account.
"He wouldn't talk to us under normal circumstances either, especially if he's the Druid." The woman shrugged. "It seemed worth the risk, given the idea of fighting a large bear fair and square. Most people's tongues are shaken loose by the first seizures. If nothing else, I'm sure someone could re-animate him as something more liable to tell us the truth."
Reanimation made sense, assuming the druid hadn't taken precautions against that sort of thing. (Which was standard practice in House Khalavest, actually. It helped discourage going too far with necromancy experiments.)
On the other hand, they'd fought a bear (which was bigger and probably not as vulnerable to poisons - and which COULDN'T TALK) in what was increasingly seeming like a rather poorly-planned move on their part.
Eh. Oh well.
Ellara leaned down slightly and sniffed a few times, making her actions very obvious. "I know your scent now." she said, committing it to memory. "If you try to escape, I can and will find you later, and I will not show mercy when I do. Wash yourself with soap, roll around in dung, doesn't matter. I'll smell you. Now go turn yourself in to House Khalavest, and tell them Ellara said to have you under house arrest at one of their places. I know for a fact they treat prisoners well, and the more you cooperate, the stronger the chance they'll set you free in a few days as an incidental party instead of hanging you as a traitor to the kingdom who put the princess at risk."
It might have seemed harsh at first, but Ellara really was trying to help the mercenary woman. And if she behaved in a way that suggested she didn't deserve that help, well... the princess was too important to let a mercenary like this one have another shot at her. So... harsh, but also fair, and a lot less harsh than it could have been.
Fundamentally, Ellara was nice.
"I overheard the leader cursing his employer's name as he expired." she explains. "You were busy dealing with his flunkies. But that is not so important now."
She turns to the bear, "As the authority here, should we return to the palace? Or follow one of these leads? " She looks for a gesture to
"Ah, good, good." Julie seemed completely satisfied with this answer.
Hmph, or the mercenary could just skip town. That'd fool your sense of smell, no doubt. Julie doesn't approve of Ellara's diplomatic tack, but keeps it to herself unless someone happens to be reading her mind. Which is improbable but not inconceivable.
Smiling brightly, the mercenary nodded and headed for the door.
Ellara looked down at the druid as Kiyomi asked a question, and after a moment, repeated the question in Bear as she bent down to see how he(?) was doing. She actually wasn't too worried about the mercenary woman. If she was truly focused on herself, as many were, she'd realize that cutting her losses and turning herself in would be MUCH better than running. Besides, House Khalavest had freaky ways of tracking people down. If she was dumb enough to do otherwise, well, she'd regret it sooner or later.
"What horrible times have fallen on this town." Lady Karnelia comments to herself, approaching the man-turned-bear with concern, hoping for more answers.
Only partially concious and confused, the bear insisted they follow the Princess, muttering about the red door. The rest was most incoherent ramblings which sounded like growls and whimpers to others.
<"Ssh, don't worry. Rest now."> Ellara told the bear, glancing back to the others. The innkeepers ought to make sure the place was safe enough (and had plenty of motivation to do so now), and it was time to track down these leads. "Right-o, let's go!" she said, intending to head to these... Umbral Markets.
Assuming she could find them, of course. But she didn't doubt her abilities in that regard.
"Well, which lead were you planning to investigate?"
"W-where are you going?" Lady Karnelia asks after a few seconds of hesitation. "If it can help find the princess, please... Allow me to accompany you."
Ooooh, right, they didn't speak Bear. "The bear said something about the Umbral Markets and someone called Thiladore. I'm going to find them." she answered, continuing to move.
"If you have the courage to help, then we welcome you and your sister." she says gracefully. "While formal introductions may have to wait, I am Kiyomi, student of the Harmonious Lotus and of the Invisible Blade."
She is ready to move with the others.
"I am Lady Karnelia of House Traegoh, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though I wish it were in better circumstances," Karnelia replies, hesitantly.
"Let us gather our belongings and meet back here as soon as possible."
"Lady Julienne Hazier of House Garesh, or alternatively, Captain Julie Die Vult, privateer. Either suits me. And agreed, Lady Karnelia, my armor is upstairs."
The Umbral Markets are essentially a black market, where the trade of almost anything can be found...for a price. It's been rumoured that so long as the Market's masters obey certain rules, the Crown will not actively seek to destroy it as it has other such 'enterprises'. This includes no slave trading and a limit on who can trade in narcotics, to help make sure they do not contain any more harmful but cheap compounds.
Entry, is, however, an issue. While the Crown is not actively seeking to destroy it, there is nothing stopping anyone else from attempting it either. It is said, therefore, that you can only enter the market through certain doors in the city, with a certain mark, and a certain colour.
over
Ellara wasted no time at all in discreetly asking people for more information about the exact entrances to the Umbral Markets. She didn't think a door could stop her - there were very few places she couldn't reach - but it was probably easiest to go in as normal for now.
...
Well, normal-ish. She had exactly no intention of wearing her real face for this, and did not do so while gathering information.
Kiyomi will suggest splitting up into groups of two and meeting up periodically. She'll take Lady Karnelia.
After they split up, she'll say, "Ellara isn't the only one who can change her face." She will change into the form of a man who could pass in the criminal side. After that, she will change her clothes.
If she finds a person she believes has the information but who won't respond, she'll take other measures.
"It would be foolish to assume our enemies do not have another squad against the bear. I'll guard our friend while you search."
"It might be best that I remain as well. I have little skill for disguise, and my presence in the dark markets would be ill-seen," Lady Karnelia adds.
"We can work with that." She turns to Ellara, "It looks like you and me."
In a short period Ellara and Kiyomi manage to find a mostly reputable jewel dealer who occasionally acquires gems at a suspiciously high discount. With his aid, and the knowledge that the door is currently red, one is able to find one reasonably near the Inn. The building is a dark, single story home with no obvious sign of current occupation.
~~~
In the mean time, Ma Kelsi arrived at the Gentle Ambler's Rest. Several antidotes and several Neutralize Poison spells later, the bear is sleeping peacefully. Turning to Karnelie, Julie and the Barkeep, she said, "It will take time for him to regain the damage the poison did. And I have no idea of how to break the curse upon him."
Along the way, Ellara shifted to a different form than the one she'd used to make inquiries. This time, she took the form of an older man, one with a somewhat scraggly beard, a dangerous air, and yet a fair bit of competence... enough to have a fair bit of coin. Almost as an afterthought, Ellara added a few scars and a broken nose to her disguise to complete it, then moved to head through the named door and enter the markets.
Kiyomi will shift into a man of similar age. Thinner, less scarred, but walking like somebody who knows what they're doing in the shadows. He'll be dressed in nice clothes, though a little older. There'll be just a bit of favoring his left side, as if he's trying to conceal it.
Opening the door to the house reveals...the house itself. Sitting at a table are several people, armed and obviously not interested in talking. A small men moved past his larger collegues with an oily smile. "Welcome, welcome! Welcome to the Umbral Markets. Now if you are new to our little shop or not, allow me to explain how this works. A small fee will grant entry to the Markets through the rear of this humble abode. Once there you may remain as long as you wish. Any poor behaviour will be met with deep regret from the things asked to keep the peace. Once you desire to leave you will be exiting into another place - you will not return here under any circumstance."
After gathering yourselves and making sure Hasker the Druid is safe, you all return and gain admittance to the Markets.
It becomes clear as to why the Markets are so hard to find when the owners do not want it found. Walking through the door leaves you with a strange, lurching sensation and you find yourself underground. Some kind of teleportation effect. The noise of the markets, the smells and the sights hits like a hammer, in a huge wave as you enter.
The market itself takes up the floor and walls of a huge cavern. The remains of several buildings have been used for some of the larger ones, but most of them are ramshackle, but solid. No one wants there store to be weak and easy to break into. You can see what appears to be part of a sewer or other system up, near the room of the cavern.
"So, we'll need to locate this... Teh.. Tul.. I could swear it's on the tip of my tongue, but all I remember for sure is the name starts with a T."
"Thiladore." Ellara said, 'his' voice scratchy and deep. "Me, I'd discreetly ask around in one of the taverns. People there usually know where to find others, or at least where to start looking."
As you talk a man who could have been the twin of the one who let you in sidles up. "Welcome, welcome! Welcome to the Umbral Markets. Here we have almost anything that your heart can desire and your wallet can afford. As you may or may not know, the Markets change along with the entrances. If there is anything that can be done to help..." He smiles cheerfully.
"This doesn't seem like a very safe place to be," Lady Karnelia whispers to her companions, eyes darting around for fear of being attacked, and praying she wouldn't be recognized.
Little Sister tags along for safety in numbers, clinging to her sibling as she follows the group.
The two of them stay to the back, preferring to let their companions speak.