The VC shakes his head.
"I have no supplies to hand along that would benefit a diplomatic mission. Only best luck wish for you."
"You'll have to get your own supplies from the city itself."
@ Nemesis,
"If anything, try convincing key people of her innocence.
I don't know their organization's structure, but perhaps getting specific officers on your side, could aid your case."
@ Mylvwara,
"Not much lately, as far as i've heard. I suppose any hungry wildlife of sufficient caliber might try, but i haven't heard talk of such lately."
”Then let us make haste!“ Shardra says in her deep voice and closes her eyes.
And so the team heads out, their transport already arranged, a space in a supply caravan headed for the Hellknights' fortress.
While underway, the 14-hour trip is quiet and uneventful, and the group arrives at the start of the evening.
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Carved from black stone and crowned with steel spikes, a pair of spindly towers shadow the precipitous stair that climbs to the foot of Vraid’s steel gate, which currently stands open.
Within is a heavily guarded chamber with two visible exits, one to the north and another to the south.
The gate is guarded by a dozen Hellknight gate-maralictors who watch over the interior atrium through their menacing full-plate helmets.
One additional Hellknight stands apart from the rest, a woman with short black hair, holding her helmet in the crook of her arm.
"Greetings, visitors. I am Field-Maralictor Elixia Makorios, your primary liaison during your visit to Citadel Vraid."
She nods seriously at you, before asking quite upfront:
"Are you the pathfinders, that seek Zarta Dralneen’s freedom?"
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Mylvwara smiles at the hellknight, "Yes, that's us. It should be a formality really."
She nods to the armoured ranks, "Pleasure to meet you all. Fascinating place, honestly, I have so many questions..."
Then she catches herself, "Apologies, Field-Maralictor Makorios, I am Mylvwara Elberion, Field Agent and Scribe."
She pauses and looks to her colleagues.
Shardra bows.
”May the spirits protect you! We are here indeed to speak to you about our companion that has been imprisoned based on forged evidence! We have brought with us all the documents that you need to be able to discern for yourself that you have an innocent person imprisoned!“
Field-Maralictor Makorios shrugs at Nemesis' bold statement.
"If you'd be important enough to appear in any records, we'd have heard of you before you arrived. We did not."
She looks quite sternly at Brallenera, who likewise states her friends imposed title.
"I take it you'll refrain from any mayhem while you are here. I hardly need to remind you of where you currently are."
When Shardra tries convincing her of their mission, she holds up her hand briefly, to cut her short.
"It is not i you should talk to about such matters.
The release of a prisoner is the decision of our order's leader, Lictor
Severs DiViri."
"However, one does not simply go to the Lictor. You need a signature of 2 of his direct subordinates.
Mistress of Blades Maidrayne Vox, who stands out among us all, and Paravicar Acillmar. Their signatures will indicate something of importance is to be brought under the Lictor's attention."
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”Fascinating organisational structure... sorry, how do you spell your surname?”
Mylvwara has a notebook in hand and is making swift notes in her own Elvish shorthand.
”Please, take us to whoever we can see most quickly, no time like the present.”
Any time they travel, Mylvwara quizzes their host: ”Para is a very flexible prefix: does it denote a senior or inferior rank? And this three-step crenellation, is it decorative or purposeful...?
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Field-Maralictor Makorios shrugs at Nemesis' bold statement.
"If you'd be important enough to appear in any records, we'd have heard of you before you arrived. We did not."
"Ah. Well in that case, what a relief! Your contingent back at Citadel Vraid always gave off an impression that there was nothing you ignored."
"Nothing important, anyway."
Why is "Annoy" not a skill you can put points in?
Para is a very flexible prefix: does it denote a senior or inferior rank? And this three-step crenellation, is it decorative or purposeful...?
"A rank with an affix of Para, is one high in our order's hierarchy. As for the three-step, i'm not an architect. The purpose can vary per case."
Arriving at a hall, it is clear why Maidrayne Vox stands out.
She's a centaur in heavy armor, towering a good 2 1/2 feet above the non-dwarves among you.
Contrary to the other hellknights nearby, she looks less... grumpy.
Shardra nods at Nemesis with a smile.
She takes the dossier they received with the evidence and takes out the relevant documents.
”Dear Mistress of Blades Maidrayne Vox, we are Pathfinders and were sent here to provide you evidence that Zarta Dralneen is innocent. We respect your laws and thus have chosen to present you all the required proof so you can release her!“
She points at the relevant information.
”You see here that we discovered proof that the evidence you received earlier are forged letters apparently written in Dralneen’s hand. These fictitious letters hinted at a rebellious alliance between the paracountess and the house’s political enemies. But we discovered the paracountess’s personal travel logs, which prove she was away from Absalom at the time when the letters claim she met with her conspirators in the Petal District!“
Vox bows slightly to take it from the dwarfess' hand and read it.
"Hmm. Uh-hmm."
She then hands it back.
"You've clearly traveled a long way and i'd like to believe it.
Though your organization has some mixed reputations, and i'd be disregarding my duties if i were to take anything at first glance as indesputable proof. For all i would know, this document is a forgery itself."
Shardra raises an eyebrow.
”I had hoped to find a more trusting environment - and not accusations indicating that we forged these documents although you have no indication to believe so if you would check these documents. Please be assured that that we are not lying and these documents are absolutely correct! If you want to interrogate us via magic or if you want us to give you more details so that you understand our character then of course we can provide such details! But I also hope that you see that our methods are conforming with hellknight procedures and that we are here to obtain your signature so that we can ultimately present our case to Lictor Severs DiViri!“
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Nemesis spends a moment contemplating a small mirror of polished obsidian before coming forward to add her voice.
"When I first joined the Society, before the massive restructuring, I did so specifically under Mistress Dralneen's auspices. I know her well enough to know that these charges don't sound like her."
”I had hoped to find a more trusting environment - and not accusations indicating that we forged these documents although you have no indication to believe so if you would check these documents.
"I am merely stating the fact that your organization has mixed reputations, and in the least am i accusing -you specifically- of forgery.
Whether i do or do not have indication, is not for you to decide, lady dwarf."She crosses her arms, though you get the impression it's not meant as hostile as the other hellknights in this place would make it be.
"I firmly believe caution and laws can make for a more peaceful world, and anything brought to our attention should be treated with a careful eye. You do your job, and i do mine.", she adds with some apparent pride.
Most likely, this centaur woman is the friendliest, or in the least most forward to non-members, member of the order present.
She thinks you lot over, leaving you in wait for a solid minute.
"Your willingness in cooperating within our strict fortress is admirable. Very well.", she takes a spongy piece of resin from a small locket in a pouch, and dips her ring in it, before pressing her signet ring onto the missive, and writing her signature with it.
"Choose your words carefully, if you speak to my colleague.
He is less tolerating of bravado.", she slaps Shardra across the shoulder.....which feels as if she's got hit by a 33lbs bag of sand.
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"Your willingness in cooperating within our strict fortress is admirable. Very well.", she takes a spongy piece of raisin from a small locket in a pouch, and dips her ring in it, before pressing her signet ring onto the missive.
Shardra is almost a little frightened when the centaur touches her but she tries to smile.
”Thank you very much! May the sprits guide and aid you so that you achieve your goals ... “ she says with a bow.
Don't think it will.
Suffice to say, you can assume addressing a military figure of importance would be with respect for their station and authority, and a dose of common reason.
If Gru'Gar were to speak with a high ranking (and influential) member within his own faction, he'd do similar, right?
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When they are out of earshot of the centaur, Mylvwara inclines her head to Shardra and Nemesis, "Very well done. I have studied Manobrier's Acts of Eloquence but never mastered his teachings."
Mylvwara asks the group's guide if the Paravicar is a religious devotee, and of which diety?
"Now for Paravicar Acillmar, if this is an cleric then we will have to tread very carefully indeed."
Mylvwara takes a book from her haversack and begins flipping through it as they walk, "Now, what can we learn..."
The category won't specifically apply.
I guess a kn. Local 15 would suffice to ID the rank of Paravicar as a leader of spellcaster branche within a hellknight order, equal to a master/mistress of blades of the military branche.
Other than that, not much to tell.
Shardra bows to Mylvwara ...
”The spirits were kind to us! This might not be the case in the next confrontation! I have the feeling that the centaur wanted to hear something specific. Maybe we are missing something... let us ask the lady that welcomed us again!“
Shardra will try to gather some more information on Paravicar Acillmar ... what does she want from life? ... what is important to her? ... does she have ambitions?
One would normally smile at ignorance, but the field-maralictor keeps a solid neutral expression.
" -He-, wishes to push back savagery that would endanger civilized life, and to spread civilization if able. He is a man of conduct, authority, and expects others to thoroughly follow protocol."
She eyes you slightly.
"I was not present at your talk with Mistress Vox, but if anything, the Paravicar is less sociable."
"We're talking not about urban savagery, but the uncivilized lands."
She takes you to the Paravicar's keep.
This two-story keep features a number of desks, bookshelves, and austere officers’ barracks. On the ground floor, an ironclad gate leads out to the cliff side beyond that castle walls, guarded by a contingent of experienced Hellknights.
A well-armored tower rises from the keep’s northeastern corner, its doors blocked by a stern signifer.
You find yourselves on the crowded research floor, where slaves chained to their desks transcribe the contents of scrolls full of charts and tables into leather-bound tomes, all under the watchful eyes of several high-ranking signifers.
Makarios has you wait in place, while she approaches a hellknight standing in front of a doorway.
"Representatives from the Pathfinder Society are here to present an urgent matter to the paravicar."
The signifer nods, and steps aside, granting the field-maralictor and you access to the large tower.
Makorios leads you up a set of stairs hugging the cylindrical tower’s interior wall, past a floor full of strange artifacts being catalogued and analyzed by an equal number of slaves and signifers, to the third floor, where a lone man sits at a desk in the center of the room,
ceiling-high bookshelves filling all the walls around him.
She makes eye contact with him, nods, and heads down to await your return.
A ruddy, red-haired man whose lithe frame is clad in the Hellknights’ traditional black armor, Paravicar Acillmar sits at an orderly desk crowded with neatly stacked piles of paper and ancient tomes.
"I have been expecting you, pathfinders."
Shardra waits to see if the man allows them to speak.
She steps forward if she believes that it is allowed.
”Paravicar Acillmar, Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you. We understand that the right conduct is essential to present our case to the authority of your order. We wish to thoroughly follow protocol so we have been advised that we have to present our proof for the innocence of Zarta Dralneen to you before we can receive the final opportunity to present to the Lictor!“
She pauses a moment to present the evidence in the dossier.
”We have brought with us all the documents that you need to be able to discern for yourself that you have an innocent person imprisoned: Zarta Dralneen. You see here that we discovered proof that the evidence you received earlier are forged letters apparently written in Dralneen’s hand. These fictitious letters hinted at a rebellious alliance between the paracountess and the house’s political enemies. But we discovered the paracountess’s personal travel logs, which prove she was away from Absalom at the time when the letters claim she met with her conspirators in the Petal District!“
His eyes are stern, as Shardra speaks, almost as if they could hold you in place.
"Madam, perhaps you do not realize it is not -i- who holds the documents to compare these documents to. I cannot compare to distinguish whether one is false or not."
"After all, anyone can write documents to mask others.
Tell me, what reassurance do you have, that the documents you hold, are genuine, and not documents as a contingency solution?"
Shardra again raises an eyebrow.
”I am part of the Pathfinder Society that has been a beacon of civilisation and a channel to spread the knowledge gained in the past so that all can learn from history. Be aware of the fact that the decimverate is strictly speaking my superior decision making body next to the ancient spiritual beings guiding my path ... and thus I trust that the Society is providing you with intelligence so that your order can act based on the laws and charters of your order!“