|
After Faustinina drops her illusion and the crowd starts to disperse, the lingering fans take her by surprise. Initially suspicious as five strangers approach, she stands ready to cast another spell until she realizes that they're just impressed theatergoers wanting autographs. Faustinia draws an elegant quill and asks one of the fans to hold her inkwell as she initials a large "FX" on their outstretched signature books and stolen posters. Between the information she has to keep hidden from the inquisitors and Hellknights and the heroic but illegal skulduggery involved in being in the Eyes, it's nice to finally get public recognition for her efforts.
---
Faustinia waits for Morosino, Catina, and the newcomer Alessandro to head off before she starts on a more circuitous path to the temple with Petals. Petals seems aloof - or perhaps just shy - and Faustinia tries not to put her on the spot for anything, enjoying a meandering path through the historic city streets. When Petals speaks up, Faustinia returns the smile, and replies quietly, "Careful now, you wouldn't want the Inquisitors to hear you say something like that." Faustinia delivers her answer with a warm but conspiratorial smile; it's not quite a warning or a threat, but rather said in the tone of one who has committed a crime and shares in camaraderie of their accomplice.
In a more normal conversational tone, Faustinia continues. "In any case, it was a fun distraction of a spell, but lacked substance for my tastes. I picked up a few things from Millech, and although I don't think I'll get too much use out of them, they're handy to have in a pinch. Things are going to be much more serious when we have to properly fight." Faustinia is silent for a moment, brow creased in worry, before she pivots the conversation to a more encouraging place. "Your illusion was quite interesting as well. Simple but effective. If you care to pursue more powerful illusory magic, I'm sure you'd be quite good at it. It's just a matter of practice, until something just sort of...clicks. I'm not sure I'd be able to do the sorts of things you're capable of, anyway." Faustinia smiles. "The magic, perhaps, but I've always been more interested in books than performing myself. I doubt I could learn to sing like you, and I doubt I could even swing that hammer of yours once before tiring."
But you can summon creatures out of thin air. Living breathing creatures! Petals exclaims with more than a little bit of awe. Where do they come from? Are they pure magic or alive somewhere else before you cast? The legends never tells details like that. she looks concerned for a moment. Is that something you are not supposed to ask? Against wizard etiquette? You are the first real wizard I've been around, so please I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions.
Arael and Ailyan listen to Varius with a satisfied smile, as though he was saying exactly what they were hoping for, and even more. “You’re a lucky man, Mr. Liberare”, says the waitress as soon as Varius ends his speech, “Saying these kind of things is considered treason…Fortunately, you are among friends here” The woman extends her hand to Varius. “Name’s Janiven, it’s nice to meet you”.
“I think you’re a lucky man as well, Mr. Liberare”, says Arael with a smile, “because we’re not just friends, we’re like-minded friends. Everything you said about Westcrown and its current, miserable state, is true, and we share it. All of us.” The half-elf points to himself, then to Janiven, and finally to Ailyn. “But there is more to it, as I will now explain. Janiven, please, sit with us.”
The waitress named Janiven sits and Arael resumes his speech. “What I’m going to tell you is dangerous. Are you sure you want to go on?”
Assuming Varius gives his assent, Arael smiles, clears his throat and starts. “So, Mr. Liberare. You currently are sitting in a tavern me and Janiven bought not so long ago as a façade for our group of…like-minded friends. Our name is the Eyes of Westcrown. We have our uniforms and our safehouse. But above all, we have our shared ideals. We are a group of people who care for their city. We want to make Westcrown a better place. We want the Wiscrani to be happy once again. And we want to restore Westcrown to its former glory, as our larger goal. We do not actively work against the government and the city guard, but we realize that they both fail in taking care of Westcrown. There are some things which the Dottari are not able to do, either because of their corruption or because of the limitations imposed by the government. For example…You must have heard about the defeat of the Bastards of Erebus, don’t you? They were a group of tiefling thieves and criminals operating in Parego Dospera, and for months the Rundottari failed to deal with them. They grew increasingly bold as a result, murdering honest people after robbing them. We decided that we should stop them, even though the Dottari were not able to do so. And we did.”
Arael takes a sip from his glass of wine. “Now, there are a lot of things to do in order to improve our city’s state, but we all think that eliminating the shadow beasts that prowl in the darkness is the top priority. In order to accomplish that, we’re currently working on a subtle plan involving a theater play names the Six Trials of Lazarod. But before going into more details, I must ask you…would you like to join us?”
Ailyn chimes in. “It was your fencing master who signaled you to me. He’s a close friend of mine, and an affiliated to our group”, the Pathfinder explains.
“We don’t want to break any established law, if that is not necessary”, points out Arael, “but sometimes we are forced to do so in order to help the city and its people. Accepting to join us means accepting to break the laws, when necessary. I though you may want to know it before answering”.
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
You follow the route Calseinica and Thesing took after leaving the group. The streets of Rego Spera, the Hope’s Altar, are quite crowded, and you have some troubles tracking Thesing down, but you eventually see his blond mane down the street. Following his movements at a distance, you see him abruptly turning right in Via del Popolo. You chase him down, and follow him through a series of turns throughout the district, until you see him increasing his pace and…grabbing Calseinica by the arm, pushing her against a nearby wall in a secluded alley. Calseinica wiggles, but does not manage to break free from Thesing’s firm grapple. He appears to be whispering something in her ear, and the starlet reacts calling out for help. You’re there, behind a corner. What do you do?
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
As you make your way to the Shrine of Aroden, you stumble across a small group of people outside a well-known tavern (The Crown of the East) in the Coin District. At first sight, they appear to be a little tipsy, but as you approach toward them, you can hear them talking about your play, the Six Trials of Lazarod. As soon as you come close enough to them, they immediately recognize you as the actors who will be playing Tibayn and Dentris, and quickly surround you. They ask for a preview, even a quick line.
-------
Varius, still worked up from his rant, nods tersely.
"I'm here because of my beliefs. Either I was going to find common cause or be killed - may as well speak some truths before either occurs." He looks at the three.
"Ailyn, Arael, and now Janiven. I hope I will remember, and yes. I'm already in danger speaking with you, let's see how far this goes."
He listens intently, nodding faster and faster as they explain themselves.
This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I'm going to be a hero!
"I'll do it!" he says the moment she's finished, not even taking a second to consider. "I promise I'll not let you down! If Rodrigo referred me - I don't know a better man. As for breaking laws, I just broke one speaking out loud here. What's the point of laws if you don't break the odd one? Tell me what I need to do."
Arael smiles warmly, while Janiven pats Varius on the shoulder. "A wise choice!", she says with her mischievous smile. Ailyn simply nods and smiles as well.
"Well, the next step is to introduce you to the others. We're going to meet in an hour or so at our safehouse. Janiven will take you there", says Arael. Janiven nods her consent.
"And as for the Pathfinder Society...I will get in touch with you when the time comes. I'm pretty sure you have a lot of work cut out for you for the time being. Farewell, for now", says Ailyn. The woman shakes hands with Janiven and Arael, then leaves the tavern. "Remember, I vouched for you. Don't make me regret it", the woman says with a blink before the doors close behind her.
"Well, Varius, I suppose you have about half an hour to finish eating, then we will meet each other at the safehouse." Arael nods at Varius, hugs Janiven and leaves as well.
Only Janiven and Varius are left in the tavern. "Gimme a shout when you're done", the woman says, before getting back to the bar.
Catina quickly catches up to Alessandro, helped by her keen senses and her passing knowledge of the Rego Spera. She doesn't try to convince Elessandro in giving up his pursuit, but she does try to ease his temper. "Alessandro, you can't make trouble. We've run into Thesing before and he's pretty well-connected. Despite being an utter buffoon." She looks around, pointing to where she spots Calseinica in the distance. "There. All I'm saying is... I don't know what's going to happen, but we can't do anything rash. He's also in the play, and we need that to succeed."
When she spots Calseinica around the corner, in distress and held against the wall by Thesing, her own words of caution are promptly forgotten. She didn't think highly of the actor, but she had never thought he would stoop this low. In her anger, she strides around the corner and boldly marches up the alley. "What do you think you're doing? Stop that. At once!" By instinct she reaches for her newly-discovered magic, aiming to freeze him in place.
--
"Remember, I vouched for you. Don't make me regret it", the woman says with a blink before the doors close behind her.
"I won't!" calls Varius without really thinking about what he's promising to do. Save the people or something vague like that. Details later.
Forcibly calming himself down, Varius takes a moment to nose the wine and taste it with the pasta. He calls out to Janiven. "Very good, my compliments. My family has a vineyard in the Turanian Hills - the wine is as distinguished as they are, and our cook always cooked the pasta too much."
While still trying to remain calm, Varius flips through the Pathfinder Chronicles trying to get a sense of what he's getting in to. Once done, he calls over to Janiven.
"I'm as ready as I can be. Let's go."
So many people... Petals worries again about the cost of failure, and without the insistent Alessandro with them, she tries to ease them away from their demands.
Thank you so much for your interest. We've been practicing all day and have already giving one preview, so please we need rest and recuperation she insists, but either her inadequacy or their drunkenness keeps them from listening.
She tries a few lines, but doesn't do them justice at all. See, I'm tired, one cannot be Legendary when they are tired. For that I am sorry. she states, maybe a little too snippy. or maybe just the right amount of snippy.
|
|
Faustinia smiles, almost mischievously, at Petals. ”Asking too many questions is precisely how one pursues the course of wizardry, my dear. I'd be happy to lay out the basics, and then go from there,” she answers, happy to be able to share her knowledge. ”Essentially, yes, these creatures exist elsewhere, typically on other planes of existence. Leaving aside the complexities of the cosmological spheres, my spells summons one of a kind I specify - although I cannot choose to bring a specific individual, that is a different, but related, form of magic. They perform their duties and then return. If destroyed on this plane, they are not truly dead, and return to their home to regenerate their bodies. Now, to get more detailed--”
Faustinia is cut off by the tipsy tavern goers, clamoring for another preview. Her hand goes to her cameo necklace instinctively; she can't draw on its power again for another illusion just yet. Her brow creases slightly in frustration at being interrupted and having another performance demanded of her, but she quells that annoyance and tries to be reasonable. ”My colleague is correct. We are weary from rehearsal, and you must allow us our rest in order to put on the best show we can. Besides, our Larazod isn't even here! You'd be better served catching the dress rehearsal at the end of the week rather than endure the shallow ramblings of an old mage and a comedic knight. Allow us our rest and the show will be better for it!” Faustinia asserts.
---
Alessandro only half hears Catina telling him not to cause trouble as he stalks after Thesing. He isn't used to company while he tracks but he nods silently as she talks.
He knows the streets of Rego Spera like the back of his hand and it doesn't take long to catch up to Thesing. When he sees Thesing grappling Calseinica and hears her crying out for help, that's all he needs to spur him into action. But before he can act, Catina surprises him with her boldness by striding forward since she's been rather timid during the rehearsal. And she surprises him further when she casts a spell.
Whether or not Catina's spell succeeds, Alessandro throws a punch at Thesing's face. "That is no way to treat a lady! Westcrown has enough devils in the night without you contributing! If I ever see you near her again, you'll taste more than my fist!"
Alessandro reaches for Calseinica to help her away from Thesing. "Come on, Calseinica. We'll escort you home."
If he can, he starts walking away, but most likely Thesing isn't going to let them go that easily.
Catina freezes Thesing on place, allowing Calseinica to slip away from his grasp, while Alessandro rushes to the actor and punches him in the face. Before Thesing is able to walk again, Catina and Alessandro take Calseinica away from the alley. Apparently, no one chases them. After a few minutes of walking, the trio stops in front of Calseinica’s home, a lovely cottage next to a small park. The building is small and not as imposing as one could think, considering Calseinica’s noble standing. But as Catina knows, Calseinica was kicked out of the Nymmis family when she decided to pursue a career as an actress.
Once on the doorstep, Calseinica thanks you both with tears in her eyes. She’s still shocked. “I…I thank you, for…for saving me from that…that monster!” She hugs Catina and Alessandro, then she enters her house after saying goodbye.
With Calseinica safe at her home, Alessandro and Catina can return to the shrine of Aroden.
_______________________________
---
For some strange reason, Lady Faustinia’s explanation receives a round of applauses, as though she had actually performed her part. The people surrounding her and Petals immediately let them pass, waving their hands at them and encouraging them to do their best. You have the impression that many of them mistook her diplomatic explanation with a performance, although some of the bystanders realized the nature of Faustinia’s words and gave her their applauses because they agreed with her.
With no further impediment, Petals and Faustinia safely reach the Shrine of Aroden.
Catina has her heart in her throat as they flee from the alley, scarcely believing what she did. After I told Elessandro to be cautious. But there was no way we could just let that happen. She finds it hard to talk from the excitement, but still checks in with Calseinica to make sure the woman is all right. As the two of them escort the actress back to her house, the tiefling makes a conscious decision to stay in the background, trying as subtly as she can to let Elessandro and Calseinica walk together. They seemed to get along well together. Probably don't need any nudging, but the least I can do is give them some time together... She 'steps back into view' when they've reached their first destination, to reassure the young woman. "I can't believe that he would do such a thing. Elessandro, we'll have to talk with Mr. Nonon tomorrow. There's no way he can still keep Thesing on in the troupe, with what he tried to do!" She doesn't have any clear idea on how the director would have to fill the vacant role on such short notice, but those kinds of practical matters seem insignificant to her, compared to what Thesing did.
--
Back at the safehouse, Catina joins up with Petals and Faustinia. She quickly informs them of what happened on their way over, giving Elessandro most of the credit for rescuing the young actress. She repeats her earlier idea that they will have to convince Robahl to fire Thesing. "It was awful, and he couldn't possibly ask her to be on the same stage as him. He's just going to have to find someone else."
Alessandro keeps Calseinica close as they walk home. "What did that scum say to you? Don't worry. I'll keep you safe.". I wonder why Catina is keeping her distance. I hope she's not upset with me.
When they arrive at Calseinica's house, he hugs her at says goodbye. "What a lovely home you have. Get some rest. I'll come by in the morning to walk you to the playhouse in case Thesing has the balls to try something again."
On the way back to the safehouse, he engages Catina. "That was really amazing back there. If you could channel those emotions into your acting, I think we might actually be able to pull this play off after all."
The Eyes of Westcrown are all gathered in the Shrine of Aroden, and this time no one is missing. Varius stands next to Janiven and a tiefling girl, Avirah, behind what used to be an altar, when this place was consecrated to the worship of Aroden. Faustinia and Petals linger nearby, together with Arael, who’s behind the altar as well. Alessandro and Catina are the last ones to arrive. When the company is finally complete, Arael steps forward and takes the floor. For those like Alessandro and Varius who are not used to it, seeing the twenty or so people gathered in the room becoming suddenly and immediately silent is both surprising and revelatory of Arael’s authority, the commitment the group has toward its cause and the respect the half-elf managed to build for himself during the course of the months.
“Brothers and sisters of Westcrown. Daughters and Son of the City of Nine Stars, Fathers and Mothers of the Eyes of Westcrown. Today is a joyful day, because it’s the day in which our already large family expands even more by embracing three new members. Before turning the floor over to them, I would like to say that we are very glad to have you. Each of you has got some quality we have all deemed necessary and useful to our group. But above all, each of you has showed his or her full commitment to our cause. Therefore I am very pleased to welcome you in the Eyes of Westcrown!”
The small crowd of people in front of the presbytery applauds heartily for a few seconds. While the applauses are still echoing in the main hall, Arael steps down the presbytery and looks at the small group composed of Janiven, Alessandro, Catina, Faustinia, Petals, Varius and Avirah. “Alessandro, Avirah, Varius. Please introduce yourselves to them. I’m sure they will appreciate.”
With that said, Arael smile encouragingly and pats each of the new members of the shoulders before indicating to Janiven, Catina, Faustinia and Petals to follow him with a nod. The half-elf then takes place next to the other Eyes of Westcrown, in front of the presbytery, ready to listen the new members introducing themselves.
Alessandro steps forward. "Well, I don't really know what to say. Some of you don't know me. Some of you, I've just met. And some of you have known me for longer. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Alessandro Esposito. I'm a scoundrel of sorts but one who loves this city above all else. I've actually lived in this shrine for many years before Arael re-purposed it and I'm glad to see it finally being put to good use. Aroden watches over Westcrown and I am proud to be called to be one of the Eyes of Westcrown." Alessandro clutches the holy symbol around his neck and his eyes well with passion. "I've never been part of anything before but I know now that this is my calling. I believe in this cause and together we can restore this city, our home, to its former glory." Once done, he steps back to let others speak.
Varius waits patiently for Alessandro to finish. He gives Alessandro an approving nod before he steps forward.
Varius is a slender young man, a little shorter than average with sharp features and a shiny black ponytail. His weapons and armour are all of fine quality, and he wears a distinctive blue and yellow embroidered cloak. Two shortswords are prominently strapped to his waist. He speaks confidently, in a posh, slightly old-fashioned accent.
"I am Varius Liberare. I love Westcrown for its proud history and people, but that history has been stolen, and those people now live in fear. Shadows stalk our streets, indolent nobility ply trade with hell so they can stab their neighbours in the back, and the small people suffer for it. I come to you with my swords, my conviction, and nothing to lose. I won't let you down."
Catina looks away, embarrassed, when Alessandro mentions what she did when facing Thesing. "I don't know," she starts in reply. "I don't normally get mad like that. Even when we had to defend ourselves against Armigers; they just think they're doing the right thing, for the city. So I can't really be angry with them." She furrows her brow, thinking back about the situation earlier "It's just when I saw that... that..." She shakes her head. "I can't think of any way to make that acceptable. so I got mad." She doesn't talk about it more, but it's clear she's at least thinking about his advice.
--
Catina is excited to welcome new members to the Eyes, especially when Avirah is one of them. She cheers at Alessandro's and Varius's introduction, noting that both of them seem to have the zeal and dediation to help Westcrown along. She just hopes that Avirah's introduction won't come off too... different, by comparison. She makes sure that she's visible, and gives the tiefling girl an encouraging nod.
|
|
During the introduction of the new recruits, Faustinia divides her attention as her eyes flick between Varius and Avirah. Alessandro is still a mystery to her as well, certainly, but after a day of working together she feel like she has at least a working understanding of the mustachioed self-proclaimed scoundrel. He seems to have a good art and a flair for the dramatic. It certainly is a bit strange to see someone still walking around with a proper eye of Aroden, but the extent of its meaning still escapes Faustinia. Whatever his intention with that, Alessandro seems like he can be trusted to wear his large heart on his sleeve - a decent sort who hopefully can be discrete when needed.
Varius Liberare seems like a different story. "Liberare" seems a bit on the nose - obviously an assumed name - and Faustinia levels a quizzical look at the young man. From his old-fashioned accent to his righteous anger, Varius has a thicker air of mystique about him. Faustinia recognizes his conviction and doesn't doubt his loyalty to their cause, but she feels like there's something he's not telling about himself. Perhaps because it isn't relevant, or perhaps painful, but something important nonetheless. She does wince a bit at the mention of noble plying their trade with hell, sharply remembering Millech's muttering, but compartmentalizes that feeling away to deal with later. Or never, preferably.
As for Avirah, the last time Faustinia saw her was when they stormed the Bastards' hideout and knocked her out after killing some of her fellow gang members. Faustinia looks to Catina to see how she's reacting. It's quite impressive that her young friend managed to convince the other tiefling to hear her out, much less join up with the Eyes of Westcrown. Faustinia feels a strange kind of pride in Catina, and turns her gaze back to the crowd and waits for Avirah to introduce herself, not wanting to put Catina under pressure.
Petals listens and claps along with the others. She doesn't know what to make of either of the two new recruits. It is very easy to hide yourself in words. A few days as an attempted actress has taught her that very well, at least when she does it right. And Alessandro has proven himself a good actor.
But Arael trusts him, which means her innate mistrust isn't warranted. Plus so far she likes the roguish recluse.
The second man has fewer words, the accent worries her, the fancy clothes are worse. It is harder to trust those who haven't had to fight and suffer to survive. Those you know what to expect. But Faustinia has made her reevaluate her own prejudices against those with means.
He does carry himself like he can fight which will help if they ever get into another situation like those tunnels. So once again Arael trusts him so Petals will as well.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Varius steps back, looking over the crowd and doing his best to hide his nervousness. His thoughts race.
Good. Nice and short. Don't bore them. Also, my diction was spot on. Well... maybe too spot on, hard to tell with this lot. I'm going off the map here. Oh my stars the woman speaking after me is a tiefling! And there's one in the crowd. I knew that mixing with the lower classes would mean rubbing shoulders with a few, but are they particularly trustworthy? I'd imagine tieflings quite like the current state of affairs. Apparently they're treated just dreadfully elsewhere. Ghastly places like... uh.. Galt. I think that's a ghastly place.
He scans the audience, trying to ignore an itch under his breastplate.
Chap beside me seems what I'd expect here. Good and rustic, lots to fight for. The rest look like people I'd see anywhere. Probably a good thing. Hrm, the old woman there. Looks like she comes from a good family. Why is she looking at me strangely? Well I do look right fetching in this breastplate. Can't fault her for looking. Although maybe she's just wondering what the hell I'm doing here.
Varius waggles his eyebrows to Faustina in a manner he hopes conveys a sort of reassuring camaraderie. He immediately regrets it.
Stupid! Nobody like the eyebrow thing. Oh, and a very pretty elf! ... With a giant hammer, likely as much for overzealous suitors as whoever it is we're going to be fighting.
AFter the introduction, Catina wants to say hello to Varius, the only one among the newcomers that she hasn't met yet. She approaches with caution, gauging the man's reaction to her fiendish appearance. He seems nervous, sort of. Not as bad as Sev, but maybe he's just better at hiding it. Looking to one of the others eyes for support, so that she won't approach him on her own, she steps up to him. Like with Alessandro before, she doesn't immediately offer her hand, instead holding it up in a simple wave. "Hello," she starts. "It's good to see new faces among the Eyes. If Arael has selected you, then we should be proud to have you among us. I'm Catina. Are you... Are you from the Pagero Regicona?" she guesses, from Varius's bearing and way of speech.
After introductions, Alessandro has had enough social interaction for the day. He makes polite small talk for a time and makes sure he introduces himself to each of the new faces he sees. Then at the nearest opportunity, he climbs up into the rafters and finds a comfortable nook to fall asleep in. He has pleasant dreams of Calseinica and looks forward to seeing her again tomorrow.
After Avirah speaks, Varius steps down to meet the members of his strange new society he's joined, pausing to shake hands with Alessandro. He blinks as the short tiefling woman comes up to him, however he quickly favours her with a winning smile.
"Hello Catina! A pleasure. Arael seems a right good man - we've only spoken insofar as he gave his pitch, and I agreed. I seem to be among very good people, certainly. And yes, I am guilty as charged, although I shan't be returning. All of us from Regicona are taught that life on the island is fickle; influence will rise and fall. 'Trust only the tides' they say - and the tides have brought me here. There is only darkness on that island."
Petals cocks her head as she gets an apprising look from the new recruit. She approaches the man with Catina and listens to them a couple minutes before and greets him along with the others. It is very nice to meet you, sir. I'm Petals, and we are happy to have anyone who can help us help others. Can you act? she asks the last part hopefully.
As with the others before her, Avirah steps closer to the altar once her turn to speak arrives. The tiefling gives a cursory glance around herself, her eyes not lingering for more than a moment on anyone’s face. Only when her red eyes meet Catina’s, the tiefling keeps her eyes focused a little more. “I don’t know why you decided to let me in. I don’t know what do you see in me. I wouldn’t have given myself a chance, to be honest. This means that there’s at least something you can all teach me—trust. Honestly, I don’t feel so committed to high ideals as you are. You think the people of Westcrown deserve to be saved. I know them just as much as you, and trust me, most of them don’t even deserve a second chance. But I’m lucky you don’t think along my same lines, because I would have died a few weeks ago at the Bastards’ hideout otherwise. I’m willing to learn, and I feel grateful. Free room and board is much more than I thought I deserved, to be honest”.
With that said, Avirah walks away from behind the altar. In the conversations taking place afterwards, she keeps mostly to herself, although Yorith almost instantly puts himself at her side and starts to speak with her. Those who pay attention to Avirah’s expressions, can notice her face going from sexually interested to bored in a matter of minutes. After five minutes, she’s completely sick of Yorith and walks away from him, desperately trying to find another conversation to join, at least to shake the Iomedae’s faithful off from herself.
---
After about fifteen minutes in which the Eyes enjoy the company of each other, Arael singles Alessandro, Catina, Faustinia, Petals and Varius out, and asks them to join him in his office. Once the group reaches its destination, you find Janiven waiting in the studium already, leaning against a wall. She welcomes you in with a clever grin. “This room is starting to become a little small for all of us, don’t you think?”, ironically asks Arael before taking place on his chair behind the desk. “We don’t have enough chairs, I’m afraid. One of you must stand”, explains the half-elf with an apologetic tone.
Once everyone is seated, Arael clears his throat. “I’d like to welcome you once again, Alessandro and Varius. A few minutes ago I welcomed you into the Eyes of Westcrown. Now I welcome you into the Irises of Westcrown, a smaller group composed of the most skilled among us, those who have devoted their lives to the cause. The Irises are a sub-group, if you wish to put it that way. They’re elite combatant and explorers. They’re something similar to a group of superheroes. They’re the one the crowd love. And we decided that you should join this smaller group, Alessandro and Varius. You’ve the skills to do it, and the right devotion to the cause. But before giving you the uniforms…I want to make clear that being an Iris can be dangerous. Originally, the Irises were four: Catina, Lady Faustinia, Lorenzo Mancini and Sev. The latter two died in the Bastards’ lair. There we found Petals and Baolus, and they became part of the Irises. Petals is still here, as you can see, but Baolus has been called back to duty, leaving us with only three Irises. We decided to expand the group so that its chances of success might improve proportionally. Now, are you sure you want to join the Irises?”
---
After receiving Alessandro’s and Varius’ opinion, Arael nods and asks one among Catina, Lady Faustina and Petals to explain to the new recruits the whole plan concerning the Six Trials of Lazarod.
Varius turns his winning smile over to Petals as she approaches him.
"Petals? Charmed, lovely name. I will do whatever I can to--- wait, act? Uh... well I'm not quite sure. I've seen a lot of the theatre. Can't be that hard. Right?"
---
"Happy to stand, I've been on my arse long enough - so to speak."
For once, Varius shuts up to listen as Arael begins speaking. His eyes go wide as Arael describes the Irises of Westcrown as the elite unit of the eyes.
Me? A hero of the people? Playing to the crowd?! ... I think I love this half-elf.
Varius speaks up without hesitating, almost cutting in. "Yes! Oh this sounds wonderful. Not the danger, mind you. But I intended to make my living by the sword once I ran out of money. These blades aren't just for show - well they are partly for show, I think the hilts are magnificent. But I can use them to great effect. Now, what's this Petals was saying about acting?"
Catina is quite proud of Avirah's introduction, and she hopes to convey this with a proud smile. Even as she talks with Varius, she keeps an eye on the tiefling that she considers her protege. Just when she's about to 'save' the girl from Yorith are they called to Arael's study. she follows the others in, and is about to volunteer for standing when Varius beats her to it. "No, go ahead," she argues. I'll stand. We don't have anything like rank, and you don't have to stand just because you're our newest member."[/b]
She furrows her brow at Varius's approach to being a hero. "We try to stay out of fights mostly, except when it's really necessary. We're mostly trying to show the Wiscrani that there is an alternative." She then comes around to Arael's request to talk about the plan.
"Well, it's quite a story, but bear with me. There was a Pathfinder Lodge here in Westcrown, before Thrune. We have reason to believe that there's very valuable information still there, such as how to deal with the shadows. It was put on lockdown, and the key is stored in the mayor's personal vault. Still with me? Now, the mayor is very interested in theater, and there's going to be a performance of a play called The trials of Lazarod. It's really quite a vulgar affair, with the actors being put through all kinds of gruesome trials. So, euhm... We," she makes a sweeping motion to include the other Irises, "have gotten roles in the play. The idea is that we'll do the performance, wow everyone" - she doesn't sound too sure at this point - "and get invited for an extended party at the mayor's house. And that will give us ample opportunity to steal the key - to the old Pathfinder Lodge, where we hope to find information on how to deal with the shadows."
Simple, honest, and hopeful. her smile is genuine and warm, as she whispers to Catina about Avirah's introduction on the way into the meeting. She won me over at least. I can't imagine the others having many reservations after that.
-----------
Don't forget that the Trials has never been completed. adds Petals in the end, having taken a chair since Catina and Varius are both offering to stand, smoothing her skirts as she talks. Besides acting, they will throw real traps, monsters, and probably more buckets at us, all the intention of us dying painfully and very bloody. Like all before us. she shakes her head in wonder. Which honestly is good, since so far we are not the best with our lines. If we relied purely on our performance to be invited into the mayors mansion, we'd have no hope.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
|
Faustinia wastes no time in taking a seat while the youngsters work out their own graciousness. ”Yes, it's supposed to be quite the bloody production, and I'm curious how we could get Varius involved to lend his blades to our cause,” Faustinia confirms gravely as Petals points out the stakes of the play. ”And don't forget: not only do we need to survive the play, infiltrate the mayor's vault, and take the key to bypass the wards protecting the old lodge, but the key itself will be contained in a strange puzzle box.”
Faustinia smirks and adds, ”Simplicity itself, really.”
"It's a pleasure to be part of your merry band. I knew you had a plan that involved more than aspiring to be actresses. This certainly won't be easy. But I knew I wasn't signing up for easy. If this quest leads to ending the shadow monsters, you have my aid to the end."
Varius just shrugs it off as Catina gently chastises him for being a little too hungry for a fight. He also remains standing, but listens intently, trying his best not to interrupt with over-eager questions. Once the scheme has been explained, he takes a moment to process it all.
"So... we need to become actors in a play. But not just any play, one bursting with monsters, traps, and - buckets? Anyways, one that that nobody has ever survived in order to get an audience with the mayor. We can then go to one of the mayor's ripping parties, and steal a key which is in a puzzle box - which I hope someone else can handle. I've rather never had the patience for puzzles. We then use that key to get into an old Pathfinder Lodge that - ah - may have a way to deal with the shadows?"
Varius sticks his tongue into his cheek, working through the whole notion of it for a moment.
"BRILLIANT! Sounds like something I'd come up with - they'll never see it coming. So what do I do next? Is there a part available?"
Catina softly thanks Petals for the encouraging words on Avirah's behalf. Let's hope more people saw it like that. And she'll be fine.
--
Catina eventually takes the seat, figuring that Varius would be too stubborn to do so, after he had offered to stand. She nods at Varius's description of the plan, if it could be called that. At his question of whether there's a part available, she looks somber. "No... - or wait." Her eyes light up as she explains. "Alessandro and me followed Thesing this evening, after rehearsals. That's the actor playing Haanderthan. He's a 'real' actor." Her face speaks plain on how she feels about the man. "He... He tried to grope Calseinica. We stopped him, but I was telling Alessandro earlier that we had to tell the director and get him fired from the troupe. I had a hard time seeing how we could convince him, so short before the dress rehearsal. But, if we show up with a replacement, ready to go?" She furrows her brow, trying to see whether that will work. "The only odd thing will be that you'd be playing Haanderthan, who is not undergoing the trials with Lazarod. That's why Mr. Nonon hired a professional actor for the role, no doubt."
After listening to your opinions, Arael nods at Janiven and chimes in. "Don't worry about how to get Varius involved, for we have a clear idea on how to accomplish that already."
Janiven looks at Catina and nods at her. "You're right, Catina. Haanderthan is not a suitable part for Varius, because he wouldn't be able to help you in what concerns us more: combat."
"Through our extensive network of contacts, we managed to get in touch with Robahl Nonon, your director", Arael says as he takes the floor again, "and we managed to convince him that his best interest is to see the play coming to its end. That would bring glory and renown to him...and to you, of course. As such, we persuaded him that accepting another actor would be in his interest. Guess who's this other actor?" Arael smirks as his green eyes fall on Varius.
"Anyway, Robahl doesn't know about you, Varius. He doesn't know about our involvement at all. As Arael said, we managed to persuade him very indirectly. As such, we know that he accepted to take another actor in the play, but he doesn't know that one is going to actually present himself tomorrow for the casting", Janiven explains.
"Now, Varius", says Arael with a calm voice, "this is what you're going to do tomorrow. You will follow the Irises to the Limehouse Theater, where they will introduce you as their friend. Then you'll apply for a part. At that point, the director should tell you that all the spots are currently occupied".
"And at that point", Janiven says with a mischievous grin, "you will point out that various productions of the play in the past have added additional characters to aid Larazod. These are non-speaking roles, but they'll allow Varius to help you regardless."
Arael smiles. "Namely, there are two main secondary characters that have been used in the past. One is Farus the Traveled, a self-styled gypsy king, a smiling tower of joy. He is a dancing clown who speaks in riddles. His role is comedic—generally it was felt that one clown was enough for the play, and so his character is dropped in many versions of the trial. The other is Monris Blaksward, a fiendish dwarf with blood-red eyes and a shock of ginger hair. Monris appears in many early versions of the play as the strong arm to help Larazod. He sings in a deep voice and carries bagpipes, which he frequently blows tunes from. An addition to some productions of the play, most omit this character, as his bagpipes often annoy the audience."
Both Arael and Janiven giggle. "I guess it will be director's choice...", says the woman.
---
Now that the plan for tomorrow has been planned out, the group members are finally left go to bed and enjoy some hard-earned rest.
---
The next day, the group - including Varius - arrives at the Limehouse Theater. You can all see that the director is pretty surprised at seeing a new face, and he waits for an explanation. You can also see Calseinica staying clings close to you (she was taken to the theater by Alessandro). Thesing gazes at her, and you, from afar, hate and disdain filling his eyes.
Alessandro gets up early, probably earlier than most of the rest of the Irises wake, and heads out to Calseinica's without a word.
Thank goodness nothing else happened to her over night. Alessandro thinks when he picks up Calseinica from her home. "My lady. No one humbly requests your company during his walk to the Limehouse." He bows low then takes her hand. Alessandro enjoys her company and happily chats about the weather and other such trivial things.
At the theater, he stares back at Thesing and does not back down from his gaze but does not start anything with him just yet. Varius' introduction takes precedence. It is more important that he gets the part than dealing with this lemure right now. So I won't ruin it with an early fight. Let's see how this plays out.
Hello sir Petals starts uncertain and a little nervous This is our friend, Varius. He is very interested in the play and was wondering if there are any roles remaining to be filled. Petals was going to explain the whole he can fight and would help keep all of them alive, which was in the best interest for the play, and themselves since they want to live, but she was sticking to Arael's script. Instead she went simple and prepared to be yelled at.
After taking some time to personally introduce himself to the rest of the Eyes, Varius gratefully returns to his tenement. Unable to sleep, he spends the evening reading the texts given to him by candlelight.
============
============
Varius tips a cheerful nod to Calsenicia as he steps in, the plan racing through his mind over and over again. He clears his throat before stepping forwards, pointedly ignoring the death-stare from Thesing.
"Master Robahl, when my dear friends here started telling me about the long-awaited return of the Sixfold Trial to Westcrown, I knew I had to be in it. I am a stout warrior, well capable of battling whatever ills you throw my way. And I yearn for the stage. I have the poise, the acumen, a twinkling smile for the ladies, and absolutely no acting experience whatsoever. I am unmolded clay which in the hands of a true director as yourself, can be shaped into a true work of art."
|
|
At the Limehouse, Faustinia tries to catch Millech's eye as they all arrive, hoping that his icy disdain has had time to become more temperate. She focuses on the task at hand, though, ignoring Thesing and taking the issue of a fifth member to Robahl directly. "There are some other roles that exist, historically speaking," Faustinia adds to Varius' offer. "Whether the comedic Farus the Traveled or the stout Monris Blaksward, I'm sure including these would attract even more attention - it would be an even more special production of this rare play, don't you think?" she asks.
"Not to mention that they don't have many major lines, so there's not much to rehearse..."
Catina is glad that Arael and Janiven have found a way to introduce their newest Iris to the play. She's smart enough to know that replacing Thesing wouldn't have worked, but that still leaves her disappointed that she'll have to find another way to solve that issue. She says her goodbyes and then leaves for the temple of Shelyn.
--
Catina is somewhat late at the theater the next morning, as is not unusual for her. She shies away from thesing's hate-filled gaze and is glad for Petals to start the introduction of their newest companion. Despite herself, she finds a smile on her face at Varius's introduction, even more pompous than his words in the shrine the day before. I'm sure that's pretty much the way that Robahl would like it.
Surprise is clear all over the director’s face as Varius introduces himself and Faustinia points out a possible role for him. “Well, a few friends of mine advised me to recruit as many ‘actors’ as I could in order to see the play to its completion…But I wasn’t expecting anyone to pop up, honestly. What can I say? Since these two are non-speaking parts, I see no problem in adding more meat to our cast…provided you can fight, Mr. Varius. Would you mind showing us some of your skill? Alessandro, would you like to act as a sparring partner?”
---
During the fifth day at the Limehouse Theater, the director isolates a particular problem spot for you of you and has each of you go over his/her scene again and again, dividing his attentions equally among you.
Throughout the whole day, Thesing makes an effort to stay away from you-and Calseinica.
Catina is interested in seeing Varius and Alessandro spar. Unlike with Petals and Faustinia, she had never been side by side with either of them in a violent confrontation. Alessandro had been quick enough to react the day before, with Calseinica and Thesing, but she was curious to see whether Varius could match his pomp with action.
When the sparring session is over, it's just a matter of deciding which role the new addition will play. "Varius, what do you think? I suppose this Farus-character seems better suited, doesn't he?" She doesn't want to give away too much, but she secretly thinks that a clown-like character might deflect any awkwardness due to her own problems with portraying Lazarod.
--
Catina starts her rehearsals with a proper plan. She aims to do well, impress Robahl and give herself enough credit to broach the topic of Thesing. She also tries to remember the feeling she had the day before, when the little tiefling girl approached her after the impromptu performance. Her efforts in the past days finally seem to pay off and she feels like her plan is working.
However, in the afternoon she is caught off-balance, having to perform Act 3 again and again. She's at a loss on what to do. So far, she's imagined Lazarod as a stoic and determined man, drawing on her own resolve. However, she's painfully unsure of what to make of Lazarod's dealing with a bliss-giving slug. She quietly endures Robahl's wave of insults, seeing her chance to talk with him shatter before her eyes.
Varius sketches a short bow to Robahl before stepping out into the room and giving Alessandro time to prepare. With a flourish, he pulls out his twin shortswords before flipping them in his hands. He leans forward in a long stance, both swords tilted upwards. Varius notes with a nod Allesandro's similar style, although exotic choice of weapon.
"Interesting weapons, can't say I've seen that type before. En garde!"
Varius's posture and method are highly trained, and quite defensive. While trying to lead Alessandro to make a mistake, he throw in the occasional bit of showing off in an attempt to look impressive while he spars. He keeps it safe and civil, mostly just parrying and moving for advantages.
Once done he offers a hand to Alessandro.
"Well done! Your technique is... not quite anything I've encountered before."
Turning over to Catina once the sparring is done, he nods once.
"I think so as well. I play better for laughs, I think. Plus there's no dignity in it, and that will annoy my family."
----
After the sparring session is over and everyone begins to split up to begin working on their various parts, Varius approaches Nonan.
"Of the two parts available, the dwarf and the clown - well frankly I think I'd rather make a good clown. I'm quick enough to do some tumbles and don't mind playing the fool. Besides, I doubt you'd want to hear bagpipes being played incessantly in rehearsal leading up to the play."
---
Once Varius receives his part, he sits quietly on his own for a bit while the others work out their lines, trying to sketch the image of the joyous clown. Although not particularly attentive, Varius reads well and manages to put together the idea of how the laughing, dancing clown would behave. By the time he's up to rehearse, he works hard on huge, expressive movements and facial expressions, as well trying out a few tumbles that turn out to work fairly well. In particular, in a ridiculous over-reaction to a sudden menace, he does a neat backflip before falling straight on his face, subtly breaking the fall with his hand to avoid injury. Used to abuse and insults, Varius simply ignores Robahl's cutting remarks and by the end of rehearsals Varius is exhausted but delighted with himself.
|
|
Faustinia finds herself in a mental fog during the day's rehearsal. She can't help but dwell on Millech’s protestations from the other day. What did he mean by “filthy diabolist?” If Faustinia had some devilish connection to Thrune’s power, then of course she wouldn't be bothering with this life-threatening play - she'd be groveling for a taste of Egorian’s power, or already in possession of it. But perhaps Millech didn't comprehend the workings of Chelish politics in the same way she did.
Of course, all this proves distracting as she goes over her lines again, producing the words by rote repetition as she devotes her attention to imaginary arguments in her head. And although it serves as a detriment to her performance, it also serves as a handy distraction from the director's insults as well. After one of his tirades against her mediocrity, Faustinia addresses him before he moves on to the next actor. ”Robahl, a word, if I may? I know my rehearsals have been hit or miss, but try to remember our preview yesterday. I even ran into some excited fans afterwards and some even took my apology for performance, if you can believe it! What I'm getting at is that I find all my best performances are when I have a real audience. Maybe it's luck, but I think the pressure is good for me. You and I both know that my strength doesn't lie in acting, but just wait to see what kind of magic I can weave. Millech is capable, yes, but he can't produce the stuff of substance that I can - literally, I mean, I can bring tangible effects to a performance that a rehearsal simply lacks. I guess what I'm asking is for you to trust me. Trust my magic - it'll be anything but mediocre.”
---
Today is not a good day for acting... again. Petals enjoyed the spar between their two new eyes, wondering quietly about who is the better warrior, since they both seem very capable. She has always been more of a charge in and hit things as hard as possible so it does not get up again, while these two are much more precise. Their chances of living through the first obstacle grew nicely.
The bad part comes as she is asked to perform and does a bad job getting anything right. Why is this so HARD? she fumes at herself. She can perform. Singing and telling stories come as easy as talking, but faking emotions someone else felt so long ago is nigh impossible.
Now that she doesn't hate the directory nearly as much she feels she is disappointing the man, which is much much worse than just stinking badly at this.
For the first time this week she'll try and see a different cast member in her off time. Catina's recounting of the attack of the handsome arse on their fellow cast member has her wanting to offer her aid if needed.
To Calseinica, she banter with later if Calseinica is in the bantering mood that is, I promise, just an accidental tap with my hammer will make his foot swell to inhuman size. she gestures with her hands at least three times the normal foot size He'll be limping around, unable to wear his boot, probably unable to wash it either so it will stink after a day or two. Petals holds her nose in mock reaction to the imagined stench. He'll only have his charming personality to woo with for quite a while. Which means he'll suffer alone of course she thinks for a bit Or I can hit him elsewhere if you wish.
Alessandro spars with Varius. He fights with showier moves than he'd use in a real battle but look exciting to someone who is watching. Their styles are similar but slightly different. The short swords are designed for pierces while kukris are designed for slashing. He keeps up the charade long enough for Varius to make an impression then feigns an opening and allows Varius to take advantage of it to win the duel.
"Well done! Your technique is... not quite anything I've encountered before."
"That's probably because I'm self-taught. I grew up on the streets and knew no sword master."
Once rehearsal starts, Alessandro starts strong. To himself, he is very pleased with how he's learning his lines. But when Robahl points out his shortcomings, something about his biting comments rubs him the wrong way and his performance suffers during the second half. By the end he is sweating and exhausted. It's just rehearsal. You're supposed to make mistakes, he tells himself.
When he finds the time, he tries to make small talk with the Visbaronetess but his compliments wind up being more like insults. "Well met, Visbaronetess. I would expect nothing less from a tremendous woman such as yourself to be in a play of this magnitude. Your presence certainly cannot be missed. Calseinica and I have getting along splendidly. I thought I could get to know you better too."
Varius watches his new companions try their best with the extensive speaking roles, quietly thanking whatever gods are listening again and again he's mostly just there for physical comedy and muscle. The cruelty of the director towards the sweet Petals and the graceful Faustina is a little much for him, and he decides to try and make some friends.
With Thesing.
"Well met there, my good fellow! Varius Liberare. I must say what an honour it is to be working alongside you. Please let me know whatever I can do to support you in your role. To complete the Sixfold Trial - you are already famous, but this will make you a legend."
After her rehearsal with Robahl, Catina doesn't dare approach the director to ask about Thesing. Instead, she tries to find some solitude, sitting backstage. She eventually runs into Millech and confides about her fears for the play. "Millech, we haven't talked too much since rehearsals started. We've been so focused on the rehearsal so far, that I've tried not to think about the actual challenges. You're responsible for those, right? Illusion mostly? But some actually dangerous as well, it seems..."
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
‖‖‖‖‖ • • ‖‖‖‖‖
Alessandro performs well throughout the day, although he does not quite manage to close the loopholes indicated by the director. Later that day, when he attempts to befriend the Visbaronettes Aulamax, he gets quickly, and not so kindly, dismissed. “I’ve seen, Mr. Esposito, I’ve seen. Anyway, I don’t see the point of giving you any advice, since you’re not so likely to survive to the play, together with that friend of yours…”
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
‖‖‖‖‖ • • ‖‖‖‖‖
Not unlikely Alessandro, Catina performs really well throughout the day, although she’s not able to completely satisfy Robahl’s expectations, and her weak spots remain the same. Later that day, Catina’s attempt to befriend Millech meet with a much better luck than Alessadro’s previous attempt. The hump smiles kindly at the tiefling. “Reshponshible? Well, I ushually am. But not thish time. Thish time the mayor decided to bring new challengesh and threatsh to the shtage, and I don’t know anything about them. That’sh the reason why I suggesht you to keep your eyesh open, milady”
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
‖‖‖‖‖ • • ‖‖‖‖‖
Faustinia’s performance is poor today, but she more than makes up for that with managing to befriend the infamous director of the play, Robahl Nonon. “I trust you magic skill, milady. And I trust you among everyone else here, since your wisdom is much appreciated and something of a novelty in the acting scene. I’m sure you will do well. ”
---
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
‖‖‖‖‖ • • ‖‖‖‖‖
Just like Faustinia, Petals is not in good shape today, at least from an acting point of view, but she’s luckier than ever in her attempts to get closer to Calseinica. The young starlet giggles with an air of ingenuity on her face as Petals tells her all the nasty things her hammer could do to Thesing. “Ahahah, thank you for your offer Petals, but I hope it won’t be necessary. Alessandro and Catina taught a good lesson to that prick yesterday. I hope it will suffice to make him stay away from me. Oh, also…I just wanted to say that you’ve very beautiful, my dear. Shelyn must have blessed you.”
---
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
‖‖‖‖‖ • • ‖‖‖‖‖
Varius does an amazing job throughout the day, and the director himself acknowledges his commitment and natural talent for acting. The other members of the cast are impressed by Varius’ performances as well, so much that they frequently give him a round of applause when he does something particularly good. Thesing is the only one who does not seem to get along well with him, and he never shows any sort of appreciation for his performances. When Varius approaches him in private, Thesing smirks obnoxiously. “What makes you think that you’re worth of even talk to me? Go away, you stench of mediocrity from a mile away, and I don’t want your stink on me!”
______________________________
After the fifth day, each of you returns to his place and enjoys some hard-earned rest.
---
---
As practice concludes at the end of the evening, Robahl confronts Catina and tells her, “It’s unfortunately too late to fire you and find a better actor, or to hire a second illusionist to replace you with an effect. We’re all stuck with you, is what I’m saying, so to soften the blow of your dulcet tones, I think you should wear this during the play.”
At this point, he hands Catina a circlet of persuasion to wear.