After getting a room, Ziera addresses Alden:
So, Alden... what do you remember from before? I remember heading to this town, wanting to avenge my father's death. But nothing of being here, or friends, or ... I mean, how could the memories just be gone like that? Do you think they will return?
Antonio turns to Tarken, and tries to give a small smile. "Well, I suppose I should get some rest as well. Dawn comes closer than one would think." He leaves the table and heads to his room, closing the door behind him. He lies his gear at the foot of the bed, closes his eyes, and sleeps.
Irene will hesitate, but at Ziera's comment about vulnerability, follow along to the Inn out of fear of being left alone in an emergency whose scope she cannot recall.
"There is spellwork that will erase memories, but it typically only works on small amounts of time, never years. The length of the gap is the most concerning part to me. What's more, I've always taken to writing in this journal to help remember anything important," She gestures with her erasing book " but it seems that at some point I've not only had it enchanted with an erasing word, but then by golly, I've erased it. I've always been a little cautious, but to throw away years of notes like that. In an instant! It's appalling to think what may have caused such an emergency."
[b]"Please tell me that one of you remembers something more tangible."[/b}
Actually, though I agree your scenario is worrisome, it relieves me somewhat. Erasing your book, if you are suggesting that *you* are the one that did it.... if I did this to myself, or chose it, then I at least had a reason. Something I wanted to protect perhaps. But if someone *else* did it, against my will... that is much scarier.
I haven't heard of spells with this kind of power either. Do you think it is... don't spells usually, um, wear off over time? It concerns me that I will be left forever with years of my life missing. What I did... who I cared about... all gone. It scares me and angers me, much more than the anger I remember feeling for House Thrune even. Of course, they could be behind this as well. I'm sure their resources could pay for such a spell and spellcaster. ... But *why*?
It's difficult not knowing. I mean... how do we even know that the man who awoke us is to be trusted?
A spark of fire appears in Ziera's palm.
Oh, that's strange. I can do magic that I don't remember knowing.
He prayed to Zon-Kuthon for his daily allotment of spells, pleasantly surprised to find that the dark lord's gifts had increased for him, as well. At least he had been following his God's tenets, whatever he had been doing before he regained his memory. Again internally shrugging, the man put on his hat and changed his appearance again, his hair almost black, his eyes a dull hazel color as he came down the Inn's steps.
Giving Dante only the most slight amount of eye contact, Gray sat at the bar to take his meal alone. When he was done, he left with little preamble, taking the opportunity over the next several hours to get a general feel for Egorian as he asked where Asmodeus Rest might be.
Shortly after waking up, Erasmus had begun reacquainting himself with his ethereal powers, which quickly lead to the discovery of a newfound ability to effortlessly lift heavy objects. Idly, and with no regard for the structural integrity of the building around him, he had begun entertaining himself by rearranging the furniture in his room.
I'm guessing that they are alive as well, since we are. It's weird that we were in there *with* our stuff but without our memories. Whoever did this doesn't seem to want our deaths, but they do want something else from us perhaps... but what that is, I have no idea. And since we had to be broken out... theoretically, if we can trust the word of the man who did so, perhaps we have interrupted their plans, and have a chance to make a difference... but we have to learn more. Hopefully the man that broke us out will be at the meeting tomorrow and we can learn more.
Alden, you remember more than I do. Tell us about the other people you mentioned... anything you know about them. Maybe it will trigger something?
You know what keeps getting to me is ... what if I already *have* a place to stay? Or I'm in a relationship with someone? I mean... YEARS of memories. I couldn't have been homeless with all of this cash. So where was I, and what was I doing, and how do I get it back?
It makes you want to just walk around asking everyone if they know who you are... but then you couldn't really trust them if they said yes, even though you would want to. ...And how tragic if you actually found someone. Trying to start the relationship up again from scratch would probably tear the other person apart... and you too, watching it, and knowing that you should love this person. The whole thing is surreal. Part of me wants to find and get back at whoever did this to me and throw everything that I have and am at them... and the other half wants to run somewhere far away to ensure that they can't steal more years of my life from me.
Even that is a change, I suppose. The person I remember being would always choose the revenge route, so the fact that I am even considering another option means that I have grown, and that some part of me realizes that.
Anyway, sorry for babbling so much. I just ... it's all just so overwhelming. But maybe we should sleep on it, and hope that tomorrow brings us more information about what happened than we have today...?
I certainly do not remember this. Still, I feel an odd connection to it as if...
Once the others begin to move about Tarken focuses on his allies. "Feeling any better today Antonio?"
Ziera starts to say something
Don't you---
Then she stops, realizing that it just doesn't matter.
Yeah, I want to figure the memory thing out too. Hopefully tomorrow. Goodnight Alden.
She gets into bed and tries to sleep, which is hard with the insane events of the day rushing through in the foreground, and a vast nothingness in the background.
Ziera gets up and goes down and orders some hash browns, hoping for one familiar comfort in the midst of confusion. She'll then wander around the town, getting as familiar as possible with it before making her way to Asmodeus' Rest at noon.
Antonio nods. "Still organizing my thoughts, but better." He laughs. "I don't suppose you have any spells that can heal headaches, do you?"
"We should head to Asmodeus' Rest soon. Better to be early than late, and I'm interested in meeting with everyone else."
No. The best I can do is a spell to make myself hyper aware, which would make me more likely to notice something like that, but I don't have any proofs against spying. May I cast? I don't want to ... er, worry anyone.
Waiting a moment for a nod, she casts a spell.
Heightened Awareness
School divination; Level alchemist 1, bard 1, druid 1, inquisitor 1, psychic 1, ranger 1, shaman 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, M/DF (a coffee bean)
EFFECT
Range personal
Target you
Duration 10 minutes/level (D)
DESCRIPTION
You enter a heightened state of awareness that allows you to notice more about your surroundings and recall information effortlessly. You gain a +2 competence bonus on Perception checks and on all Knowledge checks that you are trained in.
If this spell is active when you have to make an initiative check, you can instantly dismiss this spell and gain a +4 bonus on that check.
Gray walked calmly into the room with an easy grace, seeming to almost blend in with the surroundings. His hair was a few shades darker than the blond of the previous day, almost brown, his eyes a dull green. He smirked as the mystery man performed his search of the room, something the man was obviously doing for the group's benefit. Surely he had already scoped it before they started filing in.
He looked around at the others in the private room, recognizing them from the last memory he had before waking up in that strange cell the previous day. He wondered how long it had been since that day. Putting the thought out of mind for a moment, he nodded to the man's request.
"I can create a sphere of silence in the hallway outside of the door. We'll have to probably stay on the opposite side of the room to hear each other, but no one in the hallway will be able to hear anything at all. It will only last for about half a minute."
Assuming this is met with approval, the inquisitor quickly opened the door and cast his spell upon the opposite wall of the hallway, creating the mentioned area of silence, then quickly ducking back into the room.
Antonio notes the man does not include him - creating a few possibilities. Either he does not know he is a mage, or is aware of it but others in the vicinity do not. Or, perhaps likely still, the man is aware Antonio has no such magic.
Of course, I can't simply ask him. After all, if he truly does not know, I may as well have revealed myself naked before him.
Irene sits with her back to the wall, so that she can face the door and Glifdore at the same time.
"Do we know how long Lugen will take to get back with that, or is there anything we can do to help. I don't like just sitting around knowing that I've just lost two years of my life, especially with people that I no longer know," *muttering* "but presumably trusted at some point..."
She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, thinking about all of the research that she had brought to this group at the start, that she no longer knows the location of, hoping that it hasn't ended up on a clarity pyre.
Irene makes a good point... how can we function as a team when we don't remember each other, and we no longer know each other's strengths, and I am sure, weaknesses?
And if they were able to find us and neutralize us before, how did that happen? How did they know who we are, and aren't we still compromised?
Why drain their memories and not just dispose of the lot of them? Something nefarious was going on, indeed. He shared Irene's sentiments, though he masked his frustration better, merely leaning against a side wall. Perhaps it was his fatalistic view on things...he served at his Lord's whim, so he would just pick up where he left off and hope everything clarified in the interim.
Gray looked skeptically at the man after he spoke, raising an eyebrow wryly. "If our enemies possess such means, we shall have to be careful indeed. if Lugen does not return, what is the plan?" The shifty man cleared his throat afterwards, the thick phlegm loosening slightly as he glanced at the others in the room, gauging their reaction to the situation.
"We've our work cut out for us, it would seem. If what you say is true, we'd best start from the ground up, and consider all of that information compromised, is that right?"
Adrien shakes his head and then buries it in hands as the questions come from around the table. He finally stands quickly, knocking his chair to the floor. "Are you all ----ing idiots, we don't even know who the ---- this guy is and you're already welcoming him in like a trusted ally. " He turns to the man. "Who are you? And what connection do you have with us? " He glares at the man, appearing to force him to answer.
Vince laughs at Adrien's outburst.
"Rantin, is it? Nice to meet you, I suppose. Any idea what we could be doing in the interim, while we wait for this superhuman to come back? I for one don't fancy sitting around, waiting for the noose to slip about my neck once again." Gray's eyes continually slipped to the door, expecting it to burst open with armed figures at any moment. He wasn't sure he trusted this logistics manager of the anti-Thrune society, but it was as good a lead as any.
The inquisitor's lips twist into a faint smile as he imagined chaining Rantin up and tearing the flesh from him piece by piece for his possible treachery. It was the simple things that brought joy to one's life. Gray tried to think of the past several months and any work he had done with these present, but drew a blank. What kind of device could steal a memory?
While the room was fraught with worry, Antonio was actually relieved. At the very least, I know a bit more about what has happened. But there was a further shed of hope. If the memories have not been destroyed... then it is possible to get them back.
Antonio's eyes narrowed. "Let us hope for Lugen's return. It would do us little good to wander about, not knowing who knows who and what."
And until then, we wait?
Perhaps you could introduce us to each other and explain our roles in this... rebellion? I am interested not only in what other people have been doing, but in what I have been doing, and who I have worked with.
The inquisitor accepted all the information like a sponge, paying close attention to Rantin as he detailed out what he knew about them. Apparently much more than they knew themselves. He wondered how this man had escaped the memory-wiping fate that had gripped the rest of them, but pushed the thought away after a moment. He could either trust the man or not.
Gray extended his hand to accept the scroll, shrugging as it seemed business as usual after his unsettling fugue state. A slender brow arched at the lack of information, so he asked, "So who will be informing us of our objective?" Of course, the man could make do if need be, gathering what intelligence he could and reporting back, but a clear goal in mind would be preferable.
Ziera reads the scroll and grins. She uses her sleeves of many garments to transform her clothing into a ball gown.
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Erasmus balks at the sight of the fake name on the scroll.
"What, I agreed to this?! Falsifying my family name... that's so disrespectful!"
"I imagine we get ready to go to a ball..."
Irene sighs and looks down at her ink-stained fingers and robes. "I've never done this sort of shopping before. Well, not that I can remember at least... Can someone point me to the right part of town?"
Gray scowled as he read over the invitation. His was the way of blending into the shadows, not rubbing elbows with the upper crust. Still, he could speak passably and act a fop when required to...just another wrinkle in this tangled mess. The inquisitor cleared his throat, then sighed, tucking the invitation away into his pack.
Gray smirked at Irene's comments and question, thinking that if there was someone in this group more out of place at a ball it would be her. And maybe the Dante figure. And that dragon-thing in the corner. Well, maybe there were some others more out of place than the both of them.
The cowled man gave a respectful nod to everyone, remembering the name Carew's Clothing Emporium as he walked out the door. Out of habit he drifted to the side of the short hallway instead of walking in the center, instinctively searching out the shadows of the building and walking through them when possible.
His plan was to go surveil his supposed apartment, making sure it was not under watch before going inside and getting the place set up to his liking. The others had surely heard his address as he had heard theirs...if any wanted to discuss plans they knew where to find him.
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Ziera jumps up to leave, and then remembers the ball gown. She twirls a few times, and then changes effortlessly back into reasonable clothing. She goes to scout out her apartment. Then she thinks she should find a semi-disreputable tavern and see if Sydney will contact her to find out about the meeting. She has no idea if they know each other that well, but it seems like what she would look for if she were the one avoiding meetings.
Once she finds the place she is staying, if it looks secure she leaves most of her bulky stuff there, but nothing valuable, and goes out again. She looks around carefully to make sure there isn't anything strange like a secret door she could be murdered through or something.
Then, off to find a semi-disreputable tavern (not disreputable enough to make it life-threatening to women, but disreputable enough that sneaky types wouldn't feel uncomfortable. A difficult balance... she might have to visit several. She briefly considers a fun disguise, but then realizes that Sydney wouldn't be able to find her that way, so she just goes in her own skin, scouting out different taverns--leaving quickly if they look too dangerous, and drifting off quickly if they look too pristine. If she finds one with the right balance, she orders some soup and sits down with a book, facing the door... kind of reading, but mostly using it for an excuse and watching to see if Sydney will contact her (or if anyone else comes up that knows her... that would also be interesting). She also listens to the conversations around her, sipping her soup and turning pages occasionally (the book is not upside down... she made that mistake once when her father was training her. Never again.).
Antonio gives a laugh. A party? I suppose it is the season for festives, but still...
He nods to Irene. "Madam, if you are unsure, I am positive we can find a dress together, if it would please you." Already, he had slipped into a more polite persona. Good practice.
"Bah, no matter. They'll all remember the Halvani name in time."
Erasmus looks around at the group for a moment, frowning.
"I don't suppose any of you have etiquette training."
Alden raises a confident hand. “I actually have extensive etiquette and propriety training.”