"Wife'll gut me if I waste any more money," the shorter gentleman grunts, rising from his chair.
The taller gentleman doffs a top hat and makes a courteous nod toward Èvelyne. "Perhaps another night. I'd better head towards Cecillia's for some pot roast before I lose my dinner money along with my pride."
The two gentleman head out the front door, leaving Èvelyne with a pile of eighteen silver coins.
Faulkes makes his way around the boxes with the elegance of a drunken bear. He looks around the warehouse until he stumbles upon what looks like a small camp. A candle sitting on a short table still has smoke coming off the wick.
"It looks like someone was just..."
Faulkes deduction is cut-off as a small dart flies through the air, missing Faulkes by a bit.
"You shouldn't be here," a sinister voice calls out. You see a drow woman dressed in dark garb standing a few feet in front of you.
Initiative:
Round 1: Fiona, Ithelien, Faulkes, Umbrea
***
Verrill walks up to Èvelyne. "Ne devrions-nous trouver les autres? Ils sont partis depuis un certain temps."
***
Ivy's interior is resplendent with ivory and marble statues of scantily dressed women in a variety of poses. The small gilded fountain in the lobby is a nice touch. You see women, both young and older, walking about in little more than negligee. A woman with raven-hair who appears to be in her middle ages approaches you.
"Good evening, sir and madam. I am Ivy, what can I do for you? Perhaps you would like a lady with expertise, good sir? You look a little inexperienced, no offense meant. And for you, madam? Would you care for a massage to ease that tension in your shoulders? Or do you want a 'couple's experience'?"
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To aid them in case she attempts to escape, Fiona mumbles the incantation of ancient fire. The drow woman erupts in violet light that pierces through the darkness.
Drawing her bow, Fiona moves aside. "I dinnae who you are or what ye did but nobody tosses a dart at a more-than-a-friend o'mine!"
"Get 'im!"
Ithelien grins broadly. "Of course not! We have a talent for being where we're not supposed to be, don't you know?" He smiles radiantly at her, winking cheerfully. "Well, I am afraid we're supposed to do you in now... I don't suppose you want to surrender?" His voice is mild, but his eyes twinkle with delight. He begins to sing the same battle-chant from earlier that day, drawing his rapier with one fluid motion, privately hoping she wouldn't. This could prove seriously cathartic for him, should it turn out that way...
Tesia motions toward Vinccenso, a slightly amused look on her face. "Oh, who..us? No no Lady Ivy, I'm afraid you are mistaken. While he is my companion, it's true..I'm afraid we are here on a bit of buisness. Perhaps you can help us? You see, we are looking for an associate of a friend of ours. He's an Orc, one broken tusk and goes by the name of Tarok. You wouldn't happen to have seen someone like that would you?"
She smiles warmly at Ivy while reaching into her purse. She pulls out three gold coins and holds them out to her. "I'd be more than happy to pay you for any help you can give us in finding him. I'm afraid it's rather urgent."
Faulkes steps up to drow, adopting a defensive position, and lashes out with a quick fist.
; ;
He connects with a solid blow that causes blood to flow from the drow's mouth.
The drow looks past Faulkes at Ithelien and wipes the blood off her chin. " You're the bastard that killed my family and ruined my life! I didn't know for sure at the festival but now I do. I'll die before I surrender to you."
She quickly draws a long exotic sword and swipes at Faulkes.
;
Round 2: Fiona, Ithelien, Faulkes, Umbrea
***
Ivy takes the gold. "Ah, well, I suppose I could help you. He's in the lounge to your left."
Tesia again smiles at Ivy,"Thank you so much for your help. By the way, we ran up against a young lady with a knife outside the door to your establishment. She threatened my companion and myself. If they do come back is there anything you or anyone you know could do about that? I would appreciate it so much. Ordinarily I would deal with them myself, but being that we are in such a hurry, I simply don't have the time." She pulls out another five gold and hands them to Ivy. "Really, just anything you could do would be helpful. If you need more than that, I can get it to you." Nodding courteously toward Ivy she motions for Vinccenso to follow her and heads to the lounge that Ivy directed them toward.
Ivy looks at the five gold pieces before handing them back to Tesia. "That's one of Lady Bella's girls. Lady Bella isn't one to be crossed. She is the one who's set her girls, these 'fortune-tellers', loose on Blackshire. She used to be the right-hand of Adello the Knife, until he got cozy with the hangman's noose, so she's put a few folks in the ground in her time. I don't want to get caught in the middle of that."
Tesia takes back the money easily enough."I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. I wouldn't want to cause any trouble for you, or your place of...business. This Bella better watch it though, or Adello won't be the only one familiar with the noose. Thank you for your time anyways." She offers a friendly smile to Ivy before heading into the lounge and looking for Tarok.
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Nocking and pulling back an arrow, Fiona looses it with deadly accuracy. An automatic response-- she doesn't quite have time to process what the drow said yet.
...
"Wait, what? Ithelien? Why are you killing people's families?!"
Wait a second... wasn't Ithelien the one who knew this person?
Was he using them to carry out a hit? They weren't going to 'do her in' when the paladin was around... Did he separate them from her for just this reason?
The arrow pierces the drow's armor, causing her purple-outlined form to fall to the ground. She begins to bleed profusely.
; -5 hp
; -6 hp
; -7 hp
; -8 hp
; -9 hp
; -10 hp
; -11 hp
; -12 hp
; -13 hp
; -14 hp
; stablized
Faulkes grabs Fiona. "Forget about what Ithleien has done for now. She's dying and, if she's dead, this will be for nothing."
Well, there's something to be said for the direct approach... Vinccenso's gaze locks on the proprietress as she responds to Tesia's queries & statements. Nodding his thanks, he follows Tesia after the wayward Orc.
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"Point taken," she says, kneeling beside the drow. Fishing in her pocket, she finds her wand and administers it to the woman with gentle care.
"Hold her down bef're I do this," she says to Faulkes. "One time I caught a thief sneakin' 'round and he tried to slice me when I caught him. Knocked him down a flight o'stairs, and when I brought him back to, the healin' worked too well-- gave me a knife between the ribs. That was the night I had to use that wand twice."
Ithelien tilts his head, nodding politely to Faulkes. "Well swung, good sir... And excellently shot, Fiona." He looks to the drow quietly, walking to her side. She was one of those drow. Why would they not leave him alone? A tiny part of him notes distantly that of course she was here to avenge her family, it was the way things worked!
His expression is hard, though, and he debates quietly whether or not he should slay the woman... She was a drow, after all. He shakes himself, deciding firmly against it. "Hm..." He shrugs quietly, kneeling down beside her. As Fiona heals her, he carefully begins to bind her wrists. No sense in being foolish after all... He looks down to his belt pouch, and the vials of healing within. No. He was not going to use them on the drow. He might have cast a spell of healing on her, but... too late for that.
"Mind if I get a touch of that wand, Fi?" Faulkes says, using shreds of his clothes to wipe up the blood. "Er, Fiona, I meant. I don't think we're at the nickname stage yet."
***
Vinccenso and Tesia walk into a lounge filled with silk curtains and velvet pillows. An orc with a broken tusk and tattoos sits here, reclining on some pillows being massaged by one young woman and having a drink refilled by another.
"Stupid fortune-tellers," he grunts to one of the ladies. "She said I'd become leader of my tribe. Fah! Korbak is too strong. Empty-headed trollop!"
Tesia walks in and sighs in relief of actually finding him. She clears her throat as she walks into the lounge where Tarok can see her.
"Excuse me, you would be Tarok yes? Korbak sent us to find you. Things didn't go as planned and he was needing you to come back to Strotfeld with us. I am sorry to barge in like this, but it is a matter of some urgency. There has been some....complications. We need to try and get back to the casino to meet up with the rest of our group without running into the young lady with the knife and her friends. Those fortune tellers are nothing more than common thieves and cowards." She stands there for a moment before realizing that she hasn't so much as introduced herself to the Orc.
"Again, I apologize. In my haste I have forgotten my manners. My name is Tesia, and this," motioning toward Vinccenso, "is one of my companions, his name is Vinccenso. So, would you mind coming with us. I promise I wouldn't bother you if it weren't extremely important as I see you are trying to enjoy a relaxing evening." She smiles somewhat nervously at Tarok, not knowing what his answer might be. She really doesn't want to deal with anymore confrontations today.
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"Absolutely... I mean, no. I hate d'ya mind questions, ugh," she says, and taps Faulkes arm with her wand. "Poor baby," she coos, looking at his honestly horrible wound. She's glad he didn't catch it in the chest or the eye or something even worse.
To be fair, she didn't notice he'd called her Fi-- but when he brought attention to it, she couldn't help but jest. "Of course, Wilf," she said with a playful smirk. "Or since ye like actors, mebbe ye prefer Ford..."
Turning back to Ithelien, she says "Thanks."
Interesting...
Well, let's see what his reaction is.
Leaning over to whisper in Tesia's ear. "Doigh liom go mbeidh an bhfíric go raibh muid 'chuig' ag a Príomhfheidhmeannach bhfuil níos mó wieght leis ná ár n-ainmneacha.
Doigh liom freisin nach bhféadfadh sé a bheith ar an meáchan a bhí muid ag súil le..."
I also suspect it might not be the weight we were hoping for..."
Turning once more to face the Orc, Vinccenso adds before the other man has time to speak. "What do you expect when you ask a Blackshire Scryer to tell you your future? The truth?"
"Ford, huh?" Faulkes says. "I like the sound of that."
***
The orc scratches his belly before addressing Vinccenso. "Some prefer to hear about that mysterious stranger to fall in love with. And some prefer to hear poorly constructed lies about battles that will never be. Yet, these 'scryers' lack the imagination to at least humor me. Ambition is a fine weapon, but not one to be handled clumsily."
He takes a drink from his tankard. "So Korbak's negotiations have gone south, little surprise there. I suppose he's worried I'll get blindingly drunk, impregnate some poor virgin here and ruin our diplomatic reputation. Is that it? It probably is. He may be strong, but, when the clans' face is at stake, he overreacts."
Tarok guffaws for a moment, perhaps at some private joke. "I'll make my way back to the inn. The fresh air may do wonders for this stupor."
The orc rises brushing past Tesia and Vinccenso. "I'll let Korbak know you did a good job."
Fiona gets the feeling that Ithelien might have been leading them there for some other reason beyond just the Stone of Verona.
"When does a leader not overreact to a potential threat to his powerbase?" Vinccenso replies, smirking once more. "A somewhat more immediate aid might be of benefit, both to yourself and to us." Capturing the orbiting glowball, to place it back within his pouch, Vinccenso continues. "As it stands right now, the lady & I have run a bit more forcefully counter to these 'Scryers' ends. We have reason to expect an ambush."
", they are expecting to ambush a half-elven warrior woman & her bookish human man-candy, a party of three, which may or may not include a half-elf..."
Tesia looks at Vinccenso a bit puzzled. "Just what is it that you are suggesting? Am I supposed to just hide from these....these common miscreants? I'm not afraid of them." Her brow furrows as she thinks about the situation. She stands there for a moment, glowering at the floor. I've failed before, I won't do it again.
"Níl anseo, ní anois. Le do thoil." Vinccenso whispers quickly in response to Tesia's declaration.
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Fiona gets the feeling that Ithelien might have been leading them there for some other reason beyond just the Stone of Verona.
Fiona very casually turns to Ithelien, brickwork skin crackling as her expression shifts to one of determined curiosity. "Now that that's done, let's talk about the 'killing families' portion of the previous conversation, shall we?"
Ithelien tilts his head, arching a brow. "Oh, of course. When so many die, it's inevitable that a few families get killed. Of course, it was only just. Well, perhaps not so much just..." He pauses, expression falling as he sees his family again, broken and slain, then - no. Looking back at Fiona, he says quietly. "Please, permit me a selfish chance to talk about my family. I used to have parents and an older brother... Only my little sister survived." His voice cracks as he tries to finish the sentence, and he almost unconsciously slips into Elven. "Tá sé cóir ach gur chaill sí a clann. Thosaigh siad é tar éis an tsaoil."
His expression grows dark, filled with self-hate and he shakes his head quietly, mind going to the past. After several long moments he shakes himself, and the small smile returns. "Please, it is a time I would really rather not talk about. Suffice to say, it was in the heat of battle." He picks up the drow woman's sword carefully, moving it away from their prisoner.
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Fiona stoically nods.
A moment passes.
She shrugs. "I understand, then. Simple. Shall w'bring the lass up, then? Ken give Tesia, Verril, 'Censo and Ev' a crack at her. That pal-o-dine would bleed a brick dry, m'thinks. I'm not the threat'nin' type."
She looks to the boys. "But before we go, let me check aroun'. Ford, Ith-- Stay here, the both of you, in case she wiggles free or summat."
The palm-print across Faulkes chest disappears, and Fiona places her hand over her own face for a moment-- white light in the shape of a hand glows forth. She sets out into the warehouse, keenly searching.
Tesia looks up at Vinccenso, her blue eyes dark and shining. It is not certain whether they shine with anger or grief, but it is apparent that she has become rather....emotional.
"Oh really? Why not? If not here, then where? And if not now, then when? When they decide? It is apparent now why Strotfeld was so reluctant to include them in this festival. This town is nothing more than a pit of vipers, waiting on prey that they can strike at. Well, this time they may have found something that strikes back."
With that said, Tesia turns abruptly to walk out of the lounge.
Fiona finds nothing helpful in her search of the room, save a bed and some old rations. This was probably the last destination of the drow.
***
Tarok turns back to Vinccenso. "I'll walk you out then, but I wouldn't expect their retribution to be immediate. If I were them, I would wait until you were in a more vulnerable position."
As the orc predicted, there is no one outside of Ivy's and the streets look relatively clear as you only see a few people milling about.
Tesia just stands outside for a minute, letting the cool breeze calm her nerves. Once she feels herself again she addresses Tarok. "Thank you for the escort. I guess we will see you later after we get back. For now we have to head back to the Casino to see what our other friends have found. Have a safe trip back." She turns and quickly heads back to the casino and the others.
Following Tesia, Vinccenso nods in agreement as she thanks Tarok. As they return to the Casino, he begins again. "An bhrí nach beag ar cheachtar scil do laoch, ar do mhisneach, nó do chiall. Brí amháin nach bhfuil locale neamhchinnte le breathnóirí anaithnid mar gheall ar an áit is fearr chun pleananna oirbheartaíochta a phlé. Ní Táimid ag obair le chéile in imthosca den sórt sin roimh..."
"Theastaigh mé ach go n-íoslaghdófar an seans go mbeadh do misneach a úsáid in aghaidh leat."
"I wished only to minimize the chance that your courage would be used against you."
I seem to recall a great deal of apologizing to Annalisse as well...
Vinccenso barks out a brief laugh, quickly stifled, though his now-familiar smirk remains.
Ithelien nods, grinning broadly. "But of course! Shall I carry our prisoner, then? If you'll kindly carry her... weapons and whatnot, I'd rather not deal with a dagger in the back tonight. Puts a kind of a damper on my festive mood, you understand..." He pauses, then smiles brightly. "Any other time, you see, it'd be different, but today's a festival!"
Tesia stops next to the entrance of the casino and sighs. She shakes her head as the slight breeze blows a few errant curls around her face. She puts a hand to her forehead as if in thought. "It's not your fault...I over reacted. I just really take issue with people who prey on others. I have an especially strong dislike for thieves, bandits, and other such criminals. I don't understand how a town could just allow so many of them to run unchecked everywhere." She pauses, searching for the right words to use. "Don't feel bad for trying to talk sense into me. You were right. I need to use better common sense than that and not let my emotions get the better of me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad."
She looks down at the ground, she is sincere in her apology and shuffles her feet in the dirt before looking up at him. She tries to put a smile on her face, but it seems a little weak.
"Well, I suppose we should get in there and see whats going on. If they haven't found anything we need to be getting back to Strotfeld. I don't want to be here any longer than absolutely necessary." She opens up the door to the Casino and goes in.
Fiona and Ithleien drag a bound drow woman into the casino, as Vinccenso and Tesia walk back in. Faulkes quickly fetches a chair to put her in while Damon decides to fetch a drink for the injured man.
"What happened?" Damon asks as he hands the drink to Faulkes.
"Found a drow, that's what," Faulkes says, taking a deep drink from the glass.
"The more appropriate question is, 'did you find the correct drow'?" Vinccenso interjects. "I don't suppose Quintz has arrived? It's probably not a matter for excessive concern, but in the course of retrieving his friend's 'lost lamb', we succeeded in running afoul of Blackshire's preeminent 'mutual aid society', so we shall likely wish to consider ourselves on a timetable..."
Kneeling before the drow woman, Vinccenso smiles a particularly beatific smile before launching into a language which makes all of your bile rise. "ដូច្នេះតើអ្វីដែលនិយាយថាសេចក្តីស្រឡាញ់? សូមប្រយ័ត្នក្នុងការចាប់ផ្តើមឆ្លើយសំណួរដូច្នេះយើងអាចជៀសវាងការ 'កំហុសដែលបានធ្វើនៅក្នុង'?"
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Fiona, knowing that she's about as good at interrogation as a lamb is at spinning a web or a spider is at eating grass, finds a chair for Faulkes and quietly babies him about his arm, fretting over his wound while also heavily implying how brave and heroic he is for fighting an armed person with a long sword bare-handed.
She sits across his lap, tending to the half-healed cut with quiet sincerity, listening to what the others are doing.
Évelyne's eyes widen from surprise when she hears Vinccenso speaking the tongue of the demons. It wasn't exactly very common to hear around these parts. Or around most other parts, either.
"អ្នកនិយាយភាសារបស់អារក្សចូលនោះ? តើអ្នកដែលជាកន្លែងដែលរៀន?"
"You speak Abyssal? Where did you learn it?"
Features darkening slightly in irritation at the interruption, Vinccenso replies. "ខ្ញុំជាសិស្សនៅរស់រានមានជីវិតចុងក្រោយនៃអ្នកជំនួយការសង្គ្រាមដ៏អស្ចារ្យបំផុតន ៃអាយុរបស់យើង។ របស់ ខ្ញុំនិយាយអណ្តាតរបស់ជ្រៅនោះ!"
A smile creeps onto Évelyne's lips. She knows exactly what these people are like. "ដូច្នេះអ្នកទូរស័ព្ទចូលពីឋាននរកដែរឬទេ? ការព្យាយាមដើម្បីហៅទូរស័ព្ទទៅអារក្សចូលនៃសេចក្តីរីករាយ? កុំមើលទៅខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តខ្ញុំមិនវិនិច្ឆ័យ! ខ្ញុំបានសួរតែប៉ុណ្ណោះដែលអ្នកចាំពីមុនពេលអ្នកហៅការការពារឬអ្នកអាចបញ្ចប់ដោយច្រើ នជាងគ្រាន់តែជាដំបៅគ្រាប់បាល់បានបង់របស់អ្នក។"
"Oh, so you're one of those demon-summoners, aren't you? Trying to call some tasy succubi to have fun with? Hey, don't look me like that, I don't judge! But you better remember to bring succubus-appropiate protection, or you migh get something worse than just a nasty itch on your family jewels."
"តើខ្ញុំមើលទៅដូចជាល្ងីល្ងើទៅអ្នកដែរឬទេ?" Vinccenso snaps, irritation growing to genuine annoyance at her continued interruptions.
Such rudeness! Doesn't he know who she is? "ជាការប្រសើរណាស់ខ្ញុំគោរពបូជាចារ្យគឺជាសញ្ញានៃការត្រូវបានដុលមួយ។" Évelyne snaps back.
"Well, not respecting the clergy is a sign of foolishness."
Brow arching & eyes narrowing at Evelyne's continued interruption, Vinccenso still barks out a laugh at her final statement before once more turning his full attention back to the Drow.
Clergy, ...
She doesn't like a priestess of Nethys.
Or any Deity of knowledge I can think of...
So how is it that knows the Abyssal tongue? And knows it well enough to be making bad jokes about Succubi?..
is a question for another time however.
While the other two argue, Ithelien quietly examines the drow woman, wondering what exactly had brought her here. Surely the drow who had survived could not have known who exactly he was. Not that he had taken any particular pains to hide his identity, of course, but most of the survivors had been more concerned with fleeing before he did it again - not that he could have - than with examining him. He shivers quietly as his mind almost goes to the emotions he had felt, but he represses the feeling, eyes returning to the drow woman once again. What could she want from him...?