Molos pulled out sheets of paper from his bag along with a few inkwells and quills. Pass me the contracts and I will transcribe their contents onto the paper, if our new found "employer" decides to stab us in the back then we will take him with us...
i have already prepared it for you. here is your copy Molos. she hands him a parchment.
As to your answer adrien the contract if rather simple in its basic nature: Its an exchange of service. House leroung provides bargaining chips: like information, souls etc.. in exchange they get information that are arcane in nature. These information or secrets can lead them to new arcane discoveries, new spells, powerful magic items etc..
"So then are we to believe that destroying the contract breaks the agreement between Leroung and the other party?"
Between them and the forces of Hell. Yes adrien
"The contracts are irrelevant to us. As a bargaining tool they're double-edged at best, and we gain no real advantage from destroying them. Best bet is to sell them. As discretely as possible. Also: I don't want to be involved in that. What we should focus on is-"
"-killing Alana Thrune.'
Ok. Well. Not what I was going to say, but hey, who am I to say what I am going to say? Hah... Damn. Well, it technically is on my to do list. And maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. Maybe even three or four... I grin savagely, daydreaming of blood.
And for what reasons Vince? she asks nicely
"Because we are good, morally upright members of the cosmos, and we always keep our word," I smile.
"Also probably because Dice can with relative ease set the entirety of Leroung, and possibly all of Egorian, against us, since he knows exactly who we are and that we're after contracts. So it seems like it would behoove us to do what he requests. In a timely fashion."
Behoove. That's an awesome word.
Behoove.
Haha.
and what do you know of alana Thrune?
I think about this long and hard, my brow furrowed. Finally, after much pondering, I answer.
"Her name," I nod affirmatively, gazing at Sydney with utmost sincerity.
"It's Alana Thrune, by the way."
Taking in the conversation between Sydney and Vince, Adrien nods at his response before taking a drink of his ale. "Very astute. We're f%!%ed."
Mallichatti smacks the smart ass in the back of the head. "Get serious here! Even the halfling mentioned that we needed our memories to do the job he wanted us to do! And not one of us is any closer to that goal!"
"Except for, y'know, me," I reply smugly. Or at least as smugly as one can with watering eyes and a knot on the back of their head. Man that guy is strong.
"It is odd though. I was told to go after Jeggare. But my memories were in Leroung's devil..." I muse, absent mindedly rubbing the back of my head.
"I suppose you have a point though. It looks like we might have to multitask," I sigh. I hate multitasking. Reduces my ability to focus. And if I can't focus, I usually just end up flailing.
"I'd prefer to look into Alana myself. So what Houses do you all want to tackle?"
Well looks like while the rest of you were busy with enjoying themselves was the onlyone who worked at all. I know where we can find a contract devil, or should i say the entrance to the complexe he resides in. she says with a smile
"And where might that be Sydney?"
Hopefully this "complex" will yield our memories...
in the middle of house Sarini's compound, but i don't know anything about its security. My best would probably be able to figure out a way to get past the outer guards if Molos can memorize a bunch of invisibility spells. If my initial theory is correct the contract devil will yield only one memory.
That has probably already been thought of and accordingly precautions will have been taken, to deal with the guards we need to take a different approach. If these noble houses are as paranoid as they seem that means that inevitably they must have secret passages and entrances in the complex proper... If we could find one of these passages or entrances and disarm the defenses we should be able to get at the contract devil.
Molos this is the only secret entrance. she says with a smile
So do you need to adjust in order to have everyone's invisible?
The only "secret entrance" I doubt it, furthermore I can't keep you all invisible to get in. What is known of House Sarini, it's history, politics and most important of all enemies.
You can doubt all you want. i didn't see you coming up with anything in the last two days now have you, and you are telling me you can memorize 5 invisibility spell? she says with a wink
Per usual, Molos is instigating arguments, but at least we have a lead. Hopefully we can recuperate for a bit more while I try and get some more errands done. I mentally review my to-do list.
I wince as my own mind screams at me and crack my neck, feeling my shoulder muscles bunch up and tighten. Ugh. Stupid promises...
I'm not sure if I'm giving a devilish grin or not, but it definitely feels like I am. Hopefully I can kill like three birds with one stone. It'll take some finagling though... but hopefully I've got some time. And so far things are set up quite nicely.
"I think we should probably try and get the locations of the rest of the devils before we strike again. If we keep doing them one by one with a break in between security's gonna get tighter and tighter. It'd be safest to try and get them all in one go after this. We're unlikely to find somebody like Dice to cover for us again."
That is exactly what I am saying and it would be resources wasted, an alternative is available however... If they are still in business, as a child I was raised by the criminal underworld and I distinctly remember the alchemists who would operate out of back alleys and the like. They could if one had the coin give one several services, one of these services was what at least back then was called a "new man". Pay an alchemist enough and either give them a sketch of or even better a part of the target and they could make you the target for several hours. It will take a man who can lie through his teeth to pull off the impersonation but I trust that Adrien can perform the deed...
Adrien looks sideways at Molos for a mere moment before considering the task. Murder an unnamed victim, steal their body, flesh train it into the houses to gather information on the devils. What a despicably well thought out idea. Maybe Molos was more useful than harmful. Adrien suddenly scoffed loudly at his thought, then laughed at the sheer balls it would take to accomplish this. Dismantling the houses piece by piece was deserved. Fun even. But Molos was suggesting slapping the nobles in their faces before their sudden beheading. A government toppled by blatant dickery. This was unheard of. And it was going to be so much fun. Adrien smiled through his ale. "Oh yes, I'll enjoy this."
Bad idea and bad plan molos, but i won't stop you from trying. And to answer your unspoken question Vince, we don't have the magical ressources to hit all the contract devil on the same day, and No the security will not be tighter and tighter on them because of one simple fact. The news that their contract is missing is now one of the most guarded secret in house Leroung, and they aren't telling anyone else.
"Closely guarded secret or not, we've already heard the rumors about something happening at Leroung. I find it difficult to believe that the scheming paranoid people who have managed to become heads of Houses won't take some measure of precaution. And if nothing else, the devils themselves know, and for the right price will divulge the information. We might not have all the resources desired for one clean sweep, but we are even further away from having the resources needed to run for the rest of our lives."
Of course there are precaution, traps, guards and stuff protecting the contract devil of each house Vince. So you have heard the rumors about something happening during the ball. Do you know exactly was these rumor allude to or was was said during the crisis meeting?
"None of the rabble know anything definitive, but everybody knows that something happened. Something that shook the high-ups in Leroung. Also: what 'crisis meeting'?"
The one that happened during the ball of course Vince. In fact i can tell you that Dice Drem did his job to perfection and Leroung aren't on our ass. Now my only question to you all: Do you want to attempt the contract devil located in House sarini or not? and if yes We need to infiltrate the outer defense unseen until we get to the entrance of the secret complex.
"The one that happened during the ball of course Vince. In fact i can tell you that Dice Drem did his job to perfection and Leroung aren't on our ass. Now my only question to you all: Do you want to attempt the contract devil located in House Sarini or not? And if yes we need to infiltrate the outer defense unseen until we get to the entrance of the secret complex."
I shrug.
"Dunno about any crisis meeting. Wasn't exactly invited. And probably wouldn't have gone anyway. Too busy drinking you see. But while yes, of course we eventually want to attempt the Sarini devil, I don't think now is the appropriate time. I still stand by my method of all at once. Makes things easier logistically speaking."
Well then do you have any idea or method in order to find out where are the contract devil of the other houses vince? Or are is this meeting is adjourned while each and everyone gather more information?
One of us taking the form of a Sarini noble is the best plan, this is not just a chance to kill a contract devil this is the chance to make ourselves a bit more powerful... After all if one of us is a major noble then said noble could do some investigation into the deeds that House Sarini would prefer others not know about. You can imagine what a few inventive souls with time on their hands could do with that type of knowledge, plus lets not forget the entertainment value.