Gafar's eyes brighten. "Yes, now we're thinking. Once we rule out more pedestrian methods of resurrection, we only have the... extraordinary." He leans forward in his seat, seemingly forgetting his discomfort. "So rather than sit idly by and wait for the whores to do your legwork, perhaps we can begin tracking our prey."
"Gafar, no matter how you feel about their occupation, the Calistrians are not to be crossed lightly. I urge you to not make enemies of them."
"Though I agree that we should not depend solely on them. Perhaps the reputation our faith has garnered would serve us well in our mission. We can let word spread of our target. Those wishing to garner our good will as well as those who would rather not have our attention will do the legwork for us."
"That's a silly idea" Eris responds dismissively. "You tell people of our target and sooner or later our target learns we have our eyes on him, his security either increases, or he simply leaves. You have people purposely feeding us false information, people lying in order to extort favours and so on. I'm certainly not endorsing any sort of plan of action that involves telling the world who we are and what our target is."
The doors slide open and Shorafa enters, looking somewhat upset. Following her is another woman in a kimono who glides in.
Face tight, Shorafa says, "This is Yanmei. One of my contacts in Magnimar brought her here, since she says she has an answer to this mystery. However, she will only address the Red Mantis. So I cannot vouch for what she is about to tell you, nor have I verified anything."
The kimono barely moved as the young woman glided in behind Shorafa. Her footsteps were soft and her hands hidden under the cuffs of her sleeves across her chest. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight bun, with a single jade comb pinning it in place. Submission or confidence... damn it. Get it together girl. She scolded herself inwardly. This was the risk of a lifetime and she would put all her coins on the table. She lifted her head and presented a visage of solid beauty and courage, boarding on arrogance. Her eyes, a deep emerald green, met the gaze of each attendee, careful not to betray any fear, "Thank you, Lady Shorafa. You have been a most kind hostess." She bent at the waist and bowed slightly. Her skin caught the light as she moved. Patterns of barely perceivable scales along her cheeks and brow shown with a green tint. Straightening, she addressed the others, "My trust in the Revered One is such that I know that you belong to the aforementioned order of blood. I'm afraid I have frustrated Her Reverend, but the information I have is too valuable to not provide myself." She watched the others carefully. This would either be the first night of a new life...or the last day she would see.
Eris rewards the newcomer with her full attention, quietly sizing her up. What she saw was largely a reflection of herself, and her interest grew slightly. "So tell us then, what this valuable information is that you offer"
"And what would you have in return for it?"
Kage glances at the exotic woman, and then doing a double take, he really looks. His strange blood red irisis seeking to weigh up all that he sees. "Hidden depths", he murmers. Seeming to have come to a conclusion Kage clears his throat and speaks up, "The red mantis isn't here, but his apprentice is. I am known as Tith'Kali Sa'Kage." He looks at Jon-wyn and adds, "Her reward will be the same as ours, the satisfaction of a job well done."
Yanmei stands under the weight of their scrutiny. She begins to walk as she lays out her desires, "Satisfaction...I know how to satisfy. My name is Yanmei. I have been a Geisha and consort at the House of Lotus Pedals in Magnimar for several years. My customers have ranged from working class drones to lords of industry." Her path slowly circled behind the group, keeping a small distance between her and the others, "It is the later that I take from. Not just gold...but their words and secrets. I recently obtained key information related to your inquiry from a long-time client." She concentrated on her breath, keeping it even and steady, "What I want is not wealth or royalties. I want what you have already...Prestige; to be part of a family with the power to control the lives of the population; to dip my words in poison and cast them judiciously. In short..." the woman set her jaw and paused for the effect, "I want a mask"
Jon-Wyn's stare becomes hard and his hands recede into the voluminous sleeves of his unassuming scholar's robes. "That is not lightly asked for nor casually given." He shifts his stance to be better prepared to attack.
Completely unbothered by tradition, or ceremony, Eris takes Ghiv's mask, and hands it over to Yanmei. "Fine, there is your mask. As, (largely) an initiate here, I'd prefer it if you observed as much as you can, and I'll consider it a training run. Succeed in this mission, and you get to keep it, prove an..irritant and well, maybe you won't".
Kage nods at Jon-Wyn's words, remembering his training and the many and varied trials he undertook at the behest of Master Brinn. For the third time, Kage looks at her appraisingly seeking for any sign of fear as he tells her, "Nobody shall remember us when we die, and no songs shall be sung of our struggle. We are merely implements of the divine. We are of little intrinsic value and that which we take is of no value. We never stay in one place, holding no lasting bonds to anyone or anywhere except for those inducted into the mystery. Are you sure this is the kind of life you want?"
If she she says yes, he goes on, "A mask cannot be given, it must be earned, with blood. Not just any old blood will do either. We are the gardener slipping at society's weeds. We are necessary for it to function and grow into something beautiful. Without our constant ministrations all will descend into chaos."
He studies her reaction to this exposition intently. If she seems to accept it, he tells her gravely, "You will be told whom to kill and when. You must do this without hesitation or pity and to the best of your ability. Can you do this?"
"Now begin earning it." Jon demands. The 'or else' left unspoken.
We are merely implements of the divine. Gafar vomits inside of his mouth at these words and fights to suppress an involuntary convulsion. He watches the proceedings impassively, but internally he marvels at the girl's arrogance and naivety. Was this a life anyone truly desired of their own volition? He had supposed most assassins were either compelled to join as he was or indoctrinated from birth, but the thought that someone would so brazenly demand entry into their ranks - frankly, that was something to be suspicious about.
He considers saying as much, but thought better of it. If she were some sort of spy, it would hardly do to make his suspicions known in front of her. Instead, he merely watches for her reaction.
Takes the mask and has only a moment where she is distracted enough to look at it. She quickly fixes her mistake and reengages their gaze. She listens to Sa'Kage and his sanctimonious questions, "I hold no bonds nor care for any that would keep me from such duties. I freely accept what I came here for, regardless of the trials ahead. I will take the information and the lives of my targets equally without hesitation. I hold no reservations about such things." The mask disappeared under her sleeve. She moved back toward where Lady Shorafa stood, "My sister is also a Geisha. Sometime ago, she healed a man named Gyr 'Two-Bolt' Vestmark, a treasure-hunter and explorer, of poison and wound. She shared with me that he spoke of a peculiar finding...the 'Key to the Cyphergate'. This was before his demise at the hands of the order. I imagine that this is the reason someone would want him returned to the living. However, the rest of the information suggests that he is neither living...nor dead." A sly smile played upon her lips.
"Eris! What in the", Kage stops mid rebuke and sort of defalates before explaining, "Most of you haven't worked with Eris before, among other things she *is* a mind reader."
Kage sighs and tells the exotic lady, " Apparently Eris has seen something we can't and has sponsored you, as is her right. It normally takes many years for that to happen. Well if Eris vouches for you that's good enough for me. And it appears you already have the key that will unlock the mystery of two-bolt. Perhaps Eris chose well, I look forward to seeing what you can do."
"Very dramatic." Jon deadpans. "What is the information that you believe suggests that he is undead?"
"I will not look a gift dragon in the mouth, m'lord." she said, addressing Sa'Kage, "If Lady Eris accepts, I will not disappoint as my life is the price for failure."
Turning to Jon-Wyn, she regards him cooly, "You do not appreciate theatrics...Well I do not appreciate assumptions." She stepped closer, "I never said undead either...Tell me...what condition did you find Two-Bolt's body in?"
"His body was on one side of me and his head on the other." Jon holds up his right then left hand as he speaks to help illustrate his point. "Please stop being vague so that I no longer need to make assumptions."
"Of course I chose well, I'm a mind reader remember? Yanmei has all the relevant qualities to be a fine Mantis" Eris remarks coolly, before whispering to Yanmei in an undertone "Don't screw it up"
In a tone that's all business, Kage tries to bring the strands of the plot together. "So we think Two-Bolt was killed at the behest of the cyphermage cabal because he had the key to forbidden knowledge. Of course he was working with somebody else, perhaps a renegade cyphermage. Mages aren't exactly known for raising the dead, but making undead now that's possible... Obviously he needs to come back in some useful form, a slavering zombie isn't going to be opening anything. I believe this narrows down our options considerably. Perhaps we have enough to make some discrete inquiries?"
Gafar sits back in his chair, the mystery before him helping him to forget his discomfort. He idly circles his thumb against his middle and forefingers while he thinks. "There are easier ways of retrieving information from a dead man than resurrection. Perhaps it was more than mere information that he possessed."
When Sa'Kage suggests getting a move on with things, Gafar pushes his chair back from the table and stands, ready to go. "More than enough. Let us be gone from this place," he says, not bothering to hide the eagerness in his voice.
Keeping her gaze on Jon-Wyn, she replies to Sa'Kage, "You are wise, m'lord. Undead would not provide what they need...namely his memories. His head would contain all of that." Stepping away, she stood next to Eris, putting the danger of the others at a distance, "I have a source within the famous Golemworks in Magnimar. If you are not familiar, they are the foremost producers of golems and guardian constructs within the Inner Sea. Most recently, my source clued me into a new type of alchemical golem they have been designing. What stood out as peculiar is that this golem utilized a mortal's brain in such a fashion that it's mental faculties were still in tact."
At this next bit of information, Gafar's mouth twitches in annoyance. I was still partially correct. But news of an alchemical golem catch his interest. Perhaps I might acquire a sample specimen for my own experiments? That would be most pleasing.
"A golem? Then his 'resurrection' might be due to some mage finding our leftovers? Great. Perhaps we should start searching for golem-crafters."
"Indeed.", Kage glances over at Eris, this stage of an operation was never his forte. Life was always so much simpler when it came to planning the kill, and of course when it came to carrying it out, well Kage was borne for such things.
Looking at the others, Kage suggests "The Calistrians owe us a favor, but perhaps we should hold that in reserve? Lets see what Yanmei's source has to say. Either the source is involved or knows how to track down another practitioner. I may not be an alchemist but I'm willing to bet there's some rather exotic ingredients... We should be able to find out who has been buying peculiar things."
"Sounds like a good lead at least," Myra chimes in.
"It seems we have a plan"
"My source will remain anonymous. I like to keep my contacts if possible. But there is one little tidbit more that will point us in the right direction...A mage by the name of Elias Tammerhawk leads the Cyphermages in Riddleport. He has a connection to a very particular purchase order out of the Golemworks recently. He may lead us to the whereabouts of our missing head."
"I always wanted a golem of my own" Eris remarks wistfully, before snapping back to reality and the plan. "Personally, I would prefer that we contact the Calistrian's for information on Tammerhawk. Usually, I wouldn't care, I hate delaying things as much as the next person, but until we can figure out where Elias stands, I'd prefer to avoid charging in after him. Besides, he owns a major faction within the city, and I'd prefer to avoid a chaotic fallout if I can. Its not that I don't think we could handle it, just that I believe it adds an element of unpredictability that we could do without."
Kage shrugs, "Well if you think that's best... To be fair, I'm just the hired muscle here, let me know when my talents are needed." He grins fiercely, knowing it would only be a matter of time.
"Tammerhawk is a powerful and well known figure. I'm sure that the lovely Calistrians already have much information on him. If he is wise, he'll have agents listening for those asking about him. Let's hear what they will share before chancing that he will learn of our interest in him."
Shorafa enters the conversation at this point. "Elias Tammerhawk. Leader of the Cypher Mages, chief rival to Gaston Cromarchy. Good kisser."
She touches her forehead in thought for a moment. "Elias is a mage and scholar first, but a scoundrel a very close second. He, like the rest of his order, is obsessed with learning the secrets of the great arch in Riddleport's bay. It's likely that Two-Bolt's alliance with Elias was forced, since anything like a 'Key' to the Cyphergate would be greatly coveted by him."
Gafar, still standing, sighs wearily. It looks as though they'll be staying awhile yet. "Whatever his connection to Mister Tammerhawk, Mister Vestmark is certainly in the weaker position. If Tammerhawk is indeed keeping our target alive for his own purposes, we should expect resistance. Sa'Kage, your time will best be spent preparing the necessary implements for the ritual. Fighting a golem, if it comes to that, will require adamantine weapons and perhaps other alchemical preparations; magic will have no effect on them."
With that detail taken care of, Gafar looks around the table at the others as he considers the task at hand. "Our first objective is to locate Mister Vestmark's head. We have an abundance of manpower at our disposal; we can afford to be very thorough." As he plans, he continues to rub his invisible coin. "Inquiries should be made at the Golemworks and we should keep eyes on Mister Tammerhawk. Jon-Wyn, you are more than capable enough to pose as a Cypher Mage I should think." His eyes drift over each of the others, coming to rest on Eris, but he says nothing else. If you are truly a mind-reader, you are better suited for assigning tasks to the rest of our team. Do so at your discretion.
Kage nods, "Adamantine weapons may be useful indeed!" Almost mournfully he adds, "I'll make use of whatever is available, I somewhat doubt I'll be able to find a smith willing to make my favored type of saber here..."
Since she's present he asks Shorafa, "Is there a good Smith in town?"
Shorafa smiles. "One of the best, you'll find. The Riddleport Gas Forges. I'm sure you've seen the smoke belching from that horrid building several blocks southeast of here. It's run by a consortium of dwarves, using underground deposits of some sort of flammable gas. It's supposedly hotter than standard forges, so skymetals are much more easily smelted. They can make about any weapon you desire." She doesn't sound as if she really understands the details in the gasworks, but at least knows what it means for procuring supplies.
She looks hard at you all. "I can supply you with some information about Tammerhawk's residence as well as the Cypher Lodge, which would help you in locating this golem. Then I will conclude our business. You shall be depriving Elias of something he greatly covets, and his wrath will be great. I cannot allow him learning that I assisted you in this endeavor."
She turns her head to Yanmei with a decidedly mirthless smile. "It is good that you kept your information to yourself until now, and that you will be going with them afterwards. It saves me from having to decide what to do with you."
Jon-Wyn stands and takes Shorafa's hand and kisses it. "Of course. We do not wish to be the cause for any hardship to befall you or this house. Thank you for the aid that was given. Perhaps when next I visit it can be under more pleasurable circumstances."
Eris frowns, looking over everyone, weighing up the options. "Firstly, anyone planning on handling a golem in melee combat, should visit the Gas Forges, having such weapons will be essential to your success. As for me, I'll look for an appropriate magic shop, and see if I could locate a Dazing or Toppling (Lesser) Metamagic Rod. If I can, it should allow me to aid you all more successfully, if not, then I'll largely be playing a supportive role should any combat break out, focus your attacks on the primary target, and I'll handle everyone else."
"As far as infiltration goes, Kage, I have no doubt that you would prefer leaving your own access point left up to you, Jon-Wyn, the idea that you can pose as a Cypher Mage is a good one, so give it your best effort, Yanmei, just looking at your screams Charm, so feel free to try and charm your way past, or doubtlessly rely on your own magical talents. Yamyra, I know of few people sneakier than yourself, take your time, and feel free to infiltrate as best as you can. Gafar aziri Mendassa, you look like a reasonably smart guy, feel free to use any spare time you might have to learn anything of use before we make our attack, otherwise feel free to devise your own way in, or, alternatively, work with Jon-Wyn, you worked together before, doubtless you two should be old hands at this. As for me, I could potentially charm my way into the building, or just copy the form of a Cypher Mage and stroll right in. Access shouldn't be a problem. Once inside, remain alert for each other, and track down the Golem. I'd prefer if you didn't leave a trail of destruction in your wake during this process - I dislike doing 'freebies', but I leave it up to each of your own judgement. Everyone clear on what they have to do? Any suggestions or improvements that feel like airing?"
Yanmei bows to Shorafa, "Most Revered One, I thank you for your hospitality. I hope that on our next meeting, there will be no need to keep secrets. Though I will never have need of it, I respect your profession as it is mine as well in a sense. May your business be blessed." She produces a small cloth bound box. Inside is a small jade charm as a parting gift for the Lady. Turning to the group, "My talents may aid us. If you are so inclined, I suggest meeting once before we enter. A tea ceremony is in order for such an occasion. There is a quality to it that will inspire you...I guarantee it." Her scales shimmered as she smiled.
Shorafa bows graciously in return to the compliments, then sees the assassins out through various discrete methods.
Once reunited in their makeshift safehouse, the Mantis are able to begin planning.
Jon takes some time to find out more about Tammerhawk's schedule. It would be good to know when he is where.
to gather information
in case
in case
to find a good person to impersonate to infiltrate Tammerhawk's residence or office.
Yanmei decides to seek out information regarding Tammerhawk's personal life. What was his character? Is he a highly stressed individual? Maybe he would care for the attention of a masseuse. If the information was favorable, she would put out an offer for a house call...if not, maybe he had family she could use to get to him...
Yamyra decides to go to the gas forges to shop for adamantine weapons.
Kage will go with Yamyra. Ideally he would obtain adamantine sawtooth sabres, but those may not be available...
On the way he whispers to her, "Lets give the smiths the impression we're buying the weapons on the behalf of a rich and eccentric merchant. Such things are likely expected in this trecherous place."
Assuming she agrees, Kage will tell anyone that asks, "Master Ormort has instructed us to obtain several samples of skymetal weaponry. Preferably intricate work, which he believes is most difficult to manufacture. If the articles meet his satisfaction, there will be a large order placed with various particular requirements."
Kage and Yamyra find the dwarves who run the Gas Works to be very businesslike and no-nonsense. They seem unimpressed with the promise of large future orders, and instead simply display their wares with confidence.
Gafar recalls the basics of alchemical golems -- namely that they are dangerous creations that spew a variety of caustic chemicals in their attacks and that they are resistant to attacks of mundane weaponry and most magics. He sets about attempting to gather information regarding particular weaknesses that the golem may possess, and is able to recall a bit of history on the Golemworks themselves and the original developers of the foundry. With that information, he finds a local alchemist who had worked on the original designs of the alchemical golem.
Locating him in the Lubbertown district, Gafar visits the decrepit and sickly man -- clearly the result of too much use of his own elixers and concoctions. But the man recalls a few additional details of the golem's design. It's construction uses a variety of glass tubing and parts (the best to contain the corrosive fluids), so they had never been able to ward them from the shatter spell, or any other type of sonic attack. But he has no idea what a conscious mind may mean for its combat prowess.