"Then lead on." Shenuska replies, her own arm snaking around Theo's waist in turn, although her hand doesn't reappear on the other side and based on the angle of her arm it must be somewhat lower than his waist...
Theo couldn't help but give the psychic a smile as he felt her hand find its mark before he led the way back to the inn.
The first thing he did upon entering the room was setting his spear against the wall by the door. The second was pulling Shenuska close against his front and kissing her passionately, his free hand closing and locking the door before starting to explore her body, starting with where she'd been holding him for most of the walk back.
He'd let her break away if she tried, but he'd found this was one way to see how in-control a lady wanted to be - the way Shenuska had all but demanded for a back massage a few days ago made him curious to see where her desires on this front were.
The rest of the night is thankfully quiet, and you gather for breakfast at Creekside in the morning. While there, Captain Julit Freson pays you a visit.
"Thank you for dealing with those monsters last night. They might have hurt some innocent citizens if you weren't around. That's the second incident in the past few days. I wonder where they are coming from?"
She sighs and shakes her head. "At any rate, we questioned the Roadkeepers you brought back with you. It seems the dwarf, Dolland, is one of the gang's lieutenants. The other one is that ruffian Lullaby Vancaskerkin, who I've heard was spotted recently skulking about town.
"The main force of the gang is camped out above the dungeon you were exploring. There's about a dozen of them, and their leader is an oracle named Mother Nightthrush. The Roadkeepers have been a nuisance to the Cove for quite some time. If you could eliminate them, it would go a long way towards making the Churlwood safer for travelers."
Shenuska's desires prove to be comprehensive, and quite exhausting! She matches Theo at every turn, her hands roaming just as much as his do and she is willing to take the lead just as often as he is. Her body is curved and corded with muscle underneath the flesh, which she willing lets Theo expose as she does the same to him.
The revelry lasts long into the night.
--------------------------
"So, deal with this Peacock Manor or the Roadkeepers first?" Shenuska asks when the Captain has gone. "I would say finding the origin of these monsters matter more than either of those."
Nime tips her head. Whether she's thinking about it or listening to the breeze is unclear.
"This sword in the wrong hands is the greatest threat," she says finally. "That's why Roderick is not at rest and the reason for the monsters. I'm not sure what needs to happen to it eventually, but it needs to be taken out of the hands it currently is in. And those hands are probably in Peacock Manor."
She frowns.
"Along with an attached body, I assume."
"I worry that if we wait, the Roadkeepers will just find a different hideaway. But if today we spend poking about the Peacock Manor, let's also keep an eye up and open for Miss Fancy-Hat/Stab-Wound."
"Oh yes, it is a very fancy hat."
"So, Manor and maybe get that girl with the bad fashion sense on the way if we can." Shenuska nods and stands. "Oh, and if we see that imp thing someone else make it be quiet or I will. Permanently."
Three separate houses once stood where Peacock Manor once stood, at the northern end of Roderic's Cove. Several years ago, the houses were connected into one sprawling two-story manor. Wooden decking surrounds the structure, connecting a few small outbuildings, including one covered with dark, thorny vines. A few staircases outside lead up to entrances on the second floor, while double doors in the front and back lead into the main building.
"Yeah, we owe Miss Fancy Hat several matching Stab Wounds," says Rudrik.
"Peacock Manor it is. Not the kind of cock that Shenushka was expecting, but... uh... dang it, there's a d!ck joke in there somewhere, just couldn't get it up."
Her body is curved and corded with muscle underneath the flesh...
"Rudrik, that was terrible," Theo remarked, though the smile on his face said otherwise.
Nime's brow furrows in confusion.
"I don't understand. What kind of cock would Shenuska be expecting?" she asks. Her eyes open wide. "Wait! Are we talking about penises?" She smiles. "We are, aren't we? Can we talk about those? People usually get uncomfortable when I talk about genitalia of any type."
The oracle shakes her head.
"Which is really a shame because they can be a lot of fun if you learn how they work. And how are you supposed to learn how they work without talking about them? I mean I know how mine works and from experience I've found other people's work mostly the same ... "
She looks around at the others and her happiness is replaced by guilt.
"I'm sorry. I'm making people uncomfortable again, aren't I?"
Rurik's joke attempt draws a smile from Shenuska. "Well keep practising and maybe you'll have the stamina to keep (it) up in future!"
Nime gets an outright laugh as the conversation completely devolves into crudity. "Well you can always practise with me sweetie. I'd be happy to help you get some more experience." Her voice drops, but nowhere near enough for the conversation to be actually private.
"And Theo's works normally too. Decent size though." She adds with a conspiratorial wink.
You stand on the manor's front lawn, cracking wise. Nobody comes out to greet you.
"How rude. Shall we knock, or just go in?"
Theo couldn't help but roll his eyes and Shen's "stealthy" aside.
"Times like these I wish I had a familiar like my sister's. Having some eyes in the sky certainly wouldn't go amiss here."
Nime gets an outright laugh as the conversation completely devolves into crudity. "Well you can always practise with me sweetie. I'd be happy to help you get some more experience." Her voice drops, but nowhere near enough for the conversation to be actually private.
"And Theo's works normally too. Decent size though." She adds with a conspiratorial wink.
"Hmmm... That does bring up the subject of size in many areas," she says with a glance down at her chest. "But that's probably a topic of discussion for another time. We do need to save the world after all."
Without another word, Nime steps up to the double doors and raps on them with the butt of her spear. She turns and looks at the rest of the group with a smile.
After a few moments, the door opens. A bald woman in a fanciful peacock-themed outfit peers at you. "Yes? May I help you?"
Shenuska's eyes rake the woman up and down before she speaks. "Yes. There have been disturbances in the town and we were hoping you could tell us more about them."
"The Order of Respendlence spends its time in study and contemplation," the woman says calmly. "We do not concern ourselves with the mundane affairs of this town. Your inquiries would likely be better answered elsewhere."
"Do you know anything about a sword that belonged to one of the runelords? It's very distinctive; you can't see the blade."
Nime looks around at the others.
"If not, we were having a discussion regarding the size of mammalian genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics; Would you have anything to contribute?"
She turns back to the woman with a smile.
"Unless, of course, being a group dedicated to study and contemplation you are above such things? That would be a shame though. It's always beneficial getting other points of view."
The woman seems a bit surprised at the mention of the sword, but she does her best to maintain a neutral expression. "I have nothing to say about either of those topics," she says. "Please remove yourselves from these premises at once."
Nime tips her head and her eyes narrow.
"I'll have you know we're trying to save the world. So pretending that you don't know anything about the sword is not helping."
The woman narrows her eyes as well. "I will ask you again to leave. I won't ask a third time." She cracks her knuckles.
"Fine! You take your cracky knuckles and ... and your pretty bald head and ... and your nice blue outfit and ... and ... " Nime sputters a bit more before turning and walking away from the doors.
"I have half a mind to call her a bad name. A really bad name," she mutters to herself.
Calendula shrinks and frowns at the topics of conversation present, but as these are the people who are helping, she simply bears with it.
As the door opens, she makes to speak before being interrupted by Shenuska. She scowls and narrows her eyes, growing even further frustrated. Then, Nime speaks up, worsening their position even further. Finally, just as the bald woman prepares to close the door on them, Calendula speaks up, hand on her weapon.
"It would be wiser to stand aside, woman, we've been deputized, an unless yer fancying a night behind bars, I suggest you tell us what we need to know and give us the tour while yer at it."
The woman takes stock of Calendula, her mouth a thin line. "Fine. Come with me to the receiving room. I will see if our leader is interested in granting you an audience."
She opens the door and gestures for you to follow her inside.
Varisian landscapes hang on the walls of this wide hall. Double doors on the north and south ends of the hall allow access to this space, and a number of other doors lead to other places in the manor. A set of varnished wooden stairs rises to the second level of the manor.
She leads you through a door to the west. In the southwestern corner of this room is an elegant table and several chairs, one of which is far more elaborate and comfortable than the others. Another pair of common chairs have been tucked against the northern wall.
"Wait here," she says before leaving the room.
"I'm kinda surprised that that worked."
Shenuska looks around the room, once with mundane, once with magical sight, and then walks over to the table and (assuming she sees nothing wrong with it) sits in the elaborate chair, crossing her legs and causing her trousers to tighten noticeably.
"So... do we have a plan?"
Theo couldn't help but facepalm at Nime's attempt to get them inside. What the hell is going on in that girl's head? he wondered.
He was glad when Calendula's attempt worked and he took the time to examine the manor's interior as they were led through.
"Same here, Rudrik. And hopefully that doesn't come back to bite us. They sound awfully arrogant. And if any of us know how thoroughly pride and arrogance can make you a right a%$++#+!, it's me - such fine examples of humanity among Magnimar's nobility."
Shenuska looks around the room, once with mundane, once with magical sight, and then walks over to the table and (assuming she sees nothing wrong with it) sits in the elaborate chair, crossing her legs and causing her trousers to tighten noticeably.
"So... do we have a plan?"
Somehow, Theo managed not to let his eyes linger on Shen's trousers (well... not for long, at least). "I suppose continue as we have been - confront them about having the sword, work from there. Maybe show them the gauntlets. Does anyone know who this sword was originally made for, which runelord? I feel like the whole peacock motif around here has something to do with it, but, well, history wasn't really my strong suit."
Nime takes a moment to admire the paintings as they proceed towards their destinations.
"Ooo.. this one is very pretty." She then moves on to the next one. "This one not so much."
Once they reach the receiving room, Nime continues to move around the room, not taking a seat. The butt of her spear on the wooden floor a regular sound.
"I must apologize to that woman when we see her again. I wasn't very nice to her, and that's not right."
"So... do we have a plan?"
Nime looks confused.
"I thought the plan was to get the sword, has that changed?"
"No need to be nice, Nime. She hates us. We're here to take the sword and punish them for the massacre they committed in the square, and she knows that."
Nime lowers her head, the expression of guilt on her face increasing.
"But I don't know that she was involved in that personally. I should give her the benefit of a doubt. Shelyn desires everyone to be treated with love and I didn't do that. I lost my temper. I must make amends."
After six or seven minutes, three people walk into the room. Two bald men dressed in green flank a Varisian woman in her late thirties with straight black hair that runs past her shoulders. Her green eyes stand out against her tanned complexion, and her expression is serious.
"Good day. I am Corstela Rostrata, the head of the Order of Resplendence. I understand you are asking questions about a sword of some sort? I'm afraid that I cannot offer any assistance in that matter. The Order of Respendlence is a peaceful philosophocial society. Weaponry doesn't interest us, but those Hooked Fangs thugs are a different story! They are bullies who enjoy antagonizing their intellectual superiors. Their leader is a woman who calls herself 'Gold' who frequents the Creekside Tavern and Inn. I would suggest seeking her out and interrogating her."
Shenuska continues to lounge in the chair and let someone else do the explaining.
"Lady Rostrata; we've reason to believe that a member of your order, for whatever reason, has come into possession of an ancient Thassilonian sword, known as Baraket. Whether they were acting on behalf of the order or on their own, I could not say. But Baraket is a powerful and dangerous artifact of Thassilon, and such things are not to be taken lightly."
"I have read about the so-called Seven Swords of Sin. If one of them were in this manor, I would know about it. Where did you come by this information?"
"I have read about the so-called Seven Swords of Sin. If one of them were in this manor, I would know about it. Where did you come by this information?"
Nime tips her head and smiles. She knows how to play the evasion game. She played it as a youth with her mother.
"Perhaps Shelyn whispered it in my ear. She does that at times ... tells me secrets. Secrets no one else knows. Perhaps someone else told us. Perhaps we found it on a scrap of paper. Perhaps we saw it spelled out in the leaves of the trees. Does it really matter where one comes upon truth?"
She takes a step closer to the woman.
"You're very pretty. Is the sword here?"
Corstela seems nonplussed by Nime's attempt at flattery. "No. As I said before, the sword is not here. I'm sorry that I can't be of further assistance to you. Now, if you don't mind, I am in the midst of preparing to give a lecture to the members of the order. I would kindly ask you to leave."
"Then why are you afraid?" Shenuska asks, still lounging across the chair but with a nasty edge to her voice. "If you really had nothing to hide you wouldn't be trying to remove us so quickly. And your voice wouldn't quaver. I know you're lying, so tell us the truth. My companion here doesn't like liars."
Corstela scowls. "That's quite enough. If you will not leave willingly, these gentlemen here will 'escort' you out." She takes a few steps back as her burly companions step in front of her.
"Are you sure?" Shenuska asks, still not moving. "We could be friends..."
Corstela's eyes widen as Shenuska's psychic spell takes hold of her mind. "Friends..." she says quietly. She holds up a hand to forestall her lackeys. "Leave us for the time being."
The bald men exchange glances but do as instructed, closing the door behind them. Once they are gone, Corstela lets out a sigh. "What I am about to tell you is very sensitive information. I am only revealing this to you because we are such good friends. I do have the sword Baraket in my possession. I found it in Roderic's Wreck several months ago and claimed it as my own, more for its historic significance than its use as a weapon.
"Tensions between my order and the Horned Fangs have been building for quite some time. It all boiled over one night last week when we met in the Circle to have it out. As we squared off, I felt a sudden overwhelming pride fill my soul, a pride that could not stand the idea of any other group daring to encroach on my territory--especially one that wore the Thassilonian rune of wrath so brazenly! I wasn't aware that I had drawn Baraket, nor did I realize that I was attacking the nearest Horend Fang. My blow struck true, and as the sword pierced the man's throat, a surge of potent power erupted from it. Images of beasts and nightmarish creatures attacked the other Horned Fangs, and a moment later, five more of them had dropped dead from fright. I regained my senses a few moments later, and I was aghast to see the slaughter I had wrought."
Corstela lowers her eyes. "Only later did I theorize as to what had happened. The only way the Sword of Pride could have flared to such levels of power would be if its master had awakened, if only for a brief moment. Do you know what master I speak of? Xanderghul, the runelord of pride. Take a moment to consider the implications of such an event.
"Since then, I've grown more and more concerned as the urge to carry the sword nags at me like an unfulfilled addiction. I don't trust myself not to use Baraket again if confronted--and what if that's the one thing needed to fully awaken Runelord Xanderghul? I locked it away in a lead box while I considered my options. My research revealed that the vault in which Sir Roderic discovered Baraket also had another item that could dampen its power, a set of runewarded gauntlets. I commissioned one of those Roadkeepers to retrieve the gauntlets for me, but he has not reported back. Without them, the sword is too dangerous to handle."
Nime turns a raised eyebrow at Shenuska before turning back to Corstela.
"Oh, you poor thing," she says as she moves close and envelopes the woman in a hug. "That must have been a horrible experience." She steps back and gives her a friendly smile. "You can give it to us. We'll keep it safe."
Calendula snorts. "Yeah, safe. Here, let me go with, I'll help."