Rose winces at the faerie dragon's mental barrage but does her best to present a friendly smile to the creature. It sounded like a young child. Those could and would be loud, protocol and heritage be damned. Not even the stauchest traditionalism could subdue youthful liveliness - and the world was definitely better for it despite her eardrums often paying the price.
"So you say that you knew of creatures powerful enough to afflict an entire city, and intentionally went to confront them... by yourself," She states more than asks Elmar as the group begins moving, not quite managing to mask her incredulity at his claims. "Ah, forgive me. That was unbecoming of me. I suppose your confidence is definitely impressive, if nothing else. I hope you're as good as your actions imply you to be and that this whole situation is just some sort of unfortunate fluke."
In lieu of further introductions, she motions towards the other three members present in passing. "These are Lords Erallan, inquisitor of Kalinahat, and Reginald Weatherby and his canine companion, Baron Barksley. Yes, the dog is nobility too, I've been told. Now, we should probably be on our way and finish what we came here to do."
"So you say that you knew of creatures powerful enough to afflict an entire city, and intentionally went to confront them... by yourself," She states more than asks Elmar as the group begins moving, not quite managing to mask her incredulity at his claims. "Ah, forgive me. That was unbecoming of me. I suppose your confidence is definitely impressive, if nothing else. I hope you're as good as your actions imply you to be and that this whole situation is just some sort of unfortunate fluke."
In lieu of further introductions, she motions towards the other three members present in passing. "These are Lords Erallan, inquisitor of Kalinahat, and Reginald Weatherby and his canine companion, Baron Barksley. Yes, the dog is nobility too, I've been told. Now, we should probably be on our way and finish what we came here to do."
Instead of looking embarrassed or angry, Elmar chuckles lightheartedly at the assessment of the situation. "Ah, now that is refreshing. No, don't apologize, your understanding is correct. Well, mostly. I didn't anticipate being able to take everything in here on myself, but I thought I could at least gather intel and then safely retreat if need be. I'm not used to having magical invisibility pierced so easily. I have other tricks but the pairaka's, as I mentioned, are very magically resilient, and completely immune to fire. I did not know the nature of what I was dealing with until I ran into them." He chuckles again, running a hand through his semi-messy hair and shaking his head. "So yes, brash and confident, but also deeply unlucky."
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As introductions are made Marius misses the pleasantries, being distracted by frantically trying to keep wasps out of his clothes, ears, and mouth. This undignified task complete, he offers the newly freed wizard a nod of acknowledgement but turns to make sure Rose is well first and foremost. "F*@%ing wasps, f@#%ing divs" he hisses under his breath with real heat, but his touch is gentle and the act of channeling his goddess' power seems to calm him.
Once he's satisfied neither she nor anyone else is in immediate danger he turns back to resolving the problem at hand. "Phalanx doctrine is clear that mages should never operate unsupported--even if it's just a bodyguard or two who can buy time for an escape. But forgive, me I shouldn't lecture, your actions were courageous. As Miss Talbot observes we have at least two fiends still on the loose--the pairaka named a Soraya, so we've left the job half done. Kela is correct, we need to move quickly."
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Shendra huffs a bit in Marius's direction, but keeps her silence. Elmar absentmindedly scratches at her neck again with a ghost of a smile. Quite the soldier type. "Courageous, but brazen and foolish. I will openly admit that is not the first time I've heard such an assessment. Although I usually put a more positive spin on it and chalk it up to unbridled passion for my cause." He smirks at his own joke, but he focuses on keeping pace with the others and keeping an eye out for threats. "If you all are interested, I could make our entire group cloaked in invisibility. We would have to remain close together, and I know the pairaka's have the ability to see magic, but it takes them a bit to focus on the source of the magic to find it's exact location." He raises an eyebrow inquisitively.
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Barcos chuckles at Rose's introduction of him as Lord Weatherby.
"My ragged appearance belies my high station in...nah, I jest. Reginald's a character I've got that's useful when dealing with the gentry. The name's Barcos, no fancy titles beyond that."
Though initially speaking in a voice that drips with the idle privilege of Taldor's upper crust, he switches to the brogue of the Taldan lower classes almost immediately, sounding a bit more natural as he does so.
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In an accent even more rough and uncouth, the ragged man's dog begins to speak, seemingly directly to Shendra, "Oi! Flutter stuff! You think you're so fancy 'cause you can speak in my noggin! Well that's b@+$@%+s! I'm the best damn beast in whole group, and don't you get it twisted, you 'ear?"
Elmar gives a bright smile to Barcos. "You are not the only one of two worlds. Well met Barcos."
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Shendra snakes her head around to the dog, blinking with scaly brows raised. There's a brief pause and Elmar's face twitches with a shadow of amusement. I think you are the best beast in the group, and I am the best dragon in the group. How fortunate of us to have two of the best working together! She gives a sort of chipper noise and blows a multicolored smoke ring.
The dog swears under his breath before muttering, "Blast and damn, gotta find me a way to end up a dragon."
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Barcos laughs at his faithful hound's antics and ruffles the fur between the dog's ears before looking Elmar in the eyes. His tone is mirthful, but there's a steely edge beneath it, "No. I am of one world. One of squalor, of suffering, of the heavy cost incurred by the fortunate who see my fellow paupers as disposable. I respect those caught between them, but I know the world in which I live, and I know that I cannot leave it behind."
He offers the newly freed wizard a nod of acknowledgement but turns to make sure Rose is well first and foremost. "F+++ing wasps, f&$@ing divs" he hisses under his breath with real heat, but his touch is gentle and the act of channeling his goddess' power seems to calm him.
Rose chuckles and leans into the healing energies provided to her. "I heard there are soaps and oils that help alleviate such stings," she whispers back, briefly caressing his hand and offering a mischieveous wink - something to try later?
"If you all are interested, I could make our entire group cloaked in invisibility. We would have to remain close together, and I know the pairaka's have the ability to see magic, but it takes them a bit to focus on the source of the magic to find it's exact location."
"Invisbility... for everyone at once? How generous! Far be it from me to refuse such a generous gift." She smiles with a polite smidge of utterly sadistic glee. "A difficult magical feat to be sure - but not for one of your heritages, correct?"
The Talbots are one of the major Noble families in Oppara, the capitol city of Taldor. They are a merchant conglomerate, fabuloulsy wealthy, and have pretty much bought their way into political power. They are outwardly a very conservative family supporting Pythareus.
Duke Talbot is known to have two children, his son Remington and a Daughter - Raesilia. Per Talbot conservative doctrine, the female family members can own no property and everything they earn is considered property of their husbands or confiscated by the family. Raesilia herself is supposedly an expert tailor who runs a high fashion clothing shop named The Thread Rare.
In the previous Grand Exhaltation Gala, the one before the Senate massacre, there was a scandal of sorts where Duke Talbot's wife got into an argument with Pythareus himself and threw a glass of tea over him at the party. Not too long after, she disappeared. Rumors are abound regarding some sort of internal power struggle in the family and that she was silenced as a result, or simply as punishment for her actions.
Rumors say Raesilia was present during the Senate massacre of this year's Exhaltation gala, but (apparently) somehow survived. Other rumors state she has recently been active in the Taldak prefecture, where Lord Erallan took Stewardship over a small town named Stachys. During her stay she took the role of the Lady of Stachys. After around two months of residency, Bartholemew Lotheed apparently abdicated rulership of the Taldak province to Marius and Princess Eutropia. Her exact role in this major political power shift is unclear. Some claim she left the region long before Marius took over the town and couldn't possibly have been involved... right?
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Barcos's words sit heavily in the air, and Elmar has no response for them.
Elmar cocks an eyebrow at the heritage comment. "It is moderately difficult, and it required research and hard work. Much like tailoring." He says flatly. He stops walking. "I need a moment." He closes his eyes and focuses.
Elmar draws a metamagic rod from among his goods and steps forward.
"Group together. This spell will last for about fourteen minutes. Shendra will be the focus of the spell and will be staying at the center of us. We will be able to all see each other, but others will not be able to see us. They can still hear us, and can still detect the presence and location of magic. If you move farther than ten feet away from Shendra or take offensive actions, the invisibility will end for that recipient. Understood?" He pauses for questions, and once answered, nods. "Alright. Remember, ten feet from Shendra at maximum."
The colorful faerie dragon hops over to the center of the group as Elmar reaches up, plucking an eyelash and mixing it with some pasty material from his spell component pouch. He places a hand on Shendra and begins making esoteric glowing symbols in the air with his other hand. "Cenneth neth." He proclaims. The air shimmers for a moment, and Shendra's scales seem to be slightly more reflective, but otherwise there is no noticeable effect.
Elmar takes another item from his spell component pouch, what appears to be a small preserved eye with a predator's iris. He places it near his forehead and it floats there on its own as he places his fingertips to each side of it. "Gwaedul dúven." The eye evaporates into mist that seems to be sucked into Elmar's own eyes, causing him to blink rapidly for a moment. "Alright. Proceed."
Kela accepts the spell and indicates that she’s ready to move on, but doesn’t otherwise say anything of consequence. She obviously seems somewhat guarded.
"To the final tower then," With Kela's mirror images depleted, Marius moves to takes point.
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The group still needs to move through the swarms of angrily buzzing wasps that were summoned earlier, as trying to wait them out would surely cause most beneficial magic to expire.
With fresh stings rapidly swelling into reddening welts, everyone makes their way down the stairs, out on the catwalk and towards the easternmost tower.
The bottom half of the tower is another opulently decorated room, with several elaborate rugs of Keleshite design adorning the floors and additional rugs hanging from pegs driven into the brick walls. A stone staircase ascends to the upper level.
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Wishing the best to all the now-friendly wasps floating around with union banners, Rose takes her place second in line along the narrow catwalk, sneaking quietly and expecting attacks at any moment.
...She keeps watching, not finding anything out of place just yet.
Kela similarly has warm feelings for the proletariat, but otherwise clanks along while invisible, and doesn’t see anything amiss.
Shendra's musical voice fills the heads of the party once more. Elm says there is a trap, the rug at the bottom of the stairs. Probably-ewww, really, wasps?! The mental disgust is easy to pick up on from Shendra.
In response, Elmar casts detect magic on the rug to see if the trap is magical in nature.
"...I will take your word for it then," Marius allows after a look at Kela and Rose and just getting shrugs in return.
In another, more insectoid life, Barcos would be on the picket line as well, but in this one, he does what he can for the peasantry.
Not noticing the trap, Barcos nods to Shendra, "More wasps? Spirits, these divs love them, it seems."
"Probably some sort of magical contraption? I can try disabling it... but I admit I'm a bit out of it. Can anyone assist in some way?"
Strangely, Elmar detects nothing magical about the rug. Perhaps it is simply the wasps' natural habitat.
Scuffling forward, Rose attempts to disable whatever sort of trap this was so the group at large could scurry over and retain their cloaking spell...
The correct threads are very difficult to find, but with careful and focused attention Rose manages to identify them. Once they are snipped, she is fairly confident that the trapped rug will not release a swarm of wasps if touched.
The tailor stands up and withdraws her pliers and file from beneath the carpet. "All right, that should do it. Marius, Kela, after you. And please be careful." Rose whispers back as she stands aside in the invisibility sphere and takes a spot more near the middle of it.
Giving Rose a quick squeeze on the arm in acknowledgement, Marius slips past her to take up point again.
Marius creeps up the stairs in absolute silence. Upstairs, the space is almost overwhelmed with cushions, pillows and hassocks. An overstuffed divan and ottoman squat near the top of the stone stairs, while several
low couches and benches, all cushioned and draped with rugs and tapestries, are scattered around the room. A low desk leans against the west wall, laden with papers and books.
The escaped pairaka and another one - who must be Soraya - are standing next to the staircase, watching the space intently.
Before they go anywhere else, Kela grabs her last two bless weapon oils and tosses one to Marius, applying the other to her own greatsword. She hands the falchion to Rose, nodding, and grits her teeth, ready to mess up the Divs.
After giving adequate time for the others to make their necessary preparations, Elmar retrieves a tiny branch of root from his spell component pouch. He tosses it into the air, then claps his hands together. "Ryst." The root is consumed nearly instantly in a flash of fire, and the entire party inhales what feels like invigorating licorice fumes.
"There! Did you hear that? Someone-" One of the pairakas narrows her eyes, which begin to glow red.
"I sense them," she hisses.
Rose has her bow trailed on the enemy, her posture rigid in intense focus. She looks back and nods, clearly waiting for the frontline to move out (and preferably leave a clear line of fire to at least one of the targets).
Focusing his will until his falcata darkens into a midnight blue dotted with distant stars, Marius surges up the stairs and around the bannister, flickering back into visibility as his blade flashes towards the neck of the nearest pairaka!
"You found us, well done."
Kela appears next to Marius
Kela roars as she appears and slashes at the enemy with her greatsword from the stairway.
Coming up behind Kela, Rose raises her crossbow, trying to make the best of the close-quarters situation. Seeing the other Div stumble against the might of Marius' void sword and Kela's raw strength, she instead focusses on the leader, magically quick from Elmar's spell!
Marius and Kela grievously injure the div closest to the stairs, but don't manage to kill her. A blessed bolt from Rose does the job, however, while her other shots pierce the leader and wound her.
Barcos places a hand on Baron Barksley's flank, healing his loyal hound's wounds.
Baron Barksley darts up the stairs, biting at the remaining div and trying to wrench her to the ground.
With her companion dead and several blessed bolts sticking out of her ribcage, the remaining pairaka unleashes her fury upon the noble Baron. The damage is minimal, but her claws do carry disease, as they know.
"I'll tear you to shreds and drape your skin on my bed! My pet, kill them!"
A sallow, older man with haunted eyes and untidy gray hair shimmers into view as he rushes at Marius with a knife.
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His dueling instincts kick in as Marius slaps aside the knife strike and gives the man a puzzled look. "Stay out of the way," he warns the stranger before pushing past him, his magically-enhanced speed allowing him to follow the walls and bring him up behind the remaining pairaka.
"Why did you do it? Was there anything more to this than just aimless malice?" he demands bitterly, not truly expecting an answer.
Baron Barksley lets out a mocking laugh, "Hah, tearin' me to shreds? Missy, you've got a sore lesson to learn."
With that, he lunges in for a couple of magically sped-up bites.
Seeing Baron Barskley maul and kill the Div following Marius' masterful attack, Rose lowers the crossbow and looks at the man clumsily wielding the knife. She had, unfortunately, seen a lot of knifework at play in the Senate Massacre and could determine at a glance that this guy was an amateur at best.
Drawing her sap, she carefully studies his demeanor. "Pray tell me her death freed you from her mental control, or I fear I will have to bid you good night, sir."
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Rose's answer is a wordless wail of anguish as the div succumbs to blade and fang. He seems distraught, as if by the death of a dear friend.
"No no no no no, she can't be dead! Oh, my dear, dear-" He stops, frowning a little, as if trying to remember something he never knew. "Why, you monsters! She wasn't bothering anyone, and you just barged in and killed her!"
While the old man is no longer actively trying to stab anyone, Soraya's death does not seem to have broken whatever influence he might be under - if any.
Elmar frowns. Certainly an enchantment of some kind. As quietly and subtly as he can he begins casting detect magic.
Wiping his blade clean with a grim sort of satisfaction at a perfectly executed strike, Marius sheathes Koriana and turns to the old man, hands open to show they're empty in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture.
"I realize this must all be very confusing and frightening, but that woman was hurting a great many people, you not least of all. Will you share with us your name? I'm Lord Marius Erallan and we are here on behalf of Baron Kustios. We're here to help."
Kela inches closer to the man, glancing at the Div’s corpse. She seemingly has nothing to say but it looks like she’s got a sense of what’s going on and has a look of resolution on her face
"She wasn't-! That's a lie! She..." The mention of Baron Kustios stops his ranting for a bit. "The baron? Why-" He frowns, considering.
"I am Rhundle Navin, I came here with my son... My son! Erdmond! Where is he?" He begins to frantically look about in the room.
"Your son is fine. He was locked up in a room downstairs by the Div and her Kin. We got him out safely before coming back for you," Rose says, slowly relaxing her posture with the man at least being open to discussion. "Perhaps this is a difficult truth to accept, with how her magic probably has you under its sway. But try and think about this logically. Look at how haggard you are. Look at where you are - in an abandoned abottoir, the stench of dead bodies in the very air, and how she was completely willing to throw away your life as as shield for herself. How you were seperated from your son. These are not the actions of someone who cares for you. Clearly, she didn't want you to be found by anyone, and was keeping your son Hostage to keep you under some sort of control in case her magic failed."