"Right. Let us proceed to the west wing." On the way back down the hall, Xavien pops his head into the room right by the stairs.
Xavien follows Kenton across to the opposite stair, then hangs a right down the open hallway.
The party continues towards the western wing. On the way there is no resistance... This area is a public space for small gatherings.
Xavien looks quickly around the room for anything of note.
Xavien eyes the stage a bit. Last time he was here he remembers a violinist playing a rather urbane piece.
The door by Corran seems safe, so in the agents go. This well-lit room features a billiards table and walls lined with dart targets, scoreboards, and cabinets full of gaming supplies. A set of four ivory carambole balls (worth 50 gp each) sit on the table. A small office in back serves as an art studio, with a half-finished family portrait featuring a much younger Bartelby and Martella with their then-living father.
"Budget cuts?" Xavien asks quizzically, raising an eyebrow at the painting. "Let us try across the hall."
"More likely this painting was started at a time when the two got on well enough. Alas, things changed."
Aurelia keeps up with Xavien, adding a second set of eyes.
Tis but a latrine.
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Kenton, who fancies himself an artist (or at least an art critic), lingers a bit longer to look over the painting, but not more than a few seconds. No Trinia Sabor, that's certain, he says with a slight shake of his head.
"Who?" Xavien asks over his shoulder, already moving on.
He moves to the double doors south of the stairs and looks them over carefully.
Corran smiles at Kenton.
"Did they ever exonerate her? I never believed she was responsible for that trouble, but didn't follow it much beyond that. I was busy with my own studies."
Kenton shakes his head sadly. She was cleared posthumously. Which, of course, did her no good whatsoever.
Missing out on the conversation, Xavien checks the door and then opens it. On the other end of this long hallway is very relaxed Lord Titus Lotheed-Casava, "Ah! I was wondering when we'd meet again. I suppose it's you whom I have to thank for clearing out the guards. I guess it's nice to know that it's nobles who are coming to clear things out."
He stretches in a relaxed manner, "So friends, shall we do this?"
"Lord Titus. I see you're still availing yourself to Count Bartelby's fortune," Aurelia says, giving the man a smile that is an obvious veneer. She clearly sees no point in feigning politeness. "I should ask, before we 'do this', why are you here still? Is it loyalty to Bartelby? A strong belief in primogeniture and the status quo? Neither of these feel like... you. What are you doing?"
Corran huffs out something that sounds like the start of a laugh.
"Did you kill Count Bartleby, Lord Titus?"
Xavien arches an eyebrow, but says nothing for the moment. The man's relaxed manner could comport with his devil-may-die reputation, or his penchant for the bottle. Then again, it could also be a feint.
"Kill family members? Why that sounds more like Martella. Why would I kill my meal ticket? The truth is far more complex and nuanced. There's no need to raise blades. Come let us parlay and talk about what's really going on. " Xavien trusts him not.
"Something is off," Xavien mutters quietly to those near him. To Titus, he replies in a louder tone. "Indeed, we should be glad to avoid bloodshed if we may. Would you join us in the parlor? We can speak more comfortably there."
Kenton cocks his head very slightly at Xavien's words and invitation to Titus. I daresay,[/i] he says to the ne'er-do-well, [b]disparagement toward Cousin Martella does not become you.
"Ah! A beginner's ruse. I see you are as good at this as you are at jousting."
Interesting....
"As I recall, I nearly had your number then. Perhaps I shall have it now."
Titus changed his posture and mechanics as he made his last quip. He shifted his weight far too fast. Somehow, though you didn't see him cast a spell or use an item, he's now hasted.
Corran notes that wasn't a denial, and follows Xavien's and Kenton's lead.
Corran is starting to get a baaaaad feeling, though with no particular hunch.
"Be ready for violence," Xavien warns the others quietly. Louder, he chuckles. "Good sir, I see your haste spell, and raise you---"
Xavien vanishes into thin air.
"Now, you wished to discuss what is really going on? Do tell." He raises his voice slightly all the while, giving the impression of coming closer.
INITIATIVE:
ROUND 1:
Kenton: Go
Xavien (Vanished): Go
Titus: TBD
Corran: TBD
Ianthe: TBD
Aureliea: TBD
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
"Let him come to us!" Xavien whispers forcefully when Titus reaches for steel. He stalks forward a few feet and booms out a voice that fills the whole hall.
"Nevermind, I shall start. Here is the real question, I think:"
What should we do with a drunken failure?
What should we do with a drunken failure?
What should we do with a drunken failure?
So early in the moooooorning?
Xavien holds his invisible blade at the ready, anticipating that Titus will be eager to come to blows.
Titus spits at the lyrics, and it seems to make him mad to the point of recklessness.
ROUND 1:
[b]Kenton: Go
Xavien (Vanished): Song and ready
Titus: TBD
Corran: TBD
Ianthe: TBD
Aureliea: TBD
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
Kenton has already drawn Dignity's Barb in a trice , loading and loosing a bolt at Titus.
In nearly the same instant as the relic was drawn, Kenton has set the precious item onto the floor and drawn his rapier, stepping forward and holding it at the ready. Have at you, you knave-hearted debaucherous canker-blossom!
Kenton opens with a perfectly placed shot! He shakes off the pain, "Is that really it? Try this!"
From around the corner steps one his groupies. she laughs too hard at his joke, and then weaves a spell that hurls a blast of fire!
A second groupie rushes out at supernatural speed He rushes forward, stopping near the invisible Xavien. He shoots at Aurelia with his short bow as Xavien appears, dealing a vicious blow!
for
ROUND 1:
Kenton: CRIT REF
Xavien: AoO hit REF
Titus et al.: ATK!
Corran: REF + Go
Ianthe: REF + Go
Aureliea: REF + Go
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
Xavien flattens himself against the wall, avoiding the worst of the conflagration.
Kenton is singed, but does his best to appear nonplussed. Relying on others to do your dirty work? To be expected from such a trivial waterfly.
"Says the man on the team who outnumbers mine!"
What shall we do with a drunken failure?
What shall we do with a drunken failure?
What shall we do with a drunken failure?
Get 'im to ad-mit that he's short on friends!
Tell 'im now ain't time to make a-mends!
So early in the moooooorning.
The blast of fire followed by the arrow is too much for Aurelia. Her burned body collapses as the arrow sticks into her.
Musically-inspired fury wells up within Aurelia. She has enough wits about her to retrieve a potion from her satchel.
She cries out in pain as she extracts the arrow, then pops the cork stopper from the vial and drinks the potion. Skin closes, though her skin is still largely burnt. "Let's hope they don't have another fireball handy. Though I think it might be a good idea to focus on disrupting any spellcasting."
Corran just avoids death, but in ducking the fire, the force from the explosion slams his head against the back wall of the hallway. He winces in pain and his vision blurs.
He reaches to the back of his head and finds it bloody. He follows his instincts and casts a spell to cure his wound.
ROUND 1:
Kenton: CRIT
Xavien: AoO hit
Titus et al.: ATK!
Corran: CLW
Ianthe: REF + Go
Aureliea: PCLW
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
Ianthe is able to duck around the corner to avoid the brunt of the fireball.
Hoping to speed things along, Ianthe calls upon arcane power to enervate her allies.
Ianthe hastens the party as the battle turns quickly.
ROUND 2:
Kenton: Go
Xavien: Go
Titus et al.: TBD
Corran: TBD
Ianthe: TBD
Aureliea: TBD
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
Whether because of Ianthe's spell or his own design, Xavien's song increases in tempo.
What shall we do with a drunken failure?
What shall we do with a drunken failure?
What shall we do with a drunken failure?
Chuck 'im out the window 'til he's sober!
Send 'im to the outhouse and make 'im bail her!
So early in the moooooorning.
He punctuates each of the two verses with a heavy slash at the interloping archer.
Xavien keeps up the song while dropping the archer with a pair of slashes. Titus is apoplectic, "Aristocide! If I don't kill you now, I'll hang you in Oppara!"
ROUND 2:
Kenton: Go
Xavien: Hits
Titus et al.: TBD
Corran: TBD
Ianthe: TBD
Aureliea: TBD
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
Kenton steels his gaze on Titus. Titus Lotheed-Casava, he calls out, deliberately omitting a noble appellation, you do not fight with honor, nor have you the rectitude to show good faith to anything beyond your next meal ticket. You are challenged, cad.
Kenton uses the alacrity granted by Ianthe to close with Titus, then strikes with his blade. [ooc[Use raging song, not use Reckless Abandon)[/ooc]
Kenton matches Titus' ferocity, leaving a Renommierschmiss (assuming he survives)
The mage next to him tries to cast a spell without leaving herself open . A cloud of glitter explodes over Kenton and the wall behind him!
ROUND 2:
Kenton: Hit
Xavien: Hits
Titus et al.: ATK
Corran: Go
Ianthe: Go
Aureliea: Go
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
[ooc]
DM’s Tracker
Kenton does not move his eyes from Titus as he responds, Try harder.
Enraged by Kenton's swagger, Titus indeed turns to brute force, trying to knock Kenton's blade to the floor with his Aldori dueling sword
, but anger is no way to duel...
ROUND 2:
Kenton: Hit
Xavien: Hits
Titus et al.: ATK
Corran: Go
Ianthe: Go
Aureliea: Go
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
Corran is tired of this wizard nonsense and he casts Hold Person on the spellcaster, a certain Dame Carodd Hellebore.
Corran weaves the spell as he advances and draws his falcata.
She has the honor of attempting a Will Save, DC 16
She laughs. It's an attractive laugh, and genuine, which makes it sting all the more.
ROUND 2:
Kenton: Hit
Xavien: Hits
Titus et al.: ATK
Corran: Failed Hold Noble
Ianthe: Go
Aurelia: Go
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong
Aurelia stands back up, her body protesting from the burns she's taken. "Aristocide," she says, heavy disdain in her emphasis of the word. "That would require a shred of nobility. Titus, you would be fortunate to be a bastard."
Deciding that like for like magic is appropriate, Aurelia pushes her stored magical energy to make her next spell all the more potent. And when the burst of glitter behind Titus and his sycophant catches them, the Basri scion hopes they are appropriately surprised.
Titus adds his laugh to hers, "Perhaps you should perform at birthday parties and town fêtes!"
ROUND 2:
Kenton: Hit
Xavien: Hits
Titus et al.: ATK
Corran: Failed Hold Noble
Ianthe: Go
Aurelia: Glitterdust
-----------------------------
Location: Palace of Birdsong