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Sense motive
Variel looks at Merelda with a piercing gaze. He agreed with Litsy that more was going on here. We need to consider what you say carefully. I know if fairie dragons and while capricious they are not intentionally malevolent. If this is an undead version, if mind you, then I do not think we need to be limiting ourselves to just it’s removal. That only pushes the problem on to others. If we are going to do something about this problem then we need to solve it completely by ending its existence.
Looking to Litsy, If, if it is a sorcerer then it would be a simple glamor to discguise its appearance to prevent it from looking like an undead creature.
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Pollux approaches Points and formally, indeed reverently and takes her hand.
"You honor us ma'm." The stranger says looking deeply at your left ear.
Pollux turns to the gathered assemblage.
"You see! You see? this is what I said before to the man who got his teeth ripped out. If you just lie from the beginning everything is so much simpler." Still holding your hand Pollux continues. "That nothing she said bears the faintest relation to consensual reality is irrelevant. We are no more able to perceive reality than the long dead Mayor." The tatterdemalion pauses in evident confusion. "Or has that happened yet? Sometimes I forget." Pollux resumes with a head-shake and small jerk of your hand. "Points here has gifted us with her reality, just as valid and meaningless as any other we are trapped in, but at least it is different." Pollux returns to facing you. A second hand joins the first. This one is cold and slightly oily.
"Again you honor us by allowing we lucky few to join in your reality." A small tickle reveals Castor has crept out of a sleeve and is licking a trapped finger. "Castor and I pledge to throw ourselves into your misbegotten ploy until you find satisfaction or we find an inordinately attractive river!" The stranger bows below your clasped hands. Castor taking the opportunity to scamper atop Pollux's hair so the rat is looking you in the eye when Pollux returns to standing. He dips his head and blinks before returning to staring.
Litsy looks at Variel and Pollux with something like pride. "Finally, some common sense around here. For heaven's sake, man," she turns to Beorn. "Get up. I'm actually feeling embarrassed for you right now."
" My goddess must have led me to you gentle folk with the knowledge we need to...hopefully...defeat this draconic nightmare. Are you with me? I will of course need to gather some supplies...not TOO expensive I think here..."
"Aw, that sucks," Litsy's voice drips with sarcasm. "Don't forget to tip us when you've bought everything."
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Born stands somewhat shakily and looks ashamed. It seems that skipping Ms. Pringle's empathy class has left him severly lacking in the ability to read the room.
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Pollux, still holding Merelda's hand. Turns to Variel. "I once knew an alchemist who set up a little shop in a village by a river." The stranger's eyes unfocus in thought. "Was it a nice village? I don't remember. An inquisitor came and no one would talk to them out of fear, for the inquisitor was a hard man and a demon hunter. But the alchemist was a friendly sort and sold the hard man some holy water. Showing on their own skin that it was harmless to good folk. The alchemist also spoke of the constable and what they chanted at night.
The holy water burned the constable and the inquisitor cut them down. But the demon hunter was sure their job was not done. They bought more water from the alchemist and accidentally splashed it on a washerwoman. It burned her and the hard man cut her down. He splashed the water on a street urchin and it burned so he cut them down. He splashed it on a chandler, a greengrocer, two scribes and the headman. It burned and he cut them down.
There was not much of a village after that. But there were enough angry people to bind and burn the inquisitor. After that the alchemist packed up their remaining acid and their pet and left the village by the river road.
I forget what happened to them after that. But I do remember that acid is cheaper than holy water"
With a pinched mouth, Merelda extricates her hand from Pollux's grasp and looks pointedly at the rodent on his shoulder as she wipes her hand on her at-hand handkerchief.
"I thought YOU were the intelligent one here? Hmm?"
"I appreciate your...support...Sir? You...must be the one the others rely on for...?"
Merelda tries to intuit what the man does or does not do for the group, or if he's just plain crazy too.
"I appreciate your...support...Sir? You...must be the one the others rely on for...?"
"Thank f$*&, no," Litsy bursts out laughing. "But he's gonna follow you if you let him."
"You could ask him for another story on the way. Oi, Pollux, tell her the one about the meat cleaver and the oblivious lady at the pub!"
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Before Variel answer Merelda about Pollux’s position in the group he chimes in to story hour. In return perhaps she can tell Pollux the limerick of the Man from Nantucket. It pairs up to the alchemist story pretty well for valuable information needed at this time.
As to Merelda’s real question he answer for Pollux in a way to hopefully turn the conversation back to something akin to a resemblance of order. He is our 1. In that, every group needs 1 person to take the position counter to the group consensus. That way he is free to think of those ideas and plans that the rest of us may not have considered. Pollux is well suited to that position.
Smiling genuinely, Merelda pulls Beorn closer and nods.
“He’s a free thinker and a demon’s advocate? Two qualities my goddess and I admire.”
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With a pinched mouth, Merelda extricates her hand from Pollux's grasp and looks pointedly at the rodent on his shoulder as she wipes her hand on her at-hand handkerchief.
"I thought YOU were the intelligent one here? Hmm?"
"I appreciate your...support...Sir? You...must be the one the others rely on for...?"
Merelda tries to intuit what the man does or does not do for the group, or if he's just plain crazy too.
Sense Motive w/Stern Gaze 18
"You know you can tell her if she's making you uncomfortable, right?" Litsy says casually to Beorn.
Demon's advocate? I fear thaat in Cheliax, that can be taken literally. Quite life shortening profession as well. Fear not Litsy! I am a perfect gentleman and handle such matters gracefully.
Merelda smiles with more than a bit of satisfaction at Beorns’ words and leans her head against the man’s shoulder. She looks pointedly in Litsy’s eyes.
“I feel so much safer already with such a generous gentleman.”
Finally releasing the bard, Merelda grabs his hand and leads him toward the exit.
“We will go and buy the supplies we will need! Meet us at the bar in an hour…”
She suddenly smiles shyly at the bard.
”… better make it two!”
She then pulls the bard gently out the door giggling like a school girl a hundred years younger.
"She's exhausting," Litsy comments once Merelda has sashayed out with Beorn. She rests her chin in her hand, wishing herself back to bed. "We can't let her steal the bars every time
He's too naive for his own good."
"Besides, she totally ignored Pollux-and you know how fidgety he gets when he's not taken on his daily walks."[/b]
"You sure you don't want to follow the lady, Pollux? For her own protection."
Beorn smiles brightly as they walk out the door. Allow me to be your guide to Kintargo's sights! I shall show you some more delightful inns and the school of arts and music. I must say that our new relationship should be like a fine wine, allowed to come to perfection with time and care so when it reaches perfection it becomes an exultant joy of indulgence!
He winks. I should certainly introduce you to the writings of an artist that I have become inspired by. Their poems of love contain one of the most perfect portrayals of love I have ever seen, two lovers engage in a courtship of trust, loyalty and patience by waiting a full year of getting to know each other before one places a tender kiss on their beloved's hand. Such a show of pureness brings a tear to my eye.
Merelda smiles wickedly, and gently tugs on Beorn's beard once he pauses in his speech.
"Challenge ACCEPTED...Beard-boy. Now, don't forget we need to do some shopping FIRST. I need a Vistani scarf or blanket, the older the better for the ritual..."
She then prattles on about a list of odds and ends, most of which are not cheap or the easiest to get...even in Kintargo.
"I don't know about you, lads, but if you've got nothing planned for the morning, maybe we could ask Rexus how to get rid of the fairy stuff?"
Litsy nods solemnly. "An arrow in the eye. That's an ancient ritual that always works."
...
"You sure you don't want to follow the lady, Pollux? For her own protection."
"So long as you can afford the toll Shelyn, being swindled is indistinguishable from being in love. " Here Pollux produces a small whisk broom and starts brushing a tomato stain off the yellow coat. "Who am I to hobble true romance."
Pollux makes a meandering way back to the lair. Watching for a tail, or for the rest of the dragon, or for the long arm of the law, or muttering crowds of discontent. General watching.
[OOC]**A couple of hours later**[OOC]
Merelda and Beorn enter the dimly lit bar giggling like children, their clothing disheveled and their hair in disarray, and carrying a large bag. They smelled of sea spray and sun-melted tar.
Dancing out of Beorn's hand, Merelda does a twirl and then easily recovers and steps up to the largest table in the place.
"Let's get this party started...shall we?"
She then dumps the contents of the bag on the table unceremoniously:
1. A large old Vistani shawl, faded but still in decent shape and displaying amazing pattern of colors and designs.
2. A reinforced lead bowl. (Worn)
3. Half a dozen beeswax candles.
4. One large partially used metallic-black looking candle. (heavy)
5. A mix of 'greenish-looking' herbs that smell suspiciously like sage and rosemary...and something nasty.
6. A small silver-plated fish knife. (Tarnished)
7. 4x Small multi-colored scales from a lizard or fish-like creature edged with gold filigree.
8. A simple pewter pendant shaped like a butterfly on a simple twine necklace.
9. Half a dozen long wooden splinters.
Waggling her eyebrows at Litsy with a grin, Merelda glances at everyone else askance.
"Everyone grab a seat! Beorn dear, come sit by me!"
She smiles easily as she pats the stool next to her with her delicate-looking hand.
Litsy frowns as Merelda deliberately mocks her, unsure of what the elven woman is expecting her to react offendedly at-or what she's bragging about. She certainly wasn't going to rival anyone for Beorn's affection)(thank f&%$ , she just didn't like him getting so easily turned into a the woman's lapdog using embarrassingly obvious tactics. It was all a bit crass - though, if course, you could make Beorn trust about anything in the same sense that you could make a four year old believe in a jolly fat man leaving coal in naughty people's socks once a year.
Most of the underworld didn't trust Calistrians none too much. There was a popular saying that for one service, they always made you pay twice, "before and after f~!!ing you over" - and many of the poor souls that were laughed at for striding in the temple were laughed at even harder when they awkwardly returned for a Cure Disease spell a few days later.
And for all their talk about helping women out with protecting their bodies, or some s!#* like this, she really wondered how strictly these bodies were protected behind the temple's thick walls. Diseases could be cured, but accidental pregnancies were harder to wave away - and the Calistrians' line of activity didn't exactly put their workers less at risk than others.
That was the deal with Calistrians - they helped creating a problem with one hand, and tried to sell you its solution with the other. She had to conceive they had a certain talent for swindling - only they seemed to lack imagination. It worked, sure, but it always was kind of the same shtick- and if you survived long enough to become a con connoisseur, as it were, you learned to recognize and appreciate imagination where it showed, and tut at those who played by the book, and never learned to improve the trade.
This was going to be a long day.
Litsy grabs a pastry to munch on from her backpack, and phlegmatically goes to sit on a stool, facing Beorn and Merelda. She takes a bite out of the pastry, and starts chewing, imperturbable.
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Pollux walks in the door speaking presumable to Castor. "...things went much smoother after we killed the Fat Man for undercutting our coal delivery racket.." Pollux stops short. "Oh they survived. Hello!"
The stranger walks up to the forming group and plops down taking a seat on the floor. Castor climbs up to sit proudly on a nearby stool.
Pollux pulls a set of jacks out of a pocket and begins to play. "This is one of the few games where I can reliably beat Castor. He has trouble after the fourth round. He says I am exploiting an unearned evolutionary advantage. I say I can't be blamed for a simple concatenation of circumstances. Then he yells at me for bringing cats into it and stomps off in a huff." Pollux tosses the small sand packed 'ball' into the air and swiftly sweeps up a tiny caltrop, a broken knucklebone die, a small marble, and a badly tanned bat wing. "I just like jacks."
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Beorn is out of breath after a whirlwind of shopping. Despire Litsy's misgivings, he fully intended to wean Merealda from her rash behavior and instill an apprciation for long courtships. Why after a few years, perhaps they could advance to a kiss on the cheek!
I am curious what these items wll be used for. I doubt the dragon will have much use for wood splinters.
Once the group has settled in their various seats, Merelda begins setting up the table:
She initially starts by laying the folded scarf in the center of the table, then places the lead bowl in the center of that with the large nasty-looking candle next to it. She then places the 6 beeswax candles at equidistant points about a foot from the bowl and within reach of each person sitting at the table. She then takes and places a splinter next to each candle.
Now taking the silver-plated knife, she cleans it thoroughly with a rag, then asks the others to watch carefully.
“I can only do this ‘once’ otherwise the ritual will automatically fail, so make sure you pay attention and repeat the process yourself exactly the same way...and let’s leave the rat out of it Pollux? I have no idea what a rat’s spiritual energy might do to this ritual.”
Pricking her hand with the knife’s tip, Merelda let’s a few drops of her blood land on the large wooden splinter in her other hand. She then wipes the blade and hands it hilt first to Beorn with a wide grin. Walking over to the bar’s ever present fire, she lights the splinter tip and turns, cupping the meager flame with her hands then walking back. Carefully, she lights the candle in front of her seat and disposes of the bloody taper in the bowl with a casual motion.
She then sits and looks at the others and waves over the entire ritual so far, appearing very serious now.
“It is important we kindle the ritual fire here, as that is the building’s ‘hearth.’ I was given to understand it connects the ritual to the location. Our blood will connect US to the location through the ritual and temporarily bonds us to it, and as we continue, we will hopefully lure out the spirit so we can try and speak to it directly without angering it in its chosen home.”
She looks each person in the eye for a full second and continues.
”This is the part where you may want to back out now if you have ANY reservations. Doubting the ritual could cause it to fail and anger the spirit. You can wait outside if you do not want to continue from here. But be warned! If you stay, you may yet wish you had NOT! I will continue as soon as you all have joined the ritual. Now...I must prepare.”
She then sits in front of her lit candle, and begins rocking and mumbling to herself with her eyes closed and her left hand over her face.
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Having made his intentions clear already about the undead Variel does not join in the ritual. While I do not understand divine rituals I have some knowledge about arcane rituals. I am worried that the use of our own blood in the ritual may also be a catalyst for the creature to bind itself to us. I will wait in the kitchen out of sight yet ready to intervene if the undead reacts poorly to your ritual. This is not personal Merelda and I hope you see that.
Variel will stand up from his seat and make his way slowly to the swinging doors separating the two rooms. In the kitchen he moves a barrel closer that he may sit on. Drawing his scimitar he lays it across his lap as he meditates himself preparing for a potential fight.
Beorn grins. Well I am all in. We have nothing to lose. Well we might lose our souls but what is life without a little risk?
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"Oh you didn't say there was going to be juice!" Pollux chimes enthusiastically.
There is a prolonged scrape as the stranger moves their stool away from the table, turns it around and then replaces it exactly where it was.
Pollux slides an arm out of the yellow coat and drops it off one shoulder revealing a well made formal shirt. It was white once but is now stained a multitude of colors. The bloodstains look old at least, well not the one on the cuff..
Pollux takes the silver knife and glances at is suspiciously. Shrugging they use the knife to neatly open the exposed sleeve from the elbow. As the cloth falls away it reveals some impressive burn scars. Looking at the fish knife again Pollux comments, "...you are right Castor. If it were done..." Dropping the silver knife Pollux swiftly draws a much larger poniard and with one smooth continuous motion cuts their exposed arm in a spiral pattern starting from under the elbow and ending at the back of the hand. ( hp damage) The long shallow cut bleeds profusely and decoratively especially as Pollux has to hold the arm above their head at one point to maintain the spiral.
"Is this good enough?" Pollux asks bringing their arm down and spattering fresh blood across the table.
Disgusted enough by the display of bloody idiocy, Merelda fails to notice the rat and frowns at Pollux's demonstration of bad blood art.
"Why...? Just light the splinter and light your candle Pollux. Otherwise you are just wasting everyone's time."
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Suddenly becoming businesslike Pollux forcefully points at Points in the best Ace Attorney fashion, incidentally scattering more blood about the table and audience. "You are correct! We have a rebellion to foster and a Mayor to kill! We have" The stranger's voice goes deadpan as Castor peeps above their shoulder. "no time for pointless theatrics." Plucking a string from the abused shirt and taking up the splinter Pollux mutters a phrase in Shadowtongue and releases some Arcane energy. A large flaming log rises from the fire and floats over to Pollux. The Stranger lights the candle and the splinter from the log before placing/tossing the still burning splinter in the bowl.
Pollux then takes a large cloth handkerchief and begins to calmly bind their arm, wrapping the cloth in the same spiral as the cut. In a merry voice they explain "Shallow cuts hurt the most and they bleed a lot. They clot fast though especially of you use a sharp knife and are careful to bind the wound closed."
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"Well I am all in. We have nothing to lose. Well we might lose our souls but what is life without a little risk?"
"Famous last words," Litsy comments dryly, between two bites of pastry.
She manages to stay composed as she becomes, like everyone else, an unwilling spectator to Pollux's antics -but even she winces as he draws the blade across the arm, and startles when his bloodied hand slams on the table. "Bloody hell," she leans back in her chair as far away from Pollux as possible, her face a mask of utter disgust.
The problem with Pollux and Castor, as she had come to figure out after spending quite some time observing them, is that they were more of a coordinated duo that people first assumed. It wasn't just a weird guy with a pet rat spending a disconcerting amount of time sitting on his head- it was a weird guy and his accomplice, who, at times, seemed disturbingly more intelligent than his human companion.
She still hadn't figured out how he had trained the rat so well. Sometimes she told herself it was almost as if it had its own agenda.
She didn't like that thought too well.
One thing, at least, was sure -whatever Pollux was doing, either making a spectacle of himself or sitting very quietly in a corner, staring into the void, you had to keep an eye on the rat.
The good thing was, a rat could be spotted pretty easily, especially when it was sitting on a table, right in the centre of a white tablecloth, stealing stuff in play sight. Which was, of course, the last place anyone would look for a rat.
There was movement near a little bowl- or at least, there seemed to have been movement, too fast for Litsy to register. A blink, and it was gone; but the little pile of herbs now looked unmistakably smaller than it did before.
She snorted, once, and carefully said nothing about the rat scurrying away, carrying little herbs in its paws.
"Guess that's enough blood," Litsy makes no gesture to reach for the dagger. "Don't mind me; I'm just watching."
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I have to admit that this self-harm is very disturbing. Is all of this really needed?
Merelda sighs and frowns heavily. Squinting, she looks at Litsy and then at Beorn.
"If you are uncomfortable with a drop or two of blood, then you must be afraid of your own shadows. The gnome monk who showed me this ritual was a worshiper of Pharasma! I doubt he would teach anything that would lead to self harm with an undead. Is the ritual risky? Possibly! IF we anger the spirit. I'm not asking for a blood pact..."
She glances at Pollux suddenly and pointedly.
"...nor ask you to pledge your soul to anything. If you stay and don't participate in the ritual, you offer yourself to be more likely anger the spirit by being here. So...stay and light the candle properly, or leave and hide like a child. I don't want to risk angering a dragon more than I need to do so."
"Right," Litsy replies evenly, and gets up from her chair nonchalantly. "But just so you know : it's going to fail, "she sing-songs her warning, and saunters out of the room, joining Variel in the kitchen. "That is so going to be a fiasco," she beams at him. If it hadn't been for the half-eaten pastry, she'd be rubbing her hands together, eager for the show to start.
Beorn:
Which is bad news, because it's often true.
"That is so going to be a fiasco,"
Merelda smiles as she watches the little girl head in to the other room, almost hissing in vengeful satisfaction.
"Yessss...Like a child."
Tying the cloth into a neat bow at the wrist Pollux resumes the yellow coat and an expectant look.
The flaming log floats slowly back to the fireplace.
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Variel hears the interaction from the other room and smiles as Litsy comes into the kitchen. At her pronouncement Variel nods his agreement. Glad you have a level head kid to go with that strong self-preservation instinct. However, before this ritual and business is done I have a feeling that we are going to end up back out there for some reason.
Digging a gold coin out of his purse he flips it onto one of the counters. After a second though he grabs out another. What say we pass the time though by cooking us some food? Those gold coins should be enough to purchase any supplies that we use. what are you hungry for?
Beorn pokes his finger for the blood. It seems Pollux has rendered the boisterous bard rather speechless.
"Cooking?" Litsy makes a face. "Why the f~!# would you want to cook when there's a f+%&ing disaster about to take place? And we're in the front rows!"
She glances down at the sugar-crammed filth she's been eating for the past couple of minutes. "Actually, do you know the recipe for those? Laria said I can't keep eating them, and they're getting harder to nick."
"Which is a shame, 'cause they're so f+!+ing good."
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Variel never was that good in the kitchen and limited himself to basic dishes. However at Litsy’s insistence he figured he might as well try to replicate the pastries. We can try Litsy. Although I am certain they won’t be as good we can at least try. Help me find the flour, sugar, eggs, honey, milk, cinnamon, butter and some pans.
Profession baker
After a little bit to get going Variel found the task easier than he expected. Baking was in some ways similar to arcane spell forms it once you understood the basics you could add more complexity as needed. After a while he was able to let the process unfold itself as he and Litsy added ingredients that just seemed right.
With the batter in hand Variel holds out a spoon to Litsy to sample. What do you think?