"What are they?" Aily asks directly to anyone who might know, as she draws her dagger and moves to attack the one most directly angled toward Caraid.
Ceceka strides after Aily and aids the dhampir in her efforts to undo these vile luminescent beings! They are an affront to Zon-Kuthon and must be undone.
"Shining Children?" Caraid says, uncertain of his own identification. It becomes academic as Aily and Ceceka smash into one with brutal blows and he frowns as he reviews his spells.
"I suppose this might work." He muses, before unleashing a near invisible wave of force that crashes into the nearest foe.
While the first creature resists Caraid's spirit blast, critical hits from Aily and Ceceka finish it off, causing it to flare brightly before burning out!
The remaining creatures attack! One each swoops down to slash at Aily and Ceceka, while the other fires beams of radiant light at Caraid.
A creature with temporary HP from overpowering healing becomes sickened 1, or sickened 2 if the temporary HP equal half their maximum HP or more. The creature can't reduce this sickened condition unless it has 0 temporary HP.
The overwhelming positivity that hits Ceceka causes him to gag. If there ever was such a thing as feeling too good, Ceceka now knows what that is like.
Aily hisses in pain as her skin blackens and burns where the creature touched her. "Why would a necromancy have foul creatures such as these?"
--
"I can see why his experiments were discontinued." Telvir unleashes missiles of force damage at one of the glowing creatures.
"Wow, blood boss, I don't know whose bright idea it was to create these." He looks at Aily. "Get it? Because they're really bright, boss, and that can also mean a good idea. It's a double pun-tendre."
He waits for a reaction, but getting only a glare eventually shrugs and heads in to help.
HP 175/175
AC 30 / 31 in Mountain Stance or 33 if use Mountain Stronghold
Resistance 2 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage
Fort +20, Ref +20, Will +18 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 2
Effects:
Telvir blasts one of the creatures with force missiles, then Humerus moves in to punch the same foe. Aily and Ceceka slash and stab the creature until it flares out and fades away!
Two foes remain. One claws at Aily, but she nimbly dodges the attack! The other one blasts Telvir with a ray of light.
Aily feels the magical touch of Caraid, flaking the burn away from her skin. A small, tiny, almost imperceptible smile touches her lips. Emotion other than cold disdain is not good for combat it seems as her slices and stabs lose much of their precision.
The nauseating energies cause Ceceka to forget about the importance of technique. The warrior lets his focus slip and gives in to anger.
Telvir continues using some forbidden techniques to quiet Humerus, but instead directs some of the debris into the glowing creature.
for
HP 175/175
AC 30 / 31 in Mountain Stance or 33 if use Mountain Stronghold
Resistance 2 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage
Fort +20, Ref +20, Will +18 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 2
Effects:
"Hey, blood boss, aren't we trying to hit them? I know there used to be an illusion spell that made them look like they were standing just to the side of where they are, but I think that fell out of favor. And you're just stabbing and punching air."
But he's unsure -- if they're attacking the spot right next to one of the brightlings, maybe he should too?
Caraid slips away from the combat again and flicks a bolt of chaotic magic at the... whatever they ares.
You manage a few light hits on one foe, but it's not enough to take it out. It attacks Aily again and misses, while the other one blasts Telvir once more.
HP 175/175
AC 30 / 31 in Mountain Stance or 33 if use Mountain Stronghold
Resistance 2 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage
Fort +20, Ref +20, Will +18 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 2
Effects:
Humerus continues to batter away, but the bright light makes it hard to see what he's trying to hit.
Telvir is at the end of his patience with these creatures. His irritation causes small objects to lift and shake around him.
Caraid fires again, still utterly bemused by this fight.
"Perhaps you should retreat." He suggests. "Ceceka and I can handle this."
Aily shoots Caraid a glare that tells him exactly what she thinks of that suggestion, but as her blade once again fails to find their way into the infernal bodies the way it SHOULD, she disengages and moves back to his side.
"Go ahead then..." irritation thick until she gets ahold of herself and ends with a silky smooth "... m'lord"
"I don't like seeing you hurt." Caraid says simply, shooting Aily an expressive glance.
She doesn't look at him, staying focused on the enemies, but the corner of her lip tilts up, and her red eyes gleam a little more in the dark. "Your wish... m'lord."
"Less talking, more fighting!", Ceceka snarls as he intensifies his efforts to send these accursed glowy bastards to an early grave. Ah, why won't they just die?!
Another foe falls to your focused assault, leaving one final being remaining. It puts up a fight to the bitter end, which fortunately for you comes relatively swiftly!
In the aftermath of the fight, a search of the suite reveals little remaining of interest. The four doors out of the central chamber all lead to plain, dusty bedrooms. In the northwestern room are several more cat-themed novels stacked on a table.
It would seem that the Mortician's Suite is now free of dangers and ready for you to move in!
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"Just point me to what you need me to haul, blood bosses, and I'll get it in here three shakes of a quickling's tail," Humerus says, before pausing to scratch his skull. " ... Do quicklings have tails? I don't think I know. It might help them navigate if they're moving quickly, but maybe it would just slow them down. I don't even know. I'm not sure why people say in three shakes of a quickling's tail, because why would they shake it? Maybe they mean tale, like a story? Perhaps they tell stories that make people shake! I bet they have contests to see who can get three people to shake the fastest. I wonder what the winner gets ... "
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Caraid leaves the matters of decorating to Aily - she has impeccable taste and always ensures that he gets the best room, so he doesn't need to do anything at all (which is exactly how he likes it). Instead he returns to the concealed books and settles in to read them. Hopefully Telvir will remember their little anatomical job around the time that his reading is done.
Two days later Caraid leaves for the morning and reappears in the early afternoon when he asks Aily for a moment of her time. When she enters his room she finds a large box, wrapped in a deep red ribbon, sitting on the bed. Caraid smiles his ridiculously bright smile and gestures to it.
"For you." He says simply. "Just because you aren't a Blood Lord, doesn't mean that you don't deserve to be treated like one sometimes."
Inside she finds a new uniform - immaculately cut and of excellent, sturdy materials. Caraid also points out the subtle enchantments woven into the fabric and explains their functions.
"I saw this and decided you had to have it." He explains, before removing a layer of paper at the bottom of the box. "I saw this later and decided that I had to have you have it."
There is a second uniform in the box. This one is also immaculately cut, perhaps too much so, since there are a lot of areas with less fabric than one would expect and the fabric itself is quite something - smooth and oddly shiny.
"I confess it isn't entirely practical." Caraid says unrepentantly. "And perhaps shouldn't be worn throughout the Suite - but I do think it will have its uses too..."
"A dizzying question, Humerous. Attend to Aily, who will surely have detailed directions for arranging the furniture. In the meantime, I'm off to learn about cats," Telvir sits down to peruse the encoded diaries.
The head maid had much to do. But she now has a horde of dutiful minions (and one not-so-dutiful minion) so she has plenty of time to see to her lord's needs, which are great. So the maid is busy all night and all day. Thankfully she needs very little sleep.
...
Aily smiles as she slides her fingers over the luscious fabric, her red eyes glowing at the gift, then up to him. She steps forward as she deftly undoes her apron and dress, letting it fall to the floor in a soft swoosh.
"Which would you like me to try on first, m'lord?"
...
Much later, Much Much later, she is getting dressed in her new uniform as Caraid lounges in the bed. The immaculately cut cloth is snug... just a touch and that makes Aily sigh.
She cannot put this off forever.
Aily sits on the edge of the bed, looking at him in a way that tells him that she is trying to decide on words. It is not a common look on the dhampir housekeeper, who is normally confidently reserved when she isn't killing someone... no, she is confidently reserved even when killing someone. The point is that she either keeps her thoughts to herself or says them without hesitation.
Which she can do here too.
She opens her mouth, pauses, closes her mouth, then tries again. Finally managing a small sentence.
"I am with child."
"A dizzying question, Humerous. Attend to Aily, who will surely have detailed directions for arranging the furniture. In the meantime, I'm off to learn about cats," Telvir sits down to peruse the encoded diaries.
Reading through the journals, Telvir discovers Xharduun's secrets. Xharduun was indeed a double agent, save that he didn’t serve the nation of Nex. He was, in fact, an undercover Pharasmin who worked secretly with members of the Carters Consortium. His research did not pertain to an investigation into alternate forms of necromantic animation but instead to a “life contagion”—an affliction infused with positive energy he intended to unleash upon the undead citizens of Geb.
Telvir can tell that while such plans would be devastating for Geb, the methods Xharduun used were flawed and based on inaccurate assumptions. While his plot never posed any real danger, his records prove he had ulterior motives beyond merely serving as a Blood Lord.
When you autopsy the zombie horse, you are able to safely remove a thin metal scroll tube hidden deep within one of the horse’s lungs; the scroll tube contains a message to the Carters Consortium about Xharduun’s fears that his cover might soon be compromised. He requests additional funds to enhance his security, and indicates the “life contagion project” might suffer irrevocable setbacks if his request is denied. Combined with the information in the journals, this proof of the Consortium's involvement with Xharduun's research is damning, indeed. Now you must decide what to do with it...
Humerus waits. This scroll is not really his concern.
As Caraid and Telvir work through the journals, the handsome man's eyebrows climb further and further up his brow.
"How interesting..." He says. "The Pharasmin's boldness knows no bounds. As does their foolishness. We can make use of this I think."[/b]
-----------------------------------
"The second one first I think." Caraid says, a roguish grin curving his lips. "I've been looking forward to that one."
Caraid's lounging is a thing to behold. His muscular torso is displayed to advantage against dark sheets and the covers of the bed are artfully draped to cover just enough, while Aily's habit of running her hands through his hair has left him looking delightfully tousled.
At her words though something changes about him. The posture doesn't change but the languid air about him falls away into something different - something sharp and intensely focused.
"May I?" He asks, before sitting up without a care for modesty and leaning forward to rest his hand over Aily's stomach. A soft wave of warmth passes through the dhampir and she feels a momentary flicker - as though something pushes back. Caraid nods and then pulls Aily into an embrace. The display of affection is... unusual between the couple but Caraid holds her long enough for Aily to relax (or push him away) before pressing a kiss into the top of her head.
"What do you want to do about it?" He asks simply. "You have my support either way."
Aily does not push him away. She is too vastly unsure of everything to do so, which is troublesome for a woman like herself. Uncertainty was for the weak.
Her own mind had danced around the thought of removing the... child from within her... many times over the last few weeks. Trying to slip in and consider it, but each and every time a fierce scream of maternal instinct had torn into the thought and left it bleeding to death in the cold pathways of her mind.
"I plan to have the child." she says, her voice a confusing combination of warmth at admitting it, mixed with serrated steel for anyone who dares suggest otherwise. Herself included.
She looks up at him, her red eyes considering what He will want, while not expecting anything, except the potential of when her final days of service will be.
"Very well." Caraid says simply. "How long have you known? You should have nine months, but given the nature of my... nature, it might well be less. We'll have to keep an eye on you - becoming injured while carrying a child would be challenging. I think they'll take after me more than you, so healing you might harm them."
His voice is calm and collected. All in all he's taking the news almost spectacularly well, although both his heterochromatic eyes are fixed on Aily with unnerving intensity.
"Would you like to marry me Aily?" He asks, and a corner of his mouth quirks. "I plan to seek an ambassadorial position, to represent the Undying Lord's interests further afield. This city... there are many places I, we, could go and I was going to ask you to come regardless. In any position and with any uniform." He's teasing again. "I like it when you wear a choker, but I think you'd look quite delightful wearing my ring as well."
"Several months. And as far as getting injured, it is why Humerus is employed. The only reason. Creatures like attacking it almost as much as Former Lady Cort." the pale mother in the golden boy's arms points out, then concedes "But duly noted."
Then he asks her 'that', and her face stiffens. "My lord, I am your servant. Certain privileges are expected." Her tone makes it clear that if anyone other than him expected anything like this, they would get a knife in an uncomfortable place. "Even to the point of producing an offspring. But marriage..." The distaste in her voice about that institution was even more clear than the bit about the knife.
She shakes her head, ebony hair swaying. "No... No thank you." she corrects with more warmth. Firmly she assures him "We will accompany you anywhere you go... but why leave?" she knows he is the aberration in this land, so assumes that is it, but wants to truly understand.
"You know why." Caraid replies, holding up one hand and letting his death flow into it. "Cort may not have realised but you all know. I came here... because Nepenthe, my mother, sought me. The last place she would look, the last place anyone would expect to find me, was here. So here I came. I have lived, perhaps even thrived but still..." He trails off. "I will not live forever, nor would I wish to, and to continue in service after death..." He doesn't say anything else. He's surprisingly good at not saying things sometimes, when it comes to certain topics. So instead he tilts Aily's fine-boned face upwards and kisses her deeply.
"That's a yes to the choker then." He concludes when he can speak again. "Very well. I look forward to picking one out, or more than one."
He sprawls back onto the pillows once more, all tangled arrogance and masculine beauty, marred only by the warmth in his eyes. "I'm glad you'll be coming with me."
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The sounds Aily makes is pleasure, knowing secrets has always been as tasty as someone else would view a cake. Even one she almost knew, just a silver away from truly being certain.
"Your happiness is mine, sir." she gives him the wiry smile she wears only for him, then pulls the blankets up his subline form. While the undeadth in her blood makes sleep unneeded (), he is not as lucky, so she is tucking him in "Do understand, as your servant, I plan to advise you against accepting death in any form." there is a playfulness in the tone, but then the playfulness slips away, her eyes becoming intense "Our children will need a parent that understands affection. I will protect, I will teach... " she wishes to add Love, but she is unsure if it is possible. "You will need to be the rest... no matter how long it takes."
You decide to turn over the evidence against Xharduun to agents of the Export Guild. The guild members are grateful for the ammunition to use against the Carters Consortium in the future.
***
As you are finishing the process of moving into the suite, there is a knock at the door an hour after sunset. A trio of strange individuals has come to pay you a visit. The group presents an unlikely gathering, even in Mechitar—a prim and proper (and apparently living) Varisian woman dressed in a riot of silken colors, an unusually muscular halfling man wearing a smiling demonic mask that weeps tears of blood from the eyes, and a strange gnome man deep into the process of bleaching.
"Good evening!" the human woman says with a bow. "We aer your upstairs neighbors—representatives of this alcazar's greatest resident, Hyrune Loxenna. My name is Harmony in Agony, and my compatriots are Weeping Jack and Rumin Purgo. We've come to welcome you to the neighborhood!"
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"Oh, hi," Humerus replies. "Thanks. I'm Humerus Fetch. And that's Aily Yor. And Caraid. He doesn't have a last name. I'm not quite sure why, but I bet it's not some reason like he's on the run from something because he's a criminal or anything like that. It's probably a totally reasonable reason. Oh, and I don't see him, but there's also Telvir Stanton somewhere -- he's probably hiding from the vicious cur that he's been cursed with. And Ceceka. He doesn't have a last name either. I think that might be because he got angry and killed it. Anyway, do you want to come in?"
Humerus congratulates himself for remembering everyone's names and starting off good relations with the upstairs neighbors. They certainly wouldn't have wanted to let Aily or Ceceka do it (no offense), or there might be a war between north and south.
"A pleasure to meet you. Thank you for the welcome," Telvir receives the greeting. "We're still making the place presentable, but perhaps we could entertain your mistress at some future time."
"Master, actually," Harmony corrects Telvir. "I must say, it is a tad surprising that somebody who has made a fellow Blood Lord would be unaware of Lord Hyrune's immense stature. At any rate, we would love to see what you've done with the place so far! Care to give us a little tour?"
Caraid smiles charmingly and begins to lead their new guests around, chatting innocuously and pumping them for as much information as he can.
Aily arrives too late to be another other than a parrot for introductions, so she doesn't. Instead she watches their guests as they are shown around. Like a hawk, ready to strike and kill if needed. With at least an attempt at acting like a humble servant.
Ceceka is late to the party, but when he arrives his mouth twists into an expression of annoyance and curiosity. Not practical nor charming, but typical Ceceka. The woman, altogether too vibrant and expressive, triggers something inside him that Ceceka can't quite put his finger on. Yet. That bothers him.
When she introduces herself, the name only makes it worse. "Are you perhaps into ancient mummified felines? If so, our household can scratch your itch." Too many words, way too many words. The realization of it causes him to snarl. Tonight, he'll sanctify his new dwelling with a ritual of flagellation so that Zon-Kuthon knows where to find, and know of his piety.
And who knows, perhaps Harmony in Agony will hear his devotion through the walls.
The trio of guests look around the suite as you show them off. Harmony does most of the talking, doing so in an insufferably condescending tone and offering phrases such as, "Look at you up-and-comers and your cute little downstairs suite," and "Seems like Geb’ll make just anyone a Blood Lord these days, doesn’t it? Oh! No offense meant!" When Weeping Jack speaks, it’s inevitably to make a crass or crude observation about your home, while Rumin’s contributions to the discussion tend to be passive-aggressive quips about how your group accidently became the city’s latest aristocrats.
Caraid's efforts to pry information out of them fail. The trio proves evasive, deflecting any questions about themselves with quips and flippant responses. Aily finds it difficult to ascertain their movtives.
After several minutes, Harmony turns to you with a sly smile. "Say, you haven’t discovered anything scandalous left behind by the old mortician here, have you?" she inquires.
"Maybe some frilly underwear, boss, but I think that's about it. And that might've been the boss'" Humerus replies, jerking a thumb at Telvir.
All that Harmony manages to do is invoke a thousand and one ways in which Ceceka wants to hurt her. To make her scream in such delicious ways that Zon-Kuthon himself will nod along to the merry tune of her agony. It's in the end that all the bluster comes to a screeching halt when she can't help but pry. The inquiry, of course, immediately gets met by Humerus's twisted take on honesty.
In a way, Ceceka doesn't need to hurt her. Humerus will manage just fine.
"What makes you ask that? Something must have planted the seed that blossomed into that thought."
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Tevlir frowns at Humerus, making a mental note to have Smoke sleep at the end of the porter's bed tonight.
"True, Ceceka. And a 'scandal' is quite subjective," Telvir states. "For instance, some might think it scandalous to question the king's judgement about who is raised to the aristocracy."
Aily, who was distracted a moment with visions of slicing the Varisian woman's hamstrings and watching her crawl her way out of their cute little downstairs suite, finally perked up with the simpering bag of puss revealed why they were there.
The maid leaned toward Ms. Stanton, whispering softly (assuming one of them had decent enough hearing) "Should I move the journals the former owner kept on Loxenna to a safer location?"
Telvir waves off Aily, apparently dismissing her: "Yes, make it so."
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"Oh, well, boss, I've never seen him undress, but I just get the impression he might like something nice. I thought I saw a pair of frilly undergarments, but I don't think Aily wears any, and I figure you wear something with spikes in it, so just process of elimination, I guess," Humerus answers Ceceka.
Harmony narrows her eyes at Telvir's comeback. "My my, such a sharp tongue! I was merely asking out of curiosity, but I can see we’re not wanted—we’ll just take our leave. Best of luck down here in the gutter!" She gestures, and both Weeping Jack and Rumin follow the woman out of the suite.
Once your rude guests have departed, you find a summons waiting for you from Kortash Khain. It is not urgent, but it wouldn't do well to keep the ghoul ruler waiting for long...