Tessa looks over at Believer and has to spend some time regaining control ov her voice.
"I-I think I'm okay," she tells the woman as she tries not to stare at her obviously different colored hand.
"Miss Believer," Aoede says, "could you save that for someone in more dire need? Tessa will be alright."
Maccha nods to Believer. "Ah, I can understand you now. Yes, I am all right." she says inhaling. No pain, just the thundering sounds of her own heartbeat on her own ears. She shakes her head, as if to shake off how nervous she is and turns to the three other women.
"Name's Maccha." she did not know what else to say. She has both daggers at hand, sweat dripping on them.
As they meet more thugs, Maccha's sees a downed person and sighs heavily, knowing she has to help. She feels relieved that everyone else with her seemed to think likewise.
One of the twins blinds a thug, perfect for an attack. Believer once again starts speaking in tongues. She seems to have full control of her mind. Just a weird quirk? Maccha charges the nearest thug, aiming at the shoulder of whatever arm they are carrying their maces with.
Tessa blinds the three thugs next to the unconscious man, and Aoede is sharp enough to realize that he is wearing a single black leather glove one hand, and nothing on the other.
Maccha charges into combat and immediately knocks one of the thugs to the ground with the ferocity of her strike.
The one single non-blind thug steps forward and takes a swing at Maccha in response.
Init:
Round 1
19- Tessa
17- Believer
14- Maccha
14- Them
12- Llewela
Round 2
19- Tessa
17- Believer
14- Maccha
14- Them
12- Llewela
Maccha allows herself a crooked smile as she sees the thug falling to the ground. She feels somewhat redeemed for her poor performance during the riot and also glad the thug does not seem to be dead.
Lost in thought, she only has a split second to move her head back and feel the wind from the mace being swung at her. Thankfully the thug, perhaps surprised, did it clumsily.
The other two recover from their blindness caused by one of the sisters' magic, meaning they could come from her, but Maccha knew her new companions were very close. Still, she stepped to the side, to not be ganged up again and attacked the thug that tried to swing at her, with both daggers now.
Believer bites into her lip again, smearing the blood along her nose chain to call forth another barbed chain from the Shadowy plane of her fiendish forebears. I will need to soak this thing to clean it tonight. She thinks ruefully to herself. She targets the one swinging at Maccha to give her friend what aid she can. Then she loads her sling.
Aoede sees that she's going to get back out with the unconscious man before Tessa's spell wears off. The thugs are already blinking the dust from their eyes as it begins to fade. The feeling of resignation and wry amusement washes through her as she puts both feet under her and takes up the staff she carries in both hands. Two versus one were not what she would have called good odds, especially when she's neatly boxed herself for them.
«Sorry Tess. I think I messed up. I can't get both me and the guy they were wailing on out of here,» Aoede tells her summoner as she gets ready to fight.
«I-- I've got enough in me for another big spell. Can you distract them for a moment?» Tessa's anxiety is clear, smelling like sour sweat, but so is her determination to not just be a damsel in distress.
«I can try.» Aoede's smile is not a pleasant one as it spreads across her face.
Aoede calls out in a voice she hopes isn't loud enough to draw even more attention to what's happening. She has to stifle a laugh as she feels Tessa's indignant shock at hearing her own voice cussing and saying such vulgar things. Still, it appears she'd done her job as Tessa mutters the arcane phrases and weaves her fingers in an intricate dance before the cobbles beneath the two thugs blocking Aoede in gain the sheen of very slick grease.
Aoede's sure that some archon somewhere would click its tongue at her and tut-tut her underhanded tactics, but as far as she's concerned, only an idiot would fight fair against a bunch of devil idolizing and worshiping thugs. Besides, it'd be easier to not kill them if they were too busy losing their footing to dodge.
At least, that would be the case if it weren't for...
Spotting Tessa's hesitation at Believer, Llewela remarks "You can trust B, she and I have a.. similar taste in flowers, as it were."
Llewela starts in surprise that the thugs are assaulting someone so far from the protest. By the rose, I hope this isn't happening all over the city
"Hey! Leave him alone!" she shouts, as she recklessly rushes towards the men closest to the fallen man.
Tessa's face turns bright red as she realizes that she might have given insult, which wasn't what she'd intended.
"I-I didn't mean-- I just-- I--" Tessa stammers for a bit before shutting up and trying not to let the others see how much she was blushing.
"What Tessa's trying to say," Aoede cuts in. "Is that she didn't mean to give offense. She really isn't badly hurt, I promise."
Llewela moves up into the combat, deftly avoiding any danger from the thug she runs past. Maccha misses, but Believer steps in to aid her with another chain from...somewhere nefarious surely.
Green is tripped by the chain and falls to the ground hard, scared of the sudden devilish magic.
Unfortunately Llewela slips in the grease and falls to the ground. Thankfully, so do the other thugs next to her.
The two thugs try to stand up (provoking from Aoede and Llewela, although Llewela has a -4 on melee attack rolls), but both fail miserably.
The green thug stands up on her turn (provoking from Maccha) before scurrying away into the night, obviously not enjoying what their 'night of fun' had turned into.
Init:
Round 2
19- Tessa
17- Believer
14- Maccha
14- Them
12- Llewela
Round 3
19- Tessa
17- Believer
14- Maccha
14- Them
12- Llewela
Maccha misses her attacks but is, once again, helped by Believer. The thug falls and tries to run, allowing Maccha to give her a parting shot.
She slashes the air in vain, almost losing her footing by the sheer force she used. Oops. Shouldn't let my emotions get the better of me like this.
The other two are on the ground. Maccha takes the opportunity to charge at the nearest one and midway through her charge, she changes her daggers' position on her hands as she sighs.
One of them has already ran from us. They beat up someone, but stabbing them as they are helpless on the ground when it has been estabilished they will flee feels wrong, somehow. What would the Everbloom say?
She tries to hit one on the ground with the hilt of her dagger.
Aoede gets a better grip on her staff and bops the thug in the head as they try to stand up.
Aoede excuses herself as she moves around Llewela and Maccha to get at the remaining thug. Once again, she tries to keep from killing them.
Unfortunately, her strike misses as the thug squirms out of the way.
Seeing that she's by herself, Tessa moves closer to the others and keeps looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was coming to investigate the noise the fight was making.
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"Some might feel... deceived, when they first meet me like this. That is not my wish, it is merely a precaution. The plane-touched are not always well received in Kintargo."
Believer moved up. keeping the weakened Tessa covered from potential threats from behind. She wished she could tell them not to worry so much about pulling their punches. She was capable of stopping the flow of blood with hardly any effort at all, but her heart went out to them for their restraint. They are all such good-natured girls. She thought with affection, Milani bless their tender hearts.
Not finding a suitable target to attack with her sling, she bites and smears the blood again onto the delicate chain that was steadily becoming an ever thickening rope of gore and summons the chain forth again, this time to slash at the prone thug Maccha was trying to drub unconscious with her dagger hilts.
Despite Believer's words, Tessa still winces as she explains why she hid what she was. Aoede gently rebukes her for it through their link, but she can't really help it. Still, she wants to make amends, however she can.
"C-could you show me them, sometime," she asks. "Th-the flowers, I mean," she adds as she realizes she isn't being very clear.
As the thug stumbles to his feet, Llewela smacks him with the blunt side of her axe, sending him crashing back to the ground. She turns her attention to the man the thugs were attacking, her eyes widening as she recognizes the man with the black glove.
"Finally found you," she mutters, laying a hand on him and channeling healing energy. "I hope you're worth the trouble."
The remaining two thugs fall under the relentless assault of the group, leaving the alleyway suddenly very quiet compared to the previous flurry of violence.
Further inspection of the man reveals that he is not actually unconscious, just particularly injured. He staggers to push himself up into a sitting position.
"Ah, many thanks for the rescue, friends. Nearly found myself in a tight spot there, eh?" he says, looking up at the party as he takes off his singular glove and drops it to the ground before examining his hands.
With the end of the fighting, Tessa joins Aoede as she helps the man to his feet.
"Honestly," Tessa says quietly, "I think we're all in a tight spot right now. C-can we get off the streets? I-I really don't want to run into more of those people." Tessa nods to indicate the unconscious thugs now scattered around the alley.
Believer goes about the fallen, leaning down to cast stabilize on anyone who looked badly hurt enough that their survival might be in question. "One of them ran and might return with reinforcements. Tessa is right. We'd best keep moving and talk as we go." She suggests, glad to have her normal speaking voice returned to her.
The man struggles to his feet, still clearly wounded, and pulls out a potion before drinking it. "Ah, refreshing. I know just the place to have a little chat, actually. Crissali’s Fine Tomes, a quaint little bookstore that has a generous backroom silence policy. It's a few streets over that way, meet me there as soon as you can. We shouldn't be seen together out in the open, if we can avoid it." he says, taking a quick look around the corner of the alley out into the street to see if anyone has noticed the commotion.
"Any pressing questions before we part ways?"
Maccha puts her daggers back into her coat and sighs relieved: this altercation went much better than last one. Apparently her new acquaintances knew the wounded man, so Maccha decided to hang back and let them do the talking.
While they do, she investigates the unconscious thugs, going through their pockets. "Relax, I'm not stealing anything." she thinks out loud. These seemed like opportunists but considering the very much Barzillai's "plants" on the riot, it was better to be safe than sorry.
A signed letter with orders would be nice, but that would be unlikely.
Otherwise, she just joins the group and stays silent for now, covering her mouth with a handkerchief she has at her neck as a makeshift mask.
"Will you be finding us," Tessa asks.
"Yeah, because looking for one man with one glove in a crowd can be a bit of a hassle," Aoede adds.
"Wouldn't blame you if you did." Llewela tells Maccha. "I'd grab their weapons at least, it'll make it harder for them to beat up any more innocent civilians."
To the mysterious man, she says "You're sure you'll make it there alright? Are there going to be any more of them after you?"
Maccha is looking for any evidence
Maccha does actually find something of interest: a note indicating that some of the Chelish Citizens have made Crissali’s Fine Tomes their operating base for this night of anti-rebellion activity.
When discovered, your mystery contact is aghast at the near bad fortune, and grateful for the information. "In that case, perhaps it is better that we head to a more secure location. Together, actually, if you don't mind." he admits somewhat sheepishly.
"I know for sure that Setrona, proprietor over at the Tooth and Nail, wouldn't suffer any of these fools. We should be safe there without a doubt, especially in a group."
While Tessa and Llewela talk with the man that they were supposed to meet with, Aoede watches over Maccha as she searches the thugs. While they don't have much time, what Aoede has in mind for just a little payback for what happened shouldn't take long.
"How fast can you strip someone out of their clothes," she asks Maccha.
Maccha shares what she found with the group and, following Llewela's idea, removes the maces from the thugs. Let's make the city streets a little safer for everyone...
Tessa's question, however, catches her completely off-guard.
"W-what?"
It took a few seconds to parse what the whispering girl said and a few more to realize what she meant.
"I am in agreement that we should bind them together. Make it harder to find help or to attack someone else. Not really willing to go beyond that, we don't have much time."
Aoede shrugs.
"That's a fair point. I'll help get them bound up, then," she says before getting them position with their backs to each other and connecting the thugs wrists to their opposites on the other two.
"That should do it. Too bad we don't have longer. I would like to pay them back for what they did, but--" she shrugs again as she stands up and gathers her staff.
"Well, shall we go," she asks.
Tessa, meanwhile, does her best to stay out of the way and keep an eye out for trouble.
"What are those pendants?" Llewela asks, glancing over. "Grab them too, if they're identification of some sort they might come in handy."
Llewela half considers heading to the bookstore to see what else the Chelish Citizens have planned, but decides it'll be better to not risk another fight and to find out what info the contact has first.
"Ok, to the Tooth and Nail then."
Aoede and Tess look at one another before Aoede nods and grabs the pendants as well.
As they make their way to the Tooth and Nail, Aoede takes up a position at the rear of the group in case someone decides to come chasing after them.
Tessa on the other hand, focuses on calming down.
"B-bee, right," Tessa asks quietly after a few minutes. "I'm sorry about earlier. It just surprised me is all. Um, do you need someone to--" her voice trails off as she traces a line from the side of her nose that follows the same path as chain hanging from it.
Tessa on the other hand, focuses on calming down.
"B-bee, right," Tessa asks quietly after a few minutes. "I'm sorry about earlier. It just surprised me is all. Um, do you need someone to--" her voice trails off as she traces a line from the side of her nose that follows the same path as chain hanging from it.
The tall, statuesque tiefling smiles at the timid girl, "You have nothing to apologize for. Surprising is as good an adjective for me as any." She arched an eyebrow in silent question until she recognized the motioning. "Ah, it is a mess, I suppose. Nothing for it until we are off the streets. Does the sight of it trouble you? I know some are bothered by the sight of blood. I fear it is not a luxury I can afford in my line of work."
Believer makes an effort to keep the fellow walking with them in her line of sight. The others seemed to know him, but as he was leading them somewhere new and in light of the fact that the first place he suggested would likely have landed them in an ambush... Well, she was not feeling especially trusting just at the moment.
"Trouble me," Tessa asks. "I-- Maybe?"
You get the sense that there's a lot more behind that reaction than just some shy girl trying not to give offense.
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Reaching up, Believer unhooked the blood encrusted chain from first her nose ring and then the ear and deposited it into a pocket. She likely still had some blood on her face, but made no move to dislodge it as it would likely remove her makeup as well. She said not a word about it, though. Pressing on to get off the streets before something befalls their party yet again.
"What are those pendants?"
Thankfully the groups' trip is calm and without incident, although you do catch sounds and sights that the city is under stress this particular night: cries of pain, large groups of booted footsteps, dottari walking the street with mace in hand. Things are tense, this much you know.
The single-story Tooth and Nail is marked by nothing but a wooden post outside, four bent and rusty nails and six wolves’ teeth hammered into its weathered face. The tavern shares the building with a confectioner’s shop, identified by the words “Sweet Tooth” painted at its entrance on Tuce Alley. Inside, the Tooth and Nail carries the stink of stale beer, tobacco smoke, and less discernible odors hovering in the air like clouds of gnats. Narrow windows, stained yellow, allow in little natural light, and a few sputtering candles do little to disperse the gloom. The furniture is dilapidated, and was of poor quality even on the long-ago day it was fashioned.
A few patrons mill about here and there, avoiding the problems of outside just as you are. The strange man that took you here waves to the owner, Setrona, before heading through a curtained off doorway in the back that leads to a quaint little sitting room furnished in the same old style as the main room.
“Thank you again for that timely rescue. Truth is, our meeting was no coincidence. I followed you from the protest earlier today, but in the panic that erupted I lost track of your group. You proved yourselves to be people of uncommon skill, and I am a man of uncommon needs."
“My name is Rexus Victocora, and until last week’s Night of Ashes, I was one of this city’s nobles. My parents’ estate burned to the ground that night—I escaped simply because I was studying at the Alabaster Academy during the fire. There were other fires that night, as you know—fires that many believe were started by Barzillai Thrune or his agents in an attempt to squash any spirit of rebellion Kintargo might have."
“Now more than ever we need that spirit of rebellion to stay strong, but Thrune’s actions have driven into hiding those who would stay strong and resist. Those who could once rally the city to a cause, such as Lord-Mayor Jilia Bainilus and my parents, are missing at best, and are more likely dead. I cannot do this on my own, but with the aid of talented citizens such as yourselves, I have hope that we can. Will you aid Kintargo? Will you save the city from the devil?”
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Believer's eyes tightened, her gaze falling on Maccha at the description of what went on during this so called Night of Ashes. She gently brushed some dust from her friend's back, smoothing the fabric back into place as an excuse to offer her silent support.
She tried to recall if she had ever heard anything of Rexus Victocora or his family, though she knew it was unlikely if they were nobility.
"I heard word at the protest that the Dottari have taken more prisoners than they can house. They are said to be making use of empty warehouses and the Sallix Salt Works. We may find our missing loved ones there." She offered, choosing to ignore the suggestion that they might be dead. She absolutely, positively refused to believe that.
Tessa and Aoede pull the hoods of their cloaks low to hide their faces as they approach the Tooth and Nail. The seedy appearance of the establishment was a bit of a shock to Tessa, who is still getting used to life outside of a noble's estate, and even in the two since finding herself out in the world had largely kept to herself and her small apartment. In fact, Llewela was the only person she really had any regular contact with besides her landlord.
Despite her best efforts to avoid reacting to it, Tessa pales as the smell of the place hits her nose. She covers it and her mouth with a hand as her eyes water. Aoede, sensing her friend's distress, moves to keep herself between Tessa and anyone who might take notice of her reaction. Once the group is seated, it's clear that Tessa is not feeling well, though she tries to wave off any concerns. She's here as Llewela's friend, and she won't leave without the half-elf.
Hearing the reason that the young man wanted to contact them, however, gives her second thoughts. If he thinks she is someone who could help lead a rebellion, he either has no idea who she is or is a terrible judge of character. She was a runaway from the Sarinis, and had spent the past two years keeping her head down. She isn't the person he's looking for, and she knows it.
But, she can hardly abandon Llewela. She was her friend, at least Tessa liked to think she was, and friends didn't abandon friends. She looks to the half-elf cooper to see what she would say.
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Maccha follows the man to the Tooth and Nail. She never had the opportunity to ask if that was one of the places her mother once cooked at. Maccha had been here before, but not enough to consider herself familiar with the place. Still, Old Kintargo's strange mix of buildings always felt like home.
She listened intently to what the man who introduced himself as Rexus Victocora said. She quickly tried to remember if she had ever heard that name or at least the surname.
Maccha did not want to interrupt, but many questions flooded her mind. Why did he follow us? Is he a contact from the others and I just happened to be around? but the mention of the Night of Ashes stopped her thoughts in her tracks and she felt someone's hand on her back. Her own Night of Ashes was a long time ago.
She remembered the smell of burnt wood and flesh, The black smoke blocking the view. The symbol of Asmodeus and of the Thrunes. And those infernal dogs. The rest of his speech brought her back to reality for a while.
She was waiting for this opportunity ever since that day, caution be damned.
"Yes."
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Llewela glances cautiously around the shop as they enter, her eyes sweeping over the patrons and exits. But it seems calm enough, and she allows herself to breathe. Once they are settled in the back room, she listens intently to Rexus, her expression growing more determined with each word.
When Rexus concludes, Llewela leans forward, her voice steady and quiet. "Milani calls us to stand against tyranny. I think we all suffered losses in the Night of Ashes. Thrune may think he's stamped out the rebellion, but a single spark can reignite a fire. You can count on me."
The man, who you now know as Rexus, claps his hands together once for dramatic effect. "Brilliant! I had a feeling you might feel the way I do."
"In the interest of being open with each other, I shall begin to share information first. I have recently discovered that my dear mother, Porcia, was a high-ranking member of a secret society called the Sacred Order of Archivists, a band of Iroran scholars dedicated to the protection and restoration of history. I learned this the day after the Night of Ashes, when I approached a woman named Laria Longroad, who claimed to be one of my mother’s previous contacts. Dubious of her claims at first, I believed her once she produced a coffer of valuables and a note in my mother’s hand. The valuables are all I have as an inheritance, and the note of course."
He pulls out an intricate scroll case before setting it on the table and opening it, allowing you to read the note.
"Go on, take a look."
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Believer took the letter and quickly reviewed it before passing it along. There was that pesky assumption of death again, well, it had nothing to do with her, so she ignored it again.
"So this letter seems to imply that your mother went to this place, leaving the letter behind for you to find and then did not return. That indicates that if it was ever a bastion of safety, it is not any longer."
She considers the rest. "I believe the Silver Ravens have associations with the Rose of Kintargo. Though I confess, I know nothing of this... Order of Archivists."
She sighs, "I suppose I should be flattered that you consider us heroes. So far, the most compelling thing I have done is publicly champion mint. Though if you wish us to fight by your side, I would like to hear something of your capabilities... should we call you Rexus?"
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Tessa reads the letter and begins worrying her bottom lip. Even as naive as she is, she can tell that Bee is right. She also knows she's no hero. She's just barely getting by singing in taverns and cafes, and if it hadn't been for Llewela, she wouldn't have been anywhere near the protest. Yet, as wrong as she thinks this Rexus Victocora is about her, she can't just abandon Llewela, Bee, and Bee's friend. So as she reads, she tries to recall anything she can that might be of relevance.
Reading over Tessa's shoulder and sensing her growing worry, Aoede hugs her apparent twin around the shoulders and offers what encouragement she can. She can guess why Tessa's nerves are winding tighter, and she has to agree. Whatever had happened on the night they became intertwined hadn't turned the meek, young woman into any heroine for the ages. She's still shy, still bookish, and definitely not what revolutionaries are made of. But for all that, Aoede had to admire Tessa's pluck. Despite her well-founded worries, she wasn't exactly panicking. That was worth quite a lot in a situation like this.
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Maccha reads the letter and gets a little bit cross-eyed. Certainly a lot of proper nouns. The name Silver Ravens does not sound completely unfamiliar but she does not even know from where, until Believer says it is related to the Rose of Kintargo.
She looks around, feeling out of place. Heroes? Once again, she remembers being knocked out by two Chelish Citizens. Chellish citizens, not soldiers or even with Dottari basic training. Just two ruffians with a mace. And that was what she was:A ruffian with daggers, I guess.
The other four seemed better suited for the job. One of the twins was extremely competent and composed and the other, while very openly nervous, basically saved Rexus with her magic and was also hardcore! She wanted to cuff the guards after getting them naked!
Believer also had powers and so had the Half-Elf, clearly from Milani herself. I wish The Everbloom also granted me magic.. She shooed away those thoughts, that was unfair to Milani. An ex-Asmodean like herself did not deserve such privilege.
Regardless of all her doubts, she knew that when the revolution came calling, she would answer. She just nods and lets the others guide the conversation, already having her decision made.
"Did Laria tell you anything else?" Llewela asks Rexus while the others read the letter. "Are you sure she's trustworthy? Can we talk to her? She might know something about the other missing people."
When the letter comes to her, Llewela reads it closely, excitement building within her. For the past week, she’s felt the urge to rebel but has been unsure of the way forward.
"I've heard of groups that supported the Silver Ravens, but the Order of Archivists is new to me," she says, looking up. "Given House Thrune’s efforts to write them out of history, it’s not surprising. This gives us a direction. If the Livery is still under friendly ownership, we might even find allies there."
Llewela looks around at her companions, her eyes bright, before realising she might be getting ahead of herself. "Of course, there might be some risks. Rebellion is a path fraught with danger, but it's a path worth walking - I'm ready to go and investigate the Livery, but I understand if anyone has second thoughts."
Believer crosses her arms, shaking her head and giving voice to her second thoughts. "Tessa is still hurt, no matter how bravely she is determined to bear it." She raises an admonishing finger to stop the protest before it forms on the girl's lips, giving her twin, the spokeswoman of the pair the same.
"I expect Rexus is likewise battered and those of us who cast spells are nearly spent. Not to mention that we don't know anything about this place beyond the high probability that it is dangerous. We need information and rest before we proceed with this." She spoke with the authority of her years and a tone developed from being a caretaker who brooks no nonsense when someone's health is at risk.
"Maccha, if you were given this as an assignment, you would scout the perimeter first, right? We shouldn't go in blindly." She suggested, looking to her friend for support.
"Um-- I'm all out of the big stuff,"Tessa admits when Bee mentions that those that could cast spells were likely running low on magic.
"Shouldn't we be more worried about finding some place safe to stay, though," Aoede asks when the conversation turns to scouting the place out. "I mean, after what happened, I wouldn't be surprised if they started rounding up anyone they found out on the streets. I'm not exactly sure of where we are or how close we are to our homes, either."
Llewela reigns her enthusiasm with a deep breath and a smile. "Yes, you're right - we should take time to rest and recover. Hopefully, those Chelish Citizen gangs will calm down a bit too."
"Our homes should still be safe," Llewela says, with only a hint of uncertainty. "I don't think anyone recognized us today. But I should check on my parents and make sure they're safe. We'll have to be careful about concealing our identities if we'll be fighting the government."
After the half-elf's passion was so openly displayed, Maccha felt it really tugging at her heartstrings. Maccha wishes she could articulate her feelings for Milani and her ideology llike that.
The talk of logistics finally allows Maccha to have something meaningful to contribute. She scratches her chin slightly, itchy from the contact with her makeshift mask's fabric.
"Yeah... I could at least check if the building is empty" she stretches her arms and hears the bones on her shoulders "Their magic" she says looking at the other three "was essential for our performance so far. If they say rest, I'd rather rest as well."
Though if you wish us to fight by your side, I would like to hear something of your capabilities... should we call you Rexus?
”Rexus is the name I choose to go by, yes. You can call me that.” he says, smiling as he takes another sip from the drink he ordered.
”I’m afraid I’m not much more use than a scribe at a temple, but I do know a few small magics of my own. My noble bloodline has blessed me with some small amount of spells I can use, unlike my poor physical health. That’s why I was getting you together, you see. I need someone that can perform the physical acts of rebellion better than I ever could.”
Did Laria tell you anything else?" Llewela asks Rexus while the others read the letter. "Are you sure she's trustworthy? Can we talk to her? She might know something about the other missing people."
”Oh, I assure you, if anyone is trustworthy in this city outside of this room it is Laria. The halfling has seen more than her fair share of trauma under both Thrune and her old masters, and served as a tiller in the Bellflower Network for many years before settling down a bit at the Long Roads Coffeehouse. We’ll be paying her a visit once we figure out what’s going on at Fair Fortune Livery that my mother wanted me to see, and you can talk to her then. I don’t want to show up with strangers without anything to offer Laria, you see.” he says as way of explanation.
”I don’t think your houses are safe, actually. I am almost certain that the dottari know you were at the protest, and will most likely be watching any of your normal places of residence for at least tonight. It’s a dangerous time now in Kintargo, you might want to rest somewhere else, like the rooms above this very tavern, for at least tonight. I am certain once we get in contact with Laria that she will be able to get messages to your family saying that you are safe, although I think maybe we should leave all the uh, ah…extracurricular activities safely in private.”
”Yeah... I could at least check if the building is empty"
”Scouting ahead is certainly a good idea, just don’t get caught out alone on the streets, or by something inside the building itself. I trust you enough to make your own judgement on how best to handle that, however.”
Believer nods, satisfied with Rexus' description of his abilities. "Your noble education will be necessary too, I expect. It will do little good to search for information if we cannot make sense of it, after all. What do you mean about your health being poor? Would you allow me to take a look?" She asked as she removed her gloves.
Her brow furrowed in worry thinking of the Dottari ransacking their clinic. They had always made the effort to keep a low profile, so she hoped the clinic would be spared. Still, she expected he was right that it was not wise to split their force and expose themselves on the streets again this night. "I fear my funds are low just now. Would it be possible to offer services in exchange for lodging? I can treat patients or even chop vegetables if need be. I do have my bedroll and blanket along, so a spot on a clean floor is all I will need."
Rexus consents to being examined, and Believer's inspection is quick and not very thorough (as the circumstances and setting don't allow for the full examination she'd like to do).
"That brings me to the matter of your payment. I intend to prove that I am all in on this...'venture', and as such am prepared to give you some funds up front. This inheritance represents a significant portion of my remaining wealth after the Night of Ashes, and I wish for you to use it in order to get a good start on our budding rebellion."
He hands you the coffer that contains the inheritance, which contains 150 gp, a Victocora signet ring worth 75 gp, a masterwork silver dagger (an old family heirloom), and a set of bracers of armor +1.
"And don't worry about lodgings for this specific instance, I have secured a large room for all of you to share tonight. I imagine it might even help with, ah, team bonding?" he says, clearly out of his depth with this sort of thing.
Already not looking nor feeling well, Tessa feels as if she is going to be sick as she hears Rexus tell them that their homes are no longer safe. The probably loss of the possessions she isn't carrying stings, but it's nothing compared to the gut-wrenching pain at losing her home. Sure, it was a small apartment with just enough room for her and Aoede to squeeze into that she rented instead of owned, but it was her home, her sanctuary after that awful night two years ago.
Aoede rubs Tessa's back as she grabs her arms and shivers. The pair of them listen with an ear each as the conversation continues, only for Aoede to pale when Rexus mentions that the five of them would be sharing a single room for the night as she feels the spike of panic shooting through Tessa's emotions.
"I, uh, don't suppose that also includes some nightclothes, does it," Aoede asks while sending reassurances to Tessa that it'll be alright through the bond their minds share. "Perhaps it was a bit shortsighted of us, but Tessa and I weren't expecting to need a change of clothes or something to sleep in," she explains.
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Believer frowned with concern over the little she gleans from the perfunctory examination of Rexus. "I see. I might like to revisit this, when we have the luxury of more time and supplies." She gives him a companionable pat on the shoulder to alleviate some of the awkwardness of enduring the close attention of someone he had just met.
She blinks in surprise at the sight of the coffer. That's more gold than I would see in a month of Toildays. She thinks, resolving herself not to touch it. Working for donations was not particularly lucrative, but it kept you in people's good graces, which was perhaps worth more given her obvious heritage and history.
She seems worried at Tessa's agitation. "Are you feeling worse, Tessa? Any nausea? That can be a sign of damage, up here." She said, tapping one shiny black nail to her temple to illustrate. "I humbly request you consider healing again, if not from me, perhaps from Llewela? I can see you trust her." She urged the girl, trying to convey only warmth and concern.
She believed she might know one way to brighten her mood. "You are not the only one bereft of night clothes. If we are provided fresh linens, I can show you a trick. A sheet can be draped and tied around the body in such a manner to appear much like a gown. It is quite comfortable, so long as you do not sleep on the knots." She added with a wink.