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Hi everyone. I'm very sorry for disappearing like that. I've been pretty sick for the past few weeks, and at this point don't expect to start feeling better anytime in the immediate future. Therefore I'm dropping out of all my games. (Which I had unofficially done anyway I guess.) Again, I'm very sorry I didn't say anything sooner, I just kept hoping things would get better and I'd be able to rejoin. It was great playing with you all, and I wish you the best of luck.
"I've never had reason to look into 'why,' but I remember reading once that sewer air can react badly to fire. Something about the alchemical properties being slightly different. As we can smell." Meira wrinkles her nose. "What I do know is that when two incompatible alchemical reagents are mixed together they usually end up exploding."
Meira stops halfway through the attempt to get into the tunnel. "Ah. Yes, that might be an issue." She retreats back into the previous area, then douses her light. (Which feels wrong. Fires are meant to be lit.) "Of course, my apologies. I'd forgotten fire was a bad idea in the sewers. If we end up needing any additional illumination, I can provide some. But for now I think we'll be better off just using Vera's magic lights."
In addition to the dancing lights, Meira's lantern staff is lit and casting flickering shadows around the room. "Nice work finding the footprints Magda. It's hard to see anything down here." From the look on her face, she is clearly wishing the same could be said for smelling anything. With a sigh, she hoists herself into the smaller tunnel and prepares to move forward.
For SL's recovery, Meira will happily make as many Alleviate Addictions as she has slots for. It won't permanently stop anything, but it might make it easier for her to seek other help. (Such as antiplague.)
"Well. If we're all agreed." She dusts off her hands, whether or not they actually need it. "There are two main ways into the sewers. One; go down a manhole and keep going until you find something. Two; we could start from the abnormal outflow Magda and me noticed earlier. A bit of a climb, but we could prepare for that, and it's probably closer to the actual problem." "You can guess my vote. For anyone not sure of the climb, I could make an elixer to help them out. Although the more elixers I make for that the fewer I have for whatever might be awaiting us in the tunnels." She shrugs with seeming nonchalance. "Your choice."
From Meira's brief snort of laughter, she clearly took Marcus' comment as a joke. Albeit an accurate one. "Under normal circumstances I'd agree with you, Vera. I don't believe there's a department officially responsible for the sewers, but we could funnel the request upward and let the government worry about who to hire for the job. Right now though things are too hectic and resources are stretched too thin. I worry that if left to official channels nothing would get done." "As Magda mentioned otyughs tend to form tight bonds with each other. If one was starving, there are almost certainly more in the same situation. Wait too long and there's likely going to be more attacks." She grimaces. "In other words, it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it, and we happen to be available. We could stop by the Field Marshall's office and see if she's willing to pay us for it, but I plan on going regardless."
On the morning of the seventh day after officially joining the group, Meira asks everyone to meet her in Vera's living room. "I think you all know Magda and I were trying to figure out what might have caused the otyugh attack last week. Well, we think we may have found it. Or at least have an idea of what happened." "Otyughs are rather fascinating creatures with an interesting society, but the important thing to know is that they literally eat garbage. They also have no natural predators, so they tend to form groups that are as large as the food supply will allow. Which should be a lot in a city like Korvosa. But the one you all fought said he was 'hungry,' and Magda couldn't find any others in the sewers. There's no shortage of garbage, in fact we checked and significantly more than usual is being dumped. The conclusion we've come to is that something is keeping the otyughs from their usual feeding grounds." "I think we should probably find out what that something is. If the otyughs don't eat the garbage, it gets dumped into the sea. Which affects fishing. Which affects the entire city. " Meira sighs. Despite being the one to propose this expedition, she's not looking forward to it. "Hopefully it's just a collapsed tunnel or something. But I wanted to ask everyone to come along in case there's some sort of monster down there. If there's something the otyughs are scared of, I don't think Magda and I should try to fight it alone."
Meira feels awkward staying at a stranger's house, but wants to integrate with the rest of the group as much as she can. "Thank you Vera." As soon as they arrive she understands what Vera had meant by 'spruce the place up.' The home looked like it had been abandoned for years. She's no carpenter, but random tidbits of knowledge she's picked up over the years means she can start repairing some of the damage. The next day she leaves just long enough to do some quick shopping with her share of the reward money. She'd scrimped and saved for a formula alembic but hadn't yet had an opportunity to use it. She's in the process of writing down the formula for the third and final potion when Kaliyah finds her. (She's actually extremely relieved by the sight of the marine. Kaliyah's parting shot about how it would be Meira's fault if she died from a bad cut had hit home.) The state she's in isn't surprising. In fact, the first potion Meira had bought and distilled was with Kaliyah's situation in mind. "Sit down, I'll have something for you in a minute." With practiced hands she starts mixing together the required ingredients. The 'minute' is quite literal; extracts don't take long to make. "Here. Drink this. It'll help for now." Assuming Kaliyah does so, she finds her symptoms suddenly disappear. Once Kaliyah stops shivering, Meira offers a fuller explanation. "I'm afraid that's temporary. It'll last for about four hours, but then the symptoms will come back. Like I said yesterday, a potion of remove disease is one of the best ways to alleviate the symptoms permanently." She grimaces. "Unfortunately they're extremely expensive. Antiplague can also help and is a lot cheaper, but in that case it'll be a few days before you feel completely well again."
Meira understands. She understands so very much, and wishes she didn't. For a second there's a voice in the back of her head that whispers yes, do it, you could drift away together. No. Never again. "I believe you. But I can't help you. Not with that." She swallows hard, then decides to be honest. "I get it, I really do. I used to take Shiver. Until I made the wrong enemy, and my family died because of it. I lost everything, and it was all my fault." "If you want help getting through it, I'll help. I'll sit with you. Talk with you. Whatever you need. But I won't get you any drugs. I'm sorry." She genuinely is. Not because she regrets not being able to supply Kaliyah what she wants, (she doesn't), but because she wishes she could make it so Kaliyah didn't want the drug. But Kaliyah is not the first other addict she's seen. There were many, coming to the temple. Some who wanted help, some who thought they wanted help but actually didn't. From her demeanor, Kaliyah was in the latter group. There was nothing to be done for someone who couldn't admit they needed help. But sometimes, just sometimes, the latter group could transform into the former. "I won't be your supplier. But if you ever need any other help...just let me know."
Oh. Meira feels a little foolish for jumping to conclusions, but in her defense people didn't regularly walk up to her and ask for drugs. At least not anymore. A decade ago she would have jumped to a very different, (and apparently more accurate), conclusion. "I see. No, I don't know how to make pesh, but honestly I wouldn't even if I could. I've seen what those kind of drugs do to people." To her. To her family. She shakes her head, clearing away the memories. Gods, it's been years and sometimes she still misses it, even knowing everything Shiver had cost her. "I could get you some Dreamer's Star, that would help you sleep." She hesitates, then adds as delicately as possible, "I also know from personal experience that potions of remove disease can help alleviate physical symptoms of addiction, if you're suffering from any." That might be going too far, but she feels it's important information to share.
At first somewhat shocked by Kaliyah's approach, Meira thinks she understands as soon as she hears the request. Particularly after noticing Kaliyah's attempts to not be overheard. Lowering her own voice, she asks, "Are you looking for Callistria's kindness? Give me a few hours and I can make you enough for a month." She's had a lot of practice with that one. Quite a few members of the guard preferred getting their contraceptives from her as opposed to paying full price at the markets. It wasn't exactly something she advertised, (or she'd have time for nothing else), but she brewed several batches every month.
Interesting that the youngest among them seemed to be the only one with a home. That also answered Meira's internal question about parents; she'd figured Magda didn't have any but hadn't been certain about Vera. Although what did she mean by 'not really an orphan any more?' Probably too personal to ask this early. "Um, sure. If we want to stay at your place, I can help clean it up and stuff." Anxious to appear useful, she adds, "I'm also a decent alchemist, so if you guys need a stockpile of alchemist's fire or the like I can make it for you. It's much cheaper that way."
Meira's leveled. Main benefit of level 4 is access to both studied combat and studied strike. (Along with swift alchemy, but that's less exciting.)
Meira doesn't understand what exactly is going on when the other man leaves, nor does she particularly care. His assessment that Kaliyah had handled the situation 'wisely' alone is enough to make her glad she's not going to have to work with him. However, she's neither blind nor cruel, and she can see how upset his departure is making Kaliyah. Part of her wants to say something comforting, but she doubts it would be appreciated. Pretending she doesn't notice anything wrong is likely the best thing she can do in this situation. So she very deliberately focuses on Orsini and Trinia, apparently ignoring Kaliyah's brief show of emotional vulnerability. "Take care, both of you. If you ever need any help, please do not hesitate to ask." Then she gives Kroft a final salute before following Marcus outside. "Um, I usually sleep in the barracks here. Is there somewhere you typically gather?" She doesn't comment on the other part of his words.
Meira looks uncertain at the prospect of 'taking a break' with a group she had just joined less than five minutes ago. "So...what do you all do when you're not on a mission from the Field Marshall?" She shifts uneasily, clearly unsure of what it is she's supposed to actually do, then focuses on the one concrete task that has been suggested. "That is to say, I'd be happy to help you investigate whatever's going on in the sewers. Or...whatever else it is you plan to do during this 'break.' "
"A stick in the...what?" Meira has trouble following Magda's metaphor, but she gets the gist. It's somewhat reassuring that Marcus and Magda both seem to want her to join, (or at least not be opposed to the idea), but they're not the ones she was concerned about. That, however, is a conversation that should probably happen elsewhere. "I do want to help the city. Very much." She smiles at Magda, although there's a hint of bitterness in it. "And the Field Marshal is of course correct that I find myself without much else to do at the moment, until new lamplighters have been recruited. So if you'll have me, I'll join your group." They were doing good. Their commendations said as much. In the end, that was all that really mattered. She straightens back to attention, uncomfortably aware of how much she'd slumped in the presence of the Marshal. "A mercenary group would make sense, given what I saw. Whether they're working for the Cerulean Society or some other party I couldn't begin to guess." She doesn't comment on the mention of the Queen, although she commits it to memory. While second-hand suspicions from a suspected assassin weren't to be trusted, the fact remained that someone had to have been responsible for Trinia's name making it's way through the city practically overnight.
Thanks for the responses. I don't think anyone needs to tone anything down; I just wanted to make sure I wasn't shoving a NG goody-two-shoes peg into a hole she didn't fit.
Clever Wordplay only applies to Intimidate. For Diplomacy I'm using Skill Focus and the Illuminator trait to make up for the negative CHA modifier, but CHA is still the ability score used. Sadly this means no extra bonuses to diplomacy right now. But if Meira sticks around until level 10, she'll get an extra bonus for the skill focus :)
What I just posted in gameplay is a genuine question. Right now Kaliyah hates Meira and Magda doesn't like her either given her connection to Kroft. Marcus and Vera both seem neutral at best. I'm not opposed to some in-character conflict or distrust of the new girl, but it's starting to seem like Meira's NG alignment might be a larger issue, particularly as she's also loyal to the guard. (And will remain so until/unless the guard shows itself to be obviously corrupt.) If that is a problem, I'm happy to create a different character that leans more neutral and doesn't have that connection.
Meira straightens. "I believe Magda was referring to a number of individuals I saw during my watch. People in long coats kept approaching the tenements, asking questions. They were rebuffed by the occupants and not allowed entry, but it was odd. They didn't seem to be part of any organized group I recognized. They weren't members of the guard, or marines, or Hellknights...if they weren't all wearing similar clothing, I would not have suspected them of being part of the same group at all." She swallows, clearing thinking over what to say next. "I will go where you wish, Field Marshall, but...I believe that should not be my choice." There's a moment where she keeps opening her mouth to say something, then closes it as she can't decide what to say. "I...if my presence would be more of a distraction than a help, I don't believe it would be beneficial." She heroically does not look at Kaliyah as she speaks. "It's possible we could adjust and work together well, but from what little I've seen, I'm not certain my...values...would be appreciated. If this group does not desire my presence, I would not impose it upon them."
"Sarenrae grant me patience." Meira pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. "We're taking you to the Field Marshall, and then we'll go from there. Whether or not you end up in front of a judge will depend on what she says and how the investigation goes, but you're right that it probably won't get that far." Her tone softens. "I can promise you that anyone trying to hurt you without cause will have to go through me." She means it. She doesn't actually think she could win if things deteriorated that far, but she would try. The last leg of the way she deliberately changes her positioning so she stays between Kaliyah and Trinia. On the bright side, she's so pissed off at Kaliyah right now that she's forgetting to be nervous about the whole 'being accused of assassination' thing.
Meira is also taken aback by the directness of the question. From what the Field Marshall is saying, it doesn't sound like there will be an investigation at all. At least not yet. "I've never met Orsini, but he would certainly have the resources to keep her hidden for a time. If you trust him, that might be the best solution." She thinks for a moment. "Trinia, you said earlier you had a friend that might could get you out of the city. Who are they? Perhaps they could help as well."
Meira's appreciative of the jokes as they walk. It helps ease the tension between herself and, well, everyone else. Not to mention distract her from the continued feelings of guilt. It'll be fine. Assuming Trinia is telling the truth, we'll prove that and then she can get back to her life. It'll all be fine. She's nevertheless quite a bit on edge, and when Trinia pantomimes her own execution as a 'joke' it's all she can do to bite her tongue. "Yes, well...you're right. We're almost there. Since you're disguised, let's just all walk in as nonchalantly as possible. Once we get to the Field Marshall's office everything will be fine."
Going over the roofs a forward scout seems much less necessary. Particularly since Trinia herself is the one with the most knowledge of how to get where they're going. Still, Meira stays a little ahead of the group and tries to keep an eye out for anything unusual.
"Is Vera's place on the way to the Citadel?" Meira isn't entirely sure about this part of the plan. Avoiding tails makes sense, yes, but if they're taking the roofs then what tails did they expect? "It seems our best chance of avoiding unnecessary attention would be to stay up here, but I don't know how feasible that is."
Meira barely, just barely, manages to avoid rolling her eyes. "My apologies for the bickering. With any luck it won't happen again." Mostly because she's going to be at the front while Kaliyah trails behind. She doesn't bother answering the rhetorical (and hypocritical) question. She'd given her reason. Had Kaliyah said 'Hey, we just met you, let someone else hang onto the bag' she wouldn't have given the request a second thought. Fixating specifically on the extremely valuable dagger was what made her suspicious. Oh well. "I can tell you the guard were not the ones to start accusing you. We heard the rumor at the same time as everyone else in the city. If we'd had any foreknowledge, we would have arrested you before the news spread rather than after." She backtracks briefly to retrieve her staff. "Are we ready to go?"
Meira meets Kaliyah's gaze, her own eyes narrowed. "Do I think I'm in charge? No. That doesn't mean I can't be suspicious of a person who repeatedly insists on 'holding' the most valuable item while clearly caring about nothing else. If you were actually concerned about me taking something, you'd be asking for the whole bag." "But you know what? Fine. You don't trust me, I don't trust you. Simplest solution is to have someone else hold onto everything." She gestures towards Marcus, although her eyes don't leave Kaliyah's. "Marcus? Would you mind taking the bag once everything is inside? All you need to do is hang onto it until we reach the Field Marshal's office and everything can be properly inventoried." She's not absolutely certain she trusts Marcus either, but he appears to be in charge and has been professional the whole time. It's the fairest compromise she can come up with.
Meira's shoulders tense slightly. "You must not have heard me. They're going in the bag and then I'm holding onto the bag until we get to the Citadel. Trinia won't have anything to stick you with. Nor will she have the opportunity if you're following behind us, which I believe is the plan." Perhaps she's being overly paranoid, but she's the only official member of the guard here. She feels it's her duty to make sure the bag and all its contents get to the Citadel.
Meira reaches out as Trinia goes for the wand and stops her. "Sorry, but I'm not willing to let you arm yourself at the moment. I'll put them in your bag and hold onto it for now. If innocent, you'll get it all back afterwards." She does just that, taking the wand, mithral dagger, and any other daggers Magda finds and carefully storing them all in the bag. Assuming Trinia still offers her a hand afterwards, she'll shake it. "You have my word as well. We're taking you back to Field Marshal Kroft, but she's not one of the queen's goons. She just wants the truth." "I'm fine with going across the Shingles, so long as we go slow enough for the, er, 'walls' to keep up. I need to go back at least one rooftop for my staff anyway. I assume we're heading to the Citadel, unless the Field Marshal gave you all different instructions?"
Meira lets Trinia go once the others have arrived, although she's prepared to grab her again if necessary. Her story sounds believable, but after seeing Vera's demonstration of just how good some people could be at lying she doesn't really trust her instincts. Luckily it's not her call. "Marcus is right. The whole city is looking for you, and most of them don't care all that much about the truth. Besides, if you had a way to safely leave the city, you would have done so by now." She sighs, feeling guilty despite knowing this is the best solution. There was a reason she'd joined the lamplighters instead of the regular guard. (The term 'bleeding heart' had been thrown about more than once during her training.) "You'll be questioned, most likely with magic to verify the truth of your words. If you have anyone who can testify to your whereabouts on the night of the king's death, that would also be helpful." She nods in support of the general plan. It hadn't included her, (or the strange fox woman that also seemed to be part of the group), but that was likely intentional. "I'll lead the way, ten or twenty feet ahead. No one will be suspicious of a lamplighter, and I'll signal you if I notice anything out of the ordinary. Trinia, do you have a cloak in your apartment which we could use to further obscure your features?"
For a fraction of a second Meira sees Kaliyah pull out the bow and thinks, Oh no, she really is going to shoot her. Which technically she is, but at least on closer inspection the arrows appear to be blunted. Small miracles. She dashes after Trinia, hoping to catch up before the woman gets too far ahead. Or Kaliyah decides to switch arrows.
No point in wasting time talking now, if Trinia wasn't thinking straight before she certainly won't be now, blunt arrows or no. Thus Meira doesn't even break her stride before grabbing the other woman and trying to hold her still.
Meira didn't see Kaliyah coming up behind her and definitely didn't expect her to suddenly dive onto the other woman. She winces when she sees Trinia reflexivly use the dagger in response. She crouches down next to Trinia and tries to aid Kaliyah in holding her down. "I'm sorry, but this will be much easier if you cooperate. I don't want to have to throw you in manacles." She really doesn't. Walking a woman through the streets? Simple enough. Walking a manacled woman through the streets, with the mood in the city being what it is? There's a good chance they'd get mobbed.
Hideous laughter. A comparatively harmless spell. Meira slots that into the mental profile she's forming even as she deliberately drops her staff. "No. I don't want to kill you. I want to arrest you, so we can get to the truth. The angry mobs out there though, they want to kill you. How long do you think you can hide from a whole city?" She raises her hands, showing that they're empty. (Not that it means much; for all Trinia knows she's a caster. But hopefully the thought still counts.) "If you didn't kill the king, help us prove that. That's the only way you can ever stop running."
The extra speed boost more than makes up for the time spent drinking the potion. Without hesitation Meira charges across the rooftops. She easily catches up to Marcus, (giving him a respectful nod at his display of athleticism; she certainly couldn't have run along these rooftops in full plate). "Trinia, we don't want to hurt you. Stop running and we'll get to the bottom of this." She personally doubts the girl is guilty, but that's something that can be investigated later. Preferably once she's in prison and thus not in danger of being torn apart by an angry mob.
Meira pauses for a second, considering, then pulls out an extract and drinks it. It'll put her a bit behind the fleeing woman, but the extra speed should more than make up for that.
Meira's about to step forward and say something to the old woman, (probably along the lines of 'Don't worry, we're here to help' or something similarly inane), when Magda smoothly takes care of the situation. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Vera cast a spell.
Glibness? From a girl that young? She watches in awe, jaw nearly dropping, as Vera neatly charms every other neighbor in the building. She watched her cast the spell, knows the truth of the situation, and still almost believes that she's just Trinia's friend from the castle. "Impressive. Very impressive." Maybe Kroft hadn't been completely insane when she started hiring children. Sarenrae might not approve of deception, but Meira wasn't so religious as to not admire an obvious master of the craft.
Meira resists the urge to rub her forehead. "I do hope you're joking about shooting people, at least without them trying to shoot you first. I don't want to have to try and arrest you." Not that she would. She's not that suicidal. No, worst case scenario she'll run away and hope she lives long enough to let Kroft know she's hired a bunch of psychopaths. She really, really, hopes it doesn't come to that. She shakes Kaliyah's hand and goes to follow Marcus into the building. It probably says something that right now she's far more comfortable with him than anyone else. Sure, he's threatening and could probably break her in half if he wanted, but she's dealt with muscle before. At least he seems sane. What have I gotten myself into?
Keira’s shoulders tense for a moment as Marcus walks forward, then relax as he starts to speak. ”Thank you.” She studies his face while she contemplates the phrase ‘not legally,’ then mentally shrugs. He’s confirmed that Kroft sent them, that they know Trinia is here, and that they plan to bring her in alive. For now, that’s enough. ”Like I said, I was sent to keep an eye on things until the Field Marshal could find a group capable of arresting the woman without it turning into, as you put it, a shitshow. As for what I’ve seen, not much. A few people who look like they don’t belong have been poking around. They’re pretty recognizable. Long coats, shifty attitudes, spend a little too much time contemplating where everything is. It seems no one here has told them anything though; they chat with people on the ground floor and get turned away. They also seem to be working individually. Or at least I haven’t seen them approach anyone as a group.” She looks towards Kali again. Kroft hadn’t actually asked her to join this group, but she’s both intrigued and a little concerned. ”Sure, I can take lead if you prefer. I’m not the most charismatic person, but people around here appreciate us lamplighters. But first things first...” She extends her hand. ”Meira Silanus. Nice to meet you. And if we’re going to be working together, I’d like your names as well. If for no other reason than because ‘Hey you!’ gets very confusing, very quickly.”
Meira can't help but raise an eyebrow at the rather eclectic group. "Look. Did Field Marshal Kroft send you or no? Because it sounds like you're saying she didn't, although you claim her as a friend," (she gestures vaguely towards Vera). "While you seem upset at the idea that she might have sent me." (Another gesture, this time towards Magda.) She folds her arms. "The Field Marshal told me she planned to send a group of people who could handle the situation. I thought you were the group in question, given those commendations and the rumors I've heard about your activites on behalf of the guard. If I was mistaken, I apologize."
Well, that made the decision of whether or not to approach much easier. Meira straightens to her full height, (which is still an inch or so shorter than Kaliyah), and nods at the woman. "Greetings. I assume you're here on behalf of Field Marshal Kroft?" Up close it's easier to see the faint scar running along her own cheek, as well as a nose that has obviously been broken at least once. While the lantern staff she's holding isn't a conventional weapon, she's clearly comfortable with it. "These days the lamplighters are more likely to be left alone than the regular guard, so the Field Marshal sent me ahead to keep an eye on the situation." She carefully doesn't mention what the situation is, just in case these somehow aren't the people Kroft had mentioned. Her eyes flick over Kali's shoulder towards the looming Marcus, but she doesn't comment and quickly refocuses on the person doing the speaking.
Meira leans against the lamppost, doing her best to project 'nothing to see here, move along' in the general direction of any passing mobs. Fortunately none of them have thought to accost her, not that it was likely they would. That was, after all, the whole reason she'd been sent. ("We've figured out the last known address of the supposed killer." Kroft's face was strained. "But if I send any regular members of the guard, they're more likely to cause a riot than to successfully and safely arrest her. Not that I expect you to be able to do that either, but you're a lamplighter. People should recognize that and leave you alone." She massaged her forehead. "Just...go check it out. Keep an eye on things. If it looks like anyone unseemly is approaching the building, send me a message. I've got an idea of who I can send after Trinia; I just need some time to make the arrangements.") 'Unseemly' was a relative term, but so far no one had entered the building that didn't look like they belonged there. Meira has already patrolled up and down the street, double-checking that all the lamps were lit. (Something that gets her several nods of gratitude. Here in the Shingles the lamplight is necessary even during the day.) Now she just has to wait.
Speaking of which, it seems Kroft's group might have arrived. She eyes the ragtag bunch of individuals as they approach. Not a guard uniform in the bunch, but those commendations spoke volumes. She's heard rumors about this group. Apparently Kroft was using them as impartial agents to help out with tasks the regular guards were too busy, (or too noticable) to take on. Made sense that she would have sent them on this job too. The Field Marshall hadn't explicitly said to meet up with them, so for now she stays where she is. She'll have to come to a quick decision about whether the assistance she could provide would be worth risking their anonymity by approaching.
Hey everyone, looking forward to joining you soon! |
