Sillas
The skycoach travel is very brief, and calm. Nothing like the previous one, which is relieving to both you and Merreck. Stepping out of the coach, and onto the balcony of your manor provides you with a moment's respite of calm. It doesn't last long.
Greeting you at the door, Tam bows politely to you and Merreck, and ushers you into the house. Behind him, a flurry of servants are busily scurrying around. Some carry large flags, other carry colourful silk cloths, and even more are carefully carrying large pots, perhaps filled with soup. "Ah Merreck, don't mind the mess, please. We are slightly behind schedule here. But..." Tam stops speaking as he notices Sillas' face. "A tattoo? Really? Master Sillas, did Merreck put you up to this? I know it's not my place to say, but your mother will have a fit. She stressed enough as it is. Can't you put some cream on it, or something? Just to hide it for a few days, until she calms?"
Dahn(ooc):
Dahn (Temple foyer):
Starlan and Irirangi
"Please. Please follow me. We can speak in my chamber, and I'll fill you in on any details you may need." Solinthas bows to Ythana, and leads Iri out of the room.
The doors open to reveal Starlan standing patiently on the other side, wishing there was a chair or bench to sit on.
"Priestess Biasharan. Who is this......halfling?"
Starlan
"Holy Solinthas. This is Starlan Benex. He is a member of the Glidewing Guild and an acquaintance of mine. As you see, he's a halfling. We met earlier today and the reasons for that meeting are unusual enough for me to be glad that your message asked for my attendance here.
Perhaps when your business is resolved we might with Starlan's consent broach the issue of that meeting and it's origin."
As befits a very lowly priestess in the order, Irirangi speaks formally and with great respect.
"Holy moly girlfriend, what exactly are you planning to tell him? "Oh it was this way, a chest fell at my feet and a ring went twinkle, twinkle, pick me up and suddenly total strangers are sharing your skull? He's going to lock you up and exorcise you, not entrust you with some mission worth a fortune in gold."
"Aphra, I don't know what I'm going to tell him. All I can tell him is the truth and I can't even do that without Wingy and the other's consent. You're probably right and I shouldn't have raised it, but - come on, how could I not mention it with Wingy standing right there and Solinthas asking who he is?
No. You are right. I shouldn't have mentioned it at all. I'm sorry Wingy. Sorry everyone."
Starlan and Irirangi
The aged priest barely bows toward Starlan. "Ah, noble courier. Pleased to meet you."
With a turn of his head, he looks squarely at Irirangi. Making no effort to hide the questioning, he asks her: "Do you trust him?"
"Starlan, you tell me. I think we have to be able to trust each other, whatever we feel. This bond links us. I do trust you. Will you trust me?"
Starlan
Irirangi pauses for moment before answering, gathering her thoughts, looking at the halfling and waiting for Wingy to reply to her before she speaks again.
[Dahn&Iri:]
"Pleased to meet you, your Holiness.
I should let you know, in the time I've known Irirangi,
I've been impressed with her strength and courage, especially when facing the unknown.
A good trait for a companion you may need to entrust your own safety with." Ok?
"...Has Irirangi mentioned to you yet why we've been working together?"
Vraxeris Manor
He hurries to his chamber, trying to avoid people when possible, and turning the other cheek, as it were, when not possible. Once he has a private moment, he relaxes; imagining the face he's taken as his own. He feels his skin crawl, and a moment later an unblemished Sillas ir'Vraxeris stares back at him from the mirror.
"Thank you Wingy." the thought sounds profoundly grateful and slightly relieved.
Starlan
"Yes Holy Solinthas. I do trust Starlan Benex."
Dahn
Irirangi and Starlan
"Then, I shall trust him too. Follow me, please. We must speak in privacy."
Solinthas leads you through the quiet halls of the Cathedral, before stopping again in front of his own quarters. An elaborate archway opening up in front of them. Solinthas pushes the door open with a sweep of his hand; "Please go in. I need you to rob a bank."
"!??!??!"
Cathedral
Luckily Iri's long training in hiding things from her mother helps her keep her face impassive.
"That is an unusual request Holy Solinthas. Which bank did you have in mind, and why would my talents particularly recommend themselves to you?" she asks serenely.
Isan:
Cathedral:
"Err... What? I mean, What do you mean, Your Holiness?"
House Lyrandar
As his father appeared to at least be no current danger Deerian was content to keep an eye on his father and let the older man distract himself. Hopefully Elli wouldn't be too long or he might have to go for plan B.
Ellirayne
"Ah. Charms and compulsions eh? That kind of magic can really backfire on you.
I'm not sure of the nature of your problem, but if someone is being affected by a charm or compulsion, there are a number of ways of dealing with it. Scrolls of Dispel Magic or Break Enchantment are a good bet. Unfortunately, I don't have any of those. And I can't even guarantee that they would work; sometimes the magic holding the charm together resists dispelling."
Isan rubs his chin for a moment, before turning and rummaging through some paper behind him. "I do have something that will work without fail. It's a ring, of course. Given today's circumstances, I'll understand any cautiousness you may have about donning another one. But I can tell you a fair bit about it."
Isan moves over to one of the glass display cases and touches his own ring to the side of the glass. It shimmers for only a second before disappearing completely, allowing Isan to reach in and pull out a beautiful silver band from the display.
"This ring belonged to a great Paladin, that was swallowed up by an even greater Wyrm. I won't call it a lucky ring, by any means, but it'll do the trick!" Isan laughs to himself, not quite loosening the phlegm in his throat.
It's name is Clear, and that's all you need to say when you're wearing it. Isan demonstrates; at his command, Isan's hand begins to shimmer with a white light, that coalesces at the end of his fingertip like a translucent balloon. He reaches over to touch Ellirayne, and she is soon encased in a thin cocoon of the same white light.
"Now, that'll only last for a minute or two, but while it's active, no charm or compulsion can affect the bearer. It's not powerful enough to end the charm outright, but it will suppress it. You'll need to be careful, because as soon as this protective spell is over, the charmed person is back the way they were."
Isan coughs. "Oh, and, uh, you'll need to convince them to let you touch them. Or you'll have to do it forcefully, or surreptitiously. I don't know your motives, or the situation, but I wish you luck. That is if you want the ring, of course. We still need to talk about a payment."
Isan slips the ring off his finger, and into the palm of his hand.
Cathedral
"The bank....your talents...it will all become clear in time. The flame lights our way, but a roaring blaze always starts as a spark. Let me start at the beginning."
Solinthas moves behind his large oak desk and pulls out three large glasses. He sets one in front of each of them, and makes a small hand motion over his own. His lips barely seem to move, but the glass steadily fills with water. He takes a large mouthful, and begins his story.
"Almost 40,000 years ago, a powerful Rakshasa named Tyrankalis offered to assist the giants of Xen'drik in fighting the Quori invaders. In exchange, he asked the giants to construct a magic talisman that would open the seals imprisoning another Rakshasa, the great Rajahs. Suspecting that the giants intended to betray him, Tyrankalis stole the talisman as soon as it was complete, only to discover that the giants had indeed tricked him; the talisman carried a trap the soul spell, and Tyrankalis was bound into it instantly. The giants then locked the amulet in a vault below one of their great temples, so that no one could free the fiend."
Solinthas reaches again for his water, taking a large sip.
"Thirty years ago, a Wayfinder Foundation expedition uncovered an unusual amulet in an anceint ruin in Xen'drik. They brought the amulet back to Khorvaire and auctioned it off, after which it changed hands several time before eventually coming to rest with a wizard named Delphis. After careful testing, Delphis discovered the amulet's true nature, and realized that he was in over his head. He decided to put it in the safest place he knew: a strongbox in a House Kundarak bank.
Four months ago, a cultist named Jaarisan seeking to free Tyrankalis tracked the amulet to Delphis. Under excruciating torture, Delphis revealed the amulet's location, but managed to hold back one important secret--he himself had put a trap on the keycharm needed to open the strongbox. When Jaarisan picked it up, it exploded, injuring him severely and killing Delphis.
Two weeks ago, one of our holy warriors tracked down and defeated the madman, Jaarisan. Through our investigations, both mundane and magical, we learned of his intentions to release this powerful, but presently contained, fiend. The amulet must be recovered, and taken to Flamekeep. It's the only way to ensure it's safe holding.
The amulet is currently being held in a strongbox in the heavily fortified House Kundarak bank, in the Aundarian town of Passage. I myself tried to access the strongbox, but I did not know there was an additional password attached to unlocking the item. Delphis was a paranoid man, but for good reason. I managed to bluster my way out of there without causing too much of a scene, and I did pocket the keycharm again before they could confiscate it. Those Dwarves warned me that they would be on the lookout if I ever came back. I went as an envoy of the Silver Flame, and that didn't work.
So, naturally, I need someone that I can still trust, but is not immediately associated with the Flame. You are a junior priestess, but your skills and your ability to serve the Church are worthy. In addition, you won't be instantly recognizable as a member of the Church.
Do you have any questions? You may speak freely. I need to know all of your concerns, fully and honestly."
Solinthas takes this opportunity to drink the rest of his water.
Vraxeris Manor
"Are you kidding me, sir? I'm not going to say a word. She is the last person I am interested in provoking. And the tattoo does not bother me at all. I certainly understand modification. In the war, I used different arms for different tasks. It just kinda pops off. I switched my body part around all the time, but it was still me. I understand, I really do. I don't think your mother does. That's all. Would you like me to go over tonight's schedule with you again?"
Starlan
Iri's expression of calm acceptance only just makes it intact through Solinthas's explanation of what he wants her to do.
"I don't even know what to ask first. Benefor? What would you ask. Any of you?"
Who knows about this apart from the Church? I mean, would anyone else be looking for this amulet apart form us, it sounds like the kind of news that gets around and maybe this Jaarian had associates.
Why are my skills particularly suited to this task - I don't have any kind of record of robbing anything. Holy Solinthas, I'm sorry to sound a little babbly, but this isn't quite what I expected."
Iri grinds to a halt with sheer shock.
"I'd ask for tactical maps, and layout of the place. I'd want guard patrols, in both frequency and strength, and a good exit strategy. Maybe a way to teleport in and out, quickly and decisively."
Cathedral:
Starlan gulps down that water like a sponge.
Thoughts swirling in his head, he sits calmly as Solinthas finishes his explanation.
"Wow. Well, I guess this is what the Flame does, tracking down Demons and such."
"OK, Just to be clear, you're wanting us to find out what this password is, somehow?
Or have you already discovered it since the last time you visited the Bank?"
"And... Since you HAVE the keypass for the box, isn't the amulet already safe where it is, inside the Kundarak box?"
"How did you even know about Delphis and the amulet? And what is this cult anyways?
...You said that the cultist found Delphis 4 months ago, but that you only caught him 2 weeks ago...
What do you think he was up to in the mean time? Why didn't he just take the train to Aundair and pick up this amulet?"
Sense Motive on Solinthas: 19 (w/ Guidance)
This whole sitch seems a tad suspicious, by my book... I'd rather learn some more about what really going on.
...Though that hasn't been working so well as of late...
Dahn:
I might just take off on my own after this and find Zillia in person, so I won't need to use one...
They still seem pretty useful though, could I say I got that Sending Stone at Isan's, before?
Cathedral
Irirangi stretches her hand over the empty glasses.
"If I may Holy Solinthas?"
Carefully she speaks the orison to create water and fills both vessels, while she gathers her thoughts to express her disquiet about the whole project.
"Holy Solinthas, you asked me to express my concerns fully and honestly. I accept your word that the amulet is a great evil and must be kept hidden. I know that one of the tasks the Silver Flame undertakes is the safekeeping of such artifacts.
With that in mind, it does concern me that our holy flame should be acting in so duplicitous a fashion. Would the Silver Flame and our cause not be better served by an open approach to the Kundarak dwarves? My colleague is not of our calling, and he feels this course is an odd one to take, what must be my feelings as a daughter of the church?"
Was that diplomatic enough? I think you're right Wingy, there's more going on here. The thing is, I'm a very dispensible pawn. This is my church, so that's a risk I'm willing to take. I don't see why you should have to though. I'm also pretty sure Solinthas isn't going to let us out of here with this story without putting us both under some major compulsion not to talk about it. Aloud anyway. Watch yourself, he's very powerful and whatever he tries might be hard to spot."
"What would I ask about what?"
Vraxeris Manor
Yes, I suppose it can't hurt to go over the schedule one last time. Host help me if I show up late or forget about something."
"What would I ask about what?"
Vraxeris Manor
** spoiler omitted **
"Sillas - Wingy and I are at the temple. We're being asked to rob a bank and I want to know a little more. A lot more. I want to know what I need to know, if that makes sense. No experience with robbery you see."
Cathedral
Solinthas closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing.
"Excellent questions, all. I will do my best to answer them. You will soon see that your enquiries are more interconnected than they may first appear.
As for who owns the amulet now? Well. Delphis owns the amulet. Legally and fully. He has no heir, and they do not even know that he is dead. Nor would they care, or believe us. The amulet will never be claimed, legitimately. Which leads me to my second point.
Jaarisan did have associates. We do not know their strength, or their number, but we do know that they are more in the dark about this whole affair than we are. Jaariasan's capture and execution set their group back, for sure, but their type rarely stays still.
As for your question, Mr. Benex, about Jaarisan's activities during the interim; we are fairly certain that he did try to retrieve the contents of the storage box. We know that he was unsuccessful, so chances are that he simply tried to waltz in there, as I did. It would also explain the curious looks I got when I, myself, tried to access the strongbox, later. And it would explain why I was chased out of there so thoroughly. Dwarves are a few things, but they are not forgetful.
As for how we know about Delphis..., suffice to say that we try to keep an eye on all matters such as this. The Flame seeks to burn away corruption wherever it may hide. The murder of Delphis, however, was unexpected and escalated the matter in our reviews of it. We could no longer let it sit quietly in the Kundarak bank, if it was clear that some sinister force was moving to collect it as well."
He closes his eyes, trying to find the words, as the next part seems almost painful to him. He puts one hand over his heart, and the other over a small flickering candle on his desk.
"Priestess, know fully from my heart, that all of this clandestine activity does not sit well with me. Know that we are in no legal position to demand or request the amulet from House Kundarak. They are a neutral entity, and as such do not conform to any laws but their own.
Simply walking up to them, even if we explain everything, and even if they do believe us fully, will not open the vaults to us. That would undermine the very thing that makes Kundarak the impenetrable vault that it is.
Know, then, that we must act as the same. We must rise above the legality of the affair here. With the knowledge that some cult is moving against us, we must take action, or else we end up undermining ourselves as defenders and destroyers of corruption.
Solinthas takes a deep breath, and puts his hands back flat against the table.
I could wave this offer of gold at pretty much any thief and cut-throat in the city. Some would be successful, some wouldn't. I have no way of knowing. My heart tells me however, that convincing them to bring the amulet back here would be a task in itself. I needed someone that I could trust.
Trust is a theme." Solinthas now turns to Starlan, and makes a strong eye connection. Without moving his eyes from the Halfling, he continues;
"There are a number of concerns to be taken into account here, and you may need to gather a number of individuals to meet them. What is the phrase, Mr. Benex? Oh. A crass one. There is more than one way to skin a cat. There are a number of ways to retrieve the amulet. If you manage to retrieve the password, then using the key in combination with it should be enough; even if they suspect that you are not Delphis, they will still be obliged to open the strongbox. Getting the password is a feat altogether in itself.
There are other ways, however. Certainly there are more secretive ways, but you would need someone who knew how to move quietly, and disable any trapping or locking mechanisms. And someone to watch your back in case you encountered any...physical, resistance.
Do you have any individuals in mind? Where do your talents lie, Mr. Benex?"
Cathedral
As Solinthas finishes his speech, Iri looks thoughtfully at her superior. To her he seems entirely sincere and greatly pained at the actions he is asking them to take.
"I see more clearly now Holy Solinthas and I thank you. Please understand that although I may in fact have access to a group capable of this task, consent is not only mine to give. Trust is the key here as you've pointed out.
Would it be acceptable to you for me to speak with potential associates before giving you a final decision?
If we can undertake the task you offer, we would need all the information you already have freely and openly available to us. I see that the Silver Flame cannot act openly here, but the church's support in any way it can be offered would be of great solace to me at least.
Can I also know more about the cult moving against us? If we have to protect ourselves, we should know what we are facing. As you know Holy one, I am a researcher by profession as well as an alchemist. I'm sure I can make good use of the library and temple archives.
Also in practical terms, I'd need a reason to travel. I'm supposed to be getting married, I can't just rush off to the other end of the world. My mother really wouldn't like that. Where would we need to go anyway?"
"Ummm. Hi? Everyone? This is a little odd I know. But would you be remotely prepared to help out with a bank robbery in a very good cause?"
Ok... WHOAH. But he's revealed his plan now, we can't just walk out.
...Look, we can accept provisionally, and if we look into it but run into too many problems, we'll tell him we weren't up to it. If we can't get the job done, he'll have to figure something else out anyways.
Cathedral:
It's just alot to take in at once, you know...?"
"But if we were to look into this, what resources would we have? It sounds like some of your people were at the scene of Delphis' death. Is that in Sharn? I'd think there might be some useful clues to find there, in his posessions, or even to learn anything at all about these cult killers."
"And this cult, it seems like if we get involved with this, that they would be a threat to us, and your amulet, before we even set about pissing off House Kundarak. You have to know something about them, since you said they are a cult, and not just a gang trying to rob precious antiques. Are they Rakshasa-worshipers? Or followers of some dark god?"
I'd also like to ask him about the specifics of the 'strongbox' in the Kundarak bank.
"You're being asked to knock over a bank by someone at a cathedral of the Silver Flame?! And here I thought religion was boring. What kind of bank? A private vault or somesuch?"
"A House Kundarak bank vault. The problem is very religious though. I think I'm going to have to do this and I've no idea how to begin."
The flavour of Irirangi's thought is unmistakably panicky.
Cathedral
"Very well, Irirangi. Take as long as you need to assemble your team, but do not go throwing around Church secrets at passersby; only contact other individuals that you know, and trust, for this affair.
Of course the Church will support you; I can give some of the reward upfront for your potential expenses, and I can arrange transportation in any manner you prefer, at no fee to you.
Trust, Iri, that your next assignment was to be assisting the Church in investigating this cult. Ever vigilant, you are. I suppose it does not hurt to share what little information we have now. This is a new cult. Or perhaps a revival of a very old one; that's usually how these things go. They seem scattered and disorganized, as a whole, but they also appear to be focusing all their energies toward obtaining this amulet. Why? Who knows.
Perhaps they are a bunch of wealthy and bored nobles, who somehow heard about Tyrankalis' imprisonment in the amulet, and blew all of their savings on divinations to find the object, seeking to free the Rakshasa for some mysterious purpose? Or, perhaps they are only a minor sliver of a bigger threat, being directed with more purpose by a larger cult?
Either way, the last thing we should do is underestimate their resources, devotion, or resolve.
I would like to know, myself, what we are up against, but now is not the time. I understand your concerns, Mr. Benex, but you should have no altercation with the cult in Aundair. They shouldn't even know that you were there; they will have no reason to be.....pissed with you. If they go to retrieve the amulet after you have already taken it, they will certainly have a lot of explaining to do to the Kundarak guards."
Solinthas takes a deep breath and continues again, focusing on Starlan.
"Speaking of those guards, I'm afraid that I don't know very much about the inner workings of the bank; I probably wouldn't have got into so much trouble if I knew the protocol better.
That knowledge should be invaluable to you, which is why I have arranged for a contact to meet with you in Passage, whenever you can manage to get there. He approached me, shortly after my blustered failure at retrieving the amulet. He offered to help me get into the compound after dark, for a nominal fee, of course. He works there, and by the professional manner in which he conducted himself, I can tell that he has done this before.
Of course, it pains me to have to resort to deal with such characters, but he is the only one that can give you the proper details regarding layout, guard structure, passwords, and all that nonsense. He mentioned something about bears as well. You would do well to meet with him; I will contact him whenever you decide you are ready to go.
While this is an important matter, we still hold the keycharm for the strongbox. I do not anticipate Jaarisan's associates to try anything, without first mustering some force."
Solinthas turns again to Starlan, trying to answer a few more of his questions. "In regards to Delphis' murder...No, it did not happen in Sharn, and no, members of the Church of the Silver Flame were not present. Mr. Benex, I surely hope you are not insinuating what your tone suggests. We are holy men and women, and we are trying to correct a terrible wrong that was committed. The task at hand, when completed successfully, will ensure that no more innocent people are harmed over this thing. Is that clear enough?"
Isan's:
Ellirayne bows her head in thanks to Isan. "It's perfect, truly. The situation is a little pressing and I do not have any money on me currently. If you would allow me it's use I would gladly give my word that I will return to negotiate a more than fair price for you on behalf of the House"
Isan's
"I get it, I get it. If it's pressing enough, and you can't afford it, then...use it, and get it back to me. There's no fooling me, I know who you are! Now, get out of here. When you get back, you can tell me all you know about the ring you found this morning. And the mark it gave you."
Isan flips the ring to Ellirayne, and turns around to continue fiddling behind the counter.
Cathedral:
"In regards to Delphis' murder...No, it did not happen in Sharn, and no, members of the Church of the Silver Flame were not present. Mr. Benex, I surely hope you are not insinuating what your tone suggests."
Excuse me your holiness, I didn't intent to suggest that at all...
I was only thinking that since you described the manner of Delphis' death and said that one of your associates had killed the cultist after that, that it sounded like one of your followers had been trailing the cultist, or Delphis, and came upon the scene too late to save Delphis.I just thought there might be some clues among their personal belongings, or a journal if either kept one, that might help if we wanted to discover the passcode Delphis had chosen. On that tack, isn't it possible... for those of the church to speak with Delphis' departed spirit itself, and ask him questions directly?
Cathedral
Solinthas' stern exterior softens a little.
"Well then, Mr. Benex. Know this: We were not following the movements of Jaarisan, for before Delphis' murder we didn't even know he existed. We were indeed, keeping an eye and an ear on Delphis. We kept a watch on him ever since he first revealed he had found this amulet.
Regarding the divine power to speak with the dead, there are a number of things to take into consideration. First, the magic of that particular ritual animates the corpse, giving it a semblance of intelligence and articulation. It does not touch the soul of the creature, but instead relies on a bodily knowledge. The interrogation of the corpse can only reveal things the person would have already known; it can't work with new information. Furthermore, since the spell animates the body in order to communicate, the body must be intact. Or mostly intact. Suffice to say that the manner in which Delphis left this world did not leave us with enough...pieces to work with.
However, we do still have Jaarisan's body. I have interrogated it myself, and will do so again when the time permits. The corpse can sometimes resist being called to answer, so it is a delicate process that I can not repeat very often.
Don't mistake my brevity on the matters of the cult as me purposefully withholding information. I appreciate your fervour and interest in wanting to get to the bottom of the matter; my only concern is dragging you in over your heads. As it stands right now, the cult, in whatever form it is in, does not know you have anything to do with this whole affair. I'd like to keep it that way, personally. In fact, the retrieval of the amulet should be done in such a way that nobody knows of your involvement. You should be like a whisper, in all ways.
Regardless, I can give you directions to Delphis' home in Passage, if you so desire. My utmost preference, however, is that you do not enter or investigate it in any manner, until the amulet is safely retrieved. Searching his home may be a dangerous business, as they could have any number of individuals on the lookout. My advice is to not mention Delphis at all. To anyone. Including Rurin, your contact in Passage. He should not know of Delphis' death.
That will prove to be an important component of the secrecy of the affair. House Kundarak would never openly admit that they were robbed, unless the owner of the item made a big affair out of it; but we all know Delphis is in no position to ever report it stolen. That is a point of light for you. House Kundarak will likely not move against you any more than they have to; they would never openly advertise their failures.
"I don't know how to do this, but I know I can't do it on my own. Anyone else a bit freaked by the cult?"
Cathedral
"I must be honest and say that I've got no real idea how to start Holy One. But I will try. I'm honoured that you think me worthy to entrust with this task. I have to admit I'm also very scared. I know the Flame will guide and protect us, but I've never done anything quite like this before."
And this is coming from me, who lives with four other strangers all the time and just met another four.
"Wingy is there anything else you think we need to know right now or can we safely leave and think about this a bit?"
He said something about help/ resources we would need up-front... If this is going forward...
For one: You can channel the Silver Flame's magic, it sounds like?
I think some item/magic scroll to read thoughts would be prudent to use when we deal with this Rurin contact, if we are going to be depending on his (her?) information and intentions for our safety...
I'm sure there's alot else, but let's think it all over, OK?
I think I'll be needing some time to myself, to think this all over..."
"House Khundarak? Thats...crazy. What cult? What is going on over there?"
"Girlfriend - I hate to interrupt your special time with the Super Priest, but you've got a party to go and a mother to placate. Just move it on out. Sillas, girlfriend's a mess, she'll see you later. Save the wacky bank job til then, OK?"
Cathedral
"Holy one, I must leave now. I'll have to talk to people and plan, but I'll come back as soon as we've worked out something sensible."
Iri pauses and finishes her water.
"I don't believe I just said that."
Irirangi rises and prepares to leave.
"Wingy, Sillas, you do realise I can't actually do this at all without all of you cooperating. I can't not tell you what I'm planning and this is church business, and it's not like any of us know each other well yet. The twins need to give me some idea if they're willing and we all need to talk. I haven't heard them for a while, I hope they're OK."
Cathedral
"Very well, priestess. I will be here, as always, keeping the Flame alight. May it guide your path, in every endeavour."
Cathedral
"Holy Solinthas, I will try not to fail you."
Irirangi makes a final obeisance to the priest.
"Wingy, I need to get home. Think about this would you? We'll need to get together again soon. In person I mean."
Dahn
Iri's going to head home now. Over to you.
Vraxeris Manor
"Well, sir, we are going to start with a song. Your mother has brought in some some bards from the Circle of Song that she found at the Golden Horn. She was ranting and raving about them, and has commissioned them to do a piece for you. I shall hold my breath, sir.
Then, we move on to food. Food, food, and then more food. 7 glorious courses to tantalize the taste buds.
There is a little something special planned for the last course; a little dinner theatre, if you will. Your friends have been working on it for some time.
Following that, we're going to cart everything away, except for the desserts and wine, and the dancing will commence. If you're looking to attract the eye of any of the attendees, that will be the time. Remember which foot is left, and which foot is right. Don't mess it up!
Now, we will be starting in 4 hours from now; is there anything that you need from me before we begin? If not, I will leave you to get ready on your own, as I have many things to finish.
Vraxeris Manor
"Don't worry, champ. Just dance right next to me, and you'll look like a pro."
Dahnn:
well, maybe first he'll go by a Guild station, and see if his friend is working there,
and he can relax with him for a bit before seeing Zillia...
Vraxeris Manor
Sillas shoots a glance at Merreck "Dinner theatre eh? Well I can't wait to see what you lot have cooked up." He pointedly ignore's Merreck's comment about dancing.
Irirangi, I said it was crazy, but I didn't say no. I'll think on it.
Heirs Lyrander? We've not heard anything from you for a while, is everything alright on your end?"
Isan's:
Stopping a little way away from her twin and her father she whispers a message spell to Deerian. "I have a ring, it will briefly clear the compulsion or enchantment. One of us will need to touch him to use it though. Shall I? Or do you want to? If you want to, just back away from father and I'll give it and the activation word to you."
I'm afraid our personal business requires a little concentration. I'll get back to you all as soon as possible, in the meantime know that we are receiving your messages and making note of them.
"Wish me luck. I have a date with a hairdresser."
Iri's house
Iri enters the house and looks again at the impeccable impression of old money that only lots and lots of new money can convey.
"Mama? Sorry to be a little late. There was temple business I had to attend to."
Starlan
On top of his Glidewing, Starlan flies high throughout Sharn. The weariness of the day taking it's toll on his consciousness. Despite everything that had happened since he last slept, there was a calming peace while he let his mount take over.
Dragonheart had rested plenty throughout the day; a quality that Starlan envied. Recognizing his rider's weariness, Dragonheart took to gentle curves and smooth sloping, coaxing his rider into relaxation.
It wasn't long before they reached Starlan's old Station; there were quite a few empty perches. A good sign, as it showed to the popularity of the Guild's services. Only one guild member was tending to their Glidewing. A familiar, goblin face.
Marduk looked up, just in time to see Starlan flying overhead.
Vraxeris Manor
"I don't know what she was thinking. They're very edgy; I think your mother thought you may like them. We'll see.
Barring anything else, I am going to head to the kitchen, and make sure everything is in order there.
The guests will be arriving in a few hours, so please get yourself ready."