When Ziera awakes she packs everything she owns, her sleep having been filled with dreams of betrayal. She almost wished that she had agreed with Gray's plan to kill Morgrim. Having lost her memories and having so many people knowing more about her than she knew about herself was making her paranoid. She decides to find a new place to live during the distraction of the hanging. She is sure that she can get the information about the hanging later, from Gray. Unless it was Gray being hanged--? No, no... impossible. He was too good for that. And she was getting paranoid about everything.
<--To remember a likely spot that she has seen on her recent excursions... maybe an upscale inn that had private guards and extra security, or a place with a good view of the street and a back exit into an alley or something?
Once she decides on a place, she sets out, changing her garments and hair color on the way several times, just in case not everyone is distracted by the hanging.
Ziera picks out a likely place in a more upscale neighborhood (garbed appropriately of course), stows her stuff, and then makes her way across town to find out the news.
Gray hissed softly as he heard that a tiefling would be the one hanged this morning. Remembering their savior, Lugen, had been a devil-blooded, the inquisitor thought it too coincidental. Still, there was nothing to do but wait and see. He was confident he would not be recognized in his current form, so he mingled with the forming crowd, keeping a look out for his companions.
"A tiefling..." Antonio murmured to himself. "Vince! You don't think its the tiefling that saved us, do you?" Indeed, they had not seen him since, and as he had covered their retreat, capture was a distinct possibility.
"Edmund, Vince, let's head to where the hanging is. Town square, most likely, but I don't know which. We should hurry."
Despite his haste, Antonio tries to focus on the other part of the announcement, the one with more danger.
”It shouldn’t be too difficult, just follow the crowd as a leaf follows the current. Hopefully, we won’t be caught in any rapids of public discontent.”
Edmund keeps one hand on his hat while the other tightly holds to the cane he clearly doesn’t need to walk as he nimbly heads into the flow of the crowd.
In his guise, Gray watched the events take place stoically, little surprised to see that it is Lugen who is led to the gallows. The inquisitor watched almost detachedly, finding it almost sad that his only real concern was that the tiefling might have ratted out the group. He owed the man for saving him from...wherever he had been, but now it seemed he’d never know the man’s motives. Idly he looked around for the other members of the group as the general continued with his show.
He looked at the bloodthirsty crowd with disgust, now more than ever hating Thrune. Hating the citizens of this city. They all deserved each other. Gray stayed and witnessed the execution, whispering a quiet thanks to the man before slipping through the crowd and back to The Asmodeus’ Rest. Surely his companions would want to discuss this turn of events.
After finding out what happened, Ziera will look for the others at Asmodeus' Rest.
Antonio was shocked. It all seemed to have happened so fast, as if it were a blink of an eye between life and death. Yet it hadn't - there had been a period where Antonio could have intervened. He simply couldn't act, frozen in some kind of emotional state. Fear? No, it couldn't be... Yet, in some sense of his gut, it had. It would be to jump into the midst of foes with no protection, not even to his identity, to be killed, or worse, captured, subject to indescribable tortures.
His shock turned to rage, his hand gripping the mask in his bag. Yet he kept his face stoic, to maintain his place in the crowd. Not even giving his companions a glance, he turned back to the Rest, making his way there. "Let's go. There is much to discuss." He whispered back.
Edmund hurries over to the awning before the crowd carries him away. He politely greets the others before the hush falls on the crowd. Shortly before the lever is pulled, he goes stock still, as if listening to something unheard. Moments before the lever is pulled, Edmund tips his hat and whispers something.
Edmund watches as Lugen is killed before them. Once the man hangs still, Edmund takes out his journal and pen and frantically scribbles down a large block of text. Once finished, he puts them away and says to the others, ”We need to get out of here. Meet back at the Rest in two hours.”
Gray made his way back to the Inn as quickly as he could through the dispersing crowd, muscling his way through if need be. He scowled as a coughing fit overtook him on the way, the inquisitor having to duck into an alleyway and hack until it felt like he could breathe again.
The young man spied the others congregating, and figured that in the crowd and excitement the group didn’t much stand out so he walked over and joined them. Gray kept his ears attuned to the gossip flowing around them, gauging the interest and perception of the events that had just transpired from the lively crowd.
Gray then shifted his attention to Dante when the man closed the door, wondering what his tactical approach would be.
Ziera asks around about the hanging, trying to pick up on what she missed.
If she sees Gray, she casts Message and tells him her new address.
Ziera just listens to the talk at the bar to find out what happened overall... she is sure people will be talking about it. She only asks for specifics if she sees people she recognizes.
Ziera sighed with relief as she spotted Gray and passed on the message. It was getting harder and harder to even function without five years worth of memories. The isolation and paranoia were difficult to manage. If it weren't for someone she knew, she thought she would probably just give up and go home, rather than trying to do something about all of this.
She kept whispering to him, asking him what had happened at the hanging and whether there were any details known.
Antonio noticed the shift in attitude, feeling some hope rise in himself as the public turned. That's the issue with Thrune, I suppose. There is a precedent for everything, so no one knows who is tried for what, or rather, who is tried for who, and the public can take anything and simply run with it. Thrune can't change their minds, for they are already seen as liars. But us, on the other hand...
"There was a lot of pomp but little offered in the way of facts beyond Lugen's 'treason'. I could feel the aura of the Pit coming from the General, Ziera. We need to be very careful. No idea as to what the actual charge against Lugen was. Not that any is needed in this realm. Let's see what the others have to say."
Gray raised his eyebrows expectantly at Dante as the man shut the door, waiting for him or someone else to lead the impromptu meeting.
After noticing Morgrim, she points his good work out to Gray as well. ... he definitely isn't a Thrune supporter. she concludes, before joining everyone at the impromptu meeting, but leaves the message spell active in case she wants to make any snarky comments during the meeting.
Edmund orders himself a little glass of port, and one for everyone at his table, so they can quietly and soberly drink a toast to Lugen. With that dispensed with, he pulls out his journal, casts a message spell to include Ziera and Gray, and whispers, ”That was all very tragic, but before they pulled the lever, he used a spell like this to whisper some vital intelligence to me. I wrote down as much of what he said as I could recall. I figure I shall share it with you then destroy the page.”
”He believes that our memories are being held within magical constructs called animagi. The founding contracts of each of the houses are also kept in them, which Lugen recommended we destroy. He told me that we should seek the aid of a Leroung noble named Dice Drem, who knows about contracts. He also says we will need Sydney’s help and we need to find her and convince her to help. We can locate her through a distinctive spider.”
Ziera doesn't drink the port, but she will toast with water.
She responds to Edmund's whisper by whispering back:
Thank you for the information. This is excellent. About Sydney: A spider, like an animal companion you mean, or something else? Also, did he say why specifically we need her? I am interested in her help, for sure, but I don't like the idea of trusting someone who has other loyalties. I'm hoping she will join us if she knows that we have a plan to get our memories back. Almost everything else hinges on that.
Dice Drem. Hopefully that is a good lead as well. We'll try to set up a meeting. Also, one of our friends has been advocating against the Thrunes, spinning Lugen's death as a Thrune conspiracy against a small-time thief who was only trying to feed his family. Lugen: hero of the people. Thrune: monsters. Let's join the cause and tell that version of the story all over town. It can only help us. Eyes and ears open for opportunities to get into all the houses when we are at the party as well.
Anything else before the official meeting? she asks to anyone listening to the message.
After that message is over, she continues her message with Gray. Can you fill Antonio in? I think that was just you-me-Edmund. Talk more after the meeting.
Then she cuts the spell off, and waits for the meeting to begin, not being sure who called it or what everyone planned to discuss.
Gray listened intently as Edmund spoke, sipping at the port offered at the toast. The young man grimaced as it burned it's way down his throat, but at least it seemed to cut through the constant congestion that seemed to be there since...many years earlier. He wondered what value Sydney had that he couldn't replicate. He knew she was an infiltration specialist, and surely her healing capabilities weren't so vast as to make her presence a must.
To the message recipients, Ziera & Edmund: "So we have two targets at the Leroung Ball, it appears. Lady Rosalie and this Dice Drem. And we can gather leverage against the one. That is good information to have, Edmund."
Gray nodded his assent to Ziera's request, turning his dark eyes back to Dante' or whoever else might start this little get together.
Dante closes the door. He pauses for a second, then removes his helmet and sets it on the table. “Before he was executed, Lugen sent me a message. I believe that Glifdore, the dwarf nods, “and Edmund also received a message. Please discuss. ”
He starts to sit and then stops. “I don’t remember the words well, Edmund or Glifdore?”
Glifdore defers to Edmund.
Wait, wait... Dante, you can't just get up and say that you got a message and not tell us what it was. Tell us. How are we supposed to discuss if you don't spill it? Did you all get the same message? He sent you a message right before he was hanged?
”Given the personal manner in which he addressed the message to me, it stands to reason he may have given you two slightly different messages. If you can recall anything differently, it may be important. As for more details about the spider, I’m afraid I simply don’t know.”
He closes his eyes, holding up a hand to bestill any questions as he remembers. When ready, he relays as much as he can about the description .
”As for spreading rumours about House Thrune, I’m afraid I am far more skilled at catching rumours than starting them. People just like to tell me things and trust me with their secrets, but nobody ever seems to believe stories of my own.”
Adrien waves a hand to stop the conversation quickly. He slowly grabs a mug and pours it out. As soon as it is empty he springs up, and forces it, open side first, against the wall. As it approached you can see the spider Edmund described on the wall.
Adrien moves the cup around a little then looks back at Edmund. "What is this spider?"
Glifdore cuts in after Adrien. "Lugen told me that he was caught while trying to follow a lead. He did say he learned about our memories, that they are being stored in Animagi. He said to find the animagi, we needed to find and destroy the house founding contracts. He said to find Dice Drem to do that."
Dante nods. "Same"
”Interesting. Are you certain, Glifdore? I could have sworn he said that the animagi were used to guard the contracts and that we would find them when we found our memories.”
Edmund casts detect magic and scans the crowd for auras.
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Gray absorbed the goings-on around him, hearing Dante and Glifdore more or less confirm Edmund’s own account. As the familiar of Sydney is described to the group, and then Adrien catches a suspiciously similar spider, Gray answered the man’s question. ”A common household pest. We should splatter it all over the wall. That is, unless, anyone objects.” He eyed the others, arching a brow. He reached into his satchel and retrieved a small mace, ready to make good on his threat.
“Yeah I’m sure. Animagi guard the contracts, so find the contracts and you can find the animagi. ”
Payk pipes up, “But if animaguy guard the contracts you could also find the animaguy and then you would find the contracts. ”
“Yes, Payk, but according to Lugen, Dice can lead us to the contracts. We don’t have anyone that can find the animagi.”
Gray, don't kill it. says Ziera. We don't want her to hate us. Only to give us a chance to talk. Why don't you capture it instead?
Adrien glares at Siera. “Who is her?”
Adrien, you heard the description of the spider but not who it belonged to? Sydney.
Edmund, seeing that those next to him missed a good deal of what he had said, repeats the message. He makes certain that the spider is also able to hear, in case it is somehow able to relay what it hears telepathically.