Solace

[Baitdoll]

You wake up to a lite noise, a door closing perhaps? You do not know. Its light outside, it seems you have slept late. Last night was a long night. You arrived back to the Crossroads long after your expected return. This delay was exacerbated after briefing your superiors of your mission.There were some complications with your mission, but everyone made it safe home for the most part. It was your first mission as a Deva and it was not as easy as you thought. Quelling an attempted coup doesn't sound so bad when its mentioned to you as attempted, but when you see nearly an entire royal family murdered in front of you, things tend to get thick. You raise in your bed and see something out of place on your nightstand. A scroll, sealed with the Swordlords Council Emblem. You hurriedly open the scroll.


Greeting Deva,

News of your mission has reached our ears. We congratulate you on an other completed mission. You have been racking up a few of those lately and we are getting to hear your name more around the Complex. The death of the Tattermund family is...unfortunate, but it seems there is a surviving heir, and the revolvers have been eliminated.

It seems we have some more pressing matters to discuss about your next mission. Please meet Councillor Rorsh in the Antechamber to the Council as soon as you wake. There he will bring you to the Council Chambers, and we shall go over your next mission.

Do not discuss this with anyone else, and the information of this mission is to be kept secret.

We appreciate your diligence.

For the Realm,

The Swordlords Council

[InigoMontoya]

Gralam's Quarters

Gralam stretches; opportunities to sleep in an actual bed were rare. Though he would never admit it to others, he enjoyed the occasional comforts that his new position granted him. Events of the last several days weighed at him; not because the family murdered were nobles (gods knew the world could do with a few less of THAT lot); rather, because of the death of an entire family. Regardless of position, nobody should be cut down in cold blood like that, simply for being part of a family.

Still, those responsible paid in the most permanent of ways... Gralam smiled grimly as he donned his armor, and his hand lingered as he traced the notches on the shaft of Doom, his scythe. Oh yes, they paid.

After a few moments, Gralam was outfitted, taking care to be clean, trimmed, and properly polished. A rather pointless gesture, but not everyone judged the quality of a warrior by the way he carried himself; there were a good many who measured only the look of that which he carried. No matter, now he would look befitting to both groups.

It was then that he noticed the scroll. Breaking the seal with his thumb, he unrolled it, perusing its message for a few minutes. He marveled at the fortune of the surviving Tattermund heir, but pushed that thought aside. Another mission, and soon. Gralam sighed; he did relish certain things in the field... But it was quite the comfortable bed.

He tosses the scroll in the hearthfire, ensuring that the message is properly burnt, scattering the remnant ashes once they are. Following this, he exits his chamber, traveling directly to the Antechamber to the Council, and inquires of a page the location of Councillor Rorsh.

[NotScaryBats]

After reading the scroll, Hasame Kawaguchi readies herself for a meeting with the Swordlords. Luckily, she had bathed the night before, and her page was finished with the mending and polishing of her gear.

She doesn't dally, and heads to the Antechamber to the Council as soon as she is dressed, slithering purposefully down the halls in her shining breastplate and basiliskhide vest, Deva cloak fluttering behind her.

[Macros]

It happened again.

It was the only thing Lian thought for a good while when waking up. That for a moment, her vigilance had been absolutely inexistant, to the point where she let a stranger entering her room without notice. Had he been an enemy, she would have died without ever noticing. Her or...

The young woman clenched her teeth. Was that all it took for her to drop her guard? A taxing mission and the false security of a familiar bed? Unacceptable. How could she protect anyone when she was clearly unable to take care of herself? The last mission clearly highlighted her flaws : a "success" it might have been called, but a whole family had been decimated before it could be achieved.

It seems I still have a long way to go.

Lian finally managed to focus on her next assignment. Since the scroll made no mention of an hour for the meeting, it was best in those case to assume the actual time was "yersterday". Lian hurriedly tied her hair in a knot, readjusted her light armor, slided her two blades in their sheaths, and finally adorned her cloak, symbol of her new status as a member of the Deva corps. Once those preparations made, she stepped out of her room, in a fast-paced walk toward the Antechamber.

It was time to work.

[Archmage1]

Waking as someone came into his room, Tarith covertly observes the intruder, swiftly recognizing the uniform. Even with that, he mentally prepared to make a quick move, as he had learned long ago that betrayal come from those you trusted, and it struck where it hurt the most.
His most recent mission was a perfect example of that. The Tattermunds had been killed, arranged by a high ranking noble, one they had trusted. Unmasking the noble responsible was easy enough, but there was never enough time to really investigate the links, and understand why he had betrayed the family he had served and protected for most of his life. Still, it wasn't really his problem, as his mission had been completed, and the recall order issued. Asides from that, his first independent mission had gone fairly well, and he was hoping that he might get the chance to work independently, and somewhere where he might see about finding Leaf once more. At least it would get him away from these stinky humans... you'd think they never too a bath.
Once the servant had left, and shut the door behind him, Tarith reads the note left, and sighs, before he starts putting on his gear, and his prized ring.
Once that was done, he heads to the antechamber, moving silently as was his preference.

taking 10 on stealth for a 28.

[Aldurin]

One of the Deva chambers lacked the standard bed, instead having a deep pond of water about the size of a king-size bed. As the door closed the motionless water suddenly collapsed downward and sloshed around as a nude air genasi appeared standing in the middle of the room, water dripping off of her as she held her shortsword on guard. As the disturbance subsided and no intruders were found she went at ease and noticed the note.

I guess I wasn't clear enough on the fact that I will gut anyone I catch in here unannounced. Arith thought to herself as she dried off with a nearby towel and read the note, dressing into some casual linens as she overrode the note with Explosive Runes, writing onto the scroll "URGENT NEWS!" in large and eye-drawing font. Once she was done dressing she flipped her shortsword in the air, instantly adorning herself in her Deva gear with the activation of her ring before catching the blade and storing it along with the now-rigged scroll. As she exited her room and proceeded toward the Antechamber she tried to suppress her drowsy grumpiness. This had better be about not keeping the royal family alive. It's one thing to make people think you can be everywhere at once, but another to actually do that.

[Alihandros]

Nitah's Chambers

Hearing the page outside his door.Come in before you wake those that need sleep the most. I am almost done repairing myself after that last mission. Feel free to give me your missive whenever.

As the page leaves, Nitah will read the scroll.

Hmmm, this is interesting. After all this time in the guard, only one mission with the Deva's and I get an audience with the Swordlords. Wonder why it took the deaths of a family to realize that they needed help. Well, this should help restore some glory to my name, or if not it will at least help feed that which yearns for more killing.

As he finishes his musings, Nitah will take the time to polish himself and his weapons to an almost parade worthy appearance. And headed to the antechamber to await further instructions.

[Rathgar]

Aulifalilar

"Oh, great Akadi, how in the heavens did I oversleep?"

The cleric of the skies knew that something was wrong. Normally performing rituals in the mornings as the sun rises, Aulifalilar was none too happy. Perhaps the divine would understand this one time.

"Well, I guess I need to make the most of what time I have available."

And with that, the tall lanky air genasi decided to go with the abbreviated rituals this morning. One of the things about being a follower of air is that you learn to be as fluid as the element itself. After reciting a few prayers and summoning the power of the divine to grant the speed of the winds, Aulifalilar donned his gear and swiftly walked to the briefing room, his hair and cape blowing in a breeze that didn't seem to be present inside the compound.

Cast Longstrider on self.

[Goby]

Zzzzzz....
Yawn.

Kilard wakes up slowly after a long night, sleeping the deep sleep of a soldier who returns from an encounter and gets to spend another night in peace.

As he awakens, he notices the scroll on the table.

Another mission, already? This is unusual. Last night was difficult enough, and now it they want me on a new assignment?

He grumbles to himself as he gets ready for the meeting, but it's part of the job. Dressing in a simple, sturdy tunic, and only the basics of his gear, he grabs the new Deva cloak and ring, and heads out to the Antechamber to meet the councilor.

[Thokk_Smash]

Garret tosses his favorite dagger up and down in the air as he regards the letter he had received. Someone coming into his room while he was asleep...well, he doesn't like it, but even he can admit that there are people that are just better than him. For now, anyway.

The job had been simple, really, only complicated by the sheer number of deaths that had needed to be dealt. No skin off his nose, of course; nobles, all of them. As far as he could tell, most of them deserved it, and those that didn't were just unlucky. He can relate.

Still, a new mission so soon after their last? It's freaking annoying, the damn higher-ups. But he has to go; if he doesn't Irwin will find out, and then the bastard would make his life hell for weeks after.

That didn't mean, however, that he needs to go right away. He putzes around in his room for a little bit, checking his stock of poisons and practicing his knife-throwing. He puts on his deep purple Deva cloak, then takes it off and changes how it hangs on his shoulders so it conceals his poison bandolier.

Finally, he sets out from his room, strolling in a roundabout path to the Antechamber. He doesn't know if he's the last one, and he doesn't rightly care; with a firm shove he opens the door, and then struts in, glaring dourly at anyone who looks at him funny.

That last sentence doesn't reflect how I feel about posting this so late; again, sorry for the delay.