Fortune's Favor IC III

[Kelvin360]

Twenty years ago, a wandering priest of Tymora settled down on the Sword Coast with a group of followers and a few close friends. A camp turned into a trading post, a trading post became renowned enough to attract more townsfolk and became a town, a fort was constructed to watch over the inhabitants, and through it all the place stood strong despite many dangerous encounters.

Now, the Fort is abandoned, the town has grown, and travelers are more than happy to stop by (and perhaps stay in) this wayside bastion.

They call it the Golden Beacon of the Sword Coast. They call it Lady Luck’s Benevolence.

They call it Fortune’s Favor.

But, as they say, there is trouble in paradise. The first hints of the conspiracy began when a group of six set out to the meager task of gathering a few coins so as to survive the coming season. Contracted by the local mercenary group's wagemaster, The Messenger, as well as various other sources, they were to investigate reports of a haunting in the house of one of the Baroness' close friends, Chartessa Murals.

What they found, however, was much more than a simple haunting. The owner of the establishment brutally murdered her own niece in her cellar over a perceived slight, such that her spirit began to thirst for vengeance. They brought the matter to the Mayor's attention, who subsequently imprisoned Chartessa until a trial could be held or a confession exacted.

Meanwhile, some of the band investigated a matter brought up by a visiting priestess of Lathander, Bria. An unknown party had been making off with corpses in the dead of night. Soon after, they discovered that a young mageling named Davand was partially responsible. However, he was not the sole culprit. Questioning of Davand led their trail back to Chartessa, who instructed the boy in the necromantic arts.

Soon after this, a new matter caught their attention. Chartessa, it seems, had been making a map connecting her house, the house of a local dog breeder, the house of the Mayor, the Inn, and a magic shop owned by a strange gnome with connections to current events that are not entirely clear. It formed a pentacle, with the magical everflowing fountain in the center of Town being the center.

Parallel to this set of circumstances, raids by bandits have been increasing drastically, such that Fortune's Favor lies on the precipice of economic turmoil. After a raid left one of their allies attacked, the group of adventurers set off in search of these bandits. A survivor of the scuffle they encountered, Hal, informed them that two factions were in a state of civil war. One side, his own, was led by the eunuch warlock March, who he claimed was the only thing standing between an invasion of Fortune's Favor.

The other is headed by the aranea Mettik, also known simply as 'the Spider', whom the party has since learned to be an old (and justified) enemy of both the Mayor and the Baroness. His intent, however, remains unclear.

Soon after, they learned that Davand had been implicated in the murder of a young girl, and in pairing with his earlier indiscretions, the town called out for his blood. A summary investigation led the party to an abandoned basement where Chartessa's lackeys had holed up. Little did they know that said associates had followed them in, leading them into an ambush under the guise of Samnang Varran and Bria Kane. Numerous unstable clones, including the one responsible for the murder under Davand's name, greeted them in a basement magically sealed off from the Prime. Elias was given a vision of the future from his own clone, one that showed the dead, the dying, and the separated under threat from a conjured aspect of the dread Kzz'a'ham, one that the abjurer himself had supposedly invoked.

Adrexah's part of the battle that ensued led her seemingly alone into the basement, where she retrieved a strange crystal in an unguarded chest. The crystal serves as a focal point for the mental powers of a strange being known as Aralanth, who decided to attempt to help the group with some of his outside knowledge, and enhance the burgeoning psychic powers of the party's monk, Orin.

With most of the clones dead, the only real evidence to present was their very existence, which seemed to be enough to sway the jury into pronouncing Davand innocent. However, in the matter of Chartessa, that same jury was undecided, forcing the Baroness to decide the fate of her old companion. The verdict she gave was 'guilty', and Murals was sentenced to be hung.

One of the jurors, a Tyrran named Marjani varn Tekk, was investigating the circumstances of the jury's vote and came to the conclusion that a select few individuals voted against Davand and for Chartessa. These names she gave to the Messenger, in the hopes that someone would elect to deal with this issue before the presumed allies of the accused deigned to act again. Davand himself, revealed to be a Liferent - a rare type of magic user who is empowered by negative energy instead of positive - was placed under Elias' future care by request of the latter, in the hope he could be trained to control his abilities.

While Elias continued his mystical research, Adrexah and Orin, together with a newcomer called Lea, delved into the Southern forest, presided over by a circle of druids, to investigate a blight on the land. There they met Jonwyn, a helpful but beleaguered soul, and the Archdruid, an arrogant weasel who proclaimed himself unconcerned by the news of the blight. A powerful and unnatural beings known as the Blighter had declared war on the circle, and one of her agents was responsible for a group of intelligent apes making raids along the trade road, exacerbating the hard times Fortune's Favor was experiencing. Together with Boudicca, a psionic wilder who claimed to be trained by Aralanth, they put a stop to the apes and secured the South trade road for future use.

Soon after, the group learned that one of their escaped assailants had gone to the bandits headed by the warlocks, delivered news and was summarily executed on the spot. More confusing and, in some ways, more chilling, evidence continues to surface that these bandits have made an alliance with someone that prevents them from acting against or inside Fortune's Favor. Their continuing war with Mettik will keep both forces away from the town for the time being, but the gods only know what their plans might be.

Bria came to the group with evidence that the nearby mausoleum of Jergal had been robbing the graves of Fortune's Favor. An investigation was made, but all of the monks there had already evacuated. It now stands empty under the watch of the city guards.



Elias points a callused finger at his for-lack-of-a-better-word apprentice. "They will still care about you, I'm afraid. That's power for you. You can be impartial and mind your own business, but people being what they are, that takes as much committed effort as fighting evil does. Or you can go live in a hut on an island somewhere. Many mages do. The point is not to avoid Being Evil in the abstract -- the point is to avoid doing things that hurt people, whether or not you mean to."

"It's not like I can't not hurt people. I can't just pop my hands and make pretty flowers like other mages can...well, I could, I s'pose, but they'd be zombie flowers."


Adrexah makes a shrug of her own and says, "I'd prefer if not too much was changed, although I will trust your judgement if you believe something is too... uh.. vulgar or scatterbrained. Anyway, here's what I'd like written:"

After a pause she begins speaking in Elven.

"Dear Mother and Father. It has been some time since we have last... spoken. she says, trying to choose the right words. "I am doing well. Ferdinand and the pup are fine, too. He has fully matured, and I named him Chino. I thought perhaps you would be worried about me, so I wrote this letter. Well actually, I did not write it myself. Another person is writing it for me..."

She sighed. Yep, screwed up the letter. At least the messenger would probably fix it.

"I just want you to know that you don't need to be worried. I've held my own in quite a number of ... unusual situations. And besides, I've made it this long alive, haven't I? Well, in case you care, I am currently in Fortune's Favor. It's some 200 miles northwest of home. Some strange happenings have occurred here, but regardless I urge you to not come for me. Farewell."

He dutifully records every spoken word until she stops, then looks up to her. "Do you want them to come looking for you?"

[WindStruck]

Adrexah pauses in thought. "...No. Not yet, anyway. I'm rather concerned about the things that have been going on around here... it might be too dangerous for them. Or maybe not. They might even insist I come back home with them, but I'd rather not. In any case, I think that if they had seriously tried to find me, they could have done so by now..."

"You think I shouldn't mention the name of this town?"

[Winds]

"That depends on whether they are ignoring us because they have established a contact among us or because they don't see us as a threat larger than the Spider. I'm sure you can see how the latter would cause problems if a 'third party' makes a nuisance of itself."


Lea's grin vanishes at that.

"Hmm. The reason I'm after them is a connection to the warlocks that were causing trouble here earlier. But if them thinking I'm acting strictly in the interests of the townsfolk...yes...that would be more complicated. I'll need to get around that somehow."

She shrugs.

"I was going to play concerned middleman, anyhow. If I can't find a good angle of attack to leave the town out of it, I can at least stall them a little while. Or try to. Would that suit your needs better?"

[Kelvin360]

Adrexah pauses in thought. "...No. Not yet, anyway. I'm rather concerned about the things that have been going on around here... it might be too dangerous for them. Or maybe not. They might even insist I come back home with them, but I'd rather not. In any case, I think that if they had seriously tried to find me, they could have done so by now..."

"You think I shouldn't mention the name of this town?"

"I don't really have a say in that - it is, after all, your letter. It does seem the sort of thing to mention if you wanted them to know specifics. I usually only give places when I want someone to contact me."


Lea's grin vanishes at that.

"Hmm. The reason I'm after them is a connection to the warlocks that were causing trouble here earlier. But if them thinking I'm acting strictly in the interests of the townsfolk...yes...that would be more complicated. I'll need to get around that somehow."

She shrugs.

"I was going to play concerned middleman, anyhow. If I can't find a good angle of attack to leave the town out of it, I can at least stall them a little while. Or try to. Would that suit your needs better?"

"If it doesn't endanger Fortune's Favor I couldn't care less what you do. But that also means I can't do anything to help you in whatever choice you make. We have been considering sending mercenaries off to ingratiate themselves...we need to figure out what's going on in that northern forest. If they're working on a means to destroy us, forewarned is forearmed. But we don't have the manpower ward off attacks from bandits, warlocks, enchanters and gods-know-what else. To really get a look at their operations and how they are affecting the landscape, that third party would have the easiest time picking a side and using them to get a look at the battlefield under guard of a larger force."

[WindStruck]

"Well I guess I wouldn't mind if they sent response letters... I just wouldn't want them coming here... especially not to try to make me go back..."

[Winds]

"If it doesn't endanger Fortune's Favor I couldn't care less what you do. But that also means I can't do anything to help you in whatever choice you make. We have been considering sending mercenaries off to ingratiate themselves...we need to figure out what's going on in that northern forest. If they're working on a means to destroy us, forewarned is forearmed. But we don't have the manpower ward off attacks from bandits, warlocks, enchanters and gods-know-what else. To really get a look at their operations and how they are affecting the landscape, that third party would have the easiest time picking a side and using them to get a look at the battlefield under guard of a larger force."


"I would be happy to provide that sort of useful information, should I learn any. And for that matter, I'm inclined to stop it if I can."

Lea turns thoughtful.

"On the other hand, if I were to offer service as a diplomat, and simply ask them if the unspoken truce still stands..."

[AquilaRift]

"It's not like I can't not hurt people. I can't just pop my hands and make pretty flowers like other mages can...well, I could, I s'pose, but they'd be zombie flowers."


"You have a talent for destructive magic, true... but not every spell you can cast creates undead, correct? A spell to cause fear is no more inherently evil than, say, a battle axe. Violence is regrettable, but sometimes you have to hurt people to stop them from causing more harm." Elias furrows his brow as he tries to parse out Davand's chain of triple negatives. "And of course you can avoid hurting people. All you need do is know when not to use your magic. Not every problem can be solved with spellwork."

[Kelvin360]

Adrexah

"I'm sure I can manage a two-way courier. It will take slightly longer, but it will give them the opportunity to reply without letting them know your location. Does that sound acceptable?"

Behind Adrexah, the door to the DI headquarters slides open, and someone with a measured pace comes in, closing it behind them.


Lea

"In case Hal is out of the loop, you mean?" Draias clarifies, shifting his head to get a glance back down the stairwell toward the cells. "Either way, I appreciate the offer. True unity of purpose is hard to come by."

The Baron steps into the hallway and his eyes flick towards Draias. Whatever he was about to say dies when he sees Lea, although his nod of greeting is not impolite. "Someone new on the bandit investigation?" he asks, one hand toying with the bloodstone amulet around his neck.


Elias

"What, you mean like this?" Davand lifts up his shirt to show off the scar Kath's arrow left in his flesh. "I can see it, yeah. That stung. Better off keeping my distance, maybe look at some wards like you do." He shoots Elias a somewhat bashful smile when he lowers the cloth again. "I was awake enough to hear you, after...you know. I, uh, went down to Dak's this morning to see about materials...for cantrips? Turns out I didn't need them, but he likes scrimshandry, weirdly, so we got to talking and he thinks he can get me something legitimate to do outside my studies with the bones and the..." He blushes and cuts off his sentence, rummaging through his pockets and taking out a wrapped package. "Long story short, I can do some bonework for pocket money, and I managed to talk him into a deal for some of the cuts I already had, so..."

He hands the package to Elias. Inside is a potion. "I-it's...uh, the same kind. You know. The one you gave me after I got shot? I figured it was rubbish you had to use it on me after all I put you lot up to, so..." A small cough. "I-it's kind of stupid though, really, don't think too much of it."

Elias has gained a Potion of Cure Light Wounds

[WindStruck]

"That works for me," Adrexah says. "Is that the courier?"

[Winds]

Lea returns his nod in kind.

"I have agreed to serve as diplomat or possibly inside agent on your behalf. I was hired by another to help deal with the warlocks, who appear to be allied with your bandits, or are themselves bandits. Either way, reason for me to play nice with the townsfolk."

[Kelvin360]

Adrexah

"It is not," the Messenger replies as the footsteps move in closer to the desk. "I trust you remember Sister varn Tekk, from the trial?"

"Sister no longer, Messenger," Marjani replies, adjusting a few papers in her hands. "I am simply a Tyrran, now. I brought some of the information you requested regarding the identities of the...dissenters during the trial. The ones hell-bent on preserving Murals and executing Williamson."

Lea

The Baron's eyes narrow slightly. "We have identified three factions thusfar. We began with a simple group of raiders, the same as any other, preying occasionally on the merchants and taking just little enough to avoid the wrong kind of notice."

"We believe they were simply displaced individuals trying to survive outside the public eye," Draias clarifies.

"Then came these...warlocks. Powerful, brutal mages looking to prey on the lives of innocent and guilty alike. They took over command of the first group, and now their forces are one. The second, your compatriots are more familiar with. The monstrous forces led by the aranea Mettik."

"This seems like just another turf war, but with someone like Mettik it's always a good bet that he has another plan that he's working toward. Mettik's been building of a force of so-called monstrous races that some would call misfits. Goblinoids, lizardmen, drow, and so on, bereft of home and clan and with little other option in civilized society."

The Baron huffs. "Careful, Draias. You're making him sound noble."

Draias shrugs. "To a certain extent, he IS noble. I'm not condoning banditry, but it isn't likely some of these creatures have any other options available to them, and Mettik is providing them a place at his side. Or, well, MOST of them."

"A short time ago we received news that Mettik's faction had split into civil war over an unknown dispute. They compose the third faction, and all of them are making the North Forest a warzone. We believe they are trying to determine who has a monopoly on banditry in this area, and whoever is left will be able to get their pick of our city, as well."

"Obviously, we'd prefer none of them won, and as long as they're warring against each other, they are vulnerable to outside interference. If we can wipe all of them out, we'll be able to ensure Fortune's Favor is safe from that particular threat. Which is why we're having this conversation."

[AquilaRift]

"Well, that's... that's not necessary of course, but, very kind." Elias looks nonplussed. "I'm glad you have something less... er, something to do in your spare time. It's good to know a trade that doesn't rely entirely on magic. In case you need to be unobtrusive." He tries to look stern to cover his flusterment, secretly thanking the gods for his appropriately wizardly eyebrows.

[Winds]

"My client wants the warlocks to stop being a problem, and has said nothing about Mettik or his plans.

Lea shrugs.

"Speaking personally, I wouldn't object to a peaceful 'monster' town. Actually, it might be a good step towards lasting peace and quiet, once all the usual issues between everyone involved were worked out."

[WindStruck]

"Oh..." Adrexah says, with curiosity picking up. "So you just have names and addresses written down, right? But did you happen to find anything... particularly discrepant about any of them?"

[Kelvin360]

Elias

"Yeah, that reminds of me something else," he says settling back down in his seat. "What's....errr, only, why doesn't anyone like it? Undeathing things. Everyone raises a fuss, some folk would even kill me for it, but why?"

Lea

The Baron waves a dismissive hand. "If you'll pardon me, the sentiment is admirable but somewhat naive. Peace is entirely at odds with their nature. What makes them monsters is their need to thrive on conflict, sometimes on outright chaos. There is a reason you never see hobgoblin chefs, kobold janitors and yuan-ti accountants. We would live in a very different world if species did not determine whether you could bear the mantle of 'goodly' civilization."

Adrexah

Marjani sniffs and there is a rustle of cloth at her chest level. "Speaking as a Tyrran, I can't make any snap judgments without due cause. Which isn't to say I don't personally disapprove of them."

"If we are picturing the same people, they are..." the Messenger hesitates. "Very interested in a certain comfortable lifestyle."

"He means they're rich gits," Marjani adds.

"Of a sort. Some of them wouldn't be courteous to their own mothers, but they wouldn't be malicious, either. Not unless someone pushed them into it."

[Winds]

Lea goes quiet at that.

"You aren't wrong. But I think this *could* be that world. Still, that doesn't matter right now. Either they'll measure up as a step closer to my naive ideal, or they'll self-destruct like most such groups do. Both, maybe? Whichever happens, the town is better off for it...as long as we can deal with those warlocks, too."

[WindStruck]

"Well thanks for the information, I guess. Only now that we have it, what would the next step would be..? It's not like we can just ask around town or go up to their doorstep for some tea and start asking them about their relationship with Ms. Murals... but there's got to be a link to explore, right? Do you suppose aside from the fact that they voted to spare her and they are wealthy.. is there something else which they have in common?"

[Kelvin360]

Lea

The Baron folds his arms over his chest. "Check my thoughts, Draias - what information do we actually have on the warlocks themselves?"

Draias shrugs. "Powerful, ruthless, obsessed. Generally what anyone pictures after hearing the word 'warlock'."

The Baron redirects his attention to Lea. "They must have enough of a personal connection to tolerate one another...or perhaps it's only a matter of time before they start killing themselves off. You can see how the potential collateral damage concerns me. Regardless, we need to set up some kind of meeting before we can act. We've been devising some sort of system to delay hostile action during a particular incursion..."

"He means we know of a few ways someone could wander into the forest without being shot. If you want to ingratiate yourself with any given side, I'm sure they wouldn't call into question new talent if you made an interview in plain sight. Find the location of one of their skirmishes and pick a side - they're not going to turn down help at this juncture."

"I can't believe that's your plan."

"Nor can I, but this isn't the kind of embassy you can ask for asylum under."

Adrexah

Marjani nods. "They are all human, for one thing. Voted for tax levies against incoming visitors or refugees from the elf-orc incursions to the South, but there's xenophobic and then there's 'death cult'."

The Messenger tilts his head at Adrexah. "Is there a particular reason you cannot 'go up to their doorstep for some tea'?" he asks mildly. "As I recall, the Baroness made the three of you government officials. The title is ceremonial at best, but generally speaking, the more your wealth, the less you can afford to ignore ceremony. It is not so unusual for Her to take stock of the city after a heavy trial, from what I understand, and they may take you checking in as flattery, of all things."

Marjani grits her teeth. "Hmmn. There's nothing these types enjoy more than feeling self-important."

"You seem quite opinionated, Marjani. Do you know anything else about them?"

A soft exhale. "It's...unbecoming of me to judge without all the facts, but...wealth. I hate wealth. In civilization it's just an excuse to flout the law. My Order gives up all material goods just so that we're never tempted to pass on a purse of coin to make justified charges 'disappear'."

[AquilaRift]

"Yeah, that reminds of me something else," he says settling back down in his seat. "What's....errr, only, why doesn't anyone like it? Undeathing things. Everyone raises a fuss, some folk would even kill me for it, but why?"


Elias pushes his book aside. "Well... I know your education has been haphazard till now. Are you familiar with the Inner Planes? Fire, air, water, and so forth, the elemental components of reality."

[WindStruck]

Adrexah chuckles. "Oh, you recall that? I wonder how on earth that is possible. Because I don't ever remember officially becoming 'government officials'. Sure, the baroness hinted at something along those lines behind closed doors, but no one has ever told me any specifics. And if that's the case, I doubt anyone was even told they have some new 'Wardens' to greet..."

The elf sighed. Was there just something everyone else knew that she didn't?

[Winds]

"It's a good start, certainly. Is there anything else you want me to be sure of in the meantime?"

[Kelvin360]

Lea

"Keeping us in the know would be appreciated, especially if more sides reveal themselves. We'd like to keep this as self-contained as possible - there are enough factions to deal with as it is."


Elias

Blank, flat stare probably means 'no'. "........the planes of a cube? No, wait, is it a rectangle? No, maps, maps have planes. Or, uhh...plains? Like, grass and...and...stuff."


Adrexah

The man's mystified tone seems a little disturbing, all things considered. "The Baron assured me he'd send the missives at the next available opportunity...I haven't known him to be one to shirk responsibility - I wonder why he would delay such an action?"

[AquilaRift]

Blank, flat stare probably means 'no'. "........the planes of a cube? No, wait, is it a rectangle? No, maps, maps have planes. Or, uhh...plains? Like, grass and...and...stuff."


"...All right. Well. This isn't the only world on the World Tree. Toril lies on the Prime Material Plane, which is connected to many other planes of existence. The Outer Planes are the habitations of the divine -- angels, fiends, and departed souls. The Inner Planes are composed of the elemental essences that make up our Material Plane. Earth, fire, water, and air -- and two others. Positive and Negative Energy, the basis of life and death.

Now, negative energy isn't inherently evil. We might hate decay and destruction, but they are a part of this world. But when it forms the basis of much necromancy, it is twisted against its nature. It becomes a hollow parody of life, fueled by death --" He realizes Denara has been listening the whole time and coughs loudly to cover his stammer. "Erm. It always consumes more life than it can produce. Even the merest spark of animation that made those skeletons. Mindless undead, with no more intelligence than vermin, yet without your control they would seek out living things to kill.

Our good hostess, of course, is no blood-sucking vampire. Yet she remains in this world as a result of pain and loss. Folk with happy, fulfilled lives, who die in their beds, do not often become ghosts."

[Winds]

Lea sighs.

"There's always too many factions. But yes, I will be sure to keep you informed of anything I can find. Good day."

And with that, she goes back to her plan of attending the day's execution.

[WindStruck]

"Uhm.. missives?" Adrexah repeated dumbly. "Were we supposed to get a letter from the baron?"

[Kelvin360]

Elias

This explanation is met with a pointed yet still confused narrowing of the eyes. "Soooo...it's natural and normal...until I use it, and then it's black and evil for some reason." He looks at Denara. "Are you getting any of this?"

The ghost nods sadly. "In life, my being existed in a balance of forces, contained and tempered, like a cat eternally chasing a mouse 'round and 'round. Now, though, I can no longer feel life's call. What once was warm and soothing is now dark and empty. This energy is not something to be feared with its partner, young one, but in the absence of life, it loses all equality it might once have had, and becomes dangerous. Dangerous like me."

"You're not, though!" he protests. "You're nice! And I'm nice, too! Sort of. And I don't hurt anyone with it! Why is it worse than some cackling witch what goes around turning people into toads, or a sorcerer who lights people on fire? Those folk don't use any of this nega-stuff, do they?"

Adrexah

That air of 'I'm-super-concerned' isn't going away. "Aye, he should have contacted several people, including yourself, right away with this information. Can you think of any reason he might have to forget, or even worse, deliberately snub you in some way?"

[AquilaRift]

This explanation is met with a pointed yet still confused narrowing of the eyes. "Soooo...it's natural and normal...until I use it, and then it's black and evil for some reason." He looks at Denara. "Are you getting any of this?"

The ghost nods sadly. "In life, my being existed in a balance of forces, contained and tempered, like a cat eternally chasing a mouse 'round and 'round. Now, though, I can no longer feel life's call. What once was warm and soothing is now dark and empty. This energy is not something to be feared with its partner, young one, but in the absence of life, it loses all equality it might once have had, and becomes dangerous. Dangerous like me."

"You're not, though!" he protests. "You're nice! And I'm nice, too! Sort of. And I don't hurt anyone with it! Why is it worse than some cackling witch what goes around turning people into toads, or a sorcerer who lights people on fire? Those folk don't use any of this nega-stuff, do they?"


Elias winces. "You don't hurt anyone with it, hm? Does it not seem disrespectful to drag the corpses of decent folk out of their graves to amuse yourself?" He sighs through his beard. "It's a small crime, yes, compared to creating monsters that eat souls. But it lets something into the world that seeks, mindless as it is, to destroy what lives. Through the bones of someone with no say in the matter, no less.

And, no, it's no worse than killing an innocent person with a spell. So many kinds of energy can be used to destroy, directly or not. My master told me of a thesis on illithids and like creatures, that they were a perversion of life as undeath was a perversion of its ending. Life granted unnatural form and power, aberrant immortality... But then, my specialty lies elsewhere. My training in necromancy is completely theoretic."

[WindStruck]

"Oh, I don't think that baron likes our little group of 'adventurers' at all. Plus, I made a small joke about vampires or something that he didn't like." Adrexah shrugs.

"In any case, even if we had the official blessing to do... whatever it is Wardens do, I still don't know how that helps us. You don't suppose we'd be having tea and biscuits, I casually bring up Chartessa's racist death cult, and they'd immediately admit to conspiring with her and doing other nasty things, hmm?" she asks with sweet sarcastic tone.

"It would take subterfuge and guile to get anything out of them, I'm afraid. And I think status as a government official is quite the opposite of that."

[Kelvin360]

Elias

"Theoretic?? Theoretic?! ...what's theoretic mean?"

"I presume it means he doesn't use it."

"So...YOU don't use any of it, and I'M made of it. And I don't even know what I'm making, so how can I destroy anything with it or whatever you just said?"

Adrexah

"Oh, that one." Even without eyesight, someone could probably hear Marjani's eyes rolling. "He hates that one. The last time someone made that joke, it reached the wrong ears and a Broken Chain Deathslayer broke into the city and tried to murder him. He is more than likely sensitive about that kind of humor."

"And from what I heard, you travel with a priestess of Lathander," the Messenger adds with a sigh. "Yes, that would explain the snub. I will...attempt to smooth things over from here, but there is a good chance he may refuse outright to speak with you for some time. In the absence of blades, insult among the higher court is taken much more seriously than normal."

"As to your other...question? I think it was more of a rhetorical jibe, but I'll answer it anyway. You can't get sensitive information out of anyone by asking them upfront, it's true. If the opposite were the case, I would be taking this investigation myself. But getting a door slammed in your face is even less helpful. The Messenger was simply stating the importance of the baronal name in the city. Having their good graces is the equivalent of windfall in a plutocracy; it makes you a person of interest, if nothing else."

"Not that it matters now. Until that particular area of sociality has reached a more satisfactory point, perhaps you might prefer something more straightforward to occupy your time with. Unless you'd prefer to bide it until the execution, also perfectly understandable."

[WindStruck]

Adrexah shrugs. "I guess we'll figure something out... uh. Mr. Messenger. There is one last thing I'd like to ask of you..."

She pulls out the history book on magic.

"A certain friend loaned this book to me, but unfortunately I can't read it. I do recall you have a certain way with words on paper, however.. Is there any way you can get the book to read itself aloud?"

[AquilaRift]

"Theoretic?? Theoretic?! ...what's theoretic mean?"

"I presume it means he doesn't use it."

"So...YOU don't use any of it, and I'M made of it. And I don't even know what I'm making, so how can I destroy anything with it or whatever you just said?"



Elias leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers. "You ask me how ignorance can be destructive? Surely you can answer your own question if you stop to think."

[Kelvin360]

The thrum of the crowd is a heartbeat to match the stilled breaths and long footfalls of the executioner's escort, echoing in the incredulous whispers and forlorn silence of those assembled. Evil had come to this community, and what was more, it had come from within, pushing out hidden biases and the edges of suspicion and terror like pustules surfaced by some vile disease. And the culprit - at least, in the eyes of those who knew no better - stood in the midst of her armor-plated entourage, high shoulders and a defeated gaze plodding forward, a corruption of what may, in her mind, have eventually been a queen and her honor guard.

The guards themselves are only a formality. In truth, one would be hard-pressed to care whether the former wizard met her end via the noose that awaits her not a dozen more steps ahead or an angry mob. Justice would be done either way. But if such thoughts had taken root, not a one steps forward to make good on them.

The mass of people is a strange stew of new and old, the outraged and the curious and the confused. Boudicca strokes her chin and exchanges terse words with Marjani. Both women hold an undercurrent of electric energy, of anticipation, though for different reasons. Behind them, the local herbalist has an expression of undisguised distaste, but perhaps Samnang's presence keeps him from speaking his mind. Adam and the Mayor are not with the Baroness in body or spirit, and they alone seem to be actively mourning the event - more likely, remembering what once was.

Visiting druids, Eravan among them but Jonwyn not, have made their own circle far from anyone else. They are here only to see, not to interfere. Miviryn, it seems, has summoned the strength to attend for the sake of her daughter's resting spirit, and the guards Timmes and Valeigh have seen fit to flank her for protection as much as solidarity.

Some of the crowd barely restrain themselves from loud jeering, while others whisper clarifications to one another. How did this happen? Why did this happen?

That question will have to be buried by the hand of Tagrus Fae, who has readied the noose and waits, expressionless, to carry out his duty. He forces Chartessa to her place in front of his with a gentleness at odds with the violence that will be the next few minutes, and looks to the Barony beside him.

Where are you, and what are you doing?

[Winds]

Lea waits among the crowd, as close as she can get without being jostled as people move to see what's happening. She watches Chartessa for any signs of spellwork...not the Lea is particularly equipped to recognize it.

[WindStruck]

Where was Adrexah? It was hard to say... apparently she had lost track of time and could not return to the former Mural's estate to meet with the others. She followed the chatter regarding an execution and unusually large amount foot traffic going a single direction to get to where she presumed to be the execution.

Eventually she found herself somewhere amidst a crowd, unable to find any of her old friends through the immense amount of gossip, though she was quick to correct some nearby people when they got a crucial detail wrong.

[AquilaRift]

Elias is also in the crowd, his cloak and hood hiding his face. Less because he doesn't want to be recognized, more because he doesn't trust his control over his expression. Much like Lea, he is watching the condemned.

[Kelvin360]

Were it even possible to weave arcane gestures in manacles, she certainly isn't trying. Her lips are shut tight in an expression of defeated contempt. Adrexah can feel a presence behind her, but not an unfamiliar one. "A shame we couldn't reunite under better circumstances," Orin briefly intones from a respectful distance, evidently having come along with Boudicca to observe.

"Chartessa Idman Murals." It does not take an excess of volume to carry the Baroness' proclamation across the crowd, but in the absence of the city's usual bustle it is all but a lion's roar. "The city of Fortune's Favor has found you guilty of Murder Most Foul. As per our laws, you are now to be hung by the neck until dead. Have you any last words before the sentence is carried out?"

What comes next is hardly a murmur, inaudible to all except Tagrus, Miriam, and Draco (and perhaps Adrexah). But whatever is said, it drains the color from the Baroness' face as well as any spell. When she cannot bring herself to speak, it is the Baron that gives the order with a scowl. "Proceed."

[AquilaRift]

As the executioner steps forward, Elias stops looking around the crowd and fixes his gaze on Chartessa. He does not intend to blink until the noose tightens. Surely someone with such magic at her disposal -- even if she claimed it had been stripped away -- would have some kind of contingency plan. Or Contingency plan. Not rational thoughts, perhaps, but having slept in the house where she murdered her niece, Elias has difficulty banishing them.

[WindStruck]

Adrexah's eyebrows furl. Who the hell was this witch talking about now? The Baron? Maybe someone else they lost long ago? She supposed it didn't matter. It probably took that woman the whole time in her prison just to plot that one little zinger. Well Adrexah could think of one in only a second.

<Elven> "Good riddance," she muttered.

[Winds]

Lea keeps watching. If anything was going to happen, it would be now. Even people who expect to die often get desperate when the time actually comes, after all...

[Kelvin360]

Tagrus steps forward, noose in hand. For a brief moment, it almost seems that he is uttering a prayer, but then his arms weave into action and his fingers wrap taut around the lever beside him. It is quick, perhaps owing to her frailty. The most startling piece of the whole affair is the pulling of the lever and the harsh snap of the opening trapdoor. The whole of the city and town watch in full with morbid fascination as her body swings, then gasps, then chokes, and finally is still. Years from now, local legend will repeat the rumor that the very wind sighed its relief in tandem with her last breath, but it is hard to see anything so mystical in the now. She is simply a dead woman, and no more.

The crowd begins to disperse.

[AquilaRift]

Elias lets out a long, shaky breath. Then he turns and begins making his way to the house to rendezvous with the others.

[WindStruck]

For a little while, Adrexah stood there letting the crowds disperse around her before attempting to navigate amongst them. It probably wasn't a good idea to try squeezing between the unseen people and risking tripping over anyone. No point rushing.

For the time being, while standing there, she pondered what to do. Should she approach the baroness and ask her about what Chartessa said? But then again, it was probably inconsequential. Oh yeah, and the Baron hated her... sure Adrexah has bad tastes, but even asking about that in front of him probably was an incredibly stupid idea. Hmm...

[Winds]

Lea shakes her head at the whole situation. She wasn't in any position to feel anything in particular for Chartessa, but this form of execution was almost always unpleasant.

She turns to meet at the others at the house, ready to move on to the next problem...

[Kelvin360]

In case anyone was concerned over Bria's whereabouts, she makes an appearance here, talking with Davand right outside the front door. They appear to be making a reconciliation, or at least small talk in the absence of open hostility. Marjani and Boudicca seem to have ducked into Defendor Investigations to discuss something, and Samnang is double-checking the mausoleum before anything else.

"You know they won't let me do last rites?" Bria opens when the group arrives. "I think the Baroness wants to do it herself, but what really bothers me...is I don't know if I'd want to do it. It seems callous after putting her victim to rest, know what I mean?"

Davand butts in and just as quickly quiets himself. "I'd have figured you'd be more wary about the demon-summoning, or the clones, or the nec-...er, sorry."

[WindStruck]

"To rest..? Ah, right," Adrexah says. "Well to be fair, don't ghosts usually come about when the dead don't get their last rights? Or something like that. In any case, we wouldn't want the ghost of that woman haunting us, I don't think."

[Kelvin360]

"But Denara got her last rites and she's still-" Clearly Davand didn't get the memo to not tell the cleric about the ghost.

[WindStruck]

"Still with us? Haha, I get that feeling too in that creaky old house," Adrexah says, chuckling nervously. "But it's a good thing it's not actually haunted, otherwise Bria here might feel most obliged to go in and exterminate anything unnatural in there..." she said. If only she had the eyes, her voice would be glaring a hole right through Davand.

[roll0]

Crap. Bria was totally going to find out.

[AquilaRift]

Elias reacts with surprising calm. "The sooner Chartessa is safely in the ground, the better. Now who were the jurors who found her innocent...?" He can only hope a quick subject change will be more effective than Adrexah's regrettably unsubtle cover.

[Kelvin360]

Davand is failing at hiding his embarrassment with a fake cough and Bria sure as the hells looks suspicious - she's not great at lying either - but she lets it go.

Between Marjani's hassling and other miscellaneous investigations, the suspect list numbers four.

Meyer Wilkes is the local has-been, son of a well-respected miner who fostered and then slowly drained away his good will with a series of increasingly far-fetched schemes to increase the productivity of the mines. All that's left to his name is his late father's house in the city, virtually barren of its former heirlooms, pawned off to cover his debts and his abuses of various substances. Notably, Wilkes declared Chartessa innocent like the other three suspects, but was the only one who did NOT also declare Davand guilty.

Stenar Moor is quiet and something of a local Renaissance Man. Rather the opposite of Wilkes, he's subtly amassed enough wealth over the years to make a comfortable living among his many hobbies in the City, where he keeps to himself unless called.

Coleard Bryant fills the unenviable position of being generally unpleasant and also an emotional punching bag. Despite his drive and, as some would grudgingly admit, his actual talents, no one really takes him seriously when he tries to put up an accomplishment, and his short temper but shorter stature make him easy to dismiss.

Madeline Tirell seems the most likely to be an outright collaborator with Murals, if only because of their similarities. The gods evidently couldn't stand one archetypal racist, screaming old hag, so they made two and put them both in the same place. She's currently estranged from her daughter, who is well into term (though fortunately for her safety, the unmarried father is human) and gladly parrots her mother's desire to never be seen in public with one another.

Wilkes is often in the tavern, unsurprisingly, Moor tends to frequent the City's apothecary, Coleard has his own home in the Northern section of the City's apartments district, and Tirell readily bemoans her problems at the pigeons in the City garden.

[WindStruck]

"Hmm..." Adrexah ponders. "Well that Tirell woman definitely seems like the most obvious candidate. But would she actually have the gumption to do anything? ...then again, I wouldn't know. People thought Mrs. Murals was just a harmless albeit eccentric woman, and look what happened..."

"Wilkes could have probably just been too drunk to make good judgements, and Bryant.. well, considering he isn't human, I'd find it hard to believe he's in some kind of racist cult. Stenar Moor though... there's something definitely off about him..."

Adrexah claps her hands together. "Well! How do you all want to go about this? Maybe if the old harpy really does just blab to a bunch of birds, I can just sit somewhere out of sight and ... listen?"

[Winds]

Lea grins at that.


"You're not wrong, but what if she's paying attention to who's nearby? Can you hide well enough for that?"

[WindStruck]

"I'd have no idea if I am a shadow or I stick out like a sore thumb. But I can hear things from pretty far away... Well, I guess someone would need to help me find a good place to sit down first."

[Winds]

"Happy to help. Quietly. I don't actually have the title that's supposed to make this legal, after all."

[WindStruck]

"Speaking of which, what is that title again? Justices? Regents? Archons? Grand Poobahs?"

[AquilaRift]

"Wardens," Elias says. "And yes, Tirell is obvious... but from her reputation I doubt she was privy to many secrets. She seems far too straightforward about her hatred. All four are worth investigating, naturally, but I agree with Adrexah. Moor keeps such a low profile that one has to wonder if he's hiding something."

[Kelvin360]

Bria taps her chin. "I've seen Wilkes at the tavern before. He's easy to miss, doesn't make a fuss. He only strikes me as...sad. He might be the type to talk about whatever you like so long as you give him someone to talk to."

"Coleard...Coleard Coleard Coleard..." Davand murmurs. "I think I remember him playing with my brother when they were boys. He wasn't...mean, he just had something to prove. I think he was around Thomas so much because we took him seriously."

[AquilaRift]

"That plan gives us a lead on Tirell, at least, assuming it works. After that, it gets more complicated... Lea's the most personable of us, and least visibly involved in the trial, but if Wilkes is as prejudiced as Chartessa, I'm not sure he'd willingly accept a drink if she bought it for him. No offense intended, but you are not the sort of half-elf who can easily pass for human."

[Winds]

Lea's voice is completly deadpan.

"Goooosh. I'm not sure I ever noticed that."

She shrugs.

"I'll think about it, see what I can come up with."

[Kelvin360]

The founders never had a tangible presence of nature in their group, nor did they see the benefit of applying 'too much green' to their original blueprints (historians tend to cite their massive running tally of 'those damn assassin vines' as the reason for their suspicion of greenery). In fact, the arboretum, from which the alchemy shop derives most of its ingredients, was an initiative by the citizenry to begin with, and canny eyes will note that it is entirely closed off from the outside but for a single door. This lack of a green thumb would go a long way to explaining why the 'park' is one tree of moderate size, a few flowers, and a much larger fountain - more like a miniature moat, really - that encapsulates the whole affair. Stone benches and other seats have sprung up around it over time, but it's never exactly been a popular tourist spot. Even Tirell has been heard to complain that it blocks her view of the front gates while in her apartment, and she tends to be the sole visitor.

And speaking of Tirell...

Absent of too much hustle and bustle Adrexah and Lea can make out her mutterings to the birds before too long. She's not feeding them so much as throwing breadcrumbs at them viciously and then watching them lap up the evidence of attempted avian murder.

"...as though I'd never done anything for the little strumpet. Who fed and clothed her for almost two bloody decades, and even allowed her precious closet space, eh? Only to throw it all away on some lowlife bastard, the gall..."

[WindStruck]

Adrexah paused, shifting a bit with Lea. That kind of sounded like a woman that would off her daughter. Or niece... given the means and the gumption.

(Where are we exactly?)