Tales of Neutral Ground IC

[3SecondCultist]

Castling

Nyctessa takes Kett's hand first, then Arimarts and Drake's in turn when they are offered. Her grip is relatively light but her shake immensely vigorous. "OhyesI'vereadallaboutyoufolksI'msopleasedtomeetyo uallinperson!" The litigator doesn't stop for more than a few seconds, legs pumping rapidly as she maintains her brisk pace up the rest of the path towards the inner buildings. "Come on I want to show you the scene of the abduction and maybe get your take on it the Karrnathi has her new hound on the case too but I don't much like the smell of him if I'm being honest."

The edifice of Thronehold Castle's grand keep is hardly any less imposing than the first time you were here, not even a week ago. The rampant gardens and magical grounds have not changed, and neither has the immense silhouette of the towers, gate and courtyard. The reliefs of Galifar are just as striking, the grand archways and soaring colonnades making it look more mountain than building. Even with the cloud cover, a bit of the sun's glare winks back at you, opalescent, from the expanses of stained glass windows facing westward. The ancestral home of the Wynarn kings, it is said, is one of the wonders of the civilized world. At least this time, you're able to take in the sights without being led in wearing handcuffs.

Well, most of you anyways.

Arano raises both eyebrows upon taking in the sight. "It's a bit much," he says but there's mistaking the quiet awe in his voice despite himself. "I wonder if the cells are as nice as the rest of the place."

"Sorry to disappoint you!" Nyctessa reports cheerily. "You'll be staying in the Hall of Judgment, which from what I understand from the folks who have stood there to be a pretty standard situation as far as prisons go but that's okay we don't normally keep prisoners here long anyhow they're usually sent to Dreadhold or executed which I'm guessing will happen to you since you're here - wait no that's some circular logic right there it would make way more sense if - "

But she doesn't get to finish her lightning rail of thought, because Gryphon is finally able to get a word in edgewise to suggest sending a message to Maugrim. Nyctessa's eyes go saucer-wide as she considers the implications of that, smacking herself a few times lightly upside the head for not having thought of it herself as an obvious solution to their current conundrum.

Spoiler: Gryphon

Show

The reply from the other end of the line doesn't come right away when you cast the spell. After nearly a minute of holding your breath, you do hear a ragged whisper from a voice you recognize as Maugrim's.

"Karrnathi dogs. I trade one prison for another, yet I preferred ir'Larro's ministrations to Kaius'. At least they didn't leave bones just lying about... disgraceful."

Counting Shadows

The languid minutes of the afternoon passes, sleepy overcast skies not one conducive for extended time out in the field, as the two of you remain tucked away on the café patio. Together, you calmly survey the area and look for any foot traffic or other street watchers; anyone who might be observing or reporting back in to anyone. True to form, there are a few spotters within sightline on the street: a woman with a cured meats cart whose position has just a little too convenient a view of the main entrance to the theatre, and a pair of thuggish looking teenagers having a drink and a smoke on one of the tenement balconies.

But after about three quarters of an hour, something happens that disrupts the stakeout. Drake's keen eyes spot an unusual movement. Approaching from the west comes a ratty and slight looking figure, nothing much to look at by the looks of them. At a distance, their frame resembles that of a child, but the practiced ease with which they dance and dart underfoot would point to one of the smaller races. What little the dwarf can see of their hair and skin is literally covered with dirt, and a scarf covers the lower of their face. As they make their way inexorably towards one of the nearby alleys with presumed side entrances to the House of Counted Shadows, the dwarf notes that none of the other spotters have actually noticed their approach. When he points it out to Kleris, the latter follows Drake's gaze and recognizes the figure nearly instantly.

Renn.