AMEN XLVII: Who's the Leader, Again?

[5a Violista]

[Mr E's Phone]

*RingRing* *RingRing*

A phone is ringing for Mr E. It's Harley Zorzo.
Presumably it's because she won the election.

[ThePhantom]

Mr E's Room

E picks up the phone, leaning back in his chair watching the different screens.

"You reached the house of E, how are you?"

[5a Violista]

[Calling Mr E's Room]

The voice over the phone says, "Hello, this is Harley. As you've no doubt already heard, I've been elected as a councilwoman." She is in Riverside. Hence, why what she says remains generic without completely blowing her disguise as Mrs Martinez instead of Ms Zorzo.

The person on the other side of the phone continues. "Mostly, I'd like to thank you for your assistance in this election. I would come to thank you in person, except some barrier is preventing me from leaving the city. No doubt I wouldn't have been elected without your help."

[ThePhantom]

[Calling Mr E's Room]

"I assisted, but it was your own words and actions that gave you the victory. I just made sure to give them out to a wide audience. And there's a barrier you say? I'll start looking into it right now."

E starts working a keyboard with his free hand, pulling up information about Riverside and information about barriers in AMEN's database.

[5a Violista]

[Calling Mr E's Room]

Specifically, it was this one that she's talking about.

Over the phone, Harley ZorzoMartinez continues. "Well, I just wanted to thank you anyway. I wouldn't have been able to do it without all of the people who supported me during this election." In the background, there's the normal ambiance sounds of a city: birds, automobiles, people walking and talking, people recognizing/congratulating Harley, ...and so on. "The car was also especially helpful, for getting back to Riverside." She parked it some distance outside of the city, and somehow didn't damage it.

[ThePhantom]

Calling Mr E's Room

"Well thank you then. You didn't lose the keys did you? Its a pain to get a locksmith out to open the car again."

E pulls some more documents, reading through them quickly.

"As for how to get out of Riverside, I think your best bet is the river, barriers tend to be weaker at points of constant flow, unless the river is backed up, in which case there are likely other things to worry about."

Like what's else is in the barrier, and where all that water is going.

[5a Violista]

[Calling Mr E's Room]

"No," Harley quickly replies, "I still have the keys. I've still got them on me so I won't lose them, in fact."

She nods as she listens...not that she can be seen nodding over the phone. Why do people even do that? "So, the river. I'll check that out before I next have to leave."

"Well, I probably ought to get to the parliamentary palace...goodbye. It was nice talking with you."

[ThePhantom]

Calling Mr E's Room

"Goodbye Harley. I'll see if I can arrange a celebration for your victory."

[happyturtle]

Parlaying with Demons - far outside AMEN

Simone¹ and Ambrosia find a spot in the woods to camp - somewhere anonymous and well hidden from any nearby trails. Simone's new tent is made of blur-weave on one side and blackout cloth on the other. It is more advanced than anything she'd ever used back in her previous adventuring days, but that is never going to make her like camping. Ugh. Oh well, it can't be helped.

Before they get started, she gives a box to Ambrosia which contains a silver necklace and two silver bracelets. "I know dragons immune, but... to be extra safe." Simone has an identical set that she slips on.

At nightfall, she closes herself in the tent, which has become pitch black when it is zipped up. After about fifteen minutes of meditating, Simone's shade passes through the wall of the tent, on the darkest side. To Ambrosia, it looks like Simone, except that the eyes are red.

"I go now. Be careful to not permit light inside tent. Unless if I not back by dawn, then rouse me." she says to Ambrosia.

---

¹ Simone is a young, thin, dark skinned human woman with long straight black hair tied up in a spiral braid atop her head. She is wearing a dark patterned shalwar kalmeez with a long silk scarf around her neck.

[Shadowcaller]

Parlaying with Demons - far outside AMEN

The scholar accepts and opens the box curiously. "Oh, of course. I'll wear them." Before Simone enters the tent, Ambrosia will give her a hug. "Good luck, Simone. Just do your best and things will be fine."

Once Shadmone exits the tent, Ambrosia is indeed wearing the silver she was given. She bows before the shade. "Don't worry, this isn't the first time I watch over one of 'fathers' agents."

If the shade continues towards the AMEN base, she will soon see the temple floating in the air next to it. Its enormous in size, yet does not look like a building as much as a monolith. There are no windows, no visible entrances or openings, just a gigantic floating black chuck of stone that pulses with a soft green light.

Down below it, if Simone gets that close, are a entire camp filled with demons moving about.

[happyturtle]

Parlaying with Demons - At the Demons Camp

Shadmone? Simade? Ugh, sometimes portmanteau names just don't work!

"Thank you."

Simone's shade approaches the camp stealthily, trying to gather information first. She isn't just going to approach the watch demons unless she have no choice. It will be interesting to see if her silver's shade is glowing, or if that only happens with the actual physical silver. Simone believes in it as a protection for her mind, as well as her body.

Is there any sort of traffic or communication between the monolith and the camp below? Does there appear to be anyone or anything atop the floating stone? What sort of terrain surrounds the camp? Can she figure out who the leaders are, and if the group is united, or multiple groups within the same territory?

[Shadowcaller]

Parlaying with Demons - At the Demons Camp

The ground underneath the monolith have been reduced to dirt thanks to the camp underneath it. There a few smaller hills that the stone structures have been erected upon which the demons appear to use as barracks.
The area around the camp appears to have been cleared of vegetation, with the trees remade into a partly finished palisade that surrounds about a quarter of the camp.
The demons themselves appear to be mostly pit fiends dressed up in various degrees of armor, combined with a lot of hounds
In the air above, flying around the monolith, are a large swarm of huge bat-like demons that sometimes screeches loudly, a sound so unpleasant that not even the demons themselves seem to like it considering some of them stop to throw stones at the creatures when they're screaming away.
These creatures sometimes decide to land on-top of the monolith, yet she can't see anything else on-top of it.
There are a number of other beings that set themselves apart from the demons and their hounds. First there are creatures that at first glance appear to be armored pit fiends, but at closer look appear to be nothing but floating suits of armors, the eyes of these armors glow a icy blue in contrast to the fiends fiery red eyes. Accompanying these suits of armors are the undead, either wights or skeletons that have been pressed into service by these demons.

These observations should make it clear that there are actually three distinct groups in the encampment.

First, are what one could call the "military group", which makes up the majority of the camp. They're fiends that clearly practice military discipline and are training or reinforcing the camp in some way. They always appear to make themselves busy with something.

The second group is harder to spot as they are dressed very much like the first group, they're fiends with armor that move about the camp like the first group do. Yet, they are clearly not as disciplined and seem to spend more time in prayer and rites involving blood rather than joining the military group in their practices.

The third group is the most distinct, being the one only involving the floating suits of armors and their undead servants. They are avoided by the two other groups who keep their distance as they make their way across camp, clearly holding some sort of animosity towards them. This group spend most of its time preparing and raising corpses of people and animals that are brought into the camp by unknown means. Simone can't see how it is done without getting closer.

Among all these demons is one that stands out, it is a one of the larger fiends dressed in a silver-like armor which glows blue in the presence of so many demons (Simone's things do not glow in her shade-form). Like the floating suits of armors, this demons eyes glow a icy blue, and it it clearly some kind of leader judging by the kind of respect at least the military group is showing to it.

[happyturtle]

Parlaying with Demons - At the Demon's Camp

If Simone were trying to infiltrate the camp, she would try and befriend a lower ranking demon. But for this mission, it is best to go directly to the top. She moves through the shadows and attempts to avoid any of the other demons until she can intercept the silver armoured demon. If she can, she will step out of the shadows to appear in front of it, and bow with her hands folded in front of her. "Greetings, Lord Demon."

[Shadowcaller]

Parlaying with Demons - At the Demon's Camp

The demon stops and turns its icy gaze in the direction of Simeone's voice. A few of the nearby soldiers draw their weapons or gestures threateningly towards Simone, but all the leader need to do is to raise its hand for them to stop. The demon lord appears intrigued. "What is this? An assassination attempt?" The demon asks in a deep booming voice. "You have a minute to explain, mortal."

[happyturtle]

Parlaying with Demons - at the Demon Camp

Simone opens her hands and turns them palms up to show that they are empty. "I come without weapons, sir. I am here only to talk, if you please."

[Shadowcaller]

Parlaying with Demons - at the Demon Camp

"Then talk, explain why you are here, you are the first mortal to approach us willingly." The demon lord seem to observe her with interest while the others seem ready to attack her where she stands.

[happyturtle]

Parleying with Demons - at the demon camp

Simone is surprised to feel that her heart is beating heart. Should a shade have a beating heart? Her senses are telling her that she is surrounded by enemies who want to kill her. Some part of her wants to run. RUN! But her expression is calm and confident. That ability to put on a performance is a skill she mastered so long ago she barely even thinks of it as a separate skill - it is just the way she operates. The face never shows what she thinks and feels unless she chooses it to show.

"People are afraid of you, Sir. My name is Simone of the Isandwani, who are no more. I wish to parley with you, my Lord, about your intentions towards mortals here in Nexus." She glances coolly at the demons who are still holding weapons towards her, as if to say 'And perhaps without these ones present' but doesn't say this aloud. That might sound too suspicious to minds already bent on suspicion. Better if the words come from their commander, should he choose to take her hint.

[Shadowcaller]

Parleying with Demons - at the demon camp

The soldiers are lowering their weapons without as much as a word from their silver-clad commander. "You have to excuse my soldiers, but there is a mutual distrust between us and mortals that cannot be overstated. Therefore, I'm afraid you just have to abide to their presence for now, but perhaps if you tell me just what you are first, they would be more inclined to trust you. You look like yet another variant of the spider-paw species, yet I have yet to seen one shrouded in blackness before, nor one able to appear in the middle of my camp. Such powers make one weary." The demon sounds rather curious.

[happyturtle]

Parleying with Demons - in the Demon Camp

"Spider-paw - is that how you say 'human'? I am human, Sir." Simone pauses a moment. Helios would never give this information away for free. But it is essential to gain trust. "This form," she gestures at herself, "Is only shadow. Not real self. I think perfect form for envoy. I cannot harm or be harmed. Only speak and listen." She looks around at the demons around her. "I really only come to talk. I am not soldier or mage. I am not spy, or I would stay in shadows. Your people and my people only war. We never talk. We not even know what you name yourselves. We call you 'demons'." She looks up at the Silver-clad demon again, with a heartfelt expression. "May I know your name, Sir, if nothing else, and the name of your people?"

[Shadowcaller]

Parleying with Demons - in the Demon Camp

"Human, elf, dwarf... it's easy to confuse you all, so we call you all spider-paws." The demon indicates Simones hands with its huge armored hand. Apparently, they think her hands look like spiders?
"But as you observed, your kind call us all 'demons', but those you see before you in this camp are of the mighty therazim race, and I am Sargon, king Sargon."

At this point it sounds like one of the hornless fiends are starting to protest, yet Simone can't understand a word of what it is saying as they're speaking a strange language that unlike most languages, cannot be understood here. But the silver-clad demon just dismiss these protests. Simone might note that the protesting demon, or therazim, was not a part of the soldier group. It keeps pointing at her, clearly not with good intentions.

"But our time grows short, so continue. You came here to ask questions, it sounds like you want to practice diplomacy, yes?"

[happyturtle]

Parlaying with Demons - in the demon camp

Simone bows again, "I thank you for the gift of your name, King Sargon. Yes, I have come to practice diplomacy. Until now there has always been war between the spider-paw and the therazim, but must it always be so? Is there no way that our peoples may live in peace, Your Majesty?"

[Shadowcaller]

Parlaying with Demons - in the demon camp

"'Peace'? I am sorry to disappoint, but my people do not believe in such things anymore. They are all warriors without any love for mortals that know nothing else but ending their lives at this point, not even the guides support peace anymore." Sargon gestures up at the monolith. "To have taken this path, to become demons, there is no backing off it. Too much hatred, too much death, doubt would only lead to failure."

[happyturtle]

Parleying with demons - in the demon camp

"Your people seek death? Why is this, Your Majesty? What is the path of the Therazim?" Simone asks. She looks up at the monolith as well, to see if there is anything specific the King is gesturing at.

[Shadowcaller]

Parleying with demons - in the demon camp

"Answer me something first, 'Simone', what do your people seek? What is the path of your 'humans'? Since it is the belief of my people that each people seek dominance of one another, wherever they know it or not. It is simply the path of all life." Sargon remarks.

The tension is palpable around them now, judging by the looks she is given by the rest of the demons, Sargon is the only thing holding them from attempting to attack her.

[happyturtle]

Parlaying with demons - in the demon camp

"For humans, we have several paths, Your Majesty. One is warrior's path, which your soldiers know. Another is scholar's path, who seek to learn from all of world, everywhere. That is my path. But most common path is to grow to adulthood and find someone to love and have children, and raise them to adulthood in turn." Simone says.

[Shadowcaller]

Parlaying with demons - in the demon camp

Some of the therazim, mainly the not-soldiers, appear to react poorly to Simone's explanation. "Unpure animal! Nagzh ragath!" The unhorned demon from before screams and gestures towards Simone and a powerful fireball is launched at her. But right before it can hit her, Sargon reaches out in the nick of time to "catch" the fireball in his outstretched armored hand. The fireball explodes right there, but the majority of the force is simply absorbed into the demon lords glove, Simone can still feel the heat and the force of the spell however the fireball turns into a rain of tinder's.

Now it is Sargon's turn to scream back at the disobedient demon and quickly grabs it by the throat, whatever he is shouting at her, it is not something pleasant.

Simeone might not notice it, but there is an unusual observer that have been drawn to the event. A human woman dressed in a adorned fancy robe.

[happyturtle]

Parlaying with demons - In the demon camp

In theory, a fireball can't hurt Simone's shade form.

In reality, she saw her city destroyed by flames. It is one of her true fears. And even without that, can anyone* really stare without fear as a fireball comes straight at them?

Simone's shade drops flat and stays there with her head covered while the dispute rages. Helios can probably hear her thoughts, which are mostly gibberish now Fire fire they're going to kill me I'm going to burn Mamma fire....

---

* Who isn't a mage, or part fire-elemental, or a badass PC that doesn't look at explosions etc

[Shadowcaller]

Parlaying with demons - In the demon camp

Snap out of it, Simone. Those flames can't hurt you. You're safe, and you have already managed to gather a lot of information. Helios assures her.
Outside her little mental word, things are spiraling out of control as the soldiers and priests are getting into shouting matches with one another over her presence there. Sargon have by now managed to lift the unhorned priest into the air by the throat.

However, suddenly the lone human who've been observing the whole thing steps forward. "Enough of this, we do not fight among one another, not over something so insignificant as a mortal." Then by her word, the priests back of, all bowing in sign of reverence.
Sargon lets go of the unhorned priest at stares down at the human who dares to approach.
"It is clear that this mortal has been sent to sow dissident among our ranks, we should not listen to it..."

[happyturtle]

Parleying with Demons - in the demon camp

Simone notices three things.

1. The heat has stopped.
2. Helios has praised her. He doesn't do that often. Maybe he is sick or something....
3. That robed human just made an accusation of her!

She lifts her head, then gets to her hands and knees, then stands, though it takes all her courage to manage it. When she speaks, she addresses Sargon. "I have done nothing but answer Your Majesty's questions. I am here as an envoy only."

[Shadowcaller]

Parleying with Demons - in the demon camp

"An envoy of what, exactly?" The human accuses as Sargon looks back at Simone. "I have listened, and you have barely told us anything about who your supposedly represent. What kind of power do you hold over mortalkind? Why should we parley with you, specifically? We have been in this nexus world for many years, and we have not heard of a Simone, nor a Isandwani. Explain yourself mortal."

"I want to hear this." Sargon declares, his icy gaze now focused on Simone once again.