Riverside 22: Better the demon you know?

[Gullara]

Riverside, a smaller, modern city, sitting on top of the River Syde and found some ways away from the sprawl of Inside. The city has always been in a state of flux since it came to be a part of the Nexus. Powers have risen and fallen, disasters have struck, and the climate has always been unstable. Because of all this, the people of Riverside are a hardy lot. They know what it takes to survive, and it's not always pleasant. Riverside sits on the edge of the Nexus, so while it's still prone to the strangeness common there, it's far more stable than other parts of the Nexus. A city like this is not a safe and stable place, but for many it's home and for some it's even opportunity.

Welcome to Riverside.

Current Events

The Districts

Spoiler

Show

Northside

Northside is the most prosperous part of the city. Many of the city's wealthiest live there, especially toward the center of the district. There a castle floats in the sky, housing the government of most of the entire city, Malechenar. Northside benefits from the careful eye of its rulers. There have been great strides taken toward making it the safest and most attractive part of the city.

Eastside

Eastside is mostly a middle-to-lower class, densely populated area. It's fairly multicultural, even by Nexus standards, and inhabited by a wide range of species and cultures. It has been a poorer area for most of its existence, but fairly recently they have rallied under a democratic government and, as a result, their lot has improved.

Southside

Southside has fallen far behind the development of the rest of the city. First it was emptied by it's queen's parting, and then claimed by villains. Now, however, the remaining major powers of the city have begun to lay their claim to the once empty territory. New construction has sprung up and people are gradually moving back in. It isn't free from turmoil, but progress is being made.

Westside

Westside is unique compared to the rest of the districts because it is covered by a cloak of darkness. During the day the Light of Evolution, an artificial sun suspended in the sky, provides light. However, it is still home to a higher density of people that are adverse to the light for a number of reasons.

The district has fallen on hard times since its government was absorbed into Malechenar. While the peace is being maintained, to an extent, it isn't given the same level of attention that Northside is despite security being hired out to MERC. As a result, it can be quite unstable there at times.

Wildside

Though not a district in the traditional sense, Wildside is a distinct and relevant part of the city. Along the city's border, the cityscape gives way to forest. Sometimes it's a gradual blending, in other places it's a sharp cut separated by fences and small walls. Though roads and trails do cut through it, it's not recommended to travel through the trees at risk of provoking Wildside's guardian.

Previously there have been failed attempts to break through Wildside to allow the city proper to expand. They were largely unsuccessful. As a result, the city has been trending toward growing upward, rather than outward.

Places Within
Riverside is a very modern city, and thus a person can find most of the expected amenities. All manner of stores, a hospital, parks and playgrounds, churches, you name it. Most of these places are run and attended to by the residents of the city, regular people without players to guide them most of the time. Players are free to invent and discard these places and the people in them as suits the needs of their roleplaying. Some have been named already, Moth Park, the Golden Flagon Tavern, Sawyer's Inn, but many more are out there.

There are a number of places that have been defined by players, and can be observed and interacted with. Some of these have been listed below for reference.

Spoiler: Location List

Show

Northside

• Eventide Manor ^Shadowcaller
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  After the departure of Malechenar castle, the remaining leadership in Northside needed a new base of operations. An old noble mansion has been retrofitted for the task. It's an old and suitably grand structure, adorned with gargoyles very similar to their past home.
• Third Circle ^{LordDeathkeeper}
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  The Third Circle is a small, unassuming building, its sign over the door in bold red paint and its front window mostly kept clear to prevent the sunlight from fading any colors. It advertises all written words at affordable prices, and for adventurers to inquire within about jobs.
  
  The interior is a soft wooden-brown with reds, and smells like a library full of old books. Most of the furniture is as you'd expect, save for the counter, which is normal height but has only minimal space behind it, likely due to the fact that the clerk is a two-foot-tall imp. Next to the counter is a large bulletin board covered in paper slips.

Eastside

• New Hope Hospital ^Shadowcaller
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  The once abandoned hospital in Eastside is in the process of being refurbished. It's been recently acquired after the invasion, and it's been restored along with the rebuilding in the city. It's not ready to take patients yet, but it's only a matter of time.
• Cosiellio's Temple ^Halae
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  There's a small temple here that just finished construction last week. It's a fairly plain thing, more utilitarian than ostentatious, but it's made of marble and granite, giving it a glowing white appearance in the sun, with Cos' holy symbol in a large carved statue above the front door. It's a shield with feathered wings imposed along the front, giving it the impression of a heart. It's carved impeccably; it must have been done with magic.
  
  A few of Cos' faithful are here almost all the time - given the informal nature of the temple, everybody drifts in to say a few prayers whenever they're feeling like they should, or whenever they have the time. Cos himself regularly visits, of course, and answers prayers directly.
• Light's Heart ^Shadowcaller
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  The site that was once Light's Heart has been reduced to little more than a crater after the invasion.
• Lotus Gardens ^UncleWolf
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  The Lotus Gardens are a veritable Eden, a paradise in the middle of an otherwise fairly "normal" city. The entire section appears carved of white marble and smells of sweets, a hint of sweat, and exotic flowers, inviting all to come and stay in the Lotus Garden's Embrace.
  
  Home to the Slaanesh Cult "The Masks", the population is full of exotic and beautiful appearing people who are always welcoming. Though many just live around the area, actual cultists seem few and far between, wearing their Masks as they patrol the streets as guards.
  
  In the very center is the Mask Temple, a cathedral of white marble and stained glass windows, surrounded by paired statues of lovers locked in eternal embrace.
• Parliament Buildings ^UncleWolf
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  Converted from several buildings in the middle of the district, it serves as the seat of the administration. The Mayor resides there.
  
  Not far from the Town Hall, the small circular new building serves as the meeting place for the People's Parliament. It includes a large hall for meetings as well as offices for all the members.
  
  The Hunter's hall once stood here, but it was destroyed in the invasion.

Southside

• DMside ^Zefir
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  DMside is a small district located in the east of Southside, close to the city's edge. It's main building is an iron cathedral of Deus Mechanicus. Around the cathedral are a number of factories, labs, and shops that work on robotics. A shield generator in front of the cathedral serves as its main defense against attacks.
• Xar'cha Residence ^Reinholdt
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  Home to the demon hunter Ilpholin Xar'cha, this large building appears more like a fortress than a residence. The entire thing being shaped like a spider where it expects you to enter through its mouth may be off-putting, but if one makes it up to the front door they will be warmly greeted by the local AI.
  
  The immediate inside is much more welcoming with carefully arranged furniture designed around receiving guests. The majority of the rooms past this point serve a variety of purposes as they stretch deeper and deeper underground.

Westside

• Bloodsong's Oasis ^{Ashen Lilies}
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  Located right on Westside’s bustling riverfront, the Oasis rises above its surrounding buildings like its namesake water feature, an elegant high-elven style manor house smack in the middle of its unassuming brownstone neighbors. Owned by an orc clan, the establishment was opened to cater mostly to orcs, goblins, lizardfolk, greenskins and beastfolk of all sorts that live and work the city's docks, providing an upscale alternative to the common dockside pub or Friday night chain-restaurant. The restaurant quickly gained buzz among the fine dining establishment, however, and now proudly serves all patrons, providing an island of glamour among the mostly downtrodden quarter.
  
  Ritzy and well-lit, the main dining room presents a spacious promise of jazzy splendour, populated by an array of elegantly furnished tables ringing a large stage at the far end, and a heavy, aged-wood bar at the flank. The bar is appropriately dressed up with real bullet holes and scored with injuries from knife, battle-axe, and arrows, befitting the speakeasy theme. At the stage, live music every night, typically from the house jazz band, fronted by their elegant ettin lead singer (contralto and mezzo-soprano) completes the room with appropriately sultry flair, though guest performances are showcased on occasion, featuring artists from across the Nexus.
  
  Other rooms include a large secondary floor for private events and pre-booked parties, as well as smaller, private dining rooms for rent, including balconies overlooking the main stage, and a larger speakeasy-style hidden bar behind the bookshelf, for VIP clients who want the utmost discretion to discuss certain... clandestine activities.
• Cathedral of the Sacred Order of Cunningham ^happyturtle
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  The Westside Cathedral is large enough to house people for emergency purposes, but in general, only the family of the pastor and the groundskeeper live there.
  
  Pastor Rockwell is the Pastor
  Sister Janice is the Pastor's wife, and a skilled hippiemancer.
  

  Spoiler

  Show

  [IMG][/IMG]
• Club Pulse ^Shadowcaller
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  The club is quite easily noticed by the huge neon sign outside, Pulse was easily recognized as Riversides largest nightclub. Beyond the line and the bouncer outside is a classic club layout with a large dance floor with loud music and flashing lights.
  
  In a slightly more calm area of the club is the bar run by an one-eyed bartender called Ryo.
  
  There are two stairs leading up to the upper floor where it's easier to talk and drink.
  
  The atmosphere is pretty heavy as you walk inside with techno music playing very loud.
• Evolution Industries ^Darkcomet
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  Three main buildings make up Evolution Industries' holdings in Riverside. The first is the main administrative building. A nondescript office building bearing the EI logo.
  
  Next there is the Evolution Industries power plant. It is a heavily reinforced building that houses a Class 3 MACE unit. It is an incredibly potent power source that provides power to most of Riverside.
  
  Lastly there is the Light of Evolution's control center. The artificial sun that lights up Westside's days is maintained by EI and powered by it's power plant. A bright blue beam of energy links the structure and the sun above.
  
  Posts for EI's property should occur in this thread.
• MagMart ^{Lord Magtok}
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  If the individual entering has any sort of familiarity with the other MagMart, back when it was its own building apart from Mallside, they'll probably notice that this Riverside one doesn't look anywhere near as glamorous as its predecessor. It's a modest purple brick building, the glass display windows aren't even properly bulletproof, and the smelly homeless people usually employed to wander around about the front of the store in a wacky MagMascot costume with an enormous cyborg head are mysteriously absent.
  
  That said, you can still find just about everything here that you can at the Mallside store. Curtains to carpets, macaroni to monkeys on motorcycles, groceries to zombies garlic. The staff is always happy to help (or else), and if you aren't entirely satisfied with your shopping experience, you can pay a small fee to watch the MagMart employee of your choosing get fired out the MagMart complimentary employee morale cannon. Except in this store, the 'morale cannon' is really more of a morale bazooka, and while it's still fun to watch, it's nowhere near as charming.
• Toy Tinker ^Murkus
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  Here stands the Toy Tinker, a rich, ancient wooden building styled after the sort of boardwalk shop you might've found on Earth in the early American twentieth century. It's a crude blocky affair dominated by sweeping, simple architecture, built in two stories with a basement beneath. The front of the shop is covered by two long, shiny windows, behind which waits a plethora of playthings. Mostly metal work, plus some plastic or wood worked in. The various creatures move about with a life of their own, eyes aglow by some strange inner light. Dragons with clockwork guts waddle alongside tin soldiers run on batteries and copper wire. You can find just about any sort of toy here.
  
  The Tinker supplies the most lifelike toys anywhere, guaranteed. Just don't ask how the proprietor makes them - unless you're looking for business of a different sort.

Wildside

• Underground Hive ^{Slii Arhem}
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  Beneath the massive network of roots that bind the trees together are deep, winding tunnels that serve as a home to the bee colonies being kept by the orchard's guardian. These megalithic hives have even extended slightly under the city limits, and complaints about deep, sonorous buzzing in those sections of the city have increased substantially.
• Riftline Station
  
  Spoiler

  Show

  Not in Wildside proper, but on the fringes of the city is the bustling Riftline station. This huge station facilitates a lot of transportation in and out of the city, making commutes to Inside and other locations very quick.

Archive

Spoiler

Show

Riverside 21: Older than Arkh
Riverside 20: Another day, another disaster
Riverside 19
Riverside 18
Riverside 17
Riverside 16: Turn and face the strain
Riverside 15
Riverside 14
Riverside 13
Riverside 12
Riverside 11
Riverside X: Take a Walk on the Wildside
Riverside IX
Riverside VIII: A New Side
Riverside VII
Riverside VI
Riverside V
Riverside IV: Offside, 10 Yard Penalty
Riverside III
Riverside II
Riverside I: The Beginning

This thread is managed by Gullara. I will create the new thread when this one reached 50 pages. Please contact me for updates to the OP.

---

Thinking about roleplaying in the Nexus? Come say hi in our Discord!

[Reinholdt]

[Bombing at Wild Mike's - Aftermath]

One bomb. Eight fatalities. Sixty-nine casualties.

The fallout from Deathkiss concert at Wild Mike's is extensive. Confusion and accusations abound and everyone's looking for someone or something else to blame. Official reports finger a young terrorist with no known connections as the culprit, but many eyewitness reports claim it was Deathkiss itself that was responsible, unaware of the King in Rags supernatural influence upon their perceptions at the time. It's easy to believe and to shunt the attention away from them being eyewitnesses at a Deathkiss concert to begin with, so a number cling to the story despite the lack of physical evidence. Ironically, the amount of physical evidence against the official suspect is also lacking, leading to a great deal of he said, she said situations, schisms in beliefs, and the rise of an official cover up conspiracy theory that takes root in some of the more easily swayed.

What blame Deathkiss is catching for this incident, officials are catching ten-fold. MERC in particular is having a bad day as calls come out from both sides. Those fervently defending Deathkiss criticize MERC for failing in their jobs, while those accusing Deathkiss consider MERC in league with the perpetrators. Things get even worse when videos are leaked of Jaahlyn, presumed to be with MERC given her position at the events that transpired, transforming a person against their will and then releasing a hundred demons upon the Riverside streets via a portal in the hospital. Demons that have mostly been a minor nuisance, but has put everyone who still remembers the demon invasion on edge.

VIGIL's role in this only serves to muddy the waters further as a VIGIL member is cited as being at the scene of the crime. The same member who later apparently busted out the primary suspect, making people wonder if this was all a sting operation or world ending event of some sort. VIGIL's assurances that the member acted on her own and out of line assuage some of the fears but leave a lot of people scratching their head as they try to sort out this mess.

While MERC is catching a lot of PR flak just for being in the middle and VIGIL is getting a general reprieve for their swift and official response to Anika's actions, the Mayor's Office is garnering most of the attention. More than a few people are criticizing the police for not only not showing up at all to the bombing (starting rumors of demonic discrimination from Deathkiss' supporters), but also for handing over their authority to MERC. Then there are those who say Deathkiss should never have been allowed to operate in Eastside to begin with. More extreme groups are rallying support for tighter control over demons in general, or outright banning them entirely.

Tensions are high, facts are in short supply and frequently disbelieved even when stated, the entire city dangerously close to becoming a powder keg of conflicting views. And all eyes are focused on the Mayoral office, waiting for an official statement on the crime. No longer even looking for the truth, but looking for governmental support of their personal, previously determined belief. And to find out what the Mayor intends to do about all of this.

Who will be punished? How will the Mayor stop this from happening again?

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

"That's easy enough." The bouncer produces a set of poker chips and quickly scrawls out a reciept. "You cash out like anyone else, but show this at the door to get your collateral back." He shrugs. "Or don't, and take the money instead. No great loss to us." He steps aside to let Jaahlyn in. "Have a good evening, miss."

Siana's still barred from coming in, of course. Jaahlyn won't be given enough to pay for both of them.

If Jaahlyn is willing to enter the casino under these terms, she's going to find the interior nearly as unimpressive as the outside. None of the glitzy, glittery slot machines or roulette wheels she might expect; rather, there's just a set of dusty old tables, attended by various demons, set up for a number of card games; poker, blackjack, rummy, hearts, and so on. A few have chess or checker sets instead, which appear to have wagering rules spliced into them to increase the stakes of the associated games. In the very back, there are a couple of billiards tables that seem to fill out a similar purpose. Waitstaff patrol the floor, offering drinks to anyone who doesn't already have a glass next to them... including Jaahlyn, naturally.

Regardless of whether she goes in or not, Jaahlyn might realize she's run into another problem... Vanity and Chastity didn't actually tell her what Gnash looked like. "Incubus" was all the description given, and there are at least two dozen of those among the patrons and another half dozen among the staff. They didn't even say he owned the place, just that he hung out here. How is she going to find him?

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn leans closer to Siana to give her a few words before heading in. "Keep a low profile while I'm in there, Siana. If i'm not back in two hours then contact MERC."

Then she turns to the bouncer, reaches down to her thigh and plucks three hairs from it, which look slightly painful. As she closes her hand and then opens it again the hair has been replaced by three goat-shaped ebony black tokens with white outlines which she hand over to him. "Don't do anything weird with them." She warns before heading inside.

Well, she was afraid she would feel overdressed in here but considering how cheap everything looked she preferred that before being under-dressed in this environment. Would probably give the wrong kind of signal.

But as she politely declines a drinks from the waiters she will also ask them if 'Gnash' was here and where she could find him. Presumably if Chasity and Vanity knew where he hanged out then the workers in here would too.

[Earl of Purple]

Beauty from Ashes

Matilda roars and lashes out again, but the pillars coming up underneath surprise the wereowlbear and she's pinned to the ceiling with little trouble. She tries to struggle and break free, and continues to screech and roar as loud as she can, but for now she seems neutralised.

She's not, she's hoping Leah will head away and leave her like this, so she can change back into half-elf shape- which is small enough to not be pinned to the ceiling by these specific pillars- and follow as stealthily as she can before trying to destroy Leah's hammer again.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

Siana does as she's told, though she doesn't look too comfortable being left on her own with a demon.

Asking around about Gnash results in Jaahlyn learning five things about him.

First, he's a generous tipper.

Second, he's a very private man.

Third, he's a generous tipper.

Fourth, he's in good with a number of proto-gangs in town... more of an intermediary than a leader, keeping some semblance of peace around here.

And finally, he's a generous tipper.

Nobody makes much mention of where he actually is, th-

"Well, hello there, beautiful." Greets a besuited, horned man on the far side of an untouched chess board. "I hear you've been looking for me."

The waitstaff let out a collective sigh and disperse. No point in jockeying information with her at this point.

"Do you play?" The incubus inquires, tapping the board in front of him.

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

Well... tipping was important!

But if he was a private man it made sense that he wouldn't want them to mention-

-where he was, which was now right in front of her.

The kind of man that comes to you rather than the other way around, huh? Would have saved her time if the waitresses could have mentioned that part. Not that she blamed them, maybe they suspected she'd follow them in case they'd lead her to Gnash.
She makes a courteous bow, not as flamboyant as she preferred but in this environment she didn't want to come off too flashy.
"Jaahlyn Hesperos at your service." She introduces herself before taking a seat in front of him. "And... I'm familiar with the rules. But it wasn't exactly something I grew up with." When she grew up using that much wood to make a game out of would probably have been seen as extremely wasteful.

[Felandria]

[Bombing at Wild Mike's - Aftermath]

One bomb. Eight fatalities. Sixty-nine casualties.

The fallout from Deathkiss concert at Wild Mike's is extensive. Confusion and accusations abound and everyone's looking for someone or something else to blame. Official reports finger a young terrorist with no known connections as the culprit, but many eyewitness reports claim it was Deathkiss itself that was responsible, unaware of the King in Rags supernatural influence upon their perceptions at the time. It's easy to believe and to shunt the attention away from them being eyewitnesses at a Deathkiss concert to begin with, so a number cling to the story despite the lack of physical evidence. Ironically, the amount of physical evidence against the official suspect is also lacking, leading to a great deal of he said, she said situations, schisms in beliefs, and the rise of an official cover up conspiracy theory that takes root in some of the more easily swayed.

What blame Deathkiss is catching for this incident, officials are catching ten-fold. MERC in particular is having a bad day as calls come out from both sides. Those fervently defending Deathkiss criticize MERC for failing in their jobs, while those accusing Deathkiss consider MERC in league with the perpetrators. Things get even worse when videos are leaked of Jaahlyn, presumed to be with MERC given her position at the events that transpired, transforming a person against their will and then releasing a hundred demons upon the Riverside streets via a portal in the hospital. Demons that have mostly been a minor nuisance, but has put everyone who still remembers the demon invasion on edge.

VIGIL's role in this only serves to muddy the waters further as a VIGIL member is cited as being at the scene of the crime. The same member who later apparently busted out the primary suspect, making people wonder if this was all a sting operation or world ending event of some sort. VIGIL's assurances that the member acted on her own and out of line assuage some of the fears but leave a lot of people scratching their head as they try to sort out this mess.

While MERC is catching a lot of PR flak just for being in the middle and VIGIL is getting a general reprieve for their swift and official response to Anika's actions, the Mayor's Office is garnering most of the attention. More than a few people are criticizing the police for not only not showing up at all to the bombing (starting rumors of demonic discrimination from Deathkiss' supporters), but also for handing over their authority to MERC. Then there are those who say Deathkiss should never have been allowed to operate in Eastside to begin with. More extreme groups are rallying support for tighter control over demons in general, or outright banning them entirely.

Tensions are high, facts are in short supply and frequently disbelieved even when stated, the entire city dangerously close to becoming a powder keg of conflicting views. And all eyes are focused on the Mayoral office, waiting for an official statement on the crime. No longer even looking for the truth, but looking for governmental support of their personal, previously determined belief. And to find out what the Mayor intends to do about all of this.

Who will be punished? How will the Mayor stop this from happening again?

Press Conference

Felandria has called for a press conference, as the reporters await her, she enters the conference room, and takes a seat at the table with the microphones.

She looks a little worn out, and a little angry.

Good afternoon.

In regards to the tragic events that took place at the Deathkiss concert…

I know there are those out there who question the official story, and I understand, we are still at this time attempting to determine what exactly happened and who is truly responsible.

Our suspect is considered to be the most likely culprit, but we can admit that the possibility of another party being responsible has to still be actively considered.

That being said, we strongly believe that Jaahlyn and Anika must answer for their actions as well, and a full inquiry is being launched.

I can also confirm that VIGIL is not being considered to be responsible for what happens at the concert, however, a full investigation into MERC’s actions is underway, and while I personally do not believe they acted with any malice, it is imperative that we ensure that events such as this never happen again.

We are also actively recruiting additional staff to our police force, not only uniformed officers, but counselors and mental health professionals to ease the burden of our existing forces, as well as on MERC.

I do not believe that we need some sort of show of force from out police, but we need to assure our fellow citizens that we take any threat to their safety seriously.

Besides, if a show of force is required, I can happily provide that by myself.

I want to let these terrorists and other violent criminals that my being behind a Mayor’s desk does not protect them from me, as I made a promise the day I became mayor that I would protect the citizens of Eastside as much as I possibly could.

With all that said, there is one other thing I must say.

I am fully aware of the grumbling that I was not properly elected to this position, but received it by what was essentially a battlefield promotion, and I can understand why some of you out there might not trust that I have your best interests at heart.

And so, in order to settle this matter, I am hereby calling for an election, I am more than willing to place my position at risk, in order to ensure that the true will of the people is heard, and it is my hope that I have your support to continue to serve you as the Mayor of this fine city.

And if it is the will of the people for someone new to lead Eastside, I will step aside and provide that new person with my full support.

Thank you.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

Well... tipping was important!

But if he was a private man it made sense that he wouldn't want them to mention-

-where he was, which was now right in front of her.

The kind of man that comes to you rather than the other way around, huh? Would have saved her time if the waitresses could have mentioned that part. Not that she blamed them, maybe they suspected she'd follow them in case they'd lead her to Gnash.
She makes a courteous bow, not as flamboyant as she preferred but in this environment she didn't want to come off too flashy.
"Jaahlyn Hesperos at your service." She introduces herself before taking a seat in front of him. "And... I'm familiar with the rules. But it wasn't exactly something I grew up with." When she grew up using that much wood to make a game out of would probably have been seen as extremely wasteful.

[Hell Bend]

"How about a friendly game while we talk, then?" Gnash smiles, turning the board so the white pieces are on his side. "No stakes. Just something to keep things interesting. I meet with so many people each day, it gets rather dull." He reaches forward and shuffles a pawn a couple of spaces ahead.

Spoiler: Board

Show

R	N	B	K	Q	B	N	R
P	P	P	P	_	P	P	P
_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_	_	_	_	P	_	_	_
_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
r	n	b	k	q	b	n	r

Gnash makes a gesture toward Jaahlyn, indicating it was her move, or at least that he would listen to what she had to say. "What is it you wanted to see me about?"

[Murkus]

[The Toy Tinker]

There actually aren't any other customers at the moment. Thankfully things are pretty quiet for this discussion.

"It sounds as though this creature might hold a wealth of useful information. Perhaps we can learn more about what we're facing if we contact the 'leviathan'?" Sticks suggests.

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn's eyebrows raise at this offer. "I'm not sure if I'm staying long enough for a game sir. My business here is fairly simple." The satyr just didn't really know how to tell them in a way they understood.
As she had made her way to the casino she had thought about it and realized that these demons had a radically different mindset than her own and she wasn't sure how to cross that gasp.

This had become extremely clear with the bouncer. Trying to squeeze out everything he could from her as soon as he knew he had something she wanted. Really pushing the limit to what would be considered acceptable.

But perhaps it was something to what Siana had said and there was some kind of code of honor at work here? Well, just one way to find out.

"There's a conspiracy to blame demons for everything that goes wrong in this city and I wanted to warn you about it. I was at the DEATHKISS concert the day before you got here and there was a powerful fey trying to rile up hatred towards demons. Even more so than has already taken root. This coincided with the attack on the band which makes me think that this fey is working together with the same people who attacked the concert." She explains while she nervously unbuttons the lowest part of her coat.

Usually you started with the top one but she suspected doing that would send him the wrong kind of signal. It was just really warm in here with all the people around. No wonder everyone was so lightly dressed, and most of them didn't even have fur.

"Right now I'm associated with MERC but that might not be true for long if they found out that I released all you guys from the abyss."

[The Toy Tinker]

Jaahlyn shrugs at Jim. "Couldn't tell you, Jim. Sorry. It was the first time I've been there so I didn't think to try to find that out." She gestures towards Sticks. "But perhaps we can find out if we just ask, like Sticks just suggested. That leviathan must have been down there an awful long time so perhaps they know."

She looks between them. "But, uh, I don't think I have to tell either of you to be careful around fey. Including me I guess. Especially if you want something from them since that usually means making some sort of deal." Jaahlyn would want to say that she didn't make deals with people but she kind of did. It was just that she usually accepted more normal forms of payment rather than 'interesting' ones like your firstborn child or whatever.

She was pretty sure most fey weren't even all that interested in children and just asked that to mess with people. To see if they would really give away their own flesh and blood.

[Deathkeeper]

The Toy Tinker

Jim sighs, resigning himself to having to do this. He'd make a joke about being careful around Jaahlyn if the rest of this wasn't so daunting.
"Well, is it liable to try to drown us just for getting close enough to talk to it? Because if that's the case I don't know if it's possible to be careful enough." He's really not sure he and Sticks are prepared to be dealing with hostile sea-monsters.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn's eyebrows raise at this offer. "I'm not sure if I'm staying long enough for a game sir. My business here is fairly simple." The satyr just didn't really know how to tell them in a way they understood.
As she had made her way to the casino she had thought about it and realized that these demons had a radically different mindset than her own and she wasn't sure how to cross that gasp.

This had become extremely clear with the bouncer. Trying to squeeze out everything he could from her as soon as he knew he had something she wanted. Really pushing the limit to what would be considered acceptable.

But perhaps it was something to what Siana had said and there was some kind of code of honor at work here? Well, just one way to find out.

"There's a conspiracy to blame demons for everything that goes wrong in this city and I wanted to warn you about it. I was at the DEATHKISS concert the day before you got here and there was a powerful fey trying to rile up hatred towards demons. Even more so than has already taken root. This coincided with the attack on the band which makes me think that this fey is working together with the same people who attacked the concert." She explains while she nervously unbuttons the lowest part of her coat.

Usually you started with the top one but she suspected doing that would send him the wrong kind of signal. It was just really warm in here with all the people around. No wonder everyone was so lightly dressed, and most of them didn't even have fur.

"Right now I'm associated with MERC but that might not be true for long if they found out that I released all you guys from the abyss."

[Hell Bend]

"Pity." The demon laments, shuffling the pawn back to its starting space to accommodate the next player. That was only to be expected. Jaahlyn didn't seem very interested in entertaining him.

The incubus leans back and listens to Jaahlyn's story, wearing a barely-restrained smirk by the end of it. "That will carry you far in this town." He chortles sarcastically. "As far as the residents of Hell Bend are concerned, nobody 'released' them. They found an exit, they saw the opportunity, and they put in the legwork to get out while the getting was good." He runs a finger over his chin. "Word to the wise; never trust a demon who deals in debts. If you lend, they will not pay. If you borrow, they will take all they can from you. And nobody knows that better than they do."

Gnash adjusts his tie and smiles. "But back to the big picture. You say there's a fae trying to stoke fear of demons in the people of this town. My question is this; why should I care?" He raises a hand to forestall any reactions. "Callous though it may sound, our dealings with the good people of Riverside are few and far between. What businesses deal outside of Hell Bend rely on being feared anyway, and very few people are crazy enough to come here in the first place. How does this fae's influence change the situation at all?"

[Meowmai]

[Skate Park]

"Pretty good, huh?" He gives Ana a little smirk before looking back at Atsede. "Well if you wanna see the rest we have to go to the big ramp." He jerks his thumb at the ramp in question. It's off to the side of the park since it's not part of the bowls. It's a separate structure that's been built next to the rest. "Come on." He drops his board and starts to skate over that way.

Skate Park

"Y-yeah, pretty good," Anastasia restates casually, trying to hold the facade - but she can't quite keep a gentle blush off her face. That knowing smirk really gets her every time. Eliseo should really know the power he has and restrain himself from throwing it around so casually. It's also the perfect distraction for Atsede to catch Ana off-guard, making her jump a little.

"Eheh, I think you'd be uh, a little disappointed. Far as like, skating goes at least." She smiles awkwardly but not unkindly, caught off-guard but still able to appreciate the humor intended here. She turns to Eliseo and follows his gaze before glancing back at Atsede, shrugging, dropping her board and starting to follow. "Yeah, c'mon - like, I'll need help carrying him if he breaks something." She grins.

Skate Park

Atsede noticed that tiny little stutter and blush Ana gave in response to Eliseo's smirk, and her eyebrow raised. Aha, so she had a bit of a crush on him, didn't she? The changeling did consider teasing her about it, but decided that'd it'd probably be a little weird for her to do so as they had only just met. So she just filed that information away in her brain, for another day maybe.

Grinning, she looked over to the ramp. "Oh hell yeah." She laughed at Ana's comment, joking along, "Alrighty then, but no promises I won't drop him if we do," before following, skating up to the ramp.

[Reinholdt]

Beauty from Ashes

Matilda roars and lashes out again, but the pillars coming up underneath surprise the wereowlbear and she's pinned to the ceiling with little trouble. She tries to struggle and break free, and continues to screech and roar as loud as she can, but for now she seems neutralized.

She's not, she's hoping Leah will head away and leave her like this, so she can change back into half-elf shape- which is small enough to not be pinned to the ceiling by these specific pillars- and follow as stealthily as she can before trying to destroy Leah's hammer again.

[Beauty from Ashes]

Leah's not as convinced that Matilda is helpless, keeping an eye on owlbear for a bit. Honestly, she expected the beast to break free, but when that happens, she breathes a little. "Stay there. Be good," Leah says in a tone not unlike one would use when commanding a pet dog. Of course, the catgirl still lightly bonks Matilda's head with her mallet in hope that a direct application of the seal might knock some sense in the wildly insane nudist.

But Leah doesn't stick around to find out! She turns and runs deeper into the tunnel. There's no point in subtlety, she's got a source to destroy and getting to it sooner rather than latter is the priority. Mostly before either of those two thralls wake up/escape/stop her.

Matilda shouldn't have any trouble stealthing after Leah, but may have trouble keeping up with her.

[Gullara]

Skate Park

"Y-yeah, pretty good," Anastasia restates casually, trying to hold the facade - but she can't quite keep a gentle blush off her face. That knowing smirk really gets her every time. Eliseo should really know the power he has and restrain himself from throwing it around so casually. It's also the perfect distraction for Atsede to catch Ana off-guard, making her jump a little.

"Eheh, I think you'd be uh, a little disappointed. Far as like, skating goes at least." She smiles awkwardly but not unkindly, caught off-guard but still able to appreciate the humor intended here. She turns to Eliseo and follows his gaze before glancing back at Atsede, shrugging, dropping her board and starting to follow. "Yeah, c'mon - like, I'll need help carrying him if he breaks something." She grins.

Skate Park

Atsede noticed that tiny little stutter and blush Ana gave in response to Eliseo's smirk, and her eyebrow raised. Aha, so she had a bit of a crush on him, didn't she? The changeling did consider teasing her about it, but decided that'd it'd probably be a little weird for her to do so as they had only just met. So she just filed that information away in her brain, for another day maybe.

Grinning, she looked over to the ramp. "Oh hell yeah." She laughed at Ana's comment, joking along, "Alrighty then, but no promises I won't drop him if we do," before following, skating up to the ramp.

[Skate Park]

Eliseo scoffs and waves his hand dismissively back at them. Soon enough they're at the vert. "Alright, girls, just stand back and enjoy." He gets onto the ramp and starts getting some speed back and forth.

Then he leaves the top of the ramp the first time, doing a backside 180 just like he did in the bowl, but flying at least eight feet in the air. Then he's firing back the other direction, up the ramp and into the air to do a full 360 on the way back down. Alright, time to really be a showboat. One more time up into the air, and he kicks the board into a heelflip as he turns in a 180, grabbing the board just in time and tucking it back under his feet.

"Woo!" Eliseo laughs as he kills his momentum and skates back over to the girls. "How about that? Impressed yet." He has a bit grin, equal parts self satisfaction and exhilaration. He's glad he's been pushing himself recently, because this was the perfect chance to show off.

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

"Pity." The demon laments, shuffling the pawn back to its starting space to accommodate the next player. That was only to be expected. Jaahlyn didn't seem very interested in entertaining him.

The incubus leans back and listens to Jaahlyn's story, wearing a barely-restrained smirk by the end of it. "That will carry you far in this town." He chortles sarcastically. "As far as the residents of Hell Bend are concerned, nobody 'released' them. They found an exit, they saw the opportunity, and they put in the legwork to get out while the getting was good." He runs a finger over his chin. "Word to the wise; never trust a demon who deals in debts. If you lend, they will not pay. If you borrow, they will take all they can from you. And nobody knows that better than they do."

Gnash adjusts his tie and smiles. "But back to the big picture. You say there's a fae trying to stoke fear of demons in the people of this town. My question is this; why should I care?" He raises a hand to forestall any reactions. "Callous though it may sound, our dealings with the good people of Riverside are few and far between. What businesses deal outside of Hell Bend rely on being feared anyway, and very few people are crazy enough to come here in the first place. How does this fae's influence change the situation at all?"

[Hell Bend]

"In this case you're right. I didn't even mean to do anything but traverse the portal and then all you guys came running." Jaahlyn admits as she considers.

Maybe she was looking at this all wrong...

"But the reason you should care is exactly what you said. You don't interact with the citizens so they have no idea who you are. Therefore, the fey and whatever else is stroking the fear can make up whatever they want as there's no one that can disapprove them. You might think that separating yourself from everyone else in the city will make you more safe but it's having the opposite effect. A lot of you must have been senators once right?" Or whatever people here called their politicians.

"You should know this game." She looks down at the chess board and takes one of the black pawns and holds it up for a moment as if considering a move.

Then she places it down again and moves to unbutton and pull off her coat, letting it rest on the back of the chair. Underneath she's wearing a strapless white crop top.

The satyr then takes a moment to clear her voice before continuing. "You find a group people that no one knows much about and then blame all societies woes on them." She then leans over to take the pawn that he moved earlier and returns it where he placed it and places the one she was studying right in front of it. "As long as the pawn believes there's an opponent to fight they won't question why they're obeying the orders of the king, yeah?" Jaahlyn wasn't sure if flaunting herself, or entertaining this chess idea, was making her argument stronger but sometimes you had to try different angles to see what worked.

Logos was still her modus operandi but pathos could be an effective tool even if what she was doing didn't exactly align with the feelings she would have wanted to evoke here. Right now she was simply entertaining Gnash's desires a bit which might just give her an edge.

"Doesn't even have to be the politicians ultimately. The citizens themselves can decide to take the law into their own hands and get rid of what they see as the problem."

[Arkhosia]

Skate Park

”Don’t break anything!” Ana shouts up after him as Eliseo gets going, half sincere and half teasing. She backs up and finds herself a seat to watch, pulling her board up over her lap.

It’s good that she does too, because just watching Eliseo go that high up over both their heads in enough to make her feel a little worried. Every moment he goes up off the ramp and into the air is a moment of tense and worried excitement, the kitsune leaning forward even as her fingers grip her own board tightly. It’s only when Eliseo lands that final trick that the tension resolves enough for Ana to break out in a giddy grin.

“Yeah! That was really cool!” She gets up on her feet, briefly fumbling with her board before tucking it under one arm. ”I uh, wasn’t sure you were gonna stick the landing there - how long did that take to practice?” She sounds genuinely interested.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn removing what appears to be about half of her clothing (he can't see what the situation beneath the waist is, but the goat legs do not lead him to believe pants are involved) does seem to get the incubus's attention, though maybe not quite the way Jaahlyn would have hoped. His eyebrows flare up in momentary surprise before he resumes the conversation, otherwise minimally perturbed.

"They're welcome to try." Gnash replies with a little shrug, nudging the queen on his side of the board forward, just in front of the displaced pawn. "Many of Hell Bend's inhabitants are also experienced killers and manipulators. Anyone coming into our little corner of town is effectively marching into a meat grinder. Even a demon hunter of Ilpholin Xarcha's caliber would be leery of openly attacking us. So long as nobody is willing to bell the proverbial cat, Hell Bend as a whole is safe." He waves his hand dismissively. "And if by some miracle the entire town rallies against us, we're well equipped to escape in the chaos. None of us have roots here and we're all ready to pack up and go as needed... one of the few fringe benefits of an itinerant, interplanar lifestyle. The short version is, absent some game-changing factor, we're safe here. And I have yet to hear evidence this fae is that factor."

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn hadn't really hoped for a particular reaction as being an owner of a place like this he was probably used to see ladies and gentlemen dressed in all sort of scanty garments which were made to illicit that reaction while her crop top was intended to be practical.

But it allowed her to make a read on him at least.

He sure seemed confident for one and moving out with the queen, was as far as she understood chess, a performance of that.

"With all due respect, you're saying that with little knowledge of how the nexus operates. It will surprise you as there's no way to prepare yourself for all it has to offer." She knew next to nothing about Ilpholin though even if she had heard her name being mentioned in MERC a couple of times. "For instance, I came here specifically since there are spirits that are also feeding on all this fear. Yokai they're called and their influence in the city is spreading. I might not know a lot about the fey influence but yokai hunting is something of a specialty of mine." She pushes the pawn next to the first one a step forward as to protect them.

"So I know that they're spreading fear of you for now but eventually going to start murdering demons once things come to a boiling point. That or they're going to murder people in the guise as demons. Either way, you're going to be hounded from all sides and I just want to help elevate some of that pressure. Since I know that it's hard to accept help but I'm offering it here and you can either decline it, and I will be on my way, or you can accept it and I will help you in any way I can." She holds up her hand to her chest as a gesture of a promise.

[Rebonack]

[Beauty from Ashes]

Deeper.

Deeper down and deeper in.

The motif of Paarel grows increasingly all-encompassing the further Leah moves into the tunnels, the whorls and swirls filling the walls and floors and ceiling and the very air with transcendent beauty.

It's terrible.

Koth's Sign holds it at bay.

The splinter of colour in Leah's mind likewise holds it at bay.

If not for those defense Leah would probably have flowers growing out of her eye-sockets as well.

Matilda, however, has defenses that aren't nearly as robust. Merely the imprint left by Leah's hammer. She probably won't be impacted as strongly as the poor artist but mutations may begin manifesting from the motifs of the Saint of Beauty. Cherry tree and passion vine and grey peafowl and iridescent eye-spots that see through flesh and bone and breath.

The tunnel soon opens up to a wider chamber revealing-

Like vines, reach stretching penetrating blooming.
Like a tree, growing reaching blossoming drifting.
Like a bird, flashing flying displaying strutting.
Like an eye, watching watching watching watching.

The eyes are fixed upon Leah.

This.

This is the anchor.

She must destroy it and Paarel's foothold in the world will be lost.

[Meowmai]

[Skate Park

Atsede watched Eliseo build speed on the ramp, keeping a close watch and taking mental notes on how he moved and balanced. She wasn't gonna waste the opportunity to learn from a more experienced skater. Still though, she kinda hoped he would bail. That was maybe a bit of a mean thing to think, but hey, it was always hilarious to watch someone eat s***.

He didn't bail, however, and Atsede found herself having to admit that damn, he really was pretty cool. She threw her hands up in the air as he approached in a mock gesture, and smiled. "Alright. You got me. That was impressive as [frick]! You gotta show me how to do that one day," she said enthusiastically.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn hadn't really hoped for a particular reaction as being an owner of a place like this he was probably used to see ladies and gentlemen dressed in all sort of scanty garments which were made to illicit that reaction while her crop top was intended to be practical.

But it allowed her to make a read on him at least.

He sure seemed confident for one and moving out with the queen, was as far as she understood chess, a performance of that.

"With all due respect, you're saying that with little knowledge of how the nexus operates. It will surprise you as there's no way to prepare yourself for all it has to offer." She knew next to nothing about Ilpholin though even if she had heard her name being mentioned in MERC a couple of times. "For instance, I came here specifically since there are spirits that are also feeding on all this fear. Yokai they're called and their influence in the city is spreading. I might not know a lot about the fey influence but yokai hunting is something of a specialty of mine." She pushes the pawn next to the first one a step forward as to protect them.

"So I know that they're spreading fear of you for now but eventually going to start murdering demons once things come to a boiling point. That or they're going to murder people in the guise as demons. Either way, you're going to be hounded from all sides and I just want to help elevate some of that pressure. Since I know that it's hard to accept help but I'm offering it here and you can either decline it, and I will be on my way, or you can accept it and I will help you in any way I can." She holds up her hand to her chest as a gesture of a promise.

[Hell Bend]

Gnash runs his fingers over his chin, pondering Jaahlyn's proposal carefully. If Jaahlyn was hoping to find a trusting sponsor, the look in his eyes makes it clear she's about to be disappointed.

Fortunately, his actual response isn't much worse.

"Say for a moment I agree these... yokai are going to turn out to be a problem." The incubus proposes. "You tell me you are a yokai hunter. If I stood up and walked away now, would you not do as you would and proceed to hunt yokai?" The incubus raises an eyebrow. "I have not heard you list a price for your services, but I am not so naive as to believe you would do it for free. Otherwise, you would not have needed to bother coming here."

The incubus leans in. "So... what are you asking for in return?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

This again, it felt like she already had this discussion twice over.

"You misunderstand. I am already being paid by MERC to do this but I need your help to lure them out. So what I'm asking for in return is simply for you to make people here work with me." She leans in too. "So if I have a price, it would be that. Cooperation. Everything else is covered by MERC."

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

"Oh, good!" The incubus replies brightly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. "In that case, do as you will. I can't promise anything for our friends' individual cooperation, but if you need a volunteer for anything, I'll be in touch." He reaches into his suit jacket's pocket and produces a business card... well, something like a business card, there's nothing on it but a phone number. "Give me a call if you need anything. Oh, and if nobody's told you yet, welcome to Hell Bend."

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

She accepts the card with a nod. Internally letting out a breath of relief.

Finally some real progress.

"Thank you." She remarks as she puts the card inside the pocket of her coat as it hangs on the chair.
"One note though, I'm not a demon. I'm sure you know that already but people keep mistaking me for one so I just need to make sure. It's starting to get on my nerves." The satyr let's out a small sigh. She suspected it was due to her eyes. Those damn eyes. If she had green, yellow, even pink eyes no one would bat an eye. But no she had to have black eyes and creep everyone out.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

"Obviously." Gnash replies with a shrug. "You don't have a demon's demeanor. And no self-respecting demon would parade around like that." He makes a vague gesture at her goat legs. "At least not in public. We have clubs for that sort of thing."

The incubus makes a dismissive wave. "But never mind that. I'm sure you're going to be a very busy woman. Go on. Go hunt some yokai."

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn looks down at her legs and self-consciously presses them together. As much as she presented herself as a human (well, a person), as female, people always came back to her damn legs. Gnash might not mean it like that, but to her it always felt like an attack on her humanity or femininity depending on the context.

Especially the insinuation that her appearance only belonged inside a club hurt.

After more than a thousand years she figured she would have been used occasions of this attitude and just brushed it off but unfortunately it didn't work quite work like that.
Still...
The satyr gestures to herself. "As good as I look, why would I want to hide my legs from people who can't handle them? Since I believe there's clubs for that kind of people too." Jaahlyn eyes their surroundings. "I didn't accidentally wander into one of them now did I? Wouldn't want to blow people's minds." She smirks. "But yeah, we'll be in touch." She then grabs her coat and heads off, throwing a last glance at the incubus before disappearing out the door.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

Gnash smiles and waves her off, but can be seen muttering something to a passing waitress as Jaahlyn steps out the door. The casino fills with the sound of laughter once she's outside, as though she'd somehow just missed the telling of a very humorous joke.

Meanwhile, outside, Jaahlyn will run into the bouncer again. He's off to the side, leaning against the wall, holding a set of playing cards in his hand. Siana's standing just in front of him, holding a set of her own, staring at them intently.

"...Got any queens?"

"Damn." Siana mutters, turning over three of them to the bouncer, before looking over to see Jaahlyn coming out of the casino. "Oh! Looks like we're done here. Thanks for the game, Punt." She smiles and pulls the rest of the deck out of her pocket, shuffling her hand into the cards. "How'd it go, Jaahlyn? Any luck with that Gnash guy? What are we gonna be doing now?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Hell Bend]

Jaahlyn stops once she's outside the 'casino' to hear the laughter.
Using and abusing, that's what they were doing.
Satyrs might not be demons but demons were a lot like her kind it seemed.
She thankfully didn't recall many details of her time with the other satyrs but it was enough for her to start walking again. Not stopping even as Siana addressed her, simply making a motion with her head to make her come along.

Right now she just wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.

[Ironsmith]

[Hell Bend]

Siana frowns as Jaahlyn moves past her and barely even seems to acknowledge her. That... is a marked contrast to the Jaahlyn she saw go into the casino. Which, given they were dealing with creatures that were perfectly happy to trade in souls, was not a good sign.

"Hey! Wait up!" Siana yells, shoving the deck of cards into the bouncer's hands and hobbling after the satyr as quickly as she could.

"Are you okay?" Siana asks when she finally makes it to Jaahlyn's side.