As you walked through the building, Benita whispered to Varielky, “Don’t kick yourself, bruiser. We both know that without honor, we’re no better than a thief in the streets. That woman… I threatened her. I know it was wrong, I'm just... Vee, I don’t know who my baby’s father is, whether it’s Bali, or… Shulong. But if the baby is half-orc, Jenghen, if the baby’s Shulong’s… whatever happens to Tamazaert’s kid… it will be the same for mine.”
Now at the bridge. In response to Auger’s suggestion, Tamazaert looks out of her depth, but Benita nods to the southerner, and then with a crisp turn of her slender neck bids Tamazaert to walk beside her, and the pair lead Auger and Varielky across. As you walk, you can make out a segment of the tram line beyond the castle as it fades out of view up and into the night.
“Hey!,” shouts Benita as you draw close to the other side, and the two guards startle slightly and turn with hands on hilts. Benita approaches them, raising her hands in mock surrender. “These two were lost. I’m taking them upstairs.”
The pair’s eyes narrow, and they frown at the four of you.
“Names,” says the one with broad shoulders to Varielky and Auger.
(OOC: Zzozz, as far as you can tell, yes that sums it up, although it seems that the VIP party may be on a higher floor than the tram.)
The bard and the sage exit through the stage door, and you move down the hallway in the direction the others had gone perhaps ten minutes ago, which turns sharply left then right again, making its way, you assume, closer to the back of the castle.
There is a central courtyard enclosed all around by windowed hallways, classrooms and offices. Sighting through it, you are able to keep your bearings. You see a 2nd floor passage from the dormitory to the back of the castle. Apparently, there is no direct connection from the school to the castle.
You stop at a heavy door leading – you can see through its window – to an entry lobby: a comfortable room with soft chairs and a few small round tables lit dimly by lanterns hanging from hooks on the walls. A stairway in back leads to the upper-level bridge to the dormitory building.
The door is ever so slightly ajar. Snow’s quick eye notices a turned over pail of water on the floor just inside the lounge, and a wet spot where its contents seem to have emptied out directly on the other side of the door.
"Well, then that means I have nine months to drive the empire away from wherever you choose to settle." Although that seems like an unrealistic response, Varielky thinks about their deal with the Red Cypress, and the plan to do exactly that. "But if I can't do that, at least I can help you bring them back each time they're taken." Whether the baby is Bali's or Xurl's didn't matter too much to Varielky at this point. They both had their faults, but the mother of the baby was the only important parent here.
When asked for her name, Varielky simply answers: "Varielky." There's no way the guard knows and remembers the names of all who are here right now, right?
His mind again wandering, Auger looks up at the guards, truly caught in thought, pausing for a moment before reacting. Instinctively he uses a name from the Old Tongue of his region. "Dỉnh Núi," he says, allowing his southern accent to be stronger than usual.
Mountain Summit, Auger thinks to himself. How subtle.
Snow frowns as he looks from the bucket to the wet spot, not entirely sure what it meant.
He turns back to Strewn, "You know if we want to make up some time, I can move us more quickly using the Treewild Cloak?", he suggests.
He looks Strewn up and down, and then down at his own clothes.
"We do stand out a little though", he says and then whispers a few words of power and moves his hand down in front of his face, wiggling his fingers slightly. As he does so, his features and clothing shimmer and change until he looks very much like the imperial soldier from the gate. It isn't a perfect copy, but from a distance he might be mistaken for him.
"Anything you can do to be more discreet, otherwise let's do this", he says lifting up the cloak with both arms stretched wide, ready to engulf Strewn. Assuming he ascents to the plan, of course.
“Why are you wearing Wararni’s livery?,” asks one of the guards of Benita.
“This? I… It’s mine,” stammers Benita, taken off-guard (after rolling a natural 1 deception.)
“No. It’s Wararni’s, look at it. It’s usin his wife’s sewin’. With the flowers!”
Indeed, the seams are sewn not as straight edges, but with a repetitive flower motif, which did not seem important in the least until this moment.
Varielky and Auger announce themselves (for whom I rolled a natural 20 for the encounter), and the guards back up. Perhaps they think they recognize one or both of them, or are simply intimidated by the shield-maiden’s muscular form and unusual armor, or by Auger’s shining diadem.
The first guard writes some notes in a ledger at a small reading table at the entryway, and nods the party through. “You’ll have some explainin’ to do after you escort ‘em upstairs,” he growls to Benita in a whisper.
They stand aside, letting you through. Within, a well-lit hallway of veined, polished stone leads directly toward the center of the castle, and some sixty feet within, you see a pair of well-heeled women pass across the hallway from left to right, not sparing you a glance. Doors to either side of you lead to closed chambers. The sound of music is louder, coming from deeper within the castle.
Snow’s illusion takes hold. Granophyre thinks for a moment, but shakes his head. “If the need arises, I can make myself invisible, but, I cannot employ that magic endlessly.” Snow pulls Granophyre through the fey realm, where the sage's eyes bulge in fascination and curiosity as the pair traverse the distance to the bridge to the dormitory, where you reappear upon the enclosed bridge. Through windows in the walls of the bridge, you can see, one level higher up, a second bridge leading from the far side of the dormitory to the castle.
Entering the dormitory building, you continue on part-way through the interior, keeping your bearings toward that second bridge. You soon find yourself in a corridor bordering a library, which turns left into another lounge, dimly lit. Here, you pull up short, for you hear two women whispering in the lounge.
Varielky's puzzled at first, expecting agression or even a fight but instead just given way, and not thanks to the imperial livery. Better, then. Or is it? Hopefully, this doesn't come biting at their heels later.
Varielky's eyes follow the two women as they pass while she wonders whether it's best to get rid of the liveries or not. There were arguments to support both options, and Varielky ends up keeping quiet, allowing the decision to be made by others.
"Does any of you know which way to go?" Varielky asks, hoping Benita and Tamazaert came prepared, or that Py could help direct Auger... somehow. Otherwise, Varielky suggests to try left. "Without a clue, both directions are more or less the same," Varielky reasons, "but at least we won't be seen by these two women, and I'm hoping they're going towards the music, and not away from it."
Auger follows on, his thoughts clouded. Py, keep leading us. Once we are on the tram I may send you back to see if we are being followed. But for now I need you to direct us as much as you can. Can you enter this castle or are you forced to stay outside? Auger quietly swears to himself, angry that he had not even thought to check if Py could enter the castle. I must concentrate, he thinks to himself.
At Varielky's suggestion of left Auger has no ideas. "Py may be able to guide us some but we just need to look to go up I think. And, yes, I agree, we certainly want to avoid the party."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow stops and places a finger to his lips indicating they should be quiet.
“Stay here, I will go and see who is there. Listen in and determine whether you will need to use that invisibility of yours”, he whispers to Strewn.
He then knocks gently on the door.
“Apologies for intruding, this is the imperial guard”, he says through the door. “Udad requested a search after spotting some strangers wandering about. There was no time to find a female guard. Are you ok? May I enter?”.
‘No, master, I cannot enter the castle. My form will be instantly incinerated,’ answers Py. ‘You need to go to the left, toward the back of the castle, and up one more level or two.’
You move forward into the building, and Benita winks confidently. “We are in and the alarm has not yet been raised. That’s good news,” she whispers. Then, glancing back at the door through which you just entered, you see one of the guards, glaring at Benita, as he slips through one of the doors, closing it after him. “Shiz,” says the comely Indallian. “Might need to come back a different way.”
You reach the place where corridors cross. To the left, a wide stairway curving gracefully upwards. The sound of music and people talking and laughing seems to come from the top of the stairs and beyond.
Looking toward where the women went, to the right, a richly-painted hallway leads to… restrooms? You see the women enter a doorway off that hallway to the right, while at the same time, from the doorway to the left, adjusting his sash, comes a heavy-set Oraccan man, perhaps 30, wearing a sky blue djinni-like outfit topped by an indigo turban worn at a rakish slant, with a soul patch, puckering lips, and a very small pointy mustache.
Two women, one middle-aged and primly dressed in a housecoat, the other, 30-something, wearing a cotton shift, both with hair tied back in tight buns, glance up at Snow as he peeks around the wall at the turn in the hallway (there is no door, but we’ll say he knocked on the wall instead), from where they sit, side-by-side, holding each other's hands, on a wide, comfortable chair. Knowing the portly guard at the gate whom Snow’s illusion depicts to be, let us say, a diamond in the rough without the diamond, they receive Snow’s good manners with little enthusiasm and considerable reserve. The older one, with aquiline nose pointed high and her mouth drawn tight and pouting – a line punctuated by a dot in the middle – replies, shielding the other one with her body. “Aziz. Udad has certainly been busy tonight. Strange, as he is usually dreaming by now, isn’t he?”
"Not sure what has the old goat so riled up in truth. Was happy manning the gate before I got sent on this wild goose chase, specially with this hangover and throat feeling like a rat died in it. His eyes aren't what they were, I expect he is imagining things. And he has the nerve to call me fool...pah!", Snow says putting his hand to his throat and massaging it a little, then adding a shrug and shake of his head.
"Still, it will be my hide if it turns out he was right and I didn't look proper like. So, you seen or heard anything unusual?".
Left did go up but to Auger's dismay it seemed to go all the way up to the party. "Perhaps there is another stairwell to this side," Auger says while gesturing to the right.
(OOC: is there an option to continue straight?)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Benita doesn’t seem to hear Auger as she growls through her teeth to the shield-maiden, her glance pointing to the approaching man involved in adjusting his sash. “Vee. It’s Abadolla.”
(OOC: Yes, you can continue straight into a hallway with doors on either side. You are at a four-way intersection. From here, you can see the wide stairs to your left go up one floor, where they stop at a wide landing, then go up a second flight. You would guess that the music is coming from atop the second flight, although you think people are also on the level immediately above you.)
SNOW
(OOC: You’ve already rolled Deception for the encounter, so we’ll use the roll as Performance.)
The two women remain where they are, hardly moving. “Yes,” says the older one. “A remarkable-looking couple passed through, led by two garrison guards whose faces were unfamiliar. Heading toward the castle bridge, they said. They passed us no more than five minutes ago.” Snow notices the head of a teenage girl peeking from a door down the hall behind the lounge. But as soon as the bard's glance falls upon her, the girl's eyes splay widely and she quickly pulls back, the door clicking briskly shut.
(Huh, I thought I already asked you if Varielky would recognise him because the description of the clothes was enough for me, but I wanted to make sure. It seems like I didn't, though, which is strange. Maybe I forgot to hit "Post Reply"? Anyway... I just reread some old posts, searching for something relating to the above, and damn, these are plot hints I have not understood back then and did not remember were mentioned, so far back. Very well played.)
As if a dark cloud enthrals Varielky, one can almost feel the atmosphere in the room changing. If nothing else, the change on Varielky is almost visible. Her hair, now falling on her face, she does not move. Let it hide her eyes, burning with anger she would never forget. Her muscles tense and her fists clench, her fingernails digging slightly into the flesh of her palms, but it is pain she barely even notices. If anything, all it does is bring back memories of punching a wall, and a detective who was right. Vigilante? Not really. At this point, just an outlaw.
Although Varielky knows what she's about to do is wrong by all means, she can only feel it is the only right, the only just action. She knows she'll regret it later, but right now, what does it even matter? Most sins can be atoned for, and right now Varielky wasn't even sure it's a sin. Divine retribution, rather. Why else would she meet him again, after all this time? If the gods had the two meet again, it is only because they expect Varielky to not back down.
"Go." Her voice is much deeper than ever, though still within her physical limitations. "There might be a commotion, and I can't have you get caught in it. Find Sura. I'll follow once I'm done." She's dead serious, resolute and the anger flows out as carried by the waves of her voice, feels almost tangible. Her eyes are fixated on Abadolla.
Auger looks at Benita and Varielky and sees the seriousness on both of their faces before he again looks at the man coming towards them. He collects Tamazaert with his eyes and begins moving up the stairs. Maybe at the first landing there is a way to avoid this party, he thinks. To Benita and Varielky Auger says, "Perhaps trying to find a quiet solution would be best."
And then, accepting Varielky's word and knowing her determination, he does not try to talk her out of it, Auger leaves with Tamazaert in tow. To Tama he says, "Lets get to the tram and then up to the aerie. If the situation allows it we will wait a few minutes up there before heading out. Now follow after me, like you are attending or guarding me."
At the middle landing Auger pauses and gives one final look back, almost feeling sorry for this man about to be confronted by Varielky.
Py, Tama and I are moving ahead to the tram. Help guide us to it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow nods sagely as the two ladies tell him about the passers by.
"They might be what Udad is talking about, I'd better check it out", he says with a heavy sigh, as if mightily disappointed that they saw anything.
He then points towards the door the girl peaked out from. "It seems there are some little eyes watching, and little ears listening", he says with a grin. "I suggest you make sure all the children stay in their rooms, for their safety. I am sure all is fine, but best be careful", he says more quietly.
He hopes the ladies will wander off that way leaving Strewn the chance to sneak through without having to use his invisibility.
Benita stands immobile beside Varielky for a long moment, the leather on her rapier hilt in a vise grip, but her fears for the future of her child outweigh the desire for revenge despite its heavy pull. “He killed Bali. Make him pay,” she growls, then turns on her heel to accompany Auger.
A few moments later one of the first men Varielky met in Ishi Ammah, the assistant manager of the imperial arena at the time, pulls up short before her. He seems more sun-worn, in a good way, for he was pale before, and he now wears a token on a chain around his neck reading, DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND.
He stops five feet in front of the shield-maiden, then looks up, exasperated that she isn’t moving out of the way. At first he does not recognize her.
With Benita and Tamazaert in tow, the southerner reaches the middle landing and now sees many individuals on the next level, hears a large group of musicians playing there. As guests move in and out of view, he suddenly sees the Lady and Seneschal whirling past, and he thinks the Lady sees him. But the pair continue on, and she is now laughing, eyes glazed.
To the left is a wide corridor leading to a deep balcony, and Auger knows Py hovers just beyond it. Two tram cars, like narrow rectangular rooms, hang from long steel cords fastened to ornate and artful heavy forged statues of rocs gripping the cables and pulling them taught, wings spread in V shapes. The other ends disappear into the distance, arcing up toward the mountain behind the castle.
Opposite the balcony, on the other side of the landing, is a gallery of many pillars surrounded by benches, upon which lounge the armored protectors and guards of the attendees from near and far, dozing stiffly or slowly sipping refreshments. A pair of them are dancing together, while others, onlookers, laugh under their breaths and spur them on.
AUGER & VARIELKY
As you walked through the building, Benita whispered to Varielky, “Don’t kick yourself, bruiser. We both know that without honor, we’re no better than a thief in the streets. That woman… I threatened her. I know it was wrong, I'm just... Vee, I don’t know who my baby’s father is, whether it’s Bali, or… Shulong. But if the baby is half-orc, Jenghen, if the baby’s Shulong’s… whatever happens to Tamazaert’s kid… it will be the same for mine.”
Now at the bridge. In response to Auger’s suggestion, Tamazaert looks out of her depth, but Benita nods to the southerner, and then with a crisp turn of her slender neck bids Tamazaert to walk beside her, and the pair lead Auger and Varielky across. As you walk, you can make out a segment of the tram line beyond the castle as it fades out of view up and into the night.
“Hey!,” shouts Benita as you draw close to the other side, and the two guards startle slightly and turn with hands on hilts. Benita approaches them, raising her hands in mock surrender. “These two were lost. I’m taking them upstairs.”
The pair’s eyes narrow, and they frown at the four of you.
“Names,” says the one with broad shoulders to Varielky and Auger.
(OOC: Zzozz, as far as you can tell, yes that sums it up, although it seems that the VIP party may be on a higher floor than the tram.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
SNOW
The bard and the sage exit through the stage door, and you move down the hallway in the direction the others had gone perhaps ten minutes ago, which turns sharply left then right again, making its way, you assume, closer to the back of the castle.
There is a central courtyard enclosed all around by windowed hallways, classrooms and offices. Sighting through it, you are able to keep your bearings. You see a 2nd floor passage from the dormitory to the back of the castle. Apparently, there is no direct connection from the school to the castle.
You stop at a heavy door leading – you can see through its window – to an entry lobby: a comfortable room with soft chairs and a few small round tables lit dimly by lanterns hanging from hooks on the walls. A stairway in back leads to the upper-level bridge to the dormitory building.
The door is ever so slightly ajar. Snow’s quick eye notices a turned over pail of water on the floor just inside the lounge, and a wet spot where its contents seem to have emptied out directly on the other side of the door.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Well, then that means I have nine months to drive the empire away from wherever you choose to settle." Although that seems like an unrealistic response, Varielky thinks about their deal with the Red Cypress, and the plan to do exactly that. "But if I can't do that, at least I can help you bring them back each time they're taken." Whether the baby is Bali's or Xurl's didn't matter too much to Varielky at this point. They both had their faults, but the mother of the baby was the only important parent here.
When asked for her name, Varielky simply answers: "Varielky." There's no way the guard knows and remembers the names of all who are here right now, right?
Varielky
His mind again wandering, Auger looks up at the guards, truly caught in thought, pausing for a moment before reacting. Instinctively he uses a name from the Old Tongue of his region. "Dỉnh Núi," he says, allowing his southern accent to be stronger than usual.
Mountain Summit, Auger thinks to himself. How subtle.
Deception, if needed: 2 +5 = 7 <sigh>.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow frowns as he looks from the bucket to the wet spot, not entirely sure what it meant.
He turns back to Strewn, "You know if we want to make up some time, I can move us more quickly using the Treewild Cloak?", he suggests.
He looks Strewn up and down, and then down at his own clothes.
"We do stand out a little though", he says and then whispers a few words of power and moves his hand down in front of his face, wiggling his fingers slightly. As he does so, his features and clothing shimmer and change until he looks very much like the imperial soldier from the gate. It isn't a perfect copy, but from a distance he might be mistaken for him.
"Anything you can do to be more discreet, otherwise let's do this", he says lifting up the cloak with both arms stretched wide, ready to engulf Strewn. Assuming he ascents to the plan, of course.
AUGER & VARIELKY
“Why are you wearing Wararni’s livery?,” asks one of the guards of Benita.
“This? I… It’s mine,” stammers Benita, taken off-guard (after rolling a natural 1 deception.)
“No. It’s Wararni’s, look at it. It’s usin his wife’s sewin’. With the flowers!”
Indeed, the seams are sewn not as straight edges, but with a repetitive flower motif, which did not seem important in the least until this moment.
Varielky and Auger announce themselves (for whom I rolled a natural 20 for the encounter), and the guards back up. Perhaps they think they recognize one or both of them, or are simply intimidated by the shield-maiden’s muscular form and unusual armor, or by Auger’s shining diadem.
The first guard writes some notes in a ledger at a small reading table at the entryway, and nods the party through. “You’ll have some explainin’ to do after you escort ‘em upstairs,” he growls to Benita in a whisper.
They stand aside, letting you through. Within, a well-lit hallway of veined, polished stone leads directly toward the center of the castle, and some sixty feet within, you see a pair of well-heeled women pass across the hallway from left to right, not sparing you a glance. Doors to either side of you lead to closed chambers. The sound of music is louder, coming from deeper within the castle.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
SNOW
Snow’s illusion takes hold. Granophyre thinks for a moment, but shakes his head. “If the need arises, I can make myself invisible, but, I cannot employ that magic endlessly.” Snow pulls Granophyre through the fey realm, where the sage's eyes bulge in fascination and curiosity as the pair traverse the distance to the bridge to the dormitory, where you reappear upon the enclosed bridge. Through windows in the walls of the bridge, you can see, one level higher up, a second bridge leading from the far side of the dormitory to the castle.
Entering the dormitory building, you continue on part-way through the interior, keeping your bearings toward that second bridge. You soon find yourself in a corridor bordering a library, which turns left into another lounge, dimly lit. Here, you pull up short, for you hear two women whispering in the lounge.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Varielky's puzzled at first, expecting agression or even a fight but instead just given way, and not thanks to the imperial livery. Better, then. Or is it? Hopefully, this doesn't come biting at their heels later.
Varielky's eyes follow the two women as they pass while she wonders whether it's best to get rid of the liveries or not. There were arguments to support both options, and Varielky ends up keeping quiet, allowing the decision to be made by others.
"Does any of you know which way to go?" Varielky asks, hoping Benita and Tamazaert came prepared, or that Py could help direct Auger... somehow. Otherwise, Varielky suggests to try left. "Without a clue, both directions are more or less the same," Varielky reasons, "but at least we won't be seen by these two women, and I'm hoping they're going towards the music, and not away from it."
Varielky
Auger follows on, his thoughts clouded. Py, keep leading us. Once we are on the tram I may send you back to see if we are being followed. But for now I need you to direct us as much as you can. Can you enter this castle or are you forced to stay outside? Auger quietly swears to himself, angry that he had not even thought to check if Py could enter the castle. I must concentrate, he thinks to himself.
At Varielky's suggestion of left Auger has no ideas. "Py may be able to guide us some but we just need to look to go up I think. And, yes, I agree, we certainly want to avoid the party."
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow stops and places a finger to his lips indicating they should be quiet.
“Stay here, I will go and see who is there. Listen in and determine whether you will need to use that invisibility of yours”, he whispers to Strewn.
He then knocks gently on the door.
“Apologies for intruding, this is the imperial guard”, he says through the door. “Udad requested a search after spotting some strangers wandering about. There was no time to find a female guard. Are you ok? May I enter?”.
Deception: 1+8=9 (Oh dear!)
VARIELKY & AUGER
‘No, master, I cannot enter the castle. My form will be instantly incinerated,’ answers Py. ‘You need to go to the left, toward the back of the castle, and up one more level or two.’
You move forward into the building, and Benita winks confidently. “We are in and the alarm has not yet been raised. That’s good news,” she whispers. Then, glancing back at the door through which you just entered, you see one of the guards, glaring at Benita, as he slips through one of the doors, closing it after him. “Shiz,” says the comely Indallian. “Might need to come back a different way.”
You reach the place where corridors cross. To the left, a wide stairway curving gracefully upwards. The sound of music and people talking and laughing seems to come from the top of the stairs and beyond.
Looking toward where the women went, to the right, a richly-painted hallway leads to… restrooms? You see the women enter a doorway off that hallway to the right, while at the same time, from the doorway to the left, adjusting his sash, comes a heavy-set Oraccan man, perhaps 30, wearing a sky blue djinni-like outfit topped by an indigo turban worn at a rakish slant, with a soul patch, puckering lips, and a very small pointy mustache.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
SNOW
Two women, one middle-aged and primly dressed in a housecoat, the other, 30-something, wearing a cotton shift, both with hair tied back in tight buns, glance up at Snow as he peeks around the wall at the turn in the hallway (there is no door, but we’ll say he knocked on the wall instead), from where they sit, side-by-side, holding each other's hands, on a wide, comfortable chair. Knowing the portly guard at the gate whom Snow’s illusion depicts to be, let us say, a diamond in the rough without the diamond, they receive Snow’s good manners with little enthusiasm and considerable reserve. The older one, with aquiline nose pointed high and her mouth drawn tight and pouting – a line punctuated by a dot in the middle – replies, shielding the other one with her body. “Aziz. Udad has certainly been busy tonight. Strange, as he is usually dreaming by now, isn’t he?”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Not sure what has the old goat so riled up in truth. Was happy manning the gate before I got sent on this wild goose chase, specially with this hangover and throat feeling like a rat died in it. His eyes aren't what they were, I expect he is imagining things. And he has the nerve to call me fool...pah!", Snow says putting his hand to his throat and massaging it a little, then adding a shrug and shake of his head.
"Still, it will be my hide if it turns out he was right and I didn't look proper like. So, you seen or heard anything unusual?".
Deception or Performance (same roll): 8+8=16
Left did go up but to Auger's dismay it seemed to go all the way up to the party. "Perhaps there is another stairwell to this side," Auger says while gesturing to the right.
(OOC: is there an option to continue straight?)
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
VARIELKY & AUGER
Benita doesn’t seem to hear Auger as she growls through her teeth to the shield-maiden, her glance pointing to the approaching man involved in adjusting his sash. “Vee. It’s Abadolla.”
(OOC: Yes, you can continue straight into a hallway with doors on either side. You are at a four-way intersection. From here, you can see the wide stairs to your left go up one floor, where they stop at a wide landing, then go up a second flight. You would guess that the music is coming from atop the second flight, although you think people are also on the level immediately above you.)
SNOW
(OOC: You’ve already rolled Deception for the encounter, so we’ll use the roll as Performance.)
The two women remain where they are, hardly moving. “Yes,” says the older one. “A remarkable-looking couple passed through, led by two garrison guards whose faces were unfamiliar. Heading toward the castle bridge, they said. They passed us no more than five minutes ago.” Snow notices the head of a teenage girl peeking from a door down the hall behind the lounge. But as soon as the bard's glance falls upon her, the girl's eyes splay widely and she quickly pulls back, the door clicking briskly shut.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(Huh, I thought I already asked you if Varielky would recognise him because the description of the clothes was enough for me, but I wanted to make sure. It seems like I didn't, though, which is strange. Maybe I forgot to hit "Post Reply"? Anyway... I just reread some old posts, searching for something relating to the above, and damn, these are plot hints I have not understood back then and did not remember were mentioned, so far back. Very well played.)
As if a dark cloud enthrals Varielky, one can almost feel the atmosphere in the room changing. If nothing else, the change on Varielky is almost visible. Her hair, now falling on her face, she does not move. Let it hide her eyes, burning with anger she would never forget. Her muscles tense and her fists clench, her fingernails digging slightly into the flesh of her palms, but it is pain she barely even notices. If anything, all it does is bring back memories of punching a wall, and a detective who was right. Vigilante? Not really. At this point, just an outlaw.
Although Varielky knows what she's about to do is wrong by all means, she can only feel it is the only right, the only just action. She knows she'll regret it later, but right now, what does it even matter? Most sins can be atoned for, and right now Varielky wasn't even sure it's a sin. Divine retribution, rather. Why else would she meet him again, after all this time? If the gods had the two meet again, it is only because they expect Varielky to not back down.
"Go." Her voice is much deeper than ever, though still within her physical limitations. "There might be a commotion, and I can't have you get caught in it. Find Sura. I'll follow once I'm done." She's dead serious, resolute and the anger flows out as carried by the waves of her voice, feels almost tangible. Her eyes are fixated on Abadolla.
Varielky
Auger looks at Benita and Varielky and sees the seriousness on both of their faces before he again looks at the man coming towards them. He collects Tamazaert with his eyes and begins moving up the stairs. Maybe at the first landing there is a way to avoid this party, he thinks. To Benita and Varielky Auger says, "Perhaps trying to find a quiet solution would be best."
And then, accepting Varielky's word and knowing her determination, he does not try to talk her out of it, Auger leaves with Tamazaert in tow. To Tama he says, "Lets get to the tram and then up to the aerie. If the situation allows it we will wait a few minutes up there before heading out. Now follow after me, like you are attending or guarding me."
At the middle landing Auger pauses and gives one final look back, almost feeling sorry for this man about to be confronted by Varielky.
Py, Tama and I are moving ahead to the tram. Help guide us to it.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow nods sagely as the two ladies tell him about the passers by.
"They might be what Udad is talking about, I'd better check it out", he says with a heavy sigh, as if mightily disappointed that they saw anything.
He then points towards the door the girl peaked out from. "It seems there are some little eyes watching, and little ears listening", he says with a grin. "I suggest you make sure all the children stay in their rooms, for their safety. I am sure all is fine, but best be careful", he says more quietly.
He hopes the ladies will wander off that way leaving Strewn the chance to sneak through without having to use his invisibility.
VARIELKY
Benita stands immobile beside Varielky for a long moment, the leather on her rapier hilt in a vise grip, but her fears for the future of her child outweigh the desire for revenge despite its heavy pull. “He killed Bali. Make him pay,” she growls, then turns on her heel to accompany Auger.
A few moments later one of the first men Varielky met in Ishi Ammah, the assistant manager of the imperial arena at the time, pulls up short before her. He seems more sun-worn, in a good way, for he was pale before, and he now wears a token on a chain around his neck reading, DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND.
He stops five feet in front of the shield-maiden, then looks up, exasperated that she isn’t moving out of the way. At first he does not recognize her.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
AUGER
With Benita and Tamazaert in tow, the southerner reaches the middle landing and now sees many individuals on the next level, hears a large group of musicians playing there. As guests move in and out of view, he suddenly sees the Lady and Seneschal whirling past, and he thinks the Lady sees him. But the pair continue on, and she is now laughing, eyes glazed.
To the left is a wide corridor leading to a deep balcony, and Auger knows Py hovers just beyond it. Two tram cars, like narrow rectangular rooms, hang from long steel cords fastened to ornate and artful heavy forged statues of rocs gripping the cables and pulling them taught, wings spread in V shapes. The other ends disappear into the distance, arcing up toward the mountain behind the castle.
Opposite the balcony, on the other side of the landing, is a gallery of many pillars surrounded by benches, upon which lounge the armored protectors and guards of the attendees from near and far, dozing stiffly or slowly sipping refreshments. A pair of them are dancing together, while others, onlookers, laugh under their breaths and spur them on.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer