Erik Soong's Call of the Netherdeep

"We talked with Prolix," Morgan says, absentmindedly rolling a gold coin across his knuckles. "He didn't tell us much, but he was very passionate about the fact that Aloysia must be stopped, and that she leaves a trail of death wherever she goes."

He pauses, catching the coin before sending it spinning again.
"Then he spent a while explaining that she's part of the Consortium of the Vermilion Dream—'a genuine cult hells-bent on power,' as he put it." A grin creeps onto his face. "We don't have much more than that as evidence."

The grin fades.
"But our friends are in danger. That much seems clear. And I think it's safe to say that taking a closer look won't be a waste of time."

Morgan slips the coin away and tilts his head.
"So... do you have any advice for a group of crazy people who want to get close to Betrayers' Rise and still live to see another couple of sunsets?"

Verin looks down at his arms, specifically the cuts on his arms where he was skinned. Those incisions are still barely visible, but they are fading. Thanks to magical healing, when he fully recovers there will be no sign at all that he was skinned alive. He looks at the fading scars for an extended time in silence. 

"Yes, my advice is to not go at all. But your friends apparently already went. The guards I stationed there report back every shift; they are fine. That means Aloysia found a way past them..." He pauses again, considering the likeliness of Aloysia's benevolence. "We have overlapping interests. I want the threat of Aloysia eliminated and you want your friends back. Your investigation mission has become a kill and recovery mission. Find your friends and take out Aloysia. If you can find actual evidence that Aloysia means my people no harm, fine, but otherwise, bring me her head. I will match what I have already paid you, so you stand to become rather wealthy.

"Your investigation, admittedly, has turned out to be rather disappointing. Though, I can't blame you for diverting from that investigation to save my skin... literally. I will put someone on Prolix. I have people I have not used yet who have a reputation of getting answers. One way or another."

Ylis wanders through the building nearly getting distracted by food when she hears the voice of the Taskmaster.

tsk tsk naughty boy

When she sees him she waggles a finger in his direction, "Did you know there is a grouchy woman looking for you?"

Verin shifts uncomfortably. "You must be referring to Bautha. I'm fine." He says and begins to sway on unsteady feet. "I am probably doing better than anyone else in history that has had 70% of their skin shorn from their body."

Though he speaks with confidence, Thelyss avoids Ylis' eyes. 

"I'll go get her and tell her you're not coming. She's gonna lock you up and have her way with you." Ylis giggles and goes in search of the master priest.

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Verin shifts uncomfortably. "You must be referring to Bautha. I'm fine." He says and begins to sway on unsteady feet. "I am probably doing better than anyone else in history that has had 70% of their skin shorn from their body."

Though he speaks with confidence, Thelyss avoids Ylis' eyes. 

"She literally said, and I quote: 'if he doesn’t get back into an Infirmary bed within the hour, I'll will have him relieved of duty by his own guards and placed in soft restraints until he actually heals to my satisfaction'. If I were you, I would do as she says. I belive she is not bluffing.” said with a smile before leaving with the party.

Nivi does not know Bautha by name, but surmises that she must be the healer they had spoken with just earlier.  She cracks a grin at Ylis' admonishment.

"Not for nothing, Dawnrabbit's got a point, Taskhand.  Might be feelin' better than other flayed guys, dunno, but speakin' as the one that pulled you off that crucifix, you're still looking like if I gave you a little kick, it'd be like droppin' an open burlap sack full of chicken soup on the street."

Her pale green eyes regard him more seriously for a moment.  "How DID Desu get to you anyway?  I mean... don't know her, but know her line of work.  She's got a reputation, yeah?  And after all the shit the Clasp's pulled here in Bazzoxan, you sure these new recruits from Rosohna... ones that just got here... you sure these ain't more Clasp plants?  Infiltrating your Watch now that the sewers and demon-pact fell through?"

Nivi pauses, realizing that Verin had not answered her original question.  "So yeah, we go, take out Aloysia and bring back these six she conned into backing her up.  Any scouting report you got for us on Betrayer's Rise would be nice.  I mean other than saying we die if we go."

As for the gold, Nivi seems almost... awkward... accepting it.  Not that she does not want (and need!) the gold or that she thinks it is undeserved, but she is clearly unaccustomed to being rewarded monetarily for good deeds.  And my family?  Pretty sure my lord mother and father never took gold for all the shitload of good works they were always doing.  Sister or brother either.  Course, it's easier to say no to gold if you're already some rich noble...

Verin offers Ylis and Frekor a worried smile, but Nivi's questions draw him back to the reality of his present circumstances. He goes to a chair and one of the guards in the room tries to carry it for him, only to be waved off. Verin drags it back to the table where he slumps into it. He looks suddenly very tired. "The alarm went off of another incursion of demons. My people manned their stations and were beating back the wave. Injuries and losses were unusually low." He pinches his brow. "Then we heard cries behind our line. I thought it might be one of those bastards that can phase through walls, not terribly scary if you can gang up on them. I took six that were nearby. Gaelas, Yhaztre, Mayril, Yasrena, Zorr, and Janzhree. But it wasn't a demon that slipped past the line, it was an entire gang of men and women. My Aurora Watch held their own until that... woman, carved them up. Spilled them all over the alleyway. By the time I summoned my echo, it was over. Some invisible turd smashed me on the head. That was it. Next thing I know, I am on a metal table being peeled like an apple.

"No, I hadn't thought that the new recruits were Clasp. I didn't even know the people that got me were Clasp. I thought they were just demon-worshiping cultists or something. The Clasp is here? I thought they were smugglers and operators of black markets. When did they upgrade to kidnapping high profile targets?"

Verin sighs. "We haven't gone deep into Betrayer's Rise. It's too dangerous. We locked it up and only let those go in who aren't ours and who we can vet. People like the Cobalt Soul, who we did let in about a week ago now. Uh... we do warn them of the dangers too, of course."

Verin shuffles through the maps, finding the one he seeks under a box on a far table. He winces as he stands from a stooped position and walks stiffly and slowly to hide a limp. He hands the map to Nivi. "It's as far as we ever got before something would happen. Demons would attack in there, or out in the city, or a trap would spring. Maybe darts, or someone would suddenly become ill or deathly terrified. You might see an illusion of a cave-in like the one that drove a team into a real one, marked on the map. It's like having the Betrayer God's army there gave the building itself life and, if I may say, it is an evil. Blasted. Fortress. Mortals are not welcome in there, or, maybe they are not welcome to leave once they go in. Either way..." He offers the map. 

Quote from Erik_Soong >>

Verin offers Ylis and Frekor a worried smile, but Nivi's questions draw him back to the reality of his present circumstances. He goes to a chair and one of the guards in the room tries to carry it for him, only to be waved off. Verin drags it back to the table where he slumps into it. He looks suddenly very tired. "The alarm went off of another incursion of demons. My people manned their stations and were beating back the wave. Injuries and losses were unusually low." He pinches his brow. "Then we heard cries behind our line. I thought it might be one of those bastards that can phase through walls, not terribly scary if you can gang up on them. I took six that were nearby. Gaelas, Yhaztre, Mayril, Yasrena, Zorr, and Janzhree. But it wasn't a demon that slipped past the line, it was an entire gang of men and women. My Aurora Watch held their own until that... woman, carved them up. Spilled them all over the alleyway. By the time I summoned my echo, it was over. Some invisible turd smashed me on the head. That was it. Next thing I know, I am on a metal table being peeled like an apple.

"No, I hadn't thought that the new recruits were Clasp. I didn't even know the people that got me were Clasp. I thought they were just demon-worshiping cultists or something. The Clasp is here? I thought they were smugglers and operators of black markets. When did they upgrade to kidnapping high profile targets?" 

Nivi exhales a long breath.  "Yeah.  Sounds about right for Desu, sneaky piece of work."  (Nivi says as if there is no irony in her using that description).

"When'd the Clasp upgrade to kidnapping higher-ups like you?  Guessing after I got kicked out back in Tal'Dorei!  Weren't doing it back then, far as I know.  Since then, some crazy bastard decided to ally with demons and raise Desu to Spireling.  You ask me?  They went after you for the demons.  Part of the deal.  Offing you is the demons' wet dream, right?  Anyway, what's bothering me is, what does the Clasp get out of all this?  Other than Desu wanting to be a demon princess, like it's a good thing.  But yeah, if I know the Clasp, they ain't giving up.  So watch yourself, Verin, yeah?"

(Accepting the offered map, Nivi shows the others and nods a quick thanks to the Taskhand for intel on Betrayer's Rise.)

Morgan listens in silence from the back of the room. As the discussion goes on, his expression grows darker and darker. The idea of killing someone for money (or being mistaken for the kind of person who would) doesn't sit well with him.

If anything, it feels insulting.

"I won't kill her, nor take part in killing her," he finally snaps. "Unless this Aloysia turns into another ******* devil... or we have strong evidence that she's actually done something wrong."

He pauses and looks at Verin.
"To paraphrase what you just said, our investigation was shit."

The word hangs in the air.
"We can't even claim we talked to her. We have rumors. That's it."

Morgan crosses his arms.
"If we started killing people because they have a bad attitude, half the people in this room would be dead."

He lets out a long sigh.
"Let's find our friends and her first...."

A brief pause.
"... then let's find out who she really is."