Respar listens, trying to maintain a stoic visage.  After Kiven's latest pontification, he says, "You know much about us.  Our desires, our goals.  You even know more about me than the people who arrested me and threw me in that forsaken place.  To the best of my knowledge, they did not know my land of origin, and they certainly did not bother taking my measurements for the garb they issued.  So tell me how you know all this.  Because right now I would suspect you, or your church at any rate, of having been behind my arrest and imprisonment."

Eya continues listening intently, but stays quiet as the Cardinal answers everyone else's questions and concerns. Panting lightly, sweat beads on her forehead as her heart races. She is still clearly physically, mentally, and now emotionally exhausted. She used every bit of her power just to make it to this manor. She gives Kiven a pained glance at his emphasis on the kneeling. It's obvious on her face that it's taking all of her willpower just to avoid collapsing right then and there. 

But she stays there kneeling, and does her best to continue listening carefully. 

The Cardinal shrugs, "It seems that my suspicions about your mental acuity were correct. That mind will prove useful. I swear that I took no part in your incarceration, nor to my knowledge did any others of the faith. These two had come to my attention when they stole a particular artifact together." He waves towards Kiven and Eya, "I became further intrigued when I learned they were being imprisoned with other individuals with promising talents. I know much of you thanks to divination magics. As you might imagine, I am very cautious about those whom I even allow to know of my presence in these lands, let alone those I am considering trusting to help with the cause. So I pried into each of your pasts, had I not liked what I'd seen, you would have been left to your fate."

He unfurls a scroll and lays it upon the table, "For those who wish to take part in this, simply sign the contract. You will note that it binds me to uphold my end of this as well. If you have further questions, I can answer them. If you need time to think, the offer remains open until this time tomorrow."

Respar looks over the contract.  He furrows his brow as he reads it in detail.  He turns to Jesla and says, "The way I read this you become more bound to Asmodeus than Gorum."  He turns to the Cardinal.  "Unless I am reading that wrong.  Personally, I am not a religious man, and I fear that I would not make a good acolyte for any god, let alone one was vengeful as yours.  If we could make the 1st Loyalty the final one, it might work out.  But I'd prefer to work without it entirely.  If you've checked up on me as much as you say, you know I don't betray those I work for.  But it's the doing all one can to, 'further his worship and glory,' that I don't think I can honestly swear to do.  Everything else does not sound too overwhelming."

With great effort, Eya finally stands and says, "You will have my answer before this time tomorrow, Your Eminence. It will most surely be yes. I just want to be at my best when I read and sign the contract. Thank you again for this honor." Then, Eya turns to the others in her party, "I hope that you all will sign as well. I can't say I enjoyed our time together, as it was quite a terrible time, but it would have been much worse without all of you."

She pauses for a moment, then looks at each party member directly in the eyes with a look that's deathly serious, "I hope to see each of you in the morning for breakfast." 

Eya turns and bows to Cardinal Thorn, then makes her way back to her room for the night. Upon arrival to her room, she collapses onto the bed and grips her pillow tightly. It doesn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.

"If you are concerned about your ability to proselytize Respar, that is not expected. All men have their talents, yours do not involve standing before a crowd. It would be a waste to force you to do such. No, I would rather have you do what you do best, and simply focus your skills against the enemies of our cause."

"As to The Lord in Iron, much the same applies. Jesla's talents would be best spent on the battlefield. Gorum cares not the reasons for conflict, so long as there is conflict."

He places the contract on a nearby desk, "Take your time thinking about it, but also think about this, your options are limited. The Mitrans have many faults, but they are very good at hunting down people like you. Within a matter of days, your description will be passed to every captain with an ocean going vessel, and they have diviners of their own. You are safe enough here, and I could act to protect you, but why should I do such a thing for someone who refuses to aid me?"

Kiven is apparently all in until contracts are laid out for them.  The tall elf raises an eyebrow and looks skeptically at the devil's contract in red.  He decided to make light of it for now and simply says "that will not be necessary."  "As I have just declared, you will benefit from my efforts in this cause for as long as our successes are met with just and ample reward.  You have done your due diligence on all of us and thus surely know my resolve in this to hold true.  I look forward to hearing of our first endeavor."

 Jesla reads the contract with trepidation.  She swallows hard as some of the words jump out at her.   " Master and bound? I am a Kellid. I have no master.  This binds me to you and Asmodeus forever.   I have no problem working for you and furthering Asmodeus' agenda here.  I do plan on going back home one day and ending the Technic League.  This contract binds me to your service and doesn't give an allowance for what I wish to do. I am no slave.  As for these people pursuing us.....let them try.  They are soft and weak.  I will show them what iron does to human flesh.  " Her eyes narrow and take on a predatory aspect.  

 " I do think you for your assistance with us getting here however.  In honor of that I will consider this matter overnight and consult with Gorum.  Once again I have no problem aiding you and your master.  I don't wish to become a slave however.  If there was a way to make this for a specified time period. .." 

Respar suggests, "Is there a way to make this, um, not perpetual?  As Jesla said.  I also see that while each side upholds the agreement, we are rewarded, and you continue to get our services.  But if one side or the other breaks the contract, what then?  For instance, I have no doubt that if you thought we were not holding to the deal, you'd probably have us tortured, put to death, both even.  But if you stopped upholding it, would that allow us to walk away free?"

Cardinal Thorn remains the picture of patience as the group lays out their objections, but the corner of his mouth begins to twitch, "To answer your question Respar, contracts such as these are arbitrated by appropriate figures in Hell when necessary. You are correct to surmise that most infractions on your part would fall to me to handle. Should I truly fail to keep up my end however, an envoy of my Master will judge the issue. I may be punished and forced to pay some form of restitution to you, and/or the contract may be rendered null and void. It may even come about in the case of a serious infraction that our roles become forcibly reversed."

"In any event, the contract is in perpetuity because I must know you to be committed. This endeavor will take some time, and I need you thinking in the long term. You can rest assured that while I will ask much of you, you will have ample opportunity to pursue your own goals. And yes, should all parties involved freely agree that the contract should be nullified, it will be."

"And as to the question of becoming slaves, it would seem that you are unaware of the predicament you already face. If you leave now, you will die. You might lead the Mitrans on a merry chase for a time, you might even bloody them, but you will die. And you had best believe Jesla that your death most certainly will not be on the battlefield. The Mitrans love their version of justice too much to just kill you. You will be chained once more, and then slaughtered like a pig. And when you die..." The Cardinal waves his hand, and a foul stench assaults you as an incredibly ugly creature appears in a corner of the room, vaguely apelike, it rests much of its weight on the knuckles of massive clawed hands. It stands a mere four feet in height, and cowers away from the light in the room, lifting a hand to shield its eyes.

"This creature represents your fate as it stands, those brands mark you as destined for Hell, even for those of you not already bound for that plane, and if you die now, who you are will be leeched from you, your memories, your hopes, your desires, all of it. You will become dretches, like this poor creature, and left to claw your way up from the bottom. Or not, almost none of these things ever manage to evolve to something with real power. Your best chance for avoiding this? Earn a place of honor in hell before you die. My offer is not the only way to do so, but I would not count on having any chances to try something else. You are already marked to become a part of Hell's Hierarchy, the only question remaining is where you will end up within it."

"I suggest that you think on this tonight. We will speak again." The dretch disappears as the Cardinal sweeps from the room.

Your rooms are as you left them, and the servants you were assigned before remain at the ready.

After a good night’s sleep, Eya slowly opens her eyes, yawns, and stretches her arms into the air. This is the first time in a very long time that she’s had such a nice place to stay. She quickly gets out of bed and magically cleans herself up. Then, she gathers a couple of books to read over breakfast. Before exiting her room, she goes to the puppet girl and asks, “Is there an alchemy lab and/or a workshop with magical tools around this manor that I may use? If so, where? If you don’t know, go ask your master Tiadora for me please.”

Once she gets her answer, Eya asks to be taken to the breakfast area. But first, she goes outside her room and notices the adjacent rooms of her party members. She knocks on each door individually and simply says, “This is Eya. I’m grabbing some food if you want to join me.”

She has the puppet lead her to breakfast. Eya avoids anything sweet and prefers to drink her coffee black. She also avoids bread, and sticks to mostly meat, vegetables, and various cheeses. While the others grab their food, she sips her coffee while leafing through the books she took from the Warden’s library.

“You’re all here,” she says to the group when they all arrive. “Now, before we begin, let’s talk a little bit about the divination magic that the Cardinal was explaining briefly last night. Sorry Jesla, I know this isn’t your favorite subject, but this information is doubly important for you. Sorry in advance to you as well, Master Aloro, as this is obviously basic information to you. Put simply, divination magic reveals hidden truths. For example, using such magic, one could see through a wall, or look into the past or future, or even spy on others remotely.” She pauses a bit after that last example and looks to each of them directly in the eyes, “Indeed, anyone skilled in such magics could hear or see anything with enough power.”

Eya smiles, and goes back to her normal demeanor,  “Now that that’s out of the way, I want to thank you all again...for saving my life. After all, and as much as I hate to admit it, I would be decomposing inside of a giant frog right now if it weren’t for you. Not to delve too deep into my own personal history, but people like me aren’t often treated kindly by others. I can count on two hands the number of times anyone has willingly helped me. And I can only count on one the number of times anyone went so far as to risk their lives for mine. What I’m trying to say is this,” she holds out her arm where she was branded a Forsaken and shows it to the others. “The one truth I know for certain is that all four of us were branded together. We were humiliated together. We escaped the prison together. And now we are here in this situation, together. I do not say the following words lightly: You have earned my trust.”

She puts her arm away and continues, “Now for the difficult part, so I’ll just come right out and say it. You should all sign the contract. I know it seems really bad for ones who do not understand Lord Asmodeus as I do. But if you do trust me, then know this: Lord Asmodeus is harsh and vengeful, but he never breaks a contract. It might seem awful on the surface, but this contract cuts both ways. The Cardinal needs to follow it as well, or else even he would suffer eternally. The Cardinal has immense power, connections, and influence. And he has powerful servants like Tiadora too. You see what she has done to these strange puppet girls don’t you? That is immensely powerful enchantment magic. You know this too, Master Aloro.” Eya leans in a bit closer now, “Listen to me, this is a good opportunity. With his aid, we will be protected from the Mitrans. It will give us all time to grow and learn from him. And that’s what we need most right now, the opportunity to learn and grow. We need to build ourselves up so that we may do the deeds that we must. We can figure out the rest later.”

She pauses and looks to each of them with the same deathly seriousness from the night previous, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Jesla seems resolute and stoic until the Cardinal explains the fate that awaits them. Seeing the summoned creature she looks down at her branding.  Anyone that knew her well would realize that she is shaken by what he told them.  She departs to her room without saying anything else.  

 The barbarian sleeps poorly as nightmares hound her.  She tries to hold on to sleep but is unable to for more than a short time. Praying to Gorum throughout the night she receives no sign. Are they truly forsaken and without hope? She is facing something that her sharp claws and teeth will be no help for. Jesla is facing her fear in magic.  While she despises it deep down she also fears it. To be at the whim of magic either way she goes is hard to deal with.  

 The next morning she joins the others at breakfast.  Withdrawn she speaks little as they meet up for breakfast.  Her face is a little paler than normal and the scar along her jaw shows more in contrast. As she listens to Eya speak she nods but says nothing.  What she said made sense but could she be trusted? After all she already served Asmodeus.  She sits back waiting for the others to comment.  They probably had more understanding of the contract than she did.  Anger simmered in her as she felt trapped. She felt like killing everyone on the island now. Her green eyes hide the worry and fear behind them as she waits for the others to respond.  

Kiven sees that the Cardinal ignored his clear logic that a contract is not necessary and, in his responses to Jesla and Respar, begins to understand just how this man works.  Fear does strike him when the Cardinal discusses the mark and summons the pathetic creature from one of the Hells below.  The Prince's confidence in this path to his destiny falters and he starts to sweat a bit.  He stares at the creature and then gives the Cardinal a sharp look before declaring "we will settle the finer points tomorrow and then we can get to work" and making a swift exit.

Back in his room Kiven ponders the severity of their situation, as the Cardinal had reinforced, and the opportunity the man is offering.  Thoughts of even the words 'Bound' and 'Master' make him feel physically ill before he even gets to the deeper implications of being bound to Asmodeus for life.  The elven 'lord' stays up for hours thinking but does reach a few comforting thoughts.  One, he supposes if he is to obtain the power he desires it is likely it will have to be taken from another, thus this Cardinal is a prime candidate.  Another is that Asmodeus does seem to be aligned well with his own beliefs, and is far more likely than Father or Tyris to recognize Kiven's potential.  Lastly he ponders that, despite all the Cardinal has done to look into each member of the group, everyone has always underestimated the true son of Aloro.  Indeed, it would be the Cardinal who was making the mistake here in signing a blood contract with HIM.  At that Kiven found an evil smirk once again along with some rest before morning.

At breakfast, Kiven nods as Eya stresses her words regarding divination and again regarding garnering more power before their fate is decided.  The elf makes eye contact with her and gives a knowing look.  As she thanks them for saving her, Kiven seems pleased and merely comments "help will always be given to those who serve, and serve well*."  When she mentions doing the deeds that they must, the elf cannot hide a wicked grin.  The elf is curious to see what Respar and Jelsa will be thinking.  Amidst their other talk Kiven does inquire with Eya "are you confident our rewards will be worthwhile?"  "To sign with blood and risk one's soul surely deserves vast power, after we achieve all of our goals, of course."  To the other two he remarks "will you join us in this opportunity?"  "You are strong and deserve to serve one who will reward you properly and provide aid in your pursuits as Eya here has found lacking prior to recent days."

Eya grins a toothy grin at Kiven, "I have a hunch we won't be complaining about our rewards. Wealth and power are practically the foundations of the entire Asmodean religion. I think we can even have some real fun with this. Oh about that, after breakfast I was thinking of exploring the rooms in this place. Want to join me?"

While Kiven and Eya continue their evil banter, Eya eventually notices that Jesla has been suspiciously quiet during this time. She stops and sees her staring off into the distance, "Jesla? Are you alright?" She turns to Kiven with a confused look, then waves to try and get her attention.

  Jesla looks up at Eya's words.  " No I'm not alright. After you left the cardinal informed us that we are destined to be reborn in hell after we die due to this branding. He summoned some foul creature he called a dretch. That's our destiny now. All we can hope for is to work for a better position there when we arrive.  " Her hands tighten up and she throws a plate across the room in a fury. " This is not how it is supposed to be. I control my own destiny.  Not this damnable brand or these pathetic Mitrans.  They all deserve to die.  Every last one.  " 

Kiven witnesses Jesla's outburst and just sits back in his chair patiently.  After a few seconds he says "indeed, they do, and it seems this is our best chance at that, despite how unexpected this choice might be."  "Perhaps not every last one though, mighty one, as I would have some left to rule over.  The paladins, the priests of Mitra, and those who will not yield, however; I think you and Gorum deserve the lion's share of their blood.   ...Or, in you prefer, the tiger's."

To Eya he replies "indeed, I've already inquired about the library here."  "We have much work to do.  Without my spell book and materials I'm feeling a bit...out of sorts.  I have an important ritual to prepare as well, if they have the materials one would expect here.  First, however, I have a question for each of you.  What is it that you desire most?  If you had all of the power, the aid, the favor of a king or god, or the wealth you desire, what would you have for yourself?  What life would you live?"

By now, Eya has caught on to Jesla's feelings towards magic and to the situation in general, "Yes Jesla, the Mitrans are the ones responsible for this. They are responsible for everything. Use that passion, that rage, and steel yourself with it. Convert it into power." 

Replying to Kiven's questions, Eya says, "These are difficult questions to be sure, Prince Aloro, as goals tend to change over time as new information is learned. Even the truly wise cannot see all ends. For now, I simply desire the death of the entire Mitran religion and philosophy. First on this island, and then to the rest of the world. I would have it cast down and be replaced by the laws of Lord Asmodeus. It would be replaced by a society where ambition and power decides who rules. There would be strict hierarchical power structures and institutions in place. Put simply, the strong deserve to rule the weak, and they would. But, perhaps even more important than the end goal, are the means used to achieve it."

Eya's eyes flare and her demeanor gets more serious, but still calm, as she continues, "This "culture" that the Mitrans have created is weak; it breeds stagnation. They have created machines, puppets, of their people with no ambition or drive. Without conflict, they have lost the means to define themselves. Their teachings are what must die. Slaughtering all the Mitrans, as Jesla would have it, would deafen them forever, this much is true. But it would be a far greater victory to make them see through my eyes than to close theirs forever. It is such a quiet thing, to fall. But far more terrible is to admit it."

Eya's demeanor goes back to normal, "But I need a lot more power first, and there is still much I do not know of the universe. This is why for now I am focusing on self-improvement and learning. I do enjoy reading. There are a lot of interesting and powerful creatures out in the various planes that I can learn to harness. Speaking of, I do feel a lot more powerful now than I did yesterday. Perhaps expending my energy so completely has made me that much stronger after recovery."

   Jesla sighs in frustration. "Apparently there is nothing I can do. Better to stay alive and maybe one day....The alternative is not pretty.  I will not be a wretch like that.  If I'm ending up in hell then I plan on ruling it.  " She grips the table and the wood creaks in protest. " 

 She stares off as,if she sees something in the distance.  As Kiven speaks she looks thoughtful for a moment and then responds. " I want nothing more than to be leader of my people.  I want to ride into a great battle with an army at my back.  To ride out and conquer.... there is no greater glory than this.  " 

Kiven sits back in his chair with steepled fingers and grins an evil grin as he listens to each of their responses.  As Eya mentions her 'far greater victory' Kiven simply remarks "indeed".  Upon Jesla's response Kiven inquires "and how do your people choose a leader?"

Otherwise he sits patiently with the same pleased expression and awaits Respar's response.

Respar frowns at Thorn's responses.  When the man leaves he bids the others a terse, "Good night," then returns to his room.  He lies awake for a few hours, turning the situation over and over in his head, as if it were a three-dimensional puzzle piece, and he was trying to figure out the perfect orientation for it.  He finally has a glimmer of an idea, and allows himself to sleep.

Eya's knock wakes him, so he quickly dresses and joins the others.  As he eats some porridge, meats and fruit, he listens to the others.  Finally, in response to Kiven's question he shrugs.  "Right now, I would love to change this situation.  I do not relish binding my soul to Asmodeus, but neither do I look forward to the fate to which I am currently consigned.  To do that, it will take time and effort, and I will get there.  Beyond that, nothing as grandiose as the ladies here, or yourself.  Enough coin to live a life of leisure and excitement would suit me.  But I do have expensive tastes, so that is a lot of coin.  And to enjoy it fully I also need to not be at the top of anyone's Most Wanted List.  Hence my reluctance to slaughter without cause."  He pauses to drink some water, then produces his signed contract.  "So here it is.  I am in."  Once more he shrugs, but this time adds a sardonic grin.  "After all, I now consider it my ambition to reclaim my soul.  How's that for setting my sights high?"