Eya smiles, "Well all right then, let's go in and sign this thing."

When the others are ready, she makes her way to the signing room. 

  Looking over at Kiven she says," The strongest lead. Anyone has a right to challenge the leader to combat if they feel they would do better.  Challenging and then losing is not a pleasant thing though.  Most chieftains  aren't too forgiving of such things.  " 

  Jesla stands up quickly.  " It seems that we have no choice.  Let's get this over with.  Someone needs to pay for this.  " She has a grim look on her face.  

The contract is as you left it, it does not appear to have been touched.

The cardinal is not in the planning room when you arrive, but a servant waiting there goes to inform him as soon as you show up. It does not take long for him to arrive, "Have you made your decision then?"

Kiven continues to grin as the last member of the party reveals his ambitions and says "excellent, as I expected, I see no conflicts here."  "A Talingarde with a strong, worthy leader can provide all of you what you desire, and more."  He sits back again casually and sips his drink before adding "you know, I do hate to tell you this, Respar, but I think you are near the top of this 'Most Wanted List' already."  "Being among the first to break out of Branderscar and charges of, what was it, high treason, will tend to do that to a man.  No matter, however, as whoever's list you are afraid of being on will be taken care of in due time."

Regarding souls, Kiven gives Eya a glance and says "I for one am happy to give my soul to the great Asmodeus in return for his favor in this and all of my, and our, endeavors.  Eya tells me our new Lord is most generous to those who are worthy."  He gives everyone a knowing look after saying this as he recalls Eya's warnings about divination.

After that Kiven is happy to follow the others back to the room where the contract waits.  He looks around the room a bit once more, reaching out to test for the presence of any magic as they await the arrival of the Cardinal.

Eya walks into the room and bows before the Cardinal. Then, she makes her way up to the contract, "Yes, Your Eminence, I am ready to sign. Is there anything special I need to do to sign this properly?"

"Indeed, Cardinal.  As much as the terms Master and Bound are unbecoming of one of my status, I have decided to overlook that in favor of the opportunity to serve Asmodeus."

"If you wish to change the terminology, you will have that chance young Kiven. You will be given every opportunity to fulfill your destiny, but you will have to prove you deserve the honors in question."

"As to signing, it is tradition to do so with a bit of one's own blood. But such is not strictly necessary, and I for one prefer to save ceremonial pomp for the peons who don't know any better."

Once everyone has signed, the cardinal smiles, "Excellent. I have something of a gift for you to mark the occasion." He pulls out four steel circlets and hands them out, "There will be times you must hide from our enemies, these will help."

"The plan, in basic concept at least, is simple. The bugbear tribes beyond the great wall are ripe for another rebellion. The last time they were easily crushed. This time we will strengthen their efforts, and weaken the Mitrans' ability to defend this nation. We will ensure that they fail in that basic duty, in as humiliating a fashion as possible. The people will be quick to cling to anyone who can offer reprieve from the ravening hordes."

"Your first duty will be to escort a shipment of supplies and armaments to our brother in the north, Chieftan Sakkarot Fire-Axe. It will help ensure that his tribe has enough power to unite all of the north under one banner. You will find his encampment on the northern edge of Lake Tarik. I have arranged for a ship to take you there, a smuggler by the name of Odenkirk. He is well paid, but not of the faith, and is not aware of the details of what he is involved in. Keep it that way. Much the same goes for the bugbears, Sakkarot is an Asmodean, but most of his people are not, discretion is advisable."

"We have a few days before you will leave, Odenkirk's longboat will take some time to finish loading the goods and arrive at the rendezvous point. I would have you spend it training and equipping yourselves for the trials to come. Let Tiadora know what you need, she can procure almost anything. I have many other things to attend to, including arranging a false trail for your pursuit to follow, but will be around as needed."

Eya inspects the circlet to discern it's nature, then puts it on. "Understood, Your Eminence. I will not let you down and look forward to the training. Thank you very much for this circlet. It will be much easier to get around if we look like Mitrans, myself especially. I shall go prepare my list for Tiadora. But before I go, Your Eminence, may I have permission to use the magical facilities and libraries in this manor? And is it acceptable if I bring my ogre on this mission?"

Kiven's voice drips with sarcasm in his response to the Cardinal.  "Well I'd at least prefer Initiates and Patron, or something of the sort, to start.  No?  We can go straight to The Chosen and The Advisor, or The Favored and the Messenger, if you'd prefer, but I thought I'd be kind, on account of the aid you've provide us and all.  Call yourself Emissary or Herald if you prefer it, but isn't Bound and Master a bit... uncivilized, really?"  Kiven does raise an eyebrow and smile at the Cardinal to see if the man has any sense of humor and to ascertain his level of patience.

Either way, if still alive,  Kiven does indeed sign the contract in ink, as seems to be the Cardinal's preference.

Upon leaving Kiven remarks to Eya "Really devil woman, you dishonor yourself by pandering to that envoy of your God."  "Is that what Asmodeus demands, the cajoling of other mortals?  I thought it was strength and ambitious he rewarded, not groveling.  You don't see the Tigress over there jumping at the chance to kneel before anyone, do you?  She'd sooner devoir every soul on the entire island.  That, at least, is one thing she and I agree upon."

Cardinal Thorn's face twitches at Kiven's jibes. "Uncivilized? Ironic, I was just thinking that a lesson in civility is in order."

He speaks a word of power, and suddenly everything changes. Kiven finds himself falling as the ground under his feet disappears. Fire licks up from a chasm under his feet as he jerks to a halt, a chain that had somehow been wrapped around his chest prevents him from falling any further down the pit filled with flame and shadow. The heat is intense. Cardinal Thorn stands in the air above the would be lord, casually holding the other end of the chain in one hand, his grip the only thing holding Kiven up.

He speaks, simply and quietly, and yet the words reach Kiven in spite of the roaring of the fires. "I do try to be understanding boy. But my patience has its limits. I am no mere messenger, I earned my place through cunning and power. Power upon which your fate depends in this moment. You might earn the respect and power you crave one day Kiven, but for now, you will address me with the respect I am owed."

"Now, who am I to you?"

OOC:  This can take place before or after Kiven's little sojourn with the Cardinal...oh, and Respar will take the bonus to resist charm and compulsion...

IC:  Respar nods in acknowledgement to the orders.  He does ask the Cardinal, "So once we deliver the shipment, what are our orders?  Retreat and let them have at it?  Or do we stay and assist in any way?"

Kiven is shocked by the sudden and drastic change to his surroundings, and finds himself screaming as he falls into the abyss.  Upon the sudden stop, he lets out several gasps in an attempt to catch his breath and recover from the mental shock of it all.  Recovering enough to speak after a few seconds, The Prince responds to the Cardinal.  "Well, Father and I have had our disagreements over the years but he was never THIS convincing or surely I'd still be studying in his library right about now.  Well played sir, I think you have made a strong point here.  I think 'Master' sounds rather nice, actually, don't you?"  With a nervous laugh at the end, Kiven is still trying to keep his brand of humor about him, but he is also clearly very, very scared.

Kiven's clothing starts to smoulder as Cardinal Thorn looks down at him. After a few moments he sighs and starts pulling upwards with a strength that belied his physical form. As soon as Kiven's feet come level with the floor of the meeting room, the chasm disappears as if it had never been there, though the heat of it can still be felt. The cardinal lets go of the chain, and it immediately loosens around the elf. "Now then, perhaps we can get on with this without any more unpleasantness."

In response to Respar's query he shakes his head and states, "Just make sure the shipment gets there, a task which is not likely to be especially simple. Sakkarot has his own orders. If he needs assistance suited to your talents, I might ask you to return to the north at some point, but for now the goods are all he needs."

Respar nods again, then asks, "By the way, while these circlets will be quite useful I am sure, do they do anything to hide these magic brands from prying eyes?  I still think these are our greatest handicap."

   Jesla looks in wide eyed surprise at Kiven. She shakes her head and smirks as he rejoins them a little Smokey.  Jesla looks away from him to hide a smile.  He was very deserving of that after his arrogance.  Maybe that would make him easier to deal with.  She studied the Cardinal with newfound respect but fear of his great magical abilities.  He was not one to cross...at least for now.  She joined the others in signing the contract.  Anger burned through her as she did so.

Having expected some sort of reaction like this from the Cardinal, Eya just sort of stares down at Kiven dangling in the pit of shadow and flame. She covers her mouth to keep from looking like she's laughing while she watches the whole spectacle. He deserved it obviously. After he gets pulled back up, she sniffs the air around him a bit, "You smell like burnt toast." 

"The disguise can cover the brands, but that may not be enough in all cases. There is a spell that can cause those brands to glow and emit a shrieking noise if cast within the area. Few among the Mitrans are likely to have it prepared on any given occasion unless they are actively hunting the escapees from Branderskar, but I still suggest giving the enemy little reason to suspect that there might be branded forsaken around."

"This mansion will be your sanctuary for the time being. Tiadora sees to its defense and management, and will also be responsible for providing you with the resources you need. You will have free access to its resources, including a well stocked library, a workshop for the magic arts, and a small smithy. The servants here are one of the perks of being a favored agent of this organization. They are available for whatever needs and desires you may have, though I would ask that you not be wasteful, replacement is not always a simple affair."

"I will not be here most of the time, but Tiadora can always get a message to me if needed."

"One other thing, you are not alone. Your group is the last of nine Knots that I have assembled, the Nessus Knot. Three other Knots are also based in this mansion, though only one is actually here at present. Your orders in regards to the other Knots are simple. Do not compromise their effectiveness or cause them lasting harm, and do not compromise anything they do for the cause. You are encouraged to compete with each other by any other reasonable means. This is how we will cull the weak amongst our own."

"Is there anything else before we proceed with training?"

Respar simply says, "Understood.  Ready when you are..."

OOC:  The next time the group is together, Respar says, "As Kiven says, we need to trust one another if we're going to make it through this.  So now I will offer you the tale of how I ended up in Brandeskar Prison."

Respar's story, told as a flashback with voice-over: [Why did I come to Tallingarde? Well, the organization I work for, or worked for at any rate, deals in all manner of contraband and its transport. But one of the most lucrative is, well, people. Yes, slaves. I came here to begin establishing a base of operations for our group. Considering the laws and such here, it might seem even more dangerous than other places to operate, but in a way that is precisely why we targeted it. Some who wish to buy slaves are simply looking for the strongest back and the weakest mind at the lowest price available, and we will accommodate. But there are those that want very specific traits. And not just physical. Some will pay top money for people with a certain outlook, or philosophy. And it can be assumed that while the lowest classes here in Tallingarde might not be as single-minded in their devotion to law and order as their rulers, just by upbringing they probably share a basic preference. After all, a land ruled by 'high-minded' clerics and paladins will have some effect on the population. So once some shipping channels were developed, I came here and began searching for a likely place to find those souls down on their luck enough that they would be willing to leave Tallingarde, ostensibly for the opportunity for a better life. And I found it. In the capital, in one of the lower-rent districts, is a home for mostly orphans, and some wayward women, in need of food and shelter. The church would occasionally make a donation, but the place could certainly use some help. So I began to ingratiate myself to the woman who runs the place, named Rulenna.] We see a harried-looking woman with a long braid of black hair down her back working in the shelter. She would most likely be very pretty if given a chance to clean up, but her hands are very calloused and she looks a bit tired.

[I started out by saying I simply wanted to help, and did the odd job. Rulenna was wary at first, wondering why I was there. I told her that I was someone who just wanted to help the less fortunate, despite my own apparent low status.] Respar is wearing worn, simple clothes, though also obviously armed. [She was skeptical but allowed me to help. On a couple of occasions I ran off some local riff-raff that were troubling some of the children, so she began to warm to me. I took no payment, other than eating with the people there once in a while. Then I saw an opportunity to make a serious inroad with her. The roof needed repair and they lacked the funds. I told Rulenna to give me a couple of days. I went to ground, then returned and handed her a bag of coins.] "Respar, is this stolen money?" The rogue shrugs and says, "Rest assured, this is, shall we say, donated by those who will not miss it." Rulenna frowns, but it is a good amount of gold. She finally smiles and thanks him. [And I told her the truth. It was part of my seed money. I just wanted to see her reaction if she thought I was stealing from the well-off to fund her home. After my second such 'donation,' which she accepted without asking for an explanation, I could see she would be open to my next suggestion.] "Rulenna, look, the work you do here is amazing. But many of these people will still have almost no chance to better themselves here. They'll be lucky to live off the church's leavings. But I have some connections overseas. We can help arrange work for some of the younger, more-able-bodied people here. They get a chance to build a life, and the home gets a small finder's fee. Think about it. If you wish, I will see what I can do."

Kiven gasps as he is returned to the room hot, smokey and singed.  He looks at the floor and says nothing, moving his head just a bit to reveal that he heard Eya's comment about toast and noticed Jesla's amusement.  Otherwise The Prince says nothing, signs the contract in silence, and leaves with the others.

Having previously given Eya a hard time for her behavior in front of the Cardinal, Kiven does say "I suppose that is why you kneel" after they have left the meeting.

After listening intently to Respar's tale Kiven remarks "it seems you will have a chance to apply your ambitions to something larger than a few orphan children, my friend."  "If we see this Rulenna again be sure to let us know.  She must be cunning indeed to have gotten the best of you and we should prevent it from happening again."  The tone of his final remark is clearly intended to mock the rogue.

Respar nods, almost as if taking Kiven's remark as perfectly sincere despite the obvious sarcasm.  "Someone did.  Happens to the nest of us.  Maybe you can recruit her or whomever it was."  In a friendly manner he claps Kiven on the shoulder, then quickly withdraws his hand.  "Ouch!  You're still a bit warm."