Above & Below

The tiefling who spoke up furrows his brow a bit when you say Euphoria still holds all the power, but he seems to buy the rest of your flattery. 

"Hmph. Fine," he says, nodding to the others. "Follow me." They stay close to you as you're escorted to the barn.

As you all enter through the slightly opened barn door, you find a group of tieflings meeting by candlelight. There are more than you thought - a dozen, maybe more, plus the guards outside. 

In the center, across the dirt floor, you see a tall, handsome tiefling stand up. His pale yellow eyes peer out from a deep red face, and as he looks up and recognizes Effort, he lets his guard down for just a minute, looking genuinely surprised. His eyes grow wide, but then narrow. He composes himself and lets you all enter fully. From behind him, you hear a gasp. It's coming from Freedom, a female tiefling standing in the back. 

"Effort," Euphoria finally speaks up. "Where the hell have you been?"

It takes a great deal of effort - no pun intended - to keep her face straight when Effort finally lays eyes on Euphoria.  She does twitch slightly when she hears Freedom's voice behind her, but she knows better than to look away from the tiefling standing before her.  "Euphoria," she says in greeting, dipping her head slightly.  "Where I've been?  Here and there, anywhere I could scrape by making a living."  You might have known that if you'd bothered to look for me, she adds bitterly to that thought, and can't keep a certain amount of ire out of her voice when she continues.  "One tends to do that when one is on the cusp of death, with no recourse or aid."  

Something dark and malevolent moves within her chest; Cadmael's head turns slightly, his multicolored eyes boring into Euphoria as a ripple of darkness touches her mind.  You wish revenge? Though it's Cadmael's voice in her mind, this time Effort isn't certain that it's only the bird who is asking.

Ignoring him, she addressed Euphoria instead.  "I'm looking for Promise.  I discovered recently that he also survived, and it's imperative that I find him quickly.  Can you help us?"  She raises one eyebrow slightly and crosses her arms, wondering how Euphoria is going to process her new self - no longer so quiet, or submissive as before.    I never had the power to challenge you before, she thinks, not lowering her gaze.  But one day, Euphoria... I will crush you, and everything you hold dear.

"We were all in your position," Euphoria sneers. "We were all scraping by. Some not even able to do that...do you know Suffering is dead? But we didn't abandon our family. We didn't run off and then come strutting back all this time later asking...asking for help?"

He smiles now, turning around and pacing through the barn. Posturing, really, and making sure to pass and recognize each of the current gang members. "Promise is a deserter as well. Not sure why I should help him...or you...do whatever you think you're doing. But..." he pauses and holds up a finger. "...I suppose there are ways to bargain for that information. If you and your motley crew here can help me with something, then perhaps I can point you in the direction of Promise."

Another pair of tieflings enter the barn now, including Akrus. He joins a group toward the back, trying not to make eye contact with Effort. 

"Namar and his band of oafs are making a big play. They have numbers, but they're cocky and overstepping. Namar personally sees to shipments of drugs down at the docks, but we have sources that have told us tomorrow night they'll also be raiding some of the warehouses in the central districts. As you know, gangs don't typically move that far into the city...but Namar thinks if they can take not only the food and resources Gorta has stored there, but also put half-orcs there to form a permanent outpost, he's one step closer to taking over the city for himself. They've grown beyond their own kind, as well. He has all sorts of wannabe tough guys working for him now. We don't have the numbers to disrupt all of his operations, but with your help, maybe we can both disrupt his assault on the central warehouses while also taking his drug shipment for ourselves." He pauses now, turning and walking right up to Effort. Stopping a few inches in front of her face, he grins. "What do you think, old friend?"

Insight check to see if Kurama can tell how truthful Euphoria is being (specifically regarding leading the party to Promise): 17 (Womp)

"If you speak the truth regarding helping us find Promise, then I am willing to assist and I suspect my companions would be willing as well." 

He seems like a real stand-up guy to you, Kurama. No reason to lie, as far as you can tell.

There's a tiny spark of joy in Effort's breast at the mention of Suffering's passing.   Not so tough without your guard dog to do your bidding, are you, she thinks, something like a smile beginning to form at the corner of her lips.  "Am I asking for your help, or are you asking for mine?  The waters get so muddy when you speak in riddles, my dear friend."  She glances around at the crowd of gathered tieflings.  "Well. I'm quite certain you have the complete loyalty of all of your minions here tonight.  I don't see why you would think I am any different from them," she says, the words intentionally vague as to their interpretation.  "I also see no reason to keep ourselves out of this fray.  I owe Namar a visit as well, after all, and it would be rude to keep him waiting.  This would be a win-win situation for me.  There's absolutely no reason to refuse."

You hate him so, but you would cooperate?  Cadmael asks her.

There's only one side in this gang war, Effort replies, her smile widening.  Your own.

"If you're so eager to get back at Namar, then why don't you take warehouse duty. Freedom will be leading that operation with these fresh, young faces," he gestures toward half the room - about seven or eight tieflings, including Akrus. "I will personally be leading the assault on their drug shipment. This will all happen tomorrow night, and we'll meet back here when it's all said and done." He stares at Effort during most of this, and finally turns away to go and grab something out of his bag. He pulls out a bottle of dark brown spirits and takes a deep swig. 

Passing it to Effort, he raises his arms in preemptive triumph. "To us! To family!"

The formal meeting seems to have ended, as the tieflings drink and talk in smaller groups. Euphoria remains at the front of the room, speaking mostly with one other tiefling. Freedom finally runs over to you all, hugging Effort. "I...I can't believe you're here." She looks around. "Welcome to all of you. I am Freedom."

Brask, says Brask, offering a hand to shake firmly.  Freedom's a good name.  Did you choose it yourself?

Freedom blinks intensely and swallows. "I was told my mother gave me the name, though I never met her." After a moment she smiles, looking around at the others. "Well met, Brask. What of the rest of you lot? How have you come to travel with this one?" She squeezes her arm around Effort's shoulders.

Dog worshippers, says Brask.  We kill 'em.  So does she.

Brask eyes Pip, encouraging him to introduce himself too.

Pip, who had been standing at the back of the group, steps up to introduce himself. "I go by Pip now. Never had a name before that. Sure think Freedom is a pretty one." 

Freedom smiles. "Thank you, Pip. I like your name too."

"Kurama, formerly of the House of Truth.  Pleasure to meet you Freedom."  Kurama replies bowing slightly.  "So we're to defend your warehouse with you tomorrow?"

(Sorry, weekends are tabletop times XD)

Effort raises the glass slightly and takes a small sip.  She holds it in her mouth until Euphoria turns away, and then under the pretense of coughing, spits it to the ground.  "It seems Euphoria's good spirits don't agree with me," she mutters.  Moving back to the others and relaxing once Euphoria's noxious presence fades, she smiles at Freedom.  A real smile, at least those who have been traveling with her for long enough can easily tell.  "Freedom... I thought you'd died," she said, wrapping the other girl up in a tight hug.  "I missed you," she said, closing her eyes for a moment.  "You don't know how much I missed you this past year."  She pulls back and looks the other tiefling up and down.  "Are you all right?  Have you been able to manage under that bastard?  He doesn't seem like he's changed a whit to me at all," she growls lowly.

Catching herself, she quickly introduces the others to Freedom:  "This is one of my friends from my past, living in this town.  I suppose you can say, until we find out what happened to Promise, she is my best and only friend from that time."  She glances at Freedom.  "Sorry for the pressure.  But it's the truth.  It's been a lonely time for me after that last scuffle. It wasn't until recently when fortune brought me to this group, that I traveled with others.  And... I really did almost die -- that wasn't a lie.  Euphoria left me there to fend for myself, that bastard, after Namar ambushed us with his gang of thugs."  She blinks.  "I saw Cheer cut down with my own eyes.  I thought you and Promise had bit it, too.  But he's alive, Freedom!  And in great danger."  She shoots a venemous look at Euphoria.  "And that trash.  He knows where Promise is, yet he doesn't give two craps about any of us, does he?  Pfaugh," she spits.  "He's as foul as his rotten drink."

"I'm okay. I'm okay," Freedom smiles a somewhat reserved smile. "Things have been rough. Even rougher since Namar moved in. Not as much food to go 'round. But we're making due. Euphoria was shook after the fight, but it didn't take long for him to build himself back up. Put on that demeanor you know all too well. I've known for a few months that Promise is alive...but it's really just been rumors. I don't know if Euphoria has even seen him. And I don't know where he might be. Outside the city somewhere. Apparently he refused to come back. But again, that's all second-hand."

Freedom returns Kurama's bow. "Well, it's not our warehouse to defend...it's the property of the city. They store all kinds of grains and other things in there. But it also serves as the unofficial border between the...seedier areas of the city and the part controlled by the city guard and the wealthier folks. Wealthier being a relative term in Gorta. Namar figures if he can take control of the border, take control of the resources there, he is one step closer to ruling over the whole city. He's got the manpower to do it. The city guard is a joke. But he's also cocky. Even more than Euphoria. He thinks he can take over the warehouses while still carrying out his regular drug-running business. We aim to prove him wrong."

"You should know," Effort tells Freedom, "I have no interest in rejoining Euphoria's family.  I'm much like Promise in that regard... I prefer freedom," she says with emphasis.  "I wouldn't mind hitting Namar where it hurts, but I don't care particularly about the fate of the streets here.  I'd just as much rather go and tell the city guard to clean up this mess with both of the gangs before it affects the city trade.  They might like to ignore us down here in the dirt, but once the splatter reaches the finery of the nobles' robes-- and pockets-- you can be sure they'll pay closer attention."  She shrugs.  "Still, this is a lead worth chasing.  There are some people here we have to find..."  She shoots a glance at Brask.   "... as well as tracking down Promise.  Any lead is better than what we have now -- he's being targeted by cultists for some reason, and we need to protect him.  I'll even work with Euphoria again if it gets me closer to that goal."

Cadmael flutters down to settle on Pip's shoulder, and stares at Freedom intently.  You like this one.  What makes her different?

She hasn't lost her soul to the streets yet, Effort replies.  Unlike the rest of us.

"I know the feeling, sister." Freedom nods slightly. "But there isn't much else for us to do. You know why we're all here. Where else would we go?  What else would we do?"

Akrus and another tiefling, who introduces himself as Garzer, come over to join the conversation. They introduce themselves, including Akrus, as if they haven't met you yet. Meanwhile Pip grins wide as Cadmael looks around from his shoulder perch.

"Suppose we should figure out what the hell we're doing," Akrus states plainly. Freedom leans down and draws three long rectangles in the dirt of the barn. 

"These are the three warehouses that run along the street. One block over is the unofficial border between districts. I don't know how many they'll have, but I am going to bet it's more than us..."

"Probably why Euphoria is going to be elsewhere," Akrus half-grins.

"Perhaps. Not our concern now." She looks at the three rectangles as if they're a complex puzzle. "The tieflings and I can be on top of the two side buildlings. That way we can arrows off if they approach from either direction...and we'll have some planks up there to get from building to building if we need to. Effort, we need a ground force, and I think you and your friends are more capable than the rest of us. Do you - any of you - have thoughts on where you should lie in wait? Inside the warehouses? Behind them? I've been around for awhile but this isn't something we've done before. It's a bit out of my comfort zone..."

Kurama ponders for a moment before responding, "Though warfare was not my area of expertise, I've read a few dozen books on the subject and think we have two strategies that would be most effective.  One would be for the archers to attack any enemy approaching the warehouse and have our ground team confront any who are able to slip by them.  The other option would be to stay hidden and lure them into a trap in an area that would be most advantageous to our team.  Brask, Burik, you've experienced more fights than I have and I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter.  I believe your truths could be beneficial to creating the best strategy." 

Brask looks at Kurama for a moment, and then says.  My strategy is to hit the jerks with my maul until they stop moving.  So far it's worked pretty well.  Hey, is this those orc boys we talked to earlier?  Man, I'm gonna enjoy caving in their skulls.  But anyway, I mean, what's the job here?  To put on a show, and scares these guys' boss into leaving you alone?  Or to provoke a fight with him, like a war?  He's a gang boss, right?  That's precarious.  Not an easy job to hold on to.  Can't afford to be seen to lose.  This is dangerous stuff.  He grins broadly.  Sounds good to me.

"Our goal is to thin their ranks and be sure they don't get their hands on all the resources in these warehouses," Freedom starts to draw little Xs in the dirt. "They were stupid enough to plan two moves in one night. Can't let them get away with that. I tend to think surprise is best. Catch them off guard, maybe take a few out before they know we're even there. Then fight like hell."

"Other than on the rooftops...where are they hiding?" Akrus gestures towards you all. "There are low, nearby buildings that you could hide on top of or in between...but we don't know what direction they're coming from. Or in between the warehouses? Might be able to maneuver quickly enough regardless of which way they move in."

Not much good at hiding, Brask says, pointing to himself.  Good at making a distraction, if that helps.  Always nice to have someone on the roof shooting the scumbags, but that's not my thing.