While the infiltration group continued their mission, back at the gala Lynn was faced with a rotund but extremely well dressed woman who carried herself with the sort of poise you'd expect from a Royal.
The woman in question, who Lynn noticed was a very tall dwarf, looked the human up and down briefly, just quickly enough to avoid being rude."Lady Wintercleaver was it? Lovely to make your acquaintance. I am Vicereine Evelynn Gretta Blacksteele, though I prefer being called simply Lady Eve. Less of a mouthful for those not blessed with a stout drwarven tongue."She spoke common with a perfect tone and refined tongue that you wouldn't not normally expect from a dwarf. If you only heard her voice you might even mistake her for an elf."So you're a merchant from the Gold Coast? I imagine there must be plenty of competition down there. Which is precisely what brings you here, I suspect. But don't worry, I like boldness in my business partners. Well I suppose I shouldn't get ahead of myself. By all means Lady Verine-Wintercleaver, what is it you wish to discuss?"
Lynn-Marie's lips part in an amused smile. "Lady Eve, then. A pleasure!" She grabs a glass of wine from a passing servant, then places her full attention on the woman once more. "My dear husband deals in specialty ales and liqueurs so I am certain we could have an interesting conversation on such matters. However, in all honesty, I am looking to open a trade of business myself, and I have yet to decide what goods I would prefer to deal in. So please, tell me a little of yourself and the lands you posess. Ah, and perhaps you might soothe my reservations a little? I hear there is some unrest in these parts of late, not alltogether beneficial for trade, I would assume."
Sora looks around impressed by the size of the bedroom she's found herself in. But the moment is short as she focuses on searching the bedroom for potential clues.
Witt takes a look at the guards he will have to pass to reach Konor directly, and has another thought. He looks around and observes the servants, to see where they are going, and if possible he will follow on into the kitchens and outside the area where guests are. Perception16
(His 'Of The People' feature means that, even in a nice suit, he probably looks very out of place and noticeable at the gala, but in the servants' quarters he should be able to blend in more easily.)
Khorzik studies the guard carefully, memorizing every detail of his clothing, armor, an weapons in case he needs to alter his appearance again later. He continues trying to make sure Sora and 9 are not surprised by anyone as they search different rooms.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PbP Lost Mines of Phandelver -Squelch (Kenku Grave Cleric)
What Lies Between - Cragworm (Goblin Oathbreaker Paladin)
Embers in the Dark - Martin "Uncle" Flintmore (Human Rogue)
Adventures in Esyldien - Khorzik Fume (Hobgoblin Transmuter) - retired
A Machine's Ambition- Canavar (Shifter Zealot Barbarian) - retired
What Lurks Below - Urmdir Volsung (Human Fighter) - retired
The second home Moira finds herself in is an even bigger mansion then the last. Though it seems to be more pristinely kept. Interestingly the door this time is not answered by a butler but by a young elf man, barely reaching the end if his first century. He regards Moira curiously before speaking,"That's very interesting. If what you say is true then I have many questions for you as well. Care to come inside for some authentic Glyphwood tea? Then I hope we can have a lovely conversation."
Lady Eve returns Lynn-Marie's smile without so much as a hint of hesitation. "Ah yes that unpleasantness, well it's a matter of those squabbling for power. An unfortunate commonality you might say, but hardly a matter of long term concern. Eventually such matters tend to get settled, and business continues as always. And the business of Tarrin is almost always mining. There's no better collection of underground riches outside of Dorimir. Personally I'm invested in numerous copper ventures, as well as several unique mineral mines that are quite rare, everything from zinc to phosphorous. I'd say copper has been particularly profitable recently, especially since I managed to get one of my richest copper mines cleaned out of a little goblin problem recently. Ah, but I won't bore you with such details. I would love to hear your thoughts as well after all. You mentioned your husband deals mainly in spirits and liquors. You won't fine much here beyond that mushroom whiskey. Not of a fan of it personally, I tend to prefer the more traditional dwarven stouts, if you'll pardon my stereotype."
Not far from there, Witt is able to slip in with the rest of the servants and make his way into the kitchen, blending in with the other hard working people far easier then the high class party goers in the ballroom. The kitchen is predictably very busy as a limited number of servants, cooks, maids, and other commoners work continuously to provide for the whole party.
Meanwhile Khorzik continues keeping watch along the hallway, while 9 continues searching the study. Sora's investigation of the bedroom has uncovered with a certainty that ... it's just a bedroom. Definitely belonging to a young girl, and an important one given the size of this suite, though you doubt this is where the queen sleeps.
"So you wanna tell me what you're doing in my room?"A young girl's voice calls out from the other side of the room behind Sora. Standing there, as if to confirm the results of Sora's investigation, is the young girl in question. A little taller then you imagined, her skin is a light with a slightly grey hue, black hair frames the green eyes that she looks back at you with. She wears fine clothing but most noticeable is the longsword she's holding defensively at the moment.
"No of course not."The elf looks Moira a bit more closely, it's clear he knows the name at least."Did Lady Linthe not tell you where she was staying? It seems she never tells anyone where she's staying. A bit over cautious for a simple noble representative of the High Elf Houses. Don't you think?"
In the kitchen of the Castle Witt is able to head towards the back end where he can find a couple of the servants taking quick breaks from time to time. The breaks are short indeed due to how busy everyone is dealing with all of the guests at the gala. Even so everyone is helpful to their fellow servants, and people will often and quickly rotate in to give everyone a chance to rest. The servants here are surprised to find Witt approaching them and introducing himself, but they don't bother worrying themselves over such matters. Witt is polite enough and fits in well with the other common servants after all. They would gladly introduce themselves in return.
Oh, hello,says Witt, looking flustered, but smiling warmly. I'm Witt. Sorry, I don't mean to disturb you. I'm... sort of attending the gala, but not really. I'm with some people and they kind of wanted me to come along and make up the numbers. I've never been somewhere so rich-looking before. It must keep you all so busy, I hope they don't do it too often.
Sora turned around slowly and as non-threatening as possible until she came face to face with the girl who apparently slept in here. She had to think of something fast. For the moment she wasn't screaming for the guards, which was a good sign, hopefully.
"Yeah I know this looks bad." Sora began with a calm and hopefully disarming smile, "But if you're willing to hear me out I think we can definitely help each other."She took a measured step forward keeping her arms up in as non a threatening manner as she could manage. Which to be perfectly honest was kinda difficult for her. "My name is Sora, by the way, mind if I ask you your name?"
Khorzik: As you remain on lookout along the hallway you barely manage to catch voices coming from inside the bedroom that Sora went into. It's hard to tell who or what those voices belong to. You can tell there are multiple voices, but that's about it.
However as you're listening to the door, some thing else catches your eye. Or rather the lack of it. You realize that the guard that was at the end of the hall is no longer there and you don't see any other guard anywhere along this hallway.
"Sora? Huh? You're serious?"The young royal looks back at her with a confused expression."You're saying you broke into the princess's bedroom and didn't even know who's room you were breaking into? Who does that? ... Wait are you an assassin? Are you just trying to confirm your marks identity?"
"Princess huh? Figured the Queen was too young to have a kid but hey, I'm not judging." Sora smiled, "Anyway, I promise you I'm no assassin. I just wanna have a chat if that's ok with you."
The young elf considered Moira carefully once more before replying, "I can tell you much, then again you might have more to share about her in return. Regardless, we can discuss this matter at length. Before that, perhaps talking in the middle of a doorway is less then ideal. Would you care to come inside where we can sit more comfortably and share what we have to say?"
Back at the castle the young lady looked equal parts confused and annoyed by Sora's statement, "I'm Enalie's Sister You Idiot!"After blurting that out in a way that showed just how young she really was she took a moment to calm down before she spoke up again,"Maybe they do it different where you're from but I'm still considered a princess until my sister, the queen, has a kid of her own. You know that whole line of succession. Anyway, I'm Princess Sylna. Now that you know you can give me a good reason to listen to you before you're surrounded by every guard inside the castle. And there's ALOT here tonight cause of the party."
Hesitating a moment Moira decides its worth the risk. “That would be just fine. I’m Moira by the way.” As they make their way toward the house Moira quietly pulls the wand from her side and holds it ready but trying to still appear at ease.
Lynn-Marie is starting to get more comfortable in her role as official guest of the gala. She holds her fingers delicately in front of her mouth as she laughs a bit overly much at the joke, "Oh, I think most prefer a good Dwarven ale to the mushroom whiskey. I tried some last night, and I'm afraid to say I would not recommend it to my husband, no. Ah, but you mentioned copper. Would that be the pure ore, or do you also own smelters, perhaps even forges and jewelers to deliver finished products? Are the minerals processed? "And I would certainly be interested in the problems you face, my lady. It helps balance out the risks against the rewards, you see. A supplier being able to deal with a Goblin problem stands at an advantage over one that still requires a solution. In fact, one could think that it even benefits over a supplier which has not had any problems at all!"
She winks, then slides just a little closer to the woman and lowering her voice just a note. "So, my good lady Eve, is there truly nothing else I should know about this business with the Queen?"
Nemeia also questions their current predicament. She doubted she could chase after the Konor and worried about her companions mission where the large guard was heading. She didn't have the means to warn them and wouldn't know where to find them even if she did. "I don't like that the Queen is alone." Nemeia knows there are countless guards around to defend her, but the loss of the main protector worried the tiefling quite a bit. "I wonder where he went off to," Nemeia says with a bit of worry in her voice. "Is there trouble in the castle? Shouldn't he be by her side at affairs like these?" Nemeia seems quite troubled by the situation before turning back to Tirtyani.
"Talking with her would greatly help our investigation. You said she's left already? Do you know where we could find her?"
Nemeia offers Witt a slight shrug as she ponders what to do. "If you think you can gain more information going after Konor, I think it would be helpful. Just don't do anything to get yourself kicked out of here. We need to be able to defend against any threats that may arise."
Nemeia watches as the party continues. Everything was as grand as she expected it to be at such an event. After thanking Tirtyani for all of her help, she assures her that they'll get to the bottom of what happened with the late queen.
Khorzik opens a vial from his belt-pouch casts disguise self on himself again. He takes the form of a guard like the one he studied earlier, except with a different face. He moves to the room with Sora inside and opens the door. "No need mi'lady. Got reports of a drunk party-goer wandering around back here. I assume that is her?"He gestures to Sora and places his hand on his weapon. "Alright, now. Fun is over. You can brag to all your friends about meeting someone important later. Come with me."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PbP Lost Mines of Phandelver -Squelch (Kenku Grave Cleric)
What Lies Between - Cragworm (Goblin Oathbreaker Paladin)
Embers in the Dark - Martin "Uncle" Flintmore (Human Rogue)
Adventures in Esyldien - Khorzik Fume (Hobgoblin Transmuter) - retired
A Machine's Ambition- Canavar (Shifter Zealot Barbarian) - retired
What Lurks Below - Urmdir Volsung (Human Fighter) - retired
Sora looked back at the princess carefully, knowing for a fact that she was right about one thing. She needed something to get her to listen. Fortunately she knew exactly what to say in that moment.
"I know who killed your mother." She spoke confidently, "And I'm determined to bring her down."
Technically it was a risk to admit that much. When it came to the games people play for power, you never knew who was truly on your side. But she had a feeling these people weren't trying to play those games, at least not by choice.
It was then that the door opened and a Royal Guard came in. Already this one was reaching for his weapon. The action almost caused Sora to reach for a weapon of her own by instinct but she resisted the urge. She did not want to make an enemy of the princess just yet. She would have to go along with this for now and try to escape later.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Lynn-Marie's lips part in an amused smile. "Lady Eve, then. A pleasure!"
She grabs a glass of wine from a passing servant, then places her full attention on the woman once more. "My dear husband deals in specialty ales and liqueurs so I am certain we could have an interesting conversation on such matters. However, in all honesty, I am looking to open a trade of business myself, and I have yet to decide what goods I would prefer to deal in. So please, tell me a little of yourself and the lands you posess. Ah, and perhaps you might soothe my reservations a little? I hear there is some unrest in these parts of late, not alltogether beneficial for trade, I would assume."
Lynn-Marie Verine-Wintercleaver, Human Bloodhunter - Adventures in Esyldien
Finan Caible, Human Bard - Joys of Balance
Yroc Grumbak, Orc Fighlock - Pizazz's ToA
Arell Peroan, Half-Elf Warlonk - Scattered Gods
ESC! | 10|33|5~
Sora looks around impressed by the size of the bedroom she's found herself in. But the moment is short as she focuses on searching the bedroom for potential clues.
Investigation - 16
Witt takes a look at the guards he will have to pass to reach Konor directly, and has another thought. He looks around and observes the servants, to see where they are going, and if possible he will follow on into the kitchens and outside the area where guests are. Perception 16
(His 'Of The People' feature means that, even in a nice suit, he probably looks very out of place and noticeable at the gala, but in the servants' quarters he should be able to blend in more easily.)
Khorzik studies the guard carefully, memorizing every detail of his clothing, armor, an weapons in case he needs to alter his appearance again later. He continues trying to make sure Sora and 9 are not surprised by anyone as they search different rooms.
The second home Moira finds herself in is an even bigger mansion then the last. Though it seems to be more pristinely kept. Interestingly the door this time is not answered by a butler but by a young elf man, barely reaching the end if his first century. He regards Moira curiously before speaking, "That's very interesting. If what you say is true then I have many questions for you as well. Care to come inside for some authentic Glyphwood tea? Then I hope we can have a lovely conversation."
Lady Eve returns Lynn-Marie's smile without so much as a hint of hesitation. "Ah yes that unpleasantness, well it's a matter of those squabbling for power. An unfortunate commonality you might say, but hardly a matter of long term concern. Eventually such matters tend to get settled, and business continues as always. And the business of Tarrin is almost always mining. There's no better collection of underground riches outside of Dorimir. Personally I'm invested in numerous copper ventures, as well as several unique mineral mines that are quite rare, everything from zinc to phosphorous. I'd say copper has been particularly profitable recently, especially since I managed to get one of my richest copper mines cleaned out of a little goblin problem recently. Ah, but I won't bore you with such details. I would love to hear your thoughts as well after all. You mentioned your husband deals mainly in spirits and liquors. You won't fine much here beyond that mushroom whiskey. Not of a fan of it personally, I tend to prefer the more traditional dwarven stouts, if you'll pardon my stereotype."
Not far from there, Witt is able to slip in with the rest of the servants and make his way into the kitchen, blending in with the other hard working people far easier then the high class party goers in the ballroom. The kitchen is predictably very busy as a limited number of servants, cooks, maids, and other commoners work continuously to provide for the whole party.
Meanwhile Khorzik continues keeping watch along the hallway, while 9 continues searching the study. Sora's investigation of the bedroom has uncovered with a certainty that ... it's just a bedroom. Definitely belonging to a young girl, and an important one given the size of this suite, though you doubt this is where the queen sleeps.
"So you wanna tell me what you're doing in my room?" A young girl's voice calls out from the other side of the room behind Sora. Standing there, as if to confirm the results of Sora's investigation, is the young girl in question. A little taller then you imagined, her skin is a light with a slightly grey hue, black hair frames the green eyes that she looks back at you with. She wears fine clothing but most noticeable is the longsword she's holding defensively at the moment.
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Moira - Insight if he recognized the name Linthe : 12
"This is where the lady is staying then?"
If there's anyone taking a short break and chatting, Witt will wander over and introduce himself.
"No of course not." The elf looks Moira a bit more closely, it's clear he knows the name at least. "Did Lady Linthe not tell you where she was staying? It seems she never tells anyone where she's staying. A bit over cautious for a simple noble representative of the High Elf Houses. Don't you think?"
In the kitchen of the Castle Witt is able to head towards the back end where he can find a couple of the servants taking quick breaks from time to time. The breaks are short indeed due to how busy everyone is dealing with all of the guests at the gala. Even so everyone is helpful to their fellow servants, and people will often and quickly rotate in to give everyone a chance to rest. The servants here are surprised to find Witt approaching them and introducing himself, but they don't bother worrying themselves over such matters. Witt is polite enough and fits in well with the other common servants after all. They would gladly introduce themselves in return.
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Oh, hello, says Witt, looking flustered, but smiling warmly. I'm Witt. Sorry, I don't mean to disturb you. I'm... sort of attending the gala, but not really. I'm with some people and they kind of wanted me to come along and make up the numbers. I've never been somewhere so rich-looking before. It must keep you all so busy, I hope they don't do it too often.
Khorzik's Perception: 15
Sora turned around slowly and as non-threatening as possible until she came face to face with the girl who apparently slept in here. She had to think of something fast. For the moment she wasn't screaming for the guards, which was a good sign, hopefully.
"Yeah I know this looks bad." Sora began with a calm and hopefully disarming smile, "But if you're willing to hear me out I think we can definitely help each other." She took a measured step forward keeping her arms up in as non a threatening manner as she could manage. Which to be perfectly honest was kinda difficult for her. "My name is Sora, by the way, mind if I ask you your name?"
Khorzik: As you remain on lookout along the hallway you barely manage to catch voices coming from inside the bedroom that Sora went into. It's hard to tell who or what those voices belong to. You can tell there are multiple voices, but that's about it.
However as you're listening to the door, some thing else catches your eye. Or rather the lack of it. You realize that the guard that was at the end of the hall is no longer there and you don't see any other guard anywhere along this hallway.
"Sora? Huh? You're serious?" The young royal looks back at her with a confused expression. "You're saying you broke into the princess's bedroom and didn't even know who's room you were breaking into? Who does that? ... Wait are you an assassin? Are you just trying to confirm your marks identity?"
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Moira
”Well it seems as though she gave me the wrong location, so yes I’d agree that she seems overly cautious. So what can you tell me about her?”
"Princess huh? Figured the Queen was too young to have a kid but hey, I'm not judging." Sora smiled, "Anyway, I promise you I'm no assassin. I just wanna have a chat if that's ok with you."
The young elf considered Moira carefully once more before replying, "I can tell you much, then again you might have more to share about her in return. Regardless, we can discuss this matter at length. Before that, perhaps talking in the middle of a doorway is less then ideal. Would you care to come inside where we can sit more comfortably and share what we have to say?"
Back at the castle the young lady looked equal parts confused and annoyed by Sora's statement, "I'm Enalie's Sister You Idiot!" After blurting that out in a way that showed just how young she really was she took a moment to calm down before she spoke up again, "Maybe they do it different where you're from but I'm still considered a princess until my sister, the queen, has a kid of her own. You know that whole line of succession. Anyway, I'm Princess Sylna. Now that you know you can give me a good reason to listen to you before you're surrounded by every guard inside the castle. And there's ALOT here tonight cause of the party."
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Moira
Hesitating a moment Moira decides its worth the risk. “That would be just fine. I’m Moira by the way.” As they make their way toward the house Moira quietly pulls the wand from her side and holds it ready but trying to still appear at ease.
Lynn-Marie is starting to get more comfortable in her role as official guest of the gala. She holds her fingers delicately in front of her mouth as she laughs a bit overly much at the joke, "Oh, I think most prefer a good Dwarven ale to the mushroom whiskey. I tried some last night, and I'm afraid to say I would not recommend it to my husband, no. Ah, but you mentioned copper. Would that be the pure ore, or do you also own smelters, perhaps even forges and jewelers to deliver finished products? Are the minerals processed?
"And I would certainly be interested in the problems you face, my lady. It helps balance out the risks against the rewards, you see. A supplier being able to deal with a Goblin problem stands at an advantage over one that still requires a solution. In fact, one could think that it even benefits over a supplier which has not had any problems at all!"
She winks, then slides just a little closer to the woman and lowering her voice just a note. "So, my good lady Eve, is there truly nothing else I should know about this business with the Queen?"
Lynn-Marie Verine-Wintercleaver, Human Bloodhunter - Adventures in Esyldien
Finan Caible, Human Bard - Joys of Balance
Yroc Grumbak, Orc Fighlock - Pizazz's ToA
Arell Peroan, Half-Elf Warlonk - Scattered Gods
ESC! | 10|33|5~
Nemeia watches as the party continues. Everything was as grand as she expected it to be at such an event. After thanking Tirtyani for all of her help, she assures her that they'll get to the bottom of what happened with the late queen.
Khorzik opens a vial from his belt-pouch casts disguise self on himself again. He takes the form of a guard like the one he studied earlier, except with a different face. He moves to the room with Sora inside and opens the door. "No need mi'lady. Got reports of a drunk party-goer wandering around back here. I assume that is her?" He gestures to Sora and places his hand on his weapon. "Alright, now. Fun is over. You can brag to all your friends about meeting someone important later. Come with me."
Sora looked back at the princess carefully, knowing for a fact that she was right about one thing. She needed something to get her to listen. Fortunately she knew exactly what to say in that moment.
"I know who killed your mother." She spoke confidently, "And I'm determined to bring her down."
Technically it was a risk to admit that much. When it came to the games people play for power, you never knew who was truly on your side. But she had a feeling these people weren't trying to play those games, at least not by choice.
It was then that the door opened and a Royal Guard came in. Already this one was reaching for his weapon. The action almost caused Sora to reach for a weapon of her own by instinct but she resisted the urge. She did not want to make an enemy of the princess just yet. She would have to go along with this for now and try to escape later.