Quivering Corruption (DM Lerus)

Monues: "So, in 24 hours your compatriot will be free to meet us if we successfully requisition her specific participation in whatever contract we formulate. Seems a bit convoluted to me. My expertise is also information gathering, as my fellow Tormites will surely remember. I say we stay away from the People of the Silent Wood as much as we can, present company excluded, I guess." He waits a couple seconds and then adds: "Also, if the mastermind behind this finds out that Litta is alive despite your friend assuring them she is not, would her hands really be tied? Wouldn't the contract originator simply think your friend is lying? Would they have a recourse to make sure the contract was really fulfilled? I imagine this would be quite a blow to your organization's reputation."

Litta: "Are you saying you know someone who is affluent enough to contract the People of the Silent Wood? If so, we might just have to pay this person a visit, and recruit them to our side. May I ask who that might be?"

Moneus: "And what is this nonsense about a sudden change in Black Fist behavior?"

Litta: "Perhaps we should simply call Aleyd to join us here, in Torm's hallowed ground. It sounds like you have more than one reason to talk to her anyhow." 

Utar raises an eyebrow at Moneus' comment about the Black Fist; he has to concede he has a point.

"Aye, but I'd rather she not point their attention towards our best lead until we've had chance to investigate it."

Thinking for a moment, he points to his left ear, "She doesn't know about your affiliations, right? I'd rather not put you in her sights either."

Exhaling a deep breath, Utar settles his mind and takes his amulet in his hands, casting sending.

Graxx huffs in agreement with Moneus.

"That's true Neya.  A tribes reputation is everything.... Do you think all will be in agreement with you partner?"

Neya responds to Graxx and Moneus: "It's true, we do have a reputation to uphold. If whoever is behind it does find out about her rather unorthodox survival, our reputation will take a hit; at least when it comes to that particular service. There is a reason we offer various services, rather than just one. If we fall behind on one, we have many others to pick up the slack while we rebuild that one."

"If the commssioner does find out and complain about a contract that was reported a success but found otherwise, an internal investigation would be launched to find any instance of dereliction. If sufficient evidence was found, a new contract would immediately be made and enacted, but it would involve a different assassin. In the case of the opposite findings, they will have to compensate for the resources used in the investigation and a one-month moratorium will placed on any submitted and future commissions from them due to the risk the investigation put us in. Since my friend has merely incomplete information, that action might inadvertently buy us more time to find them."

"Come to think of it... I don't think I ever told the reason I was in the Moonsea area in the first place. I was assigned a rather dangerous, but important role. I am to scout out our current clients and determine whether or not they would continue employing our services, and also to judge whether or not we should keep a professional relationship with them. Since I am on what, in essence, is an investigation, I have the ability to request resources, within reason."

She then turns to Litta, "I will tell you his name, but I only ask that I go with you to meet him. Do I have your word?"

The group continues to deliberate while Utar takes a step away to contact Captain Aleyd Burral. It takes a couple of seconds, but she eventually replies:

Graxx agrees with Moneus, and Neya provides further explanation of the inner procedures of her village/organization. Both Moneus and Litta listen attentively, and the dragonborn eventually speaks first: "You have my word. Let us not leave this evening, however. I still need my rest and Aleyd may yet join us."

Moneus speaks: "And I will accompany Litta as well. Now, what has your contact's name?"

Utar returns to the group. "She is on her way. Burral is coming."

Graxx nods his head at listening to Neya but says nothing else as he has nothing more to add to this critical conversation.

With that assurance, Neya nods and says, "Thank you. When you're ready, we will meet with Keefe."

"Tonight? Well, that's certainly a surprise. I hadn't thought she'd even be awake at this hour, truth be told. But then, with everything going on-..." Doozey uneasily trails off there, but is only silent for a moment. "Well, in any case. We... oh... oh dear...Uh... Hm... Remind me again. Was it the fires we were helping to look into, or also things stolen? And if so, what do we tell her exactly on that front?" He asked frankly, as he was frankly too tired to beat around the bush for Litta's presence and sake.

The very same presence who he was still trying to avoid direct eye contact with, and had largely been keeping to himself and quiet as a result of.

It takes some time, nearly a full hour, but eventually you hear the grave creak that only a heavy wooden door can make. It is followed by the rhythmic clanking of plate armor and the swish of a dragging cape. In full gear, Captain Aleyd Burral approaches the central shrine in the main hall, purposefully ignoring everyone else's presence. She takes a knee by the shrine, lowers her head, and quietly meditates for another several minutes. The golden details of her otherwise pure black armor reflect the moonlight sneaking into the hall through the openings on the ceiling. 

When she finally stands back up and turns around, she slowly takes stock of the other people in the room. If there is any surprise in seeing Moneus or Litta in here, her face does not show it. She breaks the silence when her eyes meet Utar's: "They live then..." She takes a few paces, rests her right hand on the pommel of her sheathed longsword, and meets each of the other gazes in the room one more time. Meeting Utar's once again, she says: "You first.Tell me why I'm here and then it will be my turn."

Utar stands and feels slightly awkward not standing to attention when he addresses his former superior. Reminding himself that Ahkt is technically his superior now, he avoids stiffening his back.

"I thought you might be pleased to see that we're all still standing and together for the first time in a long time...We almost lost Litta tonight and managed to get a view of her assassin making their escape. If a similar approach was taken with the others, we're looking at someone with means being behind this. We're trying to come up with a likely list of culprits. Maybe you want to get involved with that?"

Folding his arms over his chest he told his head, inquiring "Now, what have you been up to?"

Doozey unflinchingly meets Burral's eyes, but kept his mouth shut as Tater's sat on a shoulder. While he would give Utar a sidelong look after the Half-Orc spoke, after a moment of looking pensive, he nods, accepting in the moment the whole "other" business paled in comparison to the immediate concerns.

"I am pleased." Aleyd reassures Utar. "But all of us being in the same town and being aware of each others presence just puts each of us more at risk." She pauses for a moment to look at Litta, though she is still seemingly talking to Utar: "If people of means is what we should worry about, then there are many avenues to pursue. Nobles, knights, successful merchants, high-ranking members of the Labor Guilds or any factions for that matter, revered artists, coin exchangers... the lists goes on. We'll need to gather more information." She looks at Moneus after saying that last bit.

The captain starts pacing about again, and catches a glimpse of Doozey:

-> Insight check vs. passive omission: 7

Her eyes quickly bounce from CRAPer to CRAPer, indicating that she now addresses all of you: "As fate would have it, I have my own reason to respond to your meeting request so quickly. I also have information to share with you. It should be more straight forward, so perhaps we can talk more about our murder issue afterwards. I know I can trust these other two as well, even if one of them is missing an ear, so I'll try to summarize it."

She throws a somewhat menacing glance at Moneus, who clearly still respects his former captain to some extent: "Anyhow, here it is. You had shared some other choice piece of information with me. One regarding a place called the Kryptgarden Forest, a powerful mask, and a certain group of fanatics. Well, I consulted some of my more prestigious contacts, the sort who have access to vast libraries and knowledge, and I believe I successfully managed to pique the interest of two of them. They have requested that you, as the originators of the information, join me, them, and their own set of partners for dinner tomorrow evening. They plan to discuss the formation of a temporary hunting party... That's what they called it." She sighs and adds: "The invitation from a noble family is not the type of request one should refuse. I suggest you wear your best attire..."

Pondering on the two issues put on the table since arriving at the House of the Hand, Aleyd concludes: "It seams going up the societal ladder has now become a necessity for CRAP, whichever adventure you pick next." She smirks at her own little joke, but quickly hides it behind a frown.

Graxx gets excited and pounds his fists together at the formation of a hunting party.  Graxx is smiling from ear to ear eager to get on the hunt... This smile fades quickly at the mention of best attire.

Graxx looks down at his body.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get this show on the road and join a hunting party... But I'm going to need to go shopping it you want me looking like one of them fancy folk."

Hoping for more from Burral, Utar can't help but position himself firmly in opposition to her views. Surely knowing they are all alive and able to face whatever it whoever is coming at them is a benefit, a comfort? 

Utar bites his tongue, allowing his former commander to move onto their next task, and wonders whether a certain well fed dwarf might be able to provide further detail on this expedition, or at least explain which of the many tiny spoons presented at the tables of fine lordlings they should use first.

"I would certainly like to know the importance of this mask. At very least, the fanatics' connection to it..."

Doozey scrunches up his face as if just swallowed something absolutely horrible. "You didn't happen to tell them there was a halfling among the number responsible for that bit information, did you? If not, perhaps it would I would be better suited being nearby and making sure there aren't, uh, surprises that their guards can't quite handle?" He asked, giving her an almost pleading look. "Or, you know, just be in the neighborhood in general? O-or, ooh... oh, my stomach. Oh, I think I came down with something -- wouldn't want it to spread to people of noble bearing." He said as he clutched as his stomach and kept making faces. Even Taters joins in on the act, in swaying and awkwardly trying to hold his head.

Performance: 5.

(@Ori: We'll call that a deception roll.)

DM's Screen:

Aleyd nods at Neya and Graxx, approving their approval of the task at hand. She adds: "Prepare as you see fit. Just make sure you are ready an hour past sundown tomorrow to eat well and discuss strategy." She then looks at Doozey, her face betraying disappointment: "Pathetic. Embarrass yourself at dinner if you must, but make sure you are there. They are expecting you."

Then, she addresses Utar more directly: "Your silence concerns me a bit, but I'll assume it is proof of you placing your priorities on the murder case. Believe me, it may not look like it but so do I. Unfortunately, our new allies are not the sort we should keep waiting. Do so if you must, but know that it will tarnish the reputation of everyone in this room."

She takes a few steps closer to Moneus and Litta: "Or, we can send our companions here to do what they do best. They gather intelligence while we solve the issue with the fanatics. It is not like there is a lack of problems to be solved, and the they were not invited to dinner in any case."

(OOC: Keep in mind you haven't told Aleyd anything about the plan you had been devising with Litta and Moneus before her arrival, or about the People of the Silent Wood connection, or about what you have been up to in the past few days since the end of the previous episode.)

 Doozey quickly gives up on the act, and brushes off the disparaging look and remark. For him at least, she all but cured most concern about having to actually dress fancily or be anything but himself... not that he wasn't already planning to, but still! As far as any missing details yet to be exchanged, after the little faux pas before, he stayed quiet with arms crossed expression flat; figuring he'd get some early practice for the dinner. At least for now...

Utar arches an eyebrow as Doozey's performance comes to an abrupt end. He had been convinced the halfling would need the attention of a healer...

Turning to face Burral, he gives a long exhale and places his hands behind his back, standing easy and taking a matter of fact tone.

"I'll be at the meeting with your contacts. I'll even wear my best vestments. I trust that what you're asking me will help protect Phlan and I trust that when the time is right we'll confront the ones responsible for our friend's deaths."