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| Lone Star [FIN]; Vyse | |
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| Topic Started: Mon Jul 4, 2011 11:00 pm (270 Views) | |
| Ezekial Smith | Mon Jul 4, 2011 11:00 pm Post #1 |
 
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Ezekial walked through the city of Balefire, feeling glad in this City of Lanterns where he could walk with his lantern looking merely like an overly cautious person rather than someone insane. It was night in Balefire, although it would be nigh impossible to tell without being in one of the few areas that had a view of the sky where the moon passed over, or by one of the plethora of clocks he had seen in the Clock Man's store. The Clock Man was an old chronomancer gone partially insane from seeing the reality of time, or so it was said. He had his lucid spells, and he was really quite nice when he had them. Ezekial was here on business, to meet an old friend of his, who had "joined" with a spirit from the Phlogistonian Plane, and as such his house was almost constantly ablaze. His old friend, an old igniomancer by the name of Aetos Karalis, had often said that he could see the fire burning within Ezekial, and that he would be waiting for when Ezekial was ready to be taught to embrace the inferno. Finally Ezekial stood before a stone building, on the outskirts of town to avoid burning down the rest of the city, which had quite a bit of wood in the buildings. Ezekial knocked on the large stone door, and there was a few seconds of silence during which time Ezekial took a few steps back and the door swung open. In the doorway was a smiling man, with bright red hair that was worn in a ponytail by the man. All on his visible skin was a pattern of red tattoos, of lines tracing the muscle groups, specially made to shift with the muscles beneath them. They were obviously enchanted tattoos, as occasionally there would be a puff of flame from his fingernails, where the tattoos did not go, and could not contain the fire. Aetos invited Ezekial in, an offer Ezekial gladly accepted. They spoke for a little while, and Aetos said, "Now, I have somebody I will want you to talk to. And by the way, be careful out there. I've heard from a few people that an important person is in town, and I hear the two of you have had a fight in the past. If he knows that you are here, he'll come after you. But what else is new, eh?" He slid a piece of paper across the stone table, laughing, and Ezekial pocketed it, thanking Aetos. He excused himself, promising to return soon, and left Aetos' home, returning to the center of Balefire. Walking through the streets that seemed to grow more and more narrow, he finally came up to an intersection onto a town plaza. He felt a strange vibe in the air, as if everyone was avoiding a certain area consciously, as if they had been told to avoid an area that was put in quarantine. He disliked it, and moved through the crowd to the area, as was his meddling nature. He grinned when he saw two people had known from a while back, from the incident with the Sowata in the Istan Desert. He raised his voice, saying, "Vyse, Qadaj, is that you?" |
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| Vyse | Mon Jul 4, 2011 11:20 pm Post #2 |
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Vyse was arguing vehemently with the oasis leader, Sehrek, they were both trying to establish a trade route here, but the merchant they are aiming for will only contract with one of them. They had argued points and counterpoints, the pros and cons of each others businesses, Sehrek specialized in weapons and trade of the flesh, Vyse's company specialized in medical supplies and supplies in general, something that everyman could afford and would need, they even had a few forgemasters back in Cascadia that Vyse could pay for a large supply of weapons. The problem is the merchant thought that the weapons and flesh trade would bring him a lot more money when they were bought while Vyse's were meant for the poor and he had no chance to inflate the price to suit his needs since he'd be supplying more of the same as other merchants, while the Sehrek's agreement could give him more money if anything sold. They had argued and made good points for over two hours, the merchant said they'd continue talks in the morning. Vyse walked outside, he was clearly angry and showed it, his teeth were grinding as he saw Sehrek walk away with a smug look on his face, today had been a disaster. If he wasn't in charge of a merchant company now he'd simply murder the man in his sleep for trading in flesh. He tried to calm down, Qadaj was with him and he didn't want to scare him off, he'd been there helping out Vyse. Qadaj was now Vyse's second in command, they signed the papers and now their companies had become one, though it was still called 'Noclan Merchants.' He sighed, breathing deeply again, the cool air calmed him down considerably, soon he'd be in the pub drinking very little, he needed his mind sharp for the morning. He heard someone call out him and Qadaj, he turned and saw a familiar face, someone he hadn't seen since a few weeks ago in the desert, he smiled as he waved, walking towards his friend, "Zeke, what are you doing here? Chasing after something or here for a more personal interest?" He laughed a bit, he didn't think he'd be recognized without Umbriel, he had changed his clothes to fit that of a leader, a black coat, white pants, the same white vest, and a pair of black boots. He felt good knowing an old friend was here to talk to tonight, Qadaj himself greeted Zeke, telling Vyse to get to sleep early, he had prepare for tomorrow. Vyse nodded and waved as Qadaj left, now it was just him and Zeke. |
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| Ezekial Smith | Tue Jul 5, 2011 12:59 am Post #3 |
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Ezekial smiled, and said, "I had business here, with an old friend of mine. You know, it was lucky that we met here, I was just about to leave. So, what have you been up to since we saved the oasis from certain doom? Looks like that man, the leader from the oasis, got to you, eh? You're looking ragged." He looked around the plaza, and the crowd tried to ignore the two, but this was a development that they could not let pass by. A regular passer-by like Ezekial stepping in to help Vyse, was almost unheard of. Sehrek was a big enough player that it would take either a larger player to go against him, or someone entirely built off of interpersonal relationships and a complex system of favors owed and owned. The crowd had been implicitly warned not to get involved with the newcomer's side, but Ezekial was well-liked by a number of people. The crowd was torn between a loyalty to this old elf or a man that was well known to be in the business of slaving, a polarizing subject here in Balefire just like anywhere else, and people had some sympathy for the goal of the Noclan Merchants, to sell medicines and general supplies to the poor. In short, this entire situation was a time bomb and Ezekial was an errant spark. The tension was thick in the air, but Ezekial could not tell the reason behind it. It had been a while since he had been to Balefire, and his usual network of intelligence had broken down during that time. Hopefully some of the veterans of the network would crawl out of the woodwork and give him a rundown of the situation, but he couldn't expect it. He saw Qadaj leave, telling Vyse to get some rest, and looked around at the crowd. They moved quickly, only sparing a few glances, probably waiting to hear the other bits and pieces from other people to remain unseen, but the few times they did glance over they were obvious, open faces with wide eyes. Ezekial began to be suspicious, he doubted that the people here would plot against him, but with outsiders like Qadaj becoming involved, it was possible. He frowned and stood closer to Vyse, saying, "Can you feel it, Vyse? We're being watched, but it's from all around us. This was once my town, but now I've lost touch, but that wouldn't cause this sort of thing. Did you get into it with one of the big players?" |
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| Vyse | Tue Jul 5, 2011 2:06 am Post #4 |
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Vyse sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I'll explain everything when we get to a more private place, I supply a guy who runs a pub near here, we just sent him a new product, Black Water Ale, they serve less of it then normal ale... but it has a more bitter taste and a pleasing after taste... despite its looks." He quickly lead his friend to the pub, they were greeted by a tall man, he had a bit of a gut, though his arms were thick, and his head bald. Behind him was a large polished club, it had a tiny plaque below it saying 'Instant Sobriety'. Vyse snickered, he'd seen him swing that thing around, he could give most people a run for their money. The man walked over, Vyse quickly issued orders, "Two mugs of Black Water, we'll be taking it in the private room to the back, please be quick." The man nodded, running off to grab two mugs, filling them up with an inky black substance. Vyse grabbed a silver key off the wall, walking through a wide oak door, allowing Zeke to enter, followed by the man with the mugs, he left them on the table and walked out, allowing Vyse to close and lock it. He looked around the private room, it was a great place to talk freely. The room was sparsely decorated, four padded chairs sat around a normal square table, all of it sitting on a rug. He checked under the rug, making sure the magic circle was intact, the magic runes glowed slightly, it was safe to talk, the enchantments were taking place. He sat down, drinking slowly from the mug, he shivered from the bitter taste but relaxed from the odd pleasant aftertaste, it was almost fruity, but much to sweet. He relaxed, taking a deep breath, "I should start from the beginning, my father died recently, leaving everything to me, of course I thought it was odd... since I killed him." He let that sink in, taking a sip of his drink before continuing, "He was an evil man, he made these small red pills that when ingested or diluted in water would slowly zombify the person eating them, rotting them from the inside, if they died while under the effects of the pill, they became zombies... though the longer they lived while constantly taking the pills the stronger the undead they became." He finished his mug off, basking in the sweet aftertaste, "I've been tracking him for a long time, a while back I found the latest shipment of his newest pill, I burned every last one of them to ground with the help for a new friend I met, we saw my father's symbol, a giant white rose in the sky, we followed it and found him, we dispatched his necromancer, alchemist, and thugs." He sighed, it would be a little more explaining but he felt the need to shorten it a bit, "Long story short his will gave me his company and all the responsibility, sealing my movements to Cascadia or business trips, Umbriel has to stay in stables or in my office in Cascadia." He felt annoyed, he still wasn't done with the explanation, well a little more talking couldn't hurt, "Now I'm here trying to make a trade route with a merchant so I can give this place cheap supplies, that includes medical, but that blasted Sehrek is blocking me at every pass, trying to get the deal and have his own slave and weapons trade route here, its infuriating, the only reason why he wants this trade route is because we ticked him off back at the oasis, blasted petty man, and at this rate he'll get it to, I hope he gets food poisoning or something and can't make it to the morning meeting... but enough about me Zeke, how have you been, what have you been up to in the last few weeks?" Vyse leaned back, relaxing against the chair, it was his turn to listen. |
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| Ezekial Smith | Tue Jul 5, 2011 3:16 am Post #5 |
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Ezekial nodded, agreeing that this crowd was dangerous to talk about such things near. He make a face at the description of the Black Water, but followed him without a word. He walked into the pub with a bit of apprehension, seeing a few friendly faces who tapped the sides of their noses surreptitiously, a message not to seek them out just yet. He saw one hostile face, all the others were either neutral or did not look at him. The hostile face belonged to a hooded halfling, apparently a rogue from her hand that remained in her coat as if clutching a dagger. Noticing that he saw her, she stepped away from the bar, leaving behind a few copperheads. The door swung open and closed loudly as the halfling fled the bar, and still confused about that turn of events, he took a look at the large man, well muscled although with his stomach hanging just slightly over his belt. He was not entirely impressed, though, every time he saw someone such as that, he remembered the many like them that either could not control their inertia enough to effectively combat a student of aikido, or were entirely undisciplined, relying instead on brute force to power their fights. Both went down quickly. He followed Vyse into a back room and stood around the table, sitting down while Vyse locked the door. The door was rather spartan, empty except for the table, four chairs, and a rug. When Vyse lifted the rug, Ezekial could see a line of runes glowing lightly, in a circular pattern. It was not the most powerful style, but it did its job well. He set the mug aside, commenting on how it would be indecent for him to imbibe in alcohol. He listened to Vyse's explanation of his past event, his hackles raising at the description of his father as someone similar to a necromancer. He agreed with Vyse that that man needed to die, such a travesty to nature as a zombie-maker was unacceptable in the eyes of his religion, but he found it remarkably curious that he had been made the sole beneficiary of his father's estate, including a large company and all of the associated duties. He felt sympathy for Umbriel, being trapped in the stables of Cascadia. He listened to Vyse's explanation of his troubles here in Balefire, realizing why the crowd was acting strangely. This man, Sehrek, the leader of the oasis, was trying to ruin his company, and had apparently made some strides in persuading, or more likely, intimidating the populace against aiding Vyse. He made a morbid comment regarding Sehrek getting food poisoning that there were those in the city that would do it for a paltry sum. He shook his head and replied that he had been wandering as per usual. "After I left you, I went to the coast to get a ride across the water to Cascadia, but I got Shanghaied and sent around the continent through a channel in the Great White Northern to help move some illicit substances from Taras to Chaon. It took me a while, but I jumped ship around the Debon Plains and high-tailed it into the Gwilikith Mountains to escape from those men because during my escape I may have set their ship partially on fire. Then I traipsed through the Ancient Ruins, nearly got married, again, and ended up being the arbiter in a ages-old dispute between two neighboring villages, settling it by a pair of marriages of convenience. I think they were the most friendly that time. "After the marriage ceremony and such were finished, I moved into the Marsh south of Norwood Forest, and got ambushed by a pair of Silurians, big water-loving lizard-men. After defeating them in battle, I escaped, although they had sent word to a few more of their hunting party which lead to a chase through the marsh all the way up to the Forest, running into a group of Wood Elves who dispatched them easily. I had a few friends in their village, it seemed, so I visited them, only to become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the village chieftain to be replaced by his wife's illegitimate son. That was taken care of, and the chieftain reinstated, but the son was executed. The supporters of the illegitimate son gave me quite a bit of grief until it came time for me to leave. Then, a few miscellaneous adventures through Norwood, and I came here to meet an old friend." He smiled, during his explanation of the adventures he had been on, he had made quite a bit of gesticulations, nearly knocking over the Black Water a few times. He frowned, and said, "As for Sehrek, there's probably a solution. I have a few friends who can turn the public's glare onto Sehrek, and one who can help you to make a deal with merchants. He's an old-timer, back in the days before the Great Depression around two hundred or so years ago here, so he knows everybody in the whole town. He's something like the Father of the town, but he very rarely makes an appearance. I might be able to change his mind on this situation, you're the kind of person he particularly likes, and Sehrek the kind he dislikes. He wields quite a bit of influence, especially among the financial district." He smiled, enjoying planning on how to defeat Sehrek, angry at him for making the grave mistake of threatening his friends. |
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| Vyse | Tue Jul 5, 2011 3:33 am Post #6 |
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Vyse chuckled, meeting this man would indeed help him, but he needed one more thing, "The major problem is Sehrek's guards, he's got about ten of them, very well trained, around him at all costs, he's using the fact that he has heavily armored troops and can call them in at a moment's notice while I only have a few caravan guards, poorly equipped and poorly trained, the fact is I don't have the man power to establish a powerful caravan guard here, though the man who drives my caravan driver knows secret paths to get here, we took them as we moved, cut our trip by a half day and we met no bandits, so that's a perk right there." He wondered if that was going to be enough... he doubted it, he needed to have better trained guards, preferably spear and crossbow wielders, weapons that took a short time to train with to actually be a good fighter or marksman. He continued on, "If you can arrange a meeting I'd be more then happy to meet him tonight, or if he just wants to show up at the meeting tomorrow morning that would be fine to, anything to interrupt Sehrek's flow, I need this trade route or else I'll have to cut funding and probably fire a whole mess of people... leaving them out hungry in the street, curse my father for giving me his job... I can't wander freely without wondering if I did all the paperwork correctly or considering which items we need to trade for goods or sell, not to mention the constant background checks and interviews... not to mention the financial mess that I caused for my father was backed up and now I have to deal with it..." He sighed, he was getting off track. He stood up, "Anyway, we should meet your friend and talk about plans... maybe this guy can help me with my guard problem, you think he knows anyone willing to make some money guarding a caravan, of course I'll have a few tests for them to pass, unfortunately this time I can't use 'pet Umbriel' as a test... heh, made some nobleman's son wet himself when Umbriel gave him a half growl, priceless." He recalled the moment fondly, the man had talked down to him, saying he was a superior swordsman to the cat rider, of course Vyse did the same thing he did to everything that made fun of him and his tigress, he made them hurt, though only emotionally for him since Umbriel also stole his pants. He chuckled, sometimes the job was fun. |
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| Ezekial Smith | Tue Jul 5, 2011 5:12 am Post #7 |
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Ezekial nodded, listening to the issues regarding Sehrek's guards. Ten heavily armored guards, probably in masterworked plate armor wielding either halberds or a tower shield and falchion. The halberds could be able to deter a charge, and the tower shield and falchion would easily cut down any who dodged the halberds. However, to be able to see, they must have gaps in their helmets, which would be a weak point. Furthermore, if it heated up even a little it would soon become unbearable within the heavy metal armor. Unfortunately, Vyse only had a few poorly trained guards, with similarly poor weaponry. He might be able to call in a few favors, of perhaps the Father could lend a hand. Aetos would be a most powerful ally, should it come to that. He said, "I might be able to get a meeting with the Father, although I wouldn't count on it. Look's like your father got you back good, didn't he? He probably wouldn't climb a rock wall to tear away stones. Anyhow, Father's the kind of person who would bring his own men down to take care of this in person. Just because he's old doesn't mean that he can't murder the both of us in a second. The same goes for his men, so don't fight them unless you want to end up dead. I've got another friend who'll help me, so we'll be doing good. We'll need to get going to gather up all the help, so we should get going. Oh, and by the way, you're about to realize that this place isn't as secure as you would hope. Come on out, Eri, Ari." Part of the ceiling opened up, and two young faces appeared, both young boys wearing mirrored goggles, Eri wearing red, Ari wearing blue. They grinned and said in unison, "We're here, boss, come to tell you that the Raggedy Man is going to have your back." "He already knows about the relationship between Vyse and me, does he? Word does travel fast in this town." They both grinned wider, and said, "Of course, boss! He's the Raggedy Man, got an ear on all of Balefire. There ain't a thing goin' on that he don't know about!" They disappeared, closing the door in the ceiling. There was a moment of silence, and Ezekial turned to Zeke, and said, "Well, shall we go? We've got much work to do, and not that much time to do it in." He stood, and they both left through the door, leaving the pub. Ezekial led the way to the outskirts of town, to a stone house with a large stone door. Ezekial knocked on it, and Aetos came to the door, ushering them in, mentioning that he was expecting them to be here soon, taking a cautious glance in all directions as he did so. He sat them at the table, and Ezekial told him the story of why they were being antagonized by Sehrek, and why they needed the help of him. "Besides, I'm sure that Marni wants to get some exercise after being caged for so long." Evidently Aetos agreed, as he was silent for a few moments, in an action that Ezekial presumed was speaking with Marni, and agreed to help, saying, "You're right she does. Honestly, it's like we're married nowadays." Now three in their party, they set off to the Father's home, a large mansion that stood out among the other buildings in the city of Balefire. |
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| Vyse | Wed Jul 6, 2011 2:30 am Post #8 |
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Vyse sighed, the two spying on them were on their side, that's good, also they seem to hold a lot of respect for Zeke... that's even better. He waved goodbye to the two as they walked out, he followed Zeke through Balefire, he noticed a lot of people giving Zeke a smile and an appreciative nod, the man was well liked in this town. He followed him down the pathways, leading to the outskirts of town, he saw the stone building, he'd seen it when he came in, though he didn't bother learning about it. He looked at the giant stone door, it was well made, maybe he should get a stone door like this... no that would cost far to much money. When they entered he saw a man, he was curious, the man was covered in tattoos, he was also a nice guy, "Excuse me, but I'd like to know your name and know exactly what you guys are talking about, if you could let me in on your little plans It'd be appreciated." He didn't know who this man was, or who Marni is, he needed to have as much details as possible, he needed to seem in control tomorrow, he needed every edge he could get. He thought about this Father character, he had lots of influence apparently, whatever he said would probably happen... Father would be a trump card, but first he'd need to see if he could meet him, he might have to work out a deal... no, that's a cowardly way, I'll persuade him with my feelings and heart, Vyse nodded, he felt assured that he'd get Father's favor along with the people of Balefire. |
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| Ezekial Smith | Wed Jul 6, 2011 3:18 am Post #9 |
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Having moved outside of house, both Aetos and Ezekial looked back at Vyse, somewhat surprised. They moved past it easily, though, and Aetos, laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and replied, "Oh, sorry! It's just that I'm not used to discussing things like myself or Marni with newcomers, and it certainly didn't help that Zeke was here. Anyhow, my name is Aetos, an old friend of Zeke's. These tattoos are used to control a fire that I usually have burning around me. If you look at my nails, you can see puffs of fire where the tattoos cannot cover. Marni is the name of the fire elemental I joined with, against my will, mind you. It's alright now though, Marni and I are good friends. Although, from her constant nagging it's more like we were marr-" He looked down sheepishly for a few seconds, and remained silent, hands in his lap. It was obvious that he was being chastised for his openness, and Ezekial laughed. "Anyhow, if I concentrate, I can release the tattoos and use the power of Marni. It isn't difficult, but it isn't something you can accidentally do, you have to be consciously desiring the tattoos to be undone. It's not easy to explain, but that's the closest. Anyway, I hear that you're going up against heavily armored soldiers, so fire should work remarkably, ought to boil them right away. Oh, speaking of which, once we go to Father's, you should get Amaterasu from him. He still has her, and she'll be able to help in the fight." He turned to Vyse, and tried to explain quickly. "Amaterasu is the name of Zeke's glass drake. She's roughly two-and-a-half feet to the shoulder when she's stalking, but when upright she's easily over five feet tall. She's very loyal to Zeke, and smart as a whip. As for our little plan, it's simple. We get Father to come with us, along with a few of his men, to the morning meeting, and we give you aid when it comes to the merchants. More than that, it'll intimidate him, but that might provoke him into attacking. He probably would too, he's just a newbie here, so he doesn't know all of the denizens and who not to look cross-eyed at. Despite this, no matter what, we need to make him attack first, or there's a chance that the city will go against us if this man, Sehrek, is as influential as I think." "I think that the Raggedy Man will be there too. I heard as much from Eri and Ari." Aetos' brows furrowed, he was not on the best of terms with the Raggedy Man. What could that man possibly be doing? "I don't trust him, but you already knew that. The Raggedy Man's just too unknown, and he never comes out unless its to play everybody like pawns to suit his own ends." Ezekial shrugged, agreeing with him, but he knew that they didn't really have too much of a choice in the matter. |
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| Vyse | Wed Jul 6, 2011 3:34 am Post #10 |
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Vyse needed more information, "Who is the Raggedy man exactly, some sort of information broker, a crime lord, or worse, a politician?" He smirked as he followed the two, when he heard of the glass drake he wondered to himself, glass drake... wasn't one sent to him from a far as some kind of present for taking over the company, he shrugged, maybe it was. He let his own thoughts flow, "I've got myself a glass drake to, he was sent to me as a congratulations present from someone... no name tag for who, but the dragon was named, Susano-Oh, he's a bit wild, only a few inches smaller then your Amaterasu though." He thought of Susano-Oh, he was always in the stables to, though he wasn't all to friendly towards Vyse at the moment, though he hoped he would warm up to him sooner or later. Vyse felt something or someone watching him, it was an odd feeling, "Do you guys mind if we first go to the inn, I need to pick up my blades, I just don't feel right walking around without Blitz and Sopheur." He lead them to the inn, rushing inside to grab his swords, putting them in his belt he quickly ran back out, "Alright, now I'm ready. Lead on." He followed behind them, he didn't know where exactly they were going, only that they were going to get his drake, Amaterasu. |
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| Ezekial Smith | Wed Jul 6, 2011 5:21 am Post #11 |
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Aetos frowned, and said, "The Raggedy Man is something of both a crime lord and a knowledge broker, but nobody could prove the former. He's a bit of a legend around here, and he's first and foremost a puppeteer, paling in influence only to Father himself. He works mainly through proxies, so if he comes down in person to something like this, you know it's going to shake the ground. His major goal is to now everything that goes on here, but Father's still got him beat there, so he'll go through hell or high water to get his information. I've heard some nasty stories about him, but they're just that. Stories. Anyone who works with him or for him does so for the money or because they recognize that he's a valuable ally to have, and a hellish enemy." Ezekial nodded, adding, "That's true. To be frank, he's not always that valuable an ally, because of his puppeteering attitude. He'll bend you over just as soon as help you if it serves his case, and the worst thing is that you'll never truly know because of the randomness of coincidence. A guard could on a whim search a neglected area, or the same guard could have been warned beforehand to check the same area for intruders. You just don't know." Aetos began to speak up, and then he suddenly got a sheepish look on his face again, and stopped. They continued to walk silently for a little while, and both Aetos and Ezekial laughed when they heard the name "Susano-oh" for a glass drake. "Susano-oh, eh? That's a sure fire match for Amaterasu. After all, in Honshun mythology, Susano-oh and Amaterasu are sibling deities." "Yeah, but whoever named him must not have been looking too closely. Susano-oh's the god of the sea and storms, a glass drake would be right out of style!" The continued to walk, passing near an inn, and Aetos noticing the familiar silhouettes of Eri and Ari, choosing not to mention them to the other two just yet. Let them do their work, and perhaps they'll prove helpful later on. He smiled, and nodded when Vyse asked to stop by the inn, warning him to keep his blades visible at all times and not to make sudden movements towards them once they entered Father's mansion. Once Vyse rejoined them, they moved quickly through the city, soon coming up in front of a large mansion that was gated and guarded, albeit to anyone who did not know what to look for, it seemed like the gate was abandoned. There were actually two guards on top of the two pillars next to the gate, just barely visible when they breathed and become uncomfortable with their position and adjusted, and their camouflage spell broke down just slightly, very slightly. The wall was impressive, nearly eight feet high and two feet thick, with a one foot core of metal, and an exterior of banded sandstone, ranging in color from red to white, as if it had been lifted from the ground. The gate was made of wrought iron, and the bars were thick and close together, with a magical lock that was specially made to only be opened by the two guards sitting atop the two simple columns of the Tuscan order. Beyond it, the top of the mansion, a dome in similar banded sandstone with a great lantern enshrouded in glass and limestone perched on its apex, was visible. Ezekial could see the two men move just slightly to be able to access their weapons more easily, and said in a loud voice, "We are hear to see Father. Tell him that it is Ezekial and Aetos, he'll know who it is." There was a slight pause as the men checked this with Father himself, and the gate swung open outwards. Smiling, Ezekial and the rest of the trio walked in, the gates shutting behind them. |
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| Vyse | Wed Jul 6, 2011 2:30 pm Post #12 |
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Vyse scratched his chin, sea and storms, "Well that might explain why he's destroyed the stable's ceilings several times so he could fly around... if he does it one more time I might have to just make a nest or something for him so he can just fly all day then land at home to rest, let him hunt in the areas around and under Cascadia. The stablemaster calls him the 'Hellraiser'." Vyse remembered seeing the glass drake pick a fight with Umbriel, she had more combat experience then the young drake and soundly defeated him, promptly nuzzling Vyse and falling asleep on the ground afterward. He smirked, the drake was just as wild as Umbriel was when he got her, but this time it'd be tough to train a drake. Vyse kept an eye out as they walked, he kept on seeing something out of the corner of his eyes, though whenever he would check, it was gone. This place always made him feel unwelcome, the last time he was here he the company of some merchants that needed a guard, oh what a terrible day that was. He shook his head, he didn't need the distraction, a clear mind was a sharp mind, what he definitely needed now was to stay sharp. When he heard about the puppet master he stroked his chin, he sounded like a more controlling version of his own information broker back in Cascadia, Ratterung, a short beady eyed man that could somehow disappear into shadows, that was one piece of information Ratt said wasn't for sale. Vyse thought of the possibilities of the Raggedy man, if he did help Vyse he'd need to be extra cautious, his own past wasn't known to many, only a few criminal reports back in Cascadia, most of them assault or getting to drunk during the time he could get free Black Water back in Cascadia, no one besides Ratt had the details about all of his murders and assassinations, people just thought it was the work of a murderer gone on a rampage on nobles. Though it was better to be safe then sorry, he should probably officially put Ratt on his payroll, it was a bit shady, though a common practice, he learned that he sometimes needed to bend his morals, he was forced to learn that not everything is black and white, he sometimes needs to live in shades of gray. He followed them to the gate, his eyes widened slightly, it was impressive. Vyse marveled at the banded sandstone, he'd seen other similar things to this, but the scale just made it grand in his eyes, "I've got one thing to say about Father already, he's got good taste, the walls just look amazing, and from what I've heard about the man, probably extremely strong and durable, maybe even enchanted if he has the gold or a wizard under his thumb." He brushed the sandstone with his hand, it was smooth to touch and cold, but it felt nice, maybe when he got his own house he'd have a small sandstone wall around a garden or something. He was drawn out of his own thoughts as Zeke yelled up to them, Vyse looked up, noticing shifting in the air, magic was at work. Though from what Zeke said it sounded like they were going to get Father for them, perfect, soon he'd be able to have a face to face with the man. |
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| Ezekial Smith | Wed Jul 6, 2011 6:02 pm Post #13 |
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Once inside the mansion's gate, there still was the sensation that they were being watched very carefully. The entrance was a paved path through a garden, with trees standing alone in wide fields of grass, and beds of flowers growing in neat plots, with poppies growing next to Chinese lanterns, it was obviously planted specially. The mansion was a distance away, and was a majestic building. The main building was open in design, with stairs leading up to the huge wooden door in the form of a great arch, with a balcony above it lined with four gargoyles, each apparently made of limestone. They had horrid faces, with open maws filled with crooked teeth and large eyes without pupils. Their wings were folded up behind them, all except for one, whose were wide as if he were ready to pounce. There were two wings spreading out from the sides of the main building, on two floors, with a number of stained glass windows spread out on each, wrapping around the back. The dome, now that they were closer, had a similar arrangement of windows to let light into the massive dome room that formed Father's private office. They could also see closer at the great lantern, seeing that a massive glowing crystal was at its center. It bobbed lightly, revolving slowly with the moon, so slowly that if you were not watching it carefully it would be as if it was not moving at all. The lower part of the dome was perpendicular to the roof of the surrounding building, surrounded by pairs of columns in the Doric style, with rectangular windows between each pair, made of stained glass. From this distance it was possible to make out figures in the stained glass, perhaps a story being told in the glass. On a podium atop the main building, in front of the dome, stood four statues atop horses, raising their weapons in the air, all covered in gold leaf so that they shone brightly in the light from the great lantern. Staring up at the building, still amazed no matter how many times he came here, Ezekial did not notice the four gargoyles abandon their posts, swooping down to the road in front of the three. They had partially abandoned their gargoyle form as well, revealing three human males and an elven female. One of the men made motions to the other three, and they moved, the two males taking up the flanks and the female moved around to cover the rear. Silent, they began to move in unison, and the three moved with them. They were led through the doors, which opened outwards by themselves when the neared them, closing behind them. They were lead through a maze of corridors and stairways, finally emerging in front a a heavy iron door bordered with magical runes. The four drew back here, standing shoulder-to-shoulder behind the three with stony faces. The door opened inwards, and there came a voice from within that said loudly, "Come in, come in. I've been expecting you to come by, it was only a matter of time." The three entered, it was a huge space, with a large desk on one end facing the door, candles all along the fronts. He stood up, pushing back his large chair, nearly a throne, and walked briskly to invite them in, sitting at a large round table in the center of the room. "Come now, sit down and we'll discuss your predicament. There was a large glass drake in the corner, curled up, sleeping, but it awoke from the voices. It clumsily got up, stretching, and turned its head to scan the room. Its scan paused on Ezekial and it plodded over to his, wrapping her body around his and purring in much the same way as a domestic house cat. Smiling, Ezekial scratched her behind the ears, and walked over to the table, and took a seat, Amaterasu laying on the ground next to him, tail lazily wrapping around the chair leg. The other two sat down, and Father said, "Now then, let's get down to business, shall we?" Although he was old, he had a glint in his eyes, and a devilish smile. |
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| Vyse | Thu Jul 7, 2011 2:57 am Post #14 |
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Vyse marveled at the place, he wanted to have such a grand place like this to, he wouldn't have to keep Umbriel locked up, not to mention Susano-Oh would have his own bit of sky to fly around in. He was fascinated with the style, it was so foreign, but it was beautiful. He saw the gargoyles, he wasn't a fan of them, they were to dark for his tastes, though the stained glass windows were magnificent, he'd have to ask Father who made his house. Soon he caught a glimpse of a large lantern, a large crystal floating inside, it made him wonder what its purpose was... perhaps it was enchanted, or maybe it was there to just look mystic and impressive, either way, it definitely caught his attention. Vyse was a bit overwhelmed by the magnificent house, even the nobles houses in Cascadia paled in comparison, though the gargoyles kept on being a constant eyesore. Then he saw the gargoyles drift to the ground, he instinctively put his hands on his blades, though he quickly chastised himself, if Zeke wasn't acting oddly or getting read to fight they must be friends. He watched them move around them, leading them to the door, a front guard with a spell to camouflage them, a good defensive measure. He noticed the doors opened outwards, it was common enough, though he'd prefer doors opening inward, that way people could just slam their back into it and run out, he preferred trapping his assailants and dispatching them, it sent a better message to his enemies. He kept track of the twists and turns, memorizing the path, he had learned to be much more cautious since he became the leader of a merchants company, he had been lead blind folded to some areas and learned to memorize the streets of the market by the scents and a few pay offs with some people saying key words rather loudly when he was being lead off blind folded, he had Ratt hand out secret messages to the people all over the market district, this way he could tell at least where he was going and hazard to guess the exact location, either way, it was just common practice now. He was shaken from his thoughts as a door opened, he was ushered in and sat down at the table, he had very little thought as to what was going on, then he realized, this must be father. He nodded and got ready for business, composing his thoughts before speaking, "I'm guessing you already know about Sehrek and me, our companies and what we want to bring into town, the problem is the lack of man power I have, along with the fact that he's probably pressuring the merchant himself, we were hoping you could help me out, I realize you don't have to, but from what Zeke has told me you're a good person and I trust his judgement." He waited for his reply, he would need to hear what Father had in mind. |
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| Ezekial Smith | Thu Jul 7, 2011 5:35 am Post #15 |
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"I'm guessing you already know about Sehrek and me, our companies and what we want to bring into town, the problem is the lack of man power I have, along with the fact that he's probably pressuring the merchant himself, we were hoping you could help me out, I realize you don't have to, but from what Zeke has told me you're a good person and I trust his judgement." Father smiled, and replied, "Well, he's right about that. And yes, I am aware of your predicament. I trust that I don't need to tell you how hard he's tried to get me on his side of this issue. I've already turned him down several times, but he is a persistent one. I suppose you have to be, in this business. To be completely honest, I was interested in the weapons side of his business, but when he mentioned that he dealt in bodies, I pledged to wash my hands of him. I haven't yet spread the word that I don't support him, but when I do I have a feeling that a great number of people will choose to wash their hands of him as well. The merchant himself, if I get behind your company, will almost certainly choose you. You'll have to be careful then, though, he might decide to attack you and intimidate the merchant into silence. My men, as well as Ezekial and Aetos, will be more than enough to beat him off, though, let alone if he tries to go after me personally." He chuckled darkly, and said, "I'm not as strong or as fast as I once was, but there's an implicit agreement between my guards and me. The guards are for the few instances when I am outnumbered or when I am distracted. I didn't get to where I was without being able to rough it better than all the others. If he wants to play in the dirt, I'll get right down there with him, and with greater vigor than he can stand. Ezekial was relieved, now that Father was on their side, all they had to do was collect the men and make a plan for the following morning, as well as hammer out business arrangements if need be. Father had been implying, if not outright stating, that he would sponsor part of Vyse's company, so he would definitely want to make a plan of investment. "That's good. Now, what men of your's will be coming, and what's the plan?" Father smiled, and replied, "Why don't you see for yourself? I'll be calling them very soon." He stood up and went to the nearest window, opening it, allowing a view of the field, with two trees and an area of assorted flowers. He placed his hands on the sill and closed his eyes. Curious, the trio stepped from the table and joined him at the window. Very quickly, one of the trees, a great pine, and a group of bristly hollyhock in the flower bed began to shiver, and began to shift. From the pine tree emerged a large man, his plate armor covered in furs, wielding a greataxe easily in one hand. The squad of bristly hollyhock melted together, forming the lithe form of an elven woman wearing leather armor, with a scimitar at her waist. The moved quickly, entering the door and quickly into the office. Both snapped to attention, saluting Father with their palms facing outwards. Father returned the salute in a similarly rigid fashion and said, "At ease, soldiers." The two spread their legs slightly, their hands held behind their backs. Father stood in front of them silent, and they responded in kind. After a few seconds, the two turned to the trio, and held out their hands, the woman saying that their names were Magnus Ericsson, a great warrior from the Great White Northern, and Odelia Abravanel, a spellblade from the Istani Desert. Odelia laid out the plan quickly and formally, saying that it was a plan for Ezekial, Vyse's men, and herself to defend Father and Vyse while they went to the meeting, Ericsson and Aetos already in the building. Then, Father would tell the merchant that he was supporting Vyse. This should be enough to convince the merchant to switch over, but it's not a guarantee. Fortunately, because they will seem to be so well outnumbered and outmanned, he will most likely be overly confident, and may decide to strike for these actions. At this point, Aetos would release the fire elemental, melting the armor of the soldiers. As for any that remained, they would be quickly dispatched, and Ezekial would move quickly forward to dispatch Sehrek personally. It would be a quick operation, and their side would suffer no losses is all went well. Because things rarely went well in this city, they had to be sure, and they would bring along Amaterasu just in case, she being a valuable asset if Sehrek brought out more forces than those expected. And so, the night fell, and upon the next morn they would meet and carry out their plan. |
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2:11 PM May 19
