Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

[Drusia]

"I'm going." Tamina said simply. "Have to face Aleron. Got to do it for the lost."
She made herself meet Drusia's eyes after her declaration, remembering what the elf had said about her and Jargalan facing the Ralkin leader alone.
"Not gonna argue about this." Her tone was gentle, but firm.

I return the nod. "Okay," I reply simply. I put my foot down about Udo's staff, she put hers down about this. I just... hope that they don't turn her against me. Or if they do, that her mind isn't broken by the process. I've lost too many friends in battle and not enough to old age.

And that seems to be that. The discussion turns to a political rally where we can get an idea about numbers, but where neither I nor Tamina can show our faces. And apparently they can detect elves? That's an interesting tactiacal improvement. Almost makes me want to call in the Elven army just to stir up some chaos. Almost.

"Well then," I say, "I guess someone else will have to go to the rally, huh?" I turn and motion to Angrist and Udo. "You two need a briefing about what to look for. The rest of you, figure out who else is going." Without waiting for a reply, I lead Udo and Angrist aside.

I make sure we're out of earshot, turn away from my 'comrade' so he can't read our lips, and say "Okay. We may have to kill the other elf. I doubt either of you will have a problem with this, correct?"

-- Drusia

OOC: We can do this in thread, by PM, or in Background noise. I don't want to delay the progress.

[Browncoat]

Angrist wrote rapidly on his slate.
"I may need to kill him regardless. I was hoping this could wait, but it might be best that we settle it now. I don't know who my parents were, but based on my aging, I'm certain that I'm a half-elf. And I understood him talking about killing other half-elves. But what I don't know is who you will side with."
"What you have to understand is that I've worked for control my whole life and the one time I killed someone was an accident I still regret. I am no monster or madman. I don't want to kill, but if he tries to kill me, I will value my life more than his. Yours too if you force me to choose"

{I never asked for this heritage, but I've never complained about it either; I simply live with it.}

[OOC: It might be best to keep it in thread in case things get violent]

[Alberich]

"You two need a briefing about what to look for...Okay. We may have to kill the other elf. I doubt either of you will have a problem with this, correct?"

Udo's only reply was a snarling grin. The message was something like, These are my teeth. Show me which bits I get to tear off with them.

Jargalan's face alternated between innocence and sneering at all this whispering and note-passing that was going on. No doubt Drusia was trying to comfort these stupid animals about how she wouldn't let the mean old elf hurt them any more. Really, she could've had the decency to wait 'til he was out of view. No matter. He wouldn't trust them any more than he would a scorpion perched on his finger. If it was a night attack he'd rest away from them, so he wouldn't have to shield himself all afternoon against their pathetic schemes and bestial vengeance.

Udo turned back to the Eisenfaust leader to say he'd been picked for rally duty, but could he have a disguise? The leader scrawled a note for him to pick up some different and less conspicuous clothes at a friendly shop. "But you better leave those weapons behind," he said. "They'll be looking for assassins." Udo left his pistol and rifle with Khoo -- "Look after these, please?" Then off he trudged.

The Eisenfaust leader set up a rendezvous point nearer the city, by a mastic tree, and had one of his "beachcombers" draw a map for the adventurers. "If you can meet our man there about an hour before sundown that'll give you plenty of time to tail the priest, assuming you want to go after these snake head shnooks tonight. Is there anything you need from us to get ready this afternoon, in the way of disguises and all?"

* * *

Closer to noon, Udo was at the rally unarmed. His beard had been shaved to reveal his cherubic, pudgy face, and he'd acquired not only a pair of pants, but sandals to go with them, and a vertical-striped tunic in red, yellow, and blue. (The Eisenfaust vendor had assured him that vertical stripes were just what he needed. And it wasn't as if he had a choice.) Whether or not this was "less conspicuous" he was at the rally and salving the humiliations of this morning by daydreaming about what Drusia had said. And wolfing down whatever comfort food Logan's men were passing around to put the voters in the right mood.

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC It's fine. I don't mind a retro conversation taking place, everyone's aware of the timeline anyhow./OOC

"Okay. We may have to kill the other elf. I doubt either of you will have a problem with this, correct?"

'I may need to kill him regardless. I was hoping this could wait, but it might be best that we settle it now. I don't know who my parents were, but based on my aging, I'm certain that I'm a half-elf. And I understood him talking about killing other half-elves. But what I don't know is who you will side with. What you have to understand is that I've worked for control my whole life and the one time I killed someone was an accident I still regret. I am no monster or madman. I don't want to kill, but if he tries to kill me, I will value my life more than his. Yours too if you force me to choose'

Tamina had to wait for someone to translate what Angrist had written before she could react appropriately. The human's language was something she'd mostly learned by ear after all.

"Why you have to kill him?" She said. "He's a jerk-" She said the word uncertainly, as if unsure she was using it right. "-but is he gonna hurt us? thought he was after the Ralkin?"

Tamina watched Udo leave for the rally with the wave and a murmured word to take care of himself before the eisen-leader put in.

"If you can meet our man there about an hour before sundown that'll give you plenty of time to tail the priest, assuming you want to go after these snake head shnooks tonight. Is there anything you need from us to get ready this afternoon, in the way of disguises and all?"

"Got disguises!" The kobold supplied, pulling up the hood of the outfit she'd [url=lhttp://forums.errantstory.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1571&start=150#p23694]liberated[/url] from the very organisation who'd offered to help her. The head-cover obscured her animal-like ears and the short black fur where a human's hair would've been. Of course, even with gloves and boots to cover her stubby extremities the humanoid's pupils were still a cat-slit and her teeth were still fangs.

"Almost look like a monkey-man." She said, coining her pet-phrase for the fur-less ones.

................

Logan stepped from the carriage and walked up the steps to the podium without fanfare. That detail had been Eli's idea; an attempt to convey that the speaker was more down-to-earth than his choice of transportation cimplied. It worked well enough, especially coupled with the suit he wore which, while it suggested being owned by a man of means, was far from ostentatious. The last of the muttered conversation stopped as Lucas began his speech, Eli grinned inwardly.

"My fellow Lorrelians..." He began. "...let me begin by saying that I appreciate you all taking the time to come and listen to me ramble on this afternoon."

A chuckle from the crowd at the self-deprecation. Eli's smile surfaced as he found himself relaxing and listening to the man talk. The fact was he'd had very little input into the words of the businessman's speech beyond planting an objective in his mind to accomplish. As he listened it hit the half-elf again how lucky the Ralkin had been to locate a candidate to act as their front-man in Lorrel; Lucas had an enormous amount of charisma and cunning when it came to evoking loyalty in people. It was obvious how he'd been so successful for so long.

"What I have to say won't take long at all." He continued, leaning slightly on the wooden rail to add an air of informality. "The word around town travels faster than a man on horseback, so I'm sure you all know the important details. It is my ambition to get a seat within the council; that much is common knowledge. Why I am here today is to allay your concerns, to be honest with all of you. I am aware that there are rumors..." He scanned the crowd with an expression of good-natured ruefulness. "... skeptics, if you like, who say that my recent generosity is nothing more than a blatant attempt to coerce the people of our fine city into putting more power in my hands, To that I say... what have you done for the people lately?"

A ripple of low-anger through the crowd. Eli picked out a line here and there, the gist seeming to be 'the man has a point'.

"I know something of ruthlessness." If Logan had been wearing a hat, the half-elf would've fully expected him to take the thing and hold it against his chest at this point. "It was something that, for years, I prided myself on having. It was the steel I wrapped myself in when I went to a trade negotiation, when I bought out a business, went I told a man that his services were no longer required. It is the same steel that many of the so-called ruling factions call upon to do the terrible things that happen in this city from day to day... oh yes... I know about ruthlessness. I know about the system, and the distribution of wealth, and all the many-splendored things set-up in our society to ensure that the rich get richer and the poor stay poor and, after decades in this cutthroat system, I found myself no longer able to look in the mirror for fear of the tyrant I might see peering back at me. That-" Dramatic pause. A public speaker's pause. "-is no way for a man to live."

"He's pretty good."

"Hush." The half-elf hissed at the woman at his side.

"Through the love and support of my friends and my family I found my path, the right path." A total fabrication, but Logan said the words with complete sincerity. "I realized that a man's legacy is more than just material wealth, it is the memory he leaves behind, how he is spoken of by those who knew him after his passing. And, in that knowledge, I have made a resolution to be remembered as a good man."

A shower of light applause from the people. Logan's speech was going exactly as planned.

OOC Next post'll be the end of this scene, continue adding retrospective stuff if desired. /OOC

[Alberich]

Udo was itching to denounce this falsehood, or at least heckle the man. The more the crowd muttered appreciatively, the more he wanted to show them how wrong they were.

"...skeptics, if you like, who say that my recent generosity is nothing more than a blatant attempt to coerce the people of our fine city into putting more power in my hands, To that I say... what have you done for the people lately?""

Couldn't they see that he hadn't actually anwered the charge?

But the speaker had armed men all around. Armed watchful men. And probably some agents - hell, they were probably doing a big part of the murmuring. He was here to spy, not get noticed. So he stuffed his mouth full of sausage and sticky sweet stuff and kept quiet.

Some other expat Tsuirakuans in the crowd wore expressions of disdain, and chattered among themselves. Obviously, to them, this whole "people's friend" thing was a sham. Not that they actually knew anything about Logan, his masters, or his plans; but to be seen believing a political speech was just gauche. In their boldness they stuck to the Tsuirakuan language and so avoided trouble with the crowd.

So the ones who didn't know the evil truth behind Logan's campaign were speaking ill of it, and the one man in the crowd who did know was keeping mum.

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC Sorry everyone, I'm wiped out from too much work and too little sleep. I swear I'll get the rally scene finished in the next couple of days, but currently my brain has turned to mush and is dribbling out of my ears./OOC

[Drusia]

"I may need to kill him regardless. I was hoping this could wait, but it might be best that we settle it now. I don't know who my parents were, but based on my aging, I'm certain that I'm a half-elf. And I understood him talking about killing other half-elves. But what I don't know is who you will side with."
"What you have to understand is that I've worked for control my whole life and the one time I killed someone was an accident I still regret. I am no monster or madman. I don't want to kill, but if he tries to kill me, I will value my life more than his. Yours too if you force me to choose"

"You are aware of the Errant War?" I ask him. Angrist nods. "I fought on the half-elf side. The whole war - I didn't switch sides like some did. He'd kill you for being a half-elf - I'd risk my life to protect yours." There. Hopefully that will tide things over. I'd rather not get into Santuariel if I don't have to.

"However, I also think we need him to help fight Eli and Aleron," I add. "He's a mad dog, but he's after our enemies. And once they're dead, we can put this dog down. But not until then - not unless he figures out who you are."

-- Drusia

[Alberich]

Jargalan, like Tamina and Drusia, had nothing to order from the Eisenfaust before they left. Whether Khoo wanted any special supplies for Khoo to say - Jargalan would not seem to pay attention.

While he waited for Khoo and Un-Jones to sort their business out, he asked a casual question to Drusia. "<So, how did things go with my old pal Gabriel? I figured he'd put up a good scrap before you finished him.>" He was casting amused eyes over her, Tamina, and Angrist as he spoke, to see if their body language would betray that they'd been talking about him.

[Jack Rothwell]

Logan's speech continued for another five minutes or so. The aging businessman expanded on the themes he'd begun with, telling the assembled townsfolk about his plans to renovate other poor areas of the city, he spoke of creating new jobs, the protection the Black Guard would offer against 'the criminal elements', the goodwill of his new investor and his determination to create 'a fair system where men and woman of both privilege and poverty be afforded equal opportunity to realize their life ambitions'. Despite his deep voice and imposing frame his tone carried warmth and honesty. Eli watched the crowd's mood grow to something close to adoration by the time Lucas drew his address to a close.

''...so I leave you now with my solemn promise that, as your councilor, I will take my ideals to that chamber and fight, fight for the people of this town, fight for the future, for peace, for fairness, and to create a place which any man would be proud to call home. Thank you.''

The applause from the crowd of hundreds was thunderous and long. The half-elf watched the businessman incline his head as if in modesty; another trick Logan had come up with of his own violation. He, eventually, made his way down the steps to shake hands with the citizenry. Eli noted, with a large amount of satisfaction, that the attending council members were also gravitating towards the businessman to offer their congratulations.

''That went well.''

The Black Guard Captain merely nodded in reply to Sargent Jianti. He remained in his place as Logan eventually began to drift his way towards the carriage which had brought him, monitoring the crowd.

It was when the businessman's hand touched the handle to the door when the cry came. It was a roar of anger which cut through the excited babble of the people like a knife, someone fell in the press of bodies with a cry of surprise, and a man pushed his way out of the crowd at a run, making a beeline for Logan. The half-elf saw the revolver clutched in the man's hand.

Logan turned, seeing the approaching attacker with an unreadable expression even as his men moved to intercept his approach. The man, looking like an average citizen for all the attending people could see, besides the savage expression on his face, leveled the barrel of his gun at Lucas as the Black Guard riflemen did the same to him.

''The Eisenfaust send their regards.'' He called, then pulled the trigger.

Click.

Of course click.

The would-be assassin had enough left of his life to stare dumbfounded at his mis-firing gun before the soldiers pulled the trigger of their own weapons. The rifles worked fine. The man fell into a pool of his own blood without a sound.

'Say your line, Logan' The half-elf thought, concealing a smile.

Lucas calmly walked over to the now-dead assassin with a look of amusement. He addressed the shocked people in soothing tones.

''It seems that my talk of a fair society has apparently upset some people.'' A nervous laugh from crowd, many staring in disbelief as the placid demeanor of the man who'd come so close to death. ''But if a group of common thugs think that they can scare me into stopping my work they are sadly mistaken. Captain Eli?''

The half-elf stepped forward and snapped a salute.

''See that our friends in the Eisenfaust get their employee's body back.'' He reached into his pocket and withdrew a coin-purse, which he handed to the half-elf. ''Give them this, they're obviously in need of better equipment.''

The crowd laughed outright this time. Eli gave his 'employer' a 'yes sir' and did as he was bid.

It really was a perfect moment and, best of all, memorable.

OOC In case it wasn't obvious, the assassination attempt was a set-up, it had nothing to do with the Eisenfaust. Also, Eli was just willing Lucas to say his last line, not controlling him directly./OOC

[Alberich]

The people went *clap clap* and Udo went *munch munch.* He couldn't work his way up to being worried about this. The fakery was pretty obvious -- the Eisenfaust was competent at getting people dead and not saying who'd done it. While it might work on this crowd, he'd be surprised if the Eisenfaust weren't doing their own false-flag operations or at least preparing them. Soon enough these scum would be leaderless, their name would be mud, and Port Lorrel would go on in its old dirty, decadent ways.

The big thing was that the Black Guard brass wasn't showing anything that looked elven or even halfway elven, 'cept this Cap'n Eli that they already knew about. That's what he'd report back.

* * *

Afterwards, at the upscale inn, a couple of the servants were discussing the rally as they prepared for the evening crowd. One of the dishwashers was commenting at Logan's nerve, and how bravely he faced that crazy assassin. "I saw him! He didn't even blink!"

"I hope he loses," said a wine server polishing the silver plates. "He'd better lose!"

"Why?"

"Because if he wins, he wants to take away all my lovely salvers."

"No, no, no, no, no, that's not salvers, that's slavers he wants to get rid of."

"Well, that's all very well," she said, "but I'm not taking any chances."