Goriel and beyond, part 4

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Graybeard
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Graybeard »

That brought a droll smile to Rip's lips. "Indeed he is," he smirked. "Why, the last time we had a stowaway, Wrackham stripped 'im naked, had me hook up a big scrub brush to his ass, and used him to give the hull of the BR a good whitewashing." He turned to Shorty. "Don't you remember that? He --"

"RRAAAWWWK," Thurston interrupted; he'd heard enough of the chatter to have figured some things out, but hadn't been included in the orders not to talk about them. Besides, he was a familiar, so he wouldn't have obeyed anyway. "Sounds like maybe the guy our passengers are chasin', boss?"

The air got cool and quiet again.
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Alberich »

Shorty shot the parrot a dirty look. It was pretty obvious that their passengers were the "fugitives" the Gibazovs were offering such a big reward for. And while they technically didn't owe anything to those wacky misfits, and would be safer without them, just as anyone would be safer without them...they were just so fun and full of life, that betraying them to any group of wandering blades on the road just seemed wrong.

Of course, he knew they'd be travelling south if they ever got out of that mine - which means they might meet this group anyway - but it just didn't seem right to be pointing everyone the right way.

Then again, Rip knew this fellow Argus and might have a better gauge of how trustworthy he was. Shorty looked sidelong at Rip and left the initiative with him. And if he got instructions to throttle the parrot, well, he was up for that too.
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

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Thurston was a familiar, and therefore, of course, virtually indestructible via any means short of a high-power Dispel. However, that didn't mean that Rip didn't have a way of exerting a hold on him. Quite the contrary.

Now he extracted a packet of cigars from his tunic. This he began to finger delicately, in a way that both he and his parrot knew conveyed a particular message: screw this up and you're not seeing any more of these good babies for about two years. An understanding now in place, he turned back to Argus and Rose. "Sounds like a lot of people are interested in this guy," he commented dryly. "As Thurston says, he's of interest to our passengers, too. I don't know many details." Other than that little business of a price on his head, of course, and that was one of those things connected to the cigar withdrawal; Thurston had figured that out.

"One thing you should be aware of," he continued, "is that our passengers managed to royally piss off the Gibazov clan, which runs a big ruby mine up here somewhere. Again, I don't know the details, but I'd suggest you head off in a direction opposite where they were going. When you get to the bottom of the hill on the other side, they went that-a-way." He gestured with his left hand, jostling the parrot on his shoulder. "So you go this-a-way." He gestured with the right. "Your chances of finding the guy you're looking for won't be any worse than theirs, since they have no idea in Luminosita's Hell where he is. But at least you'll avoid finding them, which may save you some of the headaches we had last night." A rolling of eyes. "One thing: if in doubt, camp outside, under the trees. Don't camp in the caves. Lots of no good in them damn caves." He rolled his eyes again. [OOC: If you happen to recognize the original reference for that last declaration, which goes back quite a few years, I'd be interested to talk to you. /OOC:]

-------------

"What do you do when you aren't going after creepy death-mages?"

Therese turned her calm gray eyes on Desiree. "Death mages are outside my usual line of work," she said quietly. "Mainly, I help people. Specifically, women who want to escape the living hell that is servitude in Goriel." She shuddered. "There are fates worse than death."

She drank in the half-elf priestess' appearance, and even with her reserve, it would have been obvious to the most casual observer that she liked what she saw. But there was a puzzle ... "You didn't belong among them," she said. "Yet you were passing among the geteroi when I first saw you, among the ones that we try to rescue. (Some of them, anyway.) In fact, I -- wondered if you were going to be looking to be rescued from that hell. But your circumstances -- I don't understand them, but they're different. Yet you were there. If you don't mind my asking: how did that happen?"
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

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Therese turned her calm gray eyes on Desiree. "Death mages are outside my usual line of work," she said quietly. "Mainly, I help people. Specifically, women who want to escape the living hell that is servitude in Goriel." She shuddered. "There are fates worse than death."

Oh! So she helps people like Anfisa. I didn't realize - I guess, if I'd left well enough alone, that Anfisa would have gotten help eventually. Still, I'm glad to have helped her. I... well, maybe it would have been safer not having mother bring her with us to go hunt Eli, the mages who turned him Errant, and those death mages all. I'm not sure I want to be here for all that either.

"You didn't belong among them," she said. "Yet you were passing among the geteroi when I first saw you, among the ones that we try to rescue. In fact, I -- wondered if you were going to be looking to be rescued from that hell. But your circumstances -- I don't understand them, but they're different. Yet you were there. If you don't mind my asking: how did that happen?"

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," I say - she seems quite convinced that being a getera is hell. "Most of the women in the zenana seemed to enjoy their work. For the most part, anyway. Of course, getera get the best treatment, and that was the best clan, so I probably had it better than most. And, of course, I knew that, in a week or so, I'd be finished and get to leave. Living there full time... yeah, that wouldn't be as pleasant. Which is why Drusia -" I don't mention that she's my mother - "is planning to rescue one of the more disatisfied getera -" I don't mention Anfisa's name or her relationship with me - "later tonight."

She's looking a bit baffled. Oh, I never said WHY. "I was posing as a getera to try to covertly get information concerning Blaize," I explain. "I didn't find anything particularly useful, though." I sigh good naturedly. "So ends my career as a spy."

I notice that she didn't expand on her deceased partner. I understand - some things you just don't want to talk about with someone you just met.

-- Desiree
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

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Some pieces fell into place for Therese. "I see," she said. "Argus and Rose and I have discussed our shared interest in the man we seek. I didn't realize that you were a regular part of the search too. That's admirable." Under other circumstances that last compliment would have seemed obsequious, or condescending, or an attempt at flattery. Here, in the wilds of Goriel, it was simply the truth.

But there was one thing ... "Drusia," she repeated. "I don't think I know the name. You are correct, not all of the geteroi want to be rescued. Some of them think their lives are whole as they are." The phrasing of the statement left little doubt that Therese wouldn't necessarily agree. "But others do not, and rescuing the suffering geteroi from the more powerful clans, like Clan Duravsky where you were, is difficult for us. If your friend Drusia can do such a thing, she must be very powerful indeed." And the Sisterhood would like to talk to her, I wager. "Is she another from your Clan Cleiviein? I'd love to hear more about her ... and about you." She did her best to adjust her body language so that her priorities were clear.
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Alberich »

Tim was still watching for bandits rather than taking part in the conversation, but he was at least half-listening, and was interested to hear that these "passengers" who were looking for Blaise had also made enemies of Clan Gibazov. As far as he knew, right now they'd been heading for the mine based on a rumor passed to Kirassia by a getera from Clan Duravsky. So heathen whore-slaves (albeit well-dressed, bejewelled heathen whore-slaves), who were owned by heathen thugs, and who could be lent out like milk-jugs, these were telling them where to find their apostate cardinal? This did not inspire confidence. Yet he hadn't seen another way; hints and guesses were all they had, and he couldn't blame Rose and Argus for following this one up.

But now it seemed another group after the same man had gone to the same place - on some other information. So maybe there was something to it? Better still - maybe someone else had killed Blaise already? He hoped they'd get a chance to talk to these "passengers."
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

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Rip caught Tim's motion and noticed the way his attention was fixed on the road, such as it was. It didn't take him long to figure out why. "Relax, son," he said. "Not much in the line of bandits all the way out here, from what I heard in town. There isn't much for bandits to steal except for what's coming from the Gibazov mine, and they move all that with enough of an armed guard to take on the army of a small country. Speaking of which, I'd definitely be off this road when those couriers come through. They're a suspicious lot. No, if you made it this far without running into bandits, all you have to worry about are the Gibazovs themselves." A hollow laugh. "Of course, that's plenty. Not to mention whatever's lurking in those caves."

That's good advice, thought Sister Rose, but it doesn't help us close in on Blaise. "Which way will the couriers be coming from?" she asked. "We need to know which way not to go if we're going to avoid them." Although if Blaise is somewhere up at the mine, we'll have to deal with them sooner or later.

Rip and Shorty looked at each other and exchanged shrugs. "Dunno," Rip said. "We ... kinda got distracted before we got much beyond that intersection down below. Look, we need to get going. Good luck." The two men continued down the pass without further comment.

Rose watched them go, something nagging at the back of her mind that she couldn't quite place, as though she was missing something but couldn't be sure what. "Well, now what?" she asked anyone who'd listen. [OOC: In other words, let's get moving.]
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Alberich »

"Well, me," said Tim, "I'd like to meet those 'passengers' he was talking about. If we can't find them, get up to the north anyway, and see if what they did was to kill Blaise, or find out where he was. It's what we were doing anyway and it's better than anything I can think of. So I'd say travel north, camp off the road, take it from there. I'm not worried about Gibazov patrols. We didn't have anything they were interested in.

"But I'm not going to trust what he said about outlaws. Maybe he knows and maybe he doesn't. That bunch who attacked us the other night looked plenty tough."

[OOC: There are no interesting encounters between here and camping time, as far as I'm concerned; so if it goes this way & the group camps out, we can shoot forward to near midnight, when Things Start Happening. 'course with the chemistry lighting up between Therese and Desiree, Other Things Might Start Happening first...anyway, Tim will volunteer for a late watch if the group's heading north and camping out, as he could use an early nap.]
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC Well, since night-time is near enough... :twisted: /OOC

It was pitch black.

The only sound was the gentle lap of running water, and the squeaks of rats scurrying to and fro in their underground home, as they'd done from one inbred generation to another. Sudden silence fell like a blanket, the animals froze in place, sniffing, turning in circles as if they'd detected some sudden change in pressure. Then it came.

The glyph drawn onto the wall in the Goriel waterway lit up like a lantern in the fog, breifly framing the figure who stepped through. An observer would have seen a male shape before the light cut out and plunged the tunnel into dark and blinking afterimages. There was the sound of a pair of footsteps, the second accompanied by a splash.

"Ahh... damn it."

There was a thudding noise of a palm knocking on a wall to confirm it's place, a few murmured sylabbles of what was doubtless a spell, and then came the faint glow of an orb of light, illuminating the man who hadn't been there a minute before.

He looked down at his boots, frowned, and shook the droplets of water off them, muttering to himself.

"The only way to travel, the only fucking way to fucking travel..."

Safe or not, it was still a sewer system, but if the last twenty four hours had taught Eli anything, it was that caution was his greatest ally. The man who'd just used the transportation spell cut a much different figure from the one who'd used it the day before. His blonde mane was gone, cropped to within an inch of his skull and hurredly dyed black, the clothes he'd worn were replaced by simpler travelling gear, even the sword he'd brought from Snamish was been replaced by a short, thiner blade that hung concealed in the lining of the duster he wore.

He reached into the pockets of the coat and brought out slips of paper, on one was a diagram, the other, a map.

"Ten blocks from their compound, that what he said." He clasped the amulet at his neck briefly, then let go, Fucilious ('Aleron' He thought. 'Fucilious is a title. His real name is Aleron') didn't need to be bothered before anything was accomplished, and arriving was not an accomplishment.

He put the glyph diagram away, turned the map the right way up, and started to walk.
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

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"I see," she said. "Argus and Rose and I have discussed our shared interest in the man we seek. I didn't realize that you were a regular part of the search too. That's admirable."

I smile at the compliment. "Thank you." It was nice to do something useful, even if it was just keeping up the appearance of being a major clan.

"Drusia," she repeated. "I don't think I know the name. You are correct, not all of the geteroi want to be rescued. Some of them think their lives are whole as they are." The phrasing of the statement left little doubt that Therese wouldn't necessarily agree. "But others do not, and rescuing the suffering geteroi from the more powerful clans, like Clan Duravsky where you were, is difficult for us. If your friend Drusia can do such a thing, she must be very powerful indeed." And the Sisterhood would like to talk to her, I wager. "Is she another from your Clan Cleiviein? I'd love to hear more about her ... and about you." She did her best to adjust her body language so that her priorities were clear.

I laugh softly. "Clan Cleiviein doesn't really exist, you know," I tell her. "I mean, unless you only count Argus, his daughter Lillith, and his new son in law Brad. Not much of a clan, really. Just a family. Rose... well, I think she's pretty sure she's joining the family, but that isn't actually official yet, unless I missed the wedding in the last four days And Rose is an... in-law of mine, I guess. From her first marriage. Drusia..." oh well, guess there's no way around this one... "is my mother, and the head of my, um, clan." As good a way as any to describe Snamish for the moment.

"And Tim... is just some guy from Rose's church we picked up. I think he was supposed to be replacing Brad, so Brad could settle down with Lillith, but that never quite happened - the settling down, I mean. Anyway, Tim's a nice guy, but has no particular relationship to anyone else here - aside from being one of Rose's church people."

I seem to have strayed off topic. "Anyway, the whole Clan Cleiviein thing was just to keep our group from getting murdered when we were visiting Goriel. We were warned first thing that not being in a clan was a bad idea, so we just made one up. That's why I went to play getera - to make our little group of a half-dozen look like a powerful foreign clan. And to see if I could pick up any rumors about Blaize for Rose."

She asked to hear more about mother, but... I really don't want to get into that, I don't think. It'll be awkward enough later on to explain about the whole elf thing, and... well, I'm enjoying myself. No need to rush.

"Anyway, you asked about me," I continue casually. "Well, normally I'm pretty busy with my duties as a priestess of Anilis. Don't worry if you've never heard of her - hardly anyone has. I left the temple to visit the gravesite of - ... Rose's first husband, since no one in the family knew where exactly it was. And while we were there Rose stumbled on some of Blaize's activities and she's been after him ever since." That's not exactly how it happened, but it's easier to say that then tell her my mother kicked me out of the house to go learn about the world with Rose and that I honestly had no idea what was going on with Blaize until recently because I didn't want to talk to Rose because I was still determined to hate her for stealing Kenny from me. Or that I kept myself willfully ignorant for a long time by having a nice distracting relationship with the man who has since started murdering people and who we're also sort of trying to track down and probably kill. Rose thinks Eli can be saved, but... well, I think Lillith and I know better. If we don't say it out loud, it's because things are already strained enough on the topic.

Ack, now I'm looking all gloomy. Maybe she'll just think it's because of the aforementioned family death.

"So yeah, that's me," I say, attempting to look cheerful. I give her an expectant smile - hopefully she'll talk some about herself. Unless she has questions for me.

-- Desiree

OOC: Ah. It's good to be back to writing Desiree. She's so much more relaxing that Drusia.
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