Stone Man Pass

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Drusia
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Drusia »

"Yes and no. Yes, Kurou would probably be as susceptible as any man to female charm. Especially an intelligent, erudite female. On the other hand, he'd be clever enough to see through any subterfuge."

"Then perhaps I am idea for such a tactic," I suggest. "Simply introduce us. If he's as pleasant and interesting as you say, I'll have no need for subterfuge. Once I've, shall we say, initiated contact, you can use the mind-speech to tell me what to look for. I'm not sure about your range, Argus, but Rose seems to be growing quite adapt with it."

I stretch, to work a few of the kinks out of my back. It's been a long day. "Would that do?" I ask, smiling confidently. I used to be quite good at going into these sorts of situations blind - my plan is practically nostalgic.

-- Drusia
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

"Would that do?"

"I think so," Sister Rose said, relief in her voice. The abortive Kitaura approach had been uncomfortable enough, despite the man's ... preferences, and she wasn't at all happy about the notion of going any farther to ... deal ... with this Kurou. Well, maybe they'd get lucky. Maybe the man was passing through on some other archaeological errand, and his presence had nothing to do with the Artifact of Absonial.

Right. And maybe the manifestation of Luminosita over Emerylon is really a giant golem intended to carry some small child to the Moon.

She put this rather heretical thought out of her mind and turned to the problem of finding lodging. That was easy enough; it was still early enough in the day that the inns hadn't filled, and there was plenty of room. The group settled into a pleasant-looking place called the "Stone Man Inn," its front entrance adorned with smaller versions of the statue Lillith had found on the road. Maybe they'd learn something about those statues from the proprietor later; Rose remained curious about their origins and meaning, even with them in the rear-view mirror.

First things first, however. "I don't think there's a Reformed temple in town," she told the group, "but I probably should check in at the main Orthodox one. They may know how to find the man I'm here to see." And if there's a military presence in this town, it'll likely be based there, and it'll be good to know about. Bernie didn't say anything about one, but he doesn't know everything... "The Orthodox clergy being what they are, most of you might find it uncomfortable dealing with them, but you're welcome to come along if you want to." She raised an eyebrow and scanned the group ... and as she did, she noticed that there was another, rather nondescript man in the lobby of the inn, casually watching them. Have I seen that guy before? He didn't fit the description of Arsoro Kurou, anyway, so she put him out of her mind -- for now.
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Drannin
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Drannin »

Argus waved off the offer. "I'll pass, thanks. There are a few things I should attend to." With Maduin's help, he added mentally.
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC: There's a small extra coming with this entry a little later, when I get it set up. Please recheck this tomorrow; there'll be an edit at the bottom that doesn't directly affect what's going on in the "plot," but I'll be interested to get your opinion about it. Also, if Argus and Maduin want to insert anything here before Rose comes back, feel free. /OOC:]

Sister Rose was in a very thoughtful mood as she returned from the Orthodox temple.

"Well, there's no doubt that your man Kurou is around here somewhere," she announced to Argus, who was sitting in the lounge at the inn enjoying a bit of tea. (Rose approved; she knew enough of the man's past to know about his battle with the bottle, and he was clearly winning.) "The abbot there has seen him, and they're curious about what he's up to. The abbot's a bit on the paranoid side, like many of the Orthodox clergy are. You definitely made the right choice by not going over there ... Anyway, he'll help us if we need it. Did you work something out with Maduin?"

Argus hadn't answered yet when Rose became aware that she'd made a rather basic error.

The odd-looking man they'd seen when they first arrived at the Stone Man Inn was still there, reading a book quietly in the lounge ... or at least he had been until she started to speak. However, she'd caught a subtle but distinct change in his body position out of the corner of her eye, just about the time she mentioned the name Kurou. She scanned the room, not lingering over any one of its occupants, but her glance at the man left little doubt that he'd studiously returned to the book ... nor that he'd been eavesdropping in the mean time.

She switched to mind-speech, urgency in her mental voice. <"Don't answer out loud. Damn, that was careless of me, terrible opsec. That guy over there is listening in on us... and I wish I knew why, just as I wish I knew where I've seen him before.">

----------

In another corner of the room, Lillith was talking to Brad, her face showing gentle concern, his its usual smitten earnestness.

"Brad ..." Lillith hesitated, cleared her throat. "You're a ... wonderful man, and I treasure you dearly. But I'm not sure I'm ready to -- commit."

[OOC: OK, experiment now in progress; check this little item if you want more details on what Rose ran into in the Orthodox temple. Opinions on this format would be valued!]
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Porcelain Fish
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Porcelain Fish »

Maduin eyed the blossom he'd pocketed during his brief foray back downstairs as he opened the door to his room, thoughts already hundreds of miles away.

If Kurou was in the region, then Fayna might be interested in making overtures. The man was known to be powerful, and also quite clever, as Argus had attested from personal experience. If he could be wooed into an alliance of interests . . .

A warning crackle drew Maduin's startled gaze to the circular disk of polished silver that sat on his nightstand. A crooked tendril of blue electricity crawled across it. His eyes flew wide.

He was back in the hall a heartbeat later, sprinting for the lobby, dignity forgotten.

"Dr. Cleiviein!" He shouted breathlessly. "Dr. Cleiviein!"
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Drusia
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Drusia »

"Well, there's no doubt that your man Kurou is around here somewhere. The abbot there has seen him, and they're curious about what he's up to."

I nod, following Rose's faux pass and noting who appears to be listening in. The guys creeps me out, but not enough for me to be particularly worried about him. Yet.

<"So what should I do?"> I ask via mindspeak, as per Rose's request, <"Wander about town being 'intelligent and erudite' and hope I bump into him? Or is there somewhere he's likely to be? Like a bar? Or some sort of performance venue?"> I could also try doing something to get his attention. I wonder if Argus knows what he responds to - if I knew more about him, I could arrange for some sort of public spectacle. With the right information I could tailor the event to his unique motivations, but lacking that I may have to rely on a chance meeting. And I'm not a fan of random chance. It's screwed me over too often.

I hope somebody has a plan. Or knows where I can find him. Because if not, I'd waste less time going upstairs to pose for Harker until I have better intel. Which hopefully will be entertaining in its own right.

-- Drusia

OOC: I like your experiment. It's nice for the characters who like to go solo.
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

<"I don't know,">, Sister Rose thought back at Drusia. <"My contacts at the temple didn't have any more information on this Kurou; they just said, or at least implied, he was here. One thing was clear: they don't like him.">

She didn't like the way the man in the corner was flicking glances her way, either. Was he somehow able to snoop on the telepathic conversation? From all she'd ever heard about it, that was simply impossible. Mind-to-mind speech was about as secure as any form of communication ever invented, if you could do it. Of course, most couldn't, or at least, if they could, they didn't realize it. (The analytical corner of her mind wondered about that last part; Lillith, after all, had figured it out quickly enough, despite having no obvious magical skills. What other magical capabilities existed among her countrymen that had simply never been developed? That was a thought worth coming back to.)

She decided to verbalize a bit of the conversation, partly to keep up appearances, partly to try to get a better idea of what the man was doing and what he was capable of. "This place isn't very full. We should each be able to have our own room tonight. That'll help us sleep." She added mentally, <"And it'll also let you slip out undetected if you do decide to go looking for our man Kurou by yourself."> Well, that was reassuring; the snooping man glanced at them with a watery eye during the vocalized part of the conversation, but not the mental part. If he could understand the mind-speech, he concealed it better than he was concealing his interest otherwise. He --

Suddenly, Rose knew who he was.

"Porpington Bree," she said to the man, snapping her fingers. "You passed us on the road yesterday. I didn't recognize you in your -- civilian garb. How did your reading go last night?" That seemed like about as harmless a way to put down a marker as any.

The man turned a blank look on her. "I think you're mistaken, ma'am. I don't believe we've ever met, and I don't know what you mean by a reading." Well, maybe he didn't, but that voice was awfully familiar too, and the watery glance --

"Dr. Cleiviein!"

Rose's attention was no longer on the man who might or might not have been the Poet Laureate of Smackton Hills, nor was it on Drusia. Rather, she was watching Maduin approach at most atypical speed, in a highly unusual state of agitation.
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Drannin
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Drannin »

Argus was about to suggest that Kurou might be at the local library when Maduin came charging in at top speed.

"Dr. Cleiviein!"

Argus shot to his feet, suddenly expecting the worst. Was it excitement or fear on the man's face?

"Maduin, what's wrong?"

Part of him already knew, though.
Porcelain Fish
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Porcelain Fish »

"No time," Maduin gasped. "Have to get to (gasp) clothing store!" He grabbed the older Tsuirakuan gentleman by the arm and headed for the door. "Explain on the (gasp) way!"

In under thirty seconds they were in a rented carriage careening through the streets at unsafe speeds, the inside shrouded in a veil of magic against eavesdropping.

"It's Fayna," Maduin huffed, much more accustomed to the demands of magic than physical exertion. "It's absolutely imperative that we get you to a clothing shop as quickly as possible!" He shuddered. "I should have known. I should have had you suitably attired days ago. Oh this is a nightmare. I can't possibly show you to her in this condition. It would be an absolute travesty!" He paused, blinked, and glanced apologetically at Argus. "Ah, nothing personal, Dr. Cleiviein."
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

Oh, my. What was that all about? Sister Rose wondered as the two Tsuirakuans bolted through the door. Maduin had sounded terribly upset, and Argus simply looked completely bewildered. Could one of them be having health problems? Had the menacing Arsoro Kurou been sighted? Or an agent of Haniko Goto? Or ...

Please not Bauti, she prayed silently. No, it sounded like Maduin had said something about a "clothing store." Surely he wouldn't be hauling Argus off to a place like that for a disguise. It had to be something else, something involving a Tsuirakuan, since they seemed to pay attention to that kind of thing. It couldn't be...

One way or the other, she'd better follow them. "Drusia, I think we should see what they're up to," she said, turning to the elf. Would Argus have run off if Lillith had been in any danger here in the inn? She thought not, so it would probably be better to leave her here. But the others ... Aha. "Brad, please stay here and guard Lillith with your life." (As if he needs any encouragement for that, she thought, noting her cousin's wide-eyed look.) Kim had gone upstairs; it wouldn't be the worst thing if she simply hunkered down, either.

As she turned back to Drusia to get ready to head out in pursuit, she noticed something interesting: the man who looked like Porpington Bree was gone.
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