Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Bloodied Shards IC (CLOSED!)

"There are certain aspects of my observation system which I will not reveal here for the sake of compartmentalization of information, but the details that will not be harmful should our adversary learn of them are as follows," Kylarion begins, willing to be transparent.

He puts up a projection of their planet, and explains, "within a few hours of my arrival, my people established an array of observation devices just beyond the atmospheric boundry, nearly a thousand such devices, in fact. They carry sophisticated observation tools which can make out details on the surface, and are connected to a computation machine capable of processing the image data and identifying key subjects. Having used scrying magic, something one of my assistants is far more skilled at than our adversary, thankfully, to locate the shards, we have been able to keep track of the location of the shards and those who have made contact with them ever since by means of the observation network. A tad unnerving, yes, but for what it is worth they are not calibrated to see into buildings. Listen into buildings, admittedly, yes, but not see. You may change clothes in peace. To further ease your minds on the matter, most of the data is not watched by a person, only the relevant data is fed to-- What is it?"

He's abruptly cut off and glances to one side, holding up a hand to signal for silence.

"Pardon me, I am not mistaken in hearing 'tea'? ..... Really now. You understand the degree of risk this entails, yes? You do appreiate the fact that you could very soon have a devastating sorceress in the room with you, cackling as you beg for mercy? Yes? ....... No, I will not set foot in the same city as her, and you will respect the chain of command. ...... If it seems as though she may, yes, though try to re-posses the other, let us not be..... I would rather have a vessel and guards nearby regardless, should we fall under attack, so deploy them posthaste. .....Yes, the evacuation protocols should be readied, but avoid panic, everyone knows their tasks and routes. Very.... oh, you never have good news for me, do you? Very well, relay."

He gives the group the tight smile of someone appologizing for a sudden urgent call going much longer than it should.

"..... A scan-shielded landmass, you say. Naturally so? ..... Indeed, how cle-- What? .... No, no, this is likely beneficial, but no references on..... Oh, oh dear. Yes, yes, those in fact may, unfortunately, so arson does seem like the best option. Try to evacuate them, but if needed.... Oh, no, she will not steal from a library. She risked arrest to return a book she found on one of her victims once. Once that I have heard of, and I suspect many more times. ..... This is now all? Good, thank you."

"My appologies, the situation has become a mite more complicated, but unfortunately not in a way that you can immediately impact. Shall we move on to your new protective garments?"

In spite of herself, Lisa snorts as Victi expresses concern for her mental health, as if she actually cares.

She opens the pouch at her hip once, twice, three times before slipping something out and clasping in both hands at her lap.

"I...I agree." Then she hesitates. "So...what got you involved in this, w-with us?" She gestures to herself and the children, then around the room, meaning not the "us right here in front of you" but "us who live on this planet." She doesn't expect Victi to offer a straight answer, but hopes trying to turn the question around will win her a bit of a distraction. The less information she has to give up, the better. Lisa can hardly carry one lie; trying to fib her way through the entire conversation would, without a doubt, land her six feet under.

A server stops by their table and Lisa asks for black tea, the first beverage to come into her head as she really doesn't want tea right now, but she might as well order something.

Raven, who contented herself with exploring the office while the others talked and had really only displayed pointed interest when Kylarion mentioned getting her something to play with, freezes in place atop the desk and stares, eyes wide and ears pricked, as the magistrate starts talking to his communications thingy.

She can't put her claws on it- maybe its his frustration rubbing off on her, or the repeated mention of her, or his dropping of the word "arson"- but Raven's hackles rise as a suspicious sinking feeling settles in her gut. The cat raises her question very calmly, however, tilting her head and sounding curious (reread: nosy) like normal when she asks, "Complicated how?"

Victi smirks. She wouldn't give the *full* details, but maybe admitting a few things could help her coax info out of the skittish young woman, or the children with her.

"The shards, of course. Or, well, the vase," she explains in answer, "I have something I'd like to do, and it turns out that this world has the tool I need to do it and is in a state where the stars are properly aligned for it for the next while. So yeah, I'm here because this is the right place and the right time. Once I assemble the Vase and figure out a good spot to forge the sealed chamber I need, I can use the Vase to do that, and use it for the main event, and then I can go. Won't be a problem for anyone else here for another..... 32.6 million years or so? I did some math, but I don't remember the final value offhand. You, though, what's your involvement with all of this? You've been doing a lot of interesting research, from the sounds of it."

As Liliath sat down and Victi started talking she listend very intrested.
"So you need all the shards? But what are you going to do to the people who don't want to give it to you?"" When the server came Liliath didn't ask for the tea, cause she was not in the mood for tea. She needed to know what Victi was going to do, cause Liliath wasn't going to give her shard away.

After managing to pull away somewhat from Lisa, Adriannu made eye contact with Lisa whereupon the Chimera would whisper to stop calling her Mom. She started to continue with something else, but only said the word "she" before going silent. At this, the child narrowed her eyes, but nodded before being released completely. Clearly something Vitci did has freaked out Lisa, but the question is...what the heck could it be? While obviously this situation is less than ideal, she hadn't seen or heard anything to explain Lisa's behavior which highly irritated her. Due to this critical lack of information and less than desirable surroundings, there wasn't too much she could do at the moment. Her shard wasn't particularly useful at the moment and she really didn't want to reveal it's hiding place in the first place anyway. So far now, her best bet would probably be to shut up and draw as little attention to herself as possible.

During this, Lisa was clearly trying to soothe Liliath which was yet another factor she was hardly thrilled about. After this they made their way to the tea shop and Lisa would pull a chair out for Victi who told her that she didn't need have to show such respect just because the enemy scared her. As for herself, she would only take a chair if there was room for all three of them and if not, she'd just stand. When the server came by, the Cathera didn't order anything by explaining that she didn't like the taste of tea which was a lie, but there was no way she was going to drink anything next to a known enemy. For all she knew, Vici had some special way to poison her drink so it was just safer that way.

Lisa then asked Victi what brought her to this planet which was obvious the shards or more accurately the vase that shards made up. Apparently there was also something about the stars being aligned, a sealed chamber and that fact that it should be a problem for anyone for some weird number she had never heard before. Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure what to make about this information, but it was still important to have. It was after Victi had finished speaking that Liliath spoke up, asking the kitsune what she intended to do about the people who won't give the shards to them. It was a question that intrigued the Cathera, not for the answer because that was fairly obvious, but rather the fact that the kid had asked it in the first place. Did this crybaby actually have a shard? And if so, this just made everything a much bigger mess.

Victi had a brief exchange with the server, asking about particular teas, the flavour-profiles thereof, as well as ideal sweeteners for them, eventually settling on something known to be herbal and soothing, sweetened with what sounded to be a somewhat exotic nectar. She let out a pleased anticipatory purr as the soft-spoken human walks off to the back of the shop.

Now able to focus on less tasty matters, she answer's Liliath's question with a bemused smile, "Whatever I need to do to get them, and ideally in a way that lets me have some fun. Within reason, I mean, there's a difference between valid prey and, for example, you, but I'll figure out what to do about that."

"You, little blood-mage, I think know what I mean," she says, turning to look at Adriannu, "Your eyes are sharp and you walk like someone who's been on both sides of predator and prey. On the assumption that you hunt, you hopefully know to not hunt the juveniles, only the adult specimens, and ideally the ones who have served their biological purpose. I still need those shards though, obviously, so I'll have to work out a solution. You have some time, though."

Though her eyes had glanced at Adriannu, Victi's attention was still obviously focused on the back of the shop, and her tails seemed to have started revealing themselves, tips wiggling excitedly as she periodically sniffs the air.

After a few moments of distraction, but still seeming completely oblivious to her large fluffy tails now being visible, she switches back to Lisa, again asking in a clearly happy tone, "I told you mine, you tell me your's. How is this your problem, and what interesting things have you learned in those books and scrolls?"

"Oh...kay," Drake rises and continues to follow her, now a little less irritated and more confused. He hesitates to answer, determining how much information he can safely share.

He settles on the minimal amount of honesty, giving just enough details that he hopes she won't press further. "Me and an associate were on our way to the Library when we ran into your problems. Neither one of us look at that circus of pompous pricks who call themselves the Inquisition too kindly, so we figured we'd lend a hand."

Lisa leans a little to the side, watching the illusion over Victi's tails fade as white coils of fluff, tipped in black like a painter's brush, spill out of the seat. They wag like they belong to an excited dog; she might've found it cute if she didn't know who they were attached to.

As Victi turns her question back around for a second time, she leans back into her seat with a weary sigh. "It became my problem when..." I got the message? Maybe; however, if it weren't for Adriannu's arrival and Kylarion's physical visit she and Raven most likely would have thrown the damned shard away. Yet even after that, she was still set on destroying or tossing out what shards they had. Then with the visit, the destruction of her home, the surreal trip off-planet and losing track of Raven...it has all been one disaster after another. While she can easily pinpoint how it become her problem to begin with, she hasn't had the time to ask herself why she let it stay that way, even visiting the library to try finding and hiding information from her opponent before prematurely facing said opponent who, frustratingly enough, managed to inadvertently raise the question over tea.

Now is not a good time to consider the issue, yet the question of why she's gone so far continues to trouble Lisa as she answers, "...when I received this warning."

Yes, helpful answer.

"As for what I learned at the library," she pauses long enough to look a little bit theatrical, "Most of what I read is probably more...more fiction than what I hope. Haven't had a chance to try separating what's possibly truth yet."

Victi's eyes narrowed slightly. Was this lady bluffing, or actually this uncertain about this?

It was weird, but the chimera did seem to be having a little bit of a crisis. Best to just take it with a grain of salt for now.

"Right, a warning, huh?" Victi asks, leaning back a bit and crossing her arms, "Mysterious words from a mysterious benefactor, right? Something like that, maybe... showing up out of nowhere?"

Victi was taking a bit of a chance on a typical type of alien's MO, but if she was right she could hopefully make it sound like she knew a lot more than she did. It was a lot easier to get people to admit what you already know than to make them disclose new info.

Apparently. She's heard this.

"You know, if you're willing to be leant a hand, I've gotten pretty good at figuring out what stuff about mysterious artifacts is true or not," the kitsune proposes, "maybe we can help each other against each other. Could be fun."

“Well, we appreciate it. Again, so sorry about kidnapping you. We’ll get you back where you belong soon enough. Unless you want to help us in our adventure, but we can talk about that later. We’re here!”
Naida grabbed Drake’s hand in an attempt to drag him into the large cavern. If allowed, she would hold on to his hand for a while longer. “Everyone!” she called for attention when they got close enough. “This is Drakie! He’s my fuzzy buddy! Drake, I think I caught you up on everyone already.”

Adriannu wasn't very surprised when Victi chose to address her as Lisa's frantic grabbing of her early suggested that the fox lady knew that there was more to her then what meets the eye. Pity really, she really had been hoping to play the part of the helpless child until the opportune moment, but she knew a dead horse when she saw one. However hearing Victi refer to her as "little blood mage" was not something she was happy about. That definitely inferred that the enemy knew far more about her then she liked as if nothing else, the child had hoped to keep knowledge about her shard under wraps.

Yet irregardless of this unfortunate realization, she decided that she would answer Victi's question about her hunting habits since there was nothing to gain by playing dumb, well at least about that if nothing else. "When whether you go hungry or not often depends if you manage to make a successful kill or not, well you don't have the luxury about being picky about your prey. While I'd prefer not to kill a young animal, if my only options are to kill a fawn or go to bed hungry, then I'm having that fawn for dinner. If I want to eat, then I have to take what hunting opportunities I get as no one else is going to feed me." Was telling the truth, possibly dangerous? Perhaps, but considering how much information Victi had already managed to learn about her, telling the truth on this was still probably the better option then lying to her face about something that wasn't critically important. Besides if Victi was a hunter too which her words seemed to imply, then surely she could understand about doing what you had to in order to survive.

Victi's attention soon returned to Lisa as she asked about what they had learned in the library and it was here that Victi made the curious offer to help shift what was fact from fiction. Considering what their options...it was honestly probably the best option they had since if they said no, Victi could simply try to take the books right then and there. Of course there was the very real issue of her simply lying to them about which parts were true or not. "Victi, is there some sort of magic that keeps someone from lying?"

It was very hard no to use her shard to hurt Victi.
She decided when Victi would take a next sip of tea that she would use her shard. She wanted to do a trick or two with Victi's tea.
Liliath felt more irritated each minute, Victi gave her a headache. She hoped that they we're going soon, it was probably better then doing tricks on Victi's tea.

Liliath did not care much about Adriannu's hunting story, but the question about lying part did intrest her. Maybe Victi could use magic and then she maybe would use the spell on them.

She really isn't picking up what I'm putting down, is she? Victi thought with a mallign sneer, well, her possible funeral.

"Maybe you're right, bloody," Victi muses, sounding thoughtful in the worst possible way for those gathered, "Maybe if it's really needed, I could accept a few younger casualties..."

As she trails off, a growing telekinetic force begins to push/pull down on Adriannu, as though gravity were rapidly inreasing. It would quickly double her perceived weight and increase more slowly after that. On the current track, without intervention, she would be crushed to death in a few minutes.

"Then again, maybe arguing against some of my rules that are currently keeping you alive wasn't your actual plan, hmm?" she continues, acting as if she wasn't in the process of mildly torturing someone, "To answer your other question, though, those magics do exist. In several forms, actually."

She drums her fingers on the table, slowly taking the time to figure out exactly how to answer the question, letting the force on Adriannu grow a little more. "Well, there are a few different ways of achieving the same effect," she explains, looking Adriannu in the eyes as she talks, pretending not to notice any signs of discomfort or distress she displays, "Stopping people from lying is possible, but things like that are too easy to replace with general mind-control to be, say, good for legal use, you could just make people say whatever you want on a theme. 'Only speak truth' becomes 'Confess as though you committed this murder' and the whole legal system is shot. The way that most people use is creating an effect that reveals when someone is lying. Still mind magic, but sensory rather than active and a lot harder to mess with. Easier for other people to read the effect and verify your work."

"There is another way, using other types of sensory magic can pick up things like degree of pupil dilation, change in heart-rate, changes in scent, changes in how hairs are standing, tension in the body, and so on, to pick up the small tells most people have when lying. Easier to learn to fake, but pretty useful," she adds, "all different tricks."

"Oh, no that's alright," he says, not realizing how closely related their separate quests are. "I've got an 'adventure' of my own to worry 'bout."

When they reach the cavern, he rejects her attempt to drag him out into the open with an annoyed, "For the last time, I am NOT your 'fuzzy buddy.'" He's about sick and tired of being viewed as a target of affectionate nicknames and bares his teeth in Naida's direction, determined to reestablish himself as someone to be feared.

Then he turns his attention to surveying the chamber. Raising an eyebrow at the nervous wizard and black-eyed child calmly interrogating him, then proceeding to glare at Ren.

“Well hello, Drakie,” Ren says, crossing her arms and smirking at the nickname Naida forced on him. “Isabella, perhaps we should ask our new ‘fuzzy buddy’ some questions as well. I’ll get us all something to eat and drink.” Suddenly realizing how long it has been since she last ate, Ren’s stomach growls. Without waiting for a response, she teleports herself out of the cavern.

She reappears in another cave, this one lined with shelves. Though the food storage lacks the typical fresh meats and veggies because of their “adventure,” Ren figures she has enough dried things for a decent meal for everyone. She picks up a basket she keeps there and starts filling it with all of her dried meats, fruits and vegetables, along with tea leaves and a kettle. She stands for a moment, thinking, before adding some of Naida’s candies. The fairy had a rough day, and maybe the child would like something sweet, too.

After being gone for probably five minutes, Ren decides to walk back. Drake seemed rather upset at her presence, so she figures he will probably talk more without her there. She does, however, reach out to Naida to get information for whatever may be happening back at the cave.

Drake’s snarls do nothing to dissuade Naida. Instead, she smiles and says with a slight giggle, “Oh, aren’t you cute when you’re mad, Drakie?” She did, however, resist the urge to pat his head. After a nod to Ren before she leaves, Naida looks to Isabella. “Friend, did you learn anything helpful from Geoff?”

Lisa listens, eyes narrowing as she seriously considers her enemy's offer, which seems to reduce this nightmare scenario to a simple competition. A race. Something "fun." She seriously doubts she'd come to enjoy competing against Victi, but in most kidnapping situations, building a rapport with your captor is a perfectly viable survival strategy. Similar rules might apply here, so she's about to say that might be a fine idea when a comment from Adriannu sends the conversation blazing downhill.

She jolts out of her chair the moment Victi shares a cruel smile, a sly threat slithering from her mouth like a venomous snake. She drops the item she'd been holding in her lap, a shiny metal canteen. At the same time, she grabs Adriannu's chair and shoves her back to stand directly in front of her, grunting with surprise when the motion so takes a lot more effort than it should, as if an unseen force were not just anchoring it in place, but trying to bury it beneath tons and tons of invisible earth.

That warning sign doesn't stop her. She pushes the girl in her chair out of the spell's range and finds herself caught in it alone. Body trembling against the force, she glares at Victi.

"Stop it." She snaps, her voice carrying an out-of-nowhere cold authority that instantly dissipates as she starts to defend Adriannu; her tone pitching up and all the following words spilling out of her like river rapids: "Sacrificing your code to survive isn't the same as hurting children to get yourself a new magic trinket! She's a child who has lived alone in the wilds for I-don't-know how long, struggling through harsh winters and predators the only way she knew how, not that I'm sure you could re-" She cuts herself off with a pained gasp and half-leans, half-collapses onto the table, supporting herself on her elbows. She only breaks eye contact long enough to wince.

Around them, employees and customers stare, a menagerie of a shocked and horrified caricatures, at the white chimera with nine magically appearing tails, two children, and a young, near-fainting dark chimera defending them with the fury of a chained mother bear. The server who had just gotten their drinks whispers something to two off-duty street guards and they approach with him. One guard, a squat soldier who almost could have grown up under the influence of a sustained kinetic force, steps forward. "Oi, misses, what's the problem here?" Behind him, the other guard, a lean younger fellow, casually rests his hand on the hilt of his sword while the tea server sets their drinks on the table, bows his head and quietly checks out of the dramatic scene altogether.

Isabella's head tilts curiously at Geoff's statement, glaring with still gleaming black eyes directly at him. The panic that sets in only cements her belief he is hiding something, and that something seems to be this sorceress. That or his groups involvement in blood magic.

"I don't believe you," Isabella says, raising her right hand up in a threatening manner as if to ready a spell.

It was then the fairy interrupted, and the child stopped in place as if put on pause and looked up to her. "I believe his group knows about the sorceress looking for the shards," she claims as she slowly looks back down towards Geoff.

"Cute!?" Drake pinches the bridge of his nose in his free hand with a loud, long groan. "Dear God, send me back to that gate." The Inquisition's dark, dank holding cells grow more and more appealing with each ear-scrapingly adorable nickname and childish sweet-talk.

Geoff raises his hands higher, a subtle glint of magical energy shining at his fingertips as he prepares the reliable old magic-wall-and-counterspell trick before he sees the worryingly irritated mercenary and a chatty fairy enter the scene. He steps back a little more, glancing between them and Isabella as he lowers his hands to his chest. "Um, hey there!"

"...Hi," Drake raises an eyebrow, then his eyes widen a little as Isabella explains to Naida that she suspects the wizard knows something about...subjects that she is definitely interrogating the wrong man for.

Drake smiles, a little strangely coy, and makes a show of picking at something in his ear. "Sorry, kid. My hearing's usually pretty good but somethin' must have been blocking it just then. Could you repeat that?"