No Less Obliged
Log Info
- Title: No Less Obliged
- Characters: Jinks, Lysos, Merek, Seyardu
- Place: A10: Temple District
- Time: Tuesday, September 28, 2021, 6:00 PM
- Summary: Jinks is looking to follow up on the (accused) nefarious activities of one Lord Altay but needs insight when it comes to previous events. He asks Merek and Seyardu to meet with him in the Temple District for a debrief and for Lysos to join them so she can venture into the lion's den with him. The gnome reveals his plans as Seyardu and Merek explain what's occured up to this point. Jinks also apologizes to a dubious Seyardu and suggests she gather some friends and follow up on the rogue Swadling, Tran. Seyardu reveals Aya's fate.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A10: Temple District *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The air of solemn, heavy divinity in the area is often broken by laughter. The dual presence of the deities Althea and Daeus, man and wife, stand towards the center, with their children and their children's temples positioned around them. The presence of the divine is felt not only by their temples, but also by the actions of their worshipers. The great plaza is as a social center, paved in brilliant, white flagstones and covered in benches and sitting areas. Priests, acolytes, and servicefolk of all stripes roam the plaza, going from one task to the other.
At the front of the temples of Daeus and Althea, at the Plaza's centermost point, rests a great fountain, the cheerful waters reflecting the Sun during the day, and the Moon and Stars at night. The fountain is strategically centered, and is oft a place for wisdom and lesson-giving. It is not uncommon for a priest of some stripe or the other to stand there, surrounded by the curious and faithful, delivering messages of hope or contemplation. At other times, it and the plaza become a landscape of celebration of the holy holidays.
Few vendors are seen in the plaza--the nearby temples provide most food or services. Towards the west, the great Bridge stretches across the river, and towards the east, the Redridge mountains. The plaza rests in the midst of it all, the temples massive and grand on the Alexandrian scale.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
It's Tariday, Daeshen 28 21:04:12 1023. The full moon is up. The tide is low and slack. A chilly wind blows from the west, driving dark clouds before it and blotting out the stars in patches overhead. The air is clear and elsewhere they glitter brightly in the dark sapphire sky.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- At a glance around A10: Temple District -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jinks 3'4" 39 Lb Gnome Male A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry. Lysos 5'6" 105 Lb Human/Tsuran Female Dark eyed tsuran girl. Merek 5'10" 215 Lb Human Male A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
In spite of some recent bad luck with a note a certain gnomish dandy isn't quite ready to give up on them. And so they came, gnomish runners with wild, colorful hair and a hungry mischief in their eyes, smelling of the incenses and perfumes choking Tarien's house. Jinks is getting ready to meet with a certain noble and was hoping for some information first. Or, in Lysos case, an invitation to come and be informed before serving as a second set of eyes and ears.
So here he is, in the central Temple square puffing steam into the air idly. He wears a black suit with gold trim today, all severe, straight lines and snug; the height of fashion in central Myrddion a few years ago. The bottom botton of his coat is undone and his hands are in his pockets. He might be wishing he'd worn a heavier coat with the way his arms are press tight against his torso.
Merek walks along and to the market while he takes the time to look about, then he notices that Jinks would be about, taking the time to follow that gnome to see what he's up to and to offer what needs to be offered a little.
Lysos is hugging her cloak tight to her as she makes her way through the district. Less due to the wind itself, and more due to the fact that somehow she's lost the clasp which would normally hold it at her breastbone. It provides her some small measure of protection against the wind, even held like it is, though the cloak's bottom whips about with her dress as she passes by places of business, many closed at this hour, obviously looking for someone.
Seyardu was wandering the temple district that day, as she often did when she had some free time outside of the temple of Daeus. This walk led her to run into several familiar faces, and one who seemed a bit more out of place.
"Peace on your nest, Lysos." She greets. "Are you looking for someone in particular? Perhaps I could help you to look."
Jinks offers a faint smile of familiarity as folks wander through, bathed in the heatless glow of a mana lamp. He has the faintest of fading pink highlights in his hair, which remains pulled back and secure from the coming winter's harbinger winds.
"Hopefully me," calls the gnome, voice carrying faster than his legs ever could. He looses one hand from a pocket and lifts it, offering a taller, glittery target that might be easier to espy. He'll wait a moment for folks to draw nearer so he's not shouting across the square. "I was hoping to pick your brains," he cants his head to Merek and Seyardu before tilting it towards Lysos, "and ask for your help."
"I was... " Lysos starts to respond to Seyardu just before Jinks calls out and she switches mid thouht. "Him," she says instead, gesturing palm-raised towards the black coated gnome. Only then does she see and recognize Merek.. and then she's standing there, unsure what to do next. "Well.. not much in my brain to pick," she offers cheerfully. "But the message said it was important."
Merek nods a little bit along to Jinks, while he thinks about it. "What would you like to know?" the man asks, while he thinks about it a little bit, looking to the party.
"Ah, well, that is certainly a good thing!" Seyardu smiles, though it wanes slightly seeing the gnome. Still, she joins the others after a moment.
"Well, I happen to be here then, so I would suppose that I talk for some time."
"I've made inroads with Altay's staff and shouldn't have trouble getting into his manse to relay my condolences." Jinks notes Seyardu's expression shift but presses ahead, unusually focused and business-like. His hands are back in his pockets and he turns slightly, putting his back to the wind. "I was hoping to prolong the conversation and see what-- if any-- information I can get him to divulge but I need to know more about the cooking event... and the accusations you were making at Sawdling's party." His solid-black eyes look between Merek and the sith.
"I was hoping you would come to Altay's with me," he considers the Tsura with a long look up and down, "posing as a servant. A second person observing the exchange. Maybe we can steal you away into the kitchens to talk to his people while I keep him occupied."
"I don't know anything about..." Lysos starts to say, but she once again trails off once Jinks's idea for her is revealed. "Oh." She says, then raises an idea. "Oh," she repeats. "It sounds like you're telling me I've got the look of a.." She pauses, wrinkles her nose, and over emphasizes the next word, ".. /peasant/ about me."
Merek looks between the three and will think about it, "There were... People, that were cooked into the meat at the chili thing, if you mean that. It looked like a lord was actually involved in that, and also, the Duke was about," he will note.
"I believe what he meant, was that you have experience with them from the party, so would be better suited to find out more from them. Though I do not know why looking like a peasant is bad. You look like a person like any other." She tries to explain, before turning her attention elsewhere. "Ah, you want to hear about that. I am sure you would not mind too much, but if you wanted to know, they were turning my kin into chili and feeding it to others."
"It seemed the most likely connection," Jinks tells Lysos with a quirked eyebrow. "If you'd rather you could be my ward or my concubine. Gnomish nobility rarely marries outside the race and I thought the opportunity for you to speak to his serving staff might be helpful."
At Seyardu's comment he closes his eyes and sighs, shaking his head subtly. "I was going to ask you to stay behind after we'd finished this and speak privately but," he glances from Merek to Lysos before leveling his gaze at the sith. "I've treated you poorly and been unkind when you didn't deserve it. Things in the city changed while I was... away and I soothed my frustrations with misplaced anger. I've owed you an apology for a long time, Seyardu, but I've been hiding from other things. So, I'm truly sorry. And, no, I don't think any thinking being deserves to be butchered and eaten." He looks properly contrite, his lips pressed together in a thin line.
Lysos shakes her head, a quick, frustrated jerk really, and starts, "I didn't mean.... nevermind. No. A servant is fine. Had half a mind to..." And... trailing off again. This time when she registers what Merek and Seyardu are talking about. The 'chili'. People. Her skin pales, and she actually gags a bit before covering her mouth with a hand.
Merek will nod to each of them, while he thinks about it a moment, "Well, anyway. I am glad we're making progress to really learn, although... I'm not thinking that it's the most pleasant thing in the world."
Seyardu sighs. "It did not sound like that when I saw you proper last time at the Tarrace." She says with a shake of her head. "I will think on the apology for now, anyways."
"But yes, lord Altay was the organizer. And it seems the meat was provided by someone called lord Eric. The, lord Altay's wife said they had known them for some time."
The silverscale pauses. "The meat was heavily disguised, I do not believe the people taking part were made aware of what was going on."
"Altay is old money but he subsidizes his wealth exporting objet d'art to Charn. He then allows other nobles to use his ships on the return trip at discounted rates." Jinks offers after a pause. He wants to pursue things further with Seyardu but, apparently, decides there's more productive ways to spend the time now. "Lord Erik arranges trips to Alexandria for visiting Charnese nobility and turns the ship into pleasure craft. Another lord, Morgan, has used his ships to bring wine into port." Apparently he's made some discoveries of his own since the scrap at Swadling's.
"Was there anything that led you to believe Altay knew he was inducing cannibalism or has he been complete in his denial? Have either of you heard of or encountered this Lord Morgan before?"
"Lord Altay had a statue on him. These statues control the mind, and turn the slain into undead afterwards. there was one in that tower of undead that attacked recently, and one was held by a cultist who was in the basement of the warehouse in question." Seyardu begins to explain. "And these statues were actual prisoners taken to Charn. They tried to bribe the guard to stop us from investigating, and when found out, they pulled out this statue before being stopped. And at the chili cookoff, this one does not know if they had another statue, but the fiend was there as well. And at the party, his attendant had another statue, which was slipped to his wife."
"He has no remorse for his actions, statue or no. If he had none at the colosseum, then he is even more scum than I imagined, to willingly consort with fiends. And three coincedences is hard to believe."
Lysos hasn't much to say for the moment. She still looks pale, but she's dropped her hands at least. On the other hand, she's pressed her eyes closed. And her breathing is very deliberately even. She lets the others words just kind of flow over her for the moment while she collects herself. When she opens her eyes, finally, her chin is raised slightly, resolution in her gaze. "Very hard to believe," she agrees.
"From what was said, I think one of them would be the Duke," Merek will admit, while he nods along to the party a little bit while thinking about things.
"Were both the Duke and Lord Erik present at the same time? Someone had suggested Erik may be one of His guises." Jinks wonders, glancing to Lysos to make sure she's listening; that she's keeping up. He posits the next part for Merek, primarily: "The statues are small, obviously. But at one point were people? So altered. Do we know how?"
The gnome sighs, heavily, and folds his arms. "The Duke is manipulative... but Altay seems far from repentant. I'm curious to know how he's reacted to the loss of his wife and unborn child."
Lysos nods her head slowly, almost rhythmically, doing her best to absorb facts that the others have had days, or perhaps even weeks, to process. Trying to imagine her role in this masquerade Jinks has planned. "Is there.." she begins, raspy, before clearing her throat and trying again. "If I'm going to be mingling with servants in his house... do any of you know what I should be looking for? Listening for? I'm afraid I'm not too terribly informed when it comes to demons."
"No, apologies. There are two different kinds of statues." She clarifies with a sigh when Jinks continued. "The statues in the warehouse, human sized, and shipped out to Charn. And the other statues are something that can be held in the hand, filled with some manner of vile magics."
"I have never encountered lord Erik, or Morgan. As for how he feels about his wife and child? He is using it to blame us for their deaths, despite all the evidence otherwise. So I can imagine he is not broken up in the slightest." She continues, with a shake of her head. "His head is filled with sand, as they say."
"I am thinking that from what people said, Erik is the Duke. Which makes sense, he never was that good at being creative," Merek will admit, while he takes a look to everyone, "I think it will be best to ask what Lord Altay will explain."
Jinks sucks at his teeth in thought, tucking his chin and looking at the ground. He's sorting a few ideas. A twist of the head and he quirks an eyebrow at Lysos. "House gossip of any kind might be useful. Talk about what the lord gets up to after hours, meetings with this Erik or Morgan. People acting strangely, signs of these statues. Talk of a sculptor or transmuter. Missing persons. Visitors that arrive but don't leave. We can seek insight at..." a look to the Daeusite structure lingers before it shifts and he cants his head, "Eluna's temple."
Jinks nods at Seyardu and Merek before asking the former, "If I can extract Djusco from Swadling's grounds would you have time to try and locate Tran? I imagine you could leverage your mul... friend for assistance and I might be able to convince Halani to join you. I'd do it myself but I imagine Altay will keep me busy for the time being."
Seyardu falls silent at the suggestion, and looks between Merek, Lysos and Jinks.
"Do not, ask for Aya's assistance." She finally says. "They are, gone."
Jinks shakes his head and lifts his hand, "The other one." <handspeech>
Lysos taps the back of her hand each time Jinks offers a point of interest to pursue, visibly attempting to commit them to memory. The tension resulting from mention of the 'mul' gives her pause, though, and she focusses on the other three again. "Aryia?"
Jinks nods at Lysos, expounding then to Seyardu. "You don't have to, obviously, but it seems a dangerous thread to leave dangling. Tran stood against Seldan; I wouldn't suggest fighting him but if he could be located we might keep the Swadling side of this affair from escalating further."
"Ah, yes, Aryia should be available." Seyardu nods. "You were made aware of that, then."
"It is, something worth looking into, yes. Lord Swadling seems alright to me, but the son running off is concerning."
"I hadn't heard about Aya, no," Jinks offers sounding... conflicted. "Too many plates spinning and I was never especially good with my hands." He starts to pull away in thought but shakes his head, giving a nod to Lysos. Finally, to Merek, "I imagine your plate is full with other things but if you have any suggestions I'd take them."
Lysos rubs her hands together, blowing into them.. then quickly snatches back at her cloak to keep it from blowing away. "Alright. Let me know when you want to call on this lordling... I'm going to need time to get the clothes. I suppose you want them somehow tying in to whatever fancy clothes you're going to be wearing?"
"Where's Aya?" Merek will ask then, looking to Seyardu.
"That is good, that you are investigating this further." Seyardu sighs. She was trying her best to not look at Merek. "Aya, I do not know for certain, and do not know how much I wish to share right now. But she is gone, and if you see her, it is best to assume she is dangerous."
"Just something practical; secondhand, but not threadbare or patched. Nothing new. I'll reimburse you the cost." The gnome decides after considering Lysos.
Jinks grinds his teeth and barks a few rapid, clipped syllables in his mothertongue at the sith's revelations. "Another fucking thing my fault." <gnomish>
He swallows his frustration and closes his eyes, sucking in a long, slow breath. "Thank you all for meeting me tonight. We'll see this through. I'm here if you need me," he tosses his head back, indicating Tarien's house and heads that way with his hands shoved into his pockets, shoulders forward, and head down. From the sound of it he's cursing under his breath in Gnomish.
Merek looks to Jinks while he thinks about it, then nods. Then he takes a look to Seyardu, "I understand, although if I see her, I will... Do what I can," he notes, while he nods to Lysos. "Anyway!"
"Please, do. We all will be doing what we can but, we have so little information to go on, right now." Seyardu replies, with an exhausted sigh. "I will keep that in mind Jinks. Perhaps, this one should seek out some scrying magics, for Aya. But I am worried about what will be found."