Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn

[Goonfire]

Crow’s heart was racing; he knew Az was pretending, but there was always the possibility that he could be minced by certain other parties in a split second. He understood the three most likely outcomes of this ruse:

1. The guards and Lassard may split up to hunt a person who never existed,
2. The three infiltrators would be forced to leave while a manhunt ensues, or
3. Crow would further incriminate himself and be arrested. However, subsequent events may not be ideal, by any means.

Crow could sense the lesser guards’ confusion. They were definitely trying to make sense of this clusterfuck with which they were confronted. So, to further the fugitive facade and to add a degree of authenticity to Azaria’s role, he heeded her warning, letting only a phony whimper escape his agape mouth. His eyes were squinched shut; he was genuinely afraid to see any negative results of their joint deceit so far.

Zazz LazyDaze SilverFlight

 

[Zazz]

Thankfully, Crow seemed to be half decent at acting at the end of a blade. Azaria took the lead in their ruse, informing the General with nothing but outright confidence, "As I said, General. Classified even to your ears. Now either you can do as asked, or escort your men off of this ship so that they are not interfering with Everreach business. Even you know the consequences of treason."

The halfling's heart, meanwhile, beat wildly in her chest, though she retained her calm, cool exterior. Everreach's own training would be the house's downfall.

 

[mothspit]

Gideon ordered the food and drink and settled back in his chair, gesturing for Nova to take a seat.
"Who doesn't have an Evereach problem nowadays?" He countered with a rueful smile. "It seems they have their fingers in every pie. It's time someone took a ladle to their wandering hands. That's why I called you, among others. Those others are running a quick errand. Hopefully they'll be back before the mid-rest mark." There was a hint of worry behind Gideon's casual smile.
"The next steps are going to require a little more finesse. I hope you're up to the challenge."

Nova nodded thoughtfully. Evereach was undoubtedly a thorn in everyone's side. But for others to be on some mysterious errand piqued her interested, especially with how worried the man of house sounded. Must be pretty important.

"..This quick errand wouldn't have anything to do with the smuggling, would it?" She asked innocently, leaning back into the chair with a chuckle, "Finesse is my specialty."

____

Trileon, with a pair of dragon-like beast hands, threw a series of quick punches at the guard to quickly knock him out. Once finished, and the illusion faded, she returned to the others. So this newcomer knew Gideon, and he allegedly called her there. The beastwoman took to Ora's side, nodding at her statements, "The sooner we leave, the better. There's no telling how long it could be before more of them discover what's happened here. Time is of the essence."

Unable to contain the look of discomfort stricken across her face, Trileon wrapped her arms around her chest. This whole operation gave her intense bad juju vibes; It didn't help that both Desrick and Pyrrhus had given her weird looks before. She thought they knew that her plan was to be captured.. Regardless, she made a move to follow Ora.

 

[SilverFlight]

Desrick shot Ora a troubled glance.
"Lassard is on the ship." He said gravely. "They may need help, but if he recognizes either of us it could spell trouble for Cyndara."
When Desrick learned that Pearl was an ally of Gideon's he smiled.
"Your actions were honorable. I am happy to fight by your side."
He turned and watched the prisoners filter out through the door. Pyrrhus coaxed them into the shadows of the ally, checking them all briefly for injuries before sending them into the care of Gideon's guards.
"Let's meet up with Pyrrhus and decide what to do." Desrick followed the prisoners out, leading the way for their team.
Pyrrhus flicked his tail anxiously as he watched the last of the prisoners disappear around the corner, he turned to Desrick as he approached, taking in the sight of his friends with gratitude, but pausing at the water elf.
"This one seems a bit well-equipped for a prisoner." His smile was bright and kind. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. Pyrrhus Elantus, at your service."
He gave an elegant bow from the waist and dipped a forehoof back.
"Have you seen anything from the ship?" Desrick asked.
"Not a thing, but I haven't heard the sounds of fighting either, so if Lassard has found them, perhaps they are handling it?"
"I appreciate your optimism, but I don't share it. We need to help them, but he will recognize Ora or I."
"I could go." Pyrrhus offered, "I don't think he ever had a good look at my face, and I could take our new ally here." He gestured to Pearl with an enthusiastic nod.
"What do you say? Oh maiden of the remarkable hair?"
Flutterby mothspit HumbugPie


Lassard listened and his easy smile slowly began to fade.
"I'm not sure an assassin of Evereach has ever spoken to me thus."
His smile returned but this time, something cruel was twisted into it. "Very well." In one step he closed the distance to Crow and made to grab him about the collar, drawing his sword in one fluid motion.
"As this is my ship, I'll take care of this for you, you may go look for the...other." He watched them carefully, each of them, for any misstep.
Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze


Gideon turned to the voice at the front door. He nodded to the servant to bring the new guest in.
"Vulgo. Your timing is impeccable."
He introduced the man to the room: Lohr and Nova.
"The human smuggling is exactly what it has to do with, and I need your help if we're ever to make sure Evereach is exposed for its foulness. My team should be back with documents pertaining to Evereach's involvment with 'The Snatchers', however I believe we need to put our heads together and come up with a foolproof way of getting that proof to the other house heads. You may have heard of the grand ball House Brynson is throwing to try and smooth things over with Evereach? They've been less than supportive of Evereach's plan to invade Cyndara."
The Gunrunner Zazz mothspit

 

[Goonfire]

Crow’s face went genuinely pale—more so than before—as the sadistic captain closed the gap. He could feel the sharp blade barely touching the skin of his neck, yet he knew his head could roll any second now. His breathing grew labored; he had to cook up another lie to salvage this.

Finally, the inquisitor spoke in his own defense. “Y-you could do that...” he started shakily. “Or... you could learn the identity of the other fugitive aboard this ship. I know their... exact location.” His eyes were locked with those of Lassard; eye contact was generally a sign of honesty.

Something struck Crow as odd, though; why exactly was he—the least threatening person in the room—the center of attention, even though Azaria was clearly in possession of a sabre stolen from the captain’s quarters? He desperately hoped someone would notice it soon, as it would certainly add to the confusion that was the key to his survival.

SilverFlight Zazz LazyDaze

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas didn't bat an eye the entire conversation, not even when Crow's life was quickly slipping away from his grasp. He was intent to allow them to talk in circles until one of the gods decided to allow a miracle to fall out of the sky. Iolas briefly glanced upward at this thought and internally sighed as no miracle seemed to be in the forecast. Iolas sighed again, this time out loud for all to hear. It wasn't an act altogether. The entire situation was actually starting to seep under Iolas's skin, and Lassard was another huge thorn in the side. In fact, one could say Iolas had been holding that one in for 50 years. "....Giving orders after we graciously explained the situation...It is no wonder they saw fit for us to handle this. Even now...the time that is so precious ticks to oblivion." Lassard was intelligent...at least Iolas was counting on it. The implications here was that Lassard was being unruly. After Azaria so kindly explained a "secret" mission given by higher authority, Lassard still saw fit to make the decisions. Iolas knew first hand that classes, and rank were a big deal, it nearly got him killed after all, so he could not just let such an act pass. Not while they were fulfilling this ruse. Plus Crow looked like he was about to break....figuratively and literally. Iolas took a glance at Crow and then focused yet again on Lassard and played along. "Time is wasting and Everreach is growing impatient...will you continue to hinder us?" Iolas tightened the grip on his sword, but managed to keep a calm demeanor.

SilverFlight Zazz Goonfire

 

[mothspit]

Desrick shot Ora a troubled glance.
"Lassard is on the ship." He said gravely. "They may need help, but if he recognizes either of us it could spell trouble for Cyndara."
When Desrick learned that Pearl was an ally of Gideon's he smiled.
"Your actions were honorable. I am happy to fight by your side."
He turned and watched the prisoners filter out through the door. Pyrrhus coaxed them into the shadows of the ally, checking them all briefly for injuries before sending them into the care of Gideon's guards.
"Let's meet up with Pyrrhus and decide what to do." Desrick followed the prisoners out, leading the way for their team.
Pyrrhus flicked his tail anxiously as he watched the last of the prisoners disappear around the corner, he turned to Desrick as he approached, taking in the sight of his friends with gratitude, but pausing at the water elf.
"This one seems a bit well-equipped for a prisoner." His smile was bright and kind. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. Pyrrhus Elantus, at your service."
He gave an elegant bow from the waist and dipped a forehoof back.
"Have you seen anything from the ship?" Desrick asked.
"Not a thing, but I haven't heard the sounds of fighting either, so if Lassard has found them, perhaps they are handling it?"
"I appreciate your optimism, but I don't share it. We need to help them, but he will recognize Ora or I."
"I could go." Pyrrhus offered, "I don't think he ever had a good look at my face, and I could take our new ally here." He gestured to Pearl with an enthusiastic nod.
"What do you say? Oh maiden of the remarkable hair?"

Trileon felt pure and utter relief when her eyes fell on Pyrrhus. His optimism was a true shining beacon in this worrisome time. Listening intently to each of their words, she spoke up, "Perhaps I could as well, if need be. I'm.. not really a fighter," Her shoulders slumped slightly, "But I've been told I'm quite useful with words."

She shared a warm, albeit hesitant, smile with Pearl, "Trileon Sionis. It would have been more appropriate to meet under different circumstances but, well, here we are now."

SilverFlight HumbugPie Flutterby

Gideon turned to the voice at the front door. He nodded to the servant to bring the new guest in.
"Vulgo. Your timing is impeccable."
He introduced the man to the room: Lohr and Nova.
"The human smuggling is exactly what it has to do with, and I need your help if we're ever to make sure Evereach is exposed for its foulness. My team should be back with documents pertaining to Evereach's involvment with 'The Snatchers', however I believe we need to put our heads together and come up with a foolproof way of getting that proof to the other house heads. You may have heard of the grand ball House Brynson is throwing to try and smooth things over with Evereach? They've been less than supportive of Evereach's plan to invade Cyndara."

Nova offered a small grunt to the newcomer Vulgo, taking a hearty swig from a cup of ale. She popped a cube of cheese into her mouth, leaning over in the chair to prop her elbows up on her knees. She spoke with a grateful nod, "My father-- Verreth Mortaire-- Is still pretty chummy with House Soleil. We've heard bits and pieces through the grapevine. If you're wantin' the proof to make it's way to the other houses, the ball is a good way to start.." She mused thoughtfully, running a hand through the top of her scalp, "..Houses talk. House Bryson tells Soleil, tells Lambent, tells Dwerstand..

..Question is, how are we gettin' inside?"

SilverFlight Zazz The Gunrunner

 

[Flutterby]

When Desrick responded, the paling of Ora's face was visible even in the dim light. She simply nodded, both agreeing with him, and saving herself from stuttering out a response. Lassard made her hands feel clammy- she wiped her palms on her thighs and followed Desrick while taking a few steadying breaths.
The rest-marked air felt refreshing, as did the sight of the sky, and Ora trotted quickly to the ally where Pyrrhus was waiting, glancing momentarily at the ship. Lassard was not in view.
She watched the prisoners disappear, only bringing her full attention to the conversation when they started talking about assisting the others.
"You two," Ora made eye contact with Pyrrhus and Trileon, "Must to remember that here, you will be seen as the lower class. If Lassard sees you, he will mark you as either escaped prisoners, or the snooping servants of some elite. You should act accordingly."
The dwarf shifted her fingers on the candlestick, and gave a shake of her head. "We've been here too long already, we need to get them off the ship and leave, with or without Gideon's proof."
SilverFlight HumbugPie mothspit

 

[The Gunrunner]

Vulgo Teutogen

Vulgo nods to the servant, offering a smile as he walks in. He removes his helmet, tucking it under an arm as he steps inside. "Vulgo, your timing is impeccable." "I'm glad you remember. I came as soon as I heard - A Teutogen does not forget his friends, or at least those they owe." He nods to those in the room, taking a seat and planting the helmet on the table. "It is good to meet you all. Don't worry, Gideon, your problem will be solved." Though they weren't close friends, Vulgo still considered Gideon to be his own; he'd never forgotten the help that Gideon offered, and if not for him then Vulgo would today be dead in some back-alley far from home. He owed the man, and intended to pay that debt. "The human smuggling is exactly what it has to do with, and I need your help if we're ever to make sure Evereach is exposed for its foulness. My team should be back with documents pertaining to Evereach's involvment with 'The Snatchers', however I believe we need to put our heads together and come up with a foolproof way of getting that proof to the other house heads. You may have heard of the grand ball House Brynson is throwing to try and smooth things over with Evereach? They've been less than supportive of Evereach's plan to invade Cyndara."
As Nova speaks her mind, Vulgo takes a piece of cheese and holds it into his satchel. He watches her as he does this, studying her silently. After a few moments, a sly smirk appears in accordance to something in his mind. He retrieves the cheese and pops it into his mouth, eyes snatching to Gideon, "A ball? A ball!? Why, I haven't been to a royal ball in... well, I've never been to one." Chuckling, he leans over the table and waves his hand in an open gesture - "Could we not, say, knock out some guests and come in as some false characters? 'Who am I!?'" he begins, quickly standing from his table and feigning offense, "Why, I'm from house donkeymouth of course! You'll not want to hear what my pompous father has to say when he hears you've so little education to not know of /us/!'" He quickly sits back down, shrugging: "Though I've never been much of a spy, and honestly my scars don't fit very well with the pampered nobility look. If they don't care much about some of their common guards, maybe I could pose as one of them?"
SilverFlight Zazz mothspit

 

[HumbugPie]

The kind words from Desrick made Pearl feel a little more at ease as they walked out of the Flour Mill. Her attempt to help Ora really had paid off, even if it was helped by luck itself.

As they all came closer to the being in the distance, it was yet another shock to meet a person whom looked like half a horse and half a man, but soon the awe wore off - Pearl was getting quite used to the fact that the 'Dark Lands' were truly real and that those who dwelled there had come to help Gideon. She must find time to speak to him and find out more about the people who she, if her hopes were real, could be new friends.

As the man spoke, she bowed her head in unity with him, "A pleasure to meet you, Pyrrhus. I am Pearl. You'd be right to assume that I am not a prisoner - I was sent by Gideon."

Trileon's words hit close to home for Pearl... she didn't much like to participate in brawls either. She's clumsy, and, well, her limbs often get in the way of actually hitting a target. "Agreed, it would've been much nicer to meet over a rum and some nice reading material," Pearl shared a smile with Trileon as she spoke.

Pyrrhus' gesture made Pearl rather excited, she could hardly wait to get started and a boat trip sounded thrilling, even liberating, "I accept your request, kind sir." If fighting was involved or threatened, she'd have to try her very best to negotiate their way out of it.

SilverFlight mothspit Flutterby

 

[SilverFlight]

"I don't think your help is needed, and it won't save you, either way." Lassard spoke in a bored tone without even looking at Crow.
It was Iolas' voice that stopped him: The smooth, cool tone, the eloquence, Iolas could not hide his Evereach origins in that moment and it was lucky that he did not, because it made Lassard pause and then, it made him doubt. He regarded the hooded figure with intense focus, thoughts racing visibly behind his eyes. There was a long, drawn-out silence. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Suddenly Lassard removed the blade from Crow's throat and stepped back.
"As you wish." He said quietly, the tone unreadable. "Find your other fugitive. Conclude your business."
He stood aside so they could pass, still watching them with those ice-like eyes.
Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze

"Oh!" Pyrrhus exclaimed, his bright smile widening as Pearl introduced herself. "That is good, because I think we'll need all the help we can get!"
Pyrrhus wracked his brains for a plan. "If only we could create a diversion, something to get Lassard off that ship...give our friends time to escape!"
Desrick looked about the docks. "Maybe there's something we can use..."
HumbugPie Flutterby mothspit

Gideon smiled. "I'm glad you're taking this with a dose of humour Vulgo. Leave getting in to me. We just need to get proof to the most trustworthy houses. Once they see it, they'll tell the other houses and be believed. If we just wave the letters about willy-nilly however we're likely to attract very unwanted Evereach attention. I will not bet against Evereach having its own elite assassins at that ball, just in case a stronger arm is needed to achieve their goals, and there will certainly be spies. Not even I have a list of all the spies Evereach has planted about Brynson. We need to be very careful, and see if we can't get the house heads alone. How we do that though is beyond me, and I will not be able to attend. I was distinctly not invited."
mothspit Zazz The Gunrunner

 

[HumbugPie]

"I can create a distraction. I can breathe under water for long periods of time and I am rather adept at swimming. What if I swim around the ship, splash around and make some comotion, making him think there's a shark attack? If we could find some kind of material to create a fin to attach to my back, that'd be even more convincing!" Pearl's hair waved with ethusiasm - defeating an opponant with brains can scare them so much more than with fighting, in her opinion, "if I distract him and lure him to the other side of the boat, you can come on board and help our friends. What do you think?"

Pearl gave a quick glance at both Pyrrhus and Desrick before taking off her hat and attaching it to her belt, getting prepared.

SilverFlight Flutterby mothspit

 

[The Gunrunner]

Vulgo Teutogen

"I'm glad you're taking this with a dose of humour Vulgo. Leave getting in to me. We just need to get proof to the most trustworthy houses. Once they see it, they'll tell the other houses and be believed. If we just wave the letters about willy-nilly however we're likely to attract very unwanted Evereach attention. I will not bet against Evereach having its own elite assassins at that ball, just in case a stronger arm is needed to achieve their goals, and there will certainly be spies. Not even I have a list of all the spies Evereach has planted about Brynson. We need to be very careful, and see if we can't get the house heads alone. How we do that though is beyond me, and I will not be able to attend. I was distinctly not invited."
Vulgo shrugs, "Dread times are when humour is most needed. And, if I was a slaver, I don't think I would invite you to my fancy ball either." He grabs the chainmail under his tunic, the metal clinking as he shifts its positioning to be more comfortable, "Joking aside, though, this seems like something we'll need to think in-the-moment for. Some solid evidence to present is definitely a requirement as well - I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious what you've collected."
SilverFlight Zazz mothspit

 

[Flutterby]

Ora gave Pearl a small nod. "That might work, as long as you can get away.. I assume you're a quick swimmer." She pointed down to the docks, where she had caught sight of some tools- they looked like hooks or maybe discarded pulleys.
"You could take one of those big metal things, bang it on the side of the ship. That would make the kind of sound you need to check on."
Ora scanned the shoreline again, and then pointed at the flour mill. "If that doesn't work, we could make noise closer to the mill. If he's already spooked, commotion over there could draw him out quickly."
The dwarf frowned, and glanced at those around her. Pearl and Pyrrhus didnt seem all that bothered by this development, and Desrick was calm even with his concern. She, on the other hand, was literally quaking in her boots. Unconsciously, she took a step backward, deeper into the shadows and away from the docks.
"Or maybe the guards we knocked out will wake up and provide the commotion themselves," She muttered, even though she knew that would be too convenient.
SilverFlight HumbugPie mothspit

 

[mothspit]

Gideon smiled. "I'm glad you're taking this with a dose of humour Vulgo. Leave getting in to me. We just need to get proof to the most trustworthy houses. Once they see it, they'll tell the other houses and be believed. If we just wave the letters about willy-nilly however we're likely to attract very unwanted Evereach attention. I will not bet against Evereach having its own elite assassins at that ball, just in case a stronger arm is needed to achieve their goals, and there will certainly be spies. Not even I have a list of all the spies Evereach has planted about Brynson. We need to be very careful, and see if we can't get the house heads alone. How we do that though is beyond me, and I will not be able to attend. I was distinctly not invited."

The half-drow woman chuckled, both at Vulgo's brash display and Gideon's last comment about not being invited, "Not very surprising. You're leading the revolution for their demise, after all."

She took a moment to polish off her cup of ale, leaning back into her seat casually with one leg crossed over the other as Vulgo mentioned the evidence. The more she thought about it, the more curious she became, too. It was obvious he had discovered the smuggling to begin with, but how they did it and the evidence connecting Evereach to the crimes was interesting. Not only that, but getting the house heads together to expose these wrongdoings once and for all.. definitely wasn't going to be easy. She wasn't even sure if she had ever worn a dress. But, Nova had never met a pompous noble or hardened criminal, prestigious or otherwise, she couldn't eventually make friends with. Some fake smiles, bad jokes, and cheap alcohol was usually all it took, but a fancy gathering like the ball.. Undoubtedly her most challenging feat yet. Being likable to some Evereach pricks.

"..It's doable," She groaned, "Certainly not easy. But if there's one thing I've learned in all my years with the Band, it's that everyone-- private assassin or not-- has a price. House Soleil makes it a point not to pick sides, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out most don't like to publicly associate themselves with Evereach," She made a set of air quotes around the word 'publicly,' "That being said, if Evereach paid these guys off, there's a good chance they came from us. It may take me a few marks, but with my contacts here in the city, I can get you a list of some not-very-nice-people that might be at the ball lookin' to collect some scalps."

Hell, if the pays any good, I might have taken the job myself..

"..As for getting the house heads alone.." She shrugged, "I'm cute and all, but I don't think I'm their type."

SilverFlight The Gunrunner Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe was still carving as he listened to the conversation before him. He was making good progress. "Forgive my interruption, but... how do we plan to get in? I mean, we look very different from most Sumennans... How are Desrick and I to attend? And Trileon?"

 

[LazyDaze]

Although he was surprised, Iolas maintained his relaxed demeanor. One slip up here could cost them their lives; the hardest part was holding back that proverbial sigh of relief since they were far from out of the woods. When Lassard stepped aside, Iolas remained still for a moment before acting, after all, things like this were never that easy. Then suddenly he grabbed Crow by the neck and pressed him against the wall. Iolas knew he wouldn't like this, but he could apologize later.

“It would seem that you are indeed an intelligent man. Unfortunately, this stow away is not comparable. He insists that the second intruder is hiding in plain sight as a prisoner. He was likely to share the same information with you in exchange for his insignificant life. I am not one to saunter after shadows; however, unchecked stones perturb me so,” Iolas paused for a bit as he sped through additional dialogue in his head that he deemed unnecessary.

“We will be checking the prisoners…briefly. There will be no need to fetch the key. I am certain you can conclude as to why it will not be necessary. Once I have verified the validity of his claims you may do what you wish with this repugnant creature. Consider it my show of gratitude. Until then I need him, you see there is a natural reaction that occurs in the body when struck with familiarity. Even if the intruder continues his ruse, an eye as keen as mine should be able to determine this brief recognition impulse…if you were to call it that.” Iolas then pushed Crow toward Azaria without looking in her direction. “Intruder…show us your accomplice if only to prolong your demise. Be glad and rejoice, for Summerbrynde will surely show mercy on one who contributes to the prosperity of his lands."

Zazz Goonfire SilverFlight

 

[Goonfire]

Crow almost made the error of relaxing. Now was not the time, as Iolas immediately grabbed him just as quickly as Lassard did. ‘Must be an elf thing,’ he thought for a brief second. He groaned in half-genuine distress, then hung his head in false shame when he was goaded away from the wall.

However, something that was said especially alarmed Crow: he was to be a reward for the captain’s cooperation. “Oh no...” he eked out while still allowing his hands to be tied. Those big, blue, worry-filled orbs darted between the two high elves to gauge their reactions to each other. This wasn’t good, but the inquisitor did have one last trick up his sleeve in case Lassard was hasty to come kill him. It was merely a matter of picking the right moment. In the meantime, though, he took point, shambling down to the hold as was demanded of him.

SilverFlight LazyDaze Zazz

 

[HumbugPie]

"Whatever we do, we must use the element of surprise to our advantage," she paused for a moment, thinking of how they could use Ora's plan, "if we wanted to be safer, you are right. If you or someone Lassard would recognise could make a loud noise and stand where he can see you, the rest of us to jump up on him. Gaining his soul attention and drawing him out with someone he despises could really work, that way he is completely focused on them, allowing us to ambush him." Pearl wasn't sure if she was included in 'us', but if it was necessary, she knew she would have to get involved in one way or another.

Noticing Ora's hesitance, she glanced over at Desrick, wondering if he would be up to luring out Lassard. He looked strong enough to take him on if the rest of them were unable to take him down. Pearl took her hand off of her head and placed it on her hip - ah! This old thing. She lifted up the net that was attached to her belt and held it up, "and I have just the thing to capture him with."

SilverFlight Flutterby mothspit

 

[SilverFlight]

"I'm curious as well." Gideon replied. "I suppose we'll know just what sort of cards we have once my friends come back from their little jaunt to the docks."
Gideon raised an eyebrow at Nova. "We're not looking to ruin the party. Its not even Evereach's ball, but it is for them. All we need is a few uninterrupted minutes with the heads sans Evereach. That will be a feat in itself, because the Evereach representitive attending is Captain Lassard. A more ruthless soul you're not likely to meet."
Lohrithe brought up an excellent point and the smile that appeared on Gideon's face was close to glee.
"That my friend is the most entertaining piece of information I have gathered yet. It's a masquerade for starters, and the nobles will be using their best glamourists to make their costumes for a very special theme. That theme...is Cyndara. You'll find every skin colour under the sun. Horns, tails. I've seen some of the costume pieces--it's good to have friends in the textile business--Even Desrick won't stand out, we just need to fit you all with the proper ball attire, and masks of course."
mothspit The Gunrunner Zazz

Lassard eyed them all carefully, but he did not interfere.
"If you have matters in hand then I will leave it to you." He flicked his blade hand and sheathed the weapon carefully. He turned to go. "Please inform my men should you need anything. I admit I have other matters to attend to...the ball for one. I wasn't notified that another Evereach agent was in Brynson...but if you're here of course you must attend. I hope to see you there."
Goonfire LazyDaze Zazz

Pyrrhus listened as his friends shared their ideas. "Wait!" He interrupted them urgently. "Lassard is leaving the ship!"
And it was true. They saw the elegant high elf striding purposefully down the gangplank, only pausing once at the top of the gangplank. He reached down to the wood, as if he were picking something up, and then continued without a single glance back.
That meant that their friends were in the clear. They could rescue the prisoners without hindrance.
Flutterby mothspit HumbugPie

~*~*~

When the first of Gideon's men returned the servants announced them excitedly. Soon after Desrick appeared, leading the small band of friends through the back gates.
Servants were there immediately to show them into the drawing room, but as the front doors of the mansion were opened a small figure rushed out. The lanky man with drooping ears gave a cry of happiness as he bent down to scoop up his daughter. She laughed and kissed his cheek and hugged his neck so tightly his voice began to strain.
"Marillene! Oh! I thought I'd never see you again!"
Pyrrhus joined the group soon after, wanting to make sure the rest of the prisoners were free of injuries before the rest of Gideon's men escorted them to their homes. He had the cuffs removed as soon as they were safe in the confines of Gideon's estate.
"What Evereach has done...kidnapping people and locking them away for their political schemes, terrifying them like that...it's the epitome of despicable." He said this to anyone who was in earshot. He seemed truly disturbed at the lengths the great house was willing to go.

Gideon saw the party from the window.
"Well! It looks like they've begun to arrive. Let us go out and I will introduce you to the rest of your team."
Desrick towered in the midst of his team, seeming to be doing a head count in his mind. Making sure they still had everyone they had left with. he glanced up when he saw Gideon approaching.
"Success I hope?" Gideon asked loud enough for the others to hear him.
"It appears that way. We rescued all the prisoners." He seemed sliggtly ill-at ease about something, and didn't look like he knew how to voice it.
Flutterby mothspit HumbugPie mothspit The Gunrunner Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze

((Apologies for the sudden time skip back to the mansion, but I wanted to get the rest of the team involved in the action again))

 

[The Gunrunner]

Vulgo Teutogen

He chuckles, slowly turning into a laugh. He slaps a palm on the table, nodding his approval "It's like our infiltration was decided by the gods! It'll be nice to 'disguise' with my true colours; my brothers have spent too long in my satchel and under the tunic - It gets a bit boring watching fabric for so many months." He soon hears a commotion outside, as servants greet and let in newcomers through the back gates. Gideon peers outside, "Well! It looks like they've begun to arrive. Let us go out and I will introduce you to the rest of your team." Vulgo flashes a grin - Time to see his proof. - before pushing himself up from the chair. He follows the merchant outside, his eyes scanning over the strangers. Most of them didn't seem like a 'team,' in a way; they were greeting children as if they were long gone.

"What Evereach has done...kidnapping people and locking them away for their political schemes, terrifying them like that...it's the epitome of despicable."
"Success I hope?" It's enough to draw back Vulgo's attention, and his ears are sharp enough to pick up the tone; "It appears that way. We rescued all the prisoners." Vulgo slowly crosses his arms, recognizing something off in how the man says this. Diplomats don't speak with just words, but body language and tone most of all. Words are improved or degraded with presentation, and any living thing acts this out at least in baser instinct. Knowing this, he snorts and butts in: "What is wrong?" he asks bluntly, eyes sharp in their intent stare.
Flutterby mothspit HumbugPie mothspit Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze SilverFlight

 

[Flutterby]

Ora parted her lips to respond to the water elf, but Pyhrrus drew their attention back to the docks. Lassard was leaving- he walked to the end of the gangplank, picked something up off the ground, and then continued on his way without a single glance back. It would seem they were in the clear.

As they re-entered Gideon's estate, Ora still felt twitchy. A part of her worried Lassard had hidden and then followed them here, or recognized someone on the ship, or, or... She tried to quiet her mind as she watched Mari and her father reunited. Even that moment didn't quite bring her peace.
Their host joined them, trailed by a few new faces. More allies, she assumed. One of them drew her attention to Desrick's uneasiness, and she muttered, "Maybe the fact that Lassard is literally everywhere all the time. Starting to wonder if he's the only person under Evereach's command." Ora was already shrugging off the cloak she had borrowed, and she started collecting the improvised weapons from the escaped servants to return to the inquisitor. She thanked them, and only nodded if they thanked her, and before long the bag was full again and she held it out to Crow.
"Thank you, I actually quite like the candlestick." The dwarf's tone was almost apologetic, but her face was still reserved. She gravitated back towards Desrick, and looked over the second set of new teammates with knitted brows.
The Gunrunner LazyDaze
mothspit HumbugPie Zazz Goonfire SilverFlight

 

[Goonfire]

Crow trudged along beside his companions from the ship. He was back to maintaining his usual composure, though the eye bags didn’t lie; the young inquisitor was exhausted from his first day on this mission. He had to do better than this if he wanted to paint a more powerful image of himself and his colleagues... but was it really what he wanted for himself?

Crow was pleasantly surprised when Ora met him to thank him and return his candlestick. “Thank you for taking care of it,” he responded in a similar manner. “If you like, I could fetch a spare from the temple storage room later. These are more common than you’d think.”

Flutterby

Glancing up, he noticed several new arrivals, one of whom utterly delighted him with the sheer amount of weapons and armor on their person. That heavy warrior would be a perfect counterbalance to a fairly light and dexterous party. Crow’s eyes shifted between the imposing Vulgo and Desrick, taking note of the former’s sharp stare. “Pardon my prying, but is there something we should know?” he questioned the two, mainly looking to the orc for an answer.

SilverFlight The Gunrunner

 

[HumbugPie]

The fact that Lassard was so nonchalant about leaving the ship made Pearl very suspicious and his high and mighty aura gave her the creeps. In some way it reminded her of her father's often emotionally distant behaviour and how he only ever cared about himself and his heirs (heirs being 'things' that he could gain from). Pearl knew she'd have to keep a close eye on this elf - it was clear he was just as bad as the rest of the Evereachs, if not worse.

Arriving with the rest of the team at Gideon's estate, Pearl felt much more at ease; though she had so many questions about everything that had gone on in the mission. Pyrrhus' words of Evereach's cruelty made her blood boil, her hair bubbling along with the emotion as if it were in a kettle - she knew they had a great task in front of them and it would take a lot of effort to overcome it - "they will stop at nothing to get what they desire and if that means stepping on people, or killing a few here and there, they will do exactly that," Pearl gulped, sharing Pyrrhus' thoughts. Before she could continue speaking, a familiar voice came from the distance. She peeped her head around Desrick and there he was - Gideon. It was definitely a relief to see a face she had not seen in many years, "yes, we did - or - they did. My fighting was very accidental as usual," she chuckled, embarassed slightly by her misgivings.

SilverFlight

 

[Zazz]

On the ship, Azaria hushed the other two and stood very still, listening to the high elf's footsteps leaving the boat. She heard the pause, but knew not what it meant, and then Lassard was gone.

She lowered her dagger from Crow. "Let's do this."

_____________

The assassin entered the estate with Iolas and Crow, expressionless and observing. There were more new recruits. Mari was reunited with her father, which brought just a hint of a smile to Azaria's eyes. She heard the whisper of names from the servants, names of the newcomers. She was especially intrigued by the other halfling elf, Nova. What was her story? Had her parent betrayed the other, too? Where was she from?

Azaria stood back, fingering the hilt of a dagger as she watched the others.