[Game Thread] Chapter 5d: Faces and Masks

[Makenshi]

Mask smiles as Eloise interjects, but doesn't say anything, instead listening carefully to what Morgan said. He nods along to it, if anything seeming a little frustrated at how vague it is. His reaction to Morgan connecting him to 'Aldamil's look-alike' was far more pronounced however. "Others have contacted you? My sister at least by the sounds of it." He looks thoughtful for a moment before speaking up. "Don't tell me what Shadow said, or what any of them said for that matter, it's better that way. But yes, we are working together, more or less in some cases."

~MTWC

[Blue]

When Eloise mentioned the Lady Yesterwind, Mrith's head turned even as she realized the woman was talking about Nevh.

The dragon had no idea what they were talking about.
When Morgan revealed his vision, her expression contracted with confusion before she became self-conscious again and straightened herself to get rid of the dumbfounded stare. She was thinking hard but had very little experience with this kind of situation. Nevh kept whispering information into her mind and processing all the information was wearing her out. She was smart, but didn't have quite the intellect for it.

"So... you know Nehrahk well? Or Nero before him?"
She turned to Morgan, unsure.
"Perhaps we should ask L'arabiel about these things? She was around back when Val'erin was known to be active."

Nevh had made the connection between the report of that Shadow lady and Morgan's latest vision. She kept whispering directly into the young dragon's head, cramming in memories, visions and words. It gave her a slight headache that made her cringe. She lifted her eyes to look at Mask.
"You wouldn't happen to be related to Val'erin? Maybe some bigshot fiend as well? Maybe the result of one of his infiltrations? ...Apologies. I keep getting these strange, hum, impressions. The Mother of the Children in the Dark seems to be the starting point of your covenant thing and it obviously involves Ciin's forces somehow. I hear the Larkarns could perhaps be used by Ciin as a long-term plan to channel her influence into Aheka."
She paused. Worried.
"I wonder, could it be that Ciin is using Zera as an opportunity to gain even more power? Using the power of others to grow has been her method, I hear. She couldn't corrupt the hybrids too, could she? I mean... we've seen how powerful they can be..."
She realized he probably wouldn't be able to speak much of it but his reaction could tell more than he was able to by his own will.
It became evident to her that this meeting was pretty much an opportunity to make some shots in the dark and keep their eyes open for telling signs that they hit the mark.

[SpatulaOdoom]

Once Morgan has stopped speaking and she's had a chance to gauge Mask's reaction Eloise nods to the others, confirming the trickster's reaction to Morgan's words.
”Now we're getting somewhere.” To Mrith he says. ”Actually L'arabiel hung out with Val'erin in the afterlife. Nice enough guy, but I wouldn't trust him to be very truthful. Either way I suspect you're going too far back.” He nods at her theory as to Cinn being behind Zera. He'd voiced a similar theory before. For now however it was just a working theory without any evidence to back it up. Very much worth investigating however. If Cinn's children who had access to Ahkea suddenly weighed in on Zera's side of the fight it could upset the balance they'd been working so hard to shift in their favor.
”In my guestimation the lady who speaks to shadows would be related to Aldamil. Being her brother would likely make Mask's disliked father the ex-king Kayin. Not sure about the mother, likely an ex Child in the Dark. Perhaps one who broke the taboo on coming to the material plane?” The mage leans forward, steepling his fingers in front of his face. ”Question and no answer time. So. You found a dagger of defiance, but then it was... Taken from you. It's the cities that I don't quite get. Destroyed fire and brimstone style, but... I don't know of any such event in recent times.” The mage grabs a slender volume with an atlas printed on the front and leafs through it, trying to jog his memory of similar events to the one he'd seen in his vision.

[Blue]

"Too far? Perhaps, yes. The vision of the Mother was made a very long time ago, however, so it would make sense that the Children would have organized themselves then to have at least a few of their groups dedicated to doing something about this greater threat she foretold."

One of Mrith's eyes twitches slightly after Morgan shared his guess. The voice in her head getting a bit louder.
"Ugh. Yes, but... Hum. Wasn't that Shadow lady a, hum, demi-goddess? That would make Mask a demigod too, no? I get the impression that the princess Aldamil might be more of a descendant of them or their relatives. Or perhaps something along the likes of king Vulcar II and the Sword's progeny among the Children in the Dark?"
It was commonplace among dragons so it felt like something that would normally happen among other long lived beings.
When Morgan brought back the destruction of the cities of his vision, Mrith raised a few fingers as if to be granted permission to slip into the question.
"When you spoke of the devastation you saw in your vision, I felt like you described something akin to what happened when the Tyyrykan became an hybrid. If the energy released by the transformation hadn't been contained. His was the essence of the Shaper, who rules over the creation and alteration of fiends. The destruction was very... hellish, no? It is also possible that this did not occur here in Aheka."

[Makenshi]

Mask opens his mouth to respond to their guesses, but his voice seems to catch in his throat painfully. Grimacing, he seems a bit more hesitant to try and speak again, taking it slowly. "That was unpleasant. You're in the right direction. Not right on some things. Close on others. I did try to narrow it down a little just then but the magic won't let me. Too close to outright telling you who we are. There is one other thing I can confirm for you though: Shadow is indeed my sister, and we are both Demi-Gods, however we were not born of a Deity, or a Demi-God or Goddess. That's about as close to the truth as I can get you."

He taps a finger against the table, looking thoughtful, while still dancing the coin around his fingers. "It might help to seek more of us out, or at least keep an eye open. Alone, we can't reveal much, but if you ask enough of us the right questions perhaps you'll be able to piece it together and cheat the magic." More tapping. "You'll want to look out for Airin and the Lady in the Light. If you can find either of them, then I expect it'll be the biggest clue, though any of the others would be helpful. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure who exactly made it other than those two, Tinker, Snark and my sister."

~MTWC

[Battlechaser]

"A Godling?" Léon had been trying to follow the conversation, but all the names shooting to and fro where kind of dazzling him. So he had contented himself with remaining silent and stowing away facts and names for later referral. But Mask's hint had his mind racing. Demi-God but not born of a Deity. So you we're created. He gestured at Mask. "I know you can't even hint of I'm right or wrong. So consider this just a hypothesis."

Léon chuckled. "And now I'm using fancy words. Who would've imagined that." He said mostly to himself. "Like Zera has made... Wade." The last word was said with barely contained hatred. Nobody touches his friends...Ehm prince.

"And we're do we find your family?" He asked before settling back into his chair.

[Blue]

Mrith breathed calmly as Mask replied. Thin trails of smoke periodically fumed from her nostrils.
She observed his reactions and, thinking back on what Morgan has said and what she recalled from what was said earlier that day (coupled with Nevh's recollections), she tried to make some connections on her own.
The flow of information had slowed down and thinking was becoming easier.

"Actually... you said the cities went down in an earthquake, not by fire. The skies were on fire, like in the prophecy of the 'Man on Fire' of the Children. There is the breathless one that might have yet to happen before the terror of the stars begin. Cities crumbling in earthquakes happened during the Demongate Wars but my blood has no memory of similar events occurring since."

She turned to look at Morgan.
"I feel you got the right of it when you said that they are both related to Kaeyin, but not one of the Children who broke the taboo. I don't feel the dagger was taken from him before it ultimately led to Nehrahk's creation."

She remembered that they mentioned a succubus along Nehrah's creation, but didn't remember if she had heard of her.
"You both mentioned a succubus named Silice? Who is that?"

Léon's hypothesis caught her attention.
"I thought Wade had had his divinity removed from him rather than, hm, breathed into him. Another known way to get some divine spark to ignite is to slay someone that has divinity, like how Ciin got most of her power."

[SpatulaOdoom]

Morgan's responses to is delayed by a brief non-verbal interaction between him and Eloise. A meaningful glance, a twitch of the hand, and a quick shrug.
”Mrith has the right of it, so far as I can tell.”
To Mrith he says. ”Fire and Brimstone is a figure of speech. Either way, I suspect that part of it is a future possible event rather than in the past or an alternate plane. Silice is the succubus who killed Nero and created the hybrid with the dagger of defiance.”
Leon's seeming confusion is met with a brief explanation as well.
”The children of gods or gods and mortals are not gods themselves, but neither are they entirely normal mortals either. They are referred to Godlings. They have some minor amount of divine power and the potential to become gods by reaching a sort of “tipping point” via various means. Some have divested themselves of this divine spark, had it stolen, or never quite had it to begin with, but even still they tend to be superior in intellect and physique to normal mortal beings.
Wade, if he even is one of the six from another of my visions, would be the child of Airis and Zera via rape. Whether or not he's a godling who's been stripped of his divine potential via the Godforge or still has it is completely supposition. The fight didn't last long enough to properly gauge his abilities. Let's not jump to conclusions.”
It did however lead to better questions.
Hmm the only totally mortal being that is know to achieved deityhood on his Tiaan. However supposed have supposed that it may be possible for the godforge to invest it into mortals as well.”

[Makenshi]

Mask seems pleased and impressed that Mrith was able to read him, but refrains from commenting directly on what she said. He does, however, comment on Tiaan. "Yes and no. A fact lost to the ages is that Tiaan was a Godling, albeit to the child of a child of a Zodiac." He flips the coin from one hand to the other, turning it around in his hand a few times before continuing. "But he is the only person known to have achieved actual Godhood without having it given to him or taking it from another, though I suspect Malhas is or will eventually become capable of doing so too, though whether that is a good thing or not depends on who you ask."

Mask closes his hand around the coin and stands up. "I suspect there's not much else I can tell you at this point in time other than what I've said already." He glances at Leon. "I'll let you know when to expect my distraction as we discussed." He picks up the mask, putting it back over his face, where it takes on the appearance of a stylised grinning man, not unlike the coins. "See you in another life." Unless stopped, Mask would then make his exit.

~MTWC

[SpatulaOdoom]

Morgan has the sneaking suspicion he's missing something, some important question. He racks his brain, but not flashes of brilliance occur. Then again that's how it works, the unknown unknowns are the important ones. With a shrug Morgan waves good bye to Mask. Eloise simply gives him a neutral “I acknowledge your existence” nod.

The mage turns his eyes to Leon. ”So you implied that you were planning on visiting one of the council members tonight?” That might be problematic if the Elernen rogue expected Morgan to support his efforts with magic. Wizards needed some warning to prepare the correct magics.

[Battlechaser]

"See ya later." Léon nodded to Mask. The prospect of the heist made a grin appear on Léon's face. "Yeah. Airis' spellbeggar. Lord Lucius Ahilyeh. Mask is so kind to provide the distraction." The thief looked at Morgan. "Since you dabble in creating trinkets, do you have anything someone that wants to remain unseen, can use?"

[SpatulaOdoom]

”Ms. Mrith, unless you want to be a potential accessory to quasi-illegal endeavours I suggest you now take your leave.” He'd avoided naming names around her on the off chance such activities offended her.
Speaking of which.
The mage gives Eloise a questioning glance. The raven haired women gives the whole thing serious consideration. She had no love of the nobility in general and her personal crusade was to help those disadvantaged without the resources to help themselves, but she also had a sense of justice and a certain respect for the law.
”Lucius is a mad pig, but it's not entirely be his own fault if Zera has muddled him, and his kin and household are not responsible for his actions.” She turns her attention to Leon. ”You're not invading this man's home with the intent to kill or cause bodily harm to anyone? And have you any larcenous intent to profit thereby your intrusion?”

Once that is dealt with Morgan sets his forearms on the table to get down to business.
”Right. Now I do get by at times by the crafting and sale of magical items, but I work on commission, so I don't have a lot of miscellaneous bits and bobs on hand at any given time.”
”He refuses to pay the fees required of a proper magic shop, even though he'd be able to sell out of his house.”
Morgan throws his hands up in exhasperation.
”Do you have any idea how much a license costs for a shop that deals in magical wares and weaponry? I'd have to sell more than a thousand gold worth of stuff a month just to break even. I swear, the biggest thieves in Halvanna are the ones running the city licensing office.”
Eloise just smirks but Morgan waves her off with a theatrical scowl.
”Enough of that. Now... I've got several scrolls that might help, if you've any skill to use them.” There were more than a few non-spellcasters that learned how to fake it well enough to tap the magic in scrolls and other such items of stored magics. He pulls a couple scrolls, multiple spells rolled together and marked with colored ribon. ”Let's see. Invisibility sphere. Detect secret doors, always handy. Knock, to get through locks and wards, and Erase can help with certain traps. Rope trick makes a good hiding place if necessary. Shatter is something that can be used creatively.
I don't have many potions that might be of use. Pass without trace helps to keep from leaving clues that might alert the watchful and guards you against attempts to track you if you're discovered. A couple of basic healing and restoration potions and that's it.
A tanglepatch might be good for delaying pursuit. Some basic alchemical bits and bobs.
Hmm, beyond that I don't think I have anything that would seem exceedingly useful. I a number of the magical merchants around town, so I think if you need anything specific I might be able to procure it in short order.

I do have some spells prepared you might like to avail yourself of.
A Mind Blank is among the most powerful protections of it's kind. You'll be immune to manipulation and invisible to divinations and scrying sensors. Actually helps with several kinds of traps, who's triggers depend on magical sensors.
I can also give you a spell that will allow you to once push probability in your favor. I'd have to cast it just before you leave since it'll only last for a quarter hour. Same with the old stand by of Invisibility.
That's just what I have currently available. I could do a lot more, empower your weaponry and yourself in a number of ways, but I'd need a half-day or so to prepare.
Eloise?”
The detective shrugs.
”Some more potions: spider climb, heroism, gaseous form, barkskin, protection from evil. He might be able to use a bit of my gear, but I can't say I'd be all that comfortable lending him any of my equipment. If he gets caught it could be tied back to me.”
”Is there anything in particular you're in need of?”

[Battlechaser]

At Eloises' remark, Léon sighed. "What do I look like to you? A Highwaymanhigh pad? I intend to get in and out before they even notice I'm there. They will only come to harm if they attack me." Jeez. Are ther really people that say "larcenous intent"?

And then Morgan started to sum up his - let's call it a hoard. Léon eyes lit up like those of a child in a candy shop. "Not much use for the scrolls. Never got the hang of it. I have some experience with locks and traps and no way in hell am I going to leave a trace. But those healing and restoring potions, the tanglepatch, the spider climb I can most definitely use. The same goes for your protective spells."

He turned to Anorde. "Did you manage to get my costume?"

[Blue]

That made her laugh.
"Well, that would hinge on what that implies, truly. My family has been involved in politics since Quall's early days; quasi-illegality is still legal. Besides, my curiosity is piqued."

Mrith's smile would widen once Eloise's question would be answered.
"I'll admit I have never wondered if I had talent for scenes of cloak and dagger."
Can you, well, send into my mind your talents for this kind of activities?
...Not really. No. You could wear adapted clothes and I could teach you how to use the instruments but really tutoring you in the craft would be a total bore and an abhorrent waster of time.
They both had time, that's for sure, but no motivation.
Agreed.
Whatever. She was a dragon. It couldn't possibly be that hard.
"I've few tricks that might help. If I was an infiltrator, I'd probably be the kind to hide in plain sight. I'm a good actress and I can borrow anyone's appearance."

Morgan's mention of scrolls amused her.
"Might be worth mentioning I can use those. I'm also a collector."
Most weren't technically hers, belonging to the House, but they were hers to admire.

[Makenshi]

Anorde raises an eyebrow. "In less than a day? I'm good but I'm not that good. Besides, I thought that Mask said he'd have your distraction in a few days? Even if not, it'd be worth asking for him to wait if possible so that Morgan can better prepare to help."

~MTWC