[Game Thread] Chapter Seven: Bloodlines

[Alphaeus]

Silverforge He shrugged casually, waving the fingers of one hand in a half-dismissive, half-irritated gesture. "Unfortunately that's a question we can't ask, because while I trust the source of the information, they were not particularly insightful in some regards. That said, we are definitely looking for someone who will look like a Halvan. That was quite clear -- whether they are Halvan or not we do not know." Taking an extra moment, he placed a hand over his chest. "Forgive my ignorance, Mrith. My encounters with the Rudaa have been few, if any, so far."

[Makenshi]

The group extracted themselves from the Children around them for greater privacy. With both Didina and Misa around there was only one person that the investigators knew of who would be able to sneak up on them, maybe two depending on what level of wardings the Children had placed upon the area. "You're sure they'll be a Halvan? If so then that at least rules out Lucretia. Are you also so sure that their Fiendish origin will be hidden? As I said, it makes little sense to me to hide such heritage here of all places, @Silverfogre: she's most likely referring to the fact that most Children, having a lot of people with Fiendish blood, don't have an innate prejudice against its presence (they care more about the actions of those with such blood)or so I've been told of the Children. Otherwise, I'd have to assume we're looking for someone capable of hiding from most detection magic, which is a different problem all-together."

"A Godling, perhaps?" Misa asked, having been listening patiently so far.

The question made Didina frown. "I'd hope not, but it could be so from what little we know of them. We're getting ahead of ourselves here, though, best give him a chance to answer."

~MTWC

[Blue]

"Ah. One of those kinds of assignments."
That answered her question well enough. So... whoever gave the information knew what the disguise would look like. That was pretty specific for someone to be found. It started to feel kind of pointless. But she had been under weirder circumstances.
"Someone who appears Halvan, with some fiendish blood that doesn't show. All right. I suppose I could approach most Halvans around here and see if they smell anything special or if I see tell-tale signs of a disguise."
Not that she was particularly good at finding people she didn't already know. Nothing special, at least.

[Alphaeus]

Silverforge He nodded, face devoid of the conviviality that he had shown around the main gathering. Despite the plush accoutrements, there was about him the shift that said he was moving into his element, and surmounting impossibilities was merely another part of his daily routine. His smile was equally cold, the kind of humorless smile shared by veterans of war. "They will definitely appear Halvan. Now, as to what extent they hide their fiendish origin I know not. I have already informed The Sword in the Dark as well as The Young King. One of my personal allies is already assisting us to some extent -- you may be familiar with Cypher, Didinia -- and I plan to seek another I have been informed could be of use before joining the search myself." At Mrith's comment, he raised a delicately manicured eyebrow. "You can smell fiendish blood, then? Or was that merely a turn of phrase?"

[Makenshi]

Didina appears satisfied with Silverforge's answers. "I've met Cyphere one or twice before, though I can't claim to know her well. That she lived among the Sharakans without suspicion for so long speaks volumes of her skills though. In any case, I'll look for @Silverforge: Judging by this, it seemed likely that it would have been this sense that originally tipped Didina off to his disguise in the first place, rather than randomly checking through true seeingoutsider minds belonging to Halvan bodies. I can't narrow it down any further than that, and I can't sense those whose Fiendish blood is too far removed, so if they're only vaguely Fiendish it won't be of much help."

Misa almost seems reluctant to make her own offer. "I can check to see if people feel as they look now, but if its a shapeshifter rather than an illusionist then it won't be of much help unless they're sloppy with their form."

~MTWC

[Alphaeus]

Silverforge Upon hearing her complement of Cypher, he stands a bit straighter, smiling broadly. "I haven't kept perfect track of her over the years, but she is marvelous. She should be -- I poured years into training her." After all, he wasn't one to believe in letting a good complement go unclaimed. With a nod around the group, he turned to leave. "If you'll excuse me now..." He moved away from the group, asking the Children he encountered if they knew the whereabouts of Brood, as well as asking them to direct her to him if they met her first. She was the last person that he planned to recruit before setting off to look for things himself.

[Blue]

Well, that answered her question well enough.
"That certainly narrows it down."

At Mrith's comment, he raised a delicately manicured eyebrow. "You can smell fiendish blood, then? Or was that merely a turn of phrase?"

That made her laugh softly. "Yes, but not quite. I've difficulty explaining smells without veering into the poetic, sounding a tad gross or overly academic."
She rubbed one of her cheeks pensively. "Blood I certainly do smell. Very strongly, but mostly when it is exposed. There are essences to the skin that carry their own fragrances. Most creatures secrete substances all their own, but they also carry the scents common to where they live and tell their story. For example, someone may seem confident at a game of cards but the fear can be smelled. I could find a fisherman or a butcher in a crowd... or, say, tell a Children in the Dark from a Halvan gentleman... if I was close enough and had a mind to pay attention."
She paused for a second, in obedience to the dramatic, then shook her head.
"But it is far from perfect. The same way magic can trick the eye, so can it trick the nose. A shapeshifter mimicking a harbor fisherman may smell very much like the man's natural scent, but I could still catch him if the scent of the sea is missing. Once you know what you're looking for, persistence usually gets through."

"If you'll excuse me now..."

When Tavrin would later leave, she'd nod in acknowledgement and then turn to the others.
"Soooo~ what are the news? Because I've got terrible ones. As far as bad news go, I'd bet it is going to be a serious contender tonight. We might want to tackle this one together soon if it isn't exposed before then. Perhaps when Wainraith'll be there. Is he doing okay?"

[Makenshi]

Didina's smile grows into a smirk after Mrith's explanation of her senses. "Well, don't we make quite the trio then? Smell, touch and minds." She lets out a chuckle, glancing at Silverforge's retreating form.

When Mrith speaks again she turns her attention back to the dragon, letting out a melodramatic sigh. "Since when do we uncover anything but terrible news? At least if there is a major threat we've got enough powerful beings around that they likely won't get far, especially if one of the friendlier Hybrids shows up."

She makes a face at the mention of Morgan. "Wainraith? As far as I can ever tell with that man. When I asked what he was doing he said 'digging up a corpse' and he's either gotten very good at lying all of a sudden or he was telling the truth." She spreads a hand over her own forehead, as if trying to stave off a headache. "Honestly, I dread to think what craziness he's up to this time."

~MTWC

[Blue]

"You know it! Though mine ain't all that special."

When Didina would boast of their potential line of defense, so to speak, Mrith's smile would twist and break. "We may need them all. And hopefully with enough time to get used to using their full might again. Ugh. Apologies. We've got enough work in front us already. I shouldn't be upsetting you with this. We'll be talking about it soon enough. Never mind it all for now."

The corpse thing made her frown, half amused.
"I see. I believe I do, at least."
She clawed the back of her neck. "Can't think of whom, though."
She shrugged. "Perhaps we should get started. Maybe I can recruit a few friends along the way to participate in this hide and seek game."

[Makenshi]

"I'd suggest bringing in as few people as possible until we know more. If necessary, I'd keep it to those we'd trust with the investigation." She chuckles. "Maybe that [OOC Silliness]Spider-drow, spider-drow, does whatever a spider-drow can...[/OOC Silliness]Drow spider-man could be of use. He survived in the Underdark after all, so from what we've heard he must have some sort of sense for deception and he's I.e. had his mind read/delved/uncomfortably searchedbeen vetted by Zilira."

"He's also a stranger to most people, whereas we're well known by now." Misa adds.

~MTWC

[Blue]

She wasn't sure why having a handful of people searching was better but she went along with it. There was plenty of perfectly 'trustable' people here, after all.
"I better get going then."

It would start as a matter of finding where the Halvans were, taking special note of those that were alone. She'd then hover around those first and get a good whiff. After going around she'd repeat the process but apply herself at length with the more suspicious ones.
She hoped they'd find him or her quickly. She wanted to enjoy the party some more.

 

Would use spot checks and take 10 on the scent checks at first. Then take 20 on scents. She'll speak to some of them casually, mostly on the subject of what a nice party it is and what they think of the Children of the Dark and maybe have a short discussion on the subject. Trying to improve the public opinion on them as she went. Rolling Sense Motive on them as well.
There could be a great many rolls involved, if taking 10 isn't done for standardize things.

[Acathala]

"Of course. More stupidity and pointless death. I shouldn't be surprised. We have a knack for it." Nallaul stroked his hair absentmindedly for a moment or two. "A shame the vampire got away. Her house could do with gutting by fire." He became more focused. "Best go back to the patron father." The Drow frowns. "Of course I mean king. I keep doing that for some reason. I thank you for the news, as ill as it may it may be."
Nallaul will return to the King.

[dalarangreen]

Brood nods her head in agreement with Shadow.

"Your observation is astute, and advice well received. You can expect that I will be there."

Brood finishes up her conversation with Shadow, not knowing much else what to say. For the next while she meanders around the camp, lost in thought...

Brood seemed to be slowly accumulating a busier and busier evening of festivities. What had once been a playing a concert and celebrating with the other Children had quickly grown to be a series of tasks and quests. And when would the infamous Morgan Wainraith show up? Fashionably late, as the rumors seemed to suggest of him?

[Makenshi]

 

Mrith was easily able to mingle among the Halvan guests while drawing very little undue attention, being the acting Quallish ambassador, while both Didina and Misa were a long-standing part of Halvan society even become become full-fledged 'Ladies'. Although there weren't nearly as many Halvans present as would normally be expected at a Halvan social event (perhaps out of fear of the Children) they still greatly outnumbered the representatives of any other nation present, giving them a lot of people to check over.

Of the high profile guests (mostly councillors and high councillors), none of them unexpectedly registered as Outsiders. That wasn't to say that there were none, of course, such as Captain Alta of the Royal Guard, just none that they didn't already know were Outsiders of one sort or another.

Of the Halvans present, there was only one guest that Mrith felt was acting in any way unusual and that was Anorde. While slipping into the event without much fanfare wasn't unusual as far as Nevh's echo could tell Mrith, he was mostly keeping to himself and drinking. Even Celi, his ever-present Reminder/Note for newer players: Ahekan Pixies are Tiny, not SmallPixie friend/companion/confidant/bartender seemed uncharacteristically quiet, periodically leaving him alone in order to fetch another drink.

 

As it happened, it took Silverforge some time to find Brood. It turned out that his fellow Child had been meandering about the town with seemingly little purpose to her wanderings which had made her quite difficult to find due to the size and expansive nature of the settlement. Children were generally much more used to closed in and secluded spaces, with gatherings out in the open like this being rare, yet along one with so many in one place.

As it was, Brood was speaking to a rather unusual group of Freeborn that he recognised only because of a recent conversation with Cypher. It appeared that this 'Morgan' had arrived, walking along-side a Minloth Zilira (a Drow Demi-Goddess who happens to be the mother of Coiya and, if Cypher was to be believed, in a relationship with Morgan) and Kala (the daughter of two Paragons, Malvain and Airis, the latter of whom is now thought to be 'The Mother', whom founded the original Children, before they even called themselves the Children in the Dark)pair of Demi-Goddesses and another pair whom he didn't recognise.

Both had short dark hair and somewhat plain features but one, a clean-shaven young looking man, was dressed in grey robes with Malvainite marking son them which was attracting the attention of a few people, including the Children. Truth be told, the followers of Malvain were a bit of an oddity to the Children. While they were disliked for their work with/in Sharak they were far too fractured to really be a group that they actively targetted, especially as they didn't really have any more dealings with Fiends than a normal person did. In fact, Silverforge knew of a few Faces that had hired them to help fight Fiends as a good fight was really all that most of his followers really wanted. Some Children even respected them for their dedication and their prowess, even if others considered them little more than Fiends in human clothings that just wanted to kill and burn.

The woman's hair was slightly longer than the man's but still didn't even pass the base of her neck. She was also wearing somewhat simple clothing but unlike the man, who was carrying a staff, she didn't appear to have any weapons on her yet she had the lean muscular build of a fighter rather than looking like a spellcaster.

[DM Note - See the Everyone section for a fuller description.]

 

Coiya nodded in agreement. "She'll probably be the most difficult of the pair to deal with. According to Nallaul would have heard her mentioned as being one of the Keepers of the Children, i.e. a religious leader of theirsMercy she's a second generation vampire, which makes her particularly dangerous as she'll lack most of their weaknesses."

Nallaul hears a soft chuckle from the Sword in the Dark as he mentions the King. "You do know that you don't have to stay close to him all the time, right? He's not a matron mother. If he wants you he'll call for you and won't punish you for not being there as and when he wants. Go, enjoy yourself. Mingle. You'll probably find that there are more than a few with Drow and Elven blood among the Children-" He gestures to his own pointed ears. "-it's not exactly a rare thing after all."

Regardless of Nallaul's intentions or response, Coiya would wish him well afterwards and return to his daughter and the King.

 

Adam continued to spend time with Sublime and the Children there, even joining in with a few games which were mostly physical competitions, like arm wrestling or jumping, that Sublime came out on top of if she bothered taking part. Some time later, though, he spotted Sei'Eileti moving around a group of Children in order to avoid catching the attention of the Sei'Eil was exiled from her homeland and although neither she nor Jester have ever revealed the full reason behind what exactly happened Adam knows that it involved her seemingly murdering a powerful nobleman's sonRinnish representative. It seemed likely that if she was here then Jester had arrived as well, with her being one of his few current confidants at the moment.

At the same time, Adam noticed that Morgan had arrived with his own entourage in tow. [DM Note - See the Everyone section for a fuller description of Morgan and co.]

 

Finally, Morgan had arrived, thankfully without a corpse in tow despite what he'd apparently said to Didina before, along with Zilira, Kala and two other plainer figures, a man and a woman who both appeared to be a little younger than Morgan himself.

The clean-shaven man had plain dark hair, cut short, with similarly dark eyes and grey robes with Malvainite symbols and markings on them. He also had a plain wooden staff although he didn't appear to actually need it to aid him walking so it was likely a weapon and/or magical. He had a reserved expression, but appeared to be taking in the sights around him with interest. At a stretch, most would call him Sharakan or Shalian, but there was something else in there, perhaps a bit of Halvan, but it was hard to tell.

The woman, her similarly dark hair a little longer but still barely reaching the base of her neck at its longest, had pale blue eyes, almost looking grey at first, and was wearing rather plain clothes for a Freeborn guest. To other Halvans in particular she looked almost like she could have walked in out of the slums, or perhaps from a less well-to-do family in the merchants quarter of Halvanna. She also lacked any weapons despite having the lean muscles of a fighter and taking in everything in and everyone around her as if she was constantly looking for threats. As for where the came from, her features were difficult to place, so chance were she was mixed race of some sort, or perhaps a Child, former Drow slave or from some similar background with atypical features.

While Kala was wearing a rather conservative but still well made and flattering silvery dress (albeit while occasionally fiddling with it in a manner that made it clear she wasn't entirely comfortable with it), Zilira was no doubt the centre of attention in the group. Not only was she known to the Children as Coiya's mother by now but even ignoring that she cut a striking figure.

Firstly, despite her towering several inches over even himself well over six feet tallMorgan, she appeared to be a full-blooded Drow, albeit one with distinctive grey ideas familiar to anyone who had met Coiya or his own children. In addition, she was wearing a very flattering dress of Halvan style made from silk in black and white, with various spider and web iconography spread across it. It was sleeveless, backless, had slitted sides and generally left a lot of her skin showing which didn't appear to bother Morgan or any of the others at all, even if a few of the more conservative Freeborn guests looked on with a little disapproval. Although she didn't appear to have any weapons, or for that matter anything other than the dress she was wearing, even those mostly ignorant of her abilities knew she was a Demi-Goddess and thus far from defenceless or weak in spite of her appearance.

 

Who and Where? Brood: Talking with Silverforge. Mrith: Mingling. Adam: Talking with Sublime. Nallaul: Talking with Coiya. Silverforge: Talking with Brood. King Vulcar of Halva, Vulcar's fiancéePrincess Celes of Shali, Cypher is the eldest of the Sword's three Children but also the least seen. This is because she is a Face in the Dark (see classes thread), meaning she has spent most of her time infiltrating Fiendish churches and cults. In her case, she infiltrated the Church of Deimos in Sharak and even spent a time as King Kaeyin's religious advisor. At some point during this she become pregnant with and bore a twin daughter and son of Kaeyin (although neither he nor anyone else was aware of them) who have been raised by the Children in the Dark when she is not around. As a Face in the Dark she is highly skilled at divine magic, stealth and subterfuge. Being a Godling she is also among the most powerful of mortals although not quite a full-fledged God.Cypher of the Firstborn In'ira and her twin toddlers, Ismael and Miya: Inside one of the tents, where the babies/toddlers/younger children mostly seem to be, along with Coiya, Future and Nallaul. Most often shortened simply to Bane, he is the middle-child of the three but also the tallest and bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather, Vulcar Halva I, the man who founded Halva and the First Halvan Empire. Bane's Gift is for understanding magic items, which are somewhat of a speciality of his and generally what he spends most of his time doing outside of freeing slaves, striking out against the Fiends or otherwise performing his duties. He is an Eye in the Dark (see the classes thread), meaning he is skilled at stealth and arcane magic. Being a Godling he is also among the most powerful of mortals although not quite a full-fledged God.Balor-Bane of the Firstborn In'ira: Talking with Tinker and Wit. Min is the youngest, most reckless and most immature of the three, having only passed her Swordright in the past few years. Unlike her siblings, she has embraced her psionic heritage and uses it in combination with the sublime way, having had a lot of training in both from various other Children. Min is a powerful Wilder and a highly skilled Swordsage, as well as having learnt how to further manipulate psionics by being an Elocator. Being a Godling she is also among the most powerful of mortals although not quite a full-fledged God.Min of the Firstborn In'ira and her sword-brothers, Toy and Geld: Mingling with other Children. One of the original investigators and without doubt the most high profile of them even before the investigations were revealed to the world at large during Chapter Five. He has made a name for himself for shouting at or otherwise picking fights with powerful and/or influential people, including a few Gods, most often by trying to call them out on their behaviour. As well as having fostered a close working relationship (if not friendship) with the King and his soon-to-be Queen, Morgan is also a childhood friend of Kala (one of the newest Gods in Aheka), a former pupil of Esiard Emlyn and, as has been revealed recently, not only currently in a relationship with Minloth Zilira but also responsible for freeing her from the binding that had been placed on her to serve the Halvan royal family for almost a thousand years. Despite this recent prestige he still maintains a network of friends and allies from all walks of life throughout Halva.Archmage Morgan Wainwraith, Kala was a deaf-mute Seer long thought to be the reincarnation of Airis, partly because she was innately talented at using divine magic with little to no training from a startlingly young age. It has recently emerged that she is in fact the daughter of Airis and Malvain, broken free by Malvain and entrusted into the care of her half-brother Malhas (see Other) who stunted her natural gift in order to better hide her. Her true power was unlocked by Fisali and she has since steadily grew in strength and power, with her political influence, especially to the worshippers of her parents, likewise growing and growing. Since becoming a Demi-Goddess, Kala has displayed powerful divine magic, with a particular knack for using glpyh and symbol spells as well as healing magic. She has even proven capable of resurrecting the dead, however it appears to tax her in some way.Kala, Malhas is a son of Malvain born around a century ago or more (exactly when is unknown), although he has never been very widely known, even among his father's own followers. His most notable act was masquerading as his father in order to provoke an alliance of Deities (good and evil) to fight and slay Malvain. Malhas has recently claimed he did so because Malvain was planning some sort of world-spanning war which, given the separate machinations of Zera to do likewise, could very well have been a catastrophe. Malhas has recently emerged as being the one responsible for hiding Kala's true power, as well as keeping an eye on her by masquerading as a worshipper of Airis by the name of Kahlas. He has been helping her out since, although the two do not always see eye to eye. Malhas is a highly skilled and varied user of both arcane and divine magic although he full abilities and limits have never really been tested.Malhas and a Drow Demi-Goddess who was thought dead. Most notably, she is both the ultimate female ancestor of the Halvan dynasty/had been bound to serve them into recently by powerful magic and the mother of Coiya Halva, the second ever King of Halva and better known now as the Sword in the DarkMinloth Zilira: Just arrived, along with another, unknown woman. Didina Reid is a beautiful young Tiefling woman, most notable because of her large horns which she habitual decorates with jewellery. Although she was born to the former High Council member (but still influential Council member) Alleron Lyrason her father not only disinherited her due to her obvious Tiefling nature - claiming that she was not his daughter - but has repeatedly hired people to try and kill or otherwise deal with her. Didina has survived against these attacks in part due to having forged her own network of allies/friends and in part through her natural psionic talents. Eventually, this gained the King's attention and he not only named her a Lady but also took lands and wealth from her father in recompense, all in order to recruit the Mindbender and Thrallherd to aid in investigating the attempt on his life. Despite being a powerful Telepath, Didina dislikes fighting which has only intensified recently with the death (and revival) of her closest friend, Misa Serokai (see below). She has stressed that she was hired to investigate, not to fight, so it unclear how much she intends to continue to help with current events, especially with their original task having been completed once they confirmed it was Zera behind the assassination attempt. As a Telepath, Mindbender and Thrallherd Didina is highly skilled at using Telepathy powers and mind-effecting powers in general. Didina revealed that she had contacts/friends in the Church of Inanna much earlier in the story, however it has recently emerged that not only did she have some sort of contact with the Cult of Acedia but had some form of interaction with Acedia herself that she avoided talking about. It is because of this that she did not join the rest of the party in confronting Acedia and later getting involved in the battle between several Archgates and several of the Unknown Gods.Lady Didina Reid and Misa Serokai is a generally scruffy-looking young Arian woman, however as the daughter of the long-serving Arian ambassador to Halva she was born and raised in Halva. She was brought into the investigation in part because of her close friendship with Didina Reid but also because of her own minor seer abilities. Namely, that having been born blind she has greatly refined the Serokai's natural precognition to allow her to experience the world through what she describes as some form of 'touchsight', more feeling it than seeing it, as well as sometimes getting vague premonitions of danger. This form of 'sight' even allowed her to recognise the incredibly powerful mage known as Shade, who ordinarily can not be recognised unless he wants to be due to some sort of magical amnesia effect that he constantly emits. Misa was not only killed, but reduced to dust during the most recent Fiendish incursion upon Aheka however the newly ascended Demi-Goddess Kala was able to not only restore her but cure her blindness in the process - something that Misa has refused in the past as her people believe it is a distraction from the true sight she has mastered and fears her abilities will fade as a result. She stayed behind with Didina when the party left to confront Acedia and her forces.Lady Misa Serokai: Mingling. Archgates Mirik Orn, Selene Jual, Sei'Theofan Rudaa, Shara Segali, Sei'Raeth Segali, an Alainn: Mingling amongst the Children. Anorde and Celi: Sitting alone, watching the proceedings and drinking. A (literally) ethereal looking woman with blonde hair, one green eye and one blue eye that appears to float/fly about, passing through most physical objects and attacks (which is likely where the name comes from). Has a very unusual appearance (pale skin, wings, clothing that appears to have melded into her skin). Like her siblings and unlike all the other Unknown Gods, she has outright admitted to/claimed to be a daughter of Airis and Zera, which has earned suspicion from many (most importantly Jester of the Demon's Moon). Other than her incorporeality she has mostly displayed powerful divine magic, potentially even reviving the recently slain (Revivify) and using various high-level healing/restoration spells to aid others.Airiel the Unbound: In one of the larger buildings, helping tend to injured Children rather than joining the festivities (so far anyway). The most striking of the 'Un' siblings because of his uncanny resemblance to his father, Zera, save for the blond hair and blue-green eyes of his mother (Airis). Fortunately for him, Zera's face isn't widely known outside of the Sei and high-ranking military types. Fought with and killed Gula by taking an immense beating and then somehow 'transferring' his injuries onto Gula once Gula tried to use a God-killing poison on him. As Gula was dying Tinker (see below) used an unknown artifact to steal and store his divinity. He has displayed powerful psionics, in particular having repeatedly absorbed injuries from those around him to heal them and transferring both these and his own injuries onto Fiends. Against both Gula and Jester (see the linked to Chapter) he has displayed not only an incredibly resilience (i.e. taking lots of damage) but an incredible ability to rapidly heal himself when he chooses not to transfer his injuries. He has also displayed another former of magic using an unknown tongue, mostly by simply calling out a single word/short phrase, however exactly what it is is unknown.Airin the Undying: Using his psionics (in particular telekinesis) to help the last of the rebuilding/fixing going on. Like her sister, Airza's appearance is highly unusual as she not only has stone-like and bronze-coloured (actually bronze, not just tanned) skin with patches of incandescent scales on it but also pitch-black cracks running all across her body forming strange symbols all over her body. Her having one blue eye and one green eye doesn't register nearly as much as it normally would as result. She was mostly active in the Fiendish Planes before helping to defend her brother from Jester (see the end of the current Chapter). Unlike her more magical siblings, Airza has shown simple but brutally effective overwhelming force when she has fought, mostly using her fists and/or an oversized bastard sword, as well as an ability to not only rapidly heal herself but simply shrug off most forms of damage in the first place. In the unlikely event that a Binder meets her, they may recognise that her appearance and certain other abilities are a result of Binding magic.Airza, the Unbroken: Mingling with the Children. At first glance, Arte doesn't look very remarkable, and unlike his sister, Sublime, has shown a tendency to hang back and strike from afar rather than get into the thick of fighting. He also tended to kill almost exclusively with practical, quick bouts of magic, rather than toying and humiliating his opponents as his sister did. Most notably, the two of them killed Superbia, with Arte countering any of her attempts at magic and even seemingly to re-direct her attempts to teleport away while Sublime killed her in (otherwise) single combat. Has displayed a large variety of both arcane and divine magic, even sometimes combining the two, but has mostly worked with his sister, Sublime to compliment her focus on fighting. Like her, he hasn't really shown much in the way of 'support', with even his divine magic being used for almost exclusively offensive purposes.Arte: Gone to look for Rapture or 'one of the triplets'. Boss' appearance is by far the most intimidating of the Unknown Gods. Not only does he bear an uncanny resemblance to Deimos (same hair colour/general build, but different eyes and a skull mask that covers the top of his face rather than the bottom of it) but his entire body is covered in writhing, living spiked chains that he not only fights with but uses to move around on. He has almost exclusively shown up in Phare in the recent fighting, specifically their capitol Feid, helping to fight the Fiends, albeit in an incredibly brutal fashion and usually while cheerily singing inappropriate songs in the process. For those who who have been/were recently victims of particularly nasty people (especially those using a position of power to avoid paying for their crimes) he may have revealed himself as much as a few years before the current events, coming out of no-where to either kill the person in question or confer some sort of compulsion-laden mark on them to force them to 'atone' (with the compulsion often being rather sadistic in nature). All such targets of his have been nasty pieces of work and he tends to arrive and leave in an abrupt fashion. Apart from using the spiked chains wrapped around his entire body like combat tentacles and brutally ripping things into pieces he has also shown a smattering of sorcerous magic (albeit, not very high level), some powerful invocations and a knack for striking at weak points.Boss: Using his chains to help with the building/repair work. Lady is the most visible (literally) of the Unknown Gods, mostly because her appearances tend to be heralded by her exuding waves of blinding light from her body. What makes her obvious affinity for light more unusual is that she is a dusky/grey skinned Drowtouched, wearing mostly white with some grey and black. She first emerged as Deimos and the Fiends attacked the Drow underground but subsequently moved across Aheka turning up in various places to help out. Each time usually using not only her light powers but mass telepathy to announce her presence, threaten the fiends or rally the people. Along with her (seemingly innate) light-based powers, she has also displayed powerful offensive psionics and sorcery, as well as occasionally fighting with a sword.Lady/Sulion: Using her psionics/magic (mostly telekinesis) to help the rebuilding/repair work. A tall grey-skinned Drow-touched man wearing goggles, a tattered wide-brimmed hat and a long overcoat filled with various bits and pieces. He has mostly only shown up in order to use some sort of device to strip Gula, Ira and Superbia of their divinity before they were killed, however he has fought a little as well. Tinker has displayed skill with a pistol, the use of various magical items (most notably the one that appears to drain divinity) and the occasional use of high level arcane magic.Tinker: Talking with Bane and Wit. Faces, as he has generally introduced himself recently, is an incredibly skilled shapeshifter that has only recently been revealed as being 'Mask' (see People of Aheka). His 'default'/diplomatic form is a young man with dark hair wearing a mask with a simplistic stylised grinning face on it. Although he joins the other Unknown Gods in confronting Jester in the most recent Chapter his other antics are otherwise unknown. It seems likely he has masqueraded as others to either use the chaos to spy or sneak up people. Even his 'Mask' persona seems to be just another persona, as he acts much more reserved and unassuming in his 'grinning face' guise. Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods he is not only unknown to them but the Family he claims to belong to (the Harlequins) is similarly completely unknown. Other than his shapeshifting he hasn't really displayed any real skills as Many Faces except for being very good at pretending to be someone else, however as Mask his using a variety of skills/magic led people to believe he is a Chameleon (i.e. capable of using a wide variety of abilities/magic depending on the situation). Given the revelation of his true power this may have been an inaccurate assumption.Many Faces: ??? Rapture is an unusually tall elf-touched woman (6ft+) wearing the traditional mismatched armour of the Children in the Dark who carries a halberd with magical runes and markings carved into it like a staff would have. Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods she is not only unknown to them but the Family she claims to belong to (the Dervishes) is similarly completely unknown. She has displayed not only great skill with using her halberd in battle, but also appears to use it as a focus/aid to both high-level offensive arcane and divine magic.Rapture: Mingling with the Children. After the Lady in the Light, Shadow has been the most noticeable/seen of the Unknown Gods, mostly as a result of engaging in a very public fight with Invidia in Feid. That she has been fighting by using some sort of shapeshifting 'shadow' that surrounds her and tends to take on large monstrous forms with great fluidity certainly helped make her noticeable. She also revealed herself to the Children before the current events, specifically Teaches Humility (a former PC who you can find in the Lords and Ladies thread). Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods she is not only unknown to them but the Family she claims to belong to (the Avengers) is similarly completely unknown. She has mostly relied on immense physical prowess to fight, combined with the fluid shapeshifting, reach and natural attacks of her 'shadow beast armour/suit thing', but using the occasional bit of arcane magic (usually to banish Fiends from a distance).Shadow: Helping the rebuilding/repair work, mostly with tentacles/brute strength. Except perhaps for Many Faces, Snark is the most unassuming of the Unknown Gods. He wears the typical mis-matched armour of the Children in the Dark and, unsurprisingly predominantly fights with a sword, but if anything he's a little shorter than average and definitely shorter than most of the other Unknown Gods. Most notably, he seems to only speak by quoting sayings, bits of scripture or even parroting what other people say around him (often mockingly). He has generally accompanied Lady, both among the Drow and on the surface, but occasionally split up from her to deal with threats by himself. Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods he is not only unknown to them but the Family he claims to belong to (the Silencers) is similarly completely unknown. He has shown himself to not only be a skilled swordsman but a practitioner of the Sublime Way, including some supernatural uses of it (mostly Devoted Spirit manoeuvrers/stances). He has also displayed minor magical abilities, great skill at stealth and a keen eye for weak spots.Snark: Mingling with the Children. Sublime is by far the most talkative of the Unknown Gods, although this mostly takes the form of boasting, mocking and generally being an annoyance in any way she can while fighting. True to her boasting, she is a strikingly beautful woman with long dark hair, pale skin and clothing that while cut to allow her freedom of movement is obviously ornate, high quality and designed to also show off her physique. Although she predominantly fights with a sword it has the ability to rapidly change shape to suit how/who she is fighting, mostly taking the form of various melee weapons but sometimes pairs of them or even a metallic bow that creates its own entirely metallic arrows to fire. She most notably killed Superbia in (mostly) single combat (her brother countered Superbia's magic and attempts to flee, otherwise not engaging her) but also swathes of other demons. Even against Superbia Sublime maintained her cocky arrogance, constantly belittling and mocking the Goddess as they fought and claiming that she was disappointed with how weak Superbia was before beheading her and using her decapitated head as a make-shift flail against her own forces. She appears to fight for the thrill of fighting and/or to prove herself superior as far as has been observed. She has almost exclusively fought physically, bar some supernatural uses of the Sublime Way, and mostly at melee, but of particular note is not only her use of archery but that she somehow appears to be able to use the Sublime Way with it. Her skill, particularly with the Sublime Way, is quite frankly equal parts terrifying, awe-inspiring and unequalled as far as most people will have ever seen, making her boast of being 'Perfection Personified' more understandable (but still very arrogant).Sublime: Talking with Adam near the heads of the slain Sins (which are on poles nearby) and joining in with nearby celebrations. The oldest of the Hybrids, having been created when a Succubus stabbed the Paladin of Trinity, Nero Ardin, sixteen years ago without knowing the true nature of the dagger. He appears as a dark-haired, pale-skinned and plainly dressed Shalian man, making him much more unassuming in appearance compared to the two other Hybrids. Like with all of the Hybrids, those who meet his gaze feel like it almost pulls them in, with their pupils appearing like starry voids. Nehrahk has spent the past sixteen years secretly converting his own army of Fiends (and Fiend-blooded creatures) from the various Fiendish planes, using his influence over Fiends to try and turn them into a force for good. All of these Fiends have his mark (a series of smaller and smaller equilateral triangles within one another at different angles) somewhere obvious on their body (usually the forehead). He has been operating out of his own demi-plane attached to the Plane of Shadows and is known to a few in the Children of the Dark, but was otherwise unknown until now. Although obviously attempting to be a force for good Nehrahk has made it clear that his intention is to protect Aheka from Fiends - not to get involved in internal Ahekan affairs - so he is not to be counted on to fight Zera. He has displayed the ability to both make and 'unmake' matter on a variety of scales, from creating clothes to entire demi-planes and not just disintegrating objects/beings but, according to his own description, unravelling their very presence in reality (making it impossible to restore/revive them).Nehrahk: Unknown if he will appear. The newest of the Hybrids but has quickly become the most well known as he moved across Aheka during the recent troubles slaying swathes of Fiends with little effort while also holding off/repelling Fiendish Deities as well. He has auburn hair, tanned skin and golden eyes that resemble rolling, whirling liquid fire. Like with all of the Hybrids, those who meet his gaze feel like it almost pulls them in, with their pupils appearing like starry voids. He was created when Lekan Alyyryk of the Kashyyn, a Tyyrykan who had been helping the PCs to investigate the assassination and then Zera in general, elected to sacrifice himself in part because of a prior meeting with the Oracle having convinced him that doing so was for the benefit of Aheka as a whole, even if - by his own personal beliefs - it would not only destroy his soul but prevent the eventual reincarnation that his people believe in. Lekan came to the PCs attentions because his identical brother was used to try and assassinate the King - by Zera as it eventually turned out - however it emerged that it was due to Zera's mental manipulations. It was also discovered that the Blue Woman was in fact originally Lekan's sister - with the three of them being triplets - and is being controlled/manipulated by Zera. His brother and sister had both been trying to infiltrate Zera's operations before they were discovered and Zera twisted them to his own ends. Still being 'newborn', the full extent of Lekkar's powers are unknown, however he retains Lekan Alyyryk's psionic abilities (albeit, greatly amplified) as well as possessing an affinity for innate fire magic. In particular, he appears to use it to move around, either appearing in a blaze of fire from out of no-where or sometimes literally exploding from out of Fiends during the recent troubles. Just as Nehrahk has an affinity for manipulating Fiends and the Blue Woman has an affinity for Trolls, Lekkar's influence seems to revolve around Seers and, more broadly, humans to a degree as he has shown some sort of empathic sense towards humanoids as a whole - such as being able to tell that the Drow were being enslaved and slaughtered after looking at a single Drow.Lekkar Alyyryk: Unknown if he will appear. Coiya/the Sword in the Dark: With the babies/toddlers, along with Vulcar, Celes, Cypher and Future. Talking with Nallaul. Dancer, Keeper of the Blackbone: Speaking with the Children near Sublime and Adam/checking out the heads of the slain Gods. Breaker, Keeper of the Firstborn: Disappeared into another building with Strider. Mercy, Keeper of the Last-Breath: Speaking with Ruin on the other side of the central bonfire to Mrith and Brood. Wit, Keeper of the Oldblood: Talking with Tinker and Bane. Strider, Keeper of the True-Dawn: Disappeared into another building with Breaker Ruin, Keeper of the Wildsoul: Speaking with Mercy on the other side of the central bonfire to Mrith and Brood. Future, Keeper of the Young-Blades: With the babies/toddlers, along with Vulcar, Celes, Cypher and Coiya. Rising, Keeper of the Waking Dream: Speaking with L'arabiel and Mrith. L'arabiel: Speaking with Rising and Mrith. Name: Location. If there's anyone else from the People thread (or for the vets, that you've met before) that you're keeping an eye on/want to meet then let me know and I'll add them here if they're expected to attend and update when they arrive.

~MTWC

[Alphaeus]

Silverforge When he finally caught sight of Brood, Silverforge noticed she was with a group of people...well, "people" being a general term. Here recognized Zilira and Kala, and could presume the one man to be the Morgan he had been hearing about. While those were certainly of importance to him, the ones that piqued his interest were the two people he didn't recognize. The man's clothing was recognized by him first, but the Malvainites were...well, what they were. Silver wasn't one to judge others by things like that, especially since many of this man's same ilk had been of use to the Children before. Not necessarily a threat, but someone he would want to get to know. The woman with him, however...that was a different story. She appeared Halvan, at least mostly...that was of critical importance to him. There were many Halvans here, but in his search this was the first person to really grab his interest. As a master of shifting and disguises himself, he picked up on details that indicated she might be hiding something. It could be he was wrong -- such had happened in the past, though not especially often -- but still...it just niggled in his mind. She appeared to be poor, or at least from a lower class. The kind of person no one of importance would notice or engage. Just another commoner. And then the matter of weapons...she had none, leading one to presume her harmless or unused to combat...but her body-language spoke differently. A smiled toyed at the corners of his mouth as it was want to do whenever his thoughts turned more predatory. If he was right, it was always a mistake to disguise yourself as someone too forgettable -- the subtlety would be glaringly conspicuous to those who paid attention. Then the matter of her features -- perhaps she was a half-breed of some sort...or perhaps it was merely a poorly crafted disguise... He was not, however, one to foolishly act on mere suspicion. She could well have reasons for her appearance that were satisfactory, but that needed to be examined further. As he had been observing them, he had circled slowly, at a distance, keeping well behind most crowds and being careful to give only the casual look in their direction, nothing too suspicious. Now, he shifted into the form of a demon he knew all too well. To most, it would have seemed that he merely shivered abruptly while passing through the shadow of a small tent as he walked, making his clothes ruffle a bit but otherwise nothing of note. In truth, however, he had assumed his new form while also keeping up his assumed disguise, which required a bit of adjustment to make passable. Thankfully this demon already could pass as a human, so that made his job much easier. In this new form, however, his senses were greatly improved, and he was better equipped to deal with threats should they arise. He took a stance leaning against a tent post only a few feet away from the woman, having grabbed a piece of meat and cup of wine. He crossed his feat, being careful to appear cheerful but also not to welcome conversation. He drank and ate thoughtfully slow, looking out ahead of him as he chewed. His eyes, however, were quite active, Taking 20 on a spot check for a total of 38. Has Enhanced Detection (Su) from form, grants constant see invisible and detect magic as constant vision modes, CL 18.studying the man and woman Once he finished eating and examining them, he moved towards Brood and her group directly now, his pace as slow and graceful as before. He smiled at the group, bowing his head in respect to the demi-goddesses. "A pleasure to have you with us. I am honored." Turning to Brood, he smiled broadly. "It is so good to see you here, my dear! How has Min been treating you lately?" Simultaneously, he spoke to her telepathically. "I am Silverforge...we've met before. I instruct Cypher. I'm seeking you out because your services and skills are needed. I have learned there is a threat potentially here, and we need to identify them. To be quite frank, I'm suspecting this unassuming woman that is with you. Suspect could be a man or a woman, though a man is more likely. Will be Halvan. They will be of Fiendish origin, though not necessarily fiendish themselves. Disguised almost certainly. Motives are unknown, so don't assume they are a threat. That's all we have to go on for now, but just keep yourself keen." He then gave attention to the man and woman. "I am Master Tavrin Wolvera. Might I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance?"

OOC   Kelvezu Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, and Tanar'ri) Alignment: Always chaotic evil Initiative: +14 (+10 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: Listen +18 and Spot +18 Languages: Telepathy 100 ft. AC: 35 (+10 Dex, +15 natural), touch 20, flat-footed 25 Hit Dice: 12d8+36 (90 hp); DR: 15/cold iron good Fort +11, Ref +18, Will +11 Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good) Space: 5 ft./5 ft. Base Attack +12; Grapple +17 Attack: +1 scimitar of greater wounding +16 melee and +1 dagger of wounding +16 melee Full Attack: +1 scimitar of greater wounding +16/+11/+6 melee and +1 dagger of wounding +16/+11 melee Damage: +1 scimitar of greater wounding 1d6+6/1 8-20 plus poison, +1 dagger of wounding 1d4+3/19-20 plus poison Special Attacks/Actions: Poison, sneak attack +8d6, spell-like abilities Abilities: Str 21, Dex 31, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 16 Special Qualities: enhanced detection, evasion, outsider, SR 26, summon Tanar'ri, Tanar'ri traits, uncanny dodge Feats: Greater Two-Weapon Fighting; Improved Initiative; Improved Two-Weapon Fighting; Two-Weapon Fighting Skills: Bluff +18, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +11, Hide +33, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (the planes) +18, Listen +18, Move Silently +33, Search +18, Sense Motive +18, Sleight of Hand +16, Spellcraft +18, and Spot +18 Advancement: 13-24 HD (Medium-size) Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground Organization: Solitary Treasure: Standard coins; standard items, plus +1 scimitar of greater wounding and +1 dagger of wounding Source: Monster Manual II Poison (Ex): A kelvezu continually coats its weapons with an injury poison (Fortitude save DC 19) produced from its fingertips. The initial and secondary damage is the same (1d6 points of Constitution damage). Kelvezu poison is highly perishable, becoming inert 1 minute after the creature stops applying it. Sneak Attack (Ex): Any time the kelvezu's target is denied a Dexterity bonus, or when it is flanked by the kelvezu, the latter deals an additional +8d6 points of damage on a successful melee attack. Spell-Like Abilities: At will - deeper darkness, desecrate, detect good, detect law, greater dispelling, improved invisibility (self only), read magic, suggestion, teleport without error (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), tongues (self only), unhallow. Caster level 18th; save DC 13 + spell level. Enhanced Detection (Su): In addition to its regular senses, a kelvezu perceives foes through detect magic and see invisibility effects (caster level 18th) that are always active. Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a Reflex save for half damage, a kelvezu takes no damage on a successful saving throw. Outsider Traits: A demon has darkvision (60-foot range). It cannot be raised or resurrected. Tanar'ri Traits: Tanar'ri can communicate telepathic with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. Except as noted in the specific descriptions, a tanar'ri is immune to electricity and poison, and it has acid resistance 20, cold resistance 20, and fire resistance 20. Summon Tanar'ri (Sp): Once per day, a kelvezu can attempt to summon another kelvezu with a 25% chance of success. Summoned tanar'ri automatically return whence they came after 1 hour. A tanar'ri that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. Most tanar'ri do not use their summon ability lightly, since it leaves them beholden to the summoned creatures. In general, they use it only when necessary to save their own lives. Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A kelvezu retains its Dexterity bonus to AC even when flat-footed, and it cannot be flanked. Skills: A kelvezu receives a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.