Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn

[Goonfire]

After shaking his head in agreement with Pyrrhus, Crow listened intently to the discussion, taking mental note of each important point. He was certainly impressed with their ability to gather information. However one thing made him pipe up briefly and humorously: “Raven and Crow? It sounds like we’ll be paired up often, if only for a good chuckle.” A wry smile pulled across his lips; he had a feeling the masked character was only known as the Raven to protect his identity, whereas Crow was just... Crow.

The plotting continued, with Crow noting the orc invasion. Just as he guessed, there really are bad apples among the bunch in Cyndara. “It would be most... unfortunate if there was a wrecked wagon caravan or a fallen tree in the road, slowing their advance,” he proposed, in case the others were considering plucking that proverbial thorn from their sides.

Crow did approve of the idea of a covert assault under the guise of a prison riot. “If we go through with such a plan, I suggest burning the office so they merely assume their documents were permanently lost, not stolen. It would give them a false sense of security, I think,” he added to Raven’s proposition. “Unless you need me for any other task, you could likely disguise me as one of the servants. I’m fairly lightweight compared to others, and finding a weapon would be easiest for me.”

The_Omega_Effect SilverFlight

 

[mothspit]

The assassin left the cellar with blood on her hand, entering the room after the rest. A servant brought around a large bowl of water and a hand towel on a shivering tray. They left with a bloodstained cloth and coloured water. Azaria looked as nonchalant as an Everreach soldier, her shoulders held with poise and confidence.

Just as she had opened her mouth to respond to Crow, Azaria entered the room with bloodied palms. The sight made the beastwoman cringe. Was this just how things were going to be now?

With that, she moved away and decided to sit near Trileon.
"Gideon told us about the.. incident- I'm sorry you didn't get to enjoy your outing more," It felt like a lame thing to say, but she wanted to offer some kind of comfort.

She shared a somber look with Ora, her lips curled into a frown. Things had managed to take a turn for the worse, but for that small moment, things seemed.. calm. She had a feeling that this place could be very enjoyable, if not for the whole 'slave traders and impending genocide at the hands of a madman' thing.

"..Thank you. I.. I think this is just something I need to get used to."

This was so much different than her quiet life in the forest. Her heart ached for her small home in the trees.

Changing his expression completely, he then turned to Trileon. “We went shopping,” he said with the jubilance of a preppy school girl; it just seemed...wrong. It might have been seen as tactless, but this was his way of making everyone feel better. If they could shift the focus on something other than the dark events that happened earlier, then it would be for the best, even if the focus was on how annoying Iolas could be.

Trileon smiled a small half-smile. Shopping sounded nice. "Well, surely you brought something for all of us, yes?" She jokes, winking at Iolas playfully. There was still humor to be found in this plight, after all.

"One problem at a time," Gideon said, "First we need a way to get into that mill, rescue the prisoners and get the papers condemning Evereach as the instigator of the entire operation. That should be enough to destroy their support in Brynson. So...any ideas?"

Once others had shared their ideas, Trileon thought for a moment. Getting in and out without casualties, especially among those being held against their will, was preferable, but that seemed unlikely. But, it sounded like there were at least two others who shared that optimism. Perking her head up, she caught Gideon's attention with a small raise of her hand, "..We would need someone among the prisoners to help, erm.. fuel the fire. I could allow myself to be captured, and.." She trails off, looking over to Crow as the second half of her idea forms, "..With someone disguised on the inside, I could pretend to overpower them. Perhaps that could spark a similar reaction in the others, giving us ample cover to move them out."

Honestly, Trileon wasn't a solider or a tactician-- Just a meek healer with her bones and potions-- but it was clear she was invested. Whatever others decided, she'd carry out to the best of her ability.

It was then that Lohr, who had been quietly sipping on cool tea, relatively unnoticed on a comfortable chair, spoke up. "Forgive me, but how will we do anything without some sort of protection from the... the sun, is it?" He looked to Desrick. "I am afraid that without it, I am useless in this land."

"Speaking of," She piped up again, "May I see the sun cure Desrick crafted? With the flowers? If I can see his work, I can possibly enhance it's effects."

A type of covering, like the one this 'Raven' wore, was only but a temporary solution. And in battle, it would only slow them down. What she had in mind-- A type of salve that absorbed into the skin, allowing them to walk freely in the open sun-- Would prove to be much more effective.

SilverFlight Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire Zazz
Mentioned: The_Omega_Effect

 

[SilverFlight]

"Hmm, good point Azaria," Gideon replied. "How to get in..."
At that point Lohr spoke up and Desrick turned to him attentively.
Pyrrhus couldn't help but laugh as Raven made his suggestion. "Oh, forgive me," he said, wiping a tear from his eye, "it's a good idea...but perhaps not for..all of us." He flicked his tail for emphasis.
"The sun cure should be ready by now anyway." Desrick added, and he left for a moment to fetch it. When he came back he was holding a flask that contained a light orange lotion.
"I combined it with a few other herbs, to sooth old burns as well as protect from new." He pulled the cork and tipped a little of the lotion into his hand.
"Lohr, show me your back."
Zazz The_Omega_Effect

Gideon listened to the ideas and nodded as a plan began to form. "You're absolutely right Raven, getting what we need is one thing, but it would be ideal if we could keep Evereach off our scent for as long as possible."
Gideon smiled as Crow added his piece. "That would clean things up nicely."
He strode about the room, chin between thumb and forefinger.
"So it would seem the lynchpin of this operation would be to get a team inside the mill as prisoners...Once the first team is inside and the chaos begins, we can send the rest of the team in to help finish the mission. We have one volunteer--Thank you Trileon--but I think we might need at least two more 'prisoners' to make this effective. We'll disguise them as servants. Create a diversion and slip them in with the next load of kidnapped people. So, any volunteers?"
"I will lead the support team." Desrick said. "Come in when the chaos starts."
"Don't forget the ship." Pyrrhus added, "There may be prisoners on it as well. We should send a team to investigate the hold, just to make sure we don't leave anyone behind."

Zazz The_Omega_Effect mothspit Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire Yatasal

 

[Flutterby]

Ora raised her eyes to the inquisitor, her expression falling somewhere between annoyance and weariness. Her attention flickered to Iloas, and she grunted an agreement. After all, she trusted Desrick more than any, and Desrick had trusted the other orcs. Look where that had gotten them. She looked ready to make some sort of quip, when Gideon spoke up. She shot him a half-hearted glare, but held her tongue about the newcomers after that.

She listened silently, and only spoke up when the same religious man volunteered himself to be one of the inside 'servants.'
"Those that go inside as prisoners should look the part beyond just a disguise. I will go with that group." Ora glanced at Trileon, and then at Desrick. Her eyes quickly swept the group, and her eyes landed on Iolas and then Raven.
"Perhaps Iolas or one of our new friends could head the group for the ship, if you think you're up to it."

 

[Goonfire]

As much as he wanted to insist on joining the team of three infiltrating the secret prison, Crow’s insecurities held him back from doing so; he insisted he was human, despite it being only a half-truth. But if that was his story, then he was sticking to it.

“Understandable,” he retorted to Ora as he dug through his backpack and unveiled a brass candlestick that looked like most others. “Perhaps you could bring a bag of ‘stolen possessions’ with you, such as this?” Picking it up would reveal there’s more to this object than meets the eye; it’s artificially weighted toward the base, more so than the average candlestick. “I doubt I could offer much more on-site help, beyond planning the raid and perhaps seizing the ship.”

Another sinister plan hatched in the inquisitor’s mind. “You don’t suppose we should... break a few holes in the ship’s lower hull, to maximize the damage to this operation?”

SilverFlight Flutterby

 

[LazyDaze]

“Oh, woe is me...your friends emptied me for everything I had as they frittered it away. I have nothing to show for our venture.” Iolas retorted dramatically. Unlike his companions, Iolas didn’t buy anything, but he was glad to see that Trileon was already a tad more cheerful.
mothspit

When the conversation steered toward the mission at hand Iolas listened intently while remaining relaxed. It was indeed a big moment, and a screw up could hinder the grand scheme of things. The plan seemed simple enough, but you should always prepare for the worst. Iolas was no stranger to bad luck; however, it did make life interesting. When Gideon asked for volunteers he was going to point at Ora instead of raising his own hand when to his surprise Ora volunteered herself and Iolas. He was taken a back by her request since she would seemingly hold back vomit whenever it came to mentioning Iolas when they first met. Iolas twiddled his thumbs shyly, forcing himself to blush a little. “…Oh me? This is a surprise, after all I am but a humble elf, but if you believe in me, I will do my best not to dissapoint.” Iolas said, flashing a grin. This was the first time he would actually be of use to them and although he did not particularly care too much about anything, he did want to leave a good impression. He then turned to Gideon and the others. "The task of the ship does not seem to be particularly difficult. I would not mind going with…..hmmm. I do not remember their names…something with a bird…Squak and Beak...or was it Beak and Squak?” It would be a lie to say he did not trust them, but he felt better if he could observe the new faces up close and in action.
Flutterby The_Omega_Effect


After listening to Crow’s suggestion, he turned to Gideon with a sad and confused look on his face. “Correct me if I am out of line, but have we become pirates?”

SilverFlight The_Omega_Effect

 

[Goonfire]

“Crow and Raven,” the inquisitor corrected Iolas with a discreet eye-roll. It didn’t surprise him that people would be hesitant to commit flagrant acts of sabotage. “I don’t savor the idea of destroying so much property myself, but a setting a sinking ship adrift would hurt further efforts for Evereach, if only slightly. I can see the other side of the argument, though; we don’t know how far we can press the advantage of this prisoner revolt ruse.”

SilverFlight LazyDaze

 

[mothspit]

“Crow and Raven,”

Trileon stifled a small chuckle. That was never going to get old, was it?

"I understand the prospect of harming Evereach further is tempting," She added, "But getting the prisoners out should be the priority. I'm confident we'll manage."

Truthfully, the sooner they could get this over with, the better. It wouldn't take long before Evereach informants found out about the sabotaged flower-picking, and now the dead henchman in Gideon's root cellar. Trileon wasn't much of an actor, but with her beast magic, it would be easy to convince others to cause an uproar. They would succeed simply because.. they had to. The alternative was too painful.

 

[Zazz]

Quietly, Azaria listened, her usual scowl scribbled across her face. She didn't like the prospects of leaving it up to Trileon and Ora to start an uprising; she hadn't been present for Ora's cunning, nor did she find the blue-skinned... thing... particularly threatening. But, perhaps threatening wasn't an ideal trait in this situation. And she definitely did not like the idea of splitting their muscle between the mill and the ship. Did these civilians even have sea legs? She hadn't seen any boats in Cyndara thus far, though perhsps she had merely missed them in the dark.

"I can take down a good portion of the crew with a few arrows. But I also feel it would be wise to have someone watch over the mill. Who knows how long they knock out their prisoners for? An array of things could go wrong."

 

[Flutterby]

The new arrivials, and this plan, were starting to get under her skin. She had an anxiety-inducing feeling that no matter how they planned, it would all go to ash as soon as they started. She swallowed that thought, and focused on Crow's response to her.
With a puzzled scowl she reached out and took the candlestick. It topped in her hand as she did- the weighting was all wrong. The dwarf took a pause, flipped it over once, and then looked up again. "This is horribly made, for a candlestick." Her voice was flat, but it lifted a little as she asked, "You use this as a weapon?"
Goonfire
Ora spared Azaria a glance, biting her lip softly. The assassin was right; this plan was risky, shaky at best, and there really were a million points where something could fail.

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Kyros thought it was a fun little coincidence that his name was so similar to another one of the people who were going to help them along with the mission. He wasn't amused by the butchering of his name a little bit later though. He paid little attention to it, continuing on with the plotting. "Arrows are signs of an attack. If the knowledge of them being shot at spreads between the guards, then the attack will be known of which essentially defeats the purpose of doing a covert operation. The prisoner we have isn't that loyal seeing as to how easily he shared the information. Perhaps we could pay him to assist us even further, making this operation even easier as we'd have a man in on our plan working with us on the inside."

During the midst of planning things a thought that previously crossed his mind returned, with him willing to ask it now. "Would it be possible to get an introduction of sorts to...all of you?"

 

[SilverFlight]

Gideon smiled at Crow. "You don't do anything in half measures do you my friend?" Then more seriously, "our priority is rescuing the prisoners, they should be out safely on shore, but once that is done I can't see how sinking their ship would not be beneficial. Do it if you can."

Gideon looked over the room. "Trileon and Ora on the mill infiltration team then, we'll likely need one more on the inside. Raven? Azaria, Iolas and Crow on the ship team, Desrick on ground for support. I fear Raven is right Azaria, arrows might be too conspicuous, even if the docks will be abandoned of regular traffic when we move...but, you're an assassin aren't you? You can improvise."

He took in Ora's concerns with a slight smile. "Good weapons are a good idea, so you tell me how to smuggle real weapons into the mill without giving ourselves away, or, you admit that Crow's candlestick is the best we're going to get."
Gideon took their attention as a whole again. "This isn't an ideal situation. Nothing about this will be easy, or guaranteed, but as we speak more innocent lives are being destroyed by Evereach's political schemes, and I for one want to see an end to it. Now. We'll set it up, after that I will get my own men in position about the mill, if things take a turn for the absolute worst, send a signal and I will take the mill and the ship by force, though this would almost assuredly put Evereach onto my scent, so I would appreciate it f we could avoid that scenario."

Gideon took in Raven's suggestion to rope their captive in, but one of the servants by the door suddenly looked nervous. He stepped in and whispered something in Gideon's ear and the room saw his face turn grim.
"The captive is dead." He announced darkly.
He turned a harsh gaze on Azaria. "It seems you were the last one to leave the cellar...I will need a word with you after this."
He turned to the door just as Marillene came in with the tea tray. She set it on the central table and helped arrange the biscuits and fruit brought by several other servants.

"There's still the matter of getting our team into the mill without them being seen." Desrick rumbled thoughtfully.
The young troll girl looked up. "Um, what about the fruit cart?"
Desrick turned to her with a questioning glance. Mari explained: "When the snatchers came for us, there was an old man selling fruit. He was one of them, he druged the fruit and I'm sure the cart had a false bottom where he would put the people he kidnapped. From the size of the cart...it looked quite big."
"Ah," Pyrrhus chimed in, "If we could waylay the cart on its way to the mill, distract this 'fruit seller' and sneak our people into it, we could get them in with none of the guards being the wiser! Brilliant Mari."
Mari blushed.
"You're going to need someone to make sure the prisoners all make it back to where they need to be, I can take care of injuries and make sure they escape." Pyrrhus added.

"That's all fine. Please please introduce yourselves and get acquainted. We'll organize to leave by the twentieth mark. The docks should be well deserted by then. I have matters to deal with in the root cellar..."

Gideon left them at that.

Pyrrhus waited only a moment before setting his name out before them. "Pyrrhus Elantus, a centaur from the plains of Cyndara, I am a healer, but also quite an accomplished musician and actor, if I do say so myself." His bright disposition made it hard not to smile.

"Desrick. Larkwing." The orc said, "I was a peacekeeper between orcs and elves in my country, until Evereach attacked my home and threatened my family. They have also taken my people to use in their inane war. If my people become a threat to Sumenna, I will make it my business to stop them."

((I'll time skip to the docks after introductions))

Zazz The_Omega_Effect mothspit Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire Yatasal

 

[Zazz]

Azaria barely blinked at her upcoming scolding. Instead, she pointed out another flaw in their plans she had caused. "The fruit seller is also dead, if you recall."

The assassin shrugged and introduced herself, figuring if any of them betrayed her she'd lop off their heads anyway. "Azaria Eldrvarya, of Everreach... and Cyndara." Hers was a prestigious family name, of her mother, though her mother no longer used it; she had since been married into another wealthy family. Azaria was the last of her line. Her father, on the other hand, she knew little about.

 

[mothspit]

Trileon still thought it ridiculously unsettling that this guy still wouldn't take his mask off. Hesitantly, she spoke up, "..Trileon Sionis of the Noend Forest. I suppose I am also a healer; I work with remedies alternative to magic. My people refer to me as the Forest Mother."

When Azaria mentioned her family history, Trileon seemed surprised, if only for a moment. There were others who shared blood from both sides of the land. She had always assumed she wasn't the only one, but this was the first time she had come across someone like her. With a newfound sense of honesty, she added, "I.. also have roots in Sumenna."

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe shifted in his chair to allow Desrick access to his shoulders and back. His arms were much more red than the rest of him. Over his shoulder, the white-haired man said, "I am Lohrithe. I was raised between my people, the drow, or dark elves as you may call us, underground, and Desrick's people, the orcs. There I was trained in combat."

 

[Flutterby]

Ora's face settled into a troubled expression. The plan seemed shaky at best, but there wasn't much they could do about that. They had gone into Delan without any plan, and that had worked out. She had a sinking feeling that their luck may not hold, here under the sun.
The break from planning and debating was welcome, and she added her own introduction quickly. "Oralia Hearth. I go by Ora. Part of the excursion into Cyndara, although not officially. From Dwerstand. I've got a forge there these days."

 

[Goonfire]

Crow did his best to explain his unusual weapon with the unenthused Ora. “Yes; this is known as a ‘cleric’s candlestick’ in Eskaro,” he enlightened the curious faces. “Since it would be... predictable to use a mace or sword, some clerics simply carry one of these.” Another half-truth... He still didn’t exactly want to reveal his true occupation, but perhaps it would be wise to come clean, lest the others despise him for lying too much.

It came as a surprise that so many people shared a mixed heritage; maybe he could gather the courage to reveal his Cyndaran heritage someday. When it came his turn, he stood and gave a slight bow. “I am Crow Stenmann, from Eskaro. I... well, I have more tricks up my sleeve than I’m willing to admit at times. I work for House Cautura, as an inquisitor. House Evereach is doing nothing new here; they’ve been trying to blackmail us into submission, as well.” Some Sumennans may recognize the last name ‘Stenmann’ as that of a powerful bishop up north, the infamous ‘stone man’ who writes religious laws in stone (figuratively) and weighs the canonicity of older ones.

Having introduced himself, he felt it was an appropriate time to offer further assistance on a little emergency. “By the way, I heard you have a body on your hands. If we can transport it to the temple, there’s a lesser-known rear entrance to the funeral chapel and crematorium.” He gave a reassuring nod to Gideon.

Flutterby SilverFlight Zazz The_Omega_Effect

 

[LazyDaze]

"Sounds like a very functional team," Iolas said when he heard who would all be excuting the inmate rescue from the ship. Honestly, he was ahppy about the decision because if anyone should have to deal with potential traders, he was confident that he and Azaria could handle any betrayals. If they were truly on their side he could already tell they were thorough and intelligent. He knew their worth as individuals, but he didn't know how they would operate as a team. Azaria was capable, but she was rash and a rebel. He doubt that even direct orders from the Summer King would give her pause. Raven and Crow were unknowns. Raven seemed aloof. Crow seemed to be cunning, and that wasn't always a good thing. If he were to turn heel, it could really hurt. Iolas thought they were interesting, and that it was a good thing he was going on with them on the mission even though Raven was more questionable.

He listened to the introductions, and the various conversations. He was surprised that they were making forward progress at all. He suppose they had no choice but to trust the new comers, but the Cyndarans did seem a bit too trusting and forthcoming with information, even if he did join under the same circumstances. "I am Iolas....I think...."

"So are we leaving tonight?......Badum tis...…tis...."

 

[SilverFlight]

Gideon looked gratefully at Crow. "I think I will need your help. I am more concerned with the magics they put on the man. I sincerely hope Evereach hasn't cast anything that could lead them back to the body."
Goonfire

~~
((Collab w Zazz ))
When Gideon had Azaria outside of the room he turned to her. His expression was dark but his tone was gentle.
"Why did you take his life?"
Azaria's passive expression was hard to read. "Well, he was too dangerous to let live."
"Agreed, but killing him in my root cellar makes things vastly more dangerous for me..and my staff, including Marillene."
"Do explain."
"You don't think Evereach has a way of tracking their 'employees'? And tracking their deaths? Killing someone on my property automatically implicates me in crime, and if Evereach is the one wronged, they won't take half measures in response, but that's not why I'm most upset, the real reason is that you didn't confer with anyone before you did it."
Azaria rolled her eyes. "Must I ask permission from our Forest Mother?"

"Me at least," Gideon countered, "if you're planning on killing for my cause, or in my house."
"And what do you get out of this, hmm? Power? Money?"
"My people safe. An end to Evereach's dark dealings in my city. Peace of mind. That last one is very valuable."
"Overturning Everreach is a dangerous feat to attempt."
"And not defying them just guarantees a life of fear and oppression. They will not stop until they have complete control."
Azaria laughed. "And you think I don't know that? Who do you think is the cause of certain... untimely deaths among their ranks? Either use my skill or fail. It is up to you. Sir."

"Then you understand the power of our enemy, and the gravity of what you've just done. I'm not questioning your skill Azaria, I'm questioning your judgement. You're reckless. You don't think. And you're not willing to work with the others. That is a dangerous combination, and in the face of Evereach, it is likely to get your friends killed."
Gideon had made good points, and Azaria raged internally. Outwardly however, she was silent.
"We're done here," Gideon turned to go. "I hope you'll reflect on what I've said. It might be the last chance you get to do it."
"Oh, shove your head up a jar!"

It wasn't until after he heard Gideon leave that Pyrrhus opened the door and peered around it. He gave Azaria a sympathetic look.
"Well, you weren't wrong. As much as I can't condone killing...I was worried what would happen if the others convinced us to let him go." He told her helpfully. "We should get ready."

~~

Back in the drawing room Desrick applied the lotion to Lohr's skin, making sure to add extra where the burns had been the worst.
"I don't think Raven's idea was a bad one. Clothes might not help the centaur, but they would help you, and a hood would hide your face. That's something we should do if we're going to start committing crimes here."

He surveyed the room and the look of concern was painted plainly on his face. "I want you all to be careful. Please. I think we all know what Evereach is capable of. I am sure they have more guarding that place than simple men with knives. Just...keep your guards up."

Zazz The_Omega_Effect mothspit Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire

((Ima wait today for The_Omega_Effect to post and then I'll run the time skip. Y'all should interact, get to know one another XD))

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Kyros silently stood still for a moment, paying careful attention to each and every one of the introductions to see how useful every person was. He also needed to remember their names so that he could properly communicate with them, should things not go according to plan. The centaur was..certainly something....little more than a liability when it came to pretty much anything they would do within the city. Maybe they could use his physical prowess in one way or another but he wouldn't fare well in any covert operation, which was pretty much the only type of operation the Raven committed to. The orc, Desrick, seemed to be a lot more useful. He could simply be passed off as a really big guy in the city with the right covering....yeah...no...But still, he seemed to be more tolerable than the rest of the cast. Objective, straight to the point and understanding of things past the simplest level of them.

Gideon was correct about there being more than a few Cyndarans among the group. With himself being from Cyndara, he had no problem with them though. Although Kyros wanted to keep them off of his trail as much as he possibly could, he knew that the group learning more about him was inevitable as they worked with him. His only hope for his anonymity was that their struggle against Everreach would end quickly. Otherwise he could no longer support himself with his business which would be run down upon his identity being revealed.

Azaria seemed to be the epitome of a loose cannon. It would be unwise to underestimate her skill, but he could safely assume that she goes off more on her instinct than planning things through. He found it weird as assassins who were impulsive would get cut down in seconds. Either she had luck on her side or there was more to her. He was still surprised that the group allowed a person who was pretty much a murderous psychopath to tag along with them. He'd have to ask Gideon in private how long he was working with the group... She reminded him of a certain string of murders that were committed against Everreach's men. Kyros gave up working on it after not being able to reach a conclusion, but he did remember a few things he figured out about the person committing them and how it was loosely connected to the Shadowhand person. More conclusive evidence was required... He'd have to keep an eye on her.

Trileon was the one person who harped so hard on him wearing his mask. It really did seem like a personal issue. A personal issue he did not care about. He had to learn more about the extent of her magical abilities in order to get a better understanding of how to handle her though. It was best not to anger her until he was fully aware of her capabilities. Also, with everyone being a healer they could probably bring back the fucker downstairs...not necromancers...right...MaGIc. Lohrithe seemed to be the same deal with Desrick utility wise. He handled the sun a lot worse though. Kyros could easily pick out clothing of sorts for him but that would only be done upon his request.

Oralia was interesting. Assuming her to be a blacksmith would be a racist stereotype due to dwarves and all. But stereotypes were loosely based off of the truth after all... He wondered what exactly she was doing away from her home. Was it boredom? Whatever it was, Kyros couldn't imagine leaving his lab alone and leaving the town for some adventure. One thing was certain, her ability to forge things could come in handy.

He recognized the name Stenmann as a religious figure of sorts. But Kyros was never too interested in religions. Crow himself seemed to be decent to be around, provided he didn't bombard him with whatever religion it is they're selling. He did find it peculiar that he revealed that much about himself outright. Everyone being open did tempt him to talk about himself. Not enough though. Iolas was another person he'd have to observe as Kyros did not know what his capabilities were. This mission would provide him with an excellent opportunity to do so.

 

[SilverFlight]

Desrick had donned a thick cloak with a deep hood. With that and the gloves he wore covered his green skin entirely. For anything but a very close inspection, Desrick looked like a large, burly human, or something close to it. His axe was in a holster low on his back to make drawing it easier under the cloak
Pyrrhus had placed the cuffs on again, though this time, felt more comfortable doing so. For all the evasiveness of Iolas' answers whenever asked about himself, Pyrrhus found himself trusting the man's intent, if nothing else. His lute was on its strap slung over his shoulder, as per usual.
The party had stopped just shy of the docks, across a street that had long been deserted. The hours of business over marks ago. The m ill was a shabby old building just in front of the docks, set onto a stone elevation that dipped down into the water and came level with the street. White plaster was falling off in places and the thatched roof was holey. The mill stone shaft had long been removed and likely the mill stones as well, leaving the two-storied building open and mostly empty. They could see the guards at the entrance to the mill, and on the second story balcony that ringed the entire building. The docks were just behind that. Thick wooden walkways shadowed by massive galleons and trading vessels. Conveniently the Boon of the Sun was docked directly beside the mill's main storage building. It was dark wood with a painted blue band running the circumference of the hull, the ship's name painted in elegant gold letters on its side. It certainly looked like an expensive ship.

"According to our late captive, there are ten guards in the mill, four in the storage building and five on the ship, two above deck and three below." Desrick repeated to them. "They rotate posts every ten minutes. Remember, the prisoners are our priority but we must also get written proof Evereach is linked to this operation. Do you all know what you're doing?"

Desrick waited for the party to respond.
"Right then. Good luck."

((You are permitted to control the guards (share), and some of the prisoners if you like. There are 15 prisoners in the mill storage area and then more in the hull of the ship.))

Zazz The_Omega_Effect mothspit Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire

 

[Zazz]

Looking upon the two targets, Azaria chewed the inside of her cheek. She wanted to sneak into the mill to watch over the others in case anything went wrong, but she had been assigned to the ship. She sighed in irritation. "If something goes wrong, I'm killing them all," she informed Desrick; to her, he was in charge. He seemed the most levelheaded, and the most morally invested, in this whole crystalnapping ordeal. She turned to look at Iolas. "Iolas and I can search the cabin for paperwork." She figured they would be best equipped to recognize official - and covert - documents.

 

[Goonfire]

Crow was also tasked with raiding the ship. He did not exactly trust the others with information collection yet, but he felt unfit to argue because of the others’ seniority, in both physical age and experience with the anti-Evereach cause. “If you insist,” he conceded. “Should you feel pressed for time, simply grab all the papers you can find, and we can worry about reading them later.”

Crow knew his mission as well as the others did: liberate the prisoners and sabotage the ship if he had a spare moment. He left his spear in his room at the temple’s rectory; such a weapon would be too inflexible in close quarters. Instead, he decided start with the hammer from his bag, a diminutive bludgeon meant for smashing fingers. He would make it work until he found something more suitable; self-sufficiency was the main benefit of an inquisitor on one’s team.

This mission could further one of Crow’s ulterior motives: to learn healing arts. During the introductions earlier, he learned there were two healers—one magical, one herbal. He envied them and hoped at least one of them would teach him their ways.

 

[SilverFlight]

((*Edit addition to the last post))

The trundling of a cart could be heard from around a corner and an unassuming man appeared with an innocuous wagon filled with bags of sweets. The wagon looked deep and it was obvious to those looking for it that this was one of the kidnappers, returning to the mill after a day's work. They would need to distract the man enough that the infiltrators could slip into the cart's false side without detection. Perhaps, they needed someone loud and eye-catching.
mothspit Flutterby The_Omega_Effect


The men on the ship looked bored. Suddenly one snuck up behind the other and elbowed him roughly.
"Oi whatcha doin'?"
"Shut up! We're supposed to be on duty."
"Aw who cares? Nothin' happens in this borin' job. Come and have a drink, throw some dice."
"Get back to your post Horace."
The two soldiers bickered away, completely oblivious to what was coming.
Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas winced only a bit when Pyrrhus put on the cuffs although they now carried less weight than before. Perhaps it was because he could see that Pyrrhus was resilent in the face of adversity. Moreover, he had not had to actually exercise any authority over him. Turning his mind to the matter at hand Iolas maintained his carefree demeanor as he surveyed the area. For this mission he donned the cloak he had worn while in Cyndara. If they were indeed kidnapped and imprisoned by Everreach, then he wasn't sure if the first face they should see was that of a high elf. When Azaria first spoke he raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders. "Something is undoubtably going to go wrong. I guess you will be busy...."

------​

"Lovely," was Iolas's cheerful response to Azaria's useful suggestion. He was surprised that it came out of her mouth since whenever her name came up it was usually attached to brash, and cold actions. Now that Iolas was thinking about it, he didn't know much about any of his friends. This was mostly his own fault since the less questions you asked about other people the less questions you would have to answer about yourself. However, even Iolas found himself wanting more. First Pyrrhus...then Ora. He was slowly growing fond of the quirky party, but was that a bad thing. Iolas kept telling himself it was. Meanwhile, Crow didn't seem like he was particularly sold on Azaria and Iolas recovering the documents but he gave in anyway. "Silly Crow, I am always pressed for time." Iolas turned to Azaria once it was finally decided that they would be recovering the documents. He was a bit worried that she would kill someone again, after all Iolas was against this. People deserved a chance to change their ways, and killing ruthlessly would deny them that chance. Iolas did not want to go into the mission with a fractured group so he held his tongue for now and decided he would cross that bridge if it came down to it, even if that meant stopping her himself. Until then, he would handle the task at hand.

"Well then time is ticking and we are all slowly decomposing. Some faster than others. Shall we be on our way?"

SilverFlight Zazz Goonfire