Trial by Fire - IC Thread

[D. Rex]

Bard looks at her as if he was seriously considering turning down that offer, and took a moment to let it show he was really mulling it over. Ultimately. However, Bard would crack a smile.

"Lady Mahina. I want you to know, I don't do this for just anybody. I always admired House V'neef. Out there willing to brave new horizons. A family after my own spirit. And with you being all the way out here, with enthusiasm, and and somehow managing to balance doing good for the people and keeping your eye on the prize... I think you embody that spirit perfectly. You have the potential to take your house to new heights. "

"To that end. I'll do you one better. Twenty five percent up front. But if I can't find your target location in three days, and get word to you on the forth... cut fifty percent off the total of what you would otherwise owe me." He offered with a confident grin.

"I'll show you new horizons, Lady Mahina." He concluded with a wink. "And lead you to things you've never seen before. Creation is a large place. And so many fascinating things are still left to explore."


With that said, Bard turned around dramatically. "Come Lilo! Let us find our troupe. We have a challenge to entice them with." He told her with a chuckle as he left the tent without further word.

Spoiler: Ooc

Charisma + presence + specialty
11die
8die Excellency (personal motes)
2die, stunt
3die, 1wp, Major Tie- A deed worth doing is worth doing with fervor!

24dice

To instill a positive tie towards Bard in Lady Mahina. Playing on being a boon to her and her house, and enticing the general nature of House V'neef. And, of course, sweetening the deal.

9 successes

 

[Psychie]

Spider nods, and falls into step beside Bard. Once they were out of earshot of the tent and the various guards, she asks, "Were you actually flirting with a Dynast? A Dragon Blooded no less? You are shameless!" She gives him a grin, then asks, "So, is the plan now to try and get the others to agree to her terms and sign on with her? That may be a hard sell. If our true natures are discovered, it will be disastrous."

 

[D. Rex]

As he walked, Bard clasped his hands behind his back. A sly smile in his face. "Shameless? Yes. Flirting? Not really."

"Mahina. She puts one good show. But that's all it is. She see's us as nothing more than pawns. If it isnt of her house, it has no value to her aside from what it can do for her. You can see it, if you look close enough. A practiced warmness can never match the real thing."

"She has plenty of resources to spare. She is using this town as a forward operating base. And its denizens, she is keeping them in her favor. Making it much easier to make use of them. How much labor here do you think is now indebted to her thanks to her good deeds? She will use then as needed, but keeping them away from the main prize. The scouts we came across... they weren't a greeting party or concerned about safety. They were looking for talent for her to make use of in her endeavors."

"The plan hasn't changed. But what we have gained is funding and free supplies. As well as unquestioned access to where we want to go. And that now puts us ahead of then when it comes to getting to the cache."

His smile widened. "They wont suspect us. She believes us mortals. Their eyes will be turned down south, waiting for Anathema to come to them. When the times comes that our natures are revealed, we have the opportunity to do so on our terms. And hopefully by then she may see me in a good light."

"The V'neef are a troubled lot. Very loyal to the Empress, but struggle with the other houses. They like to seek out new ways. To keep their house alive lest they go the way of Iselsi. There may be a chance we can convince her that the Solar way is what she is looking for."

"If not... then we will make due without her. But they are coming for the cache regardless of whether or not we find it. We can either cede the manor to them, and clear out anything we can make use of... or or hold them off in battle when they come to claim it."

"Us being the forward scout gives us the distinct advantage. Not only are we going to get there first, but we will know where they are coming from and how many. And should we get word back in time. We will have some degree of control of how they get there."

"Numbers aren't on our side... so anything that could potentially help us has value. "

 

[Psychie]

Spider shrugs. All of this plotting and scheming is well out of her head; give her a sword and a target to use it on, and she is a happy girl. "If you say so. Lets just go find the others and share what we've learned."

 

[Sherwood]

It is nearly sunset by the time that everyone is able to once more meet up at one of the taverns in the Farmers District. All of you are there, and you are in need of finding a place to pitch your tents to be able to get some sleep or stay up all night; there are no rooms available in town to rent. Or, you can do something completely different.

D. Rex Psychie Syvvaris Random Word HumanPlus jaydude

 

[D. Rex]

Bard would explain what happened with V'neef as well as tell them his plan. Suggesting they accept the job as he would let Mahina know by sunset.

And suggest they leave for the cache tonight to get as much time as possible.

 

[D. Rex]

Sherwood
Was there any readable result of the instill action with Mahina?

 

[Sherwood]

Sherwood
Was there any readable result of the instill action with Mahina?

Mahina is very inscrutable and hard to read. But you feel that your efforts to impress her have not gone unrewarded.

 

[jaydude]

In reply, Kuaidao would inform Bard and the others about how things had gone with Lahor, and of how the Dynast was likely to be distracted for days while searching for the treasure's supposed owner.

"I say we stick with V'neef Mahina, at least until we get what we came here for." he said, with regards to Bard's suggestion. "We can take advantage of her using us as scouts to have more chance of finding the cache. And as long as we don't do anything foolish, we should be able to maintain our cover."

 

[Sherwood]

Any thoughts on this from Syvvaris HumanPlus Random Word and Psychie ?

 

[D. Rex]

"This monster Sesus is hunting. Could it possibly be another anathem?" Bard looked to Melinda. "You know this area more than we do. Was there a caretaker or monster left behind in some sort of trap? Or maybe even another Anathema seeking the cache?"

 

[Psychie]

Spider pipes up with, "I'm guessing it is some sort of spirit of the mountains or the forest, and is rather protective of its territory. We may have to tangle with it as we get closer to the cache we are seeking."

 

[Random Word]

"The Fates are whimsical. first we flee the Dynasts, then we seek them." She shrugs, indifferent, and places her hand again in Kuaidao's. I care not. I go where you go. She smiles at Bard, "If you've convinced someone to pay us to do what we already intended, then so much the better."

 

[Sherwood]

"This monster Sesus is hunting. Could it possibly be another anathem?" Bard looked to Melinda. "You know this area more than we do. Was there a caretaker or monster left behind in some sort of trap? Or maybe even another Anathema seeking the cache?"

Melinda thinks for a moment, then replies, "I do not remember any particular caretaker in the manor house, but it was a long time ago that I was last here. If it is a spirit, it could be Rhabwar, a relatively minor spirit of the mountains that has convinced the people of Wangler's Knob to offer up gifts or some sort of sacrifice to him. If it is Rhabwar, I don't expect any serious level of threat from him."

She takes a sip from her drink, then says to Bard, "You seem to have the favor of this Dynast. Perhaps you and Spider can go to her and tell this V'neef Mahina that we will accept her offer, and take all the jade coin that she is wiling to part with. As far as supplies, we have plenty of gear, but if what she is offering is better than what we have, we can take that off of her hands, since she is so kind as to offer it up. Mmmm. If that is the case, it may be good for the rest of us to go along, too, in order to collect our pay and get the supplies packed up so we can leave as soon as possible."

 

[Psychie]

Spider shrugs. "Why not? We can go to her tents now, get our advance, and leave this evening and get as far as Mahina's spell will take us before we need to call it a night. Thanks to our maps and Mahina's memory, we have a huge advantage on the other treasure hunters looking for loot." She leans back in her seat and finishes up her drink before placing the now empty mug on the table.

 

[Syvvaris]

"I still believe dealing with either of them is unnecessary, but it's the group's decision." Thallus spoke softly with his journal in his lap and a quill in his hand. His quill moved slowly to form the words that described his past few days with this group.

 

[D. Rex]

"Perhaps the spirit could be useful to us as well. If we happen into him before the hunters attempts to end him, that is."

Bard nodded to Kuidao and Spider, in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. While you all get the supplies ready, I'll see about having another word with her. To inform her of the news, as well as to brighten her up to me even more."

He looked over at Thallus and shrugged. "Perhaps. But the risk is low for the gain we receive. Whatever is about to strike creation, we will have that much more resources to aid us. Furthermore. The Dragon Bloods are coming regardless of our intervention. In this, we can at least be prepared."

Bard then grinned a teasing grin "But if you want to talk about unnecessary, I could bring up you wanting to hunt down book stores wherever we go."

 

[Syvvaris]

"If we hadn't met up with Melinda and/or her having a spare copy of the map. in the book store of Sijan was a map that I copied down and it looks nearly identical to the map Melinda has."

 

[Sherwood]

So, who goes with Bard to talk with V'neef Mahina?

 

[Sherwood]

As the group once more sets off to see V'neef Mahina, the snow starts to fall with more vigor, signalling that yes indeed, the roads south will soon be blocked, and any path to the north will be rough going. But you have a few cards up your sleeves to make your trip a little easier; most notably the Stormwind Rider spell that Melinda knows. It should be able to zip you over the heavy snowdrifts with little trouble, getting you to the mansion where the cache of weapons supposedly waits for you.

By the time you are done at V'neef Mahina's tent, it is not quite fully dark, so you are now able to set off with your freshly acquired jade coin and supplies to get as much of a head start on the two groups of Dynasts that plan on trying to find this cache themselves. They have scores of men (and in the case of Sesus Lahor, hundreds) to move, so their pace through the snow will be much reduced.

 

[D. Rex]

Sherwood
During that meeting. Could I have attempted to impress myself on her further to upgrade the tie to Bard to major, with alterations as appropriate?

 

[Sherwood]

Sherwood
During that meeting. Could I have attempted to impress myself on her further to upgrade the tie to Bard to major, with alterations as appropriate?

During your return trip to the pavilion of V'neef Mahina, she was not there to see you, but one of her agents did give you your pay, so you are not able to attempt to increase any Intimacies with her.

 

[Random Word]

As soon as they are out of town and well out of sight Maja again takes wing to watch over the tornado at a discreet distance.

 

[Syvvaris]

Thallus will follow the group.

 

[Sherwood]

Once you are out of sight of the town, Melinda once more casts her Stormwind Rider spell to help speed you along over the thick snow. Unlike the trip north along the road, however, this time is a much slower journey due to the thick trees blocking your path. That is the case for many miles, right up to one point where all the vegetation comes to a dramatic stop, as if a line had been drawn in the earth by a knife, and it goes on ahead of you for as far as you can see. It is somewhat creepy.

Melinda slows the whirlwind down and looks about with a frown on her face. She says, "This is hardly a natural feature. Something did this, and I can tell you that there was no swath of countryside devoid of life around the manor when I was last there."

According to your map, you are about fifty to sixty miles away from your destination.