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Post by Kendric Blayde on Jan 31, 2017 12:49:57 GMT
Kendric watched as his partner in this nefarious deed methodically placed a charm over the room. Knowing little of actual magic, he couldn't know for certain what she was doing, but he assumed she knew what she was about. She was deft of hand in placing the pouches around their employer, and though Kendric couldn't see anything happen, he doubted that she would have drawn her blade and woken the man if she didn't feel ready.
He nodded and his face slid into a happy grin as he moved the throwing knife between his fingers slowly. Most who wanted to show off did such things fast, but true expertise in dexterity was being able to maintain control at slow speeds, and this is what he did as he approached the foot of the bed, making sure to be clearly in view of their employer, and not within any distance of the necromancer that the man could attempt to shove her into him.
"My apologies for waking you so rudely, my friend. We had a few questions to ask and didn't want to be disturbed." He said, then nodded to the woman beside him in the bed and the door. "If you are concerned, your guards and paramour are only unconscious, no harm will come to them or you so long as you answer me truthfully. Do you understand?"
The man wasn't dumb, nor truly craven. The calculations going on in his eyes were nearly palpable. After a moments thought, he narrowed his eyes and canted his chin up once, then settled to not stretch his skin against the knife the necromancer held there.
Taking the chin nod as acquiesence, Kendric nodded and slid the throwing knife away.
"Good. First, what is your name?" Kendric asked, it should be a simple question to answer, and a good gauge of honesty and training. Kendric watched the mans face, noting any facial tics, eye movements, and pupil size to try to determine if he was going to lie to them. It was still possible, with training, to lie under such scrutiny, but lacking spells of his own to discern honesty, he relied on the tricks he learned in the Guild. "And second, Who is funding this expedition to Therien?" That was the poignant question, Kendric hoped to get some reaction at least, even if he was going to be lied to.
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Post by Harrier Wren on Jan 31, 2017 20:06:37 GMT
Still with Harrier's knife at his neck, their employer glanced around. At a guess, he could just barely see one or two of the little pouches Harrier had placed around him. Wisely, he opted not to mess with the unknown, over and above the two knives in question.
"I shouldn't tell you," he said with just a hint of a quaver in his voice. "I shouldn't answer anything. In theory, I should let you coerce me, then give you some mix of truth and unverifiable falsehood. Knowledge obtained under torture is generally useless unless it's immediately verifiable. And I doubt you have the resources or contacts to verify my answers in anything like short order. If you did, you would already have some inkling of who's behind me. All that to say, there's no reason for you to torture me other than spite, so I'm going to cut the spite angle off at the knees right now. My name is Larkin, a freelance problem-solver from just downriver. And in this matter, I represent certain economic interests in the north. I believe the intent is to glean leverage for trade advantages. Will that suffice?"
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Post by Kendric Blayde on Feb 1, 2017 12:43:41 GMT
'Freelance...then he would be someone his employers could cut out if things got too hairy...' Kendric thought to himself. His eyes never left those of the man in the bed, he wouldn't show an inkling of lacking confidence. His smile grew more thoughtful as he crafted his next question in his mind.
"That will suffice...for those questions." Kendric said slowly, watching hope grow in the mans face, only to fall again. Ebb and flow. "That meeting, where you told us all of the plan and how to contact you, why did you do it that way?" He asked, curiosity simmering on his tongue. "A literal rogue's gallery, and everyone can visually identify everyone else, yet we aren't all working together. You made it first come first serve, why?" Kendric asked. The likelihood of someone either ratting the whole operation out, or just enough to hinder opponents was pretty good. Not every rogue and ne'erdowell strove to honor things like 'Honor Amongst Thieves' or some such. So far as Kendric had seen, he was the only Guild Thief there.
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Post by Harrier Wren on Feb 1, 2017 19:26:20 GMT
Larkin had dignity for a man lying in bed, blankets up to his waist, with a knife at his neck. She had to give him that.
"A few reasons," Larkin admitted. "Some mandated by my employers, some I thought of on my own. For one thing, I was curious who would take precautions -- like your friend here with the hood. Two meetings now and I haven't seen her face. For another thing, my employers wanted everyone to be able to identify potential allies in a we-all-hang-together kind of environment. Maybe you're thinking about betrayal, but Therien isn't known for its mercy toward informants. No love for rats who've outlived their usefulness."
Harrier cleared her throat. "I don't agree -- I think the risk of betrayal is huge, and I think none of the other folks know enough about Therien to know that playing turncoat would burn them. I sure didn't know, for one, so that's evidence that his assessment is way off. But I could see how he or even his employers could have thought that. It's possible that the malevolence is at the employer level."
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Post by Kendric Blayde on Feb 2, 2017 12:37:10 GMT
Kendric nodded. "I was also unaware of the risk to rats within Therien." Kendric said, his eyes locking with the mans, then looking over to Harrier Wren. "This man appears to mostly be a go between. Someone disposable to whoever employs him incase this job goes sideways...or when, if we're going with the malevolent employer scenario." He said to her, apparently ignoring the man now. "Do you have any questions for this man before..." he turned his eyes back to the man and grinned quite pleasantly. "You know." He emphasized with his eyebrows, and had to stop a chuckle from coming up.
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Post by Harrier Wren on Feb 3, 2017 19:57:21 GMT
Kendric Blayde "Just one." Harrier pulled the knife away from his neck and sheathed it in a single motion. "It's a bit of a long one. Friend, I'm about to wipe your memory of this encounter, and I'm going to do it expertly. If your employers question you about what we do with the information you give us, your surprise and denial will be genuine, and there won't be a trace of magic in your mind. You can forget this uncomfortable night, with no gap between your evening's amusements and, presumably, their repetition in the morning. I'd caution against sending your future self a signal to make you think your memory has been altered - biting your cheek, for example. You don't want to jeopardize the sincerity of your belief that you told us nothing. "That's the carrot. Here's the stick: I'm going to adjust your memory -- that much is inevitable -- and you really don't want me to slip. So talk: who, exactly, are your employers? Who're these northern interests? Aureus? The Bund? Mystmarch?" His nostrils flared and his face tightened in fairly well-hidden fear. "The Guildmasters of Ashdell." Harrier's eyebrows rose. "The Guilds have that in them? And they'd risk instability and backlash this close to their own borders?" "It was Guildmaster Harryl of the Woodcutters and Woodworkers that hired me, face to face. That's all I know." Harrier stood. "All right, then." Her fingers twitched, and so did the four little pouches around the bed. Larkin's face went blank and his eyes drifted shut as the last half hour of his memory evaporated. "It's done," she whispered, gathering the pouches. Someone knocked at the door.
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Post by Kendric Blayde on Feb 6, 2017 18:17:35 GMT
Harrier WrenKendric's eyebrows rose slightly at that answer. That would be a lot of money backing the venture, but also a possible cause for war in this part of Ardell. Kendric made a mental note about that. The Woodcutters Guildmaster was getting his hands dirty. His own Guildmaster would likely find that information useful. Kendric watched as the necromancer made a small movement with her fingers, then reported that it was done. That quick, a blink of an eye, and this entire conversation was gone from the man's memory. Only the lingering scent of rotten eggs in the air and other side effects of the alchemy he hit the prostitute with remained in the room. Then someone knocked on the door. Kendric felt like a rube, a neophyte thief with less than half the jobs under his belt than he actually did. He hadn't set up a lookout, he hadn't prepared any other knock outs or other alchemical infusions to deal with interlopers, nothing. He slipped his hand down to his long fighting daggers for a moment, then drew them away as he looked to Harrier. After a moment, he looked over to the window on the far side of the room, then raised an eyebrow to Harrier in question. He moved to the window and looked down from it. The way seemed to be clear for the moment, and it was late enough that many people were sleeping. He carefully unlatched the window as the knock came again. He eased the windows open and looked out again before turning back to Harrier.
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Post by Harrier Wren on Feb 6, 2017 19:38:41 GMT
Kendric Blayde Harrier tucked the pouches away in her robe and backed toward the window. "Take a look, Mathquil," she breathed, rubbing her ring with her thumb. The ring grew cold, and the faintest outline of a crouching man took form, like a wisp of dull fog. It moved to the wall beside the door, down low, and pressed itself partially through the boards. After a moment, it flitted back across the room to stand before her. <<Three armed and hooded men,>> it said, just a whisper in the back of her mind. <<They have found the two fallen ones. Return me to my rest.>> Harrier rubbed the ring again, and the shade vanished. She held up three fingers to Kendric and looked down, out the unlatched window. There was a midden heap down there. Fortunately, it included the scattered bones of a recently slaughtered chicken. A murmured charm brought the bones together and woke the dull little spirit from its slumber. The skeletal chicken, radiating a wonderful smell, scrabbled its way up the wall and latched onto a knothole. It bunched itself tighter and tighter until it was just a plug of bone and gristle, protruding from the wall by a good four inches. Harrier slipped out of the window, braced her weight against the chicken, and hopped sideways to catch the top of the caravanserai's signboard. Her elbows barked painfully against the sign, and she let go, landing awkwardly but without pain.
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Post by Kendric Blayde on Feb 7, 2017 18:57:04 GMT
Harrier WrenKendric watched as Harrier made her way to the ground, mentally noting the method she had used. ' Not only a necromancer, but one who thinks outside of the box!' he thought with appreciation. The knocking behind him came again, then turned into banging. Kendric wasted no time in slipping out the window. He slid down the wall, using only his fingertips to hold onto the window ledge. His foot touched the necro-chicken, and he tested it for a moment, then put his weight on it. As he leapt to the side, he heard the door crash open above them. He turned his angle by pressing a hand to the wall, dragging it along just enough to allow him to slow his fall into a mildly graceful tumble. He landed in a shoulder roll, then darted towards Harrier. With a light touch, he guided her to a shadow on the opposite side of the inn's front door. As soon as they were in the shadow, he took his hands off, knowing there were some who would take great offence at being touched, and not wanting to cross the necromancer. Up above, he heard the three move into the room, one came to the window, but only saw the ground outside and nothing of the companions. Kendric couldn't hear the other two, but he trusted Harrier's sources, as she hadn't led him astray yet. Keeping his hands to himself, he looked at Harrier, then over her shoulder toward the corner of the building.
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Post by Harrier Wren on Feb 10, 2017 19:07:00 GMT
Harrier went along with the assassin's guidance, without noticeable hesitation. She crouched in the shadow and hissed a word, and the much-compressed chicken skeleton tumbled from the knothole as the little spirit fled. Inside the room, shouting voices rose: Larkin with his memory wiped, plus the men who'd entered his room. Oh, and the harlot, still extremely groggy from Kendrick's concoction.
The third man left the window and ducked back into the room. Tension eased from Harrier's neck. "We should have taken something," she said, very quietly, still pressed back into the shadow. "Made it look like a theft. Now they know we were there, but they have no idea what we were doing or whether we accomplished it. My guess is Larkin might send a messenger to his Guild contact, maybe someone closer at hand than a Guildmaster in Ashdell. I have the means to travel quickly, follow a horse. Do you?"
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Post by Kendric Blayde on Feb 15, 2017 13:57:58 GMT
Kendric nodded with the necromancers words. If he had been thinking, he'd have taken a trinket or two, but he was focused on the interrogation, and then had been surprised. It was a rookie mistake, but everyone makes those now and then. "I've got no spells, just my alchemy. I can ride a horse fairly well, but it wouldn't be quiet..." Kendric spoke while thinking. "I can get word to Guild members up in Ashdell, I know there is a guildhouse up there, but I don't think anyone I know personally..." He was thinking out loud as they moved quietly away from the building. "What are you thinking about?" Harrier Wren
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Post by Harrier Wren on Feb 16, 2017 12:48:12 GMT
Kendric Blayde"Well, here's where we have options." She paused in the shadows of the stable, glancing around. "Follow a messenger to someone we can blackmail. Go about the job as normal, turn it to our own purposes. Take a poke at a Guildmaster of Ashdell. Talk to the Steward of Therien or his people. Brief our fellow infiltrators, even. All depends what we want to accomplish and how irritated we are at the game being played. Personally, I'm comfortable with a wide range of options. We're already partially exposed, so I'm not too worried on that score. Do you have a preference?"
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Post by Kendric Blayde on Feb 22, 2017 18:06:14 GMT
Harrier WrenKendric thought about it for a moment. "Not going to Therien authorities, I have a hard time believing our erstwhile employer was lying on that score." He said, almost absently. "I don't trust any of the other infiltrators, any of them could be a mole for pretty much anyone, excuse my paranoia." He chuckled softly. "I am not really offended at the play of it, these aren't professional ne'erdowells, and I don't expect professional courtesy from them. That doesn't mean I'm not perking up at the prospect of having a Guildmaster of Ashdell in our pocket..." he said, then looked at Harrier. "Ours as in both yours and mine, and the Guilds'." He clarified. "So, lets say we try to turn this job to our advantage, and maybe try to blackmail the Guildmaster as well. Knowing that he is behind it all should make it easier to find proof while we work it." He said with a raised eyebrow. "How does that sound to you, partner?"
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Post by Harrier Wren on Feb 24, 2017 2:00:18 GMT
Kendric Blayde"Partner, eh? I can work with that, and the job too." On the other side of the stables, hoofbeats receded, maybe a messenger on his way to Ashdell. Harrier stood from the shadow and adjusted her hooded cloak. "I'm not hearing any search or pursuit, and my shade isn't spotting any either. Back to our rooms, then, and in the morning, off we go to Therien." *** A few days' travel put them at the border of Therien, a line of stones and a guard post on the road. Weathered and disciplined guards, including a couple of battle magicians, asked a passel of questions but let them in. Beyond the post, Therien was a bucolic paradise with guards on every corner. Harrier and Kendrick took a ferry across the river to the kingdom's main port. From there, they passed into gentle farmland and then the outskirts of the Summer Palace's attendant town. A festival was in full swing - they'd used that as their excuse for visiting - and they found it easy enough to set up shop in a local inn. Not far away stood the great archive, a fortified hub, part library and part memorial to the Empire.
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Post by Kendric Blayde on Mar 6, 2017 18:49:59 GMT
Kendric had changed for the actual travel into Therien controlled land. He couldn't very well travel in his leather armor and daggers that screamed sellsword at best. Instead, he chose to dress as a minor noble from a far off house. House Duskhaven was one that existed at the edge of the Great Western Wood, where it met the Darkwood. The house had actually been abandoned in some raid, but Kendric had restored the house itself and built an identity as a scion of the house. It wasn't entirely foolproof, as the family died only a century earlier, but it was minor enough that no one ever checked. So it was, that Harrier entered Therien with Lord Kendric Duskhaven. In that role, he dressed in a well made set of traveling clothes in earth tones of greens, browns, and cremes. He bore a light sword at his side, small for a rapier but well made. Aside from that he appeared unarmed. Once they had gotten rooms at the inn, Kendric and Harrier Wren found themselves in a room together, though not for the reason most in the inn would likely assume. Kendric sat at the table, his alchemy set sat on the floor by his leg and a roll of paper stretched before him with a rough sketch of the palace. "This is the best that my sources have gotten. It's got every external entry we've found, every guardpost on the palace wall, and most of the main hallways. However, it isn't as complete as I would like for infiltrating..." He said, sitting back in the chaiir and gesturing at the map. It was in his own hand, as Guild agents didn't just keep such incriminating information on paper. "What are your thoughts? Can you add to this at all?" He asked, truly curious. He had grown quite comfortable with Harrier since first meeting her, and so many of his mannerisms had smoothed into a truly natural set.
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