In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 28):

James raises an eyebrow and smiles cryptically.

You did have your uses...

Francis eyes widen and a smile crosses his face

But no.  I'm curious if goblin based troll salve is efficacious?  I may grind you down myself and find a very itchy troll.

James smiles grimly and puts the gag back into Francis' mouth as he begins screaming and cursing in his defense.

You will find I can be just as bad as my father.  Isn't there some kind of goblin proverb about not interfering in the matters of the fey?  He walks out the door leaving the soiled sheets behind.

Your witness coucnillor

He says casually to Alveris as he walks past.  He walks into the cage behind Conrad and starts slowly arranging his medical gear on one of the poisoned casks of wine.

Hey Alvie?  What do you think intrevenous nova fruit laced wine would do to a gnome?  Of course we'd have to boil it first, wouldn't want him to have to worry about sepsis or anything (Intimidate 5 vs 4).

So Rags *he says sanguinely* When did you manage to talk to them?  Was this after you poisoned Connie?  What exactly did you tell them?  And they were right to be displeased because you are going to help us find them.

Uthor, I think it may be a good idea to have Rags help you translate this book, and and Connie, I was just thinking the same thing.

In reply to James (msg # 31):

Ragnar definitely looks concerned.

"Imperial officers don't torture prisoners,  it's beneath them."

He looks at Conrad.

"Even we 'rebels' don't do such things.  I made contact to let them know that I was here and what I was attempting to do.  I was interrupted before I could tell them much of anything.  As to how, the emblem you stole from me, that was my token to make contact via the mirror.  I dunno how it works, witchcraft no doubt, but it worked."

In reply to GM (msg # 32):

James snarks back at Ragnar

And that is why imperial officers are beneath fey.  Whats the life of a single gnome when weighed against the safety of not one but two fey.

what were you interrupted by?

In reply to James (msg # 33):

"You have yet to be tortured, Ragnar; spare me the drama," Conrad replies evenly, making a great effort not to snap at James's rather unfavorable comparison of gnomes and fey.  "You know as well as anyone that, after the Captain, my word is law on this ship.  I've noted before how cooperative you're being.  It is appreciated, and may serve you well during your eventual trial. Especially seeing as there are so many witnesses who can corroborate whatever happens here today.  "

He jots a few notes down in the book and smiles mirthlessly.

"Continue to cooperate, and you'll continue to be treated with more civility than most mutineers would expect.  We're almost finished here.  Answer his question, then tell me how the emblem works.  I assume you need to do more than just hold the damn thing to be recognized as an insider."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:34, Thu 14 Nov 2013.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 34):

"I suppose not, if you don't count psychological torture," Ragnar sniffs.

"Nope, that's it.  Hold the emblem up to the mirrir's surface, that's all I did."

In reply to GM (msg # 35):

James doesn't pay attention to anything that is being said around him, he has opened up the barrel and is dipping one of the used test tubes that had the pickled will o the wisps in it and dunks it into the barrel.  He pulls out a candle and lights it.

There should be enough residule will-o-the-wisp solution to keep him from dying.  This should be very interesting he mutters bringing the tube to a boil over the candle.

In reply to James (msg # 36):

"Thank you," he says, nodding toward Ragnar before turning to look at James.  "Can I talk to you for a moment? Outside?"

Conrad opens the hatch and makes an "after you" gesture toward the medic, indicating that this is not a request.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 37):

James has now brought the tainted wine to boil in the small test tube over the candle light continuing to mutter to himself about nova fruit toxins.  Conrad harumphs impatiently James rolls his eyes, passes the stopper through the flames a few times and corks the tube tightly creating an airtight seal.  He blows out the candle and slowly and meticulously cleans up.  He holds out the stoppered tube of very dark, very tainted wine and says

I'm keeping this for you.  Just in case I need to come....


His words are cut short as Conrad grabs him by the collar and hauls him out of the jail.  James looks menacingly back at Ragnar over Conrads shoulder.

He walks out the brig and as he passes the other cell he says

Good night Francis.  Sleep well. I'll probably kill you in the morning.

In reply to James (msg # 38):

Once outside the brig, Conrad turns to James.

"I'm not a chemist, so I'm not sure whether I should be angry or not.  I don't understand what you are trying to do, but if it's poison, I have to stop you.  That's not our way."

He sighs.

"I understand your anger, believe me.  But there's no way I'm going to risk allowing either prisoner to go free based on missteps taken during their imprisonment.  If you want to execute the goblin, fine -- Captain practically ordered as much, anyway."

He puffs himself up a little bit.

"But don't execute a cooperating prisoner right in front of another prisoner who has been and who, gods willing, will continue to be cooperative in his own right.  Sends a bad message.  And, again, that's not our way."

Conrad takes a moment to compose himself, and his tone softens.

"Explain what you're trying to do with the wine and the candle.  I think we both want to force Ragnar back in front of the mirror, but I'm concerned it won't look authentic if you're making some sort of hypnotic serum."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:50, Fri 15 Nov 2013.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 39):

James barks a laugh.

Hypnotic serum?!  I don't think such a thing exists.  In all honesty I have no idea what it will do to him, you remember what happened to Alveris when he drank the wine?  I imagine it would be like that... only significantly worse.  Like I said its now sterile, so we don't have to worry about poisoning him like Francis and the wine should be nearly isotonic to the blood, and the alcohol should be boiled away, and there is just enough fairy juice in the vial to push off any other ill effects... he should be fine, just in severe pain.

All of this is of course.... theoretical.

He puts the vial into his medicine pouch with a huff and a sigh.

I guess your right...

He raises his voice and yells over his shoulder so it can be heard in the brig

EVEN THOUGH HES A JACKASS!

His face softens

he has been trying to bargain for his freedom, and so far has operated in good faith.  If he is lying to us I will treat him like a rebellious changeling.  The threat of the unknown is generally worse than the treatment itself... use that to your advantage.

He leans into Conrad and whispers

How are your acting skills?

With that he kicks the door and screams several fey obscenities.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:09, Fri 15 Nov 2013.

Uthor finally makes his way to the brig, having completed his research of the codebooks.  The smell and the tableau before him come as a shock.  He wears a mildly disturbed look.

What did I miss?

In reply to Uthor son of Magnusson (msg # 41):

"My... acting?" Conrad frowns, then puts a hand on the hatch.  "Not good."

"I don't want to leave Alveris alone in there with the prisoners any longer. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but Ragnar is essentially a POW at this point.  Much as I want to wring his neck, we should probably hand him over to the Imperial intelligence community.  The real one."

"Between that and wanting to use him as a stand-in to contact his superiors, I need him alive and unharmed.  We'll return to the threats approach if he stops being cooperative, but at the moment he seems to realize that playing nice is his best bet."

"If you want to test your brew on the goblin, though, be my guest.  If he isn't going to be useful, he's just consuming resources -- and we don't want that."

Conrad opens the hatch and re-enters the brig, a sullen-looking James slinking in behind him, wearing his fiercest scowl.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 42):

James looks at Uthor, and says gloomily

Ragnar is an asshole and Francis is a bigger asshole; Connie may be the biggest asshole of them all.  *directly into conrads back* You are no fun at all!

Sounds of elevated voices began escaping the room, as your instinct to leave Alveris alone with the prisoners is immediately ratified as the correct one:

"..AND THAT'S HOW I KNOW YOU WON'T BE SO SMUG AFTER YOU GET YOUR DICK SKINNED!"

In reply to Alveris Alderis (msg # 44):

James opens the door and yells out

Alveris what have you done?

In reply to James (msg # 45):

Conrad storms into the room, wondering wordlessly the same question James has just vocalized.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 46):

Conrad and James return to the 'brig' area to find a totally nonplussed Alveris and a very frightened Ragnar.

In reply to GM (msg # 47):

James backs out the door and closes it behind him.  If you listen very carefully you can hear the muffled sound of the fey's laughter from behind the door.  After a moment the door opens and a recomposed James walks back into the room.

Ragnar looks at him quizzically too frightened to have heard the fey's laughter and opens his mouth to say something smarmy.

James arches an eyebrow at him and opens his medical pouch showing the syringe with the tainted wine in it looking very serious.

He says to Alveris

I thought that you were going to use the Tiberius method on him.  I was excited to see your execution.  I've been experimenting with instead of skinning the penis dorsally you begin with a sagital section.

In reply to James (msg # 48):

Conrad scowls at this turn in conversation, and turns to Ragnar questioningly.

"When was your next contact supposed to be?"

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 49):

Ragnar looks puzzled.

"I didn't have a schedule of any kind... I wasn't supposed to report out until we returned to Gnomish lands and I'd safely left the ship.  I made contact because I wanted off."

He looks around.

"It's no lack of honor, sir, just duty to a higher purpose.  Otherwise I would have been happy to drown with all of you."

In reply to GM (msg # 50):

Conrad nods, continuing this line of questioning.

"How would you make contact after leaving the ship if the mirror is on board?"

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 51):

The reason for the sagital incision is it actually avoids the vas deference which in turn will lead to less permanent effects... it allow you to effectively skin and still threaten castration...  just my two cents.

Duty to higher purpose?  What are you even talking about.  Also what the hell is the significant differences between whats his name *he gestures vaguely at Ragnar* and what his name *he gestures vaguely at Conrad*?  Except that one doesn't like the other.  You gnomes make everything so complicated, one will eventually arrange to have the other killed and usurp power, and everything proceeds pretty much as normal.  Why do you make things harder than they need to be?

In reply to James (msg # 52):

Conrad wheels on a dime, doing a perfect military about-face to face James directly.

"Duty. Honor. Loyalty.  Having the foresight to become part of something larger than yourself.  The spying, the lying, the deception, the false smiles?  That's human diplomacy.  That's feyic normalcy.  These underhanded strategies are not the Empire's way."

He turns back to Ragnar with a dark expression.

"At least, they didn't use to be."

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 53):

James scoffs.

We don't lie.

Also what is larger than the individual?  Basking in societies reflected glory bears very little on your person or life.  Your ruler is not in your house nor in your kitchen... you are still free to do as you desire when you desire.  What does it matter of you say I serve emperor schoff or shmick?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:21, Wed 20 Nov 2013.

In reply to James (msg # 54):

"Using the mirror was never part of any 'plan'.  Once back safely ashore, I could return to my handler in person."