Having prepared as much as they could the sojourned trio spent the remaining time aboard the Sunset's Reach developing plausible scenarios for when they arrived at Ossylia, based on the discordant rumors and stories they had acquired on the way.

The final leg of the journey took them around the Dragon's Maw, a pair of large cape-like landmasses with jagged coastlines and dotted with islands that gave it the appearance from orbit of a dragon in the midst of devouring something or breathing fire. The Dragon's Maw was well known for its beauty and it surely did not disappoint with high cliffs crowned with luscious rain forest, waterfalls spilling into the sea, and aquamarine waters, which could be dangerous to navigate due to all the coral reefs according to the crew. The relaxing setting contrasted sharply with the atmosphere on the ship, as everyone was at least a little anxious to see what type of reception they would encounter at the capital in a few hours.

About three hours out from the harbor the first signs of naval blockade was spotted; a light cruiser was travelling quickly eastward, obviously under power of a nether-drive. After another 30 minutes the target of the cruiser as spotted, a merchant vessel by the looks of it, but after a short pause and the dispatching of a smaller vessel towards the merchant the cruiser turned about and headed for the Sunset's Reach. Shortly thereafter the captain's voice could be heard over the ship's internal comms announcing that a preliminary inspection party was enroute to survey the ship and interview the passengers, and that everyone should have their papers ready for review.

Zelpuz feels the tension increasing, not just for himself, but for all the passengers. He scans the area trying to estimate if one could swim to shore here, possibly escaping ships in the reefs, but that seems like a silly idea. "Let's see what they bring, I wonder how many inspections we'll have to undergo before we finally get into the city" he says to Vanyra and Yuu who are standing next to him at the railing.

The minutes drag on like the endless horizon of the sea beyond as the cruiser makes its way, almost, leisurely towards the Sunset's Reach. Zelpuz, Vanyra and Yuu all find seats in the common area away from each other but within earshot. As the cruiser draws near it's lean, low hull marks it as a coastal ship, but the lines and weapon turrets present the image of a predator nonetheless.

Rather than rafting the ships together and all the complications that entails the Ossylian naval ship launched a small skiff with a half dozen uniforms aboard. Yuu is quick to point out that one of them is a nether adept after seeing her channel a small amount of energy into the small motor device affixed to the stern. His initial observation is confirmed as the group climbs onto their ship and the all-too-familiar insignia of the Mages of the Royal Armed Forces is evident on her sleeves. Once aboard, and after a brief discussion with the Captain, which Vanyra can hear is their intent to search the vessel for contraband and interview all passengers, they break into pairs and fan out.

Being in the middle section of the common seating area provides the trio with the chance to listen to a couple of question sessions prior to their turn. The questioning seems to be preliminary, as if they are screening people rather than a full interrogation, given the lack of thorough follow-up questions. In short order a pair of naval marines steps up to your seat, neither of them is the mage, and proceed with the following question series in a stern but somewhat disinterested manner:
"Your name and identify papers please."
"Where do you currently reside?"
"From where you have traveled?"
"What is your purpose for visiting Ossylia, and how long are you planning on staying?"
"Are you carrying any commercial goods you plan on trading while here?"
"Are you carrying any weapons with you?"

Following the questions and answers one of the marines quickly scribes a note on a yellow slip of paper and passes it to the interviewee, instructing them to give to the officer on the dock upon disembarking from the ship, and from there additional instructions will be provided.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:02, Fri 09 Dec 2016.

Zelpuz listens to the answers of other passengers, everything seems to go smoothly, so far. He tries to discern if any of the answers makes the guards pause or ask more questions than standard.

After pointing out the insignias, Yuu quietens himself and tries to steady his nerves. Returning to his home city is definitely playing emotional havoc, like an avalanche, everything just kind of tumbling everywhere in his guts. Nearly breaking into uncontrolled shakes, all he can do is wrap his mind into casting routines developed over the years for executing spells. Focused mind games that force his mind clear and opens his senses to the present. The past... future... intangible moments, with only the now, slowed to a hum, a vibration of light and sound.

He watches the vessel approach. He watches the officers board. And when they approach him, he answers.

"Um, hi." Yuu stutters. "Sarcen Thulm, just returning to the Academy, sir."
"I'm a student, I live in the Academy residence, and I was just visiting my family in Hasheli, sir"
"Just heading back to school, I'm in my last year, sir."
"I'm not planning any trade, and um, I don't have weapons, sir."
His answers are casually nervous.

The guards move on, finally arriving at Zelpuz. He answers:
"Zelpuz, here you go."
"I am with the Order, I was sent to this city a few weeks ago, so I reside with the Order here."
"From X"
"As I said, I am to report to the local chapter, it is up to them to decide how long I will stay here, I do not know."
"No."
"Yes."

Vanyra smiles and presents her papers to the official, leaning in while she pronounces her name, "Van-eer-a", for them.

She explains that she currently resides in Ossylia as her papers show and that she has been traveling all over the kingdom of Osslyia.  To support this, she names off various locations in the kingdom she has been to recently, and states things she liked in some of them.  She doesn't mention the Hesheli region in her statement.

Vanyra says that she is returning to the capital to look for new leads and that she is unsure how long she will stay.  She hopes that the city still has "fun stuff" to do despite whatever is going on.

She has no commercial goods, but she does have two knives.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Mon 12 Dec 2016.

The marines process each of your answers with little if any response. At the conclusion of the questioning each of you is handed a slip of paper with some basic information written on it; where you're from, destination and reason for coming to Ossylia and then some administrative codes that don't make any sense to you. Finally, they instruct you to give that slip to the officer on shore when they disembark, and with that they continue on through the ship to process the other passengers.

In total the investigation on the ship takes about 30 minutes and then the navy ship leaves to rendezvous with the smaller craft that separated earlier. The Sunset's Reach moves on toward the harbor gate and within the hour is lined up with several other ships awaiting entry. A crewman announces that they are waiting for permission to enter from the harbor patrol, but it should be within the next hour or two. A quick survey out the windows shows about 6 or 7 other ships anchored about within 200~400m of each other, all on the northern side of the water way leading to the gates.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:08, Mon 12 Dec 2016.

After the inspection team left, Vanyra, Yuu and Zelpuz gather at the starboard railing. "That was strange, what was that supposed to accomplish? Just a count of weapons or scanning of incoming merchandise? I doubt they were even cared if someone said the truth, and what was the magician there for?"

Vanyra shrugs and looks at Yuu.

Yuu provides an unnecessary in depth explanation of the philosophy and execution of Ossylian military use of Nether and hence mages, and by way of that ultimately states that almost all military units at the squad level and higher have a minimum of one mage. Thus the presence of a mage should not be alarming, in fact the opposite would have been more unusual.

Within the next hour and a half the Sunset's Reach enters the harbor proper and is directed to a pier. As the ship approaches the dock quite a few changes are visible, the most visible being a large fence or wall that encircles the entire harbor front. There are two distinct sections, one for passenger traffic and one for cargo. As expect their ship pulls into the passenger side where 5 other ships are berthed and a sizable crowd is lined up. As the crew finish the mooring preparations the group collects their things and prepares to disembark.

Upon exiting the ship's cabin a pair of Ossylian city guards are visible at the end of the gangplank, and are checking the slip of paper everyone was given for each passenger. As Vanyra, Yuu and Zelpuz reach the guards the slips are reviewed quickly and then directions are given to report to a particular counter number for further processing. Zelpuz is told to go to counter 9, Vanyra counter 3 and Yuu to Counter 2.

As they set off down the pier towards land they take note of the number of guards posted in the area and the few exits, only two exits actually, both of which are behind the counters ahead. There are a couple of tents set up on the far right of the counters that appear to be the guard posts for this area. As each of them find their particular lie and get into queue the level of awareness of the guards becomes evident; in stark contrast to the usual lackadaisical patrolling most guards do, these guards are keeping a close eye on the crowd.

"See you on the other side" Zelpuz murmurs to the other two before heading off to counter 9. He scans the area for possible escape routes should they become necessary. He walks as slowly towards the counter as possible without looking like he's obviously stalling while he scans the area and tries to listen to the guards at the counter.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:16, Wed 21 Dec 2016.

While passing time in line Zelpuz notices that all of the people ahead of him have the same colored slip of paper, which didn't really come as a surprise. People do seem to processed in a relatively quickly, with about three quarters of them moving on without issue and the others being lead away by another guard, though not in shackles. The area is crowded and sight lines are few, and escape routes even fewer; whoever designed this did so with the intent of keeping people in. In a pinch he figures a teleport to a nearby rooftop would suffice, but it would leave him quite exposed should anyone bother to look up.

Yuu and Vanyra find the situation similar in their respective lines, though they've yet to notice anyone being lead away by a guard and the conversations at the counter are only lasting about a minute following the exchange of some papers. It is probably a safe assumption that they are asking for some sort of ID.

Yuu steps up to the officer, and can be seen answering questions.

Zelpuz steps up to the counter, and after at most 2 or 3 questions, he follows another officer to one of the tents in the back.

Yuu is seen speaking with the officer briefly, before being handed a card and pamphlet, and is motioned on his way.

Zelpuz leaves the tent and heads towards the exit. Looking around, he sees Yuu at a different counter. Zelpuz is handing a piece of paper to the checkpoint and is motioned to move forward. He walks a little further down the alley. One of the food vendors a little down the road put up chairs and tables, Zelpuz orders some food and drinks and settles down at the roadside facing the inspection station.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:42, Tue 03 Jan 2017.

About eight minutes later, when he's halfway through his snack, Zelpuz notices Vanyra emerge from the security gate. With a quick telepathic shout, "I'm across the street on your right." and a wave he grabs Vanyra's attention.

Vanyra heads towards Zelpuz's mental voice while looking around for Yuu who she thought was in front of her.

"Hey, nice to see you." Zelpuz exclaims as Vanyra approaches. He waits for Vanyra to sit down to continue in a lower voice. "So how did it go? Seems like movement is somewhat restricted."

Vanyra walks up to Zelpuz and greets him with a nod while continuing to look around.  As she sits down she says, "Um, yeah, have you seen Yuu?  I thought he was in front of me."

"Hello again. Last time I saw him was in line and I thought he was getting his papers. Come, have some food and we can see. How was your interview?"

Vanyra and Zelpuz exchange their interview stories, with Zelpuz notifying her that his presence has already been made aware to the local chapter of the Order as there was an agent present within the security area. Vanyra for her part explains that the Freelancers guild house may have more answers as to what is going on here as her membership seemed to expedite her processing. Having said that she was sure Yuu had left before her and Zelpuz is fairly certain he did not see him exit the compound.

As they are discussing the possibilities of Yuu's whereabouts over some refreshments Zelpuz spots Yuu exiting, about 10 minutes after Vanyra.

Yuu appears from the exit, steps to the side and looks around. Spotting his friends, he smiles and makes his way over to them.

"I have something to tell you, but I can't tell you yet. But you'll understand why I couldn't tell you when I do tell you, so just know that the something I have to tell you will be told when it's time to tell you. Oh, you guys hungry for icecream?"

Vanyra looks cockeyed at Yuu, wondering if he will ever stop being so weird.  "OK..." she replies.  "Ice cream?"

"Hello again, seems like everything went fine. You know, you could just tell us when it's time." He looks at his plate. "Let me finish first, not sure if they have ice cream here, did you have a place in mind?"

The young mage nods to Vanyra, "Ice cream. It always induces feelings of happiness, and after a successful entrance back into the city.... a celebratory cone of frozen sugar on this beautiful day just seems right." He flops down in an empty chair beside the two. "I agree, I'll tell you when it's time. There's a shop along the way to Vanyra's, if I remember right. That's where we're still going?"

"Sounds like a plan. We'll follow your lead. I'd like to drop by the Order at some point, but let's have some ice cream first and go to Vanyra's."

"Do you think you'll have problems with your Order, from what the border guards response was?" Yuu inquires.

"The Order seems to have their own handling of entry for members, quite friendly. I was advised not to wander off too much because there are many control points and movement seems to be limited though."

The group passes a few minutes while the snacks are consumed and then head off down the harbor front street towards the Freelancer guild. The area feels more crowded than usual, a possible byproduct of funneling everyone through a single area, but otherwise quite normal. Before long they arrive at the walled compound that is the guild house.

The 3m high walls block any immediate view of the courtyard and are made of reinforced ceramic with no open windows. The upper stories of the 5 floor building are visible from the street level. A pair of guards stand out front of the main gate.

Vanyra approaches the guards nonchalantly.  With a smile on her face she shows her identification and asks to enter with her companions.

The first guard takes a quick look and waves Vanyra in. The other guard maintains his vigil over the passersby.

Zelpuz looks at the guards and walks with Vanyra. "Are you coming too?" he says looking at Yuu.

Yuu shakes his head, "Nah, you go ahead. I'm going to dawdle about down this street over here."

Yuu moves off down the street towards some random shops and street vendors while Vanyra and Zelpuz enter the Freelancer compound. Beyond the gate a small but elegant rock garden adorns the yard leading up to the main doors. The double doors are finely crafted but fairly nondescript, but neither the Freyan nor Mespah can quite identify what material they are made of, possibly some sort of ceramic. The doors swing open with little effort to present a foyer containing a sitting area and a pair of administrative desks, beyond which a secured door leads further into the building.

Upon their entrance the clerk present looks up from his desk and gives the pair of new arrivals a discerning quick once-over before greeting them, "Hello and welcome to the Ossylian branch of the Freelancers. Anything I can help you with today?"

Vanyra smiles nicely and replies, "Hi.  I was hoping to talk to someone about the situation in town?" gritting her teeth a little while smiling she supplicates "Hopefully the Lance Commander?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:38, Fri 03 Feb 2017.

With a slightly quizzical look, "That's a little high on the shelf for basic information about what's going on miss. You a member of the Freelancers?"

Vanyra continues smiling and answers "Yes, I am," while re-displaying her ID. "and I'm looking to talk about more than just basic information."

The Freelancer takes the card and studies it for a moment, glances back at Vanyra and again at the ID before handing it back. "Fair enough, welcome back. Now I'm not trying to turn you away, but there's procedure to be followed. The reason I'm here is so that the people in the back aren't interrupted every 5 minutes. So let's hear what you want to know first, and if I can't answer it then we'll setup an appointment with an officer."

"Well, OK, I do need some basic information," Vanyra replies.

"What can you tell me about the situation in the city right now?"

"If you keep you nose clean and stick to the essentials you shouldn't run into any problems. City's under martial law after a half-assed coup attempt, of sorts, among the ruling parties. With that said there are a lot of bounties out there now if you're willing to take a gamble, but you never know if the bounty you pick up now has a brother who will become the next leader of the country. So my advice is to avoid any of the too-good-to-be-true bounties; stick to the basics and let the rookies and fools chase the others." the sergeant explains, obviously annoyed at the idea of the city's in-fighting. He slides the bounty book over and then, unexpectedly, grabs a second volume of the same; it would certainly seem a lot of names have been added.

"Movement is somewhat restricted; they don't want people just running about, but if you have your Freelancer ID with you, you should be fine. I'd recommend keeping your weapons light as well; don't give the authorities an excuse to shake you down or mistake you for something else. The flip side of all this is that any one you encounter, save the Ossylian military, are likely to be equally or less armed than you."

"There is a limited curfew in place, from two hours after sun set until sun rise. It's limited in that it applies largely to residential neighbourhoods and a few less-commercial areas; they don't want to impact business any more than they already have apparently. Again, just make sure you have your ID with you and don't go looking for trouble and you should be fine."

Vanyra turns the books around, pushing one towards Zelpuz, and starts looking through one, paying attention for names she recognizes.  "So, is there a map of the areas with a curfew?  And do you think they will care about my blade?" while indicating the her weapon.

The sergeant glances quickly at Vanyra's blade and shakes his head, "I doubt it, though you come across the wrong guy and they may use it as leverage against you. Put you in a position where they can coerce some money or more from you, if you know what I mean. The Ossylian military is too professional for that kind of crap, but the local town constabulary is no better than anywhere else in Khayluhn."

The books contain a series of single page bounty dossiers, complete with pictures, last suspected location, known accomplices and haunts, any pertinent skills and then the reason for their bounty, which ranges from simple theft to grandiose statements concerning their ills deeds. The books are ordered chronologically, with the oldest Bounties being at the front, followed by any amendments (increase in reward) to said bounty, and then moving on to the newer ones. Given the time period of the couple weeks since their flight from the capital the two narrow their search to the later 2/3rd of total.

"As for a map, forget about it. They change their minds almost daily; one day there is no curfew, the next there is and then it's off again. Whenever some operation is planned they're likely to put a  curfew on that area, but they've been keeping their agenda quiet beyond that. With the check posts at all the major thoroughfares you'll be informed if and when a curfew is in place." the Freelancer continues.

During the first cursory glance through the bounty binders neither Vanyra nor Zelpuz find one for Yuu or his parents, at least as far as they know them. A more detailed review of the bounties may turn up something though.

"Wow, sounds complicated.  I'll be careful," Vanyra replies.  "So what did you mean by 'half-assed'?  Who won and who lost?"

The Sergeant shrugs, "Nobody as far as I can tell. If somebody had won decisively there would be martial law imposed. From what I can tell the Reforgers thought the Novians were gaining too much influence and decided to take them down a peg, only the whole thing seems forced. The Ossylian military is pretty well disciplined and effective, so if they wanted something done they could have done it. I'm guessing there was some dissension in the ranks, and/or someone pushed them to act before they were ready. Either way we're in the thick of it now. They never gave us any grief thankfully, be a shame to have to call in an orbital strike to a city like this."

"What's an orbital strike by your group? Is that what you saw? Maybe you should ask to be added to a 'keep-me-informed-list'." Zelpuz communicates to Vanyra telepathically.

Vanyra thinks towards Zelpuz, "I saw two meteors fall from the heavens toward the city." and shudders.  "I can keep checking in with this headquarters to make sure."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:10, Sun 12 Feb 2017.

"Where are the ruling families in all this?  Is there still open fighting, or is that going on in secret?", Vanyra asks the freelancer.

The sergeant looks quizzically at Vanyra and Zelpuz for a moment before answering, "I take it you guys are pretty new here. First, the ruling families are the ones behind this whole mess, at least a portion of them. The King is officially neutral, but that's mostly because he has limited power without support of the majority of the houses, and it's those houses that are battling each other. As for fighting there was never any 'open' fighting, not real fighting anyways, it's mostly just political maneuvering... locking up the right people, making others disappear or putting them under house arrest, and then trying to muscle your agenda through the handicapped government."

Vanyra smiles at the sergeant.  "So of the ruling families, is there any way to know who is free and who is missing or locked up?"

Vanyra is thinking back to Zelpuz that it sounds to her that the coup is still ongoing and causing a lot of chaos.  She is trying to get information on Yuu's family and will ask to see superior officers if the desk sergeant doesn't know as much about that sort of thing.

"Well I suppose you could just go and ask the Ossylian guard, they may tell you who they have locked up, but maybe they won't. Plus there could be people locked up secretly all over; they naturally aren't making announcements of it. At the end of the day it's not worth getting involved in, even for good money. Freelancers don't get involved with local politics; it's bad for business. Likewise I suggest you stay as far away from this mess as possible." the sergeant replies.

"I'm just hoping to find out who to avoid at this point. Any chance anyone knows more about who might be in charge of what in the middle of this mess?"

"For that I'd look low if I were you. While all the action is being played out between the upper echelons of society the underbelly is taking note and names. They've always had their ear to the ground, but now it's a wellspring. You two look like you can handle yourself, and most won't try to pull one over on a Mespah, but be careful... things are on a knife's edge in some parts."

Zelpuz smiles at the sergeant with the most innocent look he can muster.

"Ok! Well that was very helpful, thank you." Vanyra replies happily.  "I'm going to take a look at these bounties for a while."

"Knock yourself out; if you find any you're interested in just let me know and I'll log your number one them."

While Vanyra and Zelpuz are busy inside, Yuu has found himself a comfy wall to sit against, watching the crowds and traffic drift by. He pulls out a notepad, and scribbles idle thoughts into it... ideas for inventions, basic mechanic schematics, the blueprints for a planet destroying space station that would include a vent port as its only weakness. Basic stuff. It's also a distraction from dealing with his feelings on returning. He's home, but there's an element of real danger that had never existed for him before. An uncomfortable itch keeping him from the comfort of familiar surroundings. A thought that occurred to him, did this danger arise with the latest coup or was it always there and he simply grew up completely unaware of it? Schematics are definitely easier to puzzle over, he decides.

Vanyra and Zelpuz leave the Freelancer compound and find Yuu not too far up the street, minding his own business with a notebook in hand as the myriad of passersby go about their day.

Zelpuz taps him on the shoulder. "Hello again friend, are you lost in your world again?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:55, Thu 23 Feb 2017.

Yuu looks up, and greets the Mespah with a smile. He then stands, stretching out stiff legs and tidying away his thought book. "Find out anything?"

"Well, none of us or anyone that Vanyra or I know is on the hitlist. Other than that, there seems to be some continued fighting between houses to adjust the power distribution, thus the random curfews. Let's head to Vanyra's place, it's close, we can all use some rest and a place to chat."

With that the group heads back to Vanyra's apartment in the waning light of the day, arriving just as the twilight retreats into the clear darkness of a late summer's night. The apartment, save for a slight accumulation of dust here and there is as they left it a couple weeks past. There is a small pile of notices and flyers in the mail dropbox, none of which seem important save the reminder that from the building manager that Vanyra's 6 month lease is up at the end of the month and thus she should notify them should she wish to extend.

In the quiet calm of the apartment things seem relatively normal, giving the trio time to gather their thoughts and formulate their next plan of action.

Vanyra looks around the room, making sure that everything is as she left it.  She also goes to the window and looks out, around, and up.

As she starts this, she asks, "So, what first?"

"Well, let me tell you what happened on my side. I was ushered off to a representative of the Order, she checked my credentials and suggested I limit my movement around the city. I should check in at the headquarters tomorrow, also because I am curious what has happened so far. She did not have or reveal any more information about the city really. But from what I can tell, there is still sufficient order and the different organizations are not interfered with. So I would like to go to the Order and see if Lasrane is still showing up at the meeting point and has more stories to tell. Other than that, I am ready to help you, Yuu, if you need us."

Yuu flops himself on a couch, and watches as Vanyra makes her checks. His attention shifts to Zelpuz when he starts detailing out his journey through customs, and expression to help. The young man nods to the Mespah in thanks, "Thank you, both of you. You've both put yourself in danger returning, and I... genuinely, thank you. I'll tell you tomorrow what happened to me today, but I think I first want to scout my home. I need to know what the situation there is, it will better ground my thinking ahead."

"You may want to hear what we learned at the Guild first," Vanyra offers.  "It sounds like whatever fight the factions started is still going on.  There are unannounced curfews and blockades being put up anywhere at any time.  We don't know if someone has the upper hand or what has happened with any of the Families.  And we don't know if we can trust the police or the military."

Putting her hand on Yuu's shoulder, Vanyra continues, "I'm willing to help you figure out what happened to your parents, but you can't go alone or publicly to do that.  And since we're helping you, you need to tell us what you know so we don't get captured or worse," Vanyra jabs Yuu in the ribs, "OK?"

Yuu nods excitedly, "Let's go spy it out tonight? Then we'll know a little more what's going on. Oh and ya, the army and police are dangerous to trust. At least until we figure out who attacked my home the night we fled."

"All right, we can do that, what's your plan? Sneak in to your house and see who's there? And when, should we get some rest first?"

"Going in might not be safe. I think we better scout it out over the course of a few days. See who comes in and out. I'll also start getting in touch with a couple friends... Xander and Marcus? I think you've met them. And yeah, let's get some rest here, and start off in a few hours?"

"That sounds fine," Vanyra adds.  "So Yuu, what did you learn today? If you thought that rib poke hurt, wait to see what I do next if you keep being cagey."

"Hm? Well, I learned Carter's Ice Cream still makes the best ice cream this side of Ossylia. And I learned that tomorrow we'll learn more than we know today, I guarantee. And tonight, I hope, too."

"If you only want to scout who goes in and out, why do you want to go at night? Wouldn't people be sleeping or does your family have the habit of night time conferences?"

"I'm not sure I want to be in the neighbourhood during the day... too many eyes about in a neighbourhood that knows me very well. Scouting it in the dark, at least gives me a chance to see the situation without threat of recognition."

"OK, but I bet if we dress you in beggar's clothes, maybe add some dirt and you step in some dog poop for authentic smell, nobody would recognize you during the day either. But we can start tonight. Do you want us to come?"

Yuu's face twists at the idea of stepping himself in dog droppings. "Erm... my neighbourhood isn't known to have... beggars just wandering about. And... actually, I really want to go see now what's happened, not even sure I can sleep until I know, now that I'm so close.""

The young mage ponders a moment. "I think having your support is safer. But instead of moving together, we should keep spread a bit. If you keep an eye up high, and Vanyra, if you moved ahead about a block... I think you're way better at sneaking than me... we should be able to work our way through. The curfew thing seems kind of random, so safest to act like it's on unless it's super clear we're in a place it's not."

"Right, well, you could dress up as someone else, but let's go when it's dark." Zelpuz scratches his chin, "So how do you plan on staying in contact if we spread out? I could act as medium, but we need some signal if I loose contact to regroup. When do you want to start Yuu, as soon as it's dark?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:43, Sun 19 Mar 2017.

"I'm fine going whenever," Vanyra adds, walking back up to Yuu and leans over to look down into his face.  "Right after Yuu tells us what he is keeping from us."

Yuu sits in though for a while, pondering the depths of his mind for the myriad of things he knows but has not revealed to Vanyra or Zelpuz; The Frensen Theory of Quantum Dimension Transference, the designs of his nether pheromone spray, the location of journal in his room, the events the last time Marcus, Xander, Saya and himself were all on the town together, the waterfall incident back in Hasheli, and the list went on. But he couldn’t see how any of these were of immediate relevance to the task of ascertaining what has happened to his parents, “I’m not sure to what you’re referring. There are many things I know, but have not told you, but I don’t see how any of those are of relevance to our task at hand, and I would prefer to keep many of them to myself, thank you. What I can share is the layout of my family compound and the surrounding area so that we may be ready for whatever may come.”

With that the mage pulls out a large piece of drafting paper and a pencil from that unfathomable satchel of his and begins sketching an area map. The basic layout of the walls, streets and houses are somewhat familiar to Vanyra and Zelpuz, as they had visited previously, but Yuu goes into greater detail to identify surrounding structures, the names of the neighbouring Houses, their presumed political affiliation and house guard strength, and finally the major rooms, entries and guard posts of his family estate. As it turns out, if you’re going to monitor somewhere it is a good idea to have someone from there assist in the planning.

Given their combined abilities and knowledge of the area they identify a half dozen primary observation posts, with each one within line-of-sight of at least one other, assuming they’d be able to see each other through their stealth mechanisms. The big unknown is the presence of the military, or other actors, that Yuu spied upon his flight a few weeks back. It is a reasonable assumption that someone would be monitoring the area covertly and/or overtly, and thus caution must be exercised. The last bit of business to define is exactly what pieces of intelligence they are looking for.

"So that's the physical lay of the neighbourhood, with added details of my own compound and main areas." Yuu says, waving his head across the rather detailed map.

He continues. "What we're looking for is... well, is my House still standing? Do we still have House guards and are they still wearing Jin colours? Is there a camp of guards surrounding my House suggesting a House arrest? Are the neighbourhood patrols wearing city guard colours, or something different? And... if there are street spies, can we figure out who they are?" The mage takes a breath. "Basically I have no idea what to expect or what we'll see. And... I guess most important, if we can, are my mom and dad still safely inside?"

Still with her hand on Yuu's shoulder and having bent down from her 6'1" height to be staring directly into Yuu's face from mere inches away, Vanyra puts her other hand on Yuu's shoulder and squeezes his shoulders forcefully while sternly saying, "You still haven't answered my question.  I am not going out there until you tell us what you were talking about earlier with what you learned today.  I am not going to let you risk our lives by not sharing information. Do you want me to hang you out the window next or are you going to answer my question?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:14, Sun 26 Mar 2017.

Yuu offers a sympathetic smile, "Is Myrria your friend?"

The red coloration in Vanyra's skin fades somewhat and she answers, "What? Yes, of course. Why?"

"And you care about her?" he continues.

Vanyra stares at Yuu waiting for him to continue.

"And you would do anything to keep her safe from threats?"

"You better finish your thought," Vanyra states.

"My thought was finished, the question is yours to answer."

"Actually, I am quite interested in Myrria's safety as well" Zelpuz chimes in. "What do you know that is relevant to Myrria and her safety?"

The mage looks to Zelpuz, then to Vanyra, then back to Zelpuz, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What?"
This message was last edited by the player at 11:05, Sat 08 Apr 2017.

Vanyra says, "That's it, we're going to the window," tightens her grip, and proceeds to drag Yuu towards the window.

"Ahrk...." Yuu spouts initially tensing at the strong grip, but then relaxes. As his feet slide limply across the dusty floor, he continues. "Great idea. Hang me out the window, because that won't call attention to ourselves." He looks towards Zelpuz, shrugging.

"Plus, I can fly." he adds.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:15, Sat 08 Apr 2017.

"OK, before we play the 'how to scare Yuu game', how about you just tell us what potential threats there are to Myrria's safety?"

Vanyra stops her progress across the room.

"Look, I have no idea if she's in danger." the young mage responds, dangling lamely from the Freyan's grip. "But some of my friends might be, or could become. But I won't know until tomorrow." he sighs. "The care you have for your friend, is the same as I have for mine. Which is why dangling me out of the window wouldn't work. Even if it worked. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but nothing I am not saying is a danger to you. Unless it is, but then... that'd be down to coincidence, not impenitence."

Zelpuz looks confused. "Could you help me make sense of this? Pick one of these three options.
1) Myrria may be in danger, you are not sure, but revealing that information could endanger your friends?
2) You only used Myrria as an example to explain your feelings towards your friends and the situation?
3) Something else.
If you choose 3, please be so kind as to elaborate what I missed."

"Seriously, it wasn't obvious? I thought I was being rhetorical enough..." he frowns in thought before continuing. "Then, I choose door number 2. I was using Myrria as an example. I'm excited about something that's going to happen tomorrow. But I can't tell you yet, because friends might get hurt if I do."

"How would telling us hurt your friends?  How could us knowing change anything?", Vanyra states.

"If we want to work together, I think we need to trust each other." Zelpuz says. "So I am fine with that explanation for now." He pauses and continues looking down at Yuu on the floor. "But I expect that to go both ways, so as long as not revealing the information doesn't endanger anyone, no worries. But maybe next time, wait for the right moment to mention your surprises."

"You guys are going to be fun on your birthdays. 'Hey, I got a present for you! Can't wait to... Oh, arghggggg....'" Yuu simulates being choked and elbow dropped.

He continues dangling.

"You guys made a way bigger deal of this than I thought... I have a surprise for you guys, and I'll reveal it tomorrow. How that could balloon into me being interrogated and tossed out a window a hundred stories up, I... did not predict."

"You are right. I guess we are a bit tense here, maybe we should get some rest after our reconnaissance mission now. Is it time yet?"

Vanyra lets go of Yuu.  "Trust is right.  You hide things and then act like a pain when you should tell people stuff.  It makes me feel like one of your servants and doesn't give me trust.  And you never said anything was a surprise."

"We can go when we're ready."

After making some preparations the group heads out shortly after the sun sets. The streets are fairly quiet, with only one or two people spotted going about their business. No guards or soldiers are encountered until they near the unmarked border between the midtown market area and the High Quarter. As they round a corner they spot a checkpoint some ways down the street, manned by a pair of guards.

"Hm, that seems new." Yuu observes. He looks around.

Vanyra's skin tone begins to subtly shift towards a shadowy grey-black and then she nimbly ascends the side of the building with a series of leaps pull-up thrusts. Once at the top she surveys the area and signals down to Yuu and Zelpuz that it looks clear from there. Meanwhile, the two guards are casually tending their post, having just finished processing one noble-looking fellow and recording something in a logbook at their table.

Yuu watches with a sense of awe as Vanyra shifts and disappears into the darkness. He looks to Zelpuz, giving the Mespah a slight nod.

Zelpuz blends into the dark of the next alley and follows Vanyra's direction along the side streets.

Yuu takes a calming breath, and walks towards the guard post.

As Vanyra and Zelpuz move along the rooftops of the buildings towards the dividing wall of the High Quarter, Yuu moves towards the checkpoint. The guards pay little attention to Yuu until he is about 5 meters away, at which point they come to, with one moving to the table and the log book there and the other stepping forward to question Yuu.

"Name, business and identification please," the guard requests once Yuu is within a couple meters of the checkpoint.

"Good evening. Sarcen Thulm. I'm a student at the Academy, just staying with some family friends." Yuu passes the id card over.

The guard takes the ID card, glances it at and then hands it to his partner at the desk, who begins searching in the log book.

"Who exactly are these family friends you're staying with?" the nearest guard inquires.

"The Maciej's. They live on Gerabond street." he replies matter of fact.

The guard nods at Yuu's response and then waits while his companion continues checking the log book. Finally the guard looks up from the book, "I've no record of you in our log, for the Maciej's or anyone else."

The first guard speaks up again, "I'm sorry but we cannot let you through during aftereve without your name being registered. You can come back in the morning to have the matter cleared up with the Maciej's. If you would like to leave a message to be delivered to them now, if this is an emergency I can have a runner do so."

Yuu furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Huh. Sorry, I just arrived by ship earlier, I didn't realise the protocol. So they have to register my name as a visitor for after hours travel through this check point? And it's no biggie. I can return to the Academy and try again in the morning; but appreciate that, thank you."

The guard nods, "Yes, due to the recent troubles movement to certain parts of the city has been restricted as a security measure. Some people are more aware of it than others due to their livelihood. Again apologies for the inconvenience."

"Ya, I was up in Hasheli on holiday when rumours came through about the troubles. Took a while before chartered ships were entering back in. What happened, anyway?" asks the young mage openly.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:06, Wed 10 May 2017.

"We're not at liberty to say. You can read about it in the papers I'm sure." the guard replies.

Yuu nods, "I haven't had much time to speak with anyone, but I can understand that. Will you guys still be here come morning?"

"Depending on what time we may be. It could be someone else; we've logged your name and access request though, so whoever is here will be aware of it." the guard replies.

"Long shift for you guys. Thanks for your help; have a good night." with that, Yuu turns around and heads off around the corner.

"So what's the plan?" a voice appears in Yuu's head.

Yuu looks around, realises he has no idea where Zelpuz is currently standing, so just gives a thumbs up instead. He points to his eyes, and then points to the surrounding area, sort of in a 'please let me know if something is around me' kind of way.

He steps into the shadow, just against the wall surrounding the inner city. He pulls something from his back, and lays it on the ground. He sits down on top of it, points up at the top of the wall, then... disappears.

"Impressive. OK, back to the plan. Onwards to our destination" Yuu hears.

"I'm up on the top wall here, just getting myself over. Do you see that corner ahead, next to the leather shop with the red sign? It has a bench just opposite."

"Yes, meet you there"

The trio moves on through the relatively deserted streets of the High Quarter to the designated meeting spot. The last vestiges of twilight can be seen surrendering to night on the western horizon. The shops have closed for the day and the few people moving about seem to be either returning home from work or headed out for some late night libations. After a few minutes the area appears clear of interlopers.

After a quick recap of the surveillance plan Zelpuz, Yuu and Vanyra spread out along the shadows of the nighttime streets outside the Jin compound. The walls of compound block view of the interior from the street level, but upon quick inspection do not reveal any signs of battle or struggle; everything appears normal from the outside. The main entrance is staffed by a single sentry, bearing the sigil of House Jin on his uniform.

Yuu does not recognize the guard from this distance, especially during these evening hours, and decides against a closer examination. After circling the block nothing stands out to Yuu as usual. A better vantage point is needed and with Vanyra and Zelpuz keep watch at either ends of the street, Yuu levitates himself up to peer over the wall.

The courtyard beyond is a welcome sight, bringing back a flood of old memories and warm feelings that clash with the cold reality of his purpose tonight. A quick glance reveals very little out of place, a few items missing or damaged relative to his last memory, and there is a notable presence of guards about. While some of them are in House Jin uniforms many more are in standard Ossylian military uniforms and are obviously not part of the typical retinue of guards. Yuu does not see any nether-based wards or protective measures, but this does not comfort him as he knows any good defensive measure would be well hidden. Even with just the increased guard numbers, assuming at least a few of them are trained mages, will make entering the house difficult.

"There's an Ossylian military presence inside, along with our own House guard." Yuu sends to the team. "I'm going to spend a bit of time observing, if that's ok. Anything down on street level?"

"Nothing on my side. Should we spread out a bit or just set up camp here?"

"Nothing special here either."

While Vanyra and Zelpuz move about in the shadows of street's periphery, Yuu quietly maintains his elevated observation position. Activity within his family courtyard is low, as he should have expected despite his desire for action. The patrols are regular and are performed by trios of military members, while the few house guards maintain their position at designated posts.

There are many more active persons in the compound than there would be under regular conditions, but at the same time they do not appear to be operating under heightened alert conditions. Their movements are precise and practiced, but they also convey a sense of mundane routine; Yuu gets the sense that they are professionals, but this is not the type of work they are used too. Similarly they do not appear to be taking any particular measures to counter escape from anyone on the inside.

As night moves on the patrols continue their routes, and eventually as aftereve flips to night there is a guard phased changing of the guard over the following hour. Shortly thereafter Yuu spots his father emerge onto the terrace of their bedroom for a pipe. He is dressed in his evening wear and looks healthy and relaxed from this distance.

Yuu sits up, having nearly drifting off on occasion. He wipes the tiredness from his eyes and focuses his mind.

"My father just emerged." he reports to his friends.

Gathering himself, the mage closes his eyes, and draws on the ether within. He pulls forth the incantations and gestures necessary for a single, minor imp to manifest itself.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:38, Tue 27 June 2017.

A small sphere of greenish hue rotates, and hatches like an egg.... a small imp emerges, shades like the edge of a blue iris wrap the creature against the night. He flutters down to the crossed legs of the mage, and looks up expectantly. Yuu reaches into his pocket and pulls out a scrap of paper, flicks a pen from an inside pocket, and scribbles a few words. He gives the note and his personal house pin to the imp.

"Be very careful with these, and try not to startle my father. Avoid the guards at all costs. Lay these out in front of you, and wait for my father to see you. Maybe... cough or something."

The imp nods its understanding, and springs from Yuu's knees like a skinned cat. The wings splutter the summoned creature forward, silently, into the night sky towards the balcony where Yuu's father stands.

After spying the imp from a distance Yuu's father prepares to call for the guards, but spies the family insignia and refrains from alarming the others. He allows the imp to approach, takes the note, spends a moment reading it and then enters his quarters. The imp is left pondering what to do for a couple minutes until Yuu's father returns with the same piece of paper and hands it back to the imp, bidding it return to it's master.

Yuu watches the exchange from his elevated vantage point. He tries to remain calm, but seeing his dad leaves him feeling deeply home sick. As the imp returns, Yuu tries to will the fat little thing to fly faster. Eventually it plops down in front of him. He takes the note with shaky fingers, and reads. He reads it again.

The young mage scribbles a reply, and hands it back to the imp. The imp furrows its eyebrows, mumbling under its breath something about menial tasks, and flutters off back towards the balcony.

Through his mind link, he speaks: "Apparently these extra guards are from a 'Protector'. Parliament is a very tense place these days, and lots is unfolding there. I'm asking for some details. But at least everyone here seems safe."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:01, Sun 02 July 2017.

Yuu scribbles back his note, "Who are these 'Protectors'? Are they guarding you or imprisoning you?"

The imp messenger flies back, waits and receives a response before returning to Yuu. The message reads, "Likely members of the special forces or Royal Elites, judging by their behavior. They change regularly. We are under constant guard more than imprisonment."

"Guards are coming, they appear to be purposely searching the perimeter and they are headed towards you." Vanyra thinks to the group. "Time to move."

"Yes, they seem to have noticed something. Yuu, are you ready to leave?"

"Got it." Yuu replies.

He sends one last message, ordering the imp not to wait once the message is delivered. Simply fly straight back. Once the imp departs, the mage begins to lower himself from his elevated position.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:09, Sat 22 July 2017.

Maintaining their various methods of obfuscation the trio retreats back away from the Jin compound, and not a moment too soon. The two pairs of guards arrive at where Yuu had been a couple minutes later from opposite directions. Finding nothing of note they both retreat back the way they came. It would certainly seem that while security may not appear tight there are watchful eyes about.

It is well into the night now and fatigue from the long day's events is starting to creep in.

"So was it useful? What did you find out?" Zelpuz asks when they reach Vanyra's flat again.

Yuu is laying out his bedding, stifling yawns and barely keeping his eyes open. The stress, excitement, anxiety, fear and nostalgia all boiled over and he feels drained, spiritually and physically.

"I know they are alive, and protected. Whether from themselves or an outside force, I couldn't get answered. It wasn't safe for me to go inside though, even just my parents room, so... something is definitely amiss. But he wouldn't be casually smoking a pipe on our balcony if he was locked away in prison. At this point, you guys know as much as I do. I sent a last message telling him I'd be back in a few days. Maybe we can learn more in the meantime, and I can present more questions to him."

"Sounds good, seems like things are not too chaotic here so far." Zelpuz says while trying to get comfortable. "Let's think about what we can do next, maybe we can see if Lasrane is still around tomorrow. Good night."

Yuu slurs a barely comprehensible 'good night' of his own as dream land steals him away.

When they finally wake up again in the morning, Zelpuz says while having tea and bread: "I'll have to head to the Order today to register and to see what's going on there. Let's see if I can find a hint if information Lasrane provided is true."

Still feeling groggy, Yuu munches a chocolate muffin. "They might have some pretty balanced views on what's going on in town, something we may find difficult to gather on our own."

"I'll see what I can find out. Should we meet back here in the early evening? Maybe we can see if Lasrane really shows up at the place we said we would meet, or if he hired some hitmen in case we show up."

"What should I do?" Vanyra asks.

"I think I should go to the Order myself, but you could be a very helpful set of watchful eyes when I am looking for Lasrane."

"Sure, I can do that." Vanyra replies.

"Sounds good. So we'll meet back here after Yuu and I run our morning errants to plan for the potential evening meeting with Lasrane." Zelpuz says as he is getting ready to head out to register at the local Order.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:36, Wed 16 Aug 2017.

"So what time do you want to meet back here for?" Yuu asks, confirming timings.

"I assume my trip to the Order won't take too long, but just in case, let's say we meet back here for dinner, say around the 7th hour of aftereve? I'd like to go check out the Mirrored Moon and its surrounding tonight before potentially meeting Lasrane there tomorrow."

"Hm, could we make it the 9th hour instead? That thing that is going to happen will take me a bit late. Hopefully I'll have more to share come dinner conversation."

"Sure, we'll just meet here. And if something comes up and one of us is late, we just meet back here later. If you are too late, we may be at the Mirrored Moon, and after that we'll come back here."

With that Zelpuz heads off to the Order's chapterhouse, where he had fled not that long ago with Myyria. On the way he began to develop a convincing story why the two had fled the city day's past, one with just enough truth to obscure any stealthy mind probes. The journey did not take long as the Mespah knew the way quite well by now.

Upon arrival everything appeared normal from the outside. As Zelpuz entered the building he was greeted by the front clerk, and thereafter informed them he had just arrived back in the city and had been asked to check-in by the agent at the quarantine area. The clerk nodded in understanding and confessed that staffing the Ossylian immigration zone was not really business they should be attending to, but it was a necessary gesture of cooperation with the government in these troubled times. With that Zelpuz was asked to have a seat and a refreshment in the waiting room while he contacted the Chapter Master.

The Chapter Master arrives about 10 minutes later and invites Zelpuz to his office. There he inquires after the location of his partner Myria and what has transpired. Zelpuz relates the tale of his continued surveillance of Lasrane, against the wishes of the local chapter. He also informs him that he uncovered Lasrane's connection to a particular captain used by the Blood Runner's gang, and suspects Lasrane expected to flee the city by the ship. Thereafter, he returned to the Chapter House to visit Myria to seek her advice. They agree to seek out the filed charter for the vessel of this Captain Westling to determine it's next port of call after Ossylia. It was then that the city began to fall into chaos and was put under lockdown. Rather than being trapped in city the two of them left and went to a town along the Krev river and eventually to Gung Han. There they decided to slip up and continue the search, with Zelpuz returning to Ossylia to check in and Myria going to Arghos to search for records on the ship.

The Chapter Master takes in the details and is dismayed that his directives were not followed, but will not fault other agents for carrying out their duties. He then presses for information on how the other areas of the Kingdom are perceiving the troubles that have befallen the city. He admits there has largely been a blackout and blockade for some time, and only recently have they allowed people back in. He suspects Lasrane may still be around, though they will have to look into the whereabouts of the Captain Westling and his ship.

Beyond that he informs Zelpuz that the city's base is firm and the troubles are only occurring at the top of the power pyramid; the regular folk needn't worry unless they are in the crossfire. Things appear to have stabilized for now, with the Reforgers taken definitive and firm action against a few 'rebellious' cells that may be linked to other factions. Ultimately though it's a stalemate and the Tradtionalists still hold the slight majority and the support of the Royal family and most military units. Details Mespah need not concern themselves unless some of this can be traced back to Lasrane. Thus the Chapter must double it's efforts to verify whether he is in the city or not, but must do so very subtly. After that he invites Zelpuz to stay for lunch.

Meanwhile Yuu and Vanyra head out, with the eye-catching Freyan keeping a fair distance as the mage moves through the city to the clinic of his friend Marcus. After about 30 minutes they make their way to an emergency clinic on the edges of the northern harbor and merchant districts. Before entering Yuu casually looks around, spots Vanyra and gives her a wink as if he approved of the scenery and moves in. Taking the hint Vanyra gathers that this is the place and moved closer to gain a view and ear of the scene.

The place is fairly crowded but nothing out of the ordinary for what Vanyra would expect in this part of town and time of day; it's a split between regular ailments and injuries and people who definitely had too much fun the previous night. After speaking the the triage nurse Yuu waits several minutes before finally Marcus walks through the door and appears somewhat dumbstruck that his friend is here. Upon hearing the initial greeting Vanyra is assured that this is the place and decides to pursue her own channels of investigation.

Through the rest of the morning Vanyra is able to meet up with some prior bounty hunter contacts and grease the palms of a few old informants, as well as keeping her ears open at the right pub. From this she learns that while there are a lot of bounties out there the criminal elements have largely gone on vacation. All the new contracts are for 'traitors', 'terrorists' and the like, with the occasional smuggler thrown in for good measure. Many of the local, seasoned hunters are staying away from these bounties due to their probable political implications, but a lot of rookies are taking them up. The guards have returned largely to normal now, with the regular patrols, but the local military garrison has special detachments sent throughout the city at irregular intervals for who knows what. Sometimes it appears they are on patrol, sometimes they are performing a raid and sometimes they're sent as escorts. So until things return a bit more to normal many of legal fringe are keeping their heads down.

Back in the clinic Yuu greets Marcus somewhat casually, but Marcus isn't really buying it and invites Yuu back to his office after a hand clap and hug. Naturally Marcus is curious as to where Yuu has been and what's going on with him. Marcus relates that Saya came around about a week prior asking after him as well, and at that point Marcus figured something bad was afoot. He went by Yuu's place and nothing, and then he couldn't even get into the high district to check Yuu's family compound. Now suddenly he's here, and Marcus wants to know what the seven moons of Kahlyun is going on?

Zelpuz gratefully accepts the invitation to lunch. He conveys the general rumors and sentiment he picked up along his travel regarding the city and the lockdown, noting that most information was pure speculations as very few people seemed to have actual information, given that no one could get in.
Zelpuz offers his help to track down Lasrane again. He did so once and may have an advantage as he can recognize people that he linked to Lasrane. At a later point during lunch Zelpuz asks if the Order is in need of any other help, possibly to fill in for members that can not be here in light of travel restrictions. And when the conversation steers towards the situation in the city again, Zelpuz asks about the movement restrictions inside the city that he was told about when he entered and wonders if he would be allowed to move around more if he reveals that he is a member of the Order or if would be better to keep a low profile.

The Chapter Master does invite Zelpuz to participate in the group effort to determine Lasrane's whereabouts; they must first find out if he has left the city or not before channeling additional efforts. As to the travel restrictions he's in the dark as much as anyone else. They are largely static, but there have been instances where a temporary blockade is setup around an area; no doubt in response to a particular raid or operation being conducted. Increasingly though they are fewer and fewer. Likely travel restrictions will begin to be lifted in the next couple of weeks.

Zelpuz agrees, "Will the efforts to locate Lasrane be coordinated in a larger group? Otherwise, I'd be happy to look for him and report back once I hear anything."

The Chapter Master replies that Lasrane is still a wanted target of the Order and thus all Order agents are bound to seek his apprehension. Any information is to be reported back to the local Chapter as is standard protocol.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:22, Sun 24 Sept 2017.

After the warm, excited greetings are over, Yuu fills Marcus in... about the attack on his family estate, the escape with his sister with the help of a couple friends ("You remember the Mespah and the Freyan girl? Ya, that's the one.. and careful, she can probably hear you."), safety on Hasheli, and his return.

"I went back to visit home last night, and things are weird. Mother and Father seem safe, but... something is definitely not right. They've got special guards around the place, and even almost tracked me down."

Marcus informs Yuu that the battle being waged is above his family's pay-grade; there's something going on but it doesn't directly involve 90% of Ossyilia's population. The highest levels of power are jockeying for power it seems and some collateral damage is falling on the plebs, like at his clinic. Mostly things have been fine save for the travel restrictions, which do not effect most people except those that have the means to travel naturally. Marcus suspects the more militant Reforgers have the upper hand right now based on the increased military patrols and Saya paying him a random visit; she's an officer in the Ossylian forces and thus is privy to much more than a random doctor.

While he's glad Yuu is safe Marcus suspect's that someone is looking for him, unofficially, since his family is most certainly under some sort of house arrest; best to keep a low profile and out of site. The Reforgers do not have enough power in the Senate to make policy, but if they can strong-arm members of the Tradtionalists they may well have the votes. Yuu's family is most certainly a pawn in that game.

Zelpuz nods and continues his lunch, changing the topic asking about the Chapter Masters restaurant recommendations and other specialties of the city that are not currently restricted. When the topic comes back to street blockades, he asks about the 'other factions', who they are and how one could know how to avoid them.

"That's exactly what it seemed like at home... house arrest. I spoke with my dad, sort of. He seems in fine spirits. I think he knew that... since he was still being house arrested, it meant Qwe and I were safe. They think the assault on our house was an attempt to kidnap my sister and I just so they could do that strong arm thing. Assholes."

"Anything at the Academy been affected?"

Zelpuz: The Chapter Master explains the 3 main political factions; the Traditionalist, the Reforgers and the Novians. He does not provide any more information than Yuu had already elucidated on during their travels, save that the Reforgers appear to have the upper hand at the moment and are using loyal military units to quiet dissension.

Yuu: "Not really, as far as I'm aware, but that's not saying much. There are plenty of professors that lean to all sides of the political spectrum. I'm sure one or two have been placed under some type of arrest given all that's happened. I've been so busy here that I haven't inquired after things. Saya may know more, she's certainly plugged into the military affairs in the city now," Marcus explains.

Zelpuz continues to inquire about the street blockades. When he received his entry permit at the harbor and was told to avoid moving around. Of course looking for Lasrane, he'd like to check the places he saw Lasrane or the Blood Runners, which would require him to move around the city. While (according to the Chapter Mater) things are getting better, he wonders if there are special regulations for members of the Order, or if he should try to avoid moving between districts.

The Chapter Master is not aware of any restrictions on Mespah or members of the Order of Ashes. As a pseudo-law enforcement institution the Order is usually given some leniency to perform their duties. Having said that the local authorities will no doubt tell you if you're not allowed somewhere.

"Ya, there's a few friends I have to catch up with now I'm back. Did she come asking about me as more like...on official business? Or just Saya being Saya?"

"Well she's never come around here looking for you before... not that she had reason to though. She wasn't in uniform, but I suspect it was more than just a casual inquiry. If I recall correctly she seemed a bit distraught, at least to me. I mean, normally she's a pretty cool cookie, right." Marcus meanders through his memory of his meeting with the Gnarm woman.

"It's no secret we were friends... you didn't get anyone else coming to you asking about me did you? I'm really sorry if you had to take any heat."

"No worries. I haven't seen or heard of anyone asking for you here. I've been here at the clinic mostly since the declaration of martial law, so I'm not sure if anyone has been snooping around campus or not. But I haven't heard of anything." Marcus informs Yuu.

Yuu directs the conversation into lighter topics, before wrapping up with some goodbyes. The young mage really isn't sure what he's going to do himself about the whole situation, so decides his best bet for now is to keep Marcus from getting too wrapped into Yuu's own mess.

As the day wears into aftereve each of the intrepid investigators begins to make their way back to Vanyra's apartment near the harbor district. Using the relatively early hour to his advantage Zelpuz makes a short detour to the pub they had written for Lasrane to meet them at; Arkham's Abode. The tavern is sparsely populated at this time, giving the Order agent a full view of the layout, the door to the kitchen to the back and left beyond the bar, the bar store room in the back right, and the bathrooms forward of the bar and to the left. The tavern is tiered affair, with a raised dias a the front left of the common room, a sunken dance square with standing tables surrounding it, and finally the main floor full of tables with booths along the sides. The place can accommodate quite a crowd and that would likely make any hasty escapes difficult, of course meeting in any crowded tavern would make that difficult. It should be simple enough to find a place to meet someone out of the way of prying eyes though.

As aftereve draws past its mid-hour and the appetites of the group are beginning to rise, Zelpuz finally arrives back to find Vanyra and Yuu already at the apartment.

Yuu greets the Mespah.

"Find anything interesting? I met with Marcus, he filled me in on events, it's pretty much what we'd figured out. House arrests, and the Reforgers trying to force changes."

"Similar story, except for the house arrests. Seems like things are slowly getting better, at least for the general public and travel bans may be lifted bit by bit. I heard the Reforgers seem to have the upper hand and work together with the military." Zelpuz summarizes the rest of his conversation with the Order Master. "And he seemed quite interested to catch Lasrane, let's see how things develop when we go to the meeting spot tomorrow. At some point I will have to figure out who to trust."

"I'd be really surprised to see him there at all. If I was him, I'd have split long ago."

"Right, but if he shows up, it'll make his version of the story more believable. And if his allegations are correct, I need to report that, or stop it. If he doesn't show, I'll just keep looking for him and we can have some food there. And if he sends some hitmen, that'll also tell us something."

"Hitmen would be fun." the young mage quips, cracking his knuckles... and realising they're soft and squishy, and maybe shouldn't be used to fight anything shy of a pillow and the odd paper bag.

"Oh, that thing that is supposed to happen today, is happening tonight around 7 After-Eve. We have to go somewhere."

"OK, so should we bring something special for that thing?"

"Um not really, but take stuff if we need to make a hasty retreat away from the city again. I don't think we will, but... just in case."

"Ummmm" Zelpuz looks confused. "Could you maybe tell us a little bit more about it now? Seems like we may want to prepare a bit more for the thing."

"I can promise to tell you everything before the time for the thing comes, but just not yet. It'll make sense why once I fill you in. It doesn't really require any preparation other than just be ready if things go south. I mean... you don't have to come. If a choice between throwing me off the building or simply not coming..." the mage shrugs, giving the cat girl a side long look.

"Well, it's not like we started unpacking. How long do we have, should we go eat before?"

"Well, we need to be ready for the thing by 7pm After Eve. We could go grab something light before then, I suppose."

"Sounds good, let's go to the Mirrored Moon lounge, check it out some more for tomorrow."

After resting and tending to their own affairs for a couple of hours the group heads off to the Mirrored Moon lounge, stopping in for a couple of appetizers and a drink, while taking note of the various possible entrances, choke points and areas of low visibility. With their recon snack completed they meander their way to Spikey's pub, arriving somewhat early around 8-aftereve, which leaves plenty of time for those that hadn't been there before to get acquainted with the place. Yuu's meeting is scheduled for 9-aftereve, leaving them an hour to enjoy the sites, sounds, eats and drinks.

The trio find a booth, and shuffle onto the seats. After an order of drinks, Yuu shares his story.

"So, yesterday when we were going through customs, I was detained and brought to an office. Inside, I met a close friend of mine, who is now a Lieutenant with the military. By chance, she was in charge for the day and obviously wondered what was going on. I caught her up a bit, and we agreed to meet here tonight."

Yuu takes a sip.

"I couldn't really say anything, and I'm sorry about that. We didn't know what was going on in the city, or what might happen. With everything going on, if any of you were detained... it's possible her name would have gotten picked up, especially if mind reading got involved. If things went this south, I could have asked her help, but not if she was implicated. Her life was also on the line, and I didn't want to risk that. But... she agreed to meet here tonight, so... she's accepted whatever risk this point forward."

Zelpuz stares at Yuu with a strange smile not sure if he should laugh out loud or be upset. He looks over to Vanyra, then back at Yuu. "Well, I expected something more ... exciting. Couldn't you have just told us that we'll meet a friend when we were asking? Seems like that would have not given away much, even if we were caught and had our minds read." Zelpuz puts his hands over his eyes, remembering the scenes discussing the events this evening. "Well, let's see what the evening brings, at least you seem to have some good friends in the city you can still count on."

Yuu shrugs his hands openly. "Hey, I just said something exciting was going to happen... at least, I think it's exciting. But, anyways, here's the thing... I trust my friend, but I'm not a hundred percent sure she's in a position to leverage that trust. She is in the military and probably has orders... even indirectly... to secure me. She actually went to Marcus and asked him about me as well. I think she's seen some real crap come across her desk, and is confused as hell."

The young mage continues. "We have an hour before she comes. She doesn't know about you two, yet. I was thinking if you stood outside, and provided some overwatch, Vanyra... you could stay inside, maybe in a booth across the room. Give it maybe half an hour, and if nothing goes bad, you can come join us. What do you think?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:00, Sun 29 Oct 2017.

"Ah, it comes with a twist." Zelpuz smiles. "That sounds more exciting and fun. Anything special to look out for outside? Maybe Vanyra would be better for a lookout outside, from what I've seen, her vision is a lot better than mine in the dark. Your call, she's also better at noticing things inside. Should we establish a mental link again for communications or a signal of sorts?"

The mage grins weakly. "I truly hope it doesn't come to that, she's an amazing friend, but... some things aren't black and white."

He looks to each of his companions. "I'd say you because... well, you're the guy with the big long gun and can teleport roof to roof. Vanyra in close quarters makes more sense. Should be enough lights around to not hinder. Plus if anythings coming, I don't think it'll be subtle... like, a squad of armed soldiers and the like. If any arrive, that may be a good thing to note. Especially if they start surrounding the place. And ya, I think mental link may be best. I can then keep you informed what she tells me."

"All right, that should be easy enough to spot. Let me finish this taco and I'll head out."

Vanyra agrees that her inside and Zelpuz outside is the best situation.  She reminds them that she can nearly disappear from view, even in a lit room, in case escape is needed.

Zelpuz agrees. "Good luck and I hope your friend is worth your trust. I'll let you know if I see anything suspicious. I'll keep my link open to you, so you can also notify me if you feel things go south." He turns to Vanyra, "I won't be seeing you, so I'll just be able to tell you if something happens, but I doubt I need to worry about you." Zelpuz grins. He gets up, say "See you later." and heads for the restrooms on his way outside.
Once outside, he moves to a good place to disappear, activates his stealth field and places himself in a good position to observe the street and the patio, takes out his riffle and waits.

Vanyra finds a hightop table near the rear of the establishment, with a clear view of Yuu through the front windows. The place is not that busy yet, with most people sitting at booths and tables for dinner. Yuu has positioned himself at a table at the front edge of the patio with a relatively clear line of sight down the street. The server comes by to refill his water and the mage informs her that he's expecting another guest, after which she returns with a second menu and place setting.

Another 20 minutes passes and Yuu spies Saya strolling down the street, looking very much out of uniform; a loose, pastel-coloured silken blouse cut open at the sides, as is the current summer fashion in Ossylia now, and mid-thigh skirt and sandals.

Yuu smiles and sits up. "I see her." He relays her appearance to the group.

When she nears, the young mage waves to her.

Both Vanyra and Zelpuz receive a mental image of Yuu's friend as she walks down the street towards Spikey's. Yuu's immediate sense is that she's alone and is acting naturally, based on his past years of friendship with her; her expression and movements are just as he remembered.

From his perch atop an opposite building the flow of street traffic appears as smooth as Xan River basin. Once he's able to pick Yuu's friend from the general crowd a quick scan of the nearby area produces no unusual suspects.

"All seems clear here" Zelpuz reports, he scans the streets, and thinking about his own situation, the surrounding rooftops.

Yuu waits until his friend is a little closer before waving to her again.

Saya spies Yuu's waving and returns the gesture with a smile. She maneuvers her way through the street and then the maze of tables and chairs on the patio before reaching the mage. Without hesitation she bends over and embraces Yuu with a hug, reminding him just how strong she is. When she takes the seat opposite and picks up the menu Yuu notices her expression sour just before she looks directly at him, "I've got some bad news..."

Yuu's eyes dart from the menu to her. "You're allergic to greasy food and poorly washed dishes?"

"Hardly, I'm in the military after all... they no longer have the crab-spinach-cheese dip. It was just on here a couple weeks ago. I know how much you... and me, love that stuff. Guess it'll have to be the baked triple dip to start." Saya responds with a sigh. "Oh, and they've got a new beer in from Arghos, apparently it's brewed offworld... some of the men were talking about it at work. Not cheap, but how often can we get offworld stuff anymore?"

Yuu's eyes drop to his own menu. "Oh. Hm." He clicks his tongue in thought, as he scans through the other fish-based dishes.

The other fish-based dishes conform to Yuu's photographic memory of the last time he was here, though a number of them are marked as temporarily unavailable. The other sections of the menu are largely untouched, save for the monthly and weekly specials which seem a bit more creative than usual for Spikey's. They usually stuck to local favorites with a bit of flair, like chilied, deep-fried squid, but this time around they're straight-up mixing things together; raw bison fillet cubes with citrus-pepper sauce for example. Interesting food for interesting times.

"Seems there's a few changes..." The young mage hangs the sentence, unsure yet how to mould an opinion on the efficacy of these culinary ideas.

"Well, at least the burger section's been left untouched. Want to share a mixed platter to start?"

Saya nods in the affirmative, "Sure, sounds like a plan. Looks like you could use a little more protein, as usual." After flagging down the server and placing their initial orders for drinks and the starter mix platter the two Ossylians kill some more time with idle chit chat about nothing in particular, and Yuu does get the sense that his friend is oddly avoiding the most pertinent subjects of the moment.

From his perch atop of the roof of the opposite building Zelpuz spies a pair of Ossylian guards round the corner at the far end of the street from the same direction that Saya approached from. They appear to be regular guards and are scanning the street as one would expect them to do.

Yuu is only too happy to start with some small talk. Chowing nuggets of finger food, and drowning back a mouthfuls of bitter beer. The banter is enjoyable, and the food gets poked and prodded as the two joke about days at the Academy, and some of their misadventures. A couple beers later, and as the last few crumbs of the platter are getting vacu-sucked by the metabolically charged pair, the young mage turns a more serious eye to his friend. "I know we're kind of catching up here, and I really want to, but... are you ok if we get the harder stuff out of the way?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:56, Tue 28 Nov 2017.

At that moment Yuu feels teh not-so-familiar touch of Zelpuz's mind and a notification that there are two guards approaching from the far end of the street. Remarkably, after a quick glance, Yuu is able to spot them through a momentary gap in the passing crowds. Zelpuz informs that they do not appear to be acting on any sort of orders or looking for anything in particular. Vanyra, near the rear of Spikey's, does not see anything out of sorts; regular patrons doing regular things.

Meanwhile on the patio, after ensuring their beverages were topped off, Saya nods in agreement to Yuu's inquiry. "Sure... it was better to wait until we could be relatively safe from sudden interruptions. Where to start? Anything that's picking at your brain in particular?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:47, Thu 30 Nov 2017.

"Um, first, is my face plastered on any wanted posters in the guard house?" Yuu nods to the approaching soldiers.

Saya replies with a quizzical expression before craning her head to look back at the approaching guards. She returns to face Yuu with a wry smile, "On their walls, no I don't believe so." A pause follows as she collates her thoughts, "There is no official order or alert regarding you or your sister... But certain circles within the military know your family is under house guard for their 'protection' at the moment. So someone is likely looking for you, even if they're not being forthright about it. When I found out about your parents I went around looking for you, but when I didn't find you I had figured you were sequestered in your family compound."

Yuu licks foam from his lips after hiding momentarily behind his beer. He fakes a look of disappointment. "Shame, I think I'd look good on a poster. And ya, I found Marcus earlier, and he said you came looking for me. I'm really sorry I left you guys hanging. The night our family compound got attacked was really sucky. My dad basically dropped of bag of coins in my one hand, and my sister in my other, and told me to run as far away as I could." Yuu twirls his thumbs along the edge of his glass. "We were to be leverage against my family if we were caught."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:44, Sat 02 Dec 2017.

Saya thinks for a moment, "Could be part of the reason why there are no posters for you; let their opponents think they have you and thus the cooperation of your parents. This goes really high Yuu, I'm not sure why you came back so soon, but you could be in real danger and I can't tell you from who. All city-based military units have been mobilized, but no ones really sure where the orders are coming from it seems. Half the time it seems we're just executing orders to stay busy rather than accomplish anything."

Yuu shifts in his seat, "Toss a helping of curiousity into a bowl, scramble some good intentions, add a slice of youthful ignorance... bake high for one month, pour some liquid dumb-ideas overtop and serve luke warm. I was hoping I could help, somehow."

"So then do you have a plan, to help I mean? It would take quite a force to break into your estate I'm guessing. I don't know who they have stationed there as guards, but I doubt they're slouches." Saya counters Yuu's quip.

"I visited already, even got to speak with my dad. They seem in good health, but an awkward position. He didn't even seem surprised to see me, if I'm honest. But ahh... hrm, I don't have a plan. I guess I wanted to see what was going on before I could figure out what to do."

Saya appears surprised upon hearing of Yuu's recent exploit, "Well you certainly didn't waste any time. Quite a... bold move, going to your place and contacting your parents. You weren't seen, were you?"

Yuu shook his head. "No, I used a couple tricks. It took a while for security to sniff out something was up, but I was able to leave before then. I won't go back unless I have something real; I just wanted him to know Qwe and I were safe, in case he and my mom were given false information. Plus... I had to see nothing bad had happened to them." The mage frowns and shrugs, not obfuscating the fact he feels way out of his element but trying his best.

Saya ponders for a moment as well, "You think about breaking them out? I mean you don't know who has them under house arrest, and even if you did I'm doubtful you'd be able to get to them. So if you can't strike directly why not disable their leverage?"

"Hm, I'm not really thinking of breaking them out... I think if they wanted out, they'd just break out themselves. Something else is holding them to the house, and I just wanted to make sure it wasn't me or Qwe." The mage considers. "If we can figure out who has leverage over them, and what that leverage might be, then it definitely offers an opportunity."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Mon 18 Dec 2017.

"That's a pretty tall order if we're talking about the upper echelons of the military. Do you have any leads to go on?

"Everything still looking quiet?" Yuu mentally sends to his friends.

Yuu is relieved all is still quiet. He trusted Saya, but it's... complicated these days.

"I don't have any leads, but.. I do have help. A couple friends are nearby, probably getting quite hungry. Are you ok if I invite them over? They actually helped me and Qwe escape the city."

Saya smirks, "Staking me out first, huh? Can't say that it doesn't sting a bit, but given the situation it was the proper tactical decision. Invite them over... unless you think I'm just collecting intel to report back to my superiors."

"Ya, it sucks and I'm sorry about that. Of course I trust you, but maybe you would be coerced somehow, like my parents nearly were. They helped me get Qwe out of the city. One sec...""

Yuu mindspeaks, "I think everything is clear. I just told her you guys are nearby, and can join. They have a new beer, and it's pretty good."

"Exactly. It was the right choice and I would have done the same. In fact it's nice to see you thinking so... grounded for once? I mean, well usually, you're thinking on such a high, abstract level. Who would have thought that life in the capital would come down to this?" Saya remarks.

From their respective vantage points Zelpuz and Vanyra observe a tall (7') Gnarm woman with an extremely athletic build approach Yuu's table. She sports shoulder length metallic red hair streaked with silver, and courtesy of Zel's scope and Vanyra's gifted vision her eyes are aqua. Like almost all Gnarm she carries herself with in a steadfast and determined manner; her military training is evident in her movements. This is in stark contrast to her garments, which are very civilian and leave little room for concealed weapons and zero protection.

She does a quick scan of the area as she nears Spikey's before proceeding onto the patio. Upon spying Yuu her demeanor lightens notably, as you'd expect from someone seeing a friend after some time. After a quick greeting and hug they sit down at the table opposite each other. From there the conversation proceeds in a reassuringly expected manner, and after about 30 minutes Zelpuz and Vanyra receive a mental note that it is safe to approach.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:13, Sat 06 Jan 2018.

"I'm getting paranoid in my old age." the young mage quips.

Zelpuz relays the message to Vanyra and replies "Will be there shortly."
He scans the area for anything suspicious again before leaving his post and walking back to the pub for one of those new arrival beers.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:38, Tue 09 Jan 2018.

Zelpuz's street scan detects nothing out of the ordinary, after which he retreats back across the roof and descends into the back alley out of sight. He enter's Spikey's, heads straight to the bar and asks for that new imported beer he's heard so much about. The bartender informs him its a new summer pilsner from Arghos, named Beachfast, while pouring the pint. He spots Vanyra still posed at the back of the common room, nods and moves towards Yuu's table on the patio.

Yuu spots the Mespah, and tosses a light wave. He gives Saya an awkward smile before standing. "Zelpuz, this is Saya. Saya, Zelpuz."

Zelpuz smiles at Yuu, raises his beer, "This one is quite nice."
He grins at Saya "Hi, nice to meet you, I hear you are a good friend of of Yuu, maybe we can exchange stories about him."

Saya glances over at Zelpuz's approach and a brief flash of surprise crosses her face at his greeting. She pauses a moment before replying, "Ah,.. Hello. Saya. I'm sorry, but when Yuu mentioned friends I was just expecting some lab or classmates from the Academy." She gives Yuu a quizzical look, "I never realized he had friends in the Order of Ashes. Most certainly we must have some stories to regale each other with."

"Special situation shape special friendships."
Zelpuz points to a chair and with a questioning look at Yuu and after a short nod from him sits down at the table.
"But it seems Yuu does pick interesting friends."

"It must be my strong jaw line and air of serene charm." The young mage strikes a playful pose, his beer in hand and a gaze to the horizon.

Zelpuz laughs. "Must be."
He takes a sip of his beer.
"So how have things been here in the city? All things back to normal?"

"Normal? Hardly. If things were normal I'd be off in military exercises or patrolling the border or something, rather than playing harbor police. Things aren't as... tense as they were, but everything is a bit off kilter you could say." Saya relates after taking a long drink from her beer after toasting Zelpuz's arrival to the table.

Yuu nods, "Zelpuz and Vanyra, she should be here in a sec, helped Que and I escape the night that my family was attacked. That seemed to be when off-kilter reared its mangled face. Maybe we should relate the story of the chlornetherium?"

Zelpuz takes a long sip of his beer. "Which one?"

"The one in the warehouse. A stockpile of the stuff isn't normal, and especially outside military hands."

Waiting a while longer to ensure that no trap was being sprung when Zelpuz approached the table, Vanyra finally heads towards the others.  She casually walks across the room in her casual Ossylian clothes and quietly sits down at the table.

"Netherium warehouse?" Saya asks and then cuts herself short as Vanyra approaches the table and sits down quietly. Her eyes shift back and forth between Vanyra and Yuu, before settling on Yuu with a raised eyebrow, "Another of your friends?"

"I assume you trust her, but maybe leave out Lasrane and the involvement of the Order for now." Yuu hears in his head.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:08, Tue 16 Jan 2018.

"Ahh," Yuu puts down his beer, and semi half stands. "Saya, Vanyra... Vanyra, Saya. And yeah, while sniffing around some side jobs, we found a huge stockpile of chlornetherium in a warehouse near the docks. Well, they did. It got blown up, bad. You must have heard about it, but wasn't sure if you'd heard what it was. Someone serious was involved in obtaining it though, and I doubt the intent was friendly."

Saya smiles at Vanyra, "Nice to meet you, Vanyra." and then flags down the server and orders another round of drinks. "Apparently we're going to need some more drinks," and then turns her attention back to Yuu in slightly hushed tones, "Holy shit, Yuu, are you mixed up in that? This is some serious shit; I don't know much about it myself, but the powers that be are definitely on the hunt and rumor has it heads are going to roll. That much untraced chlornetherium is enough to outfit an entire company of mages with weapons, enough to cause some major damage, possibly even take out a city... wait, is your family involved?"

Yuu nods excitedly, while Saya spouts off the seriousness of the chlornetherium find. "I know!! Fucking crazy, isn't it?" He squeezes in. "No, Vanyra and Zelpuz were doing some Freelancer work, and happened upon it. They came and spoke with me about it later, they weren't sure what it was. I couldn't believe it either when they told me. I went and looked at the disaster zone afterwards just to see for myself. I mean, the amount they were talking... a bloody army's worth."

"Well it certainly can't be a coincidence that after that explosion the city was locked down. Given the mobilization of the local garrisons I suspect that certain military leaders had some suspects in mind and thus moved to cut off escape. Those suspects must be some well connected people too, that would explain the lockdown on many government officials... ah man, this whole thing is grim. Do you have any idea of whose chlornetherium it was? Secondly, any idea why it exploded?" Saya continues as she tries to wrap her mind around the heavy news presented.

Zelpuz leans back, takes another sip of his beer which has an interesting aftertaste that he just can't put his finger on and waits for Yuu to continue his story. While leaning back, he looks around the room to checking if they have attracted any attention.

Just like every other bar and tavern all the patrons seem absorbed in their own tales and beverages far too much to pay attention to Zelpuz's table.

"I wasn't there, but it would certainly have been a sight to see! But who locked the city down? Was it the element looking into why so much chlornetherium was gathered secretly in one place? Or was it the element pissed off that their secret stash was blown up, and they wanted answers?" Yuu pauses to catch his breath. "Know that could help a lot in figuring out what is going on, and who is currently driving events in the city."

"Well it's the Reforgers that seem to be calling the shots right now, along with their supporters in High Command. That's why the garrison has been mobilized and called in to "reinforce" the city guard. There are plenty of people in that group who would and possibly could use that much chlornetherium, but they typically would not need to hide a shipment... could have been their's, but they could have had it stolen and were looking to get it back. Cooler heads may have called for a more subtle investigations, but doesn't look like any such folks are speaking up in the Senate." Saya elaborates.

The young mage scratches an itch behind his ear. "I'd like to know which group is resourced enough, or daring enough, to steal that much chlornetherium from under the Reforgers, if that was what happened. Could it be someone knew of the Regorgers plan and tried to undermine it? Or just a happenstance of events when someone realised they were onto a big score?"

"Well it likely wouldn't be the Reforger's chlornetherium, they're just politicians, given most of them are ex-military. They have wealth and influence, but not enough to procure that much a restricted substance. It could have been a military shipment that was stolen, then there would certainly be records of that with the quartermaster and the MPs. I haven't heard anything, but that's not my area of responsibility." Saya offers. She ponders for a short while until inspiration spreads across her face, "The military sources almost all of our chlornetherium internally, from within Ossylia, for national security reasons. There are records of each supplier and shipment naturally... LOTS of records I imagine and they may not be the most detailed. But there are only a handful of outside suppliers permitted and each of those shipments receives extreme scrutiny and the records are meticulously kept. I bet a look at those records would yield some decent evidence one way or the other on where this shipment was going, IF it was an official shipment that was stolen, and if not we learn something anyways."

"We think the warehouse where we saw the stuff was owned by a group called the blood runners, in case that helps." Zelpuz chimes in.

"Bloody runners? Never heard of them. Sound like some sort of gangsters or something." Saya shrugs.

"Yes, that sounds right, they might run under a different name, that was just one we heard in some pub."

"So if it was their warehouse, are they the ones that stole the chlornetherium? If so this all seems a bit odd; I mean why the Reforgers institute martial law if someone just busted up a massive chlornetherium smuggling operation? Are these blood-guys connected to anyone?" Saya presses as she's introduced to the tangled maze of information the group has uncovered.

"Good questions, sadly we don't know the answers. And this may only be a side story to what's going on, but it would be interesting to know, but basically we are just bystanders that happened to come across this information." Zelpuz ponders. "On the other hand, as outsiders it may be easier for us to find some of the information, if you have ideas where we can look, at least I am intrigued and willing to help."

"I'm afraid not. I'm a solider not a guard, and not familiar with the criminal underbelly of the city. The only thing I can think of is to check the military records to see if any chlornetherium shipments have gone missing, as I said. Not sure how you would get access to that though, as they are kept in a secure location with authorized access only." Saya explains.

"Yeah, that was not the kind of information I was talking about. I doubt we'd get anywhere close to that. Oh well, was just an idea, so other than that, the city seems normal." Zelpuz leans back staring at his beer in his hand.

"Normal?", Vanyra scoffs out of nowhere.  "I wouldn't exactly call this normal," she adds before looking around the room again.

Yuu frowns. "So basically, we're left wondering the connection between the Blood Runners and the military element they acquired the chlornetherium from... whether given, or stolen. Do you think there's an outside force trying to mess with our Capital? Or does this feel more internal? I'm going to have to do some more research on the history of our politics. I usually fell asleep in Mr. Groomer's class, but some of those lessons may give better context what's going on." The tone suggests the young mage doesn't really relish the idea much, like taking medicine.

"Well from a military perspective the [Dalloni] Baronies would like to see us taken down a notch or two, but they're just as likely to work against each other as us. Lu'Zan definitely has the might to make trouble for us, but the buffer zone between us is pretty large and if they wanted to start something I can't see them going about it through criminal elements. I'm guessing this is internal politics gone edgy... that's not to say some external actors aren't involved in some capacity though. The clornetherium is the key, if you can find where that came from it would reveal quite a bit." Saya surmises, assessing each of the major state-players in the region.

"Agreed." Yuu takes another sip from his mug. "It felt more internal, but thought to put the idea out there. Is there a way to find out which outside suppliers provide chlornetherium to our nation?"

"Certainly, depending on who is buying. I already mentioned the military quartermaster; they have records on all shipments and suppliers that they use. For everyone else I would guess the Customs office has records on that, or you could approach one of the trading companies and inquire. But if it was a truly clandestine shipment it may be from an unofficial supplier." Saya explains.

Zelpuz finishes his beer and puts his mug on the table. "OK, so what do you say, let's try to figure out who is behind this and we'll meet back here in 2 days? You check the military records, and we try some harbor pubs to see if someone doesn't remember a strangely heavily guarded unofficial shipment coming in."

"Me? I hate to break it to you, but I'm an officer in the Ossylian military and have duties to perform. If you guys want to break into the secured office of the Quartermaster be my guest, just don't tell me about it." Saya interjects.

"Sorry, I thought your train of thought was suggesting that you could go check out those military records, I don't particularly feel like breaking into military buildings, especially secured ones." He looks around the table. "Well, was just an idea, I'll let you two catch up more." He grabs a drink menu and carefully studies the available options.

The remainder of the conversation switches to generally more pleasant topics while beverages are finished. As Saya is leaving she mentions that she'll try to probe some of the customs officials while she's on duty at the docks, they would know of any large shipments had arrived lately, and if no official shipments have come in to replace the warehouse fiasco that would also be quite telling.

On the way back to Vanyra's pad the trio discuss the plan for tomorrow and the visit to Arkham's Abode in the off-chance that Lasrane is still here and shows up.

The trio decides to turn in early upon returning to Vanyra's abode to get a jump start on the following day's potential meeting at Arkham's Abode. First thing in the morning they decide to pick up some nether-communicators from a reputable engineer Yuu knows through the academy, he was a few years ahead of Yuu and now operates his own shop. Through some fancy talking and dropping the possibility of securing a preferred vendor status with the Order of Ashes they manage to secure 3 communicators at a very reasonable price.

With comms sorted out the trio move to do a quick external reconnaissance of the surrounding area while the streets are empty and the establishment is closed. They area is laid out much like any typical street near the harbor district, with streets just a shade too narrow to be comfortable, but large enough to permit the flow of goods and maintain a flow of foot traffic during the high hours. A couple of decent vantage points are ascertained as well as a couple of possible escape routes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:28, Sun 25 Feb 2018.

The group meanders around the area for a short while, waiting until the traffic picks up and they can determine the usual flow of people. After getting a sense of the types of people moving through the area and possible crowd choke points they retire back to Vanyra's neighbourhood to plan their stake-out tactics.

Near the appointed time Zelpuz, Vanyra and Yuu head back to Arkham's Abode, with Zelpuz sauntering in and grabbing a corner table with a view of the door. Yuu continues on down the street to a small cafe and grabs a seat just outside and a double espresso macchiato. The sun is waning, but there's still plenty of dull late afternoon sun along the lane. The activity has died down of the regular hustle of the day's business, with people seeking evening refreshments and meals. Arkham's itself has four tables of patrons when Zelpuz enters; a young couple enjoying a cocktail, a table of four seemingly old friends swapping stories of a few pitchers of ale, two men in business attire discussing over a bottle of wine, and a single man in a corner opposite Zelpuz have a whiskey or rum perhaps. So far no other Mespah and certainly no Lasrane.

Yuu sits back against the chair, hot chocolate steaming on the table in front, and kicking himself onto the back legs. He pulls out a notebook, pen and the radio they'd purchased earlier from various folds and pockets of his clothing. He begins jotting down some nether ideas, inspirations and concepts that might be fun to explore, his pencil dancing about from one scribble to the next. Every few moments, the young mage looks up, around the streets, and back into his book... appearing like any other busy student while processing his glances for anything odd approaching or... depproaching? hm.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:56, Wed 28 Feb 2018.

Vanyra prowls around the side streets and alleyways behind the Arkham's Abode, being sure to stay in the shadows. There is minimal activity there, save for the odd cat and mouse and occasionally a staff member of some establishment smoking or throwing out something. Any extraction route out the back looks clear.

Inside Zelpuz waits at his table, savoring his beverage. The savoring turns into nursing at the appointed time comes and no one meeting Lasrane's appearance enters. The young couple have left, while the others have continued their revelry, and a trio non-local merchants had entered 15 minutes earlier and grabbed a table near Zelpuz.

Zelpuz sits at the table looking around and waiting, no Lasrane and nobody seems to be rushing out to inform of his presence. Zelpuz slowly eats his snacks and drinks his pint while thinking about the city, the Order and how everything here developed over the past days since Myyria's and his arrival. Waiting.

As the time passes by a few people enter and leave the pub, but none of them are Lasrane, not even one other Mespah in fact. As the sun continues it's slow dive into the horizon the street crowds are thinning, but it seems the bar is beginning to see it's night life begin.

From his vantage point at the cafe Yuu has a complete view of the street traffic which thins out as the evening drags on. After an hour he is also informed that the cafe is closing for the day, and he relocates to a nearby skewer shop, peddling all sorts of grilled skewers to the hungry passersby. While the number of people has died down those that are out seem to have particular destinations in mind, as they walk with more purpose than the day crowd. The people that have entered Arkham's abode tend to fit the general stereotype of those that went in earlier, though in a bit more of a boisterous mood.

"Um," Yuu starts over the radio, burping through his third skewer, licking his lips of the sweet grilling sauce with a grin. "Anything from your side? All clear out here, including my plate... for now" . Yep, definitely time to double down on the next order.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:00, Thu 15 Mar 2018.

"I think we could have a problem," Vanyra whispers into the comms. "Zelpuz, make sure you aren't showing your Order insignia. Look out for anyone eyeing you suspiciously, especially if they have a palm-sized device.  They might be Midians.  I think the bar is under observation.  I will come to look around too."

"Under observation by whom?"

"Anyone, but possibly Midians.  We need to see if you're being watched."

Vanyra moves to look for anyone watching the entrance and then subtly enter the bar.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:49, Sun 11 Mar 2018.

"Roger." Zelpuz returns to the bar and sits down. After a short time, he gets up again and walks towards the door, exits briefly and then enters again right after, walks back over to the bar to order another drink and goes to his seat and sits down.

Vanyra slips into Arkham's Abode, and casually perches herself at the bar to order a mead. Then she does a quick survey of the inhabitants, as if looking for someone, before finding a tall table off to the opposite side from Zelpuz. During this she notices a few glances and double takes from the largely male patrons, but no lingering gazes.

Lounging on her stool as if waiting for a someone she does a more casual scan of the other tables. The crowd is largely Midian, or at least Midian-looking, but none of the ones here match those she saw earlier. After a double-check scan she's sure that 'they' are not here, which is disappointing, but not unexpected. There's three of them here, so if someone else has been staking-out this place every day it makes sense that they have a crew of people to move through without drawing suspicion.

If someone is here for surveillance there may be a way to get them to tip their hand.

Zelpuz, still slightly puzzled by what brought Vanrya to the bar continues his slow drinking of the mead and snacking on the chips he bought, but reaches out mentally to her: "What's going on?"

Vanyra thinks over to Zelpuz about a vision she had of a Mespah providing instructions to people about observing this specific bar at this specific time for any Mespah of the Order of Ashes, possibly displaying its emblem.  They were to activate a small device if such a thing came to pass.
"I don't recognize anyone specific in here," she indicates mentally, "but that doesn't mean they aren't here.
"We can force their hand if you want, it could be a good or bad.  How do you want to handle it?"

Yuu is now sitting up, trying to observe the streets even more, while trying to appear not to be observing them. Things like this are complicated! His left finger twirls a pencil anxiously above his empty skewer plate. He'd thought to go for a fourth serving, but after a little negotiation, his stomach agreed to wait.

"How do you get your visions? Are they signs of danger or random? The last one seems to either still be pending or can your visions be more metaphorical?" Vanyra hears.

"Is now really the time to worry about how my visions work?"

"Well, I don't see a rush to act, I've been sitting here for a long time, so we can as well chat a bit. I just tried to figure out how literal and imminent your visions are." Vanyra hears back. "But OK, what would you suggest? I stand up on my table, hold out my Order symbols and shout 'In the name of The Order, he who works for Lasrane come forward'? Maybe they are not yet here, and who knows what the device is, maybe it would be safer for only me to be here then, well, safer for you."

"This wasn't about the future, this was the past.  I saw what already happened, and someone, a Mespah, was interested if a Mespah from the Order was in here.  So who knows why.  And you need another set of eyes or fists if something happens.  So lets see if someone here is gonna do something and get them and their device, but lets get a plan."

"All right, I think I am quite obviously a Mespah though, so not sure what else I should do to make it more obvious. Should I start juggling my badge?" Zelpuz replies to Vanyra.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:18, Wed 28 Mar 2018.

"Can you ask someone a legitimate question and show your badge in a way that others might be able to see it if they are watching you?"

"I can go ask the bartender about a wanted Mespah frequenting this place, good enough?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:13, Fri 06 Apr 2018.

"Sure, I'm in position."

Zelpuz eventually finishes his taters and drink and walks up to the bar. When the bartender comes over he orders another pint, when he gets the pint, he hands him a very generous tip and asks if he has recently seen another Mespah in this fine bar, roughly describes Lasrane, holds his badge up and mentions that that Mespah is wanted for questioning by the Order.

The bartender listens to the description of Lasrane and ponders for a while before replying that he doesn't think he's seen someone like him. The bar gets its fair share of traffic so it possible someone like that was here, but he may not have noticed. H then asks about any distinguishing features that might may have made Lasrane stand out.

During the exchange at the bar Vanyra notices a table of 3 businessmen, to the left of the bar. While in the midst of a lively discussion on of them casually hits another in the arm and subtly nods in the direction of Zelpuz. The conversation halts for a moment, which Zelpuz picks up on and is able to throw a quick glance before returning attention back to the bartender.

Each of the men take another sip of their drinks and resume their conversation. From her position Vanyra spies one of them reaching down into his satchel, searching around inside for a moment, and then return attention to his companions.

Zelpuz describes Lasrane, then thanks the bartender and returns to his seat positioning himself in a way that he keep an unsuspecting eye on the table of the three men.
" Did you see the 3 men at the table?" Zelpuz asks Vanyra. "So now what, do we just wait? Maybe you should go back outside to surveil the area? Let's see if Lasrane or half an army are coming."

"You guys still alive in there?" Yuu asks over the radio.

"Might be interesting to see what happens if I try to walk out, what do you think?" Vanyra hears in her head.

"Sure, why not, see what they do," Vanyra thinks back to Zelpuz, not responding to the communicator to not give away its presence.  "I'd be interested in getting one of them alone outside anyway."

"OK, what's the plan if they try to stop me? Should I lure them outside? Escape? Or maybe just talk to them?"
Zelpuz looks around the room, obviously scanning the patrons, shrugs disappointed, gets up and walks to the door.

Vanyra watches as Zelpuz makes his exit and remains behind, sipping on her drink while casually monitoring the reactions of all those in Arkham's Abode. The three business-like patrons that had shown some interest in the Mespah continue on with their conversations and drinks, paying no further heed to Zelpuz.

Zelpuz walks around outside for a while, passing by the corner that Yuu is sitting and mentally communicating what happened to him while walking by. He walks a loop and turns back to wait another 2 hours to see if Lasrane will show up. He enters the bar, walks back over to the bartender, mumbles something about mixing up the times and orders another drink, pays and sits back at the table.

Over the next hour a few patrons get up and leave while a few more enter and make the tavern a little more cozy. The three businessmen leave after about 30 minutes.

"Maybe we should change our plan and you should follow the man that had the device?" Zelpuz communicates to Vanyra. "Or do you think we should just go after him and ask him nicely about his job?"

"I'm happy to follow him and ask nicely," Vanyra answers with an ominous tone on the word nicely.

"Sounds good, if possible let Yuu know" Zelpuz replies. "Do you need help?"

"Up to you, if you follow just wait a minute before leaving after me."

"Actually, you are much better and following people unseen. I'll just wait here and see if something will happen. If you need help just radio us, or if you are getting out of range. Just tell Yuu you are following them."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:02, Sun 29 Apr 2018.

Vanyra gives an affirmative response and quietly heads out of the bar.

When outside, she gives a quick radio to Yuu to let him know that one of these businessmen appeared to activate something as expected and that she wants to isolate him for questioning.  She also asks him to get her outerwear from where she leaves it in a close-by, out-of-sight alley.

She gets out of sight, blends in with her surroundings, and jumps/climbs her way up to the low rooftops to follow them.

The three businessmen walk up the street, further into the city's heart and pass by the shop where Yuu is seated. After about five minutes of walking the group stops and after an exchange of farewells one of them heads off down a perpendicular street while the other two continue on their way. From Vanyra's vantage point she believes the one with the device is in the pair continuing along their original course.

Vanyra stays with the pair, shadowing their path via the rooftops. After a few minutes they take right, forcing Vanyra to leap across the street. The span is wide, even for a Freyan's prodigious leaping ability and gives her pause. Not willing to give up the chase Vanyra moves back to give herself a good distance and then sprints towards the edge, timing her stride perfectly and with her final step she coils herself just enough before snapping forward in flight. At the summit of her arc Vanyra realizes it wasn't quite enough to land it, and instinctively she swings her legs forward to absorb the impact while preparing to grab the ledge. The next second seems like ten and then there is a scraping crunch as Vanyra's legs take the impact with the brick while she latches onto the roof's gutter trough. Not wishing to leave herself exposed she pulls herself up and scrambles away from view of the street below.

Unfortunately a gathering of ravens nearby did not agree with the Freyan's arrival and take off in noisy flight. Remaining perfectly still for a few more moments Vanyra then hazards a cautious look down to the street below. One of the two businessmen is looking up in her direction.

Meanwhile, Yuu has taken temporary leave of his prime real estate at Scar's Skewers and Stuff, and meandered his way over to a nearby alleyway. Just inside, in the shadows of a stack of boxes, the young mage finds a pile of garments that appear surprising like those worn by the intrepid Freyan. He arms the load, coils a draw string around them, and attaches it to the top of his pack. He then turns back to main street, and pauses. Mayhap, he's had enough of skewers, and instead looks for other options in his vicinity.

Vanyra instantly freezes and watches as the man below stares directly at her and scans the surrounding area, then with a slight shrug he turns to his companion and motions for them to continue on. The Freyan maintains pose for another minute and continues her shadowing at a safer distance.

The pursuit only lasts another five minutes with the pair of men arriving at a small town square marked by a marble statue of some local person of import. They simply move to the statue and wait. Meanwhile Vanyra draws nearer, finally lying herself on the rooftop of a bordering three-story white stucco, flattop building. The monotonous color providing a perfect backdrop to her natural camouflaging abilities. She's only halfway through a scan of the scene below when she spots the two Order of Ashes members striding straight to the statue. A quick exchange of greetings between the agents and the two businessmen confirm her fears.

The female Order of ashes agent jumps straight to business, "So what critical information have you gathered?"

The taller of the two businessmen speaks up, "We were instructed to buzz you if any Mespah came asking around Arkham about this Lasrane guy. Not only did one do just that today, but he claimed to be a member of your Order too."

A look of mild surprise plays across the faces of the two Mespah, looking at each other for a brief moment. The male then continues, "What did this supposed agent look like?"

The two men then take turns in providing a rather detailed description of Zelpuz, down to even the style of his boots; it's quite obvious from this that these guys are not regular street spies. "Was he still in the tavern when you left?" inquires the male Mespah after processing the description.

"Yeah, he left for a while and then came back, and was there when we left to come here. He wasn't with anyone in the tavern, but we don't know where he went for that period," answers on of the men.

"Understood. Please continue with the surveillance as usual, regular protocols are to be followed, and do not approach that man if you see him. We'll handle it from here." the female Order of Ashes agent instructs, and with that they take there leave heading in the direction that the businessmen came from. The two spies then head off together to the left.

Taking note of the details of the Mespah, Vanyra ducks back a little to avoid being noticed and activates her radio.

"The Order is looking for Mespah looking for Lasrane.  Two Order Mespah heading your way.  I advise you to get out.  On my way back. You get that?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:29, Mon 14 May 2018.

"Roger", Zelpuz mumbles into his phone. He gets up and walks out of the bar and blends in to the next alley.
"I'll try to get a good scouting point, I want to see who they are." Zelpuz radios back. He goes through the possible hideouts that will give him a good view of approaching customers, gets ready and activates his stealth field.
"Yuu, maybe you can have a pint in the pub next, see what they do when they arrive."

"Aye-firmative." Yuu replies. "What's eta?"

"I'll be there in 5, they'll be not much longer I would assume."

Zelpuz positions himself on the rooftop nearby with a good line of sight/fire of the entrance and blends in with the background.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:34, Wed 16 May 2018.

Yuu had been traipsing along, window shopping the various establishments lining the street from Arkham's Abode. With the sudden excitement, it was hard to justify getting comfortable anywhere until things settled themselves. With this latest news, the young mage was satisfied with his gut feeling on the issue, and began to less traipse himself back up the street and more... walk with a sense of quick purpose. He entered through the front door, and looked around for a spot to sit. A good spot, one of those spots a real spy might consider for espionage-making.

"I'm inside." he says into the radio once an architecturally strategic location had been chosen.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Thu 17 May 2018.

When entering the tavern Yuu draws some attention, as it's obvious that he doesn't fit the appearance of the average patron, but nothing more than a few lingering stares. After finding his spot a serving girl approaches and asks for his order. Judging from the interior it's unlikely this place serves anything outside of ales, mead and spirits.

"Hi. Um, I'll have a..." Inside his head, the room freezes, like holding a moment caught on photo film. Yuu begins flipping backwards through the scene, recalling a moment shortly after entering. He quickly finds what he's looking for, when he'd first glanced at the bar and saw the labels on the beer taps. "...a Berfinger's Red, and... do you have a food menu I could look at, please?"

The server nods in the affirmative with a smile, "Certainly. I'll be right back with your beer and a menu." She heads off on her stated task, and as Yuu watches her go out of the corner of his left eye a slightly familiar form steals his attention away.

Swinging his gaze around Yuu finds Vanyra returning to the bar and finding a place near the back.

A few minutes later the pair of Mespah, the female and male Order of Ashes agents, that Vanyra had spotted earlier enter the tavern. Their entrance draws a number of eyes, some curious and some wary, for a longer period than either Vanyra or Yuu remember receiving upon their own entrances. After a quick scan of the crowd before them the two move to the bartender, who becomes pensive at their approach.

The female immediate inquires after Zelpuz, using a perfect recital of the description provided by the two businessmen. The bartender responds that he had not seen the man come in before, but was here for several hours before leaving just a few minutes earlier. With that the two agents thank the man for their time and exit the tavern.

Vanyra heads towards the washroom in order to radio to Zelpuz and Yuu regarding what they want to do.  She indicates that she is willing to help stop someone for questioning, but she is nervous about going after agents that might have mind control or could be part of something bigger and scarier with people that have mind control.

"I don't think we should take them in for questioning, they are members of the Order, so am I. Things are strange here, so I want to find out what's going on, but I don't want to be on the Order hit-list." Zelpuz replies. "Let's stick to observation."

"I'll stay a bit longer to avoid suspicion."

"OK, I'll follow them. I'll try to keep you updated where we are."

The two Mespah agents walk back the way they came, inland and deeper into the city, while Zelpuz shadows them from the rooftops. They seem to be moving with purpose, though not in haste; it is obvious they are following a familiar route. No words are being spoken between them, and Zelpuz assumes there is a telepathic conversation underway which is standard procedure for agents; don't potentially reveal details to the commons when you don't have to. After about thirty minutes Zelpuz guesses these two are headed back to the Chapter House, given their current neighbourhood.

Zelpuz continues his surveillance from his elevated vantage points, teleporting from rooftop to rooftop as the pair of Order agents meander through the near-empty streets of late Aftereven in Ossylia. As suspected the two eventually make their way to the Order Chapter House and enter.

Yuu finishes off the basket of fries he'd ordered, and takes a sip of his second ale. He scribbles some ideas in his notebook, inking out a few blueprints and diagrams. Chewing on the end of his pen, he looks casually around, aiming to catch Vanyra's eye.

After waiting a bit to not seem suspicious or linked to Zelpuz, Vanyra departs the establishment so that she can be outside and ready if needed.

After they enter the Chapter house, Zelpuz radios back: "OK, they were actually from the Chapter. That's potentially bad. I'll come back, then let's see what to do next."

Yuu finishes off his drink, spends a few more minutes taking notes, then pays his bill and departs.

He stands on the street, wondering what to do. Truly lost for the moment.

On his way back from tailing the agents to the Order Chapter House Zelpuz radios Vanyra and Yuu, suggesting that they make their individual ways back to Vanyra's apartment to discuss the evenings observations. From there the trio make their own meandering route to the rendezvous point.