Jevan descending like a feather on the wind, landing delicately upon the floor of the vast room. Announcing his presence was a risky proposition, but he reckoned he had got here before the assassin if indeed the assassin was trying to pick up his trail again.

"Satou?" Jevan whispered.

"Too loud"

A voice said from the darkness. Responding to the summons, the assassin carrying Tuith's unmoving body strode into the room. With one hand holding the corpse in place, the other hand reached up and pulled back the head wrapping and causing it to fall comfortably around his neck, revealing the expected face of Satou.

The drow commoner unceremoniously dumped Tuith's body into the center of the room. "Well done shaking your tail though; I had to move before he realized he had lost you, only wish you would have waited a little longer so I wouldn't have had to carry him so far."
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:17, Fri 31 Dec 2021.

Jevan smirked. "Apologies. That was inconsiderate of me," he said, matching Satou's volume. "I imagine Da will be wondering what happened to his footman. Pity Billarius must have had Tuith killed to raise his standing." Jevan winked.

"Oh no, you're the one who killed Tuith. But you did Da a favor; he was less loyal to House Hekar than would have been ideal considering how many resources they put into training him and bringing him up alongside Da" Satou said, stepping slowly around the corpse, looking at it with the detached consideration a hunter does a piece of game and the meat it offers.

He then turned, looking Jevan in the eyes. "Of course that's not the real reason you did it; instead, you did it for the sake of Master Houndarel... convincing him of that, now there's where the real danger lies."

"Oh?" Jevan inquired, looking down at the discarded form with interest. "How have I helped Master Houndarel?" he asked.

Satou grinned and looked sideways at Jevan. "By saving his life, of course."

Satou then turned more fully towards Jevan. "I'll cut the vague speak Freth, but explaining how this helps us requires a bit of explanation, including some information that may be of value to you, or possibly some interest at least. I give it freely, but know that I expect you will follow through on that favor you owe me; here and now. I have a plan and I need you to bring it to its predetermined end, and if help me finish it we will be even and I'll consider you a valuable partner so we may do business again in the future."

"Satou, you wound me," Jevan said putting his hand across his breast in mock injury, though his grin said otherwise. "Of course I am to repay a favour owed. What are we if not men of our word?"

"Now how can I be of service?"

Satou rolls his eyes; "No, I did not wound you, though I could if I wanted to despte the charade I put on in the melee yesterday."

Satou then shook his head; "But I'm not here to measure our lizards against one another. I just want to ask you one question Jevan; you have no reason to trust me, I understand. But if our roles were reversed, and please refrain from shuddering at the thought, would you trust you?"

"I would never trust me," Jevan said without hesitation. "Its why I'm still alive."

"I would trust our mutual interests. So long as they remain mutually interesting of course."

Satou nodded, seemingly satisfied that they had come to a mutual conclusion. As such, he changed the topic, pointing at first to Tuith then extending the gesture to the room around them. "Tuith and Houndarel are supposed to meet here soon. They've been having.. rendezvous for some time. The important thing to know is that Houndarel is not staying at the academy for the next class year; he is relinquishing his position here and returning home to Fey-Branche at the behest of the matron mother. Tuith gleaned this information from him and has been coaxing the master to appoint him as his replacement, which Houndarel was agreeable to."

Satou then shrugged and looked straight at Jevan once again. "That's where my plan intercedes. I want to be a master in Melee Magthere, Tuith was a stepping stone that I did not hesitate to put beneath me. Now, this is where my favor comes in. The story is that after the display in the Grand Melee, Houndarel decided Tuith was not to be his successor; instead he wanted to offer the position to you. In a desperate and mad fit the likes of which can only belong to a jilted lover, Tuith drew his blade on Houndarel. Ironic, since you would had no intention of accepting the offer and would instead have recommended me for the position. Now, here is where we have some wiggle room; convince Houndarel to go along with this plan, or kill him and pin it on Tuith. That part falls to you."

Jevan stroked his chin in thought. "No you're quite right. I have no interest in teaching noble brats to play at swords.

"My this is a dangerous game you're playing at though, Satou. Succeed and I have the thanks of a scion of Fey-Branche, the consideration of house Hekkar for averting a bloody contretemps, and of course, a mutual understanding with yourself as a master of the academy."

"Fail on the other hand, and I've no choice but to match blades with Houndarel."

"Tell me, where does this information come to you by? And how much of it is true and how much must I convince Houndarel of? Had he reconsidered his successor?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:21, Fri 31 Dec 2021.

"It's true that Houndarel was fucking Tuith, and its true the commoner was using the opportunity to coax Houndarel into naming him the next master," Satou said, dropping any pretense. "This information comes to me by me, Jevan. You'd be amazed what one can see, and hear, when they spend their ten years at the academy not playing the games of posturing and posing for stature."

Satou stopped for a moment, inclining his head as he seemed to consider things for a moment. "Now, Houndarel seemed receptive to giving the position to Tuith though how much was sincere and how much was simply entertaining his toy I cannot speak for. It's also true that Tuith hoped to secure the number two position, first by convincing Da to poison Hunin, though not knowing that Billarius had already done the same. Thanks to your uninformed blunder in the maze, Tuith knew through Houndarel that you and I had some sort of alliance and thought you would lead him to me; to be honest I think even Tuith knew his limits and did not plan to strike at you, but also believed you would not go to any extreme to protect me."

The drow assassin took a long breath before finishing; "That is all. Now, you must convince Houndarel that it is in his best interest to go along with the story as it has been concocted and, with your 'guidance' name me as his successor. Know that if it does fail and the only recourse is blades, then my goal is on the line and you can rely on my help in felling the master. It will not be easy, but I believe it can be done."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:37, Fri 31 Dec 2021.

"Then the story needs amending," Jevan mused. "Not the one Houndarel choses to tell the world," Jevan added dismissively. "That's immaterial."

"But the one I tell Houndarel matters. I can hardly tell him I saved him from an assassin's blade in the act, the body is already cold," he said, gesturing at Tuith's crumpled form. "And I have no reason to be here whatsoever if the events you speak of were known only to Houndarel and Tuith themselves. Unless...."

Jevan's mind raced ahead as he unwound the thread of history and subtly rewove the pattern, at least as it would be told hence forth.

"Unless Tuith himself arranged for me to come."

Jevan paced around the body and cast his gaze upon their environs.

"Tuith passed me in the hall this morning and told me to come here straight after breakfast. He had a matter of urgency to discuss. When I arrived he seemed like a man possessed and heaped wild and unfounded accusations upon me. Vulgar accusations, even. I protested, justly," here Jevan held up his hands in peaceful placation. "But he became incensed and drew his sword threatening to kill me and Houndarel."

"Alas, I had no choice but to defend myself." He paused and looked down at the body.

"Good of you to stab him in the front rather than the back. It adds credence to my story."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:55, Fri 31 Dec 2021.

"My intention was to let Houndarel in on the lie, but if you think it will be a better sell to extend the lie to him as well then by all means. I have many talents but this is more your battlefield than mine" Satou said, dipping his head slightly in a show of acquiescence.

"Houndarel should be here relatively shortly. Will you await him? I will be watching from the darkness."

"Well if it isn't necessary to your plans to sell the lie to Houndarel, that is one fewer mark I must fool. Better to bring him into the conspiracy than to have him see through the deceit. Both entail risks, but if we secure the former it will be a sounder arrangement. We'll do it your way."

"I will await him here."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Fri 31 Dec 2021.

Satou shrugs. "It's only necessary that I become the next master. Whether you lie, let him in on the conspiracy, or kill him is up to you. Though I will say, if I can avoid the blade of a master of the academy, that would be preferable."

With that, Satou disappeared into shadow and Jevan was left alone.

---

Is there anything you would like to do? Any exact plan?
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:53, Fri 31 Dec 2021.

Jevan smoothed down his shirt, straightened his cuffs and took a steadying breath. This was not the conversation he thought he would be having this morning when he awoke high on his previous night's success. Still, it presented an opportunity. A dangerous one at that.

All he needed was an opening.

I wish I could say I had preparations to make, but honestly there's nothing in Jevan's  toolkit that will help him for this performance.

He's going to stick close to Satou's original script and see how far it gets him. I don't know enough about Houndarel from the little play time I've seen him to anticipate how he will receive it. I'm banking on Satou's NPC knowledge and intuition here - he's proven an adept judge of character to date.

Jevan steadied his nerves and began to wait patiently. Five minutes pass, then ten. Half an hour later, and still waiting.

"Freth. Something is wrong. Houndarel isn't coming, we are still alone in the maze. He was meant to meet with Tuith here by now." Jevan only had to look around for a moment as Satou emerged from the shadows near his position.

Jevan's lips tightened into a thin line and he wondered what mischief Pharn might have been about after their morning meal. Double crossing was the nature of the game, though it was in the cook's interest to have an ally in the faculty rather than an adversary.

"That is a problem," he concurred. "Perhaps he's grown rather more cautious than his former paramour."

"If he's not coming, we ought not linger. It does raise the question of what to do with the body."

Satou furrowed his brow. "Why would he have become more cautious? I was worried after your slip during the Grand Melee, but it seemed to have been cryptic enough not to tip my hand entirely; I was still able to listen to Houndarel make plans with Tuith over breakfast."

"It was hardly a slip," Jevan remarked. "I was forthright with Tuith in the maze that I had a confederate. It was practically to be expected. If he needed Houndarel to connect the dots for him he was more simple than I gave him credit for."

"I can hardly believe this is why the faculty are all gossiping like kitchen hands."

Satou shook his head. "Do not underestimate the faculty's tendency to play the game. If Houndarel had reason to believe he was being played, its natural that he would try to come out with a higher hand. We need to find him, its not too late to get him to acquiesce... though if we kill him elsewhere things could get more messy. As for Tuith, let him rot here for now, its just as good a place as any other so long as we act fast."

Jevan nodded. "Then lets get going."

Is there more than one way out of the room with the maze?

Satou gestured; "Lead the way, I will follow so as not to be noticed wherever we may go."

---

Just the one so far as you know.

Jevan turned on his heels and started for the mouth of the maze, sticking to the floors rather than the decks so that Satou could follow. Pharn had made things more challenging, it would seem, but Satou was right. The opportunity was not lost. He just had to think on his feet.