Increase, for lack of a better word, was conflicted. He hadn't grown to hate Lasier or the people of the isle. If anything most of his time here was neutral or perhaps moderately pleasant. Compared to the Atherocracy this place was fairly moderate; save the mass sacrifices for youth.

The Atheocracy preferred data generating mass sacrifices.

All the same when it came time to vote he abstained, deciding he neither possessed the nerve or resolve to speak one way or the other. If Lasier lived then the population of the island would continue to live as well. He would likely devise a new method of earning his life sustaining wealth. If he died then no more tributes would die but the populace surely would.

He would let the rest of the group decide.

"Lady Malusvir, eh? I can appreciate someone that knows when he is defeated. I thank you for the information, Laiser."

Plaga then adresses the others.

"I would abstain to vote on any decisions you want to make about his fate. I don't care about him enough to ask for him to be spared, but I won't act against someone that accepted defeat so graciously. After all, I'm sure none of us is free of sin. I reccomend, however, that you don't force your will upon the people. Let them decide if they want to come with us or stay, regardless of Laiser's fate. I have yet to know the extents of my abilities, but I may be able to free those tied under his influence. That is, of course, if Mr Laiser doesn't comply to do so himself."

Radiance nods to Claire. "I can free any who can hear my voice of any mental influences, as I did for you. My preference is to free them and take them to the main land with us, if the good Scholar is capable of providing the transportation."

The rest - the man who was willing to do monstrous things, she had little pity or empathy for. "I care  more about the freedom of the men and women here than I do for this man's life. But should we leave him, will he not simply find new evils to perpetrate?"

  "It does not look good for you, mister god.  The other heads are not cooler after all.  And it sounds as though you have nothing they cannot take by force."  Gaja gives an obnoxiously helpless shrug as she closes on the base of the dock.  She'd relaxed her grip on the nearby water when the current it created began to interfere with Increase's work, but the sounds of crumbling rock and howling winds still followed her.

  She steps forward, gliding on some residual ice up to the back of the group of godlings, and then forward through.  She stops just outside of easy arm's reach of Laiser, hands clasped at her back and smirking.  "Technically, this will be keeping my part of our bargain.  You did agree to a bargain, I'm sure I heard it."  And then she projects.

  "What do you say in Brightland?  I abstain?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:18, Sun 14 Oct 2018.

The vote looked like it was coming down to 2-1 against, and a lot of not-give-a-shits, though Resplendent hadn't actually formally voted. Still, they didn't call him the Lord of Bargains for nothing.

He gave a grin to Gaja.

"Careful. With me, you usually get what you bargain for. Two of you seemed to say they weren't going to join in if you started up with me. You sure I won't take down at least one of you before I fall?"

His grin got a lot less toothsome.

"Not that I want it to go down that way!

Besides, far be it from me to question your motives, but don't all of you have at least one person you'd really like to kill a LOT more than me? After all, I wasn't the one who brought you here.

I got money. You don't want money. Fine.
But money buys ANSWERS, and my agents have been doing that for a long, long time.
And that's going to be a lot harder to pull of my corpse."


"You want to help track down the people that lead you here. Well, I can help you with that.
Hell, I WANT to help you. I'm not exactly thrilled with those five, considering how this deal has turned out for us. Well, other than the Tea Merchant. But I don't care about him."

He tried not to roll his eyes.

"So, lets sweeten the deal, AGAIN. I'll get my agents to give you dossiers on whatever you like. And that's the sort of thing that is going to be a lot harder to 'get off my corpse', as you put it so delicately.

I'll also throw in showing you how to get off the island without getting attacked by sea monsters or pirates."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:50, Sun 14 Oct 2018.

"I think a bargain made with one such as you holds little worth. You have not promised to not repeat the atrocities you committed here." A glance to the others, because fighting was not her strongest purview. "If we attack, are we united? Or will those who abstained choose not to fight." Their odds lower considerably if it is only three against him. "For all that he can offer us, remember what he has done and what he will do to others if he was willing to do this. This is a man without morals, without compunctions. Even if we remove his ability to repeat this particular evil, it does not mean he will not commit a myriad of others."

Laiser looked surprised for a moment, and responded very quickly.

"I hearby promise not to repeat the atrocities committed here. I was kind of hoping to make that contingent on you not killing me."

After all, they were taking the scales. He couldn't do that trick again even if he wanted to.

"And I can make whatever oaths you want magically binding. That's a thing I can do, though I usually don't mention that. I can make them REALLY binding with the scale if you want. You've seen that that thing has some power.

If you take the Doctor, I'll be happy to swear off torture, outlaw it on the island totally. Like I said earlier, that really is more his thing. I play with people's deepest desires and needs, not their pain."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:03, Sun 14 Oct 2018.

Gaja looks away from Laiser, back at Claire and Radiance.  She's making that Impressed face.

  "You know, he makes a good offer.  Everything that makes you want him dead, and the use of his treasures to buy you secrets.  If you're going to kill him, you should probably just do it and not draw out this humiliation."  From the grin, she does not appear to mind drawing out the humiliation.

Radiance does not look pleased. If the others will not help, the odds get worse. Her fiery gaze returned to Laiser.

"Very well. You will not  injure, impede, or deceive us. You will instead help us achieve our goals with your knowledge and resources. You will cease torture, keeping slaves, enslaving people, and treating beings with deliberate cruelty. No more atrocities. You will bind yourself however it is you bind yourself with the scale, and then we will dismantle or destroy it.

"Does anyone have any additional stipulations?"

"You will obey any command that any of us gives you," Claire added.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:34, Tue 16 Oct 2018.

  Gaja starts backing away slowly, but the side edge of the dock stops her.

He looked very angry, ready to strike  for about 3 seconds, and then stopped for a moment to think rationally... and use a small supernatural gift. He paused for a moment, and tried not to smile.

"Ok. That wording means any of you can order me to betray you.

But hey, whatever, Czarina. You are the one with the crazy ice gun. I'll agree that I am your collective property, bound to do your commands until I die."

He took out his flask. "Lets do this. To my last minutes as a free man"

The other guards looked openly shocked and massively confused. They had been certain that they were about to fight to the death.

"No, seriously, the mortal ones of you can head back now. This deal is done, they won. Go clean up the mess and look for survivors. I'll be back to talk to you in a few minutes."

The human guards stumbled away, very confused. Laiser began walking with the dead-eyed guards towards the room with the scale.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:56, Tue 16 Oct 2018.

A few minutes later, you found yourself back in the party room.

He ordered his servants to clean up the main hall before they entered: it was getting a little corpsey. Breakfast and drinks were offered for any who wanted it, though the servants were utterly terrified of Plaga - eventually one of the braver ones daned did offer one to Plaga and Kanua.

Laiser kept near his guards in case there was any last minute chicanery - he had this funny idea that Claire wanted him dead. The Resplendent Queen ordered the men tie themselves up before the glamour upon them wore off.

Eventually, the servants once again departed, other than the stone faced guards.
Laiser hoped on one side of the scale.

"You don't need to stand on it. But all of you need to put your hand on the scale.  and keep touching it during the binding.

As you saw before, it'll state both terms of the contract in every language. I've got it set up here. Everything that you all asked for. We'll give it a run through first though

"Party of the first, Laiser Tectre, Lord of the Isle of Bargains, agrees to the following.

He will agree to all commands of all parties of the second, for the rest of his natural life, excepting where these consitions would violate another part of this agreement."

He will not injure, impede, or deceive the parties of the second or their agents. He will instead help the parties of the second achieve their goals with his knowledge and resources.

He not permit torture and slavery, or magical effects creating similar relationships, upon the island, nor other cruel practices. Any such existing contracts made are null and void.

He will voluntarily give up possession of this artifact, The Iron Scale, and agree to remove the traps holding it in place.

He will not impede any of his followers from departing the isle, should they so wish.

In the event that the parties of the second return, he will receive them as honoured guests and allow them to inspect the island.</u>

<u>The Parties of the second agree to the following terms.

They agree to Laiser Tectre in peace and alive and unharmed upon the isle. They but will not assault him or his men... at least not until the next time we come back from the mainland.

They reserve the right to return and inspect the island. If they feel the party of the first is not keeping up the agreement, they may, collectively or individually, declare the contract null and void and resume hostilities.

Should they, individually or collectively, decide to attack Laiser, give him suicidal commands or attempt to remove him from the island, this contract is null and void.

They acknowledge that Laiser Tectre resides on this island and will continue to act as Lord, acknowledging that on this island, torture and slavery are forbidden, and magical effects creating similar relationships upon the island remain null void."

He paused.

He took a deep breath.

"Whew! That's quite a mouthful. Never had to put a contract that long in before. I think I remembered everything you asked for. Any objections?"


* * *

OOC - If anyone just wants to pull out a gun and shoot Laiser or has any conditions or concerns, just let me know. I'm moving ahead in the spirit of moving things ahead.

I promise as the GM, Laiser is not planning an ambush or trap or anything that will stop you from leaving the island, unharmed, and still in control of the situation.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:42, Tue 16 Oct 2018.

Increase moved to the scale first, placing his hand upon it and looked to Lasier dispassionately as the binding took place. He listened to the terms of the agreement, unsure as to why they didn't just outright kill the parasite given the conditions they had set. All the same it made no difference to him in the end.

"I agree to the terms."

Increase then removed his hand and began moving out of the building. He took a pause at the door however, speaking over his shoulder.

"Lasier."

"I have never come to hate you but our time has come to an end. Do not seek me and I shall not seek you. Even should such a time come that you earn the ire of my allies I shall not come to slay you."

He then turned to his allies.

"I will take the Doctor with us. I believe his talents will be useful."

Plaga walked up to the scale next, and placed her skeletal hand on it.

"I agree to the terms"

This was highly suspicious. It made no sense that someone that once held so much power was now becoming a slave willingly. There had to be a catch, or something they were missing. But in any case, the contract was rather straightforward.
Plaga and Kanua followed Increase out of the room. To the rest of the undead under her command, who were mindless husks unlike Kanua, she ordered to bury themselves deep underground, where they wouldn't be able to hurt anyone once Plaga released her control.

"Scholar. May I have a word with you? From what i gathered, you were working for Lasier, is that true? I wish to know more about how he got his hands on me. He gave me a name, Lady Malusvir, but I know nothing about such a person. Perhaps you happen to be able to enlighten me on the matter?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:44, Tue 16 Oct 2018.

"I agree to the terms of the contract." Spoken with her hand on the scale, as required. Laiser had chosen servitude over death. Death would have been her preference, but if they were going to leave him alive, he was not going to cause them any more problems.

"When we are done here, I would like to know the names of those who sent us here."

  Gaja politely turns away the offered meal and can be caught peering suspiciously at the food more than once.  It's nothing compared to how distinctly uneasy she appears at the notion of touching that scale, but after some of her—what? allies?—suffer no ill effects, she follows along in kind.

  "It is... An oath, yes?  I agree to the terms."

---

  She leaves the building on her own, afterward, and spends her time hiking around the island, raising strong springs in a few spots where the streams shouldn't become a problem in heavy rain.  She hadn't seen any fresh water sources yet, and there was no telling what Laiser would still be able to provide, shackled like that.  She'd left the scorpion to sun itself on a large rock to the east side of the manor, and she had sounded very certain that string she tied around one of its legs would keep it from going anywhere.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:13, Tue 16 Oct 2018.

"Agreed," said Claire, hand on the scale. "For your first task for me, I want to know who was responsible for the death of Sarah Durand."

Marius steps forth and puts his hand on the scale. He had listened and scrutinized the deal and seemed mostly pleased with it.

"I agree to the terms of this arrangement as well."

He looks around at the others some, trying to process much more so now just who he was dealing with.

Once agreed to, Laiser repeated the deal, this time for real.

The deal was broadcast in every language and the pronouncement was made.

"So, I have a lot of orders to give out and servants to free. The Scale is right here. I'll untrap and arrange to have it moved when you are ready to leave.

I also have a loy of pay I need to calculate. If you need anything, of course I'm at your service.

I'm afraid I don't know the name by heart. I'm guessing bright Republic? I don't have great sources there, but I don't know a couple people.

I'll add her to the dossier list to prepare."

"Bright Republic. She was the daughter of an important executive of Bright Records," said Claire coolly.

In reply to Plaga, The Doctor of Death (msg # 99):

Scholar slowed his pace when Plaga approached. He gave her an appraising glance as she spoke and then thought to himself. There was a moment of sudden revelation as relevant information poured into his mind. A series of images and dates and facts, all shown through a thousand different vantages and spoken in tongues which he had not learned but knew all the same.

"If her name was Lady Malusvir then she is of Vissio. Its a honorific title of sorts given to recognize those who have given great service to the nation although being derived from fallen houses as they are its a slightly morbid tradition."

"That aside the titles are region specific meaning she is likely from the corrupt southern provinces. With their strong ties to piracy and government corruption it is likely that she came into possession of you and used underworld contacts to have you sold."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:30, Wed 17 Oct 2018.

"I see... then she isn't likely the responsible for my death, but it's a good lead nonetheless. Thank you Scholar. If you ever needs my services, don't doubt asking."

Plaga hurled a small bag to the slave master, and were he to inspect it's contents, he would find a silver powder that he may recognize as a powerful hallucinogen, normally used for recreation purposes.

"A little token of appreciation. If not for yourself, I'm sure some of your acquaintances would appreciate it. It's my own creation, I can guarantee you have never experienced anything like it."

Laiser noted the name with a stroke of his golden pen. "I will record the name. It will take quite some time to get word from the Republic, but my men in Vissio may be able to get info from the Republics traders and expatriots."

Once she was done with Increase, Plaga took Kanua to an isolated place apart from the others.

"Kanua, I'm about to release you of your forced control. I'm gonna ask you once more, will you serve me even if you aren't compelled to do so?"

If the answer is affirmative, Plaga will release Kanua from her bondn (Reclaiming the effort).