In reply to Sorin Vulca (msg # 50):

"In order, he last seen visiting The Elder Beerman, a well know tavern in Kingsport. Transportation will be provided. This time you will have as much time as you need, with my supervision. Lastly, anything that survived the blast is the property of the state, so no."

Hil threw the rest of his gore splattered cookie down on Mike's corpse. What a pity.

He smiled, happy to be useful, as Qarley spoke.

"Fear not. I have the holy powers of Azathtoh to aid you. Jump."

Hil spoke... words. Words that were difficult to understand even for spell casters, in profane languages that should not exist, and eyes eyes glowed black as he called upon the Blind Idiot God.

Featherfall on Qarley when she jumps. Believe it or not, I get this as a domain spell.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

"Damn, worth a shot. Ready to go when you are, boss." Sorin said, his voice lacking the blatant mockery with which he had addressed Mike as boss.

"See! Now we're working together! This is called a trust fall! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

She screams all the way down, slowly, into Hil's arms. "OH Hiya Handsome!" And kisses him on the mouth.

"The name is Qarley Huinn (pronounces it Karly Win) Okay let's go beat up some scared crows."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:54, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

"Ha, now he's Smeared boy."

Cael remains just as relaxed as before, un-phased by the death that unfolded before him.

Marcia's eyes widen a little at the wink, and Reign subtly revealing his divine heritage.  She exhales silently, and lets some of the tension leak from her shoulders. It was a little like a nervous horse deciding things were maybe okay for now.  She was willing to extend Reign the faith that he would act rationally. Marcia leaned lightly against a wall, well back from the..confrontation. But there was a sense of readiness -- if something happened in Reign's direction, she would help.

She was expecting something gross from Mike, but not have her shoes spattered with his brains.  She made an undignified squeak as she leapt out of the way.

"What should we do if we find the Prince?  What if he's dead?" Sia asked carefully. Politics were difficult, and most nobility were guilty of something.  But she didn't know enough about nobles to understand who would benefit from misplacing this prince. It could be a family rivalry. The prince could be a secret rebel or cultist.

In reply to Marcia Winterwood (msg # 59):

"If the prince is alive, there is an liaison to return him to. If he is dead, just make sure the public can find the body so it looks like bandits or other ne're do-wells did him in. If on the off chance he is a threat to our national interest, then be those ne're do-wells."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:25, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

Glitterdale looks at SGT Banner hard.
So the end result is you want whoever is putting up scarecrows to stop doing it and if they planning something bad to stop it.  You also want the result of what happens to the princes to look good for our country and look bad or indifferent for the princes.

He then adds.
Are you coming with us.  Watching from a far or staying here.  Oh and lastly could I have say 4 - 6 black cloak that fit most of us.  I think they will be useful.  I am will to pay for them if need be but I need to make sure nobody know we have them.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:44, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

"Smeared boy! Smeared boy!" Kholt laughs as he keeps drawing "Burn burn burn go the scarecrows. No more crows. Boom! They gone. Boom." Scribble scribble "Prince of thieves. Prince of thieves. Go prince elsewhere. No not here. No not here." He sits up "Handsome Hil is here. Handsome Hil is here!" Kholt slowly stands up and falls down from the gore of Mike and grumbles "Go now? We play?" Is he nuts? Maybe. He grabs his backpack, holding his odd arm and holds it into the air "Tag your it!"

In reply to Glitterdale Dust-star (msg # 61):

"I will be coming with you, but working from a distance to supervise, but remain discreet. Those cloaks can be provided for you, that would be a good idea. Anyone else or are you all properly prepared?"

There was certainly shock in Reign's face, indicative of both eyebrows raised this time. It wasn't the piece of jawbone that flew past his head in a bloody trail, nor the damsel descending from the rafters. It was the sheer idiocy of the man that met his fate in the most undignified way. It was...

Well...it was over and done with.

Reign had squat down - musket over legs, arms over knees - as he listened to the briefing with interest, though his mind was as much on the members as the mission. Mike Bison had been, at least, a unifying front to work against. Now they would be all left to their own devices. Maybe even free of aggravation. Hopefully the runes would, at the very least, help them get things done. Together. Like one big damned runebound family.

Family. Pops.

"Are our accommodations and resupply...for reagents...provided?" Reign took a quick drag, smoke pouring out his mouth in wild wisps as he added, "Any animals also, for travel and hauling, once we're in the field?"

The deep-bell clarity in his tone was much more evident the longer he spoke. Fox and Glitterguy had asked much needed questions. The rest of his concerns were more logistic that pertinent, though none less considerable considerations.

"I imagine, traveling as a group, we may need a cohesive cover story."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:26, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

"There are few professions that would afford a cover to such a... wildly diverse crew.

I'm tempted to say 'pilgrims for Azathtoh' but they'd probably just call the guard on us.

And the ones that I can think of, we aren't really set up for. I can't summon enough monkeys to pull off a circus, and where would we find tents that big on such short notice?

Adventuring party' seems like the simplest and closest answer to the truth.

After all, as a priest of Azathtoh, it would be a most unrepresentative and unethical to lie in my position. He lied.

Qarley was fascinated that Hil completely ignored her kiss, so she stuck her tongue in his eyeball to check if that could generate a response.

“I’ve got an idea!!! We should call ourselves the suicide party!!!”

Then she climbed out of hil’s big strong ignorant arms and went over to Kholt to converse with the goblin. “Boom fire fire?”
This message was last edited by the player at 16:23, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

Aggitated about something the goblin grumbles and stares at Hal "Your not playing!" What? He then stands behind Marcia and pokes her arm with the odd contration "Tag! Your it!" Like a crazed kid he scrambles behind Naeva and grins going to gently pat the cat. He hears Reign and he tilts his head "Horses bad! No no no. Dogs? No. Turtles!" Its just a blur of emotion coming from him.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:03, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

"Aggggh! Don't do that. At least until the thirddate. Do you have any idea where my eye has been?"

He sputtered and tried not to drop her. Hil was a lot of things, he wasn't particularly strong, and Harley was (ooc:I'm guessing) armored.

After a moment he went back to his usual smiling self.

"Sorry, for not giving you proper attention. That wasn't very polite of me. I just sort of blanked out there about you."

Hil reflected that there were some disadvantages to being a priest to an insane idiot god who exemplified power and chaos. Hallucinations and madness being prominent.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:18, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

Sorin watched the two clearly unhinged ones with caution, making a note to keep them both in sight whenever possible. When Reign started tossing out ideas for a cover story, he scratched his head in thought for a moment before chiming in. "What if we don't travel as one big group? Glitterdale's a baker, he can stick with a couple others who'll pose as bodyguards. Same thing with Hil. It's dangerous on the roads for a lone priest and a baker, after all. All kinds of bandits and beasts."

Marcia watches the more mentally unhinged members of the group with a wary stoicism. There was nothing she could accomplish by engaging with them, so she didn't. "A healer's kit please?"  She requests when the Sgt asks about supplies.

She makes an effort to stay still and let Kholt tag her, but she can't hide a flinch.  "Sorry friend, 'm too slow today." she rasps. She rummages in the pockets for a piece of chalk as long as her finger.  She snaps the chalk in half and offers it to him.  It's pink-tinged. "Here. Let's ask for a goat cart, you need not ride a horse." She touches her throat, with a wince.

In some ways, Marcia is the easiest to hide. Another servant, assistant, or stable-girl is hardly outstanding a port city. "Splitting up, less attention. Stagger arrival. Can run messages between groups." She manages, choosing her words carefully.

“Oooops! Sorry to interrupt but there will be no disguising me. I only like to wear my own skin, thanks. Why the heck are you all worried about sneaking in when the church and state is the ones asking us to do the dirty deeds done dirt cheap??? Am I the only one with half a brain here???? Think!”

She ran up to Hil and punched him in the shoulder and winked.

Then she tagged Kholt and went and hid behind Cael.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

A muscle under Sorin's eye twitched for half a second before he sighed and looked over to Qarley. "A few reasons. First, as far as the state is concerned, we're low life scum rotting in prison. Second, we're being asked to do under the table wetwork, which nobody with a whole brain will admit to commissioning. Third, just because our orders come from the top or near enough, that doesn't mean every Tom, Dick and Harry in a guard uniform is going to know that we aren't a bunch of escaped convicts. Last, and following that point, we're deniable assets now. We get caught and we'll be hung out to dry. You follow?"

Eyes open wide, he grins as he takes the pink chalk "I like you!" He puts the chalk into his pack. The goblin jumps as he is tagged and grumbles "No play fair!" He grumbles and tilts his head "Stuff and things! Stuff and things!" He moves around, dragging his backpack around "Me do it. Quick quick." Kholt walks back to Marcia "Goat? Ride a goat?" He sits down "No brain! Captain Kiss-Ass!" The goblin grins "Think a lot. Yes yes. Want my brains?" His eyes squint towards Qarley  "Nope! Brain too big for you!" He grins again "Somewhere over the rainbow..." His attention focuses on Bannar "Tools? Lockpicks?" His head tilts to the side "I'm not deniable!" He walks up to Sorin and motions for him to get down to his level "I think she likes you!" He grints again, a big toothy one "Talk later? Yup!" He goes back to his backpack and hoists it up and goes to take Marcia's hand "Go now?"

"He called us Circus. Why not be circus? Have many clowns."

 Cael, contributed to the conversation, but remained still with arms crossed and Natasha laid out across his lap.

Hil noted that Qarley could probably hit quite hard if she wanted: it was a good thing he was wearing chain or he'd probably have winced.

"Well put, Fox.

If this gets really messy, the state wants to be able to say it was these evil, incredibly cunning and charming lowlife heretic criminals, all of which conveniently had their head explode.... at the same time."

Actually, that was a potential problem whether they completed the mission or not, but if they did a good job, they might get kept alive for some other future mission.

He really needed to figure out a way to bypass this explode thing. He'd probably get at least three of them to join the cult if he could figure out that. Once he got to the point where he could resurrect the dead, there was an easy fix for the rest of them. A disjunction perhaps? That was so far beyond him it was laughable.

At Cael's suggestion, he scratched his chin.
"I can't tell if you are serious or just doing a deadpan. Personally, I'd go with shady missionaries or shady mercenaries. You could also convert for real: the cult of Azathoth has an excellent medical plan.

If you all want to do the circus thing though, I'm game.

Whilst ensuring the safety of her cat from a goblin's grimy claws, and picking a few choice bits of brain from her robes of the rather annoying man (one down!), Naeva headed over to the headless corpse. She wasn't overly fond of the casual brutality, but seeing as the zoo she was currently in had some dangerous animals, it was good they could be kept in line. Unfortunately, she was currently still considered one of said animals. How dreadful.

"You don't mind if I use this, do you? It's best used fresh."

Seeing that in the field she would need some protection and barring objection from her jailor, she got to work. A simple paintbrush was produced and dipped in the rapidly expanding pool of blood whilst she held her cat in the other. She glared at the goblin.

"Don't touch my cat. And don't disturb the circle, unless you want your soul to make a visit to the abyss. A permanent visit."
Then she realized what she was talking to, and she sighed.
"You'd be dead. Very dead. In a bad way. Ok? Shoo."

With regular blood dippings she continued painting the circle around the corpse. An easy task. Some summoners bothered with elaborate patterns of protection and warding, but one didn't need to if one had a pre-arranged bargain with a demon.

She coughed gently to clear her throat. She stroked her cat and looked into its eyes. It looked back, knowing its time had come to fulfill the role of felinekind; to bring demons to this world. Then Naeva spoke the unwords. Her tongue split as she did so and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
"Echh-Na, V'sssthal kmachtåsd æpejal, Nâthadëde, Chernabog!"

Reality twisted. With a groan the sight of the circle's contents twisted as if looking through melting glass. The sound of snapping boned preceded the headless corpse juddering as its flesh melted. Then it began to realign and grow. A new head sickeningly grew from it and bone and muscle realigned and grew. The stench of sulfur filled the room, and black smoke began filling the circle. Moments later, the summoning ended. From the smoke, a demon of smoke and fire emerged..

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Its muscle rippled under its fur as it paced lethally, regarding the world once more through a mortal's perspective. Its eyes glowed with an inner light as if its center was a burning forge. Claws raked the ground, and the sense of wrongness that just permeated the room echoed from with in it. It looked hungrily at the mortals present, eager to devour not just flesh, but souls. Then it rounded on Naeva, who was back to petting he cat.

"I return and our deal continues, mortal." It grinned ferally. "I see you chose the cat again. Who can I devour next?"

Naeva looked undisturbed, with cat in hand. She retrieved a hankerchief and dabbed the corners of her mouth free of blood. Her lack of panic at seeing a head explode suddenly was put in a different light. She replied rather matter-of-factly.
"All in good time, Chernabog. For now protect me. I am to travel with this uh... collection of distinct individuals. They are not to be trusted, but not to be harmed either unless proof of intent of harm to me is found. So you are bound."

"So I am bound." The demon grumbled. "Who else can I feast upon?"

"None at the moment. Your last feast is what landed me in this predicament you know?"
It knew.
"It was glorious. I love the screams of the children. Their pitch of voice goes ever so high as you tear their flesh, and the wailing of the adults is like a balm.."
"Yes yes, no need to go into every detail. They might decide to execute me after all." Naeva became aware of the others.
"He was unattended a few minutes. But he's quite safe now, I assure you!"
She didn't sound all that convincing.

Chernabog smiled. Cats shouldn't smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:37, Sun 25 Apr 2021.

To think the goblin had seen it all. Now a demon, a cat and a witch? His entire body tensed up, hand slightly held towards Marcia. His normally smiling demenor vanished. The large eyes watch what just unfolded. Another person he doesn't like. And the cat. Well the cat he's afraid of. Dogs. Horses. Captain Kiss-Ass. Bannar. Of course being a goblin anything bigger is a threat. But the witch? His entire body locks up, the look of fright over his face. That little kid he portrays, lost within. But hearing the screams of children is what hits the most for some hidden reason. Why does Banner need even him? Everyone seems powerful.

But Kholt is just a lonely goblin, wanting a friend maybe.

Fire. Boom. Death. Decay. Prison. He tries to remember his past but its lost to him. Trying to forget and succeding. But remembering could help. Or hinder him. So confusing. Lost.

Stepping back, his moves his hand away from Marcia and grips the odd contraption in his arm until he hits a wall. Slowly he stares at what just happened and when its all over he doesn't move. Doesn't breath apparently. Just locked on Naeva.

And the damn cat.

The goblin doesn't realize he had pissed himself as soon and it ended. And he doesn't talk. Just seems lost. Vacant. He slowly starts to rock, holding the odd arm thing.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:34, Sun 25 Apr 2021.

Everything was starting to get out of hand. It was time to reign it it.

"Enough! Go together or go separately, I doubt you'll be noticed either way unless you pull stunts like these to draw attention to yourselves. Finish your preparations and get going. I don't want to have to kill two of you in one day."