It's a typical awake-time in the Courts-- the boundary between day and night is currently straight overhead, with the black half on the right, and the shimmering day-glow colors writhing cheerfully on the left.

A cool breeze blows ashes from somewhere to somewhere, with a bracing smell like a cross between wet paint and burning rubber.

The Black Road can be seen off to the right, crossing a plain and passing beyond it over the dark abyss toward a citadel, firefly gleams flickering about it. Gauzy bridges drift in
the air, extending from far in that darkness, and demonic forms travel upon them as well as upon the black road.

At your back, you hear something unexpected.

It's a black-and-gray whirlwind. "Allura Caryx," it says in a voice like a small hurricane. "I am a messenger sent to tell you to attend the head of your house, who has a job for you. It would be advisable not to keep her waiting long."

"A job ! That's for adults. Im not old enough for a job. Who are you again ?"

She approaches the whirlwind.

Her mind goes from the wonderful day of enjoying herself she had planned to the dreary demands of family business it seemed like she had been roped into.

"I am Lascus, a demon in House Caryx's employ. I know little of the job in question, save that Duchess Velana chooses to assign it to you."

"Well Lascus, thanks for the message, I better go see what she wants." She gave him whatever an appropriate tip was for his services and then headed off to see Velana feeling a bit intimidated to be called before the Duchess.

She made sure she was presentable before heading to the houses main holdings to see her.

Once Allura enters Caryxways, every fourth or fifth person or demon she sees who notices her says "Ah, it's you. Don't keep the duchess waiting..." And they hurry her along...

(1. I presume Allura doesn't dawdle?

2. So wait, how old is Allura, anyway?)

Allura runs through the halls when everyone it looking at her making her feel self conscious

She is just a kid

(...I was not clear on this.

But I can make it work. But... I need to know exactly-ish. ...11? 10? 9? 8? Younger? Older?)

((You know what I want to avoid problems with RPOL let's make her a nice boring 18))

(Ah, yes, I hadn't thought of that. Got it.)

Duchess Velana is alone when Allura enters her reception chamber, a black hall with green stained-glass windows. "Ah, young Allura. I have..." She pauses. "...A mission for you," she says, her tone suddenly deciding to be hushed and excited (because she's hoping that Allura will respond well to aren't you lucky, you get a cool secret mission).

"I'm kind of excited Duchess, I have never been picked for any missions before. What did you have in mind for me ?"

That is exactly how Allura takes it getting hushed in town though perhaps a little louder due to her first time missions jitters.

The duchess seems pleased that her tactic is working so far. "As you know, our enemies are House Sawall, led by the schemer, Mandor. There have been some small attempted security breaches lately on one of the paths we take to train the Fire Angels. I want you to go to a location in Shadow and ask some questions. The people you find at the place I send you will be of House Sawall, or else they'll be in Sawall's... employ. I want you to find out if anyone at that place knows anything about an attempt to find the Fire Angels' training ground." The duchess puts on her I am talking to a young person voice even more than before. "You are so young and innocent, I feel that you have a nature that might lead others to trust you, so you can see why I have chosen you for this mission, yes?"

"I will do my best, but if they know my house won't they be close lipped about saying their nefarious attempts at infiltrating our houses holdings. I can't even believe any would be dumb enough to mess around with our fire angel training grounds they risk having one of those things sicced on them. I prefer smaller more controllable demons but the fire angels are amazing."

"Er, yes, dear-- don't tell them who you really are. Say that your name is, ah, let's see... Xan, of House Malebranche. Or choose some other name and House if you prefer. If you're concerned that your mortal form might give you away, just use your inhuman form. That may garner less suspicion..."

Allura nods, "Alright then I can do that."

"I will see what these Sawall malcontents are up to!" Her face growing serious, "They have enough power, for them to be sneaking around as thieves should be an embarrassment ! I guess in the acquisition of power they are willing to embarrass themselves though."

"Yes, dear. Now then. Go to the Shadow named Yeelan. There are two settlements in Yeelan, across the lake from one another-- you want the one with the cathedral. Start asking around about House Sawall at the cathedral..."

Allura nods and will head to her room to pack lightly and gather what she needs. She will change into her demon form. Once she is ready to go she heads out for this Shadow Yeelan and will keep alert for this cathedral.

She felt like asking if the family could spare a demon pet for her to bring along but knows that might give away her connections. So she practices with her new title and name being Bantu of House Malbranche hoping it worked. Nervously she set off.

(Hmmm... Roll Insightful for me, please...)

16:47, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 9 using 2d6.  Insightful.

Allura thinks she knows the way to get to Yeelan... she takes a couple of wrong turns, and has some trouble-- falling into a muddy ditch at one point... but she does get there.

She's even able to get there in time to find the cathedral before the bright green orb that serves Yeelan as a moon goes down over the horizon. Soon she's there... But she's muddy. Even if she wasn't muddy, she's tired.

She could start seeing who's around the cathedral... or she could go rinse off in the black lake... (Or is the lake bad? Isn't the lake a little dangerous? But not to her, right?)

(Allura takes -1 toward her next roll...

If she rinses off first, she'll lose that penalty if her next roll is Charming...)

Allura definitely heads to clean up she might even meet someone while she is doing so.

Allura heads down to the dark edge of the black lake... She's able to rinse off...

OOPS-- something grabs a leg and tries to drag her deeper...!

(To resist with your inhuman strength, roll Forceful (with extra -1 penalty).
Do the same if you just try to fight back (with extra -1 penalty).
To resist by slipping out of what's got you, roll Agile (with extra -1 penalty).
To do something else, roll what's appropriate... But I don't see how Charming will help in this situation...)

Tries to slip away squirming to get free.
Agility +1 and then -1.


19:27, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 11 using 2d6.  Agility.

Allura wriggles like an eel, and cannily evades the grip of whatever's got her leg. She splashes to dry ground... Whatever had her briefly doesn't pursue her.

"Yah, they'll do that, the vermpreys," says a voice nearby.

Allura looks-- it's a demon (not a Chaosite like herself-- she can just tell).

https://i.pinimg.com/originals...75ed00119dc6267f.jpg

"I guess so, won't let a girl bathe in peace, now your interesting. Hello, good eve. I'm Bantu of House Malebranche and you are ?"

"Oh, I'm no one of importance-- just Squig. I work for House Mordau."

"So what do you know about Vempreys ?" She sees that she can't shake his hands so she follows whatever the proper protocol is.

"I am trying to meet with some Sawalls but of course I haven't found any so they might be at that cathedral huh ?"

"Oh, just what everyone knows. They're hungry, they'll grab anything in the water when it's dark enough, and so on. You must be new around here, though, eh?"





"Oh, certainly. Lots of Sawalls at the cathedral... they're not all as devout as they pretend to be, but who these days is everything they seem, mm? Any Sawall in particular you're looking for...?"

"Young ones by the Serpent I don't want to meet any of the old ones Yuck. They are too old and schemey.  I am looking for young ones to explore with me. So Squig what do you do around here ? Were you coming to rescue me ?"

"Oh? To explore what? The Shadows?"



"I'm sort of a consultant-- I catch and repair mis-cast spells before they go too wrong. Not a job that exactly keeps me on my toes, but it's a job that everyone's glad to have me around on retainer for on the rare occasions that it needs doing..."



"Me? Marrow, no. For all I knew, you were fishing for vermiprey. Not my place to interfere with whatever a young noble of House Caryx's idea of fun might be..."

How did he know ??? Allura's eyes widened slightly as he guessed her true house so quickly.

"Yes explore the shadows and pathways."

"Any particular place in mind?"

"Oh and why did you say a different house then the one I gave to you just now ? As for specifics I have them but I am very curious why you would say such a thing."

(Hmm... time to roll Charming. No penalty, though)

11:40, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 12 using 2d6+2.  Charming.



"Sounds like you have secrets Squig, come on spill it. Either you slipped up or you did that on purpose."

Squig sighs. "All right, all right... I slipped up. Our, ah, mutual benefactress told me to watch out for you, keep an eye on you, report back if anything happened to you. Guess I'm not doing such a great job of secret-keeping if I let things slip so fast, eh. I suppose that's why you're the primary on this job, and not me."

Allura smiled and hugged one of his legs, "That's ok, she should have let me know. I could use all the help I can get. Just remember I am Bantu from House Malebranche here now ok ?" She smiled at Squig good naturedly.

"We have to look out for each other. Have you been here before me for a time or arrived recently too ?"

"Oh, yes, I was already here for a few months before I got the word that information was wanted. But I think I asked one too many questions-- the fellow I was working on clammed up suddenly, started avoiding me. Probably part of why you've been sent. The name of the fellow who clammed up is Karak, a Logrus-user-- you know, a mage."

"What can you tell me about what you have learned so far ? Hmmm a Logrus user. Someday !" She smiled to herself.

"Not a lot that, ah, our mutual friend wouldn't have already told you." Squig looks around. "Look, maybe we should talk somewhere else, eh? We've been standing here so long, I'm starting to get a little worried about eavesdroppers... What if I suggested that you meet me in the market tomorrow, by the tent that sells magical items?"

Allura nods thinking that is a good idea and not wanting to say more.

She will then head off to the city looking for a place to stay the night. A nice inn or the like.

(Hmm... Insightful roll, please... (No more extra penalties (until further notice, anyway)))

14:06, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 9 using 2d6.  Insightfull.

Allura does indeed find an inn for traveling Chaosites... And they take the crystals that Chaosites use for money, yay.

...A night's stay apparently costs almost half of what she's got on her, though.

(Stay anyway, or look for somewhere cheaper?)

Look for someplace a bit cheaper.

(New Insightful roll, please...)

I wish we were playing the normal Amber rules.

14:42, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 7 using 2d6.  Insightful.
The die mechanics of this system never rested well with me.

(The usual Amber Diceless? Sorry, never learned them. It's why all the "buying powers/abilities" stuff just blows right past me...)



Allura finds another inn that takes all kinds, even demons or humans. The demon at the front desk when she checks in stares at her a bit, though... like he's being careful to remember her...

...Morning, after a decent night's rest, comes in the form of a twice-as-bright-as-the-previous-green-one orange orb that floats into the sky... (Not that the green one was very bright, but still...)

Everyone on the street finds this mildly remarkable, saying things like "my my, an orange one today" like people in another Shadow might say "my my, what a beautiful day..."

Bantu as she is going by will head out and try and find her way into town just to look around and window shop. See what this world has to offer and keep her ears open to any gossip she hears.

She will also see if there are any map dealers and ask where the magic item dealer is.

(Insightful roll again please...)

14:57, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 7 using 2d6.  Insightful.

--Gossip: Allura hears only one rumor that jumps out at her-- that Karak of Sawall and Maraki of House Amblerash are having some sort of feud about something. She wasn't able to overhear any details without making the speakers suspicious.

--Map dealers: There's a bookstore that's said to carry maps... She is apprised of its location.

--Magic item dealer: It appears-- from what Allura is told-- that the tent to which Squig referred is a sort of herringbone-striped tent in the market plaza... "You can't miss it."

Heads off to the book store first to look for maps especially any shadow path maps.

"What sections of Shadow are you most interested in, milady?" the shopdemon asks. "Where the Black Road goes-- as far as we currently know? The Black Zone itself? Just Yeelan...?"

"Yeleen and the black zone please my good demon." She said cheerily.

"That's two different maps, but yes, I have those..." he (she? it?) says...

The Yeleen map doesn't tell her a lot, except that the settlement with the cathedral is labeled Yelen and the one across the lake is labeled Barric.

The Black Zone map also doesn't tell Allura a ton she doesn't already know, but it's certainly artistically-drawn. All the important Black Zone Shadows are there, from the caverns of Raciri to the jungles of Alob to the four-towered waste of Taichen to the the necropolis of Adaji, yep, it's all there all right...

"Hmmm much of this I know." She sighs, "I suppose I was hoping for newly discovered paths and things in the area, do you have anything like that ?"

"In The Black Zone? No, milady. I do have a recently-updated map of Shadows that the Black Road touches..."

"Could, I take a look at that." She smiled thinking that might be what she is looking for in relation to the paths leading to her families fire angel training grounds.

"Certainly, milady."

The map shows The Black Road as a long and winding road that runs from the right to the left, passing through many, many Shadows along the way. It also has minor branches here and there through and to Shadows and then stops, as if the way was blocked and the... flow had to go elsewhere.

Allura has never heard of most of the Shadows, although of course a few she has, particularly the ones closest to the Courts.

"The Shadows most recently discovered in the last few years are underlined and italicized, you see," the shopdemon points out. There are several of these... but since Allura doesn't, herself, know where the Fire Angel training Shadow is, the information doesn't do much for her so far...

Takes note of those places recording it all to her memory.

"Thank you for your help. I might want to go exploring some of these new places." She smiled.

Then she made her way to the magic item shop.

The shopdemon grimaces slightly. "Well, I look forward to seeing you again... when you're ready to buy..."




In the square, Allura finds the tent selling magical items easily enough... there's no sign of Squig so far, though...

She gets herself something to eat and just waits for him to show.

She waits a while... it's over an hour...

Then she overhears two passing demons talking to one another. "Say, did you hear that they found Squig dead this morning?"

"Really? How? Couldn't've been vermiprey, there'd be nothing left."

"No no, some kind of magic..."

Allura's eyes get big he might have only been a demon but he was still her friend.
Magic it couldn't have been magic Squig could work with magic better then most demons he was murdered.

Allura left with tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't know what to do the mission went from fun and exciting to disgusting and sad to her just like that. She went to the cathedral for now simply to people watch and see if she could find any of the people she had heard about so far.

(Insightful roll, please...)

09:37, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 8 using 2d6.  Insightfull.

Allura learns:

--What Karak of House Sawall and Maraki of House Amblerash look like-- she hears people name them after they've aready gone by and are out of sight.

Karak is a typical Sawall in human form: pale-skinned, black hair and blue eyes. Tall, too, and on the skinny side.

Maraki (in human form) has red hair, green eyes, and pale gray skin.

--She also learns that Maraki is a big-deal priest of the church of the serpent. A big deal in Yeelen, anyway. So anytime she wants to know where he is, the answer will probably be "in the cathedral."

--So far she hasn't heard anything about what their rumored feud might be about, though. Maybe it's time to start asking questions...?

Maybe not, though?

Is that what happened to Squig? Was he silenced for asking one question too many?

Allura will try and speak with Maraki threats be dammed Squig was a friend and she is a member of a House no mere demon.

(Go inside the cathedral? Or wait until he comes out again?)

She will wait till he comes out.

It takes a while, but then she sees the man exit the front of the cathedral. He turns left (to Allura's right, that is), and seems to be deep in thought and yet also in a bit of a hurry. He looks grimly determined, like somebody's maybe gonna get a stern talking-to when he gets where he's going...

She will try to put herself in his path after she determines which way he is going so as not to make it so obvious.

She will when appropriate say, "Father Maraki, could we talk."

(Roll Charming...)

19:58, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 10 using 2d6+2.  Charming.

Maraki sort of does a double-take as he refocuses his attention out of his train of thought and onto the charming young inhuman interrupting him. "...Yes, young lady, what do you need...?"

"You and I, I believe have a similar thorn in our side and I guess because of that I seek your counsel. Your older and wiser and most likely more powerful then myself. Could we talk about a certain black haired irritant ?"

Maraki is intrigued. "I'm... not sure whom you mean," he says in a way that makes Allura think he knows exactly to whom she's referring.

"I understand if you wish to be cagey or subtle, your wiser. Still you are at least listening to me and I am grateful for that. Can I buy you something to eat, we could share a meal and talk somewhere you consider safer to do so ?"

"I... have an appointment I should keep first... Perhaps after... Well... Perhaps you could come along? It shouldn't take long... Lady...?"

The way he says "Lady...?" makes it clear to Allura that he's asking her name (and House).

"Lady Bantu of House Malebranche, and certainly I would be happy to escort you." She extended her arm for him to take if he so wished.

He doesn't go that far, but he allows her to fall into step with him...

They head off in the same direction as before...

...but slowly turning toward the right now and then. Soon they're walking in the opposite direction, toward the black lake.

(Does Allura comment on this taking-the-long-way-'round...?)

Yes she does.

"...I shouldn't strictly be going to talk to the person we're going to talk to. It is a matter of some delicacy. ...I hope that you are not easily shocked."

The way he says it gives Allura the idea:
1. that he means in terms of spiritual matters... and also:
2. that Allura is maybe harder to shock than Maraki himself probably is.

"Oh, well consultations and varying points of view are important." She nods approvingly.

She then simply attends him as he travels.

He gives her an odd and mildly-disapproving look, but keeps walking.

Soon they come to a medium-sized shack on the edge of the lake... the edge of the village, really... Maraki claps twice outside the door, as one does. "Thelik?" he calls.

The two wait... Soon, a young man comes to the door in humanform... black hair, pale skin, wiry. He looks like he's maybe a tiny bit younger than Allura. "Hello, Maraki. Missing something?"

Then he looks at Allura with interest. "...Who's your friend?"

"Shall you introduce me, or should I introduce myself ?" She asks eyes dancing with merriment.

Maraki signals wordlessly that perhaps Allura should introduce herself...

"Im Lady Bantu of House Malebranche, a pleasure." She extends her hand to the man.

The young man takes it and shakes hands eagerly. "Thelik," he says. There's an instant of hesitation about offering his House affiliation, and then he seems to decide Hell, why not? and he adds "House Sawall."

"Your hair is a tell, its fine." She smiles even though inside she feels saccharine.

She then looks to Maraki holding the smile.

"Yes, well," says Maraki. He turns to Thelik. "Thelik, where is it? Let's make this fast."

Thelik glances around. No one seems to be listening, but there are people in sight-- one human, one demon, going about their business... "C'mon in for a minute."

Maraki nods, seeming eager to continue whatever this is about in more privacy.

(Presumably Allura comes along as well...?)

Yes Allura heads in

The inside of the shack is... well, it's sturdier on the outside than it is on the inside, but not a whole lot nicer. Some, but not a whole lot. The furnishings look old and shabby, like humans used to live here, which they very possibly did.

"Now that we're inside, Thelik," says Maraki, "where is it?"

"Does your friend know what we're talking about?" Thelik asks. He sees from Allura's face that she does not. "I stole something important from the church!" he says to Allura with pride...

"Oh, I see and..."

She looks to Maraki, "Your here to get it back, I am presuming ?" She lifted a brow slightly.

"I am." Maraki is quite uncomfortable.

"Tell 'er what I took, Maraki," Thelik urges. "Go on, tell 'er."

Maraki clearly doesn't want to do so... although he sees that details are likely to be revealed soon one way or another anyway...

Allura simply lets things play out though she is allowing herself to become much more aware of everything after she is learning the reason of this meeting.

Thelik loses (or wins?) the war of patience-- he can't keep it to himself anymore. "You know how some people actually kind of really revere the royal family of Amber? Dworkin Barimen's grandkids? Or at least what they represent?" he asks Allura.

Allura hates this really hates this she tries to hide the disgust from reaching her face but she nods as she does know of this practice.

(Ooh roll Charming)

09:28, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 5 using 2d6+2.  Charming.

Failure which actually SO Fits

(Allura gets 1 new xp, and will take -1 forward on her next Charming roll.)

Allura evidently fails to hide her reaction, because Thelik clearly sees it... and is disappointed by it. "Ah. Well... I stole something connected to that."

"The church confiscated it," Maraki said, "but it was... too... important-- to simply be destroyed."

"Oh, he wouldn't mind destroying it at all," said Thelik, "but orders from home said not to. Probably someone wants it for their own private collection."

"Thelik!" said Maraki.

"Oh, you know it's true," said Thelik.

"I... do not!" said Maraki, sounding like he didn't believe what he'd just said. "Are you going to hand it over or not?"

"You've got no proof that I've got it," said Thelik.

"You said you took it!" said Maraki.

"That's just your word against mine."

Maraki gave Thelik a dangerous look-- the first such look Allura had seen him give the boy. There were multiple meanings to the look. One of the meanings that was most clear was And whose word do you think anyone would believe?

Thelik frowned. "...What if I told you I sold it already?"

"What?!"

"Thelik, your just talking up the price, just be nice and let him know what you want for it." She tries to convince him even though she faltered for a moment.



09:52, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 11 using 2d6+1.  Charming with -1.

This actually works... in the sense that her words get through to Thelik.

The problem is that it makes him realize something. "Um. Maybe you've got a point. ...The problem is, I guess I didn't think that far ahead. I'm not sure what I want."

Maraki looks at Thelik with something like sympathy. "...Give it to me, Thelik. How about we call it you buying a favor from me-- or from the church, as much as I can give. You can call in the favor once you know what you want."

Thelik looks at Allura. The meaning of this look is clear: Do you think I should hand it over...?

Allura looks in thought she actually loves her homeland Amber be damned.

"The church holds a lot of clout and power, also you never know when you might need a quick out of some future bad situation. The Serpents blessing on things is a pretty good offer, I would say go for it."

Thelik nods. "You two stay right there. Don't move." He leaves, going to another room.

(Try to peek into the next room where he went?

If so, roll Agile)

So tempted yeah she is young and nosey.




10:12, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 5 using 2d6+1.  Agile.

And another failure Aughhhh

(Allura gets 1 new xp and takes -1 forward on her next roll made in Thelik's presence.)

Maraki says nothing as Allura moves forward...

Thelik was just about to pull up some floorboards in the next room, but a squeaky creaky floorboard that Allura steps on warns him that someone's trying to spy on him. "Hey! I said not to move!"

Allura backs off and stays near Maraki after that slightly embarrassed but hopefully understandable bit of curiosity.

She simply waits to see what this item is and what Amber person someone thinks is so worthy of worship.

When Thelik returns from the other room, it's with a plain wooden box, big enough to hold, say, a largish human's shoe.

He hands it to Maraki.

Maraki peeks inside it, and is satisfied. "Thank you, Thelik. I now owe you a favor. ...Within reason."

Oh you know I looked too !

(...I was going to say no, Maraki didn't let you look, but if you're in your inhuman form, it'll be taller than your human form, I suppose.

I'll let you try an Agile roll for it... but with the extra -1 penalty from that last roll...)

15:42, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 7 using 2d6.  Agile  Peeky.

With lightning speed yet masterful subtlety, Allura tries to peek when Maraki looks.

Something metal... a weapon?

That's all she has time to see before the lid is snapped shut again.

Allura will relax back and look to Maraki, "Is that what you sought ?" especially asked since she did not get a good look.

"It is," he confirms. "And now-- unless you have anything else you wish to say, Thelik? --we shall go."

He prepares to leave (expecting Allura to come with him)...

Allura nods and rises.

Knowing she has to keep options open for learning information she waves behind her wiggling her fingers at Thelik as she departs with Maraki.

As she walks along with Maraki, "That wasn't the reason's for your feud with Karak, was it ?" This said as a whisper just for him to hear.

"No," says Maraki. "On the contrary. Thelik is Karak's son, but I've always been fond of the boy... Certainly I've acted as a father figure to him more often than has his own father... The boy just steals to get attention..." He sighs. "...I suppose 'boy' doesn't fit him as well as it used to. He's growing into a man... Although I do worry a bit about what sort of man he'll be. 'Nothing like his father' is a good start, but... that description still leaves a lot of room for problems as far as the nature of his character..."

"People do a lot for attention and acceptance. Just be careful, and why do you want some filthy Amber thing Maraki ? We should stand as better then that. It was only infighting that cost us the war. They were unified, we weren't."

"As Thelik said, I don't. My superior in the church hierarchy ordered me to just hold onto it for now."



"Ah, but they were motivated by the betrayal of one of their own. That's why they dared to come to us, not anything we did to them. Whereas we, on the other hand, are still not unified as we should be." He frowns as he walks. "Don't misunderstand-- I share your opinion of them. But I can feel disgust for them and dissatisfaction for the state of things on our end at the same time... as, apparently, can you." He stops walking. "...I just realized-- I'm walking back to the cathedral, but I also promised you time after that little errand. Can what you wish to discuss be discussed at the cathedral? Have you had lunch? If not, do you wish to?"

"I am rather hungry, I could do with some lunch. As for meeting at the cathedral, while I have no problem with it. I would rather have our association a more private matter but that is a moot point after we met Thelik since he is Karak's son."

"Hmph! Thelik would rather endure torture than tell his father anything he thinks his father would be interested in, and that certainly includes anything to do with myself. Light torture, anyway. So... lunch? Or cathedral? As a compromise, I can have food brought to the cathedral, of course..."

"Lunch in the cathedral then, and thank you for being a good host, Father Malaki." She bowed her head slightly to him.

"Ah, it's Maraki, actually..." He seems tempted to ask more about what Allura's deal is, but instead he waits until they're in Yeelen's cathedral of the serpent.

Once inside, Maraki gives whispered orders to an underling, who takes the box off somewhere. Then he gives less-whispered orders to another underline, who hurries off.

Then he leads Allura upstairs to the second floor, to a room which is apparently his office. "Now then... about what, precisely, did you with to speak with me?"

"You have a feud with Karak, he has wronged my own in the past and as we have both been so wronged by the man I was hoping I might find an ally in you. To me it is simple, I know you might see it as more complicated then that but it's not. I don't have a lot of people to turn too and the Sawal's are a bit lethal so to be honest I am afraid of simply acting alone lest I end up a corpse."

"I do, in fact, see it as more complicated. First of all, what exactly has Karak done to you and yours?"

"Like his son, he is trying to steal a resource. Unlike his son his attempts have not succeeded but they have caused a lot of damage."

"A... resource? What resource? And what damage?"

"Now Maraki, just like you didn't want your own matters known because they may be embarrassing my own House matters are the same. To ask is, at the least inappropriate bordering on rude. Just know that it is not a trivial matter and already there has been a death. Please, I am sincere I wouldn't come to you if I wasn't. I am new to Yelen, I don't know who to turn to and I can easily have someone hurt me."

(Time to roll Charming...)

12:54, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 9 using 2d6+2.  Charming.

"Ah, but you did become aware of my matters. I merely seek parity."



"...You do not wish the nature of your 'matter' revealed. So be it... for now. What of the death of which you speak? Will you speak of that, perhaps...?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:05, Fri 23 July 2021.

"It was a demon, and while they matter little to most, they were someone who might have even become a friend and now I will never know. Yes, I will speak of it. Squig was found dead just this morning."

"Squig? I've heard the name. He was a friend of yours?" Maraki taps his fingers on his desk. "...Is that why you've come to me? For help investigating the truths behind that demon's death? --That is, I understand you also have other reasons for coming to me... but you will not tell me about the larger matter that concerns your House, so am I to take it that this is what you want my help with, directly? I'm guessing that you feel that Karak is implicated in the death of the demon Squig?"

"I doubt a Lord like Karak would have dirtied his own hands but ordered the death yes. I am fairly certain. I can't exact revenge for a demons death not on a Lord at anyrate. I can however hope to stop the harm that, that Lord brings to my family and it's holdings. "

"I have to do some exploring of Yelen soon it seems too."

"What makes you certain? Do you have any evidence? Why would Karak want to do such a thing?"

"Something the deceased said before they became a member of the deceased lead strongly in that direction. The other matters are verified through resources beyond my own. Familial resources that I trust."

"And... what might that have been...?"

"He had been checking into Karak as I said the man had been wronging people. He had been checking in just prior to being suddenly found dead."

"...I see. ...And did he manage to tell you of anything useful he'd learned, before his death...?"

"Some, in fact you were mentioned as being in a feud with Karak and thus."

"...Mm. Not a great secret... Or at least not a well-kept one..."

"Well as I said Maraki, I am new here. So to me it was something. Also that was one of the things, I am hoping it wasn't you that ordered the death of this demon ? It wasn't was it ?"

"It was not. I am aware, though, that Squig and Karak would have known each other, in a work-related way..." He frowns, thinking...

She nods, "That is possible Squig did say he got close that is before this nastiness."

More tapping of Maraki's fingertips on his desk. "...Can you give me a day or two to look into Squig's death, and see what I can find...?"

She nodded, "Until then I will try and hide in town as I don't want to end up like Squig." She looked around for the meal that was supposed to be arriving.

Food arrived, in tin boxes. Maraki unboxed it and started eating, and gestured to Allura to do the same.

"Mm," said Maraki, "I hadn't thought of that. Do you need a place to-- wait." He ate a bit more, and thought. "...I have a thought... I know a place where no one would find you," he said. "Thelik's shack. He'll certainly never tell his father that someone he thinks is a friend of mine is there... And furthermore... for his age, Thelik is an extremely good thief. It seems to me that he could be extremely useful to our... investigation. He'd be delighted to work against his father-- if all goes well, he might even count it as the favor I owe him..."

"That is a very interesting choice, I will give you that."

She opened her tin and ate if it was poisoned she was in the best form to handle it, if not she was starved.

"I shall seek him out then ? After this ?"

"That's my recommendation... If you are able to convince him... But it shouldn't be hard... Let's see..." More eating and thinking for a minute. "...Might I suggest that you seek out the office of a certain Sawall named Kotesh? He's basically the Sawall's accountant here in this Shadow. You might see if you and Thelik can find any irregularities in the paperwork. Such irregularities might shine light on paying an assassin to kill Squig, or on whatever larger matter affects your House, or it might turn out to give me advantage in my feud with Karak..." More eating. "...Of course, if you get caught, I'll have to deny having had this conversation, or any knowledge of such events..."

"I know that Maraki, you have to protect yourself. I can only hope that I am not a pawn so easily sacrificed. If not this could all be fun and interesting. Alright, I will speak with Thelik and hope that things are as you say between him and his father."

She starts in on her meal.

(I've got no plans for the meal to be interrupted-- nor is it poisoned)

"Well he knows that I know you, but how much do you think Thelik will be open to housing me ? I have some funds but certainly no where near the money of the church. I can talk with him though, he seemed like he was more interested in pleasing or impressing people then money really."

"Yes, a good insight. He gets an allowance, he's not lacking for money. And if you don't mind my saying so, ah... He's obviously younger, but I think he might also respond well to someone... closer to his own age than myself...?" Maraki says, clearly meaning Allura...

"Yes it is difficult when your young and have no one else around your age. I should be able to provide him friendship though I won't prostitute myself." the last said with a bit of acid to it.

"You know with all the shape shifters it still amazes me that my elders and that includes you, can tell my age or at least that I am in the same age category as another. Is that a skill, I will acquire with time ?"

"Yes, I expect so... The young have a different way of talking, of holding themselves..."

She nodded and thought about it. She would have to practice older ways of posing and walking and sayings just for fun and of course for fitting in if she ever wanted to try that.

"Ah so simply a more practiced eye. Alright, thank you for the lunch. I will seek out Thelik and see what I can do. Following accounting is a system of order that I hadn't thought of. A smart angle that required someone more detached from the situation of the death." She nodded as if Maraki had done something clever.

"It may not pan out, of course. Maraki may have paid an assassin out of his own pocket, or it might be someone so loyal to him that payment wasn't asked for... or he may have cast a spell himself... But a man with access to greater funds than his own will often find a way to use it for his own ends..."

Nods, "I hate to admit this but, if it were for a fellow Lord or Lady it would probably be better hidden. A demon though most are very insensitive about the lives of those beings."</Purple> She rose.

"Alright, thank you for your counsel, I will keep you in the loop."

"Fare well," Maraki nods.

She heads off to meet Thelik though she is concerned about doing so for now it is her main lead.

Everyone continues to be pleased by the amount of light today. Even the humans scurrying around seem slightly less oppressed.

Knocks on the shack door

"Yes? Oh, it's you again." Thelik looks around to confirm Allura is alone. "...Got a message from Maraki...?" he guesses.

"No, I am here on my own, though he told me you might be able to help me." She smiled a bit.

"Help you? With what?"

She leaned close, "Investigate a murder. You in ?"

Thelik is (so far) interested, at least... "...Whose murder?"

"If I tell you a friend of mine would that be enough ? Sometimes people just don't give a damn when they find out that it is a demon and not a Lord or Lady." She studied his face.

Thelik appears sympathetic. "I dunno... Demons are better people than a lot of people, in my experience. Some of 'em, anyway. I mean, I was raised by demons, really, more than my own family had to do with it... Weren't you? Or was it different in your family?"

"Same, I guess it was easier for our parents to just dump us on the laps of demons then to raise us themselves. So, do you think you can help me ? Even if you can't, I need a place to stay do you mind if I stay with you for a few days."

"Yeah, see. Some things never change, I guess. When I'm 500, I hope I never get to feeling like demons don't count as people..."



"Well... with doing what, exactly? Assassination? I'm not sure I wanna get involved in another House's vendetta-war..." It's not that he sounds like he wouldn't help with an assassination, just that he's wary of the consequences...



"Oh, well... Sure, that's all right. I have people stay here sometimes. And if you're a friend of Maraki's, then... then that's all right, I guess..."

"I wouldn't ask you to get involved in anything like that. I don't even know if I will get involved in something that lethal. I am just investigating right now and Maraki said that you could help with that.  It's something boring though we would need to look into some accounting your families accounting might have an indication he thinks of the hire of the assassin."

"Wait... my family's accounting? This involves Sawall stuff?"

Nods, "Yes, it does. It even involves possibly your dad. I would understand if you want to lock step with your family and protect your dad. As I said though my goal isn't lethal I just want to investigate my friends death because it means something to me."

Thelik chuckles a little. "Heh. Heh-heh. Now I see why Maraki sent you to me. Though maybe he didn't tell you much about me if you think I'd want to protect my father. So this is Dad's accountant guy at work? We can pay his office a little visit tonight..."

Allura nods, "He told me a little about you, said your kind of like an adopted son to him. He didn't speak much about your relationship with your father though." She wanted Thelik to talk about it himself since she knew the young man liked to talk and reveal things and she was in a better mood feeling there might be some small justice for Squig.

She still had no idea how to help her families greater interests though and this really bothered her.

"Yeah, well..." The idea that Maraki had said Thelik was like an adopted son to him made Thelik get a little shy and quiet. "Well... well, anyway, come in. No point in making you stand out there all day..."

Allura comes in.

"Thank you Thelik, I appreciate it."

Allura enters Thelik's shack.

...While "shack" is an appropriate name for it based on the outside, and based on its age and the quality of its structural integrity, it is actually fairly large, composed of multiple large-ish rooms. This may have been a fairly decent place for humans to live at some time in the past...

"...So, what d'you wanna do until it gets late enough to sneak into the office we're gonna sneak into?"

"Let's play some games, or you can run me through being sneaky, I don't think I have ever needed to really be sneaky before. You saw how I messed up earlier here. So Maybe you could run me through some stealthy tests."

"Ooh, that's a good idea... let's see..." He frowns. "My inhuman form is stronger and faster than my human form... but I think my human form is better at hiding and not-being-noticed than my other form. I mean, who pays much attention to humans? So... what's your human form like?"
This message was last updated by the player at 19:35, Sun 25 July 2021.

"It stands out more then my inhuman form, I Mean do you think I might maybe pass as a servant demon or do I just stand out too much ?"

"You kinda stand out... at least for most situations. You got a problem with showing me your human form?"

"You sense that huh ? I can I guess but..."

Looks kind of not even kind of looks worried about it.

"It is kind of dangerous for me to do so, or at least I think it is. I guess if your going to help me though." Frets a lot about it but changes to human form.

"Ah, dark skin and hair, excellent-- you'll stand out in the shadows and darkness even less than I do in this form. We should use that."

"All right, all right, let's see... What would be a good practice test... Let me think... All right, yeah, yeah, I've got an idea. C'mon, let's go!"

Thelik heads to the front door of his shack... then he turns. "...Uh, if you're afraid someone's gonna recognize you in that form, you can change back to your inhuman one for now, just while we're walking around..."

Changes back to her inhuman form and goes with him.

Soon, near the docks of the black lake, Thelik stops about 40 yards from the open doors of a large warehouse. Now and then, a demon or human will walk in or out of the huge open doors, more often than not carrying something-- a keg, a box, a large sack of something.

"All right, see that warehouse? You can't see it from here, but there're doors on the other end of it of the same type, and this time of day, they're always open. So here's what I want you to do-- change forms-- because looking like you look right now, anybody would notice you-- and then when I give the signal, duck inside there. Then I want you to make your way to the other end and out the other doors-- I'll go around and meet you there-- without anyone saying 'hey, what're you doing in here.' You should be able to do it... it's pretty dark in there..."

"If you mess up and someone spots you, you could always just run for it... but my advice is to change form and tell them that Lord Cabalzar sent you down to test security. That'll shut any humans up instantly, and if you really sound snotty enough, even demons should back down. But you know, however you feel like playing it."

"When you're ready, let me know, and I'll get you to the doors..."

Nods and prepares by shifting forms to human form and preparing for sneaky adventures through the warehouse trying not to get caught.

14:42, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 7 using 2d6+1.  Agile.

Allura, using the darkness of the warehouse and the stacks and shelves of boxes and crates and sacks and kegs and things, made her way stealthily through the side of the warehouse... focused on not getting seen before she was out...

Almost to the end... She was halfway down the final aisle of shelves when suddenly a demon turned the corner up ahead!

He, she, or it would surely notice her any second! What would Allura do?!?

She tries to just pick up something and hold it in front of her like the other humans and just carry it like she is just another worker.

(Ooh. Roll Charming.)

15:12, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 13 using 2d6+2.  Charming.

The demon not only doesn't look twice at Allura carrying stuff in her human form, she's able to walk right out the open doors that are her goal.

(She can take the thing she's carrying with her, or she can choose to just set it down right inside-- or outside-- the doorway. No one will say anything to her about it, no matter which of those three things she chooses.)

She is curious what she has and wants to impress Thelik so she will keep it so they can both see what she has.

Thelik, smiling, falls into step next to Allura, and walks with her until they are several blocks away.

"La la la, totally not suspicious, just two young human-looking people walking, and one of them is carrying a thing, la la la, don't start running, that would be suspicious..." he says. "Let's go back to my place, la la la, keep acting casual, la la la, no sudden movements..."

No one stops the two human-looking young people... They return to Thelik's shack.

Once they are both safely inside with the door shut, Thelik crows. "Wow! You did it! And you even swiped something! Like a champ! See, I told you it could be done! Did you have any trouble?"

(Choose one of these for the thing you took (and tell me which of these three you picked):
--box
--keg
--sack)

A Sack

"Well I almost got caught, so I had to quickly look like a worker. I grabbed this sack held it up in front of my face so people couldn't see me. The demon who almost caught me totally thought I belonged. Didn't say a word." She smiles to Thelik.

She shakes the sack a bit, "Shall we ?" She is prepared to open the sack and see what they got.

Thelik cautiously sniffs the white stuff inside. "D'you know what this is? These are dried graveweed seeds from Nulada... You can make like half-a-dozen drugs, poisons, and medicines out of this stuff, and it helps with casting another half-dozen spells, too. I mean, you have to mix it with other stuff, but none of the other ingredients are as hard to get as these normally are...! I could make stuff outta this and coat a dagger with it, and... Ooh, but if I sell 'em, we could buy... Or maybe I shouldn't sell 'em for anything, just make someone owe me a big big favor, like I've got with Maraki..." Thelik trails off as he thinks about all the great uses to which he could put the graveweed seeds...

"So we did really well ! That is great." She smiles honestly.

"You bet! But... what d'you think we should do with this? Should I make something to coat my dagger with? Or something else? Or should we sell it and buy something useful? Start a Who-Murdered-Your-Demon-Friend Investigation Fund? Or should I buy a favor? Use it as as bribe? Something else...?"

"Let's buy ourselves something useful or start the fund both of those things would be helpful. The fund first unless you can think of really good things to buy ?"

"Let's buy one thing, and then put the rest into an emergency fund that we can use for bribes or whatever later on. But I know a guy who could use these seeds to make blackout bombs... perfect for a getaway. What do y'say?"

"Sounds good to me. So Thelik, are you a professional thief ? That is pretty cool I don't think I have ever really met someone who specialized in that."

"I dunno, what does 'professional' mean if you're a thief? No one's ever paid me to steal something before... So maybe not? But I'm pretty decent at it and I know people who... it's good to know if you're a thief...?"

"It's not really so much of a job I guess as simply something someone is good at. I mean as much as you vexed Maraki, I think he was impressed."

This obviously pleases Thelik, though he doesn't say so. "C'mon, there's lots of time before we should go raid father's accountant's office... let's go find Laomer." He rushes around looking in closets and things until he finds a large box and some wire. He twists the wire to close the sack, and then puts the sealed sack into the box, and closes the lid. Then he hands the closed box to Allura. "C'mon!" He heads to the front door and pauses. "Mm, it's probably time for you to wear your inhuman form again..."

Allura takes on her succubi like form and takes the box.

"Alright then let's find your contact and hopefully they want this right now." She smiles.

She follows along with Thelik.

"Oh, he'll want this, all right..."

Thelik leads the way to a sort of bar and grill called "The Unicorn's Head" with a sign of a bloody severed unicorn head hanging out front.

He walks right up behind the bar and into the kitchen. Allura follows.

Then he walks right out the back of the kitchen, and up some stairs. Allura follows.

He walks up to a large man in human form (or a human?) guarding a large door. "Hey, Gorsk," Thelik says to the guy. "Laomer talking to anyone?"

"No," says Gorsk, staring at Allura.

"Well, let us in."

"Who's she?"

"A friend of mine, come on."

"...Why should I?"

"Because Laomer's gonna want what's in the box."

"Who says?"

"Me. C'mon-- if I'm wrong and Laomer doesn't want it, I'll dismiss the five you owe me."

This motivates Gorsk. He opens the large door.

Inside is a large man, but not large like Gorsk was large-- just fat. (His house is unknown-- or is he a human?) "Ah, Thelik. I'm in one of my moods today, so this better be important."

"It'll improve your mood, Laomer, honest," Thelik grins. He nods at Allura to put the box on the desk that Laomer's sitting behind...

Allura strides forward and places the box on Laomer's desk.

She makes a presentation of it then steps back.

Laomer is indeed pleased. "Ah, Thelik, Thelik, you have not disappointed. Yes, this is indeed an improvement on the day. And what do you want in return for this, eh...?"

"We'd like some liquid assets, please," says Thelik.

Laomer nods. Very slowly, he reaches into his desk, and scoops something into something, a large leather pouch. He offers it to Thelik, who takes it and looks inside. "Yeah, all right. I think that's fair. Thanks." He turns to Allura. "Let's go..."

"Nice to meet you Sir."

She then turns to leave with Thelik.  Once they are far enough away, "Did you get paid fair ?"

"Yeah. These are high-quality crystals, the purple kind, or violet or indigo or whatever they're called. Now let's go visit Bjarta..." Once again, Thelik leads the way through the streets...

"You know everyone around here." Allura will visit this new person remembering everyone and place she visits.

Next Thelik goes to a run-down shack much like his own, but smaller, and about a block from the lake (unlike his which is pretty near to it).

He just walks right in... and opens what looks like it's going to be a closet door, but it turns out it leads downstairs.

In a basement lit not by candles but by some sort of luminescent globes (chemical, Allura thinks, instead of magic-- or maybe a little of both?), is a woman who seems human. Her hair is long and blonde, she wears glasses... when she looks up, her eyes are wild. "Oh, Thelik. Figures it'd be you."

Thelik puts a small handful of graveweed seeds on one of the few empty spots on one of her many workbenches. "Ooh, dried graveweed seeds!"

"Yeah. I'd like you to make me some blackout grenades. You can keep the rest as payment."

"Hmph! That'll just barely cover my costs... but yeah, I'll take it. Rush job?"

"It'd be best to have 'em by tonight."

"...Late tonight?"

"Yes."

"All right, then. Come pick 'em up late."

"Got it."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:22, Mon 26 July 2021.

Since Thelik is not drawing too much attention to her so she decides to keep quiet even though this person seems even more interesting then the last one to know. So she just gives a little wave to the woman.

Bjarta notices the wave and frowns slightly. "Demon?" she asks Thelik.

"Nah. Just a new friend from House Malebranche."

Bjarta gives Thelik a look that Allura interprets as you sure your new friend is trustworthy...?

It strikes Allura as slightly strange that Bjarta had to ask if she was a demon or not. Most people can tell that much... Could Bjarta be an actual human, and not just a Chaosite in human form...?

Allura takes it in good grace considering she is acting on behalf of Squig.

She does mentally store that away though.

Thelik leads Allura back upstairs, out of the small shack. "You won't see many basements around here. People think that anything below surface level, some kind of emanations from the black lake seep up and drive you crazy or something. But I think Bjarta was already crazy when she set up down there, so..."

"Is she human ? She didn't recognize me as a Lady of a house ?"

"Yeah, she's just a regular human, as far as I know. I don't think they can tell demons from House members' inhuman forms, if they've never met us before. She's really smart, though. A lot smarter than she is crazy."

"I like that she works with chemicals and things, I really think that is interesting." She smiles.

"Ok so what now ?"

"Hmmmm... We still have lots of time... Do you need to rest...? Or eat...? Or both...?"

"I wouldn't mind going over tonights plans, I have never been to an accountant house before."

"So maybe we could head back to your place, I have some money, not a lot but, I could get us a meal on the way."

"Pfffft. Don't worry about that. I should make change for one of these purple crystals anyway..."

Thelik stops (not at The Unicorn's Head) and gets food. For his purple crystal, he gets change of a green, a red, and some orange crystals...

The food is carryout... he takes it back to his shack, so he and Allura can eat there...

"That was a pretty fun day so far Thelik." She smiles while they enjoy their meal.

"You know quite a few people in town."

"Yeah... I guess I'm a people person."

"I lived a more insular life. So I guess I am surprised to see all the variety of people you know. So Yes, I guess you are a people person." She smiles more.

"I guess I need to start meeting and becoming more of a people person too."

"Seems to me you've already started... Um, sorry about your demon friend, by the way. I don't know if I said that before. So... now I did."

Allura nodded, "Thank you, yeah I.. I haven't even really had the time to come to grips with it." She nodded, "I appreciate the sentiment, it is even more then the church spared."

Thelik nods. "Yeah... Maraki's... not... a people person. Like practically everyone his age I've ever met, dealing with other people on any sort of emotional level makes 'im uncomfortable, y'know? But he's pretty all right down underneath, if he's known you for a while... which is more than I can say for some people."

"He likes you, were you a regular at church ?"

"Mmm? Oh, no, he just used to be friends with my father. As much as anybody ever has been. So I saw 'im around all the time. Maraki doesn't have any kids that I know of, so I think I got the benefit of that kinda."

"Oh, they used to be friends, I didn't know that. I guess I shouldn't really be that surprised. Your House and the church have been close in the past." She nodded almost to herself.

"Yeah, seriously. That's all done now... Maraki's faith is pretty sincere, and father's really never was, and I think that that started... I mean we all know and believe that The Serpent is a really big deal... but I wouldn't say that father thinks of it as a god or anything like that, just a really powerful magical being. And, y'know, a lot of people are like that... but Maraki isn't one of 'em."

"I think the serpent is to us, like we are to demons. A being on another level of power. I suppose you could call that a god. I have never had the pleasure to meet the serpent mind you and it would probably be terrifying to do so. I will give the serpent it's due as a being of extreme power."

"Yeah, I'm not in a hurry to meet it. Most people don't, though, I think, so I guess my odds are pretty decent."

"Have you met a lot of other houses like Maraki's ?"

"What, really zealous about worshiping The Serpent? A few... And then of course there're always exceptions now and then... A House that doesn't take it seriously but one person who does anyway, and vice-versa, too..."

Allura laughs a bit, "No, I mean, well I guess all Houses pay lip service they have too. I meant more in general, like your the first Sawall I have met. I just meant have you had the chance to meet a lot of people from other Houses, not necessarily their views on the Serpent."

"You seem alright, though rumor has told me not to trust House Sawall. I guess individuals make generalizations and stereotypes get fuzzy."

"Oh sure, I know people from lots of different Houses."



"Yeah. Still, Sawall is pretty, I dunno. Scheme-y. I mean, I think almost every House is, but Sawall's extra-good at it... I don't have anything to do with that stuff, though." He thinks. "Although I guess I'm involved with a scheme now, though. Is this a scheme? Because I like this one."

"It's not really a scheme, I wish I could exact revenge but unless the assassin is a human or a demon, I doubt I could actually take action. I don't like that a friend could just be killed Thelik and I can't do anything because some big House is behind it, but at least I might be able to find who the assassin is. That might lead to someone I can take action against. Of course if your family just bullied someone into it then I don't suppose it would be fair for me to kill someone who was threatened with death in the first place."

Allura slouches looking sad.

"Hmm, well, don't think about that part yet. We'll just see what we find out. ...Good point about the actual killer's motivations, though..." He thinks. "So how did this demon get killed? Sword? Knife? Poison? I only ask in case that tells us something."

"He was killed and his body left by the water, I didn't get to see the body."

She slouches even more, "I wish I could have gotten closer."

"...Wait... by the water? No way. Anyone moving the body that close would have dumped the body into the lake, to get rid of the evidence. Are you sure about the details of this...?"

Nods, "Yes I am sure, it was startling to some that found the body that the Vempreys didn't get it."

"Oh, if it was IN the lake, they totally would've gotten it. So why wasn't it? Were they interrupted in moving the body? Did somebody see them? Was there more than one?" He pauses. "Was your demon friend big, medium, or small?"

(Answer: bigger than the average human. Maybe around Laomer's size and weight.)

"Your friend Laomer, about his size, so bigger then human but not huge."

"Okay, so either they were really strong-- which of course is totally possible-- or there was more than one of them. ...I don't want to make you sad, but we're gonna have to ask these kinds of questions during this investigation: how exactly did he die, do you know?"

"I don't know but since you live by the lake maybe we could ask people you might know, people who might have seen ? His name was Squig." Describes what he looked like.

"Hmm, yeah-- let's go investigate! ...Where was his body, exactly?"

As best she can tell she will try to show him where she thinks it was.

Thelik looks around. "Huh. Not much of a crime scene... Hm, I wonder what demons do when one of them dies. I mean, I know what they'd do at home, they'd throw 'em in the Pit of Chaos-- I just mean when they don't die in the Courts." He thinks. "...We need to see another one of my friends, a different one... a demon, this time. C'mon, let's go."

Follows along quickly.

Thelik heads to the north side of town, where near the edge of town is a largish-shack (certainly larger than his, anyway).

He claps twice outside the door, someone inside yells something that apparently signified to enter, because he does. Allura follows.

Inside are various demons, and a few humans. They're all sitting around listening to one human playing a stringed instrument. The human is pretty decent, not fantastic.

There's a bar set up over in the corner. Thelik heads over there. "Hey Safos," says Thelik to the bartender, a demon who looks like he's made of half-mossy rocks, "you know a guy named Squig?"

"...Yes?" says Safos, in a tone that means What about him?

"I just today heard he's dead."

"Everyone just today heard he's dead. Happened last night."

"How'd it happen?"

"Magic."

"What, seriously?" Thelik glances at Allura. Thelik seems particularly alarmed.

"Yeah. You know the one where a doorway's filled with whirling blades? Someone did a version of that where the blades only showed up when someone entered the doorway, and that someone was Squig."

"I heard the body was found down by the lake?"

"No. I haven't heard that. Everything I've heard is that it was the doorway the spell was placed on."

"I heard the body was found by the water, but Squig was excellent with magic. He could twist and capture and reshape spells. It was his job." Looks shocked then remembers she had heard that but only now remembered about magic being used.

Safos sort of shrugs. "Being good at magic doesn't mean you can smell when it's in danger of going off when you're not expecting it. ...Unless you can. Guess Squig couldn't."

She slumps in her chair, "I didn't know that is how he went, that definitely means murder. No doubts."

"Anyone doing anything about it so far?" Thelik asked.

"We demons are keeping our eyes and ears open. If it was a House member, not much we can do. If it was a demon acting under orders, they might have a little accident, depending on who it was. But it probably wasn't a demon. That kind of spell-work says House stuff, in general..."

"Squig was a friend, were working on it too."

Safos does his rockslide-shrug again. "...Good luck with that, then..."

"Thank you." she nods to him then looks to Thelik.

"We learned more then I knew."

Thelik sidles up to Allura. "Any other questions you wanna ask? If not, any opinions on what we should do next...?" he asks quietly...

Allura nods a tiny bit, "Anyone know of any other demons who have died in such a way ?" She asks Safos.

"Any kind of info would be helpful."

Safos does not. "But it is one of the things we're keeping our eyes and ears open for," he says. "But so far, nothing, not even anyone gone mysteriously missing."

"Yeah, if it is not so dangerous a place as for it to be more common, then it is sounding more sinister by the moment. Thank you."

She will encourage Thelik to go but she does leave some coin as a thanks to Safos for his help.

She is looks to Thelik like she would like to talk in private as they leave.
"Let's be very alert about people suddenly leaving or following us."

She also sees Thelik leave behind a couple of orange crystals...



"You bet," says Thelik. "We going back to my place?"

Nods but definitely keeps alert for the things she mentioned.



15:39, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 6 using 2d6.  Perception.

Failed

(Allura gets 1 xp, and takes -1 on her next roll.

Nothing else bad happens right now, though. ...As far as she's aware.)

Allura and Thelik return to Thelik's shack without incident...

"This is bad, it suggests a skilled sorcerer and not some demon assassin but a house one Thelik." Nibbles her bottom lip.

"Yeah. Sure is in my father's wheelhouse and all..."

"If your dad did this himself,  I can't take action against him. Not just because he is a powerful member of a powerful House, but because he is your dad, and I like you."

She starts to pace.

"Oh, I won't mind if you do. Better you than me. I guess I'm just feeling strange about what a big change it would be if my father was suddenly removed from my life... Like, I mean... from existence. It'd really change everything..."

"No Thelik, don't talk like that, you might have disagreements with him, but he is still your dad.  He probably does care about you even if he doesn't show it."

She continued pacing, "I need to know what your dad was doing that tangled him up with Squig. I know Squig mentioned your dad was trying to poach another houses pathways and something. I never got to find out more though, Squig was killed."

"Mmmm, no, don't think so. I've tried hard enough to make him show something... I mean he cares about me existing in general, just as a bloodline investment, but otherwise not so much, I'm sure..."



"Eh? Poach another House's... pathways? So... you mean like... a land grab of some kind? Er, a Shadow grab, I guess? Stealing territory? House Malebranche? Or someone else? What territory?"

"No, not my House Thelik, my House is relatively small. Another big House, Squig mentioned something. A land grab ? I am not sure I suppose that is possible, I wish I had been able to learn more. I might be able to get some help, heck we both would. Is there any way for you to find out what your father has been up to Thelik ? The past few weeks at least ?"

"Squig what he did was work as a failsafe for spells, he was really good with working with magical energies so the way he died really bothers me."

"What, like, go talk to him? No, that'd never work... In fact, it'd probably make him suspicious. Raiding the accountant's office'll be much better... If that doesn't work out, I'll think of something else..."

"Squig what he did was work as a failsafe for spells, he was really good with working with magical energies so the way he died really bothers me."</quote>

"Yeah, I got you. Doesn't make sense."

"So whoever killed him didn't know that is what he did, or they were so skilled that they didn't care that he had such skill with magic. Yeah, let's just stick with the plan and raid the office and see what we can find. It can drive me crazy if I try to think of all the different things to possibly do or be wary of instead of following something I know we can accomplish."

She is upset that she thinks she wont be able to revenge Squig's death and finally the nervous energy leaves her and she just collapses in a chair.

"...You need a rest while we're waiting? You... look like you could use a rest."

Nods, "Yeah, I mean I had a friend die, and now I feel I can't even do anything about it. So a lot of energy just drained out of me, Thelik.  I am just going to rest, could you wake me when it is time ?"

"You bet... C'mon, there's a bed in the other room... I'll keep watch out here."

The bed is very basic, but the mattress is soft enough...

(What does Allura dream about?)

She dreams about poor Squig she actually does feel bad for him and she pictures herself being killed now too because she is on the same mission. So she has troubled sleep.

It feels like she hasn't been asleep for long when Thelik wakes her. "Hey... it's time..."

She blinks and looks defensive for a moment then relaxes.

"Ok, did you pick up those black out grenade things ? Or do we have to do that still ?"

"Still have to do that first. I didn't wanna leave you here unguarded and asleep while I did it."

"Thank you Thelik, that is sweet of you. Alright let's go get those." She smiled following him.

The two return to Bjarta's place, and pick up three glass globes with a dark gray fluid inside. "Toss it and break it, and darkness happens," Thelik explains. "You want one, or shall I keep hold of all of them...?" he asks Allura.

"I will take at least one, you can have the other two." She smiled taking the one.

"I feel kind of excited and nervous."

"Yeah, it's like that. Let's go."

Thelik leads Allura to a largish building... he points at it from down the block a bit. "In there. Ready...?"

(Presuming the answer is some form of "yes," he adds) "Just follow me. Don't get ahead of me. Don't step too far from wherever I step once we're inside... don't touch anything you don't see me touch. Got it?"

Nods and follows his directions to the letter understanding how Ways of Chaos work.

(Hmmm... Roll Agile... but since you're just trying to copy everything Thelik does, give yourself an extra +1 bonus (on top of your usual Agile bonus)...

...except I just remembered you have a -1 penalty coming from earlier, so let's say they cancel out... Just roll for Agile with a regular +1 bonus)

12:05, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 6 using 2d6+1.  Agile.
And I fail again Ha ha ha

Thelik uses a couple of pieces of flat ironwood to raise a window... then he leads Allura in sneaking up the stairs...

On the second floor, he is working on picking a lock...

...When Allura accidentally knocks over a heavy silver vase of dried flowers.

BONK it goes on the carpet.

There is a sound from downstairs.

(Allura gets 1 new xp and a new -1 penalty on her next roll)

Thelik grabs Allura's arm and hurries her down a hall... He stops at a door, fiddles with the lock-- for about 3 seconds, apparently it's a much easier lock-- and pulls Allura inside and closes it behind him.

It's a room filled with files and cabinets and boxes, apparently where old records are kept.

"Hide!" Thelik whispers.

He jumps silently up into the near corner of the room, standing on a filing cabinet, and becomes perfectly still. He looks away from the door so his pale face won't immediately stand out to anyone walking in and glancing around, just his black hair...

(If Allura tries to find a place to hide, roll Insightful.
If Allura tries to do what Thelik's doing in the other near corner, roll Agile.
If Allura just tries to Charm or Bluff whomever might come in the door, roll Charming.
If Allura changes form and jumps out the window nearby, roll Forceful.
If Allura tries something I haven't thought of, let me know.

Don't forget your -1 penalty, though...)

Allura tries to do what Thelik is doing but in a shadowed corner due to her dark features.

She remains quiet waiting and hoping for the danger to pass.



15:26, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 10 using 2d6.  Flat 2d6 Agile roll with the penalty.

Soon there's some mumbling outside, and someone's moving a lantern back and forth in the hall, and someone's checking doors...

They open the door of the file/records room, and look around... but only at eye level.

It's a human... an older fellow...

He doesn't look up in the corners nearest to him where Thelik and Allura are...

He closes the door again.

Thelik turns to look at Allura and gestures: Wait, don't do anything yet, just wait, he motions to her...

Just nods and stays put.

Thelik silently gets down... listens...

Opens the door a crack...

Then peeks into the hallway...

Then opens it wider and peeks the other way...

He motions Allura down. "Come with me. Gonna try the other door again. Your job now is to keep watch. Tap me on the shoulder if someone's coming. If they do, I guess we'll run back in here again. Don't knock that thing over again."

Thelik and Allura enter the hall. Thelik closes the door of the file room.

He hurries to the other door and starts carefully picking its lock again. The silver vase has been put back, its flowers put back in.

(Roll Insightful please...)

16:26, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 6 using 2d6.  Insightful.

OOOOPS. Allura got too into watching what Thelik was doing, or maybe she got too into watching just one direction down the hall, because suddenly there's a voice-- "Hey! What're-- what're you kids doing?!"

It's a guard, with a shuttered lantern (apparently keeping the lantern dark to try to sneak up on whoever was up here, which worked).

What now?

(Allura gets 1 new xp and takes -1 on her next roll...)

Charm


09:23, Today: Allura Caryx rolled 10 using 2d6+1.  Charm.

"Well, well, well, and you said they were lazy and lax. Seems they are capable." Allura strides up to the guard all bravado and confidence, "Anlance with secure checking services. In employ of his house." Motions her head in Thelik's direction.

"Were here to make sure all level's of security are in compliance as well as capable of defence, we are here testing to make sure that YOU are doing your job and doing it well. It seems that you are. Let me get your name so that I can add that to my report to them when the full report is made. It will probably mean a promotion."

She glances to Thelik, "You continue with that see if those locks are in compliance or not. Just because this guard here was sharp and excellent in his service to House Sawall doesn't mean everything here is so up to standards and they want a full report as you well know."

Spinning a tale that they are checking security for the House and keeping the guard busy chatting him up while Thelik continues on with their mission.

The man is apparently just an elderly human, around perhaps 55 years of age.

(Human longevity is rather shorter than usual, in most places in the Black Zone.)

"I... but... My name is Giouri..."

Giouri is not at all sure what the hell is going on, is very confused...

"Well, you Sir have done well, when they read this report Giouri, they will know you are doing your job. Which is much better then the punishment that would come if the report read that the guard did not detect anything in our security check here. Now Giori, we performed a little check earlier, I want to ask you if you noticed anything during that check and what it was that you noticed. All of this is to help out for the best report we can provide for the House hmm ?" Allura will try to take time, talking with the guard so that Thelik can complete their mission.

"Well-- I-- I heard-- I heard the-- the noise... That-- when I came up here the first time, that silver vase had been knocked over..."

There is a very small click. Thelik turns to Allura. "I'm in, ma'am," he says, playing along...