Diablotin 2 session 55

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Session

Session date:

Diablotin date:

Alma, Dominik, Ysabeau and Maze

• Ysabeau will dress attractively but not tarty, in case Maze is still moved by lovely ladies.
• Alma will pick up Dominik and Ysabeau in her carriage.

[DiablotinNarrator] (Did you guys need to talk about anything before going?) [DiablotinNarrator] (or, in your carriage on the way)

• Alma just runs down her list of topics.

[Alma] He's going to want to kick us out halfway through, I'm sure. [Alma] (I think we're good.) [Ysabeau] We'll just have to make sure we charm him so much he doesn't want to kick us out at all. [Dominik] Then we should start with Martin and then then Strauch I think. [Alma] Yes, I was thinking that might be a better beginning myself. [Alma] Shorter, and possibly less entangled in the rest.

• Ysabeau smiles.
• Dominik has nothing more to add

[DiablotinNarrator] Dom, Ysa, and Alma, you draw up to the house on Thorne Terrace which is the headquarters of Lord Grey and his associates.

• Ysabeau tries to calm her nerves; the Hush still scares her.

[Alma] (What precisely is the title Lord Grey again?) [DiablotinNarrator] (it's an informal title given to the head of the Companions of Silence) [DiablotinNarrator] (doesn't come with land or whatever, not really a title in the noble sense) [DiablotinNarrator] The house's curtains are drawn, even though it's day, and the door is shut. [Ysabeau] Looks like they're in mourning or something.

• Ysabeau says with a hint of... something... in her voice.

[Dominik] bah, its likely always like this.

• Ysabeau doesn't really mean it; she's mostly joking.

[Ysabeau] Oh, and *that* doesn't look suspicious.

• Ysabeau grins.
• Alma casts Owl's Wisdom before heading in.

[Alma] Well, shall we?

• Alma dismounts and heads towards the door.
• Alma runs through her detection abilities quickly
• Ysabeau wishes Detect Thoughts had a longer duration.
• Dominik nods
• Alma will knock

[Alma] (or pull the bell, whichever)

• Housekeeper - or at least you assume that's what she is - opens the door.
• Housekeeper is a very large woman, tall and heavy-browed, with pale hair and a ruddy complexion.
• Housekeeper eyes you somewhat suspiciously.

[Housekeeper] Yes? [Alma] (We have a meeting right?) [DiablotinNarrator] (yes) [Alma] Good afternoon. We're here to speak with Mr. Olivier. [Housekeeper] Do you have an appointment? [Alma] Yes. I am Sister Alma, Countess de Béziers, and this is Dominich Rademacher and Ysabeau Chaniuer. [Ysabeau] Good afternoon.

• Alma smiles politely :)
• Housekeeper lets you in, grudgingly.
• Alma steps in

[DiablotinNarrator] The house is lit inside with magical lighting.

• Ysabeau looks around with open curiosity and an appraising eye.
• Dominik follows

[DiablotinNarrator] The rooms you can see into are stuffed with books, scrolls, maps, etc.

• Alma quirks a brow.

[Ysabeau] What fun to be set loose for a few afternoons in here.

• Ysabeau murmurs.
• Housekeeper escorts you to a parlour on the main floor.
• Maze is seated inside, reading what looks like a pile of correspondence.

[Maze] Oh, good afternoon.

• Maze greets you when you are shown in.
• Ysabeau makes a small formal curtsey,

[Alma] Mr. Olivier :) [Ysabeau] Good afternoon, Lord Grey.

• Housekeeper waits by the door.

[Maze] You can go, Myra, they won't cause any trouble. Will they.

• Maze says in a not-really-a-question sort of way.
• Ysabeau is amused that anyone thinks they would attack him in his own domain.
• Housekeeper will grudgingly depart, shutting the door behind her. You get the sense she won't be far away, though.

[Maze] Please, have a seat.

• Alma can, in fact, sense ^_^

[Alma] Thank you.

• Alma takes a seat.
• Dominik nods and takes a seat
• Ysabeau takes a seat gracefully, arranging her skirts about her and quietly regards Maze, trying to get a mesaure of the man.
• Maze is a thin, balding man in his sixties, dressed in simple but well-made and probably fairly expensive clothing.

[Maze] So, what is this concerning? [Alma] Well, a number of things, actually, a surprising number of trails lead back to you, Mr. Olivier :)

• Ysabeau leaves it to the others to speak, since they've had dealings with him before.
• Maze just smiles slightly at that.
• Ysabeau just watches him (I'll be SMing, obviously) and takes note of her surroundings.

[Alma] Firstly, I wanted to pass on, obviously somewhat late, that Brother Phineas Strauch was indeed involved in the theft of Noira Langevin's necklace. [Ysabeau] (23 for my SM so I'll probably get nothing off him) [Maze] Thank you, Sister. [Maze] How were you able to determine this? [Maze] I understand that he recently passed away. My sympathies.

• Alma tries not to look too dubious.

[Alma] I found Brother Phineas, and in an attempt to help the Guard explain his murder, undertook a few divinations, and twice cast Speak with Dead. [Maze] Ahh, I see. [Alma] Your question has bever been far from my mind, so it was my last, that first evening. [Maze] I appreciate your efforts, Sister. It confirms what I had suspected. [Alma] Along with the issue of the necklace, we hoped to speak with you about a Mister Martan Olivier. [Maze] Oh? [Alma] Well, we have good reason to believe that Martan Olivier is an assumed persona, and that you may already be aware of this. [Alma] It seemed like you might be an appropriate person to talk to, should that place him in danger. [Maze] You believe him to be in danger, then? [Alma] You're familiar with the Order of the Black Down? [Maze] Yes, I am. [Alma] The Order are looking for someone, according to divinations which point to him, and his mother. [Alma] (SM 26) [Maze] And what do you think they would do if they were to locate and identify him? [DiablotinNarrator] (no idea) [Alma] I'm not sure, to be honest. I'm certain that they will have their own interests in mind, however. [Alma] Merely confirming his existence may be enough, however they may attempt to kidnap, or try to convert him. [Maze] May I ask what your concern is in this matter? And how you became aware of all of this? [Alma] My personal and professional concern lies in the activities of the Order as a whole. [Alma] Though even if I considered them trivial, I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to Mr. Olivier. [Maze] That's very good of you. [Alma] As to how we came to know... Mr. Rademacher and I both followed a trail that led to Reverend Father Velten. [Dominik] No small effort was taken to conceal his identity. It must have been done for a reason. [Maze] Ahh, indeed. [Alma] The divination was already pointing strongly at Theonée Deverara, it was merely a question of whether she had already born a child. I found entries in Matriarch Pasith's diaries which hinted that she might have done so in Greywatch. [Maze] As for the reasons, yes...I'm sure they were considerable. [Alma] Do you know of any of those motivations in particular, Mr. Olivier? [Maze] To conceal the child from those who might wish it harm. [Dominik] Who was going to do that? The cult wasn't around... sure the child was a scandal but the effort makes no sense for just that. [Alma] Indeed, it seems like a lot of effort, for a hunch.

• Ysabeau glances at Dominik and Alma, then turns her attention back to Lord Grey.

[Maze] No, the cult did not exist at that point, as far as I know. But that doesn't mean the child would have been safe. [Alma] So you believe the concerns were merely ... political, nothing more? [Maze] No, not merely political. [Maze] ... Religious? spiritual?

• Alma nods.

[Dominik] so back to the Arch.

• Dominik shakes his head

[Alma] Who had these concerns? du Champe? [Maze] Because of the child's parentage, there were always going to be those who viewed it with ... alarm, and those who viewed it with unhealthy interest. [Maze] If she had been aware of it, the Matriarch. Concealing it from her was probably foremost in their minds at the time, I suspect. [Alma] It appears that they succeeded.

• Ysabeau tries to think - he means Matriarch Pasith? o_O

[Alma] (Yeah, there's a Patriarch now.) [Alma] In hindsight, I'm not sure it was such a great idea. [Alma] But I suppose I am just coming into this story. [Maze] Hindsight is one of those difficult things. And once the course was undertaken, it would have been very difficult to reverse. [Ysabeau] Does he know, himself? [Dominik] And to continue this concealment, is that why you had me sent after Althea's journal? [Maze] Yes. I suspected that she would have written about it - that needed to be destroyed on the off-chance someone else was looking for it.

• Maze turns his gaze to Ysabeau.

[Maze] Which part of it? [Ysabeau] His true identity? [Maze] No. [Alma] Reverend Father Velten suggested as much, at least before his trip to Greywatch. [Ysabeau] Does he suspect? [Maze] I think he feels that something is amiss.

• Ysabeau nods.

[Ysabeau] He strikes me as somewhat lonely and sad. [Maze] Perhaps. Better lonely and sad than dead, or worse. [Ysabeau] Possibly. It can't be much fun, being a pawn. [Alma] So, as far as you know, there are no other... divinations or portents which pertain to Hespera? [Alma] (SM 30 on that) [Maze] Some were conducted at the time of the child's birth. I don't know their contents. [Alma] Who might? [Maze] Possibly Corwen Storms? I believe that many of du Champe's private, scholarly papers are in his keeping.

• Alma nods
• Alma looks to Dominik to see if he has anything else.
• Dominik frowns

[Alma] Well, with regard to Martan Olivier, I will of course keep you abridged of anything I learn about the Order's activities. [Alma] And you are welcome to any assistance I may offer to keep him safe. [Maze] I appreciate that. [Maze] Was there anything further? [Alma] Oh yes. Mlle. Chaniuer has accompanied us today because of a matter which we once thought was connected to Martan Olivier, but that is no longer clear. [Maze] Oh?

• Maze turns to Ysabeau once more, with a smile.

[Maze] What matter is this?

• Ysabeau shrugs.

[Ysabeau] I was curious if the name Underdown means anything to you. [Maze] I have heard the name before, yes. [Ysabeau] What can you tell me about it? [Maze] Well, there was a girl by the name of Dessa Underdown who died... last year, I believe?

• Ysabeau nods.

[Maze] Her murder remains unsolved, as far as I'm aware. [Maze] Does it concern that case? [Ysabeau] Dessa was my sister's best friend. [Maze] I'm very sorry.

• Ysabeau cocks her head to one side, smiling.

[Ysabeau] I'm sure. [Ysabeau] Tell me, does Vescan Corriveau work for you, or for the Warlord?

• Alma quirks a brow.

[Maze] I would have to say that Vescan Corriveau's primary loyalty is to himself.

• Maze looks intrigued, though.

[Ysabeau] My best guess is that he had something to do with Dessa's death. [Maze] Perhaps last year, I would hve said, to his family, but more recent events have proven that quite untrue. [Ysabeau] Oh?

• Ysabeau waits for him to elaborate.

[Maze] Yes, well, the sudden demise of the remaining members of the Corriveaux, followed by Vescan's rise, suggests that he wasn't quite as loyal to them as they probably thought he was. [Ysabeau] Is that what happened to Ninon de Quercy? [Ysabeau] She's dead? [Maze] I don't know if they're dead. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were, but it's possible they've gone into deep hiding. [Maze] Tatiane would have many resources for enabling sudden disappearances. [Ysabeau] Altheo Renaud disappeared right around the same time...

• Ysabeau muses aloud.

[Maze] So did Avery Veilleux. Although not his mother - the only other Corriveau left in the city, as far as I'm aware. [Alma] Is that... La Corriveau? [Alma] Ninon's grandmother? [Maze] No, that was Tatiane, and I haven't heard from her in months. [Ysabeau] You said Vescan has experienced a rise in his fortunes. To what? [Maze] I don't believe her daughter has any interest in the family business - she's quite occupied with her own entrepreneurial activities, so perhaps that's why she was permitted to stay. [Maze] Well, head of the Corriveau network, among other things. [Alma] Do you suspect Vescan of involvement in the theft of the necklace? [Maze] He has ties in the palace - perhaps with Nash, but I'm uncertain of that. [Ysabeau] Who did Theodis Maez work for? [Ysabeau] You or Nash? [Alma] Ysabeau, this may not be related to Maez... [Maze] Theo was one of my best. [Dominik] It is [Dominik] Strauch was involved in the necklace and in Theo's death. I don't think its a coincidence [Ysabeau] Sister, Vescan and Theodis were together when I first confronted him about what he stole. [Alma] Perhaps Mr. Olivier knows why Vescan tried to steal the locket in the first place. [Maze] It wasn't on my direction, I can tell you that much. [Ysabeau] What do you know about the locket? [Alma] We had suspected that perhaps it contained something of Martan Kizer's, which might put the reappearance of someone strikingly similar in a suspicious light. [Ysabeau] I was asking Lord Grey.

• Alma wasn't answering you.

[Maze] I don't know anything about a locket, apart from what you've told me. [Ysabeau] Very well. [Ysabeau] I'll tell you because with your network, you might be able to make some sense out of it. [Maze] When was it stolen? [Ysabeau] The same night Dessa was murdered, as far as I can tell. [Maze] So someone found out about the locket from her, killed her to keep her quiet, and then came looking for it? [Ysabeau] Not someone. Vescan. [Ysabeau] It was a portrait of Martan Kizer, which belonged to Dessa's grandmother. Dessa inherited it from her. [Maze] If Vescan was asked to steal it, then it was either by his grandmother, or under his own initiative. [Alma] And you think that Vescan has turned against his grandmother?

• Maze considers that.

[Ysabeau] Dessa had given it to me, along with some of her other possessions, because she was nervous about a shakedown or something. [Maze] So it was a locket, with a portrait of Martan Kizer. Did it contain anything else? [Alma] That is what we were hoping you might know. [Ysabeau] Vescan claims it held a lock of hair. [Ysabeau] Wrapped in a note. [Alma] Have you heard of something like this? [Maze] He claims? [Ysabeau] But he could well have been lying. I didn't know it was a locket when Dessa gave it to me for safekeeping, so I didn't think to open it to see what it contained, until after Vescan had broken into my house. [Maze] There has to have been something, though... [Ysabeau] I only learned it was a locket when Dessa's friend came by; he noticed.

• Maze is obviously thinking this through.

[Ysabeau] So then Dominik and I tracked Vescan down, and that is when he told me it contained a lock of hair and a note.

• Maze stands to pace while he thinks.

[Ysabeau] He also claimed that the portrait was 'lying' - that it was pretending to be someone other than Martan Kizer. [Ysabeau] All i can figure is that the note was from someone else in the Kizer family, perhaps Leonien. [Maze] Maybe the contents belonged to someone other than Martan Kizer. [Alma] We do have reason to believe the locket was once owned by Martan Kizer... [Alma] Do you know if Vescan was left-handed, Mr. Olivier? [Maze] Stop asking irrelevant questions and let me think. [Ysabeau] Let him think, Sister. We can ask that very relevant question once he's finished. [Maze] Vescan has to have known about this item from someone. Either he found out from Dessa before her death - whether or not he personally killed her - or he learned it from another source. The only other likely source is his grandmother, Tatiane. [Maze] I think the latter is more likely. Even if he was somehow speaking to Dessa coincidentally and she mentioned the locket, why would he find it important enough to try and steal on that basis alone? [Alma] (Nobility 16 to know about Leonien Kizer) [DiablotinNarrator] (sure, he's the Duke of Friaul) [Maze] So let's assume Tatiane knew about this item, and wanted it for her own purposes. [Maze] But that backfired on her, badly. [Maze] The note... if Vescan read the note, and its contents made it clear to him why this was important, he used that knowledge somehow... [Maze] There are pieces missing here. [Maze] Tell me everything you know about this locket. [Ysabeau] Lord Grey, we're not all blessed with wits as quick as yours, or the knowledge you hold in your head... how did it backfire on Tatiane...? When you're finished thinking aloud, some explanations would be helpful, for me, at least. [Ysabeau] Um...

• Ysabeau tries diligently to keep up with him.

[Ysabeau] It was a miniature portrait, which I've been able to determine is of Martan Kizer. [Alma] I suspect the locket belonged to Martan Kizer, and was given to Althea Deverara during her infancy. Later, at about fifteen, it was stolen by her foster sister, the grandmother of Dessa Underdown

• Maze snaps his fingers.

[Alma] I do not believe anyone else has owned the locket for any extended period of time. [Ysabeau] Lady Cordovera, Princess Ilphere's late grandmother, confirmed that it was of Martan Kizer. [Maze] That's it. That's it! [Maze] Of course, Althea... [Maze] Then... void, yes, that would explain it. [Alma] Althea hid something within it?

• Maze stops pacing.

[Ysabeau] Althea or her daughter? [Ysabeau] No that makes no sense [Maze] Her foster sister - don't you see? [Maze] No, of course - that's all right. [Maze] Althea Deverara. *Deverara*. [Alma] We had hoped to ask around to find out who exactly Dessa Underdown's grandmother was, to see who might have been her foster-sister. [Alma] (k nob 15 on her for her foster-sister :P) [Alma] I'm not familiar with much of Althea Deverara's family, Mr. Olivier. [Housekeeper] ...

• Housekeeper taps at the door.
• Maze goes to open it.

[Housekeeper] Sir, your next appointment... [Maze] Oh, of course. Damn.

• Alma suppresses an exasperated sigh.

[Ysabeau] Can we return at another date, Lord Grey, to continue this fascinating line of thought? [Maze] There are some things I can't tell you - it would be... detrimental to my position, let's say. [Maze] But if you follow the path to your own conclusions, well.... that's not my fault. [Alma] This includes the name of Althea Deverara's foster-sister? [Maze] I don't know her first name - but her last name would have been Dark. [Alma] I see. [Ysabeau] I just need to know what to tell my sister about why Dessa was murdered.

• Ysabeau sighs.

[Alma] We really must speak again soon, Mr. Olivier.

• Dominik stands to leave

[Alma] I would like to tell you how I might learn more about the body in the Hall of Worthies. [Maze] Thank you for coming.

• Alma nods politely

[Ysabeau] Have a good afternoon, Lord Grey. [Maze] Good afternoon. [Dominik] Afternnon

Alma, Dominik and Ysabeau

[Ysabeau] Well, that got me nowhere fast.

• Ysabeau says, sounding frustrated, once we are back in your carriage.

[Ysabeau] Hopefully you got what you wanted. [Ysabeau] Thanks for allowing me to tag along. [Dominik] It sounds like we should track down Vescan and be persuasive with him. [Alma] That sounds like it might be more difficult than it once was, if he is suddenly in control of a major crime organisation. [Alma] .oO( Not that I'm not sure the Hush is much different. )

• Ysabeau nods.

[Dominik] sounds like a challenge then [Ysabeau] For some people, maybe. [Dominik] I'm tired of all these secrets and manipulations and games. Seems to me that we have a good indication that Vescan is up to something or knows something. [Alma] He may not know anything at all to do with issues relating to the Arch, however. [Dominik] All these threads are related. [Alma] Maybe. [Alma] We didn't get to talk about Nash *at all* [Ysabeau] We'll just have to go back. [Alma] I'll have to make another appointment, apparently.

• Ysabeau nods.

[Dominik] No but the main purpose I had was to learn who was moving around before Nash became Warlord. Now we have an idea who. [Alma] This was all about the same time, no? [Dominik] The necklace was stolen before the corination, before Nash was appointed. [Alma] So you think Tatiane Corriveau was involved in that? [Alma] It was her who sold it. [Dominik] Strauch was involved with the necklace. This locket may or may not be tied in with that but its the best lead we have. [Dominik] Using Vescan. [Alma] Why would she have her own necklace stolen? [Dominik] Vescan has ties to the Hush so someone not knowing the ins and out would just assume they are all one big happy family

• Dominik shrugs

[Dominik] Easiest way to make you look inocent? [Alma] Perhaps. [Alma] And then Vescan later makes his move, wiping out the Corriveaus and making it look like it's about the necklace? [Dominik] Or there is a power behind them and Vescan got tired of his mother being between the two and traded up. [Dominik] I can't help with finding anything out about this foster sister, but I can deal with Vescan. [Alma] There is also the grandmother to look into... Grandmother Dark, or Underdown [Alma] Alone? [Dominik] If I have to. [Alma] I think it would make more sense to have us along. [Alma] Ysabeau is a bard, after all. [Alma] And I can create a Zone of Truth and Discern Lies. [Dominik] I won't turn down any help offered. [Alma] I wonder what it is that Mr. Olivier seems to know...

• Ysabeau is just gazing out the window.

[Alma] Could it have contained the ring of Wishes? [Alma] Is that how Theodis got it? [Alma] I should have tried to get something of Mr. Olivier's... [Alma] I am such a fool. [Dominik] The ring was Loick Silveira's [Alma] Ah, for some time then? [Dominik] I assume so... a family heirloom [Alma] Surely someone would have noticed something so powerful over half a century if it were in the locket anyhow...

• Ysabeau turns back to you guys and nods.

[Ysabeau] Only a very plain ring could have fit in the locket, Sister. You've seen how much space there is in there. [Ysabeau] That's not to say that a ring of wishes couldn't be a simple, unadorned band.

• Ysabeau shrugs.

[Alma] True, however many magic items are able to change their shape depending on the wearer, perhaps after being taken off of a slender finger it would fit better, for example. [Ysabeau] Anyway, no sense wondering since Dominik says it was Loick Silveira's. [Ysabeau] How could he know that if it was a secret in the locket for decades? [Alma] Perhaps something written in the diaries of Althea Deverara. [Ysabeau] Dominik is here; you could ask him how he knows.

• Ysabeau shakes her head and smiles at him. Alma is so strange some times. ;)

[Alma] I mean, other diaries... the Matriarch's were volumes. [Alma] Perhaps though, that book could contain something since you weren't looking for it. [Ysabeau] I'm sorry, Sister, you've completely lost me... [Alma] Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you meant how could Vescan have known about the locket's contents. [Ysabeau] No, I meant Dom.

• Alma nods

[Ysabeau] So, I guess we'll go ask Mrs. Underdown-Dark's neighbours for the first name they knew her by. [Ysabeau] Let's put off confronting Vescan until we've done that, so we are armed with more knowledge. [Alma] Perhaps you ought to come with us for that anyhow, Dominik? [Dominik] Sure why not... its not like Ilphere has me doing much these days. [Ysabeau] If Dom comes then Danyel better not.

• Alma nods.

[Alma] Wouldn't want to look like an army :) [Ysabeau] We'll attract too much attention and people will be suspicious if we have two obviously competent fighters, a woman who doesn't seem quite like she fits in the Shambles, and me. [Ysabeau] Void, that'll be bad enough. [Alma] Someone will also have to speak with Corwen Storms. [Alma] That should be considerably less risky :) [Ysabeau] Who is Corwen Storms, again? [Dominik] I'm sure you can disguise us enough to pass without much suspicion [Ysabeau] It's not just the clothes, it's your bearing, too. [Alma] Head of the Castalia [Ysabeau] Yes, I know that but why do we need - oh, Loch du Champe's writings,

• Alma nods.

[Alma] Sorry, I was thinking broadly... [Ysabeau] It's also how you speak. And how I speak, now.

• Ysabeau looks at Dominik.

[Alma] I imagine I just sound like I'm from the country? [Ysabeau] You sound upper class. ^-^ [Dominik] Bah I can curse and swear and glare like the best of them [Ysabeau] People only do that when they're drunk in the Shambles, Dom.

• Ysabeau laughs.
• Alma considers her spell options.

[Ysabeau] No one *wants* to attract attention when they're sober. Someone is sure to take offense. [Dominik] so I spill some beer on me and nobody will know the differnce. [Ysabeau] As long as you don't rouse the bravos with your glares.

• Alma frowns at that idea.

[Ysabeau] Neither Sister nor I would want to see you overwhelmed by a swarm of angry men. [Ysabeau] And once you're down, their attention will surely be drawn to us. I really don't think Sister wants to experience that. [Alma] I'll just poof us away!

• Ysabeau nods.

[Ysabeau] Wen are we next all free to do this thing? [Alma] Perhaps we ought to take Danyel with us to see Vescan though...

• Alma muses.

[Dominik] well figure out a time soon enough [Ysabeau] Vescan's a different story.

• Ysabeau agrees.

[Ysabeau] Attention is probably good, with Vescan. [Alma] Well, we have much to think about.

• Alma will drop you both off where you ask.

Dominik and Ysabeau

• Ysabeau alights gracefully from Alma's carriage and smiles for Dominik.
• Dominik will step out

[Ysabeau] How do you think it went? [Dominik] I agree with Sister Alma that more time would have been good, but what time we did have was well put to use. [Ysabeau] I hope my thing didn't detract from time you and Sister Alma could have used for your questions. [Ysabeau] I didn't think it would distract him quite as much as it did. I'm sorry. [Dominik] I still believe much of what is going on is all interconnected... at least in some minor way

• Ysabeau nods.

[Ysabeau] I wish I knew who was pulling the strings on all of us. [Dominik] I promised you I would tell you everything that I've been up to with Maze after we met him, and so I shall... but we should go someplace private. [Ysabeau] Very well. My house? Your rooms at the palace? A private room in a tavern? Study room at the Society? [Dominik] We'll find a nice room at a tavern

• Dominik will track down a decent private room.

[Dominik] I hope this place will do... at least we can have some wine while we talk. [Ysabeau] It's fine. :)

• Ysabeau settles herself and her skirts

[Dominik] Oh how you distract me so.

• Dominik takes a seat

[Ysabeau] What? I didn't even show my ankles. [Dominik] Just the thought of.. never mind. [Ysabeau] Ah, you are an 18-year-old. [Ysabeau] Everything sets you off. ;) [Dominik] A few weeks after the coronation I was approached by Fredericia Hartzell. [Ysabeau] All right. [Dominik] oh I am so sorry, I didn't realize I was in the presence of my distinguished elders

• Ysabeau smiles.

[Dominik] continuing on... [Dominik] We knew eachother from the training yard. She asked me if I would be interested in using my skills for some descrete work. [Dominik] At the time watching Ilphere was quite a dull job so I said sure.

• Ysabeau nods.

[Ysabeau] I know how much you pine for excitement, as you call it. :) [Dominik] shortly after that I was approached by Theo Maez and asked to look into something regarding Phedre's daughter going missing. [Ysabeau] Ooh... is that how you recognized her at the party? [Dominik] Yes [Dominik] I didn't make much progress in my investigation.. I'm not much of a information sniffer. [Dominik] I tried to get chatty with Altheo since he knew someone connected with the daughter. I enjoyed chatting with Altheo and his establishment more than I cared for investigating.

• Ysabeau nods, drawing pictures with a drop of wine on the table.

[Dominik] and then he went missing... I like the man, I hope he is still alive. [Ysabeau] Me too. [Dominik] A little bit after that was when we went to investigate Desa's murder. I recongnized Theo then but I didn't know how much my work efforts had gotten me in to the organization to ask questions. [Dominik] My thinking at the time was I should try and keep with them hoping that I may be able to dig up something on Dessa from the inside, if they were involved in her death.

• Ysabeau glances at you and nods.

[Dominik] That didn't really work out well... Theo never contacted me for a while then when she finally did, I was to help be her muscle [Dominik] We intimidated Loick Silveira to give up his ring, although I didn't know what it was at the time. He had implied he tried to use it to help him get the throne, but it didn't work. [Dominik] I never helped Theo with another task after that... we found her corpse a little while later. [Ysabeau] Oh... [Dominik] I was a little steamed about it and helped someone track down who they htought was responsible, Strauch... but you know how that story goes.

• Ysabeau thinks.

[Ysabeau] That's when you told me about the dogs? [Dominik] No... I thought Strauch wasn't involved but he ended up being and now hes dead. [Ysabeau] But when you helped that person track Strauch down, that's when you told me about the dogs. [Ysabeau] You thought he'd bitten you as your brother had. [Ysabeau] I'm just trying to sort it all out. [Ysabeau] Anyway, go on.

• Dominik nods

[Dominik] I skipped an important detail... before Theo was killed, the night of, or the day before, I'm not sure, I was taken to meet Maze Olivier. [Ysabeau] I suppose he was curious to meet his newest recruit from the noble ranks. [Dominik] He wanted me to stay with Ilphere and keep an eye on her and Menard after they were married. [Ysabeau] Which you're doing. [Ysabeau] Do you have any idea why he'd ask you to do that? [Ysabeau] They're not implicated in anything, are they? [Dominik] Protect the royal family is one possible reason. [Ysabeau] They have guards for that. [Dominik] I suspect he knows of Ilphere's connection to the Order of the Black Down and the risk they could pose to Martin.. although not from me, as I have never discussed it much.

• Ysabeau nods.

[Ysabeau] That's a little more believable. [Dominik] At the time I wanted to stick with Ilphere anyway so it was just as convenient for me to agree

• Ysabeau nods.

[Dominik] as I was saying Fredericia was my contact after that. [Dominik] After the wedding I was asked to help her with a job, shaking down a loan shark who was causing problems. [Dominik] There was myself, Fredericia, and a mage who was called Ruby.

• Dominik pauses and takes a drink
• Ysabeau erases what she was drawing and starts tracing another picture with her finger.

[Dominik] I had a liason with Ruby afterward. I had been maintaining a certain bravaudo when around those associated with Maze... I was afraid acting differently would raise suspcicion. [Dominik] I was also mad at alot of things at the time.

• Ysabeau glances up at you.

[Ysabeau] Including me? [Dominik] Including you [Ysabeau] What had I done, exactly? [Dominik] I was mad at my mother over the whole Laurine and secret of my father. [Ysabeau] In which I played what integral role, exactly? [Dominik] I wanted to talk to you, at least say what I was feeling, and why I was so angry, but you had already made up your mind about the whole situation, or at least it seemed to me.

• Ysabeau sighs.

[Ysabeau] Dominik, you should have talked to me, even if my mind was made up. Minds can be made to change, in the face of overwhelming evidence. [Dominik] It just flared things up in me, but I didn't want to lash out at you, so I left angry. [Ysabeau] Which you should not have done. [Dominik] I know... I should have yelled it out right then and there. [Dominik] And then you could have left me then and I wouldn't have done this to you. [Ysabeau] No. [Ysabeau] Yelling seldom helps. [Ysabeau] It would have been a heated discussion, but that kind of thing needs to happen, sometimes, to make sure both partners in the relationship understand each other. [Ysabeau] Communication is *so* important, Dominik. [Ysabeau] But you didn't really have any way of knowing that. I understand. [Dominik] Unlike you I'm not an expert at communication... words are powerful in your hands... in mine they jsut make a mess

• Ysabeau rests her forehead on the palm of her hand, turned slightly away from you; she is trying to think, plainly.

[Dominik] I am trying to be better. [Ysabeau] I know Dominik. I know.

• Ysabeau says, sounding pained.

[Ysabeau] Or you wouldn't be doing this today.

• Ysabeau stands up and starts pacing.

[Ysabeau] Did you pay for a Remove Disease afterwards? [Ysabeau] Sometimes people look fine but they're not.

• Ysabeau sounds like she may be speaking from experience. ;)
• Dominik shakes his head no

[Dominik] She works at the Jewel Box... I just assumed she would be ok [Ysabeau] ... [Dominik] I don't exactly have a lot of experience with these sorts of things [Ysabeau] I'd say she is more *likely* to be okay, but that's about as far as that goes. [Ysabeau] Oh, Dominik...

• Ysabeau stops her pacing.

[Dominik] I just feel more of an ass for hurting you in ways I didn't even think of [Ysabeau] If she had anything, I don't have it anymore, anyway. [Ysabeau] I went to the Temple the morning of the day you came to find me, after Dryden. [Ysabeau] He looked fine, too, but...

• Ysabeau looks at you and shrugs helplessly.
• Dominik nods
• Ysabeau rubs her temples.
• Dominik fills his cup

[Ysabeau] Dominik, I forgive you. I forgive you for joining the Hush. Your heart was in the right place. [Ysabeau] I forgive you for sleeping with Ruby. [Ysabeau] You're eighteen years old. [Ysabeau] And rather less worldly than I am. [Ysabeau] What I can't forgive you for... [Ysabeau] Is planting the seeds of doubt in my heart. [Ysabeau] For the rest of my life with you, I'd wonder "Is he holding something back from me?" [Ysabeau] "Is he sleeping with someone else on the sly? Will he leave me if she can give him a child and I can't?" [Ysabeau] And that would kill us both, slowly. [Ysabeau] I don't want to twist what we have with my own insecurities. [Dominik] First of all... I may not be as worldly as you but I'm no fool either. [Dominik] As for holding back from you, that's done with now, but EVERYONE has secrets Ysabeau, not just me. I'm not going to be sleeping around on you on the sly and as for children... [Dominik] that's a little farther down the path than today. [Dominik] The only one who is twisting this in you is you. I may make mistakes but I've always accepted you for who you are. [Dominik] If you wan't to walk away, then do it.

• Ysabeau nods, after a long pause.

[Ysabeau] There are so many different kinds of love.

• Dominik 's body language is filled with tension

[Ysabeau] I'm sorry, Dominik.

• Ysabeau walks close and kisses you on the forehead.
• Dominik pulls back from you

[Dominik] Don't [Ysabeau] My home is always open to you, if you need to get away from things, or you need to talk. [Dominik] [w] Please go [Ysabeau] I do love you, Dominik. But somewhere along the way, it changed.

• Ysabeau quietly leaves.
• Dominik sits and watches her go, counting to twenty
• Ysabeau pays for the wine and leaves some extra money to cover whatever else Dominik needs to drown his sorrow in.
• Dominik then tosses the table, cups, bottles and all as hard as he can into the wall of the private room

Seth and Cornelia

[DiablotinNarrator] Seth, you wanted to speak with Nash? [Seth] (yes, in her office. the idea is to attempt to get her to give me something so I don't have to steal it. Oh, and ask her questions) [DiablotinNarrator] (ok then!)

• Cornelia receives you in her office at the palace.

[Seth] Good afternoon, Warlord. Thank you for meeting me with such expediency. [Cornelia] Not at all. How are you doing, M. Argo? [Seth] Quite well, thank you.

• Seth looks over the office to see if there is something he could either request of her or take without her caring.

[Seth] And yourself? [Seth] (Search?) [DiablotinNarrator] (sure, you can make a roll) [Seth] (only 29, sigh ... ;) [DiablotinNarrator] (hahah) [DiablotinNarrator] (Something like a piece of paper, a book?) [DiablotinNarrator] (there are probably some books you could ask to borrow) [Seth] (yeah, ok) [Cornelia] I'm fine, thank you for asking. [Cornelia] So, what brings you here today? [Seth] I have come today to request information from you regarding the Arch. [Seth] I have been very forthcoming with you to date, and I am hoping for the same courtesy.

• Cornelia nods.

[Cornelia] I'll do what I can. [Seth] I want to understand by whom (or what) and for what reason the Arch was created. Moreover, I wish to know more about what happens when one entered the Arch while it was still active. [Cornelia] By whom it was created... I don't know, other than the Universe. I think its creation is beyond even the gods. [Seth] Was it always here, at this place? [Cornelia] No. [Cornelia] It came into being at some point after the creation of this world, at least.

• Seth nods.

[Seth] Given that I can travel into the Arch and enter the ... realm within, it obviously still retains power in some sense.

• Cornelia nods.

[Cornelia] Residual power, perhaps. [Seth] Perhaps. But are we to think then that the trapping of entities within the Arch was not originally intended? [Cornelia] Intended as its purpose? [Cornelia] Or intended by those who did it? [Seth] The former. [Cornelia] No, that was not its purpose. [Seth] What was its purpose, then, as far as you can discern? [Cornelia] It enables... communion. Communication. [Seth] With what? [Seth] And how? [Cornelia] You know of its ability to grant visions. [Cornelia] The past, the future... [Seth] Yes, of the past and of the future. So ... this, you think is unrelated to the entity or entities trapped within?

• Cornelia considers.

[Cornelia] Not unrelated, no. [Cornelia] But not... dependant upon.

• Seth nods.

[Cornelia] The same ability, the same power, that draws humans to it, also draws the gods. [Seth] You said once that you thought my powers might derive in some way from the fragments of the souls of dead emperors? Do you still think so? [Cornelia] I don't know. It was speculation, but I see no reason to disbelieve it at present. [Seth] Communion with the Arch is very ... complex, and does not seem to be freely accessible as it once was.

• Cornelia nods.

[Cornelia] It is ... damaged, in some way, perhaps. [Cornelia] Certainly it is not as it was when it was whole, but neither is it as it was when it was separated. [Seth] Explain. [Cornelia] When it was whole, it was a conduit - a channel between deities and man, between worlds themselves. [Cornelia] When it was broken, it was no longer a passage between worlds, but it was still a vehicle for ... visions, if you like. For communication, I would prefer to say. [Cornelia] Now it is... neither of those things, except in a very limited fashion. [Seth] Indeed - although the only visions we have records of are the few in the Codex Lunaticium, and those are ... prone to misinterpretation due to the mental states of their authors, shall we say. [Cornelia] Those are... residual, perhaps. [Cornelia] Minds touched too roughly. [Cornelia] The visions within the Arch itself would have been far clearer, at the time. [Seth] Yes, I understand. [Seth] Did I mention to you that I know of one additional person who has recently visited the under-Arch and had a vision there? [Cornelia] No, who is that? [Seth] I do not wish this person to receive an unpleasant visitation. [Cornelia] Very well. [Cornelia] Who is it? [Seth] Sanadhil Orecalo.

• Cornelia makes a note of that.

[Cornelia] There is one person who might be able to speak of what it was like to pass through the Arch when it was separated... [Seth] Oh?

• Cornelia says, considering her words.

[Cornelia] Raimar Langevin. [Seth] O_o [Seth] I had assumed he was long dead. [Cornelia] I had assumed so as well, before I took this position. [Seth] So ... he lives, imprisoned in the Palace still? [Cornelia] He's the last resident - perhaps the last ever - of the tower once reserved for those who were broken by the test. [Seth] Who else knows this? [Cornelia] There are guards who care for him, although even then I'm not certain they realize who he is. Other than that...

• Cornelia shrugs.

[Cornelia] Presumably the previous Warlords have known, and probably other officials as well. [Seth] How would I gain access to speak to him? Could you ... I don't know, write a letter bearing your seal, authorizing me to do so? [Cornelia] I could probably arrange that, yes.

• Cornelia will prepare you such a letter.

[Seth] I would be greatly obliged. [Seth] As always, Warlord, I am greatly appreciative of your time and effort on my behalf. [Cornelia] As I appreciate you, Seth.

• Seth folds up the letter and puts it someplace safe.

[Seth] Good day. [Cornelia] Farewell.

Ilphere and Lystain

[DiablotinNarrator] Ilphere, following your great-grandmother's death, your family (and indeed the extended Imperial family) is in mourning. [DiablotinNarrator] The funeral is a more elaborate affair than you might have expected, with people who a year ago would have ignored your family now coming to pay their respects. [Ilphere] (does Leonien Kizer come? :p) [DiablotinNarrator] (but of course!)

• Ilphere waits for what seems like an opportune moment to ask her father about the picture.
• Lystain is busy after the funeral going through his grandmother's things (apart from those you already, uh, went through yourself ;)
• Lystain can be found at your family's home.
• Ilphere will help out as much as she can...
• Lystain is sorting through bunches of old letters at the moment.
• Ilphere will take a break to speak with him... seems as good a time as any...!

[Lystain] Oh, hello dear.

• Lystain sets aside one lavender-scented bundle.

[Ilphere] Hello Father... How are you making out...? [Lystain] Well, there are a lot of papers - with such a long life, I suppose it stands to reason.

• Ilphere nods sadly.

[Lystain] But I think I'm making progress. [Ilphere] I... I found something I wanted to show you. [Lystain] Oh?

• Ilphere holds out the yellowed old sketch.
• Lystain takes it carefully, with interest.

[Lystain] Oh... it's lovely. Where did you find it, in her room? [Ilphere] It was in the back of her wardrobe...

• Ilphere nods.

[Ilphere] Is that my grandfather, do you think...?

• Lystain flips it over to look at the back.

[Lystain] Yes... the oldest one, I suppose. [Ilphere] And the others...? [Lystain] Well... they must be the two that died. She would barely speak of them... [Lystain] This must have been not long before they died, I would think. [Lystain] I know that my father barely remembered them himself, so he couldn't have been much older than this. [Ilphere] Ah, I see... :/ [Ilphere] How... how did they die? [Lystain] Well, as I understand, they had taken my father to Alarches with them, leaving the two younger children at home with their nurse. While they were away, the younger ones fell suddenly ill, and died within a day. [Ilphere] How awful... :(

• Lystain nods.

[Lystain] She never had any more children - I always assumed because it was too painful to imagine losing them. [Ilphere] It must have been a terrible sickness, if they couldn't have them healed magically in time. :( [Lystain] I gather the nurse didn't think it serious - a mild fever, perhaps. She put them to bed...

• Lystain shrugs.

[Lystain] We could look for anything further about them, perhaps, if you're curious. Maybe in her letters, or the household records somewhere...

• Ilphere nods again...

[Ilphere] I would like that... [Lystain] I'm not back nearly that far in the letters yet - as much as they're organized at all - but the record books should be easy enough, they just go year by year. [Ilphere] If Grandfather is the oldest one, this would be... about 2186? [Lystain] Uh.. yes, that would be about right.

• Lystain will go with you to the attic to look through dusty old household accounts.

[DiablotinNarrator] The volumes were much more elaborate when your family was actually rich... thick leather-bound books, organized by year.

• Ilphere searches through, looking for the relevant year(s).

[DiablotinNarrator] You find the early 2180s easily enough. [Lystain] So the little girl, Jessamine - she would have been born about 2183 or '84, by the looks of things, and the baby in 2185 or '86...

• Ilphere nods...

[Lystain] I can look through some, you check the others? [Ilphere] That sounds like an excellent plan...! [Ilphere] I will try 2185, perhaps... [Lystain] All right, I'll check the earlier ones.

• Ilphere picks out the 2185 volume and begins carefully turning the pages...

[DiablotinNarrator] You leaf through the old parchment pages, looking for anything of interest... The sunlight slants through the small attic windows, giving you enough light to read the faded ink. [DiablotinNarrator] In late 2185, you find mention of the birth of Jeremez. [Ilphere] (what does it say?) [DiablotinNarrator] Well, it's household records, so really it probably says stuff about the purchase of baby-related things. [DiablotinNarrator] Engaging a new nurse, etc. [DiablotinNarrator] You keep looking forward after 2185, I suppose? [Ilphere] (yes) [DiablotinNarrator] 2186 brings more purchases of things related to children, amidst the general accounts - clothing, toys, etc. [Ilphere] (nothing that jumps out as unusual or interesting... :/) [DiablotinNarrator] After early 2187, those sorts of records just stop. Payments for Master Jacobin's stuff continue, of course, but nothing for a girl, or a littler kid. [Ilphere] This must have been when they died... [Ilphere] :/

• Lystain looks over.

[Ilphere] I wonder why they didn't take the little ones to Alarches... [Lystain] I don't know...

• Lystain comes to read over your shoulder.

[Lystain] Hm, that's odd. [Ilphere] What is...? [Lystain] I saw one of these payments in the book I was looking at as well - I don't know what they mean. [Ilphere] Which one...?

• Lystain points to a line that just says "Payment N.I. ---" and no record of a specific sum of money.
• Ilphere frowns, looking at the list of figures...

[Ilphere] N.I. ...?

• Ilphere tries to think of a person those initials could fit.

[DiablotinNarrator] (city lore?) [DiablotinNarrator] (K: nob too) [Ilphere] (24 on nob... do I roll both or just one?) [DiablotinNarrator] (roll both) [Ilphere] (29 CL) [DiablotinNarrator] (ok, sec) [Ilphere] Who could that be...? Or what...?

• Ilphere muses, deep in thought.

[DiablotinNarrator] (Nouel Izaguirre, maybe? You don't know much about him, but you would know the name at least.)

• Ilphere looks to her father - does it seem like he has any clue...?
• Lystain seems puzzled.

[Ilphere] The name Nouel Izaguirre comes to mind... I don't know anything much about him, but the initials and timing would fit... [Lystain] Wasn't he ... some sort of criminal? [Ilphere] Was he...? Why would they be giving him money, then...? I can't imagine... [Lystain] Well... maybe they had incurred a, uh, debt?

• Ilphere looks for more N.I. payments in later pages...
• Lystain looks a bit ashamed at that.

[DiablotinNarrator] Ilphere, you don't see any more after that one in early 2187. [Ilphere] They seem to stop... around the same time as Jessamine and Jeremez would have passed away...? [DiablotinNarrator] In fact, you only find the two - the one your father had found, in 2185, and then the one in 2187. [Lystain] What could that mean? [Ilphere] I have absolutely no idea... O_o [Lystain] It's puzzling.. maybe it's not connected to the children? [Ilphere] Maybe not... it is an odd coincidence, though.

• Lystain nods.
• Ilphere sighs.

[Lystain] Well - if I find anything further as I'm going through the letters, I'll let you know. [Ilphere] Thank you... I am most curious now. [Lystain] And I'll read the ones from that period particularly closely.

• Ilphere nods...
• Lystain puts a hand on your shoulder.
• Ilphere looks up at him.

[Lystain] Take a break... you've done so much already. [Ilphere] I guess I.. just don't know what else to do.

• Lystain nods.

[Lystain] All right. Thank you.

• Lystain descends from the attic to go back to the correspondence.

Seth and Alma

• Seth arranges to meet Sister Alma at the Society
• Alma is pleased!

[Seth] Good evening, Sister Alma. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. [Seth] I believe you will be very pleased with what I have for you. [Alma] Oh? [Alma] :)

• Seth pulls out the sealed letter

[Seth] This letter was written by the Warlord in my presence, and then given directly to me. [Seth] I suppose it is now fully in my possession, as I will be required to use it at a later date. But certainly it was in Nash's possession before that. [Alma] May I? [Seth] Certainly. However, it is imperative that the letter remain sealed for now. [Seth] I trust that does not interfere with your power. [Alma] No, I don't imagine, unless there's an outer sheath that wasn't the Warlord's [Seth] No, nothing of the sort.

• Alma ponders her questions.
• Alma casts Guidance and Owl's Wisdom
• Alma takes the envelope and closes her eyes for a moment.

[Alma] It's all quite mundane... [Alma] Though that might be puzzling in itself. [Seth] Oh? Please explain. [Alma] She's hiding her true nature for some reason or other... like Phedre and Earric... but everything else fits. [Alma] A human woman, 65, of House Cat... [Alma] She got the paper from a supply closet at some point, I assume. [Seth] I suppose so. [Alma] I was expecting her age to be ... off, if nothing else. [Seth] Why? [Alma] I suppose I thought if she was guardian of the Arch that it might have prolonged her life somehow. [Seth] Do we have any reason to think that to be the case? [Alma] No, I ... well I thought I remembered something but I guess it was my imagination. [Alma] It's hard to sort out the dream plane sometimes. [Seth] But you think that she is concealing her race magically? [Alma] I don't have any indication of that, no. [Alma] Not unless she IS older than 65. [Seth] So, it confirms that despite her oddness, the Warlord is an ordinary middle-aged human woman. [Alma] Yes, though it's possible a spell such as Misdirection might be capable of fooling my ability. I don't have much practice with it to know.

• Seth nods.

[Alma] I suppose I could experiment sometime. [Seth] I suppose. Although in the case of the Warlord, it seems most parsimonious to simply assume she has no overwhelming reason to conceal her race magically. [Seth] It is not frequently a question one is called upon to discern magically, I imagine. [Alma] No, though one assumes she is aware of my involvement in all of this, it is still a bit of a stretch.

• Seth takes back the letter and stores it safely away.

[Alma] Perhaps I ought to acquire a scroll and see if it works. [Seth] If you wish. [Alma] Well, there's always True Seeing :)

• Alma looks not entirely satisfied by the whole thing.

[Seth] Honestly, Sister, although others seem to have a number of doubts, I for one think Nash is generally as honest as her position permits. [Alma] The issue with the Hush, and Brother Phineas, are not encouraging on that account... [Alma] But I should perhaps not be so suspicious.

• Alma reaches up to hold the silver wheel lying against her chest.

[Seth] Simply because Strauch's loyalty was to Nash does not mean that Nash knew or approved of all of his activities. [Alma] No, of course not. [Alma] I should be glad she's not some horned demon from the Abyss, but when there are ways to hide things, it's almost like the opposite of an answer. [Alma] But if I think like that, there are never any real answers :) [Seth] Yes, one's imagination can be let wild ... [Alma] We're taught of a similar dilemma, actually... how do you find out if someone has been charmed simply by asking them? [Seth] Hmm, very interesting - is there an answer? [Alma] Not a good one. [Seth] Fair enough. [Alma] They're certainly not going to believe they've been charmed :) [Alma] Anyhow... thank you for bringing this to me. [Seth] You're quite welcome, Sister. [Alma] Well, I had best be going.

• Alma takes her leave

Guillame and Thea

[DiablotinNarrator] Guillame, you are surprised when Thea pays you a visit at home. [Guillame] . o O (Convenient!) [Guillame] Welcome to my family's house, Thea!

• Thea looks a little thinner, maybe, than the last time you saw her, but she's clean at least.
• Thea looks around at the impressive surroundings.

[Thea] Yes. [Thea] I wanted to let you know that we're all out from our 'questioning', and everyone is all right. [Thea] Since there won't be any meetings anytime soon... [Guillame] I'm relieved - thank you for coming to tell me.

• Guillame shows Thea to a study, or somewhere else private
• Thea follows you.

[Guillame] I actually wanted to come and speak with you... I have sort of an odd question. [Thea] ...oh? [Guillame] Last time I saw Phelix, he had an odd smell... like smoke. I wanted to ask you if that was usual for him... if he ever smelt that way before, or since? [Thea] ... you think I spend a lot of time smelling Phelix?

• Thea says, defensively.

[Guillame] I could smell it just from standing near him to talk to him... I just thought you'd have spoken to him on other occasions than I had. [Guillame] I'm sorry if I caused offense...?

• Thea softens a little.

[Thea] He smokes cigars - he does smell of them, I suppose. [Guillame] To be honest, I put it down to the granary fire initially. [Thea] Well, that could be too... [Thea] Why do you ask? [Guillame] We know there's somebody messing with our meetings, and with our reputation. I'm starting to think that it's Phelix. [Guillame] Some of the reasons are sort of... outlandish, so you might have to bear with me.

• Thea listens.
• Guillame explains about Kavreshar, what we know of Hell Wyrms, and sort of vaguely mentions Raina's message without going into the "hereditary rat-seer" thing

[Guillame] I don't want to accuse or move against him without being certain, of course. [Thea] ... [Thea] You're suggestion that Phelix is .. some sort of dragon-thing? [Guillame] It sounds ridiculous but... somebody is.

• Thea sounds incredulous.

[Guillame] And he fits better than anyone else I've seen. [Thea] I... I don't even know what to say to that! [Thea] It's so ridiculous :o

• Guillame looks a little glum

[Guillame] Yeah, it is. [Guillame] I have a colleague who could tell us for certain. A member of the clergy. [Guillame] She'd just have to see him. [Thea] I know what it is - you're jealous! [Guillame] ... what? [Guillame] Of what? [Thea] You have some sort of issue... maybe Aden calls out my name in bed, I don't know - and you're trying to sabotage my relationship. [Guillame] Oh! [Guillame] Oh, Thea - I'm so sorry. [Guillame] I didn't know. [Thea] I don't have to listen to this. [Guillame] Look, you're right. It's patently ridiculous. [Guillame] I didn't know that you knew him... [Guillame] ... well. [Thea] Yes, well. [Guillame] If you trust him, that's enough for me. [Thea] ...all right.

• Thea still sounds dubious, but less angry anyway.

[Thea] I *do* trust him, for what it's worth. And I'm leaving now. I don't know when I'll see you again - I'm looking into what we might be able to do without bringing down the army on our heads. [Guillame] Wow, I must sound like a paranoid lunatic. [Guillame] Thanks, Thea. [Thea] Good day, M. Rionet, I'll show myself out. [Guillame] Let me know if you find something we can do. [Guillame] Good day.

• Thea nods, and leaves.
• Guillame waits until she's left, and immediately goes to try and find Alma
• Guillame goes to Alma's church

Guillame and Alma

• Alma is there, for the sake of convenience!
• Alma is distributing some food she has recently created.

[Guillame] Good day, Sister... do you have... some time? [Alma] Yes, I will shortly, M. Rionet :) [Alma] (You look a little anxious? SM 34) [Guillame] (What do I roll to hide that? Bluff?) [Alma] (If you're actively hiding, don't bother. I'm just rolling reflexively.)

• Alma finishes distributing the foods first.

[Guillame] (Well, I'm trying to remain composed, but I can't beat 34 ;) ) [Alma] So, how can I help you? [Alma] Did you learn anything new? [Guillame] Yes... I learned that the man I spoke of usually smells smoky - he smokes cigars. However, I also tipped my hand to someone who may well tell him about our conversation. [Alma] Our conversation at the Society? [Guillame] No, my conversation with her... I was quite forthright, as I didn't realise that she was close with him. [Alma] Oh ... :/ [Alma] Well, if he smokes cigars, and could have smelled of the fire that day, are you still concerned that he might be an outsider in disguise? [Guillame] She was offended at the insinuation, so I tried to smooth it over, but I can't guarantee that she won't mention it to him anyway, and I didn't want to try and swear her to secrecy over it, as then she wouldn't believe that I thought it nothing. [Guillame] More so than if he'd only smelled on that day... it seems to me that if the flaw in your disguise is a smell of smoke, that smoking cigars would be an excellent cover. [Alma] That is true. Do you know how long ago he took up smoking though? [Guillame] Not at all, sorry.

• Alma thinks.

[Alma] Would you even know where to find him on short notice? [Guillame] I suppose not. His name is Phelix Valtieras.

• Guillame tries to remember anything he knows about Phelix

[DiablotinNarrator] (very little - you think it's been suggested/mentioned that he has military training or experience of some sort? beyond that, you don't really know much abotu his background, I don't think) [Alma] If she does tell him... and he is Kavreshar, he could either flee from that form, which will answer our question; he could come after you, which would be dangerous, but also answer our question; or he could do nothing, at which point we could try anyway. [Guillame] (K. Local? City lore?) [Guillame] So... we should keep an ear out for his disappearance, and otherwise engineer a way to encounter him. [Alma] Yes, we could try. [Alma] A possession of his might be an easy way as well. For that matter, the butt of a cigar... [Alma] But I have prepared ointments for True Seeing, so I can cast it whenever needed. [Guillame] I will contact you and the others if I am attacked by a dragon ;) [Alma] I hope it doesn't come to that D: [Alma] .oO( And technically it's a wyrm. )