Wild Information

Log Info

• Title: Wild Information
• Emitter: Seldan
• Characters: Seldan, Cryosanthia, Merek, Aya
• Place: W02: The Wilderness
• Time: Friday, February 26, 2021, 8:04 PM
• Summary: Seldan calls his associates together to discuss what they have found out regarding Grauthis the Griever and his God's Hand Gauntlet, whom Cryosanthia insists on calling Giggles the Gnoll with his Glorious Glaive and her Hideously Hilariou Hyena Hordes. Merek arrives with a Gauntlet of his own, the annoucement that he is now known as the Scorpion King, and tidings of the great weather and monsters in Merkabah at this time of year. He follows up with a very jumbled explanation of some conspiracy amongst the Alexandrian nobility, which involved false testimony and kidnapping. Seldan seems appraised of the situation, while Cryo and Aya aren't. Seldan explains he will make discrete enquiries in Charn. Aya provides what information she has found so far, the criminal underground in Charn is being rolled up, and assures that she will be careful and follow up with her kin. Cryo reveals that a lot of performance contracts were cancelled, and the place seems tense. She provides Mikilos' discoveries, which are the possible origin of Grauthis' name, and how the wizards are being very close lipped. Lily is present to hear everything, but is preoccupied with the fire, her harmonica and the venison jerky that she has to wait for permission to eat. Eventually this comes.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* W02: The Wilderness *>-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The path from the village eventually narrows somewhat, with the trees on either side becoming more populous. Moss hangs from large stones that sit surrounded by beds of leaves that has accumulated over the years.

A few trails wander in varied directions though eventually even these woods will thicken. One particular trail carries with it the scent of natural brimstone...this trail wanders north and westward, where the trees grow thick once more. To the east, it's rumored that the druids have built a sacred site.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Seldan       5'11"    187 Lb     Human             Male      Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Merek        5'10"    215 Lb     Human             Male      A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Aya          4'7"     105 Lb     Shadow Elf        Female    Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

The sky is grey-black, moonless and starless. Human eyes can distinguish the snow from everything else, and not much more: every shape that isn't snow-covered is a black shadow. The air is damp and cold. There is little wind.

Out in the middle of the wilderness south of Mictlan and north of Wilderness Point was where Seldan had said to look for him in this particular endeavor. A cold and nasty endeavor, to be sure, and this time of year is no time for extensive travel. Still, his footprints are readily enough findable, and the opaque sphere of golden-silver-white light gives away his location from some distance off. He makes no particular effort to hide it, and those versed in magic will recognize the spell as a _tiny hut_ - a spell in which the sphere of light may be freely crossed by any but the caster, but it is likely to be warm inside.

This close to Mictlan, it's isn't unusual to see Sith'Makar. An adult and a youngling riding up on a Swiftclaw. All three lizards have a similar scale colour of emerald green with black stripes, which stands out against the wintery backdrop. The two dismount and tie the largest off to a nearby tree, then slip inside the golden-silver barrier. The larger of the pair of Sith leading the smaller by the hand. They are watchful in different ways, looking about, one with caution, the other wit fascination. Upon entry, greetings are given, "Peace on your Nest."

And, "Peasss."

Despite her preference for urban environments, Aya can, and occassionally does, venture out into the wilderness without becoming a meal for a random predator. She does not generally do so, and not in the direction of Mictlan, but current events are somewhat of a worthy exception. It is not every night that the reported remnants of slain gods lie about as prizes in a scavenger hunt.

Thus she arrives, giving the (tied? please be tied) Swiftclaw a rather wide berth before entering the shimmering sphere. Seldan and Cryosanthia receive a nod in greeting, while the carnation-scale gets a motion of hand that greatly resembles pinching claws. "Good evening."

Merek walks along the path of the world to make a way to the tiny hut, his gaze sweeping along it from the hood which he wears. The beltcape about the waist, while he takes a moment to adjust that gauntlet which he wears. There's a bit of that tech from Merkabah which the man looks to keep with him, and he take a moment to place a cigarette in his mouth.

It is indeed warm within the hut, a crackling fire built within. It is also dry, suggesting that its occupant has been here for some time, and comfortable, with venison jerky drying on racks to one side of the sphere. This location has clearly been a campsite before, and in warmer days it seems to be a good one, with logs pulled around a hollowed-out fire pit. Seldan is sitting at that fire, a bedroll spread out nearby, deadwood from a tree brought down by the last snowfall piled nearby both to dry and to feed it, but when others enter, he looks up. "Peace upon your nest, Cryosanthia," he greets politely.

He has doffed his armor, and is down to shirt and trousers, another shirt with a rather nasty and bloodied rent in it across his lap. "And good evening. Please, sit."

"Ay-ay!" The carnation scale says, making a small claw-pinching motion towards Aya as Cryo removes her mask. The whitescale does the same, and both of them go into her haversack. She's in her armour, Lily is in a pink parka. The little one immediately heads for the jerky.

"Peace on your nests, Aya, Merek." Cryosanthia says. Her attention lingers on Merek. That gauntlet seems new, and oddly timely. She grimaces, looking about, "Mikilos sends his regrets. He is currently relaxing at the pleasure of the King."

"This one can share all he, and she, found out about Giggles the Gnoll and his Glorious Glaive, and her Hideously Hilarious Hyena Hordes." She slips onto one of the logs, arranging her tail behind her. A quiet hiss towards her foundling, "Little Fang, sit beside. Food later.." <draconic>

"I am back from collecting Shards, you know. Things like that," Merek mentions, "Merkabah is wonderful this time of Year," he offers then. Seldan would know, the other two might not, while he takes a moment to find a place to settle in. "I will see about what I can do for Mikilos. As you all know, I'm wanted by everyone. So after this, I must away to my work again. In some places, they're calling me a Sorcerer-King." The man chuckles a little bit, then he smiles to Cryosanthia and Lily, "It's good to see both of you." Then to Aya, "And you." And to Seldan, "And to you as well, Seldan."

Aya avoids getting between Lily and the meat, for her own safety. She finds a place to sit and does as she is asked, adding a "Good evening," to Merek, as she does so. Her attention then shifts between Seldan, as the organizer, and Cryosanthia, who is first to volunteer information.

Clearly, Seldan had not heard of this, his eyebrows lift and he looks between the others. "Wanted?" he blurts out in surprise. "Why? And Mikilos? Pray tell, I have heard naught of what befell. He looks over towards the little one briefly, and a small smile comes to him as he realizes what the little one is after. "Later shall I share, little one. For now, I would hear this news."

"Oh. Sorcerer-King." Cryosanthia says, looking at Merek's guantlet again. Her tail curls up, looping around Lily and pulling her close against her hip. Lily looks up as Cryo tucks her arm against her. "Yes. Good to see everyone."

Because the next best thing to being wanted is hanging out with wanted people.

"Mikilos is being held for crimes he admits to doing, which were endangering the public at an execution. He said he expects it to be cleared up soon, and the guards have been very nice. They know where he lives, after all. He's in the cell beside Sandy's." Cryo explains.

She tilts her head, grinning a demure smile, "He indulged every wizard's desire, to cast Fireball in public. There was a riot going on, he was attempting to stop it, or help it. This one wasn't present, found out from his cousin, went to see him in jail."

"We were right about everything. Norrington set it all up, the entire thing. Ella, her kid was taken away, and she was forced to do everything and even testify. We went in to save Delilah, Norrington went crazy, a guard which was assisting us was shot by one of Norrington's men. I managed to save him. He wants all of us killed, taken in to question as well," Merek notes. The man looks to Cryosanthia and lifts up a brow at the way she seems, then nods. "Don't worry, no one knows I'm about, and after all of this, I will be away again. We need to find Ella's kid, we need to find presentable evidence on Norrington. Anyway. I didn't learn a lot about the whole thing with the war, been busy."

Aya looks to Merek for a time at mention of the wanting and explanation. "I doubt the Watch is aware of your presence here, and if they were, my proximity to you would not diminish their opinions of me." Her attention pans about. "What of the other matter at hand. The one which we should make efforts not to name?"

"I see." The pieces begin to fall into place for Seldan, and he frowns deeply, his eyes lowering. "I will locate Ella and her child, for I have a means by which that may be done. Leave that to me. I do not condone lawbreaking, but nor do I condone the targeting of an innocent woman. Now that I have returned, it may be well if I am seen turning my attention to other matters." A firm, brief nod to Aya is somewhat cryptic.

"Naught was I able to learn directly, but this much is clear to me in my search - Charn has more coin than it claims. It claims starvation and difficulty feeding its people, and yet does it spend large sums with the merchants of the Veyshanti, likely for a war effort. It is in my mind that, do we follow the coin where it leads, we shall find this Grauthis."

Cryo stares at Merek as he provides an explanation which includes a lot of names and circumstances she hasn't heard of before. Seldan seems to understand it all, so, perhaps it's taken care of. Mikilos hopefully will put the pieces together for her. So, that's later, back to the matter at hand.

"Are we not supposed to use his name?" She asks, then continues. "I spoke with performers who have recently been to Charn. There's a lot of drama going on. Usually they perform plays relating to their Festival of Life and Death, obscure, arcane things. The mood is ... anxious. A certain energy. Contracts that were supposed to happen, weren't signed. Abyss'a is in a heigtened state of security."

She shrugs, "Like everyone is waiting for something."

Lily squirms a little, taking a harmonica out of Cryo's haversack and blowing a short 'peeep' on it.

"No one that was on the other side was wounded, only the guard which sided with us, so we did our best, you did what you could as well," Merek notes. Even if he does break that law, he does have standards, seems that he's changed a lot. The man listens to the conversation, My family was from Veyshan. I can assist in talking to Merchants there, I wonder if while we do all of this, we can also try working with the people to feed folk. It might be we can gain allies that way, and I don't like the idea of letting the people there not eat well."

"Given the notion of crazed nobility," Aya admits, "it seems that the matter of Norrington is not entirely a separate topic. Has anyone considered the high frequency with which the unstable encounter preventable accidents?" She leaves that hanging as she shifts back to Charn.

"Gold is not the only avenue being taken to power. A certain someone appears to be ... cleansing the underbelly of Charn, as well. Or, more likely, taking control of it. The only word from the shadows to the east is that entire cohorts go missing. They remain silent, or are replaced. Not entirely uncommon over time, but these frequent replacements appear to have their own, hidden, agendas, rather than the rackets they replaced."

Seldan hesitates at Merek's suggestion. "I would help where I can, without bringing attention to my presence or my activities. If I am discovered, he will learn much more, and many more will suffer. My silence and my caution may spare many lives, and stop a war. I mislike it, but ... I must see to this first, and then may I see to the feeding of the hungry."

He falls silent, listening to Aya's words. "He silences all who might oppose him. More important still, then, that my existence remain unknown. What think you, then? Will a trail of gold lead us to our quarry?"

"That's... good, that no one died. Or had accidents, I guess." Cryo says, sounding first confused, then bewildered. "They are staving in Veyshan and Giggles is behind that too?"

Best to deliver the other puzzle piece before the picture grows larger again, "Mikilos told me his wizard friends weren't helpful, offering distracting information, switching topics, to the point of almost saying 'don't ask'. He may have tipped Giggles off already, depending on the power of his haa.. Glaive."

"The other thing Mikilos researched, there's no public profile before this. No records of Giggles, no mentions in negotiations, no reports where she's taking her Hyena Hordes. Nothing."

Cryo sits up, releasing Lily so she can wave her hands around, "the name means 'Promise' in an obscure dialect belonging to the tribesmen who were there before the exiles of the Millennial Empire's fall settled in Charn. I don't know if that's relevant somehow. And concerning the Gold, Charn is behaving like a power with a lot of it to burn. Could they have found a Dragon horde? Could the Glaive have led them to one?"

Merek looks about the place, and nods a bit to everyone, while he takes a moment to think about it, "You have a point," he notes then to the man when he speaksing, nodding to Seldan. The man takes a flask from the hip which he begins sipping from, then sighing. "Alright, I will probably be best in Veyshan personally."

Aya's lips purse at the question, both in concern and thought. After a moment of the latter, she responds, "Could it? Certainly. Following that trail to the end while remaining intact would be the difficulty, I expect. If even those who specialize in brokering information have been silenced or subverted, the odds increase exponentially that the next question one asks will be their last."

There is a long moment of pause before Aya adds, "Given the ties to the noble courts, I have made a few further inquiries. While the connections are ...tenuous, at best, I know of a family that long served the various ruling powers of Charn. Whether it still does remains to be learned."

To Cryo, she offers, "Anything is possible, though a unification of noble houses would provide vast amounts for a single cause... though that prospect could be more dangerous than all of the wealth in all hordes of dragonkind everywhere."

"The key to doing so lies in doing so without lies or subterfuge, for the God's Hand sees through all lies. In this, as in many things, will the truth serve us." Seldan listens thoughtfully to all that has been said, nodding after a moment to Merek. "I would have you be cautious in your questioning, passively listening rather than active questioning. It is in my mind that following the flow of coin and goods will lead us to him."

Aya gets a serious, calm gaze as well. "If they may safely speak only."

Cryosanthia picks up a stick and pokes it in the coals. Lily plays a few more notes on her harmonica, no particular tune. The whitescale says, "I can't think of any more questions, direct or indirect. I thought I'd ask about the plays that were cancelled, or weren't cancelled, in case there is a clue there."

Her head turns slightly towards Seldan, "Or that maybe Akoniril was being really indirect, and there's something useful in the Crimson Pen, but she didn't want to say so."

Next, she looks at Aya, lowering her nose, "You'll be ok, right, following that lead?"

Merek seems to think about it all, "I will see about what I am able to come up with," he notes to people, then he places the flask back on the hip. "I will probably take a while to check in on things back in Veyshan."

Aya rolls one shoulder, the ripple continuing to her hand, which makes a casual, nonchalant gesture. "They will only share what they choose. They may choose to share nothing, a great deal, or their response could be quilled in exploding runes, or hand-delivered with a dagger. They are Charneth mul'niessa, thus the possibilities are boundless."

She glances to Merek to nod. "For the moment, it seems that prudence and patience are best practices. As for lies and truth..." she looks back to all, one corner of her mouth uplifting. "My experiences in Charn were always a combination of both. Those most skilled in one always included a morsel of the other. This ...glaive... may infuriate some, but it may not prevent -all- conversation in Abyss'a."

Sparks fly as Seldan picks up a stick and pokes the fire with it, bringing it back to a crackling glow that floods the area around it with warmth. "I would have you be cautious indeed, that you come to the notice of none. Do we come to the notice of the wrong ones, we are undone," he warns. "Merek, perhaps it is indeed best for you to spend some time in Veyshan, although I would have you heed my warning as well."

Cryosanthia's remark, though, gets lowered eyes and a deep flush, and it takes him a minute before he is capable of speech. "Er ... know you whether the Crimson Pen is known in Charn?"

Lily squirms away from Cryo and off the log. She pads over to Aya and places her hands on the Mul'niessa's thigh. She stares up at her, with another unreadable lizard expression, and hisses. "Sssafe."

Cryo is also watching her friend, nods, "Please, the both of you. All of you, be careful."

Turning to face Seldan, she smiles wanely, "Perhaps. It's more that the stories are semi-biographical, written by people who know the adventurers. Akoniril was familiar, it's not impossible she secretly penned something for the pages, or she stumbled across something that struck a chord last time she was in Alexandria. Adventurers get around, stories move..."

"It's a long shot, she may just have spoke of it to embarass you and I." The whitescale looks at Aya, "but it would fit Charnese conversation, wouldn't it? Not a lie, not the truth, not even really pointing out something but leaving another to figure it out."

Merek nods a bit to Seldan, "I'll probably give it a little, then I'll look into it, and do it in circles that I trust. I will keep in mind," he notes. The man thinks about it, while he takes the gauntlet to place it into a pack, "I will probably be safe, don't worry. Any time spent away of Alexandria will be best. Merchants are known to be highest bidder folk, so I'll do what I can to make sure it doesn't get back to anyone."

Aya's other mouth-corner lifts so she gives Lily a full smile. "Safety is always my highest priority." to Cryosanthia, she nods. "Precisely. A mix of all things."

"Very well. You have my thanks for the assistance," Seldan nods, gaze drifting from face to face. "Might I offer anyone venison?" With that, the talk turns to lighter topics.

"Yaaasss." Lily cries. That offer is all it takes for the little Kobold to forget her concern for Aya. She bounds over, tail bouncing, holding out her tiny hands towards Seldan. She looks towards Cryo.

"You may," her Sith'mom nods, adding, "Say 'Thank you Silverguard Seldan."

Lily stares at the monumental request, and does her best, "Thannssss Sssisssgussss Ssselanss." The venison jerky is taken.

Cryo nods happily, leaning towards the Silverguard, "This one will have some as well." She holds out her hand as well, and crosses her ankles.

And the conversation becomes lighter, and focused on food, until they all go their separate ways.