Date: Wednesday, 16th of September, 2020
Attending Players: Ashara,
Embra,
Ish'Mael,
Victalyassa
Time 3.5 Hours (Total: 103.25 Hours)
Game Time 14th of Sowmeadow, 12:00 PM
To
14th of Sowmeadow, 12:30 PM
Game Locations:
Watcher's Quarter of Orvadah
"Morivo, we've got two prisoners, potentially High Crown agents, but right now we're holding them for terror and murder charges."
Lifting his sleepy eyes from the inventory he was checking off, Morivo looked at the captain that was reaching over the desk for a prison seal. The young captain continued after a pause he took as compliance.
"It's a tiefling woman, a bit rowdy, and a half-elf man who surrendered. We are separating them for now. I'll go down to the courthall with the writ they have. The man claims their killing cultist, said they came from some other plane to the warehouse they were terrorizing. Let the others know to keep the separate for now. We are still looking for two more women; a marleek and another humanoid, possibly elven. We didn't see their faces, but they appeared beaten down, spread the word."
The captain stamped his letter he hastily wrote as he was speaking, then turned and left. Morivo waited, watching with curiosity as the two prisoners were walked to the back. When the guards came back, having dropped off their catch, he waited a bit longer, making sure that they didn't double back for anything.
Getting up, he went to bunks, he found his relief sitting, chewing on stale bread as he tried his best to perform the needlework necessary for his ripped tunic.
"Dresdo, any...gods...any chance you could cover shift for me?" Morivo bent over, his face scrunched. A small flick of his wrist behind himself and the muttering of words brought the apparent look of flushing and perspiration across his face. "I had Krasov's soup...it...god."
Running to the bathroom, and sitting on it appropriately, he left the door cracked but not opened. Another flick of his wrist and hushed muttering and the sound of his bowels emptying echoed out, despite no push from him.
Appearing at the door, Dresdo gave a quiet sigh. "Aye, I'll watch it. Go take a few hours, run by Granny Sorvin's and getcha a tonic. And by Yurona, keep that door closed when crackin' tha dam like that!"
With the door closing and the footsteps echoing out, Morivo pulled a small parchment from his boot. He read the script off, and in a small puff of smoke and ash, the scroll dissolved, leaving a small imp in it's place.
"Tell Her that there may be agent's of the High Crown after cultist in town. Their under contract and the paper is at the courts now."
With a huff, the imp dove down in the seat next to Morivo, taking the sewers to Her.
The agents of the crown would soon be speaking to the true mother or Orvadah.
Ishmael is brought to a wagon just outside the warehouse, being loaded in as gently as city guards could believing him to possibly be an important person. He can tell it is noon time in the rainy industrial area, bordering some type of harbor, but he only gets a few seconds to observe the surrounding before being thrown into the box. Orvadah is a sin-city. Drugs and modifications are important here, golem arms and other prosthetics are common. If it's illegal, it's probably happening in Orvadah. A few seconds was all Ish Ma'el needed to be reminded of the city stench.
Ashara is lifted to her feet, hearing some guards by her side say, "there's two more getting away, fire the nets!" Ashara forces herself out of the two guards that were holding her by the arms, squirming away and moving to the one guard that was shooting his crossbow, kicking his knee out from behind him and missing his shot, thumping it up into the wood of the warehouse above. She is quickly placed back into the arms of the guards and is carried up the stairs to the wagon and quite literally thrown in. The door is shut and locked quickly, hearing the guards say they'll "get the rest of them later."
Ashara looks up to see Ish Ma'el sat up in the back of the wagon, a smirk on his face as he sees her wriggling for control. She smirks in welcome relief that Ish Ma'el isn't dead but then corrects her face to reflect her normal disdain. "I thought you were dead?"
"Why would I be dead? I presented these guards of the High Kingdom our writ from the King. This will all blow over soon." says Ish Ma'el reassuringly.
"Well it was mindless of you to leave Vic and Embra..."
"Why did you guys try to escape in the boat with that cloaked fellow? It seemed you know her don't you, who is she?"
"I do know her, she told us to meet her at the 'Ruby Barge, the 3rd Door in the Back' so I imagine we will meet up with Vic and Embra there."
"I'm somewhat familiar with the place, but who is the cloaked girl?"
Ashara says nothing and corrects herself into the seat across from Ish Ma'el.
"Fine, keep your secrets," says Ish Ma'el with a smirk. Ashara smirks back.
In the boat slowly leaving the harbor, Victalyassa and Embra paddling hard as crossbow bolts fly by. "I'm sorry Vic, I'm exhausted"
"I can power through this," says Vic taking a swig of her Rum and passing it to Embra. Embra takes a swig and is perked up enough to help Vic as she can. A bolt flies toward the boat, but Vic's quick reaction causes her to catch the bolt before it hits Embra in front of her, and she throws it down into the water. They make it out of the range of the bolts and search around for a way out, finding a nearby canal for them to get out of the open harbor. The guards, now far behind point and run in their direction, but Vic and Embra make it to the small alcove down the canal without seeing any guards.
As they are moving down, they can hear guards through the streets around, but none so nearby that they are at any risk of being found. They find themselves in a back area of the city with what seem to be residential houses having clothing lines going across. Vic jumps out of the boat after "docking" it near a platform, grabbing a rope from her bag quickly to hoist Embra out of the boat. They then grab a nearby clothing line to make a quick disguise. Embra grabbing suitable clothes, but Vic grabbing the clothing line, snapping it off on accident, sending the rest of the clothes down into the water.
Victalyassa can hear in the distance, the guards coming closer by the minute, she decides to try to use the alleyways to hide properly. The buildings here are set up like a maze around the canal, with small wooden boards going across. The buildings were all two stories high with dark stone, almost enough for Vic to climb, if she knew how. Vic gets the idea to throw her rum bottle in an alley in the opposite direction, the bottle ricochets off a back wall and it bounces back over her head and crashing right in front of them, causing the footsteps of the guards to speed up toward their direction.
Embra notes the bottle smashing, spots and open window and directs Vic toward it. They jump on a nearby wall, grabbing a nearby clothing line and swinging into a nearby open window. As they look up, they find that they are in a room filled with "women of the night" as they are so-called in Orvadah. "Oh darlings, you look dreadful." says one of the women.
Embra and Vic glimpse at each other, then quickly put clothes on from the nearby area and pat makeup on their skin and fur, for Vic. A guard bursts into the room, "Where did they go!?" he yells.
"Oh, I don't know who you are talking about sweet thing, but I can show you something else." says Embra seductively.
"No!" he yells, "they're not here," he says as he's heading down the hall in a hurry.
"What did you women do to get in trouble with the guards?" says the woman from earlier, still in the room sitting and placing powder on her face.
"Oh, nothing you never did before I'm sure," says Vic. The ladies all chuckle and Vic and Embra move to leave the room.
"That's a good look for you," says Embra coyly.
"I'd have to shower more I imagine, so this outfit is not staying," replies Vic. "I figure Ashara and Ish Ma'el will meet us at the location given to us earlier. I also figure we'll find out about a school or something being burnt down by a Tiefling woman."
"We could go down to the jailhouse, we have no reason to have the guards on our back."
"Yeah they only saw our back, and we swindled them here quickly. Let's rest here and then go find the other two." replies Victalyassa, sitting at a bar in the main building, not yet opened to visitors at this early hour. "Let's rest here for a bit first."
The Jail Cells
The guards pull Ish Ma'el and Ashara out of the wagon, albeit nicer than how Ashara was put in. "Let's keep these two separated until we can find out what is going on here." The two of them follow the guards, having little choice with swords poking their back. "You two don't look like Royalty to me," says one of the guards.
"That's because we aren't, but we are employed by the High King," replies Ish Ma'el. "This will all get sorted soon."
"Well you're not the first one to claim friends in high places. Take the lady there to the nice one." They move Ashara into the cell nearby, and she neither resists nor speaks.
"You'll have to be with the common riff-raff," he says to Ish Ma'el, removing his manacles, "she's a lady and I gotta keep you two separate."
"All the way to the back of this right cell here." He places Ish Ma'el in his own cell and leaves. While there are a couple other people in the cell block, but Ish Ma'el at least got his own small cell. Ashara's is much larger having only two large cells in her block with a sofa, bed, toilet, and cleaning trough meant for nobility. Ish Ma'el has a bench and a bucket.
Across from Ashara, another man, possibly of noble sort but sleeping in his nice bed, occupies the other cell across. Ashara looks to her side as she sits on the sofa and sees the guardian, which has been speaking with her internally, though now materializing into a form. This form resembled Ashara as an Aasimar, but not Fallen, there were no horns, her skin was white with blue runes trickling across her body to match the color of her eyes. There was no red skin or fire burning across her body.
"Do you know why I'm here?" it says.
"I figured it was to inevitably kill me like everyone else tries, it won't work you know?"
"I know, I'm not here to kill you. You have enough people trying to do that." She smirks. "No, instead I am here to help you. I want to help you balance yourself, since you are very far from it. You'll have to make a choice soon."
Ashara sits quietly, reflecting. "I don't mean now Ashara."
"Good, I don't think you would like my choice."
"It seems you would be surprised then. Above all, I am here to help you, show you what you could be, but ultimately help you achieve what you really want. It seems you want Gavathrak's power, you know what happens to his other followers right?"
"That fate won't happen to me."
"Many believe that... and perhaps you are different. If you want the power of Gavathrak, perhaps to take it for yourself, I will be by your side and help you achieve that."
Ashara sits quietly again. "You don't have to make that choice either right now," continues her Guardian, "but know that I will be here for you whatever you decide. Think about it.
Ashara swipes the guardian away and the snore of the man in the cell ends.
Ish Ma'El's Dreams
Ish Ma'el sits down on the bench in his small cell and places his hat crooked on his head to cover his eyes. "Plan seems to be working perfectly," he says, as he closes his eyes and takes a rest.
He awakes later to the light from his nearby window pouring in on his hat. The bars of his cell are completely gone and a sweet smell in the air. The door he had entered into this block opens; he leans his head out of the cell to look. He settles the hat back on his head, and he walks through the door.
As he steps out into the hallway, the next door opens and down it, he can see that down the hall he had entered with Ashara and the guards a red curtain with smoke billowing from around it. Another door nearby the curtain opens, the area where Ashara was; he walks toward it and can see that the cell looks nothing like Ashara's. The room instead looks like a bathhouse room and a beautiful woman is sitting in luxury on a golden throne. Unable to focus on anything but her beauty, knowing her to be the embodied god Bom, he takes off his hat and bows, "what can I do for you, your most beautiful-ness?"
"Always the charmer, wish I could say the same about you." She snaps her finger and a goblinoid figure walks over out of thin air. She pulls a knife out and slits his throat, placing a chalice on his neck and letting the blood spill in. "Would you like one Ish Ma'el?"
"How could I deny." A goblet appears in his hand, and he sips the blood. Though it looks like blood, it is a very smooth and nicely sweet brandy that gives a slight burn as it goes into his stomach.
"I need you to meet Captain Vak," she says. Ish Ma'els hand tightens around the goblet. "And meet him sooner than later to kill him. I have asked you once before already, and I am not the most patient of goddesses."
"I want nothing more than my hands around that bastards' throat. Words fail me how much I want that man dead!"
"You will have your chance soon if you seek him out. If you kill him with a flourish and soon, I can be..." she leans onto the table, "very good to those who serve me well."
"As soon as I can make my path cross his, he will be dead." He finds himself quickly pressed against the door, Bom's hands around his neck. Her hair flowing violently around her, and fire in her eyes. "I will not be patient any longer Ish Ma'el I will make you suffer more than Gavathrak could, more than anyone could! Deliver me the theatrics I want or I will make your suffering endless."
A moment later, they are back in their seats at the table. "I know you are following the Deus's, particularly the Deus of Change. He has a brother called the Deus of Blood and Ecstacy and I want you to find him and introduce me. I want you to present a gift to him from me. Will you do that?"
"Who am I to deny you."
"Perfect. I know you are in the company of the Aasimar that is in the employ of my brother. You will follow her on her task and bring her to the statue she seeks:'The final fight'. In the base of the statue there is hidden in it a pair of bracers called the 'Lover's Embrace.' Take it to a brothel called the Viper House and look for someone called 'The Geomancer,' he will know what to do next. Do this for me and I will help you in your fight against the Captain.
Also relay two messages: 1. Tell Embra my sister is following her, it is not important to you or her who. 2. Tell Ashara that Nur knows Gavathrak has the hammers and knows what he's building with it. Do you understand?"
Ish Ma'el rereads all the directions back and Bom sighs. "Good. It seems someone wants you back." She purses her lips and blows and Ish Ma'el is rushed back to his bench, awaking with everything back to normal. An older Marleek man is standing over Ish Ma'el, "I am the Sudgea in charge of your case. Am I to understand you are in the employ of the High King of Valtaska?"
"I am, did they show you the seal of the king?"
"I did. We will verify the blood signatures and be able to release you, but I will have to go to the castle to do so. You will probably be here until the morning."
"On what basis am I being held on charges?"
"My understanding is murder, arson, and some other minor crimes. If this writ proves to not be authentic, you will probably be hung. Not to scare you of course."
"I understand. In my possessions, which were taken, there was a vocal orb. I would like to use it to make my phone call."
"Well who is on the other side?"
"My employer Drosko, leader of my guild, who is working with General Threeve for our job: the High General."
"Oh I know who he is, but Orvadah's policy is 'Guilty until proven innocent' and I will be meeting with your friend in the other cell to tell her the same." The marleek man walks out of his cell and Ish Ma'el hopes that Ashara won't do what Ashara does.
The Reunion
Embra and Victalyassa enjoy their small break in the brothel and discuss their options for getting into the jailhouse. "Perhaps we should keep these gorgeous outfits, it may help us," says Vic.
"Well I don't think I look appropriate," replies Embra.
"Well you do look like a prostitute, that's true."
Embra looks out the window at the nearby clothes line and finds that there is only common clothes, nothing more sophisticated than what she is wearing now. "Well it seems I'll be putting my armor back on then."
Embra steps into the area of the brothel with a fireplace and gets changed. Vic does the same, but keeps some prop gear necklaces that she fancied well enough. "We should go down and act like rich-types trying to bail out the random sorts," says Vic.
"I don't think that's what they do," replies Embra.
"Let's find out where we are first, and ask the ladies here in the dressing room." They both head back up to the room they broke into earlier and address the women there.
"You two look like a pair of beautiful butterflies." says the woman from earlier.
"Thank you," says Vic, "where would someone take people who are arrested around here?"
"People are typically taken to the local jail of the area, a couple blocks away down the main street." she gives a few hand gestures. "Trust me, I've been in the tank a couple of times myself. I feel like I have to justify my knowledge here somehow," says the woman.
"Well that isn't that far away, here's a mark for your trouble." Vic gives the woman a mark and exchanges pleasantries. Embra and Victalyassa leave the building, finding themselves in a lower class district with dark architecture. The area is very dense, but the main streets are easy enough to navigate that they make it to the jailhouse. While they are still a distance away, they decide on their act together before walking into the jail.
The door to the jail opens up and Victalyassa begins to cry for the fate of her son, Ish Ma'el. A man in the front desk asks, "how can I help you?"
"My brother, we believe may be here," says Embra.
"He's a troubled child, I've done my best to try and raise him right!" sobs Victalyassa.
"What is his name?" asks the guard.
"His name is Ish Ma'el, please bring me to him!" sobs Vic. "Please let me know what he is here for?"
"You don't want to know mother," says Embra. "He fell in with a woman who is very manipulative, she means well."
"Well I'll take you straight to him, who am I to keep a mother from her child." He walks to another guard and tells the situation. They open the cell block, and he lets them in, "Have some time" he says closing the door.
"Okay what the fuck Ish Ma'el?" says Vic clearly and to the point.
"Yeah, look what you did to your mother." says Embra. They all laugh.
"Well we found cult activity in another city, whether the guards are corrupt or not is part of our mission," says Ish Ma'el.
"There's cultist activity in a different realm, let alone this city Ish" retorts Embra.
"Then we need to step this job up. And before I forget, Embra: Bom told me to tell you that her sister is following you, but I don't know who." says Ish Ma'el.
"Well you know I'm not religious," she says, "what does that mean?"
"Well I would consult a priest I guess, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe get your affairs in order..."
"Ish Ma'el shut up," says Vic, noting that Embra is clearly upset.
"Well how can we get you out of here? Maybe we can take out the guards," says Vic.
"No, we just have to wait. Unless my life is in jeopardy, don't try to break me out. Just wait a day."
"Another day for the cultists to work out their plan. Maybe we can just steal his stuff," says Vic.
"Oh... just let me wait here, the due process will work itself out. I will exploit these rules, but I won't be held here long anyway." says Ish Ma'el.
Victalyassa loudly makes her exit, crying and grabbing onto the lapels of the guard that let them in. "Ish Ma'el took stuff from us when he left the home to pursue drugs and fast women."
"What kind of stuff?" says the guard.
"Well he took several high marks from our dear mother here and a vocal stone from our dear father, "adds Embra.
The guard looks at both of them, his face crinkling up, "I'm afraid it's against regulations to give away any of the prisoners stuff. You can handle it in the courts when he is released."
"Ugh... the people they hire here. Let us leave mother." says Embra as the two look to head out of the jail.
The Sudgea and Ashara
The Sudgea had arrived in Ashara's cell block to speak with her. He announced that he is working on her case. Ashara begins to dig her thumb into her calf to make some blood come down. The Sudgea notices and asks if she has any need for assistance since it,"seems you are on edge," he says.
Ashara gets up from her sofa and says, she is "very much in need of assistance that only a man like you can provide." She walks over seductively to her jail cell bars, the only thing separating them, and leans in. She reaches her hand out to grab his hip and says, "I need you to HELP me, I am injured and need a big man to help."
The Sudgea is not fully swayed by her sexual advances, as she leans into the bar to expose the top of her breasts. She leans even farther into the play and takes her clothes off, getting into the cleaning trough by her. Can you at least get me some water, I'm so dirty!"
The marleek man begins to sweat through his fur and leaves immediately to go fetch her some water. As he opens the door to the cell block, he passes by Embra and Vic as they were leaving. He excuses himself and continues. Vic and Embra look inside to see Ashara, nude, edging over the cleaning trough and waving with a smile on her face. Vic smirks, rolling her eyes, and closing the door on Ashara.
Ashara's smile turns to a grimace, "I'll remember that ladies." she says to herself. The drunken man across the cell block is looking jubily at her naked body. Ashara gets up from her cell and seductively walks back to the bars. "Oh hello there, have I got a job for you."
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