View source for 1684/Search for Sovereign 2: Hunting a Wizard

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/02/28
|Location=Terra Majora
|Synopsis=The next (and final) leg in the hunt for Sovereign.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=2, 40, 92, 168, 253, 626
|Tinyplot=New Blood
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Blooded keep records of who fought in large battles, most often. It is a matter of lineage and bragging rights. So with a quick visit to Lastfall or somewhere, it's a pretty simple task to look up the prominent families present at the battle, and to find out which ones SURVIVED and passed on their blood.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So it is pretty simple to find the sorcerer's family. That battle gave them some prominence, but they are by now a fairly minor noble family. Not really /disgraced/ so much as fallen by the wayside, they have a smallish manor overlooking a rustic little town in the rural areas of the Windward Empire. Airships rarely visit, leaving carriage or horseback as the most inconspicuous way of finding a way into town.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By Carriage, do you mean... full-sized van? Because I feel like you meant full-sized Van. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Also that's what's cruising through town. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber is sitting in the driver's seat of a full-sized van. People in the front, room for gear in the back. The half-angel is also nodding his head along to an iPod plugged into the tape deck that is currently running through a playlist of 1970s Rock and Roll. You can debate amongst yourselves who got shotgun. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So. Hopefully the Merrihearts..." He pauses for a long moment, surpressing a reflex to judge by name, "... will be helpful. And might have some records or antiques. Maybe a family crypt. That would be the most ideal for u- Oh shut up, I love this part." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's about a 40 second pause for a guitar solo in a song. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"-s, since if this doesn't pan our, our leads will look pretty slim. Let's try to be polite at first and, if we need to negotiate, let Nathan beat them up with his words." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His goal is pretty much just to drive up to the front door of the manor unless stopped.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Eleanor Lamb (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eleanor Lamb... came prepared. You don't roll up in a van like this without being at least a little tooled up. Thus th wrench and the pistol under that leather jacket. She does puff up a bit though, and calls out. "Is there a scale on 'the nicer the name the worse they are'? I mean, Merriheart, i am expectign them to open the door with death magic blazing."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:168|Nathan Hall (168)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nathan, who as always has the 'shotgun' position, stares at Psyber for the duration of the guitar solo with a completely dry, emotionless expression. And then follows up. "Yes, we should try to use a minimum of force, both diplomatically and martially. I would appreciate the opportunity to gain their cooperation with a minimum of trouble. Word does not travel fast in this land, but those with agendas can speed bad news very effectively."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He turns back to stare at Eleanor a bit. "I am not sure what you mean." He says, frankly. "But as their political relevance has waned, I doubt they are particularly on guard against traveling diplomats and treasure-seekers. Be cautious regardless, they are still Blooded."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura is in Psyber's shadow as usual, and has preemptively finished her homework for the weekend. Just this time she gets a free weekend. And immediatly starts using it to handle heroics.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sigh. It's like an addiction.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That hasn't stopped her from having her nose in a book the entire trip here, but will put it away as soon as the van stops. Her hair's in a ponytail, she's got a nice formal white shirt and black pants.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What do you expect they'll know and share, anyway?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyra is so aboard the party van. She sits in the back on the far left side up against the window, a big fat Moogle-shaped backpack in her lap. The last time she was here she found herself wishing she had more explosives and although this was meant to involve questioning a family about their former wizard patreon, Kyra's not taking any chances. Her own experiences with this world very scant compared to the others, she cannot truly appreciate how ominous a family name such as 'Merriheart' is in these parts. In the meantime, on the way over she seems to be engaged in...texting someone it looks like?<br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Erm, quiiiick question." Kyra holds up a hand, waggling her fingers, finally disengaging from her phone, "What is the meaning of 'Blooded'?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's isolated enough that the van gets some very curious looks, but the fact that a Multiverse is out there is known to enough people that it's not really seen as a monstrous invasion. By now, most everyone knows of the other realms past their own... but few leave their own place. So there's no panic, just stares and the occasional shuffle to tug a friend over to see the weird vehicle with the screeching 'music' coming out of it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The van sure does roll right past the manor gates! Guards are inside, but it looks like the gates are open, and not guarded. The only guards are the two at the front door, and the approach has been seen far enough away that a man is there to 'greet' the group. He steps forward as the van stops, and clears his throat. "Apologies, but the manor is not open to visitors, not even offworlders."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The decor, by the way, consists of columns that are decorated with inlaid bone, with what appear to be human skulls embed upon the doors to the house. Purple and black are the dominant colors, and much of the mural that is faded on one side of the manor seems to have lots of swords and blood.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Blooded are supernaturally empowered individuals of varying levels of potency. They comprise most of the nobility of Terra Majora. Most are jerks, save a very limited few," Psyber comments to Kyra. To Homura, he answers quickly, "Antiques. War trophies. The location of a tomb." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When he rolls the car to a stop and looks out the window, Psyber tilts his head. He says to Eleanor, "It is a pattern, but not enough to establish a certainty." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To the man who comes up to tell them the place is closed, Psyber thinks for a long moment on how to approach it. While he grapples with this, Nathan will probably do something amazing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I somehow doubt they will just hand us that information," Homura answers, somewhat skeptical, especially at the sight of the motifs around the mansion. This does not look like a place where someone friendly lives. Maybe it's all the bones. Or blood motifs. But that's a big maybe. It could be anything!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Like Psyber, she will let Nathan say hello. If they continue denying them entry she'll probably just do what she usually does when told she can't go inside a building and take everything that isn't bolted down.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Aaaaah." Kyra drawls, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "So all the high-ranking people here have the cool powers leaving the regular folks kind of SOL, huh?" Not that she'd seen much 'regular folk' in this world yet. Mostly monsters and dead bodies. "That seems a little unfortunate." <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This commentary stops once they're in earshot of the locals. She squirms in her seat, trying to peer out the window to get a better look at the mural. "...hey." she says quietly, "He said we can't go inside but nothing about looking around outside, right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:168|Nathan Hall (168)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Little, and less." Nathan replies swiftly to Homura when she asks what he expects to be told and given, without missing a moment. Kyra also gets a quick response. "Blooded. Individuals possessing hereditary holy energies. A variety of physical enhancements, practical abilities, and sorcerous potentials are inherent to their heritage." And then they arrive!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is iffy. A cold negotiation means Nathan doesn't have any opportunity to gather data or get things rolling behind the scenes vis a vis this challenge. Well, he's dealt with worse. The General rolls down his window rather casually. "Salutations." He says in the usual monotone, and with the timing of someone who does this sort of thing regularly. Okay, cold negotiation strategy one: Take advantage of the fact that they don't know what to expect either. Nathan does his best to put the cadence of his voice into one of a high-ranking official doing one of dozens of rounds. "Merriheart Manor, home of what remains of the Merriheart line, correct? A lack of visitors will do that, yes." He pulls out some sort of record pad, looking the guards up and down, examining them, and the man here to greet them, and writing something down. Stragegy two of the cold negotiation: Do whatever you can to make your opposition self-aware of their traditional behavior, to make them open-minded to the idea of going against it. One way of doing that is to record what they're doing.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He looks at the mural and raises an eyebrow. "Hmm. I thought it involved much, much more mass land manipulation, and much, much less swordplay and blood." And then he peers at the skulls. "These specific trophies at least, are those available to examine? Hmmm, likely not. Well, we do not mind reporting the Merrihearts as empty-handed for this." Cold negotiation strategy three: Bait the opposition into tipping their hand. This is a matter of pride for the families. His commentary about "'what remains of the Merriheart line'", his mild awareness but mild 'inaccuracy' about the subject of the mural, and his apparent vague but easily dropped interest in the minor group are a combo designed to force the man to engage rather than discard the group, while Nathan's appearance of stoic, regular apathy is designed to be a deft means of averting any appearance of ignorance.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If his guess is right, the family is gradually declining while making a greater and greater show of their glory days through trophies, art, and similar displays. As such, by initially appearing to be an extremely vague opportunity to increase the glory of the family line, but one that will be easily lost by potential rejection, he'll hopefully get the family to engage more directly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Eleanor Lamb (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eleanor grumbles in the back of the van and looks over as Nathan attempts to Socially Engineer his way inside the facility.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A look over to Himei and Kyra, and she fidgets. She'd help but she doesn't have Nathan's expansive and didactic memory.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The man replies stiffly, "No, you may not examine those." He now frowns, looking disapproving. "The family is just fine, thank you, and I believe you should go immediately before you wear out your welcome. We do not-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"FREDERICK!" A young man calls out loudly. "Why didn't you tell me we had guests!" The youth, no older than 17 or 18, appears to be jumping out the second story window to land in the grass. He's dressed in dark clothing, with silver studs and a little skull motif going. Otherwise he looks pretty normal, handsome even.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Master Timothy, I do not believe-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The boy waves a hand, wandering over to the van. "Don't be ridiculous! They're just here to look around, right? I mean, what could a bunch of offworlders want here?" He grins, flicks his hair back. "HEY! Welcome to Merriheart Manor! Don't listen to Fred here, he's just pissy because the-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Master Timothy-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"-front door has been stuck for three weeks, and he doesn't like to admit it," the young man finishes. "Hi! Name is Tim Merriheart, Sorcerer in training! What brings you all here to our neck of the woods?" He pauses. "OH! Right! If you want to come in and hang out, we'll have to go in through the back door. That's fine, it's closer to the kitchen. We don't have a lot on hand right now but I think there's some bread and cheese and maybe a nice wine left..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ah. Thanks for your hospitality, Mister Merriheart," Psyber says, smiling at the boy. Psyber places his hands in his pockets and then shakes his head, "I don't need anything to eat." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ah, around the back door. I see, I see." Psyber says with a nod of his head, "Truth told, I'm hoping you can tell me about your ancestor at Glittering Fields. I've been tracking that war and it's a fascinating piece of history." Play into the ego.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Did your ancestor keep any, you know, souvenirs? Bring back any trophies?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All this noise over a stuck door?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura frowns, mostly from how suspicious and odd that all is. Not quite her place to question it, though. Instead, she'll focus on something else entirely: "The place looks... interesting. Aren't you even slightly concerned it looks fairly ominous?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While the man at the door is occupied, Kyra stealthily takes a picture of the mural so they can study it later, need be. She's not really sure how well the picture is going to turn out, given how faded the mural is. Some of the colors might be off but the thought doesn't cross Kyra's mind. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Leaning forward to listen to Nathan Hall execute some masterful social engineering hacking, the white mage finds herself startled when a teenager leaps out of the second story window to land nearby them. Kyra leans forward, peering out the window at him for a second before scrambling to get out of the van, sliding her backpack over her shoulders as she moves. As she hops out, her boots jingle with her movement and continue to do so as she walks around Timothy, looking him up and down with an appraising eye. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You have good style." Kyra finally confides to him with a grin on her face. Her compliment at least sounds genuine enough. "But! Like our friend here said, we're pretty interested in the escapades of your bloodline. Not that I wouldn't mind hanging out."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Eleanor Lamb (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eleanor smiles cheerfully from the back of the van, and... Well. He's a happy sort. So lets try happy. Also this is a van full of young ladies here to see a young and ASPIRING SORCERER. BRITISH PEPPY CHARM ACTIVATE.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Wine and cheese sounds lovely, thanks!" She practically climbs over Nathan to stick her hand out the window of the van. "Hi! I'm Eleanor!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:168|Nathan Hall (168)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nathan's maneuvers don't go well. But at least his embarrassment winds up getting overshadowed by the arrival of Timothy here. "Ah, salutations." He says, still from the passenger seat of the van."'Hanging out' certainly sounds agreeable, we will be happy to." He leaves the van quickly, and offers a handshake. "Nathan Hall, holistic librarian. A pleasure to meet you, Tim." He drones, offering a handshake politely, and nodding.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you would, we will certainly follow." He says, agreeing to heading to the back entrance. But he focuses partway on assuaging Frederick. "Thank you for the hospitality, we will be sure to give it due respect." Just a bit meant to defuse some amount of the potential tension there. And he heads forward!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber, realizing he forgot to introduce himself before asking about antiques, immediately goes, "Oh shit, right. Psyber, private investigator."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yeah, nice to meet you all! I've never met offworlders before. Nobody comes to this place, and we don't travel much. Town troubles, you know? Well, I mean dad's out of town, but..." Tim rambles on, waving his hand in the air, while Frederick sighs and comes around back to open the door for everyone. It leads into a surprisingly simple kitchen, though it's very clean, and Tim himself starts to hunt for the bread before Frederick shoves him toward the guests while he takes care of getting food.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Glittering... oh yeah!" Tim snaps fingers and smacks his fist into his palm. "Grandpa used to ramble about that all the time. Sorry, not a lot to tell beyond some stories, though. I know them all, but if you're looking for trophies there's not much. Nobody likes to give Sorcerers stuff like that, they prefer to give out cash or titles."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He leans against a table, looking at Kyra and flashing a grin. "Thanks, family style." To Homura, the young man shrugs, "Ominous? I guess to strangers. Grandpa was uh..." He frowns, then shakes his head. "Well, he always said respect was gained through fear. Dad didn't believe the same. Me, I'm just enjoying things before I have to be serious, so we're still doing it dad's way. The place may /look/ creepy but the town doesn't care. I think." He scratches his head. "It's true we don't get all that many visitors even though we leave the gates open."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber actually feels somewhat bad to be considering stealing from this guy. Timothy seems nice, his dad sounds nice. The half-angel sighs a bit and then nods as Tim goes into the whole explanation, "What's wrong with the town?" <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You seem like a nice family. Kinda lame to hear that the town is in trouble and see your manor in disrepair. Want me to try to fix that door for you? I do a lot of work with tools," He offers, smiling at Timothy and then leaning over to inspect the door. Probably just needs WD-40. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Did your Grandfather ever talk about an object called Sovereign? Or talk about where they TOOK the objects recovered from that battle?" Psyber is still being vague about what Sovereign is, but that's because he doesn't want to spoil the surprise. Or, you know, get hopes up. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Actually, were there any stories in general that stood out from that incident?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Eleanor Lamb (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Elle makes her way inside and... uh, yeah this place is pretty spartan for a Blooded house, isn't it? Psyber's already off to handle the front door, so Eleanor settles in at a chair near the table, happily waiting for Hospitality. "Oh yes, I'd love to hear stories. I mean, Nathan is a big fan of stories. He's that sort of Librarian you know. Histories and ancient lore and all that." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She thumbs up at Nathan, and then leans in to LISTEN CLOSELY TO TIMOTHY, radiating happy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You should consider a restyling, then. This place gives off "evil wizards live here" vibes a mile away," Homura peanuts, mostly content to have asked a question that made the guy speak... well, presumably honestly, and fairly naturally. He doesn't SEEM like a liar. She'll continue playing tourist and just sort of hanging back, since Psyber seems comfortable enough and that's usually a good sign.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:168|Nathan Hall (168)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Indeed." Nathan says, nodding to Eleanor. "Stories are certainly enough, considering what we are here for. If you have them, we will be happy to hear them. We visited the Glittering Fields ourselves, actually. The name is very inaccurate. It was educational, but only partially so. We thought we might be able to gain more insight here."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a glint on those glasses for a moment. "Before you have to be serious?" He asks, tilting his head. "Upcoming duties, or are you simply prepared for a more grave incident?" He seems socially curious here, not especially stuffy about things as he wanders into the kitchen amicably.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Frederick returns with bread and cheese, along with knives. Apparently they... are kind of trusting. The bread is GOOD bread, for anyone who tries it, though the cheese will probably be pretty hard and crumbly for anyone who is used to softer sandwich cheeses.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tim sighs, "Well, I have a TON of stories, but if you're looking for relics you're in the wrong place." He crosses his arms. The name 'Sovereign' does get him to perk up. "Oh, you're after one of the Hundred? That explains it. I... don't actually remember grandpa mentioning Sovereign by name. It wouldn't surprise me that it was at that battle, though."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tim smiles at Homura, "Yeah, well... it IS our heritage, and the skulls ARE enchanted. It's not like they aren't useful, just creepy. As soon as we get the money I plan on changing the color scheme, that might help. Dad wants to refresh the mural first, though. It's actually an image of that battle, if you want to take a look."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber closes his eyes and draws in a sharp breath, hissing a bit as if stunned. He didn't expect the boy to recognize the name, nor to simply state what it was, and because of this Psyber mentally recoils. He didn't want Nathan knowing what he was searching for until he had it in-hand. At least he knows Nathan won't elaborate on the term 'The Hundred'.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber brushes it off, quickly, "Ah yes, the Mural! I'd love to see it. Please show it to me right away." He urges, trying to steer the conversation in that direction.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... ah? Is that so? What do the skulls do?" Homura asks, curious. She was also going to say she'd like to see the mural, but Psyber's beaten her to it. It still holds, though.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tim doesn't notice the tension. "Oh... nothing grave. I hope. Things are actually improving of late! Just, you know. I'll be turning eighteen soon, and I'm /technically/ old enough to take over now. But dad wants to wrap up a few things first, so he's handing over the keys to the house then instead of now."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's true, she's got a point." Kyra nudges her head in the direction of Homura. "I mean, clothing-wise I think it's okay. Decore wise...well there's only so much skulls you can have before people get suspicious, you know?" But it quickly becomes clear that Timothy here was very unlike his grandfather. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Or...he was very like his grandfather and much better at hiding it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Eleanor Lamb (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eleanor blinks a bit. Psyber and Nathan will have their fill of lore tonight, that's for sure. She doesn't catch the tension just yet either. "Hundred? Is that the number of people who were at the battle? Or something else?" <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The youth tugs at his vest, grinning at Kyra's comment. "Heh, thanks. Yeah, I want to keep SOME of the family... tradition, I guess? We can probably make it less offputting though. We aren't /necromancers/ after all. Sorcery is its own bag of tricks." He frowns suddenly, then waves away the thought. "Frederick, can you get a platter for this? We'll make it a picnic while I talk about the mural."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Timothy turns to the door again, but Eleanor gets a funny look... then he smacks his forehead. "Oh, right, offworlders! You wouldn't know all our legends. The Hundred are artifacts that were used in the war... the old war. The Shajem War. Swords, shields, helms, whatever. Not a lot of them known these days, though. What I wouldn't give to have one of THOSE here... but they say the Hundred choose the wielder, too, so maybe it wouldn't do much."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:168|Nathan Hall (168)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a moment where Nathan recognizes the name and a heavy twitch in the face as he glances to Psyber heavily, incredulousness inherent to the stoicism. And then he's back to Tim. "I see." He refuses to make a big scene here or something like that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The mural out front." Nathan asides to Psyber and Homura. "With the swords and the blood." And then he considers the words of Tim, turning back to him. "Enchanted skulls... Keys to the house... Ah, your father is away on business, and the skulls are warding, or something like that?" He guesses. Best way to flatter someone to pay attention to them and respond with theorizations and suchlike this way. "In any case, what has had your father so occupied? I admit a bit of curiosity. You said he was doing something in opposition to the way your grandfather did things?" He's mildly curious about if he might motivate a bit of help from this sorcerer himself, since he seems so un-twisted by the insular blue-bloodedness of some of the Blooded in this world.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura's question gets Tim to pause. "Well uh..." He's suddenly flustered, a little. "I can't tell you what they do. A warding? Kinda, yeah!" He perks up a little. "I mean... it's part of the family secret and all. Sorry. A couple pretty faces can go a long way, but I'm not going to give out our secrets!" He grins. "It's also kind of creepy anyway. Not important." At least he isn't trying to pass it off as being innocent!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Frederick moves outside, Tim starts to move too. "Anyway... it was a pretty bloody battle. My great grandfather fought in it... he lived a lot longer than most. There are rumors he used necromancy to do it, but I think it might have been something else. Great grandpa was a real asshole... uh... a REAL asshole, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't THAT bad." There's a bit of desperate hope in his voice there, and just a hint of pleading. "The mural! It's hard to see with the grime and fading, but it's basically the last charge of the Windward Kingdom. They were /losing/ and getting pretty desperate, but my ancestor and another sorcerer whose name escapes me - he died in the battle - summoned up the water from the earth and smashed the enemy line right ahead of the charge. Completely broke them, and turned the tide when they lost most of their front line. Somewhere in there, their commander fell, and that's probably what really saved the day."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Nathan looks at Psyber, the half-angel just narrows his eyes and looks back. Staring contest between the two of them. The kind of staring contest that isn't a contest at all, but more a precursor of 'some shit might go down some day and this will come up when it does'. Or possibly just 'I don't want to deal with this right now'. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Nnn." Psyber remarks to the story about the Glades, "If that's true, logic says it's under the Glades. But I already tried going carving holes out there. Maybe I didn't go deep enough?" He thinks. The Mural might have a clue, though. Or he's being obtuse and missing something.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Eleanor Lamb (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eleanor manages to follow the rest, catching the looks between Psyber and Nathan and the words and... ooh. Well. Elle calls up all of her limited theatrical training and makes a show of a faux dissapointed gesture. "Ah, well. I wasn't after secrets, really. Ooooh."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She points up to the mural. "And this is why you bring wizards to a war. They can do... very effective things to the enemy lines. Artillery and engineering all in one package."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Skulls on buildings is one thing, skulls on people is another and it takes a certain person to really pull that off well." Not that Kyra was really implying that Timothy was a certain person-actually, no, she really was. She was implying this so they'd look even better and get Timithy even more willing to talk. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her mind jumps to a conclusion that the thing Psyber seeks is one of the Hundred...but she doesn't voice this aloud, letting Timothy continue to speak. His story so far does seem to track well with what they found at the battlefield.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:168|Nathan Hall (168)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No need." Nathan assuages Tim. "We will not pry." And then they head out. He's quiet for now. Attentive, listening. Maybe chewing on some good bread once it's available. Psyber's already asked the core question, Nathan just needs to listen now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mural seems to capture what he's describing... two sides of a battle, with a large mass of soldiers on one side, and the other a smattering of troops running forward under cover of a building wave of water. A figure is up high, gesturing dramatically... and from a poor tactical position, since an archer could take him down. No doubt it didn't actually go down this way.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tim nods, "Yes, well... pulling off a sorcery of that level is not really common. It took two working together, killed one, and my great grandfather was crippled for years." He fusses with one of the buttons. "Well... there's only so much you can do with skulls. And you can't just have them sit there out of place. I'm not really a decorator. I don't suppose I could ask you to come by later and give me a hand with that, once I have the money and the time?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Tim just shrugs. "Anyway... you won't find any artifacts from that here. Minor stuff is mostly grabbed and passed down or sold off. Major ones... well, they either go to next of kin, or sometimes are buried with the wielder. So maybe Sovereign was buried on the battlefield? Which is kind of a pain, finding a grave and hoping it isn't full of monsters or undead. You might be better off looking for its twin. Which is uh..." He stops, rubbing his head. "I wish I'd studied this stuff more. It was another high-brow name, but maybe it's lost, too."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Frederick interrupts, "Majestic. It is in the Fairchild family."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tim snaps fingers. "Right, right. No luck there. I think they've been gone for years. Unless you want to poke around their family tomb."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Majestic is known as Backbiter now," Psyber says, immediately taking the initiative and cutting this off right at the pass, "It is in the hands of Elliana Fairchild and therefore presently unavailable for numerous reasons." Put that one right down on the line. Secret's out, anyway. Mostly. He has pieces to withold still. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'Finding a Grave and Hoping it isn't full of monsters' <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber abruptly shouts, "SON OF A BITCH." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The half-angel turns and starts heading for the van.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:168|Nathan Hall (168)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nathan is finding the act of resisting a biting comment towards Psyber to be physically painful, but he pushes through it, merely muttering, inaudibly under his breath, "Actually, 'Backbiter' nowa--" Oh, Psyber cut him off there, alright. But, he's keeping his bitterness to himself, under his hat so to speak besides the bitter mutterings. He speaks up properly shortly after Psyber heads out. "It was certainly an impressive battle maneuver, considering the small level of sacrifice." He stands and nods quickly. "I believe our visit may be being cut short by my friend. Please forgive him, he does this at times."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope we do so again. If you are so inclined, I invite you to join us in our own efforts, but it seems you will shortly be required to be serious in some capacity. I believe we may be visiting nearby areas in the near future, for other investigations into matters of the past; perhaps we can meet again sometime." He's not going to miss the ride out, and he's heading right for his long-reserved shotgun seat. The ride is going to be awkward, of course.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Eleanor Lamb (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And now confusion on the face of Eleanor as Psyber and Nathan have A MOMENT and then bundle everyone back to the van. Apparently she's missed something again, but... she's coming to expect that at this point. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She does pluck up a piece of bread though, and wave to Timothy as they're all leaving. "Yes! It'll be nice to see you after the serious. DOn't get yourself embroiled in awful backwards political jerkery! Or try not to!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Thanks for letting us hang out at your place, Timothy." Kyra offers as the conversation draws to aa close. If she notices the back and forth with Nathan and Psyber, she doesn't outwarly acknowledge it, focusing on their host instead, "Who knows, maybe we all can hang out with you again sometime, right?" <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She flashes him one more friendly smile beforethey pack up to leave.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:92|Elliana Fairchild (92)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Psyber explodes like that, Timothy pauses. "Was it... something I said?" He scratches his head, then sighs... only to perk up again. "Oh... one of them survived? Weird that I didn't hear. Dad was talking about marrying us off at one point when I was really young, since she's about my age. Fell through even before the whole mess." He smiles. "Still, nice to hear she's alive... maybe." He hasn't missed the reaction that got from everyone.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ah, I'll see if I can convince dad to let me out for a while, check out the other worlds." Tim belatedly realizes he never explained where his dad was! "He should be back soon, he's just doing the vote and tax thing."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyra and Eleanor bid him farewell, and he gives them a smile. "Ladies. You're welcome any time. Next time I'll show you around town, you can see what little we have to offer. Things are getting better but we are kind of in the middle of nowhere. Take care of yourselves."<br> <br>
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