Scene #7701: The Beast Beneath 2

Owner	Pose
Taelveras	Absalom, City at the Center of the World, is an enormous medieval city of trade that has grown up around the edge of a bay, a naval power to rival historic England. It even has its own warpgate, though a little awkward to use because it's on an island just outside the bay, with a ferry running. The government has friendly relations with the Commonwealth - not quite an alliance yet but certainly diplomatic overtures, even a diplomatic embassy - while other organizations in the city have passed information to the Watch or the Concord in the past. Also, not that long ago, it was attacked by drow and depended on foreign aid to defend itself. They raided the Arcanamirium, the largest arcane university anywhere near Absalom, bringing raiders, clerics, and a summoner who called in a large monster. Many of them retreated after the attack, with some specific things (and in one case, a person) taken with them, but some were abandoned in Absalom and jailed. A request was sent out to the people who defended the arcane college, but even besides that the Arcanamirium has quietly put out that they are looking for experienced adventurers for a difficult task. They pay well. They're the Arcanamirium; they're very well-known. The Arcanamirium, in the day, is much more impressive than it was at night. A full-fledged university with multiple buildings set in the center of a city park, the Arcanamirium feels almost like it's not in the enormous city of Absalom at all but set outside it even though it's well within the city walls, nestled in the Wise Quarter. It's only been a week or so since the attack but things have been patched up. Aside from some broken or replaced cobblestones, there are no real signs from the outside of the windows that broke, or the scorch marks that would have been in the main courtyard, or any of the incidental damage from acid, flame, frost, or kaiju. Having the most wizards in the city working right here, including apprentices and journeymen who can be tasked with things for 'practice', makes cleanup a whole lot easier. There are a different set of broken windows with staff replacing them right now, but the building they are in has a sign proclaiming it the Evoker's College, so that's just life as normal at the Arcanamirium. In both cases, the contact is the same person: Sergeant-at-Swords Liabelle Daryne, a tall, slim half-elf in a uniform colored with the same whites and blues as the Arcanamirium itself, a narrow rapier on her hip and a serious look on her face. Sergeant Daryne is waiting outside the main entrance for as many people to arrive as are going to. She is waiting with a half-orc in Absalom's city guard's uniform instead of the Wise Quarter's; the half-orc is carrying a notebook and is accompanied by a chicken-sized feathered dinosaur with an extended tail, who is also carrying a (slightly smaller) notebook.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan is here. This is a pretty... fucking huge city, and Aidan actually needed to ask questions to get here a couple times. Nine times. It takes him nine times of figuring out where the Arcanamirium. Figuring out which ward is which, then there, where in the ward, then from there, which part of the college. He runs up to the Sergeant at Swords, huffing and puffing, leaning over and putting his hands on his knees. "I'm here! I'm here! I'm here for the bad uh... elf thing!"
Gareth	Although Gareth's previous response to the call for aid from the Arcanamirium might have been a fluke, showing up twice now is a pretty good sign that she's no longer treating as such. The promise of payment for services rendered is hard to turn down, too, especially considering that she's still a little light in the wallet after her last visit to the Closet of Babylon. And so, the five nothing knight wearing considerably little armor and looking like she's just some well-dressed tourist (with a beige jacket and brown shorts combo going on) arrives outside the Arcanamirium, looking from Daryne to the half-orc to the tiny dinosaur a few times. "Greetings! I am Gareth, seventh of the Round Table. I-" She gestures at herself, then at Aidan. "We're here about the work posting! Are you our contacts?" She glances around briefly, then lowers her voice. "And have you heard news of any more attacks coming while we're here?"
Staren	The Arcanimiriam feels a bit like walking around certain parts of Lazlo. Staren might not even stand out as much -- she arrives to the campus on a flying broom, then dismounts to walk and take it in. This is a time to look like a wizard/witch! So she's dressed in, most obviously, a dark red, pointed, slightly floppy hat with a wide brim and holes for her ears and a matching cape; there's a truncated Concord Orange stripe in the brim of the hat, and a few stripes on the shoulders of the cape for accent. There's still a white coat but instead of a science coat it's an adventuring garment with strips of leather lamellar sewn onto it, worn over a leather vest with goggles hanging from her neck, one shoulder belt with her messenger bag, two waist belts (laser pistol holstered on one, beam sword hilt on the other). Dark red cloth bracers with Concord-Orange trim and leather fingerless gloves round out the top of the outfit and a dark red skirt with a thin white stripe near the bottom, with adventurer-suitable steel-toed leather boots complete the bottom half of the outfit. It's, uh, a lot of visual details but it sure looks like something Wayne Reynolds might sketch but perhaps not color. Probably need some pouches on the skirt or something for it to be proper Pathfinder Art. ANYWAY. Staren sees the expectant-looking people, gives a brief double-take over the dinosaur with a notebook, and then raises a hand in greeting and smiles. "Hi there! I'm Staren Wiremu, I'm from the Concord, nice to meet you!" She holds out a hand to shake, first to the Sergeant, then the half-orc, then the dinosaur. "I'm a problem researcher! I mean, I research problems! And solve them! How can I help you?"
Taelveras	People were happy to give Aidan directions. There weren't even any really wrong ones - everyone knows how to get to the Wise Quarter, and in the Wise Quarter the Arcanamirium is one of the most significant facilities. Honestly, he got more looks for being a squirrel-person than anything else. The tiny dinosaur waves at Gareth when they notice the attention. Similarly, all three (yes, including the dinosaur) will shake hands, even if said dinosaur has to stand up tall to actually reach. Staren's broom arrival is unusual, but not so outlandish that she gets too much of a look... and adventurers wear any damn thing so really, who's going to object to that? "Excellent," Sergeant Daryne says. "On behalf of Archdean Madinani, the Arcanamirium thanks you for coming." She seems pretty straight-laced. "That's correct; I'm Sergeant Daryne, and I'm part of the sorcerous forces under the First Spell Lord of Absalom. This is Corporal Chance; she's with the city guard proper, but as she's a sorcerer she sometimes liasons with us." "And I'm Coin," the dinosaur says, in a high, piping voice. "Coin is my familiar," the half-orc Chance confirms, with a slight smile. "Don't worry. We'll be no trouble - we're only here in case you need to get into the prison." "Which we probably will," Sergeant Daryne says. "But please, come in." She leads the group to a meeting room inside the main building. It's nicely appointed in a fantasy-medieval sort of way. There is another guard at the entrance in the same kind of uniform as Daryne, who salutes to the group as they pass him. "So - we are in your debt for defending the Arcanamirium," Sergeant Daryne says, primarily to Gareth and Aidan here. "You did better than could be expected but, unfortunately, it did not go off perfectly. Several items were taken from here - and, more quietly, from the Forae Logos, a library off campus. And one person was captured, Alsana Valaran, one of our conjuror theoreticians." "As for you," she continues, nodding at Staren, "you may not have been there, but we appreciate the assistance. Of course, all of you would be compensated, as well as anyone else you bring who may be of use." "We have a list of what was taken and we'd like you to recover them... and her most of all. We'd like you to find out what they wanted them for and, if the drow have obtained everything they need, to stop them from doing... whatever they're doing. There have been no more attacks," she confirms, finally answering Gareth's question, "which is worrying in its own way. Anything else they have taken from elsewhere can be kept by you, if it can't be returned to its original owner." "Fortunately, we have some of them arrested. They refuse to talk to us, but one of them - the summoner, kept separate from the others - has indicated he is willing to, ah... make a deal. But only with someone who defeated him."
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan tries to stand up and look valiant again. It's not easy, given that he is worn out from running all over the city, but he tries to go back to looking like he knows what he is doing. While then completely admitting that he has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. He nods to Half Orc, then to the bird. Then back to the Sergeant. Things here, at least, are very normal. "Well, the call went out, we aren't going to let them get away with this." With this information available, Aidan hrms. He doesn't know much, but he has fought some in a war. "Okay, wait, if they haven't attacked, they may already have what they want then. Do we have a list of what they stole." Pause. "With notes." That someone can read to Aidan goes unsaid.
Staren	Staren is slightly relieved that the dinosaur does indeed shake hands, she almost looked very silly there! She keeps up a smile as she listens. "A magical theoretician, huh? What were they working on?" "Um, the way you say 'the drow'... forgive me, but I'm not familiar with local politics. I know it means 'dark elf', but... what's the context here? Is this a small group of individuals, or assumed to be working in the interests of some unified drow nation, or you just don't know?" Now that she thinks of it, Staren warps in a few camera drones, coconut-sized spheres with obvious lenses and antennae which hover along with her, and feeds her own vision to her behavioral analysis AI to get a sense of whether the locals are hiding anything.
Gareth	"A prison? Oh, for those captives from last time! Yes, asking them about what their plans are might help us figure out... What their plans are!" Gareth states the obvious while sounding as eager as she usually does, glancing around with about the same amount of gusto. She eyes the decor, checks out the beefiness of the guards, and resists the urge to flick Staren's witchy hat (more than once) on the way in. That saluting guard gets a salute in return, although her reflex is to use one from home rather than the local one. "So the priority is the hostage... Good." She chuckles softly and taps her chin, looking to be deep in thought for a few moments before raising an eyebrow. "If they're not attacking, why would... Oh! Because then they might already have everything they need to do whatever it is they're doing." Gareth nods towards Aidan as they reach the same conclusion, and then she smacks her chest confidently. "Leave the captive to me! Even if I might not understand everything he says, he's sure to be convinced of how worthwhile it is to work with us once he recalls the fight with that great beast of his." A beat, and then she turns to Staren. "Right, that too. Dark elf means there's also light elf, right? Which would be...?" She looks towards Daryne expectantly for confirmation.
Taelveras	Aidan asking for notes actually raises Daryne's estimation of him slightly, because a lot of adventurers wouldn't bother. "I can," she says. "We'll go over that now and I'll give you a copy afterwards." Staren warping in... a bunch of stuff... gets a lot more of a surprised look. "If those are offensive weapons I'm going to have to ask you to disarm," Daryne says. Antennae don't mean much here. The lenses do, and provided Staren confirms they're recording tools, she seats herself again, removing her hand from her sword. "The drow are subterranean elves," she says. "Some of the common folk do call them 'dark elves'. I suppose you could call my heritage 'light elf', but they're just surface elves. Or, as we call them, elves. We don't know much about drow because they almost never come to the surface. I don't know the last time we saw any in Absalom. That they brought a raiding party is unusual, but we don't know if they're part of a bigger force or working alone. We do know that many of them serve demons, and the unholy symbols from the spellcasters in the raid prove it." Chance reaches into her bag and pulls out several items, setting them on the table. They're discs that show complicated runic symbols; three are the same, one is different. "This one," Daryne says, pointing at the different one, "is the symbol of Abraxus, the demon lord of forbidden magic. It belongs to the summoner we captured. The other one, which the three clerics all had... we don't recognize. It's obscure. Unfortunately," she says, with a frown, "our expert is who was captured... Alsana specializes in the repelling and banishment of beings from lower planes. Demons, fiends, qlippoth, that sort of thing." "Beyond Alsana, we lost a particular censer used in magical rituals as well as a book on how to use it to protect oneself from what they called up. As for the Logos - Chance, would you?" Chance opens up her notebook. "From the Forae Logos, let's see. Three books. One - ah, I can't pronounce the name, it's runic, it's a tome of magic on the summoning of demons. I'll write it down for you. One authentic, unexpurgated copy of The Cycle of the Beast, which is the closest thing Rovagug has to an unholy text. One... uncategorized? Huh. I thought they had everything categorized unless it was real new. The title is... uh, Emkrah Vivan. 'The Wrong-Born Chosen', more or less." "Rovagug is a sealed god who wishes to destroy creation," Daryne says, "and nobody sane worships him. It doesn't look like any of the drow did either - we didn't see any symbols of Rovagug, and they tend to, ah..." "Rave," Chance finishes. "A lot. Cultists of Rovagug are a little nuts. So we couldn't figure out why they'd want the Cycle of the Beast. We're honestly hoping you can either figure it out or get something from the prisoner."
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan does NOT PREEN but only because they are in public and someone is watching him. He'll pat himself on the back later. Staren brings in THE TECH. Aidan flinches away from it then stares. He misses part of what the Sergeant says, only to chime back in, "Well that seems a little racist, but I guess you don't think about that during an attack." Aidan then looks at the variety of symbols. Wow there are a lot of gods here. And all those words. 'Qlippoth'. The squirrel waves his hands in the air, tail twitching in agitation. "Okay, hold on, wait. You are saying a lot of things. And I don't understand any of them. One second." The squirrel goes out slightly to the door and takes out his Watch Tablet(tm). "ALEXA. WHAT IS A DEMON." "ALEXA. WHAT IS SUMMONING A DEMON."
Gareth	"So you're both elves of a type... Do they call themselves elves and you something else?" Gareth continues with that potentially useless line of questioning for only a little longer, although she does bite back a snicker at Aidan just being blunt about it. She soon settles for listening to the explanation about their ties to demons, their symbols, and the stolen books. She even starts furrowing her brow as she tries to absorb as much of it as she can, nodding every now and then to show she's actually retaining some of it. "It's strange that this summoner would agree to making a deal, then, if this is a matter of faith for them. Unless his belief is so weak, or..." She leaves the implications unsaid, but still looks like she's mulling over them as Chance goes into the books and Rovagug. "Perhaps they wanted it as a... Hm... Historical artifact? Just as you might have your holy texts that you'd want to keep safe somewhere, they might have their own." She crosses her arms lightly, getting really into the THINKING. "This summoner, then... Did he strike you as someone that was doing this for a cause, or just acting out of necessity? Knowing that might help us with the negotiations."
Staren	Staren does indeed confirm they're recording devices (which isn't saying they're NOT also scanning devices...) although there's a flicker of something on her face when Daeryn talks about disarming. There is, after all, no way they can be SURE Staren is disarmed, and she maintains access to tons of weapons for reasons. But she's smart enough not to point this out. This time. She has questions: "Forbidden magic? Why is it forbidden? Sorry, I'm from another world, after all, so I don't know some things." "Why would demon cultists capture someone who invents new and improved ways to banish demons? Are they hoping they'll come up with countermeasures against banishment, perhaps...?" Well, Daryne probably isn't the one to ask that one.
Taelveras	"You can ask them if you'd like," Daryne says to Gareth. "We don't know. As I said: they almost never come to the surface, and when they do, it's not usually to talk. As for the other... mmm. I think he feels betrayed because they left him here when they escaped. There was some... infighting. But you'd have to ask him for details." She looks at Staren. "Do you mean, the forbidden magic Abraxus teaches? I'm not exactly an adherent to his faith," she says, dryly, "but I understand it's forbidden lore in general. He will be your patron if you try to create a vile spell, or learn something at any cost. Some spellcasters who never think of the dangers of what they're doing venerate him. It isn't approved of here in Absalom. I don't know why they wanted Alsana. Perhaps they didn't know exactly what she studied - it isn't as if they visited before they attacked, as far as we know." She doesn't seem like she's lying, though she is a little reserved in general and it's not always easy to tell. Nobody honestly needs to know what a qlippoth is, but Daryne is staff at the Arcanamirium and she can't help herself. Wizards. Or, in her case, magi. Chance, fortunately, is there for everyone. She did see Aidan duck out to ask questions of ... someone. "So, in summary, what we know: They've got a number of books on summoning and extraplanar creatures, including one that isn't well-known and is restricted for safety reasons. We'd like them to not summon... whatever they are planning to. And we'd like Alsana back, and the books and censer if you can manage it." Chance, unlike Daryne, has a poor poker face. She really does want the rescue to go well. "I think that's all the information we have here, unless you have any other questions. Do you want to speak with him now, or do you have more questions first?"
Staren	Staren tries her best to hold a poker face at the idea that lore can be declared vile or forbidden just because, rather than bad actions using it being the problem. She's not the best at it. She does briefly turn to Gareth. "In my experience, people who espouse an ideology but take action contrary to it are common enough. Pointing it out never wins any arguments let alone solves any problems, though. I guess we may as well just take advantage of it ourselves... while preparing for the idea that they could also be a double agent feeding us bad intel." Staren rubs her chin. "I think I'm ready as I can be."
Gareth	"Being one of the few left behind can't be easy, no... I see. That will be good to know." Gareth nods slowly at Daryne, hrrming loudly as she audibly struggles to keep all this information in. It's not going to stay in there, but she's making an effort. "Perhaps not! So we'll have to... Not use that approach while we speak to him. I don't know about using that as a way to trick him, though." She replies to Staren with a pensive brow-furrowing, inhaling sharply before smacking her hands together on her face and grunting loudly. "... Okay! I'm ready, too."
Staren	Staren shakes her head to Gareth. "If he's ideologically motivated, he wouldn't betray that just because so-called 'allies' left him behind. I assumed for years that the Union was going to turn on me eventually, but I never thought for an instant of working for the Confederacy instead. That good got done was more important."
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan comes back in, stowing his tablet in his adventurer rucksack. "I'm ready!" He gets the general idea now, but he did have to read some manga theorycrafting. "Well, from what I understand, people summon demons when they are desparate for power." Or sex, according to the theories. He is pretty sure that isn't the case here.
Taelveras	Staren gets a particularly long look from Daryne. She says nothing to her. "This way. It's a bit of a walk, I'm afraid." It is. Absalom is big. But eventually the party makes it toward a chunky-looking jail. "Serious prisoners are kept here," Chance says. "I have to go ahead." A few more minutes, and the trio (plus Daryne) is escorted inside. The place is made of heavy stone and leads downward into subterranean cells but the top floor, at least, is comfortable enough, mostly for the guards there. "I'll take you down," Chance says, "but you're going to be on your own talking to him - I'll be there to make sure nothing goes wrong but I'm not going to ask anything. He doesn't like me. And Coin won't be coming in at all." She takes the trio down two floors, underground. It's darker here, but there's apparently some kind of interrogation room: all stone, plain wood table, several chairs. Another guard has brought the drow in; he is wearing a blindfold (but it's thin enough he may be able to see through it, a little) and a pair of particularly rune-engraved manacles that are, if anyone is capable of telling, rendering him incapable of casting a spell or summoning his monster. Theoretically. Even a prisoner, he manages to look - and sound - smug. "Well, well. If it isn't the defenders of Absalom. A rodent, a witch, and a - " He isn't sure what to make of Gareth's outfit. Maybe he can't see it clearly enough. "Visitor. Have you come to mock me? Or did they actually call you in to talk?"
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan can wait. He doesn't even play flappy bird on his tablet, because he has spent hours of the day doing whatever poor fantasy people do, so he doesn't need the stimulation. He folds his arms, shield on his arm, and tries to look imposing here. Aidan is stringy, he's not weak, but he's not exactly as imposing as most fighters. "We are here to talk."
Gareth	"That's understandable. We will do our best! Probably!" Gareth will, at least. Heading down turns out to be relatively uneventful (at least from her end) as she behaves about as normally as she can on the way down. There is a bit of gawking at just how large the complex is, but Gareth remains focused even as they get to the interrogation room. The summoner is brought inside, and she takes a moment to bow formally before realizing that he's blindfolded. It's kind of hard to see in the darkened room, after all. "I am Gareth, the seventh knight of the Round Table. I'm the one that fought your creation! Or... Familiar? Pet..." She goes through a couple of words, waiting for him to confirm which one it is while holding her hand out over the table. Her shield materializes before her, and then she lets it drop on the table with a satisfyingly loud impact before continuing. "I wouldn't dare mock you now of all times, sir. You fought valiantly for your comrades, and that's why I want to know..." Gareth glances at Aidan, then Staren, then back at the summoner. "Why did you come here that day? Not just about getting those items, but... Their importance. What they mean to you and your people. Why you would risk your lives attacking such a place without seeking the aid of others first." A beat, and her tone shifts from almost sounding impassioned to one that's just curious. "Also, what do you call yourselves? And what do you call the people here?"
Staren	Staren rides her broom through the city, hovering along at a walking pace sidesaddle. Eventually they're brought down to the interrogation room. Staren takes a seat and watches as the prisoner is brought in. "Geeze, relax." She says. "If we just do this snide banter bullshit we won't get anything done but waste time. Much better if at the end of this you get whatever we can give you, and we get whatever you can give us, right? Here, um, do you want something to eat?" Staren reaches into her bag and tosses a bag of chocolate-covered mini-donuts on the table. Since it's from Grand Dorado they're probably some kind of stupidly gourmet mini-donuts, too. Then she sets down a bottle of water and slides it in the prisoner's direction. "I'm Staren Wiremu, of the Concord. Why don't you tell us your story, who you are, why you came to Absalom and how you ended up here." She waves a hand at the wall. People like to talk, right? Get him talking. And of course, the camera feeds pick up on body language and microexpressions and such, letting her know if they detect lying and sussing out his disposition towards her and the others in the room.
Taelveras	The man - drow - is an elf whose skin is a faded blue-purple. Long, pointed ears and a slender face. His eyes, behind the cloth, are solid red with no visible pupil, though this is not particularly apparent with it on. His clothes have been taken from him; he wears a simple prisoner's robe. "Eidolon," the man says, correcting Gareth. Chance, who is standing behind the man where he can't see, gives a nod - she knows what that is, she can explain that afterwards if it doesn't come up during. He looks at Gareth, more or less. The blindfold makes it difficult to read his eyes, though not for Staren's little scanners; he's narrowed them in suspicion. "Why would we ask the aid of the weak? We know what we wanted and we came to take it." His half-blind gaze shifts over to Staren when she puts... water and donuts on the table. He takes neither, perhaps expecting poison. "Straight to business. Very well. I will make you a deal: I go free in safety and I tell you what I know. I don't wish to stay in this spire of a city with so many lesser races, under the sun. I will even give you my name, that you may address me properly: I am Zelvarin of House Azrinae, and I was offered a position by the others. Clearly, they aren't interested in having a male in a position of power, to abandon me here. So for that, I will hurt them." "I speak to you because you are clearly powerful enough to tell the guards," and at this he jerks his head backwards, toward Chance behind him. "what to do. And I know you will because you will demand to know what I know; the guards already have. And I answered the first question honestly. So. Remove the shackles and I will talk."
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan immediately frowns. He does not like this guy at all. "Because sharing makes both parties stronger. And then you help each other, it's..." he gestures, "How things work." He turns to the others. "I don't think that'll work? If he believes in strength, then he won't respect anything but strength, right?" He turns back to the drow, "I mean, I'm pretty sure we can take you, I just want to make sure YOU understand that."
Gareth	"Eidolon! Hmhm.. I see. We're already making progress!" Gareth announces proudly, conveniently latching onto that rather than her own questions not being answered just yet. "And allies can be helpful for many things! Companionship, improving yourself, accomplishing tasks like you would be too weak to do alone like taking..." She doesn't outright say 'the Arcanamirium without getting captured', but the awkward pause is a pretty strong suggestion of it. "... Anyway! It's not as though we have any other ways of getting that information, Sir Zelvarin. I have no objections to letting you go free if you answer our questions truthfully." The smile is evident from her tone already, although she takes a while before speaking up again. "Although as a knight, I cannot approve of turning your blade on your allies. I'm sure they didn't intend to leave you there." She actually sounds genuinely saddened by that, regardless of her own involvement in that whole matter. "Consider it, at least." She suggests while glancing towards Aidan and Staren again, then nods at Chance to signal her approval for removing the shackles.
Staren	Not even gonna take water? "If I wanted you dead, I'd just kill you. You think poison is undetectable by forensic magic?" Maybe it is, for all she knows. The words 'lesser races' get a frown; the warm friendliness goes out of her manner. An eyebrow quirks at 'not interested in having a male in a position of power'. So he's looked down on for that by his people, but doesn't see the irony of looking down on others? Yeah, see, that's the kind of thing she just said pointing out never helps. It's certainly not unheard of, and she hasn't the skills to make any inroads with it. Staren leans forward with her elbows on the table. "See, here's the thing: We're here at their behest, to solve their problem. If you expect us to make them do anything, you better give us a damn good reason." She leans back. "I do not particularly care about your mission or your future, beyond idle curiousity." She waves a hand at Chance, "THEY are the ones who may be in danger that can yet be avoided if only you share critical intel. I can just leave and go find some other affair to meddle in." Staren leans forward again, smiling slightly, and looks between his eyes. "What do you really want? After you get out of here, and make your 'allies' pay, what's your goal? What's the future you want to see come to pass? Since curiousity's all that's keeping me here, I'm curious to know..." After a long pause, she suddenly sits up as a delayed train of thought crashes through the station and whatever front she was putting up collapses into fluster. "Ah, um, shit, I'm not trying to be all in your face or scare you just 'cuz I'm a girl... although really I guess the prisoner/captor dynamic is already unequal enough..." she trails off, not sure what to say.
Taelveras	Zelvarin scowls, but: "You beat me once. I admit you can probably do it again." It hurts him to say. He practically spits it out at Aidan. "But I also believe you won't hit an unarmed man who is not offering you violence." He thinks this is a weakness - Staren can pick that much up with her scanners, easy, and honestly probably so can everyone else - but it's a weakness he's perfectly happy to exploit. He does smile. It isn't a very pleasant smile. "Oh, I'm not going to do anything to them. I'm going to let you do that. My words to you will be my knife; I don't intend to see them again. They can go rot for all I care." He considers Staren for a long time. Then he laughs, mostly at the end when she embarasses herself. Like the smile, it's less a mirthful sound and more faintly cruel. "I thought I would offer my services to the Concord," he says. "I am a summoner. I call an eidolon. And I am at loose ends right now. But perhaps I'll just go and research for a few years. I have no real interest in the surface peoples." He's being honest. He honestly doesn't care. He wants to leave and though he probably will never help anyone here, he doesn't especially want to stick around in a position of weakness either. Chance looks at the party again. Gareth seems in favor. Are the others?
Staren	Staren doesn't appreciate being laughed at. "You're a summoner who got caught and who gleefully talks about bad things happening to his allies." She shakes her head. "Doesn't seem like Concord material to me." She just shrugs to Chance. She's fine with seeing where things go if he talks more, but now she's also fine with just going home now.
Gareth	Staren's interrogation methods have Gareth listening closely, largely from how she's leveraging her own actual stakes in this versus basically everyone else's. Gareth nods slowly as that thoughtful look returns, stroking her chin after a while once it all starts to sink in (mostly). "I mean... That's... Obvious?" Gareth promptly goes right back to being Gareth-y about the whole thing when Zelvarin mentions the unlikely odds of any of them hitting him. "But that's because we are not your enemy. The..." She pauses for a moment, as if weighing her words carefully. "... Elves are. If you're unable to successfully negotiate with us, I don't believe they would treat you as well as we could." She pauses, then adds, "We meaning us. Not we meaning Concord. I am with the Watch, you see!" She announces proudly, then nods slowly at Staren's assessment. "Yes, that... It's actually kind of off-putting." She lets out a long sigh, then turns to Chance and shakes her head. "I was hoping for better, too." She sounds genuinely disappointed.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan nods. "I wouldn't. If you don't offer me violence and you don't hurt anyone in the room. I think that's fair." Zelvarin goes on his spiel and Aidan considers that. He could say a big deal about working together and helping others and big a part of a bigger system, but it's kind of obvious this guy isn't into that. Aidan looks at the drow hard, willing EVERY PART OF HIS BODY not to expound on this part, then finally sighs. "Fine, yea." He nods to Chance. "Take em off."
Taelveras	"They stopped being my allies when they abandoned me. What would you know? You weren't even there." Zelvarin is still being honest - he believes that he was intentionally abandoned. Whether that is true or not - well, reading his body language and attitude won't give that answer. Gareth was, though. And Zelvarin seems to realize that his sense of superiority over the surface-dwellers just isn't working here. His expression shifts through about three confused faces before he elects to speak again. "Very well I... apologize for my words." These words definitely hurt him to say - emotionally, though not physically. "I accept your rebuke. If freed, I will simply leave. After answering your questions. What I know." He doesn't believe in the power of friendship (obviously) but he is more eager to be out of jail than anything else. He reaches for the water Staren left and opens it. He can definitely see through that thin blindfold; he didn't miss it at all.
Gareth	"If that is your heartfelt apology, Sir Zelvarin... I accept it!" Gareth shifts from that somber look to a grinning once almost immediately, apparently all too willing to take that apology at face value. "As for my own questions..." Conveniently, she starts going over them again. "Why did you come here that day? What was important about those items that your former allies took? Is there any sort of culutural significance to them that would spur you to take such a risk? What do you call yourselves and the people here?" Yes, she's pretty fixated on figuring out if the drow have a different word for elves or even themselves. She doesn't actually explain why. She also tacks on a few more as they come to mind. "Do you live underground because you enjoy it? Or are there other reasons keeping you there? And do your people avoid the other races because you truly view them as weaker, or... Are you just shy?" There's no malice in Gareth's voice. She might be teasing a bit, though.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan mulls over those thoughts, tapping on his muzzle with one finger as he does so. He goes over war questions, since those are what he knows best. He waits for Gareth to finish before listing them out. "We need to know where your allies are stationed, what the size and strength of their forces are, who is their leader, what their next course of action is, and if they are on the move."
Taelveras	Chance looks a little skeptical, but she removes the shackles... ...and Zelvarin does not immediately start blasting the room with magic. He rubs at his wrists once, but casts nothing. Instead, he answers questions. Both ones he was already asked, and ones he is being asked now. "We came to Absalom to retrieve some items that were only kept there. The others are all from House Syranax, a minor house with a weak demonic patron - no true allies of mine. Their patron is not even a true demon lord. I believe they wanted to increase his power, but they didn't share that knowledge with me." "They brought me," Zelvarin says, "to assist with some of the spellcasting. Because I am a disciple of Abraxus, and better-educated than those zealots. To read the books they were stealing was worth providing some muscle. Once they'd acquired the items they were going to a place in the mountains on the island. It's called the Weeping Grandfather, and is a place of power for spells. But you cannot teleport there - there's old wards, and the font interferes. I don't know how many fighters they brought in, but of the spellcasters, there are three to be warned of: the daughters of the matron of Syranax. They lead together." He does look at Gareth. Just looks, for a long time. "We are drow," he says. "The true elves, not the cowards on the surface. We have lived underground for thousands of years and our home is magnificent compared to the slums on the surface. And we are not shy. We simply do not care for your affairs." There's scorn in his voice, again. "The surface is a resource."
Staren	Staren quirks eyebrows at Zelvarin saying a (according to her AI) painful apology. She nods understandingly at the motivation of being a mercenary in return for forbidden knowledge. When he says underground is magnificent and the surface is a resource, she makes a deliberately neutral face and looks around as if for a camera that isn't hers. "I feel like I just stumbled over a satirically illustrative metaphor..." She sits up in her chair again, then leans forwards slightly. Her manner somewhat cool again; she still doesn't see him as someone to be sympathetic towards, but there's still an opportunity to trade for information. "What can you tell us of the Syranax daughters?" She leans back. "And you still didn't answer my question about what you really want."
Gareth	As Zelvarin speaks, Gareth actually looks mildly disappointed. Not so disappointed that she's visibly pouting, but there's definitely a sag to her shoulders as though she was expecting something else. "So it IS about amassing power rather than anything else. I see, that's... That makes things easier, I suppose." The knight leans back in her seat, then gets up to finally stretch her legs with a content noise. She also finally remembers to dematerialize her shield. No sense keeping that on the table. "Seeing everyone and everything else that isn't from your own society must get boring, right? Always seeing the same people, never absorbing new things, never enjoying what else there might be... There truly are amazing things in modern society far beyond your world and my own if you'd give it a chance to grow on you." That pep is back sooner rather than later as Gareth digs around in her pockets, eventually taking out a small black paper pouch and sliding it across the table. "Take these with you. When you're bored or have friends over, open it up and put some of those in your mouth. I think you might enjoy them! And please, let me know what you think once you do." It's a bag of Pop Rocks. Strawberry flavor!
Aidan Proudpick	The squirrel frowns at that. "How long until someone sees you as a resource?" He shakes his head, "If you... if you try and only see someone as something to steal from, eventually they are going to hit you back. Hard." He gestures hard. "That's why working WITH people is important." Aidan knows this is going nowhere, but he can't not try. He nods towards Gareth, then turns back towards Zelvarin, "Right, what's the goal here. You already have independence, you don't want to conquer the surface, then... what?"
Taelveras	"And I will not. I don't ask you everything about you," Zelvarin says. "I'll answer the questions about this ill-advised raid, but myself? No." He will talk about the Syranax daughters: "They are all religious zealots who follow a nascent demon lord. One without the power of a true demon lord, but powerful enough to be limited in how they interact with the world. They cannot just... be summoned directly any more than a deity can, but they aren't powerful enough to have an avatar. Demigods. All three are powerful but... wild. Erratic. Unstudied." Zelvarin smiles, still cruel. "They are welcome to try. The Darklands will destroy them long before they find us, and the drow of Zirnakaynin will never be defeated in their own home." He stands up, then, and makes a sudden movement that makes Chance jump - he grabs the bag of Pop Rocks. He does not open it. "I have answered your questions. By your own agreement, I may now leave. Unless you would like to stop me?" He does nothing more menacing than hold a bag of candy.
Staren	Staren watches Gareth and Aidan try the 'convince the bad guy to change his ways' thing like she used to. It's a little painful watching their hope be denied. Is this what she used to look like? Always thinking talking would help... Honestly, between this and bringing her dark side along on the mountain climb the other day, she's had about as much self-reflection as she can stand... So she does stand. "Indeed. Just don't make any trouble on the way out or I may have to shoot you. Have a nice life." She makes her way to the door, glancing at Gareth and Aidan on the way. "Does it ever work? The talking? That's the ONE thing I always did that hero-types did too, and it never worked for me." After whatever answer they give she goes to leave, only to realize the door is locked. She awkwardly stands with her back to the wall next to the door, tilting her hat down to hide her embarassed face.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan makes his way to the door as well, only to look over at Staren with some confusion,(also some elation at being called a hero type, hell yea) "What do you mean? I just don't really want to fight anyone."
Gareth	With no further questions to ask and her offer of Pop Rocks accepted, Gareth is actually looking quite pleased by the time things are about done. "I think that will be all. Travel safely, Sir Zelvarin. I look forward to hearing from you sooner or later!" With her good deed of the day done, she steps over to the door with Staren. "It worked this time, didn't it? I wouldn't call myself a hero yet, though. I sitll have a long way to go before that!" She laughs, then whirls around to lean on the wall next to the door while waiting for it to get unlocked. "Besides, there was nothing heroic about that. I just didn't want to leave him without at least a small understanding about how there's cool things out in the modern world, too. Although that does remind me..." She turns to Chance. "What do you recommend for a first meal here?"
Taelveras	It's okay, Zelvarin has to wait for the door to be opened anyway. "I think you did a good thing," Chance says, afterwards, "in trying to reach him. Even if he wasn't interested. And now we know where they are... the Weeping Grandfather? I'm a city girl, I don't know which mountain that is, but all we need is a map of the Kortos Mountains. Which is easy enough to get you." "And then... well, it's up to you. Good luck, adventurers." And then Gareth goes and asks a question. "Uh, all the fancy ones are out of a corporal's price range," she admits. "You could try the Flying Fish in the merchant's quarter? They do good seafood..."