The Wine Cellar - Kolis-Tane

General Summary

Content warning: There are clear allusions to torture.
The Wardens find themselves outside the scene of the exploded train station, battered, bruised, and down a member, as an alliance of The Immortals and the Untamed escaped with Myra and three of the scrolls.
As the rain pours, the group congregates. Adama - arm dislocated, Raijun - barely breathing, Hagren - just returned to the plan, and Sarya - just freed from her imprisonment, Spryg crooning mournfully by Sarya's side. As the clocks tolls midnight, Sarya and Raijun look at each other as the rain washes over them.
"Well, clearly we need to save her. And go to a hospital. And help people," Raijun says looking at the devastation of the blast before them.
Gameta rushes over, hugging Raijun, "Are - are you all okay?"
"Not really," Raijun winces. "They got us good. I did not expect that."
"I'm really fucking tired of these guys," Adama growls. "Who the fuck keeps coming after us," he demands of Sarya and Raijun. "We need to start talking about who or what keeps coming after these things."
"I mean I've been pretty clear about the Immortals," Raijun comments. "Clearly they are being contracted by somebody I mean they wouldn't go after them alone."
"There must be something provoking all of this. I don't know anything so I can't plan. The worst scenario to be in is being unable to plan for someone coming after you. You don't know when or where they are gonna strike. We just got attacked," he pauses, "One of our members has been kidnapped," he pauses. "I think we need to start communicating, to pool our collective knowledge, right now. I knew nothing other than the people we previously dealt with. Did anyone know anyone else?"
Hagren shakes his head.
Sarya looks at the ground, "I - um - did. The big croc guy was a member of my old crew. But, I haven't seen them in ten years. I - I've been trying to keep a low profile. I didn't get ... announced in the hopes they wouldn't notice. But clearly that was not the case."
"Okay. So we know we have people coming after us. We know they have one of our members. Does anyone know where they went?"
Everyone shakes their heads.
"What options do we have for finding her?" Adama asks.
"We'll need allies too," Sarya comments.
"Yeah when we have a second we'll need to get Ayen to join us."
"So who's telling Ayen?" Raijun asks. "Cause I'm drawing straws...."
Sarya and Adama both volunteer, "I know Ayen has networks around the city," Sarya suggests. "My other thought was Urza... what was it? Nightblade.... Dawnsaber... He might have some contacts as well. The Mithril Sprockets seem to be affiliated."
"Yeah," Adama agrees, "He seemed to actually like Myra enough to help. Though the cost might be another question for the future."
"We can worry about that later."
"After we rest, I can send a message." As Adama notes that, he sees a white flash of light as Ayen materializes winding up going to strike Adama.
Ayen's hand impacts the building behind them landing just above Adama's head, as he demands, "Where is she?"
"They took her," Sarya says from the side.
"At this point, we have no fucking clue," Adama responds.
"You made a promise," Ayen seethes. A gate appears and a contingent of Stagwood guards start filing out surrounding the group.
"I have a tendency to keep my word when I say I'm going to do something, barring extenuating circumstances. And I generally don't complain about pain but my fucking arm is dislocated," Adama shouts, as he goes to swing at Ayen. As he does there's a golden and silvery flash as Adama's arm throbs making it hard to breathe for a second.
"Listen stop with the aggression," Raijun interjects. "They came in with absolute heat. They had anti-magic. They had powers beyond our belief. They had two teams and Laura's friend led us to them. She was at the party by the way. She was an Immortal assassin, so there's blame to go around on all parts. But what we should focus on is finding Myra."
"I'd prefer to focus on kicking his ass," Adama growls, staring at Ayen. "Just cause he accused me of doing some stupid shit."
"This is not going to get Myra back any sooner," Sarya pleads.
"It will make me feel better."
"That's probably true," Sarya concedes.
Ayen turns towards the screams, noticing the rubble for the first time. He whips back to the group, "Where is she? Is she under there?!"
"No, they're gone," Raijun answers somberly. "They left out the train station and went somewhere."
"They took her alive," Sarya adds.
Ayen breathes heavily, unfocused and incomposed in comparison to the person the group has seen previously. "Who else was in there?" Ayen points to the rubble.
"We were all in there," Raijun comments, "well except Hagren he was banished."
"What's your mentor's name?" Saraya asks Raijun. She continues, "Alsume Alshara was there, Thueban of the Untamed -" Ayen pauses at the mention of the Untamed.
"Captain Iroh of The Immortals," Raijun adds.
"Is anyone still under there?" Ayen demands.
"Alive? Or just...." Adama asks.
"It doesn't matter. Any of the ones who came and attacked you."
"I think there might be one of them but I think most of them escaped," Raijun comments.
Ayen rushes over to the rubble and starts digging. Sarya tends to Raijun's wounds, as Laura kneels beside Trenchcoat whispering admirations into his ear. Suddenly, there's a loud cracking and booming as the side of the Dawn's Embrace temple erupts in flames. The crowds scream and scatter as the group see's Ayen look up and point at something he's found, before returning back to the group.
Hagren turns to one of the guards and roars at them, "Go find out what the hell is happening," before pushing them toward the explosion. Ayen nods and a small contingent go off in the direction of the explosion.
"We need to make a stop," Ayen informs the group, "Before we go back to the estate. Are you all good to travel?"
"Yes," Raijun answers, pulling himself up.
"Good. Keep up," Ayen directs. He turns taking off down the street as he motions for some of the guards to stay and help while others break off with him.
As the group starts running down the streets, following Ayen, Adama asks, "What did you see under the rubble that has you so excited?"
"Information. Don't worry it's going back to the wine cellar. I might need your help understanding what had happened."
"Anything," Sarya promises, "anything."
Ayen pauses, "Do you mean that?"
"I do."
"Good. Well we'll see if you're true to your word," as he darts off again.
The group runs through different parts of the city as more eruptions pierce the night. The city is in various stages of panic as a plume of dust erupts from another underground station. Ayen motions another group of guards to split off as he continues running, focused.
"Have you ever heard of a group called the Untamed," Adama asks as they run.
"The Untamed yes. I had a life before I worked for the Stagwoods... And the Immortals tried to assault the Stagwood compound but were unsuccessful last time. I wonder if that is the reason they sought help."
"Badass groups don't usually help other bad-ass groups. If there's two fairly competent groups working together something must have brought them to each other. It makes me wonder what's going on. Especially with the explosions going on and the kidnapping of Myra. The only reason for the explosions is to create more diversions as you get away."
"I feel like the scrolls were main target," Raijun comments.
Ayen circles a corner into Spires as there's another explosion from above. Shrapnel fires out of the building as several of the group members are blasted back. "Keep up," Ayen bites, before taking off again, no sympathy for their current state.

Nari

They run for another ten minute before Ayen suddenly slows, circling around the back of a multi-family home. His knocking quickly become banging against the closed door, increasing in intensity until the door opens. In the frame stands a tall woman about 6'3" a goliath complexion but significantly shorter than one would expect. She's in her mid sixties, her hair a bright white and pulled back into braid that looks tussled from sleep which she is rubbing from her indigo blue eyes. She had geometric fractal tattoos that start on her face and seem to wrap around as they are visible on her arms. "It's at least midnight," She starts before realizing who's at the door. "Wait. Boss?"
"I need your help. I need you to come with me," Ayen asks.
"You don't want to come in then?"
"Do you have your stuff to .... here?"
Nari gives Ayen a look challenging him to suggest she's unprepared. Her eyes flash indigo for a moment, looking at Ayen she sighs, "What have you done?"
"They took her," Ayen admits defeatedly. "And I need your help to get her back."
Nari sighs, "Where are we going?"
"Well inside if you can..."
Nari opens the door and ushers the group into a fairly sparse studio apartment. There's a bed with a homemade quilt, a kitchenette, a desk. She walks to the kitchen and starts rustling through the cabinet, "You all look like shit. I'm having tea. Does anyone else want some?"
"Maybe something a little stronger?" Adama suggests.
"There's no time for tea," Ayen correct, Get your shit and we need to get to work."
Nari gives Ayen another look, "I have my shit what do you need?" She doesn't stop rummaging.
"I need you to find her again."
"Okay," Nari sighs turning to the group and pulls out a miniature chest from her pouch. Geometric sigils shimmer in the air around it as it becomes a large steamer trunk on the ground. She opens it and starts digging through until she pulls out a small stuffed rabbit. She makes a motion, the sigils appearing again as it's returned back to it's smaller form. She gestures to the beverages for others as she her eyes turn indigo. Once she starts her magic she finds the thread leading from the stuffed animal out and begins to pull following it out into the rain.

Threads that bind

This is the scrying vision The darkness surrounds Nari as she focuses on the thread. Every step is a leap through the city, she knows Myra must be close because the steps are short compared to the usual distance. As she continues to follow the line it leads up into the Light's Touch then around. The minds of panicked people pass as she continues, only her training keeping her from breaking away. She walks calmly through the streets as she crosses in and around the city.
There are small houses, a temple, and the thread seems to almost disappear. Suddenly a figure stands down the street, a black cloak, hood up watching. It's odd, unlike the incorporeal forms of the minds around her, this figure seems to be standing through the rain and her vision. She approaches the figure, stepping finding herself back at the corner, the figure standing ten paces closer. Their head tilts as a gloved hand appears and wags a finger back and forth.
"Well this is new," She comments taking another step.
The images zoom in, a house, a storage building, and an abandoned temple. There's a series of flashes in Nari's vision as the figure remains eyes trained on Nari. Outside the vision, the group hears a series of explosions echo from the waterside.
"Not many travel here," Nari comments conversationally. The figure just tilts its head as Nari continues, "You know it's rude not to introduce yourself."
"If you value your life, seek no further, as this is now my domain," the figure hisses.
"Well that's rather rude. I don't suppose you would like to show me where this thread goes..."
"I could allow you. But," the figure looks down in contemplation. "He deemed you a worthy vessel. And I would not want to reproach what has been forgotten."
"Who is he? I mean there are lots of them..."
"The master who knows no bounds. The one I serve, the Great Ghost."
"Well if you would hate to damage such a fine piece of art," Nari says gesturing to herself. "Would you let me pass?"
The figure lifts the hood just enough to see blood running down the side of the chin area along the cheek. He slowly extends a hand out, "If you move quickly you might be able to reclaim part of what was lost. They have... Procured a solution to the problem at hand," their bloodshot orange eyes stare are Nari, sharp broken teeth smile menacingly.
Nari steps again, suddenly standing before the temple, a small dome with a decayed symbol painted on the outside of the door. Passing the threshold, the thread reappears, the ruined pews and broken aisles as it passes over a circular symbol in the floor. With another step Nari passes through the center of the room, then down inky blackness until she see's the girl she seeks. Arms bound, face bloody, breathing shallowly Myra lies curled on the bed.
Nari approaches, appearing beside the cot. Muffled discussion comes from the distance, two strong male voices and one female voice debate back and forth. The men seem to have some kind of power dynamic, while the female voice is subtle. The older sounding male voice seems to have authority but they are arguing.
The younger male is clearly upset, gesturing to Myra, "...not part of the plan. If you expect us to deliver we need what's on her."
Iroh trying to calm Alsume, "... there's a larger plan. You will be able to leave soon."
Nari moves closer to Myra as the pulls the thread to her taut whispering to her, "They're coming for you."
As she does so the figure's form moves and shifts grabbing onto Nari's arm. Teeth bared, black skin with red carvings, horned and ruthlessly scarred in a way that looks both intentional and unnatural. In the kind of self harm that was done to convey the look of pain and torture among their form. They look forward holding Nari's arm, "I have marked you. I will come for you. And I will take great pleasure in watching you bleed."
"You look like you could use some tea, come by whenever," Nari smiles as she drops the spell.
Vision ends
As Nari re-enters the physical realm she feels something on her arm as she looks down and there's a slow trickle of blood where the figure grabbed her, "Well that's embarrassing."
"What's going on? Where is she?" Ayen asks, barely containing the panic from his voice.
"She's still in the city. It doesn't look great."
"Where is she?" Ayen reiterates.
Nari just looks at Ayen, unphased, "It's not... I mean we can go to Light's Touch and I can throw up a locate. Probably in the city. Probably in Light's Touch. Decrepit temple, mean anything to you?" Nari asks as she throws up an illusion of the symbol she saw in the vision.
Nari looks over the group as they inspect the symbol, "Ayen do you have a team ready cause these people... don't look great."
"I believe 'look like shit' was how you put it," Sarya corrects.
Nari looks over Adama and Raijun, "I mean was I wrong?"
"No. You were very, very accurate."
Raijun peers closer at the symbol, rotating his head noticing two circles that look like eye holes noticing that the remainder of the symbol resembles a mask. As Raijun mentions it aloud Ayen chimes in, "A temple to Mask? God of thieves and shadows? Is this a familiar strategy to your clan."
"Well it would make sense as we are shadow monks," Raijun concedes.
"That's going to be difficult to find. There's a reason that people probably don't even know it's there."
"I would guess there's something on it that makes most people ignore it," Nari chimes in. "If I hadn't had the connection I doubt I would have seen it."
"Well," Ayen's brow furrows, "This is troubling." He sits for the first time, the glow from his chest quietly fading. Getting ahold of himself he asks the group to explain the events, Nari makes tea in the background. "So they did come prepared... But I checked everybody on the guest list. That Trist, was not any person of interest."
"I mean I had no idea she was an immortal either," Raijun adds, "She came with Laura, I thought she was an influencer or something..."
"So did Laura it seems," Sarya comments.
"We know where she was -? Yes..." Ayen trails off. Turning to Nari, "You might as well come along. Nari, do you still have the solvent? From that other job..."
Nari pats the small chest, "Thought we might need it."
"Alright," Ayen stands, "Let's go to the wine cellar. I think we have a couple of questions to ask."
Nari eyes the group as they follow Ayen, wondering if they know where they are heading.

The Wine Cellar

As the group exits the studio they find two carriages have arrived from the Stagwoods outside. As they climb in Nari telepathically asks Ayen, "So are they going to the wine cellar? Or are we all going as friends."
"Someone's going to be meeting us there," Ayen responds mentally. "These one's will help." Out loud Ayen asks everyone to hurry up and enter the carriages. He sighs realizing he hasn't made introductions and Nari is not one for them, "Well better late then never, this is Nari," gesturing to the goliath woman. "She's a specialist in the locating of individuals and has worked with myself and the Stagwood family in the past. She will be helping with the location efforts after your failure. Nari, these are the Wardens-"
"Ah yes," Nari cuts in, "there's Adama, Raijun aka Nightblade, Sarya, and Hagren," she says point to each of the Wardens in turn.
"How the fuck do you know that?" Adama demands.
Raijun chipperly adds, "Ah yes the brand recognition is finally paying off!"
"You've been in the tabloids like every day this week," Nari supplies.
"That's what I'm saying!," Raijun preens, "Now everybody knows that it's Nightblade."
As Nari sits in the carriage looking at the group a feeling comes over her, one that she hasn't experience since she was a young child. To the rest of the group Nari looks as though she's about to have some sort of episode. Nari quickly twists something on a bracelet and a hawk appears in the carriage. Nari looks over the group before handing the hawk to Sarya who quickly starts talking to it. The hawk makes a shushing motion with it's wing as it peers intently at Nari.
Nari's eyes light up and in her mind she can see papers, one's she's seen more times than she can count, their edges almost frayed in use. Their script, something that has been elusive despite years of study, suddenly erupt to the front of her mind. Some of the letters on each page start to reveal themselves. The first - adm, the second - raijun, the third- hagren, fourth - sary, fifth - myra, and finally - weab. To the others it sounds like Nari's voice swaps to a myriad of different languages, none intelligible but ones that have roots in their individual understanding just far enough removed that they can't be comprehended. Nari regains consciousness in a cold sweat, swearing, she twists the bracelet again and puts a finger to her temple as she pulls out a thin strand of indigo from her temple before bottling it.
"Well. I guess I'm in with you all for a bit," Nari sighs, "Given that you've progressed me further in.. what has it been an hour? That's more headway than I've made in the last fifty or so years."
"Progressed?" Sarya asks.
"Ah - Well. Most wizards study something that they care about for some reason or another. I study divination because how else are you gonna figure out a prophecy you were given when you were ten? But, it would help if, you know, the prophecy your hand started writing was intelligible by literally anyone in the archipelago. Or any of the academics in Spires, or in the Ay, or in Slekul, or the Carrefour. But no. So you go and you study and your obsessed with it for years. And just when you think you've gotten over it..." She devolves into more cursing.
"Have you been drinking?" Raijun asks.
"I don't drink."
"So she's just like this all the time?" Raijun whispers to Sarya.
Nari crosses her arms, "Yes I'm sure you're always a walk in the park too."
"I'm nothing but sunshine," Raijun protests.
"Your eyes are still puffy."
"Well you know..."
"So," Nari takes another look at the group with renewed interest, "the papers have declared you all the Wardens of the Weave at least twenty times in the last week. But what the fuck does that mean?"
"Well... uh naturally, a warden is someone who takes care of a certain... thing and in our case that's the weave. So I am a warden of said weave. And that means I protect it, sometimes... most times... not today..."
Sarya raises her hand, "I actually don't know what it means either."
Raijun makes unintelligible noises of dismay at Sarya as he looks to Adama for support. Nari gives everyone a look, she raises her hands and starts casting as, from everyone in the cabin illusory spectral strings appear. "Look. This is what I see. All the time. This is the weave. What do you," looking to Raijun, "know about it?"
"Well naturally as the Warden I know many things about the weave... you know it's such a crazy question because the weave is so vast and infinite and when you start to explore its potential and lock into the possibilities you just find there's so much out there. You know you just get into deep arcane studies that might be out of some people's purview. But naturally as an acclaimed scholar and what I've found on this journey of self reflection..." Raijun trails on.
In Sarya's mind she hears Nari's voice, "Is he always like this?"
Sarya nods.
"What I do know about the weave is that it is related to these scrolls," Raijun continues. "Um... and when we use these scrolls we can break through the weave. Kinda like what your doing but I can't do it on command."
"I wish I had command. I've had to spend my life trying figure out how to turn it on and off." Nari turns to Ayen, "And how did you end up with them exactly?"
"Well. Lady Stagwood is a traveling companion of theirs. And ... yes they seem to have stumbled upon some ... items that are of high interest to people such as the Immortals as well as the Untamed. So..."
"Two secret shadowy guilds for the price of one!" Raijun adds.
Nari refocuses on him, "So when you say scrolls... Do you mean the kind you would find in a library or cost way to much in a spell shop?"
"Maybe more the kind you'd find in an ancient primordial tomb that unlocks secret powers within the schools of magic that threaten to destroy the very fabric of reality itself. I mean yeah I was carrying one around for a while, and it was pretty cool not gonna lie. I had like a clone... now he's gone I lost a friend..."
"The only one who ever truly understood him," Sarya jokes.
Nari's silent for a moment. "So. You're talking about the nether scrolls..."
"Yes... of course... I was just testing you to see if you knew," Raijun retorts.
The hawk turns to Raijun and pecks at his head, perhaps to see what it is made of, before returning to Nari. Turning to Ayen, "Was your ward attuned to one of those scrolls?"
Ayen looks around at the group expectantly. "Two of them," Raijun adds helpfully.
"Didn't you see her turn into a fucking dragon?" Adama asks.
"It does not surprise me," Ayen admits. "Oh, I have not... It has been a long day. Very mixed with emotions. I should warn you all that.... hmm well lets resolve this first and then we see eh my future with... lets focus with what's on hand and not what has happened. Let's focus on what should be happening."
As the carriages make the bump into the Stagwood estate the group can see legions of guards out of the windows. The topiaries are now about three to four times their size, some of which are patrolling around. There are other uniformed individuals patrolling the ground. All extremely elven in ceremony and dress as they are patrolling. The entire compound is brightly lit, almost too bright as the rain that soaked the outside is no where to be seen.

An Interrogation

As the group pulls up they see Max and Lord Stagwood standing in the foyer of the estate. As Hagren's group disembarks Lord Stagwood steps up greeting and shaking hands, staring at the sudden influx of people. As he meets Ayen's eyes there's a moment before he immediately deflates. He looks through the group, the last of his hope leaving his eyes, as Ayen shakes his head, "Sir have the other contingent arrived?"
Lord Stagwood nods before turning back inside as Max steps up, "They brought him down to the basement. Lylah's waiting." Ayen turns back to the group, "Are you all ready?"
"For?" Adama questions.
"An interrogation."
Adama questions if they will be doing a 'real' interrogation as Raijun voices his support.
Nari looks over the group confused, "What exactly do you think he does?"
Ayen leads the group through the kitchen, down a flight of stairs, into a wine cellar. At the bottom is the rain soaked guards from the scene earlier. Ayen shakes their hands as they are off whispering off to the other side.
As they descend Raijun turns to Nari, "So I got a question. Are you like a little person but a goliath?"
"Raijun that's rude," Sarya interjects.
Nari shrugs, "I mean I guess. I'm much shorter than the rest of my family if that's what you mean. Debilitating illness will do that to you. I was on track to be a very large person before."
"That's what I keep telling myself," Raijun comments. Nari looks him over and just nods as Sarya snickers in the background. "Hey, look you don't start growing until your like twenty eight okay?"
"Are you children?" Nari asks looking them over again.
"I'm an adult," Raijun pouts.
Ayen turns back and looks over everyone, "This room does not exist. Nor have we ever been into it. It's going to be a little crowded in there as usually it's just me and one other in the chair. You are welcome to leave at anytime. If you have... ways of assisting in this questioning it would be most appreciated as time is not on our side here. Understood."
"Don't worry sensei. I won't let you down," Raijun intones.
"Low bar." Ayen turns, approaching a cask on the far wall and extends his hand out and in a sequence pushes aspects of the crest in. As he does, they start to glow along with the symbol on his chest. As he rotates his hand the false barrel cover opens. Inside, the group sees the semi-glowing form of Lylah and the dead body of Irik.
Irik's body is broken as Lylah looks out at the group expectantly. The only other objects in the room is a small gurney cart with four diamonds and a rolled up toolkit. The floor is standard concrete and the body sits in the singular chair in the room. There's blood staining the ground, almost artfully, radiating out from the chair. Ayen turns to one of the guards, "Go get the welcome package. Make sure it's hot."
"Should we set the bones before we start?" Lylah asks.
"I mean I was doing some whispering this morning," Nari comments. "If you got five questions I can get you there without all the fuss if I can keep one of the diamonds."
"That won't be necessary Oracle," Lylah responds, "As these are not for communicating with the body in this form."
Ayen, calmer than he has been all night, removes his jacket and the rings and places them down onto the cart. "One of you boys care to help me with this?" He gestures to the body. The boys reset the body until it is more whole. As they conclude Ayen nods to Lylah, "Alright."
"You should gag him," Nari comments.
"He is a bard," Sarya adds.
"You can see the calluses on his fingers."
Ayen looks again, "Good call," he ties the hands of Irik to the chair such that they can't be used to cast but does not gag him. As Ayen concludes he motions to Lylah, who this time steps up with one of the diamonds pushing it into the form.
"You might want to protect your eyes," She comments as the diamond dissolves into light. As Irik comes back to consciousness Lylah steps back, "you are back amongst the living. This is a gift. You do not have many more chances remaining. Do you understand?"
Irik looks around wildly until his eyes find the group, he starts smiling, "That was quite a trick. Quite a trick. What a performance. What a performance. Well, what do I owe the pleasure?"
Ayen steps up, "Just know at any point," before snapping his neck.
There's a knock on the false door as a tray of food is brought down. Lylah repeats the process and with a breath Irik starts coughing.
"You can rest assured I prefer to work quick and effective," Ayen says as he takes a bite of food. "It's not poisoned or dosed with anything I'm sure you are prepared to ingest and be resistant to. It's just good food. If you would like I can feed you some of it and we can begin our discussion."
Irik laughs, "How many? How many did you let die on those tracks? I have to admit the old man does still have it about him Raijun. He's always sharp. Always sharp. Did you like the little tune I left around the city for ya," He smiles.
"You guys just never stop do ya?" Raijun asks.
Irik laughs, "Oh stopping means death. How else are we supposed to bring just the right amount of chaos?"
"I know you're too far gone Irik. But there are a lot of kids that get taken in by the Immortals that get taken in that don't have to lead these lives. Trust me, if you leave, you'll feel a lot better."
"Who says I want to leave," Irik laughs.
"Yeah I kinda figured you were a little far gone. But I don't think my associate, Ayen here, is letting you go anywhere because we need some information. You see, you guys took one of my friends. And it's probably not gonna fly with my other friends. So I'd like to know where Iroh told you to rendezvous so we can go find her and save her. Now I suppose you've already seen what the hard way looks like so we could always try the easy way?"
"Do you think I have anything left to lose," Still laughing, "They left me behind. Something I know you're all to familiar with. But I'm not as pretty as her am I? You just tend to lose the ones you care about the most."
"At least I had someone to care about. Look at you, all alone and tossed aside by the people you swore yourself too. You were nothing but a tool and even more of one than me. So I don't think you are one to talk." Raijun looks over Irik, "Well Ayen, I don't think the easy way is going to happen tonight."
"Good," Adama smiles stepping up.
"Oh how'd you like our little friend?" Irik asks Adama. "We brought him in just for you. You were a little knife happy last time so we brought him in just for you."
"Are you talking about the alligator guy?"
"Yeah I was really looking forward to him ripping your arm off."
"It was fun," Adama laughs almost matching Irik's mania. "I haven't broken an arm or bled that much in decades. It was some of the best fun I've had in years. But lets not talk about your friend isn't who I get to play with now." Suddenly serious, "You are."
Irik's façade fades for a moment as the situation begins to sink in. He notices the demeanor and state of those in the room, taking in how they are all standing despite the recent attempt, before his eyes find the two remaining diamonds on the table.
"So I died before. I know its an uncomfortable feeling. I didn't like coming back. It's all murky and mucky and you feel all types of... You don't even feel like yourself sometimes. You look in the mirror and you aren't even really sure who you are looking at. I'm pretty sure these fancy ass people aren't going to let you murder half their town and get away with it. So there's a couple ways this will probably play. We can keep murdering you and bringing you back but I don't think that's going to have an effect on you. But you know what I think might touch your soul enough to make you care. Don't bards need hands?"
Irik looks back at the diamonds on the table nodding smiling at Adama. "Yes hit me."
"Why would I hit you? You're my friend. Why would I hurt a friend. We're just waiting for you to have a conversation with us."
"Well friend what can I tell you? What does my buddy want to know?"
"Where are your friends gathering? I want to meet them again."
"Oh I'm sure they are long gone now."
"But I have something they want. See they only got part of what they want not all of it."
"Oh? And what could you possibly have that's worth more than an anchor of magic?"
"More of them. See you'd just be doing you job if you told us where they were at. You were assigned to get all the scrolls and you don't have that."
"We got one more than we bargained for. One more than we planned for. It was the jackpot. You have another one?"
"You'd be surprised how many we have."
Irik's eyes go wide, "You do. You do you do you do you do you do! Oh this is interesting!"
"All you have to do to finish your mission is tell us where they are."
"Can I have one more? Please. Just for the hell of it."
Adama kills Irik. Lylah almost moves to stop him but doesn't seeing Ayen not moving. Nari sighs.
"So I have a recommendation before we bring our friend back to life," Adama says to the group. "He's a bard. Just remove his hands." Raijun and Ayen go back and forth on if that's a good idea as Adama contemplates the Immortals mission. "Ayen," He says after a moment, "just to be sure you can't scry on this room right?"
"This is one of the most protected rooms in the house. It is guarded against that."
"Good. I just let a secret go that should not be out there."
As Adama questions the protections of the room, Nari feels a chill and looks down to sees the scab from her earlier confrontation bleeding. Nari's tattoos flash as she peers past the vale and into the realm of invisibility. As she does she sees a figure next to each of the Wardens. Black robe, the figure with mangled face and horns seems to be peering at each of them. Each of the versions of them have their own pose but they stand near each person in the room investigating them. As Nari extends her detect thoughts she doesn't feel anything.
Telepathically to Ayen, "We're not alone."
Nari looks around again, trying not to give away that she can see each of the figures. As she inspects them they all seem tied together their threads extending back toward the one looking at Irik. She focuses on the thread tying the figures together and then back to Irik. They seem to be tracing something along Irik's collarbone like someone would examine a piece of jewelry. Nari takes the thread that binds them together and to Irik and the location. As she does it appears momentarily for the group as it fractures in a fractal of triangles as the form flashes into view before it disappears. Before the last form disappears, it hisses, "My domain."
"Well. Now we're clear. Do any of you know these folks?" Nari asks, creating an illusion of the robed figure.
All of the Wardens see the form, formerly identified by Sarya as Surat Khatia appear in Nari's hands. "There were seven of them? Also -" Nari splays out the tool kit on the table pulling out a scalpel. Sarya starts to answer about Surrat but stops to watch Nari. Nari walks over to the body of Irik and cuts into where the figure was investigating. There's a thin line on the neck, a bruise about the size of a baseball caved in. While she's working she motions to the others, "You were saying?"
"They..." Sarya starts, "they were at the party too. Ayen, I don't know how he's gotten around-"
"What? Why am I just hearing about this now?"
"I was... thinking about other things," Sarya admits guiltily. "They are one of the Untamed. They were one of the original members. They are obsessed with pain and pleasure and sin. You just... you don't want to meet them in a dark alley. Surrat, like I said is one of the original ones. And all of them are marked by some... pillar? I don't know. Some sort of magical pillar. They all have scars from them. Those scars give them extra powerful magic. And above all... Well... no I take it back. All of them are cruel. I should have told have told you sooner."
"Yes you should have," Ayen argues.
"Not you!" Sarya retorts.
Meanwhile, as Sarya and Ayen talk, Nari finds a faint imprint of a warding arcane sigil bruised into the muscle beneath the skin. "People don't usually just show up, when I control my magic," Nari adds.
"I don't know anything about that," Sarya insists, "Just that they can do things others can't.
Nari turns to Adama, "I think your secret, whatever cat you let out of the bag is well and truly gone."
"Oh that's absolutely wonderful," Adama bites. Whirling on Ayen, "So how the hell did they get in? I couldn't cast fireball, even minor illusion. I tried to disguise myself and I couldn't get through the door. So I'm just dying to know how they snuck into your overly powerful magic house."
"Well magic only goes so far," Ayen explains. "It wards direct magic magical influence. Doesn't stop people from other abilities or practical abilities of disguising themselves as someone else."
"That wasn't it though," Sarya corrects. "No one else, could see them."
"That is concerning as the protections along the house were evaluated and determined to be effective. Nari was the one who evaluated them against the initial scrying attempts. And we can see now that she knows what she's doing."
"Does she really?" Adama asks.
Nari doesn't dignify Adama with a response, still cutting into the dead form of Irik, "You mentioned a dragon earlier?"
"That's not the point right now," Adama barks.
"It might be though," Sarya says thoughtfully.
"What caused a fucking dragon?" Nari asks. "Those wards shouldn't let a dragon appear. You can't conjure through them either. Trust me -"
"A nether scroll Nari," Raijun adds. "The transmutation one. I think something happened to her where she had two personalities which really would explain a lot-"
"Okay," Nari cuts him off. "So scrolls break the wards." She pauses, "Yes?"
Raijun and Adama agree.
"Do you know who has the divination scroll?"
"We do not...." Adama considers.
"You know it's a work in progress, and I think we're making good progress-" Raijun starts.
"I've solved your case," Nari exclaims. She pulls up the image of Surrat again before turning back to the body. "But we have bigger problems right now." She turns to Lylah. "Lylah can you get him up again. Let's speed this up."
"One left," Lylah says as she goes to bring him back.
Ayen stops her, "What's that Nari?" Pointing to the incision she made.
"Some kind of ward? Abjuration isn't really my strong suit."
"Was there anything on him," Ayen asks.
Nari shakes her head, "doesn't deem like it."
Ayen leaves asking one of the guards. The guard comes in confused, "Uh no. There was nothing on the body. There was nothing around his neck."
Nari turns to the rest of the group, "Did any of you... Am I correct in assuming this was your handy work and why you look like..." gesturing to the dust that coats most of the Wardens.
"I mean the bomb was his," Sarya clarifies. "But yes we were fighting."
"Was he wearing anything? Around his neck?"
The group considers and Adama remembers seeing Irik playing with something around their neck before tucking it beneath their shirt.
"I'd imagine that's what you're looking for," Nari comments gesturing to the bruise. "It's hard to tell with just leftover magic. I mean we could just ask him," Nari suggests nodding to Lylah.
"Are we ready to continue?"
"I need him a little healthier this time," Nari requests.
"Very well," Lylah gives him a little more bringing him back with a little more fight.
"Oooh, getting down to the wire aren't we," Irik jokes, focusing on the one remaining diamond.
"My turn," Nari says, placing her hands on Irik's temples. As she does her eyes light up indigo, a second later Irik's eyes light up as he shouts in pain. In Nari's sight, she takes the mental bonds that attach to Irik and pulls heavily on them, dragging herself into his psyche as she dives into his thoughts.
"Ask your questions again," Nari's voice commands out of Irik.
"Where's your rendezvous spot?" Adama asks,
"There's a trade ship down in the harbor, a T logo on the side," The words are coming out of Irik but sound like Nari. "Irik's disembarking from the ship and there is a plan to meet there once it's done, they have twenty four hours."
"Do you have a backup plan?"
There's an increasing grimace from Irik, but he clockwork orange smiles through it. The images come again and this time the words come from Nari's mouth. "There's a capsule in the back of his teeth that was either swallowed or damaged. Or there is a known hideout that only those who have walked in shadow may find."
"How many members of your team are there? And who are they?"
"A wizard cut by your blade, a flash of him hiding behind some of the topiary that had had fallen as a bear of man fighting Ayen when there is an eruption from the side. A flash of Crypt's fallen body as the memory changes to that of a birdcage. Dartina is seen with Iroh disembarking the ship."
"And of the Untamed?" Sarya questions.
Nari describes a dusty sand filled shack as she recounts the vision that Tintreach had after the attack on the community center (see The Voiceless Scream - Lion's Crest).
There's a flash as the scene changes to the port of Drel'Themar where the two group met again more recently.
Another flash as the combined group has a confrontation in a familiar lab, thirteen stories up. As Nari inspects the memory something seems wrong with the memory. Nari goes to try to pull the memory extracting it out for later investigation, as she does she's wracked with pain as blood starts to seep from her nose and ears.
As she grabs the corrupted memory she sees the figure falling out of the window, but other shadows show him on top of the other individual his hands around his head. But then the man is falling again, the images flicker as the man is yelling. There's a storm of dust and particles around this individual that is contesting and yelling at the one that is smiling walking outside of the window.
Nari, head aching, reaches behind her and pulls out a jar. She places the memory, indigo with sunbursts of orange swimming in it, into the jar as she breathes heavily, tucking the jar away for later. "Any other questions?" she asks tiredly.
"Wow that looked like that hurt," Adama comments.
"What's your favorite color?" Raijun asks.
A quizzical look flashes on Irik's face as a memory of a daffodil comes into Nari's mind as she sees Irik pressing flows in a book and hiding them quickly as Raijun comes racing into the room.
"Who brought you all together? It must have been someone," Adama questions.
His mind flashes back to the first vision of the groups meeting. As a strong and jagged physique figure steps forward. A robed man clearly a genasi build, perhaps earth.
"What does Nasir, want with the scrolls?" Sarya asks.
There's a guilty smile on Irik's face as the memory flashes to outside of the shack. Nasir is looking down at a locket, clearly unaware that Irik is there. Inside the locket is an almost statuesque woman looking off into the distance, her profile is beautiful. It's in that moment that the imposing man from the image before is conveyed with a sense of a soul. But as soon as Irik is discovered the memories black out and Irik begins to cry. The woman looks close enough in years to the man that Nari guesses that it would be a wife instead of a daughter.
Sarya turns to the others, "Would the scrolls be able to bring someone back from the dead. Long dead?"
"Best that we've learned thus far the scrolls give you all the access to the spells from that school. So there are spells that would let you bring back someone dead for hundreds of years," Adama answers.
"Theoretically," Nari adds, "If someone got their hands on the necromancy scroll they would have access to all kinds of things. You could do some crazy shit with that thing."
"Oh right. Yeah. With great power comes great responsibility I suppose," Raijun comments sheepishly.
As Sarya thinks she remembers that Nalla Alzalam death was not long before she joined the Untamed but she also knows that it wasn't talked about. As Nari minor illusions the woman in the locket Sarya comments, half to herself, "So that's what Nalla looked like."
"So boss, are we keeping him?" Nari asks Ayen. "Oh shoot we forgot to ask about the necklace." Turning back to Irik, "I don't suppose you want to just tell us about the necklace before we have to go through that again."
"Just standard protocol," Irik answers, "no prying eyes."
"Oh. Probably an anti-divination ward," Nari remarks, "It would explain by what'd you call him... Surrat? Was interested in it. If you had the anti-divination ward on top of the house it would be pretty hard to pierce. I'm glad you didn't try to have me track one of them earlier. Your girl will be much easier to track until they slip one on her. I mean if they do, I'm not an abjuration piercer specifically."
"Interesting," Ayen thinks aloud, "I was only able to find him because I could sense him. Cause I had seen him before," Ayen looks puzzled.
"Do you remember the memory of the fight with the bear guy," Adama asks Ayen.
"I remember having that encounter. And then waking up a few days later, and having this," he pats his leg, "quite new."
Nari glances at Ayen's rings on the table, "I mean he's clearly not wearing the necklace now. Your guards say he didn't have it when they found him. It's possible that it only started work after whatever happened, happened. I'm gonna guess this is involved with all those 'flashes of light' we saw all over the city?"
"Is the room still secure?" Adama asks Nari.
Nari peers around the room before nodding to Adama that they are the only ones she sees.
"Then I think the question to ask now is what are we doing with him," Adama nods at Irik. "I mean anyone else need to get out some aggression? It was a kinda shit day."
"No," Raijun answers, "I think I'm going to direct it toward Iroh when I find him. Bout time the student became the master," Raijun cracks his knuckles.
Irik laughs, "Many things have changed at home brother. You should go and visit I'm sure he would love to see you."
"What's changed?"
"Leadership," Irik cackles
"Really? I thought that Akuma was going to be up there forever."
"He's gone to a worse place... Just a shame I'm gonna miss it," Irik laughs.
Raijun turns, "the structure goes I was a captain of a squad and then lieutenants and all the way at the top there was a leader. And I think he got usurped by one of the nastiest people I ever met... That's not good for us."
"So are we done playing? Are we done playing?" Irik echoes. " Are you going to go and try to rescue your little friend? That is if she's still alive. There's no reason. Money doesn't matter. Only the mission. Only chaos."
Ayen looks at the group before stepping up to the tool kit pulling out a vial. He shakes it a little as the group hears a very viscous liquid slosh inside. "Well, we appreciate your time. And your willingness to cooperate. It was certainly a lot easier than it could have been. You have the people around you to thank as they are the ones who gave you mercy, 'cause I will not." Ayen forces the vial into Iriks mouth before carefully coating Irik's nose with the rest of it. As Irik dies of suffocation, Ayen turns to the group, "Well, I think we could do with a little bit of a rest right now. But ready yourselves and we'll be going off to the temple in about an hour."

Negotiations

As the camera zooms out into the rain we see it shift to another part of the city, below ground, to a rusty and musty cot as Myra awakens. Around her, a chair, a tray of food, Iroh meditating. Her hands are untied but she's shackled to the bed, as she shifts they seem to glow slightly. She feels the weight of magic suppression weigh on her, searching the room until she finds the familiar figure of Alsume sitting on a bench bolted to the ground in the corner.
Alsume looks up as she stirs, but it's Iroh who talks first, "Miss Stagwood. I hope that you recover well. How badly does your head feel?"
"I mean it's not the most pleasant sleep I've ever had but who am I to complain?"
"I hope we can resolve the last bit of our work here with some... civility and decorum. The execution of our stratagem at the station was a necessary one. It's unfortunate that my former protegee felt the need for violence when all of this could be avoided and you could be back with your companions, your family. And the city would not be half in ruin. So I beseech you, as I understand you are a logical and pragmatic woman, release the remaining scroll you have in your possession and this will all be over."
"Then what?" "We'll go on our way our business is concluded. The Immortals have no reason to pursue you further."
Myra studies his face, "And how many more millions will die if I give you the scroll?"
"Millions die every day. The world, this plane that we live on, is a vortex of chaos. A constant struggle to maintain itself against other forces. You cannot stop the will. The fates. You can just choose to live your life and better those around you."
"That's what you plan on doing with the scrolls," Myra asks skeptically, "'bettering those around you'?"
"There's no concern, the... true purpose of which we were asked to acquire... Initially we were asked to do so due to our discretion. However we did not account for the aptitude of your group or even the fact that my greatest pupil was still alive."
"So what? Burn the world? Create the chaos? I try to prevent it... what's it all for?"
Alsume leans forward, "It doesn't matter. Nothing does. But what does, what you have the power to control here. Is what happens to you." Dartina steps forward from the shadows where Myra had missed her. Alsume continues, "You see, we're on a bit of a clock here. And we'd like to move things along. So if you're not going to cooperate," magic swells around Dartina's fingers, "we're going to have to resort to other options."
"You never told me what the end goal is. How could I possibly help you without knowing what you hope to do."
Dartina steps forward, pressing her finger into Myra's cheeks and temples as she feels a slicing pain in her mind. Dartina smiles as Myra's feels her riffling through her mind, "Your friends aren't coming. Best case scenario they were buried under the rubble. If they did make it out why would they come for you?"
Myra pauses, thinking back to the room earlier in the evening as her friends stood around her, holding her close. "I think you underestimate how much they like to hold a grudge," Myra clarifies, attempting to conceal her true feelings. "Adama took the last person who hurt him like that and asked me to turn them into a chair."
Alsume and Dartina look to each for a second, Alsume stands, "so it's a no then?"
Myra gestures to her leg, "You can certainly try."
"That shouldn't be a problem," Alsume motions and Thueban steps forward from the shadows, licking his lips.

Report Date

10 Aug 2022

Primary Location

Kolis-Tane

Secondary Location

Stagwood Estate

Related Characters

• Garrett Stagwood
• Alsume
• Ayen
• Dartina
• Gameta
• Irik
• Iroh
• Laura Mooncrest
• Lylah Lightbringer
• Max
• Nasir Alzalam
• Surat Khatia
• Thueban