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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Fantasy Thriller OPEN The Calm Before the Storm - Dieselpunk, Urban Fantasy

Discussion in 'Role Playing Forum' started by TheAdmiral, Jul 5, 2020.

  1. Darth_Elu

    Darth_Elu Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2003
    OOC: Woo Hoo! Post #100!

    Cinna Crystalglade IC:

    ~The Fountain of Knowledge Bookstore, Basileus~

    Judging by the chuckle and excited ‘Excellent, sir!’ response; Cinna immediately knew he had been handed an expensive book. My, my. But a man did need to pay his bills after all and a lord did indeed have access to quite the sums of money.

    It would be but a charitable act to donate to this man and his fine store!

    He waited patiently as he thought a moment to his question of any other titles and found himself now holding The Hyborian Age.

    “It is a collection of ancient myths and stories from before the time of the Dragons. It mentions long dead civilizations of the Lemurians, the Atlanteans. We know it as the Age of Darkness, but the Dragon Elisander chose a different term, hence the title.”

    Cinna stared at the cover for a moment, missing the look behind his shoulder from the older man. Hm. He knew of the dragon spoken of, anyone who knew anything, did. Could be interesting. Before he could say anything in reply, a voice surprised him from behind. His wings briefly fluttering in startlement. Not something that happened often, which was something of note.

    “I see you have found yourself another victim,” a woman’s voice gave off some light laughter, “Spreading knowledge in this day and age of moving pictures, radios, and newspapers.”

    Lord Crystalglade turned to view the newcomer and was amazed at the beauty before him. His eyes narrowed slightly subconsciously. Not in suspicion or irritation, but of wondering. She seemed familiar to him, he was fairly certain he knew of her or at least seen her before in the past. Alas! He could not place her name immediately however. They likely had never talked directly before.

    Had he not the ultimate beauty as his lover already, admittedly, this woman would have been tempting. Too bad for her, that he had already claimed his rose.

    “My, quiet feet you possess, dear lady,” he stated while giving a small bow.

    “Nothing wrong with a little reading these days,” he looked back at the bookseller, “I’ll take both by the way. Just lead the way to the register.”

    His eyes flicked over to the woman again. She was here for a reason. Her very countenance betrayed that fact. “You can follow, naturally. I suspect you aren’t here for any books currently as it is.”

    Cinna gave her an expectant smile and waited for the man to lead the way.

    Tag: Bookseller & Lady Eleanor Al’meera @TheAdmiral

    *****
    Giniro J’andra IC:
    ~Dining Hall, Enterprise~

    As he moved to help Mieli, he finally noticed Lieutenant Tyler also coming over to assist. Oh good! Perhaps now he wouldn’t completely embarrass himself when trying to pick up the keg with the dwarf. He gave the man a warm smile and turned back to help again. When they were done, and he panted for just a moment (but not as bad as thought since the Lieutenant came to help as well), the moment of the shadow occurred.

    Giniro made his comment and made his way toward his seat again, his fur on end, when the old voice of Professor Johanness Petreus floated over from where he suddenly had appeared.

    “Some call it the Herald of the Ancient Ones. It won’t do us any harm as it is a mere illusion, a play of the senses.”

    Giniro sat down and wrinkled his nose a bit. “That’s good, I would hate to have a run in with any sea monster!”

    For some reason, his fur didn’t completely calm yet though. Maybe give it a few more minutes…

    “Any one know how long we’re in for before we reach Aleyas?”

    It was a bad attempt at switching topics and likely wouldn’t last long, but at least he tried! Plus they had a Lady in their company, it wouldn’t do to frighten her!

    Tag: Chief Engineer Mieli Hartsson, Lieutenant Tyler Petreus, Professor Johanness Petreus, Lady Delfina, & Pascale Rouser @TheAdmiral @Jerjerrod-Lennox @Mistress_Renata
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2020
  2. Ktala

    Ktala Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2002
    Zanna Wai'leena
    Orkon Boulevard, Basileus

    As Zanna returned to the room, the mood was slightly changed. Only one thing could make such a change. And it certainly was not the housekeeper.

    It was HER.
    Irine.

    Rumors said that she was the most famous cat burglar in the Empire. And the only person that Zanna knew of, who seemed to magically evade Andrath's capture. Whether it was on purpose or not, Zanna could never tell. But he always got, strange... whenever she was involved.

    But the letter also meant that she had been watching, or at least had spies who did so. Her musing was interrupted as Andrath addressed her.

    “Thank you, Zanna, could you put the ice in that thick silver-looking pot on the far end of the counter? The one with the small dent in it. You’ll have to lift the lid and make sure to put it back on.”

    Zanna nodded, as she walked over to the silver-looing pot, and placed the ice inside, as he had instructed, being careful to secure the lid after.

    Setting the brush down at last, he grabbed some of his adhesive tape and began wrapping it around the gold metallic handle of his looking glass, pressing firmly and waiting a few moments. Zanna smiled. She knew what he was doing here. Fingermarks. He had explained the process, and she had watched him do it many times since they had been working together. So she stayed silent, as she watched him, moving to make sure she got a good view while staying out of his light.

    When ready, he slowly peeled the tape back off and placed them on the blank cards, sandwiching for protection and setting it aside at the corner of the desk. Now for the draconium, the fingerprints he could come back to.

    Andrath peeled off his gloves, tossed them into a trash bin, then proceeded to put new ones on as he maneuvered toward the vials.

    “Tell me, Zanna. Do you have any idea of what I’m about to check for?”

    Zanna looked from the ice in the pot, over towards the vials of draconian and not-draconian. She scrunched up her face, as her wings flapped slowly.

    "No Andrath. I have no idea what you are checking for? She knew that salt changed some qualities of ice. But she was not sure about draconian. She looked at him curiously. She knew an explanation would most likely be forthcoming.


    TAG: @Darth_Elu, @TheAdmiral
     
  3. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    IC: Pascale Rouser
    Location: Sailing on the Enterprise


    The feline had decided to help the dwarf out whilst Pascale watched and ate. The dwarf kept muttering about things in a rather impolite manner and Pascale wished he would just knock it off.

    The feline’s fur then stood on end regarding the storm and Pascale had an inkling that maybe the male had sensed danger ahead. It was not uncommon for species like these to have their own heightened senses whereas a humans was more rudimentary. The clouds however did not look like the normal storm clouds you would get, they looked more red in colour. And was that a shape in there?

    Might be imagining things, I've not even touched a drop of drink yet….

    The noble looking lady moved to the window “I hope I’m not imagining things, but I thought…it looks like… there seems to be something there in the storm. You can see the silhouette against the sky when the lighting flashes, look! It looks…almost like a machine of some sort. But it couldn't be, could it?”

    “I doubt it” he responded “Unless of course it is a warning created by someone to send us away or to perhaps frighten us into submission. But these are uncharted lands, they have been explored but not fully. Did the other exploration team that came before us see the same thing? Perhaps” it would be worth looking in the book to find out. But the ship was definitely rolling with the waves, he was a hardened traveler so this should not be as bad for him as maybe the others.

    “Some call it the Herald of the Ancient Ones.” came the old but still vivacious voice of the Old Man, the Professor. “It won’t do us any harm as it is a mere illusion, a play of the senses.” the old man had arrived presumably to join them for dinner. He of course had mentioned that there were legends of these Ancient Ones to Rouser himself but would the others believe these sort of tales?. For Pascale it was something worth investigating especially if it was linked to an ancient civilisation and also if they left anything behind.

    The felinoid’s fur was still standing up and no wonder if the clouds looked like that and you saw something looked possibly ominous but maybe it wasn't.

    Pascale folded his arms and looked at the lady and the feline “These Ancient Ones were possibly on the continent we are heading to. There is a book which I am about to look at that chronicles these Ancient Ones but unfortunately the pages have been removed so we have no way of knowing if they were actually real or the stuff of legends. Of course when it comes to archeology, legends can also become true” he smiled at that.

    “Now whether they actually left anything behind for us to see that they were indeed part of this world I do not know. But what I do know is that perhaps some of the tribes on the continent maybe worshiped them, saw them as deities or God’s, perhaps even made sacrifices to them. But with no knowledge on these beings it’s up to us to find out and perhaps chronicle things that the previous expedition did not if indeed they did find anything. There are mysteries to be solved….”

    He looked to the old man “Did you not say to me that we may pass over one sleeping over the bottom of the ocean?”

    TAG: @TheAdmiral , @Darth_Elu , @Mistress_Renata
     
  4. TheAdmiral

    TheAdmiral Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2004
    IC: Mister Luteus
    Location: the Imperial Palace


    The Prince and Princess’ former tutor and currently a teacher to some of the children of the smaller Houses who were selected to be educated in the Capitol, was making his way through the Palace. He loved his job and excelled at it. His favourite perks were having access to the Imperial Library and being able to shape the minds of the future rulers of the Empire.

    The Library had so many interesting and exciting volumes, especially the ones pertaining to the occult and arkane. Speaking of which he noticed a certain hooded figure that fascinated him. The so-called Jester. No one knew his identity, or his species, such an enigmatic person. Maybe follow him around, maybe he could get a glimpse of the truth…

    TAG: @Sinrebirth

    IC: Mrs. Letitia
    Location: Orkon Boulevard, the capital city of Basileus


    Mrs. Letitia frowned at the faerie move downstairs. The woman was going to touch her stuff again! Those two are anarchists! With all the criminals and unsavoury types coming and going, though it seems they landed a better streak now that the Princess came to visit them.

    “Yes, we are going to meet at the Luna! How did you know?” she narrowed her eyes, did he have her followed?

    “By the way, since you will be getting higher profile cases, the costs of maintaining the house will be increasing...” there was a greedy glimmer in her eyes, but the two of them were mostly ignoring her, doing who knows what. “Also Mister Inageiros, if you need something from the kitchen please refer to me...” she said with dignity and like the human-steam locomotive that she was she turned around and waddled towards the stairs.

    *************

    Meanwhile at the corner overlooking the house a mysterious woman observed the window. A faint smile appeared on her lips before she turned and left, mixing with the crowd.


    [​IMG]

    TAG: @Darth_Elu @Ktala

    IC: Morrigan
    Location: Lady Talathee’s Nobles Apartments, Basileus City


    Morrigan gave a small smile to cover the relief she felt for it not being too formal a meeting. She sat in the comfortable chair and straightened her skirt, she was still getting used to the stupid thing, but that was part of the “uniform”, so she had to go with it.

    She wanted to wave dismissively about the visit to the Halls. The Lady should not bother herself with those idiots, who could not see the difference between a parlour trick and real magic, but that was an opinion that she had to bury deep. Her first days in the capitol were rife with scandal as she exposed much of their ignorance, though the Grand Master of the Order stood up for her, though she had to make certain concessions, so here she was…

    “I am sure they will be excited to have you.” Morrigan smiled again and nodded as she took the cup and poured some drink. The Patriarch, that made her frown for a second “That is a name not mentioned very often. He is an Imperial Mage, sits on the Council, very powerful and very… eccentric.” that was to put it mildly “I think he had some connection to Lady Al’meera, but I don’t do gossip.” she shrugged “Where did you meet him?”

    TAG: @greyjedi125
     
  5. greyjedi125

    greyjedi125 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 29, 2002
    Lady Kardis Talathee
    Lady Talathee’s Nobles Apartments, Basileus City

    “Hmmmm.” Lady Talathee’s pensive hum sounded almost musical.

    Not that she needed confirmation for herself as to the Patriarch’s power, that she could sense for herself, but now she had an idea as to how he was generally seen by others, the reputation he’d garnered.

    ‘A name not mentioned very often. An Imperial Mage who sat on the Council.Very Powerful….very eccentric….’

    It seemed he was respected, and perhaps feared. But not revered.

    Most intriguing.

    “I think he had some connection to Lady Al’meera, but I don’t do gossip.” Lady Morrigan said with a shrug “Where did you meet him?”

    There was a twinkle in Kardis’ eye. This one was sharp and clever, she liked that.

    “We met in private.” She confessed quite casually, only confirming that they had met, but nothing else, at least for the moment. She had yet to take a proper a measure of Morrigan, especially if she were to say more. She suspected there was more to the unofficial visit and she was willing to 'play along' and wait for the 'true reason' to reveal itself.

    “And it’s not gossip if you are simply informing a newcomer of the things she should know, especially if what you are saying is true.”

    Kardis leaned forward as a demonstration of interest, her jewelry sparkling as she did so.

    This time, a beautiful servant girl appeared with a copy of the The Telegraph in hand. She curtsied politely as soon as Kardis turned her head and noticed her. The beautiful half-elf smiled, then the girl dutifully brought the paper to her, which she gracefully accepted. The girl then curtsied once again to both Lady Morrigan, and Kardis, before making a happy exit.

    One would think they had been speaking to each other, though no audible words were exchanged.

    “Well, isn’t this interesting?” Kardis exclaimed taking a cursory glance at the headlines.

    LIZARDMEN IN MACKLEBURG, FRIENDS OR FOES?

    SOULSUCKING VAMPIRE STRIKES AGAIN!

    MAN MADE OUT OF CLAY STALKS THE CEMETERIES! ARE THE DEAD RISING!?

    She chuckled in amusement before returning her attention back to Morrigan.

    “There’s never a dull moment here in Basileus…” She commented, referencing the headlines.

    “Still, I’d rather be made aware if Lady Al’meera is someone I should know and meet, yes?”

    Picking up her saucer and cup, she too sipped on her tea. Morrigan’s impromptu visit so far was quite delightful.



    Tag: @TheAdmiral , @Shadowsun *mentioned
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2020
  6. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    IC: Lady Delfina of Parnassa
    Dining Hall, Enterprise


    Delfina took a second look at the...thing…and looked back at the others. It wasn’t her imagination…they all exchanged an uneasy look. They must have seen it, too.

    Dr. Rouser cleared his throat. “I doubt it. Unless, of course, it is a warning created by someone to send us away or to perhaps frighten us into submission. But these are uncharted lands, they have been explored but not fully."

    “Some call it the Herald of the Ancient Ones.” came the old but still vivacious voice of the Old Man, the Professor. “It won’t do us any harm as it is a mere illusion, a play of the senses.”

    Delfi pursed her lips. She was often underestimated, and she knew when she was being humored. This was not an illusion or a play of the senses. There was something out there. She slowly returned to her seat. She was done, but some of the others were still eating and it would be rude to leave before they finished.

    Dr. J’andra spoke up. “That’s good, I would hate to have a run in with any sea monster!” His voice had a note of forced joviality, but Delfi noticed that his fur was still on end. “Anyone know how long we’re in for before we reach Aleyas?”

    His attempt to change the subject fell flat. Dr. Rouser had followed up on the Professor’s comment. “These Ancient Ones were possibly on the continent we are heading to. There is a book which I am about to look at that chronicles these Ancient Ones but unfortunately the pages have been removed so we have no way of knowing if they were actually real or the stuff of legends. Of course, when it comes to archeology, legends can also become true.” He smiled at that, and continued.

    “Now whether they actually left anything behind for us to see that they were indeed part of this world I do not know. But what I do know is that perhaps some of the tribes on the continent maybe worshiped them, saw them as deities or God’s, perhaps even made sacrifices to them. But with no knowledge on these beings it’s up to us to find out and perhaps chronicle things that the previous expedition did not if indeed they did find anything. There are mysteries to be solved….”

    Rouser looked to the old man “Did you not say to me that we may pass over one sleeping over the bottom of the ocean?”

    Delfi accepted a cup of truly awful coffee and looked at the Professor. Could the machine be something of their ancient technology? It was impossible to see anything now; the rain was in sheets on the glass of the porthole and outside it was pitch dark. She hoped it let up a bit before they had to return to their cabin. No matter how you looked at it, her shoes were going to be ruined.

    She pretended to sip the coffee, and waited for the old man’s answer.


    TAG: @TheAdmiral, @Darth_Elu, @Jerjerrod-Lennox
     
  7. Darth_Elu

    Darth_Elu Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2003
    Andrath Inageiros IC:
    ~Mind’s Rest, Basileus~

    “Yes, we are going to meet at the Luna! How did you know?”

    Andrath kept up his work on the looking glass, only briefly looking up and gazing over at Mrs. Letitia.

    “I’ve seen the posters for the Book Club outside the window, merely confirming.” A pause. “Oh, and that store always has this peculiar old smell to it, I can smell it when you return from there.”

    He actually rather liked the scent of The Luna, but his phrasing would likely put the woman off. Not that he realized it, so focused he was back on his work.

    In the time between then and when she spoke again, Zanna had returned and was setting things in the pot as asked and he was finishing up his fingerprinting.

    He was vaguely aware of his housekeeper having said something more, but unfortunately for her, he really couldn’t be bothered right then. Delicate process you know, have to concentrate. When finished and switching gloves, he looked back toward where she stood.

    “Hm? Letitia, you said something?”

    Oh. She was already gone. Very well then, must not have been important. He turned to Zanna at that point and had asked his question.

    “Tell me, Zanna. Do you have any idea of what I’m about to check for?”

    Her simple look from the ice to the vials, before even the facial and wing expressions, gave away the answer. He only smiled lightly as he began to move to the diminutive vials.

    “No, Andrath. I have no idea what you are checking for?”

    He picked up the vials and gave another quick glance at them under the concentrated light, comparing them before answering.

    “In short,” he straightened with one in each hand, “Everything.”

    Moving over to the mortar and pestle laid out on a counter near all the pots, he tipped just a bit more than a pinch of the genuine draconium into the granite bowl. He also put a bit more than a pinch of the synthetic on a small piece of paper next to it.

    “I must compare how they both look under light, how they feel and smell (he paused as he remembered to take a whiff of each of the opened vials), how do they each react to: pressure, heat, cold, water, shocks, and each other. For a start. Magic and science, for all its popularized and polarized contrast in the papers and so-called philosophers, work hand in hand! Through this, we gain a mutual and concurrent understanding of each.”

    Andrath smiled at the obvious truth of it all and went to put a little more than a pinch of the real draconium into the pot with the ice. He should have remembered to pull out a second one for the ice, oh well, he’d get to it momentarily.

    Putting the toppers back on the little containers, he set them aside by the ice pot and turned to look at Zanna.

    “This is when our teamwork shall again work to our advantage, my dear friend! While I’m busy here researching the results, there are fresh leads out there! We cannot loiter around and miss them! I need you to explore around Basileus a bit, get a feel out there.”

    The investigator tapped a finger to his chin and hummed to himself in thought for about fifteen seconds. “Might I suggest the paperboy as a beginning juncture? You know, the usual one we often see? I forget the lad’s name. See if he has seen or heard anything.”

    The elf returned to the mortar and began to crush the genuine draconium into a truly fine powder to see how it looked and potentially reacted. He looked over to Zanna one more time.

    “Was there anything else you think you noticed or believe we should check into after our conversation with royalty? Oh! And which direction did she head in?”

    He had nearly forgotten to ask.

    Tag: Mrs. Letitia & Zanna @TheAdmiral @Ktala
     
  8. TheAdmiral

    TheAdmiral Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2004
    IC: Mister Bates
    Location: Imperialis Park, Basileus


    Mister Bates was Lady Al’Meera’s footman and he was sent on a special assignment. He was to deliver a message on her behalf to a certain Masked individual. He had seen the man before in the Al’Meera estate, no one of the servants liked him and their Mistress seemed amused by that and by him.

    Bates was crossing Imperialis Park, he liked to take the scenic route. He was sure the good Lady would not mind. The thing was that he was not aware that his mind and will were not entirely his own. He was like a puppet on strings. He was following a certain will, that had a general sense of where the Masked Man currently was.

    Mister Bates had not asked himself how he knew where to look for the Masked Man in the first place. He guessed that he would have to walk around the neighbourhood until the will that was pulling the strings caught the scent. Oh there was always a scent when it came to mages. Especially the powerful ones like him.

    The will was a benevolent one, it just wanted to make sure the footman completed his mission. The scent was strong in the Park. It led him towards a more secluded area of it, where few people ventured.

    There he was. Mister Bates did not need to be a psychic to know that the man was agitated. “Ah, Milord, how fortunate, I was sent to deliver this letter to you.” he smiled broadly and handed him an elegant envelope.

    Dinner tonight?

    Please don’t take it out on the help.

    E.


    Was all it said on the sheet of paper.

    TAG: @Shadowsun

    Location: The streets of Basileus

    It was getting dark in Basileus, a man was lighting the streetlamps one by one, chasing the darkness away and providing a rather false sense of security to its citizens. The Ranger was safe, there was no one nearby who could hurt him. His numerous adventures and travels had made him rather immune to being surprised.

    But that made him attuned to feeling the faint sensations floating around, looking for someone who had his mind open to such things. It invited him, leading him towards the old part of town, where certain mysteries resided and the spirits of a bygone age were still roaming…

    TAG: @darthbernael

    IC: the Bookseller, Lady Eleanor Al’meera
    Location: Alley near the Luna, The Fountain of Knowledge Bookstore


    The Bookseller gave the Lady a conspiratorial look. He knew why she was here. She wanted to observe. They had tried this with other clients, but there was no reaction, no charge in the air. Here it all fit quite nicely, it felt right. He was rather disappointed that it felt rather anticlimactic, but these things usually were. Only in the books and the moving pictures there was fanfare during important events.

    The faerie Lord just joined in a game that spun millennia. Just another player. He and Lady Eleanor had identified some of the others. They had help too, the Old Man Petreuss was leading some of them on a very important mission half a world away.

    The prophecies were coming true, it could be seen in the stars and the shifting “winds” of the magic. The Ancient Ones wanted their world back. They would need to be stopped.

    Lady Eleanor chuckled softly at his comment “Or maybe you were too distracted with the books?” she tilted her head.

    The Lady nodded and followed him to the register “It is refreshing seeing someone buying books in this day and age of radios, newspapers and moving pictures.” she smiled sadly “But you are right, I am not here to purchase a book, I happened to notice another denizen of the Court. One whom I had not had the pleasure to meet before. I am Lady Eleanor Al’Meera.”

    TAG: @Darth_Elu
     
  9. Shadowsun

    Shadowsun Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2017
    The Patriarch
    Imperialis Park, Basileus

    After wandering the streets for sometime The Patriarch found himself in Imperialis park. Pacing up and down, a whole host of thoughts racing in his mind. Everything was going so well and she had to show up. Her meddling could cause everything to go off the rails. His stress causing the runes that sealed his magical odor to loosen slightly. He breathed in, trying to regain control. If he were to let them loose all the way...

    He turned toward the silly human that was shoving a piece of paper in his face. He had half a mind to kill him where he stood. Instead he snapped his fingers, tiny ice shards, about the size of needle forming along Mister Bates back, piercing into him causing severe pain. He took the piece of paper, reading over it.

    Dinner tonight?

    Please don’t take it out on the help.

    E.

    He chuckled slightly upon reading the letter, perhaps they would be able to come to an arrangement. She knew him so well. He snapped his fingers again, melting the ice shards in an instant.

    "Tell her I'll be there, I have some business to attend to." He wondered how Kardis was doing, and when she expected to be introduced into the Royal court. He folded the invitation, storing it in his robe. He contemplated where he should go now, perhaps the palace, see if anything interesting was a foot.

    TAG: @TheAdmiral Mentioned: @greyjedi125
     
  10. TheAdmiral

    TheAdmiral Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2004
    OOC: Just a note that after your replies to the tags there will be a time jump, so take the opportunity to wrap up before we move forward.

    IC: Prince Arturias Atreus
    Location: On-board the HIMAS “Aquila”, en-route from Aleyas to Basileus


    The Prince smirked “I aim to please.” he chuckled again “Also it is good being on the same page with my subjects.”

    “Good thing I am not the gambling type.” he laughed, he knew of stories of nobles losing everything playing poker or other games. They were looked down at for being foolish, but gambling was a dangerous addiction. His father tried to fight such establishments but they just went underground, so any taxes that the Empire could have earned were lost. Also the killings increased now that it was done in the shadows and in the Imperial underbelly. “Or I might have lost the Throne.”

    Arturias sighed “It is not up to me I am afraid.” he smiled sadly “I go where my father wills me to.” he shrugged.

    “If only we could employ that Detective, Inagi… something.” he pursed his lips “My sister is fascinated by the stories that the papers are publishing about him. I tried to tell her that it is all this new business field...” he waved his hand trying to remember the name “... marketing or whatever.” he sighed “You can’t even trust the press...”

    TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox

    IC: Chief Engineer Mieli Hartsson, Lieutenant Tyler Petreus, Professor Johanness Petreus
    On-board the exploration vessel “Enterprise”


    “Argh, pish-posh.” Mieli waved his hand dismissively.

    “Several days, Doctor J’andra. We are getting closer.” the Old Man smiled “There will be more strange things to be seen when we get to Aleyas.” his smile turned feral.

    He nodded to Pascale “Indeed, there is no physical evidence of these Ancient Ones.” he continued “Though there are buildings, temples, even lost cities where we are going.” Johanness turned solemn “You must know that some of the tribes are cannibals and others are not keen on talking about the Ancient Ones.”

    Tyler decided to interject “That is why me and my men are here, we are going to keep you safe.”

    There was a sudden burst of laughter and a loud belch “If I knew that the cook had brought true dwarven ale I would have stolen it earlier and drank it myself! You long-legs have no taste!”

    The Old Man and Tyler ignored him and Johanness turned to Pascale again “It is only a story, unfortunately there is no way to verify it. Though I hear we are making headways into submersible crafts.”

    “Anyway we should enjoy the rest of the dinner, before Mister Mieli drinks himself unconscious...” the Professor smirked and sat in an empty seat.

    The dwarf gave a wide grin showing the missing teeth. Some ale foam trickled on his beard.

    TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox @Darth_Elu @Mistress_Renata
     
  11. Ktala

    Ktala Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2002
    Zanna Wai'leena
    Orkon Boulevard, Basileus

    Zanna admitted to Andrath that she had no idea what he was about to do. Always into the dramatics. He knew darn well she had no clue.

    He picked up the vials and gave another quick glance at them under the concentrated light, comparing them before answering.

    “In short,” he straightened with one in each hand, “Everything.”

    Zanna worked hard not to roll her eyes. She watched as Andrath walked over to the mortar and pestle laid out on a counter near all the pots, he tipped just a bit more than a pinch of the genuine draconium into the granite bowl. He also put a bit more than a pinch of the synthetic on a small piece of paper next to it.

    “I must compare how they both look under light, how they feel and smell (he paused as he remembered to take a whiff of each of the opened vials), how do they each react to: pressure, heat, cold, water, shocks, and each other. For a start. Magic and science, for all its popularized and polarized contrast in the papers and so-called philosophers, work hand in hand! Through this, we gain a mutual and concurrent understanding of each.”

    Andrath smiled, but Zanna looked over, worried. A sniff too hard and he might start experiencing the side effects himself. Putting the toppers back on the little containers, he set them aside by the ice pot and turned to look at Zanna.

    “This is when our teamwork shall again work to our advantage, my dear friend! While I’m busy here researching the results, there are fresh leads out there! We cannot loiter around and miss them! I need you to explore around Basileus a bit, get a feel out there.”

    Zanna wings stopped moving, and she looked over towards Andrath. "Really?" she echoed. The investigator tapped a finger to his chin and hummed to himself in thought for about fifteen seconds. “Might I suggest the paperboy as a beginning juncture? You know, the usual one we often see? I forget the lad’s name. See if he has seen or heard anything.” Zanna nodded slowly. Yes, I know which one you are talking about. Alrighty. I'll see what I can find." she stated, as she

    The elf returned to the mortar and began to crush the genuine draconium into a truly fine powder to see how it looked and potentially reacted. He looked over to Zanna one more time, slipping a few items into her pocket.

    “Was there anything else you think you noticed or believe we should check into after our conversation with royalty? Oh! And which direction did she head in?”

    Zanna quickly told Andrath what direction the car headed in. She then paused in thought to his other question. "I think..." Zanna paused before continuing, "I think we need to find out how the real stuff is processed, and who's responsible for checking on the purity of the stuff?" Zanna stated slowly. "But would need to do it, like we were researching for another reason. Because the ramifications if word got out we were looking at something serious about .. 'that', Zanna pointed to the small vials, could do a lot of damage." Zanna grabbed her jacket. "Great way to set someone up to take a fall," she added.

    Zanna slipped on her light jacket, which of course was made so that she could slip her wings thru. Once she was sure that Andrath was finished speaking, she headed out, to see if she could find the local paperboy, and round up some information.

    TAG: @Darth_Elu, @TheAdmiral
     
  12. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    IC: Milos Terric
    Location: Bridge, HIMAS Aquila, en-route from Aleyas to Basileus


    Terric had to smile at the Prince’s behaviour. The Prince seemed well at ease with him. They were both young and in Milos’s case a thirty year old being in charge of the whole of the Imperial Navy was probably seen by the more established older people as a challenge to them and their beliefs. The Prince however and he were on the same page on things apart from the political officers issue but perhaps Terric could count on him as an ally when the shooting started.

    Well that all depended on what would happen next with the Lizard Men.

    “Your father may tell you to go somewhere but sometimes you may have to have a bit of independence. You are a young man and all young people do like to rebel sometimes, it’s all the part of growing up” he had to smirk at that “Your father of course rules all, but don’t you want to bring some of your opinions forward?. To perhaps help your father out? Especially if these rumblings are true about rebellion in the ranks. Because to be honest if he won’t listen to you then how do you become a leader?. Your leadership ideas and detective work especially in this case could stand you in good stead with the public, the Houses that are loyal and your family.”

    He tilted his head to the side slightly “Detective Inageiros I believe he is called. Yes even us military types have heard about his adventures. And yes, even we read the media” he frowned “He could maybe be useful. I don’t know how much he charges for services. And if he’s got the attention of your sister well let’s hope if she has heard any rumblings around that she has gotten to him first. Of course i’m generalizing here but to be honest a private detective could have a neutral viewpoint on things and not be clouded by House loyalties and such.”

    Milos then chuckled again “Ah the media. I believe I was once called a warmonger in the press because apparently they decided that my tactics against a couple of rouge boats were considered overkill. They had to eventually retract it after the leadership were not too pleased and I had a few….choice words with the person who did the interview. But the media will twist and turn things to suit their narrative. It has always been the way. Even during peace time they will keep the masses living in fear. And if there is rebellion and a threat of a war? Even worse. Sometimes though we can use them to our advantage and this might just be our chance.”

    He patted the Prince on the shoulder “Let’s see what we can do with these Lizard Men and see if we can make sure this remains peaceful. Otherwise the press will be clamouring for headlines that will indicate war is coming….”

    TAG: @TheAdmiral , mention for @Darth_Elu
     
  13. Darth_Elu

    Darth_Elu Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2003
    Cinna Crystalglade IC:
    ~The Fountain of Knowledge Bookstore, Basileus~

    The beautiful woman tilted her head with a little chuckle that came from her lips quite naturally. Cinna noted this all with an amused and intrigued expression of his own.

    “Or maybe you were too distracted with the books?”

    He gave a little titter at the return and clutched the books to him tighter a moment as he bowed with a free hand twirling downward in a little flourish. One of his more common mannerisms.

    “Leave it to the wit of a lady to expose me so! Quite right and quite likely, milady.”

    With that he straightened and lead the way to the register to complete his transaction with the gentleman running the establishment. The lady continued to speak as they moved.

    “It is refreshing seeing someone buying books in this day and age of radios, newspapers and moving pictures.”

    Lord Cinna Crystalglade allowed himself a wry little smile and a glint in the corner of his eye, but said nothing as she clearly intended to extend her introduction.

    “But you are right, I am not here to purchase a book, I happened to notice another denizen of the Court. One whom I had not had the pleasure to meet before. I am Lady Eleanor Al’Meera.”

    A flash of recognition came and went in his eyes as he set his purchases on the counter, where he turned to face her once more for a moment.

    “The very same? My, my.”

    Oh yes. He had heard of her name before. Always with that ripple of influence trailing behind it, the shadow of expectation. And yet somehow, strangely, they had never actually crossed paths before. Till this day. How very interesting.

    How very notable.

    Cinna gave a smile and a more formal bow, “Lady Al’Meera it is an honor to finally meet your acquaintance. I have heard much of your name and now a pretty face to match with it at last,” he winked, “To take an interest in little ol’ me is rather flattering of you. But I suppose the Court does have its traditions and ways to consider, no? As I’m sure you are aware, being the only faerie after all, I am Lord Cinna Crystalglade.”

    With a smile and his focus returned on finishing the purchase at last, his face not betraying how he felt on the final (rather exorbitant) amount, he asked her in his jovial tone.

    “How may I be of assistance to you this day? Surely there is something, a first meeting is an occasion to mark with fine memories!”

    Tag: Mysterious Bookseller & Lady Eleanor Al’Meera @TheAdmiral
     
  14. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    IC Teirvonel
    The streets of Basileus


    Teirvonel had tucked the newsheet under his arm after perusing the various stories. He strolled along a main thoroughfare, enjoying as the day turned to night. The sounds, the essence, the aura was subtly different at night but no less enjoyable. As he walked he felt currents in the air that others may not have. A tight smile touched his face, ’Seems someone else desires an audience this night, in the Shadow Quarter.’ he thought to himself.

    He paused, away from the gaslights that lit the main streets, so his eyes could adjust before he made his way through various side streets that led to where he was being drawn. He didn’t, not directly, follow the currents that were enticing him, sure that if he had said being that drew him in had their own agents along the way to test him and learn more of him before he arrived.

    As he approached the air grew thick with disembodied whispers, flickers of motion at the corners of his eyes, ones that disappeared if he attempted to look, and sounds that seemed out of place. The Quarter was living up to its reputation. He stopped, close to where the currents were thickening, in the shadows of an alleyway, and looked out on the darker street that fronted it. He could sense that whatever drew him was close and he loosened his sword in its scabbard before stepping out and walking casually closer to the source of the currents.

    This part of town smelled of ancient history. It used to be part of a small coastal town, back when the Dragons ruled the known world. The truth though was that it was there before even them. It was built over an ancient city and its spirits were still "alive". Here magic was powerful, seductive... primal.

    Something was waking up within Basileus. Something ancient and ravenous. But for now the people were safe, but what the future held was another matter.

    The Ranger met only few people, and they mostly kept to themselves. The place was not run down, but had this decrepit feel to it. It was also the home of some of the oldest families, who enjoyed dabbling in things that were forbidden even during the times of the Dragons.

    Teirvonel smiled tightly as he walked, memories stirring. He could sense movement, in the shadows, in the buildings as he passed but he was mostly left alone. As he walked a feeling that had been brewing began to firm up, that Basileus was in even more turmoil than he’d originally thought. He’d come to do what was needed but this felt even older than what his goals were. ”Faal ancients awaken, slowly, nuz nust los!”* he muttered to himself.

    He continued to follow the currents that had drawn him here, passing larger houses, set back from the streets, families whose lineage had served the Dragons and those that had come before. Some had fallen on harder times but that was the nature of things when the current powers that be were distrustful of a families motives due to their past. ”Nust survive nuz ahst what cost?”* whispered forth from his lips as he passed the edifices.

    He could feel things stirring, old things, ones that knew him, not personally, but when wakened would seek out such. His eyes narrowed and seemed to gleam that yellow glow they had with the newsboy earlier, for a moment. Shaking his head softly, his eyes returned to their icey blue and his expression firmed. Whatever it was that was drawing him had better have a good reason or he’d be forced to act, in ways he still prefered to keep to himself for now.

    And that would announce things he’d rather others not know yet.

    A gust of wind passed through the street. It was not the normal kind. It felt like death. There was something else in it, a faint laughter that passed through and disappeared. Most people would believe that it was just a peculiar sound effect, but the ones who were in the know, they were aware that an entity was amused. "You can go now, little Ranger, we saw what we wanted to see..." came a whisper in his mind.

    Teirvonel paused, a small smirk touching the corner of his lips. It was as he’d suspected, simply a test. And he’d given whatever the being that had drawn him what he wanted to give it. The arrogance of the ancient beings that dwelt here was ever present. He chuckled, a sound that in the almost abandoned streets carried far.

    His mind, only a fraction of what it truly was, reached out to his host in this exchange. ’I will take my leave, but glad you got what you thought you needed. Now stay out of my way while I do what I need.’ He turned on his heel and began to make his way out of the Shadow Quarter.

    *The Ancients awaken, slowly, but they are
    *They survive but at what cost?

    TAG: @TheAdmiral
     
  15. Darth_Elu

    Darth_Elu Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2003
    Giniro J’andra IC:
    ~Dining Hall, Enterprise~

    “Several days, Doctor J’andra. We are getting closer. There will be more strange things to be seen when we get to Aleyas.”

    The way the Old Man said that and his feral smile, to make any felinoid proud on his behalf, made Giniro grimace. It did not sound very pleasant, not very pleasant at all. Perhaps this voyage was going to be even more dangerous than he thought?

    Inwardly he sighed, but steeled himself. What would be, would be. He had a job to do. So long as these Ancient Ones kept away and far from him, he figured his chances at staying out of trouble were good enough.

    He leaned over to Lady Delfina at one point near the end of the dinner and whispered.

    “Something tells me we will need to keep an eye out for each other.”

    The way Pascale was talking, as was the others, they were all glory seekers to an extent and almost eager to run into such dangers or stubborn enough to ignore the danger, insisting they could handle it. (The irony of this thought process eluded him)

    He and the noble lady, in his mind, were more simple by design. One was gifted with greater social stature, to be sure, but simple in taste. Or maybe he was just projecting? Either way, he kept his head down for the rest of the dinner and departed for his room with a quiet ‘excuse me, have a good night’ when it was time to finish.

    The felinoid needed some rest and he needed some preparation for the rigors to come.

    Tag: Chief Engineer Mieli Hartsson, Lieutenant Tyler Petreus, Professor Johanness Petreus, Lady Delfina, & Pascale Rouser @TheAdmiral @Mistress_Renata @Jerjerrod-Lennox

    *****
    Andrath Inageiros IC:
    ~Mind’s Rest, Basileus~

    Andrath paid no heed to Zanna’s signs of worry. Touching, but unnecessary. He had done such things countless times! Though, hm, perhaps a touch more careful. Just a touch! Draconium. Volatile stuff.

    As he worked, he nodded to Zanna’s answers to his last question.

    “I think…I think we need to find out how the real stuff is processed, and who’s responsible for checking on the purity of the stuff? But would need to do it, like we were researching for another reason. Because the ramifications if word got out we were looking at something serious about…’that’ could do a lot of damage. Great way to set someone up to take a fall.”

    “Quite astute, Zanna. Quite astute. It is partially the reasoning on why I asked for the personnel rosters for some of the places I mentioned earlier, I can start picking out individuals who seem likely to have answers yet unlikely to be too far involved,” a pause as he considered to himself possible scenarios, “hopefully at any rate. But you are right about the false lead as why we are there.”

    He gave her one last grin before she left.

    “Isn’t this fun?”

    Tag: Zanna @Ktala @TheAdmiral
     
  16. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    IC: Pascale Rouser
    Location: Sailing on the Enterprise


    As the old man spoke to Doctor J’andra he wondered if the feline man and the young noble lady knew what they were getting into. They thought that this would probably be a walk in the park. They may have no idea what they were about to get into.

    Of course he hoped that none of them would get into trouble. But when dealing with strange new worlds and new civilisations you never knew what they could be like. And the Old Man seemed to know more about what was there…

    He nodded to Pascale “Indeed, there is no physical evidence of these Ancient Ones.” he continued “Though there are buildings, temples, even lost cities where we are going.” Johannes turned solemn “You must know that some of the tribes are cannibals and others are not keen on talking about the Ancient Ones.”

    That would no doubt scare the other two. Especially maybe the noble lady. Cannibalistic tribes? No doubt the security team from what Tyler was saying would relish taking on these tribes if anybody became in danger. But Pascale despised violence. Of course he carried weapons but he only used them when necessary. And the noble lady would certainly need a bit of protecting unless she was one of those types who could take care of herself if needed. Although to be honest by the way she was looking at the security chief Tyler she could be relying on him to be her knight in shining armour.

    The feline man? Still an unknown entity. And he was completely ignoring Pascale and talking to the noble lady. Looks like distrust is being sowed already in the ranks. How disrespectful. You might be working on your own for this adventure, no matter, I am quite used to it.

    As the Old Man continued he wondered if the Old Man wasn't telling the truth. Pascale reckoned he believed all these stories that he had been talking to Pascale about. Maybe for the benefit of the others he was trying to temper it down but he wasn't fooling Pascale. These Ancient Ones were probably real, why would someone chronicle them in a book only for the pages to go missing? Did maybe he have an inkling of what they contained? And why would he talk to Pascale about this only if he didn't believe in some truth to it?. Or maybe he thought on;y Pascale would believe these sorts of things as the others would probably think these all sounded a bit far-fetched.

    Submersible craft could be useful to see if there is one lurking at the bottom of the ocean…..

    He finished his dinner, looking at the other two as he finished off to see if they were still having any more private conversations. Dr J’andra departed and Pascale had to shake his head. What gentleman would not escort a lady back to her cabin?. Well if she didn't go with him Tyler probably would. And he still had to read the book before he went to bed.

    He gave the feline a nod as he departed and then rose from his seat giving the noble lady a smile. “I shall depart as well for my cabin, although if you would like an escort back to your cabin milady I would of course do the honours. If not, then I will bid you goodnight and I shall see you in the morning”.

    TAG: @TheAdmiral , @Mistress_Renata , @Darth_Elu
     
  17. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    IC: Lady Delfina of Parnassa
    Enterprise

    DIARY UPDATE, DAY FOUR:
    Weather: stormy

    Well, a horrific storm blew up while we were at dinner! Very unnatural, according to the sailors. Red sky at night, sailor's delight, so a beautiful sunset usually means fine weather. But instead, after an hour or two, very black clouds rolled in with lightning. Pitch black, except when the lightning flashed, and showed the sky as green, and then pink. And there was a shape there, very tall and squared off, like a house or a building. Which the Professor and Dr. Rouser waved off as possibly hallucinatory, the mind playing tricks. But I know what I saw! The air felt...strange. As if there were magicks about.

    Dr. Rouser walked me back to my cabin, although Lieutenant Tyler came too, walking on my other side. I have done some history studies, but there aren't many sources available on the Ancient Ones, and I asked him if he could give me a reading list and he said he would. It would be too much to hope that there are any among the books I packed, perhaps I can get them when we reach Aleyas. I only wish that he and the Professor wouldn't be so maddeningly vague! But I found him a very interesting person. Granny would like to meet him, I'm sure.

    Anyway... I've hung my gown up to dry. I'll do the smoothing cantrip in the morning to get the wrinkles out. I don't think anything will save the shoes, but I'll try something in the morning, and I can always send them to a second-hand clothing place. Someone will want them, they are Boulatains, after all!

    I can't wait until we arrive; it is frightfully hard to write in a storm like this... oh, bother, the lights just went out!

    TAG: Anyone
     
  18. TheAdmiral

    TheAdmiral Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2004
    Location: The streets of Basileus

    A gust of wind washed over the Ranger. There was amusement in it and an unspoken threat. The Shadow Quarters were not done with him. Some unfortunate souls who for some reason stumbled upon the place had disappeared in the maze of the streets that seem to change with every turn, not being able to find their way back, their feeble minds shattered, but the place did not have such a fate in store for the Ranger. There was a faint shimmer on the side of the wall of one of the buildings. It was an ancient glyph, only visible to the ones with magical sight. What was it? No one knows, but one thing was for sure, it was supposed to lead to another glyph and then another… To where? That too no one knows. Or at least no one had shared or lived to do so.

    [​IMG]

    A once-Auguste palace
    Become a shelter for the beautiful,
    The days of sovereigns tick along,
    Up to, but not beyond.


    Came the faint whisper in his mind. A riddle perhaps? A clue to the location of the next one?

    OOC: Riddle taken from Assassin’s Creed Unity

    TAG: @darthbernael


    Imperialis Park, Basileus

    The footman bowed his head and strolled away, trying not to run from this horrible man. How dare use magic on him! The Mistress will learn of this! Were some of the not so expletive thoughts that had crossed his mind.

    The Patriarch surely did not care, nor notice the man after he gave him his reply. There was something that had caught his attention. There was a faint chiming sound, like tiny bells ringing.

    What could make such a thing? Was someone trying to pull a prank? How dare they! Or maybe it was Ulthwe’s doing? Or the Primarch? No, the sounds were somewhat immaterial, as if coming from his mind. Maybe it was the onset of madness?

    There would be a sudden urge to walk, as if in a trance. The intensity of the ringing will change depending on which direction he took. It meant that they were leading him somewhere? But where?

    The Park’s alleys were mostly empty as the good people were going back home for supper. There it was, a monument that represented an open book. It was a donation of the Alchemical Society. There the ringing was the loudest.

    The Patriarch was drawn to it, on the face said the banal phrase Knowledge is Power, but without a warning this strange image magically appeared.

    [​IMG]

    Is your mind open to learn? came the whisper in his mind.

    TAG: @Shadowsun

    IC: the Bookseller, Lady Eleanor Al’meera
    Location: Alley near the Luna, The Fountain of Knowledge Bookstore


    The Bookseller and the Lady shared a look for a second. She gave a soft and melodic chuckle as she covered her mouth. “Yes, the very same.” she gave a small smile. You never meet Lady Al’meera without her willing you to do so, not even the Emperor. A peculiarity that no one seemed to have noticed. “I am also aware of your identity.” there was a tiny vestige of a smirk on her lips. “It was mostly a social call, a spur of the moment thing.”, a small lie “I would like to have a chat with you whenever your schedule permits. A cup of coffee or tea, perhaps?” the Lady then gave an enigmatic smile “Though I am sure you have more enjoyable things planned for this evening.” a vague hint to a certain villa and a certain Princess…

    TAG: @Darth_Elu
     
  19. greyjedi125

    greyjedi125 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 29, 2002
    A spot of tea with @TheAdmiral

    ****************************************************

    Lady Kardis Talathee

    Lady Talathee’s Nobles Apartments, Basileus City

    Kardis offered a reassuring smile to her lovely guest.

    "I can cast a concealment spell to ensure our privacy should that make you feel more at ease."

    The half-elf tentatively moved her hands in a graceful fashion as she spoke.

    "Clairvoyants really hate being blocked- you'll immediately know who they are by their expressions."

    Kardis chuckled at a memory, then gave an innocent shrug.

    "A simple nod of agreement and it will be done."

    Her tattoos pulsed softly as she waited for confirmation from Morrigan.

    Morrigan chuckled softly "If you want..." she smirked "Though they can sense that there is a spell in place and that will make them suspicious." she shrugged "But I don't mind either way."

    "Then let us speak freely...." Kardis intoned with confident ease, her weaving motions ceasing without completing the spell. She would wonder who indeed would be able to sense her spell, but the mere fact that there was someone 'sensing' such things revealed and confirmed certain preconceptions about the Arcane Society in Basileus. Also intriguing was the fact that such an action would automatically be construed as 'suspicious'. This was often a sign of mistrust and unrest. Most intriguing.There would be more than enough time for Lady Talethee's to conduct her own investigation, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

    "...Since I suppose your words will reveal nothing that isn't already know."

    Something that remains yet to be seen.


    "So- Lady Al'meera...you were saying...?"

    Morrigan gave a small smile "We were talking about Lady Al'Meera, right?" she tilted her head. Morrigan frowned at the headlines of The Telegraph. Such sensationalist pieces of nonsense. She sighed "She is definitely someone to meet, but you should know that she chooses who to see." Morrigan pursed her lips "So if you prove interesting to her she will send you an invitation or see you herself." she shrugged "Even the Emperor has to take these things into consideration."

    Kardis thought about the response for a moment, but had no other real point of reference to weigh things further.

    "Well, I guess I could work on making myself 'more' interesting then." She stated with an easy smile.

    "I'm curious about the rules and laws of Magic Use here in Basileus, especially because of your reaction just now. What are key points I would need to know?"

    Morrigan gave an enigmatic smile "Oh, you don't need to make yourself interesting." she smirked "I am sure you will get an invitation or there will be a chance meeting." Morrigan chuckled. She then turned serious "You must not use it to harm anyone, unless for self-defence, but believe me even then you should try to avoid it, the lawyers here like to twist things in such a way that to make you look guiltier." she scoffed "Parlour tricks are allowed, but no dark or blood magic, though I am sure you know that since those two are forbidden everywhere."

    'Not everywhere' Kardis thought to herself, but also decided to keep that thought to herself.

    "Of course, everyone knows that." She agreed affably, offering a smile before taking another sip of her tea.

    'Basileus, the city of neutered mages.' she scoffed mentally and absently wondered who or what power enforced these strange laws against the arcane.

    Still, it was nice having a civilized chat like this.


    Tag: @TheAdmiral
     
  20. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: The Jester
    The Libraries, the Royal Palace

    Luteus was as obvious as he was irrelevant, and the Jester was simply percolating, looking for a skein of fate to follow, or perhaps a moment to embrace the story and dive in. His little sparrows and owls were fluttering, and the scales would be relevant undoubtedly... he'd not advised the Royal Family for all this time to choke here and now. Everything was... nearly in place. He seemed to need to head into Basileus City proper, and oil the gears of change.

    Slowly, inexorably, flicking his hand slightly to cause the lights in the library to dim perceptibly, he peered at Luteus.

    "Can I help, Tutor?"

    TAG: @TheAdmiral

     
  21. Shadowsun

    Shadowsun Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2017
    The Patriarch
    Whispers of Power

    The Patriarch was most confused about the strange chiming sound. As he walked towards its source it only grew in intensity. His interest was piqued, today seemed to be filled with many curiosities. The magic felt old, ancient in fact, this was not the work of Ulthwe or the Primarch. Was this another ploy by Lady Al'meera? No it did not have the aura of her magic. No it could not be, for if it was them? For even to him they were a mere legend. The ancient ones.

    He read over the phrase knowledge is power, a sentiment he whole heartedly agreed with. As he did so the strange image flashed into his mind as another phrase was whispered into it.

    Is your mind open to learn?

    Under normal circumstances The Patriarch would of sealed his mind off, trying to disconnect it from whatever sorcerer was casting the spell. But this was not the cheap parlor trick of a bored mage, no this was far greater. The Patriarch opened his mind, allowing whatever entity was communicating with him to enter his mind. He replied simply:

    My mind is open.

    TAG: @TheAdmiral
     
  22. TheAdmiral

    TheAdmiral Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2004
    Orkon Boulevard, Basileus

    Sometimes you can find a clue at the most banal and obvious places. The problem with great minds is that sometimes they filter out such minutiae. But the individuals possessing unique minds, they thrived on such trivia.

    Though it remains to be seen if the Great Detective notices a small print on the cap of the vial containing the artificial Draconium. There laid the logo of a certain Pharmacological company that had gone bankrupt not long ago. Its name was Apothecarium, a rather fancy and sophisticated sounding name, but that was the norm among healers, alchemists, mages.

    [​IMG]

    You might ask, so what? Another failed company. The problem is that there are very few producers of such vials. You see, Draconium must be carried in a governmentally approved container, corresponding to certain state standards (ISS-1541:10 - for those of you who are interested in bureaucratic nonsense).

    Anyway, whoever gets their hands on a sealed Imperial Approval to produce such a thing, it is guaranteed that they will not go bankrupt in the foreseeable future. At least until a better container is made or the Draconium runs out or becomes obsolete.

    To skip the financial machinations that went behind the scene, which involved the Basileus Stock Market, investor panic and dumping of the company shares, someone had taken upon themselves to destroy the company. The whole stock of vials, Draconium ore, machinery, patents, everything had been bought off by different companies, all related to a certain Masked Man and a certain secretive Order. The last fact was not a common knowledge, only a select circle of people were aware of that fact.

    Anyway, this particular vial came from a batch that had been bought off. Surely there was some sort of paper trail.

    One last coincidence (or is it?) the Apothecarium Company used to belong to the Al’Meera house…

    TAG: @Darth_Elu

    Location: The streets of Basileus

    Zanna was being followed. But not from anyone involved in their current case. Anyway in their line of work you get a number of enemies. It was getting late and that paper boy was nowhere to be found. He was still talking to a certain Ranger, so his “area” has been unattended.

    There were fewer people on the streets. Zanna was being tailed by a human male. Hopefully it was not that maniac the Ripper or whatever his name was. Or maybe he was working for that Mathematics Professor turned criminal mastermind?

    “Spare a crown, sister?” came the voice of a fairie male, a handsome representative of the species. A roguish grin split his face. Zanna knew of him from her past. He called himself The King of Rats of the beggars, pickpockets and other street vagabonds’ makeshift guild. His name was Krassius Albans, but that did not carry such weight as the title he had stolen from the previous owner.

    His sudden appearance forced the human to pause and then turn towards another street. Maybe another time, when there were not so many witnesses? After all you did not want to attack The King of Rats in his domain, the streets.

    He and Zanna used to run around in the same group, until she was found by Andrath, something that had changed her life. Now she used her experience as a street urchin to fight crime, right wrongs and so on.

    TAG: @Ktala

    IC: Prince Arturias Atreus
    Location: On-board the HIMAS “Aquila”, en-route from Aleyas to Basileus


    That was a nice sentiment that the Captain had, so the Prince gave a sad smile “Thank you for your support, but...” he shrugged “You know how it is, we are all part of a pyramidal hierarchy and everyone has their place.” Arturias sighed. “But my father listens, but not always can do anything about what he is being advised. After all court intrigue and all that...” he was sure he could finish the sentence in his mind. The Prince should avoid cussing in public, or that was what his tutor had used to say to him.

    “I hope that my sister knows what she is doing.” Arturias did not divulge his doubts as to the reasons Jori was interested in the Detective’s services. She and her mother had their own game. “Yes, the media are vultures.” he snorted in derision. “I hope things will go peacefully as well.” he smiled “Anyway, Captain, I have been distracting you for long enough. I will go to my quarters.”

    TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox
     
  23. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    IC: Milos Terric
    Location: Bridge, HIMAS Aquila, en-route from Aleyas to Basileus


    Terric had to smile, him and the Prince were getting along like a house on fire.

    It was nice to have a sort of casual chat with royalty. If Terric was honest with himself it was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity. Most of the time he was stuck in meetings only seeing them from afar. To have a candid chat like this even though it was in quiet tones so the traitors wouldn't pick up on anything.

    “Well let me just say this Your Majesty. I may be at the top of my profession, the top of the tree in the Imperial Navy but I always listen to what people have to say so long as it is’nt too idiotic sounding. Plus it gives trust to your subordinates that their suggestions are being listened to and they are even better than your own” he chuckled “I know I am known as a tactical genius in some circles” he raised his hand “I know, I know I am blowing my own trumpet a bit. But even I make mistakes and it’s best to know how to improve things too”.

    “Of course you still have to treat them like subordinates sometimes but often treating people like equals is the way to go if you want a happy crew. Although in this case unfortunately we have a few unhappy people in our midst”.

    He raised an eyebrow “If your sister doesn't know what she has possibly gotten into then it could be dangerous for your family. But I suppose putting her faith in the private detective may solve the mystery or create new ones anyway”

    He then stepped back and smartly saluted “I wish you a good and peaceful rest Your Majesty, if you need anything just let me or my crew know” he then waved forward the Prince’s escort to take him back to the VIP chambers they had set up for him.

    Terric hoped it would all turn out peaceful in the end….

    TAG: @TheAdmiral
     
  24. Ktala

    Ktala Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2002
    Zanna Wai'leena
    The streets of Basileus

    Zanna was very careful when she walked the streets. She was always careful to not have her cash and her change in the same place. And the higher bills were hidden well away. As she used to be from the streets, this was a natural thing to do for her. And working with Andrath was no walk in the park either. The man had solved many cases, so not everyone was in love with him. Unfortunately, that seemed to include her in the mayhem, but not always.

    So as she made her way about, looking for the paperboy, she did not spot him. Unusual. He could normally be heard, hawking his wares. She knew him, and would occasionally toss an extra coin his way. After all, anyone who stood out in the streets all day was a great pair of ears and eyes. But if she didn't find him, she had another spot in mind.

    “Spare a crown, sister?”

    Zanna turned at the voice and then grinned wildly. Her wings spread wide in greetings. An old friend indeed! The King of Rats, a title known by many. Krassius Albans, a lesser name, known by few. The fairy man seemed to be faring well.

    Zanna smiled and gave him a bow. "For you, your Majesty, I'm sure I can scrounge up a crown or two," she responded in greetings. She then walked up to him and gave a small curtsey. "So, what brings you out on this side of town? I was looking for the kid who sells papers, but maybe you know some good tales traveling the Bas?" she asked him, as she tucked her wings behind her.

    "It's been a while, and I just got back to the city. What be drawing you to my side of town?" she asked him. He always had a reason for doing things. And he had uncanny luck that was downright amazing. And he always kept his ear tuned to the city's rumblings. So if something major was going on, he would most likely know.

    TAG: @TheAdmiral
     
  25. Darth_Elu

    Darth_Elu Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2003
    Cinna Crystalglade IC:
    ~Fountain of Knowledge Bookstore, Basileus~

    The first exchange between the Bookseller and Lady Al’Meera was unnoticed, due to its timing. But this second one? Cinna had been looking right at her due to the conversation, so without turning his head, the way her eyes moved betrayed the silent interaction going on.

    My, my, my. Well, wasn’t this quaint?

    The two knew each other somehow and they clearly had thoughts regarding this meeting. Were they working together or simply allied and this was a coincidental meeting? Hard to say, but of a certainty, they were connected. A bookseller? Hmph.

    No longer just a bookseller now. There was more to the man than met the eye, but for now, digging into his full identity was not his priority.

    “Yes, the very same. I am also aware of your identity.”

    Indeed. As he had said himself, that was quite likely given his own identity stood out amongst the crowd by his very nature. But then, it was all the more important for him to create a shroud of enigma about himself for protection within the life of nobility.

    “It was mostly a social call, a spur of the moment thing.”

    A few moments ago, he would have believed it without question. There was no calls on her person, so signs betraying otherwise. She was good, he had to give her all the credit in the world. Now with that little wordless exchange earlier, something monumental for a noble such as he, it cast a lot of things in doubt.

    Possibly still true, but he could no longer simply accept it as such right away. But he tittered and tilted his head in acquiescence anyway. No need to put them on high alert, just play along and see what happens. For now, he couldn’t see how they had any foul intent. Depending on what occurred, that may change. But for now…no.

    “I would like to have a chat with you whenever your schedule permits. A cup of coffee or tea, perhaps? Though I am sure you have more enjoyable things planned for this evening.”

    Another thing he suddenly viewed with suspicion, though he let his smile grow just a bit wider. Did she know? Quite possible with this subtle undercurrent he was now sensing. He would have to be cautious from here on out. For if she did, then the Bookseller likely did. And if that was true, who else knew. Questions, questions.

    “Indeed, I am all full up this evening. You have my most humble apologies, Lady Al’meera. However, that is not to say I am not quite interested in making your full acquaintance. Such chance meetings can lead to…”

    A slight smirk. “…truly fateful encounters, I have learned.”

    Not just a hint of his own perceptions, but also a Fae saying. Not that the humans remembered such, they conveniently forgot that ages ago and give credit to some ‘anonymous’ source also assumed to be human. Maybe elf. Something more palatable and ‘known’ than a Fae.

    The Fae were an old, mysterious race to the others. To many they seemingly just appeared one day and there they were, such odd little creatures. But all things have a rhyme and a reason, and nothing just appears from nothing…

    There was more mystery and hidden lore passed down through their kind than many to this day yet realized. Things from the hidden, unseen parts of the world. And it would not be spilled from his lips.

    Not this evening. Nor the next. Nor, perhaps, even this decade.

    “How about on the ‘morrow, milady? After I have digested some of these tomes so kindly suggested to me? I have a distinct feeling I may be in for a revelatory night of reading.”

    Suddenly, he felt such words may be possibly true, though he knew not how. Of course, he had far more than just reading in mind for this evening as well…

    Tag: Lady Al’meera & Bookseller @TheAdmiral