Maison de Soulombre, morning of April 11

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alhoon
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Post by alhoon »

Joël of the FoS wrote: “Mr Draxton,” he continues, “I didn’t ask the question to” and he says the following making quotes sign with his fingers “lament over errors of the past.”
OOC> Victor used Draxton Serd's first name?
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Post by Nathan of the FoS »

After the long and (truthfully) rather depressing recitation of events, Hazan sits and Loder stands.

"We have learned a great deal about what happened on that tragic occasion," he says. "It is, in truth, an event which does not redound to our credit except in a few small but noteworthy points. We were vastly over-confident and lax in security measures, and we paid a stiff price for our carelessness. The response of the members generally was heartening; there were numerous demonstrations of what none would scruple to call heroism, and much of the knowledge we had amassed there was preserved. We have reason to believe that the enemy, despite his unprecedented and costly massing of forces, did not achieve all of his objectives in the assault, and revealed his hand more than he would have wished. Since that time we have been endeavoring to regain the initiative and carry the fight to the foe--of which we will speak at length tomorrow. I know there are many deep thinkers here who have thought on the lessons of that day, and we would be pleased to hear from any who wishes to share their insight into what occurred in Ste. Ronges."
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
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Post by eocine »

Brother Crow's apparently rhetorical question as to the worthiness of those who had died in the assault had been met with an amusedly cruel smile from Li Shou, demonstrating that he did indeed question the worth of those who had died in the assault. More than that he questioned the conceit that those who battled had all done so out of loyalty to the Fraternity. Humanity at its core was cowardly, venal and self-concerned, and the fact that people had chosen to battle proved nothing other than their own desire to survive the attack, it certainly proved nothing about their loyalty.

Still, the time was apparently not right for such observations, and so he had kept his own council. At least for the time being.

As Crow continued his impassioned monologue the illusionist listened carefully. The fact he disagreed with virtually every point was neither here nor there, information was there to be gathered, even if that information was merely knowledge of someone else's viewpoint, it was all useable.

Would we not have assumed that Van Rijinn was a loyalist before his desecration of the mansion? Such words as loyalist are easily bandied about.

When the bard finally seated himself Li Shou said nothing, content to contemplate the issues raised so far. That the confidence of the rank and file had been supremely shaken was clearly incontestable, but what were the thoughts and will of the Father's? And in truth how much did that matter? A fearful army and spiritually defeated army would lose just as surely as a badly led one...

As Lacomte moved back to the lectern he looked upwards, hands folded casually in his lap. The Exalted Brother's reproving look brought nothing from Li Shou, for he regretted nothing he had said. What the Brother actually verbalised though was far more interesting, for it seemed to be something of a statement of future intent, though what shape that intent could take was still anybodies guess, and it only rarely paid to try and second-guess the Father's of the Fraternity.

The arrogance that had driven Li Shou to excel in his chosen field was potent, as it surely was with most of the other gathered Brothers, and given that, Hazan's words that there were decisions to be taken 'way over your own heads' grated internally. Being reminded of his comparatively, lowly status in the Fraternity wasn't something that he took with good grace, but he stilled his irritation at the rather dismissive statement and refocused on the rest of his words...

Given that this was the first time he had heard the unvarnished truth he didn't actually have anything really to say, it would take a while for him to think through to his own conclusions. Such events as this needed careful and measured responses, not hasty reactions.
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Post by Pamela »

Gertrude had barely made any notes during this particular account. She was already intimately familiar with many of its details, and had learned much of the rest through later correspondence and gossip with Brothers. Her eyebrows rose at the revelation that they were carrying the fight to the foe; the secret gathering and multiple preparations for their present attendance rather belied that point in her estimation. She made a note of tomorrow’s meeting with a question mark, then gently closed her book.

She turned to Crow and leaned forward to quietly murmur, “Considering the reaction earlier to a simple question, I feel I will refrain from any further ‘insights’.” She doubted anyone would be willing to venture opinions after the mention to the coming morning.

Still, she had no intention of remaining complete silent when one large point remained unanswered. She rose from her seat, and curtseyed to the Brothers gathered on the dais. “I thank Brother Hazan for the detailed, excellent report of that sad night. I will not pretend to offer any further insights into that affair, but I must admit that I am still curious to hear from our better-informed, wiser Brethren about one point.

“Why was the traitor given a second chance after his known dalliance with necromancy? I could perhaps be persuaded to an understanding of clemency.” Her tone indicated otherwise. “Still, I question how the traitor was not demoted, and indeed was being presented as an honoured speaker on that horrible evening. I must confess that I have wondered why he was an exception to the rule…or whether there might have been precedents, to account for this astonishing behaviour.”
His only real danger is if stupidity is contagious and lethal. In which case, we’re all dead…-Gertrude
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Post by alhoon »

Draxton is quite annoyed by this thrashing of the black arts. As Getrude have said herself, the rules needed some rethinking.
Van Rijn has triumphed because of his knowledge of necromancy or better, the Fraternity's lack of that knowledge. The power to remake the world isn't only by making progressivily more real illusions and understanding the world.

Although, for a Richemoulotease and a member of a number of secret organizations it was obvious that what was forbidden was getting caught practicing necromancy, not the Black Arts themselves.

Animating the dead and remaking them in the type of servant you need at the time, be it cheap labor or powerful guards, is also extremely useful and it comes with the benefit of having unquestionable loyalty from your servants. For those academics, it also allows an insight of how this world works since death is a part of it. This alone should be enough reason for the Fraternity to turn a blind eye on some of its members practicing the Forbidden.
Also it is obvious that such a large body of ambitious intellectuals will have currents underneath; secret dealings, hidden agendas, small groups and secret alliances. Taboos make excellent tools in this trade. Forbid necromancy and you have a leverage over some of them. Blackmail if they use it, knowledge they don't have if they don't..

If it wasn't for the fact that he was on the receiving end of that powerful tool of control Draxton would smile.
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Post by Rotipher of the FoS »

[Awful quiet around here, with Nathan on the injured list. :( ]


A corner of his mouth dipping slightly downward -- the only outward sign of his dissatisfaction, that an onlooker might take for lingering annoyance at Shou's scathing words -- the bard gives the serpent-ring a last buffing, slips it onto his finger once more. He leans back, legs crossed, and hooks one arm over the back of the chair: the lounging pose of a comparative youth in the stifling company of elders, already grown restless in his seat.

Though more interested in the synopsis than he pretends, Crow idly scans the audience as Hazan is speaking. By all appearances, young 'Brother Crow' is bored out of his skull by the proceedings -- hardly a surprise, even to those he has yet to meet, his prior remarks having verified he'd witnessed the October debacle first-hand -- and impatient with this preliminary account of events. The only time he meets anyone's gaze directly, in perusing the room's occupants, is when Loder takes the podium: when the huge Lamordian speaks of how Van Rijn had failed to "achieve all of his objectives", the bard's gray eyes dart quizzically to Quiret's, where the half-elf sits amongst the other panelists.

He does sit up straighter, and assume an attentive bearing once more, when Kingsley inquires as to the renegade's previous necromantic faux pas. Aside from what the panelists' response might tell him of Van Rijn's abilities -- a thing both 'Brother Crow' and the VRS agent may find it useful to know, in the event the Traitor can be run to ground -- he is also curious just how much error or complicity the Fraternity's officers are willing to admit to ... and in how diligent they actually are, in enforcing their alleged ban on that ghastly branch of arcana.

(Like Serd, the bard has never genuinely entertained the notion that the Umbra are sincere in their blanket prohibition of all necromantic study. Denying underlings those liberties and privileges in which their superiors freely indulge is de rigueur for secret societies and cults. But actually acknowledging that double standard, before the rank-and-file, is quite another story.)

Perhaps there is more than one reason why the Fathers have not seen fit to attend..., he ponders, wondering if his confidential remarks to Roeccha had, in truth, been suicide rather than stratagem. But no, last night's communion with the Oracle implied otherwise.
"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
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Post by Nathan of the FoS »

"Professor Kingsley," Loder says, giving a very slight emphasis to his use of Gertrude's professional, rather than a Fraternal, title, "what can be proved about the studies of any individual member is very little, in the absence of the use of necromantic magic in the presence of several witnesses. Last night Father Mikkelson himself gave an elegant disquisition on the use of illusions against the undead; are we therefore to believe that he practices necromancy? Or that all of us, merely in hearing him, were attainted by his discourse? Would you really care to see your own papers ransacked for evidence of any untoward interest in the Black Arts, or to have us running show trials in which the mere accusation of the use of necromancy were sufficient to condemn the accused brother?"

Pausing, he looks out over the audience and says, his voice lower, "I sincerely hope that no-one in the present company will think himself excused from these time-honored strictures on the basis of my present remarks, or hope to hide his forbidden studies through the indifference of his superiors. The practice of necromancy will not be tolerated--now or ever. The depth of van Rijn's perfidy made his success possible; that he should go so far beyond necromantic dabbling as to consort with Death itself could not have been foreseen. It was a mistake that by its very nature will not be made again."
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Post by alhoon »

Draxton's face remains an unemotional, uninterested mask throughout this necromancy bashing. So... father Mikkelson probably dabbles in necromancy. Strange choice for an illusionist, but not too suprising. The Fathers are not fools after all.
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Post by eocine »

Keeping his face expressionless the illusionist listened to both the question from the woman, and the response, noting that her question hadn't actually really been answered. Obviously there was a reason for it, and that was clearly that they wanted to keep that knowledge from the lower ranking Brother's. That was of course their perogative and so he said nothing on that particular issue, however what Loder asked, apparently rhetorically, was more interesting.

“Why would should Kingsley, or indeed any of us mind such actions being undertaken in the name of the security of this august establishment?” Pondered Li Shou aloud, “Surely only those with something to hide would actually frame an objection to this?” As an illusionist, and a highly, if occasionally selectively, lawful one at that, he himself had utterly nothing to hide in the respect of necromancy, but if some of the others were to fall under the searching eye of the Fathers and more Esteemed Brother's of the Fraternity he saw it as only having a positive effect on his own potential for advancement.

After all the more that were purged the less competition there would be, and whilst he was self confident to near the point of megalomania, he wasn't foolish enough as to turn down a definite and definitive advantage either.

“I make no move to speak for my fellow brothers, but I am sure we would all feel more secure if we knew that everything was being done to weed out any potential future traitors to our aims.” As for ascertaining the truth behind any accusations, well... The case of eight inch long silver needles that he kept in his quarters for interrogations had ever proven adequate for provoking 'honesty' in those he had questioned...
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Post by Pamela »

Gertrude gave Loder a sweet smile, privately amused at the reference to her title. A man of his position, resorting to such a trick; how pitiful… She turned at Li Shou’s interjection and bowed her head in his direction. “We have had to undergo a blood test and questioning upon arrival to prove our very identities. These were hardly unobtrusive, yet we appreciated the necessity.”

She turned back to the Lamordian Exalted Brother. “Herr Loder, while I appreciate your fine demonstration of rhetoric, I hardly see how it answers the question which I presented. Let me repeat myself a little more simply, and give some background.

“The traitor himself on the night in discussion made mention of his ‘real or imagined peccadillo of necromantic study”; I think it safe to assume by now that it was hardly imaginary. Another attendant that evening informed me that there had indeed been rumours of it- of which I had been unaware- but circumstance rather denied me the opportunity to explore them.

“But perhaps you consider that hearsay. Well then- Brother Hazan himself in answer to a question of mine that night, said that the traitor had assured ‘them’- whom I assume to be the Richemulot cell- that "he had burned all those black books".

“Please, Exalted Brother,” the professor said, careful to emphasise the title with a slight smile, “If you found me in possession of a small necromantic library, what do you deem the appropriate path of action? Would you truly not consider that suspicious in itself, and an example of the study of necromancy? Would you have been content to take me at my word that I would burn these books?

“Or would you have been careful to keep an eye on me? Would you have seen to my demotion, if not my expulsion? I am not asking for paranoia, Brother. I am asking for a sensible explanation as to why this unusual behaviour, if not lapse, arose.”
His only real danger is if stupidity is contagious and lethal. In which case, we’re all dead…-Gertrude
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Post by Nathan of the FoS »

Pamela wrote:“Or would you have been careful to keep an eye on me? Would you have seen to my demotion, if not my expulsion? I am not asking for paranoia, Brother. I am asking for a sensible explanation as to why this unusual behaviour, if not lapse, arose.”
The audience at large has begun to react to this pointed questioning by so junior a member (and a woman to boot!) of the Fraternity of one of its most senior and orthodox members--a mix of amusement, alarm and disdain, with a few sharp points of worry piercing through it.

"There was a time, Sister," Loder says, "when one could explain a necromantic library as a matter of purely academic interest. That time has passed. Since you seem to be slow to take my meaning, allow me an analogy. In a time of peace and prosperity, the government of a country may allow liberties of speech and action which it would consider frankly treasonous in time of war. So an interest in even the theoretical aspects of necromancy at the present time. If you have a necromantic library at home, Sister Kingsley, you had better instruct someone you trust to burn it before you return there."

Loder allows the implied threat to Brother Kingsley's position to echo through the room for a moment. "Brother Li Shou, your point is well taken. Every useful measure we can devise is being used to weed out the traitors among us. However, this process cannot and will not be allowed to devolve into a mere mare's nest of accusation and counter-accusation. More haste, less speed, brothers."
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Post by Pamela »

Purely academic interest? For whom? Gertrude wondered, unable to imagine many brothers getting away with such a library in the past unless they had very good connections, let alone herself. At the suggestion of the possession of such a library, she seemed ready to speak, then caught herself as the implication became clear. Punish Rupert for my own deeds? Is this what they will resort to? Blessed sun help anyone else who has any close alliances or familial relationships...

She inclined her head and said coolly, “I thank you for providing an answer, Exalted Brother. I can, however, assure you that that particular academic line of inquiry has never interested me, though my elders are free to investigate the matter.” She bowed to the gathering, then resumed her seat, looking tired from the few hours of sleep and the excitement of the night and the past few minutes. I think it would probably be wise if I leave after this…

She kept her gaze focused on the stage as she lowered her voice as much as she could. “I am sorry,” she murmured to the bard. “I should not have spoken so freely, but it is exasperating to risk oneself and still be treated like a simpleton.”
His only real danger is if stupidity is contagious and lethal. In which case, we’re all dead…-Gertrude
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Post by alhoon »

Draxton thought, while his face is a mask of mild disapproval to what Kingsley says like the majority of the members: Great. I have to hide my library and I should take care to mask my spellbook.
He won't forgive Kingsley soon for bringing such a topic to discussion although he doesn't think her opinion mattered much on any decisions against necromancy.

OOC> Bluff 22 for pretending to not-hide-anything and I'm-not-afraid-of-looking-in-my-spellbook.
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Post by Rotipher of the FoS »

Seated beside Kingsley, the VRS spy is irritated by Loder's dressing-down of the Professor ... to say nothing of the Lamordian oaf's implicit threat to her absent husband! Still, he keeps his own features carefully neutral at the reactions her query has encited. As a bard, 'Brother Crow' has scant need to beware accusations of that offense, at least: by their very nature, his Art's arcane practices touch only marginally upon matters of death or undeath. And -- like others of his Society -- Crow considers the world to furnish a surfeit of fear, without his ushering in still-greater quantities of it; a search of his person would uncover many curious accoutrements, but neither hen's hearts nor snow-white feathers would be counted among them.

Interesting, that they work so hard to stifle the issue, rather than harp upon their betrayer's sins as a focal point 'round which to unite the underlings! Either the officers know for fact that Serd's not the only one of their juniors to be playing with dead things -- in which case, that's something I'll want to investigate in future, before I take any action against the Fraternity, itself: better if these vipers' researches were kept on a short leash, in that respect -- or Van Rijn's past violations constitute an even greater embarassment to the seniors than I'd guessed!

Was it purely a
medical threat to his health, for which he abandoned his allegiance? Or did he have cause to think his superiors wanted him dead, as well? Was there something he knew, that they dared not let him live to tell? Some forbidden truth he'd discovered in the course of his researches ... or uncovered, about one of them?

Even now (dash it all!) the VRS spy still didn't know enough about the quarry, or his motives. He hadn't lied, when he'd named the fugitive transmuter desperate -- that much was obvious and beyond dispute -- but the precise basis for Van Rijn's course of action remained frustratingly unclear to him.

Why had the renegade sided with the mad-thing, out of all potential allies? Surely even a desperate Fraternity member would not have chosen an eternity of abject enslavement and humiliation over extinction: even now, in this very chamber, the monumental arrogance of the man's own Brethren argued against it!

All this, Crow ponders, even as Kingsley resumes her seat, the two-fold burden of too little sleep and too much undeserved belittlement weighing down her shoulders. Had she not been Zherisian, the bard might've given her hand a quick squeeze of commiseration; as it is, he nods slightly, and murmurs in return:

"Indeed, Madam. To expect fairness would be folly, but at least we 'unorthodox' sorts might have hoped for courtesy."

And his eyes scan the room again, picking out Shou's stiff provocational presence, Buchvold's studied pose of detachment, and Serd's rather laughable attempt to look 'innocent'.


[OOC: Hey alhoon, did you remember that Serd's Bluff-enhancing magic item was returned to him? It won't make a difference for Crow (Sense Motive 31), but it might matter if other Frat members are watching your PC, too.]
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Post by eocine »

In his own experience freedom's such as those hinted at in Loder's analogy were always a bad idea if given to the general populace. Groups of ordinary people were stupid, and should be denied things that they couldn't be trusted with. It was one of the reasons why he was a faithful member of the Fraternity, because they represented, to his mind at least, exactly the type of system that should rule over the 'common man', intellect was the best tool for deciding the validity of something, and it had ever been so.

At Loder's response to his own words regarding the suppression of certain liberties in exchange for more surety in the prevention of more Brother's falling to necromancy Li Shou bowed once, his point made, before sitting down.

For Li Shou the dressing down that Gert received, and the undertone of threat to her home and husband were both well enough deserved. She should have known better than to speak in the way she had to one of the higher ranking Brother's, and her husband Rupert should have kept her on a far shorter leash...
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