Maison de Soulombre, Evening of April 11th

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Nathan of the FoS
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Maison de Soulombre, Evening of April 11th

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

The overcast is pierced by a bloody sunset as carriages roll up to the Maison de Soulombre's doors in preparation for the second night of the Fraternity's meeting. The air is still and muggy, without the tension of last night's storm, but without the breeze that would promise a break in the weather.
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Post by alhoon »

Draxton looks around as he gets down from the carriage bringing him to the meeting, along with a couple other brothers. Would that night be as uneventful as the rest?
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Post by Nathan of the FoS »

"Brother Serd."

The Lamordian Esteemed Brother Lars Lorenz is at his elbow; he's surprisingly quiet for such a big man. "Are you looking forward to this evening's panel?"
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Post by alhoon »

Draxton stared the Esteem brother with the respect he owed to someone higher in the ranks. He vaguely felt there was more in the question than just small talk.

"Esteemed broter, I enjoy our gatherings and the times are crucial so yes, I would enjoy the meeting".

OOC>SMotive 21 to see if there is a meaning in Lorenz question or if the man is just bored to initiate small talk.
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Post by Rotipher of the FoS »

Across the Maison’s entry hall, at a small table – the same one, ironically, where he’d been idly toying with Tarokka cards, just the other day – the slight figure of the bard slumps dejectedly in a parlor chair. Normally loquacious to a fault, he now sits in glum silence, his demeanor that of a man worn down by a dozen or more retellings of the distressing events in town. Standing soberly by his side, trying not to take too much obvious pleasure in the attention of several nearby listeners, young Brother Dirac has shouldered the task of relating what the pair observed in the lobby of the Black Ship.

(At least, what he thinks they had observed. With his own thoughts unshielded, what Paul Dirac can be allowed to know is not the same as what is true.)

“… truly, it was dreadful! Right there in public, and in the company of one of those feral native swamp-shamans, no less! It wasn’t any zombie, though – not the witless, rot-fouled sort – because it might well have passed for living, had Brother Crow not found its pulse and body-heat wanting. No question but it was aware, too, to have come straight to the inn, pursuing its – her! – killer. Perhaps it’s true that arisen revenants can scent their murderers, no matter their guise or hiding place.”

At Dirac’s words, the bard’s limp hands clench into fists, his glum features flush with anger. No need to conceal or feign his outrage; “Brother” Crow’s amiable association with the Zherisian has never been a secret.

“And the other … for that one to have fooled us all! Her very likeness, head to toe … and no common illusion, I should think, else half those in attendance would’ve spotted it in a minute. No telling what manner of spell or unnatural power the assassin must have used, to take her shape. Let’s hope it was a spell, and useable but once: who knows whom it might impersonate next, if it’s capable of that!”

Seeming too emotionally-wrought to speak, the VRS spy nods in grim agreement, clutches a sheaf of papers tightly to his chest. Drawings, notebook pages, and a spare copy of the ubiquitous (and increasingly superfluous) program of events.

“Why, if Brother Crow’d not kept beside me all the way here, I’d have worried that the wretch might have tried to usurp my shape and place here! It’s only because we stayed in each other’s plain view that either of us could risk the ride back from town, without fear of being waylaid. But at least we've warned the seniors of the security threat now, so they can take due precautions tonight.”

The pompadoured Brother rubs his fingers – one freshly bandaged – together, vividly demonstrating the proof of identity and humanity that he’d provided on arrival. The gesture distracts from his stretching of the truth: the bard had gone upstairs unaccompanied by Dirac, but admitting to their separation would draw attention – and suspicion – to the wrong targets. Even ignorant of the full story, Brother Paul has no wish to be poked and prodded any further than necessary, so his collusion with this minor deceit is not much of a giveaway.

(Nor should it give their quarry cause to suspect just how much the VRS spy had accomplished, in those minutes apart.)

Still wearily seated, Crow’s gray eyes drift across the entry hall. From time to time, they settle upon one or another of the Brothers in attendance, harden as if in momentary suspicion, then lose concentration and move on. His grip on the papers slackens a bit, and the corner of a file folder peeks out from among the sheets of foolscap and parchment.

He doesn’t know what Van Rijn’s doppelganger might look like, now … but he does know who else he must act to confront, and soon. The dark-curled spy watches, and awaits opportunity.
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Post by Nathan of the FoS »

alhoon wrote:Draxton stared the Esteem brother with the respect he owed to someone higher in the ranks. He vaguely felt there was more in the question than just small talk.

"Esteemed brother, I enjoy our gatherings and the times are crucial so yes, I would enjoy the meeting".

OOC>SMotive 21 to see if there is a meaning in Lorenz question or if the man is just bored to initiate small talk.
"Excellent," Lorenz replies politely. "I am looking forward to it myself. I do hope the evening passes rather more tranquilly than last night...no disturbances, no thunderstorms. I hope your day passed uneventfully?"

OOC: Lorenz essentially wants to know if you've found out anything more about last night's events over the course of the day.
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Post by Nathan of the FoS »

Brother Dirac's emotive description of his travails has drawn the attention of several brothers, including Ibelis natha Quiret (who looks frankly incredulous, although that may be his natural expression), Alfred Larner (outright alarmed, and obviously--to Crow, at least--looking for an opportunity to engage Crow or Dirac in a more private conversation), Marko Kaspan (intrigued), and Vasily Yarek (confused).

As Dirac is gathering momentum for a coda al fine recapitulating the afternoon's adventurers for the sake of a latecoming knot of brothers, something catches the corner of Crow's eye--a flicker of darkness where none was expected.
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Post by alhoon »

Draxton pauses one moment to think, before smiling and saying "Yes, my day was spent mostly uneventfully". This double talk, could be intepreted anyway the listener wanted. Lorenz could think that the momentary pause and the "mostly" in the answer could hide a meaning or perhaps that Draxton is keeping something back. On the other hand, it could just mean he spent an uneventful morning. Lorenz's reaction would probably tell Draxton which answer suited the Esteemed Brother better.
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Post by Nathan of the FoS »

"Oh?" Lorenz says. "Nothing new under the sun, is that how the song goes? Well, if you learn any more about the walking dead while here in Souragne, please let me know."

He turns away, leaving Serd to wonder if this is some kind of reference to last night, to the stories already beginning to circulate about Gertrude Kingsley's fate, or perhaps to Serd's own little secret interests.
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Post by alhoon »

Draxton farewells Lorenz and goes to socialize with other Brothers before the proceedings start, trying to learn what he could, without alerting anyone.

OOC> Gather info result 20 total. Draxton tries to also use bluff (total 27) to hide from the rest his interest on rumors about last night's events.
I don't know if the Bluff attemp also penalizes the Gather info result. If so, adjust the skill result accordingly.
"You truly see what a person is made of, when you begin to slice into them" - Semirhage
"I am not mad, no matter what you're implying." - Litalia
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