A halfling walks to church (3)

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

"Very well indeed, the Lady Nostalia has been charming company."

He showed a slight and very quick smile toward the woman.

"If I may so forward, what is the reason behind our summons?"

[VAN]

Kimuriel isn't surprised from Heinrich's and Nostalia's appearence, but tries to hide his tence while sees Artemis in such comfortable position with Lady Borca. The half-elf believes that Artemis maybe is inocent, but he doesn't like his behavior.

Murmuring a hello, the detective gets a seat and waits to see what is this meeting about. However, the psion keep himself ready to react if something strange happens.

[Coan]

"Tsk tsk tsk. Not a single bow to the ruler of the very nation you stand and" Artemis looks at Kimuriel "Sitting. But never fear I-"
"Oh leave them alone Artemis." Ivana waved him off "It is quite alright sirs, it is good to know you are feeling more comfortable. Artemis how is it you can check me so easily?"
"Practise m'lady, I am somewhat of a champ."
"Hmm yes but I am a lady and you should let a 'lady' win once in a while."
"But that would defeat the fun of the greater game now I do re-" once again he is cut off but this time by himself. Seeing the guards carry in the mercenary 'Roger' he quiets himself and stands abruptly "Well what do we have hear?"

The guards slapped the man's face and woke him up as one of the soldiers answered the diplomat.
"Assassin is what we believe sir."
"M-m-mr Ardent sir." Roger spluttered "I tried! I didn't know about his strange powers. You didn't tell me!" he begain to scream into hysterics as Artemis stepped closer "Please! Let my wife and children go. They've done nothing!"
"My dear sir I have no idea what you are talking about. But seeing as how you did no true harm to my friends..." Artemis kneeled infront of the man as the 'killer' collapsed on the ground thanking him for any forgiveness. Putting his hands onto Roger's head Artemis took him into his embrace, his coat covering the man momentarily as he muttered a few words into the man's ear and stood up. "Why not have some tea? It will do you a world of good." Artemis remarked handing Roger a cup.

Looking at the still hot tea in his cup, Roger paused. He seemed confused and not trusting, Borca of course was well known for its poisons. Looking around he saw the guards were purposley ignoring him but Lady Ivana and Artemis were giving him their full attention, waiting for him to sip. Letting a silent tear fall down his cheek, his hand rattling the cup and saucer he spoke a few soft words which Ixevim understood as 'Urily, I hope you find yourself a better man.' Then he spat a curse and gulped the tea down.

Moments passed and Roger gave a shiver.

Nothing happened.

"There don't you feel better now?" Artemis turned his back to the group as if to start some speech on the way tea was refreshing took one's mind away from the downfall of trust in society where children would run wild in the streets and public education would fall apart with culture.

Instead he just turned back and raised a black wand to Roger's face. A green ray shot out and enveloped the man. A terrible second passed as Roger screamed and turned to dust.

The clutter of fine china falling and breaking on the ground echoed in the hall.

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Heinrich scowled at Artemis' cruelty to the helpless man, would-be assassin or not.

"Was there any call for that Artemis? He could not have harmed us if he wanted to, he was unarmed and I bet I could have out-fought him with my harms tied behind my back. He was already beaten!"

The aging warrior remembered that he had left his sword in his chamber, not alot of good it would have done against such potent magic.

"And what was that about his wife and children?"

[alhoon]

Ixevim, who stood silently by the door all this time looked Artemis straight in the eye and said:
"Perhaps the good diplomat here, wants something hidden. Perhaps this assassin knew things that shouldn't be known.
We spoke with Roger, Artemis Julian Ardent. Will you disintigrade us too? You know, I'm more resistant to magic than Roger."

Ixevim sent Artemis a telepathic message:
"I'm sure someone is seeding mistrust among us. Let us pretend that he or she is successful."

[VAN]

Kimuriel uses all his willpower to not attack Artemis when he disintigrated the bandit. The psion's tence is very evident, all his muscles are stretched and his icy gaze fells to the diplomat. Though, the half-elf doesn't say a word. Kimuriel doesn't miss any of the diplomat's moves, as he waits his answers and he hopes that Artemis will say the truth.

[Coan]

A good plan Ixevim, it seems the assassin that came for me was only the first stage. Artemis replied through his thoughts, though he might have seemed a little too eager to team up and forget his suspicions about Ixevim if he would do the same.

Turning to Heinrich, Artemis scowled his handsome face.
"This isn't a game boy! Do you want someone to try and kill you or your friends and then pretend its alright when they miss!?" he looked the soldier up and down and then sneered "You haven't even brought your weapon. Some bodyguard you are, wouldn't even protect my friends while they were set upon by some crazed man claiming to know me -while you bussle about with a Lady and I begin to use the term loosley in this regard."

Nostalia seemed visibily struck as the words hit home. Tears welled up in her eyes for a moment before she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.
"Artemis pleas-" she began
"Please what? Please ignore the fact our lives were put in peril while you dallied with the footman here? Bah, you are more a harlot than when I first met you." he spat, moving to Ivana "A wife and children? The man was a scoundral, probably had an affair with a maid or something and called that his wife, while their bastard child was his 'family'. Like he deserved one. When someone attacks you, you send a message to their employer or just cut the head off the snake right there and kill the fiend."

Finishing off his anger he moved back to his seat and sat down in a huff. An awkward pause followed until Lady Boritsi coughed delicatley.

"It was rather rash Artemis." to which he replied with a grunt "I'll let that pass for now. In any regard what have we lost by killing this man? Very little, such plots are incredibly common under my house -though I do so wish they were not. If you would care to join us for dinner I am sure we could talk about better times and a little matter that could help my small nation from the pain it is in now."

Nostalia gripped Heinrich's arm tightly for a moment then murmered something about having to adjust her makeup for a minute as she wondered off almost without seeing the people around her.

[alhoon]

Ixevim sends Kimuriel a message "Artemis shows much more bravado, emotion and attitude than normal. Make a mental note on this Kimuriel. Also at the first opportunity check on this Urily. She must be his wife. Perhaps I or you could teleport and talk to her without informing the diplomat." .
Ixevim the illusion of his still face in place looked at the ever more surprising Artemis. Strange behavior, hidden plots, century-old connections with the Lady Boritsi. Secrets, secrets, secrets.
"Artemis, I want to talk to you in private as soon as possible. I have some questions and I guess you have your questions too."

OOC> Let's do some plotting, backstabing and intringue while we are still in Borca. After all, Ixevim lived liked this with his fellow mind flayers for the greater part of his life.

[VAN]

As Nostalia leaves the room, a missive reaches Heinrich's mind:

"I think you should go after Nostalia, Heinrich. You can both calm her and at the same time try to get any information you can about Artemis. She knows him well and maybe she can tell you something important about him. For what I can see, she trusts you."

Soon after, Kimuriel replies mentally to Ixevim:

"I'll check her if you like, but I still believe Roger. I believe that the man was saying the truth when he was talking about his wife and children. I'm quite good to understand if someone is laying to me and I don't think that Roger is so good in bluffing. I cannot tell the same thing about our friend Artemis, he is a diplomat and wizard. He is very smart and he seems very experienced to cover details, infornation etc. I believe that maybe he is inocent, but at the same time I don't trust him.

When Kimuriel listens the Ivana's propose to dinner, bows and says:

"It will be our honor Lady Ivana."

While, bowing though, Kimuriel sends Artemis a missive:

"Lady Borca has stopped the whole situation, but I still have my questions and I will be glad if I can have some true answers. How could you know about Roger, his relationship with the maid and his bastard child if you were missing all this time from the Manor, Artemis? And who you think you are and you decide alone what to do with a human life?"

"I think we should retire to our rooms to refresh ourselves before the dinner. I don't want to have a dinner with such a beutiful and important lady without having had even a bath before."

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Heinrich nods to Ixevim, he then turns and walks casually across the room and opens the door.

"I would feel safer if Lady Mostalia was not alone, there may be threats to her."

He then leaves and closes the door quietly behind him, thinking that though he had not a sword on him, there were countless weapons in the room of anyshape or form.

Walking down the passage at a quickened pace, he quickly catches Mostalia and places a light hold on her arm.

"My lady, it might not be safe to go alone, tell me accompany you. To be honest, I would prefer to be out of Artemis' company for the moment and yours pleases me greatly."

[alhoon]

Ixevim turns to Artemis. "Will you accompany me my friend? I feel I need some good company. Those attacks on our lives have unsettled me."

While speaking to Artemis, Ixevim send his mind to read Ivana's thoughts.

OOC> I know that this is stupid, but Ixevim wants to check his suspicions. He believes that Ivana is behind all those attacks just to seed chaos between the party. She is in dire need, but Ixevim believes she is so evil and corrupted that she would risk success just to destroy a friendship. He doesn't know he risks his sanity by reading Ivana's mind. However after the event with the GC in the carnival, he is suspicious.
His will save is +14. Apply any modifiers you feel necessary.

[VAN]

"May I join you? I think it isn't wise if we are separate and at the same time I want to discuss with both of you. Maybe Heinrich should be present too. We can go to one of the rooms and say to a maid where are we and she can call him."

Says Kimuriel trying to calm himself. The half-elf knows that he has to be calm if he wants to have a clear mind if he wants to have a possibility to understand any hidden plots and see behind the words there are spoken to and around him. His trained mind has just started to elaborate all the details he already have. After a long time, Kimuriel starts feeling as a detective again. The psion likes very much this feeling.

[Coan]

Nostalia nods slightly for Heinrich to follow.
"Thankyou." she whispers almost silently

Meanwhile Ixevim's mental tendrils move to enwrap Ivana but are stopped in their tracks as they encounter a mental barrier of some kind -a ring of mind protection perhaps. Thinking on their current circumstance he concludes it makes sense the countries deposed queen protects her thoughts from invading illithids and spies alike.

Artemis nods to Ixevim.
"Of course we should all prepare and then have a gala feast. While we are at it we should talk old bean. Kimuriel old chap why don't you freshen up first then we'll catch up to you." Artemis says as Kimuriel nods and walks to his room after asking Ivana permission to leave
"Yes of course Kimuriel. Dinner shall be in 3/4's of an hour do not rush any of you." and with that she waves for them to leave as Artemis and Ixevim split from the half elf and walk down a corridor
"What is it my friend?" the strange man asks

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Heinrich looks concerned at Nostalia.

"Your departure back there was quite sudden my lady, what was it that troubled you into leaving? An old war horse does develop a few talents, especially whe nsomething is wrong with those about him."

[alhoon]

Ixevim sends Artemis a telepathic message.
"Artemis I think we are in trouble. I believe that both attempts on our lives were mere distractions, just to unsettle us and place mistrust between us. As I saw my image ordering your death, I saw you in Roger's mind. We have to deal with someone who can alter the memories of her hirelings or uses illusions. Artemis, these plots remind me of the Boritsi plots of the past century.
Your behavior on the other hand seems different when you are around Lady Boritsi. There are poisons that don't kill Artemis. They poison good reason. Most women are adept at their use but Lady Boritsi is a master.