Gathering the
Conspirators
Cael and Zarnian returned to the estate and informed the
rest of the House that they all had to report to Ageis’ estate that night to
meet with the other members of the conspiracy and Kalak’s oracle. After some
discussion Cael decided to take Bellesaria, Bay decided to take all the noble
members of his Cabal and the scribe, and Zarnian asked Trakas and C’aro to
attend. Ohzon mentioned bringing Horchada, and idea everyone else rejected, and
Barok said he was fine with who was going but decided not to bring anymore.
Waiting for the
Gathering
While everyone waited for night to fall, Ohzon rented some
penthouses in tenement buildings, with holes in the ceilings for his Skyfollowers.
He secured several. Then Bay went to
visit Mitzrah the Lion, to inquire if Mitzrah was able to get slaves for him. Mitzrah
said he had found and could get slaves for Bay, but they would be porters, and
1 gold each. Bay balked at the price, and said that he wanted discount slaves.
Mitzrah said he could accommodate that, but he would need 100 ceramic down, and
he got to keep it whether Bay wanted the slaves or not. The deal was agreed on,
and Bay left.
Rising Tension
Back at the house, everyone heard shouting and screaming
outside. The templars were rounding people up for just being outside, making up
charges out of nothing. Zarnian made sure the kids and guards were inside, so
they could not be taken. The Urikite ‘businessmen’ looked on with increasing
fear. After seeing this, Zarnian took all the children to C’aro’s office and
showed them the bolt hole. C’aro reminded them they could not use it unless it
was an emergency, then sent them back to work making pots. Timmuth called Barok
up to the loft so he could place his hand in the wet clay.
Gilded Chariot
Bay went to the bar to recruit Inicles for the meeting. At
the Gilded Chariot was the gigolo who had been with Drugar. Bay did find
Inicles and he agreed to come to the meeting with Bay at Ageis’ estate. When
Bay asked who the gigolo was, Inicles said that he was some trash that Hericles
picked up at the elven market. Inicles was going to ask to have him removed,
but Bay asked him to wait.
Leaving Town
Finally, at night, everyone left. They decided to use the
Stadium Gate to say that Barok was going outside the city walls to train so no
one could see his moves for the upcoming games. During the journey, Zarnian got
a slight feeling they were being followed, but did not really notice anyone.
Then when everyone arrived at the gate, there were four half giants, several
guards, and a handful of templars. They announced that the gate was closed, and
it was unlawful to be out in this area after curfew, although no such law had
been announced. They said one of the party had to become a slave for the
brickyards to pay the fine. Instead, Zarnian gave up her agafari and iron
spear, so the group was allowed to pass. Then, after the gates had closed
behind them, they heard Drugar’s protests as he was being hauled away for the
brickyards. Though Bay considered intervening, at the end he decided not to.
The Missing Oracle
Once at Aegis’ estate, the group found the courtyard
deserted. The entire estate was deserted, with no slaves and slowly dying
fields. Finally, Zarnian knocked and Aegis came to the door, but did not want
to admit the Noble Cabal, who had arrived before us. Finally, everyone was
allowed in the small sitting room (which was too small for Barok) and there was
Meticles, Lycinia, Thaxos Vordon, Meticles, and another noble, named Lord
Vericles. He was a noble of a moderate level, and he was a philosopher. Here was
also a redheaded chic that Bellesaria knew. There was a mood of crankiness in
the room because Kalak’s oracle never appeared, and suddenly there were many
people that they did not know in the conspiracy. There was some bickering, but
Aegis and Zarnian tried to calm everyone down. Zarnian ended up giving Thaxos
Vordon the verbal smackdown. It was also revealed that Tithian had not yet
agreed to help, and though Aegis was placing pressure on him, it had not been
enough, yet. The members of the conspiracy who had already been together said
they had a plan, but would not share with us. Zarnian explained about the
obsidian orbs under the ziggurat and said that Astinicus knew a secret entrance
into the ziggurat and he was not dead, but in the clutches of Sericles. After
much talk and debating, little was accomplished. Vericles pulled Barok outside
and said that Aegis and Sadira were trying to recover a special spear. He
wanted to know if Barok could get into the games and throw that spear at Kalak.
After everyone left, without the oracle ever appearing, C’aro complained that
they whole thing had been a waste of time. The group got in again through the
merchant gate.
The Day After
The following morning, Bay sought out Rodrigo and Jugalo. He
paid them 10 silver pieces to find out information on the Templar that had
Zarnian’s spear. Ohzon went to see Mitzrah and wanted to have the skyfollowers
smuggled in. At first, Mitzrah was going to charge 10 gold but once he learned
who they were, he wanted 20 gold, and 3 gold to smuggle in just Searchion. Aein
returned and said he had news of Malik. Malik went to a whore house called the
Unsheathed Sword and never bought a whore, but drank alone. Rodrigo came to see
Bay and told him that the templar in question drank for free at the Gladiator’s
Blood bar, then worked the gate and went home to the Golden City. Cael was going
to watch the gate during the day, but then got distracted when Bellesaria said
she wanted someone to track Aegis and Sadira, so Cael was going to do that.
That night, Zarnian dressed in clean clothes and armor, before making her way
to the Unsheathed Sword. She talked to Malik and learned that he was dying,
poisoned by Hamdi for trying to protect a boy Hamdi was trying to rape. Malik’s
only strength in his last few days came from plans of revenge and thoughts that
Zarnian was safe and having a happy life. Though she wanted him to come with
her so she could try to get psionic healing he refused and turned away from
her, saying that if she loved him at all, she would go, so she did.
Sorin
Before Cael left for her mission, she decided to talk to
Sorin about what he was talking to. She had to haul him off the assembly line
(to his discomfort since he did not want to get in trouble with C’aro) and Cael
took him up to their room. There, she asked him whom he was taking to. It was
revealed that he was talking to Tzitch, the insane nature spirit grew insane
from being defiled. It blamed Cael for its pain, and said she tried to kill it
like she killed Sorin’s father. Then, Sorin revealed that Tzitch said she would
kill him, too. Zarnian and Trakas got in on the conversation when Cael returned
the child to his workroom, and Trakas offered to take him away to be trained as
a druid. However, Zarnian objected. She was drunk from mescal she had borrowed
from C’aro. Since her own heart was broken, she did not want the children to be
separated, since Timmuth thought of Sorin as a brother. Trakas said he would
try to dispatch the spirit again.
Afternotes
After that, Cael left to follow Aegis and Sadira. They
headed into the mountains and disappeared. Back at the house, all the sky followeres
simply showed up at the gate and were let in. The Tyrian templars also started
shaking down the Urikites.
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