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Reignition
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2020 11:52 am
by Taelian Edevane
86th of Glade, Year 120
"We did a damn good job against the Joseph's," she said.
"We did," Taelian replied.
"Damn shame we lost Rhylor. We were so close to saving him -- a hair's thread away. If we hadn't lost my salves in the fire... ah, Taelian, I'm not blaming you. It's just... it's been really difficult, being alone in Grimholdt like this. Waiting for word from our central Ailizane site in Cathena. Can you imagine how long it sometimes takes to communicate with them? We need more Transposers in our chain of command."
The Ebon Knight nodded. "I agree," he said. Luckily he was one of them -- perhaps not good enough to send letters afar to Cathena, but eventually he would be able to. He could help Eleanor that way, like she had helped him and for a long time.
"I'm not going to report you as a deserter to Aldrin. I knew you didn't intend to leave forever. You have obligations with that group of yours -- the one that saved my life. I understand. You're better than a lot of Ebon Knights, Tae, in that the touch of wealth and prosperity didn't send you completely away. But I need you to help me. While I've been alone here, I've been following the same leads that we gained when it was the four of us, trying to see if I could find and root out any Botchlings the Joseph's might have created. Instead, Taelian, I found a conspiracy: a group known as the Westweald Trading Company, seemingly gaining a trade hegemony in Kamdin and even expanding their operations to the interior. Its director, Helena Flowers, is almost certainly a Dranoch. And a powerful one. I've learned something absolutely horrific from my sources. She appears..."
"...To be close to becoming a Huntsman, yes?" Taelian asked.
Eleanor stared down, solemnly. "Yes," she replied. "How did you know?"
"Eloise told me," he said. "It would be... the first one ever outside of Sil-Elaine. I only wonder how it managed to happen. To become a Huntsman requires so much murder -- hundreds of thousands just to create a single one. How did she manage?"
"Quantity isn't the only way," the woman replied. "Strength matters. Their voracity is essentially a sacrifice; and there is a stark difference between sacrificing a rat and a bull. Powerful warriors have been disappearing across Atinaw for some time. It has led to no shortage of theories. But I have a new one, now -- Helena Flowers was the source of these disappearances, and the source of all of these missing laborers, and the source of many maladies across her time. And if she becomes a Huntsman... there will be much more pain to come."
Re: Reignition
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2020 11:53 am
by Taelian Edevane
"I know," he said in response. Taelian shook his head. "There are only a few of us in all of Atinaw. We'll..."
"We'll need help, Taelian," she said. "You're a master Pyromancer now, aren't you? That'll help. Glare is outstanding in dispatching Dranoch. Still, you and I won't be enough to take her down; she holds wealth and institutional power. We need support."
"My Arlaed," Taelian started.
"You have an Arlaed?" she asked.
"I do. I won't lie anymore; I met him in Kalzasi. We're in love. He'd help -- I know he would. And he's not a Sigilic Pyromancer, but he is an Elementalist, with fire as his specialization. He's fast, strong, durable; he'd be excellent at fighting Dranoch. Then... there's, maybe the Covenant? I don't know that they would help directly, but they may be willing to help provide information. That's one of the perks of membership, after all."
"Okay," Eleanor softly smiled. "That's all something. It still isn't enough, however -- we'll need reinforcements from Cathena. I'll have to send over another letter. It could take a month or two before they make their determination, let alone before they send us more Ebon Knights. By then, she could be a Huntsman. I bet the death of the Joseph's has put her on alert. Now, she is more likely to act."
"I agree," he said. "So we have to first. I need to learn Glare and Sigilfall -- and improve my other magics. Maybe I can assassinate her before she becomes a Huntsman. I'll need you to help me though, as much as you can."
"Taelian..." she paused, pressing her lips together. "If you fail to kill her and die, we're lost. And then, all of the resources Aldrin has devoted to weakening the Dranoch presence outside of Sil-Elaine will also be lost. The Court of Dusk will have another Huntsman ready to serve their needs. The balance of power will shift. You cannot act rashly -- we have to do this methodically. There has to be some... institution or something in this country that will help us prevent such an atrocity from occurring. Perhaps the Finla of Loregard? It's a realm of hunters."
"I don't know him," Taelian replied. "I don't think he'll help."
"He might," she said. "Why not speak to Eloise? She may be able to give you direction."
"I'm afraid of what she'll think. That I'm not committed; that I'm still off fighting blood-leeches rather than focusing on my political aims. But maybe... maybe this can be good for the Covenant too," he thought. "It would prove the necessity of mages if we helped to take down such a threat. And perhaps it would boost my prestige in Loregard. But only if everything works out well and if I can maneuver things properly to begin with."
"Which, you can," she said.
"Maybe," he replied.
"You can, Taelian. I know it."
Re: Reignition
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:55 am
by Etro
♅ Reignition ♅
XP:
- 5 xp {Cant be used for magic}
Pieces of knowledge:
- Spycraft: Intelligence informants
Spycraft: Using factions to expand the scope of a network
Spycraft: Using information to persuade others to act
Spycraft: Threading known phenomena into intelligence considerations
Hunting: Dranoch leave a trail of bodies in their wake
Hunting: Dranoch prefer feeding on the powerful
Comments:
- Though short and just above the 1,000 wordmark, this was enthralling, envisioning the conversation between them both. I cant wait to see/know what happens next. Will Atinaw see the birth of a Dranoch Huntsmen? Will Taelian be able to convince Eloise to aid him? Will he wait to strike at the right moment, or will he charge headfirst confident in his skills to kill Helena Flowers?