Shun Like it Hot - Varis (23/4/20)
Apr 28, 2020 15:20:36 GMT
BB, Ser Baine Cinderwood 🔥🌼, and 1 more like this
Post by Varis/G'Lorth/Sundilar on Apr 28, 2020 15:20:36 GMT
“The council will see you now, Grandmaster.”
Varis turns, meeting the meticulous young man’s smile with a polite nod.
“Thank you, Phillip.”
“If you would follow me please.”
Aurelia’s secretary leads him through the imposing double doors and into the long chamber beyond. Late spring sunshine streams through the tall windows, glinting off mirror-polished silverware and haloing the councillors sat along the far side of the oak table. Aurelia gives him a cordial nod, though her seraphic features are typically inscrutable. The responses from the other councillors are as varied as the people who give them.
Thundercog and Cordelia give respectful nods. They may not like the Order’s independence - much less it’s proximity - and Thundercog in particular did not appreciate being questioned the previous week, but they both fought the Green Tide. There is a camaraderie born of shared suffering that transcends politics.
Underwood appraises him cooly, as she might a horse with a reputation for kicking. She submitted to his and Aurelia’s joint questioning, maintaining an arctic reserve throughout, and though she answered all their questions, he left with no clearer understanding of who the councillor is or what her aims may be. Cecil and Samed look up to offer him polite smiles before returning to their conversation, and Rholor gives a distracted wave from the far end of the table, barely taking his eyes off the pile of reports in front of him.
That leaves only the two noblemen. There is little love lost between himself and Duke Kensington, but Auber’s dismissiveness borders on outright hostility. Before the man can open his mouth to offer any direct insult, Aurelia speaks from the head of the table.
“Welcome, Grandmaster. You bring word of the Vanguard?”
Varis turns to face the archmage.
“Yes, and of the Shunned.”
The slightest of frowns wrinkles Aurelia’s brow.
“The Shunned? You have spoken of them before, I believe. Have they made further moves against K’ul Goran?”
Varis shakes his head.
“No. In fact, their intent seems to be largely peaceable.”
Aurelia gestures for him to continue, taking her seat as around the table the councillors give the young man their full attention.
“One of my officers, formerly a Shunned cavalry commander, was approached by a representative of the Oracle of the Crystal Spire, the governing body of one of their three major cities. Some suspect intelligence had led to a raid against a K’ul Gorani village believed to be a staging post for reconquest of Nrav Garat. The raid was aborted at the last minute by it’s commander when scouts reported no military presence in the village whatsoever. The report that prompted the raid was traced back to an intelligence officer who claimed the order had come from a member of the Oracle itself, though no trace of the report could be found. The Oracle suspected Vanguard involvement, most likely an attempt to escalate tensions between the Shunned and K’ul Goran, making any unified resistance to their plans impossible.”
Cordelia nods.
“Divide and conquer.”
Varis throws her a glance. The dwarven woman wears her hair short, pale lines of scar tissue visible rising from the collar of her shirt - lasting mementos from the death march that followed the Sack of Daring.
“Indeed. They sought independent investigators, and being unsure to what extent K’ul Goran or the government of the Dawnlands had been infiltrated, they sought out the Order. I believe they felt our dedication to stopping the Vanguard beyond question.”
Auber gives a derisive snort, but Aurelia silences him with an arch look.
“Please continue, Grandmaster.”
Varis gives her a tight smile, ignoring the nobleman.
“The Oracle in charge of the investigation was a Drow named Vieranna. She believed the infiltration to consist of only a small handful of individuals, probably highly placed. She was correct, of course, but then, she ought to have been - she was herself the agent we were searching for. She hoped to murder us and then convince others that the faithless and violent Dawnlanders had tried to assassinate a member of the Oracle.”
At this, Auber’s scorn can be contained no longer.
“So” he drawls “you take it upon yourself to interrogate your own government but take no such precautions when hunting spies in a hostile city? Someone remind me why we let this imbecile play at war in our city when he is incapable of the most basic precautions.”
“Councillor. A little decorum, please.”
Aurelia’s voice is soft and calm, but her eyes glint like diamond. Auber meets her gaze for a moment before looking away with a dismissive hiss. Varis’ face has become a mask, eyes flat and unreadable.
“The councillor raises a fair point. Veiranna did, in fact, submit to arcane questioning, but was able to deceive it through means of an enchanted eyepatch. When I asked to examine the object, she claimed it helped her suppress the mind altering effects of an old wound she had received from an aberration, and though I was suspicious of this claim, I was, as the councillor so astutely noted, ‘hunting spies in a hostile city’. I did not feel wrestling my host for an eyepatch to be a tactically sound decision, nor, indeed, a diplomatic one. Nevertheless, with the aid of another member of the Oracle, we were able to establish her duplicity, and she attacked us. We slew her, but I was able to restore her to life and subdue her for later questioning. Given that it was then our word against hers, with the prevailing sentiment and circumstantial evidence against us, we submitted to arcane questioning, which ultimately established her guilt and cleared us of any wrongdoing.”
Thundercog clears his throat, gruff voice strangely out of place amid the sumptuous furnishings.
“Well, it sounds as though you are to be congratulated, Grandmaster.”
“Thank you, Captain, but I did not come here seeking praise. There are several points of concern rising from these events. Firstly, that the Vanguard have access to artefacts that allow them to bypass truth enchantments. Second is the manner in which we established Veiranna’s mendacity. She let slip in passing that she knew the second seal was in Daring, knowledge few in Daring and none in the Crystal Spire possessed at that time. In short, the Vanguard know we have the seal, which places both it and Daring in danger.”
There are murmurs of concern from around the room, but Aurelia holds up a hand for silence.
“Thank you, Grandmaster. You have certainly given us something to think about. If there is nothing else?”
“Actually, councillor, there is something further. The Crystal Spire wishes to open diplomatic links with Daring. I am no politician, but I believe their intent to be sincere, and promised I would pass on the message. There is also this.”
He places a velvet bag on the polished tabletop, opening it to reveal a large, spiked shell, it’s lip etched with silver runes.
“A gift, from the Oracle of the Crystal Spire to the council of Daring Heights. I suspect you will find it of particular interest, Councillor Archselon.”
With a short nod to Aurelia, Varis takes his leave, the great carved doors sliding smoothly shut behind him as he makes his way out of the council building and into the dazzling brightness of a late spring morning.
Varis turns, meeting the meticulous young man’s smile with a polite nod.
“Thank you, Phillip.”
“If you would follow me please.”
Aurelia’s secretary leads him through the imposing double doors and into the long chamber beyond. Late spring sunshine streams through the tall windows, glinting off mirror-polished silverware and haloing the councillors sat along the far side of the oak table. Aurelia gives him a cordial nod, though her seraphic features are typically inscrutable. The responses from the other councillors are as varied as the people who give them.
Thundercog and Cordelia give respectful nods. They may not like the Order’s independence - much less it’s proximity - and Thundercog in particular did not appreciate being questioned the previous week, but they both fought the Green Tide. There is a camaraderie born of shared suffering that transcends politics.
Underwood appraises him cooly, as she might a horse with a reputation for kicking. She submitted to his and Aurelia’s joint questioning, maintaining an arctic reserve throughout, and though she answered all their questions, he left with no clearer understanding of who the councillor is or what her aims may be. Cecil and Samed look up to offer him polite smiles before returning to their conversation, and Rholor gives a distracted wave from the far end of the table, barely taking his eyes off the pile of reports in front of him.
That leaves only the two noblemen. There is little love lost between himself and Duke Kensington, but Auber’s dismissiveness borders on outright hostility. Before the man can open his mouth to offer any direct insult, Aurelia speaks from the head of the table.
“Welcome, Grandmaster. You bring word of the Vanguard?”
Varis turns to face the archmage.
“Yes, and of the Shunned.”
The slightest of frowns wrinkles Aurelia’s brow.
“The Shunned? You have spoken of them before, I believe. Have they made further moves against K’ul Goran?”
Varis shakes his head.
“No. In fact, their intent seems to be largely peaceable.”
Aurelia gestures for him to continue, taking her seat as around the table the councillors give the young man their full attention.
“One of my officers, formerly a Shunned cavalry commander, was approached by a representative of the Oracle of the Crystal Spire, the governing body of one of their three major cities. Some suspect intelligence had led to a raid against a K’ul Gorani village believed to be a staging post for reconquest of Nrav Garat. The raid was aborted at the last minute by it’s commander when scouts reported no military presence in the village whatsoever. The report that prompted the raid was traced back to an intelligence officer who claimed the order had come from a member of the Oracle itself, though no trace of the report could be found. The Oracle suspected Vanguard involvement, most likely an attempt to escalate tensions between the Shunned and K’ul Goran, making any unified resistance to their plans impossible.”
Cordelia nods.
“Divide and conquer.”
Varis throws her a glance. The dwarven woman wears her hair short, pale lines of scar tissue visible rising from the collar of her shirt - lasting mementos from the death march that followed the Sack of Daring.
“Indeed. They sought independent investigators, and being unsure to what extent K’ul Goran or the government of the Dawnlands had been infiltrated, they sought out the Order. I believe they felt our dedication to stopping the Vanguard beyond question.”
Auber gives a derisive snort, but Aurelia silences him with an arch look.
“Please continue, Grandmaster.”
Varis gives her a tight smile, ignoring the nobleman.
“The Oracle in charge of the investigation was a Drow named Vieranna. She believed the infiltration to consist of only a small handful of individuals, probably highly placed. She was correct, of course, but then, she ought to have been - she was herself the agent we were searching for. She hoped to murder us and then convince others that the faithless and violent Dawnlanders had tried to assassinate a member of the Oracle.”
At this, Auber’s scorn can be contained no longer.
“So” he drawls “you take it upon yourself to interrogate your own government but take no such precautions when hunting spies in a hostile city? Someone remind me why we let this imbecile play at war in our city when he is incapable of the most basic precautions.”
“Councillor. A little decorum, please.”
Aurelia’s voice is soft and calm, but her eyes glint like diamond. Auber meets her gaze for a moment before looking away with a dismissive hiss. Varis’ face has become a mask, eyes flat and unreadable.
“The councillor raises a fair point. Veiranna did, in fact, submit to arcane questioning, but was able to deceive it through means of an enchanted eyepatch. When I asked to examine the object, she claimed it helped her suppress the mind altering effects of an old wound she had received from an aberration, and though I was suspicious of this claim, I was, as the councillor so astutely noted, ‘hunting spies in a hostile city’. I did not feel wrestling my host for an eyepatch to be a tactically sound decision, nor, indeed, a diplomatic one. Nevertheless, with the aid of another member of the Oracle, we were able to establish her duplicity, and she attacked us. We slew her, but I was able to restore her to life and subdue her for later questioning. Given that it was then our word against hers, with the prevailing sentiment and circumstantial evidence against us, we submitted to arcane questioning, which ultimately established her guilt and cleared us of any wrongdoing.”
Thundercog clears his throat, gruff voice strangely out of place amid the sumptuous furnishings.
“Well, it sounds as though you are to be congratulated, Grandmaster.”
“Thank you, Captain, but I did not come here seeking praise. There are several points of concern rising from these events. Firstly, that the Vanguard have access to artefacts that allow them to bypass truth enchantments. Second is the manner in which we established Veiranna’s mendacity. She let slip in passing that she knew the second seal was in Daring, knowledge few in Daring and none in the Crystal Spire possessed at that time. In short, the Vanguard know we have the seal, which places both it and Daring in danger.”
There are murmurs of concern from around the room, but Aurelia holds up a hand for silence.
“Thank you, Grandmaster. You have certainly given us something to think about. If there is nothing else?”
“Actually, councillor, there is something further. The Crystal Spire wishes to open diplomatic links with Daring. I am no politician, but I believe their intent to be sincere, and promised I would pass on the message. There is also this.”
He places a velvet bag on the polished tabletop, opening it to reveal a large, spiked shell, it’s lip etched with silver runes.
“A gift, from the Oracle of the Crystal Spire to the council of Daring Heights. I suspect you will find it of particular interest, Councillor Archselon.”
With a short nod to Aurelia, Varis takes his leave, the great carved doors sliding smoothly shut behind him as he makes his way out of the council building and into the dazzling brightness of a late spring morning.
