A Vision of Evil

Session 1

The seer Thompson, having experienced a horrible vision only yesterday of a small human child being kidnapped by strange, masked men while his mother or nanny bled to death on the floor nearby, has seemingly decided to do something about it. The seer acting quickly and hiring a small team of specialists to aid him in this endeavor. It's evening the next day now, darkness falling quickly as the sun sinks behind the horizon, and it's only now that Thompson has managed to put all the pieces of his vision together and figure out where they should start on this quest... The group finding themselves on the street outside a large, luxurious mansion in the city's noble district, tall walls surrounding it from all sides, with grim looking armed guards patroling along it. Similar men, wearing the uniform of their master, standing at the property's front gate, aggressively barring anyone from entering. Their whole demeanor suggestion that whatever Thompson saw, likely happened already inside...

Thompson looks up at the mansion, pushing his hat back atop his had to view the walls with a frown from a short distance away, standing in the lee of another wall. "The question is... will they accept our help if we offer it or are these soldiers in league with those I saw kidnapping the child... time is of the essence however."

"Oh," Silmeria murmurs, a small, impish smile beginning to spread across her tanned features, "I'm certain we can convince them to aid us... All they need is the proper incentive, don't you think? And it's a small thing, standing aside and letting us pass. I've an idea, and I doubt very highly it would be something they could pass on."

"They are more likely house guards," Ainsley replies, with a quiet rub of the back of her head. "And are ordered to keep all off the premises to keep people from causing trouble in the house unduly. It would be more wise to ask them before we make any great assumptions about it. If they aren't, they are displaying all the right behaviors for troubled house guards..."

Mazurek would more than likely be the only one that would stand out amongst the nobles in that he does not have much in the way of an outfit. Still, his dark body would more than likely blend in with the night anyway. All four arms are crossed while he surveys the mansion's guards, the tassle of his loincloth swaying a little in the wind. The obvious warrior type does not look to be too concerned with anything immediate, "If you have a way to get inside without them calling an alarm, I'm all ears."

Thompson listens to everyone, stroking at his beard then nods to Silmeria, "What is your idea Silmeria? I hired you all to help me with this and rescue the child. So I am open to any and all advice from all three of you. If they are house guards then this is well but the master of the house may be disinclined to accept the help of strangers such as us. So lets hear Silmeria's idea first."

A puzzled look crawls over Silmeria's face, head tilting a bit. "...Plan? Not quite so much... Just the truth, really. I *do* have an errand to run for this house. ...Possibly several, if the guards are too stringent about their duties. Don't you think it'd be polite to at least give them the choice?" Blinking a bit, she shakes her head. "...Pardon me. Anyway. Let me speak with them first. If there's trouble... Well, then I've done what I could."

Ainsley nods in agreement with Silmeria, somewhat pleased with the peaceful, direct solution. She smiles nice and wide at Silmeria and then looks to Thompson, raising her brows and hoping he goes along with it.

Mazurek inclines his head slightly, though he does not take his gaze off of the guards on their patrols. As they were asked to give their opinions, advice, and whatnot he gives his own, "If all else fails we could scale the walls where they are the least attentive. It may not be the honest way inside but it gets us closer to where we need to be. I doubt they'd have the basement unguarded, either, if there's an entry from the sewers."

Having decided on a course of action, the group soon starts to calmly approach the front gate. A tall, wiry, able looking guard wearing the slightly more detailed uniform of a Captain, is the first to notice them then. Spinning towards them with his sword out, and eyeing them up with tired eyes- looking like he's been run ragged for a while- before yelling out, "Halt, strangers! The master wishes to see no one tonight, no matter who you be. Move along." The other guards meanwhile forming a line behind him, each looking much too grim and determined for what their usual duties may require. Something's definately going on.

Thompson remains quiet, just watching the guards, letting Silmeria talk, sghe is the one with the plan he is just along to accompany her and see what he can do to thwart the dark fate that may be in store for what his vision has shown.

Silmeria steps forward, hands clasped before her, a gentle, sad smile on her face. "Captain," she begins, her voice quiet. "We know you and your men wish to do your duty to your master. This is a good thing, and it's pleasing to see such honor and dedication. But I must ask, and ask sincerely; I am here because I must do my duty as well, to my Lord Hades. There is a soul that must be allowed to leave the world in peace; a death that is near, and must be attended to. I cannot say whose death this is... I know only what I know, and it's not given to me to know the Conductor's schedule. But I beg of you," she continues, her voice soft, "please. Let this death be witnessed, and the spirit laid to rest. Hades' call is not a thing that can be refused, Captain... and He knows there is a soul in this house that will soon meet Him."

Mazurek likewise remains silent, though during the short trip over to the gate he had uncrossed his arms. At the present time he has the air of one who is not expecting trouble, though that does not stop him from casting an inquisitive glance to Silmeria. He never would have suspected that she would have had dealings with that one. If he has to play Bodyguard, that will suit him just fine as he looks the part without even trying.

The Captain falls quiet at Silmeria's words... His expression suddenly becoming unreadable as he listens, and glances from her to the others of her group. Seeming to mull everything over in his head then, he suddenly speaks up, quietly, "There's more than one death here tonight, lady..." And then briefly turns towards one of the men behind him, making a short hand gesture which causes the other guard to nod and start to jog up the gravel path towards the nearby guardhouse. Turning back towards Silmeria, the guard shrugs, "Wait here, and we'll see if our lord wishes to speak to you... I hope you are who you said you are." And with that, he continues to stand guard, eyeing everyone up, before several minutes later the other guard returns and gives the Captain a firm nod. Who in turn sighs quietly, and steps aside, "Pass."

Thompson inclines his head to Silmeria to lead the way, content to just assume the role of one of Silmeria's attendants, walking slowly a half step behind her. Once they are passed the guards he murmurs to her quietly, "Not a bad way to get into a place, I applaud your ingenuity"

Silmeria closes her eyes briefly, bowing her head toward the Guard Captain. "You're a good man, sir, and your work has been hard. I'm sorry." As they move toward the house, the blond lifts a shoulder. "As I said," she murmurs in kind, "nothing more or less than the truth. There will be a death, soon, and I must see to it."

Ainsley looks grandly bewildered by Silmeria's words, and even more bewildered that they apparently worked. And then the group is allowed inwardly, and she smiles solemnly, remaining silent and somewhat out of the way of everyone else. She knew being honest would work. Of course, Silmeria's gained the intensely curious gaze of the scholar.

Mazurek may very well be recognized by some of the guards here if they have any connections to the Hunter's Guild. He is there frequently taking on marks and turning them in alone. He remains fairly stoic during those few minutes of utter silence, the only movement coming from the lazy sway of his tail. He may be able to take on some of the guards if it came down to it, though without weapons it may prove quite the challenge. When they are cleared to enter, he inclines his head to the Captain on the way by, keeping his silence even after they have passed the checkpoint. His attention is wandering the immediate vacinity, alert for possible trouble.

The Captain just kinda nods at Silmeria... And then busies himself with ordering his men around, ignoring the group as they pass and head up the path towards the mansion's large, double door. And as they approach them, those doors soon swing open. Light from inside streaming out, outlining a male figure, who then slowly walks down towards the steps to greet the group... Revealing himself to be an older, regal looking gentleman, dressed as a noble, and likely being the master of the house, "Welcome..." His voice rings out, polite but with a slightly sad undertone, "I'm afraid your visit comes as a bit of a surprise, miss... ?" The man looking over at Silmeria with calm eyes behind a pair of spectacles, as he adds, "That is, I've never heard of a priestess of Lord Hades visiting so soon after a death, without forewarning?"

Thompson bows to the older man, "My companion is the Lady Silmeria, Esper of the Lord of the Abyss, the final guide. I am Thompson nee Koneta and it is because of me that we are here. I have seen, through the glinting light of starlight that is Andromeda's gift of fate to my sight the abduction of the child and the murder of the lady be he mother or nurse-maid I do not know but it is my hope that you can aid us so we can find these robed figures and bring them to justice and return to you he who has been kidnapped."

Silmeria inclines her head as THhompson speaks for her, spreading her hands at her sides. "Master Thompson speaks true, sir," is all she says, her voice quiet and gentle. Stepping back to the rest of the group, she folds her hands before her, intent upon hearing what the sorrowful noble would say.

Ainsley has gained a neutral expression, her eyes lidded, her hands clasped behind her back. She's observant of the situation at hand, but otherwise silent. She doesn't seem affected either way, but then her tail's twitching might indicate otherwise, displaying some sort of agitation.

Mazurek does not offer his own name to the apparent Lord Of The Manor, nor does he speak at all. He was not spoken to directly, and as such continues to serve the role as silent guardian. He does drop his guard, though, and keep his attention solely on the conversation in progress. It would not do to miss something that could be important.

The noble blinks, looking at the eclectic group of individuals before him in a silent confusion, taking in each of them before finally setting his gaze on Thompson. He shakes his head a bit then, his voice cracking as he starts to speak, "It was my..." And gets forced to pause and compose himself before he can continue, "My daughter, she was murdered. Assassinated, right in my own home." He visibly clenches his fists, and an edge of anger creeps in, "If you know more, Seer and Esper, if that is what you both truely are, then I welcome you in my home. You and your companions alike." And with that, he turns and steps back towards the door, motioning for everyone to follow, "It happened only hours ago... My guards saw nothing, until it was too late. They killed her and took my grandson, after killing two of my guards. Is this what you saw, Seer?"

Thompson inclines his head, walking after the noble man, "It is, I saw the robed figures dragging your Grand Son away, from what I saw they were assasins. They were dressed in black robes with golden trim, wearing orange sashes and bearing very strange and ornate daggers. I am hoping Miss Ainsley here, of the Grey Scholars can perhaps identify them with input from yourself my lord."

"And if we hurry," Silmeria adds, hanging back as Thompson picks up the thread, walking with Ainsley and Mazurek, "then there is the chance we may return your grandson to your arms. I am truly, truly sorry to hear of your daughter, sir... If no arrangements have been made, I would be happy to speak to the temples on your behalf."

Ainsley doesn't offer any input, but gains a thoughtful appearance as the description of the assassins is given. Her tail stops its twitching, and her eyes lid, a hand going up to play with the feathers atop her head. She even makes a thoughtful noise, but for some reason can't think of anything useful to say about it.

Mazurek remains just as silent and stoic as he had when the guards had been examining him, though his gaze is not as hard as it was outside. There is definite sympathy in those rich brown eyes. At this point he is the only one of the four visitors that is thus far unnamed, and he follows at the back of the group while the discussion carries on. He finally does speak after a moment, however, "Return your grandson to your arms while cracking the skulls of those who took him away from you in the process." He cracks his knuckles for effect.

The noble guides them through the large mansion, passing room after room, each filled with expensive furniture. Stopping at a closed door then, he unlocks it, and motions them inside, revealing it to be a personal office. Stepping ahead, he soon sits down behind the broad, richly carved and polished wooden desk... Steepling his fingers together as he almost slumps a bit in his chair, sighing, "... I am Lord Marshal Javen Rider, and I apologize for not having introduced myself right away..." He looks up at them, studying each again, before he continues, "... And if you truely are who you say, I will accept your help. I have not yet informed the authorities of what happened, and I have not yet ordered my men to investigate... And it seems that task will befall on you, if your story is to be believed." He carefully looks at Thompson for a moment, before he suddenly reaches down to open a drawer, his hand dipping in and retrieving a strange, bronze-colored dagger with an edge-less, hexagonal blade- an obvious stabbing weapon. Sir Rider sliding it over towards Ainsley, "I thank you all for your words of comfort, and I will allow you time with the... Bodies, if you so wish, lady Esper. But perhaps your scholar can make something of this first."

Thompson inclines his head to Lord Rider, "I am who I say I am my lord, the future of this is shrouded from me, but I will strive and endeavour to find some means for us to rescue your Grandson and bring him home. I fear they plan to use him in some dark and destructive manner but we are four and we shall set out together and stop them."

Silmeria bows her head deeply, stepping aside to allow Ainsley to approach, and take a closer look at the blade. "That will be appreciated, sir Rider," she says quietly, clasping her hands together. A look is given to Mazurek, a brief, encouraging smile. "I've not yet said so, and I am sorry. Thank you, Master Mazurek, for coming. With luck, we'll have need of your arms before long."

Ainsley reaches over and picks up the dagger, inspecting it, the details, her eyes lidded as she does this. She seems to know what she's looking at, as she stares a certain designs on the dagger for slightly longer than one might a cursory glance. "It's from a Giruvegan cult, religious thiefs and murderers. The Sthagati. They died out seventy years ago, supposedly, and they worshipped a bizarre deity... And they got into a cult war with the Guild of Murder, which helped to cement their destruction. If this dagger is really their dagger, then either the cult is not as dead as it seemed, or the Guild of Murder has taken to kidnapping people and this is from one of them." She sighs and sets the dagger back where it was, not keen on holding onto such a corrupted object.

Mazurek, out of habit when it comes to meeting with others, closes the door when he passes through it so the five can have some measure of privacy even if it is not required. He then crosses his arms and leans against the wall to one side of the door, "If you seek to know whether I speak true of my name, which is Mazurek, you need only pay a visit to the Hunter's Guild. I reside there, sir. Others know me solely on my reputation for getting things done in due course using what comes natural." Indeed, if his unarmed combat skills are not enough, only then does he seek out the help of spellcasters. He then grins to Silmeria, "Give me a target and I will be on it like a wild beast."

Lord Rider nods at Thompson again, and states with a strange calm, "Then I will believe you, and accept your help... I suspect one would be aware of the risks of lying to me, if such were the case." The noble quietly hinting at the dangers of messing with him in a situation like this. Arching his brow at Ainsley then, he peers down at the dagger, and seems unwilling to pick it back up himself, "... I do not know these... Organizations you speak of, and I do not know why they demand the death of my daughter or the snatching of my grandson, but thank you, scholar, for this... Enlightment. This dagger was found to be the murder weapon which took my daughter from me, and ended the lives of my two guards..." He pauses to hrm, before continuing, "Who were found dead near my stables..." Suddenly standing up, he walks around the desk to open the door which Mazurek just closed, nodding at the large lizardman as he does, "Thank you, warrior... Perhaps you will find the prey you are looking for outside. No further evidence was found where my daughter lay dead, but perhaps these... Assassins, left a trace when they entered or escaped my premises? I imagine my guards were somehow in the way when they did so."

Thompson smiles gently and shakes his head and sighs, "Lets have alook, it is odd that the guards were killed by the stable. Perhaps they saw them come over the wall or were between them and the house... we shall have to investigate to see what we can discover. We will do what we can Lord Rider."

Silmeria nods slowly. "If you all do not mind, though..." She turns to Lord Rider, bowing her head. "I would like to see to your family and guard, sir Rider, if you would allow it. Perhaps something may be learned... but with your permission, I'd also like to pray for them."

Ainsley nods at Lord Rider, not saying anything beyond the input about the dagger, her tail squirming and wiggling to display her determination. She turns to follow the Lord, or perhaps the other adventurers, intent on going to find more evidence on these cultists.

Mazurek nods slowly, "I always get my prey, though whether that means that the prey gets me first is another matter entirely." He does not yet leave the wall until everyone else has left, looking rather comfortable in that one spot, "There is another, less pleasant, possibility. Those two guards could have been accomplices and they were eliminated to make it look like a struggle." He then shrugs, "We will know for sure when we investigate, right?"

Lord Rider leads them all out of the office again, nodding slightly at Thompson, and answering towards him, "Then I will thank you... Let us hope something is found that will allow you to track down these culprits." He remarks, before looking at Silmeria next, and giving a solemn look even as he stops before a closed door, motioning towards it, "They are... Inside. I will leave you to them, if you wish, and I will ask you to ensure their eternal rest is a peaceful one." The man seeming rather sad for a moment again, before he steels himself, and starts to walk again, finally speaking up towards Mazurek as he does so, "My men are loyal, and have been with me for years on most accounts. I have been a warrior myself, and have fought side by side with each of them..." He trails off a moment, and then shakes his head, "But perhaps I should not discount your theory just yet... Just, please find something." Is all he says on the matter anymore, as he leads the rest of the group, sans Silmeria, to a pair of glass paned sliding doors that lead to the very large yard at the back of the house. Opening them and pointing out the shape of the stables ahead, "Please."

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