RP: April 5th, "Scions in hiding"

"Originally, I was looking into upgrading our equipment to specialized military standard."

The muffled sound of ale sloshing inside a bottle reaches the pointed ears of the Exchange overseer, as Rory makes a swirling motion with it.

"I'm having our people look into iron and chittick instead. Hopefully, we won't have to swallow pride and settle for bronze."

Zeiss mutters his agreement while penciling down notes, leaning over the center of his desk with stacks of paperwork and reports on either end.

"I posted a sign-up in the training grounds for guards and recruits interested in learning how I focus my anger in a fight. A few have put their names down. By the end of the week, I'll have an odd bunch of shock troopers in the Exchange militia, and although that's being generous. We could call it the Fury Squad, or something. I dunno."

zeiss:

After taking another drink, he asks the overseer something out of the blue. "Zeiss. What're we doin' here?"

"The Fury Squad. Huh..."

Zeiss scribbles down something on a separate piece of paper. Only he seems to be able to make sense of the piles of documents standing on his desk. Rory then asks him a question he wasn't expecting.

"...What do you mean? This is our usual meet-and-report we've had for the past few weeks."

"I mean all this. We've been running this undermarket bloc for as long as you said, and what do we got to show for it?"

He leaves his lean to support his own weight. "I mean for our real mission. It's a tired routine, Zeiss. We're holed up in this dinky underground hermit hole surviving, when we could be on the road, fighting bandits and diving into deep ruins. I'm tired of moping around feeling like we can't do anything other than manage our tiny empire. I'm fed up with this business over resources and manpower. I wanna find those Vee-oh-shun bastards now, and I want 'em dead."

Zeiss gives Rory an inscrutable look to Rory and stays silent for a few seconds. He then puts his pencil down, the one Kolson gave him at the Air Temple, and takes out from one of his drawers a bottle of wine and two wooden cups.

"I think we both need it", says Zeiss while serving him.

The young elf sits back in his chair, cup in hand, and puts his feet on the desk in an effort to relax. Only then is it apparent to Rory that his companion is mentally exhausted. Zeiss swallows one big gulp of wine.

"There are a lot of people I also want to see dead, preferably by my hand", he says while serving himself another drink. "So let my explain how I see it."

He takes a sip of the red wine and savours its taste

"The Exchange is a weapon. A weapon I am building to take out my enemy. And once it is finished, blood will be spilled. But until then, I will bide my time, because we can't take them out yet. As for the Vyeotians, we might be able to... if we ever learn where to strike."

Rory hesitates, like he's on the edge of a high drop, but he mirrors Zeiss' quaff, albeit reluctantly.

"Your enemy? You mean Pinnacle. Which do you think is the lesser target? Which one openly attacked and threatened my family? Kolson's niece? It's the Vyeotians, Zeiss. I'm amazed they didn't get to your dad. From them, Pinnacle's the halfway point to the Tumeroks themselves."

"But let me digress," he says, rechecking his frustration even as it begins to renew and burn slowly. I'm sick of biding time. I'm practically waiting to die here. First we were going up against the nobility, lords, military - whichever - and now we're not. Well who's next? If we keep sitting on our hands, our enemy, whatever it is, will seek us out and find us wanting. If not the Vyeotians right now, then who? Maybe not an enemy, then. Whatever it is, we need an excuse to break our chains and get after something big."

ooc:

OOC:

Zeiss lets his gaze wanders on the side, letting him reflect for a moment.

"...You remember the conversation we had last time? About why I choose the Dreamkeeper name?"

He goes for another sip of wine, but somehow changes his mind.

"I chose this name because of that happened at Janwall. Remember that? At least what Snarg passed on to us before we were mind-wiped by the Pinnacle. You never wondered how they managed to do that? I did. And there's only one thing that I know of that is capable of such a feat."

Rory had never made that connection. His face is softened by an expression of dread, but he comes down from it. "Wait. It couldn't be Gaerlan. What they did doesn't fit his MO. It's not Fierneceal either, Everyone from Vesayen knows for a fact she grew up with us, and the Order of Summoners has been around for way longer. Isn't it possible that the Order might have found a way? I saw the dead come back to life, Zeiss. Not reanimation, people came back to...living, and spoke to me. They did that."

ooc:

OOC:

Zeiss looks at Rory right in the eyes.

"Either some other Scions are still alive, or the Pinnacle found a way to replicate their abilities. Which possibility do you think is worse?  Hell, maybe they even gave the Scions their abilities. What do I know?"

He puts his cup of wine back on the table.

"After all, the Order existed before year 0, before the races on this continent were "freed" from the Scions. They're also responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of green mages, the ones who died in that incident fourteen years ago. All for their little experiments to bring back Discord into this world, whatever it is."

The young elf sighs, obviously tired.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of the Vyeotians. And considering they all seem to be Desolates, I think I already have a lead on how to resolve that situation. You could help with that if you want."

no, not discord!:

Rory's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he can't help but agree. Zeiss is right, who's to say there isn't a Scion hiding behind whatever clandestine inner council ultimately governs the Order?

He accepts Zeiss offer earnestly. "Right now, no idea is too crazy. Tell me what you're thinking."

OOC:

"There is no way for us to take on the Pinnacle right now. But the Vyeotians? That's another story. However, we don't know where to find them. And since they can translate anywhere they like at anytime they want, even in the Veil if they felt like it, we're left clueless. Which is why we need to learn about the Desolates in general."

The Overseer's expression is now more focused.

"You remember Wizzle of Cogspanner? He's the gnome scientist we met back in Naverre who helped that couple and their Desolate kid. I think you gave the little one a gem, no?"

He waits for Rory to answer.

"Well, wherever he is, we need him. The Vyeotians had a device that allowed them to hide their condition; we need a device to protect ourselves from the effects caused by a Desolate's presence and I hope that Wizzle of Cogspanner is the one who can provide it. Because the next step is to find Segregate, the alleged Desolate town. Considering how long you have lived in Dereth, I imagine you've heard of it. Rumors has it somewhere near the Inner Sea, if it even exists. But the only way for us to locate the Vyeotians is to meet a community of Desolates who might have been in contact with them."

Zeiss pauses.

"So, how do you feel about meeting Wizzle of Cogspanner? I'm sure he would be happy to hear I'm willing to fund his research. And for all we know, he might even be able to help you and Thog..."

He finishes his cup of wine.

Zeiss wrote:"You remember Wizzle of Cogspanner? He's the gnome scientist we met back in Naverre who helped that couple and their Desolate kid. I think you gave the little one a gem, no?"

Rory raises his eyebrow at the dramatic pause. "Yeah, go on."

ooc:

Zeiss wrote:"So, how do you feel about meeting Wizzle of Cogspanner? I'm sure he would be happy to hear I'm willing to fund his research. And for all we know, he might even be able to help you and Thog..."

"That...would be enough personal motivation for me to want to go see him. It's not like I can explain my--our condition to just any science-crazed dwarf. We'll make it a plan, then. To start, we might have to go see what's-his-name, governor of...whatever, someplace near Al-Jalima?"

"Sure. However, I think Wizzle of Cogspanner talked about going to Colier if I remember correctly. In any case, you will probably have to investigate in the Naverre region first... which is at war. If you really decide to do this, you have to be sure."

He takes a moment to think.

"'Maybe you could ask Higaide to come with you. You never know, he might be interested in going. It would certainly be safer this way, even though I wouldn't blame him for not wanting to go. War is not something you want to witness."