HLoM: The Firebird, Chapter 1

[NeoTiamat]

Lena will have cast a Message spell on Leila and Company before she left.

"Twice now, as a matter of fact!" Lena said brightly. She had taken a quick moment to freshen up along the way, and so she was looking almost as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as Horst. "I was just looking for you, Freiherr Horst." Lena said, then made a face. "Bother. We haven't been properly introduced now, have we. The Baroness Elena von Zarovich, of Volkadav. But you already knew that."

She cast a glance at the bright-eyed fox at her side, and then she gave Horst a slight tap on the shoulder, drawing him into an alcove. Were anyone to come by, they would have to deal with Ushka's magnificent ears. And of course, this left Lena and Horst really rather close together, and Lena was both lovely and a little out of breath.

"Ah, Horst. I never quite remember. What do the worshipers of the Lawgivers think of angels?" Lena said, smiling easily. "With a slow and noiseless footstep / Comes that messenger divine, / Takes the vacant chair beside me, / Lays her gentle hand in mine. You see, Horst, you need an angel right now, and lucky you, I'm right here."

Casting Charm Person (DC 19) on Horst.
Spellsong: Perform Oratory +22
[dice]0[/dice]
Total: 39

[Isabella]

"Condemned criminals are traditionally given to the hounds after the execution," Yarek tells Richard. "As for ghosts, we have none here. We never have. There are a number of superstitions about it."

"No-no ghosts," Richard said, frowning as he processed this. "In all of Hazlan? Or just-just... ah, never mind. Is-is it possible to send one of the hounds to-to tell Freiherr Søren to do it? He is-is already there, and the hounds often seem smart enough to-to... speak."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"No, just here," Yarek replies in response to Richard's implied question about the ghosts, gesturing at the walls. "The hounds are certainly intelligent enough to give a message, but they can't actually talk. Something about how their throats are made."

"I'll go find the freiherr and give him the message," the Mulani woman with the poppy totem who had rushed to help Søren during the combat suddenly volunteers. "If one of the hounds can act as my guide, maybe?"

[Nathan of the FoS]

"With a slow and noiseless footstep / Comes that messenger divine, / Takes the vacant chair beside me, / Lays her gentle hand in mine. You see, Horst, you need an angel right now, and lucky you, I'm right here."

"Indeed, I have never felt the angelic presence quite so distinctly," Horst replies, giving Lena a smile which shows a lot of teeth. "Horst Veddraksen, Baroness, your servant. And what is the reason, beyond the honor and pleasure of your company, which are certainly sufficient," (he makes a slight seated bow) "that I am so fortunate to have you here?"

[NeoTiamat]

"Indeed, I have never felt the angelic presence quite so distinctly," Horst replies, giving Lena a smile which shows a lot of teeth. "Horst Veddraksen, Baroness, your servant. And what is the reason, beyond the honor and pleasure of your company, which are certainly sufficient," (he makes a slight seated bow) "that I am so fortunate to have you here?"

"Please, any co-conspirator may call me Elena." The Barovian said sweetly. "And you are fortunate because with my help, you might just live out the week. You see, Horst, as I see it, there are at least three organizations that are going to want you dead soon."

"First, there's the Inquisition. A whole pack of them, looking for the Slaves of Iblis." Lena dropped her voice lower. "Yes, I know about them, and so do entirely too many people for your continued health. If the Inquisition finds out about you, they'll burn you alive."

"Then there's House Thott. Yarek and Søren are both alive, both know about you, and both think that you know entirely too much." Lena said, still in that feather-soft way. "As soon as they shove the Inquisition out of Helholt, their first priority is going to be to make sure you suffer a fatal accident."

"And then there's the Slaves of Iblis." Lena continued, her voice now little more than a whisper. "I don't know how Hazlani cults operate, but I know how Gundarakite terrorist cells do. Feray Arslan is dead, Horst, I saw Yarek kill her with my own eyes. The cult in Helholt is shattered, and I don't think any other cells are going to be very forgiving. They might kill you themselves, just so you can't tell any tales to the Thotts or the Inquisition. The Gundarakites had a habit of beheading their failures. I wonder what the more creative Slaves would do."

"So if the Inquisition doesn't get you, House Thott will, unless the Slaves of Iblis clean up loose ends first." Lena said, her eyes dancing. "Unless, Horst, you work with me. I can offer you asylum in Barovia, and I've a contact who can get you there, quickly. Interested?"

[Isabella]

Richard looked at Yarek, who presumably knew this woman better and could tell if she was to be trusted. He gestured vaguely to the other Mulani wizard and the drugged Rashemani. "Don-Don Avram, perhaps you might-might look after these good folk for us. But we-we ought to go. The longer we wait, the-the more difficult our search will become."

[The Whistler]

"Don-Don Avram, perhaps you might-might look after these good folk for us. But we-we ought to go. The longer we wait, the-the more difficult our search will become."

Avram nodded. The hetman had pointedly refrained from editorializing during the formalization of the "dead cultist musical chairs" strategy, which probably meant that either:

A) He thought it was a fantastic idea!
B) He thought it was ridiculously obtuse and far too clever to stand up to a moment's sober examination, but he couldn't think of anything better on a dime -- and, given that, it was unhelpful to rain on the nobles' parade.

Your call. Now that he was called to take more sensible action, though, he bestirred himself quickly. Gesturing to the woman with the poppy totem as well as the "good folk" he was to look after:

"We will all go together to Soren, as he is gathering all of the others -- and we may tell him of this plan when we are there." This was accompanied by a stern look at the cultists. Avram was not going to be so gauche as to suggest that they might pull something on the way, but if they did, he was clearly going to be very disappointed with them.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Horst is silent for a minute or so, then gives Lena an appraising look. "Not quite the conversation I had hoped to have with you, Elena," he says finally. "But I suppose I must indeed be grateful to you for thinking of me. How long will it take you to reach this contact of yours?"

[NeoTiamat]

"Maybe some other time, dear Horst." Lena said with a bright smile. "My contact's name is Jacqueline Montarri, of the Red Vardo Traders. You may be familiar with her?" Lena said, arching a brow lightly. She was reasonably certain it was Montarri who had been supplying the Slaves of Iblis with their cultic wares, whatever they had been. "She's down by Vestrdyrr with her caravan -- my familiar can guide you if you don't know where it is. If you move quickly, you can reach her before the Inquisition or anyone else realizes they ought to start looking for you. Tell her that the ultimate masters of a very large-eared fox will be... grateful... if she brings you to Baron Vasili von Holtz. I'll send a message ahead, the Baron will take care of matters from there. All you need to do, Horst, is enjoy Barovia's hospitality until the current furor blows over."

"But..." Lena said, pursing her lips. "I'll make you a second offer, completely independent of the first. If you tell me everything you know about the Slaves of Iblis, I will do my best to turn aside the wrath of House Thott from you. And I can be very persuasive. If the Inquisition remains unaware and the Slaves are in no condition to hurt you -- it means you'll someday be able to come back to Hazlan. Not soon, perhaps, but one day."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Thank you for your help, Freiherr," Yarek says as the two of you, with a group of six hellhounds as backup, finally make your departure. "You're curious about the lack of ghosts, I take it?"

Something in Yarek's voice suggests he is looking for an excuse for a neutral subject of conversation.

[Isabella]

"You're curious about the lack of ghosts, I take it?"

"I-I-I am," Richard agreed, perfectly amiable to this, although he seemed to rub his fingers uncomfortably together at speaking so openly of it. "I-I-I do not doubt you, Landsherr, but I-I-I... we rarely speak of such things, in Mordent, for-for fear of calling their attention. The dead, and the past, rest lightly there. To visit a-a place with none at all is very strange to me."

[DeepShadow of FoS]

"I'll go find the freiherr and give him the message," the Mulani woman with the poppy totem who had rushed to help Søren during the combat suddenly volunteers. "If one of the hounds can act as my guide, maybe?"

Leila eyes the woman carefully as she speaks, then pads forward to sniff the air.* If anyone cares to ask (or if Yarek hesistates) she approves of the woman's idea.

But we-we ought to go. The longer we wait, the-the more difficult our search will become."

"Yes, please go find Agata. She should not be running loose right now, for her own sake, if not for anyone else's. But before you leave us to our work here, does someone have the means to repair the death wound on our corpse? It's really hard to make that appear self-inflicted. Master Marcel? Vasili could do it when he arrives, but I'd prefer it be someone with skill in healing."

"We will all go together to Soren, as he is gathering all of the others -- and we may tell him of this plan when we are there." This was accompanied by a stern look at the cultists. Avram was not going to be so gauche as to suggest that they might pull something on the way, but if they did, he was clearly going to be very disappointed with them.

"Indeed, good Hetman, before you go, I need a little more information on the rumors you heard about Feray and Rastem. And if you have the means to repair the death wound on the corpse, I must ask you to try."

Once everyone has gone their separate ways, Leila begins slicing the clothes off the corpse, noting places where her claws open up new wounds. Those will need to be duplicated.

After a half a minute of silence, she turns to Altan. "So...it's down to just us cats. Perhaps that's as it should be. I need to know: how well suited are your talents to mischief?"

Perception +4 to take note of our volunteer's scent for later. We need to keep track of our conspirators!
[dice]0[/dice]

Sense Motive +4. Not like it will tell me much with a bonus like that, but it'd be stupid not to.
[dice]1[/dice]

[DeepShadow of FoS]

"Do you wish for assistance, Freiherr Boritsi?" Marcellus asks. "Dommer Greyan, Dommer Hjelskald?"

A hard-faced young Mulani with the mastiff totem and a broad-shouldered Rashemani detach themselves from the larger group to approach Vasili.

Somewhat shocked, Vasili shakes his head. "I'll not be the reason to deprive you of manpower when you are set against the Slaves! I'll just keep an eye on things upstairs until you have the more serious matter under control."

Once by himself, Vasili casts his spell, and then whispers to Renhalt: "I need to get ahead of you to join Leila in the caves, and then either escape again or hide myself. Whatever time you can buy me, I'm grateful. By the time you get there, I hope to have a convincing show set up."

Bluff +14 to beg off the two inquisitors.
[dice]0[/dice]

[The Whistler]

"Indeed, good Hetman, before you go, I need a little more information on the rumors you heard about Feray and Rastem. And if you have the means to repair the death wound on the corpse, I must ask you to try."

Avram looked over his shoulder at Leila as he was turning to go; pausing. "No rumors, other than that Varreg wished to know of Arslan's movements, and who was moving with her. And as for the means you ask..."

He spread his hands apologetically. "I am a hetman, and a foreman, and I know a few prayers -- and no prayers to bring order to the body, once the spirit has met its reward. If you would like a healer... I am sorry. I am no healer."

His shoulders heavy, the hetman turned and walked down the tunnel.

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Jacqueline Montarri, of the Red Vardo Traders," Horst repeats. If he recognizes the name, he does a good job of not showing it. "I'll go immediately. As for your other request--it would take a great deal of time, and under the circumstances I think you're better off not knowing. Perhaps I can arrange...something...after my return."

Standing and bowing, Horst says, "Thank you again, Baroness. I hope to see you again."