While You Were Out

Log Info

• Title: While You Were Out
• Emitter: Zeke
• Characters: Zeke, Cryosanthia
• Place: A07: Lower Alexandria Market District
• Time: Friday, July 16, 2021, 1:48 PM
• Summary: Cryosanthia unexpectedly encounters Zeke in the Lower Market. She takes tea with him and starts catching him up on all the events that have transpired in Alexandria during his absence, while Little Fang disassembles her crossbow. Cryo explains that the city has been all but peaceful, with Resurrectionists and Akoniril searching for the Shards of Animus, the Death Orb, a known shard, which caused efforts to Renew the Pact. The other Agents of Taara which seem active and have been targeting adventurers, to the corruption in the guards. She isn't even able to get to 'relatively minor' events like the rise of the Syndicate, the bio-warfare plagues and increasing bandit problem before the bluescale is called away.

-=--=--=--=--=--=<* A07: Lower Alexandria Market District *>-=--=--=--=--=--=-

Just west of the Northern Highbridge and east of the arena, commerce blooms. Noisy and bustling, most anything may be purchased here for a price. Vendors from all cultures sell their wares from exotically colored carts, and the smells of different nations and far-off city-states mix with local ones from Alexandria and its riverbanks.

For all its commerce, visitors are advised to keep hold of their purses. Even the merchants possess a certain, cunning look. Most are positioned at carts or stalls as opposed to a formal storefront, with trade here being mobile, and visiting from all parts of the world.

Though the quality of goods suffers here compared to Upper Alexandria, the options are more diverse. Too, the oversight of the Watch is slightly less, and during times events are held at the Arena, chaos abounds. After dark, the square becomes a hangout for bards and other entrepreneurs whose business is best conducted by night; the shadows at the edges of the square often contain furtive figures engaging in their own brand of business.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Zeke         6'8"     239 Lb     Sith-Makar        Male      A blue-scaled sith-makar in white Daeus vestments
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  NPCs of Note  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Little Fang 'Lily'               Kobold            Female    A pinkscale youngling in a bathing suit, Cryo's daughter.
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It's a hot day, which means that the market district is in full swing. The crowds of people thrumming through the marketplace move like a herd through the district. Their pulse and flow not unlike that of blood through a body. At least, that is what Zeke muses as he watches the bustle of people as they go by. He himself is seated on a stool beneath the awning of a tea shop. The scent had drawn him in like a lure and he found himself quickly people-watching as he enjoyed a cup of warmth. There is little more that the sith enjoys than a cup of something warming on a sunny day. His tail sways with lassitude.

Among the scents that waft by, a familiar and urgent crosses his nose. She is here! Where is not immediately obvious, but there are still few Sith'Makar in Alexandria and most stand out in a crowd.

It's humid, hot, and colour is washed out by the brightness of the sun, and then she is apparent. Cryosanthia moves through the lower market with a seeming purpose in mind. Her outfit is an elaborate swashbuckling one, and has acquired a few more pieces. Riding on the pack on her shoulders is her small, carnation-scale youngling.

She passes the Tea Shop, head turning as if by habit, then halts as if she hit a brick wall. "Zeke!"

Zeke's tail stops swishing as the scent of Cryosanthia hits him. It's familiarity, and the memories that such bring are enough to bring the sith-makar back to the present. She comes into view and politely he rises to his feet. "Peasssce on your nessst." He offers quietly, nodding low to her and to the youngling that is with her.

Cryosanthia is likewise, seemingly hesitant, rocking back and forth. A glance in her former direction, a glance back towards Zeke. "Peace on your Nest," she replies.

"Peasssce on your nessst," her youngling replies in passable tradespeak, copying the bluescale's accent and inflections.

"May we join you?" Cryo asks, inhaling, focusing on him, "This one... this one would see you places you were not, and now sees you places she did not expect. I'm... I'm still adjusting to..."

"I'm interrupting your tea, this one should not."

Zeke's green eyes flicker to the youngling then back to Cryosanthia. "Thisss one apologizess if thissss onesss presscensce isss... unsssettling to you." His tail wraps around his right leg. "You could join thisss one for tea; if that pleassesss you."

"It's not Zeke, it's not." Cryo rushes forward, a white tower of herself with a wave of scents, so familiar and strong. She halts, at the edge of his remembered personal space. Her tail whips out in an expert lash, curling around a chair and pulling it towards her.

Lily seems to be waiting for the ride to stop moving before disembarking.

"It would please me. I never thought..." her voice crackles with passing emotion, "... I never thought I'd see you again. I resigned to that. You look really good. You've changed."

Reversing the chair she settles on it. Her youngling climbs over her shoulder to stand on the table. Being a Kobold, she's not all that large even if she's approaching their typical size. She leans towards Zeke and smells him, stares and says, "Hi!"

Zeke sits down, curling his tail around the stool and blinking in surprise when the youngling comes very close to him. Though he doesn't seem as unsettled by the closeness as he might have been once. "Thisss one... hasss learned much in the time that thisss one wass gone from Alexandria." He does not explain further, not yet. He looks at Cryosanthia. "You have changed asss well."

He motions to the tea shop keeper to bring another pot of tea and looks at the youngling. "Would you like ssssome tea?"

"Yesss. Orange black. Milksss. Sugarss, bissks and fruit platess." Lily hisses. She knows how to order food. She shares intently and examines Zeke's face, his scale patterns and horns. His crystalline limbs get her attention next.

"Lily, Zeke does not like people that close." Cryosanthia says, standing and lifting the youngling, finding a tall chair to place her in that gets her level with the table. Next a large rattling box is set in front of her as the whitescale sits again. She exhales, "this one will have Orange tea also, thank you."

"Korrbows pleasss." Lily stares at Cryo now, who takes another thing from her haversack and sets it in front of her youngling. A hand crossbow, of masterful workmanship, wood and copper, with an odd, reddish sheen to it.

Cryosanthia nods slowly, "We have. We all have. This one is not sure where to start, a lot has changed."

The blue-scale nods and the order is put in for the orange tea. With that taken care of, and the youngling occupied Zeke allows his attention to return to Cryosanthia. His instinct is to focus on the youngling however, and his green eyes constantly flicker toward her to make sure that she is alright. "Begin where you like, thisss one sshare wordsss with you at your pasce."

The youngling opens her box, which is filled with small metal plates and bars, and glass bottles full of nuts and bolts. It's both organized and chaotic, with a plethora of tools for working with the pieces, and some other small artifice implements also stored in there. She gets a screwdriver and a wrench and starts fiddling with things.

Cryo is always watching. Her head turned enough that Lily remains in her field of vision. She checks her surroundings frequently as well, always returning to facing Zeke with Lily in view.

She folds her hands on the table in front of her, gathers her thoughts. "She, the Mis... Salina, She kept her promise. Her influence was undone, those stricken, recovered. The dead stayed dead. The land healed. Only Seldan and this one had effects remain. His chiaroscuro skin, my cold and my scars lighting up when I do magic. The Temples restored those who were slain, the City went back to normal. They... did not thank us in any way. It was quiet, very quiet for a few months."

"This one... was alone. I helped in Mictlan, mapping the changes. This one was trained as an Egg-Watcher. Seldan, Malik, left the City. Many of us who stood together did not speak."

Zeke nods without a word, allowing Cryosanthia to speak in peace as she wills. He touches the tea he has remaining with one claw, its heat sinking into his scales and offering comfort, but for now he holds his tongue.

"This one would travel back and forth. Help curate the records in the Explorer's guild, do minor work for some of the taverns." Cryo explains, "Sabina opened the TarRaCe, an eatery with a baths attached, and a stage. This one has helped her, performed on stage, and gone to the baths often."

Lily seems deaf to the stories, uninterested or already aware. She's concentrating on taking apart the crossbow, removing each screw and setting it in a small divot in storage box. Sometimes she marks them with a grease pen.

"Then, when one started to hope that the Demon Lord was fully gone, that the City might only face small evils, the world turned upside down." Cryo scratches at the table, picks up her tea, takes a sip, sets it down. "The Resurrectionist society arrived, with news that fragments of the dead god, Animus, existed and must be found. Assurances, that at least one had been seen. They announced this with fliers, open meetings where anyone could attend, kicking off an insane scavenger hunt."

"That soundssss... unwissse." Zeke is somewhat surprised by this last bit of commentary. Simply informing a city that shards of a god exist and setting people loose in search of them sounded like a poor plan to Zeke. A poor plan indeed. "Why would the Resssurrectionisssts do sssuch a thing?"

"This one sent word to the Silver Empress, she sent an Emissary who instructed this one to investigate further." Cryo elaborates further, "This one asked assistance of the other Sith'Makar."

"The woman in charge of the Resurrectionists, is Griva Brassbringer, a wizard of Rune, and this one found out recently, part of their government as well."

The whitescale nods, "Griva had several reasons. She proposed that Salina, the Magic Plague, were evidence that Eluna and Taara were not good stewards of Animus' power, and that was how the She was able to wreck so much havoc. That she was a ripple effect of Animus' death."

"She also said, other forces were aware of their existence and already searching, and keeping it a secret was more dangerous than people chasing across the globe looking for them." Cryosanthia's words are clipped, it's clear from her voice and her scents that she disagrees with the explanation.

"Others, other priests even, suggested a dead god was worthless and bringing one back would make him beholden to men, that it would be better if one of us ascended."

She waves a hand, "Still others felt it would be valuable, or a vehicle for personal power. Everyone has become obsessed with these shards. They have touched everything."

"It makesss more sssensse then, than thisss one thought, but the thought of a mortal assscending..." Zeke shudders. Far too many mortals were of a kind that such power would only corrupt them. He looks suddenly more thoughtful even. "If a being of already great power were to get ahold of sssuch... The posssibilitiesss..."

Cryosanthia nods. And nods. Nods further and scratches at the table. Lily interrupts her mechanical fiddling to look at her Ssasaa, then pushes a melon slice towards the whitescale. This drags Cryo back from wherever she went. "Thanks."

She pops the slice in her mouth, crushes it and lets the flavour trickle down her throat, "That's a real possibility. Another appeared in Alexandria, on Griva's heels. Madah'Chern Akorinil ferch Belvade yun Lithrinil dem Kenduis, a Priestess of Taara and a Diplomat, with full immunity and a coterie of her own guards and Alexandrian ones. She's a veritable parade. She sought out Silverguard Serene, Merek, to evoke friendly overtures with her."

"She seeks the Shards, is known to Griva and overtly pleasant. Both have sent adventurers hither and yon. This one has worked with Griva, and avoids Akoniril, but her 'suggestions' are difficult to ignore. She has openly stated she'll do everything in her power to get Animus' remaining power to Taara where it 'rightly belongs'."

Zeke shudders all over at the thought of Taara gaining the power of Animus. "Taara." He hisses the name and shakes his head. "That the scity would allow a cleric of her ilk to walk itsss sstreetsss..." That alone was proof of what concerns had been voiced to him before. "Thisss one had heard that the scity wasss corrupt, but to thisss degree?"

"Yes. There's... there's a lot." Cryosanthia stares at her tea, "there... there may be good reasons. Akoniril is very skilled at presenting a problem that is impossible to ignore, the solution of which will assist her."

She stares across at Zeke, "There is a power struggle going on in Charn, Akoniril and secretive dealings are on the out, being replaced with more direct brutality. This one believes she has convinced the Alexandrian nobles she is the lesser of two Charnese evils."

This is followed by a huge exhale, "although the nobles themselves are corrupt. They perverted the justice system to frame two adventurers, and several have not been seen since the attempted public execution. Merek, many interfered. Most were fined, Merek ended up agreeing to a Geas."

"And this one has heard of corrupt guards too."

"Merek?" Zeke's scent becomes slightly irritated and his tail gives a soft flick. "Thisss one hasss heard sssomething of him of late asss well. Thiss one... isss hopeful that the gaesss hasss taught him sssome caution." He shakes his head.

"Gigglesss!" Lily says, climbing out of her chair and up Cryosanthia, who is unmoved by her weight. She reaches into the handy haversack and pulls out a small, yellow dog statue. The pinkscale whips it around to have it stare dramatically at Zeke, trilling an alarm noise in her throat. Thrrrrrrrrrrp!

Cryosanthia laughs, "Yes. We call... 'her'... Giggles. Her attention can be drawn by her name, and she has ... an artifact that allows her to see connections between people. This one does not want to elaborate further, right now."

She wobbles her head, "However, Akoniril asked Seldan to 'do her a favour' with Giggles, and this one has been sucked into that."

Cryosanthia closes her eyes and shakes her head. Her scents are sad, worried, and angry, "It... has not. This one will come back to Merek, but... this one tried to reach him, and could not. Death and several misadventures have taught him naught but they're a way to grow more powerful. He has no caution now."

"His geas was due to flaunting Alexandrian law, and it finally catching up to him. This one was at his trial. Seldan..." She picks at the rim of her teacup, "Seldan tried to defend him, but he dug himself a huge hole, confessing to things they did not charge him with. The geas was the City's attempt to rein him in."

Cryo meets Zeke's gaze. There is no need to elaborate on her opinions of mind manipulation. Not after their shared experiences.

Zeke shakes his head. Not truly surprised about the news concerning Merek. It was... too like the man whom Zeke had endured dealings with in the past. It seemed that he had not changed. "Thisss one isss... sssomehow not sssurprissed, and though thisss one isss curiousss, thisss one will not pry where you are not ready to ssspeak." He glances at the youngling though, nodding his head to her and flicking his tail once.

The youngling grins back at the venerable Sith'makar, her own tail thrashing with vigor and unimpeded by much mass. She returns to fiddling with her the crossbow. She's successfully removed the trigger arrangement, and appears to be trying to duplicate it with the metal plates in her set. Plates that aren't exactly suited, but she's being creative.

Cryo bobs her head, adjusting her shoulders, "Merek has been at the centre or tangential to a lot of things. Just before Akoniril arrived, he was attacked by an agent of Taara, with devils. She denied any knowledge, but they recently ambushed him again."

"He was with a group that went to Merkabah, seeking a Shard. This one believes it was found, and is being safely kept."

Her tail twitches, "This one is aware of five or six, that may have been found, may be safely kept. One, Mikilos and a group pried from an undead Black Dragon. It possessed Halani, when she touched it. She declared herself Animus and that she should be worshiped."

The whitescale grins, "She was broken free. This one investigated a possible Shard in a ruined temple of Animus, but there was only a devil there. No shard."

She takes a sip of tea, "There's one sitting outside of Alexandria."

Zeke seems intent on this knowledge, leaning slightly forward with another flick of his tail for the youngling's attentions. "Ssso many? Are they being kept here in Alexandria?"

Cryosanthia dips her nose, ever so slightly, looks at Lily then faces Zeke again. Her snout rises. This is followed a look around the Tea Shop, out at the Lower Market. She rubs at the back of her left hand. It's covered by her gloves, but it is impossible to forget that was where Her mark was.

Very carefully she says, "This one is easily compromised. This one does not know where any of them are." Her scents of anxiety spike, it would be clear to any Sith'Makar that she's lying. For someone well familiar with her, it screams. She knows something, and she doesn't want to talk about it here.

Laughing a little too forcefully, she grins and wobbles her head, "Well, I know where the one outside Alexandria is. Almost everyone does. It's surrounded by a bunch of guards. It's 'The Death Orb'."

"Get too close, it compels you closer, at which point it mentally screams at you to 'Renew the Pact', then kills you." She huffs, "So, that's what Griva has been sending everyone out to do. Repeat actions of the Compact that was formed between Animus and the mages, after the Sundering of Kulthis, in the hopes that... well it'll stop killing people and be nicer."

"Merek tried a divination and it went really badly and he bled everywhere. A lot of adventurers have gone out to 'Renew the Pacts'."

Zeke nods, but doesn't press, knowing better than to perhaps because of her scent. "More the foolsss they." He replies in displeasure then shakes his head. How many dead for the sake of something that only killed? He flicks his tail again, then looks at Cryosanthia seriously. "You sssaid that you have done little of late; for the sssake of your youngling. Yet it ssseemsss that you have done much."

This is not an admonishment, but rather almost amusement. "Can thisss one... be of aid to you?"

"This one..." Cryosanthia reaches her hand across the table, and then stops before she touches Zeke, withdrawing to rest it only halfway. She smells excited, relieved, and anxious, always anxious, "This one needs help."

She looks over at Lily, who has stopped working on her toys and is watching them both rather intently. Zeke's tail does seem of interest, and taking the moment she asks, "How getss scar?"

"Lily, don't ask about scars." Cryo admonishes, then faces the bluescale once more, "This one does not adventure for gold or glory. This one has tried to find Lily's parents, and the other efforts, with Shards, have only been because it seemed unavoidable and this one was directly asked. Most things, this one knows because friends have told, or I read the reports."

Zeke does not hesitate to reach out, to place his claw upon hers. He smells peaceful. Does not look as though touching her was an effort, or that touching her was a fearful thing to him. Changed indeed is Zeke if this is so. His eyes flicker toward Lily, and he offers Cryosanthia a small flick of his tail to tell her that he does not mind the question. "Sssome do not like to anssswer sssuch quesstionsss youngling, but thisss one thinksss that sscarsss are but remindersss of our sstrength. Our sstrength to endure."

It was interesting though, that the child was more interested in a scar of his flesh than the crystalline limbs which he bore. Most saw one and hardly ever the other. "Yet... thisss one doesss not wissh to burden Cryosssanthia further." His eyes lower, and look at the youngling. "Ssshe hasss enough."

"Yesss," the youngling hisses with an insight that seems beyond her years, "Ssassa sstinkss all the time. Thinksss too much. Talksss too much."

Cryosanthia relaxes at the contact, at Zeke's touch. Something she had hoped for, waited on, for a long time. Her scents flower strongly. She is under a lot of pressure.

"This one will get a filter on you yet," Cryo laughs at Lily, gazing at Zeke, "this one is curious, this one does not have too much more, it will help you understand the changes to Alexandria, to everyone."

"Some of these 'Pact' efforts make no real sense. Braelnoir went to a rock in the Desolation, and performed a play. Some adventurers have stolen scrolls. Griva wants a bunch of us to 'symbolically' defeat an enemy of magic and has asked this one to go along with Cesran, Serene, Seldan and Merek."

"This one arranges Egg-Watchers, for Lily, when I must. Braelnoir, Faran, Sabina, Irshya, Tae, Aya, are well known to her."

The Kobold hisses at the mention of Aya's name, one that is both happy and threatening.

"You allow Aya to watch your youngling?" Zeke blinks in surprise at these words, but before he can react further a small form bursts through the crowd. It's a young human boy not much older than her youngling.

"Sir Zeke! The temple needs you right away!" The boy utters loudly, bowing low to Zeke and then adding in a bow to Cryosanthia as well. "It's real urgent!"

Zeke sighs at the words that the boy has for him and slowly rises to his feet. "Tell them that thisss one isss on the way." He says and the boy nods and runs off ahead. "Thisss one isss ssorry to go sso ssoon." He gently pulls his claw away last, so their touch lingers until the last second. "It mussst be important or they would not sssend a runner for thisss one."

"I do," the whitescale says, about to elaborate further when the runner interrupts. He is pulled away again, so soon, though she feels his touch on her hand long after his claws are withdrawn.

"It's ok. This one enjoyed her time with you. This one hopes for more times."

"And lessss talkings!" Lily throws that in as a distraction, as she scoops several pieces of fruit into her mouth at once.

Which her Ssassa must intervene with, after which the bluescale has departed.

Current Active Plots

Whirlpool's
Shards of Animus The major plot arc of Whirl's, that is part of explaining the rule-system (PF2e) and upcomin setting shift.
NPCs: Griva Brassbringer and Akoniril Belvade, quest-givers and events related to this arc.

Grauthis the Grievor, is a Charn power struggle, given by Akoniril to Seldan, part of the Shards of Animus Umbrella. Read the log: It's Just a Game, regarding options in this quest line

Renew the Pact, kicked off by The Death Orb, these are sub-threads relating to the Shards of Animus. Whirlpool, Subduction and Cryosanthia runs some. Usually uploaded as: Renew the Pact: Event-name

Hand of Asumit, Tier 4, relating to the Shards of Animus and Asumit plot from three years ago.

Solar Flare's
<OOC> The Murder of Bethany and Framing of Delilah is an extended mystery / police procedural / and running from authority

Cryosanthia's
Agents of Taara, tied into the Shard of Animus, involves a (deceased) Fey Enchantress and some devils interacting with various PCs in Alexandria.