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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 6905063" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 96, “All Together Now" September 12, 1882, 12:30AM. </strong></p><p></p><p>After Princess Neferka and her newlywed husband General Orabi entered the pyramid at 10:45PM many of those outside followed, including Benjamin 'Fish' Trout's allies George Eastman, Ruby West, Lawrence Cantrell and Abigail Marsters. Fish himself however, chose to stay back, to keep an eye on things from the rear. By 11:30PM things inside became quiet. Those outside then saw the General extend his hand towards the King, a western gesture of negotiation conclusions. All hell next broke lose, as a loud roar sounded the General's assassination of the King.</p><p></p><p>Those outside expressed shock and the word quickly spread among those where not looking through the opening when it occurred. Gunshots fired inside and several guards outside rushed to the doorway. Their entry was then blocked as a solid iron gate appeared over the large opening to the pyramid. The sphynx all take to the air, circling high and crying out in anguish, having failed in their appointed task to protect the monarch.</p><p></p><p>The Frenchman Giffard and his dirigible pilot were approached by the leader of the guards who first asked if they had the magical ability to dispel the gate. Giffard attempted to do so but was unsuccessful. Mina Parker also came out from her hiding place and attempted to do so as well without success. After that she stuck closely to Fish. She told him that Sabah had gone to the Temple of Bast in Gizah City. Freya was still over beyond the nearest secondary pyramid with the party's mounts.</p><p></p><p>Almost an hour has passed since that time. Horses were summoned for the priests to ride to Cairo with word of the assassination of the King at the hand of the rebel leader. Many of the servants also fled, some to the nearby Gizah City, others in carts heading back to Cairo. The fourteen guards worked frantically at trying to break through the iron gate, but lacking anything significant to use to do so. The iron gate then reverberates from the inside as a huge indentation is punched out from the inside, knocking four the guards back who had been pounding on it.</p><p></p><p>When the dust settles it appears that there is a gap between one side of the gate and the pyramid wall. Metal bars then begin to pry it wider from the inside, and the guards outside also assist. Eventually it is widened enough that those inside begin to exit the stone structure.</p><p></p><p>Inside, Gonzales gestures to the makeshift doorway and says to Ruby, "It looks like everybody is heading over to go outside. We should do the same." "Alright." Ruby got up from the floor and paused next to the old elf. "Have I mentioned that I am so happy you are here? It always seems like everything will be okay when you are." She hugged him and then headed over to the hole. George helped her climb up and out into the night. "Ah, that is much better," she said, breathing in the fresh air. "What now I wonder? This has become such a mess. I wonder where Nana is?"</p><p></p><p>Outside the pyramid there are very few people around. About a dozen guards and soldiers, both human and ogre, helping the people exit the pyramid. The French dirigible remains, with the pilot and owner also currently under armed guard. Over by the far end of the tent Ruby spots her grandmother standing with Ben Trout. She walks over to her grandmother and Fish. "Glad to see you two, you missed all the fireworks," she said sarcastically. "Where did everyone go?" Mina says, "Most of the crowds went to spread word of the King's murder." She then lowers her voice and says, "Sabah went to her temple, Freya moved back behind the far walls with our horses."</p><p></p><p>Ruby says. "Yes, there is quite some gossip to spread. I am glad Freya is not here. Mr. Gonzales I will tell you about her in a bit though I have a feeling you already know about her presence." He says, "From here we saw the Asgardian Dragon fighting the armed balloon over Cairo. However, I thought she was known by another name." Ruby replies, "She calls herself Freya and she was helping us. She helped us escape the palace, we were inside when the French attacked it. What did you think her name was?" He replies, "The female Asgardian is named Astrid."</p><p></p><p>Ruby asks, "Do you know why Sabah returned to her temple?" Mina says, "The King was murdered by the General. She sought guidance from her deity on how to proceed." Ruby nodded her head. "Yes, that is very wise indeed. I don't really know what to do next myself. We could look for those wizards but they are much more powerful than we are and I fear we wouldn't know what to do with them if we did find them. We have to try to find the Princess but where do we look? I don't know that the actress is telling us everything but the French have been pretty smart so far in their plans, why would they bother to tell a lower level accomplice their bigger plots and plans." Gonzales relies, "They wouldn't."</p><p></p><p>Abby came up behind the others and said, "Now we decide what our goal is. We were trying to stop the French plot. Well, now the fact that some of them were plotting is out in the open, although certainly not unraveled. We may still be needed to help enforce the Queen's will. The Princess is your friend, so of course you want to find her, and finding her may be essential for Egypt's stability."</p><p></p><p>Gonzales says, "Or not. What the Royal Barrister stated earlier is correct. Under Egyptian law he must certify the next Monarch is qualified for office. Those qualifications include understanding and respecting the role of the ruler as the representative of the Egyptian gods here on Earth. Proper respect for the ruler clearly means not killing that person. Princess Neferka may indeed be next in line for the throne, but she is the wife of the King's killer. If it is discovered that she had even a hint of foreknowledge of what he planned to do, then that would invalidate her claim."</p><p></p><p>Ruby tapped her lips. "That's interesting... then who would be next in line after her?" He replies, "Her next oldest sister. Which would explain why the Royal Barrister's first action was to protect those two Princesses, and why they are under under heavy protection now." "Any chance she has a hand in this plot?" Ruby asked bluntly.</p><p></p><p>Abby interjects "It's possible. When we met her, she was already intent on marrying the General. She was having wealth moved. We have no idea what her history is with her father. Really we have nothing but her word, saying she wanted to end the fighting and preserve Egypt, and our instincts. I hate to think badly of anyone, but for all we know she and her father have never gotten along and she was more than happy to have a way to get rid of him. Do I really believe that? No. But I have to allow for my own ignorance." Gonzales says, "Don't ask me, you folks appear to know far more about this conspiracy than I do. I've only been in Egypt since this morning."</p><p></p><p>Ruby gasped, "Oh no Abby, I meant the other Princess, the one who would be next in line for the throne should they decide the Princess was involved in the "General's" plot to murder the King. If the next in line Princess wanted to be first in line, she could have found a way to put the General under a spell and have him kill her own father. I might not know a lot about a lot of things but I do truly believe the Princess loved her father and she loved her new husband. She trusted him. Now, her faith could have been misplaced. As for the General I only met him for a little bit. He seemed sincere but I can't say much about him. I thought they were in love. I just find it hard to believe Orabi would do this." George interjects, "No, no. I think you are both right ladies. Either princess could have had a hand in this. Truly all we have is our gut about Neferka, so we can't rule it out though we do not wish to believe it.</p><p></p><p>Abby adds, "Remember, we may still be under suspicion here as well." Gonzales says, "I think that you may have gained some favor by your actions within the pyramid. Note that it is the French and not us who are currently under guard." Ruby says, "Yes, I am afraid one small misstep and we find ourselves with the noose around our neck again. Finding the Princess is definitely a priority I think unless someone else has a different plan."</p><p></p><p>Gonzales says, "I am thinking that the unconscious Jacquard is our only reliable source for information about this plot." Ruby says, "Okay, we wake him up and ask him some of our questions. We have to make sure he can't cast any spells on us though." Abby couldn't help but smile a bit. "Every now and then it pays off that I don't like to use lethal force.” Ruby says, "You did exactly the right thing. Killing these guys doesn't help us figure out what is going on here. I mean, I know you know that but the other goons inside aren't thinking that, obviously."</p><p></p><p>Abby says, Of course, getting the jump on a wizard of his power is better done in close quarters. I wouldn't have stood a chance against him using magic." "Nor I," states Gonzales adding "Mr. Jacquard is one of the five most powerful wizards on the planet. However, his weakening body appears to now be failing him. A decade ago he would have also been able to challenge you in hand-to-hand combat as well." "Alright, so the old wizard is tied up. We wake him up. We ask him some questions. Mr. Gonzales, is there something we can do to protect ourselves from him casting spells on us?"</p><p></p><p>Gonzales looks around and says, "Yes, we should be somewhere other than out in the open surrounded by pyramids, buildings and walls that any number of enemies could ambush us from." Ruby says, "Well, he is still in there so we can go back in and wait for the others to clear out and do it then. Objections?" Gonzales says, "Yes, given that the ventilation for that pyramid appears blocked, leaving only that one small opening the ogres pried open, which could be easily blocked or sealed. Is there anywhere else we could go?"</p><p></p><p>Ruby says, "There are a lot of smaller buildings around here but I am not familiar with them. We could trek back to the city with him but that seems like an open invitation to his associates to come and take him back." "Also, do we really want to try to slip away with the only living witness? Remember that noose you were talking about?" Abby looked around. "I wonder where Cal and his friends went? He was a spy, he'd be better at this than me."</p><p></p><p>George's mind was racing processing all the new information. He liked to be quite at times like this, but he finally did speak. "I think that we may be able to unveil Freya now. Gonzales, as I understand it Astrid became Freya when she inherited the armor she now wears when the French wizards killed the previous wearer, Freya's kin. With the French now the de facto enemy of the state her previous actions against the gun ship may well give her good standing too. We will have to test the waters on that one first. The barrister would find her a powerful ally against this cabal.</p><p></p><p>Ok, interrogation. I need a blade, some hot pokers, boiling water and some salt. That and some rope and I am sure we can get the truth. Unless someone has some magic to force someone to tell the truth or at least detect if they are lying. That might be helpful if we want to avoid torture. However, just because some of the French were left behind does not exonerate them, while we have suspected of at least two factions among the French without further evidence we need to assume they are all in on it. I think we spotted Beloq as well, he may have been the other man to survive the airship crash. I should have let Freya eat them." says George shaking his head.</p><p></p><p>"Ok, tie up the wizard, fingers bound. Keep a close watch and a rifle butt handy to interrupt spell casting. Even with a spell to ensure the truth we need a way to make him talk. Unless someone can read minds. Though if we find a out building, I would bet our draconian friend Freya may provide some motivation for him to talk. Nor would she balk at physical force, though the old Spanish Inquisition tortures against wizards still work well." trails off George pondering abhorrent tortures from days gone by.</p><p></p><p>"Alright, Fish head inside and snag as much of the pile of magical stuff as you can, Abby go with him to show him and identify anything else of use in there." They find that the Barrister has collected all of the magic, nor will he allow anybody to enter the temple where the bodies of the various people remain while under guard.</p><p></p><p>George says, "Ruby go wait at the entrance for the Queen. Offer our condolences on the death of her husband, and assure her of our help to bring the assassins to justice and find her daughter. If you or your name is recognized I don't think it will matter now. While there see what the response is from the younger princesses. Lawrence you go with Mina and find a place to take our captive and get Freya there as well. Once you have a place come back and let us know." Mina says "I may know of a safe place that the barrister would also agree to." She and Lawrence head over in the direction where Freya is waiting with the group's horses. The two mount up and ride to the northeast towards the adjacent Gizah City."</p><p></p><p>George says, "I will go talk to Barrister Sefu and see about commandeering that airship for us. It would help us tremendously. I may talk to him about a dragon as well. Ok any questions? If not let's go, the sands are running out on us." George approaches the Barrister, who is giving orders to the additional guards outside to carefully watch the French prisoners.</p><p></p><p>Ruby says, "Oh, wait, I don't think we should split up..." Ruby said, but it was too late, the group had already separated and her grandmother rode away. "George, you do remember that I can remember that I can read minds, right? I need to be able to concentrate and if he is powerful and has protective spells or magic items I probably couldn't get through that, it might not work but in this case I doubt either of those two things are considerations here. So If we can talk to the wizard it could work. Before and while we scare him with the dragon, that is." "Yes, that is right. Ok, once we get him in a secure location we can try that with you first. But my love, contingency, contingency, contingency." adds George as Ruby sashays off.</p><p></p><p>Once out of the pyramid the Egyptian Queen and her daughters are immediately surrounded by more guards. The Royal Barrister is given a wand which he points upward, which sends a small flare. The Andro-sphynx (male) then flies down and the Barrister speaks to it. The Sphynx then takes up a protective posture before the royals with the pyramid to its back. The Barrister then orders a soldier to go and get another battalion of troops.</p><p></p><p>Abby was just as glad that the Barrister had already had all the magic items collected and would not allow them to look through it. In her mind, she was struggling with Mr. Eastman's casual acceptance of torture as a way to get the information they needed. He was too intelligent a man to think they could only bluff the man with threats of violence. You must be willing to follow through on such a thing, and Abby wasn't sure if she was willing to go that far. She headed over to where Ruby was approaching the Queen and the Barrister, keeping an eye on the Sphinx to see how it reacted to them.</p><p></p><p>As she got closer to the royal family the three sphynx move in closer to better protect the women. With a sudden change of mind, Abby turned and walked back toward the old Wizard, Gonzales. Reaching him, she said, "You know Miss West well, yes? Do you know Mr. Eastman as well? He can't really believe the Barrister is going to let us take that Frenchman to interrogate ourselves. That man has the attitude of someone who knows he's in authority."</p><p></p><p>Gonzales says, "I have known Miss West for a considerable amount of time. My first impression of Mr. Eastman was not positive, although it has moderated over time. One thing that displeased me initially about Eastman is his overall attitude that he will get whatever he wants. At the time he wanted Miss West despite her being in a serious relationship at the time, and he persisted until he won. So I am not surprised he actually thinks he can bully the Barrister, but in this instance I agree with you, our Egyptian lawyer will only give us so much latitude."</p><p></p><p>Abby nodded and considered that for a moment. "The truth is, the Barrister has the authority here, and we don't want to challenge it. And the only way we could is physically, and that's a bad, bad move." Gonzales replies, "I concur, especially with those three sphynx present, we lack the power to defeat them." Abby says, "Our concern here has been to unearth the French plot, make the Egyptian royal family aware of it and protect them, and keep Egypt free. This situation, in their eyes we are superfluous at best and suspicious at worst."</p><p></p><p>He replies, "You were of considerable help with that already. Your information from Merimee helped to shift the Barrister's view towards the French, and Baron Gouraud's collusion with Orabi to murder the King helped to then confirm it." Her talking was the mental equivalent of pacing, trying to work her way through the problem to a solution. "So how do we become valuable? Just offering our services won't do it. We're still outsiders here." Gonzales says, "We provide value through the continued unraveling of the French plot, and if we can help accomplish that before dawn, then the bloodshed of the armies can be spared." Abby answers " "I guess I have to hope that Mr. Eastman's bullying is successful, then. Although I don't care for his interrogation techniques."</p><p></p><p>Gonzales replies, "As long as it is the French and not us who are under arrest there is still hope. And even if Eastman pushes too far and finds himself in shackles, I believe that I can keep the two of us from suffering the same fate." She barked out a laugh, loud enough that a few people turned to look at her for a moment. "You'd leave him here, then? I don't think my boss would like that," Abby said, still chuckling. "I'm sorry. It's been a long couple of days and I may be a little punch drunk," she added and tried to get herself back under control.</p><p></p><p>He replies, "Personally, I think that a few days in shackles might be a humbling experience for good old George. A nd while it may have been a long couple of days, it will probably get even longer before morning." "Maybe I should ask for hazard pay," she said lightly and watched the others. "Things seem to be going well. Perhaps I worry too much." Gonzales says, "No, your instincts are correct, we are all still in grave danger. This situation is very volitile and by tomorrow at this time any one of several different factions could be the de-facto rulers of this land. The Egyptian Royals, the Egyptian Army, the Rebel Army, the British, the French, or even us."</p><p></p><p>Ruby waved at the Queen and called out. "Your Majesty! A quick word please!" Two Egyptian guards move to block Ruby but the Queen Nikkathia stops them and says, "No, let the Trollop's Granddaughter speak." Ruby kept her anger at the insult to her grandmother inside, she didn't want to do anything to further anger the Queen. "Your Majesty, I am so sorry for what has happened to your family. I hope you can believe me when I say I am a true friend of your daughter, that is how I knew that girl inside was a phony." The Queen says, "I am not inclined to believe anything that you personally state, but given that my daughter's trusted guard Mengesha has verified you story, then I take that and that alone to be true."</p><p></p><p>Ruby continues ""I understand why you would not trust me, but I am glad that you are taking Mengesha's word for my sincerity. They are absolutely spoken in truth. My goals now are to find your daughter and return her safely to you and also to find the assassins that have done these horrible deeds and help bring them to justice." She watched the Queen closely and also kept an eye on Neferka's sisters. The Queen says, "I share those goals. Do you have any suggestions as to how we would best accomplish those tasks?"</p><p></p><p>Ruby answers, “As for what to do next, we have a couple of ideas. I t would help if we were given your blessing," she paused for a quick moment, "Your permission at least to do what we have to do. We will interrogate the French wizard who we have in custody, one of Orabi's accomplices. Then we will get to Zakazik as fast as we can to look for your daughter. We think she may be there and we WILL find her if she is." Ruby waited for the Queen's reply but before she even knew what she was saying she blurted out, "You know, we could get to Zakazik MUCH faster if we could... borrow the French airship."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 6905063, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 96, “All Together Now" September 12, 1882, 12:30AM. [/B] After Princess Neferka and her newlywed husband General Orabi entered the pyramid at 10:45PM many of those outside followed, including Benjamin 'Fish' Trout's allies George Eastman, Ruby West, Lawrence Cantrell and Abigail Marsters. Fish himself however, chose to stay back, to keep an eye on things from the rear. By 11:30PM things inside became quiet. Those outside then saw the General extend his hand towards the King, a western gesture of negotiation conclusions. All hell next broke lose, as a loud roar sounded the General's assassination of the King. Those outside expressed shock and the word quickly spread among those where not looking through the opening when it occurred. Gunshots fired inside and several guards outside rushed to the doorway. Their entry was then blocked as a solid iron gate appeared over the large opening to the pyramid. The sphynx all take to the air, circling high and crying out in anguish, having failed in their appointed task to protect the monarch. The Frenchman Giffard and his dirigible pilot were approached by the leader of the guards who first asked if they had the magical ability to dispel the gate. Giffard attempted to do so but was unsuccessful. Mina Parker also came out from her hiding place and attempted to do so as well without success. After that she stuck closely to Fish. She told him that Sabah had gone to the Temple of Bast in Gizah City. Freya was still over beyond the nearest secondary pyramid with the party's mounts. Almost an hour has passed since that time. Horses were summoned for the priests to ride to Cairo with word of the assassination of the King at the hand of the rebel leader. Many of the servants also fled, some to the nearby Gizah City, others in carts heading back to Cairo. The fourteen guards worked frantically at trying to break through the iron gate, but lacking anything significant to use to do so. The iron gate then reverberates from the inside as a huge indentation is punched out from the inside, knocking four the guards back who had been pounding on it. When the dust settles it appears that there is a gap between one side of the gate and the pyramid wall. Metal bars then begin to pry it wider from the inside, and the guards outside also assist. Eventually it is widened enough that those inside begin to exit the stone structure. Inside, Gonzales gestures to the makeshift doorway and says to Ruby, "It looks like everybody is heading over to go outside. We should do the same." "Alright." Ruby got up from the floor and paused next to the old elf. "Have I mentioned that I am so happy you are here? It always seems like everything will be okay when you are." She hugged him and then headed over to the hole. George helped her climb up and out into the night. "Ah, that is much better," she said, breathing in the fresh air. "What now I wonder? This has become such a mess. I wonder where Nana is?" Outside the pyramid there are very few people around. About a dozen guards and soldiers, both human and ogre, helping the people exit the pyramid. The French dirigible remains, with the pilot and owner also currently under armed guard. Over by the far end of the tent Ruby spots her grandmother standing with Ben Trout. She walks over to her grandmother and Fish. "Glad to see you two, you missed all the fireworks," she said sarcastically. "Where did everyone go?" Mina says, "Most of the crowds went to spread word of the King's murder." She then lowers her voice and says, "Sabah went to her temple, Freya moved back behind the far walls with our horses." Ruby says. "Yes, there is quite some gossip to spread. I am glad Freya is not here. Mr. Gonzales I will tell you about her in a bit though I have a feeling you already know about her presence." He says, "From here we saw the Asgardian Dragon fighting the armed balloon over Cairo. However, I thought she was known by another name." Ruby replies, "She calls herself Freya and she was helping us. She helped us escape the palace, we were inside when the French attacked it. What did you think her name was?" He replies, "The female Asgardian is named Astrid." Ruby asks, "Do you know why Sabah returned to her temple?" Mina says, "The King was murdered by the General. She sought guidance from her deity on how to proceed." Ruby nodded her head. "Yes, that is very wise indeed. I don't really know what to do next myself. We could look for those wizards but they are much more powerful than we are and I fear we wouldn't know what to do with them if we did find them. We have to try to find the Princess but where do we look? I don't know that the actress is telling us everything but the French have been pretty smart so far in their plans, why would they bother to tell a lower level accomplice their bigger plots and plans." Gonzales relies, "They wouldn't." Abby came up behind the others and said, "Now we decide what our goal is. We were trying to stop the French plot. Well, now the fact that some of them were plotting is out in the open, although certainly not unraveled. We may still be needed to help enforce the Queen's will. The Princess is your friend, so of course you want to find her, and finding her may be essential for Egypt's stability." Gonzales says, "Or not. What the Royal Barrister stated earlier is correct. Under Egyptian law he must certify the next Monarch is qualified for office. Those qualifications include understanding and respecting the role of the ruler as the representative of the Egyptian gods here on Earth. Proper respect for the ruler clearly means not killing that person. Princess Neferka may indeed be next in line for the throne, but she is the wife of the King's killer. If it is discovered that she had even a hint of foreknowledge of what he planned to do, then that would invalidate her claim." Ruby tapped her lips. "That's interesting... then who would be next in line after her?" He replies, "Her next oldest sister. Which would explain why the Royal Barrister's first action was to protect those two Princesses, and why they are under under heavy protection now." "Any chance she has a hand in this plot?" Ruby asked bluntly. Abby interjects "It's possible. When we met her, she was already intent on marrying the General. She was having wealth moved. We have no idea what her history is with her father. Really we have nothing but her word, saying she wanted to end the fighting and preserve Egypt, and our instincts. I hate to think badly of anyone, but for all we know she and her father have never gotten along and she was more than happy to have a way to get rid of him. Do I really believe that? No. But I have to allow for my own ignorance." Gonzales says, "Don't ask me, you folks appear to know far more about this conspiracy than I do. I've only been in Egypt since this morning." Ruby gasped, "Oh no Abby, I meant the other Princess, the one who would be next in line for the throne should they decide the Princess was involved in the "General's" plot to murder the King. If the next in line Princess wanted to be first in line, she could have found a way to put the General under a spell and have him kill her own father. I might not know a lot about a lot of things but I do truly believe the Princess loved her father and she loved her new husband. She trusted him. Now, her faith could have been misplaced. As for the General I only met him for a little bit. He seemed sincere but I can't say much about him. I thought they were in love. I just find it hard to believe Orabi would do this." George interjects, "No, no. I think you are both right ladies. Either princess could have had a hand in this. Truly all we have is our gut about Neferka, so we can't rule it out though we do not wish to believe it. Abby adds, "Remember, we may still be under suspicion here as well." Gonzales says, "I think that you may have gained some favor by your actions within the pyramid. Note that it is the French and not us who are currently under guard." Ruby says, "Yes, I am afraid one small misstep and we find ourselves with the noose around our neck again. Finding the Princess is definitely a priority I think unless someone else has a different plan." Gonzales says, "I am thinking that the unconscious Jacquard is our only reliable source for information about this plot." Ruby says, "Okay, we wake him up and ask him some of our questions. We have to make sure he can't cast any spells on us though." Abby couldn't help but smile a bit. "Every now and then it pays off that I don't like to use lethal force.” Ruby says, "You did exactly the right thing. Killing these guys doesn't help us figure out what is going on here. I mean, I know you know that but the other goons inside aren't thinking that, obviously." Abby says, Of course, getting the jump on a wizard of his power is better done in close quarters. I wouldn't have stood a chance against him using magic." "Nor I," states Gonzales adding "Mr. Jacquard is one of the five most powerful wizards on the planet. However, his weakening body appears to now be failing him. A decade ago he would have also been able to challenge you in hand-to-hand combat as well." "Alright, so the old wizard is tied up. We wake him up. We ask him some questions. Mr. Gonzales, is there something we can do to protect ourselves from him casting spells on us?" Gonzales looks around and says, "Yes, we should be somewhere other than out in the open surrounded by pyramids, buildings and walls that any number of enemies could ambush us from." Ruby says, "Well, he is still in there so we can go back in and wait for the others to clear out and do it then. Objections?" Gonzales says, "Yes, given that the ventilation for that pyramid appears blocked, leaving only that one small opening the ogres pried open, which could be easily blocked or sealed. Is there anywhere else we could go?" Ruby says, "There are a lot of smaller buildings around here but I am not familiar with them. We could trek back to the city with him but that seems like an open invitation to his associates to come and take him back." "Also, do we really want to try to slip away with the only living witness? Remember that noose you were talking about?" Abby looked around. "I wonder where Cal and his friends went? He was a spy, he'd be better at this than me." George's mind was racing processing all the new information. He liked to be quite at times like this, but he finally did speak. "I think that we may be able to unveil Freya now. Gonzales, as I understand it Astrid became Freya when she inherited the armor she now wears when the French wizards killed the previous wearer, Freya's kin. With the French now the de facto enemy of the state her previous actions against the gun ship may well give her good standing too. We will have to test the waters on that one first. The barrister would find her a powerful ally against this cabal. Ok, interrogation. I need a blade, some hot pokers, boiling water and some salt. That and some rope and I am sure we can get the truth. Unless someone has some magic to force someone to tell the truth or at least detect if they are lying. That might be helpful if we want to avoid torture. However, just because some of the French were left behind does not exonerate them, while we have suspected of at least two factions among the French without further evidence we need to assume they are all in on it. I think we spotted Beloq as well, he may have been the other man to survive the airship crash. I should have let Freya eat them." says George shaking his head. "Ok, tie up the wizard, fingers bound. Keep a close watch and a rifle butt handy to interrupt spell casting. Even with a spell to ensure the truth we need a way to make him talk. Unless someone can read minds. Though if we find a out building, I would bet our draconian friend Freya may provide some motivation for him to talk. Nor would she balk at physical force, though the old Spanish Inquisition tortures against wizards still work well." trails off George pondering abhorrent tortures from days gone by. "Alright, Fish head inside and snag as much of the pile of magical stuff as you can, Abby go with him to show him and identify anything else of use in there." They find that the Barrister has collected all of the magic, nor will he allow anybody to enter the temple where the bodies of the various people remain while under guard. George says, "Ruby go wait at the entrance for the Queen. Offer our condolences on the death of her husband, and assure her of our help to bring the assassins to justice and find her daughter. If you or your name is recognized I don't think it will matter now. While there see what the response is from the younger princesses. Lawrence you go with Mina and find a place to take our captive and get Freya there as well. Once you have a place come back and let us know." Mina says "I may know of a safe place that the barrister would also agree to." She and Lawrence head over in the direction where Freya is waiting with the group's horses. The two mount up and ride to the northeast towards the adjacent Gizah City." George says, "I will go talk to Barrister Sefu and see about commandeering that airship for us. It would help us tremendously. I may talk to him about a dragon as well. Ok any questions? If not let's go, the sands are running out on us." George approaches the Barrister, who is giving orders to the additional guards outside to carefully watch the French prisoners. Ruby says, "Oh, wait, I don't think we should split up..." Ruby said, but it was too late, the group had already separated and her grandmother rode away. "George, you do remember that I can remember that I can read minds, right? I need to be able to concentrate and if he is powerful and has protective spells or magic items I probably couldn't get through that, it might not work but in this case I doubt either of those two things are considerations here. So If we can talk to the wizard it could work. Before and while we scare him with the dragon, that is." "Yes, that is right. Ok, once we get him in a secure location we can try that with you first. But my love, contingency, contingency, contingency." adds George as Ruby sashays off. Once out of the pyramid the Egyptian Queen and her daughters are immediately surrounded by more guards. The Royal Barrister is given a wand which he points upward, which sends a small flare. The Andro-sphynx (male) then flies down and the Barrister speaks to it. The Sphynx then takes up a protective posture before the royals with the pyramid to its back. The Barrister then orders a soldier to go and get another battalion of troops. Abby was just as glad that the Barrister had already had all the magic items collected and would not allow them to look through it. In her mind, she was struggling with Mr. Eastman's casual acceptance of torture as a way to get the information they needed. He was too intelligent a man to think they could only bluff the man with threats of violence. You must be willing to follow through on such a thing, and Abby wasn't sure if she was willing to go that far. She headed over to where Ruby was approaching the Queen and the Barrister, keeping an eye on the Sphinx to see how it reacted to them. As she got closer to the royal family the three sphynx move in closer to better protect the women. With a sudden change of mind, Abby turned and walked back toward the old Wizard, Gonzales. Reaching him, she said, "You know Miss West well, yes? Do you know Mr. Eastman as well? He can't really believe the Barrister is going to let us take that Frenchman to interrogate ourselves. That man has the attitude of someone who knows he's in authority." Gonzales says, "I have known Miss West for a considerable amount of time. My first impression of Mr. Eastman was not positive, although it has moderated over time. One thing that displeased me initially about Eastman is his overall attitude that he will get whatever he wants. At the time he wanted Miss West despite her being in a serious relationship at the time, and he persisted until he won. So I am not surprised he actually thinks he can bully the Barrister, but in this instance I agree with you, our Egyptian lawyer will only give us so much latitude." Abby nodded and considered that for a moment. "The truth is, the Barrister has the authority here, and we don't want to challenge it. And the only way we could is physically, and that's a bad, bad move." Gonzales replies, "I concur, especially with those three sphynx present, we lack the power to defeat them." Abby says, "Our concern here has been to unearth the French plot, make the Egyptian royal family aware of it and protect them, and keep Egypt free. This situation, in their eyes we are superfluous at best and suspicious at worst." He replies, "You were of considerable help with that already. Your information from Merimee helped to shift the Barrister's view towards the French, and Baron Gouraud's collusion with Orabi to murder the King helped to then confirm it." Her talking was the mental equivalent of pacing, trying to work her way through the problem to a solution. "So how do we become valuable? Just offering our services won't do it. We're still outsiders here." Gonzales says, "We provide value through the continued unraveling of the French plot, and if we can help accomplish that before dawn, then the bloodshed of the armies can be spared." Abby answers " "I guess I have to hope that Mr. Eastman's bullying is successful, then. Although I don't care for his interrogation techniques." Gonzales replies, "As long as it is the French and not us who are under arrest there is still hope. And even if Eastman pushes too far and finds himself in shackles, I believe that I can keep the two of us from suffering the same fate." She barked out a laugh, loud enough that a few people turned to look at her for a moment. "You'd leave him here, then? I don't think my boss would like that," Abby said, still chuckling. "I'm sorry. It's been a long couple of days and I may be a little punch drunk," she added and tried to get herself back under control. He replies, "Personally, I think that a few days in shackles might be a humbling experience for good old George. A nd while it may have been a long couple of days, it will probably get even longer before morning." "Maybe I should ask for hazard pay," she said lightly and watched the others. "Things seem to be going well. Perhaps I worry too much." Gonzales says, "No, your instincts are correct, we are all still in grave danger. This situation is very volitile and by tomorrow at this time any one of several different factions could be the de-facto rulers of this land. The Egyptian Royals, the Egyptian Army, the Rebel Army, the British, the French, or even us." Ruby waved at the Queen and called out. "Your Majesty! A quick word please!" Two Egyptian guards move to block Ruby but the Queen Nikkathia stops them and says, "No, let the Trollop's Granddaughter speak." Ruby kept her anger at the insult to her grandmother inside, she didn't want to do anything to further anger the Queen. "Your Majesty, I am so sorry for what has happened to your family. I hope you can believe me when I say I am a true friend of your daughter, that is how I knew that girl inside was a phony." The Queen says, "I am not inclined to believe anything that you personally state, but given that my daughter's trusted guard Mengesha has verified you story, then I take that and that alone to be true." Ruby continues ""I understand why you would not trust me, but I am glad that you are taking Mengesha's word for my sincerity. They are absolutely spoken in truth. My goals now are to find your daughter and return her safely to you and also to find the assassins that have done these horrible deeds and help bring them to justice." She watched the Queen closely and also kept an eye on Neferka's sisters. The Queen says, "I share those goals. Do you have any suggestions as to how we would best accomplish those tasks?" Ruby answers, “As for what to do next, we have a couple of ideas. I t would help if we were given your blessing," she paused for a quick moment, "Your permission at least to do what we have to do. We will interrogate the French wizard who we have in custody, one of Orabi's accomplices. Then we will get to Zakazik as fast as we can to look for your daughter. We think she may be there and we WILL find her if she is." Ruby waited for the Queen's reply but before she even knew what she was saying she blurted out, "You know, we could get to Zakazik MUCH faster if we could... borrow the French airship." [/QUOTE]
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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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