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<blockquote data-quote="Iron Sky" data-source="post: 5655072" data-attributes="member: 60965"><p><strong>18th of Sorrow</strong></p><p><em>Praetorian Dormatory, Praetorium, Balic</em></p><p></p><p>Long day.</p><p></p><p>After marching half the morning back to Balic, I snuck in a quick bath in the Praetorium's private bath house - bigger than the one at my familiy's estate but far more utilitarian - and went to meet with Haraxes. </p><p></p><p>He was out, but left another "suggestion" for me with his aide. Technically we're the same rank so he can't give me orders, but he's been a Praetor for far, far longer than me, so his "suggestions" carry a significant amount of weight...</p><p></p><p>The "suggestion" had to do with a new acting troupe forming in Balic known as the Sand Devas. They are planning on performing a play about the rise of Balic - a subject that must be carefully handled to say the least - and it's important that there's nothing subversive in the material or the way it's presented. Last thing we need is some Veiled Alliance terrorist propaganda slipped into the malleable minds of the illiterate, unwashed masses.</p><p></p><p>We have several days until the play premiers, but Darus, Mortuus, and I found the amphitheater early this afternoon. Once there, I arranged a private meeting with the secretive head of the troupe, a mysterious woman known as Lady Barrenyche. She wore a veil, but I could see the emerald glow of her eyes through it. When she made me swear the vow, I felt those eyes boring into my soul.</p><p></p><p>I'm getting ahead of myself.</p><p></p><p>In the private meeting, I convinced her I was representing a powerful noble seeking to sponsor a play. In all honesty, I should probably say that I <em>tried</em> to convince her; there's something strange about the woman and my natural knack for reading people failed me - I couldn't tell if she was even <em>listening </em>to what I was saying much less accepting it as true.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, I presented my sponsor as anonymous to keep his sponsorship a surprise, revealed only on the night of the premier. I "reinvested" some of the money we found on the bandits into a substantial "private screening fee" and managed to get permission to watch the play the night before the premier.</p><p></p><p>Strangely, she made me swear that my report about the play would only be that it was "acceptable" or "unacceptable" - nothing more - and when I swore it would be so, she raised her veil and pulled me deep into her seemingly bottomless emerald eyes. I don't even remember leaving the tent, just looking into her eyes then walking out of the amphitheater to questioning looks from Darus and Mortuus.</p><p></p><p>Mortuus reported that he managed to infiltrate the actor's close-knit tent-village that's sprung up around the back of the sizable Amphitheater of Rizas, his efforts mostly aimed at ingratiating himself with the actors and stagehands. He did overhear mentions of Andropinis, Kallik, Draegoth, Bodach, and Kalidnay - some names familiar to me and others unknown. Also, a thri-kreen is playing the Dragon, a clever choice if you ask me.</p><p></p><p>I have the beginnings of a plan and have Mortuus tailing the lead actor - the man playing Andropinis, of course. As a child, I once had thoughts of becoming an actor myself, though my brother mocked me, threw sand in my eyes, and said "there, act like you're a pathetic blind weakling". Darus showed up about then, body-slammed Parlin into the wall, and got some water for my eyes as Parlin went to go cry to father.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, if the lead actor has sudden serious health issues, they may need to find a replacement on short order. I was always the one telling the telling the tembo stories as a child and late-night tales around the Legion camp fires and so I think I can handle a play. I'll be sure to be available "if" something untoward happens to their fine lead.</p><p></p><p>We stopped by Tomblador when we left the Amphitheater and met a representative known as Kalius. I told him that we avenged the loss of their caravan and he asked - very intently - if we recovered anything.</p><p></p><p>I gave him a few miscellaneous articles that we did, in fact, recover and said the bandits must have buried the rest, though I covered myself by telling him we had traveled and fought beside a Tyrian ex-gladiator that disappeared into Balic's broy houses when we arrived. That much was true at least.</p><p></p><p>I promised to track down Hakar and see if he had "found anything".</p><p></p><p>Kalius offered a reward for our efforts, to which I replied that recompense was not necessary from our friends at House Tomblador and continued to turn down his offers until he grudgingly said that they owed us a favor - a far more useful item than some token reward.</p><p></p><p>In reply, I said I would make purchases at Tomblador whenever possible. I made good on my word then-and-there and we purchased a small fortune in weapons, armor, and survival supplies to have on hand should we need to venture out of the comfort of Balic again.</p><p></p><p>Another small victory in convincing Dephnical to sponsor a play - little did he know that the sponsorship was in already in place an just waiting for him to step into the role I had created for him - and good thing he did. Convincing my father to do something so "frivolous" as to further the family name amidst the commons would have used up all the favor I've built up with him in a lifetime of playing "good son". "Good" except for not letting him lock me in a life of subservience to him and my brother, that is.</p><p></p><p>Lastly, I've already reaped the fruits of my "friendship" with Tomblador. They sent me a personal slave - a dark-haired beauty named Eutropia. She's intelligent, personable, and can even read and write. In one day she's already organized my dormitory, decorated it stylishly, set Abu to various tasks, and even found fresh flowers somewhere to liven up the bare sandstone walls. And her bedroom skills are... more than sufficient.</p><p></p><p>She's also a spy.</p><p></p><p>I gave that strange copper fragment we found on the Tomblador raiders to Darus to be sure Eutropia doesn't find it. Tracking down Hakar and "getting it from him" is my first priority tomorrow, in case anyone else is tailing us. My power base isn't strong enough yet to withstand even the relatively minor weight of Tomblador's suspicions - if the fragment is that important to them, they can have it.</p><p></p><p>I'll call Eutropia an even trade for the copper mystery - even if I do have to doctor everything we say in her presence to be what I want Tomblador to hear. It will save me the effort of social calls to Tomblador to curry favor.</p><p></p><p>As Dephnical says, there's advantage in every situation, the trick is being the first to find it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Iron Sky, post: 5655072, member: 60965"] [B]18th of Sorrow[/B] [I]Praetorian Dormatory, Praetorium, Balic[/I] Long day. After marching half the morning back to Balic, I snuck in a quick bath in the Praetorium's private bath house - bigger than the one at my familiy's estate but far more utilitarian - and went to meet with Haraxes. He was out, but left another "suggestion" for me with his aide. Technically we're the same rank so he can't give me orders, but he's been a Praetor for far, far longer than me, so his "suggestions" carry a significant amount of weight... The "suggestion" had to do with a new acting troupe forming in Balic known as the Sand Devas. They are planning on performing a play about the rise of Balic - a subject that must be carefully handled to say the least - and it's important that there's nothing subversive in the material or the way it's presented. Last thing we need is some Veiled Alliance terrorist propaganda slipped into the malleable minds of the illiterate, unwashed masses. We have several days until the play premiers, but Darus, Mortuus, and I found the amphitheater early this afternoon. Once there, I arranged a private meeting with the secretive head of the troupe, a mysterious woman known as Lady Barrenyche. She wore a veil, but I could see the emerald glow of her eyes through it. When she made me swear the vow, I felt those eyes boring into my soul. I'm getting ahead of myself. In the private meeting, I convinced her I was representing a powerful noble seeking to sponsor a play. In all honesty, I should probably say that I [I]tried[/I] to convince her; there's something strange about the woman and my natural knack for reading people failed me - I couldn't tell if she was even [I]listening [/I]to what I was saying much less accepting it as true. Anyway, I presented my sponsor as anonymous to keep his sponsorship a surprise, revealed only on the night of the premier. I "reinvested" some of the money we found on the bandits into a substantial "private screening fee" and managed to get permission to watch the play the night before the premier. Strangely, she made me swear that my report about the play would only be that it was "acceptable" or "unacceptable" - nothing more - and when I swore it would be so, she raised her veil and pulled me deep into her seemingly bottomless emerald eyes. I don't even remember leaving the tent, just looking into her eyes then walking out of the amphitheater to questioning looks from Darus and Mortuus. Mortuus reported that he managed to infiltrate the actor's close-knit tent-village that's sprung up around the back of the sizable Amphitheater of Rizas, his efforts mostly aimed at ingratiating himself with the actors and stagehands. He did overhear mentions of Andropinis, Kallik, Draegoth, Bodach, and Kalidnay - some names familiar to me and others unknown. Also, a thri-kreen is playing the Dragon, a clever choice if you ask me. I have the beginnings of a plan and have Mortuus tailing the lead actor - the man playing Andropinis, of course. As a child, I once had thoughts of becoming an actor myself, though my brother mocked me, threw sand in my eyes, and said "there, act like you're a pathetic blind weakling". Darus showed up about then, body-slammed Parlin into the wall, and got some water for my eyes as Parlin went to go cry to father. Anyway, if the lead actor has sudden serious health issues, they may need to find a replacement on short order. I was always the one telling the telling the tembo stories as a child and late-night tales around the Legion camp fires and so I think I can handle a play. I'll be sure to be available "if" something untoward happens to their fine lead. We stopped by Tomblador when we left the Amphitheater and met a representative known as Kalius. I told him that we avenged the loss of their caravan and he asked - very intently - if we recovered anything. I gave him a few miscellaneous articles that we did, in fact, recover and said the bandits must have buried the rest, though I covered myself by telling him we had traveled and fought beside a Tyrian ex-gladiator that disappeared into Balic's broy houses when we arrived. That much was true at least. I promised to track down Hakar and see if he had "found anything". Kalius offered a reward for our efforts, to which I replied that recompense was not necessary from our friends at House Tomblador and continued to turn down his offers until he grudgingly said that they owed us a favor - a far more useful item than some token reward. In reply, I said I would make purchases at Tomblador whenever possible. I made good on my word then-and-there and we purchased a small fortune in weapons, armor, and survival supplies to have on hand should we need to venture out of the comfort of Balic again. Another small victory in convincing Dephnical to sponsor a play - little did he know that the sponsorship was in already in place an just waiting for him to step into the role I had created for him - and good thing he did. Convincing my father to do something so "frivolous" as to further the family name amidst the commons would have used up all the favor I've built up with him in a lifetime of playing "good son". "Good" except for not letting him lock me in a life of subservience to him and my brother, that is. Lastly, I've already reaped the fruits of my "friendship" with Tomblador. They sent me a personal slave - a dark-haired beauty named Eutropia. She's intelligent, personable, and can even read and write. In one day she's already organized my dormitory, decorated it stylishly, set Abu to various tasks, and even found fresh flowers somewhere to liven up the bare sandstone walls. And her bedroom skills are... more than sufficient. She's also a spy. I gave that strange copper fragment we found on the Tomblador raiders to Darus to be sure Eutropia doesn't find it. Tracking down Hakar and "getting it from him" is my first priority tomorrow, in case anyone else is tailing us. My power base isn't strong enough yet to withstand even the relatively minor weight of Tomblador's suspicions - if the fragment is that important to them, they can have it. I'll call Eutropia an even trade for the copper mystery - even if I do have to doctor everything we say in her presence to be what I want Tomblador to hear. It will save me the effort of social calls to Tomblador to curry favor. As Dephnical says, there's advantage in every situation, the trick is being the first to find it. [/QUOTE]
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