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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3312982" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>Charis looked up to Brandt. <span style="color: Orange">“The goddess Yrraxea and the god Duu Mahr?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled. <span style="color: Plum">“Of course! That’s where I had seen the symbol before. Yrraxea is the goddess of many in the assassination business. Her priests promote torture and deception.”</span> Semeion’s eyes danced with a certain sparkle as he remembered the training that he had once received from Master Sathwright. <span style="color: Plum">“And by suggesting the connection to Duu Mahr’s followers you are thinking that this might have to do with some kind of addiction?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded slowly. <span style="color: Lime">“Perhaps. If not addiction, definitely some form of domination. Yrraxea’s priests see a great deal of use in Duu Mahr’s love for domination within their own tortuous schemes.”</span></p><p></p><p>Iasho spoke questioningly. <span style="color: Lime">“But what connects two evil gods to the villa? We were not about domination or addiction. We especially had no love for torture!</span></p><p></p><p>Rema looked to her father with a knowing glance. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“But father, what exactly does the villa stand for?</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father turned to her and thought through his daughter’s question before speaking. <span style="color: Lime">“We stand for generosity. We stand for compassion. We stand for freedom.”</span> The fact that Rhema asked the question in the present tense was not lost upon him.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled, already knowing where Rhema had been planning on going with her current line of questioning. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Personally, it sounds to me like the villa stands against the major tenets of Yrraxea and Duu Mahr.”</span></p><p></p><p>Iasho still stood with a perplexed look upon his face. <span style="color: Lime">“But that leaves us exactly back to where we started! In order for this to be some kind of targeted act of violence, someone would have known what this place represented. I know that nobody in Huetown would want this destruction. Our villa provides for many of their livelihoods through the commerce of our refugees. Lord Ironblood is well paid for his silence.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema held out a hand to stop her father from traveling down this useless path of discussion again. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Yes, father. We know that the implications of a targeted attack is that somewhere there must have been someone who knew of what was going on and who let that information slip to the wrong person. We don’t know who that person is yet, but that is what we next have to discover.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion turned back to Brandt. <span style="color: Plum">“Master Brandt, didn’t you say that you had information regarding the Ephistaemi for us?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded and looked once more back to the woman who was lying at their feet. <span style="color: Lime">“Indeed I do. Although, I must confess that I am beginning to feel a great deal of worry concerning the implications between my knowledge and this discovery.”</span></p><p></p><p>Iasho looked to Brandt. <span style="color: Lime">“Worried for us?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt shook his head side to side and looked to the west. <span style="color: Lime">“No. I am worried for the sake of Tongra. Perhaps I am even worried for the sake of Enigmatica – even Quehalost.”</span></p><p></p><p>A silence fell across the people gathered around the black robed woman. The party would wait for Brandt to speak next. Their minds danced with questions that his comments had set in motion, but at the same time they knew that the only answers to be found were in letting Brandt speak.</p><p></p><p>The expert mage returned his gaze to the woman and began giving out his information. <span style="color: Lime">“I’ve already told you all that the Ephistaemi are a clearinghouse for odd jobs. And you no doubt remember that most of these jobs are highly specialized. Some have good motivations while others are rooted in evil. What I have learned since I told you these things is that there are no known bases of operations for the Ephistaemi within Fingerdale and its suburbs. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t Ephistaemi here, because obviously there are. What it does mean is that our friend here most likely didn’t come from Fingerdale.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked down to the ground in deep thought before speaking. <span style="color: LightBlue">“But, then what you are saying is that this was a non-local job? You’re implying that someone from another location bought the services of the Ephistaemi and brought them here?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion interrupted Ischarus’ thought. <span style="color: Plum">“Or, perhaps the person who hired the Ephistaemi were from this area but had enough contacts in other areas to arrange for the right Ephistaemi to come here.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded and continued. <span style="color: Lime">“Both of those are legitimate possibilities. What bothers me is the connection between the Ephistaemi and the goddess Yrraxea. There are not many places outside of Quehalost where Yrraxea is worshipped so openly. Her symbol is prominently displayed on the priestly pendant, and the pendant was hanging in an obvious place of interest.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis smirked at the hidden innuendo contained within Brandt’s speech. Brandt smiled and turned to Charis with a smile on his face. <span style="color: Lime">“It is indeed unfortunate, Charis. But it does not change the truth that where this priest had hung her pendant is a place of keen interest. The fact that the pendant hung against the black of her clothes would only enhance this fact.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis nodded. <span style="color: Orange">“Oh, very much so. I didn’t deny your assertion. In fact, I have to admit to having worn jewelry with the same intent on certain occasions.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion looked to his new wife, guessing that she hinted at one of her methods for drawing his own eye. Charis smiled flirtatiously with her new husband. Semeion’s mind refused to be distracted, although his body was willing. <span style="color: Plum">“Anyway, back to connecting the Ephistaemi with Yrraxea. I don’t quite see what you are getting at, Brandt.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema spoke up. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“What he’s getting at, Semeion, is the fact that is Yrraxea is most commonly worshipped so openly within the borders of Quehalost. And if that much is true, then the likelihood of this woman coming from Quehalost is quite high. This means that there might be powers within Quehalost whose influence can reach this deep into Tongra.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded methodically along with Rhema’s speech tempo. Her assertions could not be argued. They were the same conclusions that he had reached upon seeing the pendant with his own eyes. The ramifications of a power in Quehalost having this much reach implied that the civilized lands took the threat of Quehalost much too calmly.</p><p></p><p>Iasho followed up on his daughter’s words with words of his own. <span style="color: Lime">“And that means that if there is a power in Quehalost that can reach this far, they can no doubt reach equally far into Fenneress. That easily means that both of the capitols of Fenneress and Tongra are within striking range for some power in Quehalost.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled as Iasho spoke. <span style="color: Lime">“We must be careful to not draw too many conclusions, however. All of this thought is based on the assumption that this woman is from Quehalost. She may not be. I doubt she comes from Barghost. Her holy pendant is too prominently displayed to have come from a place so closely tied to the divine. But she could have come from somewhere within Fenneress. She could have come from somewhere within Tongra.”</span></p><p></p><p>Iasho added his thoughts once more. <span style="color: Lime">“Or she could have come from Quehalost. It makes sense, Brandt. This villa stands as a bastion against the oppression in Quehalost. There are those in Quehalost who would now fear this villa because of what rumors must have spread regarding the destruction of the red wyrm. A preemptive strike would keep the members of this villa from doing the same to the next power in Quehalost.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded in agreement. <span style="color: Lime">“I agree, Iasho. It makes the most sense. But that does not mean it is the right answer. That is all I am saying. It would not surprise me if that was the correct answer. We simply do not know, yet.”</span></p><p></p><p>The voices of the six people gathered near the forest’s edge had slowly grown louder as the possibilities began to be spun out. Nobody noticed at first that the woman had begun to blink her eyes. However, the party didn’t miss the first time that she moved. The woman tried to bring her hands around to the front of her body and found that they were tied. She kicked violently with her legs, although they had also been tied. Her leg thrust clipped the back of Rhema’s ankles and dropped her to her knees at the woman’s feet.</p><p></p><p>Rhema looked to the woman in surprise and found that her glare was returned by the follower of Yrraxea. The woman’s eyes burned with a fire upon the realization that she had been bound and gagged rather than killed. She struggled violently for several seconds before Brandt knelt down to break the woman’s concentration upon Rhema.</p><p></p><p>The right half of Brandt’s mouth lifted in a subtle smile. <span style="color: Lime">“You are a follower of Yrraxea, no?”</span> The woman nodded. Brandt continued his speech as his smile widened to both sides of his face. He also extended his right hand to show the woman the holy image engraved upon a silver ring resting around his index finger. <span style="color: Lime">“Good. It is good to make your acquaintance. I happen to follow Reah, and I am taking you back to my temple so that you can answer for your actions.”</span></p><p></p><p>The woman bit hard into her gag and released a low growl upon the mention of Brandt’s god. Her arms clenched tightly as she tried to burst the bonds that Ischarus had tied earlier. Her arms simply did not have the necessary strength. She was at the mercy of Brandt, Iasho, and the four adventurers.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Charis looked up to Brandt. “The goddess Yrraxea and the god Duu Mahr?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled. “Of course! That’s where I had seen the symbol before. Yrraxea is the goddess of many in the assassination business. Her priests promote torture and deception.” Semeion’s eyes danced with a certain sparkle as he remembered the training that he had once received from Master Sathwright. “And by suggesting the connection to Duu Mahr’s followers you are thinking that this might have to do with some kind of addiction?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded slowly. “Perhaps. If not addiction, definitely some form of domination. Yrraxea’s priests see a great deal of use in Duu Mahr’s love for domination within their own tortuous schemes.”</p><p></p><p>Iasho spoke questioningly. “But what connects two evil gods to the villa? We were not about domination or addiction. We especially had no love for torture!</p><p></p><p>Rema looked to her father with a knowing glance. “But father, what exactly does the villa stand for?</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father turned to her and thought through his daughter’s question before speaking. “We stand for generosity. We stand for compassion. We stand for freedom.” The fact that Rhema asked the question in the present tense was not lost upon him.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled, already knowing where Rhema had been planning on going with her current line of questioning. “Personally, it sounds to me like the villa stands against the major tenets of Yrraxea and Duu Mahr.”</p><p></p><p>Iasho still stood with a perplexed look upon his face. “But that leaves us exactly back to where we started! In order for this to be some kind of targeted act of violence, someone would have known what this place represented. I know that nobody in Huetown would want this destruction. Our villa provides for many of their livelihoods through the commerce of our refugees. Lord Ironblood is well paid for his silence.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema held out a hand to stop her father from traveling down this useless path of discussion again. “Yes, father. We know that the implications of a targeted attack is that somewhere there must have been someone who knew of what was going on and who let that information slip to the wrong person. We don’t know who that person is yet, but that is what we next have to discover.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion turned back to Brandt. “Master Brandt, didn’t you say that you had information regarding the Ephistaemi for us?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded and looked once more back to the woman who was lying at their feet. “Indeed I do. Although, I must confess that I am beginning to feel a great deal of worry concerning the implications between my knowledge and this discovery.”</p><p></p><p>Iasho looked to Brandt. “Worried for us?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt shook his head side to side and looked to the west. “No. I am worried for the sake of Tongra. Perhaps I am even worried for the sake of Enigmatica – even Quehalost.”</p><p></p><p>A silence fell across the people gathered around the black robed woman. The party would wait for Brandt to speak next. Their minds danced with questions that his comments had set in motion, but at the same time they knew that the only answers to be found were in letting Brandt speak.</p><p></p><p>The expert mage returned his gaze to the woman and began giving out his information. “I’ve already told you all that the Ephistaemi are a clearinghouse for odd jobs. And you no doubt remember that most of these jobs are highly specialized. Some have good motivations while others are rooted in evil. What I have learned since I told you these things is that there are no known bases of operations for the Ephistaemi within Fingerdale and its suburbs. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t Ephistaemi here, because obviously there are. What it does mean is that our friend here most likely didn’t come from Fingerdale.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked down to the ground in deep thought before speaking. “But, then what you are saying is that this was a non-local job? You’re implying that someone from another location bought the services of the Ephistaemi and brought them here?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion interrupted Ischarus’ thought. “Or, perhaps the person who hired the Ephistaemi were from this area but had enough contacts in other areas to arrange for the right Ephistaemi to come here.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded and continued. “Both of those are legitimate possibilities. What bothers me is the connection between the Ephistaemi and the goddess Yrraxea. There are not many places outside of Quehalost where Yrraxea is worshipped so openly. Her symbol is prominently displayed on the priestly pendant, and the pendant was hanging in an obvious place of interest.”</p><p></p><p>Charis smirked at the hidden innuendo contained within Brandt’s speech. Brandt smiled and turned to Charis with a smile on his face. “It is indeed unfortunate, Charis. But it does not change the truth that where this priest had hung her pendant is a place of keen interest. The fact that the pendant hung against the black of her clothes would only enhance this fact.”</p><p></p><p>Charis nodded. “Oh, very much so. I didn’t deny your assertion. In fact, I have to admit to having worn jewelry with the same intent on certain occasions.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion looked to his new wife, guessing that she hinted at one of her methods for drawing his own eye. Charis smiled flirtatiously with her new husband. Semeion’s mind refused to be distracted, although his body was willing. “Anyway, back to connecting the Ephistaemi with Yrraxea. I don’t quite see what you are getting at, Brandt.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema spoke up. “What he’s getting at, Semeion, is the fact that is Yrraxea is most commonly worshipped so openly within the borders of Quehalost. And if that much is true, then the likelihood of this woman coming from Quehalost is quite high. This means that there might be powers within Quehalost whose influence can reach this deep into Tongra.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded methodically along with Rhema’s speech tempo. Her assertions could not be argued. They were the same conclusions that he had reached upon seeing the pendant with his own eyes. The ramifications of a power in Quehalost having this much reach implied that the civilized lands took the threat of Quehalost much too calmly.</p><p></p><p>Iasho followed up on his daughter’s words with words of his own. “And that means that if there is a power in Quehalost that can reach this far, they can no doubt reach equally far into Fenneress. That easily means that both of the capitols of Fenneress and Tongra are within striking range for some power in Quehalost.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled as Iasho spoke. “We must be careful to not draw too many conclusions, however. All of this thought is based on the assumption that this woman is from Quehalost. She may not be. I doubt she comes from Barghost. Her holy pendant is too prominently displayed to have come from a place so closely tied to the divine. But she could have come from somewhere within Fenneress. She could have come from somewhere within Tongra.”</p><p></p><p>Iasho added his thoughts once more. “Or she could have come from Quehalost. It makes sense, Brandt. This villa stands as a bastion against the oppression in Quehalost. There are those in Quehalost who would now fear this villa because of what rumors must have spread regarding the destruction of the red wyrm. A preemptive strike would keep the members of this villa from doing the same to the next power in Quehalost.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded in agreement. “I agree, Iasho. It makes the most sense. But that does not mean it is the right answer. That is all I am saying. It would not surprise me if that was the correct answer. We simply do not know, yet.”</p><p></p><p>The voices of the six people gathered near the forest’s edge had slowly grown louder as the possibilities began to be spun out. Nobody noticed at first that the woman had begun to blink her eyes. However, the party didn’t miss the first time that she moved. The woman tried to bring her hands around to the front of her body and found that they were tied. She kicked violently with her legs, although they had also been tied. Her leg thrust clipped the back of Rhema’s ankles and dropped her to her knees at the woman’s feet.</p><p></p><p>Rhema looked to the woman in surprise and found that her glare was returned by the follower of Yrraxea. The woman’s eyes burned with a fire upon the realization that she had been bound and gagged rather than killed. She struggled violently for several seconds before Brandt knelt down to break the woman’s concentration upon Rhema.</p><p></p><p>The right half of Brandt’s mouth lifted in a subtle smile. “You are a follower of Yrraxea, no?” The woman nodded. Brandt continued his speech as his smile widened to both sides of his face. He also extended his right hand to show the woman the holy image engraved upon a silver ring resting around his index finger. “Good. It is good to make your acquaintance. I happen to follow Reah, and I am taking you back to my temple so that you can answer for your actions.”</p><p></p><p>The woman bit hard into her gag and released a low growl upon the mention of Brandt’s god. Her arms clenched tightly as she tried to burst the bonds that Ischarus had tied earlier. Her arms simply did not have the necessary strength. She was at the mercy of Brandt, Iasho, and the four adventurers. </p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3312982, member: 35788"] Charis looked up to Brandt. [Color=Orange]“The goddess Yrraxea and the god Duu Mahr?”[/Color] Semeion smiled. [Color=Plum]“Of course! That’s where I had seen the symbol before. Yrraxea is the goddess of many in the assassination business. Her priests promote torture and deception.”[/Color] Semeion’s eyes danced with a certain sparkle as he remembered the training that he had once received from Master Sathwright. [Color=Plum]“And by suggesting the connection to Duu Mahr’s followers you are thinking that this might have to do with some kind of addiction?”[/Color] Brandt nodded slowly. [Color=Lime]“Perhaps. If not addiction, definitely some form of domination. Yrraxea’s priests see a great deal of use in Duu Mahr’s love for domination within their own tortuous schemes.”[/Color] Iasho spoke questioningly. [Color=Lime]“But what connects two evil gods to the villa? We were not about domination or addiction. We especially had no love for torture![/Color] Rema looked to her father with a knowing glance. [Color=PaleGreen]“But father, what exactly does the villa stand for?[/Color] Rhema’s father turned to her and thought through his daughter’s question before speaking. [Color=Lime]“We stand for generosity. We stand for compassion. We stand for freedom.”[/Color] The fact that Rhema asked the question in the present tense was not lost upon him. Ischarus smiled, already knowing where Rhema had been planning on going with her current line of questioning. [Color=LightBlue]“Personally, it sounds to me like the villa stands against the major tenets of Yrraxea and Duu Mahr.”[/Color] Iasho still stood with a perplexed look upon his face. [Color=Lime]“But that leaves us exactly back to where we started! In order for this to be some kind of targeted act of violence, someone would have known what this place represented. I know that nobody in Huetown would want this destruction. Our villa provides for many of their livelihoods through the commerce of our refugees. Lord Ironblood is well paid for his silence.”[/Color] Rhema held out a hand to stop her father from traveling down this useless path of discussion again. [Color=PaleGreen]“Yes, father. We know that the implications of a targeted attack is that somewhere there must have been someone who knew of what was going on and who let that information slip to the wrong person. We don’t know who that person is yet, but that is what we next have to discover.”[/Color] Semeion turned back to Brandt. [Color=Plum]“Master Brandt, didn’t you say that you had information regarding the Ephistaemi for us?”[/Color] Brandt nodded and looked once more back to the woman who was lying at their feet. [Color=Lime]“Indeed I do. Although, I must confess that I am beginning to feel a great deal of worry concerning the implications between my knowledge and this discovery.”[/Color] Iasho looked to Brandt. [Color=Lime]“Worried for us?”[/Color] Brandt shook his head side to side and looked to the west. [Color=Lime]“No. I am worried for the sake of Tongra. Perhaps I am even worried for the sake of Enigmatica – even Quehalost.”[/Color] A silence fell across the people gathered around the black robed woman. The party would wait for Brandt to speak next. Their minds danced with questions that his comments had set in motion, but at the same time they knew that the only answers to be found were in letting Brandt speak. The expert mage returned his gaze to the woman and began giving out his information. [Color=Lime]“I’ve already told you all that the Ephistaemi are a clearinghouse for odd jobs. And you no doubt remember that most of these jobs are highly specialized. Some have good motivations while others are rooted in evil. What I have learned since I told you these things is that there are no known bases of operations for the Ephistaemi within Fingerdale and its suburbs. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t Ephistaemi here, because obviously there are. What it does mean is that our friend here most likely didn’t come from Fingerdale.”[/Color] Ischarus looked down to the ground in deep thought before speaking. [Color=LightBlue]“But, then what you are saying is that this was a non-local job? You’re implying that someone from another location bought the services of the Ephistaemi and brought them here?”[/Color] Semeion interrupted Ischarus’ thought. [Color=Plum]“Or, perhaps the person who hired the Ephistaemi were from this area but had enough contacts in other areas to arrange for the right Ephistaemi to come here.”[/Color] Brandt nodded and continued. [Color=Lime]“Both of those are legitimate possibilities. What bothers me is the connection between the Ephistaemi and the goddess Yrraxea. There are not many places outside of Quehalost where Yrraxea is worshipped so openly. Her symbol is prominently displayed on the priestly pendant, and the pendant was hanging in an obvious place of interest.”[/Color] Charis smirked at the hidden innuendo contained within Brandt’s speech. Brandt smiled and turned to Charis with a smile on his face. [Color=Lime]“It is indeed unfortunate, Charis. But it does not change the truth that where this priest had hung her pendant is a place of keen interest. The fact that the pendant hung against the black of her clothes would only enhance this fact.”[/Color] Charis nodded. [Color=Orange]“Oh, very much so. I didn’t deny your assertion. In fact, I have to admit to having worn jewelry with the same intent on certain occasions.”[/Color] Semeion looked to his new wife, guessing that she hinted at one of her methods for drawing his own eye. Charis smiled flirtatiously with her new husband. Semeion’s mind refused to be distracted, although his body was willing. [Color=Plum]“Anyway, back to connecting the Ephistaemi with Yrraxea. I don’t quite see what you are getting at, Brandt.”[/Color] Rhema spoke up. [Color=PaleGreen]“What he’s getting at, Semeion, is the fact that is Yrraxea is most commonly worshipped so openly within the borders of Quehalost. And if that much is true, then the likelihood of this woman coming from Quehalost is quite high. This means that there might be powers within Quehalost whose influence can reach this deep into Tongra.”[/Color] Brandt nodded methodically along with Rhema’s speech tempo. Her assertions could not be argued. They were the same conclusions that he had reached upon seeing the pendant with his own eyes. The ramifications of a power in Quehalost having this much reach implied that the civilized lands took the threat of Quehalost much too calmly. Iasho followed up on his daughter’s words with words of his own. [Color=Lime]“And that means that if there is a power in Quehalost that can reach this far, they can no doubt reach equally far into Fenneress. That easily means that both of the capitols of Fenneress and Tongra are within striking range for some power in Quehalost.”[/Color] Brandt smiled as Iasho spoke. [Color=Lime]“We must be careful to not draw too many conclusions, however. All of this thought is based on the assumption that this woman is from Quehalost. She may not be. I doubt she comes from Barghost. Her holy pendant is too prominently displayed to have come from a place so closely tied to the divine. But she could have come from somewhere within Fenneress. She could have come from somewhere within Tongra.”[/Color] Iasho added his thoughts once more. [Color=Lime]“Or she could have come from Quehalost. It makes sense, Brandt. This villa stands as a bastion against the oppression in Quehalost. There are those in Quehalost who would now fear this villa because of what rumors must have spread regarding the destruction of the red wyrm. A preemptive strike would keep the members of this villa from doing the same to the next power in Quehalost.”[/Color] Brandt nodded in agreement. [Color=Lime]“I agree, Iasho. It makes the most sense. But that does not mean it is the right answer. That is all I am saying. It would not surprise me if that was the correct answer. We simply do not know, yet.”[/Color] The voices of the six people gathered near the forest’s edge had slowly grown louder as the possibilities began to be spun out. Nobody noticed at first that the woman had begun to blink her eyes. However, the party didn’t miss the first time that she moved. The woman tried to bring her hands around to the front of her body and found that they were tied. She kicked violently with her legs, although they had also been tied. Her leg thrust clipped the back of Rhema’s ankles and dropped her to her knees at the woman’s feet. Rhema looked to the woman in surprise and found that her glare was returned by the follower of Yrraxea. The woman’s eyes burned with a fire upon the realization that she had been bound and gagged rather than killed. She struggled violently for several seconds before Brandt knelt down to break the woman’s concentration upon Rhema. The right half of Brandt’s mouth lifted in a subtle smile. [Color=Lime]“You are a follower of Yrraxea, no?”[/Color] The woman nodded. Brandt continued his speech as his smile widened to both sides of his face. He also extended his right hand to show the woman the holy image engraved upon a silver ring resting around his index finger. [Color=Lime]“Good. It is good to make your acquaintance. I happen to follow Reah, and I am taking you back to my temple so that you can answer for your actions.”[/Color] The woman bit hard into her gag and released a low growl upon the mention of Brandt’s god. Her arms clenched tightly as she tried to burst the bonds that Ischarus had tied earlier. Her arms simply did not have the necessary strength. She was at the mercy of Brandt, Iasho, and the four adventurers. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Charis looked up to Brandt. “The goddess Yrraxea and the god Duu Mahr?” Semeion smiled. “Of course! That’s where I had seen the symbol before. Yrraxea is the goddess of many in the assassination business. Her priests promote torture and deception.” Semeion’s eyes danced with a certain sparkle as he remembered the training that he had once received from Master Sathwright. “And by suggesting the connection to Duu Mahr’s followers you are thinking that this might have to do with some kind of addiction?” Brandt nodded slowly. “Perhaps. If not addiction, definitely some form of domination. Yrraxea’s priests see a great deal of use in Duu Mahr’s love for domination within their own tortuous schemes.” Iasho spoke questioningly. “But what connects two evil gods to the villa? We were not about domination or addiction. We especially had no love for torture! Rema looked to her father with a knowing glance. “But father, what exactly does the villa stand for? Rhema’s father turned to her and thought through his daughter’s question before speaking. “We stand for generosity. We stand for compassion. We stand for freedom.” The fact that Rhema asked the question in the present tense was not lost upon him. Ischarus smiled, already knowing where Rhema had been planning on going with her current line of questioning. “Personally, it sounds to me like the villa stands against the major tenets of Yrraxea and Duu Mahr.” Iasho still stood with a perplexed look upon his face. “But that leaves us exactly back to where we started! In order for this to be some kind of targeted act of violence, someone would have known what this place represented. I know that nobody in Huetown would want this destruction. Our villa provides for many of their livelihoods through the commerce of our refugees. Lord Ironblood is well paid for his silence.” Rhema held out a hand to stop her father from traveling down this useless path of discussion again. “Yes, father. We know that the implications of a targeted attack is that somewhere there must have been someone who knew of what was going on and who let that information slip to the wrong person. We don’t know who that person is yet, but that is what we next have to discover.” Semeion turned back to Brandt. “Master Brandt, didn’t you say that you had information regarding the Ephistaemi for us?” Brandt nodded and looked once more back to the woman who was lying at their feet. “Indeed I do. Although, I must confess that I am beginning to feel a great deal of worry concerning the implications between my knowledge and this discovery.” Iasho looked to Brandt. “Worried for us?” Brandt shook his head side to side and looked to the west. “No. I am worried for the sake of Tongra. Perhaps I am even worried for the sake of Enigmatica – even Quehalost.” A silence fell across the people gathered around the black robed woman. The party would wait for Brandt to speak next. Their minds danced with questions that his comments had set in motion, but at the same time they knew that the only answers to be found were in letting Brandt speak. The expert mage returned his gaze to the woman and began giving out his information. “I’ve already told you all that the Ephistaemi are a clearinghouse for odd jobs. And you no doubt remember that most of these jobs are highly specialized. Some have good motivations while others are rooted in evil. What I have learned since I told you these things is that there are no known bases of operations for the Ephistaemi within Fingerdale and its suburbs. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t Ephistaemi here, because obviously there are. What it does mean is that our friend here most likely didn’t come from Fingerdale.” Ischarus looked down to the ground in deep thought before speaking. “But, then what you are saying is that this was a non-local job? You’re implying that someone from another location bought the services of the Ephistaemi and brought them here?” Semeion interrupted Ischarus’ thought. “Or, perhaps the person who hired the Ephistaemi were from this area but had enough contacts in other areas to arrange for the right Ephistaemi to come here.” Brandt nodded and continued. “Both of those are legitimate possibilities. What bothers me is the connection between the Ephistaemi and the goddess Yrraxea. There are not many places outside of Quehalost where Yrraxea is worshipped so openly. Her symbol is prominently displayed on the priestly pendant, and the pendant was hanging in an obvious place of interest.” Charis smirked at the hidden innuendo contained within Brandt’s speech. Brandt smiled and turned to Charis with a smile on his face. “It is indeed unfortunate, Charis. But it does not change the truth that where this priest had hung her pendant is a place of keen interest. The fact that the pendant hung against the black of her clothes would only enhance this fact.” Charis nodded. “Oh, very much so. I didn’t deny your assertion. In fact, I have to admit to having worn jewelry with the same intent on certain occasions.” Semeion looked to his new wife, guessing that she hinted at one of her methods for drawing his own eye. Charis smiled flirtatiously with her new husband. Semeion’s mind refused to be distracted, although his body was willing. “Anyway, back to connecting the Ephistaemi with Yrraxea. I don’t quite see what you are getting at, Brandt.” Rhema spoke up. “What he’s getting at, Semeion, is the fact that is Yrraxea is most commonly worshipped so openly within the borders of Quehalost. And if that much is true, then the likelihood of this woman coming from Quehalost is quite high. This means that there might be powers within Quehalost whose influence can reach this deep into Tongra.” Brandt nodded methodically along with Rhema’s speech tempo. Her assertions could not be argued. They were the same conclusions that he had reached upon seeing the pendant with his own eyes. The ramifications of a power in Quehalost having this much reach implied that the civilized lands took the threat of Quehalost much too calmly. Iasho followed up on his daughter’s words with words of his own. “And that means that if there is a power in Quehalost that can reach this far, they can no doubt reach equally far into Fenneress. That easily means that both of the capitols of Fenneress and Tongra are within striking range for some power in Quehalost.” Brandt smiled as Iasho spoke. “We must be careful to not draw too many conclusions, however. All of this thought is based on the assumption that this woman is from Quehalost. She may not be. I doubt she comes from Barghost. Her holy pendant is too prominently displayed to have come from a place so closely tied to the divine. But she could have come from somewhere within Fenneress. She could have come from somewhere within Tongra.” Iasho added his thoughts once more. “Or she could have come from Quehalost. It makes sense, Brandt. This villa stands as a bastion against the oppression in Quehalost. There are those in Quehalost who would now fear this villa because of what rumors must have spread regarding the destruction of the red wyrm. A preemptive strike would keep the members of this villa from doing the same to the next power in Quehalost.” Brandt nodded in agreement. “I agree, Iasho. It makes the most sense. But that does not mean it is the right answer. That is all I am saying. It would not surprise me if that was the correct answer. We simply do not know, yet.” The voices of the six people gathered near the forest’s edge had slowly grown louder as the possibilities began to be spun out. Nobody noticed at first that the woman had begun to blink her eyes. However, the party didn’t miss the first time that she moved. The woman tried to bring her hands around to the front of her body and found that they were tied. She kicked violently with her legs, although they had also been tied. Her leg thrust clipped the back of Rhema’s ankles and dropped her to her knees at the woman’s feet. Rhema looked to the woman in surprise and found that her glare was returned by the follower of Yrraxea. The woman’s eyes burned with a fire upon the realization that she had been bound and gagged rather than killed. She struggled violently for several seconds before Brandt knelt down to break the woman’s concentration upon Rhema. The right half of Brandt’s mouth lifted in a subtle smile. “You are a follower of Yrraxea, no?” The woman nodded. Brandt continued his speech as his smile widened to both sides of his face. He also extended his right hand to show the woman the holy image engraved upon a silver ring resting around his index finger. “Good. It is good to make your acquaintance. I happen to follow Reah, and I am taking you back to my temple so that you can answer for your actions.” The woman bit hard into her gag and released a low growl upon the mention of Brandt’s god. Her arms clenched tightly as she tried to burst the bonds that Ischarus had tied earlier. Her arms simply did not have the necessary strength. She was at the mercy of Brandt, Iasho, and the four adventurers. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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