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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3364378" data-attributes="member: 35788">Chapter Four: DECEPTION DOUBLEDTwo frustrating weeks passed by for the party of adventurers.  There was no further word on Bloodseeker in spite of the several attempts made to dig up information.  Trips to the Shrouded Tenor turned up no strange occurrences or tales.  Nothing was being said about Bloodseeker at all.There was little else being said about the mage who managed to kill Bloodseeker and then teleport him away.  The city guard was unable to find any credible witnesses to give an accounting as to what had started the fight.  Those witnesses who were close enough to see the fight in detail said that one minute the alley was quiet and the next minute the alley erupted in violence.  There was no apparent rhyme or reason as to the attack.In sum, the party had a great deal of frustration to pour into the repairs toward the villa.  The villa’s repair and the replanting of the fields benefited greatly from the frustrated energy of the party.  By the time the Drakontai servants made the trip from Ausaphaborishan’s Valley in Barghost back to the villa in Fingerdale, much of the fields had been replanted.  With greater manpower, the remaining portion of the villa was able to be stripped away.  The foundations were easily excavated and re-laid.  Soon the ground floor took shape from the collected field stone.On the fifteenth day from when the party experienced the death of Bloodseeker, the residents of the villa sat in a quiet circle around a small bonfire.  The fire had served as a cooking fire several hours past, but now the main purpose of the fire was simply to take the chill off of the nighttime air.  The sun had been down for several hours and many of the servants had begun to doze in the cool evening.  They were all tired from a hard day of caring for the fields in the morning followed by moving vast quantities of timber in the afternoon.  Tomorrow there were plans to plane the wood into planks suitable for constructing the ceiling of the first floor.In the shadows along the edge of the wood, the figure of a woman stepped out from the trees and silently picked her way towards the bonfire.  She smiled as she focused on the gathering.  They wouldn’t be expecting her, and that would make her approach even easier.  Her hands slipped down to check the status of the sword she carried upon her hip.  The blade was securely fastened into its scabbard.  Her hands then checked to make sure the daggers sheathed under each armpit were secured in their sheaths as well.She had come armed to the teeth, although she knew that if she played her cards right she shouldn’t even need to draw a blade.  Her task would be best accomplished without the use of a blade.  Even still, the presence of the blades gave her a decent back-up plan in addition to potentially helping to secure a route for retreat.She slowly crept closer to the bonfire.  The woman watched the fading flames dance and knew that the dancing of the shadows could be a blessing or a curse.  So long as the flames stayed low, their flickering would be minimized and the likelihood of the light around the fire remaining constant was great.  If the flames were to rise they would be more likely to catch the wind and dance about.  If the flames danced, she would have more difficulty discerning the presence of the shadows.Fortunately, none of the residents of the villa felt energetic enough to add wood to the waning fire.  Darkness crept closer to the gathering with each passing minute.  After approaching slowly for nearly a half an hour, the woman was within feet of grabbing Rhema from behind.  She brushed back a simple strand of red hair and smiled before speaking.  “You all let anyone creep out of the woods at your back?”In a flash, Ischarus had a small piece of lumber in his hand and positioned himself between Rhema and the voice.  Charis joined his side.  She was fortunate to have been carrying her pick.  The pick had been used earlier with the wood and stone, so it remained by her side.Rhema jumped up and turned around with a start, but not before Ischarus and Charis were able to move.  Her eyes searched into the darkness.  In spite of her search, the shadows cast by Ischarus and Charis made it impossible to see the red haired woman.The intruder spoke again, “Do you always greet guests with weapons?  I could have continued to creep closer to you all if I was intent upon injuring you.”Ischarus lowered his guard slightly, although he did not relinquish his grip upon the wood.  “I don’t think that it is particularly odd to see how we could feel the need to defend ourselves.  After all, you certainly came this far without desiring to be detected.”The woman laughed.  “And here I thought you all liked to play games.  Perhaps I was wrong in my earlier assessment.”The rest of the residents of the villa wisely moved to the far side of the fire.  Most of them were only marginally trained in the ways of combat.  It would be better for them if they stayed out of the potential zone of danger and left the fighting to Ischarus and Charis.Semeion had worked himself around the fire and to a position beside Rhema.  “Perhaps if you would step out of the shadows we could feel more comfortable in letting our defenses down?”The woman complied.  She stepped several paces to Ischarus’ right before approaching the fire and stepping into the light.  She wanted to avoid Ischarus’ immediate threat range as much as possible.  Even though it was an unwieldy piece of wood, in his hands it could be a dangerous weapon.  “Very well.  I’ll step into the light.”As the woman stepped close enough to the fire to reveal the contours of her face, all but Rhema had difficulty distinguishing the identity of the woman.  However, Rhema immediately recognized her.  “The woman from the Shrouded Tenor?  What are you doing here?”The woman smiled politely and extended her hands away from her sides with her palms up.  Her hands were empty.  “I was touched by your predicament.  You’re seeking Bloodseeker, who apparently is now dead.  From what my sources can tell me about you all, you are seeking Bloodseeker to find out who was behind the destruction that I now see for myself.  Am I right so far?”Rhema nodded.  “Sure.  But that fails to explain why you are here.  It does explain that you know a fair amount about us, though.  So tell us.  Why are you here under the cover of darkness?”The woman smiled.  “I serve a mage.  When I heard that you were seeking the Ephistaemi I took your plight to him.  I thought that perhaps he could help.”[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]Chapter Four: DECEPTION DOUBLEDTwo frustrating weeks passed by for the party of adventurers. There was no further word on Bloodseeker in spite of the several attempts made to dig up information. Trips to the Shrouded Tenor turned up no strange occurrences or tales. Nothing was being said about Bloodseeker at all.There was little else being said about the mage who managed to kill Bloodseeker and then teleport him away. The city guard was unable to find any credible witnesses to give an accounting as to what had started the fight. Those witnesses who were close enough to see the fight in detail said that one minute the alley was quiet and the next minute the alley erupted in violence. There was no apparent rhyme or reason as to the attack.In sum, the party had a great deal of frustration to pour into the repairs toward the villa. The villa’s repair and the replanting of the fields benefited greatly from the frustrated energy of the party. By the time the Drakontai servants made the trip from Ausaphaborishan’s Valley in Barghost back to the villa in Fingerdale, much of the fields had been replanted. With greater manpower, the remaining portion of the villa was able to be stripped away. The foundations were easily excavated and re-laid. Soon the ground floor took shape from the collected field stone.On the fifteenth day from when the party experienced the death of Bloodseeker, the residents of the villa sat in a quiet circle around a small bonfire. The fire had served as a cooking fire several hours past, but now the main purpose of the fire was simply to take the chill off of the nighttime air. The sun had been down for several hours and many of the servants had begun to doze in the cool evening. They were all tired from a hard day of caring for the fields in the morning followed by moving vast quantities of timber in the afternoon. Tomorrow there were plans to plane the wood into planks suitable for constructing the ceiling of the first floor.In the shadows along the edge of the wood, the figure of a woman stepped out from the trees and silently picked her way towards the bonfire. She smiled as she focused on the gathering. They wouldn’t be expecting her, and that would make her approach even easier. Her hands slipped down to check the status of the sword she carried upon her hip. The blade was securely fastened into its scabbard. Her hands then checked to make sure the daggers sheathed under each armpit were secured in their sheaths as well.She had come armed to the teeth, although she knew that if she played her cards right she shouldn’t even need to draw a blade. Her task would be best accomplished without the use of a blade. Even still, the presence of the blades gave her a decent back-up plan in addition to potentially helping to secure a route for retreat.She slowly crept closer to the bonfire. The woman watched the fading flames dance and knew that the dancing of the shadows could be a blessing or a curse. So long as the flames stayed low, their flickering would be minimized and the likelihood of the light around the fire remaining constant was great. If the flames were to rise they would be more likely to catch the wind and dance about. If the flames danced, she would have more difficulty discerning the presence of the shadows.Fortunately, none of the residents of the villa felt energetic enough to add wood to the waning fire. Darkness crept closer to the gathering with each passing minute. After approaching slowly for nearly a half an hour, the woman was within feet of grabbing Rhema from behind. She brushed back a simple strand of red hair and smiled before speaking. “You all let anyone creep out of the woods at your back?”In a flash, Ischarus had a small piece of lumber in his hand and positioned himself between Rhema and the voice. Charis joined his side. She was fortunate to have been carrying her pick. The pick had been used earlier with the wood and stone, so it remained by her side.Rhema jumped up and turned around with a start, but not before Ischarus and Charis were able to move. Her eyes searched into the darkness. In spite of her search, the shadows cast by Ischarus and Charis made it impossible to see the red haired woman.The intruder spoke again, “Do you always greet guests with weapons? I could have continued to creep closer to you all if I was intent upon injuring you.”Ischarus lowered his guard slightly, although he did not relinquish his grip upon the wood. “I don’t think that it is particularly odd to see how we could feel the need to defend ourselves. After all, you certainly came this far without desiring to be detected.”The woman laughed. “And here I thought you all liked to play games. Perhaps I was wrong in my earlier assessment.”The rest of the residents of the villa wisely moved to the far side of the fire. Most of them were only marginally trained in the ways of combat. It would be better for them if they stayed out of the potential zone of danger and left the fighting to Ischarus and Charis.Semeion had worked himself around the fire and to a position beside Rhema. “Perhaps if you would step out of the shadows we could feel more comfortable in letting our defenses down?”The woman complied. She stepped several paces to Ischarus’ right before approaching the fire and stepping into the light. She wanted to avoid Ischarus’ immediate threat range as much as possible. Even though it was an unwieldy piece of wood, in his hands it could be a dangerous weapon. “Very well. I’ll step into the light.”As the woman stepped close enough to the fire to reveal the contours of her face, all but Rhema had difficulty distinguishing the identity of the woman. However, Rhema immediately recognized her. “The woman from the Shrouded Tenor? What are you doing here?”The woman smiled politely and extended her hands away from her sides with her palms up. Her hands were empty. “I was touched by your predicament. You’re seeking Bloodseeker, who apparently is now dead. From what my sources can tell me about you all, you are seeking Bloodseeker to find out who was behind the destruction that I now see for myself. Am I right so far?”Rhema nodded. “Sure. But that fails to explain why you are here. It does explain that you know a fair amount about us, though. So tell us. Why are you here under the cover of darkness?”The woman smiled. “I serve a mage. When I heard that you were seeking the Ephistaemi I took your plight to him. I thought that perhaps he could help.”[/Sblock]</blockquote>

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