Metropolis (Slaves to the City) - Chapter Two

[Phoenix]

Jovik tosses down some rope and signals for the men to be tied up and hoisted up to the catwalk. 'Never leave a body to be spotted' the Jackal reminds himself as he chaffes at the slow progress. He then signals two others on the far side to go and listen at the door opposite. The Jackal will signal the two humans to haul up the dead cultists and will take a good look at the lower room to see if there are in doors on the ground floor. Once the scout reach the other door and signal no noise and the bodies are up on the catwalk, the Jackal will send back a scout to give the all clear to Ghost.

The four men tie the bodies to the lowered ropes before moving to the doors and checking them for more intruders. The bodies are hauled, under much effort, to the walkway before two scouts head to the opposing door and signal the all clear. One scout runs past Jovik to pass onto Ghost the news.

 

[jkason]

"Little Ru, let me ask you something," Master Gis passes a small cake across for Ru to contemplate on. "These answers you seek, are they for counciling, profit, or are you simply seeking the truth?"

Ru stops a moment, considering. He nibbles the cake to be gracious, as he's had little appetite as this evening progressed, then he answers.

"I would be lying if I didn't admit I encountered this aberration in the pursuit of profit. But the fact of the matter is, I'm well and truly overcome by it now that I see how far-reaching it is. At this point, I'm so horrified by the implications that ... well, I suppose a little of A, a little of C, then. You've often said fear comes from ignorance. I don't know if there's anything I can do about the situation, but knowing one way or another would certainly be a step in the right direction."

 

[Phoenix]

Ru stops a moment, considering. He nibbles the cake to be gracious, as he's had little appetite as this evening progressed, then he answers.

"I would be lying if I didn't admit I encountered this aberration in the pursuit of profit. But the fact of the matter is, I'm well and truly overcome by it now that I see how far-reaching it is. At this point, I'm so horrified by the implications that ... well, I suppose a little of A, a little of C, then. You've often said fear comes from ignorance. I don't know if there's anything I can do about the situation, but knowing one way or another would certainly be a step in the right direction."

Master Gis wanders to the window and looks into the streets. "Some say the city is alive, have you heard that? If she is, then can you imagine what we are doing to her? How she would feel?" Letting out a sigh, Master Gis turns back to the matter at hand.

"I feel that if you are looking to unlock this riddle of death, perhaps you should speak to those most learned in its arts, the priests of Zsath. It is their deity that ferries our souls into the afterlife, perhaps they know something of it."

 

[Fenris]

The four men tie the bodies to the lowered ropes before moving to the doors and checking them for more intruders. The bodies are hauled, under much effort, to the walkway before two scouts head to the opposing door and signal the all clear. One scout runs past Jovik to pass onto Ghost the news.

As the bodies are hauled up, a cold dread grips the Jackal's heart. He searches them intently for any sign of movement (and any incedendal coins, keys, passes or any valuables-That's why he's the Jackal after all ), any quiver or other sign that these men would stand up after their throats were slashed much like his mark in the Vomiting Jester. To be sure, The Jackal rears back and kicks them hard.

If no movement, Jovik positions the bodies to minimize blood dripping onto the floor and quietly moves to the far doors.

If'n they do move......., well let me know and we'll go from there.

 

[jkason]

Master Gis wanders to the window and looks into the streets. "Some say the city is alive, have you heard that? If she is, then can you imagine what we are doing to her? How she would feel?" Letting out a sigh, Master Gis turns back to the matter at hand.

"I feel that if you are looking to unlock this riddle of death, perhaps you should speak to those most learned in its arts, the priests of Zsath. It is their deity that ferries our souls into the afterlife, perhaps they know something of it."

Ru raises an eyebrow, but has the sense to bite back the sarcastic reply building in him. He'll only alienate perfectly good advice. The fact that the perfectly good advice means he'll have to make friends with death priests ... this was definitely not going on Ru's list of Really Good Weeks.

"Well, I suppose they're the only relatively respectable folks likely to still be up at this hour," Ru says, standing. "I mean, the middle of the darkness is rather their domain, yes?"

Ru pops the rest of the cake in his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly, then he bows to Gis.

"Thank you, again, for your council."

As he starts to leave, the enforcer suddenly remembers what got him into this mess, and turns back to Gis.

"One more favor, if you would, Master Gis. I am also currently searching for some thieves in yellow robes. I've sent word through other channels asking for leads. I'd meant to send word through the merchants in the morning, and still hope to. But just in case ... well, the way my luck's going, I should probably expect my schedule to be off. If you would be so kind as to mention my hunt for the yellow robes to your fellow merchants?"

With that, Ru heads back out into the night, wary but swift in his trek to find the closest temple of Zsath. He's not sure which he dreads more, the not-dead he might encounter, or the living death priests he's currently seeking out.

 

[Phoenix]

As the bodies are hauled up, a cold dread grips the Jackal's heart. He searches them intently for any sign of movement (and any incedendal coins, keys, passes or any valuables-That's why he's the Jackal after all ), any quiver or other sign that these men would stand up after their throats were slashed much like his mark in the Vomiting Jester. To be sure, The Jackal rears back and kicks them hard.

If no movement, Jovik positions the bodies to minimize blood dripping onto the floor and quietly moves to the far doors.

If'n they do move......., well let me know and we'll go from there.

Within one of the pockets Jovik finds a small vial of yellow liquid.

OOC:
I think it is time you moved to Chapter One, for the moment.

 

[Phoenix]

Ru raises an eyebrow, but has the sense to bite back the sarcastic reply building in him. He'll only alienate perfectly good advice. The fact that the perfectly good advice means he'll have to make friends with death priests ... this was definitely not going on Ru's list of Really Good Weeks.

"Well, I suppose they're the only relatively respectable folks likely to still be up at this hour," Ru says, standing. "I mean, the middle of the darkness is rather their domain, yes?"

Ru pops the rest of the cake in his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly, then he bows to Gis.

"Thank you, again, for your council."

As he starts to leave, the enforcer suddenly remembers what got him into this mess, and turns back to Gis.

"One more favor, if you would, Master Gis. I am also currently searching for some thieves in yellow robes. I've sent word through other channels asking for leads. I'd meant to send word through the merchants in the morning, and still hope to. But just in case ... well, the way my luck's going, I should probably expect my schedule to be off. If you would be so kind as to mention my hunt for the yellow robes to your fellow merchants?"

With that, Ru heads back out into the night, wary but swift in his trek to find the closest temple of Zsath. He's not sure which he dreads more, the not-dead he might encounter, or the living death priests he's currently seeking out.

[sblock]Knowledge - local (DC 12) +2 - Failure
Knowledge - religion (DC 8) +15 - Success[/sblock]

Master Gis bows and simply says, "When you return I will show you the way to the Yellow Robes my son, unless of course you stumble across them on your way." His expression was not wise this time, but more...cheeky. There was obviously something that he knew, that perhaps Ru should know too, something that he had missed.

Ru remembered vaguely Master Gis mentioning the different religions of Metropolis, how they all fitted in with the city's needs as if they were a part of one great organism. Where was that place again? Dionysian, of course. It was one of the richer areas that Ru had never been to, too many guards and mercenaries walking the streets being paid to look after peoples interests. There was money there, and power, but how did you get there? He knew that it was to the north...ish, but no-one from the Apartments went to Dionysian for anything, nor the other way around, as far as he knew anyway.

 

[jkason]

[sblock]Knowledge - local (DC 12) +2 - Failure
Knowledge - religion (DC 8) +15 - Success[/sblock]

Master Gis bows and simply says, "When you return I will show you the way to the Yellow Robes my son, unless of course you stumble across them on your way." His expression was not wise this time, but more...cheeky. There was obviously something that he knew, that perhaps Ru should know too, something that he had missed.

Ru pulls a double take, almost falling over himself trying to stop the momentum he had to leave the room.

"Wait a minute. You already know something about men in yellow robes? I'm sure the death priests have plenty of death worshipping to keep them busy, and you've always said to finish one thing before starting another. What--?" Ru stops, swallowing his enforcer-tone as soon as he realizes it's asserting itself. He takes a breath, bows his head, then asks with more respect, "Please, Master, share with me what you know of these yellow-robed men."

 

[Phoenix]

Ru pulls a double take, almost falling over himself trying to stop the momentum he had to leave the room.

"Wait a minute. You already know something about men in yellow robes? I'm sure the death priests have plenty of death worshipping to keep them busy, and you've always said to finish one thing before starting another. What--?" Ru stops, swallowing his enforcer-tone as soon as he realizes it's asserting itself. He takes a breath, bows his head, then asks with more respect, "Please, Master, share with me what you know of these yellow-robed men."

Master Gis simply smiles as his eyes lower to the table that rested between them. Next to the crumbled cake, several biscuits and a dirty tea cup, rested a folded newspaper.

Ru's eyes drifted across the words on the front page, could it be this easy?

 

[jkason]

Master Gis simply smiles as his eyes lower to the table that rested between them. Next to the crumbled cake, several biscuits and a dirty tea cup, rested a folded newspaper.

Ru's eyes drifted across the words on the front page, could it be this easy?

Ru has the sense to close his eyes and return a slightly embarassed smile

"Yes, Master, you're once again correct. I should have taken your advice to reccive the daily paper, obviously."

Ru's eyes play back over the phrase "heart of the city." Surely it's just colorful language from the writer, but hells if it isn't what the Killi-kelli-hek said their ill-defined key opened.

Of course, announcing an assault openly in this way surely made the whole thing smell like a set up: gather all those who might oppose you, then drop a few boulders and a bushel or two of arrows on their heads. Sounded like the kind of thing Ari would like.

Still, a lead was a lead. And he'd prefer talking to death priests with some sun about, whether it would really help him or not.

Ru decides he'll take a careful look around. Reconnoiter the area to make sure it isn't meant to be a corral rather than a meeting, then see what he can find.

"As always, Master, your counsel is gratefully accepted. Now, if you could point me in the direction of Therobon Avenue and its storm grate, I have to go run some more errands sure to be bad for my health."