Six Nights to Yearsend (Ptolus Group A)

[OnlytheStrong]

"Guess this is as good of a time as any to explain how and why I am here. My name is Davian Rynos, I was and still am a true friend of Tagret Artalen." He stares straight ahead at the door where he figured the seer would come out. "The news of his death traveled to me quickly. I know he would not, no, he could not do what he was accused of. As his friend, my honor demands the truth, and thus I quest to find it. His death and this lie binds me to you. My fate lies with yours now. He slowly reaches up and takes off his hat, using it as a cover for wiping away a tear that had formed. He smiles warmly at Luna, Morty and Kaeso and replaces his hat.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

The 25th of Yearsend Month, 10:29 AM

You wait for some minutes in the parlor, and are treated to several young women in robes that are made to be both revealingly tight and bare in one shoulder, and yet cover the parts that matter. They blush and smile invitingly at the men while serving adequate tea. Outside a town crier can be heard with the latest news, "Murder most foul! The Golden Cross Butchers have struck once more, this time in two different places! An adventuring group that tried to apprehend the wicked group found themselves in a showdown in Midtown. Survivors of the group state that a man fitting the description of Mortimus "Morty" Price conjured several supernaturally large crocodiles of a devilish character and set them loose in a rampage that nearly destroyed a home and left numerous casualties. Meanwhile, Arkhall Vaugn, the prominent advisor to House Balacazar, was assassinated by an individual matching the description of Kareus d’Leonne. Witnesses at Danbury's cafe claim that Arkhall's assailant was under a magical disguise that the wizard was able to dispel before Kareus slew him where he sat. House Balacazar has not made a statement, but has Arkhall's body under guard so that they may bring him to the Temple District for recovery. Several mercenary groups such as the Five Cuts, The Triad, and Ghost Clan have now joined the hunt for these armed and very dangerous villians."

You glance at each other apprehensively until a beautiful woman walks down the steps, youthful in face and body though not so young as those pouring you tea. Morty recognizes her instantly as Megara the Seer and, well... working lady. "Hello Morty. I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I was sleeping and speaking with your friend Kareus, and an echo of me speaks with him still in dreams. He lives and wishes for me to tell you to stay here, and that he is on the way. Although I am not sure he will make it. Your paths may not cross yet, and there is danger between the two of you that he is not yet aware."

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Davian sits in a parlor chair, allowing the beautiful women to serve him tea. He sips the tea politely, Best tea I have had in awhile. he thinks with a smile crossing his face. Things like this would make a man want to settle down and live the easy life. I wonder if one of these women would marry...........

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Luna sits down in a nearby chair, but can't seem to get comfortable. She fidgets, but eventually calms down. I don't know how or why, but it seems I have something these people are after. I could be because of my talent for seeing the future. Lunas' expression turns to remorse. It seems tragedy follows me wherever I go. It seems she might cry but she buckles down. We must find a way to bring the warden to justice.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Megara takes out a mug of hot water from one of her fellow ladies, then a pinch of crushed tea leaves before dropping them into the container. She sits next to Morty and watches the shapes that form on the surface of the water. "You've come for your fortune and for advice. Many are searching for you, most wish you harm, some seek the truth of what happened to the Knights of the Golden Cross, while few can be considered friends. You have one friend searching for you now. He is an old friend of yours, and though he walks like a man he wears the skin of a lizard. I see that he is of the assarai. Ironically he will be at the southern gates to this district within a half an hour. There are also several that hunt you that may become allies. Of your potential enemies there are many, and they are harder to see as the future seems to be a very chaotic thing."

Luna
[sblock]
As you peer into the tea leaves you see an image of the Warden, but he is opening cells inside his own prison and handing several items to those inside. You recognize some of these items as the ones your group left behind, and you definitely know that the cloak that he is wearing was once Kaeso's, but the image fades before you can see his new entourage.
[/sblock]

 

[Dekana]

Kaeso quietly listens to Megara, somewhat tempted to start demanding answers. If this woman in fact has the gift of prophecy, maybe we should just cut to the chase and ask who is really responsible for what happened. She knows the future, but what about the past?
"Well it's good to know we're not completely alone, even if half the city wants our heads. Megara... we only vaguely remember what happened to us at the start of all this unpleasantness." Kaeso describes the half-hidden memory he experienced just prior to waking up drenched in the blood of the knights, giving particular attention to the part where he was drugged;
[sblock=Flashback!]You are bound, while men in robes chant around you. A creature with a hideous face full of mandibles stands amongst them, arms raised and your past nightmare and the current one seem to blend and mesh together. You want this nightmare to end, but instead can only watch as they cut the creature along the chest and collect the ichor from the wound in a large pan. They mix the ichor with other ingredients that you thankfully cannot quite see, but then hands force your mouth open and a cup is held in front of your lips. Realization hits you. You scream and try to fight, but all that comes out is a gurgle as the liquid reaches your throat and your mind begins to grow dull. Hands clamp your mouth closed and once more your vision fades to darkness. But you are no longer alone. A voice whispers in your mind in a language both ancient and hideous. And there are two other voices, garbled in your memory.[/sblock]"Does any of this sound familiar? Who were the men in robes, and what was the tentacled-face creature?"

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Megara sighs sadly and shakes her head. "I'm sorry... Kaeso is it? I'm sorry, Kaeso, but the gift of prophecy doesn't work that way. I cannot look back, but can only catch glimpses of the future. Perhaps if you knew of a spirit or demon that had knowledge of what had happened to you then you could get an answer from them, but that is dangerous knowledge to seek. I did have visions before Morty was taken and during his absence of his suffering, but they were only impressions and not anything I could pinpoint otherwise I may have been of better help. Wait... there was an odd feeling I had. I felt that Morty was going to be in a very unholy place, yet this place was on sacred and holy ground. Or perhaps surrounded by holy ground... It was as if the dark place that he was being tortured was hidden in a location of the city that made it out of place and therefore perhaps the perfect place to be secreted. I know that's vague, but maybe it's something..." Megara answers, but blushes in frustration over her lack of help. "The men that I recall hearing around Morty were chanting as if in holy reverance, but their words were foreign, evil, and most blasphemous to me."

 

[OnlytheStrong]

"You're speaking of things that are already known Madam. Please, inform us of something we do not know." Davian says as politely as he can.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

"I'm sorry. That's all that I remember. That I had the sense that you were near holy ground, but that the basement that you were in had an unholy aura... wait! I said basement, didn't I? I had the distinct impression that you were in a basement or a cellar to some building, but that's all I can recall."

As the seer finishes speaking Luna falls into gazing directly ahead and begins to mumble something about circles.

Luna
[sblock]
As Megara speaks, you begin to see the image of the worshippers that had a hand in brainwashing you. You had seen them once before and you will see them again. They were robes, and their symbol was a multitude of circular orbs or rings. You believe there were two or three circles in this simple pattern, and they were linked in a vertical pattern.
[/sblock]

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Luna slips into Reverie, hoping that her current train of thought will follow her. She fills her mind and thought of the circles, focusing intently.

Are there any colors she can make out?