To Con the Con-man

[Zerith]

“It was a simple that question Alden gave: the situation not nearly so clean cut.” Alexander began to Tio “And belief in a world of static blacks and whites is deathly meanwhile we’re already dealing with out such clear lines. Thinking of what I’m going to say for a mere moment implies that the matter is not to be floundered into” Alexander commented, his mood none improved. He then turned towards and up to the, newest, interloper.

His left brow flared for a brief moment, he hadn’t expected the voice that immerged from the shadows to be taller, then him he flatly assumed she had some giant in her and then brushed her stature aside.
he face was initially contorted, obviously a failing attempt at concealing his festering mood, he then gazed on her; a devilishly pleased grin grew on his face.

She was a welcomed distraction; things became interesting again.


[FONT=&quot]“Interesting; you’ve just made yourself truly interesting” Alexander bluntly stated as he locked his obsidian and golden eyes onto hers. “Be you thief, kidnaper, slayer or assassin?” he asked with an increasingly uplifted mood. “You cannot be on an honest errand, because you just came out of hiding the moment we got out of easy earshot of the tower; further, you approached newcomers who would have no insight as to your ends nor means.“ Alexander spoke with a chuckling snicker ebbing sutaly though his flattened tone of voice.
“The only reason for this is that you’re not confident of getting inside by yourself; their already two nobles who’re coming back and forth from this residence and you’re blatantly watching the tower. You’re either avoiding them because your purpose conflicts with theirs or they know something about you we obviously don’t know; if not then this is all one big coincident. One grand coincident were you stalk a negotiator while he barters with the prosperity of Rem and miss two rather plump nobles and instead latch onto a fresh party that demands attention, one that a woman of your ‘stature’ could be in without drawing too much unwanted attention onto yourself.” Alexander gave a soft, short though arrogant chuckle before he prattled on.

“It’s a far stretch even if I did believe in Coincidences; do you have anything to add before I flatly assume your ends, or means, are a detriment to mine?” he ended smugly with a grin, he was egger to hear what she had to say for herself. Was she going to make an excuse, try and sneak away, flee, or fight?

[sblock=OoC]Oh yes, he just asserted a Paladin was a brigand and a murder in the same sentence no less XD[/sblock][/FONT]

 

[Megan Voss]

: Hera remained, as so often she did, ..perfectly poised. Unfettered at the lengthy monologue that so often is assumed to be attributed to villians and devils. Her quick, chiming response followed swifty.

"I Am coming with you. You need not fear a Servant of the Church of Limberrie. My sword shall aid your meager quest for as long as our destines are intertwined. I am your humble servant. You need speak no more."

It was a response most directly given to Tio. Enforced by the loving and good aura that she so sweetly shared with the party. However, to Alexander the Long Winded, she gave a curt reply.

"...And you. Sir Detective. ...Need never speak again. Nor would I will you do so. So much of your speaking have I heard that my ears are deaf to your tones and chimbles. Chime if you must, but know this..."

She pointed to him with her slender finger. An accuasion from a woman that stung men like the edge of a pointed sword. Wounding pride, and ego alike, with it's sharp touch.

"...your percussions will go unnoticed and your chorus will continue unsung. I'll not have your lip, good sir, unless it is to taste the heel of this madam's boot. Thus saith a lady."

She recoiled into her heroic posture and smiled politely. Hands on her hips in a gesture of civil talk and proper tones. Motioning the gentle company to resume their quest in earnest.

"...Now? Let's get going, shall we? ...Carry on. Carry on."

.ooc. verbal smite. once per day. ...check. =]

 

[Axel]

"By yer leave ma'am I'll carry on from righ' where we left'off" Alden added, mock-doffing his non-existant hat before rounding on Alexander.

"You jus' don' geddit do ya' ya big stupid git?! 'f you reckon yer th'leader o' this li'l exp'dition then ya gotta'nother thing comin! There ain' none o' yer hoity-toity servants 'n' bu'lers 'n' wha' 'av yas out 'ere. 's jus' you, 'n' me, 'n' it seems these two." he began angrily, pointing his finger at the bean-pole of a wizard's chest and glaring up at him, undaunted by the height of the man, or the other two giants standing around.

I must be the last normal sized person left in this blasted town...

"Y' got 'sactly wha' ya wanted outta tha' bloody tower. Y'know th'wizard's name now. Or one of 'em. Wha' diff'rence does 't make anyways what he calls hi'self? 'f you wanna break th'door down 'n' kidnap 'im, or jus' talk to 'im civ'lized like - if ya even knows how - then tha's your choice! Jus' bloody do't if we's all holding ya back," Alden added, warming to his theme. He seemed about to start shoving Alexander towards the door, then thought better of it.

"A'leas', for th'sake o' th'gods, show some blasted lead'rship 'f ya think you is runnin' the show! Dun jus' stan' there like a statue when som'un asks you a civ'lized question! 'n don' jus' 'spect 's'all t'do wha' you says. I isn't under yer orders, 'n' neither is these two. We is ALL in it t'gether... O'th'wise I jus' gonna leave you t'die on th'road nex'time."

 

[Zerith]

Alexander cocked his head, smirked, and blinked blankly; he was taken aback and she was more interesting and far more hilarious then he first thought; he could not believe the connection he had just seen and yet “Thus saith a lady” gave him a very crooked smile. He took a moment to gather himself while barely holding back a joyful, and very hearty, chuckle.
If only the woman knew just how hilarious what she just said was, and that the hand gestures only added to the affect.

Alexander braced his gut with his forearms, he then found her about as threatening as his little niece Alexandra*, if the woman before him started pouting her lower lip and pivoting side to side slightly the image of his niece in another twenty or so years would be complete and he would simply have had to cackle with joyful madness.
[*She had the same hair/eye colors and pattern as her uncle Alexander, and so was given his name, or a variant there of; Alexander was initially aghast by this, three people in his immediate family with the same name, however, he has since taken pride in it]

Then Alden spoke and Alexander turned to reply to the man, with a less manic but none the less a smug smile; he was starting accept how ‘pathetically small minded’ Alden was.
“Put simply, yes, I am the leader of this endeavor, from what I recall your orders amount to assisting me. While Tiagio is free to also aid in this task at his pleasure, aiding and leading are not one and the same. And then we have our newest… acquaintance here, who has given us no real reason to trust her other then because she says so; she won’t be coming unless she can convince me otherwise.” Alexand said before giving a brief pause to allow what he said to sink in “Alden, you’re free to desert, during a time of war, at your whim, but as to how wise it is; I’ll leave that up to you. I’ve already explained why what you did was foolish to the limit of what my present mood will allow, and it was not I who acted as a statue, it was you who leaped into action without thought.” Alexander commented blankly completely unflapped by the man’s banter.

Alexander turned back towards the woman and his grin regained some of his previous joy as it again broaden “You seem to misunderstand, ‘ little lady’, I don’t care who you say you are or who you are working for.” he began chuckling while fearing a questioning brow she was amusing him into forethought and recollection, oh the hypocritical nature of it.
“I care about what your purpose here is. Until what happens are ‘our destinies intertwined’? Are our destinies only intertwined until you see the half-elf? Forgive me if I find that you swear your alliance until a time to be determined at your pleasure to be concerning, but it is.”

“You’ve not given me, or any of us for that matter, any reason to trust in the least; you claim to be a humble servant of Limberrie; what proof have you given? I’ve never seen an acolyte who goes around in studded leather and a greatsword with not even so much as an amulet hung around their neck to denote their highest lord and master. I do not seem to see one around your neck.” Alexander chuckled; he could not bring himself to dispel the oh so silly image from his mind.
It was far too precious to do so; it was priceless.

“And before you do as you’ve said and simply ignore me, consider this; I’m the ranking officer, a lord no less, you’re a potential threat to my mission and you have the audacity to assert that you will accompany me were you like? Even if you did fallow us around does not mean I will simply allow you to tag along, it is of no effort to me to stat you’re an interloper when you act as one.” Alexander spoke confidently and chucklingly while he continued to see what his niece might be like in several more years.

“Now, quall my inquiries or rest along with them; So saith a lord.” Alexander ended while resisting the urge to pout in childish mockery; if the woman had spoken any other words. Alexander could not help but envision that pathetically cute face attempting to look serious as he spoke to the woman before him.
That he had just gave her the same, pervade, reply he gave his niece when she wanted to stay up late did not help matters.


[sblock=OoC] um, its PbP, I can take five minutes or five years to make a reply and it does not have any affect on in game time; and given that there was no noted delay in Alexander’s reactions, it is most accurate to assume that Alden simply seized inisativefrom Alexander who was not in a rush to jam words down the servant’s thought before he had a chance to see the man’s deposition :/

Also, Alex acts more like a smart NPC with crazy high Will and Sense Motive scores then a normal PC, his character is unbending, so he does not just flow with things that are odd, like a 6’5” woman appearing out of nowhere and just saying she is their to help ^^;
[this said, unwritten past events are used as I see fit to amuse me randomly! ^_^]


and yesh, the/one of the youngest characters here is seeing the oldest one as akin to his four year old niece :3
(oh yah, Axel, Alden’s Personal Details still need to be added)

... I need to stop making late night/hyper early morning posts :/[/sblock]

 

[Megan Voss]

: The tall and postured woman was not amused. But her distilled expression of assurance remained. In fact, she daned to smile. Of the present company, Alden and Tio seemed gentle fellows. And the tension between comrades was clear in the words of the first. This 'nobleman' of much speaking, was something of a tempestuous necessity. The Gods are fickle today.

With a smile on her face Hera approached nearer the party in a long stride. Bold, not free. Easily bowing in the presence of Alden and granting him the pleasure of her company and aura.

"Thank you, kind sirs"

Ignoring the presence of Alexander altogether,

"I am called Hera. My assistance I grant unto you until the Gods see fit to remove me from your company. Blessings I bring with me. And blessings I give unto you. Until the time of our parting. For it is the law of the Gods that I serve, and I serve them humbly still."

Then she glanced effortlessly at Alexander,

"...And the laws of fools and idle words, I keep far from me. For pride is the domain of the damned. ...And reason not with fear, but with patience held still. For the wise see withing seeing, and even the blind can watch carefully all the same."

Her eyes removed again to Alden and she bowed slight again.

"I am yours to command, good sir of the unsteady road. May your quest, difficult though it may seem, be mine as well in heart alone. A'Shaun A'non. And A'man."

With her prayer of fellowship concluded she returned to her standing posture. Ready to move forward and the see the will of the God speedily done. And in Alexander she sensed no evil, but wary she remained of his intents. For the hearts of men are deeper still and murky in the depths of their desires. His riddles she would not ask, and no answer to him would she give. For separate not a fool and his words, as they say. For they are coupled together by God. That when he comes again to judge the wicked they might be found together still, and his judgments shall fall upon them both.

But Tio and Alden, good men of fortunes fine fate, she would render glad service. And in serving them, they would by simple means, serve her. And thus fate is one eternal round and all serveth God. And Hera was pleased.

 

[HolyMan]

Before Alex can speak a rebuttal, a massive explosion rocks the area. Windows vibrate in their casings and loose shingles fall from roof tops. Smoke starts to rise ominously into the clear sky.

<assuming heroes charge ahead - stop me if you don't>

Running back the way they came the group is shocked to see that the smoke comes from the half-elf's tower. His servant is just moving down the stairs to the road as smoke still pours from the upper windows and holes from the roof.

 

[Zerith]

This was, entirely, not part of the scheme much less the plan; Dellex more than likely wanted the half elf alive[/]. He pinched his left eye between his brow and his cheek and further destroyed his face, he was not amused by this. He clenched his teeth and exhaled grumblingly with venin through his nostrils, seeing the servant he had two options, wait for the servant to get around or just bolt up the stairs and drag the fool down by the ear; the servant would take an unknown amount of time and Alexander was not in the mood for delays that could get the blasted half elf killed in any number of ways.

Instead of bothering with the servant Alexander chose to charge past and then race towards the source of the disturbance, Tharivol may have caused the explosion himself and if not he could search from the top down while the others, the much slower others, came from below unless they chose inaction.
The elf was not allowed to die until he was dragged to Dellex, kicking came to it, but alive none the less. “Qual Dras” Alexander commanded boomingly before the infusing his and screaming if it being with raw manna to make himself swifter.

[sblock=OoC] E-retreat, search the site of the explosion/smoke, if elf not there, serch from top down
Also, had to do a quickie post ^^;[/sblock]

 

[Axel]

Deciding the simplest course of action may also prove safest AND most effective, Alden elected to get help, especially seeing Alex charge off toward the tower.

"FIRE! There's a ruddy great big FIRE!!! Bring 's buckets, quickly!!" he bellowed through cupped hands at the collection of buildings around the place. Glancing quickly around to see if there was anything that might help him, like a bucket, or a ladder, or a big thick blanket, he dashed off to help the servant away from the smoking tower.

[sblock=OOC]
[MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION], thanks for the props but it doesn't take that long for me to write in "Alden speak", which is how he normally speaks - I think I'm happy with it...but we'll see. He has a few different "voices" depending on the audience, but the more upset he is the closer to his native "street voice" he gets. I imagine it to be a cross between Raych (from Prelude to Foundation, by Asimov) and a northern English thug. Given I know a few northern English thugs in RL its not difficult to superimpose their accent onto things. I also write out his speech sections in "Queen's English", and bastardise them afterwards. Easier for me to understand what he's saying. Hope it's not too hard to read.

Also, will make a spot roll. To see if he notices any items remotely helpful around.
[/sblock]

 

[Herobizkit]

"Looks like we're getting our audience after all, hey Alden?" Tio said, a smile starting to creep across his face. "But if no one can see the tower, how are they going to help put out the fire?"

As he races toward the tower, he turns to look at Hera and says, "I can't yet tell if you're good luck or bad."

 

[Megan Voss]

: Hera watched as the tower breathed smoke like a dragon's lair. Excessive as it was and more dangerous than anyone could percieve. She disliked this situation altogether. But the pleasentries were finally over now and they could begin moving forward. Sadly, she hoped that her goal was not compromised in that explosion. Otherwise this whole quest might have been for naught.

"Good or Bad, I will assist."

The priestess ran behind Tio and accompanied him to the base of the burning Tower. Her second priority would be to entertain the Tower Servant. Questioning him might be of greater service than anything else at the moment. She certainly didn't want to enter the burning Tower.

"...Hail steward. What is the meaning of this bright sound? Why does the tower burn?"

Hera spoke with distress and empathy in face. But her voice demanded great speed in the Servant's response. This was no time for slow answers.