RPGWW

by **Capntastic** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:31 am

Mik nodded, giving his mug a bit of a swirl, and sniffing at it.

by **Kelne** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:44 am

"An introduction to polite society it is, then," Cryvus said, "Better to get the feel for it now than on the day." Truth be told, he wasn't greatly looking forward to the experience, but needs must, and best to be sure he could adequately smother his distaste for any useless parasites on society he might encounter. Cryvus suspected there were any number of idle types who would benefit immensely from a tour of duty aboard on of the Emperor's warships, or serving in his armies. Alas, money tended to serve as a most excellent insulator for those with no inclination towards duty.

by **Jak Snide** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:30 pm

House Strophes

"An outing for infinite distraction it is, then." Julia announced, clapping her hands together. "After our little stroll yesterday I imagine that half the spire is just dying to find out just who you are."

Masha nodded in approval. "I shall accompany you. My cover dictates that I must appear to be entrusted with the education and guidance of the young Strophes and I wish to gauge the nature of this hive."

---

The Spires

The five of them left Laurent within House Strophes, the old man attending to some business that his seneschal had brought to his attention. Brother Gear split off shortly afterwards to make his inquiries into the Joyous Choir. Julia lead the way, followed closely by the same manservant who had accompanied her the day before, guiding them through the seemingly endless passages and promenades. Masha trailed behind them and would have been the perfect picture of serenity had it not been for her injuries. The streets were busy today, filled with the entourages of their fellow nobles. That was how they must see them now. Laurent had made a point of reminding them that they must treat these people as their peers, for to do any less would be a gross breach of character. For a while they window shopped, took in their surroundings and conversed among themselves. It was only when they stopped to watch a street performer, an acrobat who flung herself between several poles suspended above their heads, did the test truly begin.

"Julia, darling! Where have you been?" The woman who hurried over to them, entourage trailing behind her, was a little older than their host and a little less lithe, her outfit seemingly shifting through a dozen different shades of green as she approached, Julia waiting until she was close before turning to face her. The two exchanged greetings, a brief hug followed by retreat of two steps, all part of the dance that spoke of their relationship to each other.

Cryvus:

Spoiler:

Mithras:

Spoiler:

"Really, you must bring you father out with you one of these days. It's been too long." The woman turned her head to regard the acolytes. "These would be the new arrivals then?" she asked, neither of them missing the intended snub designed to question their worth, the question directed to another while she looked at them.

"Of course." Julia responded, turning her own gaze towards the two of them and waiting for them to introduce themselves, a shift in her stance conveying a deference towards them reserved for family or particularly close friends.

by **ChristianC** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:02 pm

Mithras smiled warmly, although perhaps a bit sternly, and gave the woman a quick bow while taking the woman's hand in his. "Colonel Rubeus Strouke, madam, it is a pleasure to meet you." he held up her hand slightly before letting go, standing at attention to show his obvious military background. "Executive Officer of the Fenksworld 212th Infantry." he gave her a hopeful smile, as if hoping she'd recognize the name of the unit. Of course she wouldn't, they'd never amounted to much, from what he'd gathered, and the closest they'd ever been to real action was during a few crack-downs on riotous hive-dwellers.

At the moment, the officer was dressed in a rather splendid coat of obvious military cut in emerald green, with very pale, almost white stripes of green running down his shoulders and the sides of his arms, with reddish-gold buttons in double-breasted pattern. Underneath he wore a particularly sober pinstriped suit of fashionable design in very dark green the stripes being a tad lighter, with a shirt the same color as the stripes, and a necktie of more intense green. Giving the impression of a man who, quite true, had very little grasp of fashion outside of the Guard. A pair of white leather gloves covered his hands.

by **Kelne** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:07 am

"Gilgamesh Bludnoch," Cryvus said, giving the small bow due from a gentleman to a lady but maintaining his reserve. His own stance was one of conditional acceptance, as befitted a friend of a younger relative, but he didn't seem to feel that his own life-story was required. Far be it from him to be drawn by any implied questioning.

Again, in contrast to Mithas, Cryvus had opted for civilian attire, though his stance tended to default to a military bearing. He had opted for the more reserved styles of the older generation, deep blue jacket over paler blue shirt and black trousers, with the whole scattered with widely spaced and rather silver pinpricks, reminiscent perhaps of the Halo stars.

by **Jak Snide** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:21 pm

The Spires

The young woman accepted Mithras' gesture, though was all too quick to put a respectable distance between them as soon as he released her hand. It seemed that their homeworld did not put them in good standing.

Mithras:

Spoiler:

"Babette Biscari," she said, the inflection of her voice adding an unspoken "House" between the two words. "and I welcome you to our wondrous city. You'll find that its splendours are unrivalled anywhere in the sector. Has Julia shown you to the Lucid Palace yet?"

The pair got a better look at woman now, along with her retinue. Babette herself was adorned with a selection of silver jewellery, though her flowing dress caught the eye far more easily. What had been a flurry of shades before had now settled down into a contrast of extremes, the folds in the material far darker than the rest. After a moment they realised that the cloth seemed to react to the light, brightening when exposed to it and quickly loosing this quality when not. Her entourage were dressed in dark green, though care had been taken to ensure that they would not be mistaken for Magistratum officers. The trio of men stood deferentially behind her, the largest of them with his back turned to the conversation.

by **Besyanteo** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:04 pm

Well, that was an odd question. Well, the man expected an answer, but that didn't mean he needed to go leaking information left and right. He kept his tone casual enough, unsure how much the Strophes had told Orday about who they really were, if anything.

"We don't have any plans to run off on them if we don't need to. Why do ya ask?"

He let his drink sit on the table, basically untouched for now. He wondered idly what the ghastly sounding drink would be like if he were forced to sample some.

by **Jak Snide** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:23 am

The Barking Saint

"You ever heard of Farcosia? Nasty stuff. Word is that the Arbites are getting interested. It's a potent narcotic, very addictive. I found out that Strophes' niece was hooked on it, though I don't think he knew. I suspect a lot of the Choir are as well and that they're distributing it. It's expensive, real expensive, way beyond the means of most down here. But who does the Joyous Choir usually cater to, eh?"

Gunner:

Spoiler:

"A couple of the the high and haughty have somehow found out about my acquisition of their little toys I passed to Strophes along with some data they'd rather I not have. Seems the Choir has some well placed allies in the Magistratum. They've been putting the pressure on and I think it's time for me to take my leave of Sibellus for a while, but I figured your boss might be interested in acquiring some more insight into the Choir before I depart."

He let his assumption hang in the air, waiting for the acolytes to press further.

Crisis:

Spoiler:

by **Kelne** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:51 pm

"Not as yet," Cryvus said mildly, "Though I have had that priviledge on a previous visit. I don't imagine it is a sight that ever grows old." While Cryvus had not in fact seen the Lucid Palace before, he felt confident of his ability to avoid gawping like a new arrival from a feral world. He had, after all, stood upon Terra itself in his time.

by **Capntastic** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:12 pm

Mik was content to continue sipping his beverage and nodding silently. 'Dulov' was something of the quiet type.

by **Jak Snide** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:47 pm

The Spires

"You have visited Scintilla before?" Babette's speech took on a slightly more reverential tone, her body language changing accordingly. "When was it that you were last graced by our world? Did you accompany him on that occasion, Master Strouke?"

The acrobat continued to tumble through the air overhead, eliciting the occasional murmur of awe from the crowd.

by **ChristianC** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:34 pm

Mithras gave the woman an impressed look, her retinue, as well as her clothing, was just another sign of her high breeding and old money. He tried his best not to show his impression, however, it wouldn't do to start groveling before her as his guts told him to. Being born in a poor family certainly had its less obvious disadvantages.

He gave a short laugh and shook his head a bit, trying to make sure he sounded more embarrassed than anything. "Only once, when I was very young." he replied, smiling politely at Babette, "I'm afraid my duties rarely leave much room for travel, except between staging posts. Nevertheless, I find myself remembering more of this city the longer I spend here."

He gave the older man a slight nod, "Bludnoch has by far seen more of the Galaxy than myself, although it's mighty difficult to get any stories out of him." he gave a low chuckle and waved the whole thing off gently as mere jesting.

by **Kelne** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:40 am

Cryvus smiled slightly at Mithras's words, "The benefits of a naval career," he said, "We do have opportunity for shore leave in between patrols. My last visit would have been some thirty years ago now. Enough time that a guide is welcome," he said wryly. The hive might change but little in such an interval, but the memories of men were wont to fade and the social landscape moved ever on. He'd made sure to research a few little details of that time period to ensure that he wouldn't be tripped up during his perusal of the family histories.

by **Jak Snide** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:26 am

The Spires

Babette's expression conveyed momentary shock and amusement, reacting to some faux-pas that Mithras had unwittingly committed. Even as she recovered he remained oblivious to exactly what he had done wrong.

"You simply must share tales of your exploits us, Master Bludnoch." The inflection of her voice added an entirely different set of attributes to the title she addressed Cryvus with. Where Strouke was a young man to considered a peer at best, Bludnoch was a wise patriarchal figure spoken to with respect masked in curiosity. "Julia's father has always been disappointingly tight lipped about his own career."

Mithras:

Spoiler:

by **Besyanteo** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:56 pm

Gunner briefly considered what Orday has just told them. Neither they nor Strophes had received any data just yet, and Orday had a look on him that said that he was waiting for them to do something. So he still had it, but probably wasn't up for just giving the data out for free. For that matter, he might have additional tech that he'd taken from the Choir, though he doubted that they would learn much from that that they had no already. Still, on the off chance that they could...

"We're definitely interested in anything you can show us. From the sound of things, it might be better if you didn't have it when you got on your way."

by **Kelne** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:44 am

"For good reason, no doubt," Cryvus said semi-seriously, "I imagine any number of people would be rather annoyed with him if they thought he was trying to steer the young of their houses into a naval career." Such manipulation was the province of family, after all. As well, command was a road fraught with hard decisions that one would be loathe to share with people who wouldn't truly understand. Nor could they simply tell stories of the good times; such an unbalanced view would be dishonest at the core. Not that this prevented certain types from boasting of their accomplishments anyway.

by **ChristianC** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:51 pm

Mithras nodded thoughtfully at Bludnoch's explanation, a slight smile on his lips as he tried to desperately figure out what he might have done to shock the woman. Had he been showing lack of respect? Well, he'd have to ask Julia about that once they were done... and then there was what he'd noticed. He glanced over to where he'd spotted the man and frowned slightly, but then smiled and turned to Juliet, a flash of concern on his face briefly.

"It seems we're sticking out a bit more than I thought." he chuckles a little and indicates the nobleman with a slight nod, "I thought you told me I'd fit right in with this outfit."

by **Jak Snide** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:20 pm

The Barking Saint

The bounty hunter smiled toothily. "Perhaps. Don't have it on me now, that's for sure. We can see about a little exchange in a few days time, though. How's twenty-five hundred sound to your ears?"

---

The Spires

"You should." Julia responded slightly more curtly than she meant to before lowering her voice and following Mithras' nod. "Besides, he appears to belong to the Marshrek dynasty. They wouldn't know proper fashion if you strangled them with it."

The change in Cryvus' disposition appeared to have gone unnoticed. "Oh, nonsense." Babette giggled in a manner indicating a desire to disregard formality for a moment. "How else will you impress everyone at the soiree tomorrow?"

by **ChristianC** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:02 pm

"The Mashrek dynasty?" Mithras gave the man another glance and nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "I assume they will attend the soirée tomorrow as well? Perhaps he is simply curious to your company, since you are the heir to House Strophes." he gave her a wink, and a very, very brief apologetic smile, "A woman of your standing would have many potential suitors, no?" he gave her a, what he hoped was a charming and friendly smile. If anything, if someone overheard this conversation, they'd just be hearing a cousin teasing her about prospective husbands.

by **Besyanteo** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:34 pm

On the one hand, he didn't want to agree with Orday right off; It would be suspicious. On the other, he didn't want to drive the man off by balking at his price; They had plenty and more to spare, though Orday didn't need to know that.

"Twenty three fifty."

by **Kelne** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:52 pm

"How indeed?" Cryvus asked, smiling, "I shall have to give it some thought." Clearly he wasn't going to be drawn on his topics of conversation ahead of time.

by **Capntastic** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:46 am

Mik sipped on, observing the haggling; masking his own indifference with Dulov's slightly more piercing variety.

by **Jak Snide** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:37 am

The Spires

Julia waved away Mithras' teasing with an impish grin. "I have no desire to marry a disreputable beast trader, regardless of his interests. Father would never approve in any case. He doesn't think too highly of rogue traders."

Babette smiled politely, seeing that the Lord Bludnoch was not going to be swayed into loosening his tongue. "See that you do," she said, her tone and body language more reserved now, "for I doubt that tales of Fenksworld will garner much interest.

Sensing that the conversation had come to an end, the Lady Biscari said her goodbyes and left, her entourage keeping as close to her as protocol allowed, as silent as ever.

"That went rather well." Julia kept her voice quiet, feigning interest in the spectacle overhead.

---

The Barking Saint

Orday's surprise was such that even Mikolas didn't fail to pick up on it, no matter how quickly the man replaced it with a knowing grin.

"Sure, done. We'll call it a discount for Strophes being such a good client. I'll get the time and location to you uphive once I've got it sorted. Talking of which, I've got several things to take care of." He stood, shaking his head and grinning ruefully. "I hope you all are very good at whatever it is you do. See you in a few days."

He slipped out of the booth, leaving the acolytes to their drinks and the sounds and smells of The Barking Saint.

by **ChristianC** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:22 pm

Mithras nodded in agreement, observing the show as well. He folded his arms in contemplation and then his brow sunk a little as he tried to recall what he knew of rogue traders. Which was, admittedly, very little.

"We had an excellent tutor..." he mused with a hushed tone, "Do you think that rogue trader could be involved with the cult? He was giving me the eye back there."

by **Jak Snide** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:03 pm

Julia considered the question before responding. "It's possible he might be acquainted with the Choir, recent findings given. Father is forever grumbling about their kind being nothing more than glorified smugglers. Perhaps he saw something he liked? If he attends the party tomorrow you might have a chance to ask him yourself."

by **Besyanteo** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:00 pm

Once Orday was well away, Gunner relaxed. He sat back in his chair, and looked to his fellow acolytes.

"That seemed to go well. We've got some time left yet; Now what?"

by **Capntastic** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:30 am

"We finish our drinks, an' then spend some time gettin' to know this part of the hive a bit better. Maybe we'll learn a bit more about what we're lookin' at."

by **NamagomiMk0** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:38 pm

Crisis watched intently during the whole exchange. Not talking, not responding. Gunner seemed to learn a measure of tact over the time he disappeared. Something very useful on a mission like this.

One thing bothered him, though. This was a bounty hunter who was at least sometimes in hire for nobles. An experienced one, at that. And furthermore, he was scared. At the least, nervous. The Choir had -something- powerful, either in their employ or backing them that had to do that. He didn't know what, but to scare a man such as this required something that would be hopeless to fight against, to say the least.

Once he left, and the others made hteir comments, Crisis typed on the dataslate.

'I'll agree with Mikolas on gathering information, but will note that we are here first and foremost to gather information. Gunner, hopefully you can keep a leash on him for this. I don't want him visiting every single damned eatery, bar, and Emperor-knows-what-else down here claiming to be gathering information and instead carousing for the time. Furthermore, let the feral know that since this is a covert operation, inebriation is an -extremely- poor state for one to be in, and one that would only enable him to compromise his identity--likewise, I have no intent of drinking down here. That is all.'

It's pretty obvious from looking that Crisis hadn't even touched his drink since he obtained it.

by **ChristianC** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:51 am

Mithras nodded and sighed, "I never thought I'd find myself in a situation where the primer couldn't help me, but it doesn't say anything about all this." he chuckled a little to himself, not realizing that a woman of Julia's standing probably hadn't even heard of the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer in her entire life. It was, after all, circulated only with a very select reader-group.

by **Besyanteo** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:43 pm

Gunner raised a brow at Crisis as he read the datapad. He'd been taking an equal, friendly-ish tone as part of his character so far, but now he was wondering if it had been a mistake. He then responded quietly, hoping that the little break from character wouldn't be overheard by anyone on the other side of the ragged curtain.

"I will say it once, Crisis; I'm not acting like your boss as part our characters, but that hasn't changed the fact that I am. We are on duty, check your attitude."

He cracked his neck, and then went on in a more conversational tone.

"Hurry up with your drink then and let's get moving."

by **Capntastic** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:46 pm

Mik, ignorant of the more literate part of the conversation, simply nodded, swigged down his drink, and made to quickly finish Crisis's.

by **Kelne** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:53 pm

Cryvus smiled faintly at Mithras's statement, "It's certainly a very different battlefield," he said, "I doubt there's such a thing as the Imperial Noble's Uplifting Primer; It would probably reveal a few too many uncomfortable truths." They hadn't done too badly from the encounter, though he was going to have to give serious consideration to the question of old war stories. Or other stories, for that matter.

The rogue trader, he reflected, could very well be involved with the cult. They had to have acquired the xenos technology from somewhere. If so, it was a very good chance that he'd know more than the rank and file. Including, perhaps, that the cult had done a mischief to young Saia Strophes and her family might not be all that happy with them. It was important to remember that their assumed identities came with baggage of their own.

by **Jak Snide** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:47 pm

The Spires

"If only there was." Julia responded. "Then perhaps the two of you would be less embarrassing to be seen with." Sister Masha permitted herself a small smile before speaking for the first time since they'd been spotted by Babette.

"Lord Bludnoch is correct, however. This is a battlefield, though one which is less frequently visited by death, and every action has consequence.Your conversation with the Lady Biscari was noticed by others and will affect your future dealings in Sibellus. This is a conversation more suited to the privacy of your estate, however, so perhaps we should move on and return to it later?"

---

The Barking Saint

Mikolas finished the drinks before him in short order. Having waited a few minutes for Orday to leave the establishment the acolytes stood up and made their way out of the alcove. Only for Gunner to step into the path of someone else, the large man plowing into him, pushing him aside and spilling his drink down his front.

"Watch where yer goin', churl!" he barked, a number of others who could only be his friends walking up behind him, all scowls and stares. None of the acolytes had any illusions about whose fault the collision had been and what purpose it had served.

by **Capntastic** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:58 pm

Mik strode to the front of the group, scratching casually the black carapace chestpiece he wore. Glaring with one green eye and one crackling red bionic, he spoke to the lead troublemaker with what had been passing for Dulov's Fenksworld accent.

"Apologize to my friendo, or there vill be ... a consequence."

by **Jak Snide** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:07 pm

The Barking Saint

The lead man, nearly as muscled as Mik and sporting a larger belly, did his best to conceal the sudden departure of his desire for a fight. His friends didn't look too sure of themselves either. All except the short man near the back.

"You ain't gonna take backtalk from outer scum are you, Marl?" he asked in an accusatory manner, reminding the big man of whatever reputation he had.

The other patrons of the Saint began to edge away from what might turn into an unfortunate breakdown of communications.

by **Capntastic** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:15 pm

Mik, thoroughly embracing what he percieved to be Dulov in fine form, turned his gaze to the interloper in the back. He strode, his boots cracking the ground loudly, towards the short fellow.

"Subordinates, friendo, do best to keeping their mouths shut. You would not want your boss to face... a consequence."

by **Jak Snide** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:25 pm

"Uh...I, ah..." the short man stammered.

"Come on, let's go." Marl said quietly, turning around in an attempt to beat a hasty retreat, looking thoroughly humiliated.

by **Capntastic** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:27 pm

"Not such a hurry. You have not yet apologized to my friendo. Must I remind you of... the consequence?"

by **Jak Snide** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:33 pm

"Oh. Yeah, uh, sorry about bumpin' into you, outer." Marl said hurriedly giving a short nod to Gunner before looking to Mikolas for approval.

by **Kelne** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:55 am

"Indeed," Cryvus said, "Perhaps we should take in the palace before we call it a day? You can tell us whose banner is flying atop the spire and why." Getting some sense of who was currently in the ascendance would be of some help. If nothing else, it was the kind of thing the new arrivals would be expected to at least try to understand.

Who is online