Null's Game

[Idran1701]

Kyrie sighs at this revelation, frowning to no one in particular. She glances to Sana after the Greenskins' reply, and though she's a bit hesitant to speak so frankly to a djinn, she doesn't let it stop her. "Be that as it may, we have enough on our plate already. Between investigating Null and avoiding the Revenants we ticked off, I think we have enough concerns already without adding this on top. And if he's that powerful, there isn't anything we could likely do ourselves anyway. Let someone else handle this one, is what I say."

[Shinigori V2]

The door to the residential area opens again, with Stray slipping out with fresh bandages and followed by Rhyme. Rhyme closes the door, then leans against it heavily. "Yeah." She says. "Y'all leave Glory ta us an' stay clear o' th' whole mess. Anyway, yer best bet' for Null's gonna be with th' Talon or Whelpguard, again. Check out th' towers, that's where they head out from."

[Idran1701]

Nodding to Rhyme, Kyrie rests a hand on Stray's shoulder. "Thank you. And thank you for taking care of Stray too; it's appreciated." With a slight smile, she glances back to Oleai. "Shall we take a look around for those parks, then? See what we can find?"

[Kelne]

"Oh, I don't know that my commitments are all that heavy," Sana remarked, "I can take time off for my own pursuits and still come when I'm called. If you don't mind,"she said, turning to Greenskin the Elder, "I'd like to stick around for a bit, brush up on my mechanical skills, give the whole Glory problem some thought, that kind of thing."

A brief click of her fingers and Sana was decidedly less conspicuous, garbed much as any well-to-do craftsperson might be. Triya looked a tad startled at this turn of events, as if it hadn't occurred to her that Sana might simply set aside her rather distinctive costume in favour of something else. Indeed, it hadn't. Djinn were well-known for being flashy attention-seekers, and those outfits were very much a uniform by which they could be instantly identified. That Sana didn't feel bound by this convention was something of a revelation. At the same time, it neatly removed the most obvious objection one might raise to a djinn hanging about the workshop.

"If you're going to stay," Triya said seriously, "Do keep in touch. And make sure you get approval for any plans for dealing with Glory, rather than just carrying them out on your own."

"Of course, Master," Sana said formally, her tone quite serious, "I don't want to risk collateral damage any more than anyone else does."

[Shinigori V2]

The group, minus Sana, give their farewells and begin to shuffle their way out. A plan of action is put together; a bit of free time, then meeting up at the primary Talonguard tower to continue the investigation once the bells in the workshops strike twice. While Oleai and Kyrie take Stray to the park, the rest go their own ways, exploring the city on their own.

As they explore, they find that it's actually surprisingly lush in areas, with nutrient rich soil being used to grow crops and raise animals, and other places large trees grow wildly. Another oddity is that, despite the massive pipes and steam vents heating the city, every now and then some resilient snowflakes make their way through the veil of steam and soot in the sky.

Eventually, the bells toll, and it's time to meet up once again, though Red seems to be a bit late. As they meet up once again, the explorers notice Stray seems more energetic and alive than ever, actively exploring her surroundings rather than just standing in Kyrie's shadow. The heavily armored Talonguards at the doors give the collecting group a look, but quickly go about their watch.

[Idran1701]

After a pleasant time at one of the local parks, and a stopover to get a nice place to stay for the group, Kyrie heads alongside Oleai towards the Talonguard building with Stray. Keeping half an eye on Stray as she wanders around, she smiles at the sight of her growing self-confidence and curiosity. "She's looking much better, isn't she? Today was good for her."

Making sure she's not getting too far, she heads up to the doorguard, deciding to take a bit of initiative before the others appear.

"Excuse me, this is the Talonguard here, yes?"

[Shinigori V2]

One of the guards nods to Kyrie. "That's correct. If you need assistance, you should speak to Captain Nezza inside."

[Idran1701]

She nods to the guard, glancing again about the area for Triya. Stepping a bit back from the guard, she speaks to Oleai in a lowered tone. "Do you think we ought wait to see if Triya and Sana come by? Or should we go in without them and hope they arrive soon?"

[Oleai]

"Lets go inside! They know we're here, right? They can join us after!" Oleai had, after a while in the park and a few minutes to her own Inn bed, mostly re-energized! Once again lightly bouncing from foot to foot, creating a little jingle on the tambourine that hung off her hip. Still glad to be out of winter clothes and back into her Plains gear.

"Captain Nezza, right?" She beamed, and walked inside.

[Shinigori V2]

Oleai walks right into the Talonguard tower! Within, there are several weapon racks, and a small contingent of Dragons in their humanoid forms wearing heavy mail and plate armor...Along with a few Humans equipped in the same. They're all gathered around a rather unassuming dragon in normal clothes- Black pants and a vest over a white shirt, though she's wearing rather large, heavy looking black boots. She leans against a wall, cobalt blue wings folded neatly over her shoulders and tail curled around her legs. "We will not be sending reinforcements to the Vault." She says simply. "If the Alchemists created that thing, they don't need our help containing it."

The squad looks up, dispersing a bit as Oleai and Kyrie walk in. The unassuming Dragon brushes some of the medium length brown hair out of her face, looking the pair over. "Yes, that's me."

[Visavis]

Rasmus' eye is on the armor and weaponry. It was always fun to see foreign designs and the like. Armor was interesting as well, despite his feeling that he would never need it. Armor was for people less tough than himself.

Of course, he also looks for a high-ranking Null in the crowd, even while knowing that he has no idea what to look for. They would not, so far as he knows, be wearing a badge announcing their position. So he stares at them, as though trying to see what their thoughts are, for something that could give him away.

At least until Oleai speaks to the Captain, and his full attention goes to her.

[Idran1701]

Kyrie gives the captain a slight smile and a short bow of her head, doing her best to seem as unassuming and nonthreatening as she can manage. "Our honor to be speaking with you, ma'am. I hope we aren't interrupting here, but we'd been told you might be able to help with a certain concern of ours. We've been seeking information on an organization that calls itself 'Null', and from what I understand, your organization has been doing the same. I understand that there might be security concerns, but if there is anything you might be able to tell us on the subject, we'd be much appreciative. Is there any chance you might be able to help us on this matter?"

[AlwaysAPrice]

Spitter plunged out of the sky nearly vertically once Red spotted the Talonguard, then spread her wings wide to arrest their dive and soared to a stumbling, squawking stop a block down the street. Red sat calmly in the saddle the whole way, keeping a lazy grip with her legs and one hand while she chomped into an apple held in her free hand. She mumbled around a mouthful of half-chewed mush after they landed, "'re such a show off."

Spitter uttered another squawk, then flung a gob of spit on the ground. Red's face twisted and she spat out her mouthful of apple. "Uggh! What are you finding to eat up here -- you know what, don't tell me. Here." She chucked the remainder of the apple in the general direction of Spitter's head and the bird snapped her beak to catch it. "Flap off while I see what the jerks are up to."

On leaving Greenskin's she'd been accosted by one of Autumn's Arbitors and assigned her first task, or maybe test. She wasn't really sure, but she thought she could start using the title anyway. Autumn had an interest in this Null group the people she'd met on the airship had been going on about, so the guns, her guns, were going to have to wait. It was more than a little irritating to come this close only to have an entirely unrelated job get in her way, but it was an important one and she owed The Green. The guns had waited two decades, they could wait a few more days.

Red strutted into the Talonguard tower while Kyrie was laying out her question to Nezza and took up a spot among the travelers where she could, in contrast to the Nekana, try to look as assuming and threatening as possible. She totally had her eye on all those Talonguard soldiers. If she kept listening, she figured she'd know why any minute now.

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza looks the group over as they congregate, before waving her own men off. She nods to Kyrie, jerking her head in another direction and beginning to walk off.

"Looking for Null? One of the bounty hunters that Wells put out, hmm?"

[Idran1701]

Following alongside, just a half-step behind, Kyrie nods in return to the Captain. "I wouldn't call us...'bounty hunters' exactly, but...that's about right, yes. Does this mean we aren't the first you've talked to, then, sir?"

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza leads the group back through the garrison, into a sizable office for a post in the middle of the city. It's fairly spartan, with a desk, a few chairs, and a hay practice dummy in the corner. She sits behind the desk, gesturing to the chairs. "Please, sit."

She digs around in the desk a little, looking through the drawers for something. "Looking for Null? That's a fool's errand. Null's eyes and ears are everywhere, and if I know you're searching for Null, Null knows you're searching for Null. Kokoniel is especially thick with those who will gladly shelter a Null." She looks up after a moment, ceasing her search. "We were allies with Null during the Draconic War, you know."

[Oleai]

Oleai follows, drawn away from her admiring the decorum and all the fancy new dragon-people looking so menacing in her direction. Ignorance is bliss.

It took her a moment to realize she was being spoken to at first, but thankfully Kyrie had spoken up in her stead. Probably nothing good could have come from her trying to introduce the group to the Talonguard.

As the group moved into the small 'office' she took up a spot near Rasmus, and only speaking up now!

"If uhm.. all these 'Nulls' have been around so long, and there are really THAT many of them.. How are we supposed to bring them back to Wells? Or really.. do anything about it with just the group we have, huh? How do you stop a group that has their hand in everything, really? I s'pose we could try and expose them.. or maybe they have a leader! We can get him? Or her? But how to do that peacefully.. hmm."

She went from addressing the group to contemplating the issue aloud to herself, leaning up against the wall and drumming her fingers along the skin of her tambourine - creating a rhythmic little chime over and over as the tiny cymbals shake about.

[Idran1701]

Kyrie moves in alongside Oleai, taking a seat near her and furrowing her brow at Nezza's revelations. She'd thought of Null as strictly a new phenomenon, and the idea that the group might've been around that far back takes her slightly aback.

"I...see." She takes a moment to gather her thoughts, trying to fit this new information into her mind. "But...how could they be so widespread and have been around so long, and yet I and my family have never heard one word about them before recently? I don't doubt what you say, but...how in the world have they managed that?

Another moment passes as she considers another aspect of what she's just revealed. "Have you yourself ever met a Null, then? Did you serve during the Draconic Wars?"

[Shinigori V2]

"I did serve, yes." Nezza nods. "And I have met a Null, personally. A Snow Elf, young but very serious. And it's likely that your Matriarch has heard of and even done dealings with a Null before, though my understanding is that Nekana try to keep some degree of plausible deniability?"

[Idran1701]

"I...yes, we do, but..." She trails off, getting her thoughts back in order before she speaks up again. "Even so, how have they stayed so little-known for so many years, yet still have so much influence? And why is it only now that a nation's looked to dig them out?"

"What is it that Null wants with all this influence? What's their end goal?"

[Shinigori V2]

"People've tried to get rid of Null before. It works for a bit, then they just return. I can't speak for their goal, though; you'd have to find one and ask directly."

[Idran1701]

"The one you met, did she ever...did you ever have even a hint why they were allying with your side rather than the humans? If it was just them agreeing with you, or a moral issue, or...if there was some deeper agenda to their decision?"

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza looks off slightly, frowning. "The Draconic War...It was pointless. Completely, utterly pointless. It would've been worse if it hadn't been dragons targeted, but it was still senseless. The Alchemists accused us of hoarding our technology and weapons so that we could turn them against the humans. We don't even make weapons. Null tried to talk them out of the seige, then came to assist us when that failed. They were just...Above it, I guess, enough to see that it was stupid and senseless."

[Idran1701]

Kyrie gives a slight nod, frowning in empathy at Nezza's words, though deep down she doubts that Null's motives were as benevolent as all that; an organization isn't this secretive if its motives are pure, after all. Still, she's not about to say as much to her, not on an issue as obviously close to the captain as this is.

"Can you tell me more about the Snow Elf you met? Did she tell you...a name, or family, or anything along those lines? If she was young then, she might still be around and with the organization now. It'd be nice to be able to speak with a member directly, perhaps find more about what exactly it is they want. Learn more about them. Perhaps even find out more about what's set Wells off about them."

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza thinks, searching her memory for details. "One of the interesting things is that, if you ask their name, they'll immediately answer back, 'Null'. They'll even pick up conversations that another left off, or so I hear. You'll never see more than one in any given place, either, they're extremely careful about that. Anyway...Yes, she was young. I can't say I was particularly old during the war, but she was younger...Probably just reached the age of maturity for a Snow Elf. She wore light armor, so probably Frostborn, or at least working to become one. But that might also be that I don't think she was a full blooded elf; her ears were too small and not pointed enough. Half-Elf, I'd say, so if you know what you're looking for, she shouldn't be hard to find."

[AlwaysAPrice]

Red rooted in her ear with her pinky while the discussion carried out, trying to look disinterested even though learning the Nulls played a role in the Draconic War had made her much more attentive. She looked at Rasmus. "How about that, you know anyone back home people talk dirty about behind their back? Like who might have been in a thing with a human and had to get rid of a freaky little shame baby 60 years ago? Maybe you guys can find out more about this one through their elven parent." Red rubbed her finger on her leathers and flicked whatever she'd produced on the floor. "We are talking half-human right? Or was she something else?"

[Visavis]

While listening to the conversation, Rasmus seems mildly disinterested, at least until the half-elf is brought up. Politics may have been boring, but anything with elves was cool. Then he's addressed. Rasmus looks at Red and wrinkles his nose with a distasteful look. Whether because of the thing being flicked from her ear or her comment about the half-elf is unclear, but his tone is still a little defensive as eh replies, "I don't know anything about 'er.. probably. We had a couple come through town once, but I didn't know 'em. They're not bad, right? They're just not Snow Elves."

He crosses his arms and looks between Nezza and Kyrie, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I dunno why she'd wanna be with Null or whoever."

[Idran1701]

"I didn't think this agent would be the only half-Snow Elf to come out of Garpaath." Kyrie gives Red a vaguely amused look, with just a slight smirk. "And beyond that, It'd be a little convenient if he had happened to hear something about the person we just happen to be curious about, wouldn't it? There's quite a few Snow Elves, and I doubt they all speak to each other."

"Though...it might be uncommon enough outside Garpaath to be worth asking around about here. We know she has an interest in dragons; she might have decided to stay in the country after the war, or returned here at some point. And there's few enough Snow Elves already in Kokoniel, let alone half-Snow Elves."

As she thinks on the matter of finding agents of Null, another thought occurs to her, and she looks back from her group to Captain Nezza. "Speaking on Garpaath, I've just remembered; there was a pixogram we found in Garpaath that might be connected to Null. Do you recognize this person, by any chance?", she asks as she hands over the scrap of glossy paper. "We found this at a cabin in the middle of nowhere that'd been turned upside-down by someone looking for something before we got there. I've been told he's part of something called the Trinity, a group that might be important to the organization. Is that familiar to you at all, sir?"

[Shinigori V2]

"You're not under my command, stop calling me sir." Nezza says, taking the scrap. "but...Yeah, this is a part of what they call the Trinity. This guy is some major Null player, or was when it started. They call him the Father."

[Idran1701]

Looking a slight bit abashed (or at least appearing so), Kyrie gives Nezza a slight nod, glancing down. "Apologies, s- Captain."

"'Father', you say? Does that mean...that would seem to imply that he has some sort of founding role with this organization. Is that true? And what of the rest of the Trinity; who are the three of them? Are they in charge of the organization, or simply higher ranked than most?" Though fairly restrained from without, in her own mind, Kyrie can't help but be eager to jump on the first significant lead they've had in days. Someone that's met one of the Nulls in person, might have pointed them towards one, and could even give them more knowledge on their higher ranks? She hadn't imagined being nearly so lucky here.

[Shinigori V2]

"I'd think so. All I know is the title. The others are the Mother, and the Null. So from the sound of it, he's some sort of patriarch of the organization." Nezza says. "It makes me think that there are two 'parents' in charge, and the members are encouraged to see them that way."

[Visavis]

A slow crease forms in Rasmus' brow as he thinks, all the while staring at Captain Nezza.

If there's a Mother, Father and Null, then.. then perhaps there would be some sort of greater reward for bringing in one of them to Trask. Best to start small, though.

"Are you a member of Null?" Rasmus asks Captain Nezza plainly.

[Shinigori V2]

"In a sense." Nezza says. "I was trained in a form of combat by one. Draconian Thump, if you've ever heard of it. It's a lot more elegant than the name would suggest. Entirely non-lethal, though."

[Idran1701]

"I...know of that one. I've heard of it here and there, though I've never met someone trained in it. Later tonight, perhaps a demonstration, if you aren't too busy? I wouldn't mind seeing a new style." As well as if it's as inspired by Nekana forms as she's heard.

"But that's a far priority, of course. So...from the sound of it, was your trainer someone other than the snow elf, Captain?"

[Kelne]

Triya, for her part, listened to the questioning quietly. This was definitely some interesting information, and even if it was difficult to see how any of it was going to help them track down the local Null, it certainly opened up further lines of questioning.

Considering that the locals were on good terms with the Nulls, it might be worth simply asking how people typically went about setting up a meeting with them. Granted, the decision on whether or not to respond would be in Null's hands, but curiosity might go some way towards seeing it happen. Of course, the odds of capturing Null if she were able to set the terms of the meeting seemed slim, and besides, setting up a meeting under false pretenses rubbed her the wrong way. Something to think about, perhaps, but she'd see how the others' questions played out before broaching the topic.

[Shinigori V2]

"Yes, dragons train Dragons in Thump; it's not really something that can be taught otherwise. I guess it might be worth noting that, when they have mutual relations, they communicate and act as if they're the same person; I'd assume that has something to do with the illusion they're trying to keep. Though, I'd be happy to give you a demo later if you'd like to spar." The captain responds.

[Visavis]

Rasmus' mind worked slowly. He peered at the others in turn as they spoke. There was something he knew he should say, but it was proving to be difficult to grasp. At least for a moment.

"Wait. Wait wait wait, we can't trust her! She's on their side!" Rasmus exclaims, finger pointed at the Captain.

[Idran1701]

"They do? Strange habit...but yes, I think I might be interested in that, should we have the time."

Before she can say more, Rasmus speaks up, issuing his accusations. The thought hadn't occured to Kyrie, but now that Rasmus has brought it up, she doesn't feel she can simply dismiss it out of hand. "...what do you mean, Rasmus? What's given you that impression?"

[Visavis]

"Because they were on the same side durin' the Draconic War, and she got taught that.. the Thump thing by one've 'em." Rasmus throws his hands up for a moment before continuing, "I mean, c'mon, why wouldn't she be?"

At that point, he turns his attention to the Captain again with a suspicious gleam in his eye and asks, "Not like you got a lotta reason not to be, am I right?"

[Shinigori V2]

The captain tosses her hair slightly, giving Rasmus a bit of a grin. "The problem is, my blue friend, you're still seeing this as an issue of sides. But think about it. At this point, it seems to me you're desperate for whatever you can find; that's about right for Null. They're careful to the point of paranoia. I could literally tell you anything and you'd at least entertain it as a possibility. If it behooved me, I could've sent you to the Vault to help the Alchemists in place of my men, and still taken the credit for having dispatched someone. As it stands, you have no reason not to trust me."