The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Tue Nov 12, 2019 2:33 pm

Brie accepted the hug, as did the harpy (though she was a bit confused). Mayu split the difference by revealing she could assume an animal form and cuddled him that way.

Bianca was more serious, asking what happened to him during the rest of the patrol, and what had him so worried.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Tue Nov 12, 2019 2:39 pm

“I just...had a bit of a bad day,” Brand said evasively. “Poison got my eye and I had to run off a Minotaur...damned stubborn, those guys.”

He didn’t mention that the Minotaur had been there hunting a bounty from the Grimmwald family. Or what the beast had told him. He was going to have a word with the ex priestess...
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:55 pm

"Minotaur, huh? Don't see a whole lot of them," Bianca commented, "Good luck with that eye... isn't that the second time in a few days?" She remembered the lucky shot from the earlier rescue.

The ex-priestess wouldn't be hard for Whitebrand to find when he turned his attention to finding her. Though she seemed surprised that something had drawn his attention to her at this point.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Wed Nov 13, 2019 8:41 am

"Been a rough week in that respect," Brand admitted ruefully. "I need to be more careful aboout where I hold my head I guess.

Brand strode into the room where she was busying herself and slammed it shut behind him. The lock clicked by itself.

"Tell me about your your family," he growled. "Their resources and their influence. Now."
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Wed Nov 13, 2019 6:09 pm

To make a long story short, the Grimmwalds were the sort who equated money with power. They had hired bodyguards and thugs, had partial control over the news within their sphere of influence (which they used to send adventurers on wild goose chases or stifle scandals that would hurt them), and had some of the law enforcement in their pocket.

What the sorceress didn't mention outright but could be picked up on by an attentive ear was that their methods were losing effectiveness over time. The old and corrupt were gradually being replaced with people who didn't take bribes - or on the other side of the coin, didn't see accepting money from someone as a reason to do something for them. And just being rich nobles didn't earn the same respect as the adventurers and effective lawmen who survived that kind of lifestyle. That was part of the reason why the young lady had thought to try a different approach.

He'd already picked up that they did their skullduggery through proxies or both in disguise and out of the public eye, for reasons of plausible deniability. They were an occasional customer of the slave trade, but had nothing to do with how it's infrastructure was set up (as she understood the matter).

(What she wouldn't state aloud no matter how she was questioned, was her suspicion that they also had mostly-complete contracts to become Warlocks hidden inside a secret stash somewhere. She had been lucky enough to not need them herself.)


---

Their strategy, then, would likely be simple. Use (and exaggerate, if necessary, most likely they wouldn't need to create wholecloth) what negative reputation Whitebrand had - while also mentioning what and who might be in his treasure. Good, evil, hopeful, vengeful, eventually people of all kinds could be motivated to attack him.


"It seems odd that it's beginning so soon," she commented, by her reckoning, it would have taken longer for news and people to travel this far. Perhaps someone had found a teleporting artifact or something. "Or... have we been out of circulation longer than I realized?"
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Fri Nov 15, 2019 11:59 am

"So the fruit hasn't fallen very far from the tree," Brand said. "And yes, it is odd...we are quite distant from your usual sphere of influence. And the minotaur was a bit of an idiot,..

"Just be glad I'm not anything like you or your kin," Brand told her pointedly. "I'm not the sort to take my frustrations with your kin out on you. Although a few of your sisters and cousins might end up joining you here if they annoy me too much. I hope they're built like you.". He gave her chest a deliberate leer before turning around.

The dragon opened the door and walked out again, leaving the ex-noble to her own thoughts...and set about reinforcing his defenses. Like spell traps and making the ascent up to his home more difficult than it already was.





'
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Sat Nov 16, 2019 7:32 pm

The priestess was left annoyed by the dragon's insults - that she was just as incompetent as the rest of her family, and that she was just another piece of eye candy.

She'd wanted a bit of excitement, but this was not what she had in mind. Now, would this experience would lead her to sympathize with the people she would have victimized, or would that possibility drown in her hatred of the dragon?
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:08 am

Brand stopped at the door as he seemed to realize something. He sighed and turned around, facing her again.

"That was unfair of me," he said. "Just...tell me what you can that will keep you and the others out of the line of fire. My actions...my responsibility."
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:28 pm

"Well," she seemed surprised at this turnaround and began thinking aloud, "Whatever hunters they send will be expecting to find live captives, so we can expect them to scrutinize the lair itself more than usual once they... find it," something occurred to her, "Your territory is known, the specific location of your lair, maybe less so."
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:15 am

Brand nodded.

“I appreciate that,” he said. “This...” he gestured at her “attire”. “...isn’t forever. Just so you know.”

He resumed his exit, turning his thoughts to defense and concealment. He knew a few illusion spells...they might not stand well up against an illusionist but they could probably throw off more conventional hunters. A fight avoided is the best fight of all.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:46 pm

"...What am I doing?" she asked herself after she was sure the dragon had left. She'd just helped him to keep her (and the others, she supposed) captive. That kind of escape wasn't her only recourse, but...

--

As Whitebrand moved through the halls, he passed Mayu coming back from the library. "Ah, H-hello," she said, haltingly. She'd been spending the day practicing with the translation book he'd given her.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Sun Nov 24, 2019 4:57 pm

Brand’s face lit up with approval. Her accent was still thick but she was intelligible.

“Hello, indeed,” Brand said. “How are you today?”

He kept it simple, not sure just how far her language acquisition had come.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Sun Nov 24, 2019 6:35 pm

"I am fine. You?" She responded.

"I mean it. How are you?" she dropped back into Sylvan. He'd seemed strained this afternoon, but she didn't think she could help without details.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Sun Nov 24, 2019 10:21 pm

”I had a disagreement with a spider nest,” he explained truthfully. ”An unfortunate encounter that made me feel like an amateur. And a meeting with a Minotaur. I’m over it now, though.”

“You are doing well, obviously,”
Brand added with a nod. ”Would you like to accompany me as I reinforce the magical defenses on my lair? I need to drop by the library first for a couple of books.”
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Tue Nov 26, 2019 5:10 pm

"A minotaur?" she repeated, not familiar with the concept. "Someone you know, by chance?" she probed as a joke.

"Of course I'll accompany you." From a practical standpoint, it would help keep her from tripping over those wards by accident. And she might be able to support Whitebrand in strengthening them, depending on how they worked.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:26 am

”A Minotaur is a humanlike bull,” Brand explained on the way to the library. “Violent and not very bright. Usually. Bigger than humans but against me...” He shrugged.

He collected a couple of times from the library...both about illusionary magic. As talented as he was, illusions weren’t a strong suit. He led the way to his entrance and began scratching tunes into the rocks with his nails. Maya began to recognize what he was trying to do...hide his cave entrance.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:08 pm

Mayu looked between the dragon's work and the unaltered cave. Hmm, would a general, vague illusion or a highly detailed one be better for this location? The latter had the benefits of closing loopholes - such as one that could allow different viewers to see different things - while it also left more room for the maker to screw up entirely.

She focused on the carvings, trying to understand them. It seemed like he might be using a different means of powering it than she was familiar with... "Tell me if you want my help with anything."
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Fri Nov 29, 2019 3:24 pm

”The runes...” Brand explained as he worked. ”Are hermetic thaumaturgy, with Druidic roots. They draw energy from the natural flow of the valley so I don’t have to concentrate to keep the spell up. There.”

Brand consulted his books and began casting. As a natural illusionist, Maya could see the difference between his skill and hers. He took the easy route and used patchwork samples of the already existing mountainside to create the image he wanted to cover his home’s entrance. It would pass the eye of a casual observer but someone with a sharp eye would sense something wrong.
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby MasterGryph » Sun Dec 01, 2019 3:36 pm

The kitsune cast an appraising look at the structure. That would last a while, and would fool most visitors.

After considering whether it would be appropriate, she tweaked the magic to smooth over the seams. Adding too much more character to the false wall would risk attracting the wrong kind of attention, but perhaps a little...
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Re: The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

Postby Whitebrand » Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:11 pm

Brand must have sensed her adjusting and smoothing his creation because he threw a glance at her as he was finishing. He chose not to say anything though, lest he embarrass her or himself. When he finished he stepped back with his hands on his hips.

“I guess that’s good enough,” he said. “Thank you.”

He looked down at the steep and rough “trail” that land bound hunters would have to climb to reach his cave. If he put wards and things on it to repel that would certainly draw attention. So what if instead he set up decoy “lairs” around instead? Or would that be too obvious?

”What do you think,” he said. ”Decoy lairs, maybe? Lightly trapped to distract?”

It had been awhile since he’d been in adventurer boots. There were signs experienced types looked for, including overtrapping and other distractions. He didn’t want to make any hostile searchers too suspicious. What to do...
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