RP:A Secret Recruitment
Part of the Lies Within Us Arc
This is a Mage's Guild RP.
Summary: Quintessa drops in on Brenwyn unexpectedly with a lethal plan. Brenwyn worms his way out of being murdered by revealing the existence of a secret society within the Guild to Quintessa, recruiting her, and giving her her first task: spy on Odhranos.
(NPCing by Josleen)
Mage Tower
Brenwyn takes advantage of the cloudless night. He’s in the astronomy lab, sitting at the end of a long brass telescope, on a cushioned bench near the domed window, his back to the lab’s entrance. He peers up at Arh’nuk’s bloody, crescent face. He turns towards the astrolabe on the bench beside him, makes a few adjustments, jots something down in his notebook, then returns to the telescope. Adjusting the scope’s angle, he seeks the full, bright face of Vaalane. She looks especially grand tonight, commanding attention like the star debutante at a ball. He zooms into the contours of her astral visage, peering through the refracted rays of the sleeping sun at a body too far away to ever touch.
Quintessa Dragana skulks the Mage’s Tower methodically, a gloomy air about her as the Arcane Stewardess carries a small metallic box under her right arm. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the changeling to haunt these halls like a wraith, making the new apprentices feel uncomfortable with her aura of misfortune, but today Quintessa seemed to walk with intention. She was searching for someone. When the hex blade didn’t find Brenwyn in his office, she soon began to hunt him, not unlike the vampire she pretended to be. The changeling’s long fingers trace along the wall as she ascends the stairs to the astronomy observatory, her footsteps unusually quiet as she approaches Brenwyn from behind. Quintessa’s approach halts as her sapphire and topaz eyes flicker up to look as Ark’Nuk, shimmering in the light of her parton moon as she takes in its spender. This was a sign; The Bloodmoon must want blood tonight. “Excuse me, Administrator,” The stewardess says as she shifts her metal box into both hands. “Might I distract you for a moment? I have something to show you…”
Brenwyn :: In the moments before Quintessa silently stalks into the observatory, a rare black comet streaks across Vaalane’s perfect face, a bad omen that sends a chill down Brenwyn’s spine. And then he hears Quintessa. He turns around quickly to face her, his total surprise evident on his bare expression. “Quintessa? I thought you were still in Larket’s custody. How did you get out?” He rises nervously to his feet and crosses towards a desk to put greater distance between himself and the Countess. Normally the changeling would not spook him so, but given recent events and the black omen he just witnessed in the skies, the superstitious Administrator can’t be too careful.
Quintessa allows a smile to grow on her face, an eerily placid smile. “Oh that?” she giggles like an innocent child, her mismatched eyes settling upon the elven mage. “How silly of me. Yes, Larket released me, but I was unable to find a Magister to report to. I’d give you a full report but I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” The changeling moves forward to set her box down and she presses a button on the top down that allows the cube to unfold into a strange, flower-like object, runes inscribed along the petals. Once the artifact was unfolded, it activated, causing a small burst of anti-magic energy to emanate from the center. “I’m here to tender your resignation.” the hex blade says as she stands, her left hand moving to grasp her scabbard. As the anti-magic field slowly grows to engulf Quintessa, the necromantic enchantments fizzle away to nothing, revealing her mortal form as her placid smile twists into a sinister grin. “You cheated me,” she continues, her hand gripping around the handle of the Jubaku no Kijo to free her from her sheath, the blade-song ringing throughout the observatory. “You insulted me. You had me and Odhranos kidnap some Larketian brat for unknown reasons. You made a lot of important people angry, and now I’m here to collect your debt.” Quintessa brings up the ashen grey blade to point directly at the Administrator. “With you gone and Peter back in the hands of Larket, I’ll have single-handedly rescued the Mage’s Guild.” She cackles with unstable mirth, “I’ll finally be a hero!”
Brenwyn ‘s eyes widen for a moment as Quintessa activates the anti-magic field. Adrenaline floods hotly through his body. Sweat beads at the back of his neck, and his mind sharpens. Time slows as Quintessa speaks and taunts her prey. There is a small window: he has one moment, just one, to activate a rune of his own and teleport away before the anti-magic field ensnares him, but then what? She’ll hunt him. He can try to set the Mages Guild against her, but his allies are few. Running won’t do. He takes a gamble and lets the anti-magic field envelop him. A plan quickens in his mind. Armed with a path forward, his spine stiffens and jaw tenses with resolve. “Peter is dead,” he announces. “It wasn’t me. I don’t know who did it. I am trying to find out who.” He gestures at the telescope and astrolabe by way of explanation (an artful bluff). “I wanted to keep my promise to you, Quintessa. I wanted to promote you but Kaaname turned the Council against you. Of course they settled on Odhranos, a spineless bookworm like the rest of them. He never challenges them, or scares them. He’s simple, uncomplicated, and cowardly - like them, but not like you. And not like me.” He meets her gaze steady like a gambler eying the cards at the blackjack table. Maybe if he doesn’t blink, doesn’t let the Gods of Fate know he’s about to choke, maybe then he’ll get lucky. “You want to rescue the Guild? Hear me out. There’s much you don’t know. Secrets.”
Quintessa stares at Brenwyn with wide, crazed eyes, her grin shrinking the more and more the mage spoke to her. “Dead?” So he had been discovered while she was in custody. Perfect. “Murdered?” she says with more emphasis, her blade lowering an inch or two. Quintessa pretends to be surprised and worried about how this would affect her plans. The mention of Kaaname, however, actually shakes her resolve. “Tsuji.” she mutters, her lips curling into a sneer. “Of course he blocked my promotion- you all did. You’ve never liked me. The council has held me back ever since I first arrived here.” Quintessa growls, anger building in her mixed hues again. “He’s next after you.” she promises, but she hesitates, her eyes flickering away for a second as the odd girl thinks. “Although it doesn’t matter what order we die in. Now that Peter is dead, we shall all follow.” The tip of her katana sinks to the floor as her burning gaze returns to Brenwyn. “Larket wants your head Administrator, those better be some good secrets if you aim to keep it.”
Brenwyn shrugs a little at the word murder. “I don’t know. It looked like an accident. Perhaps.” He purses his lips when Quintessa threatens him again, relaxing only when she says Larket will kill them all. “No, I don’t like you, Quintessa. But I respect you. Which do you prefer?” He pauses briefly, but doesn’t let her answer. “You confuse titles with power. Kyl’oriel is a foppish buffoon, but he is on the council.” He shrugs, unimpressed. “Daath is a very powerful necromancer, and he is not on the council. It doesn’t matter. The true power in the Guild is not on its council nor in its magister ranks.” He paces the perimeter of the observatory as he speaks, moving towards the cool breeze of an open window. “What I am about to tell you is one of the Guild’s longest-standing secrets. Few know it - not Kyl’oriel, not Odhranos, not Daath, not Kaaname. It’s for a select few who understand the true potential of the Guild. When focused and led properly, this Guild has limitless potential. It could be, and has been, an unrivaled force on the continent that no ape-brained king like Macon would ever dare confront. But currently, we are led astray by weak leaders like Kaaname. A small group of us are working to restore the Guild to its former glory. Perhaps it is time to expand our numbers by one.”
Quintessa is silent for a long moment. The Arcane Stewardess had come here with a purpose tonight, but Brenwyn had managed to derail her enough that her sword arm relaxed as he moved away from her. “I… I realize it is not in titles that power lies- I merely wanted recognition. I wanted to train an apprentice. I wanted... “ she shakes her head with a labored sigh. “It doesn't matter now, I don’t want to be on the council, I never have. Right now I just want to save the Mage’s Guild… I thought killing you would ensure that but now... “ Quintessa seems confused, the grip on her sword weakening as she searches Brenwyn for answers. “Can we really return to our former glory? Can we really stand up to Larket?” The changeling still isn’t fully convinced, but her aggression has subsided in lue of curiosity and hope. Hope that the guild could be excised of their corruption. “What is this group? Why wait until now to actually do something about all of this?”
Brenwyn cannot relax as easily as Quintessa. He knows her to be quite dangerous and skilled with a blade. He remains on high alert as he explains. “There is a secret society within the guild. It has existed for centuries. Its members are true believers in the power of the Arcane, in Xalious, in the divine gift we all share. We call ourselves The Ossian Order. The need for secrecy is… well, in due time I’ll reveal all to you. The Order is selective about its members.” He licks his lips and purses them thoughtfully. “I believe you when you say you want to save the Guild. So do I. You are a worthy candidate for the Order, and I say this with no fondness for you. It is simply a statement of fact. If you want to know more about the Order, I’ll need proof of your willingness to work with us. A task comes to mind…”
Quintessa || “A task?” Quintessa asks with suspicion, her blade rising to rest against her shoulder as if Brenwyn needed to be reminded of its existence. “All this is compelling, I admit, but I still don’t trust you. The last time you had a task for me didn’t end well, did it?” her left hand moves up to brush the strands of her raven hair from her face as a booted foot kicks the anti-magic box closed, the changeling’s show of cooperation. Brenwyn trusted in Quintessa’s dedication to the Guild, so she in turn offered him this small reprieve. “What can a lowly Stewardess such as myself do for the Ossian Order?” A small hint of bitterness and resentment still lingers in the girl’s tone.
Brenwyn lifts a hand to quell her suspicions. “Nothing too drastic,” he says as if her bitterness is lost on him. It is not. “I fear Odhranos may soon turn on the Guild. He is fragile and confused ever since the trouble with Larket - you saw for yourself at the parley. He is lost, but perhaps you can save the Guild by starting with him...I ordered him to go on sabbatical and tend to his research to cool off. Find his whereabouts and report to me the subject of his research and with whom he meets. That is all.”
Quintessa sighs. “So, you want me to be your little spy?” The hex blade pauses for a long moment before she returns her sword to her sheath and flips her cloak over the weapon. “Fine, wherever he is, I’ll find him.” That at least explained why Quintessa could not locate him in the Mage’s Tower. “That still doesn’t explain how you plan on handling Larket, however.”
Brenwyn smiles thinly at Quintessa. “Leave Larket to me.” Sensing this won’t be enough he adds, “When I know more, I’ll tell you the plan and your roll in it. For now, see to it Larket doesn’t gain a certain terramancer as an ally, yes?”
Quintessa narrows her icy blue and warm hazel eyes at the elf, but she still takes the bait. “...Yes, of course. Larket will gain no new allies, I promise you.” She inhales slowly, “I promise the Order.” Something didn’t feel right about this but the task was simple enough. It made sense to report on what a Magister was doing, right? “I’ll need access to his office.” The changeling states flatly as an afterthought, her eyes flickering back up to the Mage Moon, Arh’Nuk. “If this is agreeable, I’ll begin a divination ritual tonight, otherwise I’ll need more time to gather personal objects connected to him.”
Brenwyn nods at the request and resists the urge to smirk victoriously. He still breathes life, and that was his primary goal. Eyes on Odhranos are an unexpected bonus perk. “Of course. I’ll meet you there in 15 minutes and let you in myself.”