RP:Court of Owls

Part of the Once Upon a Midnight Dreary Arc

Summary: Quintessa educates the clan on the current situation with Maggie the Magpie. Plans are made on how to best learn more and intercept their current foe.

The Syndicate Grand Council Hall

Magik || Various members of the Unseen Hand can be spotted around the meeting room. Some are taste testing the freshly brewed beer, others are on the opposite end of the bar tasting the fresh batch of whiskey. There appears to be a shadowy clone of Mesthak working behind the bar, ready to make a drink for anyone who asks. As the first clan members arrive they will notice Magik is seated at a random chair at the large round table. For now, he takes a more relaxed approach and props his fuzzy slippered feet on the table while he enjoys his beer. Anyone entering the headquarters gets a quick wave from Magik then a point of his finger to a pile of black rings set in a small pile on the table near him for anyone who may not have the fancy accessory. As more of the named members of the Syndicate arrive, the Unseen start making their way out quietly.

Meri probably could have found a babysitter, like Mirshann, but she did not. Meri and her mini both arrive in style, that is to say the blonde manages to slide down the pole rather than using the runic lift that has been recently installed in the headquarters. Was this done for her amusement? Was it done for her daughter’s? Hard to say, but Fleur is most certainly amused with it as she giggles the entire way down. Meri was quick to claim a spot for herself and her daughter, a seat for herself at the round table next to Magik and the floor for the kiddo. As far as entertainment for the child? While she is given a sketchbook and number of items to color with. It should keep Fleur plenty entertained while the blonde focuses on the meeting, or so Meri hopes.

Mahri's just going to blow kisses at everyone. Probably because she's been drinking, as usual. Because, why not. But there are a few extra special ones for Meri.

Khitti || It’d been quite some time since Khitti set foot in the Syndicate of Shadow’s headquarters. Before heading to its super secret entrance, Khitti shooed her tikifhlee off into the forest to do… cat things. Whatever those cat things are. Maybe sleeping. Maybe ripping innocent little woodland creatures to shreds. Whatever it was, Khitti would probably just shrug at it. Once inside the HQ, she took a look around at the newly remodeled council hall, giving it a nod of approval, before finding a seat at the round table. She’d offer a nod to anyone that showed up, but would more or less be silent for now.

Rumiko arrived in a billow of black smoke, stepping freely from the shadows as if walking through the threshold. Once again her hair glamour was cast, her hair taking on that familiar red while her eyes an eerie harlequin green. Since this was her first official meeting she scanned the floor for familiar faces, and upon spotting Mahri the nymph made her way over. Pointed ears picked up the various sounds of greetings and giggles from a child, but she remained focused on her bonded sister, stopping only once she'd claimed a seat nearby.

Mahri || Wherever Mahri is, she'll make room for Khitti and offer the nymph a drink from her flask. It's likely rum.

Kasyr does that thing where he suddenly vamooses from an area with the scent of Ozone, only in reverse. In the sense that he super-speedily flickers over to a spot near the bar, so he can casually saunter away like he's been there the entire time, or at least, wasn't all that late. Really, it's a childish antic- but, given the constant influx of bad news, deific disasters, and the recent serving of red tape he's now obliged to deal with- trying to elicit a double-take or two feels almost necessary. Secondarily, and less pettily- the proximity to the bar means that the Kensai can help himself to some coffee, in the hopes it will help to dispell any sort of exhausted crabbiness he may currently be channeling.

Quintessa waits a moment for everyone to become situated before she enters from the armory, carrying a worn, brown saddle and a rolled up scroll tucked under her arm. She moves with a sense of duty, not looking anyone in the eyes as light steps bring the warlock closer to the round table before placing the saddle down in the center and placing the scroll next to it. “So,” Quintessa pauses to inhale, still standing as gangly arms reach down to grip the edge, steding herself as she tries to recall what she had rehearsed. “For the last year I’ve been investigating what at first I thought was a slaver network…” The changeling nudges the saddle, placing a finger on the horn before tracing the runic symbols inscribed along the leather seams. “Little did I know that the slavers were a small part of something bigger- See these inscriptions?” Mismatched eyes flicker up to gage everyone’s reaction. “These are written in Aklo, llais yr henuriaid or the Voice of the Elders, a rare language, one some of you might recognize as the language used in my verbal spellcasting. The slavers were using this object to transform the impoverished citizens of Cenril, Rynvale, and other small coastal communities into horses and transport them across the sea without the authorities catching on.” Quintessa pauses to make sure everyone understands thus far, knowing that some here even took part in the assault of the Gilded Rose personally, the slave ship in question. “Well, it only took a glance for me to recognize these symbols and I knew immediately that no mere slavers could have acquired such an artifact alone. Someone was helping them.” Quintessa reaches inside of her cloak and pulls out a small, leather bound notebook, worn from the salt and sun. “This was the ledger of the acting captain, one who simply went by ‘Morgan’.” She tosses the ledger into the center of the table for anyone to look through if they wished. “In that she mentions a name a few times, ‘Maggie’ or ‘M.M.’ or sometimes her full name ‘Maggie the Magpie’. Meri and I questioned Captain Morgan while she was a guest in one of my dungeons and she confirmed what I discovered in that notebook; Maggie the Magpie is the one that sold them the saddle.” The warlock pauses again, this time to straighten her posture and place a single hand on her hip. “This is why I’ve called you all in here today. It’s about time everyone knew what I’ve been up to the last few months and got you all up to speed.”

Magik removes his feet from the table and scoots his chair back. First, a quick kiss to Meri's cheek then a small hair ruffle for Fleur. As Tessa makes her entrance, his fiery eyes remain locked on the saddle she's carrying. The elf stands and takes a look at the current group gathered before reaching to the ledger tossed onto the table. Anything dealing with slavery tends to push certain buttons with the Lyastri. While Tessa starts the meeting off, Magik skims through the pages quickly as if he's looking for a certain name. He then closes the book and pushes it back to the middle for anyone else to take a gander. For now, Magik remains quiet and settles back into his seat, taking Meri's hand in his should she allow it.

Meri blew a few kisses back to Mahri. Magik’s greeting is returned, a quick smooch is pressed to his own cheek. When Khitti appears, Meri offers her a smile and the same greeting is extended toward Rumiko. That smile shifts into a smirk as Meri gets up to her usual mischievous antics while introducing the two women. “Khitti. Dear sister. Meet Rumiko, my probably future sister-in-law.” Note, Meri doesn’t have a fancy ring on her finger, thus the ‘probably’ part in all of it. This introduction is snuck in just before Quintessa enters. Once the changeling is present and speaking, the blonde manages to behave herself. Blue eyes are mostly on her adopted niece, save for the few glances that she spares toward both Magik and her child. Most of the details that Quintessa shares are familiar to Meri, as the blonde has already had significant involvement. That does not mean that Meri is any less interested, the blonde studies the inscriptions that have been etched into the saddle. Prior to this moment, the blonde had just thought this was fancy detail work on the saddle. Tessa informs the group otherwise. The ledger is studied next, a short time after Magik is done studying it. “So what’s the next plan of action, Tessa?”

Mahri 's attention is grabbled by Tessa coming in with an intricate looking saddle. The runes gave the lycan a slight chill down her spine - and apparently Khitti is sitting near Meri and Rumi but that's ok. Mahri did enjoy her solitude .amongst friends sometimes. Silver-grey eyes drift towards the ledger and narrow - a list of names. Would any of them be alive? How many died? Gritting her teeth she takes a deep breath and let it out slowly before taking a drink from her flask.

Khitti smirked at Meri, offering her a somewhat exaggerated wave. “Hello,” she said to Rumiko, after they’d been introduced, giving the nymph a smile and a nod. “‘Probably’, eh? Sheesh.” She smirked again at Meri. Geez, Magik. You know how the song goes. If you like it, you better put a ring on it. Or something. Khitti wouldn’t judge if they didn’t get married. It’s a wonder her and Brand even got married at all. Once Quintessa began to speak, she shifted her attention to the changeling, her olive-green line of sight eyeing the ledger from a far. “Is there any leads on this “Maggie”, aside from the saddle? Please say yes so I can set her on fire.”

Rumiko 's left hand shot out instinctively as Kasyr appeared, her fingers curling around whatever of Mahri she could; an arm, a wrist, her shirt. The last time she'd seen the vampire this close he'd had claimed the life of one of her companions. To be fair, the seven had it coming, but being one of the only left standing after that particular war, she wasn't ready to take any chances. Maybe she was the only one to remember? One could hope. An interruption of her internal struggle came in the form of Meri making an introduction, and her gaze shifted towards that of Khitti where she makes an attempt at a casual smile. "Well met, Khitti." Quintessa's entrance was mostly unnoticed, but a single word spoken by the changeling was all it took to completely ensnare her attention: slave. Her expression blanked, green eyes locking on the ledger as a sudden pressure settled down upon her chest. She relaxed only after Magik replaced the binding of papers. If he set it down without looking her way, it was not the same people that had targeted her a few years prior. The very question she had was asked, but through the mouth of the newly met Khitti rather than her own, and Rumiko sat a bit closer to Mahri then as she accepted that offered shot of rum.

Mahri smirks, liking Khitti's solution. Slanting her eyes towards Rumiko - sitting close by- the lycan gauges the nymph's reaction. Mahri 's arm is firmly clamped on. She doesn't mind.

Kasyr 's midway through a cup of coffee when the mention of slavers and -Transmutation- into horses somehow finds itself slapped together in a cohesive but ultimately screwed up summary of the situation. "Qu'est que fu-" He pauses, takes a deep slurp of Java, and decides that this isn't the time to maintain an air of aloof indifference- instead meandering over to whoever currently has the ledger, so he can loom over their shoulder and read. Which gets -really- awkward, given Rumiko's adjacency to Mahri. That said, what causes the Kensais brows to furrow isn't some sort of recognition- but more because he's not a fan. That, and the overall logistics of the situation. "Do we have an idea of which market they're being sold off in? My first bet would have been the Underdark, because slavery- but favoring a Naval route, et the transmutation into horses given the whole process of, well, getting there- It seems, less of a thing, n'est ce pas?" Which- begs the question of -why- you'd pass up over that market, save for a purpose -beyond- monetary gain. Though the idea of someone with the fundamental resources to make a competitive market isn't entirely beyond the pale. Yeah- the Kensai is just going to mull on this, and scooch over to the ring pile to belatedly snag one.

Quintessa ‘s mismatched eyes flicker to Magik as he flips through the book, searching for something. That ledger was over two decades old and contained lots of interesting information- no doubt a hint at whatever the Lyastri was searching for might be contained within it. Already it had been tied back to Xalious in the form of a transaction with a ‘K. Tsuji’ a fact the elf might find interesting. With Meri asking what the next plan of action is, Quintessa takes this chance to unroll the scroll. “Here I have a map of Lithyrdel.” The map is new, made by a cartographer specifically for this meeting. With a spark of magic, Quintessa’s pointer finger glows red as she draws circles and arrows on it that solidify as ink on the parchment. “In the ledger it meations the deal between Maggie and Morgan- apparently they met up in Cenril where Morgan took on a huge amount of debt to acquire the saddle. My assumption is that once Morgan sold the slaves and made back enough gold to pay her, they would meet up in Chartsend all the way over here.” Quintessa circles the port city as she mentions it. “The only problem is we have no idea what Maggie looks like. Morgan described her as an old woman pushing a merchant cart but I don’t know how reliable that information really is. Nobody in the unseen hand has encountered anyone who meets this description yet. Yet.” The color on the tip of Quintessa’s finger shifts from red to black. “Assuming Maggie is on foot, she could be anywhere between Cenril and Chartsend- practically the entire continent, with focuses being in the Xalious and Sage area, Craughmoyle, and the Venturil wilderness. I figure if we cast out net wide we’ll catch something related to her.” Quintessa gives a smirk to Khitti, “Don’t worry, when we find her you can burn her to a husk if you want. I’ve done my fair share of terrible things in my life but slavery is just something I can never abide by. The restricting of one’s freedom- it’s abhorrent.” Her mismatched eyes finally move to rest her gaze on Kasyr, a shrug replacing it. “Once the Gilded Rose makes contact with the distributors in Cenril, little is known about where they go from there. Some of them inevitably end up in Vailkrin as vampire cattle. That’s how I learned about this whole thing; House Nasar was buying them from Captain Morgan wholesale.”

Magik releases his grip from Meri's hand as Kasyr snags a ring. There's a slight nod from man to man. He gets out of his seat again and starts to turn towards the bar. He spots the pile of cushions his daughter normally lays on with her wolf companion, Ohtar. Or as Fleur says, Oat. Magik takes a calming breath and continues for the bar. While shadow Mesthak pours him a fresh beer, Magik chimes in, "That's a little disheartening to hear the Unseen have not seen Maggie..yet. Have we tried looking..up?" Just a thought. Magik continues to sip on his beer quietly as his eyes focus on everyone and their reactions or ideas.

Meri’s gaze trails after Magik as he moves to the bar, half tempted to ask for a beer of her own. She doesn’t. Her attention is quick to return to Tessa, trying to keep her focus on all of the information that the changeling is giving them. Red lips are pressed together as she considers, “So we’re looking for...presumably a woman, but who the heck really knows in a land full of illusion and magic. Supposedly she is an older woman with a cart of merchandise, but that could easily be a lie.” Meri also did not put much stock in the information that they tortured out of Morgan, but it was the only lead we have to work on. “I guess the best angle we can work is trying to see if we can’t find merchants who are offering to sell odd and enchanted items anywhere between point A…” Meri gestures to the Cenril area on the map, then to Chartsend. “And point B?” There is a slight wrinkle of her nose. “And we’ve got to be smart about how we dig up this information. The wrong question could raise alarm and then we could lose any chance of finding Maggie at all.” Meri continue to speak her musing outloud, “S’pose that one approach I can work is trying to pretend the Adventurer’s Guild is looking to expand their collection of interesting knick knacks for the museum, or for future expeditions... “ Fleur is mostly oblivious to the very serious tone of this conversation, she abandons her spot on the floor so that she can show Aunt Khitti her artwork. One badly drawn black wolf that she informs Khitti is called Oat. Better oblivious than having a total meltdown, as toddlers are sometimes prone to doing.

Mahri placed a hand in comfort, or support, over Rumi’s clinging one when she takes the flask offered. She kept her eyes lowered to shield the others from the rage simmering within even though she’s pretty sure that everyone else is feeling the same way. She wanted to look at the ledger, and likely would later when she could look at her leisure. For now, the lycan remains quiet, not offering anything at the moment and simply listening to the others; filing away information for later. The range of the this trade was vast, but a wolf can cover a great deal of ground as a beast. If she could get a scent…just a small one.. she could find anyone anywhere. Mahri’s druidic skills helped as well, when she employed them. She might mutter something about ‘damn bloodsuckers’ under her breath even knowing those with preternatural hearing would likely catch it. It’s not meant for them. Suddenly, as though remembering there’s a child in the room, Mahri looks towards Meri’s daughter showing Khitti her drawing. A wistful twitch of her lips is given, remembering her own children at that age. “I can scout about,” she offers, finally saying something aloud before reaching for her flask from Rumiko and taking a drink from it. Kasyr had gotten a nod on his arrival but from then on her attention was on the current topic.

Khitti batted her eyes innocently at Quintessa, but didn’t say anything else for the moment, the mischievous demeanor soon fading into something more serious. It wasn’t something she talked about, because it wasn’t her past, but Brand too had been a victim of slavery, even if it -had- been his fault in the first place, because he hadn’t been a very nice guy back in Catal. The Dhavislaavian watched Tessa carefully, and followed along with her findings, thinking things over. As the clan’s resident follower of Cyris, the god of freedom, the whole thing turned Khitti’s stomach. Khitti went to open her mouth to say something, but was soon interrupted by Fleur and her artwork. She heaped praise onto her niece, and gave her a headpat, telling her that she’d be as great of an artist as her mom one day. Once Fleur had scampered off again, Khitti returned her attention to the task at hand. “If that doesn’t work,” she said, nodding in Meri’s direction,”then maybe we can lure her out with some sort of object. I mean, she has to get these things from somewhere, yeah? I guess, she could be enchanting things like the saddle herself, but…” Khitti shrugged. “Regardless, the Devout’s Guild has no shortage of magical objects, cursed or otherwise. I’m quite certain that the guild’s blacksmith could make a reproduction of any of them, if we needed it, and have it enchanted with illusion magic to make it seem like the real thing.”

Rumiko never had much of a poker face, and there might have been a slight grimace upon her face, though whether it was present company or the talk of slavery was unclear. Kasyr's nearing had the nymph up and off her stool just as easily as she'd claimed it as her own. A pat against Mahri's arm was the only thing offered as she moved across the bar, claiming a seat nearer to Meri and Magik's original chair. A brief smile, forced as it was, was offered to the blonde as she settled into the large chair as she listens to the others speak. Khitti's mention of bait triggered something in the nymphs mind, and her head fell to one side as she finally offers her own bit to the meeting, "Are there any known links between those taken? Some attribute that makes them a target?" Green eyes look around the table then, almost as if trying to gauge if they were following along with her line of thinking. "Maybe the lure would work best if they fell along with those?" Live bait, she'd meant.

Kasyr feels a throbbing in his temple. Vampire cattle. "That at least explains the financial aspect. Competitive pricing. As for her appearance- I think there's good odds that " Uh. The Kensai squints at Meri, trying to put a name to a face. "the idea of a glamour es probably on the nose." Kasyr, for instance, had been living in exile near chartsend for years, and the thought of a cart-bearing crone doesn't really ring any bells. That's not to say it was implausible- but, it definitely provided him a bit of a bias as to the possibilities. Speaking of which, "Hrm. has the captain been out of commission long enough that she's missed a delivery, or would it still be possible to intercept Maggie that way? Hell, the saddle would provide a pretty good means of sneaking an agent into her care- so we could probably find her base of operations." There's a gesture off towards Rumiko, with the live bait comment, "She gets it." In any case, with his piece set, he decides to meander back to where the coffee is- mostly so he can glug the rest of his cup and work on a refill.

Quintessa eyes Magik inquisitively, “Up?” She ponders on this but doesn’t say anything, listening to what the others had to say about the situation. “Well, we have our options it seems. Maggie might be searching for new customers if she is indeed a merchant, setting a trap to lure her out is a good start.” The changeling nods her head in Mahri’s direction. “Aye, you should do that. The Unseen Hand is good at keeping an eye and ear out to the world, but with your nose we can root out this Magpie woman quicker- especially if her magic has the same stench and aura as mine, but be careful. We don’t know what to expect from her and it could be dangerous if you encounter her alone. This goes without saying, but do not engage Maggie by yourself, any of you. There are too many of us to not ask for help and none of us will be impressed with you if you want to act like a hero and take her down single-handedly.” A slender hand moves up to gently rub her temple, the many possibilities running each in a separate direction in her brain. Finally, her gaze settled on Rumiko and her lips pressed into a thin line. “Taken? You mean the sl-” Quintessa doesn’t need to repeat the word. “Only that they were people that nobody would notice if they disappeared. In some cases they were people someone wanted to disappear, to be gotten rid of. I’m sorry to say I don’t know enough about the individuals affected to give you a clear answer.” Quintessa nods her head at Kasyr next. “I agree, given that our target has already been linked to a shape-shifting cursed artifact, Maggie the Magpie could indeed have similar abilities. We cannot rule this out. So yes... we have to bait Maggie.” Her eyes flicker up to Rumiko again, “With product.” Quintessa inhales and exhales slowly. “Maggie will be either expecting Captain Morgan or an agent of hers in Chartsend. The easiest way to get her out in the open could indeed be to attend this meeting in our late captian’s place, but we’d be walking right into the lion’s den. We might have to get that ship back from Leoxander for this ruse, however…” The warlock trails off in through but she eventually comes back to the present to lock eyes with Khitti. “If you have access to other cursed objects I'd love to compare these. I’d also like your help in expanding the curses department in the Necromancer’s Guild so that we can put the students to work deciphering how they work. It’ll be good for the Sceleratuses to experience.” Finally, Quintessa allows herself to sink down into her chair. “So… Any other questions?”

Magik cools down as he brings the beer mug to his lips, hiding a slight smirk behind it as he finishes off the hoppy drink. He slides the mug to the mysterious barkers who fails to catch it. He was there to make drinks, not clean up. The glass shatters behind the bar and Magik quickly turns to his crew. He mouths, "Sorry," before making his way back to Meri's chair. Yeah, Magik can't sit still tonight. There's a meltingpot of emotions he's dealing with right now. Pride, anger, excitement, anxiety. Once behind Meri's chair, he places his warm hands on her neck/shoulders. Time to speak again. "None of you..None of us..are to go on these missions alone. As of right now, everyone who was in the probationary period, whether you knew it or not, now has my blessing to bring any Unseen Hand members with you on our missions. I've seen all of you in action within our own objectives or adventures based out of various guilds to know what everyone is capable of. Having said that. Everyone is to keep an ear or eye out for further details. Quintessa and I will iron out some details and loop in the necessary parties per assignment." Those black fiery eyes shift to each person present, "We have a lot of work to do out there. Watch each other's backs.." Motivational speeches were never really Magik's strong suit, but he had to be getting better at this, right? If not, he'll definitely lead through action in the near future.

Meri meets Rumiko’s smile with one of her own. The nymph was always welcome company, so when claimed a chair nearer to both her and Magik, the blonde did not mind. She could not help but notice the way her the Lyastri woman reacted to Kasyr’s presence, but as obnoxious as Meri could be…? The blonde had the good sense to not question Rumiko out right in this setting. Maybe a private conversation needed to be had then the trio returned to Magik’s treehouse. If Magik had not picked up on the same thing, Meri would certainly bring this observation to his attention. Privately. It also didn’t fully escape her attention that Kasyr did not seem to share the same reservations toward Rumiko. Odd. Speaking of Kasyr, when he speaks to her the blonde offers him an easy smirk, one that turns a bit more sinister when he tries to figure out if Morgan how long Morgan has been out of commission. Fleur toddles away from Khitti, off to show someone else her super impressive artwork and that someone is Dadgik. However, she is not given the chance. Meri intercepts her own daughter so that Magik can take a moment to speak with the rest of the clan. It was challenging to distract the kid from Magik, given that Magik was now standing behind the two of them. She manages this though by whispering quietly to her own kiddo, “What do you say we head home in a few so that we can show Oat your fabulous picture of him?” This seems to please Fleur enough that she stays silent in her mother’s grasp. Most of what Quintessa says is met with a nod, save for the part of trying to get a certain ship back from Leoxander. That statement actually gives Meri pause. Has anyone really seen much of Leo since the tournament? The blonde considers this to herself silently. “I think we’ve got a lot of really solid courses to explore. Like Tessa and Magik said, don’t be a hero. If any of you need a partner for this? Just let me know. I’m around.” Meri hitches a thumb toward Magik. “Usually pretty easily found at his place.” While the meeting seemed like it was starting to wind down, Meri was not quick to make good on her promise to take Fleur home to find Oat. She’d try and wait for her other half before making the trip home.

Mahri ’s slightly insulted that Tess would think she, of all people, would play ‘hero’ in this situation. It’s an indignant sniff she gives the changeling and crosses her arms. “If she smells anything like you, anyone could find her,” she growls, but not seriously. Mahri knew what Tessa means regarding that scent. She’d find it, and she’d let the others know when she does – somehow – before tracking it to its source. Mention of Leo and a ship grabs her attention. She’d not seen the rogue in a while and, honestly, she’d been wondering about him. She’ll listen to the rest but not offer anything else. Mahri had her task and that’s all she needed. But, perhaps… she queries Rumiko “Wanna come along?”. See, Magik, not going alone if Rumi decides to accompany Mahri and keep her (mostly) out of trouble.

Khitti nodded at Tessa’s mention of other cursed objects and working to expand the curses department. “Yeah, just let me know when you want to start. And I’ll head to the Sanctum tomorrow and see if there’s been any strange objects reported to my guild.” She give Magik also a nod, in understanding to not going alone. But Magik, that’s what Khitti does best. It’s her thing to try to do something on her own and then getting captured by some big bad evil guy. Just ask Meri! And with that being that for the meeting, Khitti’d offer mostly everyone a half-assed salute, while Meri and Fleur got hugs, before shadowstepping out of the room and back up top somewhere. Now where the hell did that sabercat get to...

Rumiko offered only a single nod towards Quintessa as she is answered, though it isn't likely to be the last time she brings the subject up. The shattering glass causes the nymph to jump, but she tries to hide the startle by shifting positions in her chair as Fleur is brought closer to her mother. Green eyes eye the drawing, and the druid finds herself focusing on the mini Meri rather than eyeing the rest of the group. A private conversation was indeed due, for a multitude of reasons, even. That would be for another night however, because Mahri's invitation earns her a nod of the head, and she'd be moving to stand without offering much else to those gathered. Rumiko made it a point to bump into Magik as she passed, just because, and she'd be falling in beside her bonded sister, likely to find some trouble to get into.

Kasyr s' lips twist into a wry smirk, "I think most of us already have our hands full without diving headlong and exarcerbating a fresh batch of problems. That said- If you can figure out the logistics of the enchantment on the saddle, et whether or not there's any hidden elements to the spell that might be dangerous for the victim- Well, I wouldn't be adverse to playing bait." The Kensai might also be mulling over the possibility that if Subvocative casting would be possible- doing something like trampling a slaver to death as a potentially enhanced horse would be the sort of unexpected, but poetic justice this world needs more of. That offer aside, the Kensai seems fine with the current state of affairs, as far as figuring out what to do- since his attention quickly drifts back to the mug he's nursing.

Quintessa nods in Magik’s direction to show her solidarity in his decision. “Congratulations. You’ll need the Unseen Hand if you want to be useful in this endeavor, meanwhile Magik and I will figure out where we can best use your abilities now that everyone is on the same page.” She can’t help but snicker at Mahri’s comment about how she smells, but given the subject matter she lets it go without complaining. To Kasyr she raises a brow and actually parts her lips to respond. “Oh, I’m not sure, Kasyr, some of us like to jump right into trouble- to hop right on the backs of aggressive dragons and have tea with murderous drow matrons- tea parties that end with me dragging as many pieces of you as I can to the surface.” After enough ribbing, Quintessa cracks a smile at the Kensai. “Anyway, stay safe everyone, especially if you go out looking for her.” She eyes Mahri and Rumiko. “ I have a feeling that whoever goes looking for her will probably find her.”