RP:Jolie Starts Recruiting
Background
This is part of the Recruiting For Redhale story arc.
Joliette Thorne of the Eldritch Cabal receives an offer: bring live bodies to the Vailkrin Arena for Redhale's dark purposes. The risk may be great, but the reward shall be worthwhile.
Joliette, for reasons known only to herself, accepts the commission. She then sets about recruiting others to assist her in what would be an arduous but profitable task. Her first stop: Kelay Tavern
Another busy day in Kelay Tavern
Kuzial said to Ehli, “Shut up now, whore. We all know you are a pathetic coward who likes to talk big, but really does nothing else. I tire of you. I will start to kill your race, and each one that dies will die knowing it is your fault.”
Kuzial also glares briefly at Bella as his hand tightens around the hilt of his dagger, but she has stopped her insults, so the dark elf sees no reason to chop her head off.
Ehli scratches her head and said, “Do you really have to talk this much? I was actually trying to irritate you so this thing starts already.... seems your incapable brain can’t figure out something as simple as that.
Jolie had entered quietly, her morbidly constructed familiar left to fidget outside for the moment. Overhearing crossed words as she slipped through the patrons, one black eyebrow arced over its green eye.
Jolie cannot imagine a drow taking that. From anyone.
Namern really didn’t want to be stuck between anyone in the case of a fight but he didn’t like the odds for the high-elf. Especially against someone who is obviously crazy about killing her.
Jolie would come to lean on the bar, in such a manner as to afford her a view of the bickering, which she would watch with increasing interest.
Kuzial laughs at Ehli, “Whatever. Your race will die, and before I slice their throats the last thing they hear will be me telling them it is your fault.” He glares for a moment longer, before shifting his gaze to Jolie. The drow simply stares at the woman, his eyes slightly narrowed against the light.
Namern said to Jolie, “It would be a poor idea to come between them. Just in case you are thinking about it.”
Jolie smiled, upon those dark-bred eyes alighting on her.
Jolie said to Namern, “On the contrary, pet. I’m waiting for the drow to snap, and do his duty.”
Ehli murmurs toward Jolie’s direction, “Same here...”
Jolie gave Ehli a chill regard. “I have need of captives. I am offering good coin.”
Ehli said to Jolie , “I am usually against slavery... but if you help me catch that noisy one, I’ll even pay you if you take him away”
Namern said to Jolie, “I’m not really inclined to watch a male attack a female ma’am. I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Kuzial does not return the smile Jolie showed. He is angry, obviously so, and he takes a slow step towards the woman, “Do you have a problem with me also?”
Jolie lofted a brow to the dark elf. “If I had, you’d have my knife in you by now. Quite the opposite. In fact, I have business to discuss with you. Those captives I mentioned, matter of fact.”
Kuzial laughs again at the elf, “I told you that you were pathetic. Shut your ugly mouth.”
Ehli hums a bit, “I’ve had better insults.”
Jolie looked between the two. Sighed. “Let us have this matter resolved in battle, perhaps? I would watch, and take the loser as my property.”
Kuzial turns his attention back to Jolie as a barbaric smile forms over his thin ebon lips, “Now you I like.” The dark elf dismisses Ehli’s ramblings with a wave of his hand, before walking closer to Jolie. He remains vigilant, he is drow after all, but he stands quite close and speaks in a quiet voice, “What is it you want me to do?”
Kuzial said to Jolie, “I agree. I will fight under those stakes.”
Jolie said, aside, to Kuzial, “Sell me the people you best in battle.”
Namern hands Bella another piece of chocolate. He shakes his head at Jolie, “My mother has enough slaves to run a small army. You should speak to her.”
Jolie said to Namern, “And she is..?”
Namern said to Jolie, “Lady Panic.”
Jolie said to Namern, “I am Joliette Thorne. I would meet with her.”
Kuzial grins wickedly, “What do you pay?”
Jolie gave Kuzial a momentary and chill glance. “Plenty.”
Jolie said to Ehli, “And you? Do you agree to those stakes?”
Ehli said to Jolie , “I am not sure if he would be even capable of doing anything once I am done”
Jolie stared at Ehli, tapping her foot. “Well? Do you?”
Kuzial casts his gaze around the room, making sure no-one is getting too close, before he replies to Jolie, “I will not sell you elves. Those will die. But the rest I will sell you... if indeed you pay plenty.” The drow snaps his hand that holds one of his daggers to his chest, before offering the lycan a bow. “You will need a lot of dungeon space, lady. I will send legions your way.”
Namern said to Jolie, “It is really up to you to arrange it miss Thorne. Either Sebias, my father, or Pania, but she prefers to be called Lady Panic. Just a little hint if you do meet her.”
Kuzial laughs again at Ehli’s words, obviously thinking them ludicrous.
Rheven has since appeared, no doubt by some arcane means the archmage favours seeing as he is here one moment where he wasn’t the last. After giving the board a brief look over - and smirking at the last note - he turns about, content to eavesdrop on the only interesting conversation.
Ehli points at the other one and said, “So I guess I would go with ‘No’. In a rare case that I lost, you won’t get any anyways.”
Jolie said to Kuzial, after pursing her lips. “Now, there is an arrangement I am happy with. Except - should you agree to sell me the elves, I assure you they’d suffer. For centuries, possibly.”
Kuzial said to Jolie, “I told you she was pathetic.”
Kuzial cannot stop the light of enjoyment forming in the depths of his crimson eyes. “And I could watch this... suffering?”
Jolie nodded absently to his request. “Your name, drow?”
Kuzial grins again at Jolie, “Your name first, lady.”
Jolie said to Kuzial, “I’ve given it, once today. You may call me Darkness, if you missed it.”
Kuzial eyes the woman for a long time, his narrowed gaze unflinching, before he speaks again in his strangely lyrical voice, “Darkness, then. I am Kuzial Stavret, elderboy of House Stavret.”
Jolie said to Ehli, “So—you’re refusing a fight with stakes, but are content to continue to antagonise one who’d gladly meet you in battle?”
Kuzial mutters pathetic again, though loud enough for most the patrons to hear.
Jolie mouthed, “Hello, Sparkles,” to somebody elsewhere in the bar.
Rheven stares at Jolie. If looks could kill, she might be dead.
Ehli said to Jolie, “Fighting with ‘stakes’ aren’t much of a fighting, I know that man could be...... well... still a prideful battle would be still what I prefer. I am not as barbaric as he is”
Jolie was grinning, for some reason. But she said to Ehli, “Stop being evasive. You’ve been offered a chance to stand by your word. If now does not suit you, let us arrange a time. All this bickering is unseemly, for both your races.”
Namern said to Jolie, “No offence intended ma’am but have you heard the saying, ‘Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.”?”
Kuzial said to Ehli, “No, you’re wrong. It’s not barbarism that drives my words or my actions. It’s the fact I know I would destroy you on the field of battle.. Yet you.. you know I would win, but don’t want to look bad in front of these... fools. You are pathetic and idiotic. As I said, leaving you alive does more harm to the elves than my killing ever could.”
Ehli taps her chin, “I actually prefer that he suddenly die for no reason at all, We high-elves doesn’t really care much about critters...”
Jolie said to Namern, “And those who poke a beast tend to have their faces eaten off. Your point is?”
Namern said to Jolie, “You seem so intent on slaves. You may become one. Possibly best you not meet mother on second thoughts.”
Ehli said to Kuzial, “Say everything you like, I will fight you, but this stakes isn’t something that a high borne like me would like”
Kuzial said to Namern, “Watch how you speak to her, fool. I have a deal with this lady; insult her, and I’ll force you to become one of her slaves.”
Jolie had no time for idle blather.
Kuzial said to Ehli, “Fine. Let’s fight to the death. I’m sure this lady would find uses for your corpse.”
Namern said to Kuzial, “Oh my sir. That would be incredibly stupid of you to mess with Mistress Panic’s son.”
Kuzial said to Namern, “Then shut your mouth.”
Rheven said to Namern, “I must say, if she is anything like Sebias, I doubt she is a threat.”
Namern said to Rheven, “I’m not sure sir. But she scares me.”
Rheven said to Namern, “There are few in this world worthy of fear.”
Jolie said to Ehli, “Then what stakes would you have?”
Namern said to Kuzial, “Manners will get you everywhere sir.”
Kuzial said to Jolie, “Do you pay for corpses?”
Jolie said to Kuzial, “I pay only for live captives. That is the arrangement I must meet.”
Kuzial turns his gaze to Jolie for a moment, before nodding, “Alright.” The drow shifts his crimson eyes back to the other patrons, but doesn’t speak any more. He just watches, holding his dagger in one hand, the other resting casually on the hilt that pokes from his spider-engraved belt.
Rheven said to Jolie, “What is this...business about?”
Jolie left the bickering to itself and strolled over to the King. “I’m procuring material for an experiment, you might say. Live captives, who’d otherwise be dead, are ideal. Got anyone in that dungeon of yours you’d part with?”
Namern said to Rheven, “Fear everyone. Assume they are more powerful than you know.”
Kuzial laughs as he hears Namern’s words, but doesn’t bother to speak. He’s tired of the useless bickering.
Rheven promptly gives a shake of his silvery-haired head. “Not subjects that likely fit what your criteria. The only ones in the dungeons at the moment are scum, scraped from the bottom of their respective races’ barrels...”
Rheven said to Namern, “In this realm? That would be foolish.”
Jolie had caught sight of a likely candidate for employment. She’d ponder Jaegar with a rather blatant perusal.
Jaegar could have chosen some other place to wander upon, but the tavern was where he ended up. The drake’s movement through the room is halted only once, as he taps two fingers upon the bar, garnering a drink and then it continues on where he ejects with little more than a glint of those grey eyes a table which he sits at. The humanoid dragon could be confused for some off-shoot of the drow, it’s an easy mistake with the blue-grey of his skin, but he still seems a little odd even for the under-dark’s kin, and its with the effortless breath, a mist of sulfur from his lips that the gap might widen. He reclines almost lazily of course, a habit in this place, watching those present.
Namern said to Rheven, “A fool I may be but at least I’m alive.”
Jolie said to Rheven, “But that’s just perfect, really. Sure you cannot spare them? Better than then being a waste of good gruel.”
Rheven said to Jolie, “If you want them. They are faceless scoundrels, I have no use for them.”
Jolie looked awfully pleased. She said to Rheven, “Let me compensate you, in some way? And when may I have my men pick them up?”
Jolie was still throwing Jaegar the occasional studious glance.
Kuzial has had enough of the tavern. He speaks across the room to Jolie, “Be ready, the slaves will start to arrive as soon as some of the pathetic fools grow enough balls to actually leave this building and defend their foolish notions of honor.” The drow bows, before spinning on his heel and stalking out of the room. As he passes Roytoc he stops just briefly, his eyes easily piercing the darkness that his hood causes. The dark elf offers Roytoc a slight nod of his head, before exiting out into the night.
Rheven said to Jolie, “Anytime you wish. A few were set to be hanged anyway, or perhaps impaled. What do you plan on doing with them, again?”
Jolie gave Kuzial a courteous nod, as he passed. She said to Rheven, “My people are occupied with this task elsewhere. If I can find stout men to help with transport, I’ll pick them up today, if possible. And they are to be sold on, to another, whose business is not mine to speak of. My thanks, sire.” That she dropped the honorific might tell him her thanks more emphatically.
Rheven tips his head in a simple nod. “Very well, as long as they are not to return to Venturil.”
Ehli said to Jolie, “How about as simple as... lets say, for him... stop any further attacks to my race and I... hmm, I am not sure, but then any wounds and limbs taken away from the fight isn’t within the bounds... anything can happen”
Jolie said to Ehli, “Stop evading responsibility for your own futile rudeness. If he offers such a great price, yours should match it. Loss of your tongue, and no replacing it. That seems fair.”
Jolie said to Rheven, “Sorry...” she canted her head toward Ehli. “One of those. You know? Anyway, I’ll pass along that stipulation.”
Svilfon wanders in to quietly read the board. He starts to snicker as his eyes read down the notes, before finding a seat and dropping into it. Rheven is offered a nod, as befitting the master of the mage’s guild, and Jolie is offered a crooked, lop-sided smile, before the human goes about pondering various wizardly mysteries.
Ehli said to Jolie, “I am not as stupid as he is, Life is far important than any idiot just wanting some body pain.”
Jolie paused to offer Svilfon a kindlier curve of lips than she’d likely give any other present.
Svilfon tips his hat to Jolie as she smiles at him.
Jolie waved to the anthropomorphic Jaegar. “I say, you there. A word?”
Jaegar notices Jolie with something akin to an afterthought, he was more used to watching over being gawked at. Despite this oddity he looks back at her, that smile of indifference kept after a brief greeting. “ Greetings...”
Jolie said to Jaegar, not wanting to offend a King by abandoning the conversation, “One moment of your time, when his Majesty frees me?”
Rheven simply nods to Svilfon, falling silent as his conversation with Jolie is done.
Jolie would duly make her way to the man-shaped, oddly-hued.. creature. “You’ve some muscle on you. I’ve need of it, to help with a live cargo. One thousand gold, on safe delivery is the offer.”
Jolie gave Svilfon a swift and meaning-laden look, as though to include him in that arrangement, as well.
Svilfon nods his head at Jolie’s silent request.
Jaegar cannot help but give a laugh at the odd assumption. “ I am not much use on anything regarded as safe miss. I am, if anything more versed in the exact opposite. “ The idea does intrigue the dragon, enough so that he gives his seat a turn to more clearly address Jolie. “ ...Still, your words seem to hold some modicum of secrecy so do color me interested if nothing else. Perhaps you’d like to explain a bit more clearly?”
Jolie delicately arced a brow, her nostrils flaring slightly to inhale a sulphurous waft. “The end game is not of my making, and not mine to explicate. I can say only that they need transporting. And.. possibly...” Her voice dropped, low and warm, “... a light snack, at the end, for my workers?’
Jolie smiled. It was not a pretty nor a joyful expression, fangs locked and her lips drawn back.
Jaegar smiled back, it was habit, and one that would never die, the glittering of teeth expected in a shark’s mouth returned with another sulfurous hiss to follow. “ Interesting... I suppose I might be inclined to aid you. But really, a trifle one thousand gold for their safety, if they are troublesome I might simply eat them and carry on for such a low rate. Perhaps if you double it I can secure a safe, breathing delivery for you... “ Everything was a debate, and really, he didn’t like the idea of babysitting prisoners if he couldn’t nibble on a few, so gold was the next best thing, at least with money he could go garner himself some other food item.
Jolie narrowed her eyes - she had underestimated this fellow. But that grin did not at all decrease, as she replied, “They’re wretches, in chains - surely a stout fellow such as yourself would find no trouble in marching them along.” Her lips pursed, then, as though she was mulling something over. “Eat them, you say? If your tastes run to meat, I have two failu.. er, feasts. Fresh, a little scorched, perhaps. Might stink of magic. But you can have them, for refreshment.”
Jolie turned aside to Svilfon. “Would you be a dear, and gather the dandy for me? You two can join me. I’ll have less.. meaty treats for you, after.”
Svilfon nods his head, “Aye, lady. Where shall we meet you? And I know what I would like. But we can speak of it later.”
Jolie stared at him at a moment, wondering what that would be... “Venturil Castle.”
Svilfon gets up and tips his hat to the lycan, “I will go hunt him down and meet you there.” He grins his typical lop-sided smile before wandering off in search of the fop.
Jaegar knew he had Jolie, to some degree the slightest change of that stare was enough, praise and even womanly charms weren’t quite helpful against the dragon. “ As I said miss, Two thousand ensures their lives. I don’t accept dead, and since I don’t particularly know you, I’m not foolish enough to eat anything you give me.” He’d seen another dragon make a mistake like that before, seen the poor wretch start convulsing and that was plenty, lesson learned.
Jolie snorted, shaking her head. “Drive a hard bargain. But time is of the essence, I’ve none to spend haggling. Join us at the gates of Venturil Castle, as soon you can.” With that, she turned on her heel and strode toward the doors. Through a window, a faceless abomination ‘watched’, sinking out of sight as she pushed through and entered the street beyond.