RP:Missionary Man

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

Summary: Zahrani and Larz meet up again and catch up a little while they discover that they are on the same track to catching a swindler.

Open Market, Cenril

Zahrani is walking amongst the open market, the paladin armored and wearing her more feline form today. It’s her most comfortable version of herself, and her senses are at their sharpest. Her hair is currently in dreadlocks, and resting on one side of her panther head is a hair cuff made of precious metal and topped with a lovely opal. A gift from one beloved by the woman. As she stops at one of the stalls, Rani takes note of an unusual relic sitting at the vendor’s table. “What is that?” she inquires with a raspy feline tenor. With a roll of his eyes, the man running the booth responds, “Junk. It was supposed to connect me with the sea goddess herself. I should have known it was snake oil from the get-go.” The paladin offers a sympathetic nod, “Did the salesman tell you where he was going?” The vendor shrugs, “I think one of my suppliers saw him board a ship. Could be going to Vhys or somethin’.” Rani nods again, “Thank you.” before continuing on her way.

Largakh has been seeing these odd totems and false relics all over the place with disgruntled buyers because they were sold false promises. Tuscan sun colored eyes see the same relic as Zahrani at the same time and also waits to hear the response. Most he had asked so far pointed him in this vague direction and now he’s come across someone who saw the swindler board the ship! The half orc is overjoyed, but he keeps an even expression as he straightens his soft leather jacket which covers his simple grey tee shirt, “I’m sorry to interject, but… could you tell me what the man looks like?” The person he’d asked looked up at him in confusion, not at the words, but the fact that such intelligent words came from a dumb orc! “W-well… he had these honest seeming blue eyes and hair the color of corn. A clean shaven face and youthful features made him seem trustworthy, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.” Larz then notices Zahrani and trots a bit to catch up with her, “hey. Don’t I know you from somewhere?” It takes him a minute before he smiles in that crooked way he does, “Zahrani, right?” Remembering that awful night where some guy was trying to hit on Lanara during their date… Lanara wasn’t too happy with him after just because he wouldn’t deck the guy one for simply wanting a dance. The memory of her makes his grin dwindle a little, but he presses on, “Larz,” he reminds her whole holding his hand out for a handshake. “Are you headed to Vhys as well?”

Zahrani hears the sound of footsteps coming up behind her. The feline puts one step back and snap-turns, her cyan gaze leveling with Larz. Her face is neutral as she sifts through her few memories of the half-orc, half-elf man standing before her. Her eyes widen slightly when she recognizes him. Her muscular arms cross over each other as she speaks, “Well, well...I had not expected to see ~you~ again.” Her black-furred hand encloses around the man’s as she gives a firm handshake. With a half-grin, the paladin responds, “I am indeed heading to Vhys, if you wish to join on a hunt for a con man.” The feline doesn’t take kindly to those who exploit Lithrydel’s vulnerable; if it were just rich people he was swindling, she’d be less interested. But some of the city’s poor had also been ensnared by the man she now hunts. They may have been gullible, but he made a conscious decision to take advantage of that; and he will pay for it, one way or another.

Largakh chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as he has to look down at the feline a little from his six foot seven height, “yeah, well. Turns out that whatever body they found was planted by my attacker and I was presumed dead,” he moves right on, not really wanting to dwell on the subject, but his gaze catches on the cuff clipped around one of the feline’s dreads and he considers it a beautiful accessory. “Count me in. Some good families spent their last bit of gold coin on such trash,” he sighs and shoves his hands in the pockets of his black slacks while they walk. “So, how are you and Talyara?” He asks kindly, just trying to make casual conversation as they board the ship. They were an item, right? At least they were on that disastrous double date they were all on. “How is she? My grandma keeps asking about her and Lanara,” his expression shows that he hasn’t had the heart to tell them what had happened to Lanara because his grandparents her and her sister like family, but he will find the words soon.

Zahrani raises a brow at the man’s explanation for his disappearance. He must have been badly wounded if he couldn’t immediately reach out and let people know he was alive. Why an attacker would go to the length of planting a corpse instead of finishing the half-orc off is beyond her, but she can tell he’s not eager to discuss it. As they book passage on board the next ship for Rynvale, As the two of them stand off the starboard side, the paladin sighs, resting her forearms on the railing before saying, “Well, last I saw Taly, she was doing okay. A lot has happened since you disappeared…but I have not seen her in some time.” The feline gazes towards the horizon thoughtfully, her eyes closing at the scent of the sea, and the wind playing in her dreads. She opens her eyes again, looking back to the man and saying with a swish of her tail, “We’re just friends, nowadays...”

Largakh smiles when he hears she’d been okay. “It’s nice you’re still friends,” he wishes that him and Lanara could be friends again one day maybe, but his future looks bleak. Desiring to change the subject, he turns the subject back to their task and their involvement in the guild. The typical questions, ‘how long have you been with the guild, which deity do you follow, how many fake relics have you come across.’ The usual! It was quite the journey to Vyhs which is on the opposite side of Rynvale island. Once they set foot on the island, he looks to Zahrani, “do you want to split up and ask around, or should we stick together on this?” His deep yellow eyes start to glance around to get some semblance of where they should even start.

Elimdor Town Square

Zahrani readily answers Larz’s questions, and asks the same questions in return. She is a paladin of Cyris, and she had been with the guild roughly since it had been re-founded, when it was still the Paladin’s Guild. She’s run across maybe a half-dozen of the phony relics. Once they arrive and disembark on the island, the panther looks around Vhys, taking in the layout of the city and pondering their next move. Cyan eyes then return to the half-orc’s face before saying, “You and I are both likely to draw attention. Let’s head to the main plaza where there’s more commerce. We can split up, but also keep a line of sight on each other...in case one of us needs backup.” As the two venture into Vhys’ bustling market area, the feline indicates that she’ll be up high, before heading towards one of the buildings and ascending to the rooftops with surprising ease, considering that she’s covered in armor plating. Once up there, she scans below, her ears pivoting like little satellite dishes, occasionally glancing at Largakh, wherever he may be.

Largakh nods and casually makes his way around thee crowd. He scans over the tops of people's heads easily from his height, but can’t see anyone fitting the description. It’s obvious the meandering civilians do not entirely trust the orc even though he’s done nothing wrong, but what’s even more peculiar is how Larz sort of changed around so many people. Making sure to keep his hands in the pockets of his pants, slouching his shoulders a little to seem shorter for everyone else, softening the raspiness of his orcish timbre and making sure to smile more. Some people straight up ignore him, some watch on in horror of what he might do and some of the local guards begin to watch him more than others. After talking to a handful of people, they are lead down the path some more and Larz glances up to the rooftops before pointedly looking to a man that perfectly fits their description. He casually occupies his attention while eavesdropping on the conversation, picking up the end parts of a deal. “So, you’re sure this amulet will keep the shades away from my home?” The buyer asks. “Yes, just tie it to your door knob and they won’t enter through that door of your home,” he confirms. “But I have a back door, too!” The buyer says in a panic. “Well luckily I have another amulet, but it’s my last one and I’m afraid I’ll have to ask double for that particular one,” Larz can practically hear the snide deception in his voice. “I’ll take it!” The terrified buyer digs into their coin purse, but stops when the half orc nears them while saying, “stop right there!” The swindler had taken off in a sprint and Larz goes to give chance, but the city guards are tackling the orc - thinking he is up to no good. “Get him, Zahrani!” He calls out, pointing in the direction of the real culprit, as he’s pulled down to the cobblestone pathway.

Zahrani sighs, watching the suspicious looks of the townsfolk as they see Largakh walking through the street, seeing the man forcing himself to shrink down and look more accommodating for the more narrow-minded of denizens. She wishes she had stayed down there with him, to stick up for him. Alas, they have a job to do. The feline stalks across the rooftops, jumping from one building to the other with feline grace and dexterity. She sees her companion indicate the man who was trying to swindle another person. Her cyan eyes focus on their target, and she blinks upon hearing the half-orc announce his presence to their quarry. With a swift exhale, and in the back of her mind wondering if the man had ever actually caught any prey like that, she makes note of where the swindler is running, before sprinting in a bee-line across the roofs to cut him off. The panther slides down to the ground in an alleyway, crouching in wait as her target approaches. With one swift stroke, she clotheslines the blond human, his own momentum sending him backward and into hard pavement beneath him. He lands with a smack, semi-conscious before the paladin binds his hands and feet together. Without a work, Rani assesses and heals the man’s head injury; can’t have the swindler forget what he’s been doing.She hefts the man over her shoulders, before jogging off to find Larz. As she approaches the cobblestone pathway where the guards had grabbed the half-orc, the woman’s appearance begins to shift into a more elf-like complexion, the woman now sporting a gorgeous androgynous face and warm dark-brown skin. Upon seeing “Vhys’s finest” manhandling Largakh, the feline calls out. “Guards! You have the wrong man. He’s not as dangerous as he looks. This one, however...” She indicates the man over her shoulders, “...has been caught stealing money from people with phony religious relics.” Her voice carries much more clearly in this form, and she takes advantage of its disarming charm.

Largakh is used to this. He’s complying, but the brutality comes as usual and luckily his skin is tougher than the usual man - bruises don’t show up on green and blue skin. Suddenly, everything stops. The guards get off him and he looks at what the big deal is which makes him grin again. The guards are indeed disarmed by her charm and let the orc go. “Y-yes. Sorry m-ma’am,” they didn’t know whether to be scared of her and her ability to so easily hoist a man over her shoulder, or to be blessed she’s even in their presence. Larz stifles the urge to make a smart ass comment ass he tentatively touches his puffy left eye, but he knows what it’s like to be a city guard since he was one in Gualon. Once they are getting ready to board the ship again with the swindler, he asks after dabbing a kerchief on his swollen lip because it is split open a little, “are we taking him back to the guild hall to let them decide what to do with him?”

Zahrani walks with Larz back onto the deck of the ship, the panther carefully placing the bound man into a seated position. He was still in a daze, but one look at the one who had captured him seems to have convinced that there was no running away from this particular paladin. The woman’s cyan gaze then returns to the half-orc, a look of mild concern on her face as she looks over his injuries. “Yes, that’s the plan...Those guards were way too hard on you...” She stands right in front of him, her fingertips glowing with divine light. “I can heal those injuries, if you want…” She would not impose her power upon others, unless they were in mortal danger. Facial injuries like the ones Largakh was subjected to were not life-threatening, but she still knows that they hurt like all hell. Her own fingers were rough with callouses and scratches from her recent climbing and free running; something she was accustomed to.

Largakh pats down the culprit, like a cop would, and finds a heavy pouch with gold. With a shake of his head, he hands the pouch to Zahrani, “some evidence.” Then he finds a few more poorly made fakes and takes those as well, “more evidence.” When Zahrani makes a point to mention the guards, “it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. They think they have to be because I’m half-orc, I get it, because if I tried it wouldn’t have been so easy for them to even get me into the ground.” When she’s offering to heal him, he grins down to her, it’s not often people aren’t afraid of him, “I would be delighted.” He keeps still and let’s her work her divine magic on him before the ship pulled in to take them back to Cenril. From there, he will rent a horse and they will take the culprit the rest of the way to the Sanctum, but this time he lifts the swindler over his broad shoulders and they start to board.

Zahrani takes the evidence given to her by Largakh, placing it into a satchel over her shoulders. At the acceptance of her healing, the feline offers a smile, before calmly reaching up to his face, gently placing one warm hand on each of his cheeks, her thumbs gently resting over his swollen eyelids. A faint tingling sensation would come over the half-orc, followed by a comfortable feeling of release, like one feels from having their sinuses cleared, or having a heavy weight lifted from them. Lines of amber light play across the man’s broken flesh, coaxing it to weave itself back together. His face would still be just slightly puffy, but that would subside by morning. “You shouldn’t have to endure that just because of your parentage...not that I’m a stranger to such things.” Not everyone likes cats, after all. The paladin was going to carry the man himself onto the ship, but she’s fine with letting Larz be a gentlemen and do the heavy lifting. As the two of them board, Rani says, “I’m curious to see what information our new friend here has. To make convincing replicas, he had to get the design from somewhere.”

Largakh grins down at her again, “thank you. I’ll repay you one day,” then his brow sort of knits together in an understanding way. He knows what it’s like being the misfit. Larz plops the man down, not too hard after they board, but enough to get an ‘oof’ sound from him and grins. “Is there someone that helps you?” He crosses his arms over his chest and looks down at him with a stern look, but the man is suddenly silent. The half orc lets out a short and deep chuckle before his tone ominously says, “don’t worry… we will become best of friends before you know it.” While he said this, he slips the soft leather jacket off so his arms are showing and the swindler can’t seem to peel his eyes off the splotchy blue spots scattered on the forearms and bit of bicep showing just before the short sleeved fabric of his shirt. Larz can see the unease in the man and even though he knows his vitiligo means nothing now, it doesn’t mean that most people look at it as a bad omen. He looks to Zahrani and shrugs, “once we get him back to the sanctum, I can talk with him,” interrogate him, “and get some more answers. We won’t get anywhere with him,” at least in public.