RP:Rat Turns Rat
Part of the Rise of Larket Arc
Summary: Blut, a member of The Steel Collective, delivers on the contract between Josleen and the mercenary group: gather information on Macon. Blut finds Hsk Spittle, the fermin illusionist that has been Macon’s linchpin in pulling off his plan to turn Larket against Kelovath. Hsk Spittle admits to the entire plot and agrees to serve as a double agent just once, to steal the rage stone from Macon.
Blut warns Josleen not to speak to Jhaelyn, a member of The Steel Collective who he believes can’t be trusted.
The Belfry Tower
Josleen received word from The Steel Collective via their agreed upon, super spy method of secret communication. The mercenary group had something to deliver. When Josleen decoded the message, her stomach dropped and breath vacated her breast. Could her and Kelovath’s exile finally be over? There was no hint as to what exactly was found The Collective, and the bard did her best not to get ahead of herself, not to nurse hope where there may yet be none. Nonetheless, her thoughts drifted to warm, extravagant dinners in her impressive estate in Larket, of strolling down the street arm-in-arm with a gold-plated somebody, redeemed and once again on the path to good, peaceful living. She left the apartment in disguise and meandered in her route to meet-up spot, The Belfry Tower in the Cathedral of the Divine Three. She wore a wavy red wig, wide and chunky framed glasses, and denim pants and a flannel plaid shirt, an outfit she wouldn’t be caught dead in outside of a disguise. Who knows how far Larket’s eyes extend? She paces nervously in the circular room in the tower. It’s empty this time of day. The denizens of Cenril have more productive things to do, but for the exiled, there’s only this.
Blut enters the building reciveing orders and instructions walking inside dressed as a bard his assassin robes hidden with his illusions and his leather armour was hidden by the flashy outfit and the large guitar he carried. Blut had a poppy on his hat and tied to his coller as he walked around the area as he sung. "There once was a friend who was called aarika who need some help you see, her lover was captured for deeds he done not commit so she needed help for him you see for her love for him spread further than the sky. She reached out far and wide for help to bring her monster down she sought out collections of steel that could bring her aid and her atlast the aid has come to save the day." To onlookers it would seem as if it was just a regular bard singing and playing his tunes through the tower Blut shifting his voice for a higher pitch and the illusionary face looking like a common fool. Blut simply waited for someone to approach him and ask for a black poppy so that he could tell it was Josleen until then he would continue to sing and play with hints to Josleens quest.
Josleen approaches the curious bard and points at his hat. “My, what a lovely poppy. But your song has me feeling glum. Would you happen to have a black poppy to give me?”
Blut laughs as he places his hand over his strings to stop them from makeing sound "why certainly my dear but I only carry red poppys if you want what you need I hope you'd follow me to my humble abroad then all shall be revealed." Blut answered in a sing song voice makeing it sound like a pick up line as he followed with a gluttonous laughter as he waved his hand in a motion to signal her to follow. Blut attempts to have Josleen look into his eyes so he can create a illusion for her and her alone to summon a illusionary crow and explain who he was.
Josleen hesitates instinctually. Following mad men to secret locations is a fast track to a premature death. However, she reasons that the black poppy pass phrase is unique enough, and The Steel Collective vetted enough, that she should be safe. Still, she wishes Kelovath were here, but he was meeting with a few supporters to work on a plan against Macon. The pair need as many allies and plots as they can get. “Very well,” she says to Blut and meets his eye as he so intended. She gasps at the sight of the crow, terrified by the hallucination, but quickly reasons it’s a benign illusion. She nods to indicate she understands who he is.
A Secret Warehouse, Cenril
Blut leads Josleen to the warehouse for where he stored the Fermin Illusionist as the crow purches on his shoulder looking at Josleen. "This crow is my illusion that only you and I can see and hear I am the steel Collective member Blut I believe I've found your illusionist he identifies himself as Hsk Spittle. Please enter through the barrel the code is 139" Blut stops at the warehouse but rather then entering through the door he unlocks a lock placed on the barrel. He opened the lid of a barrel as he slid down the ladder to the tunnel he made. The door was a optical Illusion there was no way to unlock it only the barrel was the true doorway to the warehouse. The lock relocks every 20 seconds just enough time for someone to enter the barrel and close it.
The barrel only stays open long enough for one person, so Josleen waits for Blut to enter then uses the 139 passcode (somehow), and follows suits. Once inside, she looks around and hugs herself, a bit spooked by the fact no one knows where she is or who she is with. She shudders and forces that thought out of mind. She speaks to break the spooky silence. “Hsk Spittle, you say? How have you kept him from casting spells now?”
Blut clicks his fingers as orbs of iillumination fill the warehouse as the Fermin was chained to the wall runes glowed along his chains. "Simple those chains of his are stealing his mana and if he trys to cast spells his mana will be stolen all the quicker." Blut grabbed a bucket of water as his illusionary voice and face broke apart revealing his mask. Blut walked over to Spittle as he threw the ice cold water over the Fermin " wake up you've got company." Blut ordered in a cold and icy voice.
Josleen winces when she sees the method of shackling and abuse. The rational part of her mind understands this is necessary, but the emotional side recalls the last time she partook in something akin to torture, and how she came to regret it. She simply hasn’t the stomach for it, and for the 3rd time in under 20 minutes she wishes Kelovath were here with her. She asks Blut, “Has it said anything so far? How have you linked it to Macon?”
Blut sighed as the fermin started to come to. "He's been unconscious for a while due to him ingesting venom made to paralyze giants he got the anti venom so he will be free to move once he gets a grip. I can only tell you he is a fermin who's gotten letters from a unknown source and he's one of the only fermin illusionist down there that can pull of something as dramatic as morphing into someone from another species good enough to fool a entire crowd. He'll talk they always talk."
Josleen drags a crate from against the wall to the center of the room and takes a seat. She crosses her arms and legs and stares at the groggy fermin. “Make it talk, then.” Like heck is Josleen going to get her hands dirty. This isn’t her world. She was forced into the shadows by Macon, but she’s still a voyeur in many respects. “What did the letters say?”
Blut smiled behind his mask as the fermin came to quickly grabbing his head forceing it to look into Bluts eyes his face morphing back into the same kind smile that offered him treats. "Hello there Hsk Spittle welcome to Cenril your area of temporary stay and graveyard if you don't tell us exactly what we want to here." Blut pointed at a bag " in thar bag is some letters filled with conditions for meeting and payment of unknown sources however due to the handwriting it is the same person each time. Tell me Spittle who were you meeting." Blut told the facts and asked questions with a debilitateing calm his eyes holding no emotion as he looked at the Fermin.
Josleen stays quiet as Blut seaks to the fermin. Curiously, she rarely looks at the rat. Mostly, she looks to Blut and speaks to him. When the mercenary mentions the bag, Josleen goes to it and pulls out the letters to analyze them. “Can I keep these? I’d like to analyze them with more time.” Hsk Spittle laughs in a gravelly voice at Blut and shrugs within his chains. “You are a mercenary, as am I. Would you give up a client? Why would I?” His whiskers shake as he sniggers.
Blut chuckles at Spittles response before plunging a illusionary knife into Spittles shoulder. "Oh I'm sorry I took you for someone who valued his life. Also I hate to break it to you I'm not too big on that honor amongst thieves crap. Just a excuse for the scared to keep themselves safe from the monsters they hire." Blut explained shoveing another illusionary dagger into the other shoulder of the rat. "Now let me make this clear you will not eat sleep or even fall unconscious until I get what I'm looking for so it's in your best intrest to spill your secrets." Blut looked back at Josleen nodding his head to approve her request as he grabbed a illusionary brand as the bottom suddenly erupted in sapphire flames. When the flames died down the brand was glowing from the heat. Due to the rat looking into Bluts eyes every illusion felt just as real as the real thing. Even the steady increase in heat as the brand moved slowly towards the stomach of the Fermin.
Josleen takes the letters and resumes her seat. Because she isn’t looking into Blut’s eyes, she misses a lot of the illusion, which is for the best. The bard has little stomach for torture. As for Hsk Spittle, he’s about to empty his stomach. The illusions faithfulness to reality causes him pain and fear so intense he becomes nauseous. He sweats, fur darkening on his head, and chitters like a corner, well, rat. “N-n-no! Stop! I’ll tell you. But you have to cover my tracks, okay? You can’t lead him back to me. He’ll kill me. Please!”
Blut chuckled as he stopped the brand at the last second throwing it to the side makeing a clatter as it fell on the ground. Blut got up and started walking towards Josleen "I can do that but who you really should be negotiating with is her." Blut looks at Josleen pointing at her as he explained to the Fermin "What do you say" Blut asked a cruel smile filled his illusionary face as he to out a crystal made to record conversations. "Now start talking".
Josleen shrugs slowly as she answers Hsk Spittle but only looks at Blut. “Depends on the quality of the evidence. If it can provide evidence to prove Kelovath and mine innocence without involving you, sure, if not, well. Perhaps the fermin can make itself useful to our cause, work for us instead, help us nail that rotten son of a gun Macon, and earn itself some mercy.” In other words, maybe Hsk Spittle would be willing to be a double agent? Or lead Josleen to evidence? The rat shouts, “It’s the axe! The axe! Macon’s axe! It has a magical stone that makes people violent, angry, crazy. He can control them. Fermin, human, anyone. Wasn’t it strange how quickly the people turned to a mob and turned on Kelovath, the hero? The stone! The rage stone!” Josleen arches a brow to Blut. “Tell it that perhaps if it steals this stone for Kelovath and I, we’ll have mercy when justice is dealt to the guilty. But I need more information than that. Does it confess to impersonating Kelovath? Are these letters from Macon?” Hsk Spittle gives up the whole plot (which this writer won’t iron out in detail here), and confesses to impersonating Kelovath. While none of that is written down in the letters, it does confirm payment sums and meeting places between Macon and Hsk Spittle. It seems the nefarious plotting was done in person, but there’s enough of a paper trail here to cast doubt. Macon could claim the meetings and payment were for legitimate services, but with the rage stone and this fermin’s testimony, his defense would be weak. Once she has the whole story, Josleen says to Blut. “Good work. Keep him chained here until we’re ready to proceed with the plan. I’d not wish to give it the opportunity to double cross us. However,” she looks to Hsk Spittle for the first time as she says to Blut. “Do not harm him. Make sure he is fed and rested. Treat him as a guest, so that he may experience the benefits of being our ally.”
Blut sighed as he nodded as he grabbed a wheel far away from the Fermin causeing the fermin to move and walk but still quite a distance from the wheel Blut reached into his cloak and provided bread and a aquious fruit special fruit holding alot of water. "You hear that Fermin she has decided to show you mercy however until this issue is resolved your to remain here but I will provide with the neccessitys you need includeing a bed and two meals each day. I want you to take the time to consider your odds and think about what you want to do cause if you even think about double crossing us just remember what happened to you and your friends." Blut turned to Josleen to tell her "Josleen I belive this is enough for the other half of our pay but when you next speak to Aarika inform her do not allow this information into the hands of the steel collective member Jhaelyn I don't trust her one bit."
Josleen thanks Blut for his information about Jhaelyn, and leaves.