RP:The Kidnapping of Joliette Thorne - Part I

Background

This is part of the Kidnapping of Joliette Thorne story arc.

Cornelius, planning to save Niawtu by offering one of Vuryal's victims in her stead, approaches the gallows to read the list. Where he sees Joliette Thorne, whose old nom de guerre appears on that list.

Mindful of the recent embarrassments suffered at her hands Cornelius sees the perfect opportunity for some creative payback.

Needless to say, not all goes as planned.

A meeting by the gallows outside Kelay Tavern

Cornelius strolls along and up to the gallows to peruse the paper pinned there

Jolie swung by, loaded with elegant silk-handled shopping bags. "... what are we all looking at?"

Cornelius said to Jolie, ""I need to kill or dismember one of these people to stop a puppy from dying. Care to save a puppy? Or should I look elsewhere for now?""

Jolie glanced to the dandy, lifting her eyes from the list, upon which her name appeared. "Puppy?" Her lips pursed. "Any gold in it?"

Cornelius murmurs "I suppose there is also the 'bring in alive' option."

Jolie said, "The job .. not the puppy."

Cornelius nods "20 big lollies"

Aatos snickers at the List, brown orbs scanning the names with sadistic delight. Oh how the lands never cease to amaze and amuse. He involuntarily makes a random 'swine' noise and resumes his chuckling, pick axe being slung over a broad shoulder.

Jolie stared at Cornelius. "You know I haven't much of a sweet tooth."

Jolie blinked gently as she perused the swinish male. "Remind me, Cornelius, to stock up on pork rinds at the pub?"

Cornelius grins at Jolie "But I do when it comes to twenty thousand in gold and a good cause, M'dear. Think of the puppies." And with that, two silvered daggers drop into his hands from hidden sheathes lined with the tranquiliser which had knocked Jolie out that one job in Vailkrin, after she'd eaten the poor dwarf. He'd planned it for Kuzial, but this could work out better. With a voracious grin he sweeps in a graceful sequence of light slashes, designed to cause but the slightest cuts anywhere possible. A couple would be enough to get the tranquiliser into the system.

Aatos raises a brow at a few of names. This will certainly cause a shift of power should all of these be killed. Most, if not all, are quite prominent. The general feeling is that he will wake up one day to a completely different Hollow.

Lared the young priest of Kanos looks around the rather disreputable crowd rather nervously. He seems quite concerned. He asks his clan mate Beata in an anxious voice. "Is there any truth in the rumors that the evil tyrant Vuryal has returned to these lands?"

Jolie said, "Puppies? Who gives a f----" The necromancer was not expecting the maelstrom of blades, the flurry of slashes that curried unprotected limbs (she was dressed for retail not battle ) nor that particular betrayal. Well, really, she ought to have seen it coming and did not. Her eyes glazed as her body numbed from the limbs inward and the necromancer crumpled, shopping bags akimbo hither and thither, to the pathway with a soft, "Bastard.""

Beata looks sadly to her fellow clan leader.." Yes I am afraid he is back."

Gwenilyn reads the list with disbelieving eyes. So many.... so many friends......

Mark :: A lurking shadow lingers about behind a building, observing the crowd about the gallows for a few moments before disappearing behind its cover...

Gwenilyn moves through the crowd to Lared to offer a private word.

Aatos grunts a few times in succession before saying, "Was going to come back eventually. Aye that one thrives on blood. Coulda been a vampire for all that blood thirst. But it's none of my concern." He continues scanning the names, trying to fit names, with faces, with deeds.

Gwenilyn whispered something to Lared.

Cornelius hoists Jolie over his shoulder and whispers to her before she falls unconscious "Love potion. We're even" He calls out to folks "Don't mind me, people. Jolie and I are just having a domestic. She cheated on me with a carpenter." He calls over a local kid "Here, carry those bags for me" He tosses the youth a silver coin, and then the Dandy, Bitch, and Boy wander off.

Syrus joins the group, his ever present companion following next to him. Eyes raise to the list spoken about by those he had spoken with, causing his brow to crinkle in a form of disappointment. Words, ever so soft of words, utter from his nearly hidden lips as he expresses his thoughts to the lich to his side, "It seems that yet another set of tasks are upon our plate fellow warlock. We have lives to protect."

Lared said to Gwenilyn, "They say he threatened the life of an innocent child who had harmed him in no way earlier, little Niawtu the lycan girl."

Gwenilyn said to Lared, "*tears welling* Aye, so I have heard. She is my sister.... Somethng must be done."

Lared whispered something to Gwenilyn.

Gwenilyn whispered something to Lared.

Lared has just realised that Jolie is on the list under her other name of Tenebrae. The young priest panics and begins to run after Cornelius. "Hey there! Put the lady down."

Gwenilyn :: At last, Cornelius' words have sunk in. At first she thinks it a joke, but then she remembers the list of names.....

Lared whispered something to Gwenilyn.

Syrus remained among the gathering, moving to a bench nearest him. There were few threats he worried about in the afterlife, but those made on the living he took with little lightheartedness. Richard moved toward the list, and began to scribble on a small piece of parchment. A smile was present beneath his mask, exposing his delight in the names of people he might find fun to hunt.

Gwenilyn spies Syrus and moves quickly to his side.

Cornelius strolls on. Lared will just have to follow him to converse. The priest will recognise the scarred face as one of those who assisted in rebuilding the shrine

Jolie is silent as a sack of grain and lumped across Cornelius' shoulder like one, too, black hair swinging like a limp flag as he carried her, limbs flopping, and never mind that short dress hem.

A leisurely escape along Kelay Way

Mark :: A blurred shadow darts from building to brush in silence, pursuing the man carrying the female known as 'Jolie'. Every once in awhile, a pair of bright green eyes is briefly visible, peeking out from behind a building, a tree, or some other form of cover.

Cornelius calls out "Oh for crying out loud. Just pop on out and say hello mister 'I am so jolly sneaky it's a crime" I don't bite. It's Tenebrae who bites"

Jolie said, "Mmmrrrphhhh."

Lared runs after the familiar man carrying the necromancer, not quite sure what he will do if he catches him, the young priest is a pacifist after all, but he can't just stand by and let anyone be handed over to the evil tyrant. He attempts to grab Cornelius by the cloth of his shirt at his shoulder.

Jolie was dreaming that she was being given a ride on a tall, bearded pony which smelled like roses. She'd actually said, "Giddyup."

Cornelius turns and drops a headbutt towards Lared's face. Whether it connects or not, the dandy is immediately contrite: "Oh, Lared. My apologies old bean. I thought you were one of the bad guys." On your way to Cenril? Jolly good show!"

Mark :: There is no response from the brush despite the indication Cornelius has given that he's aware of the presence of a stalker. Civilians walk by giving, stares at the strange man that seems to be calling out to the bushes as he carried an unconscious woman upon his shoulder.

Jolie was bleeding from those poisoned cuts, the runnels of sanguine dripping off her dangling fingers to spatter the earth.

Gwenilyn whirls about to see Jolie bleeding terribly. 'May I be of help?'

Cornelius smiles to Gwenilyn "Not at all. In fact, it is best to keep her sedated, for all our sakes"

Cornelius adds "She's gone a little mad, you see."

Lared is headbutted in the face, blood begins to pour from the young priest's nose which is almost certainly broken. He shakes his head to try to focus, a little confused both by the sudden pain, and Cornelius' words. "Er er, " He fears he may have misunderstood the situation, but would rather risk insulting an innocent man with an accusation, than risk standing by and letting Jolie be handed over to the evil one. "Are you intending to try to claim the bounty for this lady Cornelius?" He sounds like he has a cold due to the results of the head butt to his face. The cleric touches his broken nose gingerly.

Gwenilyn said to Cornelius, "What have you done? She looks terrible! Put her down and let me see to her."

Cornelius raises his eyebrows in shock "Gracious me, no! I'm trying to save the life of young Niawtu, who Vuryal has sworn to send to hell if someone isn't given in her place. And Jolie, let's face it, has lots of friends down there, so it won't be so bad for her." He turns to Gwen "My dear, please. I am trying to save an innocent life with a not-so-innocent life. Jolie won't mind. She likes puppies."

Gwenilyn :: A sudden hidden call makes Gwen's cheeks terribly pale and she runs off like a woman chased by demons.

Mark :: A young couple walks by, holding hands. The female wears a simple brown bodice over a white dress, she is Caucasian and adorns her red hair in a bun at the back of her head, she hold only a man with dark hair and brown eyes who wears a simple black shirt and pants. "Oh dear... what's wrong with that lady...?" The female points towards the female carried upon another's shoulder. "Best we not get involved." The male urges as he quickly brings his hand up to lower his partner's. The couple speeds up, seemingly rushing to get by.

Gwenilyn exits east.

Cornelius calls out to the couple "Trouble in Kelay Tavern. You know how it is. Dangerous world we live in, wot"

Jolie was still dangling like a rag doll, the drug's effects rendering her utterly asleep, though in her intoxicated dreams she was galloping the Milous plains on that peculiar, perfumed pony. "Whoa, Buttercup,' she said, in her fugue, thinking that was a stupid name for a pony.

Cornelius continues strolling east

The situation escalates near the front of Ranok's House

Mark :: The couple seems oblivious to the words of the stranger as they pass by. Coming from the other way, a rather tired, but young-looking female, holds her male child by the hand. Upon setting her gaze upon the female dripping with blood, she shifts the child to her other side, attempting to cover the scene as she rushed by.

Lared once more attempts to grab hold of the dandy's shirt cloth, most likely dripping blood on said shirt in the process. "We must fight to save young Niawtu, of course, but not by handing over others to die! Put her down at once!" His demand might be a little more impressive if the priest of Kanos were not thin, unarmed, slightly built, and dripping blood from his misshapen nose.

Cornelius is accompanied by Jolie, who is unconscious and bleeding on his shoulder, accompanied by Lared. He definitely has plans to remind Jolie that she talks in her sleep

Lared is trying to grab hold of his other shoulder by his clothing.

Cornelius looks at Lared, his eyes cold and unimpressed "Tell you what Lared. If you can, by the time of the deadline, find some other way to save Niawtu, I shall have no need to hand her over. Now go on - you have work to do my good fellow"

Mark :: From the bushes, the shadow darts again, moving from brush to tree to brush to suddenly fall upon the floor with a light 'pomf'. Dust is light blow about, in the daylight it can be seen that the figure wears a black cloak and hood, the end of a braided ponytail is visible along with the green ribbon tied in a bow that secures it. "Ow..." the voice is female, light, and innocent.

Cornelius will drop another headbutt on the priest's face if he doesn't let go. Cornelius' hard eyes promise that.

Tiphareth paces after the dandy and his necromantic cargo, having seen the attack and rapid scooping of her form. A series of small sweeping gestures accompany various arcane verses before he thrusts his hands toward the two. The mystic effects form rather quickly as a thin sheet of mirror-like ice comes into form beneath the feet of Cornelius or any who may be within his vicinity, making any rapid manouvers rather unsure and difficult. "Where do you think you're taking the Lady Thorne?"

Lared's face flushes at the way Cornelius talks down to him. The priest looks around to see if any others have come to Jolie's aid, but sees only the ancient drow Patron Tiphareth, not known as a great friend of the surface dwellers. Sighing, outmatched in size and muscle, and inexperienced in combat, he will try to wrap his arms around the dandy, and grapple him. At least Lared doesn't have the disadvantage of Jolie across his shoulder.

Cornelius whispers a word as Tiphareth appears and starts incanting. The runes of his sleeves flare bright, like sunlight reflected off a mirror, as the runes seek to undo the enchantment affecting the dandy. Containing nothing like the power of an eldermage, the overall enchantment is unaffected, but the dandy's footing isn't as precarious as the drow would like "Ah, Eldermage. A pleasure. Jolie and I have some business to attend to. Clan business. You know how it is. She'll be back up and all creepy necromantic in no time." Dropping his elbow towards the priest's neck to dislodge him - either by the priest letting go, or being struck, - the dandy takes a step into the yard of the house he is now adjacent to, and knocks boldy "Open up old chap. And put on a kettle. We have company." He spares a glance to see how Lared fares on the slippery surface of the eldermage's incantation. "Care for tea, Tiphareth?"

Lared is struck in the face a second time, his already broken nose is very tender, he lets go of the dandy and slips on the enchanted ground. His voice distorted both by the pain and the blood running from his nose, the priest addresses Tiphareth, quite shocked that such a one should seem to be his ally at this time. "He lies. He has admitted to me he intends to turn her over to the tyrant!" He tries to scramble to his feet.

Tiphareth seems unaffected by the brightness of the rune-flares by aid of the ensorcelled veil everpresent upon his visage. Though his eyes remain hidden, a flare of anger burns from behind the silken screen. "Clan business or no, you have attacked a Magister Templi of the Mage's Guild, this shall not stand. Drop her now and walk away."

Cornelius arches an elegant brow "Attacked you? hardly." The dandy chuckles merrily "As if these petty defense of mine constitute an attack on one so powerful as yourself. Indeed, I am certain that, with the courtesy of your own logic, you realise that no man is inclined to let himself have magic cast at him unopposed." With a smile, he opens the door "I have a lovely blend of Gualon Grey, and Rynvallian Imperial Caviar if such is to your tastes?"