RP:The Sinister Web Expands

Part of the Craughmoyle's King Arc

Summary: Xzavior visits House D'Artes to update Gevurah on his progress stealing information from House Dragana regarding The Order of the Shade. He mentions Laezila, and Gevurah informs him of the bounty on her head. Xzavior explains in broad strokes what Banto hopes to accomplish in Cenril and Gevurah arranges to meet Banto in the near future.

D'Artes Throne Room

Gevurah rests in House D’Artes temple room to Vakmatharas in deep meditation and study. However, she may be interrupted if necessary. The guards that stand sentry before the estate and in the foyer know to call upon Izzen, the House Chamberlain, to arrange for a formal meeting between Gevurah and worthy guests in the throne room. The city is oddly quiet today, by Trist’oth standard. The standard cry of slave being whipped in distant rooms and other houses is the white noise of the city, easily tuned out by drow ears.

Xzavior had stopped before the guards and told them that he would like an audience with Gevurah. He had finished his task fairly quickly and as he could tell without any backlash for it. Yet. If they didn't let him in upon first request he would tell them that he had business with her that she would very much like to hear. Until then he waited patiently for whoever it would be that would lead him to his employer with crossed arms.

The estate is massive and as such when Xzavior arrives the guards tell a servant to tell another servant to find Izzen to find Gevurah’s captain of her personal guard to come and verify that Xzavior is who he says he is. The captain arrives, confirms, and the process repeats itself, this time to receive confirmation from Gevurah herself that she wishes to entertain Xzavior now. Like Gevurah, the estate has no chill. Everything is formal, stiff. Maids get assigned to dungeon chamber pot duty for infractions as small as forgetting to refill half empty (or half full) shampoo bottles. Eventually Izzen himself leads Xzavior to the throne room, designed to intimidate and impress the ruling family’s subjects and dignitaries from abroad. Gevurah sits in one of the three thrones along the right-side wall. Despite Tiphareth’s disappearance, she cannot occupy the main throne just yet do to the complicated nature of drow politics. She sits in the centermost and tallest throne of the set of three, suggesting she is second in command after the main throne’s power. “Xzavior. Back so quickly. With fortuitous news, I expect.”

Xzavior had enough chill to handle and deal with the up tight estate. It was easy to see too. When he was being lead down to the throne room he had tossed curious looks about the place and when he had entered the chamber he only casted glances about. It was time to be a little more respectful now. Xzvior looked a lot more presentable then when they had first met and looked a lot less bruised and battered as well, with a dark grey shirt that covered his upper half. Though underneath he had a new scar to show for the fight. At her address he dipped his head respectfully, "Like I said it was an easy task. Easier when I found that I actually knew people who lived there. They waltzed me right in," He chuckled mainly to himself for a moment before snapping back to attention when he remembered why he was here, "In Larewen's private study she has a single book about the Order. I couldn't open it to find what was inside though."

Gevurah‘s brows lift in surprise when Xzavior says he is chummy with some of Larewen’s cohorts. Good to know. “Did you bring me the book?” She extends a hand expectantly, permitting him to approach. “And who are the members of her estate? Which of them did you know previously?”

Xzavior frowned when she asked for the book, "That I could not do. Hildegarde decided to make a surprise visit and that ruined any chance I had of getting out of there with little suspicion. But in regards to who all lives there it would be Pilar and one of Hildegardes more close friends, Laezila. I would say I could try again but I am sure that Larewen has discovered her broken lock by now so it might draw a little more suspicion my way."

Gevurah frowns when Xzavior produces no book and outright scowls at the name ‘Laezila’. She sucks on her teeth audibly as she considers her next move. “I want that book. How you get it is of no importance to me. I want it. That is your task. As for House Dragana…” She pauses ten fixes him betwixt her glowing red eyes. “Would you consider Laezila a friend of yours as well?”

Xzavior expected as much. It was time to fall back on his first plan and hope that another party wasn't going on or anything like that. No doubt there would be a little more caution. "Alright. I'll get it back here as soon as I can. I can make it happen tonight if I play my cards right." That was a very big if he was talking about there. But he had played off a lot of ifs before so why should this be different. The question of if he knew the other vampiress made him raise a brow as he returned her stare with his own, "First time I even heard of her was that night. No I do not."

Gevurah may be a young drow in her fifties, but drow have long lives and therefore are naturally very patient. She nods at his timeframe as if she expects it won’t be tonight, but that’s alright. “Then it may interest you to know that Laezila is a traitor to my House and this city. She led a riot that burned for three days and killed many drow. Should she fall under your knife, the city would be grateful and reward you for your vigilantism.” She smiles cruelly. “The Drow Council of Trist’oth has placed a 35,000 gold bounty on her head.” For now she remains quiet on Hildegarde’s bounty. Targeting heads of state is much more complicated.

Xzavior hummed at the proposition of such a large sum of gold. He had guessed by her reaction that Laezila had something to do with this place given that she was also a drow but a more interesting thought came to mind as he started to think about it, "And what if I brought her back here for a more personal punishment?" The question had more of a double outcome. If he could bring her back here he wouldn't have a body he had to deal with that would, again, point evidence his way. And he thought that the Priestess might like to have a little face to face with her as she got her revenge and what not.

Gevurah nods curtly. “35,000 dead or alive. I would very much like to kill her myself, though she is difficult to transport alive. Don’t underestimate her. She may not be as powerful as my house, but she is powerful in her own right and would not hesitate to kill you for her own survival.”

Xzavior chuckled at that, "I don't underestimate and I make extra precautions because of that. I have a place I can keep her until I am ready to transfer her or until you have something ready to pick her up. Which reminds me," He paused for a moment and thought about his next choice of words, "I'm not sure you know about the whole gang activity going on in Cenril, but I do believe you'll be interested in knowing that a partner and I are going to be taking over the Cenril underground. We plan on taking control of every bit of shady dealings that go on there and work our way to some more outer city works. Which do include hits and bounties if they are ever passed our way," He wore an small smile across his face as he mentioned everything.

Gevurah squints as Xzavior mentions Cenril. He isn’t the first underhanded character to bring up Cenril with her this month. “Who is your partner? What do you mean by shady dealings. What exactly, why?”

Xzavior was not expecting that kind of reaction when he mentioned it, "My partner would be another drow named Banto. Also a necromancer. And by shady I mean anything that would fall under it. Blackmail, spy works, infiltration, assassinry. All that fun stuff. But I believe that those are long term goals at the moment. We need to clear the town of anyone else who might. But after we do it will be like I said anything that goes on in the dark. We even plan on adding our own idea to the collection. Something much like the tournament I won not too long ago, though a lot more betting and a death is required."

Gevurah rolls her neck, a physical tic, as she appraise this venture. “I’d like to meet this Banto. A drow you say? Interesting. Arrange a time to bring him here and make an introduction.” She has more bounties and tasks to be sure, but she is careful before getting in dark beds, so to speak, with alleged evil allies. Paranoia runs bone deep in the D’Artes bloodline. “Deliver on Larewen’s book, and on Laezila’s head, and perhaps I’ll remember more tasks for your enterprise.” In other words: earn it.

Xzavior gave her a single nod, "Thank you. I'll bring him your way the next time I can. Along with the book and the head. Alive if possible," He had his own cruel grin at this, "I like to give gifts to those I plan on working with."

Gevurah chuckles at his mention of Laezila’s still beating heart as a gift. “Sweetening the deal will get you far. I expect we’ll meet again soon, along with Banto. May Vakmatharas guide your dagger.” She nods as permission for him to leave. The guards and Izzen will see to it that the spy doesn’t lurk on the premises on his way out.