RP:Trouble Along the Coast

From HollowWiki

Part of the Thy Kingdom Come Arc


Summary: Linn comes to Hildegarde with a problem: He's become apart of a plot devised by Desparrow and others to blow up parts of Cenril. The Silver then offers her advice on the matter.



The Rolling Hills

Linn was once again wearing his armor plates in the camp in Xalious, the only changes immediately evident were that the points of the plates at his knees and elbows were now tipped with rather large clear gemstones, cut to match the form of the old metal. He came directly to Hildegarde’s tent, asking the (likely present) guards to see the former steward; if pressed for explanation all he would say is that it was a personal matter. For maybe the first time he seemed truly nervous and anxious, his gaze not entirely attentive to the present setting as he continued mulling through some kind of thought.

Hildegarde’s tent was guarded ferociously by Mikael and Lisbeth, who had undoubtedly enlisted other men and women from around the camp to protect the tent and the particularly woman within it. Not that she really wanted quite so many people to be protecting her! Mikael, fortunately, recognised Linn. He had seen him plenty of times before and so waved him into the tent, where Hildegarde could be found sitting by a table and gazing at what could only be a map of Frostmaw. It was made from some kind of hide and carefully inked with little wooden pieces symbolising certain groups, factions and so on. The knight stared at the map for a long time in silent contemplation.

Linn nodded with a brief thanks to Mikael and Lisbeth as he entered the tent, scratching his forehead as he was trying to figure out just what to say. It was then he looked around the interior of the tent as if searching for any unwanted eavesdroppers before speaking up. “Hildegarde, I’m sorry for dropping in like this without any real warning but I just got some information that has landed me in a… very difficult situation. “ A sigh as he moved further into the tent just to get away from the entrance, idly glancing at the map as he went. “I was hoping you might be able to help me in one way or another. When I offered that crystal to you a while back you mentioned Desparrow did the same thing. I need to know more about him.” It was hard to figure out where to go from there; the Silver was likely to direct the conversation from whatever she would say or question him on.

Hildegarde’s tent was empty, apart from the now watchful Lisbeth who remained within the tent while Mikael guarded the outside of it. Not that Hildegarde necessarily needed Lisbeth when speaking to Linn, but she knew it would be pointless trying to convince either giant that it wasn’t necessary. “Please, sit,” she suggests, gesturing to a chair near her desk. “That’s a rather wide statement,” she replied, “and I will need you to be more specific. I am not quite an expert on Desparrow, but I think I know enough.”

Linn readily took the offer to sit, leaning back in the chair as he rubbed his brows again with a deep sigh. “Well, the first thing I have to say is that he is not who he’s saying he is. So let’s start there. He’s been keeping secrets, and from what I can tell he’s openly lied to me now. A few months ago he mentioned something about removing the mayor of Cenril for some plan regarding evacuating everyone from the city. And now, the mayor’s dead. I heard about it not long after and when I saw him at his home, it was… mostly destroyed. He insisted he found the mayor dead, but just now someone who claims to have worked for him asked me to be a part of one of his plans to take over the rest of the city. And just now someone who claims to be working for him asked me to take part in a plan of his. She mentioned that he was responsible for the mayor’s death.” A couple blinks and another sigh as he shook his head. “It’s hard to tell what’s true in all this, but from what I’ve seen myself he’s unstable, and now I’m stuck in some kind of plan of his that’s going to bring about a lot of destruction.”

Hildegarde listened to the words delivered by Linn before finally saying, “I see.” Her first meeting with Desparrow had been a tense one, what with his unabashed desire to destroy Satoshi, Kasyr and Frostmaw. She had convinced him that his trouble was with Kasyr and Satoshi, not with Frostmaw; though she was forever wary after that point. “While I do not believe it to be beyond him in killing the Mayor, perhaps he tells the truth in saying that he found the body. Many who work in the shadows and tell lies often have a catspaw; so perhaps Desparrow did only just find the body… because he was the man who hired the killer,” she reasoned thoughtfully. “But that’s only conjecture. There’s no evidence or anything substantial to back that up,” she added. The Silver pauses for a moment before finally saying, “You’re obviously telling me about this for some reason, am I right?”

Linn couldn’t help a shrug. Hiring the killer was the same thing as doing it himself at this point to him. When she asked him for his reason he nodded. “I’m stuck in a very difficult spot with him now. This plan that I’ve just been told of, it’s essentially a hostile takeover of the city. Centered on capturing the vice-mayor and the guards. I was asked to make a couple bombs to destroy key parts of the city for this…” A pause and a pained sigh. “I accepted. He’s been maintaining to me that what he’s been doing was in the best interest of the city but at this point I don’t believe him anymore. And I can’t help but feel that no matter what I’m going to be doing with this it’s going to end in disaster. I’m looking for anything I can find that will help with dealing with him.”

Hildegarde understood that it was more or less the same thing, but in the eyes of a killer or a madman it would make all the difference. “If you do not make the bombs, he will likely kill or harm you,” she pointed out. “I would recommend that you make them. But deliberately faulty, so that they fizzle out and cause no harm or are actually only going to produce smoke or cloud. But he’s said to be more beast than man… you’d have to mimic the scent or make it convincing enough to fool Desparrow,” she reasoned thoughtfully, her thumb and forefinger clasping her earlobe thoughtfully. “A hostile takeover of Cenril is dangerous. It could threaten Rynvale in terms of trade and how the Rynvalian people reach the rest of the world.”

Linn nodded weakly as Hildegarde suggested going ahead. “They’re probably going to be magical bombs. No scent involved. But I worry about what he’d do if those don’t work. I’ve been told they are to cut off reinforcements from nearby. A failure may just lead to an even larger fight.” His foot began restlessly bouncing as he kept thinking on the implications until Hildegarde spoke of those on Cenril and Rynvale. “I worry he’ll go farther. And with how much power he’s getting his hands on I worry stopping him would be incredibly costly if it does go that far. That mana crystal, when he offered it to you, how did he seem to feel about it?”

Hildegarde lapsed into silence once again and stared at Linn for a long moment. She was thinking carefully. “Who else is in on this scheme? Or, more to the point, who do you know and how do you think they feel about it? Do you think they might too find this plan uncomfortable? Because if that is the case, then we can cut away from of Desparrow’s allies. Weaken him slightly.” As the question about the mana crystal is posed, the knight frowned as if trying to recollect how Desparrow had offered it exactly. “He seemed… casual. Nonchalant, but also as if he were offering me a powerful favour. He is not a man I would wish to be indebted to.”

Linn took his own time thinking of who else would be in on Desparrow’s scheme. “People he knows of course. But specifics? I’ve been mostly kept in the dark. One person I remember talking to who mentioned doing something for him was a woman named Yukiko. But I don’t think either of us knew any of what’s going to go on at that time. The person who informed me of this plan called herself Miss Yin. She said she was the one who made it, but if Desparrow is willingly going with it…” he shook his head. The evidence could tear too many different ways. “I’ve been told to let Desparrow know what I’ll be doing myself. I refused to play any personal part in the plan.” As the crystal was spoke of he nodded slightly, continuing to think on her response as it came. “If he actually showed you the thing… I have it now. It’s the same one I offered you. But yes, casual… would be the way I’d describe him when he gave it back to me. That he’s not seeming to pay any attention to the implications of something like that is what concerns me most. If you haven’t seen it yet I can show you, but I don’t want anyone you don’t trust to keep its existence a secret to be there. Word of something like this getting out would be disastrous.”

Hildegarde had already been shown the object by Desparrow and she thought it to be an ominous looking thing. His casual attitude about it hadn’t allayed her nerves at all. “I don’t know Yukiko, but I do know this ‘Miss Yin’. Ynhaldei. She has been to Frostmaw and she’s a troublemaker, that much I know,” she commented. “As I have said before,” though he laughed off her offer, “I can safely destroy the item, though it is at risk to myself to do so.” One could not become the would-be Queen of Frostmaw without having some tricks up their sleeves, after all. “If you wish to be rid of it from your possession and – better yet in my opinion – anyone’s possession for the foreseeable future, you would either give it to me to destroy or… well… give it to another of equal power. Perhaps Tristram. His hoard is legendary.”

Linn sighed and nodded as Miss Yin’s reputation as a troublemaker. Figures. As to the crystal though… “Desparrow’s going to make more, I can tell you that right now. I’ll be honest… I gave him the first sample as a way to get more for myself. I’m realizing just how much of a mistake that was now. But if he’s going to use it as a way to carry out his plans it’s going to be important to understand what it can and can’t do. And much as I’ve worked with it, it’s still surprising me. The only use for that much power is either something that is no good, or something to end an event on that scale. I have a feeling it might be needed to do just that in the near future…” he trailed off, the worry growing in his eyes before he lightly shook it away. “In the end… I don’t think Desparrow’s going to remain harmless for long. And I guess… I’m asking for support if it becomes necessary to stop him, and that I can work closely as I am to figure out how to bring him down.”

Hildegarde was glad to hear Linn get to the real heart of the matter: seeking support. “As you know, I’m running a war of my own,” she said softly. “But my duty is to the people of the realm and I am honour bound to protect them. Desparrow will do whatever he can to get his own way, but… he can be stopped, just like any villain or hero for that matter. Do you have any idea on when he might next attack?”

Linn nodded assuringly with a smile as Hildegarde mentioned the war of her own. “As far as I know I’m in it.” He returned lightly before moving to the next question. A long silence followed as he wracked his mind for all of the conversations he had with the lycan and anyone associated with him. “I’ve been told nothing specific. That there is no definite time yet suggests it’s a bit off. But if he’s requesting materials and tools now, it’s not –that- far off.” A weak huff. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be sitting on building-toppling explosives for weeks on end. I have to go see him again to sort out the details of these bombs and inform him that I won’t be there the night of this plan, whenever it is. If he tells me then, I’ll let you know. But I can’t make any guarantees, asking him for that information might bring about too much suspicion.”

Hildegarde raised her hand ever so slightly, as if to caution or quiet Linn. “I would not outright say you will not be there. I would, as much as it may be irritating, dance around your words. Do not commit, but neither rule yourself out of participation until you have details. That is what I would recommend,” she advised. “But again, you are your own man. You can decide for yourself. But I would implore that you inform the guard or some… some kind of authority within Cenril; someone who can reach people for assistance. If I can, I will aid.”

Linn thought for a while on the noncommittal route before shrugging. “Possibly. We’ll have to see when it comes to that meeting.” As for warning the guard… he nodded. “I’ll have to see who I can find to tell them about this. I just want it so that when the time comes that he’d think something’s gone afoul, we’ve already crippled him so badly he can’t react.” Undermining someone was an all-in game it seemed for Linn.

Hildegarde nodded slightly at Linn’s reply, “I know. But it’s hard to try and plan for when someone will attack.” The Silver sighed gently, “Undermining him may only further enrage him. You’d be better off taking him out entirely, or by surprise. Sheer force. But then you can’t without a good idea of his numbers.”

Linn sighed, idly looking at the map again as he thought. Eventually a nod. “Just go in right through the eye. Too bad that’s pretty hard to do entirely without being noticed.” He couldn’t help a weak chuckle at the literal aptitude of the statement. “Well, for now it looks like I’m stuck with him for now then. Waiting to know if it’s the right thing to end him like that, and then when and how. I’ll keep an eye on him.” With another sigh he finally stood; he still seemed anxious, but ever so slightly less so. “Thank you for hearing me on this. If you know anyone else that may be willing to help I’d like to know if things get bad. But for now… more information” Looks like he was going to be playing with fire for a bit.

Hildegarde could think of a few names, “I’ll try to see if I can get some people in the loop,” she promised. “But with the war in Frostmaw and Larket, people will be stretched thin. But they will rally, I’m sure,” she said softly. “I will do what I can.”

Linn smiled and nodded as he turned to leave the tent. “We’ll hammer these wars out one at a time. Or all together if we have to. Just figuring out what to do next and doing it.” A deep sigh as he began anticipating the next task in front of him. “Thank you again Hildegarde. I’ll see what I can pick up.” With that he was already making his way out. Really he just needed some time to unwind. Punch something maybe to let off the nervous energy. Maybe wrestle a big cat.