RP:What The Hell Do We Do Now?

From HollowWiki

Part of the Lies Within Us Arc


Part of the On Stranger Tides Arc


Part of the You Must Have Been Human Arc


This is a Mage's Guild RP.

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.

This is a Warrior's Guild RP.


Summary: Those within the Mage's Guild that were deemed war criminals and the few that were not gather at Khitti's bakery to figure out what to do next. It's clear that people are exhausted and lacking in hope, but three separate plans are made, in hopes that the group can take out Haladavar and rescue Odhranos as soon as possible.

The Plans:

The Ginger Snapped Bakery, Cenril

Khitti || Shadows of partygoers danced along the bakery’s bay windows. With the curtains shut, it looked like -the- hip place to be at that day. No one could really be sure when the party started, but it seemed an all day and all night affair. A mix of both slow and fast jazz music played allowing those invited to the VIP celebration of… who the hell knows what to have a bit of downtime with their drinks and friends, while also being able to get out on the dance floor if they so felt inclined. All in all it appeared to be an extremely wild party, likely with a lot of booze and foodstuffs. In reality, it was of course just a decoy. Those that could be trusted in the Mage’s Guild were sent super secret letters regarding the meeting and told to pass on the word if she’d missed anyone, complete with invitation, time and date, appropriate attire suggestions (nothing too formal, but likewise not too casual; it could literally be an illusion disguise if they preferred), a notice of ‘bring your own booze’, and a warning that the letter itself was going to self destruct within five minutes of opening (the letter wasn’t very long and the invitation also had the necessary info that needed to be known for the “event”). When the invitees got to the bakery, Khitti would be there at the door, offering smiles to all (after a while the smiles got to be rather strained) as she let them into the dimly lit building. Inside, the guild members would find a table with high quality sandwich fixings (a couple different kinds of bread/meats/cheeses/sauces and a bit of every vegetable most people would add to their sandwiches), a few kinds of sweet treats, and a couple pitchers of water, lemonade, and a pot of hot water for tea (with a few kinds of tea bags too). It wasn’t much, but she didn’t want them to come there and not be fed to some extent. A few tables were pushed together and chairs set at them as well, allowing the “guests” to pick their own seat. Whenever the last people arrived, she locked the front door, made sure that the windows were locked, and even checked the apartment door and the bakery’s backdoor. Khitti was no stranger to secrets or secret-keeping and it was clear she was taking this seriously.


Iintahquohae decided now was a better time than any to try out a disguise, and what better look than a younger version of her father? After calling in a few favors from the actors at Cenril's theatre, the seamstress' face has been glamoured with thinner lips, a longer, pointed nose, a stronger jawline with high cheekbones, and a pair of eyes the color of amber. Unfortunately, conjuring up a bit of stubble to add to her jawline and lightening her skin to a pale white wasn't feasible since they didn't have time, but they were able to help her straighten out her curls to match her father's hair as it had been when he was around her age, or perhaps younger. Hers is longer than his, but that was something only Iintahquohae and Father would know, so she braided it. Father had helped pick out the outfit, insisting that if his daughter was going to dress like he once did, she better look as good as he did, and put on a fitted, charcoal grey blazer with slacks with white button-up, white vest, and a powder blue tie. The amount of makeup applied to her skin in effort to transform her face with contouring and highlights left her with a magical and non-magical illusion that she was distinctly not Iintahquohae Oohjmaeyik, but a young man known on Cenril's streets long ago as Kraken, or Mister O. Cuff links are on brand, of course – a pair of silver octopus tentacles, and a pair of raptor-skin shoes for her feet. She carries her father's old walking stick, a wooden thing topped with a tarnished silver fish's head that he used to get around after a leg injury that left him with a limp. Knowing that she cannot convincingly fake a limp, she just walks with it in hand. She's carrying a bottle of totally fancy wine pilfered from some merchant hailing from Rynvale. It's probably from Vhys. Entering the bakery, she waves at Khitti as she passes, and tries her best to...be her dad, she guesses, until the others arrived. He'd probably start chugging from the wine bottle in her hand. She refrains from doing so.


Magik and Rilla arrive in style. And by style, that means they appeared in a sudden puff of smoke standing next to each other just near Khitti as she manned the door. Magik offered Khitti a slight nod as he spoke, referring to Rilla, “She’s with me..And..Us.” He gave Khitti a very subtle wink then headed inside. He wasn’t picky about his seat and took the first one he could grab at the table while pulling a seat out for Rilla just next to him. Snacks were ignored unless he spotted some sushi.


Khitti || Unfortunately for Khitti, she wasn’t able to pass off Dominic to Dozla (the Tranquility’s first mate) or Meri for the night, so the three year old contented himself to coloring by himself at a table somewhat nearby where Khitti would be seated. He was in his own world with his crayons and that stuffed chicken of his. And Khitti? She looked exhausted. How could she not be, with being a single mother with far too many things to do in far too many organizations and her bakery as well? At least, that’s what she thought, anyway, after having had her mind wiped entirely of Brand’s existence. Any trace of Brand seemed more or less gone. Her fire ruby wedding ring, the silver seashell bracelet he’d given to her… they were both gone. In the bracelet’s place was a gold bangle bracelet, the design that of a kraken’s tentacle that wrapped around her entire wrist. It went well with the all black, sleeve-less knee-length dress she wore, a gold ribbon used to tie most of her hair back into a ponytail. Before finding a seat for herself, she checked on her kid, gave him a cup of lemonade and a small sandwich, and told him to be careful with it. She’d also grab her bottle of whiskey from behind the counter. Sorry, guys. This one’s Khitti’s and she’s not sharing. The redhead threw together a cup of honey lemon tea, with the whiskey in it, and finally settled down into a chair with a heavy sigh.


Enelys sat on the edge of the loveseats cushion with huge cup of lemonade and a straw. She had sort of interpreted the letter as semi-formal and shown up in an autumn style cheongsam short sleeve top and a khaki knee length skirt. It seemed as if she had been busy blending in with the Cenril life, having developed a tan and a gotten a shockingly neck length haircut. She nervously slipped away at her drink and wondered just what in the world she was doing here. A million questions whirled in her mind but she was too overwhelmed to actually ask anything. Enelys was truly out of her element here. Who even were half these people?


Rilla normally was not one for such things, but darn it she’d found people whose side she was on. The young vampire let go of Magik’s hand, crossing her arms over her chest as she offered a smile at Khitti in greeting. “You’ll hardly know I’m here.” She assured as she followed behind Magik, taking the offered seat and brushing auburn curls from her face with one hand as she studied each visitor including – Inks? Brows pulled together and her head tilted as she watched the man who smelled like Inks, and at best guess was definitely her. “Suddenly I feel very underdressed.” She mumbled, a wry smile tugging at her lips. All black everything, formal wear wasn’t even an option.


Quintessa makes her way downstairs from the apartment above the bakery, a quilted comforter of black and red checkers wrapped tightly around her thin, malnourished form. Her raven hair is unkempt and knotted in places, still bearing the evidence that she had perhaps tried to sleep in right up until it was time for the meeting. Mismatched eyes of pale blue and light golden gaze out hollowly around the room, dark circles staining under them despite her attempts to rest. She did not look like she was ready for a party, but the changeling still stumbled in the direction of the special table and took a seat, letting her blanket drape over the back of her chair to show off the wrinkled black dress she wore beneath it. “Hi,” Quintessa says to nobody in particular, “Are these for us?” Without waiting for an answer the young fae girl reaches out to lazily construct a sandwich for herself. “Glad everyone is still alive... who else are we waiting for?” Quintessa's voice sounds as empty as her mismatched eyes when she speaks, like the woman isn’t really there, but rather a cheap illusion.


Kasyr had mulled over the whole 'what is considered properly discreet for some time, his mind skimming over the pros and cons of glamours, mundane disguises, and other odds and ends. And the fact of the matter is, it's a deliberation process he'd rather be drunk for- but the unfortunate awakening of greater power has had an altogether unpleasent side effect. Namely, The familiar form of Empera has not only hassled him non-stop about his fondness for the drink, it's now begin to twist the taste of it something akin to rat piss whenever he's begun to take more than a few sips. Which- essentially means, there's really no excuse for why a shipping crate supposedly containing baking supplies, and delivered from a "Veni Vedi F--- it." winds up being delivered by some enterprising folks from Vailkrin. Seriously, they don't ask questions when asked to deliver something. And, there generally is a heap of flour in the box- there's just also a not-so-soundly placed Kensai covered by the mess- with the only form of disguise he'd deign to toss over his face being a rupture sackcloth for said baking goods. "Ah-Choo." The box says, shortly after being plunked down onto the ground in the diner and being ditched.


Lanlan was surprised to receive an invitation to a secret Mage's Guild function. Mainly because the Mage's guild was El Zilcho, but also because they excluded him from their reindeer games even before they were wrecked. So it was a trap. Lanlan wanted to know who this person was who tried to trap him. Because if they knew him enough, they'd know he was impossible to trap. But they were interested enough to send him a letter, and they apparently knew about his ability to disguise himself, so they knew him enough. He's been feeling neglected lately, so this level of thought and consideration was truly heartwarming. Lanlan would oblige, and came in disguised as himself. Maybe himself with a little more muscle, a little less hunch, an enhanced version. He brought ialantha with him, Haladavar's wife, and she was dressed as Gevurah, such a fancy dress, and magicked to look like her too. The perfect cover. Just before going in, Lanlan (disguised as Lanlan), stopped ialantha (disguised as Gevurah). "Listen if this is going to work you can't look so...meek. Turn your nose up a little. Humans stink. Don't ask questions. Tell them to give you answers. And six feet apart at all times, they don't get to touch you. They might be diseased. Okay let's go." Inside, they can the patrons for familiar faces, someone who might go through all this trouble to undo him or her.


Valrae true to form, arrives late. She’s surprised to see Khitti’s famous bakery buzzing with energy. The music and sound echoed around an unseasonably cold Cenril, eerie in it’s juxtaposition of the unusually low trafficked and quiet streets. As the illness that seeped from the slums spread, people had begun keeping unusual distance from each other and leaving their homes less often, some even wearing masks for travel. This left the usually bustling merchant street feeling almost empty, even in the late hour. The witch arrives without disguise, as she often traveled in Cenril, with her own hand sewn face mask conveniently hiding her identity well enough. Her hair was unbound, a windswept fall of loose golden waves, and she’d lined her emerald eyes dark with kohl. Keeping to the invitation’s dress code, the witch wore a conservative white sheath cocktail dress underneath a long, cream colored wool peacoat. A warm scarf of crimson wrapped around her neck, matching her heels and the giant shoulder bag she carried. The crystal skull she kept there was reassuring, a quiet heartbeat of power, and no longer a source of anxiety and hunger she’d once known it to be. Despite knowing enough of Khitti to be nearly sure there was no trap she’d be walking into, Valrae kept her ash wand tucked and ready in her pocket and the bottle of honey mead her auntie had made gripped tightly in her hands. She arrives expecting many faces and is a little taken aback to see so few. The witch hesitates on the threshold but carries herself inside after a heartbeat. The mood was subdued and almost quiet despite the setting and as the witch’s eyes travel around the room her mood sinks to match it. “Looks like a party,” She says, pulling the mask away from her face and tucking it into her purse.


Valrae unwraps herself and drapes the purse, coat and scarf over the back of her chair before settling in and pouring herself a glass of mead. The room was heavy with quiet and it boiled like a storm around them all. After a long drink from her glass, Valrae breaks the quiet with, “Is this first time some of you have been ‘war criminals’?” The joke lands awkwardly and the witch sighs. Iintahquohae’s disguise has thrown her, nearly mistaking her for Cenril’s notorious Kraken, but she had to assume that those present were allies. She’d hoped to have recognized the vampire, and maybe speak to her privately, but that didn’t seem possible yet. Quintessa, though without disguise, was even more concerning and very unlike the ambitious young woman she’d grown fond of. The witch struggles for a moment to find her next words. “Has anyone been able to go near the tower then?” She waits a heartbeat for an answer. Her eyes turn to Quintessa but move away quickly. “I’m assuming this meeting isn’t just to cry into our drinks and mour the guild…. So, shall we recap? The Ossian Order has taken Odhranos, our guild, and branded us criminals. I’m assuming they’ve been behind much more but whatever else has been happening in the shadows, well I’m not privy to… And unless we all want to live in disguises for the rest of our lives, we’ll need a plan to get out of this mess and get our friend back…” She looks around the room slowly.


Karasu shakes her head slowly, putting down the tome with a mark of red pen near another name that begins with 'M'. She turns her head up to the stranger and furrows her brow slightly in confusion. Presuming her to be a friend of another attendee, she gives a sigh. "Already working on that." The tired spellblade gives the book two pats for emphasis. "I can't do much to help while this thing keeps giving me blackouts." Scanning the rest of the room, she sees at least the gaudy witch with attire to rival that of her sister's to which she gives something that could vaguely be construed as a nod. To Quintessa, she stands and moves across to pour the changeling a glass of peach tea, her comments apparently finished. As an afterthought, she pipes up right before Khitti speaks. "Where is everyone, though?" It seems she is too tired to recognize disguises, or a sneezing box of flour.


Khitti || If there was any indication that this wasn’t a trap, it was probably the fact that Khitti literally had her child there and neither of her swords was on her person or even visible. If there was to be some sort of an attack, she’d be rushing Dominic off to the apartment upstairs and coming back in to help. Sorry, everyone. Nothing personal but her three year old is more important right now, as everyone else is fully capable of defending themselves. She’d half chuckle at everyone’s “party” jokes, but that’s all they’d get at the moment. This was no real party and her mind was elsewhere. Mostly on Viera. Should she ask Viera out finally? Should she even bother doing that right now while the guilds she was a part of had all of these dangerous things going on? Khitti could literally die because of it. Beside all that, there was the possibility that Viera would say no. She sighed again and rubbed her eyes. Why is she even thinking about this right now? Khitti idly played with the tentacle bracelet that the blonde Catalian had picked out for her, staring down at its intricate design. She’d been thinking a lot more about Viera in general lately. Maybe she felt guilty for sort of neglecting her friend who was not really her friend at all. “As I’ve already told a few others, they did not label me as a war criminal,” Khitti said at length, her attention settling on Valrae finally. “That could very well be their undoing. Other duties have kept me away from the tower mostly so they likely don’t view me as a threat. I can still come and go as I please, but I don’t want to make it too much more often than I have been, for obvious reasons.” The obvious reason being if she’s going to spy on things there, then she really does not want to arouse Ossian Order’s suspicion. “This -is- everyone. I trust so few people and know even fewer at that tower. I’m not just going to send out invites to everyone and their mother there. If there was someone that had not gotten one, then the word was supposed to have been spread to those that you guys trust. If that didn’t happen then...” Her words had been directed at Karasu then, a shrug given soon after. If there were others, Khitti didn’t know about them. She didn’t want to know about them. It’s a wonder she trusted anyone at all there, really. Her gut instinct about a tower full of greedy mages had been right all along. “The disguises can come off, guys. It was just to get in the building. I literally live and work here. If there’s going to be some sort of attack, it won’t be of my doing and we’ll damn well know ahead of time. I didn’t just throw some fancy get-together for the hell of it. I’m in no mood for a real party and it’s clear no one else is.”


Quintessa is about to take a bite of her sandwich when the lookalike Gevurah enters the party and the changeling’s mismatched eyes slowly drift over to her. Quintessa can’t really tell Drow apart, so this might as well actually be Gevurah. The changeling tenses with her sandwith hovering just in front of her mouth, a look of confusion replacing the blank expression she once held. “What is -she- doing here?” Quintessa asks Lanlan incredulously before her mismatched gaze flickers over to the woman. “If you’re here to kill me, just get it over with.” Quintessa’s attention quickly snapped over to Karasu as the sound of peach tea splashing into a glass caught her attention. “What are you...” Quintessa watches the glass fill slowly before giving the demifeline a half smile. “Thanks, Love,” The dark fae relaxes a bit when Khitti speaks, her words reassuring her that there would be no attack. “Right…. Right…” Blue and hazel eyes flicker over to Valrae as her half smile fades. “I haven’t returned to the tower since the day I wrote that letter warning everyone about the Order. I wasn’t even there the night that they placed this warrant for arrest- I- I- I’m still not sure what to make of this to be quite honest... “


Magik looks about the room after Val’s terrible delivery. He smirks and quietly says, “Nope.” He lightly nudges Rilla, “We definitely are away from these lands though..” Magik and Rilla had an adventure. Orcs died and such. Word probably spread very quick away from Lithrydel. The partners in crime are definitely wanted by an orc clan near Magik’s homeland, Sylo Alari. Val’s next question is answered with a simple shake of his head. Hell no he hasn’t been able to go to the tower. His fuzzy black slippers better still be in the meditation center when they figure this mess out and get the tower back under control. "We did get our asses kicked by the OO so I believe we all need to start doing some magical pushups and such." He scans the room looking at those present but pays more attention to those involved with the SoS.


Rilla || A room of total strangers almost always necessitated silence, Rilla watched carefully, crystalline gaze shifting between each member of the party until Magik spoke. She perked up, hand rested on the table as a hint of a smile pulls across her face. “I’m not confirming or denying.” She shook her head, focused more on just intaking information, her focus pulled place to place as each new person spoke. “But here I’m not a criminal either. That anyone know about. If you need someone to get in –“ was that always going to be her offer? Probably. It was what she was good at, after all.


Enelys must for a moment gauge her stake in all this. She was already incriminated, but really she could disappear, back to enchantment, fixing up toys in her dads shop or helping her mother with the paintings. Of course, the only real option was to buck up, and go along with whatever crazy plan was about to be hatched so she could be cemented as part of the mage guild inner circle. She had heard a lot about this Odrhanos person they apparently were in favor of rescuing, including how many potential apprentices he could have. He was a powerful person, and it would make him a wise friend to have. Apparently they were also working on a plan? By someone subject to frequent blackouts, and, probably involving whatever sneezed in that box. Wait, was there some sort of argument going on? “Uh... this is my face now. I just kind of look like this? And the hair. I mean, the color of a couple things is off but uh... yeah.” She had gone with the simple kind of disguise. The permanent kind. Quintessa has some things right too, although she looked in need of a nap. “To be honest I’ve never really done any crimes before,” except selling illegal potions with half stolen recipes on the black market, “but I’m guessing these Ossian Order guys aren’t the fair trial type. Do we have a plan that doesn’t involve us blowing stuff up, because uh... well, I just don’t think the people of Xalious would really appreciate that.” If they took the tower back by force, it would more or less make them the war criminals they were hopefully just framed out to be. Are those two dating? Not important. “So, does anyone know anything about Odhranos... where... abouts?” She was entirely off her game, no high house, no fancy proclamations or determined attitude, just worried and tired like the rest of them.


Kasyr rises up from the flour like an unfortunate beach goer might emerge from a sand castle that had emerged around them while they napped. It's not -great-, and the fact that he proceeds to wantonly track a bunch of flour-y footsteps through the room isn't an improvement. Whilst most of the people present earn a sort of haphazard wave from him, he does pause a little bit to eye Valrae, Rilla, and ...Gevurah? Okay, that latter one earns longer scrutiny- though whatever he does see doesn't quite measure up to the reality, given he proceeds to snort and resume his quest to make sandwhiches. Valrae's comment is replied to first, if only because "A returning champion to the cause of rabble rousing, en fait." Khitti's general declaration is heeded next, even as Kasyr proceeds to make a monstrous triple decker sandwhich, " "I mean, I didn't really come for dinner et drinks- though I do appreciate the catering. I was just curious if there was a plan -other- than more war crimes et murder. Though, in the latter sense- Well, plenty of opportunities to whittle down our antagonists if we can confirm the identities and residences of some of them." Yeah, Kas is really not above delayed home calls and quiet assassinations.


Lanlan looks around, finds several familiar faces, and several unfamiliar ones. Quickly he realizes with disappointment that this whole thing wasn't about him. It wasn't a cheap snare, it was an actual clandestine meeting of which he was only one part. The most important, maybe (obviously), but still, another piece. It was a round table, it seemed, between most of the former members of the former guild. Quintessa's the first one to notice him, and it isn't even him she notices! It's his plus one! Typical. Instantly, ialantha's act dissipates, and she gives Lanlan an accusing look. "Of course I'm not here to kill you, young one, I'm here for the same reason as the rest of you. To stop my...to stop a madman." Her accent is thick and unplaceable. Ah, but the mood can still be salvaged. Valrae, disguised as Grace, disguised as Valrae (whoever that is), leads the conversation to recent events. It was a very good question she asks. "How -is- it being framed and living under the dirty blanket of slander? I've gotten used to it. Looks like I was first on Haladavar's list to have removed from his path," he says, reminding everyone of his court trial but none of the facts surrounding it. "Nice of you all to join me!" He illusions a glass of liquid to his gloved hand and raises it to his former and again teammates. Cheers! Then he puts it down again and it vanishes.


Iintahquohae ;; At Khitti's word that the disguises can come off, Iintahquohae decides to drop the posture Father had her practice to better imitate him, which helps her feel less out of place. Her eyes scan the room, double taking at Kasyr covered in flour when he emerges from the crate. That's one messy way to travel. Her nose crinkles with the realization that he might accidentally get some on her if he wanders close, so she sidles over to stand beside Rilla, out of habit whenever the other vampire happened to be nearby. Her eyes fall on those she recognizes, but apart from a puzzled look at Gevurah and a slight frown at Quintessa's appearance, her face remains expressionless. In all honesty, her primary concern is the terramancer. She left S'erok's cage at her home for safe keeping, figuring if anybody from the Order happened to be in Cenril looking for her, they'd spot her in an instant with that cage at her hip. The disguise remains, but her voice is a dead giveaway that she is the seamstress and not some well dressed man called Kraken. “Has anybody tried taking a look at what Xalious is like now, from a distance at least?” she asks, after Valrae recaps. Plans aren't really her strong suit, but she's trying. Being a novice mage, she couldn't imagine what manner of guards and wards they may have prepared, but she assumed something had to be in place. “There has to be a way for someone to get close enough to see what we're dealing with here.”


Valrae || Kasyr’s comment was met with a laugh. “Ah, good company then.” And she nodded along softly with Khitti as she spoke, quietly agreeing that the Order had seriously miscalculated in omitting her from their accusations. The only trouble now would be figuring out why. Sipping delicately from her glass, the witch nearly laughs that her lack of glamour now acted as a disguise to most in the room. With Odhranos’s absence, only three others would know this as her real face.. And if Khitti recognized her, she wasn’t letting on. ‘Gevurah’s’ presence has been lost to her until Quintessa points it out. Val narrows her eyes but doesn’t comment, as the witch had recently become less hostile toward the drowess in an effort to find answers behind the sudden plague rolling through the city. She would suffer her presence here as well if it meant they could move closer to reclaiming the guild. “I’m not in disguise.” She admits quietly. “Sara Grace *was* my disguise…” The witch shrugs to no one in particular. “In the sake of honesty, Grace was supposed to be the alias that kept me from being hunted from baseless accusations. With that being tossed out of the window like yesterday’s bathwater, I’ll have to invent a new one.” She nearly laughs at Magik’s ‘magic push up’ suggestion but agrees. “Some of us have been weakened from the attacks on the Xalious tree. I don’t have any solutions and with everything happening in Cenril right now, I’m not going to have time to find them either… But we need more power to take them head on, there is no denying that.” Rilla’s offer has Valrae glancing over her again, ideas flashing quickly through her head, all shallow and half formed. “That could be useful,” She says, letting gratitude lace her tone. She can only shake her head toward Enelys, clueless as to where Odhranons was being kept. Her lips bow quickly toward a frown for Lanlan and his companion, who reveals herself to be only a Gevurah imposter. “Most of us here didn’t earn that slander,” She hisses, before Iintahquohae’s voice reminds her that there are more important things than taking shots at Lan. The witch looks away from him with the frown still turning down the corners of her red painted lips. “We need to see what we’re working with. Before we even consider an attack. And we need more allies. My coven… My coven is spread thin but they can help. Our magic hasn’t been as affected by the damage of the tree. Perhaps we could perform a ritual or spell that would reveal where they’ve taken him…”


Karasu can only offer a noncommittal acknowledgement to half the things said. "I might know how to find Magister Kerrigan." Karasu removes a bronze and hematite messenger beetle from her pocket, similar to the beetles once found in his former office in the Mage's Tower. "This is supposed to find him wherever he is. But..." Karasu gives a sad smile, staring off into a glass of tea she poured herself. "I'm powerless to go myself. Who wants it?" She holds it up.


Khitti does enough “magical pushups” thankyouverymuch, Magik. She’d even give him a bit of an irritated look for the remark. She damn well made sure to pull her weight in all aspects of her jobs--if she did not, they would not have this perfectly nice and safe bakery for this “meeting” to take place in. Khitti was an outsider in the Mage’s Guild and had been since the beginning. She wasn’t exactly going to go in, fireballs ablazin’, and dismantle the entire establishment on her own. She wanted to, very much, but also she’s not as impulsive as she used to be. Some people consider that a good thing. “Actually doing what these people want is clearly not the choice. Knowing Odhranos, it’s probably precisely what he did and look where that got him. The same thing that should’ve been done with Larket, should be done now: they need to be taken the hell out and soon,” Khitti’s words directed towards Kasyr and his mentions of a separate plan. “If their power grows well beyond Xalious, I will not hesitate to off any of them that comes near me or anyone else here. To be perfectly honest, all of your play-nice politics that’s been going on so far can frak the hell off. It doesn’t work. It never works. -Action- works.” Dominic giggled from his table, overhearing his mother talk and only really acknowledging the last part, “Yeah! Action!” He was drawing his mommy, with those aforementioned fireballs. Really, it was just a stick figure with red hair and what looked like purple cabbages in her hands. Despite her irritation at the situation, Khitti tried so hard to resist a smirk, “Yes, thank you, dear.”

Khitti || The smirk wasn’t quite gone yet but she shook her head, “Look. Some of you clearly have reservations about doing things that way, but I don’t. I have no qualms with getting the justice that the lot of you deserve. Once we find Odhranos first anyway.” She took a moment, thinking over what Valrae had said. “Scrying for his position could be wise, but it could also be a trap. Maybe my dark magic can help there, to focus on the shadows, rather than his true location.” She nodded in Karasu’s direction. “That would likely help too, heh.” Khitti no longer made eye contact with anyone, her olive-green line of sight falling to her hands, where the alchemical symbols that tempered her magic had once been. “I… also think we should speak to the dead. Since returning from the Warrior’s Guild mission to retrieve Lionel at the Demon Archipelago, my magic is… finally what it should be.” Really only Quintessa would understand what this meant, unfortunately. “I felt a connection with the souls there that I used to only feel when I’d play my violin to soothe spirits here -- and that was before the magic changed. Since then, it’s become harder for me to be in Vailkrin or other places where souls might linger. The want to assist them is overwhelming...” She hesitated, but then finally got frustrated with herself and just came out with it, “I think we should speak to Brenwyn. The -real- Brenwyn. He might know something. Even the tiniest bit of information could be useful.”


Quintessa takes a bite of her sandwich and a sip of her tea while she listens to everyone one talk, giving Rilla and Inks concerned glances as they spoke about getting closer to Xalious. “Just don’t touch anything made of amber,” the changeling warns as she pulls her bare feet off the floor to tuck under her body. “That’s how they body-snatch you- that’s how they body-snatched Brenwyn…” Quintessa’s heart sunk deep into her chest at the mention of the tree, and the young changeling wrapped her arms around her knees but kept quiet about what she knew about it. “I can… find Odhranos- Or teach someone else how to. Lanlan also has a talent for dream-magic. I did it once before when I tracked Odhranos down in the dreamscape to find him in Frostmaw. It’s not a difficult ritual, but it’ll only work if Magister Kerrigan’s mind is connected to the Dream Realm.” Quintessa swallows before looking at Valrae. “The spell I use is haggish magic, so I’m certain anyone in your coven would be able to perform it- or at least use my formula to create a new variation of it.” The dark fea pauses to look over at the bronze beetle and she squirts her eyes at it. “This little thing can track him? W-what is it? If this will work- maybe it’ll be better. The Order might have put up anti-magical defenses to block out divination magic.” Quintessa grows very quiet when Khitti begins to speak about using necromancy to speak to Brenwyn, and the changeling thinks for a long time before she nods her head. “Yes, I agree. Do we know what was done with his body? If we could at least retrieve his head we could communicate with him that way… Unless you want to perform some kind of Séance, which would work too but would be trickier. Who knows where his soul is by now…”


Magik scoots his chair back so he has room to rest his foot on the opposite knee, "I agree. There's no talking anymore. Not when it comes to this. I have the perfect," he slaps the back of Rilla's chair, "..someone that can scope out Xalious for us and maybe infiltrate the Tower just to see what's going on without being noticed." He folds his hands and rests them on his folded knee, "Locating and bringing Odh back should be first on our grocery list..as well as getting information from the real Brenwyn. Send him my apologies..for what it's worth." The Lyastri deeply sighs, "The more allies we have, the better, based on what happened at the Tree. The OO is strong but we have to find a way to, as cliche as it is, to be stronger." Where were the drinks again?


Enelys getting a little tired of some people. Valrae has this weird high and mighty upper society attitude and it’s like, dude, just sit down and be humble, the mages guild had its arse handed to them and scattered to the four winds, ‘your’ city is a disease riddled rat hole, this isn’t a time for snarky quips and mink coats. But Enelys couldn’t say any of that. Valrae had a nasty attitude but at least she seemed like she was trying to help. “So... is there anything we do know? Does anyone have a clue what we should actually *do* next? I mean- it sounds like, there’s a lot of different pieces everyone can offer, just uh... who’s going to put them together? How are we going to stitch the plan into an executable piece and orchestrate all the actors?” Enelys would go along with whatever plan they had as long as they actually had one. The logistics of it all she wasn’t so sure of. To be honest it sounded real glum, like they were outgunned, outmanned, and outplanned. Valrae was using a lot of vague maybes and mights. Quintessa and Khitti would help find the missing Odor through questionable means. There was also apparently a magic beetle now, that was something. Those two love birds could help scope out xalious. Khitti started talking and Magik agreed with her. It was pretty scary. Enelys had never killed anyone before- beyond that one battle her life had never really been on the line. She wasn’t a soldier. And she didn’t approve of murdering everyone who did them wrong. Considering things were quickly swaying from lovely divination towards dark arts and necromancy, Enelys was almost beginning to believe there really were war criminals among them and she was being made one against her will. Perhaps it would be best to slip away for a little while. After they rescued Odhranos of course. Maybe he could sway them away from a path of wanton murder and revenge. Then she could just... read some books, in the library. Wait for all this to blow over. She was made for greater things, yes, but... maybe not this. She was only just over a hundred and seventy, after all. She had her whole life ahead of her to become the greatest mage of all time. Maybe that time could wait.


Lanlan shrugged at Valrae, who now reveals herself to be Grace. And that Grace never actually existed. Such committment to a disguise! Lanlan was impressed, secretly, in a dark place that no one would ever find in his soul. How could he, when she was saying these terrible things? "Not all of us earned our banishment, but some of us did. Karma has punished them in her own way." That's right, you all had this coming. "But I'm glad we're all able to forgive each other and come together again." At this he looked to Valrae, then Quintessa, then Kasyr. Of course the forgiveness was very very mutual, right? Right. He clears his throat and his eyebrows jiggle. "I've been offering sanctuary to a half dozen apprentices. Teaching them, preparing them. They're bound to be much more helpful than a few hippies dancing in the woods." Lanlan had no faith in witchcraft. It didn't make sense to him and he never bothered trying to understand it. "The baker is right," he says, talking about Khitti obviously. "Or half right. We can't sit here and talk about it. While we sit and wait, Haladavar will be gaining more power. Oh, did you all forget about him? Haladavar? The guy with the big flappin'...anyway. But why would we ask for Brenwyn's help? He didn't know anything when he was alive. And let's be honest, if you wanna talk to a dead person who knows anything, you're better off trying to talk to Odhranos. He's been gone a long time. Time to face facts." Quintessa brings up his super nice dream abilities, and he's forced to concede that she knows what she's talking about. If he's alive, they should be able to communicate with him through dreams. And if they can't, well. He's dead. "I already have in mind a way to kill Haladavar," he says loudly. "I have a secret weapon. Behold." He dismisses the illusion disguising ialantha as Gevurah. "Meet ialantha. Haladavar's wife." Clearly, the elf wasn't ready for this level of attention, and she looks for a moment as though she'd rather just disappear. But she has no choice now. This introduction doesn't leave her with any options. She gives Lanlan a hateful look, and speaks. "I -was- his wife. When he was a man, ages ago. He hasn't been for a long time now. And I -might- be able to counter some of his abilities, I know them intimately. Or I used to, back when we were both the leaders of our tribe. Obviously he's much different now. I'll need something from the tower. A book I've heard about."


Kasyr purses his lips as he listens to the ideas that are being exchanged- occasionally sparing a glance over towards his fledgeling whenever mention of the Terramancer is made. Really, there's a number of people who all seem to have plans and ideas on how to find Odhranos, so he only feels it's necessary to nod"Well, I'll come along when you do locate him, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I just have very little inclination to hold back, even if it means you all have to scape goat me when the mage guild is restored." There's a vague shrug, as Kasyr begins to dig into the monstrous sandwhich he'd been creating, "Whatever get's the job done, at this point. Too much is going wrong to worry about the little things." Like the lives of people getting in the way. "-Does- anyone here have a roster of known members, or people they recognized as part of this group?" Rilla's actually eyed here, alongside Khitti- given what's been said, "Or could become aware, given they seemed to be a bit more overt in their recent displays. I really would favor clandestinely removing some obstacles if possible, for the sake of ongoing operations, et to ensure that when we do finally move to clean house- it doesn't erupt into some sort of catastrophic arcane free for all." It's going to, though. He's almost positive. In any case, Magik is eyed at this juncture, " If you know a valid avenue for gaining strength, that won't kill us all- feel free to share with the class. Non, a return trip to the Archipelago doesn't count." ...That comment seems less directed at Magik, and more at Inks, for some reason. That all aside, however- Lanlan's got the floor, and..he's managed to not only find the time to be a passive aggressive jerk, but to also introduce the foundations of a trump card and a plan. Something that actually warrants properly mulling over while he makes his sandwhich dissapear. "Book title? Would it look questionable for someone like Khitti to check it our, or es it heist material" Speaking of writing Material, the Kensai takes that time to remove a bundle of tightly tied together papers from his pack, seemingly heedless of the fact that they're rapidly accruing a dusting of flour. "If forgiveness -es- in order, it might do you good to have this. I'd retrieved it from your office before they could clear out et archive things. Figured it'd help for working together on future endeavours." Mostly death god related- but hey, here they are now. It's fine.


Iintahquohae ;; “I want it,” Iintahquohae immediately says once Karasu presents the messenger beetle. Realizing how her voice rose a bit and how selfish she sounded, she frowns, repeating in a softer tone with what she hopes is a useful idea. “I want it for Rilla to use. We send some message, let it walk, and since-” her lips spread into an amused smile once Magik slaps the back of the other vampire's chair. “...She's great at what she does, if not the best. She'll be able to track it. A few of my men could accompany Rilla under the guise of merchants just passing through, to distract them from her actually scoping out the area. They don't use magic, so they won't sense anything, but they can at least get a close-up feel for what the Order is doing if they see anything? Guard rotations, how many there are, that sort of thing.” Quintessa's mention of using dreams to locate Odhranos seemed like the quickest way to locate him, honestly. Inks wasn't as good at it as the changeling was she assumed. This left the problem with getting into the tower. The seamstress falls silent afterward, as her way of attempting to solve problems such as these meant just going in and incapacitating the problem. Her eyes meet Kasyr's a bit late after his remark on visiting the Demon Archipelago again. The scimitar isn't visible, but the tattoo is just barely visible around her throat beneath her collar. She hadn't shown him yet, but that could be discussed later. Something clandestine, she ponders, and something that'll let Kasyr and her cause enough chaos to kill off as many of the Order as they could is what she had in mind. Being in S'erok's company had taught her that sometimes strategy is necessary however, and his gift to her meant newfound power...Of course! “Once we have a decent idea of what we're dealing with, we tunnel in. Under the tower....I don't have Odhranos' skill or finesse, but I have the same power that he does. Maybe more. I'll need help, especially if there's something in the foundations to prevent us from punching through the floor. ...Then we work from the inside, take out what we can and find Odh, while others work on the outside. Two groups, one inside and one out?” Her eyes narrow at Lanlan's implication that Odhranos is dead, and her composure begins to fade. Worry and doubt begin to creep in. Without thinking, her hand reaches to brush loose strands of hair from her face, fingertips briefly brushing the serpent tattoo as the hand lowers, confidence regained. “He lives,” she states, flatly. “We'll find him.”


Valrae straightens in her seat, a touch of hope stirring in her chest with Khitti’s impassioned words. The spark of fire and energy that had been missing in the room before now blinking to life. The witch wanted to fan those flames. It would do them no good to wallow and spend too long licking their wounds. Khitti was right about more than one thing, including Larket. She’d long pushed down those regrets though. “Aye,” She agrees loudly, smiling at her son’s innocent support. “My hat is thrown in the ring of action, but getting Odh out and on our side first… That would be ideal.” As she is unaware of the bee she’d put in Enelys’s bonnet, she’s also unaware of how those words might further sour the apprentice against her. She listens intently to Quintessa, nodding. “That could be useful… Perhaps with the beetle. We could work with that.” She offers a small, gentle smile to both her and Karasu, who seem worse for the wear currently. Worry stirs but she does not voice it aloud. “Amber isn’t the only concern. They trapped me in my crystal skull. I would have died, had Odhranos not freed me. He was kidnapped then, by Haladavar, who fancies himself a god.” Her tone darkens. “He called himself the Lord of all magic… I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m willing to die proving him wrong about that.” She stiffens in her chair when Lionel is mentioned, hiding a frown with a long drink of mead. Magik volunteers Rilla’s help again and she nods, unwilling to turn down any help the guild can get. “It could be dangerous,” She warns softly. “But it could make all the difference.” The witch turns her attention to Enelys again. “We’re putting it together right now,” She quips impatiently. “What can you offer? Quintessa, maybe Karasu, and I will work out how to find Odh. Rilla will give us eyes on the situation, Khitti will work her magic and find answers with Brenwyn. This is the beginning of a plan. Of action.” She looks around the room again. “But we have to stay separate. I don’t know what the Order has planned next but if they’re looking for us it wouldn’t do any good group together like fish in a barrel.” Lanlan’s interruption was met with a scowl. “This forest dancing hippy fooled you well enough, didn’t she? And aren’t illusions your thing? No one has forgotten Haladavar.” Ialantha’s revelation was lost to her, as Valrae was caught in the tunnel vision of slinging verbal jabs at Lan. “I’m surprised you managed to find time to help apprentices and run off with the enemy's wife. Again, something you were able to do with this hippy’s help. But I didn’t know Gev’s leash was this long. Maybe it’s time to scurry back under your rock. I’m not sure who decided we could even trust you.” Kasyr’s easy tone brings her back. She clamps her mouth shut and hisses a breath through her teeth, simmering in her anger as Iintahquohae speaks. She softens then. “He’s alive,” Valrae quickly agrees. “Haladavar needs him still, I know that much. My people and I will be behind whatever plan shakes out after we find him. Locating him is the first step. I imagine he’ll have his own ideas on how we move forward after he’s returned to us.”


Karasu sits down back at her tome and closes it back up with a frustrated sigh. Her eyes seem to focus a bit more with each sip. "With Brenwyn's body stationary, and how long its been since his execution, we might not get much intel out of him, if any." There is a pause where Quintessa squints at Karasu and she scratches the back of her head. "Intro to Necromancy was required reading before the Necromancer's Guild became a separate branch. Anyways, you forget that Magik, Lanlan, and I went down to the Shrine of Coreliant to pull out nearly two dozen of the kidnapped." This is accentuated with a jab of the thumb at Enelys. "With how big the facility was and how complex it was to get into it, they would be fools to abandon it completely." The divination beetle is handed off to Iintahquohae. "I'm going out there once this curse is undone, with or without the intel from dead Brenwyn or that magical book. The book won't be going anywhere if they don't know we're looking for it, but we'll risk losing Odhranos if we keep stalling for time." Karasu says simply, opening the book back up to resume her search for any information on the creature cohabiting her body. As she moves to say something else, the whites of her eyes suddenly color until they turn pitch black. A cruel voice speaks through her lips and taunts the group, "So basically, never." It says, spilling the remnants of her tea onto the census. The whites of her eyes reappear and she curses loudly, running to the snack table and grabbing handfuls of napkins to salvage the book with. Once the book is patted dry, the demifeline slumps in her chair dejectedly, seemingly unware of the final comment made.


Khitti || “Brenwyn did not die a pleasant death, obviously. It’s entirely possible that his soul didn’t move on. Considering the whole situation, it could be that he has unfinished business with us or the Order and has been lingering. Regardless of whether or not we have his body, I may be able to draw it out anyway if we go to the spot where he died,” Khitti said. She almost wondered if it’d be easier to do it in the Shadow Plane, but no… that area was filled with poisonous and extremely not nice flora--the whole of which stretched from the Shadow Plane’s version of Craughmoyle was, all the way to the edge of eastern Milous. It could prove to be even worse. Khitti had enough to deal with there as it was. “My magic is not from here, Karasu. The people from the Shadow Plane that were born with it deals in spirits. I -will- get information out of him. One way or another. He shared that body with Haladavar for a very long time. People like our dear friend “Hal” get cocky and let things slip without realizing it. I know full well of his type.” She rolled her eyes at Lanlan’s “baker” nickname and sighed, though she did listen to what the drow and Ialantha had to say. “I’m sure I’d be able to find it. I’m well acquainted with finding hidden texts.” She may or may not have stolen a scroll from Frostmaw’s forbidden library. Her attention shifted to Kasyr, the mention of a book jogging her memory, “Speaking of books, Kasyr, I need to speak to you soon. It regards Hildegarde and Satoshi’s library. Very important.” Not -quite- as important as the current discussion, but she at least wanted to make it known and left the matter there for now. Khitti had tried very hard to ignore Karasu’s obvious “outburst”, but she could not. She said nothing, just watching her (without seeming like a total creep), taking mental notes for when they were to head to the Nameless Desert. The urge to use the same light magic that she used on Quintessa was strong, but… people here might take that the wrong way. For now, Khitti would had to content herself with observation.


Quintessa has been silent up until the moment Lanlan speaks, and her attention remains fixed upon him. Did the girl forgive him? When she looked inside herself she found that she hadn’t the energy for petty grudges anymore, so she nods in his direction in affirmation. “You might be right. Right before Brenwyn was executed he called out as if he knew nothing about what was going on. We can still dig for clues but it could be a waste of time…” Quintessa refocuses her gaze on the elf she thought was Geverah, and blinks her eyes in disbelief. “I remember you! You were trapped in that amber egg along with…” The changeling was quick to piece things together. “His wife? Or ex-wife… You know how to destroy him?” The idea of achieving just revenge seemed to reinvigorate the woman some, and a tiny bit of fire returned to her mismatched gaze. Quintessa listens to Kasyr and Inks speak first and she nods her head again. “Yes, we’ll need a title to that book. It’s possible we can do this with two teams, a ground force and a reconnaissance force, if you will. Anyone who wants to participate in the dream ritual should team up with Lanlan and I- we can track down Odhranos and then the ground team can extract him.” Quintessa knows it won't be that simple and she was about to frown when Valrae’s stinging words directed at Lanlan caused a rumble of laughter to escape from her, some of the only mirth the woman had felt in weeks. “Listen, let’s focus on one enemy at a time. If the Drow want to help us destroy Hal, I’m willing to work with them, but Karasu is right- Odhranos is our main concern. We need to track him down, inform the extraction team, and get him out. In the meantime anyone not directly involved with that can help Khitti and myself contact Brenwyn’s spirit for further clues. Also that book- we’ll need a team for that too… Elazul’s Bite, I wish we had more manpower…” Quintessa’s gaze drifts over to Karasu and she stands from her seat to move next to her, dragging her chair against the floor before sitting back down and resting her head against her shoulder. Under her breath, Quintessa says something that only Karasu can hear.

Quintessa whispered something to Karasu.


Magik quietly replies to Kasyr, "We've got to get that tree cleansed somehow.." He was about to go on about how it was terrible timing with the tree being poisoned and the OO making themselves public but Inks words suddenly reminded him that he was hungry. So, a sandwich was made and almost had until Val's words. Instead, he wraps the food up in some napkins. Road sammiches. One for Rilla too. If she passed on it, he would eat it later of course. Club sandwich, by the way. Toasted. "Forgive me but I have matters to tend to in Sage. Most of you know how to locate me there. Stay safe everyone." His focus shifts to Karasu and Quintessa for a quick moment, "Mirsh has been asking about you two. Come visit soon." Everyone else receives some final last words, "We have to act fast..with everything.." That was it. Black smoke. Disappearing. Good night.


Karasu whispered something to Quintessa.


Enelys had to take a deep breath and press the heel of her palms to her eyeballs. This was an incredibly stressful situation. Count backwards from five... four... three... “could you possibly pull the golden gilded stick out of your own arse for a minute and look around you?” Oh no, what was she Saying?! She had been so determined not to call Valrae out. “This isn’t an army! You arent our general or our queen, you were just as powerless as the rest of us!” No no no deep breaths- “some of us are-“ Karasu “probably possessed,” Quintessa, “perpetually exhausted,” That (guy?), “going through an identity crises?! One of us was shipped here *in a box*! Do any of you actually have any idea what you’re doing? At least two of you are completely full of yourselves, and most of you are overwhelmed with such drastic life changes that this is what you want to focus on?” A desire to scream, not quite quelled. “Nearly dead, completely scattered, cut off from magic itself, and then you want to go back and flambé anyone who you even think could deserve it! Weird dark sorcery, gross naked dead elf powers- I just- I-“ compete collapse imminent. Tears freely falling. “I didn’t sign up for this! I didn’t... I had to be woken up in the middle of the night, rushed out of my room, nearly naked, by two people I was lucky to have as friends. They told me I was going to be executed. That there were pitchforks and torches and so much worse pointed my way and all I did... all I ever wanted to do was help people. I wanted power and magic so that I could make a better world. I’m not like you people. The Order might be monsters but you... you’re all just like them. I don’t care how many people have to die for you to be happy. You can just slaughter yourself a-a whole thrones worth on your *insane* path of revenge. I’m out. I’m leaving. I don’t care what happens. I’ll help you rescue Odh, because I want to know there’s at least one sane person left among you *cretinous things* and then you’ll never hear from me again. But one day I hope that the guild that comes out of the ashes of the one you’re so set on burning to the ground rises, and I will pray no one so corrupt and bloodthirsty and dark hearted as you sits atop it. Goodbye.” Later, perhaps only minutes from now, this might be something she regrets saying forever. For now it was all the things she had needed to be said. There was some strange deep trauma never recognized now buried in her heart. Maybe she didn’t mean any of it. There was no way to tell. She had to leave, she felt compelled to. What she really needed was a hug.


Lanlan accepts his bundle of papers back from Kasyr with mixed emotions. "I thought I'd lost these," he says with wonder and surprise. Then, "you broke into my office?" And finally, "Was my staff in there too?" It's been missing for a long time now. But the conversation has moved on. Killing Haladavar was more important than any of that stuff. Kasyr just helped him in a big way by returning these crumpled, dusty pieces of paper. Inks was getting more agitated than it made sense to, he thought. "Listen, no one wants to find Odhranos more than me. He was my [only] friend once. But it's been a long time." Valrae's impassioned nonsense is inspiring, and it inspires a great big lie. "Of course! I knew you were disguised as someone, probably hiding from much more powerful enemies. I just didn't out you as a professional courtesy. Anyway." Quintessa finally opens her mouth. "She's right. We have our enemy. And Haladavar has turned at least three existing structures into his personal laboratory. The ruins in the desert, the Shrine of Coreliant, and finally the Mage's Tower. If Odhranos -is- alive. That's where he is. So we'll get him when we get the book. So he can help us with the real mission. Killing Haladavar." He waits a beat. "And the book is called...The Compendium of the Archmage. We need it."


Kasyr is nodding along listening to the the outlines of a plan beginning to form, and happily munching the last of his sandwhich. Being shipped like a parcel works up an appetite, if only because it's not ideal for storing snacks. Khitti, in particular, garners a nod from the Kensai, "I mean- I'm not doing anything, so if you need to go over the details, ou quoi-ce-soit. I can also help look for it." There's a pause there, before he adds, "Thanks for asking before busting into my hou-" Oof. Yeah, the Kensai isn't quite sure how to handle Enelys outburst, so he just sits there observing her for a few moments, dispassionately at first- though, some faint wisp of sympathy does try to force itself to the surface. That said, about the point in time the girl decides to lump them all in as the same sort of monsters as cultists, and the other things they combat. . . Well. It definitely hinders any sort of lasting good will. As the girl continues to vent, Kasyr quietly claps his hands together to poof out a cloud of flour, before he gathers himself and begins to wander over to the girl, "I. Am. So. Sorry. Madamoiselle. So are you suggesting that, while the world ends in 3 different ways, while a cult vacillates between controlling, capturing and murdering our friends et peers . . . ." He pauses here, waiting for emphasis, before carefully canting his head to one side at a calculated angle, "That we should just do nothing? Wait for someone else to do it? Hope that it all goes away?" There's a forced pleasentness in the Kensei's world that is entirely disconcerting right now. "I'm genuinely sorry that we're so overwhelmed right now. I'm sure it's an almost inconceivable inconvenience for you, that us cretinous things are stuck cleaning up messes we -never- wanted anything to do with." His voice briefly grows acid, before he manages to re-establish that air of forced pleasentness, "Et that you've somehow been involved. Such an injustice. But- then, that's why we're -asking- people who are willing to step up, Et not -ordering- anyone. Because this is hell, et we wouldn't force it on anyone else." There's a tremor that runs through him there, a barely suppressed impulse towards violence that he manages to shove down, before he rather curtly ends off with, "Anyways, don't worry- you'll probably luck out, et a handful of us will die saving you. That's usually how this works." That bit of tired venom out of the way, he goes to venture over towards the seamstress- heedless of the fact that somewhere during his ramble, a particularily agitated seeming hawk had cropped it's way out of his pack (Maybe?), and was now perching on his shoulder.

Kasyr waits a bit and then manages to address Lanlan with a slightly less curt, "You're welcome."


Iintahquohae frowns at the lack of input on her ideas. She figures, like before in Satoshi's library, it has to do with her being new to the guild. It'd be nice to at least know whether her idea was at least feasible or not, but with nothing said, she casts her gaze down the the floor while listening to the others, holding the messenger beetle Karasu gave her in one hand. She'd give it to Rilla next time they meet. Enelys' outburst and departure is entirely relatable, as she had been in the same position not long ago and still felt similarly now. ...Apart from killing some folks for Odhranos, she sort of felt similarly. Her loyalties were simple. Family, Cenril, Vailkrin, and Odhranos. Rescuing him was the primary goal for her. Kasyr's reply to Enelys' outburst takes her out of her sour mood, but she blinks confusedly at the appearance of a hawk as he approached. Did all of the Coterie have a thing with birds? When would she get one? “Kirien had one of those,” she says. “'Dunno what sort of bird, but it was gold. Flew out of his head.” As it seemed a plan was in place and others were heading out, she looks from her sire to the door. “I suppose it's time to go – I gotta show you something when you have time.”


Valrae eyes Lan, “No, you did not.” She also listens to the back and forth on spirits distantly, none too eager to be reminded of her own time as a spirit. Bren’s death was unfortunae and as violent as her own, there was little doubt in her mind that his spirit lingered in the inbetween. She’d known she would curse him to her own fate when she’d made the decision to hand him over to Macon… And she would live with that. Karasu’s sudden change had worry furrowing her brow but as no one else seemed ready to mention it, the witch kept her mouth shut. Quintessa’s laugh sparks a grim smile of her own. She wasn’t enthused by the idea of Lanlan helping perform the ritual but would do whatever it took to find Odhranos and bring him back. Magik’s swift exit has the witch plotting her own. There had been plans enough made here. She finishes off her drink quickly and stands just in time for Enelys’s outburst. Valrae’s chin tilts high and proud, her face impassive and unimpressed. “I’m far from powerless,” She warns, with the emerald skull whispering hungrily from the purse she now shoulders. “Keep going and you’ll find out. Cry on your own time, we have problems to solve and if the only thing you offer is looking down your nose to the people in this room who have fought for *your* guild and *your* friends, you’re useless here and useless to Odhranos.” The witch wraps the scarf around her shoulder as Kasyr steps in and more eloquently spells reality out for the apprentice. Valrae finds herself nodding. “Yes, goodbye.” Her tone drips disdain and long suffering as Enelys departs. It would seem she had little patience for sad, misguided apprentices on this night. Valrae had no illusions about who she was or how far she’d go for what she believed was right. It mattered very little how dark of a shadow her convictions cast over others. That was their own problem. With her coat on and her things gathered, the witch says her own goodbyes. “Good night fellow cretinous things, I look forward to committing more war crimes with you,” Her tone was sardonic. She nods toward Quintessa, and begrudgingly toward Lan, “I’ll be in touch.” And with that, the witch sweeps into the chilled Cenril night. .


Quintessa allows her tired eyes to pry away from Karasu long enough to give a farewell gaze to all of those gathered. The changeling had more to say to them- all of them, but she understood time was short. “Yes, farewell. Find me here or in Vailkrin. Everyone here is safe in my fortress in the Dark Forest. Stop by whenever you please.” Quintessa looks back to Karasu and moves a pale hand to her on her knee. “Hey. Stay here tonight- We’ll talk to Khitti about your affliction and see what insight she can give us. I’m certain she’ll have the answers we need.” Mismatched eyes flickered up to the woman she had begun calling ‘mother’ and she sighs. Maybe now was not the best time to be volunteering her for such things but it could not be helped.