Trial Run [Dusk]

[Hadrian]

Hadrian had eyes only for Tiberius at first, wanting to see firsthand what the interaction between knight and gem was, both visibly and on the Auristic spectrum. He wanted to ask a barrage of questions, but Ser Lance was still speaking to him and that required his attention as well. "Ser Lance," he said seriously and with remarkable calm considering how excited he was to see what happened to Tiberius, if he would call out where his troops were, or offer some other information, "though I may be an expatriate a deal of the time, I was born and raised in Syliras and hold all things in Ravok abhorrent. You may have one of your Truthsayers judge the veracity of my words, but I would never work willingly for the Ebonstryfe unless it was to sabotage them in their efforts against my hometown. "Though some might say that I am too keen for knowledge, I know better than to price it at the safety of my family. Even if we do not always... ever... see eye to eye, I would rather they were happy and healthy than thralls to the evil ones." He glanced at Ser Taylor as if willing him to comment before his eyes found Tiberius again, studying him and his reactions.

[Dusk]

Taylor glanced over at Hadrian after that little speech, dark eyes watching him as carefully as a hawk observing a mouse and deciding whether or not it was hungry. In the end, though, he grunted and threw back the last of his drink. "At least there's that," he snorted, gliding to his feet and shuffling over to refill his glass. Meanwhile, Tiberius seemed to have relaxed just a bit - and whether that was because of the drink or the distraction of the interplay between Hadrian and Taylor was hard to say. Until, of course, he bolted straight up to his feet and gave a hoarse shout, eyes wide and far away and the jewel clutched tightly in his fist. That was all he did for a moment, until Lance stood up as well and put a hand to the man's shoulder and shook him a little. In Hadrian's magical sight, the jewel now emitted a pulsing red light. "Justin," Tiberius croaked, a look of shock and confusion on his face. "He's... bloody hell, he's been stabbed! What the hell is going on here?" "It's a test run, old boy," Lance chuckled, his voice the very example of calm. "How else are we going to test it except to stab someone a little? Don't worry, we've got a healer on standby. He'll be fine." He glanced to Hadrian, brows rising to see if the man had any questions or if this was how he'd expected it to work.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian's verbal riposte was swallowed, almost choked upon when Tiberius gave his shout. The alarum glow of the gem through his clutched fingers was enough to allow its maker to know that something was amiss, though no details came to him until the knight gasped them out. Hadrian's own eyes widened, only to calculate when Ser Lance let them in on his own little test. Perhaps he should not be so worried about his sacrifice of an alley cat when the Knights were willing to bleed their own just to test a thing. "It would seem then," he said quietly, "that the set works. Of course, I would suggest that all involved journal thoroughly. I would appreciate that. It will help me improve upon the design if you should require more in the future." He finished his scotch all at once and sat back, finally relaxing enough to smile. It had worked. He had done it. When his glass was refilled, he raised it in a toast. "To the safety of the Order," which might not have been especially rousing, but it was why he was there in the first place.

OOCNot to rush you, but should we wind this one down and do one in the Spring since this is retroactive? Lemme know.

[Dusk]

Lance just grinned, completely blase about the fact that he had, in fact, ordered one of his men to spring out of a hallway and stab another. Mercenary, were the knights, though few realized just how deep that went. Taylor snickered into his drink, and seemed almost delighted at the thought - but then, he wasn't known for liking his fellow knights very much anyway. The others seemed shaken, but they all reached for their glasses when Hadrian raised his. "To the safety of the Order," a voice echoed behind him. The sergeants turned with surprise, and even Taylor straightened immediately in his chair, and then all three fell to a knee. Lance, who had been expecting just such an arrival, threw back a sip of his drink before turning to bow his head to the man who'd snuck in through the back door. Loren Dyres was not a physically impressive man. He was rather short compared to most of his contemporaries, and his huge wide eyes made him seem more innocent than most would have thought a Grandmaster to be. But there was no doubt that this was the leader of the Syliran Knights - it was there in the tilt of his chin, the carriage of his shoulders, and the undeniable air of authority that clung to him. "Gentlemen," he said with a nod to those assembled. "I hear congratulations are in order. Is this the man we should be thanking?" he said, bright eyes turning with open curiosity to Hadrian.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian too bent the knee, though he wasn't a member of their fraternity. He had been raised in Syliras, after all, by a father whose custom depended upon the goodwill of the knights, whose youngest son had been urged toward the Order in order to cement a bond between the Aelius clan and the Knights of Syliras. This was all very enlightening, bearing the slings and arrows of Ser Taylor's mistrust, enjoying the scotch and goodwill from Ser Lance, but he had not expected Loren Dyers himself to be in attendance. This could be very good or very bad, he decided. "Hadrian Aelius, Lord Dyers," he quietly supplied, not daring to rise until the others did. It wouldn't do to upset the man who ran Syliras with an iron fist, even if every citizen didn't feel that fist up their arse as keenly as the next. The last thing he wanted was trouble for himself, the last thing before that being trouble for his merchant prince of a father, no matter how infrequently they got along. "The gems seem to be working," he added, "though I would suggest extensive training with them before relying upon them. Safety first." Caution was his mainstay, even if most people assumed he was another power-hungry magus. What he wanted was knowledge and wisdom, really, and he was as cautious as he could be while still taking risks. Innovation was impossible without some degree of risk.[/indent]

[Dusk]

The other men rose soon enough, and nodded to the pair of knights who followed the Grandmaster into the room. They looked much like any other knight in the city, except their breastplate was etched with a bronze key instead of the usual white tree. Loren smiled, dipping his head as he chuckled a little and reached up to pat Hadrian on the shoulder. "That's the good thing about the knights," he said quietly. "Always in danger, so we've plenty of opportunity to try these things out. So! We've got one set then. Is it attuned specifically to Tiberius, or can it be used by any of the Sergeants? And how soon can you have more for us, and how many?"

[Hadrian]

The key sigil was noted, though he did not remark upon it. His smile was dubious, but he assumed Grandmaster Dyers knew what sort of missions might have acceptable risks for Tiberius and his knights while trying out this new tactical network. He nodded acceptance. His job had been to create, it was theirs to test and utilize what he created for them. "This one is attuned to Tiberius," he said, "and I have some research to do before attempting another batch. I would like their feedback so I can make improvements for one thing. And I have a research trip planned for Alvadas later in the season, but I should return by late Winter, better able to create more if you deem them worth the Order's resources. By the first of Spring, I should be able to make them with the ability to bond to new masters. It's a matter of simplifying the enchantment, making it more elegant so more can be done with less... I'm sure you don't want to know the details. "But I would be confident trying two enchantments at once next time. If we continue from there, I should be able to manage many at the same time, it being only a matter of space. Each iteration will likely be superior to the last, and some later iteration might be suitable for... intelligence gatherers as well as warriors."

[Dusk]

"A good plan, I think," Loren chuckled, grinning warmly to Hadrian. If he noticed the man's discomfort, he seemed to be making no waves over it. Perhaps he was simply used to inspiring discomfort in people. After a moment, though, he looked up to nod to the rest of the room. "Tiberius and his men will of course make themselves available to you, and will answer all of your questions candidly," he said, and the man gave a short bow as he acknowledged the direct order. "Now, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, Hadrian and I need to further discuss the uses of these wondrous gems." With that, he motioned for Hadrian to precede him back through the door he'd just entered through. The rest of the room bowed again, though Loren didn't seem to pay much attention to it as he followed Hadrian and quietly closed the door behind him. The hallway before them was empty except for the occasional knight standing guard in front of other doorways, most of which Loren paid no mind to. "I had heard you were planning on doing a bit of traveling," the Grandmaster said with a sharp smile. "I was wondering if... well. You might be interested in doing a bit of service for your city while you did so," he said, stopping in front of a door as the knight standing guard nodded and pulled it open for them. A large office was revealed, opulently furnished and quite obviously the Grandmaster's room. "By all reports, you've a keen intellect and a firm loyalty to this city. You can see how such tendencies might be useful to the Order. If for nothing else than just, perhaps, the ability to observe one's surroundings and report back."

[Hadrian]

Hadrian bowed to the knights when the Grandmaster bade him repair elsewhere with him, even the knights who seemed to have it out for him. Every step brought him further in than he had ever been, at least that he could recall. At one point, he thought he saw his brother, Verus, but the lad was still a squire and anyway Hadrian made a point not to make eye contact with anyone; it was all too surreal. These were the brave and vaunted Knights of Syliras. Though his mind knew himself to be their equal, even their superior in many cases, at least where intellect and education were concerned, he was still a Syliran boy, and reverenced the Knights deep in his bones. Such things were difficult to root out. In the opulence of the Grandmaster's office, he nodded dutifully. "Alvadas, yes. After that, I'll return. I don't know if I'll stay... I love the place, of course, but I would like to travel and learn. If I can learn anything that might be of use to the Order, of course I would share it." He didn't deny the allegations of intelligence, but he didn't harp on his own genius either. "I'm Syliran, my Lord. You have but to say the word."

[Dusk]

Loren nodded, his mouth pulled down as he considered Hadrian's words. A few moments passed, and then he gave another nod, more forceful, as if he'd made a decision. "Consider the word given, then," he said, peering up at Hadrian with another quirk of a smile. "And should you be interested in... picking up some skills to help you, we've a few here who can teach you how to ask the right questions. Only if you're interested, though. I would not ask of you more than you're willing to give. Syliran you may be, but you're no Knight for me to order where I will, and you can rest assured that I know that."