[Syliras Quest] Roll The Dice And Watch Them Burn (Leo/Doc)

[Gossamer]

Yshul grinned, stepped forward, and released Leo's hands from the manacles with a set of lock picks that materialized. Sure he could burn through a link and free himself, but she liked showing off just a tad bit. Thieving was a useful profession, after all. She moved across the room to Murdoch, bent and freed the thing chained at Murdock's feet. It rose, turned and stared at Leo. It's gaze was as penetrating as his own. Once she was done, Yshul released Murdoch the same way and tucked her lockpicks behind his ear. "Present for you." She said, probably in exchange for the flattery and bantering he'd started out with. When she was back on her way over to Leo, Murdoch finally blew, which in truth was an outburst that was probably long overdue. Then she turned, stared directly at him, and grew serious. "I'll tell you whats happening, if you really want to know Murdoch. We're drawing lines in the sand. There's a war going on, a divine one, and you guys are chosen pieces. Leo here is playing a role that no self respecting person on this world would ever pick for themselves. He's got friends that will also play a role. You'll play one too if you're smart. No fool lets others choose their lives for them. Ivak wants out, and wants to be free. I've tried numerous times to bust him loose, but my skills are what they are and that prison wasn't designed to be breached by another Goddess. Several gods want humanity dead or to treat them like playthings." She strode over to the creature that was once a man and stroked its jawline. The whole time since she had freed it, the thing had said nothing or done nothing but stood up and folded its wings against its back, looking dazed and almost traumatized. "This is what happens when gods intervene in your lives..." She said using the thing as an example. In a lower voice, she whispered to it, though the two men could still here. "I'll take you to Marcus and see what he thinks. Something might be done with you, Ali." She turned back, staring at Murdoch. "This is what happens when some of them get involved.. places like this, orders like the Shroud. They are evil in the guise of having a cause. Vayt's cause is to thin the herd, any way he can, and he takes perverse pleasure in doing so. The Shroud are everywhere, in every city and in every region. This group was a bit more blatant than I usually see them though. The Druvan was responsible. Do you know what that is? Rhysol's pet. Its one of the single most powerful creatures you can create from a mortal and one of the hardest to kill. You both didn't walk away without a price. Some more than others." She shrugged then, looking around, angry and yet as they watched distancing herself from the scene. "I didnt know what I was walking into. I should have suspected. I only came for the dagger, not to dispense out advice to the two of you. Watch your backs though. Rhysol will know Raven is gone and be absolutely furious about it. If you were aiming to paint a big target on your back, you just did so. I wouldn't stay in the city, either of you, for Rhysol will probably burn it to the ground." There was an absolute seriousness in her voice, followed up, of course by... "I think I'll go get shyke-faced with Akajia. She's always up for a good bender." With that she winked, slipped the silk mask back on, and disappeared. A moment later, so too did the twisted creature that still had seemed dazed.

[Leo Varniak]

Although he tried not to make it obvious, Leo was relieved to see Yshul save him the effort of burning through the chain. The aftereffects of using his Azenth powers as well as Raven's ghoulish touch were still taking a toll on him. He massaged his wrists and listened to what the goddess had to say. Apparently Yshul was, if not on Leo's side, at least closer to it than to his enemies. She was really out for herself and to fulfill her material wants, and made little mystery of it, but even some tangential help could come in handy. He watched her handle the mutated creature that the Druvin's twisted power had twisted into unnatural shape, and inside he judged. Had the goddess not been there, he would simply have put it out of its misery - he certainly would have wanted it, if it had happened to him. "Well," Leo said, after Yshul blinked away into nothingness, "I would likely be angry too if my trusted servant got killed by men in loincloths." And with that, he set out to look for his clothes. Failing to find those, he would not touch any of the others: definitely not anything the Shroud guards had worn. Going naked was far preferable to coming in contact with their foul essence. "Let's get out of here," he motioned for Murdoch to follow. If they were lucky they might even stumble upon the Philtering lab where they brewed the vile Enliven drug, though Leo somehow doubted his enemies would risk putting all of their eggs in one basket. One could always hope, however. These were all problems that could solved with fire. And Leo felt he could still manage a little bonfire of vanities tonight.

[Murdoch]

Doc stared around him as Yshul pontificated about the war of the gods, and what part he might play in it. Like he didn't know that the gods used people as pawns in their games. Like he didn't know how helpless he could be in this madness.

When she disappeared, a hand drifted up to pull the lockpick from behind his ear. Except his thumbs weren't working, and it started to fall and he had to fumble to grab it. "Bollocks," he murmured, managing to finally get it between his fingers and stick it back behind his ear again. "No bloody pockets. Where're my knives?"

As Leo began his search, he did as well. "I'm Murdoch, by the way. Can't rightly remember if I said that or not. Just thought I was here for a bloody game of cards. Next thing you know I've a god's hand up my ass and another one's boot on my throat. Ain't exactly the sort of evening one plans on. But I'm all for getting the hell out as soon as bloody possible."

[Gossamer]

The Fates Have Spoken
Here is your thread grade!

Character: Leo Varniak
Experience Awarded: Observation +5, Strategy +5, Logic +5, Deduction +2, Reimancy +1, Dagger +1, Endurance +5, Investigation +5, Leadership +4
Lores Awarded: The Costiva Hivan House=Rolling Dice House (RDH), RDH: Using Children as Lookouts/Distractions, Zaital Consulting building: Ivak Triad Headquarters, Observation: Determining Underlying Currents of An Establishments Purpose, RDH: Child fights, Drug: Enliven creates anger/emotion, RDH: Too Organized To be Ordinary, Azenth: Realization Of Its True Purpose, Azenth: Acting on Ivak’s Behalf, Azenth: Understanding How Important Ivak is to Mizahar, Azenth: Revealing Potentials, Azenth: The Power is like An emotional Accelerant, Azenth: Learning Control IS The True Path To Priesthood, The Black Hand: Vayt’s Ally, The Black Hand: Diseased Minions, Ivak: His Realm Is So Much More Than One Realizes, Ivak: Enormous Power Over Humanity, Azenth: Releasing Crowds, Tyveth: Granting a Gnosis On The Fly Before A Battle, Tyveth: His Symbol is a Sword wrapped in roses, Reimancy: Firebolt, Reimancy: Great Way To Star A War, Being Darted, Being Drugged, Reimancy: Setting people alive on fire, Death: Last thought was of Mother, Lina: Looks like Kova, Leo: Has the blood of a God in his veins, Ivak: Seems Sane Enough In Visions, Glav Navik: Needs to Live, Glav Navik: Needs to get to Ivak, Ivak: Can get free but needs to do it at a perfect time to right a wrong, Yshul: Stole time for Ivak which he paid for with a kiss, Raven: Black Hand Druvin, Raven: Controls Shroud, Raven: Must Be Destroyed, Raven: Powerful third Marked Follower of Rhysol, Druvin: All But Immortal, Druvin: Can Be Killed By Cutting Their Hearts Out and Setting Them On Fire In a Blaze Dedicated To Sylir, Raven: Will die if you cut her heart out with the dagger of Sylir, Ivak: Leo vows to free him, Faith: It relies Heavily On Trust, Trust: Relies Heavily on Faith, Druvin: Their death releases power that taints, Yshul: Came to Steal The Dagger, Left It Because Of Leo’s Relation To Ivak. Yshul: Took leo’s Father As A Pet, Murdoch: Has Something Of A Temper, Murdoch: Colorful Vocabulary, YShul: High Probability that Marcus Kelvic Is Alive and Is the Marcus Yshul Took the Monster too, Yshul: Likes to get Shitfaced with Akajia. Druvin: What They Are, Shroud: In Every City Everywhere,

Loot: The Kalivant: A wicked looking dagger. The weapon looked like it was fashioned perfectly, a tree etched on its blade with an oak hilt stained in red. The pommel was a gem that gleamed red. "As Sylir fell, this dagger was bathed in his blood which was infused with his power. It used to be his - and at his death the clear stone in the hilt turned red.” It was smoldering hot, molten, etched with flames intertwined like lovers over Sylir's ancient symbol - two clasped hands.

Notes: Feel free to swap Strategy for Tactics if that’s what your collecting XP in. I thought every move Leo made in this thread involved logic, deduction and tactics. He was making decisions on the fly based on instinct which was hard for him, but the realizations it brought him were super powerful to the formation of his character.

Murdoch if you start playing again, I’ll gladly award you XP and Lores.

As always PM me if you have issues.