2nd Interlude (Archive)

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "Actually, the only one here who's able to surprise him is Breeze. She's the only one Snicker can't read." - Mihai surmises - "So Facehugger, if you really got something in the works, keep it to yourself until it's time to use it."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: Breeze's eyes widen, and she nods with earnest at Mihai. She then mentions, "He probably can't read Faith's mind either..."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "Probably. Back at Nomad's, it couldn't touch Conan - and Felder, by extension. I wonder how it fares with other Phenomena, like the Statues or the Guardian." - Mihai muses - "Either way, i doubt we can count on any of them right now." - he then thinks of something, but puts it away for the moment.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Konrad fiddles with his pipe. "We can't just handle whatever he throws at us, not anymore. He's proven willing to strike at us where we can't reach him, for the explicit purpose of making us miserable. We know fairies can counter whatever magic he uses. Breeze doesn't know the full measure of her power or the array of her talents."

"We need to find out if there is anything she can do to take a more proactive role in our struggle, and the best lead we have - or 'had', rather - was Marie Lavoie. And I'm betting the Coins seized everything they could that belonged to her, anything that she had touched, after she'd gone rogue."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: Steve chews on his lip while he thinks it over, finally answering. "Maybe they found something in the meant time? That could help now? We really should ask."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "Let's go, then."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: "Right. I'm ready."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Konrad nods. When they reach the outside of the building, he lights his pipe laboriously, and when it's hot and smoking, he keeps one hand free to draw his weapon in a heartbeat.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: The party members are welcomed into the waiting room of the local Coins' office by Sonlake's new secretary, Eve Moneypenny. Her predecessor Virginie had been offered a job as assistant to the mayor's office of Highwind, where she is living the high life - so says Eve anyway. One look at this new secretary if enough to deduce that she's originally from a rural area, and judging by her naive attitude and provincial fashion sense, it's obvious that she moved her only recently. Her eagerness to please makes up for her awkwardness however, and she rapidly informs her boss that the 113th adjunct is here to meet him.

It only takes a minute before the party is led into his office, where Sonlake greets them with a smile. Once he starts listening to Konrad's report however, his brows furrow with concern. He even winces when the story turns grim. When the retelling of these events is finally over, Sonlake sits back in his chair, and lets silence hang in the air for a few seconds before he finally says, "First of all, my condolences for your family." He gazes at Konrad for a short moment, and then at the whole group. "I am sad to say that we do not have any useful info regarding Snicker, nor do we know how to stop him. In fact, the five of you are our main source of intelligence regarding this creature."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Mihai steps forward - "There may be one thing we overlooked. We pooled what we know, and there's a gap of about a day between the time Snicker arrived at Zest's following Conan, and the time he found the Barracuda at sea. Plenty of time for it to have known about the Kraken and the Fairies..." - he squints a little for emphasis - "...and the Statues."

"The Kraken, we know what he did with. The fairies, he can' communicate with. That Statues, though, it did strike me as odd then that we were the only ones in the whole town that Alvo reacted to. I never figured out why, but one thing we did do was meet Snicker about a day prior."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Konrad shakes his head. "We know why the statue of Alvo reacted. Steve insulted the person it was modeled after. Meeting the demon would have changed that."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Mihai is undeterred - "It's what we've got. We follow it up or stay on the defenseless, waiting for Snicker to make all the moves. Again."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: "It's not all we've got. Kira had contacts in Zest. We can pay or extort it from them. You're free to test your theory if you want, but it's just a hunch. If her contacts were in Lorinth, then we'd all be heading to Lorinth."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "Knock yourself out searching a whole nation for the contacts you think she had." - he takes a step forward to address Sonlake - "I know where the Statues are. And they're one of the few Phenomena we've encountered so far that weren't hostile. I think it's worth the trip, considering all the alternatives."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: "If you want us to go to the same place, Konrad, then what's the point of arguing about it other than to argue? We still end up at Zest's Gate either way. Right?"

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Konrad takes a step toward the center, and takes a breath and exhaling out. "Right. Forget I said anything."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "One way or another, Zest's is ground zero. We want to start unraveling this thing, it's likely our best shot."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: Sonlake Dermold leans back in his chair and holds his hands together. His eyes aren't focused on the 113th adjunct, but on the invisible dominos that only he can perceive. He doesn't say anything for the next minute or so, during which Fedler nervously glances at her companions while Breeze fidgets on Konrad's shoulder. Then finally, Sonlake asks, "Does any of you have families that need protection from Snicker?"

The redheaded ranger hesitates for just a second. "I was thinking that Velstar should be informed about what happened..."

"I'll make sure that she is. Anyone else?"

He gazes at the other party members.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Mihai squints, and takes him a moment to finally say - "Yes."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: The handler waits.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Mihai frowns, not comfortable to be talking about this - "I don't have any blood family left that i know of, but there's an adopted sister. Also, my former handler. After the way i left Lofell, it's not safe for me to make contact yet, but we're past that now. I've already written one of the letters; was going to mail them both as soon possible."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: "Zelk Freeron and possibly her family," adds Steve. "Besides her the rest aren't cleared for this information so I'm not sure how overt you can really be but leaving them with nothing doesn't feel right either."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Everyone else speaks in the wake of Konrad's hesitation, until finally it is his turn... He nods. "It has come to my attention that I have a nephew and a niece, who survived my brother. I want them to be safe. His widow should be included as well, if he had a wife."

"Oh, uh, and there is a friend of ours in Walkerfree, Aemilia. Keep her safe too."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: "Uh..." the fairy begins, a little shy. "Maybe my brothers and sisters in Lofell? I think they live near the city where Marie's house was. I'm not sure where it is though."

"Hmm." Sonlake pulls out a sheet of paper from his drawer, picks up a blue pencil, and writes down the information. He then puts the pencil back on the desk, joins his hands together again, and declares with a clear voice, "I will dispatch several agents to inform your relatives and closed ones of the danger that Snicker poses to their lives. Those who know nothing about him will be warned not to take any of his deals. Those who can defend themselves will be offered advanced magical protection. And those who can't, they will be guarded by some of our more... experienced agents." He pauses, and his eyes narrow. "As for the five of you, I am assigning you a new mission; find out how to kill Snicker, and if that proves to be impossible, how to seal him away. It seems clear to me that unless we find a way to contain him in one place or body, there's no way we can stop him from interfering in your lives."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "I ask permission to go to Zest's, then."

» 1st Interlude (Archive)
» 1st Aventure: The Fey One (Archive)
» 1st Adventure: The Fallout (Archive)
» 2nd Adventure: Proxy War (Archive)
» 2nd Adventure: Sightseeing and Debrief (Archive)