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Post by Gwendolyn on Mar 29, 2023 15:41:00 GMT -5
The temperature inside was chilly, yet comfortable. Compared to the blizzard howling around outside, it was downright pleasant. The stony main hall of Bleakfort was itself hundreds of yards from any hint of snow however, sitting regally atop the cavern of the city itself. Impressive, she thought as she looked down to the city below. The glass floor of the ballroom itself was almost sickening to stand upon, but Gwendolyn could certainly see the appeal to some. Luckily, she could only make out the vague shape of buildings up here due to her eyesight, otherwise there might be cause for more nausea. It was some droll affair, dozens of noble dwarves and other races cajoling about for no other particular reason than to mingle. It was an open invitation by the crowned king Tarvian the Third to make allies and strengthen bonds for the Pale Concord. Her father had insisted she come as an Ambassador for Mystwud Manor, mostly due to the fact that the Marrowvines had been giving their household the cold shoulder lately. Like she said, droll. All she could see was the tops of heads all throughout the event, and the slimmest thought that perhaps heels had been a bad idea only crossed her mind every waking moment she stood there. She wore a light blue half-length dress with a silver lace kamarband that jangled idly as she moved. An elegant bun topped her head, along with some reserved silver earring to compliment her hair and eyes. Schmoozing was certainly one of her strong suits, but squatting in a dress was not. Desperately, she looked around the ballroom for those of similar height.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Mar 29, 2023 19:29:50 GMT -5
It wasn't every day that Zarius got to rub elbows with the nobility of Frost Gale. Really, Frost Gale's complicated political scene was not exactly intertwined with the underbelly of the Ash Lands. But any excuse to gather information was something the fellblood was hardly eager to pass on.
When news of the opportunity to attend the high class event at the Grey Keep reached his office, he immediately made preparations for the journey. It would also be an excellent opportunity to get a feel for Frost Gale's stability and perhaps tip the scales a smidge.
There was just one problem.
Despite the event being an open invite, someone like him with his reputation couldn't just show up without a very good reason, especially if he brought an escort with him. Given the avianbear's den he would be walking into, bringing someone else was absolutely necessary. Having another set of eyes and ears was never a bad thing, and also having an extra blade nearby could come in handy should anything go catastrophically wrong.
This time, Shael, Zarius' newest recruit, would have the honor of watching his back since Zarius' usual partners in crime could not join him. Eirynor unfortunately wasn't a very good conversationalist being mute and all, and Snow really did not want to come despite originally being from Frost Gale. Personal reasons. Fair enough, he wouldn't push the catfolk. Besides, this would be a good opportunity to see if Shael could behave herself when it counted. Though this would undoubtedly put the Borderland Dvoryanin well out of her comfort zone, he hoped she could handle the pressure.
One good forged letter later, they were in.
Unfortunately, they couldn't exactly sneak Shael's storm drake into the party and instead had to have the mount hide outside as a quick get away if it came to that. With any luck, they would not have to flee the scene for any reason.
They arrived a little after the gathering started. Zarius was dressed formally in a black silk brocade long coat with gold embroidery while his dark elf companion wore a modest floor length dark purple dress with a silver fur shawl draped across her shoulders. The skirt of her dress flowed loosely as she walked, easily concealing the pair of fighting knives holstered to the sides of her riding boots.
The gathering was certainly something to behold. So many dwarves all gathered in one place to support and curry favor with King Tarvian, or with one another. There were a few non-dwarves who stood out like sore thumbs from the crowd. It was a good thing Eirynor stayed behind as navigating the crowd would have been a tripping hazard.
"Try to avoid insulting anyone," Zarius warns as they make their way through the space, keeping his voice low as to not be overheard. "Dwarves are easily offended, especially the high society ones."
"Is that because they have short tempers?" She really just could not help herself.
"...And we are off to a great start."
The pair move throughout the crowd carefully. Last thing they wanted was to bash their knees on a dwarf elbow and cause someone to spill their drink on their date or potential business partner. Zarius leads his young ally while also keeping an ear out for any interesting tidbits of information being shared about the crowd. It would be hard to pick up any juicy secrets with the droning chorus of so many voices overlapping one another, but some alcohol fueled gossip could easily lend itself to some easy eavesdropping.
The fellblood keeps scanning the crowd to find a good place to linger when his eyes land on a familiar face. Well, well, well. This job just got a bit more interesting.
"Follow me."
He gently directs Shael over to Gwen, approaching with a friendly smile on his face.
"Good evening, Lady Gwendolyn," he greets the woman whom he had met on the beach on one of the Crescent Isles not too long ago.
They had gotten into a small disagreement over a precious treasure, but ended that altercation amicably.
"What a surprise to see you here. You look lovely, the earrings were a good choice. If I may, I would like to introduce you to my associate."
Shael stiffens up and looks like a deer in the headlights as she is put on the spot while being introduced. "Uhm...hello." She attempts to curtsy awkwardly before the taller human woman.
Yup. Great start.
Minions Shael
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 2, 2023 7:46:03 GMT -5
It was getting a little old having to crane her neck trying to talk to merchants and regal house dwarves this much. The majority of them had little of interest to talk about except for money and power, which she supposed came with the territory. A change of pace would be nice she thought. Idle musings interrupted by the very things they had manifested. Two well dressed individuals approached her, and once they were close enough to actually make out she realized it was none other than Zarius Rha'Oriyn himself, and guest. “Zarius, what a pleasant surprise!” She says, returning the polite smile. “You flatter me, a pleasure to make your acquaintance ma’am. I am Lady Gwendolyn, of the Frost Gale Mystwuds.” Gwendolyn offered politely, with a well practiced curtsy in return. Her stature quickly returns to a more relaxed stance as she looks the woman over. She seemed nervous, It would curry favor with the Ashen noble to make her feel at ease. Politics was a carefully weighted game of balancing scales, feed one side a little, and then you can start tipping them in your own favor. “I simply adore your shawl, it matches your eyes quite well. What strings did Zarius need to pull to drag a beauty like you along to this riveting event?”
A passing waiter made a judgemental eye contact with her as he passed, caarrying a tray of fine Dwarven Crystal Ales. She ignored the look to pay attention to the Dark Elf before her, grabbing a few flutes of drink as he attempted to walk away in protest. “Always such short tempers, am I right?” said with a whisper and a sly smile. “Drink?”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Apr 3, 2023 19:08:59 GMT -5
“Nice to meet you,” the young dark elf replies.
Shael shifts her weight from one leg to another as Gwen complicates her outfit. This really wasn’t her scene. Being inside was bad enough, but being inside in a crowded room full of stuffy judgey folk was so much worse. What’s more was that Gwendolyn definitely looked more confident and put together than herself. How was she supposed to support Zarius at this event when she was so out of place?
“Why do you assume I needed to pull any strings? This event is an open invitational, is it not?” Zarius asks, eyeing Gwen up and down.
Last time they met, the woman had ulterior motives in providing assistance with the beached manta gliders. Did she have ulterior motives in being here as well? He’d have to be careful about prying that information from the woman with so many other ears and eyes on them since they literally stand out from the vast majority of the crowd.
Shael covers her mouth to hide a snort from Gwen’s dig at the dwarves. “You’re not wrong.”
Zarius shakes his head, though he does appreciate Gwendolyn’s attempts to help the new recruit ease up a little. She was too stiff and was going to trip over her own feet at this rate, and he really didn’t have that good of a relationship with the young dark elf for her to have confidence in him.
At the offer of a drink, Zarius gives an apologetic smile. “None for me, I am afraid I am a lightweight when it comes to most Dwarven brews.”[1]
That excuse earns him a judgey look, but not from the dwarves and instead from Shael. He hadn't really entrusted her with the knowledge that he avoided drink or eating anything given to him out of caution of being poisoned, so she was free to draw whatever conclusions she wants in this case.
She doesn't wait for him to give permission or not, already more comfortable with Gwen and regaining her confidence. "I'll take one."
Zarius is not about to stop Shael from drinking a little bit to take any edge off her nerves. Within reason, of course. He instead keeps his focus mainly on Gwen.
"So, what business brings you here?"
[1] Smooth Talking
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 3, 2023 19:58:48 GMT -5
Shrugging, she sipped her glass and placed the remaining one on a passing waiters tray. So Zarius of all people was a lightweight? Might be useful to know in the future…maybe some Delusion Poison would be more effective on him. She had no reason to poison him, of course, but the possibility of another courier needing to be taken out was up there in reasons to prepare ahead of time. Especially with one like him. Dangerous. She smiled politely, offering a glass clink to his accomplice. A little rude, not offering a name in return, but she supposed it was the womans first time at an event like this. Caught up in the minutae probably… unless thats what she wanted her to think? Blinking away the intrusive thoughts, she brought her attention back to the conversation. “Oh, I’m only here on behalf of my father, Cassian. The Marrowvines have embargoed several luxury goods from reaching our family estate, so I’ve come to make arrangements with the traders further north. Yourself? Aren’t you a bit of a big deal in the Ashland’s?” She swirled the glass of ale once more and took another sip. It was strong stuff, to be sure. Her veil protected her from most airborne poisons, but ingested ones were a bit of another problem. In such a public venue, it was a risk worth taking. And besides, if the woman had clinked glasses with her then she was at risk as well… well balanced.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Apr 4, 2023 21:58:25 GMT -5
“Family obligation then, that is a lot of pressure to carry.”
He could empathize with Gwen on that. Everything he did was for his family’s benefit, their business, and their quality of life. He was the first born son, it was his duty to protect the family.
Shael downs the drink as if she was at a tavern and not in the middle of an important social soiree. Luckily for her, dwarves are not as uptight when it comes to their drinking and a few who see this from across the room give approving nods.
Zarius pretends he doesn’t see, silently questioning why he thought it was a good idea to bring the rebellious teen in the first place.
“A shame the Marrowvines are treating your family poorly. It must be incredibly frustrating.”
That was an interesting tidbit of information. For what reason would the Marrowvines have to resort to such measures against a noble family of Frost Gale? Perhaps there is some sort of drama between them, in which case it is quite impressive that Gwen’s family have attracted such animosity from the reigning power in the region. Perhaps he could leverage the situation, but first he needed more information.
Gwen struck him as a fairly sharp individual despite not being very subtle. He'd have to approach the topic carefully as to not insult her or give her reason to call his intentions into question.
He chuckles at her question. “I would not necessarily say that, my pull in the Ash Lands is fairly limited, all things considered. That said, casting a wide net may change that. There is no harm in having friendly connections with the nobility of other regions. I hope our last interaction did not sour your opinion of me.”
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 5, 2023 18:30:08 GMT -5
A light chuckle and a hand covering her grinning face were all she would need to hopefully implant some dastardly thoughts in his acquaintances mind. Even a small hint of doubt cast as to what their last interaction had been would be enough to manipulate if need be. Gardening was her true profession, as planting seeds was basically all a noblewoman had to do. That, and wait for them to sprout. “Of course not, though that particular trip to the beach was unforgettable. The ones we serve certainly had some words with me about it.” Clumsy, but a trap was a trap if all you had were sticks. Impressed by how Shael was able to stomach the drink all in one go, and driven by a desire to not be outmatched, Gwendolyn downed the rest of her glass. Pulling out a handkerchief, she politely wiped her lips before sighing. It was an attempt to bring down the temperature of the conversation. Zarius seemed a man constantly on guard, so a bit of casual action had the chance to make him relax just that extra bit to throw out some juicy information. “Speaking of those we serve, I’ve been interested.” She lowered her voice a bit, leaning in so that only the three of them might hear. “Aside from the couriers, and the crown. Who is it that you truly serve? (1) A man with such drive, such force of will, what is it that lights your furnace.” 1 Thank you for your candor: The longer you engage someone in conversation the more likely that they will be to reveal some private or secret information. Your skill to guide and lead conversation as made you an expert information gatherer. A conversation that lasts for three posts will subconsciously force the other participants to be truthful while talking. At the end of three post you may ask the conversationalist one question that must be answered truthfully.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Apr 7, 2023 9:21:32 GMT -5
“I hope they were not too hard on you, it was a simple misunderstanding,” he comments.
Really there shouldn’t have been any reason to reprimand Gwen, it wasn’t her fault he hadn’t read the letter with the orders from their mutual contact, and it worked out in the end anyway.
Shael attempts to mimic Gwen and deposit the empty flute on the tray of one of the passing waiters, but she isn’t quite as slick and the glass ends up topping off. Zarius tail lashes around it before it smashes against the floor and he returns it to her hand.
The dark elf huffs. “Show off.”
“Please do not start any trouble,” he asks.
“Says the mob guy.”
He gives her a bit of a warning look before addressing Gwen’s question.
“I can assure you I do not serve the Crown. I serve myself and my family which has put us at odds with regional authorities, the Crown included. Considering your family is having trouble with the Marrowvines, I am sure you can understand.”
His eyes linger on the empty glass in Gwen's hand for a moment as he considers something.
"You know, I may be able to help you in your venture here. I know some of the more...complicated business the Marrowvines are tangled up in." He looks out over the crowd of dwaves. "If these stuffy dwarves learned about how they have been mismanaging their trade deals, it may make your family look like a better alternative. It is no secret that Zalen Marrowvine lacks strength of character to make good leadership decisions. It would not be a hard sell."
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 7, 2023 18:51:39 GMT -5
The man knew how to bargain. Such information would be invaluable in not only dealing with the dwarves, but perhaps even the ruling family themselves. It would be playing both sides of the fence, but as long as the two never found out about the respective deals it could be quite lucrative. Her eyebrows raised, the offer seemingly too good to pass up. Alarms rang in her mind at the potential danger of dealing with a known criminal of the crown, but such things had never stopped her before.
“That, would be quite generous of you, Zarius. I would of course find myself in your debt. The Mystwud Estate has authorized me full negotiating powers on it’s behalf, as such would be willing to compensate you accordingly.”
He was incredibly willing to deal in front of his subordinates, which she found interesting. Does he not consider the potential damage of an information leak? Or even a potential captive to torture? Gwendolyn herself kept her maids at a professional distance despite being on more than cordial grounds with the majority of them. Such dealings were far above their heads, and as much as subordinates are prone to gossip they would find their own slivers of information regardless.
“Perhaps an agreement can be made between the Mystwud household and the Rha'Oriyn. Under the table of course. My Estate still keeps appearances of cordiality with those in power for obvious reasons, I hope you understand.”
(Formatting pending home)
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Apr 10, 2023 12:45:03 GMT -5
"There really is no compensation needed," he reassures Gwen.
While he appreciated the offer and would not mind having such connections in his back pocket, the reality was that his plan had been the whole point from the beginning. He wasn't here just to rub elbows with the dwarven nobility, he was here to plant a few seeds of dissent.
Zalen Marrowvine was the target of his slander. The dark-elf son of the same Marrowvines who held that high profile ball the previous year. Zalen Marrowvine was someone ill-liked by the public of Frost Gale already, having shown his weakness of character time and time again with his spoiled brat outbursts and avoidance of taking responsibility after the death of his brother. He was not a leader who inspired confidence, and in a region dominated by monster hunters, stubborn dwarves, and citizens hardened by the harsh winters, he could hardly hold things together.
And the rich investors had started to take notice. With the sabotages of various supply ships a few months ago -- including one ship set ablaze by Zarius and an ally personally -- many of those who put their own funds into supporting the Pale City's growth and the expeditions to the Arid Mesa were considering pulling their funding and putting it in more lucrative markets.
There was a lot of money involved in the Pale City, and with money came political pull. If Zalen managed to secure these lines of finances from across Charon, it would tip the scales in his favor against other regions. The Marrowvines already had a seat on the Crown council, they didn't need to have even more say in the politics of Charon now.
That's where Zarius comes into the picture. He was here to help make that journey to the top of the ladder a little harder for Zalen. Through spreading some rumors of his ineptitude with the dwarven crowd which all were clamoring for King Tavian's favor, it could potentially put the two leaders at odds. This would slow down the Pale Concord's ability to actually do anything of significance for a while and keep them from getting too cocky.
Helping the Mystwud's, while not really something that was part of the original plan, wasn't a bad perk. Gwen seemed skilled and she had connections. Plus she would have a front seat to the outcomes of Zarius' work. Another set of eyes on the situation hardly seemed like a bad idea, especially since they clearly had some common allies behind the scenes.
He smiles at the woman. "I would be honored to speak with you further about a possible alliance. And I am happy to keep our dealings discreet."
Glancing about, he spots a few dwarves who are starting to get a little rosy around the ears. They were dressed nicely and speaking somewhat loudly about the state of the nation. Perfect marks.
"If you would excuse me for just a moment, I will return shortly."
Shael snorts a laugh. "Shortly."
"Stop that," he chides the dark elf.
She shrugs and looks at Gwen as the fellblood leaves them alone. "Y'know, never thought I'd meet someone like you when that guy hired me on. Guess he doesn't just talk big game but actually has some. Ugh, how can you stand all this high society bullshit? Makes me nauseous." Or maybe that was all the dwarven ale she downed in one go.
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 14, 2023 0:46:01 GMT -5
Gwendolyn lifts a hand to hide the small chuckle as Zarius walks away, meeting the womans eye with mutual humour. The woman might have had a bit of a blush going on from the ale, or was that just her own imagination? Or her own set of drinks on that note. She raises a casual eyebrow and moves her head with an understanding nod. “Yeah, he knows the game pretty well, I’ll give him that.” She says, talking with her glass to punctuate her sentences with a swirl. “It takes some getting used to. I was raised for things like this and still find it a bit taxing. The free booze certainly helps.” She says with a smile. “My advice? Always assume an ulterior motive. Nobody does stuff for free, and nobody just wants to help you.” Her face looses cheer as she looks directly into the womans eyes. ”The game I mentioned that Zarius knows so well? There’s only one winner, and even they have a target on their back.”
Replacing her glass with another drink passing by, she returns to the woman with a smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to get all philosophical, but I guess the caverns just brings it out of me.” She takes another swig “I’m sorry, all this drink must have slid it right out of my ears, may I catch your name again? It’s absolutely pleasant to converse with someone not trying to get some favour out of me.”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Apr 14, 2023 9:29:18 GMT -5
"Can't imagine it, too stuffy and these clothes are so impractical. How are you supposed to defend yourself with this flimsy material?" The young dark elf's irritation was very thinly veiled, if veiled even at all.
"I already do that. You don't get very far in the Dvory races being a naïve idiot. Buncha cheating sons of bitches. That asshole included." She gestures towards Zarius as he moves throughout the crowd and starts planting little tidbits of information in every passing conversation. "Jerk had his friend impersonate a rider and sabotaged a fixed race. Got me in serious trouble with the Red Riders...well, okay, I already was in trouble with them but their stunt sure didn't help. Feels like he's just trying to make up for that, gods know why."
"Oh, right, my name." She ponders for a moment if she should be using a false name, but Zarius had introduced himself as himself...she thinks, he could have been using a fake name with her from the get go. She eventually shrugs. Fuck it, what was Gwen going to do with just a name anyway?
"I'm Shael Caiwynn. I'd introduce you to my storm drake but apparently it is 'not appropriate to bring such a creature indoors'." She poorly mimics how Zairus speaks as she mocks him with a roll of her eyes.
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 19, 2023 4:51:49 GMT -5
A racer, a Storm Drake, and a possibly fake name. The pause had given her a moment of concern, but “Shael” seems too sincere a person to be throwing out fakes for no reason. Unless she was REALLY good at this, in which case Gwendolyn paged through all the information SHE had handed out in this conversation. No, her therapist had talked to her about this. Not everyone in the world is a masterclass conversationalist out to make a fool of you, sometimes people can be taken at face value. She smiled. “Dvory races huh? With a Storm Drake as well, aren’t you quite the catch. We’ll have to be introduced the next time we meet, preferably not several hundred feet underground.”
She watched as Zarius wandered about the party, a true rogue in every sense. THAT was someone she should be watching out for. While she was relaxing and enjoying a few drinks, he was on the prowl, advancing his schemes. Gwendolyn eyed the Dark Elf from the side of her vision and sighed. “How do you trust a man like that? My boyfriend, Wolfe, he has his own secrets… But Zarius… His secrets have secrets. How could you ever be sure you’re not just a disposable means to an end? Forgive me if I’m prying too deeply, this ale certainly brings it out of me.”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Apr 19, 2023 20:09:23 GMT -5
The color of Shael's face deepens considerably from Gwen's compliment. "I mean, maybe. If you're interested we could probably go for a joy ride after this event. If I can give that jerk the slip that is."
Zarius isn't privvy to how the two women are talking about him behind his back, fully focused on the task at hand and ensuring the rumor mill has a good solid start. It'll take some time to spread like wild fire, but if he can light a few more fuses it should work well given the general attitude the crowd has about their elven overlord.
Shael laughs a bit bitterly. "Oh, I don't trust him. Not a bit. He and his pal screwed me over. But I can't get back what I lost, so I gotta take what I can get."
It was pretty evident that Shael didn't hold much respect for the fellblood. Yet she still was here, she was still carrying out orders and listening to him. As far as Shael was concerned, she was using him just as much as he was using her, and in the end that was enough. She didn't feel a need to form a friendship with him. It was just business and a means to an end.
She spots another waiter walking by with more drinks and she snatches one from the tray. Swirling the liquid around in the glass, she gets a bit of a morose look on her face for a moment before she shoots the drink back.
"I'm not planning on sticking around forever. Just long enough to get back on my feet. Drakes are expensive to keep when you don't have any supports to fall back on."
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 21, 2023 3:55:21 GMT -5
Gwendolyn grabs a glass as well as the tray passes by, sipping on the ale as Shael regales. Her face was getting quite flush at this point, part of her plan of course. Make her think she’d dropped her guard to drop her own guard enough. Picking up that one of Zarius’s servants had no particular loyalty other than Solars was interesting. Something she could possibly leverage if the man ever tried to screw her. She relaxed, leaning into the slightly drunk facade that she was cultivating. Fake or not, whatever was in these ales was strong stuff. “Yeah! It’s gotta be hard to work for essentially a mob boss anyway… Hey! Ya know, you seem competent enough. The Mystwud family is always looking for experienced mercenaries and servants. Pays well, and it’s legit work. Just something to consider after your time with him is up.” She says, tilting her head sideways and placing a hand on the womans shoulder. She leaned in ensuring none of the dignitaries three feet below could hear them. Her sweet smelling veil pressed close, gwendolyn whispered into Shaels ear. “How much would it cost for you to join me instead? (1) I treat my servants well”1 Thank you for your Candor
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