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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Apr 26, 2023 19:48:30 GMT -5
It was a nice midday in Spring as Fish perched on the branch of a fairly old and wide oak. Perhaps one of the times they have looked most likely a bird in their strange and short life. Though as usual with Fish, they were not simply enjoying a day out and having a nice lunch.
As they bounced their little talons over the edge of the branch they sat on, their hands held a dossier. A dossier pertaining to a target for assassination. It was odd for Fish to get the job, they are usually kept to thieving, but Fish knew this was part of a life of crime. They did not seem to struggle with the moral quandary of taking someone's life for coin. The lesson of right and wrong they were given as a chick was.......lacking to say the least.
This job seemed to have the goal of stopping a rebellion before it happens. King's Valley is known for its lack of strong unity, so whenever somebody tries to change that, naturally it draws some attention. Whoever was paying Fish didn't seem keen on letting that happen. And Fish didn't seem keen on caring too much about the importance of the job. Political whims are not something Fish has, the significance of a stolen item means nothing to them, only the coin it can bring in. This job would be the same.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Apr 26, 2023 21:11:49 GMT -5
Cyran rarely had the opportunity to visit King’s Valley, though he often found that its rolling fields, though full of roving mercenaries and tribes, was oddly… peaceful. It was a shame that this peace would not last. He was currently making his way to the agreed-upon meeting point as decided by his employer. He was aware he wasn’t the only one who had been hired for this task, much to his chagrin. The Specter preferred to work alone, if only because it was all too easy for him to worry about any partner he might have been paired with. But he understood that stamping out this rebellion was of critical importance - and no one was willing to take any chances. They needed all the extra hands they could get. In his dark attire, covering nearly his entire body on a day so warm, Cyran stood out like a sore thumb. He did not let that bother him as he glided silently up to the widest tree in the Kingswood, where his partner for this mission would be waiting for him. That was when he spotted the figure up in the branches. It did not take long for the assassin to scale the side of the trunk, hoisting himself up onto one of the thick branches to face whatever was concealed behind the leaves. To his surprise, it was a bird - a familiar bird, though not one he expected to see in a place like this. And all at once, his heart sunk as he realized what Fish was doing here - what the dossier clutched within their talons meant. He had an idea, but he still had to ask. “Fish? What are you doing here?” Bringing PetsYeux (Vampire Bat: Counts against pet cap) Quest Name: Assassination Participants: Requires exactly two people (you and one other, if the other participant does not qualify, they will not gain the reward) Location: Anywhere (Can be repeated for a different region) Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post Reward: -15 Security for selected Region (Extra -5 if not your home region) Description: While targeting a regions infrastructure and demoralizing its people are great ways to bring a region to its knees, nothing works better than removing an important member of that region, be it a noble, a member of royalty, a politician or just a normal citizen that keeps the region moving. Your job is to eliminate an member of a specific region with some political importance, ultimately lowering its ability to function and progress. How, where and when you do this is totally up to you, as long as a high ranking official is removed and dealt with. (Note: important NPCs such as those found in the Notable NPC guide cannot be used for this quest.)
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Apr 27, 2023 16:16:06 GMT -5
"Work." Fish pops up to stand on the branch, tucking the papers back into their bag. "You're late."
They had been made away someone else would be working on this job. 'The Specter.' Fish was aware this was the codename for whoever would be joining them, Fish never used a code name. Fish the Sneak was already their chosen name, why pick another? Fish was curious if others had ever just decided to use code names for Fish. The bird didn't exactly have a public life or close associates, so they didn't have anything to protect.
"Fish has already been watching their movements. Nomadic, so they travel a lot, but the target is pretty easy to spot. Has Cyran gone over the information or does Fish need to run it down?"
Ever the professional, this was Fish on a job and that meant they would project as serious an aura as they can. Cyran had only ever met the business version of Fish, but likely through conversation with Del he would know the kid is in there somewhere. Fish did their best not to show it though.
"Fish believes the target can be eliminated from a distance with ease if they can be lured into the woods."
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Apr 30, 2023 13:12:16 GMT -5
Cyran already knew what Fish’s answer was going to be, but his heart still sank at the clipped answer - work. It wasn’t Fish’s fault, mind. But Cyran found himself suddenly angry at someone who would hire a child to do their bidding. It was entirely likely that they didn’t know about Fish’s age. That was something he was only privy to because he’d known the thief himself, and through Del’s stories of their mannerisms. She’d spent a lot more time with them, and knew that there were glimpses of a childlike mentality in there, one they tried to hide behind a mask of clinical professionalism.
Cyran’s first instinct was to tell Fish that they shouldn’t be here. Assassin’s work was dirty work, the kind of place a child shouldn’t be near. Did they even know the ramifications of what it meant to end a life? Not even yet a decade old, and already wielding a crossbow bolt against others… it broke Cyran’s heart. He opened his mouth, ready to tell Fish that he couldn’t condone this, couldn’t allow them to carry out this mission with him, but something stopped him. He tried to recall what Del had once said, on a night where they’d been talking about the little thief, and Cyran’s worries about them going along on their own.
The more you tell them no, the more they’ll just go behind your back and put themselves in danger, anyways. Best to watch over them and give them a safe, controlled environment where they’re less likely to get hurt.
He closed his mouth, letting out a deep sigh of displeasure. They’d finish this mission, and then he’d have strong words for whoever had the bright idea to hire Fish for an assassination. Very strong words that may or may not be accompanied with a blade.
“… I went over the particulars on the way here.” This… information had thrown Cyran off, but for all his gentleness when not on the job, it was easy to forget that he was a professional, as well. “Arlin Nox.” A prominent member of a violent rebel faction from the Red Riders. Just another unfortunate victim of the tribal power struggle that seemed to dominate King’s Valley. "A drifter, but he stands out. He often skirts these woods during travel because they provide a safe hiding place if he is ever discovered."
He tried not to let his relief show when Fish expressed that keeping their distance would be the most rational plan.
“I work best at close range. If I lure them into the woods, you stay hidden and watch my back.” It was not spoken like a request. Cyran understood that his previous attempts to get through to the child had not worked - Fish wanted to be treated like a professional. But there was no denying that Cyran had far more experience than them. He was the senior here. Allowing Fish to stay here was as much compromise as he was willing to offer, but he drew the line at allowing them anywhere near the criminal. "Is this acceptable?"
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on May 1, 2023 15:54:07 GMT -5
"Getting close does not seem to be the desired course of action at all. An assassination is about not being seen or caught." They hop down from the branch letting the scarf billow out to slow their descent to a gentle plap.
Their little legs carry them along the forest floor as they seem to survey the area. Looking for likely places for this person to enter, exit, make camp, where they can get vantage points, line of sight, sources of light. Fish is experienced enough at least to know the basics of what to do. In their mind, this is no different than casing a place for a heist. The only real difference is here they were taking a life rather than something tangible.
"Fish can hid well enough come nightfall...waiting until they make camp will be easy enough. It will be locating where they plan to hide for the night that will take the most time. Tracking through the woods."
There was no tried and true path through these woods, but there were enough footpaths spattered around that they had a few different options to keep watch on. The information they had was sure they would come this way, but it was less certain of when and where.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on May 5, 2023 8:51:54 GMT -5
There was no small amount of irony in Fish instructing Cyran about what an assassin ought to do or not. Cyran only nodded along, acting as if he were a student listening to the master. “They won’t see me.” The words weren’t spoken with overconfidence - merely a matter of fact. Cyran was not the kind of person to brag, but he did not underestimate his abilities either. He knew what he was capable of. They wouldn’t notice him, and he sure as hell wouldn’t let them notice Fish.
While Fish scouted the ground, Cyran had Yeux get a lay of the land overhead. There were a couple of clearings on either side of them that would make a good place for a group of travelers to set up camp. Too many possible places for them to stake out… they needed to narrow it down.
“Look for a river.” Cyran instructed. “There are a couple of groves in that direction… if one of those is near a source of running water, that’s the most likely place for someone to camp at for the night.”
He jumped down from the tree branch, landing gracefully behind Fish. If the young thief wanted to scout ahead for now, Cyran would let him take point - so long as Cyran was the one that could land the killing blow, he didn’t mind letting Fish do what they did best. But there were some lines he still wasn’t willing to cross.
While the two scouted the woods, Cyran kept a hand on one of his daggers, ready to react and take care of anything that jumped at them at a moment’s notice. Out of the corner of his eye he kept an eye on Fish’s movements, protective. It had been some time since he’d last seen the young thief, all the way back when he observed them at work for Zarius. Life had gotten far too hectic for him to keep an eye on the thief, though he was glad that Del had been able to spend time with them over the course of a couple missions.
That didn’t mean he didn’t worry for them.
He took a deep breath, considering. Fish was a tricky child to deal with, primarily because they didn’t act like a child. The last thing Cyran wanted was to drive them away by being patronizing. The last time he’d tried that approach, it had not ended well. It was… difficult, not lapsing into his usual nurturing behaviors, but he wanted to be able to connect with Fish. Del seemed to have a much easier time of it than him. Perhaps he needed to try taking a page out of her book and treat Fish like a businessman.
“So, you’ve been busy since we last saw one another. How has… work been?”
The attempt at small talk felt lame, even to him. Way to go, Cyran.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on May 7, 2023 16:00:53 GMT -5
"Some should be eliminated as options...keep them to just a few that we are aware of, eliminate guess work and put more of the odds in our favor." They look between a few of the different clearings, making quick but quiet little scurries between spaces.
There really were a lot of options. A forest provided a unique challenge that Fish hadn't thought about before. There are planned entrances and exits to cities, designated places to sleep, tracking people through a city was easy. The forest was much more open and spread out, given this group was used to traveling meant any of these spaces would work.
Fish hopped up onto a fallen log to perch and think through. They had more than a few hours before the target was expected to arrive, so there was some time to think, but not much. They narrow their eyes at Cyran as he asks his question. Another cop?
"Fish's work is secret, Fish can not talk about the work that Fish does with others. Confidential."
Between Cyran's awkwardness and Fish's inability to do small talk, this could be a very, very long stake out. If either of them survive with their sanity intact, it will be a miracle.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on May 15, 2023 21:45:20 GMT -5
Cyran didn’t miss the way Fish shut down at his inquiry. While Fish sat on a log and considered their options, Cyran sent Yeux to the air once more, hoping to gather some more intel. He didn’t have the added bonus of the extra eyes that his apprentices provided, but they would be just fine without. They had narrowed down possible locations for their ambush. This conversation, though, was not faring as well.
Cyran tried not to let his dejection at being shut down so swiftly show on his face. Del seemed to have a much easier time conversing with Fish… they seemed to tolerate her, at the very least. Cyran’s attempts to get to know the young thief had only driven them further away. He wouldn’t give up, though. Perhaps Fish was determined to act like an adult and shove down any of their childish inclinations, but even professionals needed someone to take care of them while they were still learning to take care of himself.
Not for the first time he wondered the circumstances that had led Fish to a life of crime.
“… Of course. Confidential.” He hummed, trying to think of how to approach this line of conversation. “That’s okay. I’ll share first, I suppose. Hmm… where to start - I worked in Sol City for the past few months, and took care of a couple of dangerous politicians.” He wasn’t especially worried of sharing this conversation with Fish, in the same way he normally wasn’t nervous about sharing information with his companions. If things went wrong, he could always just erase their memory.
“Though we don’t have to talk about work. I just want to know if you’ve been okay these past few months. Del has told me a lot about some of the adventures the two of you have gotten up to.”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on May 17, 2023 17:38:10 GMT -5
As Cyran talks, Fish has pulled out one of their notebook and turned to take a seat. The bird starts sketching something in the pages, a compact sketch of the area they have surveyed so far. It's tucked inbetween dozens of other notes and sketches. If Cyran glances over, it's clear the bird does not like leaving extra space on their pages. If there is room to write, then Fish will fill it with something. The pages are a mix of their thoughts, observations, equations, formulas, blueprint ideas, and anything else that comes from their mind.
"Del is curious about what Fish does too....Fish doesn't know why. Del asks Fish a lot of questions like Cyran." They finally look up at Cyran, head tilted. Once more tone and expression is very hard to read from Fish, but this has less of that edge. More of an honest curiosity. No one asked after Fish until recently, so to have two people do it is odd. Two people who seemingly have a very close connection is suspicious.
"Del likes to keep Fish from doing things...Talks a lot about hobbies and 'fun.' Fish does not have fun, fun does not make coin so Fish does not have time for it. This makes sense right? Fish cannot steal everything, most things, but not everything, so Fish needs coin. Why would Fish do things that don't make coin?"
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on May 21, 2023 22:04:05 GMT -5
At least Fish seemed a little more open to conversation than they had earlier. Cyran wouldn’t invade the young bird’s privacy by glancing at whatever they were scribbling in that notebook, though he couldn’t deny he was curious. Still, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a series of complex equations and notes that he couldn’t make sense of. He imagined it was perhaps some kind of collection of complex engineering notes, things that he would never understand in his lifetime. Fish was an endlessly bright and curious bird, and it was fascinating to learn how their brain worked. “We ask about you because we like you.” Cyran tried to explain, though he still wasn’t sure if Fish would entirely understand why they would care. That realization broke his heart. “And we want to be your friend. Knowledge is a good foundation for building trust between companions. And we want you to be able to trust us.”“Oh!” He gasped as something seemed to occur to him. “We even gathered something for you. I remembered something you told me when we first met… it’s not much, but Del and I managed to gather bits of a fallen star for you.” He rummaged through his bag for a moment before pulling out a little glass vial, one that was filled with tiny motes of light that seemed to vibrate within their container. He smiled, nervous. There was no way to tell how Fish would respond to a gift. How did one explain a gift meant to spark happiness to someone so practical that the only thing on their mind seemed to be what was good for the job? “It's kind of... a promise of sorts. That we want to help you with your goals. That we want to encourage your passions. That’s why Del talks to you about your hobbies.”He moved to sit next to Fish on the log. “She knows that you’re incredibly good at what you do. I do as well. But there are other ways to expand upon your knowledge and make you a well-rounded thief… you can learn plenty of things from your hobbies that further your skills at a job. And you can even make money from it. Del likes woodcarving, and she can sell her pieces for coin. And it improves her skills and dexterity with a knife. I like birdwatching. It teaches me to be still and silent and betters my stealth.”He smiled, gesturing to Fish’s book. “Or your science. If you’re passionate about engineering and alchemy, you can invest your time into that and further your utility as a thief and even make money selling things. All of these hobbies make you a well-rounded person, and give you more skills and knowledge to use on the job. I’m certainly a better assassin for having them.”He stopped, realizing he’d been babbling on. “There’s all kinds of things for you to discover. Think of it as an intel gathering mission.”
"Starling" Snowlings given to Fish (purchased here way back when)
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on May 23, 2023 11:44:53 GMT -5
Fish stares at the offered gift a moment when it would just suddenly disappear from Cyran's hand. The vial was delicately held between their talons, tipped slowly back and forth to see how the things reacted. Sparkles of light from the motes reflected in their beady eyes as Fish looked it over.
The silence is long and uninterrupted as Cyran talks. Fish has not completely disengaged from the conversation, but their focus is absolute at times. They just quietly observe the starlings to see how they move. When Cyran does finish talking there is another long pause before Fish begins writing in their notebook again, quick notes in the margins about the starlings and a sketch of each of the motes.
The bottle is quickly tucked away in a pocket near their chest, a spot that would be hard to pickpocket or lose while traveling. A spot for important things. There is another small silence before Cyran hears something even Del hasn't to this point, an idle little chirp. A little titter of a noise they almost never make, something to fill the gap as they think of a response.
"Thank you." For now that is all Fish is willing to say, the rest will take time to process.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on May 26, 2023 19:54:17 GMT -5
There it was, something so hard to miss at first - the sound of a bird’s chirp, quiet enough that Cyran almost mistook it as a noise from their surroundings. But it wasn’t any bird from Kings Valley that he was familiar with. No, it had come from Fish themselves. His heart felt full enough to burst as the young thief pocketed their trinket, tucked away in a breast pocket in their tunic, before they signed a quick, ‘thank you’.
There was no more talk of hobbies or passions, though Cyran didn’t need any. Fish had listened to him, he thought - at the very least, he hadn’t received a rebuttal for his words. He wouldn’t press the subject, not now. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky light shades of pink. They didn’t have much time before their target would be making his way through the woods.
"You're very welcome." With a warm smile, Cyran stood, brushing the dirt off of his pants. “We should go look for where they might camp, yeah?” Hopefully they wouldn’t be too late passing through here. Fish was a growing bird, and they needed all the rest they could get. Did they even have a bedtime? Cyran couldn’t imagine so. But at the very least he could try to get them to stick to a schedule when they were working together.
... Though maybe that was pushing his luck.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on May 27, 2023 9:46:36 GMT -5
Fish was thankful Cyran chose not to speak further on the current subjects. It was an admittedly difficult balance to deal with the bird. Morrigan was the first to succeed by being the first willing to not really question the bird's age and gave them the respect they wanted. Kvasir's gentle nature made it a bit easier for the pair. Del and Cyran would have a significantly more difficult time if they wanted to help make the bird a very slightly better member of society.
They flip a page back in the notebook to some of the drawings they had made of the most obvious camping sights. "Fish thinks we should work to eliminate these two." They point to two of the spots. "The others are close enough that Fish and Cyran can stay within visual contact while having eyes on the remaining spots."
Fish seemed ready for a long stakeout, their longevity due more to the fact that they are at their core still a child with a lot of energy, one of the few traits they had that wasn't that out of place. The notebook is tucked away as Fish hops to their feet, quietly ready to follow Cyran's lead.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on May 28, 2023 12:15:34 GMT -5
Cyran leaned down to look at the map Fish had constructed. It seemed rather detailed and accurate for a quick sketch, and with the spots that Fish had eliminated, it looked like a manageable area for two people to watch. Cyran nodded - the assassin was accustomed to long stakeouts, and with age and experience came a near infinite amount of patience. He would stand out here all night if he had to.
Cyran nudged the figure in his hood. Yeux stirred, letting out a sleepy yawn, irritated at being disturbed from his slumber, though the seeing-eye bat watched him warily, waiting for a command.
“Shan lor.” Cyran murmured in elven, gesturing towards Fish. The bat took to the sky, hovering around Fish in the air. If Fish held out a hand, Yeux would perch on their arm, though the bat wouldn’t be faraway. It was a bit of extra added security, just in case they strayed too far away from one another. If Fish found themselves in danger, Yeux would alert Cyran so the assassin could come running in a second.
He bent down and stared at the map before pointing to two more spots.
“You hide here, where the trees are taller. That’ll give you a better view of the surrounding area from up high. I’ll stick to the ground here. That’ll cover all our bases.” And give them the best chance of catching this target by surprise when he passed through. “Are you ready?”
If Fish gave him the affirmative, Cyran would set off, settling in for a long couple of hours until the first sign of trouble.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on May 28, 2023 17:25:10 GMT -5
Fish narrows their eyes at the bat. A chaperone? Fish did not say more or push back, but it was noted. They close the notebook, tying off the leather straps before sliding it back into a pouch.
It was finally time for the boring part of the stakeout, waiting for hours on end. There really was nothing that could be done to speed this up much to Fish's chagrin. As patient as they were, they were still child. They were, however, a professional first and foremost. One of the few advantages Fish had that other sneaks couldn't match was their ability to just blend into scenery.
From far enough away Fish seemed like a normal bird, they had just enough bird like movements and attitudes that it didn't warrant a closer look. It was good in a city, but especially effective in a forest. And given Fish's eyesight and skill with a crossbow, people often didn't get a chance to get close and get a better look.
Soon enough, relatively speaking at least, the group seems to be arriving. The sun was well settled by the time they arrived, pulling off into a clearing by the river. As expected there were quite a few of them, men and horses, they weren't exactly a subtle group, but by the way camp is quickly constructed they are well trained.
Fish has half a mind to just squeeze off the easy shot, eliminate the target, and run, but even they know this will require just a bit more preparation than that. These are trained mercenary, Fish was confident in their ability to escape but not Cyran's based solely on the fact that Fish does not have enough of a data set on him.
The bird hops closer to the gathering group, melding into the shadow of the canopy to wait for Cyran to move in.[1]
1. Pass Without Trace
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