In light of yesterday's events, there was one obvious way to
keep the bodies hidden and easy to transport. Barrels allowed the quick
transportation needed without raising suspicion and it luckily seemed that the
Oraea had not investigated further on the blood that had seeped out from under
the doorframe. The barrel was politely sequestered from Mavis and soon the headless body of Moma had been
delivered to Xera's lab. There had been a suggestion to dump the rest of the
bodies into the pond but due to the Oraea's attention and their reluctance
about getting too close to the water's edge, it was better left till nightfall
to dispose of them in another manor.
The Oraea monks were still at the pond and in their infinite
wisdom had decided that the waters were the best dumping ground for the remnants
of the festivities. Raneaux was livid and preceded to insult and antagonise the
monks after they arrived back. She was trying to enforce her point of view on
befouling the pond which fell on deaf ears. Although not intentionally, this
allowed Danton to pick up another metallic shard and finding another crab like
creature inside. He marked it to be traced and secretly threw it back into the
lake hiding the fact that it had tried to burn him in self defence. Before the
Oraea could ask what he was up to he demanded to see Jethra. The Grand Orator
arrived although he took much longer than previously. Raneaux interjected about
the littering and polluting of the pond by the monks and they soon found themselves
at the mercy of their leader, who clipped them over the head before ordering
them and the rest of the monks to hurry up with the cleaning up of the village.
He seemed very concerned, in fact he seemed worried, which intrigued Danton.
He tried to diffuse any tension between him and Jethra by
offering his services in any way he could. Jethra surprisingly accepted without
much consideration as to his motives. A high ranking noble was arriving from
Auspar and in order to maintain the funding for the Oraea he needed to provide
the perfect image. The revelry from the night before and the current contempt
for the area by his monks was making him desperate. Danton asked for more
specific details and found the investor was a member of House Lyathra. It was
in fact Lord Lyathra, the benefactor and founder of the First Oraea of the Vessel.
Danton felt a twinge on his shoulder, he knew of the Lyathras and what they
were capable of, although they were the more mediocre of families in terms of
wealth and providence.
From Jethra's position however, Danton was not
presentable in his current state and demanded that if he was to help, he would
need to change clothes .He further mentioned that if Danton agreed, there would be an Oraea monk
coming for him when Lord Lyathra arrived. He departed on amicable terms, which
was more than what Danton had hoped for. Raneaux looked over at him, not
understanding the demands for a change in attire. Xera on the other hand was
now concerned. He knew exactly who Lord Lyathra was, in fact Silas had helped
him escape the city before the Great Decent but he had no idea that Silas was
not only responsible for the founding of the Oraea, but was also its soul
patron.
He discussed with Danton what he knew about his former
employer from the little he had gleamed from his time in the city; in hopes
that Danton would open up about his relation to the insignia and the necklace
he wore but the words never came. Any hopes of an explanation vanished when
they noticed a girl in the corner of the ground floor of The Drunken Tallon, sipping
on what seemed to be steaming broth. The girl that had fallen with Eryn and
Xera, the Hawk-Eye Lina was somehow awake. It had been so long since they had
arrived here and her illness had lasted for such a time, that it had almost faded
out of Xera's memory. Jarvan was the first to speak when the group entered and steered
them away from her for a time. He explained that she had miraculously recovered
over night with no due cause. Mavis chimed in telling Danton how wonderful
Jarvan had been, there was a look in her eye that said much more than just
looking after the sick child. Raneaux immediately went to Lina's side after the
briefing by Jarvis and they immediately hit it off. Raneaux warmed to the girl instantly, seeing
her as almost a sister, family that she never had.
Danton was a little suspicious about the miracle and asked
if he could see her room. Jarvan obliged by opening up the room key box on the
wall by the fireplace with a key he had on a chain around his neck . He handed it
over to Danton and showed both him and Xera up to the room and stood outside
and waited. There were freshly cut flowers although the quality of them seemed
to vary. Xera had suspected the flowers
themselves and removed them from the vase, only to find them cut to the same
length rather than attached to any root ball. A little disappointed, he turned
his attention to the bed. Underneath he found a small pearlescent shell with an
insignia scratched onto its surface. By the window, Danton found a wet handprint
and in conjunction with the shell, they both came to the conclusion that the
water of the pond held more than just monsters.
He thought it best that it was time to finally explain to
Xera the origins of his necklace before they were interrupted once again by circumstance.
He dismissed Jarvan although he was still unsure if was the right thing to do
and shut the door. Danton reached under his shirt and revealed the entirety of
the necklace. The chain had fused to the skin and flesh of the back of his neck
to Xera's uncomfortable surprise. Danton's slow and methodical explanation of
the history of the necklace was similar to his explanation to Coe. He was
banished from Auspar from Qi due to his mutation of his eyes and his life
became lonely and with what little entertainment he could find, eventually boring.
He used his family's name, money and influence to buy and coerce his way into
power but it didn't go far enough. He needed his own control and desperately
wanted to not rely on his past. He strolled the streets of his territory in Qi to clear his head and came across an old
woman. He took pity on her. He assumed that she had been beaten and scarred by
the Marish Clan as she mentioned the she was seeking refuge. She was peddling
trinkets and keepsakes and for his kindness he was given the necklace. He put
it on and felt a sense of power but found whatever it had imbued him with had
cost him the ability to remove it. He turned back to the old woman for answers
but she was gone. With the tale over, he motioned to Xera to look over the
necklace himself and held it out for him. As Xera touched it, a burning surge
like electricity coursed through his body and he fell to the floor unconscious.
[Sorry about the lack of posting the past two weeks, I've been ill and needed rest]
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