|
Post by GravityEmblem on Mar 23, 2022 5:15:52 GMT -8
Selena arches an eyebrow at Daos. "I hardly think it was an unreasonable reaction. I receive a coded message in a foreign language from a strange woman no one seems to have heard of? After all this discussion about the Night's Breath and Ozymandias, I was hoping for some nice, relaxing normality."
"Regardless, this meeting has no reason to continue. You five--"
"...four," Qurrak cuts in. "I...will return to my people. Warn them about Ozymandias."
"Four, then," Miss Serpentine continues. "You four--"
"Four? You don't speak for my daughter," the King snaps.
"Dad, I'm going to go," Meine insists.
"Oh, of course you are. One life-threatening adventure isn't good enough for you?" he shouts.
Selena clears her throat. "While the Princess's participation is up in the air, the other three of you may prepare in any way you wish for the missions ahead. You are welcome to stay in my agents' quarters--"
"Oh, you don't need to worry about me, Miss. I have family in the city," Valerie interrupts. Miss Serpentine sighs, annoyed.
"Daos and Caelynn may stay there, then."
|
|
|
Post by Daos on Mar 23, 2022 15:28:44 GMT -8
Daos turns to Valerie. "Does this mean you intend to come with us?" he asks. "I realize our true objective is...much larger than it initially appeared."
|
|
|
Post by HorizonsDream on Mar 24, 2022 1:36:41 GMT -8
Caelynn smirks a little bit when the princess gets yelled at, but otherwise she remains quiet as she continues to look over the letter. "While we are here, I will try to figure out this letter."
|
|
|
Post by GravityEmblem on Mar 24, 2022 5:44:06 GMT -8
Daos turns to Valerie. "Does this mean you intend to come with us?" he asks. "I realize our true objective is...much larger than it initially appeared." "I...yes, I do," Valerie says, hesitating a bit. "My mother always told me 'Val, if a lot of people are in danger, and you can help protect them: protect them. Don't hesitate.'" She pauses. "I'm going to help. I won't let Ozymandias destroy the world."
|
|
|
Post by Daos on Mar 24, 2022 11:59:58 GMT -8
"Your mother has a lot of specific and oddly prescient sayings," Daos remarks with a smile. "But I'm grateful. We'll likely need all the help we can get against such a threat."
|
|
|
Post by GravityEmblem on Mar 24, 2022 13:29:32 GMT -8
"Well, she always told me she used to be a Diviner," Valerie says. "Though I didn't really take her seriously."
|
|
|
Post by Daos on Mar 24, 2022 20:16:54 GMT -8
"Really? Interesting," Daos comments. He had actually been joking, but now silently wonders if it's possible Valerie's mother somehow did predict what was going to happen. "In any case, I hope you enjoy your visit with your family. Let me know if you need anything."
|
|
|
Post by GravityEmblem on Mar 25, 2022 5:31:44 GMT -8
Valerie nods and trots off, leaving Daos alone with Meine and the King.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* [OOC: Is there anything else Daos wants to do, or can we skip to when Caelynn's deciphered the letter?]
|
|
|
Post by Daos on Mar 25, 2022 15:34:10 GMT -8
Before leaving the room, Daos turns to the king and says, "Your majesty, if I may, I wanted you to know that your daughter acted with courage and honor on our expedition to Deppsburg. She was integral, not only in finding the rogue nobles, but also in helping rescue Duke Deppsburg's daughter from criminals. Although I know you worry for her safety, I wanted you to know that she's doing a lot of good out there. You should be very proud."
|
|
|
Post by GravityEmblem on Mar 26, 2022 5:24:27 GMT -8
The King grunts. "Well...perhaps I'll consider allowing this again. But only because the fate of the world is on the line!"
Meine grins at Daos and mouths "Thanks."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An hour later, Caelynn has managed to crack the cipher encoding the letter. It reads as follows:
Cheaters never prosper. A snake chains herself to a wall. Collateral damage, unavoidable. Dice came up odd. Stormcloud loves the world more than she hates the snake. By a giant’s hair. Unchain the snake and maybe the spiteful crow will peck your bones clean in working hours.
|
|
|
Post by HorizonsDream on Mar 26, 2022 19:05:37 GMT -8
Once Caelynn is done deciphering the letter, she tries to find Selena. Once she does find her, she hands the letter back to here and shakes her head. "I can only assume this is referring to you in some way," she says.
|
|
|
Post by GravityEmblem on Mar 27, 2022 7:54:09 GMT -8
Selena examines the decoded letter and sighs. "A 'snake.' Very amusing." After taking a long drink from a bottle of wine, she says, "It's like every sentence creates a new mystery. Who's 'cheating' at what? What's this wall I've chained myself to? Which 'collateral' was damaged? Are odd dice a good or bad thing? Who's 'stormcloud?' Is a giant's hair a small or large amount? And what in Elshodi's name are 'working hours' supposed to represent?"
|
|
|
Post by HorizonsDream on Mar 27, 2022 17:42:11 GMT -8
"You have a lot of enemies," Caelynn points out. "Out of all the people that you know that hate you, who could represent a Stormcloud?" she asks. It didn't sound like a name, but perhaps more like a nickname. Selena was the snake. "Aside from the mysteries that this letter holds, how did you know that the Night's Breath wasn't founded by Ozymandias?" she asks curiously.
|
|
|
Post by GravityEmblem on Mar 28, 2022 4:29:00 GMT -8
Selena shakes her head. "I don't know anyone you could reasonably apply that to. My best guess would be a Dwarf. The 'stormcloud' could be representative of Thor." For her second question, she shrugs. "It seemed an absurd prospect. A vast criminal organization founded by a lich confined to the Darklands? It initially seemed like he had no way of exacting his influence beyond the Barriers. But if he can enter the dreams of others, perhaps the idea isn't so absurd."
|
|
|
Post by HorizonsDream on Mar 28, 2022 19:32:08 GMT -8
Caelynn isn't quite sure she buys Selena's explanation as to why she said what she said earlier. She had known Selena for some time now, and so she knew that the woman was extremely cryptic, even with her. The explanation she gives does make sense, but that isn't how she took what she said. It was as if Selena knew more than she was actually telling them, or at least that was how she was perceiving it at any rate.
"A dwarf? Are their any dwarves that have something against you?" Caelynn asks.
OOC: eJu89qLl1d20+1 Insight check just to see if Caelynn can see if Selena is lying in anyway. 1d20+1
|
|