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Post by Daos on Feb 3, 2022 18:07:35 GMT -8
Daos frowns. This seems to add evidence to something he was already coming to believe--that having the barrier tied to a single person is a bad idea. There must be a better way, and he hopes to be able to explore those possibilities some day--but for now, the magical concepts involved are likely beyond his understanding.
"And would you be able and willing to out this Mistress and any other leadership among the Night's Breath?" he asks her.
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 3, 2022 18:50:25 GMT -8
Cryfold frowns and strokes her chin. "I've only met the Mistress a few times, and each time my memory was selectively erased by one of her wizard aides. And I only know of one other Negotiator. But he holds tremendous influence in and out of the Breath. His name is Merlin Trot, and he is the unofficial head of the Muses."
Daos is vaguely aware of the Muses--the nine elected officials that rule the Republic of Music. They're under a lot of scrutiny from the public--any character fault is found, and the Bards start making fun of them. Relentlessly.
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Post by Daos on Feb 3, 2022 18:58:52 GMT -8
"You said 'four' people, including yourself," Daos reminds her. "Who was the third one then?"
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 4, 2022 6:42:31 GMT -8
"Ellis Whitehall, one of the Handlers," she says. "They're responsible for planning the jobs--choosing the right agents for the job, crafting a plan of action for them, whatnot. But they hold no power outside of the Night's Breath, and are expected to be subservient to the Negotiators." She pauses, reminiscing. "I...made the mistake of confiding my doubts in him, knowing that he had begun to fear the Mistress' rage and paranoia would tear apart the organization. You recall how ill-suited, how impatient and reckless, the Agents charged with the task were? He picked them. And he has no doubt been brutally killed for his disloyalty. Poor man."
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Post by Daos on Feb 4, 2022 15:41:19 GMT -8
Daos ponders this for a few moments, then asks, "How far would you be willing to go to take these people down?"
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 4, 2022 16:40:38 GMT -8
"If my life is forfeit regardless, I would gladly spend it to make the Mistress suffer," Cryfold responds bitterly.
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Post by Daos on Feb 4, 2022 18:57:52 GMT -8
"You may get your chance," Daos tells her. If spite is what motivated her, so be it. Perhaps it could be useful. "But to me, this isn't about revenge, or even justice. It's about the preservation of all life. The Night's Breath will surely not give up. As long as they exist, the barrier remains threatened," he says. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you get involved with them? I assume they approached you at some point?"
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 5, 2022 5:42:45 GMT -8
She nods. "Yes, some...five or six years ago. In the more...criminal sectors of my domain, I had acquired a reputation for...pragmatism. The Night's Breath caught word, and decided I would be just the sort for their organization--powerful, high-ranking, and with a loose moral compass. They sent an Agent to make me an offer, accompanied by a Handler, to erase my memory of the visit should I refuse. I accepted, and was taken to the base of operations established within my very own Cryfopolis. Since then, I've sought out contracts within the nobility and upper-class of Foccu, and have commissioned a few assassinations of my own."
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Post by Daos on Feb 5, 2022 14:55:25 GMT -8
"But why agree to work with them? You were already a countess--more wealthy and powerful than any average person," Daos points out. "Was that not enough? Surely you must have realized one day there would be a price to pay. And a hefty one, at that."
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(OOC: About how old does Cryfold look? She said they contacted her 5-6 years ago, so I'm trying to judge if she was quite young then or already an adult.)
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 5, 2022 15:06:26 GMT -8
"Not in the least," she retorts. "The Night's Breath values the secrecy of its Negotiators above all else--at least, that's what they said. As it turns out, the petty grudges of its leader matter more than that," she spits.
[OOC: She's in her late thirties or so.]
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Post by Daos on Feb 5, 2022 16:09:07 GMT -8
"It's the machinations of its true leader that concern me more," Daos remarks. "And even casting aside the ethical implications of aligning with assassins, I'm surprised you could be so...well, naive. It's obvious to me that they never saw you as anything more than a useful pawn to manipulate. They preyed on your greed and ambition, exploited you until you were no longer useful. And the kingdom, the very world itself was nearly snuffed out because of it. And have you given a single thought to your county in all of this? Your husband is dead, you are in chains, and as far as I know, you have no heirs. The future of the people of Cryfold now hangs in question." He stops himself here, trying to keep his anger in check, but the venom in his voice is unmistakable. This woman...so arrogant, and yet so stupidly blind to the consequences of her own actions. It reminded him of someone he did not wish to think about now, or ever again.
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 5, 2022 16:49:30 GMT -8
Cryfold mutters, "Dear Elshodi, and I though evil couldn't understand good." Aloud, she taunts, "I suppose your mother taught you that mortals were always good and rational? That we, by nature, shun evil? That we would never be blind to deception, always know when to cut our losses? It seems that you are the naïve one, here." She's dodging his confrontation, grasping at straws to find superiority over Daos.
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Post by Daos on Feb 5, 2022 19:28:00 GMT -8
Daos' eyes flash with anger and his hand turns white from gripping his staff too hard, but he manages to calm himself before acting rashly. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he replies, "Perhaps so. But it was your weakness that led us to this path, not mine. And even now, as you walk on foot in chains in shame, having lost your title, your land, and your freedom, having endangered the entire world--you still refuse to accept responsibility for your weakness. You can couch your actions, and my own, in terms of 'Good' and 'Evil' or 'Light' and 'Darkness.' As if we were opposing forces on some cosmic battlefield; two sides of the same coin. But in my mind, evil is simply a symptom of shortsightedness. You wanted money and power; two things you already had in plenty, but you wanted more. You overreached. Now you have neither. And you never will have them again. Because even if you were able to escape, you'd spend the rest of your life on the run, being hunted down. Not just by the king's men, but likely by the Night's Breath, as well--you are, after all, a loose end that needs tying up. In that regard, you are quite lucky that we found you before they did. Because now you have an opportunity--a rare gift, indeed. An opportunity to change, to grow. To walk a new path. To question your own motives, your desires, your legacy and become better than you were before. Or, you can remain shortsighted and squander this opportunity, refuse to accept that you are here, with nothing and in chains, because of your own actions and remain stagnant."
He adds, "And yes, ultimately, your fate will remain unchanged. Even if you do the right thing, even if you atone for everything you've done and more, your best case scenario is to likely rot in a dungeon until the end of your days, instead of facing the chopping block. There is no material reward. But you will have proven--to yourself, if nobody else--that you are better than your basest instincts, better than the Night's Breath and their ilk. Because it takes strength to look within, to acknowledge your own flaws and shortcomings. It's easy to walk in the light when you've never faced the darkness. When you've never known trauma, hunger, fear or hatred. But to stare into the Abyss and still turn away from it? It takes a tremendous amount of resolve. I wonder if you have that in you or not, Cryfold. I also wonder if you believe you have it in you or not."
Daos fell silent at this point, wordlessly chastising himself for losing his patience. He wasn't sure if his words would have any effect on her, or if she were too far gone. But if there was some chance of reaching her, maybe it was worth it. He knew appealing to her better angels would be pointless, but maybe appealing to her pride would at least plant a seed of doubt, that could grow into something more.
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 6, 2022 8:49:46 GMT -8
"I...you..." Cryfold sputters, before turning her back to the mage. "...you've made your point, Ser Mage. You have nothing more to say. Begone." Her voice lacks the calm certainty it once did...she seems...defeated. Humbled. Daos can't tell if she will act on his words. But she will consider them.
Count Lenkinshire, who sits nearby, his shackles attached to Cryfold's through a few feet of chain, leans over a whispers, "Well, I thought it was a good speech."
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Post by Daos on Feb 6, 2022 13:03:42 GMT -8
Daos is content to lapse into silence. All that talk took a bit out of him anyway. Instead, he turns his attention back to Valerie to see how she is getting along with Meine and Qurrak.
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