Page 1 of 1
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
A fine tunic and exquisite gloves spun from the product of a rare Ysguardian silkworm. A tophat with dainty horn holes near the top, evenly balanced. A cane hand-sculpted from the bark of the now extinct Arborean Everblue tree. Perhaps most crucially, a demeanor befitting of the daintiest gentleman this side of Celestia. Presentation was important in this line of work.
The ebon fiend closed his intense red orbs for eyes briefly, and took a moment to keep track of the dizzying array of webs he had spun, and those he had caught inside the sticky threads.
((Thou shalt not metagame this))
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Oubliette.
The young tiefling girl was lured into the depths ‘neath the city where she was kidnapped and brought to be a centerpiece of a dark ritual.
Bloated, twisted forms stood around her as she tethered on the edge of consciousness. A blue devil and a hag Â… a Night Hag! The HagÂ’s chilling voice pierced the air and the guttural sounds of Draconic syllables filled OublietteÂ’s mind. She tried to fight back, but the bloated forms held her back, surrounded her, smothered her.
She regained her senses not too long thereafter in the bazaar. Questions arose as to what she had just experienced was real or just a dream. Days and weeks passed with increasingly disturbing dreams. Additionally, during her waking moments, she suffered encounters with strangers who claimed to know her already. The visions were terrifying, confusing, .. taxing. They gnawed at the edges of her sanity.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Vaelen.
The Aasimar had been all too eager to attain the items of power within the fiend’s possession. Before the fiend relinquished the items, he tricked Vaelen into signing an infernal contract of ‘obedience.’ Being a true Cross-Trader, not only did he manage a servant – but he didn’t have to give up a single rare or exotic item.
Vaelen became one of many sets of eyes and ears throughout the City. They met regularly at their appointed time and spot in the Catacombs ‘neath the city. Bound to be utterly obedient, the Aasimar made for an excellent watchman.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Trente.
Easily looking past the clownish exterior, the ebon saw Trente for who he really was: insidious and venomous – a snake. Ironically, he trusted Trente the most out of all his free-willed ..’associates..’ that is… at least for the moment. He had helped the fiend lay down many of the layers of intrigue currently in play. Trente needed him, and was thus the two were allied, at least temporarily. Still, the merchant couldn’t help but harbor nagging doubts about the human.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Hildmor.
The ostentatious merchant tried always made a point of showing those in the bazaar that he was ‘in charge.’ Trust-Once Cross-Thrice suspected that he was insecure about his power and position. It wasn’t difficult to realize that he felt threatened by the ebon’s presence. Despite Hildmor’s thinly-veiled attempts to undermine him, the fiend required the human’s presence in the bazaar to draw attention away from himself, thought that was growing increasingly difficult.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Maelfina.
The blue fiendling stumbled upon the gentleblood during a business meeting with several associates in an underground shipment center in the Acheronian gate-town of Rigus.
Oddly enough, she and the fiend were related – as both carried the emblematic sixth-finger upon their left hand. Maelfina’s striking red eyes also betrayed a family resemblance to the ebon’s discriminating gaze. It wasn’t surprising to learn that Maelfina wished to be a blood- and amongst those of his inner circle. It was surprising to learn that she also carried in her possession the eyes of the fiend’s late brother – a Blood War general. Trust-Once Cross-Thrice did not make this known to the associates gathered, though he suspected Trente knew. He took the eyes from Maelfina’s possession, and offered her some work, to test her and see if she was blood enough to be amongst him. He tasked her with the unenviable duty of protecting Trente from Hildmor.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Saiph and Wabban.
Happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. The ebon subtly poisoned them with a concentrated dose of a fatal, airborne toxin and figuratively twisted their arms to help him retrieve a potent vial of another poison that he had somehow lost within in the depths of the Buried Village. The duo proved to be resourceful and within the hour that the poison took to run its deadly course, they managed to pinpoint the pickpocket who had managed to lift the vial from under the fiendÂ’s very nose.
After they were offered the antidote and thus their lives as payment for their services, Saiph and Wabban would never forget what they saw next. The pickpocket was literally torn limb from limb by Trust-Once Cross-ThriceÂ’s infernal bodyguards in a grisly haze of blood and agony.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Corona.
The fiend was attracted to her brains as well as her beauty.
After some flirting and obligatory small talk, they discussed matters of business. She was interested in employment and he was certainly inclined to see more of her. Trust-Once Cross-Thrice did not believe she was without work for a second – a woman with such faculties both intellectual and physical could not possibly be. He suspected that she was a spy working for one of his rivals.
Thus he gave her a fake assignment: to clandestinely follow Trente and track his movements. Such a prodigious use of jink and time were often necessary to throw his enemies off. At least burning the jink on Corona sweetened the deal.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Mashanie.
The tiefling unwisely followed one of Trust-Once Cross-ThriceÂ’s associates deep into the bowels of the Cage and eavesdropped on some chatter. He was discovered, subdued and captured. The same Night Hag who ravaged OublietteÂ’s mind planted a worm into MashanieÂ’s as well, robbing him of his recent memories, and making him dangerously susceptible to puppeteering.
Layer upon Layer of Intrigue
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:00 am
by *Cadence
Ilmira.
He had been scrying upon the resourceful drowess for several days. The way she skulked amongst the darkness in Undersigil, preying upon predators impressed him. She would make a fine assassin.
He finally approached her, trying to make it seem like a chance meeting. They made small talk for a while he casually smoked of his cigar. After he made sure that enough of the rich, smoky aroma had entered IlmiraÂ’s lungs, he revealed the insidious truth about it being an airborne toxin. He held the antidote, without which she had three days to live. Three.
Under duress, Ilmira agreed to be another pawn in his plans and poison Councilman Lokaksi of the Guvners. His schemes were being played out rather seamlesslyÂ… or so it appeared.
