Nights of Steel and Fire (D&D)

[LadyTevar]

"I'm twenty-five. It's been a long ten years," he said, strapping on his sword belt and bandoleer. "I told Dreslin I'd be there at watch change, so I need to get out to the parade ground."

"Nearly half my life as a paladin..." Torma mused as she carefully stepped out of the nest she'd made of the mattresses, the kitten nervously balancing itself on her head.

"That's a long time for a human. I dont' think any dragon would spend half their life doing just one thing." At least, not a dragon as chaotic as a copper. "Well... maybe a Silver... but they're damn near paladins either way..." Torma added. "So, why do you need to meet Dreslin at the parade ground?"

[Rogue 9]

"First, because I told him I would last night," he responded as he combed his slightly shaggy hair behind his ears. "As for why I told him that, I need to ask if any of the guards saw anything suspicious during the night, ask after the fortunes of the monks who were on street patrol, and see if there's any word of any of my agents." He extracted a throwing knife from under his pillow where he'd left it the night before and stuck it in the bandoleer. "After that, as I recall, Astinius wanted to go to the market."

[Comrade Tortoise]

The dragon, and perhaps the Paladin at this point could probably hear the very large toad yabbering on about something or other. One sentence was certainly audible to the both of them

"Come on Boss, set the books down and go out in the sun, your skin is so clammy. Every other sun elf has a somewhat more bronzed complexion, yours looks more like a moon elf" he sounded very oddly like a doting Tethyrian mother. WHich he kind of was. As Astinius' familiar he shared part of his soul, and in this case manifested some of the elf's deepest needs. His doting elf mother was killed before he was old enough to adjust to the loss. So as odd as it seemed, the toad filled the part in a strange and, to an outsider mildly absurd fashion.

[LadyTevar]

"To market, to market, to buy a black pig...." Torma quoted oddly, a wicked smile slowly spreading across her face as she slunk towards the door. "I think I'll go see how Astinius is now...."

[Cynical Cat]

The man smoothed his robes. "Where are the targets?"

The three men kneeling before him trembled. One spoke.
"Lord, they have taken shelter in the Tyrian abbey. It is well defended."

"Do these Tyrians have enemies?"

"Lord, the secret masters of the city are at war with them."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Astinius ignored the toad's doting with a smirk, and after he was done scrubbing himself clean and preparing spells, eh dressed himself and stepped outside the room.

[Rogue 9]

Gaheris followed Torma out of the room to see Astinius emerging from his own cell down the hall. He smiled, keeping one eye on the dragon.

"Let me know when you're ready to leave. I have to go out to the courtyard for a bit, but I'll be back in for breakfast."

[LadyTevar]

Unfortunately, Gaheris spoke and caught Astinius' attention before Torma could pounce. The young copper gave Gar a glare for spoiling her fun, but strutted down the hall to Astinius' side as if that's what she meant to do in the first place. "I'll be out in the courtyard soon... I want to stretch properly." she airly told Gaheris, the small orange kitten still perched between her horns.

And she was just waiting for Astinius to say a word about the kitten.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Astinius didnt say a word. However another voice did speak from inside is robes

"So, what's with cat?"

[SirNitram]

"Cats are very small, very furry dragons." It was always a bit odd, how Malkamar could glide into view, but he did. "Like, as they say, calls to like. Principle theorem of magic, don't tell me you've forgotten." He gentle teased Astinius. "Gaheris. I trust we are ready to again sally forth and try and find our opposition?"

[Rogue 9]

"Cats are very small, very furry dragons." It was always a bit odd, how Malkamar could glide into view, but he did. "Like, as they say, calls to like. Principle theorem of magic, don't tell me you've forgotten." He gentle teased Astinius. "Gaheris. I trust we are ready to again sally forth and try and find our opposition?"

"As always," he said with a wry half-smile. "I'm going to go to the watch change and see if anything else cropped up during the night, then I'm going to the mess hall for breakfast. They should just be starting to cook now, if you want to head down there right away."

He paused. "I don't know if we should stay at the Abbey again tonight. It's safer than using a safehouse, and certainly easier, but it calls attention to us."

[Cynical Cat]

There was a knock at the apartment door. One of the servants rose from where he was sitting and opened it. He retreated from the doorway, a knife at his throat. Three masked men entered, wearing dark clothes.

The one room apartment was barely furnished with a rug and sleeping mats that obviously came from somewhere else, thrown down over the battered floor. Three men, in good physical shape but wearing the garb of commoners, rose from where they sat cross legged. The fourth, shrouded by a dark cloak, remained sitting.

"We have a matter to discuss," said the knife man.

The man with the blade at his throat remained calm. He said nothing. "This is Night Mask territory. You haven't made a score yet, so you haven't earned the knife. Yet. Leave. You're not wanted here."

"Our goals hurt you in know way," said the man with a knife at his throat. "Leave us to our business and we will soon depart the city, having stolen no wealth and leaving your enemies weaker."

"That isn't how it works," said the knife man. "We make the terms. Leave, swear to us, or die."

The shrouded man spoke a word that reverberated through the room and the knife man fell flopping like a landed fish. Blades flickered through the air and appeared in the Nightmask's throats and chests. The dying men had their weapons taken from them and were pulled onto the carpet to bleed out as they clutched mortal wounds and tried to fight off their assailants.

The shrouded man rose and walked around the dying. The stunned Nightmask looked up. "Please," he begged. "I can help you. I know the city. I know many secrets. I can bring you whatever you desire."

"Too bad that I don't need your help to find what I want," said the shrouded man. "But there is one thing you can do for me." The shrouded man knelt down and covered the Nightmask's mouth with a gloved hand. The servants closed the door to watch the Becoming.

[LadyTevar]

"Cats are very small, very furry dragons." It was always a bit odd, how Malkamar could glide into view, but he did. "Like, as they say, calls to like. Principle theorem of magic, don't tell me you've forgotten." He gentle teased Astinius. "Gaheris. I trust we are ready to again sally forth and try and find our opposition?"

Torma glared at Malk. "No where close... but she does seem to be quite attached to me. If she wants, she can stay with me." Her green eyes slide to where Mr Toad was hiding. "I may even teach her not to hunt frogs."

"As always," he said with a wry half-smile. "I'm going to go to the watch change and see if anything else cropped up during the night, then I'm going to the mess hall for breakfast. They should just be starting to cook now, if you want to head down there right away."

He paused. "I don't know if we should stay at the Abbey again tonight. It's safer than using a safehouse, and certainly easier, but it calls attention to us."

"Gaheris, you're traveling with a DRAGON..." Torma pointed out -again- with a long-suffering sigh. "There's very few ways -not- to get attention called to us."

[Rogue 9]

Gaheris sighed. "I suppose you're right. I'll see you at breakfast." He turned and walked towards the exit. The watch should be changing any minute now.

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Unlike a frog a toad needs no such protection" Mr. Toad saight haughtily, poking his teacup sized head from one of Astinius' pockets

The mage also soon spoke. A wry and almost wicked smile crossing his face

"I dont know Torma, I think Malkamar may have it more correct than you think. Both dragons and cats do have a very similar skeletal structure afterall. It may be that you are more related to them than the lizards I formerly thought you were related to. Probaly an improvement I think actually" sweet revenge for her constant pranks. The mage laughed good naturedly, letting Torma know that it was ment purely in jest and that her teasing and pranks were a two way street.

[Rogue 9]

Gaheris halted mid-stride in the door at the end of the hallway. If he had to try and restrain Torma, there'd be the Hells to pay...

[LadyTevar]

"Better than being descended from a mere monkey, I would say..." Torma replied casually. "If they are in some way touched by Draconic blood, the felines are far more blessed. It may be one reason why they seem to be favored as familiars."

"Otherwise, the similarity is merely the fact that we both are excellent solitary predators, well-built for taking down our prey... like monkeys..."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"I have no issue being related to monkies Torma. They are smarter than cats, and can even manipulate objects"

[LadyTevar]

As she spoke to Astinius, her tail was sneaking around in an attempt to show him just how good she was at manipulating objects. At this point, it was up in the air whether she'd be able to snag him in a hug, or if the tail would be a distraction for yet another prank upon the mage.

"I would think that the felines are smarter, myself..." she said. "After all, you feed them, pet them, play with them, and in return all they have to do is purr and occassionally show you a dead mouse. Sounds like they have all the manipulation skills they need..."

[Comrade Tortoise]

her tail wasnt exactly small, and Astinius simply backed away out of it's reach slowly as if he would have done it anyway.

"Monkeys form large social groups and create social bonds much stronger than those that a mundane person forms with their cats. And unlike even post people, they are smart enough to pick the lice out of their hair."

[LadyTevar]

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Yelled the GhostSound spell, right in Astinius' ear.

Yes, Torma had used her tail to distract him from her spellcasting again, setting the spell up behind him so he'd walk right into it as he backed away from her tail.

[Rogue 9]

"TORMA! IT IS THE GREY OF DAWN, MUST YOU WAKE EVERYONE IN THE ABBEY?" It was too late for quiet now anyway...

[LadyTevar]

Torma was instantly contrite, and even the kitten on her head was scared. "only Astinius should have heard it......." she protested weakly, like a child explaining why the newly-painted walls were covered in happy colored pictures of mommy and daddy.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Astinius was not in fact distracted by the dragons tail when she started casting. Spells were fairly obvious to someone who had spent the better portion of his life studying magic. Especially because the young dragon does not posess the ability to mask her spellcasting. He knew the second she intoned words of minor power what spell she was casting. He knew it was an illusion, and the moment the sound reached his ears his iron will overpowered the spell's effects.

Spellcraft check: 29+12=41

Will save to disbelieve the illusion: 19+8=28

"Torma. If you want to get into a Mage Duel with me, you know the ritual. Also, the spell is an illusion, anyone who can see or hear things that in the area the spell is cast is capable of percieving it. You have much to learn of your newfound abilities""

[SirNitram]

"Are you all quite done?" Malkamar said with the kind of distaste in his mouth that betrayed the nobility he had once been. "I dislike the daytime hours a great deal, and listening to yelling, pranks, and self-important lecturing merely intensifies my already poor attitude. So I suggest you all try acting a little more sensibly."

The smith was already in a foul mood; moving now meant a shortage on the vital shadows which were the only way he could defend himself. He had much patience for Torma, recignizing her to be just a child, but Astinius was grating on his nerves more and more.

"Gaheris. Do we have a direction?"