Services sought, then bought [Duncan]

[Carly Jr'ana]

First Cycle of Spring, Month of Immanis in Era II of the Celestine Mandate
Era XIV Post Fractum
Paradigm: Twelve New Constellations Discovered

Earlier that day Carly had procured the card for a mysterious looking job from the Bounty Hall, now she sat upon her bed in the Crown Inn with a sheet of parchment before her and a quill as she wrote out a letter. The man, on behalf of the woman, sought information on another man. All very hush hush, though they would have been better suited seeking out someone of Carly's talents to begin with; she now penned her letter to the effect of selling her abilities, or ability as it currently remained.

Kevin Lastroge,
Crown Inn

Interested in the offered job, am a talented Ikomancer seeking practise and funds. This job looks exactly the kind I seek. I have the means of finding any information required, providing it exists, I also have the means of being unremarkable to others that are undetectable by magical means.

Contact Carly Jr'ana Vampyler at the Crown Inn and Tavern,
- C

Sealing the letter over and pressing it closed with wax from a nearby candle, Carly hopped from her bed and skipped downstairs to the main desk to deliver the letter. Even if she made the full amount on this job, there was no way it would be enough, her mind thought of other plans as her fingers subconciously traced a sigil she had used before to find information.

[Duncan Sythe]

Silly in his opinion, quite silly to identify her profession. Still she did have the advantage that Duncan didn't know too much about Ikos except for textbook stuff...which probably counted for something. His interpretation of it was it was generally highly unreliable and not useful for anything specific...which might be very wrong but even Duncan Sythe got things wrong sometimes.

Thus as he read the letter in his suite he considered that the girl might do for starters, she boasted but then so did he...sometimes, he'd see just how good she was when he met her. After all to his knowledge even Ikos practitioners needed Vis, didn't they? So he penned his reply and arranged for it to be left for a certain Carly Jr'ana Vampyler at the Crown.

Miss Vamplyer,
You will meet Kevin Lastroge at dusk on last brightening of the first cycle of spring at the Crown, you will wish to look for a man dressed in a brown cloak sitting by the fire with a green cravat tucked into his neck. If there is more than one such man then consider that he will not be armed and will have a glass of red Enamorian wine at his hand.

Ask this man if the seat is taken and if he would not mind the company of a 'fine lady' and further information will be given to you.

After doing that Kevin Lastroge had purchased a small room in the Crown for the day in question for his purposes. That was...Duncan had purchased said room.

When the brightening of the meeting came around he moved Non-Corporeal to Kevin Lastroge's room and then turned himself Invisible and created an Illusion of Kevin Lastroge.

Kevin Lastroge was a tall, thin man with a pointed beard and definite Elfish heritage about his eyes and long hair, he had a fine, cultured countenance and the requisite green cravat and fine brown travelling cloak. It was this blonde haired, green eyed man that made his way down to the Crown's drinking area and took up a seat by the fire with a glass of Enamorian red...whilst Duncan made a chair invisible and settled himself in a convenient corner to watch what was going on, having Mana Shaped his Invisibility spell to give off the idea that the corner was slightly nearer to everyone than it really was...so no-one would walk into him, see the magic or see him...as he had always divined the Invisibility spell with this is not a spell, this is not a mage, there is nothing here.

All of this perhaps was overly complicated but the effect was very simple. Kevin Lastroge awaited Carly at the given place at the given time...whilst the real Kevin Lastroge watched invisibly and waited, pulling the puppet strings as it were.

[Carly Jr'ana]

She had recieved the letter upon her return to the inn from her meditation practice, and likewise had headed straight for the Crown again after meditation on the day she was to meet the mysterious intermediate Kevin. She wore her mauve and brown swashbuckling outfit today, the tricorn hat upon her head hid the glint of the circlet sitting upon her brow. The leather thong about her neck kept a small copper ring hidden under her blouse, both objects that might come in handy at any moment. Perhaps most curiously, she carried a doll that looked just like her.

Finding Kevin was an easy task with the instructions contained within the letter, the letter that was tucked into the tongue of her boot, and with the use of her echolocation she easily found all the men in the room wearing cravats and holding wine glasses. She cut a bee line across the room, picking up a mug of mead from the bar on her way through. She didn't want to appear suspicious, though the regulars should have gotten use to her presence and odd behaviour by now. Moving to take the seat opposite Kevin, mead in hand, Carly asked him a question "Is this seat taken, would you mind the company of a fine lady sir?" Assuming he said yes, Carly would sit down at the table and give him her most charming smile as she touched the ring beneath her blouse out of reflex.

[Duncan Sythe]

Kevin inclined his head and studied Carly for a moment before speaking – after gesturing for her to sit - whilst Duncan studied her in turn. An Ikos practitioner? He knew so little of the sphere although suspected much, as to the ring – he noticed her touch it but didn't know what to make of it. The same went for the doll. Some kind of magical protection? Potentially, but given the worst he planned to do to her was check if she was telling the truth or not she was fairly safe from being sorely abused. None the less if she was hoping for a kindly reception...she didn't get one as Kevin lifted his wine glass and drained it.

“Please, follow me.”

He stood and gestured to the stairs up to the apartments, waiting for her to stand and follow whilst the invisible Duncan followed behind. He was intrigued by the woman and her skills but in the end she was a means to an end here, a third party who wouldn't be directly linked back to him or Liselle, that was why he was here – not to investigate the person he hired.

Arriving at the room Duncan had moved ahead of his Illusion and Carly easily enough using Non-Corporeal under the Invisibility and now opened the door for Carly even as the Illusion stepped up to it and gestured towards it, opening it with an illusionary hand that couldnt grip a thing unless Duncan put a fair more effort into the spell than he had. For whilst he could make fully corporeal fakes...making one in the case of Kevin wasn't necessary as the man had kept a fair way away from Carly touching him all the way along and now moved to the far side of the room.

Inside Carly saw nothing of particular interest just yet as Kevin moved to shut the door behind her (Duncan doing the invisible honours). It was a very simple single bedroom with not much space to go around but enough for two or three to walk in comfortably. Therefore Duncan now locked the door and cast a single spell on the walls, blocking all sound from leaving the room; a Hearing Ward.

Kevin then 'sat' on a chair in the corner next to the writing desk and gestured for Carly to have the bed whilst Duncan lent against the wall on a non-squeaking floor board.

“Miss Vampyler.”

Kevin Lastroge said at last, arms neatly folded on his lap as Duncan began to cast Reveal on Carly, designed to do nothing more than check the validity and truth of what she was saying and her very top level thoughts. When it came to mind reading he did not like to rip thoughts and memories wildly unless he was possessed of little other choice, judging people based on their reactions to his illusions and their truthfulness of those reactions was his preferred choice.

“You are here because you read a note asking for services of information gathering and replied by the method instructed on the note.”

Lastroge had a deep, old voice that suggested he was a Half-Elf of middling, elder years and delivered his statements impartially, entirely businesslike.

“You indicated you were a competent practitioner of Ikos. Admittedly this is perhaps an unusual method of collecting information but given the target I will require the information about, not necessarily unwelcome. Now, before we begin are there any limits you wish to discuss on your willingness to be hired for this job?”

He asked simply. Checking there was nothing she would refuse to do or no conditions she wished to place...and also judging her initial mental thoughts and impressions and truthfulness.

OOC: Not sure how you want to sort out Carly's reaction to the Reveal spell. If you'd like it moderated then please say, else all its meant to do is check if she's telling the truth in her replies and thoughts. Equally I have no idea if you possess items or Ikos things that may make what i'm doing not work

[Carly Jr'ana]

Following Kevin up the stairs Carly looked around at the apartment area of the Crown, she had been staying in the cheapest room possible, bunking with ten other travellers. This area looked somehow nicer. She didn't bother casting a glance around the spartan bedroom, she let her echolocation do that. Uneeringly keeping her eyes on the middleman between her and her employer she took up residence upon the bed, crossing her legs at the knee.

She smiled serenely, hugging the doll to her chest and waiting for Kevin to speak. Carly wasn't one to lie, mostly because she rarely said many words to anybody other then orders, questions, and very occasionally an answer. Carly was unimpressed by the man, though she was unimpressed by most people, a typical apathetic adolescent. She smiled. Mr Lastroge, Ikos in only an unusual means of collecting information in so far that Ikos is a new sphere and there are few practioners, even fewer who truely understand the potential of it, and a handful who have the ability to use it towards that potential. I am not merely competent, I am the best you'll find. Every word was truth, because she had to believe in herself and the things she said in order to be an Ikomancer.

There were no restrictions upon what she would do to gather the information, she told this to Kevin. She would happily kill to acquire the information, because this was a challenge to her, one in a series of challenges choosen by herself to prove she was ready to become a Master and an adult.

ooc: no items that will effect your magic, unless you wish harm upon Carly herself. In which case the doll acts as a sort of lightning rod for harm, physical or magical.

[Duncan Sythe]

Extremely confident bordering on arrogant. But he was not here to debate the girl's qualifications, if she thought she could get him the information he desired then that was all that concerned Duncan at this stage and she was certainly confident enough. In fact, everything else could wait till she proved herself capable of that.

That she was a Mage was evident in her Vis, that she knew what she was doing? Well, the proof was in the product and he'd be able to verify whatever information she gave him, all he needed was places to start...and he didn't fancy doing the basic legwork.

As to the lack of any kind of impression in her face? Well, Kevin Lastroge was not meant to intimidate or inspire fear or even an aura of power, he was simply the middle man.

“Then you are hired and I trust I can rely on your confidentiality and open mindedness about what I am asking you to do.”

It was at this point that something in Duncan was tempted to tell her to find out how to assassinate Milo...and he half suspected she might even try given her demeanor, but no, he wasn't out to end the regent's life this brightening.

“Your initial payment. 1000 Crowns as agreed, is in the top drawer of the dresser.” Kevin added, gesturing to the chest of drawers next to the bed. “It is proof of good faith. Please, take it.”

Once that was done Kevin waited for Carly to satisfy herself as to the amount of crowns and settle again before he spoke.

“Miss Jr'ana. You are being hired to investigate Antonious DeLylles. To report on his movements and any potentially illegal activities he is undertaking. In short, you are being hired to discredit him. Is there anything you would like to say at this stage? Or are we done?

Kevin stood and folded his coat about himself.

“You may contact me again when you have any information at the same address using a letter. If you leave one then expect a reply in one cycle and another meeting.”

That was it, provided his Reveal didn't detect an unfavorable reaction from Carly he'd leave her to it. He knew she wouldn't tell him her life story, he didn't need it. He just needed the information and to do it this way to keep the ties between her and Liselle to a minimum.

[Carly Jr'ana]

Swinging her feet around on the bed as if restless to get going and do whatever the job may be, Carly listened intently storing away every word Kevin said. Carly leaned over to take the thousand crowns from the drawer, quickly checking the full amount was there. Satisfied with the amount, not really doubting that the middleman would try to stiff her with so much secrecy. She pocketed the amount away in her money purse, ready to bank it, then listened as to what was actually required from this job.

Her already pointed elvish ears seemed to perk up at the mention of a DeLylles, they used to hold quite a bit of sway in the Empire. And it would seem they still did in places, if not so much as in the past. What she knew of this Antonious was currently nothing, but big names carried large circles of gossip around them. Carly stood as Kevin did, nodding curtly towards him. She had sigils to draw, and people to question. If she devoted a cycle to this she was sure she could know more about Antonious DeLylles then he knew about himself. "Expect a letter within one cycle Mr Lastroge."

Thing first thing she had to do, was to find out as much about Antonious as the layman did, where would he live? "Just one thing though, in what district does Antonious make his home?"

[Duncan Sythe]

“I would imagine he has official residences somewhere in the vicinity of the Imperial Forum and most likely an estate several miles outside the city.”

Kevin replied with an ease that indicated he knew precisely the type of arrangement a man in power would require in the capital. Admittedly for Duncan he simply stayed at the Crown while he was here but that was neither here nor there.

“I look forward to hearing from you.”

He said with a smile and waited for her to depart. Once he had Duncan went through the room under his invisibility and removed the few things he had brought into the place, packing them before using Non-Corporeal to transport himself and his possessions back to his real suite under the invisibility. Meanwhile the illusion simply faded to nothing, within a brightening another man had returned the key to the room he'd rented and all was returned to normality awaiting Carly's return.

OOC: Good Luck