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Renegotiation (Alistair)

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"Renegotiation"
Ashan 20, arc 718
The mage did not need any sort of attunement tracker to arrive at his conclusion. He could have probably had one made in the two trials since he'd heard that the Venoran noble had returned. But in all honesty, he worried that his target had already reclaimed such a network that even that small task would backlash as a warning.

Now he wondered if the man had ever truly left. Everything had indicated so. But everything else had gotten off track since his confrontation an arc or two ago. And there had certainly been no sign of the big Lotharro making any sort of extended stay. The last that Vuda had heard, the big brute had actually fought Captain Segrille to a near stalemate.

The Captain had metaphorically spit in his face by letting the big thug go. Another one of those "Matters of Honor" that such men grew so obsessed with. What matter if the means of controlling one of the most powerful mages of the age was lost? What matter if the leashing of the Coven would now be compromised without such a hold over the man's lover?

He sneered inwardly at the futility of rewording the same frustration again and again. The deal with the Coven had gone sour, and he had no real pull with them. it was true they'd done the work he'd asked. But they'd overindulged their appetites to the point of exposure. And if they went down to the outraged mob, one would be sure to drop his name as their patron.

Well, where one soul mate was lost, another had apparently filled the void. And Vuda knew something very important about Patrick Barnell that he hoped Alistair did not. This would not be a threat to garner new agreement, but rather an assurance of safety for the absentee Patrick that Vuda hoped would encompass the same ability to bargain from a position of strength based on reciprocation.

No, he needed no magic to discern the noble's presence from among the lower-class attendees of the keg. The other patrons of the Cow and Castle had not developed the mannerisms that came as a second-nature to those of noble birth, no matter how decadent. But it was not that the man could not adopt those mannerisms on identifying the Chief Adviser's arrival. It was more that Vuda saw that change in mannerism.

He locked eyes with the nobleman and made his way to the table. For a few ticks there was dead silence. Then murmurs of speculation rose louder than the din had been before he walked in. Vuda looked around at the dozens of eyes that turned away on fear as he met them. His turned as well, but more in a pitying disdain.

"Well sir?" the Chief Advisor to High Marshall Parhn asked, "Shall we talk here among these curious eyes and ears, straining to hear, yet striving to appear oblivious..." he raised his voice as he spoke, to indirectly address the attending crowd, "...or go somewhere that we might have privacy?"
 ! Message from: Maltruism
The lateness of this Placeholder is ALSO totally my bad. I completely lost track of this thread.
As well as the turn of the season. :oops:
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Renegotiation (Alistair)

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Cold blew the wind, outside. As such, the retreating men and women poured into all of the lantern-lit establishments, filling out the tables, stools and every pillow of every room. Alistair's stay was only temporary. He had come here to see Patrick, though as was the nature of their relationship - strong but materially distant - he would leave soon, and not come back again for some time. Not until, inevitably, the purge of Rosenthal van Nostra was primed.

Still, he enjoyed himself while he was here. Alistair had, of course, always been a braggart. He engaged in arm wrestling with strangers, won every game. He'd been threatened with a 'real fight' a time or two, but did not indulge the drunken men, merely smirking at their bolstered tempers and continuing his games in isolation. Eventually, no one would sit with him. Perhaps he was just... boring. He didn't know.

As trills became bits, and bits became a break, he thought to leave the table and return to his room. But as the door swung open, perhaps for a final time on this trial, Alistair's silent stare became filled with perplexity and wonder.

Vuda. The snake. Etzos' shadow leader, who likely compelled Pahrn with the same rings he'd gifted to Alistair in response to his games. He had made negotiations for Vuda that the two of them both found to be beneficial, at the time. But Alistair did not know that the magister's feelings had changed, and so to see an ally of the Coven approach him was... disconcerting. He came closer, approaching him. The mage attempted, himself, to appear oblivious as the witty man called it.

But he couldn't. This was an unexpected meeting, but one that needed to be sustained.

Alistair nodded, beckoning to lead the man into privacy, though he kept a keen awareness of his back and his surroundings. He held no particular trust for Vuda. Still, if assassination was his purpose, he would have done so with no risk to himself... with distance between them. Vuda had many things to gain from Alistair, and he knew that. He was safe, for now.

Opening the door to his humble room, a very temporary stay, he nodded and turned to view the shadowy figure that stood before him. Somehow, he brought him even more disgust than before. Perhaps last time he was filled with too great a distress to notice just how... wrong he was. His energy - his voice. Everything about him.

Some mages were worth the stigma. He knew that, and always had.

"Welcome, Vuda," he said. "I take it you've noticed my antics. My 'betrayal' of the Coven - vocal as it's been. I hope you don't take it as a betrayal against you. It is simply that... Ellasin Dathlande and I have swung into opposite paradigms. I know you understand what that means."

A war between mages, obviously... to determine who had the right to lead them. That was how he saw it, at least. The Seekers were no future, but a relic of the past. And men like Vuda had no loyalty to ether, but to their own ambition. Alistair, and Ellasin, were the two visionaries that remained. And they, now, were enemies.

He supposed he could see the potential... for a man like Vuda. Perhaps that was why he was here.
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Vuda cocked one eyebrow in mock surprise. "Welcome'? I must say, that's a word I rarely hear, even in council." Many nearby eyes did many double takes as he was easily recognized by most of the patrons. Whispered comments elicited muffled gasps from the rest as he stood standing, as if acknowledging an obligation to allow everyone a chance to confirm his unexpected presence.

Satisfied that no one would claim he was trying to hide his identity, he took his reputation one step further and snapped his fingers for immediate service. The bartender could not arrive swiftly enough, and hastened to bring a bottle of fine brandy and two snifters. The man did not stay to be paid, but backed away bowing. Vuda placed one glass before his host and cracked the bottle to pour himself a refreshment.

As he set the bottle in easy reach of his table mate, he cast a grand flourish that hardened the air in a broad enough dome to enclose them both, along with the table. "That should stop any eavesdropping by these people." Vuda did not bother with the science of it, but he knew that his hardened air barriers blocked sound in some way. That was all he needed to know. "Do help yourself." he offered, indicating the brandy.

"So, indeed, I have had it brought to my attention that you're stirring up trouble for the very faction you allied me with when last you were here. I'm not taking your reversal as anything just yet, as far as our relationship goes. But I can hardly imagine that they consider it anything but betrayal. You may have your reasons for doing this, but you are going to bring great upheaval to MY streets at the same time. Did you consider that THIS may be what I am here to object to?"

He looked around with a measure of disdain, "These people have no idea what is on the verge of happening, though just the name of 'The Coven' is undoubtedly enough to strike some degree of alarm into some of their hearts."

He sat back in his chair, tipping it to actually lean against the interior surface of the hardened air dome. His eyes narrowed with calculation, "I certainly had no trouble finding you, for one who is smart enough to know I would come looking, one who is smart enough to have made it much harder, if he wanted to; And one smart enough to know he is setting his lone self against a faction far more powerful than he can hope overcome on his own."

He took another long sniff and sipped his brandy. "So...answers...what makes you think I will help you do this? Admit it, my last three observations lead only to that one conclusion." he took another sip as he waited.
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Vuda truly was a Spymaster, though one that fashioned himself a leader. He would never be loved, nor perhaps even respected, but certainly he was feared... feared for what he knew, feared for what he was willing to do. And perhaps even feared for his magic, and his willingness to use it in vitriolic and vile ways. He was the quintessential 'bad-man' on the council, and perhaps he reveled in that. Alistair could only continue to gawk at the idea that men like Vuda even existed. It was easy enough to know them by the stories, of their clutches behind the shoulders of juvenile, orphaned princes... but not to see such men in action.

"No thank you," he stated, as Vuda offered him alcohol. What was the reason for Alistair's unwillingness to partake? The obvious, in this case. He didn't trust that this was not all an elaborate scenario to have him poisoned - perhaps one of the easiest ways to kill him, irregardless of his magical furor or relative strength. Why would anyone trust Vuda not to partake in such tactics?

At least he didn't play too many games. Before even bits broke, Vuda began to unload the truth. He was clearly upset by Alistair's brashness, his willingness to invoke ire and separatism within the people, making them further skeptical of their leadership and their ability to enforce the law. Certainly, Alistair had thrown away any intentions of assisting the moral or lawful integrity of the Etzori establishment, as he would soon express. But first, he decided to let Vuda said all that he needed to.

Much of it was pertinent to his goals - and even more of it, perhaps surprisingly, was true.

Vuda was correct. Alistair... did not intend the message only for the Al'Angryl. His knowledge was too severe, his behavior too rash, and his assumed faces too consistent in their message. For a Spymaster on the level of Vuda, such actions were far too clear, and obvious. Alistair knew that he would incite trouble, though he hoped - and he supposed his prayers had been answered - that the decrepit overlord of this city would be called by his shrieks and howls regarding the Coven's continued presence.

And so... he told him. "You are correct," Alistair admitted. "I intended for you to receive my message - it was for two parties, in fact. You, and your opposition," the mage stated, leaning back into his chair and placing both elbows upon the table. He wasn't a noble, any longer. Etiquette meant nothing. "I already found your opposition. They think they found me - but I would have met them even if their couriers and spies were as blind as Drexion. And you - I knew you would come, in some way or another. I'm only glad that we meet face to face. I missed your... mostly concealed degradation, and all of your scowling imperfections, staring back at me." It was clear that Alistair was not being entirely serious.

He was playing his game - of pretending to be charming and lighthearted, when in truth, he was just as cold-blooded as the man before him. In his own, equally sinister, if not painfully ideological way. "We have one thing in common that places you above your enemy. You are a mage. Perhaps that means nothing to you, but it means something to me; it means that you are one of us, and unwittingly you advocate for our interests. While you rule, Etzos will continue to be a safe haven for my kind, and the spark will continue to flourish. Your opposition is led by an uncertain quantity . . . and that concerns me. I do not want Etzos to go the way of Hiladrith." So of course . . . he was partial to him, even if he was a soulless, power-seeking, gnarled beast of a man.

Though he would never look upon him highly, he wondered if he could look upon his rule favorably. It all depended on this meeting, in truth.

"As for why you'd want to help me? Because the Coven already seeks ways to undermine you, and make this city theirs. I'm certain you understand what that's like - being willing to do anything for that next step. Betraying, lying, killing. The Coven is much like that... and more. You have given them the opportunity to grow, and so now - like the weeds they are - they intend to replicate upon every surface in this city." He spoke the truth, at least. It wasn't fear-mongering. It was just... true. He knew it because he'd seen it, and it had happened in Rynmere. He watched it happen. "I'm sorry for giving you such a raw deal, Vuda. But... you took my partner. I would have done anything to break him free, even acting as the arbiter to a deal I knew would benefit my enemy. I am a simple man. Vengeance, now, is all that I want. You can participate in that, if you like. Or not. It's all up to you."

He spoke with little concern, as if he had already amassed the influence he needed. In truth, he wove stories in his head. Al'Angryl. Vuda. The Coven. How could he interact with all three in a way that benefited him the most? This became... somewhat messy. Either way, he was making himself at least two enemies among the three groups - and possibly all of them. What was the right thing to do? Play Vuda? Betray Al'Angryl? Go it alone? It was... complicated. He truly did not know.
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Renegotiation (Alistair)

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For the most part, Vuda would have preferred to show no reaction to the goads or admissions of a potential enemy. Any giveaway of what would merit a reaction from him was information to be analyzed for use against him later. He shrugged off his host's refusal of a drink as irrelevant. It was fine with him if Alistair chose to believe that his station was so secure as to be unconcerned over an entire tavern's crowd witnessing a blatant poisoning.

Besides, he would never have done it in such direct fashion. Better to have something coating the handle of all the spoons, that would then react toxically with something in a candle placed only in his room. Such methods gave a sense security to those that could find nothing in the common room that was unique to them; only to die a gasping, strangling death their room later, as the rest of the diners never had that second element added to their systems.

Allowing a degree of perplexity to show on his face, at one particular point, did not seem revealing, considering what it was in reaction to. "Are you trying to say that The Coven is not populated by mages? Or are you saying that it is the fact that I am a lone mage, with no obvious support crew, that sets me apart from your old crew? For I would hesitate to say that either of those interpretations are correct."

He made an absent gesture toward the other man, "I don't suppose you would have suffered yourself to be called anyone's "support crew". But it was not that long ago that you scraped the surface of what might be called an ally. Instead, you chose to vouch for those who have now opted to interpret my orders as they see fit, and not as I instruct. Now, I can understand that such things happen in our circles. But the fact that you also are seemingly at odds with them, puts your judgement in doubt."

The chair creaked beneath him as he sat forward. "I mean, who is, or was, playing who in all this? I am truly the only one who can not be said to have manipulated our little alliance, because I did not introduce any new elements, or be the one who first offered. And by the way, I did nothing with your "partner". The Captain of the guard let the big brute go. I haven't seen him since. The fact is, I am the only one who has pretty much entirely kept his word, outside of snap decisions that the unreliability of your Coven associates have forced upon me. Do you disagree?"

Yes or No would essentially change nothing about Vuda's next observation. His snark was in full bloom as he continued, "Well, I suppose it must be terribly difficult not to assume the worst about one who has "so much in common" with yourself. Have I not made it clear that I am aware that The Coven is undermining me?" He listened through his host's comments, displaying increasing levels of impatience.

There was no need to clarify the number of additional "opponents" beyond The Coven and Al'Angyryl that he was currently monitoring. He suspected his host may be hoping to get just such information. "Look, wanting vengeance alone, and not 'loot' or 'spoils of war' or whatever you want to call it, is not the issue. I want to have some reason to believe that The Coven is not just going to be replaced by you. Am I to believe that once you have gotten your vengeance, and either eradicated them, or made them weak enough that I can, that you'll just leave with no further reward?"

He sat back again, a look of skepticism on his face, "Frankly, I do not believe you have the power to take them. Sure, you'll get a few early victories with the element of surprise. But once they regroup, I don't see you lasting very long. And if I come in at some later point, it will only backlash on me too. I believe you need me in on this right from the start to have any chance of us not just digging our own graves."

A distrusting finger was thrust in Alistair's direction, "And if you're just going to leave, there's no reason for you to bother rescuing us from them at all. Even if we succeed beyond our wildest dreams here, we are hardly going to stamp them out beyond the ability to resurrect elsewhere. So what is it that is going to protect you from their counter vengeance, once you're all alone? I'd like to be sure it's not something that's going to be as much of a liability to me as it is to them."
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(Oh my lord, has it really been nine days? I thought you posted like... three days ago. :lol: )

Vuda was, of course, unwilling to cede to him the point - even his advantages were in question, and he brought the larger focus into the picture; Alistair's uneven ideology, or so he perceived, a mage liberationist who yet still fought heavily against the tides of liberated mages that called themselves the Coven of Ellasin. Only . . . they were, more than products of the society he wished for, great liabilities that held him back from any and all ambition, and his people any positive recognition. "The Coven are worse than mage hunters," he said. "They are the casus belli for mage hunters. The providers of motivation for all of the hungering children whose mothers and fathers were forced into thralldom. All of the street gnats who would stick a shiv into a mage's back, indiscriminately, only to be pulled from his corner by Hiladrathi or a vigilante or -- what have you. You are not, ethically, a pure thing . . . but you are also a shadow cast upon the wall, wearing Pahrn's skin, free from liability to the eyes of the public. All you are is a strong, lone mage . . . a thing I wish to see the world populated with."

Vuda was, perhaps, not interested in his ideology. This was fine. Alistair understood his own actions to be based on little more than self preservation or, perhaps, a towering ambition that sought to expand upon the surface of their world. He was a drawer of maps, a slayer of his foes. His magic was likely even more a tool than Alistair's was - a thing to be utilized as a weapon for waging his eternal war against the obstacles around him. His domains, in that regard, made a great deal of sense. Abrogation for self-preservation, and suppression of his foes. Rupturing to watch as the great overseer that he was, and strove to be. An unbreaking, unbound man who could be wherever he wanted and could command things to go his way.

Vuda made a lot of sense to him. Perhaps more sense to Alistair than he made to others, though he was certain that the first impression was always the most accurate; that whatever he did, and whatever he said, his goal was control. In our circles, he called it. He must have referred to the den of lying aristocrats that the two of them certainly surrounded themselves with, even now. In truth, Vuda was right. He was incredibly wise, and clever, and capable of viewing all of his many faults with the eye of a hawk - as if he knew him greater than even his closest companions.

And though that scared him, it oddly made him feel at ease. Vuda knew everything he could have known. There was no need for lies. No place for deception.

"I did, then, what I thought was for the best. I fought not for power, nor growth, nor the ascension of any ladder. My ideology was one thing, and one alone: an all-inspiring will to be with him. But Fridgar is dead. As I said, I am a simple man. Whatever fury you may feel at my souring of our deal, I truly have nothing to soothe you. It will never be about you to me, or me to you, and we both know that. It's about ourselves. You want to be rid of this nuisance. I am your greatest tool to that end. Discard me afterwards if you wish. Or don't," he said.

And then, he thought. Pondered, for a trill and more, of something meaningful. What Vuda offered him was a chance to bring reason to the table, and perceptive as he was, he did not intend to lie to him. The opportunities for both of them were evident; Vuda had approached him, again, for a reason. Alistair provided him something that he did not previously have.

"Wholly rewardless? No. I would want Talia's artifacts," he stated. "Perhaps not all. But some. Many are not even hers - they are the products of greater mages, a collection of secrets and wonders from generations past. She is a collector of great and marvelous things. I wish to acquire some of these things." Alistair spoke bluntly; he did, in truth, expect some reward . . . but not the grand ambitions that Vuda expected. Alistair did not wish to found a new Coven, nor did he intend to become a thorn in Vuda's side. If Vuda and him could have a symbiotic relationship, then he did not mind. Alistair had little interest in betrayal or trickery. Though many of Vuda's concerns were warranted. He did not wish to get caught up in the war between Alistair and Ellasin. Inspiring the wrath of the Necromantress, a woman more vile and powerful than Vuda himself, was unwise.

He understood that. Unlike Vuda, he did not have the choice. Vuda . . . did. And Alistair had, in some ways, placed him along the edges of this war or at least... hastened the process.

"You're right," he whispered, narrowing his gaze. "I do need you - from the beginning. And the element of surprise? We must not waste it on trivial battles, or violence against the fringes. All in one stroke, we must siege Rosenthal, and slay Talia. But I provide you a direct route to do so - I can open portals for us to funnel through. My thralls, Damien's, your manpower. We can cull them, quickly; of that, I know. And though you think I have strengthened your foes, that is not the case. Many of their mages continue to observe your own men, stationed in your outer realms, conspiring and gauging your forces. But that means they are gone. Their power structure lies vulnerable, Talia isolated with tens of new acolytes, unknowing of how to cast even a trickle from their fingertips. You overestimate our enemy. Why do you believe Ellasin crawls in the mud and secludes herself within caves? Because she must. Because she is weak, and her influence is pervasive, not martial. We can destroy her. If we cull Rosenthal, she will not be able to come for us. Especially not with all that she is doing in Rynmere - the grand act she is performing. To leave Rynmere now would be to swear away the culmination of her greatest ambitions. She will never retaliate."

Alistair did have one advantage that Vuda did not. Knowledge. Though his ideas were vague, what he knew was enough to felt secure. And that was why, ultimately, he attacked now. There had never been a greater moment to do so.

"As for me? I will simply garner protection from the Seekers. I will leave Etzos, and continue to strike at Ellasin from elsewhere. She will hunt blindly in the dark for me, and you may continue to root out the Al'Angryl, or whatever opposition you desire. Ultimately, however, my ideas are much more certain than any attempt at prolonged diplomatic negotiations with the Coven. They will strike you, eventually. You and I should much rather strike now."

And then, of course, came the final thing. The future beyond all that - or perhaps amidst it. The thing that Vuda quite possibly wanted, but didn't. Alistair's allegiance.

"And, if my leaving is not an appealing concept to you, I am not unwilling to discuss... further partnership," he added. Though his expression was stale, the implications were compelling. Alistair was a warrior that even Ellasin could - perhaps - not best. He had transcended many of the limitations he previously lingered upon, dreading among the supposed precepts of his mortal form. Vuda could appraise of that, or not. He could recognize him as an asset - or not. Alistair would allow his thoughts to be his own.

"If the mere decimation of our mutual enemy is not enough, then consider the decimation of all of them. I am no God, nor infinite foundry of power. But I am an asset, greater than any you will ever acquire. I have grown since our last encounter; I am double the man I was then."
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As much as Vuda listened to what his guest had to say, he scanned the room for eyes that gave signs of curiosity beyond the normal meddlesome interest most riff-raff would have about the councils of the movers and shakers of the world. He had long since kept watch on the door of the Inn, keeping particular focus on those that entered after his arrival. It stood to reason that his arrival would draw interest. But was the Coven already onto Alistair's alias and disguises?

He didn't see any behavior that stood out as being overly or underly interested in a conversation none could eavesdrop on. He saw no eyes squinting in the smoky atmosphere to allow the reading of lips. Still, he assumed there was someone here on behalf on the Coven. It was unlikely that, having already taken steps outside of their agreement, they would not be watching to see what his reaction would be.

And here he was, engaging with someone that should now probably be considered a mutual enemy. "Well, I suspect we ARE already considered to be in it together. And I'm not going to say that it's all your fault either. I knew as I came here that any 'Coven eyes' out there would take note. I think it's safe to presume that, despite your disguises, they know it is you that is here. It would have served no purpose to drag you to the Tower either. That would be unlikely to go unnoticed either. I am well aware of one outstanding scrying artifact already present in town, It's reasonable to assume there could be more."

A short but sincere sigh punctuated the shake of his head, "Your statements are all very well spoken. I can see the logic of pretty much every comment you say. I can also see that they can all be complete and utter lies designed to put me off my guard. But half truths are far more effective. So I have no doubt that whatever portion of your claims I might seek to confirm, I would find nothing but pure, supportive evidence."

A sly chuckle escaped him, "Trust is difficult to achieve for men such as us. So here's the thing. I'd like you to completely spell out what measures you intend to take. In other words, what preemptive and long-term strategies you have; what your time-frame for launching said strategies is, what actions need to be taken beforehand, how much of this you hope to have ME provide, what results you feel will signify success or failure. All that sort of thing."

Now he leaned forward, his finger waxing accusatory, "If I am to be forced to trust that the situation between you and the various cells and leaders of the Coven are as you say, I want there to be a thing or two that force you to rely on me that I don't sell you out to them. Frankly, I don't like the one-sided nature of this trust!"

Vuda did not know if Alistair would read between the lines here. There was little doubt that any agents of the Coven that had been watching would have noticed how he'd been scanning the crowd for signs of their presence. It was time now to play the angered fool, distracted from maintaining his surveillance. It was absolutely necessary that the Coven get the impression that there was to be no alliance between himself and Alistair. Not an immediate one at any rate.

So as the details were delivered, he behaved with steadily increasing anger, flailing arms in furious gestures, pounding his fists, rising and pacing within his hardened-air dome, repeating the words back in shouts, but altering slight details as he did. It was a common enough understanding amongst spies that an angry man is going to let slip important details, while the one that remains calm will be more careful. Vuda intended that all lip-reading eyes would be on him as he stormed about, knocking his bottle and snifters to the floor, brushing chairs into the dome to bounce back into his legs and prompt further displays of recklessness.

When he had all the details, he whirled back to face Alistair, flamboyantly dismissed his dome with an exaggerated gesture, and shouted for all to hear, "I'LL BE WATCHING YOU!" with that he turned away, intending to storm from the room.
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Re: Renegotiation (Alistair)

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Come and get your Loot!

(There's plenty more where that came from)


ALISTAIR:
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Knowledges:

  • Abrogation: Hardened Air Can Form a "Cone of Silence"
  • Acting: When to Let Strangers Hear is Part of the Act
  • Logistics: Assessing the Potential for Collateral Damage
  • Logistics: Becoming an Ally Adds Enemy Numbers
  • Logistics: Be Sure You Clarify Which Enemy Aspect You are Tallying
  • Logistics: Comparing the Power of a Lich Against a Mere Master
  • Logistics: Figuring the Division of a Common Enemy's Strengths
  • Logistics: Tallying Future Costs of Repercussions
  • Politics: Trading Honest Talk is Refreshing
  • Sociology: Fellow Schemers Do Not Need to Admit It
  • Sociology: Hard Questions will Garner Respect
  • Tactics: Making Your Presence Known to Prompt a Meeting
  • Vuda: Appreciates Your Situation
  • Vuda: Has No Reason to Lie to You

Loot:

Nothing to speak of.
You COULD have had a free snifter of brandy.


Loss, injuries:

Nope, not a scratch


Fame/Renown: +10

You have been seen meeting with...gasp...Vuda! :o


Comments:

Mostly just a lot of talk. Very enjoyable, but not Skill-heavy.
Nonetheless, I found a few things. :)
word count: 190
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