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[Woe]

The two that Woe had taken up alongside hadn't dispersed, which complicated matters, but only a little. He would just have to act that much more quickly. But his skill with a sword paled in comparison to his command of the whip. A weapon with which he could perform near miraclulous feats at this point. And it was this tool that he turned to, tossing the two-handed flamberge to the side as he entered the cloud of shadow.

It would've vbeen much easier to navigate that darkness if he still had the benefit of Omnivision from his days as a mage, but as it was the cursing and growling of the men made it a bit simpler to direct his blows. What wouldn't be simple, was if Natalia's companion decided to plunge into the utter darkness that Soz had conjured.

When Woe did see that Grayson might enter the shadows to join the fray, he shouted from within the shadows. "No bloodshed today! Stay and guard your lady friend." With that said, he felt an arm on his shoulder, which prompted him to snap his whip over it, aiming it with masterful precision at the man's neck. It would cause excruciating pain, but he maintained enough cord control to cause pain shy of actual damage.

The scream that issued from the thug reared its way above the rooftops. Soz looked balefully with her red eyes into the darkness that surrounded her bonded. Then she glanced at Natalia and Grayson, and hissed a warning. Although whether that warning was meant to keep them out of the shadows or else to run from her generally, was anyone's guess.

Woe threw the cord of his whip one way then the other, making contact at some points but generally not needing to. His abilities with the whip were such that he didn't need to make the precise shots in order to affect those hearing the sounds of pain and mortification coming from the people he was attacking.

"Fuck this mates! Drop the gold and let's out of here!"

Woe would've been content to let them go, and indeed tried to usher them out of the shadows, as best he could while fighting within them. He only hoped in the disorientation of the moment that he was driving them in the right direction, away from Natalia and her friend and the Dragonling.

[Natalia Gregorios]

Arc 721, 17 Vhalar

Natalia started for the dragonling and Grayson for their companion, but both rebuffed in different ways. The situation was quickly devolving, but it seemed that there was nothing either of them could do other than hold their ground and wait for things to settle.

Grayson, trying as he might to convince his cousin to leave, couldn't make her budge from her spot. Running was not something she did, regardless of the danger, and she wouldn't leave someone that tried to help them alone. All she could do was take in what was happening in front of her and look for an opening.

Despite the odd familiarity she continued to feel towards the man helping them, nothing she saw or heard would connect him to who he actually was. Woe had kept enough of himself hidden from her that no hints clued her to the fact that a friend was present.

The whip work was impressive, appearing to detour more than maim or harm, which was surprising. The man's insistence of no bloodshed, equally so. That wasn't to say that Natalia was inclined to such, though.

Roars continued off in the distance, but Ares didn't materialize as she thought he would. Natalia was uncertain why that was, but perhaps it was for the best. Indeed, adding fuel to the current fire wasn't a desirable thing.

Grayson's sword stayed raised, as did Natalia's dagger, but none of the fleeing thugs approached them, seemingly more concerned with their own lives than the pair. One of the thugs seemed to consider the idea briefly, but the presence of their weapons, and lack of support from the others, appeared to make him change his mind.

[Woe]

The thrashing of Woe's whip was difficult to follow at times, which added perhaps to the confusion and terror men felt as the pain that radiated from one of their fellows seemed to be contagious, causing more terror among their ranks. The disorganized squad of fools were scattered before long, with no need for lethal force from either Woe or Natalia and Grayson. Finally, the last one to leave was the bagman, who'd held the coin that Woe had paid them with. He gave him a glance, forcing him to forget the memory of that incident, as well as any memory of Woe or his alter-ego from his mind. Similarly, the memory faded from Woe himself as he let the disguise subside, revealing who he was to Natalia.

He coiled his whip around his hand, tucking it into a hook on his belt. With a few steps, he picked up the flamberge he'd cast aside. This done, he hefted it against his shoulder and approached both Natalia and Grayson. "Are you two alright?"

"Apologies for the subterfuge." He said, referring to his appearing to belong to either side at any moment. "It was useful to create some uncertainty in their ranks, that much you can't deny."

"Hello Natalia," Woe began, turning toward the woman, "How has Almund treated you, this incident aside? Have you discovered much that was useful?"

Woe waited to hear her response, but his time was growing short. The Widow's Lament would require his presence before long, as he had another job to fulfill for them.

[Natalia Gregorios]

Arc 721, 17 Vhalar

Natalia considered herself a rational young woman who wasn't prone to emotional outbursts. When needed, she used her tone as a weapon and could often read a room with startling accuracy. At least when it was the dullards and people she had grown up around.

As the man's disguise faded and she could see who their companion was, there was a dangerous flash behind Natalia's eyes. Surprise, certainly. She hadn't expected the man to turn out to be Woe, but now that the cat was out of the bag…

She briefly nodded when he asked after their well-being, re-sheathing her dagger calmly. Grayson observed the interaction, realizing something was amiss and simultaneously understanding that he was woefully light on details.

Apollo poked all his heads out, chirping cheerfully as he realized all the bad ones were gone, giving a curious glance up to his mistress. Arching her eyebrow, Natalia glanced at Woe as he casually continued as if nothing had happened, then asked after her specifically. Her hand gently slipped down, caressing each of Apollo's heads in turn as she considered the man before her.

"Hello, Woe," she said, voice careful. Grayson's eyes lit up in recognition of the name, looking over at the Mortalborn, yet he declined to intervene, letting Natalia handle the exchange while he did something worthwhile. "Ummm… I'm going to go find Ares and make sure he's alright."

Natalia's eye watched her cousin depart, then slowly brought them back around to Woe, considering what to say. "Almund is a city with secrets, like most others. I didn't find out much other than a few rumors. They are buzzing about Liza from Egilrun and a man named Berlewin, who owns a shop here, having disappeared at the same time as finding the body of the Bones. The people are putting together pieces, even if no one else is, it seems."

Now that business was out of the way, they could move on to other matters. She pressed him, keeping her voice calm, regardless of the storm happening beneath where none could see. "What was that just now? Why were you with them? And where did that dragonling come from? You have one too? Does that mean you were involved, somehow, in the thing in Saun? Ilaren took me to Yaralon. I didn't like it there. Don't recommend the sewers." Natalia didn't benefit from connections like others, so the concept of other people having been involved was new to her, despite the rumors.

She needed answers, and he was the one who could give them, standing right in front of her.

[Woe]

There were a lot of things happening just then, and Woe could understand the hedged reaction of Natalia. His behavior and actions had been erratic and strange, hard to understand even from his own standpoint. Why had he been with those men? Aside from that fact, from the obvious, why had he hired them to set upon them? It was possible he wanted to suss out any potential Webspinner subterfuge or involvement. But even that was a stretch. The fact of the matter was, Woe had treated Natalia poorly over the last few cycles, between running hot and cold. It was surely confusing. And he had no right to expect anything other than bemusement from her now, as he appeared out of the haze of anonymity.

"I noticed them tailing you." Woe said, simply. It was the best he could do to lie, she wouldn't understand his reasons, or respect them. There was little to respect about paranoia, anyways.

She related her news about Berlewin and his connection to Liza. Woe nodded. That was interesting, and worth noting. "Why are you looking into Liza specifically?" Woe asked. Perhaps he'd prompted her to and forgotten? Was he that forgetful? It all seemed a while ago they'd been spending time together.

"That..." Woe said, "Was Soz, my dragonling companion. I'm a bearer of Kuvarakh's effigy. And yes, I met a dragon... I take it you were one of the ones taken?"

The news that she'd been to Yaralon, and its... Sewers?? "Sewers? Things seem to have changed in Yaralon since I've been there. They never used to have a sanitation system. Perhaps it was a fracture you were fallen into? There were many of those."

"Listen, I don't know where you're heading..." Woe said, having already sensed her interests drifting abroad, "But I want you to have this Echo Scroll, if you ever need help. Call on me. Soz... she is a fast flier, and can bring me wherever you are before long. Then there's also Opal, who can bring me there in the blink of an eye."

He brought out the echo scroll, in its wooden case, and handed it over, wondering but not sure if she would take it. If she had any other questions, or follow-up, he would wait and see what she had to ask or say. He still owed her that much at least.

[Natalia Gregorios]

Arc 721, 17 Vhalar

Introductions were in order. Before Grayson ran off, Natalia, unable to resist the call of her proper upbringing, presented her cousin to Woe. "Woe Morandi, this is Grayson Whitehall – my cousin. It seems that my grandfather made some provisions for me before he died. Grayson came looking for me" Of course, there was further information on that front, but she knew Woe well enough to understand that he'd ask if he wanted to know something. During an early conversation between the two, she had told the man of her grandfather, so she trusted him to put the pieces together.

"Grayson, Woe Morandi." Grayson knew of Woe, but Natalia had never been very detailed regarding their interactions. Nodding, he extended his hand to Woe. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morandi." After the introduction, Grayson ran off to attend to Ares - wherever the dragonling was.

Hesitation was a good word for what Natalia felt. Woe was, on his best trials, a bit erratic. She understood this and accepted it, but the longer they knew each other, the more unpredictable his behavior became. The scene at Faith Augustin's house. The Feast. And now, Almund. Something was going on with Woe, but whatever it might have been was beyond her comprehension. The man cloaked himself in ambiguity, and no matter how she tried to pierce the veil, her mortalborn companion seemed content to remain obscure.

Unsure if she believed his reason for being there, the daughter of Chamadarst decided to let the matter go. Natalia wholeheartedly believed that Woe wouldn't point-blank lie to her on important issues, but pushing the point of his presence was a waste of energy. It wasn't necessary, and she wouldn't know if he was telling the truth or not regardless.

To his response, the brunette just nodded, not accepting what he said but recognizing the futility of further questioning – a notable change from the girl he had met in Egilrun.

Natalia had evolved slightly in the time they had been apart. More confident, certainly. There was still a sponge-like tendency to absorb information, but certain mannerisms were more subtle and refined. Before, she would never have engaged the gang as she had, but as her miscalculation proved, there was still a long way to go in certain areas.

Before the conversation got too far along, there was something she needed to ask. "The boys. They are well?" Woe had spoken of Toutouye during their early conversations, although Natalia had never had the chance to meet the boy. Iago was a different story, having shared an evening with him and Woe at the Feast. She sensed that the pair's time was growing short, and while they had more important things to discuss, Natalia couldn't help but ask after the two.

Further mention was made of Liza, to which she kept her answer short and concise. "When the Immortals mentioned her at the Feast, it seemed like perhaps her disappearance was important. I'm a curious girl whose curiosity was piqued further when you suggested I investigate the raft of disappearances." It was all true, of course, but Natalia couldn't help but be disappointed that she hadn't found more.

Dragons. Woe had been taken too. Interesting. Smiling as she lifted the bag Apollo was in, his six heads poking out, trilling happily at her, she made another quick introduction. "This is Apollo, my dragonet. Ares, my dragonling, is nearby, I believe. Yes, I was taken by Ilaren. There was a group of us, but only me and an Ithecal named Praetorum made it to the end, meeting a dragon named Vielkrontier."

The offer of the echo scroll was met with a nod, reaching out her hand to accept it. "Thank you. I'm not sure how long I'll be here or where I'm going next, but I will keep in touch with my whereabouts." She meant it, keeping in touch. At the very least, it was suitable for someone to know where she was, and a means of passing information was always a good thing.

[Woe]

Woe nodded to Grayson, by way of greeting him. He wasn't much of one for shaking hands, himself. "It's good to meet you, Grayson." But just as soon as he introduced himself, he went off to fetch the larger dragonling of Natalia's. Woe had to admit he was impressed that Natalia now commanded a creature of such might and power.

As to the boys... "They're well enough. They're getting too much for me to keep up with, in fact." Woe said, and it was true. It was becoming clear that the more they grew and matured, the less they relied upon him, the harder it became to keep tabs and protect them from the myriad perils that stalked at his heels. He would need to come to a solution on that count. The house in Scalvoristown, as isolated as it was, wasn't an ideal place. Woe needed to involve himself and not isolate, at this moment. There would be a time for him to be alone, but this point in his life was not it.

"The Immortals..." Woe said. Truth be told, he hadn't been paying attention very well during that feast. He must have missed the part where they spoke on Liza. Well, at least one of them were paying attention. Woe nodded.

"I would handle that creature very carefully. Soz, I know from experience is a very temperamental creature, needy even." He didn't know the disposition of thiis ares, but his eyes widened as he beheld the multiple heads of the creature. Surely if any dragon came out of Yaralon, this would be the one.

Finally, it was running down to the wire, and they were on the verge of saying their goodbyes. Woe wasn't much of one to stand on ceremony. He'd been erratic with Natalia, keeping her at arm's length for much of their time together. He'd sent his share of mixed signals, with gifts and even now with an echo scroll to keep in touch. He did care what happened to her, and worried at times that the Webspinners might get to her. A woman who was adaptable and a bit of a chameleon herself. Labrae could turn such individuals to their designs easily.

"You were in the Ghost Burho then? When it was demolished?" Woe said carefully. He didn't betray the concern he felt that she was so close to Labrae's base of operations. But it was there, nonetheless. "I'd like to hear that story sometime. Perhaps if you write me sometime, and I can share what I can of my own venture."

This said, it did seem their time was coming to a close for now. He nodded to her solemnly, and then walked over toward Soz, and climbed onto her saddle. With a whistle, he spurred her into the air, and flew off into the darkening sky.

[Doran]

Woe:

Knowledge:
Combat: Whips: x 5
Deception: x 2
Intimidation: x 2
Flying Mount Specialization: x 1
Stealth: x 2
Tactics: x 1

Loot/Losses: An echo scroll shared with Natalia-
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

Natalia:

Knowledge:
Appraisal x1
Investigation x1
Deception x 3
Intimidation x1
Psychology x 1
Larceny x 1
Stealth x2
Detection x1
Socialization x2

Loot/Losses: An echo scroll shared with Woe.
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

- - -

Comments: Woe really is a keen observer of human behaviour, and you play him well in that regard. I really enjoyed the way that you started this thread, with Woe thinking about his power, choosing a disguise and considering how Natalia’s being able to sense a marked of her father affects things. It’s interesting to read how Llyr still affects him after all that time.

I wonder if he knows that Llyr is a Mortalborn of Chamadarst, just like Natalia?

The relationship between Natalia and Grayson was interesting to read about. He’s training her in stealth and intelligence, and I really like how you’ve decided to handle that training.

And what more, I found the scene where Apollo peeked out of her bag amusing.

He’s cute!

I didn’t know what to expect when I read the thread title and the beginning of the thread. I couldn’t help but wonder if it would deal with matters of a darker nature. Woe hiring thugs and watching how Natalia and her cousin would deal with this situation was not what I had in mind. You took me totally by surprise – which is something that I love!

Natalia’s reaction was just as unexpected. I have to admit, I laughed when Natalia mentioned the vicious beast of Voldermon!

It kind of sounds like “Voldemort”!

Considering the fact that Natalia has 0 points in Acting, 0 points in Intimidation and just a few points in Deception, her crazy bluff would likely not have had much of an effect on its own, or even have made things worse. It seems a bit naïve to think that the thugs would fall for a story about a monster and such, even though they aren’t very bright. There is no actual skill overplay, because Woe intervened and controlled the thugs, and he did so appropriately, but this is still something worth thinking about.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the way that the two of you handled that situation!

From Natalia’s failed bluff, to Woe’s disguise, his stealth entendre and their conversation at the end of the thread – and Woe’s revelation of his real identity – this was very interesting.

Enjoy your rewards!

P.S.: Natalia, you requested 14 knowledges. You made 8 posts. That means you can request a maximum of 13 knowledges. For that reason, I only awarded you 2 Socialization knowledges. Let me know if you'd rather not get a different knowledge, please!