Difference between revisions of "He Who Pulls the Strings"

Latest revision as of 17:41, 21 July 2013

Faruja Senra has posed:
After a successful interrogation, Will Sherman and the TDA finally have what they need to track down the master assassin behind the plot within the Church's cathedral. Investigation into the worn-down coin would find it to be a simple gil piece stamped from a local mint in Goug, unfortunately destroyed during it's shift from Ivalice to the World of Ruin. The gil itself is older than that, likely some memento from the assassin's youth.

Most importantly, it belongs to the man himself, and one particular werewolf's talents will no doubt come in handy tonight, within the TDA's headquarters.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will has an item, that he believes belongs to the leader of the Assassin group...and likely where the truth of the matter will lay.

So he contacts Hati at the TDA HQ, which is above Seventh Heaven.

The entry way is what you'd expect out of detective office, desks, papers, a organized mess. Will doesn't seem too worried about cleaning it up. Instead he flips the coin in his hand...waiting Hati's arrival.

Will looks calm, but he knows the gravity of the situation...he's just had a long time to learn how to look cool.

Hati has posed:
After what seemed like quite a long time, Hati had finally gotten word of some sort of progress. Getting away from Faruja hadn't been too much trouble, since the mouse pretty much lost himself for days at a time whenever he got near the infamous chalice. He probably wouldn't even notice her absense.

The wolf-girl arrives without drawing much attention to herself in the bar below, an oversized backpack slung over one shoulders as she takes the stairs up to the detective agency. Then again, for someone who had seen her primarily as a werewolf, the five-foot tall girl with blue hair looks nothing like the six-foot hulk of werewolf he'd seen before. If you didn't know for certain, or couldn't see fate-bonds, it would be tough to connect the two.

"Things are getting worse." She reports, walking past an empty desk, mismatched eyes seeming tired and somewhat worried. "He spent nearly three days worshiping that chalice before I managed to drag him away. I lost track of him after that, probably went off with the Templar." She's oblivious to his 'incredible hulk' imitation for the moment.

Slinging her bag down into an unoccupied chair, the wolf stays standing, arms folded, "Please tell me that your interrogations got us somewhere?" Due to being a bit too close to a Templar, it's understandable that the heretics wouldn't want to let her get too close to their operations, but at the same time... being kept in the dark is a bit frustrating.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will throws the coin at her.

The player will let Faruja describe it.

"Got it off the assassin, it was given to him by the leader of the group." Will says with a frown. "...Yeah, I figured...my ability to break fate won't work so easily..." Will sighs... "We might have to destroy that Chalice..." he thinks... "So...hopefully, you can get what we need, and then we'll have our evidence.." He frowns, "Or at least know where to look for the leader."

Hati has posed:
With a quick motion, Hati snatches the coin out of the air, her eyes drawn down to it as she looks at one side and then the other. Other than age, there isn't anything that sets it apart from others she's seen. Not that the wolf uses money that much, stolen goods work so much better for the most part.

"Hmm." After the initial inspection, the wolf sets the coin down on the edge of the desk, leaning over to unzip her backpack and start taking out a few things. "I can't say I know much about these demons, but I was taught to be cautious of posessed artifacts. Sometimes releasing what's inside can make things that much worse." A low growl rumbles in the back of her throat, the wolf-girl obviously feeling a bit uncertain about all of this.

"Then again, if things keep getting worse, there may not be much left to save." Her voice catches ever so slightly, but she pushes past it, unwilling to show too much in the way of vulnerability.

From the bag, the wolf pulls a tarnished bronze bowl with etched runes, not bothering to ask before setting it on the desk, possibly right on top of paperwork. The next is a bottle of clear oil, which once uncorked, smells faintly sweet to the nose, as if it has been infused with something like vanilla. "Normally, I don't scry more than the surface of an object, just enough for me to see and pass on what I see. More sets of eyes might be useful, though. The problem is, the deeper we go, the more chance there is of being noticed, and I'm the one who pays the price if there's backlash."

Normally, she wouldn't risk it for anyone, but... Faruja? Stupid feelings making do that whole self-sacrifice thing. Grr.

Will Sherman has posed:
"...No!" Will says, waving his hands, "Absolutely not. I'd kill you." he says, suddenly afraid. "Mortal magics and what I am can not mix...it's bad. VERY bad..." he frowns. "Explosions are the BEST thing that could happen...I mean, I can be effected by some mortal magics, but this is defintely something that might cause a problem...especially with my sight." he says, "My sight is...yeah. I am sure it's the only power I even have access to in my current form."

"I mean, pure power. Ugh...BUT...I can definetly do something else. As long as I don't touch your magic directly..I can provide something of a benifit to you. Luck if you will."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
So Ramza was running a little late. Mostly due to lecherous NPC shenanigans and the rescue thereof using smokebombs.

One day he was going to run out of smoke bombs because of that man...

Right now, however, he's climbing the stairs of the TDA building, one booted footstep at a time. And once he arrived up top, he gave the two present a grave look before removing his cowled white cloak and hanging it on a hook. "My apologies.. I found myself delayed. Is there anything I might do to assist in the ritual?"

His expression looks abstracted, as he silently continues to go over in his mind ideas, and calculating their chances of success. They weren't good odds, but he prefered not to relate that to anyone.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The gil coin is small, and faded; worn down over time. Sharp eyes can make out a figure on the front, possibly carrying a staff, while the back is engraved with the outline of a razor, crudely so. Otherwise, it is a simple gil coin. The remnants of a mint's mark can be seen in the corner. Should Ramza peer at the gil coin, he might be able to ponder out that the extremely faded front is most likely from Goug, prior to the integration into the world of ruins.

Hati has posed:
The sudden, negative response from Will has Hati's ears tucking back first, and her head tilting a moment later. Of course, she hadn't known much about his specific powers, or how they worked with others, so this comes as a surprise to her. Her tail tucks down, nodding once. "My apologies." The wolf hesitates for a moment, "I've never encountered magic like yours before, but I'll take your warning to heart. Maybe we can..."

And then Ramza arrives. Hati halts mid-pour to look back at the heretic leader. She hadn't heard from him directly since the day he had dragged her into an alleyway to tell her about demons. "I'm about to deep dive into the owner of this coin. Since Will can't touch my magic, perhaps you'd spare a bit of your blood to come with? A second set of eyes might see things that I can't. I'm not entirely certain what to look for when it comes to these demons of yours."

She glances to Will, as if seeing if this would be an okay compromise. "You can watch and listen, so long as you don't touch the bowl, I'd imagine that it should be safe enough?" It is left as a question, uncertain as she tips the last of the liquid into the bowl, letting it swirl down around it. Then, she takes off her jacket, slipping a small dagger out of her pocket, expression serious.

Will Sherman has posed:
"That'd be fine...though I dunno if I can see lines through the spell without interacting with it...and well, I'd blow the spell up anyway. Ask Isaac sometime about magic and me..oh boy." He shakes his head.

Will also waves to Ramza, "Sup?" He asks, and then looks at the bowl. "Yeah, I trust Ramza enough for him to help with this...well, it's because of him I'm even involved so..." he shrugs.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza had something of an aversion to spilling blood for magic, but that was more due to the superstitions of his homeland than anything else.

But after dealing with many horrors that came from the darkest recesses of the netherworld, he'd often come to accept the necessity of certain actions for a good cause. The means mattered just as much as the end to him, but so long as noone but himself was harmed, he was willing to accept participation in the ritual. Thus Hati's offer didn't phase him beyond a brief flicker of emotion on his expression, in which he studied her with some intensity. Then after a time, he stepped forward, drawing his Cinqueda from his sheath, and removing one of his gloves, and holds it over his palm. "How much blood will you require?"

He asks no other questions, delves no deeper into what the ritual might do to him. As he steps closer, he peers at the coin for a time, before his gaze returns to Hati, "Minted in Lionel, likely the Clockwork City of Goug before my world fell." He nods towards Will, "Does any sort of magic do that to you? I'll have to be.. careful, in the future with our healing arts if so."

Hati has posed:
The wolf's dark-rimmed eyes look towards Ramza for a long moment. It's easy to imagine those eyes on the face of a predator, but eventually she lets out a breath, pushing down her unease. "Surface sight requires little more than focus. The deeper you go, the more the sacrifice. Every gift comes with it's price." For the briefest of moments, the wolf ponders seeing just how much he would be willing to sacrifice if it came down to it. It's what she might have done in darker times...

"Not much. A few drops is enough." The whispers of the darkness within her subside, forced down by the fact of how important this task was. "Just do me a favor and don't /touch/ anything." She leaves the warning at that, then drags the dagger over her own palm. It's more than she would ask of Ramza, or anyone else for that matter, but it's what she's willing to give to the cause. Her hand is held over the water, letting blood mix with oil below.

The magic, itself, isn't dark in nature, which seems a bit odd all things considered. The darkness seems to be in Hati, though, hints of it trying to push a way into this sort of magic, like corrupting tendrils trying to twist everything to some other form. With a low growl, she clenches her hand into a fist, wrapping it quickly with a bit of gauze from her jacket pocket, then waits for Ramza's addition before reaching for the coin.

"Let's see where this rabbit hole goes..." Hati holds the coin in her uncut hand, eyes looking intently down at the swirling oil. It doesn't take long for images to start to form on the surface, cloudy at first and then slowly becoming clearer. Visible at a distance for Will, it's a stranger experience for Ramza and the wolf-girl, for as much as they may seem awake and aware in the real world, their consciousness is elsewhere, somewhere beyond where the coin's tracks have lead.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza doesn't ask any questions. He takes her at her word on it, and pricks his palm with the Cinqueda, balling it into a fist and squeezing out a few drops into the basin. "Don't worry. I know better than to touch anything in such visions..."

And then he falls into sullen silence, steeling himself for what is to come.

Faruja Senra has posed:
At first, as the images form upon water and the minds of the two delvers alike, they are mere flashes. The grand cathedrals, and well-kept gardens of Holy Mullonde fade into vision briefly, before shifting in the water to mountains. Those familiar with the area, would recognize the Sabil Mountain Range, just outside the holy city. In a deep corner of the mountains, well hidden from prying eyes, a rough-hewn trail cuts atop the peaks into a cave. A figure wearing a cloak walks into the cave, the yawning cavern lit with torches that reflect blue light from the massive, jutting crystals that adorn the cavern. Once inside, he slips off his cloak.

The man is none other than the assassin, Razor, who shot Faruja. Traversing the lit cavern, he takes several turns, before coming to a massive antechamber. Within, those blue crystals have been made into a small chapel. About a half-dozen individuals in blue robes sit in crystal pews before an altar. The small icon atop it is the Ajoran cross...only upside down. There is a single figure behind the altar, winding down a sermon, speaking words of blasphemy.

The blue-robed figure is the very man the assassin targeted, Father Barnabus.

Hati has posed:
The world within the vision is the same as one would expect if they were seeing it through their own eyes, except for a startling lack of secondary senses other than sight and hearing. The lack of smell is distinctly jarring, as well as the odd sensation of walking without feeling your feet. There's only the vaguest sensation of even having limbs, and each of the wanderers appear as only ghostly outlines of their former selves.

"I don't know this place..." The ghostly outline of Hati looks to Ramza, wondering if perhaps he might find them familiar. The moment there is motion, she tracks it, the world moving as if it were following her line of sight. Perhaps having done this enough times before, she's careful to move slow enough not to cause that jarring, motion-sickness inducing shift that happens when someone moves a first person perspective unexpectedly.

Prowling forward, she follows the path into the cave, taking care not to move too close to the walls or the crystals as they jut out here and there along the pathway. The sight of the assassin draws a low growl from her, ghostly hands clenching into fists. "If only I could wring his neck from here..." She murmurs under her breath, eyes narrowed.

The sight of the 'mass' doesn't strike her as particularly unusual, but that's largely because she thinks most religions are unusual. This doesn't look much different to her than what she'd seen that day in the Cathedral, complete with the presence of Barnabus. This is where having Ramza along might help fill in some gaps.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza Beoulve's expression is pinched as the images form upon the water. He squints as the ripples slowly turn into distant images of an Unholy version of mass, the assassin, and Father Barnabus. He does not appear to be particularly surprised. He does lean a little closer to get a better view, but he doesn't touch anything. "Mullonde.. This is the true face of the upper echelons of the Church of Glabados, Lady Hati."

He closes his eyes briefly, rubbing at his temples, "And an ugly face it is...when all the veneers are brushed away.."

Faruja Senra has posed:
The sermon winds down, and Barnabus steps down from the crystalline altar. He smiles widely upon the assassin. The assassin looks up reverently upon the Father as he kneels, only for the preacher to shoo the younger man up.

"No need to bow to me, boy. Come here, Pontius." Now smiling, the two share a hug. Letting go after a moment, the younger man nods.

"It's good to see you too, Father. Everything went like you said. Even the rat...I was worried. When you told me to shoot you..."

Barnabus laughs. "Heh heh heh, please! I don't want you going down for patricide! Not that anyone would believe that. Well, give me a report."

Razor, or Pontius, shakes his head. "Lots of dead. And some captured. We should move from here. If we're found out..."

Barnabus slips a hand around his son's shoulders. "You worry too much. Your little dupes don't know a thing, 'Boss'. After all, they could not tell you apart from their own leader after I had him killed! Now, we have the city fired up, and /I/ have control of the Cathedral. More importantly, we have a vessal, and a damn fine one, despite his looks! The little vermin just has to bite it one more time, and /HE/ will be born again into this world!"

The assassin sighs. "What about the others?"

Barnabus shakes his head. "We'll have enough. Every healing we perform, we have another little sleeper. Just /ready/ to heed our call. Eventually, we can not only bring about the master, but have an entire army of zealots behind us! Then, we can do anything! Did you get the list?"

Pontius nods, grinning. "Yes, Father! All right here! One little sip will cure the effects of the healing to the lessers if you mix some ether with it. But, why would you want this?"

The Father sits at a pew, swiftly followed by his son. "I want to see if it'll actually work. Going to test it on one of the ones we have in the back. Evil eye and unicorn horn...who would have thought. Oh well. No one will ever know anyway. You watch over the flock here, lay low. There's a meeting in Mullonde, then I'm back to Fluorgis with the vermin. Poor bastard. One little sip of sacramental wine, and we'll have our vessel, and our master."

Hati has posed:
At first, Hati simply watches as an observer, her usual calm state when performing the ritual taking precidence over her personal involvement. Yet, the more that these two men speak, the harder it seems to become for her to hold her concentration.

They had planned this. They planned on doing far worse. They planned on /killing/ him to bring whatever dark master they worshipped into this plane. "I'll kill you all..." The words sound out of her lips, dark and uniquely sinister. In the real world, the hand that holds the coin begins to shake with rage, her entire body keyed-up for battle.

It also starts to carry into the vision in front of them, making the outer edges ripple as her focus begins to break. The vision won't last much longer at this rate, not if she doesn't calm down.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Watching the proceedings, Ramza had the feeling that he was an unwelcome participant. He actually let out a soft sigh at first. Being right was a cold comfort under these circumstances, it always was. He never took pleasure in the truth being revealed to anyone.

But what disturbed him was the disconnect between /He/ and the word /master/. He actually crept forward a step at that moment, as if to test whether he could hear better from that point. Which is when he heard Hati, felt the anger radiating off her, distorting the vision into lines and waves not unlike a heat mirage. He would turn his head, looking at her with an impassive look, which turns to sorrow, "I know it is difficult given what is at stake, but you must calm yourself, recenter... there's more to this than we know. They will discover their folly soon enough, and pay for it with blood, I promise."

Faruja Senra has posed:
The pair embrace once more, before Barnabus begins to walk away, deeper within. "I shall go test the mixture now. Pray. Pray to our Master, boy. One day, we need not cower beneath false churches and their fools."

Pontius walks to the altar, kneeling, silently praying. It stretches on for minutes, before the image starts to fade from the water, and the mind.

One may have the disconcerting feeling of being watched as it does so, by something fell and terrible.

Hati has posed:
In the real world, the wolf's breathing quickens as she struggles to hold on to those final moments of the vision. Anger management is not Hati's strong suit, although she has made some progress in learning to keep it under control. This... /THIS/ is enough to make her furious. As it starts to fade, Hati turns, growling under her breath, pulling herself and Ramza back to themselves in a jarringly quick surge.

With a gasp, the werewolf drops the coin, letting it clink off of the table. It's hard to tell if they had just gotten too close, or if they'd been noticed, but the oil turns from a pale red into something murky and dark. Her shoulders tremble, body tight as if every instinct were telling her to fight.

"Now what?!" Her eyes are intense as they look at Ramza. Time to come up with some answers, oh great leader, because there's one pissed off werewolf looking for someone to take her anger out on. "They want to /kill/ him and replace him with some monster... I'll tear them appart."

There is a darker tone to her voice then, a hint of purple fire radiating from her bleeding hand. "I'm tired of sitting here and waiting. We need to do something /now/." Maybe being kept at arm's length by the heretics has finally gotten to her, especially figuring that it's the life of someone she loves on the line.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
The young heretic takes a moment to consider the situation, before finally addressing Hati, "We have a head start. Faruja will likely be in a sick bay for another day at least. He encountered one of my company in Narshe and we were forced to subdue him lest the Lucavi take further control of his mind." A sharp exhalation of breath, he knows that she won't react favorably to that news, but it's better than keeping her in the dark under the circumstances, "Find out where he is and go to him, and prevent this man Razor, or Father Barnabus from reaching him. If need be, extract him out of there so they can't dupe a proxy."

Ramza Beoulve turns around, starting towards the door, but after a moment, pauses, "We go as soon as we reach Fluorgis and find Father Barnabus.. and the chalice. Even if I have to wrest it from him with my bare hands. I'll see Ser Senra freed..."

And while it is unspoken, the implication is.. ....even if it costs me everything.

Hati has posed:
The wolf's ears slick back along her skull, the white tips sticking out against her dark hair. "So that's where he's been..." Another low growl follows, but it's followed only by the slight scraping of her claws against the desk. As much as she might like to blame Ramza and his people for any harm that comes to Faruja, Hati knows well enough that he gets himself into trouble without any of their help.

The instructions have her looking wary, shaking her head. "I'll do what I can, but he's stubborn. Chances are, they won't let their puppet out of their sight, even if I was able to get him to leave. With his fascination with that damned chalice, that might be impossible, anyways." The wolf looks at the darkened oil then, clearly unnerved.

She pushes up to her feet, irritation radiating off of her like those waves of darkness that she quells quickly enough. "So you want me to try to get someone addicted to the chalice and obsessively driven to obey the church at all costs... to leave it and go somewhere else so I can babysit him while you take care of the man behind it all." Her expression is one of disbelief.

"I want to find Barnabus, and beat him so hard his head turns into /pudding/." She states, which sounds a lot more ferocious in reality than in text.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
He just watches her reaction with a neutral look, waiting for her anger to curl up in a ball inside of her, and be redirected elsewhere. And then he replaces the glove upon his hand, resheathing the Cinqueda used from earlier in the ritual.

He then continues to study her for a while before stating in a mild tone, "If they reach him then he might become a Lucavi. And if that occurs then there's no way to save him."

He looks down at his hands, "Most don't understand. I don't have any grand plans. No strategy that is going to guarantee victory for us. I'm not a miracle worker. Plans are typically useless, but the planning is still worthwhile.. in the end we'll be adapting as best as we can to the circumstances and hoping it all turns out for the best."

He continues to stare at his hands for a while before balling one of them into a fist, his tone one of resignation, "So do what you think is right. Come with us, go to him, or don't do either.. and I'll adapt however I can. Either way I'll be trying to shed the man's blood before the day ends, and hoping it's enough to prevent the stone from seizing permanent hold upon Faruja and I pray it will be enough..."

He rubs his opposite gloved hand against his eyes tiredly, "...because I don't know what else can be done. I suggested that you go to him because you might be able to adapt to the changing circumstances. You're resourceful enough, I imagine, but if not that, then come with us. And we'll see that the man can hurt noone else before the day is done."

Hati has posed:
While the flames of anger, fury, and darkness loom beneath the surface of the wolf's mismatched eyes, at the very least, it isn't Ramza that they are aimed at for the most part. It's that subtle difference between being angry /at/ someone and being angry /near/ them. Her breathing slows, careful and predatory as her hand closes on the bowl of dark oil. The wolf doesn't respond at first, and just pours it back into the container she'd brought it from. That would have to be disposed of later...

"I won't let that happen." She states with some measure of force behind her voice. "Understand something about me. You have friends, allies, companions, people who trust and care about you." Hati takes the bowl and begins to wipe it out with a towel from her bag, methodical and automatic in her movements. "I have three people. My brother, Katyna, and Faruja. Without them, I would be little more than a monster trying to drag the worlds into darkness."

When her eyes turn back towards him, "You know I might very well lose him even if we succeed, and that's hard enough right now. I know you don't trust me, but I need to /do something/." She lets out a breath, then turns to put the bowl back into her bag. "If that's what is needed, then fine." After a pause, her hand grips the bag, ignoring the pain it shoots up her arm. "I love him. More than you could know. But... I don't think he'll listen. I'll try to figure out something, though. If I can..."

Not being the one to be there to throttle Barnabus and his son feels... wrong somehow. Yet, maybe the fight would come to them anyways. The darkness sings of blood, revenge, the death of her enemies. The human side speaks of precious little time. "We can't fail..."

Will Sherman has posed:
Will watches...finally he pauses as the images fade and he sits back and thinks. The two converse...

He isn't talking, he is thinking...planning.

"Don't talk to Faruja directly." Will says, "It will only drive him away I think. I think we need action, and if we go confront the father directly...it will cause a confrontation."

Will says, with a small grin, "But...if we do so...I'll be able to do something. I can't shatter the bonds between the item and the father...but I could shatter them between the people effected...including Faruja." He pauses... "I'll need to bring all the power I can to do that...and I still may not succeed. It's dangerous."

Will stands up and shrugs, "I'm going to go, you guys know the way out..." And then... "Don't give up hope, Hati. That's what they want. They want you to lose your faith in Faruja."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
The young man's expression remains impassive for a time, as he listens. Then he allows himself time to digest all of that, before finally nodding, "Fair enough. I can understand that. When my sister vanished, I told myself, and still do tell myself that not even the fires of the Netherworld, or the deepest darkness in the foulest recesses of this world would keep me from her."

He stares intently in her direction, "....and I don't distrust you. I know that you love him, and that's enough for me to trust you."

He turns to Will after a time, frowning... "...Will..." And then after a moment he catches himself, then snorts, actually managing a small smile, "..Don't do anything I wouldn't do.."

And then he turns back to the rack, grasping his cloak, and putting it back on, "...Now let's go show an Archdemon our displeasure. I think I'll start with my fists, and work my way up from there..."

Hati has posed:
"Maybe, at the very least, I can convince him to swear off the sacrifical wine for a while." Of all the things she could ask of him, as strange as it is, maybe one stupid thing is enough to keep the enemy from carrying out at least one part of their plan. Then again, there were plenty of other ways they might find to end Faruja's life if it came down to it. "Other than that... I can play body guard well enough." It was about time that Faruja got a taste of his own medicine when it came to seeing people you love taking one for the 'team'.

With one look at Ramza she just nods her head. "Keep in touch with me and let me know if anything starts coming our way. I'll keep my line open." It might take time to track down Barnabus and the cup, so at least she could make sure there's someone to stand in the way between them and Faruja. Then, to Will, she offers the most faint of smiles. "If I didn't have hope, I wouldn't be here."

At the very least, it's nice to hear that she isn't the only one with thoughts of pummeling someone. "Alright, I've got a mouse to find." And some foul oil to get rid of. At least there's someplace to start.