Spirits of the Earth

Flashback Threads => Flashback Threads => Everywhere Else => Topic started by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 18, 2016, 03:04:45 PM

Title: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 18, 2016, 03:04:45 PM
Hildegarde Von Musel sat in the corner of a seedy bar in Zantaric. Her frilly pink dress made her stick out like a sore thumb, but she didn't care. This was her territory, and everybody in the bar knew it. Her eyes brightened as her two lieutenants stepped into the establishment and sat next to her.

"Griselda! Forrest! It's so good to see you!" Hildegarde said with a smile. Griselda's face remained expressionless, but Forrest blushed as he mumbled something to the tune of "It's good to see you too." Good, blushing meant admiration. Hildegarde decided to cut right to the chase. "You know that mage with the big hat? He's been annoying me lately. He's so disrespectful, you wouldn't even believe what he said to me the other day."

The mage with the big hat hadn't actually said anything to her at all. He was an elf, and he had been in Zantaric since before it was overrun with criminals. He had given Hildegarde a disapproving look when he passed her in the street the other day, and Hildegarde felt that she should stop him there before he decided to voice any opinions he might have of her. She would not tolerate any dissent, no matter how small.

"Anyway, I think we should teach him a lesson in respect. He lives in that big mansion in the older part of town, we're going to break in tonight and rearrange some things. Griselda, I need you to mobilize our most intimidating men and have them be in position in 5 hours."  Griselda left without a word, and Hildegarde turned to Forrest. "Forrest, I need you to make sure our friend isn't in the house when we get there. He's a very powerful mage, and he may make things more difficult for us then they need to be.  This is so important, and you're the only one I can trust to pull it off."

This was a lie, Hildegarde was sure that Griselda would have been able to do this job with no trouble. She didn't want to pass up the chance to instill even more loyalty into Forrest however, so she continued. "Can I count on you?"  Forrest's eyes lit up and nodded hurriedly. "Yes- yes of course Miss Hildegarde!" He proceeded to rush out of the bar, accidentally knocking a table over in the process. Hildegarde laughed and signaled to the bartender to let it slide. This was going to be such a good day.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 19, 2016, 09:55:29 AM
On the far side of Hildegarde's territory, Kino Vanden sat at a table in a rather more upscale establishment. The chairs were padded with cushioned velvet, the air was filled with soft harp chords and the drinks were outrageously expensive. Lesser nobles and dilettantes of the arts quietly chattered in the distance.

The man across from Kino - who had simply identified himself as Cedrick - wore a filigreed tunic of deep crimson and swirled a glass of absinthe in his hand. Kino herself wore a lilac silk gown, her trademark "plague doctor" mask adorned with paint to make it look as if she had just returned from a masquerade ball.

"Your runner was in quite the hurry. What ever have you gotten for me, Mr. Cedrick?"

The information broker thrice clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. "You know that's not how this works, Mademoiselle Traya." Kino had, naturally, given the man a false name.

"Of course, of course. Wherever are my manners?" Kino set down her own drink and reached a gloved hand into a pocket carefully hidden in the frills of her dress. She daintily slid her hand across the table then withdrew it, leaving three large gold coins behind. Sliding her mask up above her mouth, Kino's full lips curled into a slight smile as she took a small sip from her fluted glass.

The man gracefully pocketed the money, unaware of the fast-acting, skin reactive opiates it was laced with. Coin loosened tongues in the shadowy underworld of secret-dealing, but a dash of jade lotus always helped. And if Cedrick became too intoxicated to recall what he had let slip, then that was just all the better.

"Generous as always, Mademoiselle. A little sparrow..." Cedrick trailed off, caught himself, blinked and then carried on. "A little "sparrow" has told me that a crew is moving in on the house we had previously discussed."

"And did this sparrow tell you when they plan to act?" Kino's normally harsh and raspy voice was silky smooth. The tonic she had gargled burned at her throat like a bitch, but her natural voice was far too distinctive. In this world of grey subtleties, anonymity was key.

Checking the sorcerous timepiece on the gilded wall, Cedrick said "Three hours and..." he paused, double-checking the ornate clock as his vision swam. "Three hours and seventeen minutes from now."

"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful, my dear man. I knew I could count on you." Kino leaned forward, planting an elbow on the table and resting her chin on her hand. The low-cut dress revealed more than a little cleavage from this angle. Kino never enjoyed the "sultry seductress" act, and she knew that she wasn't particularly good at it. She also knew that by now Cedrick would be far too tipsy to care.

"Now... could you help me with one last eensy weensy detail?" she asked. "Could you tell me whose crew it is?"

The man swallowed hard. Kino could practically see the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. "She'll... she'll kill me if she ever finds out. That's as much as I can give you. I'm sorry."

"It's quite fine, my dear man. I've no wish to see you harmed and sometimes these things simply can't be helped." Kino stood up to leave. "You look rather tired, Cedrick. Perhaps you ought to go home and take yourself a quick nap."

Head held high, Kino briskly walked away. Beneath her mask, she grinned. Jade lotus had yet to fail her - the man would never remember his careless choice of pronouns. There was only one "she" in all of Zantaric with the proverbial balls to target the magi's mansion. Kino would head back to her inn to change apparel and arm herself, and then she would set out to meet her.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 19, 2016, 08:20:28 PM
Hildegarde was sitting in a alley near the mansion. There was than an hour before the raid was to begin, and she was beginning to get impatient. She looked down at the magic-powered timepiece she wore on her wrist and sighed. There was still 46 minutes before the mage was guaranteed to be out of the house. The time-telling device had been gift from her brother, and every time she looked at it she was reminded of him. Hildegarde loathed being reliant on a gift from someone so pathetic, but the device was too useful to get rid of.

The voice of one of her followers snapped her out of her memories. "My lady, there is a masked man requesting an audience with you. Says he has something you need."  Hildegarde's normal smile shifted into a quizzical one. "Oh? And where might this man be?"

Her henchman smiled back at her. "Griselda has him in a chokehold."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 20, 2016, 12:17:16 PM
Kino's masked face was pressed sideways against a cold brick wall. The large amazonian woman had been holding her there for a good five minutes, one arm wrapped around Kino's neck and the other pinning both of her arms to her back. Kino let out a soft sigh of boredom.

When she had first approached the  group of rough-looking men mulling around a tavern owned by Hildegarde, one of them had given her some lip. Given his stance, mannerisms and lack of scars and callouses, he was clearly a new member of the syndicate and was trying to establish a degree of status by intimidating the outsider in the odd mask. Kino wasn't bothered by the man's taunting, but to kowtow before him would have ruined any street cred that she was hoping to establish. She had shrugged off the man's bluster, he had swung at her, and she had caught him by the wrist and twisted it until it snapped. This was how the game was played. The large amazon showing up and knocking her sideways was also part of the game. It was funny how social hierarchies worked.

Kino had allowed herself to be subdued, and the woman - clearly a figure of influence - had done Kino the courtesy of not disarming her in return. The chokehold was for show, for the sake of letting her know where she stood. Ms. Big-Arms was higher up on the ladder than her, and right now Kino was glad that she was a lone wanderer. Social hierarchies were so tiresome.

Kino heard approaching footsteps and muted whispers behind her. Then Big-Arms was manhandling her through a series of backalleys, followed by a trio of thuggish skinheads. She was then pushed to the ground in front of a blonde woman with kind eyes but a subtly cruel twist to her lips. The woman's fuchsia dress stood in stark contrast to everybody and everything around her, yet she wore it naturally and seemingly free of care.

Kino stood up, then straightened her back and shoulders with just the right amount of confidence and a carefully prescribed dose of dignity. Neither haughty nor overly subservient, she dusted off her longcoat and robes, then bowed low before the woman.

"Lady Hildegarde, I presume?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 20, 2016, 12:56:06 PM
Hildegarde beamed at the man Griselda had brought before her. "Yep! It's so good to know I'm becoming popular around here."  Behind her facade of friendliness Hildegarde studied the man with disdain. Who was he to interrupt her at such a important time? "That's a really neat costume you're wearing. You supposed to be a medicine guy?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 20, 2016, 02:32:36 PM
"It's how I make my living, Lady Hildegarde. I gather ingredients and make potions." Kino kept her rough voice calm and level. "Which is why I approached you. I believe that this evening presents a mutually beneficial transaction for us both."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 20, 2016, 03:02:21 PM
"Oh?" Hildegarde's smile became even more quizzical. "And what exactly do you have to offer?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 24, 2016, 02:25:04 AM
"I offer you the ward-key to the second runeward of the entrance to the estate of one Averax the Green," replied Kino. "A man we're both interested in this fine evening, milady."

She flourished her hand before reaching into her robes and producing an onyx pebble with a glowing rune emblazoned upon it. It wasn't the real ward-key, of course, but rather the container of a volatile nerve gas. Kino had hidden the real key elsewhere on herself. But it was always good to have insurance, especially when dealing with unknown criminals who may be tempted to give her the old "grab 'n stab" treatment.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 24, 2016, 01:24:47 PM
Hildegarde's smile remained stagnant while she pondered this. "If this man has any brains, then it's likely that the keystone is real. Nobody with any sense would approach me empty handed." After a moment, Hildegarde walked slowly towards the masked man. Her smile softened ever so slightly. "Well my friend, this organization is based on trust. I trust my people to not let me down, and they trust me to pay them. You, however, are an outsider. This will sound rude, but how do I know I can trust you?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 25, 2016, 10:46:01 AM
Tucking the decoy stone back into her robes, Kino responded.

"I understand. I won't insult your intelligence with unprovable declarations of how sincerely sincere I am, nor with just how much I really mean it. You have no reason to trust me."

She continued on, unfazed by the small mob of scowling faces leering at her from behind the fuchsia-clad woman.

"All I can say is that I paid good coin to a very exclusive source for the information of your whereabouts tonight. Your... business, has many competitors. Had I decided to take this information to the Night Reavers, I could have earned back the coin I paid and made a tidy profit to boot. Had I taken it to the Bloodied Shiv as well, I could have more than doubled that amount. Had I also taken it to Whisper... the Smiling Crows... Gorgutz's lot... well, suffice to say that I would be a very wealthy person by now and you would be finding yourself in quite the ambush."

Kino paused. If there was any fear in her, it damn well wasn't showing in her voice.

"The fact that you are looking at me and me alone - and not an army of highly-trained killers - is the proof of sincerity that I offer."


Kino bowed before Hildegarde once more.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 26, 2016, 04:52:17 AM
As the man bowed, Hildegarde wore a rare, genuine smile. "Of course he chose to bring it to me! I'm Hildegarde Von Musel." This man could certainly have his uses, she decided. Walking briskly to where he was standing, she grinned and outstretched her hand. "You have good taste, my friend. I'm sure we can come up with some kind of trade for that magic rock. What is it you need from me?" Almost as if it was an afterthought, she added "Oh! And I'll need your name."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 29, 2016, 01:47:28 PM
Taking Hildegarde's outstretched hand and shaking it firmly, the masked figured declared "Kino. Kino Vanden. A pleasure."

"And it's my understanding that you and your friends are out to cause some... mischief, as it were, up on yon manor," continued the masked figure as she withdrew her hand.

"I'd like to tag along. I'll take care of the second ward for you, and all I'd ask in return is first claim to a particular alchemic reagent which that Averax fellow refused to sell me." As an afterthought, Kino added "The old codger was really rather rude, you know."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 29, 2016, 08:01:28 PM
"Oh, I know" Hildegarde groaned. "He's just the worst."  Hildegarde was rather pleased with this recent turn of events. Not only would she make Averax suffer for his insolence, it was also looking like she could get a new recruit out of this. "So Kino, what do you say we get started?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 minutes later, the sounds of shattering glass and wood being smashed could be heard from outside the mansion. Forrest had done his job perfectly, and Averax was likely out drinking somewhere. Hopefully Forrest remembered to slip him the drugs like Hildegarde had intended, it would be inconvenient if he showed up now. When the smashing sounds had ceased, Hildegarde walked up to the front door of the mansion- now busted off it's hinges- and held it open for Kino. "After you!"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on December 02, 2016, 12:59:53 PM
"Thank you." Kino nodded her head in politeness.

Striding forward, the wandering alchemist reached a hand into her robes and withdrew the real wardstone. With each step she took down the ornate green hallway, the stone grew hotter and hotter in her hand. By the time she neared the far doorway, it had singed a hole in the palm of her glove.

"Ashkul thun" - the words left her lips as she tossed the wardstone towards the door. The stone vanished without so much as a flash or a bang. Kino was almost disappointed. However, the fact that she - and the rest of Hildegarde's hired muscle standing behind her in the hall - were still breathing was testament to the fact that the magical ward had been dispelled.

Not knowing what lay behind the door and not wanting to take her chances, she backed away and let a scarred brute with a mohawk take point.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on December 02, 2016, 08:14:10 PM
As Kino muttered some words under his breath, Hildegarde picked out one of her newer recruits, a burly man who liked to call himself "Dirge", and motioned for him to step forward. Smiling sweetly at him, she gestured for him to take the lead. Dirge walked through the now unprotected door with a smug expression on his face, and promptly evaporated into a red mist two steps in. Still smiling, Hildegarde turned to Kino. "Any ideas on how to deal with this? I don't suppose you have another rock."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on December 03, 2016, 04:59:39 AM
"I'm afraid that I'm out of them, Lady Hildegarde," replied Kino. "However..."

She carefully stepped towards the doorway then stopped several feet short of where the unfortunate Dirge had met his end. Her hand slipped into her robes and withdrew a large pouch of powdered banyan bark. Kino reached into it and scattered the contents towards the large living room beyond.

Banyan bark was inherently non-magical, but had the peculiar property of reacting to charms, wards and seals without actually activating them. As the cloud of tan powder drifted towards the floor, it fizzled and sparked where it met the enchanted trap. A sickly green, horizontal bar of light was illuminated, running across the doorway at waist height. There was ample room to simply crawl beneath it. Behind her mask, Kino smirked.

"This isn't exactly the first time I've trespassed on a mage's property."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on December 03, 2016, 08:48:48 PM
"Well than, I suppose you should lead the way than!" Hildegarde proclaimed happily. "Let's see what this guy can actually do" she thought. "If he he gets us through this shitty basement, than he'll have a place at my side. If not, well, I don't actually need Averax's garbage anyway.

Hildegarde motioned for all but Griselda and Kino to stay behind. She then walked up to the magic tripwire and, while taking care so as not to actually touch it, mimed holding it up for them to crawl under. "Nnnnngggg! This is really heavy, you guys better hurry before I drop it!"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on December 07, 2016, 02:45:38 AM
The small gang of thugs broke in to raucous laughter at Hildegarde's jest. Acutely aware of the dangerous political game she was playing, Kino forced a raspy chuckle out of her own throat before kneeling down to crawl under the magical trap.

She pulled herself up on the other side, and scanned the living room as she scattered several more handfuls of banyan in search of further traps. A choir of emerald flames flickered from a gilded chandelier, casting the room in a green light.The chamber somehow felt much larger than it actually appeared, and the relative silence seemed almost oppressive. Fern-hued carpets, pine-colored couches and ivy-shaded wallpaper gave Kino the feeling that she had just stepped into a great forest.

Finally satisfied that a misplaced step wouldn't vaporize her, she turned around to see Hildegarde dusting off her dress and the amazon who had detained her looking warily around.

Nodding her head towards the far door, Kino intoned, "shall we?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on December 07, 2016, 05:38:41 AM
Hildegarde crawled under the magic tripwire after Kino and observed the room they had entered. The entire room seemed to glow green, which annoyed her. "Ew. This guy really needs an interior decorator." There was a box on the mantle that looked like it may contain valubles, she made a mental note to take it on the way out.

Seeing Kino point out the door on the far side of the room, Hildegarde stepped forward and attempted to open it. It was, of course, locked, but this did not deter her. "Hey Griselda, give me a match." After Griselda handed one to her, Hildegarde turned a tiny bit of oxygen in the keyhole into hydrogen and inserted the lit match as if it was a key. Using helium to lift the shrapnel away from her and her companions, Hildegarde opened the door to see three large brick golems charge into the room...
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on January 31, 2017, 04:04:38 PM
Hildegarde worked her magicks on the lock, and Kino clenched her eyes shut as the explosion lit up the area. She opened them after the "Bang" reverberated throughout the green room, making the emerald flames in the chandelier overhead flicker and Kino's teeth rattle in place.

She opened her eyes to see a reddish clay figure - heavyset and easily three meters tall - barreling towards her. Its featureless face remained eerily placid as it swung at her. Kino shifted her weight to her back leg and pivoted her torso to avoid the automaton's punch, then kicked off with her rear leg and sprung backwards to avoid the follow-up swing.

The golem threw punch after punch with relentless tenacity, never letting up or tiring. Each jab and swing was launched with the exact same force as the last. Its blows were sloppy and easy to predict, but Kino was all too aware that a single solid hit would end her. She weaved, ducked, and sprung backwards, unable to effectively block or deflect such powerful strikes. And slowly but surely, the faceless construct was pushing her towards a wall. She couldn't dodge for much longer.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on January 31, 2017, 06:28:36 PM
Initially startled, Hildegarde quickly regained her composure. Two more golems lumbered into the room after first one had attacked the masked man, who seemed to be having a hard time facing such a durable foe. "Oh... I guess Kino doesn't live up to how he looks. But no worries- I got this, easy" she thought with a smirk. "Another match please, Griselda." Her lieutenant complied, and Hildegarde raised her hands as if to frame what was directly in front of her- an old trick she used to help her visualize things. The second golem was moving towards her, but the third golem was heading towards the center of the room, no doubt to aid it's companion in crushing Kino. "Yep, that works..." she muttered as she lit the match and used helium to move it towards the third golem. As the lit match reached it's target, Hildegarde added small pockets of methane to the air around it. The resulting explosion caused chunks of brick to fly in every direction, damaging the other two golems. Hildegarde let out a shrill laugh, and motioned towards towards the golem that had been approaching her. Griselda moved to intercept, and Hildegarde leaned up againt the wall of the room. Her eyes settled on Kino. "Lets see if you can beat it now."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on February 01, 2017, 07:23:05 PM
Three... two... one... left-hook! Three... two... one... jab... Three... two... one...

By now Kino had gotten a good feel for the steady, rhythmic pace of the golem's blows. The automaton's initial bull-rush had been a surprise, but the surprises had ended there. Predicting the clay figure's movements was child's play, and though she was relentlessly being backed into a corner, she still had more than ample time remaining. Every blow forced her closer to the wall, but every moment brought the surprise in her hand closer to body temperature...
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on February 05, 2017, 12:26:08 PM
The large everglass flask, spherical with a long neck and sluicing with amber liquid, started to heat up in her palm.

In the time-lapse between the creature's blows, the apothecary swung her right foot up onto an ivy-colored sofa and anchored it there firmly. The golem threw a jab. Kino kicked off with her left and brought herself up onto the couch, balancing precariously and avoiding the blow. The flask started to burn her skin. Another giant red fist flew towards her head. She let her momentum carry her up and over the back of the sofa, flicking her wrist and leaving the flask spinning in midair as she fell.

Where Kino's head had been a moment before, there was now a rapidly rotating glass flagon. The bulky fist made contact. The flask exploded into ten-thousand amber droplets and shards of glass. The golem's body sizzled and hissed. Shielded from the blast by the high-backed sofa, Kino landed on all fours.

Unfazed, the golem moved to sweep the sofa aside with its foot. The pale-green furniture piece skidded across the floor. Kino brought herself up and leaped back, putting some distance between herself and her attacker.

The construct carried on, oblivious to the way its "skin" was sloughing and dribbling down its sides like candlewax. It failed to notice that a fair portion of its melting leg was carried away with the sofa it had kicked. It mindlessly carried on.

Unwilling to get within punching range just yet, Kino swept up a chair that had been overturned by Hildegarde's blast. Gripping it by its legs, she thrust it forward like a spear. The chair's oaken back embedded itself into the oncoming golem's massive chest with a Squshhhkk. The construct halted. Kino yanked the chair sideways with all her might. It came free, messily bisecting the creature. The golem's upper and lower halves toppled to the floor. Kino tossed the chair away and looked at Hildegarde.

Behind her mask, she cocked an eyebrow.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on February 05, 2017, 03:17:40 PM
Laughing, Hildegarde clapped her hands enthusiastically. "I haven't had that much fun it weeks! It feels good to cut loose."  "Oh, bravo Kino! I knew you could do it. Griselda, are you finished yet?" Griselda nodded, and put a fist through the head of the golem she was fighting. "Of course you are!" Walking up to the mantle, Hildegarde took the box she had spotted before. It was vermeil, and it had a large piece of labradorite bezel set into the top. A delicate looking lock held the box closed- no doubt with additional enchantments protecting it as well. Hildegarde didn't actually care what was inside the box, not when by itself the box would fetch a fairly high price.

Still holding the box in her hands, she held the now unlocked door open with her foot. "After you, my friends! I'm suffering from a disease called "excitement", and pressing on is the only cure!" She laughed at her own joke. "I am so clever! How do I manage to keep surprising myself like this?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on August 08, 2017, 06:42:04 PM
The apothecary nodded her beak in silent assent to the fuchsia-clad kingpin's joke, then made her way to the door. Kicking it aside, she chewed her lower lip and regarded the hallway ahead.

"This sumbitch really loves green..."

A viridian shag carpet rolled out in front of her, lush and full as if woven from blue-green moss. The walls were adorned with tapestries of a similar make, intermittently spaced and parted where candle sconces jutted out from the walls to illuminate the passageway with teal flames. The hallway stretched into the distance. As an earthy musk wafted through her mask, Kino mulled over how the passage resembled a lush-with-lichen hollow that might be found beneath a giant oak.

The hairs on the back of the alchemist's neck tingled, and she reached to scatter more banyan. Withdrawing a large pinch of the bark from her pouch, she intoned, "Lady Hildegarde, might you be able to blow this ahead of us? You appear proficient with air magicks..."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on August 09, 2017, 04:54:37 PM
Following the masked man into the hallway, Hildegarde's eyes were assaulted by the color green. Green lights, green walls, green floors- it all made Hildegarde want to gag. "Good lord, this place is borderline offensive. And a shag carpet too? We're doing Averax a favor by vandalizing his house- gives him a reason to redecorate."

"Lady Hildegarde, might you be able to blow this ahead of us? You appear proficient with air magicks..."

Hildegarde smirked. She knew full well that her biggest strength as a fighter wasn't her power- it was the inability of other people to identify what that power was. "He takes me for an elemental, huh? That's what, the third time this week?" Still, she smiled at the man and held out her palm for the man to place the magic dust. "But of course! It's the least I can do!" Once she had it in her hand, Hildegarde used helium to lift the dust into the air...

Or at least, she tried. It turned out that lifting multiple miniscule particles all at once was much more challenging then she thought it'd be, and Hildegarde was visibly struggling to do it. "Come on, work damnit!" She muttered under her breath. Finally she managed to lift the entire clump...

Which promptly fell into the shag carpet.

The color drained from Hildegarde's face. Her eye twitched. "Shit." Her mind raced with possible excuses she could use instead of having to admit to her inexperience.

Griselda audibly exhaled behind her. Unfolding her wings, she began to flap them with enough force to free the banyan bark (and hundreds of years worth of dirt) from the carpet. Flying through the hallway, the bark illuminated five more tripwires.

Walking up to Hildegarde, Griselda gave the girl an sympathetic look. Hildegarde met her eyes briefly, than looked away. "Or that. That works too." She shot Kino a death glare. "If you tell anybody about this... Well, just don't. That mask won't save you." With that, she'd continue down the hallway, face red.

"Sweet Ansgar, that was embarrassing. I gotta remind myself to kill him when this is over."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on August 14, 2017, 08:29:54 AM
As Hildegarde's face grew red, Kino sunk her teeth into her tongue to prevent herself from guffawing. To laugh now would be to invite death later, and the alchemist managed to avoid that. Albeit barely.

But seriously, what kind of professional gangboss and seasoned mage gets so flustered over what's obviously the product of a concealed anti-magic glyph? If Hildegarde's behavior was a part of an act, it was certainly working. The pink-clad kingpin's charm was more than apparent.

"Well, at least now we know there's some kind of spell-null ward hidden around here. Pro'lly bellow this hideous carpet, eh?"

She theatrically kicked the fuzzy green floorpiece with mock disdain, then began picking her way around the neon tripwires towards the brass door on the far end of the hall.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on August 17, 2017, 05:18:19 AM
Gingerly stepping over a tripwire, Hildegarde ignored the masked man. "I can't believed I fucked up in front of him." she thought angrily. "At least he's stupid enough to think it was an antimagic rune- as if a mage would put one of those in his house."

Reaching the end of the hallway, Hildegarde notice the door was slightly ajar already. Carefully opening it the rest of the way, she stepped into the next room- if you could even call it a "room" to begin with.

Much like the previous two room, it was overwhelmingly green- but that's because Hildegarde had somehow stepped into a pine forest. "What the fuck..." she muttered under her breath as she looked around. There was no ceiling, no walls in sight besides the one behind her. The air smelled fresh, as opposed to the stale atmosphere in the other rooms. Still, something felt... off.

"That settles it, I'm killing Averax before he tries to decorate the rest of the city. No more green, ever"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on August 23, 2017, 04:58:54 AM
It wasn't by any flaw that the illusion was betrayed, but rather by the perfection of the guise. The colors of the moss and lichen encrusting the old tree trunks were too vivid, the smell of fern and peat too crisp. It was as if the trio's surroundings were ripped straight out of a story book. No real forest was this... forest-ish.

"Pretty cheap illusion, eh?"

Kino slapped the side of a nearby tree trunk. It felt strangely hollow.

"Not a real tree."

She kicked a clump of loamy peat. It didn't squelch or squish.

"Not real dirt."

Noticing that Griselda was ignoring her - ignoring her more than usual, that was - Kino followed the Amazon's gaze. The figures advancing towards them were vaguely female. Their lithe forms were wrought from bark and wreathed in vine, and pale light shone from their eyes. There was murder in those eyes.

"Reckon those are real dryads?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on September 04, 2017, 09:22:35 AM
Hildegarde watched Kino demonstrate his knowledge of illusions by acting like a show off. "Asshole." she thought bitterly. "We can all tell it's not real, no need to make a production out of it."

Suddenly, Hildegarde saw three figures approach them. They seemed to be made out of plant matter, and all of of them were covered in a greenish moss. Hildegarde rolled her eyes, and mentally prepared for a fight. "Of course they're green. Of course they are. Averax is fucked next time I see him."

The three dryads abruptly stopped in front of them. They opened their mouths, and spoke in unison.

"The slim, sharp blade that cuts the wind. What is it?"

Griselda stroked her chin thoughtfully, but Hildegarde threw back her head and groaned. "Really? Riddles? Averax couldn't come up with something more original?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on September 10, 2017, 05:14:54 PM
"Hmm..." pondered Kino. "Whatcha reckon it is? A razorhawk's feather? Blade of grass? My cousin Dirk after eating a spicy Essyrian bean dish?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on September 17, 2017, 06:34:01 AM
Hildegarde stared at Kino, a blank expression on her face. "Are you serious? she thought angrily. "This is not the time or place!" Before she could say anything, the dryads spoke once more.

"Correct."

Griselda had picked a blade of grass off of the ground and and held it up for them to see. Hildegarde beamed. "Well! That takes care of that!" She clapped her lieutenant on the shoulder. "Nice one Griselda, that's gotta be a-"

"Now, the next riddle..."

Hildegarde's eye twitched. "Oh, come on..."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 12, 2017, 02:30:30 PM
The dryad on the left spoke next:

"I am Willow. For four-hundred years have I watched the seasons turn."

The right-most sprite spoke next:

"I am Maple. Now listen closely."

The three spoke in unison:

"Willow is as old as Maple will be when Willow is twice as old as Maple was when Willow's age was half the sum of their present ages."

Maple giggled, then chimed:

"How old am I?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 13, 2017, 07:11:49 AM
Hildegarde paled slightly- math had never been her best subject. "Damnit! Why couldn't you have asked a chemistry riddle? I'd be able to solve that no sweat!" The pink-clad woman looked at Griselda hopefully, only to see that her friend looked just as confused as she was. Hildegarde's expression softened. "I forgot- you don't really know math at all, do you?" Hildegarde looked back at the dryads. "Ugh, this is a waste of my time! Who the fuck puts riddles in their dungeon?"

The girl's eyes widened. "A waste of my time..."

Hildegarde smiled, and walked right past the dryads. As she did so, she reached out her arm as if to touch one of them. As she expected, her hand passed right through. The young woman looked back at her companions. "Come on, let's get moving." she said with a smile. "We'll keep getting riddles as long as we keep answering them. The only way we win is by not playing at all."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 13, 2017, 11:29:22 PM
"How old am I?"

Before the dryad had finished her sentence, Kino's mind was already racing in three different directions at once.

She chewed her lower lip. She would solve this sum'bitch. "If Willow's age is X and Maple's is Y, then 2X equals Y plus..."

At the same time, her eyes darted across the illusory landscape.  It'd make sense 'fer the phantasmal forest to be a distraction from some other, physically solid threat. What looked out of place in this too-perfect-to-be-a-forest forest?

And if the dryads were actually real? Kino casually let her hand drift towards a bandolier of beakers strapped to her thigh. Third one down, Flenser's Flask of Fulminating Flames. "Ugly woodbitches would go up like tinder...."

Kino blinked as Hildegarde stepped forward and waved her hand through a dryad. As the egotistical gang leader merrily jaunted forwards through the woods with the she-hulk in tow, Kino's face flushed a bright, bright red in embarrassment over just how hard she'd been overthinking things. She hung her head down, glad that her face was hidden from her companions, and fell in line.

...........................................

About a hundred paces past the dryads, a massive old oak tree blocked the path forward. It had gnarled branches, lichen-encrusted bark and what was unmistakably a round brass handle protruding from its trunk.

"Y'dont' see a lotta trees with doorknobs, eh?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 16, 2017, 02:25:52 PM
Hildegarde paused. There was no hinge of any sort on the tree- just A doorknob. "No..." she said suspiciously. "You don't." 

She gingerly reached out her hand to grasp it, only to pull it back when the doorknob emitted a low growl. It began to jerk about, as if there was something on the other side trying to open it. Looking a bit bit closer, Hildegarde saw something that was, in all honesty, stupid.

The doorknob had teeth.

Hildegarde turned towards Kino and Griselda. "Okay, you know what? I need to start up a second business, one that installs traps in people's dungeons for them." She pointed at the doorknob. "Because when people do it themselves, they make rediculous shit like this."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 19, 2017, 05:30:46 PM
The doorknob flexed its jaws and began to gnash its brass teeth together in a series of sharp clack clack clacks. "And pray tell, miss Von Musel..." said Kino, procuring a small satchel from beneath her cloak and rummaging through it.

"...Just what sort of traps..."

She pulled out two vials of opaque fluid in her right hand, then began deftly spinning and twirling them both between her slim fingers. They bubbled and fizzed loudly.

"...Might you install?"

Holding one vial between her pinky and ring finger and another between her middle and index, she uncorked them both with a single swipe of her thumb. She poured the contents of one into the other. The clear liquids inside began to solidify into a syrupy purple. A flick of her wrist sent the viscous gel arcing towards the doorknob.

The brass knob strained against the tree it was anchored to, lunging forward and catching the lavender substance between its jaws. It paused for a moment, then tried to gnash its teeth again, only to find its jaws sealed firmly shut. Unable to open its mouth, the doorknob rocked violently back and forth, banging against the tree and grunting in impotent rage.

Kino cocked her head towards Hildegarde and playfully stated, "I'm a fan of quick-setting Cinmiralion adhesive traps, myself."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 21, 2017, 02:13:55 PM
Hildegarde watched as Kino methodically dismantled the trap with mild interest. "He takes everything way too seriously." she thought to herself. "He needs to lighten up, like, a lot."

"Toxic gas, obviously" Hildegarde said in answer to the man's question. "You can't see or smell it, and it won't show up with that bark stuff you use." She crossed her arms. "It's damn near flawless." she said, a hint of pride in her voice.

Kino had soon finished, and Hildegarde grasped the doorknob firmly. It writhed in her grasp, but it made no attempt to harm her. She twisted it and pulled...

And nothing happened. "Are you kidding me?" she said angrily. "Another decoy? What a-"

Griselda stepped forward, a bemused look on her face. She too twisted the doorknob, pushing instead of pulling. With a loud creak, the tree slid out of the way to reveal a trapdoor.

Hildegarde's cheeks flushed. "Oh. Yeah, I knew that."

"Damnit! I'm fucking up all over the place today!"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on November 26, 2017, 05:47:19 PM
"Toxic gas is...", Kino paused for a moment. "Nasty. Nasty stuff."

As Griselda knelt down to examine the trap door, the alchemist snuck a glance at Hildegarde. How could the woman take everything so easily in stride?  They were in the middle of an addled wizard's playpen, fer the gods' sake! The fact that Averax was quite clearly senile was no excuse to relax or drop 'yer guard. Yet there she was, examining her nails with seemingly nary a care in the world. Did she truly trust Tall-Dark-And-Not-So-Handsome with her life? What was Hildegarde von Musel's real deal?

"Say, what'd our green-thumbed friend do t'insult you?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on November 30, 2017, 11:56:29 AM
Averax, Griselda had decided, was an idiot. His traps feigned being complicated, but were easily figured out by anybody with critical thinking skills- something all three women had in spades. No, the best traps were the clever ones- Griselda's personal favorite was the doorway that teleported you back to the entrance, because that was clever.

As she knelt down to examine the trapdoor, Griselda heard Kino ask what Hildegarde's problem with Averax was. The large woman smirked- Hildegarde's answer was bound to be entertaining.

"He insulted my outfit." The girl said simply. "Told me I belonged in a whorehouse."

Griselda grinned. Hildegarde's room may well have been a whorehouse, seeing as the girl seemed to have a new boyfriend each week. No, Hildegarde's real reasons were fairly straightforward- she enjoyed doing bad things. No shame in that, of course- Griselda liked it too. 

The trapdoor opened with a click, and led to a dimly lit hallway. Griselda turned to Hildegarde, Kino, and Terrence- wait, he'd been with them the whole time? The Yorieqi woman blinked twice, and the boy seemed to fade into illusionary background. Shrugging, Griselda clapped her hands, the pointed to the trapdoor and gave a thumbs up.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on January 17, 2018, 11:15:42 PM
Unable to shake the feeling of eyes staring at the back of her head, Kino stepped forward and took point. This hallway was identical to the last, with a moss-green carpet and flickering emerald lamps.

A whorehouse? No, that wasn't quite right. Hildegarde's attire - while revealing enough - was quite unlike that of any streetwalker that Kino had ever see. It was more akin to something that belonged in a bored and decadent noble's costume ball. Yeah, that was it. One of those Connlaothian affairs where the ladies would all try to outdo each other with the most garish gowns and decadent dresses possible, like frumpy pink peacocks.

Kino guffawed at the image - Hildegarde Von Musel's head on a pink peacock's body, bobbing her head back and forth as she waddle-strutted around a ballroom. Classic.

"Pffft. Ahem. That's nonsense. I quite like your outfit. It's... distinguished. If the old fart can't see that, then his lack of fashion sense is but one more reason he deserves what's coming." She hoped she sounded sincere.

A few paces in, Kino paused to scatter more banyan. She reckoned she had enough bark to get the party to the end of the hallway, then they'd be at the mercy of the addled thaumaturge's demented tricks and traps. She hoped that the damned fool's laboratory was close.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on February 20, 2018, 06:08:05 AM
Hildegarde jumped down the trapdoor, landing gracefully on her feet. She smiled, though it couldn't be called a happy expression. "Oh my god, I know. Like, get with it gramps." The woman let out an annoyed huff. "Old people really bug me sometimes..."

As Griselda jumped down the trapdoor behind them, the gang leader watched the man with mild interest. "So tell me," she said. "Where do you get that dusty stuff? Your supplier, I mean."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on April 03, 2018, 08:39:32 AM
"I'm my own supplier, if you will. Harvest 'an refine it m'self." She sprinkled a scant amount, then stepped forward.

"Far too many sketchy sumbitches out there these days, right?" Another tiny handful, another few steps. And another handful. "A lone operator like me can't afford to risk buying first-rate product from a third-rate supplier." The alchemist was about to step forwards when the banyan illuminated a series of glowing green runes engraved into a plank of floorboard. She held up her hand in warning.

"Then again, I s'ppose it'd be different for someone in your position." Kino bent down, and suddenly a dagger was in her hand where a moment before it had been empty. "You must have all sorts of trusted suppliers and dealers and lab techies, eh?" She worked the blade into the crack between hardwood planks, and began to pry the runed plank loose.

As she worked, she wondered. Just exactly what sort of setup did the charming, quirky and dangerous crimelord have? What would it be like to work for her? And would it be worth it for Kino to risk ending up like poor Dirge, carelessly sent off to her death without so much as an eyelash batted by her boss? She chewed her lower lip in thought.

Perhaps things would be different if Kino was a proven, valuable asset and not just another muscled body to send into the meatgrinder. Perhaps.

The floorboard popped loose, and the alchemist carefully lifted it aside.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on April 15, 2018, 08:17:52 AM
Hildegarde watched the man work, gently swaying side to side as if she was dancing to music only she could hear. "Nah!" she said cheerily. "My narcotics person grows all our stuff herself, same as you!" The gang leader bounced on her heels. "It's much more efficient, really cuts down on the- what the fuck?!"

Averax stared up at the intruders from beneath the floorboard, sneering. "You really think I didn't know?" he growled as he seemed to grow out of the floor like an oversized plant. "I bound my soul to this house decades ago- I can feel it as if it were my own body."

The elf wore green robes, a green hat, green everything- even his skin looked green. The point of his wizard hat ended in what looked like a large yellow flower. Hildegarde took a step back, eyes wide. "Holy shit, that is tacky..." 

"You're in no place to be giving fashion advice, Pinky." the sorceror snarled angrily. "Though that gaudy dress would make a nice trophy..." The rest of the flooboards began to sprout branches that would attempt to ensnare the burglers...
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on August 28, 2018, 02:02:53 PM
"Fashion..."

Kino kicked her foot loose from an ensnaring branch.

"Can..."

She severed a lashing vine with a two-handed knife thrust.

"Wait!"

She shifted her center of mass, sidestepping a surging mass of foliage.

Careful footwork and well-placed bladestrokes kept the alchemist half a step ahead of the writhing plantlife, but just barely. She looked over to see how her companions were fairing, when Kino caught sight of Averax's yellow flower.

The sunflower in the elf's hand had begun to spin and swirl, letting loose a volley of ochre petals that sliced through the air towards the intruders. Averax cackled with glee.
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on August 31, 2018, 08:51:46 AM
Hildegarde lept out of the way of the branches as they sprouted, helium lifting her well above their grasp. "Shit." she thought, eye twitching. "He has us trapped."

Looking down, she saw Kino trying his best to keep out of reach, barely succeeding. Griselda hadn't fared as well, and the Yorieqi woman struggled to break free of the plants that had ensnared her. Averax cackled madly, sending a wave of flower petals at his opponents with a flick of his wand. More branches reached up to grab Hildegarde, one scraping her ankle as she rose higher to avoid them. "No!" the gang leader thought in a panic. "We can't loose like this! I'm stronger than him, I'm in control-"

And just like that, it was over. The branches stopped moving, their leaves beginning to wilt. The petals fell to the floor, a yellow splotch on the green carpet. Averax had gone limp, looking very much like a dead plant being propped up by garden stakes. He throat had been slit, and a sickly green liquid was running down his neck and staining his clothes. Landing gracefully, Hildegarde saw Terrence poke his head out from behind the wizard's body. "I snuck behind him while he was talking." he said, his voice sounding almost like static. "I hope that's alright..."
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Alize on March 06, 2019, 08:38:26 PM
"Woah. Holy shit. One of yours?"

Kino nodded her beak at the unimposing little man, then produced a rag, took a deep breath and unclasped her mask. A strand of lank hair clung to her forehead as she carefully wiped away all the sap, chlorophyll and sticky plant-mush that caked the faceplate. She refastened it and began to breathe again.

"Woah. What's with that look?"
Title: Re: A Simple Break-in for Minor Commercial Gain (Alize)
Post by: Eckhart_Von_Musel on March 14, 2019, 06:34:24 AM
Hildegarde took a deep breath, shoulders relaxing. She gave the boy a goofy smile. "Hero of the hour again, huh Terry?" she asked, stepping forward to ruffle the teenager's hair. "Way to go, kiddo!"

Terrence blushed, clearly flustered. He would go on to mumble something that Hildegarde would laugh at, but the rest of the room would only hear a faint buzzing sound. Assuming Kino didn't keep her eyes plastered on him, the boy would seemingly fade into the background.

Grinning triumphantly, Hildegarde turned to face the others- and then she paused. For the brefest of moments she could see Kino's face, and...

Well, it wasn't what she expected to say the least. "A girl? For how long?" she thought, mouth thinning in embarressment. "Sweet Ansgar, now I feel like an idiot..."

Shaking her head, she would attempt to regain her composure. "Well! That settles that!" she said happily. "Are we all okay? No major injuries?"

Griselda shook her head and gave a thumbs up, and Hildegarde looked at Kino expectantly...