<Dionysus> There's a knock at your door.

• Taka answers it.

<Dionysus> Roll will.

<Dionysus> The man standing outside your door is the most beautiful individual you've ever set eyes on.

• Taka blinks.

<Dionysus> He has pale pink skin, honey gold hair, & violet eyes you cna get lost in. He's slender, well dressed, & his smile could launch a thousand fleets.

<Dionysus> "I hate to nose in here, but I sensed... heartache."

• Taka cocks her head, a bit confused through her surprise. "Er..."

<Dionysus> He smiles, "I may have been mistaken. It was some time ago, in any case. I just... Well. Are you okay?"

<Taka> "I'm...fine..." pause. "could I ask your name?"

<Dionysus> He smiles, bows, "Magnus Jericho, Miss Citlali."

• Taka flicks an ear almost absently. "A pleasure...call me Taka, please, everyone does...how did you know my name?"

<Dionysus> He says, "I knew it as soon as I saw you. It's one of my talents."

<Taka> "I see." pause as she recalls ehr manners and steps aside. "Please, come in..."

<Dionysus> "Thank you." He steps in.

<Dionysus> "So... what happened?"

<Taka> "The man I loved...well...he travelled with us for a time...but when we were to face his former masters...he betrayed us...betrayed the one I serve...and he died, but I was given a great gift by the King of Beasts who revived him." she sighs. "but he...in the end, he...asked that I kill him."

<Dionysus> He nods, "And did you?"

<Taka> "I couldn't. but he couldn't travel with us, and he had made me promise to, if he ever had cause to ask me...so I left him the means for him to do it...and my horse, and that was the last I saw of him."

<Dionysus> He nods. "I am sorry." And when he says it, you know he means it. "Your tale is tragic. If there is anything I can do, you need but ask."

<Taka> "i thank you...there's nothing, really...but thank you."

<Dionysus> He nods, gravely. "Well, I am staying here for the nonce. Ask any servant & they can show you where I will be."

• Taka nods.

<Dionysus> He steps out.

<Dionysus> Do you do anything ta this point?

<Taka> Apart from see what everyone else is up to, nothing of note.

<Dionysus> As you start to look around, a servant in green livery approaches you.

• Taka stops and looks at him/her

<Dionysus> "Miss... Citlay-lee?"

<Taka> "close enough. Yes?"

<Dionysus> "Cheif Gray wants a word wioth you, ma'am."

<Taka> Is that a name I'd be familiar with?

<Taka> Is that a name I'd be familiar with?

<Dionysus> Probably not, really.

• Taka flicks an ear. "alright...who?"

<Dionysus> "Chieftain Gray. She is one of the Kali chieftains." Kali being the jungle peninsula in southern Maraddon where all the animal men around here live. You were once pretending to be from there.

<Taka> "Ah, yes. Where is she?"

<Dionysus> "Follow me, ma'am."

• Taka does.

<Dionysus> You're taken to a small suite on the other end of the palace. Men in tribal garb stand outside a door, but they let you in. Inside, a human-looking woman in a plae green tribal dress sits on a sofa waiting you. "Welcome, sister."

• Taka bows however is appropriate here. "you wished to speak with me?"

<Dionysus> "You are the Berellian?"

• Taka nods, wondering how the hell everyone in the country seems to know now...not that it really matters at this point. "I am."

<Dionysus> [Kimber told them]

<Dionysus> "Please, sit. I have wanted to speak with a true Berellian for a long time. Tell me about your home."

<Taka> [Yeah. I figured as much. It dawned on Taka a few seconds after she wondered that.]

• Taka blinks and does so. "Well..." she smiles faintly. "It's very pretty. Very alive..." and she launches into a description of the forests she grew up in.

<Dionysus> Miss Gray seems raptly interested. She asks a lot of questions about the Berellian government (in general terms)

• Taka answers as she can, also in general terms.

<Dionysus> It becomes clear she's... disappointed to learn that you don't all live in trees.

<Dionysus> Finally, she says, "Do you know the Archduchess Bellflowers?"

<Taka> "Aye, we've met."

<Dionysus> "How well do you kno wher?" She sounds slightly desperate.

<Taka> "I...not very, I'm afraid..." I would assume, anyway.

<Dionysus> No, not likely.

<Dionysus> She looks hurt. "So you'll not be able to talk her into supporting me."

• Taka lowers her ears apologetically. "I doubt it...I'm sorry..."

<Dionysus> She sighs. "We seek to make Maraddon a place that is attuned with nature, but we find no support."

<Taka> "It's a noble goal, but one often overlooked in favor of others."

<Dionysus> [Sorry.]

<Dionysus> "If you know anyone, anyone at all who might help us. Your friends Argent or Renkarr?"

<Taka> "i don't know if they could, and I can make no promises, but I can ask."

<Dionysus> "That would be a great help, my sister. If there's aught I can do for you..."

• Taka nods respectfully. "I'll let you know."

<Dionysus> She smiles. "Thank you."

<Dionysus> She stands & bows.

• Taka returns the gesture.

<Dionysus> That's the end of that meeting.

<Taka> I'll go in search of food, if I haven't had anything yet.

<Dionysus> In the palace or in the city?

<Taka> Hm...the city. she'd want some idea of th state of things outside the palace as well as inside. plus it might get her away from anymore meetings for a while.

<Dionysus> It stinks to high heaven out there.

<Dionysus> It's hot, crowded, dusty.

<Dionysus> There;s plenty of eateries around once you get past the rich quarter.

<Dionysus> The streets are tense, though.

<Dionysus> Everyone is waiting for the shoe to drop.

• Taka keeps her head down, though she does take note of anything interesting, and gets breakfast/lunch/whatever

<Dionysus> You see more than one street fight.

<Dionysus> Cats & dogs stop & watch you when you walk past. You can tell they're just waiting to see if you say anything to them

• Taka doesn't, and tries to avoid the fights if she can. there's trouble enough right now.

<Dionysus> You also smell a lot of rats in the streets.

<Taka> Any of them smell foreign?

<Dionysus> Yes, as a matter of fact, they do. And some smell... diseased.

<Taka> oh crap. the Plague-smell?

<Dionysus> Not the plague of wills, just normal animal diseases

<Taka> Ah. still worrying, but not near as much.

<Dionysus> When you finish eating, you notice there's a note laying on your table.

• Taka flicks an ear and scans it.

<Dionysus> "Lower eastside of Golden Park, one hour."

• Taka narrows her eyes. do I recognize the handwriting?

<Dionysus> It's block lettering

<Taka> hm. well...never find out if I don't go.

<Dionysus> It takes roughly an hour jut to get there. When you arrive, you see nothing, but smell a felinian nearby in the trees.

• Taka glances in their general direction.

<Dionysus> You see something glint in the midst of them.

• Taka narrows her eyes and moves for a closer look - cautiously.

<Dionysus> In feline, --You are the one?--

<Taka> --the one what?--

<Dionysus> --The marked one.--

<Taka> --...yes.--

<Dionysus> The felinian walks out to be seen more clearly. He is wearing a brown tunic & a green cap. --You smell... like something that cannot be.--

• Taka cocks her head. --Like what?--

<Dionysus> --A cait sith.---

• Taka pauses, then smiles faintly. --I was given the ability to become one at times.--

<Dionysus> He frowns. --Why a cait sith?--

<Taka> --It was what I chose.--

<Dionysus> He looks disturbed. --How odd. Whom do you serve?--

<Taka> --The Alpha Wolf.--

<Dionysus> He snorts. --A wolf? I suppose that is to be expected from a cat that looks like a fox. I serve Pale. He would speak with you.--

<Taka> --Very well. Who is Pale?--

<Dionysus> --Master of the Order of Whispers. Follow me. If you can.--

<Dionysus> He practically vanishes into a shadow, but you can smell him. You follow?

<Taka> I do.

<Dionysus> You are led to a house on the edge of the city.

<Dionysus> Of theinner city.

<Dionysus> And the felinian goes inside

<Dionysus> You follow?

<Taka> Yep

<Dionysus> You smell... rats, spiders, plague, perfume, & something else foul inside. You still go in?

<Taka> ...very, very cautiously.

<Taka> if nothing else, there might be something I should warn Albert about.

<Dionysus> When you enter, it is pitch dark, which is no problem for you, right?

<Taka> Nope. Aside from the cait sith vision, I have a good nose.

<Dionysus> Inside, you can make out the foul thing is a rhys-tythe--a truth-based being who can only speak in truth.

<Dionysus> It smells of spiderweb plague as well.

• Taka manages not to wrinkle her nose, but flicks an ear. She's not going to break the silence, Pale wanted to speak to her.

<Dionysus> A woman in a black cloak steps in the room. You can make out the webbing on her exposed skin on her arms & face. "Lead Scout." She bows.

• Taka nods, idly wondering how the woman knows her Title. "I was told Pale wished to speak to me."

<Dionysus> "She does. I have a warning for you."

<Taka> "Yes?"

<Dionysus> "Nora Noye is using dark arts to make Archduke Hyun fall in love with her. She intends to use them on your friends Renkarr & Argent."

• Taka doesn't react for a moment, then nods. "I thank you."

<Dionysus> [Sorry]

<Dionysus> "Any time." She smiles.

<Taka> [it's cool.]

<Dionysus> Then she vanishes without a trace.

• Taka doesn't flick an ear.

<Dionysus> Where to now?

<Taka> If that seems to conclude things, I head back to the palace.

<Taka> In fact, to find albert and Caspian to tell them.

---

<Dionysus> SO you reach the temple.

<Taka> First things first. I look round and get an idea of what the building's like.

<Dionysus> Brick church building. Eye carved on front doors.

<Taka> best way inside?

<Dionysus> Four entrances, one on each side. Belltower as well, if you wanna climb up & go in that way. Back entrance is probably best

• Taka can't shake the thought of what the High Priest of Truth would think if he knew what she was doing and sighs softly.

<Dionysus> Heh

<Dionysus> Roll rogue to sneak in?

<Taka> [*is amused that Taka is having a crisis of conscience...* right.

<Taka> Before I do, though: Can the doors be opened by a cat?

<Dionysus> When you vanish, you can go right through wood or stone.

<Taka> Spiffy.

<Taka> Then I shift to cait sith and sneak in.

<Dionysus> Roll rogue

<Dionysus> You enter unseen

<Dionysus> You're in the back halls. Nothing special here. If you go on, there's offices & there's the main cathedral & there's a door to the basement

<Taka> [Nathan's response to that roll: "holy shit."]

<Taka> Let's see what's in the basement.

<Dionysus> It's dark, but that's no hindrance

<Taka> I look for any sign of a library

<Dionysus> You find one, rather easily, actually.

<Dionysus> It's got n eerie red light coming from a swirling mandala in the ceiling

<Taka> I try to ignore it and look for anything that looks promising.

<Dionysus> Roll awareness.

<Dionysus> You find a book that talks about the Gift Belizo hasin detail.

<Dionysus> And certain books about the Cultists of the Mouth & their heresies.

<Dionysus> A book on the Fool of Chaos, too.

<Taka> Do I find anything that might help answer Paul's question in these books?

<Dionysus> The Cult of the Mouth i known for making chaos faith go unhinged.

<Dionysus> The Fool of Chaos is a biography of Belizo, very highly stylized.

<Taka> Hm. Anything of interest in there?

<Dionysus> He's a great talent, parents unknown, who sold his soul tot he Devil for the power to use the Gifted Liquor without danger... on three conditions.

<Taka> ...really. what conditions?

<Dionysus> 1. He never, ever stops using the Gift.

<Dionysus> 2. He never stand inside a holy place of a white faith (without having obliterated or desecrated it first).

<Dionysus> 3. He sire a child within the first 300 hundred years of his Giftedness that is carried to term.

<Taka> ...very interesting.

<Dionysus> He has 3 years to have a child, by the dates in this book.

<Taka> Right. anything else of note?

<Dionysus> Not that I can think of.

<Taka> Then, once I've found that info, I get the hell outta Dodge.

<Dionysus> Rogue

<Dionysus> You sneak out just fine

<Taka> Splendid. I then go find Paul.

---

<Dionysus> As you dine alone, there's a knock at your door

• Taka blinks. "Come in..."

<Dionysus> A man in goldne armor enters.

• Taka blinks and rises.

<Dionysus> He holds out a golden neclace. "A present from the Empire of Tara'hin."

• Taka takes it, ears lowering, mildly confused. "...I thank you...it's beautiful."

<Dionysus> He bows. "Thank you. "

• Taka looks unsure what to do now, so puts it on.

<Dionysus> He leaves. When you put it on, you feel warmer.

• Taka blinks down at it.

<Dionysus> Your fur turns golden colored, & you feel... stronger.

• Taka looks stunned and finds a mirror.

<Dionysus> You're golden in color now.

• Taka stares at her reflection for a moment, awed.

<Dionysus> If you take it off, you go back to normal.

<Dionysus> +3 STR, +3 WIL with it on

• Taka does try that once, then leaves the necklace on. niiice.