Part I: Spy Games (Karlene Blackcloud intro)

[spike]

'In his tower in Harby'

[Chris1234]

"Thanks, Erodan. I thought it might have been under the range, here, maybe 10 miles south of Harby. I'll try to catch up with you tonight as we discussed before. Don't get yourself compromised. Stay safe," replies Karlane quietly, so as not to be overheard by anyone through the portal. She and Idrys walk the rest of the way, only a couple of minutes, back to the portal and thence to the safehouse.
She then silently changes the portal password.

Within line of sight of the portal, but some good distance away, Karlane talks very quietly to Drusilla, “The courier's name is Voraina Hule. She will have an illusory decoy of herself, and she's a skilled spy adept at subterfuge and espionage. I don’t know what guards, if any, she may have. Perhaps some ogres. Your plan to swap the letters in secret from the messenger's belongings is really very, very good. But it might be possible to get her to have Karnak eliminated. He trusts her completely. Although she works for his coin, she actually hates his as he has her family held hostage. Our inducement would be to rescue them. I’m uncertain if we can do it this day, so can you find out when she will next pass this way bringing letters to Karnac?

“There are also a few other things I should like you to try to undertake, please. You’ll recall that Babette, one of the prisoners in the assassins’ base told of ‘a very valuable woman’ as one of the prisoners. I could not be certain if that was you or the cousin of the real, this world’s Lord Altradeaus. If the latter, it seems that she was sold for 200 gps to a brothel around here. I have a token.. ” She fishes out the wooden coin (with a symbol of a bat winged succubus) from Lady Bianca, adding, “It’s apparently good for aid from the madam of the Succulent Succubus in Lor. I know not if it has sway around here. But if you can put out feelers for the whereabouts of this cousin?

“Finally, we will need some muscle to guard this place, not go into the basement. Minders of the property effectively, to keep the likes of those kids away, the ones that smashed the window. And look after the dogs too. Have a think about whether we need shutters. And thence oil lamps and oil. Let me know costs and I’ll find a way to settle

“I know I’m asking a lot. Just do the best you can. You can use this password to get between here and the assassins’ base. ” She writes it down and shows it to Drusilla and then eats the paper.

When Drusilla has finished responding, Karlane heads back to the group.

[spike]

Drusilla: "Leave the courier to me, my lady. I will do two things, first of which I will insert your letter into her belongings, and second I will convince her that she ought to plan Karnak's deserved end. I will have to promise her that her family shall be rescued' she said, then paused, 'worry not my dear, a little coin and we can have the dirty blades mercenaries guarding the perimeter, and they are the best money can buy. I vouch for them and assure you they are better fighters than even the black guard, without doubt!' she laughed, then said 'my dear you have freed me from a bit of a pickle, so have ye a bit o faith in old Drusilla. I'm far more capable than you might be guessin!' then she paused and said 'as for Lord Altradeaus's niece, Amberlynn she is in the custody of slavers she can be anywhere, and that would take some time before we could gain a sliver of useful, actionable information. I will keep my network of informants at the ready, but do not expect expediency mi'lady. Your best bet is to send your brother to retrieve her, if retrieval is your true intent. Fret not, my child. The fighter Garosh is more than IDrys's prowess, and he fancies you I sense'

[Chris1234]

"You are full of surprises, Drusilla. A pleasant surprise. Few are," she patted the spy's arm with a smile, warming to her. "I'm not too good at picking up suach things as Garosh's interest. I've always been too busy. When are you suggesting Idrys should go and retrieve Amberlynn ? We not not where to send him yet, but perhaps I misunderstand you."

Karlane paused, and there is more more thing, at some point today, after finishing what we may elsewhere, I must be on the NW road from Harby and, at a minimum, need you, Idrys and Whisper with me."

[spike]

Drusilla: "Dispatch him immediately, he can go ahead of the messenger, with his skills as an assassin it should not be much challenge infiltrating Karnak's tower disguised as a guard. That way I can assure this messenger we have her best interest at heart and give her sufficient motivation to eliminate her target, if she can be so swayed, everyone wins. If she betrays us, your letter in her possession will still produce its desired effect, and triumph is yours'

She turned to Idrys and said 'after Karnak's been slain, take the messenger's family to safety. However, make the messenger an asset. You may have to play to part of the seducer, young man. Have her assume his identity, if she is worth her salt, should not be much of a challenge. It will provide us a better conduit into the enemies intelligence if she becomes Karnak. Karnak's death would alert our enemies and put them on the paranoid side of things, best that they are lax in their guard!'

[Chris1234]

"That is rather good. I like that. What say you, Idrys?" says Karlane and turns to face her brother, not having noticed that he'd slipped away from the strategy discussions.

Idrys bares his teeth, "Need to practice my infiltration, so why not." He moves to head out.

"Just a minute, brother," Karlane retrains him. In a quieter tone she continues, "Wait a number of minutes and we shall go through the portal whence we came. We all clear that out, if necessary, and then you're closer by hours. You may choose that route too, Drusilla. Up to you. But it's probably less travel time than from here."

[spike]

Drusilla nodded, 'you would do well to establish a portal in Karnak's tower, just a thought. Not an urgency! We've much to do and can work out the details later. Come, Idrys. If my calculations are correct you should have plenty of time to infiltrate Karnak's keep and wind your way down into the dungeon detail'

[Chris1234]

"I need both of you with me on the NW road out of Harby today. When shall we meet and where?" asks Karlane.

[spike]

Drusilla: 'We will rendezvous with you at an hour before you are about to get to work, at Twighlight Glen just a half mile west of the area you plan to stage the ambush. You will know it when you see the statue of the Elf Goddess Sehanine Moonbow. Have faith, we will make the ambush in time'

[Chris1234]

"May Lor will it so! May your God protect you," she says with a grim smile at Idrys.

Idrys smiles back rather cheerfully.

[spike]

DRUSILLA AND IDRYS step through the portal and begin their individual missions.

[Chris1234]

{OOC: Are both of these missions "off stage"? Or do you want me to play Idrys? Happy to do so. But if you prefer, am also happy for it to be "off stage"; just give him half xp in the latter case.}

[spike]

IDRYS slipped through Harby without much notice, he pickpocketed an annoying merchant to cause a diversion and inserted his coin purse into another's pocket. The infuriated merchant soon discovering the crime, but at a loss to pinpoint a suspect drew the flock of guardsmen to his side and they listened to his angry bantering with a look of irritation. Finally one of the guardsmen simply kicked the merchant hard with his knee to quiet him 'you're disrupting the peace, fool!'

AT KARNAK's simple tower down by the docks, you pretended to be a drunk reveler relieving his bladder on the side, when a sentry came upon you, 'halt! why you little fartknocker!' he roared and drew a bastard sword. Idys spun around and already appeared as a guardsman, 'ah quit yer bellyaching, ya sod! Get on wit it then, aint paying ya by the hour!' the sentry laughed and went about his business.

It wasn't long before you were delving deeper into the dungeon, bypassing a guardroom where some guards looked less than thrilled to gamble their wages against eachother. They were talking between themselves :

Guard #1: 'told ya lads, this mage has deep pockets, it's a babysitting job really. The fools he locks up down below, they deserve what they get. You don't cross a wizard, you just don't. Everyone know that! Whoever don't is dumb as a bag of hammers'

Guard #2 grunted in acknowledgement.

Idrys left the guard room behind and proceeded along, unperturbed and his new spectral vision seeing well in advance a cadre of shades and some hobgoblins, not very alert. They were too engrossed with torture work of a pair of fat, naked man and his giant-tall bodyguard, they were well absorbed with their grisly work...

Idrys's senses washed over the cells of prisoners, drinking in their details and appearances when he came on one who stood out from the rest, a proper dignified looking woman with inner strength who looked fierce, determined, and greatly indignant, and she was saying 'the fell hand of Wrath be upon this cursed town!' she muttered angrily, 'At least I get to see my cousin this day, ye Gods be praised'

'Who the frack are you!?' challenged a voice, when out of the shadows materialized a soldier with inky dark skin, and a bit of a potbelly. He was armed with a cat-o-nine tails whip that ended in evil looking barbs, and a very long dagger. He had a helm over his head with a spike protruding from the top center, and he said 'funny, you look like a shade, but aint exactly one yet is ya?' he stated flatly, patting you on the back 'hells bells boy, keep at it and you just might earn that right. Who'd the boss end ya for this time? He told me he was gonna fetch this tight little bitch right there...you want to uh, have a bit o' fun before you run?' he said with a wide lopsided grin.

[Chris1234]

"Naah! He'd cut me nads off if 'e found out. Want's this one fer somthin' special. Dunno what. Somethin' about 'bring any family' too. Leverage. Don't sound good - fer 'er," Idrys laughs coarsely, elbowing spikey-head in the ribs.
"So, she you gonna get 'er out then? Family too."

[spike]

(vs. chr: succeeded) shade guard: laughed 'aight fella, the boys are busy having their jollies, might as well do something proper rounds here!' he said and grabbed the girl 'up on your feet bitch!' and then grabbed another girl alongside her, 'here lighten me load, fore I decide to lighten mine in their bums, blahahahah!' he laughed in a uproar then shoved the two girls toward you, but not before perversely licking the side of the young girls face 'see you soon sweetheart' he said malevolently.