The Room Where It Happens

[Dreyfus]

⚜ The Room Where It Happens

⚜

⚜

⚜ 40th of Frost, Year of 123, A.o.S

⚔ Relief washed over him as she finally spoke. He was glad they could come to terms, and she seemed keen on making sure everything was and would be in order. He nodded as she began to voice details of what was to come, and he knew that this was for the best for those people. He would agree to almost anything if it meant helping those who sought refuge within his family grounds. Know that the hard part was over, he could relax for a moment. Waving over the bartender he requested one more glass.

There was a lot revealed in her words as they knew where his budding little village was, and that was concerning. Was there a spy in his ranks, and if so it meant he would now have to vet every person who came and went from his estate. He would have to trust that if they knew who and what he was, then they would know to leave him be. Though being only one man, he knew he could take more of them down before they could take him. But luckily for him, it would not come to that. He welcomed these terms and goals with open arms.

When the other representatives were brought up, he looked over at her, standing to give her a formal bow befitting of her station, and his pedigree. "I would appreciate that very much, my lady. It would be nice to speak to a representative of each coven if possible." He rose from his bow to look over the inhabitants of the building. As he did such the bartender came over with a another glass as requested by the vampyre.

Now he simply had to wait. ⚔


"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Rune]

There was a distinct and not entirely lady-like snort in response to hearing herself referred to as a Lady.

"No nobility in Zaichaer any longer, haven't you heard? Citizen is the highest title any of us can aspire to now." What she thought of this wasn't immediately apparent but she did not seem to think it was a bad thing, this leveling of the playing field.

Citizen Grey stood and nodded to the guest. Their contract was not signed yet but it had been discussed and that meant he received the respect due to a client. It would remain so if he signed the contract, or up until the moment that he chose not to. The Menagerie was not Railrunner territory but they had a longstanding alliance with the Myshalari and many of their deals were made within so it felt, at times, like it was.

"Lord Monteliyet." She said by way of farewell for the time being. She would return when everything was all written up but that would take some time.

Walking over to a group at a table she spoke a few quiet words before simply popping out of existence. Only one or two patrons in the large taproom seemed surprised by this and one who seemed amused more than anything by the display of magical acumen rose and moved, smooth as flowing water, graceful as a blade, to sit across from Dreyfus.

The dark hair was cut in a traditionally masculine style while the makeup below was decidedly feminine, The loose-fitting black shirt and gold brocade jacket hid little in terms of skin but enough, somehow, to leave the gender of the being in decided question.

"Hello, duck." The voice was cheery and interested but just as neutral in terms of explaining what might lay under their clothes.

"My name is Eshar, of the Myshalari." A movement that might have been a seated bow accompanied this information. "A little grey bird told me you were here to meet the Covens."

Here they leaned closer, lowering their voice to something more intimate, as though telling a secret,

"But no one comes seeking the Covens just to say hello, so, tell me.

What is it that you want?"

The last sentence was no louder than the others, the tone did not change, yet it slid into Dreyfus like liquid gold; warm, filling him up from his center and flowing out till he felt intoxicated in the best way. There was no pressure associated with it, other than a vague desire to return the sharp, attractive grin that Eshar was bestowing, but the urge to answer the question in the most honest way possible, more honestly than Dreyfus would have even answered in the privacy of his own mind, suffused
him. It wasn't being drawn from him, not forced from him, no Masquerade trick or Mesmer manipulation was in play. Dreyfus wanted to speak the answer, and just as much, he wanted to know the answer.

!	Message from: Rune
	If Dreyfus wishes to resist the urge to explain his strongest desire he will need to come up with an extraordinary evasion to do so and will then have to roll for the outcome.

[Dreyfus]

⚜ He found himself realizing that she was right, as the age of rank and nobility was gone and all that remained was the people. He found himself smiling, something he hadn't done in quite some time.....a really long time now that he thought about it. He was happy with how things were coming out this way. He was certain that things for his people, those who now look to him for leadership and guidance, would have some stable supplies and protection. He was still planning to leave, to figure himself out and what had afflicted him.

After his business was done, he was met by a new face, Eshar. They claimed to be a representative of the Myshalari, and their presence was.......interesting. They seemed to hint at their being an ulterior motive to his visit, as they asked him, what it was he truly desires. Though it was a thought he had pushed to the back of his mind, tucked away for a later moment, it came to him like a flood of freshly liberated water from a mountain after snow. Without missing a beat his crimson orbs fell upon Eshar, and it was as if there was no one there but him and Eshar.

"Power." he began, comfortable in the words that were about to leave his lips. "Power is what I wish and crave. Power to crush any and everyone who crosses my ambitions. Power to keep and maintain my freedom. Power to make a place safe for magic and mages, a kingdom where those who deserve it wield it. I desire to find those responsible for my mother's death and deliver my vengeance upon them if the cataclysm hadn't claimed them yet. I desire to master all the magics this immortal body of mine can handle. After tasting Arcas reborn, I desire to drink the blood of gods."

He found that he felt a weight come off his shoulders with such a reveal of his desire. His eyes locked onto Eshar. "I desire to become the new Witch King, it's one of the reasons I wished to have this meeting, to meet those in charge, but I expected more than what I should have for a first meeting. I'm an immortal being, and could help usher in a new age for the mages of Zaichaer." there was determination in his burning crimson eyes. ⚜


"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Rune]

The golden eyes across from Dreyfus seemed to glow in a nimbus around themselves as the words flowed freely from between Vampiric teeth out into the open air. A deep breath drew in slowly through Eshar's nose as though they were encountering a particularly enticing scent and their expression took on a look of satisfaction. Once the Lord had completed his inventory of aspirations they said,

"Oh, is that all?" The tone still had not changed from one of mild, congenial amusement, as one might use on a blind date.

There were a thousand other things that could have been said in response to this revelation, but Eshar's goal was to benefit the Myshalari, not to give things away for free, and their ability to mask disdain was long past that of any master of Masquerade.

Power was not at all an unusual thing to crave, in fact, it might be said to be the most common. There were certainly tidbits that would be tucked away for later to be tasted and explored. The bit about Arcus in particular bore examination.

"What has 'Justice' ever done to you?" The mocking twist in this sentence was not directed at the man sitting across the table.

Once this was answered, or not, they crossed their legs under the table, their arms over their chest, leaned back as though assessing Dreyfus and said,

"And what are you offering the Myshalari?"

[Dreyfus]

⚜ An air of ease fell over the vampyre as a hand ran through his golden hair, looking at Eshar as they took their seat, Dreyfus doing the same as he listened to them pose inquiries. He found this person to be intriguing, seeing the hunger in their eyes for more information about him. "Of course not, but it is the immediate desire as of now, the first step you could say. Once I acquire the level of power I seek, I will go to claim those desires too." he noted to them first question. There was a moment before he went on to answer the rest of the questions posed to him.

"I can't say, justice has never been a friend of mine. Even though I've met the herald of it, the living embodiment of the idea of justice, I can't say I've ever known justice, justice for what the old zaichaer had done to me, and justice for my mother." added to the second question. He looked at her with matched curiosity as he contemplated the last question posed to him. He took a moment more to drink Eshar in, realizing them to be a predator lurking beneath the brush waiting to strike.

"That depends." he began, relaxing into his chair. "I have already pledged my services to the Railrunners. And it has come to be no secret that I am a vampyre, so I think the better question Eshar, is what do the Myshalari desire from an immortal mage?" asked, drumming his fingers across the table. He was curious to see how they would respond, as he didn't mind being in service of the magic community. ⚜


"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Rune]

A bartender returned, but it was a woman this time, with long dark hair plaited down her back, her male counterpart having disappeared deeper into the Menagerie with Monteliyet's redhead introduction. The drink she placed on the tabletop was a lovely old scotch, almost red in color it was so dark, but it was not blood. The first taste, as the saying goes, is always free.

Eshar's wide golden eyes grew wider and, possibly, more golden the more Dreyfus said, their hands practically clasped under their chin while he spoke.

"It sounded as though you had a specific interest in the Arcus avatar, the way you spoke of him. H It is said he did great harm to Zaichaer, possibly even cause the calamity. How do you know him?"

There was a pause for the answer, and then the conversation continued,

"What I want from immortal, or perhaps we should say unaging, mages depends entirely on the mage in question. As you say, you have pledged your time and effort to our esteemed sister Coven, which leaves you with little to offer the Myshalari. It was you who came sniffing up our skirts, not the other way around."

Another pause for a reply before,

"As for anyone becoming Witch King, well, there is a reason it is a very uncommon occurrence. The first requirement, aside from actually being a mage, is being a member of a Coven of Zaichaer. Are you a member of a Coven?"

They blinked at him sweetly, all interest concentrated on the vampyre, grinning, honey and stinger woven into one.

[Dreyfus]

⚜ A smirk tickled his lips as Eshar spoke, as it had been quite some time since he had a conversation on this level. He felt like it was a dance between two apex hunters, though this Eshar, they were something else entirely. Something he had yet to encounter before, but yet familiar. When the mention of Arcas came about he smiled, thinking of the time he had spent with the Demigod. "I can assure he had no part in the cataclysm, that was just propaganda I'm sure the old ruling regime had perpetrated to make their actions just. Besides how could he do such a thing when he was abducted at his own wedding and his father killed right in front of him?

Why do you think the Iron Queen had put a bounty on the heads of First Minister Dornkirk and his younger brother? Tit for tat I would assume. But knowing what I know I can say for certain he had no involvement in that travesty. I have had an interesting relationship with the Crown Prince of Kalzasi, Arcas Reborn. I have seen him for who he is, tasted his blood, and seen the torment he was subjected to while captured. I went into the rift and met his divine father, Eikaen, and was tasked with aiding in the freeing of Arcas, but plans had changed and I found myself somewhere else entirely." he scratched his head at that part, still finding his recollection of those events hazy at best.

He chuckled at their next few sentences as he held a point, he indeed wished for this meeting. "You have a point, but I've seen the one that made me ageless as you say continue to live after being hit with a caster shell at point blank range, as I was the one who pulled the trigger no less. I may have agreed to be at their beck and call, but that doesn't mean they are the only ones." he noted, smiling a little more, as he knew he would stretching himself thin, but he would curry as much favor as he possibly could in this meeting. "Whatever the Myshalari need of me, as I told the Railrunners, I am willing to do."

When Eshar mentioned the tidbit about the Witch King, a ripple of disappointment fell over him, but he could see the reasoning. When they asked if he was apart of a coven he sighed and shook his head. "I was never given that chance upon my initial return, as I heard most of the coven mages where working with the new Government, which meant they were under the purview of the Order. Im not ready to be at the end of the Order of Reconciliation's proverbial leash just yet if at all. But if there is room, I wouldn't mind joining one of the surviving covens. My mentor tells me the Sunsingers took the worst during the Cataclysm and where scattered to the winds afterward."

He found himself revisiting those dark hours before flying up into the rift. So much death that day. ⚜


"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Rune]

The bright yellow eyes watched, a hand slid up under the chin, as the Vampyre explained what he knew of the day of disaster and the events that may have led up to it. What the Myshalari spokesperson might have known of the event was not mentioned. This was, if anything, an interview by one who represented a coven of providers of pleasure and death, not an exchange of information.

The flux of the throne of Kalzasi was interesting to them, partly because it represented a level of instability in an enemy nation, and partly because it offered opportunities when noble houses and their agents became desperate or greedy for the power that had slipped into flux. The knowledge that this man had been given task by a god and then failed, though circumstances that seemed not of his own making, yet still, failed, was certainly of interest.

The rumors that spread outward from Zaichaer into foreign lands were known, and even manipulated by, the covens, but they were not true. A few members, representing several of the largest covens, had began working with the new government. The rumors implied a full unity that had been important for outsiders to believe. The Myshalari, in particular, had no specific connection with the Dornkirk Contingent that had risen to become the dominant faction, uniting, or destroying, their rivals. The implication that the covens in general, and the Myshalari in particular, were 'under the purview' of the Order, brought a slow, vicious smirk to Eshar's lovely features.

"Joining the brotherhood of each coven requires trials or services as each dictates. For the Myshalari, the trial is simple. You apply, and, if you are deemed capable of fulfilling our contracts, you are given a name."

They paused, letting this piece of rare, freely given information settle before continuing.

"Are you asking to join the Myshalari?"

[Dreyfus]

⚜ A look of contemplation painted the vampyre features as he took the words of the one before him in. A trial? Each coven had to determine if he was capable huh? Well, he wondered if the Railrunners found him adequate to join their ranks. That wasnt to mention the other covens not present or represented in this moment. That also brought into question could he really afford to spread himself so thin? Besides, he knew until he handled his current situation, he couldnt safely be of use to anyone.

"I would like to say yes.....however, until my affliction is surmised and dealt with, I can't say I would be a safe member to be around. In truth, I have already killed one too many of my constituents because of my affliction, and I must contain and purge it before I can be of any use to anyone. It's why I've asked the Railrunners for their aid. But once I have dealt with it, I will gladly subject myself to whatever trial or task you ask of me." he clarified, hoping the answer would satisfy them, not ruining any chance of his membership when the time came to revisit this.

He wondered what they would have him do, recalling what little information he remembered of the coven, as they were assassins, but that's all he could recall. He was rather adept, if not masterful at killing. It had become second nature to the vampyre as flying is to an Avialae. He looked to Eshar with a curious eye as he tilted his head a bit. "I hope you can understand my dilemma, and I assure you once I've dealt with it, I shall return here ready for whatever trial or task the Myshalari ask of me." with that he bowed to them, and waited to see what they would do next. ⚜


"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Rune]

The androgynous Myshalarai flashed their sharp smile, almost as sharp as the Vampyr's, at Dreyfus. It was the first time, in a long time, that any creature had looked at him as though he might be the prey. It wasn't a sure thing, not the look of a hunter having chosen its query, but there was something in the angle of Eshar's head, the set of their shoulders that spoke of a lion raising its head to an interesting challenge.

The comment about killing his own raised a sleek black brow, and led them to wonder, how many was 'one too many'? Was it a specific one that had been too many, or was it simply a turn of phrase? An agent had been sent to investigate the makeshift village that had grown up around Dreyfus' family manor and returned with all sorts of interesting tidbits. The population was sickly from both the outside deprivation that many in Zaichaer were enduring, as well as the inner deprivation of their own blood being siphoned off to support their chosen leader. All of that could, and now that a deal had been struck, presumably would, be fixed upon Dreyfus' departure.

The golden eyes flicked back from their contemplation to the one seated across from them at the suggestion of hope and the smile turned, if not gracious, less sharp,

"I believe that everyone here could understand having to deal with the monster within." Standing, they extended their hand to shake.

"I am quite interested in seeing how your story continues. Until you return."

The last sentence was a farewell, and, after a firm but not brutal handshake, Eshar drifted back into the embrace of the crowd.