(Heart of the Dragon) Blood

[Cayce]

Within the winding pathways and trods of the Hedge surrounding Sacramento sits a riotous scab, a crusted and seeping, and bustling with all manner of parasites and bacteria that perpetuate said scab. Of course, as with anything particularly vile and of note, the scab is not without a name. Among the Lost and the denizens of the Hedge alike, the scab is known as the Flesh Market, and it is a blight that has existed for years, its face changing as each layer is slowly peeled away, only to seep and reform anew...

Though, even if the face of the Flesh Market changes, its corrupted heart does not. The Flesh Market is a place that deals only in the most grisly of commodities. It is an abattoir and slave auction block in one, with fossils and other...biological ingredients sold on the side. Only meat and bone, blood and tendon, life and death, are sold here, and it's Master is the enigmatic Sal, who reigns as landlord, bursar, and, some say, enforcer for the entire operation.

Though who, exactly, Sal is is a secret known only to a few...

Though that secret might yet get out.

At the moment, the Flesh Market is fairly bustling with trade, Hobs and foreign lost wandering through the rough, dust streets between the stalls, trading creatures, munching on fragrant kabobs, placing bets around the massive gladiatorial Pit, or slaking...other urges. Lanterns blaze from within each stall and tent, shedding flickering light of all colors, capturing the entirety of the market within a manic edge that was usually only seen during the cresting height of raves fueled by ecstasy.

And so it is that the Dread Queen, Mhairi Ankaa, and her Paladin of Shadows, Morgan Bellanar, find themselves walking among the stalls of the Flesh Market, the hunt for Jenny and the Blackhats fresh upon their minds.

[Morgan Bellanar]

Eye scanned the market, searching for threats. For leads. For details in case Morgan ever managed to organize the swift annihilation of this slaver den.

Low growls regularly came from Morgan. She had bad memories of a market like this. The constant fear buzzing in her mind was getting dulled out with hatred: the eyes darting about were tight in a glare instead of wide with worry. As her eyes were the only feature visible beneath the black cloth covering her face, she might actually be intimidating for once.

The growl even came out as she quietly muttered to herself: "Heh hope slavers get slaughtered. Justice, but later," before she took in a deep breath. Calming techniques, she'd not used them in a long time. Morgan leaned forward to whisper: "Doth ye ken a place to inquire on Jenny or thugs for heh hire in general?" to the Nix walking in front of her.

Morgan's hate may override some fears, but she still prioritized her friends. She wanted to keep Mhairi in her sight. Acting much like a vassal protector their liege...not entirely inaccurate.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Mhairi had never been to Sal's before this...and honestly, after spending these scant few moments here, she's glad that it's taken this long.

Morgan's aggression, and growling noises receives a sideways flicker of her Queen's fell-flame eyes. "Maybe when Summer's..." Stronger? A Sovereign chosen for the Crimson Court, and the Seasonal cycle turns to the Season of Wrath...? If Mhairi could make wishes happen, Sal's would be razed to the ground, Sal himself would be a very leaky corpse, with the same treatment dealt out to the Loyalists and Privateers that traded here.

Morgan's question gains a head shake from her Queen. "I haven't been here before....I don't know where to start...but maybe finding a hob or two for some small talk..." Mhairi whispers back. Maybe her new look, and lack of stammer might help them out, especially since before these strange evolutionist of the wyrd, she and Morgan's tongues would have been twisted in knots.

Assuming Morgan will acquiesce to her request, Mhairi steps forward and tries to spy a pair of hobs so their quest for 'small talk' could begin. Her fell-flames flicker and in the press of people Mhairi hesitates, unsure just where her eyes should focus on.

  PER fail

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-02-28 19:39:17		Mhairi Ankaa rolls 5 to Perception (Wits 3 + Comp 2) (10 Again)		6, 6, 2, 5, 1		failure

Equipment and a question

HS Warfans, HS Choker, Bronze Leaf Keychain, Bottles of water, trail mix, First Aid kit, Leather Jacket, running shoes,

Cayce is this a direct continuation of the Spire? OR has Morgan Origins had time (if the Pally wants) to take off the back paint and ninja get up?

[Cayce]

There was time to make a pit stop for supplies, sure.

Scintillating rays of chartreuse, amber, and lavender light played across the Queen and Paladin's faces as they moved through the market, the writhing flames within the lanterns melding into a perverse rainbow of blaring illumination that transformed the stalls into even more grotesque parodies of a farmers' market. Hunks of yellow hedge beast entrails glistened, stained by the lantern light. Prussian blue hobs in chains were dragged from a cage, instantly becoming bloody and raw under the glare of crimson light that pulsed out above them.

It was a bewildering, frightening scene, one born from nightmares, and it was all too easy to become lost amidst the storm of color and activity all around them.

The only thing that helped was that the majority of the market's population seemed keen to give Mhairi as wide a berth as they could, and so the Queen and the Paladin were able to spot a bar, of sorts. There was a cluster of tables and benches huddled beneath a large awning, and all manner of fluids were being served from all manner of hobs, as well as hedge fruits.

Perhaps there they could find someone to speak to...

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan nods her head in agreement to Mhairi's comment on Summer. Better to wait for victory then a pointless defeat. "Nor do I ken this place." Upon spotting the bar, she nudged Mhairi and pointed to it even as her eyes scanned about, "Taverns mayhaps? Drunks can be loquacious. I think that tis one, heh, shall we try it?" At least in the stories this worked for getting rumors.

Morgan continues to scan the market as she waits for Mhairi's reply. Her eyes glare hatefully at those leading the blue hobs by the chain. If Fairweather had only declared war on this lot and not attacked the Freehold, Morgan might have bought the bastard a drink.

Speaking of drinks, there was the curious issue of what would count as currency at the bar. Morgan had a variety of stuff in her pack and on her. Who knows, maybe they even took cash. "Stories say buy drinks and folk talk...Heh hopefully we shant hath a problem with buying."

  3 Perception

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-03-02 07:24:31		Morgan Bellanar rolls 5 to Perception (10 Again)		8, 9, 8, 6, 1		3 successes

Changed Gear

Black leather jacket, running shoes, and a ninja costume are worn. Also on her are a Fire Nation pendant and the Leaf Pocket Knife token. 2 throwing knives up her sleeve. Belt holds a dagger and a carry case with 4 throwing knives. Jacket pockets contain a small LED flashlight, a cheap lighter, 1 6-inch glow sticks, a road flare, packet of gum, 9 $20 bills. Backpack contains: 1-Roll of Duct tape, 10 6-inch yellow glow sticks, 2 regular flashlights, 28-ft of twine, 2 throwing knives, a half dozen Granola bars, 2 canned meat cans, 1 Bottle of Water, 1 bottle of glamour spring water, 1 small FA kit, 1 road flare, non-toxic black shoe polish, gym shorts, gym tank top, a pair of sandals, and a Small tuperware holding 4 ziplock snacks bags of salt, garlic powder, white sage powder, and pepper. A pack of tissues.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

They're given a wide birth. Something Mhairi hadn't thought would happen, she assumed they'd be harassed. Pestered to buy this or that. Perhaps a hob or two would try and feed them, trick them all to steal them away again, but they're given a wide birth. Hunched bodies, and a darting eyes, seeing Morgan, but avoiding her. In a uprisings flash of insight the Autumn's Queen realizes what she's seeing. Fear. The denizens of the Market were afraid of her.

Was that what the wyrd had given her?

"Taverns are where information flows like the cheep ale they serve in stories." fell-flames sweep the crowd, "Though perhaps the...delightful air of the market should be savored." Mhairi wanted to gag on her words, but some how she doesn't. Nodding her head in the direction of the gathered hob imbibing on all manner of things under the awning.

A moment for Morgan to follow Mhairi's gesture, before the wisp purposefully walks forward. Stopping only when she's gotten close enough to the tables, and looks down her nose at the hobs. If they were afraid of her, she wouldn't try and reassure and placate the hobs that lived and traded in this vile ceasepool of a market. "Jenny and her Blackhats." utters Mhairi, waiting to see what that simple sentence will bring her.

  5 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-03-02 11:04:29		Mhairi Ankaa rolls 7 to Wits 3 + Empathy 1 + WP (WillPower)		8, 5, 10, 9, 3, 8, 10		5 successes

[Morgan Bellanar]

"Right," she whispered as she followed Mhairi, "I shalt be silent and heh scary then lest ye gesture to me, heh," Morgan could handle that. She'd have to think hard about talking and do something strange to now use her usual...dialect.

Maybe Haiku? That could work. For now, she glared at the hobs in general. Like a good, loyal vassal following around their liege lady.

  Empathy 1 Suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-03-04 21:31:50		Morgan Bellanar rolls 5 to Wits + Empathy (10 Again)		4, 2, 5, 3, 8		1 success

[Cayce]

Both the Queen and her Champion could see all manner of Hobs around them, though there were indeed quite a few that seemed to be rather...taken with what was in their cups within the bar. More importantly, however, both Lost noticed the eyes of hobs skittering away from the Queen of Fear: reptilian pupils dropped to the ground, goat eyes flitted off to the side, and orbs of pure black, or red, or blue, seemed fixated on something far, far above Mhairi's head.

They were, indeed, afraid of her. Some outright terrified, whimpering into meat porridge, or hiding behind frothy, bloody cups, yet all were anxious. One even jumped up from its seat and snapped to attention as the Queen spoke, but before it answered...it paused, taking a deep breath, and a moment to really look at Mhairi.

"Hey!" it barked suddenly, elbowing a monstrous mound of fat, muscle, and tusks that was sitting to its left. "This one is putting on airs! She ain't no celestial queen! She's just what's left after one got bored!"

And then the hob burst into raucous laughter, a laughter that was soon taken up by all the other hobs beneath the tent, and soon the Queen and her Champion were faced with nothing but a rowdy crowd of booing and catcalling hobs, all eager to get a rise from the faux-Gentry and her lackey.

  1 success! They see through the bearing!

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-03-05 03:19:56		Hobs rolls 1 to Liar? Liar! (10 Again)		9		1 success

Also, please use nar tags to specify what you're rolling for, please

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Morgan's whispered words receive a slight nod.

Waiting for the hobs to gather themselves and answer her was agony, but seeing on squint at her and start chortling...was probably something she should have seen coming. Not truly understand what the wryd had given her, then expecting it to work...a lesson learned here today.

"I never said I was a celestial anything. That's on you, for assuming. Which can easily get you dead or worse. You should already know better. You going to blame me for wrapping the wyrd around myself to give me an extra edge? A little more time to run if I need it? I don't think you will." Mhairi barked out, there is a hint of the crackling of fire threaded through her voice. "Now. Just because I never said I was a celestial maiden...doesn't mean I am not a Queen." her allegiance to Autumn was plain to see, to scent. Mhairi just hoped that announcing herself as the Queen of Fear wasn't going to backfire too horribly. Though, Mhairi already knew that announcing herself as a Seasonal Queen in this cesspool of a market wasn't the smartest idea, but hopefully it would give them an edge.

"Again, Jenny and her Blackhats."

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-03-05 12:22:44		Mhairi Ankaa rolls 3 to Intimidation! (Presence 2 + Intimidate 1) (10 Again)		4, 3, 9		1 success

Sorry! I'll make sure to add them in the future! And the Future means now! Mhairi's attempting to Intimidate the Hobs!

[Morgan Bellanar]

Mhairi had seemed to get them spooked quite well. Except then one burst out with that, causing Morgan to first snap a hand to the large dagger on ehr belt. Once his words were processed, Morgan raised an eyebrow in surprise, head tilting as she looked at the hobgoblin that'd been talking.

Morgan hadn't realized they'd mistaken Mhairi for a Keeper. "Fool," she growls out whilst staring directly at the hobgoblin that'd made the outburst. She then leans into Mhairi to whisper to Mhairi: "[size=1]Imma nary good at scary talk, heh. Can give ye luck instead if ye want." After that she straightens up and remains quiet, trying to keep going with the scary bodyguard image.

Because she couldn't scare folks with words, she didn't know how. Morgan could try to be the good cop or whatever to whomever spoke up. Until then she'd settle with trying to give a harsh glare at the loud mouthed hobgoblin.

  1 suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-03-06 20:28:10		Morgan Bellanar rolls 2 to Give a scary glare to the hobs Pres 2 - 1 unskilled +1 leaf knife token (10 Again)		3, 8		1 success

Morgan hoped she didn't come off looking like she had bad eyesight.

Sorry about that too.