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npc inbox: ephes

NPC INBOX

Reach out to your (not-so-)favourite NPC here, putting their name in the comment header. Try to keep it to just quick text/audio/written exchanges or inquiries that can accept summarised answers, please!

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EPHES | ALLIED NPCs | OTHERS

EPHES

	CAIUS Leader of the great Senate, revered for enlightenment, wisdom and fairness. A cunning politician whom the Senate has, exceptionally and unanimously, voted to retain into a fourth mandate, after the expiry of his lawful three. Nominal commander and head priest, currently retired in a temple of the Chained God to consider Messalina's proposal.
	MARTELLIUS Second speaker of the Senate and cat wrangler of senators representing both patrician and plebeian interests. A veteran of political warfare who gives starting orators and politicians a hand. Immune to bribery but vulnerable to reason.
	LAETIO Keeper of the main gladiatorial arena and administrator of the games. Offers instruction and care to new gladiators, as well as arranging their matches. Strict, abiding no disobedience or attempts to sabotage fellow gladiators.
	VALERIA Formerly the mistress of Caius, now sworn off earthly pleasures to serve as the great priestess of the Chained God and holiest of women. Where she walks, they say a thousand blessings follow.
	NARULA Genera of the Hand armies of Ephes. Disgruntled, easily irritable, demanding. Never thanks, never congratulates, never disobeys an order or fails to generate a result. Under his leadership, the Hand rose from meager hope to glory. Some yet question... how.
	MESSALINA Newly risen mistress of the dead, who promises Ephes any territories she conquers when defeating the established Undead Lieges, in exchange for the citadel's army. Soft and honeyed spoken, hypnotic. Advocates for freedom and equality and an end to the conflict between the living and the dead.

ALLIED NPCs

	KARSA Sorceress, young (?). Employed by the Merchant and deferential to him. Talented but fiery and frequently impatient, intolerant of fools. She will get today's job done yesterday. Struggles to sympathise with men, objections and those who cannot absorb information quickly. Enchanted the group's translation devices.
	ZENOBIUS Former caretaker and scientist of Ellethia, site and cauldron of the first undead attacks. Fell victim to local enchantment and looked after the comatose bodies of his former colleagues for years. Fell and awoke from a long sleep, partly amnesiac. Practical, grumpy, unafraid to challenge the Merchant.
	'QUICKSILVER SAM'(UEL VANE) Pirate king of great renown, master of haunted waters. Recovering from a journey through the Crossing Seas, where he summoned the drowned dead for a foolish act of vengeance with an elusive artefact he himself misunderstands. Agile, quick-witted, charming and possessed of more street smarts than many. Intent to repay his debt to the party.
	HATISSE Revived witch of the Attaryl, partly responsible for the massacre of the Stairs of Sighs. Formerly a court witch of the Attaryl. Manipulative, vicious, a trained seductress. Formidably powerful. Buried with wards and injuries by her own sisters to prevent her return. Somewhat bound to Wrath.
	ASGEIRR The ghost of a scholar monk. Haunts the tattered execution cloak that the party stole from the La Rea bank in Sa-Hareth. Once a champion of equality and freedom, he faced ire for converting his followers against the regionally profitable trade of slavery. Soft-spoken but wise and just, slow to regain his strength. Will speak to those who visit his cloak in brief interludes. Favours necromancers.
	THE MERCHANT The patron ~~saint~~ of etiquette and the eastbound getaway expedition. Seems to largely trade information alongside wares. Appreciates spices, strategy and collaboration. Has an eerie and overly cautious manner. Committed. Defends the benefit of the many, to the detriment of the few. Not travelling with the party.

OTHERS

"HALTHAM" | ANURR
The undead warlord Anurr, previously posing as gentle-mannered giant Haltham. An embodiment of Sa-Hareth's cold storms and wind, who regained his territory from contender Unhalad with the inadvertent help of the party in Arc I. Frostily rational and amenable to some negotiation.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

( He is gracious, at least, courteously yielding. Seeming to understand that she owes him only the bare scraps of her attention, and yet she gives more, and he thanks her the award of her generosity.

As it should be. As she will allow it. She nods, perfunctorily. )

It will be difficult. You believe the start will be strife, and peace must be worked for. I believe the start will be peace. Strife would be the exception. I have no answer. Because I have no problem. You have a problem, because you are living. Living men, they are not tired. They believe the world is for conquest.

( Here, she waves her hand as if to signal the hall they reside in, and the absent Senator who donated his villa for her fleeting use. )

My people, they have no appetite. Only, let them be free. I ask so much?

[ Considering his interest in Messalina's plight and the fact that he's worked to gain her favour and votes, perhaps he should have tried to speak to her sooner. Or, perhaps, the fact that he has shown his support to her both in the senate and elsewhere means she might be more inclined to be truthful and that will work in his favour. At least, he hopes so. After all, he cannot travel back in time, even if his arrival here has made him wonder about the potential of human invention.

If that's what it is.

Anyway. ]

Messalina.

My name is Connor. I wonder if you might be willing to speak with me. It seems there are many who oppose your wishes and the situation is beginning to turn violent. I would call the response disproportionate to what you ask for. Do you have any theories as to who is behind it, and why they are so desperate to stop you?

[ And he really wants to know what's going on with Alir, but that's not something you just ask right off the bat. He's smart enough to know that, at least. ]

Greetings, Connor. Of the Senate. ( There is a warmth to her voice that nearly hints laughter. ) I'm afraid I misunderstand you. Truly, I came before your conclave, an assembly of your people. Should you not be the one who knows them better than I?

I assume only fear, stoked by those with personal ambitions. In the name of peace, I choose to think no more of it. I choose to disregard. I choose to believe... Ephes can still be a friend.

[ Her calling them his people gives him pause because, of course, he's never thought of them as such. And, of course, she would not think them to be anything but. While he's worked with subterfuge, some, it has not been like this. He's never been able to hide the fact that he is not one of the colonists back home. ]

Just because they are my people does not mean I am guaranteed the answer. I believe an outside perspective is sometimes beneficial.

[ Although, he was also looking for another idea that he wanted to suggest, but something about the response makes him hesitate for a moment. Would she be open to it? Once again, he hopes his clear support of her wish to free the undead will ensure she doesn't take this the wrong way. ]

It is likely that it is someone from Ephes, but I cannot help but wonder ... Those of your people who you brought with you, do they all support your cause?

[ There's no denying the implication, though he's careful not to say it out loud: Could it be an inside job? ]

It... ( But she falters. ) It is so. It must be so. We are not as humans. We do not have...need for deceit. If they do not like the wishes of the tribe, they leave the tribe. If they are with me, they are not against me.

All right. I trust you know your people.

[ Truthfully, he's not so certain about that idea, himself. But he's not prepared to discount it completely either.

If they truly have no need for deceit - and she sounds sincere enough - that speaks to her being truthful too. ]

Have you spoken to Maximus Faustus since his banquet? That attack seemed personal.

Maximus Faustus is... ( In hand, instructed daily. ) A generous friend. So stalwart. Of course, we extended our assistance. What a tragedy, and in his home.

[ And in bringing him up, he reminds himself-- Does Alir's existence not mean that Messalina is capable of deceit? In which case, what does that make her? Different from the others? ]

It is very lucky for him to have allies, since it seems he has garnered enemies. How did you make his acquaintance?

Upon entering Ephes, he showed me kindness. Patience. He understood the plight of those enslaved. There is mercy even among humans.

[ And then you repayed it by showing him little mercy in return. If any of that is true at all.

Of course, Ratonhnhaké:ton won't say that. ]

Was he the first to listen to you?

Here, yes. And we were so very grateful. We still support him in all things.

[ After speaking to Alir, and listening to him vent, Five has a fairly good sense that Messalina's strategy is falling apart. He can't really blame her. Being patient isn't working, and the longer she waits, the more reasons the living seem to give her to try other options.

It just happens that neither of her alternatives are particularly helpful to their situation, so he'd like to see how much she's thought them through. He leaves the hellhound at the door and comes into the hall first, followed by Natasha, who insisted on tagging along. Part of him knows it's because she doesn't trust him, but since the feeling is mutual, he decides to give her the opportunity to show off her interrogation techniques while he's there to see them.

Five's arrival is to be expected, so he doesn't anticipate resistance when he asks to speak to Messalina. He casts one more frown in Natasha's direction, then straightens his jacket and addresses everyone in their path with a little more formality than usual. ]

A quick word, if you don't mind. There's been a few rumors floating around, and I can't make my recommendations until I know we're on the same page.

( Of course, her people. She does not shun them, she does not send them away. They are intended to assist her. And so, she allows them in her presence, in the banquet halls of this wretched, borrowed summer villa, while she enjoys the petty delights of plump, ripe dates. )

Of course. ( A wave, so that the two might be seated. ) We must speak. We must always speak. Our minds should be one. Now. What do you speak of?

( ooc: just to confirm: Messalina does not know Five has been informed about her private plans by Alir! )

Edited 2023-10-16 09:18 (UTC)

[ There’s no hesitation as Five moves forward to take a seat, without any further explanation to why he’s brought company. There are implications to inviting an assassin to discuss strategy, but that isn’t why Natasha is here. She just lucked out and ran into him when it would have been more cumbersome to chase her away.

If she does add value to this discussion will yet to be seen, and he hasn’t told her everything he’s preparing to discuss. At least he assumes she’s smart enough not to openly contradict him, which he couldn’t say for all of their group. ]

I know that negotiations haven’t been as productive as we would have liked. With the moves against your supporters, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking we’ve reached an impasse.

[ He does actually believe that it can get worse, so he doesn’t need to put on too much of an act to make a point. ]

The odds that they’ll come to a peaceful agreement may seem to be dwindling. I also don’t know that your prospects will be better elsewhere if we give up on Ephes. They aren’t able to see that there’s a bigger threat, unless it’s shown to be different from what they’re already facing.

So my question is, can you really succeed without them?

Yes. They are taking their time to... think. It is not time my people have. While we sit. And we chatter. And we — ( Popping half of a date in her mouth - ) ...eat.

( While they do all these things, yet little more. )

I do not know if I can succeed. But I know my enemies are only getting stronger as we wait. We are at disadvantage of numbers. It grows with each day.

[ Five is familiar with frustration that comes from a lack of urgency. It's too easy for him to see her point of view, and he's been here too long to tell them this is their problem to solve. He's fairly sure Natasha would need more convincing if he tells them they should do anything but leave. It'd be worse for the others, but their other prospects are grim.

Taking an army by force will only bring them more enemies. Better if they could sacrifice the few if it means bridging the gap in negotiations. ]

If we can't reason with them, what's stopping you from replacing the rest of the senate? Alir has been passing as one of them for this long, even with his eccentricities. He can't be the only one of his kind.

( the exchange is ... honestly, a bit what natasha expected. give and take. she's more than happy to just seem as though she's guarding five, acting as his shield for this. messalina doesn't appear to be playing the game, as it were, but she's not naive enough to think that she isn't. if anything, it could be that both she and five are outclassed here. that they're being played by someone much better than they are at this —

that's always a risk, in any negotiation.

still, her eyes slide to five at his last comment. mass murder of the entire senate? like that was ever an option. )

Passing, relatively speaking.

( This seems to widen her eyes, to brighten them whole. She considers Five for a moment, then Natasha beside him. They had appeared utterly human, and yet... as ever, men lie. The illusion of their innocence and harmlessness is not to be dismissed.

She laughs, readily charmed. )

He is. Our Alir is especial. No, not many could learn the way of men well enough to imitate so well. Nor reach such self-control. You must understand, our Alir is... constantly, overwhelmingly, perpetually tempted. Each day, he would gut and eat everyone besides him. Each day, he holds back, for our sake. It is against his nature. He exerts himself so.

[ Okay, this is going nowhere, and he's getting more and more frustrated. He takes a breath to avoid outright accusations because there's no proof, really, and instead ... ]

I hear he has changed since then.

[ Lies. He hasn't really heard any such thing.

He pauses for the briefest moment, looking for the right words. ]

Some are concerned. Your meeting must have made an impact.

So it did. It is not common to be greeted well. I understand the differences between our people. But I disagree that they cannot be surmounted. Tell me: do we wish for something so incompatible? Is peace and prosperity not in the interest of Ephes? Do not all men want... stability?

[ Five keeps his expression carefully neutral when Messalina looks at him, barely frowning at Natasha’s interjection. She might not be enthusiastic about many of his ideas, if she thinks he’s serious or not. It takes a certain type of person to suggest them.

The implication wasn’t entirely a ploy to win her favor. It’d be a much simpler plan, if Alir wasn’t so special. ]

He’s had some help. [ To Natasha’s point, before she makes another one: ] We’ve personally managed to keep him from getting discovered, but he’s still only one voice, and he’s bound to break eventually.

[ He leans back and makes an honest effort to see their perspective. The idealized version that may or may not be true, but one that could benefit them if he can just put the pieces together. ]

It might be different if the people here understood that Matthias is a larger threat. As you do. [ He takes a gamble. ] If I didn’t know better, I’d say it almost seems personal. What brought you to take such a risk to challenge him?

( She appears, for a moment, to consider him again, as if her perspective has shifted — as if the child-man of great hope she had glimpsed earlier has now dispelled.

More of the date, then, carefully: )

He will kill me. Or he will control me. You must have seen. It is so with all of us. Those who are powerful, above the average, those who can lead others of the dead. Such as myself. The cousin Rathakku. The cousin Unhalad.

( A shudder, then. ) He is dead.

( And firmer: ) Matthias would enslave as he already has the weaker of my people. I protect them. I protect myself. Should I not?

[ He notices the shift in the way she studies him. Her reply is one she'd offer any politician, telling him nothing except to be careful with his words. So he tells her something true. ]

It's personal for me. I'm here because I know there's a chance you'll succeed, if you can overcome the obstacles in your way. [ Which won't be easy, and may result in her wanting even more power once Matthias is defeated. That's a bridge to cross when they get to it. ]

You've been trying to rally support for a long time now. Do you think he already knows what you're doing?

( all of this has given her more information — notably that messalina isn’t angry that they’ve noticed alir’s …temptations. on the contrary. she seems pleased they’ve noticed, and disappointed that they’re prying into matthias.

but five knows what he’s doing. knows that to tell a lie, to manipulate, sometimes you have to give away pieces of yourself, too.

natasha observes, noting the way that aligning with the winning side is the piece five chooses to offer. )

He? ( She seems, fleetingly, uncertain, as if she is yet measuring her words and the potential identity of the man Five mentions.

Finally, she makes for a cup of thickened nectar, a potent brew of fruit. Sips, and - )

Caius Justus? Of course. His pet Narula? Indubitably. And Matthias? I don't believe he cares. He is a king. A king does not think about the little pebbles in his shoe. He waves a hand: there is no shoe. He waves again: there is no road. He waves a third time: there is no citadel in which his disgrace happens. That is a king.

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