In search of answers (Temple of Percunia) Jygust 30th MT

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In search of answers (Temple of Percunia) Jygust 30th MT

Post by Jack Farrell »


You have reached the Temple of Pecunia...

The temple of the goddess of wealth is a sleek, simple building, standing about twenty meters high. Made of smooth, cool blue stone, the temple can only be described as businesslike. Above the gate, the name of Pecunia and the image of the goddess have been carved into the stone, the carvings filled up with gold dust. Templar guards stand watch before the gate, dressed in the finest armour and armed with the finest weaponry money can buy. Around the temple, many merchants have set up their stall, hoping to do business in the divine radiance of the patroness of material gain.

The corners of the temple, out of even elves earshot from everyone else, serve as places where one can speak with a priest privately. Masters of material gain, the priests of Pecunia are often sought out by businessmen and merchants for their expertise. Led to these corners, they are always given the very best of business advice... for a price. Often, a priest will request both a donation to the faith, and current information on the most recent events in the world of business.

There are several priest and guards standing about, any may be able to assist you.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack smoothed the creases from his shirt as he stepped past the threshold of the temple. Pecunia was not his deity, but that was not why he was here. This was where people came for answers. Jack just had to find the right questions.

He stepped lithely up the marbled steps. Despite his days spent drinking and scrapping for change he had not lost any of his conditioning, lean muscles lent a little definition to his chest. He still found it hard to swing the greatsword at his shoulder, but he had had precious little reason to in honesty. Knives and stranglers cords were faster and much quieter methods and needed much less tuition. He narrowed his eyes and checked the purse he wore about his neck. It carried a few coins from his stash and he hoped it would be enough. Information was expensive, but still... sometimes just asking the right questions could carry you just as far. He ducked his head in reverence as he entered, a god was a god after all, and made his way to the private booths.

"A moment of your time Priestess." Jack offered, his face carefully reverent. Chatting up a lady of the cloth had bad consequences.
[i]They tell you never hit a man with a closed fist. But it is on occasion Hillarious[/i] - Mal

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Post by Meridiuz »

The priestesses of Pecunia weren't as charming as the priestesses of Pan, however, businessmen were easily swayed by the charms of a woman and thus they made good use of that at Pecunia's temple. The priestess had long blond hair and blue eyes. Her toga showed quite voluptuous shapes and she greeted Jack with a warm, very well trained, smile.

"Good day, sir. Welcome to the temple of Pecunia. Please, follow me." She guided Jack to one of the empty corners where two seats stood in the corner. The seats were across from each other, but without much distance between them as the usual conversations were done in a soft, almost whisper voice. Next to it there was a small table with a decanter of whiskey and two tumblers on it. "Please, have a seat." She smiled and poured the whiskey into the tumblers. She handed Jack his tumbler with whiskey and then sat down across from him, looking at him with her blue eyes and charming smile. "Tell me, how can I be of assistance?"
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Post by Jack Farrell »

How may I be of assistance?

Jack smiled back happily to the Priestess. He was careful not to allow himself to become too relaxed in her company. If a pretty smile could drag words from your lips before they had been properly considered, then hips like those could prompt a confession. He looked down at the whiskey before him, letting the liquor touch his lips but not really swallowing. Anything less could be considered rude, but he was not about to let himself get drugged, doped or drunk when so much could ride on the next words to come out of his mouth.

He smiled and spun a circlet between his fingers. Jack had a little more where that came from and a crown besides from his stash, but there was no need to evidence more wealth than his attire suggested. He just hoped the amount wasn’t insulting.

“For the Temple roof, priestess,” he offered with a grin, “and your time.” He did not smile quite so broadly as a coronet appeared in his palm in addition to the first coin, leaving no question over which he valued more.

He had to choose his questions carefully for he doubted he would receive the answers he wanted. It was going to be the act of asking that achieved his goal, and the wrong question could prove costly here.

I can’t just blurt it out can I? The Scouts do seem to value discretion.

“I seek the location of a certain group of people Priestess. An agency. Such information is not common knowledge, though it is known that the Temple of the Golden Goddess deals with certain secrets.” He took a breath to steady his voice before continuing. “An agency... similarly concerned with secrets themselves. I would know if the rumours I hear are true of a... guild... that wars against the shadows within the Rocky Isle?”

There. Blurted nice and loud with all the grace of a charging Ox.
Last edited by Jack Farrell on Sun Aug 24, 2008 1:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Grey Wolf »

Pecunia was all about subtlety and efficiency and soon after the pair sat in their corner a heavily armored and armed guard moved to mask them from the other temple visitors, as well as to ensure they had the needed privacy. As the coins appeared the girl glanced at them and then looked to the side where the temple itself stood, its roof covered in golden scales, and knowing Pecunia’s reputation it was likely made out of actual gold and not just painted that way. She did not reach for the money, but merely smiled a smile that showed she approved of his approach even though it was not quite what people usually did. “Such donations are best put in the donation boxes, sir, but there is no rush. Let us first discuss your problem.”

Her face remained impassive throughout his question, not betraying even a hint that she knew what he spoke about. “Would this agency have a name, sir? It would be far easier for us to seek out the contacts you need if we knew whom we were looking for. As you put it there are simply too many possibilities and our primary goal is to provide you with the correct answer. With the answer you pay for.” She smiled again that well-trained smile of hers before adding. “Every person that comes to our temple is a value customer. And paying customer’s wish is a command here. I am sure we can provide you with what you need. For the right price of course.”
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Post by Jack Farrell »

Jack paused for a flicker then a smile flashed across his face to cover his embarrassment. Too many possibilities? What am I getting into? He had supposed that there were a few different factions in the underground war, but too many to name? Or perhaps it was simply that the names were out of his price range. He listened carefully to her words, searching for nuance or stress in the delivery that might better guide his questioning. She was, however, a practiced hand at this. Jack could well have been discussing the time of day with an alabaster figurine as her finely crafted expression.

He spoke plainly, the smile fading as the discussion broached the heart of the matter. “The guild of Imperial scouts would be the name.” Jack replied quietly as he leaned close and considered his next statement. The reference to due payment not gone unnoticed.

“Though a name is but the form following the function of what and what I seek is access.” He paused to watch those alabaster features; a suspicious reaction, a greedy one – anything for a flash in her eyes. Jack considered how much further to press his questioning… There was no need to inform her of his motives, at least not yet. Such information was currency here and he presumed his own tally ran high enough as it was.

“This access need not be bought with guile of course.” He added, his eyes remaining locked on hers. “It is not my intent to steal myself into their garden. Though I would, of course, appreciate discretion with regard to third parties.”

He sighed and sat back.

“I would assume such information might exceed my means though I might venture that the words of the golden godess need not be bought in coin alone.” He narrowed his eyes in further question, “what fee would you have me pay priestess?”
Last edited by Jack Farrell on Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Grey Wolf »

Jack got the reaction he sought when he mentioned the Imperial Scouts, the priestess arching her well sculpted brows upward in something akin to surprise. She listened to him and did nothing to interrupt, giving the man a benefit of a doubt before casting him into a role of an ignorant fool. “I fear you must have made a mistake. Imperial Scouts Guild is an organization of information gatherers and pathfinders working for the ruler of the Empire of Seven Isles. To approach them one need only make their way to the castle up on the hill and ask for a meeting with their representative. That would most likely be the new head of the organization, or someone a bit down the ladder.” She paused and then offered the man a chance to redeem himself in her eyes. “That hardly requires the services of our Temple even though we will gladly accept your donation, despite the rather lack-luster assistance we provided. So this makes me wonder if perhaps you had something else in mind. Maybe you wanted to approach them more discreetly?” She paused again and then offered a first free piece of advice and given her religion probably the only free bit of advice Jack was going to get. “Or perhaps you were seeking another organization that worked similar to the Scouts, but due to your lack of local knowledge got confused?”
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Post by Jack Farrell »

Jack's smile flashed widely and rocked back in his seat. Honestly? Are cloak and dagger so easily bought that you need merely ask a guard for direction? The notion in Jack's mind was of something certainly more elite and definitely more secretive. Jack's plan shifted quickly, perhaps he had been misinformed and in either case, here was an opportunity to learn something new.

"Apologies priestess. It is as you say, my knowledge of local politics leaves much to be desired." He cleared is throat and began again, any chagrin left smoothly behind.

"It is perhaps not the Scouts per se that I seek, if an audience is so easily bought. Enlighten an ignorant vagabond if you would, for I fear this cross-roads is an important one in my journey and I should not like to miss-step again. This organisation you speak of... a little more information if you would?" Jack interlaced is fingers and paid close attention.
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Post by Grey Wolf »

The woman nodded at Jack’s request, her eyes going to the coins she all but refused mere flickers before, the information he sought certainly worth what he was offering and more, but what little she could give him would be covered by the money he had. “Perhaps I was unclear before. The Scouts are an Imperial organization dedicated to gathering information of value to the Imperial government and acting to preserve the safety of the Empire where other methods would prove ineffective or where the cost of other methods would be too great.” She folded her arms into the sleeves of the rich robe she wore and paused seeking the right words. “Thus, while finding their offices is easy enough, becoming part of that organization requires quite a bit of effort and dedication. And sadly joining the Scouts is something that we of the Temple can not help you with. Money does not buy one a place in the Scouts and in a way even us Pecunians are glad for it. It ensures that we too are protected as part of the Empire.”

She made a longer pause after that, a subtle wave of her hand bringing two more guards closer, the quartet of soldiers spreading out and giving them a bit more privacy. “They of course have enemies and have been dealt a rather substantial blow in the recent past. You will understand that we do not deal in rumors, but only in cold-hard facts and thus our grasp of this situation is sadly limited. We do know that for some reason there was a rather unique battle in the streets of Citadel and that the forces lead by the late Scoutmaster Manyana clashed with the.... well, troops for lack of better term of sme mysterious agency which seemingly responded to the attack upon the person of Imperial Secretary Silk by Lady Manyana herself. Other factions sought to intervene and rather tense night of fighting and death in the streets followed. When the dust cleared, Lady Manyana was dead and a number of Scouts were either dead or incapacitated. How much damage they inflicted and to what purpose we can not say, and it is possible they attacked Secretary Silk by mistake, but the fact remains that the Scoutmaster is dead and that Caesar elected a replacement a few weeks ago. Lady Kitlayna Redault, of the well known Redault noble family.” That seemed to be the extent of the information the woman was willing to share, and knowing the Pecunians more money would likely buy more information.
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Post by Jack Farrell »

There was something lupine to his countenance, a guarded thirst or eagerness that he had finally failed to conceal. For a moment, a flicker, the traveler forgot himself. It was his eyes, those dark eyes that watched her unwavering, a predator's gaze now caught sight of prey. Nothing else changed. The bronzed skin of his brow was left unfurrowed by expression of surprise or alarm. The corners of the mouth did not dance in reply or recognition, there was only a glint in the eye betraying a ruinous hunger. Here, perhaps, Jack had found his opportunity.

"If the temple of the Golden lady deal only in facts... could you alleviate any of that 'mystery' for me? Agencies, whatever their purpose must have their representatives." Jack's eyes flicked down to the table indicating the single golden crown that spun on its surface where moments before his hand had drifted.

It was almost pitiable. How easily civilisation turned upon itself. Without an external foe a nation devoured it's own, like a vast starving serpent chewing its own tail for lack of another to prey upon. Jack cared little, he had no allegiance to this nation nor any other for that matter, he trod this path only to see if he could. He had identified the darkest road, now he would see if he could walk it. So, a noble now led the Scouts? Surely there would be tension there, responsibility had to be earned - not given by a higher power. Even if that power was the freshly coronated Ceaser.

"Or perhaps your thoughts on the fine miss Redault? Does she Captain a happy ship through these troubled times?"

Perhaps he could turn the world a little to the brighter in the process.
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Post by Grey Wolf »

Had it been any other temple, or a servant of any other god, save for Ithrainne and Krynsathis, Jack’s ruse would have worked, but even that tiny flicker of hunger in his eyes, caused the woman’s finely shaped brow to rise a fraction of an inch. She said nothing, glancing at the coin, but not taking it just yet. She listened to his requests, remaining silent for a couple of flickers before taking a deep breath. “Sir, for reasons that should be obvious I can not help you with your first request. And to evade any future misunderstandings, I can not help you contact the Brotherhood because such a thing would be illegal, even if they still existed. Maybe, for a very large sum of money and given firm and sold assurances that such an action would not harm the Temple or the people of the Empire such a thing would be possible, but even in such a case I could not help you with that. Maybe Sister Katrian could and would, but not me. If you wish I can set you up with such a meeting.”

Only then did she pick up the coin, letting it rest in the palm of her hand and then answered Jack’s other question. “I am not sure I know enough of the Scouts to provide you with enough information, but I can still help you and need be set up a meeting with someone more knowledgeable within the Temple.” Folding her hands in the lap, she continued. “Current leader of the Scouts was linked to a terrible scandal some months ago. Current truth is that the rumor was not true and was fabricated by her father’s enemies, but that is not the real truth. Lady Kitlanya Redault was, if our sources are to be trusted, possessed by a demon of some power a while ago. Exorcism was performed and she was freed of the Netheric taint. Of this we are certain. Still, such an experience does not leave a person unscarred and for one reason or another she lost her sanity at one point and killed a number of her father’s servants soon after the exorcism. Rumors as to why she did it are conflicting, but all say that it was a consequence of her Netheric possession.” She glanced at Jack trying to gauge if what she was telling him was what he needed. “She was placed into an asylum and stayed there until recently, when she was supposedly cured. Soon afterwards His Majesty appointed her as the new head of the Scouts. Not surprising since they were friends from before he even was a candidate for the throne.” Another pause before eh queried openly. “Does that satisfy you, sir?”
The diplomacy is the art of saying "Good dog", while you are searching for a big rock.
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