ravenDivinity

The Relics (No Plot/Fantasy/Character Driven/Worthy of Skepticism)

I'm out, I've lost interest.

When the Flames Die

"Yes," Gareth chimed from the front of the group after Sophia as the quartet approached the exit of the corridor into the great hall, "please, indulge us, who catalyzed your escape?" He ran a hand through his hair and combed it over to the side, while he thought over the near-future. Feril likely sought to avoid confronting the Order, like Gareth, or at least for a little while. Harker didn't want to negotiate terms with Thomas, but it was necessary if the party wanted information from Wallace. The squire oscillated between flexing out his palm and balling up his hand during his mental detachment. Before he could register, his hands were opening a door for the group and holding it for everyone instinctively. Coming to, Gareth scoped out the crowd of nobles upon their entry into the great hall.

When the Flames Die

Gareth sighed deeply as Sophia returned to the group. "I suppose we must go through the Order now, if we wish to learn anything."

This development significantly hindered progress; the adamance of the Order in its objectives was extremely difficult to break. Only a strong and adept speaker could cripple their resolution, and Gareth hardly considered himself versed in rhetoric, even if he put quite the effort in his formative years into understanding it. "How we pervade the shield of the Order I know not." Harker shifted on his feet and changed to a stance appropriate for departing from the dungeon corridor. "Arduous, however, it is." Yes, indeed the task proved laborious. Perhaps he could stall the group until the anticipated confrontation with the Order by engaging in banter with the nobles in the great hall and unraveling the mystery of the gathering there. The half-elf started the group off to the great hall. "Come, ah, let us go."

When the Flames Die

Gareth 4 Regent 2k14

When the Flames Die

In the back of the group with Eva, Gareth leaned over and whispered to the maiden, "By spirits, it is I who seeks audience with the regent, Sophia..." In reality, it was necessary for Harker to talk to Wallace in private; the one whom they sought for information would confide more in Gareth whom Canti would obviously trust more. He remained alert, his eyes scanning the area around them during Sophia's initial exchange with the guards, although an attack in the middle of the day was highly unlikely anyway.

When the Flames Die

All manner of nobility greeted the group's eyes upon their entry into the grand hall; henceforth, it wouldn't be past Gareth to make a bewildered remark. "So many people packed in one room, ere they are like pigs in a pen." He ushered the group near the wall of the room, out of the dense, bickering throng, and inwardly he noted the king's continued absence after the death of Karl Leid. Harker turned to the courier as she opened her mouth to speak again, and the news that she could recall the location of the dungeon pleased his ears so much so that he clasped his hands together and grinned.

"Oh, splendid! Please, lead us." Harker stepped aside and allowed Feril to place herself at the front of the group. Hopefully no negative confrontation would meet them on their path through the castle. Perhaps they could return to the great hall in time to see whatever announcement or some other that the acting faction in control would deliver.

When the Flames Die

"I suppose they would," Gareth replied, "however, I'm not exactly certain I hold enough authority to carry insider information." He took a sharp left around the corridor to the great hall. If there was any particular place where they could anticipate activity, then the great hall would fit the bill. Considering Wallace's imprisonment, Harker knew exactly where he could find the man, but he just needed to figure out where on earth the dungeon was, in an underground area for certain. "Um... I could seek audience with Wallace in the dungeon..." Gareth looked at Feril as they, along with Sophia and Eva, entered the great hall. "But I haven't the slightest where it is."

When the Flames Die

Should I wait for some guard or a member of the Order to confront the group or continue their entry into the castle by directing them to the great hall?

When the Flames Die

Gareth headed through the bronze gates of the palace, and he nodded to the guard, stationed there by the open portal onto the grounds. The group's surroundings looked almost gray and cold as Harker pulled open the large doors of the castle and allowed the party inside. The area still seemed fairly empty and unoccupied aside from a skeleton crew keeping watch, the place equally vacant as it was when they left it the night before. "Where do we start?" he asked, question aimed at no particular person.

When the Flames Die

On Sophia's word, Gareth pivoted on his foot, and he started out for the palace, his figure weaving its way through the patrons of the inn on his path to the door. It seemed his words had an effect on the others in the troupe, and again Harker found himself with stark ambition and firm resolve, an optimism which could carry the group far in their exploits. Although trepidation pervaded his every action, the idea of returning to the castle and hunting for more information failed to daunt his discovered fortitude. Even his social impairments did not hinder his character, with traits fitting of a leader, and Gareth emerged the clear head of their group, united in acting as one body. As he rounded out the door onto the street, aloud he said, "Sophia, Feril, Eva..." Harker swallowed and stifled a cough. "I believe we now take up our pose as a force for good."