086: Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me

[Sierra]

<@El-Cideon> "You simply *must* bring me along when you receive your invitation," Shandria insists to Stephanie once the party has departed the gala event and returned to the temple. "You will, won't you?" she adds, not desperate at all.
<Steph> "I suppose I could," allows Stephanie. "But what shall I say you're there to do?"
<Julia> "She's your personal assistant?" Julia suggests brightly.
<@El-Cideon> "Yes, I am sure that a prestigious household should have many uses for my various talents!" she declares in agreement with Julia. "But if martial vigor is the only interest that your new employer should have, I am not wanting in that category either," she adds.
<Julia> Having expected her to be insulted or demeaned by such a title, Julia rocks back on her heels a little in surprise.
<Franceska> Seeing all these desperate devils has done a lot to disillusion Franceska of Hell's supposed fearsome might, so that's a good outcome from her visit.
<Steph> Stephanie, likewise, is silent for a moment as she awkwardly rubs her head. "We'll, um, float you a sending!" she replies, nodding. "They run an army or something, I'm sure they need lots of competent lieutenants!"
<@El-Cideon> Shandria nods in satisfaction. "I look forward to our assured and mutual professional advancement," she says before departing back to her dreary archives job.
<Julia> "Seems like someone made an impression," Julia says once the devil's left.
<@El-Cideon> Afterward, Rosemund feels obligated to point out: "Stephanie, have you noticed that you are very good at making friends in places where we really should not be looking for friends?"
<Steph> "She's not my friend! She's a filthy devil! I'm just pretending!"
* Franceska scoffs.
<Julia> "Really, toying with that poor girl's feelings? I'm disappointed," Julia says, shaking her head in sadness.
<Franceska> "We are in hell, I suppose, and Stephanie fits in quite well," Franceska muses.
<@El-Cideon> "So you're just using her after all!" Crier sing-songs. "Hey, don't worry, that's the way everybody works here. She probably feels just the same way."
<Steph> "Well, obviously I'm fitting in," complains Stephanie. "Geez, what's wrong with you people? Do you want to stick out like the good and wonderful people we actually are?"
<@El-Cideon> "Just promise that you will not try *too* hard to fit in," Rosemund requests.
<Franceska> "Just don't try to bring her with us afterwards," Franceska adds.
<Julia> "I just think it's clear that Shandria's become rather taken with you, she'll likely be devastated when she learns she was only being used," Julia says dramatically. "I'm sure she'll put on a brave face, tell herself it's only to be expected from anyone in hell, that she was a fool to have hoped... but she'll be crushed, I know it."
<Steph> Stephanie rolls her eyes. "And then she'll swear revenge, and then I'll kill her when she tries to enact it like these prideful idiots always do. Easy. Problem solved."
<Julia> "No, she saw your killing prowess, she won't be that foolish. She'll just go back to her dreary archives job, having learned the important lesson of never opening her heart to anyone."
<Steph> Stephanie peers suspiciously at Julia. "What are you trying to pull? What, d'ya think I should cut her in on the take after we're done? Fill her empty heart with gold?"
<Julia> "I'm just trying to make you aware of the consequences of your actions," Julia says with all due sincerity. "Also she's so pitiable it's hard not to take her side."
* Franceska rolls her eyes.
<Steph> "Uh-huh. So, Ms. Psychology, given those consequences," replies Stephanie, peering at Julia. "What do you think we should do, exactly?"
<Julia> "Well, you could tell her our plans?" Julia suggests, looking caught off guard as if she never expected to be called on her playful banter. "That way she'll either prove her worth and you can take her away from all this as a valued friend, or she'll betray us and no longer have my pity," she concludes, regaining her surety.
<@El-Cideon> "Or we could just never talk to her again," Rosemund casually suggests. "After all, it is not as though we will be staying here or ever coming back after the mission, which she is not a part of anyway!"
<Steph> "We're not so hard up that we need to tell our plans to a cog in the machine around here," replies Stephanie, stretching her shoulders. "Rosemund's right! It's a bitch move to leave her hanging but it's worse to stiff her by fraudulently dragging her into a robbery." The tiefling makes a face, and shakes her head for a moment. "I can't believe I just said that. Hey, Crier, does the temple
<Steph> make wine?"
<Julia> "Oh, all right," Julia shrugs but relents in further teasing.
<@El-Cideon> "Make? No. Steal as 'donations?' Yes!" she replies happily, setting the pace for a no doubt relaxing evening. The next day, invitations are delivered to the temple by impish courier for both Stephanie and Franceska, elegant handwriting offering to both the prospect of formal interview for application of employment on the morrow. Transportation and, on hire, lodging to be provided for both and personal entourage if necessary. As to this latter, Masuko has the following to say when the designated morning comes: "I'll need Crier to accompany you to get the lay of the manor. One of of the two of us needs to see the grounds personally in order to guide the Titan's Carcass directly onsite for our assault, and frankly I'd prefer not to leave her alone on the temple grounds unsupervised for an indefinite period of time. Do whatever you can to compile a complete picture of the grounds and house defenses."
<Julia> "Oh, can I be part of your entourage, Franceska?" Julia asks.
<Steph> "Sure thing," replies Stephanie, yawning. "I guess that means you're with me, Rosemund."
<Franceska> Franceska briefly feels regret at having left Darrin home, but only until she reasons with herself that bringing him over would have been horrible. "Would we be interviewing at the same time?" she inquires. "Or separately?" At Julia's question, she smiles. "I see no problem with that."
<@El-Cideon> "I am sure that I will be a more faithful personal assistant than some other people might have," Rosemund declares.
<Franceska> "Don't take pride in that. You're competing with a nameless bureaucrat in Hell."
<@El-Cideon> Masuko gives the invitation another look and shrugs. "It is not in that way specific," he answers Franceska.
<Julia> "Ohh, are we rivals now?" Julia asks Rosemund, eyebrows raised.
<Steph> "Maybe there'll only be one position, and we'll have to fight for it!"
<Franceska> "In any case, does it mean Crier should come with me while you keep Stephanie from messing things up?" she asks Masuko.
<Steph> Stephanie peers at Masuko for a moment. "He doesn't look suitable for this kind of meet'n'greet operation."
<@El-Cideon> Masuko shakes his head. "I'll remain here so that Her Grace knows where to find me when I call for the rest of the company to join us. I'm afraid it will be upon you to keep your companions in line," he adds under his breath.
* Franceska gives Rosemund a pleading look.
<@El-Cideon> "I will also do my best to remind everyone that the inevitable round of righteous violence should wait until the proper time," Rosemund promises.
<Steph> "If everyone's finished untwisting their knickers, shall we go?"
<Franceska> "Just one thing. Julia, could you summon something small and easily overlooked to scout the grounds once we're there, you think?"
<Julia> "I could summon a shadow but it wouldn't last long..." she sighs then, missing Leslie's comforting presence. "I could bind an imp or something here to bring with us, I suppose? Otherwise if we get any of the staff alone I have ways of making them talk?"
<Franceska> "Let's bring one, then, just in case?"
<Steph> "Now who's making inappropriate friends?"
<Julia> "Alright, you'll need to wait a while while I set this up then," Julia says, going to a corner where she can start drawing up a small magic circle against evil. "Actually I'll just summon Thing, that way I won't have to pay any money. So long as he stays invisible and hidden it should be okay." And with that Thing is retrieved from whatever depraved business he'd previously been engaged in.
<@El-Cideon> Thing appears paused in the act of...scrubbing something very thoroughly? He looks up from the act of scouring the temple's already spotless floor to wilt a little under his mistress's gaze. "Didn't do anything wrong this time!" he insists automatically.
<Steph> "Unless they have an erinyes on staff."
<Julia> "Yes, hiding's more important than being invisible," Julia admits. "And no Thing, you did nothing wrong. We just need you to help with scouting out a greater devil's mansion." Wait, said that way it does sound like punishment...
<Franceska> "Then he will just need to be very stealthy, if he wants to avoid terrible punishment worse than death?"
<Steph> "If he's spotted even once, the whole city will try to fall on him from being what he is."
<@El-Cideon> Thing looks around, appears to take in his surroundings and properly feel the powerful resentment the world itself has for him. "This Baator," he mutters, followed by a string of Abyssal invective.
<Julia> "Yes, but you'll be able to strike a blow against hell the likes of which no other quasit could dream!" Julia enthuses. "Now turn into a bat and hide in my pocket okay? That way no one will see you," she says, opening a pocket in her robes for him.
<@El-Cideon> Thing is more than happy to be out of sight, and quickly obliges!
<Julia> "Alright, are we ready to go, then?"
<Franceska> "Quite."
<@El-Cideon> Two carriages shortly turn up to convey the party to their destination. They are gilded and embellished as expected for a prosperous lord of hell, but more distinctly they are also sturdy and very secure. Nightmares expectedly pull them along at the behest of humanoids covered too thoroughly in armor for you to discern any distinct species. The manor itself has more the look of a fortress than a luxurious palace, all black metal with windows too narrow for anyone of average humanoid size to slip in or out. A metal golem warding the gate stands aside to allow the carriages access. Within, the cornugon's mansion is more austere than most; though the dimensions are all out of order for human scale, what ornamentation there is seems almost perfunctory. Scarlet, waiting in the foyer for your arrival, more than makes up for this deficit with her own gaudy attire. Jill Cook is waiting with her, and a handsome human woman with long black hair and a traditional maid's outfit stands by Scarlet's side. "Welcome to our house," Scarlet says with a smile. "So happy that you could make it."
<Steph> Stephanie decided to cede talking to the obvious slut to Franceska, instead keeping a professional and quiet demeanour.
<Franceska> "Quite happy to be here," Franceska returns pleasantly, ignoring Stephanie's presence entirely. "Thank you for the invitation."
<Julia> Julia remains submissively placed behind Franceska and a little to the left, playing the dutiful attendant.
<@El-Cideon> Rosemund hangs back beyond the "applicants" with Crier, playing the part of obvious lackey for the moment.
<@El-Cideon> "The master of the house would be happy to get right to business," Scarlet says. "Of course, since your talents run to different vocations, meetings will be conducted singly. The rest of your companions I shall show our hospitality while we wait. Now, who would like to put business before pleasure?" she asks, looking between Stephanie and Franceska. Jill, standing a step behind Scarlet, gives Stephanie a significant look.
<Steph> Stephanie tilts her head a little at the look. "If I may," she says, deciding it was a signal of some sort.
* Franceska gives a slight shrug. "If you would prefer."
<@El-Cideon> Scarlet nods, brushing a tumble of crimson hair from her face. "Of course. Miss Cook, if you'd see Miss Sundown to the master's office? The rest of you may follow me." Jill turns to take a corridor at the left of the foyer, gesturing for Stephanie to follow her, while Scarlet and the maid start up the grand staircase in the center of the room.
* Franceska follows Scarlet, after a glance at Julia to see if she would need any cover to release her familiar here.
<Julia> With no erinyes in sight, and Thing invisible, Julia half turns away from Scarlet so the pocket on the opposite side is hidden as it opens just a little bit and then stops moving, the invisible Thing off the leash to do some scouting! His orders are of course firm in not making any contact with anything, which shouldn't be an issue given his self preservation hopefully overriding his
<Julia> mischievousness.
<Julia> roll 1d20+18 stealth, +20 to everything without see invis/true seeing
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+18 1,0stealth, +20 to everything without see invis/true seeing --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{20}
<@El-Cideon> OOC: noted!
<@El-Cideon> Scarlet leads the way to the manor guest wing, and offers the party seats around a ring of comfortable chairs mostly proportioned properly for human visitors. "Can we offer you anything to eat or drink?" the maid asks politely as Scarlet herself settles onto a sofa to lounge decadently.
<Julia> Julia stands behind Franceska rather than availing herself of a seat. She's not the one being interviewed after all, just a mere flunky her!
<Franceska> "It's not a good idea to drink before a professional interview," Franceska muses, taking a seat opposite the sofa Scarlet has deposited herself upon. "However, my assistants can indulge themselves if they so wish."
<Julia> "Oh, m'lady is too kind to us," Julia gushes, taking that as all she needs to drop herself into a seat and smile across at Scarlet with chummy familiarity. "I'll have some tea please. Oh, and do you have any of those little fluffy cakes?"
<@El-Cideon> "Of course," Scarlet acknowledges this show of responsibility with an amused grin. She addresses the maid: "Wine for myself. Clear water for our guest if she should find herself parched after all, and tea for her pale companion. Something light to nibble upon, as well. I leave it to your discretion, Sylvia." The maid nods and disappears back downstairs. "Now," Scarlet says while you wait, "I'm sure the master of the house will have all manner of searching but ultimately very *dry* business to talk about with you, so I see no reason why you shouldn't relax a little beforehand. Perhaps you could tell me about yourself? From where do you hail, originally?"
<Franceska> "Originally?" Franceska muses. "Here. I spent quite some time on Prime, but then ended up leaving to explore the planes. As expected, they were all quite terrible in their various ways, in particular the Abyss where most things needed to be killed for their offenses. And now, I find myself back here, where it feels quite comfortable for a change."
<@El-Cideon> "The authorities keep things very much in order here," Scarlet admits. "I suppose given how much rabble they have to organize for this interminable war of theirs, it's quite necessary." She sounds uninterested in the fates or personal details of the countless multitudes that throw themselves into the grinder of the Blood War every day on Baator's behalf. "It sounds as though you've yet to find yourself a proper home."
<Franceska> "Fire is too hot, and Earth is too exhausting. Then, you have a plane filled with elves, or a plane filled with demons." Franceska shudders. "How can such things exist, I ask myself constantly."
<@El-Cideon> "Well, to hear the local bosses talk here, one day--one day!--it will all be arranged properly on these other worlds under baatezu aegis." She shrugs, again sounding personally unconcerned with political business. "Until then, the rest of us will just have to stomp personally whatsoever nuisances see fit to irritate us. Ah, here we are!" she says happily as the maid returns. She hands Julia a delicate porcelain cup filled with steaming and fragrant tea, sets a platter full of pastries and a glass of water on the central table, then walks over to hand her mistress a goblet of wine, which is drunk with relish.
<Julia> "Oh, thank you!" Julia smiles brightly at such service, sipping her tea and then grabbing a pastry.
<Franceska> "I don't quite hold that same long-term view," Franceska muses. "As a mortal, it doesn't seem all that wise to look beyond your time. It sounds like a good way to end up working endlessly for no result or personal enjoyment."
<Julia> Julia bravely refrains from looking superior at the talk of mortality.
<@El-Cideon> "I understand," Scarlet says with an agreeable nod. "I've always found it much more satisfying to live in the moment, myself. All the schemes that these devils get up to! And to know that all your plans might eagerly be disrupted by any of your rivals with half a mind to benefit from your loss? Why, it's a wonder to me that any of them find the will to get out of bed. I leave the schemes to them; far more rewarding to savor today's triumphs, yes?"
<Franceska> "Quite," Franceska agrees. "And it is such a sensible approach to life!"
<@El-Cideon> "You know, I'm surprised to find such an agreeable soul petitioning for our master's favor," Scarlet says. "They're quite stolid sorts that come looking for patronage, really." She puts on a calculatedly serious expression in mockery. "Like, oh, more or less all of my coworkers?"
<Franceska> "It is a very solid way to leave the temple's temporary patronage and find a more secure employment," Franceska muses. "What better way to figure out if living here is truly for me than that?" The conversation is turning to a subject that interests her, however, and she asks, "They're not the agreeable sort, then, regrettably?"
<@El-Cideon> "Well, they're all just so humorless!" Scarlet admits. "If this position weren't such a rewarding one, I might have gone elsewhere long ago."
<Franceska> "Oh, truly?" Franceska says in shared sympathy, inviting her to continue.
<@El-Cideon> She nods. "Oh yes," she says eagerly. "Master Krae might acknowledge the many *uses* of wealth, but he has little interest in it personally. He's been gracious enough to grant me considerable liberties with the spoils of his many extraplanar campaigns." She gestures with one densely decorated arm, and bracelets clatter and glitter.
<Franceska> With an appreciative look, Franceska smiles, saying, "At least it doesn't seem as if you have much competition with those liberties, so that's one upside of working alongside humourless people?"
<@El-Cideon> "It's true," Scarlet admits. "They all have their own hobbies, and they rarely conflict overly much with my own."
<Franceska> "Even the wizard?" Franceska asks. "I'm afraid I heard some troubling things about him, and I am quite glad for this chance in relative privacy to inquire about it."
<@El-Cideon> Scarlet sits up at this. "Oh, my dear, he will take advantage of you at the soonest opportunity. My advice is to make it clear immediately just why he should not try such things. I think he is much too scared to try any enchantments on me again! And that Miss Cook, why, one good thing that I can say about her, she cut one of his hands right off. I don't know whether you need to go *that* far to make the point," Scarlet admits. "But it would be rather funny, wouldn't it? Seeing him try to play tricks on anyone with no hands?"
<Julia> "If he tries anything funny I'll take care of him, m'lady," Julia promises with all due seriousness.
* Franceska laughs in amusement. "So he can be taught. That's quite reassuring."
<@El-Cideon> Scarlet smiles brightly at Julia. "I look forward to seeing just what manner of discipline you favor, dear," she says.

~

<@El-Cideon> Jill leads Stephanie down a hallway flanked with an array of closed doors, boots echoing sharply off of cold, hard floors. "You came a long way to find me," she observes in a neutral tone, without looking directly at Stephanie.
<Steph> "Well, returning lost and stolen things is my hobby," replies Stephanie, thumbing her pendant.
<@El-Cideon> Jill's answering expression is highly skeptical. "I wouldn't earn much favor wearing that here," she points out.
<Steph> "I picked it up from Ashpile after we evicted the garrison. I don't know why the thugs there kept it," muses Stephanie. "But it's just a shiny rock on a string, really. The truly lost thing is you. What are you doing here, Jill Cook?"
<@El-Cideon> Jill's expression is guarded. "You believe I don't belong?" she asks simply. "As for the 'thugs,' I suppose that one of them must have thought it a suitable trophy."
<Steph> "In the employ of a devil? A strange place for a storied hero to be. The notion of it is a bit horrific, especially to me." Stephanie shrugs. "The rest of your friends were under duress as well, imprisoned here and there. What about you? Do you want to leave?"
<@El-Cideon> "Necessary work is not always found where we might expect it," Jill answers. "Nor under the banner that we might in earlier times have chosen." Without addressing questions or moral implications in any way, she goes on to assume, "So you are Solati after all. I am surprised that I remain spoken of to any extent." Something else catches her attention, and she asks with her maintained neutal expression, "'Were?'"
<Steph> "They're free now. At least, as free as you can after going through such trials. The recovery process will take a while, but..." Stephanie shrugs. "So is this a greater good thing, huh? Gotta work with the devils for a higher purpose?"
<@El-Cideon> Jill gives Stephanie a sidelong glance. "Tell me what you've heard so far," she requests before directly answering the question.
<Steph> "I know your soul still belongs to you, and that you're too strong to truly be kept here against your will. Maybe for a little while, but not for an extended period," muses Stephanie. "It seems unlikely that the devils could break you and rebuild you into a functional tool, too. So instead, I think you're here deliberately, and my assumption is that you're working with Merowyn... sorry, it's
<Steph> 'Polaris' now, isn't it? To do something right, but unconventional."
<@El-Cideon> Jill stops, and looks at Stephanie. If anything, she appears confused. "This sounds a longer story than time may immediately grant you to share," she assumes. "Suffice it to say for my part that I've not heard that name since I left her company on Fire."
<Steph> "The way things are going, I suppose we will have the time to go through it."
<@El-Cideon> "The manor is large, but not infinite," Jill says drily.
<Steph> "Unless I get the job." Stephanie eyes Jill. "So to get back to the original point. Just why are you here? Exactly."
<@El-Cideon> OOC: can you roll diplomacy? Or just CHA if you don't have ranks
<Steph> roll 1d20+10 stupid hell
<Steph> OOC: no, I can't roll dice
* Rei-chan (Rei-chan@cpc9-sgyl30-2-0-cust73.sgyl.cable.virginm.net) has joined #themanor
<Steph> roll 1d20+10
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+10 --> 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{14}
<@El-Cideon> Jill pauses long in consideration. Ultimately, she turns and continues down the corridor, toward where a bullish, metal monstrosity guards a grand doorway. "As I said, necessary work," Jill sums up rather stiffly. "You are not the only one with a long story behind her. Perhaps we can share later. If you don't tell it to him, first."
<Steph> Stpehanie shrugs. "Perhaps."
<@El-Cideon> Jill walks the rest of the way to the door in silence. Phalaris is a rather grotesque construction up close. The crudely riveted joints of this bestial figure's armor--if armor it actually is--are stained with old blemishes that could be merely rust, dried blood, or some combination. "Weapons," he insists of Stephanie in a guttural voice. "You will not greet the master armed."
<Steph> The devils appear to be regrettably sensible, forcing Stephanie to pass her favoured implements to Jill.
<@El-Cideon> OOC: hiding anything to carry in secretly or handing over everything?
<Steph> OOC: I have a bag of holding that's filled with stuff
<@El-Cideon> OOC: just making sure!
<@El-Cideon> Jill dutifully stows the offered weapons in a nearby cabinet, raps upon the door, and leads Stephanie inside at a barked acknowledgement from the other side.
<@El-Cideon> ~