Rising higher

[Anastasia]

The woman wears a red cloak with a matching hood. She wears leather armor beneath it and boots, striding forward with daggers on her belt and strapped to her armor. "I had a cage warded against teleportation, just for this sort of contingency," she snatches the cage back once you've freed Grias, "It's good to meet you."

Meanwhile, Kaja draws his blade and stalks forward, "Really?"

[Nephrite]

Moore laughs quietly as he flies forward with a hand extended. "Tannin spoke very highly of you, but you have me at a bit of a disadvantage, which is probably how you like it! Nonetheless, I'm Moore, this is Kaja. Ah... try not to put this one in a cage." Moore says with an apologetic smile to Grias.

[Anastasia]

"I say not to! I say not!" Grias flutters all around the woman's hooded head.

The woman has pretty if shadowed features, hood up. Brown hair can be glimpsed. She takes your hand and shakes it, "I'll see if you can figure out my name. You did solve my riddle as it is."

[Nephrite]

"Letting your reputation precede you?" Moore asks with a smile.

All right, let's play that game. K:P (if appropriate?) for who this woman might be, knowing the fact that she apparently likes red (which I think is probably her motif) and is a psionic of some nature! I'm guessing her code terms to Tannin may be a clue too.

Anyway, K:P for 110 if that's the appropriate check. If not let me know. Though that may not actually give me her real name, but we'll see.

[Anastasia]

Gimme K:Local. It's one you don't have, so use the default for bardic knack's setup.

[Nephrite]

In that case, it's 92.

[Anastasia]

What you know doesn't narrow it down much - but you recall one tavern story. Melia Redcloak, a stealthy person of strange powers and preparations. A spy, an information broker, a strong mind.

[Nephrite]

Moore smiles and nods. "I admit curiosity, is your last name really the garb you wear, or did you change it to match?"

[Anastasia]

"My Momma and Da both had the name," A hand on her hip, "It's common where I'm from, since old King Elles knighted all his Redcloaks before he died. Pretty good, though, you're smart and well informed. This should be a treat." Licking her lips and smiling, "So what is it you need done here? Tannin was cagey about it."

[Nephrite]

"Hmm." Moore gestures for Melia to follow him. "Let's discuss this over something to eat and I'll explain. How much do you know about me before I bore you with details?"

[Anastasia]

"Duke Moore of Celestia, formerly of Aurora and current servant of Erathaol. Further details don't exist, near as I can find out. You're a bard, a performer and a gifted holy man as well. You're in a relationship with a pixie queen on Lifasa and I'm pretty sure you were recently upset over something." Melia lists that all off as she walks along.

Go ahead and lead here where you wish to, it's your fortress.

[Nephrite]

Moore laughs a bit as he takes Melia to his fortress' meeting room and offers her a seat.

He takes a seat opposite of her and clears his throat. "You're already well informed, but I'm going to give you a piece of information that I hope will... hmm. I think it'll put some things into perspective."

He takes a breath at this. "You're familiar with the Incarnations, yes? Well, Io has been missing for some countless years. He is no longer missing, in some regards, though he is in hiding."

A moment to let that settle in.

"I think there are many divine groups trying to find him right now, as may not surprise you. That isn't really what my mission is about, but it's part of it. My group's current goal is to weaken and hopefully have a hand in eventually destroying her, but that's... down the road. I'm not much of an infiltration specialist or information broker -- that's where you come in. I need to be kept up to date on the goings-on of... well, a lot of things. My understanding is that is your area of expertise."

[Anastasia]

"Actually, I don't know what an Incarnation is," Melia says, "I didn't follow half of that, so walk me through that again?"

[Nephrite]

"Oh." Moore smiles and laughs quietly. "I'm sorry. The Incarnations are three individuals who created Creation, including the gods themselves. For countless years, Ao was the only one who existed. It was thought that the others had left Creation entirely. Ao was the one who would grant people divinity, also, which... was a problem, is my understanding."

I'll admit I'm a little rusty on if they stand for anything specific here, or if there are other details specific to him that I'm leaving out.

[Anastasia]

"Io I know, and that's not Ao, right?" Melia says, "Io's a dragon deity who did vanish a long time ago. Regardless, I'll get some information on it. So you need a spymaster?"