Mechanus Trip

[Anastasia]

'Mmm-hmm,' Antenora agrees.

Next move here?

[Ebiris]

Probably easier to deal with the devil and then look at fixing the laws, so I'll follow Antenora's lead for how she'd prefer to go about that.

[Anastasia]

As you go out, 'Let's go meet the devil, see if we can easily coax him into a fatal mistake,' Antenora sends to you.

[Ebiris]

Marie nods and heads to where gossip suggests Simande's stomping grounds are!

[Anastasia]

Simande resides in a comfortable ale house, where the clientele drinks and talks quietly. Dimly lit, comfortable indeed. Deep, soft chairs, warmth from a fireplace and the scent of food and books fills the air. Simande himself is sitting at a table, enjoying a glass of ale and reading some papers. He's a classical harvest devil, save for a pair of spectacles.

[Ebiris]

'Well Antenora, going to walk up and stab him good?' Marie asks as the pair of them walk in through the front door and look around. 'Or have something more cunning in mind?'

[Anastasia]

'Nothing like that. I'm going to befriend him. He's intelligent,' Antenora remarks, 'Unusually so for a harvester devil. I think I can coax him to see the error of his ways. If I'm wrong, well, diplomatic immunity is a useful tool.'

Antenora strides right up and takes a seat opposite him. She smiles as he looks up and says, "Miss....I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting?" he says, wearing a rich green robe with pants glimpsed below. He smiles is natural one, all easy, debonair charm.

"Antenora Reynes, Opal Angel of Redemption," Antenora offers right back, a server coming over with ale, placing it before Antenora. She has a sip and settles in, smiling back.

"I can't say I'm familiar with you," Simande says, "But I do focus on more...mortal matters, you understand." An almost sheepish look, an aw shucks sort of smile that wouldn't melt a snowflake.

"Nor am I familiar with you," Antenora sips away, "But my own focus is on cosmic events of titanic importance, such as chastising the new Lord of the First or seeing that Shar is held in check. Important matters, I'm sure you understand." Her own smile is ever so slightly cutting, the two exchanging a long look.

"It seems we move in entirely different circles," Simande concludes, putting his papers down and taking off his spectacles, letting them fall atop his papers with a casual flick of his wrist.

"We do. You are in the circle that is commonly mistaken for vermin. Whenever I step about, I crush them understood with no effort whatsoever." With an even sweeter smile free of any malice at all, Antenora meets his gaze.

> roll 1d20+47
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 55 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+23
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d20=15]

Force helpfulness used.

Simande hesitates one moment, visibly so. Antenora pauses to drink as the harvester devil rallies himself and then continues. "Duke Agares was a powerful opponent, but is now forgotten into the annals of Hell. Have you heard of Natara? A powerful soldier who served Abigor, yet who came in second best against my spear." Antenora taps her weapon down for emphasis, the dull thunk of the wooden shaft echoing in the increasingly silent bar.  "Lixer, Abigor, Bel, the Spark Hunters. So many opponents who utterly failed."

Simande's color drains as Antenora focuses on him, a shaky smile that's fading altogether, "Ah, I see, I see," he manages, voice a little too quick. "T-then shall we negotiate for your purpose here, Antenora?"

"A lovely idea," Antenora flashes him a real smile, "I'm here to get to know you, make you a friend. A friend who stands to profit immensely if we get along."

Simande blinks one moment at that, his color brightening as he takes a breath, "Now you're touching on my specialty," Simande says,

"But first," Antenora pauses, "Let me introduce you to my wife, Marie. Say hello, Marie."

[Ebiris]

Marie listens along to Antenora's spiel, rather enjoying how impressive it all makes her sound, until she's dragged into the conversation. "Hello," she raises a hand and waggles slender fingers in a wave. "I'm Marie. I don't really have a long list of impressive deeds and vanquished foes under me, unfortunately. I'm more of an assistant to the really impressive people like Antenora. I hope we can get along!" she gives a nice friendly smile to keep on the same wavelength as Antenora.

[Anastasia]

"Ah yes, she's only done a few things," Antenora doesn't miss a beat. "Recently, she was with me and others as we stormed a demonic fortress on Limbo, crushed all who opposed us, slew the Radiant Sister of Malcanthet who ran it and then dealt with the aspect of Chourst who came to play." A pause as she sips her ale slowly, "Trivial things for us, really."

"Hel..." Is all Simande gets out, freezing at Antenora's words.

"Ah, I understand." Antenora says, smiling, "Worry not, we won't further badger you with events you can scarcely imagine and scarcer accept."

"...perhaps that would be wise," Simande admits, "You're rather above my own experiences." He goes for his own mug of ale, drinking deeply. Marie can spot his hand shaking as he does so, ale sloshing before being gulped down.

"Yes, I've experienced things of a richness you can't begin to understand, not yet. I'd like to help you with that, help you profit beyond your wildest dreams. Simande, what have you been doing here?" Antenora leans forward at that.

> roll 1d20+47
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 56 > [d20=9]
> roll 1d20+23
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 37 > [d20=14]

A pause. The two stare eye to eye before Simande gulps. "Field work, ma'am," he says quickly, "Mortals here who are not sworn to Mechanus are likely well suited to my efforts, because they are lawfully inclined or sympathetic to lawful causes."

"I see." Antenora sits back and closes her eyes a moment, as if considering. Her voice is slightly sharper now, "Show me all the contracts and soul pacts. Now." There is an undercurrent of authority in her voice, something that makes Simande sit straight up.

"Yes, m-ma'am," Simande gets up, fumbling in his robes for something as he hurries off.

"Oh, and Simande," Antenora's voice is softer now, friendlier, "I'll take it as a personal failing if you decide to run off. You don't want to let me down, do you?"

"N-n-no ma'am!" Simande hurries off even faster, running to the back of the tavern, all eyes on you.

[Ebiris]

Marie drops herself into a seat next to Antenora then pushes a foot against the table-leg to rock her chair backwards, balancing it precariously on only two legs. "I'm still building my reputation," she says cheerfully on the topic of her recent adventure.

[Anastasia]

"We'll see it rise up yet," Antenora concurs.

'Now he should understand I am a superior to him. Our telepathic conversations have further cemented this.' Antenora sends, 'Like this, my words likely cannot reach him. He is too evil, too prideful. But to position myself, give him the shock he needs to truly listen? It will be the first step.'

[Ebiris]

'Sounds like a plan,' Marie responds telepathically. 'Going to go through all his contracts to get them annulled?'

"I wouldn't want to shame Alicia by not doing so," she agrees aloud on the subject of raising her reputation. She's a proxy after all, that has expectations!

[Anastasia]

'Mmm-hmm,' Antenora sends right back as she drinks more. 'Would you like a mug? It's high quality. Simande has good tastes and a good brewer.'

[Ebiris]

'Oh go on, I figure we'll be here a while,' she responds amiably.

[Anastasia]

Surprisingly not. Simande hurries back, an armful of parchments and papers. He places them down quickly, "Here, ma'am," he says, breathlessly.

"Fantastic," Antenora puts down her ale and examines the first. Not for long before she holds it up, "Unacceptable."

> roll 1d20+30
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 40 > [d20=10]

The parchment bursts into hellfire, crumbling into dust in seconds.

Simande stares, "My contract!" he wails, "That was worth two souls!"

"It is worth no souls now," Antenora's voice is sharp, lapsing into Infernal, "You think this impresses me, Simande?" Antenora reads the next, this one passed to you. 'Put it away for later, this one is deep enough that the victim will need to atone.' The third is read and held up, bursting into hellfire as well.

Simande stares, paler and paler as Antenora goes through them all. By the end Marie has three contracts in hand, the rest dust on the wind.

"You have utterly failed," Antenora continues, "Do you see that now? Your foolish strutting has attracted the attention of a superior, who took the time from her own work to instruct you on your failures. All your work here is meaningless. MEANINGLESS!" Antenora rises, slamming a fist down on the table. The wood cracks and snaps from her blow as she gazes at Simande, who cringes back.

"None of that has any meaning compared to this!" Anteora says, meeting the cringing devil's eyes.

> roll 1d20+10
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d20=15]

Antenora glows with a faint opal light, the hope of heaven spreading throughout the tavern.

Simande falls back, dazed. He stares at nothing at all, Antenora's expression softening. "But you see that? There is hope for you and every other creature in Creation." Her voice is softer now, "Take my hand and we'll begin to travel towards that. It won't be an easy trip, it'll be the hardest thing you've ever done, but the reward there is beyond anything Hell could ever give you."