A blessed homefront

[Ebiris]

"That's what you've all been telling me, yeah," Marie says to the one that just spoke up. "So who was this demon Sharran bitch? People strong enough to topple fortresses, they make names for themselves. Reputations. It's never some stranger out of nowhere, not unless you built this fortress on some seal from a million years ago and popped her loose."

[Anastasia]

"The Empty Gale," One says at last, "That's what she called herself, like it was some fucking title. Like we should be honored and impressed."

[Ebiris]

"Heard that one before?" Marie asks, looking over at Antenora and giving her a prompt to get involved and show that she's more the brains of the duo.

[Anastasia]

Antenora glances over. "Yes," she says plainly, "One of an elite group of Sharrans that needs to be dealt with."

A few murmurs of agreement with that, low pitched.

"I may find myself in a position to...do something about that. This Empty Gale offends me," Antenora declares.

[Ebiris]

"Tch," Marie makes an unhappy noise. "Ask about payment first, bleeding heart Mistress," she complains. Then she looks around, "Not sure anyone here's in much position to pay premium though. Who even owns this place? Or are they dead with no one to replace them?"

[Anastasia]

"Dead. Dead and gone," Is the answer from the one who let you in, coming in behind you. "It's just us."

"As I thought," Antenora goes on, unbothered. "Simple. I deal with the Empty Gale and I own this fortress. Will any of you challenge me on that?"

Eyes go back and forth, but none speak up against it until one steps forward. Dragonish as well, but a crystalline gleam instead of white to his body. "You kill that bitch and you can have what little is left here."

[Ebiris]

Marie's shoulders slump. "We're not looking to put down roots. Still... someone like that probably has a hoard worth of artifacts on her body," she rubs a clawed finger over her scaly chin and straightens up. "So was she looking for something here? Someone?"

[Anastasia]

"And this is why you're a minion," Antenora declares, "No vision! You don't have to put down roots to have property be prosperous and profitable." She gestures grandly, "One of the greatest powers in all of Creation is interest and investment."

"She never said," The dragon answers back, darkly, "It was all a bit of fun for her."

He's lying.

[Ebiris]

"Looking for fun? I don't buy it," Marie shakes her head. "When a Sharran just wants fun, they'll find some convent full of do-gooders to raze, not a shitheap of desperados like this." Jabbing a claw forward at the group, "Something brought her here, and she left you lot alive when she'd either found it or made sure it wasn't here to start with."

[Anastasia]

Quick Sense Motive, +3 bonus.

[Ebiris]

[17:03] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+75 divine insight used
[17:03] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+75 divine insight used --> [ 1d20=11 ]{86}

[Anastasia]

Guilt. Hidden, almost impossible to catch. Yet to you it is plain as day. The dragon knows, he knows all too well.

[Ebiris]

"No one?" Marie asks after a moment. "Well. Suppose that means everyone here died for nothing. I'm up for taking on a bitch like that but if there's no trail then we're wasting our time," she turns back to Antenora as she says that.

[Anastasia]

"Too bad," Antenora says, then coldly, "The dead die unavenged. Did they even care at all?" Her gaze settles on the dragon. "Did you?"

> roll 1d20+81 divine insight +3 circumstance Intimidate Antenora
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+81 divine insight +3 circumstance Intimidate Antenora --> [ 1d20=19 ]{100}

A whimper. A noise much like one, "My fault..." the dragon breathes. Silence as every eye turns to him - anger, shock, disbelief. "I...brought Shar on this place."

[Ebiris]

"So now we get to the sordid truth of it," Marie says before that silence can turn to violence. "What, try and get her to off one of your rivals and end up with more than you bargained for?"