switzerland ♔ the words tightening around my throat

[silverguardian]

WHO || Nyna, Cara, Felicity, Stiles
WHAT || The Knights are sent to hear about a prospective job from an art collector
WHERE || Bern, Switzerland
WHEN || April 13th, 2015
HOW || Actionspam

The streets of Bern swell with the myriad sights and scents of its industry: the wood and polish of carpenters' shops, tantalizing aromas wafting from dozens of bakeries, and the heavy oil scent of artists.  Meanwhile, hundreds of rich colors give the district an appearance of a holiday festival.  The townhouse of Asheron Coyl comes into view, perched on a small rise that overlooks the street.  A low fence covered in vines abuts the street.  A gate opens onto a flagstone path that wends past frozen flower beds, fountains, and sculpted shrubs to the front doors.  A bell hangs next to the gate, reading "Please ring bell" in several languages.  With an 11 disguise check, Nyna didn't really bother to dress all fancy, opting instead for her paladin armor, sorry guys.   She can be the sexy bodyguard.  

Comments

[druidisms]

[ shaking off the apparent wave of vertigo he got from the spinning floor, gus steps up behind stiles, putting his hand on his shoulder and casting barkskin for an effective bonus of +4 to stiles' ac. eyeing the women and realizing he'd need more room to get his murder on, he leaves them to assault the armor. ]

You have about ten seconds to surrender. That's your last warning and I'm not actually real big on warnings.

[ sorry to ruin all your hard work, stiles. ]

[mordsith]

[Cara is at a loss here, because on one hand she wants to keep hitting the thing that keeps hitting her -- but it doesn't seem to be doing anything... other than getting her hit.

She takes a step back, putting herself on guard, but not advancing on the target.]

I can do this all day. [No, she probably can't -- but (bluff 24) she might be good at making it seem like it.]

[allmydreams]

Your little revenge trip killed our friend.

[Felicity is going to keep her focus on the knight as she speaks, but she takes a cue from Cara and steps back, but her gun is still drawn.]

We got past your defenses because this needs to stop.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the man steps behind the guardian, raising a hand and saying a word in some magic lingo to it that causes it to grind to a halt with its hands raised to slam into anyone who dares to step close. ] Lower your weapons, if you don't wish my shield guardian to add to that toll.

[trebond]

[ Alanna looks like she


hates this plan


for about twelve reasons, not least of all that she still can't shake how unnerving she finds his appearance, but her fist tightens around the crystal sword and slides it back into its gilded hilt all the same. With feeling. Worst case scenario, like, she has magic, but at least he's talking. ]

You're lucky you still have a head to bark orders with, given what's passed here. You have a lot to answer for.

[behindcloseddoors]

I do? [ he snorts ] Endrik Archerus is the man who did wrong here. And he answered for it already.

[killingtodeath]

Okay, well- first of all. Who are you, dude? And why are you living in this weird secret passage?

[druidisms]

And who has a fucking firebreathing dog?

[mordsith]

[Yes. Cara too would like the answers to these questions.]

[allmydreams]

[Felicity also hates this plan, but she will take her gun off the shield guardian, lowering it to her side but not putting it on the ground.

That being said, she does want to point out one things:]

Archerus stole your paintings. You were the one who killed innocent people.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he narrows his eyes, straightening up and lifting his chin. ] My name is Imron Gauthfallow, and what Archerus stole from me wasn't mere art.

I hail from Faerun, where I studied extensively the wizarding arts. My style is unique in that I have discovered a way to combine my arcane talents with my artistry to enhance the viewing experience - something that gave me a distinct edge over the local ... competition. [ he sneers ] I showed the people of this world sights and exotic creatures from beyond it that surpassed their wildest imagination.

Archerus [ he scowls the name ] began presenting works to nearby galleries that were not merely copies of my originals, but copies of those that had not seen the light of day in public. He'd somehow stolen ideas from my works in progress, and passed them off as his own.

It seemed that my own servant, one who I had bent over backwards for, treated as my own family, betrayed me to that fool.

[trebond]

But it was your wizardry, not Archerus, who created them to come alive. Your magic that killed them.

[behindcloseddoors]

My magic that sought redress for the harm done to me, no more.

[killingtodeath]

It did a lot more, sorry to break the news. But here's the thing- on this side of the Veil? You can't just go around exacting revenge. Not unless you want guys like us showing up to shut you down. And I don't want to do that. You seem like a cool dude. Your paintings are creepy as fuck, but that's your business. But one of our people got hurt- not to mention the innocent people who received those paintings and got killed by paint monsters.

[He's sort of rambling now. What was his point again?]

So...are we cool? If we leave, will you stop making paintings come to life and kill people?

[druidisms]

[ gus is just gonna hold an action to deck this bitch if he decides the tiniest human isn't making the most sense.

also maybe because he just wants to punch him idk. ]

[mordsith]

[Cara is also holding her action, because this just... doesn't seem like it should be this easy.]

[allmydreams]

[Felicity is also going to be Team Held Action, watching the man carefully as she tries to determine how he's going to play this (sense motive 18).]

[trebond]

Magic is a gift. It's not for you to dole out judgments against those who slight you with. Misusing it has consequences.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the man looks wary at alanna's addition, and felicity would suspect that he had doubted stiles would really allow him to walk away, and her follow-up all but confirmed that. ]

Magic is more than a gift. Like art, it is the product of long hours of work, study, commitment.

I've earned the right to wield it, and I will not be threatened by whatever thugs my enemies have sent.

[allmydreams]

We weren't sent by your enemies. Archerus may have told us where to find you, but he's not why we're here. We were following the paintings, and looking for answers regarding the death of Asheron Coyl - who's innocent servant was almost killed. The painting you sent to Vittanis was almost unleashed on a room full of dozens of innocent party goers. And Nyna Dilant, our friend, did nothing to harm you and the creepy hag in your painting tore her throat out. She was a paladin - did she deserve to be a casualty of your revenge?

[He's so set in his ways, so unable to see past the harm done to him and too wary to trust them to end this peacefully. There has to be a compromise somewhere, and she's hoping that maybe a larger sense of the collateral damage will help (diplomacy 23).]

We didn't come here looking to hurt anyone. We came to speak to Coyl about a job. We stayed and stopped it because people were getting hurt. We certainly didn't come here trying to get in the way of Archerus getting his because I'm sure he deserves some kind of comeuppance for what he's done, but this isn't the way. I understand that your art is important to you, but there are other ways of getting justice.

[trebond]

If you won't be reasoned with, then you'll be subdued. We won't allow you to continue misusing it for your own means instead of seeking justice via the channels this world provides. Your magic does not put you above the law!

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he looks slightly more subdued by felicity's argument, though he still keeps a wary eye on alanna. ] What are you proposing, then, should I agree to your terms?

[allmydreams]

We will convince Archerus to answer for what he stole from you. If not in a court of law, then in the court of public opinion. He will lose his reputation and his standing in the art world.

[Intellectual property laws aren't something she knows particularly well, but she's pretty sure that they can at least get him to admit on the record that he stole Gauthfellow's work.]

But three people are dead. You need to answer for your crimes too.

[behindcloseddoors]

I will not be jailed over Endrik Archerus.

[allmydreams]

You're not. You're being jailed because you murdered people. One of whom was a person we cared about. Would you prefer we exact our vengeance on you?

[Her voice is tense as she continues to speak, trying to maintain that connection she'd seem to be building, but she's losing some of the cool she had earlier (diplomacy 9 action point says 19).]

Because that's not going to solve anything. I'm pretty sure my friend here - [she means Gus.] - is probably ready to set you on fire for the life of our friend that you killed, but we don't want to kill anyone if we don't have to. We'd rather settle this peacefully. You really think that Archerus is going to be happy about this either?

[She rests one hand on her hip as she stares him down.]

The best compromises are the ones where no one is happy. So it's your choice. But we're not leaving without settling this, either the easy way or the hard way.

[So that's his choice - either the hard way (Alanna, Gus and Cara) or the easy way (Felicity and Stiles).]