William
Lancel Horace
The Vermillion - Rikolto

Heinrich entered to find the young leader of the reavers with his back facing the door, yet he somehow was able to remain aware of Jericho's position in the room after he endtered. His sight was absorbed by a sculpture of grey marble, depicting a strange young woman.

"Do you know what are the most popular themes for sculptors?" He asked Jericho. "Statues of rulers, always needed to quench the ego of the kings and queens that govern our lands. Statues of deities, always in demand by the wisdoms and local temples. And of course, nudes. Which one do you think this is, merchant?"

It was a tough question. The woman depicted by statue in question had a small crown and a sceptre: marks of royalty. She also had nature symbolism embedded in the scant few clothes she wore, hinting at the representation of a deity. However, the sensual pose the artist has chosen was too suggestive for any godess other than Auryn, who was not traditionally associated with either crowns or floral ivy.
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, The Vermillion, Terresol

Jericho had pondered for a moment or two, knowing the passion people had for politics and religion was overwhelming. Both topics made people hate each other or gather as one, nudes held no true meaning aside from literature and *Other* Purposes. "I'd say Royalty... A king's greed is stronger than many others, and so they become egocentric, and so they pay artists coin to sculpt them and forever add them to the history of the land they once ruled."

Jericho had went silent for a moment, who knew that the leader of a band of outlaws was such a philosopher? He looked around the room while the man had his back turned, eyeing it for anything of note.
William
Lancel Horace
The Vermillion - Rikolto

"Not bad," Replied the bandit leader. "I personally believe that that the artist intended to portray Charity Lane, though given the raunchiness of this particular piece, I doubt it the queen comissioned it herself. 
If you ask me, this sculpture strikes me more as a stroke to the artist's own ego: he wanted to blur the line between the figure of the queen and that of the godess Camira, but ended up creating something which is neither one nor the other. In other words, a piece who won't sell. A real shame, since the sculpt is masterful."

Lancel moved towards the statue, and slowly caressed the stone with the tip of his fingers.
Then he pushed it.
The scupltue fell from the very top of the atrium and shattered on the floor with a thunderous crash that stopped all other noise in the Inn.

"You cannot have everything," He said. "In life, as in art, one must make sacrifices. I managed to hear from up here that you failed to the money you promised us. Why then, did you bother to come here? Did you expect us to handle our prisioner and forget about our due, merchant?"
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, The Vermillion, Terresol

Jericho didn't flinch at the loud crash and stared at Lancel, his charm turned to seriousness within an instant, his eyes locked on the man in the room. "I haven't failed, I promised in five days I'd have your gold but I came here to tell you that rather than meeting at the swamp, I'd prefer we meet at my place of business. If you want more gold, more than you alone can carry, hear me out tomorrow..."

Jericho didn't stutter and made it clear he meant business, but not in the way Lancel was thinking, Jericho meant the type of business that killed people and their families when they don't have the money, Jericho meant the business where you sacrifice it all including your own family to make it big, Jericho was talking about blood business and he didn't make that quite clear, no... Today he made it look trivial. Today he made it seem as though it were a simple business deal but in his head he knows that things will being going across the line of 'too far' in mere hours. 

He was willing, Jericho's eyes read like he wanted business alright... He wanted blood business. "So... What do you say about joining me tomorrow for a meeting? I have a proposition and I feel as though me and you could become partners..." Jericho raised his brow and awaited an answer.
William
Lancel Horace
The Vermillion - Rikolto

"Tssk," Lancel wasn't as thrilled by the idea as Jericho had expected, but he accepted nevertheless. "Fine, Syanna and I will go to your emporium tomorrow at noon. I do have something I need to discuss. You better have the money ready by then."

He turned away from Heinrich and returned to his normal mood, which Jericho could only describe as resentful melancholy.
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, The Vermillion, Terresol

Jericho returned to his neutral stern expression but as he turned his back he could only cock an eyebrow, a peculiar encounter. "Your money will be there, it was a pleasure."

Jericho turns and walks out of the room and down the hall, leaving the wretched place and returning to his horse. He shook his as though he was stunned from the mans unpredictable mood. Jericho had to come up with a secondary plan... And fast. 

With that, he rode off back to his trading hall, a slight grin on his face but nothing more. He had a meeting to prepare for.
Kenneth
Cleos
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

Cleos reclined in the soft fabric. The sensation made little shards of memory fluttering through his mind. Faint ones. Sitting in a luxurious carriage, wearing silk, a book in his lap—it offered him a lovely, forgotten warmth.

He gave her apology a dismissive palm. "It's alright," He said softly, "I've made much of the time in between." There was a twinkle in his eye as he lifted his book to her attention. A thin leather strip was wound tightly around it, safeguarding away weeks of work.

"As regards questions, I suppose I'm *Most* Interested in what happened at the Council. All the stories I've heard—witches, shapeshifters, a marriage arranged in a single day—is it all true?"
Betty
Magistrate Serafina
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

"Yes, it is all true, though much of it was unnecessary and completely unrelated to the original purpose for which we went. Queen Anyanka Durkhan was attacked by a shapeshifter. Instead of death, the creature was given to the Paladins to be dealt with." Serafina shook her head, the memory of the beast chained in front of them nude flashing across her eyes. It had been detestably uncomfortable and should have been handled more privately. But, of course, there had to be a show of it. Far be it from the Taemarians to have a semblance of propriety. 

"Lady Anna Barrmount graced the Council with her presence, seeking assistance for the war Ice Lord Carter is fighting against Nathanial Vivayn who had marched upon the Iron Plaines. She offered her hand in marriage as payment and Queen Lucrezia offered Lord Pinewood, a friend of the royal family, and the Ibbish armies assistance in return. The two were wed, though it was more than a single days affair in celebration, I'm sure." She chuckled. 

"As for the witches. Well." She paused, not fully convinced that witches were, in fact, the true cause of the plague, but the truth would be revealed in time. If the plague stopped spreading then perhaps it held a semblence of truth. If it continued then she would add the Paladins to an ever-growing list of people with a penchant for unnecessary blood spill. "Allegedly they were the originators of the plague. The Paladins prepared a party and killed them all, if everything happened as it was reported. The plague should stop spreading now, but that remains to be seen. It is unfortunate that no remedies were provided and no one offered information as to how to slow the spread. My hope is that Emin has provided our Physics with knowledge to do just that if the plague has not been ended. If it has, we can thank the gods for their intervention on our behalf leading the Paladins to a root cause no one suspected."
Kenneth
Cleos
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

Cleos turned his head to gaze out the window. Drifting off for a moment, he contemplated the vastness of lowland pasturage and meadows. There was a little village in view; a dark detail in the landscape, cultivated land all around it. He frowned ruefully. "I hope it's over soon, whatever the cause. I want to be a brave ruler, but ... Well, when some lord feels the need to shut a family in their home as they waste away, I'd rather not be the ultimate authority behind that." He thought for a moment, and looked up. "Penultimate, perhaps," He said, the words soft and uncertain. "I hope that one day I'll be the right king to guide the people through such dark days. One day."

Looking down at his lap and shifting his legs, he asked, "Was her Royal Majesty there?" Was it right for him to call her that? The poor woman was on her way out now, and he'd be the one taking her place.
William
Felix Reed - Rikolto trading hall.

Jericho found felix playing with a small black cat, the same one as before. The apothecary was feeding him pieces of swamp fish, and occasionally whispering into his ear. Weird.

"Oh, Heinrich! Your're back! How did the meeting go?"

He had turned his head before Jericho had entered his field of view. Once again, weird, because the cat was the only one who had seen him coming. The small creature kept staring at the merchant with hypnotic cobalt eyes, almost as if trying to pierce Jericho with his gaze.
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

Jericho walked into the trading hall, merchants scattered throughout the room discussing their own matters in a sanctuary, of course at a fee. 

As Jericho approached Felix he noticed and gave a peculiar look to the cat before he had turned to Felix, his expression confused but accepting of the oddity. "It went well, two of them will be coming on the morrow. If two of them are gone, it's a fair fight when the other two come looking for them. Lancel will be coming here and and I believe he had said Syanna was going to be accompanying him. With those two out of the way, the others will soon go after us and it will be their turn to go."

Jericho said this as though it were an easy task, he had confidence and was ready to see if Felix was up to the task of truly ending another man's life. This was his test yet he wasn't informed, the less informed the better. "Now if you don't mind, could you whip up that poison? It'd be best sickly sweet, for better mixing in the wine."
William
Felix Reed
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

"Wait? Only two? Nonono. Who is not coming?"

This was the first time Jericho had seen feel alrmed about the Sable brotherhod. He closed the cupboard where the poison was stored and demanded to be given the full details.

"If we're going to risk our necks for this revenge, it better. Honestly, I beleive it would be better if we just give them the gold, or if we get out of Vikolto as soon as we can."

It didn't escape Heinrich's attention how the apothecary had used the city name chosen bay the followers of Tiny Vik instead of the city's actual name, but asking him about it now would only derail the conversation.
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

Jericho scoffed at the mere notion of handing them the money and the idea of leaving this place as soon as he had arrived. He would let no man expel him from his new life. "Leave? Give them them money!? These notions are preposterous. Felix, we have the upper hand, the only ones not coming are the large fellow and the red headed woman."

Jericho knew the big one was a threat, a big one quite literally but had an idea of how to end him. "Listen well Felix, it will go as follows. The two will arrive, we will discuss plans for partnership and drink a toast, they will soon die. If they for some reason they do not drink, stand by the doorway we will ambush them as they try and walk out with the coin, blades dipped in poison. At this point we have a very short span of time before the other two suspect something so we will quickly go to the Vermillion and ambush them, using poison blades to ensure the job was done."

Jericho sounded confident and serious, he knew his plan was solid even after the change. "Felix I cannot do this without you, I can't be a one man band and as my partner who took you from their clutches this is my final favor I could ever ask of you. Pay me back, you would have ended up in a ditch somewhere for the maggots if I hadn't stepped in... Do me this and we will prosper as successful business men..."
William
Felix Reed
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

Felix stared at the ground. "We can't go trough with this. Why couldn't you just ignore them? They are on the run, they would't have been able to collect the full payment. All you had to do was leave them alone, but now you invited them here!
You were not there in Ibethiel. The one you call "Big one", Marius Falke, is a veteran of the Red Guard. He killed seven soldiers when escaping the dungeon and defeated an Ibbish knight before that. The black-haired girl is his sister. If you kill her, he will follow us to the end of the earth and tear us limb by limb. Doesn't help that the Redlin girl, the readhead, is a good tracker."

The cat stood frozen over the window, paralyzed by Felix's stress.

"Why, why, why?" The apothecary sunk his fingers into his hair. "Why couldn't you let them be? Do we at least have the money?"
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

Jericho shook his head, this was ridiculous! "You are unwilling to try for the sake of this business, I too am a veteran-..." As if Jericho had said something forbidden from the world, he covered his mouth briefly for a few moments. "Fine. We have money if you truly wish to hand it over to them... You were real expensive let me tell you, an expensive business partner." 

Jericho sighed, grabbing parchment and tearing it before writing in exceptional cursive 'Forget the meeting, here is your payment. Farewell'.

"There, happy? The elaborate planning gone to waste... Such a shame."
William
Felix Reed
Tradin Hall - Rikolto

Was he serious? Was he angry at him out for not sticking to his reckless plan? A plan that relied entirely in the bandit's willingness to drink the poison?

"Yes, I am happy," He said, and he turned on his heels, pretending to be angry.

In truth, he was glad that Heinrich had decided him to handle him the money, but not because he intended to pay it back himself. Oh no, that would be suicide. Besides, the Sable Brotherhood would soon become irrelevant.

Pyotr attempted to follow him, but Felix silently ordered him to watch Heinrich. Then he left the hall with the parchment in hand.

But he didn't head over to the Vermillion. Instead, he went to the pilgrimage.

There was buisness to be made.
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

Jericho sighed, he had nothing better to do but to execute his plan. He caught up with Felix, "Where are you going with the parchment? I was intending on delivering the coin now so I could talk with those masked fellows."

Jericho didn't seem angry anymore, nor frustrated. He simply was back to plotting, trying to rid himself of the burden that was the Sable and end the tension between the two. Felix still was Jericho's friend in his eyes.
William
Felix Reed
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

"You are right about one thing, we are not going to pay the Sable. But we won't get rid of them by luring them into drinking their own piss. We need a more... Majestic solution."

Reed pointed towards the pilgrimage's gathering of masked men.

"Look friend, the future," He said. "Whether they are prophets or demagogues makes no difference, they will soon be the rule of the region, and we will be able to profit from it."

It was a shame that he could not explain to Heinrich why it was such a geius idea. This new faith of Tiny Vik traded in miracles, even if they had not realized it themselves yet.
And Kiervan Czerich was a witch. He could could make miracles happen.
Once he had donned the mask of the visionnaires, there would be nothing that the Sable Brotherhood could do. Not because they would be unable to recognize him, but because they would be unable to touch him.

This was exactly what he had been waiting for. Who else could have the widespread authority to collect the arcane lore that he wanted to bring back to the Azarayan Academy, other than a church? A church not bound by the restrictions and dogma of the Southern Pantheon, but vision. Tiny Vik had named his servants right. The pantheon was a faith of conformity, this was a faith of ambition.

No place was more fitting for him.
George
Jericho Heinrich
Rikolto, H&R Merchants Club, Terresol

Jericho smiles wide and patted his friend on the back, "You and I both think alike, getting on the good side of these people would do us nothing but good... And I have a plan on how to do it. You had more knowledge about the Sable and knew better than I, it should have been left in your jurisdiction. But people, profit, and persuasion are my territory... You and I both should go into this."

Jericho smiles again, this plan couldn't fail. Jericho knew how to get illicit products, Felix was an apothecary for the sake of the lords. It was a perfect storm. With what Jericho had planned, this couldn't fail, not for the life of him.
Betty
Magistrate Serafina
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

Serafina kept the mask of empathy up as he spoke, but his words sent doubt coursing through her veins. Being King was, by definition, the ultimate authority and he would have to make uncomfortable decisions for the good of Terresol. Ones that could not be rules by his feelings. "You will have hard decisions in front of you, Cleos, but you will not be alone in making them. Your counselors exist for a reason and I will always be there. More important than both, the gods will always have sound counsel. They have and will always put their people."

"Yes, the Queen was there." Serafina replied, her tone hardening slightly. *'Not for the right reasons, however.*' She continued in her mind, thinking of how often the bed in their room had remained empty during the evenings.
Kenneth
Cleos
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

Cleos pondered that for a moment, then looked at Serafina with narrowed eyes. "What sort of mood is she in?"
Betty
Magistrate Serafina
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

"I couldn't say." Serafina let her eyes travel to the window and the countryside rolling by. Shaking her head, she sighed. "The Queen spent many nights at the Council in places other than our designated rooms. I can certainly speculate as to where she was, but it would be unfair to accuse without hearing from her." She returned her gaze to Cleos. "I waited for hours at the carriage the morning we had planned to leave and she never showed. Eventually, I left without her. We had been gone from Terresol for too long and you had been waiting longer than I anticipated."
Kenneth
Cleos
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

Cleos nodded. A sincere gratefulness filled his eyes. "I appreciate your being so considerate, Serafina. Thank you."

He rested his head back. Despite her lowly origins, he'd always pictured Charity as a very tidy woman. And yet, here was her own religious advisor, subtly accusing her of fornication, perhaps even adultery, or some other unsavoury deed of the night. Cleos thought it very bold of Serafina to leave without Charity, but he supposed that it was a clear sign of her withering loyalties. In trying to shorten his already-overlong wait, she had decisively chosen *Him* Over *Her*. The weight of that fact bore down heavily on his mind. Already he was having a tangible impact on the higher affairs of Marin; such a thought would have been something he'd think of in passing and chuckle at if it had struck him but a few weeks earlier.

"What's this about a war in the North? I don't know much about that part of the world." He looked at his book. "Um ... Yustus has taught me about it, of course. The Witherlands are ruled over by a man named Marshall Caradar, right? Though he isn't a king in the sense that I am—*Will be*, I mean."
Betty
Magistrate Serafina
The Falsan countryside, Terresol

"Ice Lord Marshall Carter." She corrected, emphasizing the name. "And he is a King as much as you will be, but the Witherlands are much larger than Terresol. Each region is ruled by a Great House under which their are noble and other vassal houses. The war in the Witherlands is not one to be overly concerned about. To my understanding it came about because Nathanial Vivayn believes he is the chosen one of the Frozen Gods." She smiled, chukling at the absurdity. "It is an interesting myth, if you get the chance to study it. Despite their beliefs, the Frozen Gods have never answered the calls of the Witherlanders, especially with the current war. Instead, Vivayn is ravaging the lands killing thousands in their name." 

Pondering the situation, Serafina noted a similarity and continued. "One may wonder if Terresol was forsaken in its time of great need because our leader disgraced Saris and the pantheon. The gods reward strong faith, Cleos. You must never forget that."
George
Jericho Heinrich
*V*Ikolto, Terresol

Jericho discusses his plan of action with Felix, stating that he will go out through the town and become allies with The Pilgrimage and their leader while Felix was to do the same, both representing the H&R Merchant Club. Jericho saying he'll meet him on the other side after getting friendly with the proclaimed new order. "I will see you on the other side, friend. And don't forget to let them know we are the owners of the trading hall! Good luck."

And with that, Jericho made his temporary departure for the day. Jericho would proceed to the current protests held at the Magistrate. Jericho decides to start there, him approaching the followers and respectfully introducing himself. "Salutations gentlemen, I hate to intrude but... This place has peaked my interest... I've heard a lot about this following and I've come to learn more about it."

Jericho had spoken in a humbled tone, allowing the followers to see his respect towards the following. It is always important to show any clergymen or anyone expressing worship respect, and Jericho hasn't faltered in that.