OOC Thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=171692.msg8082455#msg8082455)<br/><br/>On the surface, things appear to be another normal day in the nation of Alera from the perspective of the average person.  Perhaps there is a little more activity going on in the politics of noble houses and the Senate, but that was hardly uncommon.  Those who were immersed in such affairs, however, knew just how turbulent the times truly were.  Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, had lost his son and heir in a sudden battle with the barbarians to the east nearly a decade ago.  His wife, overwhelmed by grief upon that news took ill and passed away not too long after.  Though he has since taken on a new wife, the union was entirely a political affair and no new heir has yet been conceived despite the years they have been wed.  Such a thing may not even be possible now that he is well within his late sixties and the High Lords of the land see the opportunity to claim the throne for themselves.  Nobody dares to take matters to the battlefield, knowing that any overt attempts to gain the crown would only brand them as a traitor causing the legions of not only Alera Imperia, but most if not all of the legions belonging to the other High Lords to descend upon them.<br/><br/>It is for this reason that the war is fought in the dark alleys, underground tunnels, and wherever else agents happen to cross one another in their attempts to give their patron political advantage.  All this in an attempt to discredit the competency of the current First Lord and other High Lords in an attempt to prove their own worth to rule the land by currying favor with the Senate.  Though, that knowledge is simply the ‘why’ behind what drives you and your group of agents who serve Gaius.  What truly matters to you is the ‘how’.  How to disrupt the attempts of those who wish to turn against your lord by either destroying his power base or, if fortunate enough, burying a dagger in his back in both a literal and figurative sense.  Your missions range broadly from the elaborate balls of the upper crust of society where politics and alliances can make or break individuals, down to the impossibly intricate and vast labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city known as the Deeps where steel and destructive magic do the talking.<br/><br/>From the outside Bakkheia just appears to be an ordinary bathhouse of pleasure that caters mainly to the more influential clientele in Alera Imperia.  Located in the fringes of Crafter's Lane, it receives plenty of business from the wealthy citizenry who venture into the area in search for the exquisite wares that part of the city is renowned for.  It is only a very select few who know of the establishment's true purpose of being a base of operations for a skilled team of Cursors, covert agents in direct service to the First Lord.  The nature of the business has the added effect of becoming a hub for rumors and gossip, especially once the very affordable liquor begins flowing.  What's more is that it isn't uncommon for regulars to be seen coming and going at all hours of the day, helping the agents to more effectively maintain the cover that is vital to their survival.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Neji121/725697.jpg)</div>On the upper level, at the end of the hall past all the private baths is a door that remains locked at all times.  Though considering the clients that venture up there are always escorted by one of the establishment's workers, it easily goes unnoticed.  Behind that door is a room that appears to be entirely identical to all the others on the floor.  At least until somebody strikes a portion of the wall at the precise location and angle to reveal a panel that otherwise seamlessly blends into the rest of the space.  It is this compartment that opens into the portion of the building that the agents are able to convene in a secure place to conduct business that is of the upmost importance to the security of the realm.<br/><br/>It is there that Daemus, the Cursor Legate and advisor to your specialized team, sits at his desk with his fingers steepled before him with an amused grin on his face.  The expression was typical whenever he had a new mission for the group based off a juicy rumor overheard in the bathhouse.  His runners have already been sent to summon his agents to the usual meeting place hidden within a secret room of Bakkheia, now it was just a matter of waiting for them to arrive.