<div class="floatleft">(http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/green-moon.jpg) </div><strong>The evening breeze was cool as the fat moon of Green Weeping gazed down from the sky, blotting out it's darker cousin.  It was the Firstday of the Waxing, the time when autumn really began to sink it's claws into the land.  It was still warm enough, and as most crops were brought in and even for the common and poor, it was a time of celebrations.  Of festivities.  Of Change.  For it was said that Weeping Moon brought great change before winter calmed all.  The whole city seemed to be holding it's breath, the colored lanterns burning bright and still in the windless air.  All was still, waiting for change.</strong><br/><br/><em>Of course, the official histories say one thing.  It was the founding families' magic which allowed them to conquer the continent after founding Sacrafel, that which gave them the right to rule over all others.  However, there are too many discrepancies in this history.  For one, a few magically inclined families, how would they alone subjugate the elven kingdoms and the dwarven clans?  They were supposed to be powerfully magical as well back in those times.  They simply didn't have the numbers, no matter their individual strengths.  So how, then?  No third-party accounts remain from those times.  The only thing known as fact is that Sacrafel conquered the entire continent in less than a decade, an impossible achievement.  And in the thousand and some years since, not once have the rulers of the city been anything but the magical nobles, descendants of those first families.  How they have managed to keep their rule intact against the overwhelming difference in numbers when compared to commoners is another impossible fact...</em><br/>-From the book "Theories on History".  Banned four months after publication, all copies ordered to be destroyed.<br/><br/>__________________________________________<br/><br/>The slowly deepening dark of the evening was severely contrasted by the bright lights of the Keep Leonid a short distance away.  Powered by magic and obscure chemistry, the lights flooded the keep in magnificence.  In contrast, the entrance to the sewer near the street corner where the group was huddled in was rather nondescript.  Decrepit, even.  The small sewer maintenance building tucked out of sight near the street corner was cobbled together of chipped stone and masonry, supplemented with half-rotted wooden planks.  Of course, it was far enough from the Keep that it was practically in the Commoners' area already, so it didn't get much city funding for upkeep or repairs.  The nobles didn't much care for the state of the city outside their own little worlds, after all.<br/><br/>Asleod crouched near the group, almost hidden in shadows as he wore a dark, hooded robe to hide his rather distinctive features.  They'd already seen several wanted posters of him on the way here, after all.  A decent enough likeness too, some guard officer or bailiff had really shelled out the dough to try and catch him.  The sound of horse-drawn carriages making their way to the keep could be heard even here, and Asleod cocked his head to the side for a bit, trying to listen to something.  Then he nodded decisively, and addressed the group with his deep baritone, making the words low enough that they almost crawled up the crewmember's necks.  Some couldn't help their slight shiver as he spoke.  There was some quality to the man that demanded attention, no matter how casual he was, how unremarkable-looking.<br/><br/>"Our spies should be in place soon enough, hopefully they'll get something useful done amidst that glitter while you get to the real work.  Soon a guard patrol will turn that corner, so I'll need to be distracting them before that, and you need to get going.  The night doesn't go on forever, and you need to be far away from there before the dawn hits.  Things are going to get rather messy tomorrow, and that's something best enjoyed from a distance.  Be careful, everyone.  Would be a shame to lose a crew moments after finally getting some competent people together."<br/><br/>His smile was almost wolfish as he took them in, then drew his hood on tighter and sprinted away towards the street while keeping almost completely silent.  His blade poked out from under the cloak a few times, but the man was almost invisible.  As the group turned back to the sewer entrance, they noted that getting in, at least this part, wasn't going to be trouble.  The padlock on chain was rusted so badly it had fallen off before, and the door was worm-eaten through and through, easy to push open.  Beyond that, only darkness awaited, punctuated by occasional slashes of light from drains on the streets.  There was a dry walkway to one side, while questionable water and mush filled the other side of the rather narrow corridor.  The walkway could only just accomodate two people side by side, if they were careful.  Of course, there was always also the alarming-looking much to wade in, as well...<br/><br/>(OOC:  Right.  The game thread is officially ON!  Sorry for the delays, army life can do that to you when you get really put through the grinder.  I should manage at least a post or two per day in the future, but don't get alarmed if there's a day when you don't hear from me.  Also, the grammar quality and post length may be rather variable for a while still, as I'm alternating between my computer and cell phone and a few other things for this.)