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<willows> A few moments' discussion with the Triumph suggests that the Circle confer with the Silver Prince.

<willows> .....

willows is now known as ST`

<ST`> The Silver Prince's soulsteel robes are pulled tight today, their razor edges cutting into his dead flesh. He is enthroned on a silver dais, darkened by a spreading pool of his blood.

Arkadi arches an eyebrow but says nothing

Osprey stands impassively, apparently oblivious to the necrotic grandeur of the Deathlord's audience chamber.

Gia whispers to Osprey. "Looks like he needs a new tailor." Pause. "And a medic."

Malic looks around, vaguely interested in everything.

<ST`> Five stools clatter across the floor on clawed feet, and arrange themselves around the dais. "Please, be welcome. Sit if you would like to."

Arkadi focuses on a point slightly above and to the left of the Prince's head

<ST`> "I'm sure you'd like to know what the Triumph of Melancholy was about, just now. Unfortunately, it requires lies and extravagant means to attract the attention of the agents of the Loom. I apologize for the things I was forced to arrange."

<Arkadi> "Forced?"

Gia simply raises a crimson eyebrow.

<Malic> "You arranged the accidental digestion of two Sidereals..to get someone's attention?"

<ST`> "As you're aware, one of my peers has been...tinkering...with destiny in the East."

Osprey glowers, arms folded under his dark cloak.

<Osprey> "It had not escaped my notice."

<Malic> "We noticed that, yes."

<Malic> "The whole thing with doom and demise, the wrenching of destiny."

<Arkadi> 'Tinkering is putting it midly...'

<Gia> "So why couldn't you have had Melancholy Defeat mention that while he was in Yu-Shan, instead of arranging murders?"

<Arkadi> 'Kicking it in the arse if a better way to put it.'

<ST`> "It should also not escape your notice how broad his tinkerings are."

Osprey shoots admonitory glances at his two colleagues. Mild in Gia's case, just short of hostile in Arkadi's.

<ST`> The Silver Prince doesn't explain that it helped his goals to arrange those murders, in a way that less excessive measures would not have, but the implication hangs in the air.

Gia flushes ever-so slightly and looks apologetically at Osprey.

<ST`> "I could tell you that master Aulenfall was in league with him, and I thought it good to dispose of him while I had the knife to his throat."

<Gia> "Which of your.. colleagues.. are you referring to?"

<ST`> "I don't know whether you would take this to be true, and I want neither to defame the dead, nor to insult your intelligence in that manner."

Gia eyes His Bodhisattvaness critically.

<ST`> I am referring to the Eye and Seven Despairs.

<ST`> ("")

<Malic> "And he seemed one of the nicer Deathlords trying to destroy all of life and fate. Um, your Bodhisstavaness, what exactly did you want to get our attention for?"

<ST`> "Eye's fingers are longer than you know, and deeper into things than I'm comfortable thinking about."

<ST`> "You see, while he had not fully corrupted the late Chosen, he was certainly trying to seduce him to the cause, and the shape of the Star of Dirt and Doubt is notoriously convincing."

<Arkadi> "Huh..."

<ST`> "Cast the signs on his star once it is reborn, and you tell me whether it's wrapped round with darkness."

<ST`> "So I killed him to buy you time to investigate further."

Gia begins to fidget subtly, communicating with Malic through the Blue Verbain Binding between them.

<ST`> The Deathlord seems to think this was the most elegant solution.

<Gia> his, we are definitely going to have to summon Doran's ghost.]

Osprey scowls. "Have you called us here for some purpose, Deathlord, or do you merely wish to gloat?"

<Gia> "How do we know the darkness surrounding his star was not put there by your own hand, and that you are not dispatching us to harry your rival?"

<ST`> "You don't trust me. Good. Are you willing to follow me to my map room? It is just down this hall."

Osprey gauges his comrades' feelings on the matter with a sidelong glance.

<Malic> "Since we came here, there isn't much reason not to."

<ST`> He stands up, shakes a bit of blood off of himself and his humming sword, and walks.

<Gia> "It would be a pleasure," Gia said, obviously not feeling pleasure in much of anything.

<ST`> In the map room, star charts are scattered over the large table. A huge glass window would let in generous amount of light, if any came from the steel-black sky. Instead, smoky lamps illuminate the room.

Osprey nods, and follows the razor-robed ghost. As he passes, a faint sound can be heard coming from the scabbard on his back... a thin wail, almost as if his daiklave is resonating with the Bodhisattva's singing blade.

<Arkadi> "This is certainly a...big...glassy...room."

Gia regards Arkadi dryly. "You're quite the poet."

<Arkadi> "I'm not paid to write flowery poems."

Osprey lets out an almost inaudible sigh, then addresses the Deathlord. "So, what is it you wish to reveal, which will make everything clear to us?"

<ST`> "As it happens, I have been conferring with your fellow Hollow Moth."

<ST`> "She arrived here seeking you, but somehow her trip was shorter than yours."

Gia blinks blankly.

<ST`> "These star charts we have drawn show the patterns of celestial influence passing from the lands of the dead to the world of life."

<Arkadi> "Huh, neat."

Osprey inspects the charts without comment.

<ST`> "I can also show you the methods of divining these from the stars of a shadowland, if you would like, but that takes valuable time that you do not have."

Osprey straightens up, regarding the Deathlord with frank suspicion and hostility. "You are certainly being very... helpful."

<Gia> "I would be more interested in how to divine that you aren't trying to pit us against an enemy with pretty lies."

<ST`> "It serves my goals to upset the Eye. I won't pretend that I am doing this for another reason."

<Arkadi> "So you're using us to irritate him, correct?"

<ST`> "But I know that you are Chosen, and I hear that the Chosen of Jupiter can small falsehood. Do I smell like a lie, Otavle?"

<ST`> (Oracle, i mean.)

<Gia> "The Celestial Bureaucracy is not a toy for the dead to play with, Prince."

Osprey folds his arms. On his back, the warded scabbard keens thinly, the sound creating unsettling harmonics with the hum coming from the sheath at the Prince's side.

<ST`> "I'm perfectly capable of irritating him. It happens that he's doing something of danger to us both. It may serve us well to join forces."

<Malic> "We'll listen to what you have to say, Silver Prince. And decide later."

<ST`> "Fair enough."

<ST`> He turns toward a ghost who's drifted into the room. "Please bring our other guest here at once."

<ST`> He pauses a moment, expecting a somewhat confused union when Moth arrives.

Hollow Moth? wanders into the room through the door the ghost left by, looking around interestedly.

Hollow Moth? sees the other Sidereals and smiles.

Osprey turns to face the newcomer, sizing her up with a cool, indigo regard.

Malic looks over to Hidden Moth. "I think we were expecting you."

<Gia> Vague recognition passes over Gia's face. Idly, she wonders if perhaps Moth is cold in that outfit.

<Hollow Moth?> "Well, I'm glad you could make it."

Arkadi eyes the newcomer up and down, sizing her up

Hollow Moth? is a thin, pale young woman wearing a skimpy outfit of black leather.

Joins: Pants_Ninja ([email protected])

Quits: Golden H? ([email protected]) (Connection reset by peer)

Osprey gazes levelly at the newcomer. If he's conscious of the fact that her outfit displays her lithe body to good advantage, it doesn't show on his face.

<ST`> The Silver Prince shuffles some papers. "So I believe that with these, you will be able to pinpoint the sources of the fate-tinkering that has been going on. If you'll trust that the information I give you is accurate, then I'll take the hardship to Eye and Seven Despairs in exchange for my services."

Arkadi 's 'everyone's guilty of something' instincit kicks in 'Dare we ask what you're planning?'

<Gia> "We will accept your information," Gia says, in a way that makes her omission of the word "trust" quite plain.

<ST`> "I fear you won't find my plans very inspiring. I only hope to stave off the destruction that the Eye wishes to bring about; I am rather happy with my domain. Perhaps in many years this will change."

Arkadi arches an eyebrow "Uh-*huh*...."

<Malic> "Regardless, we thank you for the information. We will consider how best to make use of it."

Hollow Moth? inclines her head briefly, deferring to the other Sidereals' lead.

Arkadi is used to not being listened to, so he jsut keeps his mouth shut...

<ST`> .....

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