Mission 9: Session Play - Ash/Mesa/Fay
It was easy to miss the subtext of what was happening in the room. To the casual onlooker, it was nothing more than another one of the many seminars that took place each month at the Spiral Academy, and for that matter, the other academies. Even to a trained ear, the implications of the crowd's whispered messages were easy to miss, despite the gravity of their contents - it was possible Creation's fate was being decided in this ballroom. But the Grass-Spiders were not simply a set of trained ears; they were the best the business had to offer. And quite likely, the worst.
Suggested Music - Dirge of Cerberus OST - A Proposal
Lord of the Ashen Cloud was nowhere to be found. Between his veiling scarf and the impenetrable disguise granted to him by the Order's mysterious master, a frumpy Guildsman stood in Ash's place. Though his body hung heavy with the signs of a life lived in excess, even Gyoki's unparalleled skill at deception could not conceal the fire that burned behind the man's eyes. For all their laziness in preparation and short attention spans, the Circle With No Name possessed a quality their leadership had the insight to notice in them even before they were recruited - they would not tolerate failure.
Ash didn't care about who ruled Creation, secretly or not. He certainly didn't care about the White Veil Society's agenda - he understood the value of subtlety, but it seemed to him that the White Veil Society was so muddled in mystery its own membership scarcely knew what it wanted. Maybe that was the idea. But Ash, and the rest of his circle with him, would untangle the intricate web woven by the White Veil Society, because that was their mission. Ash knew it, even as he threw back another glass of champagne. Mesa knew it, even as he toked on his customary pre-performance pipe and relished the unmistakable smell of freshly burnt opiates. Fay knew it, even as she imagined all the delightfully cruel things she'd happily do to Altair in the name of the mission - or in the name of nothing at all. And so as Ash set about his work, bringing himself and the aide he'd been talking to another glass of champagne, there was fire in his eyes.
It gave the appearance of a businessman who, despite his indulgences, had a shrewd mind for the market. This suited Ash's approach perfectly. The aide was a pretty, young thing - they always seemed to be; Ash found this curious, but hardly objected. His flawless confidence spilled over into his less attractive facade. With a hand placed just gently enough on the small of the aide's back to guide her away from the crowd, Ash handed her one of the long-necked glasses. When the pair had reached a distance which Ash deemed suitable, he was about to resume his inquisition, but the aide surprised him with a little questioning of her own. She smiled as she spoke - it was more out of politeness than enthusiasm; she wasn't fully at ease yet, though she was coming around.
"So, tell me, what interest does the Guild have in Cathak Ivan's political platform?"
((It's my understanding that Fay is hanging around for a bit and waiting until after Cathak Ivan's speech to make her approach. I'm also planning on posting a short introductory blurb for her, so let me know if there's any particular information Fay is looking out for, and I'll include what I can. I wanted to give Ash a chance to finish up whatever he wanted to say to this aide and the people she works for before beginning the speech.))
Dan 02:42, 5 September 2010 (EDT)
Ash maneuvered through the crowd physically and socially though he found the disguise provided to him to be less than physically perfect, though it provided an ideal social platform for him to perform is work. Some mild discomfort was far from the worst he'd endured to complete a mission. He had guided the aide to a place where they could speak, intending to gather more information about who exactly was here and who he would need to get more information about. The aide's question was a surprise, but not necessarily an unpleasant one.
"Cathak Ivan supports giving more power to the people of The Realm, The Guild supports all people of Creation and providing them with the power to shape creation as the masses see fit. To put it frankly, and I don't think many Dynasts would argue this, The Great Houses don't always have the masses at the forefront of their agendas. The Guild is a capitalist organization, if the people wish to use us for trade we'd like to oblige their desires. That is all." Ash spoke with a wry smile towards the end of his answer, he made some fairly bold claims in his answer, intending to test the response of the aide.
"I was hoping not only to listen to Ivan's speech of course, but also hoping to meet some of the younger politicians who follow Ivan's line of thought. The Guild is always looking for allies on The Blessed Isle and around Creation that could be mutually beneficial."
Ash was looking to get to the bottom of the agenda of The White Veil Society, of course this was not so easily done, the best place to start was to find who the most likely members were. Influential people at the party who agreed with Ivan and Altair seemed like the most likely targets of further investigation.
--FyreFly 20:53, 12 September 2010 (EDT)
Ash's mark was shrewder than she looked, but not so shrewd as to peer through his chicanery. Her reply was good-natured, although there was a firmness behind it that suggested she would not budge quite so readily.
"That's exactly what I would expect a Guildsman to say. Let me give you my take on the Guild - I don't think you folks have anyone's best interests in mind but your own. I'll give you capitalist; I don't doubt that a free market works in favor of Creation's largest circus of traveling salesmen. But what you suggest doesn't quite line up - the people's best interest are hardly capital, my good Guildsman. On the Isle, all the capital sits firmly in the purses of the Great Houses, and if you ask me, that's exactly who you're working for. They have the most to shell out."
Ash, continually impressed by the aggression of her personality, especially next to her timid visage, was nevertheless unmoved by her accusatory questions - when it came to his history with young women, Ash had been forced to answer questions much more piercing than these. He smiled calmly, taking the attitude of an older relative sympathetically correcting a child's naivety. There was no denying the Guild's favoritism toward House Ragara, especially against the paltry plebian purses of the common Isle denizens, so Ash didn't bother trying.
"As you know, I am part of a large organization. I can hardly speak for everyone in my division, much less the Guild in its entirety. Understand, however, that business is business - I don't mean to suggest that the Guild would support the peasantry over the Dynasts, nor would I imply the reverse. All I hope to find for my company is a new customer base - It's true that Ragara's bankers may have enough jade to buy half the Threshold, but that doesn't mean we couldn't also do business with commoners who were looking for a vendor that wasn't funding all this conflict on the Isle..."
He smiled, a bit proud of his save. The assistant seemed to accept that as she thought for a moment, conceding Ash's point with her lack of a rebuttal - for the time being, she chose to believe his intentions. Still, being the hothead she was, she decided to see if this "Guildsman" could put his money where his mouth was.
"I'll tell you what. If you're so interested in establishing a rapport with the common market on the Isle, why don't I introduce you to my supervisor?"
((I wasn't sure if Ash actually wanted to get an in with this guy or not - I didn't remember - so you can let me know OOC and I'll continue the post, or you can post Ash's reply here and run with it. Whether you go to meet the guy or not, you can safely assume you have her trust of your intentions.))
Dan 20:55, 17 September 2010 (EDT)
Ash was continually impressed with the aide he had chosen to strike up a conversation with, and if it were a different mission he may have allowed himself to get sidetracked with her. However, this mission was different, it was personal and even a pretty little aide with a bit of heat running through her veins would get him sidetracked. Afterall, he could always track her down later.
Ash spent a moment in deliberation after her offer to meet with her supervision, though it was more to put on the act of a careful and calculating guildsmen than for his own benefit.
"Oh? I think perhaps I sense a hint of doubt in that question, no matter. I would very much enjoy continuing our conversation with your supervisor, you'll see not all members of the guild are so concerned with jade." Ash spoke with a more jovial tone than his words would have implied, he sensed that he had earned her trust and certainly wasn't doing anything to jeopardize that before getting access to her boss. Furthermore if the aide displayed that she trusted him, her supervisor would likely give him the benefit of the doubt.
Ash approached her supervisor through the crowd, sticking close to the aide with his hand lightly pressed to the small of her back. He surveyed the room briefly as the two made their way across the busy room, Ash turned his attention back to his new target as the two arrived.
Ash has Auspicious First Meeting Attitude activated for the scene already which increases his social rolls by 2 dice for anyone he is meeting for the first time, I assume that includes her supervisor. The target will be generally open to the user and have a favorable impression of the user, speaking well of him after the first encounter. The user may also gain indirect insights into the target's loyalties, Virtues, and Motivation and the storyteller should warn the player before making an action that would leave a negative impression with the target.
--FyreFly 19:44, 19 September 2010 (EDT)
With a gentle touch to Ash's wrist, the aide waded back through crowd, flitting her small form seamlessly between the unaware crowd, lost hopelessly in their own ambitions. After getting a few feet ahead, she motioned gently for Ash to follow. Ash followed suit, moving effortlessly through the crowd. He had the social tact to stop just short as he noticed the aide reaching her employer, allowing her a moment to speak with him privately. As that moment passed, she repeated her earlier motion, beckoning him closer. Ash obliged once again, approaching with an extended hand. He was greeted with a firm handshake and a smile from the Senator, a middle-aged, bearded Wood-Aspect. He was dressed a bit oddly for his station, wearing formal, but frayed robes of green and black.
"V'Neef Estwar, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Hayra here tells me you're interested in breaking into the common market, and I'm looking for a way to get in good with the masses - my theory is that they'll decide the future of the Realm more than any of these Great Houses will. We may have something to offer one another. What say we grab a drink away from all this drivel?"
Ash returned the handshake, replying, "The pleasure is mine, I assure you, Senator. I'm just here to talk, but I'll be the last to say that talks can't be fruitful - where should we head?"
Estwar, grabbing a glass of wine from the nearest waiter and gesturing for Ash to do the same, motioned for Ash to follow him through the crowd as they approached a sequestered sitting area. It was guarded by a single attendant, a velvet rope, and was clearly sparsely populated beyond its boundary. As they approached, Estwar looked to Ash.
"So, Guildsman, we're business men. I won't waste our time with personal details - what has you so interested in the lesser markets here? The money isn't great, and every study we've conducted suggests the costs of breaking into that market exceed what we'd get out of it. I'm curious to hear how the Guild - or yourself - plans to make this a profitable operation. Last I check, Nexus wasn't into charity."
Dan 04:12, 25 September 2010 (EDT)