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)