Aqutanama

The Clowns of Valerith

<Snipped quote by Aqutanama>

Hope all will be well. Our thoughts and prayers.

@Gordian Nought

@Aqutanama Sorry to hear that, hope things are well, don't worry about us!

@Birdboy

I mean on top of everything I got sick. lol
I hope my post works. I am a bit cotton minded atm.

The Clowns of Valerith

Grimi Ekleipein

Location: The Grim Lodge -> The Speak Easy -> Office of Crowns

The first time he had met Miss Light was a trying experience for the old man. He was unsure if he could really trust her. However, he didn’t really trust people… did he? Perhaps he was getting too old, too soft. He could see his comrades from the past in these fun younglings. Perhaps they reminded him of his son who he hadn’t seen in years. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but hide his smile for them. They would or could live to do great things. He hoped. These thoughts were swirling around in his head as his head rested on the cool table. He could smell the coppery smell accustomed with bloodletting.

His smile waned when he thought about Miss Light’s first contract. The one cut to ribbons. The one he braided together and hung on his chair. It was his form of “fatherly” affection for these kids. A reminder of what makes each one special and why he fights for what he believes is right. He could tell when she stepped closer. Could feel her presence. All he did was raise his hand in order to shake hers. That was their contract.

He was listening to the conversation as best as he could. Sometimes his eyes would fail him so he diverted his senses elsewhere. He was never one to just walk into an area without knowing the crowd, escape routes, safety zones, guards and their patrols. It was nice that Iota took the lead in gathering the information. Which for him was a nice reprieve. With his will he summoned his butler and had him work on formal clothing for everyone. Knowing their personalities, likes, dislikes; he had hoped that the costumes would be to their liking.

Unfortunately, masks and makeup would be replaced with hats, fans, and spectacles. There were going to be a few options for each person. However, given the limited timeframe there won’t be many. The almost invisible form moved through the area into the dressing room. It pulled an empty rack and started collecting and gathering the required clothing. Art was another form of entertainment. However, it was something that teetered on the edge of allowance within the kingdom. Mainly because people liked fashion and it was a sign of status as well.

Grimi waited for everyone to finish signing the paper and took it. Once he had it he slid it into a drawer. Were it up to him he would do without all of this. Perhaps again it was a sign of him getting soft in his old age. Perhaps his mind was going and all he wanted was to recall the pleasant memories. With a grin he lifted his head off the table and watched the illusions. Quite fascinating. In another life he would have been a scholarly type. Someone much like his friend in the past. She could do things like this but that is what it was. The past. His features changed as he wanted to know why. Why did he keep going to the past when it had been ages since he last spoke with them?

Grimi didn’t want to interrupt the festivities with one of his old stories. Not again. He grabbed his staff and opened the drawer with the contract. Once he finished that he took it with him and shut the drawer. He moved over to what looked like a bookshelf made for scrolls. The diamond shaped cutouts held many scroll cases and he pulled an empty one from a basket nearby. Opening it was a simple task… for most. Grimi however, had issues with these things. A stream of curses in different languages came pouring from his mouth much like someone trying to expel a night of bad drinking.

Eventually he remembered that they had twisting lids and turned it the correct way. He didn’t even look back as he was so frustrated at this point. Finally he rolled up the parchment and placed it into the scroll case. Once finished he looked for a specific place to allow it to rest. It was his form of trust in his patrons. Then again this room was sealed and had a joint locking mechanism. This was why he had issues unlocking the door sometimes. Because things as mundane as placing a key into a hole or two was hard for him.

His fingers stroked the strings that he took from the lute earlier and he went to another wall. Many strings like this set hung on the wall. Feeling the type of string was the trick. That and he needed to keep them waxed in order to keep them in shape. Which animal did it come from or what type of metal? It really depended on who manufactured it. However, he could always tell if it was different from what he already had in his collection. He found the spot where the strings belonged and placed them with their new family. Heck as far as he knew they were from the same animal. Once finished he moved back to the group and listened to the plan and only then would he try to improve it, if needed.

The Clowns of Valerith

"The contract would also protect people from outside influences. If they accidently or forcibly gave away the information then the contract had a forgiveness clause. However, it further stipulated that if they tried to use this as a loophole in order to get the information out there then it would still hold true."

Added that to the previous post. I am going to add the handshake to the new reply.

The Clowns of Valerith

@rush99999 I think the agreement could be a firm handshake or a word is your bond type thing. Pretty much the same thing as the others but your character and mine place their pact as collateral. I may change it so the offer doesn't put people in no win situations. Like being tortured or having their mind read. Any threat to oneself or something. What do you think?

The Clowns of Valerith

Sorry everyone some life shituff came up. It maybe a while before I can respond.

The Clowns of Valerith

Weird so everyone else has to sign this type of contract to be down there but Miss Light doesn't? This is a security thing for Grimi. It has little to do with the patrons of warlocks and more of a safety thing for everyone down there. Otherwise people can be like... So, you know there is this place? If they needed to go over a finer detailed contract that was more of an umbrella/one time sign then they could do that. Either they sign or don't go in. He has rules for a reason. Mainly so that people can enjoy themselves down there without having to worry about someone who didn't sign telling. Having a blinking contest isn't something he could consider a pact on this.

@rush99999 I would say that the contract if broken will break the pact of their current patron. If you aren't willing to place down what you hold dear or which is helping you then it isn't letting everyone else feel safe. He could also have a stipulation of no manipulation from himself in order to make them break the contract. If Grimi says anything that would jeopardize the contract, then he lives up to the same stipulation. His pact with his patron is broken.

That and this is wasting time as now he has to make a completely new contract and have everyone resign it. That and he usually places the document on the table and slides it over to be signed.

Miss Light eventually came to a longer standing and much more mundane agreement with Grimi. One that didn't involve bleeding on a bit of paper to draw the gaze of a great old one to her every time she came to the King's Chamber.

@rush99999

This is saying that Grimi agreed with the action. Which he didn't. So that is player control. If needed I can step out of this RP. Personally, this is a hard line for me. Don't control people's character or characters. Like I can see the GM doing a like cinematic and players being "locked" or whatever.

Again, this is just something that my character wouldn't do. So, if needed I can leave. I never got a DM about this to collab on this or was asked if this was alright. It was just done. I'm here to play with others not read what others think my character did, according to them. Sorry to only realize this now but it is something that came to my attention after that post.

The Clowns of Valerith

Hider

Miss Light

Miss Light watched as the others signed Grimi's contract, but made no move to do likewise. The first time he had presented her with it, Arkerym leaped from her hip and sliced it to ribbons before she could even start reaching for a nail. It turned out that the hexblade wasn't keen on his warlock signing contracts backed by an otherworldly patron that wasn't him. Miss Light eventually came to a longer standing and much more mundane agreement with Grimi. One that didn't involve bleeding on a bit of paper to draw the gaze of a great old one to her every time she came to the King's Chamber.

Instead, she watched the latest show to kick off on the stage. Widry, Rockmar, and the rest of the band were playing for the audience. The band played their various instruments as amazingly as they always had. Rockmar played the drums with a skill that only those aware of a drum's full potential knew existed. And Widry played her flute and danced a merry jig for the crowd, stopping only to breathe and speak briefly to Grimi.

Were she capable of doing so, Miss Light would have smiled at the sight.

Normally, she would have joined in. Dancing and tumbling to the music, stopping occasionally to make a minor jest at the expense of an inattentive onlooker. But Miss Light couldn't do that now. None of her usual performances would have the same effect while her cloak concealed her costume. And she could cast off her cloak without revealing Arkerym's presence to the genasi. So instead Miss light simply enjoyed the show and waited for further developments brought on by these two new arrivals.

@rush99999

@rush99999I'm not sure I agreed to you playing my character. That and patrons can't control actions of the warlock. They can only hold them to their agreements. Bad stuff happens when things aren't done but Grimi is a stickler when it comes to these things. He doesn't trust people easily, especially if he knows they have a pact with someone. He may seem laid back in some instances but that is just his old age.

I dunno @Guardian Angel Haruki do you agree with me here or am I just overthinking this?

The Clowns of Valerith

@Gordian Nought well, he is old and knows things. If he didn't then he would just be old.

The Clowns of Valerith

Grimi: So, we are supposed to steal this egg? The one poised to hatch when? How about we just set up defenses within. The place they have it displayed? Say to prevent those with sticky fingers getting hold. Build a cage so it may only be displayed. Hardened thick glass could rest between the bars. Then cap the top and bottom. Use magical light to show off the brilliance of such a gem.

This is probably something he will bring up. Lol

The Clowns of Valerith

I'm just waiting on others to post. I hope everyone had a fun Halloween! Sugar comas?