[Ghoul's Group] Murder Mystery: Blood Bath

[Ghoul]

11th Saun, 717

"Are you sure, Mordrid?" Baron Rodrigues von Smooglenuff asked and his long serving, long suffering maid, Mordrid answered in her usual drawled and airy voice.

"Quite, your Lordship. They are all on their way." Mordrid had put on the finishing touches of the Baron's attire, and considered her work with veiled pride. There had been much room for improvement in the outfit and the person wearing it, but it had turned out quite well. Her master's delight with her message and work was evident as he spoke.

"Excellent, Mordrid! Simply excellent! Not one of them will suspect, will they?" He patted the maid on the shoulder and Mordrid merely looked on. She was pleased that the Baron was happy and, in truth, the two of them shared a strange relationship based from many, many arcs. "Now, you go and greet our guests and I'll just put the last touches here."

Mordrid bowed and left the eccentric Baron von Smooglenuff to it.
They arrived, individually brought here. Some were brought by boat, others flown in. It seemed to be random, the people the Baron had invited and how they arrived. It wasn't, of course. Nothing here was random and very little, Mordrid considered as she polished the mirror in the hallway, was even what it appeared to be.

As the guests arrived, one at a time or in couples, no more than that, the driver / pilot from their mode of transport (no, they did not accept that you have your own. It was part of the experience and Baron insists) saw them up to the door. There, they they were greeted by a woman. Human, by all appearances, somewhat small and with blonde hair that was parted neatly down the middle to frame her face.

"Welcome to Smooglenuff Manor," she said, her voice smooth and well trained at greeting. Her words were crisp, and her expression held the stern consideration of someone sizing up how much trouble the person in front of them could cause. "I am Mordrid, Chief of Staff for the Baron and it is my pleasure to greet you on his behalf." The Manor itself was a large tower, nestled behind and to the side of the volcano. It was large and imposing, dark and foreboding. It was a shame that it wasn't dark out, really.

Except, as they stepped inside, all of the windows were blacked over and so the illusion of night was upon them. "His Grace, Baron von Smooglenuff bids you welcome and good greetings. Your room is ready. Mai, Kai?" She clapped once.

Almost immediately following the clap, a pair of twins came out from a door at the side. Male and female,they both stood a head or so taller than the blond woman that had called for them "Yes, Mordrid?" Their accents were thick and unfamiliar, their words spoken in unison. Kai, the woman, had a far more predatory look in her dark eyes. Her brother, Mai, on the other hand, seemed to be not impressed by the guest before them. The tan skinned pair shared a glance that could easily be missed if one didn't pay attention.

"Show our guests to their room. Dinner, and the murder mystery itself, will begin at the seventh bell. The gong will sound one quarter break before. When it sounds, we will congregate here for drinks. Please, enjoy your stay."

Just like their earlier response, their steps in unison as well. They diverged and circled the guest before them, not unlike wolves circling prey. "Come with us. The driver, he will bring your bags."

And then, off the pair went with them and Mordrid waited for the next one. It promised to be an interesting night.

OOC Info

!

Message from: Ghoul

Welcome, one, welcome all to the Murder Mystery event for Saun on Scalvoris. You, lucky peeps that you are, will be taking part in the mystery entitled Blood Bath. Sounds like fun, no? You have each been assigned rooms. If you are in a couple, you have been assigned a double room. The rooms are luxurious and very comfortable. In the wardrobe are clothes (one outfit, of your choice) which both fit and suit you ~ but also which might just challenge you a little. Maybe more formal than you're known for, more revealing, etc. The Baron likes to push boundaries. You do not have to wear this outfit if you don't want it, so long as you've brought your own. This thread will last for 1 night and you will be returning to "the real world" on 12th Saun. Please do an entry post, get yourself ready (anything you might need is there, hot bath, cosmetics, clothes etc) and let us know what your outfit is / what equipment you bring etc. People to post here: Padraig, Faith, Kura, Tio, and Mero I will post again on August 11th or sooner if everyone replies quickly. Apologies for the delay!

Other stuff!

None this round.

[Faith Augustin]

[img]/gallery/image ... e_id=10076[/img]

The invitation had said formal attire and she'd brought along a black dress. Katie had clucked her tongue behind her teeth slightly and asked Faith if she thought maybe she might want to have a little less fabric, a bit more colour, considering it was Saun and Faith had looked at her blankly and then smiled as Katie glared at her, but had given up. As it was them, she'd brought along her sword of course, as well as a few other bits and pieces in her Domain Bag. The spelunking kit went everywhere in that bag, as did the first aid kit and Faith tried to make sure that she packed for all occasions. His spare chemistry kit, a book each, some sewing she was doing in case it got dull and they had a moment, that kind of thing. Faith liked to be prepared for any eventuality, after all.

The room was completely opulent and the bath was more than big enough for the two of them, prompting her to ask "When was the last time we had a bath together?" It was a good question, so far as she was concerned and she was more than happy with the fact that they'd arrived early and so had a few breaks before they were due back downstairs. As she pointed out with an impish expression, that gave her time to make sure that he was really, really clean and for him to return the favour.

Eventually, though, they had to think about getting ready and Faith moved to hang up her dress in the wardrobe, then looked at one of two pieces hanging in there. "Padraig?" her tone was curious as she pulled out a short red strapless dress. It was noticeable for a particular reason. "Look. This looks like it would fit me. Nothing ever fits me, I'm short and scrawny. It's the only thing in there, do you think I should?"

Silver eyes regarded him with uncertainty, but when she realised that the shoes were her size (always a difficulty when shopping, she had very small feet) and there was underwear and jewelry too, she couldn't resist it. So, she grabbed it and took it into the small dressing room. There, she squeezed herself into the lacy basque and pulled on the stockings which attached, then put the dress on over it, twisting to do it up. She pinned her hair up in a chignon and put the small diamond earrings on her ears. There was a delicate necklace with a single diamond which shone at the base of her throat and a bracelet which matched.

Having tied the ribbons on her shoes, and smiled slightly at the fact that she appeared to be wearing high heels, Faith stepped out of the dressing room and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The pulled in waist accentuated her curves and she gave a slight smile. Her make up was subtle except for her lips, which she'd painted a deep red. "I don't suppose I'll fit into things like this very much longer?" With a raised eyebrow she tried to ascertain what he thought of the outfit which was much more revealing and showed a lot more skin than she ever would, normally. However, as she lifted her head to look at him to gauge his reaction, she beamed.

"Wow," she said, honestly. Her eyes showed the truth of her words and she moved forward to take his hands. "The most handsome man I've ever seen." Concerns about plunging necklines, noticeable cleavage and short skirts were gone at the sight of him. She held on to his hands, hers tightening in his as she looked up at him. "It's at times like these that I'm sure, you know," she whispered, her eyes glistening with emotion, "sure that I'm going to wake up and it will all have been a dream. How did I get so blessed?"

[Tio Silver]

It was no small secret among those who knew him that Tio didn't posses the most desirable character traits; he was a little too fond of money, more flippant than he perhaps aught to be, and had a tendency to not think things through. They were traits Tio made no effort to hide, in fact in a way he seemed oddly proud of them, and so it was probably no small surprise to anyone that as well as those he had a whole host of other little sins to compliment them, like a range of side dishes to make the main course seem even sweeter.

And tonight one of those little side sins of his was gracing the table. Tio had been among the very first to arrive at the manor, however even though the seventh bell was only a few breaks away he was still not ready for dinner because of one thing: He was preening. Though he'd proven himself happy to do all sorts of things in his unending quest for fortune, like trek through a jungle filled to the brim with a veritable horde of angry wildlife, he'd always much rather do it looking absolutely fabulous! After all anyone could go on an adventure if they wanted to, but how many people could look damn pretty while doing it?

"Nice... very nice... makes my bum look a little big though..." He murmured to himself approvingly, admiring his reflection in the full length mirror in his room as he had been for about the past hour. It had only taken him a couple of minutes to change into the outfit awaiting him in the wardrobe, a set of red linen robes probably made in some foreign city he'd never heard of before, but after putting them on he'd spent about another ten checking himself out, then another ten to spike his hair up in a trendy manner, then another ten admiring himself again, then another ten putting on a little bit of makeup, and then another ten checking himself out again! It wasn't every day that one got an invitation to a party as high class as one held by a baron and so Tio wanted to make himself look as fabulous as he possibly could, but in doing so he'd ended up getting so enthralled by his own looks that it was hard to look away. One might wonder how he'd be able to get his head out the room with such an inflated ego, but fortunately the baron's estate had very large doors.

Though he didn't expect any real trouble tonight, Tio had tucked away his thrall Raton underneath the red vesty looking part of the ensemble he didn't know the name of, and had tied his combat knife to the inside of his left arm underneath the flowing sleeves of his robes. He'd gotten a little worried earlier about hiding the latter in a place where it might fall out, and for a moment had considered the pros and cons of keeping it clenched firmly between his buttocks all evening, but had luckily had the idea of plucking a long thread from the curtains and using it to tie the handle to the sheath instead.

"Well that's quite enough of that I suppose." Tio said with a smirk, finally tearing his eyes off the mirror and heading towards the door. "Let's see what I can do about getting a drink before dinner starts."

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[Padraig]

There'd been a time that Padraig would have teased Faith about packing that spelunking kit in preparation for what he assumed was a formal party. In fact he had teased her, when she'd first purchased the thing. But since then, he'd purchased one for himself and come to the conclusion that as a couple, they'd never really needed to go looking for trouble. It seemed to find them just fine on it's own. Again, and again...and then again. So he'd simply smiled knowingly as they'd prepared to leave home, and made sure he was sufficiently armed and prepared himself. To say he approved of the dress that she'd chosen to take was an understatement. Of course she could pull a burlap sack over her head and he'd have found her stunning. But he'd always liked her in red.

The bedchamber they'd been shown to was easily the size of their great room back home, and grander by far. And the tub? It was one of the first things he'd noticed after being shown through a curious tower by a servant that was both curious and strange, to say the least. "Too long," he uttered with a sly grin when she asked how long had it been. And it was too long. It wasn't that their own tub was too small, but once his grandfather and companion had moved in, then Luna, there'd been a persistent sense that any bit, any trill, someone might inadvertently walk in on them. Even here, he opted for caution and barred the door behind them, and they took their time in the bath and then some.

When it came time to dress, though he'd brought something from home, Padraig was curious to see what had been provided for him. He could see just at a glance that it would fit him perfectly, and frowning he glanced her way when she offered the same observation. "Odd, isn't it?" More her than him, he thought, since he considered himself to be of a somewhat average size and height. What he'd been provided wouldn't have been his first choice. On the other hand, it appealed. The leather and linen was the best quality, the silk, fine, and the boots looked both stylish and comfortable.

The cascade of white at his throat was a challenge, but once it was in place there was a silver and black opal piece to pin it there. But when he turned back around and saw her there, Padraig was speechless. She came forward and took his hands, and he smiled. "Beautiful, stunning...there's no word that's nearly enough." He'd feel the same, was it a burlap sack, but he had to admit that in that dress, she was a vision.

► Show Spoiler

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

The ride over to Lord Smooglenuff's manor had been interesting to say the least. She had flown before, but the Enormowl that had delivered her had presented a new temptation. Parliament Of Owls would have let her bond with the big bird directly and she had rarely wanted anything quite so much, since she had felt certain that such a bond would let her easily outperform any normal rider. She had resisted, however, and thus made it to her destination without revealing herself as a Mortalborn.

The manor immediately proved interesting, with the eccentric servants drawing an amused smile from the Mortalborn as she was shown her room. Her driver set her luggage on the bed and she set about exploring the room as soon as he was gone. She found the outfit that had evidently been selected for her almost immediately and it caused the Mortalborn no small amount of concern. The outfit was formal, almost a uniform, all in black with silver trim. Also all in her size, even the polished black boots fit. But what concerned her most was the design on the sleeves and boots, made to look like silver chains. The formal uniform of Imperial military officers had chains as part of its design, and was also all black with silver trim.

Frowning, Kura decided to think on it as she bathed. That she was of Imperial heritage was no secret, not with her Korlasir accent, but to go so far as to provide her with something so clearly emulating the Imperial uniform was a step beyond. Had Smooglenuff provided the outfit because he thought it would make her more comfortable? As a sign of respect for her heritage? Her frown deepened as she relaxed into the bath, her body going languid as she turned her mind to the uniform.

It could be a sign of respect, or a desire for her to be comfortable, but then why provide what looked so much like an officers uniform? Equally likely, it was a challenge of some sort. Perhaps trying to see if she was embracing Scalvoris culture? Or maybe a test to see if she went to it automatically, to see if she considered herself part of the Eternal Empire? Both could be possible. A more innocent mind would wonder how they would know if she went to the uniform automatically, but she had been spied on before. One particularly inept individual had fallen out of his hiding place when she had gotten into her bath half a decade ago. It had been almost cute, and she had merely had him arrested rather than executed. He had turned out to be a better mason than a spy anyway.

When she got out of the bath, she dried off and looked at the uniform-esque outfit again, then shook her head. Deciding to stick with her original plan, she pulled out the outfit she had ordered made around the same time she had set out the design of her house. Gold washed, lightweight steel formed into scale mail, set over red silk. Functional and beautiful, and not representative of anybody's culture. Only the red silk skirt, which was ankle length, and the cape, black exterior with red interior lacked the golden mail, while the gloves came nearly to her shoulder and the boots covered her thighs. Under the skirt she wore a set of thin black pants, designed to protect her modesty should the skirt be damaged.

She looked at the other contents of her bag for a long moment. Her bow, quiver, and arrows all sat in the bag, the weapon made for her when she was twenty. Over a century later, and it was still a masterwork, only matched and never outperformed. She took the bow out and held it in her hands, admiring the craftmanship that gone into her weapon. The balance was perfect and the bow itself was one single, elegantly carved length of blackwood, white curves etched into the arms to give it more aesthetic appeal. No one had ever told her who carved the bow, and when she used her archery powers, the white symbols glowed to her eyes. She sometimes wondered if it came from the same place Speck had come from.

After a moment, she put the bow away and closed her bag, before setting it under the bed. She doubted she would need the weapon, but it was better safe than sorry. For now though, it could remain in her room. Speck was ghosting around the outside of the mansion, while Phelan was in spirit form beside her, remaining silent and watchful for now. In the, so far unlikely, event that it came to violence, she would be able to last until she could reach her bow.

After a moment, she laughed to herself. "Getting paranoid in my old age." she said quietly before she left the room. In politics, it only made good sense to be prepared for trouble, but for now, she would relax and enjoy the party. Besides, she liked mysteries.

[Mero]

A party? What was that exactly, he'd been to something like that once before he thought, with Pash, the sky had been all sorts of colors and there had been lots of music it had been pretty fun. But the place he was going to didn't really remind him of that experience. The house they came to was huuuuuge, huger than any house he'd seen before.

The boat ride in had been a bit nerve wracking but the arrival itself was so breathtaking that he'd squelched his nerves to make room for new sights and excitement. If there was anything that took his mind away and ran with it, it was new things. He didn't really understand the invite he'd been given in fact he hadn't even been able to read it, but once he'd had it's contents explained to him he was happy to see the other islands he was curios as to what else there was to see on the island, the experiences he'd been having on the island had only slowly been breaking him out of his shell.

The woman who'd heated him seemed nice and he even remembered to bow to her to be polite. Letting her have another too people who looked the same but, different guide him in. they seemed less nice than the lady but they still didn't seem too mean he didn't really like strangers and he hoped that a familiar face would make itself known soon. When the guided him to a room he was amazed to see a room that made his small one look like a toy vs the vast and plush interior.

Looking around the room he discovered a Huge basin filled with water, curious as to why anyone would drink from such a massive bowl Mero stared at it unsure of it's purpose, but he finally came to the conclusion that if everything in the house was bigger, then perhaps this was simply no exception. Though upon leaning over to take a drink, he was further confused by why anyone would want to drink such hot water. Pulling a sour expression he decided that he was done trying to figure out the bowl and no longer wanted anything to do with it.

So instead he plopped face down on the bed and grinned. He wasn't prepared for it but the feeling of sinking into the soft plush of the bed letting his wings splay out as he relaxed decidedly happy to be here for this reason alone.

The moments he spent lying there were lost to him but they were eventually ended by the appearance of the two similar looking people who'd led him here, when they saw him looking up from his newfound favorite place they shared a look that made him decidedly nervous.

It didn't take long tell he realized why, having him get up the too of them pulled some clothes he'd never seen before from a closet he hadn't cared about enough to check. Unhappy that they were insisting he strip down but also not willing to pick a fight with two people over clothing he did as he was told allowing them to dress him in the strange outfit. While a little odd looking it turned out to be really comfortable. The clothes had slits for his wings with a sash so it didn't come loose. The pant's were loose enough that they didn't bother his feathers. All in all he didn't know what to think of his appearance, it was like what some of Cally's weirder customers wore and it was kinda fun to look equally weird. Looking in the mirror however left him vulnerable to the twins final assault, apparent lack of knowledge about bathing, the result being that he was assaulted with flower scented perfume that caused him at least several solid moments of sneezing. However with that done apparently he finally passed muster for inspection and was left to his own devices, now a lot more dressed up and smelly, but in a good way?

Outfit

[Ghoul]

11th Saun, 717

All were given time to bathe and dress, then wander about as they saw fit. The tinkle of a bell sounded as they were called down for dinner. They first met in the opulent reception area. Only one of the twins, Mai, greeted them. He looked considerably less fearsome without his twin by his side, his smile more puppy-like than wolfish as it had been before. He offered each a drink, a fluorescent blue with what looked like a candy floating in it. When they were given their drinks, they were also given a small piece of thick paper; even the paper was good quality. On there was a question, and the man explained with a smile.

"This is 'posed to get you lot talkin'. Y' can share yer answer and get theirs." Each of them had different questions, odd things and bordering on too personal but not quite over the line.

They stood, they mingled and the room was filled with the quiet conversation of five people. Then, there was fanfare.

There was Kai, standing at the top of the stairs. Realistically, all eyes turned to the woman as she blew the horn, and then, off to the side a pair of double doors opened as Mordrid pulled them inwards. "This way, please," she intoned. Then, they were shown into a very opulent dining room which had a table set for them. There was, as they made their way in, no sign of their host. However, as they found their named place setting, from a door opposite where they came in, so entered a man.

He was tall with white hair, painfully thin and his complexion was much paler than Mordrid. He had a walking stick with him which was black and had a silver wolf-head handle. As he stood in the door, it was obvious that he was leaning heavily on the cane itself. He looked around at them and his face did not stay in the stern expression for long.

A wide smile appeared on his face and he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome all of you to my humble home. I am Rodrigues von Smooglenuff. Please, call me Rodrigues." He walked in, slowly and carefully. As he did, a few things became more apparent. His mobility was incredibly limited, he moved very slowly indeed. He also wore gloves, which he did not remove.

"I trust that the accommodation is to your standards? I am sure that you all have questions about why you are here and the nature of tonight's games and prizes, yes? One question each, then, before we begin. But after that, I will explain the rules of the game, and the reward at the end." He smiled around them and waited to hear what questions they would ask him.

After all, that was a very interesting way to start the evening.

OOC Info

!	Message from: Ghoul
	This thread will last for 1 night and you will be returning to "the real world" on 12th Saun. People to post here: Padraig, Faith, Tio, Kura, and Mero I will post again until the August 17th or sooner if everyone posts before then.

Other stuff!

None this round.

[Faith Augustin]

[img]/gallery/image ... e_id=10076[/img]

Stunning? Beautiful? No word good enough? Faith shook her head, blushed and smiled all at the same time. He didn't have words and nor, frankly, did she. Still, she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and kissed him, hopeful that her embrace would tell him more than she ever managed with words. "Do you think they'd mind if we just stayed here for the night?" She was only half joking but then, in fairness, it would be rude and Faith hated the idea of being rude. So, downstairs to mingle with the others.

The drink she was given was flourescant blue and had a strange candy floating in it, Faith kept hold of it but didn't drink it, although she made sure to thank the person who served it. Then, as they got down there first, there were the strange cards given and Faith looked at hers, then swapped with Padraig, looking at his. Hers had asked the question 'are you ticklish and, if so, where?' Faith looked at Padraig with a querulous expression and lowered her head to read his.

Of the three others, though, Faith had met two of them. Her reactions to them were both very different and also strangely the same. When Mero came in, Faith immediately moved over to him. "Mero, it is good to see you. You look very good!" Faith smiled and put her hand into the half-avriel's just briefly. It was how she usually was with him and she considered that this was quite awkward for him; the young boy did not speak and it may well be that she was the only one that he knew. "This is Padraig," she said, not sure if Mero had seen Padraig around in Cally's or vice versa. After all, Mero was one of the trainees currently, and Padraig worked there so it was likely.

Either way, Padraig would know the name. Mero had been literally washed ashore and appeared to be mute. Faith had thusfar found no reason for this, but still it did not change it. So, she and Mero had been working together to help him communicate. They had developed a basic means of conversing. "Do you like your outfit?" Faith asked, very aware that he had gone completely overboard (pardon the pun) with the strange smell but pleased that he seemed happy.

When Kura came in, Faith was delighted to greet their friend with a hug and would introduce her and Mero. To Tio, who she did not know, Faith would smile and offer her hand. She did this and tried to make sure he was included in the conversation, not wanting to leave anyone out. Her question, though, she did not ask, though she would do her best to answer any asked of her. Of course, during the whole time, she did not let go of Padraig's hand and she was trying hard not to tug at her frock.

When, eventually, they were shown through, Faith smiled at Padraig gratefully as he held the chair for her and then her foot pressed against his under the table. The Baron came in and introduced himself and Faith fell silent. She did not ask her question until everyone else had, although she would happily 'translate' Mero's hand gestures if they were simple enough and those she was used to. They had basics down pat by now, but little else. However, what, where, why and how questions were common, so she was hopefully.

It was only after everyone else had asked theirs that Faith spoke and she would not do so unless everyone else did. If, however, it came to that, Faith looked at him and smiled. "I suppose I have a thousand questions, but since we are allowed just one. Is there anything you hope that we do or that happens which will ensure that you enjoy the evening, Baron von Smooglenuff?" The man had gone to obvious and enormous expense to do this, Faith figured it was only polite to ask.

[Tio Silver]

To his delight Tio was offered a drink the moment he came down from his room; a strange fluorescent blue concoction with a piece of candy in it. He'd never seen a drink quite like it before, in fact he couldn't recall seeing a fluorescent blue drink before altogether, but ever the adventurous type Tio brought it up to his lips the second it was in his hand and took a swig. It was sweet, like the candy floating in it, and tasted of some kind of alcohol combination he'd never tried before which suited the candy flavour and appealed to his sweet tooth. By the end of the night he was going to have to find out what this drink was called and how to make it.

His attention then turned to the other guests already in the room, and to his surprise Tio found that he actually recognised a few of them! The man in the suit with boots that had way too many straps on them was the guy he'd gone to for help with his exploding alchemy problem a few trials ago, Professor Augustin, and next to him was a woman he remembered being present on the trip to shrine of Fei he'd been on, Faith he thought her name was. For a brief moment a flash of recognition crossed over his eyes, but he quickly beat it down. They had both met him under his guise as Taelis after all, and so he'd need to act as if he'd never met either of them before. To that effect he shook Faith's hand when she offered it to him and flashed her and Padraig a cheerful smile.

"Pleasure to meet you both. I'm Tio, Tio Silver. I don't suppose either of you know anything about the good baron or tonight's game do you? I confess I've never actually met him, so I was a little surprised to receive my invitation to this party."

There were two other people in the room that Tio hadn't met before, or at least he wasn't quite sure if he had or not. The first was a teenage boy with a pair of tawny wings sprouting from his back, hinting at the presence of Avriel blood in him, who looked alarmingly pale and malnourished. When he thought about it Tio could swear he'd seen someone like that during the beach party Pash had thrown not too long ago, thought his memory of that whole event was pretty hazy since he'd been too enthralled by his own dancing to really concentrate on anything else. The second was a beautiful black haired woman in a set of scaled armor who he couldn't help but admire appreciatively. He'd always had a thing for women who seemed like they were more powerful than him or completely badass, and that armor gave her a militaresque vibe which suggested she'd be one tough lady to take down in a fight.

He approached the armored lady and offered her his hand, shooting her a sharp-toothed grin. "Hi there, I'm Tio. Out of curiosity would rather me hit on you, make a bad joke, or attempt a sensible conversation? I could try all three at once if you'd like, but I've no guarantees as to how that might work out."

With the guest all assembled, Tio turned to all the others and spoke up so that they could all hear him. "Well since the staff have gone through the effort of preparing these question cards for us lets give them a whirl shall we? I'll start." He looked down at his paper and read the question on it aloud. "If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family assume you had done?"
Once the fanfare played and they were led into the dining room Tio sat down at his assigned seat and looked around at the opulent surroundings. The baron was clearly a very wealthy man, and had he not been kind enough to invite him to play the coming game despite not knowing him Tio would have been inclined to pinch a couple of the more valuable objects about the place. It wasn't long before the baron entered the room and introduced himself to them, and after taking in his appearance Tio decided that the man seemed friendly enough and relaxed into his seat.

After the baron offered to answer one question each, Tio raised his hand in a lazy wave and grinned at him. "I have one; what was that delicious drink earlier? I can't say I've ever tried anything that shade of blue before."[/color]

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[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura grinned as she saw the others that were attending the party. Padraig and Faith both got hugs and she congratulated them on their outfits, though she noted that Faith seemed particularly uncomfortable with her dress. "Stop worryin' about the skirt, lass. Nothin's showin' that's inappropriate and if anyone tries to see more than you want, let me know. I can sic Phelan on them." she said, grinning as she took a drink from the bequeathed blue beverage.

Mero was given a smile and offered a handshake, but she noted the Avriel seemed nervous. She wasn't exactly un-nervous herself, but that was mostly down to a history of rough blood between the Empire and Athart, which she hoped wouldn't spill over into the party. Mero didn't seem violent though, so hopefully it wouldn't be an issue. Tio's introduction, however, was met with a sly smile. "Oh, whichever you prefer." she said, laughing before the conversation turned to the cards.

"They'd assume I'd been framed." she said dryly, in response to Tio's question. Kura always obeyed the laws to the best of her ability, and when she needed to break or bend them, such as hiring assassins to deal with someone who had tried to forcefully influence her politics, she was pretty good at covering her tracks. Looking down at her own question, she laughed a bit when she saw it. "How serendipitous. If you're plannin' a weddin', do you go for simple or extravagant?" she said, grinning mischievously at Faith and Padraig.

------------------

Once they were called into the dining room, Kura took a seat near Tio. Faith and Padraig were good friends, but she figured Mero would need them more than she did. Besides, Tio was an interesting sort and she did like to meet new people. The baron's appearance surprised her, as she had assumed he'd either be completely pompous or more jovial looking, but she recovered easily. "Out of curiosity, Baron, how would you plan a weddin'?" she asked, her tone amused.