[attr="class","approvalcont"]

[attr="class","staffpara"]


The Cavalry is like a bloodhound, and there's a fresh corpse in Valencian waters. [break][break]

Justified rage is all it takes—public sentiment shifts wildly to favour the powerful and the bold. In other words, those pest-like nobility that have hung onto titles that have changed names, but never hands. Earl has turned to Speaker of the House, and so on and so forth. But it's easy to love what the light shines on, and a name like Caelestrix rolls right off the tongue, in times like this.
[break][break]
The rebels, by contrast, are cowardly assassins seeking to strike down a dam, a sign of progress, a sign of peace.
[break][break]
It's hard to disagree with what happens next.
[break][break]
The horses descend upon the city, scouring warehouses and interrogating rebel connections. There are few, but what little remain are forced into moving underground. What matters most is they gain the grounds to encroach on new pastures—privacy, people's homes.
[break][break]
And of course, there is the equal and opposite reaction—Julius Kingston becomes the unwitting, obscure martyr to an unlikeable cause. A few fringe groups in the upper west Delta, displaced by Kitaran, find themselves drawn to the rebellion forces.
[break][break]
Despite the swift and effective crackdown on rebel activity, crime continues unabated, and the Cavalry still have their work cut out for them.
[break][break]

* ~ * ~ *

[break][break]
Every once in a while, Sybaris's legal team gets what's called a Code Black.
[break][break]
Different covens have different terms for it, of course. Cerberus, for example, might consider it a declaration of war. Hydra would most certainly respond in kind.
[break][break]
But the Sybaris legal team is far less dramatic—if you want to strangle a snake to death, just make sure it cannot bite you.
[break][break]
Which is to say that several things happen, in between the interview with Vesper Caelestrix and the eventually execution of Julius Kingston, sentinel of Sybaris.
[break][break]
There is a phonecall. Or several, maybe. But Julius Kingston is hardly that important. What's more important is—
[break][break]

* ~ * ~ *

[break][break]

"—there was an attempt made to assassinate the house minorty leader, Vesper Caelestrix."
[break][break]
A low whistle. "Alright, that one's above my paygrade."
[break][break]
"We need to speak with—"
[break][break]
Hold music.
[break][break]
The phone rings. Once, twice.
[break][break]




[break][break]
"Does no one have this bastard's direct line?"
[break][break]
"It's with—"
[break][break]

* ~ * ~ *

[break][break]

A meeting, eventually. [break][break]

It happens in a grand hall, a throne room without much purpose to it, on plush seats that seem to sit one guest far more comfortably than the other. It's only a fragment of the discussion, and it happens toward the end—[break][break]

"It's a process, yeah? Your troops got enough...blood to go on, now, ain't it?"[break][break]

The person at the throne says: "You're telling me it was intentional."
[break][break]
"Well." Darius smiles. "Let's just say. Someone once told me order an' chaos are both a, hm, means to an end."
[break][break]
"Hah. I suppose it's fine, either way. As long as he stays dead in the Vale."[break][break]

A shrug. "I just like payin' people back, when I can. You're the one being plenty co-operative." A smile, lips curling to reveal the teeth.
[break][break]
"Stay for tea?"
[break][break]
His face scrunches. [break][break]

"Not my scene, I'm afriad. Anyway, nice chatting. Lovely house you got."
[break][break]
Means to an end, was it?
[break][break]

* ~ * ~ *

[break][break]

It's doesn't happen very suddenly—Julius gets his night of rest, and wakes up with a missing mark on the back of his neck. His card to enter the Lamia Towers no longer works.
[break][break]
Sometime in the afternoon, he misses a call. The voicemail says:[break][break]



[break][break]
Another day passes.
[break][break]
He's visited, finally, by his boss— sun haneul.
[break][break]
There's a stack of papers, all without his name on it. And a snakebite marking, fit for a brand new initate of Sybaris, a glorified intern, really, at a company he used to do serious work for.
[break][break]
Hah. So much for that cushy freelance deal—this time, he'll have to play by the rules.
[break][break]

* ~ * ~ *

[break][break]

Meanwhile, on the other end of the peninsula, Danya Reed winds up in posession of a boy with far too many injuries, and a questionable connection to one Julius Kingston.
[break][break]
He's not much use to her—especially not when the fighting is this bad, and it feels like she needs to be in a hundred different places at once.
[break][break]
But every piece finds its use. It's only a matter of time.

[attr="class","staffpara"]julius kingston
[break][break]

• "Julius Kingston" is now dead. Your rank has been reset to initiate, and you may regain ranks under a new name. Defection rules apply.
• Unless significant plot development occurs, or without staff apporval, a. You may no longer participate in threads in Vale subboards set past November 8th and b. You may no longer start a new company, and your character is now a member of Moonbroch Co.
• The Sybarite company Circle Co. has been dissolved.
• In general, you are not being actively searched for by the Cavalry, and it may be safe to resume normal activity (in Delphi) after some time.

[break][break]

YOU HAVE RECEIVED: +10MP, ONE SIGNATURE SPELL (ADV)* and:
[break]

[attr="class","staffpara"]

serafim strix

• Your character may not make new threads set after November 8th until the events of this thread have been resolved.
• To resolve the events, please use an NPC card & text card with NPC Dmitri Wisbane. All NPC threads are injury enabled.
• Your character's familiar has sustained several permanent injuries, including: shredded fins that reduce surface area and overall mobility, and throat incisions that make speaking to others painful or, at times, impossible.

[break][break]

YOU HAVE RECEIVED: +10MP, ONE SIGNATURE SPELL (ADV)*, ACHIEVEMENT: MARRED and:




[break][break]
*Signature spells do not necessarily have to be advanced, but they can be. Please dm details to Pandora directly. After you submit you original idea, it will be edited down if needed, or restrictions may be added as per staff discretion.[break][break]

This concludes MP rewards for both the thread itself and the quest bonus. The IC thread will be archived once both signature spells have been approved.

[attr="class","appplayedby"]julius kingston serafim strix

[attr="class","staffapplink"]INVENTORYSHOP