gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Feb 15, 2022 0:23:33 GMT -7
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to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"]  NPC THREADS[attr="class","staffpara"]
This is an NPC thread. Player characters are not allowed to post. The purpose of NPC threads is to further flesh out the world and characters of Salem, introduce new concepts, or further the site plot. Interacting with NPCs, completing missions, clearing quests, and participating in site-wide events may change the actions and reactions of various NPCs.
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This NPC thread will be updated slowly throughout the week. When it's over, staff will give a brief tl;dr.
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gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Feb 15, 2022 0:25:19 GMT -7
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to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"]  CASSIDY WOLFE[attr="class","staffpara"]
It is quickly approaching 5pm at the Old Citadel. Cass can tell from the way the sunlight encoroaches on her desk, spotlighting the assortment of documents spread in front of her. Being a leader of Cerberus meant that paperwork was never over, and she often stayed late into the night, signing, sealing, and running the ink bottle dry.
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Today though, she stayed late not because of paperwork--but for another reason.
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The muted quietness of her study is interrupted by a knock. She doesn't have time to answer before the knob turns and the door swings open. Normally, she would expect more formality, but she made an exception for a friend and coworker.
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"You're late." She says, not bothering to look up from the contract she was reading. But before she can finish, a copy of The Delphi Oracle slides on top of it.
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She looks up to see Cain Delacour, with the mop of brown hair on his head pointing every which way, clothes wrinkled and disheveled from the recent expedition. His expression is not the easy going smile that he usually wears. Instead, he looks at her with a steady gaze, the recent events turning the gears in his head, a rolling storm behind brown eyes.
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For a moment, Cass caught a glimpse into who Cain really was.
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He points to the headline on the newspaper.
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CAD-JACKING: TERRORISTS STILL AT LARGE
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"Care to explain?"
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gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Feb 16, 2022 1:05:18 GMT -7
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to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"]  CAIN DELACOUR[attr="class","staffpara"]
Returning to such a catastrophe was not what Cain had expected while out on an expedition. Delphi had been peaceful for years, and this seemed to come out of thin air. Hadn't they just finished the solstice festivities? With the Pegasus Jubilee coming up, he was nervous about people traveling to Delphi. And anywhere else for that matter.
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"Rumours are saying our friend Dmitri is behind it." He adds.
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There is a long pause as Cass deliberates over her words. How could she? They've both read the papers, and he's sure that she's already been briefed on it. Cain knows too, that he'll be briefed tomorrow morning, when he's back in Pegasus Park. But he wanted to get her real thoughts on the matter, not the carefully canned response that she will give to assauge the public.
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"I'll explain. Outside."
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He watches as she stands, flicking her head in the direction of the gardens. It is far too stuffy in this room, with its gold trim and display of trophies, to talk frankly about a subject such as this. Cass was never a fan of excess.
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When they arrive outside, they both relax a bit more, surrounded by not the granduer of Cerberus, but the gentle swaying of flowers, meticulously maintained by the groundkeepers.
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Uncharacteristically, Cass pulls out a pack Warzik cigerettes, a remnant of her time growing up in the slums. She offers one to Cain, who refuses it with a shake of his head. Your loss, Cass seemed to say, as she pulls one of the sticks out.
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With a snap of her fingers, she produces a small flame. No need for lighters when you're basically a living one, Cain supposes. She takes a long drag, the air acrid with the smell of tobacco, before she speaks.
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"I don't think Dmitri's behind this."
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gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Feb 19, 2022 14:16:34 GMT -7
[nospaces] [attr="class","staffcont"] [attr="class","staffheader"]
to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"] CASSIDY WOLFE[attr="class","staffpara"]
"What, are you defending your boyfriend?" Cain says with a snicker. Cass rolls her eyes, punching his shoulder with a loud smack.
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"Ow!"
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There was something going on between them; the tension between Cass and Dmitri was obvious. And when Cain did go to council meetings, he was the shithead who always sat between them. "Shut up." She snaps, though her tone doesn't have any bite to it.
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"There were casualties. Autopsies show that the conductor died by strangulation."
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Cain stops suddenly. "The council is censoring it?" He says, realizating kicking in. If the council is involved, then they sure as hell wouldn't be the ones investigating it. The newspaper mentioned Council legislation also, so it would make sense. But didn't the council just deny Dmitri the casino deal? If the rumours were true, then he must have acted on his own volition...
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"Sure, Dmitri might kill some witches if they were in his way. But innocent civillians for petty revenge?" Cain says. It is unlike Sybaris's leader to do something so public. The snakes work in shadows. They do not kill with fanfare, instead preferring the venom of their fangs. It would be a severe misstep politically--covens are supposed to protect, not harm.
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gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Feb 20, 2022 19:36:44 GMT -7
[nospaces] [attr="class","staffcont"] [attr="class","staffheader"]
to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"] CAIN DELACOUR[attr="class","staffpara"]
She flicks ashes off of her cigerette, letting the ash fall onto the marble-lined steps of the garden.
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"Right. And the council is just letting the rumours pile on." Cass says. She had reached the same conclusion shortly after getting the news. 'Dmitri' had attacked the trains, and the council was covering it up as a way to protect their image. But if it wasn't Dmitri, then who? And why wasn't he doing anything to deny the allegations?
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Another inhale, to ease her mind.
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"I know what I need to do."
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Cain looks at her with a careful gaze. There is a slight curl to her smile, how the air seems to heat around them, and how there's a fire lit her eyes.
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He had seen this expression on her face once before; right before she became a coven leader, as the master of Cerberus. Back then, she was the Hellhound of Cerberus, with an anger that was nearly uncontrollable. Since becoming leader however, she's had to walk a more careful line, and the council keeps the wolves on a tight leash.
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"Are you going against the council?" He broaches. She's much more comfortable in her position as leader now, but even he knew it was an uphill battle to point a sword at the council.
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She snorts, knowing full well how that would go.
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"Worse, I'm going to text Dmitri."
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...
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There is a small pause before they both bust out laughing. For a moment, they were not coven leaders of Delphi, but two friends having a smoke together. They had met as acolytes of their covens, at their peak...and now look where they are.
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Funny how that works, isn't it?
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gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Feb 24, 2022 22:11:52 GMT -7
[nospaces] [attr="class","staffcont"] [attr="class","staffheader"]
to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"] CASSIDY WOLFE[attr="class","staffpara"]"You know how he gets." Cain snickers.
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"Oh, do I know." Cass rolls her eyes. Dmitri is not a man who picks up the phone. Ironically enough, he responds better by text. But they were both well aware of how hard it was to work with him in person. Imagine trying to be serious over text.
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"But I'll get it out of him somehow. We go way back." She says, playful, sarcastic, and reminiscent all at once. Cain returns her gaze with a wry smile. He's well aware of their past, and he thinks to give her another snide reply--but he won't tempt Wolfe to bite his hand.
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Assuming that Cass and Dmitr's conversation will be private affair, he asks, "What's your official stance going to be?" Because reporters would not leave them alone otherwise. Both of them would have to give their official thoughts on the matter. While Pegasus has always been a neutral party, there's expectations from the public that Cerberus would do something, considering the rumours and the nasty op-ed that was published in the Delphi Oracle. The people would be restless, especially if they catch wind of the fatalities.
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"Cerberus will ban Sybaris from participating in the Novice Exchange Program as a diplomatic measure, and Jeremiah can handle NEP while I'm doing my own investigation. " Cass shrugs. Cain was always impressed at how she seemed to come to her own decisions quickly, without hesitation. In her mind, it was simple. Cerberus comes first. Always, even when they hated her. Despite all odds, she had weathered the storm and came out on top.
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gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Feb 28, 2022 17:14:38 GMT -7
[nospaces] [attr="class","staffcont"] [attr="class","staffheader"]
to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"] CAIN DELACOUR[attr="class","staffpara"]
"Be careful, if the council gets wind if you snooping around, they're not going to like it." Cain warns. The council will probably pass the Sybaris legislation to cover their own skins, and with them hampering investigations, all of the covens were barred from acting in an official capacity.
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The air around them crackles with heat, and Cain feels himself start sweating from the sudden rise in temperature. "No shit. Their 'investigation' is half-assed at best. They're leeches. All of them." Cass says, anger simmering, threatening to boil over. Corruption ran deep, and now it was coming to a head. Red hot flames burst from her hand, and it devours the cigarette in her hand, leaving nothing but black ash.
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"I know." Cain says, suddenly feeling the weight of burden on his shoulders. Ha-yoon...Salkot, a lively and prosperous village, exploited for mining. Despite all the negotiations and peace talks, even Cain could not shake the council's will. He thinks about the Aegis Coven Agreements, how it severely limited covenly powers among witches, and how seats dwindled in the council, leaving just Cerberus, Pegasus, and Sybaris as coven representation in the modern day. They are all puppets in the council's grand scheme, aren't they...
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Silence pervades, leaving them both in their own thoughts.
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gold
familiar Familiar
played by OOC Name
creative monkey
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Post by cila on Mar 1, 2022 1:01:06 GMT -7
[nospaces] [attr="class","staffcont"] [attr="class","staffheader"]
to keep wolves at bay
[attr="class","staffbody"] [attr="class","staffheadimg"] CASSIDY WOLFE[attr="class","staffpara"]
Cass breaks the silence first. "What about the Jubilee?"
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Cain shrugs. "Jubileee is still on; Julian already made a statement. We'll likely appoint extra Pegasus guards as a precaution though. You're always invited."
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"Good, at least we have that going for us. I'll see if I can make it." In all their years of being a coven leader, Cass had never made it to Pegasus's celebrations for one reason or another. Politics, business, or the fact that there's a slight rivalry between all the covens, despite their coven leaders being anything but. He snickers. He knew the answer already, but maybe she'll show up one of these days. "Might be a good chance to take a break. You need it, Cass."
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"You know what they say. The devil works hard, but her dogs work harder."
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Zinnia materializes before them, and Cain climbs onto her with a yawn. "Hah. Rest well tonight. Might be the last chance you can in a while."
[break][break]The next couple days will undoubtedly be perilous; the dust never quite settles for them. With the Jubilee, NEP, and the recent failed expeditions at Suixa, there's a lot on his plate. Cass and Dmitri are undoubtedly is in a similar position...
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Offhandedly, Cain asks "I wonder what's going through Dmitri's mind right now?"
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"Murder, probably?" Zinnia says, and Cass can't help but laugh.
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"Goodnight, Cain."
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The stars seemed a little brighter as Zinnia ascends to the sky, with each footstep leaving a glimmering starette in her wake. Cass snorts. The fool...People forget how powerful he was under all that smooth talk. He could practically bring down the night sky if he so wanted to.
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With the Pegasus leader gone, Cass looks down at her phone, reluctantly unblocking Dmitri's number...
TL;DR.[attr="class","staffpara"] Thanks for reading! This is a brief sneak peek into the events in the future, as well as tidbits of lore in Moonrise. Here's a brief TL;DR of the above NPC thread. [break][break] - Cain returns from an expedition and meets with Cass at the Old Citadel.
- Cain brings a copy of the latest issue of The Delphi Oracle, asking about the Cad Takeover. Rumours are that their coworker and coven leader Dmitri Wisbane is behind the ordeal.
- Cass doesn't think it's Dmitri--the council is covering up casualties, and purposely is doing a weak investigation. Dmitri hasn't made a statement, he's letting the rumours pile on.
- She decides to investigate on her own. Officially, Cerberus will ban Sybaris from the Novice Exchange Program (NEP), an annual cross-coven expedition.
- Cain confirms that the Jubilee is still ongoing with extra Pegasus guards on duty.
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