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Pendleton hardly managed to wrap his manacles around the demon/man's neck before the thing changed shape, breaking it's chains and bucking him like a bull into the two soldiers, the Captain Morris catching him and holding him back as he struggled against his grip.
"Oye oye oye! Stop kickin' yah blighter! Calm down, you'll get yer chance, no need to make such a fuss eh, the bloke's fairly non-hostile it seems to me."
Captain Morris's words had an effect on Pendleton, as he stopped struggling as the rest of the room went on, Lieutenant Colonel Lowsley additionally loosening his sword from it's sheath slightly with his off hand. However as the demon finished his speech, and tossed the Demon Hunter tags to Pendleton, his jaw locked with rage. A bit more restraining on Captain Morris' part was needed, but eventually he went still after James ordered calm. He stood there, mulling over the tags angrily, eyes shooting daggers in the demon's direction. He tuned out the conversation about the Demon being friendly, the Chancellor was wrong. He tuned out the bit about Vampyres, that much he knew. His mind was mostly occupied about retribution at this point, and why the infernal depths did the Chancellor think he would ever work with such a damned being.
"Let me guess... I'm here because you figured you'd get your use out of me before sending me to the gallows."



As Captain Morris restrained the aged Demon Hunter, Lowsley, hand still on his blade, listened intently to the conversation, mildly impressed with the demon's form. If only being like him were more easily made tame and loyal, war would be a mere spectator sport for mankind. As more people made their arrival, including the Warrior-woman who seemed displeased with him and Captain Morris somehow, Lowsley took them into account. So far, the Chancellor had assembled a hodgepodge.... Whatever this was. When the Chancellor asked if anyone else would like to know why they were here, Lowsley raised his hand slightly.
"Yes, as Ms...... Whatever her name is over there stated, this isn't work soldiers normally do. So why exactly was I invited, instead of being put back to more 'solider-esque' tasks, might I ask?"

Kimi raised an eyebrow as he glanced to the woman who responded to his question frowning as his magic sensed something feral or wild about her, but he brushed it off as unimportant then again he did the same with the cloaked stranger and he turned out to be a demon. Shaking his head he refocused on the chancellor muttering to himself "A job his soldiers can't do?... so some sort of job he can't be seen being involved in." He speculated as to what he wanted as he waited for the man himself to inform them as to the reason he had them brought there.

He glanced to another woman in the room who spoke up asking some questions of her own but what he noticed the most about her was the fact that he got the same wild or feral sense from her as the other woman leading Kimi to believe that it was likely everyone here was not exactly normal in one way or another. What with a demon, two whatever the women were, and who knows what else.

His attention was recaptured by the Chancellor as he began to talk about his ancestor then about some being named Sithious who was taking control of the underworld and apparently this being has killed all the demon princes to take the throne. The Chancellor then moved on to talk about how he found each of them in turn, Kimi took this time listening to pick out anything about those he was with and about the chancellors own spies capabilities. It was actually quite scary how much he seem to know about all of them it was thats when the Chancellor got to him.

As the man spoke Kimi felt more and more scared and nervous though he didn't let it show on his face instead keeping a neutral composed smile bowing at the end as he said softly "I pride myself on my ability to stay hidden and blend in so I take the fact you had a tough time finding me a compliment. You have a fearsome ability to gather intelligence though with how much you already know about me, though the reason I came to Dalcaria is quite personal so I won't be filling in any of your shady points." He fell silent wondering if the Chancellor was joking when he said he found it fairly easy to trust Kimi, even if he had killed a few people the chancellor wanted dead it wasn't like it meant he wouldn't kill the chancellor at some point. Then again he would find himself hard pressed to find a reason to want to, the man was good at his job and seemed fairly just so killing him would possibly lead to someone worse taking his place. There is also the factor that Kimi was starting to feel that it was unlikely that he could kill this man, with the fact his spies would likely inform him as soon as Kimi made a hostile move.

When the Chancellor finally got around to telling them what he had them brought here for Kimi's mask of a composed smile dropped to a surprised expression

"I'm asking you to be the first Inquisitors in Dalcaria in over 200 years."

Kimi felt his throat tighten for a moment as he tried to pull himself back together wondering if maybe he should flee screw the chance that the man before them would have anyone who didn't accept killed. The man wanted them to not only to kill demons but to also be inquisitors and be part of a crusade. Kimi was good at being an assassin but he wasn't so sure that he could do this, but the same thing that made him answer the call of the invitation kept there waiting to see how the others react instead of immediately turning James down.

The Wolf Of Whitehaven

Aydan simply raised an eyebrow at Tessa's questions, silently admitting they were valid as she turned her attention to the Colonel.A flare of amusement showing in her eyes when he floundered for her name "Aydan McKay." She turned her gaze to Moore, knowing he'd reconize her title, given they were from the same home Provence "Though some know me as The Wolf of Whitehaven." She wasn't gloating, only making it easier for some to make the connection.

Many believed Aydan to be a man, simply because of her name or title.It was rather funny when they realized their assumptions were incorrect.She also knew many wondered at the reason behind her title, guessing that she had some power over the wild wolves that roamed the territory, nothing more, and at the moment, that's the way she preferred it.

She turned her attention back to the man in chains, this Black Jack character, and the Chancellor, her face a passive mask at the questions and new influx of information into the man's own ancestry.She knew of the Inquisitors.Anyone who studied at the Temple were told of them.They were the hero's of old, paving a path for the future the group now knew.

Her brows rose in surprise though at his ingenious work with the locals of Whitehaven, already guessing at a few who had passed over her information.She let out a snort when he mentioned guard duty.She gave not outter emotion on his comment on her home however.

Aydan's jaw nearly dropped in total shock at this new slap to the face about becoming the Temple's new Inquisitors before letting out a full on laugh, unable to stop the looks of outrage she'd imagined on her old instructors faces at the news "Ach, lad!You'd best hope The Guardian is at your back in this." It was rather clear she found this entire thing humorous and she was intrigued to see how it would turn out.She gave what could only be described as a wolfish grin and another little chuckle "You have my blade, though I'll not be stopping the old teachers if they come at you, and I'll take no money.I've enough as it is." She never once asked for pay when taking care of a demon problem and she was going to start.She'd gained enough wealth as a blade for hire to live out the rest of her days in peace if she wished.

(OOC: Gotta go folks, shop is closing, but I'll be back tomorrow! G'night!)

Tessa paid rapt attention to the minor lesson in history. This was the reason why the Grand Chancellor himself had requested her presence, and the presence of each one of these enigmatic characters. There was a certain weight to the way he spoke of the “inquisitors”. Tessa, of course, had heard of them. But as far as she knew, the custom had been in a lapse for two centuries. She knew they’d been demon hunters, working in the great demon war, but as many, she naturally assumed that history had been transformed into a folktale. Sparing a glance at the demon, she was forced to give it a second thought.

"You want to know what's taking power in the underworld? Well, let's get that out of the way first."

Tessa nodded.

"The thing that makes hell itself quake in fear goes by many names, but he has always called himself, to me and my family, Lord Sithious. He is not human, he is not demon, and he is not normal. There are supposed to be demon princes in the underworld, note I say 'supposed to be'. He has beaten, banished, and even killed many of the demon princes, taking some secret throne for himself. But, he has very little physical power on this planet right now, he is more of a spiritual entity for the moment." The Chancellor looked up at all of them. Tessa expected the answer before he even told them. He had the weary look of a man that had faced trials beyond her imagination, beneath his sociable exterior. ”But that is my fight, not yours." He slid his sword back into its sheath and cleared his throat.

Tessa lifted her chin as the Chancellor acknowledged her. “Well, once upon many times, the information you brokered was being brokered to me.”

Tessa smiled with a hint of pride. House Black had tuned her skills in espionage and research. Once she was let loose from their hold, it was like a leaking hurricane. As a rule, to thank a small group of unorganized rebels for smuggling her out, as well as possibly giving her child safe passage out of the capital, she had spread her web. Slowly, she made connections with other rebels, forming an sketchy underground, but as she grew momentum, her information brokering had a ripple effect. Of course she had dealt with the Royal Intelligence Agency during the civil war, taking personal interest in the rise in their power under the surface against the Old Chancellor and House Black. The compliment made her blush, but she quickly squashed herself down back into straight faced composure.

“I kept tabs on you, like I do most people, but when I started to dig into your history,” he said. Her reaction, to that, was hardly noticeable. A breath let out smoothly in time with his mention of her history, the corners of her eyes wrinkling briefly as if something sharp had only brushed against her. “…certain things started to catch my attention. I had someone working for me send the letter directly to you as well, which was easy enough. Don't worry though, you have kept yourself hidden away very well, my men just happen to be some of the best when it comes to finding hidden things.”

As he turned to the pair of soldiers, she thought hard beneath her mask. It was instinct, after the years of being underground. She wasn’t rash enough to ask him what he knew about her history among others. It’s safe to assume he knows everything, including the lycanthropy. Still, I thought I took measures against the agency’s noses. They’ve grown more influential since the war ended, I suppose.

“…you were with House Black.” Tessa snapped to attention like the hammer of a pistol. If she hadn’t been so jumpy from the full moon’s approach, she would have composed a reaction like that. Even if it had been the street. But inside the Chancellor’s chambers the mention of House Black members hit her like an uppercut to the nose, smelling of coal and blood.

“I was actually thinking about killing both of you, House Black was as well. But I noticed in the reports that there were no mentions of attempted genocide of the native population, no death camps set up, nothing that indicated to me that you were following the racist agenda of the old state. So, I figured that maybe, just maybe you gentlemen were a little like me, and maybe just maybe you wanted revenge on House Black.”

Their lack of outright genocide indicated…The Chancellor figured? Gentlemen! Men from House Black! She bit her tongue. The shield of her self-control was as thin as paper, but she managed to cross her arms and scowl instead of leap for their throats. It was the first time she’d come close to revealing her true feelings on her face. Any closer to the full moon and she could not have promised such control. She barely saw the point of staying still over flinging her knives. She forced her eyes to the floor and listened to the others’ introductions. Dante Kullorin, a reputable witch hunter loyal through the civil war to The One’s temple. Vashani, the Lishundan. She remembered the reputation on that one, finally. He was the Capulets’ infamous duelist. Crimson. Kimi, an assassin with a part in several deaths during the civil war. She wondered whose.

By the time the Chacellor arrived at Aydan Mckay, Tessa had cooled down. Her heart beat still thrummed heavily. Aydan Mckay. Tessa didn’t need the affirmation of her nickname. She was the Wolf of Whitehaven. Taking into account the imagination of her contacts in Witehaven, she was disappointed that the description was not accurate in the least. There were…suspicions Tessa had about the name’s origin. And it was interesting how tight-lipped and vague those origins were.

And last of all, Jack was introduced. She recognized his face from posters, and although she’d been careful to avoid direct contact with one of the most infamous rebel gangs, her web was spread through his organization as well. He’d been arrested that morning. So he was one of these chosen as well.

“Well my friends, it's really quite simple. I could have chosen a hundred other people or more to do this job, but you all did something that a hundred other people didn't do. You gave me a feeling in my gut, a force telling me you were the ones I should trust. Well, I sincerely hope I wasn't wrong, because I'm not asking you to simply kill demons. I'm asking you to be the first Inquisitors in Dalcaria in over 200 years.”

Tessa remained silent until several of the guests had said their acceptance.

Then she opened her mouth.

“How much?” she demanded, her voice uncharacteristically rough, and a scowl on her mouth. She had no illusions about this request. The Chancellor was asking her to face down demons, and with a rag tag group he’d spied on and slapped together, without an ounce of trust to bond them. And he was asking her to be comrades with House Black scum, if she wasn’t mistaken.

(OOC: Howdy all! Looking forward to adventuring with all of you. Hope my late entrance can be forgiven!
Edit: also, I'll make a prettier posting style than this first one. I just wanted to get on the grid ASAP)

The unusually light "clip clop" of horses hooves flitted and weaved through the streets of Durelieus. Those who cared to look up as the maroon carriage wizzed past would be taken aback at the lack of a driver directing the pair of steeds. Yet somehow, the carriage took turns cleanly and smoothly, the horses never seeming without precise direction. Once gaining access to the inner streets of the city, the carriage's destination was clear: the palace. At the outer gates, the occupant slid his left window open and presented a document confirming his membership to the Office of Science and Magic. The carriage glided up the promenade to the front doors of the palace.

There, the sole occupant creaked open his door and stepped out. The occupant was clad in a thick, heavy cloak, his face completely shadowed. Light would not touch thise man's face. At a wave of his hand, the carriage clattered off to the palace stables where the horses would mysteriously manage to unhitch themselves and join the palace horses in grazing.

From there it was a matter of weaving through the many guarded passages of the palace. At each point the stranger showed a new document, a letter from the Grand Chancellor himself, to grant him access further into the palace. At each check point, when the guards attempted to escort him, the stranger would raise a hand and say, "I know the way." Then briskly brushed past them.

One pair of guards, a pair of seasoned veterans, actually recognized the fellow and gave a wary bow as he passed. They knew the nature of this man's business would be with the Chancellor, and would be of a nature they wanted no part of.

The final door was where the fellow allowed himself to be escorted in by the guards. For formality's sake, or course. The doors of the room of stratagem may or may not alert the occupants to a newcomer's presence, as there is already lively conversation in full swing. If you can call Chancellor Bond lecturing on lore, espionage, and the present supernatural playing field. So, stopping halfway between the door and the moderate crowd gathered before Bond and his map, Harold Dobbs decided to make his arrival known.

"Greetings, Boy King," Harold called, decidedly crisp and lightly amused in speech, "For what grand purpose does His Excellency summon the lonely Old Alchemist?"

While Bond had not been called a "boy" by anyone for many years, he was still very young for being a ruler of such caliber. Besides, in comparison to Harold's age, all the occupants of this room were but babes. The only possible exception would be the rather impressive demon looming over the group.

Harold feared no opposition to his nickname for the Chancellor, not because of any misconception of the Chancellor's power and prowess, but in confidence of the man's emotional stability and intellectual sensibility. For if naught else, Grand Chancellor Bond was a sensible man. Certainly Harold's favorite quality of the fascist overlord. For now, Harold payed little heed of the others occupying the room. They would reveal themselves in time. For now, superficial observation would do fine.

(OOC: That's fine, just glad you were able to get it posted! Hopefully being a Vampire (with an I, not a Y folks) doesn't make you too many enemies too quickly. sweatdrop )