Recent content by Rizzo Bouchard

Istra listened in what appeared to be an astute manner, nodding along at key points, but in truth it was a perfunctory one. None of this was what she expected, falling into none of the three domains of outcomes. This simply could not be it--the captain had to have an ulterior motive of which...

So he was aware of Malak, but he did not say anything explicitly of any past interactions with him. No direct indication of why Malak may have brought the captain specifically to the Order's attention. Malak was of poor character, such was a fact, but that had no bearing on whether or not the...

Her training in the Order of Speculatores was the opposite of her wealthy and aristocratic upbringing: it had prepared her for a lot of things. Unpleasant things. Difficult things. Harsh things. It was a callous world out there, very often a brutish one, and agents needed to be ready. What...

It was supposed to have been quick and quiet. The man was supposed to have been asleep. The locked door to his room proved no obstacle to her Alteration magic, but as soon as she entered the room things had gone terribly awry. The man was up, armed, and a ferocious fighter. Istra was thrown on...

Wild thoughts ran through Istra Lejeune's mind as she lay defeated on the floor. That she had chosen the wrong time and place. That she had underestimated her target. That she had not only failed her mission but also that this may well be her last night on Arethil. The Grand Council had been...

Istra saw the crossbow being aimed at her. And she acted purely on instinct and dove under the first wagon when the bolt was fired. The crossbowman cursed and tossed aside his ranged weapon and drew his arming sword and joined his Purist brethren in the fray with the guards. Istra, meanwhile...

The haze had begun to clear to a degree. Enough for Dio and the eight men (seven, with Davvis being knocked unconscious and soon to be fatally stabbed) to see that their fellow Luminari Purists had adhered to the plan and dutifully fled. And that was why the plan was in place. To prevent...

Istra kept still and compliant, but her mind raced with options and odds. The dark elf. Prone to seething anger. The maid. Upset with the dark elf's demeanor. A souring partnership perhaps. Potential there. Keep playing along. Not all opportunities could be created; some came only with time...

Istra spurred her horse onward. Up ahead, seemed the last of the people from inside the dust cloud were running out in a panic. But it would still be another few moments before she went into that haze herself. And she had no idea what she would find. What the opposition would be like. Gerald

Istra was caught completely by surprise. An unseen elf--dark elf--blindsided her and slammed her into the exterior College wall. A light gasp of shock escaped from her, and the mixture of apprehensive anger and startled fright were insufficiently restrained from reaching her expression...

Istra had enough. The Gate guards were frustratingly obstinate. There was perhaps some merit to their concerns--they feared a chaotic situation becoming even more so with the intervention of the Elbion Cohort--but she could not stand by. A particular adage rung true in her mind: it is easier to...

Istra Lejeune had come with the Elbion Cohort for one purpose: a man named Trajan Meng. At the behest of the Order of Speculatores and the Grand Council of Elbion, she did this. For it had recently come to light, via an anonymously delivered letter to the Order's Hall, that this man Trajan Meng...

Istra stood by the wall. Began to cast a variety of simple spells, along with trying some mundane actions which were supposed to trigger the enchantments and their alerts and responses. She didn't, however, want to probe too far, to try her unorthodox techniques. Not while she was being watched...

Istra gave a nod to Al. She did not know if know he, too, was like Talus--a spellsword. But one did not need to be magically inclined to be clever, resourceful, strong. A keen wit and a sharp eye could often accomplish feats that raw magical potential could not. There was a fellow Speculatore...

Istra listened to the maid's concerns. With a small wave of her hand dismissed them. Said, "You need not trouble yourself with the thought that you might disturb our work. Finish your rounds as you normally would. And do report any anomalies you might encounter to one of the Professors." Istra...