Completed Speculations and Conspiracy

[Nayden]

Taking a sip of tea, Nayden sets it down gently onto the little plater the cup called its home. Albeit with a bit of a shake as his whole body still ached from what transpired a few days ago in Allaria. It was no thanks to some quick actions Nayden was able to make it out of the predicament mostly unscathed. Save for the new aching body and a few broken bones. Particularly his leg and a few ribs. But he was able to handle those.

The man wore a lovely blue and red leather armor, with a deep blue cloak and hood hiding his face from many around him. What could be seen was a hand that seemed like a normal human's hand as his other was covered up with a glove. His feet were very much the same, in human terms, except with leather boots covering them as well. Smiling the waiter walks by the man and offers him another pot of tea, to which the man smiles and nods his permission. Handing him another coin as he left.

Nayden was waiting for someone he met, to discuss what the situation was with the Empire and to figure out ways to be a thorn in their side. To prevent the Empire's rather worrying advances. Which did not go unnoticed when word spread, particularly at such a battle which Nayden himself had borne witness to. It also did not help ease his soul that the new Emperor was from Molthal of all places. Nayden shook his keeping his dark thoughts from taking over his mind and being.

 

[Taushan Angevin]

He slipped off his helmet as he walked into the small building. He was late, that was no good. He scratched the bottom of his chin as he glanced around, peering with his eyes at the occupants. He quickly spotted his partner in crime, whom he had agreed to meet.

He didn't know him particularly well, he had encountered him on a road on the way into town while he was thinking out-loud, a bad habit he picked up. However, they soon discovered a mutual goal, that is, being troublemakers to the empire. They had agreed to meet here shortly after.

He approached, shifting his backpack and plopping it down by the table, "Sorry I'm late." He apologized, looking around, "Hope you didn't wait too long, how ya doin?"

 

[Nayden]

The waiter was setting down another pot of tea when Nayden’s accomplice walked in. His footsteps pronounced with his armor on. He smiles waving off the apology, “Do not worry about being late. As long as your arrive that is all that matters.” Sitting up the man takes a sip of tea before having a tea cup just appear in his hand, “I am doing well. Just aching a bit for my last venture.” Offering Taushan a cup if he so wished to partake in the tea.

“I hope you had a good trip here as well?” He asks his friend as the waiter brought out a few small snack for them to snack on.

 

[Taushan Angevin]

"Quite fine." He said, as he took a seat and graciously took the cup. He took a small sip as he perused the snacks. He quite enjoyed the small talk, it was good to take your mind off the matter at hand. "If you are sore I know of some exercises you can do. Learned them from being sore after tilling, it might help. Can make it a little worse but makes sure you aren't sore a couple days from now." He chatted, before putting some food in his mouth.

As he ate and listened for Nayden's response, he gave his armor a once over. It needed maintenance, he had run out of oil and polish and he didn't want it to get rusty, another item to restock on. Maybe he should paint it? He quickly stopped himself before he talked aloud, refocusing on the conversation.

 

[Nayden]

With a shake of his head Nayden declines, “It is not that type of acheing. It is more from being beaten about by some mercenary.” Nayden did not seem to realize that Taushan’s armor was indeed a mess, he seemed to not notice much in detail except for the sound and other scenes of other beings. “If I still had some magic left it would be gone in a flash.” The man chuckles.

“Anyways, what were we here for?.....” Nayden puts his hand in his chin thinking for a moment, “Oh yes, the Empire.” Taking up his tea cup again Nayden takes another drink. “I was thinking we can work our way i to their system by other means. If you are up for it.” He tilts his head at Thaushan. He did not know how he felt about inside jobs, not to mention there were only two of them so far. They had to work with what they had. “We can make our base of operations here as well. Since we just need a few stead and some magic and we will be to Amol in no time.” He finishes his sentence with a snap of his fingers.

 

[Taushan Angevin]

He didn't pay Nayden's lack of observation any mind, he was quickly thinking on the matter at hand. "Would probably be more efficient than whatever i'm doing, just picking fights where I can." He thought for a moment, "Don't know what you have in mind though, we aren't exactly the sneakiest pair, and I doubt i'd be able to assassinate someone or whatever." He paused, mulling it over, "As for a base of operations, here will do fine, hadn't been here before but it seems like a nice place, and a nice good distance away from the empire's reach." He paused again, twiddling his thumbs as he thought before finishing, "So whats this plan of your's anyways? I'm not the best thinker and you've probably got something better than whatever I've been doin." He took the time while Nayden formulated a response to put some more of the provided snacks into his mouth. Whatever happened it was worth the good food.

 

[Nayden]

Nayden smiles, "I am quite sure you have not seen me in action yet... unless you can scry?" He asks thinking a bit more now. "I was thinking maybe we can use some insiders, but not just any insiders." He points to the air around him.

"How about we use small bugs and birds? The ones that are local to the area in which the bastard emperor is sitting in a tower of gold." He says with a mischievous smile, "After all we should learn of our enemy before going about cutting off its many heads." He uses his thumb slicing across his throat and chuckles. "It might also help if we get some of the nobles on our side since I am very very sure some of them do not like the fact that their city has been taken over by a foreigner nonetheless." He shrugs, "Unless you got any better ideas?"

 

[Taushan Angevin]

"Fancy magic eh?" He chuckles to himself, "No, I don't, the real question is how we can use that information, or convince some fancy-pants nobles to help us out." He shrugged, thinking. "Pretty good idea with the bugs though, quite like it. Still, you're the idea man, you just tell me who to shwack or what to do." As he talked he checked his varying supplies, which were still low, none had materialized, more to the internal shopping list.

 

[Nayden]

"Amol used to be a pretty good hot spot for the slave trade. We can use that to our advantage as surely many of them will wish for the whole city to return to their old ways." Nayden says placing his fingers together in deep dark thought.

"As for whom we first target, I know not yet." With a sigh he looks out towards a crowd of people passing by, "But we must find out who is the one who supports them and works our way from the bottom up. Albeit very quietly." He looks towards Taushan. "Only then will I let you harm someone, in the meantime. How about we make a trip to that desert and learn of their ways? Sort of as tourists." He offers Taushan. "But that will be after we have time to prepare for such a journey."

 

[Taushan Angevin]

"Sounds like a plan." He said, downing the rest of his tea and standing, "I have some restocking and shopping to do if you would care to join me?" He sorted through his mental checklist, he had decided, sure, he'd paint his armor, but he also needed a restock of rations and the oil he was thinking about before.

"Say, I hear stories of people wearing robes in the desert, something about direct sun and all that, might as well pick some up, don't want the armor to heat up too much." He rambled slightly as he gathered his things and slipped on his backpack, readjusting his helmet atop his head, waiting for his compatriot to move.

 

[Nayden]

With a smile Nayden gets up from his chair and grabs another handful of snacks, “They would wear robes I imagine. Since anything heavy add to the body heat trapped within armor.” He comments before taking a bit of a biscuit. He’d move around the table. Making a few notes of what he also needed.

“If you do not mind can you help me get my supplies also? It is kind if hard for people to trust someone like me, and they might try to pull one over me.” He asks Taushan wrapping his hands together, “I can pay for your items also.” He offers as well as the waiter moves over to pick up the remnants of their snacking and tea.

 

[Taushan Angevin]

"No need to pay, I can cover myself, and I'd be happy to help." He moved out of the building, quickly approaching the first shop he saw that would hold the kinds of things they needed.

The shopping went quickly, Taushan had quickly noticed that Nayden had a much slower pace than him and slowed his down accordingly, leading the way through the various shops they visited. Soon, they had everything they need and they were walking out of the last shop.

"So what now?" He asked, putting the airy robe atop his head, covering the metal armor atop him from the sun, "You plan on using fancy magic to get to that desert or just hoof it?"

 

[Nayden]

“No way in hell I can get us to Amol-Kalit with teleportation magic safely.” Nayden looks towards Taushan, “We’ll have to hoof it unfortunately.” He says with a bit of disappointment. He hated the heat and the blistering sun of the desert.

“We probably won’t be able to bring horses, since they’ll probably die in the heat eventually.” With a slight chuckle, “We’ll need mounts suited for the desert. Maybe a few elephants?” He suggests snapping his buttons into place for his pouches hidden somewhere within his clothing. “Or I can just used the sand to form them other than buying them.”

 

[Taushan Angevin]

"Sounds good..." He said, doubtfully, he knew magic was powerful and all, but summoning an elephant seemed weird, still, either way, if he could do it, besides it's not like he had the most experience with it.

"In the meantime I'm going to clean up my stuff, if you don't mind." He found a comfy spot to begin taking off his armor and cleaning dirt off it. After that he'd paint it and then he'd be done.

 

[Nayden]

"Take as much time as you need. I will be going to prepare the mounts." Nayden says, "Meet me outside the city when you are done." Nayden gives Tasushan a smile before heading off for the city.

There he would scratch runes into the earth, making sure they were just right. Before saying a few words in drudaic and the earth breaks free of itself. In small little chucks then in bigger ones. As the pieces of earth floated together forming the life-like shape of an elephant. They rumbled a deep sound that sounded like mountains breaking in half. The few people that were around stepped back in shock for a moment, before realizing that they were harmless and went back to their daily business.

 

[Taushan Angevin]

It didn't take him long to be finished with his gear. He walked outside the city, wearing his new coat of paint and layer of cloth atop his armor and gawked a little.

"That's a big'un innit?" He said, looking at the elephants, "How we even supposed to get up there?" He said, inspecting the creatures, it was slightly unnerving, sure, they looked pretty real, but they didn't breath or anything. Weird. He shrugged, looking to Nayden for what he did.

 

[Nayden]

Nayden was sitting on the elephant by the time Taushan came out, with his arms being used as a cushion. A small pair of steps formed from the elephants allowing the man to make his way up. Once he did so Nayden smiles, "You get up here by magic." He responds and the elephants started their way towards the desert. An area of endless sand, endless heat and many dangers that are hidden within.