The fickle nature of fortune was a hotly debated topic in Veil’s home city of Orun. A roll of the dice could lead to the misfortune of loss for one person, yet the fortune of victory for another. It was this line of thinking that led Veil to her “truth”, her core value. Luck is always on your side as long as you consider all points of view.
For example, the fact that she had taken a job in Wraskam just before the city exploded into anarchy and a centuries old social structure built on slaves was overthrown. Some might consider that bad luck, or the disfavour of a deity. Veil was not one such person, where some saw a setback she saw an opportunity. She was currently mingling amidst the surviving dignitaries of the city who had been invited to a soirée hosted by Sasashi, the unique Topaz Gemstone Dragonborn who led Wraskam as its public face. Typical of a politician, with the death of the Six slaver lords and the ensuing uprising, it was clear to Veil that Sasashi was using the ensuing chaos to gather all the frightened nobles together under his “protection”. In doing so, he was garnering their favour for when he inevitably tried to fill the vacuum of power left in the six’s absence.
A bold move to be sure, but a foolish one this early in the game. Sasashi’s garrison would have struggled enough trying to smother the riots, then you add on top the theft at the Temple of The Hammer of the Gods taking even more guards to protect and prevent further larceny, and the result was a skeleton crew remaining to protect the crème-de-la-crème of society in the Lord’s compound. This was the fortune Veil had found, as the exhausted and negligible guards were letting anyone even remotely noble in appearance and demeanour find shelter here. In all her years honing the craft of infiltration, Veil had never had it so easy as to just walk through the front door, this was child’s play!
Some token small talk and a quick dance or two and nobody was even giving her a second look as she passed through the crowd like a shade amongst the living. All these lords and ladies were far too busy worrying about themselves to pay her much mind anyway. To a casual observer they may appear calm, but to her trained eyes the desperation and strain in their chatter, their drinking, their dancing, all belied the panic bubbling beneath the surface.
Now then, her employer had advised that the item would be located somewhere in the Dragonborn’s study upstairs. The method of extraction was left to her but the reason she had been hired was definitely due to her ability to avoid unwanted detection, which had been a pre-requisite of the contract. A few coy suggestions to the infamously promiscuous Lady Rosalia, and Veil saw her make her way over to the muscular guard watching the staircase. A quick word or two before Lady Rosalia wandered off and… there! Only a couple of minutes later the guard surreptitiously made his way in the direction she had headed and Veil was able to slip upstairs with nary an observer or interruption.
It took an infuriatingly long time for her to find the scroll in question amidst the dense forest of literature within Sasashi’s study, enough so that she knew the staircase would likely be under guard once more. Veil briefly considered using her ring of twilight to slip by but quickly shot that idea down in her mind. The ring’s ability was most effective at concealing her in environments that were already dimly lit or obscured, if she was truly invisible she could risk it but she knew there was a big difference between invisible and translucent. That was not a risk she could afford to take on this job. She would have to try the servants quarters, her chances of being spotted were just as high but at least servants were only likely to gossip amongst themselves about what they saw. Unlike a guard whose job revolved around reporting people being where they shouldn’t be.
She quietly exited the study before making a quick dash across the landing and down the servants staircase. Stopping briefly to compose herself before bursting through the doors to the kitchens. She set her shoulders straight, eyes up, chin raised in that tell-tale noble derision, and she marched across the room. Protruding that aura of arrogance that no servant dared intrude upon, she made it all the way across the room and out the back door into the courtyard, only stopping to take a breath when she was sure she was out of sight. The only thing left between her and freedom were a token force of guards and a stone wall, now this was where her ring could truly shine. Slipping the plain band onto her finger, her form began to fade into an ethereal blue silhouette interspersed with twinkling stars, before becoming entirely semi-transparent.
Sneaking past the last few guards was an easy feat, though scaling the outer wall in a noble-woman’s dress was somewhat of a challenge. Veil eventually was out and made her way to the rendezvous point to hand over the scroll and receive her payment. The riots were still going strong so Veil kept to the rooftops, vaulting from building to building until she arrived at the alley intersection detailed in her contract. The sounds of the crowd were distant so Veil took the time to strategize her possible escape routes and contingencies before dropping down silently onto the sand-swept floor.
“You’re late.” The voice came from over her shoulder, startling her and making her dart, pivot, and draw the stiletto dagger that had been strapped to her thigh. The figure who had spoken stood motionless, their features and physique covered by a large hood and cloak, though if Veil had to guess from the voice, she’d say it was likely a woman.
“Well that sly topaz lizard was smarter than most nobles. No obvious safe behind a painting or keys under paperweights. He’d taken the effort to hide this scroll as a page, actually bound amidst one of his many books. Without your descriptor I’d probably not have found it.” She reached within her bodice before withdrawing and unfurling the aforementioned item. “I trust that you have my payment?”
The figure remained motionless, so it was truly a shock when Veil felt a sharp pain lance through her spine, followed by a dull burning sensation in her veins. Poison. She dropped to her knees as a figure strolled past her, taking the cloak off a… mannequin. She’d been duped by a gods-damned doll and a simple party trick of throwing your voice.
“I’m sorry, as a fellow tradesperson I respect you. However I needed that scroll and I needed someone to take the fall for its theft. So this is two birds with one stone as well as tying up a loose end. I’m sure you can appreciate the efficiency.”
The dull burn of the poison was diminishing, along with any feeling at all. The only sensation left to her was fear, but there was nothing she could do. It was odd, as Veil’s eyes began to flutter closed she still could not see beneath the hood of her employer, her murderer. Yet somehow she could tell they were smiling as their voice intoned “the Six are dead, long live the One.”
Her vision went dark, and the last thought Veil ever had was a grim joke about passing beyond her own namesake…
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