Undercity News

On a gorgeous day, the Temple is as busy as one might expect. Many Sunblades and Sunguards can be seen, some on guard duty, others training in small formations, others spreading the word of Daeus, yet others off duty, enjoying the simple pleasures of company, good food and relaxation.

Among all this activity are adherents, penitents and those of other temples.

The Navosian runs into the Temple, the sound of her sandals slapping against her feet and the ground announcing her presence. Simony pauses, staring at the Temple's magnificence, and the grand amount of activity and people here. "Such a contrast to the Monastery.", she says softly to no one in particular. Stepping over to a slightly bored-looking Sunblade, she asks a question. He squints, thinking, and then points in a direction. So it begins. She finds herself in a building that seems to be dedicated to administration. "Bleh. Paperwork. The unfun kind.", the Goblin mutters. "Excuse me, would you know where I might find Dolan? He is er... an inquisitor, I believe? About yea tall? Yes, I do believe that's him, with the artifice eye." Then the sounds of her footsteps echoing on the floor.

"Oh, Corona Dolan? He should be around here somewhere. He might be with the healers, though. Oh, no, there he is." A snort of laughter from the young lady that is the last one Simony finds, as she looks over to the grass in the main courtyard, where the man in question is flopped out in the grass, staring up at the domed sky above with both flesh and artifice eyes. "Lazy bum that he is." That is said with a laugh.

The Goblin grins as the young lady laughs. "I am sure he's actually just recharging his holy powers in Daeus' light." Her grin grows more broad. "Thank you very much, you are most kind. Have a good day!" With her expression bright, she kicks out of her sandals as soon as she reaches the grass. Simony walks up to the man in the grass, stopping as few steps away to clear her throat. "It certainly is the perfect day for feeling the grass on your neck, and the warm sun on your face, isn't it, Corona Dolan?"

The head turns first, and then Dolan sits up, fairly quickly but not with a start. His grin is sheepish as he eyes Simony with interest. "Every day's the perfect day to do that, Simony, as long as there is sun," he counters, folding himself into a cross-legged position to look up at her. "Brightest of days, Simony. What is going on?"

The Goblin moves to settle down in front of him, mirroring his cross-legged position. "It is a small request from Magpie, mostly. Also some news. Magpie would have come herself, but she is deeply ensconced in study with that book." Her voice lowers, and she looks about. "I am a little uncomfortable talking about it given how things have been playing out.

"Magpie requests that if you find our friends responsible for summoning Jay-Gee, and find the circle, please sketch it out on paper as carefully as possible before destroying it."

Dolan's flesh-and-blood eye narrows at that request, his stare intent. "I'll do it, but she say why, at all? What's she need that for?"

The Goblin lets out a breath. "She did. Let me give you the news first, and then, why she needs it."

"I have been attempting to ascertain what Jay-Gee's powers may be. I've also been trying to sniff out the activities of the cultists. I went to a few libraries first, then spoke with Telamon, whom directed me to Verna... and the Archmage Mithralla." There's a tenseness in her expression when she mentions Mikilos' name.

"The Archmage had nothing new on Ice Demons... but dropped a fireball into my lap. Apparently, and I quote, 'There exists a CITY-sized summoning circle beneath the city.'" Simony pauses a moment. "I was gobsmacked, because that's news to me. Apparently it was broken, made inactive after someone... I wonder who... summoned a balor with it."

"Okay, so, it was made inactive... but the Archmage was not done. It is so large, so powerful, and the sewer system and underground caverns so labyrinthine, that it entirely possible that even broken, parts of the circle could still be active, and usable to... summon, even with the city's ward in place."

"There _what_?" All trace of laziness is gone, and Dolan simply _stares_ at Simony. "No wonder the fucking ward was put up in the first place! How in all the flaming Hells there are did that possibly get there?" Unconsciously, he raises his voice, causing a few people to look over at him. "I assume you told Tel his? Simony, I ain't no magician. He's gonna know far more'n I do, but if that's true, then the city needs to know. Like, now."

Simony holds up her hands. "I know, I know, please lower your voice. We still have to take into consideration that even Mighty Daeus' house could be infiltrated." She pinches the bridge of her nose and exhales. "I did go back to Telamon and informed him. If you must know, he also... what is it called.. ah, he also shat his pants. He was supposed to have arranged to meet the Paladin named Seldan. I've not heard back... I wanted to go but..." The Goblin shrugs. "Things happen the way they happen. Anyways.. we have an advantage so, we gotta work quickly. What you're doing is important, so, get out there and find the circle. Magpie is going to study with the book more, and plan an expedition into the sewers. We have to know.. I have come to believe, and I've shared this also, that the Sewers are how the cults.. yes, more than one, are getting into the city unnoticed. And if the circle is useful to them, well, all the more reason to be down there."

Another noisy, and lengthy, exhale from Simony is had before she continues. "While I agree that it may be useful, I am of two minds... Magpie is going to reverse engineer the circle to use it against them. When I suggested such to Telamon before going to Magpie, he looked horrified and asked me if I really wanted to see him turned inside out and explode. I take it from his hyperbole that this idea is incredibly dangerous. Which I suspected. Magpie is bound and determined to do this... I think she also intends to go alone, because she believes no one is .. silly enough to help her. I refuse flat out to let her do this unassisted."

Real alarm floods both sides of Dolan's harlequin features at that. Not even the scarred mess that is the right side of his face is wholly unaffected, although the golden gem-eye remains entirely expressionless, eerily enough. "I don't know whether the actual act is dangerous." He's at least lowered his voice, and the alarm is tinged with sheepishness. "I'll trust Tel on that one, though I've got no idea why a paladin would know shit about summoning circles. I'll tell you this, though."

He fixes Simony with that stare. "Laying traps for demons and devils? You'd better be fucking _careful_, because those creatures are _masters_ of turning the game inside out on you. Outsmarting one is damned difficult. You might be able to outsmart the cult, but don't ever count on laying a trap for a demon, because they might just be laying one for you."

"I don't disagree, mind," he goes on. "It'd definitely be good to go down there and find some evidence of whether or not someone is pulling shit down there, because if they are, the city sure as sunrise needs to know."

"I have no illusions how that might turn out", the Goblin says, regarding outsmarting Demons. "The bunch of us might be able to achieve such a feat, but I know I am ill equipped for such. It is why I am doing fetch and carry, and running messages. Aside from running around, trying to find information." She rubs at her face, "Seldan is one of Eluna's, so perhaps he is more magically inclined and endowed than what you'd expect from one of Daeus' Paladins? I don't know the man, however, Mikilos Mithralla said Seldan had been part of dealing with it somehow. He wasn't actually sure... however you slice it, it is better to talk to the people named... just to be sure."

"As for the city, I believe you, just how do we do that so that the city is aware, and the cultists are not?"

Dolan scratches at his hairline, considering the problem. "It ain't as if I've got a direct line to the Council. I can look for a way, but I ain't nobody important. Might be one or two people I can talk to." His lips purse, while he thinks. "I'll trust Tel's judgment when it comes to magic. All my magic is just the Knight acting on my behalf. Otherwise, I'm just a farm kid with a sword. It's definitely a good thing to find out, though. Yeah, I'll try to get those drawings for her if we find 'em. Might take a bit, we've got innocent hostages to get to safety before we do any of that shit."

Simony squints at Dolan, blinking a few times. "Pfff. I think you sell yourself short. You are not some farm kid with a sword." She chuckles and nods. "Okay, do what you need to do. Be careful, and good luck, okay? I'll let Magpie know I put the bug in your ear, and see if she has some ideas about informing those who need informing."

She hops up then, and offers Dolan a bow from the hips."

Dolan's relaxation has entirely vacated the building, and he hops to his feet as well, heedless of the grass stains on the back of his shirt. "Yeah. I'll ask Tel about it, too, see if he's found Sir Seldan yet. Thanks for the heads-up." He scratches again at his hairline. "Shit. A city-wide summoning circle."

"Yeah. Mindblowing.", she says softly. "Well, be well Dolan. Be careful. And I'll see you again soon, okay?"

“Yeah. Brightest of days to you, Simony." Dolan stretches himself out carefully. "S'pose I'd better get busy, too." Once he is done stretching, he turns away, in the direction of the deeper part of the temple. His steps have a good bit more zip to them, now, the languor of a sunny day banished by dark news.”