Violet’s Spymaster is a simple scion, of simple talent and purpose. He sometimes ponders if he would be upset about his reputation, if he were more complex, but at the end of the day, it helps him serve Violet and his purpose. If the delvers prefer not to think about him, they aren’t trying to stop him.
He’s aware that Spymaster is a title that makes the delvers nervous, and though he can see some dungeons using the title to cause pain, he aims to prevent it. And he’s simply curious about the delvers. He still remembers seeing Rhonda and Freddie for the first time, Violet thinking them some variety of mushroom. He thought that as well, to be fair, but now he understands what goblin and orc mean.
Violet is endlessly curious about the delvers, too, so she has him trying to learn as much about them as he can. He still hasn’t found their spawner, though he’s heard rumor they don’t spawn. He hopes observing the upcoming ratkin births will finally shed some light on the subject that he can share. He’s careful to not infiltrate their enclave too deeply, and even intends to withdraw his mycelium once the births are finished. Mentor Thedeim values privacy, as seen with his Secret Sanctum and the advice for Violet to have the same.
He wonders if she’ll want to make a public one once Mentor Thedeim’s new Sanctum is complete. He hasn’t felt any indication toward that just yet, and Onyx hasn’t said anything, but perhaps he should ask her some time soon. Certainly not right now.
Onyx’s duties keep her busy, and though she has time to talk with Cappy and the others, his own duties are stretching his ability in ways he appreciates. Infiltrating this guild of thieves was no easy task, but with the help of Mentor Thedeim, he’s gotten himself firmly entrenched. Little happens there that he doesn’t know about, though much of it isn’t worth reporting.
While he suspects Mentor Thedeim would not like these delvers stealing from and fighting other delvers, he knows Violet certainly doesn’t like it, those particular actions are beneath notice right now. No, he needs to find out what they want with the Hold. If it weren’t for how many thieves are hiding as workers, he’d think they had no interest, for how little they talk about it.
But tonight, something is different. Zorro says the Earl is on the move. If anything will be discussed about the hold, it could very well be tonight. He focuses his senses, feeling the shadows and his mycelia through the guild. The atmosphere is tense, more than usual. The delvers are never fully relaxed around each other, knowing they could easily become victim to the same things they do to others.
The birds have unnerved them. They were assuredly aware of the power of Poe and the Quartermaster, but the unintended show of power has them recalculating their strength. Seeing the sky blacken with wings, the air drowned in caws and squawks, as part of a clash between dungeons is one thing. It’s an entirely different thing to see such power put to the frivolous use of welcoming back a friend. A clash speaks of having to deliberately wield such power, of it not being something that can be done lightly. But as a welcome?
It’s the difference between seeing scattered mushrooms and thinking they’re from different fungi, instead of all from the same one. There is much more beneath the surface than most ever realize, and these delvers have been given a glimpse of the truth.
Even their leader looks nervous, in her own way. He watches as she misses another stitch in her needlework, wondering if her guards recognize the slip. He finds the needlework very interesting, sometimes wondering if he could somehow imitate it. Perhaps try growing a mycelial scarf? It seems pointless, but he can’t shake the idea. Legs quite enjoys creating things, so why can’t he?
His musings are interrupted by the coded knock on the door to the hideout, and the Earl being let in. He wordlessly makes for the leader’s chambers, a wasp looking to negotiate with a spider. She sends her guards away once he enters, and even activates a screen of sound, trying to keep the information secret. But he’s infiltrated her very desk, finding the underside of the drawers to be rather comfortable, letting him easily hear what they are doing.
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“What in the Abyss was that display, Toja?!” demands the Earl, and the spiderkin woman answers like she’s trying to convince herself, too.
“Just a greeting. It’s apparently a… thing it does whenever the local Inspector visits. He’s been away for a while, so it was welcoming him back. Nothing to be worried about.”
“Nothing? You call coordinating with another dungeon, having two scions and who knows how many birds squawking their heads off nothing? That was a display of power,” the Earl counters, sounding like he has to point out the obvious to a dim servant.
“Yes, I do. Thedeim is weird. It was making noise for a friend, not displaying power.”
The Earl sneers. “You of all people should recognize a casual display. Nobles are always making grand shows and acting like it’s nothing, don’t try to tell me the same trick doesn’t get used in your circles. If it can flaunt power like that, what happens if it learns what we’re up to?”
Toja sighs and concedes the point. “It still changes nothing. If it knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t have tried a subtle play like that. The plan will still work.”
“You are absolutely certain it doesn’t know? You’re certain Miller
“You worry too much about an old butler, Earl. He’s not the only one who can work in the shadows. He’s only left the manor on errands for the Mayor, not to track down our connection.”
The Earl harumphs. “That’s what he wants us to think. Regardless, if he catches wind of what we’re going to do at the hold, we’ll be lucky if he simply sets the dungeon on us, mark my words.”
Toja doesn’t sound too convinced. “What do you propose, then? Kill him? If he’s half of what you think he is, we won’t be able to touch him, and we’d be tipping our hand.”
“Can we move up the time table?”
The spiderkin woman sighs again, this time in frustration. “No. We have a good idea of the first several floors now, but my men haven’t been able to find anything useful. It might take something a lot less subtle than we were hoping.”
The Earl snarls and paces, resisting the urge to take his frustration out on the guildmistress. Cappy doubts the Earl would fare well if he tried to lash out at her. “What do you need?”
Toja taps a leg as she thinks. “Time,” she finally admits. “Once we have a better idea of the layout of the hold, we might be able to find something we can use.” She hums as she considers the situation. “And some matching affinities, perhaps. If we can get some beastkin that match with Thedeim’s dwellers, kind and affinity, it could be easier to pin the blame on it.”
The Earl’s pacing stops as he weighs his own options. “I may have some contacts. It’d be tight… but they should be able to get here in time, if only just.”
Toja waves away the concern. “That should be fine then. They’re digging almost exactly to schedule, so I doubt they’ll suddenly start moving ahead of it. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a delay, even without us making one.”
“Put them behind schedule, if you can do it without attracting suspicion. Specific kin with specific affinities will not be easy to contact on short notice. I want this to go as smoothly as possible, Toja.”
“Of course. You have to case a place before robbing it. Moving too quickly will only earn you the gentle attention of the guards, at best.”
“Good, at least you know that much. We need to keep a closer eye on the dungeon. It’s a simple mind, but that only makes it more dangerous. A clever mind considers consequences. A simpleton with that much power will act in the moment. It doesn’t matter if it’d get reclassified after killing us, we’d still be dead.”
“Of course,” Toja answers, her words agreeing, but her tone dripping with disdain.
“I don’t care about your personal pride. You’re a thief. You’ve probably seen at least as many of your peers fall to it as I have mine. Watch that dungeon, Toja.”
She grumbles, but doesn’t argue, so the Earl turns and leaves. She gives a few quick orders to her guards once they return, laying out who will be posted around the dungeon, and who will be tasked with delving him.
Interesting. They are planning something, perhaps a raid? Some kind of bandit attack? Or perhaps they want to make it look like the dwellers want to take over the hold? Whatever the specific plan, he needs to give this information to Onyx so she can share. He should also ask if he can be invited to whatever meeting they have to go over their own response. He could probably sneak in on his own, but that’d be rude.
And it could give him a chance to talk to the other scions. He’d like to discuss the delvers more with Zorro, about more than simply what these thieves are doing. He still likes the idea of a mycelium scarf or something similar, and he’s seen older delvers working on their own. Perhaps Zorro has some unique insights to share.
Cappy isn’t the only one curious about the delvers, after all.