Flashback Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Ronan is once more in need of the less reputable and turns to a new old friend.

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role play forums. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ronan Dugal on June 25th, 2013, 1:44 pm

Image
Fall, 33th, Year 509

Ronan had been here once before, not too long ago. But back then he had been lost, a first timer with no idea where to look. Now he knew exactly where to look. And the thought of seeing his friend once more should have made Ronan happy. But the news he was bringing made all happiness shrivel away. Ronan's face was grim, his ever present smile absent from his features. Apart from that, Ronan looked quite well. The same brown cloak covered his outfit, the same bordeaux-red color but a different motif. Down the middle a black stripe was encompassed by two white ones. With a quick and practiced motion, Ronan ran his hands through his hair and down to his neck, pushing the loose hair back before quickly tying it together.

At his belt, Ronan carried two purses. In his mind, Ronan carried one terrible message. He looked for the same apartment he had been looking for last time, but this time he didn't try to enter the apartment. He just walked right in the alley next to it. He had been surprised by Ninus' choice of residence. Now he knew why the man lived here and agreed with him. Fourteen days ago, Ronan had met Ninus for the first time and had been perplexed by the man in all aspects. Five days later, Ninus and Ronan had said goodbye as good friends for an undetermined time. Now, fourteen days after their first meeting and nine days after their last, Ronan found himself once more in need of the poisoners services.

Ronan stopped in front of the door of Ninus' place and pulled the hood of his cloak back, letting the raven black ponytail fall freely behind him, before pulling the rest of the cloak back as well, revealing his face and outfit. Holding the cloak back with one hand, Ronan let the knuckles of his other hand touch to the wood of the door, knocking.
Last edited by Ronan Dugal on July 9th, 2013, 1:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Focused? That's always the word you eccentric types love to use." ~ Miria

Image
User avatar
Ronan Dugal
Aspiring Merchant Prince.
 
Posts: 269
Words: 288665
Joined roleplay: March 17th, 2013, 5:01 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ninus Aurellius on June 25th, 2013, 1:56 pm

The Prince of Rats

Ninus looked up from his work when he heard the knock, but it was Cricet who recognized Ronan. She pushed open the door with her front paws and wiggled through, brushing against Ronan's leg in greeting. Ninus carefully sliced the cap from a mushroom and put a wet cloth over the injured stump, apologizing in hushed tones to the mushroom for his cruelty. He wrapped the cap in another damp cloth and set it aside, rising to his feet to see what Cricet was so excited about.

He smiled when he saw Ronan. A good and faithful friend he had made two weeks ago. "My knight, you are but a light in this darkness and a welcome one." he stepped out of his home and shut the door, approaching Ronan. His smile faded when he saw the trader's expression. "Mine friend who fought with the anger of a tree lives, no? Or has some other tragedy befallen you? Your face is as drawn as mine." he touched Ronan's cheek with his stained fingers in concern.
User avatar
Ninus Aurellius
The Prince of Rats
 
Posts: 205
Words: 151414
Joined roleplay: June 17th, 2013, 2:44 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ronan Dugal on June 25th, 2013, 2:28 pm

Image
Ronan knelt down to greet Ninus' ever faithful companion. When Ninus walked out, Ronan stood up and greeted the man, although he was missing much of his usual behavior. Not wanting to go right to the bad part of his day, Ronan reached for his belt and unhooked one of the two purses. He threw it up and caught it with his hand before presenting it to Ninus. "Your payment. With thanks from the lady." He managed a smile as he dangled the purse in between him and Ninus, the tingling of gold as it hit each other filling the space between them. When Ninus checked he would find 20 Golden Mizas in the purse, which was a decent pay for a poisoncrafter, especially considering the fact that he had also been the reason for the need of a poisoncrafter. Ronan's purse had 15 Golden Mizas in it, payment for his services over the past days, including the finding of Ninus. Both men had now received their pay for their job.

Ronan sighed as the smile faded from his face and he stepped back from Ninus' touch. It was nothing personal, not a particular dislike towards the man or anything but the current situation didn't need any complications. Ronan tried to find th best spot where to start talking but he couldn't find the words to wrap the news in so he just started with the essence of it. "They're dead. Turan, his wife and their servant are all dead. The maid was found in her apartment a few days ago, also dead." Having lost many people in his life, especially in the earlier days, when Ronan spent his time amongst the street children, living as one of them, had hardened the man to the feeling of loss. As he started to explain the things that had happened over the past few days, there was a stunning lack of emotions in Ronan's voice, eyes and face.

"They were fine two days ago. I went by to check on Turan and to get paid. That's when I got the purses. Yesterday they were found dead in their suite. Turan and his wife both had their throat cut while sleeping. Terrence was less lucky. He got stabbed several times when he opened the door, presumably for the killer." Ronan stopped for a moment, making a decision of some kind in his mind. His eyes and voice steeled as he spoke again. "But that's not all..."

PaymentsDear ST, the payments are for a previous thread and are based on a minimal amount of days (5) that both characters worked IC for the family. Their pay is based on poisoncrafter for Ninus and courier for Ronan. Thank you very much.
Last edited by Ronan Dugal on July 9th, 2013, 1:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
"Focused? That's always the word you eccentric types love to use." ~ Miria

Image
User avatar
Ronan Dugal
Aspiring Merchant Prince.
 
Posts: 269
Words: 288665
Joined roleplay: March 17th, 2013, 5:01 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ninus Aurellius on June 25th, 2013, 6:31 pm

The Prince of Rats

Ninus accepted the pay gratefully, tucking the purse into his shirt. The twenty gold Mizas would pay his meager rent for quite a while to come, as well as supplying himself with things for his poison kit. He had been paid well for Turan's recovery. But the next words out of Ronan's mouth disturbed the poisoner deeply. He frowned, folding his skinny arms across his chest.

"What hand slew them, after I had struggled long and weary hours to bring Turan back from the brink of that everlasting darkness? At the very least he died quickly and without pain, though were I able to spare him such an ugly death." Ninus said quietly. "It only makes me believe that those who have raped the plants I keep in good stead has now done the same to the discipline of the knife. The knights will do little about the murders, they nod their heads and will say it all very sad, but their hands will not raise. Nor will they find the man we seek. We must find him first, and dispatch him. None may kill what I have deemed worthy to live."

Ninus frowned as Ronan began to speak again. "Tell me, dear ser, noble knight." he urged. "Time is but a mercenary unto itself and serves no one. Hath the rogue appeared to you in some way?" He looked Ronan in the eyes, willing him to speak quickly. He couldn't stay so near to his illegal home talking to a man of such caliber, and preferred they begin moving. Cricet clambered up Ronan's leg and sat on his shoulder, prompting an odd look from Ninus.

"Forsake your prince then, mercurial rodent." he told her sharply. She clearly had some sort of affection for Ronan, which Ninus both approved and disapproved of. He was, admittedly, jealous of her.
User avatar
Ninus Aurellius
The Prince of Rats
 
Posts: 205
Words: 151414
Joined roleplay: June 17th, 2013, 2:44 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ronan Dugal on June 26th, 2013, 2:34 am

Image
Ronan nodded somberly as Ninus spoke about the murders. It was true they had worked hard to save Turan and now he was dead anyway. Had they wasted their time? An even better question would be to ask what Turan had done that someone wanted him so dead that he poisoned him first and then slit his throat when he decided to get better from the poison. Ronan reached for his belt once more, finding the string of shuriken he had found scattered across Turan's suite. It brought the faintest of smiles to his face as his fingers touched the metal objects. Fourteen in total Ronan had managed to find, spread out over each room in the suite. Good old Turan hadn't wavered, he just had spread himself a little too thin.

Ronan did not tell Ninus what else there was, instead he looked at the rat on his shoulder and touched his finger softly to her nose. "Pack your tools, Ninus. I believe you're needed once more." Ronan waited outside for Ninus to pack his tools and poisons and get some samples and ingredients he might need later on. Once the man was ready, Ronan started walking, expecting Ninus to follow him. As soon as they were on the way, Ronan reached into one of the many pockets of his outfit and pulled out three parchments, each with official wax seals at the top. "Copies. I couldn't get the original ones if my life depended on it. Copies of cases from the past season-and-a-half. Three upper class citizens died under suspicious circumstances. Two died from unknown reasons but their descriptions match Turan's state before you managed to help him. The third one is almost exactly like Turan. They got someone to help, he got better and then everyone in the suite, including the expert, were stabbed to death or had their throats slit." He handed Ninus the parchments one by one so he could read them or look at them. He didn't even know if the man could read or not.

As Ronan spoke and while Ninus was busy with the reports, they walked through the lower part of the city, making their way up from the darkness. Once more Ninus would have to brave the knight controlled parts of the city in order to help Ronan. But from Ninus' earlier speech, Ronan was quite sure the man could forget about his fear for the knights until they had settled their personal matters. As they walked, Ronan realized that Cricet was still with him and, although he was surprised by that, he reached for the rat and picked it up, holding it out to Ninus to take it from him. Ronan was not in the mood for pets or pleasantness.
Last edited by Ronan Dugal on July 9th, 2013, 1:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Focused? That's always the word you eccentric types love to use." ~ Miria

Image
User avatar
Ronan Dugal
Aspiring Merchant Prince.
 
Posts: 269
Words: 288665
Joined roleplay: March 17th, 2013, 5:01 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ninus Aurellius on June 26th, 2013, 2:54 am

The Prince of Rats

Ninus looked carefully through the documents, holding them with one dextrous hand and his poison kit in the other. He scanned over the report, the frown that had been etched on his face since Ronan began speaking only deepening further. "The lady that nearly strangled Turan's life is not the only one in his court. The signs exhibited by these poor unfortunate beasts are indicative of cyanide." he said. "But I understand this not...it takes many hours of gathering fruits, picking fruits less than ripe, and distilling the cyanide. In the fruit of the peach, her child's armor is cracked easily and the poison lays inside waiting for a man to take it. But cherries, plums...one must have a working knowledge of how to coax the poison out from the nut. I have not sold so many. The last one was to a man who wished revenge on his wife...but the deed was carried out and he imprisoned. It could not have been him."

He folded the parchments carefully, shifting the poison kit to rest under one arm. "Perhaps I am not the only courter of poisons, the sole distributor here. Perhaps I have an unseen rival, yet the knights are determined and evil beasts. They root out many of the criminal roots seeking to take hold in the fair city. Is it possible he and I are the only to survive?" Ninus mused aloud. He took Cricet back when she was offered, but the rat gave Ronan a forelorn look. Ninus settled her back on his shoulder.

"My lady, there are more important things than the comfort a man's body brings at the moment." he told her. "Rest yourself upon my bony shoulder, and be silent." He patted her comfortingly. "Ser, what hastens your step? What destination have we?"
User avatar
Ninus Aurellius
The Prince of Rats
 
Posts: 205
Words: 151414
Joined roleplay: June 17th, 2013, 2:44 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ronan Dugal on June 26th, 2013, 5:40 am

Image
Ronan listened to Ninus as the man spoke to himself than to Ronan. He knew how it worked, he often did it himself as well. "So it is a different poison? I thought it was the same one, everything about them seems so similar..." Ronan was walking through the streets and alleys, constantly shying away from the higher roads and more populated ones. There was no need for their little expedition to be interrupted by a group of knights wanting to talk to Ninus. No, he had use for Ninus. And he would find the man who had done this.

Ronan was surprised however at Ninus thinking he was the only poisoner in a city of a good fifty thousand people. And then you had Ravok and Sunberth who both had a dislike for Syliras which could result in things like this happening. People murdering people because they helped their cities. Or was that even the case? Did Turan get murdered for doing good in the world? He hadn't always been on the same side of the law as Ronan, perhaps he had seen money in something... Ronan shook his head. Turan wasn't like that. Not anymore.

Ronan continued with his pace, heading through the back alleys and streets of Syliras. "We're going to check on the case before Turan's. To see if we can find similarities that might show us who did this. Although... Perhaps we should check into any possible connections between the victims as well. Maybe they had secret arrangements." Ronan mused to himself as they walked. The speed of his step and the wind blowing constantly pushed his hair and cloak back, leaving his bordeaux-red outfit constantly exposed.
"Focused? That's always the word you eccentric types love to use." ~ Miria

Image
User avatar
Ronan Dugal
Aspiring Merchant Prince.
 
Posts: 269
Words: 288665
Joined roleplay: March 17th, 2013, 5:01 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ninus Aurellius on June 26th, 2013, 1:36 pm

The Prince of Rats

"They are but different members of the same family, and all inherited the same bite and calling card." Ninus explained. "Though each specializes in a different way...The seed of an apple will wind his hand around your stomach and force it empty, a peach's rage will waste away body and soul, a cherry makes the body's internal fire flare until it burns from the inside out." He handed the papers back to Ronan, struggling to keep up with the man's pace. The bruising from their last encounter had all but faded, but the mending rib still protested a lot of exercise.

Ninus winced and grabbed Ronan's hand, stopping him in the middle of an alley. "Ser, halt. Your enthusiasm brings only admiration, but exhaustion slows my feet. We should not charge into battle, yet creep cautiously. We do not know this enemy, nor how many servants like the ones whom faced us in battle he possesses. His servants may be as many as the rats that surround me, and they bare fangs even sharper than mine. Neither of us is schooled in the way of the blade. We must have caution, lest a trap be sprung around two meddling friends." he said, resting a moment as the pain in his side faded.
User avatar
Ninus Aurellius
The Prince of Rats
 
Posts: 205
Words: 151414
Joined roleplay: June 17th, 2013, 2:44 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ronan Dugal on June 26th, 2013, 2:21 pm

Image
Ronan listened and learned as Ninus explained how the different fruits were able to poison in so many ways. He was actually surprised at this. He had eaten a lot of apples in his younger days, one of his better addictions perhaps. Ronan slowed down to accept the papers back from Ninus. He had worked quite hard to get his hands on these and he was pleased with the result. It wasn't every day that you managed to get your hands on official documents. Ronan had read through them so many times in the past few days that he had no need of doing so again. Folding the papers back up he slipped them in his inner pocket, safe from prying eyes.

Just as he pulled his hand back out, Ninus suddenly grabbed onto it. Ronan's first reaction was to shake it loose from the grip. He only realized why Ninus had grabbed him when he saw him almost panting. Ronan remembered Ninus' wounds from their last encounter as the man spoke. Once again, Ronan couldn't help but notice the different manners of speech the man used. He found that they piqued his interest. They were part of the man like his hands and feet were. "It is true that neither of us are men of the blade but I am not unarmed this time. Although, I did forget my choppingboard." Ronan smiled at Ninus.

From his belt he unclipped the leather ring with the stars on it. Looted from Turan's suite's many hiding places, Ronan had collected them on the leather ring. "I borrowed them from Turan. He thought me how to throw when we were little. Always kept at least one in every room. That's how I got my hands on the one back then in the kitchen." Ronan let the fourteen shuriken cling together as he rattled the leather string they were connected by. "They make very good coathangers as well, actually." Ronan put the string of shuriken back on his belt. Together with those fourteen he had probably around twenty-five shuriken hidden all over his body and clothes. Better safe than sorry. Taking note of his friend's state, Ronan continued to walk but slowed down considerably, so Ninus could more easily follow.

"The man we are visiting died, from what you told me and from what I read, from the cherry poison. His wife reported that he had high fevers for a long time and he couldn't drink enough. She thinks he died because of that." Ronan said as he turned the next right.
Last edited by Ronan Dugal on July 9th, 2013, 1:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Focused? That's always the word you eccentric types love to use." ~ Miria

Image
User avatar
Ronan Dugal
Aspiring Merchant Prince.
 
Posts: 269
Words: 288665
Joined roleplay: March 17th, 2013, 5:01 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

Postby Ninus Aurellius on June 27th, 2013, 3:15 am

The Prince of Rats

He smiled softly at Ronan. "I am not sure if the possession of knives in thine hand comforts me." he said. "Thou hast proved to be skilled enough in the ways of kitchen warfare. Switching to a more conventional weapon seems ill-fitting." He followed Ronan around the corner, musing over the tradesman's words about the dead man.

"So he burned until his flesh could burn no more. He sweat blood, his mouth dry but no amount of water quenching the fire in his veins." Ninus shook his head. "I rarely give the fire of the cherry tree to he who does not deserve it. No cheating husband nor wife deserves such torture. Are we to question his wife as to the circumstances during and before his protracted death? It would aid me to see his surroundings, and find out if Turan died in a similiar house."

He was interested to know if there was a connection. The poisons were similiar enough, and easy to obtain, but were frustratingly so. It was only the difficulty in distilling the cyanide that made it stand out, and who was to say it was the same man who distilled the cherry poison that slew Turan? There would have to be some other connection...between Turan and this man, their trades, or lifestyles. Perhaps their servants. It would take some deep digging to confirm the identity of the other poisoner.
User avatar
Ninus Aurellius
The Prince of Rats
 
Posts: 205
Words: 151414
Joined roleplay: June 17th, 2013, 2:44 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets

Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests