Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Feb 4, 2021 3:47 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

"Oh, so you kept a record of all the people you swindled, did you? How nice of you to make my job easier." The dissonant serenity on her face never left as the mercenaries were all gone. "Let's see…now what kind of punishment should I give you?" Browsing the list of Rahadiin's victims one by one, she had a great idea on how to make the con artist regret his entire existence. "…Hmm. Oh I know. I'm going to curse you." Letting go of him, he dropped to the ground, paralyzed with fear. Grabbing his right hand she held it up as a number began to appear on the back of it. Leaning close, the deity's grin grew wider as her bloodlust intensified. "See this number here? You have three weeks to pay back your victims what you stole from them. If you don't decrease this number by then, I'll personally come pay you a visit. But I'm not completely heartless–every time you repay a victim you'll have that three weeks' time reset. However…if you swindle someone again that number will increase and I'll shorten your grace period to two weeks." 

"But-but what if someone is already dead?!" Rahadiin stammered, having finally found his voice. Shiloh's smile reverted back to her typical stone-faced expression as her dull eyes stared daggers into him. "Well that's going to be a problem, now isn't it? Figure it out–you'll find a way to repay their compensation somehow. Let's hope the deceased still have next of kin who are still breathing. Since we're already here, how about starting with your devoted faithful who're waiting past that door? I believe you have something very important to tell them…isn't that right?" She asked with a low hiss. Pushing him towards the door, Shiloh watched as the man scrambled on his hands and knees towards the main hall where the congregation was gathered. They had noticed the 'guards' suddenly leave without notice and were wondering what was going on. 

Looking back at Dala, she was halfway out of the fake holy man's office before she ducked back in. "I'm going to make sure a certain someone stays on script. I've already gotten everything I need to know, so you know where to find me." She assumed the girl had business here too, or maybe she had a bone to pick with the man for trying to kill them with an assassin. Once Rahadiin confessed publicly to his crimes, she was going to confiscate and destroy all the cult's paraphernalia by throwing them into a fire. The local authorities would be glad to learn of his little 'side hustle' that had been going on under their noses, and would have plenty of questions for him too. Before the gathered masses, Rahadiin proceeded to confess–albeit at spear point–on the whole thing. There were many people who were still confused and had held onto the cult's false hope for too long, but they would have to face the truth in time. Accepting how far you've fallen for a lie wasn't an easy thing to do.

Rahadiin's acts of compensation started right away as money was being returned to as many people as possible in the immediate area. Every time a transaction was completed the man kept checking the back of his hand frantically at the number signifying his list of creditors he had yet to repay in full. Shiloh stayed for a while to keep an eye on him, adding further weight to her threats. She would always appear where he could see her, just out of the corner of his eye, before vanishing. It would reinforce the belief that nowhere was safe from her, and that he wasn't getting out of his punishment any time soon. Not even death would save him this time.  

Author: Dala, Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:35 AM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Dala snatched one of the bowls of fruit that had been given to Rahadiin and popped a grape into her mouth while watching the terror Shiloh unleashed. The girl wondered how this would be handled. Perhaps she would only use violence and end this for good? Or perhaps she would find a use out of Rahadiin that will supply for the misdeeds? The scene playing out before her was fascinating to watch and at some point the child brought out her notes again and began writing down the strategies Shiloh was using to handle the situation. Suing someone for emotional distress, and the thousand other things Shiloh could come up with left unsaid, Dala was fascinated by this approach. It was setting up an image of reasonable intent for the goddess while the man would be damaged in an economic way that could never be recovered from. 

The mercenaries finally broke down the door only to find the armed woman holding the cult leader. She had an intimidating presence that could send lions fleeing to the hills. The hired guards gave each other a look, then nodded before taking a few cups, golden bowls, folded up rugs, and decorations that looked expensive. These hired thugs had little loyalty towards Rahadiin and were only there for just the paycheck. They had realized this would be the last day, regardless of who's side they joined. If they attacked Shiloh, they would probably die or get hurt in a serious way that Rahadiin's basic healthcare plan wouldn't cover. It was easier to take enough materials to cover the next months' rent. 

The mercenaries gave Shiloh a polite nod before closing the half broken door and leaving them to their business. Meanwhile, Dala waltz over to Rahadiin's desk and opened one of the doors, going through some of the paperwork he stored. Rahadiin glanced over at the child nervously and muttered thousands of curses under her breath. Dala found a collection of papers tied together with string labeled, Vulnerable Customers. The list included a series of people with a short description of the trials and difficulties they were going through along with any addictions or sicknesses. The first one was a woman named Amelia Culio who was described with a grief and how the dead husband would be a perfect exploitation point. The rest of the list had similar names and descriptions. 

Disgust crawled onto the child's face as she finished reading the first page. Some of them had already paid hundreds of coins while others were being prepared to join the cult. It was an entire plan on the town on who to manipulate and who to exploit. Placing the stack on the desk, she picked up the first page and handed it over Shiloh. Rahadiin's face turned as white as the moons and he slowly began trying to wriggle his way out of her grasp. 

"There's an entire stack of this shit." Dala said her voice lined with anger, "At least we know where to start with the victims." 

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 8:22 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

At this point she was too angry to hide the seething fury barely contained beneath her skin. Shadows were swarming around her as she had the most terrifyingly 'normal' smile on her face. Usually when she smiled it looked forced or stiff, but this time it looked so normal that it was uncanny. "I am very angry right now," Shiloh said with a pleasant voice as she loomed over the man. "Oh don't worry, I'm not going to kill you–" Rahadiin had a look of relief before she continued. "–Because if you die, you'll go straight to Serafina's end of the soulstream and who knows how long it'll take for your soul to get out. But as long as I keep you alive, I can bleed you dry for as long as I want." That fleeting moment of relief turned to horror as the color drained from the cult leader's face. Planting the blade of the switchaxe into the ground dangerously close to him, she scratched her chin. "You know, your blatant misuse of the symbol of Antikythera made me quite upset…so I'm going to sue you for emotional distress." Still reeling from the shock, Rahadiin stammered: "T-that's ridiculous! You can't sue someone over that! That's unfair!" Shiloh glared down at him with a deadpan expression. "So is profiting from plagiarism and copyright infringement, but you don't see me complaining now do you?" 

Grabbing him by the collar she hoisted him up like a cat held by the scruff of its neck. "You have two choices: compensate me for the emotional damages you caused, or publicly announce the truth about your scummy little operation and pay back all the people you scammed using my name. If I find out you've committed more offenses that I didn't know about, I'll just add that into the first option. And don't even think about dying in an accident, I don't like it when people try to run away from debt. I'll make sure you stay alive long enough to pay it in full." The man broke down sobbing hysterically. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'll confess to everyone!!! Just please don't kill me!!!" The guards on the other side finally broke open the lock and the door swung open. The mercenaries were greeted by the sight of an intimidating armed woman holding the cult leader by his robes. Turning to them, she flashed a smile as she kept a tight grip on a dangling Rahadiin. "Hello, I'm in the middle of negotiations with your employer right now. He was just about to give you your severance pay since you won't be needed anymore. Think of it as a thank you for your hard work–isn't that right Sir Rahadiin?" The man was clearly terrified, but he wasn't resisting anymore. "Y-yes! That's right! But–"

She cut him off and continued. "I know this is all very sudden, so please feel free to take anything you want from this room as long as someone doesn't leave empty-handed." The man's eyes went wide but she squeezed hard to imply that he was going to agree whether he liked it or not. There were a lot of valuable things in this room, so pawning just one would bring in a nice sum of silver. The combination of business-like courtesy with sheer, unbridled bloodlust radiating from her was disturbing enough to convince the guards she wasn't joking. Or maybe it was because of the murderous dissonance with the switchaxe still in her hand. Now that the immediate threat was over, Dala was free to do whatever she wanted while Shiloh kept a close eye on the guards collecting their final paycheck. This was just the beginning of the cult leader's divine retribution.

Author: Dala, Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:05 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

The information pouring from his mouth was more truth than they would ever get during an interrogation. If they forced him to speak, he would be shouting out apologies to save his own skin. All the words he spoke were honest on how he felt and his intentions, showing the depths of his greed. His reasonings for using Shiloh was beyond stupid and stunk of a self-righteous attitude. He held little respect for the gods or the goddess of luck, which wouldn't have been a problem if they were just another superstitious legend. But Dala knew something he didn't. As he pulled out the saber, a devious smile spread across Dala's face as she watched him with glee in her eyes. She didn't flinch when he swung his blade at her and instead continued smiling. 

"Now Shiloh, what do you think about that?" The devious girl asked. 

Her friend emerged from the shadows and stopped the saber with her bare hands. Dala watched with as the man's sneer transformed into a face of sheer terror. Shiloh's anger burned through whatever confidence the cultist had left. The girl quickly ran towards the room and locked the door, ensuring that guards wouldn't interrupt the goddess easily. The door was made out of a tough wood and would be difficult to just kick down. They would need at least a couple of people to do that. Giving Shiloh a bit more time, Dala flopped down on a chair and watched as Shiloh began lecturing the cult leader. 

Rahadiin was terrified beyond belief and desperately looked around for some escape. He ran to the door, trying to open it only to realize the damned child had locked it. The guard knocked on the door, wondering what was going on. Rahadiin cried out for help but the guard couldn't break down the door and ran off to get some other guards. The cultist leader got on his knees and began begging for forgiveness from Shiloh, as she was the one holding the switchaxe. He even had the audacity to look towards Dala and give her a quick plead to call off Shiloh. 

"Idiot." Dala said with a chuckle, "You still don't realize who she is." 

The man's eyes widened with realization and began begging for his life from Shiloh and only her. He crawled on the floor like a little worm and held up his hands in a begging motion. The guard came back with reinforcements and a glimmer of hope fluttered in Rahadiin's heart. But the door was strong enough to hold out and Shiloh was fast. Dala didn't bother looking away, knowing she had seen much worse in her life. 

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:27 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

'I like to have my bases covered.' The deity replied when the girl liked her idea. Getting in was much easier than she had thought, but her worries were still there. There was nothing she could do about what they didn't know, so she silently followed as they navigated the place. With Dala's clever thinking they found him, sitting comfortably in the lap of luxury gleaned off of the backs of the naive and foolish. She didn't have much sympathy for those who were easily duped, but she had none for those who knowingly exploited them. Abedian rugs, Ataiyan silk, exotic curios from who knows where–all paid by the man's con. To her surprise, Rahadiin had been expecting them. Did Gustafa send him a message before they arrived? She should have stripped the man and searched his entire person for any communication methods back in the inn. Maybe the fact that Gustafa wasn't here had told the cult leader that things weren't going according to plan.

There was silence from her end of the telepathic link when Dala asked her to stay hidden a little longer. Getting information was worth the wait before they beat him to the point where it was a forced confession. "I just don't understand! And aren't you afraid the goddess of luck will come after you?" Dala asked, leading him on. A sarcastic, cackling laugh came from the 'high priest'. "And why would she? She should be thanking me for giving her such good publicity! Haven't you ever thought of it? What kind of goddess of luck has almost no presence in worship outside of word of mouth? She has no collective of religious faithful, no statues even in Canelux. I bet most who know of her don't even give her a second thought unless they need her." Taking one of the forged luck symbols in his hand, he began to slowly walk towards the girl. "Those foolish and superstitious people need something to believe in when their straits are dire. Now what's wrong with making a little profit on the side? Does this goddess of luck even exist?"

It would be troublesome if someone were to find out a child went missing here, but Rahadiin could easily fool the city's watch. As long as no one saw or found signs of a murder, taking care of this meddlesome brat would be simple. If she had come with the older woman from before, then things would get a bit more complicated. "It truly is a shame that you're come all this way for nothing, little girl. But since you're here, that means no one will talk if you disappear." His hand pulled out a saber that had been concealed by his desk. Shiloh had been quiet for some time now, but an oppressive aura suddenly filled the atmosphere. "Now, it's time for you to leave, brat!" The fake smile on his face turned into a hateful glare as he rushed at Dala and swung his blade at what appeared to be a defenseless child.

A figure emerged from the girl's shadow as the saber was stopped. The man froze, his sneer turning into horror. Having transmuted her arms, her hands didn't bleed as they were holding the blade. "You think I'm cruel, don't you?" Shiloh asked as the weapon's edge began to scrape against her gauntlets. "Have you ever wondered why a deity would choose not to be worshiped? If you really knew anything about the goddess you're 'promoting', you'd know that she is the Goddess of Luck and Misfortune. The moment you decided to run your little con was the moment your luck ran out." Shoving Rahadiin to the ground, she pulled out her switchaxe and slammed it into the ground in front of her and Dala to make a point. An overwhelming pressure bore down on everyone in the room as she raised the weapon with one hand, bloodlust gleaming in her eyes. "You're guilty of copyright infringement, solicitation of murder for hire, and religious fraud. The Steward of Antikythera…sends their regards." She was hopping mad.

Author: Dala, Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 2:35 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Taking the cloak once more, the girl wrapped it around her shoulders and listened to Shiloh's information. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to think of the best way to find where the head of the cult would be. Suddenly, Shiloh mentioned an idea of not splitting up and instead suggested she hide in Dala's shadow. The girl's eyes widened with surprise when she realized that was just one of this lady's many abilities.

"Geez, you're the definition of Jack of All Trades, aren't you?" Dala said with smirk, "Alright shadow lady. Hop on in!"

The girl double checked her weaponry and supplies before activating the tattered cloak. As she faded from sight, she wondered if the lady would let her keep the cloak if she asked politely. Climbing down from their hiding spot, she began to head towards the back of the building. The telepathic link was set up but even so, the child felt a nervous energy in her heart. She had plenty of experience sneaking into places but this would be the largest establishment she infiltrated. Pushing away her nervous thoughts, she gritted her teeth and remembered that anger she felt when she found the damned cultists in the first place. All of her anxiety fled at the sight of her wrath. 

'Lets hunt some lions then.' Dala telepathically responded. 

The back of the residence had mercenary guards, the type Dala often saw when traveling. They hadn't bothered too much protection which confused Dala for a moment until she remembered the no violence policy on the city. The girl was smaller than the mercenaries, who all had a bored expression on their faces and looked like they were ready to take a nap. Remembering her invisibility, Dala lowered to the ground and began crawling past the guards. The guards were talking amongst themselves and didn't take notice of her. But there was another problem. The doors to the back entrance were shut. An idea popped into the girl's mind as she gave the door three knocks then quickly moved out of the way. The guards didn't see anybody from the outside and assumed it was coming from indoors. They opened the door and Dala quickly snuck in. 

"A prank I bet." One of the guards muttered before closing the door. 

The first room Dala looked for was the kitchen, partially because she was hungry but partially because she knew something key about ranking systems. The kitchen was bustling with cooks and servants, all cultist themselves who dedicated themselves to serving Rahadiin. The scent of freshly cut potatoes hit Dala's nose as she noticed the massive cauldron with potatoes being chucked in. The cultists had to be fed, like anybody else so bread and potato soup had been prepared. But there was one dish that was far more spectacular than the others. A seasoned rib roast with lemons sauce and green beans decorating the edge along with a goblet of wine prepared next to it. Dala waited for a few moments until the dish was fully prepared before following the servant carrying the tray. The girl followed the servant as carefully as possible and tried to mimic her footsteps so nothing would sound off. At one point Dala even had to hold her breath for fear of the servant noticing her. 

The servant carried it up the stairs and towards a guarded door with a mercenary standing right next to it. The servant knocked on the door and the sound of Rahadiin was heard from inside. After receiving approval the servant entered with the food, and the hidden Dala entered as well. Dala moved to the corner of the room and waited quietly until the servant left. A sense of relief spread throughout Dala's mind. She hadn't been expecting to get this far in… And luckily only Rahadiin was in the room. The interior of the room matched a richly dressed office one might find in a merchant's home. Comfy colorful sofa's decorated the room while the walls were covered in fine paint. 

"You can drop that invisibility spell, or whatever you have, child." Rahadiin said.

Dala's eyes widened but she stayed quiet. 

'Don't reveal yourself yet.' Dala telepathically said to Shiloh, 'I wanna see what I can get out of this guy.'

"H-how did you know?" The girl asked with a confused look. 

"I could hear your breathing." Rahadiin explained. 

"Damn it." Dala cursed. 

"I was expecting your older friend to stop by as well. But I suppose she felt more comfortable sending a child in by herself. How cruel." Rahadiin said standing up from his desk. 

Dala took off her cloak, but kept her distance from Rahadiin. She had big, wide eyes while making herself look as small as possible. The less she looked like a threat, the better. 

"But why are you doing this? Cults only last a few years at maximum. I just don't understand! And aren't you afraid the goddess of luck will come after you?" Dala whined a bit, emphasizing it all with a confused expression. 

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sat Jan 9, 2021 7:49 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

"Alright, from the back it is." Although charging in the front gate would give a good psychological impact, it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. Besides, the girl had a point. They were here to aim at the head of this whole operation. Shiloh took out the cloak again and offered it to Dala. If they were going in for a surprise attack, it would be better if they didn't see them coming. Closing her eyes, she began to focus her aura sight on the area. There were several life signatures in the cult's headquarters–most of them gathered in one area with a few sparsely distributed throughout the compound. "There's a lot of people inside, but most of them are all holed up near the center. Let's hope Rahadiin and the higher-ups aren't there." Identifying individual presences wasn't easy with so many of them in one place. While she could easily sneak in and clear the way, the deity had a better idea that would certainly make chills run down the man's spine. "Instead of splitting up, I'll hide in your shadow while we slip inside. I can alert you if people are coming and you can let me know when we've got Rahadiin in our sights." When it came to psychological warfare, the presentation was half the battle. It would look like the girl came on her own until the very last moment. They'd never see it coming. 

If she agreed, Shiloh would then sink into the girl's shadow and establish a mental link with telepathy. While she could easily take care of a group of fraudsters herself, the girl deserved a part of the action for calling them out earlier. They were both in this together as partners to ruin a cult and make its leader regret it. No one scammed people using the Machinarium's name. Not now, not ever. And she had the perfect punishment for Rahadiin too. 'Ready when you are. We are now entering the lion's den.' She said to Dala telepathically. The back of the residence had guards keeping watch behind the palisade wall. From their clothes and armor, they were common hired mercenaries. To maintain the facade of a cult focused on good fortune there weren't any armed initiates. Violence wasn't permitted in the city, so this was what they went with. There weren't any guard animals around, so as long as they stayed quiet and careful they wouldn't be discovered.

If this had been located in a different part of the world, they'd likely be facing tighter security measures. However, just because the outside wasn't airtight didn't mean the same for within. If they ran into defenses built by magic, things would get complicated. Hopefully Rahadiin hadn't thought that far ahead.

Author: Dala, Posted: Fri Jan 1, 2021 5:30 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Dala was only half-way through her lecture when Shiloh gave her a tap on the shoulder and told her that their prisoner had enough. The child huffed but relented from her ramblings and instead watched as Shiloh freed the man. The man had a look of relief on his face and was about to leave when she clocked him on the back of the head. He fell to the ground with a thump. Seeing that their first mission was complete, Dala gathered her things together and packed them away in her backpack with the exception of the ragged cloak. She followed Shiloh down the stairs to the reception desk and watched as the clever woman made a complaint to the innkeeper. The look of fury on the innkeeper was worth more than a thousand silver. Before the innkeeper rushed up to the room, Dala gently tugged on the innkeeper's dress. 

"He also damaged that pretty door." She said in a sweet childish voice. 

The innkeeper had a look that screamed, this man is dead. The child rushed back to Shiloh's side, not bothering to hide her snickering. Shiloh told her it was fine to have people take care of things for them. The sound of a shrill scream pierced the air along with the sound of someone receiving beatings. There was a shout from the innkeeper that Dala was barely able to understand due to the anger in the lady's voice. 

"THAT WAS MAHOGANY!"

Dala couldn't help but chuckle as they continued onwards to find the hideout. At first it was difficult to find in the abundance of houses in the city but eventually they had discovered its location. The home was fairly fortified while still keeping up the ruse of being a simple home for a wealthy individual. The child observed it for a while, trying to think of a way to handle entrance into the place. 

"Back. We'll want to take care of Rahadiin and more of the higher ups first. A cult without its cult leaders will have a challenging time." She said, "A direct attack will rally people to try to defend him but if we take the main leaders then we might be able to get them to disperse without too much violence. What do you think?"

Her goal was to handle the situation without too much violence against the people in the lower parts of the cult. The main leaders were a direct source of the problem but the lower levels of cultists were often victim themselves. She would fight them if necessary but her main goal was to cut at the root of the problem. After all, the best way to get rid of weeds was to pull out the roots. 

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Fri Jan 1, 2021 1:40 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

While Shiloh really didn't care about what happened to Gustafa next, she wasn't going to just let him go. Murder was messy and a memory wipe would be easy, however she felt it wouldn't be satisfying. While Dala began to tell the mercenary why his life choices were bad and that he should be ashamed of himself, the man was looking at her with eyes that begged for sweet release. Shiloh simply smiled, which anybody who knew her understood was never a good thing. "Alright kiddo, that's enough yelling at the poor man. He's had enough." Giving a reassuring tap on the girl's shoulder, the deity released the man and let him get to his feet. But the moment his back was turned, Shiloh grabbed her knapsack and clocked him in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. It was so quick that if you blinked, you'd miss it. Using Gestalt, she distorted the man's perception so he didn't see it coming. Leaving the man on the floor, she packed up the rest of her things and prepared to check out. "Looks like it's time to pay a certain someone a little visit. But first, we're going make sure this man never forgets what he did today."

She calmly went down the stairs to the reception desk, where the innkeeper was surprised to see her and Dala. Without missing a beat, Shiloh put on the face of a 'reasonable customer' and said the words no business owner wanted to hear: "Ma'am, I would like to file a complaint." The innkeeper was confused and alarmed, after all she had great pride in her establishment and its service. "What's the matter? Is something not to your liking?" She stammered. Keeping up the pleasant facade, Shiloh continued. "A strange man broke into my room while I was resting, I feel very unsafe here so I'm leaving." Handing the innkeeper her room key, she bid her farewell as the woman rushed upstairs to see for herself. Once she was gone, Shiloh walked out with Dala with a smirk on her face. "You know, sometimes it's ok to let people take care of things for you too." The next moment there was a shrill scream and the sound of someone getting hit by a very angry innkeeper.

It took some time to reach Rahadiin's hideout, but once it was found it wasn't hard to miss. It was slightly fortified, but nothing too overt as to avoid being questioned by the ruling body of Namibia. They probably used the excuse of being on the city outskirts to justify the defensive measures. The lights were on and someone was home; now it was time to give the cult leader and his cronies a very unpleasant evening. Looking to the girl, Shiloh asked: "So what do you think would be better–going in from the front or through the back?" Either way, somebody was going to get a big wake-up call.

Author: Dala, Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 7:58 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

While Shiloh had started the torturing process, Dala was taking notes. This strategy would be useful when she needed to get information out of difficult prisoners during times of war or unease. With her little quill, she began jotting down exactly what Shiloh was doing and how she was doing it. Dala noted the strain on the body and the convulsions. She wondered if it the process wasn't handled carefully enough, if the prisoner would end up killing himself through resistance. 

Instead of actually helping, she was more like a little scholar in the corner, completely unfazed by the pain on the man's face. Thanks to the magic, the chalice and Shiloh they were able to gather a lot of information, all of which Dala had written down. Their enemy went by the name of Rahadiin and lived on the outskirts of town. Apparently he had a significant amount of devoted followers, so they would have to be careful in this mission. Now there was only one thing left to figure out. 

"What do we do with him?" Dala asked, "We could wipe his memory or give him a good warning beating or something. I'd rather not kill him since he did answer our questions and I don't think he'd be so quick to attack us next time. But what do you say?" 

Killing someone wasn't below her ideals or morals. She just was very careful about using death as a way to solve problems. Often death led to more chaos and trouble that could spiral into unending revenge kills. She wasn't keen on going down that path, but at the end of the day it was up to Shiloh. She was the boss and the center of their operations. Dala would simply have to trust Shiloh's judgement on this matter, though personally she didn't think he deserved death, despite trying to kill them and all. The child turned to the assassin on the bed and decided to have a few words with him. 

"You really should be more careful on who you decide to target." She lectured, "Do your research next time. For all you know one of your targets could be an mercenary too. Or worse. What if they cannot be killed by a moral weapon? Or what if only magic can harm them? Also I would suggest doing a poison next time. That would have been completely unexpected for us. Also I would suggest investing your time with different kind of weapons. Don't get me wrong, the glass weapons you had were cool and all but you can't be a one trick pony. Have neat backups. Also-" 

She was lecturing the mercenary and trying to get him to do better….This was the one thing that never changed in this child. When she felt people could do better, she always would try to push them in the right direction, regardless of who they were or their intentions. Strangely enough, her ramblings were just as torturous to the mercenary as the interrogation. He gave Shiloh a look that screamed 'please kill me' as he couldn't take the child's lecture anymore. He already felt terrified and like a loser, having a 10 year old lecturing him was only destroying his self-esteem further. 

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:09 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Using a chalice of truth wasn't a bad idea. But first, they needed to see if their so-called harbinger of misfortune had a mouth. 'Not bad. If they try to dodge the questions, I can press them harder for information.' Without delay, Shiloh started to tear off the cloth and bindings that the humanoid used to obscure themselves. Beneath the scraps of tattered material was a thin, lanky man wearing patched up armor over important parts of their body. "You ready, kid?" The goddess forced the man on his back and pinched his nostrils shut so he would be forced to open his mouth for air. Once a few mouthfuls of water went down the right way, she'd let him use his nose again. It was time for the interrogation. Activating her geas, she looked straight into the man's eyes and began the questioning. 

"Who are you and why are you here?"

An involuntary shudder came over the man as the chalice and the spell went into effect. His body strained and convulsed as he tried to resist the enchanted compulsion.

Gustafa clenched his teeth, his face turning red as he tried to keep his mouth from moving. If he kept this up he might burst a vessel, then they wouldn't be able to get any more out of him. It was clear he did not want to give that answer. Shiloh's patience was wearing thin and she didn't know how long the chalice's effects would last, so they needed to make this quick. "Tell us who hired you to come here in the next ten seconds. Do not resist." The hired mercenary's body began to shake as it went against his wishes. "A man named Rahadiin hired me to go after a described foreigner for 500 silver." The muscles in his body started to slacken now that the compulsion from the spell had briefly stopped. And last but not least, the most important question:

Author: Dala, Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 11:47 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Once Shiloh paralyzed the intruder, the child quickly and carefully retrieved her snare and freed the neck, careful not to cause any damage. She hopped off the stranger and watched as shadowy limbs crept from the ground and pulled the cloaked humanoid underneath the bed. Rushing into the room she watched as Shiloh messed up the sheets, then moved to help, placing a pillow on the side of the bed, making it look like she had fallen right out and taken the pillow with her. 

'I'm not a good liar.' Dala mentally admitted, 'It would be better if I stayed hidden.'

The child always looked to the left whenever she lied. That was something she still worked on but if they were to succeed, she couldn't be visible. The innkeeper ran up the stairs and looked into the room, clearly confused by all the noise. The child kept herself as still as possible and even held her breath, hoping that she wouldn't give them away. Shiloh's lie fell easily off her tongue and the innkeeper seemed to accept the answer. Maybe Dala would have to ask the woman for lessons on lying. 

Dala listened for a moment until she heard the innkeeper reach the bottom of the stairs. Quickly shutting the door and locking it, she rushed over to the bed that now held their prisoner. The humanoid was bound with a strange rope that the child had never seen before. The humanoid had already seen her face, so Dala took off the cloak, allowing herself to become visible again. 

'If you're worried about him telling a lie, I might have something in my bag that can help with that.'

She reached into her satchel, then opened the purple bag that held infinite space. The girl brought out a chalice made of crystal that had an image of golden scales on the front. The little girl held it out of view from the humanoid but gave Shiloh a nod then began filing it with water from her own canteen. Water should be enough as it was the chalice itself that held the real power. 

'Its a chalice of truth. I think. I've never really gotten around to testing it yet. They could still avoid the question or answer in vague truths but this should keep them from outright lying. I think.'

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:31 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

When Dala played her part to trip the person up, Shiloh figured the last thing they wanted was more witnesses. Aura sight helped her sense if people were coming their way, and Shiloh wasted no time in paralyzing the intruder with stasis. 'Nice work. I hear footsteps, let's try to divert any attention first. I can hide the body, but we need to explain the mess.'  Shadowy limbs crept up from the ground and took hold of the cloaked humanoid, then quickly moved it under the bed. Shiloh then went to stuff her bag under the bed and messed up the sheets so it looked like she fell off due to carelessness. 'If you want to stay hidden, that's fine with me too. I'll think of something either way. Excuses aren't hard to come up with.' Contrary to her tense and paranoid behavior, when it came to cleaning up a mess–she became unusually calm. It was like she'd done this before and knew the ins and outs like clockwork. 'Keep calm. They know less than you think. As long as you don't act suspicious, no one will suspect a thing.'

When the innkeeper came to see what all the racket was about, they found Shiloh on the ground rubbing the back of her head. "Oh–sorry about the noise. I fell off the bed. The window slammed shut all of a sudden." The key thing here was that everything she said had been the truth. She did leave out several of the more important details, however. The room looked as normal as it could be, and Shiloh was conveniently blocking any views to the underside of the bed. "I see. Please be more careful, then." The innkeeper was confused, but they turned and went back downstairs. Once she sensed they were far enough, she mentally messaged Dala. 'And they're gone. Let's shut the door and have a little chat with our new hostage.' The shadows brought their cloaked captive out from under the bed and receded into the darkness. Binding them with a mysterious rope made of spider's silk, she released them from stasis. Speaking up, there was an oddness in her tone as she addressed the humanoid directly. "You should tell us the truth, or else things aren't going to go so well for you." 

Author: Dala, Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 10:34 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

While Shiloh waited for the stalker on the bed, Dala quietly reached into her bag that was hidden underneath the shawl. She took a piece of rope and found a nail sticking out of the wall a few inches away from the door entrance towards the floor. Making certain she wasn't visible, she tied the rope to the nail and waited. Shiloh was doing perfectly, Dala doubted that any rat would be able to resist attacking now. There were moments of silence and the child grew worried that she had been too loud or that the rat was too clever for their trick.

The sound of Shiloh hitting the ground alerted the child to the fact the rat had taken the bait. Still invisible, she dashed to the other side of the doorway and held the rope on the other side. With her free hand, she grabbed a snare from her bag, one that she normally used for large fat rabbits or particularly big foxes. Slams and sounds of fighting came from inside the room. Every part of Dala was screaming to run in there and fight, not just waiting outside the door. But she knew she had to stay exactly where she was, else let the doorway be unguarded. She gritted her teeth as she heard the sound of something snapping and something being scattered across the room.

Then she heared the man running towards her. She held up the rope as tightly as she could. The humanoid man ran for the door but their feet tripped over the rope and he fell onto the floor. Before he had a chance to stand up. Dala slammed herself onto his back, having her elbows hit a part of the back that seemed vulnerable. She moved fast and shoved the snare over the humanoid's head. The humanoid felt a wire tighten around their neck and though it wasn't enough to kill them, there wouldn't be enough room for the humanoid to slip out. The child held the other side of the noose tightly and sat on the humanoid's back.

"Make any sudden moves or even try to escape, and this snare will cut your throat. You'll be dead before you even make it to the stairs." Dala warned.

The dangerous part was if the humanoid ignored her warnings. She wouldn't let the end of the snare go and if they struggled too much, the snare would tighten around the humanoid's throat. Dala sat carefully on the humanoid's back and looked up towards Shiloh with a smirk. Then, realizing she was invisible still, she decided to mentally send Shiloh a message.

'Snares are useful for people too. If you can get the right size and get it around their neck, that is. So whats the plan now, boss?'

The sound of the commotion probably had brought some ears to listen. It wouldn't be long before one of the bartenders or innkeepers decided to check out what was happening or what had caused the sounds. Dala didn't want to deal with an innkeeper and she knew that they would be less forgiving about the situation, even if the humanoid looked weird.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2020 2:50 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

'Got it.' Even if the window trap didn't stop them from leaving, it would give a good psychological hit. The fear of being trapped could freeze up even the most experienced people, buying a few seconds they could use to their advantage. The kid and her were on the same wavelength, with the girl following up by saying things aloud that their potential stalkers might want to hear. She was right though, Shiloh had always been tense. Even when people told her she didn't need to be. Taking some slow breaths, Shiloh tried to shift her focus onto something that could make her body relax intentionally. An image of Niall came to mind, and that did the trick. Whenever she thought of the little guy, she couldn't get mad. Her shoulders loosened up, posture slouched a bit and became less rigid. The kid accidentally spoke her mind across the telepathic link, and there was a slight pause in the brushing. Messaging back, Shiloh replied: 'I'm sure you will. Where I come from, blonde hair is very popular.' People did have a tendency to prefer blondes, no matter what world you were from.

There was a small chuckle when the girl called her a soldier. 'A soldier, huh? That's the first time anyone's ever said that.' The chuckle became a grin as the kid went on. Biting someone's ankles reminded her of the times she'd latched on like a bulldog and refused to let go. 'Alright. Let's see what they've got.' Once Dala left the room, she flopped on her back. Letting out a sigh, she then rolled over so her back faced the window. It wasn't a position she was comfortable being in, but it was like blood in shark-infested waters. When someone's back was turned, it would be the best chance to strike. And they fell for it.

When the sounds of the girl's footsteps disappeared, there was a long silence. For what felt like hours, there was no other noise aside from Shiloh's breathing. Then, she felt something enter the room from the window. There was the sound of muffled movement and she felt an overwhelming sense of danger. Her eyes flying open, she quickly threw herself onto the ground, narrowly dodging a stab. In her tuck and roll, she had pulled off the blanket along with her. Throwing it up as a distraction, she dashed to the opposite side of the room. A tattered humanoid figure covered in cloth turned to lunge at her, and she ducked down to slide away. Shiloh had her hand on one of the amenities in the room when she realized she probably shouldn't use it as an improvised weapon. The thing swung at her and she was confident that she was out of its reach when something grazed the skin on her forearm.

What?

Something cut her. What was it? There was no enchanted projectile. No obvious changes in the air currents for wind magic. No hidden or concealed weaponry that extended in that moment. The figure was dressed in lots of loose cloth to make it harder to see when and where it would hit. She didn't see it, but she knew it was there. Choosing dodge instead of countering the attacks, Shiloh kept moving as she tried to figure out what had just happened. It had to be something sharp, something small. But even so, how come she didn't see it? Overturning a chair to block another swing, she noticed the same type of thin gash appear on the wood with no traces of magic. So it was a weapon, a physical one that was hard to see. It wasn't being hidden by magic, so that could be one other possibility.

"…Rahadiin, you sly dog." Glass needles. When the 'assassin' tried to swing at her again, this time she swung back–partially transforming her arms into metal. Before her fist reached the enemy, there was the sound of something snapping with a crack. There was a pricking sensation before small fragments of clear glass fell to the ground. It didn't matter if they were poisoned, her body could handle that. With her body partially transformed, it would temporarily stop the spread of anything that had coated the glass needles. Realizing it had bitten off more than it could chew, the humanoid figure tried to escape through the window only to find it wouldn't open like before. If they pushed harder it might have done so, but they quickly turned to flee in the opposite direction. By now Shiloh had a wakizashi in her hand and slashed at it before it reached the door. "DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!" She shouted to Dala. If the harbinger of 'disaster' escaped, they could still tail them, but it would be even better if they caught them here and now.

Author: Dala, Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 6:41 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

At first, Dala was a little surprised by the voice in her head but she quickly got used to it. This wasn't the first time she had experienced this kind of thought communication. Simone had talked with her in a similar way anytime they were worried about who was listening in on their conversations. The voice was obviously the young woman next to her and the plan itself seemed like it would be fun. The child nodded to the woman and followed her off to their next location. They would be spending the night in town in an inn and the best part was she wouldn't have to waste any of her money on paying for the room. Meanwhile, her hidden dragon was subtly following their movements and keeping up with them while staying out of sight. If anybody was watching them, they wouldn't notice her dragon friend.

When they arrived in the room, she walked over to the window and opened it with a big smile. The view from the window oversaw the street and the child subtly looked for ways a person would be able to enter the room. There were roofs and several water pipes to climb up so she didn't doubt any potential intruders would have any difficulties. The child whistled a little tune, that to anybody else would just be a little childish song. But to Charise, her dragon, it was a list of instructions. The child had come up with this system after an assassination attempt. She made up a subtle way to communicate her to her dragon without letting in on anyone else. Certain tunes were associated with certain instructions. A faster tune with a fast beat meant, stay alert, and watch. While another slower tune could mean, take a nap and rest.

Dala then began fiddling with the window, even bringing out a thin piece of rope and a nail. After she was done, she walked away from the window and continued listening to the woman's instructions. The window itself was open just enough to let a person in but closed enough so it wouldn't look suspicious. The child closed the curtains then looked over to her friend with a smile.

'Don't mess with the window. I have it rigged so after a person climbs through it, the window will shut. I figured we wouldn't want our rats escaping.'

For a moment the child was about to protest to using such items. But she bit her tongue and didn't say a word mentally or physically. Shiloh wasn't calling her weak but merely providing her with a way to not get into trouble. This was a closed off area with few places to scatter off into. Her usually strategy of hiding, fighting, then hiding again wouldn't work here. The child simply nodded and took the cloak, but didn't wear it quite yet. She would use it when the time came.

"We should get to bed. There's going to be a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Dala said, trying to make a casual conversation, "Let me help."

'Rats won't attack unless they think you're vulnerable. You are way too tense in both behavior and appearance.'

The child gently tried to guide Shiloh to sit on the bed. Then Dala hopped up on the bed and brought a brush from her bag. She carefully unraveled the braid and let loose Shiloh's strands of hair. Using the brush, she carefuly cleared out any tangles and made sure that it looked nice.

'Maybe I'll have such pretty hair when I'm older.'

She froze, realizing she accidentally mentally spoke that part. Creating a line between personal thoughts and mental speaking was difficult, especially for longer periods of time. They all seemed to meld together. The child tossed the brush in her bag and stood up, looking at her work and trying to ignore that moment of embarressment. Having the hair down helped but there was something still wrong.

'Relax your shoulders. You look like a soldier and rats don't attack soldiers.'

Dala knew what rats looked for. When she wasn't a victim, she played the part of a rat herself. Using tricks, lies, items, and anything else that could get her out of a difficult situation. She could squeeze her way out of trouble and into trouble like lightning. The child had goals of queenship but at the end of the day, she was still a rat. The child looked at Shiloh for a moment then nodded her head.

'Much better. Try getting in bed and pretend to read a book or something. The more relaxed you look, the more likely they are to attack. I'll be with you the entire time so don't  be scared! If they try anything funny I'll bite their ankles!'

"I gotta go pee." Dala said suddenly and bolted out the door.

The child put on the cloak and used it to vanish. She slowly crept back into the room and stayed in one of the corners, watching and waiting.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 4:59 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Shiloh smiled when the girl caught her drift. Looks like they'd be working together after all. The kid was sharp and had another set of eyes acting as a lookout. It was time to make some plans, but first they needed to set a trap. Having practiced using telepathy, she felt more confident in using it within a short distance. A voice spoke in the girl's mind in the same tone and pitch to make it clear it was her. 'Let's set a trap to catch a rat. First, let's find a place to stay. If things go without a hitch, we'll only need to spend one night. We can work on the rest as we go.' There was a reason why she wasn't taking action right away. Shiloh didn't want their plans to be overheard, and it'd be easier to tell if they were being eavesdropped if they went to a more private location. If her hunch was right, then they had nothing to worry about in broad daylight. Finding a modest inn, she rented a room for a one-night stay. The room she chose was one that had only two points of entry: the door and the window looking over the street. 

When it was just the two of them alone, Shiloh carefully checked the room for anything suspicious. "It's been a while since I've stayed in a room like this. Beats being on the road all the time." While she stretched and looked like she was winding down to relax, she continued talking to Dala using telepathy. 'The room's safe as far as I see it. We're going to set the trap here in this very room. That smooth-talking hustler probably won't assume that we're working together since we just met today, so we'll use that to our advantage. From what people can see, I'm just a traveler who decided to help out an urchin. Based on the way he acted earlier, I'm very sure that he'll be targeting me instead of you. Some people don't take rejection well.'

She explained her plan for the night. Working on the assumption that she would be the swindler's main target, they could create a situation where it looked like she was alone to give an opportunity to strike. They also needed a way to make sure Dala wouldn't get hurt too–con men had a tendency to be petty. 'Instead of wasting our time looking for them, we'll let them come to us. Once the 'misfortune' shows itself, we can track them down more easily. I'll let you borrow a few things to avoid getting caught in case they're more ruthless than expected. First, I'll give you a cloak that'll turn you invisible. The second will be an enchanted brooch that can heal somebody no matter how bad their injuries are. You can pretend you have something to do outside the room and use the cloak to hide while we both wait for it to show up. The brooch is just a back up plan.' If it wasn't clear already, by this point Shiloh was implying that she was expecting to be attacked. 

As she took out the tattered cloak that had the brooch hidden in it, Shiloh gave Dala a small grin. 'When you want to catch something, you need the right bait.'

Author: Dala, Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 1:56 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Dala had never helped in shutting down a business but it sounded fun. Besides, she would have to deal with cultist behaviors like these when she created her own kingdom. She would need experience in learning how to deal with these situations. The child watched as Shiloh began to slowly crush the trinket in her hand before she suddenly stopped. Dala glanced at the charm's symbol and something connected in her mind, but she kept her mouth shut. That was for later. Right now she needed to focus on her job and leave those strange realizations for later.

"They'd probably do somethng to cause that bad luck." She commented.

She had seen the damage cults could do on her travels. People who barely owned anything at all offered their money in hopes of something better. The cultist owner would be some predatory vile person who fed off of the fear and pain of others. Besides the payment she would recieve and the fact the man had called her innocent, this cult was exactly the type of thing she hated. The cult leader would do whatever he pleased and torment all trapped in their web. This was unforgiveable. Suddenly the young woman asked her what she would do to convince people.

"Depends on the person I guess. I'd try to show them I suppose." Dala said with a thoughtful look on her face, "Or I would find someone tha person respects and get them to knock some sense into that person."

The child realized what the young woman was getting at and quickly stopped talking. She put her hands behind her back and made a little signal to a little hidden dragon, covered in soot and coal. The dragon was originally gold in her color but the color stood out too much. So Dala had her dragon covered in coal to hide its colors and always had Charise around in case of any danger. The dragon took the signal and found a new place to hide while still keeping the two of them in sight.

"I have a flying friend hiding." Dala explained in a quiet voice to Shiloh, "We can have her scout the area if we need it. So whats the plan, boss?"

She had always wanted to call someone boss. It was cool when characters did it in books and legends. The child thought she sounded very tough saying that. And besides, this woman claimed she would take down the entire business. She had to have a proper plan in mind. And if she didn't, then improvisation was always on the table. The child looked up at the woman with a cheeky grin.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 12:17 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

The kid from earlier caught up to her, and asked if she had any plans on dealing with the fraud and his cronies. The girl wasn't too keen on letting the man get away with his patronizing attitude. When the blonde girl showed her one of the luck charms that were being sold, the sight of Antikythera's symbol accurately displayed made her eye twitch. "Oh I'm not planning on causing trouble–I'm planning on putting them out of business." Shiloh said with an edge to her voice. Placing the stolen charm in her hand, she stared as her hand closed on it and began slowly began crushing the trinket between her fingers. She snapped out of it, and stopped after realizing what she was doing. "…Lost my train of thought for a moment. For a second I swore I saw that man's face in it." For now she had to keep her emotions under control. She could wait, yes. She could wait until she had enough evidence to shut down the fake religious operation for good. Finally answering the girl's question, she agreed. "That's a good idea. Tracking them down won't be hard, but I want to see just what sort of 'misfortune' is supposed to come for not having a charm on me. This thing isn't magical, so how do you think that'd be possible?"

From her past experience with religion-based persecution, cults are only as strong as the person who's running the show. Tricks disguised as miracles and placebo concoctions were the staple of snake oil salesmen. Add onto that a little more charisma and some vague ideals to give the lost something to hold onto–and you've got yourself a nice little following who'd be willing to die on command. The mere thought of it made her want to vomit. Even worse when said leader and those in the upper hierarchy were leeching money from the lower levels too. Just like the girl, this was now personal. They used the symbol of the Machinarium without permission–and for fraud no less. She wasn't going to let that go.

The reason why Shiloh didn't want to track down the source of the charms right away was because she wanted to test a hypothesis. Saed Rahadiin was so convinced that he was on a divine mission that she wondered if there was a reason why he seemed so certain that a skeptic like her would change their tune. "Say, if you tell somebody something and they don't believe you no matter how many times you try to convince them–what would you do?" She asked the young girl. For some reason this kid seemed awfully familiar. Give or take some time, she'd be able to figure out why.

Author: Dala, Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 12:20 AM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

She frowned the second she heard him call her an innocent child. Those two words always irritated her since they always meant one thing. They thought she was an idiot. Being a brat didn't work and she knew going against the law would only cause greater trouble to herself and the noblewoman who was paying her. Dala hopped down from the crate when she saw another person start to question the sly old swindler. He made a great big deal about a dark cloud of evil, something Dala almost laughed at. Evil came from people, not spirits. Anybody with half a brain knew that. But a portion of the crowd was taken in by his bad acting and the child realized she would need to be more proactive about this mission.

The young woman who was questioning the swindler earlier turn away and start to walk away as the people began to pack up and leave. It seemed she had an alley in this mission. Dala watched the woman from a hiding place behind a barrel for a few moments before walking up behind her. She walked to the woman's side and looked up at the stranger.

"Don't suppose you plan on causing trouble for them, do you?" Dala asked quietly with a mischievous smile, "If you are, I want in. He made this personal when he called me an innocent child."

Her temper mixed with the possibility of payment was more than enough for the child to start getting involved in these things. On her own she might be able to harass them until they get mad…but that was a long-term commitment. If she wanted to work for that long for that much silver she could have easily gotten a job or an apprentice position. Dala looked up towards the woman and held up a charm to the lady. 

"I swiped it when he wasn't looking." Dala explained, "I wouldn't pay for this garbage. But maybe we can figure out where it is getting made?"

She didn't mind the idea of a little criminal activity now and then.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 12:04 AM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Before she could give the dressed-up con man a piece of her mind, a small child darted into the crowd and started causing trouble. Public humiliation, swiping his dumb hat, and sending the 'donations' flying were just a small taste of some well-deserved comeuppance. And her little speech made some good jabs at the whole scam too. It was almost enough to make Shiloh feel better. Almost. She noticed a flash of anger in the man's eyes that left as soon as it came. It was so quick that if you weren't paying attention, you'd miss it. She was sure this was some sort of fraudulent scheme, but the head of the operation wasn't going to back down so easily. If he could be knocked down by an unruly street urchin, he'd gone out of business long ago. The man was a sly old dog, and he kept his temper under wraps. Instead of berating the kid for being a brat, he simply put on a smile and walked over to the dirtied hat now stained with mud. His devoted lackeys quickly started gathering up the collections while he turned to dispel the doubts of the crowd. 

"It seems the foul spirits will not let us be. Even now they are willing to use an innocent child to carry out their wicked purpose! Do not be alarmed, fellow faithful. Although these trinkets are humble, it is all according to the great god's design. The god delights in fair exchange and detests underhanded dealings. The cost of these charms is but a pittance to the cost of recovering from misfortune! Gracious as they are, they have chosen to give the people the power to choose. What sort of god would force piety and goodwill into your hands? You may accept their blessings, there is no one stopping you. I raise my hands in supplication for those who are still blind to their great goodness." 

The man and his clothed cultists withdrew from the market, leaving the crowd in confusion. A few who had gotten so caught up in his impromptu save of face from the child's disruption made some last minute purchases fearing they wouldn't have another chance. "Saed Rahadiin! Oh, please forgive my doubts! Please, allow me to take a charm to protect my cattle. The evil spirits have been attacking my poor animals and they have fallen ill with sickness!" The 'holy' man faced an aged herder and handed him a charm as the man extended a hand with coin. Before the herder could take his purchase, Shiloh snatched it. "AH! What are you doing?!"  Suppressing her desire to knee the robed man below his belt, the deity of fortune herself looked over the cheap trinket. "So you say this little thing can give somebody luck? Seems awfully flimsy to me." The old man desperately tried to take it from her hands, but she refused to let him. "Don't bother with this piece of scrap, it's not even magical. I'll give you the amount of money you spent to buy it, so don't bother buying another one again."  

Having a second interruption in the same day was starting to get to Rahadiin. First an unruly brat and now a foreigner. Skeptics were always the hardest to sell to, but he had ways to change their minds. Feigning shock and dismay, the fraud became aghast at the sight of the 'unbeliever'. "By the god's graces! Young woman, I fear you are in great danger! A dark cloud follows you, and it aims to take your life! I beseech you, heed my warnings–for I foresee a terrible misfortune will befall you. If you do not act quickly, your very life will be beset by disaster!" There was a long silence as she stared back at the man with a deadpan expression. "Really? Well those 'evil spirits' are a little too late for that if you ask me. They sure took their sweet time if they're acting now." The man muttered some sort of mantra as if invoking his so-called god's divine mercy. "Please, take that charm. Your situation is so truly dire that accepting an offering is of little consequence."

"No thanks. I don't want it." Handing it to the old man she had intercepted, she pretended to walk away while she listened to the people pack up and leave. As she focused to isolate the surrounding noise, she heard the holy man curse under his breath. "Stingy foreigner scum…"

Author: Dala, Posted: Wed Dec 9, 2020 10:26 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

The child had never expected to get this far in life. Her education could rival some of the top royals and she had earned more silver than many got to see in a lifetime. Dala's life had quickly become difficult to balance with her teachings, trips, and spending time with her family and friends. Yet she always seemed to manage. Today was one of those earning money days and she had come across a particular gem of a job. A cowardly noblewoman had purchased a charm of luck that had the symbol of a god on it. Unsurprisingly the charm was useless and she had the worst luck of her lifetime. Yet the noblewoman was too afraid to do something as drastic as assassination and swindling were one of those crimes that were difficult to track down. Dala arrived at the right time and place to offer to help with that little problem. At first, the noblewoman was hesitant since the girl was a child but after some convincing, she agreed to let her take on the job.

It would be simple. All Dala had to do was cause some trouble for the swindler. It could be anything from pulling childish tricks to theft to being rude. As long as she was able to do something in revenge for the lost silver. It didn't take long for Dala to find this swindler and identify him through the rubbish charms he was selling. With a mischievous grin, Dala set to work. She snuck through the crowd that had gathered and made her way towards the swindler himself. She was small and fairly difficult to notice, so even his allies didn't spot her.

She reached out and pulled down the swindler's pants in front of the giant audience that had gathered. The child snatched his weird hat and dodged his attendants who were trying to stop her from causing more chaos. Dala rushed up to the pot of money and pulled her leg back for a good kick, hitting it as hard as she could. The pot went flying and the coins they had collected scattered into the audience. None of the audience attempted to stop her, as they all saw her as an unruly child rather than any sort of threat. If she was an adult, the situation would have played differently.

Still holding onto the strange man's hat, Dala hopped up onto a conveniently placed crate and placed the hat on her own head. The child posed dramatically and began a little speech in a mocking tone of voice.

"MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!" She began dramatically, "A god of luck whispered things into my ear about saving the world or something. I totally want to help you! Don't ask why a god wouldn't just give out the charms themselves. Do not ask why an ALL POWERFUL DEITY would make YOU pay for THEIR little trinkets! In fact, do not ask why I make you pay for them at all instead of giving them out for free! It's not like a GOD has ANY MONEY to pay me for this kind of service! Truly they are as poor as the rabbits on the fields!"

At every moment she was doing her best to make a complete mockery of the man and his attendees. While she was doing this, an audience gathered around her and began wondering why a deity would make them pay for salvation instead of giving it for free. They whispered amongst themselves while the swindler was trying to regain his lost composure. Once she was done with her little speech, she dropped the hat into a patch of mud just so the swindler couldn't wear it again.

"I wouldn't buy such an ugly charm anyway! Even a cross-eyed crow could make a better trinket!" Dala shouted at the swindler, wanting to make him angry.

If the audience saw him lose his temper, they would quickly become cautious of him. Nothing made people more scared than when others started displaying their temper. She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Wed Dec 9, 2020 9:27 PM, Post Subject: Bad Juju [P]

Namibia, the city of peace in the heart of the great Sandawe savanna. It is a beautiful city, a cultural melting pot where all tribes come to sell and trade. It was the place where two goddesses held an event of reconciliation between Onnen and Canelux following the great invasion that devastated so many lands. Naturally, with the knowledge of the Conclave growing across the new continent, so would the religious devotion grow towards the world's deities. Having had no gods for more than a milennia, Onnen was a land steeped in superstition. People believed more in hexes and curses more than the gods Canelux knew so well. In other words, it was the perfect place for someone to ride on their coattails. Being one of the most prosperous centers of trade in the continent, Shiloh had planned to visit Namibia one way or another. While Mamjaku mostly dealt with international imports and exports, Namibia was more focused on domestic trade. It was a good place to see what the trends were in materials. Plus, there were a lot of exotic things you couldn't get elsewhere.

As the disguised deity was browsing the market, she couldn't help but notice the loud cry of a strangely dressed man gathering a sizable following. Vendors hawking wares weren't uncommon here, but there wasn't a booth he was selling from. There were others with similar clothes standing with the man, who was wearing a funny hat. There were beads and other baubles hanging from it, and the way he spoke was more like a debate philosopher than a merchant. Some curious folks stopped to listen to him as he went on about how the world was full of dangers and that these were terrible times. If only there was a way to ensure one's health or safety! Fortunately, the listeners were in luck–he and his brethren happened to have something that could ward the body against evil and misfortune. There were even testimonials from the less fancily dressed individuals who seriously believed that what the silly-hatted man said was true. Normally Shiloh would roll her eyes and walk the other way with plans to make their lives difficult later. But then he held up a 'good luck charm' high for all to see.

"Yes yes, my brothers and sisters! The great god of wealth and fortune came to me in a dream, entrusting me with a sacred vow. Too few know of their greatness, and too few have known to call upon them for aid. 'It pains my heart to see my children suffer so! Rahadiin, you must tell them the secret which I have imparted to you so that they may live well and prosper!' And so I said, 'What must I do, O Honored One?' They then whispered to me, and drew upon my hand a sign. This holy sign is the mark that their eye watches over you! But be warned, the spirits of darkness and evil are afoot. They have clouded your minds so that you would live your lives unknowing! Now that I have shared this secret with you, they will no doubt to anything in their power to make you forget! That is why you must take these charms my brethren and I have crafted. Please do not tarry, for the charms we possess are few. Do not wait until misfortune has fallen to hold regrets! For a small sum of a few coins, you can protect yourself and those you love." 

Handing out little tassels of beads and string, at the very end of those trinkets was a piece of metal with the symbol of Antikythera. Those same symbols in garish colors were hanging off of the devout and the loud man, like a nose ring on a cow. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck begin to rise as her teeth clenched together. And things only got worse as she saw people actually step forward to  drop money into a metal pot in exchange for the good luck charms. There we two kinds of people she hated the most: swindlers and those who broke their promises. Now she was going to add another type to the list: those who used her name as a deity to swindle gullible individuals. "…Looks like someone's going to die today." She muttered under her breath as she started advancing towards the crowd.