Silver Point, Port Diabolo
7th of Cylus, 720
7th of Cylus, 720
It was the first time since its creation that Silver Point had held so many visitors.
The small tower had been built arcs ago on the tiny speck of rock jutting out of the ocean just off port Diabolo. Its creator, a wealthy recluse rumoured to have some thoroughly debauched tastes, had chosen that exact location for the sole reason that it was one of the few places on Scalvoris that nobody could sneak into uninvited. Unless someone could swim all the way here through freezing sea water and then immediately clime up a smooth, vertical stone wall there were no natural means of infiltrating the place without being detected. When it had come up for sale Tio had brought the place intended to use it as a nice private hideout, a place to store his ever-growing horde of possessions when he was out running wild across the mainland. But since becoming the Devout he'd realised there was a far greater use for it.
The wide rooms that had once laid bare and empty were now clean and coated with simple but stylish decorations, the better to accommodate the small horde of guests mingling about. Drinks and light snacks were being offered around by staff hired out for the evening. It was for all intents and purposes a small, formal dinner party, no different from the kind held on a regular basis by most politicians, save for one oddity: the guests.
There were two very distinct groups of people present tonight that together made for an unusual combination. The first group were the people in Scalvoris who held any sort of religious related position: priests, students of Immortal history, and even the odd low-ranked marked. They huddled together in groups around the tower, shooting the occasional dirty looks over to the second group.
Thieves, bandits, pirates; the criminal scum of Almund made up the other faction. They at least seemed far more comfortable at the party, helping themselves to the food and drink without restraint in the way one could only do when at ease in each others company. Any why shouldn't they, for these scum all shared one key trait: they had all been a part of Tio's old network of contacts before he'd left Scalvoris. They could all guess at the reason they'd been invited tonight, and knew they needn't worry about a trap. Despite the fancy new robes and title he now wore, all of them knew that beneath it all Tio just as greedy and crooked as they were.
Tio looked down at the assembled faces from where he stood at the top of a staircase and allowed a lopsided grin to pass his lips. Either by past affiliation or present duty these people were connected to him now, and he had a plan to stop those connections from going to waste. Tapping the rim of his glass to create a ringing sound that caught the crowd's attention, Tio held out his arms as if to hug them.
"Welcome to my party ladies and gentlemen. You've no idea how pleased I am you could all make it tonight." He paused for effect, eyes scanning the crowd to check he had all their attention. Seeing the gazes of everyone looking back at him he continued. "Perhaps some of you thought I invited you here to celebrate my new position? Alas, I'm sorry to say that's not entirely the case. My reasons for gathering you here are not for personal business nor pleasure, but indeed for duty. For a matter crucial to the continued survival of Scalvoris."
"Our fair island exists upon a religious balance: a delicate scale between the influence of the many different Immortal and their conflicting ideologies. As Devout it is my responsibility to maintain this balance. It falls to me to be the neutral ground and mediator between members of all faiths: to ensure that we can all follow our own practices in harmony, and that any disruption to this balance is dealt with quickly and efficiently. But this is not a task that can be done blindly."
"All of you are here today because you are special. Some of you hold positions in important places: places where the latest talk of things related to Immortal activity pass through, or where the people who don't want to be heard try and discuss their wicked business in private. You hear things: things that I want to know. Others possess uncommon skills and talents that allow you to spot the things most people miss, and find the people who don't want to be found. You see things: things that I want to keep an eye on."
Tio raised a glass towards the party. "And so I ask you this, my new friends and old: won't you help me? When you hear news about Immortal related activity, let me know. When I need knowledge on the myths and legends of old and how the gods fit into them, find it for me. When I need a close eye kept on radicals who seek to disrupt the balance of our island, keep it for me. Help me protect our island, and in turn I swear that I will protect you. You will, of course, be rewarded for your vigilance, and if ever you find yourself in trouble you will have the backing of the Devout behind you. I'll watch your back, and you watch mine. What say you all? Will you help me to protect our island?"
The crowd began to mutter to each other, discussing their thoughts on Tio's proposal. The criminal group didn't need much time at all to begin nodding their heads in assent: after all they had worked for Tio in this capacity before, and at the end of the day a paying job was a paying job no matter who was offering it. The religious group however needed a bit more time, no doubt discussing the issue of how trustworthy Tio was and what he might do with that information. He had no doubt that the members of this group that actually followed an Immortal would prioritize their service to their individual deities over him, but that wasn't an issue. As long as they each reported to him what they learnt about events involving the Immortals opposed to the one they followed then Tio would still get a full set of information. Essentially each religious faction would spy on each other. Finally more and more people from the religious group began to voice their support, and Tio smiled down at them cheerfully.
"Excellent! Then I have a task for everyone to begin with right away. Among all the disruptive elements on Scalvoris, there is one group I need to gather information on immediately: the cursed." He waited as a light smattering of chatter broke out following his proclamation, and when it had descended back into silence he continued. "Those who bear curse marks represent a problem I cannot ignore. Some were cursed because they possess radical beliefs and have taken extreme, dangerous actions in the past; actions they may one day repeat if given the chance. Some were cursed for less political reasons, but the nature of the curses they unwillingly bear may bring misfortune and disaster upon the innocent civilians around them as much as themselves. For this reason it is imperative that I, as Devout, keep a close eye on them, to be prepared to protect the good people of Scalvoris from them should the worst come to pass."
He walked over to a nearby table and picked up a large, leather-bound red book that had been resting on it, holding it aloft to the crowd. "In this book I aim to create a compendium of curses: a detailed list of the curses of every Immortal, what they look like, what their effects are, and who among the populace of Scalvoris bears these marks. So go forth, find every scrap of information, chase every rumour, and find out everything you possibly can about the cursed!" He brought a smile up onto his face again. "Or at least do so tomorrow at any rate. For today enjoy the party, and let all thoughts of things that trouble you fade away. A toast, my friends, to a new future!"
His raised his glass, as did the assembled crowd, and together they all drank, signalling the unofficial creation of a new partnership. The crowd began to disperse back to mingling with one another, and Tio left them to it. With the funds he received from the council he'd be able to finance this large new web of contacts, and with the information they provided would not only be well equipped to solve the various Immortal-related incidents across the island but gather intelligence about curses too; intelligence he could use to further unlock his own divine powers. Yes, Silver Point was certainly going to get a lot busier with all these people dropping by to share their news with him.
Perhaps he should think about redecorating...
