#earthrunes

"Years ago, still working my way up. look, is anything here going to get me ANY leanancy? Otherwise my lawyer warned me about talking too freely"

She purses her lips a moment, considering. "Given the situation, what would you consider 'leniency'?"

"You really expect me not to try to bend that as much as possible? How about I promise to never return, take an oath, and get banished?"

An eyebrow. "And...what would you consider a complete lack of leniency?"

"Killing me dead and wishing me foul fortune on my next damn life"

"Well, you've probably figured out that I intend to adhere to the Escheat, so the first part of that is out....though tempting."

"Well, what do you plan on doing to me? If I can ask?"

"Still debating the details. I could have you suffer the pain of those you've murdered or tortured...but I suspect that might just be a turn on for you."

He is quite quiet to that.

"I suspect it might actually take a rather long time, if we made sure it happened sequentially...."

Is that sweat on his brow?

"Probably starting with the very first. Oh, I'm sure we can find a seer to find out all the gory details if we must...or we might just rely on the Dreaming to have a strong memory, and craft the curse appropriately. Hmm...and possibly on infinite loop, so when you've gone through all of them, it starts once more...."

"Jeezus! Now who is getting excited?"

A rather sanguine grin. "You're not wrong. I'll abide the Escheat...but I would take great pleasure in enacting a fitting torture to make you pay for your crimes." A deep centering breath. "But...you were speaking of leniency...so perhaps you have some information that I might find valuable? No guarantees, of course."

"You've already taken my book"

"Yes." Waiting.

"And asked me 20 questions about stuff from years ago, what do you want to know that i haven't alredy..."

A pause, "you want to track ravagers in this fief? "

She folds her arms and considers. "I do, of course...but your information would have to be pretty damn good to be worth some sort of kindness on my part."

"How do i know you'll uphold your end?"

"What, exactly, are your options? As I said before, no guarantees....but I can say that I'll make an effort not to reveal the source of the information."

"Fine, you want a place where ravaging and worse goes on? you want Red House. it's a strip club and bordello.. officially one, really the other."

She narrows her eyes at him. "Red House. I haven't heard of it. It's in the barony?"

"Is now. Opened up when the old baron died. You do know he's got ...had, a meaner rep than you?"

"Mmm." A long look. "Any other places like that open up since his death?"

"Nothing as big. But a few run ops. You really didn't see that coming? You're tested against thallian, in battle. Not against stuff in the shadows just trying to score glamour"

A small grin. "You presume a lot, there."

"yeah" Begrudging "maybe I did. If I knew i might have moved to another barony"

"Well, here's a thought...could always get out of the shadows." Arms folded, tone reasonable. "Take a long walk on the light side."

"Fuck that. " Blunt

A head tilt. "Hmm...if it were a choice...between the living-your-victims'-pain thing...or having to go seelie and live by the Escheat....which would you choose?"

"Being Seelie could get me killed a lot quicker than the other in some cicles."

Circles

A shrug. "Could always stay away from those circles."

"You're crazy. I can't just make myself Seelie, and would't even if could.." A shake os his head. it would appear htere is no way he wants to risk ti

"Oh, you can't, no." Again, that little grin, and she starts to turn, motioning August that it's time to go.

As the scribe gathers his books and notes- Norm's eyes widen "What do you mean by that? what..what do you mean by that?"

"I'll visit again, soon, Norm. Sleep well."

And she heads out.

"What did you MEAN?" A yell echoes as they leave him to rot until they need him again

The outer door to the donjon closes with an ominous CLANG.

(End or pause scene)