Sea Tower Aftermath.

"Are ye alright, Lad?" came the gruff but calm voice from behind Virgil as he picked himself up off the turrets cold floor. He ached from a dozen or more blows, cuts and abrasions.
"Ulfgar," he said weakly, taking one step towards the armoured dwarf before the world begun to spin again.
"Woah, easy there, lad." Ulfgar braced Virgil with a strong gauntleted hand. "May the light of Berroner Truesilver return ye strength."

Virgil felt a hot flash race up his arm and settle in his chest. With each breath the warmth spread to all his limbs as his vision and balance righted.
"The battle is won," He surmised, "No shortages of casualties on either side though." The two of them looked over the turret's walls to the courtyard where strewn about lay the dead and dying on both side. "I'll be down there healing what I can," Ulfgar said. The dwarf lingered a moment longer, assessing Virgil's condition with a trained eye before stomping off towards the wounded.
Virgil gazed at the scene below. The horror of battle splayed before him like a grotesque mural. A telltale glow came from the satchel he wore at his side, drawing his attention. The tome's pages lit up the area under his long coat as he withdrew it and held the leather bound book on both hands. As expected the book flipped open, stopping on an empty page that begun to fill with that distinct letters with long thin bodies and sharp short serifs. 

These were the words of Neifion.

'The fey creatures, born of fear and blood descend upon you. You must cleanse the blood upon the soil. Do this quickly lest your allies be overrun.'
Virgil knew better than to argue with the words. He recalled those wicked yellow creatures burst from the fleeing men, Saw what they did to the others that they had fought against.
He moved to the edge of the tower, leveling Thorn at the ground and loosed an emerald bolt with a resounding crack! Soldiers looked up at him with surprise, weapons at the ready.
"Move the bodies, wounded or otherwise to the entrance!" He shouted down to the courtyard. Over his shoulder he beckoned to the group of veterans he had just fought alongside, "You lot, Come with me, we need to burn the battlefield now!"
The bloodied veterans didn't even hesitate as Virgil sped towards the stairs, passing Lirra on the way down.
"Spread the boxes of alcohol across the blood, as much as you can, and quick!" he ordered, stopping to speak with Lirra. When they were alone he dismissed his illusory mask, smiling in her direction.

"You're alive." She stated flatly, looking at the sword in his hand. Virgil's smile shifted  awkwardly.
"I am, thanks to your training." He offered politely. She looked him up and down briefly.
"You look terrible. You need more training." She stated flatly "put that away before you stab yourself." She brushed past him, continuing her ascent to the top of the tower. He blinked a few times, letting that sink in before he continued down to the courtyard. 

The soldiers had gotten to work, rounding up other survivors as they smashed open crates and spread the liquid around liberally.

Virgil thought he spotted a patch of red mushroom caps sprouting from the blood on the field. Yes, before his eyes he watched as the patch begun to grow.  He grabbed a bottle from a nearby crate biting down on the the cork and giving the bottle  of a very old and very expensive looking brandy a twist. With an audible 'pop' he spat the cork and took a swig of the strong liquid before hurling it at the patch, focusing his fey given talents upon its contents before igniting it with a click of his fingers.

The flames roared up, shrivelling the red capped fungus. 

The blue flames suddenly turned green and roared anew as Virgil took control of them, willing them across to the other spilled grog. 

It caught easily and in moments the battlefield was ablaze with a pyre of green flame. 

The soldiers continued to hurl the bottles into the magical inferno and cheered at the spectacle of the masked man with the black eyes consecrating the ground. 

'Time for a bit of showmanship.' Virgil thought as he begun to swirl his hands, gathering the fire into one area, it's magical flames casting an emerald hue across the area. Brighter and brighter the bonfire became. 

The fire then took the form of a giant bat stretching it's wings before it sped into the air a short distance before bursting in a bright green flash.

As eyes adjusted, they looked back upon the battle field to see a single large distinctive letter aflame in the centre of the field. An extravagant 'N' with a long thin body and sharp, short sarefs.  It remained aflame for a few moments before flickering away. Just enough for all at the tower to see. 

 It was all the power he could muster, nut he knew it would be enough. All the best stories start in spectacle and rumor. From one ear to another they travel before they take on a life of their own. He would help it grow. Nurture and care for it. 

The masked man with the black eyes walked from the courtyard, long coat billowing behind him and all traces of battle gone from his attire. It was as if he had never been touched. He tipped his hat as he passed the soldiers, their torch flames turning green as he walked by. 

Under the guise he was shaken and shocked. He had survived a major battle where others had not. 

He showed none of this now for he had a reputation to build after all. 

And presentation was key. 

Suit Up

Virgil's reality continued to be shaken around him with this latest revelation that these terrible acts were happening within Baldurs Gate's walls. Forget Greenest and the Dragon, and the little scale covered beasts that had made his life less than fun for a few weeks.

These things were happening on his own doorstep and from the look of it, by his own people. The criminal element in Baldurs Gate had always been a constant, but none had considered blowing up one of the biggest defensible bastions the city had going for it.

Henry and the group had been informed and his reaction was one of hastened efficiency as messages were written and rolled into tubes of glass. Virgil wondered what kind of magic must have been on those tubes as the contents faded to nothing.

Mikarro and Ulfgar seemed to take the news in their stride, as if this was expected of this place. They conversed to themselves over a plan of the tower that Horus unfurled over a small table. Two stacks of books at each end preventing it from curling back up on itself.

Stedd did his usual thing and went wide eyed out of Harry's office, his loud footfalls stomping up the stairs could be heard.

Obcaeco just sat still, as if assimilating the information she'd just heard hadn't swayed her here nor there.

Virgil felt his mind cloud over. His thoughts jumbled and he couldn't rationalise what action was about to take place. 

He left Henry's room and motioned for the barkeep to grab a bottle and two glasses and he moved up the stairs. 

From Stedd's room the sounds of hurried packing could be easily heard. From the open door Virgil watched Stedd cramming everything into the bag of holding that lay open on his bed.

"Don't you think you're-" Stedd cut Virgil off with his sudden turn and drawing of his dagger.

Stedd took a step back suddenly, his dagger held only by his thumb as he outstretched the fingers on both hands and raised them slightly, eyes darting from Virgil's down to Thorn that was drawn and pointed at Stedd.

"You gonna put that away?" Stedd asked, as he sheathed his own blade. Virgil complied, placing Thorn back into its holster, coughing to clear the awkward silence.

"Drinks?" Virgil asked, glasses and bottle clinking as he raised them as he took half a step in.
Stedd's hand shot up, "Wait!" He said with hushed urgency. "Don't step there," He pointed directly in front of Virgil's raised boot. "Or there, or, you know what? Let's drink in your room."

Virgil nodded, smiling slightly and exited, opening the door across the hall and poured the fragrant red wine into the cups before setting down the bottle and handing a glass out to Stedd who followed him in a moment later.

"You gonna run?" Virgil asked. Stedd's hands slightly shook as he took the glass and gulped a mouthful.

"I was gonna go get Dad and Keri ready to move as soon as possible." He said, calming down a touch as the alcohol did its work.

"You're not gonna do the same?" Stedd asked, "I mean, go get your folks and make them safe?"
Virgil took a sip, considering his response for a moment.

"I'm gonna help fight," He said looking elsewhere, before his black eyes locked onto Stedds. "And I want you to fight with me."

Stedd' started to shake his head involuntarily before  Virgil had finished his request, as he'd seen him do several times before when the idea of a prepared fight had been raised.

"I get your not comfortable with yourself in fights, you dress tough to try to dissuade people from fighting you. But I need you to stop looking scary and start actually being fucking scary!"
Stedd still didn't seem convinced, his eyes having trouble meeting Virgil's.
"I want that fucking guy who was ready to gut someone just to get information about his loved ones captives. I wan't that guy to watch my back in whatever is about to happen next."

Virgil went over to where his leather armour sat on a chair and slid it over his head, fastening it down the sides, is face grimacing slightly at the weight and restriction of it. He strapped his long knife to his left thigh. Sheathed a dagger on his belt and rechecked the fastenings on the embossed holster that held Thorn.
He flung his fine long coat over his shoulders, it billowing out behind him as it settled as he turned around, Stedd held out the final part of his transformation, The black, wide-brimmed hat. 

Virgil took it and placed it on, adjusting it slightly at the front before calling upon his innate magics to alter his appearance. All of his clothing, his armour and boots, turned into a mat black, the lining of his jacket a deep purple and finally, a black mask with etchings of silver materialised over his lower face, completely masking his identity.

Stedd smiled. "Either you're going to a really fancy masquerade ball, or a whole bunch of people are about to be killed by the best dressed guy in town." Stedd quipped.

 "Excellent," Virgil stated as he moved to the window and flung it open before climbing out onto the ledge. "That's what I was going for. Tell the others I'll be waiting at the outskirts of the Fort. Go see what they want us to do."

Without waiting for a response, Virgil was gone from sight. Stedd rushed over to his window to see him running along the side of the wall up to the buildings roof. He scoffed loudly "Gods dammit, Virgil." He said in a hushed whisper to the night sky, still shaking his head before turning around and almost falling out the window as Obcaeco stood only two feet from him. "Gods Dammit! Obcaeco!" He shouted, visibly shaken. 

"I just noticed Virgil outside and thought I'd come up and see what was happening."

"Come on," Stedd replied with a huff, turning Obcaeco around and leading her back out the room. "Time to tell the others that Virgil's off to kill himself."