Grim Views

Inzema walked into the halls of the Grim for the first time in who knows how long, stopping briefly at the door with the moon shining behind him to look around. So much had changed, so much was different. He adjusted his goggles on his eyes, watching the traces of auras left behind by those that had passed through during the day. The energy was different than he remembered. He shook his head, clearing it of the thoughts, and walked down the hall, keeping to the shadows, until he found the room he was looking for. He adjusted his goggles, looking through the door and confirmed Ruuki was inside, nodded, and slipped a pair of metal discs under the door. He slipped out of the hall the way he'd come until he came to the common room and flopped down on a chair to wait.

The first disc, upon pressing the large red button that takes up two thirds of the face, will click twice and begin playing an audio recording. Inzema's voice comes from it, if somewhat fuzzy.

"Accomplished the first part of my trial. Got the ring Khadgar made. It'sss nissse, better than what I had before. Even got him to make it into the shape of a sssnake eating itssself. It wasss pretty easssy to accomplish. Jussst a jaunt through the birdy sssanctum for a pick pocketing and a jump off of a balcony. Not even hard. Hopefully the ressst of thisss will be more challenging."

The recording stops with a pair of clicks, then a mechanical voice states "Recording ended. To listen again, press one. To destroy, press two. Do not destroy indoors. We are not liable for injuries, property damage, or death involved with improper destruction."

The second disc, upon pressing the large red button that takes up two thirds of the face, will click five times and begin playing an audio recording. Inzema's voice comes from it as well, if somewhat fuzzy.

"Hit the hundredth sssircle, and immediately there wasss a chorusss of women singing my praisssesss. You shoulda been there. It wasss gloriousss. Immediately hit the battlegroundsss to sssee what it wasss like. Did alright. Working on the gear to be good enough for the lassst bit of the trial. Shouldn't take too long, but it will be a bit annoying."

The recording goes on in silence for seven seconds before Inzema speaks again.

"It'sss good to be back. Ssso many bounsssing ti- Isss thisss ssstill on? Whoopsss."

The disc clicks five times and is silent.

Ruuki had been busy reading through a book a friend had given her when the flash of something metallic under her door caught her eye. Curious, she tucked a worn ribbon into the book to save her place, then went to inspect the reflection, finding the pair of metal discs on the floor. She picked them up, looking them over with a frown, trying to discern who had left these for her.

She pressed the buttons each in turn, listening to the recordings and nodding to herself, smirking at the reports given within. "Good, though I expected no less from him. I'll have to give serious thought to his Third Trial, then, so that it's adequately challenging for him."

A note can be found slipped under Ruuki's door. When unfolded, it is written messily, as if one had done so with their finger as a pen and blood as their ink while riding on a bear.

Nobody would actually do that, would they?

"Ruuki,

I am writing this in that ogre's blood. I killed him, but there is no further evidence due to wibbly wobbly and all that, but I am sure you understand that. Task completed. Bring on the next one.

The sexiness,
Inzema"

Another note, slipped under Ruuki's door, this one seemingly made of a parchment thin bit of leather. The leather is white, smooth, and bears a striking resemblance to human skin.

"Interviewed Lilly after the inquisition. I'd apologize about the scene, but I'm right about Cobrak, and I don't care if there's no proof.

Lilly's definition of being Grim: "It's like a family."

Interviewed Canai after her trip in the delves.

Canai's definition of being Grim: "You have to protect what is important."

Only Awatu left."

The note is signed with a crude drawing of boobs. Or maybe those are goggles. Sure, goggles...yeah.

Ruuki had nearly stepped on the sliver of skin when she'd walked into her office that morning, and feeling the odd texture under her hoof is what made her look down. She gathered it up to read it, pleased that Inzema was wasting no time getting his trials done, unlike some of her other Supplicants. She penned him a short note to be delivered to him.

"Inzema,

Good work so far with your trial, but regarding Cobrak- until you have hard proof I ask that you refrain from doing anything malicious towards him. He is Grim; were he not in our colors I wouldn't give two shits what you thought of him, only that you didn't get caught. Until he does something to lose that right, leave him be.

-Ruuki"

The last report reads as follows:

"Awatu says that to be Grim means being disciplined, or at least devoted to the Mandate."

It is signed with a drawing of a tongue. Rather well drawn, actually.

A letter is tacked to Ruuki's door one night to be found the next morning. The letter looks to be complete gibberish. A second note of paper found adhered to Ruuki's tabard provides the cypher to decode the message, which, to a sane mind, would raise questions as to why the letter was not just left there in the first place.

The letter reads:

"Ruuks,

I know you ain't assigned me a task yet, but I figure maybe some initiative was in order. Awatu had made mention to keep an eye on certain individuals, and one of my contacts heard something interesting.

Darethy is rather friendly with that chick what's tied to Accalia. Like, helpful friendly.

Figured that might be worth something. Got a few eye witnesses who can confirm.

Love
Inzema"

How Inzema managed to hide the cipher on the inside of her tabard without her ever removing it will always be a mystery to her. Once she decoded the message she sighed, then sat down at her desk to pen a reply to him, making a note to get one of those dictation goblins to do the writing for her.

"Inzema,

My apologies for taking a while to assign your third trial. I appreciate your taking the initiative and digging into the mess that involves Accalia, but trust me, that's a mess you might never get back out of if you get too involved. Rather, I think I've found some tasks that will be a better use of your skills. I know how much you love destruction, and so I know you will complete these tasks with that same glee that you display in your typical work.

I'm issuing you five challenges- complete three of them and return to me with proof of their completion, and spread the word of the Mandate to the masses.

The Warlord Zaela, of the Dragonmaw, has far too many of those beasts at her beck and call. I want you to destroy them before you destroy her. Show her that we helped her before, and we can just as easily reduce her back to nothing. Dragonmaw? More like Dragonfall!

The goblins have been helping the Iron Horde, and providing them with new toys of destruction. If we can't have those toys, they can't either. This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

The flying Arrakoa have been a nuisance to our work in the Spires of Arak, unleashing their mechanic constructs on our workers and on Axefall on a regular basis. I heard they have a new construct in the works, hidden away in Skyreach. Find it, sabotage it, make it have sex with their high priests, I don't care. Make sure it can't be used against us. Magnify... Enhance

Oh, and while you're in Skyreach, don't waste any time on Viryx's constructs. I doubt they're all that much help to her.. him? It, anyway. Monomania

Forsaken are fire-proof, right? Or at least I hope you are. Well, no matter. Magmolatus was heard saying very, very negative things about Valedictus. Eliminate him, and don't waste your time on his brothers in the process. A Gift of Earth and Fire

Now, if you really want the bragging rights- complete all five.

I look forward to reading your reports on these tasks, and if your hands come near my tabard while it's on my body again, you won't have hands to draw back.

-Inquisitor Ruuki"

[[ Set that boy to work! ]]

A note is adhered to the door to Ruuki's room with a mixture of what smells to be blood and saliva.

"Ruuki,

Job done. Three of five. The other two will have to wait for another day. Don't worry, gonna get them, too.

Inzema."

Ruuki had grabbed the note on her way back into her office, frowning at how short this note was. She set about what she'd come to do, changing out her weapons and writing a note back to Inzema, sending it on its way as she headed back out the door.

"Inzema,

I'd better get full details at tonight's Office Hours. Be there.

-Inquisitor Ruuki"