Alrighto, answers!
***
You look at Regreh and touch your belt. From one of little pockets you take both rings and show it to him.
- Do you know anything about those? I kind of found it in armory, just before we almost meet our deaths there... - Regreh takes both rings into his hands and examines them. After a while, he finally give it back to you, shaking his head.
- Not too much, girl. This looks like priest work and this isn't something that I can know, I'm simple fighter, after all. But I'm pretty sure those are magical runes. But their meaning is interesting. It is dwarven sentence, one of our gods said it once to Gerpaw, human from our world. He was one of kin for us, after all those things that he had done for us. It is long tale, but... let's talk about this sentence for a while. It mean... in pure translation 'Know power...'. Or rather 'Know your strength/know strength of yourself, but remember about your limits'. - he scratches his head and mutters - But I think it should be translated like in our myth... 'Feel strength inside of you, but remember about fragility of your body'. Yes, like that. It is hard to translate things like that to common...
In meanwhile, you turn your head at place where Masked and Samer were, only to almost jump into air. Masked was sitting next to you, looking at rings.
- Very nice things. I feel their power... almost like taste, you know. I like dwarven work, but I prefer their weapons... great for insfusing spells into them. And your runes, ah. Poetry. Pure perfection... I can tell you what those can do. - He touches both rings and they start levitating above it's hands. -
Pviar arfo adxe, povis!
Both runes flashes with red light. Under Masked hood, another grin appears. You shiver when he looks at runes, but his face stay dark under hood... you should see it. You know about that, but you don't see anything, exluding that damn grin.
- I activated them, becouse those weren't used for long time, my dear. I suggest find some magic source and get some power for them. And some magic user to transfer power, of course. Oh, almost forget. Those two can kill you if you aren't too careful with those. They will make you see more about world, in
many meanings of this word, but will weak your body for a long while after use. Use it too long and your bones will break as they would be made from paper. Or just use someone as source for it. - Creature points at 'but remember' ring. - Just put it on someone and make sure he don't take it off. Have fun!
Rings falls into your hands and runes of them darken. You nods.
- Thanks you... - you look at Masked for a second and it finishes sentence for you.
- My dear. - it giggles and sit back on it's place. You shake your head a bit, but suddenly, Regreh touches your arm.
- May we take a walk, girl? - he looks at you and confidentially tilts his head at Masked and Samer. You nods and finally stand on your legs. Masked voice stops you, however.
- Wait a second. I forget to tell you. You have broken ribs... for now, my magic stops the pain, but I will be forced to use it on Morrow. Only my... treatment. Yes, treatment. - it nods to itself. - Only this hold him on this world. I'm sorry if you will feel bad for a while, but don't worry, I regenerated most of your ribs. However, I suggest to be careful for next few days.
You look at Regreh and he nods in response.
- Yes, this is true... you fell on some rocks after explosion. I'm sorry but ground was bit... unstable. - he shakes his head.
- Thanks you... my dear. - you say to Masked.
You follow Regreh into woods, probably in Dambarg camp direction. He stops after a while and looks around, carefuly. His expression changes, from calm into worried. His voice is silent, as if he was sure somebody is near you to hear his words.
- What do you think, Weaver? It really is one of Circle Archmages? - you almost look around yourself, just as Regreh... damn. This should enough to know your answer.
- I'm sure of it. I feel same presence as in cell. It was... let's call it him for a while... it is damn flustrating to call someone just... it. - you shakes your head and continue - I was trained to protect my mind from any mindbreaking magic attempts, but that what he did... only reason why I even feel his presence is that he let me to do it. I don't know anyone with that experience on this field and I'm preety sure that I knew a lot of people who know how to make people talk. Damn, I worked with some of them.
- So you think he was really using our minds to send signals for his people?
- It is possible. If he would be able to do this other way, he would be free for long time now. I think he was doing that all time. - Dwarf expression changes once more. He is scared. As yourself. You didn't like idea of reading your mind like an open book. You have some secrets that you really want to keep and Masked reputation don't make you feel better... Well, rather lack of that reputation.
Almost every Circle member was kind of famous, that or other way. Zabadon is most opened from all of them - almost everything about him is knowledge that everybody can get. Exluding his secrets, of course. Even Old Man Lysang, despite being a recluse, at least had some reputation and a bit of gossip about his power and age...
But Masked was mystery. Almost nobody saw him, but almost everyone heard about him. For some of people, he is most powerful member of Circle. For other - he is there only for one reason - he helped March, back in time. Other says that he don't exist and Masked figure is just tool for Circle members when they want to do something, but don't want to show their presence. But everything stopped 50 years ago, when Circle send message to every Kingdom. 'One of Circle members, Masked, is missing. Any informations about his presence or last location will be rewarded. Any attempt to lie will be punished.'
Nobody came. After five years, Circle lost all tracks to Masked. If he really disappeard, he didn't wanted to be found. If someone kidnapped him, he was either death or under other Circle member influence. That was only possiblity. Nobody could be powerful enough to dispose of him so easy, without leaving any traces.
And while ago he was sitting next to you, playing with fire. You touch your face and rubs your forehead. Damn it. It could mean many thing - either you fell into trap of someone who captured Archmage. Maybe something other, but you couldn't find any other logical reason for his presence there. Disappearing from Game for 50 years? Not a chance, unless this would be serious matter of status quo or Circle plan. Either way... you are involved into something big now.
Regreh sighs and shakes his head. His voice is angry, but a bit weak.
- Fucking great. So we now have someone who have knowledge about us, enough to fuck us into Dead Gods know what and we may don't even think about it... How much he can know?
- I think... eh, I will be honest with you. If he wanted to, he read everything in our minds, without leaving a trace about it. He knew my codename and I fear not only that. So we can't be sure what he know... but it will be safe to say that he know everything. Any ideas what we could do now?
- About him? Well, suicide? - he chuckles, but it is empty chuckle. - To be honest, I think... we should come back and talk to him. It is only way, to show that we don't want to get involved with anything. - You nods. Regreh have good idea. If he can read in your mind, he know that you can't harm him... he probably could know either way... slowly, you came back to campfire, with Regreh next to you.
Masked looks at you, when you walk toward him. You can't see his face, but you almost can swear that you feel how his eyes look stright into your soul. He looks at you for a while, when Samer and Castor treat Morrow wounds, changing his bandages. It stand up and signals you to walk a bit far away from them. You do as he wish.
- Well, you want to talk with me, didn't you? - he looks at both of you, waiting for your response. Regreh looks at you and nods.
- Yes... we wanted to tell you that we don't have anything against you. We just wa... - Masked chuckles as he raise his hands up.
- Oh, my dear Weaver, my dear Regreh. It is very nice how you think about me... but I know that. - his voice changes into blank, cold as steel... Like void under his hood.
-
Let me say it straight. If any of you could be danger for me, my people or my plans... - he pauses for a moment, as under his hood, light flashes. Blank smile and empty eyes shape appears on it.
- ... you would be dead where you stand. - You shiver and try to not look away, but you just can't. Regreh also shiver, as his face become pale. Masked voice come back to 'normal' tone. - However, don't think about it as a threat or some kind of warning. It is simple... promise. Anyway, yes. I read your minds. And yes, I know what you talked about. I don't need to use spells to know that. It was writen on your faces. I expected a bit... more, from a spymaster, Weaver. But under circumstances... I'm also impressed. Anyway, I will give you your answers later... for now, I suggest you decide what you do next. In five hours, me, Samer and Morrow, will start our journey. I suggest you do same, as I can tell you even now that people will come investigate what happend there. And you may want to be in other place when that happend.
And with those answers, Masked leaves you for now...
***
Time to choose what to do next (5 hours of voting time, may get some more. It is small choice, as this isn't update end. You have 5 hours,too, in game. Each thing to do will take some time from your limit)
Five hours left... and what to do?
a) You will go to Dambarg camp now, to finally talk with him. (Will take around 30 minutes for walking there and back to your camp + time that you will use to talk with him.
b) You will examine area around crater that was Ravenhord, back in time. (Time to get there - around hour. Back - hour. So 2 hours + time for searching area).
c) You will search for any survivors from explosion in forests around. Maybe someone could tell you more. (How much time? You decide. But limit is 45 minutes and up)
d) You will remain in this place.
e) Freeform.
