Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[nikolokolus]

Aphrodisias raises her eyebrows a little, in a knowing way, "Ah . . . did this apprentice have a name?"

 

[L'ennui]

Urash furrows his brow and rubs his dark beard.

"Hum... was it... Tamo? No, that's not right. Tima? No, not that either... Ah! Timo! The apprentice's name was Timo, I'm sure of it."

 

[Siveon]

"That's adorable. I miss Timo, why if it wasn't for him, we would've been stuck in that tower, between insane magic tricks and a horde of hyperboreans after our heads. Due to... well, I would say a similar situation we had here. Not with wolves mind, but the disappearance of beggars. We never got to the bottom of it but it seemed to strike a chord with Koren. I worry that they now have wanted posters with our mugs on them in Odessos." He sighs.

 

[Wayward Son]

Mab looks at his comrades, "You've got to elaborate on those stories for me at some point, maybe over a pint of mead."

 

[nikolokolus]

"Timo? Oh. He wasn't an apprentice, that's Koren's familiar . . ." She flashes a brief expression of mild revulsion. "Can't say I feel too badly for the vile little thing. Turning him into a dog, that's kind of a clever joke by Abazion." She says with an air of something almost like respect.

She listens intently to Marcán, "Hyperboreans? What do you mean? The Exarch nor the Optimates would ever concern themselves with something as lowly as beggars."

 

[Siveon]

"Well he was definitely better as a dog." Marcán retorts, almost defending the creature.

"Ah, we never quite figured out why ourselves. It started with the majority of our troupe, Me, Ker, Rhenmyr and Borric, finding a frozen beggar in a box, no, a shipping crate no less in Zelkor's Ferry. There we met what we believe to be a Hyperborean assassin transporting these men with the help of some clueless sailors. Believe you me we had no clue ourselves, the assassin called them "trash that won't be missed", but they were moving them for something. For slaves most likely, or some otherworldly ritual I wouldn't have the fondest idea. The assassin claimed that he was working with Zelkor, a man that I personally knew. I couldn't believe him, but the assassin slew Zelkor 'n cold blood, likely from us keeping the beggar alive. Bastard killed himself with a sort of incantation and fled, possessing a horse. A horse!

Things only got more strange when we found ourselves in Odessos, where there were reports of missing beggars among the downtrodden, along with a recent of massacre of nearby nobles. Sadly we had to flee after a few run-ins with Hyperboreans who were not only happy to pin the massacre on a meak thief (who could barely hold a vase let alone a knife), but to siege the entire local thieves guild (where we were hiding) forcing us to dress as beggars in rot and filth and sneak into the wizards tower. You know what happened there." Marcán briefly rants about the troupes first adventure with the Hyperborean's, clearly still frustrated.

"Indeed, Mab. Some other time, perhaps when I've finally found my kin and all of this mage nonsense passes us by."

 

[nikolokolus]

She looks startled, "No mere assassin; that spell you describe is the calling card of a member of the Red Knives; an assassin of Commorium. But . . . they never leave the Imperial City where they ply their trade in the 'Great Game' amongst the Optimates. Never in some back-water colony like Odessos. But what's this about other Hyperboreans? That doesn't sound like Red Knives if they were acting openly like that?"

 

[Siveon]

Marcán nods. "Forgive me, they were Seekers, not Red Knives. We haven't met anyone like that assassin since, only Seekers. One of the nobles that was murdered was an Optimate, actually."

 

[Grimgravy]

"The local lord sent in his heavies after we helped knock off the seekers. I've got a list of names the head seeker was carrying"

 

[nikolokolus]

"Oh? . . . Red Knives and Seekers? That is . . . unusual to say the least. But I can't imagine the Seekers would care about an Optimate -- not unless they suspected him of heresy or he were one of their number?" She heaves a sigh, "I don't know what you fellows have stumbled into and how it could possibly be related to Koren and Abazion, but that sounds like quite the hornets nest you've kicked in."

She motions to Rhenmyr, "May I see the list?"

 

[Grimgravy]

"Of course. It meant nothing to us at the time. Maybe you can make something of it." Rhenmyr digs the list out of his case and hands it over. He also produces the head seekers armor. "The leader of the Seekers wore this."

 

[Helly]

As Rhenmyr shows Aphrodisias the armour, Ker also removes the mask from his pack and place it upon the armour. "Here is the mask they wore, if it helps."

 

[L'ennui]

OOC

I, for one, appreciate the epic plot dumps being thrown about. Finally brings us newcomers "up to speed" or close enough to it. I'm sure Wayward Son concurs.

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

I, for one, appreciate the epic plot dumps being thrown about. Finally brings us newcomers "up to speed" or close enough to it. I'm sure Wayward Son concurs.

Spoiler

It's been a long, hard road to get to this point. She doesn't know everything, but she does know a lot

Aphrodisias takes the note and quickly scans its contents and only casually takes not of the black linothorax, and waves her hand at it dismissively, "A ranking Inquisitor's uniform. A captain perhaps?" Her eyes goes wide and she clucks her tongue against the roof of her mouth sounding impressed, "Ooh, this is good! I only recognize a couple of these names, but the one here at the bottom is espcially juicy. That's the Exarch's cousin. Looks as though he's been a very naughty boy!"

 

[Wayward Son]

"I'll bite. Oo's the Exarch and who is his cousin? Why at all does he matter?"

Spoiler

Agree with L'ennui. Epic plot dumps is fun.

 

[nikolokolus]

Aphrodisias nods at Mab, "Sorry. The Autarch's appointed governor of Odessos, Kurikol Xhoon. His cousin Dorakar, is an Optimate originally from Commorium -- once a royal line and very, very wealthy. I remember him from a few balls and state dinners that I attended with Koren years ago. Quite the pompous ass and full sedition, which is why I think he got exiled to Odessos in the first place? I never took him for a Mitraic though. As foolish and doomed a hobby for Hyperborean noble if ever there was one."

 

[Grimgravy]

"You're saying the someone close to the Exarch of Odessos was secretly Mitraic? Why the harsh crack down after the seekers were killed? Keeping up appearances?" Rhenmyr pauses in thought ten continues. "Do you know of Father Inniro? Something Kroen Ghul said about him didn't match the man we met."

 

[nikolokolus]

"I'm not saying, merely inferring. The Seekers don't care a whit about anything but hunting down and rooting out heretics . . . at least those they perceive as a threat to the Autarch's cult. And there's really only one burr in their saddle that satisfies that criteria: Mitra. Sure, you've got those out in the colonies that secretly worship the Titans, and I'm sure if the Autarch's arm were long enough, he'd repress the Tuatha Dé Danann of the Kelts and Picts, but ever if there's one thing I know the Seekers hate, it's a Mitraic Hyperborean. That's the only logical reason they'd bother with a two-week voyage to the edge of the Empire. As for Inniros, yes I remember him vaguely. A priest in Lowtown rather near Koren's tower. Fat, garrulous, harmless. Why?"

 

[Grimgravy]

"That was how Koren described him, but the man we met was lean, narrow of face, and mostly bald with wisps of white. I wasn't sure what to make of the discrepancy. We were treated well in our brief time with him."

 

[nikolokolus]

Aphrodisias knits her brows and shakes her head firmly in the negative, "No. Not a chance of it. Inniros was tolerable probably because he was drunk all the time and well-loved by the docks-men. In fact I think he was a stevedore before he converted. Definitely not aged and lean."

 

[Grimgravy]

"It seems we have another mystery then. Who did we meet? But thinking back, he didn't seem overly concerned with the missing beggars and he did point us in the direction of the seekers."

 

[nikolokolus]

She spreads her hands and shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know. I imagine much has changed in ten years?"

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"Does the name Pelagia mean aught to you? One of our comrades, a paladin, was searching for someone of that name."

 

[Siveon]

"We did speak to a Koren that was not our Koren. He was a younger mind, so his descriptions were dated. Curious how such magics were performed, but I'm no mage."

 

[Helly]

Ker presses X to skip dialogue.

Spoiler

Just kidding. I donlt have the time to participate in the duscussion though so I'll read it afterwards