A Rather Odd Shovel [Judge: Bront]

[Rae ArdGaoth]

"Shields", his shields removed with some teeth gnashing and struggling, refuses Keldar's help. He squeezes the utensils and the bowl between his palms, lifting awkwardly to his mouth, a look of fierce concentration and chronic pain on his face.

He speaks grimly. "Listen, you don't know what you're getting yourselves into. I don't know what you were doing down there, but whatever it is, you'd best forget about it.

"These... Archaeologists, you called them? They've got a dark reputation at home. They can get anywhere, completely unnoticed, do anything, entirely undetected. And they never leave any witnesses. Nobody knows anything about them. When they do a job, the only way we find out is... well, that nobody else did it. And that's when they screw up; usually, it just gets reported as an accident, and nobody has a clue.

"They've got their own agenda, see. Nobody hires them. Or at least, nobody I've ever met knows how to get in touch with them. What jobs we glean, they make no sense. But they've been active lately, and getting careless.

"We heard of two jobs last week, had to be them. An apprentice wizard destroyed half his master's lab. He's badly hurt, scarred for life with burns, says it wasn't him but nobody believes him. And a priest, dead in his room, lying in a summoning circle, demonological lit' all around him. Killed by demons? Maybe so, walking around on Gundar's gray ground. But these, they're too loud for them, drawing too much authoritative attention, even though they got out. They must be running out of time, or something, but I...

"So, me. When they come to me, tell me I've got a place with them, I jump. They're the best, they don't muck around, see? I'm the best, I thought, so here I go. My suspicions, all out the chute; my caution, to the wind. And now, my... Now I'm finished, and my suspicions are confirmed, too late. I'm getting as far away from here as I can, and I suggest you do the same. Orussus, you say? Might not be far enough. This town's getting flooded, in blood or water, mark my words. Seto, keep me hidden."

 

[covaithe]

"Well, they'll have some trouble moving secretly now," Tommy muses. "Their tunnels are compromised, not just by us; the authorities will have heard about the work they've done at the library. The archies will probably know that by now. You don't have any idea what their goal was, do you? I wonder... Bloodshed on the scale you describe is almost always political in the nature, at least when humanoids do it. Dragons or giants or whatever might just do it for fun, but these Archaeologists must want something specific. Something with a deadline.... Is the Grand Councillor position up for a vote any time soon? Or are any of the other councillors ill or ready to retire?"

 

[Trouvere]

"Well don't you two know just how to turn eggs into ashes in someone's mouth? Cheer up!" says Keldar. He lowers his voice again.

"Perhaps they're good, but they're not the best. For one thing, they're just pale imitations of their great great uncles, and someone killed a bunch of them all in one go once. And just recently, we rescued a friend from some creatures that had left almost nothing recognisable of two Archies. With very little trouble I might add." He frowns. "Of course, there were five of us then."

"So, Shields, if Orussus isn't far enough, perhaps you'd consider heading for somewhere that's, well, it's something between a day and a week beyond Orussus, depending on... I'm not sure what. You could carry a letter for us, maybe. We did promise to write, didn't we?" he reminds the others. "And then our friend can give you advice as to where you could go after that."

"Look, this isn't the place to talk. Let's make our noticeable exit."

Keldar gets up and thanks the innkeeper. "Give our love to our friends, if they stop by! Tell them we've waited long enough and they'll have to go faster to catch up with us. Thanks for the beds and the eggs. Farewell!"

He begins singing a repetitive song, the gist of which is "Oh, Medibaria - we're far from ya" and "We're not yet so footsore that we won't walk to Brimbor."

Outside, he complains to himself, "Next time we fake a departure, we need to head for somewhere that's easier to rhyme."

 

[Boddynock]

Tarag looks at Shields with compassion.

"I don't blame you for wanting to put some distance between them and you, lad. Still, if you do come to Orussus, visit my Forge. I'll make you a pair of spiked shields, and a new shirt to go with them. They won't be magical - but they'll be the next best thing to it!"

In response to Tommy's musings, he observes, "You could well be right, Tommy. Generally it's power that people like these want. Shields, can you give us the names of these people the Archaeologists attacked? That'll be our next set of leads, I'm guessing."

Then, after Keldar's flamboyant exit, he follows the young man, shrugging and smiling at the innkeeper. Outside, he says, "Good thinking, Keldar. It would be good to keep the wizard abreast of what's going on."

Then he leans forward, lowering his voice, and says, "And considering those constructs of his, he might even be able to help our young friend regain some of his manual dexterity."

 

[Trouvere]

"I hadn't even thought of them! You're a good man, Tarag," says Keldar. He looks over his shoulder. "But you know, Shields isn't, not really. He calls on Seto. A follower of Taka's one thing, but only the worst sort of killers and cutthroats follow Seto. I daresay Thyrin can look after himself, most of the time. Still, I think we should write a warning in our letter, if he does decide to go to Grenton. In Aquan, maybe. Tommy will appreciate the practice."

"I can't help but pity Shields, though. He... he makes me wonder what I might have become if I'd not... well, never mind that now."

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

The innkeeper thanks you and bids you goodbye, promising to relay your message if your friends pass through. Fimble pays the man out of his own pocket, assuring you that his father will cover the cost.

Shields thinks for a bit about Tommy's question. "A council position is for life. People are always speculating about which councilor will be the next to go, and more often than not, the next open position is a surprise to everyone. If the Archaeologists have anything to do with this... well, I couldn't say. They're very good at what they do, and if they've had a hand in the succession of councilors, I wouldn't be privy to it."

Shields looks skeptically at Keldar. "I'm in your debt, and I'm heading that direction anyhow, so I'll carry your letter. But you make sure you don't let slip where I'm going, hear? Last thing I need is "Archaeologist" hounds with a lead. I might be taking a... circuitous route, so as long as it's not too time-sensitive, it's safe in my h-... In my bag."

He looks around furtively at Tarag's request. "As I figure it, I've got two chances of getting out. Either these Archaeologists forget me, or you finish them off and they forget everything. It's not likely that they forget me, I suppose, so I've got to count on you folks this time.

"You lose your way in those tunnels pretty quick without a map like you've got, but I think I remember enough to point it out. The tower wasn't a big one, or at least, the basement wasn't so big. I did my job alright, got the wizard's door open, but then a trap went off and fried the poor fool behind me, and his screams surely raised an alarm. I caught a glimpse of the room before they dragged me out of there: plain, with lead walls, and an iron pedestal. Up top, an orb made of crystal was floating. Seemed powerful magic was in that little room beneath the tower, but I've got no details for you. If you show me that map, I might be able to give you a better idea of the location."

In your mapbook, he indicates an exit beneath a tower in the College of Wizardry.

Fimble peeps up, "If we need a place to go, we can definitely find shelter with my father. The ceilings might be cramped, but the neighborhood is safe, and we can talk freely there. He also might have some better information on the politics of the city."

 

[Trouvere]

"No need to worry, Shields. How about this? You take the letter to the wizard Rilithorne in Orussus. Everyone there has heard of him, but he's heard of us! That would get it to where it needs to go quickest. He can pass on a message in the twinkling of an eye. Then you can wander where you will for as long as you like and we won't even know where you are. But I do think you might find something helpful if you pay a visit to our friend some time. Rilithorne can tell you where to go, when you decide to. There."

Keldar turns to Fimble. "I'm not sure we should involve your father and mother directly now that we've stirred up the hornets. Besides, we paid for a week at the Twintree Inn, and they were respectable enough that they might report us missing if we don't go back!"

"So. Off we go. If these Archaeologists are as good as they're reputed to be, then they guessed we're headed for Medibaria and they'll be waiting somewhere down the road. So let's turn off before that, huh?"

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

OOC: What are the contents of the letter?

"I'll take the long way around." Shields takes the letter and is on his way west.

Fimble nods, appreciative of Keldar's consideration for gnome family. "But of course, you're right. Where to, then?"

 

[Boddynock]

OOC: What are the contents of the letter?

OOC: Tarag can write it in Ignan, if Tommy doesn't have Aquan.

 

[Trouvere]

OOC: Everyone who's anyone has Aquan!

The letter begins with a bald recitation of facts. "The shovel bears the seal of the Archaeologists, a thieves' guild of pre-Catastrophe Fallon, now reformed and active again. Members of noble houses are involved. A known member is one Vlad Turket. They have a network of secret tunnels throughout Fallon. Architect James Urton dropped from view years ago."

OOC: anything else?

It continues in more chatty fashion in Keldar's hand: "I captured a pirate ship! G deserted us for some priest of Halina! Can you believe it? R went with him, to stop him from getting into trouble. If you see h Fallon is a lovely city, apart from the thieves. If our friend with no fingers visits, don't trust him - we saved him from them, but he follows Seto."

"Right," says Keldar, "he's on his way. Good luck to him, and a change of heart. So, how do we get back into the city without being noticed? Magic?"