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Into the Moral Darkness: (Now a Completed Story!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3300488" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p><strong>Chapter Two: DECEPTION REVEALED</strong></p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked up from the markings along the dagger’s face and handle. <span style="color: LightBlue">“It’s nothing that I have seen before. I mean, it’s a ceremonial dagger, of course. But I’ve never seen these markings.”</span> Slowly Ischarus walked back towards the party. He turned the dagger over several times in his hands in an attempt to look for any other evidence of hidden symbols. He couldn’t find any.</p><p></p><p>Semeion met him half way and extended out his hand to receive the dagger. <span style="color: Plum">“Do you mind if I take a look? I have studied arcane symbols to some extent.”</span> Of course, Semeion completely forgot that Brandt and Ausaphaborishan were present and would likely have been able to recognize any symbol that Semeion could identify. He shook his head slowly and handed the blade back to Ischarus. <span style="color: Plum">“Nope, I don’t really recognize it either. It’s clearly a hidden message of some kind. The crescent moon is etched in outline only and the engraving of the dagger is no less basic in design.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt’s eyes narrowed as Semeion spoke of the symbol. <span style="color: Lime">“I’m sorry, did you say crescent moon and dagger?”</span> His voice betrayed a subtle tone of alarm.</p><p></p><p>Semeion turned his head around sharply at Brandt’s intrusion. <span style="color: Plum">“Yeah. It’s a crescent moon with a dagger plunged halfway though it. Does that symbol mean something to you?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt looked up to Ausaphaborishan. He noticed that the dragon appeared as worried as he felt. <span style="color: Lime">“If it is what I think it is, then you have found a ceremonial dagger of the Ephistaemi. And, no, that is not a good thing.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father stepped towards Semeion and held out his hand to receive the blade. Rhema was not more than a step behind him when the man spoke to Brandt. <span style="color: Lime">“But I have never heard of such a people. Are they a race? And what could they have against me?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled at the simple questions. <span style="color: Lime">“No, the Ephistaemi are not a race of people. The best way to describe them is that they are an organization.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ausaphaborishan’s deep and rumbling voice interrupted Brandt from above. <span style="color: SlateGray">“You are being much to kind, Brandt. They are not an organization like we would think of. They are more like an international Maven’s Guild. They are experts at what they do. Not all of them are evil, but neither are all of them good as well.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema spoke up to further her father’s questions. She was largely confused by Ausaphaborishan’s explanation. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Experts? I am sure that whoever caused this kind of destruction is indeed at expert at dealing with fiery destruction! But why would bunch of experts do this?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt continued the explanation now that Ausaphaborishan had clarified his earlier point. <span style="color: Lime">“The Ephistaemi pride themselves on being able to get into places where other people intend to keep them out. They delight in accomplishing the once thought impossible. Yet they are not all evil, greedy, self-motivated demolition experts as one might suspect from the example before us. The driving force of the Ephistaemi is the ability to defeat the challenge and thus earn the rewards. Sometimes their skills are hired legitimately to accomplish an honorable task. As we can see before us, there are those among their ranks who take less than upstanding jobs on the side.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father’s face turned red with anger. <span style="color: Lime">“This destruction was done for the sake of the challenge? I have lost everything simply because it was nearly impossible to pull the task off?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt rubbed his chin as he thought of the proper words to use in reply. As he did, Rhema reached out and stroked her father’s shoulders to help calm him down. She spoke lightly to him once she felt the tense muscles under his cloak. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Father, please. Brandt and Ausaphaborishan are not at fault, here. They know no more about why this happened than we do.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt continued once Rhema was done trying to soothe her father’s fury. <span style="color: Lime">“The Ephistaemi do not have a collective purpose. They are more like a clearinghouse for unique jobs. I have heard of tortured people joining the Ephistaemi to apprentice under a master so that they can become skilled in whatever means they wish to execute their revenge. I’ve heard of thieves joining the Ephistaemi simply because they believe it is honorable to steal from the wealthy in order to demonstrate just how insecure the wealth standing is of the nobility. There are members of the Ephistaemi who join so that they have an avenue to be a private investigator or even a spy. Not all the Ephistaemi are bad or join for the wrong reasons. About the only thing that is true about the whole collective of Ephistaemi is that they join because their talents are often in rare supply and they involve skills that you wouldn’t want to publicly announce. Even good skills, like those of a bounty hunter who is hired to find a kidnapped child, could be found within the ranks of the Ephistaemi. The Ephistaemi are secretive, but not necessarily evil in total.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis spoke from her position just outside the rest of the party. <span style="color: Orange">“But what I hear you saying is that although a member of the Ephistaemi may have done this that it wasn’t because the Ephistaemi wanted it done.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ausaphaborishan chuckled and a deep rumble spread across the land covered in ash. <span style="color: SlateGray">“You would make Llywessiar proud, Charis. That is precisely what Brandt is saying. The Ephistaemi are merely the collectors of talent for hire. If this was indeed an Ephistaemi led job, then there is probably someone more significant who wanted it accomplished. That person would likely not be a member of the Ephistaemi. Furthermore, if this was done by the Ephistaemi you can bet that the person who wanted it done has wealth or power.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled and quickly added to the wyrm’s comment. <span style="color: Lime">“Or, perhaps they have both.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father continued to pour through the new information in his mind as it was presented. <span style="color: Lime">“Be that as it may, but who would benefit from the destruction of this villa? The red wyrm is dead! From an economic perspective, the people of Huetown benefit enormously from the training process that goes on here. Lord Ironblood is paid well for his silence and certainly he doesn’t want to lose out on my patronage. Nobody else besides those who are trained here should even know of what goes on in this place!”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt scratched his chin. <span style="color: Lime">“Grick is still serving time in Lord Ironblood’s jail in Fingerdale, correct?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded. <span style="color: LightBlue">“As far as I could tell, yes. And that’s assuming that you can trust Warden Farette and Captain Jacobseille.”</span></p><p></p><p>The foursome smiled at the instant memory of the past events when Ischarus was thrown in jail. Semeion replied in all sincerity to Ischarus’ assertion as he realized that his feelings had mellowed over time. <span style="color: Plum">“Yes, and in spite of locking up an innocent man for a short period of time they did get it right in the end. You can’t really fault them for doing their job, that’s for sure.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt grinned as if he understood a private inside joke. <span style="color: Lime">“No, that much is very true. Captain Jacobseille and the warden are quite thorough. That is probably why Lord Ironblood has kept them in service for all this time.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis also smiled at the memory. <span style="color: Orange">“And with any luck, they will continue to serve. But either way, as far as we know Grick is still in jail and will remain there for several more years because he attempted to kill more than once.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt looked down once more to the dagger. <span style="color: Lime">“Something doesn’t feel right, then. If we assume for a moment that this was an Ephistaemi attack, then there has to be a grand motivation to bring this about. This destruction would have cost a small fortune or a tremendously large favor in exchange. Something must have brought this about.”</span></p><p></p><p>Every one of the four party members shook their head in disbelief. None of them had any answers. The significant threats had already been removed from the equation. Those threats that remained should not have had enough justification to cause this type of destruction.</p><p></p><p>Rhema turned to her father and looked deep into his eyes. He had gained a remarkable composure since his earlier outbursts. She felt his tension ease as everyone shared in the unbelievable truth that lay at their feet in the form of ash. The more the answers eluded the gathered party the more Rhema’s father could share in the frustration. When Rhema understood that her father was more able to honestly answer questions she decided to speak. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Father, there is no figure from your past that might have brought this about is there? We are almost positive that the destruction did not come through the adventures into Quehalost of the four of us. If we can assume that the villa was not burned by someone who stood against just Ischarus and myself, then could it have been from your past?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head slowly. <span style="color: Lime">“That is unlikely. For the past four years I have been intentionally inactive. For many years before that I was only active in a few minor political circles. I doubt that there are many people in the world who are not on my payroll and who still remember that I exist!”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt lightly gripped the tip of the blade of the dagger between the ends of his index finger and his thumb. He looked once more at the blade in his hand and then extended the handle to Rhema’s father. <span style="color: Lime">“I believe this is yours, sir. And I believe that we have a certain mystery on hand.”</span></p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Chapter Two: DECEPTION REVEALED</p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked up from the markings along the dagger’s face and handle. “It’s nothing that I have seen before. I mean, it’s a ceremonial dagger, of course. But I’ve never seen these markings.” Slowly Ischarus walked back towards the party. He turned the dagger over several times in his hands in an attempt to look for any other evidence of hidden symbols. He couldn’t find any.</p><p></p><p>Semeion met him half way and extended out his hand to receive the dagger. “Do you mind if I take a look? I have studied arcane symbols to some extent.” Of course, Semeion completely forgot that Brandt and Ausaphaborishan were present and would likely have been able to recognize any symbol that Semeion could identify. He shook his head slowly and handed the blade back to Ischarus. “Nope, I don’t really recognize it either. It’s clearly a hidden message of some kind. The crescent moon is etched in outline only and the engraving of the dagger is no less basic in design.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt’s eyes narrowed as Semeion spoke of the symbol. “I’m sorry, did you say crescent moon and dagger?” His voice betrayed a subtle tone of alarm.</p><p></p><p>Semeion turned his head around sharply at Brandt’s intrusion. “Yeah. It’s a crescent moon with a dagger plunged halfway though it. Does that symbol mean something to you?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt looked up to Ausaphaborishan. He noticed that the dragon appeared as worried as he felt. “If it is what I think it is, then you have found a ceremonial dagger of the Ephistaemi. And, no, that is not a good thing.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father stepped towards Semeion and held out his hand to receive the blade. Rhema was not more than a step behind him when the man spoke to Brandt. “But I have never heard of such a people. Are they a race? And what could they have against me?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled at the simple questions. “No, the Ephistaemi are not a race of people. The best way to describe them is that they are an organization.”</p><p></p><p>Ausaphaborishan’s deep and rumbling voice interrupted Brandt from above. “You are being much to kind, Brandt. They are not an organization like we would think of. They are more like an international Maven’s Guild. They are experts at what they do. Not all of them are evil, but neither are all of them good as well.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema spoke up to further her father’s questions. She was largely confused by Ausaphaborishan’s explanation. “Experts? I am sure that whoever caused this kind of destruction is indeed at expert at dealing with fiery destruction! But why would bunch of experts do this?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt continued the explanation now that Ausaphaborishan had clarified his earlier point. “The Ephistaemi pride themselves on being able to get into places where other people intend to keep them out. They delight in accomplishing the once thought impossible. Yet they are not all evil, greedy, self-motivated demolition experts as one might suspect from the example before us. The driving force of the Ephistaemi is the ability to defeat the challenge and thus earn the rewards. Sometimes their skills are hired legitimately to accomplish an honorable task. As we can see before us, there are those among their ranks who take less than upstanding jobs on the side.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father’s face turned red with anger. “This destruction was done for the sake of the challenge? I have lost everything simply because it was nearly impossible to pull the task off?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt rubbed his chin as he thought of the proper words to use in reply. As he did, Rhema reached out and stroked her father’s shoulders to help calm him down. She spoke lightly to him once she felt the tense muscles under his cloak. “Father, please. Brandt and Ausaphaborishan are not at fault, here. They know no more about why this happened than we do.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt continued once Rhema was done trying to soothe her father’s fury. “The Ephistaemi do not have a collective purpose. They are more like a clearinghouse for unique jobs. I have heard of tortured people joining the Ephistaemi to apprentice under a master so that they can become skilled in whatever means they wish to execute their revenge. I’ve heard of thieves joining the Ephistaemi simply because they believe it is honorable to steal from the wealthy in order to demonstrate just how insecure the wealth standing is of the nobility. There are members of the Ephistaemi who join so that they have an avenue to be a private investigator or even a spy. Not all the Ephistaemi are bad or join for the wrong reasons. About the only thing that is true about the whole collective of Ephistaemi is that they join because their talents are often in rare supply and they involve skills that you wouldn’t want to publicly announce. Even good skills, like those of a bounty hunter who is hired to find a kidnapped child, could be found within the ranks of the Ephistaemi. The Ephistaemi are secretive, but not necessarily evil in total.”</p><p></p><p>Charis spoke from her position just outside the rest of the party. “But what I hear you saying is that although a member of the Ephistaemi may have done this that it wasn’t because the Ephistaemi wanted it done.”</p><p></p><p>Ausaphaborishan chuckled and a deep rumble spread across the land covered in ash. “You would make Llywessiar proud, Charis. That is precisely what Brandt is saying. The Ephistaemi are merely the collectors of talent for hire. If this was indeed an Ephistaemi led job, then there is probably someone more significant who wanted it accomplished. That person would likely not be a member of the Ephistaemi. Furthermore, if this was done by the Ephistaemi you can bet that the person who wanted it done has wealth or power.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled and quickly added to the wyrm’s comment. “Or, perhaps they have both.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father continued to pour through the new information in his mind as it was presented. “Be that as it may, but who would benefit from the destruction of this villa? The red wyrm is dead! From an economic perspective, the people of Huetown benefit enormously from the training process that goes on here. Lord Ironblood is paid well for his silence and certainly he doesn’t want to lose out on my patronage. Nobody else besides those who are trained here should even know of what goes on in this place!”</p><p></p><p>Brandt scratched his chin. “Grick is still serving time in Lord Ironblood’s jail in Fingerdale, correct?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded. “As far as I could tell, yes. And that’s assuming that you can trust Warden Farette and Captain Jacobseille.”</p><p></p><p>The foursome smiled at the instant memory of the past events when Ischarus was thrown in jail. Semeion replied in all sincerity to Ischarus’ assertion as he realized that his feelings had mellowed over time. “Yes, and in spite of locking up an innocent man for a short period of time they did get it right in the end. You can’t really fault them for doing their job, that’s for sure.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt grinned as if he understood a private inside joke. “No, that much is very true. Captain Jacobseille and the warden are quite thorough. That is probably why Lord Ironblood has kept them in service for all this time.”</p><p></p><p>Charis also smiled at the memory. “And with any luck, they will continue to serve. But either way, as far as we know Grick is still in jail and will remain there for several more years because he attempted to kill more than once.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt looked down once more to the dagger. “Something doesn’t feel right, then. If we assume for a moment that this was an Ephistaemi attack, then there has to be a grand motivation to bring this about. This destruction would have cost a small fortune or a tremendously large favor in exchange. Something must have brought this about.”</p><p></p><p>Every one of the four party members shook their head in disbelief. None of them had any answers. The significant threats had already been removed from the equation. Those threats that remained should not have had enough justification to cause this type of destruction.</p><p></p><p>Rhema turned to her father and looked deep into his eyes. He had gained a remarkable composure since his earlier outbursts. She felt his tension ease as everyone shared in the unbelievable truth that lay at their feet in the form of ash. The more the answers eluded the gathered party the more Rhema’s father could share in the frustration. When Rhema understood that her father was more able to honestly answer questions she decided to speak. “Father, there is no figure from your past that might have brought this about is there? We are almost positive that the destruction did not come through the adventures into Quehalost of the four of us. If we can assume that the villa was not burned by someone who stood against just Ischarus and myself, then could it have been from your past?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head slowly. “That is unlikely. For the past four years I have been intentionally inactive. For many years before that I was only active in a few minor political circles. I doubt that there are many people in the world who are not on my payroll and who still remember that I exist!”</p><p></p><p>Brandt lightly gripped the tip of the blade of the dagger between the ends of his index finger and his thumb. He looked once more at the blade in his hand and then extended the handle to Rhema’s father. “I believe this is yours, sir. And I believe that we have a certain mystery on hand.”</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3300488, member: 35788"] [B]Chapter Two: DECEPTION REVEALED[/B] Ischarus looked up from the markings along the dagger’s face and handle. [Color=LightBlue]“It’s nothing that I have seen before. I mean, it’s a ceremonial dagger, of course. But I’ve never seen these markings.”[/Color] Slowly Ischarus walked back towards the party. He turned the dagger over several times in his hands in an attempt to look for any other evidence of hidden symbols. He couldn’t find any. Semeion met him half way and extended out his hand to receive the dagger. [Color=Plum]“Do you mind if I take a look? I have studied arcane symbols to some extent.”[/Color] Of course, Semeion completely forgot that Brandt and Ausaphaborishan were present and would likely have been able to recognize any symbol that Semeion could identify. He shook his head slowly and handed the blade back to Ischarus. [Color=Plum]“Nope, I don’t really recognize it either. It’s clearly a hidden message of some kind. The crescent moon is etched in outline only and the engraving of the dagger is no less basic in design.”[/Color] Brandt’s eyes narrowed as Semeion spoke of the symbol. [Color=Lime]“I’m sorry, did you say crescent moon and dagger?”[/Color] His voice betrayed a subtle tone of alarm. Semeion turned his head around sharply at Brandt’s intrusion. [Color=Plum]“Yeah. It’s a crescent moon with a dagger plunged halfway though it. Does that symbol mean something to you?”[/Color] Brandt looked up to Ausaphaborishan. He noticed that the dragon appeared as worried as he felt. [Color=Lime]“If it is what I think it is, then you have found a ceremonial dagger of the Ephistaemi. And, no, that is not a good thing.”[/Color] Rhema’s father stepped towards Semeion and held out his hand to receive the blade. Rhema was not more than a step behind him when the man spoke to Brandt. [Color=Lime]“But I have never heard of such a people. Are they a race? And what could they have against me?”[/Color] Brandt smiled at the simple questions. [Color=Lime]“No, the Ephistaemi are not a race of people. The best way to describe them is that they are an organization.”[/Color] Ausaphaborishan’s deep and rumbling voice interrupted Brandt from above. [Color=SlateGray]“You are being much to kind, Brandt. They are not an organization like we would think of. They are more like an international Maven’s Guild. They are experts at what they do. Not all of them are evil, but neither are all of them good as well.”[/Color] Rhema spoke up to further her father’s questions. She was largely confused by Ausaphaborishan’s explanation. [Color=PaleGreen]“Experts? I am sure that whoever caused this kind of destruction is indeed at expert at dealing with fiery destruction! But why would bunch of experts do this?”[/Color] Brandt continued the explanation now that Ausaphaborishan had clarified his earlier point. [Color=Lime]“The Ephistaemi pride themselves on being able to get into places where other people intend to keep them out. They delight in accomplishing the once thought impossible. Yet they are not all evil, greedy, self-motivated demolition experts as one might suspect from the example before us. The driving force of the Ephistaemi is the ability to defeat the challenge and thus earn the rewards. Sometimes their skills are hired legitimately to accomplish an honorable task. As we can see before us, there are those among their ranks who take less than upstanding jobs on the side.”[/Color] Rhema’s father’s face turned red with anger. [Color=Lime]“This destruction was done for the sake of the challenge? I have lost everything simply because it was nearly impossible to pull the task off?”[/Color] Brandt rubbed his chin as he thought of the proper words to use in reply. As he did, Rhema reached out and stroked her father’s shoulders to help calm him down. She spoke lightly to him once she felt the tense muscles under his cloak. [Color=PaleGreen]“Father, please. Brandt and Ausaphaborishan are not at fault, here. They know no more about why this happened than we do.”[/Color] Brandt continued once Rhema was done trying to soothe her father’s fury. [Color=Lime]“The Ephistaemi do not have a collective purpose. They are more like a clearinghouse for unique jobs. I have heard of tortured people joining the Ephistaemi to apprentice under a master so that they can become skilled in whatever means they wish to execute their revenge. I’ve heard of thieves joining the Ephistaemi simply because they believe it is honorable to steal from the wealthy in order to demonstrate just how insecure the wealth standing is of the nobility. There are members of the Ephistaemi who join so that they have an avenue to be a private investigator or even a spy. Not all the Ephistaemi are bad or join for the wrong reasons. About the only thing that is true about the whole collective of Ephistaemi is that they join because their talents are often in rare supply and they involve skills that you wouldn’t want to publicly announce. Even good skills, like those of a bounty hunter who is hired to find a kidnapped child, could be found within the ranks of the Ephistaemi. The Ephistaemi are secretive, but not necessarily evil in total.”[/Color] Charis spoke from her position just outside the rest of the party. [Color=Orange]“But what I hear you saying is that although a member of the Ephistaemi may have done this that it wasn’t because the Ephistaemi wanted it done.”[/Color] Ausaphaborishan chuckled and a deep rumble spread across the land covered in ash. [Color=SlateGray]“You would make Llywessiar proud, Charis. That is precisely what Brandt is saying. The Ephistaemi are merely the collectors of talent for hire. If this was indeed an Ephistaemi led job, then there is probably someone more significant who wanted it accomplished. That person would likely not be a member of the Ephistaemi. Furthermore, if this was done by the Ephistaemi you can bet that the person who wanted it done has wealth or power.”[/Color] Brandt smiled and quickly added to the wyrm’s comment. [Color=Lime]“Or, perhaps they have both.”[/Color] Rhema’s father continued to pour through the new information in his mind as it was presented. [Color=Lime]“Be that as it may, but who would benefit from the destruction of this villa? The red wyrm is dead! From an economic perspective, the people of Huetown benefit enormously from the training process that goes on here. Lord Ironblood is paid well for his silence and certainly he doesn’t want to lose out on my patronage. Nobody else besides those who are trained here should even know of what goes on in this place!”[/Color] Brandt scratched his chin. [Color=Lime]“Grick is still serving time in Lord Ironblood’s jail in Fingerdale, correct?”[/Color] Ischarus nodded. [Color=LightBlue]“As far as I could tell, yes. And that’s assuming that you can trust Warden Farette and Captain Jacobseille.”[/Color] The foursome smiled at the instant memory of the past events when Ischarus was thrown in jail. Semeion replied in all sincerity to Ischarus’ assertion as he realized that his feelings had mellowed over time. [Color=Plum]“Yes, and in spite of locking up an innocent man for a short period of time they did get it right in the end. You can’t really fault them for doing their job, that’s for sure.”[/Color] Brandt grinned as if he understood a private inside joke. [Color=Lime]“No, that much is very true. Captain Jacobseille and the warden are quite thorough. That is probably why Lord Ironblood has kept them in service for all this time.”[/Color] Charis also smiled at the memory. [Color=Orange]“And with any luck, they will continue to serve. But either way, as far as we know Grick is still in jail and will remain there for several more years because he attempted to kill more than once.”[/Color] Brandt looked down once more to the dagger. [Color=Lime]“Something doesn’t feel right, then. If we assume for a moment that this was an Ephistaemi attack, then there has to be a grand motivation to bring this about. This destruction would have cost a small fortune or a tremendously large favor in exchange. Something must have brought this about.”[/Color] Every one of the four party members shook their head in disbelief. None of them had any answers. The significant threats had already been removed from the equation. Those threats that remained should not have had enough justification to cause this type of destruction. Rhema turned to her father and looked deep into his eyes. He had gained a remarkable composure since his earlier outbursts. She felt his tension ease as everyone shared in the unbelievable truth that lay at their feet in the form of ash. The more the answers eluded the gathered party the more Rhema’s father could share in the frustration. When Rhema understood that her father was more able to honestly answer questions she decided to speak. [Color=PaleGreen]“Father, there is no figure from your past that might have brought this about is there? We are almost positive that the destruction did not come through the adventures into Quehalost of the four of us. If we can assume that the villa was not burned by someone who stood against just Ischarus and myself, then could it have been from your past?”[/Color] Rhema’s father shook his head slowly. [Color=Lime]“That is unlikely. For the past four years I have been intentionally inactive. For many years before that I was only active in a few minor political circles. I doubt that there are many people in the world who are not on my payroll and who still remember that I exist!”[/Color] Brandt lightly gripped the tip of the blade of the dagger between the ends of his index finger and his thumb. He looked once more at the blade in his hand and then extended the handle to Rhema’s father. [Color=Lime]“I believe this is yours, sir. And I believe that we have a certain mystery on hand.”[/Color] [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Chapter Two: DECEPTION REVEALED Ischarus looked up from the markings along the dagger’s face and handle. “It’s nothing that I have seen before. I mean, it’s a ceremonial dagger, of course. But I’ve never seen these markings.” Slowly Ischarus walked back towards the party. He turned the dagger over several times in his hands in an attempt to look for any other evidence of hidden symbols. He couldn’t find any. Semeion met him half way and extended out his hand to receive the dagger. “Do you mind if I take a look? I have studied arcane symbols to some extent.” Of course, Semeion completely forgot that Brandt and Ausaphaborishan were present and would likely have been able to recognize any symbol that Semeion could identify. He shook his head slowly and handed the blade back to Ischarus. “Nope, I don’t really recognize it either. It’s clearly a hidden message of some kind. The crescent moon is etched in outline only and the engraving of the dagger is no less basic in design.” Brandt’s eyes narrowed as Semeion spoke of the symbol. “I’m sorry, did you say crescent moon and dagger?” His voice betrayed a subtle tone of alarm. Semeion turned his head around sharply at Brandt’s intrusion. “Yeah. It’s a crescent moon with a dagger plunged halfway though it. Does that symbol mean something to you?” Brandt looked up to Ausaphaborishan. He noticed that the dragon appeared as worried as he felt. “If it is what I think it is, then you have found a ceremonial dagger of the Ephistaemi. And, no, that is not a good thing.” Rhema’s father stepped towards Semeion and held out his hand to receive the blade. Rhema was not more than a step behind him when the man spoke to Brandt. “But I have never heard of such a people. Are they a race? And what could they have against me?” Brandt smiled at the simple questions. “No, the Ephistaemi are not a race of people. The best way to describe them is that they are an organization.” Ausaphaborishan’s deep and rumbling voice interrupted Brandt from above. “You are being much to kind, Brandt. They are not an organization like we would think of. They are more like an international Maven’s Guild. They are experts at what they do. Not all of them are evil, but neither are all of them good as well.” Rhema spoke up to further her father’s questions. She was largely confused by Ausaphaborishan’s explanation. “Experts? I am sure that whoever caused this kind of destruction is indeed at expert at dealing with fiery destruction! But why would bunch of experts do this?” Brandt continued the explanation now that Ausaphaborishan had clarified his earlier point. “The Ephistaemi pride themselves on being able to get into places where other people intend to keep them out. They delight in accomplishing the once thought impossible. Yet they are not all evil, greedy, self-motivated demolition experts as one might suspect from the example before us. The driving force of the Ephistaemi is the ability to defeat the challenge and thus earn the rewards. Sometimes their skills are hired legitimately to accomplish an honorable task. As we can see before us, there are those among their ranks who take less than upstanding jobs on the side.” Rhema’s father’s face turned red with anger. “This destruction was done for the sake of the challenge? I have lost everything simply because it was nearly impossible to pull the task off?” Brandt rubbed his chin as he thought of the proper words to use in reply. As he did, Rhema reached out and stroked her father’s shoulders to help calm him down. She spoke lightly to him once she felt the tense muscles under his cloak. “Father, please. Brandt and Ausaphaborishan are not at fault, here. They know no more about why this happened than we do.” Brandt continued once Rhema was done trying to soothe her father’s fury. “The Ephistaemi do not have a collective purpose. They are more like a clearinghouse for unique jobs. I have heard of tortured people joining the Ephistaemi to apprentice under a master so that they can become skilled in whatever means they wish to execute their revenge. I’ve heard of thieves joining the Ephistaemi simply because they believe it is honorable to steal from the wealthy in order to demonstrate just how insecure the wealth standing is of the nobility. There are members of the Ephistaemi who join so that they have an avenue to be a private investigator or even a spy. Not all the Ephistaemi are bad or join for the wrong reasons. About the only thing that is true about the whole collective of Ephistaemi is that they join because their talents are often in rare supply and they involve skills that you wouldn’t want to publicly announce. Even good skills, like those of a bounty hunter who is hired to find a kidnapped child, could be found within the ranks of the Ephistaemi. The Ephistaemi are secretive, but not necessarily evil in total.” Charis spoke from her position just outside the rest of the party. “But what I hear you saying is that although a member of the Ephistaemi may have done this that it wasn’t because the Ephistaemi wanted it done.” Ausaphaborishan chuckled and a deep rumble spread across the land covered in ash. “You would make Llywessiar proud, Charis. That is precisely what Brandt is saying. The Ephistaemi are merely the collectors of talent for hire. If this was indeed an Ephistaemi led job, then there is probably someone more significant who wanted it accomplished. That person would likely not be a member of the Ephistaemi. Furthermore, if this was done by the Ephistaemi you can bet that the person who wanted it done has wealth or power.” Brandt smiled and quickly added to the wyrm’s comment. “Or, perhaps they have both.” Rhema’s father continued to pour through the new information in his mind as it was presented. “Be that as it may, but who would benefit from the destruction of this villa? The red wyrm is dead! From an economic perspective, the people of Huetown benefit enormously from the training process that goes on here. Lord Ironblood is paid well for his silence and certainly he doesn’t want to lose out on my patronage. Nobody else besides those who are trained here should even know of what goes on in this place!” Brandt scratched his chin. “Grick is still serving time in Lord Ironblood’s jail in Fingerdale, correct?” Ischarus nodded. “As far as I could tell, yes. And that’s assuming that you can trust Warden Farette and Captain Jacobseille.” The foursome smiled at the instant memory of the past events when Ischarus was thrown in jail. Semeion replied in all sincerity to Ischarus’ assertion as he realized that his feelings had mellowed over time. “Yes, and in spite of locking up an innocent man for a short period of time they did get it right in the end. You can’t really fault them for doing their job, that’s for sure.” Brandt grinned as if he understood a private inside joke. “No, that much is very true. Captain Jacobseille and the warden are quite thorough. That is probably why Lord Ironblood has kept them in service for all this time.” Charis also smiled at the memory. “And with any luck, they will continue to serve. But either way, as far as we know Grick is still in jail and will remain there for several more years because he attempted to kill more than once.” Brandt looked down once more to the dagger. “Something doesn’t feel right, then. If we assume for a moment that this was an Ephistaemi attack, then there has to be a grand motivation to bring this about. This destruction would have cost a small fortune or a tremendously large favor in exchange. Something must have brought this about.” Every one of the four party members shook their head in disbelief. None of them had any answers. The significant threats had already been removed from the equation. Those threats that remained should not have had enough justification to cause this type of destruction. Rhema turned to her father and looked deep into his eyes. He had gained a remarkable composure since his earlier outbursts. She felt his tension ease as everyone shared in the unbelievable truth that lay at their feet in the form of ash. The more the answers eluded the gathered party the more Rhema’s father could share in the frustration. When Rhema understood that her father was more able to honestly answer questions she decided to speak. “Father, there is no figure from your past that might have brought this about is there? We are almost positive that the destruction did not come through the adventures into Quehalost of the four of us. If we can assume that the villa was not burned by someone who stood against just Ischarus and myself, then could it have been from your past?” Rhema’s father shook his head slowly. “That is unlikely. For the past four years I have been intentionally inactive. For many years before that I was only active in a few minor political circles. I doubt that there are many people in the world who are not on my payroll and who still remember that I exist!” Brandt lightly gripped the tip of the blade of the dagger between the ends of his index finger and his thumb. He looked once more at the blade in his hand and then extended the handle to Rhema’s father. “I believe this is yours, sir. And I believe that we have a certain mystery on hand.” [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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