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<blockquote data-quote="Galfridus" data-source="post: 18490" data-attributes="member: 119"><p><strong>Episode 12: Numerous Discoveries</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Leston, February 15, LE 654</strong></p><p></p><p>Several days pass as the party members pursue their own interests. Ravenfield purchases a set of woodcarver’s tools and begins making small carvings, selling one or two for a minor profit. He also picks up his spiked gauntlets from Big John, and eagerly shows them off to anyone who will listen (or, failing that, anyone nearby). Leilen and Magnimiliar are off on some scheme of their own, although Malagen remains near Mystarion to serve as a messenger. </p><p></p><p>Mystarion spends the days wandering the town, looking for interesting items to buy and listening for rumors of interest. In a bar near the southern wall, he finds a pair of elvish travelers playing chess. They have heard of the death of Pierre de Blaumere, but know none of the details. Mystarion hints at a few details, then asks where one might find interesting wares in the town. The elves seem less than impressed by the town’s offerings, but suggest three locales: the Dwarf Quarter, for gems; Weaver’s Street, for "passable" tapestries; and the Halfling Quarter, for a variety of knick-knacks, "although the selection grows poor this far into winter". </p><p></p><p>Mystarion visits all of these places, eventually making his way to the Halfling’s Quarter. His passage down the narrow streets is noticed by more than one shifty-looking character, and Mystarion’s hand moves quickly to cover the pouch containing all his money. Concerned for his gold, he removes the pouch from his belt and ties it around his neck before entering the nearest shop.</p><p></p><p>"You’ve got your purse around your neck!" cries the halfling proprietor from the back of the store. Mystarion nods. "Well, I’m not selling to the likes of you. You don’t trust us, how can we trust you!" Mystarion protests, but the halfling is persistent. Finally, Mystarion sighs, then reties the pouch at his belt…with a triple knot. He steps into the store to browse, looking down constantly. After several minutes, he notices that while the knots are still in place, the pouch is gone – cut free. </p><p></p><p>Mystarion curses loudly in Elvish. "Did you see anything?" he demands of the shopkeeper.</p><p></p><p>The shopkeeper raises his hands, a paragon of innocence. "Hey, I didn’t see a thing. Those thieves are terrible!" He pauses. "You know, I know a friend who might be able to get your money back." </p><p></p><p>Mystarion, wise in the ways of magic, is far less experienced in this sort of transaction. "Indeed?"</p><p></p><p>"Oh yeah…but it’ll take some money to get hold of him. You know how it is."</p><p></p><p>Mystarion nods doubtfully. "But I have no gold." He thinks. "Perhaps I can get some."</p><p></p><p>"Sure, sure! Tell you what – you tell me where you are staying, I’ll send word when I find my friend."</p><p></p><p>"I’m at the Icicle." </p><p></p><p>The halfling is clearly impressed. "The Icicle, huh? Well, ah, alright, you’ll hear from me." Oddly enough, Mystarion never does.</p><p></p><p>Mystarion departs and returns to the inn to continue his other pasttime: scrying on Rose. Each evening, he watches from his room for Nip to enter the common room, then uses <em>Clairvoyance</em> and <em>Clairaudience</em> to listen in on a bit of his conversation with Rose. The first night, he hears Rose and Nip discussing the vague rumors about the Knight Commander’s death that are beginning to spread through town. Rose suggests that Nip look into the matter further, adding: "And keep an eye on that elf, the one down the hall. I don’t trust elves." The two fall silent as the evening’s performance begins.</p><p></p><p>Over the next few days, Mystarion overhears several interesting items:</p><p></p><p>-- Rose clearly dislikes elves, and orders Nip several times to keep a close watch on "that elf". It becomes clear that Nip, or associates of his, have been following Mystarion through town.</p><p>-- As the fate of the Knight Commander becomes more widely known, Rose ponders aloud what effect this will have on his trade caravans come spring. </p><p>-- Rose is also interested in Magnimiliar’s budding protection racket; while "Darius" seems to be laying low, Rose wants to be ready should Magnimiliar begin to gain power in the town. </p><p></p><p>Jonetello spends his time composing. His <em>Ring of Sustenance</em> gives him plenty of late night hours with little to do, so he begins to compose a simple, mostly instrumental song for his upcoming performance. After a few false starts, he finds the right melody and begins building upon it. </p><p></p><p>Thorald spends several days in the Archbaron’s library, paying a hundred gold each day for the privilege. He first looks for volumes or passages concerning psionics or those with psionic powers: after several hours of fruitless research, he discovers no index or catalog listing them. Rather than peruse each volume, he moves on.</p><p></p><p>Albreth the prophet, he discovers, made numerous prophecies concerning the Tataiafar Empire, starting in the Tallos Era and extending into the middle years of the Twlight Era. Those who believe that he foretold the future place his birth in the latter years of the Senatorial Era, a century or two before the events he foretold began to come to pass. Those who consider him a fraud, or a poet writing after the fact, assume him to be an elf or immortal who began writing several decades into the Tallos area. Thorald finds references to the same passages he has seen quoted before, each offering a tantalizing fragmentary view into the whole of his works. After several days, Thorald finds an account he has not seen before. It tells of a tower in the far western reaches of the Empire that was rumored to be the home and writing place of Albreth. Soon after it was discovered, however, it was destroyed by a grey dragon of unknown origin that vanished over the waves of the Sea of Tallos. No sign of Albreth’s writings could be found in the ruins.</p><p></p><p>Thorald also continues his research into the mysterious Knight Order of Ardinor. He finds several new stories about the Order (clearly the Archbaron has a liking for obscure tales and legends), but few contain any significant information. They follow the two usual patterns: a Knight appears to warn of a threat to the Empire (dragons, evil wizards, demons, etc.), is ignored, then vanquishes the threat himself; or a variation of the Epic of Ardinor, wherein the Knights themselves are assaulted and nearly defeated, achieving victory upon the threshold of the innermost defenses of their fortress. One of the tales does possess a passage of interest: a reference to a "scouting patrol" of Knights seeking candidates for their order in nearby villages. Thorald spends some time looking for further references to this kind of patrol, but finds none.</p><p></p><p>On the evening of the 19th, Mystarion overhears an interesting tidbit from Nip: "The Archbaron’s men are looking for someone – <em>someones</em>, actually. Nobody’s telling, but seems like it’s connected to the Knight Commander guy being offed. Yeah, I’ll keep looking into it."</p><p></p><p>That morning, the party (at their various inns) is awakened by loud pounding at their respective doors. A herald and escort of soldiers awaits outside, with an announcement from the Archbaron. "Jonetello, Ravenfield, Leilen, Magnimiliar Ivellios, Mystarion Thyastacia, Elbryn, and Thorald Stone" are summoned before the Archbaron that evening. After receiving (and scribing) confirmation from each person, the heralds depart. </p><p></p><p>That evening, Mystarion waits for Nip to return to the Icicle so he can scry once more, but Nip doesn’t show. With minutes to spare before the audience with the Archbaron, Mystarion departs for Leston Keep. As he arrives, the rest of the party, slightly behind him, observes a halfling-sized figure melt into the shadows of a nearby alley. Jonetello ventures into the alley, but sees nothing. He rejoins the party at the foot of the Keep, and together they present themselves to the guard. After removing all their weapons, they are escorted into the Keep and then to the Archbaron’s private audience chamber.</p><p></p><p>The audience chamber is small, perhaps thirty feet to a side, with a simple oak chair at the far end. Archbaron Alexander Stonecroft sits in the chair, flanked by several guards and an older man dressed in Blaumere colors who scowls at the party as they approach and give their names.</p><p></p><p>Alexander questions them about their recent activities in northern Wassan. Jonetello, speaking for the group, gives a terse but accurate account of their encounter with Malefice – "that is, someone who we took to be Malefice" – explaining that after the first fight, they suspected mere bandits, and were surprised to find the necromancer the second time around.</p><p></p><p>"So it is them," exclaims the older man. "They caused the death of my cousin, and shall be taken to Reln for punish—" </p><p></p><p>Alexander quiets him with a raised hand. "A moment, Etienne." He turns to the party. "Did you have any reason to believe that your actions would result in the death of our former Knight Commander?" Several heads shake in unison. "And you crossed into northern Wassan via Greenwood Ford, the ford under the control of the late Pierre de Blaumere?" The party nods. "In that case, I see no reason for punishment." Etienne sputters, but falls silent at a glance from Alexander. The look in his eyes suggests that the party avoid Blaumere lands for the foreseeable future.</p><p></p><p>"That brings us to the next matter. As of tomorrow morning, I will be proclaiming that no passage into northern Wassan for the purpose of combating Malefice or his forces will be permitted, without the express permission of myself or of the new Knight Commander – whoever he may turn out to be. I do not wish to hear of further such incidents, and I’m sure that the Knight Commander’s successor feels the same way. Am I clear? Then you are dismissed." The party departs, retrieves their weapons, and returns to their inns.</p><p></p><p>When Mystarion enters the Icicle, he notices that Rose is present but that Nip is not. He ascends to his room and waits until the evening’s entertainment is over. As usual, he hears Rose’s footsteps on the stairs, and waits until the merchant has entered his room – then casts <em>Clairaudience</em> inside. He hears several sentences spoken in a strange language, something he is certain he has never heard before. It seems to have elements of Common and Elvish, but is at best a distant relative of those tongues. Lacking the proper spells to decipher the language, Mystarion cancels the spell. Again, Rose is reminding him of someone, but does not know what.</p><p></p><p>The next evening, Jonetello performs at the Icicle once more, and the entire party attends. Sara Heatherly is there as well, seated next to the stage. Rose and Nip are at their usual table. His performance is truly legendary, evoking respectful silence, then tremendous applause from the audience throughout the first few songs. Once again, Jonetello decides to play something new. The innkeeper shakes his head as the first few chords echo across the room. Sure enough, Jonetello performs adequately, but completely lacking the enthusiasm or empathy of his previous songs. The crowd applauds politely, but their disappointment is apparent. As the applause dies, Jonetello announces he is going to play a new song, something he has just finished writing. The innkeeper hides his face in his hands and heads toward the kitchen. "I call it ‘Sara’s Song’", Jonetello declares, then begins. </p><p></p><p>Few in the audience will ever recall a prettier song, or a more masterful performance, than the premiere of what thereafter becomes one of the best known songs of Rellenor. Even Nip seems transported by the music – and Sara, needless to say, is ecstatic. The song ends, and there is a period of respectful silence before the audience rises as one and files out of the tavern. "Applause or an encore would be disrespectful," whispers Sara, awe in her eyes. The usual group of bards departs as well, leaving only one well-wisher: Rose.</p><p></p><p>"A masterful performance, sir," Rose says. "If you don’t mind, I would like to discuss it, and perhaps other matters, in private." Sara looks outraged – how dare someone, after a performance like that! – but Jonetello agrees. Rose, Nip, and the party gather in a small private dining room at the rear of the inn. </p><p></p><p>"I’m afraid your secret is out," Rose begins. "It is clear to me, through various methods of my own, that you are the companion of the man known as Darius." He gives Mystarion a dirty look. "I should have known that an elf would be involved in such a venture." He expresses an interest in the party’s plans and strategies for gaining power in Leston, but the party isn’t interested in talking. "It would be a little premature," ventures Jonetello.</p><p></p><p>"To act would be, but to plan? Certainly we could talk of what might come to pass when the snow melts and the caravans begin to roll. I intend to get an early start, running a caravan south into the gnome kingdoms. I would like to be the first – but to ensure that, I suspect I will need assistance from the likes of you. I would be very curious to hear what kind of assistance you might be able to offer." The party declines again. "Very well, but be aware that I can likely be of assistance to you as well. I have traveled to many places, and know many things. Is there anything you might wish to know from me: stories, old tales, legends?"</p><p></p><p>Thorald thinks a moment, then speaks up. "Do you know anything of the Knight Order of Ardinor?"</p><p></p><p>Rose’s reaction is startling. He stares at Thorald for a moment, then falls into a paroxysm of coughing, clearly disturbed. Even Nip stares at him in obvious confusion. </p><p></p><p>"The Knight Order of—" Rose composes himself. "No, I have never heard of that name, I’m sorry to say." He looks about nervously. "I’m afraid I must call this meeting to an end. Good night." He and Nip rise and depart. Mystarion sees a look of anger on Rose’s face as he heads directly to his room.</p><p></p><p><strong>Leston, February 22 LE 654</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>The party spends the morning discussing the strange meeting with Rose, the meeting with the Archbaron, and their future. After an hour or so, Mystarion suddenly makes the connection he has been seeking for days: Rose and White. The necromancy spell on each had a similar aura, and their accents bear a definite resemblance. No one can see any reason behind this, and the party decides to do nothing for the time being.</p><p></p><p>Mystarion, however, disagrees. He returns to the Icicle and seeks out Rose. "Would you mind having a talk – in private?" Rose nods, a look of distaste on his face, and suggests his quarters. "No," says Mystarion, "<em>really</em> private." He casts <em>Rope Trick</em>. Rose studies him intently for several moments, then climbs into the extradimensional space.</p><p></p><p>Mystarion tells Rose about White: the circumstances under which the party met him, the conversation they had, and the similiarities between the necromantic spells. Rose remains silent through this exposition, until Mystarion is done.</p><p></p><p>"I thank you for this information," he says, an unreadable expression on his face. "I—well, I don’t know what to say. Please be assured that I will be looking into this matter further, although I am not sure that the talent exists in this town to explore it fully. Perhaps in Merelin there are those who could be of help." Mystarion shrugs. "Well, then, I think I should start right away. Again, thank you, and good day." He climbs from the <em>Rope Trick</em> and returns to his room. Mystarion does likewise.</p><p></p><p>That evening, Jonetello is spending time with Sara in a nearby tavern. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the door open of its own accord, then close. A cold breeze blows over and around him, ruffling Sara’s hair. "What was that?" she mutters. Jonetello stands and attempts to follow the breeze, but then the door opens and closes again, and the air seems to return to normal – although the smoke from pipe and lantern eddies, as if disturbed by something passing by.</p><p></p><p>Across town, Ravenfield is in different tavern, drinking and playing the flute as best he can. He, too, sees the door blow open and then closed, and feels a cold wind blow across him. In the smoke from a nearby lantern, he sees a ghostly arm outlined for a moment – and then the door opens and closes once more, and the wind passes.</p><p></p><p>Thorald is awake in his room, meditating, when he hears a banging at the shutters. He rises to investigate, just as the shutters blow open and a cold wind fills the room. He feels, rather than sees, a presence joining him. "Tiesa?" he calls quietly, looking about him.</p><p></p><p>The only response is a sound of ragged breathing, followed by a blast of cold air which nearly knocks him off his feet. Thorald looks around, desperately seeking his attacker, but another blast comes before he can react. The strength of the air brings bruises to his skin; he will be dead if this continues much longer. Jumping to the open window, he runs down the side of the tavern and toward Leston Keep, looking for safety. Behind him, a cold wind follows...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Galfridus, post: 18490, member: 119"] [b]Episode 12: Numerous Discoveries[/b] [B]Leston, February 15, LE 654[/b] Several days pass as the party members pursue their own interests. Ravenfield purchases a set of woodcarver’s tools and begins making small carvings, selling one or two for a minor profit. He also picks up his spiked gauntlets from Big John, and eagerly shows them off to anyone who will listen (or, failing that, anyone nearby). Leilen and Magnimiliar are off on some scheme of their own, although Malagen remains near Mystarion to serve as a messenger. Mystarion spends the days wandering the town, looking for interesting items to buy and listening for rumors of interest. In a bar near the southern wall, he finds a pair of elvish travelers playing chess. They have heard of the death of Pierre de Blaumere, but know none of the details. Mystarion hints at a few details, then asks where one might find interesting wares in the town. The elves seem less than impressed by the town’s offerings, but suggest three locales: the Dwarf Quarter, for gems; Weaver’s Street, for "passable" tapestries; and the Halfling Quarter, for a variety of knick-knacks, "although the selection grows poor this far into winter". Mystarion visits all of these places, eventually making his way to the Halfling’s Quarter. His passage down the narrow streets is noticed by more than one shifty-looking character, and Mystarion’s hand moves quickly to cover the pouch containing all his money. Concerned for his gold, he removes the pouch from his belt and ties it around his neck before entering the nearest shop. "You’ve got your purse around your neck!" cries the halfling proprietor from the back of the store. Mystarion nods. "Well, I’m not selling to the likes of you. You don’t trust us, how can we trust you!" Mystarion protests, but the halfling is persistent. Finally, Mystarion sighs, then reties the pouch at his belt…with a triple knot. He steps into the store to browse, looking down constantly. After several minutes, he notices that while the knots are still in place, the pouch is gone – cut free. Mystarion curses loudly in Elvish. "Did you see anything?" he demands of the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper raises his hands, a paragon of innocence. "Hey, I didn’t see a thing. Those thieves are terrible!" He pauses. "You know, I know a friend who might be able to get your money back." Mystarion, wise in the ways of magic, is far less experienced in this sort of transaction. "Indeed?" "Oh yeah…but it’ll take some money to get hold of him. You know how it is." Mystarion nods doubtfully. "But I have no gold." He thinks. "Perhaps I can get some." "Sure, sure! Tell you what – you tell me where you are staying, I’ll send word when I find my friend." "I’m at the Icicle." The halfling is clearly impressed. "The Icicle, huh? Well, ah, alright, you’ll hear from me." Oddly enough, Mystarion never does. Mystarion departs and returns to the inn to continue his other pasttime: scrying on Rose. Each evening, he watches from his room for Nip to enter the common room, then uses [i]Clairvoyance[/i] and [i]Clairaudience[/i] to listen in on a bit of his conversation with Rose. The first night, he hears Rose and Nip discussing the vague rumors about the Knight Commander’s death that are beginning to spread through town. Rose suggests that Nip look into the matter further, adding: "And keep an eye on that elf, the one down the hall. I don’t trust elves." The two fall silent as the evening’s performance begins. Over the next few days, Mystarion overhears several interesting items: -- Rose clearly dislikes elves, and orders Nip several times to keep a close watch on "that elf". It becomes clear that Nip, or associates of his, have been following Mystarion through town. -- As the fate of the Knight Commander becomes more widely known, Rose ponders aloud what effect this will have on his trade caravans come spring. -- Rose is also interested in Magnimiliar’s budding protection racket; while "Darius" seems to be laying low, Rose wants to be ready should Magnimiliar begin to gain power in the town. Jonetello spends his time composing. His [i]Ring of Sustenance[/i] gives him plenty of late night hours with little to do, so he begins to compose a simple, mostly instrumental song for his upcoming performance. After a few false starts, he finds the right melody and begins building upon it. Thorald spends several days in the Archbaron’s library, paying a hundred gold each day for the privilege. He first looks for volumes or passages concerning psionics or those with psionic powers: after several hours of fruitless research, he discovers no index or catalog listing them. Rather than peruse each volume, he moves on. Albreth the prophet, he discovers, made numerous prophecies concerning the Tataiafar Empire, starting in the Tallos Era and extending into the middle years of the Twlight Era. Those who believe that he foretold the future place his birth in the latter years of the Senatorial Era, a century or two before the events he foretold began to come to pass. Those who consider him a fraud, or a poet writing after the fact, assume him to be an elf or immortal who began writing several decades into the Tallos area. Thorald finds references to the same passages he has seen quoted before, each offering a tantalizing fragmentary view into the whole of his works. After several days, Thorald finds an account he has not seen before. It tells of a tower in the far western reaches of the Empire that was rumored to be the home and writing place of Albreth. Soon after it was discovered, however, it was destroyed by a grey dragon of unknown origin that vanished over the waves of the Sea of Tallos. No sign of Albreth’s writings could be found in the ruins. Thorald also continues his research into the mysterious Knight Order of Ardinor. He finds several new stories about the Order (clearly the Archbaron has a liking for obscure tales and legends), but few contain any significant information. They follow the two usual patterns: a Knight appears to warn of a threat to the Empire (dragons, evil wizards, demons, etc.), is ignored, then vanquishes the threat himself; or a variation of the Epic of Ardinor, wherein the Knights themselves are assaulted and nearly defeated, achieving victory upon the threshold of the innermost defenses of their fortress. One of the tales does possess a passage of interest: a reference to a "scouting patrol" of Knights seeking candidates for their order in nearby villages. Thorald spends some time looking for further references to this kind of patrol, but finds none. On the evening of the 19th, Mystarion overhears an interesting tidbit from Nip: "The Archbaron’s men are looking for someone – [i]someones[/i], actually. Nobody’s telling, but seems like it’s connected to the Knight Commander guy being offed. Yeah, I’ll keep looking into it." That morning, the party (at their various inns) is awakened by loud pounding at their respective doors. A herald and escort of soldiers awaits outside, with an announcement from the Archbaron. "Jonetello, Ravenfield, Leilen, Magnimiliar Ivellios, Mystarion Thyastacia, Elbryn, and Thorald Stone" are summoned before the Archbaron that evening. After receiving (and scribing) confirmation from each person, the heralds depart. That evening, Mystarion waits for Nip to return to the Icicle so he can scry once more, but Nip doesn’t show. With minutes to spare before the audience with the Archbaron, Mystarion departs for Leston Keep. As he arrives, the rest of the party, slightly behind him, observes a halfling-sized figure melt into the shadows of a nearby alley. Jonetello ventures into the alley, but sees nothing. He rejoins the party at the foot of the Keep, and together they present themselves to the guard. After removing all their weapons, they are escorted into the Keep and then to the Archbaron’s private audience chamber. The audience chamber is small, perhaps thirty feet to a side, with a simple oak chair at the far end. Archbaron Alexander Stonecroft sits in the chair, flanked by several guards and an older man dressed in Blaumere colors who scowls at the party as they approach and give their names. Alexander questions them about their recent activities in northern Wassan. Jonetello, speaking for the group, gives a terse but accurate account of their encounter with Malefice – "that is, someone who we took to be Malefice" – explaining that after the first fight, they suspected mere bandits, and were surprised to find the necromancer the second time around. "So it is them," exclaims the older man. "They caused the death of my cousin, and shall be taken to Reln for punish—" Alexander quiets him with a raised hand. "A moment, Etienne." He turns to the party. "Did you have any reason to believe that your actions would result in the death of our former Knight Commander?" Several heads shake in unison. "And you crossed into northern Wassan via Greenwood Ford, the ford under the control of the late Pierre de Blaumere?" The party nods. "In that case, I see no reason for punishment." Etienne sputters, but falls silent at a glance from Alexander. The look in his eyes suggests that the party avoid Blaumere lands for the foreseeable future. "That brings us to the next matter. As of tomorrow morning, I will be proclaiming that no passage into northern Wassan for the purpose of combating Malefice or his forces will be permitted, without the express permission of myself or of the new Knight Commander – whoever he may turn out to be. I do not wish to hear of further such incidents, and I’m sure that the Knight Commander’s successor feels the same way. Am I clear? Then you are dismissed." The party departs, retrieves their weapons, and returns to their inns. When Mystarion enters the Icicle, he notices that Rose is present but that Nip is not. He ascends to his room and waits until the evening’s entertainment is over. As usual, he hears Rose’s footsteps on the stairs, and waits until the merchant has entered his room – then casts [i]Clairaudience[/i] inside. He hears several sentences spoken in a strange language, something he is certain he has never heard before. It seems to have elements of Common and Elvish, but is at best a distant relative of those tongues. Lacking the proper spells to decipher the language, Mystarion cancels the spell. Again, Rose is reminding him of someone, but does not know what. The next evening, Jonetello performs at the Icicle once more, and the entire party attends. Sara Heatherly is there as well, seated next to the stage. Rose and Nip are at their usual table. His performance is truly legendary, evoking respectful silence, then tremendous applause from the audience throughout the first few songs. Once again, Jonetello decides to play something new. The innkeeper shakes his head as the first few chords echo across the room. Sure enough, Jonetello performs adequately, but completely lacking the enthusiasm or empathy of his previous songs. The crowd applauds politely, but their disappointment is apparent. As the applause dies, Jonetello announces he is going to play a new song, something he has just finished writing. The innkeeper hides his face in his hands and heads toward the kitchen. "I call it ‘Sara’s Song’", Jonetello declares, then begins. Few in the audience will ever recall a prettier song, or a more masterful performance, than the premiere of what thereafter becomes one of the best known songs of Rellenor. Even Nip seems transported by the music – and Sara, needless to say, is ecstatic. The song ends, and there is a period of respectful silence before the audience rises as one and files out of the tavern. "Applause or an encore would be disrespectful," whispers Sara, awe in her eyes. The usual group of bards departs as well, leaving only one well-wisher: Rose. "A masterful performance, sir," Rose says. "If you don’t mind, I would like to discuss it, and perhaps other matters, in private." Sara looks outraged – how dare someone, after a performance like that! – but Jonetello agrees. Rose, Nip, and the party gather in a small private dining room at the rear of the inn. "I’m afraid your secret is out," Rose begins. "It is clear to me, through various methods of my own, that you are the companion of the man known as Darius." He gives Mystarion a dirty look. "I should have known that an elf would be involved in such a venture." He expresses an interest in the party’s plans and strategies for gaining power in Leston, but the party isn’t interested in talking. "It would be a little premature," ventures Jonetello. "To act would be, but to plan? Certainly we could talk of what might come to pass when the snow melts and the caravans begin to roll. I intend to get an early start, running a caravan south into the gnome kingdoms. I would like to be the first – but to ensure that, I suspect I will need assistance from the likes of you. I would be very curious to hear what kind of assistance you might be able to offer." The party declines again. "Very well, but be aware that I can likely be of assistance to you as well. I have traveled to many places, and know many things. Is there anything you might wish to know from me: stories, old tales, legends?" Thorald thinks a moment, then speaks up. "Do you know anything of the Knight Order of Ardinor?" Rose’s reaction is startling. He stares at Thorald for a moment, then falls into a paroxysm of coughing, clearly disturbed. Even Nip stares at him in obvious confusion. "The Knight Order of—" Rose composes himself. "No, I have never heard of that name, I’m sorry to say." He looks about nervously. "I’m afraid I must call this meeting to an end. Good night." He and Nip rise and depart. Mystarion sees a look of anger on Rose’s face as he heads directly to his room. [b]Leston, February 22 LE 654 [/b] The party spends the morning discussing the strange meeting with Rose, the meeting with the Archbaron, and their future. After an hour or so, Mystarion suddenly makes the connection he has been seeking for days: Rose and White. The necromancy spell on each had a similar aura, and their accents bear a definite resemblance. No one can see any reason behind this, and the party decides to do nothing for the time being. Mystarion, however, disagrees. He returns to the Icicle and seeks out Rose. "Would you mind having a talk – in private?" Rose nods, a look of distaste on his face, and suggests his quarters. "No," says Mystarion, "[i]really[/i] private." He casts [i]Rope Trick[/i]. Rose studies him intently for several moments, then climbs into the extradimensional space. Mystarion tells Rose about White: the circumstances under which the party met him, the conversation they had, and the similiarities between the necromantic spells. Rose remains silent through this exposition, until Mystarion is done. "I thank you for this information," he says, an unreadable expression on his face. "I—well, I don’t know what to say. Please be assured that I will be looking into this matter further, although I am not sure that the talent exists in this town to explore it fully. Perhaps in Merelin there are those who could be of help." Mystarion shrugs. "Well, then, I think I should start right away. Again, thank you, and good day." He climbs from the [i]Rope Trick[/i] and returns to his room. Mystarion does likewise. That evening, Jonetello is spending time with Sara in a nearby tavern. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the door open of its own accord, then close. A cold breeze blows over and around him, ruffling Sara’s hair. "What was that?" she mutters. Jonetello stands and attempts to follow the breeze, but then the door opens and closes again, and the air seems to return to normal – although the smoke from pipe and lantern eddies, as if disturbed by something passing by. Across town, Ravenfield is in different tavern, drinking and playing the flute as best he can. He, too, sees the door blow open and then closed, and feels a cold wind blow across him. In the smoke from a nearby lantern, he sees a ghostly arm outlined for a moment – and then the door opens and closes once more, and the wind passes. Thorald is awake in his room, meditating, when he hears a banging at the shutters. He rises to investigate, just as the shutters blow open and a cold wind fills the room. He feels, rather than sees, a presence joining him. "Tiesa?" he calls quietly, looking about him. The only response is a sound of ragged breathing, followed by a blast of cold air which nearly knocks him off his feet. Thorald looks around, desperately seeking his attacker, but another blast comes before he can react. The strength of the air brings bruises to his skin; he will be dead if this continues much longer. Jumping to the open window, he runs down the side of the tavern and toward Leston Keep, looking for safety. Behind him, a cold wind follows... [/QUOTE]
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