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Ptolus: Midwood - "The Dark Waters of Moss Pond"
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<blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3319813" data-attributes="member: 11760"><p>The group follows Katadid outside, confused as to what the apothecary's boy is doing. Emmerson bounds off with long-legged strides to the Stone House to borrow a shovel.</p><p></p><p>"Wait, is that related to this scroll, or has he just gone all elfshot again?" Tucker asks, glad the constable doesn't have time to dwell on all the things his deputy had forgotten to mention in his report the night before. "You know, I'll never forget the night he was standing out in the center of town, trying to count raindrops as they fell. Took four of us just to drag the boy inside."</p><p></p><p>"Damn your eyes, Kat, don't go digging up the town! We don't even know what inn they're talking about!" Tock says, chasing after his cousin.</p><p></p><p>The constable races after the group, making surprisingly good time with a missing foot, although the effort is visibly straining.</p><p></p><p>"What did that note say, Leach?" he calls after the boy.</p><p></p><p>Hazel lags behind, holding one arm close to her body and places a hand on Bufer's shoulder.</p><p></p><p>"Say, Bufer, if you get a chance, I'd appreciate if you'd check the bandages again when all this 'excitement' is over. No sense getting an infection, eh?" She leans in closer, speaking more quietly in Gnomish. "<em>Don't see the fuss over mirrors, myself, but you've been a friend to me. I'll follow your lead on this one, so long as it doesn't get me in trouble with my folks.</em>"</p><p></p><p>Bufer nods and the pair hustle after Tock, who spots them and slows just enough to be able to listen.</p><p></p><p>"<em>We arranged for a cart from Wit's End to meet us at the barrow</em>," Bufer says hurriedly. "<em>We were going to tell y'all about it at the Cat, but with the Constable pokin' his nose in, I didn't get the chance. Rubik's a collector, always has been -- you should see the room he's filled with trophies from his own adventuring days -- and he's offered to pay handsomely for them. I doubt he even cares if they're magical or not. It might not be as much as we'd get on the open market, but it's a damn sight more than we'll see from Bridger and his sheriff, that's for sure.</em>"</p><p></p><p>Katadid stalks on at a feverish pace, eyes flickering between the parchment and the road. Emmerson rejoins the group, shovel over his shoulder. Katadid stops suddenly, having counted out the number of paces apparently described in the note.</p><p></p><p>"Here," he says quickly. His eyes manically dart across the page as the paladin begins to dig. "Constable, have there been any artifacts or relics missing from holy temples as of late? I realize it may be hard to notice a missing piece but apparently one has been stolen and buried two hundred strides away from an inn where the thieves met someone by the name of Tiberius. Any help or information as to who that name belongs to would be useful, of course."</p><p></p><p>Katadid's lips stop moving long enough to bring the parchment to his nose and inhale deeply.</p><p></p><p>"Less than a year old. Ink hasn't begun to flake yet. There may be some time. Where did you find this? We apparently have 11 days until someone comes to collect the hidden cache. The next step would be to find these 'Owlish Caverns,' of course, which sounds positively EXCITING!"</p><p></p><p>He looks up to find everyone but Emmerson staring at him.</p><p></p><p>"What?"</p><p></p><p>"You guys are all assuming that these thieving delvers met Tiberius or whoever at our inn," Tock says, getting increasingly agitated. "Constable, care to strain that mighty head of yours and try and remember someone named Tiberius?"</p><p></p><p>"No. And it's wonderfully convenient such an issue has arisen, instead of you all telling me of the mirrors you found in Fibber's cairn. But if you want to do it in the snow instead of a warm tavern, that's fine with me," the constable says. "Tell me, bard, since you can't seem to keep from talking, about the mirrors in the sarcophagus."</p><p></p><p>"Well, sir, since you put it so delicately, I can indeed tell you some things about those mirrors. They are reflective surfaces, which is to say that they give off such a sheen as to reflect the image of that which is placed afore it, producing an optical effect that would seem to be a duplicate of everything in front of the mirror. Now, scholars have debated for ages about the possibility of 'mirror dimensions' wherein these images we see are just as real as ourselves, but I frankly think that's poppycock, like Ella's so called 'fairies' -- when you and I both know the only fey folk in Maidensbridge reside under the Bailey roof, if you catch my meaning." Seeing the constable's temper about to boil over, Tock gets back on topic. "But we are not here in the snow to speak of buggery, we are here to speak of mirrors. Yes, there were some old mirrors hidden away in the caverns. They looked rather valuable so we intended to sell them for more transportable measures of wealth. Transportable being the very nature and crux of the problem here, as in, transporting heavy mirrors and transporting myself out of this gods-forsaken town. The mirrors, you see, are large and heavy. They also have some sort of carvings on them, avian-themed, owls to be specific.</p><p></p><p>"Now, before you ask why I didn't mention this before, the answer is really rather simple. First of all, you didn't ask me about any mirrors. Second, after your two bumbling lackeys Grant and Gallaway went and gave you their report, I stupidly assumed they would inform you of the sort of details that we are discussing right now. Surely, were I under your employ and guidance, and if I were the type to run and tell the constable every damn detail of everyone else's life, that's something I would have included in my report. Alas, for whatever reason, your boys didn't tell you. I assumed they did, and that I therefore had nothing of import to add. My mistake. We all make them, from time to time. Just some less often than others."</p><p></p><p>Katadid pauses and looks up.</p><p></p><p>"Mirrors?"</p><p></p><p>"Yes, Kat," Tock sighs, "Mirrors. Cousin Tock and some other folk found some big mirrors in a place not too far from here. We were going to bring them back and sell them, but Ward here seems dead-set on being scared of a bunch of inanimate objects with owls on them."</p><p></p><p>"Ah. Well, we'll have to have a look at them of course," Kat says sagely, now exhausted after his earlier mania. He walks over to the cemetery gate and taps it three times before walking back to watch if the dig reveals anything. The ground is frozen, as it's been a long winter, and the digging is slow and difficult.</p><p></p><p>"Can the rest of us please go do something else while you fools dig up the whole town on a hunch?" Tock asks.</p><p></p><p>"We should check with Ella," Hazel says. "No doubt she'd remember strangers in the tavern. At least that way we'd know if we're digging in the wrong place."</p><p></p><p>"Right, I'm going back to the pub," Tock says. "If anyone else needs me, that's where I'll be."</p><p></p><p>Emus ambles after the bard.</p><p></p><p>"Seems to me the main concern is why Bridger and his bosses are so concerned 'bout some mirrors that don't belong to none of us. We didn't take 'em from the barrow. They're still there if they want to go haul 'em outta there themselves."</p><p></p><p>"It's enough to make a fellow think about the virtues of a criminal career," Tosh says, walking along in the dwarf's shadow.</p><p></p><p>Hazel stands watching the digging a moment. Emmerson, to everyone's dismay, has begun to sing. She turns to the apothecary's son.</p><p></p><p>"Hey, Kat? What was it the parchment said about 'Owlish Caverns'?"</p><p></p><p>"What? Oh, right. Simply that there was to be a meeting there on the 15th of Birth to exchange the artifact. I would be rather interested to see that. Perhaps if we can procure an invisibility spell. Then, again..."</p><p></p><p>He trails off again.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Whizbang Dustyboots, post: 3319813, member: 11760"] The group follows Katadid outside, confused as to what the apothecary's boy is doing. Emmerson bounds off with long-legged strides to the Stone House to borrow a shovel. "Wait, is that related to this scroll, or has he just gone all elfshot again?" Tucker asks, glad the constable doesn't have time to dwell on all the things his deputy had forgotten to mention in his report the night before. "You know, I'll never forget the night he was standing out in the center of town, trying to count raindrops as they fell. Took four of us just to drag the boy inside." "Damn your eyes, Kat, don't go digging up the town! We don't even know what inn they're talking about!" Tock says, chasing after his cousin. The constable races after the group, making surprisingly good time with a missing foot, although the effort is visibly straining. "What did that note say, Leach?" he calls after the boy. Hazel lags behind, holding one arm close to her body and places a hand on Bufer's shoulder. "Say, Bufer, if you get a chance, I'd appreciate if you'd check the bandages again when all this 'excitement' is over. No sense getting an infection, eh?" She leans in closer, speaking more quietly in Gnomish. "[i]Don't see the fuss over mirrors, myself, but you've been a friend to me. I'll follow your lead on this one, so long as it doesn't get me in trouble with my folks.[/i]" Bufer nods and the pair hustle after Tock, who spots them and slows just enough to be able to listen. "[i]We arranged for a cart from Wit's End to meet us at the barrow[/i]," Bufer says hurriedly. "[i]We were going to tell y'all about it at the Cat, but with the Constable pokin' his nose in, I didn't get the chance. Rubik's a collector, always has been -- you should see the room he's filled with trophies from his own adventuring days -- and he's offered to pay handsomely for them. I doubt he even cares if they're magical or not. It might not be as much as we'd get on the open market, but it's a damn sight more than we'll see from Bridger and his sheriff, that's for sure.[/i]" Katadid stalks on at a feverish pace, eyes flickering between the parchment and the road. Emmerson rejoins the group, shovel over his shoulder. Katadid stops suddenly, having counted out the number of paces apparently described in the note. "Here," he says quickly. His eyes manically dart across the page as the paladin begins to dig. "Constable, have there been any artifacts or relics missing from holy temples as of late? I realize it may be hard to notice a missing piece but apparently one has been stolen and buried two hundred strides away from an inn where the thieves met someone by the name of Tiberius. Any help or information as to who that name belongs to would be useful, of course." Katadid's lips stop moving long enough to bring the parchment to his nose and inhale deeply. "Less than a year old. Ink hasn't begun to flake yet. There may be some time. Where did you find this? We apparently have 11 days until someone comes to collect the hidden cache. The next step would be to find these 'Owlish Caverns,' of course, which sounds positively EXCITING!" He looks up to find everyone but Emmerson staring at him. "What?" "You guys are all assuming that these thieving delvers met Tiberius or whoever at our inn," Tock says, getting increasingly agitated. "Constable, care to strain that mighty head of yours and try and remember someone named Tiberius?" "No. And it's wonderfully convenient such an issue has arisen, instead of you all telling me of the mirrors you found in Fibber's cairn. But if you want to do it in the snow instead of a warm tavern, that's fine with me," the constable says. "Tell me, bard, since you can't seem to keep from talking, about the mirrors in the sarcophagus." "Well, sir, since you put it so delicately, I can indeed tell you some things about those mirrors. They are reflective surfaces, which is to say that they give off such a sheen as to reflect the image of that which is placed afore it, producing an optical effect that would seem to be a duplicate of everything in front of the mirror. Now, scholars have debated for ages about the possibility of 'mirror dimensions' wherein these images we see are just as real as ourselves, but I frankly think that's poppycock, like Ella's so called 'fairies' -- when you and I both know the only fey folk in Maidensbridge reside under the Bailey roof, if you catch my meaning." Seeing the constable's temper about to boil over, Tock gets back on topic. "But we are not here in the snow to speak of buggery, we are here to speak of mirrors. Yes, there were some old mirrors hidden away in the caverns. They looked rather valuable so we intended to sell them for more transportable measures of wealth. Transportable being the very nature and crux of the problem here, as in, transporting heavy mirrors and transporting myself out of this gods-forsaken town. The mirrors, you see, are large and heavy. They also have some sort of carvings on them, avian-themed, owls to be specific. "Now, before you ask why I didn't mention this before, the answer is really rather simple. First of all, you didn't ask me about any mirrors. Second, after your two bumbling lackeys Grant and Gallaway went and gave you their report, I stupidly assumed they would inform you of the sort of details that we are discussing right now. Surely, were I under your employ and guidance, and if I were the type to run and tell the constable every damn detail of everyone else's life, that's something I would have included in my report. Alas, for whatever reason, your boys didn't tell you. I assumed they did, and that I therefore had nothing of import to add. My mistake. We all make them, from time to time. Just some less often than others." Katadid pauses and looks up. "Mirrors?" "Yes, Kat," Tock sighs, "Mirrors. Cousin Tock and some other folk found some big mirrors in a place not too far from here. We were going to bring them back and sell them, but Ward here seems dead-set on being scared of a bunch of inanimate objects with owls on them." "Ah. Well, we'll have to have a look at them of course," Kat says sagely, now exhausted after his earlier mania. He walks over to the cemetery gate and taps it three times before walking back to watch if the dig reveals anything. The ground is frozen, as it's been a long winter, and the digging is slow and difficult. "Can the rest of us please go do something else while you fools dig up the whole town on a hunch?" Tock asks. "We should check with Ella," Hazel says. "No doubt she'd remember strangers in the tavern. At least that way we'd know if we're digging in the wrong place." "Right, I'm going back to the pub," Tock says. "If anyone else needs me, that's where I'll be." Emus ambles after the bard. "Seems to me the main concern is why Bridger and his bosses are so concerned 'bout some mirrors that don't belong to none of us. We didn't take 'em from the barrow. They're still there if they want to go haul 'em outta there themselves." "It's enough to make a fellow think about the virtues of a criminal career," Tosh says, walking along in the dwarf's shadow. Hazel stands watching the digging a moment. Emmerson, to everyone's dismay, has begun to sing. She turns to the apothecary's son. "Hey, Kat? What was it the parchment said about 'Owlish Caverns'?" "What? Oh, right. Simply that there was to be a meeting there on the 15th of Birth to exchange the artifact. I would be rather interested to see that. Perhaps if we can procure an invisibility spell. Then, again..." He trails off again. [/QUOTE]
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