Lazybones
Adventurer
Chapter 149
Loremaster Caslek’s office was itself a small library, with bookshelves lining every wall and various loose volumes arranged on reading stands in the corners. A large desk covered with neatly-organized piles of paperwork stood under a large window framed with decorative scrollwork showing intricate flowing designs. The Loremaster himself was a thin man in his sixties who looked tiny in contrast to Quellan. He rose as they were escorted in and gestured for them to be seated on the comfortable padded chairs arranged in front of the desk.
“Brother Emberlane,” Caslek said. “I read your report on the events in the north. Quite impressive, I must say. The god has favored you in your quest for knowledge.”
“Thank you for making the time to meet with us, Loremaster,” Quellan said as they sat down. He barely fit in the chair, which creaked slightly as he settled into it.
“Past due,” Caslek said. “It should not be that the church dedicated to the accumulation of knowledge is the last to know of recent events. No, I’m not blaming you,” he quickly added with a wave of his hand. “The mechanism of your arrival here put you into the direct custody of the wizards, and your written report was quite timely.”
“We might have been here sooner, if we’d been able to get an appointment,” Xeeta said.
Quellan coughed a warning, but Caslek did not look offended as he shifted his attention to the sorceress. “Fascinating,” he said. He reached into one of the drawers of his desk and drew out a large handheld lens, nearly a hand’s span across. He held it up to his left eye and regarded her through it. “Really quite remarkable how there is no predictable pattern to how the dominant genetic influence expresses itself physically.” He put the lens down quickly. “Apologies, I did some work on the tiefling phenomenon in my youth, and it’s a field that remains of interest to me. There is no need to mask your true form here, my dear. The philosophy of our order is one of tolerance, and the wards would have reacted if you had come here with ill intent.”
“I’m fine,” Xeeta said stonily.
“Loremaster,” Quellan said. “I included my recommendations in the report, but I wanted to stress the importance of what we found in the Silverpeak Valley. I brought Xeeta because of her own potential connections to the threat posed by Murgoth’s minions, these ‘Blooded.’”
“Yes, it’s quite troubling,” Caslek said.
“That’s all?” Xeeta said. “That hobgoblin warlock got away. From what I’ve heard, he wasn’t the only one who escaped into the mountains. If anything, Murgoth might have been their tool, rather than the other way around.”
“If nothing else, the King should be made aware of the danger,” Quellan said. “We’ve told the wizards, but I do not know what they plan on doing with the information.”
“They will do what they feel best advances their own interests, of course,” Caslek said. “But the King already knows about the Blooded, and we’ve been following the activities of groups like the cult in Li Syval for some time.”
“What?” Xeeta said.
“The accumulation of knowledge is one of the core precepts of our faith, my dear,” Caslek said. “You aren’t the first tiefling to come to Arresh, of course. As I noted, it is one of my own areas of research.”
“But between the cult, and then these goblinoids in the north,” Quellan said. “I had always thought that tieflings were just the products of individual encounters between the people of our world and the entities of the farther realms. But if there was some coordination, some plan…”
“Those ‘entities’ you refer to are intelligent and powerful,” Caslek said. “Seductive, with what they can offer mortal men—and women. We reinforce the popular conception of fiends as mindless brutes because it reassures the common people. But we of the church do not fool ourselves, Brother Emberlane. The barriers that separate our realms are not as strong as people would like to think.”
“So you knew about these groups, and did what?” Xeeta asked. “Wrote papers?”
“Xeeta,” Quellan said.
Caslek held up a hand. “The young lady is entitled to her ire,” he said. “We understand the responsibilities of power,” he said to her. “We do our share to fight against the darkness. I understand that you were wronged, but the worship of Hosrenu is not sanctioned in Li Syval. We have some influence here, which we try to use to guide the king in confronting this and other threats that we all face.”
“Politics,” Xeeta said. “I understand, but that’s small solace to the children who suffered through their schemes.”
“The cult in Li Syval might have been defeated,” Quellan said. “And Murgoth’s armies have been sundered. But we don’t know who or what else might be out there working with these otherworldly entities. We do know that they’re looking to accumulate power. That warlock came specifically to the Silverpeak Valley to find that shrine.”
“Yes, the shrine,” Caslek said. “The power left behind by the Mai’i, perhaps.”
“What else could it be?” Quellan asked. “This isn’t our first run-in with this kind of magic, I included it all in my report…”
“Yes, it was quite thorough. And we have accumulated a considerable amount of lore about the Eth’barat in recent years. But there are other things happening as well.”
“Like what?” Xeeta said.
“I’m not at liberty to go into details at the moment,” Caslek said.
“Now you sound like the wizards,” Xeeta said.
“You have seen enough of the world to know that knowledge is power,” Caslek said. “And like any kind of power, it can be dangerous in the wrong hands.”
“You don’t trust us,” Xeeta said. “Even though he’s one of you,” she added, jerking a thumb toward Quellan.
“It’s not a question of trust,” Caslek said. “It’s a question of putting together a puzzle when you cannot see all of the pieces, or even know how many there are. I have assembled a small panel, I hope you can spare some time to speak with them today. Both of you. We’d like to learn more about the events in the north, of course, but we would also greatly appreciate any details you could provide about your experiences in Li Syval, Xeeta. I know it will be extremely difficult to revisit that period, but anything you could share with us could help us prevent such a thing from happening again.”
Xeeta looked over at Quellan. “There is a lot going on at the moment,” she said.
“We would appreciate any time you could spare,” Caslek said. He held Xeeta’s eyes until she nodded slightly.
“Excellent,” Caslek said. He rose up from his chair, suggesting that the meeting was at an end. “The acolyte will show you to the interview room. Brother Emberlane, a moment?”
Xeeta waited until Quellan nodded. “I’ll wait for you outside,” she said.
Caslek waited until the door had swung shut. “I would very much like to interview your friend, Bredan Karras, as well.”
“Do you know what’s happening to him?” Quellan asked.
“I am not certain. We have seen cases like this in the past, where a non-practitioner can gain access to power through contact through an eldritch source. The Mai’i shrines certainly could qualify as such. Or it could just be that he has a latent arcane connection in his bloodline of which he is not aware, and his gifts are natural.”
“You don’t sound convinced of either theory.”
“I think that the wizards of the Apernium know more than they are saying,” Caslek said. “I am glad that you have established a friendship with the young man, I believe that he will have an important role in future events.”
“So you do think that the defeat of Murgoth is not the end of this.”
“History does not end, Brother Emberlane. It continues in an endless cycle.”
“I will talk to Bredan,” Quellan said. “He has been involved in his own quest for knowledge, but I will pass on your request.” He started to turn toward the door but paused.
“Was there something else, Brother?” Caslek asked.
“I imagine that you’ve read my file,” Quellan said.
“Yes.” Caslek turned back to the desk. “It’s a difficult case.”
“It’s more than that,” Quellan said. “At least for me.”
“There is not a great deal that I can do in this instance,” Caslek said. “I may not agree with the decision that was made, but what’s done is done, and there will not be many who are willing to reopen old wounds. Tradition is to defer to local authorities in such cases, especially when it seems to align with the wishes of the parties involved.”
“You’re saying it was her wish to keep the truth hidden.”
Caslek sighed. “I’m saying, it doesn’t matter, Brother. You are who you are, regardless.”
“I should have been told the truth. I should have known who she was.”
“There will be records. Not enough to tell the full story of a person’s life, but I can get them for you.”
“Thank you, Loremaster.”
“Quellan. I hope you can understand… and forgive. We’re not perfect, you know that better than most. But there is a place for you here, a place where you belong. Even before I read your report I had a feeling about you. The god has marked you out for great things.”
“I’m not interested in accomplishments, Loremaster.”
“Nevertheless, sometimes they are thrust upon us. Go in peace, brother.”
Caslek waited until Quellan had left and the door had clicked shut, then he went back to his desk. He leaned against the edge, his brow furrowed in thought.
A few moments later there was another soft click behind him. One of the bookshelves swung aside, revealing a dark slit behind. A slightly younger man came into the room.
“What do you think, Korrion?” Caslek asked.
“I think that the wizards are playing with fire,” Korrion said.
“The boy could be key. Do you really think that the Libram is stirring again? After all this time?”
“I think we need to be ready if it is,” Korrion said. “What about Emberlane? Do you think he’s up to the task?”
“The god is with him,” Caslek said. “His faith has been shaken, but he is the tool we have in place. It will have to be enough.”
“If you’re wrong, things could get out of control very quickly.”
“They’re already out of control,” Caslek said. He smiled wryly. “All we can hope to do is keep us from going over the cliff.”
Loremaster Caslek’s office was itself a small library, with bookshelves lining every wall and various loose volumes arranged on reading stands in the corners. A large desk covered with neatly-organized piles of paperwork stood under a large window framed with decorative scrollwork showing intricate flowing designs. The Loremaster himself was a thin man in his sixties who looked tiny in contrast to Quellan. He rose as they were escorted in and gestured for them to be seated on the comfortable padded chairs arranged in front of the desk.
“Brother Emberlane,” Caslek said. “I read your report on the events in the north. Quite impressive, I must say. The god has favored you in your quest for knowledge.”
“Thank you for making the time to meet with us, Loremaster,” Quellan said as they sat down. He barely fit in the chair, which creaked slightly as he settled into it.
“Past due,” Caslek said. “It should not be that the church dedicated to the accumulation of knowledge is the last to know of recent events. No, I’m not blaming you,” he quickly added with a wave of his hand. “The mechanism of your arrival here put you into the direct custody of the wizards, and your written report was quite timely.”
“We might have been here sooner, if we’d been able to get an appointment,” Xeeta said.
Quellan coughed a warning, but Caslek did not look offended as he shifted his attention to the sorceress. “Fascinating,” he said. He reached into one of the drawers of his desk and drew out a large handheld lens, nearly a hand’s span across. He held it up to his left eye and regarded her through it. “Really quite remarkable how there is no predictable pattern to how the dominant genetic influence expresses itself physically.” He put the lens down quickly. “Apologies, I did some work on the tiefling phenomenon in my youth, and it’s a field that remains of interest to me. There is no need to mask your true form here, my dear. The philosophy of our order is one of tolerance, and the wards would have reacted if you had come here with ill intent.”
“I’m fine,” Xeeta said stonily.
“Loremaster,” Quellan said. “I included my recommendations in the report, but I wanted to stress the importance of what we found in the Silverpeak Valley. I brought Xeeta because of her own potential connections to the threat posed by Murgoth’s minions, these ‘Blooded.’”
“Yes, it’s quite troubling,” Caslek said.
“That’s all?” Xeeta said. “That hobgoblin warlock got away. From what I’ve heard, he wasn’t the only one who escaped into the mountains. If anything, Murgoth might have been their tool, rather than the other way around.”
“If nothing else, the King should be made aware of the danger,” Quellan said. “We’ve told the wizards, but I do not know what they plan on doing with the information.”
“They will do what they feel best advances their own interests, of course,” Caslek said. “But the King already knows about the Blooded, and we’ve been following the activities of groups like the cult in Li Syval for some time.”
“What?” Xeeta said.
“The accumulation of knowledge is one of the core precepts of our faith, my dear,” Caslek said. “You aren’t the first tiefling to come to Arresh, of course. As I noted, it is one of my own areas of research.”
“But between the cult, and then these goblinoids in the north,” Quellan said. “I had always thought that tieflings were just the products of individual encounters between the people of our world and the entities of the farther realms. But if there was some coordination, some plan…”
“Those ‘entities’ you refer to are intelligent and powerful,” Caslek said. “Seductive, with what they can offer mortal men—and women. We reinforce the popular conception of fiends as mindless brutes because it reassures the common people. But we of the church do not fool ourselves, Brother Emberlane. The barriers that separate our realms are not as strong as people would like to think.”
“So you knew about these groups, and did what?” Xeeta asked. “Wrote papers?”
“Xeeta,” Quellan said.
Caslek held up a hand. “The young lady is entitled to her ire,” he said. “We understand the responsibilities of power,” he said to her. “We do our share to fight against the darkness. I understand that you were wronged, but the worship of Hosrenu is not sanctioned in Li Syval. We have some influence here, which we try to use to guide the king in confronting this and other threats that we all face.”
“Politics,” Xeeta said. “I understand, but that’s small solace to the children who suffered through their schemes.”
“The cult in Li Syval might have been defeated,” Quellan said. “And Murgoth’s armies have been sundered. But we don’t know who or what else might be out there working with these otherworldly entities. We do know that they’re looking to accumulate power. That warlock came specifically to the Silverpeak Valley to find that shrine.”
“Yes, the shrine,” Caslek said. “The power left behind by the Mai’i, perhaps.”
“What else could it be?” Quellan asked. “This isn’t our first run-in with this kind of magic, I included it all in my report…”
“Yes, it was quite thorough. And we have accumulated a considerable amount of lore about the Eth’barat in recent years. But there are other things happening as well.”
“Like what?” Xeeta said.
“I’m not at liberty to go into details at the moment,” Caslek said.
“Now you sound like the wizards,” Xeeta said.
“You have seen enough of the world to know that knowledge is power,” Caslek said. “And like any kind of power, it can be dangerous in the wrong hands.”
“You don’t trust us,” Xeeta said. “Even though he’s one of you,” she added, jerking a thumb toward Quellan.
“It’s not a question of trust,” Caslek said. “It’s a question of putting together a puzzle when you cannot see all of the pieces, or even know how many there are. I have assembled a small panel, I hope you can spare some time to speak with them today. Both of you. We’d like to learn more about the events in the north, of course, but we would also greatly appreciate any details you could provide about your experiences in Li Syval, Xeeta. I know it will be extremely difficult to revisit that period, but anything you could share with us could help us prevent such a thing from happening again.”
Xeeta looked over at Quellan. “There is a lot going on at the moment,” she said.
“We would appreciate any time you could spare,” Caslek said. He held Xeeta’s eyes until she nodded slightly.
“Excellent,” Caslek said. He rose up from his chair, suggesting that the meeting was at an end. “The acolyte will show you to the interview room. Brother Emberlane, a moment?”
Xeeta waited until Quellan nodded. “I’ll wait for you outside,” she said.
Caslek waited until the door had swung shut. “I would very much like to interview your friend, Bredan Karras, as well.”
“Do you know what’s happening to him?” Quellan asked.
“I am not certain. We have seen cases like this in the past, where a non-practitioner can gain access to power through contact through an eldritch source. The Mai’i shrines certainly could qualify as such. Or it could just be that he has a latent arcane connection in his bloodline of which he is not aware, and his gifts are natural.”
“You don’t sound convinced of either theory.”
“I think that the wizards of the Apernium know more than they are saying,” Caslek said. “I am glad that you have established a friendship with the young man, I believe that he will have an important role in future events.”
“So you do think that the defeat of Murgoth is not the end of this.”
“History does not end, Brother Emberlane. It continues in an endless cycle.”
“I will talk to Bredan,” Quellan said. “He has been involved in his own quest for knowledge, but I will pass on your request.” He started to turn toward the door but paused.
“Was there something else, Brother?” Caslek asked.
“I imagine that you’ve read my file,” Quellan said.
“Yes.” Caslek turned back to the desk. “It’s a difficult case.”
“It’s more than that,” Quellan said. “At least for me.”
“There is not a great deal that I can do in this instance,” Caslek said. “I may not agree with the decision that was made, but what’s done is done, and there will not be many who are willing to reopen old wounds. Tradition is to defer to local authorities in such cases, especially when it seems to align with the wishes of the parties involved.”
“You’re saying it was her wish to keep the truth hidden.”
Caslek sighed. “I’m saying, it doesn’t matter, Brother. You are who you are, regardless.”
“I should have been told the truth. I should have known who she was.”
“There will be records. Not enough to tell the full story of a person’s life, but I can get them for you.”
“Thank you, Loremaster.”
“Quellan. I hope you can understand… and forgive. We’re not perfect, you know that better than most. But there is a place for you here, a place where you belong. Even before I read your report I had a feeling about you. The god has marked you out for great things.”
“I’m not interested in accomplishments, Loremaster.”
“Nevertheless, sometimes they are thrust upon us. Go in peace, brother.”
Caslek waited until Quellan had left and the door had clicked shut, then he went back to his desk. He leaned against the edge, his brow furrowed in thought.
A few moments later there was another soft click behind him. One of the bookshelves swung aside, revealing a dark slit behind. A slightly younger man came into the room.
“What do you think, Korrion?” Caslek asked.
“I think that the wizards are playing with fire,” Korrion said.
“The boy could be key. Do you really think that the Libram is stirring again? After all this time?”
“I think we need to be ready if it is,” Korrion said. “What about Emberlane? Do you think he’s up to the task?”
“The god is with him,” Caslek said. “His faith has been shaken, but he is the tool we have in place. It will have to be enough.”
“If you’re wrong, things could get out of control very quickly.”
“They’re already out of control,” Caslek said. He smiled wryly. “All we can hope to do is keep us from going over the cliff.”