el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
I plan to do smaller installments for this session:
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Session #28
Osilem, 10th of Dek - 564 H.E.
The next morning Martin the Green had already been up for three hours (after only two hours of sleep) when there was a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Martin called through the door.
“Breakfast,” said a muffled voice.
Martin walked over to the door and unbolted it. He opened it to find a tall figure standing there. He wore robes of various shades of crimson, and had matching hair, and a well-kept beard and bright blue eyes that off-set his rugged good looks. He held a tray full of eggs, strips of fatty bacon, biscuits, butter and goat’s milk. It was Richard the Red. He smiled.
“Why Richard! Why don’t you come in?” Martin said resignedly. He felt as if nothing could surprise him anymore. He turned and walked back into the inn and pulled a chair from the table. “Please, sit down.”
Richard walked in and set the tray on the table. “No, thank you. I am more of the standing type.” The red–robed watch-mage’s smile broadened.
“And how have you been?” Martin asked. “Well, I hope.”
“Do you really?” Richard the Red almost laughed. “Well, I am worried that you are not doing well. You look like you are not doing well at all.”
“What makes you say that?” Martin utterly failed to bluff.
“It’s okay Martin, we’re fellow watch-mages. We can talk to each other honestly.”
“Of course we can,” Martin said, returning a big fake smile.
“Listen, I was where you are once. I know what you are going through,” Richard said with real sympathy in his voice. “It takes a lot to get from where you are when you graduate and where I am now. But you, too will make that journey.”
“Yes, and then I’ll be able to free drow witches of my own,” Martin replied, sarcastically.
“Oh, I guess you still haven’t seen the light on that one,” Richard said, picking up a biscuit from the tray and ripping it in half. “I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree on that one. I am not exactly happy with the mess you and your companions made and now I’m going to have to help clean it up.”
“I’m not sure that this is the kind of thing one can simply agree to disagree about,” Martin said, folding his hands on his lap, as he watched Richard smear butter on the two ends of the biscuit, and then fold an egg and a piece of bacon between them.
“Look, I am here to help you,” Richard said, gesturing with the egg sandwich. “Being a watch-mage is not easy. You cannot be expected to get the hang of it right away, but the truth is, I think you are doing a really pathetic job.”
Richard the Red took a small bite of his sandwich.
“Kind of you to say so, “ Martin said, standing.
“I’m just being honest, Martin,” Richard said. He took another bite and offered the sandwich towards Martin. “You should eat something.”
“I am not hungry,” Martin flatly.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s good to keep your strength up. Today in an inn, tomorrow under a tree and the next in a damp cave, that is what our life is, and what your life will be from now on,” Richard said, gravely.
“I am not hungry,” Martin repeated.
“Suit yourself,” Richard the Red replied. “So, I have come here to offer you a deal.”
“Humph,” Martin shook his head, as if he knew it was coming. “I’m not sure that a deal with you would be in my best interest, Richard.”
“But it is your best interest that it most concerns,” Richard said, smiling again. “Look, just to show you I mean you no harm, I will give you one for free.”
“One what?”
“On piece of advice,” Richard said. “I get your friend free, and for that she owes me, but I was really trying to help you out, so you can go on your way and do the important things you have to do.”
“But you charmed the constable,” Martin exclaimed.
“Yeah, and?” Richard cocked his head. “Sometimes these things have to be done. It harmed no one, but now all your companions are imprisoned, except for one who is on the run and what are you doing? You are sitting around doing nothing!”
“I am not doing nothing,” Martin replied, insulted. “I am waiting for a horse, which I plan to take back to 12 Trolls and see the king and get this thing sorted out.”
“Oh, so you have a death wish, too?” Richard cocked an eyebrow. “The roads are dangerous to one who cannot travel unseen.”
Martin was silent.
“Anyway, what I am trying to tell you is that a watch-mage’s greatest asset is his ability to talk to the common people,” Richard said. “The common person is in awe of us. They are either scared and respectful or polite and respectful, but either way you need to use that to your advantage. You can gain your most powerful tool. Information.”
Martin nodded hurriedly.
“I’m sure you know Alexandra the Lavender,” Richard said. (114)
“Yes, I met her on the way to Gothanius,” Martin replied.
“Well, some folks might see a simple woman living among simple farmers in some backward place, but do you think I’d ever mess with her? No way,” Richard looked Martin in the eye. “And do you know why? Because she is connected. She knows more about Derome-Delem than you or I could ever hope to know, because she talks to everyone in her town, and every dwarven caravan that passes through, and every group of adventurers, and every wandering stranger. You think that talking to aldermen, kings and constables is going to get you all the information you need? Talk to the people. They are more observant than you think. They may not comprehend what they see and be able to put it together, but you sure as hell are smart enough to be able to.”
“This is your free advice?” Martin asked.
“Yes,” Richard said, with a wink. “And there is more where that came from if we can come to some kind of agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?” Martin asked.
“You only stand to benefit from what I have to offer,” Richard said. “Basically, in exchange for full disclosure between us in terms of everything we learn about what is going on around here, and that means I tell you what I know as well, I will take you under my wing. I will show you the ropes about what it really means to be a watch-mage. Think of this as your post-graduate education.”
“And benefit from this, how?” Martin asked, skeptically.
“We are watch-mages. We are supposed to help each other. Especially a senior watch-mage like myself and a neophyte like yourself – you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
“And what about the drow witches?” Martin asked.
“What about them? I already told you I plan to clean up that mess,” Richard said. “Of course, I hope eventually you and your companions might help.”
“And when the time comes when you want to do something else that I find morally reprehensible?” Martin asked.
“As you learn more such a thing is less and less likely to happen. And at any time you can simply walk away, of course,” Richard said.
Martin contemplated the offer.
“I do not expect you to make this immediately,” Richard said. He walked towards the door. Martin stood to see him out. “Let’s discuss it again over lunch. Think well, Martin. Your entire career as a watch-mage may rest on this one decision.”
He left.
Martin flopped down on the bed and buried his face in his hands.
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Notes:
(114) Martin the Green met Alexandra the Lavender on his way to the Kingdom of Gothanius in the village of Bountiful, where she is watch-mage.
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Session #28
Osilem, 10th of Dek - 564 H.E.
The next morning Martin the Green had already been up for three hours (after only two hours of sleep) when there was a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Martin called through the door.
“Breakfast,” said a muffled voice.
Martin walked over to the door and unbolted it. He opened it to find a tall figure standing there. He wore robes of various shades of crimson, and had matching hair, and a well-kept beard and bright blue eyes that off-set his rugged good looks. He held a tray full of eggs, strips of fatty bacon, biscuits, butter and goat’s milk. It was Richard the Red. He smiled.
“Why Richard! Why don’t you come in?” Martin said resignedly. He felt as if nothing could surprise him anymore. He turned and walked back into the inn and pulled a chair from the table. “Please, sit down.”
Richard walked in and set the tray on the table. “No, thank you. I am more of the standing type.” The red–robed watch-mage’s smile broadened.
“And how have you been?” Martin asked. “Well, I hope.”
“Do you really?” Richard the Red almost laughed. “Well, I am worried that you are not doing well. You look like you are not doing well at all.”
“What makes you say that?” Martin utterly failed to bluff.
“It’s okay Martin, we’re fellow watch-mages. We can talk to each other honestly.”
“Of course we can,” Martin said, returning a big fake smile.
“Listen, I was where you are once. I know what you are going through,” Richard said with real sympathy in his voice. “It takes a lot to get from where you are when you graduate and where I am now. But you, too will make that journey.”
“Yes, and then I’ll be able to free drow witches of my own,” Martin replied, sarcastically.
“Oh, I guess you still haven’t seen the light on that one,” Richard said, picking up a biscuit from the tray and ripping it in half. “I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree on that one. I am not exactly happy with the mess you and your companions made and now I’m going to have to help clean it up.”
“I’m not sure that this is the kind of thing one can simply agree to disagree about,” Martin said, folding his hands on his lap, as he watched Richard smear butter on the two ends of the biscuit, and then fold an egg and a piece of bacon between them.
“Look, I am here to help you,” Richard said, gesturing with the egg sandwich. “Being a watch-mage is not easy. You cannot be expected to get the hang of it right away, but the truth is, I think you are doing a really pathetic job.”
Richard the Red took a small bite of his sandwich.
“Kind of you to say so, “ Martin said, standing.
“I’m just being honest, Martin,” Richard said. He took another bite and offered the sandwich towards Martin. “You should eat something.”
“I am not hungry,” Martin flatly.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s good to keep your strength up. Today in an inn, tomorrow under a tree and the next in a damp cave, that is what our life is, and what your life will be from now on,” Richard said, gravely.
“I am not hungry,” Martin repeated.
“Suit yourself,” Richard the Red replied. “So, I have come here to offer you a deal.”
“Humph,” Martin shook his head, as if he knew it was coming. “I’m not sure that a deal with you would be in my best interest, Richard.”
“But it is your best interest that it most concerns,” Richard said, smiling again. “Look, just to show you I mean you no harm, I will give you one for free.”
“One what?”
“On piece of advice,” Richard said. “I get your friend free, and for that she owes me, but I was really trying to help you out, so you can go on your way and do the important things you have to do.”
“But you charmed the constable,” Martin exclaimed.
“Yeah, and?” Richard cocked his head. “Sometimes these things have to be done. It harmed no one, but now all your companions are imprisoned, except for one who is on the run and what are you doing? You are sitting around doing nothing!”
“I am not doing nothing,” Martin replied, insulted. “I am waiting for a horse, which I plan to take back to 12 Trolls and see the king and get this thing sorted out.”
“Oh, so you have a death wish, too?” Richard cocked an eyebrow. “The roads are dangerous to one who cannot travel unseen.”
Martin was silent.
“Anyway, what I am trying to tell you is that a watch-mage’s greatest asset is his ability to talk to the common people,” Richard said. “The common person is in awe of us. They are either scared and respectful or polite and respectful, but either way you need to use that to your advantage. You can gain your most powerful tool. Information.”
Martin nodded hurriedly.
“I’m sure you know Alexandra the Lavender,” Richard said. (114)
“Yes, I met her on the way to Gothanius,” Martin replied.
“Well, some folks might see a simple woman living among simple farmers in some backward place, but do you think I’d ever mess with her? No way,” Richard looked Martin in the eye. “And do you know why? Because she is connected. She knows more about Derome-Delem than you or I could ever hope to know, because she talks to everyone in her town, and every dwarven caravan that passes through, and every group of adventurers, and every wandering stranger. You think that talking to aldermen, kings and constables is going to get you all the information you need? Talk to the people. They are more observant than you think. They may not comprehend what they see and be able to put it together, but you sure as hell are smart enough to be able to.”
“This is your free advice?” Martin asked.
“Yes,” Richard said, with a wink. “And there is more where that came from if we can come to some kind of agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?” Martin asked.
“You only stand to benefit from what I have to offer,” Richard said. “Basically, in exchange for full disclosure between us in terms of everything we learn about what is going on around here, and that means I tell you what I know as well, I will take you under my wing. I will show you the ropes about what it really means to be a watch-mage. Think of this as your post-graduate education.”
“And benefit from this, how?” Martin asked, skeptically.
“We are watch-mages. We are supposed to help each other. Especially a senior watch-mage like myself and a neophyte like yourself – you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
“And what about the drow witches?” Martin asked.
“What about them? I already told you I plan to clean up that mess,” Richard said. “Of course, I hope eventually you and your companions might help.”
“And when the time comes when you want to do something else that I find morally reprehensible?” Martin asked.
“As you learn more such a thing is less and less likely to happen. And at any time you can simply walk away, of course,” Richard said.
Martin contemplated the offer.
“I do not expect you to make this immediately,” Richard said. He walked towards the door. Martin stood to see him out. “Let’s discuss it again over lunch. Think well, Martin. Your entire career as a watch-mage may rest on this one decision.”
He left.
Martin flopped down on the bed and buried his face in his hands.
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Notes:
(114) Martin the Green met Alexandra the Lavender on his way to the Kingdom of Gothanius in the village of Bountiful, where she is watch-mage.
