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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sagiro" data-source="post: 676126" data-attributes="member: 726">Sagiro’s Story Hour, Part 168The Company wakes to the smell of bodies burned and unburned, as somewhere outside piles of corpses are being put to the torch.  (There isn’t time to bury all of the dead before disease will start spreading.)  Still, it’s a relief to the Company to discover that they have been allowed to sleep through the night with no interruptions for new emergencies.  They grab some breakfast downstairs where Minya is commanding a small army of servants in the kitchen.Dranko mutters, “I still want to go back to Sand’s Edge and stick it to Fulton’s partner, that b*tch wizardess, Imperia.”  There’s not much immediate support in the Company for a return to that city, but Dranko figures it’s worth checking Fulton’s belongings.  He is disappointed to find neither magical goodies nor any useful correspondence to or from Imperia.  He returns to the room where the rest of the Company has gathered.There, on the floor, is the body of their slain red-armored foe, dragged in by the others.For a few minutes they examine the corpse, wondering how they’re going to get it out of the deadly armor so that Morningstar can cast speak with dead.   In the end it takes the lot of them about three hours, using a variety of kitchen and fireplace tools, but they manage it without anyone making physical contact with the armor.There is a knock on the door, and Corporal Edridge enters.“I just wanted to check in,” he begins, “since no one has… seen…  er…  there appears to be a somewhat-unclothed woman on the floor of your room.”“We had to get the armor off so that Morningstar can interrogate the body,” says Ernie, smiling.“I see,” says Edridge, unable to disguise his distaste.  “I trust you have the matter under control, and won’t need any assistance?”“Actually I could use a drink,” Dranko says.Ernie elbows him in the ribs.“He’s not a servant, Dranko.”“No, it’s no problem at all,” says Edridge, turning to leave.  “I’ll just leave you with your body, then, shall I?”A few minutes later, while the Company is still debating what questions to ask, a servant comes in with a mug of ale.“Hullo.  The Corporal asked me to bring this to… aaak!  A body!”Startled, the servant drops the mug.  On instinct Dranko grabs his whip and lashes out, intending to grab the mug and yank it to himself with minimum spillage.  He’s too slow, misses the mug, and catches the servant in the cheek.  Clutching his face, the servant looks mortified.  The rest of the Company looks on in shocked silence.“I’m sorry!  I’m so sorry!” says the servant.  “I didn’t mean t’ drop your drink like that… I just saw the…”“No, I’m sorry.” Dranko interrupts.  “I wasn’t trying to hit you.  I was trying to use the whip to catch the mug before it fell.  I don’t blame you for dropping it.  Here.  Come here, and let me heal that up.”The servant totters forward, glancing nervously at the woman’s body.  Dranko reaches out and heals his face with a quick orison.  The servant touches his healed cheek in wonder, and then reaches out his right hand. “Er, y’know, I’ve had a touch of stiffness in this hand for a few years now… I don’t s’ppose you…”“Yeah, sure,” says Dranko.  Another spell follows, and the man flexes his hand.“Glory be.  Well, I’m sure you know best about that body then.  Must be going.”The servant scuttles out.After some more discussion the Company settles on six questions to pose to the body.  Morningstar kneels by the corpse and casts her spell, while the others blanket the area around the body with various other spells (bless, zone of truth, circle of protection, prayer, bane) to help overcome any resistance the body might have to being questioned. There is sickening intake of air through the dead lungs, and the body reflexively coughs up bits of dark spittle.Morningstar speaks.“What was Naradawk’s contingency plan if your attack failed?”The body wheezes, coughs again, and answers in a rasping vocalized whispers.“We were not going to fail.  If Naradawk had any plans beyond this battle, I do not know them.”“Which other of your red-armored friends came to this plane with you?”"Only Tarsos.”Damn.  So there’s one more red-armored servant to add to the list.  Before Morningstar can ask a third question, the body continues unexpectedly."But he was not my friend.  That sanctimonious, patronizing, pint-sized piece of…”Morningstar cuts him off with the next question: “What was Tarsos’ mission here?”"I was not privy to his instructions.  I have no idea.”"What was your mission?”"I was to help clear out any resistance to Naradawk’s forces, and pave the way for his arrival.”"Where is Octesian?”"On Abernia”.Oh, that was helpful.Last question:  "Where, specifically, would we be most likely to find Octesian right now?”"Octesian was sent to Abernia years ago.  We’ve been on different Planes since then.  I have absolutely no idea.  Find him yourself.”The body slumps, spent.Kibi goes downstairs and finds the Corporal again, to tell him that there’s another red-armored warrior on the loose – information that should be conveyed to General Anabrook without delay.“Of course,” says Edridge dryly.  “And if he’s found, I’ll be sure to have the body sent to your room straight away for immediate stripping.”Kibi looks properly offended as Edridge turns and leaves to make his report.The party would like to scry for Tarsos, but none of them know the spell.  Figuring that the boy wizard Wellington might, Dranko and Aravis go and knock on his door.“Come in.”They find Wellington seated on his bed, deep in study.“Hey, how ya’ doing?” says Dranko, congenially.“Studying,” says the boy.“Yeah.  Well, there’s more to life than studying.  You should try leaving your room some time.”“May I help you with something?” asks Wellington, a model of politeness. “Er…yeah.  We were wondering if you could Scry someone for us.”“Of course,” says Wellington.  “Though it’s not one of my strengths.  I am not likely to succeed in finding someone I’ve never met, but I’ll certainly try.  I’ll just finish this chapter, and then I’ll need some time to prepare the spell for casting.”“Yeah, great,” says Dranko.  “The whole kingdom is in mortal peril and all our lives hang in the balance, but you just finish that chapter.  We’ll be in our room.”Wellington puts down the book quickly.“The kingdom is again in danger?” he asks, startled.  “Have you told the General?”“Well…”“We must tell her at once!  You should have told me right away that this was a matter of such grave importance.”“It’s not…”“I must tell Glade.  Does Royce know?  I will start to prepare immediately!”As Dranko turns red, Aravis sighs.  “Wellington,” says Aravis, “Dranko’s exaggerating.  The world isn’t in immediate danger.  The guy we want to find is another red armored warrior from Naradawk’s army, but a few minutes isn’t likely to make any difference.”“Oh.  I see.  Dranko, you shouldn’t make jests about such things.  Still, I will meditate and be in your room in fifteen minutes.”As they leave Wellington’s room, Dranko mutters “That kid’s gotta get a life.”A few minutes later Wellington comes in and, like the others, notes the body on the floor.  He peers at it for a moment.“Ah.  You must have needed to cast a spell on the corpse.  Necromancy of some kind I presume?”“Speak with dead,” answers Morningstar.“Did you learn anything useful?”“We learned about the man we want you to scry.”“Ah, good.  So, where is the mirror?”Various members of the Company look at each other sheepishly.“Er…” says Aravis.  “Oh.  Yeah.  Actually we don’t have one. Er... do you?”“No. I’m sure you know I cannot scry without a large and valuable mirror.”“I’ll be there’s one back in our estates in Kallor,” suggests Grey Wolf.“I can teleport there right now,” says Kibi.  “And bring the mirror back with us.”“I’ll be in my room studying then,” says Wellington.  The child walks out.“That kid gives me the creeps,” says Flicker.“Who’s coming with me?” asks Kibi.Dranko volunteers.  Just before casting the teleport, Kibi casts a familiar pocket for Scree, and puts on (of all things) a metal helmet.“What’s that for?” asks Dranko.“It’s my Helm of Water Breathing” says Kibi, smiling.  “Just in case.  Hold on.”“Just in case?” cries Dranko in alarm.  “Now wait just a…”In an eye-blink, they are back in the large Black Circle ritual chamber beneath the estates.  (That’s the only place that Kibi has “studied carefully,” back from when he figured out where to cast walls of stone to preserve the structural integrity of the room.)Both Kibi and Dranko feel the expected but still unsettling chill of Null Shadows.  While Kibi goes upstairs to retrieve the mirror from Cobb, Dranko walks slowly to the door of the room housing the shadow cauldron.  At the door, the unease grows stronger.  Dranko takes a deep breath, opens the door, and peeks in.It’s still clear.  The room is awash in swirling shadows, and the cauldron still squats there in the center, but there are no Null Shadows in evidence.  Relieved, Dranko quickly closes the door.While Kibi and Dranko are off retrieving a mirror, Ernie decides to go for a walk outside.  As he strolls along the main road he spies a newly built enclosure housing about thirty prisoners of war.  He approaches once of the nearby guards, who salutes when he sees Ernie’s royal uniform.  “I’d like to speak with one of the prisoners,” Ernie says cheerfully.  “Do you mind?”“You may do as you’d like, sir.  I suggest doing it from outside, though.  For safety purposes.  Sir.”Ernie casts tongues, and gets the attention of one of the sullen inmates through the bars of the fence.“Excuse me!” he calls.  “No, down here!”One of the prisoners looks over, startled.“I hope they’re feeding you well.” Ernie says.The prisoner says nothing, but his eyes narrow.“You know,” says Ernie, looking at the man, “I’ll bet you weren’t necessarily a volunteer in your army, were you.”The man still says nothing, but another prisoner nearby whispers:  “Say nothing!  It is a trick!  And if the Emperor finds out you’ve talked with the enemy, it’s more than your life is worth.”Ernie’s prisoner starts to sweat, and he puts his face up to the bars to talk with Ernie.“I am honored to serve the Emperor, who is most wise and powerful and all-knowing.  My life is his.”“I bet you don’t know this, but the Emperor isn’t coming anymore.  He can’t do anything to you, ever again.”“He lies!” says one of the others.“You do not know the Emperor,” says the prisoner.  “He will come here.  You cannot stop him.  And he will know my mind.  I must not speak to you.”“I said, he’s not coming,” Ernie reiterates.  “I stopped him.  Really.  You should think about what you want to do with your life, now that your leader has been thwarted.”“I don’t understand,” says the prisoner, shaking.“Well, you could become a farmer, or pursue a craft, or probably join our army here.”“No!  I cannot.  If I become one of you, then I become the enemy of the most great and powerful Emperor.  I will not be his enemy!  He would cross all worlds to destroy me if I make that choice.”“I bet you’ll realize before long that your Emperor can’t do anything to you anymore.  You think about what I’ve said.”And with that Ernie walks off, whistling a happy tune.  Behind him the prisoner, trembling, starts to weep.…to be continued…</blockquote>

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