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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 1879426" data-attributes="member: 6783">Speeding ForwardThe rest of the day went quickly.  Ashimar returned his stolen goods to the warehouse late that afternoon, flying above the streets using the magical cloak they had recovered from the bandits at Broken Spire.  He avoided comment by the simple expedient of an invisibility spell provided by Jallarzi.  The task was completed simply enough when he through the sack of goods through the open front door.  Inside the sack was a sermon on the evils of stealing and working with those of evil intent.  Sadly, it is unlikely that those who read the letter took its contents to heart; for while some of the returned items were added back to the secure vault other items just ‘disappeared’.  To date those items are still officially missing.--Jallarzi spent several hours at the Gaming House that night, having arranged a meeting with the senior manager of the Adar’s Warehouse, Grandal Deverex.  She had arranged the meeting under the pretext of needing a safer place to store an unspecified item then the warehouse’s normal secure vault.  Jallarzi was chosen as the one person that Grandal most likely hadn’t met yet.  Ashimar and Panther were outside waiting for her.The obvious worth of her possessions and her unflinching acceptance of the cost of security had earned her the meeting.  It was her and her friend’s hope that they might induce Grandal to lead them to whatever secret vault he used for ill-gotten gains.Both were seated at a private table on the second floor balcony, overlooking the main floor of the house; a bottle of wine and two glasses sat between the two.  Below them, patrons went about their business of losing money and enriching the house. “I’m afraid what you ask is quite impossible Kerress Jallarzi.”Jallarzi, in a brand new, stylish purple dress, smile sweetly.  “I doubt that it is impossible.  I’m sure your people see the vault all the time.  I just wish to reassure myself of its security, especially since I have an item of value to place in it.” Grandal interrupted her train of thought.  “I’m quite sorry, Kerress, but I’m sure Adar’s vault is quite suitable.”“For some people perhaps,” Jallarzi paused, “however I heard about the robbery.”  Jallarzi looked around to make sure no one was near.  When she spoke next, it was with a lower tone of voice.  “I have in my possession a magical staff of frost that I recovered quite recently.  Unfortunately I will be traveling and I’m unwilling to take it with me at this time.”Grandal smiled encouragingly.  “I understand that Kerress, and in light of that, I will admit that we do have a more secure vault for smaller possessions.  Its security lies as much in its secrecy as anything else though.”  He paused to take a small drink before continuing.  “You can believe me when I tell you I understand the value of this personal possession; but you must also understand that I cannot bring anyone to this vault.  I understand that you are a student of the Library, so you yourself must know of what could happen if we let just anyone know the location and defenses of this vault.”“I’m not just anyone…”  Began the young half-elven sorceress.“I appreciate that.”  Interrupted the older half-elven businessman.  “However, even if that is true, and I believe that it is, I cannot take the chance.  What I can do is arrange to pick up this personal possession of yours at a to-be-named place.  From there I can assure you it would go into a private vault completely secure from magical scrying.  In return you will have a contract backed by the wealth of Quereth household.”Jallarzi leaned back, defeated.  It was obvious that the businessman was not going to budge.  Frustrated, she capitulated.  “Very well Ker Deverex, I will need to think about this.”  She smiled at him.  “I’m afraid I have a controlling nature and wish to know everything.”“I quite understand.  I’m the same way myself.”  He stood and bowed.  “If you will excuse me?  Please let me or the Adar managers know your decision.”--Meanwhile, Kellron took an evening dinner near the Central Square.  Earlier that day he had gone back to the grave of Imach Thassel, dug up his body and had a priest do an invocation to detect the presense of poison, something they had forgotten to do earlier.  Magical evidence was insufficient in a court by itself, but every bit helped.  In the morning he would join Kestral and the others in finding the poor uknowning man who had the wrath of probable-murderers pointed at him.  It was felt they would have a better chance of finding this unknown man in the morning when they knew the general area where he worked.  Kellron looked across the table at his dinner companion, Tore Daergan, a lean-looking woman about his age.  The blonde-hair, blue-eyed woman was a witch on loan to the church of Sarath from the church of Latina.  Even more oddly, or perhaps not, she hailed from the Duchy of Relk far to the south.  Colonel Megara had introduced the two of them earlier in the week as someone who could be of some use in their quest.  ”Her intuition is uncanny and she can tell when someone speaks a lie; she would be useful in your quest.”Kellron had spent the last few days with Tore learning more about the young woman since then; and he knew it had probably kept him from getting more active in Kestral’s and Panther’s investigation.  That would change starting in the morning, tonight though was another dinner to learn more about Tore.  It was in his mind to see if she would join them later when they returned to the underdark.“So, Colonel Megara told you what we are doing?”Tore nodded gravely, spending her talent silently to learn what she could of this man.  So far she liked what she sensed.  “She has.  I understand that wizards and priests are being kidnapped and sent deep below the ground.”“That’s right.  We’ve eliminated the bandits who were doing the kidnappings in the County of Haranshire, as well as the orcs they were trading the victims to.”  He shrugged.  “Now we just have to find out who the orcs were passing them on to.  The svirfneblin called them illithid, but we have yet to meet them.”Tore stiffened at the word.  In the Hidden Vale, that was a black word from a black time.  “I see.”  Was all she said.“You know of them?”Tore shook her head.  “Not directly, but there are stories.  Things banished to the darkness in tales meant to frighten children.”  She wrinkled her nose while fighting the urge to reach for the sword she had left behind.  “The stories say that they consider all things are theirs by right, and they eat the brains of their slaves.  None of have been seen in living memory that I’m aware of though.”Kellron sat back and mulled her words over; that wasn’t much to go on.  “Well, tell me about yourself.  The colonel says you hailed from Relk.”“I do.  I came north some years ago in the service of the church of Latina.”Kellron nodded.  “I’m told now days that that is unusual.  Something about witches not being liked in the southern cities?”“You know?”“The Colonel told me.”  Seeing her obvious suspicion, Kellron leaned forward and tried to be encouraging.  “It doesn’t’ matter to me.  I trained with a few witches when I was a squire.  They were good men.”Tore nodded slowly, relief flooding back.  It was always difficult revealing her talents; you never knew how people were going to react.  “I was fortunate at the time I ran into some trouble.  There was a visiting priest of Latina from Karos.  He took charge of the situation and helped not only me, but my family.  When he journied back north I decided to go with him to pay back my debt to the church.”  She shrugged.  “Eventually there was a request by General Vorun for an inquisitor and I was posted here.”The two continued to converse long into the night.  Both were pleased with how the evening went.</blockquote>

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