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[ZEITGEIST] The Continuing Adventures of Korrigan & Co.
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<blockquote data-quote="gideonpepys" data-source="post: 7149969" data-attributes="member: 79141"><p><strong>Session 18 (141) - Part Three: The Humble Hook</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>The Humble Hook</strong></p><p></p><p>It was fairly late when Ken Don was eventually summoned to meet with Nicodemus: just before midnight, and not long after the M.A.P. proposal started doing the rounds. Korrigan had just found himself in a conversation with Leyander Colt – who was unhappy that M.A.P. did not retain the emotive element of Miller’s Pyre. The old half-elf was still objecting loudly to anyone who could hear as ‘Ken Don’ was led away to the lighthouse.</p><p></p><p>During his meeting with Nicodemus, Korrigan was very careful of his approach, skilfully weaving his own views into the established worldview of Ken Don, in order that the quiet, bookish research inquisitor did not seem suddenly out of character. This caution felt necessary after Bruce McDruid’s interview in which Nicodemus noted that “except for the clergy and Kiov Hetman, every one of your group voted Miller’s Pyre. I have to say I’m surprised. Was any one of the group a driving force in that decision?” ‘Bruce’ had responded simply that he was world-weary, tired of conflict and glad to see that the Ob were – at least potentially – a force for good after all. He couldn’t really speak for the others, except that they seemed to feel the same way. And so it was that ‘Ken Don’ had to be careful not mark himself out as an instigator or faction leader of any kind. </p><p></p><p>Nicodemus responded positively to what Don had to say. He confessed that he had not had a life of his own for some time, and needed to hear the thoughts and feelings of others for fear of losing touch. Korrigan chose this moment to be frank. He ‘opened up’ to Nicodemus and shared his thoughts in real detail, saying that he did not think a majority of those who had been invited to the convocation could be trusted. Nicodemus raised an eyebrow. “Indeed? What makes you say that?” Korrigan explained that he felt he could identify a common type, the likes of whom would not take defeat in the faction votes well at all. Nicodemus nodded and asked ‘Don’ if he would agree to spend just a little more time with him. Then he called to the ghost councillor who controlled the lighthouse, grabbed four amulets, and had the lighthouse activated to shift them back into the real world. He put on one of the amulets and gave the others to ‘Don’ and the two guards. “Let’s go and see what this island is really like. I want to look at the stars.” They followed the same trail Uru and Leon had taken a few hours earlier, down to the beach. </p><p></p><p>On the way Nicodeus made small talk, asking about Don’s life, and the inquisitor gave only brief, taciturn responses. Only when the conversation ranged back to the conspiracy did Korrigan warm to his theme once again. As they walked along the beach, with the cold surf washing away their footprints, he advised Nicodemus that secrecy was not the way forward. He felt strongly that people would see the opportunity in what the Ob had discovered and that everyone should be given a chance to decide the destiny of the world, not just a handful of individuals whose morality was already in question. Nicodemus bored in on this train of Don’s thinking, but refused to be drawn on his own opinion. Korrigan reiterated his opinion that the Ob’s very secrecy was its biggest weakness, and his firm belief that the more morally dubious elements of the conspiracy could not be trusted to provide support for any faction other than the one they had chosen. Nicodemus nodded at this, as if it had confirmed something he too believed, or as if he had come to some new decision.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, their time was at an end, and Nicodemus led the way back up to the path, taking some rough-hewn steps that had been carved to make a short-cut up from the beach. Just then, Korrigan heard a singular metallic chime, as something bright fell from Nicodemus and onto the step in front of him. He stooped to pick it up. It was a rusted metal fishing hook. Neither Nicodemus nor the guards had heard or seen a thing, and before Korrigan could offer to return the object, the sense that he should not do so - that the hook was his, and wanted to remain with him - overwhelmed his mind. The thing was sentient! He pocketed it for now and determined to investigate it later.</p><p></p><p>Back in the dance hall, where the final hangers-on had gathered in the early hours of the morning, the dragonborn bard, Praesidia de Vaca – flushed with the success of her negotiations with Catherine Romana (who was busy countering M.A.P. with a counter-proposal of her own) – excitedly accosted Gran Guiscard, assured him that she had practiced every word and note of The Marriage of Achaea and Hibiscus – and insisted they perform it as a ‘finale’ to this wonderful evening. The other officers’ enthusiastic response was so encouraging that Uru felt he could not refuse. He concentrated on gestalt with Guiscard, allowing his memory of the piece to bubble to the surface of his mind. He and Praesidea finished the duet to a huge round of applause, whereupon ‘Gran’ began to sing again. This time, he gave a haunting rendition of the sea shanty he had learned from the ghostly cabin boy: a surprisingly sad song about the death of sons and fathers at sea. There was barely a dry eye in the room when he was done, and Uru could swear he had heard a deep baritone chorus of ghostly voices joining in.</p><p></p><p>Back in his room, Korrigan entered gestalt and used Ken Don’s bibliogeist power to search the Ob’s library for a reference to the hook he had found. It returned with this story:</p><p></p><p><em>When Triegenes passed on from his mortal shell, the prelates of the Clergy cremated his remains in a grand state funeral. As they gathered his ashes to spread across the nation’s soil, they found a small harpoon hook—the kind used by some fishers—which somehow had been caught in the living god’s body since before he achieved divinity. The priests crafted the hook into a pendant, and for over a thousand years it has been worn by the hierarchs of the faith, as a reminder that we all have humble origins. Doctrine claimed that it let its wearer learn the history and background of anyone he met, allowing the leader of the faith to deal with overly prideful enemies and heads of state. In 260 A.O.V., however, it was lost when an eladrin assassin slew that era’s hierarch and stole the pendant. Critics of the faith claim that its loss was part of a plan to steer the Clergy away from its original humble core, so that high priests could better profit from their stations.</em></p><p></p><p>When Korrigan focused on the object he could sense its wishes and desires. He knew that it would favour him further if he pursued diplomacy ahead of violence and won the allegiance of old foes. Conversely, it would disapprove if he (or his friends) killed an enemy without first attempting dialogue, or harmed someone for selfish reasons. The hook appeared satisfied with Korrigan’s moral outlook, in particular his adherence to the codes of Triegenes as interpreted by William Miller. (Korrigan found when he read this book – recommended to him by Ottavia Sacerdote – the book did not so much reveal truths to him, as simply confirm and codify his own pre-existing views.) What interested Korrigan most was the fact that the Humble Hook had chosen to detach itself from Nicodemus…</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="gideonpepys, post: 7149969, member: 79141"] [b]Session 18 (141) - Part Three: The Humble Hook[/b] [B]The Humble Hook[/B] It was fairly late when Ken Don was eventually summoned to meet with Nicodemus: just before midnight, and not long after the M.A.P. proposal started doing the rounds. Korrigan had just found himself in a conversation with Leyander Colt – who was unhappy that M.A.P. did not retain the emotive element of Miller’s Pyre. The old half-elf was still objecting loudly to anyone who could hear as ‘Ken Don’ was led away to the lighthouse. During his meeting with Nicodemus, Korrigan was very careful of his approach, skilfully weaving his own views into the established worldview of Ken Don, in order that the quiet, bookish research inquisitor did not seem suddenly out of character. This caution felt necessary after Bruce McDruid’s interview in which Nicodemus noted that “except for the clergy and Kiov Hetman, every one of your group voted Miller’s Pyre. I have to say I’m surprised. Was any one of the group a driving force in that decision?” ‘Bruce’ had responded simply that he was world-weary, tired of conflict and glad to see that the Ob were – at least potentially – a force for good after all. He couldn’t really speak for the others, except that they seemed to feel the same way. And so it was that ‘Ken Don’ had to be careful not mark himself out as an instigator or faction leader of any kind. Nicodemus responded positively to what Don had to say. He confessed that he had not had a life of his own for some time, and needed to hear the thoughts and feelings of others for fear of losing touch. Korrigan chose this moment to be frank. He ‘opened up’ to Nicodemus and shared his thoughts in real detail, saying that he did not think a majority of those who had been invited to the convocation could be trusted. Nicodemus raised an eyebrow. “Indeed? What makes you say that?” Korrigan explained that he felt he could identify a common type, the likes of whom would not take defeat in the faction votes well at all. Nicodemus nodded and asked ‘Don’ if he would agree to spend just a little more time with him. Then he called to the ghost councillor who controlled the lighthouse, grabbed four amulets, and had the lighthouse activated to shift them back into the real world. He put on one of the amulets and gave the others to ‘Don’ and the two guards. “Let’s go and see what this island is really like. I want to look at the stars.” They followed the same trail Uru and Leon had taken a few hours earlier, down to the beach. On the way Nicodeus made small talk, asking about Don’s life, and the inquisitor gave only brief, taciturn responses. Only when the conversation ranged back to the conspiracy did Korrigan warm to his theme once again. As they walked along the beach, with the cold surf washing away their footprints, he advised Nicodemus that secrecy was not the way forward. He felt strongly that people would see the opportunity in what the Ob had discovered and that everyone should be given a chance to decide the destiny of the world, not just a handful of individuals whose morality was already in question. Nicodemus bored in on this train of Don’s thinking, but refused to be drawn on his own opinion. Korrigan reiterated his opinion that the Ob’s very secrecy was its biggest weakness, and his firm belief that the more morally dubious elements of the conspiracy could not be trusted to provide support for any faction other than the one they had chosen. Nicodemus nodded at this, as if it had confirmed something he too believed, or as if he had come to some new decision. Eventually, their time was at an end, and Nicodemus led the way back up to the path, taking some rough-hewn steps that had been carved to make a short-cut up from the beach. Just then, Korrigan heard a singular metallic chime, as something bright fell from Nicodemus and onto the step in front of him. He stooped to pick it up. It was a rusted metal fishing hook. Neither Nicodemus nor the guards had heard or seen a thing, and before Korrigan could offer to return the object, the sense that he should not do so - that the hook was his, and wanted to remain with him - overwhelmed his mind. The thing was sentient! He pocketed it for now and determined to investigate it later. Back in the dance hall, where the final hangers-on had gathered in the early hours of the morning, the dragonborn bard, Praesidia de Vaca – flushed with the success of her negotiations with Catherine Romana (who was busy countering M.A.P. with a counter-proposal of her own) – excitedly accosted Gran Guiscard, assured him that she had practiced every word and note of The Marriage of Achaea and Hibiscus – and insisted they perform it as a ‘finale’ to this wonderful evening. The other officers’ enthusiastic response was so encouraging that Uru felt he could not refuse. He concentrated on gestalt with Guiscard, allowing his memory of the piece to bubble to the surface of his mind. He and Praesidea finished the duet to a huge round of applause, whereupon ‘Gran’ began to sing again. This time, he gave a haunting rendition of the sea shanty he had learned from the ghostly cabin boy: a surprisingly sad song about the death of sons and fathers at sea. There was barely a dry eye in the room when he was done, and Uru could swear he had heard a deep baritone chorus of ghostly voices joining in. Back in his room, Korrigan entered gestalt and used Ken Don’s bibliogeist power to search the Ob’s library for a reference to the hook he had found. It returned with this story: [I]When Triegenes passed on from his mortal shell, the prelates of the Clergy cremated his remains in a grand state funeral. As they gathered his ashes to spread across the nation’s soil, they found a small harpoon hook—the kind used by some fishers—which somehow had been caught in the living god’s body since before he achieved divinity. The priests crafted the hook into a pendant, and for over a thousand years it has been worn by the hierarchs of the faith, as a reminder that we all have humble origins. Doctrine claimed that it let its wearer learn the history and background of anyone he met, allowing the leader of the faith to deal with overly prideful enemies and heads of state. In 260 A.O.V., however, it was lost when an eladrin assassin slew that era’s hierarch and stole the pendant. Critics of the faith claim that its loss was part of a plan to steer the Clergy away from its original humble core, so that high priests could better profit from their stations.[/I] When Korrigan focused on the object he could sense its wishes and desires. He knew that it would favour him further if he pursued diplomacy ahead of violence and won the allegiance of old foes. Conversely, it would disapprove if he (or his friends) killed an enemy without first attempting dialogue, or harmed someone for selfish reasons. The hook appeared satisfied with Korrigan’s moral outlook, in particular his adherence to the codes of Triegenes as interpreted by William Miller. (Korrigan found when he read this book – recommended to him by Ottavia Sacerdote – the book did not so much reveal truths to him, as simply confirm and codify his own pre-existing views.) What interested Korrigan most was the fact that the Humble Hook had chosen to detach itself from Nicodemus… [/QUOTE]
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