Meet Kasen; Spellbooks?
Subject: Re: wizards
Upon hearing they were wanted for murder, Farron sat in stunned silence, listening as Sa'id spoke in their defense. He nodded in agreement at appropriate times, but inside his mind was whirling. Elise had returned to the city? He wouldn't have though she'd dare! Then a worse thought occurred to him. We've given her the perfect opportunity to return unquestioned. We've become her alibi. Now more than ever, Farron wished they had just gone out with the others to meet the demon army head-on.
"Sir," Farron begins, "If you truly wish to bring down Elise, you must help us get back to the temple. Anything we do here in the city will be but swatting at flies while the source of her evil lies festering in the jungle, unmolested."
He turns to Sa'id. "We need to go. This is the second time today that we have been here, where I am well known. By now there are dozens of people on the streets who, when questioned, will be able to say, 'Farron? Why I just saw him at the Seaman's Haven not two hours ago.' If we stay here any longer we'll be pondering our next course of action from inside a cell, if indeed Elise hasn't arranged to have us run through on the spot."
A wanted man. How had it come to this? A few short weeks ago he was on holiday to visit his family. Now his family was homeless, or worse, the city was soon to be under siege, and he was wanted for the murder of a member of the White Hart. Even if he survived the scandal, his reputation was shot. He'd never find work on the merchant ships again. Immediately he felt selfish and not a little stupid. Work on a ship, indeed. If they failed, there wouldn't be any trade work for anyone. The next ships out of Nesalin would be filled with zombie hoards and helmed by a she-devil, from the look of things.
He turns back to the stranger, "You're right that we cannot return to my apartment. We cannot stay here. We've made open inquiries at the wizard's college since we returned, so it's a cinch they'd look for us there soon. I don't think we have any choice but to return to the Sunmaster now and tell him of this new urgency. If we don't leave the city soon, we will not be able to."
From: Dan
Subject: Re: wizards
The stranger looks incredulously at the two men.
"Seal the prison of a demon that is already all but completely free? Surely you're not serious. Lady Elise on herself is more than I can handle else I would have confronted her already. If you can truly tackle and defeat her master in his own temple dealing with Lady Elise should be a trifling affair. No, I think you vastly overestimate your own abilities."
"Leaving the city is madness, and seeking aid from the Sunmaster is likely more trouble than it is worth. He is too well known in the city, his actions are always watched by the faithful. Being with him is more out in the open than staying here in the tavern. Better to go directly to your cleric friend and see if he can hide you. If its some place outside of the city, so much the better."
OOC: Um, Karl, are we sending messages to some of your addresses outside of the mailing list? They seem to be included in Raja's game E-mails as well.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: wizards
"Our 'cleric friend' as you put it, *is* the Sunmaster. And as far as we can tell, the Demon feeds off the souls of his faithful once they have been killed, which we have seen he can do at will and remotely. Eliminating Elise as a threat will only feed him further, and in her case probably feed him well. You're going to have to trust us on this. We have the advantage of the greater picture. It was the clerics of Pelor who imprisoned this monster ages ago. Now the prison has been weakened. It is only the power of the representative of Pelor that will be able to repair this prison before it is completely breached. Once the breach is complete it won't matter if Elise has been neutralized or not, or even if we're rotting in a cell somewhere or drinking ale in the Haven. Nothing on Nesalin will stop this being once he's free, nor in the world, I'm afraid, once he has the souls of this island to feed him and do his bidding. We are even now making arrangements with the Sunmaster to escort him to this temple in order to effect the repair."
Farron casts a worried glance at the door. Otto catches his eye and gives a concerned look, which Farron waves away, returning what he hopes is a cheery grin to signal that all is well.
"Otto is my friend, but his allegiance is to the Haven. If the guard comes through that door, I do not believe he will help us at the expense of his employer. We have to leave NOW."
From: Dan
Subject: Re: wizards
"The Sunmaster!?" He splutters, trying valiantly to look even more incredulous than before, "Your priest of Pelor is THE Sunmaster? But... why would he go with you? Who will take his place? So many arrangements would have to be made and you have only been in the city for a few days. How long have you three been planning this? And how will you leave with one of the most recognizable men in the city riding beside you? Where will you go that someone will not recognize him? For that matter, how will you get him all the way to the mountain? His Grace can barely walk!"
"The Sunmaster." He shakes his head, realizing he's lost any authority he had with the simple drop of a name.
"But you're right, this conversation has gone on longer than it should have already. I do not know when his grace was expecting you, but it would be best to go to him now and leave the city immediately. If youve left any belongings at your apartment youd best get used to the idea of living without them. I will see to bringing food and water to you outside the city, if you can tell me where to meet you. Understand, however, that I will be going with you, youre too valuable to my city to risk having you vanish into the jungle once the Sunmasters work is complete."
From: Karl
Subject: Re: wizards
(TY - just for formality's sake, Farron would like a sense motive check on this dude whatshisname. I'm assuming that Farron is going to feel that he can trust this guy. If I'm wrong, I'll re-write the turn below.)
'Vanish into the jungle', Farron thinks suppressing a shudder. He decides against mentioning that there are a hundred ways this could happen that are beyond this guy's control, whether Farron wanted them to happen or not. He rises. "We should leave by the back door," he says, once again catching Otto's eye across the room. He gives Otto a wink and nods slightly toward the back of the Haven. Having had reason to leave the Haven that way in the past, he trusts Otto to understand his signal. He was leaving and wished to do so quietly. Hopefully, if Otto were questioned in the near future, he wouldn't feel the need to give out too much info. Otto was loyal to the Haven, but if Farron was no longer there, being cagey shouldn't be a threat to his employment. Maybe those good tips over the years would buy Farron some discretion.
Once in the Alley behind the haven, Farron speaks. "We still don't know your name or really anything about you. What is your position in all this?" he asks, making for the Sunmaster's temple with all caution, keeping to the shadows and using the least traveled route he knows.
(OOC - Farron will also tell whatshisname of a spot where they can meet outside the city. I'm sure he knows some small farm or out of the way landmark that would make a convenient rendezvous point. Unless Sa'id has a better idea, he intends to go to the Sunmaster with the latest news of their "wanted" status, and plead the case for their immediate departure. Of course, I'm sure what Farron intends and what Ty has in mind are probably two very different things. ;)
Boy this has gotten exciting! :D /OOC)
From: Karl
Subject: Re: wizards
By way of answering your question below, Dan, I'm not getting all the emails to the list, but I'm apparently getting all of Raja's. I haven't gotten anything much today from either game other than the emails I've responded to. I don't know if that's all there has been or if I've missed anything. I don't mind getting duplicates, so if anyone wants to include my addresses in addition to the list address I don't mind.
Karl
From: Dan
Subject: Re: wizards
The stranger balks slightly at the question of his name and looks uncomfortable when he does answer. "I suppose I owe some sort of answer, I've asked for much honesty from you. You must forgive my hesitation, I do believe that you are innocent of this crime... but it's hard to shake the fact that you stand accused of murder."
"My name is Kasen of the White Hart," he swallows hard before continuing, "and Squire to the late Sir Conal. I suppose my position in all this needs no more explanation."
"There are some things I must do before leaving the city, I'm sure my time with you has not gone unnoticed and soon the guards will have some questions for me, questions I would just as soon not answer. Certainly my leaving the city will be suspicious, but that is my own problem to sort out. If there's anything aside from food and water you need for the journey I will try to bring it when I leave, but I can make you no promises."
From: Raja
Subject: Re: wizards
OOC: I like the name of the late knight. :) Also, I hope our spellbooks aren't sitting in Farron's house.
IC:
"The Sunmaster was going to ask the Duke for some men to accompany us in secret. If he has not already gone, and if... she... does not already have some sort of hold on the Duke, perhaps Fellus' words will sway him."
From: Ty
Subject: Re: wizards
Farron feels like their large new companion is being completely straightforward with them. He is actually quite charismatic.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: wizards
Mmmmmmm. . .big, burly, charismatic man. . . ;-) /Homer Simpson drool voice
From: Karl
Subject: Re: wizards
(OOC - Ty, do we have our spellbooks and components for casting? If not, Farron will give Kasen his key and instructions for getting into the apartment, hopefully by some back entrance so he can maybe pick those up for them. Otherwise he has no other specific needs and will trust Kasen to gather food and supplies as best he can.)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: wizards
It seems unlikely that Farron and Sa'id would be lugging their full spellbooks around the city.