Session 64.5

Ghostwish has connected.

 VAE has connected.

 Liatai:Heyo!

* VAE mroweth

Liatai:Okay, grabbing materials, grabbing headphones and music...

Liatai:Can you see Miron? Is his token up to date? :3

VAE:seems to be.Not sure about XP - i don't remember that sort of thing, but it seems to be the same Miron I left a month ago :3

Liatai:Oop -- got to shift locations in a bit.

VAE:allright

Dorf Aias:&quot;Don't mynd me. A'm juist defacing a lot o' tokens.&quot;

VAE:VAE is lawling over a totally fail thread on World of Tanks forum

Liatai:Okay, shifting.

You have disconnected.

</i> <font color="#0000ff">Ghostwish has connected.

</i> <font color="#0000ff">VAE has connected.

</i> Liatai:<font color="#000000">H'okay.

GM:<font color="#000000">Ready to go?

Dorf Aias:<font color="#0000FF">Na! Amurnay blootert enough!

Ghostwish:<font color="#0000FF">oops, laundry done. bbl

GM:<font color="#000000">VAE?

VAE:<font color="#000000">mrow?

Dorf Aias:<font color="#0000FF">This is aboot as stoatin' as a political debate.

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Ugh, I'm sorry. My digestive system decided to stage an ambush on me. -.-

GM:<font color="#000000">Let's set the stage before any more distractions happen, shall we? ^^; Here we are, back in Braxton Falls, a squat walled town, and it's pouring rain. While the rest of the Guardians are off routing the source of the storm, Miron has other things to research...

VAE:<font color="#000000">better than the occassional popular uprising that tends to ravage VAE's

GM:<font color="#000000">It's been a day or so, and I have the feeling Miron's been spending most of that time in the library. Would you like to add those detection spells to your prayer book, while you're researching?

GM:<font color="#000000">Detect (alignment), I mean.

VAE:<font color="#000000">yeah ^^

GM:<font color="#000000">Roll those Spellcraft checks. :3

Miron:<font color="#000000">&#171; &#160;1d20+15 = 16 + 15 = 31&#160; <font color="#000000">&#187;

Miron:<font color="#000000">that's detect evil i guess

Miron:<font color="#000000">&#171; &#160;1d20+15 = 10 + 15 = 25&#160; <font color="#000000">&#187;

GM:<font color="#000000">The DC for any of them is 16, so that's two down...

Miron:<font color="#000000">that's detect chaos, then

Miron:<font color="#000000">how many are there ?

GM:<font color="#000000">Four. Law, Chaos, Good, and Evil.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&#171; &#160;1d20+15 = 20 + 15 = 35&#160; <font color="#000000">&#187; Detect undead is useful too, i guess

Miron:<font color="#000000">&#171; &#160;1d20+15 = 3 + 15 = 18&#160; <font color="#000000">&#187; Detect law

GM:<font color="#000000">Critical detection!

Miron:<font color="#000000">&#171; &#160;1d20+15 = 3 + 15 = 18&#160; <font color="#000000">&#187; Detect good

GM:<font color="#000000">All five flawlessly copied. Masterfully done, Inquisitor. :3

VAE:<font color="#000000">think of the implications

VAE:<font color="#000000">Miron's dreams are urging him to do more work, even

Thompson:<font color="#000000">While you are working one rainy day, a fellow archivist enters the Braxton Falls archives. They're significantly larger than the Castleton ones, with at least three large cabinets devoted to alphabetized criminal records. Seems that there are some similarities, though... the head archivist of both branches seems to have a second home in their respective stacks. Thompson even has a small stove in one corner of the library, where a teakettle sits.

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Ah, still here, Inquisitor Steelsprocket? Are you finding all of the spells you need?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Indeed. I must say I find your library excellent.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;You are a small town, yet the scope of your archives exceeds the size of those in Castleton. The only saving grace being the relatively recent founding of its branch office.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Yes, well, it serves us well. I doubt it's anywhere near as large as the ones you're used to in Castleton, though --&quot; The archivist cuts off, and his moustache twitches. &quot;Really now? How curious!&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Well... with the new haul of material from the recent expeditions I expect Castleton's situation will improve somewhat...&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;In any case... do you recall those background checks you asked us to run, and the people and symbol? The reports from Manna just arrived; there should be enough material to pull together a decent briefing.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Yes... that would be excellent. The whole matter is most disturbing.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Indeed... especially considering the names mentioned in conjunction with each other. Is there a subject you'd care to know about first, or shall I just start with the simplest and work toward the complex?&quot; Paper shuffle.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Perhaps so. Materials like these are best addressed in a logical succession, which becomes obvious once someone has access to a greater sum of knowledge

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;I will warn you, it's rather lengthy.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I .. at the moment am only digging at the edges of it.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Well, you do have chairs ,and .. you do have a tea kettle. &quot; *grins*

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;True, true. How do you take yours?&quot; The archivist returns the grin.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Like an orc's fist. Strong and green&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">Thompson chuckles, pouring two cups and picking books up off the chairs to make room for conversation while they brew. &quot;Here we are... now then. Let's start with the background checks, those proved to be fairly mundane. Starting with Mr. Arivan Marathal. High elf, widower, 152 years old, and according to the town clerk, at least, a pillar of the community. One of the town's two main healers, if you don't count his daughter and the vet.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Spotless criminal record, well-liked, though noted to possess a nervous disposition. Highly devout worshiper of Pelor, with a... more than slight evangelical bent. That may be in part his late wife's influence; Jane Marathal, Pelorite missionary, died Korda 13th, 1218 CA at 84 years of age from natural causes. They moved from Lissan Rook to Thalinde in 1197, with their adopted daughter, Sornala Marathal.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Now, the daughter... this is where things begin to get interesting.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Slightly odd for a high elf to breed with a human, though.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Not so strange at all. Or so the Kellon population of half-elves would attest to.&quot; ^^

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;They say that elves sometimes find it easier to partner with a human than another elf -- shorter span of commitment necessary, you see.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Perhaps, but it does warrant some attention.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;In this case might have been partly ideological though. Carry on.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Not so much attention as what a high elf is doing with a seemingly half-drow daughter.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Even adopted, that raises a few eyebrows.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">*raises eyebrows*

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Exactly.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Anyone sensible would consider it a waste of time at best and blood treason at worst.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Sornala Marathal... 59 years old, listed in town records as a half-elf, though the white hair, grey skin, and red eyes point toward the half-drow impression. Pelorite, of course -- as though she could be anything else with parents like that -- though, you know what they say about the children of priests. As soon as they're out of their parents' sight, they get in as much trouble as possible. Criminal record includes a number of tavern brawls, distributing drugs under the table, and a shoplifting charge from 1203. Currently maintains the family practice with her father. She makes the potions for the practice, and has developed a way to weave the magics associated with potions into a candy shell, which if nothing else endears her to the children of Thalinde.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Potions or poisons? Makes one wonder..&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;I doubt the Marathals would be considered such prominent healers if they were poisons... Oh, yes, that reminds me. The town clerk wanted to inform you that at the moment the town is suffering from an outbreak of whooping cough, so be alert for that if you happen to possess a weakened constitution.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;There are a number of small-time healers in the town, but aside from the Marathals, the only healers in town with the power to cure disease magically are Margaret Soosden (known more colloquially as 'Old Maggie') and the vet, a halfling man going by Daldric Greenbottle. &quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;That's all good and well - building up a good, reliable cover. The most insidious evil isn't random .. it tends to masquerade as good.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;I wonder, then, what you'll make of this. You supplied the name Pellan'zyne for a background check, but there were no indications of it in any town in a 120-mile radius from Braxton Falls. Given the names you supplied with it, though -- the drow with the 'shining eye' on his shield, Cal'tel -- we requested that our branch in Manna look into it. Even with their extensive archives, however, they only found two references to any Pellan'zyne, and one is a bit of a tale.&quot; He sits back and searches for a piece of paper. &quot;Here we are...&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;One was from a 60-year-old account of an avalanche in Lissan Rook; the story goes that rescue workers came across what looked to be a drow raider crouched over the body of one of the survivors, engaged in spellcasting. Naturally, the worst was feared, and arrows were nocked to drive off the supposed necromancer, but before they were loosed, a priest of Kord with the party called them off. He had recognized the gestures of the spell; not one of necromancy, but one of healing!&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Unfortunately, as you likely know, the disciples of Kord are not known for their subtlety, and elves are known for their exceptional hearing. The drow bolted into the undergrowth, though other rescuers spotted him throughout the next few days, picking through rubble, patching up survivors, always on the outskirts of any group or area as if he were trying to hide. An old (and somewhat senile, unfortunately) veteran of the Underdark War who had turned out to watch the rescue efforts spotted him and remarked that he resembled a Pellan'zyne and tried to call out to him, but he vanished.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Now, that led us somewhere. Looking into the veteran's service record, we found that he had been stationed at Fort Winterhold up in what is now the Charred Veld. A review of the prisoner records turned up a Pellan'zyne of Helvirahel, a scout captured in Ehlon 1095, granted limited parole in Korda 1096, released at war's end in 1097. The operatives in Manna only had access to the most basic of records; any more detailed information would likely require a trip to Fort Winterhold. &quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmmm...a drow scout and war prisoner turning up, what.. 50 years after the war?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I don't like the sound of that, either way&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Let me think... &#171; &#160;1158-1097 = 1158 - 1097 = 61&#160; <font color="#000000">&#187; years, as a matter of fact.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;And of course, now there's another mention of his name.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;The prisoner records were the second mention, sorry.&quot; ^^;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm.. let's think... One of the workable versions I got is that the drow has used his common ancestry, and some sort of bullshit that's easy to believe to some to enlist the Marathals to help their cause. The poor folks probably think they are doing the world a service.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Let's see, anyone ever figured out who was it the drow was so desperately trying to save?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;All of the names?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;You know, it very well could have been their spy there or something. Avalanches are well known to kill the vile and the righteous.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Rather. .. anyone with an.. interesting record?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;The Lissan Rook drow was noted to heal at least ten seperate individuals...&quot; Paper search, paper search.

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm... most seem to be fairly standard laborers with clean records... a few notes of assault on Nick Haverdash, a cleaner employed in one of the giant raven rookeries... he's long dead, killed in 1172 by a rogue raven... a note on embezzlement from a local mining company committed by Ethira Maedry, though that happened years before the avalanche...&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm, not like we're any wiser from that.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Nothing obvious.. but then, an obvious plot wouldn't look like drowish work. Anyone there done anything interesting *after* the avalanche?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;And.. anyone interesting died in it? It might very well be he didn't manage to save the person he was looking after.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;There was a Jean Valjean that turned around and landed in the local prison for stealing bread from a local baker a few years after being healed by the drow....&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Can you tell the DM's improvising? :P *brick'd*

Dorf Aias:<font color="#0000FF">LIKE A BAWS

VAE:<font color="#000000">AHAH

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Most victims of the avalanche were workers on the mountainside... a few hunters that got caught in the path... a rookery owner... nothing that leaps out and screams of drowish involvement.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Wasn't that the guy arrested for murder of Inquisitor Javert, and cleared of the charges after they found a suicide note?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Yes, that's the one. Survived by Cosette and Marius Pontmercy and their children.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Interesting...&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Especially in relation to the fisherman's revolt. Man the barracudas, and all that.&quot;

VAE:<font color="#000000">*brick'd for the pun*

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;There seems to be no obvious connection between the individuals healed aside from the fact that they were caught in the avalanche,&quot; the archivist mutters, searching through papers. &quot;Granted, the incident was sixty years ago.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Yeah.. there are more recent cases where we can't do much.. and no obvious crime was commited there, either. &quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;The next object of inquiry, however. Now that, I can give you a firsthand account of some of the events tied to. The 'shining eye' symbol and the rider in mithral armor who bears it.&quot; He frowns.

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;We've had spotty reports of his appearance all over this side of Akellon for the past twenty-five years. Sometimes with the black flying horse, sometimes not. Almost always just before an outbreak of monster attacks or catastrophe, or during such events. He's been a right nuisance in our fair city every time he shows up, too. Helping prisoners escape, abducting citizens... some of those damnable black feathers have even been recovered from the scenes of unsolved crimes!&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;If you or your adventuring friends can track him down and capture him, the city guard would reward you handsomely, I can tell you that. Every Mace operative and guard in Braxton Falls has orders to apprehend him on sight for questioning and punishment. Not that we've even come close. He's like a Saint-damned pixie the way he seems to play with evading capture. We've been investigating to see if he has an ear on the inside, but no luck on that, either.&quot;

VAE:<font color="#000000">oh, some input from Saph on the whole matter

VAE:<font color="#000000">crap

VAE:<font color="#000000">Saphroneth: They're clearly Troutskyites.

VAE:<font color="#000000">drone91: The followers of the Sky Trout?

VAE:<font color="#000000">Saphroneth: &quot;We have Trouted the government scum! And thanks for the eight thousand pound fish, Wilf, and the catapult, Jean.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Athletic build, shoulder-length straight grey hair, about five foot three, a diagonal scar on the left cheek that trails up to the bridge of the nose, red eyes, and laughs like the devil whenever we pursue him.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">XD

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Okay..and how the flying fuck can someone like that just order a pie during mid-day without being swarmed by Inquisitors and bloody city watch?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot; I mean.. his armour is about as recognisable as a bloody Blackskull robe.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Most cities aren't as efficient in policing their laws as Braxton Falls is.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I'm not talking Braxton Falls. Castleton is a den of vile crime, but he wouldn't be able to afford to do it over there.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;There's some kerfuffle around Lorellon talking about how he's been seen fighting monsters and some reports about him 'saving' people before -- poppycock! Anyone with that kind of laugh who enjoys toying with the law to such an extent --!&quot; The archivist seems to be about to go off on a tangent, before clearing his throat.

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;... My apologies. I was involved in several attempts to capture the bastard, you see.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Correct. Fighting monsters, or trying to sick them on someone.. it looks similar enough&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;The last time ended with half the inquisitorial branch covered in tanglefoot goo... ugh.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I see... What happened?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">*nods* &quot;So he either has access to an alchemical workshop, or more likely, a lot of money to blow, suggesting a steady income no doubt from criminal activities.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;No, not his.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Ours.&quot; ^^;

Miron:<font color="#000000">*facepalms*

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;We were attempting to ground his mount.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Not one of our finest moments.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;You know there's a number of prayers which will do so perhaps more reliably?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;You think we didn't try that? He had some damnable spell on his mount.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;So, spell resistance?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm...&quot;

VAE:<font color="#000000">Now, what should I roll to check if that's an usual property of such mounts?

VAE:<font color="#000000">Would arcana be enough?

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Perhaps. Though that wouldn't make tanglefoot bags miss their mark.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Religion, in this case.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&#171; &#160;1d20+17 = 2 + 17 = 19&#160; <font color="#000000">&#187; Knowledge(religion) then

VAE:<font color="#000000">Not a finest moment

Liatai:<font color="#000000">You don't know.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;That's unusual indeed. Are you sure the inquisitor throwing it didn't just have a bit too much ale for his own good?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I can't think of anything that could have caused such an effect ,to be honest.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Unless all of the inquisitors that day had gone out for a pint and left doubles in their place? Positive.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;I can think of a few... chaos magic, mostly. Which only solidifies the case that he should be brought in!&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Even what happens with displacer beasts works differently.. .this is a most curious matter.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Chaos magic, you say? That points towards some very bad directions.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Indeed.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;For one, the minions of Lolth herself are chaotic.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;That's the odd thing. There were no signs of spider or webbing motifs on the drow's armor at all. No knight of Lolth would dare be seen without such. Or seen displaying a symbol other than the Queen of the Demonweb Pits'.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;That's odd indeed, but let's ask ourselves - doesn't the Leaden Mace use undercover agents too? It's still possible someone in their hierarchy smartened up, especially since anyone openly brandishing the spider would be dead before he could pronounce 'Lo-' &quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Those buggers were never welcome anywhere civilised, but what with the events of the war.. there's enough of us who still remember...&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm...&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;The symbol, itself, is a mystery... but let us move on to the last subject of inquiry, and the most enigmatic.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Let's see, then.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Cal'tel. Now there is a true ghost, a master of evading the law. The fact that we even have his name is pure luck and happenstance. 'He' might even be a misnomer; popular belief is that Cal'tel is a doppelganger, and they are genderless. If the drow with the mithral armor is tied to Cal'tel, well, that would explain why he has such ease evading capture. He's careful, crafty, cunning, quick... and his motives are a complete mystery.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;You inquired about the drow noble whose noble was tied to the Cal'tel cases, yes? Xun'lay of Rilynasek.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Yes. Who the hell was he?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;It happened in Vantir Refuge, of all places, thirty-seven years ago. She had disguised herself as an elven dignitary come to visit. She was found dead in the restricted section of an elven academy's library, not five paces from a locked chest of ancient magical tomes from the ruins of Arytas Monastery in the Redridge Mountains; one precise stab wound from the front, directly into the heart. Consistent with the later deaths tied to Cal'tel -- precise stabbing wounds, never more than two or three, and often delivered from the victim's front. &quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;When her corpse was questioned by the local coroner, she gave her name and confessed to deception in order to attain the books of lore from Arytas Monastery. When asked who killed her, she answered 'Cal'tel,' a mystery until her belongings were sorted through. &quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;A note was found among them, written in the Elven language; translated into Common, it read 'Your hand is poised to cut a thread which would crush thousands with the weight it supports. Reconsider your path, before the guardians of the thread become your undoing. They watch. Regards, Cal'tel.' We have no lead as to who these 'Guardians of the Thread' may be, aside from ostensibly the organization that Cal'tel considers or considered himself a member of at that time.&quot;.

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;These cryptic warning messages are the common thread among Cal'tel cases, and they are easily twenty times more common than any murders. He has been tied to two other deaths; one high elf later discovered to be a member of the Maitraliat, and a half-wood-elf member of the Naira. Both elven extremist groups, if you're unfamiliar. You may know the Naira as the bald wood elves -- they shave their heads and tattoo themselves to show their dedication to their cause.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;The 'warning letters' tend to be given to those of elven or drowish descent, though not always, from messengers of varied face, stature, name, race, and social standing. 'Micaryn,' one of the names you gave us, is one of the names given by the messengers in the past, a half-drow youth. The warnings always prove to be pertinent, which begs the question of how Cal'tel learns of the things he cautions the recipients about. Common perception is that he is some sort of spy, though why would a spy endanger himself leaving behind calling cards? Others believe that he instigates these events, but then why would he warn people about them?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;There's a pair of half-elven siblings in Greyspire who are considered the foremost experts on the Cal'tel letters -- Casali and Nyeldrim Pascal, private investigators. They might have more.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;You know the situation has gone off the deep end when instead of capturing criminals, we got experts on the letters they leave behind.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">*instead of experts on capturing criminals

VAE:<font color="#000000">brb, gotta drink something

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Oh, you know what I mean. The case has been given the name 'The Cal'tel Letters' in general. They've been piecing together evidence in an attempt to aid in tracking him down and uncovering his motives.&quot;

VAE:<font color="#000000">back

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I do, but it's still a sad matter. And the trouble is, we probably can't just grab him off the street or those in his organisation would pull back and we'd have no idea what's going on until another got stupid enough to get publicity.&quot;

Ghostwish:<font color="#0000FF">I see someone found all my labels. :P

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Yes. :P

* Ghostwish makes a thousand more.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;The sad thing is that now, we are playing his game, letting him do whatever he desires ,which might be worse.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Either way.. i haven't heard much about either elven organisation. If you recall I specialise on dealing with necromancy.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Ah, very well. The Maitraliat are a mixed group of high elves and wood elves, warriors who believe themselves the defenders of what remains of their homeland in the Charred Veld. Their symbol is a praying mantis, and they are well-known for their use of drow-like tactics against their enemies.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;The Naira are far more traditional and strict -- wood elves devoted to striking against all forces of the Underdark and enemies of the wood elven nation.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;I can't say I'm an expert, myself. One of our northern branches would have more information.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm... those two seem like fairly decent folks, if anything.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Says Miron of the elven terrorists. :P *brick'd*

VAE:<font color="#000000">Well, the way Thompson put it, it does seem so

VAE:<font color="#000000">Remember, he does have the belief that not even a dead drow is a good drow because it might become a ghast

Liatai:<font color="#000000">x3

Dorf Aias:<font color="#0000FF">GAW DERN DROW.

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Mm, well, there's been some dissent over that in the north. Especially since the Naira will strike out against human settlements that encroach on old territories too much.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Either way... his dealings with those two explain where he got the seeds from, and how did he know the'd be such an effective bait on the wood elf within the party i'm the liaison of.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Seeds?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Needless to say she gulped it down along with the reel.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Apparently ,a bunch of seeds from the old forests of Charred Veld, which were special somehow.. I don't understand it very well, but the effect was clear.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;It's how he managed to dupe her, and almost everyone else into being his mail-boys.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;And given the record he has amassed here, no wonder he didn't want to deliver in-person.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;But then why trust such a letter to a relatively unknown group of adventurers, with two inquisitors in their number...?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Under the torch's shadow the darkness is strongest.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Let's go through it again. I was suspecting of the whole deal from the beginning, but none of them cared particularly - it's the usual state of matters. And nobody bothers checking on a group that contains two inquisitors, for the Cudgel's sake.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;It was merely a matter of good luck ,and my own dilligence that I have heard of the armoured drow, and one of them, in an attempt to prove him harmless, pointed to the symbol on the letter being the same. &quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Those are all matters the bugger couldn't expect, because even our analysts would be at a loss.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm, quite true!&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;As for why does he instigate events he warns somewhat important targets against.. have you considered blackmail?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;It's always like that.. a warning, show of power, and then either death, or quiet cooperation we find nothing about as the target doesn't want us to.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Seems a fair bit of trouble to go through to get blackmail material. You'd think with that sort of information network potentially at his disposal, a few cheating spouses would easily cover any debts with hush money.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Who knows if he's after money.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;He might be trying to orchestrate a larger scheme.. I think someone has mentioned the bugger might be an agent of a foreign power.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;After all, the worst scheme you can think of has every single link working with no knowledge of the others, and with multiple overlaps on every step.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Enough termites can cause a church to collapse, after all.&quot;

* Thompson concedes this point with a thoughtful nod. :.

VAE:<font color="#000000">Just a reminder, it was in braxton falls the letters were to be delivered, right ^^

Dorf Aias:<font color="#0000FF">Any time you need a drunken dwarf to come crashing in the door, you give me a hollar!

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Nope, Thalinde, next town along the river.

VAE:<font color="#000000">Do they have their own Mace branch?

Liatai:<font color="#000000">No, they don't.

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Braxton Falls is the closest one.

VAE:<font color="#000000">So they fall under Braxton falls, yeah

* VAE is of poor memory

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Haron Silverthrush:&quot;Word is that you're headed west, past the town of Thalinde.&quot; Haron Silverthrush:The messenger takes a sealed letter out of his pack. &quot;This message needs to reach the hands of a healer living in that town. Arivan Marathal is his name, an elf who follows the path of the sun; you'd need to tell him that the letter is for Pellan'zyne. He'll be able to take it from there.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Haron Silverthrush takes out a scrap of parchment and writes. &quot;In the town of Thalinde, the healer Arivan Marathal. He should be told that the letter is for Pellan'zyne. If you can't find Arivan, the letter can be handed to Sornala Marathal in his stead, with the same instructions.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Session 57. :3

VAE:<font color="#000000">yeah

VAE:<font color="#000000">Lynx has enough trouble remembering what's been happening in his own campaign :3

Liatai:<font color="#000000">x3

Liatai:<font color="#000000">I'll leave this here then: http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/akellon/images/1/1b/BriefingFlowchart.png

VAE:<font color="#000000">There has been an improvement once he started writing his notes on the laptop, where they don't get lost and are legible

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Makes me wonder.. anyone in the local branch fancies themselves a spy, or an analyst?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;We have a senior analyst here, as a matter of fact -- Gradia Thorngage.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;It wouldn't be bad to stage a stake-out. The others don't even need to know. The idea is to watch all of the Marathal family once the letter is delivered, but needs to be done well - not like them throwing up a screen showing them sitting behind a table&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Almost all of our covert inquisitors are currently engaged in operations... hmmmmm.&quot; :.

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Magically, or in a mundane fashion, or both?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;The best would be both.. though whatever you have has to be good enough.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;And consider - we have a chance of discovering their conspiracy,and perhaps getting enough material for an arrest. Then we can pound the arrestee for more information.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;I'd suggest speaking with Senior Analyst Thorngage, or the commander, or the lieutenant commander, or all three. I'm certain you could at least attain the services of a few juniors.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I mean.. half of the trouble seems to come from the fact that even some mace branches fail to realise these buggers are worthy of our attention.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;That sounds good. I mean.. they won't likely have to engage in any combat or anything, just follow the buggers and see what effect the letter produces.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;As an aside.. Guardians of the Thread... Ever thought that the only animal that spins a thread is the spider?|

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;An interesting thought... but wouldn't Lolth revel in the deaths or endangerment of thousands?&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Why would an agent of hers warn someone against a path that would create such danger?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Not if the thousands were her armies.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Or, alternately, a side of conflict whose loss would be an indirect loss to her plans. Remember, those of the world are but pieces on the board of the gods. &quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;And, the slow, inevitable weardown forcing you into useless positions is often worse than an outright attack.&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Hmm...&quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Is there anything further I might be able to clarify for you before you speak to our seniors?&quot;

Ghostwish:<font color="#0000FF">psssst, this is when you ask him on a date!

VAE:<font color="#000000">Miron Is Not A Poofter. Neither Is Thompson.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I think there isn't much more that can help us at this stage. Especially if what I have heard from the drow that is regretfully a part of the adventuring group.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;If he's to be believed, the drow have expulsed Lolth's cult shortly after the war, and instilled a new government. It seems equally vile, but mainly set on internal conflict - dealing with the leftover of Lolth's clergy.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;If Cal'tel and the rest are the remains of Lolth's servants, then his exchange with the Drowish noble does make a lot more sense.&quot;

Ghostwish:<font color="#0000FF">playing tf2, shutting off system sounds. :&gt;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;As such, there's a basic theory on what's going on with him.. now, only thing remaining is to collect more evidence and either confirm it ,or sweep it from the table.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Buidling inquisitors...

VAE:<font color="#000000">Using the SprengerSoft InquisiPro 3.0

Liatai:<font color="#000000">XP

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Good luck. And do let us know if you catch that bastard with the mithral plate!&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;I sure will. By the Cudgel, that bastard has a lot to answer for.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Releasing prisoners, sicking monsters on people... &quot;

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;Humiliating inquisitors...&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Did he do so intentionally? &quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">*looks curious*

Thompson:<font color="#000000">&quot;You'd have a hard time convincing me he didn't.&quot; &gt;:|

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Makes me think.. what if that's a part of their purpose. Destroying the Mace's image in the public eye.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Shall we jump to talking with the superiors? :3

VAE:<font color="#000000">possibly

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Regardless... that will hopefully become far more clear once we find out more.&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;An intriguing proposition, Inquisitor Steelsprocket. Once this issue with the covey of hags is complete, we would be able to lend you the services of several younger inquisitors without a doubt. I myself am also between missions,&quot; says the halfling senior analyst after the idea is proposed.

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Issue with a covey of hags?&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;It would be a trivial matter to travel to Thalinde. Inquisitor Aldwin Geas is already stationed there; report to him when you arrive, and he will begin surveilance. I will travel there shortly and set up scrying operations. However, to ensure their success, a simple matter is required of you.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;The letter's delivery can be postponed.. but i wonder, what time frame are we speaking.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Ah, then all is well. What is the matter?&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;If your adventuring compatriots are up to snuff, then there will not be a matter shortly.&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;Inquisitor Lazarus and the other adventurers are already en route to eliminate the threat.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;What threat, and what is required of myself?&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;The hag covey that set up shop beneath our very city. Have you heard nothing of the news or seen the weather, Inquisitor?&quot; :/ &quot;... Never mind, it will be dealt with shortly. Your task once you arrive in Thalinde. Are you familiar with the theories behind the scryer's arts?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;A basic.. it helps to have an item owned by the scryed-upon, or better, a body part. Also, scrying attempts can be discovered, thwarted, or even mislead via the use of screening.&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;Precisely. Scrying on a subject of which you only have secondhand knowledge is difficult enough. A focus will be required for accurate scrying, and that is where you come in. You will be in the suspect's home. Secure a focus for both subjects. A body part, drop of blood, lock of hair, or bit of nail would be most efficient. However, failing that, a possession or garment would suffice. In the worst case, a likeness or picture can assist, but not as well as either of the other categories of foci.&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;Upon securing the focus, return to Inquisitor Geas' post, where I will have my scrying apparatus set up.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">*nods* &quot;I will do my best.&quot;

VAE:<font color="#000000">Inquisitor Geas

VAE:<font color="#000000">That's one hillarious name

Liatai:<font color="#000000">I thought you'd like it. :B

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;See that you do, Inquisitor.&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;Will you be informing Inquisitor Lazarus of this operation?&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Probably. He has shown to be sufficiently able and trustworthy.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;Consider that he has managed to attain full inquisitor status in a manner of several months. Something that took years in my own case.&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;Very well. Should anything of import occur, I will Send to either of you.&quot;

Gradia Thorngage:<font color="#000000">&quot;Provided, of course, that neither of you are currently also engaged in the surveilance operation.&quot;

Miron:<font color="#000000">&quot;In the same way, I shall contact you if anything unexpected thwarts the plan as stated.&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">And fade to black on the conspirators? :3

VAE:<font color="#000000">yep

VAE:<font color="#000000">Well,conspirators

VAE:<font color="#000000">they are preserving public order

* Liatai turns on the Secret Police song. :B

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Okay. I'll save this, then send it to you... Would you be so kind as to put it and the most recent session on the wiki? :3

VAE:<font color="#000000">XD

VAE:<font color="#000000">link?

VAE:<font color="#000000">VAE wants to download it, see

VAE:<font color="#000000">ookay

Liatai:<font color="#000000">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1zF60reTQY

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Saving...

Liatai:<font color="#000000">And quitting. See you back in IRC! :3

You have disconnected.

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