3.5 Political Adventure [IC]

[redzimmer]

Ivor

With many bows and platitudes, Ivor exits the shop and returns to his companions. He ponders a moment whether to downplay the sword's value and keep it for himself, but ultimately determines to save his trickery for strangers.

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So full disclosure for everyone.

[Starbin]

Cal walks up to the guards, wondering if they could stop him if he really wanted in. Of course, it was not here to assault the manse, but use its library. Time for a little of what the humans called 'diplomacy.'

"Hail. I wish to use the library. Let me in." With a pause, Caladeran thought for a moment, then added somewhat belatedly, "Please."

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The looks Cal receives are of boredom and a little confusion: "Have you got permission?" The guard asks, holding out his hand.

[Starbin]

Cal glanced at the hand the man extended, then back at the soldier himself. Reaching out, he shook his hand. "I do not have permission; I have need. Who can provide 'permission?'

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The duskblade is oblivious to what the hand means, so if they guy is looking for a bribe, he'll need to be more assertive

[redzimmer]

Ivor

After offering to all his new acquaintances the magical weapons, Ivor with great displays of reluctance accepts the sword and javelin as his own.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The guard frowns. "No one gets into the manse without authorisation, and certainly not without someone to vouch for them. Hang on, I'll wait and see if there is anyone about." He disappears briefly, but returns shaking his head. "No, captain's off somewhere. If you want to write a letter I can see it gets delivered to the steward."

[sdream]

Sel assists Ivor in coming to turns with the burden of new equipment... offering him counselling on handling the uncertainty of change and the increased risk of accidentally amputating and cauterizing something sensitive when he jauntily sticks his sword in his belt.

"I have found us accommodations as befitting our need to remain safe with unknown competition from our homeland around. There are downsides to your flamboyant lifestyle, but generations of noblemen NOT from the plains have discovered that sturdy stone walls ameliorate many of those pointy, lurking downsides."

"Cal was checking out the local library, let's see if he made any progress. Splitting up allows us to move faster but see my earlier comment about skulking, stabby, competition."

[Sgt. Cookie]

"No doubt Calderan is doing poorly, Ivor can go and help. You and I need to look for a tailor, I will explain on the way."

[sdream]

"Indeed? Yes, please explain why I would not best help our progress by getting to the library to cross reference Fade's notes with local records?"

Any feelings of discomfort I may have around those rogues (especially prince hotpants) aside, shouldn't the rational bookish types pursue the bookish endeaver? I hope he isn't just trying to hit on me again.

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Whether Sel's belief that you hit on her in the past is accurate or merely a reflection of her overactive imagination is totally up to you.

[Sgt. Cookie]

As they walk, Aquarius begins his explaning, dropping his usualy casual manner for a much more somber one. "I will not be returning to the city for a while, as you know. I told the Merfolk I would aid them and I shall. The reason I asked you to come with me is because there are a couple of plots you will have to take over. First off, you will have to keep an eye on Miss Shiel, I will give you a couple of letters containing instructions. One is for her, the other is for you."

"Secondly, we need to have access to the Archa's palace, I had aimed to do it myself but current circumstances prevent that, instead you will have to take my place. Calderan has little experience in socal matters and Ivor is, well, Ivor. I asked you to come with me as you need to be fitted for a Courtesan's outfit, your current atire is unsuitable for such an endevour."

"Once you have made your way into the palace, you will need to intigrate yourself with the politics of the Archa's court and find out who is disillusiond with the Archa and who would like to see her dead. Once we know that, we can collect evidence and deliver him to the proper authorities. Understand?"

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While Selina may be exagarating, her belief certainly isn't without foundation. Aquarius is, after all, rather charismatic.

[redzimmer]

Ivor

Ivor understands completely, but maintains an air of flighty aristocrat to maintain appearances. Nevertheless he takes care to sheath the sword in the antipathy-enducing scabbard before continuing.

[Starbin]

Caladeran simply stared at the man for long moments, unblinking as he considered his options.

After a full two minutes of staring, the duskblade finally spoke. "Who can give authorization to use the library?"

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Regular wall-flower here ...

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"The steward, the captain, any of the ambassadors, the sorcerers." He shrugs unhelpfully, "anyone with more authority than me."

[Starbin]

He waited for a moment, to see if the man offered anything else, then sighed. "And where might I find these people, if they are not here?"

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"They're inside, wait I'll shout." The guardsman bellows for a man named Collins, until eventually a small man appears, he is given orders and eventually returns with a man in a blue cloak.

"How can I help you?"

[Starbin]

Caladeran started to snap a reply back, but chose instead to speak normally. "I am a visitor searching for historical information. I have spoken with the locals, but have learned little. I wish access to the library. Can you grant that?"

He smiled politely, which given the duskblades demeanor and milky eye, came across as both eerie and disturbing.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The response is curt; "Yes, of course, your kind is welcome to here." He bows an then waves for the diminutive man, Collins, to act as your kind.

The little man leads Caladeran through the gateway and into the open sandy courtyard and across it to one of the smallest buildings in the complex and takes you inside. The interior is remarkably free of dust, and Cal can see rows and rows of shelves, though it is far smaller than the library in Cleyarna, its one room possibly only marching one of the many rooms the Cleyarnan library housed.

[Starbin]

Your kind ... ? Shrugging away his paranoia, Caladeran nodded his thanks and followed Collins into the small library. "What filing system do you use?"

Once he had his answer, Caladeran began to browse, hoping to find something that would help them in their search for the Ice Heart.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Caladeran first looks for books on the history of the islands, but none of the books are much more than a century old and the few fragmented details and hypotheses they throw up only serve to corroborate what you were already told by Fade.
In fact even as Cal continues to search for books on the treasures of the island he finds that there seems to be no information whatsoever on this item.

[Starbin]

Caladeran was frustrated when he couldn't find much on the fall of Treiker or the goblin wars following the fall of the isles ... of course, when your history books only went back a century, it left little to aid the search for facts.

Therefore, Caladeran turned his studies to both the religious and the arcane. While Fade had said that there was little by way of fervent faith heer on the isles, perhaps there was a link ... one that would explain why few had found anything before.

On the note of arcane matters, perhaps the proclamation of neutrality for the Tower of Charransellan and the low numbers of members of the Blood were culprits in this mystery.

Finally, he reserved some time to review the current political situation, such as how the local representatives worked within the greater government, and the like ...

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Let me know if you need any knowledge skills (KSs) ...

[redzimmer]

Ivor the Sly

Ivor is itching to get on with some adventure.

"I am itching to get on with some adventure," he tells his companions.

"This village has not much in the way of knowledge of the Ice Heart and the peoples have been very forthcoming to myself. Perhaps it is becoming time to move onto the next populated area to continue our search?"

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Cal

It almost seems like a fruitless task; the few mentions of the fall of Treiker clearly show it occurred a long way from the islands.
But Cal finds one book actually written by a native, and though it recalls little of the conquering of his nation but Cal with surprise, notices how many times this man refers to the Proclamation of Charansellan: what interest could this islander have in the politics of the main land wizards? Perhaps this could explain the worries of Cal's people in the current days...
Cal puts aside Tales from the Heart and avidly cross references it with all the information he can find on the wizards in the Tower of Knowledge.
As he is doing so he hears the tap, tap, tapping of an approaching staff, and looks up to see a venerable old man in a blue cloak standing opposite him. The man briefly scans the books laid out before Cal and in a surprised voice asks; "And what interest does an elf have in Laria with the workings of my order?"

[Starbin]

Caladeran almost yawned as he read through the books, until he found one that caught his attention - not for the reference to the Proclamation of Charansellan, but the number of times it referenced it. Flipping open the book, he checked the title and saw Tales from the Heart. Is it like I originally posited? Is the Heart a person, or title, and not a thing? Perhaps a mantle, handed down over the ages? What if the current Heart doesn't even know that he or she IS the heart? Maybe that is why our adversary sent an assassin ...

Caught up in attempting to cross-reference more books, Cal did not notice an older man walk into the room.

"And what interest does an elf have in Laria with the workings of my order?"

Raising an eyebrow, Caladeran stared at the man for a moment before responding. "Knowledge is many things to all races. Simply put, I am an avid reader and have an interest in local history.

By order, do you mean the Tower, or something else?"

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PS - Cal will look to see who the author is for Tales of the Heart, see if there is any information on why the title was chosen, then look for other books the author may have written ...or if anyone from his family / order / brotherhood / cult wrote other books. Looks like Cal needs to start checking titles!

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"Of course. I am Breddig, a mage from Charansellan. I fear we have little to do with local history. When the proclamation was signed all the wizards that the Cleyarnians use in battle came to the Tower and we removed our kind from this and all wars."

Cal pointedly turns over the book and sees a man's name written: Parl Leylan. It is not a name that rings any bells, and as you search the walls you find no others written by this man.

Breddig follows Cal, obviously intrigued by the socially awkward elf who simply continued his research despite the wizard's intrusion: "Ah, Leylan, an interesting study. I have had a rather a lot of time to study him. He is one of the few Linian authors you know, though that is his only known work. WHat did you make of it?"

[Starbin]

Caladeran looked up at the mage, making an effort to be nice. "Interesting. Linians are not known for their magical abilities, yes? Strange that he would spend so much time discussing the Proclamation. What else ... ah ... would you know much more about him?" He smiled politely, waving a hand at the man to sit.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"Quite curious indeed," Breddig agreed, warming to Cal as the elf responded to him, "Alas there is little more to know; some believed that his account is different because his sources were not the same as ours, but maybe it was just perspective," Breddig mused. "The Linians don't trust to books did you know. It is believed that they have sort of tribal lorekeeper, perhaps called a Heart."

[Starbin]

Caladeran's raised an eyebrow. "A Heart, you say? Is it based on regions, seasons or different tribes? I would be interested in talking to the current one, if that wee possible ..."

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"Ah, it seems you are knew to this. Nobody knows who the Hearts are, well at least no outsiders. All Linians still respect their tribal heritage, and many that live outside the towns still keep to those groups, but we have never managed to find the Hearts and learn from them, partly I'd imagine through lack of interest. But they are remarkably evasive."

[Starbin]

Caladeran's eyes narrowed at the comment. "You said Hearts. How many do you estimate there are? How are they typically organized?

And ... have you ever heard of one being know as the Ice Heart?"

If the Heart were indeed a person, then maybe the artifact was something the lorekeeper had possessed. Of course, if everyone thought the artifact was the 'ice heart' then it would make sense that no one could find it later ...

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"This island was once home to four tribes, so if each of those had maintained their traditions then you would find four here, I presume at least. But no, I've never heard of an ice tribe, or any such title."

"You seem very keen, and should you find a Heart please tell me. They have remained hidden for thousands of years, despite our best efforts to locate them, so I certainly would want to meet one of these men."