Ishmael Mk III

[planswalker]

You pin him to the ground and bind his arms and legs with leather straps. He is still foaming at the mouth and trying to reach his left wrist, but he should be safe enough for now.

[Monodominant]

Uncertain why he is focusing so much on that particular hand Ishmael has a look for any signs of a weapon or otherwise.

[planswalker]

Upon closer inspection, it appears that the holy symbol of Pelor is tattooed on that hand.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael wonders if that contained some kind of poison or way to send a message to his church. He took a closer look trying to figure out if magic was somehow involved in this.

[planswalker]

Unless magic is involved, it's a completely ordinary tattoo containing no hidden anything.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael will call out to the butler, if he is not there already, and ask him to use any magic to see if there is something that is concealed by the tattoo.

[planswalker]

Alfred comes, though he can't help much. "I'm afraid that I am no mage, and it has not been Duchess Hordukka's priority to find one at the moment. However, my initial lookover with the estate's goggles of magic detection did indeed reveal that there was magic centered about that tattoo. My dabblings into magic theory revealed it to be an evocation."

[Monodominant]

"Does the Duchess have any casters on retainer? If not... how would I go about procuring the services of one? I have employed a caster from the University in the past but given the sensitive of the current situation and the fact that it had taken a long time to do so I am interested in a more on the side solution.

Perhaps given you have been in the city and this... game... longer than me you know someone I could talk to?"

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This could be the way for me to get my cohort!

[planswalker]

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excellent idea

"Well, Christolph Reich, that young man who cured her, has been brewing us concoctions for things with potentially illicit purposes and not asking questions. Besides that, I'm afraid most of my connections in this city are years out of date, as there was little reason to pursue them when the mistress was not in her right mind. That being said, I know a man who has retired from the business, but he's a good mage and discrete. If you talk to him, you might convince him to give you a reference to someone in the business whom we could use. Exactly such dealings are why marqued agents were created, after all. I suspect you'll be as good at this as I ever was."

[Monodominant]

"Very well. In general if we want to see her Ladyship reach the goals she has set and take her part in the games of politics in the city she will need more than Reich on her side.

In any case, please give me the details to this mage friend of yours and I will reach out to him.

Meanwhile keep this one chained. It might be a way to send a message or some kind of hidden weapon that hides in the enchantment on his hands and I'd rather not let him try and use it."

[planswalker]

"Of course. The mage is named Decimus, and he's one of the best enchanters I've ever met. He lives in one of the smaller and less pretentious houses among the Ninth Court Street houses in the Magic District."

[Monodominant]

After thanking the man Ishmael departs stopping to change from the clothes with which he came in. He goes invisible and hides in the shadows as he proceeds to the identified address.

Once there he has a look at the house taking a wide circle around it to identify possible entries and exits should things become tense. He then walks to the back door, trying to stay out of sight, and knocks.

[planswalker]

As it turns out, Ninth court Street is part of a small zoning within the Magic District where retired mages of recognized power go to spend their twilight years tinkering with magic. Fully half of the houses on the street float a few feet or more from the ground and glow with ever-shifting arcane patters that creep across their surface. You see more than one terrestrial house that has no apparent entrance or exit, and several houses with an entrance features a wyvern, bound elemental, golem, or other magical creature guarding it. Most tend to have very narrow footprints while extending up four stories or more, giving the impression you are passing through a forest of magic towers out of some strange world.

Despite the chaos, the street itself is rather quiet, and none of the guard creatures seem to be making a sound. You suspect magic might be involved in preserving the tranquility when you witness a particularly fractious wyvern open its jaws in what looks for all the world like a roar of challenge as you pass by. The display happens completely silently at your end.

Compared to the great opulence and magical might on display in the neighborhood, your contact's house seems rather plain in comparison. It's merely a land-bound three story tower-house with a polished steel exterior. A shimmering silvery elemental rests in a pool of quicksilver near the single front door. Reconaissance of the house reveals no other door, though there is a single large window in the back which looks suspiciously like a wooden door rotated on its edge and enchanted to be transparent.

[Monodominant]

Deciding he doesnt want to end up fighting some kind of monster in the middle of the city Ishmael walks up to the front door and knocks.

[planswalker]

A metallic face emerges from the doorframe at about your shoulder height, turns to you, and asks, "Yes?" is a slow, grinding voice.

[Monodominant]

"Good day. I am here to see Master Decimus. I am at the service of Duchess Hordukka and wish to speak to him." he says very quietly.

[planswalker]

The face shrinks back into the wall. You're left standing there for several minutes before it reappears. "You may enter." it says and then disappears once more.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael pushes the door forward and steps inside.

He felt naked not moving invisible and from shadow to shadow but he tried to stop his rising anxiety. He was here on official business and had no reason to worry.

[planswalker]

The inside of the house is significantly larger than the outside. In fact, you're sure the entire volume of the outside building would fit on the ground floor, and there is a spiral staircase leading up over to the right.

The inside walls are also a metallic silvery color. A voice calls from the doorway opposite the entrance to the house, saying "You used the name Hordukka. Come closer and let me see what sort of service the duchess is hiring nowadays."

[Monodominant]

Ishmael walks forward. He is worried and ready for anything but being judged for who is he is not something he feels entirely confident with.

[planswalker]

As you enter the far room, you see a wizened old elf sitting on a pile of cushions. There is a large pile of books within arms' reach of him and he appears to be reading one that is being held up by an animated stone arm with a dozen tiny segmented legs on the bottom.

As you enter, he looks up and says, "Well well well, looks like little Doodlebuggy is all grown up and hiring strapping young men to run errands for her."

[Monodominant]

"I am unsure if you are making an attempt at levity master wizard but you must know that the Duchess is no longer little and you must also be able to see that I am by no means a strapping young man.

You are correct in that I am running an errand for her but it is more an errand to help me perform my duty to her than a service directly for her..." he speaks with an official tone.

[planswalker]

"What, are you her new message-runner now? I'll tell you the same thing I told Alfred when he said that Little Doo was up and sane again: I'm retired."

[Monodominant]

Not commenting on being called a messenger boy Ishmael smiles.

"I understand Master Decimus and it is regrettable to hear such a master of the Art is not available to us. Still I come seeking your counsel and guidance. Is there someone, man or woman and of any race, that you would advise me to seek out? The House, and myself, are looking for someone that can handle the Arcane or the Psionic and provided needed support and expertise to the areas that my own talents do not cover..."

[planswalker]

"Message running? Qork the Diviner is a bright young lad who isn't too picky about what he does. Casts a mean clarivoyance."

Sense Motive: Apparently, the man's retirement wasn't only because he didn't want to be bothered. He's apparently just not picking up on certain cues anymore.

[Monodominant]

"My line of job is not message running sire. Its killing people her Ladyship wants killed." he says not expecting to shock the man but deciding to be direct.

"Also I ensure she is protected from danger up to a point, gets updated information on the city, power struggles and underworld movements. I am in general her agent from the shadow... and I need someone who has the talents I dont have which is a series of arcane or psionic capabilities including divination, detection and a host of other abilities you probably know better than I do."

[planswalker]

"Wait, you're her Marqued Agent? What happened to Alfred?"

[Monodominant]

Ishmael raises an eyebrow.

"Alfred is her butler if I am not mistaken. At least he has been the butler since I met her Ladyship. She was still deranged then with just moments of lucidity at a time. He did mention he use to work for her in other capacities as well but I wasnt aware he was my predecessor."

[planswalker]

"So he has retired as well. Interesting. Well, anyways, that's an entirely different sort of creature, isn't it? My great-grandson Elephino has taken over the 'family business', as it were. There's very little arcane magic he can't cast, and what there is he can fake given enough time. There's also this one bright young psion whose specialty is manipulating minds my great-great grandniece knows. He's a bit tricky to work with, though, since his kind are technically banned from the city."

[Monodominant]

"Interesting. Where can I find Elephino and where may I find the psion... also, given what you said... what is his race?"