The Lost Academy of Khazarum

[Philistine]

Zak

"The gods?" Zak asks, his eyes still fixed on Igdobe's body. "Perhaps so. Very well - assume that is correct. But then the question is, which gods would choose such a... macabre means of sending messages?"

[H Savvy]

"The gods? Or that crazy old man? Magic is capable of many things," Jaron replies. "Either way, he seems done now," he adds dryly.

"Did it make shense to anyone else? It din't make musch sense t'me. Sounded ominous, though..." offers Gliff. "What about you, boy? Did any o'that key stuff mean somethin' to you?"

Jonathan looks surprised to be addressed. Until the gnome spoke, he had been in a state of near total shock, staring mutely at his late master since the old man first collapsed on the table. "I.. th.. key?"
The boy stares strangely at the gnome. "It was part of M-Master Idogbe's r-research," he sniffles, holding back tears at the mention of the dead man's name. "A talisman. He- he believed it would communicate with the Academy somehow. We only found one image of it, and just recently, carved into the stone wall of an ancient burial cave. A circle, about this large," he holds his hands out in front of him, thumb and fingers on each hand just almost touching the other, making a circle about 5 inches across, "in the center was a mark. Some stone or crystal, he thought... he... he thought..."

The boy buries his face in his arms and the soft sound of sobbing can be heard from him.

[dariathalon]

Ahmed

Ahmed examines his writing for a moment, reading it over a second time then stands and tucks the chalk away. He turns around carefully and moves over next to the boy, being certain not to walk across his chalk marks. He places a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder and pats it gently. "It's okay. He may not live anymore, but I'm sure he'd want you to stay strong and continue the search without him. You still have the opportunity to fulfill his life's dream. He may be with the gods now, but you aren't and you can still follow the trail. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you doing that."

[EvilRoeSlade]

Annikko

Annikko also rushes to Jon's side, though her tactic is different. Ohh honey, come here. Burying his head in her chest isn't possible, so instead she throws her arms around his waist and pulls herself against him, patting his back and cooing.

[H Savvy]

Jonathan pulls away from Annikko uncomfortably, fiercely rubbing his eyes. "'M notachild," he says, sulkily, eyes fighting back tears.

Just then, the sound fo hurried footsteps is heard, and Mrs. Whitby flows swiftly and gracefully down the stairs in a cream-colored nightgown, followed somewhat less swiftly and gracefully by Jonas, dressed in a pinstripe nightgown and nightcap.

"Now, now, what's all this commotion 'ere about? Me boy Edmund tears into me an me wife's bedroom lookin' like 'es seen a ghost, he does, an' we can't get hide nor hair outta him bu' tears, if it do ya, and I don't take partic'larly kind to that sort of frightenin' my boy, thankya."

"Please," adds Mrs. Whitby quietly, "what happened to Edmund? And what happened to Mr. Salandrian?" she adds sharply, noticing the old man.

[Philistine]

Zak

"I'll thank you not to take such an accusatory tone," Zak says frostily. "Nothing happened to your child that didn't happen to all the rest of us here also. The old man keeled over dead in mid-yarn; that's the sight that sent your son running to you. I can only imagine how he'd be crying if he'd still been here when the old boy sat up again and started rattling off doggerel about ghosts and keys - that was truly disturbing, and you can thank whatever gods you hold dear that you missed it."

[H Savvy]

"Are ye callin' me son a coward? I'll take whate'er tone I like in my own establishment! I'll remind ye that ye're a guest here, sir, and I-" begins Jonas.

At the same time, Jonathan bursts out with an angry "Don't you belittle Master Idogbe! He was a greater man than any of us could ever hope to be! He-"

And Prazik Wynn begins with a more conciliatory "Now, now, I think we all need to just calm down a little and take a look at what happened. We're all a little on edge from-"

Their voices mix and rise to an incomprehensible din before the clear, inarguable voice of a practiced mother cuts across the noise. "Stop it this instant, all of ye!" cries Susan Whitby. "I'll thank ye to all behave yerselfs in my home and business. Ye're not the only patrons this evening, and I can't imagine it's too easy t'sleep through this infernal racket." As the noise cuts, she rolls her eyes lets out a quiet sigh that sounds suspiciously like "..men.."

"It's clearly been a long night for everyone. I am glad that nothing's happened to our boy Edmund, so I am," she shoots a pointed look at her husband, "and I'm very sorry ye all have been caught up in this. Now, would someone," she glances at those assembled, "some one of ye, like to tell us what happened here?"

"When everyone else headed off to their rooms," begins the bounty hunter, we stayed behind, held in thrall by the old man's stories. Such stories he told! But I fear the lateness of the hour, his advanced age, and the fervor of his recitation, proved too much for poor Mr. Idogbe. He collapsed in mid-tale. When he wouldn't respond, we checked him, and found he was dead. That was when your boy ran off, and I can't blame him. One's first personal experience with death is always... jarring."

Susan's stern expression softens as she hears the tracker's account, and all the fight and bluster drains out of Jonas. "Oh, Jonathan, I'm so sorry. Jonas, dear, go fetch that wand of Gentle Repose from the back. There should still be a charge or two left. We'll keep Mr. Salandrian safe for the night. Once the storm blows past, we'll have a proper respectful burial. Now, I think it's time everyone left the common room and headed off to bed, so I do. This is enough excitement for one night."

[dariathalon]

Ahmed

"You are certainly a voice of reason, and I think I shall do just that, if you'll give me a moment to clean up my mess here," he gestures to the ground. "I have to apologize to you. In my excitement to record Mr. Salandrian's last words, those spoken after his death, I wrote on whatever was at hand. Unfortunately it was your floor. I'll happily clean it up myself, but first does someone have a sheet of parchment and some ink? I'd like to record this in a more permanent form, then I can wash away my hasty chalk marks." Ahmed shifts from foot to foot, almost nervously as he speaks.

[H Savvy]

Jonas blusters indignantly. "After his death, so ye say?! I'm not havin that thing in my 'stablishment, I'm not! Whole thing stinks of bad magic, do ye ken, and-"

"The wand, dear. It should be in the top drawer of the desk, if it please ye," says Susan calmly but firmly. The portly innkeeper looks at his wife, but finding no compromise in her face, deflates and heads through the small unadorned door behind the counter at the entrance.

"Now, Mr. Nashoor, I hear tell the folk o' Gol-Mar've got good manners, an ye certainly seem t'live up t'that. I don't know what ye may or may not ha' seen or heard, but it would be a kindness if ye could keep it t'yerself from now on. It matters not t'me what ye say, but ghost stories kill business, so they do, an' I'd appreciate yer not scaring away our customers.

I'll get ye a scrap o' parchment and pen from the front counter f'yer writing, but as fer th'mess ye made on my floor, s'long as it's jus' chalk, ye can leave it. I'll clean it up when I get up in th'morning.

Speaking of morning, it's nearly that time, and I'd like a spot more sleep before it comes, so I would. I'm heading back to sleep now, an' I suggest ye all do the same, an quickly."

With that, she heads over to the counter and grabs a small scrap of rough parchment, along with a quill and inkbottle. She presents them to the xeph, telling him to return the pen and ink to the counter before he retires, then heads up the stairs and is gone.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Annikko

Everyone yelling and rushing around naturally meant that she would be ignored, so Annikko simply stays out of the way and tries not to get kicked. As the others leave, she stays behind, assuming that she will be called upon to activate the wand, and she quietly sings.

Stormy nights
Fading lights
Kneel and pray
For a summer day...

[dariathalon]

Ahmed

Ahmed nods his understanding to Mrs. Whitby, making a mental note to be careful what he says around the Whitby's not wanting to further offend. "Thank you," he says taking the paper. "And thank you for cleaning up my mess."

He sits down at the table and begins to rewrite what he'd written onto the floor onto his paper. When the Whitby's have retreated upstairs, he says quietly, "I think I'm going to see what I can make of these directions. May as well see what I can do about making sure this man's dream is reached by someone." When he is done writing, he folds the paper and tucks it into a pocket and stands to return the ink and quill to where Mrs. Whitby had found it.

"That all will wait for morning though. For now, it is time for bed." He yawns, finally feeling the lateness of the hour catching up with him. Ahmed begins to slowly trudge upstairs toward his room.

[Philistine]

Zak

Without another word, Zak turns and stamps off toward his room to sleep.

[H Savvy]

"What'sh his prollem?" Gliff mumbles, before trudging off to his room with a slight weave to his stride.

Jonas trundles back into the room with a small, thin wand. It is made from pale wood, and seems willowy and pliable. A tiny fragment of a crystal gleams at its tip. "'Ere y'are, love," Jonas says, followed by a large yawn.

"Thank ye, dear. Now go upstairs an get ye t'bed, but make ye sure our son is aligh' first, do ye." After he plods up the stairs with a "Yes, dear", she mutters to herself, lightly slapping the wand against her open palm, "Oh, I wish it wasn't the middle 'o th'night. Uncle Barnabas won't like bein' got up this early, but I jus' can't leave poor Mr. Salandrian...
Besides, it's a priest's duty, an' he's family, what's more.

...an' even ungrateful family's family."