IPB WARNING [2] Declaration of class_bbcode::convert_emoticon($matches = Array) should be compatible with class_bbcode_core::convert_emoticon($code = '', $image = '') (Line: 0 of /sources/classes/bbcode/class_bbcode.php)
A soul seeks our help - Labyrinthe Forum
IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> A soul seeks our help, Sort of brief for 23rd June
JustinC
post Jun 14 2018, 06:31 PM
Post #1


Hero
*******

Group: Members
Posts: 2,199
Joined: 23-November 07
Member No.: 51



I have been approached by a soul seeking our help.

Lawrence Duvain used to be a Corporal in the 101st. He and his stick fought at the Shriven Plains. They were separated from the rest of the army during the Momroth Charges. They were being destroyed by Blauz forces when they were saved by a stranger. This man routed the Blauz momentarily, and healed up the injured. As the demons were gathering themselves, this stranger told Duvain to take his unit back to the lines while he held the Blauz off. They refused initially, but he shouted that they would do more good at the front, and so they left him and returned. They got his name as Uriel Trask, from Keys.

After the battle, they found Trask barely alive and surrounded by dead Blauz. They sought to help him, but he explained he was long dead and only holding on to ask them to look out for his wife Madeline Trask and son Tyrion. They swore a blood oath that they would, and he passed on. They took his body back to Keys, gave Madeline some money and explained how brave he had been, and swore that if she or her son ever needed them, they only need ask for help and they would all come.

One by one, each of those that took the oath died in various battles and conflicts. But they had made blood oaths, and so their spirits lingered against the duty to fulfil their promise. This was all fine and proper, but recently the bonds that link them to Tyrion Trask have started to waver. Duvain believes that Tyrion is in trouble, but isn’t calling on the oath and he and his men aren’t strong enough to help him unless they are called.

He has asked me to help. I am asking the Knights to help. I have already performed some divinations, which I am happy to share with any who will help in this.

Smudge
Hero of Mordred’s Rest
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
giles
post Jun 15 2018, 11:18 AM
Post #2


Legend
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,080
Joined: 23-November 07
Member No.: 68



Hello Smudge

A while back someone or several someones were collecting oaths of this kind, I'll look through any notes or reports I have. There might be a connection. I'll see what I can do to help and speak to a few people and let you know anything I find - any further information you have might save us repeating ourselves, hopefully I still have a few resources,

Nev DeVille
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Stuart
post Jun 18 2018, 09:34 PM
Post #3


Legend
********

Group: Members
Posts: 5,234
Joined: 23-November 07
Member No.: 39



Dear Knights,

I have been asked by Lord DeVille in his absence to act as hirer for this excursion, and will place my transportational talents at your disposal.

Firstly on the matter of Tyrion Trask - he was last seen in the City of Scarlene and it would seem best to start investigations there.

Given the location, Lord DeVille has also asked that you also investigate the recent disappearance of one Korkus Delamere. Sire Delamere is a noted merchant and historian. A business associate attending for dinner reported finding the place turned over as if a brief fight had taken place there. Of particular oddity was his rather exceptional library, in that while the hundreds of books and scrolls were in excellent condition and carefully placed behind glass on the shelves, every single one of them was completely blank as if they had never contained any words at all.

The last visitors to see this man were Arlen and Timeas Brougham, merchants of the City of Scarlene. While you are in the city, perhaps you could seek them out and see if they have any answers. Simple scrying for his location has been attempted but without success. If you can achieve his rescue, this would be ideal.

I look forward to seeing those who can attend this Starsday shortly after the 10th hour.

Orstval the Blue
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
JustinC
post Jun 19 2018, 08:36 PM
Post #4


Hero
*******

Group: Members
Posts: 2,199
Joined: 23-November 07
Member No.: 51



At the same time as I was approached by the spirit, this was also announced. I believe there to be a link.

The Watch in the City of Scarlene are bemused by the disappearance of Korkus Delamere, noted merchant and historian. A business associate attending for dinner reported finding the place turned over as if a brief fight had taken place there. Of particular oddity was his noted library, in that while the hundreds of books and scrolls were in excellent condition and carefully placed behind glass on the shelves, every single one of them was completely blank as if they had never contained any words at all.

It is not dangerous to scry about Tyrion and/or Duvain’s stick.

Tyrion is in the Gallowglass Isles.

While the blood tie to Duvain’s stick has not yet been broken, he is being put under pressure by the Cult of Power Unsullied to sign a document supernaturally transferring the benefit of that oath to the Society of Obligation, and to give them all his money and other worldly goods. He is wavering and will likely agree shortly, hence the wobbles Duvain has felt. The Cult intend to move on to his soul after that.

It is not dangerous to learn about Korkus Delamere’s situation, but he is presently shielded.

I was unable to ascertain exactly what happened to him. He is actually only shielded regarding trade matters, but still I can’t work out what happened. Before he last vanished he was returning home for a business meeting with Arlen and Timeas Brougham, minor nobles from Scarlene who are seeking to invest in the city. His next meeting was with Niall Masterson, a friend of his, who was surprised his friend wasn’t there and the place had been turned over.


Korkus had a Blinkered Eye rite over his house. This went down recently when Gertrude, the head of his household staff, was talking to someone she regarded as pretty important, who is shielded. She explained she had no idea, and she doesn’t believe the person she spoke to knows either, though she felt he felt he was very important indeed. The books and scrolls have never had words on them, apparently. This certainly doesn't accord with people's recollections of the situation though. It is worth mentioning that the scrolls that were in the house are now blank and have always been blank too, and they don't have and have never had power, although in the past people (including Korkus) certainly thought they did.

I believe the Blinkered Eye over his villa has been put back up by a minion of the Imperial Seers.

Further thoughts: There are Levity rites, which wipe history from the page. They tend to wipe the memory of them as well though. Korkus believed that the last book that he purchased was a history of John Rust Nagrechson, and the person Korkus bought it from thought that and, having read the book, knew more about John Rust Nagrechson than he had previously. But everything we can tell about that book is that it's always been blank.


Korkus and Tyrion are both residents of Scarlene. Gertrude knows a lot about Korkus as she’s been his housekeeper for ages. But I believe the Seers put their Blinkered Eye back up. Tyrion is currently in the Gallowglass trying to find some sort of centre in his life as he’s falling deeper and deeper in with the Cult of Power Unsullied. I believe that there are a number of people there know quite a lot about him. There may also be some mercenaries who know more about one or both of these situations.

I hope that this information is useful.

Smudge

Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Christine
post Jun 20 2018, 09:38 AM
Post #5


Legend
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,045
Joined: 23-November 07
Member No.: 110



To those who will be investigating the disappearance of Korkus Delamere and matters pertaining to Tyrion Trask -

The following is a vision that appears of little direct relevance, but is tied to these events.

Somewhere but nowhere, almost within reach but at the same time a distance beyond knowing, a cloud floats and it is everywhere and everything. There is no pattern to it – here there is darkness and there there is light, and every shade of colour and those things beyond colour. To view it is to search for order and while there are places here and there where the shapeless cloud seem to have formed a structure there is no pattern to them, no order at all.

Voices come -

The first, low and steady and sure: “It will be better. There will be rules. The epidal forces will be bound and restricted. They will be forced to use agents, and no longer contend directly.”A second, measured and calm: “But what of the others, the lands beyond? Do we not destroy countless realms, millions of beings?”

The first: “When we succeed they will never have been. The existence of those who are is infinitely more important than the wellbeing of those who are not. Our very success absolves us of any moral wrong.”

A third, high and querilous: “But...”

The first interjects: “Enough! If we do not, then another will. We must trust ourselves and act now before another does. And if we are wrong, well, that which is done can be undone. Convergence does not forever preclude Divergence. Now let us vote.”

And the cloud that once was had never been. And a million heavens and a million hells, and a billion worlds had never been. And how can you wrong that which has never been? For instead there had always been a vast cloud in the shape of an hourglass, and at its centre burned a light like no other, coruscating with all the colours of the rainbow. And on the ancient land of Primus around the centre, a scattered handful of beings raised their faces in shock, in anger, in outrage, in fear and in loss as all that remained of their lives and their loves suddenly dwelt in their fading memories.

A kindly old man, whom I knew, you gazes serenely, smiling with untold sorrow. He shakes his head and shrugs sadly.

And finally one day a child born of two worlds that never were raises his head, eyes wreathed in flame, and swears “That which is shall never have been.” He strides towards the Centre cloaked in righteousness with a myriad of the Neverborn in his shadow and armies at his back. And battered and bleeding, moments from death, he places a single finger on the Crystal. The Throne explodes and every shard becomes a world and every flicker of light a soul, and all that once might have been, now is.

The hourglass is the diagram of reality as we know it, so this must be the past, or a past, and the rest a prophecy of how what was done might be undone. Which would have dire consequences for our world, regardless of whether such might be considered just or not, if the words spoken by the man at the end are correct. As I said, disturbing but of great interest. The sight of these things do not usually bear scrying about, they unfold and can reveal pasts and futures where scrying would not - I tend to keep them in mind but not to place too much weight of expectation upon them. Regardless, it is tied somehow to the wider pattern, a thread of which you are now investigating.

----
Turning to the matter at hand, Korkus Delamere is known to myself and Consul De’Ville as a result of past actions against Myron. Powerful agents who at that time worked for the Myronese are still at large, hence what follows is not a complete account. Our enemies included powerful scryers, and our ability to deceive them played a notable role in our success.

Korkus Delamere was at the time of past events, in IM1011 / 12, in Keys. He came to our attention when he employed a factor, Annabella Mist. She acquired some shards of Vandling Stone from the grave of a long-dead northern tribesmen, Hant Vinter, who fought the Gathen. Vinter was notable as he and those he led killed two of the Gathen and drove off a third, he was buried with great honour. The Vandling Stone was taken to be sold as Primal Shard. Vinter swore revenge and to be laid to rest required that the Vandling shards be replaced and he be allowed to destroy the spirits of those responsible in a rite to his totem, the Winter Lion.

Delamere was innocent in the desecration of the grave and Annabella Mist acted in her own interests. We rescued him from the tribals who had captured him, earning his gratitude. He was a wealthy and respected merchant who dealt in curiosities, it is regrettable that he has once again got himself into trouble.

----

Whilst fascinated to learn I have minions, the matter of Imperial Seers’ involvement here is entirely straightforward. Mallerstang of this department wished to conduct some investigations into the disappearance, and requested that Korkus Delamere’s household Blinkered Eye rites be lowered to facilitate this; he spoke with Gertrude the housekeeper and the rites were then re-established.

Mallerstang’s conclusions were that : -

- Korkus' abscence and travels are always meticulously noted and recorded. This one wasn't, so is unusual.

- As expected his manor is permanently within a blinkered eye, though I convinced the head of his household staff (Gertrude) to remove it so I could scry and then had it replaced.

- On the day of his disappearence he met with two minor nobles from Keys, Arlen and Timeas Brougham (who the staff did not recognise). They had coffee and conducted their meeting behind closed doors. Three hours later when his next and more frequent visitor arrived, the staff found the door locked and on unlocking it some minutes later found the reported struggle, broken coffee cups and so on.

- The member of staff, Hilly, who was supposed to be present outside the door for the entire time, in case Korkus needed anything swears she heard nothing and didn't leave her post. She believes she is telling the truth. Gertrude suggested that often the staff would take breaks of up to 20 minutes or so, or need to go and perform other quick tasks.

- Korkus was shielded from scrying (by blinkered eye) when taken and never reappears. I would surmise he was transported from one such, to another and so on.

In terms of his books:

- business ledgers

- forty-seven more interesting, much older books - these held a series of myths, legends, stories and analyses of ancient artefacts – things like the Axe of the Annunciator, Hood of the Disenchanter, Robes of the Magiarch, and so on. There were investigations and explorations of old tribal sites to the North of the Empire’s lands, in particular around the City of Keys, and several volumes considering the nature of Armastas.

- the main areas of focus of books that were brought in (as opposed to being written within the Blinkered Eye) were first-age artefacts and their manufacture, shamanic rites and legends about what had been and could be done with them. Also some pretty obscure references to Ambrulage and a history of the life of Nagrech and John Rust Nagrechson.

- of note, the content that the books contained is now shielded from scrying. I was able to find what I did, but scrying from the point of time when the books entered the library, or were otherwise not so shielded. This form of warding is familiar to me (indeed I can cast a miracle which does exactly that), though it does feel quite specific to Levity or other similar powers. I suspect if whatever did it invoked Levity or the Night of Levity, she would have told me as much, so it is some other, similar power, or ritual, of which I suspect there are several possibilites.

- unfortunately this means I can't recover any annotations or comments Korkus may have made since the books entered his household.

In terms of Korkus himself :

- his business dealings are warded (unsurprisingly).

- his mother was very kind and gentle to him, while his father was extremely short, occasionally brutal and rarely around.

- he had a great moment of tragedy in his youth involving a pretty young woman and I imagine their child - as I saw two graves, one tiny and him mourning over them.

- most things from later in life are shielded, except at the dawn when he was surprisingly extravagant and every year dressed up as the Spirit of Primus and bestowed gifts upon the children of his employees. There was a strong sense of warmth, family and friendship from him to those in his employ, which was reciprocated.

- later he was kidnapped by barbarians and dragged away, then a bit of a blur of rites being cast upon him and real terror building of the outcome until he was finally rescued by mercenaries whose faces were obscured [EV note – myself and others]

- since then he has been less happy – the edge has been taken off his life and he has been more careful about his own well-being and distanced himself from his staff somewhat.

- there are still a number of blanks since that point, where he has dealt with people who have been in some way obscured or shielded from scrying.

Korkus biggest fear is that he would become close to someone and they would be taken away from him. He didn’t think he could survive that sort of loss again.

His biggest secret is that he had spent a fair slice of resources since that time in trying to find evidence of [EV note – extremely powerful items similar to one confiscated by myself and others in 1011/12], including how they might be made.


This last is quite interesting and perhaps explains some of the reason why he might have disappeared, been taken, or similar. We don't know what happened in the room with the nobles from Keys so I wouldn't wish to assume that they were behind things, or that he was, or that there was not simply something he or they had which they 'accidentally' (or deliberately) activated in some fashion. Some old books and artefacts have a habit of being somewhat unsafe and volatile at times.

Hopefully this will be of some help/interest to those who might investigate.”

-----


The Imperial Seers would appreciate a report of your investigations. We are in particular interested in the Knights of Stach Yenten (the name meaning “12 chalices”, which they seek), and the individual occasionally known as Father Prestwick / Emir Calic bin'Ord, late of Thimon. This person is a highly dangerous former agent of Myron, broadly unkillable, and should not be scryed about if possible.

This should be of assistance. I am making some further investigations into Tyrion Trask, if they yield fruit, I will inform you.

I had hoped to accompany you but matters will arise on Starsday morning that make that impossible.


Elinor Vascane
Imperial Seers
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Stuart
post Jun 20 2018, 08:07 PM
Post #6


Legend
********

Group: Members
Posts: 5,234
Joined: 23-November 07
Member No.: 39



Thank you Lady Vascane for your brief precis of matters. To briefly summarise the task in hand:

1. Meet at the Twisted Stick Tavern in Scarlene by 10:30 on Starsday
2. Search for Tyrion Trask, and save him as required.
3. Search for Korkus Delamere, and save him as required.

Orstval the Blue
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Christine
post Jun 20 2018, 08:40 PM
Post #7


Legend
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,045
Joined: 23-November 07
Member No.: 110



I have made some further enquiries into the Cult of Power Unsullied and the Society of Obligation.

The Cult of Power Unsullied are entirely open about their activities, indeed, they have a promotional leaflet. They prepare formal accounts, properly scrutinised by the scribes, to ensure they properly reflect their activities. The Cult is not shielded from scrying although its clients are. It was created by Pieter Koleric, out of Halgar, when the public feeling turned to require nobles to actually live up to their roles, and is designed to help people with reputations to maintain avoid losing their links with the evil spirits.

It is, in my personal opinion, an entirely loathsome organisation.

They accept donations from dark-hearted individuals to perform evil deeds on their behalf. They specialise in operations outside of the Empire and its allies, so as not to cause diplomatic incidents. The donations are all fed into missions where the locals are dominated, exploited and/or raided in a fashion the dark spirits would be proud of.

Members of the Cult are provided with a good quality lifestyle, training and accommodation. They are encouraged, but not required, to give their worldly goods to the Cult to allow their power to grow. Profits of their evil works are used to make Pieter Koleric wealthy, and keep the Cult in good order and the cultists happy.

They have a complaints handler, because of course they do. Hilary Varesse is based in a small office in Halgar, and deals with what they would term any worrisome issues or upsets, and would be very happy to speak with anyone who has any issues with the Cult or its activities.

In the interests of complete provision of information, I include below the text of their standard pamphlet, which reads:

Evil spirits losing interest?

Are you struggling to find the time to be malign? Are your connections with dark powers wavering? In the Third Age it can be difficult to maintain an acceptable public persona while also inflicting pain, anguish and torment upon the unwary. This is where the Cult of Power Unsullied can help you! Why wield the knife yourself when you can pay someone to do it for you! Contributions to the Cult are guaranteed to maintain your standing with dark powers and we take exceptional steps to ensure that all dark deeds are committed beyond the Empire’s borders and in a manner not proscribed by law.

Why run the risk of your powers wavering in a dangerous moment? Don’t want to risk being caught in an embarrassing situation? Donate to the Cult of Power Unsullied today, and maintain the respect of the denizens of the netherworld. Contact Hilary Varesse in Halgar, or your local representative. Minimum donation G10,000.”

Their Scarlene and Thimon chapters are noteworthy; in the Scarlene Chapter one Clam Havershell welcomes all comers, whilst the Thimon Chapter is very well-funded and staffed by Joshua Jackamore.

-----

The Society of Obligation is comprehensively shielded from scrying, which is not unexpected. People in a variety of places across the Empire, Ishma, the Baronies and beyond believe that occasionally they speak with a person who lets them know something called the Society of Obligation is paying well for Blood Oaths and similar weighty promises, where a life or similar is owed. Several dozen people believe they have concluded deals with them, and feel they have been well recompensed.

They have no discernible links to any other persons of interest in these ongoing matters,

---------

Due to my tangential involvement in this matter it is unlikely I will be able to provide substantial further information.

Elinor Vascane
Imperial Seers
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic
2 User(s) are reading this topic (2 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 



Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 09:51 AM
Original Darkness Skin Created by Danellis
Converted by Mdgshorty of New Horizon Skins