You are escorted to the First Ranger's office. Sitting on the desk is the First Ranger himself and sitting languidly and calmly in front of him is the man you have been looking for. This close, you notice that the man's blonde hair is almost silvery white. He is wearing a dark blue suit and overcoat with the symbol of the Archive of Ages covering the back -- that of a sapling growing from the middle of an open book.
"Come in, gentlemen," Yntar says. "There is much we have to talk about. The person before you is Saget Brunn, Librarian of the Erdelun Annex, otherwise known as Warhawk. He surrenders, but he has some important information to share concerning the kidnapping. As he has diplomatic immunity, we cannot legally arrest him for aiding and abetting, but he has agreed to share whatever he knows pertaining to this matter."
The gentleman nods quietly, observing all of you intently.
"Diplomatic Immunity! So you have admitted you have broken the law? Helped to abduct children and tried to frame the Magisterium?", he asks as he looks the man over for a charm that might block his telepathic abilities like the wizard described.
Dvark, before you enter the First Ranger's office with the other, one of the rangers calls for you. The equipment you left behind at the High Trenches Tavern is in their hands, as you requested the night before.
Drexon, you don't see any particular sign that the man has something that can block telepathy.
Saget lets out a deep, long sigh. You notice that he lingers his observation a bit longer on Cob than the others.
"Admission would be the wrong word," Saget says. "I simply cannot be prosecuted under your government's law." Until now, you have seen his shoulder-length hair tidily tied in a low ponytail covering both of his ears and his nape. He parted the hair covering his ears to reveal a slightly pointed tip ornamented with piercings and intricate jewelry. "As a citizen of Pancarona, you will have to contact the embassy in Timaril before you can prosecute. The communique will take one week to reach the embassy. Unfortunately, you are required to have a reason for detaining me for more than 24 hours, which you do not have outside of speculation and baseless accusation, as per your own by-laws. It is lose-lose for you."
Karm, as Saget brushes his hair away to reveal his ears, you notice a tattoo on his nape that is familiar to you. It is the mark of a Principal Procurer. Usually, people on that rank would have a necklace with that mark as a charm, but there are people who tattooed the mark on their person for simplicity. Having that mark alone gives a Principal Procurer diplomatic immunity to ensure their work goes undisturbed by a nation's by-laws.
"However, I have decided to cooperate after hearing you shout my codename out loud in the middle of the night," Saget continues. "My cover has been broken and I will have to disappear for some time to lose the heat that you and the three idiots in the cells caused. I will now answer any question you may have."
"Uttering a codename anywhere near me is the same as shouting it to the enemies," Saget says. "If you have not heard, my name is Saget Brunn. I am a Principal Procurer of the Archive of Ages. My work brought me to different parts of the world to secure missing or yet undiscovered ancient artifacts to keep them from falling into the wrong hand. This case I am pursuing concerns the protection of a set of artifacts called the Tears of Curiosity. It is a set of thirteen gemstones, each of which was said to carry a fraction of the power of the deity known as Curiosity."
He pauses for a long moment, looking at the ceiling with a frown.
"Over the years, rumors of the gemstone's appearance have been pursued by countless procurers," Saget continues. "However, when a criminal organization turned its eyes on the gemstone, the Archive of Ages had to act. I infiltrated the rank of the criminal organization and setup myself closest to the one they are looking for -- the last and most powerful piece of the Tears called the Thirteen-Shaded Jade. The jade is rumored to be able to resurrect someone from a name alone. I took the persona of Warhawk and acted as a liaison between the network in Erdelun and the main weave mainly to lead the seekers of the jade on a wild goose chase."
Cob notes the pointed ears on Saget and rolls his eyes at his calling himself a citizen of Pancarona. What could be worse than a pompous elf; a pompous elf diplomat, Cob thinks to himself.
"I'm not sure you're familiar with what a wild goose chase is," Cob says. "The three in the cells came awfully close to getting the jade."
Cob stares at Saget for a few moments then asks "Where are the children? Exactly?"
"Each gemstone is unique in that it has a degree of sentience that must be awakened before its full potential can be realized," Saget says. "The jade, in particular, requires the sacrifice of 7 elders and 7 children. I have led them to believe that they require elders with specific sets of skills, which caused them to waste one year gathering them. Unfortunately, children don't have the same remarkable distinction that elders have and I can only make them believe they have to be taken from around a specific location, in this case, Erdelun. This way, I have put them in the local authorities' attention enough that people like you can connect the dots and investigate the clues I've laid around: the flyer, the Magisterium's back deal, the horse trails. With such attention on them, they will be forced to expedite their effort, and that way they will be more prone to mistakes that can be easily exploited to bring them down."
"Saying that the three you have in your cell came close in getting the gemstone is an overestimation of their skills," Saget adds. "I specifically sent them knowing they will fail and that will give me enough time to divert the agents transporting the children to a specific ship which will instead transport the children to the Main Archive in the Frozen Teardrop to protect them. Unfortunately, you broke my cover before I could do so. All you can do now concerning the children is stop them from boarding a ship called the Cobalt Restitution, which will arrive in Saikhan in a couple of days and depart to parts unknown on the 14th. If you fail, then those children are lost. The only sure location that they will appear again will be in Timaril during the Hollow Night when they will be sacrificed to awaken the jade, or used in other arcane rituals of questionable purpose."
He watches Saget as he speaks. Cob has always been fairly good at deceiving others but never great at picking it up when someone is doing it to him. Still, he watches the elf carefully for any sign he's been deceptive about what he's saying.
Cob, as you watch Saget, you don't really see any sign that he is lying. However, you understand enough elven speech and culture to know that whatever he is saying is not always the complete truth. There is always a hidden 'and' or 'but' somewhere that has been omitted on purpose.
Drexon shakes his head, “The Magisterium is actually involved? We went there and did not find any evidence of that”, he says with a frown.
”The Urgash brothers are involved with the same group I take it. These clues of yours are subtle and seem designed to waste significant time. If you had wanted to direct attention to this then why lay so many horse trails? And if you had the issue of the children resolved, why risk your plan by being so obviously involved yourself?”, he adds, not trusting this person at all.
As he speaks he runs a copper coin across his knuckles, and uses it to cast Detect Thoughts with subtle meta magic.
He focusses on Saget’s surface thoughts only for now.
"The clues are there for those who want to see them or at least have the tenacity to look for them," Saget says. "One of the horse hooves is bigger and shaper than the other -- artificially made. Another is blacker than the other. The flyers are pointing in a direction when looked at from a certain perspective. You just have to look. Unfortunately, I misjudged the city guards' and the conclave's abilities. If I hadn't I would have left more overt clues. That way the case would have been resolved two weeks ago when the third child went missing."
"How blatant must the clues be for these people to understand and see?" Drexon reads from Saget's thoughts.
"I was about to send a message to notify my contact in Saikhan to intercept the Cobalt Restitution and impersonate the ship last night," Saget adds. "With this plan, I can take the children from the Residuum's hand and bring them to the Main Archive of the Archive of Ages until they can be returned safely. I would then leave early in the morning by train to Vortesso and await the children at the archive. When you barged into the Annex late last night and mentioned my codename, I know the three stooges must have talked and all my plans had gone in flames. I'm sure the Residuum network in Erdelun had already heard about my 'arrest' and informed the chain of command. By sunrise, a bounty would be posted for my head through the network and the Residuum's assassins would be on my tail. The least I can do is brief you on what you are involved in and warn you not to mention my codename to anyone ever again lest the bounty hunters thought we are associated and hunt you instead."
"And perhaps you can bait the elusive leader of the Residuum out of wherever they are hiding in."
"Well, it is quite a mess we found ourselves in," Yntar comments. He turns to look at you. "This just becomes more than a simple kidnapping. Are you still up to help us? I understand that this will put you in danger if you continue to pursue this. I can diverge some of my best rangers to follow the trail to Saikhan, but in exchange, I would like to hire you until they return or, if worst comes to worst, I can find a new recruit to fill the rank. As it is, the conclave cannot really cover the area around Erdelun effectively. Your help in patrolling the area surrounding the city would be appreciated if you opt against continuing to Saikhan."
"That's a part of what the First Ranger wants to talk to you about," Halaster says hurriedly. "Wake your friends. Come. Time is of the essence."
“Alright, alright.” Eremoz grumbles and gets himself dressed. “Lead the way.”
Before the rest Karm would like to visit the Wizard in the holding room if possible, otherwise he'd follow the others.
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
{{If no one is with Karm to see the wizard before rest, I will take it to DM with Treewy.}}
Cob pops open one eye, then the other at the knock and Drexon speaking.
"Too early," Cob moans. "Too, too early."
But he gathers his gear quickly, and jumps out of bed to join the others in following the ranger.
You are escorted to the First Ranger's office. Sitting on the desk is the First Ranger himself and sitting languidly and calmly in front of him is the man you have been looking for. This close, you notice that the man's blonde hair is almost silvery white. He is wearing a dark blue suit and overcoat with the symbol of the Archive of Ages covering the back -- that of a sapling growing from the middle of an open book.
"Come in, gentlemen," Yntar says. "There is much we have to talk about. The person before you is Saget Brunn, Librarian of the Erdelun Annex, otherwise known as Warhawk. He surrenders, but he has some important information to share concerning the kidnapping. As he has diplomatic immunity, we cannot legally arrest him for aiding and abetting, but he has agreed to share whatever he knows pertaining to this matter."
The gentleman nods quietly, observing all of you intently.
{{Can Dvark run out and pick up his gear or have it picked up for him during the night?}}
Drexon looks Saget Brunn up and down.
"Diplomatic Immunity! So you have admitted you have broken the law? Helped to abduct children and tried to frame the Magisterium?", he asks as he looks the man over for a charm that might block his telepathic abilities like the wizard described.
Perception: 18+5=23
Cob looks around the room and settles down to sit on the edge of a desk or bookcase near the door he can observe from.
Dvark, before you enter the First Ranger's office with the other, one of the rangers calls for you. The equipment you left behind at the High Trenches Tavern is in their hands, as you requested the night before.
Drexon, you don't see any particular sign that the man has something that can block telepathy.
Saget lets out a deep, long sigh. You notice that he lingers his observation a bit longer on Cob than the others.
"Admission would be the wrong word," Saget says. "I simply cannot be prosecuted under your government's law." Until now, you have seen his shoulder-length hair tidily tied in a low ponytail covering both of his ears and his nape. He parted the hair covering his ears to reveal a slightly pointed tip ornamented with piercings and intricate jewelry. "As a citizen of Pancarona, you will have to contact the embassy in Timaril before you can prosecute. The communique will take one week to reach the embassy. Unfortunately, you are required to have a reason for detaining me for more than 24 hours, which you do not have outside of speculation and baseless accusation, as per your own by-laws. It is lose-lose for you."
Karm, as Saget brushes his hair away to reveal his ears, you notice a tattoo on his nape that is familiar to you. It is the mark of a Principal Procurer. Usually, people on that rank would have a necklace with that mark as a charm, but there are people who tattooed the mark on their person for simplicity. Having that mark alone gives a Principal Procurer diplomatic immunity to ensure their work goes undisturbed by a nation's by-laws.
"However, I have decided to cooperate after hearing you shout my codename out loud in the middle of the night," Saget continues. "My cover has been broken and I will have to disappear for some time to lose the heat that you and the three idiots in the cells caused. I will now answer any question you may have."
“I was not aware we shouted your code name”, Drexon says looking to the First Ranger.
”But if you are cooperating, maybe start from the beginning. Why get involved in this plot?”, he asks.
"Uttering a codename anywhere near me is the same as shouting it to the enemies," Saget says. "If you have not heard, my name is Saget Brunn. I am a Principal Procurer of the Archive of Ages. My work brought me to different parts of the world to secure missing or yet undiscovered ancient artifacts to keep them from falling into the wrong hand. This case I am pursuing concerns the protection of a set of artifacts called the Tears of Curiosity. It is a set of thirteen gemstones, each of which was said to carry a fraction of the power of the deity known as Curiosity."
He pauses for a long moment, looking at the ceiling with a frown.
"Over the years, rumors of the gemstone's appearance have been pursued by countless procurers," Saget continues. "However, when a criminal organization turned its eyes on the gemstone, the Archive of Ages had to act. I infiltrated the rank of the criminal organization and setup myself closest to the one they are looking for -- the last and most powerful piece of the Tears called the Thirteen-Shaded Jade. The jade is rumored to be able to resurrect someone from a name alone. I took the persona of Warhawk and acted as a liaison between the network in Erdelun and the main weave mainly to lead the seekers of the jade on a wild goose chase."
Cob notes the pointed ears on Saget and rolls his eyes at his calling himself a citizen of Pancarona. What could be worse than a pompous elf; a pompous elf diplomat, Cob thinks to himself.
"I'm not sure you're familiar with what a wild goose chase is," Cob says. "The three in the cells came awfully close to getting the jade."
Cob stares at Saget for a few moments then asks "Where are the children? Exactly?"
"Each gemstone is unique in that it has a degree of sentience that must be awakened before its full potential can be realized," Saget says. "The jade, in particular, requires the sacrifice of 7 elders and 7 children. I have led them to believe that they require elders with specific sets of skills, which caused them to waste one year gathering them. Unfortunately, children don't have the same remarkable distinction that elders have and I can only make them believe they have to be taken from around a specific location, in this case, Erdelun. This way, I have put them in the local authorities' attention enough that people like you can connect the dots and investigate the clues I've laid around: the flyer, the Magisterium's back deal, the horse trails. With such attention on them, they will be forced to expedite their effort, and that way they will be more prone to mistakes that can be easily exploited to bring them down."
"Saying that the three you have in your cell came close in getting the gemstone is an overestimation of their skills," Saget adds. "I specifically sent them knowing they will fail and that will give me enough time to divert the agents transporting the children to a specific ship which will instead transport the children to the Main Archive in the Frozen Teardrop to protect them. Unfortunately, you broke my cover before I could do so. All you can do now concerning the children is stop them from boarding a ship called the Cobalt Restitution, which will arrive in Saikhan in a couple of days and depart to parts unknown on the 14th. If you fail, then those children are lost. The only sure location that they will appear again will be in Timaril during the Hollow Night when they will be sacrificed to awaken the jade, or used in other arcane rituals of questionable purpose."
Cob does have to admit to himself that the hobgoblins dis seem to have the jade well protected and it was never in any real danger.
"Cobalt Restitution," Cob murmurs. "We better move quickly then."
He watches Saget as he speaks. Cob has always been fairly good at deceiving others but never great at picking it up when someone is doing it to him. Still, he watches the elf carefully for any sign he's been deceptive about what he's saying.
Insight: 17
Cob, as you watch Saget, you don't really see any sign that he is lying. However, you understand enough elven speech and culture to know that whatever he is saying is not always the complete truth. There is always a hidden 'and' or 'but' somewhere that has been omitted on purpose.
Drexon shakes his head, “The Magisterium is actually involved? We went there and did not find any evidence of that”, he says with a frown.
”The Urgash brothers are involved with the same group I take it. These clues of yours are subtle and seem designed to waste significant time. If you had wanted to direct attention to this then why lay so many horse trails? And if you had the issue of the children resolved, why risk your plan by being so obviously involved yourself?”, he adds, not trusting this person at all.
As he speaks he runs a copper coin across his knuckles, and uses it to cast Detect Thoughts with subtle meta magic.
He focusses on Saget’s surface thoughts only for now.
"The clues are there for those who want to see them or at least have the tenacity to look for them," Saget says. "One of the horse hooves is bigger and shaper than the other -- artificially made. Another is blacker than the other. The flyers are pointing in a direction when looked at from a certain perspective. You just have to look. Unfortunately, I misjudged the city guards' and the conclave's abilities. If I hadn't I would have left more overt clues. That way the case would have been resolved two weeks ago when the third child went missing."
"How blatant must the clues be for these people to understand and see?" Drexon reads from Saget's thoughts.
"I was about to send a message to notify my contact in Saikhan to intercept the Cobalt Restitution and impersonate the ship last night," Saget adds. "With this plan, I can take the children from the Residuum's hand and bring them to the Main Archive of the Archive of Ages until they can be returned safely. I would then leave early in the morning by train to Vortesso and await the children at the archive. When you barged into the Annex late last night and mentioned my codename, I know the three stooges must have talked and all my plans had gone in flames. I'm sure the Residuum network in Erdelun had already heard about my 'arrest' and informed the chain of command. By sunrise, a bounty would be posted for my head through the network and the Residuum's assassins would be on my tail. The least I can do is brief you on what you are involved in and warn you not to mention my codename to anyone ever again lest the bounty hunters thought we are associated and hunt you instead."
"And perhaps you can bait the elusive leader of the Residuum out of wherever they are hiding in."
Dvark doesn't like this either.
Insight: 8
"Well, it is quite a mess we found ourselves in," Yntar comments. He turns to look at you. "This just becomes more than a simple kidnapping. Are you still up to help us? I understand that this will put you in danger if you continue to pursue this. I can diverge some of my best rangers to follow the trail to Saikhan, but in exchange, I would like to hire you until they return or, if worst comes to worst, I can find a new recruit to fill the rank. As it is, the conclave cannot really cover the area around Erdelun effectively. Your help in patrolling the area surrounding the city would be appreciated if you opt against continuing to Saikhan."