In the cell belov the Govenors palace. (Part 1)


After about an hour, the room has filled with six other travellers.  The door
closes a last time, with the guard explaining that someone will be along 
shortly to interview everyone.

A barbarian type is leaning against the far wall, hand on sword seeming to
ignore all that is happening in the room. He says nothing and looks angry.

One of your fellow prisoners, an elf, paces back and forth.
Occasionally going to the door and looking out. 
He also asks you if you know what is going on. 
If you are willing to speak he introduces himself as Quill and ask if you
have any idea what is going on and how long this might take.
He looks quite worried.

Kai walks to the far end of the table and turns to face it, leaning
forward to place one hand on each near corner. "kirion captain ehron
good to see you" he begins in an expressionless monotone "gentlemen i am
kai larsen also known as the hawk i believe introductions are in order"

Kirion nods toward Kai.  "Kirion," he says by way of introduction to all,
as if that were more than enough.  His Garian betrays a slight accent...
though it is difficult to tell which might be his native tongue.

Kirion is an older man dressed in a white tunic and sandals.  He carries
a small sack which obviously holds very little, and wears his only two
other possessions...a pouch on his belt, and a large knife, neither of
which are magical.  The sack, pouch and knife in its scabbard are
remarkable however to those with Magery since they seem to be the only
things about Kirion that are not magical.  Even Kirion's skin seems to be
alive with mana....

Kirion moves aside, examines a wall briefly and then watches the elf
pace, almost as expressionless as Kai's speech...as if that were possible.

Kai looks much as described on his page, a tall massive man with groomed
long red hair, moustache and full beard, dressed in black trousers and
tunic over leathers, complete with boots and gloves, a chain coif and
mantle about his shoulders (not on his head at the moment.)  He is
currently wearing a shield covered in black leather embossed with a hawk
slung over his left shoulder, a large black crossbow over his right, a
black leather quiver with black metallic bolts visible within under his
shield arm, and a pair of ornate daggers and tooled leather pouches set
on opposite sides of his (you guessed it) tooled black leather belt.
Everything about him is some shade of black save his hair and freckled,
lightly tanned face.

"i was told precisely this" Kai volunteers "good morning travellers i
regret this inconvenience but the governor has ordered all foreigners be
detained for questioning in order to find a spy you will be released in
the morning if you do not resist the city is locked down do not attempt
to escape" He swivels his head around the room, the first time he has
looked away from the door, and continues "when i asked whether we would
be treated as gentlemen the officer replied as long as you cooperate you
will be allowed to keep all of your belongings again i regret the
necessity of such measures but times being such as they are i must ask
you to comply of course you were here when the guard explained that
someone would be along to interview everyone" By now he has resumed
staring at the door "if one of you is a spy you should explain your
situation so i may determine whether to help you escape as i can assure
you their methods will be quite thorough i myself am not a spy if any of
you knows any other reason why we should not await the interview this
would be the time"

Kai does not look worried, in fact his blank expression has not changed
since you first set eyes on him.  Nor has he moved a muscle since
walking over to the table save the one economical pan around the room.

Gwar has not looked directly at anyone yet: entering, talking, pacing,
what-ever... and seems to have no interest in the
conversation at hand. 

Kai turns his head, leaning in on the opposite shoulder to face the
barbarian, with "manon i know well of old so only you remain will you
not do me the honour of the introduction i have requested i recognise not
the cast of your skin nor the cut of your clothes do you even speak
garian at all"  His gaze has now locked on Gwar's eyes with an
unblinking stare.

When addressed by Kai Gwar looks over at him and says something brief in an
unfamiliar (orcish) voice. Then in a heavily accented Garian dialect he
simply says "I am Gwar, stranger." and places his hand on his sword.

Gwar opens a large pouch and (Still looking at Kai) starts to eat some
food. If nothing develops, Gwar goes back to what he was doing (ignoring
everything).

From the corner furthest from the door, a 25 year old human male steps 
toward the table.

He carries very little. A small backpack is slung over one shoulder and
a couple of small leather pouches hang from his belt. Attached to his
right side is a beautiful katana that is very well taken care of. His
hair is a mousy brown, his eyes are a steel grey. 

"I am Mac Kodiac." He turns and looks each of you in the eye. "There is 
no spy. This is a ruse. If there was a spy and they know about the spy, 
why have us here?"

Mac shakes his head. 

"There is something really wrong here. Tix is a city that is known for 
it's openness and it's hospitality. Something isn't right, I can feel
it."

Mac turns and walks toward the corner where he came from. Sits, with his 
back against the wall. Puts his backpack behind his head and closes his
eyes.

Mac looks up from the floor. 

"It looks to be a long night. And even worse tomorrow. If, and i mean if, 
they are looking for a spy, then they will want to talk soon enough. 
Interrogations can be even worse than they are if you don't have enough 
sleep."

"But since nobody seems interested in sleep, why are each of you in Tix?"

"I came to Tix to see for myself the rumours of unrest between the elves 
and the humans. A war would benefit nobody."

Just then, the door to the cell opens and a pair of guards enters, followed
by another guard manhandling a short, chubby man in leather armour.  The guard
looks around the room, his gaze finally settling on Sir Manon Ehron, who has
looked up in surprise.
  The guard says, "I think this pup belongs to you, sir knight.  We found him
in the stable looking after your horse."  With that, he tosses the young man
toward Sir Manon, and the three guards leave.

Beren Halfhand, Sir Manon's squire, indignantly gets to his feet and brushes
himself off, then walks over to sit with Sir Manon, with whom he quietly 
speaks.

"Sir, the soldiers have locked down the entire city!  I tried to hide in
the stable, but I was discovered by a mage and a squad of troops.  They
claim to be searching for a spy, an Elf I imagine.  What are we going to
do?  They can't treat you like this, throwing you in here with these
peasants like this!"

Mac chuckles.

When Gwar replies, Kai's eyes move away to the new entrant. "beren
halfhand   this is my friend kirion mandrake   and meet as well aurel
mac kodiak   and quill" he cocks his head in the respective directions
as he speaks.  Finished, he pulls over a chair and sits, settling back,
resuming his stare in the direction of the door.

After a minute or two has passed, Kai remarks "beren   mac is of the
opinion that this cannot be the sweep for spies i was told it was by the
soldiers who brought me in    can you tell us what they told you when
they found you in the stables"

Beren looks up from his whisperings with his liege, and responds to Kai's
query:
  "I don't know anything except that they are being VERY thorough.  They've
got mages out hunting for anyone the sweeps missed -- that's how they found
me!  I'm sure if there are any foreign spies in town, they'll catch them, but
I don't know how they'll determine who's a spy and who's not..."

Kai replies, "standard tactics in a situation such as this will involve magical
compulsions   truth detection  and perhaps aura detection  even in
pomo's forces a mind reading is rare and reserved for true suspects
rather than a grossly gathered rabble  i misdoubt me such a resource is
even available to tix as such studied mages rarely serve so low a master
as the army"

At that, Beren leans back against the wall beside Sir Manon, and after a few
moments will appear to doze off.

Kirion picks up where Kai left off: "We think mages were conscripted...."
leaving off the rest of the thought.  "We are getting tired of this."
And then, "perhaps we should find out if we are being...observed."

Gwar looks over at the group of men and angrily hisses "I too grow tired of
this...." he pauses and quietly adds "No mage shall cast upon me without paying
dearly...". "This is all I have to say."

Kai replies, "as an outlander you may not understand such customs but i can assure
you that small magic at least will be used by the army in their search
if they truly seek what they say" Kai replies, inclining his head
towards Gwar and continuing "if you intend to resist i suggest you
present your case to us and perhaps gain the aid of your fellows here"
his head arcing in a tight circle "someone more familiar with garian
customs may be able to convince them to substitute a trial by ordeal or
some ought"

Gwar responds "If you wish you may tell them my intentions; may convince them to
try other manners. I am not a negotiator." Gwar draws his sword and follows "They
will not appreciate how I intend to deliver my intentions."

"intriguing" replies Kai " i had thought the less decadent cultures
would have a greater sense of honour than garians  were you not required
to give your parole as i was   i assure you they have no idea they will
offend with spell casting   i misdoubt me you have had a dozen cast upon
you in your dealings with civilised man without notice nor second
thought   were i not apprised of your unusual feelings on the matter i
might have done the same  where does this sense of offence begin   end
from whence its power to offend"

Gwar sheaths his sword and speaks (still with a heavy accent) "Where I am 
from, Magic is not used so freely.  May they, or anyone of you,  have cast
upon me, I do not know, and if I do not know, I do not care. But if I do know, 
and it is without my permission .... (he trails off, angry again).

Gwar pauses (seeming to calm down a bit) and adds "If they explain to me
what they intend to cast I may consider it. Also, I do share the same
feelings  that this is not a sweep for a spy. For one, if they are sweeping for a
foreign spy, the spy would simply pose as a local. These people who imprison us,
this (orcish curse) Governor, will hear my opinion.

Kai replies, "your logic is still weak good gwar   if they have discovered word of a
spy posing as a foreign traveller without his knowledge such a net
might snare their fish  as likely of course that the very rumour was
planted by the spy to throw off the scent  or is as suggested by
yourself   mac  and quill a ruse by the government to allow the roundup
to seem reasonable"

Gwar now approaches the common area from his corner and speaks "I am in no
mood to hear your opinion of my logic and to hear you ramble on about
endless possibilities, stranger....."."I trust my intuition." Gwar
continues. "So far this talk is pointless, no one has any proof, only
opinions and I really do not care the reason why we are imprisoned here."

Quill paces back and forth.
"Greetings to you, Sir Larsen, Sir Kirion, um ... Sir "
 the last to Aurel
 "Sir Kodiac. "

"That I was also told Sir Kai, and I went along with them"

"I hope what you say is untrue Sir Kodiac, "
"I have no wish to be involved in any disputed between the humans and
elves. I have come here to go further into Garia to seek some employment.
I am an Enchanter by profession, Perhaps you know of someone that could
use my skills."

"Perhaps you would know someone?" This at Kai. 

Kai turning then to Quill, intones "as for you there are many answers
which depend on your nature and specific skills" then turns back to the
doorway, continuing "an enchanter might find work with a guild of the
like to turn out simple items all know in common at speed or difficult
ones as long projects perhaps even requiring the learning of new
spells    then again slow enchantments of the common sort may well be
made freelance and singleton needing only good marketing   few in human
lands have the patience required for a masterwork by a single
practitioner to order though and the simplest sorts can be made far
cheaper by a circle so it be the middling works that function here
unless you or a patron have means to hire journeymen for aid"
Now looking back to the elf momentarily, before returning to the door,
he concludes "should you wish my aid you may come and sit and describe
in detail your abilities intentions and needs though we may well wish to
conclude the other matters more pressing in the room beforehand"

Quill continues to pace and 

The Elf Quill is clad in a dark green cloak, quite warm it seems since he 
has left it on one of the beds, with brown clothing. Black boots and a few
belt pouches. A rapier hangs at his side, and a bow in a leather cover he
has laid with a quiver on one of the beds. 

Magical items visible to those who can see them; only a cheep wooden
 amulet about his neck and things in his pouches.

The elf quill continues pacing back and forth, 
 "Do you really think that they would be spying on us?"
  spoken to Kirion.

 "Also it seems unusually that they leave us with all our
 possessions. If a Spy was among us then one would think that 
 leaving him with all his possessions would be unintelligent
 he would easily be able to break out."
 "If they are spying on us then the quickest way out would be to 
 allow them to spy and wait."
  this to himself.

 "If you wish I could detect any magical aura or spell upon an
 object, but I am unable to scry out, any spell that they are 
 maintaining. And I think it best not to offend them, so I would 
 rather not. It would give us no useful information."
  this to Kirion, with a glance at Gwar.

"I wonder what type of food they serve here."
The story continues...
Back to index.