• Graded • Side Tracked [modded]

[Maltruism]

Whatever ether medium it was which served to darken the page in the manner of ink, it now began to stroll across the page before Jorsie and Zarik...


"Z,

Your own offer to facilitate a meeting in some distant port is so perfectly convenient as to bring a sense of warning to my heart. Things are rarely this easily accomplished.

I realize this may set your eyes to rolling, and if in the future I should find you to be an entirely trustworthy fellow, I will acknowledge the insult with a genuine apology.
But it will be an apology tempered by my belief that any reasonable man should expect precautions to be taken. So you will not find me feeling so stricken as to drop to my knees and beg your forgiveness.

I have nothing but your word to take regarding the situation at your end of this correspondence.
So I now hope to receive a reciprocal gesture on your part.

We do, of course, have an agent or two in Quacia.
It is through the efforts of such a one that this travel will be accomplished.
I ask that tomorrow evening, at the break that your Harbormaster's office closes, my man Jorsie be allowed to conduct a conversation with someone there.
You may rest assured that a number of code words could be offered that will allow warnings of all manner of potential treachery.
Again, a future apology awaits if my precautions are being taken to an insulting extreme.

You may let Ambassador Jorsie know if you'd like to travel directly to Etzos, which would be my choice.
Even this will take more than a single stage of travel.
But if you prefer some other convenient port, accommodations could be made.
Your decision will affect some aspects of the conversation that Jorsie will have with the man in your Harbormaster's office.

With hope to be proven overly cautious,
Lord Karnos Vuda,
Chief Advisor to High Marshall Brogen Pahrn of Etzos"

[Llyr Llywelyn]

Zarik read closely as the words appeared. A thin smile graced his lips due to how the lord expressed understandable suspicion. Though he supposed he should employ a similar mind in such a situation, if Zarik followed anything in life, it was that he didn’t scorn the fates when they presented opportunities before him. Resistance often led to prolonged inevitabilities rather than simply seizing control upon first blush of a possibility.

As he grew older, even in the short Ashan season as he had – being married, learning of his parentage in bloodline and otherwise (significant for the biqaj in regard to the start of his adulthood), learning of magic, experiencing transcendence through bliss and grief, losing his father, finding his sisters, discovering Emea in a way unprecedented, and despite everything that might’ve caused him to huddle and hide in the shadows of the rock that was Quacia – Zarik wanted to see more, feel more, learn more, experience more.

He needed more of life.

So, he wrote a quick response:

“Lord Karnos Vuda,

I am not insulted. I understand.

We have nothing but our words… and you, my face and I, your name.

I will speak with Jorsie on the coordination of travel, as you prefer, to Etzos.

Assurance will be made tomorrow evening at the Harbormaster's office.

It is with great hope that I desire for us to speak comprehensively on any mutual affairs, once I arrive, in addition to answering whatever inquiries you might have of me.

One can never be overly cautious,
Lord Zarik Venora,
Magister to Ashvane Estate and Woodstock Hall of Quacia”

He set down the quill in a way that signified he’d finished. The young mage looked at Jorsie. His halo brightened momentarily before fading again. “I assume you read all that. Shall we discuss plans now?"

Zarik stood, with little hesitation regardless of the answer. He picked up the echo scroll, rolled it shut, and held onto it. He eagerly offered Jorsie, with an amicable smile, “I will find us fresh tea. If you need anything to eat, or require a place to rest and sleep, I will care to make sure you are not… bothered by others for the remainder of your time in Quacia. You may focus attentions on your return to Etzos and I trust, lest I did not understand certain things, that I shall also prepare for departure.”

[Maltruism]

Jorsie's relief was palpable. He was quite amenable to all of his host's offers; tea; a plate of food, a bed to rest off the fatigue he suddenly became acutely aware of. "Lord Venora..." he began, lifting a stalling hand while he turned to suppress a politically-incorrect yawn. "With all due respect, and admittedly, there is much of it, there is little to discuss between the two of us. At least as far as making the arrangements for this trip specifically. You gather together who and what you want to accompany you north, we all go to the Harbor Master's office tomorrow night, and I have a conversation that will confirm that we wish to reach Etzos, directly."

Noting that his host still held the scroll, he cleared his throat and let his eyes light upon it pointedly, "I am sure a set of such scrolls can be obtained for you once we arrive. But my Lord Vuda may still wish to confirm my safety with irregular status requests. If I was to fail to answer any more than one of them..." He let the consequences remain unspoken, though hinted at with a slight grimace.

"I don't know how long you will need to prepare. We have all night and all trial tomorrow. I could speak to you of my city, and of Lord Vuda, though it would probably be more proper that I speak of High Marshall Pahrn. He is the actual ruler of the city. Vuda, though an exceedingly wise man, is just an advisor when you come right down to it."

The conversation ended up being divided fairly equally between the remainder of the night, and daylight hours of the following trial. Even as they made their way to the docks, there were details yet to fill in. As with any city, there were spheres of authority that often vied with each other for control of this or that aspect of social and economic concerns. Jorsie did a good job of filling in the names and titles of such officeholders, as well as the traditional roles of their respective offices.

He then went onto give examples of past incidents where the events caused the authority of more than one office to overlap to enough of a degree to cause contention in The Tower, the self-explanatory name for the location of council meetings and the seats of most officeholders. His accounts were always finished with decisions being made that reflected fair play and justice by all parties involved. It stood to reason that he would do so, being an ambassador; as it stood to reason that Zarik would take them with a grain of salt.

It was probably in the belief that he needed to temper his glowing accounts of Etzori politics with an injection of realism, that he then went on to cite other incidents that did not follow such a congenial path. Zarik would not need to be exceedingly insightful to note that any time Vuda, Guard Captain Segrille, Citizen's Rep Jillian Terris, or Old Guard Patron Calloso were involved, things were resolved smoothly, where other faction leaders seemed, in Jorsie's view, to stir resistance and power-grabbing. Clearly those 4 were the ones he liked. Whether his opinion was objective or subjective was yet to be seen.

He was a little surprised to see Zarik bring two children with him. It inspired him to get into discussions of the city's exports, with focus on the gem trade, something he assumed girls would love to hear about. He tested the water on their attitude about the Immortals, knowing it would be key in the not-so-subtleties of social acceptance. He made sure to emphasize that it was not in any way illegal to worship, so long as Immortal worship was kept in the privacy of one's home.

He went on to speak no actual ill of the "great beings", but more to praise the resolve of the city's culture to be self-sufficient; to not be dependent upon them for protection and cultural growth. He made it sound very grand and benevolent to the children, he hoped, but standing more erect, and in a quieter tone directed at Zarik, he allowed that some carried it to unfortunate extremes, and that the city was mortally at odds with some Immortals, Lisirra and Faldrun to be specific.

Audrae had actually gained some respect recently, due to her turnaround against three of her ilk a couple of arcs earlier in Oscillus. But he worried that the betrayal of negotiations by the Naerikk was sure to undo that. By this time the Harbor Master's office was in view. They dallied a short while, until the office actually closed. Zarik may have been surprised to see Jorsie make no effort, beyond a casual nod, to strike up any conversation with him. The man strode past as Jorsie lingered a few additional bits.

Soon enough, a shadow detached itself from the dark to become a furtive contact. The retracting of a hood revealed a blond-haired woman who motioned towards the side of the building. Jorsie had a brief conversation with her that would make little or no sense to anyone listening in. Small talk involving nonsensical comparisons and preferences, like agreeing or disagreeing that bloat grass made the best dessert topping on lumber, comprised the bulk of the short dialog.

Jorsie turned back to beckon his companions to join him. They all stepped aboard a small fishing craft and pushed off into the night.

[Llyr Llywelyn]

Excitement bloomed within Zarik’s heart, even as Jorsie dismissed the idea of discussing plans. A slight disappointment, as discussing plans had become one of Zarik’s favorite activities, but the realization that he’d be leaving Quacia – that he’d be traveling north, on his own arrangement… or as much of his own arrangement as it could be – and that there was much to prepare. What sort of place would Etzos be? What sort of people would be there? He’d never heard much talk of the city, not compared to places like Desnind or Rynmere or Ne’haer.

Zarik glanced at the echo scroll he held onto when Jorsie looked at it. He didn’t want to hand it over, for a few different reasons, but he also couldn’t find a way to argue with the Ambassador’s reasonable explanation. He didn’t want to jeopardize the trip forward. He sighed, in a playfully defeated manner, then reluctantly handed the echo scroll over. He added, “Thank you, Ambassador, for letting me write directly on it. It made things faster than it might’ve been otherwise if I had to relay it all to you by voice.”

“High Marshall Pahrn,” repeated Zarik when it was said, recalling the name on the scroll. He tapped a finger against his chin, then he nodded. He settled and they briefly discussed both the city and the people some. There was a lot to take in, but he had a mind for it. Soon however, recognizing the fatigue in the diplomat and feeling a need to start preparing, Zarik left. He bought a room at the adjacent inn to the parlor and set a contact to keep an eye on any comings-and-goings so that Jorsie could rest safely… and not disappear.

Once returned to where he was staying, Zarik conversed with Lucretia about the matter, and she provided a few details though the Ryn ex-seeker had only visited Etzos once before and it’d been some time ago. She confided that the few Etzori she’d met in her adventuring days had been fierce and effective people, not to be messed around with or played for fools. Lucretia decided she would remain behind, despite Zarik’s offer for her to come along, and she explained that Quacia had become a place where she belongs. The thought of returning to a place so close to her old home, beset by plague and mage-burnings, she couldn’t.

So, he spent the next morning, settling his affairs and saying farewell to a few key people such as Watcher, as well as explaining that though he was leaving, he still expected information to be gathered and in wait for him after he settled in the new location. Close to the arranged evening time, Zarik rejoined with Jorsie with three travel packs, his slave Oceta, and his adopted daughter Hazel. He eased some when Jorsie didn’t seem to deny the idea of the girls coming along and instead tried to talk about things the children might enjoy. It was a good sign.

He recognized the attempts to fish for stances on Immortals, but Jorsie would not find anything there: Oceta was a Quacian, and raised to believe in the Wounded God with a faint but noticeable disdain for the Immortals themselves – though she remained perfectly polite about the matter in the sense that she thought that Jorsie might worship one. Meanwhile, the younger Hazel was much less than polite about it. She knew nothing of the Immortals and vibrantly spoke of other gods that her people in the Helice Isles worshipped – gods of unknown names and symbols that sounded more like induks than any mistaken Immortal – aligned with the concepts of nature around her island home.

Zarik, himself, only found himself more interested and drawn to the city as Jorsie explained its independent nature. It sounded as if it removed the Theocratum, but also avoided what he considered to be the damaging effects of Immortal worship. He’d only ever seen such worship damage people in his life: most notably his father’s mad worship of Chrien that had sent him into escalating spirals of bitterness, hatred, and murder – or his husband’s marking from Syroa that seemingly caused intense flurries of self-justified rage confusingly close to chaotic moments of imperious lust.

He knew vaguely of other Immortals and when Jorsie directed the quieter warning about the city’s standoffish attitude toward the otherworldly beings, Zarik nodded and responded with certainty that it would not be an issue for their household. That it was, even – despite the Theocratic marked scar carved on his forehead - preferable to him.

Zarik attended to the girls while they waited at the Harbormaster’s office. He’d bundled them for travel, though it was warm out, and he had to take off some of Hazel’s outerwear due to overheating. It seemed, though he kept casual conversation with Jorsie, that the girls were almost the center of his attention – including the polite slave girl as well as his daughter. He made sure they had water to drink and weren’t exceptionally bored. Zarik displayed little acts of magic as he bobbed tiny orbs of brilliance between his fingertips for them to watch and so they ignored the point when Jorsie left to converse with a blonde around the building side.

He vaguely heard some of the conversation, but he realized it was pointless to listen after the comment about grass being dessert. There was no point in trying to make sense of the code. He either could trust Jorsie or he couldn’t. Zarik chose to trust the Etzori Ambassador.

Once Jorsie returned, the journey began. Zarik quickly bundled Hazel back up as they would be going on the sea where the air was cooler. The little girl insisted it was unnecessary but wore the coat anyway. They boarded a small fishing craft. Zarik held Hazel on his lap and with a protective arm, held Oceta at his side. He didn’t want either of them accidentally leaning too far and falling out of the vessel. The young mage thanked Jorsie with a blended sense of apprehension and excitement. He knew the journey ahead would be long, and he had to care for more than himself while on it, but he held the mere understanding that this was his first time going on a journey – on his own volition – without his father. His gaze lingered on the steep, bloodlit silhouette of Quacia, his first home as a man. In Vahanic, he murmured a sentimental farewell to the city itself.

Off Topic

Got permission from Oceta's player for the summarized mention of her in this post.

[Maltruism]

The blonde contact sailed her vessel silently toward a distant beach over the course of the next few breaks. The youngest child naturally asked if they were in Etzos already. The older one rolled her eyes and asked Zarik why they were going back to Quacia, quietly enough that the younger one did not hear.

It was not normally a frightening prospect to be approaching some hidden lair, possibly rife with magical implements, for most children, so long as you were considered a friend. Jorsie did not hear exactly what response the noble gave the youngster, but it seemed to assuage her anxiety. They approached a stark wall, rising straight and nigh featureless, where hand and foot holds were concerned.

It took only moments for all but the blonde pilot to regain that anxiety as the forward inertia they had amassed was showing no signs of decreasing, with nothing beyond an unforgiving collision with the cliff face to be gained. The blonde turned with a mischievous grin, and popped a finger over her lips with a "Shhhhhhhhh....."

She gave a wave of her hand, and the cliff face gave single slight shimmer to betray its illusory nature. A few sighs of relief answered the gesture and the pilot chuckled to herself as the vessel sailed right through the false image. A net caught the hull a short ways on the inside of the hidden grotto. Two men came down to pull the vessel to a small mooring, and some quick exchanges were made.

The pilot, who had been reticent to give a name that might have actually been hers, continued to abide by this policy,returning the favor by having never asked anyone else'. It pretty much went without saying that she had exchanged some kind sort of identification with Jorsie, but he had not given it up either. About the only detail that allowed the realization that any discussion was held was a slightly growled "Naer?" some mumbles, and something that sounded like "...getting too close."

This did not delay the instruction to accompany the pilot into a more roughly hewn segment of the grotto. A second man, adorned in well-worn robes asked if everyone was ready. When all was ready, he struck a vertical swath through the air that quickly widened into a brightly haloed Rupturing portal. A few quick handshakes, and quicker goodbyes, were exchanged and Jorsie, Zarik and the two girls hurried through the portal.

Even as their eyes began to adjust to the darkness present in the egress location, the four arrivals could already tell by the swaying motion that they were on a second ship. A single bell tolled above and they could see that they were in the hold. They spun to look back through the portal just in time to see alarmed looks showing on the faces of the pilot and her two associates as the portal zipped itself out of existence.

A feminine voice crooned roughly from above, all triumph and mockery with zero compassion, "Ooooh, we've got a bite, Den. Go and see what's for sale."

From below, the "passengers" would see a panel slide overhead, to expose a barred hatch, with two men standing in view. One was a cruelly dashing figure of a man with a neatly shaved face, punctuated by sideburns and a goatee, sporting a high-collared black surcoat with the ruffled silk of a dandy lining the open chest. "Den", no doubt.

Behind him, offset to the right was another man, though his gender was only to be determined by his build, as his features were hidden behind a singular black armor, that was immediately recognizable to Jorsie, "B-B-Black Guard?" he stammered with the shock of base treachery. "You would be in service to such low scum? You are a disgrace!"

Even as it blurted forth, Jorsie realized he'd made a grave error. It came back very quickly that a naerikk piratess with a first mate named "Den" had staged a brazen raid on the Hall of Rule and Reprimand, where a trick of illusory mimicry had made all the combatants on both sides appear to be clad in the same armor. Her name had been Graeslin, and it took no great stretch of the imagination to see how, in the confusion of the pursuit, one of her crew could have ended up with a suit of genuine Black Guard armor as a result. The fact was, she probably had more than one.

The targets of Jorsie's outrage laughed uproariously at the accusation, but halted their mirth immediately as the woman's voice cut through the din. "WHOA, whoa!...wait, wait, wait, wait, wait..." Light bootsteps raced across the ceiling of the hold as a woman appeared in the viewport. A face that could have been quite appealing, did it not radiate a love of cruelty, glared down with eyes that pierced the dark naturally.

They took only moments to scan the prisoners in the hold before the grin shone with the same triumph as the eyes. In mock dignity, she rose straight and smoothed her attire, clearing her throat to address the ambassador. "You sir, are from Etzos. And someone of high status, I'll wager. All the better!" she crowed triumphantly, seeing the sag of self-loathing on his face. The triumph waned just slightly as her gaze crossed the others."I'm not so sure about the rest of you. But as long as one of you is, I have just had my problem solved. Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Graeslin!"

Now she crouched at the port to bring an element of vicious intimacy to the conversation, "I hope you all grasp the unspoken implication of that statement. If not, let me spell it out for you. I...only...need...one...of...you! So be smart, and make no trouble. If you feel seasick, there are a few empty barrels down there. Like it or not, we're all going to Etzos!"

Off Topic

Here endeth the first stage of Zarik's journey to Etzos. It shalt be resumeth hence.

[Maltruism]

Come and get your Loot!

(There's plenty more where that came from)

ZARIK / LLYR:

XP Rewards: 20

These points can NOT be used for magic.

Skill Knowledges:

• Caregiving: Allowing for a child's limited understanding of politics
• Deception: Common may be used to avoid revealing where you're from
• Detection: An echo scroll will be watched but unused while drying
• Detection: Eye reactions to questions are a giveaway
• Detection: Familiarity with the Etzori accent
• Detection: Your face on someone else' echo scroll clearly involves you
• Disguise: Magic mutations make covering up with clothes ineffective
• Etiquette: Trust and counter-trust in making plans with strangers
• Etiquette: Trying to imply being finished talking so someone will leave
• Intelligence: Haelim Jorsie is an important friend in Etzos
• Interrogation: An "innocent" mention of a target's likely lack of funds
• Interrogation: Small talk to keep a potential source talking
• Interrogation: When the subject is clearly worried, let them stew
• Intimidation: Not leaving when someone clearly wants you to
• Intimidation: A promise of safety often suggests the opposite
• Investigation: A steady informant is important
• Investigation: Sometimes a direct correspondence is better
• Linguistics: Accents will help determine the language that will fit
• Linguistics: Sentence structure tendencies, even in common
• Linguistics: Substitution of some prefix and suffix functions
• Logistics: Symbols on the doors to denote better privacy
• Persuasion: A mutual note of each others' disadvantages
• Persuasion: Direct echo scroll communication, not by proxy
• Persuasion: Give info to a stranger before you ask for some
• Persuasion: Half-truths work better than lies
• Politics: Etzos has an agent in the Quacian Harbormaster's office
• Politics: Naer may partially blame you for Diarne's death
• Politics: Nobility control marital status
• Politics: Not knowing foreign laws is a great disadvantage
• Psychology: Promises made to family to meet again
• Psychology: You can not hide in Emea forever.
• Magic: Rupturing: An ingress/egress portal can be intercepted
• Magic: Rupturing: Interception may be due to use of artifacts
• Tactics: Collaborating with someone on an answer to a powerful man

Non-skill Knowledges:

• Etzos' Factions and their spheres of jurisdiction
• Etzos' Faction members and which are more trustworthy
• Etzos' Factions' contentions with each other
• Etzos' Politics and policies
• Etzos' Trade, manufacturing and business practices
• Haelim Jorsie: Ambassador to Augiery
• Haelim Jorsie: Claims the Naerikk tried to kill him
• Haelim Jorsie: Communicates with Etzos via echo scroll
• Haelim Jorsie: Eztori Diplomat washed up in Quacia
• Hazel: Seemed to help Lucretia stay balanced
• Lord Karnos Vuda: Chief Advisor to High Marshall Brogen Pahrn
• Lord Karnos Vuda: Etzori power broker
• Lord Karnos Vuda: Possibly the real power in Etzos
• Lucretia: Let you stay in her home at some risk
• Watcher: Informant outside Woodstock Hall
• Watcher: Some of his information is very useful

Loot:

Nothing to speak of

Loss:

Only your freedom, BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA

Injuries:

No, you have survived this round.

Renown: +5

Since stories of your disappearance will be embellished in Quacia.

Comments:

I truly enjoy threads with a lot of interpretive psychological assessment, interaction and dialog. Maybe more than most. And this was a great example of it. Sometimes it is difficult to fit actions and comments around those already established in a previous post. But you had no trouble with it, making all of Jorsie's comments fit, after-the-fact, right into the flow of Zarik's.
Those two Rupturing knowledges do not allow you to spend points on magic I'm afraid, as they didn't really reflect any learning toward the USE of that domain, only the observation of something unexpected occuring by someone who wouldn't know what to make of it.
PM me with any comments or concerns