58b. Transition Part Three

Pel's People: TC agents need to be added in Droaam, Xendrik, and newly acquired ones in House Orien and Cannith.

Feel free to make up details on these folks. Whoever is in Droaam should be a monster of some kind, whoever is in Xen'drik is probably a follower of the Dark Six as a whole as well as the Traveler. Possibly Gorleius, the priest who raised you from the dead? Or is that just too creepy? His loyalties might be a little uncertain, to be fair.

Diarmand nicely fits the profile i was thinking of for someone in Orien. smooth talking, charming, travels a lot - probably a good recruiter/first contact for new members. Would he want the job?

Paul says he wants the job, so he wants the job. But as you note, that makes him your contact in Deneith. And if William ever finds out, I would guess he will be extremely pissed at both of you.

Worth the risk, or will Pel turn down Diarmand's help inside Deneith out of loyalty to his friend?

Meanwhile he'll see if his operative in Cannith can get wind of what is going on. We'll need to decide who this guy is. Might be good if he has some talent as an artificer.

This sounds reasonable to me.

Ttemmal: more research required, obivously

Yep, you've reached the end in this particular interlude. I assumed a trip to Thrane to gather the information you already have about his identities and how he was exposed, and ditto that you've already put The Native's operation and your operative in Xen'drik on researching (discreetly) the weapon that could destroy Ttemmal.

Xulo: almost certainly in the Mournland, complicating things. it is a big (nasty) place, and that will make it hard to track down. Looking into its theft from Cannith (maybe we can get "hired" to investigate?) might lead to some clues. Ditto Merrix's disappearance. pick up where the previous investigation go cold. If we are somehow kept out of this, then see what my agent can glean from the inside.

Because Elaydren's branch of the house is run by Merrix's rival Baron Jorlanna, there has been no official investigation. She is doing everything on the sly, making sure that her loyalty to her uncle doesn't cast doubt on her loyalty to the Baron.

Elaydren had told you that her Uncle Merrix had been acting odd for a while now, and his disappearing act had made her nervous and unsettled as far back as Therendor of 999, when he surprised her by missing her wedding.
(It's true! She mentioned it here)

She has reason to believe that he was following the path of the Self-Forged, adding warforged components to his own body. She couldn't confirm it, but she thinks she saw evidence of a mechanical arm hidden beneath his elaborate clothes the last time she saw him.

That last time, incidentally, was at the tale end of summer last year (1000 YK), when she met up with him at the House Enclave in Sharn. They had scheduled another luncheon a month later, but he didn't show, and inquiries to his entourage led her in circles. They either don't know where he is, or they won't tell her.

And they won't tell your operative in Cannith, either. The best answer you can get is that "Merrix is unavailable, working in secret on a very important project." Scuttlebutt is that he's part of the team devoted to rebuilding the White Arch bridge between Thrane and Karrnath and the resulting expansion of the lightning rail.

Moloch: Pel would never want to do anything to upset his lady-love, so he has decided to re-orient his thinking on this. (really it was just petty revenge, anyway). if he is valuable to her, then perhaps he can be valuable to Pel as well. converted, perhaps?

Perhaps. You've done quite a bit with your nine months, so further interactions with Moloch will have to wait until your next bit of downtime.

I hope to let it slip to an arrogant piece of feculence from my opposing house who fancies himself something of a storyteller. It is quite good and I believe in his ignorance he might, in fact, perform it and draw out some of T’s followers, at least to give us an idea of what region he may have relocated to.

Lysander's conscience remains clear, because his would-be rival doesn't take the bait. Which is in itself somewhat odd, as he's neither smart enough nor restrained enough not to. Which suggests that Ttemmal has pawns operating inside House Thuranni, pawns with their ears to the ground for anything the Wolves might be doing.

And if he has pawns in one House listening for the Wolves... well...

The gods are a great mystery, one worth unraveling as they affect the story we live in, so yes, Pel, ready whatever ritual is necessary if the faith I have spoken of here is enough faith. I leave that in your hands.

Lysander was there for the first contact with the Traveler (if that is in fact who he is) so it seems only fitting he should be there for the second.

In light of that, I have been telling The Tales of Travelin’ Jack. A series of (remarkably fresh) ‘folk tales’ base on the tenets and stories you have already shared with me.

The Tales of Travelin' Jack are spreading like wildfire, especially among the "lower classes" of Sharn and other big cities. The gnomes of Trolanport are particularly taken with them, and Sora Katra has informed Pel that many among her subjects have come to appreciate them as well, although they all wish they were a touch more bloody.

Sora Katra also lets Pel know, without saying it, that she knows full well who the tales come from. But it amuses her to no end.

Already, people ask for our tales and ballads. In five years, we will flow as freely as good beer in every tavern of the Five Nations and beyond. In twenty-five years we will be legends, possibly before.

The Wolves are considered national heroes in Breland and Zilargo, well-regarded adventurers in Aundair, Thrane and Karrnath and dangerous adversaries best avoided among the underworld of Darguun. Their fame may not have quite reached the outer edges of Khorvaire's wilds (Q'barra, The Shadow Marches, Lhazaar Principalities, etc.) but their names have definitely been whispered by some among the dragons of Argonnessen and the fiends of the Demon Waste, and many in the wilds of Xen'drik.

Lysander's prediction of five years is probably conservative.

I should be hearing back from my couriers about X and the S very soon, although the information you already have is probably the most we can get. I will see what kind of deep contacts we have in the appropriate house as soon as may be.

More on this at the next interlude.

I have also been seeking information on the companion artifacts that are linked historically to the Songbow Arenydee and I liberated from the Halls of the Ancestors.

Ditto. Although further clues indicate to you that there's a story linking the artifacts to Taer Lian Doresh, the Fortress of Fading Dreams, otherwise known as the Feyspire located in the Lhazaar Principalities.