A little bit late getting to this, but I have managed it!
Support Rystin smiled as he sat down and waved away the offer of a menu. The waiter, though he hid it from Rystin well, clearly looked a little relieved as he walked away, and Fabian guessed that he wanted to clear the table and put someone else at it. Fabian glanced around while Dread greeted Rystin and realised that the restaurant was now full; he guessed that they'd be gently pressured to leave before long. "There's still no support from the Elves," Rystin was saying when Fabian tuned back in to the conversation. "I've tried a few more obscure approaches and routes and at the moment I would say that something is terrifying the wisp-elves." "There were some deaths," said Dread. He produced a piece of paper and handed it to Rystin. As he read it, Fabian suddenly realised that it was the note that had been left outside his door. "Ah," said Rystin slowly. "This is worrying." Dread looked puzzled. "The times here -- they are a pretty good match for when we were in the Halls of Sunset," said Rystin. "Yes, we noticed that too, but that's surely just a coincidence." "I don't think so," said Rystin. "I think that while the doors to the Halls were open something in there, probably connected to that altar, was able to act on the outside world and these deaths are a consequence of that." "That's a big leap," said Dread. "Coincidence is a simpler explanation." Rystin seemed to think about it. "Maybe," he said. "But I think I'm right." Dread waited a moment but Rystin seemed to have nothing more to say on that. "OK," he said, "then I wanted to tell you both that I might have a lead on a mage with wisp-elf heritage. It's obviously not as good as a real wisp-elf, but it would be better than nothing. If he agrees to help us, of course." Fabian tried to look surprised, as though this was the first he'd heard of it, and then tried to remember what he wasn't supposed to say. "That's interesting," he said, deciding that was tame enough. "That could be a good combination for studying the altar, couldn't it?" Rystin stayed quiet and though Dread started to speak he stopped and waited, watching Rystin. Eventually, when the weight of the silence was heavy enough, Rystin shivered slightly. "I'd be surprised if he would help," he said at last. "The wisp-elves... he's probably part of an anti-Imperial cabal you know. They do try and infiltrate the Empire, under the guise of 'fitting in' and all the ones in high positions are almost certainly wisp-elves first. But... if you tell him about the altar I'm sure he'll insist on helping, but I don't know what he'd actually do." Fabian's jaw had dropped at the start of the speech and now he was openly staring at Rystin. "They hate the Empire that much?" he said, sounding a little stunned.
Greg - you were traveling, nothing to worry about or apologize for.
I love that Rystin just left it at 'But I think I'm right.' So simple and quietly confident. I continue to be impressed by him (as, I think, do Dread and Fabian).
2 comments:
A little bit late getting to this, but I have managed it!
Support
Rystin smiled as he sat down and waved away the offer of a menu. The waiter, though he hid it from Rystin well, clearly looked a little relieved as he walked away, and Fabian guessed that he wanted to clear the table and put someone else at it. Fabian glanced around while Dread greeted Rystin and realised that the restaurant was now full; he guessed that they'd be gently pressured to leave before long.
"There's still no support from the Elves," Rystin was saying when Fabian tuned back in to the conversation. "I've tried a few more obscure approaches and routes and at the moment I would say that something is terrifying the wisp-elves."
"There were some deaths," said Dread. He produced a piece of paper and handed it to Rystin. As he read it, Fabian suddenly realised that it was the note that had been left outside his door.
"Ah," said Rystin slowly. "This is worrying." Dread looked puzzled. "The times here -- they are a pretty good match for when we were in the Halls of Sunset," said Rystin.
"Yes, we noticed that too, but that's surely just a coincidence."
"I don't think so," said Rystin. "I think that while the doors to the Halls were open something in there, probably connected to that altar, was able to act on the outside world and these deaths are a consequence of that."
"That's a big leap," said Dread. "Coincidence is a simpler explanation."
Rystin seemed to think about it. "Maybe," he said. "But I think I'm right."
Dread waited a moment but Rystin seemed to have nothing more to say on that.
"OK," he said, "then I wanted to tell you both that I might have a lead on a mage with wisp-elf heritage. It's obviously not as good as a real wisp-elf, but it would be better than nothing. If he agrees to help us, of course."
Fabian tried to look surprised, as though this was the first he'd heard of it, and then tried to remember what he wasn't supposed to say.
"That's interesting," he said, deciding that was tame enough. "That could be a good combination for studying the altar, couldn't it?"
Rystin stayed quiet and though Dread started to speak he stopped and waited, watching Rystin. Eventually, when the weight of the silence was heavy enough, Rystin shivered slightly.
"I'd be surprised if he would help," he said at last. "The wisp-elves... he's probably part of an anti-Imperial cabal you know. They do try and infiltrate the Empire, under the guise of 'fitting in' and all the ones in high positions are almost certainly wisp-elves first. But... if you tell him about the altar I'm sure he'll insist on helping, but I don't know what he'd actually do."
Fabian's jaw had dropped at the start of the speech and now he was openly staring at Rystin. "They hate the Empire that much?" he said, sounding a little stunned.
Greg - you were traveling, nothing to worry about or apologize for.
I love that Rystin just left it at 'But I think I'm right.' So simple and quietly confident. I continue to be impressed by him (as, I think, do Dread and Fabian).
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