• PM To Join • [Bel Alley] Master Gray

[Woe]

The main advantage to the totem of the man Master Gray had met as 'Bill', was that it didn't stand out in most ways. Ash-blonde almost brown hair, dark gray eyes, and a face that begged one to forget, it was a good informant's look. Add to it the ability to invoke a

shadow cloak

, or to drop anonymity at the first sign of trouble, and you had a recipe for a face that would simply slide from memory as soon as it was out of eyeshot.

Master Gray wasn't sure if persistent anonymity would be possible with Doran. The professor was perceptive, and might just pick up on Woe's non-verbal tics and other idiosyncrasies of behavior. But it would dissuade those surrounding them from taking notice, at the very least, and keep their meeting clandestine to a point. Master Gray, at least, didn't think Doran would betray his cover, unless he had valid reason to do so.

Gray had questions about Yvithia, questions that might prompt curiosity on the part of the professor. Questions about Llyr, and his potential part in all of this, although that was more of a red herring to get him to arrive. Master Gray didn't think that Llyr really had any involvement. It was more likely that the mortalborn had drifted beyond the reach of most in Emea, having delved too deeply into that realm. But it was still worth asking Doran if he knew where Llyr could have gotten to. And if he'd had any sign that he might still be out there, wehther in dreams or elsewhere.

So he waited on the corner of Bel Alley and the catacomb's approach, not far from the Bones. Nor far from the Widow's Lament mercenary headquarters, that Gray often attended as the man, Swill, as a independent contractor.

Cloaked in shadow, Master Gray didn't reveal himself immediately upon Doran's arrival. But he watched him from a darkened aera of the corner of the street. He observed, and waited. After a time, though, he approached. Still cloaked in shadow, yet wanting to make contact with just Doran, he spoke, "Professor Thetys. I'm glad you could make it."

"I have a number of proposals, trades for information, if you're interested. First, I'd hear if there's any information you'd like to glean from me." He stared blankly at the professor, his face maintaining a monotony of emotion as he spoke. "Nothing is off limits, and you may be surprised at how much I know. So feel free to make big asks."

[Doran]

Doran noticed that a letter was waiting for him on his desk in his office in the Academy of Viden when he returned from Cahyrst where he had scoured the Grand Imperial Library for information on the Originals and Fei. That alone was not unusual. As the Dean of the Institute of Sciences and an alchemist of some renown, he received letters all the time. That particular letter had a blank, yet broken seal though, and it was crumbled up as if someone had discarded it once upon a time. And what more, it seemed to be encoded.

That piqued his curiosity enough that he immediately sat down in order to take a closer look. It was encoded with an alphanumerical cipher, one to one for each letter and sequence. It was simple, simple enough that he was able to make sense of it with a little time and effort. Upon reading the first couple of words, he immediately furrowed his brow – and reread them, just to make sure that he had indeed translated the letter correctly. The words stayed exactly the same.

It had been more than two arcs since he had last seen Llyr and since he had last talked to him, and even longer since he had held him in his arms. The feelings he had had for him had finally begun to fade, but a burning curiosity had remained. What exactly had happened to Llyr? Where had he gone? Had he gotten lost in Emea, or in one of the worlds that were even further away? He had always had a tendency to come and go, but he had always returned after a while. To not even hear a single word from him for such a long time was strange.

He briefly wondered if this mysterious Master Gray was in fact Llyr. His former lover was a Becomer, and he had more than one false name. It wouldn’t be entirely out of character for him. Why now though? Why after so many cycles? Of course, time eventually lost its meaning when you were a Mortalborn, but still … it was unusual, to say the least. He decided at once that he would travel to Almund, that he would be there on the trial that Master Gray had mentioned, but that he would tread with care. If that man turned out not be Llyr …



Unlike Master Gray, Doran couldn’t have remained anonymous if he had wanted to. Frosvinndur’s Effigy and his marks made sure that he was easily recognizable. He had traded its usual fine suits for something a little plainer, a black suit with minimal embroidery and a simple cloak as was appropriate when one frequented a less affluent neighborhood in his opinion. He couldn’t help but wonder why Master Gray wanted to meet him there, out of all places in Scalvoris. Was he from Almund, from Bel Alley, or had he picked this particular meeting place because he was less likely to be recognized there?

He considered the second possibility to be more likely, but didn’t want to dismiss the first possibility entirely.

In spite of his curiosity, he walked slowly. Rushing into this meeting would be foolish in his opinion. He swept his gaze around his surroundings, to figure out if there was anything strange about them, if anything seemed out of place. He tried to figure out if there was anything strange about the atmosphere of this place, anything that hinted at increased levels of ether or Emean influence. When he was satisfied that everything was as it should be, and only then, did he approach the corner that Master Gray had mentioned in his letter.

He didn’t even blink when Master Gray spoke to him from the shadows, but remained completely calm and composed. “Master Gray”, he greeted him politely and inclined his head slightly. “You piqued my curiosity, I have to admit. I would like to know which questions exactly you have about our mutual acquaintance. As for what I want to know, I’m most interested in recent events, in what happened at the Heart of Scalvoris and in regard to the Pirate Lords. If you are as well informed as you seem to be, you will without a doubt know that I was rather occupied with otherworldly matters for a while.”

“I’d rather not talk about such thing at a street corner though”, he admitted and met his gaze once he finally chose to reveal himself. He considered the possibility that this Master Gray was in fact Llyr playing one of his games again. That face was quite unlike Llyr though. From what he knew, Llyr preferred younger faces. The way Master Gray spoke, so monotonously, was out of character for Llyr as well. It was most likely someone that knew Llyr then, someone that knew him well enough to be aware of his connection to the North Star. But who? That, he realized, might take him a while to figure out.

► Show Spoiler

Doran uses his Detection capstones “Energy Detection” and “Big Picture, Small Detail” to study his surroundings before he approaches Master Gray.

[Woe]

Doran would sense nothing unusual about the energy in Bel Alley itself, although he would recognize the Aesthete that surrounded Master Gray. He was definitely touched by some form of draconic power. Doran would note it well, as an effigy bearer himself.

“It’s only fair I answer your questions first, since you ventured out so far to meet me, in relatively dangerous territory. Bel Alley isn’t known for its welcome wagon to new arrivals.” Gray said, but then he supposed Doran could take care of himself, and it hardly mattered if a small number of undisciplined muggers accosted him. Doran could probably dissuade them without ever raising a fist, even.

“Saoire gathered several of the prominent membered of the Forged that remain on the island, and confided in them a story.” And Gray repeated her speech, more or less in shorter form, with just the basic facts. “She didn’t know who struck the first blow, whether it was Anox or a dragon, but I do happen to have contacts in Quacia, highly placed contacts who have the ear of the King. He overheard some of what Deabrutoa said to those who sealed him away. The Inevitable one has a special grudge against Anox, apparently.”

Gray shook his head and thought aloud, “To think, the one Dragon that represented such an immutable concept as Death, may have been the first to be struck down in the war between Dragons and Originals.” He chuckled, “Is that irony? Or is it synchronicity? It’s hard to tell which.”

“The cadouri that were protected for so long by Saoire, and nurtured, were the descendants of the Shay. This much is common knowledge by now.” He frowned, “She used that power of the Heart of Scalvoris. What is the Heart? Perhaps it’s Fei’s Fracture Heart. Perhaps it’s some artifact of the spirits, or else a little of both. It isn’t clear to me. Those are merely ideas.”

“Saoire told them of the shattering. The rough details. And how when so much devastation was taking place, she took the remaining Shay under her wing, and protected them. Over time, they became the Cadouri.”

“The Pirates wanted the Heart, the power to remake a race, or perhaps to do other things. I wonder, if Scalvoris’ strange flora and fauna has something to do with this device. No doubt it’s not a coincidence. It seems almost too appropriate to be so.”

Gray told Doran about how the forged of Sclavoris responded to all of these revelations, and what their suggestions and thoughts were, and then Saoire’s reaction.

“That was about all we learned about the Pirate attacks. Of course, Scalvoris suffered for it, and many were killed, many places destroyed during the business.” Gray muttered, remembering his own role. “Egilrun attacks were repelled, at great cost. Faith died. Haven was destroyed, and Havardr all but destroyed. Sweetsong and Hopetoun alone put up a fierce resistance and were left relatively unscathed.”

“Of course…” Gray said, his brow darkening, “Now we all assume it’s over right? Now that Chrien has quit the Fracture, and the explosives are all gone?”

“Wrong.” Gray interjected before Doran could offer an opinion as to the current state. “We have the fate of the Heart, which I’m not totally informed on what exactly it is. If it’s something that can still be accessed, or if it’s still out there, for the taking.”

“We have the Videnese involvement, that was discovered by the Egg and Balthazar in Slag’s Deep. The Drainglass was made in Viden, right under your aunt’s nose. Do you think the Immortal of Intelligence, with an entire apparatus of making its business to know everything about its citizenry’s activities would not be aware of something going on within her own borders?”

“So there’s that, and part of what brought me here to meet you today.” Gray sighed, “Llyr was marked by Yvithia.” Gray said it with authority, hoping that Doran would either confirm or deny it. He trusted the mortalborn wouldn’t lie about such a thing, but he had been disappointed before by people he trusted.

“His final activities on Idalos were centered around Viden.” Gray said, “I need to know what you know of his final days in your company, and anything he may have told you. Don’t discount the small details, those might be important as well.”

“I’ve given much information, and I expect reciprocity from you, that’s all.” Gray looked to Doran, waiting for him to tell him what he knew of Llyr. And it was for Gray to figure out whether that fit into this puzzle, or not.

[Doran]

There was nothing unusual about the energy in Bel Alley, the son of Ziell observed, but Master Gray himself had been touched by some sort of draconic power. He most likely bore an Effigy, he concluded, although he couldn’t tell what kind of Effigy exactly it was. He was definitely not Llyr then, but definitely someone that held considerable power. He mentally went through the list of Effigy bearers he knew of and dismissed most of them again as unlikely candidates.

Not Arlo, not Faith, and definitely not Vega either. That kind of behaviour would be out of character for all three of them. Woe seemed more likely to him, although it was entirely possible that there were Effigy bearers he didn’t know. The dragons had likely marked more people since they had awoken. Master Gray knew of Llyr and his relationship with Llyr though …

He decided not to voice his suspicions regarding the other man’s true identity – it didn’t serve any purpose right now – but listened to Master Gray speak, the expression on his face polite and neutral. When the other man pointed out that Bel Alley was dangerous, he shrugged his shoulders barely noticeably. The kind of threats that could be found here hardly posed a danger to him anymore. He didn’t even need a weapon to deal with them.

If Master Gray had done his research, he would know that as well.

He already knew some of the things that Master Gray told him. Others were news to him though. When the other man revealed that Deabrutoa had a special grudge against Anox, he inclined his head slightly before he replied, “It does seem slightly ironic, although I would hardly call death immutable, considering that several people have been brought back, including the Immortal Daia herself. Under certain conditions, death can be reversed.”

He didn’t say more than that. The purpose of this meeting was not to discuss the mechanics surrounding death and resurrection, but Llyr, although he did wonder why a man who gave him the impression of being so intelligent and knowledgeable at first glance could be so wrong in this regard. Had he never heard of Daia, or the Mummer’s Ball?

“Possibly”, he agreed when Master Gray mused that Scalvoris strange fauna and flora had something to do with the device. “Some of it is likely simply due to the influence of the fracture itself. Fractures have a tendency to warp reality, in different degrees of intensity, depending on their size and power. Scalvoris sits on top of one of the biggest fractures, a Grand Fracture”, he pointed out before he continued to listen, his face nearly expressionless.

He had never assumed that it would be over now that Chrien and the Pirate Lords had been dealt with, more or less, but he decided not to voice his opinion and let the man continue and share his own views instead. Sometimes, you could find out a lot more by simply listening.

He didn’t react when Master Gray called Yvithia his aunt. He would have been more surprised if the other man hadn’t been aware of his Mortalborn status – and slightly disappointed. He only wondered how he had learned about it. Had he been present during the Forging when he had first talked about being Ziell’s son? Had he been in Viden? It was also possibly that his being Ziell’s son was slowly, but surely becoming public knowledge though. He hadn’t made any real effort to keep his connection to the Immortals a secret.

He didn’t see a reason to.

“There are ways to even hide things from the Immortals. I know of some”, he remarked in a neutral tone of voice when Master Gray talked about people making Drainglass in Viden, right under Yvithia’s nose rather than insisting that there was no way his aunt could be involved or agreeing that she had to be aware. He didn’t know enough to make a decision in that regard.

“Do you plan on investigating the Videnese involvement further?” he asked and cocked his head a little to the side as he wondered what Master Gray’s ultimate goal in that regard was.

“He was”, he confirmed when Master Gray said that Llyr had been marked by Yvithia. “Yvithia wasn’t the only Immortal that he had a connection to though”, he continued, but he didn’t say more for the time being. Instead, he turned to address the next topic.

“And his final activities on Idalos weren’t as centered around Viden as you may think, although that was where I met him for the last time”, he said and gestured for Master Gray to walk with him. “I saw him for the last time during Yvithia’s and Treid’s Grand Ball, although he sent a letter in which he told me not to concern myself with his wellbeing once. He was dressed in white, and his hair seemed to be white rather than the usual blonde. He was largely apathetic, although the expression on his face changed when we danced”, he remembered. His voice was tinged with a hint of melancholy for a moment, although the usual calm took over again before long.

“Before that, he spent a long time in Nashaki, to investigate the Immortal connection that I mentioned, among other things. He acquired a new companion there, a man named Saza Moshe, supposedly a scribe that would help him establish a new branch of his business in Viden”, he told Master Gray and shrugged his shoulders. Saza had seemed rather unremarkable to him, but then again, appearances could be deceiving. Maybe, there had been more to Llyr’s new companion than met the eye.

“When I last met Llyr in private, he barely ate or drank, as if he didn’t need to do so anymore and seemed to be concerned with matters of Emea and fate. He hypothesized that Immortals are merely a projection of Emea into Idalos. He talked about things he did and planned to do. I do believe that he planned on studying Emea – as well as fractures – further. Are you aware of the fact that his business in Viden wasn’t all that it appeared to be, and do you know that Llyr was Chamadarst’s son?” he asked and raised an eyebrow slightly. He wanted to test Master Gray’s knowledge and see how he reacted – it would help him confirm the man’s true identity, among other things - but he also didn’t want to tell him something he already knew.

He didn’t want to waste Master Gray’s or his own time.

“Now then”, he said after he had given Master Gray time to react. “Do you know anything about the fate of the surviving Pirate Lords?” He was especially interested in Parthea Vermillion who Cassion had told him had led a successful expedition to Pyk once, but he decided not to mention her name in particular, especially since it wasn’t even clear if the other man knew anything. He wasn’t someone who revealed all his plans right away.

[Woe]

"There are exceptional hedge-cases where very powerful beings have been able to return to the living. Ones that had been long presumed dead." Gray admitted, "That much I wouldn't deny. Even Deabrutoa himself couldn't stay dead. He clawed his way through subtle manipulation of the civilization that grew upon his grave. Generations of mortals spilling their blood in the name of devotion toward a false god."

Gray shrugged. "It was interesting to learn that he was, in fact, a dragon all along. Even now, it is a worry that he may still be able to manipulate events from his prison. But that's hardly here or there. His machinations and atrocities will be cut off at the pass when it is opportune to do so." The man shook his head, and then brought a chewstick to his lips. "We cannot allow him to rise again. It's clear to me now, although it wasn't always so, that the Theocratum, such as it still exists, is his only avenue to return. The Creep is still a potential worry, but we have designs in works to deal with that threat, once and for all."

Gray took a breath, and then waited for a few moments, thinking. He listened to Doran's explanation of the fracture that Scalvoris sat on. "For all that the Fracture of Fei rests beneath Scalvoris, the island is hospitable, isn't it? Certainly it has its oddities. But it's always been livable, barring a few disastrous incidentst. But those were brought about by mortal agents, most times."

Doran claimed to know ways ot hide things from the Immortals. "I do too. Some ways more conventional than others." To his query about Viden, Gray at first thought to try and deflect. Then again, he was sure Doran would notice that and press him again. It wouldn't do to continue until he had what information he wanted, the information he needed. "I already have. Did you know that there are people have been seized without trial or legal recourse? What gives Yvithia the right to deprive anyone of their freedom?" Gray shook his head, "But I haven't come to litigate the ethical conundrums of Viden's sovereign. I've come to ask a very specific question about one particular subject of Yvithia."

And as if on cue, Doran brought them to the subject, for which Gray was grateful. "Nashaki you say?" This surprised him, genuinely. Why Nashaki? It had few Immortal connections other than... Good gracious. Chamadarst? Could it be? "Are you saying that he was the son of Chamadarst?"

That would make him Doran's cousin, however much that meant to Mortalborn, was very much suspect. It didn't matter. To Doran he suspected, or to Llyr, apart from the novelty of bearing a slight relation to someone he may have been lovers with with.

"So he is Chamadarst's son." Gray said, "No I wasn't aware. But now that you mention it... He does seem struck from the same mold, in a few ways. it makes good sense to what I understand."

"The surviving Pirate lords?" Gray looked at Doran, "Yes there are a few who sided with the people of Scalvoris during the attack. The Pirate King sided with Sweetsong during their obliteration of the three lords who attacked them. Liathen sided with Hopetoun and helped against the ones attacking that settlement. Then there was the Iron Maiden, Gwar, who Woe conscripted on behalf of the Scalvoris government, and now has a privateer contract with them." Gray furrowed his brow, as if searching for a memory that eluded him, "Gwar was among the ones who attacked at Egilrun. But she was not participating in the attack, but staying at bay to forestall their escape."

"I don't know of any other surviving ones, however, I'm sorry. I do know that some of the pirates that attacked Egilrun were looking for the Undying, who they believed to live in Slag's Deep. He was the Warden."

Gray smiled in curiosity, "You don't happen to know why the Warden alone among the Pirate Lords didn't disappear with them? And why the precipitation of their casting away was followed by an attack of shadow beasts? It couldn't be linked to his well known penchant for Naerrik women, and in particular their creator, Audrae." He slurred with absolute sarcasm as he said it.

Gray looked away, at the sound of a rat disturbing some wooden plates across the alleyway, and crawling through refuse. He sighed, "Woe acquired the Warden's pet, which was a gift from Audrae to him. A spirit of shadow that can reveal illusions. What could one learn from such a creature, if it spoke in anything more than riddles and nonsense."