26 Cylus 723
He was sitting on a bench looking up at the Glass Tree. Some claimed it had roots so deep they connected to Faldrass. He like that. It made him think of Elisabeth. It seemed to thrive in its own way even so shortly after the storm. Many people had come to visit the Glass Tree but Balthazar had come earliest. He had enough people out in Almund that he didn't need to patrol yet. The Black Cats. Sometimes he thought of the the name they'd taken and he'd laugh to himself... privately. It also made him think of Storm. The cat that would rule all of Haven if not for treats to keep it content. The two entities had little to do with each other in terms of Balthazar's description- but were both suited to the name.
He had left standing orders for the Black Cats while he was at the tree but even he hadn't really planned on staying that long. They were instructed spread out in small groups and keep an eye on certain areas where they'd be most effective. Watch and report back to the headquarters, no action. They weren't trying to wage war in Almund, just to know what was happening. Sam, Rodrick, Rick and Asher went to watch the areas around the Buckle & Chain. One was to start in the bar while the other two worked the area around it as discretely as they could. They'd rotate as needed to keep sober. Ellisa, Griff and Croft went to the docks since they'd look the least suspicious. Griff was a sailor, Ellisa was good at blending in, and Croft was smart enough to know better than to get into trouble. Gellert, Tuck, Abel and Josephine were sent to the the bazaar but given more strict instructions just to keep an eye out and not to interfere. Gellert and Tuck were both craftsmen of their own kind so they shouldn't have been an odd presence in the market.
He breathed slowly while he let himself think. It was hard for him to linger long on one topic but he focused on his breathing and let his mind wander where it would. The tree reminded him of what was left behind after his wedding. The little spot on Faldrass. Then he thought of the offerings people were leaving on the tree. Ribbons, notes, strange trinkets. He had his satchel with various magical and enchanted things, but he also had ribbon. A small black ribbon for the Immortals but he didn't leave it yet. He held while he thought and he thought a lot. He had a lot to think about and few moments where it didn't really matter what order he thought in. He thought for just long enough.
He felt rested. He felt calm. He took another deep breath and set the offering in place. He went back to the bench and picked up is black satchel before leaving.
It was time to upset his calm.
Midnight
Robin and Lyanna stood on either side of Balthazar while they walked from the Glass Tree towards the docks where they expected to meet up with Croft. He was the first checkpoint on the patrol. They'd go from the docks to the Buckle and Chain, from the Buckle and Chain to the bazaar, and from the bazar back to the docks. If information was going to get to him, it was going to be at the checkpoints. If they made it near six in the morning with nothing, they'd probably fold some of their people back into the headquarters.
Well... that had been the plan.
Croft was moving at a brisk pace towards the three of them, distinctly not at the docks but not far. He wasn't trying to hide from them but he was trying not to draw attention- not that it did the old man much good. Balthazar pace quickened slightly but it may have just been him using his boots.Boots of the Dasher: A set of shoes (or other footwear) of the player's design. These shoes possess a powerful magical effect similar to Shirvain's Pocket of Time (Major). As long as both shoes are worn, the wearer can go through time twice as quickly as everyone else, moving extremely swift and reacting to their surroundings exceedingly well. This can be used in short-bursts nearly infinitely per trial if one spaces out their uses. It wasn't. He did speed up when he saw Croft was there because he wanted to know what was going on.
"There are four masses out in the darkness." Croft reported, anticipating what Balthazar wanted to know.
"Ships." Lyanna said in somewhat confused voice. Why not just call it a ship in her opinion.
"Probably, but we couldn't get a clear sight. They were using the darkness well." Croft replied.
"So black ships." Lyanna shrugged.
"Probably black sails too." Robin added quickly, pointing to Croft for confirmation. Croft gave a begrudging nod. The two of them were taking it lightly but not the old man and not Balthazar. Almost an arc ago something similar had happened. When the amusement passed, they all looked to Balthazar for instructions. They could do nothing. They weren't explicitly concerned with the docks but other damage could impact the guild and that could impact the Black Cats. Balthazar's brow furrowed slightly and he began to give out instructions.
"Croft, I need you to go to the market and find Gellert, Tuck, Abel and Josephine." He said, "Send Josephine and Tuck to the Hull but take the other two with you to the Elements. Report what you saw and do whatever they say. I'll send Griff to back up your story when I reach the docks." If they don't know already.
"Aye."
Balthazar turned to Robin, "Robin, go to the Buckle and Chain. Gather Sam, Rodrick, Rick and Asher. Send Sam and Rick back to the headquarters to check for messages. Bring Rodrick and Asher to the docks."
"Got it, find the boys, send two home, go fishing." Robin said back.
He turned to Lyanna, "You and I are going to the docks, quietly. I need to see it with my own eyes. We'll meet up with Ellisa to see what's out there."
"What about Griff?" Lyanna asked.
"I already said he's going to the Element Hall once we get there. In case they don't believe Croft." Balthazar said. Robin and Croft departed at the same time to go fulfill their tasks. Balthazar and Lyanna made their way from the Glass Temple to the port to try and figure out what it was that Croft had seen. Balthazar had a bad feeling it would be much like last arc. He pulled his hood on over his white hair to keep from being noticed a little better.
On the bright side, they were pretty much all the way to the docks when they intercepted Croft coming to find them.
Shortly After Midnight
Balthazar arrived at the docks a small number of bits after midnight and after word reached him about the 'black masses' being seen out in the water. For Balthazar, who's eyes worked better in the dark, it was a lot easier to distinguish that the black masses were indeed ships. Not quite similar to the ships from an arc ago but similar enough. It couldn't have been a coincidence. He had to be smart about it either way. He could get onto the ships but then what? He hadn't really seen any crimes being commit and he hadn't been attacked. Would it not be viewed as him trespassing? The law tended to lean out of his favor, not into it.
Lyanna nudged the mage with her elbow and nodded her head towards a poorly lit corner with barrels where Ellisa and Griff were playing cards to blend in. They wore dark cloaks but otherwise dressed like most Scalvorians which probably helped them blend in better than Balthazar who always wore black or some dull shade. He'd have noticed them first if he wasn't watching the ships far off in the water. He and Lyanna moved quickly over to the duo.
"Who's winning?" The former thief asked as she and Balthazar reached their friends. They made a habit of speaking in code when they thought they might need to but it wasn't all that elaborate. The game that they referred to was just a code for their watch shift. The winning player referred, in some way, to what or who they were watching. The duration of the game was how long ago the strange thing had happened. It wasn't hard to riddle out but Balthazar was not an elaborate code maker. Lyanna was decent though. It had been her idea. In her former profession people couldn't always speak openly.
"Not sure." Griff said with a small nod of his head towards the ships. "We only started playing recently. Croft tell you?"
"He did. You should go see him at the Element Hall. He'll need help." Balthazar replied. "Ellisa- you, Lyanna and I are gonna play for a bit." Lyanna sat down on top of one of the boxes in the pile beside Ellisa and Griff while Balthazar adjusted his hood. Griff stood up and took a slow stretch before nodding to the others.
"Good luck." He said before heading off to meet Croft at the Element Hall. Ellisa collected the cards and shuffled slowly before dealing them out again. Balthazar moved a crate over so that he could see the ships when he sat down and did just that. The trio picked up their cards and began the wait. The card game was just a way to keep their heads down until something happened. It looked normal enough and they were in a dark enough spot that it should have kept them all concealed. That was why Balthazar had moved a crate so that he could sit facing the ships.
When Robin reached them, they would have to reassess their hiding spot. Plain sight didn't work with a large number of people. Three was just normal enough... and there was the fact that one way or another the Elements would know soon. Once they did, he could figure out what do next. At the moment, they were just dark ships out in the water. Just like last time.
Inventory
In SatchelBag of Requirement: Balthazar is gifted a strange satchel made of black leather with a strap that hangs unusually comfortably around whichever shoulder he chooses to wear it on. The satchel is bound with a ghost metal clip that only opens once every twenty four breaks however in that opening the satchel can be used to summon enough food (tier 5 in quality) to feed about a dozen people, though if closed before pulling all the food from it's opening, it would not reopen. Alternatively the satchel can be used to summon weapons and armor (tier 4 in quality) for that same number of people, however at the end of the twenty four breaks the weapons and armor dissipate into a thin black mist- preventing the owner of the bag from hoarding an armory. Similarly any unconsumed food will dissipate at the end of the trial it was summoned. Nothing that is larger than the opening of the satchel can be pulled from inside it and while the main pocket only opens once a trial, there are two smaller pockets on the side that open normally and are useful for storage.
- Get-a-ClueThis is a ball of yarn that, when one end of it is touched to a location, will leave a "clue" of apparent string visible only to the owner, tracing the route the owner takes, for a distance of up to a mile. the visualized thread is not a physical object that can be obscured, severed or damaged in any physical way. It will seem to extend through doors or panels that might get closed to shut off the character's route. In addition to enabling the owner to retrace their steps, once a season the Get-a-Clue can be activated to teleport the owner back to the starting location.
- Must...Have...Air...A necklace of glass beads that can, once a trial, be activated to provide the owner with a bubble of breathable air around his or her head. The bubble will last for half a break. the beads will pulse and flash faintly about five bits before the time is up. And yes, it can be used underwater.
- Comet CharmA golden medallion in the shape of a comet. When the bearer holds it in their hand and speak aloud a destination three times, they will be envoloped in a ball of bright light and blasted through the sky at high speed, allowing them to reach their destination no matter where in the world in less than an hour. In order to activate both the user and their stated destination must have immediate access to the sky. This charm will only activate once, and can only carry a single person. The user will not be harmed by the velocity of their journey.
- Blitzen BraceletA simple bronze bracelet. When worn, this bracelet enchants the wearers voice and allows them to shout up to five times as loudly as they normally could without damaging their throat.
- Enchanted FlorinYou are awarded a gold coin which is most odd-looking and not a nel (it looks like a florin, OOC) - when you flip it for heads or tails -it always lands on the opposite of what was called. Always.
- Duplicity Headwear (Currently a Blindfold)This acts as a "duplicity" item for your head /hat / eypatches / etc. Any accessory which would be worn on your head, it's for that!
- Bird WhistleYou find a small bird-whistle. It makes sounds like birds.
- Small Lucky CharmA small lucky charm - kind of like a real life monopoly-piece - in the shape of a battered looking hat.
- Liberator's JournalA blooded leather bound notebook, intricately decorated and enchanted with an ability similar to the Krorros' Eternal Dominion. Four times a Cycle, or twice a season, this ability allows the owner (Balthazar) to become aware of the exact resources, strength, weaknesses, and defenses of any city he stands within. This information presents itself as writing within the tome when it is opened that only the owner can interpret. If this is a city under his control, he can never be lost (the journal will construct a map to guide him) and will always be aware of when life is taken by violence within his area (also presented as writing in the tome). This allows Balthazar to be a terrifying sovereign in any city, town, or village he takes and additionally a spy of unprecedented ability. The owner must spent at least a trial in the city they wish to evaluate and when they leave the journal will have the measure of strength, defenses, and weaknesses of that military. While the details are not precise, the owner can learn a general approach to conquering the city, if it is even possible with the resources they have. While standing in the midst of an army after standing in another army or city, the journal will show… in a general sense, how a confrontation between those two forces might go. While this is not exactly what will occur (as many factors decide the course of an occupation or battle), this information itself is valuable.
All information that can be learned is shown through the journal and as such for Balthazar to become aware of it, he would have to read the journal itself to learn the information.
On Balthazar
- Ring of Reversal
- Silver Ring linked to ElisabethA pair of silver rings which are connected to each other. Whoever wears them knows if the other is in danger or needs help and knows which direction they are in.
- Boots of DasherA set of shoes (or other footwear) of the player's design. These shoes possess a powerful magical effect similar to Shirvain's Pocket of Time (Major). As long as both shoes are worn, the wearer can go through time twice as quickly as everyone else, moving extremely swift and reacting to their surroundings exceedingly well. This can be used in short-bursts nearly infinitely per trial if one spaces out their uses.
- Mage Miracle Ring (Spell: Refinement)The "Mage's Miracle" Ring can be charged with a single spell of Balthazar's choosing, at any competency tier, as long as it is in a domain that he has a spark for. Once the spell is chosen, it cannot be swapped out for a different spell ever and only Balthazar can activate it. To activate the ring, Balthazar must be wearing the ring on any finger and intend for the spell to cast. He can do this, even if his sparks are sealed or muted at the time, and the spell should cast successfully. After that, the ring goes into hibernation as the ring can only be activated once per cycle.
- Masterwork Faldrunium Katana
- Get-a-ClueThis is a ball of yarn that, when one end of it is touched to a location, will leave a "clue" of apparent string visible only to the owner, tracing the route the owner takes, for a distance of up to a mile. the visualized thread is not a physical object that can be obscured, severed or damaged in any physical way. It will seem to extend through doors or panels that might get closed to shut off the character's route. In addition to enabling the owner to retrace their steps, once a season the Get-a-Clue can be activated to teleport the owner back to the starting location.
- Must...Have...Air...A necklace of glass beads that can, once a trial, be activated to provide the owner with a bubble of breathable air around his or her head. The bubble will last for half a break. the beads will pulse and flash faintly about five bits before the time is up. And yes, it can be used underwater.
- Comet CharmA golden medallion in the shape of a comet. When the bearer holds it in their hand and speak aloud a destination three times, they will be envoloped in a ball of bright light and blasted through the sky at high speed, allowing them to reach their destination no matter where in the world in less than an hour. In order to activate both the user and their stated destination must have immediate access to the sky. This charm will only activate once, and can only carry a single person. The user will not be harmed by the velocity of their journey.
- Blitzen BraceletA simple bronze bracelet. When worn, this bracelet enchants the wearers voice and allows them to shout up to five times as loudly as they normally could without damaging their throat.
- Enchanted FlorinYou are awarded a gold coin which is most odd-looking and not a nel (it looks like a florin, OOC) - when you flip it for heads or tails -it always lands on the opposite of what was called. Always.
- Duplicity Headwear (Currently a Blindfold)This acts as a "duplicity" item for your head /hat / eypatches / etc. Any accessory which would be worn on your head, it's for that!
- Bird WhistleYou find a small bird-whistle. It makes sounds like birds.
- Small Lucky CharmA small lucky charm - kind of like a real life monopoly-piece - in the shape of a battered looking hat.
- Liberator's JournalA blooded leather bound notebook, intricately decorated and enchanted with an ability similar to the Krorros' Eternal Dominion. Four times a Cycle, or twice a season, this ability allows the owner (Balthazar) to become aware of the exact resources, strength, weaknesses, and defenses of any city he stands within. This information presents itself as writing within the tome when it is opened that only the owner can interpret. If this is a city under his control, he can never be lost (the journal will construct a map to guide him) and will always be aware of when life is taken by violence within his area (also presented as writing in the tome). This allows Balthazar to be a terrifying sovereign in any city, town, or village he takes and additionally a spy of unprecedented ability. The owner must spent at least a trial in the city they wish to evaluate and when they leave the journal will have the measure of strength, defenses, and weaknesses of that military. While the details are not precise, the owner can learn a general approach to conquering the city, if it is even possible with the resources they have. While standing in the midst of an army after standing in another army or city, the journal will show… in a general sense, how a confrontation between those two forces might go. While this is not exactly what will occur (as many factors decide the course of an occupation or battle), this information itself is valuable.
All information that can be learned is shown through the journal and as such for Balthazar to become aware of it, he would have to read the journal itself to learn the information.
On Balthazar
- Ring of Reversal
- Silver Ring linked to ElisabethA pair of silver rings which are connected to each other. Whoever wears them knows if the other is in danger or needs help and knows which direction they are in.
- Boots of DasherA set of shoes (or other footwear) of the player's design. These shoes possess a powerful magical effect similar to Shirvain's Pocket of Time (Major). As long as both shoes are worn, the wearer can go through time twice as quickly as everyone else, moving extremely swift and reacting to their surroundings exceedingly well. This can be used in short-bursts nearly infinitely per trial if one spaces out their uses.
- Mage Miracle Ring (Spell: Refinement)The "Mage's Miracle" Ring can be charged with a single spell of Balthazar's choosing, at any competency tier, as long as it is in a domain that he has a spark for. Once the spell is chosen, it cannot be swapped out for a different spell ever and only Balthazar can activate it. To activate the ring, Balthazar must be wearing the ring on any finger and intend for the spell to cast. He can do this, even if his sparks are sealed or muted at the time, and the spell should cast successfully. After that, the ring goes into hibernation as the ring can only be activated once per cycle.
- Masterwork Faldrunium Katana
