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"I figured it was only a matter of time before you arrived. I'm glad we've connected sooner rather than later. I fear the sightings you’re investigating point to a much different peril to Korvosa than the return of a defeated tyrant. How goes your investigations thus far?"
The wizard appears out of thin air. His face is plan for you to see, and he is a man of intensity that commands the room. Rumors of his arcane power are common, that he once melted a powerful spell caster's mind with a single word, and that he forced a platoon of Grey Maidens to lay down arms with a flick of his wrist....
The monk bounces lightly on his feet, he doesnt quite go into a fighting stance, but the voice did surprise him a little.
They are in the dorm room of a student who has supposedly made the ghost of a queen appear — why not wizards too?
Thus, before speaking, the Investigator tries to remember what he knows about the wizard and then gives the man a close look, trying to see whether this really is Morkeleb the Mighty.
This time Sadlark is caught WAY off guard and can't seem to think of anything, his thoughts locked up. Is this part of Morkeleb's power‽
Upon hearing the voice and the form materializing Crowley lets out a small frightful moan himself, fully expecting it to be the tyrannical spirit of the Queen herself.
Realization sets in as he recognizes it isn't her. "How do you know of our investigation? How is it everyone knows of our investigation into this matter?"
"Most of you are less than discrete. Everywhere you go and ask around you leave ripples of gossip, you paint color on the hidden. You. are. not. subtle..... Also, King Odric, while he is my brother, is something of an open book to me."
Black Dhougal can't help but smile at the Headmaster's chide. We've uncovered little enough yet — a truant illusionist and a message of Infernal blood. What peril do you see for Korvosa?
Sadlark quakes in his boots. Nooo! Morkeleb the Mighty can lock up minds — with a mere glance!
His voice quavers a little — from the fear or the fact he's trying to stay in disguise as a student, who can say. S-sir… What can you tell us of Caelios?
He takes note of the wizard's warning about subtlety, and already his mind starts to work on helping his new friends be more discreet.
He takes note of the wizard's warning about subtlety, and already his mind starts to work on helping his new friends be more discreet.
Probably me, sorry
Esme takes a moment to look around and verify that there's no one else nearby. She's not impressed by the theatrics, but remains respectful. "I think it's probably going to be hard for subtlety if you are someone who has been taken to see the king. People tend to take notice of anyone that leaves a throne room, regardless of the monarch."
"Headmaster, may I be direct? Why are you here?"
"Especially when several ghosts have escaped the gateway to hell and are showing up all over town." Crowley explains what little bit he knows.
"I am not as all powerful here at the Academae as one might believe, but that's an internal issue."
Sadlark will do his best to explain the situation in academic terms.
"At least someone here is educated. I fear these ghost sightings are orchestrated by a mysterious group that has the support of someone powerful at the Acadamae or perhaps even Hell itself. That is all I'm comfortable telling you at this time."
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Dhougal has no problems getting past the lock. Mundane locks in the Academae are.... mundane. The apartment looks lived-in but tidy.
As the party filters in a voice without source speaks to you...
Tully straightens, and gives a stiff head bow. Sir...thank you for your interest, but your disdain for necromancy is the worst-kept secret in the Acadamae. Perhaps those of us who specialize in The Craft ( Tully audibly capitalizes here) are best equipped to deal with it...unless, of course, you have some specific insights on the esoteric details...?
"The truth of the matter is that there are.... politics here at the Academae that require an extremely delicate touch, at least right now. They aren't your business, but your business is MY business too. Keep up your investigations. Here. Take this. Within you'll find some help in fighting fiendish maleficence."
He hands you a seemlingly empty sack. Within the sack, however, is a trove of useful items.
Crawloey looks into the sack. "Wow, but why? And why so much silver?" He asks the wizard curiously
The monk bows politely. Thank you for the gift. Is there anything else you can tell us? Any leads we should chase?
With no other parting words (and no response to Crowley's question) Morkeleb teleports away. He leaves you in Caelios’s apartment to investigate as you will.
"You should keep doing what you're doing Nakapan, have confidence in yourselves."
The apartment looks lived-in but tidy. A search reveals no indication that Caelios packed up and left, nor are there any signs of a struggle. But during the search Sadlark reveals a false bottom in the nightstand. Within is Caelios’s spellbook—a sure sign that the student wizard’s disappearance wasn’t something he planned....
(Search)
(Investigate, Trapspotter (E))
Sadlark flips through the spell book, quickly searching for spells that might be used to replicate the ghost of a queen.
He then hands it to the wizard. Tully, perhaps you might find a clue among these arcane scribblings.
"Someone kidnap him?" Crowley sifts through the belongings. "Which means he knows something." He lets the others try to decipher the arcane writings. "I'll go speak with the neighbors and see if he said anything about going somewhere, or what they know." He leaves to go and knock on the neighbors doors.
Who would want to make this student disappear? For what reason? The monk’s cheerful smile is gone and he is clearly struggling with the puzzle.
"Someone kidnap him?" Crowley sifts through the belongings. "Which means he knows something." He lets the others try to decipher the arcane writings. "I'll go speak with the neighbors and see if he said anything about going somewhere, or what they know." He leaves to go and knock on the neighbors doors.
Didn't Headmaster Morkeleb the Mighty ask us to be discreet? Perhaps it would at least be a good idea to consider a cover story?
Tully examines the spellbook carefully.
"I was just going to act as a concerned friend." Crowley looks for other suggestions.
Looks like it's mostly spells he learned during his studies with a few additional notes. Among the spells contained in the spellbook are comprehend language, dancing lights, detect magic, dimension door, dispel magic, floating disk, fly, levitate, mage hand, prestidigitation, read aura, slow, stinking cloud, summon construct, summon elemental, and unseen servant. Tully notes no illusion spells.
Notes within the spellbook detail methods of attracting a house drake as a familiar; traditionally, students at the Acadamae take imps as familiars, but Caelios was part of a trend that favors Korvosa’s house drake as a wizardly companion.
The most important clue in the spellbook is a drawing. Caelios doodled extensively in the margins of his spellbook, but one sketch on the book’s last page stands out: a detailed image of an elderly man with penetrating eyes, a long thin beard, and a wooden staff carved with strange runes that look almost, but not quite, like characters in Infernal. A brief caption scribbled nearby asks in Common, “Who is he? Why did he ask me to take the blame?”
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That one's a walking cliche, Black Dhougal observes.
Sadlark listens to what Black Dhougal finds, and adds anything else he might know using his expertise in the Korvosa region.
Crowley looks over the picture and caption. "You lot recognize him?"
It's the legendary founder of the Academae, Volshyenek Ornelos!
Volshyenek!?
Sadlark looks closely at the image. Assuming they find nothing else here, he asks aloud: Where to next?
What might I know about Volshyenek that might shed light on
1 whether there were ever other sightings of his spirit
2 why he might want a student to take the blame for this incident
"No clue, but he is asking a student to take the blame." Crowley thinks on it. "Should we give the Headmaster a visit or head out to go and check out the bridge?"
Volshyenek!?
Sadlark looks closely at the image. Assuming they find nothing else here, he asks aloud: Where to next?
The monk is a little disappointed to hear he is long dead. Uuhhlg, more spirits… Why are the spirits not at rest?
Yes, we can move on to the bridge investigation.
Sadlark nods. To the bridge!
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Volshyenek!?
Or someone pretending to be him, Black Dhougal says.
In any case, while it's a tidbit of information, it's nothing solid — just a drawing in a missing student's journal. Let's tuck it away and check out the bridge.
Other than the identification, no one currently has more to offer up on
Volshyenek. After a brief discussion, the party pockets his spellbook and heads out towards the bridge.
You are approached a couple of blocks before the square. A dour woman dressed in ragged armor approaches you without introduction. “stop sticking your noses where they have no business being.” Her stance and tone are one of confidence.
Crowley stares back at her. "The hells are you talking about?"
Not expected the encounter, it takes a moment for the party to parse what's happening.
Given her stance, mannerisms, and speech patterns you think this woman has received Gray Maiden training!
"The HELLS is exactly what I'm talking about." she's clearly sizing you up.
"A Gray Maiden Trainee huh?" Crowley looks on. "I thought your group disbanded with the death of the Queen? Care to explain what it is your talking about?"
She immediately makes a sushing noise, "Shhh.... I came to Korvosa a few weeks ago and never served Ileosa as a Gray Maiden."
Sadlark sighs as once again they are found out by yet another person.
As he talks he will use his Biographical Eye to size her up.