"Actually, I was hoping to borrow Zethyris for some investigating of my own. There's more going on here behind the scenes."
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"Ill stay and watch over the house, you just get the poor girl back before something happens."
"hey, she's looking at me like I'm the culprit. I was just trying to explain myself."
"In my country it is not just socially unacceptable for a man to enter a woman or girls room unannounced and unsupervised, its grounds for a duel. Its a stain upon their honour."
"uah? What are you doing miss? What do you mean she's missing. Did she run away. Would you please stop... Smelling me, it's making me rather uncomfortable."
Peeking his head around the corner from where he found a spot to rest.
Dismounted beside Zethyris and Jediah, "These are trolls you know. I hope one of you has some alchemist fire or acid flasks. Otherwise we're in a lot of trouble." as he draws his own blade.
"And what do you mean you don't want to expose me to the dangers and rigours of travel? I may not be a spring chicken but I'm still spry enough to handle anything you can baldie."
"From my years of searching and investigating The Lord of Mirrors I can tell you one thing as fact. Whatever it is it acts only for its own benefit. No matter how good the offer appears to be, or how much it seems in your favour, it never is. I've made it my life's work to track down members of its cult and spoil their plots and I intend to do so until the day my body tells me it's too old I plan to do just that." Montulo is quiet as he listens to Ana explain about the book, "Irrissen allying with it would be terrible indeed. No matter how strong or competent your Kodiak no one could defeat the Hag Queen and a Demon lord at the same time."
"Wait you're little Zeth? The one Eron used to write to me about? Wait did you say Elysium? When did he die? I know I haven't been down to visit in years but still..." he trails off and seems to be oblivious to those around him for a while before finally continuing, "I, I guess I am the last one. Some years ago, probably before most of you were born, my companions and I were exploring a recently discovered temple built into a volcano. Cliched I know. The temple wasn't made of stone, it was all made of mirrors inside, dull and dusty from age but still intact. After fighting our way through dozens of monsters and lesser demons we came across its antechamber. In the centre was a single brass framed mirror covered with an old cloak, Marie, the curious gnome that she was pulled the cloak off of the mirror. I didn't see exactly what happened next but all old a sudden Tobahn was pushing Marie out of the way and a single hand ached out of the mirror and pulled Tobahn through. No matter what we tried we couldn't get through the mirror to help him and nothing we had could even harm the mirror itself." he turns to Zethyris, "Eron gave up adventuring after that and went home to Westcrown to work in the church. Marie never for grave herself and I lost track of her in the Shackles. I don't know if my life's work will help you or not but I've been trying to track down any information I can about that temple. Working with Eron's superiors in the church I've been able to find out that the temple belonged, or belongs to a powerful devil or demon known as The Lord of Mirrors, this being has popped up all over in history, usually as vague references but occasionally given name. From what I've gathered it appears to be a power and information broker, working both sides of conflicts for an unknown purpose. One distinct yet confusing reference places it on the side of darkness when Arazni fell yet later on in that same tomb there is a section that referred to a 'friend in a mirror' that told Iomedae how to find the shield of Aroden which allowed her to defeat and then trap the Whispering Tyrant." he stops and take a long swig of water, "I was looking into references to 'the man in the mirror' in several winter war documents when I underestimated Margrave's men and well you know the rest."
Before everyone settles in for the night, Montulo takes the time to answer several unanswered and some unasked questions from earlier. "I'm an old man now but when I was younger me and my friends, Eron, Marie and Tobahn, were adventurers like all of you. We traveled the countryside looking for trouble and sometimes, well more than I'd like to admit, getting in over our heads. But we always managed to find our way out. Eh, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself, I am Montulo Albert Davis Reinholt a man of Brevish descent, or more specifically Aldori. As I said I was an adventurer when I was younger and for a while have worked for the priesthood of Cayden Cailen but for the most part I just travel the world. As to what I can do about your cause and helping it out, to be frank I have no idea what your cause really is. I think I've heard you talking about serving one of these ulfen kings but I'm not sure how I can help with that."
Broken out of his reverie by Skallagbiorn, Montulo thanks him for the aid but refuses the potion. "Nah, you keep it. It's not as bad as it looks and someone may need it more between where we are and where we decide to go. I've heard several of you mention a Kodiak or a Sabol, Er Savol? Is he the one that killed that two headed Linnorm?"
"Great, i think i hear something behind us." The old man turns, trusting his back to all of you as he gazes into the dark cave you all exited only moments ago as he draws the thin elegant long-sword he managed to recover alongside his other belongings. "I hope this escape doesn't end up like that time in the Mwangi..." |