Secret Game

[Brian]

Radagast eyes Nathan's new sword, and raises his eyebrows.  "Well, that's quite a piece of work," he muses.  "In general, you'd be expected to relax, until the Dreadmarch arrives.  Then, of course, you'll join the other Storm-riders and battle at their side when the the conflict begins."

Turning to Ginrai, he frowns.  "The plot thickens," the says.  "If we had time -- or if Gatemaster Eske were here, we could go to the loremastery collegate, or the city of Archonae.  We could find out where you began your loremastery.  I am now somewhat curious as to where you learned what you have....

"Windmaster Banor carried his soul in metal, I remember, to be clever, and hide where it was kept.  Most loremasters use their staves.  But it was known that Banor's was kept in his pendant.  Do you wear one?"

[Ginrai]

Taking a deep breath as if expecting some major revelation, Ginrai brings out his pendant and holds it for Radagast to see.

[Brian]

Radagast frowns, obviously bothered by this.  "That's Banor's pendant," he says quietly.  "So ... how did this come to pass?"

[Ginrai]

Ginrai slaps his forehead in irritation.  "If I ever see my other-self...."

Composing himself, he asks Radagast, "Can you explain more about Cyric and how he came about to kill Banor?  Maybe that has something to do with all of this."

[Brian]

"Possibly," Radagast says, frowning.  "It was gruesome, I remember that much.  Cyric seemed mad with power ... the, ah, Colegate of Lorekeepers has a way of keeping an eye on all of the loremasters that are around.

"I won't divulge that secret here, but they summoned Eske when it was revealed that Banor was no longer alive."  He frowns.  "A bit late for a warning, unfortunately.  Eske immediately came here, and sought me out -- we were at Banor's home that very day, no more than two hours after the Colegate had been warned.

"The house had been ransacked, everything torn apart inside.  Cyric stood in the center of the main room, covered in blood, and gibbering about assasins.  Then he realized he was not alone, and shouted his defiance of the Colegate, attempting to kill Eske.  I believe his words were, 'I'll never let the Colegate assasinate me!  I've too much power of my own, now!'

"He ignored me entirely, which neither Eske nor I understood the reason for ... but regardless, Eske was able to defend himself, and I slew Cyric.  I would have rather taken him alive for questioning, but Eske's defnsive abilities are not his focus, as his title should warn.

"Neither of us were pleased, but we intered Cyric's remains at the Colegate.  There isn't one now, but on occasion, a Loremaster learns to speak with the dead.  If another reaches the Colegate, then perhaps we can have more answers.

"Regardless, we found Banor's body, in the study.  Cyric had evidently seen fit to slay him with a knife, which he left in Banor's back.  That, too, was sent to the Colegate, along with Banor's remains.  But, that is how it happened."

[Rezantis]

Rez jumps in with a question.

"There isn't one now? When was the last one?"

[Brian]

"Ah ... well, Lorekeepers who can speak to the dead tend not to want to share that fact.  People think they're crazy, and shun them.

"When they prove they're not crazy, they're shunned even more.  Dealings with what should be dead tends to be ... sorry.  I'm digressing.  Spiritmaster Menin took his own life one hundred and sixty years ago."

[Ginrai]

"Okay, something seems off there.  Was Banor's pendant with him during that time and when did this take place?  This could be the reason why Gatemaster Eske isn't around, seeing how he might've been able to explain more about myself."

[Dracos]

Dracos coughs a bit.

"More relevent to the here and now.  What can you tell us about the storm riders?  I assume you know more than Mirella.  Preferrably, we'd not like to make notable contradictions to general knowledge of them when they appear."

Dracos

[Brian]

"I wouldn't suspect Eske ... but the pendant was never found.  Not on the body.

"As for the storm-riders," he says, turning to look at Phil appraisingly, "from what I hear, they don't expect much of you at all.  If they do expect anything, it'd be for you to follow Lord Markham's orders, and that would be the end of that."

[Rezantis]

"There are probably people we should know, and things we should know . . . such as, just who -was- this cousin who stood up and demanded that the torc be shown, anyway?"

[Brian]

"That, I don't know directly," Radagast says, shaking his head.  "I'm sorry for that, but I don't."

[Rezantis]

"Well, I guess we just wing it then," Rez says with a grimace, "don't suppose you have idea where Bjorn is?"

[Brian]

"Last I saw he had managed to wrangle himself into the employ of Breke the Bladestorm," Radagast replies, frowning.

[Dracos]

"And where would we be able to find him?"

Dracos