Searching for Radagast, Parthipan enters the keep through the back door; Nathan and Phil seem busy enough with all their Storm-rider stuff.
Once you step through the back door of the keep, you find Durant, waiting impatiently. "Heya, Red Mage McSwarthy," he says, nodding. "Got a minute?"
"I guess. What's up?"
Durant grunts, and rubs one shoulder irritably. "Well, Bjorn von Deboss-of-you told me that I needed to do some shit for him. Chase down...." Durant trails off and makes sure no one is in earshot. "Chase down some traitors," he says more quietly. "I've been awake too fucking long, and, anyway, the guards won't let me follow the trail any further. So, I think there's this guy, he's a lorekeeper ... name is Ashton Newleaf. I saw the guy prowling around. He acted kind of funny ... talking to himself when no one is around. Keeps something -- don't know what -- in one pocket, and checks to make sure it's not been stolen or lost with compulsive regularity.
"Our boy could just be freaking out 'cause of the siege, but I don't like him, I don't trust him, and now that he's up in the tower with the other lorekeepers, I don't got a way to check in on him and see what I can find out. That's where I'm hoping you come in, because I need some freaking sleep."
"Hmm... this definitely needs to be to be looked upon as soon as possible. How'd you find out his name? Also, there are a few others lorekeepers that know of us, one of whom is working for Pax Arcana. Think I should I ask for any of their help or this should be done alone?"
He stares at you for a long minute, and says, "Fuck if I know. I'd help you out, but they don't let low-ranking non-lorekeepers in. Anyway, I found out about him because people like to tell bards stories. Makes 'em feel special.
"If I hear one more tale of 'the cow that died and the farmer that pressed on without it', I'm going to flip out and start stabbing people. I'd love to help you, but Bjorn's just going to find me being unable to get into the tower a bad excuse to get out of doing his job for him." Durant scowls. "Fuck that noise. Anyway. I'd say don't go after him alone, 'cause you're no good to us dead, but I don't know how far you can trust the ... Pax Arcana guys. I spent six months running from them, and that was as best as I got to knowing them -- no regrets here, thanks." With that, his expression clears, and he shrugs. "Do yourself a favor and grab something from the kitchen, first, though. You look kinda pale."
Shaking his head, Ginrai replies, "Eh, I can get something after this mess is over. Was hoping you might know some way to get him to confess. Oh, one thing: it seems we can access our abilities from our world if we concentrate hard enough. You might want to practice that a bit since it could be useful."
"Awesome, next time I'm looking to be burnt as a witch...." He frowns. "I guess they don't do that. Still.... Okay, cool. Thanks." He nods. "Anything I can do for you? I kind of feel bad, just dropping this on you like that."
"Not at this moment. Just make sure you don't get caught by any of the traitors. Actually, you might be able to help out Phil and Nathan, especially if you can make use of your telepathic skills and if you learned some new abilities from your other self."
"Telekinesis is not telepathy," he says, rolling his eyes. "I can throw people around, not talk to them."
Ginrai laughs. "Damn, I always get confused with that. So, anything else?"
Thinking over something, he adds, "Actually, want to see if you can come with me into the tower? Your telekenesis can come in handy if I get into any trouble with the other guy."
"I'm about ready to drop dead as it is," he says, shaking his head. "And if you take me into the tower, they might start asking questions. If it's just you and other lorekeepers, no one should say anything ... and you do have friends there, right?
"If I do anything, it's gonna be either to work with Phil and Nathan, or get some sleep."
"Ah, then I suggest staying around Nathan and Phil."
He grunts. "Take care of yourself," he says, heading back out the way you just came in.
Ginrai nods and heads towards the tower, looking for either Radagast, Devin, Astryd or Serril. 'Ashton Newleaf, eh?'
When you reach the tower, Astryd and Devin are in the main room (on the ground floor), sitting in some of the comfortable looking chairs and discussing the Dreadmarch, and the effectiveness of the earthenworks.
They both look up when you arrive, and Astryd blinks. "Ah," Devin says, smiling slightly. "Good to see you're well."
"Same here." Sitting on one of the chairs near them, he whispers, "So, do either of you know an Ashton Newleaf?"
Devin frowns, and shakes his head, glancing at Astryd. Astryd looks around, sees that you're alone, but drops her voice anyway, and says, "I know him, somewhat, but I know more of him. When he came to the colegate, he sought to learn the Path of Fire. He even changed his name to represent that fact. When he began to study, though, he was found to have aptitude for the Path of Water, instead. So that is what he studies. He's very calm, always pleasant to the other lorekeepers, and quite patient. Do you think him a traitor?"
Devin rubs at the bridge of his nose, like he's experiencing a headache, and frowns at this. "Anything is possible," he finally says.
Ginrai frowns. "He's the only follower of the Path of Water here, right? Well, I heard from the Bard that he's been acting strangely lately, talking to himself when he thinks no one is around, continuously checking something in his pocket. That sort of stuff. Of course this could all be a false alarm, but it's better to check on it."
Looking at Astryd, he asks, "Do you know what his original name was?"
"Not hardly," Astryd says, snorting. "We've got a veritable proliferation of followers of the Path of Water at the keep.
"Even still ... that is behavior to keep an eye out for. What do you propose we should do?"
Devin nods thoughtfully. "Another confrontation, as with the other?"
Ginrai shakes his head. "Unlike Serril, I'm quite sure that Ashton will know what an Oath of Blood really involves. Also I want to first meet with Serril."
"Very well," Devin says, climbing to his feet. "As always, I trust your judgement. Lead the way."
Astryd looks at him questioningly for a moment, and then shrugs, and looks at you expectantly.
While walking to Serril's room, Ginrai says in a soft tone, "For this situation I want to confront Ashton alone for I fear that this might be extremely dangerous. If I don't return after a certain period of time I would like you to get backup from either Nathan, Sir Bloom, Bjorn, Durant or Radagast."
"As you wish," Devin says, frowning. "Is there anything we should be aware of before you confront him?"
"Hmm... at this point, nothing else in particular." Ginrai checks if they've reached Serril's room.
You have, and Devin and Astryd both stop, and step back to let you knock on Serril's door first.
Ginrai knocks on the door. "Hello, Serril?"
"Come in," he says, without actually answering the door.
Ginrai enters and, after Devin and Astryd does so as well, closes the door.
"So, how's everything going? Find anything new?"
You, Astryd, and Devin see Serril sitting at his desk, working on a schematic for something. At a glance it looks like a large jar.
"Not much," he says, glancing up, and putting his pen down. He makes no move to try and conceal what he was working at, and Devin peers at it with interest, but apparently can't make it out, and gives up relatively quickly. "I was able to meet with my allies, though.
"They explained a bit of what happened to the north, and what's out there. Two of us are still missing, though." He frowns at this. "We're working on making some explosives to add to the trebuchets. We haven't actually used them yet. The first day, the field was mined. Today, we would have been hitting the Storm-riders. Tomorrow, we should see the first actual use of them. I'm trying to develop masonary we can fill with pitch, or...." He trails off, though Astryd and Devin both look interested. "You meant about spies," he clarifies, though apparently only to himself.
Astryd shrugs, glancing at the sketches of jars, lids, and diagrams of wind flow. "Though, it's nice to know we can continue to have new surprises to hurl at our enemies," she says.
Devin nods wordlessly.
Serril frowns, and rubs his chin. "I'll admit, I haven't really seen much that would arouse my own suspicions," he says. "But, I've also been distracted -- meeting my allies, working on these projects.... I'm sorry. I haven't a clue who our spies might be."
Ginrai nods. "Were you or your allies able to retrieve any more modern weapons for the battle? Also, do you know anything about Ashton Newleaf? Durant mentioned that he's been acting weird, and extremely suspicious, lately."
"Liandral has something, but has stumbled across an unfortunate side-effect for bringing over his full strength," Serril says slowly. "Something was ... well, while he can do a bit, he hurts himself in the process. It'll be a number of days before he's completely combat-ready again. Until then, he's going to need to rely on the skills he's learned from being here."
"Side-effect?" Astryd asks. "What weapons are they?"
"They're ... hidden inside himself," Serril says even more slowly. "It's difficult to explain. Removing them from inside himself means he has to tear himself apart to get them out."
"Ah, Nathan mentioned something about retrieving one's abilities if they can concentrate hard enough. Know anything more about that? How hard is it to retrieve one's items as well?"
"They'd have to be a part of you," Serril says, shaking his head. "At least, as far as we've seen, anyway."
"Oh. About Liandral, is the person that's in his body someone me and my friends have met before? And is there any way someone can bring over a nuclear-powered mechanical spider because that's exactly what Phil, Nathan and the original Liandral faced on their way here."
"Nuclear WHAT?" Serril asks, eyes widening. "Er ... no ... not unless they lived in the dream in the first place ... but then...." He calms himself a bit and considers. "Dreams are unreliable, and anacronisms can appear ... I haven't really seen any signs of technology, though. Not to hint that there was a grea civilization that fell. I've got no idea where it could have come from."
"That's about the same reaction I had when I first heard about it. Any doubts were erased when I saw their part of the cave explode. And the fact that there was something along the lines of a Manufactured by the US Army tag on it all but insures that it was from our world."
Thinking over Serril comments, Ginrai says, "So people from this world can appear in ours. Does this also mean that anything we learn in this world can be brought back to ours? Also, about the Liandral quesiton I mentioned before...?"
"Well, yes. What we learn here, we should retain back on Earth, when we return there." Serril frowns, and taps his chin. "Which question was that?" he asks.
"If me and my friends met whomever is in Liandral's body before on our world."
"How would I know?" Serril asks, eyeing you oddly. "I don't remember seeing you, you know."
"Ah, yes... sorry about that." Ginrai makes a mental note to ask Liandral about it later on.
"And as I mentioned before, there's reason to believe that Ashton Newleaf might be a traitor. After I finish talking with you I shall be going to check on him. If I don't return in around fifteen to twenty minutes can you get backup?"
"I don't--" He frowns, and his gaze hardens. "I would," he says, glancing at Astryd and Devin. "If it came to that. But since my job is to make sure you don't die, how about both of us go, and if WE'RE not back in ten minutes, Mistress Astryd and Master Devin get backup?"
Ginrai thinks it over. "Okay, that would also work. But first, I want to try something."
Closing his eyes, Ginrai tries to concentrate on his stone knife to see if he can make it appear in his hand.
When concentrating, you can imagine the knife -- and it springs into your mind more clearly than you remember it being. Almost like it's reminding you of what it looks like.
You get the idea that it's there, just out of your reach ... and when you try and touch it, your hand goes right through it. It's odd, like it's there, but you just can't grab it.
Ginrai concentrates harder, imagining the texture and feel of the knife.
It's resistant to come to you ... but after a few minutes, it appears in your hand. It feels heavier than normal, like it's an effort of will to mentally hold it in place, and if you stop concentrating, it will vanish.
Having a secure hold on the knife, Ginrai slowly lessens his concentration, wondering if it'll stay in this world.
It begins to vanish the moment you relax your concentration.
Ginrai opens his eyes and sighs. "Guess that didn't work out like I wanted. By the way, did any of you catch sight of the knife that appeared in my hands for a few seconds?"
"Yes," Devin and Astryd say together, staring at you in fascination. Serril just nods quietly, not appearing surprised at all.
"That ... raises a lot of questions," Astryd adds. "Are you ... bringing things from your own world here?"
"I didn't even know anything like that was even possible until a short while ago," Ginrai admits. "Also, I wasn't able to bring my knife over here, which could've helped out if I was in serious danger. Means I'll have to try and see if I can access my ability without the use of it. One warning, if this actually works, I'll end up changing forms."
Without closing his eyes, Ginrai concentrates and tries to change into wolf form.
With an odd shift in sensation, you turn into a mid-sized wolf in an already crowded room. Astryd shrieks like a little girl, and hides behin Devin, who takes an alarmed step back.
Serril's eyes both widen, but that's all.
It takes concentration, but you think you can hold this form.
Ginrai immediately changes back. "Ah, sorry about that. I just had to make sure about this in case of an emergency later on."
"Well," Astryd finally manages, struggling to calm herself. "That's nice to know."
Ginrai nods, a bit embarrassed about how that turned out. "Now, is there anything else that needs to be done before me and Serril go check on Ashton?"
"Not that I know of," Devin says after a moment. "That should be it, I think."
Serril nods, and grabs a few small things from his desk -- small pouches of herbs, most likely. "Let's go," he says.
"Actually," Astryd says, "it's rather late. The timing for this is not as opportune as it might be."
"Indeed," Devin says, nodding. "If you two are going to go alone, I would suggest doing so tomorrow; when you've had some time to plan and prepare."
Serril agrees, and you quickly find yourself shuttled back to your room. And you know ... you are pretty tired.
You awaken -- you're not sure how much later, to a pair of alarmed guards who haul you off and deposit you in the library with Lord Kevin -- Astryd and Devin are nowhere in sight.
Ginrai now moves to Zero Hour (http://pishoque.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=36560#36560).