Finding the wheel

[Anastasia]

A man. A man, clean shaven and decidedly middle aged, long and gray hair kept roughly controlled by a wide brimmed had. He wears a gray cloak and matching clothes, the sturdy clothing of a traveler, a walking stick in hand. If not for the fact that he stands on thin air as if it were nothing, he would look entirely normal.

"There's a fine line between cowardice, that and foolhardiness. You're still alive, so you're not that big a fool and you aren't the type to be a coward if you're here." The man agrees.

[Nephrite]

Is this by any chance the same man who came and met Moore in a dream when he was studying how to remember anathemic knowledge? I can try and find the post but it was a while ago.

[Anastasia]

It looks a bit like him in the face, but the other parts don't match.

[Nephrite]

"I take it you're just visiting again? ...But am I awake this time?" Moore asks.

[Anastasia]

A slight nod to that. "Good, we can skip the tedious parts and get to the point," The man says, expression serious.

Xandra still has her blade out, not that the man is terribly bothered by it. "Who are you?" After that she puts the blade away, becoming a trumpet once more.

[Nephrite]

"He's not going to tell you." Moore says. "The last time I met him, I wasn't actually awake, so... I don't think we are right now, either. He's not an enemy." Moore adds. "But it sounds like you're here to try and impart something to us, so... please, what is it?"

[Anastasia]

"A word of advice from someone invested in this but unable to act directly: Don't get so tied up in your skirmishes with the efreet to forget you have more important tasks." He says this plainly, "As important as knocking the efreet down is to you and others, it's a side show to what's really going on."

[Nephrite]

"I understand." Moore says equally plainly.

"Would you care to offer a suggestion as to what you think I should focus on?" Moore asks. "I'm sure you already know where my attention is, at the moment."

[Anastasia]

"You been given your marching orders yet? Looks like it to me, but fill me on on that work the child gave you and whatever else." He asks that, glancing at Xandra.

Xandra returns that look, sword gone but still visibly tense.

[Nephrite]

"I have... about a seventh of the mystery solved when it comes to those notes." Moore says. "I've still got a long way to go, but I think there are big pieces just hiding somewhere."

"As for marching orders... I mean, we're helping with the efreet, obviously, but... beyond that, no, nothing specific. I'm looking for the four pieces of Temman's Wheel right now so that we hopefully have more freedom in exploration. Ultimately, until I solve all those notes, I think I'm a bit stalled. I think once they're solved, we find 21 and then Io." Moore says. "Beyond that? It's mostly just a matter of smashing up Sharran outposts as they come along and anything else that decides to rear it's evil head."

[Anastasia]

"It's growing, you have a long way to grow," The man agrees. "Grow but keep your eyes on the prize. All the efreet slavers in Creation being stopped matters for nothing if Shar gets her way."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. "I understand. I will keep searching." A smile afterwards. "Maybe next time we can meet under less suspicious circumstances."

[Anastasia]

"Maybe," The man admits, "If I can't get back to sleep first." He turns to go, "Sorry for the vagueness, there's rules in place for Creation's protection. We labor under the gaze of something beyond all of us." He speaks as he walks away on thin air, "Speaking of, keep this conversation to yourself and the others close to you - Jetina, Kaja, Cresiel and of course Xandra."

"Why you," Xandra calls to his back, "What is your purpose? Why do any of this?"

[Nephrite]

"Xandra, it's okay." Moore says, with a turn to her and a smile.

"Can you answer one thing? Is this related to Medi?" Moore asks.

[Anastasia]

"Medi? That old, dead memory?" The man doesn't even look back.