Drink With Me

[Brian]

"I'm not certain," Radagast says.  "But the other lorekeepers would most likely notice this if someone dressed the part of a soldier.  I can't think of how to search with ... magic, though."

[Dracos]

"There's no way to detect your own?  Hmm..."  Dracos pondered for a moment silently, letting the other lords say something if they had something to say.

Dracos

[Brian]

Radagast just shrugs.

Kevin drums his fingertips on the table thoughtfully, and Ekim sits down -- none of the chairs will accomodate him, so he just lowers himself to the floor, and rubs one chin.  The bristled steel-wool of his beard makes subdued metalic pinging noises as the strands are moved about.

[Bjorn]

"I believe Master Parthipan is already investigating the possibility of traitors within the Lorekeepers," Bjorn points out.  "I think we can trust him, and he can likely pursue that avenue with more ease than myself, for example."

He chews the tip of his tongue thoughtfully for a second, and then looks back at Lord Kevin.  "If you'll pardon me, my Lord, it seems to me that as bad as this news is, you have something else on your mind as well.  At the least, Lord Ekim's presence," he nods at the dwarf, "certainly suggests another matter.  Am I mistaken?"

[Brian]

Kevin shakes himself slightly.  "Oh.  Yes.  I'd wanted to ask Lord Ekim to hold on to this for me," he says, unbuckling the sword scabbard from his belt and passing it over -- with visible reluctance -- to Ekim.  The dwarf accepts the sword, which looks like a long dagger in his hands.  "It's not good to be carried around casually."

Ekim nods slowly.

[Bjorn]

"Perhaps," Bjorn says, "we might be able to use this to set a trap.  May I ask how many people know that you were holding this sword, my Lord?"

[Brian]

Kevin blinks slowly.  "Well, the Interers would know, as it's normally held in the tombs down there.  It was being sent back when we found of the murders.  I don't know anyone else who would know."  He furrows his brow, looking much calmer now that he's not bearing the sword.  "How will you make a trap of this?'

[Bjorn]

Bjorn drums his fingers briefly across his thigh, half-lost in thought.  "Sir Breke was killed, and immediately a move was made to remove his weapons.  Sir Lammermore is also incapacitated, and it stands to reason that if a similar opportunity presents, they would try the same.  So, if we provide what seems an opportunity...." he trails off, suggestively.

[Brian]

"What will you need to make this plan work?" Kevin asks, while the Loremasters look on impassively.

[Bjorn]

"How is the sword normally stored, and how broadly are the arrangements known?" Bjorn asks.

[Brian]

"I imagine they're not well known outside of the Interers," Kevin says slowly.  "There's a tomb ... in the hall where Breke was to be left -- the Hall of Heroes.  But one remains for those whos legends have faded, and only their weapons remain.  There is no record of who this sword belonged to before it came here, so it's kept in the very back of that hall.  There is always at least one Interer there at all times, and the tomb entrances are sealed with great stone doors.  Most only know that weapons such as that," he says, gesturing to the sword Ekim is still holding, "are kept beneath the keep."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn nods slowly.  "There has been no move to take the sword earlier," he says, "which suggests that either the enemy did not know for certain where it was kept, or they were unable to reach it.  So, we will provide them with the solution to both possible problems."

He scratches his chin briefly.  "I would suggest that arrangements be made for a room in one of the towers to be guarded... by two men, I think.  Someone trustworthy should be seen carrying a sword, wrapped in cloth, into the room, and the door locked behind them."  He frowns.  "I am not sure if it could be done, but if this bait sword could be warded with some sort of trap, then it would be ideal.  Otherwise -- or perhaps regardless -- there will need to be additional guards concealed within the room itself."

He shrugs again, somewhat embarassed.  "It is likely a long-shot, I'm afraid, my Lord.  If it was too easy to go for the sword, it would obviously be a trap, and if it's too hard, then they will not take the risk.  But there is a chance it can work, and so, I think, worth the effort."

[Brian]

Mattias nods, and turns to Eske.  Eske concentrates for a moment, and produces a bolt of cloth from a hole in reality that makes your eyes tear up to look at -- it closes quickly enough, thankfully.  It's a simple white sheet, a little too small for a blanket, but large enough to bundle up a sword the size of the one Ekim is holding.

Eske hands it over, and Mattias marks it with ink in a few odd patterns that somehow almost seem familiar.  After a while, Mattias's runes fade into what now looks like a slightly-better than rag quality cloth.

"Any who touch this cloth, aside from us, will have their hands stained by the ink.  And more importantly, I shall know when it happens.  I can ensure whatever guards we use will be proof of this, though," Mattias says, laying on the table, half-covering the map.  Kevin's eyebrows rise at this.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn nods.  "Then we need only a sword to match the one that Lord Ekim holds," he says.

[Brian]

"Or one that looks enough like it," Ekim says, glancing between the sword he's holding, and the one Phil is wearing.