Randomness

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: River Crossing, Kindeance

---

The dilemma was not looking to resolve soon. Despite being that much closer to rescuing the prince, the conflicting direction from the hunter and the seer was troubling. Whether it was a trick to throw off the seer, or even if the lords were working together and the prince was moved after Reinhold had left, there were plenty of unknowns. Still, there were two choices, and each had valid reasons to be true. Given Kaito’s previous comment, Veronica’s plan to commit to one village was sound. Even if the enemy had knowledge of their approach, it would be difficult to stop them with their combined expertise. On the other hand, Matilda’s worry that should they choose wrong, the prince would be in that much more danger. The possibility of the abductors simply killing the prince in desperation was that much higher. Pondering on it more, even if they did choose right, that desperation could act sooner.

A slight breeze blew across the field over the meeting, the calm cool air doing little to settle the rising tension. Solomon turned his body so that he better faced Matilda, “My shadows can travel as far and as long as I need them. The only hurdle that would exist is the time it would take them to travel. We are close so they can travel there and back within the quarter hour.” Shadows were fast, and though they could not speak, could easily communicate with Solomon. A viable ally to have and has served Solomon well when it came to looking for the lost. At the least they could keep eyes on one village and could provide any information that might change the view point of the current plan. As it stood currently, Solomon agreed with much of what Jazdia said. Though caution should be taken if going that route, there was not much reason if at all for the lord to refuse Matilda and her entourage. He kept his opinion quiet, yet also prepared to call forth his shadows.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: River Crossing, Kindeance

---

Solomon dismounted the horse and joined Jazdia with the others as she called for a meeting. Given how close they were to their intended destination, something new must have appeared. The half moon gave just enough light to navigate under the cover of darkness, but not so much for the map Jazdia unfurled. Relying on the illumination of her enchanted arrow, she overlooked the map. They were headed to Fanghorn, but suddenly she was questioning Pesti.

“Aaron Delving? Ah yes. I recall someone mentioning his involvement during the altercation at Rascade. I’m afraid neither town is overseen by the Delving house. Unless of course he is conspiring with the nobles in treason. Every time you speak of his name, his notoriety only increases. Though even if he were involved, the current situation leaves us with a puzzle. Our eye witness and our seer.” said Solomon as he stood next to Kaito with the others. As it were, they were almost equal distant from either town but they could reach one before dawn broke. For certain it seemed like they knew which town the prince was being held. However, that relied on the trust of Veronica who was a very recent addition to the team. Then there was the reliance on Reinhold who was not around much longer. Veronica was the more reputable of the two, but given the situation with Aaron, reputation could be put into question. Solomon left the thoughts within his mind.

“He might have seen you fight, but how aware do you suspect he is of us? We are twice what he encountered last. So should he be involved, he may be caught under prepared once again.” said Solomon returning to the topic Kaito proposed. However, there was a more pressing issue at hand. The potential involvement of the Delvings would have to wait. Solomon spoke more towards the group, “Should the need arise for us to separate once again, you need not worry of numbers from my part. Similarly, I can call upon the shadows to scout ahead. In this manner, Lady Veronica need not expend any more energy to scry if we expect an altercation. It will be slower in comparison, but done before the hour.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

“So you were born with natural talent?” pondered Solomon. Though he admitted he still practiced using his magic and expanding his imagination. Still, Kaito’s demonstration was very detailed and though the size was small, he could see the individualism in each illusory figure. Solomon already didn’t take Jazdia’s claim as inflation, but he firmly believed in Kaito’s ability. “That is impressive. I look forward to working with you.”

Solomon turned to look at the door Jazdia and the inn’s host had walked through, the same door Nina brought out trays of food repeatedly throughout the day. Solomon didn’t catch everything they said to each other. Beyond the host’s initial introduction, Solomon only caught a bit of their conversation. He seemed to know Jazdia and she knew him. A history existed between them, and he did not want to interrupt. Though he caught a bit of their conversation. Somewhere in the kitchen is probably where he kept whatever the comms was.

Solomon turned his head again, the hood over his eyes shifting. His gaze went back towards Kaito as he asked a question in return. “Indeed, my friend. I am more than a doctor, though I spend a lot of my time as such. No, I am also a researcher of sorts. There is only so much magic and medicine can heal. Such as how despite Cedar and my efforts, Yvonne still requires rest, or the girl upstairs is still in poor condition. I am studying methods and means to go beyond what conventional casters and doctors can provide. One day, I might even be able to bring those whose life was taken early back to their loved ones. Ah, but such a day is still far off into the future. For now, I take it one step at a time. It might not hold a candle to Cedar, but my work is honest and I am proud to lend my hand.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

“I believe I know whom you are speaking of, Mister Kaito. He is more than the villain of folktales. I once had the pleasure to make his acquaintance. To say he was less than hospitable would be putting it nicely. Last I spoke with him, he was in search of something. A protege perhaps. I do not really know. He was cordial enough during my encounter, so I don’t think much ill of him. If I remember correctly, he probably still lives at the Tretagor convergence.” said Solomon, his head tilting to the side as he was attempting to remember details about the one time he had encountered Lord Blackwater. He then lookws forward, his head slightly shaking from side to side. “I cannot say what he is up to these days. We didn’t have much to offer each other to maintain communication.”

Solomon leaned forward in his chair, his eyes looking intently at Kaito, “Not any questions relating to the mission at hand. I am curious, however. Jazdia spoke of your mastery of illusory magic, with whom did you study?” Solomon’s voice didn’t carry any hints of interrogation, rather, he seemed to have genuine intrigue. The study of magic wasn’t a well distributed occupation, so to have someone be a master in the school of illusion was impressive.

The Fairies Adventure

Location: Mrs. Greypetal Residence, Luminia

Interaction: @Crimson Flame

---

“Thank you, thank you.” said Vyvien as she received the last of the crystals she needed. While there was still more elemental magics out there, she had at least enough for a preliminary machine. The wheel of runes appears once again, manifesting on of them as her identifier. She opened to face of the device and placed the newly magical marbles into the mechanism. With each crystal in place, she closed it. Now she could calibrate it. In her open palm she created a mini tornado, the air swirling around tickling the skin of her hand. The device she built was being held in the other. The machine started making a faint clicking sound as the wheel inside began to spin like a compass in a magnetic flux. After a second of spinning, it slowed down, and the faint sky blue crytal could be seen through the little window. Perfect. A few more tests like this and her device would be complete. For now though, it would have to wait. Juniper’s principal was only a tree climb away.

Despite the daunting size of the tree, it was a fairly easy to get to. Really, the flight up was not much different that flying horizontally anywhere else. The huge canopy expanded from just above the entrance to the house. The earthy smell of the trees and the playful chirping of the insects made the short flight wonderful. Unfortunately, Mrs. Greypetal was not home. And it didn’t look like there was a Mr. Greypetal available either.

“As much as I would love to check out her potions, I’d probably be a better idea to find Mrs. Greypetal instead. I don’t want to be around in case we mess up some how. Trust me, I’ve done it, and it never turns out as exciting as it initially appears.” said Vyvien. Despite agreeing with the others to leave and head to a more social gathering place within Lumina, Vyvien still wandered around the main room the note was found. She looked at the different trinkets and pictures hung on the wall. The only thing keeping her from wandering into other rooms was the watchful gaze of the other fairies present. As Vyvien turned back to follow the others out of the house, her face lit up with an idea.

"Oh oh. I have this." Vyvien retrieved another tool from her rune wheel. It was a wooden cone with a leather handle attached to a small glass box at the end. She handed the device to Sky. "If you speak into the back of the box, your voice will come out of the cone really loud. We can use this to call for Mrs. Greypetal."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

With the plan finalized, the departure set, it gave plenty of time for Anderson to secure the horses and cart that was requested. In the mean time, now would be a time to prepare any supplies, and give those some time to rest. Hopefully, the healing magic would have finished its hob and restore those to peak condition if not already. The girl was still a concern, but they had confidence that whatever danger she posed would be contained for a while. Just as the meeting concluded, Jazdia’s shadow returned in time to introduce himself. He called himself Kaito, and as expected he was an underling of Jazdia. After his introduction, he understandably also asked for names. Solomon realized that while he was able to catch Veronica’s name in passing, he had yet to introduce himself.

“My apologies. My name is Doctor Solomon Sparrow, at your service.” he said. So Katio was a magic user of illusions and trickery. For a mission that relied on secrecy, this man seemed like an ideal fit. Why he wasn’t enlisted initially was an immediate thought, but it ultimately didn’t matter. Jazdia recruited him, and that was enough. It also put credence to the difficulty they encountered during their assault if his magic was not able to hide them. Looking forward, if infiltration was the plan, then his skill would prove necessary. If not for stealth, for distraction.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

With the map laid out on the table, together, Veronica and Solomon narrowed down the list of villages to only two. But given the greatly diminished time schedule, it was still going to be close to avoid all out war. The problem was that several of the investigation team had been injured, and though they were mostly healed to healthy condition, a lot of rest was still recommended. Furthermore, there was the matter of the mage girl locked up stairs.

“If we were to depart within the next hour, acquire a wagon, and took a more direct path, we could arrive at the closer of the two marked villages by this time tomorrow. If need be, I have the means to scout the other village in a similarly timely manner. However, my methods will not allow me more than gather information. It is something you can ask me to keep in mind should the need arise.” Solomon ran his finger along the map from Hdur, to the closer of the villages Veronica had narrowed down. Most of the trail followed the paths, but cut through some of the planes and low lands where the trails curved or forked. The journey would take two days on foot, less than a day on horse. But given the nature of some of their troop, if a wagon was needed, it would be longer than horseback, but still faster than walking. But then there was another matter to attend to.

“If I may ask, what of the girl currently in Cedar’s care? As I understand, she is volatile and unpredictable. It could be dangerous to leave her alone. In time she will recover. I have not experienced the power you and yours expressed, Madam Jazdia, so I do not know how she would act, even with Cedars care. It usually takes more than a day to change the state of mind of one in her condition.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

Their conversation over, Chounan, the guard, and the affluent looking stranger went on to finish their own business. Solomon decided to sit back and watch as everyone was making sense of everything else. As the fire burned mid day, and the creak of wood as the party rearranged itself. The occasional clink of cooking utensils from the back of the house. In some regards it was a bit peaceful. Though, perhaps it wasn’t a good time to feel as such. The prince was still missing, and war with Meche was still teetering on the edge. To make matters worse, there were new variables such as Reinold’s narcolepsy and the mage girl the guard carried with Jazdia.

Solomon looked over when the familiar face appeared through the door. The young squire of Matilda had also arrived in Hdur. Perhaps he had news from the king, or a new lead discovered from the forest. Solomon leaned forward in his chair, ready to hear what Anderson might have to say. He wasn’t alone. Another came through the door. She wasn’t one of the men Anderson was in charge of at the forest, so who she was eluded Solomon. Matilda recognized her, so that was enough. Solomon stood to join her as Matilda hurriedly descended down the stairs and ask for any new information. The news was grim. The already fragile peace between Meche and Kindeance was at its tipping point. A much shorter deadline was assigned. The events leading to it were not to pleasant to hear either. Almost everything was done to prevent the mission’s secrecy, a component the king made very clear.

“If I may have a look at your map, young lady.” said Solomon as he glanced over the markings Anderson’s company scrawled. So the young woman was a seer of sorts. Impressive. But seeing as how her attempts to scry for the prince had been blocked by some unknown force, the King’s decision to create a covert investigatory team made sense. She had essentially had a circled area of where she was unable to scry, significantly narrowing down the search radius should Reinold be ineffective. Even better, the area she had marked was right there where the hunters claimed to have seen the captors run off to.

“It is as Guard Captain Matilda says. With two sources, I agree that likelihood of finding the prince here is good. Let’s see.” Solomon reached over the map and touched a couple of the villages named on the map, “The hunters say they saw the captors flee to a small village watched over by a lord. These villages are of decent size while having lord’s residence. This one in particular is a fort, constructed around the same time period as the lake ruins.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

Solomon listened to Chounan’s explanation of the demon. It was rather fascinating. It wasn’t a spell of mind control, but a curse that Chounan was burdened with. Curses are not an unheard of thing, but to house a demon within oneself was an admittedly scary thought. Perhaps through a quick moment of weakness, it influenced Chounan, there didn’t seem to be much harm beyond his arm. At least physically. It was enough of a burden that he’d hurt his friends and comrades. Solomon could only guess how the episode influenced his relationship with Jazdia and those she journeyed with.

“Unfortunately, my expertise does not extend to demonic parasites.” Solomon joked. Chounan seemed to have struggled with this curse for a while. Solomon couldn’t know for how long Chounan had suffered, but he seemed in control now. There was something Chounan said that gave Solomon pause. Rather than ask, Solomon could see Chounan held regret for whatever actions he took that awakened the demon in that instant. “I suppose extra care must be taken to not kill without reason, beyond what you’ve taken now.”

Solomon took pause as the room bustled around. The inn keeper girl was running from here to there, understandable to the sudden increase in patronage. And then Cedar had absconded with the platter. Solomon wouldn’t say anything, the boy was pulled from every chance he had to a proper meal, be it by him or the arrival of Jazdia. He deserved it in Solomon’s eyes. Speaking of Jazdia, she joined Matilda by the fire, whatever their conversation was out of ear shot. The hunters were gathered at a table of their own, not wanting to interact all the much, and the guard that carried the girl say close by seemingly unsure of what he should be doing.

“Sealing the girl’s magic. If she is as dangerous as you say, that might be best. For both her recovery and your safety. Her condition. It is not good. She has been through much trauma, more heinous than most. I do not blame you for saving the girl. I hope that she is receptive to our care. I know too well of some of the horrors she might have endured."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

“To gain your consciousness? Were you put in a state of not yourself?” asked Solomon as he cleaned the wound on Chounan’s arm. The damage was light considering it was a stab wound, missing anything vital thankfully. It would be sore, but would heal in an adequate amount of time. Chounan always struck Solomon as a man with strong resolve, but given the damage their mage captive had done along with stories of a warrior version of Cedar, it was believable they might have had some magic of some kind that could sway the mind. Then again, Chounan was able to break himself out of it. A rare moment being caught off guard perhaps?

Solomon threaded the needle, his long thin fingers effortlessly guiding the medical thread. Despite how aged his hands appeared, lacking much of the color of youth, they worked perfectly still, showing little evidence of error. He dipped his fingers into a shallow tin, bringing a green mostly opaque gel to the gash on Chounan’s arm. As soon as it touched his skin, feeling around the wound became numb. After instructing Chounan to stay still, Solomon carefully stitched the wound closed. The make shift bandage that was there was good enough to stop the bleeding, but with the stitches, the wound would better close and heal.

“Yes it seems that you have had quite the encounter. Though if you permit me to ask, what were you investigating to encounter such adversaries? The bear, the mind control, the...” for a moment, Solomon glanced at the girl who sat quietly, the one Yvonne said was a mage. “the mage. If she is as powerful as you say, I hope you know what you were doing bring her here as opposed to the city guard.”

Solomon finished with his arm, providing the samurai a dollop of the pain relieving salve. Since Chounan would not be able to reach all parts of his back, Solomon offered to apply it to help bring some relief. Beyond the cut on his arm, the bruising and sore muscles would only need time to heal. The salve Solomon provided should help with any residual pain.

“And I think that does it. Of course, if you want something more immediate, I am sure Cedar would oblige if he hasn’t worn himself out, yet. But given your state, it appears you received the least of the beating among the rest.” Solomon returned to his chair.