[HQ Ignorance] Second Scene: University of Sog City conference room

[Nic Hughes]

Lev Lafayette wrote:
> Scene Two: University of Sog City
> ---------------------------------
>
> So the gallant and brave who heeded the call came
> together to the University of Sogolotha Mambrola. Once
> a great metropolis, the ravages of the end of the
> Second Age and the Syndics Ban had seen much of its
> green-skinned native Waertagi, and the atheist
> Brithini decline in numbers to the point that the
> sprawling dilapidation was now mainly inhabited by
> transients and explorers.
>
> The Vice Chancellor of the University, Pelinorius
> Stäarki, drew the noble volunteers together and
> ensured their every comfort, especially those of the
> foreign species. On the second day after the arrival
> of the last members of the fellowship, the conference
> was held. Deep suspicions across the conference table
> were temporarily put aside as the problem was
> described to the assembled. The best scholars had
> indeed studied the prophetic fragment, and verified to
> its authenticity. Interpeters were attempting to
> discover whether the nightmares of many of the
> Waertagi, prophesising the destruction of their
> city-ships was related.
>
> "But who is this Nameless Man?", he asks the
> assembled. He is certainly not the ghost of Prince
> Snodal, as some speculate. That ghost has been
> contacted, and the Nameless Man preceeds him in any
> case. Our sorcery can hardly summon this spirit as we
> require a name, and he is without one. Describing him
> as yet another Krjalki [chaos montser] is hardly
> adequate, however our Seeing Stones have seen him
> recently in Dilis Swamp, *suppressing* a great
> humanoid-wolf spirit from rising from the gaseous
> bog."
>
> "So, not only does this Nameless Man appararently have
> True Knowledge of the Three Weapons of Talor, which we
> - all of us - *must* have in our possession for the
> Hero Age, he is even to this day preventing our fall.
> No matter whatever crimes he has committed in the past
> for the time being he is *acting* like an ally."
>
> "But here is our conumdrum. How does one capture and
> question this Nameless Man? That is a problem I must
> leave to your collective intelligence and ability..."
>
> The speech is interrupted as a flustered student
> bursts through the door, without even announcing his
> presence. "My lord, I must inform you! Molene has
> fallen to the Kingdom of War and has been ransacked.
> Woe to mankind!"
>
>   
Aalmon sits for a moment in the stunned silence that follows this 
announcement, then quickly rising to his feet his heavy wooden chair 
clattering noisily onto the stone floor. Now that he is standing all can 
see that he is a large man with the weathered look of someone who spends 
most of his time away from civilisation, his sturdy travelling clothes 
look drab and rough compared to the finery of the nobles and finely 
tailored simplicity of the wizards present, yet a mischeivous glint in 
his eye hints that he finds all the display and posturing rather amusing.

He speaks with a thick Janubian accent yet somehow the meaning of his 
words is clear enough "For those who do not know me I am Aalmon, called 
Far-Rider, from the city of Riverjoin in the Janube valley.It seems to 
me that if we cannot compel the Nameless Man to come to us the we are 
compelled to go to him." He looks around the table at the seated group 
"Surely there are people here who can contact this being, although I 
think it would be rash to try to capture him knowing nothing of him."
He turns to the Vice Chancellor "Do you perhaps know of a local guide 
who has navigated the swamps, I hear they are difficult to find your way 
in. A guide who knows the local stories and customs would be even better."
Looking back around the table he continues "What do you say, shall we 
make our move or wait to see where the terror of War falls next?"

He turns round and picks up his chair, then sits back down astride it 
almost as if it were a horse. Watching.

OOC: We have not established the time of week so for the sake of 
argument lets say its a crescent moon day, which is why Aalmon's speach 
is badly accented despite the fact that he would have prepared himself 
for this meeting - his communication magic is relatively weak right now.
On the subject of languge as all the Fronelan languages have a common 
root I am assuming they are somewhat mutually comprehensible but that 
cross-language conversations require effort and risk misunderstanding 
(i.e. there is an improvisation penalty of some level). I think - from 
barely recalled references - that the similarities/differences would be 
on the scale of those between medieval Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. 
Lev, please correct me if this is not how you see things in your Glorantha.

Nic


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