** Part I: Fire and Ash **

[spike]

Sorry Whisper is Lord Altradeaus (the desk is in the personal chambers of Scarn (the trident leader).

[TristenC]

[Chris, everyone was healed fully when the leader's spirit was slain by Lucien. Also, Altradeaus said the cloak she gave Idrys was taken from him by the leader.]

Altradeaus, well met. I am Idrys, and as your friend said this is my sister Karlene. He also introduces the rest of the group. The cloak is yours? Then I've no problem with you having it, he says, passing the man his garment. I fear the odious bodysnatcher had you planned for his next vessel.

[SARRMATT]

"Why yes where are my manners, and thank you for returning one of my wayward items. Whisper Altradeaus, at your service." The gaunt and petite figure of the young man bowed again this time a bit more stiffly and uncoordinated in the too large and very average clothing that he wore. His unkempt black hair at one time had likely been cut in some sort of fashionable look was matted with something as were his clothes. Moving it aside you could see a bruise under his left eye and nicks and cuts across the sparse beard that covered his very young face. "You will have to forgive me, I've been out of sorts since coming to off and on. They've kept me moving along with my niece or cousin I believe. Traveling wedged between barrels and under grain sacks is no way to see the side of Scarlor. Say you wouldn't have come across a young Jez' zurian girl bearing some resemblance to me somewhere down here?" A dagger of some value was tucked into the side of one of his boots and he wore gauntlets of black silk and some metallic material that did not reflect any light. The mage turned to the one who spoke of the Black Cloaks, "What is the latest news of the Black Cloaks? Who do they swear fealty to? I fear a large bag of grain fell upon me during the last part of my trip and nearly suffocated me to death. My memory is rather shattered at the moment, I don't even know how I survived it. Just of waking up in a stock room somewhere in this complex and being brought to the office at the top of that lift."

[TristenC]

I don't recall any Jez' zurian girl, but there are still plenty of captives here to free. Looking to his sister, We should be about that. He offers the haggard newcomer some rations, You look as though you need to regain your strength.

[spike]

Whisper see's that one of the troupe is a black guardsman, who spoke in answer to his query 'The black cloaks still follow Dezloz Rygoz, the stinking bastard. Though many of my countrymen have tried to assassinate him, of course. Now he hunts a band of whelps who are supposedly a threat to him somehow. Glad I defected!'

[Chris1234]

Karlane rolls her eyes and makes a shrug of apology about the cloak.
She says, "Whisper, if that is what you prefer to be called, you were never 'just' a Lord and, I suspect, more than 'just about to be sold'. So, this Jez' zurian girl, is she your cousin? What's her name? And does she have a similar special skill set to yours? Is she more than a mere 'civilian'? "

After listening to any reply, she presses a little more, "Was there anything significant in the office? And what other wayward items do you refer to?"

[SARRMATT]

"I never once claimed to be a Lord my lady. It was a title I earned in a different life and a different time I believe but cannot be sure of. As to my cousin or niece, I did not see her a single time while I was imprisoned but my captors taunted me with tales of her impending rape and slavery. My wayward items I seem to recall a house cloak clasp with minor sigil, a glaive, and an amulet of ancient crafting. I did not poke about the office at the top of the lift, right now my shattered mind and body is barely able mutter the simplest of cantrips. I could not disarm or dodge a trap by even the lowliest of cut purses I fear." Whisper responded to the young lady who had asked him so many questions.
[Ooc:] I'll commit to posting once nightly, so DM PC during the day and I'll try not to cause too much going back in time with my posts.

[spike]

Whisper see's a hooded specter speaking, and says 'It might be wise to ransack the trident leaders office, mi'lady. Though, mage named Whisper I can sense you have more resource at your disposal than you let on, as you have a item that can detect and disarm all manner of trap, had you the foresight to utilize its power' the specter pointed to Whisper's bag and there was a metallic scarab, like an insect wrought of pure metal that was black and sleek with glowing crimson eyes. The specter said 'I have not seen Dwemer craft in many ages, such is all but extinct and faded from the world' he commented. 'I know of kings and queens who would gladly have you flayed for possession of such a contraption'

[Chris1234]

"Whisper, I know that you have had a previous life built on secrets but, with us, that must end if we are to progress. When we have found your cousin you can tell us how you happened to be in a place where grain sacks happened to fall on you that happened to end up here where your cousin happened to be. We will look for your cousin when we have examined the leader's office,"replies Karlane. She heads off to the lift, adding to the charmed Trident, "Does this account for all the bodyguards?"

[spike]

The charmed trident does a quick examination of the dead guards, saying 'no, there's two more. The fat and short one and the tall and skinny one, yet they're usually assigned to guard the prisoners...it's one of the more 'fun' jobs if you know what I mean. Be weary of those two they're especially treacherous and mean spirited' he added, shaking his head in disbelief. 'You know, this is a whole heck of a lot funner than I've ever had working for Scarn. He was always an asshole, to put it frankly'

THE OFFICE: the party ascends about 30' above and enters into a luxuriously wide loft with plush creature comforts, a sea of pillows and a large oak desk stacked with coins, and a wooden wardrobe.

There's another note on the table that reads:

Scarn,

I have delivered Lord Altradeaus for your safe keeping, ensure that he does all tasks you assign him, and teach him a little respect if need be. He is to be my new apprentice, and if he refuses use his niece as a motivational object. You may have her if she strikes your fancy, I care not. And if he refuses to be my apprentice, you may inhabit him as your new vessel.

You may wish to keep his cloak handy, it is the cloak of evasion and will enable avoidance of injury or attacks, even magic or draconic breath. Some say it is the sole reason the Altradeaus line has endured for so long. Well, all things must come to an end, and a fitting end at that.

There appears to be 1,500 gp on the desk. There is a drawer in the desk which is currently locked, and Karlene discovered a needle trap embedded in the keyhole

[Chris1234]

Karlane turns to the wardrobe in case any clothes inside it contain a key, failing which, will try to disarm the trap and the pick the lock. "Would you search this place, please? Look for secret doors or compartments."

[TristenC]

We should deal with the remaining guards before we spend tome searching.

[spike]

charmed trident: "I wouldn't worry, they're gambling their wages or bossing the slaves around'

wardrobe:: a black hood appears to 'fall' out of the wardrobe's interior, almost landing atop of Karlene's head. It looks like an executioner's hood, or a criminal's mask.

A rune of some sort is engraved on the inner doors of the wardrobe, which is split perfectly to fit on either door but when closed the rune would read '7th portal'

Karlene touches the bed and she gets a vision of Scarn fiddling with one of the bedposts, and he opens a secret compartment in one and plucks a gem out, then moves over to the wardrobe and disappears after uttering the word ZIFMIA. He is followed by two other tridents who tag along and disappear as the wardrobe is filled with cobalt colored light. A moment later he returns, along with his two bodyguards and they are dragging a young slavegirl with them, whom they throw into the bed and laugh with lopsided grins as they strap her down with rope to all four posts.

NEW: the black hood, on the ground suddenly flew up and shot toward Whisper but fell at his feet. The mage can smell whiskey doused on the mask for some reason or other.

Ironically, while peering down at said mask, Whisper noticed a familiar amulet beneath the bed. It looked cold, dark and empty...like something that was once valuable and powerful but now defused, broken, shattered, and worthless. It instilled a sense of profound melancholy in your soul. Strangely, as Karlene noticed said amulet she sees a Lorian icon on the back that translates to 'archivist' which is a special office within her order that was abolished a thousand years ago because it grew too powerful and created an internal power struggle within the order (obscure knowledge).

Lucien: "Well now, house Altradeaus most ancient family surname in all of Jez'zur, some say the entire Inner Kingdoms. Your line is known to create talented magic-users, however it's also been known to create talented but mad magic-users. It was your late great great grandfather Harkon who used the sphere of annihilation to wipe out a fleet of invading Nyriddian warships.

[SARRMATT]

Whisper recoiled from the black hood's unnatural movement, with it lying on the ground at his feet he spoke the cantrip for an acid blob and dropped it onto the mask. [Ooc] Should it react violently it's getting a scorching ray.

Whisper fished through the spell components that were formerly neatly organized in the satchell along his side. In his haste earlier to find a spell book, or scroll, or anything containing magical runes he blundered through the sack's contents mixing a few together. His hand immediately found the rune stick that he had discovered previously, it contained the runes of power for a few odd low level spells. He fished around a bit more and felt metal prick his finger, his hand gently closed around the assaulting item and retrieved it. In Whisper's hand was a round shaped black metal scarab beetle with red gems for eyes. "Make it whole again." Whisper clumsily tugged on a few of the things legs, none moved easily except for one. The metal beetle remained cold and lifeless in his hand, he placed it back into the pack along with the shattered remains of the amulet.

[Ooc] Whisper tunes out all conversation and interaction with people once the amulet is found for quite sometime, he becomes lost in his own thoughts and shattered memories.

[Chris1234]

Karlane states, "That's mre than a wardrobe. Leave that to me. Found any secret doors, gentlemen?" and proceeds to go through the stuff on the desk before talking the drawer.
When she gets to the drawer, Karlane runs her hands under the desk in case the key is held there with gum.