Location: Cormuk
After returning to the barracks after the end of the battle for Cormuk, Caelum and HräshHläng sit down for a moment to reflect.
Caelum: “Now what? How are we to track down Howie and save him from that Maugan guy?”
Hräsh: “I don't know. I imagine he took him back to Mazavi. Or maybe east Echer.”
Hläng and Hräsh: *seem to be staring at Caelum.*
Caelum: “I knew that man had a bad look about him. But why would he steal him?”
Hläng: *raises an eyebrow at that.*
Caelum: “If he had been killed, like Bairoth…”
Hräsh: “Maybe because alive, he could be more useful to him.”
Hläng: *keeps staring at Caelum.*
Caelum: “Maybe we should head for Ech… Why do you keep staring like that?”
Hläng: *scratching his head* “umm… nothing… I just never realised how much some of you humans can look alike.”
Caelum: “Every Ettin I know looks like you - and you…”
Hräsh and Hläng: *look at each other, then look back at Caelum.* "what?" (simultaneously)
Caelum: “I wonder if there is another shard of the Blunderblade in Echer we could find…”
Hräsh: “We'd have to know where to look. I'd be interested to find out how one would have gotten all the way over there.”
Caelum: “Maybe in the exilic wars.”
Hräsh: *contemplating that for a minute* “I think that'd be reason to look in Karalon.”
Caelum: “But how would we go about it - How do we find what is esentially a piece of needle in a continent-sized haystack?”
Hräsh: “The worldrunners seem to have a great deal of information in their hands. Do we know of any contacts in Karalon?”
Hläng: *squinting his eyes and gazing at Caelum sideways.*
Caelum: “Maybe they will help to find one of their own members as well - they may have some seers who can help to find them.”
Hräsh: *nods.*
Hläng: *nods sympathetically, though his head is still sideways.*
Caelum: “Am I growing another head, Hrash?”
Hräsh: *looks surprised.* “No… what?”
Caelum: “Well, I think the next thing to do is find the half-dragon-kobold. He may be our best lead for finding both Howie and the Blunderblade.”
Hläng: *rights his head*
Caelum: “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
Hläng: “I'm just trying to imagine what you'd look like with a beard…”
Hräsh: *gets a slightly concerned look on his face, and turns his eyes away from Hläng.* “On an.. unrelated note… What do you know about your family, Caelum?”
Caelum: “I was raised by the Monestary in Lowmeadow where I was left by my family. I know nothing of them.”
Hräsh: “Did they tell you where your family was from?”
Caelum: “Only that when I was found, I was clean and well dressed - not in shabby clothes or holey blankets.”
Hräsh: “So the priests at the monastery never actually met your parents.”
Caelum: “No. I heard there was a letter, but I never saw it.”
Hläng: “What did you parents look like?”
Caelum: “How would I know?”
Hräsh: “Our parents left us too. But… I guess we were older. I still remember MomMamma and DaddyPapa.”
Caelum: “Kind of like me, I would think, just like your parents looked a little like you. Why?”
Hläng: “Well.. it's just you look kind of like—”
Hräsh: *interrupting* “—like an Athalite.”
Caelum: “How many Athalites did you see, in your cave under the city?”
Hläng: “Actually I was going to say—”
Hräsh: *interrupting* “—Well… the human slaves of Dachoen were all Athalites… as well as most of the humans we saw in Mazavi… and we've just seen many more on the ships in Chormbach's harbour. They're different than the Thausaegh of the Orc's teeth and the Lonites from Mazavi.”
Caelum: “And I look like them more than the humans in Echer or Meridian?”
Hläng: “One in particular.”
Caelum: “Really? One of the sailors on the Athal ships?”
Hräsh: *looks away.* "No… not one of them."
Caelum: “then whom?”
Hräsh: “Go ahead, tell him.”
Hläng: “The human on the barge… Maugan.”
Hräsh: “I don't suppose you saw that yourself.”
Caelum: “Maugan? The Ludimarite? Maybe as an evil twin or something…”
Hräsh: “Or an uncle, or cousin, or…”
Caelum: “There cannot be any relation between the two of us, just because we happen to look a little alike.”
Hräsh and Hläng: *exchanging glances.* “alot.” (simultaneously)
Caelum: “Well, I've been looking to find out more about my family, but there are some things I think I would be better off not knowing.”
Hräsh: *Raises an eyebrow.*
HräshHläng: Chris
Caelum: Dennis
