Completed Proper Channels

[Inoadar]

'Aaah, the very opening I was hoping for.' Inoadar thought, letting a look of regret play across his face. "Of course, sir. I should have thought to bring a vial of it. I also have some tobacco that is spiked with it, as it is an inhalation...product...I'm sorry, it feels wrong to me to call it a 'poison', since it only beneficial in effect, and it is not a 'serum', technically. A single pipe load should be equivalent to a dose. I don't know if you smoke, but you may certainly have it in either form you choose. I will bring both next time." He expected to give both to the young aristocrat the next time.

He was greatly intrigued to hear that Valerius knew of Alvadas. "On an unrelated subject, if I may be so bold as to ask. This man that worked in Alvadas...Do you know if he had ever mentioned any knowledge of a species of spider called the...'Lucid Lurker' I think it was? Rumors I heard in the Araneida toxin family course I took at the IHL made mention of it. Some sort of powerful narcotic effect. I have been interested in looking into that, now that I have learned how to milk spiders. It was my understanding they were found on an island near Alvadas."

Inoadar was nearly floored by his good fortune when Valerius spoke of the attack on his grandfather. It was exceedingly rare that so many subjects of discussion touched on such advantageous opportunities. Not only could he show himself to have already been loyal to the Nitrozian family, he could implicate his nemesis, the businessman Barton, possibly even get high level sanctions against him. AND possibly impress Valerius with his usefulness as a skilled practitioner of disguise.

But it needed to be done diplomatically, "Yes I was very sorry I could not have done more. But I was there for a business meeting with the businessman, Mr. Barton, and had, of course, not brought any weapons with me. I had to resort to throwing a chair at the brigand's feet. Tripped him up, but then he pulled that vanishing act. I hope I did the right thing when I told people NOT to pursue him. It just seemed as though he was making himself more conspicuous than a professional assassin would. That he could use that trick to leave anytime he wanted, but was staying visible. And I thought perhaps he was trying to draw off those that could more ably protect Lord Nitrozian than myself." Inoadar thought it a nice touch that he referred to Sitanos that way, it would indicate that deference to the family's status was already ingrained in his attitude.

"The best I could accomplish was to use my skills to determine the type of poison used. When I determined it was not of a generally lethal variety, it only added to my fear that it was an attempt to lure away the guard. And with all those other businessmen in the estate, well...I know how envy will drive some people to such degrees. It was one of the reasons I was in a disguise."

He added as if it was an afterthought, "Oh, of course, that's why you didn't realize I had been there. I was in disguise. I didn't trust that Barton fellow. I still don't. He...owes me a favor...and I think he'd rather balance the scales by silencing me rather than paying up. He strikes me as one of those envious types."

[Valerius Nitrozian]

„I do smoke occasionally“, Valerius replied. He smoked because it almost seemed to be required from him in certain situations, because almost all the men and even some of the women smoked at some of the parties held in the Nitrozian Estate, but he didn’t enjoy it particularly. He had always found the smell of smoke products fairly unpleasant. „If a pipe is required, I will buy one.“ As Inaodar offered to bring the substance the next time they met, Valerius nodded. „I would appreciate that“, he said to him. Maybe ‚Intellect Mist‘ would give him the certain clarity of mind that he was still lacking every now and then. „No, unfortunately he never told me about such a spider.“ Valerius shook his head. „He only ever told me about the families that ruled Alvadas and the general nature of the city. Please tell me though, Mister Parnell, what does the venom of the Lucid Lurker do? Perhaps I could make inquiries among my aunt’s associates. They are quite familiar with certain substances.“ His aunt and Doctor Alzelin occasionally used poison in their experiments. Maybe they knew of the Lucid Lurker. He also couldn’t help but wonder if there was such a thing as spider Kelvic, a venomous Kelvic. As Inoadar spoke of the party at the Nitrozian Estate, Valerius‘ eyes widened slightly. „You were there, Mister Parnell? You were the man that told people not to leave the victim unguarded? I have to thank you then. You may have helped prevent something worse. If you were there, you must have formed your own conclusions about the assassin and the kind of magic that he used. My family’s employee mentioned Voiding, as I told you. Do you think the assassin might have practiced that particular kind of magic as well?“ He paused for a moment as he considered the information that Inoadar had just given him again. „If you ever feel as if you cannot handle Mister Barton alone, let me know. He may be much less willing to silence an associate of House Nitrozian.“ He remembered that Amolina had voiced her doubts about Mister Parnell – whose name she had not mentioned right away – but from what he had learned so far, associating with him further and even helping him would be worth it. Nolan Parnell knew a lot about the things that were going on in the city.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar made a mental note to bring Intellect Mist in both forms the next time he attended the estate for any reason. But all he did for now was give the young man a nod of agreement. He was somewhat disappointed that there was no new knowledge forthcoming about the Lucid Lurker, but the Suvan Sea was far away. He hadn't really expected there to be any additional details.

But that didn't mean he could not impress with what HE knew. He grinned with devious appreciation and shook his head. "From what I've heard, it's a delightfully horrid little beast. The initial bite or sting delivers a narcotic that renders the victim near comatose with dreamy visions. Then the creature injects its eggs, right into the actual torso of the sleeping victim. This apparently also largely negates the sleeping drug and allows the victim to regain his wits and return to whatever he was doing, or more important, where he was going."

Inoadar had long envied the possible weapon capabilities of the little monster, along with the thrilling terror of imagining if it ever got out of control. He elaborated on his statement. "The victim then may very well return to his town, where he sickens or returns to a coma, I'm not sure which, maybe both. At any rate the creatures have been gestating all this time and then come out to spread their eggs among whatever populace is now made available. I don't know if this kills the host or not, but it's my understanding that killing the host soon enough will cause the eggs to die without birth. But if even a few survive..."

His eyes glazed as his visions conjured gloriously catastrophic images. Screaming mothers, their mouths filling with spiders, running with their bawling children held high, in a vain attempt to save them from hordes of skittering arachnids. The streets littered with peaceful, sleeping bodies, bloating with new broods of the monstrosities. Other bodies popping open in gouts of gore, the victims awakening to an agonizing nightmare as a thousand little legs and bobbing eye stems swarmed hungrily over their last moments of life, knowing that their hideous pain and death has only increased the terror. The very walls of their city alive with crawling, stinging madness. "It would be a plague. Every birth of another brood increasing the terror and death exponentially. The town would have to be quarantined, and very likely purged by fire. Rhysol himself must have given flesh to this little agent of chaos." the poisoner crooned in near adoration.

The subject of the party brought him back from his grisly reverie. "Yes, I was there. I'm glad that I could make a positive contribution." He gave some thought to his memory of the man's odd disappearances and reappearances. "I really am not familiar with this discipline, this..."voiding". Miro did not speak as though he knew it well either. I have always understood it to involve some torn opening into a different...physical...realm. I know only that I saw no such thing that night. The assassin seemed to slide right into the shadows themselves, and emerge from some other. Maybe that IS what the opening into this...void ream is, but I can only speculate."

"I am not too proud to say I would accept any aid against Mr. Barton, sir. The only thing being that I think, if properly motivated, his assets could be OUR assets. So I'm not sure how I want to deal with him as yet. I know he has connections that could be utilized. Of course, should it turn out he WAS involved in the attempt on Lord Nitrozian. I would not think of interfering in whatever vengeance you would seek. I'd like to see him return my favor of course, one way or another, but I know that my considerations are rather pedestrian beside the concerns a family such as yours must have. But I will confess, I would hope he could see my face among your agents when the axe falls."

[Valerius Nitrozian]

From the look on Valerius‘ face it was obvious that he was impressed with Inoadar’s knowledge, although he didn’t appreciate the enthusiasm with which he spoke. Valerius never called such dangerous animals delightful. When he conducted his research in the Kelvic Research Institution, it was in a cool and calculating manner. In his opinion emotions only got in the way. Plagues fascinated him to some extent, but he also feared them because there was always a chance that he himself might become affected. He preferred the world the way it was now, but then again, if Rhysol was the God of Chaos, was it not his duty to have some appreciation for chaos? He would have to think about that question and the possible unpleasant consequences some more. „Tell me, Mister Parnell, is there really no way to cause the eggs to die without killing the host?“ he wanted to know. „Couldn’t maybe a different kind of poison be used to destroy the eggs while they are still inside the host? Could an antidote be found if one had the proper equipment and enough financial means? Maybe Rhysol created those spiders, but to me they seem a little impractical. Tell me, Mister Parnell, how long does it take from the first bite until the creatures are born? And are there any symptoms?“ It would be obvious to Inoadar that the Lucid Lurker fascinated Valerius, to some extent at least. „As for the man who dared to try and kill my grandfather, as I said, I will visit the Institute of Higher Learning. I hope that the professors will be able to shed some light on that matter.“ As Inoadar mentioned that Mr. Barton’s assets could be their assets, the Nitrozian’s eyes lit up. He saw a means to increase his wealth and finally gain the respect of his grandfather. Associating with Nolan Parnell was already paying off, despite his chaotic nature and his unhealthy fascination with poisonous animals and plagues. „If the Nitrozian family decides to move against Mr. Barton, if it turns out that he was involved in the assassination attempt, I might be willing to let you know beforehand“, he said to Inoadar. Whether he would really do it remained to be seen of course. It all depended on how his collaboration with Inoadar worked out and what he found out about Miro, Forus, the stolen artifact and Mr. Barton himself.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar's face showed the disappointment that he had no more details. "I wish I knew, sir, truly I do. Even the IHL has very little knowledge on the Lurkers in their library. It is only because I studied arachnid poisons this last season that I even had the opportunity to find out about them. It was clear in the text that it was only recently that they were verified and had their entry moved from the status of "rumor only". So I really have no answers. It was really only because Alvadas was mentioned as a city that had protocols in place to deal with them that I responded when you mentioned this man that worked for your family there."

Inoadar hoped to downplay his excitement over all the developments they had discussed. He'd thought there had been moments of distaste in Valerius' expression when his enthusiasms had peaked. He guessed that aristocrats probably had more cause to value the inhibition of emotional displays than a man off the streets, where intimidation and deceit were often lifelines, and hinged on those displays to be effective. But it was exceedingly difficult to maintain such a blase appearance when virtually every pursuit on his agenda stood to gain by the addition of this man's backing.

"Well, sir, I certainly wish you all the luck in the world toward avenging the cowardly attempt on Lord Nitrozian. If I find anything useful I will not hesitate to inform you, and I am available at any time to pursue any lead you feel I might be uniquely suited for. But If I DO find something, is there any quicker way to bring it to your attention, or perhaps better said, is there a less obvious way than coming right to your gate? Because it may well be that keeping such a meeting from being known will be an imperative."

He decided not to ask about progress towards the completion and establishment of the "Sanitary Station". Mr. Nitrozian would undoubtedly feel that his subordinates should await his pleasure for updates. Though his own monetary contribution was not insignificant, he knew perfectly well that already Nitrozian influence had cleared the way of bureaucratic delay and very likely advanced their placement on the waiting list. He was content to wait. The thought of no longer having to wring out every ounce of his creativity and experience, and rig his basic equipment to achieve advanced levels of performance, was like the promise of a permanent paid holiday.

"In the meantime, it stands to reason that unexpected details will arise that would make any further attempts to plan strategies a pointless exercise. I thank you for your time and will be in my shop for the most part. And I promise you, I will take no precipitous action against Mr. Barton that will suggest your involvement in any way. If he should make another attempt on ME, I will HAVE to respond, as that is what a man with no connections would have to do. It would be suspicious otherwise. But I will see to it that my reprisals fail to be too crippling to him. His thugs however..." He shrugged, a predatory smile gracing his face, and let the statement hang.

[Valerius Nitrozian]

„I see“, the Nitrozian remarked as Inoadar admitted to his lack of knowledge about the Lucid Lurker. „I can’t help but be a little disappointed. Do you think there’s a point in sending a message to Alvadas to find out more about these creatures though? Would the people in charge be willing to communicate with me? I think researching the Lucid Lurker could be worthwhile. Doctor Alzelin and my aunt work with a variety of poisons and creatures at the Kelvic Research Institution, but I don’t think they are familiar with this particular kind of spider.“ Valerius wanted to become more than just Sitanos Nitrozian’s grandson, more than Amanda Nitrozian’s nephew. If he studied creatures that were nearly unknown in Ravok, he might finally get the recognition he craved. This could be the chance he had been waiting for. Of course he would have to be careful as the Lucid Lurker seemed to be very dangerous. „I thank you“, he replied as Inoadar told him that he would not hesitate to inform him if he found something useful. „And there is of course a less obvious way to contact me than simply walking up to my gate. A young woman, Shy Carsma, is working as a courier for me. She has a way of moving through Ravok unseen. We could use her to send messages to each other. She has been in my employ for a while now, and I trust her.“ As Inoadar spoke more about Mister Barton and how he would deal with him, Valerius nodded. „You can deal with Mister Barton’s thugs in whatever way you deem appropriate“, he informed him. „They are of no concerns to me.“ He paused for a moment, thinking, and finally he asked, „Is there anything else you think I should know?“ „By the way, would you mind giving me the adress of your shop? Seeing as we are business partners now, we should know where the other one works, don’t you think?“

[Inoadar]

'Maybe I could be a proper aristocrat.' Inoadar thought as he pondered the fellow's attitude, and how consistently similar it had run along side his own. There was clearly the sophistication he lacked. But only so far as what came naturally to him. He felt that he'd comported himself well in these elite surroundings.

The only real difference he felt was the need to not make jokes. He enjoyed a nice snide and eloquently worded unpleasantry. But this young man seemed to find it an annoyance to have to wade through comments that did not immediately express an aspect of business being discussed. But maybe it was just that he'd only met him the one time. The young man asked about sending a massage to Alvadas in pursuit of answers about the spider Inoadar had mentioned.

"I think that would be a good idea." Inoadar responded. "Such a distance calls for the earliest undertaking. I know nothing of Alvadas, so I would have no present knowledge of the authority structure there. But if they have not heard of the Lucid Lurker, then it is to their benefit to have warning of it. Once again, that which is made available to the worshipers of Rhysol surpasses that found elsewhere. I find the thing fascinating, but not to be trifled with."

At the mention of the young female courier, Inoadar set aside the previous thought he'd entertained of impersonating her livery and color designs for disguise purposes. If she was Valerius' personal courier, then she was effectively untouchable to him. He noted the name. It was the same as the one the girl had given him personally.

A series of peripheral realizations struck him. This "Carsma" girl had come to his shop, yet Valerius claimed not to know where it was. Either he was aware that this question needed to be asked to maintain the facade of lacking this knowledge, or the courier made it her business to survey the city on her own. The Nitrozian seemed too straightforward to bother with a deception of this degree. He had asked her to find the shop, which Inoadar had named in his missive, and she had done so promptly.

This then suggested a second question...Did she simply remember every location she came across with singular clarity? Or had he instructed her to keep Inoadar under surveillance from day one? Inoadar let a small smile show. Either way, either one or both of them were real pros and surrounded themselves with other pros. And now he was numbered among them. Things were looking up.

'...Seeing as we are business partners now....' the man had just said. Again, that satisfaction of feeling as if someone of importance recognized his value. He would not disappoint. He gave Valerius the address of the shop. Then he went one step further than he'd gone with any other person in Ravok. He gave him the number of his room at Tarsin's Boarding House, and gave him a direct look.

"I tell everyone a different name, so that if they come while I am gone, the name of the man the clerk says they inquired about lets me know who it was. I tell you this because I will now give you a name to ask about. If the clerk tells me that someone asked for "Mr. Vernon", I will know it comes from you. But no true names are given. This is not a precaution I use at the shop, however."

He took a moment to review all they had discussed and shook his head. "I can think of nothing else to discuss, sir. As soon as there is any progress, regarding the Sahovan, Forus, I will reach you. I don't imagine we will always need to be secretive about our meetings, but if I do need to get hold of this "Shy Carsma", how do I do this?"

[Valerius Nitrozian]

„I will contact the authorities of Alvadas then“, Valerius decided. It had briefly – very briefly – occured to him that he could travel to Alvadas to research the Lucid Lurker in person, but no, he was needed here. He couldn’t afford to abandon his work at the Kelvic Research Institution and the research project that was just beginning to take shape for a longer amount of them. „I have some idea about who I need to contact.“ Crypt had warned him that the illusionists of Alvadas could be even more frightening than a Chaon, but if he didn’t meet them in person, there would be no reason to worry, would there? As Inoadar gave him the adress of his shop, Valerius immediately wrote it down in his notebook. He would probabyl be able to remember it anyway – in his opinion his memory was excellent – but it was better safe than sorry. As he closed the notebook and looked up again, he noticed that the poisoner seemed to be very content with the way things were going. He gave him the briefest hint of a smile. „I see“, he murmurred as Inoadar informed him that he gave everbody a different name and looked directly at him for a moment. „After what you just told me, I cannot help but wonder: Is ‚Nolan Parnell‘ your real name?“ He paused for a moment, and then he raised his hand in case Inoadar had already opened his mouth to speak. „No matter, I don’t need to know as long as things go as hoped.“ As Inoadar told him that he would contact him as soon as there was any progress regarding Forus, the Nitrozian nodded. „If you need to get a hold of Shy Carsma, look up“, he replied which was the closest thing to a funny statement he had made in ages. „She is often standing on a roof, as strange as that may sound.“ He tore a page out of his notebook and wrote something down. „Here are some of the places where she can be found when she isn’t working for me.“ „I think this concludes our meeting“, he added.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar took out his wallet and flipped it open so that Valerius could see the genuine citizenship papers, with the name clearly notarized, "Nolan Parnell". He stated again that the aforementioned precaution would protect the name of the inquirer as well as himself. "But at the shop, there is only ever 'Nolan Parnell'. Nothing would be served by such subterfuge there." He did not truly say that this was his real name, and had several other evasive responses prepared.

As was the case with other people he had collaborated with, he did not want to test the partnership with the knowledge that his true, birth name was "Trandino Adarius". That could lead to the discovery of the bounty on his head in Nyka. And that could lead to a variety of unpleasant ends. Fortunately, Mr. Nitrozian did not express any concern over the issue, saying that it '...didn't matter as long as things went as hoped'.

This was pretty much the way HE saw it as well. As for courier Shy Carsma, he could not do much more than nod his understanding of the girl's work habits. He wondered if she had been the source of those occasional feelings of 'being watched' that had assailed him. 'Maybe I'm not paranoid after all.' he thought, feeling somewhat vindicated. He decided to spend a bit more effort seeing if he could spot her as he made his way around town from now on.

He took the note Valerius handed him and slipped it out of sight with practiced ease. "Very well then, sir. I will pursue my leads and contact you as necessary. Good day." he only bowed slightly, but held it for a moment before straightening and leaving to begin checking if any of his contacts had anything to report.

[Vanari]

Inoadar

Observation	+2 XP
Subterfuge	+2 XP
Intelligence	+5 XP
Logic	+2 XP
Writing	+1 XP
Planning	+2 XP
Teaching	+2 XP
Rhetoric	+5 XP

Lores :

• Details of a Nitrozian Courier
• A Future Date with a Courtesan
• Mental Note: Bring Intellect Mist in Both Forms
• Shy Carsma: More Than a Courier?
• Eager to Please Powerful People

Loot :

-20gm Bribe

Valerius

Observation	+1 XP
Rhetoric	+4 XP
Organization	+1 XP
Writing	+1 XP
Intelligence	+2 XP
Interrogation	+3 XP
Planning	+2 XP

Lores :

• A Letter from Nolan Parnell
• Stolen Magical Item from Sahova
• Forus: Wanted Man Who Can Void
• Miro: A Nuit Wizard
• Nolan: Follower of Rhysol With No Mark
• Venom of a Lucid Lurker
• Mental Note: Contact Authorities of Alvadas

Notes :

Well done, as always

Please don't hesitate to PM me with questions, comments, or concerns! Also, remember to either delete your grade request or edit it as "graded."

Cheers