Completed Interview

[Viszragoneszh]

Interview 9th day of Fall, 514 The building was right where Shalita had said it was. It looked like it had been a small, two-story house. The white picket fence, around the tiny yard, looked newer than the building, though this was not to say the structure was poorly maintained. It had a classic home-y look, with a small porch complete with swing. But this was a business, not a home. The draperies were matching in every window, and there were no knick-knacks in any of the windows, suggesting a lack of family members trying to individualize their rooms. But all of this was consistent with the presence of a sign by the gate, reading "Spectral Solutions". Goneszh smiled upon seeing the name. This was the place he'd been told to seek, both by his new spirit friend Shalita, whom he'd named "Javeya", and by the clerk at the Magistrate's Office. Shalita had liked the personal touch of his renaming her. He'd told her, honestly enough, that this was the Benshiran word for 'beautiful'. And, in fact, she was. But he'd also chosen it for it's lack of the letter "s". As a Dhani of the Iyvess persuasion, he was apprehensive about being detected by the brutish Rajor Constrictor family, so he'd concocted a charade about having a stuttering problem with that letter. This gave him cause to noticeably avoid phrases heavy with "S"es, as well as accounting for his sibilance when they became unavoidable. It was just his bad luck that the shop's name featured them so prominently. The lettering on the sign shared space with an emblem. It had the appearance of a diamond upheld by three pillars. The central pillar was shorter than the two outer ones, apparently to accommodate the descending culet point of the underside. He knew this was a sigil of one of the Dynatic families of Kenash, but he wasn't sure which one. The question was answered a few steps later when he got close enough to read "Caleb Morealis: Proprietor" This must be the creepy old man Javeya had mentioned avoiding when last she'd crossed Dry Island Plaza. The building was a portion of the east side border of the plaza. Goneszh found the location bright and cheerful. But Javeya had been uneasy with the way the old man had obviously sensed her presence in spite of her invisibility. As well, she had not cared for the haughty look of the ghostly aid that come from the building to meet this fellow when he neared the gate. None of this surprised Goneszh. A ghostly assistant was a common enough sight with a Spiritist. They gave the wizard a boon of insight into whatever situation he was called in to resolve.

[Viszragoneszh]

There were trees around the structure, giving it a cozy feel, as well as a fair degree of privacy. If not for the sign identifying it, he might have assumed it was just a home, and that he'd made a wrong turn somewhere. It was not as though he'd had any chance to learn the layout of the city as yet. It was only the arrangement for his meeting with the Spiritist that gave him permission to be out of the Traveler's Complex. He was somewhat surprised to learn that there were no other Spiritists practicing in Kenash. When he asked the clerk at the Magistrate's office if it was just coincidence, she paused for just a single tell-tale tick before shrugging and telling him he could ask Mr. Morealis, if it was that important to him. He did not let any suspicious show on his face, but it was his experience that Spiritists were the most scrutinized and shunned in towns where secrets were the most scandalous. He stifled a grin. This hinted at great potential for political manipulation. Possibly even blackmail. The gate was well oiled and maintained, and did not emit the iconic creak so notoriously associated with ghostly affiliations. The wind carried the sea breeze past him, subtly mixed with Pine, reducing the hope of detecting some lingering scent-impression of any loitering spirits. He believed he could feel the imbalance of vibration, the dissonance of a "dead djed void", indicative of a nearby ghost. Its weakness could have been the breeze, or it could be the location. He expected he would find the ghost attending its patron Spiritist inside. But as he started up the short set of steps, he cleared the nearest tree and found that the small porch extended around the South side of the building. There was the barest hint of a shimmer in the air, heralding the appearance of an attractive ghostly female. Her face however, like her shimmering aura, held no warmth. Her gaze betrayed nothing of her assessment of the applicant before her, though the extended duration of it may have indicated curiosity of some sort. "Go right in, young...sir." she said. her voice seemed to coalesce from several different points to align in his eardrums. The slight pause gave Goneszh the warning he was looking for. She had been ready to say "young man", as many would address a teenager, like the one he appeared to be. So, he could anticipate some condescension from the Spiritist in residence here. It was understandable, he admitted to himself. Goneszh had long cultivated the impression that he was a sixteen-year-old Benshiran. As a result, the wizard here would have good reason to believe he was not a terribly experienced Spiritist, certainly not experienced enough to be worth hiring. As a child, many people carried a natural affinity for spiritual contact, if only because they were too young to have developed an instinctively apprehensive attitude toward a soul so obsessed as to refuse rebirth. But as a child grew and became more jaded, they had to reintroduce themselves into the world of spiritual affinity, if they wanted to pursue this discipline. But this did not happen overnight. it took years to redevelop the child's openness to spiritual visitation and alignment, much of it possession and mental surrender. The fact was, it took longer than the years a young man was likely to have devoted to it by the time he was only sixteen. But Goneszh had found that his maturity offset the skepticism most paranormal wizards held against him when they first met him. It usually ended with them deciding that whatever mental stability he had that made him so mature "for his age" must also account for his uncanny growth into the world of spiritual competency. Goneszh was perfectly willing to let things follow this course. They would test him. He would pass. They would question him. He would answer. They would try to trick him. They would fail. They would subject him to trials. He would overcome them. They would hire him. He would thrive. This womanly spirit's eyes narrowed on the face of his nerve. He bowed with an excess of theater, embellishing it with a flourish. He did not reach for the door, but still waved his hand smoothly in its direction. "After You."

[Viszragoneszh]

The ghostly woman paused just a moment, a glare flashing across her expression, then passed him and wisped through the door. Goneszh took a moment to see that everything was in place, opened the door and followed her in. The green of the foliage outside changing to the white of the paint and furniture inside. The room was not large to begin with, but was made to seem much smaller by the cabinets and furniture. Still, it was cozy, and the furnishings looked comfortable. Goneszh, however, did not make use of them for a chime or two as he awaited the pleasure of a man he could see examining a number of charts spread on a table in the next room. Instead he turned slowly, perusing the maps and portraits on the walls. It appeared that every plantation had a sketched layout of its acreage, with numerous markings denoting the locations of their manor houses and various outbuildings. There were also colored pins stuck at many points, most with dates scribbled beside them. Some of the dates were already passed, but there were a few that showed pending appointments of one kind or another. Goneszh could only assume that these were active sites that Mr. Morealis had not been able to settle yet. The addition of green check marks by some of the older dates supported his conclusion that the pins indicated sites of spiritual unrest. He suspected that the check marks indicated resolution of said unrest. His Dhani hearing let him know that the older-looking man had quietly entered the room. And the sensation of slowly flowing cool air allowed him track the movements of the ghost woman as well. He gave no sign that he'd paid attention to these developments, but neither did he act startled when the man came up closely behind him and greeted him sharply. "Well! You must be the young man sent by the Magistrate's office. I am Caleb Morealis, and I am, in fact, looking for an apprentice. I need someone to fill in for the routine dealings that I am finding myself lacking time to tend to. But I have to say, I expected a...man...of more experience." Goneszh assumed that Mr. Morealis was testing his prospect's awareness of his surroundings by trying to startle him. If he was disappointed that he had not gotten a reaction, he gave no sign. Goneszh turned with slow dignity, as if he'd not just been tested, and extended his right hand, the left still wrapped in bandages at the wrist from his "Freeborn" brand. The Spiritist hesitated just a moment, looking at him curiously as he took his hand to shake it. "I apologize for my presumption, Mr..." the man began. "Goneszh, s-sir. I imagine you are finding evidenc-ce of more ex-sperienc-ce than you thought?" he kept a humble tone, despite feeling a small victory over the man. He was no stranger to having his aura read, and knew that the man was finding an unusual "density" of aura, if not an exact understanding of its nature. This was a bit of a concern to Goneszh though, as the first thing Mr. Morealis would probably suspect was a greater age than Goneszh' appearance would support. Greater age meant more experiences, which probably gave more layers of aura. "I'm s-sorry, that letter does-s trouble me a bit." "No need to apologize, Mr. Goneszh. And yes, It seems there IS more to you than I was told to expect. You seemed hardly more than a boy. They said you'd entered your age as sixteen..." The Spiritist clearly had doubts now about that bit of data, but made as if the possibility of falsified records was not the source of his concern. "You see, generally the very young are still very much open to the...'spiritual touch'. But as young adults, they lose this affinity and must recapture it with extensive effort. This is usually the age when a man begins his Spiritual training. Frankly, your age is probably the least likely age that I would expect to see such...depth...of experience..." Goneszh did not want the man putting these details together, as he did not want anyone guessing his race. If the man's Auristics ever determined that he was over one hundred and thirty years of age, it would definitely invite speculation about him being a member of a non-human race. They may very well guess Dhani. This could bring him to the attention of the Rajor family. And that was the last thing he wanted. Some misdirection was called for...

[Viszragoneszh]

Goneszh nodded as if understanding the man's inquisitive position. "There be a town in Eyktol, near where I am born, called Eloab. There are many that are not at res-st there. I had my childhood there, with my mother being helpful for my learning to touch and be touched by the s-spirit of many, many of them. It be for this-s reas-son that I have many layers-s of the touch of multiple s-spirits-s. I had great knowledge of s-such contact by the time I reached age ten. I know what you mean about young adult loss-ss of the ability. My mother prevented my following that tendenc-cy." Mr. Morealis looked impressed, "So you were able to maintain the focus on your spiritual training through those difficult years? Splendid! Do you think you could do a little demonstration then? Rather, would you be willing to?" he asked, giving a shrewd look to the ghostly woman still lurking behind Goneszh. Goneszh had been expecting something like this. It had happened in nearly every town his mother and he had entered. Someone 'sicced' there ghost on them, trying to show them up as fakes or incompetents. He'd prepared for this very thing. He'd used the last of the eggs he'd bought at the Traveler's Complex to make a last batch of soulmist. He was not worried about it being detected in such a place as this. He doubted there was a building within a thousand miles more fully inundated with soulmist than this one. He still had honey and flour left, as they went much further per salable package than eggs did. But he wanted to appear taken by surprise. Regardless of how much experience he was claiming, It was still to be only so much as could be amassed in sixteen years. It was not so much the level of his ability that was going to be tested here. It was the effectiveness of his response to tactics that would be the difference here. And he'd seen many tricks. So first he let a look of apprehension cross his face, as he stammered, as if to stall, "Demons-stration? No one told me to prepare for any demons-stration. It was-s going to be only a talk." He actually took a step back, to add to the impression of being unprepared. Mr. Morealis responded with an equal step forward, his look growing slightly predatory. "Now son, you must always be prepared. If you have the experience you claim, you know that success in our field often invites reprisals from the very spirits we are tasked to deal with. I would like to know that anyone I considered hiring was ready for the unexpected." Goneszh looked around, trying to embody the image of someone trying to salvage a mistake. "Well, it...uh...it's-s not a matter of being...unprepared, exactly. I...jus-st didn't think you'd want it done right here in your offic-ce-s-sir." he said, taking careful notice of the sense of the "cold spot" spot, where the ghostly woman was waiting, while he fiddled with a string at his belt. A glint sparked in Caleb's eye, and his gaze flashed to the minion behind Goneszh. "Well, I am not concerned about that, so..." he nodded ever so subtly to his ghost, "...let's see what you can do. Mita?" There was a shriek of sheer madness and fury from behind him and Goneszh took several steps forward, loosening his string of soul beads, as Caleb stepped aside to see how his prospective employee handled being attacked by a ghost.

[Viszragoneszh]

Goneszh knew the ghost was rushing from behind, and he knew his cloak was smeared with soulmist. This would prevent the spirit from penetrating and passing through it. He made a single practiced move, dropping his string of soul beads in an unclosed circle before him, and then turning to face the onrushing ghost. The beads had also been rubbed with soul mist. In fact, they were one thing with which he went to great trouble to enure that they were nearly perpetually imbued with the influence of the djed-filled gel. Even as the ghost met the same space he occupied, and swept into his body to attempt to possess him, Goneszh whirled back around to face the opening of the unclosed circle of soul beads. His body basically encompassed the full width of the open part of the circle. He then mentally strengthened the concept of resisting, of ejecting, of being too slippery to grasp and envisioned a push of djed force forward to push the ghost, Mita, Mr. Morealis' assistant, back out the way she had tried to enter. Only now that he had turned around, the way back out was on what had initially been the far side of him. This was the side she'd been unable to see when she charged him. This was the side where he'd dropped his string of soul beads. This was the side that now had no outlet. As soon as she was pushed out, she contacted the barrier formed by the beads and tried to reverse her direction. But Goneszh had dropped to his knees and grabbed then ends of the string of beads and pulled them together to seal her inside its bounds. Most folk only thought of a circle of soul beads as a safe zone for the ghost's target to find sanctuary within. It was just as effective as a prison to contain the ghost, at least as far as one could hold it closed against the rampaging fury of the frustrated spirit. Goneszh was no novice, he flinched at the ghosts barrage of attempts to intimidate him with its optional visage of burned horror, just bare centimeters from his face, but did not break his hold. The ghost, Mita, found a few bits of dust inside the circle and flung them at his eyes, hoping to provoke an instinctive release of one hand to rub the offended eye, but he anticipated this and turned his head so her efforts missed. Mita could not reach through the barrier with her own soul mist to grab anything to assault him from without the circle. Goneszh kept his eyes mostly closed,taking only quick glances to see what she might be trying to come up with to effect an escape from the trap. He spoke up now. "Mr. Morealis-s-s-sir...I do not wish to take the demons-stration any further, though I know I could do more. I could further hinder her movement and ability by laying my cloak over her head and blinding her. I hope the tactic I have done will only be wanted when I can not reas-son with the s-spirit in ques-stion. I would prefer to make an offer of a treat to deal with them in friendly manner and talk them down from hos-stility, rather than s-such bullying." "That will be sufficient, Mita. Please release her now, Mr. Goneszh." The ghost immediately stopped her battering of the barrier and waited serenely inside while Goneszh flipped one end of the string out to create a wide opening for her to depart through. She went and joined Mr. Morealis, who was nodding his head with a smile. She too, raised her eyebrows approvingly and nodded. "That was very impressive. You obviously do not lose your head in the face of hostility, and your soul mist looks sufficiently empowered to deal with most levels of apparitions you are likely to encounter here." His expression grew shrewd and appraising as he went on, "AND you appear to have a fair talent for acting, seeing as you had me convinced that I had taken you by surprise with my request for a demonstration. it is now obvious you had this little trick all prepared ahead of time." He held up his hand to stall Goneszh' defensive response, "No, no. Say nothing of it. I am glad to see some theatrical ability. This is often more necessary than brute force, or soul mist power. A good combination of strength, compassion and tactics are what I'd hoped to see. I have seen two of them, and that is sufficient for now. This is hardly the situation for a display of improvisational diplomacy. We all know what we are about here. No one could be fooled, so there's really no point. We will just have to see how things go when you are on the job and it comes to that."

[Viszragoneszh]

Goneszh blinked for a tick before he realized he was being given the job. "Ah...Are you s-saying I have the job, s-sir?" he stammered. The ghost, Mita's eyes narrowed slightly at the news. Even in that short expanse of ticks that she'd possessed him, there had been a flash of mutually shared memories. Nothing to fully base an assessment of a person's character on, but enough to know if there areas that would like to be withheld from being shared. "Indeed you do, my young fellow. I'd say you were a natural. And I need someone to take care of the more mundane duties. I often find myself needed at the old homestead, 'Majesty'. Not to mention the Distillery. These are family holdings, and it would not be proper for me to entrust them to an outsider. You understand, of course." He did not say this as though it was a question. And it was true that Goneszh did understand. But it was not just the matter of family decorum that he understood. He'd had a flash of imagery, related to the word 'Majesty', pass his subconscious at its mention. "Of courss-ss-sir, of cours-se." Goneszh responded eagerly, taking Mr. Morealis' offered hand. He turned a quick look to Mita, when Caleb turned to look at one of his wall charts, and found her gaze riveted on him in return. There was a very subtle shake of her head, "no", and he gave her an equally subtle nod, his eyes closing in a manner to indicate agreement. She then returned a like nod to him. He had not expected this, and it gave him just a hint of worry. Was she acknowledging a perception of something HE wanted to remain hidden? Was she experienced enough to have gleaned sufficient insight from his subconscious to question his loyalty? Had they just come to terms to keep each others secrets? He was at a loss though, as to what her secret was, and did not know if she'd gotten a clear picture of his. All he'd seen was a face, starkly lit on one side by a flickering light, possibly a fire. He did not recognize it. He wondered how far she'd been able to see into his secrets. But it was not really disloyalty he was concealing. He was perfectly willing to do his job with completely beneficial and positive intent. But he was banking on the protection of his affiliation with the Dynasty family to aid him in what he was really after. The freeing of the Iyvess slaves...

[Vice]

Vizragoneszh :

Skills

• +4 Observation
• +4 Rhetoric
• +2 Subterfuge
• +1 Spiritism

Lores

• Location: Spectral Solutions
• Fear of Oppression: The Rajor
• Rhetoric: Avoiding the Letter 'S'
• Subterfuge: Falsifying a Stutter
• Falsifying one's Life Story
• Caleb Morealis: Proprietor of Spectral Solutions
• Caleb Morealis: Requires a Demonstration
• Using Restraint against a Ghost
• Landing a Job: Spectral Solutions

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please send me a PM, and we'll discuss my reasoning behind why the grade given was received. Please make sure to edit any posts in the grading queue to 'graded' and update your CS as soon as possible. Enjoy! ^.^