OOC: Hmm, where did MO go?

OOC: Where did everybody go?

OOC sorry for the delay, things should be back to normal now.

Captain Merlo collects the books and possesions of the dead mage, and takes the lead. You travel out of the inn and through the streets, still muddy and humid from the rain, and down to the waterfront. The peirs are a busy place, ships and barges being loaded and unloaded, seaside markets hawking fish, supplies and items to numerous to count, to an ornate and brightly colored boat sitting at a small pier. The craft is a shallow bottomed river raft, broad in beam, with a house more suited to a field of grass in rolling hills than a wooden deck in a large port city built on the deck. You have never seen anything quite like it, a small tower sits aside the thatch roofed dwelling and there is even a small water wheel rotating beside the tower.

The captain calls to the Boat, and is given permission to come aboard by a crewman in a seamans uniform. The party steps aboard and is lead into the houses main room, and seated in comfort around a roaring fireplace and offered refreshments by the crewman. A few minutes later a younged robed man enters from a side door, and talkes to Captain Merlo, who hands over the books. The apprentice takes the books and goes back through the door he entered from.

"We should wait a while" says the captain, as he pours himself a second brandy. "Nortsa is a learned man who has travelled far and studied much, if anyone can tell us of that book, it is he."

The captain sits by the fire, stretches out in the warmth and sips the brandy.

Aldyne

Nodding at the captain, Aldyne finds a place to sit down, and studies the room for a short time. Then he turns to Captain Merlo. "Captain, how did you make an acquaintance with this man? He seems rather... exotic."

"Yes, he is... exotic. It is my business to know what powerful people are in town, and this boat isn't exactly stealthy, even in a city this size so naturally when it arrived here several years ago I investigated." He stops and takes a deep drink of the brandy. "Nortsa is a follower of Thoth, and has aquired considerable knowledge and the ability to aquire knowledge. He is very willing to help me in investigations from time to time, in return for knowledge and a certain level of immunity. I think because I am a dabbler in magic and also seek knowledge, both at a lesser level than Nortsa, that he puts up with me".

"So Nortsa has the advantage here." Ransel starts, and continues to explain "Nothing is stopping him from leaving, but if he were to leave you would lose your source of information and knowledge, right?" He was very interested in the nature of the relationship between two of possibly most powerfull men in town.

Captain Merlo clears his throat. "Don't underestimate what he receives in return for his aid to the city guard, he remains unbothered by the guard and thieves guild, and is free to persue his search for knowledge unmolested.

Aldyne

"So how long time will he use with our documents?," Aldyne asks. "I mean, is he often busy with other things, or are you priored?"
Not finding himself very comfortable, Aldyne wanted to leave the ship as soon as possible.

The side door opens and a older man walks in, and looks around. He is almost the sterotypical mage, white bearded, wearing floor length rune embroidered robes that seem a blueish color but change slightly with the lights reflection.

"Hello Merlo", he says, and quickly goes through introductions.

"Well, to the business of the book," he holds up the tome with the human face on the cover, "it is written in a form of draconic, and it seemed at first glance to be cyphered. However I was able to discern that the contents were, in fact, just gibberish. written with just enough information that a person would think there was knowledge within."

He sets the book down on the table and invites everyone around it. "The true value of this book is not on the inside, but rather on the outside. Poor Ilustro, according to his journal, was completely fooled"

With that Nortsa pulls out a small silver knife and carefully cuts through the thread sealing the lips of the face on the tomes cover.

You watch amazed as small pinpoints of light appear in the gems that fill the eyesockets of the tome, and the mouth curls up into a smile.

"Its about time someone not a fool happened to find me!" says the book in a deep, echoing voice.

"It speaks!!!" Ransel screamed. "What is that!?"