SPQT -- Crestquest: Sidetrips

August 12 - Talking to vigiles and lawyers all day. The former rat-boy is in strict custody. I only hope it's possible for it to be secure enough! Thank goodness they've allowed me to accept responsibility and are not being too restrictive about the others. Robyn left with the boy today - and good riddance, says Gaius, when he thinks I don't hear, but I'm inclined to agree; much better he should be with people who know him and can teach him how to deal with his new status - accompanied by Corvus and Alfredus.

August 13 - We seem to be in the clear, and with only a little bit of tossing Uncle's name about. Certain people were even reasonably chatty. It appears our "friend" works for the Shadow Lords, an organization that hires out extremely competent assassins. It's not clear to me whether he knows his employers, or not. His list of targets included Uncle, the present consul, and the Emperor himself! Not any of V's family, note; but it appears that he ate a real slave boy and that the message was genuine, so it appears he was not overly concerned about that family's interests. Something may yet come of that message, I hope.

I went book shopping today. I have quite a geographical library now...

August 16 - The gentlemen are returned, along with two mares and a stallion of which Alfredus is justly proud. He won't stop talking about it. The trip was more or less uneventful, though they were followed by a half-elf who wanted to observe to whom they sold Marcus. Whoever his employer is "would kill him," apparently intended literally, if he were identified to us, so Robyn contented himself with taking his horse, weapons, and boots and leaving him to walk to Alani, where they left the horse with the gate guard claiming to have found it "wandering about." The transaction went off smoothly, and since one of the purchasers did the paperwork himself, it's possible that a search of the public records of the transaction will not avail the unfortunate half-elf much.

Robyn says that Marcus talked at length about how his father was framed by V and how he will grow up to avenge him. He had no evidence, however, though he says his father used to walk the olive orchards outside of the villa at night in the days before everything went wrong. It may be worth my while to view these orchards for myself.

August 17 - The City of Shiraz has fallen! The bells here are going mad. Decimus looks concerned, and I've been wondering myself when Tamara was coming back. Claudia and I were deep in planning for the inevitable party when a messenger came from the Archbishop, telling me to hold myself ready for dealing with the wounded tomorrow. He also carried a message in to Uncle, but of course I have no idea what it is.

Commune the first:

Is the treasure cache we seek at or near the east end of the great rift? No
Is the treasure cache we seek in a natural cave or cavern in the mountain? Yes
Are there landmarks we could use to know that we are in the area of the treasure cache we seek? Yes
Is there more than one entrance to the treasure cache we seek? No
Is the treasure cache we seek near the west end of the Great Rift? Yes
Is the treasure cache we seek intact? Yes
Is the treasure cache we seek of a size that the staff could carry it out by normal means? No
Is the flying ship a part of the cache? Yes.
Is the location of the cache or the entrance to it shielded against magical detection? Yes.

We have scryed the Rift, all the same, to give ourselves a notion of the geography. Decimus will be visiting the Island soon to get a better look, and I have asked him to carry my compliments to the Gaians, and inquire whether there are any fey roads to the Great Rift. Otho says he can spring for a teleportation circle, and certain other useful items. Uncle has secured the loan of ten rings of elemental (cold) protection and Robyn is trying to convince Decimus to construct a wand of flying.

August 18 - I am so tired. How do army nurses stand it? No sign or word of Tamara.

August 19 - Commune the Second -

Are the landmarks for the treasure cache we seek shown on the missing dagger? No.
Have the landmarks changed significantly since the time of the cache was hidden? No.
Are the landmarks natural? Yes
Is the cavern where the cache is located accessible by free water? When there is liquid water.
Is the cache in the mountain which I saw in my clairvoyant vision? Yes
Is it on the south slope? Yes
Is it within 100 yards of the peak. No
Is it more than halfway up? No
Is it within the wall of the Rift? Yes
Is it possible to see the entrance when standing in the Rift? Depends on where you stand

That should give Decimus enough to go on with.

August 22 - Decimus is back and the party's almost ready. He says that there are three fey roads, the one that concerns us being the one that comes out in Pearl Bay. Underwater, alas!