GLORM
Glorm and El Sid sat in the corner of the tavern that evening talking quietly. Dom and Fuji were still drinking heavily, lost in their wake for the dead. Krinn and Delrin had passed out some time ago, and had been dragged to their rooms. Glorm of course had put down a dozen tankards of ale and several brandies, but his Dwarven constitution kept him more or less sober and alert. How the mysterious El Sid was still standing was something of a puzzle. Glorm could swear that he had seen the shadowy man put down mug after mug, but he seamed only slightly fazed. So the two leaders for the party sat and discussed their current situation.
Glorm stared for a moment at his dark friend, and asked "Sid I think it is time the two of us shared your secret concerning Bradford hold."
El Sid appeared unfazed by the question. He sat quietly for a few moments before replying "I will make you a deal my stocky friend; a deal which I think you will regret, because the information I will tell you will make you a fugitive with myself. Here is the deal. You let me in on your secret about that sapphire and I let you in on the secret of hold Bradford. This will be just between the two of us, we needn't burden the others with details..."
Glorm responded glibly "It is a deal, I care not if I am a fugitive; I am already a stranger in a strange land, exiled from my homeland by fate." He smiled and began. "Although what I told the others about having seen a similar cut gem was strictly true, it was only a small part of the truth. In fact the gem I spoke of is on my person even now. In my ill spent youth, I was something of a cat burglar. One evening I targeted the cave of a strange hermit who lived near my people. It turned out the hermit was something more than he appeared at first to be. I barely escaped with my life, but I took with me an emerald pendant. The cut of the emerald is identical to the sapphire we recovered. That is all I know, but I think it is critical that we do more research on this Blackheart. The Urakai was scared of the gem, but I think he was a fool; who can resist the temptation of magical set of gems... Glorm smiled and lit his dragon pipe, which had mercifully survived the Urakai dungeon.
El Sid sat thoughtfully for a moment, then told Glorm the basics of his story, how he had learned that Bradford hold was using an artifact to maintain its status as the Arketh providence representative to the high council. And how that artifact undoubtedly let them know that El Sid knew they were using it, which meant they were probably after him. He also explained that the only feature of the artifact that seemed to offer any kind of clue as to its origin was the resemblance it held to the moonstone, which he had left at the Elvish Embassy in Hediro.
"It appears" said Glorm, "we need to send a few of the company back to Kethem to do research on the moonstone and the Blackheart at the Hectac temples library. This is of primary importance, but what about this crystal forest, should we speak with this mysterious fellow who fawned over Krinn?"
Sid replied, "I think that Krinn and I should pay this fellow a visit tomorrow. We will by him a drink and compliment him on his fine attire... I will drop hint that we might be needing a guide at some point, and we will see where the conversation leads. I don't think we want to forgo our trip to Kethem just now, but we ought to win this gentleman's favor in case we need him later. I have a feeling there is something of great importance in that forest."
KRINN
It hadn't been hard to find Greffen; Crystari were not common in Micaforo. They walked into the bar, and she felt him. It was the same odd sense she had back in the Gutted Halaxi. She turned toward the corner he sat in before she saw him sitting there. Walking toward the table, she saw him stiffen slightly; he new she was here as well. People unconsciously moved aside as she moved forward. That was more due to El Sid's steady gaze than any of her doing as he moved behind her with his casual, even, unnaturally silent stride.
The man turned, and again the eyes struck her; deep, ageless, and oddly out of sort with the young face accompanying them. He nodded to them, and waved to his companion, who rose and left quietly. Krinn waited for the other to pass by her on the way to the door, caught a glimpse of haunted eyes, then turned and nodded back. "Greffen?"
"Yes" he replied, obviously not surprised that she knew his name. "Have a seat, please, and your friend as well." They took his offer, and he waved at a passing waitress and called out "two black and tans, please." His eyes turned back to them, and he continued "Krinn and El Sid, I believe?" Krinn nodded agreement, accepting in turn without comment that he knew their names. "You want information on the Crystal Forest."
"Actually, I was as interested in what you meant the other night... I've been touched, but perhaps not enough."
He smiled humorously. "As I said, you want information on the Crystal Forest." The waitress came over bearing full glasses. Dark, heavy stout with a creamy head floated on top of a lighter, golden beer like dark oil on water. They took sips; Krinn found it surprisingly good, and the headache she carried from the previous night's binge abated a bit. He sat back. "You were cut by the crystal." It wasn't a question. Krinn nodded in response, not expecting this line of conversation. "You caught the disease... were perhaps near death?"
Krinn frowned, and answered honestly. "Very sick, yes, but I wouldn't say close to death. How did you know?"
He shrugged. "A guess, perhaps. Do you think about it?" She knew he meant the Crystal forest, not the disease.
"Sometimes. Not much."
"Close your eyes and try to remember what it looked like." She looked at him uncertainly, then did as he suggested. She thought back to coming over the rise, her first sight of the trees encased in crystalline brilliance, the oddly melodic tinkling of the branches scrapping each other in the breeze. It had been strange, and in a way terrifying. But, she realized with surprise, it had also been beautiful, ethereal in a funny way that made her feel... she grasped for the right words... clumsy, perhaps? She remembered a time when she had been young, and her mother had used a spell to project her psyche into a raven. She had the mind of the raven as well, all instinct and no thought, and she was glad when the experience ended. But she had felt for a short time earthbound, shackled by gravity, and wondered if intellect was really so precious. She felt like that now, but could not say what it was she was missing that the Crystal Forest might hold.
"Krinn?" El Sid's voice broke her reverie, and she opened her eyes. Had she felt that way at the time? Or was this a reflection of her current thoughts overlaying that memory? El Sid touched her shoulder, and she spoke.
"I'm fine, El Sid." She turned back to Greffen, who was smiling. "And?" she prompted him.
"It is not a true memory" he said, startling her. How had he known....? "Crystari gather the crystal, yes, and we have found ways to handle it. But no matter how careful, one gets cut. Cure disease works, sometimes. Every once in a while, it doesn't. But regardless, the crystal... it gets to you, gets into your blood." He stopped and stared into his drink. "You get more resistant as time goes on. Small cuts, you can take. Large ones will still kill you. That's why we stay to the edges. There are beasts in the forest, and a bite can kill quickly, even without the disease. But even the small ones, they heal but you can still feel them."
He smiled and relaxed, leaning back. "There are some advantages, and some disadvantages. I'm not at liberty to discuss them. But, like most things in life, Crystari is right for some and not for others. And I don't mean the chance of dying... I mean afterwards."
"How can you tell whether it is right for you?" she asked, not sure what "it" was but wanting to know suddenly.
He laughed. "A pointed question, and one I wish I could answer. The ones that it is not right for..." and his face turned grim... "I'm not sure dying isn't preferable."
Krinn swallowed that uncomfortably. "Is it all or nothing?"
Greffen frowned, shaking his head. "No. But I would not bet on quiting once you've started. Some have. Not many."
"If I and my friends decided to chance it, would you guide us into the edges?"
He shrugged. "Yes, but I warn you, it is not a light decision to make. You may get out this time without a scratch, but sooner or later, you will get careless. After a while, you'll want to be careless, and you won't want to be far from the Crystal Forest for very long."
After that, he deftly turned the conversation to pleasantries, and despite asking several barbed questions, they learned no more for the rest of the evening.
EL SID
Sid was furious. How could he have caught and ripped out a hangnail on the inn door? Ouch! Well, he miffed, THAT won't happen again (hacking the offending section of the door out with several violent chops of his sword). Several inn patrons (including the owner), turned to the commotion, raised their eyebrows, and then returned to their cups. Eh. Just another satisfied customer. The Don grimaced and pushed Sid down onto a stool and snagged a water pitcher from a nearby table. "Drink."
Sid was out of sorts. The interview with the crystal gatherer had gone unsatisfactorily. A mystery was here. Dang. Sid loved a good mystery. Sigh. The responsibilities of being heir to Borgia Hold dictated that he had to treat his person with a greater degree of caution than was otherwise his want. "Well, let's make sure that we get some gloves suitable for working with the crystal when we buy a load of the stuff for trade. It will increase its and salability" he groused. "Still think it would go well ground in food: if you don't bleed to death, you get a wanderlust. Money in that."
"Sure." intoned the Don, idly throwing daggers at a target across the room. "However, as we have several other irons in the fire, let's be about it as soon as possible." "Suits." replied Sid, distastefully snapping another louse between his fingers. Maybe they should try to sneak Krinn into Borgia hold and withdraw some funds when she and Don returned to pickup the moonstone. These 1/2* hotels were beginning to be a drag...