Albus Answers

The adjunct quarters of the Society for Progressive Arcanists is... weirdly serviceable, for an outbuilding attached to a magical collegium. It could be any boarding-house in Alexandria, albeit one converted out of the estate of a noble family fallen on hard times. The building itself stands four floors tall, and if the number of key-hooks behind the lobby desk is to be believed, better than three hundred people have a room here. Likely, this building serves as housing for a good portion of the school's support staff.

Tucked away in a room on the second floor with a window immediately blocked by the branches of a tree, Magpie indulges in her new hobby; reading aloud. "'"Oh, Melaton," Lorcana swooned, her heart aflutter. "How could you ever have guessed, that the secret answer to the Riddle of the Immortal Sphinx was simply... a hug?" "Lorcana, my dear, it was simple," Melaton chuckled, gathering his beloved in his lithe, muscular, wiry arms, and looked deep into the emerald orbs of his beloved. "The stars showed the way."'"

The book closes with a clap, and Magpie starts cackling, nearly falling off the side of her bed in the process. "Ahahahaha, this is *so bad,* I love it!"

Downstairs in the main hall, there's a figure at the main desk, a figure who seldom frequents this place. In fact, Dolan looks around him rather like a lost traveler in a mighty museum hall, gawking at the odd sights and sounds, and frankly _staring_ with both eyes at the golem manning the front desk before him. "I, uh, I'm looking for Magpie. She's supposed to be here?"

The day being bright and warm, he has opted to eschew the cloaks, but not the breastplate - one never knows when one is tangling with magic, after all, and with fiends in the city, it's best to be prepared.

Inside Magpie's room a man's laughter seemingly coming from nowhere fills the space alongside her own. "It's a good story though! Full of young love." The voice sighs happily.

"Business?" The golem behind the front desk, despite not having much in the way of facial features, looks *stultifyingly* bored, and lacking even a lunch break to interrupt the monotony of manning the lobby of quarters that are at least, at this time of day, nine-tenths empty. The only paperwork seen on the desk looks to be *homework,* the poor thing. "...You know what, it doesn't matter, Room 224. Up the stairs, right, second left, third right, first right, fifth door on the left, I've got history to do."

All this, without even looking up from its notes.

GAME: Dolan rolls intelligence: (11)+2: 13

"Thanks," Dolan breathes gratefully, and turns to head up the stairs. _Right, second left, first right, third right-_

So follows about fifteen minutes of wandering around the halls, swearing under his breath with increasing frequency. "These wizards can do magic, but they can't just _count_!" he mutters. "This place is a gods-be-damned labyrinth!"

Before too long, he manages to stumble on the correct hallway. "Sweet and holy gods, it's about time." A few more steps. "Room 224. At last." He raps several times on the door, firmly.

"Just a second!" Magpie's voice calls from the other side of the door. What follows is a generalized sound of clatter and bumble, and something scoooots across the plank floor, and *then* the door opens, revealing Magpie on a stool. "Dolan!" she says with a wide grin. Hanging off the doorknob, she kicks the stool away, then drops to the ground, opening the door more fully for Dolan to enter a room that is perhaps *bigger* than an acolyte's cell, but absolutely crammed with furniture and... *stuff.* Desk, bookcases, bed, wardrobe, and just *stuff cram the room from floor to ceiling, and while there's a clean stripe on the floor providing access to all the furniture, it's quite clearly more for convenience's sake than actual cleanliness.

And most of the clutter is books, because of course it is.

"C'mon in! You can have the desk, the bed's *definitely* not up to big peoples' standards."

Dolan blinks at the room and its contents. "Brightest of days, Magpie. I was wondering if now was a good time to talk to Albus." He takes a breath and steps inside cautiously at first. _Man, I thought mine and Andie's place was cluttered,_ he muses to himself and he takes the first few steps inside the room. A quick assessment, and he sits carefully on the chair facing the desk, turning it to face into the room, and in the process, sending a tome from the top of the stack next to it to tumble upside down to the floor. "Oops, sorry."

The difference between a single room and an entire house is plain, in the amount of space one has to cram everything they own. As the book tumbles to the floor, Magpie swoops down to pick it up, finding a different stack to set it atop, then closes the door behind Dolan. "It's fine, don't worry! I don't, y'know, get a lot of visitors, so sorry about the mess. Um... Uh. Right! Albus! He's right here, I was just reading to him."

With that, she turns to perhaps one of the few actually-organized bookshelves in the room, over her nightstand, and in specific a book to the left of its center, its cover much more... ornate... than that of its fellows. "Right, buddy? Dolan's here, he wanted to consult with you on something?"

There's a moment's hesitation and then the books speaks up. "Dolan? I remember him. Am I allowed to speak then? Wouldn't want to go about talking when there's others in the room to wonder." The voice sounds politely and hesitantly curious.

"Brightest of days, Albus." Immediately, the book has Dolan's undivided attention as it comes off the shelf, and his entire gaze follows it as it is opened. "I know it's been a while since I came to talk to you." He leans forward as far as the breastplate he wears will allow - which isn't that far - and rests his hands on his knees, watching the book closely. "You can talk here. It's quiet."

"Yeah, it's okay," Magpie confirms, hefting the book in her hands, and plopping down on the bed. This way, at least, she can serve more comfortably as a living book-stand. "Dolan had a problem, Albus, and it sounds like he needs your specific expertise." Looking up over at the book, she nods for the man to pick up the thread.

"Well, since I've little else to do, I suppose I can try to be helpful. Tell me your needs young man!" The book encourages.

"I'm trying to track down more information on a being I know only as V," Dolan starts, lowering his voice just a little, so that it does not leave the room. "From what I've been able to learn, this being is the offspring of a demon and a devil, and while it's a devil, it's got some demon characteristics. It also seems to have the ability to command both, which makes it damned dangerous. You ever come across a being like that, in your studies?"

With Dolan doing the interviewing, Magpie keeps her mouth shut for the moment. Likely that won't be the case forever, given the sorceress' past conversational history, but... This is a friend with a problem, and it's important.

"Oh, hum..." Suddenly the book's voice sounds uncertain. "Magpie... Dear... Are you _certain_ that this is your friend? No possibility that it's a fiend in disguise? Or you know... Controlling your friend?

From the sudden bloom of a grin that takes over the mobile half of Dolan's features at the uncertainty, he takes no offense, and real understanding is written there. "I'm glad you asked, Albus. That is a damned smart thing to do. How would you like me to prove it?" He doesn't move from his position. "Holy spells probably ought to be enough, if it's the right one, yeah?"

"There's a few people that'd be a problem," Magpie allows. "But, Dolan? Pffff, no way. I mean even apart from that fact that he's a member of the Temple of Daeus, his *wife's* a priestess there. And they're so lovey-dovey smoochy close, there's not a *chance* that she'd miss a little thing like a demon riding around in his skin. I won't say it's impossible, but like... It's *math* levels of not likely, y'know? If there was any one person on the *planet* I'd trust with just about anything regarding this madness, it's Dolan. Also, he's *asked* me not to tell him what I did with that other book, so you know he's trustworthy."

Looking over the tome, Magpie winks at the inquisitor in question. "And I mean, see? He can prove it!"

"Well he does have that artificial eye, so turning into him would be unlikely unless they stole his eye also. I think that a holy spell would be sufficient then. Something that would be anathema for a demon to cast. Can you make light Dolan?" The book questions gently, seeming to be somewhat mollified by Dolan's willingness.

GAME: Dolan casts Light. Caster Level: 7 DC: 13

"Yeah, no problem." Dolan takes the request in stride, and pulls from the inside of his breastplate the stylized dragon pendant he wears. he touches it gently to his lips. "Holy Sunlord, send me Your light, that I might see with Your clarity," he says, holding it between his hands. The pendant immediately begins to glow with the gold-white of the morning sun, spilling across the books and clutter that fill the room.

Did something just scuttle between the books and out of sight, or was that just a shadow? It is hard to tell.

Smiling more gently and more reverently, he reaches over and lays the glowing pendant on the book.

Sitting on the bed, Magpie's eye catches the skittering shadow. But she keeps silent, resolving to do a more thorough investigation when the opportunity arises. Assuming she remembers that an investigation needs doing, of course. A small smile touches her mouth as the pendant is brought against the book's pages, and Magpie gets to bask in little magics serving a great purpose. A cause after her own heart, that.

"Ah... I assume there is light in the room now?" The book inquires carefully. "I ahem... do no have eyes. I never thought I would miss so much of being _human_."

"That's right, you can't see." Real sympathy colors Dolan's tone, and he pulls the pendant away from the book and back towards himself. "You've seen us before, yeah?" He transfers the pendant to his other hand and scratches at his hairline with the freed hand, clearly puzzling out how to do this. "How do I explain this?"

"G'head and use mine, Albus," Magpie says easily. "You know by now I trust you to be polite about it, and this is kinda an important conversation that needs to happen."

In fact, the gnome almost looks put out that she *has* to give permission; Albus is *basically* a roommate! But the side effects are enough to make the need understandable.

Albus, or the book that holds Albus emits a thoughtful hum. "As you wish Magpie. I appreciate so much your continued patience with me and my condition." After a moment, Magpie blinks, her sight vanishing from her as Albus takes over and nods once he sees the light around Dolan's neck. "Good to see you again Dolan."

It's odd to hear his bookish voice come out of Magpie, but Albus doesn't linger around stealing Magpies body. Instead he relents control back to her almost immediately and returns to his book. "Even such a small body is nice to have for a time. I can see why being bound to a book could turn one evil over time. The effort to resist staying is... hard to resist. Ask your questions Dolan."

"You're in a damned bad spot, Albus," Dolan offers, putting the pendant back around his neck and dismissing the light spell with a quick touch of his lips. He then drops it back into his breastplate and resumes his earlier stance. "It's about the being known as V. Supposedly they have no interest in Ea, but that's not what I'm seeing. Do you have any knowledge of this being, and what its goals might be?"

Once Albus leaves, Magpie blinks a bit, shaking her head. "Hey, what're friends for, right? Besides, you really are a good guy, y'know? I don't mind helping out when you need it."

"It's much appreciated Magpie. Your trust will not be broken by this old man." The book promises. Then turns his attention to Dolan. "Yes I have heard of V before. Though I am loathe to repeat the information on that particular unique fiend. Even knowing both of you, there could be ears... But that's a risk I suppose we will have to take. There is a book that Magpie has that has the details in it, but suffice to say that V does not have interest in Ea, but _does_ have interest in controlling Red Maw. It seeks to use the god to its own designs."

"Oh! That reminds me," Magpie says. "First thing I did when we got that book, was make a couple copies for the Temple of Daeus. It just felt like the best idea, making sure all that got into the hands of, y'know, demon hunters." Pausing, she blinks, as it *just now* occurs to her that Albus could have done that if he wanted, but didn't.

"...Uh. That's... okay, I hope?"

_Oh. OH._

"Yeah, I know where those need to go, and I kept them safe." Dolan sounds entirely confident, but doesn't explain. Instead, he mulls over the implications of Kinkade's explanation. "So V is probably twisting Zinskas and Seraquoix and whoever else into doing this, to their own ends. Fuck. We need to take this shit's toys away from them."

"Sounds like something I don't want to run into in a dark alley, though," he goes on, practicality taking over. "Jal'goroth is one of their minions? I assume they've got others. Probably many others. What is the Red Maw? Is it the Nightmare, or just a servitor?"

Kinkade is silent a moment. "I hadn't wanted any of that work copied. Fear of what would happen if someone with ill intent got ahold of it, but I'm sure that you are a good inheritor for my works Magpie. You've earned my trust. So do as you will." The book sighs softly. "Jal'goroth is one of V's generals. Not terribly strong as fiends go, but determined. Full of mechanisms that twist and turn. Red Maw is the Divine Servitor of the Nightmare. Fearful thing. Luckily it's hard to summon. Gods save us if it is ever released on Ea!"

The wizard in a book laughs nervously.

"Aheh... heh... heh... Sooooooo, hey Albus, quick question. Would you say the followers of the Red Maw are... kinda... culty, as werewolves go? Cos uh... There's like a werewolf cult that's been causing a *lot* of problems in the city." No, Magpie does not believe in talking around this *particular* issue.

"And so V wants to *take over* this guy, proooobably to release the Nightmare? That's great, that's really great, and speaking of hey Dolan how *did* that mess with the camp in the Vast go?"

Dolan, on the other hand, doesn't laugh at all. "Which means that V's probably using Dace Zinskas to do that, and raising the money to fund this army they're raising. We probably need to take out Zinskas, but what happens if we do that?" The Redeemer is now thinking aloud. "Is it doing it through Jal'goroth? Zinskas is arrogant enough to think he's the one in charge - what sorts of minions does V employ? All of them?"

"Slow down, slow down." The book complains. "You forget that I have been trapped in a book rather than keeping up with current events. I should clarify: V wishes to CONTROL the nightmare. Not use the deity, not free it. Control it."

The book coughs politely. "You see, Red Maw is a link back to the Nightmare. I read in a book about these chains that exist to control the Nightmare, and the use of these and a 'woman between worlds' can be used to summon it. If it is summoned, it can summon an item used to create a direct gate to where the Nightmare exists. If these chains are taken there, you can use them to be granted power by the god."

The lecturing tone fades from Albus' voice. "As for werewolves, I do not know much about them at all. They serve the Nightmare, and that is certain, but their designs are likely their own.

"...Oh that's better," Magpie says in a faint voice. "So... a demon-devil... Devon? Demil? Slam-dancing sushi? ...Wants to *assume control of a trapped god.* And he wouldn't try it, if he couldn't do it. So... Okay well that explains why *V's* getting his icky fingers all into this nonsense. And yeah, the totems. We're pretty well covered on that front, most of the people who have them are us and people we know and trust. And they can't be scryed on! Which is nice, not having to worry about werewolf assassins climbing through the window..."

Is Magpie rambling because of Magpie, or because she's nervous? Tough to tell.

"Magpie," Dolan reminds the gnome, not ungently, and with a quirk of a smile. "It's all right. That - explains a lot. _A woman between worlds._ That might be why they wanted Verna, and why they wanted Phyrelia. Both would fit. Lana would fit that too," he murmurs. "Lana better be damned careful," he swears suddenly. "I'll have a talk with her."

"So they wanted to be granted ultimate power. Sounds like servants of the Maw," he mutters. "And V probably suckered them into this easy. Anything that grants them power, they'll do whatever is necessary for. V doesn't care what they do, she'll grab the Red Maw whenever they summon it. Does this Red Maw look like a huge black wolf with red eyes?"

"Legend states that Red Maw is a wolf the size of a mountain with red eyes, who can summon the divine presence of the Nightmare." Kinkade says simply, he chuckles again nervously. "We can be glad though that the thing does not exist on Ea. Particularly not with V looking to use it. Besides, legends are rarely true! It's probably just a very big dog or something."

From Magpie, there is only the long, heavy sigh of someone who has already seen too many things that couldn't possibly be true.

"No, Albus. It's true. That's why I disappeared for a while," Dolan says, unconsciously reaching for the pendant at his neck and clasping it tightly. "Did the legends suggest how to banish it, if it was ever summoned? Looks like someone did."

"Ahhh." The book makes an odd choked noise and then is silent a very long moment. "Ahm. I'm trying to remember. Give me a moment, my memory is not what it used to be."

It seems really, far more likely that shock is what drove the memory from Albus' mind for a moment and the book mutters furiously to itself. "No. I am sorry Dolan. I was only interested in the arcane implications not the actual lore itself. You will have to ask a priest or someone more involved with the more religious aspects of the Nightmare. I do remember one bit however which you may find very important. Red Maw is in some stories one of the actual avatars of the Nightmare. It may be possible to kill it, but banishing it once arrived... May not be possible."

"....Yaaaaayyyyyy," Magpie whispers, eyes wide.

"Fuck. Well, I've got a few people I can ask. That shit'll probably be more in Eluna's lore. Prophecies and shit." Dolan is swearing much more freely now, and his lone brown eye is wide. "We're going to have to _kill_ that thing? And this V - wants to control it." He rubs at his jawline, as one weary. "But, chances are, if we can kill it or banish it, V will probably fuck off. They've got no more reason to be here if that thing ain't around to control."

Silence falls. "That's a hell of a task. Especially-" He trails off, flexing his left shoulder.

There's silence indeed in the wake of all of this. "I wish I could be of more aid. I did write quite a lot about Jal'goroth and V in my book, but I fear even I do not remember all of what is there. Best that Magpie look it up lest I give you wrong information." Albus sighs. "Truth is that even had I my body back... I was never much of an adventurer. Studying was my forte. Now... I can not even do that properly." He sound depressed.

"Can do," Magpie says quietly. "But uh... important question; with all this planning and preparation, how much time would V *need* to take control, d'you think? Because if *I* were watching and waiting for an opportunity, I'd probably hurl myself down its throat before the mana-dust settled on the summoning..."

"And uh... Albus? I know it wouldn't be the same, but... Maybe we could talk to some artificers? Because we're seeing all those golems with *actual souls* running around, what if? I mean... y'know. What if."

"You've done something damned important, Albus," Dolan answers, his stare going to just a little off the floor, and not to anyone or anything in particular. "You've given me the connection between V and the werewolves, and what they want - and what we need to do now." He exhales, hard. "I can't look at that book, Albus. My oaths to the Temple forbid it. Magpie's going to have to tell me.

"What about them, Magpie?" he asks curiously. "I don't get it. As for why V hasn't taken control yet - I'd bet Zinskas is the only thing standing in that thing's way - if they haven't done so already."

"It is very hard to say. I am uncertain the rituals for binding the avatar or divine servitor of a god. I imagine it is not easy however." He sighs softly. "Golems with souls running around? Fiends in disguise do you think, or something else?"

To Dolan's comment he sighs again. "I understand Dolan. It is perhaps one of the most foolish ventures of my life."

"No like..." Magpie waves her hands over her head uselessly for a moment. "Like the guy in the lobby! He's a golem, but he's got a proper soul in him! He's studying for a historical scholarship! And I *know* there's more running around, I heard of this expensive restaurant in the Noble District that has one for a chef! But like... I have *no idea* how they got that way, it's just all that I can think of to get you *any* kind of body back!"

Falling silent for a moment, the gnome catches her breath. "And I'm *totally* not latching onto a new problem so I don't wind myself up about V!"

Dolan levels the full inquisitor's stare at Magpie, with both eyes. "You'll have to lie better than that to convince me, Magpie. V's minions are harassing my family, and there's - something personal in there too." His right hand goes to his right cheekbone for a minute, and he's clearly choosing not to discuss something. "If you can find that stuff, Magpie - I'll try to find the stuff out about the Maw. I'll try both my Temple and the Seers. The Seers know me by now."

He goes quiet, then.

Albus is quiet a moment. "If... if you could find me a way into a body that holds no soul that would be amazing Magpie. Even if it were very different from my old one... it would be preferable to this existence. Not that I do not appreciate you reading me books!" The book falls silent a moment. "It seems as though you two have a plan in place then, I wish you both luck."

"Albus, you never *wanted* this except as a safeguard," Magpie says, patting the book's cover. "Which might have been silly, but it'd be a *crime* to let you stay like this. So... yeah. Definitely got studying to do and people to talk to. Dolan, let me know if there's anything else Auranar and I can look up? Maybe I'll talk to that Navos girl, and we can have a proper study party or something!"

For a moment, Dolan doesn't answer. Then his head snaps up, and he snorts. "The gobber? She bites me, or anyone else, and I will see to it that she regrets it." He pushes himself to his feet. "Yeah. If you need help Magpie, let me know. I owe you one, Albus. You've been a great help." Steely determination and focus, and more than a little worry, steel the mobile half, and some of the scarred half, of his features.

"You are too kind Magpie. I am ever in your debt." Albus says gently, then continues. "I am simply doing my part Dolan. It was a pleasure seeing you again. I appreciate your efforts in this endeavor, I feel somewhat responsible for all this though I had no idea at the time. So I will do what I can on my end."

"Will do, Dolan!" Magpie chirps, rocking back in her seat. "And hey! Let me know next time there's another inform-session going, I'll bring the snacks! ...Now to figure out how to bribe an artificer, and who would I even go to.... Hrmn. Don't worry Albus, if there's *anything* to be done you can bet I will sniff it out." Hopping off the bed upon seeing Dolan filled with determination, she bumbles to the door to let him out.

-End