We had reappeared within the confines of the dimensional aperture which had been created by the Ghost and were soon joined by the Awakened Plant known as Virgil the Great and a Half. With the bravery of Justice and the insight of Mordalfus and the brilliance of the Master we were able to liberate the Elven Ghost known as Asaro from the formerly haunted lighthouse. As an added bonus we were able to reunite the Ghost of Asaro with his beloved who also had remained behind named Dedrea who just so happened to also be Drow Elf Ghost. We even managed to locate the reputed secret fortress of the Merciful Dawn hidden in Valn at the same time. Which of course where left us with the mystery of how a recent letter from the reputed founder of said organization the Matia had ended up in the Ghost of Asaro’s hand. So not perfect but the likely location of Klon Barr had been found. Of course after that a number of other interesting distractions occurred upon which I shall elaborate which prevented us from ending the threat of the Loyalist District formerly known Merciful Dawn.
As I had stated we had reappeared with the confines of the pocket dimension created by the Ghost Asaro from our journey into the past and Virgil had joined us. He took the time to backtrack our situation before we entered the door which had stood before us. The Master had allowed Kameron and Eagle to take point as it seemed to be their assigned position with the team. We had entered a room that seemed to have no exits a large table surrounded by chairs with leaves everywhere and paintings of ancient Valn around the room.
Virgil took to disturbing the paintings then the leaves and finally the table which in the end caused everything to start dissolving into the floor. Mordalfus had tried with magical means to try something with the leaves but to no avail. Finally I had found within the back of one of the two only remaining chairs something odd. One of the chairs had a bloody back and seemed to be a dimension space. The space turned out to be a doorway to another room and the blood Drow. Kameron and Eagle proceeded in and the Masters telepathic contact with him was strained but he had seemed alright and indicated that we follow.
It had taken awhile to convince Mordalfus to enter the aperture as he no doubt had been trying to find another logical way out of the room. As he had even convinced the child Drago to play musical chairs with him of course to no avail. The others finally began to enter the aperture which had left only the Mordalfus and Alth as well as the Master and I. The Master has sensed his concern and informed him that he should come join him as he would activate his cube of force and he and Alth were more than welcome to join us as we entered. I am sure the fact the as the Master had deduced the entire room had started to dissolve around us might have also helped convince the suspicions and cautious Mordalfus. Don’t get me wrong I can appreciate the concerns of Mordalfus but I just have to admit it is interesting to see how in so little time the burden of being appointed defacto leader of Justice has taken its toll.
After our transition through the portal of blood on the chair we appeared into what seemed like the heart of an elf. Oddly it tasted like one as well which left only the chain bridge to a doorway to cross. Kameron and Eagle were already at the doorway and prepared to enter only waiting it seemed for the others to arrive. As they opened the door what lay beyond was a grand outdoor vista with mountains in the distance.
Kameron and Eagle misted back into cloud forms which they had accomplished by the use of a strand of prayer beads I had suggested the Master acquire for Kameron and proceeded ahead. The Master and the others had delayed for about thirty seconds testing the bounds of the outdoor setting. They were only able to find that the place was not doubt another pocket dimensional space. As we had drawn closer a large fortress appeared in the distance and what we saw next was almost beyond belief. Somehow the Ghost of Asaro had managed to form aspects of everything that might give any member of Justice a reason to turn back. We were faced with everything from former Guardians of the Waste, Lich’s, Devils and Demons even my Master’s Father Bel. Of course we had pressed on and been given a choice to face the enemies before us, stand and fight or even to withdraw.
Of course we had moved on and I will admit I was thankful to see that not a single member of Justice faltered. As we passed thru yet another doorway we entered a room filled with maps of Valn and a figure of the Elf Asaro. As Kameron had entered the anti-magic field he had cast in preparation of facing great magic melted the image of the Ghost and he stood before a door on the floor. Which of course Kameron opened and entered and then things got really interesting.
As we had entered the room the dimensional barriers shattered and we were once again within the Lighthouse proper. The Master tested it with an Earth Elemental that exited the Lighthouse and entered again. Inside the room was the Ghost of Asaro looking out a window and holding a note. The note was from Matia and described him searching for the bodies of Asaro’s beloved Dedrea and her companion Mitria. In the letter which had seemed to have been penned recently he spoke of Asaro needing to move on and that she had forgave him in the end.
Baring the fact that Matia should have been long dead as Klon Barr was his current descendent was yet another mystery. The fact still remained that the Master had then realized that the piece of the puzzle he needed being the burial place of Asaro’s beloved might be beyond his own magical ability unaided. Drago had discussed with the Master about using various high arcana to divine her past but before they had decided on a course of action the recently mysterious Mordalfus said he would be back.
While he was gone Drago had continued his magical studies of the Ghost while the Master had engaged him in a logical discussion designed find a topic upon which he would respond. The Master was able to deduce eventually from his cryptic responses that Asaro and his beloved had fought and she had left on a mission and never returned. He had set out to find her five hundred years ago and failed to find her finally dying of a broken heart and exhaustion on the very spot where the Lighthouse would eventually be build. Since he had never found her he had never resolved what had happened to her and therefore not moved on simple really.
The Master had began studying the maps and deducing the best course to take to locate the remains of Dedrea when Drago had tried to dispel some magic he believed might be on the Ghost. Of course the Ghost of Asaro vanished just as Mordalfus had returned with the earth enclosed crypts of Dedrea and her companion. Mordalfus had returned with a Magi associate named Ezekiel who was someone they had resurrected who had it seemed been dead for two centuries. Barely had introductions been made the Ghost of Dedrea attempted to grapple Mordalfus with telekinesis. The Master quickly put an end to that by charming the Ghost with a magical transdimensional command. He told her that he was trying to help her and Asaro and he had left but that he would summon him all she had to do was remain patient.
The Master did just that with a transdimensional sending informing the Ghost of Asaro that his beloved had been found and was waiting for him at the Lighthouse. We had to wait for a few minutes but while the Master was touched I and Drago were moved practically to tears. To see love triumph after five centuries made me sad that there was not a Bard present to record the event for posterity. In the end it was not needed as both Ghosts departed hand in hand together again to enjoy their afterlife. The Lighthouse was haunted not more.
Mordalfus spoke and informed Justice that he had business to attend too quickly. The business was it seemed to inform the populace that Justice had cleansed the Lighthouse. Before he left I handed Alth a fresh sending stone so he could keep in touch if needed. The Master and Mordalfus had spoke regarding resting and since Mordalfus was a Warlock he never needed rest but the same could not be said for the others. Mordalfus had said while he was gone to make up our minds and he had left. Meanwhile the Master discussed with the others if they felt prepared enough after the ordeal within the lighthouse to proceed to the hidden fortress in Valn or if they wished to rest and be fully prepared. The Master truly I know did not care but I also knew he realized that things would be moving fast on Spearhead Island and he had preparations he wanted to make for Kameron’s Watcher who would be named Sebastian Simulacra.
It was decided that rest was in order or at least it seemed that way and with Ezekiel’s aid everyone except Mordalfus was returned to the Justice Safehouse. Armana and Mandy were already present and awaiting our arrival. We had then proceeded to the Justice Base while the Master set me to the task of preparing the necessary equipment that would be needed by the soon to be born Sebastian Simulacra future Watcher of the ever elusive Kameron. Drago had started talking about building a Mage Academy and Orphanage in the sky and discussing plans to build his own sky city. Mandy was assigned to assist for his travels would not doubt soon lead to Aurora. I had to admit I found the idea intriguing for while for the most part Nym’Kren had the ability to fly as well as transport itself it was by no means the size of an Academy much less an entire city. I realized that not only was Drago the Greedy but also the Ambitious.
The Master went into the Justice base and into his newly furnished luxury suite to spend some time with Leydarfel who had exited her pocket dimension to enjoy some personal where I was sure he would soon give birth to Sebastian so to speak. Two hours later Mordalfus returned and brought with him news of events on Spearhead Island. Armana had been sent to retrieve the items that had been requested for Sebastian and entered the Masters quarters to bring him up to speed.
Mordalfus brought with him news that was quickly confirmed from Spearhead Island. The Lich who had been a thorn in the side of Kameron had returned and infected the populace with a magical plague which had claimed the lives of many. Andros had survived but Kameron during the battle Kameron had disappeared believed to be in pursuit of the Lich. Mordalfus had been relating the news as I was receiving a similar report from Andre Simulacra. Of course before Kameron could even be introduced to his new charge he vanished with Eagle back to Spearhead. Honestly if Mordalfus had not possessed such great speed he would never have been able to pass the Third Eye Conceal gem to Kameron before he had vanished as it a new day and his new magical item was complete.
Mordalfus was not exactly pleased with everyone leaving with the matter of the Estate District still hanging over the head of Justice. In the end he chose to head to the surface to deal with matters which demanded his attention and the Master assigned Armana to accompany him in case he had need to be in contact with the Master or had need of a personal Magi.
Meanwhile Drago had moved on to Aurora and had acquired and audience to hear of his proposal to orchestrate the construction of his Sky Fortress. His proposal was actually quite well organized and worthy of his intelligence and Armana believed as long as he made adequate arrangements with other agencies of interest he might very well be starting construction soon. Either that or exposing himself and his Sky Fortress to attack by the Assassins who it seemed were stalking him.
The Master discussed the parameters of Sebastian’s mission and transported him to Spearhead Island to rendezvous with Kameron who had been restored to his position of power. Kameron it seemed was intent on finding his two favorite wounded guards who had been dispatched away from the Island. It was that train of thought which caused the Master to discuss the matter with Mordalfus and the truth finally came out. It seemed that Kameron’s imposter was none other than one of his missing guards who just so happened to be a Changling Infiltrator who had adopted the name of Dee. While his other guard Hinada was returning to her homeland a Hero. Mordalfus let me know he had dispatched Ezekiel to see to her safety so the Master left her care in the hands of Mordalfus as it had been Justice that had offered her protection.
Meanwhile the Master had to give Kameron an answer and while Mordalfus it seemed as I had expected involved in quite a bit of subterfuge himself the Master was not upset. If it had been anyone else with the exception of Mordalfus I believe the Masters temper would have flared. As it was he decided to leave Mordalfus to deal with the matter as the Master informed me Mordalfus was dealing with Justice and in that matter he was the First Mate and his decisions were currently the ones steering the ship as it were. The Master it seemed had faith that Mordalfus would not run the ship aground.
The Master it seemed would end up telling Kameron a modified version of the truth until he had the time to make inquiries of his own. So regarding Hinada he told Kameron she was heading back home to a Hero’s welcome and Ezekiel had been dispatched to keep an eye on her. He told a similar story regarding his former imposter and guard Dee which in a way was actually also the truth if not the whole truth. I will admit I had a problem with it but I understood the Masters concern for he would want to have the chance to speak with Dee or whoever she really was determine if she might have value to the Network before he perhaps stepped in to defend her. For he knew for a fact if Kameron found out the truth too soon then there would likely be nothing to save her from the bloodthirsty Kameron and his ravenous appetite. Instead he had Armana fulfill his request to inform the Perciphea Senate of his need for two more guards.
Kameron also decided that he would challenge his current Senator to judge his worth and also convened with his Chancellor and trusted advisor our Network deep cover operative Andros Lamar. It seemed the perfect time for Sebastian to make his presence known to the Kameron and Andros. For if Kameron was to go into battle the Master would want Sebastian there to make sure order prevailed. It also helped the Master had even given Sebastian a scroll with both permanency and telepathic bond as well as enough liquid pain to seal the deal of Kameron would accept the deal.
The Master it seemed was not overly worried for he knew the magics he had cast on Justice would last another day and perhaps a day to realized why they chose to live before battle might very well serve them well. So it was left to me to inform the Network High Council of the events that had transpired and check on the status of the Red Alert. At which point I reviewed the report which had come in from Armana regarding Project Natakoo.
Let me just say I would never have believe that Mordalfus could be so merciless and cruel when it came to another life form. For while I really doubted the Master needed the leave of Mordalfus to resurrect Natakoo he was being diplomatic. Since while sure Natakoo could be raised it would be an entire waste of potential to have him killed by Mordalfus on one who served him hence diplomacy. Well the terms were strict for while Mordalfus agreed that a plan to find a way to check Narvada was a good idea it Natakoo was to be used then he would need an expendable watcher as well as a number of severe mind alterations as finally a KO issued on him once his mission was achieved. Finally an action would be dealt upon someone the Master cared about if Natakoo ever got out of control. Of course that meant that Mordalfus feared for his wife Lela and that not only he but she might be in danger if Natakoo were allowed to roam free. So Natakoo was obviously an enemy and it seemed that Operation Natakoo unless someone came up with a new direction was quickly becoming too costly of an operation to undertake.
So while the Master was spending time with the insatiable Leydarfel I was left to deal with the Network and devise a plan before the Master had to involve himself. It had only been three days since the Master had allied himself with Justice and while to be honest the profits had been immense I had a mysterious feeling that soon we might be dealing with the loss. I know the Master was not worried as is his way due to his far superior intellect but even with access to the entire simulacra network I remained concerned but of course that is my job after all.
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