A Burning Within [Leo Please]

[Gossamer]

Glav blinked as the young man walked up to him. He set down his basket of candles, perhaps because he was so startled, and blinked a moment at the young man before giving him a good long look. It was obvious that the interruption hadn't disturbed him, but the words out of Leo's mouth had. His second longer look was accessing that much was for certain.

The priest nodded, scooped to pick up the basket of replacement candles and the burned out stubs, and nodded, scanning the temple to see if anyone else was there. "Come with me. This might be a topic we should discuss somewhere more private in case someone drops by. There's a sitting room off the main temple that I laid a fire in earlier. Will you join me there?" Glav didn't wait for Leo's response. He turned instead and lead the young man off and up the outside aisle towards a secondary chamber that was smaller and more intimate somehow.

The sitting room had a large hearth that kept it warmed even as the snow began to fall outside yet again. The room was insulated, in a way, with overly large tapestries depicting the pantheon - or at least most of them for the room was not large enough for all the gods to be represented. But a fair share were... in thread, busts, and even artwork in glass and stone. Even Ivak was there... looking strangely enough much like Leo's vision had depicted him... young, strong, handsome with burning eyes.

Glav looked thoughtful, gestured to a wingbacked chair by the fire, and took a seat himself. "My name is Glav Navik, and I am the caretaker of this place. But it makes me uncomfortable for people to call me Father. I would appreciate just Glav. And while I don't 'disbelieve' you... I have no idea what your talking about unless you start at the beginning and tell me the whole story, including any impressions you might have. You... feel like one of Ivak's marked. Most people are confused by their feelings, but yours will be acutely helpful if you are indeed one of his." Glav said gently... then settled into his own chair after putting tea on.

[Leo Varniak]

Leo just nodded his agreement, following Glav to the other room without a further word. He had always thought of priests as something only marginally useful, good for feeding the poor and little more; funny that he should turn to one in this time of need. Glav struck him as a reasonable fellow, though, one who would not make unrealistic promises or claims he could not back up. Leo was no lunatic to be humored, just a man facing a dead end and not liking that at all.

He gave a cursory glance at the tapestry despite the seriousness of the situation, taking in the artist's style more than the subject matter. While Leo's medium of choice was enamels over glazed ceramics, he was interested in art as a whole, especially the expression of motion on a still canvas. His curiosity satisfied, Leo sat down by the fire as he had always liked. Even so, the worry never totally left him. He could remember sitting in front of a similar hearth earlier today, and it had not ended well.

He hoped he was not endangering Glav by just being here. Leo could be cruel to wrong-doers, but he went to equally great lengths to keep the innocent safe. His eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of being marked by Ivak. As far as he knew, only a fellow bearer of the mark could detect another. His mind reached out for the familiar tingle in Glav's aura and expecting to find it. He immediately realized that if Glav had a mark of Ivak but had had to think about it, it could mean he bore other marks, as well. It had taken him a little time because Ivak's marked were probably uncommon compared to others.

He had nodded at the request of being called Glav, not father. That was as much a relief to Leo as it was to Glav. "Where to start from... well, I do wear the mark of Ivak. I have had it for about eight years now, and never a problem with it." Like a trusty wrench. "You could say my family history is interesting, to say the least. Over the years I found out my father wasn't my father, and as of today I know my mother might not be as dead as I thought, as well."

He felt he had to share this with Glav. In the event of Leo's death in the upcoming war, he felt better knowing someone else was privy to the story, however useless this may be.

"It all started this morning..." he started, and went about describing the encounter with the messenger girl who had handed him the letter from his real father. He told Glav about the triads of Zai and their tear-shaped marks, their purpose as far as he could tell and the fact that most of them were gone. Leo's voice was monotone, even and unaccented. He was precise and accurate - the kind of witness every judge would wish for.

Leo mentioned Baltio and the search for the man that had eventually led him to seek Kasav'i's help by a random accident. He tried to recount the vision as best he could, not losing himself in tangents.

"... as this unpleasant voice - totally unlike the Konti's - went silent after threatening me, I was, at first, overjoyed," he explained, calmly. His legs were not crossed, and his hands rested boringly on his thighs. "It may surprise you, but I have always felt a burning need to eradicate evil from this world... the stronger, the better. For a moment I felt like I could challenge this entity and enjoy it."

As flawed as Leo might be, he was not afraid to judge himself like he would another. "And just as I was thinking this and laughing at it... it killed her. Like you and I would rip a blade of grass, it killed Kasav'i. At that time, I thought I had killed her. If not for me, she would still live."

He did not dwell on it much longer, and described the latter and more recent part of the day in great detail. He held nothing back, for he really nothing to lose. Even if Glav was an agent of the enemy, which Leo really doubted, at worst he would already know the story, nothing more. He talked about the vision at length, the terrible girl and her/its voice, and the malice in its eyes.

"It certainly is an incredible story," he conceded afterwards, "but it is true. From an intellectual standpoint, what I find most interesting is this entity's motive." He turned towards the priest. "It feels like it's personal. It feels like it's getting its revenge for 'what it did that day', when 'three others took the spotlight'. I don't know, it sounds like something... petty to start a war over."

"But mostly, I have to find out why this thing scares me, and how to get over it." He laid out the entire thing as a plan, a to-do list. This irrational fear would be vanquished. Surely Glav would have a helping word for him.

[Gossamer]

Glav said nothing while Leo's story slowly unfolded. The only motion the priest made was to stand halfway through Leo's story and pour the man a cup of tea. He remained silent otherwise, contemplative, though he did raise an eyebrow a time or two when Leo said something particularly startling.

The room was warm, inviting, and seemed to shrink somehow as Leo spoke, wrapping both men in a cocoon of light and warmth that didn't seem to somehow let anything out. It was almost as if it became some sort of protective shield that some part of Leo's awareness recognized as holding him in, or more importantly, his words in so they remained only between Leo and Glav.

The priest stroked his chin when Leo was done, and sat quietly for a long while. When he did finally speak, it was softly, almost thoughtfully. "First off, I believe you. I do not want you to think for a moment that I do not. This is not a simple problem, however, and I suspect its one that has been building for a long long while." Glav said firmly, then picked up his tea. He sipped it dark, without adding any sugar or milk - thought both were available - and and nodded. "The unkind thing to think would be that Kova's line, and thus the line of kings from Alahea, would have perished with the Valterrian. But the world could not be so easy, and that would mean you would not be sitting here. It's ironic, though, that the blood of kings flows through your veins and that you are heir to a kingdom that no longer exists. All its minions are dead, and its glorious cities are in ruins. But that's not the real irony, is it? The real irony is that your royal blood diminishes in the light of your immortal blood. But, again, looking at it from a further angle. Neither things do you one bit of good, and yet both have gained you one of the most powerful enemies in the world. Why?" Glav said, shaking his head in bewilderment. It truthfully made no sense to him.

"And yet, I have to wonder why. Don't you? I don't have the answer. I suspect only the one hunting you knows... perhaps Ivak himself as well... but it is not so obvious. It sounds like old rivalries. I've long suspected Emperor Galifer Odalah had help. I knew him, you see... and he was no where near as impulsive or reckless as he acted that day. There was a time when I lived in Suva, and enjoyed the atmosphere he created. He was narrow minded and driven, his world had to be organized into neat little boxes, categories, labeled and identified. Do you know everyone in Suva wore uniforms? Even the commoners? Crazy isn't it? But it was the way he ran his kingdom. He wanted people to express themselves in their skills and their work, not in their outward appearance. He demanded equality for everyone and discipline." Glav said, his eyes turned inward as if he was remembering how the Empire of Suva rose. "There were virtually no poor you see. Everyone was provided food, clothing, housing, and educated or trained in a job that would in turn fund the whole of the city." The priest continued. "I went there to study the government, to learn their ways and why Suvan was such a success story. Galifer had a very level head. He would have never committed such an indiscretion... such an act of passion completely uncontrolled. Suva experienced Chaos that day." Glav said, turning to look at Leo.

"You are a lot like him, for all that none of his blood flows in your veins. You might have even enjoyed Suva and how it was. The city sparkled. It was so clean, so neat and organized... there had never been blood spilled on its streets until Kova's splashed down the main gates." Glav said, smiling suddenly, though in a kindly way not a happy one. There was a sadness in his gaze, at the memory of it all.

"Much like your line died that day, mine did as well. I am here because my father is here, in a way, though not like he once was. He perished in the Valterrian, and peace died from the land, swallowed whole by the chaos the Valterrian unleashed. And, Leo, if you understand anything about religion and history, your enemy should be clear enough to you. He's touched your life from your birth. And if your mother is still alive and has indeed escaped death either faked or otherwise, he'll find out soon enough and not rest until hes destroyed her. I suspect the black palm... is someone that follows your enemy and courts his favor. Closely." Glav looked puzzled then, turning to study Leo carefully.

"The real question is.. why are you a threat to him? What is it that you plan to do or are capable of doing that will threaten the mess the world is in right now. Can you answer me that, Leo Varniak? If it feels like revenge, I would believe that it is, but I suspect there is more too it than that. It's become personal, and revenge is rarely just randomly decided on. So what is the threat? What are you going to do or are capable of that is counter all the chaos that has been born into the world. You haven't done it yet, obviously, right?" The priest said, looking thoughtful. "You were... as far as you know, no one special before today. Overly gifted in magic, the killer of your father's stand-in, but there is nothing else that makes you stand out. You are not the last of your line, if your mother or father is still alive, and what do they know that you don't? Why would your mother abandon you to the fates... leaving you all alone in the world? That answer is obvious. You are safer if you are not being protected because there is nothing to lead anyone to think you are anything special... until now. Now he knows who you are." Glav said, his eyes glancing towards the door as if he suspected any one of the main characters of this fairy-tale like story to come walking through the door at any minute.

"And Rhysol rarely gives up... rarely grows bored. He will lay plans for years. I suspect he had Galifer so twisted up inside in the end, he was primed for Kova's seeming betrayal. But why you? What is it that you can do that he doesn't want done?" Glav said again, turning to study Leo.

[Leo Varniak]

Leo's tale came to a close, and for a while there was only silence. He took advantage of the moment to help himself to the tea. He liked his tea hot in a hot porcelain cup; besides that he had no strong preference. He was well-mannered as he sipped the amber liquid the way his mother had taught him to. Glav had a positive, calming influence on him, or he would not have drunk from an unknown cup.

He listened. He was an excellent listener, at least on a comprehension level. He never interrupted the priest. He sat in front of him, his hands laced together just above his mouth, elbows propped on the arms of his chair. He felt instant admiration for Glav's insight on things, and knew he had done the right thing coming here. Kova's advice had not been fruitless.

Leo himself put no stock in blood, be it royal or divine. His belief in justice ruled out the influence of heritage. He did not believe that possessing certain types of blood made one right or wrong, noble or infamous, important or unknown. He was going to treat his lineage as nothing more than his eye or hair color, a part of him that defined who he was but held no influence on his judgment. As Glav said, his blood was only going to cause him trouble in the future. It seemed to him that he had only inherited the debts of his ancestors.

What Glav said next was far more interesting. It was a history lesson you did not find on most books, and Leo felt a mounting curiosity to find out how he knew the things he knew. It really didn't feel like something he had read on a book; those taught you dates, names, motives, factions and affiliations but could not convey the sights, sounds and smells of reality. Leo frowned a little as he struggled to understand. The things Glav wasn't saying were even more unsettling than those he was saying. He implied them, but the implications were obvious as an anvil. Until he admitted to it - he had been there in person, and Leo blinked a few times, rapidly, as if to make sure Glav would not wink out of his sight like some kind of hallucination.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but caught himself and remained quiet. It was a revelation, of course, but it had little bearing on Leo's problem as of right now. There were more urgent questions in store for him, and Glav put his finger exactly on the crucial one. "Why?" Why was the greatest antagonist in the world personally waging a war on HIM, a man among hundreds of thousands left?

He nodded slowly. The name was spoken, the name he had known from the very first moment. Suddenly he had a flash, the enlightenment that follows patient meditation until the self is canceled and the unfettered mind can see the world for what it is. "I see... I see now," he murmured. "I can see Rhysol's thinking now. He is malevolent beyond words, but there is a greatness to his thinking. His cunning is extreme. He was not a flashy god before the Valterrian. He liked to keep a low profile, and all the while he was building up the events that would shape the world."

"Sylir died in the Valterrian," Leo continued, analyzing the facts, "he was Rhysol's greatest enemy. Not only did Ivak cause the Valterrian, he was also imprisoned for it. As far as I know, Ivak served as a... reliever of pressure. He would keep minds and volcanoes from blowing up with their own steam, and in doing so prevented foul things from happening. With him gone, his followers are filling in for him, but they have been disappearing. Of course Rhysol would not want it... he wants minds to fester with negativity, building up pressure until they rampage out of control."

'Is this what's happening to me too?' he found himself thinking, but did not voice it.

"Rhysol took care of his biggest threats with the Valterrian... he also scaled the world down to a size he could conquer. He is a genius... he played his cards better than anyone else. His enemies are scattered and without a true leader, and his power grows daily."

He closed his eyes and gave a thin smile. "Fear is a strange thing. Here I am, fearing the disproportionate amount of resources my enemy has compared to my own, and you helped me see that... for a lion to go out of his way to step on an ant, there must be a threat hidden in the ant. It's mutual, Glav... He also fears me like I do him." Suddenly he reconsidered the vision, the shock in the terrible girl's eyes, the fear that he might understand.

"Because I can free Ivak. Or he thinks I could, anyways." He leaned back, seemingly relaxed as if after a bad dream. "And if that happens, it lays waste to centuries of meticulous planning. Mind you, I have no idea how to even go about freeing Ivak, but Rhysol and his courtiers of chaos at the very least envision the possibility."

"I need to know more. That is why I was going to follow Baltio's trail, dangerous though it may be. I still plan on doing so." He glanced at the priest. "We did swap some unlikely stories. I dare say both must remain secret."

[Gossamer]

Glav shook his head gently when Leo was finished. He sat back in the wingbacked chair and crossed one leg over another, intertwining his fingers as his elbows rested on the arms. "You see, Leo Varniak, that is what everyone wants to believe. But you would be wrong, though the diversion has been carefully orchestrated. You make a big mistake thinking Ivak caused the Valterrian. He might have been its instrument, but the harper was Rhysol. I believe, to this day, the goal was Sylir's death - which he accomplished. But the seeds for deceit had to be planted in Galifer's heart. I believe he even manipulated Kova and Ivak's love. From their meeting to the birth of your bloodline, I believe Rhysol's hands were everywhere then. Now, that is equally true. His hands are still in everything, especially here, which is somewhat the heart of the world. I am here, to be close to my father and because I take up where he left off, in any way I can. It thwarts Rhysols ambition, for all he wants is the world in chaos. Humanity has risen to meet this challenge beautifully, far better than anyone could have hoped. I don't think he is to pleased with this. Things are settling down, and for the most part, peace fills the land because all peace hasn't gone. Just the Master of it. But this new peace is tentative and fragile - especially here in Syliras where it lives on in a more tangible form. The Windoak is a benefit we never expected. " Glav said gently.

"You have no hope of fighitng Rhysol. Not now, not openly." As he spoke, Glav seemed to release something around himself... a shield of sorts that disguised something of his nature. The force of feeling Ivak's brand on Glav hit Leo full force. He had at least two marks, and his power burned in Leo's awareness as did the awareness of other marks on the priest that were sensed because the power that flowed in and around the Alvina could not be ignored. Love, Music, Knowledge, Light, a dozen other things swirled around the priest before he masked it again, replacing the awkward raw feel of the Alvina with the visage of a normal man. "I have no hope of fighting Rhysol right now. Keeping up with his antics and identifying them for what they are is the best we can ever do individually. I cannot... ascend to fill the void Sylir left because I am not strong enough... yet. But it is clear to me why the triad was destroyed here first. They were the strongest followers in the most strategic position. They were succeeding beautifully in making Syliras successful. Without their stabilizing effect, everything is threatening to crumble. I've never sensed so many Rhysol followers slipping into the city, invading, undermining, and discrediting those that work really hard to establish peace." Glav paused again, sighing deeply.

"I could do nothing to stop the destruction of the triad. I tried to warn Baltio, but he was a stubborn sort and would not believe about Rhysol's involvement. And he wouldn't involve you either, though he knew about you, because you were still too young. You're still young, Leo. But you have two things going for you that Baltio did not... you know your enemy and you are stronger willed than any of the others before you. Your strength is born of intelligence, which is unusual in one of Ivak's chosen. It gives me hope that he's calmed, after all this time, and is thinking clearly at last." Glav said, glancing over at the tapestry that depicted Ivak on it.

"But I'm not sure intelligence or the strength it brings will be enough to free Ivak. You will need help, Leo. And you will need to keep Rhysol guessing, so his focus is not on you. From your story, it sounds like at least one of his followers has targeted you - someone powerful. Truthfully I have no idea who that is, but I suspect it is the same element that eliminated the triad here. I do not know how strong triads elsewhere are. But there is something important you must remember. It is a lesson the Windoak teaches. If you dig your roots in solidly enough, you can weather many a mighty storm. Right now, Leo, you are only discovering your roots and growing new ones. They must be stronger still if you are going to anticipate surviving Rhysols storm. You need to put down more roots, a support structure, and tie up loose ends - this black hand is a loose end - and then go on. Do not skip steps or take shortcuts. Doing so will guarantee failure. You are going to need help. You are going to need to find others. I can... stand in for a third of the triad until another makes itself known - for the city is devoid of a likely candidate. But you'll need a second leg. He is here in the city, which is luck pure and simple, because hes strong too. There is a firedancer who's better at relieving emotions than he is at mastering fire. I firmly believe, Leo, that if you can reform the organization that Rhysol tore down, you can together find this black hand, face him or her, and .... while you might not be strong enough to do so now - I believe Ivak will grant you a second mark for forming a new triad - and then you will be closer to having a chance. Ivak would be a fool not too... not if you can do what you say you can and free him." The alvina leaned forward, unlinked his fingers, and picked up his teacup. The tea was now cold, but he didn't seem to mind as he sipped it.

"I do not know where Ivak is held. I believe only Morwen and Izur know. They won't tell me because I'm not strong enough to bear the knowledge and keep it from those that should never know because of the danger. And you need, desperately, time to grow your power base. Charging off will get you killed, especially if you don't know where your going. Rhysol needs to be fought the same way he started this war... slowly and subtly. " The priest said, looking like a man now, feeling like one, rather than a godling.

"You've come here for advice. Mine is simple. Build your powerbase, train, and prepare yourself. Gather an army... an unexpected and widely varied one. Gather intelligent people, ones with a multitude of talent. That is the only way your going to get what you want, Leo Varniak. It is the quickest surest way to justice." The man said quietly, sincerely.

[Leo Varniak]

Leo's tea was long finished, and he listened patiently for all that a part of him was burning. He could usually tune it out of his mind and ignore the fire that made his veins hotter than the average person, but today there was a glow inside him that just would not be dismissed. In a way, it tried to comfort him and warm his heart from the chilly embrace of Rhysol and his minions. For once, he could use the help.

Slowly but surely, though, Leo was undergoing a subtle transformation. He was getting used to the idea, like only humans could. A worldwide cataclysm may have been able to carve a new sea into the face of Mizahar, but it had not eclipsed humanity. For the first time, Glav had made Leo look at people in a better, slightly more positive light, and the young wizard had consciously noticed that. Glav had a charisma rarely seen in today's world, a kind that was almost unsettling. Leo got proof of that - as well as his suspicions of his wearing many marks - when he unmasked for a moment and revealed his true nature as a demi-god, the son of Sylir. It was mind-boggling that one person should wear so many marks, as if the pantheon had bestowed them on him in a partial compensation for the loss of his father. Suddenly Leo wanted to know more about Sylir, but this was not the place and time.

He retreated into his seat by a full inch at the display of Gnosis, only a few of which he could identify. He had never imagined such things could exist in the world, and was reminded of how ignorant he really was. His challenges had been far too trivial to prepare him for this. If Glav himself, with all his power, could not rise to face Rhysol's influence in Syliras, then how much of a chance did Leo stand?

Yet, he was getting used to it. Adaptation. Evolution. A new chapter. Leo did not mind dying for what he believed in, but there was a difference between giving one's life and wasting it. He joined his hands again and looked at Glav over his fingertips. Glav's advice boiled down to a few items: be patient, become a leader, develop new talents. Leo could see the sense in them, though he was not certain that he had what it took to recruit and lead others to his cause. He had never tried before. He would have skipped it if it hadn't been necessary. Founding a new triad was actually the simpler part, if Glav was willing to be a temporary stand-in and he knew the third member already. Keeping the triad from getting killed like its predecessors would be the real task.

And then... freeing Ivak. There was still a vague unease with the idea - Leo was not a traditional worshipper of the fire god, at least not consciously. He was too questioning for blind faith in something other than his own beliefs. He was starting to see the need - and probably the justice - in Ivak's liberation, but no-one knew if Ivak had really calmed down until Leo got to talk with his god and ancestor. On the other hand, there was no doubt about Rhysol - any and all of his servants in Syliras were to be destroyed. Especially the Black Hand. For the plan to succeed they could not afford to look forward and behind at the same time.

"I understand," he said in the end, "your words are very reasonable, Glav. Some of your suggestions will not come easily to me, as I much enjoy doing things my way, but I am aware of the forces at play, and I do not have the luxury of choice. I will start a new triad, I suppose. I am not sure what this entails, but I will be thankful if you can serve as a temporary member, Glav. I imagine you need to balance your commitments to the other gods who marked you, though, so I will try to find a worthy replacement for you."

"I will find this firedancer you speak of; with any luck he will join the cause. Do you know where I could meet him?" He just hoped this man would be up to fighting something as unsettling as the black hand of Rhysol. "And with this, I am afraid I have to go. There is one more place I wish to see before dark, but I will be back when I have the other leg of the triad, so we can present it to Ivak." He was thankful to the Alvina. It all seemed up in the air right now, but Leo's judgment said it could work. At least, he knew if this didn't, then nothing else would.

[Gossamer]

Glav nodded, looking thoughtful, and leaned back in his chair. "Ultimately, Leo Zai, your life is yours to lead. Please understand, my suggestions are only suggestions based on what I need and perceive the world to need - the world including yourself. We have been thrown out of balance by Rhysols actions, the death of Sylir, and a vacuum has been created that throws the world into utter chaos. It was a carefully orchestrated plan. And I can help aid in your startup but I can only be a stand in for there's something else I have to do that is far more important. It is the reason I bear so many marks and have received so much help. But again, that is not for you to be concerned with, not right now. You come from a strong line. Your father is one of the most gifted Azenth I know. And I do understand hes dealing with some weighty issues himself right now. It might very well be that he will return and be your third, though his gifts are more in line with yours than what you need. But in you refounding the triad here, you will be in turn aiding me with settling this chaos and ensuring a sort of stabilization here. Such conditions make it hard for the Ebonstryfe, the Black Sun, and their operatives - which I think this black hand is one of - to operate effectively here." Glav said, rising and setting his tea aside. The feel and sensation of his gnosis marks slowly faded away like a fire being banked, and he smiled.

He shook Leo's hand once more and walked him to the door.

"Good luck, Leo. Please remember I am here if you need anything, especially a third. I would like to help you find your second, but I cannot interfere too much in a process you yourself must initiate. You will find him. Or he will find you. Even now he knows about your existence, just as you know about his. I think, though, that you will find him easier to deal with than he will find you so - for he is sensitive to emotions and perceptions, and you have some of the strongest drives I've seen in a while." Glav chucked, but it seemed to be more in sympathy to the unknown individual than it was a judgment on Leo's personality. He walked Leo to the door and turned him loose out into the world.

Leo was then free to finish his original quest. Walking back past the area (but bypassing Kova's Well), he turned onto a familiar street, walked past the brick factory carefully looking at it, and noted a lone building of stone two stories high. It was an insignificant place, one he'd either never seen before or one that simply hadn't been memorable. He'd not have noticed it now, at all, except for the carving on the doorway. Three teardrops swirled into the fire symbol he'd seen on his father's parchment. The sign on the building was dusty. It read "Zaital Consulting". The windows were boarded up. There was an enormous lock on the doorway that had a strange slit in its bottom rather than the typical keyhole... it looked to be a familiar width and diameter. And the bricks somehow seemed welcoming. No one had lived there in a long time. All in all, while small, the building looked like it held offices on the ground floor, livings paces above, and a basement below due to the narrow windows at street height.

[Leo Varniak]

The young Zaital left the temple of all gods with some more answers and many more questions. He was glad he had come, and it was as if he taken a small amount of his burden off his shoulders. He could see there would be a need for more allies in the future. He would not have acknowledged the need Before talking with Glav. As they said, admitting to the problem was half the solution.

He had a full-fledged agenda now. In the short term, gaining skill, power and allies. In the medium term, purging Rhysol's followers in Syliras and especially the black hand who was responsible for at least four murders. And in the long run, freeing Ivak. A man with an agenda was a dangerous man. Especially Leo Varniak/Zaital - a young man with a peculiar fondness of lists. Later, there would be sub-items and sub-sub-items to his mission. There was a special satisfaction in checking items off a well-crafted list, one by one, with a long straight line of ink. It smelled like justice, methodical and unswaying and so satisfying.

Leo never felt safe to return to the ceramics district. When he was younger he had sometimes blamed the unease on the shadow of Allistir Varniak hanging on the place like a bad smell, but it probably wasn't just that. His impression was reinforced after the latest revelations. Sometimes people choose not to look back at things they may find unsettling. It could be that Leo's mind had picked up the inconsistencies surrounding Lina's apparent death and had elected to ignore them as a possible source of pain. The hypothesis displeased Leo, who could not tolerate any form of weakness in himself. If present, the flaw would have to be purged.

Still, he looked over his shoulder a lot as he entered the district. Not much had changed since then, and truth be told fewer years had passed than his imagination would have him believe. He had a vague memory of the building, though he'd had no idea of its purpose at the time. He had assumed it was just another competitor's warehouse. Even now, he could not remember the Zaital Consulting sign.

He stepped forward cautiously and examined the lock, knowing he had come to the right place. The lock seemed intact, which reassured him to a degree. Unless it was a trap, it looked like the enemy had not breached this place... though they might be keeping it under watch. It was a risk Leo needed to take. He slipped the medallion into the slit in the enormous lock, expecting it to click open. He would then proceed into the house, setting his own index finger aflame if the place was too dark for his eyes, and heading into the unknown with his improvised candle.

[Gossamer]

Rather than the lock clicking open as might be expected, it along with the medallion dissolved, chain and all, in a burst of warm light. The door swung open and presented a foyer that lead to a small reception desk. When Leo walked forward, he passed through a shimmery barrier that seemed to dissolve the further he got from it as if it were fragile, like a spiderweb. At its touch, he felt a tingling Light streamed in from long windows on either side of the foyer illuminating a small wooden chest on the desk. The chest had no lock on it, and if opened revealed a pile of gold mizas. There was a letter on top of the gold, which in turn rested on three books. One book was a very old yet sturdy comprehensive text on Reimancy for the Azenth, a second book on the History of the Azenth, and a third book on Cyphirian Webbing which was falling apart and in very poor shape. The book on the history of the Azenth looked almost new. There was a document tucked into the Azenth book, a deed, to the building as it stood.

The letter was written in a very familiar hand.

To The Next Generation- I returned briefly to the city to discover my dear friends dead. They left no heirs and made no provisions for their deaths. I also found the love of my life missing. As I pen this, I've never felt so torn in my life. I should stay and re-establish the triad, for Syliras without a triad is the most dangerous thing I can think of. I need to find out who killed them, but this place is devoid of evidence. I found it empty, cleaned out, and ransacked. But I also have a very important task to compete. There are forces at work in the world that cannot be left to run free, and even if one of them is here now, there are others who are known enemies that I must pursue and take down. I also need to find her. And so I have done what I can and called a meeting of the Konti in the city to appeal to them for aid. Sometimes they will answer, and in this case they gave me assurances. Someone will come, they promised, that could take up the reins here and finish what I myself cannot at this time. As it turns out, finding her and finding them lead away from Syliras, but the path never diverts. She has fled because they were getting too close and she was protecting something, a treasure, that I am still not to this date aware of. It is undoubtedly, knowing her, someone or something of dire importance. The Konti assured me they will point the one who's necessary in this direction. With their consultation, I've left help for him or her... a building, 2,000 gold mizas to fund their operation, and what little knowledge I can pass on until I can return here. I will return every other year as often as I can and see if the building has been occupied yet and in hopes my own personal mission has come to an end and leaves me time to finally stay. I fear though, that my true duties will never allow me to come home for good. Regardless, if your reading this... you've passed through the web meant to keep those who are not marked as Ivak's faithful out. I hope you understand what it is you face and guard yourselves well. Reform the triad. Solidify your presence here as quickly as you can. No one will question your occupation of the building, and I suggest you begin a cover businesses to make your presence not so noticeable. Use the coin wisely, and I am sorry the building is devoid of any furnishings. I did not have time to take care of that fact before I sealed it up. Use the knowledge even more wisely. You will be needing it. I will come when I can, or send someone I trust, though it will be no more often than every other year. Remember, your strengths are your own best defense. And this path you walk is not one you can ever retire from or quit yourself of. Sadly, those we oppose never forget and will strike when you are not vigilant. Trust the Konti in the city, for they will help as they can. Watch for signs, for the one you fight loves to fill his world with symbolism and metaphor often designed to divert or confuse. All my best. Alvias Zai

Strangely enough, the letter looked far older than the first letter he'd had from his father. And the place had thick dust to indicate no one had been within the building for years. Leo was free to explore, for the building had high ceilings and wide hallways that opened into various rooms which looked far larger inside than the little unobtrusive building did on the outside. But looking at it, Leo had a feeling, a very strong one, that it would hold everything he needed - minus the furnishings. For it was a strong old building with elegant windows and fine well-oiled woodwork.

All he had to do was settle in.

Mod NoteFloorplan Forthcoming

[Gossamer]