Downtime- The Interrogation of the Other Known As No Legs
The following statement was added to the records of the Athenaeum of the Dying Sun by the Librarian Valtropis covering the event around Phasmo's (with Scamndros' aid) questioning of a prisoner:
L'dy Meggee was to be kept in one of her widower's jars as she was in a shrunken hob form. Phasmo took the utmost care in sealing the heavy jar; leaving only pinprick holes in the lid for her to breath through. No-Legs was shackled hand and foot with a heavy chain. Willing parties (at the very least Phasmo, his newly acquired elfin retainer Lirazil, and, this record keeper, the Librarian called by some 'Valtropis') kept a steady watch over the prisoners.
Phasmo desired to interrogate the pair, communicating to them in the language known as 'mirror-tongue' (a clipped dialect that moved slowly with the words feeling like they came to you underwater). He presented his plans with his fellow Transcendental Congress of the Aureate Precepts members (and fellow librarians) Journeyman Crannoc and Riverborn Scamandros as such:
I wish to converse with them in mirror tongue, as soon as possible, practically right away. Ideally with other members of the Athenaeum present. I want to ask them who has summoned them, why they were sent here, what their relationship is to the water in the complex, whether the water opens the way to them, etc. I don't expect them to actually tell me anything, given their demonic nature. But if I believe that ESP would work on them, I'm using it from my scroll. (Unless another member of the Athenaeum has ESP?) I'll ask them questions to see what they DON'T tell me, rather than what they DO tell me. I want to keep the conversation going for as long as possible, by giving them many opportunities to insult me, unnerve me with demonic shenanigans, and just generally make it seem like I'm clueless and arrogant and frightened by their unnerving responses.
At the time of the Magician Phasmo's inquiry, those that were present included the Riverborn Scamandors (seated on his casting tripod) and this writer recounting these facts. It should be added to this record that the presence of this writer may have made events more...difficult. It should be noted that the adventurer known as 'No-Legs' was born out of a vat by some variation of this very writer. The exact identity of this creator is unknown as there are several beings possessing this writer's aspect and use the name 'Valtropis'. No-Legs the adventurer possessed no love for the Valtropis that was his master and it seemed this other No Legs shared in the dislike. When this writer entered the room, the interrogation subject began to snap and howl like some wild beast as he cursed the name 'Valtropis'. His chains thrashed and became taut. It was only when Phasmo spoke in the mirror-tongue that the creature settled into a calmer state.
What was said in this conversation is mostly unknown as this writer does not possess a familiarity with the mirror-tongue. The conversation possessed a mercurial quality over its twenty minutes where it could dance from cool dialog to vicious jabs to wild laughter in a way that was hard for this writer to parse. There are moments when Phasmo would forget himself and say something in common. Those moments are as follows:
After anger-filled wave of speech from No Legs, Phasmo retorted, "That's right, I keep up alive!"
The other was, in a moment of perplexed thought, Phasmo muttered to himself, "Water isn't the only thing that follows through the stream?"
That moment was interrupted by a yelp of pain from Scamandros. The Magician collapsed in his tripod bringing this round of questioning to an end. As he was carried out of the room for relief, No Legs howled, "Do they know what mischief you have been up to Phasmo!?! You have been, oh, so bad!"
Scamandros is taken to his quarters to rest. As the Magician is settled in, Phasmo decides that the prisoners must be kept longer. He knows there is more to learn. When his retainer and confidant Lizaril presses him on what happened during the interrogation, he says that "...somewhere in the Complex, their portal is sealed. It is like they are broken fragments of something pieced together into something else."
That was all Phasmo was willing to put into the record on the matter.
Comments
Post a Comment