Judgement of the Earth
Day of Rule, 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)
Truth be told you are not sure what to make of the thought of a judge among the fey who do not die and have no lords to guide them in this place. Who then would judge them? Not a wise judge as in the scriptures certainly for how do you judge eternity against itself and amid the bustling crowds who is lord and who is commoner? This place was made as a repository for knowledge the bridge guardian had said, but knowledge is not wisdom, not by far. So as far as you could envisage anything in this strange realm you saw the Wingless as a sort of watch captain and thief taker, of the sort that grow rich off the wealth that is passed honestly or not through the busy streets and you are wholly prepared to simply bribe him not to get in your way as you hunt the thief yourself, for even if he should be honest despite your fears he would have no reason to be pressed as you are pressed.
That is not to mention the six hooves now clomping along to your right... Yet though the company may be trouble you do not regret it, on two legs, or four or even six you have seen enough of cruelty to recognize those who have been scarred by it and you would help Mengin if you can.
Thus it is head high that you pass the arch carved in the shape of leaves and flowers, well better to say mostly with your head high, Zaia is far too busy looking at everything from the cobbles to the bronze-clad keystone of the arch to pay any mind to the guards. Granted these guards were no larger than most of the city's inhabitants, but they have about them some of the
solidity of the earth and though their weapons might once have been simple picks they have been transformed to something more befitting to the hewing of flesh than stone.
Here you are bid to wait in a narrow court with no company but the silent guards for what seems to you a long while, though without the sight of the sun you cannot say how long it might have been.
At last one of the windows above, or perhaps doors meant for those who can yet fly, opens and then you see a host of pixie's kin all with skin blue as the sky when the sun is new set, all with hair black as night. Four come as guards, armed with slender blades that you might be tempted to think insignificant had you not known the peril of flying foes and four come bearing between them the seat of their lord.
You are thankful indeed to the talkative toll taker who had said not to show pity, apart from the maiming that gives him his title the Wingless alone of all the fey you have meet seems old, his face wrinkled and body withered as a man of three score of years and more. "Speak mortal what do you seek?"
"A thief has gone out into the realms of men and stolen something precious from us, a spear that has slain one of the dragons who preyed on the mortal world, this rogue has taken it into this fair city, behold the mark of it..." Thus motioning to the wayfinder you give your full account, including the name the thief had daubed over Ro's house and the trickery he had used to be paid to flee.
"You have a path and you have weapons aplenty," a bony hand rubs withered cheek. "I would give you leave to hunt this thief of your own power so long as you harm no others who are not in this matter tangled and you do not do harm to the city, or I could send some of mine to aid in the snaring, but that will cost you in the High Coin of the city, lore and knowledge..." He turns to look Zaia and Esha up and down with bright black eyes. "Either of your collections will do."
"And we would thereby be disarmed on the eve of battle?" Esha scoffs, though for your hearing alone she adds,
"I could give up Ipsit's tome as well, but there are spells within yet that I have not mastered."
What do you do?
[] Seek the thief yourself, leave is all you needed
[] Take the aid of the Wingless and his fey
-[] Pay with Esha's spellbook (she will not be able to reassign spells until she writes a new one)
-[] Pay with Zaia's spellbook (he will not be able to regain spells until he writes a new one)
-[] Try to copy one of the spellbooks, you should have time to get back within the day even so as long as the hunt is not too long
-[] Give up Ipsit's spellbook
[] Write in
OOC: Since I know you guys are going to ask, no, in this case you cannot pay in tales. The Wingless is a city guard and lawkeeper, not a troubadour or a bored noble fey.