Baleful Understanding
13th of Rova 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
"Enough blood has been spilled," you say after a moment, surprised at the sharp nod you get in return.
Had this been some kind of test?
The look shared between the officers confirms it, but then why had you passed by showing mercy? Was it the sentiment itself, the hope of tracking him down to his dwelling place and the treasures of Azlant, or the hope of making peace with the fishmen? On consideration of everything you had learned of Caulker and his order of 'knights', you guess more the first more than the second or the third.
Akorian Sense Motive: 1d20+11 = 30 (Success)
Mayhap you should have been paying more attention to the prisoner as you rounded on him. "Hear me well, Galvo-slayer. You have been fortunate indeed, for the dwellers above are mighty and given to blood vengeance. A people like yours, beset by mind-hunters, can ill afford to face their ire."
Though he keeps quiet, eyes unblinking upon your face, he does not seem particularly impressed. Mayhap he had concluded that the surface dwellers would struggle to even reach his undersea dwelling as much as one might plumbing the depths of Orv.
Akorian Bluff: 1d20+14 = 16 (Failure)
After he had been untied, lead across the deck and over the side of the ship, Caulker puts a hand on your shoulder—you try not to flinch—and says: "Good try lad, can't have hurt, might have even helped, and its not like I could have sent the bugger down with a bottle of my best Carpaden!"
"You could hardly have done so now, sir," the usually quiet first mate says. "Seeing as how you drank the last of it today."
A laugh is beyond you, a smile will have to do. Hopefully it does not look as ill at ease as you feel.
Gained 1,520 XP (Battle; Social Interactions; Interrogation)
***
17th of Rova 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
What does it say about you, you wonder, that you feel more comfortable in the company of a baleful-eyed shadow than officers with their jests? Said serpent of shadow floats over a very bewildered but cooperative Click as the light and shadows play over his face. It had been Mina's idea to ask the magician if he can guess more about the baby's heritage, and from the looks of things a good one. After about six castings of enveloping shadows, only three of which had actually caught on, and performing several curious experiments on a tuft of hair you had been very careful not to leave out of your sight he seems to have come to a conclusion.
"The child is not a product of a natural union between infernal spirit and mortal flesh. The ability to see souls, summon darkness and fire, all these are commonplace boons of infernal blood, but
translocation? Perhaps in time, as a sorcerer unlocks the secrets of that blood, but the child is much too young for that. A diabolist, skilled as they were bold, meddled..." Pepper sneezes in disgust at the word, but Sirim pays him no mind. "To grant the child a greater portion of Hell's power than such a joining would have normally produced. The most straightforward way to do so would be to slay a fiend with soul-rending rites during the very act of procreation, so that it's power might pass to its progeny."
Sirim Knowledge (the Planes): 1d20+11 = 30 (Full Success)
"Why?" Mina asks, obviously horrified at the image.
A serpentine body-plan is not really made for shrugs, but you guess the quick flick of the head serves the same purpose. "You did find a mark of Chelish nobility with him, so my guess would be for power, though I doubt they were expecting this. A teleporting infant is a
tad difficult to hide and tieflings are not well loved in Cheliax. Most likely the hope would have been for a strong sorcerous bloodline, something the child could control and use to his advantage and the advantage of his house."
"So that is why he was sent away then?" you ask, wondering if how Click would deal with the family that abandoned him.
"With a blanket proclaiming his identity?" Sirim sounds briefly incredulous before tempering himself, adding in a much more even tone. "No, someone either kidnapped the infant or smuggled him out. As for what use an inquisitor of Asmodeus would have had for one of such potent blood... nothing good. I would rather not speculate further."
Sirim Knowledge (the Planes): 1d20+11 = 24 (Success)
"So devils will be after him them, to avenge their fallen fellow?" Mina asks, looking down at the now burbling baby with concern.
"Devils are after anyone with power, but they would hardly seek to avenge a failure. To Hell's way of thinking, for any of their number to fail in their dealings with mortals deserve a soul-flaying demotion in any case." The serpent laughs with genuine mirth. "It is hard to imagine a failure more profound than being used as a breeding aid by a diabolist."
"Thank you," Mina says a little awkwardly. "You've been very helpful."
"This has been an interesting distraction to an otherwise dull journey."
"You have goblin's idea of dull," Gorok says, the slight hiss betraying his amusement.
Sirim does not object.
Over the remainder of the journey Mina learns one of Sirim's spells in exchange for teaching him several of hers. Which one is it?
[] Ray of Enfeeblement
[] Ferment
[] Greater Detect Magic
[] Darkness
OOC: Mina basically paid him in spells for this consultation, but since there is time and to square things away she also gets one of his. 
