Mark of the Fool

Chapter 778: Smoking out the Foxes in the Henhouse

What do you mean trying to smoke the foxes out of the henhouse? Alex asked. Has something been going on with the army?

It started with transfers, Hart said. Officers transferring in from other battalions. People straight from Ussex; hard people. Knights with a lot of connections at the court, and nobles whod fought for the king before. We thought theyd come here to keep a closer eye on us.

I actually thought they might've been from the hidden church for a while, Drestra said. But if they were, they never made a move.

Well, they did, Hart said. It just wasn't against us. You see, theyd always be a little apart from everyone else, keeping their own council, as it were. That's when some of the priests and other soldiers were transferred out and sent to other parts of the realm.

Aye, Cedric said. The newest folk were the ones sent away most o the time. We didnt know what any of it meant, but

I get what youre saying, Alex said. It does seem strange for all those people to randomly start appearing and sending soldiers away after Councillor Kartika talked to the king. Seems thatd be connected. And if the kings moving against the secret church, it should mean he'd be a good ally for us.

Perhaps, but perhaps not, Isolde said. What you propose to tell him is that his god has been long dead. No one knows how he would react to such newsno one knows how anyone would react to that.

I still think it's the best solution, Merzhin said. As you said, it could be that the Ravener is planning to use Uldars body to turn all of Thameland against us. I would not have our people fall into in-fighting, so this would be one of the best ways to counter such a possibility.

With the highest authority in the country on our side Alex mused. Yeah, that could really help. Alright, then that's one of the things we should do. I'm not sure how much we should tell him yet, but we should at least try and talk to him in private.

Hold on, Birger said. How do we convince this king that Uldars dead, if we do give him such drastic news? Well, if youtell him that, I mean. I doubt I'm going be there for that meeting. Point is, you don't have a body anymore. I don't know if he's going to just take your word for it.

What about Uldars recording? Theresa asked. We could take King Athelstan to the recording. Uldar says right in it that he was getting sickand with the sanctum being empty, yet all of his stuff is still theremaybe the king will be convinced then?

We should watch the rest of Uldars journal first, before we decide on that, Alex said. We dont know what else is in that record. Last thing we want is for us to show him the recording, just for Uldars last entry to be I will never die, if anyone is showing you this then they have murdered me and you should kill them, immediately.

That would be awkward, Bjorgrund said. So, youre saying we should watch the rest of the journal first?

As much as Id like to say that we should go after Uldars body right now Merzin paused. Without having the slightest idea as to where it might be, we would simply be wasting precious time.

The recordings are the only source of new information that we have, perhaps, we should go through them before we do anything else, Jules said. If were lucky, his journal will lead us in the right direction. Then we can get Uldars body and throne back and be closer to ending this menace.

Something occurs to me, Isolde said. Will we have continued support from Generasi in the future?

What do you mean? Professor Jules asked.

At Rockmoot, it became common knowledge that our intent is to end this bloody cycle once and for all, Isolde said. Councillor Kartika heard that as well. But if the Raveners destroyed, that would effectively end the supply of dungeon core essence forever. Would that not be against Generasis best interests?

Silence fell over the group.

That thought had occurred to me too, Professor Jules said. But none of the council have said anything to me on the matter; no one has come to me directly to ask me anything about it, and if Councillor Kartika has any opinion on what we were trying to do, she has certainly been quiet on the point.

There's a relief, Cedric said.

I wouldn't be so sure, the alchemy professor countered. What Councillor Kartika heard were simply our intentionswe haven't shown any real progress on ending the Ravener permanently, yet. And, remember, she's a politician, Professor Jules emphasised. Considering what's been going on back homewhich I'm sure is going to greatly displease Chancellor Baelinshe won't be in the best political position to push back against us for trying to destroy the Ravener. Not yet, at least. When we start making true progress toward eliminating the Ravener forever, she might not be so quiet about it.

Yeah, that sounds about right Alex mused. But wait, What do you mean what's been going on back home? I mean, in Generasi. What has been going on there?

Professor Jules looked at Alex. I suppose you weren't here for that.

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Here for what? the young wizard asked.

Yeah, I'm curious about this too, Theresa said.

Well, from what I have heard, word of your Saint and demigoddessthe Travelleris spreading. Rather quickly at that, she said.

Theresa and Alex looked at each other, then at Isolde and the Heroes.

None of them looked like they knew what she meant.

My husband has a regular date for drinks with a few of the higher ranking members of our government; not the council members themselves, but some of their aides, Professor Jules said. Theres been a lot of buzz going on in the Wizard Council. Apparently, our city of wizards is becoming a city of miracles. It seems it all started with some of the mercenaries who foughtat Uldars Rise when a number of them became devout followers of the Traveller.

Theresa looked uncomfortable. This woman told me about her son, apparently he was one of those mercenaries, the huntress said. She said that all he ever talked about was this new faith hed found at Uldars Rise.

Indeed. Few new converts are shy when they join a new religion. They tell everyone, Professor Jules said. But, I do understand why rumours are flying around the wizard council, you have to understand that much of the Generasi citizenrys disdain toward deities stems from three things.

She held up a finger. First, being a city of wizards, we do not need the power of a deity to make reality more comfortable for ourselves. Magic eliminates much of the need for the divine.

She held up a second finger. The second stems from our history: the divine entity that ruled the lands that would become Generasi was, of course, Oreca. He was a cruel deity, and selfish enough to try to destroy the population when he could not get his way. They killed him, of course, and that fact is pressed into our blood and culture: Generasians are god-killers, not worshippers.

Merzhin shifted uncomfortably.

However, Generasis population has grown over the centuries, Professor Jules continued. It swells with people who have come to the city at the centre of creation from all over the world. When folk come, they bring new ideas, new philosophies, and new deities.

But none of those deities ever caught on in Generasi, Alex said. Probably because Generasi doesn't need miracles, and they have contempt for deities in the first place.

That's true, Mr. Roth, but that leads me to the third reason why worship of deities has never caught on. She held up a third finger. Generasi is a city that runs a great deal on commerce and exchange. Not just in coin, but in favours and ideas.

Makes sense, Alex said. You need to put something into magic to get something back out, even if thats just mana and time. You need to bargain with otherworldly entities to get them to serve you. With so many wizards in Generasi, the idea of bargains becoming part of the culture just adds up.

Indeed, Professor Jules said. And when Thameish priests came to Generasi, they never quite understood that. Theyd perform services for people, but would largely keep to themselves and serve their followers first. They would stay in their own quarter, usually only stepping into the rest of Generasi society, to push their own faith.

Or beg for donations, Theresa said. I remember seeing priests standing at the city gates asking for coin for the war effort.

Precisely, Jules said. And to the average cynical citizen of our city-state, that would not translate into more faith for foreign deities. Most of our population look at priests as somewhat untrustworthy. No offence, Saint Merzhin.

I am not sure if I should be offended or not, Merzhin said. Let's just say not, for now.

Thank you, the professor continued. In any case, the favours that foreign priests did, supposedly for free, actually came with strings attached to them. They might feed the poor, but expect those they fed to come to their temple and pray. They might heal the sick, but then quickly extend their hand for donations. They might lead others to enlightenment, and speak of an aesthetic life, then retire to temples paved in gold.

They couldn't all have been hypocrites, Merzhin spoke up. Maybe I am becoming somewhat offended now.

No, not all of them were, Professor Jules said. But those that wereand there were many, historicallydid a lot of damage. In the end, priests in Generasi became associated with the idea of hidden costs. Meanwhile, much of what they could do was no more wondrous than what any Proper Wizard She grimaced. I hate that the chancellors words bleed into my vocabularyor alchemist could do. And the nice thing about most Generasian wizards or alchemists, is that the costs are discussed upfront.

Alex chuckled at that.

Merzhin didn't.

So basically, the young wizard moved on quickly. The priests came, some of them were suspicious, and what they did was pretty mundane compared to what a lot of wizards could do. So they never caught on. The Generasians had a bias against priests in the first place, they don't serve any real role in that society, and they can't do much more than what most Proper Wizards

Jules groaned.

can. So theres no need to worship at a temple to maybe get what you can by visiting your local magic shop. Is that about right?

Very good, Mr. Roth, Professor Jules said. Importantly, the power priests wield ismostlyreplicable and explainable in our city.

But you said something different is going on now? Alex said.

Because Professor Jules looked at Alex pointedly. what's been happening hasn't been explainable. According to my husband's friends in the bureaucracy, people are seeing their ailments healed. Illnesses have been disappearing like they were never there. People have been finding themselves saved from danger.

That sounds like something Hannah would do, Alex said.

Exactly, she said. There has been no direct cause for these events. No altruistic wizard someone can point to. No friendly priest that someone can explain. All that people know is that good deeds are being done without any apparent source, and they tend to occur around the people speaking the Travellers name. There was an incident where a young woman apparently spoke to one of the mercenaries from Uldars Rise who talked glowingly about the Traveller. This young woman laughed off the encounter, then came home to find her sick pet suddenly cured of an ailment that had plagued it for months. Thereve been other stories like that from all around the city, and it's starting to make people take notice. Really take notice.

Huh, Hannah's doing good, and thats spreading her name, Alex beamed. Good for her!

I was also told of similar things occurring in the Rhinean Empire around the area where the Thameish are staying, Isolde said. In truth, I really did not think much of it at the time.

An that explains the things thatve happened here, Cedric said. Soldiersve said they've been saved right from the jaws o Ravener-spawn! Monstersll come leapin at em, only tsuddenly be pulled away, or fer the attack tfall short.

Hannah must be growing stronger Alex reasoned. Shes showing more power now. Shes gotta be closer to finding her way back to the material world.

Aye, Cedric said. Well, all I knows is I prays ther.

You know what Alex said. Maybe we can help her. We need to bring up something with the king, but first? Let's go watch Uldars journal.

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