122PW, Fall
Harvest was in full swing in the growing city of Laurium when a tragedy struck the founding family. The last direct descendant of Cyril, the leading founder of the city, passed away in the night while visiting relatives of his. Galen was old and had lived a full life and had passed quietly in his sleep. All who knew him were saddened by the news and most of Laurium attended his public funeral. After the day of Galen's funeral, several extended family members went into the house Cyril had built for his family to retrieve Galen's will.
Sebastianus who was not only Galen's lawyer but had also had been his childhood friend, was surprised to hear that the family was seen running out of the house as if a wyvern was hot on their heels. One refused to talk about what had happened inside a few others were found babbling incoherently for the next few days. Two more family members on separate occasions decided to try and find the last written will of Galen but they couldn't last long in the old and grand home. The building was as beautiful as it was foreboding after its last owner left their world.
Not knowing what else to do, Sebastianus ha a meeting with all of the council members to discuss what they should do next. Almost every day, the lawyer was visited by Angelos who was a relative of Galen's. The young man wanted answers about what was going on at the old family home. He wanted the will settled so that the family could have closure and move on. Each visit proved to be louder than the last with Angelos raising his voice in frustration at the old lawyer. The council and Sebastianus came to an agreement that whatever was happening in Galen's home could only be handled by someone who knew about things like this.
As the weeks went by while the family had tried to fetch the will, the farmers and merchants spread stories, news, and gossip about the grand house up on the highest hill in Laurium. They meant no harm by it but all were curious about all the strange happenings surrounding the events after Galen's burial in the family mausoleum. One theory was that one of the many strange and magical trinkets the descendants of Cyril had collected over the generations was the cause of all of it. Another theory was that the house hid a secret treasure and it was protected by elaborate traps. A third theory was that the spirit of Cyril himself had come back and was not happy about the family planning to sell the house to strangers.
Whatever the cause of the happenings, the council and Sebastianus sent out fliers to all the nearby Guards' offices to circulate how they wished. They fliers were also posted on the public city notice board in the council building. It stated that anyone brave, skilled, and trustworthy enough to venture into Galen's home, retrieve the will, and hand it over to Sebastianus or the council would be rewarded handsomely. It also said that interviews were to be held in Laurium's Council Hall every afternoon for those candidates who had stepped forward. All anyone could do now was go about their usual business until someone stepped forward to help the family of Cyril.
Haunted House of Laurium
Haunted House of Laurium
Last edited by Tanya on Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:08 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler's head was abuzz with ideas... and his heels were abuzz with a wasp larger than the gnome himself. This was a concern: there was no way that Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler could possibly jot down the Notes Critical To Understanding The Magical Sensitivity Of Magic-Warped Insects if one of his experimental subjects didn't have the common decency to let him do so. Typical Shortsightedness Of The Non-Scientific Community, Ignatius felt. Two mirror lenses on his Proprietary Enhanced Magic-Discerning Ocular Apparatus Attached To Conveniently Flexible Articulated Appendages allowed Ignatius a view of the wasp's antics behind him. Apparently it was time to Zig. Ignatius Zigged. Then Zagged. Completed a curved arc of sprinting which caused the wasp to take the slightly longer route around a tree. Ignatius kept running.
Where had the experiment gone wrong? Understanding the fault in the experimental process was critical to Discovering Success In The Blast Radius Of Failure. Ignatius slid under a low hanging branch, which the wasp had to completely alter its flight path to avoid. Ignatius chose a vector at right angles and continued his run. Admittedly, his Proprietary Catalytic Enhancer Of Magical Devices was designed for devices, and admittedly this had been the first time he'd turned the device on a magical creature. In hindsight, though, Ignatius was glad that the Proprietary Catalytic Enhancer Of Magical Devices had not worked. Wasps and creatures in general tended to be rather messy when squished at a normal size.
Ah, a thicket of shrubs. A perfect spot For Concealment And Counter-Insect Strategy Planning. Removing his Proprietary Enhanced Magic-Discerning Ocular Apparatus Attached To Conveniently Flexible Articulated Appendages, Ignatius slid into a gap at the bottom of the thicket where some creature had broken a lot of the under-branches with its passage. The wasp, momentarily thwarted, backed off and hovered around the thicket. Ignatius took out his notepad, and jotted down the Notes Critical To Understanding The Magical Sensitivity Of Magic-Warped Insects. With relief, Ignatius put his notebook away, and rolled over to unhook his Proprietary Wailing Determent Device's barrel from its holster, and likewise the stock. Connecting the two, Ignatius stuck in the crank and began cranking. Now that he had his notes taken, the gnome could spare thought on actually dealing with the situation properly, rather than just letting instinct kick in with the running. Ignatius kept cranking until the wasp made another pass, then pulled back the release valve, unleashing the replica banshee wail.
An hour later, Ignatius' head was again abuzz with new ideas, though his ears were still ringing from using the Proprietary Wailing Determent Device. He'd left Keltaris several days prior, having heard a rumour about a city called Laurium being over-run with ghosts. It seemed Optimum For Validating The Calibration Of Spectral Lens Arrays and Ignatius was looking forward to putting his theories to a practical test. A day later, Ignatius was being held up by one of the city's guards. It wasn't the guard's fault, really. He'd simply made the mistake of asking what Ignatius' business was in visiting Laurium. Ignatius had made it about a third of the way through his present Thesis "...at which point the Filtration Spectrum Of The Lens Must Be Calibrated Through The Practical Observation Of Spectral Manifestations, and I must pause to thank your kind city for letting itself get overrun with ghostly manifestations it was really quite generous, for to Properly Correlate the Statistical Findings I must first..." The guard latched onto the one phrase which made some kind of sense. "Right, right, ghostly manifestations, you're here about the haunted mansion. Interviews are at Council Hall each afternoon." Waving the bizarre gnome past, the guard breathed a sigh of relief.
Ignatius, of course, saw the flyers. The gnome was not interested in interviews, being an Unnecessary Distraction From The Critical And Ongoing Project. A local merchant, mostly in order to get rid of the gnome before he scared off other customers, pointed out where to find Galen's mansion "You'd be one of those ghost hunters, I guess, with your strange paraphernalia. Good luck, eh?" Ignatius thanked the man and confirmed "In The Name Of Scientific Advancement I am very much interested in the ghosts of this place." And with that the gnome trotted up to the main gate leading into Galen's property. With his head full of calculations, it didn't occur to the gnome that the gate might be guarded, and guard or not Ignatius would single-mindedly attempt to stroll into the property to commence his Scientific Inquiry Into The Spectral Emanations Of Ghosts And Similar Magical Entities.
Where had the experiment gone wrong? Understanding the fault in the experimental process was critical to Discovering Success In The Blast Radius Of Failure. Ignatius slid under a low hanging branch, which the wasp had to completely alter its flight path to avoid. Ignatius chose a vector at right angles and continued his run. Admittedly, his Proprietary Catalytic Enhancer Of Magical Devices was designed for devices, and admittedly this had been the first time he'd turned the device on a magical creature. In hindsight, though, Ignatius was glad that the Proprietary Catalytic Enhancer Of Magical Devices had not worked. Wasps and creatures in general tended to be rather messy when squished at a normal size.
Ah, a thicket of shrubs. A perfect spot For Concealment And Counter-Insect Strategy Planning. Removing his Proprietary Enhanced Magic-Discerning Ocular Apparatus Attached To Conveniently Flexible Articulated Appendages, Ignatius slid into a gap at the bottom of the thicket where some creature had broken a lot of the under-branches with its passage. The wasp, momentarily thwarted, backed off and hovered around the thicket. Ignatius took out his notepad, and jotted down the Notes Critical To Understanding The Magical Sensitivity Of Magic-Warped Insects. With relief, Ignatius put his notebook away, and rolled over to unhook his Proprietary Wailing Determent Device's barrel from its holster, and likewise the stock. Connecting the two, Ignatius stuck in the crank and began cranking. Now that he had his notes taken, the gnome could spare thought on actually dealing with the situation properly, rather than just letting instinct kick in with the running. Ignatius kept cranking until the wasp made another pass, then pulled back the release valve, unleashing the replica banshee wail.
An hour later, Ignatius' head was again abuzz with new ideas, though his ears were still ringing from using the Proprietary Wailing Determent Device. He'd left Keltaris several days prior, having heard a rumour about a city called Laurium being over-run with ghosts. It seemed Optimum For Validating The Calibration Of Spectral Lens Arrays and Ignatius was looking forward to putting his theories to a practical test. A day later, Ignatius was being held up by one of the city's guards. It wasn't the guard's fault, really. He'd simply made the mistake of asking what Ignatius' business was in visiting Laurium. Ignatius had made it about a third of the way through his present Thesis "...at which point the Filtration Spectrum Of The Lens Must Be Calibrated Through The Practical Observation Of Spectral Manifestations, and I must pause to thank your kind city for letting itself get overrun with ghostly manifestations it was really quite generous, for to Properly Correlate the Statistical Findings I must first..." The guard latched onto the one phrase which made some kind of sense. "Right, right, ghostly manifestations, you're here about the haunted mansion. Interviews are at Council Hall each afternoon." Waving the bizarre gnome past, the guard breathed a sigh of relief.
Ignatius, of course, saw the flyers. The gnome was not interested in interviews, being an Unnecessary Distraction From The Critical And Ongoing Project. A local merchant, mostly in order to get rid of the gnome before he scared off other customers, pointed out where to find Galen's mansion "You'd be one of those ghost hunters, I guess, with your strange paraphernalia. Good luck, eh?" Ignatius thanked the man and confirmed "In The Name Of Scientific Advancement I am very much interested in the ghosts of this place." And with that the gnome trotted up to the main gate leading into Galen's property. With his head full of calculations, it didn't occur to the gnome that the gate might be guarded, and guard or not Ignatius would single-mindedly attempt to stroll into the property to commence his Scientific Inquiry Into The Spectral Emanations Of Ghosts And Similar Magical Entities.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
As a matter of fact, there were guards posted along the outside of the property's wall within shouting distance of one another. The council had payed the peacekeepers time and a half for whomever volunteered for the job within the ranks. When the two guards posted at the gate seen a smallish figure approaching with a curious gizmo perched on its head, they assumed it was a child playing at a ghost investigator again as a ploy to gain entrance. The more seasoned of the two steps into the figure's path, arms and hands relaxed at his sides in case the kid decided to run.
"What business do you have here? No one is allowed entry without the proper forms and an escort." The man who had crossed in front of the smaller' being's path, still thinking he was addressing one of the mischievous children from Laurium.
The younger of the two man moved to stand in the center of the locked gate to Galen's estate. The whole face of the gate looked like a mass of interlocking cogs and gears set in a iron background of turbulent water. The lock in the center was a man's face with hair flowing into the background and the keyhole was inside the mouth. All along the walls were thin and delicately twisting vines but the area around the gate was kept cleared and well taken care of while all around were signs of growing neglect. Off in the distance behind the gate, an eerily glowing light floated in one of the tall windows, traveled past two more windows before fading from sight in the third. The way the flame moved looked like it may have been something alive and faded like the moon in the approaching light of day. Neither guard had seen it since their backs were to the property and their focus was on the child sized form before them.
"What business do you have here? No one is allowed entry without the proper forms and an escort." The man who had crossed in front of the smaller' being's path, still thinking he was addressing one of the mischievous children from Laurium.
The younger of the two man moved to stand in the center of the locked gate to Galen's estate. The whole face of the gate looked like a mass of interlocking cogs and gears set in a iron background of turbulent water. The lock in the center was a man's face with hair flowing into the background and the keyhole was inside the mouth. All along the walls were thin and delicately twisting vines but the area around the gate was kept cleared and well taken care of while all around were signs of growing neglect. Off in the distance behind the gate, an eerily glowing light floated in one of the tall windows, traveled past two more windows before fading from sight in the third. The way the flame moved looked like it may have been something alive and faded like the moon in the approaching light of day. Neither guard had seen it since their backs were to the property and their focus was on the child sized form before them.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
Impediments to Science were inevitable. Such was the way of research, and Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler literally walked right into his next impediment, having been utterly caught up in his own thoughts. The guard's words didn't make it through the cloud of notions swamping the gnome's thoughts as the gnome took a step back from the obstacle. Ignatius tilted his head back and peered intently up at the armoured figure before him. "Curious. Ghostly Manifestations are normally less tangible. Unless..." The guard was treated to the bizarre sight of Ignatius shuffling and rearranging the lenses and loupes of his Ocular Apparatus to the accompaniment of clicks, flicks, whizzing cogs and mechanical clacks. The lenses themselves paraded across Ikby's primary apparatus in an array of thicknesses and colours.
Finally, after about thirty seconds, Ignatius stopped."...oh. Not a ghostly manifestation then. This is a disappointment to the Progress of Scientific Advancement." Setting aside the preponderance of lenses to focus on the guard through a mere couple, Ignatius folded his arms and glared at the guard "Who are you to so rudely interfere with a scientific experiment in progress! This is a delicate procedure requiring the utmost concentration! If you are not a ghost, go be unghostly somewhere else! The data must not be compromised through the unprofessional fumblings of the layman! Time is wasting! Shoo!"
Ignatius assumed, in that single-minded fashion which so often got the gnome into difficulty, that the matter was therefore settled. Having made a 'shooing' gesture with his hand, Ignatius started walking towards the gate again, giving the guard about as much extra thought as he would a tree. Already Ignatius mind' had picked up where it had been compelled to leave off earlier, though he hadn't quite switched to an internal monologue, giving outsiders an unfortunate insight into the workings of Ignatius' thought processes: "...newnotationsystemneededyesforquantifyinglevelsofetherealityorghostliness willneedproperscientifictermperhapsSparkfizzlersImmaterialConstantwouldsuffice mayneednewsymbolforshorthandnotesbeforecommencingrecordingofdatawhenI..."
Finally, after about thirty seconds, Ignatius stopped."...oh. Not a ghostly manifestation then. This is a disappointment to the Progress of Scientific Advancement." Setting aside the preponderance of lenses to focus on the guard through a mere couple, Ignatius folded his arms and glared at the guard "Who are you to so rudely interfere with a scientific experiment in progress! This is a delicate procedure requiring the utmost concentration! If you are not a ghost, go be unghostly somewhere else! The data must not be compromised through the unprofessional fumblings of the layman! Time is wasting! Shoo!"
Ignatius assumed, in that single-minded fashion which so often got the gnome into difficulty, that the matter was therefore settled. Having made a 'shooing' gesture with his hand, Ignatius started walking towards the gate again, giving the guard about as much extra thought as he would a tree. Already Ignatius mind' had picked up where it had been compelled to leave off earlier, though he hadn't quite switched to an internal monologue, giving outsiders an unfortunate insight into the workings of Ignatius' thought processes: "...newnotationsystemneededyesforquantifyinglevelsofetherealityorghostliness willneedproperscientifictermperhapsSparkfizzlersImmaterialConstantwouldsuffice mayneednewsymbolforshorthandnotesbeforecommencingrecordingofdatawhenI..."
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
The seasoned guard knew at once after Ikby had spoken that he was no child delinquent but one of Gnomish decent. With the way this particular one spoke, he knew it would not be good to let the tinkerer near the gate or the estate. He gave the younger one a stern look that made the other snap into alert mode, eyes fixed on the strange Gnome walking right towards him. There was no way that they would let someone into the descendant of Cyril's family home without the permission of Sebastianus or the council.
The older guard reached forward and gripped the Gnome by the scruff of his coat and shirt collar in the back and hoisted him up, making the smaller man look him squarely in the eyes.
"Listen here, sir. You will not go inside without permission. Get the permission and we won't impede you and your research. Got that? No permission, no research."
The peacekeeper doubted that the powers-that-be would let someone like this into the grounds let alone the home itself it he couldn't listen to reason. Out of most of the jumbled mess that the suspicious person had spewed in his outer monologue was that his science and research meant a great deal to him. If this man could not respect another's property, or think lucidly enough to understand the objective, the guard doubted very much that he would be let onto the team. Then again, the guard didn't know how desperate Sebastianus really was to get the will and settle the estate for the family.
The older guard reached forward and gripped the Gnome by the scruff of his coat and shirt collar in the back and hoisted him up, making the smaller man look him squarely in the eyes.
"Listen here, sir. You will not go inside without permission. Get the permission and we won't impede you and your research. Got that? No permission, no research."
The peacekeeper doubted that the powers-that-be would let someone like this into the grounds let alone the home itself it he couldn't listen to reason. Out of most of the jumbled mess that the suspicious person had spewed in his outer monologue was that his science and research meant a great deal to him. If this man could not respect another's property, or think lucidly enough to understand the objective, the guard doubted very much that he would be let onto the team. Then again, the guard didn't know how desperate Sebastianus really was to get the will and settle the estate for the family.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
Ignatius Beauregard Constantine Sparkfizzler dangled with righteous indignation. Bureaucracies were the same everywhere. Ignatius flicked a couple more lenses into place then, folding his arms midair, the gnomish researcher turned his mind to the infuriating task of dealing with oversized ignorant laymen.
It was evident to Ignatius that the man impeding his research was not high enough in any pecking order to give out permissions of any utility, or he would undoubtedly not be wasting valuable research time. "Very well then. I demand you take me to your leader and explain yourself and this assault upon a Member of The Scientific Community. You are setting back The Cause of Science by hours at the very least!"
It was at times like this - though only at such times - the gnome envied the authoritative beards of the dwarves. At any other time shaving was a dratted nuisance Ignatius was glad to be rid of. Nonetheless,Ignatius eyeballed the guard through several lenses.
It was evident to Ignatius that the man impeding his research was not high enough in any pecking order to give out permissions of any utility, or he would undoubtedly not be wasting valuable research time. "Very well then. I demand you take me to your leader and explain yourself and this assault upon a Member of The Scientific Community. You are setting back The Cause of Science by hours at the very least!"
It was at times like this - though only at such times - the gnome envied the authoritative beards of the dwarves. At any other time shaving was a dratted nuisance Ignatius was glad to be rid of. Nonetheless,Ignatius eyeballed the guard through several lenses.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
The seasoned guard smiled a bit in amusement but quickly schooled his features into a more serious expression. As funny as this man was, he had still attempted to force his way on private land. With a few words to the second peacekeeper, he started down the sloping path towards the Council Hall with Ikby in his firm grasp.
"I will take you to the council, sir. They are the ones who govern Laurium. Don't worry about wasted time with your investigation. The house will still be there along with all the spooks that seem to come out at night. My name's Alexander by the way."
Alexander walked through the main street, passing a great fountain where Corinthian style statues of women poured water from amphora jugs that rested on their shoulders. Further on they pass the entertainment plaza before walking up the stairs to the Council Hall. With a few hushed words to the clerk behind a solid table, a page was summoned to bring news of someone wishing to answer the flier, to the counsel members.
"We'll be talking to the leaders in a few minutes, sir." The guard said.
"I will take you to the council, sir. They are the ones who govern Laurium. Don't worry about wasted time with your investigation. The house will still be there along with all the spooks that seem to come out at night. My name's Alexander by the way."
Alexander walked through the main street, passing a great fountain where Corinthian style statues of women poured water from amphora jugs that rested on their shoulders. Further on they pass the entertainment plaza before walking up the stairs to the Council Hall. With a few hushed words to the clerk behind a solid table, a page was summoned to bring news of someone wishing to answer the flier, to the counsel members.
"We'll be talking to the leaders in a few minutes, sir." The guard said.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
Ignatius conceded that the guard was admirably prompt in conveying the gnomish researcher along this regrettable Side-Road on the Path of Scientific Progress. At least it wasn't one of those dratted dead ends. It was perhaps a telling sign that Ignatius did not find being carried around by the much larger guard particularly unusual. What that said, though, was largely up to the audience. It certainly didn't stop the gnome from talking.
"Your diligence is commendable, Alexander. I cannot lay the blame for ridiculous bureaucratic processes on your shoulders. A cog cannot be faulted for the shortcomings of the engineer who designed the machine containing the aforementioned cog. I am Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler, Principle Researcher in the Field of Magical, Ethereal, and Supernatural Quantification. It is highly unusual to find Ethereal Entities in such quantity within a city. I can only hope that quality and quantity do not form an inverse ratio in this case. It would be disappointing to travel this far for minor manifestations. The data potential would be greatly reduced in significance."
The gnome continued on in that manner until the council chambers were reached and he was set down "Wonderful work, Alexander. My calculations suggest we set a pace equivalent to a gnomish jog. The energy saved will be invaluable when I can finally commence my field research." Ignatius waited with all the forced patience of a busy man being delayed by a blocked road.
"Your diligence is commendable, Alexander. I cannot lay the blame for ridiculous bureaucratic processes on your shoulders. A cog cannot be faulted for the shortcomings of the engineer who designed the machine containing the aforementioned cog. I am Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler, Principle Researcher in the Field of Magical, Ethereal, and Supernatural Quantification. It is highly unusual to find Ethereal Entities in such quantity within a city. I can only hope that quality and quantity do not form an inverse ratio in this case. It would be disappointing to travel this far for minor manifestations. The data potential would be greatly reduced in significance."
The gnome continued on in that manner until the council chambers were reached and he was set down "Wonderful work, Alexander. My calculations suggest we set a pace equivalent to a gnomish jog. The energy saved will be invaluable when I can finally commence my field research." Ignatius waited with all the forced patience of a busy man being delayed by a blocked road.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
Yet again, Alexander fought to keep a grin off his face from some of the things Ignatius said, not even taking offense to the cog remark. In a sense, the gnome was exactly right about that analogy since he was only following orders after all. The guard was a little surprised that the other man hadn't fought or struggled while Alexander had carried him through almost half of the city. Just how often did this happen to him, he wondered to himself. When the page came back and told Alexander that the two of them could see the council now, the man gestured for Ignatius to go ahead of him.
"After you, Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler. Remember, when talking to the council, manners and politeness will get you far in Laurium." Alexander said with only a light twitch to the corner of his mouth.
The large double doors opened with a faint clicking noise and the sound of nearby water fountain that was nowhere to be seen. The massive marble doors were in fact working on a water clockwork mechanism so that with a pull of a rope nearby the long table on the dais in the room beyond, one of the guards could allow the water to run through to allow the doors to swing open. Another tug would block the water off and the doors would swing close on their own as the gears would turn in the opposite direction, releasing the tension in the water clockwork's coiled springs. Not only did this make opening the thick marble doors but it would also make a good defense against one who tried to force their way through to the council members.
"After you, Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler. Remember, when talking to the council, manners and politeness will get you far in Laurium." Alexander said with only a light twitch to the corner of his mouth.
The large double doors opened with a faint clicking noise and the sound of nearby water fountain that was nowhere to be seen. The massive marble doors were in fact working on a water clockwork mechanism so that with a pull of a rope nearby the long table on the dais in the room beyond, one of the guards could allow the water to run through to allow the doors to swing open. Another tug would block the water off and the doors would swing close on their own as the gears would turn in the opposite direction, releasing the tension in the water clockwork's coiled springs. Not only did this make opening the thick marble doors but it would also make a good defense against one who tried to force their way through to the council members.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler had always felt that the human insistence on social niceties was a sign of an inefficient mind. So much mental space wasted on maintaining data Irrelevant to the Progress of Science. Still, the gnome had nothing more to say to his escort, and nothing left to do but wait for the doors to open and to be introduced to the people standing between him and his research.
The gnome tapped his foot, waiting for the door mechanism to complete its workings, his attention slipping back to his earlier musings. By the time the doors opened Ignatius would be carefully analysing the dilemma of evolving scientific notations to handle the potential new discoveries in the field of Astral Quantification. When the time came, Ignatius followed whomever was assigned to lead him into the chambers.
The gnome tapped his foot, waiting for the door mechanism to complete its workings, his attention slipping back to his earlier musings. By the time the doors opened Ignatius would be carefully analysing the dilemma of evolving scientific notations to handle the potential new discoveries in the field of Astral Quantification. When the time came, Ignatius followed whomever was assigned to lead him into the chambers.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
Alexander waited by the gnome's side until an older gentleman came out with a sad but kind face, the sash he wore marking him as a lawyer. He was a human in his mid fifties with silvering hair, straight posture, and callused hands that had done more than hold a quill or turned pages in their lifetime.
"Thank you, sir, for volunteering. The council and I will be sure not to take up too much of your time with our meeting."
He looks to the guard with a kind smile. "Thank you, Alexander. You are free to return to your post." Alexander bows respectfully to the man and then to Ignatius before taking his leave. When he is gone, the older gentleman addresses the gnome again. "My name is Sebastianus and it is I who am Galen's lawyer, If you would kindly follow me, we can get things underway." With that he turned and strode back into the council's room.
The room was brightly lit, the whole room made of various colored marble and the light coming from free standing floor oil lamps that were along the wall and standing about seven feet tall. The walls were of a white polished marble to better reflect the light and the floor was tiled in palest rose color with veins of a deeper rose. On a raised dais of the same rose marble, was a solid looking wooden table that was long enough to sit the seven council members. All the chairs were occupied by older men except the one in the center who looked much younger than the rest. In the middle floor set two columns of padded wooden benches with an isle down the middle.
Between these and the dais was a smaller table that could sit four on the longer sides which were how many chairs were there on the side closest to the door. Sebastianus pulled out two chairs and sat in one and gestured for the gnome to sit in the other. There were a couple of other people in the room, sitting scattered among the benches. One of them was a man with a similar sash to the one Sebastianus wore but of a deeper blue than the older sash draped over the older lawyer's shoulder. The council all had sashes as well but all a uniform yellow that they wore over white robes.
"Thank you, sir, for volunteering. The council and I will be sure not to take up too much of your time with our meeting."
He looks to the guard with a kind smile. "Thank you, Alexander. You are free to return to your post." Alexander bows respectfully to the man and then to Ignatius before taking his leave. When he is gone, the older gentleman addresses the gnome again. "My name is Sebastianus and it is I who am Galen's lawyer, If you would kindly follow me, we can get things underway." With that he turned and strode back into the council's room.
The room was brightly lit, the whole room made of various colored marble and the light coming from free standing floor oil lamps that were along the wall and standing about seven feet tall. The walls were of a white polished marble to better reflect the light and the floor was tiled in palest rose color with veins of a deeper rose. On a raised dais of the same rose marble, was a solid looking wooden table that was long enough to sit the seven council members. All the chairs were occupied by older men except the one in the center who looked much younger than the rest. In the middle floor set two columns of padded wooden benches with an isle down the middle.
Between these and the dais was a smaller table that could sit four on the longer sides which were how many chairs were there on the side closest to the door. Sebastianus pulled out two chairs and sat in one and gestured for the gnome to sit in the other. There were a couple of other people in the room, sitting scattered among the benches. One of them was a man with a similar sash to the one Sebastianus wore but of a deeper blue than the older sash draped over the older lawyer's shoulder. The council all had sashes as well but all a uniform yellow that they wore over white robes.
Re: Haunted House of Laurium
The gnomish researcher suddenly found his mental processes once again interrupted by some oversized distraction. It took Ignatius a moment to remember why he was there, but the moment Sebastianus spent dismissing Alexander gave him the time to recover and introduce himself. "And I am Ignatius Constantine Beauregard Sparkfizzler, Principal Researcher in the Field of Magical Quantification."
Pleased that Sebastianus didn't waste time on conversation, the gnome trotted after him. When presented with the seats, Ignatius took the expedient route of standing on his, thereby allowing him to gaze eye-to-eye with whichever bureaucrat potentially stood between the gnome and his research.
Ignatius broke the silence by saying "The flyers and guard Alexander lead me to believe that there is some task I need to achieve in order to have access to the ghostly manifestations. As my research has Critical Ramifications for the Scientific Community, I request that you disclose the details in full so as to avoid further delays." Ignatius stood there on his chair, closely examining his audience through his lenses, and awaited a response.
+++
It was an indignant and slightly confused gnome who was later ejected from the city. Ignatius' protestations of unenlightened thinking impeding the progress of science notwithstanding, the city guard had unwittingly ensured the city retained its peaceful ambience.
Pleased that Sebastianus didn't waste time on conversation, the gnome trotted after him. When presented with the seats, Ignatius took the expedient route of standing on his, thereby allowing him to gaze eye-to-eye with whichever bureaucrat potentially stood between the gnome and his research.
Ignatius broke the silence by saying "The flyers and guard Alexander lead me to believe that there is some task I need to achieve in order to have access to the ghostly manifestations. As my research has Critical Ramifications for the Scientific Community, I request that you disclose the details in full so as to avoid further delays." Ignatius stood there on his chair, closely examining his audience through his lenses, and awaited a response.
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It was an indignant and slightly confused gnome who was later ejected from the city. Ignatius' protestations of unenlightened thinking impeding the progress of science notwithstanding, the city guard had unwittingly ensured the city retained its peaceful ambience.