Mythran's Master Of All

Ren switched his Command Aura back to Camaraderie, and ran back to the main city area. When he went to take the turn onto the main road to House Neram, he had a thought.

You know what, Teepo?

“What, Ren?”

I'm getting tired of having to ask people where everything is. Ren turned towards the Main Keep. It's time I got some answers. Ren ran to the keep and then stood in line, and found it wasn't as long as before. They're probably getting ready to go home for supper.

“I'd say so.” Teepo said. “In their rush, the guards are barely checking people.”

Ren looked around, and he was the last in line. I'm either just going to make it, or just miss it. He stepped up to the guard, who barely pat him, and then shut the gate with a clang. Whew, that was close.

It didn't take long for Ren to get to the reception desk, and when he got there, he spoke before the female dwarf could start her rundown of the departments.

“General Information, please.”

She smiled, and pointed to the right. “First door on the left.”

“Thank you.” Ren said and went to the indicated door. Teepo, you're up.

Teepo hopped out of the hood and slipped under the door. A moment later, he sighed. “Crap.”

What is it?

“Do you remember what the back room of the Library looked like?”

Ren thought about it. Yeah, why?

“That's what this looks like.” Teepo said. “There's a short hallway, I assume to get past the other offices, but the room at the end has to be a good portion of this side of the Main Keep.”

I'm surprised this isn't Records, then.

“It probably is.” Teepo said. “General Information would need access to the records, I think.”

That makes sense. Ren thought, opened the door, and stepped into the hallway. Is there a desk or anything?

“Not that I can see. Just a minute.” Teepo said and climbed up the wall to get a better look. “Okay, I see one. It's about 30 feet in, surrounded by shelves.”

Get to the ceiling if you can, then you can see down into the rows of shelves, rather than trying to look in each row.

“Got it.” Teepo said, and skittered up the wall to the ceiling. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, and chittered in laughter as he made it to the desk a minute later. Teepo positioned himself on one of the lights and hung above the dwarf's head, about 50 feet up. “I'm here. All clear so far.”

Thanks, Teepo. Ren thought then opened the door at the end of the hallway and entered the General Information / Records room. He walked the 30 feet to the desk and saw a female dwarf sitting there, about halfway through reading a book. She wore glasses, had short brown hair, and surprisingly, wore a set of Traveller's Clothes (without the cape).

“Pardon me, Ma'am.” Ren said in a soft voice, and startled her out of her book.

“Ahh!” She squealed, and dropped the book. It hit the desk and flopped closed. She looked at it and sighed. “I lost my place.”

“Sorry about that.” Ren smiled and reached for the book. “May I?”

She nodded slightly and Ren picked it up. A hard cover romance novel. He thought and flipped through the pages to where he thought she'd read to, and handed it back. “I think that's pretty close to where you were.”

She took it and read a little, then flipped forward about 10 pages. “That was close, thank you.” She looked on her desk, lifting things. Ren guessed what it was she was looking for and took out a scrap piece of cloth. He folded it and stitched it into a long strip and handed it to her.

“You can use this until you find your actual bookmark.” Ren said. “It's just a scrap piece of cloth, but it should work.”

She looked at him in surprise. “T-thank you.” She took it and placed it in the book and closed it. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I came here for General Information; but considering the look of the place, I assume it's Records, too.”

She nodded. “You're right, it's both.”

Good guess, Teepo!

“Thanks.”

“So what do you want to know?” She asked, and waved to a chair.

“Everything.” Ren said and sat.

“E-e-everything?”

Ren grinned. “Sorry, personal joke. I need to know where I can rent a horse and cart, where to file a land claim, if there is a Library of some kind, where to buy lots of wood...”

“Wait, wait!” She said and chuckled. “You weren't kidding.”

Ren shook his head.

“Okay, just a minute.” She opened a drawer and took out a directory. Ren stared at it as she put it on the desk. She saw his reaction and laughed. “I can't give you this, you know.”

Ren smiled. “Not even a copy?”

She shook her head. “I'd lose my job, assuming they didn't charge me with giving away dwarf secrets.”

Ren's eyes widened. “Why would they do that? It's just general knowledge, isn't it? A list of local businesses and Houses, and what they sell?”

She nodded slightly. “It is, but you have to ask for it. To ask for it, you have to come here to the Main Keep.”

“That's a little odd, but it explains why there isn't a map by the docks telling everyone where everything is.”

“A map?” She asked. “I have that, too.” She said and turned around to take out a roll of parchment from a nearby shelf.

“Whoa.” Ren said as she unrolled a huge map of the city, with everything marked. Teepo! Ren thought, and as the female dwarf bent over the map, Teepo dropped from the ceiling and Ren reached out to catch him. Can you help me memorize it?

“I sure can.”

They studied it closely for about 10 minutes. Ren ran his hand over the surface and traced his route from the docks to House Neram. The land boundaries were clearly marked and Ren smiled. There were no other Houses anywhere near House Neram and the land itself was actually 2 square miles in size. He had plenty of space for all that silt, and for his idea.

“You wouldn't happen to have the plans for House Neram, and House Neram Keep, do you?”

“Every plan for every House is here. Why?”

“It's my House, and I have to fix it up. Frankly, its a mess. Walls and ceilings collapsed, probably floors, too. I need to know what it looks like.”

She walked down an aisle and disappeared around a corner. She came back a few minutes later with a bundle of parchment rolls.

“Here you go.”

“Can I make copies of these?”

“Those are the copies. We keep multiples on file at all times.”

“Well, that's great. How much do I owe you for these?”

“Nothing. It's covered in House Neram's taxes.”

“Oh. Well, thank you.” Ren said and stored them in the slot where the sandwiches were, and returned to examining the map. “Library... Library...” Ren said, scanning the city. He found the lumber yard and stables, but the Library escaped his eye.

“Here.” The female dwarf pointed to a tiny little building, completely surrounded by Houses.

You were right again, Teepo. Ren thought. No wonder I couldn't see it!

Teepo chittered in delight.

I think I've got a good handle on where everything is now. Ren thought. How about you, Teepo?

“I can guide you when you need it.”

Awesome. Ren thought, then looked at the female dwarf. “Thank you for showing me this.” He said. “Now, where can I file a land claim? Or do I have to?”

“Where is this land?”

Ren smiled. “I know this is a stupid question to ask; but, do you have a bigger map of the countryside?”

She grinned. “Yep, that's a stupid question.” She said and grabbed another roll of parchment from the shelf behind her. She unfurled it, and Ren followed the road out of the city towards the convent. With Teepo's help, he estimated where the mountain was.

“Right about here.”

“Well, you're lucky. That's out past where anyone else has any kind of claims.”

“That's good.”

“Why do you want it?”

“Well, if I have to give you a reason, it's where my fiance and I fought a giant boar together.”

The female dwarf's eyes widened. “You... you... did you really fight... the Deathgore?”

“The what?”

“The Deathgore.” She said and sat down, shocked. “You fought the Deathgore... and lived.”

“Is that it's name, or it's type?”

“It's the name. There's only the one.”

“Oh...” Ren said, a little sad. “I feel a little bad about killing it, then.”

“YOU KILLED IT?!?” The female dwarf yelled, and her voice echoed through the room.

“With my party's help.” Ren said.

“By the gods!” She said and fanned her face with her hand. “You killed it.” After a few minutes, the shock wore off and she stood up. “Everyone will know what you've done, sir.” She took out a form from her desk and filled some of it out. “Please tell me how it happened.”

Ren shrugged and told her how they had camped for the night, far enough away from the road to be safe, but not too far to get back quickly, and during the night, something found them. He went out to investigate, and was attacked by a giant boar. It broke a tree in half, then he attacked it back. He told the female dwarf about how his fiance Nathalia, came riding in on his Bighorn Ram mount, to headbutt the boar and stunned it.

“You have a giant ram as a mount?!?” She said, surprised. “How?”

“It was a gift from a friend.” Ren said, then finished the story with the following attacks and the crushing of the boar's head. She filled in the rest of the form, and handed it to Ren.

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“Sign here, please.” She said. “This is your sworn account of what happened, and it will be logged into the archives for all to see.”

Ren signed it and handed it back. “You don't need proof or anything?”

“I can tell if you're lying.” She said. “But, an eyewitness would be... BY THE GODS!” She screamed as Ren pulled out the giant boar's body from inventory and put in on the floor.

“Is this proof enough?” Ren said and grinned.

“You really did it! I'm seeing it, but I don't believe it...” She said and came around the desk. “Can I touch it?”

“Sure.” Ren said. “Just watch the head. It's a little... squishy.”

She snorted a laugh and pet the fur of the boar. “Oh, my...” She almost purred. After a minute she stopped petting it and looked at Ren. “You're already engaged, too.” She said and sighed.

Ren chuckled. “I'm already taken, yes.”

“Oh, well.” She walked back around the desk, and Ren stored the giant boar's body again. She filled out a second form, Ren assumed was a witness statement, and rolled them up together. She walked over to a huge filing cabinet and opened a drawer. After checking the forms over again, she smiled.

“Well, Mr. Ren...”

“It's just Ren, Ma'am.”

“Well, just Ren.” She said and grinned. “Welcome to the Hall Of Records.” She dropped the rolls of parchment into the drawer and shut it.