In Response to "The Plan"

While I was contemplating taking part in the impromptu poetry battle that broke out, it appears that the rest of Travance had that thoroughly covered (clearly someone needs to invest in a monthly poetry booklet for the large amount of Travancians waiting to flex their hidden linguistic skills), and I'd like to get straight to the point:

To my new, unsettling friend who has entitled themself "The Artist"--

You've been nothing but a nuisance to me, and my friends, and to my friends on behalf of me, and frankly I don't have enough patience to put up with the spectacle you’re trying to make of yourself.

If you know me (and if you've apparently been watching me, you should, or else you're also rather bad at your chosen profession) you know I (try to) live a rather stress-free, do-as-I-please lifestyle, and the fact that you've gotten in the way of that is. Immensely aggravating, to say the least. I don't do the whole 'stress' thing, and the fact that you're causing me to is intolerable.

So. Consider this as much of a threat as your pissingly annoying vague letters.
(And if this is all a ploy to get my attention because you love me, allow me to say that I’m not surprised, but I really would have preferred you lead with that. I'm very open with my affections, and I at least would have been as flattered as I am skeeved out.)

(Also, no one who deserves an interesting title grants it to themself, and I don't think murder is considered a legitimate art by many, so. Sorry, but I don't make the rules.)

To the rest of my (mostly) sane and (kind of) normal friends:

If anyone has any information on our friend A, because I refuse to play their game and call them by their cheaply gained title, I would greatly appreciate it should you step forward and provide it to either myself, Django, or Snow. I know of one or two other Travancians targeted by A, but I am also looking for a woman named "Amy". If you have any information on her, A, or would like to step forward to help us, we would be glad for it-- such as if you have scrying skills or are particularly clever with puzzling out cryptic statements or anything else that would prove helpful.

We're planning on trekking out to try and find leads on A soon, so if there's anything anyone can provide, as previously said, we'd greatly appreciate it.

A- see you soon, motherfu darling.

Thank you in advance,
-Laric Goodall & Co.

PS- Midori, please continue your budding career in poetry. Reading your last piece brought me such immense joy.

Laric

Send a raven to Selendrias. I've a few letters from the madman toying with the lives of innocents.

I'll send what I have your way.

I would be happy to help in anyway i find that im can quite good with riddle games

Laric,

Sorry to hear about your misguided murderous admirer. I do like a good cryptic puzzle though. I'm staying ashore between feasts this moon, so feel free to send me a copy or grab me next feast.

(A hastily scribbled, unsigned note is stuck to the bottom, placed there by a cloaked figure with their hood pulled up to hide their features.)

It was so much fun watching all you little chicks run in fear and confusion last feast because of his little games. However are you sure that he's actually capable of the things you think? Or are you simply playing into his bluff and feeding into his desires to distract you from the real problems?

Regardless of whether or not he is attempting to distract us or how much danger he poses when compared to the grand scheme of things, this "Artist" is a murderer who needs to be bought to justice swiftly and strongly. He spilled blood on Travancian soil, and the Baronial Guard will see to his finding and arrest this feast, should he decide to make an appearance.

Any and all information found by non-guard members should be given to the appropriate personnel, such as Captain Oren Tenderson, Lieutenants Allyce, Grim, or Imrahil, Corporal Cyrik, myself or anyone else you see wearing a black and yellow tabard or waving a belt-flag of the same colors, with the Travancian Unicorn on the face of it.

Do not withhold or refuse to share any information in hopes of personal gain or for any other reason, as doing so is considered interfering with the duty of the Guardsmen and is subject to arrest and punishment. This man is dangerous and must be found, if you have knowledge that would make it easier, it is best to share it now before the feast.

[(OOG: The following note and bundles of paper are attached to the board by a rather irate raven, who flies off upon finishing his task.)]

Hell's bells, suppose I'll make what I know public.

During the feast this past month, I and other stalwart adventurers received a few letters from the one known as the Artist. I decided to hold onto a few of them on the off chance there were codes or ciphers hidden within. I realize now that I've given the bastard too much credit, and in between a bit of work, I've been making a few copies of them. Just in case, you see. On the off chance the events of the impromptu society attempting to unravel the tapestry this Artist seemed to weave around us were not discussed as much as I had hoped, I shall detail them below.

In the evening hours of Friday night, an initial letter was found, beginning with the words "Allow me to be pristine" and suggesting that there would be a clue in the Dragon's Claw Inn, but we needed to find something out by midnight this night.. That clue came in the form of a lovely woman named Amy, who had been told she would meet a friend by the name of Jon at this very same building. We then came into contact with a series of riddles written in Khitanese. The answers to those riddles were Stars, Water, Darkness and sand. The one place where we would find all those things would be the beach of the lake, at midnight. We, however, were too late. Burkhart found Jon after unrelated affairs at the beach a few minutes after the midnight bell was struck. He (Jon) appeared to have been dead for a long time, and was heavily chained. After Burkhart brought the man to the Inn, we figured out what we could, and found another letter. This parchment had a letter 'written by Jon' on one side and a thinly veiled threat at the other, asking us to write a letter to a man by the name of Arthur Wainwright. To most people that name may mean nothing, however when the Circus came to town a man by that very same name saw some freshly raised undead and asked us to eliminate them. He interposed himself between a blade and my limb on my behalf as I was carrying him to a healer during that fight, and for that I am grateful. However, near the back end of the July feast, he did try to get people arrested for lycanthropy and openly praised Malyc, so I cannot be sure what his motives are. The Artist also may have hinted at having him captured. After reading this letter, the ranger Valanye tracked the path that Jon had taken to reach the lake's beach, and found that it went in a circle around the whole Proper.

At that point, we elected to give Jon a proper burial. We said some words and dug a hole beside the large tree at the beach. After covering him, the spot was blessed with small flowers by either a druid or ranger, in honor of the forests Amy and Jon played in as children. I only mention this now because when I return to the Proper in a few months time I would like to discuss with someone the purchase of a small headstone on his behalf. He did not deserve to die at the hands of this Artist.

Anyhow, after mourning Jon I led us few investigators to the Mage's Guild, where we would discuss our next course of action over pretzels. After informing Cyric of what had happened thus far, we all decided to write a letter to Arthur Wainwright under my name, asking for a drink on behalf of the sacrifice he had made for me against those undead. We felt it was our safest, if not only move to play the Artist's game, lest more persons were at risk.

The next morning, I received a letter that both taunted us, and offered a riddle that, over the course of the day, was determined to lead to the one and only Blood Spirit's encampment. Afterwards, I was too wrapped up in finding a gate and getting rest to see to gathering more adventurers to investigate.

That is where my part of the story ends.

However, I believe the following should be stressed.

1: The Artist does not want to involve seasoned adventurers
2: The Artist does not want to involve the Guard.
3: When we did involve 'those who've learned to beat their chest' and the Guard, we've only found corpses.
4: When we have not done as the Artist asks, an innocent person died.

Enclosed are copies of the same notes and letters he has sent (I had to guess a little bit (read: a lot) at the Khitanese alphabet, but I finally made a copy).

I'd like to request that the Adventurer's Guild send a modestly sized group of our newer hands to investigate the Blood Spirits encampment as soon as it is available, and that the guard and the higher seasoned offer some counsel at the absolute most. Please, do keep me informed. He has stalked me a tad as well, and I would rather he did not do it again.

This Artist has killed a Travancian citizen and supposedly holds more hostage, my friends. Bring him to justice. Save lives. Be the hero the people of Arawyn believe in.

~Terzak

---

I find it amazing to watch. You have a mole among you. That is most obvious.

To the Artist, who is not a multiple of names herein, your machinations will find your corpse lying somewhere. Playing with Travancian gets you killed as often you turn too slowly.

Dear Mr. Laric,

Thank you very much.
I enjoy writing haiku.
It is very fun.

Dear Mr. Terzak,

If you're unsure if you translated the Khitanese properly, I can help. It is my native language.

- Midori Suarez
Daughter of Mercy