L
Luna Rossa
Guest
(as posted by Jayne, Grandmaster Assassin of SAGE)
This all happened last week. Lady Luna requested I keep quiet, but she has lifted that restriction.
The Lost Dutchman, in my opinion unequivocally, is a traitor.
As I was crafting potions--hidden--in New Haven, I heard a fell voice in the air, calling the Lost Dutchman to "where we first met." No sooner did I hear this, than the Dutchman ran by me, not noticing. Curiosity piqued, I transformed into the form of a rat to better follow unnoticed. I followed him to the shop of the mapmaker where he awaited his mysterious rendezvous. I admit that even I was surprised when Valthalion showed his evil face.
As Valthalion entered, an evil aura filled the room and the mapmaker present retreated to the corner, trying to avoid his malevolent gaze. The Lost Dutchman cowered, but was clearly not surprised. This is who he was expecting. Valthalion told the Dutchman that the time had come for his "next" duty if he wished to live. The Dutchman Cowered and sniveled like the weakling he is, but did not beg off, instead begging that the Dutchman's favors be rewarded with continued life. The Dutchman said he had no chance of stealing the Night's Eye but would make up his failure as he could. Valthalion ignored Dutchman's sniveling and handed him a parcel I could not identify. Yet right as Valthalion was ready to explain it, the pitiful fool Dutchman begged Valthalion's permission to leave the realm, but to contact Valthalion again as soon as the chance arrived. Valthalion consented and the meeting was at its end, and I snuck away.
I reported these findings to Lady Luna, but against my instincts, she advised giving the Lost Dutchman the chance to come forward on his own about his involvement with Valthalion. After a day, the Dutchman had not come forward and Lady Luna and I confronted Dutchman. He cowed to my accusation of the meeting, admitting that he had indeed met with Valthalion, claiming that the threat on his life was the incentive of his consent and that he was sorry for not coming forward due to his fear of the Lady Luna's displeasure.
However, when I confronted him with my account of his summoning, his admittance of failure to steal the Night's Eye, and especially the parcel he received, he called me a liar. The pitiful fool, who had just admitted to his meetings with Valthalion, accused ME, Lady Luna's spy, of cooperation with Valthalion, basing his accusations solely on my past and not on any evidence whatsoever.
Gracious as ever, Lady Luna refused to let the confrontation devolve. She ended it by asking the Lost Dutchman to be more open and to prove his loyalty, accepting his explanation of coercion at the hands of Valthalion. Despite my volatile objection, she asked the two of us to try and get along. For my part, all I could promise was not to kill the coward.
Yet not two days later I was again hidden in New Haven (I am always hidden, so don't assume I am not watching, as that is my job), again making potions when I spied the evil Valthalion in front of the bank. Not terribly surprised, moments later the Lost Dutchman rode up to meet him. The Dutchman told Valthalion of my previous eavesdropping. Oddly, neither of them thought a repeat performance a possibility. The fools. While the Dutchman began again pleading for his life, this mood quickly devolved into fawning and subservience. He asked Valthalion the use of the package he was handed last meeting, which turned out to be a treasure map of the highest skill. Valthalion allowed the Dutchman to believe this was the his reward, should his faithfulness help Valthalion achieve his goals. I think there is more to it that the simple-minded Dutchman does not yet see. This excited the Dutchman, who proclaimed his willingness to do what Valthalion wanted would it bring him gold and treasures of great worth. This seemed a definitive declaration to me. The Dutchman was without a doubt serving Valthalion for greed, not fear.
Worse, when the Dutchman asked Valthalion what the next task would be, Valthalion gave the Dutchman two options. The first was to bring to Valthalion the head of Alcuin, as Alcuin was the only one with the knowledge to deny Valthalion the next artifact he would need. The Dutchman, being the coward he is, begged off for lack of fighting ability unless Valthalion would like the Dutchman to draw Alcuin into an ambush. Contemptuous, Valthalion refused this notion, instead presenting the Dutchman's second option. He told the Dutchman that soon Alcuin would need a new tome and it would be up to the Dutchman to volunteer for and retrieve this lost tome. Again, the Dutchman begged that he would not be able to fight against the warlock who currently holds the tome. Valthalion struck the Dutchman and told him all he needed to do was tag along and steal the book when the opportunity presented itself, not fight himself. Thereupon, Valthalion took his leave and left the Lost Dutchman with this ultimatum: "Bring me Alcuin's head or the tome. If you do, you will have your reward. If not, I will kill you."
After Valthalion left, the Lost Dutchman retreated to the mapmaker's shop, where I followed and confronted the snake. He reacted with shock and fear when I first confronted him, but quickly shifted his rhetoric. He begged me to join he and Valthalion. He tried to persuade me with power and money. He said Lady Luna was weak and Valthalion would lead us to glory. I sneered at his request and told him I have all the power I wish and money was no interest. And as he should know as I have often adventured with his goody-goody brother, I may not like many people, but I do not turn on those who are my companions, and Lady Luna has my allegiance. As it was, I considered killing him right there at least three separate times and ultimately let him live only because I had earlier promised Lady Luna I would not.
I left. I reported to Lady Luna. She asked me to keep quiet for a bit to see what the Dutchman does. He did not come forward despite my answer and my threat to go to Luna. It is time. You all must know, as Lady Luna bids.
Beware the Dutchman. Trust him not.
This all happened last week. Lady Luna requested I keep quiet, but she has lifted that restriction.
The Lost Dutchman, in my opinion unequivocally, is a traitor.
As I was crafting potions--hidden--in New Haven, I heard a fell voice in the air, calling the Lost Dutchman to "where we first met." No sooner did I hear this, than the Dutchman ran by me, not noticing. Curiosity piqued, I transformed into the form of a rat to better follow unnoticed. I followed him to the shop of the mapmaker where he awaited his mysterious rendezvous. I admit that even I was surprised when Valthalion showed his evil face.
As Valthalion entered, an evil aura filled the room and the mapmaker present retreated to the corner, trying to avoid his malevolent gaze. The Lost Dutchman cowered, but was clearly not surprised. This is who he was expecting. Valthalion told the Dutchman that the time had come for his "next" duty if he wished to live. The Dutchman Cowered and sniveled like the weakling he is, but did not beg off, instead begging that the Dutchman's favors be rewarded with continued life. The Dutchman said he had no chance of stealing the Night's Eye but would make up his failure as he could. Valthalion ignored Dutchman's sniveling and handed him a parcel I could not identify. Yet right as Valthalion was ready to explain it, the pitiful fool Dutchman begged Valthalion's permission to leave the realm, but to contact Valthalion again as soon as the chance arrived. Valthalion consented and the meeting was at its end, and I snuck away.
I reported these findings to Lady Luna, but against my instincts, she advised giving the Lost Dutchman the chance to come forward on his own about his involvement with Valthalion. After a day, the Dutchman had not come forward and Lady Luna and I confronted Dutchman. He cowed to my accusation of the meeting, admitting that he had indeed met with Valthalion, claiming that the threat on his life was the incentive of his consent and that he was sorry for not coming forward due to his fear of the Lady Luna's displeasure.
However, when I confronted him with my account of his summoning, his admittance of failure to steal the Night's Eye, and especially the parcel he received, he called me a liar. The pitiful fool, who had just admitted to his meetings with Valthalion, accused ME, Lady Luna's spy, of cooperation with Valthalion, basing his accusations solely on my past and not on any evidence whatsoever.
Gracious as ever, Lady Luna refused to let the confrontation devolve. She ended it by asking the Lost Dutchman to be more open and to prove his loyalty, accepting his explanation of coercion at the hands of Valthalion. Despite my volatile objection, she asked the two of us to try and get along. For my part, all I could promise was not to kill the coward.
Yet not two days later I was again hidden in New Haven (I am always hidden, so don't assume I am not watching, as that is my job), again making potions when I spied the evil Valthalion in front of the bank. Not terribly surprised, moments later the Lost Dutchman rode up to meet him. The Dutchman told Valthalion of my previous eavesdropping. Oddly, neither of them thought a repeat performance a possibility. The fools. While the Dutchman began again pleading for his life, this mood quickly devolved into fawning and subservience. He asked Valthalion the use of the package he was handed last meeting, which turned out to be a treasure map of the highest skill. Valthalion allowed the Dutchman to believe this was the his reward, should his faithfulness help Valthalion achieve his goals. I think there is more to it that the simple-minded Dutchman does not yet see. This excited the Dutchman, who proclaimed his willingness to do what Valthalion wanted would it bring him gold and treasures of great worth. This seemed a definitive declaration to me. The Dutchman was without a doubt serving Valthalion for greed, not fear.
Worse, when the Dutchman asked Valthalion what the next task would be, Valthalion gave the Dutchman two options. The first was to bring to Valthalion the head of Alcuin, as Alcuin was the only one with the knowledge to deny Valthalion the next artifact he would need. The Dutchman, being the coward he is, begged off for lack of fighting ability unless Valthalion would like the Dutchman to draw Alcuin into an ambush. Contemptuous, Valthalion refused this notion, instead presenting the Dutchman's second option. He told the Dutchman that soon Alcuin would need a new tome and it would be up to the Dutchman to volunteer for and retrieve this lost tome. Again, the Dutchman begged that he would not be able to fight against the warlock who currently holds the tome. Valthalion struck the Dutchman and told him all he needed to do was tag along and steal the book when the opportunity presented itself, not fight himself. Thereupon, Valthalion took his leave and left the Lost Dutchman with this ultimatum: "Bring me Alcuin's head or the tome. If you do, you will have your reward. If not, I will kill you."
After Valthalion left, the Lost Dutchman retreated to the mapmaker's shop, where I followed and confronted the snake. He reacted with shock and fear when I first confronted him, but quickly shifted his rhetoric. He begged me to join he and Valthalion. He tried to persuade me with power and money. He said Lady Luna was weak and Valthalion would lead us to glory. I sneered at his request and told him I have all the power I wish and money was no interest. And as he should know as I have often adventured with his goody-goody brother, I may not like many people, but I do not turn on those who are my companions, and Lady Luna has my allegiance. As it was, I considered killing him right there at least three separate times and ultimately let him live only because I had earlier promised Lady Luna I would not.
I left. I reported to Lady Luna. She asked me to keep quiet for a bit to see what the Dutchman does. He did not come forward despite my answer and my threat to go to Luna. It is time. You all must know, as Lady Luna bids.
Beware the Dutchman. Trust him not.