A few months ago...

Florian Lamorath was truly surprised by his master’s summons, not that his master would call for him, but that he would tell him to come to the Cathedral. The Cathedral meant that the Inquisitor Desmond Kote was involved. Florian so disliked the logic free demands of the church. Wondering what task his master would have for him, Florian entered the Cathedral chamber. While the smaller side rooms had only 10-foot-high ceilings, the central cathedral chamber’s ceiling was easily 20 feet high. The small shrine stood in the middle of this large chamber, centered on Duke Zaebos’ statue. Beyond the shrine, sitting at two long tables in elaborately carved darkwood chairs were the Inquisitor and Florian’s master. “Welcome Florian!” his master’s deep voice echoed in the chamber, “Come and hear what Desmond‘s scrying has revealed to us. We of noble blood do not wait on time but prepare for it!”


The inquisitor stood from his seat at the table and approached Florian. The bard’s skin crawled as he awaited the inquisitor’s spell infused touch. While the Inquisitor was a loyal noble who served his master well, he was quite slovenly and could spend weeks lost in his faith, unaware of his filth. As soon as Desmond Kote touched Florian his mind was filled with an array of visions, revealing several young faces and one old. As each face entered his mind’s eye Desmond would state the person’s name obviously aware of everything the bard was seeing. When the spell was over Florian found himself sitting at the table, his Master next to him, “I want you to find out everything you can about these men, prepare dossiers on all of them.” Florian nodded his mind still in a fog, “As yet we don’t know if they are enemies revealed or simply cogs in the wheel but Desmond is sure that our fates will meet.” Staring back at his master, Florian asked, “Who would like me to start with?” It was Desmond Kote that answered from over Florian’s shoulder, “The cursed one; start with Talbot.”