Shifting most of his weight onto his staff as he intently listened to the General's replies and his companions' additions, Ulor plunged the hooked claws of his mind into the river of words flowing into and past him, clutching on to those which he perceived to be most distinctly related to his plight. Some were clearly visible to him, akin to smooth, oval black stones borne along by the stream; yet a few were more diaphanous, more difficult to spot and capture in the current. That speech of envenomers and infiltrating acolytes might not immediately have struck him as particularly interesting, but, as he reflected on it, it seemed to gain in importance moment by moment. While he may have been unable to reach for the concealed forces directly, he could still touch their intermediaries, and learn from them the lore necessary to uncover this occult mystery.

Then came the three names - the Serpent, the Sea and the Worm. Catching hold of them, Ulor began the descent he had been preparing since he had queried the General on the presence of cults and religions in the city. He climbed down into a hexagonal well, grasping the ledges and shelves built into its walls as with multiple limbs, as he sounded deeper and deeper layers of his memory in search of answers to the interrogatives those esoteric titles brought with themselves. The bestial invoker had spoken of a sect of Venomers, and those were with the Serpent, for indeed there was one such being who lurked in the shadows and spread his poison with dripping fang. The Serpent's adversary was the Worm, yet not just any worm. It was a Worm divine and potent, one of wind and fire; and likely it lacked the malice of the Serpent, for which the latter would fain have struck at it. If this was true, it could be none but the Worm-father.

Last was the Sea, ally of the Serpent; and this was more arduous, for the sea was vast, and was many things at once. For this, his mere memories would not suffice. Further down Ulor crept, until there began to appear from below wisps of a pale mist which brought knowledge and clarity from an unsoundable abyss within him. He swept up these nebulous strands, and saw that the Sea could take on the shape of a twisted Hag. He swept again, and saw the aquatic wilderness that knew no fetters, the presence which flew over the murky deeps on wings of wood, and two watery beasts, one of which had a hide encrusted with salt. He swept a third time, and now the mist was no longer pale, but of a dim grey; and he saw the sinister lord of the deep, the trident that shook the lands, the reptile with its toothy grin and the fulminating tempest cloud. Over them, there dimly appeared the coils of the Serpent; and the Deep One rose to meet him, and the beast with the salty mane, the trident and the storm-cloud followed suit, for it was their nature to partake in wickedness or destruction. Now he knew, or, at least, he could guess.

Returning his attention to his surroundings, Ulor briefly glanced around the room, then, raising his gaze, which had in his meditations slid downwards, to meet that of the General, he spoke:

"Do not be hasty to dismiss the words of the touched, for in them there might lie the key to the riddle. While I cannot know for certain, from what you have said alone I divine that venom calls upon the water to extinguish the flame. This is well, but it is not enough. It would be good if we could speak with the convict himself at some later point, so that his altered thoughts may be sounded. But it is true that this is not as urgent as other matters."

Raising himself from his partially hunched position, Ulor began to turn, without undue haste, towards the door. Though he had not said anything aloud, or even gestured, at the same time the octopus detached itself from its corner and swam down, in its peculiar way, to rest upon his shoulder once again.


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Religion roll: [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/2374]23[/url]

Insight roll: [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/2375]16[/url]

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