The Jester’s Gamble

JP with Lucian and Winteroak
The rest of Tarmen’s evening was largely uneventful after confirming his whereabouts to a rather grumpy messenger. Seems hearing of his departure from the guards wasn’t sufficient to relay to his lord. Snooty asses.

Returning to his room, he looked over the pile of maps to try and find ones that would help him.
Of course, the all portrayed Fang above ground, the mountain range and several major paths used.
Only his own journal had any evidence of the underrealm, which should make it easy to approach the subject. He had to seem curious, but professional. Find and use any resources he could find, which the Duke surely wouldn’t find suspicious.

Now he just had to see how good of a jester he truly was.

Walking into the Duke’s chamber a bit late the next morning, he stood waiting to be addressed. He had several maps and his personal journal with him, all part of the ruse he hoped to employ.

The Duke looked up surprised to see Tarmen so soon after their last talk.
"Sit." He told the man putting away some of his own notes and papers.

He took his usual place closest to the door, setting his maps next to him and keeping his journal in his hand.

"I was not expecting you to see you so soon. Have you considered my offer?" The Duke asked.

“I have and more. Been lookin’ over maps of Fang, using my own notes, and seein’ what all it would take for your idea. Seems there is a decent shot of it workin’. I however have a question regardin’ it.”
He brought out his journal and showed the limited sketching he had achieved in the ruins before the mold had taken over.
“I have been wonderin’ if there have been others who have seen this underworld. The clansmen know of its presence, so wouldn’t there be proof? Artifacts, other accounts, documents of native warnings and such?”

The Duke looked at the notes and sketches. "None pertaining to Fang that I am aware of. What did you have in mind? We have had very little contact with the natives as it is." He replied trying to understand the man's point or idea.

He mulled over his next words, both to try and find the right ones and to seem apprehensive to reveal his true intentions.
“There were bones in the caves. Saw them here first,” he pointed to the room containing the pit in a lie,” then among the Neph-kin further in down. A few of them had some sort of gem in them, but all had markings. Been tryin’ to remember what they looked like exactly, but I can’t form a concrete picture between the blood and mold.”
He flipped to a recent page, one depicting several very rough sketches of large bones. Several more pages revealed a plethora of the markings in different formations and patterns.
“Can’t figure out what they are and I had a hope that someone else had come across these. The most I can guess is some sort of language.”

The Duke listened to Tarmen looking over the sketches. "Come with me." He said and escorted Tarmen to the great hall.
There above the huge fireplace on the mantle rested half of a horn or tusk engraved, mounted on a small wooden frame.
"A gift from the Friar." He said looking intently at the man from Kru'll reaction.

Peering at the bone, Tarmen compared it to his sketches with utter fascination. He gave himself credit, even if this didn’t work, he was impressed with his false examples.
After a moment more to copy it into his memory, he turned to the Duke with a brow raised.
“The Friar? I would ask if there are more of these, but I assume they were destroyed as heretical tools.”

The Duke looked at the small tusk. "We are not the Inquisition. Doesn't seem magical at all so why destroy it. It's a curious artifact and objects like this can always tech us about the natives." He shrugged still not sure where Tarmen was going with his questioning.

Looking back at the curiosity, Tarmen couldn’t agree more.
“Might I get a sketch? If these are as important as I’m led to believe, then they could be an upper hand on the Neph-kin.”
His face turned grim, his previous acting starting to blur with real emotion.
“This plan of yours works only if the men I take survive. I do not enjoy the idea of bein’ back down there if those bastards, but if this is their language, then we have an advantage.”

The Duke looked at Tarmen and back at the tusk.
"What is so important about this tusk? And why would you think it's a language? He asked as his curiosity was starting to peak. This was not normal behaviour. The man hadn't even agreed to his offer yet and here he was offering explanation that made little sense.