Re: A Scholar's Intermission (Cato)
Cato took a sip of his wine, savoring the taste in his mouth as Brodert started to expound on everything Cato, Kellan, Pisca and Liseth had discovered. Cato smiled at Brodert's enthusiasm. Sometimes, Cato had trouble believing the aged scholar wasn't a young man, the way he become so involved in exciting new developments like the discovery of the ancient Thassilonian ruins. But then, Brodert's mind went to what it usually did, trying to publicize word about what Sandpoint held to all of the Inner Sea. And, not surprisingly, word about Cato himself. Cato tried to hide his feelings, but Brodert knew him too well for that. Maybe another tactic would work, here... Cato took another sip of wine, a considered the best angle. There's always the truth, I suppose, but let me try one thing first.
"Brodert, I've been thinking about this very issue. Certainly, we have to fully explore and write up everything we've learned. And it will be a treasure trove for historians and academics. But I'm worried about some of what still remains. I think that, along with everything else, there's something evil deep inside Thistletop. It's what draws goblins to it, and probably what drew Nualia in as well. I found some references to Malfeshnekor, and while I wouldn't have believed that a barghest from Thassilonian times was still alive, or trapped, inside that structure, something is there. Certainly the goblins believe it, and certainly Nualia was doing something in Thistletop. If we publicize even what we've found in Sandpoint right now, the whole place is going to be swarming with Pathfinders and historians and academics..."
Cato trailed off with a tired smile.
"And as much as you and love our profession, we both know that not everyone involved in it has motives as pure as you and I."
Cato chuckled.
"Some just want to get rich, or find some mystical artifact from Thassilon that will bring them power today. If they came to Sandpoint for the catacombs, they'd certainly hear about what had happened in Thistletop, and we'd have to constantly be on the watch for some less than scrupulous individual who might be able to bribe or bully their way past Ripnugget into the ruins, and finish whatever Nualia was trying to do. For that matter, the catacombs aren't fully explored. We found some stairways full of rubble. If someone cleared that out, they might find more freaks, or the creation pools, or even..."
Cato visibly shuddered and put down his wine glass, taking a few deep breaths.
"Well, if just one of the horrid vargouilles survived down there, and made its way to the surface..."
Cato shook his head.
"And that's the threats we know about! We've already found the quasit. But what if there's more things like that? We all knew the quasit was down there, and if it hadn't been for Kerr getting in some lucky shots, we'd probably all be dead."
Cato shook his head sadly.
"No, as much as I'd like to be the toast of Varisian scholarship, I have to think about more than just me. I can't risk betraying Sandpoint's safety for that."
The young scholar took a deep breath, surprised by the length of his argument. I suppose that, in its own way, is the truth. Just not the whole truth.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:06, Wed 10 June 2015.