I Knew I Told That Story For a Reason

"It all started when I decided to try and influence the Red Hand council..." Now you may be thinking to yourself that its silly to ask someone how they arrived at near dying when they are in fact dying, and that's correct it is silly, but Morley is hardly a person and I wanted a story for the malady before I even bothered helping. I mean who knows he might have pissed off a god and this was divine punishment, I don't want in on that, I already had one dark god thing after me to begin with. "I discovered a councilman had a pretty nasty secret he was keeping and with a couple secret bargains I had a guy in my back pocket."

"He wasn't keeping frozen dead women in his house was he?" See you see? I knew I told you that story for a reason, yes I know thats the title of this entry DEAL WITH IT!

"How, how could you have possibly known that?" Morley looked at me with those what else aren't you telling me eyes.

"Nevermind continue." I didn't want Morley going after Marian, despite him not being in good shape, because I knew I'd end up saving him and then he'd go after my other "friend" and I didn't have a lot of them at this point.

"Well anyway aside from your keen observation.  All was going well, he helped me buy influence with the other councilman and I kept his secret and even helped him with some preservation techniques (side note ewwwwwwwwww). And then someone killed him! Damndest thing to, they killed him, his guards and burned the entire manor down and no one in the Red Hand cared." Morley's voice sounded wet, like each word was being parsed through a wet towel, "And I thought that was the end of it, with his house burned down any connection to me was covered, and it was for years! I thought I was safe back in my homeland after the recent horrors of Ronerawth, but no I receieved a letter, and before you ask yes I live in a house not a cave, the legacy of Valrya is dead we both saw fit to that." I wasn't going to ask, ok I totally was.

"The issue wasn't the content of the letter, but what was on it, it was a simple 'I know' type in a normal font, but the letter was some kind of curse or poison, all I know is that it started this wasting disease and here I am, with you looking at me with horror enough to tell me how bad its gotten."

"Do you still have the letter?"

"Why do you have someone you don't like other than me?"

"No well yes, but no I need it to look at it." He produced it, I made sure to grab it with some tongs and move it over to my desk.  It didn't outwardly look evil or anything, but I made sure to keep my distance all the same. "Did it come in an envelope or have a seal?"

"No, it was just folded up." I couldn't see anything on it, it didn't feel magical or look poisoned, nothing wrong with the paper or anything.

"Did the person delivering it wear gloves?"

"You know come to think of it he didn't."

"I'll have to ask around with some contacts I have, do you have some time?" Morley looked at me with a scowl.

"Oh sure Trezlan I have all the time in the world." With that I took his letter sealed in a small metal container and went off to a couple not so honest contacts I'd developed just in case these kind of things came up (well it was more some people who dabbled in alchemy just in case I caught a disease that wasn't readily apparent what it was, look I go some crazy places you wouldn't believe the kind of things I pick up from such journeys!).  I left Morley shackled, though it didn't appear he had much strength to do anything, better safe than a necro snack.  Still it was quite a mystery and I love those, well I love them as long as it isn't me currently dying, even then its still a great mystery!