On Wings of Silver :: 05

 
The wheel turns and turns again. I finally figured out the book Dorran Kaideleft in my care. It's an ancient Allagan cipher, but we're missing the keyword. To go along with that, the book itself is not in its original binding, which means the cover belonged to another book -- a book meant for the warning inscribed on the interior of the cover. As a result, we must find the cipher that unlocks the text, as well as find the original book that belonged to the cover.
 
The first part of this adventure begins by talking to an Allagan Ghost that Dorran claims to have locked in his Free Company's workshop, a creature who seems none at all predisposed to helping Dorran with much of anything, if I'm to gather the context clues correctly. This Ghost, according to Dorran, may likely hold the keyword that will unlock the cipher I found in the book he left in my care. He'd originally thought it was some strange dialect of Allagan and brought it to me for translation, but after several nights of careful study and several visits to the Noumenon, I discovered the patterns that spoke of a cipher at work. However, without the keyword, there's no unlocking whatever secrets the book holds. A curiosity made all the more curious by the fact that the pages within the book aren't original. The cover belongs to another book entirely. And on the inside of that cover was a warning.
 
Which leads us to the second part of this little venture, Dorran recommends we speak to the merchant he bought the book from, a man known in Ul'dah mercantile circles as Caldor (NPC). He's an old "friend" of the Lightfaith Armory, having worked with my father a number of times on various projects. It's my hope that I can get the information we need from him without having to resort to any unsavory measures. It might be a hard sell though, Caldor is known to be a bit on the sly side at times. There was talk of ambushing the man at his favorite brothel, but I'm hoping that we don't have to do anything of the sort, that we can approach and speak to him like civilized people. We can only hope.
 
Yumarox Revanche came by during my discussions with Dorran, if only to let me know that he'd spoken with Aurelius Auclair and that the duskwight was laying low at a safehouse somewhere. Aurelius was apparently heeding Yumarox's advice to stay out of sight until the whole "bounty hunter" business blows over. I can only hope that all of it is true, that Aurelius has seen sense to keep himself out of the public eye until matters are settled. Yumarox also alluded to the idea that Aurelius had spoken to the person who issued the bounty on him to begin with. It makes me wonder who could have so much ire for a self-proclaimed pacifist. Granted, I know Aurelius has had a... colorful past and won himself a number of enemies, perhaps that past is simply catching up with him. I'm not sure. I will continue to pray to the Twelve for his health and safety.
 
I must needs catch up with Jack Nasty-face. It's been a sennight or more since I've last seen or heard from him. I hope he hasn't gone and done anything foolish all by himself. Half-voidsent he may be, but the full-blooded voidsent won't recognize him as one of their own, he'll still be a tasty source of aether to consume. I must also get together with Reynard, so that we can prepare Mist for the side excursion we have planned for the clockwork carbuncle. It will sadden me a bit to lose him, Mist was a precious gift given in what I believed to be good faith and love -- but I couldn't trust it after learning that "Rain" was not Reynard, but something or someone posing as him.
 
Aside from that, I keep myself busy between deliveries hither and yon, spending time with my parents over the holidays -- all with Archambaut in tow, of course. He'd laugh at how many pies I have my fingers in and tell me just to make sure I'm taking care of myself above all else. Speaking of which, it is well past time I took my rest, so I will end this here.