A Desperate Experiment
Late in Juliary 399, a commotion was heard in the Meliashmora of Imperial Secrets. A distraught harlequin trouper raised his voice to the heavens in horror and hope that some kind adventurer would hear of his plight. A sworn servant of Alodale, the Villainous Lord, the harlequin was affronted to have been violently accosted whilst vigilantly guarding his post.
Though a handful of adventurers searched the Meliashmora for signs of trouble, it was Xenthos An’Ryshe who chanced upon the distressed trouper. Patiently questioning the flamboyant guard, he plied clues about the assailant from him, before escorting the trouper to the Villainous Lord to beg his intervention.
Alodale was dismissive of the trouper’s plight, but Xenthos championed the cause, convincing him that it was worthy of concern. At Alodale’s suggestion, they headed to the local Mystic for guidance. Martine proved an invaluable source of help, guiding the hapless victim and his generous investigator to search the nearby mountains for the assailant.
The Seer, however, spoke a word of caution before they departed: that the assailant was gravely ill, and surely not long for this world. With this in mind, Xenthos set out into the mountains to track down the attacker, and the harlequin trouper returned with some disgruntlement to his post.
It did not take long for the skilled tracker to happen upon a small hut within the Razines, and its nervous occupant. Conversing with the young scientist, Xenthos found that the assault was indeed not so simple as it had once appeared. Desperate, she begged him for assistance; she had failed in her attempt to capture the harlequin, and her need was dire.
The Chieftain was not fooled by her pleas, and questioned her relentlessly about the nature of her experiment. Unable to withstand such rigorous investigation, the young mugwump confessed the truth: without his assistance, and without completing her experiment, she would surely die…and she was willing to do anything to stop it. Anything.
To her astonishment, this earned not disgust but agreement. At once Xenthos travelled the lands to fulfill her requests, ably assisting her with tasks both simple and complex. Together they completed her experiment successfully, and brilliant hope flashed over the scientist’s face. Surely, now, she would be free – free at last, from the shadow of her inevitable demise!
Yet even the most carefully planned experiments can have unforeseen consequences – and a desperate cause can blind as badly as ignorance. Though she learned this lesson at a costly price, it is said that Slegi Vleemgol remains nonetheless convinced that the secret to her salvation lies in the heart of the harlequin…and that no matter how many times she fails, she is determined one day to succeed.
