<div class="floatleft">(https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/acfc487f628999a8d795fd4e0bac95b4/7144f155-86a7-460e-be3c-29249aa92920_rw_1920.jpg?h=751cf9fdab3ea959a3579c38026e854e)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Valerian Izyumov  (http://url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=324631.msg15584949#msg15584949)<br/><strong>Timeline:</strong>Week two<br/><strong>Where:</strong>Guild District, bustling streets<br/><strong>Status:</strong>On the hunt<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Nil<br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;"><strong>Public Demonstration Against Hexville’s Negligent Governance of Dark Magic</strong></span></div><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;">The bill comes due for Hexville’s dealings in the dark arts! The entire city has now been placed at risk, as a dangerous tome of <strong>dark magic goes missing</strong>. This malign artefact is now in the <strong>hands of renegades</strong> who stole it from the very palace itself, removing any fetter on the use of this foul and powerful sorcery. Why was such a thing even in the royal’s possession? Why must <strong>YOU</strong> bear the risk of living alongside dark magic, when even the palace itself has <strong>no secure way of governing it?</strong><br/><br/>It is time to let the Crown known what you think! Join a public demonstration against the use and stockpiling of dark magic, before another vile artefact falls into the wrong hands! This (peaceful) gathering will take place in the Guild District, and march along the main road leading to the palace district. Details are as follows... <br/><br/></span><br/><hr/><br/>News had spread that one of the palace’s most dreadful artefacts was now missing, and unrest was beginning to stir even in the city’s more peaceful districts. Outraged by yet another act of the princess’s gross incompetence, protesters had gathered of their own accord, and by early morning the main road was already clogged with disgruntled citizenry. They were non-violent, much to the relief of the beleaguered city watch trying to keep things in check, but that was small consolation to the Guild masters and mistresses whose businesses were suffering. Standing on the steps of their establishments or glaring from elevated windows, they watched as workers and customers alike flocked to the grumbling, shambling mass of protesters.<br/><br/>Valerian should’ve been beside himself with glee (or as gleeful as his sombre disposition ever allowed). It wasn’t that he<em>liked</em>the idea of the grimoire going missing – that was appalling, obviously – but the timing was politically convenient to say the least. It provided fertile ground for his nascent crusade against the dangers of magic. He could’ve commandeered the protests, whipping them up into a frenzy whilst simultaneously throwing himself in the limelight. In fact, that would’ve set him up very nicely as an emerging political figure, and in case such things matter, it would’ve probably been the<em>smart</em>thing to do… but it was not to be. Alas, there were other factors – an archaic sense of honour, his battered dedication to duty, and the primeval thrill of the hunt – that compelled Valerian to hunt down whoever stole the Malignant Grimoire. With luck, he would secure the wretched artefact before someone did something irrevocably stupid, like try to use it. Unfortunately, his cadre of minions didn’t exactly agree with his reasoning.<br/><br/>“You’re throwing away a golden opportunity, Valerian. Without you, these protests are just a lot of noise with no figurehead...”<br/><br/>The complaints belonged to Vala, who acted as both the frontline warrior and learned legalist for his band of minions. Exasperated at their stubborn leader, she’d followed Valerian through the Guild District in the vain hopes of changing his mind, but the grim hunter merely shook his head.<br/><br/>“I vow to protect world from evils of magic, and that is what I do. Words are meaningless without action. So, I go hunting for Malignant Grimoire before it falls into wrong hands, before people get hurt.” Valerian sighed. “I am not politician. I am just man trying to make a difference.”<br/>“Now, I’m going to write all that down, and you’re going to repeat those<em>exact words</em>at the head of the protests, the crowd will love it…”<br/>“I am serious! Actual work more important than showboating.”<br/><br/>Threading their way up the street, they had to shove and weave their way through the tide of protesters heading towards the palace gates.<br/><br/>“The odds of you finding it before anyone else are… slim. The publicity would be a safer bet.”<br/>“Slim is not zero. Besides, back home, we have saying: even nerve-eating jellyfish fight the current now and then.”<br/>“Do you at least have a plan for finding it? The damned thing could be anywhere by now…”<br/>“Easy. Grimoire is too dangerous to use. Thing is cursed, and will obviously backfire like genie’s bottle. But, thief can’t keep it either. Everyone is looking for it, and everyone know it stolen property. Practical death sentence if found with it! So you see, stolen artefact is just like white elephant.”<br/>“… What?”<br/>“Grimoire is like… is like albino battle-warg that keeps eating handlers. Too hard to keep, too valuable to get rid of. Only option is to sell it to next sucker.”<br/>“Hmm. And you think the Guild district is a better bet than the marketplace?”<br/>“Both are possible, very possible. But gut tells me it will be sold here. Creepy evil book is not some stolen necklace to flog at markets. No, this require very special buyer. Also one who will neither report seller to authorities, or stab seller and steal book for themselves. That rule out other districts, mostly.”<br/><br/>At last, the pair reached a lull in the surging crowd, and managed to slip down a side street for a moment’s peace. Valerian unslung a satchel from his shoulder and, kneeling down on the cobblestone footpath, began to retrieve several objects: a grappling hook, climbing spikes, and his prized spyglass. The latter included several different lenses, each designed to see through different kinds of glamours, invisibility magics, and so on.<br/><br/>“Last question. Supposing for one moment that the thief is even here, are you sure you can even spot them?”<br/>“Your question wound me! Wound me deeply, Vala. You forget I am scout, I am sharpshooter. Very used to spotting people trying to sneak unnoticed. Very good at it, rest assured. You go join others; I get to rooftops, and start looking for creepy book.”<br/>