Which hunt? Witch hunt. (Private, Crimson please)

[Viniece]

Tenth Candlemark ofCarmelyana
Brightening 4, Second Cycle of Ponutis
Winter of Era I of the Celestine Mandate
Era XV Post Fractum
Chronosynch: Ancient Veil Enshrouds Silrosia

Viniece had heard rumors since he'd been in the city that the old Arcane Academy he'd read about in the histories about Jaedaxia that were on Nimalnus was still around, and just hidden. He figured the only people that could possibly tell him about that arcanic reaction he'd experienced earlier in the week at the glass shop would have to be in the Arcane Academy. He'd have to find it.

Unfortunately, he had no idea where to even begin looking. He'd heard nothing more than rumors, and rumors didn't tell one where to look. The library would have likely been one of the first places the mages would have erased their presence from, so he wouldn't even bother looking there. Since they were only recently made legal again, they were probably not very trusting of the Aedile, so he doubted he could ask there. Next best thing he could think of was to go wander into each of the bars in town and ask. He wasn't sure that mages were ones to sit in bars, but perhaps someone knew something more about the Arcane Academy.

As he entered each of the bars in Jaedaxia he'd walk up to the barkeep and ask simply, "Arcana? Know anyone?"

[Heartbreaker]

OOC: Vin, I'm tossing this thread Pirate's direction. A post will be forthcoming for you. =-)

[Pirate]

OOC: Ahoy, mate! Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into, shall we? :P

Unfortunately for Viniece, he was in for a frustrating morning. In every tavern he stopped in for the first two candlemarks of his search, he met with no success. He was simply told no in some, but in others he was met with hostility or suspicion, and one barkeep threatened to have him physically thrown out if he didn't remove himself on his own and be quick about it.

Worse, perhaps, there were even a few bartenders who simply laughed in his face.

Eventually, however, he met with success! On his way out of one tavern where the bartender had looked at him with an entirely blank face while saying he knew nothing of the arcanists' location, he was stopped by an old man in a long, deep blue robe which had obviously seen better days. The old man's hair was just past shoulder length, held back from his face with a weathered leather cord and not nearly as dirty as one might have expected from someone with such a disheveled appearance.

"Forgive me, friend," the old man said politely. "I don't mean to pry, but did I overhear you just now asking about where you might find out about Arcana?"

[Viniece]

OOCI was considering just dropping this thread, but bah. Here I am. I'm back.

Viniece found himself being told repeatedly that they didn't know anything, to beat it, he was also being met with suspicion. He was about to try a different tact after leaving a bar where the keep just stared at him without responding. However, as he was leaving he was stopped by a disheveled old man who acted as though he knew something. Despite old clothing that was ill-kempt, the man was clean enough, and polite. Viniece decided to listen.

"Yes." He said, simply, searching the man's face for clues to why he didn't act suspicious.

Viniece wasn't one to say anything beyond what was necessary most of the time. It was usually only under extreme stress that one of his other selves surfaced, one of them being a rather vocal personality. For those who've heard the more vocal Viniece, however, they would tell you that the silent Viniece is far preferable to the one that'd deride the gods.

[Crimson]

The robed man smirked lightly before shaking his head. "You would be wize to give up hope now while 'ou are ztill young" he chuckled tiredly at nothing in particular, then added "I have been searching for ze Academy since I was in schola. You are better off finding training in Nexus or Arconis or even Prime. Wonderful academies zere, and best yet, zey are invisible, non?" He grinned wildly then paused to take a long, ragged breath.

"The academy 'ere used to be available for everybody" he continued despite Viniece's reaction to his pessimism "zere used to be a portal in ze Socrates de Ambergois University ... but no longer." He sighed again, his crooked back leaning forward more than he meant to. "Ze mages of Jaedaxia have left us ... forsaken us for our betrayal ... no longer will magic fill our streets again ... even with zis Lourdes Academy."

[Viniece]

So he was just some loon. Very well.

Viniece walked away from the robed man and decided to just explore the city, using his sonar to attempt locating anything that was otherwise invisible. The best way to hide something was in plain sight, after all. Sonar wasn't plain sight, and it would be far harder to prevent a large building from bouncing sounds back than it would be to prevent a surface from reflecting light. Although he didn't really know much about arcana, he found himself doubting that anyone had even thought of trying to hide from Thelyri sonar.

[Crimson]

Either that or the robed man was a loon. It was really a fifty-fifty chance, come to think of it.

So the Thelyri returned outside, back into the cold and frosy cobblestones of Jaedaxia. His inherent sonar abilities were useful, but Viniece quickly realized that it was near impossible to pin-point anything beneath the dense streets and the poorly placed structures of the busier boulevards. Jaedaxia was far too crowded, much too noisy of a place to be attempting his tricks which worked well enough under the waves.

Now he was in land-dweller territory ... and the deck seemed frustratingly stacked against his favor.

A moment later, Viniece was startled by a swooping sound as a white feathered falcon landed no a few meters from his position. By now, the sea elf was slowly walking past one of the adjacent districts of the Southern Quarter. Here lay a curious combination of estates, small homes, and shoppes. There was a tailor just a few paces from him while a bread shoppe sat next door. But it was the falcon that caught Viniece's attention the most. It wasn't every brightening that a falcon simply landed in some unsuspecting street.

The bird flapped its wings once and shrieked at Viniece, apparently conversing in some bird-based language. Viniece was about to carry on with his awkward mission when all of a sudden a voice broke the windy silence.

"Excuse me, monsieur" came the voice "but I was wondering if you knew where Le Parc was?"

Spinning around to confront the speaker, Viniece found no one until suddenly the snow colored falcon flapped its wings again. "Down here, monsieur." the bird said "Yes, I beg your pardon. I know this must be strange ..."