(Archive) - The House of Wax

*Note - log supplied by Kadareth*

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Weather: Sunny Time: Early Evening

Season: Spring Date: Mersday - April 26, 3021

Real Time: Thu Sep 14 17:46:12 2000

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Hall of Wax

The Hall of Wax has existed for many a year and is more than just its name suggests. The propreitor, Ingomir, is the fourth generation of the Glanding family that has run this shop. The Glanding family historically ran the the Candlewright\'s Guild and still does to this day, Ingomir though has also joined the Lampwright\'s Guild as he has such a power of influence. All types of ligthing instruments are for sale here at the Hall of Wax. There are dispalys of candles, lanterns, torches and even chandaliers made of bronze, copper and even gold. The candles are of many different hues, an attraction that has kept this shop in business throughout the introduction of better lighting methods like the lantern. Refraction lenses and contraptions are here that help to magnify and display the light. Matches and even very expensive fireworks can also be purchased by the wealthy. Contents: Ingomir (Vending: lantern) Obvious exits: Out

The Hall of Wax is hot with the burning candles in this already warm evening, and the air is suffused with the scent of molten paraffin. Light shines brightly here, mostly because of the glassware and metals laid out for that purpose.

\"Thank you good sir,\" Ingomir says to a stranger in a grubby white cloak and hood, handing him a few copper pieces for change. There is no response other than a movement underneath the hood indicating a nod. The stranger\'s garb is slightly dirty, but the light is so strong around it that it seems to envelop it in a halo of near-blinding whiteness.

[Beregond(#19834)] \"Ah! Good Ingomir!\" exclaims the bright voice of the tall Citadel Guard now entering the shop. \"My wife requests a dozen of your tall beeswax candles, and we\'re in need of lamp oil again.\" His mithril helm is carried under his arm, and he smiles broadly at the light merchant.

The stranger sidesteps as the Citadel Guard enters and hastily conceals his purchased wares underneath the cloak. The man\'s head is hung low, white cloth covering most of his face, save for an unshaven squared jaw.

[Beregond(#19834)] With a bemused frown, Beregond looks toward the cloaked man, shaking his head slightly before saying quietly, \"It is said that only cowards or servants of the Nameless One would go about clad in such a manner within these walls.\" The expansive gesture he makes encompasses the entire city that surrounds the Hall of Wax.

The hooded man does not move, and only a deriding snort is heard from him. Ingomar eyes the stranger with caution, and covertly scratches the metal of the stranger\'s payment as if to check its authenticity.

[Beregond(#19834)] \"Perhaps you would care to test your fate with the citizenry, Cloaked Stranger,\" says Beregond. \"I have heard that they are looking for someone to blame this \'Plague of Madness\' upon.\"

\"This will be a dark night,\" the stranger whispers out, and the hood seems to move with a subtle shudder.

[Beregond(#19834)] \"Aye, a dark night, indeed,\" says Beregond, \"and darker for you if you know not the passwords to get around the City of Stone.\"

Tamran has arrived.

\"Your concern is appreciated,\" the hooded stranger whispers harshly, and bows slightly. \"But it would best be directed towards the Steward and his family, Citadel Soldier.\"

[Beregond(#19834)] \"Then you are under arrest,\" says Beregond calmly, \"unless you can prove that such words are not meant as a threat to our Lord Steward Denethor II.\"

\"I am unarmed,\" the man replies coldly, and his tall frame under the cloak and hood does not even flinch. \"Would I be as stupid as to threaten the Steward in your presence?\"

[Beregond(#19834)] With a shrug, Beregond replies, \"I have no surprise for the depths of stupidity to which the servants of Mordor will plunge themselves to when pressed.\"

[Tamran(#30063)] Suddenly the door opens and in steps Tamran. Clad in his dark uniform, closes the door behind him not even glancing who is inside. Before the door shuts and turning his head, he speaks, \"I hope you have some lanterns, my good man. I just remembered I ....\" his words cut off as he turns around. His gaze goes to the soldier first. Immidiatelly he slaps on a salute, \"Good evening sir!\", he glances quickly at the hooded man but speaks not.

[Beregond(#19834)] \"And if you be a servant of the Nameless One, you would not be speaking true about your supposed lack of arms. No doubt when I turned to give good Ingomar her my coin, you\'d have a dagger between my ribs and deep,\" adds Beregond as his sea-grey eyes glance toward the entering sergeant.

\"Sir, you waste your time with me,\" the man speaks as he pushes the hood far down over his face. Then he withdraws his other hand from the recesses of his cloak and it is shown clutching three simple white candles. \"I told you this will be a dark night. It\'s the Steward you should be concerned with. Be sure he is out of reach from this . . . Plague.\"

[Tamran(#30063)] \"Servant of the Dark One?\" Tamran whispers to himself, unsure of what is going on. His hand brushes the hilt of his sword uncounsciously, as he looks at the stranger. Then his voice raises once more, \"A good man you might be if you shown concern of our good steward...\" a small pause he does before continuing, \"I fine spring evening today, why do you not take your hood off. No need to worry of the wind within these walls...\"

[Beregond(#19834)] \"Ah, so now you speak words more fair,\" nods Beregond, \"but the sting of your misspeak runs deep among the true servants of the Steward, for indeed he is safe in the Citadel, and takes no food or water from the lower tiers, for protection from contagion.\" He nods to the words of the sergeant, \"Indeed. Remove the hood and let us look upon your eyes and see which of your words held the greater truth.\"

\"It\'s not the wind I worry about, good sir,\" the stranger replies warily. Both his hands return to underneath the folds of the white grubby cloak as he speaks. \"So the hood remains,\" he speaks commandingly. There is a movement of the head towards the Citadel Guard, and the voice rises from a whisper to an authoritarian tone.

[Tamran(#30063)] His arm still rests upon his sword, although he seems not to have noticed, as he stands in front of the closed door. \"But know you have confused me, my good man. If you do not fear the wind, then either you are hidding something or you think the hood has more powers than a simple cloath. If the first case is true, then with us you must come, if the second case is true then you must be mad with the Plague...and again with us you must come for healing.\"

The stranger merely chuckles lightly to himself as Sargeant Tamran speaks.

[Beregond(#19834)] \"So be it,\" says Beregond, in reply to the sergeant. \"Sergeant, take this man to the Healing Houses. If he resists or attempts to run, you have the full authority of the Steward to arrest him and confine him to the Citadel dungeon, where the Steward\'s Ministers will deal with him most severely.\"

The man makes no attempt to run as Beregond speaks his order. He merely removes the hands again from under his cloak, and stretches them, palm outwards, so the guards can see them.

[Tamran(#30063)] Tamran takes a step closer, \"I do not like traveling with people who\'s face I can not see. Either remove your hood...or resist. In either case your face we shall see. I would prefere the first option.\" he says with a straight face, his voice even and clear.

\"Your persistance is futile,\" the man speaks harshly. \"You will profit nothing from seeing my face. Much on the contrary.\"

[Tamran(#30063)] \"I will be the judge of that.\" Tamran says and raising his voice, more as a command than a request he adds, \"Now show your face!\"

\"Darkness is all around us, Sargeant!\" The man shouts, and his voice chimes with authority. \"And yet you waste your time attempting to spy my face. Are you yourself mad?\"

[Beregond(#19834)] Now does Beregond raise his hand, and speak one word in a calm tone, \"Silence.\" Then after the command in his tones registers, at least, with Ingomar, he nods and continues, \"We shall see who you are, cloaked stranger, or you may keep your hood up and rot in the Steward\'s dungeons beneath the Citadel. Make your choice now, or pay the price.\"

[Tamran(#30063)] \"You dare call me mad?\" the Sergeant says, trying to contain himself. He glances a Beregond, but adds nothing, waiting for a sign of some sort.

\"Rot? I have been left to rot by you people already!\" The stranger voices outraged. \"Are you to distracted with hunting down madmen to realise the true danger that befalls this city?\"

[Beregond(#19834)] \"And what is that?\" asks Beregond, obviously more amused now than angry.

[Tamran(#30063)] \"That voice...\" Tamran murmurs under his breath, \"Sounds so familiar...\" He tries to peer within the hood.

\"You said it yourself, Soldier of the Citadel,\" the man\'s voice returns to the harsh whisper as before. \"The citizenry are preoccupied with the cause of this Plague of Madness. Or you think it superstition? Life in the citadel has spoiled your regard for the common man, I see.\"

[Tamran(#30063)] \"Enough of this idlish talk! In circles we go...\" Tamran says, as he takes two quick steps towards the stranger. Quickly grabing the extended hand of the hooded man, and turning it behind his back, grabing the man behind his neck, not puting too mush force as to hurt him, but enough to hold him

[Beregond(#19834)] Chuckling now, instead of being angered by the words as one might expect, Beregond looks upon the cloaked man with something akin to pity in his eyes, standing then in silence as his expression grows more pained with the sergeant\'s attack.

As Tamran grabs the man\'s wrist and twists it behind his back, the stranger spins obediently on his feet. However, instead of standing still, he grabs a brazier of lit candles with his free hand and tosses it behind at the sargeant\'s face.

[Tamran(#30063)] The brazier hits the Sergeant strait upon his gace. Surprised, Tamran can\'t hold on and pushes the stranger forth as he gets knocked a few steps back towards where he came from. Idly he watches the hooded man befroe he speaks once more, \"So indeed you hide something...\"

[Beregond(#19834)] Suddenly, the Citadel Guardsman is standing betwixt the pair, left hand extended toward the sergeant, but his blazing eyes are fixed on the hooded man. \"You have just assaulted one of the Steward\'s guards, sir. That is a serious offense even for one stricken by the plague of madness.\" He shakes his head, extending his hand toward the cloaked man, \"Come. We need to take a walk away from this place.\"

Then to Ingomir, he says, \"I shall send Bergil for the candles and oil in a bit, good merchant, but duty takes precidence at this particular moment.\"

Free from the prison of Sargeant Tamran, the stranger spins back to face the two guards and the horrified shopkeeper. His hood, though askew, still covers most of his head and reveals naught but the stubble on the man\'s chin as well as a pair of thin crooked lips.

\"That attack was uncalled for, sargeant,\" he says disapprovingly as he inches slowly towards the exit. His hand is now wrapped around the metal handle of a blazing torch, which he brandishes fiercely before him.

[Beregond(#19834)] \"No need have you for the brazier,\" says Beregond with what he would hope is a disarming smile. \"The sergeant will be dealt with in due time. Fortunately for him, you have my undivided attention right now.\"

[Tamran(#30063)] \"Uncalled for? Well first of all it was no attack! Second of all, you have been given more chances to remove your hood than what it is accustom for. We ask with respect but that did not seem to work. We ask with authority, but you just laughed...\"

Suddenly, the flaring torch is sent flying into Beregond\'s arms. There is a blinding flurry of white as the cloak too is flung at the men\'s faces. And as soon as it drops, the stranger is gone through the door, now wide open. A warm breeze from outside disturbs the peaceful flicker of the flames lit around the shop, and the three candles purchased by the stranger now roll in abandon across the street cobbles.

[Beregond(#19834)] Fast hands make several grabs for the lit torch ere it sets fire to Beregond\'s tabbard, drawing a shout from the man as he first takes several steps to pursue the fleeing figure of the now de-cloaked man, then, thinking better of it, stops to put out the flames. When he looks up, the street is empty the man is gone.

[Tamran(#30063)] Like the Citadel guard, Tamran goes about trying to stop the flames from spreading. When he is done, he finds the door wide open and the stranger gone.