February 21st:

From all the talk, Rory had wondered if Higaide was imprisoned by the Sho, but he had to ask. Had he not, he wouldn't have known that it was much worse than that. He ripped out the page he wrote his letter on, crumpling it up and throwing it at Z's feet. "Burn it," he spat.

*Z picked up the letter, grumbling.*

"What am I your personal disposal machine now?"

*She glanced down at the writing curious.*

"Just do it," he growled, walking toward some empty spot in the room to sit and be left to his own thoughts. "Or give it to someone who will, I don't care."

*Z glances through the letter, giving a small snort at one point.  Then, much to Rory's amusement I'm sure, she reaches in her bag and pulls out a flint and tender, catching spark to the paper.*

"Human's motives, unknown.  No known augmentation experiments upon Olthoi, invalid test subjects."

"Too many things! Too many!" Snarg holds his head in his hands and scratches furiously. "Get Kez ... get Higaide ... tower people ... kill Gaerlan... Wildpaw ... too many things to do!"

The creature lowers its arm, the image vanishing away, as it moves away from Snarg. "If incapable, can rescind support. Allow to exist in... normalcy."

"No!" Snarg shakes his head furiously. "No, just too many people to help. It'll be worse if you take more away. This just means we need more help! We need to call in favors, get tribe mates - everyone! We can do it, just need more hands. Everything's just so spread out ... don't want to triage."

"You just need to stop worrying about things you can't control," Rory said, raising his voice again. It sounded like he was also trying to convince himself. "We'll cross the "kill Gaerlan" bridge, and everything else, when we get to 'em. We have things down here that turn people into Tuskers, an airship to keep concealed, and an island to travel to. That's what we need help with, so ask about that."

"I did unless he's forgotten." He looks at the scarecrow creature questioningly, "you didn't forget ... did you? Back in the cell?"

Fierneceal has, meanwhile, not gone with Zeiss who has tried to leave to get the Archweaver, more or less ignoring him.  She is listening intently still, and frowns after a moment.  "Wait, wait.  I have a question.  Who experimented on their Olthoi friend, who is holding Vesayen Lassel now, and most importantly of all, does Gaerlan have anything to do with any of these?"

The creature is silent for a moment.  "Group designation: Pinnacle, experimenting on Discord with regards to Olthoi.  Group holding Earth island, sub-section of Vyeotians.  Rogue Scion has no connection with any previously mentioned subjects to known knowledge."

Seeing that Fierneceal was ignoring him, Zeiss just sighed. He was preparing himself to leave when he thought about something. He stayed immobile for a few seconds.

"Yeah, Pinnacle. I saw them on the map and that's what the Nightmare said he was a part of. Makes sense that they're the ones who were messing with Kez ... for whatever reason. Discord? I guess that's a pretty fitting name for what happened when she touched that crystal. But wait ... if they're holding it, then what's 'Supremacy'? Are they the sub-section?" Snarg looks up at the other group members sheepishly. "Oh, uh, yeah, I haven't had a chance to sketch this out yet with everything going on, but, I saw a map with areas held by the Pinnacle, Supremacy, and Scions, which would mean Gaerlan. Vesayen Lassel was under Supremacy control."

Being confused by who these different factions were, and feeling overwhelmed by the events, Zeiss had decided to leave this place for now. But not before asking one last question to the Scarecrow. Ignoring Snarg's comment about drawing a map with the different factions on it, Zeiss just asked :

"Who or what is responsible for the death of the green mages fifteen years ago?"

There is no processing time nor delay in answering Zeiss' question.  "The experiments of the Pinnacle on Discord."

The answer shocked Zeiss. For a few moments, he couldn't react. He didn't expect such a direct answer. With calm and tact, Zeiss then says :

"Of what is composed the Pinnacle? Are they organic? Where are they based? What kind of power do they possess? What is the process that you call Discord?"

*Z has moved closer to Fiernaceal, but remains silent listening.*

Snarg's mouth falls open in surprise. "They're the ones who caused that genocide?!? Why would you do something like that?!?"

"Would any of those answers make you feel better?" Rory replied, more somber than surprised by the new information. "Only true satisfaction you'll ever get from them is when you finally kill them. It's what they deserve."

"Accident.  Attempt at summoning Discord, caused alteration in entire Earth Ley Line across structure.  Pinnacle is name self-granted by organization dedicated to re-organizing structure to original form.  Many agents in many locations, impossible to generalize past designation.  No base of power known.  Known power, unknown past obvious composite capacities of members."  There is a very long pause.  "Must obtain authorization to discuss Discord."

*Z looks up startled.*

"It was... an accident?!"

Zeiss ignores completely the reactions from the others. Still calm, he ask more questions.

"How do we get the authorization to talk about Discord?"

"But ... but ... when something like that happens, you don't just shrug, keep hidden, and keep going on with it! They're still keeping their genocidal experiments going after what they've done! Are they knocked in the head?!? There's nothing that could be worth that!"

"You likely do not, unless you prove to be in line with the tenats of the Eleven."  A pause.  "I do not know what the Pinnacle could be interested in with regards towards continued experimentation."