Role

Chapter 5

The prime of my life has been spent in the pursuit of the truths that are buried in
the spirit and the flesh, which can only be unlocked by mastering the dark arts. With
the recent ascension of the Dreadlord into the world of undeath, I have seen, first-
hand, the power that I seek and what it truly entails. But I find myself extremely
hesitant to put my life in the hands of the mad cleric for a chance at experiencing
the same glory. It does not make sense to subject a lifetime of discipline and
prosperity to the whim of an insane elf who might just as well kill me as help me.
No, there is little wisdom in that, and that path will not be mine.

I believe that I have not become a master of my craft - I am just now worthy of being
an apprentice. The first test, the test of time, has been passed. I have survived
despite the obstacles thrown in my way...despite the early failures. So, logic demands
that I find a suitable master to train me in the most sacred and elusive lore that
the dead keep. That master cannot be Makholvek. I must keep my distance from him, for
his wits are sharp and he pries into those who are near him, seeking to know them and
thus hold some measure of power over them. He cannot be given the chance to "know" me,
because it would prove disastrous. I have to dance on the edge of truth, and let him,
as well as everyone else, form their own inaccurate conclusions about me. If not the
Arborian cleric, and if not the Dreadlord, then who?

I must find a master who has nothing to lose by aiding a follower of the Hydra, and
who would not care even if he, or she, knew. Someone isolated from the world. Someone
ancient and out of touch with modern affairs, so that my knowledge might be welcome,
even if only for an amusement. The one who comes to mind lives alone in a shadowed
land, going by the name of Xoltrindar. Rumor has it that he is not insane, despite
existing for untold centuries...but he does not suffer the living, typically. I will
have to convince him otherwise, in my case.