The next morning is spent waiting for a message from Lady von’Indi with introductions to the Postmaster and the Overseer. The message finally arriving in the early morning, the troupe decides to head there immediately.
The Postmaster lives in a fortified tower in the north side of Opal and the Troupe catches Postmaster Malown sitting down for breakfast. The Postmaster is a hard and scruffy-looking northman, though diminutive in stature, and as the Troupe sits down to join him Mar’Khabazza gets straight to business, informing the Postmaster of the two mines in the river valley and the threat of the sudaar to merchants passing along the Great Road.
The Postmaster agrees to his request for aid, offering funding supplies and men to help in the eradication and the Troupe departs to begin planning the expedition.
Upon leaving the tower however, Ravenna spots a small yurt of hides and wood to the west and decides on a whim to pay it a visit.
She knocks on the door and a ferret-faced man of ill disposition answers the door. She introduces herself and askes about his business.
He introduces himself as Kanosak the Keeper and when pressed he says that he is the keeper of the Ledger – the book that holds the current loans kept by prisoners working the mines here in Opal. Apparently, prisoners of the Empire sent to the Jewell Cities are assigned a debt that must be paid to the Emperor and this debt is paid off by working in the mines.
After some pleasantries are exchanged, Ravenna turns to go and Kanosak spots Mar’Khabazza and Magnus for the first time. He pays Mar’Khabazza no mind, but is startled by Magnus’ presence.
“Thirty-one seventy-four! I’m surprised to see you have returned to Opal!” he starts.
Ravenna turns back while Magnus looks unimpressed. “Excuse me?”
Kanosak gestures at Magnus and explains, “This is prisoner three thousand one hundred and seventy-four. He paid off his indenture going on eight years ago and vowed never to return to the Jewell Cities. But here you are!”
Ravenna focuses her will and casts a dweomer upon Kanosak, who instantly becomes agreeable to her. She invites the four of them into his yurt, which is furnished with a simple bed, some wood chests for storage, some bookshelves and a writing table with a large book bound in red leather upon it.
Ravenna asks more about Magnus’ background.
“His tally will be in the Ledger over there,” he says pointing to the bound book. “But if memory serves, thirty-one seventy-four was brought here on charges of mutiny and sedition, having refused to fight against the northern tribes any longer. I believe his sentence was seven hundred thirty pence, but it is a dim memory. Again, it will all be in the Ledger.”
“Will names be in the ledger?” Ravenna asks.
“Indeed. When a prisoner arrives I note their name, the date of their arrival, their sentence and assign them a number. They then begin work to pay off their debt to the Emperor.”
Casually, Magnus goes over to the book and thumbs through it, seeing page after page of prisoner numbers, names, and current tallies. Page 3174 is missing, neatly torn out near the binding.
“What is the meaning of that?” Ravenna asks the keeper.
He is shocked. “I don’t know. I don’t know! I am the Keeper of the Ledger and I am the only one who maintains the tally. Someone must have defaced the book when I was not attending to it.”
With no more information forthcoming about Magnus’ shadowy past, the Troupe departs back to their house and Ravenna lets the spell fade.