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-- Cager proverb
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Copyright 1998 by Jon Winter, art by Chris Appelhans ( Planar / female medusa / Priestess of Shekinester / Sign of One / N ) . |
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QAIDA: Magnum Opus, you have long
been regarded by Cagers as an eccentric verging
dangerously on the barmy. What have you to say in
your defence? MAGNUM Nothing. The chant is
probably right. I don't know anyone else who'd
willingly venture to Nessus, and then tell anyone
who asked all about it. Digging up the darks that
the Multiverse would rather forget is my passion,
and probably will be the death of me, but this far
I think I've escaped retaliation from the berks
whose secrets I'm exposing. Perhaps that's because
I'm often out of the Cage on business, or in the
Cage out of reach, or maybe it's because my museum
is so hard to find. Whatever; maybe I'm just
lucky. Q: You do seem comfortable with
this mimir. I normally have to remind cutters to
speak up and talk at the mimir while I am
interviewing them. M: I am familiar with mimirs. I
have about a dozen of my own, stationed in my
museum. I use them to record my essays and
research; after all, more bashers can understand
spoken common than read it for themselves. Besides,
I find mimirs most useful for recording observation
taken in the field; rather like you are doing
yourself right now, except my subjects tend to be a
little older than yours. Q: You mentioned your museum. Do
you think people are really interested in what you
have to say? After all, it did happen a long time
ago. M: You only have to look at the
faces of my visitors to see that's a silly
question. Real bloods are always curious about
anything unknown, but when I present them with
theories that may answer the more fundamental
questions of our existence, they're doubly keen to
learn. You might say that the ancient history of
Baator is dead and gone, but I believe it's
important to understand how the baatezu came to be
like they are. If you understand something, you're
all the more prepared for it when it comes. And
maybe it's the Signer in me talking now, but I find
it hard to believe a Multiverse that you've
imagined yourself could hold secrets that you can't
or shouldn't learn about. Maybe that's why I do
what I do... |
SEE ALSO:
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Q: You have been accused by
Tripicus,
ursinal scholar of the Prime, of being
sensationalist and making claims without being able
to offer evidence. M: I have. In turn, I accuse
Tripicus of being a dreary old bear. He well knows
that progress in theory cannot be made without a
little guesswork. I make it clear to all my
visitors that I cannot prove a word of what I
offer, but if they had seen the sights I have seen
then I assure you there'd be a lot more faith in my
ideas. Actually, I'm looking into adding visual
effects to the Musée by way of illusions and
phantasms. I asked Kesto
Brighteyes if he'd
help me, but he's too busy with his bookshop,
apparently. He recommended instead another gnomish
friend of his, one Belbrox.
I don't suppose you've heard of him? It's something
I'll be pursuing, I think, provided he's not too
expensive. Q: Does your work pay
well? M: No. I don't charge much for
entry into my museum; I figure that if cutters are
keen enough to hunt for it then they deserve a
break. I run up expenses pretty fast on my
expeditions too; magic and psionics to protect a
party from the more hostile planes, and guides like
the blood Martiken
Solitz sadly
don't come cheap. But then who ever said the truth
wouldn't be costly, eh? Much of my work is funded
by donations from bloods who recognise its
importance. They would like to remain
anonymous. Q: Bloods like
Zadara
the titan, Marchosias
Chou and
Traloc
the sharn? M: You took the very words out
of my mind! Interesting power you have there. I
trust those names will travel no further than your
mimir? Q: You live alone in the
Musée. Do you get lonely? M: I used to. Some years ago I
took a companion in, but forgot the effect my
visage would have upon him. Of course, I paid to
have the poor sod changed back to flesh, but he
left me shortly afterwards. I always wear a veil of
gold thread now, unless I'm scaring off intruders!
While I might dwell in the museum alone, (except
for the ghosts of course), I do have many friends
in Sigil. Dear little Julius
often visits me, the
planewalker Soma
Purusha borrows and
lends me books, and Lu
Ruskin the tiefling
key merchant, she likes a good bit of dark, which I
exchange for keys I need to the rare portals I
locate. That reminds me; Lissandra
the Gateseeker pays
good jink for dark on those portals too. There's
another source of income. Q: I understand you know the
tout Voilà!
Tell me about him. M: Ask him yourself! He's the
only one who really knows. As you well know, I'm
not one to keep secrets to myself, but the only
thing I can tell you is that he certainly
ain't a githzerai. 'Course, I can't prove a
word of it; it's just a hunch I have. But you also
well know that one of my hunches is as good as the
truth, most times. He's at least as inquisitive as
yourself too, my dear. Q: Is there anything you do not
dare to research? M: Only one. I will not touch
upon the Lady of Pain's history. Heavens know I
know more about it than your average tout, but she
is one blood I won't be featuring in my
Musée. Why? It's purely by her grace that
I'm still out of the dead book right now, I reckon.
I've heard chant that says I'm a favourite of hers,
but if so, she never told me! Besides, a Lady needs
her privacy, doesn't she? If those leatherheads of
the Will
of the One want to
pry and meddle into her decrees, they're welcome
to, but I'll make sure I'm on a far away plane the
day the Lady comes to put a stop to their antics!
I've always been a mainstream factioneer myself;
it's the fringes of history that interest
me. Q: Magnum Opus, thank you very
much. M: The pleasure was all mine. I
hope you'll come and visit me in the Musée
soon.    |
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