Legion's change seems to satisfy Widdle, who blinks at Snowy in astonishment, then shakes his head. "You're some strange folks, I do admit. But I'll keep my word, and tell you what I know.
Khatyan told me he used to be a scholar and librarian for the Temple of Thoth in Guqar, which is a large-ish city in eastern Assynia. About a year ago he was going over some old texts about land deeds and geography, and found a discrepancy. Now, since Thoth is a god of knowledge, over at the temple the pride themselves on accuracy, so he went out into the field to figure out what the truth was.
While he was out there, he came across what he described as a 'temple', some sort of sacred, very ancient place. There were some dead birds and animals around the entrance, which made him very curious, so he explored (being an inquisitive person by nature) and found the 'prophecy stone'. When he left, he was attacked by the dead animals, who had risen from the dead and were trying to get the stone from him and destroy it. He escaped somehow... he didn't go into any details, but didn't look to happy about the whole thing. He was a peaceful man, Sarkha was.
That convinced him that there was something to the prophecy, and so he decided he needed to find the other pieces. He told me there are six of them... he went back to his books and started researching. It got him into trouble with the other members of his church, because they didn't believe him. I don't know what else he found out, but he decided that the first stone was in this part of Escanthia.
It took him months to travel here, because of the plague and bandits and whatever else. And, he said he was attacked every so often by something or other that should have been dead, and every time whatever it was tried to take or destroy the stone.
Now, I don't know if it's all true... Sarkha was convinced, I'm sure, but it's possible he was crazy. Anyway, he came to me because I've been all over this part of Escanthia, and I make my own maps. Good ones, too, if I do say so myself -- I make sure to make 'em accurate as possible. He was looking for a likely place for the first temple to be hidden, and whenever we found a possibility he rode off and looked for it. Hadn't found it yet, though.
When he left a few days ago, we'd hit a dead end and he was going up to Fayland Water to talk to the elves. If there's anyone who's been around this area more than me, it's them."
The long speech seems to have taken a lot out of him; you get the sense that Widdle is not normally a man of many words. He leans forward, almost conspiratorially. "But, you're in luck -- I think I might have found another place."
"That's what a bandit would say, or a tax collector! Don't try to confuse me."
The stick waggles around uncertainly, not really pointing at either of you. The door opens a crack more, and with the light from Willow's candle you can see the gnome, slightly. He's unkempt to the extreme, dressed in wrinkled robes spotted with food stains. His beard is a wild tangle, and the spectacles perched on his bulbous nose are dirty and cracked.
Behind the spectacles, you can see his eyes... which are a milky, unseeing white.
