The Three Diaries

[00:00:00] The Thieves Guild starts in 90 seconds, but first we wanted to provide you with a quick showcase from our Artifacts of the Arcane podcast.

[00:00:10] Master Simin created multiple illusions of us leaving the station.

[00:00:15] Someone looking for us would have had a hard time choosing which group was the real one, or even knowing there was an illusion at all.

[00:00:23] That alone is extraordinary, but he also excluded us from the illusion, which is something very few magicians can do.

[00:00:33] Parlor tricks.

[00:00:34] Naomi scoffed. She was sitting across from me. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles.

[00:00:41] She looked immensely pleased with herself.

[00:00:44] Respect, young lady.

[00:00:46] Respect?

[00:00:47] Naomi pulled her legs in and pointed at Master Simin.

[00:00:51] He didn't help at all while I was saving us. At least his friends did something.

[00:00:58] Naomi.

[00:00:59] Master Simin raised his hand at Mr. Ali.

[00:01:02] It's okay, Ali.

[00:01:04] He stared at Naomi for a moment and then made a few movements with his hand.

[00:01:09] Naomi screamed and grabbed her throat. An enormous snake was curled around her neck.

[00:01:14] Get it off me!

[00:01:16] Her hands grasped at her neck, her fingernails scratching and clawing at the snake.

[00:01:21] Enough Simin!

[00:01:22] I looked at the Master and he smiled and shrugged.

[00:01:26] Just a parlor trick.

[00:01:30] Artifacts of the Arcane.

[00:01:32] To find out more, check out the link in the description or visit arcane.thepodcast.show.

[00:01:43] The Thieves Guild.

[00:01:45] By Jake Kerr.

[00:01:54] Episode 112.

[00:01:58] The Three Diaries.

[00:02:05] Rafe threw the book across the room and immediately felt guilty.

[00:02:10] He pushed his chair back, its hard wood scraping across the stone,

[00:02:15] and retrieved the book, gently closing it and brushing dust off its cover.

[00:02:20] It was a diary, and Rafe had hoped that he could find some information about the Magic Guild,

[00:02:27] somewhere in its pages.

[00:02:30] But rather than any discussion of spells or Magic Guild matters, it was simply a journal of memories.

[00:02:38] There were a number of the diaries in the collection that Rafe had hauled back from Pietro's quarters.

[00:02:45] They were all similar in that they contained handwritten stories told in great detail about the lives of the authors.

[00:02:53] It was the third and final diary that Rafe had thrown across the room.

[00:02:58] Stories of weddings, of births, of important moments in relationships.

[00:03:04] There were even sad moments of great loss, including the death of a child.

[00:03:10] Standing up, Rafe thought over the books as he went over to a side table to pour himself a glass of water.

[00:03:17] They were in Pietro's personal quarters, so they were important.

[00:03:22] But why were they important?

[00:03:24] What do they all have in common, Rafe thought, as he drank an entire glass of water and poured another one.

[00:03:31] As he sat back down, he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.

[00:03:36] He started to list the common threads that held the three books together.

[00:03:41] They have the same binding, Rafe said aloud as he wrote.

[00:03:44] They all seem to have been written around the same time period, with a few of the events overlapping.

[00:03:49] He tapped the end of the quill against his chin.

[00:03:53] Ah, yes. They are also written by different people with different handwriting.

[00:03:57] Rafe picked up one of the books and looked at it, examining the binding in more detail.

[00:04:03] A small indent that he had overlooked before caught his eye.

[00:04:08] It was on the lower left side of the cover and was round.

[00:04:11] He grabbed one of the other diaries. It had the same indent.

[00:04:16] So did the third.

[00:04:18] Looking from one to the other, it finally hit him.

[00:04:22] That's the same shape as the magic guild seal.

[00:04:24] He pulled the book over that showed the guild seal to confirm his finding, and was disappointed to see that it actually was not the same size as the seal.

[00:04:35] He ran his finger over each indent.

[00:04:38] They were subtly different, and they didn't seem to be built into the book.

[00:04:43] This feels like someone had pressed something against the book again and again.

[00:04:48] Rafe once again spoke aloud to himself.

[00:04:51] Creating this impression, and each book had something different pressing into it.

[00:04:55] He noted it on his parchment, and continued his list.

[00:05:00] Each diary ends with some memory from early adulthood, and each has a few dozen empty pages at the end.

[00:05:05] Rafe looked at the empty pages more closely.

[00:05:09] There was something there.

[00:05:10] But as he touched, peered, sniffed, and examined the pages, all he could really say is that it felt like there was writing on them.

[00:05:20] He didn't actually have any evidence of it.

[00:05:23] He closed the books and set them in a pile in front of him.

[00:05:27] Someone felt it important to record their most personal memories.

[00:05:30] Not all of them, and not in any kind of organised fashion.

[00:05:33] Just important memories, written down in great detail.

[00:05:37] But why? A knock on the library door distracted Rafe from his musing.

[00:05:43] Enter.

[00:05:44] Philos entered, his arms behind his back.

[00:05:47] He looked grim.

[00:05:49] Raelyn has not returned.

[00:05:51] He said, not bothering with a greeting.

[00:05:54] How long has it been? It's Raelyn after all.

[00:05:56] He may have taken a liking to an outlander girl.

[00:05:59] Rafe smiled, but Philos ignored his comment.

[00:06:02] It has been too long.

[00:06:04] The journey is long, but his horse is swift.

[00:06:07] Philos started to pace.

[00:06:09] He should not have gone alone.

[00:06:10] Too many things could have gone wrong.

[00:06:12] The rangers could have captured him.

[00:06:14] Outlander brigands may have killed him.

[00:06:16] Or the outlander king may not have been as friendly as Raelyn had thought.

[00:06:21] Crown, not king.

[00:06:23] He is the crown of the outlanders.

[00:06:24] Philos gave Rafe a withering look, as if such a detail was insulting to mention with Raelyn missing.

[00:06:32] Has Allard returned? What does he say?

[00:06:35] That's the other concern.

[00:06:37] Allard is missing.

[00:06:38] He was last seen in the flats.

[00:06:40] One of our guild members observed him walking along the throughway back toward the guild, but that was the last time he was seen.

[00:06:47] He was dressed as a ranger.

[00:06:49] But you know Allard.

[00:06:52] He is a difficult man not to notice.

[00:06:55] Do you think he was captured?

[00:06:56] I do.

[00:06:57] I do.

[00:06:58] But whether it was knight, merchant or harvest, I cannot say.

[00:07:01] Rafe stood up.

[00:07:03] We need to do something.

[00:07:04] We have members in each of those guilds.

[00:07:06] They need to find out what has happened.

[00:07:08] It has already been done, Rafe.

[00:07:10] Messengers are going out to our key members in each of those guilds.

[00:07:13] If Allard has been captured, we will know soon.

[00:07:17] Rafe sat back down.

[00:07:19] Things had suddenly turned very bad.

[00:07:22] Will we be able to free him like before?

[00:07:24] If the knights captured him, he is dead already.

[00:07:27] They will not risk another escape.

[00:07:29] If the merchants captured him, I am unsure what the young guildmaster will do,

[00:07:34] but I fear it will be to kill Allard as a show of strength.

[00:07:39] And the Harvest Guild?

[00:07:41] If the Harvest Guild captures Allard, Polo will kill him himself.

[00:07:46] It all sounds so hopeless, and Raelynn is nowhere to be found.

[00:07:49] He turned to Phelos.

[00:07:51] What can we do?

[00:07:52] We will know of Allard's fate soon enough, and if he is alive, we will free him.

[00:07:56] There is no longer a concern of our guild being exposed.

[00:08:00] That's true.

[00:08:01] Rafe replied, feeling at least a little hopeful.

[00:08:05] But what of Raelynn?

[00:08:06] We can send a force out into the plains to look for him.

[00:08:09] They can follow the trail from the South Gate to the Great Road and beyond.

[00:08:14] Yes, let's do that. The captain of the plains. Who is that again?

[00:08:17] Mio.

[00:08:19] Can we send Mio out with our best fighters?

[00:08:21] I will take care of it.

[00:08:23] Is there anything else we can do?

[00:08:24] I'm afraid not. We continue to maintain order and build goodwill in the old quarter.

[00:08:29] That is all we can do for now.

[00:08:31] That's good.

[00:08:32] I'll report back if I hear something.

[00:08:35] Phelos replied, turning toward the door.

[00:08:38] Phelos, one more thing.

[00:08:40] The guard turned and walked over to Rafe.

[00:08:42] Rafe pointed to the indent on the cover of the top book of the pile of diaries.

[00:08:48] What type of thing could make this indent? Anything official?

[00:08:51] Phelos reached out and ran his finger over the round depression.

[00:08:55] I know not.

[00:08:57] He eventually replied.

[00:09:00] A metal rod or stick, perhaps? Something with a small hard round end?

[00:09:04] Not a knife, then?

[00:09:06] No. Something blunt and round, like a rod.

[00:09:10] Phelos pulled his arm back and peered at Rafe.

[00:09:13] Why do you ask?

[00:09:14] I have scoured these books.

[00:09:17] Rafe waved around to the piles of books within the library.

[00:09:21] And I am more convinced than ever that the key to our guild's history is in these books,

[00:09:25] and that the only way to unlock them is to find that metal or wooden rod.

[00:09:29] Phelos nodded.

[00:09:31] If I find a wooden rod, I'll be sure to let you know.

[00:09:34] And with a nod, he turned and left Rafe alone, surrounded by his books and swirling doubts.