In the office of Aski Medes, the scholar sits at the table writing a note for a folder contained in the cabinet behind him.
This morning I awoke to find the bed of my temporary guest empty, and all of his equipment likewise missing. My Zelak was unable to provide any clues as to what has occurred, saying simply that it did not see anything unusual. All the windows and doors are shut and locked from the inside, making this disappearance an odd puzzle.
At the Rephidim Shipyards the workday starts, and it is only a fewminutes before the absence of one of the recent hires at the DiMediciberth is noticed. A fine shipbuilder, imaginative designer, and goodemployee, there is no explanation for the disappearance. Perhaps the greatheight has claimed another victim, in spite of the safety nets. Scheduleshowever, have to be met, so the mystery is left to the temple. Theinvestigator concludes an accidental death and burglary and work goes on,though the ideas, and the promise of better tools, are sorely missed.
My guest was Sir Jarik Fireclaw, a Crydon knight and an Exile. He was one of the ones that arrived in the present wave. Exiles appearances seem to occur either very infrequently, or a large number at a time, without there being any apparent connection between the various cases. I have been trying to understand the recent surge and Jarik was explaining the details of his arrival, and his stay on Sinai to me.
In the Himar, the Northern Lights shine particularly bright one night, andall but one of a Jupani tribe stay safely huddled in their tents. Beyond their shelterstrange noises are carried on the wind. Morning comes to find everyonesafe, except for the one who went outside. That wolf never returns. Soon a funeral is held to bury the memories and the grief, by a shaman secretly glad that the singing-one is gone.
How and why Exiles arrive on Sinai is the mystery I have been trying to solve for most of my life. My examinations of many of them have provided a lot of facts and data, but no underlying theory to link them all. While it is well known that beings from other worlds do arrive here, it is more rarely known that they, and natives of Sinai, occasionally leave.
In the office of Inquisitor Zeffel, a saluki sits frustrated at his desk.The best lead in the investigation of the Captain Astromancer's murderhas vanished, without a trace. Reluctantly he gathers all his informationand stamps the file 'closed pending new evidence'. This case could havebeen solved, if only more people had cooperated with the investigation.Down in Darkside, a frayed poster flaps in the wind, fading words offering,'Reward for information on … e whereabouts of… '
I believe Sir Jarik has departed this world. He was an honourable man who gave me his word, and it is not in his character to break a promise. From what I have learned his stay on Sinai was awkward for both him and the people he interacted with. My hope is that he has moved onto someplace more suited for his abilities, one that will not treat him so harshly, and that the good work he has done here not vanish along with his presence.
Behind a closed door in an office in the Temple, a stack of papers overflows a desk onto the floor. A half completed form breaks off in mid sentence, as if the clerk had just looked up at an interrupting visitor. The pen rests nearby, waiting for the return of someone who has just stepped out, but the dried ink spoils that illusion. More forms arrive, day after day by Savanite hands, and are the only thing that occurs within the room except for the slow settling of dust. The accolades for efficiency dry up like the ink, and then reprimands to work harder gradually arrive, but they remain as unheard as the Savanites, and nothing disturbs the peace of this small room.
This note for his record concludes the information I can gather on Sir Jarik. I suspect this case is simply the first of many unexplained disappearances, and that I will be placing similar notes in other Exile Files as they become known. It is my wish that the material I have gathered will result in better treatment for the individuals that do arrive here; these aliens are a colourful and misunderstood group whose only crime is that they are not used to the unique nature of our world. Their presence will be missed.
Aski Medes closes the drawer on his files.
Editor's note: This log marks a transition point for Player CharactersTarin, Wolfsinger, Wyn, and Zephyr. Their adventures continue on Fireside TailsMUCK in "A Knot In The Tapestry" located on the Fireside Tails log site.
![](gfx/log-icon.gif)