Frost 59 122
Garr had grown increasingly comfortable with his Astral Projection ability, using it to observe people without their knowledge. It had become something of an addiction for him, and he couldn't help but wonder what other secrets he could uncover. As he lay in his bed one day, he decided that it was time to turn his newfound skill toward someone who had always remained elusive to him: his own father. Garr's father was a stern, enigmatic figure, involved in the family's business dealings but always keeping his cards close to his chest. Garr had long suspected that there was more to his father's activities than he let on, and now he had the means to find out.
Closing his eyes, Garr focused on his father's image and felt his astral form detach from his physical body. He drifted through the Slipspace until he found his father in his study, hunched over a pile of documents. Garr observed him for a few moments, taking in the sight of the man he knew so little about. His father seemed to be reviewing some sort of financial records, his brow furrowed in concentration. Garr was about to dismiss this as a mundane part of his father's day when he noticed something odd. Among the documents were several papers with a strange, foreign-looking symbol on them. He couldn't quite make out the details, but it piqued his curiosity.
As Garr's father finished his review, he rose from his chair and left the study. Garr followed closely behind, his astral form floating silently through the halls of their home. His father stopped in front of a large, ornate door – one that Garr had never been allowed to enter. The door led to his father's private office, a place strictly off-limits to everyone else in the household. Garr hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself and slipped through the door. Inside, he found a grand room, its walls lined with shelves full of books and artifacts. In the center of the room was a large, imposing desk, and his father was already seated behind it, rifling through more documents.
Garr's father suddenly looked up, as if sensing something amiss. Garr's heart raced, but he knew that his astral form was invisible to the naked eye. His father glanced around the room, then shook his head and returned to his work. Garr let out a quiet sigh of relief and continued to watch. As the afternoon wore on, Garr's father sent for his personal assistant, who arrived carrying a stack of invitations. He handed them to his father, who examined each one carefully, making notes on a separate sheet of paper. It appeared as though he was planning to attend a series of meetings, the first of which was scheduled for later that day.
Garr decided that he would follow his father to the meeting, eager to learn more about his secretive activities. He knew that he was taking a risk, but the desire for knowledge was too strong. As his father left the office and made his way to the meeting location, Garr followed, unseen and undetected. Garr's father arrived at a dimly lit room. Garr's astral form floated in after his father, hovering in a corner to observe the proceedings.
The room was filled with regular looking people. Eventually a few people joined his father at the table and a hushed meeting began with a discussion about slave productivity, a topic that Garr found distasteful but not surprising. The attendees spoke in hushed tones, exchanging ideas on how best to extract the maximum value from their slaves while maintaining control. Garr's father remained silent, listening intently and taking notes.
As the conversation wound down, a man with a hood pulled low over his face entered the room. Garr could see that this man's presence made the others uneasy. He approached Garr's father and handed him a small, leather-bound book. Garr strained to hear their whispered conversation, but could only catch a few snippets of words – "arrangement," "payment," and "security." The hooded man then produced a pouch from his cloak, and Garr's father handed over a substantial sum of money. The exchange was swift and discreet, with the hooded man disappearing as quickly as he had arrived. The other attendees resumed their discussions, but Garr's father seemed preoccupied, his eyes fixed on the small book.
As the meeting came to an end, Garr's father gathered his belongings and left the room, his expression unreadable. Garr followed him back to their home, his mind racing with questions about the mysterious hooded man and the nature of their business dealings. He knew that he had stumbled upon something significant, but the full extent of it remained hidden. Garr returned to his physical body, lying in bed and mulling over the events he had just witnessed. He couldn't shake the feeling that his father was involved in something dangerous – and that the strange symbol and mysterious hooded man held the key to understanding it all. The thought of blackmailing his father crossed his mind, but he knew that he needed more information before he could even consider such a risky move.
For now, Garr resolved to keep a close eye on his father, using his Astral Projection ability to learn as much as he could about the man's secret life. He knew that it would be a dangerous game, but the stakes were too high to ignore. Garr spent the next few hours discreetly observing his father through Astral Projection. He watched as the man went about his daily routine, meeting with various influential people, and managing his business. Despite his father's seemingly normal activities, Garr couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease.
Garr decided to expand his investigation to include those closest to his father, starting with his brother. He was known for his unwavering loyalty and dedication to their father, often acting as his right-hand man in matters of business and politics. If there was anyone who might be privy to his father's secrets, it would be him. Garr dedicated the second half of his day to this task. He watched as his brother attended meetings, managed the family's assets, and socialized with other prominent figures in the area. Yet, despite Garr's meticulous observation, he found no indication that he was involved in any sort of suspicious activity.
Garr's frustration grew as he struggled to find any evidence of wrongdoing. He began to wonder if he was wasting his time, chasing after shadows and half-formed suspicions. However, the memory of the mysterious symbol and the shady individuals his father had met with only served to fuel his determination. If his brother was not involved, it meant that whatever his father was involved in must be far worse than he had initially imagined. As Garr lay in his bed, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy towards his brother. His brother seemed to have everything; the respect and admiration of their father, a position of power within the family, and a seemingly unblemished reputation. Yet, Garr couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than met the eye.
He decided to think about other approaches. Rather than continuing to spy on the brother directly, he could focus on the people his brother interacted with. Perhaps they held the key to uncovering the truth. He figured he could start by carefully selecting his targets, taking note of the individuals who appeared to be closest to his brother.
Garr talked himself out of doing too much in one day, however. He stopped using magic and thought about whether he really wanted to go down this path and dig up all his family’s secrets. Spying on pretty ladies was a lot more fun than spying on his family. Garr ultimately decided to pause his spying for now and to simply check in on his father with Astral Projection from time to time. He had better things to do with his time than spend more time with someone he hated. Garr knew that he needed to get his mind off of his father, as the constant thinking was beginning to take a toll on his mental well-being. Seeking solace, he retreated to a quiet corner of the family estate, where he often went to meditate and clear his mind. Sitting down on the plush cushion, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the sensation of the air filling his lungs and then slowly releasing it.
As he continued to breathe in and out, he felt the tension in his muscles begin to ease, and the incessant thoughts of his father's actions gradually receded to the back of his mind. He focused on the present moment, allowing the sounds and scents of the surrounding environment to fill his senses. For a brief time, Garr found peace in the simplicity of his meditation, escaping the worries that plagued him and enjoying a much-needed respite from his quest for the truth.
Garr had grown increasingly comfortable with his Astral Projection ability, using it to observe people without their knowledge. It had become something of an addiction for him, and he couldn't help but wonder what other secrets he could uncover. As he lay in his bed one day, he decided that it was time to turn his newfound skill toward someone who had always remained elusive to him: his own father. Garr's father was a stern, enigmatic figure, involved in the family's business dealings but always keeping his cards close to his chest. Garr had long suspected that there was more to his father's activities than he let on, and now he had the means to find out.
Closing his eyes, Garr focused on his father's image and felt his astral form detach from his physical body. He drifted through the Slipspace until he found his father in his study, hunched over a pile of documents. Garr observed him for a few moments, taking in the sight of the man he knew so little about. His father seemed to be reviewing some sort of financial records, his brow furrowed in concentration. Garr was about to dismiss this as a mundane part of his father's day when he noticed something odd. Among the documents were several papers with a strange, foreign-looking symbol on them. He couldn't quite make out the details, but it piqued his curiosity.
As Garr's father finished his review, he rose from his chair and left the study. Garr followed closely behind, his astral form floating silently through the halls of their home. His father stopped in front of a large, ornate door – one that Garr had never been allowed to enter. The door led to his father's private office, a place strictly off-limits to everyone else in the household. Garr hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself and slipped through the door. Inside, he found a grand room, its walls lined with shelves full of books and artifacts. In the center of the room was a large, imposing desk, and his father was already seated behind it, rifling through more documents.
Garr's father suddenly looked up, as if sensing something amiss. Garr's heart raced, but he knew that his astral form was invisible to the naked eye. His father glanced around the room, then shook his head and returned to his work. Garr let out a quiet sigh of relief and continued to watch. As the afternoon wore on, Garr's father sent for his personal assistant, who arrived carrying a stack of invitations. He handed them to his father, who examined each one carefully, making notes on a separate sheet of paper. It appeared as though he was planning to attend a series of meetings, the first of which was scheduled for later that day.
Garr decided that he would follow his father to the meeting, eager to learn more about his secretive activities. He knew that he was taking a risk, but the desire for knowledge was too strong. As his father left the office and made his way to the meeting location, Garr followed, unseen and undetected. Garr's father arrived at a dimly lit room. Garr's astral form floated in after his father, hovering in a corner to observe the proceedings.
The room was filled with regular looking people. Eventually a few people joined his father at the table and a hushed meeting began with a discussion about slave productivity, a topic that Garr found distasteful but not surprising. The attendees spoke in hushed tones, exchanging ideas on how best to extract the maximum value from their slaves while maintaining control. Garr's father remained silent, listening intently and taking notes.
As the conversation wound down, a man with a hood pulled low over his face entered the room. Garr could see that this man's presence made the others uneasy. He approached Garr's father and handed him a small, leather-bound book. Garr strained to hear their whispered conversation, but could only catch a few snippets of words – "arrangement," "payment," and "security." The hooded man then produced a pouch from his cloak, and Garr's father handed over a substantial sum of money. The exchange was swift and discreet, with the hooded man disappearing as quickly as he had arrived. The other attendees resumed their discussions, but Garr's father seemed preoccupied, his eyes fixed on the small book.
As the meeting came to an end, Garr's father gathered his belongings and left the room, his expression unreadable. Garr followed him back to their home, his mind racing with questions about the mysterious hooded man and the nature of their business dealings. He knew that he had stumbled upon something significant, but the full extent of it remained hidden. Garr returned to his physical body, lying in bed and mulling over the events he had just witnessed. He couldn't shake the feeling that his father was involved in something dangerous – and that the strange symbol and mysterious hooded man held the key to understanding it all. The thought of blackmailing his father crossed his mind, but he knew that he needed more information before he could even consider such a risky move.
For now, Garr resolved to keep a close eye on his father, using his Astral Projection ability to learn as much as he could about the man's secret life. He knew that it would be a dangerous game, but the stakes were too high to ignore. Garr spent the next few hours discreetly observing his father through Astral Projection. He watched as the man went about his daily routine, meeting with various influential people, and managing his business. Despite his father's seemingly normal activities, Garr couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease.
Garr decided to expand his investigation to include those closest to his father, starting with his brother. He was known for his unwavering loyalty and dedication to their father, often acting as his right-hand man in matters of business and politics. If there was anyone who might be privy to his father's secrets, it would be him. Garr dedicated the second half of his day to this task. He watched as his brother attended meetings, managed the family's assets, and socialized with other prominent figures in the area. Yet, despite Garr's meticulous observation, he found no indication that he was involved in any sort of suspicious activity.
Garr's frustration grew as he struggled to find any evidence of wrongdoing. He began to wonder if he was wasting his time, chasing after shadows and half-formed suspicions. However, the memory of the mysterious symbol and the shady individuals his father had met with only served to fuel his determination. If his brother was not involved, it meant that whatever his father was involved in must be far worse than he had initially imagined. As Garr lay in his bed, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy towards his brother. His brother seemed to have everything; the respect and admiration of their father, a position of power within the family, and a seemingly unblemished reputation. Yet, Garr couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than met the eye.
He decided to think about other approaches. Rather than continuing to spy on the brother directly, he could focus on the people his brother interacted with. Perhaps they held the key to uncovering the truth. He figured he could start by carefully selecting his targets, taking note of the individuals who appeared to be closest to his brother.
Garr talked himself out of doing too much in one day, however. He stopped using magic and thought about whether he really wanted to go down this path and dig up all his family’s secrets. Spying on pretty ladies was a lot more fun than spying on his family. Garr ultimately decided to pause his spying for now and to simply check in on his father with Astral Projection from time to time. He had better things to do with his time than spend more time with someone he hated. Garr knew that he needed to get his mind off of his father, as the constant thinking was beginning to take a toll on his mental well-being. Seeking solace, he retreated to a quiet corner of the family estate, where he often went to meditate and clear his mind. Sitting down on the plush cushion, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the sensation of the air filling his lungs and then slowly releasing it.
As he continued to breathe in and out, he felt the tension in his muscles begin to ease, and the incessant thoughts of his father's actions gradually receded to the back of his mind. He focused on the present moment, allowing the sounds and scents of the surrounding environment to fill his senses. For a brief time, Garr found peace in the simplicity of his meditation, escaping the worries that plagued him and enjoying a much-needed respite from his quest for the truth.
