The Shezzarrine Problem

The following transcription was recorded on the 17th of Midyear, 4e 32

AEH Where am I, you bastards? You don't let me out this instant by Remen, I will end every last one of you.

Interrogator Calm yourself.

AEH Wait, I know you. You're **. You're a Blade. You dragon fondling, milk drinking motherfu-

Interrogator I am a representative of his majesty Emperor Titus Mede. You are -

AEH I am an innkeeper in the middle of gods-damned nowhere, that's who I am.

Interrogator Yes, An innkeeper who recognized a clandestine government official and has a library full of documents that disappeared following the Interregnum. You are -

AEH I know damn well who am!

Interrogator Then you know why we have summoned you here?

AEH Better people than me to talk to. Get the monk. Or the skooma fiend. They know more than I do.

Interrogator Both are unavailable at the moment.

AEH Yeah, I'm sure. Listen, there is no way in hell you found me without finding them. I know you have them in some other dark cell just like this one and some asshole just like you is having a nice and pleasant conversation with them before they're put to the screws. Well, guess what: I never met 'em. Those two have. You aren't going to get anything from me other than guesses and strong opinions.

Interrogator That is exactly what we want. Now, we can continue to have a nice, pleasant chat, or we can do as you suggest, and "put you to the screws".

AEH Fine. I'm an old man. Not like my time has any more value. Ask away.

Interrogator Shezzarines -

AEH Well, that's your first mistake. They might not all be shezzarines. Was the first Nerevar a shezzarrine? Do you think that poor bastard we sent to Wayrest was a shezzarrine? What about Talin?

Interrogator Talin?

AEH Little nickname we used. The unknown Hero who assembled the staff of chaos was a little too wordy. Point is, we know nothing about the bastards. They all drop off the map. I'm sure you took everything that was in my library, right? You notice a folder with Seyda Neen written on it? There was some paperwork in there. The guy that ran out the cliffracers, but there was also one you couldn't read? That's the Nerevarine's, best I can tell. Whatever Akatosh is playing at involves them being forgotten. The records on the agent involved in the Warp? They're gone. Couldn't find 'em.

Interrogator Are you telling me that your best guess is nothing?

AEH No. Listen, you want this because there were four of these capital-H Heros running around in as many decades. Scary thought. Those were all, nominally anyway, working in the Empire's interest. But they haven't always, and even when they did they were monsters. Cyrus the Restless feuded with Talos himself. Pelinel's bloodbath was too gruesome, even for the gods. You want to be able to find the next one before he gets out of jail, and kill the fucker.

AEH I guess I'm right. I don't think it'll work. The thing with all these Heros is that they pop in whenever its most convenient for history. The last four just seemed to put it back on track. Return the world to normality after long periods of extra-normality. The Tribunal, the Tharn wars, the Mythic Dawn. Disruptions. The Penitus Oculatus isn't going to find the next one until its too late, because the Hero can be anyone, so long as they've hit absolute rock bottom. And lots of people do that, every day. And every single one of them is a potential Hero, just waiting for the world to get bad enough for them to become forgotten myth.

Interrogator Scribe, everything that happens now is off the record.