Vorik

Vorik, also called Warwick, is a hunter captain of the Holy Inquisition in the Mürekkep ve Çelik ("Ink and Steel") campaign, sent to the Archon by the emperor's order during its exams. Among the witch hunters that rank is rare and is won by merit more than seniority.^{1 2}

Arrival

The witch hunters' coming to stay at the Archon was announced at breakfast by the old grandmaster Follos, a teacher of the history of religion, and met with silence and anger: some students had lost family to the hunters or been torn from their homes by them. That evening the paladin Traumir led five witch hunters into the dining hall. Vorik walked at their head, hard-faced, with the gold marks of his rank. At his belt hung a pistol, a rare and costly weapon in the Empire; witch hunters are known to favour firearms because bullets pierce many magical barriers. The history teacher Hemme introduced him.^{3 4 5 6 1 7}

Follos

As Castor spoke against the hunters' presence and turned to leave the hall, one hunter accused him of defying the emperor's order and reached for his crossbow. Follos rose and, with a gesture, held the hunter frozen. Castor said that if anyone was to be arrested it should be him, and Traumir ordered the paladins to take him.^{8 9 10}

Spoiler: What followedRevealSpoils: Mürekkep ve Çelik #9; Mürekkep ve Çelik #10; Mürekkep ve Çelik #11 · Say what you have read

Vorik drew his pistol and shot Follos in the head. The teachers overturned the table as they rose; Follos, ninety years old and loved by all, fell and his blood ran down the steps. It was the first murder the dining hall had ever seen. Paladins later said no one else had died, and the next morning Vorik was summoned to the temple for an inquiry and taken away by paladins. Questioning Castor later, Vorik said he had known Follos and wanted his shot not to have been in vain.^{11 12 13 14}

Follos's chair stood empty at the feast that welcomed Castor back, and students laid flowers on it. Castor gave meaning to his sacrifice in a speech, and the hall drank in his honour.^{15 16}

Questioning Castor

Castor was given to the witch hunters and tortured for days by a younger, grey-haired hunter with a rapier, who read out charges of conspiracy against Emperor Conrad and obstruction of the hunters' justice. Castor bore it without breaking.^{17 18 19}

Then Vorik came. He sent the others out with threats of lost fingers and eyes, took off his hat, unbound Castor and gave him water. He said he knew of Nocklin's errand and of Castor's plan, and that the Golden Lion had described Castor as very clever. He asked what Castor had learned about those working for the Sinner. He argued that once released, Castor would be taken by the other side for one of their own, and so they ought to work together. Castor refused, wanting the Archon to settle its own affairs.^{20 13}

Vorik said Castor would be freed in a day or two and that he himself would be arrested. For the sake of appearances he cut off one of Castor's broken fingers, and had him sign a statement that he had spoken freely and questioned the emperor's order.^{13 21}

Nocklin later approved Castor's refusal. Only the captain, he said, had known the plan; he guessed that the Golden Lion had set the whole business up.^{22 23}

The Golden Lion

The Golden Lion was the emperor's spymaster and a knight, the head of imperial intelligence, who knew Castor from the Archon and had come to the fortress with the emperor.^{20 24}

Spoiler: The Golden Lion at the Dwarf GateRevealSpoils: Mürekkep ve Çelik #11 · Say what you have read

At the Dwarf Gate the Golden Lion stood beside the emperor and sent his order to reinforce the dwarves through Castor to Hogar, whose men could not see the flags. When hidden arrows were loosed at the emperor, he moved to intervene and an unseen drow drove a dagger into his throat. His body lay near the dead emperor, and Nocklin later confirmed his death. Einhart Lorenz succeeded him.^{25 26 27 28 29}