[Saga] After The Fall

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 7, Part 3: To Lay in Darkness

Reylar asks "Would I... ah... have to drown these people myself? Or could I just find drowned bodies for you?"

The grotto maiden inclines her head and smacks her lips as she considers.

"I suppose I don't really care. A corpse is a corpse."

Reylar bites his lip.

"I really don't think I can do that, is there anything else?"

The grotto maiden looks disappointed. Then an she thinks a bit.

"OH! I know! You're a royal blood! If we had a child, it would be royal too! It could maybe leave the grotto, and be a prince! It'd have a better life than me! That's it! Now show me how a child is made! I have heard you must lay with me a while..."

(Curse. Of. Venus.)

Somewhat colder and damper, Reylar is a while later to be found putting on his trousers, tired from his educational session with the grotto's maiden. She eyes him strangely, as if she were a person who has just found a new kind of food and was appreciating its exoticness.

Somewhat worried though unsure about what, Reylar asks the maiden where this secret is.

She leads him for a timeless time beneath the earth, down stone tunnels damp with water, some without light at all...

After a while, a sound begins to grow. After a deal of travel, it resolves itself into the sound of many hammers, many picks, the thunder of falling rock...

The grotto maiden peeks over a stone balcony and looks down and up intp a vast bowl shaped chamber. Terrace upon terrace is filled with chained together figures, each one wielding a mining tool or pushing a cart of ore. A reddish light fills the chamber, as if from some deep fire within the earth itself, or the coal glow of a blacksmith's forge.

"See here! This is the place the lost folk go! Those the great King of Forest claims! The lost souls are made here his slaves, and they mine for him! So many loved ones and wives and childrens... walked off into the forest and here they now stay, the King's forever! No one knows of this place save me, and now you - and the dread King himself!"

Reylar decides he really needs to get out of there. The faery maiden takes him back down the tunnels, until the find her grotto, surely much quicker than it took to travel from it to the King's pit of misery.

Reylar asks her to show him the way out of her grotto, so that he might return to his friends and Mistress. She says there is a price for that also, and walks close to him, reaching up to kiss his lips. As she does so, she clasps his head in her webbed hands, and water fills Reylar's mouth. He feels for a moment teeth - like a pike's - in her mouth, and then his lungs fills with water and he is again tumbling through the dark underground river. He loses consciousness. And then, his life.

To be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 7, Part 4: The Wake and the Wakening

Three days have passed at Durenmar since Reylar walked into the woods. Votes have been taken, a lot of politicking has gone on, and the Silver Ring mages have been rushing about buying or trading for the essential supplies they need before they begin the trek home.

The following night is scheduled to be the night of the Ceremony of Welcome which sees new Mages enter the Order of Hermes. That same evening, the largest and most grandiose feast to celebrate such an event is set to occur. After that, Covenants will begin to trickle away over the next two days or so to their homes, the Tribunal officially over.

Reylar is nowhere to be found.

Astarte has been nearly catatonic since Reylar left. She keeps sleeping, only occasionally awaking and calling those who attend her by different names - some the names of long dead mages. She is cautioned against using Intellego magic to find Reylar, for Durenmar's aura makes it likely that she might experience a brush with Twilight yet again.

The former apprentices meet after having to placate a suddenly awake Astarte. She has asked them to wash Reylar's blanket. Caliana, no longer one to indulge in manual labor if she can help it, assembles her fellow mage-candidates.

Renaldo speaks.

"Look, I think Reylar's given up the ghost. He's not coming back. But I guess we should try to find him, magically. Just to say we did. I mean... we're probably not good enough to find him as it is."

After a brief discussion, Caliana is decided to be the most proficient user of Intellego Corpus magic. Holding Reylar's sheet, she focuses...

Her success is only modest, she knows that such a spell would only find Reylar if he was very close.

And he is.

The blanket begins to tug towards the nearby stream. The apprentices follow and eventually find a bed of reeds. Tangled up in them, three feet below the water's surface, is the pale, lifeless body of Reylar. Lorenzo fishes him out. He does not breath, and his lips are blue.

The assembled mages put him on the ground, and fetid water pours from his mouth. The discuss what to do with him - Astarte's possible reaction, whether he needs to be buried right away, or back at the covenant. As Lorenzo lifts him back up to take him to the covenant campsite, three fat leeches and a black metal coin fall from Reylar's mouth. Lorenzo is disgusted, and decides someone else can carry Reylar, and leaves. Renaldo examines the coin. He cannot make out the script upon it, or the terrible visage upon it. Magnus and Renaldo carry Reylar's corpse back to Helena's tent, which Caliana is still sharing.

Caliana, meanwhile, goes to speak to Handri. She tells him that Reylar is apparently dead, the victim of the new Gauntlet he set out on. She asks Handri what should be done, and who takes the body, and notes the unusual state Reylar's corpse was found in. Would Handri come look?

Handri is hesitant.
"Has Astarte seen the body yet?"
"Why no. We just found him, sir."
"Ah... I will come and see for myself after she has seen Reylar and mourned him."
Handri is obviously worried that Astarte is a bit too hard to predict at the moment, and she could do anything.

Caliana figures its best to tell Astarte and get it over with, though she does feel no small amount of pity for her.

Astarte seems awake, though dazed, when Caliana enters her tent. Caliana explains that something happened to Reylar, and he's in Helena's tent. Astarte does not wait for her to finish her sentence, and instead rushes off to see her sweet boy.

Meanwhile, Renaldo decided to say a few prayers over Reylar's body. For a few moments prior to this, the body had begun to look and smell odd. It was plain to see that Reylar's eyes were completely black, for example.

As Renaldo begins to say prayers, he notes something black in Reylar's mouth. At first he thinks its a black stone, but after he fishes it out, he sees its a black egg. Using magic, he determines it contains 8 pawns or so of Imaginem vis.

Reylar's body then begins to violently spasm inside the sheet it has been wrapped in. Magnus tries to hold it down, but it twists unnaturally, hips rotating far past where they should stop, and arms bending backwards. Fingers hooked like claws, it writhes and struggles - yet does not breath or make any sound. The stink of fetid water is intense. Renaldo steps back, holding the black vis-laden egg in both hands to protect it.

Then Astarte walks in - she approaches Renaldo but her star-filled, Twilight scarred eyes seem to rest on the egg.

"Let me see Reylar, father. Let me see my sweet boy."

Renaldo steps back to the tent's wall as Astarte approaches, her hands outstretched, but Renaldo attempts to tuck the black egg out of her reach. She puts her hands down and leans forward, whispering something in Renaldo's ear.

Renaldo's mind tries to wrap itself around what she just said, but it cannot. The words are enigma, a puzzle promising great wisdom if he can just solve it... her words spin around in his head, and its all he can think about as he stands there mumbling her words over and over, brow furrowed.

Magnus decides he'd best grab Renaldo and let Astarte to whatever she wants with the body of Reylar. As Astarte takes the egg from Renaldo, Magnus grabs him by the shoulder, leaving the writhing corpse of Reylar on the ground. As Magnus attempts to manhandle Renaldo out of the tent, he hears Renaldo's mumbling, and Astarte's spell lodges in his mind also.

Caliana sees this occuring from where she stands outside the open tent flap. She sees two grogs she orders in also struck down by the mumbled words, and so Caliana makes herself deaf with her own magic. She grabs the two mage candidates and drags them outside. Then she rushes off to get Handri as Astarte approaches Reylar's body, tenderly stroking the black egg and whispering to it.

Caliana cannot, therefore, hear the tremendous sounds the erupt from the tent as she rushes across the field. She finds Handri standing, looking past her, eyes wide. Caliana turns, and sees a torrent of color streaming up from her Mistress' tent. A whirlwind seemingly whips the tent's material, and grogs are running as fast as they can away. Laughter, chimes, church bells, nursery rhymes... all these and more can be heard coming from the camp, as if it were suddenly haunted by a thousand ghosts. As Caliana turns and runs back, she begins to hear these voices in her mind - the voices of Astarte and a very young Reylar. Her magically created deafness fades... and so does the strange whirlwind of dreams that had gripped the campsite.

Caliana makes sure Magnus and Renaldo are alright, and then she ventures towards the tent. Inside, Reylar lies, wrapped in his burial sheet. On the sheet and the grass and the carpets Helena brought to cover the bare earth is a bleached outline, as if all the color had been sucked from its surroundings. The outline, down to strands of hair, is that of Astarte.

Reylar is breathing.

To Be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 7, Part 5: Farewell

Reylar is alive. He remembers nearly nothing. Around his mouth the tiny pieces of a black egg shell can be seen.

Reylar is also... somehow off.... somehow slightly wrong. He does not speak like the Reylar who left days ago. He seems distant and somehow less sunny. Over the next few days the apprentices attribute this to the loss of his Master.

Handri enters some minutes later. Reylar is busy tracing Astarte's outline. Caliana is upset that so many of Helena's things are ruined. Helena, who had been in the camp a bit earlier when Reylar was brought in, arrives a while later with a new tent, refusing to use her old one.

Handri, after his arrival, sees what has happened. He tells Reylar quietly that he is very sorry. Reylar then begins to speak of the secret he found in the mountains, and expounds upon it in a harsh whisper. Handri is taken aback, for though the dungeons of the Black Fir are rumored, no one as far as he knows has actually been there and returned to tell the tale. Later that evening, he returns with a small group of elder Merinita, and they confirm him as a mage candidate of House Merinita - perhaps a decision more easily reached to find some good in the tragedy of Astarte's death.

The next evening of note is the Ceremony of Welcome. The Oath of Hermes is sworn by each new mage-candidate in the Forum of Hermes. Feasting occurs, and each apprentice take up their Hermetic name, and is taught the final secret of the Parma Magica. A great feast follows, many toasts are made, a a good deal of conversation overhead deals with Astarte's loss.

After the feast, Caecilius summons the new mages. He shows them the magnificent red book, his masterpiece on Intellego. He shows them also the assembled primers on the arts he has collected for them as their prize, and inquires as to their future covenant. When they have settled, he explains, these books will be sent to them.

Then he talks to them of the situation with Yorick, Murion, and the Rhinegraf. In giving an overview of the situation, he notes:

1. Murion took Yorick as an apprentice, and believed she had used sufficient Mentem and Imaginem magic to make tracking her down impossible. She was, apparently, wrong.
2. The Rhinegraf is mainly concerned that he has not heir. He does not seem personally worried about Yorick and in fact, cannot provide many details about Yorick as a person.
3. Someone provided the Rhinegraf with the secret of how to penetrate Durenmar's magical protections that normally keep mundane folk from ever finding the covenant.
4. While preparing for the Tribunal, Murion has failed to give a full season of instruction to Yorick for the past three years, or provided a teacher to take over these duties.

In Caecilius' mind, item 3 is the most dire one.
Item 4 is serious and warrants correction.
Item 1 escapes him, but the Rhinegraf is a friend of some important Church officials west of the Black Forest, and this could be potentially bad for the Order. Caecilius assumes from speaking with the Rhinegraf, that he was not fool enough to enter a gathering of wizards without some sort of plan lest the wizards try to ensorcel him or otherwise use magic to make this problem go away.

Caecilius asks the new mages, who know Yorick and met the Rhinegraf however briefly, what they think of this, and if they can see any solutions.

Lorenzo is first to speak, and suggests that if the Rhinegraf is mainly concerned with an heir, them perhaps the Order, or Murion specifically, can compensate the Rhinegraf by making sure he has an heir or two in the very near future, and possibly one a bit more manly than the gangly, always-eating Yorick.

As for Murion, Renaldo, now a Bonisagus, suddenly decides to toe the party line and suggest that Murion is above any sort of punishment or wrongdoing. The other new mages disagree, and Lorenzo, ever-able to see to the heart of the matter, suggests she be fined vis and forced to make up her lack of training - perhaps two seasons a year for the next three years?

Caecilius seems mildly impressed with the acumen of Lorenzo and the other new mages and thanks them for their time.

The Mages of the Three Silver Ring Covenant and their former apprentices finalize their preparations for leaving, and take the trail leading out of Durenmar, to the distant river...

To Be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 7, Part 6: Homeward and Hellward

The trip by river, forest road, and forest path is relatively uneventful. Reylar seems much more comfortable on the Black Forest road, and gazes out into the dark forest at night. Some food is bought as the caravan of mages, carts, and grogs get closer to Three Silver Rings.

Finally, the group arrives. The Masters had mentioned that they will foresake half their share of covenant vis and give it to the former apprentices to help them start their covenant, as long as they go harvest it, so Renaldo and Caliana are eager to be about their business.

Renaldo goes up to Minae Magnus' room and knocks, and soon Korva opens the door. Korva explains that he Master is sick and she cannot spare the time to talk. Renaldo understands, and whispers that Korva's missive was delivered to the a quaesitor in Durenmar. Oh, and Caliana bought some stuff for her with the money she had given her.

Korva's face looks worried for a moment at this news. Renaldo mentions that perhaps they can talk about it over their dinner in the common room tonight. Korva, recovering her composure, tells Renaldo that she will be by her master all night. He has a fever, you see. Somewhat put off by her lack of enthusiasm to speak, Renaldo leaves.

The next day, the new mages are wandering back from vis harvesting with various small jars and pouches full of the forest's mystical bounty. As they come to the gorge that leads to the tower, the follow it, and then come across the spot where they found Renaldo being chased by wolves. Magnus notes that someone filled in his pits - and as he walks past them, he sees a hole has been dug in this freshly deposited earth, most likely by some forest animal. As he peers in the hole closer, he sees the ivory glint of what appear to be human bones.

The new mages excavate and produce an entire skeleton. Caliana's Intellego Corpus can only determine vague facts about the skeleton - it is male, and old. Use of Intellego Vim determines that magic was used to keep this body alive beyond its natural span - it is the skeleton of a mage.

Renaldo immediately mentions Korva's strange demeanor. He shakes his head, postulating that she must have finally snapped after Minae Magnus' cruel treatment and lack of training, and killed her Master. Though none of them liked Minae Magnus, they know that the oath they swore must forbid such occurences, and she must be brought to justice. They go to speak to Victor and Helena.

Helena is greatly skilled in Corpus magic, and conjures an image of the restored body: it is indeed Minae Magnus. She also determines that his throat was cut.

Lorenzo then asks it if is possible to exchange minds between two people. This causes a bit of a shock to run through the small group. Victor admits it is possible - there was such a spell invented, and there are those who find it ungodly and wish it to be stamped out, but certain aspects of the Code forbid it. He relates the tale of Guorna's plans for Tremere and Tytalus.

This possibility mobilizes the Masters and they gather to meet and discuss this possibility. They tell their former apprentices that they are going to approach Minae's chambers, and if things go badly, their Parma Magica will be too weak to aid keep them safe. They need to get out of the tower, and if the worst comes to pass, flee and find a redcap at the nearest covenant - which unfortunately is Dankmar.

The young mages hurry and as their former Masters collect their wands, talismans, and other items in their collective arcane arsenals, the young mages rush out into the center of the covenant's muddy grounds.

It is then that the sound of fire bursting into being erupts, and the stink of sulfur assails the nostrils of those on the ground: a ring of fire surrounds the Covenant of Three Silver Rings, and within this ring, dancing, capering shapes can be seen, some carrying pitchforks...

End Chapter 7

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 8: The Fall of the Covenant of Three Silver Rings

Chaos breaks out as the ring of fire leaps into being and the dark figures within it begin to hop from one foot to another, capering with their pitchforks above their heads, seemingly mocking the panic-stricken people inside the ring.

A little over a dozen covenfolk are rushing up the short flight of steps to the tower's door.

A short distance away from the stairs, to the left if you leave the tower, is the barracks building - there the leader of the Grogs, Albrecht, tries to get his men to form up and bring their weapons to bear.

As the covenfolk rush into the tower in a panic, the young mages push their ways out as somewhere above, their former masters begin their confrontation with Minae Magnus.

Renaldo aids a newly arrived young woman who stumbles in the rush of people, while Caliana stands by the door, loathe to go outside. She attempts to calm the covenfolk and get them to help clear a space inside, as she hopes to create a circle against demons using her knowledge of Vim magic.

Meanwhile, Magnus and Lorenzo have taken up position on the stairs. Lorenzo brandishes his casting tools and causes a section of the distant fiery ring to leap back, creating a gap to possibly escape through. A demon, now naked of flame, turns and notes the assembly at the tower's foot. For the first time, the denizens of the covenant get a good look at the demons.

Some seven feet tall, slightly shorter than Lorenzo, they appear to be horribly burned figures - dark, charred skin stretched over a horned skull that suffices for a face. Between their legs hangs a livid pink human face with a leering expression and a long, hanging tongue. In its hands, a barbed pitchfork is grasped by gnarled, clawed hands.

Magnus stands behind Lorenzo on the steps, and attempts to use Demon's Eternal Oblivion to scourge one of the demons. He seems unsuccessful but as beads of sweat begin to dot his brow, his willpower triumphs and the demon seems lessened, yet not destroyed. His second such spell at the same target causes it to vanish in a stinking cloud of sulfurous fumes. Magnus yells in triumph.

(The Demons have Infernal Might 15, while Magnus knows DEOblivion at level 10)

Other demons within the burning ring, however, begin to dig their pitchforks into the fiery ground around them, and then pull up chunks of brimstone which they then send flying through the air. One dashes itself upon Magnus' Parma Magica, but another hits a grog square in the chest. He falls to the ground screaming, burning coals lighting his wound as the smell of sizzling fat and seared flesh assails the nostrils of the covenant's defenders.

To Be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 8, Part 2: The Battle with the Devils

Caliana has managed to get a few covenfolk to aid her inside the common room, though a few still try to hid in the kitchen. A space is cleared and she tries to go over what little she remembers of wards. She needs a circle... and yells as much to Renaldo who is standing by the door, semi-petrified. He considers for a moment and conjures a sturdy vine, quickly tying the ends together and hoping it will suffice. As he casts, however, he notes that magic has become harder - the aura of the covenant has turned Infernal.

(This sudden six point difference as the aura goes from Magic 3 to Infernal 3 vexes the young mages, especially Magnus as he tries to destroy the demons with his Perdo Vim magic)

Meanwhile, a demon has rushed up to Lorenzo - the same one he yanked the ring of fire off of. As it approaches, Lorenzo tries to cast a spell upon it, but cannot overcome its infernal power - and so as the demon gets close to him, he tucks away his casting tools and instead rushes forth to pummel it with his massive fists. He bears it to the ground and smashes its grinning, blackened face - only to discover as he knocks a tooth from its mouth that the devilish thing is burning hot to the touch. Though not hurt, he knows he might suffer if he keeps going, but he knows he cannot let the thing into the covenant.

Magnus, however, manages to dispatch the demon that Lorenzo has pinned with repeated application of the Demon's Eternal Oblivion, though it is hard for him to guarantee the initial success that makes a second, fatal casting possible. He curses the Devils, but continues on.

(For the first time, people are rolling short of their Formulaic Spell targets, and thus are getting fatigued.)

As more brimstone rains down, hitting grogs and splashing against the Parma Magicae of the journeyman wizards, Lorenzo again takes his place at the base of the stairs, and casts another formulaic spell, and an incredible roar of air bursts forth from his casting tools, knocking more burning brimstone from the air. Two demons that Magnus had aroused the ire of have begun to stalk forth - but Lorenzo's spell is not enough to bowl them over due to the protection of Hell that enshrouds them. Magnus decides to fix this, however, and again lets fly with Demon's Eternal Oblivion - reducing the potency of one devil to the point that Lorenzo's wind knocks it over, and it impacts the wall of the grogs barracks.

Now Magnus makes a fateful decision as he stands behind Lorenzo, blocking the stairs. One demon is stalking forwards, closing with the mages and protected from the conjured winds. The other, weakened, is pinned to the barracks wall, unable to move under Lorenzo's spell.

Magnus, thinking militarily, decides its best to kill the weakened enemy and only have one foe to deal with rather than be potentially flanked by two wounded foes. He dispatches the pinned demon, and its comrade rushes forth and impales Lorenzo on his barbed pitchfork. Magnus sees the tines of the hellish weapon suddenly burst out of Lorenzo's back as the demon buries his weapon deep in Lorenzo's guts. The blow would surely have killed a lesser man not fortified by Lorenzo's giant heritage. As it is, the blow is severe, and the winds dissipate as Lorenzo falls to the ground. The demon's mouth pantomimes laughter, but no noise issues forth as it holds its pitchfork and twists.

The grogs meanwhile have interposed themselves between the demonic threat and the young mages on the tower stairs. Though Lorenzo is down, they manage to marshal their courage and hack at the beast, only to find that occasionally their axe's shafts burst into flame as they contact.

Caliana, meanwhile, has used every bit of magical knowledge and no small amount of willpower to erect an improvised ward against demons that should keep out their fiery assailants. She tells the covenfolk to be calm, but then a sudden thunder-crack rocks the tower from somewhere in its upper floors, and the new washergirl panics and tries to run. Caliana manages to be barely quicker than the panic-struck young woman, and with a quick touch, she sends her to peaceful slumber.

Renaldo peering around the kitchen door, is spurred into action by the thundercrack. He begins to rush up the stairs to see the state of the Masters and their battle with Korva, who may or may not be Minae Magnus. It takes him a while to ascend...

It is then that Caliana sees Lorenzo stabbed with the pitchfork. For the moment, the covenfolk are safe, and so she focuses on the demon, sending its hands into a spasm, dropping the pitchfork.

The grogs move in to hack at it, destroying their weapons as they do so more often than not, but fending the beast off. One of their grogs - Yohannes the woodsman, is embraced by the hellspawn, and his face bitten by its teeth. Gnawing at his skull, it bears him to the ground as its hands twitch and spasm. Magnus, in the meantime, tries to drag Lorenzo to his feet as the demon murders a man not two paces from him.

Valerian, formerly Reylar, grabs a broom. He had been lurking about rather opportunistically, unsure of what to do or where to be. He decides to send the broom hurtling into the demon with magic.

Unfortunately, the infernal taint of the covenant makes the magic volatile, and Valerian's broom explodes into splinters that embed themselves in Valerian's lovely face and arms. He retreats to the stairs and spends a few moments picking splinters from his body, which bleeds blue fairy blood from many small punctures. A few moments later, he rushes down to help Magnus with the immense Lorenzo.

At this time, a burst of flame shatters the top floor of the tower, and rock and fire rain down upon the tower grounds. The unfortunate Lorenzo is hit with a rock, but it merely shatters on his broad back.

Renaldo, now called Silvanus amongst those of the Order of Hermes, finally reaches the top floor. He sees the iron door to Minae Magnus' chambers smashed in as if by an immense fist. Victor and Crito stand, wands and sword out. Helena of Malta lays face down in a pool of blood, her comely face seemingly ripped off from what little Renaldo can see. Aeolus of the Four Winds is staggered against a chair, bleeding.

Standing by a massive hole in the tower is Korva, wearing a red dress under a black cloak. In her hand is a black staff, topped by a ruby.

In from of her on a small table is a bell-shaped case with a large brass ring atop it. It is big enough that a small child might hide within it. Arounds its base are six screws that keep the lid on it.

Renaldo, after hearing of the Templar's strange delivery, had long suspected that perhaps this was the fabled Seal of Solomon - an object of immense - though unclear in specifics - power.

As Renaldo stands there in the doorway, the three masters begin to intone Latin phrases and raise their arcane weapons. Renaldo decides now is the time for quick, decisive action... and he rushes into the room, startling Victor, grabs the metal case, and dives over the edge of the hole in the tower, a good six stories up in the air. As he rushes past, Korva's spell is cast and all of those in the room save her suffer a deep cutting wound. Renaldo suffers similarly, and as he dives from the room, case in hand, a trail of blood following him.

Renaldo was fairly certain he could use magic to save himself. He is somewhat less certain when the pain of his new wound hits him. He is much less certain when Magnus looks up at him as he scrambles to aid Lorenzo.

Luckily, Magnus is only momentarily concerned with Renaldo, and turns away, freeing Renaldo to use magic.

(Renaldo can't use magic if a wizard is watching. His fellow apprentices are now ALL wizards.)

Renaldo plummets to earth... He considers trying to get the vines to catch him, but realizes they are not strong enough. He hopes he can conjure a vine, but the range is too great. He suddenly realizes that perhaps jumping out of the tower with no plan in mind might have been a bit preemptory.

At the last moment, he has an inspiration, and manages to yell out some Latin as he casts aside the metal case to gesture...

A huge haystack appears, and Renaldo plummets into it.

To Be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 8, Part 3: Escape from the Konvent of the Devils

As Renaldo drags himself from the haystack, he looks for the metal case and finds it embedded in the earth, a short way from the ring of fire. He struggles over to it, bleeding profusely. He is too weak to pull it free of the earth.

Overhead, the top of the covenant erupts into flame, a plume of which lances into the sky.

Caliana, meanwhile, hears a roar from the staircase: a gout of flame bursts into the common room, and she loses her concentration on the spell cast upon the demon. Luckily, the grogs have moved to cover the foul beast, and despite their weapons slowly being consumed by fire, they manage to incapacitate the fiend.

For the moment the other fiends in the ring have stopped - even the few that had noticed the covenant's inhabitants and were advancing stop and begin to dance from foot to foot, waving their pitchforks over their heads silently. Magic becomes even harder as the infernal aura becomes even more potent.

Less fortunate than Caliana - who survives the burst of flame due to luck, some small happenstantial cover, and her meager skill in Ignem - are the covenfolk, who in the main are killed by the curtain of fire that surges through the common room and sets their clothes alight. Caliana brushes flames from her ruined dress and abandons the common room as the tower shakes above her. The few covenfolk still alive rush out with her. Running to Lorenzo and the struggling Reylar Valerian and Magnus who are trying to carry him, Caliana hurriedly improvises a spell to make Lorenzo light as air, but due to the tainted aura of the covenant she only manages to make him weigh much less than normal, which is good enough.

They run for the gap in the ring of fire that Lorenzo made previously. The covenfolk, what few are left, and the grogs who have finished incapacitating the demon that killed Johannes, also run, eager to be gone from the burning tower.

Renaldo, meanwhile, has used magic to pry the metal case from the ground. He runs for the gap also, but from the far right of the tower. Between him are two capering devils, and he doesn't want to risk another stabbing like the one Lorenzo received. He instead sets down the metal case and considers his spell repetoire.

Just then the top of the tower explodes and rock and fire rain down in great quantities. So too do the bodies of most of the dead Master Mages of Three Silver Rings hit the ground.

To Be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 8, Part 4: The Death of Victor, the Birth of Victor, the Thing in the Case

Renaldo quickly decides to create a bridge of wood over the capering demons. The demons all seem to be looking up at the top of the tower, waving their pitchforks, but Renaldo casts the case aside so he can properly cast his formulaic spell in the increasingly infernal aura of the covenant. The bridge manifests in wood and leaves, and Renaldo turns to gather the case and rush over the bridge, but as he does so, he discovers the case is rising in the air, towards Korva who stands at the edge of the ruined tower's uppermost crumbling walls. Korva's eyes rest intently on the case with something akin to desperate hunger. If Renaldo draws her attention, he will be unable to cast magic. He yells at Magnus, master of elements...

Magnus, meanwhile, has run to his fallen master. Victor is still alive by dint of his pure will to live, but his spine is obviously shattered and his legs broken. He lays in a twisted position, mouth full of blood, and many wounds from Korva's magic criss-cross his body.

"Magnus..." he whispers...

"You must... take my name... be the next Victor..." he fumbles at his eyepatch, and from his revealed eyesocket pulls a ruby, which he thrusts into Magnus' hand as he expires.

Just then, Renaldo's yell catches his attention. Torn, Magnus decides to leave his master's body. Renaldo has run and leapt onto the case, wrapping his arms and a leg about it as it rises into the air. Fumblingly, he is unscrewing the clasps that keep the bell-shaped cover of the case attached.

Magnus tries to come up with a spell to destroy the stone beneath Korva, but his spell only cracks it slightly in the infernal aura. He mutters curses in West Norse, and struggles with some way to overcome his own fatigue and aid Renaldo. The evil Maga is too far away for a pilum, and a pit of earth cannot undermine the tower's solid foundation.

Renaldo, meantime, unscrews the last clasp, and manages to slide the case off of its base. He find himself face to face with an finely made antique brass head that seems, to Renaldo's untrained eye, to be of Roman styling. (It is in fact of Persian artifice, if it is close to anything)

The articulated eyes of the brass head click open, revealing living bloodshot eyes of singular malevolence.

"What... what are you?" asks Renaldo.

"A QUESTION FOR A QUESTION. THAT IS THE BARGAIN AT THIS TIME. AGREED?" speaks the brass head, its voice echoing and hollow, yet deep with power.

"Ahm... indeed. Agreed." says Renaldo quickly, as he nears Korva, with only second to act.

"THEN WHAT YEAR IS THIS?" asks the brass head, eyes clicking left and right.

"The year of Our Lord 1221.Now answer... and quickly." answers Renaldo, a devout Catholic.

"I AM BAPHOMET."

"And how why are you here?"

"MINAE MAGNUS OWES ME HIS SOUL FOR THE GIFTS HE HAS RECEIVED. BUT YOU CAN RECEIVE FAR GREATER IF YOU GIVE ME MORE. YOU CAN REPLACE HIM."

Renaldo is close to Korva now, and can see the unrestrained malevolence in her eyes. He knows as soon as she has set him down, he will perish. Magnus' efforts to distract her have thus far failed.

"No!" he yells.

"AH YOUNG FOOL. THE SECRETS OF IMMORTALITY, ALCHEMY, THE DIVINATION OF THE FUTURE... ALL THESE COULD BE YOURS." the head whispers to him.

Renaldo does not listen to him but rather lets go of the brass head, and for the second time that day, plummets to the ground from the tower's uppermost reaches.

"MAGNUS!!!" yells Renaldo...

To Be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 8, Part 6: The Orphans

Magnus has to think on his feet, and Magnus is not exactly the best thinker on the best of days. As Renaldo's bleeding body falls towards earth, Magnus conjures... a pile of sand.

Renaldo hits it. There is a brief crack, and as Renaldo stands, he realizes his right arm is dangling uselessly - broken by the fall and an awkward landing.

Magnus rushes to help him, and through gritted teeth the dazed Renaldo speaks to his saviour:

"Why not... just... conjure shale next time? Or coal?"

Magnus has no time for such words.

In explicably, a demon has tossed its pitchfork onto the roof of the storehouse, and it is beginning to burn.

(A devil fumbled... sigh)

Magnus looks up over the flames of the storehouse roof, and sees the billowing smoke from the tower. For an instant it is quiet, and then suddenly a black shape streaks across the sky from the tower's ruined upper stories. Korva, it seems, is gone.

As she leaves the demons do a final jig and then burst into a cloud of fire that rises, fading as it does so. The ring of flame does the same. The suddenly quiet covenant is an eerie place as its inhabitants reel.

Caliana and the grogs are in the trees beyond the covenant. Renaldo and Magnus join them.

Black clouds had been gathering all day, and now their promise of rain is fulfilled, adding to the misery of all who escaped the covenant with their lives. Around the covenant, a black ring is scorched into the earth. no one wants to go back inside that ring that trapped them, but eventually, they venture into the once-burning storehouse and rescue the silken tents used at the Tribunal. These are erected, and the assembled survivors - 8 grogs (some ran out of the ring of fire and never stopped), 3 covenfolk, and the young mages spend the night beneath the crack of thunder and the pouring rain. Sleep does not come easily.

When the sun rises to a muddy scene of devastation, some of the grogs note that the dead should be buried. The mages want to do so, but also want to be away from the dreadful place, now infernally tainted forever it seems. They decide to gather the covenant's two wagons and one poor donkey together, and assemble the dead for a funeral pyre. The grogs are not completely happy with this arrangement, but they too are not eager to linger.

Redbeak, the cowardly crow, makes himself known, saying he decided to flee into the night when he saw Korva talking to a brass head the previous day. He knew nothing good could come of it.

Renaldo curses the bird silently, but needs him to send a letter to Durenmar explaining the turn of events. Redbeak wings off in a vaguely westish direction until corrected by a yelling Renaldo.

The mages talk briefly about entering the tower to salvage what they can, but Renaldo is wounded greatly, Lorenzo cannot even stand, leaving Magnus, Caliana, and Valerian as the only mages who are still able-bodied. To make matters worse, three grogs disappeared before the mages awoke - apparently deciding things were a lost cause.

Caliana notes that she can hardly blame them. They consider what to do, where to go. Hansa, the mighty warrior woman, is still loyal to the remnants of Three Silver Rings, and agrees to pull the cart with the wounded in it if the mule can be convinced to pull Lorenzo. A destination is still uncertain...

The monastery of St Blasien is only five miles away, and though the two communities generally kept away from each other, they were never hostile towards each other. Caliana thinks it might be a good idea to warn them of the events at the ruined covenant so that they know not to go near the now infernally tainted tower. Magnus agrees to go with her. The two carts, the wounded, and Reylar Valerian will start off towards Basel and hopefully meet no great problems.

The visit to the monastery is brief. They are given some small supplies of food, Caliana leaves with a hastily sewn plain white dress, and a Friar goes with them to see to the wounded after Caliana manages to explain their plight - the monks make a visit to Basel every few weeks anyhow, it seems. Caliana gives a few silver pennies that Korva had given to her to the monastery in thanks.

Magnus and Caliana catch up to the slow-moving carts by mid-afternoon, and the entire company makes it to Basel as night falls, having pushed themselves hard to make good time.

Exhausted, Caliana manages to find lodging for them just outside of Basel.

The next few days pass quickly. Caliana speaks with a local noble of minor standing, who has an empty farm outside of town. He is looking for a farmer to take over, and if the group agrees to fix up the place somewhat and prepare the land as best they can, they can stay there for a week or so for a small fee. The farm is a barn and a small cottage, but it is enough for Caliana to jump at the chance.

Further conversation reveals Caliana's singing skills, and within a few weeks of entertaining at the graf's dinners, Caliana is suddenly a local celebrity.

Lorenzo has slipped into a fever, despite the best efforts of the monk who accompanied them and stayed a few days longer after Caliana begged him.

Renaldo, wounded, spends his time planting one of his orange pips and forcing the tree to grow with magic. He soon realizes the difficulties raising the plant will entail, though he does try to use the tree as an enticement to the nobleman whose land he has planted the tree upon.

And so we leave the young mages - penniless but for Caliana's coin earned from singing and leading on young rich admirers, three of them hurt to varying degrees, living in a run down farm, just outside of Basel.

End Chapter 8

(To discuss possible things to spin out of this situation, post in the Advice thread! Thanks for reading!)

[Vrylakos]

Preview: Chapter 9

Renaldo: "You spent the last fifteen years training as an apprentice of House Jerbiton, only to be beaten by a dancing bear."

...

Valerian: "I think... that this family made a deal with the fairies. A pact. And they forgot it, and now the fairies are taking their revenge. It's their way of reminding them."

Renaldo: "Reylar... all we know is that this family has fairy blood. That's IT. How about we stick to the empirical evidence instead of your timeless wisdom?"

Valerian: "Your... your land's ways are nonsensical!"

...

"Caliana, we don't need you anymore. We've got a bear. I'm pretty sure he can haggle better than you can."

...

"Yeah... we'd have the two coins to pay the toll... if we hadn't spent them on your damn bear!"

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 9: Days in Basel

A Dominican Friar named Andreas is directed to the barn used by the refugees of Silver Rings. The mages are generally either too wounded to go out, too depressed, or not eager to deal with the effects of The Gift after their recent tragedies. Caliana is the only exception, and she is the only reason the young mages are able to eat each day; she sings each night at noble homes or in the more upper class taverns, bringing in some pfennig and schillings. More than one person wants to marry her, but she manages to dance around such issues.

Lorenzo takes up most of Friar Andreas’ time, though he also takes a look at Renaldo Silvanus’ wound as well. One heals over the next few weeks – his side, while the broken arm takes a while longer.

Lorenzo is too ill to move. It will take seasons for him to fully heal. The mages debate about what to do: wait for him? Go on ahead? Leave one of their number behind to tend to him?

Renaldo wants to wait for Murion to show up. He’s sure she will once the letter he sent via Redbeak arrives. He has also heard of a dancing bear coming to town and hopes his wounds allow him to go see it.
Caliana wants to get out of Basel. Magnus also. Reylar Valerian seems somewhat ambivalent.

Finally, Friar Andreas breaks their deadlock: Lorenzo is muttering unholy names in his sleep. Andreas fears for his soul, and will pray for him and take care of him should the rest wish to leave Basel. The fever-born words concern the mages also – they do not know of his youth in a diabolic cult in Spain. They think perhaps he is possessed, and maybe the Friar can help. They decide to accept the offer, as long as Andreas swears that no harm will come to Lorenzo. Andreas swears this. The mages agree to also give him money to care for Lorenzo… who will most likely be taken back to St. Blasien’s.

Caliana inquires how much it might cost to transport the five grog survivors and the mages down the Rhine to Pfalzgrafenstein. The price quoted is more than she has. She tries to haggle – poorly, but the boatman has no time for this. He is off to see the Amazing Dancing Bear!

Caliana had heard that a gauker was coming to Basel, accompanied by a dancing bear of rare skill. She decides to go take a look. The bear may be bad for her money-earning in Basel if it garners the attention of the nobles and other important folk in the area.

Caliana goes to see the first public display of “Wolfgang and Bear!” down at a market square. The bear is indeed impressive, doing all manner of tricks, from riding a barrel to handstands and dancing. The gauker, Wolfgang, is an impressive showman.

After he has collected a bit of money from the audience, Caliana approaches him. Her intention is to partner with him, and she says as much, offering her connections to the nobles in the city.

Wolfgang seems possibly interested, and asks to hear her sing. She does so, but the rough days of late leave her in less than top form. Wolfgang is not impressed, though he does make some vague, clumsy advances. Caliana is not interested, but follows him into a nearby tavern where he gets a drink. Caliana asks him for another chance to show her singing skill. Wolfgang considers for a moment… and then asks the crowd in the tavern to judge between the singing skill of “Caliana, the Songbird from the East!” (even though she’s from the West) and the antics of his dancing bear.

Caliana decides to use her enchanting singing, rather than her mundane skills… she inhales, focuses, opens her mouth to sing… and her voice cracks, her voice wavers… she has the worst case of nerves ever… her singing is terrible.

The bear, guided by the drumming of Wolfgang… dances, capers, serves drinks, steals people’s hat and put them on… the bear is a laugh riot. The crowd applauds wildly, and throws money and free drinks at Wolfgang.

Wolfgang shrugs at Caliana, and then winks suggestively.

Caliana storms out…

She walks back to the barn outside of town.

Renaldo’s first words, as she enters…

“Did… did you see it? Did you see the dancing bear? Tell me what it did!”

Sadly, Renaldo’s knowledge of Arabic curses prevents him from understanding Caliana’s response.

Later that night, a servant of a nearby count regrets to inform Caliana that she is no longer needed to entertain at his dinner. Word of her embarrassing face off is spreading…

To Be Continued.

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 9, Part 2: A Desperate Decision...

Caliana continues to make inquiries with boatmen about getting out of Basel. She discovers that the price asked for is a bit over twice as much as they have. Hansa, the female grog, notes that there were plenty of weapons and shields in the barracks back at the fallen covenant which could be sold if they only had them.

The consensus is, if Lorenzo is taken care of and heals, they can get down to the island in the Rhine – Pfalz Island – and set up their covenant. If they don’t get down there soon, they’ll be looking at going there in Fall or Winter, which the young mages all agree would be less than acceptable. Wasting two seasons in Basel is voted down, though Renaldo still believes Murion will send some sort of aid.

However, money is now the problem. They have a few silver schillings, a few pfennig, but thus far all Caliana has earned has gone to feed the lot of them. Renaldo’s efforts with his orange tree have failed due to his inability to keep up with tending it. He stashes his remaining pips away for another chance later. Caliana has managed to convince the

Regardless, money is now the issue. Magnus and Renaldo don’t venture out much, not wishing to have to deal with the Gift’s effects. Caliana is out and about, hoping to find some way to gain money. Everywhere she goes, people are talking about that damn bear.

Finally, one night when the mages are arguing, Albrecht, the leader of the remaining grogs, mentions that it might be worthwhile to rush back to the covenant during daylight, grab the weapons and shields and so forth, and then get out. The sale of such things should fund the trip downriver. The mages decide to send Magnus and Reylar, Caliana quite vocally stating that she will not go to the ruined dancing ground of devils.

All but one of the grogs go out on this mission. The donkey and Hansa pulling the rickety carts…

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 9, Part 3: The Tyros to the Dark Tower Came...

Magnus, Reylar, and the grogs leave that very night, deciding to camp out with some cold food and whatever they might be able to scrabble together from the land. They leave at first light, once again creaking and bumping their way through the forest, their way somewhat made easier by Reylar Valerian’s Intuition of the Forest.

By noon, the finally get to the broken covenant: it looks like a broken tooth over the trees around it – the smoke-blackened tower of Drei Silberne Ringe.

Hansa with the donkey cart is told to stay back until it’s safe, and then the mages and grogs rush to the store house and the barracks, throwing anything of utility or worth into the other cart pulled by two grogs.

A bit later, they note that Jurgen the Mouse is missing. Magnus Victor curses… everyone is quite antsy, especially the mages. They call his name, to no avail. The look in the storehouse they just left.

The tower looms before them. Magnus grinds his teeth and rallies the grogs to venture into the foreboding structure.

They quickly move through the stories of the tower, finding here and there some small items of value. Finally, at the ruined upper floor, they find a sleeping Jurgen with a sack full of valuables: Helena’s fine candlestick holders and jewelry, and other assorted things. Jurgen has not been known to steal before. He does not remember taking anything. Magnus, worried and glancing over his shoulder repeatedly, decides not to question things – they descend the tower…

… but as they go past the library, their mage-nature overrides their survival instinct. They kick in the ruined door and survey the pile of books and scrolls as large rats of wicked proportions scurry out of sight.

“We’ve got time to search here for a few spans.”, announces Magnus.

More than a few spans pass. They search the library, their lust for knowledge now visibly manifest. The grogs keep an eye out, still worried, though a bit annoyed that they are sticking around for books. Hansa causes a bit of a start when she barges up the stairs, axe in hand – she thought the group had perhaps been attacked.

Most of the books are badly burned, but one summa on Auram, one tractatus on Perdo, a tractatus on Penetrating Magical Defenses, a book on the Rhine Tribunal written by Crito, and a handful of spells.

(To be exact their current library looks like this:
Library Cost
Summa on Auram 27
Type: Summa; Total Quality: 21; Level: 6; Topic: Auram; Language: Latin; Author: Minae Magnus

Tractatus on Perdo 11
Type: Tractatus; Total Quality: 11; Topic: Perdo; Language: Latin; Author: Minae Magnus

Tractatus on Penetration 10
Type: Tractatus; Total Quality: 10; Topic: Penetration; Language: Latin; Author: Victor Cyclop

Lab Texts Level
The Wizard's Mount CrAn35
The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch CrCo20
Incantation of the Body Made Whole CrCo40
Ball of Abysmal Flame CrIg35
Aura of Ennobled Presence MuIm10
Blessing of Childlike Bliss PeMe25
Piercing the Divine Veil InVi20
Piercing the Faerie Veil InVi20
Thank you Metacreator!
I had them roll a die for each item. Only on a 1 was it in usable or repairable form, due to the length of time that had passed. This was actually quite tense and fun as each player rolled for items. The Body Made Whole's salvage was met with a cheer.)

The sun is beginning to creep towards the horizon. The expedition has been remarkably sedate with only occasional strangeness. The place doesn’t feel right, though, and everyone is glad to leave with their salvage. As they leave the clearing that houses the now ruined covenant, Reylar notes with some distaste a simple wooden cross nailed into a tree. He’s not sure who might have done such a thing, but assumes it must be the monks of St. Blasien.

The group returns sometime after nightfall, which is all well and good since Magnus and Reylar have gone to great lengths not to leave the barn outside of Basel if at all possible out of fear of the Gift’s effects. Stumbling along with only Magnus’ magic to light the way, the band manages to evade any trouble and slip into their rustic domicile.

A collective sigh of relief is heard.

The next day, Caliana goes to sell everything she can. This takes some days, and Caliana is a terrible business person. Reylar claims some knowledge of bargaining, but his presence causes more harm than good, so he is again sent back to the barn under the suspicious eyes of more than one citizen of Basel. Post-death, though, Reylar is much more sneaky and sinister, and given to spending time alone, or lurking in the shadows – he returns to the barn un-noticed.

This change in Reylar has not gone unnoticed, and the other mages can be found talking about it when Reylar is not around.

Caliana manages to sell much of the salvaged bits and pieces – including the Tribunal tents sold as plain silken rags - often for much less than they are worth due to her poor grasp of haggling – somewhat ironic since she was a merchant’s daughter. Still, any money is better than nothing.

After Renaldo’s side is healed from Korva’s malicious spell, the group is ready to leave. Caliana’s singing is no longer popular with Wolfgang and Bear around, and the season is at its best for travel. It is June, 1221, and the young mages entrust Lorenzo in the care of Friar Andreas, and head down to the docks with their grogs, carts and one donkey.

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 9, Part 4: Two Pennies

Renaldo Silvanus, arm broken, is very happy to finally be walking about, even if suspicious glares greet him. The grogs are careful to stand in the way of the citizens of Basel and their mage masters, shooting frosty looks at those who stare too long. The cross through the town, and across a market square towards the ship docks. The market is crowded, however… a small cluster of people is taking up one side of the square, and Renaldo hears a few marketfolk mention the words “dancing bear”.

Renaldo, hoping to finally get his wish, pushes his way into the crowd, a perplexed Jurgen the Mouse rushing after him. Caliana had, at Renaldo’s urging, conjured forth an image of the dancing bear she had seen – he is eager to see the antics of the beast. Despite sharp elbows and angry words thrown in his wake, Renaldo pushes his way into the circle of people and sees the dancing bear.

Or rather… a bear. Not dancing. An overweight man wearing a cloak of colorful silky patches – familiar colorful silk at that – is beating a small drum and making a bit of an attempt at a dance.

“Come see the dancing bear! Hey hey ho hup!” he urges as he gads about.

The bear is small – little more than a cub. It also looks a bit odd. It’s eyes a bit too big and not quite matching in color. It shuffles about awkwardly, but does not dance. Finally, it sits down, making a plaintive growly moan.

The man, unpleased by this, curses the bear under his breath. Renaldo is still watching, quite disappointed that this bear is not The Dancing Bear. Then the man begins to prod it sharply with a pointed stick. The small bear lumbers up and lets out a painful cry.

“What! NO! Don’t do that! Come now, good fellow!” shouts Renaldo.

“No problem sir. This is the way we does it, oh yes. Give us a moment to inspire him and he’ll be up and about! Dancing bear, everyone! DANCING BEAR!” says the greasy overweight man.

Renaldo, unable to accept the man’s treatment of the bear, reaches out to stay his hand with his one good arm. The man, apparently quick tempered, spins about and punches Renaldo in the face.

“Leave off, sirrah! Touch me again and you’ll regret it! This bear cost me almost two silver pennies, and I’ll do with him as I like! Unless you buy this bear, I'll prod him as I will!”

Renaldo, nose bleeding, rises. Jurgen the Mouse, one of the larger grogs, is about to step in and lend the greasy man a good measure of regret, but Renaldo waves him off.

Caliana is nearby, laughing under her hand. Renaldo rushes to her and begs for two silver pennies – more properly schillings despite the man’s words (and the Saga’s ill-informed storyguide). Caliana says a resolute no.

Renaldo hears the man begin his banter again, and hears the bear’s unhappy bearish groan. All he can think of is that sharp stick, the end brown with dried blood. The ill tempered man must surely treat the animal cruelly when he gets angry.

Renaldo leaves Caliana and goes to Magnus.

“Look, I need two silvers. You owe me them.”

The 15 silver coins given to Renaldo to buy Magnus’ murder have long been an object of contention between the two mages ever since Renaldo – emboldened by Caliana’s magic, tried to reclaim them.

Magnus scoffs a hearty Jutland scoff. The scoffing is long and intense.

Finally, Magnus adds: “You must be insane. No.”

Renaldo is flabbergasted at his fellow mages, but then Magnus continues.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll buy some of your Auram vis.” This is the vis Renaldo was given by the Winter King over a year ago – flowers covered with imperishable ice.

“Fine!”

Vis is given. Schillings are handed over, and Renaldo rushes back, throws the two coins at the man, and grabs the bear’s rope collar.

The man gathers up the coins, and then decides to complain, but Jurgen the Mouse steps before the miscreant, his thumb resting on the handle of his axe. The complaint is left unspoken.

Caliana, at the boat by now, rolls her eyes when she sees Renaldo leading a small bear by a rope.

“Who gave you that money? We don’t need a bear! We could have used that money!”

“Shut up!” is all Renaldo can say. “I’m keeping him! I’ve gone through too much to save him and then let him go to be taken by the next fat charlatan who happens by.”

After a moment of eyeing the slightly odd looking bear, he adds “ I’m going to call him Two-Pennies.”

The boat casts off, mages, grogs, cart, and donkey all loaded up.

To Be Continued...

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 9, Part 5: Downriver

The boatman’s name is Rütiger.
Rütiger lost his wife to some sort of sickness last winter.
Rütiger is very unhappy about this.
Rütiger, it turns out, likes to drink when he is unhappy.

The band floats down the Rhine. The journey takes about a week or so, going from riverside dock to riverside dock. At times the river is rock-strewn, and the ride gets perilous. Rütiger's rarely sober state adds a great deal of worry to these parts of the river,

One day, when the passengers are sleeping on the boat early in the morning, Renaldo awakes to a warm, soften nuzzling. He thinks back to… to his total lack of female companionship in his eighteen years of life, and awakens.

Two-Pennies the bear, is going through his pouch. The pouch that holds his Auram vis. Two-Pennies also happens to have turned bright blue, and seems a bit sick.

Renaldo, uncertain of what to do, tries to hide Two-Pennies beneath his cloak, but Magnus, apparently a light-sleeper, catches sight of the blue bear. Explanations follow, and Magnus states that there will be harsh and potentially Ignem-related repercussions if the bear eats his vis - especially the Bee King's honeycomb. By the time this verbal exchange has occurred and woken up everyone on the boat, including the boatman, Two-Pennies’ coat has darkened a bit. He vomits up the mangled flowers, no longer covered in ice, and goes to sleep.

Finally, the journey nears an end, as does most of the group’s funds. The island of Pfalz lies around the next corner – their new covenant site. The mages make ready to depart their ship, and the grogs stretch. The round the bend in the Rhine, and see their majestic new home.

Missing it’s central tower.
And two walls.

And upon its pier sit a group of laughing, unkempt bowmen, and one good looking gentleman leaning again the castle’s western wall, pulling a maggot out of an apple. The groups notes them, nocks arrows, and the handsome gent calls out:

“Welcome to Pfalzgrafenstein! I, Lord Robert Schonburg, require of you two pennies as toll for passage!”

The mage’s smiles falter. These aren’t grogs sent by a somehow prescient Murion. These are… a rough crowd of men at arms? No. Bandits? Living in their promised home! Tolls?

As the group floats closer, suddenly gripped by a fit of hurried whispering and anxiety about what to do, the dark-haired Lord Robert calls out again:

“Two-Pennies, if you please!”

The now blue-black bear perks up its ears and lets out a half-growl, half-yodel. At least, Renaldo notes, the bear is a quick-study, much like his master.

To Be Continued…

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 9, Part 6: The Exchange on the Pier

Almost as if unbidden, the words to conjure the Pilum of Fire begin to flow through Magnus’ mind and his hands assume a familiar pose. The grogs unlimber their axes and begin to get the gauge of their pier-side foes.

Renaldo, sensing a bloodbath that the mages may not win without significant losses, tells his fellows to calm down.

“May I come to the dock? There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding!” yells the smiling Frenchman in his poor High German.

Lord Robert pauses, trying to make out his speech.
“Surely, come atop the pier… and bring two pennies.”

As they draw closer, they see the spokesman for the toll collectors is a man with long dark hair and strange green eyes – the green of a lime from the Levant. He seems to possess a lot of ornate jewelry, including a large medallion with some sort of eagle embossed upon it, as well as many rings. His clothing, however, is not as rich as one might expect compared to the jewelry the fair-featured man wears. Upon his hip is a sword.

Renaldo indeed bounds to the pier once the boat comes aside it, and then Renaldo’s tongue attempts to work wonders.

He explains that this island is not Lord Robert’s, but rather Renaldo’s – who is a nobleman of France. It has been in his family’s estate for some time. Seventy years ago, in fact, it was settled by Renaldo’s kin, and Renaldo is back to reclaim it.

Lord Robert is by turns amused, baffled, and annoyed.

“A very amusing story. Now give me my two pennies.”, he responds with a smile.

“No. We are the rightful owners of this island, we – “

“No, you’re not. My father, Baron Schonburg, owns this island and… he gave it to me.”

"But did he have the authority to give it to you, my lord? Who gave him that right which he plainly did not have. WE, on the other hand, were given leave by a powerful group of - "

"The Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick the Second!"

"Oh. Ah..." Renaldo is a bit stymied.

Renaldo senses that Lord Robert is prevaricating somewhat, but then Renaldo is lying like the Serpent of Eden, so does not press it.

The argument gets nowhere. Renaldo is sure that his group somehow owns the island, despite the fact no one has ever told him this.

Lord Robert, who has been here for a good long while and likes his current situation as a toll collector, at least has a de facto familial relation to the owner of the land, even if it wasn’t exactly given to him.

Voices are raised. Finally, Lord Robert explains that they can go ask his father at his castle two miles up river about his ownership of the island… after they give Robert two pennies.

The mages laugh at this. Robert raises a hand, and his archers nock their bows and take aim at the boat’s occupants…

Suddenly, two of the three bowmen are blown off the pier and into the water by an immense gust of wind. Magnus whoops in triumph. Robert’s eyes widen, and he starts to run off, down the pier, yelling for help. Renaldo is about to trap him in a tangle of vines at the base of the stairs that Renaldo can see from his higher elevation, but just as Robert is about to set foot into the area Renaldo is casting upon, Robert skids to a halt and looks over his shoulder at Renaldo. On the far side of the tangle, men with weapons appear, but back up when the strange tangle is seen. Robert seems to be considering jumping into the water. The remaining bowman has dropped his bow and merely struggles to stand.

Renaldo yells to Lord Robert that they need to talk some more.
Caliana finally climbs up out of the boat, Hansa with her, and Caliana takes over from Renaldo’s bizarre initial plan.

Lord Robert warms quickly to the new emissary and invites her to stay with him to talk things over. Something about his green eyes makes Caliana blush, but then she senses a tickle at the edge of her Parma Magica and snaps to full attentiveness.

“I would be delighted to stay, my lord. I only ask that Albrecht, my bodyguard, accompany me. We can talk long into the night.”

Her companions look at each other, confused and concerned, but Caliana dismisses their protests.

In Latin she tells her fellows to go to Baron Schonburg and get things sorted out. She gives them her secret last stores of money.

“AH!” says Lord Robert. “For your companions to leave, I will need two pennies!”

Caliana offers him her hair comb, of fine make. He decides to accept this offer, and notes that he’ll take it from her hair later.

The innuendo on the pier is as thick as the gruel the mages ate while living in Basel.

To Be Continued…

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 9, Part 7: To the Sleeping Lady

Caliana tells the mages to go see this Baron. The mages insist that they receive a guide/hostage, and are given Wolkan, a lice-ridden knave in the ‘employ’ of Lord Robert.

The mages set off, and Wolkan is grilled about everythingas they travel. It is no secret that Lord Robert is a bastard, but the Baron does not seem to have the heart to act against him, especially since his other child, Karlotte, sleeps and cannot seem to wake.

If anyone had paid a modicum of attention to Wolkan, they would have noticed him biting his lip a bit. His role in recent events is far greater than he lets on. The mages also note that Wolkan is a branded criminal, though he tries to hide it.

The mages arrive at Schonburg, a small town near the castle proper, which sits atop a rise, overlooking the Rhine.

The mages suddenly feel the need to impress the Baron, and take Caliana’s money to the town. With the grog’s help, they buy three fairly nice cloaks.

Magnus takes a red one, Renaldo a purple one, and Reylar Valerian a dark blue-black one. Now looking a bit more like mages than travel-weary vagabonds, they approach the castle.

After speaking with the guards, who summon the castle’s steward, the mages and grogs wait. They note the red crocuses growing at the base of the hall’s walls. Reylar decides to cast a spell to make himself more impressive, and as he does so, senses his magic to be a bit more powerful than it should be – some external influence is at work. Renaldo, the smartest of the mages and best at Vim of those present, determines they are in a modest Faerie Aura. Reylar is intrigued.

It takes a bit to see the Baron, but the mages hold out the possibility of waking the Baron’s sleeping daughter, and are ushered inside the castle’s great hall. The grogs wait outside. Wolkan seemed to disappear before they got to the castle.

The baron sits on a great chair of carved dark wood. Hunting trophies dot the walls, as does his family’s crest. His beard is the color of red iron, faded from his youthful days. His eyes are sunken and dark, weary with contained grief. He greets the mages, and then asks them what they have come to his castle for.

The baron seems ill at ease with the three men who stand before him, but Renaldo does his best to win him over. He asks about who owned the island before the Baron, and who has lived there. The Baron seems to recall a group of natural philosophers were leased the island some years ago, by his grandfather. They were extremely well-learned people, he seemed to recall, and the old Baron would call upon them for their counsel at times.

At this, Renaldo steps in, explaining that he and his fellows are scholars and alchemists of a similar nature, and they wish to do what they can to obtain the island. They believe with their learning they can aid the Baron’s daughter. Additionally, they complain about Lord Robert – but the Baron seems to deliberately call over a servant at this point.

The Baron, on the verge of throwing them out, perks up when they finally get to their promised point. From denizens of the town and other people that they have met on the way to the castle, the mages have assembled the basic story: out picking wild flowers near the edge of the forest, Karlotte was set upon by some great black beast, scratched, and then when she went to sleep that night, she did not awake.

Renaldo makes a great show of conferring with his fellows in Latin, and then asks the Baron is they might see his daughter.

The Baron seems uncertain for a moment, but then agrees. He has tried everything, and thus far nothing has worked.

They wend their way up some stairs, and then enter the Lady Karlotte’s chamber. She is red haired, and sleeps, a tiny scratch upon her cheek. Also of note, to Reylar’s eyes, is the obvious fae-touch upon her. Like Reylar, she must be distantly related to the fae. Reylar begins to ask the Baron if his family used to follow the Old Ways, but Renaldo quickly shuts him up.

Renaldo then turns and tells the Baron that they CAN help Karlotte, but they will need a place to stay and conduct their research. The Baron strokes his beard for a moment, considering, and then agrees – but he needs some sort of time frame. They may stay there, but within a week, they must have something to show for it or he will be MOST displeased. Additionally, they are only allowed to see Karlotte when the Baron is present.

The mages are ecstatic, but hide it with cryptic nods and Latin phrases. They go to their new rooms, and then immediately send a grog to get some food. They are famished, and the lowest fare at the castle is far better than their limited allowance provided.

While they wait, they discuss their situation. Reylar wants to look over the family histories, but after inquiring with the steward of the castle, learns they are all in High German, which Reylar cannot read – even the spoken language he occasionally stumbles with, as do all the mages – as witnessed by their grogs occasionally following the wrong order. A case in point is the food brought to them that very night – nothing like what was asked for.

Reylar also suggests that perhaps the Schonburgs failed to fulfill some ancient pact with the fey and this is the way of the local faeries to remind them. Renaldo, mouth full of cold minted porridge (he had asked for something different) notes that perhaps Reylar should stick with the facts. Facts, apparently, are worth little in the Reylar economy, and he storms off to sulk.

During the night, Renaldo’s bear, which he has decided to keep in his room, escapes – most likely when Renaldo left to find a chamberpot. Renaldo find his room empty, but a guard, knowing that one of the strange guests had a bear, seeks Renaldo out as he searches the castle’s halls.

“Sir, you had a bear, yes?”

“Indeed, my good man. A bear. It was blue… blau?”

“Uhm. It was? Oh, sorry then.”

“You’ve seen my bear? Where is it?”

“No sir, well… we’ve found a bear, and thought it yours. A wee thing. But it’s red, sir.”

Renaldo, somewhat concerned, rushes off to find the bear being watched over by several men at arms who apparently had to drag it out of the red crocuses, which it seems to have eaten. The bear is indeed red, much like the crocuses, though darkening over the next few minutes to a nice blood red. Renaldo, suspecting something amiss, checks the crocuses strewn about the bear. His subtle magical inquiries bear fruit: there is a bit of vis in these crocuses. Apologizing to the men at arms, he takes his small bear and ties him up in his room. He wonders if his bear is like a truffle-seeking pig… but for vis. A vis seeking bear might be handy indeed.

Somewhat hopeful, and in a bed for the first time in… many years? – Renaldo dozes off to sleep.

Meanwhile, two miles or so away, Caliana is escaping from Lord Robert’s clutches, dropping down a wall to a boat she cannot quite see…

To Be Continued…

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 10, Part 1: An Evening With Lord Robert

In the morning, the mages in the castle are surprised to find Caliana come down to break her fast. She has managed to make her way to the castle sometime after midnight. In fact, she has gotten rooms facing the main courtyard, and a personal maid, as opposed to the lesser rooms of Renaldo, Reylar, and Magnus.

As Caliana eats fine food, she relates her misadventures of the prior evening…

The boat left, and Lord Robert invited her up to his rooms in the ruined Pfalz Island castle. There he had wine, and some fine goblets, seemingly taken from passing boats, as the décor in Robert’s gaudy, mis-matched room all seemed to be.

Caliana led Robert to believe he was winning her over, while her true goal was to slowly draw information from him. She also tries to get a better look at the large medallion Lord Robert wears, which all the mages suspect is some sort of magical object; in this they are mistaken. Occasionally, she feels a tickling sensation hit her Parma Magica when Lord Robert looks at her with his bright green eyes. Finally, having gotten what she thinks she can from him and getting tired of seeing his men accost people passing by on the river – in one case hanging an old man who tried to resist the brigands – Caliana decides to lay the situation down.

“Lord Robert. There’s one thing you need to understand. My friends will be back, and we WILL be taking this castle from you. There is no doubt about it in my mind. SO… you had best accept this coming state of affairs and prepare to vacate these premises. We may be able to establish a working relationship with you.”

Lord Robert, who has done his best to be patient with this comely Moorish wench, finally snaps.

“Your mewling friends will have no end of trouble should they seek to oust me from my rightful home. My father will turn a blind eye, even if I were to gut you where you stand. As it is, though, you’ll be staying here tonight, and by morning perhaps you’ll be begging ME to join with my cohort.”

He gives her a sly, lascivious look...

Caliana senses that Lord Robert is about to do something foolish and ignoble, and decides to sing a spell into being.

Just as Caliana decides this, and begins to open her mouth, Lord Robert’s eyes widen, and he leaps across the table they sit at, hands outstretched to shut her mouth.

(This is of course Lord Robert’s premonitions at work. A tense scene, since Caliana is very slow and deliberate in her actions, and she sought to get her spell out before Robert managed to silence her. Thus far, no one has sought to use her weakness against her, especially while she is alone and far from her fellow mages.)

Lord Robert’s fingers brush her cheeks as Caliana, wide-eyed and on the edge of panic, manages to cast a spell to send him into a peaceful slumber. She lets him fall upon a moth-eaten bearskin rug, and then looks about. Albrecht is outside the chamber. Lord Robert’s men are enjoying the evening, and are drinking heavily, their toll-collecting over for the day. Many off-color jokes about what Lord Robert must be doing can be heard from circle of men around the fires in front of the small ruined castle.

Caliana needs to get out, but the number of men is large. She confers with Albrecht and they hit upon a plan. She will wait for him, and he will go down among the men and share in their revelry and aid in getting everyone as drunk as possible. When the men are suitably drunk, he will steal a boat and row it beneath a section of wall, where he will await Caliana.

It takes a long time, longer than Caliana anticipated, but finally she hear’s Albrecht’s voice whispering her name sharply from somewhere in the darkness below the ruined wall of the castle. She trusts her magic to see her safely down, and floats towards the river. Finally, she spies Albrecht in a boat concealed by the shadows of the rocky outcroppings that dot the island’s edge. After getting in the boat, Albrecht rows them upriver.

It took much cajoling, but Caliana was able to gain admittance to the Castle of Baron Schonburg and convince the sleepy steward of her connection to the Baron’s learned new friends.

And thus does Caliana relate her night’s doings…

To Be Continued…

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 10, part 2: A Trip in the Woods

The mages meet to discuss how to find a cure for the Baron’s daughter, Karlotte. It seems like a survey of the place she was attacked might be the best thing to do.

Caliana has had about enough mucking about in forests, so she volunteers to stay in the castle and reacquaint herself with civilization, and perhaps make friends with the Baron.

Renaldo notes his still broken arm. He obviously cannot go. He offers to look at the Baron’s books and seek out any sort of information in the family’s history that might be of use.

And thus do Magnus and Reylar, accompanied by the grogs Hansa and Albrecht, make off to the site Karlotte’s attack, directed by one of her guards that day. As they leave, a servant informs all the mages that that night there will be a feast in their honor and for their good fortune in their endeavors, and also to honor Saint Etheldreda – a saint particularly loved by the sleeping Karlotte.

Magnus and Reylar set out a bit after sunrise. The encounter Wolkan, who apparently has been sleeping in a bush, but is wide awake and eager to help. They question him about Lord Robert, suspecting he may be behind the attack on Karlotte without alluding to it. Wolkan notes that is really eager to aid them, and that he knows a lot about the area, and his mother, God rest her, was well-versed in the secret lore of the area. He can be a lot of help to strange magical folk such as they. Magnus tells Wolkan that Renaldo will be out shortly, and he needs Wolkan’s help. Wolkan nods excitedly and hides to wait for Renaldo.

Who never comes.

The mages and their grogs survey the site of Karlotte’s attack. It was some time ago, but sharp-eyed Reylar notes some claw marks high up in a tree. Thus they begin to track the unknown beast which apparently leapt from tree to tree using magic and Magnus’ Jutland hunting ways. Much griping is made by Magnus about how this would all be easier if they knew enough Intellego to ask the trees and rocks things – which then turns to discussion of how it will be nice to get all of their books and Caecilius’ incredible Intellego tome. Magnus idly wonders if there is some way to kill someone with high enough Intellego…

Finally, the group tracks the beast to a small cliff. Reylar’s faerie eyes sense something amiss, and he notes the presence of a faerie region – atop the cliff is a another cliff, and three caves can be seen on it: two on the ground, and a third high in the side of the cliff.

The grogs and Magnus cannot see this cliff, but as Reylar leads them up a switchback trail, the round a carved stone and suddenly see it. They decide to enter the first cave. They hear the sound of stone on stone, and rush ahead, Magnus giving himself cat’s eyes, and Reylar’s fae eyes letting him see fine. The come to a great stone door, just barely closed. Ever one to assume, Reylar begins to loudly say that this is no way to greet visiting nobility. Magnus rolls his eyes… and then hears the sound of stone sliding on stone back at the mouth of the cave – a stone door is closing!

Magnus, first into conflict and first out as well, rushes to the door. The grogs do also but in so doing, they push Reylar behind them. The door closes as Reylar’s pale features disappear from view.

He stands there in the dark. Then he hears the read door open… and the pitter patter of tiny feet. He sees hook-nosed faeries… perhaps wichlein of kobolds – come trotting forth, and they make to pick him up. In their belts they have hammer and cruel knives tucked, and they do not seem inclined to talk.

At this moment, light pours into the dark cave, and the stink of brimstone assails the nostrils of all about: Magnus has destroyed a large part of the stone door. The grogs, somewhat ashamed that Reylar got left behind in their mad dash to darkness, rush in and the pale faeries rush back into the darkness. Their door closes.

As they leave the cave, Albrecht happens to look up at the higher cave mouth, and catches a glimpse of something dark with large red eyes. Reylar recalls that Karlotte had mentioned red eyes to her lady in waiting.

The group decides to try and make their way up there…

[Vrylakos]

Chapter 10, part 3: A Talk with the Black Beast

There is much struggling and huffing and heaving. Shields are slung over back, and for once the grogs are happy that the old covenant was too poor to provide proper metal armor. Finally, the grogs crest the lip of the ledge that seems to form a terrace before the cave mouth about 40 feet above them.

The mages, making a much slower journey upwards, hear an exclamation, and redouble their efforts. Finally they haul themselves over the ledge, gasping for breath.

The grogs, Albrecht and Hansa, are hurriedly readying themselves for battle.

Before them, stretched out and dozing in the sun, is a creature that looks altogether unworldly, but most resembles a gigantic black cat.

The beast is bigger than a horse, and as it suns itself, it opens one red eye to regard them, and then closes it again.

“Ah. The midday meal has finally arrived…” it says in a lazy, mellifluous voice that speaks in the crisp High German of a scholar.

The grogs scoff and improvise some interesting hybrids of insult and challenge, fed up with recent events and eager to take it out on something, even an almost certainly deadly beast such as the one before them.

The mages hasten to silence the grogs.

Since Magnus is mainly fluent in the language of Ignem, he lets Reylar Valerian, noted ‘faery expert’, take the lead.

“Oh great cat! We come seeking knowledge, and were told you had much to offer in the ways of wisdom!”

The Merinita proceeds to praise the great beast at great length, explain they don’t taste good, and beg it indulgence – they need to ask a favor of the great and wise creature.

The cat seems somewhat amused, but also somewhat sleepy. It speaks:

“I am the Black Beast of the Woods, and you obviously are looking for another wise cat, for this one does not suffer fools such as you to live.”

Reylar gets a bit affronted, and suddenly, in a bout of manic-depression, scolds the cat, telling it that REYLAR is one of IT’S betters, REYLAR is ROYALTY.

Magnus shakes his head. Why did the insane half-fey take the lead as diplomat?

The monstrous feline flexes its claws as it listens to Reylar natter on.

“We believe you attacked someone recently. If it was you, we need to know on whose behalf you attacked the young red-haired lady of the castle over the hills. We need to know how she might be awakened from her slumber. After we know these things, we will leave you in peace.”

The cat yawns. Its mouth could easily fit around the chest of even broad-shouldered Hansa.

“You may have two of those three things.”, it says. “But in return, I require a price. I tire of going down to the stream to drink. I require a bowl…”

Simple enough, think the mages.

“…a bowl made from the skull of the prettiest child in the town of Oberwesel. Ornately carved, if you please.”

Magnus throws up his hands.

“NO!” he shouts, his first addition to the diplomatic proceedings. The grogs ask if they have permission to kill the great cat – they are fed up with the whole affair. Magnus shakes his head.

“We can definitely get you a bowl, O Black Beast! Not made from a skull, but something even more grand and glorious!” promises Reylar.

The group climbs back down.

“We should kill the cat.” states Magnus. The grogs nod their assent.

“No no no! We’ll get nothing if we kill it!” says Reylar. “We just need to make a bowl! Something… I don’t know… pretty!”

There is silence as they ponder.

“There was some… ah… silver. Nuggets of it. Just outside the second cave we passed.” ventures Albrecht, who does happen to have two of these nuggets in his pouch which he grabbed in passing.

The group heads back down and finds the second cave that they had earlier dismissed. Sure enough, there is silver on the ground just inside the cave mouth. The group grabs what they can, and sees the glint of silver further back in the cave. Suddenly, it reminds Reylar of a trail of bread-crumbs. It reminds Magnus of bait. They exchange suspicious looks.

A hollow voice suddenly emanates from the cave:

“Help! Please help me! I’ll pay you silver if you help me!”

Magnus gives himself cat’s eyes and peers into the cave. He sees nothing. The voice is coming from out of thin air.

“Uhm. HELP! I’m trapped beneath a pile of silver!” exclaims the cave-voice.

“You’re lying! There’s no-one in there!” shouts Albrecht, after Magnus mentions as much.

“Oh, please come in. I’ll give you some silver! I’ve got loads of it!”

The grogs, unpaid, seem on the verge of giving it a go. After all, who needs to worry when an axe is close at hand?

Magnus focuses them on gathering silver from around the cave mouth, and ignoring the cavern’s pleas.

Finally, they have enough metal, though Albrecht has to give up his secret pocketful. Magnus uses his magic to sculpt a bowl of stone from the cliff-face itself, and then transforms the silver to a malleable consistency. Finally he is winded, but has managed to make the silver-coated bowl perfectly reflective. Even the grogs are impressed, and Reylar claps his thin hands together.

Hansa, of course, has to carry the bowl up. Upon reaching the landing, Hansa sets it down, sneering at the cat, and Albrecht fills it with water from his waterskin. The mages proclaim that the bowl is for the cat, in exchange for the asked for information.

Again, the cat reminds them: they can have two of three – who it acted for, how to cure it, and safe passage away.

Magnus, of course, is sure he can take the cat, so the third option isn’t even on the table.

The cat rises, and it is even bigger than they estimated. It stretches, and massive paws extend massive claws that scratch into the stone floor. It approaches the bowl, and even the grogs take a step back.

“To begin, I acted on behalf of a messenger named Wolkan. His master is owed a favor by the King of Dark Summer.”

The cat looks into the bowl. The silver is so perfectly applied, the bowl so smooth, that its face is perfectly reflected. The cat’s eyes widen as it looks upon its fine features.

“Oh, how beautiful!” says the cat.

“Come on! The cure!” snaps Magnus.

“My claws kill with delight. A mere scratch sends a person into a joyful dream. To awaken... I say, my whiskers… are they REALLY that long? I must trim them.”

The group looks at one another, and then Reylar mildly coughs.

“Ah, yes. To awaken from the dream of rapturous joy, you must counter it with its opposite. In this locale, dear newcomers, there is nothing so full of woe as the stones beneath the Loreley’s perch, where many who ply the river’s waters bathe those stones with their tears and no small amount of their blood as they are dashed upon the rocks.”

When the Black Beast finally looks up from its reflection, beset by a vague pang of hunger, the four newcomers are gone.

To Be Continued.