Year nine – The Song of YesterYear
It is far too easy as a mage to get absorb into our studies and forget about what is happening around us. For example, the Waterford ghost story as I recall, happened just yesterday. Truth is, it was already three years ago, and much things happen since then. But since, us, mages of the Order, have to keep as much as possible away from the mundane history, I feel that nothing happen.
As I am walking the path of the Witness, my duty is to remember. I have to remember the victories of Killaloe and Limerick, the skirmishes of the Silvermine Mountains, the defeats of Cashel and the massacre of Croc Aine. Hundreds of deaths on both sides. And it would be so easy for us to tilt the battle one way or another, or to broker a peace where nobody would have sore feelings. Yet, we consider this beneath us, or we are afraid to attract the attention of either Light or Dark Realms. Are we really living or are we more akin to Faes, witnessing human lives and toying with them when the needs arise, when they are of some uses for our schemes?
Journal of Theodosis, ex-Trianoma, year 12XX
This year, Theodosis spent most of his time around Lough Dereg. And he did not miss the second brew of Portumn, not its first festival. It gave him plenty to think, yes, he did meddle a tiny bit with mundane business, but so far, it seems it was benefiting the community. And many cultures have this person who is in charge of negotiating, bargaining or communicating with the supernatural realm. Am I really infringing on the Code or just re-enacting a lost role?
As he was contemplating the nature of being a mage in the room of the Smoking Fish Inn…
Knock, knock.
“Master Bard, there is an envoy of Lord Barnaby, and err… you need to come. Please?”
“My name is Theo of Athen, bard in training. How can I be of assistance?”
“Lord Barnaby granted – reluctantly – freedom to the village of Portumna, and a few years later they are celebrating and paying tithe to another lord? He won’t tolerate another knight among his territory if said knight does not take an oath.”
Oh boy, here we go again… meddling with the mundane. Maybe there is after all a good reason why we should refrain. It is like taking care of a baby… except that they don’t grow, they don’t learn.
“As I was first witness in this affair last year, I would gladly enlighten your Lord. As apprentice of Dearbhail the High Bard, it is my duty to relate the story as it unfold, without biased and to the best of my recollection.”
The envoy was slightly taken aback by such formal display, but seems favorable impressed.
“Don’t mess it up, Theodosis, don’t mess it up…"
“So, as you understand, Your Lordship, although Lord Arwald is a knight and carries rightful the title of Lord, he is not really from this dominion. It is possible that he would accept to swear an Oath of Fealty to you, but – if I may – I would advise against it. I am sure your personal advisor will concur with me that when dealing with the Courts, whatever the shade, it is hard to strike a fair bargain.”
“That is quite a Tale, I have to say. I want to have it recorded down!”
“And what was your role in that?”
“Very little indeed. As part of my companion tour across the land, I was listening and committing to memory this tale as it was unfolding in front of me. A rather rare opportunity. As I was the only educated man around, I was asked to write the Chart, but I kept my role as simple scribe. Would you like me to write a copy of such Chart? It would complement your record, and serve as a teaching tool for the next generation possibly…”
“That would be much appreciated. Be my guest for this occasion.”
--
“Let’s see what’s happening in the Portumna in the meantime… just a little bit of scry… Hooo…Intellego… what’s… “
Theodosis suddenly became translucent…
OOC: not only did I failed the Perception roll, but I botched it. I randomly checked what was the Loss (regardless of the overall success of the challenge, a botch always brings a loss), and it was a Twilight episode. So I decided that it happened while Theodosis wanted to check how things were going on in Portumna – maybe something to do with a Faerie aura ? Let’s use that as an illustration of the Twilight rules.
Entering Twilight: 0 (Sta) + 1 (bonus from Vim form) + 3 (die) vs 0 (warping score) +2 (number of warping points gained) + 7 (die)… Damn it.
Comprehending: +3 (Int) + 5 vs 0 + 22 (rolled a 1 followed by a 2)… a least he would get something out of it.*
Duration: 2 minutes
Effect: 2 additional Twilight points (on top of the 2 gained by the botch itself), Twilight scar: people seems to speak more clearly in Theodosis presence (since it was an Intellego spell, I find it appropriate), Learning: new spell (magnitude 2, so InIm10 Discern Truth from Falsehood), again, thematically appropriate.
Dearbhail jumped of surprise.
“Where were you? It looks like there was a kind of ghost of you, except you were not moving… Is it one of your magical trick?”
“You can say so… just a minor interruption.”
“I saw your Chart and read the story written by the Lord’s scribe. Very accurate, very detailed. Not very heroic, but quite entertaining. Was the warning about meddling with the faeries needed?”
“It was a last-minute addition. I thought that a good story should have a kind of message at the end, a way to say, why was it worth to listen it, what would I take from it. You see ?”
“I think it is time to leave, we have something business to attend.”
From dawn to dusk, Theodosis had sentences threw at him in many languages, several he did not even understood. And he had to repeat them, them to repeat the one said three sentences before, then seven sentences before, then eleven… and so on and so forth. He was exhausted, his head hurt and he could not think straight. He did not know you could get hangover from words.
“Me, Dearbhail Og, Keeper of YesterYear, welcome you, Theodosis of Athen, as Witness of YesterYear.”
The five other members of the Song clapped and cheered their new companions.
“And what was this language you used on the 152nd sentence?”
“It was a pictish love declaration!”
“It was just after some insult from Normandy!”
“Admit that Rus rolls of the tongue, like if you were singing.”
“Scottish hurts my hear!”
“What? I dare you to repeat that! That’s the most beautiful….”
“Shut up McIntosh, don’t start again, empty your mug and toast…”
“Hahahah…”
Much drinking, carousing and cursing ensued.