Sagiro’s Story Hour, Part 169
Once the mirror has been successfully returned to Verdshane, Wellington attempts to scry for Tarsos. After all that trouble getting it, he fails. He apologizes profusely and leaves dejected.
As the Company debates what to do next Edridge knocks on the door again, this time with a hand-written letter from General Anabrook herself. He leaves without a single snide remark.
“The Spire wishes to hold a convocation in two days’ time, at the Greenhouse in Tal Hae. Please have the house prepared for a variety of Kingdom dignitaries. – Gen. Anabrook.”
The Company starts packing up immediately. As they prepare there is another knock on the door. It’s Wellington, and there is a letter in his hand.
“This says I’m to attend a meeting at your house on the day after tomorrow, and that you’ll be able to tell me where that is.”
“Ummm, do you, er, know about the Spire?” asks Aravis.
“Of course I do. The Spire is an organization comprised of Archmagi, a few powerful adventurers and mercenaries, and selected persons from the nobility and religious ranks. They are charged with protecting Charagan, particularly in regards to arcane threats. I hope to join it some day.”
All of the Company stare in amazement for a moment. It’s strange to hear such a succinct and accurate definition.
“Well, uh, yeah, it looks like you have,” says Dranko.
The half-orc thinks for a second, then adds, “Oh, and hey, Wellington. I’m going to say a word to you, and I want you to repeat it back to me.”
“Ok.”
“Sharshun.”
Wellington blinks. “Excuse me? I’m sorry, but I didn’t hear you clearly.”
“Sharshun,” Dranko says again.
Wellington thinks hard for a moment.
“This is very strange,” he says. “I know that you asked me to remember and recite a word, and I know I heard you speak the word. But I cannot recall it, even now. Why is that?”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” the Company assures him. And sure enough, the whole incident is gone from the boy’s mind a moment later.
Morningstar sends to Eddings: Eddings, it’s Morningstar. Do you know if Ozilinsh is okay?
The response: No news. I trust things are well in Verdshane?
Morningstar sends a second time: Yes… we won. Company okay, but many soldiers died. We need to host a big meeting of the Spire at the Greenhouse in two days.
Eddings: Wonderful to hear of your victory. I’d best start cleaning then.
It turns out that Glade and Royce have also been invited to the Spire meeting. While the Company works out the schedule of teleports and wind walks that will get everyone back to Tal Hae, Morningstar drops into Ava Dormo to check in with Amber.
There are still dreamers guarding the tower near Oasis, but there have been no further attacks. Someone has cast speak with dead on June, as Amber reports:
“June has declined to be brought back from Ell’s paradise. She died as a warrior in the service of her Goddess, and is content.”
All the arrangements are made to get everyone back to the Greenhouse. In preparation for teleporting himself, Wellington and Glade back to Tal Hae, Kibi once again puts on his helm. When Wellington asks about it, Kibi answers, “Um, it’s just my lucky helmet. I always wear it when I teleport.”
“Fascinating,” says the boy. And he’s honestly fascinated.
Only when they have arrived safely at the doorstep of the Greenhouse does Kibi admit the helmet’s magical function.
“Ah, of course,” says Wellington, nodding gravely. “That way, if your spell goes awry and you have the bad fortune to land in the ocean, you could continue to breathe for several seconds before your dwarven bone density makes you sink far enough to be killed by the pressure implosion.”
Kibi splutters.
Eddings greets all the Company and the guests at the door. The house is already prepared for the impending gathering of the Spire. To pass the time Aravis and Kibi discuss the trading of spells to get scry from Wellington. To Aravis’ dismay, Wellington is mostly interested in improving his repertoire of illusion spells (Aravis’ prohibited school). But eventually the boy agrees to accept energy buffer from Kibi’s book, in return for scry. The rest of the day is spent (for them) busily copying spells. Dranko, still wind walking, flies to Tal Korum to check on his grandfather. The old man is doing well, has started working again in his fields, and maintains a polite conversation with his grandson for the duration. The mending of their relationship is well underway.
At last the day of the Spire meeting comes. As before, the attendees arrive directly from Ozilinsh’s tower via the “crystal ball” room, and begin to descend the stairs. The first guest to arrive is an old elf who the Company has not seen since their earliest days together – Fylnius, the elven Archmage of Ghant. (Ernie recalls that the Blood Gargoyle’s attack on Ghant, which distracted Fylnius from his main task, was what allowed Octesian, Meledien and Restimar to slip through to Abernia.) Fylnius – like all the guests – endures the standard light-in-the-eyes test to guard against the long-absent Soul Eater, King Farazil. After Fylnius comes Duke Nigel, and then the leader of the Spire, the Archmage Salk.
At that point, Skorg, who is lurking in the kitchen, grabs Ernie’s attention.
“Hey Ernie,” he says nervously. “I was just thinking, with all these important people here, maybe, you know, I should just be kind of out of the way or something.”
“Good idea,” Ernie agrees. “Why don’t you head upstairs and just wait it out in your room.”
Skorg dashes out of the kitchen and up the stairs, and all in the Company wince as they hear the sound of two bodies crashing into each other.
“Oh, I’m really sorry,” they hear Skorg say. “Here, let me help you up… oop… sorry again… why I don’t just let you…er… yeah…”
Ernie and Morningstar follow up the stairs, and are treated to the sight of King Crunard IV of Charagan smoothing his silk shirt. His Majesty’s expression hovers between amused and annoyed. Skorg has retreated into an upstairs room.
“I’m sorry, your majesty,” says Ernie.
“New house servant,” says Morningstar.
“Ah,” says the king before heading downstairs to join the others.
Skorg pokes his head back out.
“I hope that wasn’t anyone too important,” he mumbles.
“Oh, just the King,” says Ernie.
“Er… the king of what, exactly?” asks Skorg.
“Of Charagan.”
“Oh sh*t! That was the king? I knocked over the king of the whole country? Oh my god! I’m really sorry! Do you think he'll have me executed? I’m really really…”
Morningstar propels Skorg back into the room, closes the door firmly, and then casts silence on it. She and Ernie go back downstairs to join the meeting.
Royce is looking happier than when they last saw him. Dranko remarks on this fact, and Royce claps him on the back.
“I’ve spent a lot of thinking on the last thing you said to me,” he says. “And more importantly, I’ve thought hard about Sparrow and what she would want. She knew the dangers of the line of work we were in. And we’re all in fate’s hands, after all. I’ve spoken with the clerics of our Goddess Corilayna, and they know that Sparrow and the others have earned their places on the wheel of heaven. I’ve got to get on with my life, and that’s what I intend to do. Besides, if I just sulk, Sparrow’s ghost will probably come down here and kick my ass.”
After a few minutes the living room is fairly full. In attendance are Duke Nigel of Harkran, King Crunard IV of Charagan, High Stormknight Dalesandro, High Priestess Cornelia of Pikon (promoted to that position after the death of Matthias), Yale (the king’s advisor), General Anabrook, the Archmagi Salk and Ozilinsh, Royce, Glade, Wellington, and all the members of the Company.
When all are seated, King Crunard stands up and walks to the front of the room. He smiles and gestures expansively.
“My friends, we are gathered here in the aftermath of a great victory. No doubt we have just witnessed the defining event of our age, and weathered the storm with our kingdom intact. The great peril of the past millennium has been thwarted, due to the efforts and sacrifices of our citizens and heroes, some of the greatest of which are here in this room. In particular, I would like to recognize two of our hosts – Aravis Telmir and Morningstar of Ell. It was Aravis who made use of the Crosser’s Maze artifact to seal the Gate between our plane and that where our enemy is imprisoned. I understand that this was no mean task, and it was the culmination of many long months of trial and training, not to mention a long and perilous quest to acquire the artifact in the first place. He was the lynch-pin of our strategy, and he did not let us down.
“Morningstar led a small army of Ellish priestesses in the Ava Dormo, the dreamscape, to blunt the second thrust of our enemy. For while it is not widely known, Naradawk’s forces attacked a critical point of our defense in the dreaming. Had Morningstar not led the resistance there, there’s no telling how many more enemy soldiers would have poured through at Verdshane before Aravis sealed off the Gate. Our army was only barely the better of what it faced. Another thousand soldiers would have tipped the scales in their favor. Another two thousand and we would have been decimated.
“But there are many more who deserve praise in no less measure. The whole company of adventurers whose hospitality we now enjoy, has already saved Charagan from one deadly threat. It was not many weeks ago that they saved us from the hidden machinations of the Black Circle. And now they have been instrumental in saving us a second time.
“Fortune’s Children, of whom sadly only Royce Tillman has survived, were instrumental in continuing to provide the archmagi with powerful artifacts to power their magics. While Ozilinsh’s Company was seeking the Crosser’s Maze, the Children were making sure we had the wherewithal to keep the planar gate closed in the meantime. Without the Shroud of Baynock in particular, the gate might have fallen months earlier.
“Wellington’s revolutionary astronomical calculations allowed for the solving of an old prophecy, from a book I am told is called the ‘Blood Inks of Imgur.’ As a result he anticipated an attack by magic-leeching creatures on Koenig’s tower in Yen Hae, which served as the anchor for the Demiplane in which the Archmagi did their work. Were he and Glade not able to both discover and repel that attack, the kingdom would certainly have fallen.”
Wellington has turned a bright red at hearing his name spoken in such congratulatory terms by his sovereign lord. Royce punches him in the arm, grinning. The King smiles down at the child prodigy before continuing.
“General Anabrook here organized and executed the most unusual defensive battle in recorded Kingdom history, and was able to defeat a force that well outnumbered her own with a thrown-together force that had just come from an entirely different theatre. It would not be a misstatement to use the phrase “military genius” in describing her.
“And finally there are the Archmagi themselves, wizards of power beyond the comprehension of the rest of us. They have given centuries of tireless service to the kingdom. Without them there would be no Spire, no Charagan. They are the architects of our great victory.”
The Company expects that some report on the Archmagi’s health will be included, but none is given. Ozilinsh looks fine, though, as does the old man Salk.
“But enough of the congratulatory indulgence,” says Crunard. “I have even more good news to share with you. The rumors of the Delfirian retreat are true. They have accelerated their withdraw in the past two days. The Bederen have gone past what we expected from them, and are pushing so hard on their Kivian front that the Delfirians seem to be abandoning Charagan to defend their own country.”
There is a pleased murmuring throughout the room at that announcement, and the king smiles again. But his smiles slowly fades as he considers the next part of his speech. Eventually, his expression somber, he goes on.
“Still, for all of our joy in victory, we should not forget the losses we suffered, and the sacrifices that were made. Over two thousand soldiers were lost in the battle at Verdshane, added to the many hundreds who perished defending our lands against the Delfirians. And the fighting has also claimed many of our best and strongest. The High Priest of Pikon, Matthias Fieldstone. Sparrow, Brassel and Bettany from Fortune’s Children. The wizard Fulton, whose misdeeds we can forgive for his service to his kingdom. And fourteen Dreamwalkers of Ell fell in Ava Dormo to one of Naradawk’s most powerful servants – their sacrifice bought our kingdom its victory.
“Lastly, as we feared, the Archmage Semek has died. He did not survive the unmaking of the gate.”
Semek? There is more murmuring. Semek is known to most in the room only as the name from the seven polished obelisks that stand on the plains of Harkran. The Mirrors of Semek.
“Semek is dead,” says Crunard, holding up his hand, “but at long last we can tell his tale. Semek was one of the greatest of the Archmagi; in him was the wisdom of Salk, the intellect of Ozilinsh, and the foresight of Abernathy. Nine hundred years ago he stood at Verdshane when Naloric Skewn, the original Emperor, forced his way back from exile. In that battle many of our greatest heroes and wizards were killed before Naloric himself was slain. One of Naloric’s most powerful servants, a demon from the very pits of hell, fled the battle when its master fell. Semek, weakened and wounded, gave chase, knowing the terrible consequences of letting the demon run free.
“The Demon fled from Semek, to the standing stones known as the Mirrors. We do not know how, but the demon used the Mirrors to flee into a Demiplane. Semek pursued the hell-spawn even there, cornering the creature and finally defeating it. There in that pocket of space, Semek pressed his foe, and the demon confessed Naloric’s contingency: that if Naloric died and the Gate were sealed, his son Naradawk would soon re-open it and return with a great army.
“Semek banished the Demon and returned to Verdshane, vowing that Naradawk would never come to Charagan. He was the most knowledgeable among the Spire on the subject of Gates, and he offered himself as the focus of the magical energies that would keep the Gate closed. He deduced what place on Charagan would prove optimal for such a focus, without interfering with the Gate itself. Too close, and the magic needed to keep the Gate closed would rupture the fabric of space. Too far, and even the most powerful spells would prove ineffectual. The Archmagi tell me that his calculations would have taken anyone else years to come up with, let alone solve, but it took him less than two weeks. He himself built an invisible tower and focusing chamber on the perfect spot, just outside the city of Oasis. For nine hundred years he stayed there in a kind of suspended animation, his mind working to keep the Gate sealed. Without him, it would have been more like five years. We discovered early on that other concentrated magic in the vicinity could interfere with Semek’s task. That is why it was made illegal for any mages’ guild to operate in Oasis, and why the reason for that restriction was never explained.”
With a wry smile, he adds, “I trust that has satisfied the curiosity of many in this room.”
The meeting adjourns for a few minutes while Eddings and Ernie make sure all of the guests have enough to eat and drink.
“You know what?” says Dranko. “We should go back to the Mirrors on the next Flashing Day, and tell those crazy people in the Green Turbans, the Disciples of Semek, that they were right all along! Of course, now that Semek’s dead, they’ll need someone else to worship…”
When everyone is settled down again, King Crunard stands up and continues.
“Despite our victory, and the fact that the kingdom is now safer than it has been in centuries, we cannot afford to become lax in our vigilance. There are still many questions, many worries, many enemies. Rosetta and Duke Nigel’s court wizardess went off on some secret mission “against Black Circle interests,” and has not returned. We do not know where she is or what she is doing. Likewise, Cencerra and her band have not returned from her investigation of the Gartine arch on Karth. We know she is alive, but she is shielded from divinations and does not respond to sendings.
“There is also the troubling matter that powerful enemies fled the battle at Verdshane and are now at large in the kingdom. We know from Morningstar’s interrogation that at least one of these is a red-armored warrior named Tarsos. And speaking of the Emperor’s servants, there was no sign of Meledien at the battle at all. She too is still at large. Worst of all is the existence of Parthol Runecarver, once one of the great Archmagi of the Spire. He knows we watch for him, and fears to show himself openly, but he still represents a nearly unimaginable threat. Finally, we know that the Masking continues to erode, and that some Masked things might be coming back into the world following Naradawk’s recent push. We must not become complacent. We in this room must continue to stand between the citizens of Charagan and the dangers that beset them. For while the dangers may not be as great, our ability to defend ourselves is not what it once was.”
King Crunard glances at Salk, the elderly spokesman for the Archmagi.
“It’s time,” whispers the king.
Salk stands slowly and walks to the front of the room to stand beside Crunard. He carries a large silken pouch that jingles slightly.
“This bag contains some of the kingdom’s most treasured magical devices,” says Salk, his voice scratchy but still full of authority. “We have oft debated using them in recent years, but they only work once, and the secret to their forging is lost.”
He reaches into the bag and pulls out a handful of plain brass rings.
“I want everyone here to put on one of these.”
The bag gets passed around, and everyone does as instructed.
“The magic of these rings,” says Salk, “is that anything you hear while wearing one cannot be gleaned from your mind by any sort of divination magic. Nor can you be compelled by magic to repeat anything you have heard. I am now going to share with you a secret that you should all know, but which our enemies must never learn.”
Everyone leans a bit closer.
“In order for Aravis to use the Crosser’s Maze, he had to tap directly into the life energies of the Archmagi. I’m afraid that the… strain… was extreme. As a result of that use of our power, all of us… all of the Archmagi… are extremely weakened. Although we still retain our knowledge and experience, we have lost the power that we once had.”
“As weak as us?” Ernie cannot help but ask.
Salk looks at him sadly.
“Much. Weaker.”
Aravis goes pale.
“Weak enough,” says Salk, “that we can no longer defend our kingdom in any meaningful way by the might of our wizardry. But understand that we gave what we did knowing what the cost might be. And we did it in the fulfillment of our life’s work.”
He says this while looking straight at Aravis, whose whole body trembles at the thought of what he has done.
“I… I never intended for that to happen,” says Aravis. “I hope you can forgive me.”
“Aravis,” says Salk gravely. “When we regained consciousness in Koenig’s Demiplane and realized what had happened, we spent some time trying to decide what we would say to you when we met. It was a difficult discussion, and there was much we wanted to say. But in the end we decided that simpler was better, and our message is thus: thank the Gods for you Aravis. Thank the Gods that you did what had to be done.”
Aravis looks back blankly, and nods.
“Oh, don’t look so glum,” says the Archmage Fylnius, smiling. “I’m quite looking forward to a nice retirement, and not having so much responsibility all the time. It’s been centuries since I had any free time. I’m thinking of taking up botany!”
The tension is broken, and the assemblage laughs.
“But what about Cranchus?” says Kibi, raising his voice above the laughter. “He was an Archmage too, right? He wasn’t there in the Demiplane. Does that mean he didn’t have his life energy drained?”
Everyone grows quiet again as Salk answers.
“You are correct, Kibilhathur. Cranchus was not with us. While long ago we bestowed on him the title of Archmage and admitted him the Spire, he was never truly one of us.”
Kibi frowns.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. He has been a valuable ally. He has given us advice and wisdom over the years without which we could never have held out so long against Naradawk. But his magics were not… compatible with ours, and he always remained aloof and mysterious. He would contact us, when the mood took him, or he had something important to share. Even before Semek built his tower he did not leave his home, and never invited any of us to visit. I confess that in most ways that matter he is beyond our understanding. You are right. Cranchus is presumably still as powerful as ever. But we have not heard from him in years, and he is beyond our reach, and it does no good to count on him.
“You may not wish to admit it, but you sitting here in the room are now among the most powerful citizens of this kingdom.”
Many jaws drop at the notion.
“Holy crap,” Grey Wolf mutters under his breath. “We’re doomed.”
“Now, I’ll need you to take off your rings when I say so. But listen very carefully. Once the rings are off, do not discuss this matter with anyone, or even talk about it among yourselves. That can erode the magic. Too much talk and it will again become possible for someone to divine what you have just learned. Am I clear?”
Everyone takes off the rings and hands them back to Salk. The old wizard walks back to his chair and sits down again, and again King Crunard stands.
“In celebration of our great victory, there will be a kingdom-wide festival one week from the day that the Gate was closed. It will be known as the Day of Sealing. To the masses, the explanation will go that the battle at Verdshane sealed the victory against a number of the Kingdom’s foes, including the humanoids and the Delfiri. But to the cognoscenti it will always have a truer meaning.
“As a final note, I would ask that those heroes here who fought at Verdshane please remain here. Some enchanted items found on the battlefield will be brought along shortly that you may divide among yourselves. You may consider them well-deserved spoils of war.
“And that is all. Ladies, gentlemen, may the Gods of our Kingdom continue to show us favor. This meeting is adjourned.”
…to be continued…
