Sagiro
Rodent of Uncertain Parentage
Sagiro’s Story Hour, Part 171
More days pass. Kibi continues to fall under the unsettling observation of the eyes in his head; they come and go without any pattern. Scree sees them as well but doesn’t seem particularly alarmed. They don’t seem threatening to the familiar, though like Kibi, he’d like to know what they are. The dwarf takes to talking to the eyes when they watch, keeping up an idle, friendly chatter. They do not respond.
Different members of the Company come down with the “mystery rash,” though remove disease spells are always efficacious. Before long almost everyone has contracted at least a small patch of the itchy skin condition; only Kibi, One Certain Step and Skorg remain uninfected.
Aravis and Kibi use their free time to train, while others busy themselves making magic items or running various errands. Those in the Company with family start making arrangements for their relatives to come to Tal Hae for the Sealing Day festival and parade.
Four days after the Company were named as Spire Guard, there is a knock on the door of the Greenhouse in the early evening. The Company is just sitting down to dinner, and Eddings applies the Light Treatment to the visitor. They hear a familiar voice, gruff, punctuated by porcine grunts.
“There is a… man… named Snokas at the door,” announces Eddings. “He wishes to speak with Morningstar.”
Morningstar stands immediately.
“Let him in, please.”
She walks into the living room to meet the half-orc Snokas.
Flashback: Snokas is from Kivia, a mercenary who was hired by Lapis (who in turn had been hired by “P”) and then taken prisoner by the Company. Minotaurs in the Crosser’s Maze killed him, but the party brought his body back with them to Charagan, where Morningstar raised him from the dead. He was sent on a Holy Quest after his raising, and made his way alone through the Delfirian army back to Kivia. There he made contact with Evenstar, telling the old priestess that the time had come for the telling battle in Ava Dormo. Then he had been assigned as a bodyguard for an Ellish emissary to the Bederen War Council, an emissary whose success has seemingly contributed to the withdrawal of Delfirian forces from Charagan.
And now he’s back. He wears chainmail that is flat black.
“Snokas,” says Morningstar at a loss. “What are you… I mean, how did you get here?”
“Priestess,” says the half-orc. “I have come back to serve you. I pledge my weapons and my life to your service and the service of our goddess Ell.”
Morningstar looks shocked. Dranko looks miffed – suddenly there’s one too many half-orcs in Morningstar’s life.
“I don’t understand…” begins Morningstar.
“I was on my way back to my tribe,” says Snokas, “when I was struck by a vision. There were a series of images, each crystal clear, more real than any dream. I saw myself traveling back through the Delfirian archway, disguised. I saw myself worshipping in the great wooden temple of Ell. And I saw all of you…all of us… standing around…around him.”
He points at Kibi.
“We were in this very house, and Kibi was holding two large gems, one in each hand. Then the visions faded, and I found that my armor and picks had become blackened. It was a sign from the Goddess, I knew in my heart. I should come back to your kingdom and travel the path that your company treads. If you’ll have me.”
Morningstar takes a deep breath. “Of course we will. We don’t know exactly where that will be, but we will welcome your help.”
Kibi grumbles to himself. “Just what we need…more orcish blood in the party. No one ever asks me who gets to be one of the gang. Hrumph.”
* *
The next morning over breakfast, Dranko speaks aloud a suspicion he’s been having.
“I think that Cranchus is Parthol,” he announces.
Kibi looks aghast. “Cranchus is a dwarf! And he’s one of the Archmagi. He can’t be Parthol!”
“Why not?” asks Dranko. “Think about it. He’s been around forever, but none of the other Archmagi seem to know anything about him. And it’s too convenient that he’s the only one who didn’t get life-drained by Aravis.”
“We could ask Ozilinsh,” suggests Ernie.
After the meal they go up to the secret room and activate the Crystal Ball. Before too long Ozilinsh’s face appears. Dranko explains his theory.
“Nonsense!” concludes Ozilinsh. “Parthol cannot be acting overtly. We’ve been watching for him.”
“You didn’t catch his simulacra,” Dranko observes.
“That’s different. Look, we’ve been in contact with Cranchus off and on over the years. He’s helped us. If he’s Parthol, why would he have helped us defeat Naradawk?”
“First of all,” says Dranko, “you’ve been in contact with someone who claims to be Cranchus. If none of you has actually seen him, he could be anyone. And secondly, hasn’t everything worked out pretty much as Parthol would have wanted?”
He doesn’t speak aloud the fact of the Archmagi’s reduction in power.
“If that were true,” says Ozilinsh, “then why isn’t he attacking us right now, when we’re most vulnerable? And besides, Parthol couldn’t have known that Aravis would use the Maze in the manner that he did, unless he had prescience even greater than Abernathy’s. And there’s nothing in Parthol’s past that suggests any such thing.”
“Just like there was nothing to indicate he would betray your order?”
Ozilinsh sighs. “If it will make you feel better, Dranko, I’ll bring your concern before the other Archmagi. Would that satisfy you?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”
The Crystal Ball goes dead.
“You’d think that with everything that’s happened, the frikkin’ Archmages would be more paranoid,” grumbles Dranko.
* *
More days pass and the day of the parade and festival draws near. Extra travel arrangements are made and verified to get the Company’s families to Tal Hae. (You can almost hear the sendings zipping through the ether.) Grey Wolf’s siblings won’t be able to make it, but Ernie’s, Kibi’s and Morningstar’s parents are expected, along with Dranko’s grandfather and most of Kay's family.
On September 25th, fifteen days after the closure of the Planar Gate, soldiers start returning to Tal Hae in great numbers. Soon the city is flooded with war heroes, and the churches are overwhelmed with men and women still in need of healing. The three party clerics spend the day tending to the injured. The rest of the Company expects to see Marbury Tillerson returning with the other soldiers, but night falls and the stars come out without a visit from their long-time friend. Morningstar tries a sending to him, but there is no response.
“He could be sleeping,” suggests Flicker.
“Or dead,” says Grey Wolf, sighing.
The next day, their fears on the count are confirmed. Spence, their liaison to the city guard after Marbury was assigned, shows up in the morning bearing a parcel tied up in string.
“I’m sorry to be bringing you sad news,” he says, “but the guys at the barracks said you’d be the one to bring this to, seeing has he had no family. Marbury Tillerson was killed in battle at Verdshane. He’s already been buried, as I understand it. I got his belongings here for you.”
He hands the parcel off to Ernie, and leaves, glum.
Marbury didn’t have much to his name – some clothes, a small pouch of coins, some simple cookware and a few other oddments. Flicker discovers a small tied sketchbook tucked into the clothes, and starts flipping through it.
“Hey, I didn’t know Tillerson could draw. He’s…he was pretty good! Here’s a picture of the marketplace. And here’s one of the docks and the ocean down by the temple of Brechen. And here’s…”
Flicker stares down at one of the sketches. His lip starts to quiver, and a tear rolls down his cheek. He holds out the drawing for the others to see – it’s a group portrait of the Company, all of them smiling, with Tillerson himself included in the group, grinning along with the rest of them.
Ernie says quietly, “I think we should have a pie in his honor. He was a good man who died fighting for his King. And he loved pie.”
* *
Throughout the rest of the day, family arrives. Kibi proudly brings his parents from Eggemoggin via teleport, secure in knowing that his new magical vest will allow him to instantly cast water walking in an emergency. Morningstar’s parents and Kay's family arrive by ship, while Ernie’s parents and Dranko’s grandfather roll up in covered wagons. By early evening all have arrived, and the Company gives them a tour of the Greenhouse, showing them everything except the basement laboratory and the secret room behind the bookshelf.
Kibi’s dad gets straight to the point, asking his son where the distillery is set up. Morningstar’s father and Ernie’s parents spend almost an hour goggling at the trophies in the living room case.
“Who’d think there were creatures with tentacles that long?”
“That’s quite an impressive pelt!”
“Eeewwwww.”
“I hope there was only one of those.”
“Is that a tooth?”
Flicker, not hip to the plan, pipes up, “Hey, maybe we should show them the basement!”
“No, it’s too dangerous,” Grey Wolf quickly interjects.
“We won’t touch the evil stuff,” assures Kibi’s dad.
“Heeey, look how late it is!” says Morningstar. “I think we should take you to the inn where you’ll be staying. We’ve gotten you very nice rooms. You’ll love it!”
* *
The morning of the parade comes, with a warm sun shining in a clear sky. Everywhere around Tal Hae are hung banners in the red and gold of the Crown. Halfling stalls sponsored by the Church of Yondalla are already handing out food along many of the main streets along the parade route. Papers have been posted all over town, inviting the citizenry out for a grand day of merrymaking and celebration. (There are also notices that soldiers returning from the war, and who might have trouble finding work, can report to various centers for assignments to public works jobs, most notably the rebuilding of Calnis.)
The Company drops off the family en route to the Ducal palace, where they are headed for the start of the parade. They make sure all the parents and grandparents and siblings get front-row positions. All of the Company are dressed splendidly in their royal uniforms, except for Morningstar who has donned her formal Ellish robes.
“Dranko,” she chides, “I thought you’d be wearing Deliochan attire.”
“Well… um… but, er, don’t I look good in this uniform?” offers Dranko weakly.
Morningstar stares him down until he is shamed into changing. And a few minutes after that the parade begins, with royal guards on stallions and a dozen trumpeters leading the cavalcade. The Company is arrayed on several open horse-drawn carriages, riding up high where all can see them. The parade route is lined with thousands of citizens, cheering madly. Word has spread that the Company are great adventurers who were instrumental in defeating the enemies of the kingdom; flowers and copper pieces rain down upon them.
Finally the slowly rolling cart rolls past where the various Company family members are watching, smiling and waving. Ernie's mom waves vigorously, and then starts motioning frantically, with a big grin on her face, for Ernie to hop down off the cart and come over. Ernie waves back happily, but soon realizes that mom must have something important to say, so he climbs down from the cart and jogs over to her.
"Hi mom!" he says cheerily. "Having fun?"
"I sure am!" his mom replies. "But I have something important to tell you... come here..."
Ernie steps closer, expecting his mom to impart some motherly advice about his clothes or dietary habits.
"Now, Ernest," says his mom in a low voice, "I want you to stay calm. Please don't become alarmed, since I just want to talk to you... but I'm actually King Farazil."
…to be continued…
More days pass. Kibi continues to fall under the unsettling observation of the eyes in his head; they come and go without any pattern. Scree sees them as well but doesn’t seem particularly alarmed. They don’t seem threatening to the familiar, though like Kibi, he’d like to know what they are. The dwarf takes to talking to the eyes when they watch, keeping up an idle, friendly chatter. They do not respond.
Different members of the Company come down with the “mystery rash,” though remove disease spells are always efficacious. Before long almost everyone has contracted at least a small patch of the itchy skin condition; only Kibi, One Certain Step and Skorg remain uninfected.
Aravis and Kibi use their free time to train, while others busy themselves making magic items or running various errands. Those in the Company with family start making arrangements for their relatives to come to Tal Hae for the Sealing Day festival and parade.
Four days after the Company were named as Spire Guard, there is a knock on the door of the Greenhouse in the early evening. The Company is just sitting down to dinner, and Eddings applies the Light Treatment to the visitor. They hear a familiar voice, gruff, punctuated by porcine grunts.
“There is a… man… named Snokas at the door,” announces Eddings. “He wishes to speak with Morningstar.”
Morningstar stands immediately.
“Let him in, please.”
She walks into the living room to meet the half-orc Snokas.
Flashback: Snokas is from Kivia, a mercenary who was hired by Lapis (who in turn had been hired by “P”) and then taken prisoner by the Company. Minotaurs in the Crosser’s Maze killed him, but the party brought his body back with them to Charagan, where Morningstar raised him from the dead. He was sent on a Holy Quest after his raising, and made his way alone through the Delfirian army back to Kivia. There he made contact with Evenstar, telling the old priestess that the time had come for the telling battle in Ava Dormo. Then he had been assigned as a bodyguard for an Ellish emissary to the Bederen War Council, an emissary whose success has seemingly contributed to the withdrawal of Delfirian forces from Charagan.
And now he’s back. He wears chainmail that is flat black.
“Snokas,” says Morningstar at a loss. “What are you… I mean, how did you get here?”
“Priestess,” says the half-orc. “I have come back to serve you. I pledge my weapons and my life to your service and the service of our goddess Ell.”
Morningstar looks shocked. Dranko looks miffed – suddenly there’s one too many half-orcs in Morningstar’s life.
“I don’t understand…” begins Morningstar.
“I was on my way back to my tribe,” says Snokas, “when I was struck by a vision. There were a series of images, each crystal clear, more real than any dream. I saw myself traveling back through the Delfirian archway, disguised. I saw myself worshipping in the great wooden temple of Ell. And I saw all of you…all of us… standing around…around him.”
He points at Kibi.
“We were in this very house, and Kibi was holding two large gems, one in each hand. Then the visions faded, and I found that my armor and picks had become blackened. It was a sign from the Goddess, I knew in my heart. I should come back to your kingdom and travel the path that your company treads. If you’ll have me.”
Morningstar takes a deep breath. “Of course we will. We don’t know exactly where that will be, but we will welcome your help.”
Kibi grumbles to himself. “Just what we need…more orcish blood in the party. No one ever asks me who gets to be one of the gang. Hrumph.”
* *
The next morning over breakfast, Dranko speaks aloud a suspicion he’s been having.
“I think that Cranchus is Parthol,” he announces.
Kibi looks aghast. “Cranchus is a dwarf! And he’s one of the Archmagi. He can’t be Parthol!”
“Why not?” asks Dranko. “Think about it. He’s been around forever, but none of the other Archmagi seem to know anything about him. And it’s too convenient that he’s the only one who didn’t get life-drained by Aravis.”
“We could ask Ozilinsh,” suggests Ernie.
After the meal they go up to the secret room and activate the Crystal Ball. Before too long Ozilinsh’s face appears. Dranko explains his theory.
“Nonsense!” concludes Ozilinsh. “Parthol cannot be acting overtly. We’ve been watching for him.”
“You didn’t catch his simulacra,” Dranko observes.
“That’s different. Look, we’ve been in contact with Cranchus off and on over the years. He’s helped us. If he’s Parthol, why would he have helped us defeat Naradawk?”
“First of all,” says Dranko, “you’ve been in contact with someone who claims to be Cranchus. If none of you has actually seen him, he could be anyone. And secondly, hasn’t everything worked out pretty much as Parthol would have wanted?”
He doesn’t speak aloud the fact of the Archmagi’s reduction in power.
“If that were true,” says Ozilinsh, “then why isn’t he attacking us right now, when we’re most vulnerable? And besides, Parthol couldn’t have known that Aravis would use the Maze in the manner that he did, unless he had prescience even greater than Abernathy’s. And there’s nothing in Parthol’s past that suggests any such thing.”
“Just like there was nothing to indicate he would betray your order?”
Ozilinsh sighs. “If it will make you feel better, Dranko, I’ll bring your concern before the other Archmagi. Would that satisfy you?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”
The Crystal Ball goes dead.
“You’d think that with everything that’s happened, the frikkin’ Archmages would be more paranoid,” grumbles Dranko.
* *
More days pass and the day of the parade and festival draws near. Extra travel arrangements are made and verified to get the Company’s families to Tal Hae. (You can almost hear the sendings zipping through the ether.) Grey Wolf’s siblings won’t be able to make it, but Ernie’s, Kibi’s and Morningstar’s parents are expected, along with Dranko’s grandfather and most of Kay's family.
On September 25th, fifteen days after the closure of the Planar Gate, soldiers start returning to Tal Hae in great numbers. Soon the city is flooded with war heroes, and the churches are overwhelmed with men and women still in need of healing. The three party clerics spend the day tending to the injured. The rest of the Company expects to see Marbury Tillerson returning with the other soldiers, but night falls and the stars come out without a visit from their long-time friend. Morningstar tries a sending to him, but there is no response.
“He could be sleeping,” suggests Flicker.
“Or dead,” says Grey Wolf, sighing.
The next day, their fears on the count are confirmed. Spence, their liaison to the city guard after Marbury was assigned, shows up in the morning bearing a parcel tied up in string.
“I’m sorry to be bringing you sad news,” he says, “but the guys at the barracks said you’d be the one to bring this to, seeing has he had no family. Marbury Tillerson was killed in battle at Verdshane. He’s already been buried, as I understand it. I got his belongings here for you.”
He hands the parcel off to Ernie, and leaves, glum.
Marbury didn’t have much to his name – some clothes, a small pouch of coins, some simple cookware and a few other oddments. Flicker discovers a small tied sketchbook tucked into the clothes, and starts flipping through it.
“Hey, I didn’t know Tillerson could draw. He’s…he was pretty good! Here’s a picture of the marketplace. And here’s one of the docks and the ocean down by the temple of Brechen. And here’s…”
Flicker stares down at one of the sketches. His lip starts to quiver, and a tear rolls down his cheek. He holds out the drawing for the others to see – it’s a group portrait of the Company, all of them smiling, with Tillerson himself included in the group, grinning along with the rest of them.
Ernie says quietly, “I think we should have a pie in his honor. He was a good man who died fighting for his King. And he loved pie.”
* *
Throughout the rest of the day, family arrives. Kibi proudly brings his parents from Eggemoggin via teleport, secure in knowing that his new magical vest will allow him to instantly cast water walking in an emergency. Morningstar’s parents and Kay's family arrive by ship, while Ernie’s parents and Dranko’s grandfather roll up in covered wagons. By early evening all have arrived, and the Company gives them a tour of the Greenhouse, showing them everything except the basement laboratory and the secret room behind the bookshelf.
Kibi’s dad gets straight to the point, asking his son where the distillery is set up. Morningstar’s father and Ernie’s parents spend almost an hour goggling at the trophies in the living room case.
“Who’d think there were creatures with tentacles that long?”
“That’s quite an impressive pelt!”
“Eeewwwww.”
“I hope there was only one of those.”
“Is that a tooth?”
Flicker, not hip to the plan, pipes up, “Hey, maybe we should show them the basement!”
“No, it’s too dangerous,” Grey Wolf quickly interjects.
“We won’t touch the evil stuff,” assures Kibi’s dad.
“Heeey, look how late it is!” says Morningstar. “I think we should take you to the inn where you’ll be staying. We’ve gotten you very nice rooms. You’ll love it!”
* *
The morning of the parade comes, with a warm sun shining in a clear sky. Everywhere around Tal Hae are hung banners in the red and gold of the Crown. Halfling stalls sponsored by the Church of Yondalla are already handing out food along many of the main streets along the parade route. Papers have been posted all over town, inviting the citizenry out for a grand day of merrymaking and celebration. (There are also notices that soldiers returning from the war, and who might have trouble finding work, can report to various centers for assignments to public works jobs, most notably the rebuilding of Calnis.)
The Company drops off the family en route to the Ducal palace, where they are headed for the start of the parade. They make sure all the parents and grandparents and siblings get front-row positions. All of the Company are dressed splendidly in their royal uniforms, except for Morningstar who has donned her formal Ellish robes.
“Dranko,” she chides, “I thought you’d be wearing Deliochan attire.”
“Well… um… but, er, don’t I look good in this uniform?” offers Dranko weakly.
Morningstar stares him down until he is shamed into changing. And a few minutes after that the parade begins, with royal guards on stallions and a dozen trumpeters leading the cavalcade. The Company is arrayed on several open horse-drawn carriages, riding up high where all can see them. The parade route is lined with thousands of citizens, cheering madly. Word has spread that the Company are great adventurers who were instrumental in defeating the enemies of the kingdom; flowers and copper pieces rain down upon them.
Finally the slowly rolling cart rolls past where the various Company family members are watching, smiling and waving. Ernie's mom waves vigorously, and then starts motioning frantically, with a big grin on her face, for Ernie to hop down off the cart and come over. Ernie waves back happily, but soon realizes that mom must have something important to say, so he climbs down from the cart and jogs over to her.
"Hi mom!" he says cheerily. "Having fun?"
"I sure am!" his mom replies. "But I have something important to tell you... come here..."
Ernie steps closer, expecting his mom to impart some motherly advice about his clothes or dietary habits.
"Now, Ernest," says his mom in a low voice, "I want you to stay calm. Please don't become alarmed, since I just want to talk to you... but I'm actually King Farazil."
…to be continued…
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