Tales of the Legacy - Concluded

[Delemental]

We officially restarted the campaign last Friday, so looks like there won't be the lag in updates as I had originally feared. I'll make a note at the point where we ended (back in November 2005) and where it picks up again.

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Arrie, Tolly, Razael and Maddie came back in two days as promised. The day after they returned, Kyle found a small bunch of flowers in his room, along with a note penned in Arrie’s hand:

Kyle, preserve these. It’s a courting custom.

The small white flowers glowed faintly, and smelled slightly of the swamp. Next to the flowers was a bottle of a thick, syrupy wine that smelled very sweet. Next to it was another note:

They like it. Trust me, they like it. –R

Kyle smiled to himself. It seemed his new dwarven wedding flagon might get some use after all.

Now, when all they wanted was more time, the days seemed to rush by. Visitors and dignitaries began to arrive in Vargas over the next two weeks, and the manor was crowded with guests. Fortunately, many of Autumn’s vassals maintained homes in the city, otherwise the burden would have stretched the large mansion to bursting. Word finally arrived from Merlion that Damen and Corissane Coviere would be attending… alone. Relieved at having one less thing to worry about, Autumn made sure to send a proper escort to the co-monarchs.

The arrival of Osborn’s family, as well as the rest of the Amazing Traveling Circus also threatened to throw the proceedings into chaos, until Boss Billyup made it clear that they intended to camp outside the city to provide entertainment to the masses and be part of the festivities leading up to the wedding.

There was time during the arrival of the dignitaries for one event that actually eased tensions among the group. Tolly and Kyle sat down together one night at the Medusa’s Lair for an ale, and discussed a lot of things; their past differences over psionics, their mutual pursuit of Autumn, and the arguments and ill feelings that had arisen from those conflicts. It took several hours; Tolly was doing his best to explain how his views had changed without actually admitting he was wrong, while Kyle was struggling with trying to respect where Tolly had been coming from in the first place without showing that he currently held little respect for the gods because of their attitudes toward psionics. Both managed to succeed, and came away from the evening as better friends.

The rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding went fairly well. The fish was a little undercooked, and one of the butlers dropped a tray, but other than that it was nerve-wracking for Autumn and Kyle. No one went to bed that night expecting to sleep much, but they all quickly dropped into a deep slumber.

They awoke standing inside a stone castle, looking out over a balcony at the ocean, with a gray sky overhead. They all wore simple garb. All of the party was there, as was Tolly, and surprisingly, Iria was there too. Tolly looked around, and immediately grabbed on to Iria’s hand.

“All right,” Lanara said, “where’s Aran?”

They turned at a chittering sound behind them, and saw the dromite, Tek, standing in the archway leading inside the castle. Razael, who had never experienced a meeting with the Dreamlord personally but had been told about it, looked nervous, especially once he realized he was unarmed.

Arrie walked over to Tek, and bent over to allow his antennae to touch her forehead. “What’s going on, Tek?” she asked.

The Dreamlord wishes to meet with you. It has been some time, and the seers have told us of a great event coming soon for you.

“Okay, show us the way.” Arrie passed the message from Tek to the others.

As they walked inside, Autumn glared at Kyle. “You’re not supposed to see me, dammit.”

“It’s not like I had a choice,” Kyle protested. “Besides, it’s your dress I’m not supposed to see.”

They walked into a large, airy sitting room. Unlike last time, when the stone room was rather sparsely furnished, this time Aran seemed to have taken care to appoint his reality with comfortable furniture and rugs. A fire burned in the firepit in the center of the room, and though it didn’t feel like a real fire, there was a sense of warmth coming from the hearth; it was almost like their minds knew a fire should be warm, and so it was warm here. Aran was standing in the center of the room near the fire.

“Hello, everyone,” he said. “Welcome back.”

“Hello,” Osborn said.

“You have impeccable timing, Aran,” Autumn said.

“Yes, I know. It comes with the territory. Please sit, I’ll have some refreshments brought.”

“You do know,” Lanara asked, as she sat down, “that we have a wedding to do today?”
“Oh!” Aran said, seeming surprised. “That’s today? I’m sorry. That must be the ‘momentous event’ that the seers told me about.” He grinned sheepishly. “Well, congratulations, you two.”

“Thank you,” Autumn said.

“But, we’re already here,” Kyle said, taking a seat himself, “and we know we’ll be done before morning…”

“Indeed.” Aran found a seat close to the fire pit. “Mostly I brought you here to discover what you’ve learned, and exchange information. And to welcome new arrivals.”

Aran gestured toward Razael, and then toward Iria. Tolly instinctively stepped between the young girl and Aran. Though Tolly had considered trying to contact the Dreamlord about Iria, he had always feared that Aran might try to take the girl from him.

Aran seemed to sense Tolly’s worries. “Tolly, I am a teacher, not a parent,” he said. “One day I may ask to train the young girl, but that day is not today.”

Tolly visibly relaxed. “Good. But any advice you can give on dealing with uncontrolled manifestations would be appreciated. You can send me a book.”

“A book? Hmm, no.”

Tolly looked at Aran, puzzled. “You can write, yes?”

“Yes, but there are no such books in existence, and I’m not about to set down pen to paper on the subject of psionics. If you wish, I can place some temporary blocks on her powers that will contain them for about a year. She’ll miss them; it will be much like asking her to wear a blindfold for that time.”

“I’ll consider it,” Tolly said.

Arrie walked over next to Iria. “Iria,” she said, “this is our friend Aran. Aran, this is Iria.”

Iria looked at Aran, and suddenly her eyes grew wide as saucers. “I remember you!”

“Okay,” Arrie said, standing up. “That’s kind of creepy.”

“She… remembers you?” Tolly asked.

“I do occasionally peek into the dreams of others. It’s part of my job – how I know what is happening. I must have been in one of her dreams once, and as a psion, she was aware of my presence.” Aran looked up from Iria at the others. “What else have you learned?”

Most of the party looked around awkwardly. “There is a great deal that we could discuss with you,” Kyle said at last, “but there are certain… complications in imparting that to you.”

“Oh?” Aran said curiously.

“Well, there’s one easy way to fix the problem.” Kyle turned to Tolly. “Tolly, I know this is going to sound strange, and if I could explain it to you, I would. But we need for you and Iria to leave this room.”

Tolly looked around, and saw the others nodding their agreement. Aran pointed toward one of the archways. “There is a library through there that you may find interesting,” Aran said.

“All right,” Tolly said, taking Iria’s hand and walking through the archway.

When they were sure he was gone, the party turned back to Aran. “We’ve been to Erito’s Library,” Kyle said. “Justin Godscion sends his greetings.”

Aran looked taken aback for a moment, then composed himself, and shook his head sadly. “I’d ask you to return the greeting to Justin, but I hope you’ll never have to go back there.”

“I ain’t never going back,” Razael said.

“I’m not getting on another boat for that long,” added Lanara.

“Well then,” Aran said. “If you have been to the Library, then you now know what has happened, our perspective on things, and why we psions do what we do.”

“Yes,” said Arrie, “but why did you tell us that it was one of the Many who was destroyed in our first meeting? Why not tell us about the Consort?”

“Because the Consort’s existence has been erased from the universe,” Aran said. “It is only by virtue of the fact that you have been to Erito’s Library, which exists outside of time, which allows you to even be aware of his previous existence. I know of him because I was alive before he was destroyed. Had I told you about the Consort in our first meeting, your minds simply would have been unable to accept it. The knowledge would simply fail to take hold in your minds. It’s somewhat like your experiences with my former apprentice, Momuus, on that island; while you are here, in Dream, you remember it fully. In the waking world, the knowledge becomes… fuzzy. So I chose instead to tell you a modified truth, one that would still convey the magnitude of what the Cataclysm was.

“So, now that you know, what, if anything, do you intend to do? Having knowledge doesn’t require you to act on it.”

Everyone looked around uncertainly at each other. Certianly, they hadn’t planned on sitting back and letting things take their course, but it had been so long since they’d thought about the subject…

“I plan to eat, drink, and kill things that piss me off,” Razael finally said.

“I think the answer depends,” Kyle said, “on whether you are referring to each of us individually, or as a group. I’m assuming the latter.”

Aran nodded.

“I think the first thing we’ll need to do is find out exactly what Kristyan’s faction is up to,” Kyle continued, “learn their ultimate goal.”

“I can tell you this,” Aran said. “They’ve been gathering relics from all of the gods. They don’t have one from every deity, but besides the oathbond blade of Bail you already know about, they have a sickle from Bles, an hourglass from Erito, a dagger from Fiel, an everburning torch from Grabâkh, a circlet from Paccë, a statuette from Tor, and – this is rather disgusting – a mummified tongue from Qin-Chu.”

“Disgusting, but appropriate,” Lanara commented.

“What possible use could they have for these items?” Xu asked.

“We’d guessed that one thing they might be trying to do is replicate the assassination of the Consort on a grander scale,” Kyle said.

“That was my initial guess as well,” Aran said. “But in order to accomplish that, they would require the power of fifteen or twenty psions like Silko, and they simply do not possess that much power – if they did, we would know it. But another possibility is that they’re trying to re-incorporate Silko.”

“Gathering enough divine energy to reverse his destruction?” Arris asked.

“Yes, drawing the particles of his form together into a coherent whole.”

“Well, if they’re trying that,” Razael asked, “could be they’re taking it a step further and trying to bring back the Consort. He was your god, after all.”

“It could be,” Aran admitted. “It’s a possibility I hadn’t considered.”

“If’n it were true, then I think we’d be hard pressed not to help,” Razael said.

“But it seems unlikely,” Xu commented. “Given what we know of their natures, such a benevolent act seems dissonant.”

“Yet if they are fanatical followers of the Consort,” Aran mused, “then it could very well be a case in their minds of the ends justifying the means. I will have this theory looked into. Thank you.”

“So, once we can figure our their plan,” Kyle said, “it’s a matter of identifying leaders, and key elements, and then interfering if we need to. I think we can agree that none of us want to see any more gods destroyed, or for Silko to return.”

“Maybe the first thing we could do is track down some of these people looking for the rest of the relics and stop them,” suggested Maddie.

“The only problem with that is that there are a great number of divine relics out there,” Aran said. “Hundreds of them.”

“But we could also track ‘em back to where they’re coming from,” Razael suggested.

“If you pursue that tactic,” Aran advised, “then you should know that the relic that they will have the greatest trouble securing will be that of Shesh. This is because the Miser God is known to have only created a single relic.”

“Where is it?” Osborn asked.

“I don’t know. As you can imagine, Shesh’s priests guard the secret of its location carefully. I’m almost certain it’s on Affon, however. The relic itself is a small metal cage, perhaps three inches square. I don’t know its function. If you wish to block Kristyan’s faction from getting a relic from every deity, that would be a sure way to go about it.”

Aran stood up, straightening his tunic. “Would any of you like to have a private conversation?”

“Yes, I would,” Kyle said. Arrie also signaled that she wanted a private conversation. Seeing this, Kyle spoke again.

“This may be related to what Arrie is going to talk to you about, but we currently have a rather potent celestial in our midst. Any advice on protecting Arrie and Iria’s secret?”
“The simplest way is not to manifest powers in their presence. The servants of the gods have no special ability to identify a psion by sight. At most, they can tell that the deity they serve is not your patron, but the natural assumption will be that you have a different divine patron, not that you have no patron at all.”

“What about Iria?” Lanara asked. “She’s not exactly in control.”

“Like I said, I can place blocks on her powers for a year,” Aran said.

“Can’t you do anything less than a year?” Lanara asked. “I’m pretty sure that Phanuel will be gone by this time tomorrow.”

“I could possibly reduce it to about six months,” Aran said. “Any less would risk making the blocks too weak.”

“I just want to get her through until the danger has passed,” the cansin said. “Can you remove the blocks after you set them?”

“But when will the danger pass?” Arrie asked. “She’s living with Tolly. I’m not worried about him, because he obviously loves her, but the people around him.”

“And would it be wise to leave Iria defenseless?” Kyle asked. “Maybe Tolly could just keep an eye on her and make sure she behaves herself.”

“But what if that’s not enough? I don’t want to have Phanuel smiting Iria in the middle of the wedding. It’s not fair to put Tolly in that position.”

“Well,” said Kyle thoughtfully, “if things get to that point, then we may have to face some hard choices. I’m not going to let Iria get hurt, but I’m not going to hurt Phanuel either.”

“Can we bind Phanuel somehow to keep him from doing anything?” Lanara asked.

“No one is binding my father to do anything,” Autumn said.

“And doing that would tip him off that something’s up,” Maddie added.

“I suggest that the blocks be set,” Aran said, “and if we can remove them early, so be it. It will be easier for me to contact her than it is for me to gather all of you together.”

“Why don’t we bring Tolly and Iria back from the library,” Autumn said. “I think we’re done discussing anything ‘secret’.”

“I will bring them back,” Aran said. He didn’t move, but concentrated for a moment. As they waited, Kyle suddenly slapped his forehead.

“I’m an idiot,” he said.

“What is it?” Autumn asked.

Kyle looked around at the others. “We are under compulsion not to reveal what we learned at the Library to Tolly.” Kyle pointed at Aran. “He isn’t.”

Aran smiled. “Would you like me to fill him in?”

“That would be lovely,” Lanara said.

Tolly and Iria came into the room, led by… Aran. Tolly looked and saw Aran standing in the middle of the room, and at Aran standing next to him, and shook his head.

“I’ll never get used to that.”

“Tolly,” said the Aran in the room, “with your permission, I’d like to take Iria and place the blocks we discussed.”

Though he looked unhappy about it, Tolly let go of Iria’s hand and allowed the other Aran to lead her away down another passage.

“There are things I also need to discuss with you, Tolly,” Aran said, “Though you can remain here this time.”

Tolly found a seat and looked up at Aran, who took a chair next to the priest.

“How inclined you are to trust me is going to affect how likely you are to believe what I’m going to tell you. Your companions are unable to share certain information with you because of a magical compulsion that is woven into their souls by Erito. Because I have lived through the events, however, I can share them.”

Tolly nodded. “I have heard of Ardara placing similar compulsions in the past,” he said. “I assume that once I know what you’re about to impart, then they will be free to discuss it with me?”

When Aran indicated this was true, Tolly nodded. “Then I can certainly allow you to impart what knowledge you feel is appropriate.”

“Very well. First, you should know that your companions in the Legacy have been to Erito’s Library. This is where they gained the knowledge, and where the compulsion was laid.”

“Erito has a Library?” Tolly asked. Aran nodded.

“They have learned much which is not known to people today. For example, you probably did not know that Erito once had a Consort.”

“A what?”

“A Consort. A husband. A male counterpart.”

Tolly shook his head. “No. There is only Erito. It’s the One, not the Two. You’re mistaken.”

The rest of the party began to roll their eyes and grumble, but Aran held up a hand. “This is not unexpected, and it’s not Tolly’s noted adherence to his principles at work. Tolly’s mind is resisting the assimilation of knowledge about the Consort.” Aran returned his attention to Tolly. “I was hoping that being here would shelter you from that. I’ll have to impart the knowledge in a different way.”

Aran looked intently at Tolly, and Tolly felt the psion connect with his mind. Suddenly, there was a rush of images and mental constructs in his brain. Within the space of a few seconds, Aran imparted it all; the Consort, Silko, the Cataclysm. Tolly noted that the presentation of the information was… odd, and it took him a moment to realize that they were all coming from Aran’s point of view. The Dreamlord wasn’t simply relaying information, he was sharing memories. Reflecting on this, Tolly realized that among the memories were vivid impressions of what it felt like to be a psionic being, and to manifest powers. Curiously, Tolly found it to feel very similar to when he called on Ardara’s power, but in this case reaching inward.

“That was… interesting.”

“So,” Aran said, “about the Consort…”
“Yes, the Consort,” Tolly nodded. Everyone else sighed in relief. “Well, you were correct in assuming that I didn’t know that before.”

“The Consort was the god of my people,” Aran explained. “When he was destroyed, the only deity who accepted our kind into his realm vanished. In fact, the very capability of the gods to do so was destroyed.”

“So, that’s why Ardara argues that she can’t take them,” Tolly said. “This will change the tone of the discussions.”

“Indeed. It’s not that the gods don’t wish to accept us – though some of them don’t. It’s that a basic law of the universe has been altered.”

Listening to the exchange, Kyle sat silently, but his mind reeled. The gods couldn’t take psions into the afterlife? That was very different from how it had been told in the Library; there they’d been told that the gods simply refused to accept them, out of what Kyle had assumed was some juvenile sense of paranoid fear. But to hear that some of the gods were willing, but simply didn’t have the option… that changed everything.

“I should let you know, Tolly,” Aran was saying, “that although you’re able to keep track of my memories while you’re here, once you wake up, they’re going to get a bit… jumbled. It may take a few days for you to sort them out again. There are about two millennia worth of memories in there.” Aran stood up again. “But I believe that both Ariadne and Kyle wished to speak with me. I’m almost finished with Iria; as soon as I’m done, I’ll bring her back to Tolly, and then I’ll speak to each of you privately. Oh, and Tolly? Some day soon I’ll send someone to train Iria.”

A minute or so later, the second Aran brought Iria back to the sitting room. She looked unhappy, but none the worse for wear. She immediately jumped into Tolly’s lap.

“Iria,” Aran said, “I know you don’t like what I did very much. But the big green man that you’ve seen around Autumn’s house might try to hurt you if you try and look in his head. This will keep you from doing that.”

“But why would he want to hurt me?” Iria asked.

“Because he doesn’t understand some things,” Aran said. “Like the people who were chasing you when you met Tolly.”

“Oh. But, if the green man tried to hurt me, Tolly would hurt him, right?” Iria’s face brightened for a moment, then she frowned. “But then he might hurt Tolly back.” She thought for a while. “Okay, then, I won’t look into his head, then.”

“That’s good, Iria.” Aran smiled. He turned and walked with Arrie into another room, while the second Aran took Kyle off into another room. “We shouldn’t be long,” the second Aran said. “Feel free to discuss whatever you’d like, have something to eat, or look around – but don’t try to leave the castle, or enter any rooms with doors.”

“I feel funny,” Iria complained, after Aran left.

“I know, Iria,” Tolly said, stroking her hair. “I hope you won’t have to feel that way very long.”

“Is this how you feel all the time, Tolly?” she asked.

“I suppose it is, child.”

Iria looked sadly at Tolly. “I’m sorry.”

* * *​

Autumn walked down the hallway, peeking through archways. She came across one archway with a door set in it, and though tempted to peek inside, she remembered Aran’s warning and refrained. Finally, however, she heard voices coming from a room toward the end of the hallway, and walked toward it.

Kyle and Aran were standing in a fairly barren room, studying a large diagram etched into the wall. To Autumn, it looked like a bunch of random lines and shapes, with several lines written in a language she didn’t recognize. Aran was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“I suppose it’s possible,” he was saying, “but current arcane theory as I understand it doesn’t support what you’re talking about.”

“But I would think that Torvald’s Theorem of Reciprocity would apply here,” Kyle argued, pointing at one of the squiggles on the wall.

“Torvald’s Theorem isn’t meant for situations like these,” Aran said.

“That’s only because no one’s ever tried to apply it in this situation. Like you said, it’s unexplored territory, magically speaking.”

It was a bit disconcerting for Autumn to listen to Kyle sounding so… intellectual. But then, remembering her purpose, she stepped forward into the room.

Both Kyle and Aran turned at her approach, looking startled. This in itself was surprising to Autumn; she wouldn’t have expected Aran to be surprised, especially in his own home. He must have been quite involved in the conversation.

“What is it?” Kyle asked.

“You’ve been gone a while, Kyle,” Autumn said. “And you do have plans tomorrow.”

“It hasn’t been that long,” Kyle said. “Besides, Arrie’s not back yet either.”

“Actually, she is,” Autumn retorted. “For about an hour now.”

“Really?” Aran said, perplexed. “I’m sure I…” he paused for a moment. “Oh, I see. It has been rather a long time, hasn’t it?”

“Just a few more minutes, Autumn, I promise,” Kyle said. “I just have…”

“No, Kyle. We have a wedding to go to tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps you remember it? It’s ours.”

“But,” he protested, “if we’re all still here, it means it’s not time to wake up yet, right?”

Autumn looked squarely at Kyle. “I’m not going to have you going through the whole day exhausted because you were up discussing… whatever you were talking about. Come on, it’s time to go.” She turned to Aran. “Aran, thank you for the information, and your hospitality, but we need to be getting back now.”

“Of course, Duchess,” Aran said, bowing. “Until we meet again.”

Autumn grabbed on to Kyle’s arm, and began pulling him out of the room. “Come on, Kyle. It’s time to go.”

“But… but… we haven’t even discussed the applications of Magrathea’s three Laws of Metaphysical Reconstruction yet!” he moped, as they walked out into the hallway.

After they left, Tek walked into the room. Is everything all right, master? I heard voices raised.

Just fine, Tek. The arcanist wasn’t quite ready to end the discussion we were having, but he has other pressing business in the waking world. That’s all.

Tek’s antennae twitched. What were you discussing with him, master?

Aran frowned. Something… rather dangerous, I’m afraid. Exciting, but dangerous.

 

[mother1219]

I just wanted to say that I recently found and have now completely read this SH. It is fantastic. It has some of the best character detail and interaction of any story I've read. The depth of the Kyle and Tolly characters in particular is impressive. Well done. Please keep going on this one. It's one of the best on this site.

 

[Delemental]

I just wanted to say that I recently found and have now completely read this SH. It is fantastic. It has some of the best character detail and interaction of any story I've read. The depth of the Kyle and Tolly characters in particular is impressive. Well done. Please keep going on this one. It's one of the best on this site.

Thank you. I do appreciate the praise, and knowing that others are finding this worth reading. And don't worry, the game's still going, so there will be plenty of updates, though I will likely have to slow down from my current accelerated update schedule soon.

I also see your comments as a challenge, however. It's fairly easy for me to add detail and depth to Kyle, because he's my character, thus I have full and immediate access to his inner being. In fact, one of my constant struggles in writing this SH is to not overdo it, and make this seem like the "Kyle and Those People He Hangs Out With Story Hour" (a bit harder to do recently, since the current storylines revolve around Kyle and Autumn, so by necessity they get more attention).

Tolly is the character of my good friend, and we discuss him a lot, so I also have a pretty good grasp on him. But as much as I'm able to do it, I want all the characters to come alive. It's harder with some than others - Xu and Madrone are both played by more casual gamers, so there's a bit less raw material to work with, and Razael was intentionally sort of two-dimensional. But I hope that they come across as real, because they are all played as very dynamic characters.

 

[Ed Gentry]

Originally posted by Delemental:

also see your comments as a challenge, however.

(I'm the poster previosuly known as Mother1219, I just made a new login)

I hope I did not offend. When I spoke of character interaction, I really was alluding to all of the characters. When I started the SH I was certain I wouldn't get far in it because I was convinced it was trying to follow too many characters. I am pleased to have been mistaken. All the characters are more than engaging enough to follow and be interested in.

Besides, challenges are good things, right?

It's a great read. Thanks again for writing it up for us to enjoy.

 

[Delemental]

The Wedding

So, filled with glee at discovering a new reader, I bring you an update. Although I feel like I've overwhelmed you recently with extra-long posts (especially the fiction pieces that came after "Price of Victory"), this one really works best as a whole, and it's not that long.

-------------------------------------------

The footsteps of the two men echoed off the stone walls of the enormous hallway, making it sound like the approach of a squadron of men. Each of them carried a large golden urn in their arms, their muscles straining with their weight.

The two men walked up to a large iron-shod door, which was opened by one of two guards standing outside. The two walked straight to the middle of the room, where a large golden basin sat waist-high on a marble pedestal. Two other figures stood near the basin, waiting.

Slowly, one of the two men with the urns approached, and bowed his head to the two already at the basin. After a slight answering nod from the taller of the figures, the man upended the urn slowly into the basin. A thick, silvery liquid splashed into the basin.

“Carefully,” the shorter figure said. “We mustn’t waste any.”

As the last drops ran into the basin, the servant withdrew, and his companion took his place, repeating the same procedure. When he finished, the silvery liquid came right up to the rim of the basin. After a wave of dismissal from the taller figure, the two servants left, and the guards outside pulled the doors closed. The short man walked over and barred the door from the inside.

“Are you ready?” the shorter man asked, looking up at his companion.

“I am. Thank you for assisting me in this. I expect it will take several hours.”

“I am here to serve, as always. But I am curious…”

“Speak.”

“It’s more a curiosity than a concern, as I said,” the shorter man said. “Why do this now, on this day? Surely observing them at a time when we might study their tactics, their resourcefulness…”

The tall man smiled, showing the barest hint of white teeth through thin lips. “There will be plenty of time for that. It’s moments like these that are much more rare for those of their profession. You can learn as much about a person by watching their actions in times of peace as you can in times of war.”

“Very wise,” the shorter man said, nodding in approval.

“I had a wise teacher,” the other replied. Then, turning his attention back to the basin, he waved his hand over the smooth silvery surface and concentrated. Ripples appeared in the quicksilver, spreading out in concentric rings as if a pebble had been dropped in the center. Despite the disturbance, however, none of the liquid spilled from the basin. The ripples increased in frequency and intensity, and slowly the silver was replaced by color and motion, and sounds began to echo in the small stone room as the scene unfolded before the two men.*

* * *​

Spots swam before Xu’s eyes as the maids behind her yanked on the strings of her corset, cinching it tightly across her torso. The monk gripped the bedpost she was leaning against for support as the servants tied off the corset.

Xu looked around the room. Autumn, Arrie, Maddie, and Lanara were there, arranged all around the room, along with a bevy of female servants. The five adventuring women were arrayed in corsets and frilly undergarments, awaiting the arrival of their dresses. None of them looked very comfortable.

“I cannot see how you can stand this,” Xu complained to Autumn, who was sitting in an upholstered chair by the window. “I can barely breathe.”

Autumn smiled. “I guess I’ve just become used to it by now,” she said. She withheld the real reason for her lack of discomfort. That morning, when she’d awoken, there had been a silk-wrapped package on the bed next to her where Kyle usually slept. Inside had been a new corset, along with a note from Kyle – Try it on before you think bad things about me. Autumn had discovered to her delight that Kyle must have magically altered the garment, because when she did don it, it seemed that no matter how hard her valet had pulled, it didn’t feel at all constraining or painful, even though she could see it was performing its function.

“That is well for you,” Xu said, “but if there is trouble at the ceremony, this garment will render me nearly incapable of fighting.”

Arrie and Autumn looked at each other. “Should we let her in on the secret?” Arrie asked, winking.

“I think so,” Autumn said. She looked over at her valet. “Please give us a few minutes alone, Aleria. You may return when the seamstresses bring the dresses up.”

“Of course, Your Grace,” Aleria said, bowing. She ushered the other handmaids out of the room, shutting the door behind her. As soon as the servants were gone, Arrie walked over to Xu, turned her around, and untied the corset. Giving the monk a few moments to gasp for air, she then retied the corset so it was much less constraining.

“This is how you get through a day wearing a corset,” Arrie said.

The women spent a few minutes adjusting each other’s corsets, except for Autumn, who politely declined. Then they sat down and nibbled at plates of sweet breads while waiting for the seamstresses.

“So,” Maddie said, “do you think Kyle’s gone insane yet with having all those servants getting him ready for the wedding?”

“Well, I haven’t heard any explosions in the manor,” Autumn said, “so I guess he’s holding up.”

Lanara chortled at the thought of Kyle chasing away servants, flailing a wand at them. “I hope Tolly has those dispels ready like he talked about. By the time Kyle gets to the reception he might snap and try to disintegrate the ambassador from Targeth and start a war.”

Autumn suddenly became very quiet, nibbling at a honey bun.

“Hey, I was kidding,” Lanara said. “I’m sure it’ll be nothing more than a minor border skirmish.”

“Oh, I know,” Autumn said. “I was just feeling a little sorry for Kyle for a moment. He’s going to spend the whole reception feeling out of place.”

“Well, he’s got his family here,” Arrie pointed out, “and Osborn’s family too. And really, if he puts his mind to it he does fine. I’m sure he’s handling the whole thing better than we think.”

On the other side of the manor, a loud groan emanated from one of the guest rooms.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a Duke,” Kyle said, staring up at the ceiling. He was in the room he’d appropriated to sleep in the night before the wedding, in order to respect the Bailite custom that the groom not see each the bride in her wedding garb before the ceremony. Tolly and Osborn were in the room with him. The hin was sitting on the floor, playing with a small puppy. The puppy, which had been sired by Osborn’s dog Rupert, had been given to Kyle and Autumn as a wedding gift.

Tolly looked up from where he was sitting, going over Kyle’s formal robes looking for loose threads. “Well, actually, you’re going to be a Duke-Consort. It’s not quite the same thing.”

Osborn looked puzzled. “I thought you got over this whole being uncomfortable with nobility thing,” he said, fending off a licking attack from the puppy.

“Dealing with them, yes. Being one, no. I mean, my brother and sister are going to be sitting across the aisle from Prince Herion and the Serenity of Erito! I mean, what are they supposed to say to each other at the reception? ‘Hi there, I’m the Imperial Prince. I noticed that the buttons on my tunic cost more than you made on your farm last year’.”

“Uh huh,” said Osborn, “because Herion’s just the kind of oaf who would rub your family’s faces in his prosperity at your wedding.”

“Hey, it’s my wedding,” Kyle said. “I’m allowed occasional lapses of blind, unreasoning panic. You try getting married and see what kind of thoughts run through your head.”

“Get married?” Osborn scoffed. “No thanks! I’d have to disappoint too many of your chambermaids if I did that!”

“Though I’m not as opposed to the idea of matrimony as Osborn,” Tolly said, “unfortunately my best prospect in recent memory was stolen out from under my nose by an upstart wizard who was toying with forbidden powers.”

Kyle smiled. There was no malice in Tolly’s comment; they’d resolved those issues a few weeks ago. “Okay, fine, I know I’m overreacting. I’m just off-balance right now. I’m not used to having other people shave me, cut my hair, and trim my nails.”

“You should just be glad the Royal Wiper was sick this morning,” Osborn joked.

“That’s disgusting,” Kyle said, laughing. He sat up on the bed. “All right, then, panic over. What’s next?”

“Now, you put this on,” Tolly said, tossing him the robe, “and we call the servants back in and they spend another hour or so in a desperate but ultimately futile effort to make you look presentable. Then we go stand in a field for a couple of hours, surrounded by the best and brightest souls on the face of Affon – as well as all the gathered nobles and ambassadors – so we can listen to you and Autumn say what we already know; that you love each other and will be together for the rest of your lives.”

Kyle grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

* * *​

From the Imperial Archives in Noxolt, as dutifully committed to memory-crystal by Loremaster Wexlen, archived under ‘Notable Social/Political Events in Reign of Emperor Haxtha, Years 1-50’:

The ceremony marking the marriage of Autumn Verahannen – Duchess of Vargex, Lady Mayor of Vargas; bearer of the title of Vigilant in the Order of Sentinels – to Kyle Goodson, wizard from Targeth, took place on the tenth day of Lutros in the third year of Emperor Haxtha’s reign. The ceremony began at the second bell past midday, and was held in the open country just outside the city of Vargas. It was a traditional Bailite wedding ceremony, officiated by the ranking cleric of Bail in the duchy of Vargex, High Priest Brom Unthwe.

Serving as maid of honor was Princess Ariadne Verahannen, wife to Imperial Prince Herion and ward-sister to Duchess Autumn. Also in attendance to the bride were Lanara Rahila, whose skills as a bard have already been noted by the Imperial Court; Madrone, a Favored of Erito; and Xu Dhii Ngao, of the Xhintai Empire. Phanuel, planetar in the service of Krûsh, escorted the bride to the altar as proxy to Zanich Verahannen, the bride’s ward-father.

Serving as best man was Osborn Greenbottle, hin from the Khag Steppes and member of the performing troupe known as the Amazing Traveling Circus. Also in attendance to the groom were Tolly Nightsleaving, Inquisitor Primus of Ardara; Bryant Goodson, brother of the groom; and Togusa, also of the Xhintai Empire. Pella Stovich, sister of the groom, escorted the groom to the altar as proxy to Anjele Goodson, the groom’s mother.

A number of dignitaries were in attendance as well; their presence is noted so that the scope of this event may be properly reflected. Representing the Imperial Family was Imperial Prince Herion, who was accompanied by Imperial Princess Aralda, as his spouse was serving as maid of honor. Also in attendance as representatives of the Empire were Vernys, Grand Duke of Mypos; Tanach, King of Erumian; Sorene, Princess of Telluria; and Damen and Lysanne Coviere, King and Queen of Merlion. Representing the vassal lords of the Duchy of Vargex were Baron Guilford, Baron Per'ani, Baroness Estia, Count Carfex Alexos, Count Achall, Countess Nalad, Count At-kal, and Count Helaku. Representing the Verahannen family was Aiden Verahannen, ward-brother to Autumn and current lord of the Verahannen estate; and Auror Verahannen, ward-mother to Autumn and widow of Zanich Verahannen.

Representing the spiritual community, aside from the aforementioned Bailite High Priest Unthwe and the Ardaran Inquisitor Primus Nightsleaving, were the Serenity of Erito; Tolarray, a Marshall of Tor who has recently been appointed the Marshall of Vargas; and Erkonne, the High Mother of Bles in Vargex.

A number of foreign ambassadors were also in attendance. From the Empire of Targeth came Ambassador Dohne, an instructor of conjuration at The Tower in Trageon. From the Peca Provinces came Ambassador Nissa, and the Dwarven Confederates sent Ambassador Kektor on their behalf. The Theocracy of Medos was represented by Ambassador Ohn, Exalted of Paccë, while the Kingdoms of the Red Archipelago were represented by Prince Mu’ara, son of King Bali. The Xhintai Empire, though they did not send an official ambassador, was nonetheless represented in the person of Lord Hungai…

* * *​

As soon as they saw him approaching, everyone in the Legacy stiffened.

“What is he doing here?” Autumn hissed to Kyle. They’d been standing for several hours after the ceremony, officially greeting their guests and receiving their well wishes. The ordeal had been dull, but necessary, and there were occasional highlights. Like when the Princess of Telluria, a wizened old gnomish woman, had grasped Kyle firmly by the buttocks and then proclaimed loudly that he’d be a good husband because he was obviously ‘a man who doesn’t sit on his duff all day’. Autumn’s mirth had changed to shock when she received a similar groping from the old gnome, who had then announced that she’d make a good wife because she had ‘good birthing hips’.

Kyle was about to shrug his ignorance, when the herald made the next announcement.

“Representing the Eternal Empire of Xhintai, Lord Hungai!”

It was difficult for the party to remain composed. They were all assembled on the wooden platform that had been set up for them to stand on as they received their guests at the celebration after the wedding. Only Maddie was absent; when the Serenity had come through to offer congratulations and some advice, she had requested to speak to Madrone and Razael privately. The three of them were still talking on the other side of the pavilion tents. Xu immediately stepped to the back of the group, trying to stay out of sight; Arrie immediately stepped in front of her to help hide her.

Kyle leaned over to Autumn. “Be polite,” he whispered. “Personal problems aside, you can’t attack a foreign ambassador in front of every other noble and dignitary in Affon.”

“Since when do you give advice on diplomacy?” she whispered back, but she knew he was right. Glancing around, she saw that the rest of the party was straining to remain composed. As Hungai approached, Autumn plastered her best gracious smile on her face. It was an expression she’d mastered in the past several months dealing with the politics of Vargas.

Hungai walked up the short steps to the platform, the wooden stairs creaking under the weight of the massive warlord. He was accompanied by a young elf-touched woman, obviously an escort of some sort as she had not been announced by the herald. The woman’s features seemed familiar to the party, but difficult to place; only Osborn was able to place the face, and his eyes grew huge with the realization, though he didn’t have time to share his insight with the others.

The Xhintai warlord and his escort stopped in front of Autumn and Kyle at a respectful distance, and bowed. “My congratulations to both of you,” Hungai said. “May you have as much success in your marriage as I have in mine.” Hungai’s eyes flicked up to take in Xu’s pale face, and then without further delay he left the platform and made his way to where the other guests were mingling.

Tolly leaned over to Kyle. “Why would he say that?”

“He’s referring to his ‘marriage’ to Xu,” Kyle said.

“Ah.”

Osborn’s gaze followed Hungai’s escort as she walked next to the warlord.

“I think our hin friend knows something,” Lanara said, “and he’d better spill it before his eyes pop out of his head.”

“That woman,” he said, “it’s Marrek.”

Everyone stared at Osborn, and then turned to stare at the elf-touched woman on Hungai’s arm.

“I’m really glad,” Kyle said at last, “that Maddie wasn’t here to find that out.”

* * *​

Overheard at the Midsummer Ball in Vargas, from Verda Mohere, the wife of Tazlin Mohere, Master of the Guild of Magic:


“Well, of course we were there for the wedding! It was only the social event of the year, you know. And of course they simply had to invite my dear Tazzie and I, seeing at his guild was so vital in the security for the event. He was the one who came up with the idea of having those extra-dimensional holes over the heads of the audience as hiding places should something go wrong, you know!

“What’s that, dear? Oh, you’d heard that it was the Duke-Consort’s idea? Well, dear, I’m never one to gossip, you know, but I’ve met the man, and I can tell you he’s not our sort of people, you know? I’d hardly expect something so ingenious from him. I mean, Duchess Autumn’s a dear woman, believe me, but if you ask me she’s simply gone too far in living out her adolescent ‘burly stable-hand’ fantasies in marrying him. I mean, other that a few minutes he spent talking with Prince Herion, I think that Duke-Consort Kyle spent the evening hanging about with his sharecropping relatives and those… circus hin. Passed up a perfectly good opportunity to better himself by conversing with some people of quality such as you or I. Why, I could almost swear he was deliberately avoiding me at the celebration!

“But goodness! There I go, off the subject again! Anyway, we were mingling in the crowd; after all, it’s not every day we get to spend time with the Serenity of Erito or with Prince Herion. Let me tell you, it was quite the evening. I’d never known until that night how much both Princess Ariadne and Princess Aralda enjoy their spirits, if you take my meaning. I’m sure they’ll make quite the pair once Princess Ariadne decides to settle down and head back to Noxolt with her husband like she should. Honestly, why Herion tolerates such willfulness… it’s beyond me. And I noticed that the Duchess was spending quite a bit of time talking to Prince Mu’ara from the Archipelago. Oh, I know what you’re going to say – two holy warriors, why wouldn’t they have something in common… well, be that as it may, I’m sure that our Duchess is well aware of the, well, let’s say casual attitude toward fidelity in the island kingdom. After all, her sister Princess Ariadne was there herself not too long ago. I won’t say any more, but I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if we see the Duchess make a sudden ‘diplomatic’ trip up to the Archipelago, perhaps without a certain Duke-Consort?

“Oh, we really must stop this wicked talk, you know. After all, the Duchess and Duke-Consort weren’t the only ones acting scandalously. That Ardaran priest that was there, the Inquisitor Primus? Well, he apparently had some words for the Xhintai ambassador and his escort for the evening. He and that bard with the pink hair – you know, the one that Princess Aralda dotes on so? Well, apparently they took offense at something the ambassador said to the bride and groom, and without even a hint of decorum they challenged him about it right in the middle of the reception! At least they had the decency to keep their voices down. I wasn’t close enough to hear it all – it was some sort of dispute over someone in the Duchesses’ adventuring group, that the ambassador apparently knows; something to do with her citizenship, or her marital status. But what really caught my attention was when the Inquisitor Primus referred to the ambassador’s escort as an animal! To her face! I mean, I have no idea who she was – some lovely young elf-touched I’ve never seen before – but the audacity! At least the ambassador and his escort had the class to keep their composure, although from the size of the Xhintai ambassador, I’d say that Ardaran would have been in a tough spot if things had gotten violent. Fortunately, he and the bard walked away from the whole thing. The last I saw of them, the Ardaran was chasing guests out of the bushes, and the bard was going home with Prince Mu’ara – I suppose she was trading up from that Imperial Huntsman she’s been sleeping with.

“Well, despite the scandal, it really was a lovely event. But let me tell you, when it came time for the speeches and gifts…”

* * *​

Lanara stood and tapped on a glass with a fork to get the crowd’s attention, but the conversations going on under the wide pavilion tent were too noisy. Lanara frowned, then summoned up a little bardic magic. This time, when she hit the glass, the crystalline sound rang much louder, catching everyone’s attention.

“It’s time for those of us who know the new couple best with their gifts and words of wisdom. Or, as close to wisdom as some of us can manage after a few glasses of Baron Guilford’s best.” There were a few laughs and many shouts of approval as Lanara tipped her own glass to the baron.

“But first,” Lanara said, holding the glass high now, “a toast, to Kyle and Autumn Goodson, the happy couple. May the Ten Paragons watch over you both.”

There was the briefest of pauses before the audience cheered and raised their glasses. After all, the cansin had gotten the traditional opening toast wrong; she was supposed to say ‘may the Eleven Paragons watch over you’. For the most part, however, the audience simply assumed she had misspoke. Lanara, and her fellows in the Legacy, knew better. Ever since they’d learned the truth about the eleventh ‘Paragon’, Silko, they’d had a bit more trouble invoking his name for good fortune.

Lanara turned to Autumn and Kyle. “I’m getting my gift out of the way first,” she said. She handed them a small bundle wrapped in colored paper. Opening it, they saw it was a leatherbound book.

“It’s a collection of poems I’ve written about our travels and adventures,” Lanara said. “To remind you of how you came to be where you are today, and to inspire you wherever you end up tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Lanara,” Kyle said.

“Yes, thank you,” Autumn repeated.

Osborn was the next to rise, though in order to be seen and heard over the crowd he had to sit on his mother’s shoulders. “A few years ago,” he began, “we all got together as a group. Or, to be more accurate, a man named Shilsen Brandovich put us all in the same class, and we kind of stuck together. Well, except for that druid fellow, but that’s another story. After many adventures, these two young folk here found they liked each other’s company maybe just a little bit more than the others. They had their ups and downs, of course, and for a while it looked like maybe things wouldn’t work out between them. But there’s something about a crazed, foaming Ravager with a greataxe that tends to give one perspective on a few things, I guess. Now, they’ve made it official, and thrown a great party to boot. So, here’s to you, Kyle and Autumn, and as my grandpa used to say, ‘May there be a road’.”

There were cheers and more drinks. Then, getting off his mother’s shoulders, Osborn walked up and presented Autumn with a long, narrow box.

“I had to give Kyle his gift earlier today,” Osborn explained. “It was a puppy, sired by my own dog Rupert. I’m afraid he wouldn’t have lasted in a box all night.” When the titters of laughter died down, Osborn opened the box. Inside was an ornate mithral dagger, stamped with the symbol of Bail. “It’s been blessed by High Priest Unthwe,” he said. “I know it’s not quite the same as the one that was stolen from you,” Osborn flicked an accusatory gaze at Marrek, whose expression didn’t change, “but I hope you like it.”

Autumn bent down and hugged Osborn, and gave the hin a kiss on the cheek. After he sat down, Arrie got to her feet.

“For centuries, House Verahannen have been the guardians of the throne and people of Merlion through skill at arms and diplomacy. As a child, Autumn came to live with us and was adopted into our home. She has excelled in all the qualities that make the house great. She is more than any parent could hope for in a child, perfect and humble. She is more than any sibling could hope for, accepting of any fault and capable of counterfeiting faults to keep Aiden and I from looking too flawed in comparison. What more could one hope for in a sister or friend?”

Arrie gave her sister a graceful bow. “And so, what is my wish for Autumn? Happiness, prosperity and love. These are the things that I desire for the woman who means so much to me. This is why I am full of joy today. Autumn has found a companion in Kyle who compliments her strengths and excels in those qualities and tasks where she is less than her usual, spectacular self. I wish you both almost everything you desire from life. If you got everything then things would get boring and we all know I’m the last person to endorse a boring existence.”

As the applause died down, Arrie gave a small ring box to Kyle, and a larger box to Autumn. “The meaning behind these gifts will be obvious to Kyle and Autumn,” she said, “so I won’t bore everyone else with the details. But in addition to this, I’ve been in touch with Count Helaku, and in your stables you will find two new horses, the finest in his herd. I hope they’ll remind you of the importance of getting away from it all from time to time.”

Arrie exchanged hugs with both Autumn and Kyle, whispering something in Kyle’s ear before sitting down which made him smile. Then Bryant, Kyle’s brother, rose.

“Pa couldn’t be here, and all,” Bryant said, “so I guess I’ll have to say a few words on his behalf. I suppose he’d say something along the lines of, oh… these two are a good couple, and, well, may they…” he paused, searching for the right words.

“Plow many furrows?” Lanara suggested loudly. There were a few laughs, and Autumn looked slightly shocked. Bryant, however, grinned.

“That’s better’n what I was thinking of. Nastier, but better. I’ll go with what she said. May you plow the furrow, and get a good crop.”

There were several loud hoots and laughter, and Autumn turned beet red.

Autumn’s father, Phanuel, was next to rise, and he kept rising. Dropping his polymorph, he resumed his natural form, which caused the audience to grow very quiet.

“This is my daughter, with whom I am well pleased. And this is now my son, with whom I am also well pleased. My benevolence is upon them, as will be my watchful eye. From when the sun rises to when it sets, and when it rises again, until the stars fade from the sky, this long will I watch over them.”

As Phanuel sat down, resuming his human form, the audience sat, stunned into silence, until someone start a loud, slow clapping. Everyone looked up to see Tolly, standing near the front, clapping loudly until everyone broke out of their awestruck state to join in. In the rear of the area, Ambassador Dohne from Targeth grumbled and barely acknowledged the speech; since he was a tiefling, this was hardly a surprise.

Maddie was the next to stand. “I’m afraid that I have been forced to bring a note of melancholy to this day of joy. I have been asked by the Serenity to continue Erito’s work in Medos, and thus I will soon have to say goodbye to my dear friends among the Legacy. Because of this, I will keep my gift to you private for now, and give it to you at a more appropriate time. For now, I would extend to you Erito’s blessings of a long life together. I will rest easier knowing that you, and the rest of the Legacy, will carry on to do what needs to be done.” As Osborn had before, Maddie flicked the briefest glance at Marrek, making it clear what ‘needed to be done’. This time, Marrek smiled sweetly at the look.

Xu was the next to rise. “In my homeland, there is a saying,” she began. “It is, ‘Love cannot be written; it must be sung’. This is meant to remind us that true affection, true companionship, cannot be forced by custom or law or tradition,” Xu’s gaze also flickered to the audience, though this time it fell on Marrek’s ‘date’, Warlord Hungai. “In the two of you, I see a song that the angels will sing when they are asked what love is.” Xu stood silently while the audience applauded her words; Hungai did not clap. “As for a gift, I fear that in the Xhintai Empire our customs are different, and I was not prepared as are my friends with an offering to present. My apologies to you both.”

“No need, Xu,” Autumn said. “your words were gift enough for us.”

Xu leaned over to Autumn before sitting down. “To tell the truth, I did purchase a garment for you to wear this evening. However, I did not wish to present it to you here; it leaves little to the imagination.”

Autumn’s eyes widened a little. “Xu?”

She smiled. “I am a monk, Autumn, but I am still a woman. There is no harm in wearing something that will stir your husband’s blood on occasion.”

Lanara leaned in as well. “I’ve seen what she got, Autumn,” the bard said. “It’s going to stir more than Kyle’s blood, I promise you.”

“Is it that bad?” Autumn asked, getting a little flustered.

“Let me put it this way,” Lanara said, “if I saw you wearing this thing, I’d probably sleep with you.”

Tolly was the last to rise. “Forgive me if I’m both brief and direct,” he said, “but those who know me know to expect this. I was honored and gladdened when I received the invitation to the wedding of two of my dearest friends, who I can honestly say were meant to be together. For their love to have blossomed out of the adversity we have faced, there could be no other explanation.

“I hope that Kyle and Autumn will forgive me, for I have no gift to give either. I think they understand that circumstances recently have left me little time to contemplate such things. But I do have something to offer; not only to Kyle and Autumn, but to the Legacy as a whole. When we parted company, there were many things I needed to discover about myself, and about the world we live in. Among those was the fact that when it came to how others see the world, ‘different’ is not always ‘wrong’. It can be a difficult lesson for an Ardaran to learn… for anyone to learn. It’s a lesson I am only beginning to understand. In doing so, I have discovered that rather than striving to be right, it’s better to strive instead to make a difference. I believe that the Legacy is doing just this. If they would accept me, I would be honored to count myself among them again.”

There was a long silence throughout the audience. Then, slowly, Kyle stood up, and walked over to Tolly. They stood facing each other for a few moments, and then Kyle put his hands on Tolly’s shoulders.

“Tolly,” he said, smiling, “you never left us.”

As Kyle and Tolly embraced, the audience erupted into the loudest cheers of the night.**

* * *​

The two men continued to watch scenes unfold before them in the golden basin. Both seemed alert, despite the fact that several hours had gone by. The scenes in the basin flicked back and forth between numerous people, many of whom seemed to be dancing.

“Who is Princess Aralda dancing with?” the short man asked.

The tall man smiled. “Prince Mu’ara of the Red Archipelago. Prince Herion must be having fits.”

“Do you think that they will…”

“No. Mu’ara will spend the night with the bard, Lanara. Aralda will pass out in about an hour and be taken discreetly back to her chambers in the ducal manor.” The tall man scanned the shifting scenes again. “Wait,” he said, “I wish to hear that conversation.”

The silvery liquid in the bowl rippled, and showed Autumn and Tolly dancing together. Tolly was looking slightly nervous.

“So, Tolly,” Autumn was saying, “we have to have a conversation.”

“About what?”

“About that dance you taught me in the desert,” Autumn said.

“What would you want to discuss?” Tolly asked.

“Do you remember what you told me that dance was?” she asked.

“Can I lie and say no?”

Just then, Kyle and Arrie whirled by, enjoying their own dance. “You could, Tolly,” Kyle said, “but you would make Ardara cry.”

Tolly turned red as Kyle and Arrie twirled off, laughing. Autumn just looked at Tolly, amused.

“It was the Dwarven Ale Toss,” Tolly said at last.

“And it’s not women that you’re supposed to be tossing, is it?” she pressed.

“No,” he admitted. “You toss barrels of ale.”

“So, you were comparing me to a barrel, then?”

“No!” Tolly said, blushing again. “I was only…”

Autumn laughed. “Relax, Tolly. I’m only having a little fun.”

Many leagues away, the short man sighed, as the liquid rippled again and the images on the surface began to flicker again. “Not quite as interesting as you’d hoped, I’d guess.”

“Patience. In an event like this, there will be a lot of chaff and very little wheat. And eavesdropping on those two was not entirely without reward.”

The short man shook his head, unsure what value there was in knowing that two people once shared a traditional dwarven dance. “What about those rope tricks they conjured for security? I’ve seen a number of people sneaking into those for more personal use.”

The tall man shook his head. “I can’t penetrate a dimensional boundary, even with the basin. Besides, I doubt there is much conversation taking place in those spaces.”

They watched for another hour. They would frequently stop to observe conversations that various members of the Legacy were having with the wedding guests. They watched as Prince Mu’ara gave Lanara directions to his suite. They listened intently as various ambassadors approached Autumn; Ambassador Kektor, an ancient earth-touched man from the Confederates, offered her advice on keeping peace in the city at night. Dohne, the tiefling conjurer from Targeth, briefly hinted to the Duchess that he knew about a certain cornugon. Both the men watching the basin took careful note of this conversation. They also listened carefully when Kyle spoke with Prince Herion, asking if the prince would look for a particular spell scroll when he returned to Noxolt. They watched as Tolly carried a sleepy Iria back to the manor, as she complained that she wanted the “green man” to leave so that her “head didn’t have to feel funny any more”.

After a fireworks show, and more music and dancing, the observers saw that storm clouds were rolling in rapidly, and that the guests were beginning to gather their things and head inside. Storms in western Tlaxan tended to be quite severe and formed rapidly; most blamed the proximity of Targeth’s shield for this. As servants scrambled to gather up decorations and flowers in the growing wind, the two men focused their basin on Arrie, who was conversing with the Grand Duke of Mypos about a recent visit he’d made to Sargia.

“I was rather surprised that the Sargian ambassador didn’t attend,” the stately old elf was saying.

“None of us have ever been to Sargia,” Arrie explained. “They’d have no reason to know who the Legacy is, at least directly.”

“Still, it would have been seemly for them to attend,” he said. “After all, your group has never been to the Red Archipelago, and yet Prince Mu’ara…”

Arrie suddenly held up her hand, silencing the Grand Duke. She cocked her head to one side, as if listening for something, and then slowly turned her head, a puzzled look on her face, until she was looking straight up through the surface of the silver liquid in the basin, as if she could see the two men watching her.

The tall man waved a hand over the basin, and the image of Arrie’s face disappeared, as the rippling liquid suddenly became dead calm. Then, suddenly, it seemed to evaporate rapidly, turning from a liquid into a few ounces of a dry, silvery powder in the space of a few heartbeats. The tall man carefully brushed the powder into a leather pouch, and tucked it away inside his belt.

“She knew,” said the short man. “How did she know?”

The tall man shook his head. “She doesn’t know. She sensed something, yes, but Ariadne is too clever to have given herself away like that if she had known what was going on.”

“Do we begin again?”

“No. There will be little else to see this evening of any value, and I am too drained to continue much longer. We can discuss what we’ve observed in the morning.”

The two men walked to the door, and slid open the bar. The two guards outside, different men from the ones who had been there that morning, snapped to attention and fell into step behind the two robed men.

Far away, Grand Duke Vernys looked at Arrie. “Is everything all right, dear?”

Arrie looked around again. She could have sworn there was someone standing right next to her, but no one was around.

“Nothing, nothing,” she said. “The wine’s just going to my head, that’s all.”

“Well, nothing wrong with that from time to time, especially on special occasions. Now, what were we talking about?”

Arrie looked at the old elf. “Nothing important, I’m sure. I shouldn’t keep you any longer; you and your wife should go inside before it rains.”

“You’re probably right, dear. Thank you, and give our congratulations to the bride and groom again.”

“I will.”

Arrie watched the old elf shuffle away, then started searching for her sister in the crowd. Autumn Goodson, she thought, it’s going to take me a while to get used to that. She finally spotted Autumn with their cousins, Damen and Lysanne Coveire, who were being introduced to Autumn’s father, Phanuel. Something else I need to get used to.

“Copper for your thoughts?” Kyle said, coming up behind her.

“Oh, the usual melancholy crap people do at weddings,” she said. “Just remembering that my own wedding was held in one of the chapels in the Imperial Palace, and was attended by about a dozen people. And Autumn wasn’t one of them.”

“Well, if you’re starting to have regrets about the whole marriage thing,” Kyle said, “I might be able to pick him off from here.” He pointed a finger at Herion, who was on the other side of the pavilion, and squinted as if aiming. “You’d have to do the ‘grieving widow’ thing for a while, but…”

Arrie gave Kyle a playful slug on the shoulder. “Knock it off,” she said, grinning. “You know what I meant.”

“So, is this where I’m supposed to chime in with the ‘you’re not losing a sister, you’re gaining a brother’ platitudes?”

“Something like that.” Arrie put her arms around Kyle and squeezed. “Welcome to the family, Kyle.”

“Thanks, Arrie,” he said, returning the hug. “For what it’s worth, though, I’ve thought of you as a sister for a long time before today.”

“I know. Same here.”

They held the embrace for a while, before Kyle let go. “Wouldn’t want to start any rumors,” he said with a grin.

“Who’d start a rumor like that?” Arrie asked.

“Clearly, you’ve never met the wife of the master of the Vargas Mage’s Guild.” He wrinkled his nose. “Awful woman. I’d rather deal with a room full of angry mindblades.”

“Careful,” Arrie said, “you may get your wish soon enough.”

“I know,” Kyle said. Then he grinned. “I can’t wait, can you?”

“Nope.”


-------------------------------------------

* Okay, I'm sure you're asking right about now, "Who the hell are these two guys?" The answer is "I don't know". I made them up simply for the purpose of being able to have an outside perspective on the event. Maybe they're powerful psionic seers, maybe they're archmages, maybe they're the high priests of some forgotten cult.

** Just to make it clear, yes, Maddie is leaving the party, and Tolly is coming back, but they aren't played by the same person. Tolly's player brought in Razael to take a break from Tolly (because roleplay-wise, there was no way he could have stayed with us - he would have ended up turning against the Legacy the way things were going, but Tolly going off to be Inquisitor Primus for a while gave him a chance to gain a perspective and a tolerance he couldn't have justified as an active party member). So yes, this means that Razael will be going away soon, too. No. Please. No tears.

Maddie's player wasn't able to attend games regularly any more, and wasn't having fun always feeling like she was behind everyone else in terms of the plot and events. This is the reason for Maddie's retirement. It's just a coincidence that her announcement came on the same night as Tolly's - though in a way fortuitous, because it gave us an easy explanation for Razael's exit.

 

[Delemental]

Wedding

Here's yet another piece of fiction written by one of the players, in this case Arrie's player. You'll note that in this piece, the character is referred to as 'Ari' rather than 'Arrie'. 'Ari' is how the player of the actual character spells it, but when I first started writing I went with 'Arrie', and by the time I learned the correct spelling the habit was too ingrained to break. And, she says she doesn't mind anyway.

-------------------------------------------------

Ari walked along with Aralda and Herion, the young elfmaid between the human and the older elf. Aralda had enough grace not to stumble, but her idea of walking in a straight line left much to be desired so their progress was slow. A trio of Aralda's hunting hounds, who had been waiting patiently for their mistress, had met them halfway and were now trailing behind them in an impromptu parade.

The wedding celebration had devolved into aimless little knots of drinking and debauchery. Aralda had argued that she should be allowed to stay, but she had been vetoed by her older brother and threatened by her sister-in-law. It wasn't very dignified for an imperial princess to be picked up by another imperial princess, tossed over her shoulder like a sack of turnips and hauled away. They had settled on an escort and luckily few people were inebriated enough to try to interfere. Especially since the prince's twin archer bodyguards had been lurking around during the reception. They reached the house that they had rented for the duration of the festivities and Herion dismissed the archers with a wave of his hand.

"Please, enjoy what remains of the evening as you will. We will be staying in the rest of the evening."

The twins gave the prince a pair of nearly identical nods and slipped back out the door. Herion urged his unsteady crew towards the stairs. Aralda said something that made Ari burst into giggles, which in turn sent Aralda into gales of helpless laughter. Herion shook his head.

"I cannot carry you both up the stairs. And even if I did, you would go up over my shoulder. Behave just a little bit longer." His voice was stern, but not totally humorless.

Ari and Aralda stifled their laughter, managing to keep it down to only an occasional snicker as they ascended the stairs and navigated to the suite of rooms that Aralda had claimed for herself.

There was a great deal of fuss as Herion tried to coax his younger sister into bed. Ari started laughing again, managing to steer the prince to the door as he sternly tried to lecture Aralda on the benefits of putting on her nightgown. "Herion, Let me give it a try, ok?"

The elf gave her a skeptical frown. "You're just as bad-off as she is. In fact, I think you've had more to drink than her, you just hold it better."

Ari grinned. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. Her steps were a little unsteady. She flashed Herion a wink and straightened. The flush paled a little and her eyes gleamed with only mischief. "Maybe. But maybe I'm not as drunk as you think I am."

Herion's left eyebrow twitched. "Then by all means, have your turn." Ari went to her sister-in-law, putting her arm around the young elf's shoulders and exchanging conspiratorial whispers. There was more giggling, but Aralda did disappear behind the dressing screen and come back out dressed in her nightgown. Aralda climbed into the bed and her hounds followed, laying on the blankets in front of and behind the elven princess, effectively tucking her into bed. Ari whispered one last comment that made Aralda blush a little. She waved goodnight to her brother and turned over, throwing and arm over one of her hounds. Ari weaved back to the door and closed it behind herself.

"Well? And what was that about? Are you pretending to be intoxicated or are you really intoxicated?" Herion looked her over. He could smell the sweetness of mead and a few other wines on her breath and he had seen her drinking with his sister, ostensibly to keep her out of trouble. But once again, out of sight of his sister, she seemed far from drunk.

Ari grinned. "Well, either I'm drunk and very good at pretending to be sober or I'm sober and very good at pretending to be drunk. Hung-gai was at the reception with a little viper from our past. I stopped drinking when I saw them. I figured it would be easier to keep Aralda under a modicum of control if she didn't feel like I was being stuffy, so I pretended to match her drink for drink. Really, I managed to shuffle quite a few glasses around and only had enough to keep myself pleasantly warm and a little giggly."

Herion gave a soft laugh of his own. "Actually, that's not a bad plan. I'm glad that you were looking out for her. I just hope that the presence of the xin-tai ambassador and my sister's state of drunkenness didn't spoil your enjoyment of your sister's wedding."

Ari shook her head. "Autumn is happy. That's all that matters. I got to dance with a bevy of handsome males and no one needed their head broken."

Herion gave her a half-bow. "Speaking of dancing, I believe that you still owe me a dance. You went slinking off the tiefling wizard instead of dancing with me."

Ari blushed a little. "Well, however wretched and evil he may be, he is a good dancer and he knew the real dance that's done to the Bolero of Lambent Flame." Herion made a wry face. "I'm aware. As are half the guests. I'm quite sure your dancing is seared into the retinas of many of the men at the reception. You are not as wrigglesome and fey as your bard friend, not as exotic as your xin-tai friend and not the ethereal beauty of your sister. However, I do not doubt that there are quite a few men who will be dreaming of you and that dance this evening and for many nights hereafter."

Ari gave a little shrug. "I didn't do anything wrong. No clothing came off and the dresses Autumn picked out are certainly modest. I'm sure that no more than a quarter of the men present even saw me dancing and those who did no doubt felt you glaring at them. I'm sorry if it made you angry. I didn't think about it before I agreed to dance with him. A fact that I'm sure gave him a little perverse pleasure." Ari gave a derisive little snort. "But in the end nothing really scandalous happened."

Herion nodded. It was true that she had danced only in the way the dance was supposed to be executed. It was the dance itself that was provocative, most of it taking place with the partners touching only hands while their bodies were pressed provocatively close and yet not actually touching. The motions were graceful, like the twining of flame, and meant to evoke images of much more private activities. But Ari's dress was fairly modest and she had opted not to add a few of the most suggestive flourishes to her movements. Herion held out his hand to her and swirled her down the hall when she took it. They danced to the absence of music until Ari was spending half her time with her head resting on Herion's shoulder, yawning. The elf stopped dancing, putting his arms around her.

"You should go to bed now. You'll need to sleep."

Ari gave a drowsy nod. "I should" She didn't try to move anything other than her head.

Herion laughed. "You're not going to get anywhere nearer bed if you stand here with your head on my shoulder."

Ari gave a shrug. "But its nice here. The blankets are going to be cold when I get to bed and if I stop moving the world is going to start spinning as punishment for me being up so late and drinking."

Herion gave a slight nod and put his hands on her waist, steadying her as he took a step back. Ari looked up, mildly upset to have her resting spot taken away. Without further preamble, Herion picked her up and started down the hall to her rooms. Their similar height made the going a little awkward at first, but Herion was very fit and had years of physical as well as magical training. For her part, Ari put her arms around his neck and did her best not to giggle. She hadn't been carried by anyone since she was a little girl and even then she had insisted from a few months after she began to walk that she could get anywhere on her own two feet, thank you. The novelty of being an adult and uninjured and being held thus made her oddly weak in the knees. She shook it off as silliness and let the moment flow as it would.

The door wasn't hard to manage, even with Herion's hands full. A softly-spoken word released a small spell that instantly opened the door and popped it open about an inch. He nudged it with his toe and it swung further. He carried Ari all the way to the edge of her bed and set her down on the edge. She smiled at him. "Thank you for the lift. I might just sleep in my clothes rather than try to get to the dressing screen and back." She stifled a yawn behind her fist and eyed the pillows thoughtfully.

Herion shook his head. "That can't be comfortable. I'll help you." He knelt down and removed her slippers, noting that rather than laugh when he touched her feet like most women, she simply sighed and closed her eyes in pleasure. He experimented a little. "You're not ticklish? How is that possible, I thought that all women turned into little girls if you touched their feet."

Ari shook her head. "Never been ticklish. Feels good when you do that though." Herion grinned and took off his shoes, climbing up on the bed behind her to work on the fastenings of her dress.

Ari started to remove her bracelet and got "tsked" into stillness. "Don't worry about it. I'll help you with it in a minute. Whoever tied this knot should be hung by it though." With a few gestures, he summoned a bevy of magical servants. Still sitting behind her, he directed the servants with his will and helped get Ari to her feet as she was disrobed. He contemplated having one fetch her nightgown, but Ari drooped against his shoulder. He shook his head. "Jewelry off and then I'm putting you to bed. Can you stay awake that long?"

Ari gave a drowsy little nod and only swayed a little on her feet as Herion helped her remove her necklace, bracelet and ring. The invisible servants bore the jewelry away and put it back into its cases. Ari was nowhere near as difficult to get into the bed and beneath the blankets as Aralda had been. On the other hand, Herion found it difficult for other reasons to tuck her in. He chastely tucked the blankets up under her chin, relieved that the temptation of her slip-clad form was now out of sight.

Ari reached out and caught his hand. She blushed a little as she spoke. "I was wondering if you'd indulge me a little?"

Herion gave the barest hint of a nod. "Ask."

She sat up and looked at a point somewhere on his shoulder shyly. "I'm not up for anything... athletic or anything, but I was wondering if you might stay a little bit with me?""

Herion thought a moment. Due mainly to circumstance and in small part to shyness on both their parts, he continued to wait to enjoy certain aspects of their marriage. Thus his reluctance to simply tuck Ari into bed when spending the evening with her gave him the urge to carry her to his bed and keep her awake a few more hours. Obviously the internal argument took longer than he realized because Ari let go of his hand.

"No. Never mind. I realize that's not a very fair request. Thank you for taking care of me and thank you for dancing with me. I had a wonderful evening." Herion shook his head and took off his jacket and belt, folding them neatly and climbing onto the bed next to Ari.

"No. Its not unfair. You ask because it will make you happy and I say yes because it will make me happy. At least we can enjoy each other's company this way and if such moments lead to other things being more comfortable between us then it is time doubly well spent.""

Ari helped him beneath the blankets and curled against his side once he was settled.

Her voice was very soft when she spoke. ""Thank you. I don't have such strange dreams when you're beside me."

Herion let the remark pass without questioning it, though he was slowly becoming more and more curious about the dreams that his wife had that seemed to disturb her so much. He idly caressed her hand where it lay over his heart as she drifted off to sleep. He watched and when she began to dream he spoke quietly to her of inconsequential things. It seemed to soothe her, drawing a few mumbled words from her. He picked out the phrase, "Just a little longer." Herion nodded. "I can be patient. I have waited more than three centuries for you. What are a few more days or months or years to me?"

 

[Pyske]

Hi Del. I'm working my way slowly through your backlog, and enjoying the story a lot. I hope you have been pruning the comments, because it would be a shame if you only got the occasional comment... the writing has been excellent!

But at least you know you have some loyal readers... I found the story b/c it had 4700 views or so. And hey, now you have one more; I subscribed Saturday. Keep up the good work.

 

[Delemental]

Hi Del. I'm working my way slowly through your backlog, and enjoying the story a lot. I hope you have been pruning the comments, because it would be a shame if you only got the occasional comment... the writing has been excellent!

But at least you know you have some loyal readers... I found the story b/c it had 4700 views or so. And hey, now you have one more; I subscribed Saturday. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the compliment. To be honest, I haven't been doing any pruning - what you see is what you get. Though I admit I like the feedback, in the end it's not a huge thing. Some stories here get loads of comments, other don't. At least all of the comments I have had are positive ones - though I'd even accept criticism, because it could lead to improvement, and I'm not vain enough to think that everyone's going to like this story.

 

[Delemental]

Trouble in Paradise

Maddie held out the envelope to Autumn and Kyle, a smile on her face.

“What is it?” Autumn asked, taking the envelope.

“Your wedding present,” Maddie said. “Open it and see what it says. But keep in mind that when I wrote this, I was planning on having you read it aloud at your wedding. But when the Serenity told me that I would be going to Medos, well… I decided I wanted to make this more private.”

Autumn held on to the envelope for a while, briefly overcome with sadness. Last night, at the celebration of her wedding to Kyle, Maddie had told them that the Serenity, the head of the church of Erito, had requested that she return to Medos for a “special mission” for the church. It was the kind of request that couldn’t be refused. The Serenity had told her few details, other than the mission was such that her friends in the Legacy couldn’t accompany her. Only her appointed guardian, Razael Fletcher, was permitted to come along. Autumn wasn’t sure what made her more sad; the fact that Maddie was leaving, or the fact that the favored soul would have to continue to endure the company of that nihilistic old elf.

“No matter how long you hold it,” Maddie prompted, “it’s not going to tell you what’s written inside.”

Smiling, Autumn opened the envelope, as Kyle craned his neck to see. Inside was a short note, penned in Maddie’s neat hand:


Autumn and Kyle,



My gift to you is a gift of beginnings – a proper beginning to your life together. I have arranged a trip for the both of you to stay in the Red Archipelago for the next two months, as guests of King Bali. You will depart with Prince Mu’ara on his vessel three days after your wedding.

While you are away, Autumn, I will serve as your steward and ensure that your duchy remains safe, secure, and prosperous. Kyle, rest assured that I will watch over your family as well. Thus you may truly leave all your cares behind, save for the caring you bring for each other.

Love, Madrone


Kyle and Autumn looked up at Maddie. “Maddie,” Kyle began, “this is really…”

Maddie held up a hand. “Actually, the offer has changed a little.”

Autumn’s smile faded a little. “You can’t stay.”

“No, no,” Maddie corrected her. “I told the Serenity what I had planned, and she agreed to let me stay here two more months to serve as steward. But I’ve spoken with Prince Mu’ara, and he’s given me permission to extend the invitation to all of you.” She smiled. “You two, of course, will still get special accommodations for your privacy.”

“All of us?” Autumn gaped. “That must have cost a fortune!”

“I can’t think of a better way to spend my gold,” Maddie replied.

“But we could have paid our own way… made arrangements…”

“Yes, and if you had done it yourself, Autumn, then it would have been an ‘official state visit’, and not a vacation. Much less fun. Accept the gift, Autumn, and say thank you.”

“Thank you, Maddie,” Autumn said.

“But Maddie,” Kyle said, “we can’t go without you!”

“Yes, Maddie, come with us!”

Maddie shook her head. “Thank you for saying so, and really, part of me does want to go. But you need someone here you can trust to look after things. And I’d rather part ways with you knowing that you’re all surrounded by beauty. That’s how I want to remember you.”

Maddie spread her arms wide, and embraced the two newlyweds.

“Besides,” she said with a chuckle, “if I come, then Razael would be there too.”

* * *​

Three days later, the party found themselves at the port city of Erum, along with Prince Mu’ara and his entourage. Rupert and Iria pranced around, chasing gulls, while Lanara eyed the ships in the harbor nervously.

“There,” said Mu’ara, pointing. “My father’s ship, the Coral Crown.”

At first, the ship he was pointing to looked like a gigantic raft with a sail. Looking closer, they could see that it was actually a very large catamaran. The twin hulls were each the size of schooners, and supported a deck that was probably forty feet wide. Near the rear of the deck, behind the main mast, a structure sat that looked like a row of single-story dwellings. Most of the ship appeared to be constructed of reeds woven together tightly.

“You’ve got to be kidding…” Lanara muttered, already turning green.

“Your Highness,” Arrie said, turning to the prince, “Forgive me for asking, but I’m not familiar with the design of your ship. It seems as though there’s not much room on board for a great deal of crew or cargo.”

“Indeed,” Mu’ara replied. “The ships of my homeland are designed to be sailed by a very small crew. Their quarters are housed in the hulls on either side, while I and those I travel with stay on the deck. Most of our sailing is done between the islands of the Archipelago, and so there is little need for a great deal of cargo, though we can lash a great number of crates onto the deck if need be. Truth be told, our ships would fare poorly in an extended voyage; if one is required, we usually make the three day voyage to this port, and negotiate passage on one of your Empire’s single-hulled ships.” Mu’ara looked at his ship, and then at the party, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Come to think of it, the accommodations aboard the Coral Crown may be quite cramped with all of you. But it’s only a four day journey.”

“I thought you said three days,” Lanara said.

“It’s three days to get from my homeland to Erum,” Prince Mu’ara said, “but going back we’ll be sailing against the winds and currents, so it takes four days.”

Lanara moaned.

“Excuse me, Your Highness,” Kyle said, “but we have the means to transport ourselves to your island without taking your ship. I can transport everyone through the Shadow plane.”

“I can also help,” Tolly offered. “I can use a wind walk spell.”

“An Ardaran priest willing to be borne upon Feesha’s winds?” Mu’ara asked incredulously. Tolly only shrugged.

“It’s a personal quirk, Your Highness.”

Mu’ara’s young eyes sparkled. “Inquisitor Primus Nightsleaving, forgive my presumption in asking this, but… I would very much enjoy traveling with you via your spell. Priests of great potency are very rare in the Red Archipelago, and wizards even more so; those we do have guard their power carefully.”

“I’d be honored, Your Highness,” Tolly said, but then frowned. “However, at best I can transport nine beings. With the seven of us, plus yourself, Rupert, and Iria…”

“I can take everyone,” Kyle offered.

“My thanks for your offer, Duke-Consort,” Prince Mu’ara said, nodding, “but please forgive me when I say that I’d rather not enter the realm of the dead.”

“Perhaps a joint effort?” Xu suggested.

“That sounds good,” Tolly said. “I can take myself, Iria, and the Prince…”

“Me too!” Lanara said, waving her hands in the air.

“… and Lanara via a wind walk, while you bring the others via shadow walk?”

“That should work,” Kyle said. “I’m guessing about four hours for the whole trip. I’ll be about thirty or forty minutes behind you.”

“That sounds good to me,” Lanara said. “It means no boats.”

“Then I’ll inform my crew,” Mu’ara said. He started to walk toward the Coral Crown, then stopped. “Wait. I’m forgetting myself here. My father, King Bali, is not expecting us for four days. I would be a poor host if we arrived unannounced so far ahead of schedule, before they’ve had time to prepare.” He started to look disappointed.

“Your Highness,” Tolly said, “how long would your father need to prepare for us?”

“No more than four or five hours,” he said.

“Well, then, everyone,” Tolly said, “you have an hour to do as you please before we leave.” Setting down his pack, Tolly began casting a spell. “What do you wish to say to King Bali?” he asked. "In twenty-five words or less, please."

* * *​

It was easy to tell where they were supposed to land; a large carpet of brightly colored flowers had been laid out on the beach. As the wind walking travelers came in low over the ocean, they were flanked by a dozen bronze-skinned men carrying lances, riding on the backs of celestial dolphins. The men were dressed in a loose wrap of bright, floral print cloth, as well as breastplates and arm greaves that looked to be made of woven reeds and shells. As they alighted in the piles of flowers and resumed their solid form, they immediately felt a wave of heat and humidity wash over them. Tolly started to sweat immediately in his plate armor.

Prince Mu’ara led Tolly, Lanara, and Iria across the carpet of flowers, toward a tall, dark-skinned man standing near the edge of the jungle. His hair was graying at the temples, but otherwise looked very much like the prince. He wore a partial suit of scale mail, covering one arm and from his waist to his knees, and held a gold-tipped spear. On his head was a crown that looked as though it had been grown naturally from pink coral.

“Very nice,” Lanara said quietly to herself. She recognized the crown, of course; it was one of the Seven Treasures of Tul-Antha. Tul-Antha was the ancient king of the Archipelago, and he possessed seven items of power. It was his bloody campaign to eradicate the sea hags and sahuagin who had previously ruled the islands that had given them the name of the “Red” Archipelago, an ironic moniker for what was now one of the most benevolent and peaceful places on Aelfenn. But it was said that no mortal, save King Tul-Antha himself, could possess all Seven Treasures without being overcome. When he died, his sons feuded over who would possess the Seven Treasures and rule, until finally Tul-Antha returned from beyond, and gave each son one of the Treasures, and dominion over one of the Archipelago’s seven major islands, and told them that from them on they would rule the kingdom together in harmony. As Lanara bowed before the man in the crown, she reflected on the story. I’m certainly familiar with the idea of being overwhelmed by magical artifacts, she thought, thinking of her three Instruments of the Bards and how they’d tried to ensnare her mind recently.

“Honored guests,” Prince Mu’ara said, bowing, “this is my father, King Bali. Father, this is Inquisitor Primus Tolly Nightsleaving of the church of Ardara, Lanara Rahila, a bard of no small repute, and Iria, the ward of Inquisitor Nightsleaving.”

“Welcome,” he said in a broad, deep voice. “And welcome back, my son.” The king turned to Tolly. “I trust you are not here in an official capacity, Inquisitor?”

“Not this time,” Tolly said. “My station is concerned primarily for the welfare of our church’s leader, the Archprelate. As he is not currently here…”

“Indeed,” nodded the king. “But are there not others? Where are the new Duchess and her mate?”

“They will be arriving shortly, father,” Mu’ara said. “Within the hour.”

“We shall await their arrival, then,” King Bali said. “But I will have time to introduce you to the rest of my family. Come.”

King Bali turned and began walking into the jungle, following a narrow path. The others fell into step behind him. On either side, in the jungle, they could hear leaves rustling as a few guards began to follow their king from the flanks.

“My younger son, Aruna, you will have to meet later this evening,” the king was saying. “He was among the dolphin riders who greeted you on your arrival. But my daughters are at my home preparing lunch.”

After a few minutes they entered a clearing and walked through a village. The houses were slightly raised off the ground on sturdy poles, and made of reeds and broad-leafed plants. The windows were large, and lacked glass, though there were shutters on both sides. King Bali led them to his ‘palace’, which was a house overlooking the rest of the village that was slightly larger than the others, but not by much. Inside, they noted that the king’s wall hangings and furnishings were also nicer. They also noted a lack of servants.

King Bali led them back to the kitchen. The room was large and airy, and several gourds of varying sizes hung on the walls. On one side of the room was a large hearth made of volcanic rock, the only stone they’d seen in the entire building. Two young women were bent over in front of the fire, apparently putting a large fish over the flames to cook.

“Lajila, Nidru,” the king said, “come and meet our guests.”

The two women stood up and turned around. They looked to be around sixteen, and were nearly identical in appearance, with one slightly taller than the other. Both wore the colorful sarongs around their waists that they had seen many other people on the island wear, but were topless, their dark skin flushed from the heat of the fire. Both of them smiled and greeted the three guests, but when they came to Tolly their eyes were riveted to the young Ardaran.

“You look quite uncomfortable in your armor,” said the taller one, Lajila. “We would be pleased to assist you in removing it.”

“I’m not sure if Tolly brought any clothing appropriate to the climate,” Lanara said, barely suppressing a smile.

“I’m certain we can find something for you,” Mu’ara said. “Visitors to our islands from the southlands often overdress. But it’s also acceptable to go unclothed while here.”

“I’m sure I can find something to wear,” Tolly said, tight-lipped. He was trying very hard to maintain eye contact with Lajila and Nidru, especially with Iria standing next to him.

Iria suddenly spoke up, pointing at the king’s daughters. “Can I have a dress like theirs, Tolly?” she asked. “They’re pretty.”

Lanara knelt down to Iria. “I’m sure we can find something perfect for you to wear, sweetie. And I’m sure that Tolly thinks they’re pretty, too. All four of them.”

Iria looked confused. “Aunt Lanara, there’s only two girls there.”

Lanara laughed. “You’re right, of course, dear. Silly me.” Lanara stood up. “Would you like me to watch Iria while you and Bali’s daughters find you something to wear… or not?”

“No,” Tolly said calmly, “I can manage, thank you. We should be getting down to the beach to meet the others.”

“Ah, yes, you’re right,” said the king. “Come, let us receive them with open arms. We will eat when we return.”

Everyone was shown to a room where they could wash up, and change into some native clothing if they wished. The two women opted for colorful sarongs, Lanara choosing to wear hers in a surprisingly modest fashion to avoid getting glares from Tolly all day. The king, Prince Mu’ara, Tolly, Lanara, and Iria then made their way to the beach. Fresh flowers had replaced those that had been strewn about by Tolly’s magical wind, and several people were starting to gather.

A few minutes passed, and then, with a strange cracking sound, a black rift opened up in the middle of the air in the midst of the flowers. The tear widened, and several figures jumped through. As the rift closed, several of the flowers around the feet of the new arrivals immediately withered and turned grey. The new arrivals blinked and rubbed their eyes in the sudden brightness.

Introductions were made, and the party was invited back to the king’s home for lunch. “Guest houses are being prepared for all of you,” the king explained. “They will be ready after lunch. Duchess, you and your husband will be placed in our newlywed house, of course.”

“You have a house just for newlyweds?” Kyle asked.

“Yes. Many people come to our islands to celebrate their unions. The people of the island know that those who stay there are here for each other, and are not to be disturbed.”

“You mean, propositioned?” Arrie asked.

“That is one way to say it, I suppose. My people will not approach either of you with romantic intentions while you are here, unless you invite it yourselves. When away from your house, you will be given a crown of white flowers to wear, which will signal your status to anyone who sees you.”

Both Autumn and Kyle stepped back next to Arrie. “Is there something that you haven’t told us about this place?” Kyle asked.

“Well, the people of the Archipelago don’t really hold the same views as most of us,” Arrie explained with a grin. “They’re a little fuzzy on concepts like ‘fidelity’ or ‘monogamy’. It’s just not part of their way of life.”

“Wow,” Autumn said. “It’s going to take a while to get used to that idea.”

“Just keep those white flowers on your head, dear sister, and you won’t have to worry about it too much.”

Autumn nodded, and then looked at Kyle, who’d been listening in. “That goes for you, too,” Autumn said to him, jabbing him in the chest with her finger. She ignored the soft whip-crack sound that Lanara made as she turned her attention back to the jungle trail.

Lunch consisted of baked fish and fried banana, and was served sitting on the floor on a long woven straw mat, along with fermented coconut milk. Lajila and Nidru sat on either side of Tolly, and insisted on feeding him morsels while asking him about his church, his home, and repeated mentions of how hot his armor must be, and how he would be more comfortable without it. Arrie was the only other member of the party who had opted not to change into native garb; everyone else was now wearing bright fabrics in various states of modesty. Xu, surprisingly enough to most of them, had gone the most “native”, choosing to cover only her lower body.

“The climate here is not unlike parts of my homeland,” the monk explained, “and there, as here, the traditions concerning dress are somewhat less... traditional.”

Lanara, upon seeing Xu’s clothing, had gone and adjusted her own outfit to reveal more skin, though she wasn’t quite up to going bare-breasted on her first day on the island. “Tolly can’t very well yell at me for immodesty with Xu out there,” the cansin said to herself. But Tolly made no comment on Xu’s choice when he first saw her, which flummoxed the bard.

That evening, a celebration was held for their guests, and most of the people in the village came. There was a feast of roast boar, fish, and game birds, as well as more of the fermented coconut drinks. Many of the people in the village, especially the young men and women, were wearing flowers tucked behind their ears. A number of people in the party were wearing flowers as well. Autumn and Kyle were in their white flower crowns, of course, and Xu, and Osborn had bright blue and purple flowers in their hair as well, while Lanara sported a bright red orchid in her pink hair. King Bali had explained to them during lunch that traditionally someone who was ‘available’ would wear a flower to signal prospective partners. Red, pink, and yellow flowers signified that one was seeking out a particular person, while blues and purples indicated a broader interest. The king did warn them that a lack of any flowers would not prevent some inquiries, as the group learned at one point when Autumn, who had removed her crown to show Iria how it was woven together, had been approached by a tall young man who boldly offered to escort her to his home for the evening.

After nightfall, there was a performance of a traditional island dance, an homage to Krûsh called the Dance of Fire and Water. A large trench was dug in the sand in a ring shape, and filled with seawater. Then a large bonfire was lit in the middle. The village warriors would then dance around the area, leaping between the edge of the fire and water. Prince Mu’ara, who had been getting cozy with Lanara after the feast, explained that the purpose of the dance was to show they had no fear of the evil flames, as their souls were filled with Krûsh’s power. A very intoxicated Lanara insisted on learning the dance, and a few minutes later was leaping over the trench, laughing gaily, with Mu’ara dancing next to her. Autumn, who had also consumed a large amount of fermented coconut milk, went to dance as well. Arrie tried to dissuade her, fearing she was too drunk to manage the dance, but she was insistent, and even managed to convince most of the others in the party to try it. Even Tolly attempted the dance, though the villagers insisted that he first remove his armor, which made the king’s daughters very happy. In the end, only Arrie and Kyle were left to watch the others dance.

“I really wish you’d helped me stop her,” Arrie said to Kyle, who was watching Autumn dancing close to the bonfire. She was trying hard not to acknowledge the fact that the sentinel was actually doing very well.

“Why? She’s a big girl, and burns can be healed. How often does she get the chance to really let go and relax?”

“Yes, but she’s drawing an awful lot of attention to herself,” Arrie pointed out, nodding toward several young men who were watching the aasimar with obvious lust, and irritation on seeing her white flower crown.

Kyle shrugged. “I’m not going to question my wife’s ability to handle any improper advances,” he said. “Now, if she starts asking me to magic her flowers so they turn blue, then I’ll agree that she’s too drunk, and I’ll help you get her back to our house.”

As the moons rose over the jungle, the village parents began to send their children to bed. Tolly carried a sleeping Iria back to their shared home, declining offers of an escort from Lajila and Nidru. Lanara wandered off with Prince Mu’ara back to the king’s estate, and Osborn escorted both a water-touched woman and a gnomish woman back to his hut. Soon most of the villagers were breaking off into groups of twos or occasionally threes, either wandering back to homes, or off into the jungle, or down along the beach. Xu joined one of the village dolphin riders on a shoreline walk, while everyone else retired to their own homes, after enjoying their first night in paradise.

 

[Pyske]

Well, it took me six more days to finish off the rest of the story hour, and I'm still loving it. Very gratified to have Tolly back, as well.

I love your DM's world... the cosmology in particular. The blending of the elemental planes, the dieties, and the outer planes are all brilliant. Any chance that there's more setting info in published form somewhere?

you really do write this exceptionally well, as well as Sepulchrave or Spyscribe. Several times I found myself just pausing to contemplate the latest story development, and what I'd do if I was a player. Very nicely done.

Oh, and one thought to share: if you don't want the Orcs forming a new kingdom, perhaps the crown would best be given to the church of Feesha...