Supper At Sanctuary

Synopsis

The group arrives at Garland Brook manor and the evening is spent feasting and sharing stories; Antagur reveals his vision to the party

Story

Act 1

As the team makes its way up the road to the manor its lights glow in sharper clarity. They pass beneath the ruins of a crumbling stone archway that is decorated with small statues of Kalamir. As they reach the grounds of the manor they notice that the woods surrounding the forest fade as if behind a veil, and the stars are brighter and more crisp. Before they reach the courtyard they are met by Jamus, who demands that they state their business -- the soldiers immediately recognize the legendary general. Captain Fred reports Duke Owen's charge and Alyn orders them to remove their weapons while before they enter the manor. They comply. Antagur asks, "Do I need to leave my staff?" and Alyn asks over his shoulder, "Does he?" A dry old voice answers him from the shadows: "Let him keep his staff." The team notices that they are immediately flanked by manor staff, who appear from thin air. Tirusin and Tev stand behind Allen and Antagur recognizes Tirusin from his own boyhood at Keldoras. The soldiers unload a copious amount of hidden weaponry and return to the courtyard.

After Tev formally welcomes the group they are attended by the servants and greeted with the pleasant aroma of cooking food. As the group breaks away from the courtyard and mingles towards the dining hall; Fred relays his mission to Tev and Anniselle while Antagur walks alongside Tirusin. Anniselle and Antagur are both aware of areas of magical fluctuation in the anda, which seem to follow a specific pattern.

Antagur paces alongside Tirusin, who greets him in Ashakre

Tirusin: Well met, priest of Moloth.

Antagur: Well met, master. I believe that you may be the person who I was hoping to meet here. I was told to speak with a man named Tirusin.

Tirusin: I go by that name in Loth, young brother. And I've been expecting you as well. There are many mysteries and I think you would have answers to some of them.

Antagur: I was hoping you might have answers to some of my questions or at least some clue as to how I might perceive them myself.

Antagur introduces himself and Tirusin claims to know him and his family: "I'm quite familiar with your father -- there is a great resemblance however to your mother, and how is she?" Antagur relates news of his family's passing they agree to discuss it in depth later. He cannot tell Tirusin's true race because his face is obscured by his robe, hat and glasses. As they enter the dining hall Antagur notices a finely crafted Keldoras-forged sword mounted on the archway above the double doors.

Act 2

Lord Tev sits at the head of the table and Antagur asks to say a blessing; Tev says he would be honored.

Our many paths all intertwine here at this place and this time; may The Goddess look upon us and smile and guide us on the paths to our destinies.

As they eat, Captain Fred provides Lord Tev with the details of his mission as it was told to him and regaling him with tales of what has passed on the road to Garland Brook manor. Tev allows free and easy conversation at his table, so the table buzzes with discussion. Tirusin affirms Antagur's query whether Anniselle is to be trusted and adds, "he seems to be a good judge of character."

Tev admits he has not personally met Duke Owen but he declares that "masters Tirusin and Alyn have prepared me for the moment Loth would call on me. If that is what I must do then this is the path I must walk." As he is in mid-sentence, his eyes dart to a new servant in the room; she carries a gauze specked with blood and water and they share a worried, knowing glance. He excuses himself and leaves the room with her. The servants and Tirusin return to their meals, and Anniselle recognizes that Alyn is having another one of his random fits -- only Tev can calm him.

Antagur brings the table to his attention and confesses, "Before I met any of you, before I left the temple, I had a vision. I saw the Citadel in Loth destroyed. A voice spoke out loudly in a language I did not understand and I saw a sword fall from the sky and cleave the Citadel in twain." Anniselle is perplexed about the meaning of the Citadel and Sgt. Jesswick tells her, "the Citadel is a building that is very important to us."

Antagur tries to phonetically repeat the voice in his vision and his voice takes on an eerie quality and the room grows chill and gloomy as the candles flicker. One of the servants shouts and runs out of the room and the others tremble, pale with terror. Tirusin trembles briefly and claims to know the language.

Antagur: What is it brother?

Tirusin: That is Nendazi.

Antagur: Do you understand what the words mean, master Tirusin?

Antagur: I understand the word 'rekindle'.

Antagur: Vartis, I think the sword I saw fall from the sky was yours. I feel that perhaps there is more afoot in this business than any of us has realized until this point.

Captain Fred: There is certainly more to this affair than meets the eye.

At that moment Anniselle recalls her own vision and recognizes Vartis as the commander of the army in her vision. Tev returns to the table and reveals that he has been having strange dreams beginning two summers ago; some of them involved the Nendazi and a war. He claims to believe that the dreams are urging him to leave Garland Brook manor and to prevent something terrible from happening and that Tirusin told him the dreams were prophetic and that his family possessed the gift of prophecy.

Tev reveals to Captain Fred that Alyn and Tirusin have kept him from leaving the manor during his childhood and that he was to wait until he was called upon by Loth before he could leave -- he adds that both tutors will be accompanying the group on their journey. Fred asks Tev to remind Alyn that the captain is in command of this mission; Tev agrees and asks Fred to begrudge him his eccentricities, to which the captain agrees.

Act 3

Anniselle and Antagur leave the table and she leads him to the Quercushite chapel. On the way down the corridors she asks him about the Firelord and he attempts to gain her trust.

Anniselle: Did you recover anything from that man?

Antagur: Several things; our battle mage has them. Do you think he had something of yours?

Anniselle: No, but if I could borrow something personal from him for a time that might be useful.

Antagur: You can gather information from touching things.

Anniselle: Sometimes.

Antagur: I understand -- I have a similar gift but I require the Goddess to show me wisdom. I know that you don't know me and I don't think that you really trust me but Tirusin seems to think you're trustworthy. I had a vision of you and master Tev as well.

Anniselle: We've spent quite a bit of time together.

Antagur: I got the feeling that perhaps you saw me as well in the vision?

Anniselle: Yes, but only a little.

Antagur: I would hope that even if you do not trust all my motives you will trust that the Goddess has woven the strands of our lives together, at least for a time, and it would behoove us to find our destiny rather than to work at cross purposes.

Anniselle: But it would seem that you are accompanied by some trouble, even if you did not intend to bring it to the manor.

Antagur: You shouldn't blame the messenger; from everything everyone has said at our gathering I think that this trouble was coming and would've found its way to Garland Brook manor regardless of whether our party had.

Anniselle: The men you came with -- what are their intentions?

Antagur: They're on a mission from their lord to fetch young Tev and bring him home. They seek to defend the city of Loth and the league of Avandell.

Before she leaves him at the temple door, Antagur says he will speak to Tasker to release a personal possession of the Firelord for her to hold. He enters the temple and sits in prayer and meditation. He has another vision:

Antagur sees nothing -- all is pitch black; he hears a moist susurration around him and a faint breezes prickles his flesh as he senses a mass of small things quickly darting around him, like a great flock of tiny birds. He lifts an item and whispers one word and it illuminates to reveal that he is standing in an immense temple, beneath a colonnade with pillars that stretch up into the blackness above. The layout resembles the Temple he is in now, but replicated on a gargantuan scale. He is surrounded by a multitude of eyeballs, floating in the darkness and all gazing directly at him. They float in pairs. His heart beats fast and strong and it is all he can hear. And he awakens.

As Anniselle is returning to the dining hall she sees Sascha carrying food and spies a folded note that falls from the servant's pocket. She takes the note and is conflicted between her curiosity and her honesty so she tucks it away for later. When she returns to the hall she sees Tev, who indicates to Fred that he will require three days to prepare and that Anniselle will accompany the group. Fred assents. The discussion around the table turns to the events of the week and the soldiers thrill young Tev with stories of their adventures. A few servants rise to sing and the mood is light and easy as Antagur returns from his meditations. Tasker drunkenly slurs his version of the fight with the Firelord and Antagur chides him for being a bit too harsh in his retelling, to which Tasker replies, "You are right; the young master has performed skilfully in other circumstances -- two days before to be exact." Everyone cheers at this and Vartis rises to tell his tale. It is a rousing success and all present stamp and knock the table in approval.

Anniselle excuses herself and finds Keith and asks about Alyn. According to Keven Alyn had a violent fit but they were able to put him to sleep; the fits are getting more frequent. She leaves to the temple to meditate before retiring for the evening.

Outside in the yard Tirusin asks Angtagur who the High Father of the Temple of Moloth is and Antagur replies, "High Father Goart".

Tirusin: Who had a hand in sending you?

Antagur: Father Alnon, but I asked to be sent.

Tirusin: Do you remember who the Weaver was who sat in the Looms?

Antagur: Father Pym.

Tirusin: Ask of me what you will; you have given me cause to trust you.

Antagur asks him about the location in his vision and asks whether it is a real place. Tirusin confides that it is a true place and asks, "Has it seen you?" Antagur relates his vision to Tirusin, who says it may be prophecy. Antagur asks, "what did I see, master?" and Tirusin calls it the Reckoning Pool -- a place where all will be judged by Quercus. Antagur confesses his personal history to Tirusin, who himself confesses that he taught Antagur's mother Anyatim the very spell she used to save Antagur's life. She was his prized student and he recalls the rivalry between Antagur's family and the Kestral family. Dayn Kestral was another of Tirusin's prized pupils and also a friend of Anyatim -- there was always an adversarial relationship between Dayn and Tagantur. Tirusin and Dayn had a falling out long ago and the old mage admits that Dayn was a powerful pupil. They return to the manor and everyone retires to bed.

Act 4

Captain Fred rolls up a fat one and strolls outside to enjoy the quiet crisp night. As he's gazing at the moon he sees movement in the woods beyond the low stone wall of the manor's border. Captain Voren steps from the shadows and he's smoking too. He blows a wisp of smoke at Fred, but the smoke strikes an invisible barrier and coils away.

Voren: Interesting. I didn't know this was here. I haven't been invited in, have I?

Voren: [touches an invisible barrier and cannot cross it] This will have to go into my report.

Fred: Good luck putting it into words.

Voren: I saw the bodies down the road; I expect that was your doing.

Fred: It wasn't all my doing but I certainly finished it.

Voren: The Belosian fellow -- his name was Kardesh. Crimelord, Larkos. He ran with the Belosian Red Blades. Killed two of my men. Well done.

Fred: It had been my hope that we had a chance to talk to the fellow but an impromptu cavalry charged caused me to end that plan prematurely.

Voren: You did good. I must warn you that they'll come looking for what happened.

Fred: We'll deal with it when they come. Fire-mage zero, government-issued steel one. We'll see what happens.

Voren asks whether the boy was ready and Fred affirms that he will leave of his own volition. He then tells the captain that two soldiers are riding back to his team. "It was a pleasure working with you," Voren says and he tosses Fred a small pouch. It slaps against the invisible barrier and falls into the snow. "That's for you anyway," he says and disappears into the woods. Voren takes the pouch, inspects it and finds a ring and a scroll inside it. He takes his belongings back to his room and goes to sleep.

Supper At Sanctuary

Contents

Synopsis

Story

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

Act 4

Meta

Notes

Points Awarded

Season Pool