2 February 2003

Characters in Attendance: Meridian Tas - Cort Odekirk
Susan Landorff - Jeremy Zimmerman
Laurent d'Villerio - Dan Swope
Brother Peter - Andis
Sil Rana - Jeremy Franklin
Diagoro - Jeremy

Questing the future in the past

Leave-taking

Morning dawns slowly at Way's Landing, the group rises with equal reluctance. The frenzied energy that has sustained them through the immediate is gone; there has been time to stop, to think and to remember.

All gather with the horses, the journey to Merdian's village Salis Watch is a relatively short one and they hope to arrive by mid-day. At first their own lethargy conceals it from them, but by the time final preparation have been made it is no longer deniable. The Slowing has come to Way's Landing. Its effects are faint, almost ignorable, but to the veterans of the Glade it is a pattern that has become all too familiar. Their hope that the tragedy would be contained by the Glade dashed, the journey to Salis Watch takes on a new urgency.

The day is clear, but almost oppressively warm and more than Meridian are glad to see the village appear over the horizon. Meridian immediately calls a conference with the village Elders while the rest unpack at his cottage. Arrangements are made for them to stay with various villagers for as long as required. Meridian attempts to send Syrone to Talia's to begin the research there with Brother Peter, but she is unable to confront the spectre of her former mentor and returns to her own cottage. Brother Peter offers to spend time with her but is politely refused and continues to Talia's cottage where he begins his research.

Laurent is staying with Meridian and begins looking through the Monitor's records while Meridian himself is meeting with the Elders. The rangers settle the horses and Landorff leaves the village to search for a particular species of mushroom he requires.

The horses taken care of and their equipment stowed, Sil Rana joins Brother Peter at Talia's cottage. He is impressed with the volume and organization of the records, particularly given the provincial nature of the town. The data itself, however, proves to contain little of use to them, despite it's quantity and organization. While nothing of use to the group in it's quest is located, Talia's person journal proves at least a less dry read, eventually revealing that the apprentice Syrone was an orphan, her parents unknown.

By early evening the Elders have called a Gathering of the village and the terrible tale of the Festival is told. There is some initial panic, but Meridian and the Elders are able to assert control and guide the people in more useful directions. The villagers are frightened, but place their trust in the Monitor and his companions.

During this time Laurent has continued his researches in Meridian's cottage. In addition to several interesting devices that find their way into his pockets, he discovers an interesting bit of information collating the newer and older census maps. By tracking the villages and population totals it becomes obvious that Adzgar was settled from the Northeast corner. If the oldest population was in that region, they postulate that the Library may have been as well.

Merdian returns to the cottage late that evening, and is almost immediately called upon by Lily, a young village woman. She has brought the child he birthed only a few days ago, having been assigned his care by the Elders. She wanted Meridian to know the child was safe and that he had been named Merdian in honor of the Monitor. While he plays with the child and checks his health, once again impressed with the baby's rapid mental and physical development, Lily mentions in passing that the Elder Christa said Meridian himself was much the same as a child. Meridian brushes the comment off, but his eyes are calculating.

Diagoro has spent the day with the horses, they providing somewhat better company than the villagers. The town is not impolite, but the group brings news almost too terrible to comprehend and as is often the case, the messenger inherits the pain of the message. Unable to comfortably interact with the adults, he eventually forms a bond with some of the children; providing rides on the horses and distracting them from the palatable tension that floods Salis Watch.

Landorff has found his mushrooms and spends the night in the fields after consuming a number of them and relaxing into the chants and traditions of his Vision quest. The dreams come slowly, but soon a dire red tint to the clouds tells him that his mind has reached beyond the mundane.

The red tint spreads to encompass the moon, the black of the sky become deep and seamless. The red moon grows, seemingly falling from it's perch in the heavens to smote Landorff as he lays, his hand moving out instinctively to shield his eyes from the blood red orb.

However, as rapidly as it appears to fall, it never grows closer and Landorff finds himself gripped by a sudden illness, not nausea but a sense of wrongness that permeates his entire being. He comes to realize this sensation is sympathetic, that the wrongness is not within himself, but everything around him.

As he comes to this realization, a white bird appears and grabs the red moon in it's talons, restoring it to it's proper location, if not color. The bird is large, a predator, but is of no sort Landorff can recognize. With its restoration, the sky returns to its usual look and eventually even the moon appears as it ever has. But the feeling of wrongness remains, the flight of the white hunter a delay, not a solution.

Peter has noticed that Syrone has been absent from the group and stops by her cottage to check on her condition. Her cabin shows light in the window but Syrone seem uninterested in opening the door, despite Peter's concerned enquiry. He is eventually able to convince her to at least crack the door and, seeing her pale complexion, forces his way inside. Her cabin is startling, clothes scattered across the floor and furniture in random display, tables overturned and the scent of illness in the air. She is wrapped in a blanket on the bed, sipping basil tea. Peter is at a loss, but continues to attempt to offer comfort, taking her too cold hands in his own. "I'm sorry" she eventually breaks down, "I just didn't want to go to Talia's". The tears begin flowing and Peter takes her into his arms and simply holds her for a time. Eventually, exhausted, Syrone dries her eyes and turns to her bed. Peter departs, pausing at the door to say "Don't die in the night, I'd feel really bad."

Landorff wakes up, the morning light streaming through his bleary vision. Eventually the image sharpens to reveal a man's face, framed in chestnut brown hair and beard. He makes no sound, simply rises and beckons for Landorff to follow him towards the village. They travel, but strangely enough they never reach Salis Watch, the terrain is familiar, but of the town itself there is no sign. Looking back, he realizes that they are leaving no tracks themselves. It is at this point that Landorff begins to suspect that he is not as awake as he might have thought. He regards his silent companion dubiously, "You're a might tall for a mushroom."

Eventually they come to an outcropping of rock, the man moves behind it and does not emerge. Landorff follows to see a hallway, a flicker of movement at the bottom of the flight of stairs the only sign of his guide. Landorff follows him down, stone turning to paneling as the tunnel continues. Finally a small room appears, lined with many books. In it are not only the silent man, but also Laurent, busily painting. Laurent acknowledges the chestnut haired man, but seems unable to perceive Landorff. The silent man hands Laurent a card, who looks at it and then slides it across the table in Landorff's direction. Landorff picks it up to discover it has become a map covered in strange symbols. Strange in this case being a relative term, as Landorff has never actually learned to read. Landorff works to fix the map into his mind, suspecting that when this strange vision ends, the card he holds will end with it.

Surely enough at that point Landorff wakes, in reality this time, and holds nothing but memories. Exhausted, he falls amid the grasses and returns to a more natural slumber.

Meridian uses his Farsight to check with the Rangers sent our from the Glade. Most report nothing, a few signs of the Slowing filtering out from the Glade and one, Mikoshal, cannot be reached at all.

Meridian returns to his cabin to resume his research. He finds Laurent there laying out his cards. "What are those?" "Tarot cards" he replies. Meridian looks them over and recognizes the woman from the Glade, the one claiming to be Darwin's great granddaughter. In fact, looked at closely, aspects of many of the group can be seen in various images on the cards. They, and the group members, could easily all be distantly related. The hand is clearly the same as created the card Meridian took back from his strange dream. The backs tell little, showing simply an ash tree. When asked, Laurent is vague on where they came from, calling them simply a gift.

Tired, but glad for the day of simpler things, all finally find their beds.

The morning is bright and warm yet again. Meridian rises to make breakfast for Laurent, but the Rangers have already hunted themselves a brace of rabbits and nearly completed their meal. Landorff stumbles nearly into their cook fire, returned from his wilderness adventure. They point him in the general direction of the Monitor's cottage. He staggers in requesting paper and attempts to draw the map of his dreams. Failing rather spectacularly, Laurent offers to draw it for him as Landorff describes it and between the two of them they manage a fair representation of the map.

Once completed, the map shows little in the way of useful landmarks. It matches nothing on the conventional maps in the Monitor's records until things are brought down to the scale of the area around the village, then it seems to lead to an area off to the Northeast. Merdian sees this as confirmation of the information discovered earlier by Laurent and they bring the others in to discuss the findings. They decide it's the best direction they have and agree to leave at noon.

Laurent take the opportunity to show the cards to the others and ask if they recognize any of figures shown. All recognize the woman, and quite possibly more, but if so, none choose to admit it.

The day is warm and as the party mounts and sets out. Meridian attempts to use the time instructing Syrone and Sil Rana who has expressed interest in herbology, but nerves are course and little is accomplished. Eventually plains lead to hills and then the foothills of mountains. As evening approaches, accompanied by the start of a raging thunderstorm, the party takes shelter in a small rustic village named Husha'va. Surprisingly it has a small inn and all take rooms, settling their possessions and gathering in the common room to eat.

Stew and a local ale provide a limited menu, but a more interesting repast than the trail breads that are the only alternative. The common room is dark and less than clean, but provides warmth and shelter from the raging storm. Two strangers are sharing the room with the party, a cloak bundled man and a distinctively dressed and well-armed woman named Zandrine. Conversation is guarded, Meridian inquires about the terrain up north after discovering the pair has traveled from that direction. The woman states her information useful, if expensive but is currently unable to be hired as guide, as she has a patron. The last with a gesture at the cloaked man, whom grunts agreement at her being expensive at the very least. A Wayfinder? Perhaps, but Zandrine confirms nothing.

Further conversation is halted and Syrone enters the room, looking pale and ill. Zandrine rises and grasps the young woman, assessing her rapidly and nearly dragging her up the stairs. After a moment of shock, Meridian quickly follows, the others not far behind. They encounter a closed door but after a terse command to open it fails Meridian kicks it down. They are in the center of the room, Zandrine's hand on Syrone's forearm. Syrone looks apprehensive, but interested and tells Meridian that she wishes this. Meridian is dubious but bows to Syrone's will and pulls the door closed, pointedly mentioning to the Wayfinder that he will be right outside.

All stand outside, listening without appearing to do so. All that can be heard is a quiet mumble, occasional phrases making it outside the room. "You have held this in too long..."

Finally, unable to contain his concern, and possibly his curiosity, Meridian brings forth his scrying crystal and focuses on Syrone. What he sees he has trouble believing. Syrone appears to be changing her form, her arms lengthening and stretching, spurs rising from her shoulders and returning. This continues for some time, Meridian clearly shocked but unwilling to describe what he is seeing. Landorff's imagination is sufficient to provide it's own description of the possibilities and provides an erotic, if disturbing, distraction for the others. After a time Zandrine and Syrone open the door and exit, Syrone returned to her normal form. Meridian has stowed his crystal once more and says nothing about what he has seen, although he cannot help odd glances at the two women. Whatever else may have occurred in the room, Syrone is clearly restored and seems happier and healthier than she has for some time.

Noticing the Monitor's distress, but unable to get him to admit to it's cause, Laurent settles for offering him wine, which Meridian uncharacteristically accepts.

Landorff, with the eternal optimism of those that have nothing to loose, propositions Zandrine with his broken toothed charm, but with little success. "Do you just prefer women?" "Not while I'm working."

All return to their rooms and pass an uneventful night.

Sil Rana wakes Meridian early with porridge and pushes the Monitor on what he saw in his crystal. Still somewhat unbelieving himself, Meridian tell the ranger but is unable to offer any explanation.

After breakfast has been served and the horses cared for, the small troop heads north toward the mountains. After a few hours they veer off the marked trail to follow another path that only Landorff seems able to see. The others, particularly Meridian, are dubious. But following flights of fancy seem to be the theme for the time and most are willing to admit, if only to themselves, that they have little else to guide them. Landorff leads them over a small stream and through deep woods. "There should be a cave..." He mutters his formally firm sense of direction seeming to falter. Soon after a large stone wall is encountered, possibly man made, but too old and weathered to be sure. "So this would be the cave." Diagoro remarks dryly.

Natural or not, it provides an effective barrier and the companions are effectively stopped while Landorff continues to insist that there should be cave. Sil Rana eventually climbs a cave to see over the nearly 30 foot wall, and claims he can see buildings of some sort beyond. Energized but this confirmation of their destination, the group works at how they are going to surmount the barrier. Meridian begins constructing a grapple while the Rangers work their way up and down the wall looking for gaps. As Meridian works he is interrupted by Peter, who is standing next to him fidgeting with his hands. "What do you have in your pockets?" he asks. Meridian is startled but sees no reason not to indulge the young priest. Working through each, one by one, Peter becomes excited when the portrait from Meridian's dream is pulled forth. He snatches it from Meridian's fingers and taps it against a point on the smooth stone wall. With a deep grinding the wall splits and begins to move, stopping abruptly when the startled Peter allows the card to drop from his suddenly limp fingers. Meridian picks it up and taps the wall once again, watching with the others and the slip widens and the entrance to a tunnel through the wall is revealed.

All enter the tunnel, following Landorff who has once more taken the lead. The lands within are overgrown but it is obvious they were once well tended. At the center is a vast building, built in the style of the old Parisian castles.

The castle itself is in good repair and the torches obligingly light themselves as the party enters. Meridian calls a cautious "Hello" and is promptly answered by a conservatively dressed middle aged woman, who names herself Anna and ushers them into main hall, after politely requesting that all weapons be left in the foyer.

Anna proves very helpful once the initial awe has worn off and the various members of the party break up to do their individual research with her finding volumes for them. She's a little less forthcoming about herself, claiming only that she was created many hundreds of years ago by a man named Delwin; a grandson, she claims, of the old storyteller Darwin. He, apparently, also built the library. There is some question as to what payment will be required but Anna assures the group that all is available for their use free of charge, the card from Meridian's dream is apparently a marker of sorts, and permits us all free access.

Pressed further about Delwin, she leads the group to a wall of portraits. There are many faces, but few are recognized. One in particular stands out however, the dark haired features of the woman from the Festival Glade, now identified by Anna as Nuin, the daughter of Sand. Anna explains further that Sand is the sister to Delwin.

Landorff, who unknown to the others is unable to read, selects several bottles of remarkable vintage from the dining room and retires to enjoy the scandalous delights of the lewder picture books.

Research continues late into the night, individuals taking cat naps as needed before returning to the books. Landorff, tiring of even the Library's vast collection of scantily clad imagery moves toward the maps and finds an old one that resembles the realms, but names the Glade at it's center differently, referring to it as "Amber".

Further research shows the features of the land changing as one goes farther and farther into the past, the lands seeming to come closer together until reaching their current configuration. Of what happened to this land called "Amber" there is no mention.

As the evening of the second day closes we find Meridian researching Far Seeing and the use of mental foci, taking a break from his work on the Slowing. Syrone is spending time relaxing, taking advantage of the break to collect herself and re-examine her priorities; which may or may not include her Monitor training. Susan is working with Laurent to draw an image from a vision he claims to have had, appearing much like a geneology chart and implying that the group may all be related, if indirectly. Peter and the Rangers continue their reading, aware that time is running short and soon they must leave this sanctuary to venture yet again into the world.