Session Twenty-Five, May 21, 2005

[Matt]

HERE WE GO AGAIN …

Larane 26, 730 TR

Sir Auram, in response to Ewen’s statement that he is actually Ableron of Soursi and that he killed Sir Felkar is quite understated, “Indeed, is that correct? The best thing would be to read you too.” Ewen quietly submits to this process. Once this occurs, Sir Auram gives him the opportunity to make his statement verbally for the benefit of Bevan.

(See here: http://www.melderyn.com/uploadfiles/AbleronsTale.pdf )

Once this is completed, Sir Auram looks thoughtful and then absolves Ewen for his murder of Sir Felkar. He then fills in some of the blanks that Ewen does not know. The third man with Stavron and Sir Felkar in Coranan was one Sir Peten Valgari, an associate of the late King Arren I and also from Melderyn. Sir Auram asks to have some time to consider what he has learned and that he would send for Bevan in a couple of days.

After filling the rest of the party in on what went on in the interview the group scatters to acquire some of the trinkets which come with the successful conclusion of an adventure. Sir Baris goes to Gragor of Rodal, a weaponcrafter of some repute, and orders a complete set of plate armor. Ewen goes and looks at leather armor to improve his protection also. There is much window shopping and enjoyment of a city where there is not stench wafting from canals running everywhere and the richest man in town is not the public undertaker.

Larane 29, 730 TR

On Larane 29 Sir Auram sends for Bevan (alone) and she attends him in his chambers as usual. He has received some news from Golotha. On the 25th of Larane the body of a Mameka, the Prophet, was found slain in the city, mutilated in the usual fashion (at least as far as we are concerned). The Agrikans guarding the city went crazy and started rioting and killing random people. After two days of this, the VIII Legion Commander, Sir Hadas, gives the order to invest the city and restore order. There is a brief battle after which the Legion is successful. Sir Zaurial is badly wounded in this melee. Sir Auram is quite pleased with this turn of events. Although no order was given to Sir Hadas from Coranan, his actions have been approved after the fact. Once this piece of good news is delivered, Sir Auram tells Bevan that the houses liberated in our pursuit of our mission are hers for the payment of £50 for Evil Erol’s house and £2 for each of the other two. Sir Auram would also like Bevan to return to Golotha to further reconnoiter and that Peten has been seen recently in the city, or so he has been led to believe. Sir Auram is concerned that there seems to be increased Morgathian activity in the kingdom, and not just in Golotha. When Bevan inquires about Rahel Sir Auram tells her that she is a friend, that he does not know her parentage (except that it is not Peten), that she owns a lot of property, and that she should be kept at arm’s length. He arranges the party to be on a ship bound for Golotha on the 30th of Larane.

Agrazhar 2, 730 TR

We arrive in Golotha on the 2nd of Agrazhar in the afternoon. The actual treasure procured is divided (12,277.25d each) and there is much rejoicing.

Agrazhar 3, 730 TR

Bevan decides to go and see Parqu, who will be the agent for payment for the houses. She heads off to his office and on the way notices that there are VIII Legionnaires in evidence everywhere and there are no Agrikans in sight. At his office Bevan learns that he is in the Perehyne Palace and that he spends little time in his office. Bevan arrives at the Palace to see him and is granted an audience. He is in a much better mood than when last seen by the party, jovial in fact. He tells Bevan that the Morgathians and the Agrikans are much less friendly than before, that the Agrikans have been weakened considerably and that the Morgathians believe they can no longer count on the Agrikans. He fills in some details about the Prophet, that he was found staked out by the well, in Nemiran Square, naked and mutilated with the mascles. In the fighting many Agrikans died, and though they killed a number of random people, they made no real headway in the city. He believes that at least 6 (out of 40) Knights of Mameka were killed in the melee. Sir Zaurial has left the city gravely wounded by a mysterious Dark Knight who struck him to the ground on his second stroke and was moving in for the death strike when his followers moved in and managed to extract him. After this, the 2nd cohort of the Legion moved into the city and took control. He allows that he has seen somebody like Stavron (a young, strawberry blond man, slick with the ladies (or thought he was) at the Noose and Jester earlier this year, but has not seen him since.

Ewen finds that Borana’s house is locked up tightly and has been since before the riots. The neighbor asked states that she goes to Shiran from time to time to get more product to sell. He then goes to Claune of Rousane, a woodcrafter to arrange furniture for his new room in Palliser House. On his way home, Ewen stops by Sir Zaurial’s house (the souvenirs of Mogger are now missing) and knocks on the door. He is greeted by one of the servants and told that nobody is there but Sir Buell who stayed behind to look after the house. Sir Buell seems to be an interesting man, telling Ewen that he missed all the fun. He seems to want Sir Zaurial dead also, and knows that Ewen is leading Sir Zaurial on. He identifies himself as a Royal Agent and goes on to fill in even more blanks. His charter is to cripple Agrikan authority in the city. The Morgathian are now no friends of the Agrikans, there might even be a temple war. They no longer trust each other and the Morgathians are reconsidering their options on what to do but their power is only in the undead and the higher clerics. Sir Buell says they have not been able to get anyone infiltrated into the Morgathian temple. He tells Ewen that at least ten Agrikans were killed in fighting, including four who fell in order to get Sir Zaurial away from the Dark Knight. Sir Klyrdes took no part in the battle. After telling Ewen that he is considering slaughtering the entire staff in case they might know about his identity, Ewen leaves Sir Buell.

[GM: This is the GM version of activity that took place extra-session.]

That evening, late, after all the others had retired, Ewen slipped out of the newly renamed “Palliser House” and made his way down Nemiran Street to Rahel’s house, idly wondering if it too, had a name. Somehow, he thought “Parkhurst House” unlikely, and chuckled at his thin wit. He rapped on the gates, and was not wholly surprised when they opened and the guards, smartly at attention, wished him a good evening and admitted him without another word. One of them escorted him to the house, and within minutes he was again ensconced in the small hall where he had first dined with Rahel of Aerth, then an object of interest, and now his half-sister and an object of interest.

He stood as she entered, and was pleased when she embraced him, even though it was a sisterly gesture. She poured wine, and they sat by the fire, he telling her of the events in Sir Auram’s chamber, and she regaling him with tale of the Agrikan riots. She seemed very pleased at the outcome and when he asked about Arren of Melderyn’s involvement, she smiled coyly, stating that although he did not kill the “prophet” personally, he could not resist the temptation to join in the riots and stoke the fires by removing a few of the Agrikans. Sir Harth, she noted, had been beside himself and considered the whole exercise madness, but he had always been over-protective. Arren could not be stopped, and though he would have preferred to have killed Sir Zaurial, the three of his men who fell in his defense were a reasonable substitute. Several of Rahel’s men were lightly wounded in the fray, though none seriously, and the fact that Sir Buell Golka was not compromised in the action was a bonus. Ewen, nodded, saying he had met the man, and had strongly suspected he was the agent to whom Arren had referred. He also noted that his compatriots believed him to be an agent of Sir Auram, a notion he had no intention of disabusing. When Ewen inquired if Arren of Melderyn remained in residence, Rahel shook her head and told him that he had left three days previously, and she did not know when he would be returning. “He keeps his own counsel on most things,” she said without a trace of irony.

At Ewen’s mention of Sir Auram’s reaction and his charge regarding Sir Peten Valgari, Rahel laughed. “Sir Auram purposes your death – he was not pleased at all to be so used. You will need to act with great care.” He gestured for her to go on. “I do not know Valgari well – I believe I met him once or twice when I was younger, but he never played any significant role, and he has been a non-entity so far as I know for years. I recall that he has an illegitimate daughter somewhere – Shostim, possibly. There may be others. Still, he is a moderately powerful Deryni – more than capable of dealing with you from a magical point of view. Were you trained it would be a different story entirely. Indeed, I would expect your shields are stronger than his, although you yet lack the ability to use them effectively.”

“There are common misunderstandings about Deryni power and bloodlines. Some say that only pure-blooded Deryni are Deryni at all, though this is clearly wrong. Half-Deryni such as ourselves can be quite powerful, and I know that I am more capable than most ‘full-bloods.’ It is true that power tends to dilute with the introduction of each successive human generation, sometimes lost altogether, but rarely does that happen in the first generation. When it does, it is typically when the father is Deryni and the child is a boy.” She smiled. “Actually, Father mentioned that very thing regarding you. He said that he had never known one of his own illegitimate children from a human mother who did not have Deryni talent. In any event, the Parkhurst bloodline is very strong, and almost every member of the family – full or half-blooded – manifests ability at a very high level. In time, I believe you would be able to deal with Valgari as a Deryni and defeat him easily. But that time is not now.”

“For now, I would suggest great caution, and you certainly should conceal your Deryni nature. Sir Auram is undoubtedly correct in his view that Valgari has remained in the Kingdom for a reason, though I know no more of that than he. As to the drug you mentioned, it is too soon for you to have such knowledge. Right now, mere possession of such a drug would mark you, and be very dangerous to have. Suffice to say that you yourself have tasted but the tiniest drop of it – it was my test to see if you were what you seemed. You will recall what it did? Still, a poisoned dagger would serve you far better at this time.”

After they ate, Rahel suggested they commence the training that Arren had ‘suggested’ and she informed Ewen that the first thing taught to young Deryni is the control of their shields. This, along with certain other primary talents such as truth-reading, the ability to manifest one’s aura and produce light, and the control of one’s innate power were the most important things to grasp in the beginning. She began by moving to Ewen, placing her hands upon his temples, and looking him in the eye. “Allow me to take control,” she breathed, and for a moment, Ewen almost resisted. Then, all at once, he felt her flood into him, and she placed in his mind the secret of his own shields. She withdrew, and for the remainder of that evening, they practiced the technique for raising and lowering them. By the time he returned to Palliser House, he was sufficiently able to do this himself, and understood for the first time in his life how to protect his own mind. He marveled at the vulnerability of humans and how ignorant of this fact most of them were. He also realized he admired the Deryni for their wisdom in keeping this vulnerability as secret as possible. He had begun.

On the evening of the 5th, Ewen slipped out again, and returned to Rahel’s house. Informed by one of the servants that she would be delayed for a time, he amused himself by studying the tapestry in the small hall over a goblet of wine. He enjoyed the vintage very much, although he did not recognize it. For the first time, Ewen noticed a small, bundle of cloth in the tapestry behind Queen Erila. Could that be the infant Prince Puril? Everything he had ever heard of his father led him to believe he was ruthless enough to murder an infant. Ewen knew something of the death of children. The doors opened behind him and he turned to behold his sister.

“Good evening, Ewen,” she said as she entered. “I trust you have not waited long.”

“Not at all.”

“I’m glad. Are you hungry?”

“No.” He was anxious to return to the lessons.

“Have you been practicing with your shields? Of course you have. They are really rather simple when you understand the underlying principle.” She crossed to the sideboard and poured herself wine. “Tonight, we will explore your senses. We Deryni have the ability to ‘extend’ them, to almost use our five senses in concert and thus form a sixth, of sorts.” Once again, she took his temples in her hands, and placed the image in his head. From underneath the sideboard, she took a small casket, and placed it on the table before him. “Touch it,” she said, “imagine the inside of the box and what it looks like. See it. Hear it. Touch it. What you perceive will be the truth. Tell me, what is inside the casket?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Concentrate.”

“I think I see a piece of parchment, but …"

“Concentrate. Is that what you see in the casket, or something else?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You must determine this for yourself.”

At once, he did. “It’s a piece of parchment in the casket.”

“Very good, Ewen!” she exclaimed, and touched his arm. Opening the casket, he saw that it was indeed a piece of parchment. He smiled and she smiled back.

[GM: Here we return to the official notes.]

Agrazhar 7, 730 TR

Ewen goes to see Boraga. He informs Ewen the death toll of Agrikans is twenty and that does not include the Prophet (Jonzter). Upon inquiry he finds that Slakka has not yet come for a visit. He says that business has dropped off since the Agrikans no longer are in charge of patrolling the city. In the afternoon Ewen and Sir Baris go to donate the erotica to the Temple of Halea. A party to celebrate Bevan’s new home is planned and Rahel, Arvind, Fralys, Parqu, Sir Blors, Sir Tovar, and Jahmis Keir accept her invitation for the 7th. There is a push to get the house ready (the staff, now that Erol is gone, is actually looking better. They seem to have made themselves look worse to ward off his interest in them) and ourselves (Imarë gets a new green dress and some gold earrings). The time for the party arrives and a good time seems to be had by all. Rahel brings Selik once again, Parqu brings his wife. Ewen and Rahel talk about good fortune. Bevan and Sir Blors talk about hunting and Sir Blors invites Bevan on a hunt later in the week. He seems less standoffish even though there seems to be some friction between the two. Perhaps he is mellowing because she is now a landowner, the daughter of a knight who happens to hold a prominent position in the government he serves. Sir Tovar get tongue-tied when trying to talk to Imarë and goes off to find a less stressful partner to talk to. Selik talks to Imarë about the Shava Forest (he has been to Ulfshafen before) and caresses her head with some kind of Deryni power. They go off to her room to see her etchings. Ewen then walks Rahel home when the party breaks up. Everybody seems to have had a good time during the evening.