Post by Dead Greyhawk on Nov 8, 2007 22:42:59 GMT -5
Raven, Otto, and Winthrop eventually rejoin the others, Oaklock and several elves in tow. They explain how Oaklock has arranged for the Company to meet with his people in Gorna to gain what information they can about the threats facing the Company. Oaklock, as it appears, is a high ranking member of the Gorna Guard. No mere soldier, he commands the elven forces arrayed at Oytpass Keep. One of his men, a wise warrior priest of Phaulkon, Perrin, will lead the Company to Gorna, providing the necessary pass phrases to allow for easy passage.
The Company, guided by Perrin's estimate of how long it will take to reach Gorna, purchases food and supplies and begins the long trek down to the base of the escarpment. The loss of their horses poses a mixed concern for the Company. The mages can still summon constructs to ride, but this depletes their magical powers for the day. The Company agrees that Winthrop and the others should continue to summon their magical mounts, but only until Gorna, where the Company will invest again in horses.
Otto tells the others that he will head west towards the Crystalmists and determine the state of things with the Duke's armies. The Company's experience near Flen has made them wary of rumor, and if a new frost giant jarl has risen to power, they wish to be prepared for him. Herbert and Pfiffwin will accompany him, along with Eats Salmon. They agree to meet back up at Karmuk's Tower.
On the last night the Company remains in Oytpass Keep, Dell sits in his room at the Red Gargoyle, well aware of how angry the Company is with him. They do not understand the things he has done for them and will do again. It is a sad truth that the Company can not see how his actions will serve them well in the long run. That is why, he tells himself, that he must do this now, so that he can do more for them later. Dell pulls out a plain ring and focuses on it. Dell takes a deep breath and says, "I wish that my magical powers would expand while maintaining my potential for other skills and abilities and the integrity of my mind, body, and soul." A golden glow fills the room and Dell's eyes, but then fades away. Dell feels the same. "Hmmph," mutters Dell, as he hides the ring once more.
In the morning, the Company exits Oytpass Keep, bearing a letter from Oaklock and a pass from Orman. The ride down to the pass is without problem, and the Company enters into the Duchy of Geoff. As had been told to the Company over and over again, a massive host of men at arms occupies the land north of Oytpass. A huge army, easily in the tens of thousands strong, is camped in divisions across miles of land. Regional and noble banners fly over different portions of the camp, reflecting the combined might of Sterich in exile. Smoke rises up from thousands of campfires, causing a haze overhead, reminiscent of the unnatural grey of the Sterich sky. How the army feeds itself is incomprehensible to Raven, who can only imagine the logistical difficulties in maintaining such a force.
The majesty and awe of the combined force fades when the first picket intercepts the Company. Untrained warriors, barely militiamen, ride broken or draft horses. They seem cowed by the Company and barely coherent enough to ask for and receive the proper signs and countersigns from Perrin. If these men reflect the quality of the remaining forces of the Earl, the country is in sore shape. "Is the Earl somewhere in there?" asks Dell of Perrin. Perrin, a quiet man not prone to placing himself into a dangerous position, shakes his head as he rides between the warriors of the Company.
The passage to Gorna is without excitement, a somewhat relaxing ride after the harrowing time in Sterich. The fields of the surrounding land are tilled and planted, though few men and boys are visible working them. The sun blazes down on the Company, keeping them warm even though the air is somewhat cool. The respite from the unhealty grey Sterich sky is pleasant and rejuvenating. The Duke's Army rides down upon the Company often, and they are a much more impressive fighting force than the broken men outside of Oytpass. They question Perrin, demanding the correct pass phrases, which Perrin provides.
A week later, the Company approaches Gorna, somewhat impatient again after their peaceful ride. Gorna itself is a smaller city than Longspear, but is built in an equally fortified manner. Built in the lea of a sheer mountain face, the city is sheltered on that side and surrounded on the others by strong walls that even now are being expanded upon. Perrin explains that he has been told to escort the Company into the Hornwood, to meet with the elven scholars who may be able to answer their questions, but that he is willing to stop into Gorna so that the Company can purchases horses. The Company finds lodgings at an inn named the Golden Goose.
Horses in Gorna are a somewhat rare commodity, but the Company is able to pay a premium for them. A selection of riding horses and a single war horse, somewhat aged but, according to Diego, not the least bit infirm, are purchased, enough to allow the full Company to ride again. Food and other supplies are at more normal prices, especially when compared to the usurious ones at Oytpass Keep.
Gorna swirls with rumors, openly told for the price of a small beer. Many tell of how the Gorna Guard rode out to the west, towards the Crystalmist Mountains, to support the Duke's Army against the giantkind in the mountains. A great victory must have been made against the giants, because men from the Duke's Army had returned home and rotated to different fronts, a sure sign of success on the Duke's part. That said, some voices have raised the name of a new ice giant Jarl, Gungir, who fills the shoes of his overthrown cousin. Raven wonders whether this is a mistelling of the Company's defeat of the frost giants.
Antonus heads out on his own in the capitol of Geoff, searching for information. The banjo he carries seems demeaning. "What mage is a troubadour?" he asks himself rhetorically. On the other hand, it is plainly enchanted. He searches for a store that sells musical instruments. The Tin Horn sells used musical instruments, and the proprietor agrees to look at Antonus's banjo.
The proprietor of the Tin Horn, Landor, seems perplexed by the instrument, searching it for a maker's mark or other indication of its origin. After speaking for several minutes about its tone and its harmony, Landor suggests Antonus leave it with him overnight and come back the next day. Antonus looks around the shop, seeing damaged and sorely used instruments placed on shelves, and compares his banjo to them. His banjo is well cared for, made of healthy wood, and enchanted. The instruments here are not.
"I'll be going now," says Antonus, reaching for his banjo. Landor holds on to it tightly, tugging back as Antonus reaches for it, explaining it will only take him a day, no more, to get all the information he wants. Antonus scowls at him, using Master Dell's scowl, and Landor lets go of the banjo. "Good day," says Antonus, and leaves.
Somewhat frustrated by the untrustworthy men of Geoff, he searches for an alchemist or jeweler where he can get pearls to use in identifying the banjo himself. Finding himself before a small sign showing a boiling retort, he enters. The small store is packed with glassware and flasks containing strange salts and unguents, but even more surprising is the proprieter, his cousin Cornelis! Cornelis and Antonus have much to talk about and spend the rest of the afternoon telling their tales over tea and scones. Unfortunately, Antonus must leave to rejoin the Company, but he is heartened to find that Gorna is not fully populated by dishonest businessmen.
After only a single day in Gorna, the Company departs, heading northwest into the Hornwood. The ride is as quick as it was to reach Gorna, and only a few days pass before the Hornwood is entered. The Hornwood is very different than the Dreadwood, the only major forest the Company has previously been in. Rather than overgrown and dim, the Hornwood has majestic trees that rise up out of the ground to tower overhead. The underbrush is clear of dead wood, and the animals show little or no fear of the Company and their bear.
Perrin leads the Company deep into the Hornwood until they reach Hocholve, the elven citadel. The elven city is a place of mystery and awe. Unlike Aldahuin, which appeared little more than a rustic village grown from the trees, Hocholve exists entirely amidst the tree limbs above the forest floor. Great platforms of living wood support smooth, bark-covered buildings. The elves of Hocholve are distant, somewhat cold, and only Eig is welcomed with any degree of cordiality. The elves seem to regard him as a somewhat bucolic cousin and condescend to him with alarming regularity.
Perrin deferentially leads the Company up into the trees, where Lord Gilderlief has arranged for Company to meet with one of the elders of Hocholve, Eindraer Cyrdaedi. Perrin is almost obsequiously meek in dealing with those who protect the city and serve as gate keepers to Eindraer Cyrdaedi. It is plain from these interactions, and the way that Dell and Adrienne are treated, that those of half-elven blood are treated as a lower caste than the full blooded. After talking with the elves, Perrin sadly explains that Eindraer Cyrdaedi is meditating and will not be available until tomorrow.
The Company and Perrin are provided lodging amid the canopy of trees. Oddly enough, the elves are very comfortable with Antonus and his banjo playing. The elves gather about him when he plays the banjo, but they often speak more at him than to him, nodding as if they are having a conversation with Antonus, even though he only picks at the banjo strings. It is a strange interaction that perplexes the others, especially when since Antonus appears somewhat secretive and guilty about the matter. When they have a moment of time, the Company interrogates Perrin about the elves of Hocholve and their strange interactions with him and the other members of the Company.
Perrin explains that Hocholve is populated mainly with grey elves, the longest lived of the elven races, and that to them, most other races live a remarkably short period of time. Attachment to people who will live for such a minor period of time is not encouraged and that has translated into a general disdain for such beings. Dell catches Eig nodding out of the corner of his eye and frowns. Half-elves and humans are respected for their works, but mostly in terms of the creations of their civilizations, not for the value of their individual efforts.
The Company has a hard time wrapping their head around this idea, and, Perrin admits, it is a rigid, inflexible view of the world based in the notion that the elven long view is the best view. Perrin points to others, like Oaklock, whose families left Hocholve to live more closely intertwined with the shorter lived races, trading their long life spans for a greater tether to the changing world, as better examples of elven engagement in the Duchy. Oaklock may be presumptive and shockingly direct, but he would never be called detached from the changing world.
The next day, Perrin asks the Company if they could write their questions down and provide them. Eindraer Cyrdaedi's spirit continues to wander, but perhaps some of the sages of the city will know the answers. This seems amenable to the Company, and they debate between themselves what questions to ask. After much argument, the Company settles on three questions: What do the elves know of a mithril circlet coupled to an undead creature, who is Kay-Tarn, and what information do the elves have about the god Tharizdun? Considering the duration of bickering that must take place before these questions can be written, it is probably wise that the Company was not asked this in front of Eindraer Cyrdaedi.
The elves of Hocholve leave the Company alone for the most part. Eig increasingly spends time with elven priests, discussing the different ways of worshipping the Oerth, but never invites Herbert to join them. Raven and Alouicious attempt to purchase equipment from the elves, but when Winthrop summons his chest, an ominous cracking sound echos from beneath it. The chest is weightier than it looks, and Winthrop quickly sends it back into the ether.
Apparently the elven sages are stumped, or they simply don't want to talk with the Company. Instead, the Company is invited to meet with Eindraer Cyrdaedi, whose mind has rejoined his corporeal form. Eindraer Cyrdaedi is perhaps the oldest creature the Company has ever seen. His thin white hair drawn behind him, Eindraer Cyrdaedi's skin appears almost translucent, like a great light tries to shine out from within him. Guarded by a pair of fierce looking warrior mages, Eindraer Cyrdaedi sits in a comfortable chair. Uncomfortable stools are drawn up for the Company to sit on and ask questions of the pale withered man before them.
The Company has many questions, but Perrin has informed them that their time will be sorely limited. They begin to lay out their questions before Eindraer Cyrdaedi, but he raises a hand and instead invites them to tell their story, the Chronicle of the Blue Sun. A jumbled affair comes forth, first told by Winthrop and Raven, the only survivors of the original Company. Al and Dell add their voices, and the others sit rapt, never having heard the full story. Time passes in a blur, with Perrin bringing a golden mead to all but Dell, who prefers fresh pressed cider, as their story spills forth. Additional elves, younger than Eindraer Cyrdaedi but still older than Oaklock or Eig, come and join them, standing in the back, behind Eindraer Cyrdaedi.
Eindraer Cyrdaedi seems keenly interested in what the Company has to say, his eyes glinting at some moments, but he never interrupts nor asks a question, preferring to hear the Company's perception of themselves. When Raven and Dell tell of the blackened hand lost to Cathmandius in Longspear, an involuntary gasp goes through the collected elves, though Eindraer Cyrdaedi seems unperturbed. Eventually, the Chronicle of the Blue Sun comes to a close in Hocholve.
"A wondrous story for such little time," says Eindraer Cyrdaedi. "The flame that burns half as long often burns twice a bright, a lesson many of my descendants have not learned. Let me tell you what answers I know to your questions."
The mithril circlet is a item of foul magic, a device for trapping the soul and controlling it. They are commonly made of more base metals, still valuable but more common, and thus are normally less powerful. Eindraer Cyrdaedi know of only three mithril circlets, nigh on indestructible. The history of one circlet is a mystery, but those of the other two are known. The description of the creature that attacked the Company by the Javan River identifies to him which mithril circlet the Company carries with them. It is the binding item that possesses the soul of Sterling Stern Quintus, one of the greatest warriors of the Empire of Keoland. During the subjugation of the surrounding lands, Stern Quintus led the armies of Keoland against all enemies, destroying their armies through strategic and tactical genius. A fell warrior, he was slain in the night by an assassin's blade on the eve of the consolidation of the Empire. His deputy led Stern Quintus's men to victory, but Stern Quintus's body was never recovered. The revenant that he became wreaked havoc among the Empire, as his decayed form still possessed his great intellect and cunning. Stern Quintus appears repeatedly over Eindraer Cyrdaedi's lifetime, striking out with great violence against the forces of weal, and then disappearing suddenly. Eindraer Cyrdaedi believes that only those of great power of mind will be able to control Stern Quintus; the weak of mind become controlled by him.
Kay-Tarn is a name that Eindraer Cyrdaedi has heard of only in stories passed down from his grandfather, from almost a millenia ago. Kay-Tarn was a necromancer of the Bakluni, an arch-mage with powers unheard of in the current age. When the human races fought, the Suel and the Bakluni fighting over things that only humans will dispute. Kay-Tarn was among the most powerful mages facing the Sueloise. Capable of great horrors, Kay-Tarn led both the imperial incursions against the barbarians on the northern borders, but then sent the animated dead, particularly corrupted by his magics, into the lands of the Suel. All feared his unmitigated rages and consuming urges, even the elves. Only Martek, the Sueloise arch-mage, was capable of opposing Kay-Tarn, and then he was only able to because of the meticulous planning and contingencies for which Martek was prepared. No one knows who struck first, the damages were so great, the Sueloise under Martek with their devastating invocation, or the colorless fire the Bakluni mages sent raining down onto the lands of the Sueloise. In the end, so few survived as to make the record a moot point. What is known is that neither Martek nor Kay-Tarn were active after the destruction and near destruction of their respective nations. All had believed Kay-Tarn dead and lost for all time. Eindraer Cyrdaedi only hopes that the Kay-Tarn referenced in the missive is an imposture or sorely weakened from the centuries that have passed.
Tharizdun, the Destroyer, the Nullifier, the Eater of All, was the wellspring of evil. In the oldest lore of the Elves, before the creation of the other races, before the creation of the elven gods and goddesses, Tharizdun was the face of night, the darkness that defined the light. In eternal struggle with his opposite, Lendor, the cosmos stagnated in eternal, evenly matched might.
Lendor, capable of self-sacrifice, fragmented himself, retaining only the powers regarding the flow of time itself, creating the other gods. As is true in many cases, the whole of their efforts was greater than the sum of their parts. Tharizdun was overmatched and thrown down, the light overcoming the dark. With great glowing bands, Tharizdun was bound, unknowing, unfeeling, uncaring, for eternity.
The gods of woe are outgrowths of Tharizdun mad dreams, brought to power by eddies of chance and coincidence. Because of this, especially insightful worshipers of the dread gods sometimes see beyond the veil that cloaks them from the truth of their gods. They perceive the true power from which they draw their unholy might, rather than the facades that all believe to be the arbiters. Almost invariably this drives them mad.
A few madmen have tried to lead others in the worship of Tharizdun. While gifted with might, their broken minds have not supported organized thought, and they have always eventually been laid low. The cult of Tharizdun is a recurring annoyance that the elven annals describe as rising only to be put down in death.
With these words, Eindraer Cyrdaedi smiles at the Company and settles back into his chair, a great breath leaving him. The Company has a moment of panic where they fear that the elf has died, but none of the others in the room with them appear alarmed. Perrin leads them away, explaining that Eindraer Cyrdaedi must now meditate on the words that he has heard and the words that he has given.
The Company debates what to do until the wee hours of the morning. Some, mainly led by Antonus, see Tharizdun, the Dead God, as a major threat and assert that the Company should try to assess how to deal with it. The more seasoned members of the Company quickly strike that idea down, claiming that problems dealing with gods are outside of their purview. Antonus then leads the charge in trying to get the Company to address the threat to Sterich, Geoff, and Keoland by taking on Kay-Tarn, who must be somewhere in the western portion of Sterich. The other mages quickly strike that idea down, claiming that ancient arch-mages should be left alone. Alouicious suggests that the Company set a trap for Sterling Stern Quintus and destroy him. Winthrop is overjoyed with the idea and wishes to grind Stern Quintus into dust, but Dell claims to have other plans for the skeletal warrior.
Raven declares that their destination will be Karmuk's Tower. The Company knows, by their earlier scrying, that the tower has been repopulated by the Bergheim Mercenaries. "Evil mercenaries get paid," says Raven. "A perfect place for us to go to and take their money from them." Diego rises in full support of this idea, as does Alouicious. The Company grumbles their way to agreement on attacking Karmuk's Tower, and their meeting begins to break up.
Antonus is incredulous. "Faced with saving the world or a country, they choose to rob someone," scathes Antonus. "I see why Maximilian asked me to accompany them. They lack a conscience."
While the Company converses, establishing their priorities for themselves, Perrin is drawn aside. "You have heard what they have done! Provided the Hand of Vecna to a Hextorite! Aided those that would free the Eater of All! You will travel with them, recover this artifact, and return here with it directly. Do not fail me in this, or you will regret it for the rest of your short life," dictates a shadowy figure. Perrin nods in acquiescence, wondering how his peaceful life has led him to this mission.
The Company, guided by Perrin's estimate of how long it will take to reach Gorna, purchases food and supplies and begins the long trek down to the base of the escarpment. The loss of their horses poses a mixed concern for the Company. The mages can still summon constructs to ride, but this depletes their magical powers for the day. The Company agrees that Winthrop and the others should continue to summon their magical mounts, but only until Gorna, where the Company will invest again in horses.
Otto tells the others that he will head west towards the Crystalmists and determine the state of things with the Duke's armies. The Company's experience near Flen has made them wary of rumor, and if a new frost giant jarl has risen to power, they wish to be prepared for him. Herbert and Pfiffwin will accompany him, along with Eats Salmon. They agree to meet back up at Karmuk's Tower.
On the last night the Company remains in Oytpass Keep, Dell sits in his room at the Red Gargoyle, well aware of how angry the Company is with him. They do not understand the things he has done for them and will do again. It is a sad truth that the Company can not see how his actions will serve them well in the long run. That is why, he tells himself, that he must do this now, so that he can do more for them later. Dell pulls out a plain ring and focuses on it. Dell takes a deep breath and says, "I wish that my magical powers would expand while maintaining my potential for other skills and abilities and the integrity of my mind, body, and soul." A golden glow fills the room and Dell's eyes, but then fades away. Dell feels the same. "Hmmph," mutters Dell, as he hides the ring once more.
In the morning, the Company exits Oytpass Keep, bearing a letter from Oaklock and a pass from Orman. The ride down to the pass is without problem, and the Company enters into the Duchy of Geoff. As had been told to the Company over and over again, a massive host of men at arms occupies the land north of Oytpass. A huge army, easily in the tens of thousands strong, is camped in divisions across miles of land. Regional and noble banners fly over different portions of the camp, reflecting the combined might of Sterich in exile. Smoke rises up from thousands of campfires, causing a haze overhead, reminiscent of the unnatural grey of the Sterich sky. How the army feeds itself is incomprehensible to Raven, who can only imagine the logistical difficulties in maintaining such a force.
The majesty and awe of the combined force fades when the first picket intercepts the Company. Untrained warriors, barely militiamen, ride broken or draft horses. They seem cowed by the Company and barely coherent enough to ask for and receive the proper signs and countersigns from Perrin. If these men reflect the quality of the remaining forces of the Earl, the country is in sore shape. "Is the Earl somewhere in there?" asks Dell of Perrin. Perrin, a quiet man not prone to placing himself into a dangerous position, shakes his head as he rides between the warriors of the Company.
The passage to Gorna is without excitement, a somewhat relaxing ride after the harrowing time in Sterich. The fields of the surrounding land are tilled and planted, though few men and boys are visible working them. The sun blazes down on the Company, keeping them warm even though the air is somewhat cool. The respite from the unhealty grey Sterich sky is pleasant and rejuvenating. The Duke's Army rides down upon the Company often, and they are a much more impressive fighting force than the broken men outside of Oytpass. They question Perrin, demanding the correct pass phrases, which Perrin provides.
A week later, the Company approaches Gorna, somewhat impatient again after their peaceful ride. Gorna itself is a smaller city than Longspear, but is built in an equally fortified manner. Built in the lea of a sheer mountain face, the city is sheltered on that side and surrounded on the others by strong walls that even now are being expanded upon. Perrin explains that he has been told to escort the Company into the Hornwood, to meet with the elven scholars who may be able to answer their questions, but that he is willing to stop into Gorna so that the Company can purchases horses. The Company finds lodgings at an inn named the Golden Goose.
Horses in Gorna are a somewhat rare commodity, but the Company is able to pay a premium for them. A selection of riding horses and a single war horse, somewhat aged but, according to Diego, not the least bit infirm, are purchased, enough to allow the full Company to ride again. Food and other supplies are at more normal prices, especially when compared to the usurious ones at Oytpass Keep.
Gorna swirls with rumors, openly told for the price of a small beer. Many tell of how the Gorna Guard rode out to the west, towards the Crystalmist Mountains, to support the Duke's Army against the giantkind in the mountains. A great victory must have been made against the giants, because men from the Duke's Army had returned home and rotated to different fronts, a sure sign of success on the Duke's part. That said, some voices have raised the name of a new ice giant Jarl, Gungir, who fills the shoes of his overthrown cousin. Raven wonders whether this is a mistelling of the Company's defeat of the frost giants.
Antonus heads out on his own in the capitol of Geoff, searching for information. The banjo he carries seems demeaning. "What mage is a troubadour?" he asks himself rhetorically. On the other hand, it is plainly enchanted. He searches for a store that sells musical instruments. The Tin Horn sells used musical instruments, and the proprietor agrees to look at Antonus's banjo.
The proprietor of the Tin Horn, Landor, seems perplexed by the instrument, searching it for a maker's mark or other indication of its origin. After speaking for several minutes about its tone and its harmony, Landor suggests Antonus leave it with him overnight and come back the next day. Antonus looks around the shop, seeing damaged and sorely used instruments placed on shelves, and compares his banjo to them. His banjo is well cared for, made of healthy wood, and enchanted. The instruments here are not.
"I'll be going now," says Antonus, reaching for his banjo. Landor holds on to it tightly, tugging back as Antonus reaches for it, explaining it will only take him a day, no more, to get all the information he wants. Antonus scowls at him, using Master Dell's scowl, and Landor lets go of the banjo. "Good day," says Antonus, and leaves.
Somewhat frustrated by the untrustworthy men of Geoff, he searches for an alchemist or jeweler where he can get pearls to use in identifying the banjo himself. Finding himself before a small sign showing a boiling retort, he enters. The small store is packed with glassware and flasks containing strange salts and unguents, but even more surprising is the proprieter, his cousin Cornelis! Cornelis and Antonus have much to talk about and spend the rest of the afternoon telling their tales over tea and scones. Unfortunately, Antonus must leave to rejoin the Company, but he is heartened to find that Gorna is not fully populated by dishonest businessmen.
After only a single day in Gorna, the Company departs, heading northwest into the Hornwood. The ride is as quick as it was to reach Gorna, and only a few days pass before the Hornwood is entered. The Hornwood is very different than the Dreadwood, the only major forest the Company has previously been in. Rather than overgrown and dim, the Hornwood has majestic trees that rise up out of the ground to tower overhead. The underbrush is clear of dead wood, and the animals show little or no fear of the Company and their bear.
Perrin leads the Company deep into the Hornwood until they reach Hocholve, the elven citadel. The elven city is a place of mystery and awe. Unlike Aldahuin, which appeared little more than a rustic village grown from the trees, Hocholve exists entirely amidst the tree limbs above the forest floor. Great platforms of living wood support smooth, bark-covered buildings. The elves of Hocholve are distant, somewhat cold, and only Eig is welcomed with any degree of cordiality. The elves seem to regard him as a somewhat bucolic cousin and condescend to him with alarming regularity.
Perrin deferentially leads the Company up into the trees, where Lord Gilderlief has arranged for Company to meet with one of the elders of Hocholve, Eindraer Cyrdaedi. Perrin is almost obsequiously meek in dealing with those who protect the city and serve as gate keepers to Eindraer Cyrdaedi. It is plain from these interactions, and the way that Dell and Adrienne are treated, that those of half-elven blood are treated as a lower caste than the full blooded. After talking with the elves, Perrin sadly explains that Eindraer Cyrdaedi is meditating and will not be available until tomorrow.
The Company and Perrin are provided lodging amid the canopy of trees. Oddly enough, the elves are very comfortable with Antonus and his banjo playing. The elves gather about him when he plays the banjo, but they often speak more at him than to him, nodding as if they are having a conversation with Antonus, even though he only picks at the banjo strings. It is a strange interaction that perplexes the others, especially when since Antonus appears somewhat secretive and guilty about the matter. When they have a moment of time, the Company interrogates Perrin about the elves of Hocholve and their strange interactions with him and the other members of the Company.
Perrin explains that Hocholve is populated mainly with grey elves, the longest lived of the elven races, and that to them, most other races live a remarkably short period of time. Attachment to people who will live for such a minor period of time is not encouraged and that has translated into a general disdain for such beings. Dell catches Eig nodding out of the corner of his eye and frowns. Half-elves and humans are respected for their works, but mostly in terms of the creations of their civilizations, not for the value of their individual efforts.
The Company has a hard time wrapping their head around this idea, and, Perrin admits, it is a rigid, inflexible view of the world based in the notion that the elven long view is the best view. Perrin points to others, like Oaklock, whose families left Hocholve to live more closely intertwined with the shorter lived races, trading their long life spans for a greater tether to the changing world, as better examples of elven engagement in the Duchy. Oaklock may be presumptive and shockingly direct, but he would never be called detached from the changing world.
The next day, Perrin asks the Company if they could write their questions down and provide them. Eindraer Cyrdaedi's spirit continues to wander, but perhaps some of the sages of the city will know the answers. This seems amenable to the Company, and they debate between themselves what questions to ask. After much argument, the Company settles on three questions: What do the elves know of a mithril circlet coupled to an undead creature, who is Kay-Tarn, and what information do the elves have about the god Tharizdun? Considering the duration of bickering that must take place before these questions can be written, it is probably wise that the Company was not asked this in front of Eindraer Cyrdaedi.
The elves of Hocholve leave the Company alone for the most part. Eig increasingly spends time with elven priests, discussing the different ways of worshipping the Oerth, but never invites Herbert to join them. Raven and Alouicious attempt to purchase equipment from the elves, but when Winthrop summons his chest, an ominous cracking sound echos from beneath it. The chest is weightier than it looks, and Winthrop quickly sends it back into the ether.
Apparently the elven sages are stumped, or they simply don't want to talk with the Company. Instead, the Company is invited to meet with Eindraer Cyrdaedi, whose mind has rejoined his corporeal form. Eindraer Cyrdaedi is perhaps the oldest creature the Company has ever seen. His thin white hair drawn behind him, Eindraer Cyrdaedi's skin appears almost translucent, like a great light tries to shine out from within him. Guarded by a pair of fierce looking warrior mages, Eindraer Cyrdaedi sits in a comfortable chair. Uncomfortable stools are drawn up for the Company to sit on and ask questions of the pale withered man before them.
The Company has many questions, but Perrin has informed them that their time will be sorely limited. They begin to lay out their questions before Eindraer Cyrdaedi, but he raises a hand and instead invites them to tell their story, the Chronicle of the Blue Sun. A jumbled affair comes forth, first told by Winthrop and Raven, the only survivors of the original Company. Al and Dell add their voices, and the others sit rapt, never having heard the full story. Time passes in a blur, with Perrin bringing a golden mead to all but Dell, who prefers fresh pressed cider, as their story spills forth. Additional elves, younger than Eindraer Cyrdaedi but still older than Oaklock or Eig, come and join them, standing in the back, behind Eindraer Cyrdaedi.
Eindraer Cyrdaedi seems keenly interested in what the Company has to say, his eyes glinting at some moments, but he never interrupts nor asks a question, preferring to hear the Company's perception of themselves. When Raven and Dell tell of the blackened hand lost to Cathmandius in Longspear, an involuntary gasp goes through the collected elves, though Eindraer Cyrdaedi seems unperturbed. Eventually, the Chronicle of the Blue Sun comes to a close in Hocholve.
"A wondrous story for such little time," says Eindraer Cyrdaedi. "The flame that burns half as long often burns twice a bright, a lesson many of my descendants have not learned. Let me tell you what answers I know to your questions."
The mithril circlet is a item of foul magic, a device for trapping the soul and controlling it. They are commonly made of more base metals, still valuable but more common, and thus are normally less powerful. Eindraer Cyrdaedi know of only three mithril circlets, nigh on indestructible. The history of one circlet is a mystery, but those of the other two are known. The description of the creature that attacked the Company by the Javan River identifies to him which mithril circlet the Company carries with them. It is the binding item that possesses the soul of Sterling Stern Quintus, one of the greatest warriors of the Empire of Keoland. During the subjugation of the surrounding lands, Stern Quintus led the armies of Keoland against all enemies, destroying their armies through strategic and tactical genius. A fell warrior, he was slain in the night by an assassin's blade on the eve of the consolidation of the Empire. His deputy led Stern Quintus's men to victory, but Stern Quintus's body was never recovered. The revenant that he became wreaked havoc among the Empire, as his decayed form still possessed his great intellect and cunning. Stern Quintus appears repeatedly over Eindraer Cyrdaedi's lifetime, striking out with great violence against the forces of weal, and then disappearing suddenly. Eindraer Cyrdaedi believes that only those of great power of mind will be able to control Stern Quintus; the weak of mind become controlled by him.
Kay-Tarn is a name that Eindraer Cyrdaedi has heard of only in stories passed down from his grandfather, from almost a millenia ago. Kay-Tarn was a necromancer of the Bakluni, an arch-mage with powers unheard of in the current age. When the human races fought, the Suel and the Bakluni fighting over things that only humans will dispute. Kay-Tarn was among the most powerful mages facing the Sueloise. Capable of great horrors, Kay-Tarn led both the imperial incursions against the barbarians on the northern borders, but then sent the animated dead, particularly corrupted by his magics, into the lands of the Suel. All feared his unmitigated rages and consuming urges, even the elves. Only Martek, the Sueloise arch-mage, was capable of opposing Kay-Tarn, and then he was only able to because of the meticulous planning and contingencies for which Martek was prepared. No one knows who struck first, the damages were so great, the Sueloise under Martek with their devastating invocation, or the colorless fire the Bakluni mages sent raining down onto the lands of the Sueloise. In the end, so few survived as to make the record a moot point. What is known is that neither Martek nor Kay-Tarn were active after the destruction and near destruction of their respective nations. All had believed Kay-Tarn dead and lost for all time. Eindraer Cyrdaedi only hopes that the Kay-Tarn referenced in the missive is an imposture or sorely weakened from the centuries that have passed.
Tharizdun, the Destroyer, the Nullifier, the Eater of All, was the wellspring of evil. In the oldest lore of the Elves, before the creation of the other races, before the creation of the elven gods and goddesses, Tharizdun was the face of night, the darkness that defined the light. In eternal struggle with his opposite, Lendor, the cosmos stagnated in eternal, evenly matched might.
Lendor, capable of self-sacrifice, fragmented himself, retaining only the powers regarding the flow of time itself, creating the other gods. As is true in many cases, the whole of their efforts was greater than the sum of their parts. Tharizdun was overmatched and thrown down, the light overcoming the dark. With great glowing bands, Tharizdun was bound, unknowing, unfeeling, uncaring, for eternity.
The gods of woe are outgrowths of Tharizdun mad dreams, brought to power by eddies of chance and coincidence. Because of this, especially insightful worshipers of the dread gods sometimes see beyond the veil that cloaks them from the truth of their gods. They perceive the true power from which they draw their unholy might, rather than the facades that all believe to be the arbiters. Almost invariably this drives them mad.
A few madmen have tried to lead others in the worship of Tharizdun. While gifted with might, their broken minds have not supported organized thought, and they have always eventually been laid low. The cult of Tharizdun is a recurring annoyance that the elven annals describe as rising only to be put down in death.
With these words, Eindraer Cyrdaedi smiles at the Company and settles back into his chair, a great breath leaving him. The Company has a moment of panic where they fear that the elf has died, but none of the others in the room with them appear alarmed. Perrin leads them away, explaining that Eindraer Cyrdaedi must now meditate on the words that he has heard and the words that he has given.
The Company debates what to do until the wee hours of the morning. Some, mainly led by Antonus, see Tharizdun, the Dead God, as a major threat and assert that the Company should try to assess how to deal with it. The more seasoned members of the Company quickly strike that idea down, claiming that problems dealing with gods are outside of their purview. Antonus then leads the charge in trying to get the Company to address the threat to Sterich, Geoff, and Keoland by taking on Kay-Tarn, who must be somewhere in the western portion of Sterich. The other mages quickly strike that idea down, claiming that ancient arch-mages should be left alone. Alouicious suggests that the Company set a trap for Sterling Stern Quintus and destroy him. Winthrop is overjoyed with the idea and wishes to grind Stern Quintus into dust, but Dell claims to have other plans for the skeletal warrior.
Raven declares that their destination will be Karmuk's Tower. The Company knows, by their earlier scrying, that the tower has been repopulated by the Bergheim Mercenaries. "Evil mercenaries get paid," says Raven. "A perfect place for us to go to and take their money from them." Diego rises in full support of this idea, as does Alouicious. The Company grumbles their way to agreement on attacking Karmuk's Tower, and their meeting begins to break up.
Antonus is incredulous. "Faced with saving the world or a country, they choose to rob someone," scathes Antonus. "I see why Maximilian asked me to accompany them. They lack a conscience."
While the Company converses, establishing their priorities for themselves, Perrin is drawn aside. "You have heard what they have done! Provided the Hand of Vecna to a Hextorite! Aided those that would free the Eater of All! You will travel with them, recover this artifact, and return here with it directly. Do not fail me in this, or you will regret it for the rest of your short life," dictates a shadowy figure. Perrin nods in acquiescence, wondering how his peaceful life has led him to this mission.
