Online Recap 04.08.2018

The group resumes their walk through the West Ward. Wilmar Wick tells the sad story of Syr Rhanmar Wick and the love of his life. Syr Benn is captain of the Third Horvath Company, and Syr Peffer his lieutenant. Vaxel Astaram tells Rohlund all about the battle of the Vales, when he was a lieutenant serving Rámunas, the Bastard of the Meadows in the Company of the Grey Swords. Tylendel hears him say that he fled the battle, but was later caught by Rámunas, who tortured him - Vaxel shows Rohlund that he misses three fingertips on one of his hands. Syr Linas mentions he was named after Saint Linas. Syr Perron Branral mentions that he knows Syr Haxley Hosswort.

At Alfons the Reverent’s gate they are greeted cheerily by Lukska, and they see that the skull of Cuddles the Bear - flesh stripped away - adorns the gate.
The group eventually disbands. Syr Benn Bhoris tells Syr Peffer to see to the company. "I'll be right behind you, right after taking a piss." Rohlund, the Warden of Tamolyn, thanks Tylendel for his wisdom. What wisdom? Tylendel thinks. Syr Gylian’s bodyguard remains silent. Syr Comton excuses himself to Tylendel, for having been so affected by the sight of the Coinhound’s Keep. Syr Erbin clasps Tylendel’s shoulders, says he’s not too bad for being so good-looking. Syr Vilhem Rossyk, who hasn’t uttered a word for the duration of the mission, tells Tylendel that it was an honor serving him even though he did not need to do anything, and that he will serve him again if that should become necessary.
Eventually, only Tylendel and Wilmar Wick remain behind. Tylendel stares up at the moonlight bleeding through the hole in the dark sky. Wilmar looks around at the castles and towers and fortifications that make up the Holy Hill, licking his dry lips.
“What about me, m’lord?” the priest asks.
Tylendel explains that he could make himself useful in the ‘halls of healing’ - the infirmary in Tamolyn. He escorts Wilmar up the terraced hill. They meet a Holy Harvester guarding the door. Tylendel notes a new, large banner has been strung up over the entrance, displaying a spear and a white flag on a red field. The guard explains it was done by the herald of the prophet, the one who replaced the missing Zachory. Red banners fly from the four towers as well. Tylendel asks the guard who is in charge of the infirmary.
“Ghoston of Ruva, my lord,” the guard replies, showing Wilmar the stairs to the infirmary.
Tylendel is tired and decides to sleep in the chamber where he left some of his things in the west wing of the temple and goes upstairs, draping his cloak over the door so it will be easier to find him. He falls asleep.

When he wakes up, the chamber is bathing in the grey-silver light of the moon. He had a dream where he rounded the farmhouse in the Vychrib Hills, and saw the apple tree beneath which he buried Renata. The earth was moving around the trunk he saw, and the shovel was planted in the earth. Something was moving beneath the ground. He picked up the shovel and began shoveling, a sensation of never getting any deeper. But then, a white hand shot out, and earth drizzled from a familiar face - Renata. “I still love you,” she says. “But you can forget me now. I’ll wait.” To this, Tylendel says he can never forget her. Renata smiles, rising from her grave and planting a kiss on his lips. Then she clambers back down into the earth, as if sinking back through the soil. In his ear, he hears another familiar voice: “Don’t worry, I’ll look after her meanwhile. Right?”
Waking up, Tylendel is slow to put away Renata’s braid which he clutches in one hand, and slow to get out of bed, and slow to don his armor.

Out in the Everspring Gardens, captains are already instructing their companies, corporals already ordering their soldiers. The moonlight is still visible through the dark gap in the black clouds, but it is sinking away along the western edge. He finds his way down to the House of Martial Holies, where a meeting is already taking place; the chamber is full of people. Those who are seated around the council chamber - Syr Gylian, Syr Dostan, Syr Gombald, Syr Kajin, Bohumíl, Haralamb, Syr Malor, Syr Dalibor, Karlon, Duke Esmond, Syr Yaskar and two unfamiliar lords - in addition to Lady Ester Camrey and her knight and Syr Gylian’s troubador in the nearby parlor section, guardsmen, Syr Perron Branral leaning to a pillar, and the prophet’s new herald, who gives up his seat for Tylendel.  Woods crackle in the hearth, dung and coals in the braziers.

Camrey hands Tylendel a letter, sealed in wax and stamped with the insignia of House Horvath. He reads the letter from Duke Harmond Horvath. Syr Dalibor tells him that the riders from Sirry, who brought the letter (and one for Haralamb, the duke’s brother), have been quartered in Nemeth Hold.

Tylendel explains about the 'Chalice Men', Syr Malor has already told the mission was successful, but Tylendel corrects him and says it was only partially successful. Bohumíl mentions that Syr Aurel never found Wilmar. Syr Dalibor asks where he is now, and Tylendel says he sent Wilmar to the infirmary.
"Good decision," Dostan agrees, "We're in need of men with skills in the art of healing."
"He could be helpful, maybe," Tylendel says, explaining that the man isn’t enitrely stable, and Dostan says, "I would think so.."

They talk about how the moonlight woke people up, and how people feel their strength is returning. ”More light than I dreamed of ever seeing again,” Syr Gylian Urunmyst says.
Tylendel suggests investigating the stables of Duke Aemrik Arsov in the Silverhills to solve the problem of rapidly diminishing fodder for the horses.
"A crafty bastard," Haralamb calls Arsov.
"You shouldn't speak ill of the dead,  but in this case, yes, a massive asshole," Tylendel agrees.
Duke Esmond Sollani raises his cup (two Áhar servants are busy serving them wine) and they toast to that.
Bohumíl says, "Don't be too quick to discount him as dead, though. He was crafty enough to have fled before it was too late."

It is agreed that a party will be sent to the Silverhills to find feed for the remaining horses. Syr Bohumíl will take care of this. Food is served, by Syr Gylian’s servants - vegetables from the Everspring Garden and fish from the Green Sea - and there's a break in the discussion.

Syr Bohumíl tells Syr Malor to talk to Syr Robond Witherwillow about stopping to spread his complaints about Syr Bohumil's decision.

The new herald of the Prophet announces a ceremony for the fallen squires and the fallen lords of this night (Duke Ámall Ubert, Syr Justin of Dust Creek, Syr Gabryn Hyther and Duke Harmond’s herald and chamberlain, Patrik Vomir) and combine it with the Feast Day of Saint Udolph.

After the meeting, Tylendel meets and greets for the first time with Count Ruben Brysk and Count Andraw Iker, the two unfamiliar faces at this council meeting. Both come and say they are honored to meet him. Other lords leave with a nod, others a greeting; Haralamb asks to be excused to spend some time seeking out his last remaining brother, Lord Harman, or any other "with his blood." Upon noticing Tylendel's new, let's call it somewhat brazen :-P, tabard, Syr Dalibor smiles and says, "I bow to your legend."

Tylendel is asked to stay, and soon he's alone with Bohumíl in the council chamber of the House of Martial Holies.
"I saw you in the mirror, I saw you. I saw the ceiling burn over your head. It was blank and black, but I so wanted to see you..and then I saw you... face behind steel..."
Tylendel says the Crippled God's name is Parafor. "It's not so bad, when you have a name."
"It helps getting rid of the 'god-'bit. Does it have a meaning?"
Tylendel hasn't thought of that.

Bohumíl asks what happened in the Between, and Tylendel explains.
"So my father was right..." Bohumíl sighs, when Tylendel explains what the Creeping God looks like.

Tylendel says he needs the armor and shield of Bohumíl's ancestor.
“But it’s destroyed,” Camrey says.
Bohumíl Camrey asks if Eämhyn, the quartermaster, could assist (having heard about the black dagger through one of the Horvath knights). Maybe together with Tylendel's powers..?

Bohumíl explains that the river-waters are free from ice once more, and waters flow down the heights through the streets. And men have begun to remove their warmest wool: Ice is melting unnaturally fast, perhaps, and the temperature is rising, despite the sun still hidden beneath the dark churn above (except where the hole pierced by moonlight remains).

Bohumíl mentions that they won’t have enough food - even with the caches found and Duke Esmond’s provisions - to stay until the Deserter arrives.

Tylendel wonders if there are ships left anywhere. Camrey suggest talking to Duke Esmond, who was a renowned shipwright before taking his father's seat. Tylendel says they can send messages to Halinhaven, but Camrey says,
"But my lord, Halinhaven is here."
"Then we need ships here, then. With ships, we could send messages to the Empire. Tell them to send supply ships."
"But that won't help us right now."
Tylendel agrees.

They begin discussing fishing the larger lakes of Barosía - Lake Sirry, Skyblue Lake ...but they are not sure anything could have survived after all this time beneath thick ice and darkness.

"I'm feel I'm getting better at this. Better than my father,” Bohumíl notes, speaking of holding councils and talking logistics and taking care of people. “He was a good man, you know. Before the marriage and the tournament."
"He did keep your mother imprisoned for thirty years."
Camrey gets up and walks to the nearest window, watches the pale moonlight. "We can talk about that at some other time."
There was no surprise in Camrey’s face, so Tylendel assumes Adony has told Bohumíl or that he knew even before that.
As Bohumíl leaves, Tylendel gives him parting words of wisdom (?): "Do not stand in your father's shadow, Bohumíl. You have started making your own light - feed that flame carefully, and one day you will burn brightly."

Tylendel leaves, asks the guard outside where Syr Gylian went. He follows a staircase spiraling upward through one of the House of Martial Holies' towers. Here he finds Syr Dostan, Syr Gylian, Syr Valdor, Syr Gombald, Black Jaquan, Ira, Syr Valdor of Ashgate, Hendryk of Mostina.

He tells Gylian he needs his mirror, and Gylian takes him downstairs to the heavily secured vault, guarded by Despina and another Warden. Before they walk  down, Syr Dostan asks if Tylendel has noticed anything related to his Reading of the Síst Sáhadá - "The priest, the hermit, the lady of summer, remember?" Tylendel says he hasn't noticed anything.

Downstairs, the vault doors are opened by Despina, then Gylian opens the portcullis and finds the mirror, tucked between monks' robes. Tylendel takes the mirror to the council hall. The guardsman jokes with him before letting him in.
Inside he pulls a chair up and places the mirror on it, then settles so he can see the eastern horizon through the window and the mirror at the same time. It is time to watch again...

(Time: 10:00. Most of the black skies are still present, but now daylight streams through the hole in the sky.)

He asks the mirror to see his father's tomb, and is transported across half the continent, to an island of tombs - a necropolis - to find a marble obelisk engraved with the words

~ HIS HOLY MAJESTY, THE IMPERIAL STEFON (1298 - 1332), "YOU CAME FROM THE LIGHT AND YOU RETURN TO THE LIGHT. ~

"You showed me what Byrkburgh was like in the past, now let's see what you're capable of. Show me when I was taken from my mother."
About to give up on this request, the mirror suddenly turns to life once more, and Tylendel receives a vision of what happened, going down much as Syr Dostan told it. And he sees his mother... and the Mad Spearman. A shallow bay, rugged wooded hills in the wind beneath an overcast sky, a young Dostan and a hooded man rushing down to the beach then wading into the waters. A beautiful woman with Tylendel’s coloration seated in an otherwise empty boat - or so it seemed - being intercepted by a boat with men in similar robes to the man running up to her along Dostan. Dostan, pained by what he’s involved with, hacking down and hitting her thigh, blood spraying, the Mad Spearman grabbing the baby, the other crew boarding and looting, the glimpse of a silver necklace of the Lost God dangling from one of their necks, and Dostan running back to the beach and falling down face first in the sand.

After witnessing this Tylendel wants to see where the Mad Spearman is now, and is shown a white-walled city of white buildings and colorful roofs in a region of granite hills, grass fields, and sparse trees. He sees a road swing through the hills, and a merchant's caravan of coast-landers in their white togas flapping in a mild breeze. The sky is blue, dotted with puffy clouds.

Then, he asks the mirror to show him Syr Comton's wife. He sees a trail coming out of a forest, past a paddock, leading to a small village surrounded by a square stone wall. Inside the wall are clustered a number of wooden buildings. He sees a man leaning on a balcony rail, smoking a pipe before walking back inside. Later, he sees the silhouette of a woman through a foggy, thick window. Inside that house, she sees a woman stirring a cauldron and talking to a young girl seated at a nearby table.

Asking more questions, the mirror turns black until suddenly a white apparition shoots out of the dark surface, a hand reaching for him. Tylendel evades by throwing himself behind a pillar. The apparition zips past him, around the pillar and back into the mirror to disappear in its darkness. The mirror begins to tremble; Tylendel quickly throws himself forward, catching it before it can drop off the chair he had placed it on. He puts it back. "All right, I won't ask about Sharth and his seeing stone, and you won't do that again," he says to the mirror. The surface burns hot.

He asks to see Syr Harodor Balére as the mirror seems to cool down, but it remains black. He asks for Syr Bronys, and again it remains black. Then he asks for the Lady of Summer, and still it remains black.
"Show me where Syr Nathyn Evett is now!" The mirror remains black. "Show me the back of my head." The mirror shows its black surface. "Oh dear. Oh dearie dearie me. Oh dearie dearie dearie me."
"Spirit in the mirror, will you please show me Nathyn Evett." The mirror remains black.
There's a knock on the door. The Holy Harvester opens. "You all right?"
"Why shouldn't it be?"
"Just asking. Everything tucked back in? ‘Cause you won't be alone anymore."

Syr Bohumíl brings a weakened, pale Count Ales Malion into the chamber, tells the guard outside to find food and wine for the lord of Deepford.

Tylendel tells Bohumíl the mirror has stopped giving him visions. Camrey mentions that the riders from Sirry would appreciate seeing Tylendel again.

Bohumíl consoles Count Ales. The lord of Deepford thinks its unfair that he lives while younger people died. Bohumíl offers Tylendel wine, but he refuses, deciding to go meet with the riders from Sirry instead.