Online Session Recap - 06.04.2019

(Vignette / Intro)

A force of 500 men led by five commanders/captains and five lieutenants move west on the Karklin Road, eventually reaching the bridge across the Deepriver where the village of Hessy occupies the other side. Meanwhile, it seems the company they are after - a Mirovni troop led by a Syr Ivoran Yásen - have made camp in Hessy - and indeed, the knight has taken the local tavern as his base.

After having sent scouts close and not being attacked, two of the leaders, Syr Bohumíl and Syr Comton, with four guardsmen, are guided by one of the Mirovní - a fellow with a bushy black beard - to the tavern. In the taproom they find Syr Ivoran with his legs on a table drinking wine from a barrel stinking of vinegar. By his side is a woman, dressed like a soldier, her spiked, gold-visored helmet resting on the table; she seems more a servant than a soldier as she refills the knight’s cup.

Syr Bohumíl immediately asks where the prisoners are. Syr Ivoran shows no surprise at the question and says he doesn’t have any prisoners. After more back-and-forth he admits he had prisoners, but let them go “north of here”.
Syr Bohumíl is skeptical, noticing the blood underneath the knight’s fingers. After leaving the tavern, he tells Syr Comton they’re going to surround Hessy and make sure no one escapes. “I hate seeing innocent people in chains. Let’s put them on someone who deserves it.”

* * *

Tylendel wakes up. He stretches his muscles, then his eyes suddenly pop open.

Tylendel: “Shitshitshitshitshitshit!”

He bounces to his feet and faces the mirror.

Tylendel: “Show me Mulendobra! Shitshitshitshit. How far is she?! How far is she?!”

The mirror shows that Mulendobra is still hurrying through the forest, and he relaxes a tiny bit.

Tylendel: “Okay, she’s not there yet. Don’t you ever tire, woman? I know you had Valenta to power you, but damn!”

Pábes: “That’s it! Of course!”

Tylendel and Pábes both ignore each other.

Tylendel focusses his will to materialise a Blacksteel sarcophagus in front of himself. He still has to strain, but it is easier than when he pulled Valenta’s spirit out of Mulendobra. It has a stylized face on Mulendobra on it, as well as the Greyoak crest and two handles on each side.

He turns back to the mirror, asks it to show him Mulendobra, and she is till on her way through the forest. He thinks about how he will stop her for a while, then starts casting a spell to put her to sleep. In the mirror, he sees Mulendobra collapse and slide along the ground is she falls asleep.

Next, Tylendel focusses on moving her arms so her body fits inside the sarcophagus – an arm is stuck on a raspberry bush, but both arms move. He then starts attempting to move the sarcophagus around her, but the strain is too much for him, and he fails twice before giving up.

Tylendel: “I guess I have to do it the hard way… Since I’m here. Show me where Nysal is.”

The mirror shows him the fort and village he has already been shown, but this time he spends some time making the mirror move around until he has a good view of the coast and landscape around it. He spots three cities in the vicinity, one of them large enough that he starts suspecting it is Carhútrun, the capital city of the Empyre of the God-kings.

Tylendel: “Okay. Show me where Pentarlys is.”

Cracks appear in the mirror’s edges, crawling towards the centre. Tylendel panics and starts willing the mirror to repair itself – it does. His heart beating very hard in his chest, he holds his hand in front of the mirror, feeling that its very warm. He looks over his shoulder: Pábes is eating.

Tylendel [softly]: “Don’t worry, mirror. No-one will ever know.”

He turns back to Pábes.

Tylendel: “I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you, Pábes, but I was in a panic.”

Pábes: “Hm? Come. Have a seat, take some food. Don’t forget yourself.”

Tylendel: “No, I have to get and… Imprison Mulendobra and Arakin. It seems that not all of the gods are willing to fight against Parafor.”

Pábes: “They’re not that unlike people, are they?”

Tylendel: “No, they’re not. But I have a companion now, at least. Lylas is with me.”

Pábes: “You actually managed to do what you set out to do?”

Tylendel: “Yes.”

Tylendel is a tiny bit disappointed that Pábes is surprised, considering last visit’s confidence.

Pábes: “But… While I am both amazed at your powers and have deep respect for you, except for when you are cursing like you did when you woke up – it is still ringing in my ears – I’m wondering why I’m still waiting for the blacksmith.”

He blushes slightly.

Tylendel: “Because I had a goddess running wild trying to free her lover from a prison, and that lover would have gone for Parafor and destroyed Barosía.”

Pábes: “Okay. Fair enough. Salami?”

Tylendel: “You did remind me that I have to eat, though.”

Pábes: “You’ve got to try this sauce with it.”

Pábes butters a piece of bread for Tylendel, putting salami and mayo on it. Tylendel accepts it and takes a bite.

Pábes: “It’s great.”

Tylendel: “Okay, it’s not bad.”

Tylendel thinks while eating.

Tylendel: “Did Lug’s notes say anything about who enchanted Artan’s armour? Or the Creeping God’s Bane?”

Pábes: “Mm. I think so.”

Tylendel: “Did he do it, or did Pentarlys do it?”

Pábes: “It’s so full of things. You’ve got to give me a moment. I’ll find the book.”

He goes over to the lectern and fetches the Codex of the Lost. He lays it on the table with a slam. He opens the book and starts looking for the passage he needs. While Pábes does that, Tylendel materialises a bag with bread, honey, salami, and a large, raw deer thigh.

Pábes: “Ah, here it is. It says here, in very straightforward, stoic words, that he forged the weapons, but they were indeed enchanted by a woman named Pentarlys.

Tylendel: “Well, then-“

Pábes: “Wait, wait.”

Tylendel: “Then I have to find Pentarlys.”

He scowls at the mirror. It feels as if it scowls back at him. Meanwhile Pábes fetches his notes.

Pábes: “Ah! There it is. Yes, yes, I was right. I had to double check. Forged by Gablug Maístor and enchanted by the Sister of Dawn, Pentarlys.”

Tylendel: “Interesting. Very interesting. Okay.”

Pábes: “With the aid of Mother Ród.”

Tylendel: “I have to ask Lylas who she is…”

Pábes: “Does say much else… But for every item in this book, that he describes, it says that he forged it, and that someone else enchanted it. For those things that were enchanted.”

Tylendel: “Was the Twilight Gate enchanted?”

Pábes: “Oh yes.”

Tylendel: “By whom?”

Pábes: “A fellow named Ruis.”

Tylendel: “Ah, I see. I guess I have to keep my eyes open for him. Did it say why Ruis asked him to make the Twilight Gate?”

Pábes: “Ah, let me see. I think I translated something about it.”

He starts looking through his notes again. He says something about the stories from the faith about the purpose about the Twilight Gate, that is was a gate for the dead, but it seems that Ruis wanted the Twilight Gate to be made so he could send back the visitors from the Between: He saw how they behaved when they were worshipped and didn’t like it, and Lug agreed with him. Ruis also had Lug make the Moonforge – it was needed to make the Twilight Gate.

Tylendel: “Does that mean we need a Moonforge?”

Pábes: “That’s the thing! We would, if we were there, but we are here!”

Tylendel: “Okay.”

Pábes: “That’s why Eamhyn must come here. Get it?”

Tylendel: “Yes.”

Pábes looks pleased.

Pábes: “It also says that when the Twilight Gate is completed, he is accosted by the eight who watched him.”

Tylendel: “The Watchers of Old. Now, where they still serving Loronë at the time, or had they turned to Parafor?”

Pábes: “Who?”

Tylendel: “The Watchers of Old.”

Pábes: “I don’t know who they are.”

Tylendel: “They were the ones who found the Codex of the Lost and brought it to Merbus.”

Pábes: “Can you imagine how old this book is? Could be a copy of course, but I doubt it. Very much so. In a way I’m very glad it came into my hands.”

Tylendel: “So am I, Pábes. So am I.”

Pábes: “The thing is… It just consumed me.”

Tylendel: “You’ll get your time to rest soon.”

Pábes: “It’s not that I don’t like it.”

Tylendel chuckles.

Pábes: “It’s a bit of work.”

Tylendel: “I’ve ordered the soldiers at Tamolyn Páhorek to gather every book they can and save them.”

Pábes: “Now that is deserving of respect.”

Tylendel: “I thought you’d like that.”

Pábes: “Maybe you could bring one or two here? It would be neat to read books from home.”

Tylendel closes his eyes and wills a copy of “On the Properties of Divine Blood” to him.”

Pábes: “You don’t have to do it right now.”

Pábes sounds as if he would like Tylendel to do it right now.

A copy of the book appears in Tylendel’s hands and he hands it to Pábes.

Tylendel: “Here. It’s quite interesting.”

Pábes: “Even though I’ve seen you do so many strange things I’m still flabbergasted. Thank you!”

Tylendel: “You’re most welcome, Pábes. Now I have to return to Eras and imprison a god and a goddess.”

Pábes: “Be careful.”

Tylendel: “How long will a couple of inches of Blacksteel keep them?”

Pábes tells Tylendel that the book says that Blacksteel is very resistant to magic unless you know a way to treat it. He also says that it repels other types of mystic steels unless worked, but the book doesn’t say much about using Blacksteel as a prison.

Tylendel: “Very well. I will try to make haste, Pábes.”

Tylendel makes his way back to his body, bringing the sack with him.

When he opens his eyes in Eras, the first thing he sees is the massive wolf that turns her head to look at Tylendel. Lylas is gathering more lichen to start a new fire. He lifts out the deer thigh and tosses it to the wolf. It is a little sceptical at first, then picks it up and starts eating.

Tylendel: “I brought you some food, Lylas.”

Tylendel stands up and walks over to where Lylas’ fire was. Lylas returns with wood for the fire, and Tylendel hands him the sack.

Lylas: “Thank you. A man can forget hunger. Or, rather, I have felt a certain bestial hunger, not a good kind of hunger.”

He sits down and starts eating.

Tylendel: “Who made this prison for Arakin?”

Lylas: “I’m afraid I don’t know. I wouldn’t assume that I would be anyone other than one of the Nine.”

Tylendel: “I take it that this was after Ruis was nearly defeated. It’s not Braek, she works in ice. Mulendobra, she wouldn’t have done it. Loronë?”

Thinking of the Lady of the Moon, Tylendel notices that it seems to be more light now.

Tylendel: “Who’s Mother Ród?”

Lylas: “Mother Ród. That’s… Now that’s someone I haven’t thought of in a long time.”

He looks surprised that he knows her.

Lylas: “She… She’s my half-sister. I know she was worshipped among a wandering people. One of the few peoples who dared the broken lands beyond the mountains. The Oskarks, they were called. I don’t know if I ever have spoken to her at length, or where she is, or whether she is alive.”

Tylendel: “But… The Oskarks worship… They worship Isä!”

Lylas: “There’s not much difference, is there? Mother Ród. Mother Isä. Women with supernatural powers. Attaining godhood in the eyes of the weak. They named her Ara. In their tongue it means Mother.”

Tylendel: “She helped Pentarlys enchant Creeping God’s Bane.”

Lylas: “Possibly. But strange.”

Tylendel: “They weren’t friends?”

Lylas: “It’s not like the Nine ever… They do not care for their children the way your people does.”

Tylendel: “So Pentarlys was Ród’s mother?”

Lylas: “No. I don’t think so.”

Tylendel: “But Loro- You called her half-sister. You have the same mother.”

Lylas: “Yes. I remember that.”

Tylendel: “Well, we’re going to have to break open this prison.”

Lylas: “No. We can’t do that.”

Tylendel: “But once we get the Twilight Gate open, we have to move Arakin to throw him through.”

Lylas: “And that’s gonna happen now? Is it finished?”

Tylendel: “Oh, no. Far from it. Don’t even have a smith for it.”

Lylas: “Then why open this prison now?”

Tylendel: “I’m going to make a sarcophagus of Blacksteel to put him in. Which I have to do with Mulendobra as well.”

Lylas: “You stopped her.”

Tylendel: “Yeah, she’s sleeping.”

Tylendel looks at the root tree.

Lylas: “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Tylendel: “So do I. I mean… Of course I do.”

Lylas: “I can only imagine how they will feel when they realise one of this world has grown to such power and to such level of meddling.”

Tylendel: “Well, I’m hoping they’re in the Between before they realise.”

Lylas: “You must be careful. You could have them all turn against you.”

Tylendel: “Yes.”

Lylas: “Then you will have little use of my help as well.”

Tylendel: “How long do you think this prison will hold if we don’t do anything with it?”

Lylas: “It has been standing for more than two thousand years, my friend. He might have been clawing and scratching and beating on the inside, but there is something here, if you look closely at the roots. They are alive.”

Tylendel: “Yes.”

Lylas: “When a root is removed or dies, a new one takes its place. I tried. Maybe my memory is faulty. There are many things I… Like when you spoke of Ród, I… Before you said her name, I didn’t know I remembered her. Things are slowly coming back. I remember best my years in the Moon Guard. The farther back in time, the more vague it becomes. But my point is this. It feels like, and looks like, the power of Valenta. ”

Tylendel: “That’s… That’s why Mulendobra brought her. Valenta. Her spirit. Mulendobra took her inside herself, used her power, to give herself power. That’s how she was going to break the prison, wasn’t it?”

Lylas: “Maybe. I don’t know. Of all the Nine, I say she is the one who is the most unpredictable.”

Tylendel stands up and collects his gear.

Tylendel: “Then let’s go lock her away, shall we?”

Lylas: “We can try.”

Tylendel: “Will you come with me?”

Lylas: “You’ve done it before, so I assume you can do it again. I will come with you. And what about her? Is she going to wait here?”

He looks at the wolf.

Tylendel: “She can come along.”

Lylas slaps his thigh, and the wolf stands up and follows them. They start walking south.

Tylendel: “I’ll give the troops on the Holy Hill an order to not kill wolves. Any wolves, unless they’re attacked.

Lylas: “Right now, life, whether it is predatory or not, is very, very precious.”

Tylendel: “Yes. I didn’t enjoy what I had to do at the Arganhold.”

He assumes Lylas knows, but…

Lylas: “What happened there?”

Reluctantly, Tylendel explains the attack by wolves.

Lylas: “So she can work her powers from within her prison?”

Tylendel: “I think she gave the order before she was imprisoned.”

Lylas: “I see.”

As they walk through the Great Forest, they come upon patches of rotting vegetation, but as they approach where Tylendel released Valenta there is new growth. Tylendel assumes that it is the energy of Lady of Summer that was released that is making things grow – Mulendobra is almost covered in young growth.

When they come upon Mulendobra’s sleeping form, Tylendel immediately starts preparing for spellcasting.

Lylas: “It is her.”

Tylendel casts his spell – it gathers material from around her, covering her, then transmutes the material into Blacksteel, making a sarcophagus that looks like the one he summoned in the Between.

Lylas looks at, astonished.

Lylas: “I thought I had seen it all.

Tylendel is drained. Again. This time because of spell fatigue.

Tylendel: “Well. This takes something out of me.”

Lylas: “Well. I would have imagined that your body wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

Tylendel: “I’m older than I look.”

Lylas: “I know what you mean.”

Tylendel: “I was thinking… When I came to Byrkburgh a few months ago, there were sorcerers of the Cult. They gathered some of Eld’s blood… You know is a descendant of Parafor’s line, right?”

Lylas: “I knew because I knew that the Camrey’s were cursed, but I wasn’t sure whether the blood of a half-Camrey would be strong enough to inherit the curse of the Creeping God as well.”

Tylendel: “Oh, he’s powerful as well. But they were using his blood. Braek said they were summoning the Creeping God. Can that be done? Can he be summoned from one place to another, physically?”

Lylas: “I don’t know. If you can do it, I don’t know if there are others that have been gifted like you.”

Tylendel: “No, but I only managed to summon him to the Between. I don’t really know how to do it here.”

Lylas: “Do what? Summon him?”

Tylendel: “Yes. Because I’ve been thinking that once we get the Twilight Gate rebuilt, we need to get him there and throw him through. I doubt he’ll come voluntarily.”

Lylas: “I can’t… I can’t believe we’re talking about this, but…”

Tylendel: “Well, that was your father’s plan.”

Lylas: “Are you sure he’s my father?”

Tylendel: “Very well. Until we know: That was Ruis’ plan.”

Lylas’ question wasn’t as if he doubted Tylendel, more that he was wondering himself.

Lylas: “There’s a huge difference between one of the Nine and the two of us.”

Tylendel: “I know where Nysal is. Serenade. Would she help us if we went there and asked her?”

Lylas: “It’s hard to say. Yes, maybe. No.”

Tylendel: “Would she want to return to the Between?”

Lylas: “I don’t know. We’ve got to hope it.”

Tylendel: “How much sorcery do you know?”

Lylas: “The way you use it the sorcery? Nothing.”

Tylendel: “But if I make a ritual, you can help me, can’t you? Give me power.”

Lylas: “I don’t know. I think you think too much of me, my friend. I’m but… I too have blood running in my veins that shouldn’t be running in any veins on this world. It has given me some gifts, if you will. Curse, if you want, that the peop0les of this world would envy, or… I have lived for far too long. I have a way with wild beasts, which is why I’ve always thought that Arakin was my father.”

Tylendel: “I see.”

Lylas: “I don’t know if Ruis used his powers on Arakin. If he did, he may have assumed some of his control of the wild, and then I would be of Ruis’ blood. He had a way of drawing out, or pushing in, the very souls of these nine. I believe he tried to mollify them, pacify them, by stripping them of some of their power.”

Tylendel: “That’s what he tried on Parafor.”

Lylas: “I get the feeling it backfired.”

Tylendel: “Yeah, it didn’t work. Parafor almost consumed him. Well, if I’m to bring you with me, we’re gonna need a boat.”

Lylas: “Excuse me?”

Tylendel: “Well, I move about faster than you.”

Lylas: “Where are you going?”

Tylendel: “If we’re going to ask Nysal if she’ll help us: The western coast of the Empyre.”

Lylas looks incredulous.

Lylas: “I…  I… I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It would take… Months.”

Tylendel: “No.”

Lylas: “You’re gonna pull a trick!”

Tylendel: “That was my plan.”

Tylendel seizes his flight spell and rise off the ground. Lylas’ eyes grow larger. Tylendel lowers himself to the ground.

Lylas: “It’s a good thing that you have been granted this gift, but at the same time I… It feels wrong. This world was not made for this.”

Tylendel: “No. The sorcery came along with the Nine.”

Lylas: “You are not actually telling me that you are going to conjure up a boat, put me in it, and we are flying to the west coast?”

Tylendel: “Well, I don’t have to tell you now, because you just said it.”

Lylas huffs, looks at the canopy, starts pacing. He looks at the wolf.

Lylas: “You hear that? We’ve reached a new level of insanity. And they called me mad for living ih the Wailing Widows.”

He smiles.

Tylendel: “Well, that was madness. All those spirits in the waters? No.”

Lylas: “Somebody had to make sure they stayed where they were.”

Tylendel: “Now that is a very good point.”

Tylendel thinks for a while, planning his magic.

Tylendel: “I will need to focus for a while, then ask you… I need to draw power through you, okay?”

Lylas: “I’m in your debt. What else can I but say yes?”

Tylendel: “When you feel me reaching for you, try to reach back, or at least don’t resist.”

Tylendel sits down and starts meditating to calm his mind. While he’s concentrating, he feels a sort of pressure spreading. It feels like his body is compressed, then the pressure disappears. He becomes dizzy. Lylas collapses against a tree. The wolf’s fur and ears stand straight up.

Tylendel: “Whah…”

Lylas: “Was that you?”

Tylendel: “No. What was that? What…”

Lylas: “I think it was not good.”

Tylendel: “I doubt it was.”

Pine needles are raining on them.

Tylendel: “What was that?”

After they get their breath back and things calm down… There is an unimaginably loud boom, as if a mountain explodes. It comes from the east, and suddenly the sky is brighter than it has ever been. The wolf flees. Tylendel assumes a foetal position and covers his head. Lylas cowers behind Mulendobra’s sarcophagus.

Lylas: “Down!”

The light lasts for four to five seconds, a yellow-white light, then the sky starts flickering. Then it is dark again, followed by a whoosh.

Lylas: “That, my friend. That was the Creeping God.”

Tylendel: “No shit.”

Lylas is pale as death.

Tylendel: “Is he coming?”

Something starts falling from the sky – black snow. Ash.

Tylendel: “This is bad.”

Lylas: “One can get that feeling. You have to hurry, like we’ve never hurried before. I’ll jump on your ship.”

Tylendel: “I have to make it first!”

Lylas looks at the trees, as if they’re going to starts cutting them down.

Tylendel sits back down and starts meditating again. He sits for almost an hour, then starts casting the ritual. Lylas is patrolling the area.

Lylas: “Damn it. I lost her.”

Tylendel does his usual routine when casting a ritual – song and dance while walking the perimeter of the spell’s range. He spends just over an hour casting the spell, pulling just a little power through Lylas.

Dirt and wood is pulled into the shape of a ship, compresses, and turns into wood, iron and rope. He creates a ship like Ghostweave, but half again as large. [The result is fine craftsmanship, but pulleys on the ship and the rudder won’t work since Tylendel doesn’t know how they work. The ship looks very well made, but someone who knows about ships will notice that things aren’t quite right.”]

As he casts this ritual, Tylendel feels the ghost of the tingle he felt when he saw the touch of the Lost God on himself.

As the ship is finished, Tylendel is standing on the deck.

Tylendel: “So what do you think, Lylas? I call her the Dreamwaver.”

Lylas: “I lost her. The terror broke the bond.”

Tylendel: “I am sorry, Lylas.”

Lylas: “It’s perhaps for the better. A flying ship is no place for a wolf.”

Lylas raises his eyebrows, then starts touching things, making sure the ship is real.

Lylas: “If I had children, they would never believe me. Never.”

Tylendel: “I need a rest. Then I need another spell to make her fly. Then another one to make us stop being blown off her.”

Lylas shakes his head.

Lylas: “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Tylendel: “When it comes to this, I do.”

Lylas: “I believe you.”

As Tylendel plans his next spell, they hear a massive noise through the forest. There is massive trampling. It reminds Tylendel of when Syr Ramon Duntry came to Bormost followed by Cuddles. Tylendel quickly flies over to his gear and puts it on. He sees Phantom being drawn next to him, and he draws Red Dancer and turns to where the noise is coming from. The noise is increasing, and it seems to be coming straight to them.