IN THE SHADOW OF THE SPIRE

SESSION 18A: KEY TO THE PAST

March 22nd, 2008
The 7th Day of Kadal in the 790th Year of the Seyrunian Dynasty

When they arrived back in the tiny shack at the center of the junk-filled vacant lot, Tee took several moments to subtly rearrange the room – prepping the entrance so that she would, hopefully, be able to detect whether or not someone used it.

“We seem to have gotten covered in blood again,” Tor said. “This is becoming a habit.”

“Well, except for Ranthir,” Tee pointed out. “He stayed clear of it.”

After a quick discussion, it was agreed that the gore-spattered wouldn’t have much luck getting into the Nobles’ Quarter (standards tending to be a little higher there). Plus, if Ranthir went he would be too far away from Shilukar’s lair – the spell of alarm he had placed upon the lower entrance would be unable to alert him.

Ranthir was, however, able to use a little magical prestidigitation to clean Dominic’s clothes and Tee always carried a spare set in her bag. So it was decided that Agnarr, Elestra, Tor, and Ranthir would return to the Ghostly Minstrel while Tee and Dominic would return to Castle Shard and break the bad news.

AN UNEXPECTED LETTER

It didn’t take Agnarr, Elestra, Tor, and Ranthir long to reach the Ghostly Minstrel, despite the fact that no carriage would take them in their present state. While Agnarr, Elestra, and Tor headed around to the stables to be drenched by buckets of water, Ranthir excused himself and headed through the front doors.

“Master Ranthir!” Tellith gave him a cheerful smile. “A letter has arrived for you and your friends.”

“Oh,” Ranthir said, slightly startled. “Thank you.”

Ranthir broke the plain wax seal and read the short missive written on the parchment:

 

I’ve found a lead on the key. Meet me in the alley off Yarrow Street.

He was still puzzling over these seemingly simple words when the other three came thudding in from the kitchens – damp, but no longer bloody. Ranthir moved to show them the letter, but then thought better of it. “We need to talk. Let’s retire to Mistress Elestra’s room.”

They took a few minutes to change into drier clothes, but once they were safely secluded, Ranthir showed the letter around.

“Do you think it might be something that we… you know… did before?” Elestra asked.

“Before we lost our memories?” Ranthir asked. Elestra nodded. “It’s possible.”

Agnarr waved his hand. “Here, let me see.” He stared at the parchment long and hard. “Ah, yes. Of course.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t read!” Agnarr shoved the letter back at Ranthir.

DELIVERING BAD NEWS

Tee and Dominic didn’t have any problems convincing a carriage to take them up to the Nobles’ District, so by the time the others were arriving back at Delver’s Square they were already pulling up in front of Castle Shard.

Unsurprisingly, Kadmus was waiting for them. Silently he gestured them across the drawbridge and led them through the castle’s halls.

Lord Zavere was waiting for them in his map room. As Tee and Dominic entered he seemed lost in thought, but he quickly turned to them and smiled with only a touch of bittersweetness… it was clear from the crestfallen expression on Tee’s face that they were not carrying fair news for him.

As quickly as she could, Tee told him that they had failed and that Shilukar had escaped. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright, Tee,” Zavere smiled his bittersweet smile again. “Perhaps it was meant to be.”

“But there might be another possibility,” Tee said. “We found something down there. Some kind of idol. Shilukar called it the idol of Ravvan. We think it’s very important to him. And maybe, if you retrieved it, you would be able to trade the antidote for it… without giving him sanctuary.”

Zavere’s entire complexion changed as the idol was mentioned. “Shilukar had the idol of Ravvan? Do you have it with you?”

Tee shook his head. “No. We were afraid that it might be tainted. I’ve had enough of the taint.”

“If it is the idol, you were right to fear.” Zavere frowned. “But, quickly, describe it to me.”

And for several minutes, Tee answered an exhausting battery of questions. At last it seemed as if Zavere were satisfied. He leaned back and then turned his head to the empty air, “Rill. I have need of you.”

As if slipping between the waves of a waterfall, Lady Rill slipped through thin air and appeared before them.

“Shilukar holds the idol of Ravvan. I think this takes precedence, even over our debt to our friend. Would you concur?”

Rill seemed to ponder the question for a moment and then nods. “Yes.”

“Very well.” Zavere turned back to Tee and Dominic. “Would you be willing to retrieve this idol? It is of the utmost importance.”

Tee’s stomach twisted. “And the taint?”

Zavere nodded. “With the idol even a short exposure could be dangerous. But I shall see to it that you and your companions are cleansed as soon as the idol has been secured.”

“Then we’ll do it,” Tee said.

“Thank you.” Zavere stood. “This must be done quickly.”

ALARUMS

Tee had asked their carriage master to wait for them. Now, as she and Dominic rushed out of Castle Shard, she was glad of it. As they leapt into the carriage, she cried out a promise of extra coin for his fastest speed.

When they arrived back at the Ghostly Minstrel, they found the others still gathered in Elestra’s room. Before they could explain what had happened at Castle Shard, however, they were swept up into the ongoing conversation of the letter.

Like the others, neither Tee nor Dominic had any idea what the letter might be about. But Tee, in particular, was fascinated by the possibility that it might have something to do with the time they had lost.

“Yarrow Street sounded familiar to me,” Elestra said. “But I couldn’t place it. Do you have any idea, Tee?”

“I think it’s in Oldtown,” she said. “Near the bureaucratic complexes.”

“What key could they be talking about?” Ranthir mused.

“I don’t know.” Tee shook her head. “But there’s something else we need to talk about.” And she quickly explained what Lord Zavere had asked of them.

“I think we need to go to this Yarrow Street place first,” Agnarr said. “Whoever this person is could be waiting for us right now. There’s no time to lose.”

Elestra agreed. “We could miss him! Or make him angry!”

Dominic furrowed his brow. “But the letter doesn’t specify a time. And you said it was just left with Tellith?”

“That’s right,” Ranthir said.

“Then it probably isn’t urgent,” Tor said.

“Right,” Tee said. “And Zavere said we need to hurry and get the idol before Shilukar returns. We should head back there right away. The alarm hasn’t gone off, yet, so—“

The magical alarm in Ranthir’s head went off. “Um… Mistress Tee…?”

“…you’re kidding.”

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