SESSION 36A: THE KNIGHTING OF TOR
January 24th, 2009
The 19th Day of Kadal in the 790th Year of the Seyrunian Dynasty
Going downstairs, Ranthir discovered that he had overslept – it was now midmorning on the 19th. Tellith had yet another letter for them, this one having arrived earlier that morning.
NOTE FROM ZAVERE
I have at least some of the information you requested. Attend me at Castle Shard at your leisure.
– Zavere
He returned to the others, who were still awaiting his return in the antechamber of the Banewarrens. While Elestra refreshed the alarm spell on the sealed door, they discussed their plans for the day: They gave up on the idea of tracing the teleport (concluding that too much time had passed for a useful pursuit to be raised), but they still needed to follow up on the letters from both Zavere and Mahdoth’s Asylum. And, of course, Tor was to be knighted.
They decided to split up.
THE KNIGHTING OF TOR
The Godskeep
Tor left the others and rode Blue to the Cathedral of Athor. There, at the doors of the church, he was met by Sir Gemmell. From the Cathedral he was taken to the Godskeep and through its double-gates.
A pavilion had been raised in the square north of the Godskeep. Twenty red-sashed members of the Order had been gathered in two flanking ranks, facing a raised dais onto which Gemmell and Tor emerged. The knights raised their swords in salute, and kept them raised.
Atop the western and eastern towers of the Godskeep stood the great statues of Athor the Father and Crissa the Mother. With the knights of the Order saluting him, Tor watched as priests poured holy water across the feet of the twin statues. This water passed down through channels crafted into the bas reliefs upon the northern wall of the Godskeep and caught in vessels of the true silver, mithril.
Into these vessels were first dipped cups of the true gold, taurum, and these were brought forth.
Sir Gemmell gestured for Tor to kneel. “Squire, will you take the oaths?”
“I will.”
Sir Gemmell dipped his fingers into the water touched by the Father and upon Tor’s brow drew the sign of the Knight’s Cross.
May my purpose be governed by the wisdom of Athor, Father of All Things.
Tor repeated the oath as it was said to him.
Sir Gemmell dipped his fingers into the second cup and drew the Arms of the Mother, Crissa’s holy ankh.
May my service be shaped by the compassion of Crissa, Mother of All Things.
The twin vessels of mithril were taken to the statues of the other gods, and some slight amount of it poured over their feet and into similar cups of taurum. And these, too, were brought forth.
The Sword and Chalice…
May my blade be guided by the honor of Itor, Warrior Unparred.
The Daggered Cross…
May my mind be honed by the cunning of Itehl, that my sight never be clouded.
The Wheel of Night…
May my heart be opened by Sarathyn, that my actions be true.
The Wheel of Light…
May my life be blessed by Sayl, that my service may be long.
The Crescent Moon…
May my soul be resonant with the touch of Tohlen, that my works may nurture.
The Eye of the Veil…
May my fate be true to the will of Bahl, that I take no life in vain.
And in this way, Tor did service upon the Eight Stations and swore the Eight Oaths. The gathered knights lowered their blades and Sir Gemmell laid his own blade upon Tor’s shoulders.
“Rise, Sir Torland.”
A procession was then formed, led by the priests and followed by Sir Gemmell and Sir Tor. They passed through the gates of the Godskeep and then into the inner passages. Tor was guided by a secret way into the basement of the keep itself, and there taken to a chamber where the Statue of Vehthyl stood.
Here the last of the water from the cups of mithril were washed across the feet of Vehthyl and into a final cup of taurum. And from this Tor drank deep.
May I be held worthy in the eyes of silver mastery, that my path may stand as one with those of the Nine Gods and the Church Which Is Their Voice.
And from the wall Sir Gemmell drew down the Sword of the Order and approached Tor to perform the True Knighting.
But as he did, a figure appeared from out of the shadows. “I would be honored if you would allow me to finish this ceremony, Sir Gemmell.”
It was Rehobath. Sir Gemmell yielded the sword to him, and Rehobath placed the blade lightly upon Tor’s shoulders.
When Tor had risen once more, Rehobath smiled at him. “Sir Torland, I am glad to see the ranks of the Order so quickly refreshed. The treason of Sir Kabel has hurt us grievously, and it is good to see one of those wounds begin to heal.”
“Thank you, milord.”
“If there is any favor that I might do for you, name it.”
“There is one thing,” Tor said hesitantly. “I would like my daughters to know that I have been knighted. If word could be sent to them…”
“I will see to it.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, I know that both you and the Chosen of Vehthyl are busy about the business of the Church. And so I shall let you return to it.”
Rehobath left. And after Sir Gemmell and several of the other knights assembled had given him their own congratulations, Tor left as well.
THE THIRD LORD OF CASTLE SHARD
The others, meanwhile, had headed up to Castle Shard. Kadmus, of course, was waiting for them at the end of the drawbridge when they arrived. As they passed through the entry hall, they saw that the bas reliefs had changed once again. They now depicted, on one side, squat figures bearing a heavy boulder and, on the opposite side, winged figures chained to a boulder by chains.
“That’s ominous,” Tee said.
But Lord Zavere greeted them with his familiar smile.
“Have you had any luck questioning Tavan Zith?” Tee asked.
“No,” Zavere said. “He remains quite mad. And uncooperative.”
But Zavere had looked through the archives of the Castle for information on the Banewarrens. Like Jevicca, he told them about Alchestrin, who had once been the Third Lord of Castle Shard. “He became obsessed with the hidden secrets of the Spire and bent all the power of the Shard towards discovering its secrets.
“Unfortunately,” Zavere went on to say, “Most of the actual lorebooks and artifacts he collected are missing from the archives. It’s possible, given the… poor circumstances under which he left the Castle, that he took these resources with him.
“I know little of Alchestrin’s fate after he left the Castle. But I do know that his tomb is located in the Necropolis, somewhere on Darklock Hill. It’s reputedly a rather large complex, but I have no record of where it might lie precisely. However, it would have been marked with Alchestrin’s sigil.”
Running the Campaign: Using Rituals – Campaign Journal: Session 36B
In the Shadow of the Spire: Index
