The Silver Sphinx

 

“To experience everything is to understand all.”

Factol Erin Montgomery

 

 

Third Void Day of Savorus , 126 HR

Erin was chatting casually with her colleague Rhys while they waited for Terrance and Ambar. They were discussing the pleasant weather of Savorus and the upcoming painting exhibition by Via Caprakan in the Civic Festhall. Erin's tressym Aurita had curled up on Rhys' lap and was purring contentedly. The factol of the Sensates had already noticed that the winged cat liked to be with the tiefling lady when she was present. It was probably due to the inner balance that Rhys always radiated and her calm movements. With her slender, light-gray fingers, she gently stroked the white fur, and soon Aurita was breathing deeply and evenly, apparently drifting off into a gentle slumber. When there was a knock at the door, Erin motioned to her colleague to remain seated so as not to wake the tressym, and she stood up to open. The bright orange and dark purple layers of fabric of her floor-length robe flowed around her lightly, almost floating. The creation from the Plane of Magma was named Firefeather and was decorated with elaborate embroidery in the shape of a phoenix tail. As expected, Ambar and Terrance had arrived, but what was more surprising was that they appeared at the same time. The fact that the bard managed to be on time just when Sarin was not present brought a smile to Erin's lips.

 

 

It did not escape Ambar, and he interpreted it correctly, because he raised his hands in defense. “Say nothing, Lady Erin,” he said with a slight grin. “I'm not doing this to annoy Sarin. We just actually finished the evaluation of our new project in the Foundry earlier than expected.”

“A project that fortunately is no longer the construction of seven huge spokes spanning the entire ring of Sigil,” Terrance added, amused.

Erin had to laugh heartily. “Ah yes, that story. Are you very relieved, my dear Ambar, that Karan has dropped the project?”

“Oh please, my lady.” The bard grinned. “It was perfectly clear that the Xaositects would never complete a project like that.”

Erin smiled. “Yes, I must admit that your tactics were quite realistic and the risk that you would have to complete this madness was low.”

She asked the two men to follow her to the back of her receiving room, where Rhys was sitting on one of the sofas with Aurita on her lap. She greeted her colleagues with a smile and gestured briefly at the cat, apologizing for not getting up to greet them.

Ambar laughed. “Oh yes, I understand that. Cats should not be woken without need. They can be very ungracious creatures.”

Elated, he went to the sofa opposite, sat down and casually put his left foot on his right knee. Terrance took a seat next to him, clearly more measured, his dark blue robe rustling gently. He might no longer be the head of Conclave Fidelis, but he always showed the bearing of a high priest, which never completely left him.

Erin pointed to the table, inviting the two men to pour themselves a drink if they felt like it, and then sat down next to Rhys. “Well, let's hear,” she said in a conversational tone. “What interesting news do you have from your faction headquarters?“

“Hm.” Ambar tilted his head a little. “I think that lately there's been a little more talk about you and Sarin than usual.”

She didn't miss his teasing grin, and she waved it off, amused. ”Oh, come on. People talk all the time. About everything and everyone.”

“Mm-hmm,” the bard said slowly. “And lately a little more. Not surprising, of course. You and Sarin are certainly among the most popular leaders in Sigil. You're both attractive and powerful and ...” He laughed. ”Oh, I'm sure you're doing it on purpose, dear Erin.”

She raised one of her copper eyebrows and decided to counterattack in a friendly manner. “I can't help but notice that this is not the first time you have commented on Sarin's looks, my dear Ambar.” She was well aware that the bard was interested in both, women and men alike, and usually it wouldn't have been worth mentioning – but since Sarin was involved, she couldn't do without a remark.

A certain amount of astonishment could now be seen on the half-elf's features, despite the fact that he was amused. “Well, Erin, I'm appalled,” he replied. “On the one hand, at how you're distracting from the topic right now, and on the other hand, at the statement itself. I commented on the looks of both of you.”

She noticed the slight smirks on the faces of Rhys and Terrance and winked at Ambar. “Mhmm ... Yes, I see.”

He was about to reply, but then noticed the amusement of his colleagues and leaned back, shaking his head gently. “Oh no, I won't let you annoy me that easily,” he said, amused. “Sarin is an attractive man, there's no law against pointing that out.”

“Of course,” Erin said with a grin. ”But do me a favor and point it out in front of him next time. That would be so much more fun.”

Ambar laughed heartily while Terrance poured himself a cup of saffron-orange tea with an amused shake of his head. Then the high priest's expression grew a bit more serious. “Speaking of which ... Why isn't Sarin here?”

Erin nodded with a slight sigh. “I want to talk about the matter with Sgillin, just with the three of you for now.”

“Behind Sarin's back?” Ambar frowned. “Well, I don't know if that's a good idea. I'm not entirely comfortable with it. It doesn't feel right.”

“But we're not talking behind his back,” Erin appeased him. ”We all know that his faction has the biggest problem with this issue. The four of us can be a bit more relaxed. And so we should first discuss how we feel about it. How we want to handle it. And then we can decide whether and how we want to influence Sarin.”

Terrance's voice had a distinctly ironic undertone. “So, to put it succinctly, we're talking about it behind his back.”

“Terrance!” Erin crossed her legs and smiled a little. “You're being very ungracious about my attempt to smooth things over in the wake of this unfortunate matter.”

“I'm sorry,” he replied with a smirk. “Nothing could be further from my mind. And I admit, you're right. It might actually be better to discuss the topic without Sarin first.”

Ambar nodded in agreement, albeit not without a slight sigh. “Yes, there's probably something to that.” He leaned forward to pour himself a drink.

In her own, almost uncanny way, Rhys seemed to sense that Ambar wanted the peach wine and handed him the carafe without being asked. “Tell me, how is Lereia doing after yesterday?” she wanted to know.

The bard paused briefly as she passed him the carafe, but knew the Cipher factol well enough by now not to be too surprised by her seemingly prophetic sixth sense. He accepted the drink with a grateful nod. “When she told me about it this morning, she was quite composed,” he replied. “But I could tell that Mallin's behavior unsettled and annoyed her. Of course, all these political and social intricacies are still alien to her. And somehow I also feel guilty about the whole thing.“

“But that wasn't your fault,” Terrance replied. “You didn't have control over the situation at that moment, nor could you influence it.”

“That's true,” Ambar conceded. ”But I'm sorry that Lereia was pulled into the political maelstrom of the Cage so quickly and with such force. Besides, I have the impression that the situation between her and Sgillin is a bit tense at the moment. No wonder after the recent revelations. But of course that doesn't make it any easier for her.”

“That's understandable,“ Erin said seriously. “The matter with Sgillin is one thing. And Mallin's behavior is truly outrageous!”

The bard nodded in agreement. “It is indeed pretty steep, what liberties he has taken. However, he may be right that we are all in the same boat. - In this particular matter,” he quickly added at Erin's sharp look.

The Sensates' factol put her glass down energetically. “I explicitly refuse to be in the same boat as someone like Rowan Darkwood. And the same goes for Mallin. I already made it clear to Sarin that I would rather go naked into a snake pit than work with that man.”

The bard raised an eyebrow at this wording, and Erin knew him well enough to suspect that a certain visual image was forming in his mind in response to this remark – whereas Sarin had apparently taken great care not to visualize it.

Terrance, on the other hand, remained on topic with his usual composure. “I can understand you,” he replied. “I, on the other hand, am not particularly keen on the Signers.”

“Oh, Darius is really all right,” Ambar interjected. “And their philosophy isn't so bad. At least not as destructive as ...”

“... that of the Athar?” Terrance asked with a touch of irony.

“Terrance!” The half-elf put on a playfully indignant expression at his friend's obviously not entirely serious insinuation. “I meant to say Sinkers or Dustmen!”

“I'm relieved to hear that,” the high priest replied with a cheerful smirk. ”But seriously, I have nothing against Darius. But I do have something against the Will of the One, and as long as this Prisine is involved, I have a few reservations.”

Rhys nodded gently while she continued to stroke the quietly purring tressym. “And Sarin will probably object to the Free League. So it seems that the Guvners are the only faction with which none of us have a problem. A bit thin for an alliance.”

“On the one hand, that's true,” Ambar admitted. “On the other hand, if Athar and Harmonium can work together ...”

He winked at Terrance in a teasing manner, and Erin had to smile at the dynamic between the two men. As close as they were as friends, they always enjoyed throwing a few well-intentioned jibes at each other in conversation. “But the fact that this cooperation works,” she remarked, amused, ”is only because the leaders of both factions are so enlightened and reasonable.”

“Oh, thank you.“ Terrance bowed his head slightly. “I need that serenity more than ever right now.”

Rhys studied him carefully. “Problems with the more radical wing of your faction?”

“No.” The Athar's factol shook his head. “At least no more than usual. It's about Jana.”

Ambar frowned. ”What's wrong with her?”

“I'm not sure whether her visit to Conclave Fidelis did her any good,” the high priest explained with a sigh. “She asked me this morning if she could desecrate a temple, too.”

“Oh, dear,” Erin said.

“Yes, exactly.” Terrance nodded. “She said that my story of how I desecrated the temple of Chemosh in Curst gave her the idea. But she also had other reasons.”

He seemed anything but enthusiastic, and Erin couldn't blame him. For a prospective factol of the Athar, such an act was obligatory and therefore obvious. For a simple faction member, however … “Have you explained to her that this might not be such a good idea?“ the factol of the Sensates asked cautiously.

“Please,” Terrance replied earnestly. “Of course I explained that to her. I told her that it is a very serious and grave act that can have many consequences. And that one should only commit it if absolutely necessary.”

“As she should know, because ...” Ambar didn't say any more, but instead scrutinized his friend and colleague.

Terrance put down his teacup and looked at the bard calmly. “Yes?”

“Because certain visions about you could also ... suggest so,” Ambar finished the sentence.

The high priest remained as calm as ever, but a certain adamancy, even a hint of harshness, were now perceivable in his voice when he replied. “I appreciate your concern, Ambar, but I have made it abundantly clear that I do not want to talk about this subject any more unless we have more information. Besides, that's not the point right now.”

The half-elf raised his hands and smiled apologetically. “Forgive me, Terrance. Just consider it a good friend's worries. But you're right, this isn't getting us anywhere at the moment. What else did you discuss with Jana?”

The two men had been close friends for over twenty years, Erin knew. Ambar's concern was sincere and touching, and although Terrance had just made his point with a certain emphasis, he clearly appreciated his friend's worries, as his now conciliatory nod suggested. He interlaced his fingers as he resumed the original topic.

“Jana said that depending on which temple she would desecrate, it could also be a good and noble deed.”

Rhys gently raised one of her dark eyebrows. “Like that of an evil god of undeath? Is that what she meant?”

“Yes, probably,” the factol of the Athar replied with a sigh.

Erin studied him thoughtfully. “Interestingly enough, I've always found you to be very reserved about this story when it comes up from time to time. Almost as if it makes you uncomfortable. Aren't you ... proud of it?”

Terrance's smile was so serious that it might as well have been a frown. “I thought long and hard about which temple to desecrate. I didn't really want to do it at all. But if I had to, I wanted to choose a god who stands against everything I believe in. And yet ... After I had done it, I still didn't feel as good as I would have liked to. It's hard to explain. I just felt like it wasn't ... me.”

The calm but inquiring look in Rhys' dark red eyes had dwelled on the high priest since the conversation had turned to Jana. “Where did that feeling come from?” she asked now, interested but matter-of-factly.

Terrance leaned back, his thoughts seemingly returning to that day. He didn't seem to take offense at his colleague's question and thought for a moment. “I'm not sure,” he replied. ”Maybe because I see it as my purpose to enlighten others and to create something, rather than to destroy. I am actually not so … offensive, so aggressive, as I was that day.”

Erin listened to him eagerly. It was a rare but welcome opportunity to gain such insight into the thoughts and feelings of the always so serene factol of the Athar.

Rhys, on the other hand, nodded, apparently satisfied with what she had heard. “And what urges Jana?” she asked.

Again, Terrance let out a sigh. “She thinks that this way she can catch the attention of the Great Unknown.”

“Well, that's ... something,” Ambar remarked with raised eyebrows. ”What did you answer?”

“That this is precisely the point about the Great Unknown,” the high priest explained. ”That no one has to perceive her or notice her devotion. That is exactly what the gods want. The Great Unknown is something greater, more powerful. The one source from which all power flows to us, if only our faith is strong enough to use that power.”

Ambar nodded, smiling. “The Source of All that gives even the gods their power.”

“Correct. So why take the detour via so-called deities?” As soon as he said it, he bowed his head slightly in Erin's direction to somewhat soften the affront of this remark in the presence of a priestess of Diancecht. “Forgiveness, my lady.”

She waved it off with a gentle smile. She was much less disturbed by Terrance's occasional jabs at her religious beliefs than Sarin was. She saw the issue as just one of many faction-specific stumbling blocks that one simply had to elegantly avoid from time to time. She noticed Rhys' smile as she and Terrance exchanged the brief gestures that, small though they were, nevertheless revealed a lot about their temperaments and attitudes.

Then the tiefling lady came back to Terrance's wayward Chosen. “And did Jana understand that?”

He raised his eyebrows meaningfully. ”She said she understood. Right before she asked me if she needed my permission to desecrate a temple.”

Erin shook her head a little in disbelief. “And ... does she?”

“I'd like to say yes,” the Athar's factol replied, not without a certain resignation. “But basically, no.”

Alarmed, Ambar raised his eyebrows. ”Terrance ...”

“She assured me she wouldn't do anything against my will,” the high priest explained calmly, although his tone suggested that he might not want to rely on that assurance. ”I told her I didn't understand why she was so intent on this. She replied that she didn't understand it herself, but that she had already chosen a temple.”

Erin set her glass down. “Really?”

“The temple of Sekolah in the City of Glass on the Plane of Water,” Terrance sighed. “She called him a devil who stands against everything she believes in. But he's just her current favorite.”

Ambar shook his head. ”Forgive my bluntness, Terrance. But what's gotten into this woman?”

“There is much turmoil within her,” the high priest replied with his own admirable composure. ”From my own experience, I know that we rarely find peace within ourselves through the kind of actions Jana has in mind. I strongly advised her to achieve more inner balance first and then to decide whether she still wants to do this. She said she would try to get it out of her head, but ... Well, I'm not sure about that.”

“So, what you're telling about Jana ...” The half-elf rubbed his neck. ”That's the next reason why it's a good thing that Sarin isn't here today.”

“I doubt I would have gone into such detail in front of Sarin,” Terrance replied with a hint of irony. “He always gets so worked up about such things.”

Erin couldn't suppress a chuckle at this remark, but then she became more serious again. “Let's move on to what will definitely and quite rightly upset Sarin ...”

Ambar nodded. “Sgillin ...”

Terrance poured himself another cup of tea and shook his head slightly. “Well, I may not be Sarin, but I'm not exactly happy about this story either.”

“Nor am I,” the bard admitted. “However, I must emphasize that Lereia assured me that Sgillin was unaware of the faction he had joined. That he acted in good faith, indeed the conviction, that these Razor Angels were merely a gang in the Hive.”

“Yes.” Rhys' fingers still stroked gently over Aurita's silky fur. “Morânia told me the same.”

“Those were Jana's words, too” Terrance confirmed. “Although she used the term berk several times. She emphasized that a man who has been doing certain business in Sigil for a while and even worked for the King of the Crosstrade should at least be familiar enough with the city to recognize a sign of the Anarchists. And even though I often don't share Jana's opinion, on this point I agree with her.”

Erin was relieved to see that her three colleagues at least shared a certain basic consensus. That was not a bad starting point for finding common ground. “Well, that's true,” she agreed with Terrance. ”That also matches Naghûl's report. But the most important point – and here we seem to agree – is that Sgillin acted out of ignorance, don't you think? The question is now: How do we deal with this? Can we reach agreement on it? And finally: Can we also convince Sarin of this point of view, should he be less understanding than we are?”

“Which is quite likely,” Ambar interjected.

“Right.” Erin crossed her legs. ”This is how I see it: Sgillin obviously stumbled into this. It was never his intention to join the Revolutionary League. That means that we probably don't have to fear that he will betray us. Especially since he is friends with Naghûl and Morânia and Lereia is even his consort. And these bonds are significantly older and stronger than his new membership.”

Rhys nodded. ”I agree. And if we resort to stronger reprisals, there is a risk that we will alienate him and he will turn to the League to a greater extent. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that anarchy is forbidden by the laws of Sigil and that Sarin is factol of the Harmonium. Like the rest of us, he must act according to the principles of his faction and fulfill his duty. So we are indeed facing a major dilemma.”

“Hm.” Ambar looked thoughtfully at the peacefully slumbering tressym in Rhys' lap. ”Perhaps we can convince Sarin that it would be more advantageous, if Sgillin remains part of our group of Chosen than to drive him away and lose him completely? I'll speak bluntly: If only for the sake of Lereia, I don't want any drastic measures to be taken against him.”

Terrance sighed. “I haven't known Sgillin for very long, and I don't know him very well. However, I don't see him as a man with a dark heart or as a fanatic. Personally, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as long as he gives us no reason to the contrary. But it's easy for me to say that because I'm factol of the Athar and not of the Harmonium.”

“But what would be the alternative?” Erin pointed out. ”One grave aspect is that Sgillin is also a Chosen of the Ring Prophecy. He will have to work together with the other Chosen in the sense of this whole story, so we can't just lock him away. Not to mention that this would be quite an extreme measure for an act committed out of ignorance.”

“And there's another point we mustn't forget,” Rhys added. ”It's becoming more and more apparent that the Chosen are spread across all the factions. If there really is a Chosen in each faction, then we can't avoid the Anarchists in the end. But in this case it would be an advantage if their Chosen were at least someone we know and who is on friendly terms with us.”

Ambar nodded. “I think we all agree on that. The question remains: How do we convince Sarin of our point of view?”

“I will try,” Erin said. “I will ask him to come here to the Festhall tomorrow afternoon and explain everything. I'm sure he will listen to me.”

“If not to you, then to no one,” Terrance remarked with a mild smile.

“I'm sure you're overestimating me on this one,” Erin toned down his remark, although she couldn't deny that she was flattered by his assessment. ”Ah yes, and since we are all gathered here: There is something else. It occurred to me that it would make sense to have a few more allies. Special allies, I mean. Those who, without knowing about the Prophecy and the God Machine, do have influence and power. And who can also reach into darker places.”

The Athar's factol raised his eyebrows. “Well, the reasons for Sarin's absence today are becoming more and more numerous,” he noted with quiet amusement.

“Terrance!” Erin said, playfully feigning indignation. “Today I feel caught by you in an unpleasant way over and over again.”

Ambar had to laugh. “Dear Erin, with all due respect, that sounds a little … wrong.”

She eyed the bard with a look that was equally amused and reproachful. “Your licentious thoughts say more about you than about me, you realize that, don't you?”

“Licentious?” Ambar grinned. “I beg your pardon? But don't let me interrupt you, your deliberations were just getting very interesting.”

Erin nodded, grew serious again and continued. “The Envoy said there were people in other factions working against us. But I think the matter could go even further if a woman like Shemeshka is apparently involved. And then there are the Golden Lords, who we should not ignore either. Some of them belong to factions, but not all of them.”

“Yes, the number of those without a faction is significantly higher among the High Houses of Sigil than in other social classes,” the factol of the Godsmen agreed. “Because they consider themselves powerful and wealthy enough – and some actually are.”

“Right,” Erin replied. ”And that's where we have our gaps. Planting a spy as a servant here or even an administrator there is all well and good. Aren't we all doing this?” She returned Terrance's knowing smile with a wink. “But we need something more. I would like to have one or two Golden Lords working directly and effectively with us.”

“Who do you have in mind?” the Athar's factol asked calmly.

Erin smiled. “You are right in assuming that I already have someone in mind. I was thinking of House Arabani secondarily, but of House Loranóv primarily.”

“House Loranóv?” Ambar whistled softly. “The ancient vampire lord, not bad ...”

“Sarin will be thrilled,” Rhys added with a slight smile.

The factol of the Sensates couldn't help but feel a certain excitement and anticipation at the thought of explaining this choice to her colleague from the Harmonium. It was an important move on precisely the stage she preferred, and Sarin was a player she valued highly despite – or perhaps because of – many a point of friction. “It will certainly be interesting to present this proposal to Sarin,” she explained with a smile. ”But an alliance with House Loranóv would have some advantages. Above all, I trust the count to access information buried in very dark corners and in very ... delicate places. I'm still thinking about how we can arrange that best. We should definitely concentrate on one house at a time, that will be difficult enough. I'm in favor of House Loranóv and Rhys agrees with me. Sarin certainly agrees too, he just doesn't know it yet.“ She smiled mischievously at Terrance's amused shake of the head.

“And how do you intend to proceed?” Ambar asked with interest.

Erin took a fan made of peacock feathers from a loop on her belt, opened it and fanned herself a little breeze. “For a man like Lord Loranóv to be interested in working with us, we have to offer him something he desperately wants. And we should find out what he wants without asking him. Then we get it and have it ready when we make the deal. That's much more impressive than if we had to ask him first.”

The Athar's factol smiled. “As skillful as ever, Lady Erin.”

“Too much praise, dear colleague.” She bowed slightly. “I'll get some information about House Loranóv. The count is a very secretive figure. Rumor has it that he is very, very old. Whether that is true or just meant to impress, I don't know. It is also said that he actually comes from the Prime. That's probably true, otherwise he wouldn't let it be said of him.” She would have politely refrained from making this remark in Sarin's presence, of course. “I'll try to get this information as soon as possible.”

“I see, it remains as exciting as ever,” Ambar stated. “So you'll take care of the factol of the Harmonium first and then of the ancient vampire lord?”

“That's right.” Erin smiled. “And I don't know what I deem the bigger challenge at the moment.”

 

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based on the one-on-one role-playing sessions with Jana's player on October 4, 2012 and with Naghûl's player on October 9, 2012