The Silver Sphinx

 

“The gods are sluts!”

graffiti daubed on the Io shrine in the temple district,

under an image of the goddess Sune

 

 

Fourth Guild Day of Savorus, 126 HR 

Two days after Naghûl had found the Keeper with the help of one of his signs, they met again at the Barracks. Morânia and her husband had been a little surprised when the message about the meeting place had reached them – the gathering had actually been planned to take place in the Festhall, where Elyria was currently staying. The short letters from Rhys and Erin had not contained any explanation for the change of location, however, so they were curious to know the reason. Outside the entrance, they met Lereia and Sgillin, who had arrived together from Lereia's house near the Foundry. However, they could not see any of their factols, so they were probably either already inside the Barracks or would arrive soon. Neither did Jana show up, and as they assumed Kiyoshi was at his headquarters anyway, they entered the large entrance hall. They were greeted warmly by Lady Diana, who immediately recognized their faces and asked them to wait a moment, Kiyoshi would arrive shortly. So they stood for a while in the entrance hall of the Barracks and silently looked at the massive, tall columns next to the main gate and the red and white floor mosaic. It showed stylized suns, shields and swords, components of the Harmonium's faction symbol. Only the soft scratching of Diana's quill on parchment could be heard as the concierge went back to her work. Her heavy desk made of dark wood stood in the middle of the hall, covered with numerous parchments, several inkwells and a few scrolls.

As the silence grew more and more oppressive, Lereia cleared her throat softly. “Why is the meeting taking place in the Barracks today?“ she asked the others.

“Probably so they don't have to transport me through the streets," Jana's voice sounded behind them.

Surprised, they turned around and saw the sorceress just walking through the opposite door, followed by an even more serious-looking Kiyoshi.

“Indeed,” he confirmed Jana's words curtly.

Morânia wondered if it really was what it looked like. She hoped to the Morninglord that it wasn't. “How so?” she asked in as neutral a tone as possible.

Jana looked over her shoulder at Kiyoshi, her expression almost as frozen as his. “I could possibly ... run away or something.”

“Why would anyone care if you left?“ Lereia asked, frowning.

“Wetter Jana-san was arrested,” Kiyoshi explained gravely. “She is under strong suspicion.”

Morânia sighed deeply as her fears were confirmed, while Sgillin folded his arms across his chest.

“Did you tell Sarin that you don't trust him?“ he asked innocently.

The gaze of Kiyoshi's orange eyes remained dispassionate. “Unfortunately, I can't give any further information at the moment,” he explained. “Because of the current proceedings.”

Unsurprisingly, Naghûl was not satisfied with this information. “What have you done, Jana?” he asked the sorceress.

But she apparently preferred not to answer the question for the time being, instead turning to her guard. “When can I expect a trial, actually?”

“That decision lies with the honorable Fraternity of Order,” Kiyoshi replied matter-of-factly. “According to the City Ordinance of Sigil, paragraph 37.”

Morânia raised an eyebrow. “There's going to be a trial?” She knew that minor offenses were only fined. So if there was going to be a trial, it was probably not just a bagatelle.

Jana folded her arms. “Well, I hope they didn't arrest me just for the fun of it.”

“I hope it wasn't anything too bad,” Lereia sighed.

Naghûl, on the other hand, turned to Sgillin and shook his hand. ”I bet she protested against the gods in some illegal way. Five coppers?”

The half-elf grinned and shook his hand in return. “All right, I'll take that bet. I think she got herself a new eight-legged spider demon as a pet and forgot to report it to the proper authority.”

Diana looked over at them and raised an eyebrow with a slight shake of her head as Naghûl exclaimed with laughter: “You're on!”

Morânia suppressed a sigh. Not that she wasn't used to such kind of behavior from her husband and Sgillin. The two were lovable, but completely chaotic, that wasn't the point. It was the fact that Jana was obviously following a track that caused her concern.

The sorceress seemed to suppress a grin for a moment, then she said softly: “Naghûl has won.”

“Damn.” Sgillin looked at the tiefling. “I owe you five greens.”

“A beer will do in place of it,” the Sensate said cheerfully.

Jana, on the other hand, put her hands on her hips. “I only painted a waterfall! And it wasn't even a real temple, just the shrine of Io.”

At the mention of the waterfall, Lereia raised her eyebrows and skeptically looked at Jana. Morânia suspected the reason for this: the weretigress was a follower of the goddess Eldath and her symbol was a waterfall cascading into a pool. Surely the Athar had not defamed Lereia's goddess?

“A waterfall,” the young woman murmured. “I don't even want to know ...”

“Be careful what you say in the presence of our loyal Harmonium soldier,” Sgillin now said with a resentful look at Kiyoshi. “He'll use anything against you.”

“If my duty requires it,” the young man explained, unimpressed. ”And now come on. The factols are waiting for us.”

Jana gave Sgillin a brief, expressionless look and then silently went in the indicated direction, back through the door and into the main corridor of the Barracks. The others nodded at Diana, and on the concierge's features Morânia recognized a clear mixture of deliberate, polite restraint and simultaneous displeasure at Jana's blasphemous act. As they followed Kiyoshi and his prisoner through the wide corridor, no one said a word. The cheerful mood regarding the bet about Jana's misdeed had vanished in the face of the upcoming meeting with the factols. There was a clear resentment in the air between Kiyoshi and Sgillin, and also a palpable tension between Jana and the rest of the group. It was an unpleasant atmosphere to go to such an important gathering, where light was finally to be shed on the Prophecy that had dominated their lives for months now. A few paces away from the Great Auditorium, Kiyoshi stopped and knocked on a door. When Sarin's deep voice gave permission to enter, the soldier opened, saluted and then stood next to the door as the others entered the room. They all bowed in greeting, Jana rather stiffly and Sgillin somewhat hesitantly. All five factols of the current alliance were already gathered and sat around a long table in a room that was apparently intended as a meeting room for officers. A large map of Sigil on one of the walls, several weapon racks and a cabinet full of files indicated this. The mood was clearly more tense than at the last meeting, Morânia sensed that immediately. Rhys appeared calm and diplomatic as always, but Morânia knew her factol well enough to recognize that the tiefling woman was more alert than usual. Ambar and Erin had put on a rather carefree expression, but they didn't seem as relaxed as usual either. Terrance looked at Jana seriously and scrutinized her silently, while Sarin was clearly ill-tempered and glared at both, Sgillin and the sorceress.

Kiyoshi now slammed his fist on his breastplate. “Honorable Factol Sarin-gensui, respectfully report, the prisoner has been brought before you.”

Jana stole a quick glance at Terrance, but then stared straight ahead at the tabletop.

“Thank you, soldier,” Sarin replied curtly. ”She shall sit next to her factol.”

The young man nodded, led Jana to the empty chair next to Terrance and positioned himself behind her. When she sat down next to him, the high priest shook his head gently but reproachfully. The sorceress smiled briefly, then stared at the table again. Morânia, like the others, didn't quite know what to do, whether to sit down already or to wait. She saw Lereia kneading her fingers tensely and Sgillin tapping his foot on the ground.

Sarin shot them an impatient glance. “Don't just stand there,” he snapped at them. “Sit down already.” He pointed at the still-empty chairs.

Morânia flinched a little at his harsh tone of voice and then quickly and quietly went over to Rhys, next to whom she took a seat. Naghûl went to the free chair on Erin's left just as quickly and with a somewhat surprised expression at Sarin's tone, while Lereia walked almost cautiously past the paladin to Ambar.

Sgillin looked around indecisively, then his gaze fell on the still empty chair on Erin's right. “With your permission, honorable factol?” he asked a little hesitantly.

Erin nodded politely, then looked at Sarin, briefly brought both palms together and smiled at him reassuringly. The paladin frowned, but leaned back with folded arms and said nothing. Sgillin pulled back the chair as quietly as possible and sat down next to Erin, while Ambar looked at him seriously and then thoughtfully at Lereia. Terrance also eyed the half-elf inquiringly. Sgillin stiffened a little as he felt the factols' gazes, his features hardened. Morânia could see that Lereia seemed very downcast and almost nervous. She kept her eyes mostly lowered to the table, only when she felt Ambar's gaze did she look up and smiled weakly, then quickly looked down again. Morânia did not envy her. It was an uncomfortable situation for everyone else, but Lereia was Sgillin's consort and so it surely was much worse for her. With the possible exception of Jana, who was here as a prisoner after all and, like Lereia, stared almost exclusively at the tabletop. Kiyoshi was still standing behind her and Sarin gave him an impatient look.

“And what are you waiting for, soldier?”

Kiyoshi immediately stood a little straighter. “Forgive me, honorable factol Sarin-gensui. I mistakenly assumed that you wanted me to continue guarding the prisoner.”

“If I want something, I will tell you!” his factol snapped. “Sit down!” When he caught Erin's appeasing look, he took a deep breath and actually softened his tone when he repeated himself. ”Take a seat, soldier.”

While Kiyoshi sat down, Rhys leaned forward a little to watch Sarin's reaction to Erin.

The paladin now addressed everyone gathered. “If no one objects, I'll take the lead in the conversation since we're at my faction's headquarters.” However, he didn't wait for any objections, but continued immediately. “To cut a long story short: We have all been informed about your mission in Elysium. We agree that you have handled this matter very well. That applies to all members of the group, just so I am not misunderstood. Regarding the incident with the Mercykillers: We agree that this was an outrageous act on Mallin's part and will have consequences. We have also decided, after lengthy debate, that there will be no cooperation for the time being.”

He glanced at Erin, who nodded gently but kept a neutral diplomatic expression. Morânia, of course, noticed Naghûl's relief at this statement, and couldn't quite blame him.

“My colleague Factol Rhys was kind enough to fill me in on the meeting with Garush,” Sarin continued. ”It's good that you didn't say more. It is no secret that I personally would like to work with Mallin and Hashkar because they are factols of allied factions. But there are ... too many differences due to the general constellation.”

His gaze fell primarily on Erin and Terrance, and the high priest nodded in agreement. “The Sensates don't want to work with the Fated, and the Athar don't want to work with the Signers. And I assume that no one except Sarin here is particularly keen on the Mercykillers.”

The paladin's expression darkened promptly. “I don't know what you are suggesting, Terrance, but I'd better not go into it in detail.”

“It wasn't a suggestion, just a statement.” Terrance frowned. “By the Lady, why are you so touchy today?”

“Excuse me,” Sarin replied, irritated. ”I'm sitting here in my headquarters with an Anarchist and a temple defacer from your faction. Maybe that's why.”

Morânia could see how Lereia bit her lip at this remark and lowered her eyes, while Sgillin kept a stony expression. The sorceress, on the other hand, stared at the table top and avoided eye contact with her factol.

“Jana's guilt has not yet been proven,“ Terrance replied seriously.

“I can ascertain it very quickly if you wish.” Sarin's dark eyes burned with anger, but then he took a deep breath and composed himself. “Let's stop that. It is what it is. We have a more important topic today.”

The general relief that there would be no altercation between the factols of the Harmonium and the Athar was almost tangible. Sarin now took a small crystal that was lying on the table in front of him and ran his hand over it once, whereupon the crystal began to glow. It wasn't long before the door opened and the Keeper entered. She bowed and then approached slowly, while Lereia, Naghûl and Morânia smiled friendly. Jana, Kiyoshi and Sgillin greeted her as well, but were more serious and reserved. Elyria nodded at them, then her gaze wandered to Terrance, and her sapphire eyes beamed with joy.

 

 

The factol of the Athar smiled warmly. “Dear Elyria, it is a great pleasure for me to see you here. I would never have assumed that you are the Keeper, but it was a more than welcome surprise when Jana told me.”

Ambar nodded knowingly, while Sarin looked at Terrance in surprise. “You two know each other?”

The high priest nodded. “From the times when I was patriarch of Conclave Fidelis. We have been friends for many years, and our friendship has never suffered from our differing worldviews.”

“That is true,” the lupinal confirmed. “And nothing could make me happier. I can only return your warm words, Terrance, my friend.” Then she looked around at the others. “And I am happy to have finally found the Chosen and their factols.”

Ambar smiled and bowed his head in her direction. ”We are happy too. But please allow me a question, Lady Elyria, even if it may be a little blunt: Where is Sir Lorias? Isn't he the Proclaimer?”

“That's right ...” Morânia noticed that the lupinal hesitated briefly. ”I already mentioned that there was a ... small incident. Sir Lorias is waiting outside. He will now enter and I ask that ... he may be heard. I assure you that he is himself.”

“Of course,” Sarin replied, apparently puzzled by Elyria's sudden timidity. ”We will hear him. Please ask him to enter.”

The priestess of Mishakal nodded, stepped to the door and opened it a crack. After a few moments, the metallic clang of armor was to be heard in the hallway and Sir Lorias entered. Rather unusually for such an occasion, he was still wearing his helmet. But Morânia had no time to question this, because what she undoubtedly sensed from Sir Lorias took her breath away. She quickly glanced at those she knew would feel it too ... Lereia took a deep breath and her gaze darkened. She tensed visibly, but remained seated, while Sarin leapt from his seat as Lorias entered. Terrance had also tensed and stared at the Proclaimer with the same disbelief as Factol Erin. So it wasn't just Morânia's imagination; they were all perceiving it. A quick glance at Rhys told her that her own factol also sensed what was happening. Sgillin, Jana, Kiyoshi, Naghûl and Ambar were obviously puzzled by the others' reaction and watched Sir Lorias inquiringly.

“Please ... don't be alarmed,” he said politely, instead of greeting them.

His voice sounded different from the last time, as Morânia noticed. He took off his helmet and her suspicions and fears were confirmed: it was not the face of the blond human man she remembered. Instead, she looked at a blank skull ...

“Oh ...” Naghûl gasped.

Sarin's expression darkened promptly. “That's ... ”

“It wasn't meant to be like that!” Lady Elyria raised her hands in a placatory manner.

Sir Lorias looked a little embarrassed - as far as one could tell in the case of a skeleton. “Well, yes ... It didn't work out so well for me ...”

“Not so well?!“ Sarin's voice was booming right now. “What, by the depths of the Abyss, is going on here?”

“I can explain,” Lorias assured him.

“By all means you should!” Sarin was still standing, both hands on the table in front of him.

“Well, we arrived here in Sigil safely,” the Proclaimer hastened to elaborate. “Through a portal near Conclave Fidelis. We stayed here for about two days ... and then it happened. I mean, this city has portals literally everywhere and I must have had the key to one that I certainly wouldn't have chosen voluntarily.”

“Uh-oh,” Erin murmured softly and gave Lorias a sympathetic look.

The Proclaimer nodded and let his shoulders droop a little. “A portal that led me to the Negative Energy Plane. Of course, I immediately and desperately tried to find a way back, but ... it took a while. A while too long.”

Ambar's green eyes widened a little. ”And you actually turned into an undead? Good heavens ...”

Morânia felt a sharp sting of regret pierce her chest as she listened to Lorias' story. A young man in the prime of his life, and a paladin of Nobanion at that - turned into an undead, a skeleton. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he might feel.

Lereia, too, shook her head in disbelief. “Forgive the ignorant question of a prime,” she said cautiously. “But does that always happen when you stay on this plane for too long?”

“Often,” Sir Lorias replied regretfully. ”If you don't just die, then unfortunately very often.”

 

 

“May I ... ask something?” Jana now interrupted. ”Do you have any kind of contact with a newborn, Sir Lorias?”

Morânia briefly frowned at the question, but then nodded in understanding. Of course, the vision that Jana had had, of the skeleton with the infant in its arms. The Proclaimer couldn't possibly know about that, and seemed accordingly confused.

“You ask very strange questions,” he remarked. “But the answer is no, I have no contact with a newborn. And at present, I think, very few parents would allow such contact.”

Jana smiled apologetically. “Probably. But maybe you can keep the image in the back of your mind and recognize it if it should happen?”

“Well, if I should happen to come across an infant, I'll be happy to let you know,” Lorias replied, even more confused. Then he let his gaze wander over the assembled Chosen and their factols. “But at the moment,” he politely stated, ”I think I'm here for a different reason.”

Sarin had eyed the Proclaimer with an intense, almost rigid gaze and now nodded briefly. “That's right, Sir Lorias. But before you begin, I have one more question. I was told that you are a paladin of Nobanion.”

“That is right, factol.” Lorias bowed to Sarin. “And I assure you that I still am. Despite this blow of fate, there has never been a happier moment in my life than the one I realized that my god had not abandoned me.”

Elyria smiled gently. “Because he knows that your values and beliefs are still the same.”

Morânia concentrated a little harder to perceive Sir Lorias' aura and indeed – she could sense the sacred energy that surrounded every paladin. She smiled and Sarin took a closer look at Lorias as well.

Then the factol of the Harmonium sighed and rubbed his temples. “I see that you are telling the truth. By the Lady, that's ...”

“I think that's very exciting!” Erin stated, not quite able to hide a certain enthusiasm. “It's an incredible story!”

“Well ...” Lereia objected quietly. ”I feel very sorry for Sir Lorias ...”

The factol of the Sensates raised her hands apologetically, as if to express that she simply couldn't help but show a certain fascination for this unusual story. Lorias bowed to both, Lereia and Erin. “Thank you, ladies. I'm still very confused and feel lost. But I will learn to … live with it, I almost wanted to say. Well, you know what I mean.”

Lereia smiled tentatively. “It will certainly make you grow as a person.”

“Oh, quite a Believer of the Source.” The Proclaimer laughed a little. “Let's hope so.”

Ambar nodded at Lereia with a smile, while Sgillin stared at her with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe what she had just said. But he contained himself well enough not to comment on her faction philosophy, bit his lip and remained silent.

Sir Lorias, on the other hand, turned to Sarin. “May I come closer, my lord? Not that you will take offense.”

The Harmonium's factol leaned back and sighed, shaking his head. Then, for the first time that evening, a slight smile appeared on his lips. “From paladin to paladin? How could I? I'll have to get used to it, but ...” He looked around. “I have a lot to get used to at the moment.”

Lorias bowed gratefully and then stood at the head of the table, between Sarin and Terrance, together with Lady Elyria.

“I already said it in Elysium,” the lupinal began to speak. ”We are the Keeper and the Proclaimer. That's because we have the knowledge of the entire Prophecy of the Chosen of the Ring. And I assume you would like to hear it?”

“I suppose that would be the most important thing for us Chosen right now,“ Lereia said, and everyone else nodded in agreement.

“The Prophecy is very old,” Elyria continued. “Even we do not know exactly when it was written. But it must have been at a time when the planes themselves were still young. We did not know about it from birth. It was only a few months ago that this knowledge was placed within us, so that we could find the other Chosen and pass it on to them. We were told of three groups of Chosen, which we can recognize by a certain sign. We recognized you by the following clue: Those who bring the deva spark into the Labyrinth of Accord are the ones you seek.” Lereia picked up her book and began to take notes, while Elyria continued: ”Since we recognized you by this act, you shall now learn the exact wording of the Prophecy. It is divided into four sections:

 

The Beginning

What happened at the very beginning is unknown. But at some point the gods came, this is certain. They gained power, although it is not clear to us today, how. They explored the multiverse and their own nature and began to create: the heavens, the hells, the elements. Their power was unimaginable, the possibilities seemed endless. Nothing seemed beyond their abilities.

Until their reflections revealed to them a riddle so great that even the divine intellect could not solve it. The Great Conundrum was this: Where did the gods come from? They were capable of creating everything, but who had brought them into existence?

They pondered this for many eons without finding an answer. At least they had always been sure that the true nature and purpose of divine existence was to create. So they decided to create beings in their own image for the first time. Through this experiment, they hoped to shed light on the mystery of their own existence. This is how the mortals came into being.

From then on, they observed the mortals as they followed in their footsteps: they explored, pondered and created. The worlds and cultures of the mortals flourished and they too soon asked themselves the question: where do we come from?

Then came the time when the gods were no longer content to merely observe their experiment. They decided to play a more active role. Many of the first gods were at the forefront of the mortals' greatest achievement to date: the founding of the first Axial City - En Saro'ket."

 

At this point, Lady Elyria interrupted her recitation and looked at Sir Lorias. He nodded and continued:

 

“The Eternal Circle

There were some gods who did not like the slow and inconclusive progress of the divine experiment. These renegade gods chose more radical methods of intervention. They pitted mortal against mortal and En Saro'ket, the First City, was destroyed. Thousands of mortals were slaughtered. Even more alarming to the gods, however, was that during this battle one god had killed another. This "original sin" marked the beginning of the Great Divine Schism.

Gods fought gods, mortals fought mortals and creation shook. Despite its cruelty, the Great War ended with a pact carved in stone. During this conflict, the gods had realized that their power was not unlimited. They therefore agreed that the war had to end before they destroyed themselves. The only way to restore their power was to take back the energy they had put into their creation. In concrete terms, this meant the souls of mortals, the essence of creation. The pact sealed on the Standing Stone gave mortals free will for the first time. From then on, the gods could only persuade mortals to surrender their souls to them through voluntary worship. At that time, the multiverse was divided into the realms of the gods and the mortals.

Cycles began to emerge over time - a downward spiral in which the gods competed with each other for knowledge, power and influence. To preserve the sanctity of their ancient pact, they used mortals as pawns in their eternal war. This war continues to this day.”

 

The Proclaimer fell silent and looked at Lady Elyria, who nodded earnestly. The lupinal took over again.

 

“The Age of Arendur

At the center of this great war was always a huge city, an Axial City. Beginning with En Saro'ket, a different city rose to this point each cycle, becoming the pinnacle and epitome of knowledge, faith and power - only to fall whenever the cycle reached its tragic end.

Arendur, the city of the past cycle, existed in the Age of Legends. Like most Axial Cities, Arendur was a hub, a nexus of the multiverse with doors to literally every place. Arendur was an amazing city where the greatest thinkers and creators of this age gathered. The patron of this city was Aoskar, a deity of knowledge, opportunity and gateways. Under his watchful eye, mortals could seemingly achieve anything. But like all Great Cities, Arendur would end in devastating disaster. Some mortals knew this - and wanted to avert the inevitable end.

One extraordinary mortal, a man named Tolumvire, had some revolutionary ideas. He proposed uniting the multiverse, ending the cycle that time had entered and creating a new, entirely different age before everything was destroyed and forgotten. Together with the greatest wizards, priests, psions and alchemists of his time, Tolumvire wanted to carry out the first part of his plan - to unite the multiverse. But something went wrong during the Great Ritual of Connection. Arendur was destroyed and the Age of Legends came to an end."

 

Lady Elyria fell silent and looked at Sir Lorias to reveal the last of the four parts. The paladin of Nobanion nodded and spoke:

 

“The Age of Reckoning

As it always happened, it happened this time too: a new Axial City was built and a new age began. The name of this city is Sigil - known to few as the Last City of the Last Cycle, the present age, the Age of Reckoning.

The inhabitants of Sigil know the ruler of the city as the Lady of Pain. She rules differently than Aoskar once did. Shrouded in secrets and mysteries, She brutally destroys Her enemies and sends those who threaten Sigil's peace to the Mazes.

Compared to Arendur, Sigil is more restrictive, darker and deadlier. And like all the Great Cities before, Sigil is destined to fall. Yet even in this time, there are those who follow the same ideas as Tolumvire did. These ideas are still dark and hidden.

The factions rule Sigil, but the peace is fragile. War will break out between the factions and blood will flood the streets of Sigil. Modrons march across the planes, the Blood War expands beyond the hells, ancient prophecies come true and even gods fall victim to the end of the cycle. The end of time is near.

And the Chosen have awakened.”

 

With these words, Sir Lorias ended. No one else spoke either; a heavy, oppressive silence fell upon the room like a dark shroud. Morânia tried to settle her thoughts, but they darted around like excited fish in a rushing stream. She felt as if she was supposed to collect an ocean of knowledge in a simple bucket. The others also seemed to compose themselves, because for a while everyone just stared at the Keeper and the Proclaimer, trying to process what they had heard.

Then, not surprisingly, Naghûl was the first to speak. “So, the Chosen have awakened.” He nodded excitedly. ”But what happens now? What shall they do? What is their purpose? Should they prevent these ideas or pursue them?”

Ambar raised his hands in a helpless gesture, while Lereia shook her head slowly and in disbelief. “That's quite a lot,“ she said. “And I don't really understand any of it. Is the whole multiverse going to be wiped out?”

Jana's thoughts seemed to be going in that direction, too. “Does that mean that Sigil will fall and the end of the Last Cycle will come in the very near future?”

“That seems to be what the Prophecy tells us,” Elyria replied seriously but calmly. “What you have just heard is the main part of the Prophecy. But before we worry about that, you would perhaps like to know who you are?”

Morânia frowned. “Who we are? What do you mean?” She exchanged a brief glance with Lereia, who also shrugged, but then nodded at the Keeper. ”Yes, we would like to know.”

Elyria smiled, took Lorias’ hand and looked from one to the other. Then she spoke: “We are the children who keep what is and proclaim what will be - they who unite everything and awaken what sleeps. We are the Keeper and the Proclaimer.”

Although Morânia didn't quite understand where this might lead, she listened attentively and watched as the lupinal now released the hand of the Proclaimer and stepped over to Naghûl. Her husband looked at Elyria excitedly, and she smiled gently as she put a hand on his shoulder.

“You are the child who recognizes the invisible signs - He who sees what the gods want to hide. You are the Seeker.”

Naghûl looked at her with shining eyes. “The Seeker,” he repeated, almost reverently. “My signs, of course. Yes, I understand ...”

Erin smiled at these words, a little proud, almost as if she had thought up the role for Naghûl herself. Morânia had to smirk inwardly. Sometimes she envied the Sensates for their childlike enthusiasm in almost every situation. But she quickly turned her attention to Sir Lorias, who was now stepping over to Kiyoshi.

He put a hand on his shoulder, just as Elyria had done with Naghûl. Then he solemnly proclaimed: “You are the child who understands the Old Tongue - He who speaks the words of the gods. You are the Watcher.”

The young soldier was obviously trying his best to maintain his usual stoic expression, but this time he was only partially successful. Morânia recognized a mixture of awe and confusion on his face.

But then he nodded gravely. “I understand. It is an honor for me to take on this role in the Prophecy, honorable Sir Lorias-san.” He glanced at Sarin, who nodded to him curtly, apparently content with the part his soldier was supposed to play.

Then it was apparently up to Lady Elyria to speak again, for she went to Lereia and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “You are the child who knows the scent of the planes,” she said. “She who weaves matter from scent and future and destiny from matter. You are the Creator. ”

Lereia looked at her with a gentle smile, apparently not uncomfortable with the role she was given. “That sounds very nice, I think. I ... thank you, Lady Elyria.”

She looked at Ambar, and it seemed that her factol was also quite taken with the words of the Keeper, for there was a warm smile in his green eyes. He bowed his head in thanks to the lupinal. Morânia held her breath for a moment as Sir Lorias now came over to her. He bowed slightly and put a hand on her shoulder. He had taken off his gauntlets, so that the bal'aasi now felt his hard, bony fingers through the fabric of her clothing. She sensed an undead as well as a sacred aura emanating from him – a rather confusing experience. But she managed to suppress an instinctive shudder as she felt his bony grasp, and she looked at him kindly. Strangely enough, she had the impression to discern a kind of smile, even though Lorias’ face was the motionless bone mask of a bare skull.

Then he spoke: “You are the child who carries the soul of heaven - she who gives answers from beyond time. You are the Envoy.”

The soul of heaven. Yes, although she still didn't know which angel she was connected to in this particular way, the description made Morânia smile. It felt ... right. And the angel had introduced herself as the Envoy. She glanced at her factol and Rhys nodded gently, knowingly. Despite the confusing and partly frightening information they had just received, the tiefling woman was a welcome source of calm and composure. This was one of the qualities that Morânia had always appreciated most about Rhys: her inner strength and balance, combined with a warm openness towards her people. She could come across as inscrutable and mysterious, Morânia was aware of that, but for her, Rhys was always a safe haven when things got rough. Then she looked at Sir Lorias again and bowed her head. “I thank you. It is a description and a role that I gladly accept.”

He nodded slightly and then looked at Elyria. It was the lupinal's turn again, and she now approached Jana.

She gave Terrance a smile, which the factol of the Athar returned warmly, then put a hand on the sorceress' shoulder and said: “You are the child who looks into the past and the future - she who sees what is past and what is to come. You are the Prophet.”

Jana smiled a little embarrassed and quickly glanced at Terrance. But it was clear to see that, in contrast to the time when all this had begun, she now accepted her gift and role and no longer questioned their significance. Her factol nodded to her in a friendly and encouraging way, and so she looked back at the lupinal. “Well, that ... I don't know what to say ... Thank you, I guess ...” As was often the case in emotional situations, Jana got entangled in her words and fell silent with an apologetic smile.

Elyria smiled gently and looked at Lorias, who now stepped to the side of Sgillin, the last Chosen whose role and name had not yet been revealed. The paladin of Nobanion put a hand on his shoulder, but then seemed to hesitate. He exchanged a brief glance with Elyria, but the lupinal nodded affirmatively. This brief interaction confused Morânia, but she had no time to think about it further, as Sir Lorias now turned to Sgillin.

“You are the child who swaps mind and spirit. - He who sees through other eyes and wears a thousand masks. You are … the Traitor.”

Sgillin's eyes widened in disbelief when the Proclaimer addressed him in this way. Morânia could hardly believe her ears either ... had she just misheard? But seemingly not, because for the second time this day, Sarin leapt from his seat. “Excuse me?!”

Elyria immediately raised her hands in a placating manner. ”We don't know what that means exactly.”

“Well, that seems obvious to me.“ Sarin's gaze wandered to Sgillin, with an expression that gave cause for concern that the events in the garden of the Festhall two days ago might repeat themselves.

“With all due respect, my lord,” Lorias interjected cautiously. “But I merely described Sgillin's gift and mentioned the name that the Prophecy assigns to him. But what exactly this means is not known to Elyria or me either.” He looked at the half-elf and bowed his head slightly. ”And I apologize profusely. But I didn't make it up, it's just the way it is.”

Sarin's expression didn't become any less grim at these words, but now Rhys leaned forward in her chair and looked at him in a placatory manner. “I also think that there's more to this than meets the eye,” she said diplomatically. “If Sgillin were to betray us and then be called the Traitor in the Prophecy, that would be a bit too ... obvious.”

“I think so too,” Terrance agreed.

Sarin snorted. ”Yes, you're right, that would be a bit blatant. But you can't expect me to just ignore that.”

“Well, I don't intend to betray anyone,“ Sgillin interjected. “I don't know what this is about, but it has nothing to do with what I'm planning.”

“And what are you planning?” Sarin immediately followed up.

“I ... nothing!” Morânia could see that Sgillin felt - understandably - increasingly uncomfortable under all the stares directed at him.

“My dear Sarin,” Erin now intervened. ”No one here expects you to ignore anything. It is perfectly clear that this matter alarms you, and I think we are all surprised right now. Sgillin included, I might add. But as Sir Lorias and my esteemed colleague Rhys said, we simply don't know yet what this means.”

Ambar nodded. “That's right. It could also imply that Sgillin is betraying someone else and not us. Or it means something completely different and is just a metaphor.”

Morânia could see Lereia taking a deep breath at his words and smiling at him gratefully. After everything that had happened in Elysium and two days earlier in the garden of the Festhall, Morânia could well imagine that this new revelation put the young woman under pressure, and she really didn't envy her. Sarin, on the other hand, had calmed down a little under the influence of the other factols. The bal'aasi sighed inwardly. She could well understand his situation, too. After all, he was factol of the Harmonium and was sitting here, in his own headquarters, with an Anarchist who had just been revealed as the Traitor in the Prophecy. Not an easy situation either. Playing with fire, even. The Prophecy presented them all with some challenges, it seemed.

“All right.” Sarin raised his hands in defense and sat down again. ”I will think about it and take it into consideration. But I don't guarantee that all this won't have any consequences for you, Sgillin.”

The half-elf pressed his lips together and said nothing, just glancing unhappily at Sarin and Lorias. Yes, he was also in a more than difficult situation, and Morânia felt sorry that he was now forced into a corner like this. She had known Sgillin for a while; they had fought side by side on the Prime and she liked the ranger. After her initial annoyance back in Elysium, she now believed him when he said that his connection to the Anarchists was more of an unfortunate coincidence than a deliberate act or even a malicious plan. And even if Sarin apparently considered accepting this, Sgillin's situation was anything but enviable. She glanced at Lereia again and noticed that her body language now indicated excitement rather than nervousness or discomfort.

The young woman sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said. “I know we are talking about something very serious and I don't want to distract from that, but ... I think I sensed something … meaningful.”

Terrance gave her a friendly look. “That does sound important, Lereia. What did you perceive?”

“Well ...” She quickly pushed back a strand of her white hair. ”As I'm sure you all remember, I reported that I could not perceive a soul signature among the Chosen of the Prophecy. This also applies to Sir Lorias and Lady Elyria, by the way. Or rather ... applied.”

“Applied?” Ambar raised his eyebrows. “That means you sense something now?”

“Yes!” Lereia nodded excitedly. ”When Sir Lorias named Sgillin's gift and … title, something happened. First I was too distracted by the very ... surprising words of the Proclaimer to recognize it. But now I perceive it very clearly: I can now feel soul signatures in all the Chosen!”

“Really?” Naghûl almost jumped out of his chair in exuberance. “What do you feel with me?”

The young woman smiled warmly as she scrutinized him. “I perceive a blossoming tree, its flowers opening to the sun.”

Naghûl nodded radiantly and exchanged an enthusiastic look with his factol, while Lereia's eyes wandered on to Kiyoshi. “With you, I sense shiny ivory in the desert sand.” Then she looked at the sorceress. ”And with Jana, it is silver shadows interweaving in the depths of the forest.”

The two Chosen exchanged a brief glance with their factols, who both seemed to like Lereia's words. Morânia smiled at these poetic descriptions, and she had to admit that she was very curious about her own signature.

Lereia looked at her and explained: “With Morânia, I perceive the first rays of the rising sun.”

The bal'aasi smiled, pleasantly touched, but still amazed that Lereia's description suited her calling as a paladin of Lathander so well. She glanced at her factol, and Rhys seemed to be less surprised. Probably her special connection to the Cadence of the Planes was responsible for this, as so often. Morânia wished that one day she would also at least come close to this enlightened state.

Lereia now turned to Elyria and Lorias. “This is very interesting, because I perceive the same signature with both of you. I have never experienced that before.”

“Oh.” The lupinal looked at her in surprise. “That does sound unusual. But I'm sure we both have a signature? I mean ... Sir Lorias does too, doesn't he?” She gave the paladin of Nobanion a somewhat concerned look, but Lereia immediately nodded reassuringly.

“Yes, absolutely, I can sense a signature with both of you: a stream gently rippling over light-colored stones. You seem to share it somehow. I don't know what exactly that means or how it's even possible. I ... can only say what I perceive.”

Sir Lorias bowed slightly to Lereia. “Then you understand what we are experiencing. We also tell others things that we ourselves do not fully understand. But at least we understand each other.”

Lereia had to laugh a little. “Yes, that's right, Sir Lorias.” Then she turned to Sgillin, still smiling slightly. “And with you, I feel the dancing flames of a wild fire.”

“Hm, that sounds good to me.” The half-elf grinned, for the first time since the meeting began.

“And what about you?“ Ambar asked eagerly. “What do you sense about yourself?”

Lereia's gaze became a little more serious. “Unfortunately, nothing,” she replied. “I can sense something about everyone here. I have already described the signatures of you, Factol Terrance and Factol Sarin. With Lady Erin, I sense white lilac and black roses, entwined and growing on a castle wall, on a warm summer's day, just before a storm is approaching. And with Factol Rhys, it's a wide grain field with ripe, full ears of corn in a gentle wind. Between the golden yellow stalks, thousands of red poppies are growing, and it smells like a warm autumn day.” She smiled at the two factols as they nodded in thanks, obviously touched by the description. “Only with myself ...” She raised her hands. “Unfortunately, nothing.”

“Oh.” Ambar nodded sympathetically. “I'm very sorry to hear that. Perhaps you can't use your gift on yourself, so to speak. Or maybe you still have to learn it and will be able to perceive it one day after all.” He smiled encouragingly.

Lereia nodded gratefully and, as it seemed to Morânia, with a hint of embarrassment, before she looked around again. “Well, that's ... that's all. I just wanted to mention it because it seemed important to me.”

“Oh, I'm sure it is!” Erin was as enthusiastic as all Sensates were when they learned something exciting and new. ”Even if I can't explain what it means, it's undoubtedly elating! I mean, you all must have had a soul before this, but why haven't you felt the signatures until now?”

“That is a very good question,” Terrance agreed, much more relaxed but obviously no less interested. ”We'll add it to our ever-growing list of good questions.”

The irony in his voice elicited a hearty laugh from Erin, Rhys and Ambar, and even Sarin had to grin, as gloomy as his mood was that day. The Chosen laughed too, and Elyria nodded gently. “Yes, indeed, my friend: so many unanswered questions and so few clear answers. And I fear we will have to add a few more to the list.”

“More?” Sarin frowned. ”Sons of Dis, what is coming now?”

He cleared his throat immediately, apologizing for swearing in the presence of a celestial, but the Keeper waved it off with a soothing gesture. “We have revealed the Prophecy to you,” she explained. ”And we have also told what it says about the individual Chosen – at least the ones gathered here. However, there is also a part that concerns you, esteemed factols.”

“Us?” Ambar raised his eyebrows. “I always assumed that the Prophecy was linked exclusively to the Chosen. The children, as they are called, who possess those special gifts. But you're saying that we also have a role to play in it?” He pointed to his colleagues and then to himself.

“Yes, that is so,” Sir Lorias confirmed. “The knowledge that has recently been revealed to us also contains a verse for each factol present. Would you like to hear it?”

“If I'm honest, I'm not sure if I want to,” Sarin explained with a sigh. ”But it seems that we have no more choice than the Chosen.”

“I'm afraid that's true, factol,” Elyria replied, then turned her gaze to Terrance. “Shall I ... begin with you, dear friend?”

The Athar's factol raised his eyebrows and there was a hint of concern in his clear blue eyes. “You seem very serious, dear Elyria. Is the verse that concerns me so portentous?”

“Well ...” She hesitated briefly. ”I would say that it is ... thought-provoking. But judge for yourself, my friend. The lines that concern you are as follows:

 

Who called you to inherit the seal?

In darkness you shall twist and turn,

And sighing for a light to reveal,

Grow deaf, mute and blind as you yearn!

Knowledge begins with death's ordeal.

The end is fading in light in return.

 

You, my dear friend Terrance, are the Lady's Keeper of the Seal.” She fell silent and looked at the Athar's factol calmly, but not without concern in her sapphire-blue eyes.

Terrance interlaced his fingers, as he often did when he was thinking, and leaned back slowly, confidently ignoring the stares of everyone present. “Well,” he said after a while. “That doesn't sound very encouraging, I have to admit.”

Jana looked at him with some unease. “It somehow fits in ... with the vision that ... that I had about you ...”

“Yes.” Terrance nodded calmly. “It's hard not to associate the vision with this verse.” He looked back at Elyria. “And you can't tell me more about it?”

“Unfortunately not,” the Keeper replied with sincere regret. “I wish I could. But that's all we know.”

“Very well.” The high priest nodded gravely. ”Then we'll have to be content with that for now. Who knows what the future holds. I will keep your words and Jana's vision in mind. But I will not allow them to influence all of my considerations or actions.”

“A wise decision,” Rhys agreed. “We cannot yet deduce what it all means. In any case, we should first hear the rest.”

Sir Lorias nodded. “Of course, factol. Then it's my turn again.”

He stepped away from Sgillin and over to Ambar. The bard sat up straight in his chair and looked expectantly at the Proclaimer. Although the paladin was now a skeleton and therefore no longer needed air, it almost seemed as if he took a deep breath before he began:

 

“You wish to bear the staff, to guide?

Then wander, bereft of all power,

Through endless paths that twist and glide,

In stone-maze depths, where shadows cower.

The start of will: to roam and stride.

The end: love's warmth, your final flower.

 

You, Factol Ambar, are the Lady's Herald.” Lorias ended with a bow and the bard nodded slowly.

“Admittedly, that doesn't sound much better than Terrance's verse. Well, except for the end. Love's warmth does sound good, after all.” He smiled. ”And if everything comes down to that, then I'm in good spirits.”

Lereia smiled a little at his words, but it was clear that the stanza still worried her. Morânia recalled how Jana had seen Ambar in her vision, so that was quite understandable. Terrance looked at his long-time friend intently, but said nothing, obviously letting him get away with the casual way in which he tried to cover up the serious topic.

Lady Elyria now moved away from Terrance and over to Sarin. “Factol,” she said politely. ”If I may?”

The paladin leaned back in his chair and nodded curtly, but it was clear that he was uncomfortable with the situation. The Keeper nodded gently before she began:

 

“The flaming sword you want to wield?

Hell mocks your quest with scornful glee,

Your heart shall be with horrors sealed.

From depths in vain you strive to flee.

Begin to dare means: fall and yield.

The end: life's full abundancy.

 

You, Factol Sarin, are the Lady's Knight.” She swept a deep curtsy at the end of her words.

The Harmonium’s factol stared at the lupinal, clearly taken aback. She immediately moved a little away from his chair, with an apologetic expression, even though she was not responsible for the content of the verses. Then the surprise in Sarin's eyes changed to a mixture of unease and displeasure. Yes, Morânia thought to herself, predicting the mocking laughter of hell to a paladin certainly couldn't be met with enthusiasm.

“What is the meaning of this verse?” the Harmonium's factol asked. His tone was unmistakably harsh, but the sharpness in his voice was certainly not due to Elyria herself, but to her stirring words.

Her ears twitched briefly as she replied. “I am very sorry, factol, but I don't know. I assure you, if I could tell you anything enlightening about this, I would. But as for the meaning and purpose of these words, unfortunately we know just as little as you do.”

Sarin was obviously aware of the tone in which he had addressed the celestial, as he bowed his head slightly. “Please excuse my inappropriate behavior, Lady Elyria. Your words do raise some concerns, I must openly admit that. However, they do not justify this breach of decorum.”

“Please, factol.” The lupinal was smiling again. ”It's all right. I understand that this is very confusing and disturbing. It's only natural that it unsettles you.”

He nodded gratefully. “I confess that it does. But since, as you say, we have no further clues at the moment, I will take your words to heart for now and let them rest. They will certainly be on my mind often enough in the near future. But I am sure that despite their obvious bearing, my two colleagues here would also like to hear the verses that concern them.”

At this point, Sir Lorias stepped over to Rhys, but waited for her nod of agreement before he continued with the next stanza:

 

“Cursed be all doubt and hesitation!

Reach out bravely for the grail!

This drink ends all your proclamation,

For She demands servants who veil.

Silence starts with trepidation.

The end is power's final scale.

 

“You, Factol Rhys, are the Lady's Emissary.” He bowed deeply before her at the end of his words.

Rhys had been looking at him very intently and listening quietly the whole time. Now she nodded gently. ”Thank you, Sir Lorias.” Then she leaned back and looked at Elyria, apparently expecting her to address Erin now.

The irritated looks of the others, however, remained with Rhys.

“Um ... that's all you want to say?“ Ambar asked doubtfully.

“Yes,” Rhys replied calmly. “At least for now.”

Despite the content of the verse, which seemed confusing and grim to Morânia, the bal'aasi had to smile a little. She was not surprised by her factol's reaction, but she experienced time and again that Rhys' behavior often caused irritation.

When she actually said nothing more, the bard raised his hands in defense. “Of course, as you say, dear colleague. I just thought ...”

Rhys smiled to herself, then her gaze wandered to Erin. Lady Elyria already stood right beside her.

The factol of the Sensates pressed her hands together. “Please,” she said. “I am very excited.”

The Keeper nodded and recited the last mysterious verse:

 

“Now ride on dragon and unicorn!

And when the sphinx you've overcome,

Boldly face the serpent's scorn,

On deadly venom anew become.

Freedom is from laughter born.

Its end no one may ever sum. 1)

 

You, Factol Erin, are the Lady's Vessel.” She ended with an elegant curtsy.

Morânia was surprised. She wasn't quite sure what she had expected for Erin, but it was definitely not what the Keeper had revealed. Both, the stanza’s content and the description Lady’s Vessel astonished her, and a quick glance around showed her that the others were obviously feeling the same way.

Erin herself seemed puzzled, too. “The Vessel?”

“Please don't ask,” the Keeper said with a smile.

The factol's expression changed from surprised to excited. “Oh, I have a thousand questions!”

“And I don't have any answers,” Elyria replied regretfully.

Erin furrowed her brows. “The Lady’s Vessel ...” she repeated softly, more to herself. Then she nodded gratefully at the Keeper and obviously lapsed into thought for a moment.

Elyria now stepped back to Loria's side and the Proclaimer addressed everyone gathered. “Now we have told you everything we know,” he declared solemnly.

Terrance leaned back in his chair. “And it's enough for now ...” he stated with a sigh.

Morânia tried to sort out what she had just learned and realized that the others were probably feeling the same way. They all appeared either thoughtful, irritated or worried, and even Kiyoshi only partially managed to hide his confusion. Morânia even sensed such feelings from her factol.

Finally, Lereia spoke again. “Can we ask you a few more questions?”

“I don't know if we have any answers,” Elyria replied kindly. “But ask away.”

The young woman nodded gratefully. “Do you know anything else about our gifts in particular? How many Chosen we are in total and what role we actually play in the Prophecy? Why did we awaken?”

“Exactly,” Naghûl chimed in. ”Now we know of the cycles and their origin. We know more about Sigil. But what about the Chosen? What role do they play? You can't just let the Prophecy end with the awakening of the Chosen.”

Elyria smiled. “To be honest, I thought the same. And I suspect that this is not all we know. Our gift is to preserve knowledge and pass it on. Like your gifts, ours will probably grow and we will be able to pass on more knowledge. But not yet.”

Lereia nodded in understanding. “So you don't know anything more than what you have told us already?”

“Not at the moment,” Sir Lorias replied. “But we should tell you that we will also reveal the Prophecy to the other Chosen. Because they, too, have found us, just as you did, only in other places.”

“And if we try to prevent that?” Jana had asked the question without looking up and therefore probably didn't notice the frowning look on her factol's face.

Her words, however, didn’t seem to discompose the Proclaimer. “Yes, you could try that,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I have no idea what that would lead to.”

“We only tell everyone what concerns them,” Elyria explained. “But it is quite possible that you will soon learn more about it anyway, whether through the Prophet, the Envoy or other means.”

Kiyoshi nodded gravely. “I thank you for these enlightening words,” he said.

Sarin gave his soldier a skeptical look, and it was clear that he found the revelations of the Keeper and the Proclaimer less than enlightening.

Naghûl seemed to feel the same way, for he frowned thoughtfully. “Yes, thanks for the enlightenment and the new confusion,” he said. ”What fun would the whole Prophecy be if everything was explained to us clearly?”

Morânia had to smile a little. She knew her husband didn't mean any harm, but she also knew he didn't like puzzles, and the Ring Prophecy had been one big puzzle from day one.

“I would like to add something else,” Lereia said. “Something that might also be important for Sir Lorias and Lady Elyria, whether as information or as a warning.”

“Speak,” Sir Lorias said kindly. ”Now that we've shared our knowledge, we're no smarter than you are. So we don't have anything more to say.”

Lereia nodded and smiled. “The last time we had the opportunity to call upon the Envoy, she answered several questions again. Three of them may be important to you as well. One question was about Jana's vision with the skeleton and the child. Given Sir Lorias’ … transformation, it may be a clue, who knows. We asked whether this child ...” She hesitated briefly before continuing. “... whether this child was Sarin. The answer was no . We also asked whether the child would some day become a factol of the Harmonium, and the answer was also no . The third question was: Is Lord Valiant working against us? The answer to this was yes.”

Sarin looked at Lereia in bewilderment. “Excuse me? So ... first of all, what's the matter with Valiant? Why are you asking questions about him? And secondly: Why, by the Sons of Dis, do you ask whether the child in Jana's vision was me? Or whether it will become a factol of the Harmonium?” As he spoke, his irritation turned into a certain displeasure.

Naghûl immediately raised his hands in defense. “Not all of us were present when these questions were asked,” he noted.

“Apologies, factol.” Morânia cleared her throat. “The questions seemed sensible to us in connection with Jana's visions, that's all.”

“That's right,” Lereia added hastily. ”We noticed that the Harmonium appears frequently in Jana's visions, especially Lord Valiant. We had a bad feeling.”

Sarin was about to say something, but Sir Lorias beat him to it. “And now you suspect that I will carry a child that was neither Factol Sarin nor will be a factol of the Harmonium?”

He sounded clearly confused, and Naghûl seemed to suppress a short laugh. Ambar grinned a little, too, while Lereia raised her hands defensively. “We suspect nothing. We asked these questions because we don’t understand the vision with the skeleton.”

“All right.” Sarin softened his tone. “I don't think these visions are a coincidence either. And that Lord Valiant is working against us ...” He interrupted himself. ”Well, never mind.”

“Oh, but I do mind, Sarin,“ Terrance interjected solemnly.

The paladin folded his arms. “This is a faction matter,” he said curtly.

“Not if it concerns us as well,” the high priest replied calmly but firmly. “If someone like your Grand Inquisitor is working against me, I would like to know about it.”

Sarin sighed. “Unfortunately, I can't disagree with you on that point. But honestly, I know nothing about Valiant's current activities. I had no contact with him for four years, except at the sessions of the Octade. And I thank the heavens for it. He has actually withdrawn completely to Ortho.”

“It sounds as if that might possibly change,” Terrance objected.

Sarin nodded darkly. “Perhaps, yes.”

“In any case, caution is advised if we are to meet him,” Sgillin stated.

“Indeed,” the paladin replied gravely. “And in every respect. We ...” He interrupted himself as there was a knock at the door. ”Come in!”

The latch was pushed down and Tonat Shar, Sarin's legate and second-in-command in Sigil, entered. He bowed to the other factols, then approached Sarin. “I'm sorry to interrupt this meeting, but a message has arrived that I'm sure you want to receive as soon as possible.” He held a letter in his hand, but after a quick glance around, he apparently decided not to summarize the content, but to hand it over to his factol instead.

 

 

“This must be really important,“ Sarin stated as he took the document.

“Yes, unfortunately.” His legate nodded with a deep sigh.

“Please excuse me,” Sarin turned to his colleagues and the Chosen. “It will only take a moment.” Then he opened the letter and unfolded it to read it.

He paused briefly, then his expression darkened and finally he read the letter again, apparently to make sure he had understood the content correctly. Then he looked at the others. “It's a message from Lord Valiant,” he explained, almost in disbelief. ”He writes that he would like to pay a visit to Sigil soon.”

 

-------------------

played November 3, 2012

1) Michael Ende