Rime of the Animator

Lanal 2-3, 652 DR: Dammon awakens with a silver circlet on his head and scattered memories of following a cart through the streets of Oð. He thinks he may have met a friend that he can’t remember, but in the process has lost two others.

Continued from The Hall of Sorrows.

Kændor, 2 Lanal 652

It started with what was probably a dream. The empty rooms and the small folded signs, saying “Sorry. You’re not welcome here.” More hallways. More rooms. After a time it was hard to say whether Dammon was looking for a way back, or out of this place. Then there was the rainy street. It was night and a the wagon creaked heavily through the street, carrying strange cargo toward the square. Dammon filed behind, unnoticed. There was something in the wagon. Dammon saw it, or a piece of it, but then someone ran backward and threw a sheet over it.

Then there was the music. The rhythmic chanting. When the wagon was taken into a secured courtyard and warehouse, he had ventured around looking for a way in. Climbing and dropping over a high wall into the fog shrouded yard he climbed onto a low building, to peer inside through a dirty window. Strange shapes turned. He didn’t count the robed chanters, but there were many. He couldn’t make out their words. His next memory was on his back. He was staring up at the black rain falling toward him. He had fallen and guards had gathered around. Next, there was an office and someone else there, but even in this lucent moment the memories were slipping away. There was something about the other figure in that room that he could remember nothing about, except for their presence.

Malídor, 3 Lanal 652

He was in the foggy streets of Oð again, a silver circlet secured to his head. Something had happened, but he wasn’t sure what it was. It would be morning soon. He knew it was “time to go home”, but could not remember why or where that might be. As he wandered the streets he thought he could remember a man’s voice saying, “This is for you, it will keep you safe until we meet again.” It’s was nice having friends. It would be better to know who they were, and what they wanted. Now, all Dammon needed to know is what those answers meant. How long had he been wearing this damned circlet?

Returning to his room near the Temple Square, Dammon discovered that his odd-ball attendants (i.e., Mot and Drug) had disappeared. It looked like they had left in a hurry. He thought on this for a moment before laying in his bed and looking at the ceiling. He would sleep soon, but first he would have to get that strange rhythmic chanting out of his head.

Continued in A Day Away.

Characters

  • Dammon Shroudson
  • Drug
  • Dwurn Nildroon
  • Familiar
  • Mot

Played: 30 Jul 1997