Eren 20-21, 653 DR: Tressta receives a mysterious letter that promises to gain her father’s freedom but the letter is sealed with a Saránði shield. The group goes to the docks to watch the scheduled meeting but Tressta is taken by boat to a ship in the harbor. The ship is abandoned save for two kidnappers and an illusion of Sered Dassur. The flying sorceress flees the ship to tend to her freezing wounds while her partner in crime surrenders to Ērēus and Jak. Sered fails again, but remains at-large.

Continued from Gwendin’s Tale.

Iyldor, 20 Eren 653

As they filed from the courthouse, a tall straw-haired man waving a letter over his head yelled “Tressta of Drynsval, Tressta of Drynsval, message for Tressta of Drynsval!” Tressta met the man and paid his two auram. He handed her the paper and disappeared into the crowd. Examining the seal, she recognized it immediately. It was the same seal that had been presented in the courtroom, the seal of Sered Dassur. Opening the letter, she scanned its contents quickly.

“Dearest Tressta, I have missed our talks in the garden of Drynsval. It seems so long since last I saw you. I pray that you are well and I am saddened by your father’s unfortunate predicament. As grim as all appears, you must know that it does not need to end this way for your family. Indeed, not all is lost. If you will meet with me this night and allow me a few moments to discuss matters, I will see that Tomach is exonerated. If you will not me, I can only assume that you have no love for your family and that it is your wish for Tomach to die. If that is your wish, I shall do nothing to thwart you for your desires are mine. If you wish to speak, come along before nightsdeep to Serédun’s Pier. You will receive instruction there. If you do not come, I will know your will and abide by it. With patience and love forever, Sered.”

Even with all the years that had passed, his writing was unmistakable. Tressta gathered her companions to discuss what she should do.

As they returned to the Temple to discuss their plans, Dammon stopped at the front gate as the others continued in. Turning, he saw a young girl crossing the plaza. Her awkward gait betrayed an unnatural influence. Unsteadily she moved across the cobbles, like each step was her first. As she drew nearer, Dammon could see that tears streamed down her scratched face. Her eyes told of her terror despite no other outward signs. Looking around, Dammon saw that others had noticed the young girl too. Even now, a guard was moving forward to help her. The magician turned back to the girl as realization set in. He’d seen this before in the Eldran Halls of Oð. There was no satisfying the vile humor of his familiar, it was all he could do to manage the damage it caused. As he stepped closer the girl stopped and screamed. Dammon realized that it was not a scream of pain or sorrow, but rather the only sound his familiar could manage from within. She yelled, “Dammon come with me!” The others seeing this spectacle stopped in their tracks and looked at the magician. The Temple Guards hd been told of the magician, and knew when to step back from dealings of such people. Unnerved and disgusted the guards withdrew as Dammon followed the girl into back into the City.

The girl moved less mechanically as time went on. She led Dammon down busy streets and narrow alleys, crossing the length of a ward before stopping at a nondescript brick wall. Here the girl lowered her head and gestured vaguely at a hole at the wall’s base. In a strangled voice the girl’s mouth uttered, “I found you this. There is much power down there. The children know. It is their secret.” With that the familiar relinquished control of the girl and she collapsed to the ground. Looking up at the magician, the girl seemed peaceful at tremors seized her fingers, feet, and limbs. Before the blackness overcame her she said “You understand. You’re one of us. Praise Zalan”. With that the girl became very still. Dammon instructed the familiar to leave and wait by the pier, while he found his way back to the Temple to retrieve his companions. He would investigate this find another time.

At the Temple, Jak found Ērēus alone with his thoughts. The Heartguard explained that the young Ðard’s actions at the court house had displeased him, as they were unbecoming a man of his class. Jak apologized. Rejoining the group, Ērēus was shown the message that Tressta had been given. Ērēus too recognized the broken seal as Saránði and suggested bringing it to the attention of the Temple. The others agreed. The priests they asked explained that the High Lady was unreachable, however a High Priest was sent in her stead. After explaining the situation the High Priest promised to tell the High Lady of the intended meeting. He also agreed to have a copy of the letter made by Temple scribes. Before leaving, the High Priest laid a hand upon Tressta and Channeled a spell into her, explaining that the next person she touched would be wracked with pain. To further prepare for the mission, Tressta lent her Cloak of Shadows to Zildara and Dammon transformed himself into a small mammal and crawled inside her purse.

It was well after dark when they exited the Temple. Once they were nearer to the wharf Ērēus, Jak, and Zildara went separate ways to try and surround the meeting place. After giving them time to find positions, Tressta continued toward the waterfront. As she got closer a weight leaped onto her shoulder and whispered that a man was waiting by the pier. He had been standing there for a watch or more, smoking a pipe. As they neared the docks, rats scurried away from their footsteps. Tressta walked out onto the pier to meet the waiting man. When he saw her approach, the old man stood straight and took some deep puffs of his pipe. This was not Sered. The man glanced over his shoulder toward the harbor. “I’m here to take you to the Orgar,” he explained pointing to one of the ships anchored in the distance. Tressta nodded and climbed off the pier’s side into the waiting rowboat. The old man followed her, picking up the oars and casting off from the dock. Alarmed by this change of plans, her companions rushed from their hiding places and scanned the piers for a free boat.

Irídor, 21 Eren 653

It was well after nightsdeep when they reached their ship. The old man was stronger than he looked, and had rowed them straight and steadily across the harbor swells. Pulling alongside the ship, Tressta grabbed the netting and climbed onto the orgar’s deck. The boatman refused to follow her up and insisted that he wait until her return. As Tressta looked around the deck a spear man emerged from the central hatch and asked that she follow him below. Tressta refused. As they talked, Dammon crawled from her purse and scurried to a nearby hiding place. As the two continued to argue, Dammon’s familiar scampered below deck to reconnoiter the situation. On its return it explained that there were two people underneath and that one smelled of magic. It explained that one was waiting in a lit room while the other lay below. The familiar then repeated the report to Tressta, who did her best to ignore the awful sensation of the monster climbing her back and squatting on her shoulder. Dammon slipped down the stairs and immediately saw a richly dressed man waiting in the darkness. He asked his familiar about it, but the creature insisted that nothing was there. The familiar explained again that there was only one person on the lower deck, where a sliver of light was shining through the back wall. The second person was knocking on the floor beyond that room, from the underside.

Atop, Tressta spotted the second rowboat and shouted to her approaching companions. Her host turned to see the rowboat, and readied his spear. The spear man now insisted that she follow him below, but Tressta refused, drawing her blade. As their weapons clashed, Dammon squeezed himself into the tightest, most remote corner of the lower deck before reverting to Yrūni form. At that time, he Weaved a rain of icy knives throughout the lower deck. Above, the spear man got the better of Tressta and cut her down as the closing rowboat bounced against the side of the orgar. Leaving the Talàdan expatriate for dead, the old man moved to greet the boarders. Below, Dammon released a second ice storm to the sound of woman screaming in pain. A door opened and the light winked out as a large dark shape darted through the lower ship and up through the open hatch with blinding speed. Outside, other’s watched as a female figure in voluminous fluttering robes rocketed from the bowels of the ship and into the night sky. Together, Ērēus and Jak climbed the ship’s side, and barreled onto the deck.

After Jak and Ērēus found their feet, Zildara was the next to appear over the ship’s edge, her new sword glowing red in the night. Having surrounded the man, Ērēus stepped closer and the man surrendered, dropping his spear. Kicking his spear aside, Zildara tied the man him up while Ērēus interrogated him. The spear man explained that his name was Salrûn and that he was a Carámis mercenary hired by a Saránðyn named Sered. He continued, “The Lady Tressta Drynsval was meant to meet the ghost of Sered beneath the ship. Ilzirya created the ghost to give her Sered’s message, but now she is gone. We were instructed not to harm the Lady but she drew a sword.” As Salrûn spoke, Zildara tended to Tressta, helping her to her feet. Together they climbed down into the darkness below, following the sound of distant knocking as they felt their way past crates, barrels, and ropes. Eventually they found a locked hatch which Tressta picked. Opening the hatch, Tressta was surprised to find her sister Tallyssa, bound and gagged in the bilge. Lifting her out they guided her back toward the hatch, and up the stairs to the deck. Tallyssa complained of pains and cramps from being locked in the bilge for days. Zildara healed her as best she could before they climbed back down to the rowboat. The old man helped them into the boat and then rowed them back to shore. As they crossed the harbor the old man explained that he had been contacted by a man with two swords, and that he had many men that traveled with him. When they reached the docks, Tressta paid the man two auram and told him to stay clear of the man with two swords. The old man thanked her and rowed away into the night.

The group reached the Temple at dawn. Priests rushed forward to take care of Tallyssa, assisting her to a ward on the Temple grounds. Everyone else retired to their rooms, exhausted from the night’s activities.

Continued in Children of Osøgkrū.

Characters

• Dammon Shroudson
• Jak of Cænden
• Tressta Drynsval
• Zildara of Zalan
• High Priestess Elésea the Ninth of Amra
• Ērēus of Amra
• Familiar
• Gwendin Drynsval
• Ilzirya of Olood
• Kaédus the Messenger
• Salrûn of Carámis
• Sered Dassur
• Tallyssa
• Tomach Drynsval

Played: 08 Feb 2003