Sapphire:Sessions:20140426

The guardian's wounds have healed except for the skin on its face that was torn off when the wooden mask was removed. Trace checks; the third gear is still turning steadily.

Chalker recalls that in the command room in Bicarn, there were constructs that had crystal slots. He says, "Rory, let's go back to Bicarn."

They step into a vestibule which contains three other gates. Rory sets some crystals into another gate and steps into what appears to be a military situation room, dominated by a large table made of transparent metal and surrounded by twenty-five chairs. There are places on the wall where maps could be posted. The air is not stale, and there is not a speck of dust on any surface. Somehow he senses that someone had come and hurriedly removed important items from the room. Rory writes in his book, "Can you read this?"

Chalker has entered a room with racks of swords and leather armor. On the walls are paintings of military scenes from the Venettian "golden age," depicting heroic humans driving back fearsome monsters. One painting is labeled "1367" and the other "1304." On a table is a stack of blank parchment. The ceiling is about 10' high, and there are slots on the wall near the top. The entire room is underground and isolated. Chalker replies to Rory's message by writing "Yes" in his own book, to which Rory responds "Okay."

Rory and Chalker meet back in the vestibule. After a brief experiment with a flickering crystal, Rory announces that different arrangements of crystals cause the gates to open to different places. Chalker steps into a bedroom suite that clearly belongs to a male. The bed is neatly made, and the clothing in the wardrobe is that of a soldier. Tapestries on the walls depict realistic woodland and meadow scenes. Under the bed Chalker finds a sheathed knife with a blade sharp enough to split hair and balanced for throwing. The intricate design on the sheath contains magic runes.

Rory signals to Chalker, who takes the knife and also snatches up a packet of letters written in Venettian before stepping back through the gate. Rory had heard someone moving around on the roof; when Chalker looks through the ceiling, he sees a gigantic griffin. They leave in a hurry, pulling crystals as they go. Chalker: "What did you do?" Rory: "I didn't do anything. Maybe it sensed the gate activity."

Chalker shows his new knife to Trace, who verifies that it is a powerful artifact, definitely Venettian.

Another arrangement of crystals opens a gate to a banquet hall; chandeliers light up as Rory and Chalker enter. Easily 40 people could be seated around the massive table. To one side is a small stage for entertainers. Chalker finds magic symbols on the underside of the table and chairs. Behind one tapestry Rory finds faint runes that possibly outline a secret door, but when Chalker looks through that section of wall, he sees only stone and earth. Rory begins working out a method of charting the crystal patterns and the gate destinations.

Chalker feels a presence, then sees Mensep (in the form of a young boy, representing his thievery aspect) and Cor. Mensep: "I'm proud of you. You've had a busy day." Chalker: "This is about the knife, isn't it?" Mensep, smiling: "It had been moldering there a long time." Cor, with a nostalgic sigh: "Those were good times." Chalker (to Cor): "Anything I can do for you?" Cor: "I had to check this out for myself." Chalker: "Tell the Mother of Night I'm sorry." Cor: "She's busy." Cor passes his hand briefly over the packet of letters and smiles. Chalker: "I tried to resist taking them." Cor: "It's not the letters, it's what they represent." After a pause, "One more thing... do you have a plan yet?" Mensep and Cor vanish before Chalker can respond, but he says aloud, "Get our wayward companion back."

Rory receives a visit from Cor: "We are pleased that you are exploring the Keep. You use your gifts well. Honor your plan."

Trace dreams that Cor stands before him. "You have 'sort of' believed in the First Chosen; that belief is coming to the fore. This is not a hallucination, not a mind spell; this is really what it appears to be. Any mage that would impersonate us, we will strike down." A young man steps out from the shadows and introduces himself as Jax; after a rambling preface where he indicates that he is asking this as a favor to another of the First Chosen, queries "Do you have a plan?" and vanishes.

When the three of them gather for breakfast, they find that each of them were asked "Do you have a plan?" Rory: "They said I was going in the right direction. We have to go places in order to map them." Chalker: "I want to get to the Calventine Empire to deliver a message [Moedia is moving against the Empire], but that's in three months, and that's two months after I'm supposed to be dead. We need to find a gate to get us closer to the Empire."

Chalker gives the packet of letters to Trace, reading the topmost one himself. It is written in a woman's hand, addressed to "Dearest Theo." Trace deduces that the woman was named Zetta, and she is writing to her husband, a brigadier general.

Chalker writes in his book, "Aliana, please come back. Chalker."

Rory and Chalker test more than sixty different crystal combinations, finding 20 gates that worked. One gate leads to a barracks, others lead to bedrooms, meeting rooms, dining rooms, game rooms. All but a few are underground, but one is high upon a mountain ledge. Rory concludes that these rooms are scattered all over Erethel, and he calculates that one room was about 30 miles from the capital of the Empire, Sapphire.

Trace spends many hours studying the knife Chalker had taken. The sheath accelerates the recharging of a powerstone hidden in the haft. An enchantment keeps the blade keen and rust-free; another neutralizes Missile Shield; a third nullifies Reverse Missile. The knife can be set to deliver a powerful electrical charge to whatever surface it strikes.

Aliana, asleep in a tree, feels the presences of Bar and Eupho. Bar smiles and says, "Good morning." "What are you waiting for?" Aliana retorts. Bar: "I am here because you need to see more. The need for vengeance and strength is strong in you. How goes your plan?" Aliana: "I don't need a plan." Bar: "Think on this: Do you need help in reaching your goal?" Bar and Eupho vanish. Aliana stirs. On a branch some 15 feet over her head hangs a pendant, an obsidian disk on a silver chain. She casts a spell to bring the pendant into her grasp, studies it for a few minutes, then slips it into a pouch.

At dinner, Trace says that he needs to study the knife some more in order to learn the trigger word. Rory describes the gate destination that has so far gotten them closest to the Calventine Empire; he suggests that Trace can dig a way out through the walls there. Rory: "There's got to be a gate *in* Sapphire somewhere."

Rory and Chalker check the warehouse in Lesmallin again; the crate containing the gate is still there. Rory goes 'shopping' through the numerous crates and barrels, leaving coins to pay for the supplies he takes and slipping flyers for the Copper King's trade into the crates. Chalker reads through the shipping manifests in the office; the crate is scheduled to be shipped out to the eastern part of the Calventine Empire in three days. After a while they are disturbed by the heavy tread and loud voices of five or six guards. Rory dives through the gate to avoid a crossbow bolt, and Chalker yanks out the crystals.

Trace reports that the guardian has begun twitching and the gear is gradually turning faster; he wonders whether it will remember then when it awakens. In reply to Chalker, Trace says that he hasn't been studying the knife because Chalker and Rory might have needed help.

Overnight, Trace feels a sentinel presence, possibly Cor. When he gets up to check on the guardian, he notices Jax squatting in a corner. Trace: "Can you do anything for the guardian?" Jax: "Yes. I'm confident you will figure something out." Trace: "I don't have a plan yet." Jax: "Then the hint wasn't too nuanced or subtle? ... I have my hands full. Mother is trying to make Father do something, and I don't think it's good for the inhabitants of Erethel."

Chalker has the strong impression that Cor is standing watch over him, Mensep is keeping tabs on Cor, and Jax is watching the guardian. He gets up and finds Jax. Jax: "This place is busier than a caravan staging area.... I'm paying attention to the details." Chalker: Can you tell me who's trying to eat me?" Jax: "Yes, but I'm not telling. There's a lot going on in this Godwalk. Besides, you have your own protector... for the past week, Cor has been paying more attention to your group." Chalker: "What detail are you here for? Maybe I can help." Jax: "No. These things impact all of Erethel." Chalker leaves Jax still concentrating on the guardian.

Aliana awakens; Bar and Eupho stand sentinel. Eupho says "Please read the journal" just before the two vanish. Aliana wonders aloud, "What journal?"

Chalker asks Trace, "How do you stop the guardian?" Trace, hesitantly: "I'll show you, but don't pull it out. ... This is the third generation of the guardian... I wonder if speeding up the gear will help."

Over the course of the day, Rory and Chalker discover 12 more crystal combinations that work (and 60 that don't). Rory theorizes that the crystals are a manual override, and that there must be a control room somewhere that will activate the entire gate system.

Chalker examines a crystal ball; when he touches it, a harmless static charge passes through his body. The base upon which the crystal rests is inscribed with runes; he makes a note to show them to Trace.

Chalker: "Let's tempt Fate." He and Rory step through into a place where the air is thin and cold. They are high up on a mountain which is part of a chain near the Sapphire Sea. They stand on a balcony with a 3' retaining wall. There is a telescope pointed skyward, and an inscription: "To view the heavens, bringing us one step closer to the First Chosen." High overhead soars a Great Eagle.

Rory and Chalker gate to the control room in Bicarn that the group discovered many months ago. Chalker sits down at a console labeled in Venettian "Communications." A crystal ball pops up and raised runes appear on the console. He presses a rune and the crystal glows; when he touches it he gets a sharp electric shock. "Recipient or destination?" Chalker: "Sapphire." "Station inoperable... Self-activation relay... Startup procedure..." "Next, Calventine Empire." "Unknown political entity." "Date of last communication?" "1575 after foundation." Chalker writes this into his book. "The Sapphire Terminus is having difficulties. Diagnostics and restart proceeding." Chalker: "Next closest operable system to Sapphire?"

Rory hears something big moving up from the back of the building. He sets crystals into the Defense Grid, and both he and Chalker feel an energy surge. A deep bass voice exclaims "Shit! -- Charge!" Something heavy slams into the door, knocking it open.

Rory and Chalker fight off three burly, armored men and a mage. Chalker realizes they were a delaying force for the man on the gryphon. Their weapons are very fine. Their coins come from Sapphire and the Coastal Kingdoms, including Dolyena.

Chalker checks the crystal ball. "Contact with artifact spell in Sapphire; no entity there to receive it." Chalker: "Received."

Chalker hands Trace a pouch; "They thought I was a mage and were going to throw this at me." Trace guesses aloud that it's sleeping powder.

They bury the corpses after burning the mage's remains (at Rory's insistence).

Trace checks the guardian, which is now twitching at 15-second intervals.

Overnight they receive no visitations, but feel that Cor, Mensep, and possibly others are watching over them.

It is the 11th. Rory organizes his gate notes and maps, looking for patterns. Chalker looks over the map of power points, correlating the crystal arrangements and trying to figure out which point is in Sapphire. Trace researches the guardian, which is twitching every 7 seconds; at noon it will be "in a very suggestive(1) state."

(1) Presumably 'suggestible'.

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