A t E: Session 02 - Epilogue

General Summary

It isn’t often that I put thoughts in writing. It’s the sort of thing I expect of young people, who are looking to make sense of things for themselves during an impressionable time. Normally, these are looked back at years later with many a rueful shake of the head and praise to whatever Power, that nobody else has seen the words written by one’s younger self. . . However, some occasional days are filled with occurrences that are too important to let go by unaddressed or in this case, unremarked upon. Today I witnessed not one, but two such notable events.     I will not start at the beginning. That is too uninteresting. When things began to be remarkable was the series of events leading to my seeing a return of an ancient lifeform. Some call it a god or demi-god. I knew him by several choice epithets once in time, when he was less well understood and much maligned. It is to this being’s eternal credit that he never took much umbrage at the distaste he was viewed with from many quarters. He seemed to understand that being constantly around the dead and dying, made him something of an ill-starred, badly omened sort. I have since met other godly types both real and want-to-be and this one still retains a degree of respect from me that few others have managed.   It was just before lunch as we, that is, Ren - my companion of old, Kade - the starfarer, Switch - the chaerin and I, followed the quickest route to take us to the former temple of Mithras. At present, the building originally built for a god’s purposes, is home to the pharaoh priest and his attendant guards. I have never been fond of this man. He is altogether a demanding and at the same time demeaning version of a cleric. All so sure of things that others cannot be certain about, while showing little insight as to why. A bad combination in a priest, I find. His message has been more about himself and less about that which he supposedly adheres to!     We reached the place. The pharaonic guard we met there was civil and purposeful and duly showed us into the temple. Here we met the pharaoh. He was no different than I expected and I made my earliest possible excuse to take myself outside. I felt a little bad about this but it probably went all the better for us in the end, not having me at the man’s throat. When the others exited they told me quickly that he had shown them two important things. Rather, one important thing, the spectral knife that had been used to sacrifice Anubis to save a portion of the old realm and to ensure the hopes of the Phoenix’s return someday. The second thing they were shown was actually a lack of a thing. That is to say, that several of this priest’s private paintings and icons had been stolen from the temple. Some of the pieces were as big as a man or more, so no minor burglar had done the deed.     We had already seen Pikar on our way to the temple. He is an art seller. In the past few years I have noted he has had a seeming ready supply of more than what you might expect to find in what is admittedly a rather small city. I have overheard purchasers marveling at Pikar’s ability to provide rare examples of art and sculptures they had thought impossible to obtain. My own interest in art is minimal. Rangers do not travel well with such objects in tow. . . My interest in questionable sorts who might be thieves is also quite small. As long as they aren’t stabbing me from behind, I leave them well alone. Keeping my own opinion to myself, we reached his home. Pikar lives behind his shop. A sensible thing as he has few items on show normally. He was convivial and offered us a drink. The yosheurt whiskey he served was decent. Ren, I noted, took none. As always, he is a man of restricted pleasures. Much confined by his duty. That he takes his part in all this seriously, does my heart good. He is no cavalier out for a jaunt. This is business he means to see done right and proper. On this, we are agreed though we have not had words on it yet. This is, no doubt our last bowshot at this particular target. I for one, do not mean to miss my mark as I did the last time. Ren seems to be of similar determination. Pikar elected to show us ‘round his gallery. Not before Kade, had rather perceptively I thought, recognised something of the sylph about Pikar. He seemed happy enough to acknowledge Kade’s deduction and transformed from his illusionary self into the very picture of syndaren mage. I cursed at myself for never having thought to consider this as a possibility in the ‘man’. It explained much of his abilities. Kade kept insisting he was a cleftyck, though I attempted to counsel that this wasn't quite right. He must have his reasons for being insistent.     I have heard from those Pikar has dealt with that his, is truly a wonderful collection. I was surprised then, to see not the collection of nudes and studies of female forms, that these others had seen and ended up purchasing from, but instead some rather more serious landscape and portrait works of important places and persons. There were a couple of vistas; one of an old, great and much revered city, lost to the ravages of the cataclysm -- and one new, a colourfully depicted aqueduct, with several odd ships carried high above a surrounding plain. A view of the world of Zomb it was declared.     The portraits were actually, more vital. Pikar revealed that these were in fact the missing pieces of the pharaoh’s. He claimed that he was assuring that these paintings would be taken better care of with him than with the careless guard-attendants of the temple. Not so much a theft as a “conservation measure.”. . . The theft had been the handiwork of his colleague, known to us in that lost age as Aunaur. Aunaur is a der alfmar, the darkest sort of sylphan. Aunaur is that sort of sort. The type that you eschew for someone more comely and then when things are darkest, you wish you had the foul at your side rather than the fair. Foul-weather friends it seems are best for some things. . . Pikar tells us that Aunaur has undergone a harsh experience to make it to the new realm on his own power. That he has managed this, is a tremendous achievement but it does sound as though it will have cost him much. I hope his mind is intact.     It is during the viewing of these paintings that Kade seems occasionally overcome by what I can’t say. Fainting spells are not something I take him for but these are what seem to overcome him. On recovering from the second wooziness, he says he has learned something of his destiny. Odder and odder, this man from the stars. . . Pikar then tells us the best is saved until last. He takes us to see his latest piece that has arrived only hours earlier. When he reaches his work space, it has vanished. A portrait of the demi-god, Anubis, stolen from one who knows thievery well. I manage to hide my smile by gritting my teeth on my pipestem. Ren determines that the likely outcome is not theft but more likely a work of the subject of the painting in question. This because he has only recently spoken with Anubis. Not the same version in all likelihood but nonetheless. . . so we venture forth and return along our own tracks to return to the temple grounds. At this point, I have ceased covering out trail, as is my habit. There can be no one in the town who hasn’t marked our toing and froing! I will make mention here that we meet the two dwarf miners. This is a meeting I will give as much attention to as it deserves. . .     We catch sight of the demi-god as he addresses two of the guards. They seem suitably awestruck. The pharaoh arrives and he is less so. Anubis appears to have dealt with this type of recalcitrant servant at least a few times before. While Ren, Kade and I exchange surprised looks at the god’s forbearance, Anubis seems not at all injured by the priest’s doubts as to his true nature. A strange thing, a priest with no faith. I for one, would not be so certain of my faith as to disbelieve the subject of that same religion! That then is the first event dealt with.       The second event of note follows at the heels of the first. Remarks from Anubis indicate that he knows that Kade is, like himself, a quester on the course to finding himself. Not your typical voyage of self-discovery but one rather more directly possible. Kade reveals that one of the stolen portraits was indeed an image of importance to his future self. Anubis knows more than he speaks to us and offers to take us swiftly to the place of the island where Kade has been told will see revealed, things that will allow him to proceed on his path. The ancient one summons a vehicle I have seen only twice and like those other occasions travelling on it leaves me envious of gods and their abilities to make light of onerous work. This is his barge of the air. It carries us, as swift as a wren, to the island some two days distant in a matter of minutes. Sometimes travel is a joy. Others, it is a chore and simply a means to an end. The sky-barge as Anubis calls it makes all journeys pleasant, though I wonder what happens should there be a storm. . .     The island is more than pleasant. This is evidently a place empowered by whatever natural powers create places like this here in this new realm. Kade has mentioned that this stems from ‘colour’. I have to learn more about this, as he placed emphasis on it and Ren knows enough it appears not to disagree or to elaborate further. Howsoever it is done, the island’s trees and plants are remarkably healthy, vibrantly so, though I don’t bother telling any of the others as their interests do not coincide with mine in this respect. The path of flat stones too, is laid with a delicate thoughtful touch. Each stone is aligned that its natural grain reflects the sunlight in pleasing style. I have not seen the like before. It touches me that here a hand has been at work that cared so much for this place, as to arrange this to be so. I would meet the gardener.     A tall, delicate building, more a spindle than a house rose up to tower some seven levels above the ground. Its roof was a wonder. All curves and dips, like the waves arriving close upon each other, on a bayside shore. The builders must have liked crescent shapes a great deal to make the many eaves of the building resemble them. As with the pathway, it might be that the final outcome had been planned at the start, by minds seriously devoted to the lasting effect the place would have on those seeing it. Before this wondrous tower stood a human man. Kade introduced himself and the fellow replied with his own name, “Tuan Zi”. It was a few moments later that I realised that Kade had vanished. My usually alert nature was, I admit, distracted by this stranger’s appearance.     I am a man who is not given to finery. Clothing is a tool. Boots should be sturdy and weather-proof; cloaks should be warm when required, cool when needed. My companions have from time to time, been more elaborate. I have little interest in these outward displays. Show me the man inside, I say! Nonetheless, here was a very finely turned out man. His clothes were silken. I don’t know yet if they were silk but if so, then there is none finer. His items of apparel were many. Great amounts of thread-work covered his outer, white coat as leaves do a forest floor in autumn-time. This coat was worn to reveal the left side, where armour plated-metal and black, made clear he was a warrior. This armour and his other garb not covered by his coat, was covered in gold. Not leaf to look at it. I wonder that this man could manage under the likely weight of it. Not an efficient armouring material to my mind. As he revealed that he is to be an ‘Imperator’, I suppose gold goes with the territory and allowances must be made. This Tuan Zi, makes no effort to hide his evident wealth. Even his hair is adorned with a gold headpiece. I have left off describing his face. I am not the man for that job. I will say that I like a man that can grow a beard as full as this one had done.     The conversation revealed somethings to do with Kade and his future and how it is conjoined with this man’s and with others too. Crucially, our old friend Praetor, the Final Man, is also connected to these two. Praetor it turns out is the title of all of these men, and not the private property of Praetor. In fact, the term is praetorian and refers to all of them as a group. Our long-time friend’s name is revealed to be Furius. I’ve never known it before but it suits him well. The other important facts are that these praetorians can and will meet one another and when they do, the one most suited will remain and the others will disappear. A handy thing to always be the best ‘you’ for the present circumstance. I wouldn’t mind such a mirror-self from time to time. Another key fact is that these men, in part, are role models for other men. Rank models perhaps, as they each are one Rank or another. As best as I can figure it; Kade is Mundane, Tuan Zi is Exalted and Furius and Osric are Worthy and Exemplar. Osric! There’s a man I haven’t seen in an age’s age. What has he become I wonder? I wonder if he knows his brother still lives. . .     This was the second event of a rather full afternoon. I am not at all weary from my travels. I think I will go for a walk by the inlet and structure my thoughts some.

Character(s) interacted with

Ren   Kade   Sreigorn   Switch   Pikar   Anubis   Tuan Zi