Part IX : Of Fast Friends and Slow Deaths
After laying Isadorra to rest, Syntharia led everyone to the palace to meet Marikoth. Quick pleasantries were exchanged, and Trovik asked how much time they had. Cryptic as ever, Marikoth told him he had "more than he thinks and less than he'd hope." Trovik, Flintknuckle, and Yannis waited outside while Syntharia, Brother Zael, and Kvothe entered the palace. Marikoth led them to a room which he had prepared for Kvothe, cozy but minimal. Brother Zael asked for a moment with Kvothe, and then a few more with Marikoth. Syntharia patiently waited for him to be ready to leave, and asked him why he was not furious with Marikoth as they walked through the palace; if he can see the future, surely he knew where Kvothe was this whole time. Zael told her that Marikoth had once offered to look into his future, when he was training as a diviner, but Zael refused, he didn't want to know what was to come.
As they met back up outside the palace, Brother Zael said he was going to take a walk around the city gardens to clear his head. Syntharia asked for Flint to accompany her to his house, and Yannis and Trovik headed off to the bar. Syntharia told Flint that she needed to take the sedatives not used for his mother, and explained why she wanted to spare Isadorra's life if only for a few minutes. She then headed back to her clinic to try to sleep while Flint went to meet up with Yannis and Trovik at the bar. Sleep did not find Syntharia, so she made her way to her mother's grave, took some of the sedatives, and drifted into a dreamless slumber.
She awoke covered in a cloak, next to Brother Zael, who was seated with his back against Isadorra's headstone. He gave her a crossbow modified to shoot specialized globes filled with alchemical concoctions. She asked him to stay in Botwulf's Stone with Kvothe. but he refused. He believes that in his journeys with her he will find a way to cure his son, and does not want to spend another two hundred years waiting for him to get better.
While readying their horses for travel, Syntharia spoke with Trovik about priorities; she felt that he would let nothing hinder his quest to stop Ragnarok, and that if she were not there that they would not have cured Gareth Hargrave or put an end to the sacrifices in Barleybrook. The two came to an agreement; they would help where they could, but continue on their quest to destroy the shrines.
After a few days on the road the group arrived in the town of Beregard's Rest, where they saw a tiefling woman performing in the market square. As the woman met eyes with Syntharia, they both were stricken by a memory of their childhood; of playing together in Botwulf's Stone during the few weeks in Varme when she would visit. Syntharia remembered her saying that she was visiting her uncle who lived in the palace and she had a moment of revelation. She asked Brother Zael if Marikoth had any siblings, he told her that he had a brother who lived in the Forest of Fallen Leaves. She dismounted immediately, running up to the performing Tiefling and demanding answers, but she was told to wait until her performance was over. At a nearby bar they finally spoke, Syntharia learned that the tiefling woman, named Arisierifirith Kordiel, of "Ri" for short, was Marikoth's niece, her cousin. Later, in a private room, they filled Ri in on their quest, and asked if she would like to join. The five of them set off the next morning.
In a tree not far off the side of the road they saw a man strung up, sigil of Hodir carved into his Royal Guard armor, a pool of blood growing beneath him. Realizing he was still alive, they cut him down and healed his gunshot wounds. He thanked them, and asked for escort back to the town of Fort Daelin. After getting him to safety and resting for the night, they went to speak to the Captain of Fort Daelin's guard. He told them that the man who did this was apparently of average height, in his early to mid twenties, olive skinned, and had piercing green eyes; apparently he had killed over two-dozen guardsmen over the past months. They asked for guardsman's armor so they could lure him out and capture him on the road, but he dismissed the idea. He would not risk the chance of a civilian being murdered, especially not a civilian dressed as a guard. The group considered their options, but ultimately decided to have Ri charm a guard into giving her their armor, a plan which worked beautifully, though they had to flee town before the spell wore off.
They were on the road for several days, staying a good distance behind Trovik who was dressed as a royal guardsman. One night, after making camp, Flint set off to hunt for small game near the river. He heard someone approaching him, and turned, ready to attack. "Marvin!" a voice cried out, and as the figure approached he saw his brother Sirollo with his piercing green eyes, olive skin, and with a rifle slung over his shoulder.
As they met back up outside the palace, Brother Zael said he was going to take a walk around the city gardens to clear his head. Syntharia asked for Flint to accompany her to his house, and Yannis and Trovik headed off to the bar. Syntharia told Flint that she needed to take the sedatives not used for his mother, and explained why she wanted to spare Isadorra's life if only for a few minutes. She then headed back to her clinic to try to sleep while Flint went to meet up with Yannis and Trovik at the bar. Sleep did not find Syntharia, so she made her way to her mother's grave, took some of the sedatives, and drifted into a dreamless slumber.
She awoke covered in a cloak, next to Brother Zael, who was seated with his back against Isadorra's headstone. He gave her a crossbow modified to shoot specialized globes filled with alchemical concoctions. She asked him to stay in Botwulf's Stone with Kvothe. but he refused. He believes that in his journeys with her he will find a way to cure his son, and does not want to spend another two hundred years waiting for him to get better.
While readying their horses for travel, Syntharia spoke with Trovik about priorities; she felt that he would let nothing hinder his quest to stop Ragnarok, and that if she were not there that they would not have cured Gareth Hargrave or put an end to the sacrifices in Barleybrook. The two came to an agreement; they would help where they could, but continue on their quest to destroy the shrines.
After a few days on the road the group arrived in the town of Beregard's Rest, where they saw a tiefling woman performing in the market square. As the woman met eyes with Syntharia, they both were stricken by a memory of their childhood; of playing together in Botwulf's Stone during the few weeks in Varme when she would visit. Syntharia remembered her saying that she was visiting her uncle who lived in the palace and she had a moment of revelation. She asked Brother Zael if Marikoth had any siblings, he told her that he had a brother who lived in the Forest of Fallen Leaves. She dismounted immediately, running up to the performing Tiefling and demanding answers, but she was told to wait until her performance was over. At a nearby bar they finally spoke, Syntharia learned that the tiefling woman, named Arisierifirith Kordiel, of "Ri" for short, was Marikoth's niece, her cousin. Later, in a private room, they filled Ri in on their quest, and asked if she would like to join. The five of them set off the next morning.
In a tree not far off the side of the road they saw a man strung up, sigil of Hodir carved into his Royal Guard armor, a pool of blood growing beneath him. Realizing he was still alive, they cut him down and healed his gunshot wounds. He thanked them, and asked for escort back to the town of Fort Daelin. After getting him to safety and resting for the night, they went to speak to the Captain of Fort Daelin's guard. He told them that the man who did this was apparently of average height, in his early to mid twenties, olive skinned, and had piercing green eyes; apparently he had killed over two-dozen guardsmen over the past months. They asked for guardsman's armor so they could lure him out and capture him on the road, but he dismissed the idea. He would not risk the chance of a civilian being murdered, especially not a civilian dressed as a guard. The group considered their options, but ultimately decided to have Ri charm a guard into giving her their armor, a plan which worked beautifully, though they had to flee town before the spell wore off.
They were on the road for several days, staying a good distance behind Trovik who was dressed as a royal guardsman. One night, after making camp, Flint set off to hunt for small game near the river. He heard someone approaching him, and turned, ready to attack. "Marvin!" a voice cried out, and as the figure approached he saw his brother Sirollo with his piercing green eyes, olive skin, and with a rifle slung over his shoulder.
Played on 04/10/2021
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