B.T.V. -- Session 17 Epilogue: The Darkness Strikes Back

Finndo, Selidor and Asher, and their new comrade the bold conductor, took their ease briefly in the dining carriage of The Emperor’s Progress locacobra, surrounded by the bodies, and bloody and foul debris, of dead Jheregs surrounding them, most fallen to Selidor’s Great Weapon Massartu. “Someone must have tipped off Uilverforce by now that we’re making our way up to him,” Asher pointed out. “When we got this far, they seemed surprised to see us,” Selidor pointed out, and Asher had to agree. They moved to the forward end of the carriage and, exiting, crossed a bridge of intermittent planks to the next in line. Selidor, taking the leader, prepared to open the door, but before he could, loud voices reached them. “I don’t have plans, but I do have an illustration if it’s any use to you.” The voice seemed aggressive, and the phrasing odd. The voice that answered was Colonel Jade’s, the Canticle exile and destroyer who had usurped command of the Jenoine to his own desires. “That would be useless to me.” Selidor tells the others of Jade’s connection to Darkness, and that the Colonel had for a time borne the Great Weapon Nul. “If the fellow bore the sword, his mind can’t be right,” Finndo observed. “He is a denizen of the lowers pit of Chaos,” Selidor responded. “He is with Darkness. It is the worst thing I can describe.” Finndo is puzzled. “The sword was never with Darkness.” “He by his own words betrayed his fellows in the Canticle,” Selidor continued about Jade. “This is the sword’s influence, then,” Finndo determined. Given the presence of the Colonel, Selidor said, the theft of the locacobras by the Jhereg Lord Uilverforce was much more serious than they had anticipated. “Perhaps Jae is the power that has elevated Uilverforce’s ego,” Selidor added. They hear a scream from the carriage. “They have set upon each other,” the bold conductor stated, peering through curtains in the door’s window. In the fracas that follows, a crossbow bolt smashes through that window, passing between the four men outside. The door opens and a Jhereg emerges to demand, “Who are you with?” Selidor pulled the intruder out and knocked him to the platform, then knocked him in the head with the hilt of Massartu. Finndo strides into the carriage, taking only a few steps, and his companions peered in, seeing even worse than they had anticipated. Colonel Jade was there, along with a dozen Jenoine, including two, who seemed female, shepherding a xenomorph between them. More prominent, though, were three identical women, perhaps matching triplets, dressed in Lyorn red and standing in the middle of the carriage. Another Draegeran, a male, was garbed in armour of similar colour. Jheregs are also present, among them Uilverforce, and in one spot four of the Shelled. A Jhereg standing by the door where Finndo had entered looked at his companions and nodded coolly, not eager for a fight against such odds. Uilverforce, demands, “Jade, what is this?” He speaks of the skirmishing, though, not the newcomers. “My followers are zealous,” Jade admitted, with no trace of apology. Uilverforce answered, “If you want the Empress, it’s going to have to settle down.” Finally realizing more occupants have entered the carriage, he calls to the Jhereg on sentry duty, “What is happening?” “I have captured these prisoners,” the Jhereg replied, shrugging in apology to the newcomers. “Fetch the handmaiden,” Uilverforce ordered, speaking of the Empress’s Lady in Waiting that Selidor had freed not much earlier. The Jhereg turns to leave, confiding to his 'prisoners', “He’s completely mad. He has reason to believe in himself, though. He has three Great Weapons, and those three women as well.” As the Jhereg exits, happy to be gone, the Lyorn man approaches. Selidor summarized, “We will have to decide we have to get the Empress to safety.” “Who are you?” asked the Lyorn sternly. “We are guarding the door,” Selidor replied in a semblance of the truth. “You are definitely on the wrong ’cobra. Perhaps you would care to join us.” This seems like a bad idea to all the invitees. Selidor refers to the Lyorn as “Profane,” and the other answers with a slight bow. Finndo notes, “You are not afraid, neither of myself nor my weapon.” “”It is a long time since I have been afraid. You interest me, intriguer. I might put yourself under my protection.” Jade wants the Empress, the Lyorn explains, but Uilverforce in turn wishes aid in achieving his goals. For the moment, the Lyorns are only interested bystanders. “My sisters will see to it that Jade’s efforts are frustrated,” he promises. “We have interests of our own, but are unlikely to find them inside this carriage.” However, the newcomers were potentially something that could be of value. “I will consult my sisters. They are older than I.” He returns to the side of his siblings. “We must decide upon an exercise to ensure the safety of the Empress,” Selidor repeats. Meanwhile, the conversation continues between Uilverforce and Jade. “One at the Black Siding,” the former states, “We can discuss your interests, Colonel. The Cycle comes to an end. I am happy to do anything that speeds that process.” Jade answered, “I need the Empress and if you do not hand her over forthright, I will have to take action.” Nodding to the Xenomorph, he added, “They will make certain it does not get out of control. But Jenoines have minds of their own.” Uilverforce admits he would regret losing more men, in that he has only 100 to start with. (Actually less than that now, given the predations of Selidor, Finndo and Asher.) “Why do you not come in?” Jade calls to those three. “Eavesdropping is rather rude.” Finndo takes the lead. “I am Finndo of Amber, at your service.” “At my service?” Uilverforce asked. “It’s a figure of speech. Don’t take it literally. I would never work for an asshole like you.” Jade announces, “He is a Final Man.” Finndo, turning to the Colonel, observed, “You have made a study of my family?” “Of your kind,” Jade retorted. “Now where is the woman? My patience is thin to begin with.” He had been standing behind a chair, and snapped off its back in frustration. One of the Shelled, meanwhile, floats toward Finndo, Selidor and Asher. He carries a weapon somewhat similar to the last’s Emitter, and also wears a metal helm, demonstrating he has no fear of the sorcery that makes most armour dangerous to its wearer. Selidor moves up to meet the Shelled. “Ho, there, varlet,” he greets him. The Shelled stops perhaps 30 feet away. “This is better,” Finndo pretends. “I sense Splinters upon you,” the Shelled pronounces. Selidor tells his companions that he has recently learned that Shelled are avid collectors of Splinters. Finndo, in an aside to Selidor, says in a low tone, “He seems formidable.” Selidor, at this very moment, realizes how weary his mind is. He has never reached his mental limits before, but he has made frequent use of his Ziggurat that day, and psychic communication. “Can we rely on you to be able to get the Empress out of here, even if we have to fight a delaying action?” Finndo asked him. “I will do my best,” Selidor responds. Finndo, turning his attention back to the Shelled, said, “If we do find any Splinters, how do we contact you?” The Shelled appeared puzzled by its body language, and Finndo pressed on. “There might be some Splinters at the front end of the locacobra.” “Are you certain?” “Well, yes, I am,” Finndo avers. The Shelled appears thoughtful. “It is a small inconvenience to check,” the Shelled stated, and headed toward the front of the carriage. Finndo, seeking quick answers, asked Selidor if he could open an escape route using a portal. “Yes,” answered Selidor, unusually laconic in a reply. The Lyorn warrior returns, gesturing at Finndo. “I have discussed you with my sister. You are of interest to us. Would you be willing to come along quietly?” “I would need to sue for my friends,” Finndo answered. But before another word could be said, Selidor interrupted. “I’m sorry, I must apologize. I challenge you to a duel to the death. You reek of Chaos.” “I would happily accept,” the Lyorn answered calmly, as a Lyorn would. “I am the Duke of Harata, should that interest you, to the west, you might say.” That certainly interested Asher, who was the only one of the three who was native to Axildusk, and knew that Harata covered half the Empire. Lyorn Emperors would have come from this Lyorn’s line. In addition to fine red armour, the Duke carried what appeared to Asher as an excellent blade, perhaps even a Great Weapon. Should Harata triumph, Asher determined his next action would be to fire a spray of charges into the Duke, to avenge his friend. They begin immediately, battling on the swaying bridge between the two carriages. Selidor made a fine feint to the Duke’s right side, and then brought Massartu down across his opponent’s left, just after Harata scored his own hit on the Law Lord. Harata’s wound was deep, but Selidor’s even deeper, and it made a complete ruin of the Duke’s armour. However, Harata remained upright somehow, despite an injury that would have felled a lesser man. The Duke even makes a quick reply, scoring across Selidor’s abdomen, and this time it was the Law Lord who should have been felled, but stayed on his feet. The Duke took a step back, as duelists might to converse briefly, flicking irritatedly at his armour. “You strike heavily for someone slight of build,” Harata allowed. “Are you satisfied, or should we have another pass, then?” Twice-wounded Selidor was determined, and agreed to re-engage, and as they do Massartu cleaves into the Duke’s groin, and this time the nobleman falls, expiring with the words, “You win…this time.” His fine sword falls between the planks of the bridge and under the locacobra. “You know he’ll just be revivified,” Asher jauntily reminds Selidor and Finndo. He suggests putting the Duke into the Law Lord’s entombed treasure room to prevent that, until the body can be permanently disposed of. Selidor starts to do so, but then, does not, having apparently decided in his mind that would somehow stain his honour. Finndo searches for ways to escape the train, given Selidor’s weariness, and suggests perhaps the decanting of Mythic el’Nibone. Finndo pretended this Draegeran could not only ride dragons, but also command them. A crossbowman atop a carriage sends a bolt winging Finndo’s way, but misses. The Prince of Amber hopefully points out the Jhereg responsible, and Asher looses a quick charge, which wings the man. However, given the swaying and speed of the locacobra, the would-be assassin topples down the carriage roof and then over the edge to the ground below. Asher then spots a rooftop slinger, his arm already whirling, and fires, again just inflicting a flesh would but happily one that sent the sling bullet into the Jhereg’s eye. He, too, falls from the train. Finndo, meanwhile, hands another curative to Selidor who quaffs it, recovering somewhat but far from completely. They and their bold conductor pass through the dining carriage and then into the sleeping carriage. The conductor, too bold in this case, is jumped by a Jhereg, who is quickly dispatched by a thrown main gauche from Finndo and the bite of Selidor’s mighty cleaver, which separates his calves and feet from the rest of his body, sending blood everywhere. “A Sword of Sharpness, I assume?” Finndo ventures. Not so, Selidor replies, explaining that, when he and his father Gerard together made the weapon, they had instilled part of the Law Lord’s spirit within it. “Gerard helped you with this sword?” questioned an astonished Finndo. “You didn’t tell me that.” Selidor relates that the sword had been manufacturers one of the few times he had spoken to Gerard. “He was most interested in my training.” “I have miscast him as something of a minor villain, concerning his son,” Finndo confessed. “Other parents in Amber have done less for their offspring. It strikes me your progress in life might be affected by seeing your father and mother again.” Finndo recalled that Selidor had told him that the Law Lord’s mother, the Lady Majiid, had not as of yet been replaced on the Council of Law. “No,” Selidor confirmed, but added, “She had fallen to the madness of the Mule. I don’t know if she survived.” They then enter the Regal salon, to see the Empress standing in the middle, below a chandelier, the light of which complimented her. Selidor goes immediately to Lyra’s side, while Finndo approaches the Empress directly. Asher, knowing he is a mere Easterner compared to his two companions and might not get the same forbearance they did, hung back. Selidor, relating how he had slain Harata, earned more consternation than praise from his beloved Lyra. “This is of the highest family of Lyorn,” she cautioned. “Are they supportive of the Empress?” Selidor inquired, and Lyra confirmed they were. “They might not be,” Selidor confided. Finndo informed the Empress they have determined she must be taken to safety, and she seems amendable to this. She asks who Finndo now plans to involve. “The new Dragon lord.” “I am unaware of any new Dragon lord.” “The Elder one,” Major Iterrari offers. “Ah,” the Empress says in return. “Finndo, you may know more of him than we do.” Mythic el’Nibone, she continues, existed before his appearance only in colorful stories of the distant past, when Axildusk was a single continent, not several. Where once stood the kingdom of Melnibone was now Diablo. Finndo suggests this might be an ideal opportunity for the Empress to meet Mythic. The Major seems pleased that someone now has a plan for rescuing the princess. Asher, at least twice, mentions that the Empress’s lady in waiting, Mahlivan, seems to be missing, but they pay him no heed, so he shrugs and returns to silence. Selidor, before trying his Ziggurat, attempts and succeeds to make psychic contact with Mythic. The latter asked what the former wished of him. Selidor explains the situation, and while Mythic seems unenthusiastic at first, that changes when the Law Lord offers the opportunity to meet the Empress in favourable circumstances. Mythic, explaining he is at the White Lantern tavern in Adhrilanka, offers to arrange for a private room so he might teleport the Empress to a location where she would not be on public view. He needs a few minutes to do so. Selidor’s mind returns to the salon, but before that, Colonel Jade appears by the door, a Jenoine to either side. The two conductors who had been standing by the door have collapses of unknown injuries. The Colonel begins to speak, pretending to come in friendship, but Asher will have none of it. He hurls his three Claws toward the Colonel, but one of the Jenoine moves to interpose itself. The first Claw strikes this one, and the second goes wide, hitting the second, and inflicting minor and moderate wounds. Then a third Claw hits the first Jenoine in its outstretched right hand, in a vicious blow. “Now let us not be hasty,” the Colonel says. “We are all friends here.” The Empress, like Asher, will have none of that, pointing to the two Jenoine. “These things are our direst enemy.” Jade, turning less amicable, says, “I think I must insist you come under my protection, Empress.” Asher fires a spray of charges from his Emitter at the first Jenoine, hoping to fell it. The impacts buffet the Promethean, but it does not fall. The other steps up to ensure Jade is completely protected. Jade and the Jenoine vanish in some unusual form of teleport, but everyone in the salon knows they are sure to return. Asher had feared losing his Claws, but just before the Jenoine goes, he realizes he can control his new weapons to the point where he can recall them to him, and he does so smartly. He is greatly relieved. Mythic’s intervention arrives before any additional deviltry from Jade, and they all appear in what is now a crowded private room of a tavern, minus the two conductors and, as only Asher seems aware at the moment, Mahlivan. “I have contact with the Orb,” the Empress announces triumphantly. “I shall not forget your efforts this day.” Finndo, before the Empress can depart, gestures to the waiting Mythic. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Majesty,” the Melnibonean greets her, even as the Empress is struck by a thought. “We have forgotten my lady in waiting!” she laments. Asher points out he had not, but no one had listened to him, and Finndo is displeased with this revelation. Selidor agrees to attempt to use his Ziggurat to bring the handmaiden to them, even though he hardly knows her, and he is weary. He enters his Ziggurat form, and seeks to do so, but finds himself frustrated again and again. But then, he sees an individual in a red mist before him, and advances, only to see Vaxus standing there. The Law Lord somehow knows this one for who he is, despite having never met him, and a moment later is struck by how much the other resembled him, as a father might a son, or a brother a brother. “What is it you want?” Selidor demands, somewhat sullenly. “You know what I want.” “That I cannot provide.” “But you can.” “As it is written, so shall it be,” Selidor allows. “It is good to see you, at least.” “What interest do you have in me? You are a creature of Darkness.” “Am I?” “I am a Lord of Law. You will not intimidate me.” “I am only looking at you.” Vaxus waits, as if for Selidor to confess to some crime. “If you have something to say to me, say it to me!”

Transcribed by R.Perry