KOHKOL: Session 03 -- 'The Long and the Short of It' Report
General Summary
The day would end without supper and a hastily called for journey. My back aches but there’s no denying the importance to my master to be away in good time. Ashonay, his squire has the suppleness of both the feminine and of youth. She does not call for rest. A page, like myself can only follow. She has prepared everything well, I am pleased to report. Her basic understanding is aided by her obvious desire to do a thorough job. I cannot fault her effort. The girl’s missing crucial elements but these pieces’ absence are not her doing nor fault. The master’s horse looks magnificent as we approach him from the keep’s side of the causeway. His mane is a thing to behold. It reminds me that Sir Wallone may have reason to be astride Rutger in battle soon. I shall make a point of showing Ashonay the way the horse’s mane must be braided to include the master’s Acery honours. I have been saving these to make sure the girl has learned her lessons. Ashonay has done well. I can trust her with Wallone’s heirlooms. Wallone pretends he is not sentimental but I know that he fights differently when his mount is deployed in full Houselands honours. Things have taken a turn for the most serious and my master has gotten older. He will need all his emotions available to fight beside the arrivals. His pride will not allow him to stand back and let younger, stronger knights take the fore. This Sir Renaissance has been a boost to my master’s will. It has been a good, long while since Wallone has had a Knight to stand alongside with. Despite much resting, the master has seemed tired this past year. I am pleased for him. I have enjoyed our three days at Goieval Keep. The count’s small but excellent selection of wines has been an education as to what some effort can create upon this world. These vintages may be named, ‘Ieval’ but they have done me nothing but good! I hope we can return one day. I leave some coin for my master with the Bako’s kosstilian. She’s a quiet one and dedicated to maintaining the keep. I’ve barely seen her about the place but the keep is orderly and sound. I prefer her to the kosstilian we will meet next.
The arrivals finally descend from the keep as we had expected. For all the books, it looks as though they mean to depart without us but they do not protest at my master’s statement that we will travel together. Sir Renaissance has determined through his connection to the Colour Orange that the man known as Dractyl will have a part to play in the events of the theft of the Tempest’s relic. It is decided that by heading to the nearest portal, a quicker journey to Dractyl’s current location can be achieved.
Sir Geir is a knight of goodly standing within his Order it is proved, as he sets about leading us confidently away from Goieval. We do not take a route that his party has traveled on before but the intent is to return to where they began their journey. I’m impressed by this knight’s confident manner and approach. Perhaps he is made more sure by some of those we are accompanied by? Besides ourselves and Sir Zi and Sir Renaissance, there are members of the Thrown. In our travels I have seen these Thrown Tempest only twice and both times they were meant to be hidden among the leaves of the trees above me. Wallone managed to engage in a brief conversation on one of these chances. It seems they are a skittish type as he spoke in generalities but the tempest he spoke to was deflection and parry and little else. The tempest with us are led by an older man. His name is Chiaflitt and the arrivals refer to him as ‘commander’. As it turns out there are three tempest with Chiaflitt. We see no sign of these others for some time as they range before our intended course. When we do see them at an interval where we stop to nourish ourselves and rest the horses, I’m pleased to see that whereas the commander and two of the others are dressed without defence, the last and prettiest is armoured for battle. An atypical suiting it is, with her pauldrons both fashioned into the heads of some bird of prey I can’t quite place. It is akin to a falcon or eagle yet my eye detects there are differences. I make a note to ask this tempest, named Lawniss as to her armour’s styling.
We travel toward a village that has no name. A village without a name is a rare thing, it can only be the borderland hamlet that my master has taken us past before. The horses have travelled well to this point. The last member of our party rides easily. She is the Lady Yseth. My memory is spotty on her joining us. Sir Wallone has told me that she came to us through an arcane casting of a Thale Lord. I can almost recall his grey pallor but as to his details there are few to record. He wore a coronet of blue light, that much I can confirm. My master said to not worry about the other details, as the lady’s deliverance is more important than the means by which it was achieved. Lady Yseth is a demure thing. She says little and only when asked to reply. She doesn’t offer much in the way of conversation. I have seen faces of trouble many times . Lady Yseth reminds me of these. She treats her horse well so it seems she has been raised among some teachers of things pertinent to her station.
Sir Zi also rides a borrowed mount of Count Bako’s stable. I could offer him some pointers on his position but do not want to insult him. He is determined not to show his discomfort but as the day passes and the miles move past us, I see him shifting in the saddle. Ashonay looks to me in this and I still her with a hand. The count has provided a riding saddle of decent layering. Lucky for Sir Zi that the horse is a gelding and not a stallion, tacked with hard-buttressed war-saddle! Sir Renaissance rides altogether more comfortably. Well he might, for I have rarely beheld as fine a horse as his, Temeriel. The horse is a bright and pleasant hue of Orange. That it is touched by the spectral array is evident. When it is left among the other horses, the creature is clearly apart from them. Animals will acknowledge their superiors easily where Races would not. I’m inclined to wonder at what could arise from its breeding with Houselands stock. An idle thought given my master’s circumstance. I can’t stop these thoughts of home, however. The trip continues until another halt is called for.
At this stoppage, my master approaches Sir Zi. I’m surprised by this as this knight is far from regular. Wallone has always seen the different as interesting. It is a very real factor in why we find ourselves on Logresse. He starts talking about inconsequential things to do with Sir Zi’s skill-at-arms. I can see my master is struggling with the effort and offer to speak for him. Sir Zi is a basically outfitted knight. In most respects he is a barbarian, as they are called here. To say that I have a different perspective is true but his garb is humble and lacking in defence would be fair to state. There the barbarism ends. His speech is cultured perhaps more than most i have met. His mind reasons well and indeed his stance is one of leadership and more so, expected deference. Strange it is to behold a man of outward baseless position while yet possessing inner command.
My master finally comes around to his reason for talking. He wants Sir Zi to teach Ashonay how to caste magick. Zi is not at all reluctant and brightly outlines to them various spells he can teach. I interrupt this list, of no doubt useful castes, to provide a clearer understanding of what is needed. Through all this Ashonay is uncertain both at the need and at the curriculum! With a depiction of the specific castes required, all are more or less agreed that something can get done. My master is relieved to have the prospect of adequate training for Ashonay resolved. Sir Zi will find her a competent mind to instruct. She is as good a study as I have come across. It is for this reason that Sir Wallone took her on in the first place. If not for her worthiness, that was apparent from the start, he wouldn’t have tried.
The hamlet came into view without any occurrence. The place was exactly as I remembered. I checked my record of our last visit and it confirmed that the ruined homes and shops were much as they are this time. What was the main road through the village was far less than it must have been once. Dead, branchless trees stood forlornly where they must have once provided shade. The present condition of the place was horrible. An umber, tinted gloom lay over every structure and blasted tree trunk. The only relieving feature of the place was the knowledge that there was a portal here. This portal is related to a new series of Orange portals established to assist the aspirations of the new kingdom of Ranthurm. It had already been discussed on the way here that the portal is a one-way variant. It is wrong to think that we can use it to go anywhere, as this is the exiting point not the entry. Sir Renaissance is mindful of this detail. He had taken advice of Sir Geir of the existence of a being that is attached in mystic manner to the portals of Ranthurm. Renaissance concentrated in clear effort for some seconds and then called out a name, Signate. What followed was most rewarding. An apparition of impressive styling stood before us out of thin air. I cannot easily describe it, save to say that it was a thing of power. Unlike the Thale lord, this being was not of a kind but seemed unique. It floated just off the ground by means of three pairs of what I took to be wings. This was not a Geli’Qys. They have only one pair of wings and these are very like a bird’s. Signate’s ‘wings’ held it aloft without any movement. Between its wingtips there were mystic symbols that also floated upon the air. The symbols were strange and at the same time almost familiar, annoyingly so, as I thought to discern a meaning in one only to decide that I was wrong in my opinion. There was comment made that perhaps these five symbols each referred to one of the portals of Ranthurm. This did not receive a negation by Signate.
There was discussion between this being and Sir Renaissance. Signate indicated that there were at least two chances for him to place a new portal upon the world. Renaissance decided to reserve these for a later time. He asked Signate if he could manage to send the party to the portal nearest our quarry. Signate did not seem interested in whom we might be hunting. It simply said that it could send us to the portal indicated as the Portal of the Tower. With thanks from Renaissance to Signate given, we are suddenly deposited within the shadow of the tower portal. I have not been near this tower before but we are so quick to turn in our desired direction that it is clear no delay can be made. The knight Sir Geir and the tempest take their now customary places ahead of us and we make towards Annock Koss. This koss seems to be the place that Dractyl is located. Reports from those ahead are soon telling us of a large group of mounted men, travelling on the same path. This group must be the Br’Tagnese force that stole the relic from Templeton. Commander Chiaflitt had told us of these men and the daring aerial descent they had made to steal the relic and be away before much resistance could be mounted. An attack from the sky was the last thing the tempest could have guessed at. The tempest are after all, great exponents of aerial attack. Br’Tagne is not known in any way for it.
Sir Zi and Sir Renaissance were clearly after getting close to the Br’Tagnese force. They hadn’t seen any of this land to this point. At nightfall, we were four hours from their location and seven from Annock Koss. They decided to push on in the darkness to the koss. Arriving there first, when it was evidently the destination for the Br’tagnese, seemed to give us an advantage. Being careful for our horses’ health, the party made a wide circuit around the Br’Tagne camp and continued north-eastward. Catching sight of the koss near dawn was impressive to the arrivals. It was plainly revealed on their faces that Annock Koss was more than they had expected. Once there and moving through the koss, both Zi and Renaissance seemed less overawed than impressed. It seems to me they both have seen even mightier kosses in their time. I can think of few except Raidspear on Baym or perhaps the structures of Lastbridge, that might be as impressive fortifications that I have seen.
We are taken by a yeoman to meet the kosstilian of Annock Koss. His office is a tidy place and I am immediately struck that here is a decent administrator. The greeting he gives the party is perfunctory but adequate. I sense a certain lack of respect in his manner but as his words are not directed to me I cannot be certain how they are received by the knights, Renaissance and Zi. My master is more interested in meeting the Baron of Annock. We ask if there are any other travelers staying at the koss and are told that Dractyl is indeed among the guests. We are taken to the level of the koss where travelers are billeted and take rooms of our choosing. We make sure to have our rooms surround the one we take to be Dractyl’s. After a stand-up bath to get some grime off us, we are escorted for an audience.
The great hall of Annock Koss is a pleasantly intimate room. The baron is a large man who has let his interests in food and drink get the best of his athleticism. An armour to suit him would be better fashioned into suits for two fitter knights. Despite this or perhaps because of this, he is welcoming and eager to provide us with full-wine despite the early hour of the day. He is quick to pour and quicker to drink our health. He might well have offered to drink to our health individually, as he was not to slow his pace for the two hours we were with him. Talk began with introductions and a discourse about Ranthurm and its new place on the land. This information was received politely enough by the baron. A herald appeared to add his knowledge to the proceedings. His was a voice welcome to me as his is a lore frequently missing from consideration.
It was then that Dractyl too appeared. He is a strange man. I take him as a caster though at first glance he might be a Valonese, or Arrivalon. Something about him strikes me as having been to other worlds, although I have no proof nor did he mention this possibility. I have heard of both Chenaga and Tebbaren having many animal associations and this Dractyl smacks of something akin to this. It isn’t beyond possibility that he has always lived on Logresse. If this is the case, then he has grown up in unusual circumstances. He wore a cloak of uncouth style. His face hidden by a half-helm, half mask contrivance. This was created to mimic the head of a creature or monstrous. As near to a wyvern or strange lizard as best as I can make out. There are two or three stories of monstrous with such descriptions. I have them recorded somewhere but haven’t the time or patience to search for them. In speech he sounds affable enough. He gives honour where it is due and is mannerly toward the women present. He raises his glass when appropriate and does not interrupt the knights when they speak. He has learned the manners of courtliness for certain. This means he has been among princes frequently. This is as I have heard tales of him told.
An arrangement is almost reached wherein he will assist us if the relic comes to hand. That we have suspicions as to his interest in the thing, we keep among ourselves. Before it is a finished agreement, the herald decides that things are beyond his ready grasp. He tells us that before we continue further, he would like to bring in a superior. I’m not sure why this superior hadn’t been with us from the start. I don’t intervene and the herald departs briefly to collect this other herald. When he returns, it is with a Heraldic Adjudicator. These men are rare as horse scales. We’ve only ever heard of them, never having met one in our years in Logresse. Something momentous is about, I feel. In the first instance this seems to be the investiture of Sir Renaissance as rightful ruler of the new Kingdom of Ranthurm. It does an old page’s mind good to see the younger set paying attention to the ancient rites of kings. The Adjudicator was well-spoken given the hurried nature of the proceedings. It was the smallest gathering to witness a regal ascension I can remember. I couldn’t easily recall smaller even in readings. There are stories of kings coming to power alone or at the hand of an individual or relical blade, however, so there is nothing to speak against the size of those present. Just as the final tap of the herald’s blade of pronouncement was to touch Renaissance’s forehead, the adjudicator paused. He asked the baron to grant amnesty to any and all prisoners. The baron who had forgotten this tradition at the investiture of a ruler, hurriedly called the kosstilian to do as the herald had asked. The kosstilian was hesitant and invoked the baron’s wrath before meekly agreeing to seeing to the prisoners’ freedom.
The freed men and women were paraded into the hall and the final dubbing was made on Sir Renaissance. The freed were given some small coins, told to recant and seize upon their luck to change their ways. It never goes as wished but there is merit in the doing. As they were ushered from the hall, there was a revelation of some strange folk who had also been in the cells of Annock Koss. These were tinkers. I have never seen real tinkers before. These were just as described, complete with the hairiness and short stature ascribed to them. As well, there was the gleam eyes that have been written about in the tales of the tinkers. It is said that they will take anything from a man without care. The man may have little and a tinker won’t give a damn. Only by suggesting someone else with more to take from, can a person perhaps manage to avoid being ruined by a tinker. No small wonder that the baron had incarcerated these three. To my amazement, Sir Renaissance seemed to be on least affable terms with them. I suppose he may have made pact with the tinkers? It could be that there is profit he grants them so that they resist taking all he has. I can’t be sure of this as to this time, I haven’t had a chance to ask.
Here my recording will pause as we have much to prepare. The Br’Tagnese are mere miles away from the koss. I imagine a plan to either attack when least expected may be coming or that or we shall meet with the commander of the Br’Tagnese force to determine if he will be reasonable.
Candlemass
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