Chapter 16 - The Temple of Teeth
General Summary
The sun is high over the gyrating forest, so forgetting their fatigue after marching all day to the standing stones, the party proceeds down the mountainside, hoping to find the bright object they saw from up high. The way to the tree line lies through a meadow of red flowers, and as the group moves through it, Dietmar, Reinhard, and Carrot the Donkey tumble onto the ground. Their companions yell and try to kick them, but in vain: everyone without fee blood seems to be affected by the flowers' power. Franz unstraps his shield, and with its help, along with that of Eddi's rope, the remaining four sled their companions into the woods. Cilly plucks one of the red flowers and examines it. She concludes that the pollen will make all those affected sleep for a full eight hours, and given them vivid dreams. While plans are made to harvest these when they return home, those left awake realize that there can be no question of pressing on now. Franz picks up a stick to whittle down to a spike in order to form a perimeter around the camp, but it attempts to stab him. The former Wachtmeister appeals to the forest and offers his forgiveness. The trees and shrubs close in around the group, but they seem appeased by his entreaties, and do not attack.
The fee-blooded companions set up watches for they daytime rest. Klawuhn, the only full-blood among them, is assigned two watches - one at the beginning, and one at the end. However, as he keeps his eye on the sleepers, he experiences ever-greater discomfort. His skin gets sore and begins to crack, as if he is getting a bad sunburn, even though the heavy foliage cover shields them from the bright Albenheim sun. His discomfort is visible as the watches change. Cilly cures him, though Franz is less sympathetic. He hears something rustling in his pack, but when he checks it, everything seems to be in order.
After a full day's rest, Dietmar and Reinhard awaken. Their companions, who now know the effect of the flowers, ask them what they dreamed, but both refuse to share. Klawuhn is burned worse than before. As Dietmar ministers to him, he notices light leaking out of the cracks in his skin. The dark elf seems to more affected by Albenheim's light than the rest.
As the sun heads toward the horizon, they set out on their trek through the forest. Reinhard summons up a magical disk to see if it can lead them through the woods, and though the trees are too dense for it to pass through, he notices strange markings on it that he has never seen before. Eddi deciphers them, but they seem to be nonsense rhymes in elvish. Further difficulties lie in their path. The ley lines are no longer visible, and they make their way through the shifting wood the best way they can. Though Dietmar prays to God to protect them on their way, it soon becomes dark. The friar creates a light, but after making their way through almost the whole night, they don't seem to be anywhere near the reflective object. Reinhard finally undertakes to tune himself in to the magic of the place, and locates a thin ley line, which is at least something to follow. He cannot concentrate on it for long, and it soon disappears. But spending another night in the middle of his enchanted wood just seems too dangerous, so Reinhard summons his own to take a look around. The bird comes out looking pitch-black, but it obeys its master, soars up over the enormous trees, and soon returns, speaking in Tungrisch words that it has seen a bright structure about two - three hours' march distant.
Taking a risk, the party decides to press on. Though most of them grow weary, their tiredness is experienced as drunkenness. When after several hours they arrive at a clearing, the sun has risen once again, but Franz is feeling quite inebriated, and many of the others are also a bit tipsy. Before them stands a huge, blindingly white structure with sharply sloping gables. Suddenly, from behind, two elves who are pointing nocked arrows appear as if from out of nowhere. One, with a shaggy blond mane and a green cloak, demands to know what they are doing there, while the other, a dark-haired elf dressed in mail, silently keeps his bow aimed at them. The visitors explain that they were summoned here by Edelweiss, to whom they are likely related, and that the rest are companions helping them make their way through Albenheim. The shaggy one demands that they deposit any and all weapons prior to entering their home, including any that are hidden (which he claims they will find anyway), and as most of them deposit their weapons on the ground, he steps forward and begins to frisk them. Cilly refuses, and the dark-haired one shoots an arrow directly at her feet, and claims that the next one will go through her heart. The healer still refuses to comply, and the elf lets loose again, but the arrow flies high. At that point, her companions finally convince Cilly to disarm, and the elves lead them to the gabled hall. As they get a close look at it, they see that it is constructed entirely of teeth, apparently human, and most probably, baby teeth. This revelation puts a chill in the guests' spine as they pass through the front door.
Once inside, the elves' demeanor changes. The hall seems to be laid out for a feast, featuring roast boar, cream, honey, bread made of wild cereals, and greens of various kinds. Beer and wine are served as well. Lit braziers keep the hall illuminated, and two carved wooden statues preside over the feast from the back of the hall. Other elves soon emerge, and greet the visitors warmly. In all, there are 10 - Skinfaxi (the green-clad shaggy-mained one Olvir (the dark-haired mailed archer), Kára - a sly-faced woman with long matted tresses reaching to the floor; Sigrun - a blue-eyed woman with an elaborate do of layered braids; Skulda - a red-haired elf with dark lining under her eyes who is almost certainly some sort of magician; Eir - a platinum blonde with fine features and childlike eyes; Ingwine - the tallest of the group, who carries himself as a warrior; Froh - a hauntingly beautiful elf with long tresses and a distant gaze; Rán - a blue-haired woman with nearly white glowing pupils and leaves in her hair; and Skirnir - a man with long, snow-white hair whose eyes betray centuries of life, if not more.
Sigrun seems to act as the group's leader. She invites the visitors to partake of the feast, though Franz and Reinhard refuse to touch anything. She then engages them in conversation, asking them why they have come, and what they hope to find. The guests reiterate that they are here at Edelweiss' invitation, and express surprise at the fact that she is not there. Eddi asks, and Sigrun confirms, that she is indeed her mother, as well as the mother of Franz and Cilly. When asked why the elves produce offspring with humans, she replies that ever since being expelled from the Middle World by humans (and priests in particular), the elves have needed children to grow up among humans, to learn how to live among them, and to help them ways to figure out how to return. In response to Dietmar's question whether they have anything to do with the Plague, she simply answers that they are "dealing with it". Ultimately, she says that the three children of Edelweiss have come here to be admitted into elvish life, but for that, they have to each pass a trial and overcome that which has brought them the most distress. After further discussion, it is established that for Cilly, this means creating an elixir which would cure the plague (but remain here with the elves). For Eddi, this means catching the fish that has haunted her dreams for years. For Franz, it means killing his brother - the one that he was changed for as a baby, and who seems to reside here in Albenheim. This is because in order to pursue his true destiny, he must be willing to break from his human life. Franz tries to object, saying that he actually risked his life for a brother, and that the Sensenmann took him from him, thus cheating him. Sigrun has her own perspective. She says that the Sensenmann tried to communicate with Franz and told him what he must and must not do - create tunnels, leave Ruprecht alone, but Franz chose to ignore these messages, and paid the price. Ruprecht's words regarding treason on Franz's part now become clear. Franz also reveals that he received an anonymous message with instructions, which a friend read to him. Sigrun opines that Franz bends the truth when he says the Sensenmann tricked him, because he continues to receive powers from him. She adds that Franz himself was the cause of Manfred's death as he staked his life on a deal with the Reaper, and then, was unwilling to live up to his part in the bargain. Killing the other brother of Manfred and Rudolf would simply complete what he himself has already started. Franz becomes glum, because his task seems a lot more difficult than Cilly's or Eddi's, though Dietmar wonders whether "killing the brother" actually refers to him. Sigrun, laughs, and reassures the guests that all who arrived may help Edelweiss' children to complete their trials. Through all this Klawuhn is studiously ignored, though the elves seem willing to tolerate him as Edelweiss' children's companion, if he can survive Albenheim's radiance.
After the trials have been set, the feast suddenly turns lighthearted. Kára asks Dietmar whether he has a present for her, and he offers her a communion cup. She offers an exchange, pours wine into it, and into the elves' own wooden cup, links arms with him and tells him to drain her cup while she drains his. After he does, she tries to kiss him, but the friar draws back. Eddi laughingly tells Kára that he is already married to Gaal. Misunderstanding, Kára asks if he likes men. When he explains that his marriage is a spiritual one, she asks whether one might not be able to be married to multiple people. The ritual she says he did not complete is sometimes done with rings - if there were a ring at the bottom of the cup, they would be married now, if not necessarily exclusively. Eddi asks whether it would be possible to bring her own husband Friedrich to live with her in Albenheim, and Kára replies that it would, though she must be prepared to spend an eternity with him. She then turns to Reinhard, and asks him to dance. The doctor tries to put her off by saying that he is already in love - with magic. The elves, with Cilly's encouragement, tell him to stop being so serious, and Kára eventually succeeds in dragging him to dance - Reinhard's clumsiness amuses her all the more. Meanwhile, Franz breaks out the spirits Cilly had just distilled. The elves try it, and are briefly dumbstruck, though they then ask for more. The party then breaks free of all bonds as the elves say that they are going out to make love under the stars, and ask if any of the guests want to join them. Cilly agrees immediately, and with a little cajoling, so does Reinhard. The rest demur, citing commitments or the necessity to prepare for the trials. But in the course of the frolicking, Cilly and Reinhard gain new magical insights.
Rewards Granted
- Reinhard and Cilly learn new spells
Missions/Quests Completed
- arrival at the Temple of Teeth
Character(s) interacted with
Report Date
26 Jan 2021
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