B I G: Session 11 - Epilogue
'...Belringer's captain struck without warning from behind...'
General Summary
An Orange glow suffused the room's opulent decor. The colour came from numerous lanterns that hung from the ceiling rafters. Everything in the room was given a wash of warm colour that encouraged anybody inside to take a moment longer to look more closely at whatever they viewed. In some way what happened was that more appreciation for a thing's fineness could be had, as though the Orange light exposed the object's inner and truest nature. Seated on a low, large cushioned and leglesss seat was the leader of the rakshahasas of Miranse. His name is Taggadagga. He held in his oversized paw a silvered hand mirror. He looked at himself critically -- but fondly... Taggadagga was a more than ample example of a rakshahasa. His large frame had over years become soft, especially around the middle. Just a little too much about the belly, perhaps? Too many chef-prepared meals under his belt, he thought to himself. But showing that one had wealth and comforts was important for a rakshahasa's position. In this respect, Taggadagga was important indeed. He had become a yow much earlier than most did. Yow was a title bestowed by the Rowrash or Riverking of his kind. He put down the mirror somewhat reluctantly as he really hadn't finished his self-inspection. His patterend fur would just have to await his fuller attention. In the violet present, he needed to examine another's body. Yow Taggadagga, examined the dead woman before him. Her armour was unusually designed. It gave great attention to her figure, even to the point of exaggerating her most feminine of attributes. As he stared at her, Taggadagga's tongue made a grand tour of his tiger's lips.
"Great Yow, I don't mean to disturb...", said the rakshahasa warrior who had just entered the chamber.
"Mmm, yes? What do you need? Don't tell me some guest has just rolled felix eyes, not that again!" Taggadagga's voice rumbled forth round and full, both in tone and in unspoken potential violence.
No less deep, although without nearly as much threat, the warrior-guard spoke, "I believe there are soldiers of the dead woman here to collect her body."
"I see... I had hoped to have the new portrayer capture this woman's image before her face takes on the Hunter's mask. No matter, as the portrayer is nowhere to be found, I will have to turn her over without capturing her likeness. It's necessary I suppose..." Taggadagga's voice betrayed his disappointment.
"She was yours before she was slain, great Yow?"
"No, I had not had the opportunity to suggest anything like that."
"Will there be action required as a result of her being killed?"
"Good of you to ask it. I can't be sure. There are possibilities where there will be -- and those where there won't. I can't begin to guess which are the more likely."
"Forgive me Yow, but that doesn't sound like your usual take on things."
"We are rakshahasa, you and I. This is not the usual game to be dissected, Chance to be allowed for, strategy understood and plan formed as a result. No, this is quite beyond the typical game. Chance herself would doubt her eyes and blink thrice to see if things became clearer. Let us agree before I recount the events of this day, that you will not speak until I am done."
"Yes, great Yow."
"Settle your 'hind upon the divan and I will give you the elaborations of my view of what occurred... Ah-Mmm, comfortable? Ah good-good...
So, when the ones of our recent alliance, the merchant-prince, Maldon and the low city's, garrison-chief Osric, had just left here some hours ago, you will remember that I ordered you to fetch my scroll-cases. From this fine vintage collection I took the most usable and useful for the appointed meeting that would follow. These gentlemen and myself would rendezvous at the Arcsegment gate. There I knew well enough that we could badger the horse-helmed girl into letting us go below into Lowsis. I arrived first as I was in haste to get there before the others. I had a desire to see the girl first and unattended by listening ears. My hasty departure was rewarded. I got to the gatehouse and she was there and alone. I greeted her in customary fashion and was gratified to sense that my voice had the same affect on her being that it has on most. I could detect that she was slightly uplifted by my manner and that her pores opened in a way most... delicate. In this, it was like the last time I had been favoured by luck's caste to speak with her. Then and at this violet time, she made it clear if not obvious that she was fond of felines. A human word for all such as we felix-born... Sensing this, I took every opportunity to flex my whiskers, just so ... and my ears prick, as so... to accent my gracefulness and Chance given physical gifts.. She could not help but note these gestures even if she was distracted by other concerns as to duty and so on. Subtlety is the trick, my felixan. Should there be a time when you are favoured by Fortune's smile and she holds your fate in esteem, you too may be lucky enough to speak with a female. Not while you are with me though, ah-mmm?
Now we spoke for a short while. She all business, that is to say most concerned with what I was after and whether she should call for the guard and the like. For my part, I sought to ease her serious mind with quiet admonishment that she neglected her true nature. Her workman-like self was at odds with her femininity and that she might serve her spirit better to just occasionally take off her workman's armours and relax. 'To serve the woman in the metal suit rather than ensconcing her form in that steely shroud and find her being lost within its iron swaddle', is I believe, an exact wording of what I said to her... I offered the baths at my establishment, where she would be assured safe privacy from malicious foe and lascivious eye alike. I conjured before her imaginary view, a room filled with the most sumptuous of calming waters, light and shadow dancing in harmonious steps with each other and safroll-timber scented musk upon the air. There she could tend to her more private requirements. The needs any of us have must be tended to, ah-mmm? She, not being any more made of steel than any other being of bone and sinew, could do nothing to debate my words. In fact, she was rather at loss for what to say, as I am used to when persons are offered the generosity of my house. So I took her place in speech and agreed for her, that she visit my house and partake of what was on offer and that I would hear nothing to negate my conjured gift to her. At this she smiled and I was made aware of the girl's still formative nature. Her face is barely removed from childhood's touch. That one barely a woman is expected to defend a part of the city on her own, is ridiculous to me. This large responsibility despite her youth and delicate aspect, foisted upon her by her uncle's meeting with the Hunter's hand. Inheritances are better when they are strictly cash payouts. I would not fancy a bequest that meant I had to make my pawed feet follow the path trod by even my dearest of relations -- well not unless there was a ludicrous amount involved at the end of night's chancing...
So it was that Maldon and Osric approached us two, with a future meeting with the girl assured. When they stepped from the coach they did so with only two attendant guards. One of the saursan demi-race and a severe example. In his rarity there is some value. He is the same that did in so many rakshahasa but weeks ago. As his actions did make my ascension in the world of Miranse easier, I can find it within my heart to allow his presence. He is a saursan, however, and I must not make all that much allowance. If he requires more than passing latitude to be given, I will not shirk my Tebbaren duty. He is as able as few are so I could see the sense of bringing him along, from the humans' perspective. As well, there was the very real possibility that there would be waters about in the lower city. Fortune knows that there is more than enough water to worry about above ground but below in, Lowsis it was likely to worse. The idea of my getting wet was not enticing. I save my baths for here and then only with appropriate accompaniment. This saursan could do the splashing about with aquatic foes if required! The other was titled the Half-Regent. He told me to call him 'Regent' but I responded that this was not for me to call him, as my rulers are my own kind. He said to call him 'Half', which while less than decent as a name or even a title, did not offend me... So it was with this in mind that I held my tongue and introduced the Horse Constellation of the Octave to Osric and Maldon. They were quite deferential to her and I was pleased that they were this way with her. The saursan of course emitted his demi-racial odor that I chose to ignore, as it seemed the girl did too. She was already well-disposed to me and so the words of the newcomers were not a worry for her. She granted us access to Lowsis, the under-city of Spansis, with only a few words for care and caution. We set off down the Arcsegment tower's staircase.
It took us to a typical door. Through this door, all seemed as one might expect, that is unless one was expecting to be confronted by a cityscape. Beyond, there was a covered and noisome canal. There was barely space enough to pass along its finished banks for one of my considerable bearing. How the saursan managed not to slip in I'm not sure. Perhaps he did intentionally and swam through this waterway. I confess, as he was bringing up the rear, I did not note whether he did or didn't. This walk went by all too slowly but in time we emerged in what seemed a dead end. The walkway simply stopped abruptly, like the end of a riverboat's pier. My hopes would have sunk into Hope's canal if it were not that at the last point one could stand there was a bookstand. On it as there always should be, there was a thick book. As I prefer my women's legs, this ledger was encased in a supple leather. On its pages I scented no trace of damage made by the surrounding damp air. That was also as it should be with books. I examined it's pages not at all, as I knew the writing to be mere distraction. Too much time within this dead end chamber would result in the place filling with water. Even if you could swim a rather dubious proposition to escape from. Instead I made as quickly as I could to page 141. This was the triggering page which made the book into a kind of signal-key. As the weight on the book-stand was as the trigger required, the hidden mechanism began its business, turning a large urn above the sluicing gate and revealing an alcove behind it. This grew in visibility as a gentle illumination filled that portion of the room. Wasting no time we made our way through this new exit by means of a ramp that appeared out of the thin air between it and our pier.
Through this doorway, we stood at the entrance proper to the undercity. A large chamber, all clad in stone met our direct glances, wherever we chose to look. Ahead of us and with back turned, we could see a figure. This human wore a long, Red coat. Heavily fashioned, this garment and by a decent tailor. That said, the coat was rather worn at the cuffs and I scented that its fabric was not immune to collecting the whiff of damp. I praised Fortune's grace that I did not to stay in Lowsis for any length of time. All that was needed was to get to the woman, Belringer and get out of there. We intimated as much to this red coated man and he immediately knew who she was -- a great relief to me. However, he did tell us that her location was deeper within the lower city and that a walk of some half an hour would be needed to reach where her armed force was encamped. I asked for Chance's smile at this. I have not walked so much in many years! He directed us up a short stair, where another of his long coated brothers stood to attend to opening the massive gate-doors to Lowsis. This one wore a silver coat but for that, his manner was much as the one we had just met. We carried on coming to a crossroads of a kind where we met another one of the long coats, this one all in Black. He and the other long coats we would meet, all seemed agreeable if not a little too trusting in their dealing with us. I can assume that their mechanical defences are so well made that they have little, sensible reason to attempt to stop any that can defeat these.
We did not take to seeing the areas around the crossroads of the undercity. There are residences as well as businesses there. Quite unfathomable... Instead we made our way directly toward Belringer's camp, which the 'Black coat' had indicaated was led to by entering a rather ominous archway. I was not shocked to see that through this arch lay an extensive catacomb. My nose had warned me though I left the knowledge unsaid, as I half-expected at least one of companions to be less than interested in proceeding. However, the saursan surprised me by not being at all concerned with such a huge number of the deceased and semi-interred. Those saursans I have met before have always been quite superstitious. This saursan is clearly unusual in many ways...
What a measure of the age of the city above. Here were generation upon generation of Spansis citizenry. Some near complete, most only a skull or large leg bone. occasionally as we made our way along the relatively narrow passage, we would come to a bandaged wrapped corpse. These would be propped in a fashion imitating erect stance. This was achieved by leaning these bodies up against a wall or door frame or hand rail. Somewhat unsettling to know that a living person had seen some sort of humour in making this their hobby. Such energy could be put to better uses such as learning to twist a card or remove a pip from a die without anyone being the wiser. I may never fully understand humankind.
From out of the catacomb passageway we eventually emerged. This next chamber was circular and housed a central column of great thickness and elaborate decoration. On it's cylindrical surface were intermittently placed oversize skulls. All human as I saw them. Scattered about the circular room's wall were more heaps of normally sized skulls. Humans are odd beasts, ah-mmm? Here too was another of the long coats. This one wore an indigo Blue version. He was surprised to see us so deep into Lowsis until our search for Belringer was mentioned. He gladdened our hearts with the news that she was up the next passage. We made our quick farewell and made that way. At the end of passageway, as he'd promised, we took in an interesting sight. Rather than the woman of our quest, we saw only what I can call a statue meant to represent her. This shrouded woman stood at least fifty feet tall but higher than this most certainly as the base of the statue stood atop a mausoleum. This structure added at least another forty feet to the statue's vantage point. The mausoleum had a tall. imposing door. Most of our concern arose from the nature of the statue. It had Brown imbuing it and Brown cordal drops depending from the statue's shroud down to the mausoleum's exterior crenulations. Here, Maldon took charge and determined that the Brown also conformed within the structure and that it was no lens portal but rather more of a defence. That this was the woman's work seemed more than likely. With our fears somewhat eased as it was necessary to brave her barricades, if we were to lay eyes on her, we made our way over the mausoleum's threshold. To my immense displeasure we wafted upward. We felixans don't mind a drop of terrible length as you well know but this ascent was far less enjoyable. It was like the opposite sensation of falling. In this regard it was as if I was approaching someone who was descending at me. Most uncomfortable to be on the other end, let me tell you.
When the Brown fog abated, we stood at last near the woman of our searching journeying. She was before us. All that separated us from conversing with her was some distance upward of a few hundred feet. This was because she stood high above on a concourse very much like the ones in Spansis above. At our level was a broad square, stone tiled and expansive. Beyond this, was a dock with many small Spansis-styled vessels. Among them one boat stood out for its more interesting build. This Maldon remarked would be Belringer's means of entering the undercity, in all scenarios... I have been remiss in not suggesting earlier that much if not all of the architecture of the undercity bore many of the same details and structural design features of the better known, above-ground level city. In this, Lowsis and Spansis are truly one and the same. Whether Lowsis at one time stood in the light of day and was built over through the centuries or if it has always been beneath, I am not skilled enough to say. I mention my lack of building skill for a good reason, for shortly you will learn a tremendous secret of the city...
Belringer motioned for us to join her above on her concourse, which well she might have, seeing as there were at least a thousand of her troops on the viaduct with her! We had been told that she had not come here with these troopers but instead had summoned them after her arrival. We made our way up by the stone staircase attached to one of the supporting columns of the viaduct. We moved through the eastmost troops stationed atop the structure and came to stand before Belringer and her two attendant captains. After introductions, most grim or at least filled with a tension that belied my understanding, we got into details. The reason for the tension I can only put down to the fact that Maldon and the woman had met not at all long ago at another formal gathering. That they are both Spires, albeit he is but newly one while she was more experienced, should I would have thought, have allowed them to get along. But like even one's closest relations, things can be a test from time to time, ah-mmm?
Now the great secret... It turns out that the area above where we stood was called 'High Wheel'. This referenced that the area looked much like a spoked wheel of a kind, if you squinted extremely hard perhaps. The citizens near enough to include every one of them are seemingly unaware of the real reason for the name to be so given. The whole area can rotate as a wheel. I assume, though it was not stated that this requires a great motive force. In all likelihood, the river Sis would be the prime candidate. Did I not mention the canal and the sluices that we saw on the way through the undercity, ah-mmm? So it seems that this impressive feat of building allows Spansis the luxury of 'turning its back' on would-be invaders from the west. At the same time this opens the way between the two portions of the lake that the city straddles, thereby allowing much larger and proper ships to traverse the entirety of the waterway, otherwise closed to such vessels. Belringer also told us of her concern for the city's overall future without a guard to watch over this secret defence. For the moment she had summoned these troops to make sure it was retained safely. Maldon offered his pact to keep this 'in the family'. She then took the opportunity to explain that she had not come to the city with a thought of this secret but rather on a mission for her master Colour.
Once she explained it in this way, we agreed to make as quick a job of this for her as possible. She could manage to take us above to the city's entertainment quarter called the Elevation. This is some kind of fighting arena. When we arrived I realised that the Elevation had been dramatically undersold. This was not a fighting arena but perhaps the fighting arena! As we looked about the place it was very obvious that others were there simply as we were to see the place. There was evidently no fighting about to start. That had not stopped these people from coming to stare in awe at the tremendous edifice. I can only imagine it thronging with a crowd...
From her side she drew out a leather -- Brown leather naturally -- wrap. It was not overly large nor thick, much to my disappointment. I had hoped for a ledger of debts held or some such item. When she unwrapped it, it turned out to be a card of Chance! I was tempted to snag it with my claws but Maldon was quick to the thing. He took it to himself most eagerly and looked at it. This I noted was more than examination. His eyes narrowed in a way that struck me as less manly and more of his true self being exposed. It is not all that often that the Profane show their true Colours. His partner, Osric seemed quiet and that is saying much, as he often seems to keep his own council. Within a moment or two and to my surprise he handed over the card to Osric, stating that it was for him. I was disappointed as cards are something of a speciality of mine. Perhaps I will get a look at it another day. Osric looked at and made a statement about anagrams and his own thickness. For the life of me, I have tried twisting Osric's name this way and that, but it was no use, I can't make another name of meaning from his...
Breaking my reverie about whether it might be 'Soric' or 'Iscor', the lone captain Belringer had brought along with her, moved with a pace I would not thought likely from one all in plated armour. Swift as the saursan apep he struck with his fangs -- in his human case, a dagger was substituted. The knifing struck Belringer's spinal cord and there was nothing other than the art of the deathcaster that might have had any effect from that moment on for Belringer. Maldon and the others launched attacks as reprisal was all that could be immediately thought about in those seconds that followed. The assassin raised its hands in surrender and for the briefest of thoughts, I imagined that those I was with would not heed this but furiously exact their vengeance in any case. Stay their attacks they did, however. The captain raised the full helm from its shoulders and as it did, the armour plate transformed. It changed to become femininely shaped -- and well it might -- as the face I looked upon was certainly not a man's. In point of fact, the face was strangely attractive. My usual tastes lie with more natural looks not the superficial prettiness that some woman have, but rather those faces that show some care for their own comforts and lives lived that have been noted on their countenances. Here was a different kind of life lived though. She was attractive through her face having a knowledge of things. Deep things and important. Things of the heart and what moves a person to be who they are. Wisdom perhaps, ah-mmm?
Now it becomes clear that Maldon and this warrior-woman are well known to one another and the way he too transforms is akin in some ways to her own previous change. Upon his face I see a new person. Younger, less sure and certainly something else, approaching more than respect. Osric too is different, though in his case I can't be sure if he is less respectful and perhaps more magnified by her presence. She does seem mindful of him in a way that she isn't with Maldon. It may well have to do with the gambling card Belringer had brought forth. This Cantriq does say things about the old Realm and Osric's brother, or even brothers. Osric as is his way says little in response. This might be strategy but I doubt that it is. I think he simply is concerned as to what 'his family' might mean altogether... Now you may speak."
"I don't know what to say."
"Then say nothing. Fetch me a pouch of something to put in a pipe, ah-mmm? I have a mind to lose my thoughts in the smoke."
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