Chapter 14: A Cloud of Fear

[Jeff]

Chapter 14

A Cloud of Fear

Mol, the 16th of Aryth 998 YK

The night passes without incident, though it is not untroubled by distant sounds that portend strange events. Adamant and Aven spend their time as warforged do, in long hours of silence but not as statues. The living constructs alone truly know how active their minds must be, and even when they are not appearing active, they still are one way or another.

Kal wakes repeatedly throughout the night, making his sleep less than ideal. Twice he comes to with a start, and as the unhappy dreams fade quickly into forgetting, he remembers only seeing the hideous face of the medusa wight and the feeling of her blades sinking into his body—ending him as innumerable ribbons of blood spilling upon the floor. At one point, he rises from his bed, only to see that all of his friends have been turned to stone; Greshnaza herself stands in the center of the room, her scimitar dripping with blood. His. This dream stays with him the longest. But each time Kal wakes from these nightmares, he is quickly comforted by a warm muzzle and a cold nose. When he lapses back into sleep, for he is tired, Tangat curls up into a lump at his bedside again.

Even those who had a restless night feel a measure of resolve return by morning. Your wounds and scars ache, but you're in fighting order again. And you suspect your mettle may be tested soon.

Adamant, standing at a window, sees that though it is not bright out, it is not so dark. The rain is light again. He remembers feeling the thin shafts of the sunlight the day before, and wonders how long before Dol Arrah's light bathes the land again.

---

A long rest has passed. All hit points are back to maximum, and half your hit dice (for future short rests) are restored. All spell slots return. Sorcery points back to max. Channel divinity uses back to max. Adamant and Streko must choose which spells are to be prepared today.

Joe, remember you get to pick 13 spells to prepare outside of the ones already auto-prepared from the Trickery domain (designated by the white ✓ in the black boxes). You can put a ✓ in column D for the spells you want to choose, or just list them for me and I'll do it.

Dave W. and Joe, should you guys wish to procure diamond dust (for Greater Restoration or Revivify), they know figure they can do so at the Sovereign Host temple (though it is costly and they'll still need to pay for it).

[Brian]

Feeling rested but not fully recovered, Melethos attends to his armor, sword, and shield. He takes a polishing cloth from his pack and wipes down all the surfaces, looking for nicks or broken bindings. When his equipment is in order, he grabs the cursed mace and leaves his room.

Adamant stands near the window, gazing out at the weather. Melethos approaches the warforged. "I hope you are rested. We have much to do today. Much to do together, including returning the medusa's sword." He holds up the mace. "I need to have this destroyed. We will check with the others, but do you think a cleric of Dol Arrah** can do that?"

__________________________________________

I can't remember Adamant's deity's name, and when I tried to use the Search function, I got stuck in a Validation loop. So I winged it.

[Jeff]

Aven walks over to Melethos and Adamant. They see he is now holding a halberd that he didn't have before. Adamant is the first to realize that this is Dire's Folly's latest form. Seeing them look at it, he explains. "I was trained with many weapons, but was not given a wide variety when deployed to the field of battle. I have always wanted to return to the use of polearms." Both warforged and tiefling have also trained with most weapons, and both understand that a halberd will give Aven a longer reach.

Then he points with one thick metal finger at Melethos's mace. "Have you considered selling it? I have heard that House Cannith might purchase any enchanted weapon."

[Joe]

Streko shuffles in, stretches and yawns. "Another sunrise and The Host has given us a new day, with new adventures and...why am I so cheery? Must have been the beef. Gods above and below, but that was good. How is everyone? I do need to pick up some supplies before we leave." He glances at Larest. "They will be costly, but are ever so important if we wish to be successful." He smiles. "What's for breakfast?"

[Dave W.]

Adamant, being warforged, only idles for four hours and so has a few minutes while the others (except Aven) remain asleep. He spends most of that quietly allowing the conversation flow where Aven takes it.

With the sky showing some lightening, Adamant stands to the window and chants softly a prayer to Dol Arrah.

As each of his friends wakes he wishes them a "Good morning."

Adamant laughs when Aven shows his halberd. "I am glad you will have a chance to practice. And yes, Melethos, we could bring it to the priests; we are going there anyway. The crafters of House Cannith can do wonders I'm told. As long as we make it clear to them that it is cursed, if they wanted it that would be fair."

"I must stop to resolve both my promises today; the blade and the skull."

---

You have it right Brian!

[Ken]

Belarin had been in his room for a long time -- for long stretches with Histra -- coming out only to put food on a plate and gingerly carry it and two glasses of wine back behind closed doors. When he finally emerges for breakfast, he's back in his traditional, finely crafted suit of green, grey, and black -- the garments given to him by the fey. The spiky leather armor has apparently been set aside in his room.

He rubs his hands over his face as he mutters something close to "gub moaning" and walks over to the table. He places several muffins and one apple on a plate and pours himself a generous amount of coffee. His friends can see that there's a fresh cut along his jawline and a small bruise near the bottom of his neck. At the very least, they seem relatively sure that those marks weren't among the multitude of injuries they all bore yesterday.

Belarin finds an empty chair and sits down. "Shadow take me," he says as he looks toward the window. "Is the sun actually trying to appear?"

[Brian]

Aug 3, 2017 15:52:10 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Aven points with one thick metal finger at Melethos's mace. "Have you considered selling it? I have heard that House Cannith might purchase any enchanted weapon."

"No," Melethos says, shaking his head. "I will not risk someone else falling under its curse. I will either have it destroyed, or if that cannot be done, I will throw it into the sea. Let it sit under fathoms of water until the end of days, for all I care."

Setting the mace aside, he opens the door, snags the attention of a servant, and orders a second breakfast. "We will have another long day," Melethos says, closing the door. "I suspect our task will not be as simple as approaching this giant and getting what we want. There will surely be a price. But first we eat. It has been too long since we have had a moment's peace."

[Dave B.]

Shorak returns to the inn with Kal and quickly sits down quietly and removes the puzzle box from one of his many inner pockets. Holding it close to his mouth he whispers, "Brusst." His curiosity can no longer be held in check.

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to post this before ending the last chapter.






DM's Edit: This moment takes place at the tail-end of Chapter 13.

[Jeff]

Servants do not roam the halls. Larest simply had arranged to have food delivered at specific times. When Melethos opens the door, he finds himself wanting. Seeing this, though, Sem himself goes down to order up more. Breakfast is simpler fair than dinner had been, mostly consisting of eggs, cheeses, and breads.

With a soft roll in hand, Sem walks up to Adamant. "So this blade, this cursed scimitar, goes to the medusa's sister now? Gosh. Say what you will about the professor and his trickery, he has not led you into a boring existence." He grins, chews on some bread, then with his mouth full goes on. "You know, thatsh shkull...the Shitadel of the Twelve...thatsh literally on the opposhit shide of the shitty." Then Sem chuckles at his own words. "Shitty," he repeats. "The Shitty of Shtormreasch."

Starg emerges from his room, looking stiff. All of you know by know that he has to push two human-sized beds together to form a bed he can lay on. But you've also seen him, at times, sleeping for hours comfortably on a hard floor, more in the manner of a man than a bull.

"I am very interested in going to the Tents of Rushemé with you," he says. "It is a place where the nomadic giants come to trade with the smaller folk. They are strong but not interested in making war. I believe much can be learned from them on any level. Theirs is a long and storied lineage."

Larest comes forward at this. You can see he's in a fresh suit of clothes, and if he's got a bandage on his shoulder still, you can't see it beneath the thin blue cloak he now wears on top. He adjusts the omnipresent circlet on his brow and clears his throat. "I think we should talk about precisely where each of us will go today. There is little time to lose. Our rivals are beginning to leave the city. They have a destination, something we lack.

"We need to stay in close contact. Lord Kalarian, retain the ring of telepathy, we may need to coordinate throughout the day accordingly. Starg, go with them to the Tents. You may be of service there. Sem Darlesh and I must go to the Silverwall to conclude some business. That is not far from the Citadel. Adamant, if you wish to give us the task of delivering...the skull, we would accept it. I simply need more of an explanation. This would save some times, yes?"

"Yes," Sem says, looking unusually serious. "Let's hurry now. I'm tired of waiting around so much. We need to be getting somewhere."

Histra, overhearing, emerges as well. She looks less disheveled than Belarin, and is back in her customary black robes. She looks at the food disdainfully, then says, "I will be returning to Respite and my family's estate today, alone. I will learn more about Demise."

Belarin's okay with Histra taking the golden mask?

In your next post, guys, can you list anything you intend to leave in the room? And hopefully you guys will be in agreement on where to go first?

[Ken]

Belarin nods as Histra speaks. "We agreed it's best for Histra to find out what other 'resources' the Coin Lords might call in. Those bastards are as much players in this game as anyone."

He runs a hand through his crazed hair. "Giants, then. We earned a lot of bruises to get that information. It seems silly not to pursue it." He looks to his friends for confirmation. "After one more muffin."

_______________

Belarin does give Histra the mask. He's also going to leave his spiked leather armor behind for this particular trip.

[Brian]

Melethos takes his fill of food and drink. His body aches from the recent abuse it has taken, though it is his hand that hurts the worse. "Damn boat," he mutters under his breath, flexing his fingers to keep them from stiffening. Good thing there were no seas in the Demon Wastes. The likelihood of doing something that again was very low.

"Yes, the giants," he says in answer to Belarin's statement. "The hourglass has turned, and time is no longer on our side. We have the Coin Lords on one side, and the rest of the Eye seekers on the other, with us stuck in the middle. The sooner we get moving, the better." A mug of wine sits on the table. Melethos takes a drink, his eyes locked on the floor. "We will return here with the information we seek. A destination, hopefully. Something we can use to gain an advantage over everyone else seeking the Eye." He looks up at Larest. The tiefling's expression is hard to read, though everyone can tell it is not the most friendly. "And what do you hope to achieve, my lord? What advantage will you bring to our merry little group of adventurers?" His gold eyes narrow. "What business do you have at Silverwall?"

__________________________________________________

Melethos is ready to go see the giants. He'll leave nothing but the incidentals (the everburning torch, waterskin, backpack, sunrods) behind. That means taking the mace. Whether he finds a way to have it destroyed, or he tosses it into the sea...well, I guess we'll find that out.

[Dave W.]

"I am reluctant to pass either of these responsibilities on to another. But I also would not put doing them off. Sometimes it would be pleasant to disappear from one place and appear at another," Adamant looks to Belarin for a moment, "but we clearly have need to accomplish much in little time."

Adamant stands before the Professor; his friends might realize that he has not taken his customary slouching posture since his recovery under the lighthouse... he has stood tall since then. But his stance in this moment has an air of authority... of power. His tone takes on force and formality, as though he is speaking a ritual, "Professor Larest ir'Zathyran, I, Adamant, Vassal of Dol Arrah, charge you with the responsibility of delivering this, the reamins of Rendithas ir'Thuranni to the offices of the House of ir'Thuranni in the Citadel of the Twelve in this city."

Still speaking formally, "You may tell them that the spirit of Rendithas performed a service for a warrior of Dol Arrah and in exchange these remains are to be delivered to them. That this service was performed honorably and we are grateful for it."

"You may say that the elf believed that he was slain at the command of a person named Hassalac in the maze under the lighthouse tower. We believe he was killed by a kyber cube."

"There is little more to say, but you may tell them to seek out the warforged Adamant if more details are required."

"Do you, accept this sacred duty, Larest of House ir'Zathyran?" He holds out the skull, teeth, bracelets, and earring.

---

Adamant doesn't really have much miscellaneous gear. He'll shove it all in his pack, unless told otherwise.

[Dave B.]

Shorak rises, feeling somewhat refreshed if a little stiff. Before dressing and preparing for the day and having the bedroom to himself, he goes through a few stretches, preparing his muscles for the coming day. He dresses and gathers his now cleaned weapons and makes sure everything is in its proper pocket.

He enters the main room picking up snatches of conversations, going straight to the food. He sits down and fills his plate with some of everything. Grabbing a mug, he fills it with some coffee and adds a bit of honey. His mouth full of food, Shorak says, "Good morning! I know we are in a rush, but you may want to take a look at this before we go." He holds out the sphere that was housed in the puzzle box. "Thanks to the Llash-Tava, I was able to open the puzzle box last night. This is what I found."

He takes another mouthful of food, a swig of coffee, swallows and adds, pointing to a corner of the room where he left Greshnaza's long bow and quiver of arrows. "What do we want to do with those. Oh, I also need to replenish my crossbow bolts at some point."

His face goes quite serious as Shorak adds one more comment, "I also need to find out what happened to Captain Morsha and any surviving crew of the Merrow Down." His smile returns, "But, we go visit the Giants first, of course."

Shorak will leave the safe sleeper and the Drow long knife.

[Jeff]

Aug 4, 2017 14:27:29 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

"Do you, accept this sacred duty, Larest of House ir'Zathyran?" He holds out the skull, teeth, bracelets, and earring.

Adamant doesn't notice the slight winces on Larest's face as he misuses the prefix of "ir" when used in conjunction with house names, and when Larest's surname is referred to as a "House," but does see when the man effects a congenial smile and nod. "Of course, Adamant. I will see it done. Place them in a bag, perhaps?"

When Shorak brings out the sphere, Larest just gives it a curious look. But Sem and Starg seem more interested.

[Dave W.]

Aug 4, 2017 15:41:47 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Aug 4, 2017 14:27:29 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

"Do you, accept this sacred duty, Larest of House ir'Zathyran?" He holds out the skull, teeth, bracelets, and earring.

Adamant doesn't notice the slight winces on Larest's face as he misuses the prefix of "ir" when used in conjunction with house names, and when Larest's surname is referred to as a "House," but does see when the man effects a congenial smile and nod. "Of course, Adamant. I will see it done. Place them in a bag, perhaps?"

Adamant's tone brightens, "Thank you Professor," he gently places a heavy hand on the man's shoulder, "May the Hosts blessing travel with you today." Adamant scrounges up a bag to put them in and hands it to the Larest.

"I truly must hand Greshnazza's sword to her brood-sister. I would count the medusa as my friend in the end though I knew her only a short time. She is also at the Tents of Rusheme, so we will travel there together and I will fulfill that responsibility while you talk to giants."

"I believe Streko and I have need of the same material... to power the spell of recovery?" Adamant nods to the halfling.

---

The House thing is David's fault but there's no real reason Adamant would know any better either... Kal can correct him later...

We're going to need some cash for Revivify. It's 300 gp of diamonds per casting.

[Darren]

I'll get in a full post later, but I needed to make sure this gets said...

Kal perks up as Adamant gives instructions to the professor. "Ah, if I may," he holds up a finger, "perhaps don't mention the...H-name...when saying who is responsible for this elf's demise. That particular person may be controversial, but he was also instrumental in our survival underneath that lighthouse and if it were not for his intervention, we'd all be dead right now. Ha...that particular person, is very fond of his privacy." Kal looks to Belarin for support on this.

[Joe]

Streko nods at Adamant. "Yes, we shall need money to purchase the items we need. I shall have to purchase other items as well, but I suspect they can all come from the same location. Co...Melethos, I have some items that belong to you. Do you want them back or shall I continue carrying them?"
______________________________________

Streko leaves nothing of his behind.

[Dave W.]

"Oh, Streko, you remind me... Belarin, you gave me these Confusion Stones when I... um, earlier." Adamant digs out the stones and offers them back.

[Jeff]

You guys will need to agree and be clear on where exactly you want to go next. Order is going to matter. And when you do choose to go to the Tents, give me some idea, Dave B., on what route Shorak would want to take. Look closely at the map, which Shorak knows mentally more than anyone else. See what's around that corner of the city.

[Ken]

Aug 4, 2017 16:51:52 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal perks up as Adamant gives instructions to the professor. "Ah, if I may," he holds up a finger, "perhaps don't mention the...H-name...when saying who is responsible for this elf's demise. That particular person may be controversial, but he was also instrumental in our survival underneath that lighthouse and if it were not for his intervention, we'd all be dead right now. Ha...that particular person, is very fond of his privacy." Kal looks to Belarin for support on this.

Belarin had practically jumped out of his seat when Adamant said "the name," but he quickly settles down. "Sorry," he says, a bit embarrassed. "I just wanted to make sure that my head was still attached to my shoulders. Yes, as Kal astutely points out, the less said about THAT PERSON, the better all of our lives will be, especially mine! Moving on.... What have you go there, Shorak? Oooooh, a shiny thing."

He scoots his chair closer to Sem and Starg, so the three of them can examine the box's mysterious item. He waves Histra over, too. He summons his fey gift to see arcane emanations as he continues talking, "So if I understand what everyone is saying correctly, and that's a big if, Adamant and Streko need to pick up some ingredients to help all of us stay alive, and then we can continue on to visit the Tents of Rushing In, or whatever they're called, yes? Shorak, is there a place on the way to the Tents where they can get these ingredients? Starg, take a step back, you're steaming up my muffins. Thank you."

He looks up at Adamant's comment about the stones. "Hmmm, why don't you keep them for a while, Adamant? They haven't done me much good so far, but maybe Olladra's luck will shine upon you. You're still alive, so that's a good start!"

_________________________________

Belarin uses eldritch sight on the newly revealed item.

[Dave B.]

Shorak makes room for all three, Sem, Starg and Belarin to examine the sphere. He looks at each of them expectantly, hoping for some insight on what it is and how Shorak might make use of it.

"We could easily pass through the Marketplace on the way to the Tents of Rusheme. We could also stop in the Marketplace on the way back as well. Either way works for me. We should probably steer clear of Southwatch to best avoid running into Krez and his lot."

[Jeff]

Aug 4, 2017 13:11:18 GMT -4 Brian said:

The tiefling's expression is hard to read, though everyone can tell it is not the most friendly. "And what do you hope to achieve, my lord? What advantage will you bring to our merry little group of adventurers?" His gold eyes narrow. "What business do you have at Silverwall?"

Latest sighs, and fidgets with his circlet. "As I referred to yesterday, I am securing passage for the journey inland, and need to meet with one other person. But I've had to consider multiple means. We still do not know where we will be going. Once we know, then I will know which of these options to employ and which to abandon. Each option is expensive, and all of them have involved an initial payment."

Talk of money reminds him: the professor pulls out a pouch that jingles with coins. He hands the pouch to Adamant. "Use this for whatever you wish to purchase at this time." Adamant will find fifty platinum pieces within, the equivalent of 500 gp. "Once my business is concluded, I will know what funds remain to be used on supplies. That is all I can spare at this time."

[Brian]

Aug 4, 2017 20:40:41 GMT -4 Joe said:

Streko nods at Adamant. "Yes, we shall need money to purchase the items we need. I shall have to purchase other items as well, but I suspect they can all come from the same location. Co...Melethos, I have some items that belong to you. Do you want them back or shall I continue carrying them?"

"Keep them for now, if you do not mind," Melethos says. "They may be of use later."

To the others, he says, "We make for the Tents as soon as we are finished here. Shorak will lead the way, with Kal by his side. I will follow them. Adamant and Aven can bring up the rear. Belarin and Streko, keep to the middle. Starg, you are with me. We stop for nothing save the spell supplies." He notices Shorak's new bauble. "Be wary of that. If it indeed once belonged to the Harvestman, it could prove perilous. I heard tell of an old tome written by an unusual gnollish raider, a savant of kind. It detailed an account of the Harvestman. A horrific read. 'Ring of the Harvestman' I believe it was called." He shrugs. "It could all be myth, too. I simply advise caution."

[Jeff]

"I have never seen its like," Starg says when he is allowed to hold the small metal sphere.

Eyeing it with his fey-gifted sight, Belarin can see that the sphere glows with divination energies, but there are subtler auras layered beneath it that he can't discern.

When Sem looks at it closely, his shiny black eyes widen. "What if...?" He holds onto his sphere, turning it over, puzzling over it, and doesn't hand off to anyone else after him. A smile creeps onto his face, but it isn't sinister. It's the look a child gets when it dawns on them that they're going to receive a unexpected present. "Hras'Ka," he whispers. "Anng. One-who-is-no-she."

He whirls around and looks up at Adamant, then at the rest of you. "Remember the sahuagin, the Blue Fish Can, and their prophecy? They wouldn't help us reach Stormreach without having us recover that chest on the sea floor? Well, not us. You." He points at Adamant now. "You. 'From among the five softskin drylands.' One-who-is-no-she." The gnome looks to Kal. "And Kal had it, right away. You said it must be Adamant. We call him he, but he's not a he or a she. And only he could open that chest, right where you got this thing."

"This..." Sem holds up the small metal sphere with its inlaid green gemstones. "...I think, is a docent. A warforged docent. They are mysterious and old! They don't make them...they find them. Here in Xen'drik. They predate the warforged, as we know them. Yet they're the perfect fit, coincidentally?" He points at Adamant's chest, where the warforged currently has his disk of energy resistance installed.

Aug 5, 2017 1:08:47 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

"We could easily pass through the Marketplace on the way to the Tents of Rusheme. We could also stop in the Marketplace on the way back as well. Either way works for me. We should probably steer clear of Southwatch to best avoid running into Krez and his lot."

This would be the route Shorak would take going to the Tents, passing through Marketplace, but avoiding Southwatch.

I'm not sure if anyone's explicitly saying what Adamant and Streko need, but diamond dust isn't the sort of thing you'd find in everyday markets. Cannith facilities might have some, but there are no official Cannith facilities in Marketplace. Rather, Cannith has ties to the Stormreach Forge in the district of Forgelight, and they do have a small enclave in the Citadel of the Twelve. And certainly temples will. Another likely place is Von Ruthvek’s Splendors of the South, the antiques and curiosities shop where Kal purchased the Cloak of Elvenkind. But it's located right by the entrance of Southwatch, on the Marketplace side.

[Darren]

Kal listens to Shorak lay out his path, then says, "Would not that path take us awfully close to the palace? Isn't there a way we can avoid passing too close to there?"

[Dave W.]

Kal and Belarin both suggest in very forceful terms that Larest should not mention Hassalac by name. Adamant turns to the Professor, "Very well, there is no need to mention H… the H-name… or describe how Rendithas passed."

Aug 5, 2017 0:02:32 GMT -4 Ken said:

He looks up at Adamant's comment about the stones. "Hmmm, why don't you keep them for a while, Adamant? They haven't done me much good so far, but maybe Olladra's luck will shine upon you. You're still alive, so that's a good start!"

Adamant takes the stones, "I am not very skilled at throwing things but I will carry these for now." He also takes the coins from Larest, "Thank you Professor. This will help I'm sure."

With regards to the plans and order of march, Adamant makes an objection. "Melethos, it is not wise to keep both the heavily armored… and slowest… warriors in the rear. I understand the need to have a strong rearguard. But we will not be in position to do much if the threat is from the front of the column. I remind you of the battle on the docks."

Aug 5, 2017 9:56:44 GMT -4 Jeff said:

"This..." Sem holds up the small metal sphere with its inlaid green gemstones. "...I think, is a docent. A warforged docent. They are mysterious and old! They don't make them...they find them. Here in Xen'drik. They predate the warforged, as we know them. Yet they're the perfect fit, coincidentally?" He points at Adamant's chest, where the warforged currently has his disk of energy resistance installed.

"I'm sorry, are you suggesting putting that in me?" Adamant says with some horror.

---

lots to reply to...

[Joe]

Streko listens in. "Adamant and I will need either a Temple, preferably the Temple of the Sovereign Host, although that appears to be out of the way of where we need to go. Or we can go to an Antiquities shop, such as where you obtained your cloak, Kalarian. What we need can no longer be found in the Marketplace...and it will cost a great deal of money. I will also wish to procure other items, just in case, although those items won't cost as much, thankfully."

He bows to Larest. "Your contribution is appreciated. It will go a long way towards helping us obtain what we need. Thank you."

[Dave B.]

Aug 5, 2017 11:13:54 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal listens to Shorak lay out his path, then says, "Would not that path take us awfully close to the palace? Isn't there a way we can avoid passing too close to there?"

Shorak considers this. "Not really, if we want to get there as quickly as possible and avoid passing through Southwatch." He pauses, then adds, "If you're willing to take a little more time to get there, we can take a more roundabout route, entering Oldgate more to the north. That would allow us to skirt both Southgate and the palace." Hearing Adamant and Streko's comments, Shorak says, "We can certainly stop at the Temple of the Sovereign Host on the way back and anywhere else we might need to pick up more supplies."

Shorak motions again to the long bow and quiver of arrows in the corner. "What do we want to do with those? Do we give them to Greshnaza's sister along with the sword?"

"As for the sphere, I would not suggest you do anything with it, Adamant, until we know more about what it is and what it does. Do with it what you will. It's obviously not something I can make use of. Somewhat anticlimactic. For me anyway." He leaves the sphere with Sem, Belarin and Starg, but keeps the puzzle box. Finishing his breakfast, Shorak rises and stands by the door, ready to leave as soon as the word is given.

[Darren]

Kal frowns. "What are the chances of being noticed by the Coin Lords, passing that close to the palace?" Kal nods towards the bow. "As for that, I see no reason to return it." Kal's hand passes absently over the hilt of his Rekkenmark sword. "You earned it, if you want it."

[Ken]

"That's very interesting, Sem," says Belarin appreciatively. "Makes a lot of sense." He continues to Adamant, "There's divination magic inside it. It could show you visions, maybe even images of Cyre, although that's just a guess. We shouldn't do anything with it until we study it further... after we visit the giants."

He gets up and walks over to Histra. Taking her hand, he says softly, "Be careful. Not all members of your family behave."