A Trusty Companion

See Also: Bardic Knowledge

When the sun rises Lady Anne Mowbry has still not risen. The color to her skin has returned, but her breathing is shallow and ragged. Every hour Father Karl gives her small sips from the Cup Everflowing. He tells Hafwyn, who has stood vigil the night, that her life is in Techiuan's hands. Aegrin calls them to the Caves of Chaos.

A trusty companion halves the journey and doubles the courage.The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Quilate, Keribrar, Hafwyn, and Thorne all recognize each other. Quilate seems distant, almost distract and their bond with him is wavering. For the rest they have seen their reflection on this world change as their understanding of its story unfurl. Hafwyn appears changed the most looking like a very young elven woman wearing a cloak and hood fashioned from a great silver wolf. They know that Lady Anne has passed from this fellowship and there is no pain of loss. They remember that she was a part of it, but that part is in the past and best not remembered. Holding on to the past in this cave would drag them back into the fog.

Kukla a kobold just beginning his transition into the final moment of his life journeyed far from his house. He had hoped to return to his village once more before the change took him, but it was took late when he felt the signs. Now he has recovered from his “death” and find himself in lands he does not recognize. He quenches his thirst at a pool and when he looks up a shimmering woman stands before him, floating just above the water. Without moving she touches him and transports him elsewhere.

The others notice a new spirit has joined them. It appears to be a large monitor lizard with sharp claws and bone spikes along its back. Just as with the passing of Lady Anne, this new spirit has a sense of rightness about it. The new spirit barely mumbles out a name before turning an hissing at something. In the distance everyone can see a group of four spirits have bonded in the same manner. Thorne, who now looks like viscous liquid stuck in a bottle, suggests they go over and see them. They have never seen anything except individual spirits wandering around in this place.

By willing themselves over they can see them more clearly. Like they were in the beginning these spirits are very abstract and unfocused shapes.

• The largest is a silver coin stamped on both sides with a face - one cheerful and the other violent. The violent one has a large curved horn buried in their forehead. It is spinning around showing both faces flashing back and forth.
• The second is a tarnished brass scale with thousands of small people on one side scrambling to reach the top and a single straw-stuffed linen doll on the other side. The face of the doll is a blank.
• The third is a column of water that jets up before falling as rain. At the base the water droplets gather together into a small pool before it jets up again starting the process over.
• The fourth is a beautiful idyllic woman carved from white marble with black veins. She is laying in a garden surrounded by flowers of every imaginable color. Far above her is a brass lamp with sharp wires combing down and forming a cage around her. Oil drips down these wires and disappears into the garden.

The beast in the cave, who they now know is Aegrin's spirit, approaches both groups. He drives the first from the caves with only the slightest effort. They can see that Aegrin's right arm is flesh and is wearing the silver bracer. His chest is now mostly muscle and bone protected by his tabard. Carried at his hip is his silver sword. He still does not have a head and he does not talk.

He turns his attention on their group and with effort pushes all but Kukla and Keribrar away. Both of them hold against his will, feeling their own spirit being torn apart. They gain some valuable insight into the tortured life Aegrin and his last few moments alive. The strong his will in the more less focused he becomes until they are just assaulted with random thoughts and emotions.

The last thing Keribrar sees as he fades away is Seirian behind Aegrin. She appeared as a large statue, nearly as tall as Aegrin, with her arm outstretched (palm up) facing towards Aegrin. She is holding a shield by her legs shielding a tow children.

At the encampment of the Followers of Techiuan Thorne questions the goblin assassin - harshly. Thorne asks if he could hire to goblin, which the goblin agrees to if the trade is good. Just his life is not an acceptable trade. He asks about killing King Merridan or Etrin, his court magician. The goblin is willing to negotiate for the king, but he turns down any offer for Etrin. He does not like the magician as he seems to know far more that he should - things that nobody of which else should have knowledge. He once told him that the magician sent him on a task to steal a small bag from a mark. The magician told him exactly where and when he would pass by an ally in the crowded market. Anything could have thrown off the time, but he was exactly there on time.

The assassin does not live through the ordeal.