The Thrice-Ninth Kingdom I

The first night, somewhere in the mountains

Snowflakes dance around the campfire and beyond there is only darkness. An icy wind pierces through to your bones and wicked gusts fan the flames that burn quickly through the last logs. A few almost geometric marigold flowers break through the snow blanket around the rocks, blooming out of season and with an unplausibly bright red.

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

As Milos looks out across the frozen expanse, his heart is heavy in his chest. This realm does not welcome them and he knows the way before them will be a punishing one. The tiny fire sputters feebly in the cold wind and he lets out a sigh as he coaxes it with a stick. We will need shelter in the coming days if we are to survive this gauntlet. But who here would help us? Then unbidden, a memory breaks like a gentle wave over his mind. He is walking in a thick orchard of plum trees in full blossom, tiny white blooms dance on the warm breeze of a perpetual summer’s twilight. An arm is draped over his shoulder, and a soft voice murmurs in his ear, speaking of hidden things, secrets things, just for him. Milos struggles to make the words out, but then the vision slips away, as suddenly as it appeared. He swears under his breath and rises up from the hard unyielding scrabble of the cave. Perilake mutters in a fitful sleep and Milos’ heart breaks a little more to see the Gilded Knight so diminished. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, he rouses him to the next watch.

A Rock Overhang

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

Heldris bundles up in his bedroll, trying to keep the cold away. He falls asleep in a matter of minutes, as he watches sir Milos tend the fire—but it’s a night of restless dreams: Biljana’s warped face under the silver moon in Bohat; the blind bard at the brook dancing hand in hand with the questing knight, their heads dangling loose, blood stains on their necks and clothes; a disembodied slithery voice, creeping out of the darkness of Elfland, echoing into his ears, craving for his soul… He is suddenly awakened by Perilake’s hand on his shoulder. The Gilded Knight mumbles a few words about the fire, which is struggling to survive the restless wind, and is eating piece after piece of a scrawny log. The Dove Knight casts another twisted log into the fire and starts his watch. All around, the darkness seems to crawl around the dancing shadows, seeping into every nook and cranny between the fickle light of the fire. He shivers and moves closer to the flame. But no matter how close he gets, he cannot shake the cold out of his bones, or out of his mind. The red marigolds lie in the darkness like open wounds. Heldris casts away these heavy thoughts, and spends the time revising their provisions or trying to recall the tales and songs of this mysterious land, in the hope of finding some clue or helpful notion. When it’s time, he wakes Anastaz up and mumbles a few words about the struggling fire, before crawling back into this bedroll.

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

It is not difficult to rouse the Salt Knight. In fact, he hardly slept at all. He feeds the fire log after log, and stares into the flames meditatively. As the first tendrils of dawn probe into their camp, Anastaz creeps to the edge of the overhang and looks out on the other world.

Referee

You rise stiffly from the dying embers of the campfire and approach the edge of the plateau. Mountains all around you. Clouds hang low like dark blue linen over the rock massif. The winds have settled down but the air burns cold in your lungs and you can see your breath. Before you lies a sharp mountain ridge that disappears into the twilight of dawn. A steep path wounds east around the rock and a treacherous scree slope covered in fresh snow leads down to the west. Behind you is a chimney between two rock walls covered in ice to the summit. From there you will have a better view of the surrounding area but the walls glisten dangerously.

A sky like blue linen

Referee

Sir Milos, Zoltan shakes you awake. His lips are blue and his teeth are shattering. He mumbles something that you can't understand and then he crouches next to the cold fireplace poking the ash with a stick.

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

As morning breaks, Milos stands by the last embers of the fire as the companions gather.

“My friends, we move in a different world now. If we fling ourselves against its sharp edges, we will not survive. We need to speak to it in its own language.”

He kicks at the embers and his brow furrows.

"Warmth is not made here. It is given—offered and noticed. Fire alone may fail or burn strangely. Instead, warmth must be exchanged from the heart."

He raises his face to the ominous clouds and seems to address them.

“We seek not to defy you. Only to pass through you. Take from us what is small, and leave us what is needed.”

Then he puts one arm around Zoltan’s shivering shoulders and with the other hand pulls a tattered red ribbon from his pocket.

“I offer a memory of warmth. A young girl reunited with her mother, laughing in the sunshine. The simple joy of homecoming in an uncertain world.”

And the ribbon blows from his open hand to be lost in the wide expanse of white below them. Milos hugs the Pigeon Knight close to him as he looks out at his other comrades with glistening eyes.

Referee

It seems as if the sky is a single unblinking dark blue eye that looks down at you and yet its vastness is overwhelming and if it had listened it seemed unmoved - but Zoltan stirs in appreciation of your embrace as your share your warmth with him. Or has the ribbon warmed his heart?

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

Heldris watches the red ribbon being lifted into the air. The wind carries it away toward a pale rising sun, in the east. He holds tight a piece of fabric hidden between the folds of his clothes, of the colours of Karpat, and his heart feels warmer. “Your words warm more than this feeble fire will ever do, Sir Milos,” says the Dove Knight. “Let’s follow the path, and see whither it leads us.”

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

A shiver passes through Anastaz. "Then let's get going. Shelter is our direst concern."

Referee

Zoltan turns his head and forces himself to smile, his face still stiff from the cold : ”Thank you, Fox Knight” he croaks and starts collecting his things. As before he takes the lead following the path East. His slow and steady step reveals the experienced wanderer. The pale disc of the sun rises behind the thick panel of clouds turning the sky pink in the east before fading into grey. Still even the ghost of the sun's warmth on your face feels like an unexpected blessing.

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Although none can say exactly when it occurred, the Fox's coat has changed its season. As Milos makes his way across the snowy meadow, his auburn hair now appears bright white, his brown eyes nearly coal black, and his ruddy complexion has become pale and ethereal. The footsteps he leaves in the snow look to be a natural part of the wintry landscape, akin to those of a native creature.

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

Few in the realm of Barowia would recognise the famed Sir Perilake as he follows this strange path in this strange land. Wearing the tattered and dull armour of the mad Seeker, his tall and proud stride now a grim and determined march, there is none of the glitter and glamour of the shining knight known across the land. The warm smile and easy manner is but a story for a better time. But the strange light of the Thrice Ninth Kingdom glimmers upon some aspects familiar to those who know Perilake best. The armour of his namesake is gone, but the cloud of depression and hopelessness of these last few weeks is gone too. Amid the grey mists and steep snowbanks, Perilake's brothers see his smile once more. Its warmth even more of a ghost than that of the pale sun, but holding the cold strength and beauty of crafted metal. "We are here, in the land of the Elf and his accursed Herald. We have achieved the impossible already." He breathes in a deep, shuddering breath of icy, and exhales slowly as he nods at the Fox Knight's words. "We will do yet more impossible things, together."

Referee

At noon you reach a snowy meadow between cliff walls, so high up the mountains that it is filled with clouds. You hear birdsong from a lone whitebark tree up in the cliffs, a melody of profound longing that urges you to stay and listen. Through the thick mist you see a trail before you, glittering dust on the snow.

Noon of the first day

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

As the lonesome birdsong reaches his ear, the Dove Knight’s stops and listens. A wistfulness for home fills his heart. “This reminds me of a sorrowful lay from home, about two young courtiers and their forbidden love.” He turns hurriedly to Perilake, but to his surprise he’s met with a confident smile that warms his heart. He crouches to inspect the glittering dust on the path. If he has noticed the Fox Knight’s new coat, he doesn’t show, but he nods reassuringly to him before turning his attention to the ground.

Referee

You crouch down to get a better look at the magic trail but upon closer inspection the motes of dust seem to possess a treacherous edge, tiny flames ready to ignite.

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

"In our realm, such an artifice would be used to light the way or defend some place of significance, but the ways of the fae are inscrutable."

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Milos steps forward to the threshold of the glittering path. He bows and asks out loud to the wind and the snow: “Keepers of this place, as strangers in this land, may we walk this bright path before us with no claim or trespass? And if a price is due, then name it for us.” Then he scans the meadow with narrowed eyes, pauses for a moment, cocks his head to one side listening, and finally closes his eyes to feel how his body is responding in the wake of the request.

Referee

It is eerily silent except for the longing song of the bird dampened by the clouds around you. You are almost convinced it sings in a language you once spoke but have forgotten since and the moment passes and only the yearning remains. The mountains seem to lean over the clouded meadow, mildly curious like a cat regarding a dead mouse. As you close your eyes you feel a malicious presence on the trail that is neither bird nor cloud nor mountain. A boggart or sprite maybe, ready to play tricks on you.

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

The Fox Knight sighs and steps back from the threshold of the glittering path.

“There is only ill will for us down this path. We must find another way.”

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

Perilake's hand grips his sword, and he gazes around the valley. "Then we will avoid the path, and seek out the closest shelter we can. Then we will be able to search for a path through on the morrow, for another night in this cold and our fires may be extinguished. I will not have them fade before they burn a path home for Avert." The knights search the meadow for shelter or a dwelling secreted somewhere in this valley, carefully avoiding the glittering trail - and who or whatever laid such a tempting snare.

Referee

You discover a mountain pass to the East that leads down below the clouds but it is narrow and exposed to the elements. You find a frozen waterfall to the south beautiful and cold and in the North a mountain saddle. As you climb higher you see tall fir trees and between them the ruins of a handful of huts, burnt and desolate but the ground is snowless and covered in brown needles. One of the houses still has a roof and a brick built fireplace with ancient ash. The sun has vanished behind the mountains and you are cold and tired. You hear faint animal noises in the distance that Sir Milos recognizes as the barking of a fox

A Valley filled with Clouds

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz sets to preparing a fire, and he can shortly be seen kindling a small fire in the decrepit hearth. His fingers clumsily assemble the tinder, and when he lights the fire, it catches in a sudden conflagration, like flash paper going up. As he feeds the flames, a single thick tendril of smoke rises from the chimney to probe the surrounding countryside.

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

Perilake paces through the huts, sifting the wreckage and retrieving whatever lumber or stone may be of use. Behind him Zoltan surveys the woods and lands, before pondering the ruins. "There were people here, of a kind."

Referee

You feel the draft from a corner where some of the stones are broken and moss is growing. You find old rusted tools, shears and brushes and under the rotten top of a table the carved toy of a sheep. Slowly the room is filling with warmth and for the first time since you arrived in the Kingdom of Winter you don't see your own breath.

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

The Pigeon Knight shivers as he sits in front of the hearth. Milos sits behind him and wraps his arms around his shoulders. He looks at the other knights with a concerned expression. “The fire will warm our bodies but who will offer us a memory of home to warm our hearts in this unyielding realm?”

Referee

Zoltan holds out his hands to the fire. You can see frostbites on his fingers. He flinches when you mention home and he stays silent.

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

Perilake quietly takes the carved sheep, and considers it as he sits by the fire. He remembers Inga's mementos from Svenrik, that became their son's favourite toy. He holds it close, feeling the eyes of the others on him. "Many years ago, I travelled to Kranach for the first time." Zoltan shifts in his seat, his shivers interrupted by a small but sudden tension at the name of the home he forswore, of the lineage and loyalties that once felt like a crushing weight around the boy's shoulders. But as Perilake tells the story of their time together there; of the warmth of the people, of the time spent with the Lady of Svenrik in the woods, the tension calms, and a faint smile can be seen. A similar smile plays across Perilake's face; for a moment, his eyes seem to bear the brightness he wore in those early days. Or perhaps it is merely the reflection of the flickering fire.

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

Perilake's tale warms Heldris’ heart and shakes off some of the weariness from the long day of perilous travel. He stands up to stir the fire and add more wood, as he comes back to the memories of his first winter at Karpat. He smiles, but decides to keep that thought for another day, as the warm memories of home will be a rare and treasured good as they march deeper into the land of the Elf.

A Shelter from the Elements

A Dream

Milos is clambering across a gray rocky landscape high up the side of a mountain. Clouds hug the crags in a dense mist and dark shapes seem to loom within them. He knows he is searching for something but can’t remember what. There is an oppressive urgency. That time is running out. The sharp rocks cut his hands and drops of his blood fall upon the snow. Someone is watching him. He stumbles, falls prone, and sees on the ground before his face, the carcass of a pigeon frozen in a small patch of snow. Mocking laughter seeps from the clouds around him and he despairs.

With a start, he awakens. Zoltan mutters feebly in his sleep and Milos wraps his arms around him more tightly.  

The Thrice-Ninth Kingdom: Summary and Trailer

A plateau in the mountains, devoid of colours, under an overhang barely wide enough to shield them from the winds. Heldris cuts down a small twisted tree and they huddle around the fire like lost children.

The Company of the Black Fleece travelled to the fae kingdom to rescue Ser Perilake's son Avert. But how did they end up in this wondrous and indeed quite perilous place?

~ Summary of events ~

• Tizra, the Herald of the Elf, gifts Sir Anastaz the Harvest Bow.

• Sir Anastaz defeats the Elf, the Steward of Seasons. The Elf banishes Tizra from his realm. Tizra plots his revenge on the Company of the Black Fleece in order to get back in the Elf's good graces.

• Sir Milos makes a pact with a fae lord who grants him knowledge and power … for a price. He later becomes the Fox Knight.

• Ser Perilake marries Lady Inga of Svenrik, the Envoy of house Kranach. Their son Avert is born.

• Perilake's squire Zoltan is knighted by the Frozen Seer and becomes the Pigeon Knight.

The Elf, the Steward of Seasons

• Tizra lures three children from Bohat, a nearby village, into his halls. He replaces them with Vyměněnec.

• The Fox Knight while travelling through Bohat hears rumours about children behaving strangely. The Company decides to investigate. Lady Inga takes Avert to Bohat to speak to the village's mayor.

• Sir Anastaz is lead by the Vyměněnec who replaced Marko to the nearby hills where Marko first disappeared. The changeling tries to kill him but later The Salt Knight gains his trust.

• Avert tells his father about “the moon” who tried to climb into his room. Ser Perilake decides to hide in his son's room and fight the intruder.

• The Fox Knight and The Dove Knight lay a trap for the Fae but it is too late: While they confront Biljana's Vyměněnec Tizra puts a spell on Ser Perilake and abducts Avert.

• Sir Anastaz frees two of the children, Bijlana and Marko from Tizra's Halls. The third one, Saša, stays behind and the halls collapse.

A Strange Kingdom where Winter reigns

• Ser Perilake travels across the Realm to ask the Seers for guidance but none of them can help. Until at last he visits the Veiled Seer who mutters a name: The Thrice-Ninth Kingdom.

• The Pigeon Knight uses his unique ability to lead the Company to a burnt down forest with a single old rowan tree and a small door in its trunk. They crawl through and emerge on the other side in the mountains of a strange kingdom where winter reigns.

Music

Academic Folk Choir of the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, conducted by Vassilka Spassova - Мехметьо, севда голема (Mehmed, my love)

Session 22

Noon of the 1st Stillday of Bales

Milos takes Heldris to a dry hill nearby where they light candles to celebrate the holy day. Perilake wakes up, shaken and concussed, and looks around. Without hesitation he begins stripping the dead Knight off his armour that bears the crest of house Altenburg. Zoltan musters his lord doubtfully and with the help of the Salt Knight starts digging a shallow grave. They bury the man and follow the Pigeon Knight south.

When they make camp in the evening Heldris again searches for dry wood and comes upon the banks of a river where a large newt is trying to drag a body into the water. Heldris drives the beast back into the river and helps the man to his feet. He claims to be from Kozamost but doesn't recognize his surroundings. He must have travelled further from the village than he intended. At the campfire Anastaz and Heldris wonder why the river manifested before them and the Salt Knight fasts together with the fisherman.

A fetid Bog

2nd Stoneday of Bales

In the morning a constant light rain falls and Zoltan reveals that there is a small dwelling nearby where Perilake might rest and heal his wounds: A hidden vinyard to the east.When they arrive Lyschko and Magdolna, the vintners, approach nervously. Of course the wounded Knight can stay for a day but the family need to harvest and cannot serve the lords. Milos and Heldris volunteer to help them and work side by side with the vintners while Perilake is recovering in the hut under the watchful eye of the Salt Knight.

Later in the evening Magdolna invites them to the cellar where she proudly conducts a tasting of her best wines.

2nd Woodsday of Bales

When they leave in the morning dark clouds threaten to unleash the first harvest storms but Perilake is refreshed and urges the others to follow him. They travel through lush hills until at noon they reach a burned forest, charred stumps and barren branches clawing at the sky. They pass an abandoned shack with the symbol of the Child but press on. Suddenly the Pigeon Knight stops, wherever he turns his senses point to all directions at once. Milos and Perilake separately search the surroundings while Anastaz meditates to find the way forward. Perilake arrives at a copse unburnt and when he enters he finds himself back in a glade with three pliths. A black statue in armour and wielding a scythe blade asks him: “Whom shall I kill?” and without hesitation the Gilded Knight names the hated Herald of the Elf. The Black Stone Hunter vanishes.

Milos finds an ancient rowan tree carrying berries and carved into the gnarly stump a small door. He kneels and prays to his lord for guidance. “Fill your pockets with seeds so that your corpse will feed my Realm." The Fox Knight crouches down and collects the berries. Then he puts them in his pockets and looks up and the door is no longer merely a carving and a silver bell hangs above it.

Twilight of the 2nd Woodsday of Bales

Back in the camp Anastaz takes the Harvest Bow, closes his eyes and shoots an arrow into the air. The arrow whistles and disappears and with a thump it lands next to Milos and soon the company stands together before the door. Perilake turns the antlered handle and the door springs open. A cold wind blows snow into his face and he takes off his armour, binds his shield and weapons together and squeezes through the door. Heldris whispers words into Colman's ears and the old horse snorts and leads the other steeds north. Then he follows Perilake through the door.

The Door

The Thrice-Ninth Kingdom, night

Through a tunnel to the other side: A plateau in the mountains, devoid of colours, under a rock overhang barely wide enough to shield them from the winds. Snow is falling, more cotton than crystal. Heldris cuts down a small twisted tree and they huddle around the fire like lost children.

Session 21

1st Skyday of Bales

Dark clouds hang over Farkash Citadel as two riders approach. The Pigeon Knight makes camp outside the walls while the Gilded Knight rushes to Lady Inga's chambers. His wife is sitting at the window praying. When she hears that the Veiled Seers had revealed Avert's whereabouts she thanks the Mother but never gets up to meet her husband. Afterwards the company decide to aid Perilake in his quest even if it means to leave the Citadel without rulers for a long time: Nobody knows where the Thrice-Ninth Kingdom lies and only the Pigeon Knight can lead them there.

During the Council meeting Perilake impatiently listens to the numerous complaints and doesn't care about the details. "Send Arkadiusz back to Kranach", he demands "or make him apologize!" The Axebearer is non of his concern: "Let the Marshall deal with them!" When Istvan mentions that the soldiers haven't received their pay he drops his golden armour on the floor. “Sell it!”

The Bard

1st Rainsday of Bales

They leave at Dawn under constant rain. Zoltan is drawn to the South but he admits that his instinct had shown different directions before. They travel through a forest into an overgrown ravine and need to hack their way through brambles and it is dusk when they emerge on the other side to make camp near a brook. Heldris has to search for a while to find dry wood. He hears drums and hoarse singing. When he comes upon a clearing a bard in gaudy clothes is singing vile lyrics about the company. Heldris demands that he should stop but the Bard doesn't react. With a sardonic smile he questions Heldris manhood, disrespects his wife and muses that the precious stone she adores must satisfy her in a way the Dove Knight can't. But how can he know the jewel, the troubled past of the Tankard Knight, and twist it into a grotesque tale? Enraged Heldris smashes his drum and before he realizes it, he drives his sword through the unarmed man. As if in a dream he cleans the sword and returns to his friends. Milos sees that he is distraught but the others just blame his curse and how he is often troubled at night. When the Knights are asleep Sir Heldris asks Sir Milos about that night in Bohat and the presence he felt. The Fox Knight  reveals that he had dealings with the Fae before and has received a gift unaware of the consequences. Now it is Sir Heldris' turn to confess and he whispers into the Fox Knight's ear what he doesn't dare to say out loud.

A shallow Lake in the Fog

1st Stillday of Bales

The morning wind brings the smell of stagnant water from the south. They travel through a fetid bog under the burning Harvest sun, past ancient menhirs and plagued by mosquitoes. At noon a thick fog rises and their steeds trot through a shallow lake. From somewhere they hear calls and soon a Knight emerges from the mist. He seeks the Child. He is willing to sacrifice it so that the Demon won't tear the Realm apart: Knights, Seers and Vassals all. “You would kill a child for the Realm?” Perilake asks incredulously. “Yes!”, the rogue Seeker Knight proclaims. “Are you with me?” The Gilded Knight is not in the mood to talk about harm that comes to a child. “You are a fool and a coward!”, he spits and the Knight howls in anger: ”A fool I might be. A coward I am not!” and charges forward. Perilake smashes the Knight's shield but barely escapes his counter. Their steeds rear and they hack at each other until Perilake is hit by a terrible blow to the head and tumbles onto the ground. The Knight jumps from his horse and raises his morning star for the coup de grâce but Heldris cuts his hand off and as the night before runs his sword through an unarmed man

Zoltan cradles Perilake's head while Anastasz binds his wounds. Milos approaches Heldris carefully but has to dodge a wild swing from the Dove Knight. Only when he realizes he almost struck his brother does Heldris lower his sword.

Session 20

Between Seasons

With Perilake gone Lady Inga spends long days in her chambers alone, only tended by her maids from Svenrik. She is now always wearing white – the colour of the Church of the the Child and frequently disappears for some time to visit a humble chapel in the Western hills, much to the chagrin of the Citadel's Sheriff. 

The Salt Knight has taken Biljana and Marko, the children from Bohat, to the Citadel where they are trained as pages … but it is up to the Fox Knight to show them the warmth they both crave. Sir Milos has become friends with Vojtech the rough but charming noble from the Waldochian steppe and they both take care of the refugees from Oakfell.

Sir Heldris invites Yordanka to make use of his extensive library of songs and sheet music. He offers patronage to the theatre in exchange for a more sympathetic view on house Farkash and the Company of the Black Fleece. The playwrite from Masur accepts hesitantly.

Farkash Citadel, 3rd Silverday of of Leaves, The Tax

High up in the Citadel the Council meets to discuss the Tax. Without Ser Perilake the mood is sombre and the absence of Avert who used to play on the floor is deeply felt. Lady Jitka the Steward of Farkash reveals that the project in Oakfell to quell the underground fire has depleted all resources and that the coffers of Farkash are empty. They decide to send an envoy to Barow Castle to ask the King and the Merchant's Guild for support. But for now the excavation is stopped and the Citadel has to cope with crowded chambers and rising tensions.

Sheriff Sorinah provides an update on the Axbearer, a mysterious figure who threatens to end the reign of Knights, and who has found support among a group of young farmers to the East. The company is more than willing to finally address a conflict that might be resolved with strength rather than wits – but only after the Feast of Stars. The Knights decide to summon the Jewelled Seer to the Feast.

Marshal Istvan of Kranach complaints about the children of Oakfell disturbing his soldiers and remains unconvinced even after Sir Milos defends them. Only when Sir Heldris steps in does Istvan promise to adjust his training sessions to the presence of the refugees.

Lastly Envoy Alina announces the arrival of noble emissaries from all over the Realm: Arkadiusz, a dashing young Knight from Kranach and Princess Alaja of Barow. Sir Andrasz is happy to see his former Squire Lady Gundhilde, the Snare Knight, as an envoy from Sir Adalbert and Sir Heldris welcomes his wife Lady Hedwig who is representing house Karpat.

Farkash Citadel

1st Kinsday of Bales, The Feast of the Stars

In order to charm the disgruntled soldiers Sir Milos instructs some elderly refugees to bake sweet buns and the children of Oakfell to distribute them. Heldris learns that his daughter will serve Lady Gundhilde as a Squire, a relieve after he had already heard rumours Annegrit might join a Knight from Szalai and had feared the worst.

In the Great Hall an opulent feast is provided with food and drink under the light of a hundred candles and Sir Milos waits for his opportunity to entertain the guests with music. Suddenly a commotion draws the attention to the table of the Kranach delegation. Sir Arkadiusz rises from his feet, his face badly burned by hot tea and slaps the young woman serving him. Bartek who recognizes her as one of Inga's maids immediately steps in and confronts the officer. Before Heldris can intervene, a fight breaks out, fists are flying and plates shatter until Milos has the presence of mind to play a jaunty gig that first shocks and than shames the troublemakers. Soon the music changes to a more solemn tune and Heldris and Anastasz join the Fox Knight until at last the Great Hall is united in song. Acolytes with chimeric masks lead the congregation to the lake where barges, boats and floats are moored. A thick mist lies over the water illuminated by the moon, its light reflected a thousandfold by the gems of the Jewelled Seers. The acolytes blow their horns: A dissonant sound, low and strange and from all over the realm, from the hills and forests and across the abyss of time horns answer as if from ancient beasts calling back.

A misty Lake

1st Skyday of Bales

The next morning they summon the Jewelled Seer and ask them about the Child. It will be born this year the Seer answers in a voice as if stones are grinding against each other and it will be born from fire. When the Fox Knight offers to support the Seer, a ruby is presented to him and for a moment Sir Milos catches a glimpse of a fire burning inside.

The Children of Bohat VIII

The Halls collapse
The Last Dawn
Perilake's Quest
Sons and Daughters

The hour before dawn of the 3nd Riverday of Petals, Tizra's Halls

Referee

The ground is shaking and more dust falls onto the ground. You walk through an endless succession of corridors until finally you smell something musky and foul and you come upon another hall with three cauldrons hanging in a massive hearth. A girl is standing on a stool holding a long ladle, that she has dipped into one of the cauldrons that is too big for her to reach otherwise. The stench in the room is overwhelming.  

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz mutters, "Hold my nose, please,"to Marko. He runs to the girl. "Biljana, your mother sent me. You don't need to serve Tizra anymore. Come with me, we must leave now." He shifts Marko under his left arm, and extends his right hand to Biljana. 

Referee

Marko lifts his tired head and pinches your nose. You hear the cold voice again. It sounds very pleased and whispers. “Feel the despair Salt Knight as much as I felt it when my Lord was banished and I was left behind.” The walls shake and a large stone from the ceiling drops onto the floor. One of the cauldron tip over and something massive plops on the floor. Biljana jumps from her stool with a scream barely evading the hot liquid. She looks confused but her eyes are clear. She blinks and wordlessly grabs your hand.

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz hoists Biljana up over his right shoulder like a sack of barley and begins to run. As he is about to leave the chamber of cauldrons, he glances back over his shoulder at what came out of the cauldron. 

Referee

You see the body of a young man, without the scars he should have on his torso where Sir Vladimir and Lady Bianca pierced him, without the deep lines that life drew on your face. But it is just an empty vessel without a soul.

Bijlana guides you through trembling corridors until you hear the sound of rushing water and soon you step out behind a waterfall as dust whirls out of the collapsing tunnel. A path of rough stones leads up onto the peak where the Vyměněnec rests against the cairn. You must have been in the halls for hours but now the sun rises in the east. The creature is in a state of terrible deformation, skin and flesh dragged down towards the earth and unable to speak but the children recognize his kindness and sit next to him until the end.

Another gloomy Hall

  

The hour before dawn of the 3nd Riverday of Petals, Bohat

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

In the cursed night, Heldris looks within for the warmth of the sunlight to cast away the darkness of this ancient curse. "I will not fall for your tricks!" he shouts with a painful effort. 'I lifted this curse twenty years ago', he wishes to add, but speech dies in his mouth as his jaw burns with pain. He looks up at the grinning child and the sky behind her burns with radiant sunlight in the Dove Knight's vision. He unsheathes his sword and takes a step forward.

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Milos watches Biljana from the shadows as she laps up the milk. He smirks to himself and shakes his head slightly. But before he can act, his throat tightens, as if a hand were gently but inexorably closing around it. Not choking. Claiming. His tongue goes dry with the old taste of honey and iron. And a familiar voice caresses his thoughts “Young one, this is a matter of old debts that do not concern us.” Milos falls to one knee and bows his head, his body acting of its own volition. “The true danger is at your side, not before you.” He hears a stifled growl as Heldris steps forward to confront what presents as the girl. She looks up from her cup and stares Milos in the eye before turning her attention to the Dove Knight.

Referee

Sir Heldris, for a short moment the town square is gone and with it the wagon and the girl and you find yourself in the shadow of the looming arch to which Colmán had carried you all these years ago. And the sun breaks through the clouds and shines onto your features that are not that of a hound any more and the sun has a white face and she smiles upon you with love. Then you stumble forward but catch yourself and your sword is in your hands and The Fox Knight before you.

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

Perilake grits his teeth, even that small action seeming to take his concentration, and focuses on the small falcon. His hands spasm for vital seconds, but as he closes them on the hilt of Rzeznick the cold steel seems to give them life. A familiar feeling, on this blade that lay near Bohat for ages unknown. This enchanted steel will surely not fail him even as his limbs have under this dark spell. Not when Avert lies above. But the mere touch of the blade does not banish the stupor - and so with all his might, Perilake seeks its bite. One hand clutches the unsheathed steel, and his flesh parts, blood pouring out along with a volcano of startling pain. 

A large pale Face

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Milos witnesses his comrade’s struggle with pained sympathy. He rises and looks up at Biljana. “You overplay your hand, fierce one. Curses are contracts and who holds the rights to this one? If you awaken it, you claim stewardship of it. Continue on this path and any victory you may claim will be pyrrhic. Desist now and we can negotiate.” He sets his jaw and stands his ground.

Referee

“A wrangler of words, I see, despised in this world and in all others.” She shows her teeth and hisses. “I do not own the sun and yet it warms my skin and winds fill my sail for me to steer it whichever way I desire.”

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

“Despise me or not, it does not matter. Words have power, contracts must be honored, debts must be paid, do not imagine that I am unschooled in the old ways. You cannot take what bears another’s mark. And I stand where I choose.” He moves forward and takes the Dove Knight’s hand in his.“I bind myself to him.” The voice inside Milos booms “No!” in outrage. The Fox Knight gasps and winces in pain, but holds tightly to Heldris’ hand. Through clenched teeth “If you touch him, you declare war on the one who holds me. How many enemies are you willing to make tonight, I wonder? You cannot take me. You cannot break what stands beside me without trespass. Will you duel us both, hobbled as you will be?”

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

Perilake grits his teeth, even that small action seeming to take his concentration, and focuses on the small falcon. His hands spasm for vital seconds, but as he closes them on the hilt of Rzeznick the cold steel seems to give them life. A familiar feeling, on this blade that lay near Bohat for ages unknown. This enchanted steel will surely not fail him even as his limbs have under this dark spell. Not when Avert lies above. But the mere touch of the blade does not banish the stupor - and so with all his might, Perilake seeks its bite. One hand clutches the unsheathed steel, and his flesh parts, blood pouring out along with a volcano of startling pain.

Referee

A large pale face is looking into the room, the skin a peculiar whitish glow like mother-of- pearl and you understand why Avert mistook the face for the moon. The Herald of the Elf stands outside and all is silent and you cannot move. Then he is in the room and he bends forward in a stilted manner and blood pours out of your hand and sweat stings in your eyes and still you cannot move and next he has Avert in his arms, your son, and now he stands outside and now he is gone. All you can do is scream.  

Sir Milos, you hear a scream from the mayor's house and Biljana smiles. “I "will not - I wish no quarrel with you or your lord." She jumps down. “The Gilded Knight's son is gone. Tizria's Halls will fall and bury the children of this village. I will leave nothing but sorrow. My purpose is fulfilled." She bows with a grand, mocking flourish. "Now, Fox Knight, tell me: who outfoxed whom?” As soon as her last words are spoken, she collapses on the floor next to the booth like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

The Dove Knight's sword stops its swinging motion midair, as the scream from the mayor's house echoes throughout the sleeping village. At Biljana's words he turns towards his brother with a worried look. As the empty vessel of Biljana collapses on the floor, they rush towards the mayor’s house. Their hearts pounding, they hope this is yet another trick and little Avert is well in his bed.

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

But when they arrive, their worst fears are confirmed. Bartek stands helplessly, sword drawn, and looks pale as he guards the door. The old warrior raises his blade as you approach, seemingly eager to put his strength to use, then recognises you and stands aside worldlessly. Through the open door you see Lady Inga clutching to Perilake, blood smeared across them both and pouring from a wound on his hand. The Gilded Knight's sword lies at his feet and his once strong voice is broken as he whispers.

"The Herald has my son."  

~ EPILOGUE ~

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Milos leans against a willow tree on a rise overlooking Dunja’s small homestead. A gentle breeze sways the branches around him. He has strategically positioned himself upwind of the tannery stench. Below he sees Biljana helping her mother set out some hides for drying in the sun. Dunja pushes her daughter's shoulder playfully in some private jest. Biljana laughs out loud and the sound carries on the wind to the keen ears of the Fox Knight. He smiles to himself and looks down at the tattered red ribbon he is winding over and over through his fingers. Then he drops it into his pocket and turns to walk back to the village. 

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight

In the wake of their son's disappearance, Lady Inga returns to Farkash, accompanied by Bartek. Though many come to offer their comfort, the scarred soldier turns them all away silently at Inga's door, and she is barely seen. Her door only opens at the Pigeon Knight's call, drawn by the tale already spreading across the land. 

Her husband does not return with her, but sets out immediately to try and find any trace of Avert. His brother knights offer their aid, but the duties of Sceptremass call. Perilake pays no heed, no care to the possible insult to the king or the blow to the fragile reconciliation they have worked for. Whether the company stays or goes, nothing changes. The golden warmth of his smile is replaced by the cold glint of metal, though the armour itself now weighs heavily. An unfamiliar sneer twists his face at the suggestion of the King's aid in his quest, and it is a sorrowful parting between brothers. 

He travels onwards, seeking out each of the Seers in turn. The visions of the Cured Seer show him his son, in a perverse court of seasons and strangeness. The Tangled Seer warns that threatening the Elves may threaten the realm, even as he offers the hope that Avert can be saved, even as he says that all may be doomed in the pursuit. For a mad moment, Perilake considers cutting through the tangled knots of possibilities... but he remembers his oaths. For now. 

Each seer he asks 'Where is my son', and it is the Veiled Seer who answers; a single word, a name. A place. A place he cannot find. 

He travels onwards, northwards, seeking the Entombed Seer and any others. In the dark nights, the cloak of sorrow burns with anger, and he thinks of the Herald. Of the plinths and their offerings and a bargain he would now take. 

But on the road, he is not met by the omens he seeks but by his former squire. The Pigeon Knight has flown far, and brings a plea from the Lady Inga. And Perilake cannot refuse

The Wheel of the Year turns once more

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

In the wake of that horrible night in Bohat, as Perilake saddles his horse and prepares to leave, the Dove Knight pleads with him to accept their help and let them join his quest. But within his sorrow the Gilded Knight’s good sense does not falter, as he reminds his brothers of the duties of the realm; of Farkash Citadel, of Sceptremass, of the risk of letting resentment prevail. Heldris nods in silence, and with tears obfuscating his eyes bids farewell to his old friend. Back at home he keeps his mind busy with the many tasks of the holding, and the Gilded Knight’s misfortune leads him to spend as much time as he can with his brothers, lest they let themselves be overwhelmed by sorrow. Or at least that’s what he tells himself, as he finds great comfort in their company. Lady Hedwig travels often to Farkash, to offer Heldris her immovable shoulder. Their daughter Annegrit has grown fast and shows great sense. With the shadow of Avert's absence stalking in everyone's mind, she spends more and more time with Lady Inga, keeping her busy with walks and chatter, discussing the property of plants, the movement of the stars, and the duties of her future knighthood

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

The refugee children of Oakfell sit in the dirt surrounding the Fox Knight as he tells them a fantastical story about a lazy girl, a bowl of porridge, and a clever hedge pig. He plays each character fully, makes grand gestures, and absurd faces. Upon finishing, he asks: who can tell me the moral of the story then? Agafya pops her head out from her hiding place beneath Milos’ chair “Names have power. Guard them well” And another small boy in the back of the circle adds: “And trick others into revealing them!” Milos laughs and stands. “Well, the lessons are learned well then and story time is over. Who wants to help me gather kindling for the fires tonight? “ Many hands go up and the Fox Knight leads the children into the scrub surrounding Farkash holding

***

The Children of Bohat VII

A Bell, a Harp and a spinning Ladle

A forgotten Toy under the Bed

The Fox Knight sets a Trap

The Hound Within awakens 

The hour before dawn of the 3rd Riverday of Petals, Tizra's Halls

Referee

You squeeze through the small door and the bell echoes through the halls beyond. It smells of soil and rotten wood. A broken stairway leads down towards a hall with large windows. Shadows from unseen candles play around your feet. On the top of the stairs you spot a ledge that leads towards a far wall. A cold voice whispers in your ear “In and out the silver bells, I am your master” and you shudder. The music has stopped but the sound of the bell rings and rings and rings ...  

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

The Salt Knight plunges his fingers into his ears to try and quiet the voices, struggling forward with little sight and less hearing. Crouching, he descends the stairs. 

Referee

You crouch forward until you reach the gap between the stairs and look over to the other side. You reckon you could jump the distance. The hall below is vast and empty and there are large windows that allow the view to a tangled forest under a grey sky, gnarled branches scraping against the glass. At the far end of the hall is a stage with various instruments. A child in a white tunic plucks the strings of a harp unheard over the sound of the bell. Two sets of open doors lead deeper into the Tizra's mansion. 

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

The Salt Knight takes a minute to judge the length of the gap through the blindfold, then runs and bounds across the gap. 

View from the Ballroom

Referee

You land on the far side and descend the stairs. The floor of the hall is dusty and made from stones that are so uneven that they are resembling stones found in nature. Through the doors you see shadowy corridors leading in all known directions and some more that shouldn't exist. As you had taken the precaution to plug your ears, the maddening sound of the bell is muffled but again you hear the whisper as clear as before - as if reaching your mind through other means than your ears. “And who will you save?” The voice mocks. “You cannot save them all.” You approach the stage. The child playing the harp is Saša, his eyes clouded. His tunic is embroidered with pearls and he wears a wreath of ivy. When he sees you he asks you something so softly that you cannot hear his words. 

 

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz approaches Saša, and leands down close, his plugged ears next to Saša's little mouth. "What, child?"  

Referee

“Where is the master?" He asks in a sleepy voice. "And who are you?”  

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

"Your parents sent me. Where are Marko and Biljana?"  

Referee

He doesn't react to you mentioning his parents and only looks around. “Marko sweeps the floor. It is very hard work.” He gestures towards the one set of doors. “Bijlana stirs the pot. I don't like the smell.” He points towards the other and sighs."I play the harp all day but now I only hear the bell."

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

"Keep playing the harp, I'll be back soon." And the Salt Knight goes through the door to Marko.

Referee

You walk down the hallway and you see through vaulted archways other hallways full of dust and shadows leading off into the distance. Gargoyles and dragons sit atop the archways watching you with dead eyes and some have stone faces so old that they had lost all features. With each step the sound of the bell gets softer and softer until you can't hear it any more.  

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz kneels down next to one corridor and scrapes a finger across the floor, yielding a thick layer of dust and grime. He moves on, occasionally testing the floor again. When at a fork, he goes down the cleaner path. 

Referee

You wander for some time, tracking back whenever the dust is thicker until you hear the scraping of straw over stone and you reach another vast hall. At the far end is a large throne made from antlers and woven reeds behind which hang furs and skins of fabled beats. Through the windows you see the same tangled forest and the same grey sky like the surface of a lake seen from underwater. Marko sweeps the floor in front of the throne but his broom is obstructed by the uneven stones and it seems that he stirs as much dust as he gathers.  

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz stoops down next to Marko. "Marko, you must come with me. I'm taking you back to your father." He takes the boy's hand firmly but not forcefully. 

Referee

Marko blinks at you in confusion. His hands are as cold as his twin's. He looks over his shoulder at the broom now resting on the floor. He resists your pull with inertia rather then with intent. “But the master ...”  

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

"Tizra isn't your master anymore. If you come with me, you won't have to work for him any longer."

The Salt Knight senses the child's reticence, sighs, and scoops up little Marko. He turns and swiftly retraces his steps through the serpentine corridors, searching for Biljana with Marko in his arms. 

Referee

Marko rests his head on your shoulders and sighs. “ … won't have to work any longer” he mumbles. On your way back through the corridors and halls and under archways you find a corridor that seems familiar but soon you come to a dead end and turn around and retrace your steps and after a while you hear a low rumble from deep below and when you pass another archway the stone is cracked and dust falls onto the floor.  

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz looks around frantically. "Marko, do you know where Saša and Biljana are?"

Referee

"The ballroom is north" he mumbles. "Saša always plays the harp there. Biljana is west in the kitchen."

Sir Anastaz, The Salt Knight

Anastaz sets down Marko for a moment, still hanging on to his hand. He retrieves the unbreakable compass from his pack, a metal ladle which unerringly points south. He tosses it on the ground, and waits as it spins. Once it comes to rest, he picks it up, picks Marko up, and heads west.

Hallways full of Dust and Shadows

 

Passed midnight of the 3rd Riverday of Petals, Bohat

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Night falls in earnest on Bohat as the grey half-moon sets just past midnight. The Fox Knight walks quietly among the village paths, pulling millet grain from his pockets and sprinkling it on the earth.

He sets down a small cup with milk at a crossing of paths and writes in chalk next to it “freely given and refused without offence.”  

And finally, he enters the town square and hangs a lantern from the branch of an elm, places a sprig of St John’s Wort inside, and lights it. It casts the only light in the darkened village.

Milos climbs up the side of the stable and comes to sit next to the shadowed figure of the Dove Knight.

He speaks slowly to his comrade in a faint but clear whisper: “Do not watch the dark. Watch instead for what cannot step upon spilled grain. A thief may take the milk, a dog may drink it, but a faerie will be vexed by the offer and tarry. Watch for what casts no shadow from the light, or too many. Whatever pauses before it is measuring the cost of entering the brightness.”

Referee

Sir Heldris, under the moonlight you find speaking difficult, there are too many teeths to pronounce words properly and a lagging tongue too large to fit even your slightly protruded mouth. Your mind wanders. There is a hunger inside you that won't be sated by anything but prey that flees before you.

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

Milos’ words enter Heldris’ ears like a droning noise, muffled sentences making their way to a meaning of sorts. The Dove Knight just nods silently, avoiding the young knight’s gaze. He scans the darkened streets, quietly, although struggling to hush his own breathing which has slowly turned into a low scraping sound.

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Milos looks carefully at his comrade and senses that his words do not land. He quiets himself and slowly reachs out his hand to cover Heldris'. No pressure, no insistence, simply presence.

Referee

You hear Sir Heldris' rattled breathing next to you and a dog barking in the distance. The taste of the resinated wine you drank in the evening is on your lips and its mundane magic still circulating in your blood. From above the village looks like the toy blocks of your childhood. Now a cloud is covering the moon and plunges the few streets in darkness - but only for a moment: Now the cloud passes and the moonlight reveals a yellow blotch of colour disappearing around the corner of the inn moving south.

Bohat at Night

Sir Milos, the Fox Knight

Milos gives Heldris' hand a firm squeeze and rises silently."Cover me, friend. We may have a visitor." He slips down the side of the stables and prowls through the shadows toward the far side of the inn. He briefly looks up toward Heldris, catches his gaze, and nods.

Referee

On the town square you see spilled milk on the ground but the cup Sir Milos placed there is missing. Small white footprints are leading away. When you reach the corner you spot Biljana crouching against Yordanka's wagon, holding the cup between her hands and eagerly lapping the milk like a cat and like a cat her eyes reflect the moonlight. She stares vacantly and she hasn't seen you yet.

Ser Perilake, The Gilded Knight 

After leaving the gathering, Perilake takes Avert to his room. "Papa...." The boy mutters sleepily "Will you sleep in here tonight?" Perilake smiles, and tucks his boy in. "No Avert, I will not sleep in here tonight. You are nearly grown, and there is no space. But I will sit with you a while, and I will tell you the tale of the Seed Knight and the Bandits." Before Perilake's story is halfway begun, the young boy has drifted into sleep. Perilake waits quietly for a few moments, then studies the bed. High enough for him to slide under, and clear on either side for him to roll out and spring up. Drawing his blades and carefully placing them below, he slides under and blows out the candle. Tonight, he will not sleep. Tonight, he will watch. And see what may come

Referee

After some time your eyes adjust to the darkness and in the moonlight you see a small wooden falcon under the bed close to the wall and you recognize the present you gave Inga many years ago during the first winter you spent together and that Avert tearfully admitted to have lost. You hear an owl hooting and the movement of mice in the old walls. Avert moves a little and the bed creaks. Time passes. The shadows move slowly with the moon's arc and more shadows that shouldn't be there from some source of illumination invisible to your eyes and with them comes a musky smell that seem to make the space under the bed shrink and your limbs lay lazy and stupid around you as if they were belonging to a discarded puppet.

Sir Heldris the Dove Knight

Even before spotting Biljana, Heldris feels himself drawn to the wagon, like a dog drawn to a familiar smell. When he sees the child lapping the milk like a cat, he lets out a deep growl, but immediately pushes it back. He approaches the child and with enormous effort he manages to articulate a speech: "Biljana, if that's who you are, I know you carry a curse under this unearthly moon." He pauses for the pain from speaking out loud, and after a moment he resumes: "Lead us to the place where it came from, I beg you, and let us help Biljana back."

Referee

She finishes the milk without taking her eyes of you and then licks her lips. “I have nothing but contempt for your kind, your pleas only amuse me.” Now the cup is on the floor and reels and clatters to its rest and Biljana crouches on top of the wagon looking down at you. She makes a lazy gesture towards the Fox Knight. “I cannot harm him - his soul is claimed.” There is a hint of disappointment but then she smiles for the first time and her teeth are long. ”But you can!” And she lifts her muzzle and howls and the Hound inside of you awakens.