The Eye VI

 Afternoon of the 2nd Rainsday of Bales  

Kozamost

Referee

You exchange stories about Bartek, the soldier of fortune, the strange jars, the ambush and the grotesque procession before returning to the village. Mira is leaving her house with a candle and approaches you: "The Prey Seer would like to speak to you, my Lords" The short woman looks up at you with a worried expression, "something is not right with her." Inside the house, the tabels and chairs are moved to the side. It is dark apart from a lone candle. The Prey Seer sits on the ground, with her back to you scribbling with a piece of charcoal her stick figures onto the wall. You see her right hand is bandaged and there is a trickle of blood running down her arm

Perilake the Gilded Knight

"My lady Seer.... What happened?"

Referee

Her whispers are barely audible over the scratching of charcoal on the wall: "The dreams ... they show me the way ... but something needs to remain." She turns her head to the side, where a wooden box lies on the table." I know where the Eye hides, and I know what it wants ... and it is ...". She trails off.

Heldris the Dove Knight

The Dove Knight looks at the Prey Seer with honest concern. “What did you see in your dreams?” And as drawn by some invisible force, he turns to the wooden box and steps towards it. With the utmost reverence, Heldris slowly opens the box and peers inside.

Referee

"I see a great eye growing out of the earth. It sprouts legs and hunts me and I run and run ... but I will run no more!" On the lid of the simple box there is the symbol of a tree burned into the wood. Inside is a severed ring finger. She turns around, her expression is ecstatic: "Together we will peer into the eye: we will face the beast and It will be beautiful!"

Anastaz the Salt Knight

Anastaz, arms folded, leaning against a wall, speaks up. "What can we do to fight this threat?"

The Prey Seer

Referee

"It is cunning and strong and it knows we are coming. But it is not invincible." She looks from one Knight to the other."I will lead you and if it is time I will distract it so that you can strike it down".

Anastaz the Salt Knight

"Where does it reside? Does it even have a body that can be wounded?"

Referee

"It has a body and it can be hurt but ...", she shakes her head slowly, " ... it will be like carving stone. The acolytes of the Eye sing: 'My god is like a web of a thousand roots that drink in silence,' Her eyes shine brightly in the dark, "It lives underground until the time comes.” There is a strange excitement in her voice. “It will emerge from the ground or we will pull it out into the light.” She turns back to her scribbling and the figures start dancing in the flickering of the candlelight. “Go to sleep my holy warriors and rest: Tomorrow we will go into battle!"

Heldris the Dove Knight

“Whose finger is this?" Heldris asks the Seer, in a distressed tone.

Referee

"It is mine. It is that which will remain even if I am gone. When the Eye is banished ..."she corrects herself "IF it is banished, we will live happily ever after." She turns around to face you, "Or if it prevails others will pick up the mantle and fight it." Her eyes are reflective like cats eyes and there is this strange feeling of excitement again."But if we both vanish, something has to remain to break the symmetry. Promise me, young Knight, to take the relic back to my sanctuary if I'm gone."

Heldris the Dove Knight

The Dove Knight suppresses a sudden feeling of discouragement, and straightens his back. "On my honour, I'll do so, if the future demands it." He then closes the lid of the box, and inquires about the charcoal drawings the Seer has been making.

Referee

"I am the Prey Seer." She only says, turns around again and returns to her drawings. The stick figures depict tiny people bowing and hunching. In the shadows in between there are giant shapes, ugly worms and monsters devouring the figures.

Morning of the 2nd Stillday of Bales

Referee

Before dawn Mira has brought you a simple meal of bread and cheese and left remaining silent the whole time. When you finished the breakfast you see the Prey Seer walking slowly towards the southern entrance to the village. A group of peasants parts, letting her pass between them. The sun is low in the cloudless sky and everything is quiet.

Perilake the Gilded Knight

Zoltan mumbles something that sounds like a question and points towards the Seer, a look of confusion on his face. Perilake follows his gaze, and then exchanges glances with his companions before springing to his feet. "The ways of the Seers are strange my young Squire, and we knights are often left-" he grabs a slice of bread and some cheese as he stands "- hurrying to follow the footsteps of fate. Gather our gear and the horses, and meet us down the trail. I will make sure the Prey Seer does not meet any predators. And don't worry about polishing my plate, it still shines from your previous ministrations."

Perilake strides through the village until he walks closely by the Prey Seer, nodding at the villagers between bites of his rushed breakfast. A few warm smiles from those who worked in the fields alongside the two knights warm his heart as much as the rising sun

Anastaz the Salt Knight

Anastaz stands outside in the crisp air of the early morning, silently grooming Tibor, his gear cleaned and polished for the trials ahead.

Heldris the Dove Knight

Heldris proceeds to slowly saddle his horse and gather his provisions with one hand, painfully trying to rewrite in his head what used to be ordinary routine gestures and movements. From time to time, his fellow knights step in to help tighten a knot, to roll up a cloth, and as fast as they appear they soon go back to work on their stuff, silently and mindfully letting the Dove Knight do by himself what they know he can manage to do.

Referee

You travel along the banks of the river for some time, mist swirling over the water, until you reach the place where you met the acolytes. “You know, kind Janka was among the acolytes”, the Prey Seer says to no one in particular before following the track the wagon ploughed through the tall grass southwards. At noon the Prey Seer stops and turns around looking confused. There are three identical tracks leading away in all directions and FOUR SUNS IN THE SKY. "An old curse on the land." she whispers, "This is not the Eye's work!"

Heldris the Dove Knight

"What else could ail the land besides the Eye?" Heldris asks in a whisper, confused "What is this old curse you speak of?"

There are FOUR Suns

Referee

With a sigh the Prey Seer sits down on a dry patch of land at this strange cross road and rummages in her knapsack for the waterskin. ”The Realm is old and it remembers. There are places that hold the memory of Myths long forgotten and others that once were claimed by nameless gods. As much as the Realm shows beauty and wonder ... " She looks at the mirage of the four suns, " ... don't mistake it for a garden. We could travel in any direction and try our luck but we would be travelling blind.”

Anastaz the Salt Knight

Anastaz stares in wonder at the four suns till his eyes begin to water. "Shall we decide at random, or split up?"

Ludmer, the Trail Knight  

Without much hesitation, Ludmer begins to gather together wood and build a fire "All four directions look exactly alike to me. I am not in the habit of venturing out into the dark with so much as a torch to light my way." Having built the fire, he prepares his kettle "This is as good a time as any to rest and make plans and wait for this nonsense to be over. Tea anyone?"