The adventure finally begins!
SCENE ONE
I. The Count's Meeting Chamber
This room is the heart of the government; a majestic gilded room lined
with reference scrolls. The Count's throne is severe and imposing, and
flanked by two Templars.
The Count enters. He's middle-aged, tall and thickly built. His most arresting feature the combination of his black beard and brilliant yellow hair.
*Yelanda, Bob and Mars know that this is because the black-haired count dyes his hair to look more in the classic Yelmalian mould.
*Yelanda and Bob have also heard the rumour that the priests wouldn't let him dye his beard, because that would constitute disguising himself as a woman, something a Yelmalian Light Son must never do.
The count is bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, and even more crabby and irritable than normal. He gestures for Yelanda and Sarshas to come forward; Mars and his prisoner are told by a dismissive gesture to wait at the door.
Bark out his orders quickly and precisely!
To Yelanda
"After that pathetic display you subjected us to yesterday, it's a wonder
that we should ever ask you to perform an important task for us again.
After our priests have cast the necessary enchantments and charms (which
we could not do last night, as they must be done in the light of day),
you are to deliver these gold rings to our trusted general Lord Invictus
at our town of Harpoon, and await his further commands. You must do this
in all haste, and arrive there by midnight tonight. Be wary of Orlanthi
who would ambush you and take the rings as prize. Know that your
future standing in our depends on how well you acquit yourself in this
task."
The "gold rings" the count refers to are in fact huge circlets, marked with runes about 30 cm in diameter. In the dim light of the audience chamber, they glow visibly. As the Count speaks, a pair of temple functionaries lift them up and take them out of the room.
To Sarshas
"Know Lunar, that your governor's message included a post-script to me that,
in the interests of better relations between our two governments, you should
be enlisted into my service for the duration of these momentous events. I
put you under the command of my servant Yelanda here then, and you may
escort her to Harpoon."
To Mars
"Manpower is very short at the moment. You, man, go with this Light Servant
as guard."
If Mars begins tries to bring forward his prisoner, Solanthos peremptorily cuts him short, "Yes, yes, this preposterous creature is known to us, the priests have told us about it. Whatever it did, we can use it now. It looks broad-shouldered enough; get it to carry the rings. If it does that well enough it shall be spared my further wrath."
The Count is in no mood to answer questions from anyone and replies along the lines of "For now, all that's required of your is obedience. You'll find out what's going on when you get to Harpoon".
The ill-assorted group is led into the temple kitchens for a breakfast of date mush and weak barley beer. The kitchen staff are all very tired, having been up since midnight getting provisions prepared for the departing army.
If asked, they only know rumours about what's going on:
*The Lunars have decided to invade Sun County once and for all, and make us worship the Red Goddess.
*The Bison Riders/Impala Tribe/Morokanth etc. have risen up to drive us out of the valley to die in the wastes!
*Wolf Pirates are sailing upriver, burning and looting the Sun Dome villages as they come!
The characters are forced to cool their heels in the kitchens until almost noon waiting for the priests to return the rings (if they wish to wander around the temple, improvise a description of gilded rooms and cool cloisters. The temple currently only has a skeleton staff, because those who didn't march off last night are now resting). The same temple functionaries return with the rings, in a thick hemp bag which is warm to touch. The bag has an ENC of 13. The temple functionaries know that nothing more about the rings than "they have been blessed by the Son."
Next: Setting Off!
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