Hill and Hedge Visions

• ... there were Rahar and Babek, the Animal Trainer, sitting at a table talking. They didn't seem to see or hear us. Rahar was saying that he needed to find the horse and drag her to the ruby as soon as he could. Babek said since he had helped Rahar, could Rahar help him with something in return? Rahar said he was too busy. Then Babek left and Rahar took out a gold coin. It was full of orange spirits, shaped like Cataurs. I have to assume it was the Lion's Key. He spoke to it, and said that humans are still foolish, he must find the horse, but he didn't know where she was. Then the scene dissolved.
  Further details: Chyra encountered a red-spell-casting ruby near Kern, which she thinks releated to the plague that wiped out the centaurs and the cataurs. See also Chyra's vison

• ...It was the Blue Mage talking with the Head of the Paladins of Rush, with a spy listening in, unseen. They were planning the invasion of Trelmane. The Blue Mage said she had other mages lined up to help. The Paladin said he needed permission from the High Priest of Rush. After a bit, they left, but the spy remained. He had four spirits around him, seemingly working together. He repeated the conversation to them, and said they must prepare, and left. After he left, it became clear that two of the spirits were actually demons, and they weren't all working together as nicely as they were pretending to.
  Further details: Jabril recognizes the spy as having been poking around looking at Basma and Ra'adin in 'al Jabar, some time ago.

• ... The third scene was Joe talking to an elf I didn't recognize through a yellow spell. The elf had a large green spirit behind him (this one really was a spirit, not a demon). Their interaction was strange, like the elf was high ranking, but not actually in the same chain of command as Joe. Like if Father Smithson tried to order Jonathan around, it would be like that. They were discussing the priests of Orellian in Elfheim. I guess they're starting to convert some elves successfully. The elf wanted drastic measures. Joe said he'll see what happens, but was clearly irritated. Also, all this was in elvish, which we understood at the time, though I've never learned it. Oh, and the green spirit was listening to a concert, but was irritated that the orchestra was shrinking.
  Further details: Errol recognizes the elf as the head of the Arbae, Arba-Sol (that's his title).

• ... There were people around a tree stump instead of a table. There was Rechark and the Plant Demon and a Nevermore, which was what Grackle was talking through. They were talking about how to deal with Krezan. They clearly didn't get along, but had achieved some sort of civil understanding for the benefit of the greater Evil. All of a sudden, a sluagh with a gem arrives and announces that he's one of the group, and sits down at the stump as well. You could almost see the balance break down, as the three others silently schemed how to use the newcomer to grab greater power, and how to keep the others from doing the same. They kept talking about Krezan for a while, but things had clearly fallen apart, and they left soon. As they left, they kept an eye on a group of people nearby, who were also looking towards the stump. There was a Lich, Rahar (though only a few looked at him, the Plant Demon and maybe the sluagh), some human I didn't recognize. Kathava was there too, though they didn't watch her, though that seemed more because they thought she didn't want to sit at the stump, rather than she wasn't strong enough to be a threat.
  Further details: Dunyazade says the closest man matching the human's description is in Avan (though that could be just the one who resembles him most while the real guy is shielded).

TiRinian's Death Visions

• Char: (approximate) Char is concerned over the actions of a group of spirits attempting to take some powers to which they are not entitled. She takes the form of a cat to speak to Hawk about this, because he's doing something similar, and is trapped as a cat.

• Chyra: A council of war between the Centaur leader, named Ektor, and the Cataur leader, Jarash. They were being spied on by another Cataur-Centaur pair, who didn't seem to agree with their plan of action. Ektor and Jarash pointed on the map to a location that was essentially the same as where Chyra had encountered the red-spell-casting ruby, and commented that humans were massing there, though they could not see any reason why they would do so as there were no important objectives in the area that the Centaurs or Cataurs knew of. The spying Cataur and Centaur were apparently working together because both sides were being wiped out; the spying Cataur said "If the Shatterer Himself turns against us, we spit at Him, and stand alone."

• Errol: ...You land on the edge of a forest, at night. After a minute, you realize it's the edge of Elfheim, where you grew up. Two humans, a man and a woman, the woman very pregnant, are walking towards you. As they get near, the man speaks, in a tired voice.

  [the man:] "I tell you again, Katra, this is foolishness. You risk yourself and the baby, and for what? A trinket? Yes, yes, I know it is a family heirloom, but you act like a madwoman about it. The thief was caught, and hung, and did not have it any longer. It is gone. Come home, and you will forget in time."

  [Katra (also tired, clearly a repeated argument):] "No, Tekon, it is not foolishness. I have told you. I get the ring back, or I will be killed. It will find me, if it can, but I must let its magic work, not be hidden away at home. And yes, I know your fear of the forest, but this is the way the man who bought it was said to have gone. So this is the way I must go."

  They walk through you, and the spell jumps you again. The same man and woman, near dawn, further in to Elfheim. A goblin steps out of the woman, near dawn, further in to Elfheim. A goblin steps out of the shadows behind them and moves forwards, sword in hand. A twig breaks under his foot, and the man turn. He leaps forward to grapple the creature, yelling "Katra, run!" With a look, she does as told and flees further into the forest. The spell jumps again.

  This time it is the woman, lying on the forest floor, a newborn babe nestled at her breast. She murmurs to him quietly "It does not go well, little one. I lost too much blood with your birth, and have not found the ring. Even if Tekon defeated the goblin, others will come soon, I fear." Time fastforwards, an hour or more by the shift in the light, when a bird lands nearby, your ring in its beak. The woman reaches out and takes it. She laughs softly to herself. "Too late. Too late for me. But perhaps not for you, my son." She puts the ring on your finger, says something you don't understand. With a finger, she scrawls in the dirt "His name is Errol". She lies back again, holding you, and her eyes flutter closed.

• Jabril: ...suddenly you pop out of the courtyard in Gelan, and land on a cushion, in an ornately appointed room. Behind you sit Dunyazade, Marziah, and Chyra. In front of you, a finely woven tapestry, of Eastern Design, blocks off your view of a portion of the room. You realize that you are already speaking.

  The language is formal and courtly, more so than you can comfortably follow, but it is clearly B'lat, and you can get some idea that the conversation is a petition for assistance with the war. Your enemy is his enemy, too, and only by opposing them can his problem be solved.

  Periodically, a voice interrupts you from behind the curtain with questions and comments. Protestations that he is an old, sick man, unable to assist anyone; curiosity as to how you found him in the first place; concern as to whether his aid would truly be of assistance in any case. From your answers, you're not certain you actually know precisely what his aid will be, but the praise for his powers seems to stoke his ego nonetheless. Eventually, after quite some time of negotiation, he agrees to speak with some friends and see what can be done. The words do not promise anything, but from the tone you are confident that some success has been achieved.

  Movement behind the curtain indicates that the audience is over. You begin to get up, and are startled to see the curtain billow slightly, and a clawed hand reach out to takehold of its edge. You step off the pillow towards the curtain...

• Jelom: The scene is the 'al Jabaran throne room, after much of 'al Jabar has been destroyed. Dunyazade is being crowned queen over the remnants; Jelom is, um, being servanty? And Jabril is in the crowd, looking to see who will be loyal and who won't be.

• Jonathan & Leila: They spin away through space/time and appear together. Around them are a human, two elves, a centaur, and a saurian. Jonathan tries to catch their attention, but nobody but Leila can see him, and his hand goes through the table.

  The beings there are speaking in a language Jonathan and Leila don't understand; while they are all more or less equals, the saurian is the focus of the conversation. After a minute or two, two human women step in, unannouced. Those present are taken aback, but recover quickly, and the saurian says something to the women. One responds: "My thanks, famed Nikoli, but it is we who hope to be of assistance to you." (Jonathan understands her, though she speaks the same language as the others). The saurian asks another question, and the second woman replies (Leila can understand her): "I am Vlada Lasav. I am something of a noted midwife, as the Bloody One (nods at one of the elves) can tell you. I am also a priest of the Goddess." The other adds "and I am Mou Tzyenko, a priest of the Nameless." At that, the centaur (wearing a holy symbol of the Twins) snaps something out, to which Mou responds with a laugh "I assure you, the Five are not dead. Indeed, there would be no room for them in the Nameless' Halls, for they are larger than all who have ever and will ever live." At the end of her statement, Vlada adds "And the Goddess will live as long as any mother gives birth to a child" which brings silence crashing down on the room.

  After a moment, the Saurian comes to a decision, and gestures the original guests to leave. They do, slowly; the elf Vlada nodded at (a red mage, Leila is certain) is clearly curious to stay, but decides it would be rude to insist on doing so. Once they are gone, Nikoli asks another question, and Vlada replies, sadly, "That would be beyond my power, I fear. One child I might manage, if I spent the period from gestation to hatching with the mother... but all of you? No, I cannot do that." Mou picks up at the end of that answer, and says "But hope is not lost. The Lord of Death does not now decree that your race pass from this world. Though it will take time, and sacrifice, you may yet be saved." The conversation continues, and the spell pulls them away

• Manus: ... you are pushed out of the courtyard and up, onto the walls of the College. You pace the walls carefully, pausing with each step to check that the spells guarding you remain strong. The temptation to hurry, to overlook something and get back to the preparations below is strong, but you resist. The Mages preparing the ritual are strong and competent, and will do everything properly. And it is easier for you, with your ability to simply see Magic, to do this work than it would be for any of them. Still, you worry. The invaders are held for now, with half of Valanthi between you and them, but the army is losing slowly, and Zhan's forces in the North are also being pressed by waves of Orcs. If this try fails to pierce the shield around the Invaders, you're not certain what the next step will be. Still, can't be defeatist already. The ritual should work. After all, you designed it yourself. And now, you're done with checking the wall, and can go check on the ritual, just to make sure. You step down off the wall...

• Sunny: The Breaker himself stands before Sunny, Leila, and Dunyazade, who kneel before him. He demands that they serve him. Sunny defies him, as do the others. Suddenly, Linneah (Dunyazade will later identify her as such) appears, wearing the Crown of Destiny, and says "You don't want them, have you forgotten that it is me you want? If you still wish to win my love, come meet me outside of Rasan."

• Weythran: Weythran and Errol and Jelom are at the front gates of the Breaker's citadel, intending to break in and deal with the plant demon.

• Zhan: You are in the Broken lands, wading through the bodies of orcs. Behind you, Bren and Manus and Weythran fight fiercely, dropping several with each blow. The land should be safe, within Krezan's borders, but since you have neared the Tomb, you have been beset by orcs of all clans, appearing out of nowhere to oppose you. And they grow stronger as you approach the tomb. Still, if the divinations were accurate, you should be nearly there. When your clan first found it and broke it open, they searched only the first chamber. Still there, buried within, are greater treasures yet, promising hope against the armies that deluge the world. And perhaps, if you are truly blessed, a chance to free your clan from its curse...

  But first, there are orcs to kill. As you step forward again, one gestures, a blue mage, and buffets you with a wind...

Stuff of Destiny

see Stuff of Destiny page