TOTH - 51052 RAIN (Previous, Previous II)
Lady Carmena, the Uxol advisor of Food and Wine, walks through the high grass and the low trees of the Granite Valley, alongside her longtime servant and bodyguard Glyphan. The drizzling rain leaves a slightly moist and fresh smell, and overall their journey towards the Valley has been relatively pleasant and uneventful.
The servant and Bodyguard Glyphan
Ever since the attack on Uxol, Carmena has been deeply contemplating what could be done to make things right again. It was abundantly clear that the Viceroy was fed up with the incompetence of her court, and she realised that the Belovian artifacts gave Kazamer a huge strategic advantage in this young war. She couldn’t help but have suspicions about the smoothness of her journey. Surely Lord Drennon would expect her and the other Pargons to make a counter move after their initial assault on Uxol? Yet they had not been noticably detected nor captured despite her poor ability to move in stealth.
As the two proceed through the valley, she could not avoid the conclusion that most certainly they were not travelling alone. It was imperative to tread carefully, and be alert and prepared at all times.
“Mylady, I believe we have reached our destination”, Glyphan proclaims.
Carmena looks ahead, and notices that several wooden houses are under construction around the mansion of the Lady of the Valley. As she walks past some of the new citizens of the Valley, they exchange a few cheerful nods.
“Glyph, it looks like something interesting is developing here. Any thoughts on what it could be?”
Glyphan smiles: “Not at all! But I’m sure you will find out soon mylady.”
Carmena returns the smile, and knocks on the door of the Lady’s house. Immediately after the knock, the door opens.
“Please come on in.”, she hears a distant voice. They both proceed inside and take a seat in the reception room of the Lady.
Carmena glances at Glyph.
“I am not worried inside, but do stay on guard here. You know the signal if something is amiss.”
Glyphan nods.
Inside the reception room, a large chandelier with multicoloured gems provides a soft light above the conversation that Carmena is having with the Lady of the Valley. Unusually, the Lady has prepared a small feast for Carmena, as the two of them enjoy a glass of local wine alongside a small banquet of roots, eggs and fruits.
Clearly the Lady is pleased to see Carmena returns, but soon after her arrival her mood begins to darken.
“I am so sad to hear your home has been attacked. How have you survived?”
Carmena bites her lip.
“We were forced into hiding in the Arcane Vault. But most of my fellow villagers have unfortunately passed away. And to make matters worse, they have ransacked the Belovian Armory.”
The Lady stands up in wild surprise.
“What?!”
“I am serious. We do not know how they have done it, but all the weapons are gone.”, Carmena responds.
She sits down again, but a clear restlessness is over her.
“Carmena, I am very worried. I cannot understand why you kindred have done so poorly to protect these artifacts!”
Carmena sighs. “We were caught off-guard, Tyama. Particularly because they mined through the Glacial Mountains with ease! That is another thing I do not understand at all.”
The Lady Tyama Tamaros thinks deeply, and a brief pause of silence follows.
“Carmena… this world is fantastic and deep. Think of it as an ever changing puzzle. You did well to come here, as it allows us to try to solve a part of it. What remains unsolved will be resolved by our adversaries. Resolved to our detriment.”
She pauses briefly.
“Let me start by telling you my certainties. Lord Drennon is driving a war, and he will aim to seize Sindan, the Jackals and the Granite Mountains in this first phase. I know this because of your story, because of what I heard from my guests, and because of what has occurred just to the North.”
“What has occurred then?”, Carmena briefly interjects.
“Blackmill is the home of what undoubtedly are the most skilled miners in Dyjalom. You may recall the Behemoth they unleashed only a few decades ago.”
“I do.”
“Well, those miners have been evacuated a few months back. And a few weeks back, the town was occupied by a garrison from Kazamer. I believe it is led by an officer, as well as a… grower.”
“A grower? Are you referring to the One who lives Below?”
Tyama shakes her head.
“No. This one seems to have come from Kazamer, or Rictoris. And he chooses to remain on the surface. I believe he could have been hired, or perhaps one of the formally trained growers.”
“Well, that might not matter much. But it does explain perhaps how they have gotten through the Glacial Mountains.”, Carmena says.
“Indeed it does. The mines below Dyjalom are among the deepest. It is no wonder that they unleashed a Behemoth at the time. I do not know why they chose to leave, but it could be that Lord Drennon promised them a new mining location in the Glacial Mountains, free of monsters.”, the Lady explains.
“That would be… a disaster for our country!”
After another brief silence, Carmena inquires further.
“But what about the weapons? How can the soldiers of Kazamer wield those?”
Tyama ponders deeply.
“This…. I know much less about. Conceivably they have invented a way to tame the Ninth Path, the source of the enchantments that power these weapons. I do not know of any way how to do that, but then again I also did not know of any way to cure the Pest…”
“And we did of course.”, Carmena adds, smiling slightly, “though our cure will be of little use if we all end up being killed in a Kazamer invasion.”
The Lady sighs.
“The weapons are what worry me. I was aware that a war was afoot, but the Seal of the Valley is sufficiently strong to contain my powers, and the powers of those outside. But the Ninth Path disrupts all of that.”
“The Ninth Path disrupts just about anything.”, Carmena adds, “I suppose you and your guests will not be safe here when Kazamer strikes. Do you think we can resist an invasion?”
The Lady chuckles.
“You know Carmena? This is what I get very often!”, she smiles a little, “Almost everyone who visits me believes that because I am very skilled with life, material and the Double String, I must also be very powerful!”
“You are not powerful?”
“I am powerful only in the way a painter can be powerful against a knight.”
Carmena looks at her with slight disappointment.
“Well, that doesn’t sound very promising. Surely the painter is doomed to start with!”
Tyama smiles, stands up, and walks to a chest of drawers. She takes out a piece of paper and places it in front of him.
Carmena glances at the paper. It is a pamphlet of a search warrant for Ser Jacius of East Tamaros.
“That must be at least forty years old! He died ages ago!”
Tyama nods. “He did. He was assassinated by a sniper from the Duchy, one who was keen to collect the generous bounty.”
Carmena looks at Tyama. “And did he get the bounty?”
Tyama smiles again: “He did not. He did not because this search warrant was not issued by the Duchy at all.”
“Oh?”
“It was a complete forgery, hand-painted by my late sister Ellandra. And as history recalls, a very successful one at that.”
Carmena smiles as well now: “I think I understand what you mean now. How much time do you think we have to prepare?”
The lady looks worried once more.
“I think there is not enough time for you to return. I can sense a minor presence already in our town. But perhaps your servant and my guests can protect me on this occasion. If you can, then that may buy us enough time to step forward in our retaliation.”
Carmena looks around, but does not see anything suspicious. Yes she has known the Lady for a long time, and takes her word for granted.
“I see… then that will be the way we proceed.”
The Lady Tyama of the Valley stands up, kisses Carmena on the cheek, and takes a few steps towards a basement door. She then looks around to Carmena.
“Please find your guard and prepare for battle. I am certain that you have been tracked. I will alert my guests and instruct them to help you where they can. Fight well, and stay well.”
Carmena nods, and departs on her own accord.
A worried Lady of the Valley
