The Chronicle, Session 12

Dramatis Personae

• Tori, mixed-heritage Shamaness from Gal City
• Kildun Graax, Hyperborean Necromancer from the City-State of Khromarium
• Tyrm, Oonish (androgynous clone) Warlock from the City-State of Khromarium
• Saya'da ("Say'"), Yakut Berserker from the Plains of Leng
• Fiadhan, Keltic Druid local to the Bryn Celli region

Entering the Land of Endless Noon

Sky, the Thirteenth of Sagittarius, in the Year 582. 11:00 AM. Clear to partly cloudy, 37 degrees F.

Having completed their preparations, the company resumed its journey toward the strange spire that dominated the ruined city. Fiadhan, who had previously been separated from the company, came running up to rejoin them as they approached the outer reaches of the Tower's influence.

They were now perhaps a mile from the spire.

At first, nothing seemed amiss. The red sun appeared as it always did, and the countryside showed no obvious sign of the strange forces they had been warned about. Nevertheless, the company debated whether to leave their mule and porter outside the affected area or bring them along.

In the end, they voted to continue with the beast.

Should any obvious alteration appear in the mule, they agreed, they would immediately withdraw it beyond the Tower's influence.

The company proceeded along an ancient and overgrown road. Their path soon led into a box canyon, where the way abruptly ended. Having no choice but to turn back, they lost nearly half a day's travel before finding another route toward the Tower.

There were occasional sounds of animals in the surrounding wilderness, though little else disturbed the silence. Yet something more subtle had changed: during the four hours required to reach the Tower, the sun had not moved.

By all ordinary reckoning it should have been late afternoon. Instead, the sun remained high in the sky, seemingly fixed in the same position it had occupied when they first entered the affected region.

Nor was this the only strangeness. More than once, one of them caught movement at the edge of his or her vision—a shape, a person, or perhaps merely some disturbance among the ruins. Yet whenever they turned to look directly upon it, there was nothing there.

At last they reached the road leading directly toward the spire. The Tower now rose before them, and around its immense structure could be seen enormous rings, resembling the toothed gears of some gigantic mechanism.

Khronus directed them eastward as they entered the outer ruins of the town. He explained that there would be occasions when he would stop to take measurements or examine some phenomenon. During such times, the company would be expected to protect him, though they were free to explore the surrounding ruins in search of anything of value.

The Silent Market

Soon they came to what appeared to have once been a market. There, the company witnessed something stranger still. Ghostly figures appeared and vanished throughout the ruined streets. They wore ancient clothing of a style not unlike that worn by the revenants the company had encountered the previous day.

The apparitions did not seem entirely insubstantial. From time to time one would turn and appear to notice the strangers moving among them. Their expressions suggested surprise or confusion, but within moments they faded away again.

Khronus explained that the phenomenon was a form of chronological asymmetry, and announced that he wished to take measurements. He commanded the company to do their job of defending him, and feel free to explore the area for their own loot, but leave him undisturbed while he worked.

Kildun needed no further encouragement. Fascinated by Khronus's methods, he remained close at hand, observing every movement and hoping to learn something from the chronomancer's work.

The others dispersed. Saya'da wandered toward what appeared to have been a blacksmith's shop. Tori followed some of the apparitions for a short distance, watching them closely. Tyrm began searching for books. Fiadhan sought more natural treasures—herbs, an apothecary, or perhaps an old fruit or vegetable stall. The mule, porter, and hired fighters remained near Khronus.

Much of the ruined marketplace had decayed almost entirely into dust. Coins could be found here and there, but many were so ancient and corroded that their denominations were no longer recognizable. Some had fused together into clumps.

It appeared that whatever disaster had overtaken the city had happened suddenly enough that merchants had simply abandoned their goods.

Khronus continued to mutter over his notes, occasionally making cryptic observations about what he hoped to accomplish.

Saya'da was among the first to notice that the apparitions seemed to be repeating themselves. Their actions, it appeared, followed roughly the same sequence over and over. Perhaps an hour of the city's past was playing out repeatedly before them.

A Sphere of Stars

Tyrm, meanwhile, discovered something unusual lying upon the ground. It was a small metal sphere, smooth and reflective. Yet instead of reflecting the marketplace or the red sun overhead, it displayed a field of stars. The stars were those of the night sky—there was, of course, no night sky to reflect. Tyrm carried the sphere indoors and outdoors, but wherever he went the same stars remained upon its surface.

He showed the object to Khronus, who expressed only mild interest. It was not, he said, his particular area of expertise.

Kildun and Fiadhan examined it as well. The constellations were familiar, though the stars themselves did not twinkle.

Fiadhan resolved to study the strange object over the next several days, particularly to determine whether the stars moved as she changed position.

She also searched among the ruins for unusual stones and crystals and collected several old coins. The copper and silver pieces were worth perhaps three gold pieces in total, should they ever find a merchant willing to buy them.

Tyrm returned to the place where he had found the sphere. Its surface proved unnaturally smooth—far smoother than any ordinary metal ought to be. It was also heavy enough that he could not easily determine whether it was solid or hollow. He searched the rubble around for clues to its origin, but found none.

Ghostly figures continued to appear and disappear all around, even nearby, yet none interacted with him or the sphere.

Tori had begun noticing another detail. The apparitions were accompanied by faint sounds. They were barely audible, but they were there. She continued watching the figures, looking for anyone who appeared out of place—perhaps someone responsible for whatever had happened to the city. The only suspicious activity she observed was an ordinary pickpocket.

Saya'da meanwhile approached the blacksmith. The ghostly smith appeared at his forge, working as though nothing unusual had happened. Saya'da came close enough to watch him directly and simply waited to see whether he would acknowledge her presence.

He did not. When the apparition faded into existence again, he turned and walked directly through her. A strange buzzing sensation passed through Saya'da's body as he did so. The blacksmith gave no indication that he had noticed her at all. Saya'da shouted at him. Still he paid her no heed.

She reached out and attempted to touch him, seeking some reaction from the ghostly craftsman. None came.

Elsewhere, Kildun continued his close observation of Khronus. The chronomancer's notebook resembled a spellbook in some respects, though its pages were filled primarily with measurements, observations, and notes concerning his work. At one point Khronus handed Kildun a strange device and instructed him simply to hold it up and stand still.

Kildun did so willingly.

Tyrm investigated the well. It smelled dry. There was no rope remaining for the bucket, though an old pail lay nearby. Tyrm attached his own rope and lowered it into the darkness until the line went slack. There was no splash. He pulled the bucket back up: it was completely dry. He then removed the bucket and lowered a lamp instead. The light revealed nothing but stones and the skeleton of some small animal at the bottom.

Fiadhan moved to another shop containing various sundries. Among the ruins she found a semi-corroded copper necklace set with a small piece of quartz. It was inexpensive jewelry, but still salvageable. Nearby stood a fountain, at whose center was a statue of a robed woman. Fiadhan searched the basin and recovered another collection of corroded coins, this time worth perhaps eight gold pieces.

Sun Jellies

Then the strange calm of the marketplace was broken. As Fiadhan pulled the coins from the fountain, two creatures appeared in the sky above her. They resembled enormous floating jellyfish, drifting through the air with tentacles trailing beneath them. The creatures began moving slowly toward Fiadhan.

She immediately ran. "Jellyfish!" she shouted.

The company prepared for battle. Tyrm fired first, but his shot went wide.

Fiadhan retreated behind the infantry and fired at the approaching creatures, likewise missing.

Tyrm moved behind the mercenaries as well and fired twice. One shot struck.

The creatures continued forward. The nearer of the two extended its tentacles toward the closest mercenary.

Saya'da charged. Her attack struck the creature and split it cleanly in two. She attempted a second attack, but her weapon flew from her grasp, landing several feet away.

Tori struck at the remaining creature and missed. Kildun likewise failed to land a blow.

Then one of the creatures simply faded from sight.

For a moment it appeared that the battle had somehow resumed its strange rhythm, but the truth was simpler: Tyrm's earlier shot had killed the second creature as well.

The company recovered what ammunition could be salvaged.

Khronus barely looked up from his work. "Ah. Sun jellies."

Kildun asked what danger they posed.

"They age you," replied Khronus.

Then, having apparently exhausted his patience with the interruption, he returned to his work and instructed them to leave him alone.

A Map of Unknown Lands

The company resumed its exploration.

Saya'da returned to the blacksmith's shop.

Tori continued observing the apparitions, searching for some unusual figure or event that might explain the city's present condition.

Kildun went back to Khronus and continued assisting him, holding instruments and observing the chronomancer's methods.

Tyrm wandered to the fountain and made a wish. His wish produced no immediate result, though he did find something else of interest: a silver disc approximately six inches across, bearing a remarkably detailed relief map of an unknown land. None of them recognized the country depicted upon it.

The reverse side of the disc was polished like a mirror. Tyrm immediately found a practical use for it and began reflecting sunlight into dark corners of the ruins, hoping perhaps to illuminate something otherwise hidden.

Saya'da once more encountered the blacksmith. The apparition appeared nearby, and she reached out to touch him. Again she felt the strange tingling sensation as he passed through her. Again he showed no awareness of her existence. Then he vanished.

Tori had begun to recognize the pattern more clearly. The actions of the ghostly inhabitants were repeating themselves. Whatever events they were witnessing were not random manifestations, but fragments of the past trapped in some manner of temporal cycle.

Yet Tori had still seen nothing resembling the strange activity she sought.

Fiadhan continued her search but found no further trinkets of particular significance.

Tyrm continued experimenting with his silver mirror, attempting to catch one of the apparitions in its reflected light as it appeared.

Fiadhan entered another shop and found something rather more remarkable than the jewelry and coins she had previously recovered. Among the debris lay a small, elegant folding device of strange steel, containing tiny blades, picks, measuring points, clamps, and unknown implements. Its construction was extraordinarily fine. More remarkable still, the steel showed no corrosion whatsoever.

Elsewhere, Tori began searching another ruined shop to the northwest.

Khronus finally took back the device he had previously given to Kildun. Kildun remained at his side nevertheless, continuing to observe the chronomancer's work and offering his assistance whenever needed.

Saya'da searched more thoroughly through the blacksmith's workshop. Most of what remained was ordinary enough: rusted tools, scraps of metal, and objects the smith might once have forged or repaired.

Noon Wolves

Yet the company had little time to consider their finds. As they continued their separate investigations, something moved among the ruins to the west.

A pack of hairless wolves emerged from the direction of the western streets. They came quietly into the market near to Tori, who at that moment stood alone.

Tori, the mercenaries with Khronus, and possibly Tyrm all noticed movement at the edge of their vision...

The Chronicle, Session 11

Dramatis Personae

• Tori, mixed-heritage Shamaness from Gal City
• Kildun Graax, Hyperborean Necromancer from the City-State of Khromarium
• Tyrm, Oonish (androgynous clone) Warlock from the City-State of Khromarium
• Saya'da (Say'), Yakut Berserker from the Plains of Leng

Wilderness Camp

The company made camp in the wilderness after their first day's march toward the Land of Endless Noon. The previous night had seen the full moon, but the dangers of the countryside were not thought to have ended with its passing. Wolves could be heard howling in the darkness, and none could say with certainty whether all of them were beasts of the ordinary kind.

The camp was secured with alarm snares and bells, and the companions divided the night into watches. Tori stood the first watch with Bran, Tyrm the second with Tannrhulia, Saya'da the third alone, and Kildun the fourth with Vall. As the hours passed, a light precipitation of sleet began to fall, eventually turning to snow.

Eira Wolf-Daughter

It was during Saya'da's watch, around the third hour of the morning, that two figures emerged from the mist.

The first was a woman dressed in weathered furs, carrying herself as a huntress accustomed to the wilderness. Beside her stood a white-furred wolf whose eyes shone golden in the darkness. Saya'da recognized that the strangers posed no immediate threat and chose not to awaken the others. Instead, she quietly approached the woman and spoke with her alone.

The huntress called herself Eira Wolf-Daughter, and the wolf was her companion, Ruff. Eira did not live in Bryn Celli and was not in the service of Blood-Reeve Maelcon. She lived instead in the wilderness, generally avoiding the company of other people.

Eira knew of the Master werewolf beneath Hollow Cairn and had been trying to find a way to deal with him while avoiding falling into his grasp herself. She had once worked with Rhodric in that effort, though she had not seen the ranger for more than two months.

On this particular night, Eira and Ruff were tracking three ordinary werewolves that traveled together as a pack. She warned Saya'da that the creatures were dangerous and should not be confronted without adequate preparation. Indeed, this was why she had stopped at the company's camp: to offer a warning rather than seek a confrontation.

Saya'da asked whether anything could be done to prevent such creatures from attacking. Eira said she could smell the wolfsbane carried by the company, and advised that as long as they kept it with them and possessed silver weapons, they should be able to defend themselves.

The two women found that they shared a preference for the wilderness over the company of other people. Eira also knew Rhodric well, and her manner changed when Saya'da told her what had become of him. She appeared angered, or perhaps saddened, by the news of his capture and his present condition.

Eira then asked about the strange shepherd from Bryn Celli.

She had found Marlí two days earlier, asleep in the underbrush with a lamb curled against him. Even in sleep he had remained wrapped around the animal, protecting it. When she woke him, he had no speech and could only bleat like the lamb at this side. Eira had assumed he belonged to Bryn Celli and guided him and the animal toward the settlement. When she encountered another shepherdess, she left Marlí in her care and returned to the wilderness without making herself known.

Before leaving, Eira offered one final warning. There was something wrong with Blood-Reeve Maelcon, she told Saya'da, and he should not be trusted. She gave no further explanation, but the subject clearly made her uncomfortable.

Eira and Ruff remained only about half an hour before continuing their own hunt.

Saya'da finished her watch after some time, listening as the wolves howled in the darkness. Eventually the sounds faded, and the remainder of the night passed without incident for her and later, Kildun.

The Journey Continues

The morning arrived bitterly cold. The snow had stopped during Saya'da's watch, leaving the previous night's precipitation frozen upon the ground at a temperature of roughly eighteen degrees.

When the company awoke, Saya'da told the others of her encounter with Eira. She gave them the principal details, including the warning about the pack of werewolves and Eira's knowledge of Rhodric. Tyrm examined the snow around the campsite and found tracks belonging to small animals, including rabbits and foxes, but nothing large enough to indicate that the party had been approached during the night.

Saya'da later spoke privately with Tori and gave her a fuller account of the meeting, including Eira's warning concerning Maelcon and the possibility that the huntress might become an ally.

The company then continued into the next hex.

Before long they caught sight of their destination far to the north. The Tower rose three or four miles away, appearing from that distance like an immense spike of polished steel driven into the landscape.

Fiadhan, Bran, and Galenos [whose players were unavailable this session] went among the nearby trees to gather wild berries and mushrooms. Their efforts proved successful, but they soon became divided over whether their discoveries were edible or poisonous. Rather than settle the question by taking an unnecessary risk, they began devising tests by which they might determine their safety. The others eventually continued onward, leaving the three to finish their experiments and catch up later.

Tori asked Khronus where he intended to establish their camp once they approached the Tower. The scholar preferred to stop near the outer edge of its apparent influence rather than remain at a greater distance. Tyrm and Kildun agreed, reasoning that the danger of werewolves in the surrounding countryside made it unwise to leave anyone or anything behind unnecessarily.

The company therefore continued toward the ruins, expecting the journey to take roughly half a day.

Temporal Revenants

Near the end of their first hour, while moving through rolling grassland broken by trees and occasional standing stones, they saw four humanoid figures coming around a hillock approximately sixty yards ahead. Neither side had caught the other by surprise.

The strangers immediately began moving toward the company.

Tyrm ordered the mercenaries into a shield wall, and the companions prepared for the encounter.

The creatures approached in a shambling run. Tyrm loosed arrows at once, striking one of them. Kildun moved to higher ground and fired his sling, though the shot went wide. Saya'da advanced to meet the creatures, while Tori held her spell until they came within effective range.

The figures continued forward.

Tyrm fired twice more at the same target, striking it both times. Kildun's next sling bullet also missed. By the end of the second exchange the creatures had closed to within roughly forty feet, and the wounded figure collapsed.

Tori released her spell.

Vines and vegetation sprang up around the approaching creatures, catching all three remaining figures within the area of her Entangle. Two failed to escape its grasp and became immobile.

The third managed to move only partway out of the spell's reach.

By then the nature of the creatures had become clearer. Up close they appeared to be some form of zombie.

Saya'da charged the mobile creature, wielding both her battle axe and broadsword. Her axe struck heavily, though the sword passed wide. The mercenaries maintained their shield wall while Kildun and Tori continued firing upon the creatures caught in the entangling growth.

Tyrm exchanged his bow for Rhodric's longsword and a shield, moving toward Saya'da's opponent. When he reached the melee he swung wildly and nearly lost his balance.

The next exchange went more favorably. Saya'da struck the zombie twice, once with each weapon, while Tyrm landed another blow with Rhodric's sword. The creature remained standing but was visibly damaged.

Tori's sling bullet struck one of the immobile creatures with considerable force. Kildun likewise found his mark after moving to a better position.

The mercenaries then advanced. Tannrhulia thrust with her spear and missed badly enough to leave herself exposed, allowing the zombie to strike her in return. Bran's spear failed to find its mark, while Vall remained just outside the melee to preserve the formation.

The wounded zombie attempted to press through the mercenaries but failed to break their line.

At the end of the exchange, it collapsed.

With the remaining two creatures still held fast by the Entangle, the immediate battle was over.

Kildun moved around the edge of the spell and approached one of the trapped creatures, using a Shocking Grasp to strike it directly. The others continued firing until both remaining creatures were destroyed.

Once the spell ended, the company searched the ground and recovered roughly half of the ammunition expended during the fight.

Khronus examined the corpses and identified them as Temporal Revenants, undead creatures produced by the distortions of time surrounding the Tower. He believed these particular creatures must have wandered a considerable distance from the Tower's influence to have been encountered where they were.

"Keep your wits about you, for danger now lurks very near."

Tyrm examined the bodies more closely and noticed that their clothing belonged to an ancient style, recognizable only from very old paintings or statues.

The Tower in the Distance

The company resumed its journey.

By approximately eleven in the morning, they had come within about a mile of the Tower and its surrounding ruins. Khronus stopped the expedition and announced that he could now detect faint disturbances in what he called the chronological continuum.

He removed a number of strangely fashioned copper bracelets from his pack and distributed one to each member of the company.

"These bracelets are for your protection. They should mitigate against most of the time warping effects of this region, though I cannot guarantee their potency against its stronger effects. Indeed, as this is my first experience here myself, I could only try to imagine its risks and prepare against them. But there will almost certainly be things that I did not anticipate. Therefore, even wearing these protective bracelets, you must take care with whatever you touch or interact with. When in doubt, ask me."

After a brief pause, Khronus added one further warning.

"Oh, I should also mention that the power of these bracelets is tied to my life-force. Should I come to harm, their power will weaken, or worse. So it is in your best interest to keep me alive and well, no?"

He laughed at his own dark observation.

The company now stood at the outer edge of the region where time itself appeared to behave differently, with the enormous Tower rising beyond the ruins ahead of them...

The Chronicle, Session 10

Dramatis Personae

• Tori, mixed-heritage Shamaness from Gal City
• Kildun Graax, Hyperborean Necromancer from the City-State of Khromarium
• Tyrm, Oonish (androgynous clone) Warlock from the City-State of Khromarium
• Saya'da (Say'), Yakut Berserker from the Plains of Leng
• Fiadhan, Keltic Druid local to the Bryn Celli region
• Galenos, Kimmerian Cataphract from the Fields of Vol

Meeting Over Breakfast

Moon, the 11th of Sagittarius, 582. 8:00 AM. 3 hours of stormy precipitation, 33 degrees F.

The morning after their recent errands dawned cold and wet, with several hours of slushy, heavy rain falling over Bryn Celli. As the company gathered once more around the breakfast table at the Sheep's Rest, they found the inn gradually returning to normal after Saya'da's unfortunate brawl. Though the common room still bore fresh repairs and several dishes had only recently been replaced, Torla had managed to keep her business running.

Kildun and Tyrm expected to remain at the inn only a little longer, their rented houses still awaiting furniture before becoming comfortable enough to occupy.

Over breakfast the companions compared the unexpected adventures that had occupied them during their brief respite.

Tori described the favor she had performed for her new acquaintance, Talan ap Rhydderch. What had first appeared to be nothing more than a tangled rope had proven far stranger, for a living vine had woven itself into the fibers and continually retied every knot that was undone. Rather than destroy the rope outright, Tori had eventually discovered that sunlight actually weakened the plant. With the help of several dock workers she dismantled the storage shed, exposing the buried root beneath the dirt floor. Once cut free and laid in the open sun, the strange vine appeared to shrivel and perish. She admitted there was still more to the story, though she preferred not to discuss it in so public a place.

Kildun then recounted his own less dignified adventure, confessing that too much drink had led him to loudly promise the assembled patrons that he would personally clear Hollow Cairn of its curse.

Galenos and Fiadhan were properly introduced for the first time, the Kimmerian having only recently recovered from illness that had kept him from the company's earlier adventures.

Fiadhan spoke of her recent acquaintance with Iestyn the Stonewright, whose fascination with the ancient Hyperborean road had renewed her own curiosity about the weathered paving stones north of Bryn Celli. She also described Dafydd Barrow-Born's unsettling stories concerning the Barrow of the Nine Princes, where the soil seemed somehow wrong, and the skull he once uncovered in the Bog of Skulls that whispered in a language he had never learned.

The discussion soon turned again to Rhodric. Tori suggested warning the dungeon guards that the full moon would almost certainly bring another transformation that night. Before the matter could be debated further, Tyrm quietly excused himself and departed to deliver the warning personally.

After he had gone, Torla briefly joined those remaining at the breakfast table. While reminding Saya'da of both the damaged common room and the favor still owed, she mentioned a new guest staying at the inn: the man's name was Khronus.

According to Torla, he sought experienced guides and bodyguards willing to accompany him to the place locals called the Land of Endless Noon. He had even promised Torla a generous finder's fee if she introduced him to suitable companions, enough to cover the cost of repairing the inn.

Fiadhan remarked that only recently another shepherd had wandered too near that same place and returned to Bryn Celli bleating like one of his own sheep. Torla merely shrugged.

"People say the gods send things in threes. Perhaps this is one of those times."

The company agreed to meet the scholar when he returned around midday. The party then headed over to Kildun's house for a more private discussion.

At Kildun's House

Reunited with Tyrm at Kildun's house, they shared Torla's proposal with him. Fiadhan explained what little she knew of the Land of Endless Noon, where the sun was said never to move across the sky, though she herself had never traveled there. She also noted that the ancient Hyperborean road passed in that direction, making Iestyn's observations all the more intriguing.

Their conversation then returned to the matter Tori had left unfinished. She produced the small figurine she had recovered from beneath the vine's roots. Fashioned from what appeared to be obsidian, it depicted the Elder God Kthulhu.

Kildun examined it with immediate interest. Tyrm observed that if the stone truly was obsidian, its precise carving would itself be remarkable, for such brittle material was exceedingly difficult to shape without shattering. Only Tyrm and Kildun immediately recognized the figure's identity, though neither professed great knowledge of the cult associated with it.

Saya'da questioned Tori carefully, asking whether the vine had behaved differently while near the figurine or whether she herself had noticed any unusual changes since handling it. Tori answered that the vine had already died before she recovered the idol, and she had observed nothing strange about herself.

Attention gradually returned to Khronus' proposed expedition.

Remembering the disturbed shepherd still lodging upstairs at the inn, Saya'da suggested they avoid mentioning him to Khronus until they had spoken with the man themselves. Tyrm considered seeking advice from Huntsman Taran Macc Neall, but the ranger remained out in the wilderness and was not expected to return for several more days.

By noon the company had returned to the Sheep's Rest.

Meeting Khronus

Khronus was already there, quietly eating his midday meal when Torla introduced the two parties.

Saya'da leaned across the table with deliberate confidence.

"You've probably heard about me, and what I can do," she said, gesturing toward the damaged common room. "I heard you might need someone with my skills. But I need to know more before I drag these guys along, cuz they're kind of a liability."

Galenos regarded her without expression, while Tyrm ordered his own lunch.

Khronus smiled.

"Yes, I think you will do. Mistress Torla never mentioned that you had built this place... unless of course you were talking about the damage."

Say' answered with a grunt. "I'm not so good at putting things up, but I can really tear them down."

The scholar explained that he had come to investigate the ancient tower at the center of the Land of Endless Noon. Though the locals called it a "clock tower", he believed it to be something entirely different. Ancient accounts suggested that the sun itself remained fixed above those ruins, unchanged for centuries, perhaps longer, and he intended to discover why.

He sought only guides and guards, promising that any treasures recovered would belong largely to the company, while reserving only a few objects necessary for his own studies. Should no treasure be found, he offered two hundred gold pieces to each companion from his own purse.

When Tyrm asked whether he carried the scholarly works upon which his theories rested, Khronus replied that only his notebooks had accompanied him. The original books contained little practical information, and besides, he added with some confidence, the mathematics involved would lie beyond their understanding.

Speaking quietly in Hyperborean, Tyrm remarked to Kildun, "Boy, this guy's full of himself, isn't he?"

Kildun silently agreed.

Khronus merely smiled and raised an eyebrow, making it plain that he had understood every word.

Galenos laughed openly despite not knowing the language itself.

Saya'da remained unconvinced.

She questioned Khronus about his origins and his reasons for traveling so far north.

He readily explained that he had journeyed from Fazzuum, capital of Scythium, and described himself as Ixian. For decades he had devoted his life to the study of time itself, particularly the strange mathematical principles governing chronometry. Hyperborea contained many wonders, he admitted, but nowhere else did the sun stand motionless above the earth.

When asked about his schedule, Khronus hoped to depart immediately if possible, or the following morning at the latest.

The company preferred to remain in Bryn Celli through that night's full moon. Rhodric's condition remained uncertain, and none wished to be traveling the countryside while at least one werewolf still prowled the region. Khronus readily accepted the delay.

Saya'da finally gave her answer.

"I think we can manage this for you. But I truly hope you find what you are looking for, because something is just too strange about all this."

"If this seems strange to you," Khronus replied as she walked away, "just wait until you see where we're going."

Fiadhan admitted she looked forward to the expedition. The ancient druids, she explained, had long studied the movements of the heavens and raised stone monuments to mark the passing of seasons. She wondered whether Khronus' own research had touched upon such knowledge.

The scholar answered that while he respected those older traditions, his own studies reached into far more esoteric matters.

With arrangements settled, Khronus departed to prepare for the journey. Saya'da quietly intercepted him before he left, suggesting he seek lodging elsewhere because of the damaged state of the inn, concealing her hope that he would never encounter the afflicted shepherd upstairs.

The company then turned to its own preparations.

Tyrm purchased a pack mule together with extra equipment for the expedition, despite some questioning whether such expense was necessary. He also hired both a torchbearer and a teamster to manage the animal, while arrangements were made for the company's three mercenary infantrymen to accompany them as well.

Questions and Investigations

Before leaving Bryn Celli, they sought whatever local knowledge they could gather concerning the Land of Endless Noon.

Torla admitted she had seen the place herself, though only from afar. At its center stood a ruined settlement dominated by an immense tower containing what looked like an enormous crystal pendulum, though she knew of no actual clock mechanism. She estimated the abandoned village might once have housed a few hundred people, yet confessed that she had never ventured close enough to enter its walls.

Only one living person, she believed, might have approached more closely than anyone else.

Young Marlí, the shepherd. With Torla's permission, Saya'da, Fiadhan, and Galenos climbed to the shepherd's room. His mother, Muirín, recognized Fiadhan and welcomed them inside.

Marlí appeared exhausted and disheveled, as though he had spent the previous night outdoors. When he looked toward the visitors, he simply bleated.

Though they had expected as much, hearing the sound with their own ears proved unsettling all the same.

Muirín had little information, saying only that her son had disappeared while out in the north pasture with his flock. He had not returned until the following morning, wandering home with his flock and himself physically unharmed. How he had managed such a feat in his present condition, she could not imagine.

She believed him calmer now than when he first returned, though still unable to speak. Remembering another shepherdess who had been nearby, Muirín suggested they speak with Osnait.

Before leaving, Saya'da promised they would do everything within their power to restore Marlí's mind. He answered only with another quiet bleat.

Following Torla's directions, the company found Osnait west of Bryn Celli near the druidic grove. Her account added to what little they knew. Marlí had driven off a wolf threatening the flock before discovering there was one lamb missing. He'd left his flock with Osnait and gone in search of the lamb, but hadn't returned by evening. She herself had found him the following morning, wandering peacefully with the recovered animal. Neither shepherd nor lamb had suffered any visible injury.

Satisfied they had learned all they could, the companions returned to Bryn Celli.

Galenos inquired about purchasing a proper warhorse but discovered none were available within the village.

Saya'da returned to Brenna Ink-Hand to complete the wolf tattoo spreading across her back. Brenna warned her sternly to keep the fresh work clean and dry lest infection spoil it.

Out On the Road

The following morning dawned bitterly cold. A hard frost covered the ground, freezing the previous day's mud beneath a thin skin of dark ice.

Khronus met them outside the village together with the hired servants. The mule was loaded, the mercenaries assembled, and the company finally set out northward.

Their first day's march passed quietly.

In mid-afternoon they noticed a crumbling ruin flanked by standing stones. Seven wolves emerged from among the broken walls and began circling the travelers from a considerable distance. Tyrm immediately ordered the mercenaries into a shield wall with spears presented.

After watching the armed company for several minutes, the wolves chose easier prey and disappeared across the hills without testing the formation.

An hour later the travelers encountered three huntsmen from Bryn Celli returning from the wilderness. Their spokesman, Sionn Mac Artagan, greeted them warmly and spoke freely of the country ahead. Wolves and bears remained the greatest hazards, though nearer the ruins stories told of strange hairless wolves, shorn like sheep rather than diseased by mange. He also mentioned old tales of ghosts haunting the abandoned settlement, though none of the huntsmen had witnessed such things themselves.

When Fiadhan explained that they were escorting Khronus to the ancient ruins, Sionn wished them well.

As the two groups prepared to part, Kildun remembered to warn the huntsmen of the Master werewolf beneath Hollow Cairn. They accepted the warning with thanks before continuing homeward.

The company marched on until evening before making camp near the edge of the next stretch of wilderness.

As darkness settled across the hills, Kildun set his skeletal cat upon the ground and gave it a single command.

"Guard."

Whether the strange familiar watched the camp by instinct, enchantment, or some other means, none could yet say.

There the company settled in for its first night upon the road, while somewhere beyond the northern horizon the sunless mysteries of the Land of Endless Noon awaited them....