In Dreams - Session 10
Shadows and Visitations
General Summary
Sylman first stabs the yeti to be sure it is dead. After Eric confirms that Falbar is beyond healing, Falbar's body is wrapped in cloth and placed in a bedroom with the others. Eric, Mongo, and Bruno walk around the monastery one more time to check for yeti signs, but find nothing out of the ordinary.
The party then sets to work restoring order to their surroundings. Eric and Bruno move most of the horses to the stable, but put one of them in harness in order to drag the yeti corpses to the monastery's garbage pit, some 200 yards away. Viv accompanies them to provide directions. Tayla keeps an eye on the boys, while Father Ethan helps Mongo clean up the sanctuary and Gracen and Daris work on fixing the damaged doors with some tools from the supply room.
Sylman largely ignores this flurry of activity and investigates the crystal. It seems to grow out of the stone to a height of about 2 and a half feet, changing in appearance from smoky quartz near the base to clear crystal at the top. Noticing his interest, Father Ethan explains to him that the crystal is why they are all here. Saint Tyral Ulrich founded the monastery on this spot after he was given a vision by The Maker to come here.
"Is this a Dream Cryst?" Sylman asks. Yes, Tarbeck explains; there are few that are this large. "Can I touch it?" The priest frowns. "No. It is sacred, a conduit to the afterlife, given to us by the Maker. That said, we believe that it has been… tainted. Look more closely at the heart of the crystal, near the base." Sylman complies. After a moment, he sees a black spot deep within the crystal, moving slowly—like a drop of blood in water. "That spot appeared at the end of the Shadow War, five years ago," Tarbeck states. "Previously, one sufficiently devout could perform a ritual with the crystal to speak to the souls of departed saints; but since that time, the ritual has been ineffective. Father Whitehill, whom I was to relieve here, was hoping to cleanse the crystal; but it seems that he was not successful." Sylman ponders the faintly glowing stone. "Could this darkness in the crystal be related to the attacks we have experienced—the harpies and the yeti?" The young priest hesitates. "That subject is outside my area of expertise. But my opinion is that this"—nodding at the spot of darkness—"is certainly an ill omen."
After Eric, Bruno, and Viv have dumped the yetis' corpses, the whole group reconvenes in the dining hall to discuss their next steps. Father Ethan declares that for his part, he will not abandon the monastery. He asks the remaining guards to stay with him, and Mongo and the rest to take the children back to Redwall. Viv and Daris agree to remain. Gracen, uncertain, looks to the four adventurers for guidance; they ask him to accompany them, the better to provide security for the children and poor Alvar.
Having been put in mind of the still missing Father Whitehill (or, more likely, the whereabouts of his remains), Sylman and the others decide to go in search of the yetis' lair. They prepare themselves for the hunt and set out into the snow. Though it is now late morning, the light remains dim under an overcast sky; it still snows, but the wind no longer blows as fiercely.
They begin their search in the direction that the second yeti fled. After a time, Eric finds a trail of drops of frozen blood, and occasional scraps of cloth. After half an hour of following this trail, and having travelled perhaps a quarter of a mile, they find a cave in the side of the mountain, which still climbs ahead of them to reach its peak. Listening at the cave entrance, they hear only the sound of the wind.
Mongo leads the way inside, with Sylman behind him holding a lantern. Even in the cold, the cave reeks. The narrow entrance widens into a larger room littered with bones and the remains of deer and other animal carcasses. All told the cave is some 50' deep.
Their search finds two sets of human remains scattered about, and a few scraps of cloth. Sylman puts the bones into a sack for transport back to the monastery. While the humans clearly died recently, some of the animal bones look quite old, suggesting that the yetis were living here for some time. In a corner of the cave, Mongo sees a glint from the lantern light reflecting on metal; investigating, he finds a jewelled rosary, bearing slightly glowing stones of quartz and jade.
They return to the monastery, having been absent for about an hour. Daris and Gracen are continuing to work on the front door. Finding Father Ethan in the dining hall, Sylman, Eric and Mongo share their findings with him, while Bruno goes to check on the horses.
Though Tarbeck had never met Father Whitehill, he assumes that the rosary belonged to him. Tayla, working nearby, confirms it. Mongo asks of Whitehill's family, but Father Ethan answers that Whitehill had none that he knows of. Mongo then expresses his wish to keep the rosary, so as to keep the memory of Father Whitehill with him always.
The priest leaves this decision to Mongo, but asks that the party take back to Redwall a letter he intends to write, describing recent events and asking for help. The letter is to be delivered to Bishop Jarvas Falkner. He asks that Mongo mention the matter of the rosary to the bishop.
"Also in regards to Father Whitehill," he says, "I found this in his room." He hands a letter to Mongo, who stares at it awkwardly, unable to make sense of such complex writing. After a moment, he hands it to Sylman, who reads it aloud.
Father Whitehill, It saddens me to hear that you have been unsuccessful with the Communion even after reconsecrating Tyral's Stone. The loss of guidance from the Saints has been felt greatly since the end of the War. Regardless, I will let it be known that your service to the Ministry is exemplary and of the highest distinction. I bid you to join me at the Cloister of Knowledge in Redwall. Bishop Cantrell will be dispatching Father Ethan Tarbeck to take up the post at the Ulrich Monastery in your absence. When you arrive, we will discuss the next steps with the brothers and sisters of the Khir-Adun. Regarding the other matter. If it is true that Tayla Findlay displays a strong connection to the divine, I would have you bring her to me. I very much wish to meet this young woman, even if her father is a criminal. As you well know, it is rare that the Maker blesses the world with those who can channel His will. It is our duty to shepherd this soul. As the 43rd Analectic states: "When the noble man deals with the world he is not prejudiced for or against anything. He does what is Right." Maker guide and protect you. His Excellency, Bishop Jarvas FalknerTayla hears the entire letter, and looks at the group in stunned surprise. Flustered, Sylman apologizes to her, saying "what a person does, does not reflect who they really are." Tayla turns to Father Tarbeck. "What does that letter mean?" The priest looks uncertain. "I don't know. I know nothing of this matter, nor of your family history." Frowning, Tayla leaves the room to go to the sanctuary. Changing the subject, Eric asks what sort of guidance the saints would have given. They provided direction in matters both physical and spiritual, Father Tarbeck replies. He explains further that it is exceedingly rare for a priest to achieve the level of devotion and experience needed to be able to commune with the saints who have passed on. The great benefit of the crystal is that it enabled even less experienced priests to perform such communion. As Mongo reverently places the rosary around his neck, to be closer to his heart, they hear Tayla's voice from the other room. "Father Tarbeck," she calls out, "the spot is gone. It spiralled down below." The four of them follow her into the sanctuary to find her on her knees next to the crystal, trying to look inside. As they move towards her, they see their shadows, which had been pointing away from the faintly glowing stone, reverse direction and point towards the stone, then disappear, as if pulled into it. "Father Ethan," Sylman says quietly, "is this normal?" The priest's eyes have gone wide, and he makes the sign of a circle on his forehead in the holy gesture of the Ministry. Sylman sighs. "I guess not." "Step away from the stone," Eric calls out to Tayla. As she looks up at them, the far side of the room flickers, as if lit by a sputtering candle. Their shadows take shape on the floor and then stand up. Indistinct humanoid shapes edged by wisps of smoke, featureless except for their red eyes, the Shadows move to attack. Seizing the initiative, Mongo moves forward to haul Tayla away from danger, thrusting her behind him as she stares in shock at the Shadows. "Can you hear that?" she asks. All of them can hear voices whispering in their minds, and must concentrate to keep their heads clear. To Mongo and Sylman, the whispers are all too familiar. The others work together to shuffle Tayla out the door to the dining hall as they position themselves for battle. Sylman throws a dagger at one of the Shadows; the weapon passes through it, but it also seems to tear part of the Shadow away, at least momentarily. Eric calls out for Bruno to come to their aid, then utters Dissonant Whispers at the Shadow. The creature's shape distorts momentarily at the disturbing sounds, before it reforms and retreats to the far side of the room. The other Shadows reach for Sylman and Mongo with their nebulous hands. Mongo is heavily wounded by their touch, Sylman less so, but both feel their strength ebbing away under the creatures' malign grasp. Father Tarbeck follows Tayla in retreating through one of the doors to the dining hall. When, in response to Eric's call, Bruno enters the sanctuary through the other, he is caught off guard by the sight of the Shadows. Seized by memories of his experiences in the war, he turns pale and stands rooted in shock. Mongo slashes mightily through one of the creatures with his bastard sword, and it dissolves soundlessly. Sylman similarly stabs one heavily with his rapier; Eric's Dissonant Whispers finish it off. Eric injures the next by the same method, and this time it is Sylman's rapier that ends the foe. The last Shadow proves more difficult. Its touch deals devastating harm to Mongo, weakening him even more, while Bruno overcomes his fear but proves unable to hit the creature. Sylman's blows damage it severely but not enough to prevent one final attack on Mongo. Fortunately he evades its grasp, and Eric's longsword finally kills it. Like the others, it dissolves soundlessly into the air. Only their injuries and laboured breathing—and Sylman's thrown dagger in the corner—give any sign of the battle that occurred. Sylman collects his dagger and goes to check why Daris and Gracen did not come to their aid. When he opens the door, they look up from their carpentry work, surprised at the interruption. He sighs in exasperation and shuts the door. Returning to the sanctuary, he examines the crystal once more. The impurity seems smaller than before. The four of them reconvene in the dining hall with Tayla and Father Tarbeck, who is still shaken from the experience. He confesses that this is his first encounter with such unnatural creatures. He has no idea what could be happening. To their questions, he answers that there are no stories of anything like this ever having occurred at the monastery. Tayla concurs, but also states that she and the other acolytes were normally not allowed in the sanctuary. Eric offers that, with such dangers, and so many unknowns, it would be unwise for Tarbeck, Viv, and Daris to remain here by themselves. The priest is quiet for a moment, but then speaks with resolve. "I understand the risks. But I have to stay." Sylman is impressed. "You're made of tougher cloth than I expected, Father. You're a brave man, a fool, or both." That afternoon, the storm finally ends, and the snow stops. The group works together to gather stones to build a cairn for the dead. The light is starting to fade by the time they are ready. Father Ethan leads The Sending, aided by Mongo in his acolyte's vestments. All the others are present for the ceremony, even Alvar; Mongo notices that Dawsin mouths along with the holy words. Eric plays the music for a few hymns. The remains of the eleven dead are laid out, and the cairn built overtop them. That evening, Sylman, Eric, and Mongo discuss the Shadow attack and the crystal's diminished impurity. If Tayla's presence somehow draws the Shadows forth, and killing the Shadows reduces the impurity, could they repeat the process, and cleanse the crystal? They raise the topic with Father Tarbeck, but the discussion only seems to disturb him. "I just don't understand," he says. Carrying a lantern, he goes back into the sanctuary. Eric, Bruno, and Sylman follow him, but Mongo remains in the dining hall, praying. The priest stands just outside the stone circle that surrounds the crystal, contemplating it and shaking his head. "The rock of faith has shifted under our feet," he says worriedly. Then, looking more closely at the crystal, he declares: "I thought you said the impurity was reduced." "It seemed so, to our eyes," Eric answers. Sylman approaches the crystal to check for himself. The spot of darkness now looks about the same size as when he first saw it. Sylman and Eric conclude that their plan of action will not work. Eric is disturbed at the loss of any hope to cleanse the crystal, and expresses his concern to Father Tarbeck once more about his plan to stay. But the priest quietly refutes his fears: "I have faith that the Maker will keep us safe." "Then may your faith keep you well," Eric replies. The long day finally ends, and everyone turns in for the night. But Sylman has a restless sleep, filled with dark dreams. He wakens fully sometime in the dead of night, when he hears someone calling his name from outside the room. He cautiously opens the door and looks out. In the dim light from the embers of the fire in the dining hall, he sees someone sitting at the table. Lighting a candle, and taking his rapier, Sylman moves closer: "Hello? Who's there?" From the dark silhouette, a voice he recognizes answers: "It's good to see you again, Sylman." It is Karsus. Sylman drops his sword in shock. "You're dead! I saw you die!" Karsus nods solemnly. "I am dead. I've been given the chance to come back, to thank you for avenging my death… and to give you a warning." Sylman sits across from him. "I'm sorry about what happened to you. How are you here?" "The master that I served in life has granted me the chance to come and speak to you," Karsus answers. Sylman frowns in concentration. "Shortly before you died, I saw you speaking to thin air, as if to someone I couldn't see. Was that your master?" "I didn't know at the time," Karsus replies, "but I understand now that it was." "I come to deliver a warning," he continues. "Sinzil has managed to possess the body of Kyra Hawthorne. He seeks to harm Deston Ashwood." Perplexed, Sylman asks, "why would Sinzil do such a thing? He seemed like a decent guy." Karsus shrugs. "Deston is investigating something that Sinzil cares very much about." Sylman meditates for a moment. "All these events are connecting," he eventually declares. "Sinzil's job was to hold everything together… and Deston is pulling it apart." He turns to Karsus. "Which side are you on?" "Which sides are there?" Karsus asks in return. "I'd assumed there were two warring sides," Sylman responds, "and one of them is not aware that the war has already started." Karsus hesitates before speaking further. "I feel ashamed. Even though I was sent to warn you… my knowledge is limited." "Don't concern yourself," Sylman answers. "For the warning, you've already earned my thanks. But what now?" he continues. "Are we to save Deston? Save Sinzil from himself? What more can you tell me?" The being across from him remains quiet. "What is it like on the other side?" Sylman finally asks. Karsus answers only: "Cold." Sylman shivers. "Your words do not give me much comfort. Will I see you again?" Surprisingly, Karsus smiles. "Hopefully," he replies. "Go in peace, then," Sylman says, "if such a thing is possible." As Karsus's dim form dissolves into the air, Sylman is startled to see a flash of blue in his eyes, the sign of the Black Wind. He wonders whether it is new, or was always there. Pondering his encounter, he sits thinking at the table until his candle burns down, and he falls asleep. The others find him there the next morning.