The second time through the Siege of the Inyalia-i-Parujar ended in ruin, when both Kalaru and Anerash were betrayed by their would-be lover, the Lady Falanarai, and Tengelbur died fighting on the walls. The third time through seemed to be fated to end much the same, though this time it was Anerash who betrayed both Falanarai and Kalaru, opening the secret way and allowing Mawish to enter. This time, however, Tengelbur and Anaris were prepared, and as Mawish raised a spear to strike down the sapling growing in the courtyard of the Tower, Anaris stepped in front of it, taking the blow instead. Then Tengelbur struck the anvil, and as Mawish's forces petrified, transformed into the Withered Wood.
The world fell away from them, and they awoke again sitting around the temple in the Sorcerer's Tower, back--as far as they could tell--in their own time. But the tower was falling to ruin all around them, the now-motheaten tapestries in the room depicting, as far as they could tell, their own adventures. Making it down to the lower floor (with Tengelbur having taken the bell and cups as souvenirs of their strange journey), they found that the great, wounded tree was absent. In its absence, the whole tower seemed to be crumbling to the ground.
They quickly explored the ruins--finding an ancient treasure chamber and enough to make all of them comfortably wealthy--before heading out, leaving just in the nick of time. When they were barely out of site of the tower, it collapsed behind them. Heading south to to Kor-Gilin, they were met by evil omens. Apparently, however much time they had spent in the Tower, evil things had passed in the world outside, and War had crossed over to the western side of the River. In the nearly empty common room of the inn, they were accosted by a stranger who identified himself only as "a Wanderer," and informed the Company that they had been gone for seven seasons. In their absence, well...
---
It was at this point that we rewound, back to only a season after the Company's departure. A completely new company had been formed, called in by Lieutenant Samlon for a mission of great delicacy and urgency. They were:
- Varsuja, a Cheybori bird-tamer played by Hope.
- Thorinta, a Feirkanbori and Knight of the Order of the Leopard.
- Thoranrai, a Feirkanbori spy and ally of the previous party, whose most recent escapades seem to have included acting as a political provocateur for the Scarlet Sisterhood, and faking her own death.
- Feala, a Sothbori Well Priestess, who for her own reasons has come North seeking answers about her past.
Meeting Lieutenant Samlon at the Cracked Beaker, the company was met with dire news: Captain Ralus, commander of the Border Forts, had been taken in battle recently after his scouting party was ambushed by Nalshbori on the eastern banks of the Cheyth. Given the similarity of this incident to how Prince Galal was captured several decades ago, Samlon suspects that Ralus was betrayed by one of his own men. Unsure who to trust, he's brought in the Company from outside to bring back Ralus--who he believes is currently being held at the great Nalshbori encampment of Gashund-i-Yalir on the Eastern Bank of the river. He's offered to pay the Company the hefty sum of eight treasure each for the return of Sir Ralus.
After agreeing to take the job on, the company were provided with Nalshbori clothing and gear, along with pendants of blighted coral which will ensure that they look like Nalshbori once across the river. That done, they set about making their personal preparations to cross. Varsuja and Feala went to the Sacred Well in the village and met with Feiala, the priestess there, who blessed them for their journey, but also gave them some vague and ominous omens of what was to come. Thorinta headed down to the waterfront, where he met with Weiksura, the nasally dock-master, with whom he made arrangements for a ferry the following morning (one which would be polled by Thorinta himself in order to save the cost of boatmen).
For his part, Thoranrai went to inquire of the local amber-cutter Vitherai (meeting Talarja along the way, who was evidently visiting for the evening), asking about the best places to search for amber across the river. This, it was felt, would strengthen the Company's cover as amber-hunters, disguising their real agenda, which was as yet a secret. After some hesitation, Vitherai showed Thoranrai a small sliver of red amber which she had kept (in fact from the lump that Tengelbur gave her) and directed Thoranrai to the Bent Grove, promising to pay her well if she could return with more of the same.
With their preparations made, the Company prepared at last to cross the Cheyth before venturing into the Withered Wood...
