When last we left our heroes... Riding hard to the north, the companions reached the gate of Sencankarr where -- with a little bit of luck and little bit of Reiana's "rugged charm" -- they managed to convince the captain of the guard who was currently on duty to shut the gates and sound the alarm, probably saving the city from sudden assault. The guard captain was loathe to allow them to pass on to the house of Norkur without first interrogating them about why they knew the things that they knew, but they convinced him to do so after swearing on their honor that they would not leave the city without checking in with him first.
Heading to Norkur's private lodgings further up the Hill, they met with the Scribe who -- although he did not remember them -- seemed to have foreseen their coming. As he explained it, the "stream" or "river" of Time had been interrupted, like a current caught in a backwater of a river. This was due -- as Anaris eventually revealed -- the striking of the Anvil of Lanenomen such that it shattered at the same moment that she called upon dark forces to aid her. The black stone shards the companions have lodged in the various parts of their body are the fragments of the Anvil itself, and Norkur speculates that there is one more -- most likely lodged in the body of the Blind Seer, the man with whom Anaris was supposed to change places.
Norkur revealed to the companions that he believes an ancient and obscure prophecy from the text known as the Ascent of Orusen has to do with them and their present predicament. The text is in equal measure clear and obscure about what must happen next: the companions must travel to the East, via the Red Isle, in order to find an ancient artifact known as the Egg of Wisdom. According to the prophecy, the Egg of Wisdom itself will hold the secret necessary both to restore the flow of time to its proper order, as well as rescue the lost prince.
The companions spent some time arguing about various things -- who was to blame, their objectives, their route, whether they should stop by the homes of their family members to learn whether alternate versions of themselves existed in this timeline, and whether they could abandon the promise they made to the captain of the guard -- when they were interrupted by palace guards. News of their coming had evidently reached the palace, and they had been summoned to Onwae's court.
