When last we left our heroes...
Confronted by his wife, in this alternate timeline, Vanera tried to bluff his way through the conversation. He learned that in this timeline, Vanera (who was now a close advisor to Prince Onwae) was also the foster-brother of Neras Garini, who had been Talarja's husband and who was since deceased in a hunting accident. Apparently, this timeline's version of Vanera had attempted to seduce Talarja the night before her wedding. After a couple of very painful and awkward conversations, Vanera managed to convince Talarja that he had changed, that he was in fact a "different man" than before, and that he had come to set things right. It was for this reason that he -- and the rest of his companions, none of whom Talarja recognized, including Tengelbur -- needed to meet with Onerama the Bald. Since Talarja was attending Onerama's party that very evening, she reluctantly agreed to bring them to the party.
In the meantime, Reiana, Sword-maiden of the Red Isle, retired from adventuring, and was placed in the care of the Well Priestess Feiala. Thoranrai (or at least this timeline's Thoranrai, the Scarlet Sister) would be taking her place in the group going forward. Reiana had a somewhat awkward goodbye with Tanurendal, who had never managed (and still did not quite manage) to express his feelings for her. With this and a few other local errands done, the companions set off in a carriage on the six-hour trip (and a very long and awkward ride it was) to Onerama's farm. When they arrived, they found it much as they remembered it -- except that Onerama was much more open and ostentatious about his pretentions to power. The companions were brought to Onerama and -- after a horribly botched conversation -- were arrested as spies, their weapons confiscated, and they were confined to quarters until time for the banquet. Of note, Tanurendal (who had already tried looking for his alternate self) encountered not himself, but his father -- also named Tanurendal -- in the person of Onerama's captain of the guard. It seems that Tanurendal the Elder was, in this timeline, the sole survivor of the Nalshbori raid on his village, rather than his son.
When the banquet began, Onerama stood to make a speech -- a speech in which he announced his intention to seize the governorship of the Northern District, with the full support of the Northern District's landowners. As he was making this speech, the companions noticed that there were significantly more soldiers -- the retinue of Lt. Samlon of the River Forts -- and that they were all well-armed. As more soldiers began to file into the hall, Samlon declared "Death to the traitor!" and attacked. In the ensuing battle, the companions managed to seize their weapons and rally around Onerama, defending him as Tanurendal the Elder fell protecting his master from Samlon. Tanurendal the Younger also fell in battle, but in a moment of strange fortitude, the Obsidian shard in his leg splintered, and he rose, healed from his wounds, significantly stronger and several inches taller than before. He struck down Samlon, and the other soldiers were soon dispatched...
[And in the splintering of one of the shards of the Anvil of Lanenomen, at least three things from the original timeline have been permanently altered.]
