Interlude: The Aftermath

After sending Barty off to talk to his cartographer friend, Lysandra realizes that she had just made a job offer without approval. She heads for Niamh’s office and starts chatting her up about the cartographer, hoping she wouldn’t be angry.

Niamh seems strangely uninterested. “Yes, of course, yes. Thanks for doing that. If she’ll work for us, we need her. I’ll make it OK with Atlene, just... not right now, Lysandra. We just got word that something bad happened on the sewer run. Kai knows something about it, but she’s not talking. Atlene’s over at the school in a meeting.”

“Oh no. Not Rylah! Today was her day to go, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, and I don’t know. I sent her with three high-powered warriors. I think.... Well, I don’t know what to think. Just don’t bother Atlene yet. I’ll talk to her. Just… not now. I can’t think.”

Os-Wiu’s class is quiet. There is something going on that they haven’t been told, but they can feel it, the energy is… off… weird… wrong. They can feel it just like Boudiath said.

Os-Wiu has them studying independently, but he is just staring at the windows. Of course, he’s not just staring. He’s trying to figure out how to put alarms on them that would notify them if a demon... or a Cyclopean Thunderbeast... tries to get in. He doesn’t want it to wait until the glass breaks. He knows how to do that kind of alarm, but that would be too late. And anything that picks up vibrations could be set off by the wind. Or rain or hail. His brain is running in circles and getting nowhere.

Gar-Vik is sitting in his lab wishing he knew more about herbs and wishing that Boudiath weren’t so busy and really wishing he knew why it is so hushed in the guildhall right now. He expected a lot of chatter after the success of the morning’s community training event. He expected to be downright irritated by it. He’s irritated that he’s not irritated.

He wanders over to the Monster Parts sales office, and he can hear the hush through the door into the Bounty Division. There is no one in the building except staff, and they all look extremely unhappy. He asks Willem, “What is happening?”

The young man looks uncomfortable. “Something happened on the sewer run this morning. Anya told all the other adventurers to stay out of the sewers until further notice. She even put up a sign on the front door, but none of us know why. She’s locked in her office. Jelena says she’s crying.”

Hmmmm. Gar-Vik walks over to talk to Niamh, who also doesn’t know. When he starts toward the school, Kai stops him. “Not right now, Gar-Vik. Boudiath has her hands full.”

“Why does everyone always think I’m on my way to talk to Boudiath,” he says, jabbing his hands into his pocket and kicking a stone toward the pond like a teen.

Kai smiles at him. “We like to see you happy, that’s why. And you are happy, right?”

Gar-Vik laughs. “Well… I guess I am, and I guess I should stop trying to keep it a secret. No such thing as secrets around here, except today.”

Kai’s smile turns into a frown. “It’s good you’re happy. Boudiath will need that later. But not right now Gar-Vik. Why don’t you sit and talk to me.”

“I’d like to talk to someone. It’s too damn quiet. I can hear myself think, and I don’t want to right now. I’m worried.”

“Yes,” is all Kai says. “Why don’t you tell me your latest project.” And Gar-Vik is off, talking about the Power Cookie and the magical honey and how it will help the undersized halflings, and Buddi and Fidget.

“That sounds like a good thing,” Kai says wistfully and then falls silent.

Gar-Vik gets up. “I’m going to go work on it with Marta. I had an herbal question to ask, but it was probably just an excuse to see Boudiath. Marta and I can handle it.”

By the time he gets to the kitchen, Atlene has told Niamh, and Niamh has told Marta, and Marta has her apron over her face. He can hear her sobs.

Niamh tells Gar-Vik who suddenly can’t breathe. He forgets how dangerous this life is until there is a reminder like today. He sits down hard and stares into the fire.

The guildhall comes to a grinding halt. It’s clear no work is going to be accomplished for the rest of the day.

Lysandra sits down next to Gar-Vik and joins him in staring into the fire.

Students have given up on their instructors and come over from the school. They sit in the dining room, sharing memories of their adventures with Isseh with their fellow adventurers.

At the school, Rylah tries to sleep but can’t, even with the herbs that Boudiath has given her. She keeps hearing it, the teeth ripping through metal and then the smell of the blood. She’ll never sleep again.

Kai sits with Vigdis in the stable and rubs her hands, assuring her that she did everything she could. Tor curls up at her feet.

Durgan punches a hole in the wall, and Darelle takes him outside quietly and tells him to punch a tree instead. When he just stands there in the middle of the yard, she moves him next to a tree. Like an automaton, he begins to punch.

No one can find JeOc. He’s on the roof not watching for demons.

Boudiath comes over and sits with Lysandra and Gar-Vik until Barty returns with Vespera Jute, his cartographer friend.

Lysandra gets up and takes them to the third floor where she finds Niamh and Atlene crying. They apologize, and immediately welcome her. Vess tells them about her history with the cartographer’s guild and why she was kicked out.

Lysandra makes her the same offer she made Sloane, and Vess jumps at it. “I’d be no trouble. Never any trouble. I swear!”

“Good,” Atlene says. “It’s a terrible day here, but we aren’t always like this, I promise. We’d like you to move in. Barty can pick up your things with a wagon. Do you think you can do it today?”

“Won’t take a wagon, ma’am. I’ve got almost nothing of my own.”

“Well, a bag of carrying then. Barty, you can take one from Niamh’s office for the move. Vess, you’ll have your own room and an office. You’ll be working closely with our archivists. The arrangement won’t be final until our Council meeting on Ashday, but it won’t be an issue. We need a cartographer, and I think Joryn, our archivist, will be thrilled to see that second ledger that got you booted out of the guild.”

Vess nods and then suddenly jumps up, grabs Atlene, and hugs her. “You won’t be sorry ma’am. I promise.” Then she ran out the door. Atlene just stares after her until Niamh pulls her back down into sitting. She slumps over and puts her head down and weeps.

Down in the kitchen, Gar-Vik has his arm around Boudiath and is speaking softly to her as she allows the waters of her soul to continue on their journey.

A runner appears from The Dramatic Seagull saying that Nagiella Rook has closed it down for the night to allow the guild to have it to themselves. Ale is on the house in memory of Isseh Drah. Almost everyone wanders down the street to toast their friend.

Os-Wiu sits alone in the school, still staring at the windows.

Guienne has sent Niamh and Atlene to the tavern, and she sits alone in the guild until Barty and Vess show up. She takes them to the room Niamh had assigned her and Barty helps her unpack her things.

Guienne can hear Durgan still hitting the tree outside. She shakes her head. “I’ve got to deal with something. Take her to meet Joryn when she’s done unpacking, Barty, will you?”

“Why is everyone so weird today?” Barty asks. “Vess is a little freaked out. So am I actually.”

Guienne apologizes. “I thought everyone knew by now. Isseh… he died on the sewer run today.” For the first time she feels herself tearing up, so she turns and leaves them standing in the small bedroom in shock.

Guienne picks up a healing potion from the shelf in Niamh’s consumable supply closet and takes it out to Durgan. “What kind of dwarf are you? You should be at the bar, toasting your comrade. Here, drink this and then get on with you.”

Durgan shuffles his feet, hits the tree once more for good measure, then drinks the potion and runs down the street. They’re like children, Guienne thinks, all of them. Then she leans against the tree and cries for a moment.

Joryn and Sanja are too wrapped up in their treasures to anything else. Barty and Vess wander in, alone in the guildhall except these two. Vess introduces herself, and they are thrilled to meet her. She is stunned by how oblivious they seem in comparison to the rest of the people here.

When she mentions Isseh’s death, it’s almost like Joryn has been struck in the chest. He sags into his chair.

“He, he is responsible for us having this,” he says, indicating something round and encrusted with sea stuff as if it was the most important thing in the world. “No. It can’t be. I won’t believe it.”

Sanja notices for the first time how quiet the guildhall is. “Did they all go somewhere?” she asks Barty.

“Probably to the Seagull,” he says.

“Joryn, why don’t you go with these two young people and join them,” Sanja says, “I didn’t know Isseh. I’ll stay here.”

“No, we should all go. Come along,” he says, taking her hand. They lock the office and nod to Guienne, who enters from the garden as they leave.

She doesn’t make eye contact, ashamed of her tears. Now she is truly alone. She locks the outer doors and prays to the gods that the demon won’t show up tonight.

All is quiet until one by one in the dead of night, the adventurers stagger back and fall into their bunks.

Once Niamh returns, Guienne helps her get Atlene to bed. Then she goes over to help the students into bed while she wonders how often this happens and whether she can survive carrying this much pain for others.

She doesn’t sleep.

[disclaimer: The Silver Spire Guild is a homebrew solo TTRPG that exists only in my head… and now in yours.]