Summary
Vinsah has moved out of the infirmary and into a small room near the Chapel, helping Hough during the day to counsel the grieving and assist with homilies. At night, he is comforted and loved by the woman in his dreams, who calls him "Elvmere".
When he awakes, he lights his candles and prays the rosary. He decides this time that praying to his lady is not a transgression, as he is merely honoring her and not worshipping her. He dresses himself and looks down upon the city in repair. He decides to help out today in town, and writes a note to Hough that he'll be back that evening. After he accidentally signs it "Elvmere", he signs a new copy "Vinsah" and burns the old version.
After delivering the note, and loitering by the heated baths to warm up, he wanders into town, where he soon comes across the bakery. Brennar is shingling the roof, and accepts Vinsah's request to help. When Vinsah introduces himself, Brennar calls out to Gregor, who is eager to meet him and give them both sweet rolls. Vinsah is honored by their hospitality, despite them both being Lothanasi.
After they finish the roof and enjoy a brief rest, Brennar returns to his duties and Vinsah continues exploring the town. He arrives at the Red Bull Inn, and finds Rickkter sitting inside. He reintroduces himself, and accepts some stew from a waitress. Vinsah catches up with Rickkter on his recent activities, and Rickkter asks whether he likes being a raccoon, and what he plans to do in the future. Vinsah admits he doesn't know yet, but as Bishop of Abaef he will make his way to Yesulam and plead his and Metamor's case before them when the weather improves. He asks Rickkter what he is up to now, and what brought him to Metamor. Rickkter says that, as the most powerful magic user, he is helping the Keep find enemy traps and lay new defenses for the next months.
As Vinsah reflects on what he would have done differently to save the Patriarch, a skunk morph enters. Vinsah recognizes him from his dreams and his encounter with Akabaieth as Murikeer. However, he has greatly changed, with a missing eye, raspier voice, and a distant harsher visage. He carries a heavy sack that contains a trap he's been making for Rickkter. Vinsah is interested in watching, so Murikeer sets it up on the floor of the Inn. On the bear-trap he places a stone and incants a single word. Both the stone and the trap turn invisible, without affecting the floor below. Rickkter approves, though suggests it be improved to conform more closely to the trap, demonstrating with his staff.
Vinsah invites Murikeer to sit and have some stew. He asks Muri what his plans are for the year. Muri is taken aback; he had not given it much thought, besides returning to friends back in Glen Avery. He lapses into silence.
That evening, Hough shares some cider with Vinsah, who talks about his day. He learns from Hough that Murikeer is grieving the loss of his beloved Llyn. Hough tells him about his day, tending to his parish and helping them rebuild. Vinsah shares his current plans, and reveals a remark from Akabaieth that decided Hough's fate from the Bishop's Council.
They are interrupted by a visit from Madog. Hough introduces him to Vinsah. Madog is awed and reverent towards him, much to Vinsah's confusion. Madog and Hough play catch while Vinsah watches.
Vinsah finishes the day with his evening devotionals and prayers. He undresses and drifts off to sleep, thinking happily about his lady.
Cast
Main Characters:
- Vinsah: A raccoon morph, the Bishop of Abaef. He spends today helping Brennar fix a roof, meeting Rickkter and Murikeer and watching them demonstrate a magical trap of theirs, drinking cider with Hough and meeting Madog.
- He wears a warm woolen tunic and a pair of trousers over an undershirt. He wears a robe once outside his rooms, and some leather shoes. He also wears a wooden yew pendant he first received as an acolyte.
- He keeps his toe claws trimmed in order to wear shoes.
- He has moved out of the infirmary and into a small room near the Chapel, a few steps from Hough's quarters.
- He has insisted on repaying Coe for his stay when he is able. He has refused Hough's offer to lead mass.
- In his youth, he copied old homilies from the Yesulam archives. It is not specified whether these were official copies for the archives, or personal copies.
Supporting Characters:
- Rickkter: A raccoon morph, a Kankoran battlemage, Murikeer's mentor. He meets Vinsah at the Red Bull Inn, where he was also waiting for Murikeer to demonstrate a magical trap.
- He wears dark cloaks. He carries a staff that expands to 6 feet (a Sondeshike).
- He has a deal with the Keep to devise new traps and find old traps left behind by the invaders.
- Murikeer: A skunk morph, an illusionist mage and Rickkter's apprentice. Bitterly grieving the loss of Llyn, he is focusing himself on creating invisible traps for Rickkter.
- His youthful face has hardened since the Assault, with a distant distracted look and one eye missing.
- The only plans he admits to having is returning to Glen Avery.
- Hough: A child morph, the Keep priest. He makes some cider for Vinsah and talks with him in the evening before playing with Madog.
- His current duties involving counseling the grieving. On weekdays, he takes confessionals in the Chapel. On Fridays, he also practices his homilies. Vinsah is temporarily there to listen and support Hough.
Minor Characters:
- Brennar: A tabby cat morph, Gregor's apprentice. He is adding shingles to the bakery roof.
- Gregor: A capybara morph, the Keep baker. Deeply fond of Akabaieth, he treats Vinsah to some sweet rolls.
- He is a devout Lothanasi, and occasionally leads services at the Temple. He did not meet with Akabaieth, only seeing him during his speech.
- He is a gruff man, apparently not used to praising other people.
- Berta, a female gendermorph, a waitress at the Red Bull Inn. Rickkter says she flirts with customers to get more tips. Appears only in part 2.
- She appears to be 15 or 16 years old, with well-endowed breasts.
- She used to work at a tavern at the other end of the city, which was destroyed in the Assault.
- Madog: A fox automaton. He seems to recognize Vinsah as a very important person, but doesn't explain why. He plays with Hough.
Cameo:
- The Lady in Vinsah's dreams.
- An apprentice haberdasher. He recognizes and addresses Vinsah as "Elvmere". Appears in part 2.
- A human minstrel at the Red Bull Inn. Appears in part 2.
Important Mention:
- Akabaieth: The former Patriarch. Among other things, he wrote a writ to establish that Metamor's inhabitants are not demons.
Referenced:
- Coe: The Keep physician.
- Yanlin: The Mother of Yahshua.
- Yahshua: The Son of Eli.
- Eli: The one Follower God.
- Raven: The Keep's Lothanasi priestess.
- Charles Matthias: A rat morph, who recently went to trial for conspiracy in Akabaieth's murder.
- Alberta: A female gendermorph. Like Vinsah, she was reported missing after Akabaieth's murder, only to reappear at the Assault.
- Wessex: A child morph who died in the Assault.
- Zagrosek: The "dark haunting figure clad in shadows" from Vinsah's dreams.
- The innkeeper of the Red Bull Inn. Mentioned only in part 2, when Murikeer's device scratches one of his tables.
- Hough's father and mother. They were distillers. Hough inherited his knowledge of brewing an excellent cider from them. Mentioned only in part 3.
- Llyn: A mink morph who died in the Winter Assault.
- Morgan, a widow, and her three children. She lost her husband and her home in the Assault, and have been staying in a friend's house. Hough brought her some of the Church donations today. She has weak legs and is illiterate, and thus has no means of providing for her family.
- Vinsah and Hough make a plan to speak with the Writer's Guild headmasters to teach her to write, as the Writer's Guild pays well for scribes.
- Morgan's late husband.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Vinsah |
?? |
?? |
?? |
| Rickkter |
M- |
?? |
M- |
| Murikeer |
|
?? |
M |
| Hough |
? |
M- |
?? |
| Brennar |
?? |
? |
|
| Gregor |
? |
? |
M- |
| Madog |
|
|
? |
| Akabaieth |
M |
M |
M- |
| Coe |
M- |
|
|
| Raven |
M- |
|
|
| Charles |
|
M- |
|
| Alberta |
|
M- |
|
| Wessex |
|
M- |
|
| Zagrosek |
|
M- |
|
| Llyn |
|
|
M |
| Morgan |
|
|
M |
Locations
- Currently, most of the damage to Metamor has been repaired. Some of the stones still need to be refashioned.
- Vinsah's room is very bare. He has a bed with quilts and a pillow, a flint and candle on his bedside nightstand, an empty fireplace, a garment table holding his rosary, a small dresser for his clothes, a desk holding parchment and a quill, with a chair holding his robe and a lantern hanging overhead, and an execution yew hanging on the wall.
- By this point, the Keep bakery has been mostly repaired, with only part of the roof needing replacement. The shingles are half-foot wooden slabs, some nailed down into the crossbeams with metal nails but mostly with wooden pegs.
- The Red Bull Inn is two stories tall, and is surrounded by other shops that cater to foreign merchants. Its twin oak doors were widened a few years ago. A sign depicting a brass bull hangs from the eaves; it was torn down and defaced during the Assault.
- It survived the Assault mostly intact. Most of its windows were smashed in the Assault, and those that weren't replaced have now been boarded up. The outside wood was slightly damaged by fire, though the blizzard suppressed most of it, and the damaged boards have already been replaced.
- Just inside, a large bar with barstools is set just outside the kitchens. A large chimney occupies one wall. A small staircase leads to an upper level at the far back of the room. Several long tables line the room.
Society
- As in real life Catholicism, it is acceptable for the Ecclesia to offer prayers to Yanlin and the saints, as long as they only worship Eli and Yahshua.
- Murikeer's trap is a large metal hinge-jawed trap used for bears, upon which is placed a thin circular granite stone. The stone appears ordinary, but has an enchantment such that, when activated with an incantation, makes everything invisible in a two-foot-wide hemisphere on one side (which requires it to be flat).
- The hardest part is stabilizing the spell and setting the specific range. The spell still appears with magic sight (an easy fix), but the stone itself is masked.
- Murikeer considers modifying the invisibility to only affect the underlying material, such as iron. This has the bonus advantage of being magnetized so that it does not fling the stone from the trap when set off.
Story Connections
- The "certain matter" that Hough alludes to in part 3, in which Murikeer was helpful, probably refers to Llyn's Tribulations, where Murikeer helped stop an attack on Hough's life.
- This story continues Vinsah's subplots from Wandering the Keep and The Winter Assault, in particular his reveal in the Chapel, and his odd friendship with Rickkter.
- Vinsah briefly mentions Matthias's trial, which he attended in Wagging Tongues Will.
- This story begins a few other subplots:
- Vinsah's question to Murikeer will continue in Sorrows;
- Vinsah's thoughts on the state of the church, and how he will handle the Questioners, will be addressed in Questioning;
- Madog's reverence to Vinsah is a hint at Vinsah's ultimate destiny.
