Mother Harmony

The journey into eastern Everway takes the party into the poorest section of the city. Buildings become progressively shabbier, and poorhouses, charity hospitals, and orphanages become more and more common. The sight of the ill, the infirm, and the impoverished becomes more common as the Spherewalkers draw closer to the Mother home.

The people of this area are unused to seeing such well-dressed, well-off individuals walking the street, and both the presence of Mouser and the rather obvious physical prowess of most of the party make many apprehensive. Conversations tend to die as they approach, and both children and adults watch them furtively as they pass by. Occasionally there is a muttered imprecation, or a short bark of laughter at a whispered jest, but for the most part daily life in the area comes to a halt as the party draws near and restarts once it is past.

The home of the Mother family is a large, rambling structure of three stories. There is no fence, but ornamental fruit trees have been planted around the outer edge of the property. They appear carefully tended. Not far to the southwest one can see the dome of the Temple of Mercy jutting over the surrounding tenements.

A long line of people stand or lie at the front walkway, at least a hundred. Many are badly injured, or visibly ill. One or two appear to be dead, and these are scrupulously avoided by the others. A cursory examination reveals lepers, amputees, victims of starvation, burn victims, and many others with less obvious ailments. All appear to be waiting quietly. A man in the light blue robes of the Mother family is working to staunch the bleeding of a woman with a broken nose, and several white-robed monks, both male and female, of the Temple of Mercy are distributing bread and water.

Gilghul calls to one of the monks distributing bread and water. "Is this line to see Mother Harmony? Our friend is badly hurt."

Flamefeather shudders at the sight of so much pain. "Maybe thish wasn’t such a good idea," she whispers to her companions, straining to keep the worst of the slurring out of her words. "These people need Mother Mershy’s help far more than I do. A night of shleep will have me able to walk, at leasht, and a few weeksh of resht will mend my ribs and arm. I did sho want my nose and teeth fixed, but it’sh nothing but vanity. I feel ashamed, now..." She sighs deeply, steeling guilty looks at the sick and wounded waiting at the temple door.

One of the monks puts down his basket of bread and walks over to the group. He puts his palms together in front of his mouth, bows slightly, and says "A thousand times you have tutored me."

Straightening, he continues, gesturing towards the line. "These people seek aid from the Mother family. They are poor, and can afford no other aid. The Mother family looks after them, as do those of us from the Temple of Mercy. I am Broken Crystal Weaver, a monk of that temple. I and others of my order come here each day to feed and tend those who wait here. The Mother family does much good work, and demands little in exchange, but they are few, and those in need are many, and some who come are past saving." Broken Crystal gestures to one of the dead bodies, then moves to close its eyes, straighten its limbs, and smooth its features. "Soon the Tenders will come to carry this one’s remains away for burial. Have you seen them? Truly they are holy men and women! But perhaps you have never seen them after all. I see by your dress that you and your party are from no family of Everway. Are you Strangers or Outsiders?"

Addressing the monk, "I am Gilghul. We are all members of the Chamber Platinum with the Library of All Worlds. We come seeking aid for our friend who is injured, but these poor people are in much more dire need of the Mother’s attention than she. Perhaps we shall seek aid elsewhere. Thank you for attending us; good day, good monk."

The monk nods to Gilghul and the party, then move to speak to Flamefeather. "I hope that your recovery is rapid, and that you find what you seek. Be at peace." With that, he turns and returns to the task of distributing food.

Gilghul sighs, "I’m afraid that we shall find no less pitiable assemblage at the Temple of Mercy. That leaves petitioning the Crookstaff family, but are we willing to pay the price for their help whatever it may be? If indeed they can help us. Anyone have any other ideas?"

Flamefeather starts shaking her head, then grimaces as she is reminded of her ringing headache. "Jusht take me back to the Chamber of Elements at the Library. I think I can take reshidence there while I heal, and I think I will be doing shome reading for the nexht few daysh. As for my teef, maybe I can have falsh ones crafted. I’m shorry I bothered all of you."

Flamefeather then grits her teeth (what’s left of them), claps her left hand on her broken nose, and in one sudden jerk, sets the bone back in place. A little blood trickles from her nostrils. Her eyes water, and she says in a very small voice: "I think I’ll just faint, now..." Although she doesn’t actually faint, she does close her eyes and lean her head back, her good hand clamped around the edge of the travois.

The man dressed in the robes of the Mother family, seeing the blood, comes over to Flamefeather. He quickly mutters "Thousand" to the rest of the group, then begin rubbing her nose and cheek with an ointment that quickly dulls the pain. Once he notices the is awake he addresses her.

"Child, chew on this." (he prefers a large wad of leaves). "It will hurt for a moment, but it will end the pain from your broken teeth for a time." He then efficiently stuffs a large wad of moss up her now numb schnoze, stands up, and moves on to a nearby woman with an ill baby.

Far away, the Spherewalkers all hear the sound of many tinkling bells.

"Don’t be so hard on yourself, Flamefeather," says Gilghul. "Your pain is just as real as those around you. We’re not entirely out of options, and I’m not about to give up yet. Come on, Mercy, the temple isn’t far. We should at least check."

Gilghul switches his grip on the travois and turns toward the Temple of Mercy in the distance, "And if they can’t help then I will talk to the Crookstaff Family. I can’t do anything to help these people with their pain, but I can sure as hell try to do something about yours. Come on."

Mercy picks up the other end of the travois and the party heads towards the Temple of Mercy located nearby.
 
 

The Temple of Mercy

The Temple is a simple, blocky architectural style quite different from the normal architecture of Everway. It is three stories tall, but rather than being stepped, like most Everway buildings of more than one story, all three stories are the same width, which gives the building a very square appearance. It looks to be fairly busy, and one can spot occasional richer dress styles amid the sea of urban less-than-wealthy that throng in the plaza before the temple proper.

The portals of the temple are open, and there appears to be no one standing guard. People go in and out unhindered. The sound of bells is getting louder, and people are beginning to look south with interest. Gilghul stops and looks off toward the bells, "Anybody know what that’s all about?" The bells draw closer, and a hush falls over the crowd, as heads begin to turn south. After a moment, the crowds part, and the Spherewalkers see a group of men and women.

They are dressed in nothing more than rags, and walk barefoot through the streets. Everyone in their path hurries to get out of their way, but this appears to be out of reverence rather than fear. No one seems willing to touch them, but women will hold their children before their faces, or place their children’s feet in the footprints they leave. Some people even gather the dust in the street that they have stepped upon and rub it onto themselves. The sound of bells is most definitely coming from them, but they are just as certainly not wearing any bells.

Intrigued, Gilghul looks to see where they are headed. They seem to be headed in the general direction of the Mother family estate, that is North. The ragged group passes by the temple and continues on their way. The sound of bells begins to fade into the distance. Mercy and Gilghul readjust their respective grips on the travois and the party heads towards the temple.

The Temple of Mercy is an unostentatious structure, despite being a full three stories tall. The area is clean, and the building is kept up, but there has been no attempt at decoration, and any beauty the building possesses comes entirely from its clean lines and understated nature. The only unusual feature noticeable from the outside is the fact that the front entrance has no doors.

The main hall that the party enters is unadorned, like the exterior, but well-lit and clean, with sunlight streaming through numerous windows. There is a light smell of sandalwood incense in the air, but not enough to be overpowering or oppressive. Most of the hall is taken up with mats and rugs on which individual’s sit, kneel, or lie in prayer, according to their custom. A few monks are scattered in among the crowd, but they seem to be participating in prayers, rather than leading any.

At the far end of the hall are three urns, waist high and apparently made of black iron. Periodically, individuals stand from their prayers, walk forward, and withdraw their purse or money pouch. They reach into their pouch and then thrust their hand into the urn on the left, then place their hand in their pouch once again and thrust it into the center urn, then place their hand in their pouch a third time and thrust it into the urn on the right. Then they turn and leave.

Waterspider approaches one of those who are leaving, and quietly asks about the proper procedure for those seeking help. "You should speak to one of the monks," is the reply.

Waterspider takes a few moments to assess the situation. There do not seem to be any monks standing around and waiting to answer questions, and he hesitates to interrupt a monk at prayer.

The situation resolves itself, however, when Broken Crystal enters behind the party. Waterspider quickly approaches him and outlines the situation.

"Ah, yes my friend, I remember you and your injured comrade." He bends down to check Flamefeather. "Has the ointment helped to soothe your pain? The Mother family makes superb medicines." Straightening, he addresses himself to Waterspider once again.

"Our temple is not one of healing per se, but it may be that we can assist you. Please wait here while I go and speak to the Abbess. Make yourselves comfortable." With that he walks forward, past the urns to a small door in the far wall, enters, and disappears from sight.

Several minutes pass while the party waits, watching those at prayer, and trying to keep out of the way of those going in and out. Waterspider keeps a watchful eye on all who approach, while Gilghul scans the crowd outside. Exiled keeps a watchful eye on Mouser, who for his part seems rather subdued . Flamefeather chews on the concoction given to her by the man of the Mother Family and appreciates the fact that her face doesn’t hurt so much now. Mercy sings quietly to herself, and Corvus appears to be playing Cat’s Cradle without the benefit of string.

After a short wait, Broken Crystal reappears through the door and approaches the group once again. "The Abbess will see you now. Please bring your injured comrade and follow me."

The party walks forward past those in prayer and passes by the three urns. The one on the far left contains small coins such as copper pennies, the middle contains silver, and the one on the right contains gold and jewels. Broken Crystal opens the door and holds it for those carrying the travois. "Go directly up the stairs to the third floor. You will find the Abbess at the end of the hallway there. Good luck!" With that he turns away to other business.
 
 

The Vision

The stairway is rather dark, but not oppressively so, and is lit with candles. The party passes the second floor (which appears to be a dormitory of some sort for the monks) and comes to the third floor, which seems to have a number of small offices and storage rooms. Proceeding to the end of the hall, they come upon a plain wooden door with a small plaque at eye height that reads "Abbess". Surprisingly enough, it is Corvus who knocks.

A surprisingly deep, melodious voice bids the party enter.

The Abbess is a middle aged, and rather plain looking. She has the lumpy, lined features of a farm woman, but her eyes are bright with intelligence. She bows in the traditional Everway greeting when you enter and says "A thousand times I have shared in your laughter. I am Abbess Beauty Moondance . How may I help you?"

The Abbess continues to look expectant, but a certain amount of uncertainty also begins to show in her face. She is no doubt wondering why a party of powerful individuals has requested to see her, only to stand mute once they entered her presence.

Could they be ensorcelled?

She wonders.

Flamefeather clears her throat, discretely spits out a few leaf fragments, and raises an embarrassed look to the Abbess.

"A thousand times you have lightened my burden," she says tentatively. She is elated to discover that Broken Crystal’s remedy has helped diminish the swelling of her face, making it easier to speak. "Mother Abbess, I am not sure now that I should have asked my friends to take me here, when so many need your help more than I. But as you might guess, the reason I am here is the matter of, er, a few broken bones." And my teeth, she thinks, but refrains from adding for fear of sounding like a whiner.

The Abbess sighs with relief as the silence is broken. "Ah, I noticed that you appeared to have been rather badly beaten up, and Broken Crystal mentioned to me that he had first encountered you at the Mother estate. In answer to the question that is certainly on your minds, I believe we can help you, but I must take a moment to explain a bit of our philosophy to you so that you may make a wise choice.

"It is our belief that those in need of assistance frequently hesitate to ask for what they require for numerous reasons, such as shame, pride, or even, in some cases, fear. Likewise, those who assist frequently do so for impure motives - egotism, a desire for public accolades, and so on. When our temple was founded by our Queen, Azure XI, she charged us with assisting others in such a way that no stigma was attached to the aid, and that those who offered aid were prevented from doing so for impure reasons.

"The urns you saw in the chamber of contemplation are the most well-known of our methods for dispensing aid. An individual approaching the urn thrusts a hand into his or her purse, then into each urn in turn, so that none may see what is taken or left. Individuals are free to take what they need, or leave what they feel they can give. Though there is no specific requirement , it is always our hope that those who are assisted will in turn assist others when their circumstances improve.

"Upon occasion, however, items cone to us which cannot simply be left for free distribution, either because it is inappropriate to place them in the urns, as with certain food items, or because their nature is not intuitively obvious to those who might take them, as with certain arcane items or books.

These items we are charged with distributing as we find a need for them. Such is the case here. Because of the nature of our charge, the exchange must be made with the injured woman alone, and I would ask the rest of you to please wait for her downstairs. I do not believe it will take her long, but she will have to make certain decisions, and that may delay her for a few moments."

In short order, the rest of the party is hustled downstairs to await the return of Flamefeather. After the rest of the party has been removed from the room, the Abbess will remove three glass vials from within her robe. Each appears to be filled with an identical clear liquid.

"These were conjured when Broken Crystal mentioned your difficulties to me. Because they were made in haste, their efficacy is weak, and they must be used within an hour or so, or they will lose their potency.

"The first," she puts down a vial on the left side of the table, "will heal you, instantly and completely. The second, " another vial is laid down in the center of the table "will not heal you completely, but will allow your teeth to regrow and your bones to knit straight. The third," the final vial is laid down on the right side of the table, "is water.

"We know of individuals who can use either of these healing draughts, so none shall go to waste, regardless of your decision. Choose the draught which you believe that you need. Leave the others here.

"It is our hope that should you choose to accept assistance now that you will remember to repay another for what you have received."

The Abbess helps Flamefeather to her feet gently, then quietly leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Flamefeather leans on the table with her left hand, gazing thoughtfully at the vials. She would like to reach for the water, to have that generosity, but she is also thinking about her mission, about all that is brewing in Everway at the moment. She is afraid that she might not be ready when she is needed, still healing broken bones. Yet to take the first potion, the one that would heal her completely, seems selfish. She knows that she heals faster than most people, and that many here need the potion more than she.

She reaches inside her shirt, and pulls a leather thong out. On it are string the crude pendant she has made out of the Obeyer’s finger bone (she hopes to improve on it when she has time and two hands), and a single feather. This is not the golden feather her father is rumoured to have plucked from the Phoenix, but a vibrant red one she was given by her mother. She pulls the string over her head (not without some difficulty), and wraps it around the hilt of her father’s dagger. She clutches the weapon and amulets to her heart, bows her head, and closes her eyes, meditating for a moment.

As Flamefeather meditates, a sense of dread steals upon her. There is peril, terrible peril, approaching. But the nature of that peril is unclear. Does the peril stem from the vials before her, from her choice, or is it a warning of danger to come meant to influence her? Is this sense of dread a message, and if so, who is it from?

An image forms in Flamefeather’s mind. She sees before her a gated wall, set with burning braziers in the shape of fantastic creatures. Behind the wall rises a many-storied tower, hung with many bells. Broad stone steps lead up to the entrance, and light spills from an open doorway. Barely discernable within it is a figure, though no details can be made out. As soon as she grasps it the image fades, leaving Flamefeather no wiser than before.

Flamefeather opens her eyes wide, and her mind reels with the vision. She cannot ever having such a clear image form in response to her meditation. But the meaning of the vision eludes her entirely for the moment. Clearly, she needs to do some research at the Library. She feels she can do that while her bones are mending, but she fears more than ever that time may be short.

She straightens up, puts away her amulets and dagger, and reaches for the second potion, the one that will help her heal but is not instantaneous. Somebody else will need instant healing more than her, and maybe her mind will work double duty while her body is slowed down.

She pours the potion down her throat. Almost before she has finished swallowing, she pulls out her notebook and starts sketching and scribbling furiously, trying to put as much of the vision on paper as she can before it escapes her entirely.

After perhaps five minutes, Flamefeather comes gingerly down the stairs. She still looks pretty badly banged up. Waterspider looks at Flamefeather and raises an eyebrow expectantly...

Exiled looks at Flamefeather bravely walking down the stairs and says to the party, "She MUST be better... she is walking under her own power." Exiled then moves to give Flamefeather a hand down the last few steps....

...And promptly trips over Mouser...

Flamefeather leans on the nearest wall and smiles at the sight of Mouser and Exiled entangled. Now that Exiled looks much younger than he used to, the tableau they form is even less serious than before...  She then glances at Waterspider and nods.

"I’ll be better in a few days," she say, "although my bones will still need some time to knit, but they’ll mend straight and even my teeth will grow back. I still feel week, so I’d appreciate some help to get back to the Library of All Worlds. As I said before, I think there is much information I can research there while I’m healing, and now more than ever. You see, while I was alone up there, I meditated for a moment. Suddenly, I was filled with dread, as if a great, terrible peril was looming close; a vision came to me, an image of a strange place in a land of tortured ice.

"There was a gated wall, set with burning braziers in the shape of misshapen, frightening creatures. Behind the wall rose a many-storied tower, hung with many bells. Broad stone steps led up to the entrance, and light spilled from an open doorway. Barely discernable within it was a figure, though no details could be made out. The tower, which had little turned-up roofs jutting out from every story, was surrounded by what looked like tormented pillars of ice. As soon as I could focus on it, it was gone from my mind’s eye. I was so taken with the vision, brief as it was, that I hurried to jot it down in my notebook before I forgot any details; here is the picture."

She proffers the book, open to that page for her companions to see. "This is the new matter I have to research. Has any of you ever seen this place, or heard of something like it?"

Gilghul withdraws a small faceted amethyst crystal from his collection. Holding it barely half an inch from the surface of Flamefeather’s picture he traces the lines of the image. Gazing at Flamefeather’s picture, he realizes that it is most certainly not upon this Sphere, nor upon any nearby. Wherever it is, it is far from here, and there will be many trials and adversities to be faced before they reach it. However, it IS somehow tied in with the quest, he can feel it in his bones, and he knows moreover that it is IMPORTANT that they reach it, for this quest has value far beyond what they now see. The risks are many, and they will face death, but they must carry through.

"I can’t remember having seen this before," Gilghul says at last, "but it is most definitely not upon this sphere or any nearby. Wherever it is, it is somehow linked with our quest. I can sense that the influence of corruption is strong here, shadowed by death." Gilghul clears his throat, "Sorry about the melodrama."  He grins.  "I think Flamefeather is right. We need to get back to the Library and research this as soon as possible."

Exiled then looks again at Flamefeather’s drawing, and shudders as he feels great stagnation. "This place is very old, and though I have not been there, nor do I recognize the style of building, I can feel great stagnation, as if nothing ever changes with it. I can also almost picture myself as the figure in the window there...."

Exiled’s vision passes....
 
 

The Outsiders

Suddenly, Mouser yowls in consternation as Exiled (once again) takes a header after treading on his newly cleaned paw. The lynx leaps to his feet and charges for the exit, bowling over a young man and woman standing nearby in the process. Once outside he immediately plops down (causing several peasants who were planning on entering the temple to come to an abrupt halt) and begins licking the injured paw with great dignity. The young man gets up almost immediately, but the woman continues to lie on the ground.

Turning his attention to Mouser’s victims, Gilghul moves to see if the woman is injured. Flamefeather starts to move towards the young woman lying on the ground, then suddenly reconsiders when her broken collarbone reminds itself to her attention. She quickly looks around for the kindly monk who has helped them so far.

"Broken Crystal!" she calls, mid-way between a normal conversation tone and a shout. (She doesn’t want to disturb other supplicants, but this matter requires attention.) "I think this woman needs immediate care! Can you help?"

Apologetically, she then turns to her companions. "Hmm, I can’t be of much use right now, but... If Broken Crystal says she can be moved, maybe you should put her on that travois instead of me, and take her to... Well, to wherever Broken Crystal says she should go." She gives a wry grin, but catches herself before starting to shrug.

Keeping an eye on the events, she starts sketching again with her good (left) hand, this time trying to capture the atmosphere of the Temple. She has no money to thank the Temple right now, but she hopes that if her drawing is good enough, it can serve as a downpayment, or at least a token of her gratitude. As she quickly draws, she puts to paper the features of the two strangers Mouser has bowled over, and notices how strikingly similar they look. Brother and sister, maybe?

Waterspider moves forward and, with the help of the others, gently places the injured woman on the travois.

Exiled gets up and, somewhat sheepishly, straightens himself out. He then aids Waterspider in getting the young woman onto the travois. "Mouser!!!! I’m sorry...." he quietly calls, hoping that the cat will forgive him....

Waterspider and Exiled easily move the young woman onto the travois. She does not appear to be injured, but rather seems to be asleep. There is a look of great peace and contentment on her face.

The young man whom Mouser has just bowled over addresses the Spherewalkers. "I am Akaman. The sick woman is my sister Shekkara. Thank you for trying to help. She suffers from a sleeping sickness. It may be magical. We came to the Temple of Mercy to see if anyone can help us cure it."

Gilghul finishes scanning Flamefeather’s original drawing.  Flamefeather quickly completes her sketch, one-handed. Mercy goes over to the young man and begins speaking to him in low tones. Broken Crystal, who was meditating nearby, rises and comes over to see what the commotion is all about. Mouser continues to lick his injured foot with great dignity, completely blocking traffic into the Temple of Mercy.

Broken Crystal bends to examine Shekkara. After a few moments he straightens, and a look of grave concern crosses his face. He bows towards Akaman in the traditional manner, saying, "A thousand times I have warmed my hands at your hearth."

After a momentary pause, he continues. "This woman, she is your sister? May I ask you some questions regarding her condition? It will help to determine what is wrong with her."

"Have her dreams become increasingly powerful and compelling of late? Has one dream begun where the last dream left off? Have the two of you shared dreams? Does she spend more and more time asleep?"

Exiled looks at Shekkara, sleeping peacefully on the travois, and begins to look more and more concerned as Broken Crystal asks Akaman more and more questions. Exiled then goes over to Mouser and scratches him behind the ears (just where Mouser likes it) and asks Mouser, "Do you know anything about this???"

Some of the Spherewalkers who are sensitive to magical energies notice that the woman named Shekkara seems to be in some sort of deep sleep, and that this sleep is being induced by some powerful external force or energy.

Flamefeather drags herself closer to the sleeping Shekkara and to Broken Crystal, slowly moving her hand near the woman’s head as if feeling for something.  She looks not unlike Mouser when he contemplates the eight dimension... or a small bug.

Hesitantly, Flamefeather touches Broken Crystal’s shoulder. She seems to be squinting at something that is very hard to see. "Broken Crystal, I apologise for interrupting, but I think the woman is being MADE to sleep. I... I feel something, like a force coming from outside.  I think this is a magical sleep."

Akaman shakes his head, a dazed look still painted on his face. "Do you know of the Skin Scribes?" he asks Flamefeather. "If you are right and Shekkara sleeps by magic, perhaps they can help. My own knowledge did not even tell me, for certain, from what she suffered.  As for you, I may be able to use my own magic to heal your more mundane injuries. Will you tell me the extent of them?"

When Flamefeather begins her examination of Shekkara, Broken Crystal watches with great interest. After she speaks he nods solemnly.

"It is, perhaps, as I feared. I believe that this woman has a malady known as the Dreaming Sickness. It is a powerful and dangerous illness brought about, it is said, through magic or by the will of some god. No one is sure exactly how it spreads, but it is believed to enter the body through the eyes.

"In order to slow the disease, one must clarify the element of Air within the victim. Burning incense within her bedchamber while she sleeps may prove to be effective in the short term. This should enable her to awaken. The real difficulty of the disease is its pervasive and tempting nature, however. The nature of the dreams are so vivid and enjoyable that the victim does not want to be cured. Often, the dreams are preferable to reality - the victim has within her dream world all that she desires.

"What is more, it has sometimes been noted that malicious spirits, particularly those which inhabit the realms of sleep, are adroit at using this state to insinuate themselves into the sufferer. Thus, as the cure progresses the victim suffers terrible and lingering nightmares which only subside once the spirit has been exorcised or the treatment discontinued. Even if the Dreaming Sickness itself is completely cured, the spirit must be excised separately.

"I fear that in this matter the Temple of Mercy can provide little assistance, for this is no mundane healing, but rather requires the skills of a very powerful magician. I shall see if the Abbess can recommend someone."

Broken Crystal bows once again, and hurries through the door in the back of the temple. Shekkara sighs in her sleep and smiles.

Waterspider kneels down by the Sleeping woman staring intently at her. "Yes, Flamefeather, it is as you say, she is dreaming quite strongly and is enjoying it." He then looks at Flamefeather, "You see as I do that it is an external source." Standing up, Waterspider adds, "If it cannot be cured immediately perhaps we can hide her or shield her from the source while looking for a more permanent solution?"

After a few moments, Broken Crystal returns from his visit to the Abbess and bows again.

"I fear that your journey will be a difficult one. The Abbess informs me that in all of Everway, only the Crookstaff family is powerful enough in the ways of magic to aid you. There is, of course, the possibility that there is an equally powerful mage somewhere in Strangerside, but as far as the Abbess knows, you must go to the Crookstaff estates.

"It would be wise for you to be cautious, however. The Crookstaffs are known for their secrecy, and their unusual and mysterious ways."

Flamefeather nods as she hears Waterspider’s and then Broken Crystal’s words. Then she shakes herself, remembering Akaman’s kind offer. "Forgive me, Akaman," she said. "Your sister’s plight made me forget your generous words. Fortunately, the Temple has already rendered me assistance, and I should heal promptly within a few days. Your offer of help is appreciated, though. Maybe we can help you and your sister as well, at least take you to the Crookstaff estate."

At Waterspider’s touch, Shekkara yawns delicately and tries to focus her hazel eyes on the group around her. "Please," she says with a bit of an accent, "could someone please help me stay awake long enough to .... Brother, lend me strength to stay awake!" She yawns again and fades back into slumber, mumbling in another language. As she slumps back on the travois, her long fingers move slowly in a practiced pattern for a few moments, then relax in sleep.

"It is my understanding that the dreaming sickness does not precisely ‘make’ one sleep," says Broken Crystal. "Rather it makes the time spent dreaming so attractive that the victim chooses to sleep, even when not tired."

While the party is reacting to Shekkara’s sudden momentary arousal, the Abbess Beauty Moondance comes through the door at the back of the temple and hurries across the hall of contemplation. Her robes appear to be a bit dusty, as though she had recently been digging through musty old chests, and she is carrying a small censor on a chain.

Stopping before Akaman, she bows in the traditional Everway manner and says "A thousand times I have watched over your children at play." She then bends to examine the sleeping Shekkara. After a moment she nods and straightens.

"It is as Broken Crystal has said. This appears to be the dreaming sickness, and an advanced case at that. I fear that there is little that we can do to cure this woman, but what we can do, we shall." With that, she reaches within the sleeve of her robe and pulls out a small leather bag.

"This incense was given to the temple some time ago. We have no need for such things ourselves, but it was kept until some appropriate use could be made of it. I do not believe that it has any magical properties, but given the nature of those who gave it, it has certainly been ritually purified, and thus should prove efficacious in clearing the airy aspect of this woman, at least temporarily. I fear, however, that it shall be only a temporary solution to the difficulty."

"I have ten cakes of incense, each of which burns for one hour. I also have this small censor. You may take what you need of both."

Exiled reacts quickly to the Abbess’ offer, and takes the incense and censor. "A thousand times I have been guided by your wisdom," says Exiled, as he bows to the Abbess. "Thank you for your most generous offer. We shall make good use of this. If ever I may be of service to the Temple, contact the Library of All Worlds, and I shall come to your aid."

"Mouser!!!!" Exiled cries. "It is time for us to go!! We need to find help at the Crookstaff establishment!!!" Exiled picks up the foot end of the travois and prepares to depart....

Mercy smiles at the newly galvanized Exiled with wry humor. "I know you are anxious to get going, Exiled, but I think that there are a couple of things you might want to consider before you head off."

"First, that censor isn’t going to do anyone much good unless you light the incense. Second, you are going to have a hard time swinging it if you are carrying half of the travois. Third, if that incense works, we may not have to carry Shekkara anywhere, and if it doesn’t we may as well leave it here."

As a thoughtful look crosses Exiled’s face, Mercy turns and winks slyly at Gilghul with a wicked grin.

"Perhaps Exiled is right, though," says Waterspider. "We have no other answer and, with only ten cakes of incense which last an hour apiece, perhaps experimentation is wasted. If it works great, if it doesn’t, the faster we get to the Mages, the better. I recommend we gather our supplies and gear, and head out."

Mercy shrugs at Waterspider’s statements. "Well, if you want to leave her asleep, you can pick up the other end of the travois. Truthfully, however, we should probably leave the decision up to her brother." She looks expectantly at Akaman.

"Can’t argue with that," Waterspider replies to Mercy.