Events of Note (KoY)

A list of summaries of events spanning various worlds, spawned from conversations and yet to be formally recorded.

= Fragments =

In Search of a Healer
An eleven-year-old Faire Lae is mistaken for his mother, a powerful healer, who has recently passed away. Still awaiting his father's appearance for her funeral, Faire allows the Hyatt soldiers who came to collect her to believe that he is her, taking what he knows of herbal healing and all the notes he can carry with him to study on the road. When he reaches the Hyatt camp, he is presented with the patient: a sixteen-year-old boy, his face badly injured from an accident with a poleaxe. Faire cleans the wound and patches it as best he can, using varying levels of hypnosis and sedation to keep the other boy resting. He comforts him when he can't manage to put him under. The boy imagines deliriously that he is a spirit, come to comfort him in death. Faire assures them both that he will survive, and works diligently toward the goal.

By the end of the week, the ruse is discovered, but the Hyatts are forced to allow it, having no better option. A second week passes, and Faire's mother is buried while he is away. By the end of the week, the boy is able to talk, albeit with a slur that will improve, but become permanent. Faire's father, Aerynd--a Traeridi--arrives to collect him, scolding the soldiers for making such a choice without his leave. At the same time, badly scarred but alive, the grateful warrior novice introduces himself to the departing Faire as Hyatt Vil. He promises never to forget Faire. And he doesn't.

The Presentation of the Three
Faire, Hyatt and Royce are introduced to one another for the first time at a formal ceremony, presenting them to the clans officially as the Traerid. Each of them takes part in a separate display of skill--Hyatt strength, Royce coordination and speed, and Faire the Craft--impressing the others before ever meeting them. Royce's introduction is delayed when he receives word that his father has been mortally wounded, forcing him to leave before they can be left to have their first meal together. The other two are forced to delay the rest of the ceremony until they reach the Traerid camp, several days later. He arrives much later than intended, further delaying the binding ceremony and initial sit-down. They don't meet him properly until several days later, after his affairs are settled. He never explains the absence to them, and they never ask, though Hyatt wonders.

Mor' t' Huasch (Death from Above)
En route to the Presentation of the Three, a Payne caravan is raided by a rival clan, and many people are hurt--among them, Royce's parents. He arrives to the Payne encampment to find them gravely wounded, his father mortally so. Sierran Payne soon dies from his injuries with his estranged son at his side. A vengeful Royce decides to take revenge on the clan responsible, kneeling at the altar of Ranondira--dual gods of courage and vengeance--before mobilizing a counterattack. As a storm builds on the horizon, he arms himself with blades and a bow and sets out, intending to rain hell on those who wronged him.

The black sky is split by lightning, the storm trailing their horses as the Payne battalion charges the camp. Bolts cut through the night, cleaving skulls and puncturing chests. Men fall left and right as Royce advances--as slow and purposeful as the wrath of the gods. A stray arrow strikes him in the shoulder, eliciting little more than a cringe before he snaps it off and presses on. When he runs out of arrows, he draws his blades, transforming into a silver whirlwind--slicing and stabbing his way through the clan's defenses. Their forces are decimated.

Unsatisfied by merely crippling their number, Royce has the clansmen gathered and demands the identity of the one responsible for the attack. Several false claims end in the claimants' deaths. Royce warns of his willingness to raze the camp to the ground. At last, the mastermind is identified, hiding in a hut, his wife and children at his back. The man begs his mercy. Eyes like flame in his face, Royce instructs the woman to take her child from the room, forces him to his knees, and cuts him down. As the Payne forces depart, he cautions those who remain against seeking their own vengeance. Their lives exist because he wills it--but if ever they were to raise their blades against the Payne again, their names would be erased from history.

Always Something
The day has come at last for the newly elected Traeridi to meet with their third other, whose mysterious flight from the Presentation of the Three caused an unfortunate stir. Faire and Hyatt await a delayed Royce at the Clan Hall, discussing his penchant for disappearing and arriving late. Hyatt takes this as a poor sign, but Faire insists there must be a reason. Miles away, Royce fends off an attack by highwaymen, frustrated to have been made late yet again. He has their horses collected as a peace offering to his others and races ahead of his detail to reach the meeting. He arrives shortly after, offering no explanation. After initial introductions and the exchange of a few terse words, the three sit down to dinner at last.

The atmosphere is tense, and Royce quickly divines the reason. Though foregoing a proper explanation of his behavior, he suggests a policy of honesty, in order to establish trust between them. The other two reluctantly agree, and tell him what they think of him. He does the same, and swears to be on time when next they meet, promising to be forthcoming from there on out. Hyatt and Faire accept this offer, Hyatt with misgivings, and they finish their meal in relative comfort.

Mirrors
The War has ended. Vischias I is in power, leaving his others, Vil II and Nys, to face the new world alone. Nys has trouble adjusting to the excess and manipulation of the Royal Court, resisting all efforts of the First to make him conform. He plays the game, but he plays it his way. He adapts as well as he is able, but the guilt regarding the death of his father remains. Then, there are the mirrors: constant, crystal-clear reminders that his image of himself--the image of a man--is far from what others see. The knowledge of his unconventional appearance, combined with pressure from First, begins to weigh on him. No matter his skill in the Craft or his use in the War, he feels he will never be what he thought he was.

He seeks out his uncle, searching for a method of becoming biologically male. Duncan assures him that such magic exists, but that its costs are high, the consequences heavy. Nys must consider whether "fitting in" is worth compromising his body and mind. Duncan insists that Faire would never have accepted any claim that his son was inferior, and that the use of such dangerous magics would only benefit others. Nys does not need to change, and Faire would not want him to. At last, Nys decides to continue as he has, refusing to allow the Crown and First to take away the last thing he has: himself.

The Fog Descends
It's visiting day at Axiom College. The students gather in the common room, waiting to hear that their families have arrived. The secretive nature of the school and its occupants dictate that the visitors cannot simply be let into the school. Instead, a servant announces the relation of the visitor--parent, sibling, etc--and the student is guided to a parlor where the person awaits them. Jack is among those expecting no visitors. Imagine his surprise when a frightened servant enters the common room, informing him that his father has arrived, and awaits him in a far wing of the school. Jack is at once guarded, questioning why the Dark King would leave Vorare, or come to him at all. Convinced he intends harm, he instructs the servant to keep everyone else from the wing he was left in, and heads off to meet him. Curiously, Fred and Vischias follow.

In a far-flung corridor, wreathed in shadow, Jack finds the Dark King--an image of him in eerie black and white--amusing himself luring a servant girl to her death. He intervenes and sends her away, demanding an explanation. The King tells him cryptically that he expected more progress in the time he's been gone, and is disappointed by how long it's taking. It becomes clear that Jack's plans of peace are not shared by his father; he expects to learn of Paraphilia's defenses, to better wage war against them. Jack deceptively insists that he needs more time, but the King sees through it, blandly accusing him of conspiring against him. Jack denies this, and insists that more time is needed for him to learn anything. Satisfied enough, the Dark King reminds Jack what the penalty is for failure and departs, simply vanishing.

Fred and Vischias overhear part of it. They sneak off before they can be caught eavesdropping, but are left to decide what to do with this information.

Death of the Dark King
(To be added)

= Stories =

Possession (Reprise)
Looking for answers (potentially regarding the end of the War), Ever attempts to summon the children of the Traerid, who went on to become the heads of the Three Houses: Hyatt Vil II, Faire Nys, and Vischias Payne I. Having no access to fresh blood for the ritual, and unwilling to wait, Ever is forced to use tainted samples for two of the required three. The result is catastrophic. No more do First and Vilii appear than their binding circles shatter, sending the enraged and unstable poltergeists spiraling to the nearest sources of their blood: their descendants, Vischias and Etienne. The two of them are forcibly possessed and quickly disappear. Only Nys remains, albeit reluctantly, stating that he cannot leave without his pet idiots others. Nys agrees to help track them down and capture them, before they can try to work out their difference with weapons. Ever allows Nys to possess him and, after a quick book-check, they head out to find the pair.

Chaos ensues. First wreaks havoc on every person he crosses, Vischias' instability only further worsening an already shaky mindset. Helvah quickly realizes something is wrong, and informs Fred, who drags Teagan along to find out what's going on. Meanwhile, Vilii is quickly brought to task by the revelation that Etienne is not only aware of him, but able to interact with him, albeit as a spirit himself. The guilt of having stolen a body from someone so kind quickly diffuses his anger, leaving him unprepared for a fight when First tracks him down. Before First can hurt him, Nys intervenes, striking them apart with lightning. An argument ensues that almost sees First (and Vischias) burned alive by Nys' temper. First withdraws, and Vilii flees the opposite way, forcing Nys to let them both go.

Nys decides it's time to bring in the big guns, and an exhausted Ever summons Faire, who immediately lambasts his son, both for enabling the ongoing problem, and for writing the summoning spells in the first place. Nys apologizes and asks for his help. After a brief, somewhat tense reunion, Faire reluctantly agrees, insisting that fresh samples be used, to avoid the instability that set the other two loose. Just then, Fred arrives, with Teagan and Helvah in tow, demanding to know what's going on. One summary later, Ever instructs Teagan in the use of Fred's blood to summon Royce, using blood collected from an injured Etienne to summon Hyatt. The Traerid are then forcibly bound to the parents of the possession victims: Hyatt to Aeon, Royce to Whil, and--confusingly--Faire to Charming.

While his others set out to collect their unruly sons, Faire uses Charming to round on Pol, who is guarded from possession by the Heartstone. A tense conversation ensues, in which Pol easily gleans that Charming is not Charming. They make a deal: Charming, for him. Faire possesses Pol (a much stronger mage) and starts looking into a banishing spell, just in case things go too far.

As this is going on, First recognizes the absence of Nys and tracks Vilii to the Domine estate, where they start another fight. It quickly boils down to them shouting at each other, working out their differences, and Vilii reminding First of the feelings he had for him. They make amends, and then...make up for lost time. When they're finished, First leaves--deciding he may just keep the body. After all, it's fun being alive. Even if the vessel is stark raving mad.

(A now suddenly very tall) Royce leaves the Viscount's estate to hunt down First, rounding on him to tell him just what he thinks of the end of the war. Among his statements are a backhand, and a frustrated, tearful hug. First breaks down. Meanwhile, Hyatt (now much shorter) locates Vilii at the Domine estate, and reassures him of who he blames in his death. Vilii also breaks down. Ever rests while Faire and Nys work out the last of the banishing spell, with Faire taking the time to tell Nys how proud he is of him, despite his oversights. Nys is relieved, and reveals how much Faire's death turned him cold. He hopes that seeing his father again will give him peace.

The two rebel spirits are brought to a waiting Faire, Ever and Nys, and the lot of them get read the riot act by Faire for misconduct and abuse of living people. For good measure, Faire slaps First like he means to take his head. As he's already had his lunch eaten by Royce, he takes it gracefully. Hyatt refuses to hit him, feeling the whole of it beneath his notice after so long. The children are set loose, dumping a gleeful Etienne and a confused (and sore) Vischias on the floor. Their parents are returned to where they were stolen from and freed as well. Faire scolds an exhausted Ever briefly before reminding him the cost of knowledge is often high, and that playing with magic is stupid, especially without a reason. Ever agrees to be more careful and thanks him, and Faire returns Pol to his office before detaching himself.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Pol watched every minute of this. And no one ever finds out.