Part 1: At the Dragon's Den a chance run-in of Eira and Donatien:

Eira has neither an entourage or the scrolls and books of her labors present with her at the table. Tho, she is not without pen and paper, signs of a busy mind. She's tucked into one of the small nook tables, tea and a plate of savory spread and meats seem to be awaiting, the tea still freshly steaming. Next to the tea is a small vial of liquid, which she uncorks and adds to the cup without raising her eyes to the process.

By the time Donatien has been here and about long enough to spot Eira he's no longer muttering about the damnable cold and wind that's sure to rob him of an appendage one of these days. If nose or ears can properly be called appendages. "Good evening, Lady Eira," he greets her as he slips into the chair opposite her. "Oh! Forgive me." He stands and smooths his coat. "I am a little out of sorts today. May I join you?"

Through the clear tea cup it plain to see whatever was in the vial seems to swirl and louche. And for an instant it shimmers and glows. Illuminating the table and Eira's pale face before it turns the whole cup a rather odd shade of green. Eira looks up as the chair is suddenly occupied. "You may, in fact, I insist you should not hesitate." She lifts the cup and takes a sip of the concoction in her cup. "Your cheeks are red, perhaps you should order something warm.."

"Beg pardon? Oh, the cold. Yes, of course." Donatien regains his seat and gives her tea, or whatever it is now, a suspicious look. "That is a rather unusual beverage you have there. Well, a bit of an odd turn of events," he continues, changing subjects. "I suppose I can consider one detail dealt with, although it scarcely feels as though that is the case."

Eira catches the look at her drink, "Its quite safe to drink," She says taking another sip, "something my mentor insisted on drinking on chilly nights. She was on my mind so I dug through my travelling cases." She re corks the empty vial and proffers it to the gentleman. The odor of what was inside is quite herbaceous and potent, even corked. "And how are you this evening? Aside from chilled?"

"Well enough, all told. Have you heard of the ceremonies that were held recently?" Donatien sniffs carefully at the vial from a safe distance. "If she said it is for you then I shouldn't risk trying any." After setting the vial down he produces a medal on a ribbon. "They felt I was due an award for my actions. It feels a little odd, although I suppose the little venture in which I participated could very easily have ended badly. In all I expect I should be thankful that I have dreamt of it only once since that time."

"Yes, I received a package from one of the Prince's retinue late in the afternoon. Theodora was quite impressed by the cherry wood box with the Prince's herald upon it." Eira motions to the paper in which she has been writing, "She suggested I send the medals to my husband with a letter, which I agreed would please him. A sign of the good relations I am building in his name." She sips the tea and then reaches for a cracker from her plate, spreading it with the savory jam and cheese. "I have heard some whispers of dreams, unpleasant ones, but none have troubled my slumber. Instead it is the silence of gods that concerns me, the magics gone awry."

Donatien nods slowly, replacing the medal in some pocket. "Dire events. It is no surprise that they should cause some to have trouble dreams. There is reason to be concerned. After all, if one god can seemingly disappear who can say that others will not follow suit? People do not even have straws at which to grasp so they are afraid. Those of us people may expect to have answers can utter nothing but meaningless platitudes."

"There has hardly be silence in the library at the Academy, as you can imagine." Eira says between bites of her meal. "Magics gone terribly awry, I was walking through the Academy on my way to leave a note with Master Baldwin and out of no where I had lost touch with the ground, one of the spells cast in the class room had everything floating." She seems greatly displeased.

"I have heard of such events. I assure you, I have not been tempted to run about testing my magic. I expect that the use of magic will be proscribed or severely controlled before long, lest disaster strikes. Truly, I can do nothing but hope that the start of the year is no indicator of how the remainder will be. I also wonder how the leader of Bludgun fares." Donatien orders some tea and a little warm food for himself when a waitress passes by. "People say she is a sorceress of unusual power."

"I do not know of much of her as I do those she has allied with, the Garnaks, as I have toiled with one several times in the war and have been unable to vanquish him." Eira says with a tight lip, it obvious is a point of annoyance for her. "They are quite powerful necromancers of vampiric blood." She nods, "Yes, I have been resistant to test my own.. talents considering, I do no care to do harm to others."

Donatien shakes his head. "I should not like to see the effect if a necromancer's magic fails." He grimaces. It would seem that he shares the common perception that necromancy is distasteful. "Come to think of it, what does all this mean for your research? You will not attempt to free the demon and banish it under the current circumstances?"

"I am afraid it will have to wait. I believe such an attempt would be devastating if it did not go properly due to the events of present." Eira reaches for a spoon, dipping it into the tea and giving it another mix. The slight agitation seems to make glow again for the briefest moment, "And what of the darkness in the sky, what has kept Eluna from us?" Its a conundrum for the Astrologer. "No charts show that she should be absent from the sky."

Donatien shakes his head again and holds up his hands. "I hesitate to even speculate. The last thing the world needs at present is more speculation. This wild magic affects only those who practice magic. With people in their current state the kinds of wildness that can be brought about by a misplaced word or phrase can affect anyone. Did you see that enormous discharge?"

"I did, that was quite.." Eira searches for a word, "the display." And from her tone it doesn't sound pleasant. "Which is why I think of my mentor, I should sent a letter to her whence I am finished with this one to my husband."

"I am glad I am not on the battlefield," Donatien agrees with a nod. "That is what I mean. There is quite enough madness without people being spurred on to it. A letter, yes." There's a pause when his tea and snack is delivered. "I suppose it would be remiss not to write to my family. On the other hand, I do not want to lie to them. I can scarcely assure them that I will be safe while we are in the midst of all this."

"Then speak of things that do not include your well being, off the sights and friends you have made since arriving. And of your medal, won't they be pleased that you are decorated.." Eira dresses another of the crackers with meat and mustard, nibbling on her meal. "And of your aiding in the translations of the scrolls, your help with the Celestial has been.." She pauses, brow knitting as if speaking of the scrolls has awakened a memory, "you know, I think.. I may have seen something in the scrolls about the darkness." She stands and pats her pockets for her notebook, pulling it out she begins to page through, trying to find the notes she had written.

Donatien nods after thinking on her words for a moment. "That should serve well enough for a letter. Thank you. I hope that bodes good rather than ill," he continues upon watching her go through the notebook. "Will it help you in your work if this proves to be a prophecy from that fellow?"

"How did I not see this before?" Eira turns the book towards the gentleman, pointing at the translation. "It was something that did not stand out until now, the warning." She seems frustrated with herself. Reaching for her cup, she drains it dry, "We should go get the scrolls to confirm it." She presumes he would even want to go find out if its true with her. "when you are done eating, of course.."

He looks over the page but it's fairly clear that he isn't sure what he should be looking for. "You did say that his prophecies had a way of becoming clear only once they had come to pass." Donatien does his best to finish his repast quickly, though the tea is still too hot to allow for more than careful drinking. "Well. In retrospect it would make his reputation as a prophet quite suspect if he hadn't had something to say of an event of this magnitude, wouldn't you say?" By the time he's done eating he can drink the tea more quickly, though it serves to redden his face from the heat. "Shall we?"

"They do, but this.." Eira snaps the book shut, gathering in her things and placing them into the deep pockets of her cloak. Dropping some coins on the table to pay for her meal. "I need to see the scrolls, everything will be clearer if I can compare them with my notes."

"Of course. I would be happy to receive any kind of insight into the current state of affairs. Although that does bring the admonishment to mind to be careful what I wish for." Donatien rises to follow her. "To the Academy or are we going to safer parts?"

"The academy. The scrolls are in safe keeping there. Unless we can find Father Wing.." Eira knits her brow, "Some of the scrolls are with the Navosians." Eira's doing, no doubt, "They have an understanding of these things that joins the spiritual."

--

Part 2: Eira and Donatien move onto the Academy of Sages encountering Agril and Svarshan

Eira moves along at a pace coming up the long block where the Academy and the Mercantile Association sit. It seems Eira and the man following her are on a mission. "We will find Father Wing another night..' Perhaps they tried first to find the Navosian, but failed. "Or he will find us, it was a good idea to leave a message for him at the desk." It seems the gentleman with her has been aiding on a quest this evening.

"I believe it is best to leave the finding to him. I think not even he will know when he might have time to see you," Donatien replies. He's quite thoroughly bundled up against the wind. "I pray that it will be sooner rather than later. His insight may prove invaluable. Which is not to say that we are not a force to be reckoned with. I'll not let someone thumb his nose at me from beyond the grave without giving my best."

"Ah. Even if he cannot help us it will be helpful to have the scrolls he holds, no? At least once we have looked at the scrolls you have here we will know that our time is not better spent elsewhere should we need to go looking for him," Donatien replies.

Well, well, well.

If it isn't Agril! He's making his way out of the Academy of Sages, actually, with a stack of books in his arms. He seems a little frustrated about something, but aside from that, well enough for the moment.

"Even if he does not have the scroll we need, his insight would be invaluable. Through his lessons I have learned much, shifted my way of thinking concerning Martok's Orrery." Eira continues to make her way towards the academy, nearing the gates she spies the Priest with the arm full of books, "Here, Brother, let us help you.." Reaching for the gate as she hastens her step.

"I have never had to learn of demons or prophecies," Donatien admits. He follows and waits as she makes to help Agril. "Good evening."

"Oh! Eira! I was hoping to see you, actually," says Agril, pleased to've found her. A polite nod towards Donatien follows.

Eira cants her head some, "I pray not more fallen from Stormgarde." She jumps to the quickest conclusion, "I had left instructions with the Vardamans about the funeral arrangements if there were more." She motions to her friend, "Have you met my associate? Master Donatien duCai from the High Kingdom." Making a quick introduction.

"Ah, I am not certain if we have met. With all the goings on my brain is still spinning. I am quite certain we have not been able to get to know one another, if we have," Donatien opines. "Naturally that can wait for a more opportune time."

"Quite all right," says Agril, relieved to have some help with the books. Many of them seem to be, well, about Navos, actually! And trips to the outer planes. "You're just the woman I was hoping to find. I," he lowers his voice, "I may be arranging a small trip to another place. Another plane. You're a Navosian. I might require the assistance of one. If you're interested."

"I would be quite welcome to, we.." Eira takes some of the books off the pile, "We had been seeking my Priest, I think.. I may have found some portance to what is going on with the night sky." There is a mix of being pleased and worried with her discovery, "There are rare scrolls the academy is holding that I've been studying whenever I have an opportunity to.."

Donatien tries to find some shelter from the wind near the wall and keeps his peace.

"That's wonderful," says Agril, pleased to hear that she's been looking into it. "We have much to discuss, then." He glances towards Donatien, briefly.

"I am not certain if news of Genrivian discovery of the tomb of Korvian Martok has made its way to the temple of Daeus, it was found at the head of the last year." Eira gives the priest some details, "inside it, we found a great device awakened, creating prophesy. Subsequent trips to the tomb we were able to gather some scrolls and information to the fate of Master Korvian. In the scrolls I believe I saw what my star charts did not see.. for-telling of the absence of Eluna to light our nights." She leads them back into the Academy.

"I had heard tidbits about that due to my station in the temple, but and I mean no offense, I have never been one to put much stuck in prophecy, accurate or not." Agril shakes his head here. "But if you have fond something that may shed light on our current troubles, then I will not turn away."

it seems Eira has to check in and prove she's without the book menacing familiar or that he's caged when inside the library. She leads the others to a locked room where the scrolls are kept. A very ornate key passed to her by the librarian, "The scrolls are in here, usually I would take them out.. but I feel like this should be revealed behind a closed door." Sometimes knowledge is in fact a dangerous thing. She hands off her notebook to Donatien, "Could you find that page in my notes?" She asks him, as he knows a hair more then others about what she's burbling about.

The library's one of those great and dusty places. Svarshan shoulders his way past one of the crowds (several here, in attempts to learn what's going on) with a list in one hand, and a package of books beneath the other. "Hhuhhhmmm...Gnomish_Wild_Magic," pause, pause. He puts the book back, and pulls out a more slender volume and piles it on the stack, followed by another mutterance that he isn't...quite that crazy, and indeed, when he'd pulled it out, another patron or two had pulled away from it. "...Demonic_Travel: Understanding_It_and_Blocking_It..." and another. He makes his way down one of the aisles towards them, and pauses at seeing Agril with the group. Does a double-take. And his arms are full of books, and a list.

Donatien opens the notebook to the approximate spot that he'd seen Eira reference earlier and then begins paging through it slowly, scanning over the pages relatively slowly to be sure he isn't missing anything. "No good news, then?" he asks rhetorically. He turns over one more page and skims over it before he turns back. "I believe this is it."

Eira glances at the page, "Yes, that is the one.." Pushing open the door to the scroll room. Letting others in, nodding politely to the other Daeusite who has come to join them. "Yes, I think more holy men the better." She pockets the key after everyone is inside and begins to pull scrolls out from shelves. There seems to be no specific order to where they are, but Eira seems to know which ones to take out and unfurl for the others. They are covered in a mix of languages, and strange drawings.

"Yours, and some for my own reading," the paladin responds. He offers a half-bow, the movement odd on his frame, though the alb moves to disguise much of it. The awkwardness, that is. A clergy's robe could hide a number of pies or cakes, and they possibly do. And once risen, the eyes show a faint, if troubled curiosity. But, being Daeusite, one follows. He sets the books down once they're inside, and after a too-long look at Agril, goes to recheck the door.

With Agril coming to a halt. He eyes Svarshan, of course, because the lizard is also here. "When did *you* get here?" He asks, after a moment. Then he looks at Eira, nodding towards her. ".. I am so concerned about what is happening. There's rumors, yes, that *Animus* has been struck down somehow." He grimaces. He stops by Eira, though.

Eira pulls some sort of magnifying glass from the depths of her pockets and some sort of compass tool. Perhaps something for astrological chart making. The note book out on the table.

"It really is an ill sign that the alignment did not tell of the eclipse of Eluna." She points to her notes, "and that I was blind to the charts that the orrery scribed.." She points to one on the scrolls she unfurls. "It is right there.. " Pointing to a star chart. "It is all right there." Really, to the untrained eye, its just a chart of the heavenly bodies.

And doing what paladins do, he then he parks his stubborn lizard-tail against the door. "I heard...Eluna's moon going missing can't be good either," pause, pause. "...Father, with Eluna's Moon going missing, and all the...artifice...stopping...working...like it has, what's guarding all those artifacts?" the tail flickers, flickers, and settles on the floor behind him. He looks towards his priest a while before looking towards Eira and the star chart. And...stops talking. Just lets the words fade.

"There's nothing good about *any* of this," says Agril, tiredly. "And I need to get back to the front just as soon as I can." He rubs at an eye, nodding r towards Eira.

"I am tempted to go back to Martok's tomb, I am concerned as to the state of it as it exists outside of time." Eira purses her lips, still staring at the chart, "tho, the mechanism that held it outside of time had begun to crumble on our last visit. Time was folding into itself. We'd step through archways and move forward and then back. Quite disorienting." She grabs the compass and tries to trace the lines of the path of moon.

"...Father," the reproach starts. And the sith'makar hisses, and clamps shut his jaws abruptly. Tightly. And looks from one to the other. And down towards the map itself. "...what would Martok's tomb tell us about any of this?"

"The orrery.. tho it lies, there is also truth. It for-told of all of this. I was concerned that trying to destroy it now might serve ill." Eira motions to the scrolls, "These are prophecies of which we are yet to fully understand, Svarshan, that we all may play a role in, that told of Eluna came from it. We must unwrite what has been written. We may be able to find something inside it, where the tomb turns in on itself into the past something that might help us."

"I have not heard of this 'Orrery' much more beyond what you have said," says Agril to Eira with a grimace, nodding towards Svarshan. "Perhaps our dear paladin here could help you, however, uncover more. If its truly dangerous as to what you have said.." He grimaces. "I just need help. I am to head to Navos' domain, Eira."

A slow blink, a slower one, and a rubbing of the jaw. "...whatever the Church wills," Svar says at length, and looks at Eira a second time, more keenly. "It seems you could both use help. ...who...or what...is this...you called it an Orrery?" the r lengthens as he pronounces it.

"And I will go with you, if I may. You will need those who understand the ways of Navos and we are few in the city, and few at the war front. There is a priest scribing the war, he is young. And Father Wing, who is old." Eira is shakes her head as she studies the charts. "It is.. a device with a demon bound to it. It must be unmade, but I feel that with all that is gone wayward with magical devices to try to unbind the creature and destroy it now would be a mistake. I do not know what sort of demon it is and what freeing it would bring into the world."

The mention of demon brings a long hiss, a look towards the door and back to the library and back to the room. "The best sort of demon," Svar grates, "Is a dead demon. The older ones...hrmmm...are more difficult to do that to," pause, pause. The tail hits the floor. "But one would be willing to try." By the high tension along shoulders, back, tail--the 'try' would have one intended outcome.

"A wise word from Svarshan," says Agril to the lizard in agreement, pausing for a moment to nod towards Eira. "Exactly, though. Exactly. I am worried we will stumble into things we do not understand. Like an Orrery." He winks at her.

"A demon held captive, until we find the correct way to destroy both, is better then one mistakenly freed." Eira is of a more cautious nature concerning such evils. "Yes, there is already too much going on we do not understand. The rumours that are filtering.. dreams, dead gods.. these are foul times upon us."

"...sometimes captive is the best one can hope for. ...but this one...talks to people," the tail flickers. Svarshan rubs at the back of his shoulder, untensing it. The best sort of demon /is/ a dead demon. "Is there a way to seal its mouth, perhaps?"

"It sounds like powerful magics, to be sure. Nothing easily dealt with," says Agril, scratching his chin. "Have you considered consulting with the Elunites, Eira?"

"I have not, we have tried to keep word of the scrolls and the orrery secret, as you can imagine how it would be bad if the wrong peoples discovered we knew the location of such a creation from Genrivia.." Eira motions to the scrolls, "These are just a handful of the scrolls that have been scribed. "And they are quite complicated to unravel as you can see." The writings on most is a strange melange of Celestial, Abyssal, Eldritch and Old Common, with no rhyme or reason to why it switches. Along with the arcane symbols that decorate each.

Mutters, darkly, from the paladin. Svar rubs at his neck again, tense from the demon's mention, and turns his head to the side, thinking, thinking, thinking...but thoughts roil in circles, thoughts turn on themselves, and he looks back at the scribes and scrolls and papers, and at last...lets go a breath. Still tense. "What do those say?" he asks, gesturing at one of them.

"An excellent question," says Agril, leaning over to squint at them. "I can not make heads or tails of these. I recognize some pieces of Celestial, but they don't even make any sense in the first place." He squints some more. "This is giving me a headache. I feel like my eyes are starting to swim."

"I can only translate what I know, Master Donatien has been aiding me with Celestial as I have not yet grasped it." Eira nods, agreeing with the confusing nature of the scrolls, "They are not meant to be read with clarity.. they speak of things that may come or have passed, portance is not like reading our histories or science." She seems apologetic she can not go into detail, "I want to lay myself on an altar for that I did not see that is foretold of Eluna's darkness. "

Tap, tap. Turn it over, think and think. Svar turns one of the scrolls gently with the edge of claw tip, showing briefly some of its words, tales. "The only...other language one speaks is aquan," he says, ruefully, solemn, but with a touch of humor, now. And gentle sadness, too, as he looks up. "...it isn't your fault," he says after a while. "Eira...it's...no one could have predicted it. ...our world has lost a..." god. But it sticks in his throat, and the words end in a dry rasp. He can't say it. It traps in his throat and dies. The teeth clack shut.

"Easy, Svar. We do not know that -- not yet. Not for sure. Things a re wrong, but the ways of the Gods are too much, too strong for us to understand with any level of *true* clarity." Agril shakes his head again. "Something awful has happened, though. Something truly awful." He pats the lizard on the back, glancing back towards Eira, giving a nod to her. "Perhaps you ought to seek out the Highfather of my church as well. He knows much. Perhaps we can help."

Eira begins to roll up some of the scrolls, leaving the one with the star chart open for now. Putting them away, again, it seems haphazard as if she's trying to keep them hidden within the other scrolls, "The Elunites and the high-father. I should take the chart to the Elunites, perhaps they can help.. I can not see when the darkness will lift from the sky. Perhaps they know of another moment in their history when she had disappeared for so many long nights.."

Dry rasp. Teeth click. Choking on it. Svar looks away and down, focusing on the floor. And the inner lids flicker, much as a human might lick their lips. "Gone," he agrees on the word at length. And rubs a thumb over tensejaw and tensecheek. "...or the Raven. The Raven may know how to seal away a demon," pause. "I think I should like to go, Father, if there's room for another on the trip." He lets go with tension with the words, a look towards poor Agril.

"They might. They know mroe about magical works than any outside the clergy of Animus and, well.." Agril leaves the bit about the clerics of Animus being distracted unsaid, though he turns towards Svarshan and then nods towards him. "Of course, of course. You're more than welcome, Svarshan. Having you at my side would be welcome."

"I would be honored to guard," solemn, and Svar lets go another breath of tension, and leans over in the meantime to watch the play of scroll and scribed parchment over the table. "...what would it be like? The Raven's realm?"

"I do hope you understand why we've been so guarded about these discoveries. And please, keep it to few who can trust if you do speak of it. I would rather not while there is unrest word of demons scaring the citizens." Eira fetches a warded scroll case, taking the one scroll and rolling it up to place in there. "There is enough to fear.. do you know if its true, what they say of Taara and Maugrim?"

Svar nods at that, and looks down at the scrolls again, the maps. "The clergy are tense," he says after a time. "I expect our training schedule to hrmmm, be picked up soon, if they don't need us on the streets, and I think we'll be needed there."

"I will, of course, be circumspect about this matter." Agril nods towards Svar. "I agree, though. Chances are we're going to be doing a lot more than we expect. WE will see, though." He rubs his chin, thoughtfully. "I am glad both of you are available for this." A pause, then he shakes his head. "I do not know about Taara and Maugrim. But, surely, any conflict between them can only help us."

"I pray their conflict only helps to weaken the resolve of Bludgun's armies, as it seems we will be taxed to the limits with such mechanism in motion. I do hope our threads run long on the tapestry." Eira clicks the scroll case closed. And reaches for the key, "Am I am relieved I found some to share these with, it has been a burden in its way to keep such discoveries secret."

"Thank you," after a time, sudden, abrupt, from Svarshan. For working on it, for keeping the secret, yourself. He isn't good at this, the manner demonstrates. The tail falls and rests on the ground. "...I'll see you both out." Through the crowds. The chaos. Even if they don't need it. Because that is what paladins do.

Eira locks the scroll room after all have exited, "Please let me know what I need to do to prepare for the journey to visit Navos.." She asides to Agril, "I am at your service for the task."

"Good to know," says Agril, warmly, to Eira. "I will of course let you know as soon as I am able to gather the right supplies and finish assembling people for the task. This will not be a journey of brute force, of that I am sure." He rubs his face.