Chapter 7: Investigating the Seven

June 2

Finally, the group heads back to Sandpoint. They get some distance before the sun sets. At this point, Kieron notices that she has developed some boils, and she feels weak. Jaysek examines the matter and notes that it’s some kind of plague. They decide to try a healing ritual before going among people. Jaysek begins to perform the ritual, Neeia tries to give power, but her concentration is lost halfway, so she can’t give power. Ra hides in the forest and watches the group from there. When Ra has been hiding for about an hour, he notices that suddenly someone next to him says, isn’t it quite boring to watch a ritual.

Ra sees next to him a dark elf in completely unremarkable black armor and other gear. The dark elf and Ra chat for a while. After Ra looks elsewhere for a moment, he no longer sees the dark elf. Ra comes to the others and stays there closer to watch and tells Neeia to look from the other side. Neeia examines the war razor and says yeah, yeah, later. At the same time, Neeia notices that someone next to her comments that it’s not a very good weapon. Neeia sees a familiar dark elf. She remembers the elf from the inn back then.

Neeia and the dark elf chat for a while. Jaysek completes the ritual, and Kieron heals, but the boils still remain. At the same time, Jaysek hears how the dark elf begins to talk to him from next to him. The elf tells that he came to talk with Jaysek.

The elf tells that his task is to listen, watch, and tell about the significance of roles in the future, in this world’s play. The play is about really big things; from the middle of them, things can look hopeless in many situations. When Jaysek asks what is the role of small Duranaki in this play, the answer is, “Are the Duranaki small or are the Duranaki big.” The question is what and who guide the world, what and who are the people who influence what happens; in the end, it is the actions of very few individuals that affect things.

The elf has an understanding of who those are who can influence things, but whether his view is true or not, he doesn’t know. He has a very strong view of his own role; his role is multifaceted, and evil is not always what it seems. He reminds Jaysek that when the right moments come, remember that all evil is not always what it seems, and everything that seems like evil is not necessarily so. It’s about longer destinies; everything doesn’t happen in the first or second act. Some of the characters are also present in the third act.

His own role is very challenging, has always been challenging, will always be challenging. The world is not as simple as it looks. He sees his own role as clear and bright; the roles of others are people on the side of the path, so he sees them only with the corner of his eye.

Jaysek’s role is exactly what he himself makes of it; his role is very open to be as he makes it. Jaysek’s fate and role is tragic, unhappy, powerful, and central. The entirety of Jaysek’s fate is very open; so many parties can influence these things.

Just before the elf continues on his way, he points out not to stumble over those corpses about twenty yards away. There are seven groups who were trying to kill the group. Jaysek asks who these seven groups are, to which the elf replies, “They are one faction who are trying to influence the world. In reality, they don’t have much of a chance to influence the matter in any meaningful way, but if we fail, they may have a chance, at least minor to influence the world; that’s why they are trying to attack the group.”