WWW #25: The Retinue

This is the sound of Worlds Beyond Number.

The sound of rustling blankets,

the chirping of morning songbirds,

loud cicadas or crickets, or some sort of insect out beyond the tree.

And Ursulan, you awake with a feeling of something heavy on your chest.

I open my eyes.

Roro is sitting on your chest.

Good morning, Ro Ro.

Good morning.

I had a secret

for me.

What is it?

He holds your cheeks and whispers right into your mouth, like that's where you hear from.

And you see, he goes,

Okay,

stop.

I like pancakes.

I open my eyes very wide and go, pancakes.

Really?

Yeah, not because they didn't tell.

Because my sister just said that they don't have as much as many as we had before, but I like to have them

early

in the morning

and they're hot on the stuff.

When they're cold, they're not as good.

I like them cold, but I don't like them cold as much.

I like them more hot, more hot pancake.

God, yes, more hot pancake

is the good pancake.

Honey, jam with pancake.

Is this all the secret?

Don't.

Oh, because

I just want to know what I can say and what I can't say.

You see that

Bella says, Roro, you have to come wash your hands.

And you see that Roro rolls off of your chest and goes to like skitter under a chair and hide.

And Bella comes in and tries to coax him up under the chair.

Immediately, there's like activity in the living room.

And suddenly you're in that position where you're a guy sleeping in the living room as the day is starting.

We've all been there.

We've all been there.

You see that Adi comes in and helps you clean up some of the...

It was a very comfortable night's sleep, but most of these clothes and fabrics and things like that.

She smiles and hands you a big thing of pancakes, which you guess is why this was on Roro's mind.

And you see there's a big dish.

There's like four of them.

They're these thick, flappy, hot, steamy pancakes.

And there are a bunch of scoops sort of hugging a crescent around one side of the pancakes that are almost taking up the whole dish.

But it looks like there's a big scoop of some kind of yogurt.

There's a big scoop of some kind of marmalade with big chunks of citrus fruit in it.

And there's another scoop of a deeper purple berry sauce in it.

And she gives you a small little pitcher of some kind of tree sap syrup, sweet thing, sugar cane syrup, something like that.

And says,

our mother

is waking up and is going to try to have some pancakes, too.

Oh, that's good.

I look over at Roro.

Roro, I know you're not a fan of pancakes, but which one of these scoops would you.

If

for some reason you enjoyed pancakes, which would you recommend?

You see, Adi looks and is like, Roro likes pancakes.

And you see that Roro goes, No!

And

And runs off.

She's like, What, Roro?

What did I say?

And he starts crying in the corner.

He's like, I didn't tell anyone I like pancakes.

She's like, You don't have to tell anyone.

You eat them.

You eat them.

Why would you pay BS?

Why would that be a secret?

And C.

Bell is like, He didn't wash his hands, mom, he didn't wash his hands.

And just the joy,

the joy of domestic family life as Adi hands you a thing of pancakes.

And it's like, it's like, I don't know why he's so upset.

I think I betrayed his confidence.

What did you betray his confidence about?

He confided in me that he enjoys pancakes.

You see that Rora in the corner is just sort of sulking and weeping that his secret is out.

But you see, his mom said, Well, I didn't, it's not, it can't be a secret.

It's not, why are you keeping that a secret?

I've made a mess of things.

I'm sorry, everyone.

No, no, no, no.

It wasn't you.

It wasn't you.

Dullin comes over to you and

he actually, there's a sort of curtain over a counter.

You thought maybe it was like a raised shelf with like a counter at the base.

But as he opens it, you actually see there's another curtain at the other side and there's some stuff.

He asks for a hand moving some boxes and you see that there's actually a kind of arch over a countertop that looks into Kalia's bedchamber so she can kind of see out into the living room without having to get up out of her bed.

And she looks and says, Ursulan, do you want to come have some pancakes with me?

I would love to.

She sits there smiling.

Her pancakes have sort of been like cut up already a little bit into slices.

She has a little bite.

It's like she makes one little perfect bite with like syrup and both jams and a little bit of the yogurt and eats it and then doesn't touch it again.

But for you, these things are great.

You could be, you know,

we're going to town.

As you're going to work, Kalia takes a look at your shield and says, I can't believe still that you painted the tree.

I

mean, when I came upon the tree, I couldn't believe it, but there was something to when I was painting it.

I could feel you.

I could feel your presence in the citadel.

She smiles and says,

It is not, I think,

impossible to believe.

I left many whispered spells in that place that I wished would find their way to you.

She looks at the shield and says,

I think your friend the witch should take a look at this now that the painting is complete.

Witches are crafty in their ways, and I think some enchantment might be unlocked in this.

It is powerfully magical as it is, but I think its true gift has yet to be discovered, and a witch's ways would know.

I'll be sure to share it with Arme when we reconnect.

By the way,

is there

how

will I get from here?

Is there a way from here to the North Pole?

Are we near the North Pole?

Oh, we're quite far from the North Pole.

Oh.

Not that I...

I mean, I...

Yeah, okay.

Well, if you need...

So,

tell me again.

You need to go from this place.

So,

Ame, the Witch of the World's Heart, and another of my two friends is

at a

conclave of the Coven of Elders.

And

my friend Suvi was meant to join us there, and

I mean, I.

There's

part of me that feels like I should be there as well.

I'm torn because I want to be here, but I think that

I think I will need to find my way there soon.

I understand.

She smiles and looks at Euro.

You're still looking for it, aren't you?

Honor?

Yes.

That's your way.

That's your way home.

That's where your breath is.

Yes.

Oh.

I'm so sorry, Ursulan.

You know, I was lost for some time, but

in finding my friends is

what led me to even touch my breath again for the first time in many years.

I'm glad.

Well,

if your breath lies at the end of the path that leads to honor, then far be it from me to

keep you from it, brother.

Though I wish that you had

rest and a home,

and you do.

You do here in the tree.

Yes, I.

I am torn, Kaliya.

It is so nice here, and there are so many feelings.

So many feelings I'm having here with you and your children

that

I have not known for some time.

But as you say, I'm on a path.

Well?

get into the North Pole.

Well,

let me

let me think for a moment.

And you see that she looks over at a closet that is just stuffed with boxes and bags and satchels and duffles and all sorts of little haversacks that just, you know, this is a family little burrow and it is filled with junk.

And

she

looks at it and says, might be some old trick of some kind.

Gotta get my brother to the other side of the world.

How much time do you have?

Oh, I mean, I believe the conclave starts

within a day,

but I'm sure there's a

day.

I'm sure there's a bit of wiggle room there.

We were already pressing your odd luck in terms of time.

So this is hard.

This is how I can tell that your time has flowed differently.

You're still a young man, and you're pushing your luck.

Early is on time.

And on time is late.

And you see, she

holds out a hand for some help getting out of the bed.

I assist.

She goes over.

It takes her quite a while to walk across the room, but as she gets to the mountain of junk, some old vitality springs to her and she falls forward into the junk and burrows into it.

And you see that it just sort of like vanishes into the stuff.

I look is there a hole left behind, or does it close behind her?

It kind of claws.

You can see a little bit of an opening, but it does kind of close up behind her.

I'm just gonna kind of put my try and put my eyes to the whatever's left.

Look in.

Kallia?

You look through a hole and see her in a 20-foot-long corridor lined with shelves on all sides that fan out into a It's like this tower of junk has a structure within it that is holding even more junk.

Do I get the sense I could jump in?

Give me, uh, give me athletics or acrobatics.

I'll give you athletics.

16.

You dive in.

You enter into her and you see everyone goes, you hear Adi be like, no, do it!

And you go through and you appear and you see, you're standing in this mat.

It's like sputtering torches lighting it.

And there are shelves lined with treasures and things of gold and other sort of like, this is much, a much different vibe than the house.

And you see Kalia looking and say, it's all right, dear.

Ursulan is a wild one.

He's just, when the children climb in here, they get lost in the penumbra and they sort of, you know, the near spirit.

You see, she

looks around, makes a little investigation, and you see she pulls out a little sort of odd-looking piece of golden rope with like some metal bits on it.

Looks like some kind of like harness or bridle or something like that.

And you see, she says, this might still.

I haven't used this in quite some time, but

grab this and some.

Oh, this looks helpful.

And you see, she gets a big, like, fur-lined cloak.

It's the North Pole?

Yes.

Let's keep you toasty.

All right.

Yeah, I just think I just have my arms outstretched, kind of carrying everything.

She just loads you up.

Most of this stuff is non-magical, most of the stuff is just like a good idea to have in the Arctic.

It's like pitons for climbing ice and a big warm cloak and a bunch of other stuff like that.

And uh, but she does have this little golden bridle, and she eventually emerges from the junk pile with this extra-dimensional, sort of like junk store magical storage thing in the junk pile in her room.

She says, Always good to be able to dig a burrow

and comes back out.

Walking out into the living space, she has a little walking stick with her.

She looks at the family, says,

Children, grandchildren, everyone, listen.

Uncle Ursulan is going to have to depart.

He's running late for a very important meeting.

And you see, everyone sort of goes to this there's a kind of, it's such a humble, heartfelt response of everyone, like

Goliath says, Your uncle the wild one has to go to the North Pole to a meeting of witches, and a whole family of badger sorcerers all go, No!

Don't go!

It is an obligation, but I will try to return as soon as I can afterwards.

A bunch of people come up and

give hugs, and everyone, Adi and

your sister, so Adi, Mahara, Dullen, all of them give you a big hug, your two nieces and your nephew, and

little Roro comes up at a certain point and hides a little tiny jar of jam in a pocket.

I kneel down to Roro.

Roro,

can I tell you a secret?

You see, Roro nods very solemnly, eyes wide with the sudden weight of responsibility.

You cannot tell a soul, Roro.

I don't tell anybody.

If anyone were to find out, it could mean the end of our world.

I also like pancakes.

As you say it, Roro claps his hands in the air.

drops onto the floor, digs a hole in the hard-packed earth, and blows out of his mouth.

And you see a little spell goes into the earth

and you see he hides your secret buried in the earth and you see everyone goes and Kalai I also yeah I think when he digs I go did I fuck up again did I root you see Kalai goes Roro's first spell

Ursuline gives everyone their first spells let's go uh you see that uh uh Roro looks very happy his his lips are just complete his whole bottom half of his face is just covered in jam and everyone lifts him up and celebrates him.

And he looks extremely pleased with himself and both like amazed at the sudden celebration and also with a certain regal toddler gaze of, of course, I am being celebrated for my incredible achievement.

And you see, everyone smiles.

Everyone gives you a big hug.

Roro gives you a big hug.

And kind of, it's such a little loving embrace from this toddler that he has to be peeled.

He will not let go.

Peeled off.

And

Kalia steps out the front door with you.

You see, she steps to the edge of the canyon and says,

Ursulan,

this

bridle

in the past, it has served

as a means to

call upon the aid of some spirits, steeds of our world that

may be able to

take you swiftly enough to where you need go,

but there are none here in the jungles of Gauthmai.

It would take some travel to the near spirit.

In the attempts that you made to go home,

I know this is a sorrowful question.

Were you able at least to find the beginnings of some paths home?

Was it simply that you could not cross the threshold, or were you never able to find a path

back

to the world of our father?

I did not know the word for it until I was at the citadel, but yes, I have touched the near spirit.

It is it is the threshold I've been unable to cross.

She nods.

She says, All right,

walk with me a little.

She takes your hand and walks with you through the foliage of the jungle, under vines, through leaves.

And you

arrive somewhere

and you see your sister's head turns like she hears something.

Do you hear that, Ursula?

I listen.

You can hear nothing.

Do you hear that song?

I do not.

I cannot.

You see a glimmer of her true form for a moment.

For a second, her snout, like that of a badger,

hands into massive digging paws.

She goes,

I should venture no further into the wood.

What?

My family, they need me.

I do not want to disappoint them.

I'm gonna reach up and touch her nose.

You touch her nose.

And

in this moment, what is Ursulan feeling?

Because you see,

you see the conflict within her.

It's something you understand very well yourself.

For her,

her honor was her family.

and this thing she made in the world of mortals.

But there is a song that she can hear through the forest, and there is something endless and eternal beyond.

When you touch her nose, what is Ursulan in touch with in himself?

Ursulan is in touch with

the understanding.

I think that the part of himself

that

put his breath in this world and not in the spirit world, and understands what it means

that this world is where the things that are most important to you are,

even though the infinite and the spirit realm is out there.

It's that same feeling of,

but everything that means anything to me is here in this plane, in this world.

You touch her nose,

and you see

there's a little

that she recognizes a part of herself that has been under a glamour for 10 years.

And you realize that this same thing could happen to you.

If you wore your glamour for this long,

she's in such a different position from you because she isn't way shadowed.

She doesn't have a taboo.

She like didn't have the thing where like she got bathed or ate of mortal food.

She did everything the careful way and didn't ever get trapped or caught and managed to trick everybody.

And until she got put in the painting in the castoff collection, she had done everything right.

It's just that there's a, you know, there's so many traps for spirits in this world.

And the trap she fell into was she just played the part of a mortal for so long that it started to be true.

And

you

see

as you touch her nose that she

remembers what she used to be,

but she feels that there is a part of this world, and she looks at you, and even though your situation has been more different and you have known a heartbreak and a tragedy and a misfortune that your sister has not known, she recognizes in your eyes that there are miracles in this mortal world that you as two spirits are so lucky to have witnessed.

She turns her head from the song, kisses you on both cheeks, and puts the bridle in your hands, and says,

If I hurry back home,

I'll maybe be able to get another bite of those pancakes before they're all gone.

And she smiles, touches your cheek, and says, Come back soon.

I will see you again, sister.

Bring that wizard in that witch.

And you see, she smiles and turns around to walk slowly back towards the tree.

I watched it till she's out of sight.

She leaves.

You are in the the jungle,

but you're holding this golden bridle, and you see that the jungle extends in all directions, but the direction she looked in and heard song,

you don't hear a song,

but you just see

that jungle,

the branches and the leaves, the vines.

Why do those trees

look just like little Roro holding on to such a big secret?

I'm gonna use divine sense.

And even though I can't hear it,

begin to smell the air as I move closer.

You use divine sense.

You arrive

at an area where the fronds of jungle ferns leap up, the vines hang low.

Your divine sense picks up.

You are bordering the edge of the spirit world here, knowing that you are still forbidden from crossing over, but you are now touching it, touching the outside of that barrier, which you cannot pass.

There's a sensation.

Like touching that barrier.

You could not pass through it, but you could walk along its edge.

in one direction along the strange lines of the near spirit you smell

deep rich verdant green

the blush of flowers the poison of thorns the rattling of insects the stalking of jungle creatures thicket and brush and life and venom and anger and consumption and all the wild things.

In another direction,

you hear the rushing of water,

the cold,

a smell of deep rot and moss.

Cold and shadow in one way,

and the noise of running water, the passing of time, and in another,

wild and angry life.

These are the two directions you can move in.

Do you wish to move in one direction or another with the information you have, or do you wish to focus your divine sense even more?

I'd like to focus my divine sense even more.

Give me perception and give me insight.

14 perception, 12 insight.

On a 14 perception,

you don't sense

any other

beasts or spirits nearby.

In the direction of the sort of thicker jungle, you just hear wildlife, but still sense that it is close to the spirit world.

In the direction of that running water, the shadows grow a little longer,

and you hear

the noise of footsteps.

Past the shadows on the other side of the stream, there is a road,

and one who walks down it.

I'm gonna go the other way.

Go ahead and give me a survival check.

Natural 20.

You begin to move, and you've never had the feeling that a road was following you before.

So you move quickly through the jungle.

And on a nat 20, you become a wild one, truly.

Bounding through the underbrush and moving through the trees, you move and move and move.

Ferns and jungle, vine and trees following the edge of spirit, that divine sense moving.

You touch your breath in a way that you didn't in your adolescence, in your youth, in the sad and sorrowful days of being a wanderer alone in the calm.

You are not without your breath anymore.

And even though you cannot pass through, you will not swing wildly in the dark, unaware of the borders of the land of your birth.

You stick close to the spirit, close to the home that you were born in that repels you, but it is not eluding you anymore.

You stay as close as you can to that smell, that sensation that something is coming.

And as you move through, the vines give way and suddenly you smell

not

the vine, not the fruit, not the strange citrus of the tree, but you smell pine, pine in a jungle.

That can't be right.

And you smell rosemary, and all of a sudden,

you are standing in a glade, and you look around on all sides and see kudsu.

Urshalon,

having been running on all fours, stands up and is

is trying to tell if he's in a calm or has crossed, like, is looking back over the path he's crossed and trying to figure out if he's

what he has, what, what has brought him to this place.

You cannot be in a calm.

That would be impossible, right?

Wouldn't it?

It would have to be.

And then for a moment,

a logic that would infuriate a human, but to a spirit spirit makes perfect sense.

You have not come to a calm.

A calm has come to you.

And striding from the trees is Orima of the Reaching Green.

She is beautiful, gorgeous.

She is a

small and fearsome woman.

Green leaves tied into her hair that flow from behind her, her green gown from the statue in Port Talon.

She smiles and walks with these massive eagle-like talons on the ground.

And where she steps, the kudzu grows, the green reaches.

And you see, moving with her through this place,

is

a

gorgeous

white steed.

A horse that follows her with simply a hand on its shoulder.

I think Ursula's breath gets caught in his chest.

Remo, uh,

uh-huh.

I'm gonna bow.

She

looks up.

She is so much shorter than you.

Homie is 5'1.

She is like.

So I get down on one knee and we're at eye level.

And you're at eye level.

100%.

I like try and get even lower.

She smiles

and she she weeps, and the tears that run down her cheek are the flowing of the rain along her cheek.

And she

pats the horse and she leans over and embraces you so

strongly, and you feel that it would be nothing for her to snap your spine like a twig.

Oh,

you

so

much,

Ursulan, she leans back, weeping, kisses you on both cheeks, puts your tiny little hands on either side of your head, and holds your face, and goes,

I could not have known.

You wear my husband's sword well.

I am so glad to have him home.

Thank you for giving me the chance to wield it.

The chance was not given to you by me.

Were it mine, I would have picked up the sword

and wrought terrors with it.

The witch.

The witch of Toma.

Tell her

that my respect is given to precious few,

but it is hers.

Well, it is her I aim to see now.

Is that

for is the did you is that for me?

Or do you just happen to have a horse?

She smiles.

Holliman, this beautiful horse.

His business is his own.

But happy to make the introduction.

Uh, you see that she uh uh

grins ferociously, and you see that behind her kind of human glamour teeth are rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth.

And she goes,

brave and bold.

Thank you.

And she returns to the woods, and you are in a clearing with an enormous white horse.

Hollimont,

it's nice to meet you.

My name is Ursulon.

I

am headed to the North Pole to support my friends who

are meeting at a conclave of witches.

Give me animal handling.

Oh my god.

16.

The horse steps forward and looks at the sort of like nuzzles, your chest, and the golden bridle in your hand.

I'll take that as a grievant, and I'm going to go to put it on.

Yeah, you helped harness the horse's back at the traveling circus for Professor Adelaide.

So you knew how to put a bridle in.

As you do, you see that as Holliman opens his mouth, that at the back of his throat, you see there is a like bit of light almost as of sunlight and you realize that this horse has an almost like solar quality.

His hooves glow almost like quartz crystal lamps, like light coming through translucent stone.

It's a very subtle effect from even 10 feet away, this would just look like a very beautiful white horse, but you can tell this is, like yourself, a being not of the world of Umora.

This is a horse that was given perhaps to Orima as a gift from some lord or lady of the sun itself in ages long past, and now stands in this clearing and accepts a golden bridle and a new rider.

I'm gonna mount up.

Hollimont, do you know which way is north?

You race through trees and deserts, mountains and fields.

What they whizz past your face.

You are holding on for dear life.

You can barely see objects as they pass with the speed of the stallion that now surges forward underneath you.

And we're gonna cut back to Sioux Vietnam.

A pier of constructed snow hangs over the cliff's edge.

Looking at the front gate of the palace of the witch of wind and stars as the meridian, slowly hovering, pulls to dock at its port of call,

the top of the world.

Ame,

the fox at your side, you look and see a citadel ship docking.

And joining you in the threshold of her palace is Indri,

who beholds the ship.

The

spirit beside her, Ara,

who has this sort of, again,

sharp,

glassy, snowy

physique with a sort of crackling aurora borealis atop her head, and Costa, the bearer, gathered behind Indri as well.

Indri looks at the ship docking and goes,

My

goodness, how very

forward.

You see that she turns to you, Ame, and says,

Did you know that these wizards were coming?

Well, I imagine that that would be

part of my retinue.

Though I did not know what manner they would arrive in, they are certainly

ostentatious.

Sufi, describe for me how the citadel disembarks from the Meridian.

Hell yes.

Yeah, I think the like sort of door to this like gondola, like the boat, the living quarters opens up and instead of that like rope ladder, just a series of steps of

not bright enough light,

where it's just a little bit of dimness in a place that is like dark

appears and she just simply walks down a staircase with no railing.

Are you accompanied by

any other members of the crew or are you heading out solo for this first?

I think five steps behind me, once it is I am here, staff in hand, the reason, like I'm the person that is supposed to be walking out, and then behind me are

let's say three of my retinue, of my squad, are going to be following like thereafter, but keeping a respectful distance until we are all allowed to join Amit.

Give me an Arcana check in this moment.

18.

Easy magical law for you.

You were not expecting a pier here.

The pier of snow that has been conjured in the approach of this ship, whether intentionally no,

constitutes an invitation, an extension of hospitality, and by magical law, standing on that pier were any harm to come to you, it wouldn't be a violation for a wizard to fuck with you, but as far as witches are concerned, a witch would be able to consider an assault while standing on that pier a violation because it was an extended, by even creating it, it is the extension of an invitation.

Now, if a witch would extend their sort of rules to a wizard, that is unclear.

But fundamentally, you feel like as long as your crew is standing on this pier, you are standing on terra firma, magically speaking.

You're not trespassing.

Copy.

Then, yeah, I will have them.

Like, there's that mixture of respect of it might be safer to stay on the staircase or stay on the ship, but there's a show of like,

I acknowledge that this is a act of like hospitality, and we will trust you in this moment to stand on the ground you've provided.

So they'll stay back at the bottom of the staircase, but not like cross over to where I'm going to go, like and meet with Ahmed and Indri.

Your crew of three marches behind you.

You descend.

There is a moment where the wind whips and the snow curls around Sufi's robes and staff as you walk down a railingless staircase onto the pier, the ship of the Citadel behind you.

You are the first wizard to bear this mark of the Citadel's authority to the very top of the world.

As you walk along the pier, your wizards stop five paces behind you.

As you approach the edge of the pier, do you continue or stop here at the edge?

There's probably another 40 paces to the opening door of the palace with Intry and Aame within it.

I'll stop and then

just a little bit of like it's not flashy magic, but just the understanding that

it is because it makes things easier and it is effortless for me to do so.

I will just magically boost the volume of my voice so I'm not shouting.

My name is Sky,

Apprentice Art Mage of the Citadel, and advisor to Ahmed, the Witch of the World's Heart.

I'm pleased to meet you.

May I come further?

Injury looks out and says,

Permission is not granted by me to enter into my home.

No invitation to this gathering was extended to the Citadel in this regard, and as an emissary of the Citadel, I do not offer my permission to you to come.

Ame, give me a

Arcana or Insight check.

14 on Insight.

There's a very complicated series of magical events happening here.

There is no malice in Indri's voice.

Suvi is bearing the staff of the Citadel.

She's here on a Citadel skyship.

Sly told you you that permission to come here would be refused.

It's a complex thing that's happening here.

Suvi had to ask permission for the host of this, for the mistress of this palace to come here.

The mistress cannot extend permission because Suvi is here in the guise of a representative of the Citadel, and she cannot permit the Citadel to be here.

So there's a weird impasse, but it's incumbent on you to find some other way through this in this moment.

Like, Indri's got no beef with Suvi, but she can't allow the Citadel.

Suvie's got no beef with Injury, but she has to represent the Citadel and she has to ask permission to come because

it's the witch's palace.

So, you're watching a knot of magical interactions based on the law of how wizards and witches interact tie itself right in front of you.

I think even from that far away, there's just that little bit of a head turn that you know I've gone from looking sort of like generally in the direction of the open door to you specifically.

Wizard Sky, may I present to you Injury, which of the wind and stars?

Um, injury,

sister, I was told that

a retinue of mine would be granted permission to join us here at the council.

Is that correct?

I cannot deny a sister her retinue.

Ah.

And yet I do see the delicate position you are in in regards to Suvi

her quote representing the citadel.

Suvi

is my oldest friend.

A true friend.

And I don't believe that she comes here as an emissary of the citadel, but rather as a friend to me.

If you wish to invite your friend, the wizard Skye, to this conclave,

then by all means, you should invite her.

Have I your permission to extend that invitation?

She smiles as you've solved the riddle, and you see, she says, You have my permission to invite your retinue to this conclave.

Thank you, sister.

Come on in.

You see that Injury, see,

as Ahme yells, come on in, she goes to put two fingers to the bridge of her nose and then adjusts an eyebrow.

Do I hear in that invitation and the lack of specificity just for Subi that I can extend that to my people too?

They can approach the gate safely.

You think that there's there's a follow-up?

The formalities have been observed, and you can actually go talk to Indry now.

Okay.

As you approach, three wizards come behind you.

I think probably it's

straw is amongst them.

Absolutely.

As you approach, you walk up, and you see smiling at you is the witch of the wind and stars.

I'm gonna need a wisdom saving.

Okay, 13.

Okay.

There is nothing about this that is going to be a compelled magical effect.

You do fail the saving throw,

but all that that effectively means is

you were seeing her in silhouette, and as she steps back at your approach, the sconces on either side of the great doors illuminate her for the first time, and you see her smiling at your approach, and

you see

endless

competence, skill, poise, mastery.

You see she looks at you and makes eye contact.

Her ruby red lips curve into a secret smile made in all the world only for you to say that in this moment she recognizes something in you.

that she shares as well.

As you approach,

your decisions are your own.

The magic does not rob you of any ability to comport yourself however you wish.

Just simply know that this person

holds those qualities that you find most desirous.

For 36 hours, Suvi has been

putting away emotion and building around her and around the like heartbreak and disappointment in the manner of her true friends leaving,

trying to guard emotion and present a colder and starker front than she ever had.

Like there's not, the teal is gone from her hair.

It is snow white, as are her eyebrows, as her eyelashes.

Like she is a like a creature of black and white and has been hard and cold up until the moment where she like sees in Riri.

And I think she can like feel that little like, oh, as like emotion leaks through in a way she just absolutely didn't expect.

Okay.

Go ahead and give me, go ahead and give me a little deception roll.

Is your

15.

I have a 21 passive insight.

Down bad, and it's not, yeah.

Suvi, as you approach

the down badness,

there is nothing nothing about this that is oppressive.

It doesn't throw you off your rhythm.

Everything about her is an invitation to meet her gaze.

So there's a moment as you're approaching.

I think, Ami, you can sort of see the stirring of something.

And it's also made the clearer because one of the wizards behind you rolled a gnat one

and is like slightly fucking pitched forward, you know?

Like, it's basically like

hitting themselves in the head with a fucking hammer as snow queen, fairy tale, witch queen of the fucking north.

But you see that as you approach and the light, the golden light of the fire in the great hall beyond,

you see

that

Indri regards you and says,

Wizard Sky, I am Indri, witch of the wind and stars.

I have never had a mage of the citadel cross the threshold of my palace.

Do you find

that I have made a mistake in this regard and I have lost some grand company from my time here in the frozen north?

I think there's that problem of when you first realize like a feeling and then you spend too much time in your own head.

Like, what is what is going on?

She's talked too long.

I didn't hear what she said.

And then just by the end, I think she just is smirking and nods and didn't really catch what was like an opportunity for suaveness has absolutely been bypassed.

As Suvi is just like,

whatever's happening, I'm, yeah, what?

Yes, what?

She's wild.

Does not roll her eyes,

but

well, the wizard's guy is

very much

a shining example of the kind of company that the Citadel has.

I think that's enough because I'm not going to roll to catch the like fade on that one.

And I think Suvi just kind of snaps and looks over and kind of

remembers herself again.

You see that Indri looks at you, Ame, and says, oh, I think that the Wizard Sky is perfectly capable of speaking for herself, sister, but thank you for your explanation.

And turns to regards you and says,

The manner of your ship and the magic of your garments I find extraordinary.

It is

a difference in the retinue of this new witch of the world's heart.

Wren, my sister, who has since passed,

was

a treasured member of this coven,

but did not,

in her comings and goings in the world, bring people with such a uh

I'll be plain uh stylish couture.

Apologies for the pomp, but there is no universe in which I would try to hide who I was from you.

I know better than to attempt to deceive a witch.

She smiles and nods.

Oh god, Subi's just like, every time she blinks, Subi just gets that little bit of like, breathe now.

Ame,

would you name any other members of your retinue here?

Those whom the Wizard Sky sees fit to invite in, I trust as well.

So you cannot name them?

Uh

oh, you meant

these wizards behind the wizard's guy are unfamiliar to you.

Oh, oh, you would like an introduction to them, of course.

Uh

widens her eyes and looks back, whips her head back over to Suvi.

She turns to you, Suvi, and says, It seems that my sister is unfamiliar with those who now accompany you.

Can you offer me some guarantee of their behavior while guests in my palace?

Those that I bring with me

would never dare

bring harm to you or any of your coven or any of your people here.

A beautiful promise.

I would ask for some collateral

should the promise be broken.

There's a like a brief glance over to Aame.

Less of unsuredness and more of Suvi realizing like the negotiation happening right now, Suvi would like to meet status with status, but remembers herself as an advisor and secondary to Ame, so is giving time and space for Ame to interject.

Apologies, Indri, but

traditionally, where

with Grandmother Wren,

a promise made to a witch is a binding in

more ways than just verbally.

It's

a promise to our station.

Oh,

of course.

Is that not true for

your domain?

No, no, quite true.

I am extending a courtesy.

The collateral could be collected on

my terms, but I'm extending the courtesy to allow the Wizard Sky the opportunity to name what I will take if the promise is broken.

Ah, I see.

I see.

That's very generous of you.

I'm not sure how much you know about the priorities and predilections of wizards,

but I would offer you a thing that is most precious to me.

And I'm going to take off my uh my father's ring.

And very obviously, like an arcane focus, like this is where my magic begins.

She

takes the ring, beholds it,

sees emerald rings

on the hands of your other wizard companions, but meets your gaze and knows

that this in a sea of rings forged in the same furnace that you would find this one

she gives it small kiss upon the gemstone and frost spreads across the emerald and vanishes as she hands it back to you

while in my palace it is mine But I will it on your finger.

Should you break the promise or your companions that you bring to this place,

I will come and take it.

Understood,

and again, thank you.

She smiles.

Well,

more seats, more cider.

Uh, and

at the same time, uh,

Amay just lets out a breath that she did not know she was holding.

In all the ways that you've noticed

Suvi, the effect that injury is having on Suvi,

you can feel how much Suvi is holding herself away from you and doesn't even look over as you sigh.

I hope you had a

good

trip.

I hope you did too.

I hope it was worth it.

And that you are well.

You look

good.

Thank you.

I know how important this is to you.

Telepathically, I start screaming to the fox.

Fox!

Fox!

Oh, Suvi's here!

Suvi's here, Suvi's here.

Uh, Suvi, as as you see that

in the moment that that interaction phase, there's a small pause, and then you hear off in the distance, what?

Verbally out loud, and the fox just skids 200 feet, just woo across the icy floor.

Um,

uh, and you see the fox runs over, goes, boss, what's up?

You talked to him out of my mind?

Uh, yeah,

um,

I

gesture towards towards Suvi.

Great!

New clothes?

Suvi just observes this.

Like, this is a, like, just shut off even on the fox.

Uh.

What's going on?

Um.

Uh.

Do you want to talk in the in the mind?

Because you said something in the mind?

Oh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, yeah, uh, yeah, uh.

Do you mind talking?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, sure.

Okay.

See, the fox sits down on his haunches with his forelegs extended and just stares into the middle distance.

You don't have to.

In your mind, you hear the fox go, I'm speaking to you in your mind.

You don't have to preface it with that every time we've been over this, but

yeah, okay.

I

have never felt more

out of my element.

And Susie's still really mad at me, and probably at you, because she thinks I'm you, you're me,

and I don't know what to do, so

just act

real cute to Suvi.

Maybe that'll soften her up.

You think that'll work?

Yeah,

okay.

You see the fox stop staring in the middle distance, looks up at you, and says, Uh sky!

And he

it's really hard for a quadruped.

You think he's trying to do a somersault.

He goes, one,

goes goes two, he goes, oof, dizzy.

Okay, hold on.

Does another one?

Alright, here we go.

I'm without him with row.

Hold on.

Okay.

Another one.

Ame, is your familiar unwell?

Uh, nope.

He is.

He missed you.

Yes, please.

Uh, come in.

You and your fellow wizards move behind you.

Um, you see that Ara, the spirit of the sort of the sort of northern ice spirit, appears

and looks at all jeans and says, I am given to understand that your rings are the center of your casting.

Yes,

she manifests a beautiful silver stand, almost like a vase or something like that, and gestures and says, For your walking staves.

I'm gonna look over at Ahme.

Oh, I

believe that they have

an importance to them

that

should be

respected, given the due that

would be extended to any of my retinue.

Aura turns to you and says,

These staves are to be placed within the receptacle unless

it is possible to and you see she gestures to the crest of the citadel on on top of the staves, which you think is the operative part here.

But you also can tell looking at her that she's not aware that you have the ability to disguise the staves.

Yeah.

Just looking at this stand,

can I do any sort of just like

sizing up to see, is this just a place for these to go, or is there any sort of like magical detection

about to happen on our gear?

Give me Arcana.

25.

This is not enchanted, the thing in front of you.

This is a place to hold your staves, but you do think that some magic has maybe already happened to detect some of the magic on the staves you are carrying.

Yeah.

The main thing that you think is going on is, and I think right now, no one has any other symbols of the citadel on their person except for the emblem on the staves, right?

You're kind of in the winter gear, it's not like emblems, you're not wearing your standard uniform, there's no like Azure Battalion stuff going on here.

So, you think it's just about not having the symbol of the Citadel move farther into the palace?

Okay, uh, and if mine specifically is the one, yeah, so it's just sort of mine doing this, yes,

then

uh, with just a little sigh, pushing a little petulance that's not meant at Aura or Aame specifically, but just sort of

she'll tap very lightly her staff on the ground and have it disguise itself as, disguise itself once again as a like plain wooden stave.

Aura looks at this moment where you have kind of that it was sort of like, here's a polite place to store your walking stick, and you solve the problem that was unspoken.

And so there's a moment of Aura kind of being shown up a little bit as she goes,

ah,

um,

my apologies, and takes the sort of

the holding vase and like moves it away.

And you continue into this place towards the fire.

I think before

Aura moves all the way away,

I'm gonna do my best to not be that discreet

at looking at the Wizard Straw and her staff before giving a small shake of our head and then

moving past and away.

The Wizard Straw nods and confirms to you as you guys continue inward.

As you venture further inward, you arrive at the table.

There are more seats there.

And Injree smiles, looking and says,

a handy handy bit of magic, and I appreciate the understanding.

I meant no disrespect.

You offered none.

She smiles and says,

I am afraid I must withdraw.

My study requires some attention for the moment.

However,

I would be more than happy to make sure that you are appointed to quarters becoming of your station, Wizard Sky.

And for you, my sister, Ame,

a room is always kept for the Witch of the World's Heart in my palace.

That is so thoughtful of you.

Thank you.

Of course.

Aura, if you would show our friends the retinue of the Wizard Sky to the Silver Rampart Chambers and Costa,

I believe that the Archmage Apprentice should be appointed the Tower of the Crescent Moon.

And

Costa can also show you to the Keep of the World's Heart.

Thank you.

If there's any way that we can assist you in your study or

help prepare for the rest of our sisters, please let us know.

But of course,

my study is not

related to the business of the Conclave.

It is simply that in this hour, there are some auspicious movements of the stars that require some recording.

Ooh.

Well,

even though it does not relate to the Conclave at the moment, I still very much enjoy looking at the celestial bodies myself.

The stars.

You see, she smiles and says,

Perhaps some conversation when the time is right, closer to the arrival of our sisters.

It is a fascinating thing, the movements of the stars.

There is an overlap, I think, between

the movements of the natural world and the beautiful geometries of your calling, Wizard Sky.

Eye contact, Suvi has a flushed bright red.

You see, Indri says,

soon enough.

Costa, see them taken care of.

And she

moves away as Costa sort of plods.

And now both of you are walking on a sky bridge suspended in between two towers.

It's like 150 feet long.

There are giant glass windows, golden torches sputtering in between these huge bay windows that overlook a massive courtyards of snow and ice in this multi-keep, multi-tower palace spanning over these like triple peaks of the highest mountain in the world.

And you're just looking down at snow and wind and endless drops into infinite crevasses as a polar bear walks along this elevated sky bridge, this sort of like tower passageway skybridge between two towers.

And you're like 30 feet behind a polar bear walking side by side, the fox kind of plodding on the other side of Ame.

You could have had a bear?

I, uh, uh, potentially, yes.

Although I don't know how I would have been able to summon a polar bear

back in.

Toma.

I think the moment you begin like speaking, Subi didn't realize that she like said a casual thing out loud and is just going to kind of nod at the end of your sentence and remember

how she wants to be and feel right now.

Are you well?

Has the rest of your covenant arrived?

I am quite well.

And no, my sisters have yet to arrive.

And Bear?

We are are waiting for his arrival as well.

Were you separated?

Yes.

When?

Um,

shortly after

spit it out,

shortly after I, I, uh, uh, we, we,

uh, uh, were separated from you.

Do you know if he is okay?

I don't.

I have no way of contacting him.

I'm here

because I don't want anything

dire to happen to you.

Because I know what's at stake.

But if, in the manner of your leaving,

any harm came

to bear, I will never

forgive you.

And I need you to know that.

I have that, uh...

covered on my on my own, too, yes.

Do you have any idea

of what you want to do or how you want this to go?

No, no, I don't.

Uh

um

uh perhaps once you get settled in your chambers, we can convene uh and you can help.

There's nothing to settle.

We can speak at your earliest convenience.

Then to have an advisory meeting,

perhaps

whatever you need.

Witch of the world's heart.

You arrive at the Tower of the Crescent Moon, beautifully appointed tower in the icy palace of the Witch of the Wind and Stars.

Costa shows you the double doors inlaid with silver runes, the white of the ice framed in beautiful curling flourishes of magical silver.

Here he moves to wait to accompany Aame further to her keep, but leaves you here in this moment to enter your chambers.

I will pass through the doors, but immediately turn around and give a small nod of like thanks and understanding.

How best

may I make my way to

the apartments of the Witch of the World's Heart?

Costa

turns and says,

if you wish, you can't follow the rest of the way.

I will show you to the door of her keep.

Thank you.

Knowing where your quarters are, you follow Ahmed.

Costa shows you to the edge of a walkway, and you actually go down a staircase and go back out into the cold and freezing once again to go across sort of an outdoor courtyard

to the giant doors of a smaller, more humble keep of the great keeps of the palace that you see has a

little hanging wicker charm with a red ribbon around it on the door that you recognize as the handiwork of Grandmother Wren.

Costa says,

Here I will take my leave.

Welcome to the palace of the witch of wind and stars.

And he moves into the snow, and you are both in a courtyard.

You look around and see in this courtyard a number of icy statues, much like the trees below in the valley.

The statues are partially covered in snow,

ranging in size, some small perhaps as children, others enormous, a monolith by the side of the keep, covered like the foot of a glacier in snow, but with a sharp overhang in promontory.

Some statues farther away in the shadow of the palace's walls, and others coming within mere feet of the entrance to the Keep of the World's Heart.

But their postures are extravagant and dramatic.

You see, some of them are like warriors leaping forward with like weapons of ice and howls of insane rage and anger.

You see, others look to be wizards or witches that are covering their face with their hands in fear or panic.

You see that there is one statue in the middle of a beautiful woman, long hair blowing icily in the breeze,

frozen statue of ice, who stands gazing straight ahead in a stoic and solemn sorrow.

I'd like to do a uh check on these.

Um

inside I uh perception perception, yeah, do perception.

Uh, I'd like to assist because I think I know what she's trying to glean.

What interestingly specific poses

shock and terror, you know, classic things to do

18.

You

look

and behold.

Statues.

Statues.

Statues.

I think you both know what you're looking at.

As you turn to look at each other in this courtyard, a garden of frozen figures, the fox pipes up and says,

So we don't know where Ursulan is?

Oh,

he's dead.

Now, why would you say that?

Look at this freaky, look at all this stuff.

We're so bad here.

Look at all these frozen, frozen people.

Yeah, okay, uh, let me, okay.

Let me give you a little lesson about first appearances.

When you're someone like the witch of the winded stars,

you make yourself

a big castle that might as well be just the outside with a roof on it and

uh statues of what were clearly people that got turned to ice and um you have a bunch of

highfalutin

servants and things and just a way about you and that's meant to make you feel a certain way.

You know, like how in the wilds, how there are some animals where you're like, oh, those are really bright feathers.

I don't want to eat that.

It's trick.

Yes, Fox, it's very important to not judge things before you get to know them or experience them.

I don't know what you're referring to.

I've made a lot of mistakes in the last week or so, okay?

And so just you can just what?

Tell it to me.

Just tell it to me.

What do you want me to say?

I brought you into my home to nurse you back to health after the coma that you put yourself in.

After Steele offered to assist with the breaking of the curse, you were down for a month.

We had time to talk.

And then, when you decided it was time to leave, you had no compunction, destroying and wreaking havoc in my home in your efforts to leave, even though she was on her way.

And you had no reason to do to

believe anything other than that her and my intentions were pure.

All we've ever done is help you.

And now I am here.

I've crossed the world and risked my life

again

for you.

And you still can't get that smart-ass little tone about wizards out of your fucking mouth.

But yes, continue to preach about not not judging the witch on first appearances.

Is that what you wanted me to say?

The fox is so still in this moment

that the snow has a chance to almost fully cover him.

As he stares ahead, this is the first time you've ever seen an expression on the witch's familiar of pure admonishment.

And while the fox perhaps cannot feel guilt or regret, there is a moment of stunned prey animal silence in Suvi's castigation that rings out in this place.

That is broken only

by the thunder of hooves and the coming of the sun.

Ursulan,

in a scatter of snow, please describe the manner of your arrival in this courtyard.

There's the sound of hooves, and then just a.

You see a massive white horse stands before you, Ursula astride it, and for the first time

in centuries,

the ice melts, and four hoofprints glow as the stone of the courtyard is revealed underneath, revealing the ancient curls of stone written with the words of the very first witch of the world's heart.

And that's where we'll end this episode of The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One.

That was Lou Wilson as Ursulan, Erika Ishii as Ahme, Abriya Iyengar as Suvi, and Brennan Lee Mulligan as Everyone and Everything Else.

Worlds Beyond Number is edited, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore at Fortunate Horse with additional sound design from Michael Gelfie Studios.

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