Two weeks beyond Bellwater, the road winds through amber grass and low hills. Davis and Seris pause at a roadside wayhouse while rain gathers over the western ridges.
A familiar, broad-shouldered man emerges from the rain-dark road, travel cloak spattered with mud. Tavren carries a leather tube sealed in red wax and walks with weary purpose.
Tavren
I hoped to find you before nightfall. Bellwater's elders have argued themselves into paralysis, so I left before they could bury the order beneath procedure.
Tavren offers the sealed tube without releasing it. The red wax bears the guardians' old three-point mark, crossed by a fresh line of silver.
Seris
They disputed whether guardianship still has a purpose now that the heir is sealed.
Tavren
Exactly. This charter asks you to witness the order's reformation. Not to serve it, unless you choose, but to confirm what we learned and what must never be forgotten.
Rain begins tapping against the wayhouse roof. Tavren finally extends the charter toward Davis, while Seris watches him with a guarded, thoughtful calm.
“"We've almost reached Elian and Sella. Do we have time for us to tell him he's safe and then to go back to Bellwater?"”
By the following afternoon, the wayhouse road descends toward Sella Marr’s hospice, its familiar stone walls appearing between rain-bright trees. Davis and Seris walk together beneath clearing skies, while Tavren follows with the sealed charter.
Davis of Carmathen
We have time to tell Elian he is safe, then return to Bellwater.
Seris
We do. Sella will want to hear the truth as well, and Bellwater can wait for our return.
The hospice garden comes into view, quiet beneath the last dripping branches. Smoke rises from its chimney, and a figure in the doorway straightens at the sound of approaching steps.
Tavren
Then we give them the news before we turn east again. Bellwater should hear it from witnesses, not rumors.
The door opens before they reach it. Sella Marr waits within, one hand on her walking staff, while Elian Voss rises from the hearthside chair behind her, his face sharpening with recognition.
Elian Voss
You came back. Tell me plainly. Is it over?
✓ Quest Accepted
Return to Bellwater
“"It is over, the curse is sealed with the heir. He won't ever escape. He has no voice. But we needed to tell you the news and now we must depart back to Bellwater."”
FAILURE (Superb Agility, rolled -4)
Davis of Carmathen
It is over. The curse is sealed with the heir. He will never escape, and he has no voice. We needed you to hear the news, but now we must return to Bellwater.
Elian Voss
Then I am free of it? Truly free? I had nearly forgotten how those words might sound.
Sella closes her eyes over her staff, breathing out a long-held burden. Seris rests a steady hand against the doorframe while Tavren keeps the charter beneath his cloak.
Sella Marr
Then go with my blessing. You have carried this farther than any record promised anyone could carry it.
They leave the hospice beneath clearing skies, but the eastern road ends at a swollen stream. Its old stone bridge has collapsed into the brown water, blocking the direct way to Bellwater.
Tavren
We cannot cross here. The northern track should reach the high road, but it will cost us at least a day.
Seris
Then Bellwater waits one more night. The news is safe, and so are we. We take the longer road.
Davis of Carmathen leaves Collapsed Stone Bridge behind and arrives at Bellwater.
“"It is over, the curse is sealed with the heir. He won't ever escape. He has no voice. But we needed to tell you the news and now we must depart back to Bellwater."”
SUCCESS (Superb Agility, rolled -2)
Bellwater rises beyond the high road beneath a clearing sky. Wet stone gleams in the square, forge smoke curls above the roofs, and the shrine bell gives three uneven notes.
Seris slows beside Davis, listening. Tavren looks toward the shrine steps, one hand resting beneath his cloak where the sealed charter lies.
Seris
That is not Bellwater’s welcome bell. Someone is calling the keepers to witness.
Iven Tarrow emerges from the shrine at a hurried pace, ash-blue robes darkened by rain. His relief at seeing them lasts only until he notices Tavren’s guarded expression.
Iven Tarrow
You came back sooner than expected. The elders have received another message from the eastern gate, and this one bears no keeper’s mark.
Tavren
Then we hear it before procedure buries it. Take us inside, Iven.
Iven turns toward the shrine. The uneven bell falls silent, but beneath its last vibration, a fresh line of silver light appears across the eastern road’s rain-dark stones.
Quest Complete
Return to Bellwater
Attribute Upgrade: Agility Superb→Legendary
“"Lets hurry, there must be something we missed. The heir was trapped forever. But maybe there's more from the ward."”
FAILURE (Good Perception, rolled -1)
“"Lets hurry, there must be something we missed. The heir was trapped forever. But maybe there's more from the ward."”
FAILURE (Good Perception, rolled -1)
Davis of Carmathen
Let’s hurry. There must be something we missed. The heir was trapped forever, but perhaps the ward left something behind for us to find.
Davis moves toward the silver line before the others can reach the shrine. It brightens beneath his step, then races away from the eastern road toward the old gate.
Seris
Wait. It is not calling the heir. It is marking a boundary the ward never showed us before.
Davis follows the glimmering trace across the wet stones, but it fades beneath the shrine steps before he can read its full pattern. The stones settle, denying further pursuit.
Iven Tarrow
You nearly had it. Look there, beneath the third step. The line has left a sign, and it points inward, not east.
A small silver triangle remains etched in the rain-dark stone, its three points aligned with the shrine door, the eastern road, and the sealed charter beneath Tavren’s cloak. The missed trail has become a choice.
Tavren
Then the ward left us a direction, not a summons. We should open the charter beside this sign and learn which point it was meant to witness.
“"Lets hurry, there must be something we missed. The heir was trapped forever. But maybe there's more from the ward."”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +2)
Tavren breaks the red wax and unfolds the charter beside the silver triangle. The three points flare, casting lines toward the shrine’s threshold, eastern road, and sealed document.
Tavren
This is not a summons from the gate. It is a witnessing mark. The ward recorded an unspoken covenant when the seal closed.
The charter’s silver line sinks into the triangle. Hidden writing rises across the page, naming a Keeper’s Witness: a living record of the seal’s true conditions, preserved beneath Bellwater’s shrine.
Seris
Then the ward left proof behind, not another threat. Bellwater has been guarding an incomplete history.
Iven Tarrow
The lower archive is sealed by the eldest keeper’s oath. No one has opened it since the eastern records vanished.
The triangle turns toward the shrine door, and its silver light settles on a small stone beneath the threshold. A recessed handprint appears, marked for three witnesses.
Tavren
We have found what the ward left behind. Open the archive, and let its record tell Bellwater exactly what was sealed, and why.
“I put my hand on the hand print. "We witnessed what happened. There has to be some magical mark on us from the ward."”
SUCCESS (Great Magic, rolled +0)
Davis of Carmathen
I put my hand on the handprint. We witnessed what happened. There has to be some magical mark on us from the ward.
The stone accepts Davis’s palm. Silver warmth travels through his hand, and a three-point mark blooms beneath his skin, matching the sign on the charter. The magic bites with cold clarity.
Davis of Carmathen
The mark is real, and it is recording more than my touch.
Iven Tarrow
It is a witness-mark. I have seen its shape only in fragments of the oldest keeper texts.
The mark flares, and the handprint opens a narrow seam beneath the threshold. At once, every spoken falsehood about the sealed rite will make the sign darken and ache.
Seris
The ward has named you a living record. It grants proof, but not privacy. Anything you testify here will be bound to that mark.
Tavren
Then we enter together. The archive can show whether the other witnesses carry the same mark, and what the ward expects from us now.
The seam widens into descending steps. Beneath the shrine, old blue light stirs around shelves of sealed tablets, while the mark on Davis’s palm steadies into a watchful silver point.
“"Lets search the records and see what has been hiding. Tavren, you and I will watch the steps closely to make sure no one sneaks in behind us. Still search what you can that's close."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +0)
Davis enters the nearest aisle while Tavren takes position at the stair mouth. Between them, the descending steps remain visible, watched from both angles.
Davis searches tablets bearing the same three-point sign, brushing dust aside without disturbing their seals. Their nearby records describe a Keeper’s Witness as proof, not authority.
Tavren
No movement above or below. Keep reading. The oldest record may tell us what the witness is required to preserve.
A tablet opens beneath Davis’s marked palm. It records that the witness must preserve the seal’s conditions, the names of its makers, and any alteration made afterward.
The final lines are worn away, but a neighboring tablet supplies the missing warning: testimony must be witnessed by another living keeper. The exact rite remains uncertain.
Iven Tarrow
Then I can witness your account. But this archive has cost us time, and dusk will come before we finish every shelf.
Tavren keeps watch while Davis gathers the accessible tablets into a clear sequence. They now possess the nearby record’s essential truth, though its missing rite still demands later checking.
“"Lets grab what we can and close this before anyone else tries to cover it up. Be ready for what awaits us outside. Where can we go that's safe to read these?"”
FAILURE (Good Perception, rolled -2)
Davis of Carmathen
Let’s take what we can and close this before anyone else buries it. Be ready for whatever waits outside. Where can we read these safely?
Davis gathers the accessible tablets into a wrapped stack and presses his witness-mark to the archive threshold. The shelves answer with a deep stone click.
One tablet slides free, but its seal darkens before he can add it. Silver lines cross its face, locking the missing rite away from every hand in the archive.
Tavren
Leave that one sealed. Your mark has recorded the accessible testimony, but forcing the last tablet would alter the record we came to preserve.
Iven Tarrow
Sella’s hospice is safest. Its spring-water wards are older than Bellwater’s current council, and Sella can witness the account there without answering to them.
Davis sets the gathered tablets inside his cloak and withdraws from the aisle. Iven lowers the threshold stone; the stair seals cleanly, leaving the unopened tablet behind.
Tavren
Then we go to the hospice, read what we have under Sella’s witness, and return only if the sealed tablet gives us a reason.
+ New Item Acquired
Wrapped Tablets
“"Lets grab what we can and close this before anyone else tries to cover it up. Be ready for what awaits us outside. Where can we go that's safe to read these?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +0)
Iven binds the tablet stack in oilskin and lifts the threshold stone into place. The archive’s blue light vanishes, leaving only the shrine’s ordinary candle-flame.
Tavren
We travel by the north road while daylight holds. If the council asks, the archive is closed and its testimony remains untouched.
Iven Tarrow
I will say exactly that. Sella’s witness carries more weight than another argument in Bellwater’s square.
They leave the shrine together. Iven locks the inner door behind them, while Tavren watches the eastern road and Davis keeps the wrapped tablets close beneath his cloak.
Tavren
At the hospice, read the account once without interpretation. Then we compare every line against what each witness remembers.
Rain begins again as the northern road bends through wet fields. Ahead, the hospice roof appears between the trees, its chimney smoke rising straight into the darkening air.
Iven Tarrow
There. Once Sella witnesses the record, Bellwater cannot honestly call it rumor.
“I look behind me, trying to find Seris. "Where did she go?"”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +3)
Davis of Carmathen
Where did she go?
Davis looks back along the rain-dark road. Seris stands beneath the last trees at the bend, several paces behind, one hand raised to halt the others.
Seris
I am here. The road split around the wetland, and I checked the western track before it vanished into the trees.
Seris comes forward through the drizzle, her expression intent. Behind her, the western track shows fresh hoofprints turning away from the hospice road.
Seris
Someone used that path recently. I found no sign of Iven or Tavren taking it, but the prints are too clear to be old.
She looks toward the oilskin-wrapped tablets beneath Davis’s cloak, then back to the tracks. The hospice roof remains ahead, close enough for its chimney smoke to smell of peat.
“"Then we will go check in the hospice first and then see if Sella saw someone pass by."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled -2)
Davis of Carmathen
Then we will check the hospice first, and ask Sella whether she saw someone pass.
Davis and Seris leave the western tracks untouched and reach the hospice through the rain. Sella opens the door before they knock, her staff planted firmly on the threshold.
Sella Marr
I saw someone pass before the rain thickened. A lone rider came from the western track and stopped beneath the ash tree, but I could not see the face.
Sella leads them inside and points through the rain-streaked window. The ash tree stands beyond the garden wall, its lower branches still trembling from recent passage.
Sella Marr
The rider asked whether the shrine road still led east. I told them yes. They left toward the wetland before I could ask their name.
Seris
The rain erased the rider's face and most of the track. We have a direction, but not an identity.
The answer is secured, but the delay has cost the last clear light. Sella can testify to the passage, while the rider's identity remains beyond her memory.
“"Then we will go check in the hospice first and then see if Sella saw someone pass by."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled -2)
Inside, Sella bars the hospice door and brings a lamp to the window. The rider’s passage is confirmed, but the rain has erased any reliable description beyond cloak, horse, and direction.
Sella Marr
They arrived before sunset, while the western clouds were still pale. The horse was dark, and the rider wore a hooded brown cloak. I heard no accent clearly enough to place.
Seris studies the wet threshold, then the road beyond it. Sella’s account gives them a time and route, but no identity to carry back to Bellwater.
Seris
Did the rider seem to know this place, Sella? Asking for the eastern road may have been caution, or it may have been a test.
Sella Marr
They looked toward the hospice twice before leaving. I took it for uncertainty, but I cannot swear to their purpose. That is all I can give you honestly.
The concrete account is entered into memory: one rider, western track, before sunset, bound toward the wetland. The missing face and uncertain purpose leave the next question waiting beyond the rain.
“"Thank you Sella. What do you think of these tablets? Iven and Tavren were there to help us find them. They came here with us."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +1)
Davis of Carmathen
Thank you, Sella. What do you think of these tablets? Iven and Tavren were there to help us find them. They came here with us.
Sella draws the oilskin-wrapped tablets beneath the lamp. Iven and Tavren enter from the covered porch, bringing rain and the quiet assurance that they arrived together.
Sella Marr
They are genuine keeper records, and more important than the council understands. The sequence is intact enough to preserve the seal’s conditions and the names of those who made it.
She opens the first tablet beneath a dish of spring water, then aligns the others by their three-point marks. Silver lettering rises cleanly without darkening Davis’s witness-mark.
Iven Tarrow
That confirms the archive’s testimony. The missing rite is sealed, but these tablets prove the record was meant to be carried here and witnessed safely.
Sella Marr
You brought me the right account. I will witness it tonight, line by line, and make a second copy before anyone in Bellwater can call it rumor.
Tavren
Then the charter and these tablets will stand together. Bellwater can argue with our judgment, but not with a record witnessed here.
“"Once all that is done, we can head back to Bellwater and bring peace and truth to them. Then we can find this Hooded Man, and maybe we'll see him on the way." I turn to Seris, hold her hand, and whisper in her ear. "In the meantime, I would like to get to know you better."”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +2)
Sella continues arranging the tablets beneath the lamp while Iven prepares fresh parchment. Davis turns toward Seris, the rain whispering against the hospice shutters.
Davis of Carmathen
Once this is done, we return to Bellwater and bring them peace and truth. Then we can look for the hooded rider, perhaps on the road.
He takes Seris’s hand and leans close, keeping his voice low beside the warm lamplight and the guarded tablets.
Davis of Carmathen
In the meantime, I would like to get to know you better.
Seris
I would like that too. We have spent so long learning what the dead left behind that it would be good to learn what the living choose.
Seris keeps his hand in hers, her guarded expression easing into a small, genuine smile. Across the room, Sella glances up but wisely returns to the records.
Sella Marr
The first copy will be ready before dawn. After that, you may leave for Bellwater with the truth safely carried between you.
“"Thank you Sella. We shall see you in the morn. And to you, Iven and Tavren." I take Seris outside to look at the animals, and I show her all the herbs like brightleaf, silver moss, and starflowers. I grab some and tell her about them. "Seris, tell me about yourself?"”
FAILURE (Mediocre Lore, rolled -1)
Davis of Carmathen
Thank you, Sella. We shall see you in the morn. And to you, Iven and Tavren.
Davis leads Seris into the damp garden, where a mule and two patient goats watch from their shelter. Rain beads on brightleaf, silver moss, and starflowers along the wall.
Davis of Carmathen
These are brightleaf, silver moss, and starflowers. Brightleaf eases a fever, silver moss draws out poison, and starflowers help a tired heart.
He gathers a little of each, but Seris catches his wrist before the sprigs reach his pouch. In the uncertain light, the silver moss and a similar gray lichen have deceived him.
Seris
That is not silver moss. Sella should examine these before anyone uses them. Your confidence is admirable, but tonight it has outpaced your knowledge.
Davis of Carmathen
Seris, tell me about yourself.
Seris
I was raised among the guardians, taught to protect old doors before I understood why they mattered. I chose the order because its people stood between danger and everyone who could not see it coming. Now I am less certain what I am, but I know I want to choose what comes next.
“"Thank you Sella. We shall see you in the morn. And to you, Iven and Tavren." I take Seris outside to look at the animals, and I show her all the herbs like brightleaf, silver moss, and starflowers. I grab some and tell her about them. "Seris, tell me about yourself?"”
SUCCESS (Fair Healing, rolled +2)
The mule lowers its head to the brightleaf while one goat noses the fence. The other watches Seris, ears twitching beneath the rain-bright shelter.
Seris
I know the guardians’ plants better than their people ever taught me. Useful knowledge was treated as duty, while the rest of life was left outside the lesson.
She crouches beside the gathered sprigs, sorting the brightleaf from the gray lichen and setting the mistaken pieces on the wall to dry separately.
Seris
I learned to read ward-lines before I learned to choose a meal. I learned three ways to hold a sword, but not how to say what I wanted.
The mule breathes softly between them. Beyond the garden wall, rain loosens from the leaves, and the hospice windows cast warm squares across the wet path.
Seris
That is changing now. I want roads chosen because I choose them, work that protects people who know they need protection, and companions who speak plainly with me.
Seris
So tell me, Davis. What does a life beyond Carmathen look like to you, now that you have found your way out?
“"I left trying to find something bigger than myself. To help those with the knowledge and skills I have. I also, wanted to find someone to share myself with. But no one understands the need to be moving. You seem to. That's why I was drawn to you. But forgive me if my words are to strong."”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +1)
Davis of Carmathen
I left Carmathen seeking something bigger than myself, hoping to help with the skills I have. I also wanted someone to share myself with. No one understood my need to keep moving, but you seem to. That drew me to you. Forgive me if I speak too strongly.
The rain has dwindled to a soft patter. Seris remains crouched beside the herbs, but her attention settles fully on Davis, her hand resting open against the wet wall.
Seris
You have not spoken too strongly. You have spoken plainly, and I would rather have that than another careful silence.
She rises, leaving the brightleaf and gray lichen separated between them. The guarded distance in her posture eases, replaced by a quiet steadiness.
Seris
I understand the need to move because I carry it too. And I am drawn to you for the same reason, Davis, not despite it.
Seris
So do not ask forgiveness for wanting a life that is larger, or for wanting someone beside you in it. I want to see where these roads lead with you.
“"I hear your words and they speak more than you know. I want you by my side as well." I walk towards her, looking in her eyes. Scanning to see what she feels”
FAILURE (Good Perception, rolled +0)
“"I hear your words and they speak more than you know. I want you by my side as well." I walk towards her, looking in her eyes. Scanning to see what she feels”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +1)
Davis of Carmathen
I hear your words, and they speak more than you know. I want you by my side as well.
Davis walks toward Seris through the damp garden, holding her gaze. Her shoulders loosen, and her breath catches once before settling into a calm, deliberate rhythm.
Davis of Carmathen
She is surprised, but she is not pulling away.
Seris
Then come closer. I want to know whether the man who speaks so plainly can remain just as honest when the road becomes difficult.
Seris meets him halfway, stopping within easy reach. Her smile is small but unguarded now, and her hand lifts from the wall toward his.
Seris
Tell me what you would ask of me, Davis. Not as a guardian, and not as a keeper of old burdens. As Seris.
Behind them, lamplight moves across the hospice windows as Sella and the others continue their records. In the garden, Seris waits with her hand offered and her attention wholly on Davis.
“"I can, and I will. I promise to be by your side. Whether or not you promise back." I put my hand in hers. "But if you do promise, would you promise, with a kiss?"”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +1)
Davis of Carmathen
I can, and I will. I promise to be by your side, whether or not you promise back. But if you do promise, would you promise with a kiss?
Davis places his hand in Seris’s offered hand. Her fingers close around his, and the last rain slips softly from the leaves around them.
Seris
He is asking plainly, and he is giving me the choice plainly.
Seris
I promise to stand beside you, Davis. And yes, I promise the kiss too.
Seris steps close and kisses him, gently but without hesitation. When she draws back, her forehead rests against his, and her smile carries quiet certainty.
Seris
There. A promise freely given, and a kiss to keep it company. Now tell me where you want our first road together to lead.
Warm lamplight spills across the garden path behind them. From inside the hospice, parchment rustles and voices murmur, while Seris keeps hold of Davis’s hand and waits for his answer.
“"For now, we bring truth and peace to the order. We will satisfy the ward. I will speak on behalf as a witness, and I believe that Tavren should be the leader of the order. We will see that all go smoothly. After that, I say we head east to other lands. Find those that need protection. Like Elian needed from our curse. Maybe I can learn more about magic and why I'm intwined with it."”
FAILURE (Great Willpower, rolled -3)
“"For now, we bring truth and peace to the order. We will satisfy the ward. I will speak on behalf as a witness, and I believe that Tavren should be the leader of the order. We will see that all go smoothly. After that, I say we head east to other lands. Find those that need protection. Like Elian needed from our curse. Maybe I can learn more about magic and why I'm intwined with it."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +3)
Davis of Carmathen
For now, we bring truth and peace to the order. I will witness the truth, and I believe Tavren should lead it. Then we travel east, protecting those in need while I learn more about magic and my connection to it.
Seris
He is choosing a purpose that leaves room for both duty and discovery. I can stand beside that choice.
Seris’s hand tightens around Davis’s. Through the hospice window, lamplight shifts as Sella and the others finish their copies, while the road east gleams beyond the garden wall.
Seris
Then we will speak plainly before the order, preserve the ward’s truth, and support Tavren as its leader. Afterward, I will take the eastern road with you.
The witness-mark on Davis’s palm shines once, not with warning but recognition. Beneath the hospice threshold, a second line appears beside it, recording Tavren as the order’s proposed first leader.
Tavren
I heard enough to understand the honor. I will accept leadership only as a duty to the living, and I will begin by bringing the order this complete record.
Seris
And when that work is done, we go east. Perhaps the lands beyond Bellwater hold teachers who can explain why the ward answered you so deeply.
“"Let us rest before our journey back to Bellwater. Sella, do you have enough room for all of us?" Wondering if I need to share with Seris, asI would not mind”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled -1)
Davis of Carmathen
Let us rest before our journey back to Bellwater. Sella, do you have enough room for all of us?
Davis gestures toward the hospice while keeping Seris’s hand in his. The warm house, its spare rooms, and its sheltered common room promise a quiet night before the road east.
Sella Marr
Of course. I have two guest rooms ready, and the common room can take the rest. No one here will need to sleep beneath the rain.
Sella opens the inner door and points out the arrangements: one room for Davis and Seris, another for Tavren and Iven, with the common room available if anyone prefers watch or conversation.
Seris
That sounds better than enough. I would be glad to share a room with you, Davis, if you still want my company so near at hand.
Tavren
Iven and I will take the other room. The charter can remain sealed until morning, and the road will still be waiting when we wake.
The lodging is settled without dispute. Sella gathers fresh blankets, while the others bring the tablets and charter inside, leaving the rain and Bellwater’s return journey for tomorrow.
“"Thank you again Sella. Rest well everyone." I start to get ready to sleep. Happy that I get to spend the night with Seris. Thinking about how crazy to already be getting this close to her.”
Davis of Carmathen
Thank you again, Sella. Rest well, everyone.
Sella answers with a tired smile and carries the lamp toward the inner rooms. Iven follows with the wrapped tablets, while Tavren keeps the charter close beneath his cloak.
Sella Marr
Sleep peacefully. Tomorrow will ask enough of you without borrowing anything from tonight.
Davis prepares for bed, setting aside his cloak and weapons before washing the road’s dampness from his hands. The hospice settles around him, warm and quiet.
Seris
You are smiling again. Is that because Bellwater awaits, or because we have a room to ourselves?
Seris loosens her travel things and places them neatly beside the bed. Her expression holds a teasing softness as she watches Davis finish preparing for sleep.
Seris
Whatever tomorrow brings, I am glad tonight is simple. Rest beside me, Davis. We can speak more when morning comes.
“"It is for a room to ourselves. For your kiss left me desiring more. But I also understand we must get some sleep eventually." I reach out for her, seeing if it's too fast, or too much. Maybe she wants me to court her more?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +0)
Davis of Carmathen
It is for a room to ourselves. Your kiss left me desiring more, though I understand we must sleep eventually. I reach for you, if that is not too fast, or too much. Perhaps you would rather I court you more.
Davis reaches across the quiet space between them, his hand stopping open and unforced. Seris studies the gesture, then places her fingers into his.
Seris
He is asking, not assuming. I can answer freely, and I want him to know the answer is yes.
Seris
It is not too fast, Davis. I do want more, and I do want to be courted. Let us learn each other at a pace we choose together.
She draws him nearer and kisses him again, slower this time, then rests her brow against his. Her thumb moves gently across his knuckles.
Seris
Tonight, more can mean this: staying close, speaking honestly, and sleeping without pretending desire is something shameful. Tomorrow, you may begin your courtship properly.
Seris settles beside him beneath the blankets, keeping their hands joined. The hospice remains peaceful around them as she leaves the choice of tomorrow’s first gesture between them.
“I wake still holding Seris's hand. Not wanting to leave yet, I stay there, savoring the moment.”
Morning light slips through the hospice shutters in pale bands. Davis wakes with Seris’s hand still joined to his, their quiet room unchanged around them.
Davis of Carmathen
Her hand is warm, and the hospice is still.
He does not rise. He remains beside her, letting the warmth of the bed and the steady rhythm of her breathing hold the morning at a distance.
Seris
He is still here. Not rushing toward the road, not asking the morning to take this from us.
Seris
Good morning, Davis. I think I like waking this way.
Seris opens her eyes and meets his gaze without withdrawing her hand. Beyond the door, the hospice begins to stir, but neither of them answers the first muted footsteps.
Seris
Stay a little longer. The records, Bellwater, and the eastern road will all still be there when we are ready.
“"Good morning, Seris. I like waking to see your face and your hand in mine." I lean over and pull her into an embrace.”
SUCCESS (Good Strength, rolled +3)
Davis of Carmathen
Good morning, Seris. I like waking to see your face and your hand in mine.
Davis leans over and draws Seris into an embrace. She comes willingly, her warmth settling against him as their joined hands remain between them.
Seris
He says it as plainly in the morning as he did last night. I could grow accustomed to that kind of truth.
Seris
Good morning, Davis. Then keep looking. I am here, and I am not going anywhere before you are ready.
Seris returns the embrace and rests her cheek against his shoulder. Beyond the room, footsteps pause, then retreat, granting them a few undisturbed moments.
Seris
Sella finished the first copy before dawn and set breakfast aside for us. We can leave for Bellwater with the witnessed record whenever we choose.
“I sit there for a few moments more before saying, "I'm grateful for this moment. I would very much like more of them. But we shan't keep everyone waiting too long. Are you ready?"”
FAILURE (Great Willpower, rolled -3)
“I sit there for a few moments more before saying, "I'm grateful for this moment. I would very much like more of them. But we shan't keep everyone waiting too long. Are you ready?"”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +0)
Davis of Carmathen
I am grateful for this moment. I would very much like more of them, but we shan’t keep everyone waiting too long. Are you ready?
Seris
He is willing to leave this warmth without treating it as an ending. That is the kind of promise I can trust.
Seris
I am ready. More moments like this are waiting for us, and I would rather meet them on the road than make everyone wait for our breakfast.
Seris gives his hand a final squeeze before rising. She smooths her travel clothes, then leans down to kiss him once, warmly and without hesitation, before reaching for her cloak.
In the common room, Sella has laid out bread, cheese, stewed apples, and hot tea. Iven sits beside the wrapped tablets, while Tavren stands near the door with the charter secured beneath his cloak.
Sella Marr
There you are. Eat while the food is warm, then we will read the witnessed copy aloud and send you toward Bellwater with every word accounted for.
Tavren
Once the reading is complete, I will present the record to the order. Their first duty will be to preserve it exactly as Sella witnessed it.
“"Thank you Sella. What does the account say? Also, Tavren? To appoint you as leader of the order, do I need to put anything in writing? Or will my witness in words be enough?" I eat while I wait for their responses, and I smile at Seris while we eat by each other.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +0)
Davis of Carmathen
Thank you, Sella. What does the account say? And Tavren, must I put your appointment in writing, or is my spoken witness enough?
Davis eats beside Seris while the others answer. She smiles back over the bread and tea, her shoulder resting lightly against his as morning settles around the common room.
Sella Marr
It records the seal’s conditions, the names of its makers, and every alteration made afterward. It confirms that the curse ended, the heir remains sealed, and both bloodlines are released from its claim. The final rite is still withheld, but nothing in this copy weakens the truth we witnessed.
Tavren
Your spoken witness is enough to appoint me before the order, provided Sella and Iven record that they heard it. Your mark and Tavren’s charter already establish the matter; your hand need not add another document.
Iven Tarrow
I will write your words exactly, Davis. Sella’s witnessed copy can stand beside the appointment, so the order receives both the ancient record and the living testimony that follows it.
Seris
Then your voice is enough, and the record will make it difficult for anyone to pretend they misunderstood you. That seems a fitting beginning for Tavren’s leadership.
Tavren inclines his head, accepting the burden without ceremony. Iven reaches for fresh parchment, while Sella keeps the witnessed account open beside the breakfast dishes.
“"Once all that is done, then we will depart." I motion for Tavren to speak privately. "Do you accept leading the order? If you think someone else should lead, then tell me. But if it is only your own self doubt, have my conscience telling you that I think you'd be best to lead. Do you have any objections?"”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +2)
Davis of Carmathen
Once all that is done, then we will depart. Tavren, do you accept leading the order? If you think someone else should lead, tell me. But if it is only self-doubt, let my conscience tell you that I believe you are best suited. Do you have any objections?
Davis motions Tavren toward the quiet side of the common room. Behind them, parchment and breakfast dishes remain undisturbed as the two men speak apart from the others.
Tavren
He offers this without command or flattery. He sees the duty clearly, even where I have only seen its weight.
Tavren
I accept. My objection was never to the order, but to trusting myself with its future. Your judgment answers that doubt better than any council debate could.
Tavren takes the charter from beneath his cloak and places it beside Iven’s fresh parchment. His posture straightens, not from pride, but from accepting the duty plainly offered.
Tavren
I will lead the order toward the living: preserving the record, protecting the roads, and refusing the secrecy that allowed old burdens to fester. When the writing is finished, we depart for Bellwater together.
Tavren returns to the table and signals that he is ready. Iven lowers his quill to the parchment, while the witnessed record waits to be read aloud before their departure.
Davis of Carmathen leaves Sella Marr's hospice common room behind and arrives at Bellwater.
“"Let's read the witness record. And then leave towards Bellwater."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +0)
Bellwater’s wet square gleams beneath a clearing sky. Forge smoke curls above the roofs, and the shrine bell gives three measured notes as Davis, Seris, Tavren, and Iven arrive together.
The witnessed record rests sealed in oilskin beneath Iven’s arm, its contents already read aloud and confirmed on the road. Corren Vale waits outside the forge, watching their approach.
Corren Vale
There you are. Tavren’s charter has reached the elders, and the shrine has called them to hear the record from living witnesses.
Tavren
Then they will hear it plainly. The order has a leader now, and its history will no longer depend on sealed pages alone.
Iven lifts the oilskin bundle toward the shrine steps. The doors stand open, candlelight trembling within, while fresh parchment waits on a lectern beneath the keeper’s three-point mark.
Seris
A good beginning. We brought Bellwater truth, and Bellwater has opened its doors to receive it.
The shrine bell falls silent. Tavren steps toward the open doors, Iven beside him, while Seris remains at Davis’s shoulder and the gathered town turns to listen.
“"I, Davis of Carmathen, hereby add my witness of which I am of sound mind. After sealing the imprisoned heir forever, with the help of Tavren and Seris, the need for the order has changed. Instead of watching and preparing for the heir, now, go and find other evils around the land. Find those who are in need. Find those who choose to do evil and correct them. Be the good in this world. Always be willing to help those along your way and be wary of evil that lurks. This is my testimony to all who desire something greater than themselves. Now be known as the Order of light."”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +0)
Tavren reaches the lectern, but Davis steps forward first. The shrine’s candlelight catches his raised witness-mark as the gathered witnesses fall silent.
Davis of Carmathen
I, Davis of Carmathen, of sound mind, bear witness: with Tavren and Seris, I sealed the heir forever. The order’s purpose has changed.
Davis of Carmathen
Go and find evils across the land. Aid those in need, correct those who choose evil, and be the good in this world. Be wary, and always help where you can.
The final words leave Davis’s throat rough and his composure briefly faltering. He grips the lectern until the hesitation passes, and everyone sees the cost of speaking with such force.
Davis of Carmathen
This is my testimony to all who desire something greater than themselves. Let the order be known as the Order of Light.
Tavren
I witness Davis’s testimony, and I accept its charge. From this day, we are the Order of Light, turned toward the living and every road where help is needed.
Iven Tarrow
I will write the name exactly as spoken. Bellwater’s record will carry this purpose forward.
“"Thank you Tavren, if there's anything you need, send for me and Seris. We are headed west to build a life together. Not knowing what yet. Anything to say or give us before we go?"”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled -1)
Davis of Carmathen
Thank you, Tavren. If there is anything you need, send for Seris and me. We are headed west to build a life together, though we do not yet know what that life will be. Is there anything you would say or give us before we go?
The words leave Davis’s throat steadily, but his voice catches at the promise of a life not yet shaped. He pauses, visibly gathering his composure before meeting Tavren’s eyes again.
Tavren
Then hear this: west is not an escape from duty. It is a place to decide what duty means when no order stands over your shoulder. Send for me when you need a road opened or a light carried farther.
Tavren removes a narrow silver clasp from the new charter’s binding cord. He offers it across the lectern, its three points joined by a single bright line.
Tavren
Take this. It bears the Order of Light’s first mark, not as a command, but as a promise that your work belongs among ours wherever you make your home.
Seris
We will carry it carefully. And when we find the shape of our life westward, Tavren, you will be among the first to hear what we build.
Tavren closes Davis’s fingers around the clasp. Around them, the Bellwater witnesses murmur approval, while the shrine’s fresh record waits open beneath the Order of Light’s new name.
+ New Item Acquired
Order of Light Clasp