Anarea 1-off D: Breaking the Law 7 to 26 Aval 2000
Scenario 7. (L / N)
For many years the great Valdrean Sage and Philosopher, Tandrys the Wise, dwelt in a small but comfortable house in the Gytrasan quarter of the Sacred City of Valdran, near to the Imperial Library but in an area inhabited by the Gentry. Today callers are informed by the butler (L) that his master has retired to the seaside for the sake of his health (Tandrys is well into his 90s). If the callers appear to be genuine seekers after knowledge, and they ask, the butler will direct them to the coastal town of Kappal, in Three Rivers Province. If questioned further, he will tell them that Tandrys lives in a hut a few miles up (to the North East) the coast from the town. He knows no more than this, never having been out of Valdran himself.
Kappal is a port used by the Imperial Navy, and Planists who know the location are therefore readily available to the Lord Admiral.
Castor of Bavenne is familiar with the Southern coast of the Empire, as his country estate is further up the wooded coast of Bavenne Province. But this is a few hundred miles distant from Kappal, and although Castor was friendly with Tandrys in the past, he has not kept in touch over the past few years, having been busy with the affairs of state. He does however know where Tandrys' town house is.
More accurate directions to Tandrys' current dwelling can be obtained in Kappal without particular difficulty. He lives 6 miles up the coast to the North East. There is a coastal path, easily negotiable on horseback, or one might employ a small boat.
In this region low rolling wooded hills lead down to a shingly coast, characterised by quiet coves and tiny isolated fishing villages. Here is produced smoked fish, using the local charcoal, which is exported to the tables of the Imperial Palace and the bazaars of the Free Cities. The very isolation and relative unimportance of such communities gives them a degree of freedom from the strictures of Valdrean Law and a consequent lack of the full respect that is properly due to visiting dignitaries; not that they would be unfriendly. The hamlet of Trno, 5 miles up the path from Kappal, is a case in point.
After the 6 miles one comes to an almost perfectly rounded (and thus easily recognisable) hill, which rises a couple of hundred feet above the shore. Still on the coastal path, one fords a small stream and then comes to a path branching off and up to the small grove of oak trees on the hilltop. Amidst the shelter of the oaks, and not visible until one penetrates them, is a small but comfortable log cabin: Tandrys' home in his final years. The Sage will either be found here, or walking close by.
When Tandrys becomes aware of the approach of the Law he will not seek to flee it, as he will recognise the futility of doing so from here on the Border of the Empire, at which point it will have become ineluctable (as he would say).
The Questors may not be Tandrys' only visitors. Despite the Sage's retirement, many still come seeking to learn from his wisdom; some of whom would have had difficulty reaching him in the centre of Valdran.
Lianna (L) Tandrys' old female servant. In her younger days Lianna was the madame of one of the Sacred City's leading brothels. An old (platonic) friend of Tandrys, famed in her own way for her worldly wisdom, she retired with him to the country. Though she is now in her late 60s, and running to fat, the beauty of her youth still shines out of her eyes.
Tandrys the Wise (N) Probably the greatest and wisest thinker Valdrea, or indeed the World, has ever produced, Tandrys is highly intelligent, extremely well-read, and still as quick-witted as ever, but is now physically extremely frail. He wears a plain robe and lets his thin white hair and beard grow long, because "I do not wish to disappoint the expectations of my visitors". His clear blue eyes are exceptionally piercing. He has a habit of gazing straight through those he is ostensibly addressing, to truths beyond normal ken. Tandrys is N/L and highly Faithful, but ceased worshipping any God at an early age (for reasons of conscience which he has always kept to himself). His learning is sufficient to make him L1 at all forms of Magic-Using, but he practices none. Similarly, he may be treated as L1 Ft and Th. Tandrys loves Anarea, with all its imperfections, and especially its people. He is thus firmly in the camp of Neutrality in the present Law / Chaos struggle, although he has understanding of and respect for the opposing views.
Roll d8:
|
8 |
= 3 visitors |
|
7, 6 |
= 2 visitors |
|
5, 4, 3 |
= 1 visitor |
|
2, 1 |
= 0 visitors |
(Depending on how late Tandrys is visited, some of the possibles may already have been and gone. It is also conceivable that some of them may be encountered elsewhere.)
A. Dúrin the Reckless (L) Lord of the refounded Gathol-Dválin, wielder of the Axe of SARAN (see separate Character Spec. and spreadsheet). Any recollection of a history in which this great Dwarven Hero was mortally wounded in his legendary assault upon Hell to recover the Axe is incorrect. In a World of such perfect Law, how could such a thing have happened? Dúrin was of course saved by the power of the Axe, and the legend has lived on these past 90 years. In his maturity, Dúrin has recognised the wisdom of seeking sage counsel, and now often comes to Tandrys for advice. As wielder of the Axe, he will be aware of the growing Law in Valdran. SARAN has advised him in Commune to the same effect as she did Decus XX. But Dúrin will still seek Tandrys' view, and then form his own. Such is his indomitable ego, after almost a century of unqualified adulation by Dwarfkind. Even the Axe, at this time of ascendancy of the power of Law, remains totally subservient to him. It will induce him to accept SARAN's view, but he remains first and foremost a Dwarf, and he will not easily acquiesce in the elimination of his race, even for a higher ideal. Apart from the Questors, Dúrin probably represents the greatest independent power of Law on Earth. He may therefore be open to persuasion by the Questors (in such a situation, the DM will rule whether control of him is passed to the N Player). Tandrys, who privately thinks of Dúrin as "the Young God", perceives his tragedy; that as a creation of the Law, Dúrin will, in seeking to destroy it, seek to destroy himself.
B. Archbishop Justin (N) High Priest of ESCUS in the North, Emissary of the Joint Conference of the Temples of the Gods of Heaven. The Conference opened on the 1st Aval, and soon became aware of the Law. Communes indicated they should let events take their course, but in their subsequent debate it was observed that they had not been prohibited from obtaining further information. Some delegates were uneasy about the matter, and a compromise was eventually resolved upon, whereby an emissary was to be despatched to Tandrys, by Wind Walk; both on the subject of the Law, and for his views as to how the aims of the Conference might best be achieved. The foundation of a joint Temple was Tandrys' suggestion, though his proposal envisaged one building only, in which would be assimilated all the religions. Tandrys' views on the Law will alarm Justin, who will take it upon himself to assist the Questors, though he cannot yet promise the support of the Conference. He will urge them to return with him to the Conference in Valdran (if he still believes it exists), in order to obtain that support.
C. Tasariwen ("Willow-maiden") (C) of the Calaquendi (see separate spreadsheet). A G/C High-Elf. Tandrys does not let the Empire's outlawing of Chaotics prevent him from receiving whatever guests he chooses. He would, however, draw the line, and ask her not to be present, in the event of a visit from the Emperor. Dúrin would ignore her, affecting that she is not there out of respect for his host. Tasariwen is Thief, Druid and Elementalist, an atheistic thinker and lover of Nature. She will be sympathetic to the Quest, and offer to obtain an audience for the Questors with the Elders of Mírlinnyrn, a rare privilege for the non-Elven.
Tandrys understands that the World is composed of equal parts of both Law and Chaos in a form of equilibrium; resulting in Neutrality, which cannot exist in a pure state, as can Law and Chaos. In his "Of Law and Chaos" he cited the examples he had collected or observed which illustrate this.
He has considered, in this and later writings, the possibility of the equilibrium of Law and Chaos being upset. He theorised that the result would be a Worldwide increase in Lawful or Chaotic incidents, of the kind which he described in his "Omens: their true meaning", and he did not exclude the possibility of both kinds occurring simultaneously, as his analysis showed this has happened in the past. His conclusion was that such localised effects must always be outweighed by the position Worldwide, as the whole of the World is weighed in KOROS' Balance, metaphorically speaking. Individual imbalances, he then suggested, should always be righted in the natural course. But in his more recent "Possible Futures" he went on to consider the theoretical possibility that a severe local imbalance could be sufficiently strong, on a Worldwide measure, to imbalance the Scales. He suggested that a very large scale occurrence over a wide area would be required, and he drew an analogy with the Ultimate Goal described in the Creed of SARAN, theorising (as a matter of pure hypothesis) that this might be a method of achieving such an aim.
He will question the Questors and other witnesses closely about the phenomenon of the Law at the centre of the Empire, noting its various Lawful aspects and effects, and will wish to hear their account of the efforts made to stop it. If it is not mentioned, he will ask whether an effort has been made to produce Chaotic incidents in the vicinity. He would not expect this to be effective.
Tandrys' conclusion is that somehow (and he has a fair idea of how) the Empire has become so Lawful that it is distilling pure Law at its centre. To him this poses the interesting question of where is all the corresponding Chaos going? For, he theorises, if the Law, or Chaos, of the World becomes concentrated, or saturated, in its pure state, then the displaced, or evaporated, Chaos, or Law, must go somewhere. He questions his audience whether they have heard any reports of a surge of Chaos in the World, of the scale which he believes should result. He has not heard of any such phenomenon.
It is quite possible that Chaos of this scale could have broken out in the Underworld (yes, it really does exist), without news reaching the Overworld (as he calls it). Yet Tandrys would have expected KOROS to have mentioned it in Commune. Was He/She asked the right questions?
The alternative, Tandrys considers, would be for the Chaos to be pushed completely outside the World; into the stars. His observations of the sky reveal no evidence of this, however. (Tasariwen will confirm.) This puzzles him, but in a way the lack of evidence of a build-up of Chaos is reassuring.
Nevertheless, Tandrys is "most concerned". For the thought that troubles him even more than the phenomenon of the Law is this conception that the most dangerous situation is where each of the Law and Chaos in the world are "building up" in separate locations, and, from the alarming growth-rate of the Law, he fears that this is what may now be happening. Such a phenomenon would tear the World apart at an increased rate, although he does not pretend to understand the workings of it. He theorises that the build-ups of Law and Chaos would be linked in some way; one fuelling the other, in accordance with his theory of the by-products having to go somewhere.
He therefore suggests that stopping the one may well stop the other also. Whilst only the Law is presently located, he suggests that, if indeed it exists, the Chaos will, by its very nature, be the more amenable to outside influence. The Law, on the other hand, will, by its very nature, most probably be unstoppable by direct influence, whilst it is fuelled by, and discharging into the Chaos.
If asked how one might attempt to influence pure Chaos, Tandrys will, upon consideration, suggest that whilst anyone might of course have a chance, it would require a ChaosMaster to exercise sufficient control over the Chaos to give the best probability of success.
As for the cause of the problem, Tandrys may well recall the original inspiration for his "Possible Futures" (although he did not mention the incident in the book, for reasons which will be apparent). Some 12 years ago, when he still dwelt in Valdran, Tandrys was consulted by the young Narsus of Aven, identical and elder twin brother of Decus XX, and so Crown Prince to his father the Emperor Narsus VI of Aven. Narsus VII was then 12½ years old; exactly. He and his brother were about to be initiated into their Paladinhood, in an excess of Lawfulness which had proved too much for Narsus. Tandrys encouraged the Prince's rebellion against the authority of the Imperial Family because he feared that extremism of this sort could lead to an over-concentration of Law. He fears he has been proved right, despite the disappearance of the heir presumptive.
He had hoped the disruption this must have caused would have countered the extreme Lawfulness, but apparently not. Tandrys has not seen Narsus since. If questioned further about him, he will admit that he gave Narsus sufficient hints to contact the Chaotic rebels in the New City of Valdran, of whom he then had some knowledge. He may also direct the Questors to the Chaotics if they ask how they might best seek to promote Chaotic incidents in the vicinity of the Law. Lianna will have some further knowledge on this subject, but they will be unsure how far the Chaotics managed to survive the massacre with which the Great Riot of 1997 was quelled.
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