IN THE GARDEN OF MAYOR TERRHVYSS’ HOME, OUTSIDE THE MAIN ENTRANCE

NETLIEN

Finally! The top of the stairs! Of course the mayor’s home has to be the tallest and most ostentatious structure on the highest hill of Rachar, doesn’t it?

The front garden here is lovely  but his home is…. strange. Gilded and gaudy, of course, a high fence topped with spikes around it. At least it’s not melting or collapsing or turning inside-out like any other building you’d find in this poor excuse for a city. But what’s up with this house? It’s like it’s in some sort of cage. Not the kind to keep things out or in, but the kind that supports the thing it encompasses, like when a tree is too heavy with fruit.

Someone’s approaching. Look at this guy. He sure does have an air of, I guess I would say, significance about him. Clearly not the Mayor, no augmentations as Humner had described. Time to employ the old enchantment ability and hope it gets me inside.

(to KASERA)

Excuse me?

KASERA

Yes?

NETLIEN

Is this the Mayor’s home?

KASERA

It is. What of it?

NETLIEN

Oh, I’ve always heard about its magnificence so I figured while in Rachar I would treat myself with the opportunity to take it in.

KASERA

I see. Well, if you’ll excuse me–

NETLIEN

What a delight it would be if I were to actually get to meet the Mayor! A man so highly regarded, a friend of King Noren tiKalloban himself!

KASERA

I’m sure. Now if you don’t mind–

NETLIEN

Netlien. It’s a pleasure to meet you, er…

A moment passes as KASERA takes NETLIEN’s hand and her enchantment ability washes over him.

KASERA

(clearly a shift in attitude as the enchantment takes effect)

Kasera. Chiurgeon Kasera. The pleasure is mine.

NETLIEN

Chiurgeon! Oh my! Are you the mayor’s personal chiurgeon?

KASERA

(somewhat boastfully)

That I am.

NETLIEN

Wow! So is the mayor okay? What is the cause for his chiurgeon to have to come visit?

KASERA

I’m sorry, I can’t discuss matters of the mayor’s health, er… what did you say your name was?

NETLIEN

Netlien.

KASERA

Ah, yes. Netlien. A name that dances on the tongue like the taste of fresh hilaberry extract.

NETLIEN

Well aren’t you sweet? Like hilaberry extract.

KASERA

(suddenly embarrassed)

Please forgive me. I did not mean to be so forward as to bring you to tears.

NETLIEN

Oh, it’s not that. It’s a condition I have. There must be numenera close by…

KASERA

Ah, you’re a sensitive!

NETLIEN

Well, not ordinarily. Explain?

KASERA

One who is particularly sensitive to the emanations of numenera. I happen to be carrying several pieces with which to…

(reconsiders finishing the sentence)

Eh, no matter.

NETLIEN

Please, go on. Are you providing the Mayor with numenera? Actually it’s common knowledge that he has a propensity to collect all sorts of artifacts. As I hear it, he is intent on ridding the world of the dangers of the numenera.

KASERA

Can I tell you a secret, Netlien? I have this overwhelming sense that you can be trusted to keep one’s confidence.

NETLIEN

I’m all to familiar with the art of confidence, I assure you.

KASERA

It’s true, the Mayor does collect numenera. He has scores of artifacts in a vault on his property. But it’s not that he abhors the numenera. He wishes to employ it to enhance his body!

NETLIEN

You mean like he did with his eye and his hand?

KASERA

Oh, even more of his body utilizes the prior world technology beyond that. You see, the most optimal means of integrating the numenera into the flesh is biotechnology! Let me show you something… see this? This leg is comprised of pliable synth and biocircuitry. The Mayor will be quite pleased to have this added to his body once he is well again.

NETLIEN

Oh no! Is the Mayor suffering an illness?

KASERA

I’m afraid so, yes. I must attend to his convalescence before I can introduce any further augmentations. As you can imagine, His Honor is quite impatient for me to have him on the mend so we can proceed with his “improvements”.

NETLIEN

Do you suppose it’s the augmentations that are making him ill?

KASERA

I have considered this as a distinct possibility. I’ve even suggested such to the Mayor but he won’t hear it.

NETLIEN

Hmm.

(beat)

I believe that may be the case, based on my experience. I’m afraid he would have to forego any more enhancements lest he falls into a deeper illness. If he’s not willing to give up either his enhancements or his collection of numenera, I’m not sure anything can be done for him.

KASERA

Why would he have to give up his collection? Explain.

NETLIEN

(carefully at first, creating the story until the rest flows naturally)

Well, not his entire collection, hopefully. You had keenly observed I am a… what did you call it, “sensitive”? I’ve been hired for this ability of mine in the past, you know. In fact, there was a situation not dissimilar to His Honor’s in which I ascertained some numenera had struck an entire village with an illness. Several artifacts in the possession of a delve was emanating an energy that conflicted with the numenera powering the village’s water collecting installation. The clash of prior world effects was creating a deleterious effect to the villagers. Removing the artifacts resolved the illness in short order.

MAYOR

(calling from a balcony of his house)

Kasera! Will you stand there chattering in my garden while I quietly suffer and die inside?

KASERA

(calling back)

I will soon be along, Your Honor! I’m consulting with someone here over your predicament.

MAYOR

Well, finish your consulting and be quick about it!

The MAYOR goes in and doors close behind him

NETLIEN

Let me propose this, Kasera: why don’t you bring me into the Mayor’s compound and I can employ my abilities as a sensitive to determine which of these numenera items are contributing to his demise? Then the Mayor can decide if it is his artifacts or his augmentations he wishes to keep.

Doors open, MAYOR returns

MAYOR

Dammit, Chiurgeon, will you not assist me? Must I come and have my examination in the garden?

Moment of hesitation, then Kasera calls back

KASERA

This investigator here has just suggested to me a possible solution to your… situation, Sir!

MAYOR

Well, bring her with you then!

KASERA

Never have I felt such confidence and trust in a stranger. I can feel your wisdom and integrity radiating from you.

NETLIEN

I get that a lot.

KASERA

Would you be willing to help discover the offending artifacts, if I could borrow some of your time?

NETLIEN

Well it would be an absolute honor and delight to meet the Mayor. However, I can’t promise I’ll find anything definitively.

KASERA

It’s worth the effort. Let’s not keep His Honor waiting. Come.

The large doors to the home can be heard opening and they enter

INSIDE THE MAYOR’S HOME – HIS OFFICE

KASERA

Your Honor, allow me to introduce Netlien, an investigator who has shared a bit of her wisdom with me that might help to resolve your situation.

MAYOR

An investigator, eh? You believe you will have better luck than a chiurgeon at finding the cause of what ails me?

NETLIEN

(attempting to sound a bit more refined in speech)

The question is, will you listen when I tell you? I might just find that something needs to be removed to resolve your current state of health. What has yet to be seen is your willingness to do so.

MAYOR

I would say it is you who ought to be removed for your impertinence, but somehow I feel reassured by your presence.

NETLIEN

Thank you, Your Honor. It is a great pleasure to meet a leader whose reputation precedes him as does yours. So it surprises me to say while both in body and spirit you seem hearty, I see your difficulty catching a deep breath.

MAYOR

I fish for every breath in a dwindling sea.

NETLIEN

Yet your mind is clear and sharp.

MAYOR

Are you distraught in finding me in such a state, Inspector? I notice your eyes haven’t stopped tearing up since you arrived.

NETLIEN

Perhaps it is my sorrow at seeing such a devoted leader laid flat, sir. But no, it is your augmentations.

MAYOR

Do not pity me.

NETLIEN

Far from it, I assure you, Your Honor. I am, as your dear chiurgeon has referred to me, a “sensitive”. My eyes are simply responding to the emanations of the numenera in your artificial eye and hand, and whatever other augmentations are concealed by cloak and clothing.

MAYOR

It is a necessity. It is as close as I can come to feeling whole. To have a clawed hand is better than to have not a hand.

NETLIEN

Actually, it’s fine work, tailored to your body and needs. Elegant, even.

MAYOR

It’s ugly.

NETLIEN

To the untrained eye, perhaps. But I suspect they both serve you as well, if not better, than the ones nature supplied. Beauty is a fine value; the ability to do one’s job with grace and power is even greater.

MAYOR

You understand.

NETLIEN

I know that sacrifices must often be made; willingness to give up aesthetics for utility is rare. But I’m sure your citizens appreciate it.

MAYOR

Hardly. Women gathering their children to their skirts as I go by; men crossing to the other side of the street to avoid catching my eye-

KASERA

Out of respect, Mayor. Not fear.

NETLIEN

Deference can feel like defense.

MAYOR

Mmmm. I never considered that.

NETLIEN

Do you know, I’ve seen a sickening like this before – you feel a gradual weakening? Energy diminishes over time, slowly at first but then accelerating? Skin turns whiter? Appetite changes to crave sweets over everything?

MAYOR

Yes! Exactly this! Do you already know the cause?

NETLIEN

I do, but it hardly seems relevant.

MAYOR

Why not?! If the same is happening with me as you’ve seen before…

NETLIEN

I doubt the conditions are repeated here, your honor. It was

a very rare case. Took me weeks to determine the cause.

MAYOR

What was it? Tell me!

KASERA

Please, Netlien. It will be of use for him to know.

NETLIEN

I just can’t imagine it’ll matter here, and I don’t wish to raise false hopes.

MAYOR

Inspector, I can barely raise my arms. And such small hopes as anyone could raise amongst such despair as mine could hardly crush us if they fall.

NETLIEN

Very well. In my previous case, the culprit turned out to be a rare artifact that was in disharmony with the numenera that powered   their water collector.

MAYOR

An artifact? How did you know it was the cause of the illness?

NETLIEN

Process of elimination, in the end. We determined when the sickening began and removed anything that had been introduced around that time, or shortly before. Once we removed this particular piece, the village began to recover almost immediately.

MAYOR

You said it was a “rare” piece. So not all numenera has this effect.

NETLIEN

Indeed no. It was a delve who had gained a sizeable collection of artifacts over time, and no other piece exerted the same effect. No, wait. I lie. There were two other pieces that also had to be taken away.

MAYOR

(intensely)

Describe them.

NETLIEN

The pieces shared only one thing in common that none of other numenera did: a greenish-yellow color. One was a weapon, the other…a tool for farmers, I believe; the third could turn water instantly to ice over a limited distance. Completely different, but for that color.

KASERA

And when they were removed?

NETLIEN

The reversal of the ill effects was dramatic. Inside and out.

MAYOR

What was done with the numenera?

NETLIEN

Destroyed, if memory serves. While they were useful, they caused far more harm than good.

After a contemplative pause

MAYOR

Come with me.

INSIDE THE VAULT

KASERA

By the gods, mayor; I had no idea as to the extent of your collection! Netlien, are you all right?

NETLIEN

(overwhelmed)

I am, yes. A bit stunned is all. So much numenera here!

MAYOR

Do you see any items resembling the piece you mentioned?

NETLIEN

Hmm… I can see at least three pieces with that particular color.

MAYOR

And it is your contention that these pieces may be causing my illness?

NETLIEN

I strongly suspect so, yes. Their presence is draining your life away.

MAYOR

You need to understand. It has taken me years to acquire this collection. These will someday serve to help augment my body, allowing me to do away with the weakness that is flesh. These items and their effects have survived millions upon millions of years! Imagine how long I may survive if the fragility of my skin and organs and blood were supplanted with numenera!

NETLIEN

That may be so, but these items in particular are causing you illness. If you are desperate to hold onto them then you must be willing to give up the augmentations you already have. It is their effects clashing with the emanations of your augmentations that are rendering you ill. It looks like you have three choices: give up these items, give up your current augmentations, or give up your life.

There is a very long pause

MAYOR

Very well. I will arrange to have the artifacts disposed of.

NETLIEN

Time is of the essence, Mayor. I watched that village rapidly descend into malaise due to the delve’s reticence to surrender his artifacts. I suppose I would be willing to remove them from your presence to help hasten your recovery.

MAYOR

Please, relieve me of the devices and their wretched effects, then. I have plenty enough here to continue my augmentations. I advise you to exercise caution when handling some of these, however. That one there is a powerful weapon, quick to turn on the bearer. If your fingers so much as touch the holes on top, it exudes a ring of molten glass that quickly forms a blade, slicing in half anything within the strike radius. I’ve seen it in action twice: once when a soldier threw it into a circle of enemies, killing them all. The second time when a curious child picked it up from the battlefield.

KASERA

How awful.

MAYOR

Let’s just say it sickens me in more ways than one.

NETLIEN

Thank you for the warning, Your Honor. Kasera, could you hold open this bag so I can set it in there ever so carefully, per the Mayor’s instructions?

KASERA

Surely you don’t expect to fit them all in that little satchel?

NETLIEN

Oh, this? There’s a pocket dimension inside. It was devised for me by an Aeon Priest in the Durkhal. It accommodates multiple items, rendering both their sizes and weights nominal and leaving me unencumbered for travel. Let me get these two as well… I’ll place them in here right next to the lethal one. Nice and easy. Aaanndddd…. there we are.

(she closes up the bag)

I think that’s all of the noxious ones, Mayor. If you find any other items such as these that are contraindicated with your augmentations, find them and separate them out, then I’ll send more collectors like myself to safely carry them away.

MAYOR

(suspicion is beginning to be aroused)

More? What do you mean, collectors like yourself? Or did you mean to say “inspector”?

NETLIEN

(realizing her slip, hurried)

Yes, “inspector” is what I meant to say. And now, if you’ll forgive my haste, I really don’t want to prolong your exposure to this numenera. I’ll see myself out!

NETLIEN quickly makes for the exit

MAYOR

Wait. One moment! Who is it you said you worked for? What are your credentials? Come back here!

KASERA

Your Honor, let her go. Having those items removed will slow the ill effects of–

MAYOR

Dammit, Kasera, out of my way!

KASERA

You’re in no condition to chase her, sir. Just sit, and let the healing start. That’s it. Breathe in and out. That’s right. Let’s give it some time to work.

MAYOR

If my health does not improve in the next day or two, I will have her hunted down and those devices returned to me! I will not be played by some… enchantress!

KASERA

I believe your recovery will begin and that won’t be necessary, Sir.

MAYOR

You’d better hope so, Chiurgeon. You brought her into my sanctuary and you will have to answer to that if I find no improvement in my health!

KASERA

Yes, I understand. I hope so as well.

MALEVICH

JANUAE

Upon being ushered from Tnoust’s semblage in Stirthal I was put on a small caravan of nobles headed to Neverlost. Along with my escorts I was remanded to a cramped storage wagon where we sat on trunks and small containers for the duration of the trip. I suspected the favor of meeting with Polele was not specifically granted to me, thus my escorts were there to ensure I arrived to his camp, not necessarily to ensure my safety.

After two days travel the caravan is greeted by a group of hardened looking individuals. The escorts announce to the reception party that I was sent to Polele by the Archbishop, then unceremoniously push me from the wagon and I am quickly surrounded by the group of ruffians as the caravan promptly takes its leave.

The group leads me into their encampment of even more rough looking individuals, shouting, wrestling, drinking, sleeping, playing games of chance, and who knows what else. We approach a stick thin man, bald, with orange eyes who has another person in a restraining grip, holding the other with arms locked behind them, then releases them with a shove upon seeing us approach.

ONTUS

Polele, the Archbishop has sent this one to you.

POLELE

Is that right? Why?

ONTUS

Answer him, Aeon Priest.

JANUAE

Are you the Bandit King?

The group erupts in laughter

POLELE

Am I the Bandit King? Is that how she referred to me?

JANUAE

It is, yes.

POLELE

Hear that, all? Apparently we’re a clan of bandits, and I’m your king! How do you like that?

JANUAE

Is that not correct? Are you not bandits?

ONTUS

You want to find out just what we are, Aeon Priest?

POLELE

Now, now, Ontus, don’t be rude to our guests. Remember the deal we have regarding members of the Order?

(to Januae)

What’s your name?

JANUAE

Januae.

POLELE

Well, Januae, we’re a lot of things. What good does it do applying labels to us? Labels and such are pretty… limiting.

JANUAE

You’ll have to forgive me as I’m not from around here. What is it you and your group here does?

POLELE

Whatever we need to do. We’re survivors. We’re veterans of the wars with Thaemor. We’re former prisoners who have done our time and have no place. Some of us are former slaves, even. We clear out the ugly bands of abhumans that defile the land and we ourselves keep the villages… shall we say, vigilant. We can also be persuaded to do other work as needed, work that gentler folk might not be inclined to do. We find shins and numenera quite persuasive.

JANUAE

Actually it’s just that that I’d like to talk to you about.

POLELE

Oh, really? The Order of Truth has need for our particular set of skills?

JANUAE

It sounds like the Archbishop has already been trying to employ your group for a given mission. Joining in on the crusade against the Gaians.

POLELE

She’s mentioned it. What of it?

JANUAE

I’m here to convince you not to go.

ONTUS

Who are you to tell us how we conduct our affairs?

POLELE

He’s a presumptuous Aeon Priest, that’s who he is. But I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Januae. What do you know about the crusade and why shouldn’t we go? And what do you care whether or not we do?

JANUAE

Because it’s a lie.

ONTUS

What do you mean it’s a lie?

POLELE

Are you telling me there is no crusade?

JANUAE

There are certainly plans for a crusade, yes. But the reasoning behind it is a lie. It’s not because the Gaians are a threat to the Steadfast. They pose no threat whatsoever.

POLELE

And why’s that?

JANUAE

I’ve been there. I’ve met them. They are harmless. They know nothing of the Steadfast.

POLELE

And you don’t want to see the crusade launched against innocent people, is that it?

JANUAE

That’s exactly it.

POLELE, ONTUS, and the others break into laughter again

POLELE

Oh the poor innocents! Let’s not move against them since they mean us no harm!

ONTUS

Far be it for us to hurt innocent people!

POLELE

Who cares if there are riches to gain, spoils to take? You know what? Maybe because they are innocent people their spoils are worth far less!

The laughter continues

JANUAE

What kind of people are you?

POLELE

(through subsiding laughter)

What kind of people do you think we are? Perhaps we’re innocents!

JANUAE

I suspect you really are bandits. And you are their bandit king.

POLELE

Oh, come now. I am far from being a king. Don’t you know, Norvik is the king of Malevich?

JANUAE

So what then? You’re actually going to join this crusade so you can pillage the people of the Spiritlands?

POLELE

Well Tnoust did make it sound awful tempting, but no. Do you have any idea how far that is?

JANUAE

Actually, I do.

POLELE

Then you can probably see why the payoff wouldn’t be worth the trip. Traveling all the way through Thaemor, then Navarene, up to their northern border, then through the Cloudcrystal Skyfields? Getting to the border is a trek unto itself, and beyond that… no thank you. The Cloudcrystal Skyfields is no joke, from what I’ve heard. All that for a few shins and some halfway decent weapons? We stand to lose far more than we’d gain.

JANUAE

So you won’t be going on the crusade?

ONTUS

Did you listen to anything he just said?

POLELE

She can’t convince us to join the crusade and you didn’t really convince us not to. However, just to make sure this wasn’t a total waste of yours and my time, let me have you do something while you’re here. Ontus, bring a couple of pieces of numenera over here.

ONTUS retrieves a few cyphers from a nearby crate containing other goods and hands them to JANUAE

POLELE

You can tell us what these are, right?

JANUAE

I can. Let me take a look here for a moment…

(after a few moments)

This one looks like it’s shaped to fit a hand, but not a human one. See there’s seven indents? Basically it makes a handle.

POLELE

A… handle?

JANUAE

Yes. You draw your thumb along this ridge and the two bent ends will adhere to anything, creating a handle.

ONTUS

Garbage.

POLELE

Maybe not. What if I were to, say, adhere this handle to… I don’t know, a person, or an abhuman?

JANUAE

By virtue of the molecular bond it has to create in order to permanently adhere to anything, it would not be pretty.

POLELE

Let’s keep it. Might be fun to see how it “handles” somebody. How about the other two?

JANUAE

Okay… this one hardens light… reflects, mirrors? Copies? Ah, yes. So it would essentially replicate a reflection of a weapon such as a verred or sword into hard light, creating an identical weapon that echoes the moves of the original weapon, essentially doubling it. It might even last an entire twenty-eight hours.

POLELE

Nice! As for the last one?

ONTUS

Point that jar away from us if you plan on opening it!

JANUAE

From the looks of it I don’t think it’s going to explode or anything’s going to spring out. It’s like a thick grease in there, see? Okay… hmm… well, I’m pretty sure it softens stone for a short period to about the consistency of clay. Works up to about two meters thick, I’d guess.

POLELE

Well done.

ONTUS

I’ll take those back, thank you.

POLELE

Okay, now that you’ve quelled my curiosity there’s just one more thing I want to clear up.

JANUAE

What’s that?

POLELE

Tell me why you’re so set against the Amber Pope’s plans. Aren’t you worried about getting kicked out of the Order?

JANUAE

No, because I chose to leave the Order on my own accord due to this unethical crusade. I cannot be part of an organization that would condone such an immoral cause.

POLELE

Yet you still wear its emblem.

JANUAE

It’s what I was given to wear.

POLELE

No worries, we’ll give you something else to wear. You know, you’re going to come in pretty handy.

JANUAE

While I’d like to help you out, I need to-

POLELE

I couldn’t figure out why Tnoust sent you to us. Then it occurred to me you’re likely not an Aeon Priest any more. It was apparent she sent you to us as a gift. You must have really pissed her off.

JANUAE

A gift? No, no, she told me I could convince you not to join the crusade.

POLELE

While pretending you’re still in the Order. I’m sure she didn’t like that. You know you should have just lied to me about it. We have a deal to leave the Priests alone. But since you’re no longer one we can use a nano to identify all the numenera we’ve been acquiring as of late.

JANUAE

I really do wish I could help you, but I’m on a mission to–

POLELE

Don’t worry, we treat our… guests quite well here. You’re free to do whatever you like during your stay with us. All we ask is that you identify and determine the effects of any numenera we present to you and that you stay until we no longer need your services.

JANUAE

All you “ask”? Does that mean I’m at liberty to decline?

POLELE

Of course. You always have a choice. Just remember, choices have consequences.

ONTUS

And you won’t like the consequence of leaving before you’ve outlived your usefulness with us. Let’s just say you won’t outlive anything if you try to.

POLELE

Need I put a finer point on it?

JANUAE

I don’t think so. Not really much of a choice if you ask me.

POLELE

You say Kai, I say Key. Everything comes down to choice. Welcome to our crew. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll go ahead and help myself to that bracer of yours.

JANUAE

The bracer? Please, no. It’s all have to my name.

POLELE

You can take it off and hand it to me or we can cut off your arm at the elbow. I figure you can still identify numenera with only one hand.

JANUAE

(takes off the bracer and hands it to POLELE)

Fine. Here.

POLELE

Thank you. See? I told you, you always have a choice.