81 Trial
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10th October 2023

It started with Maria Sophia. Jack tested her knowledge of Puerto Blanco and the alleged connection with the Legba. She knew of them and the danger they posed. She would be all the more careful therefore. She agreed she would undertake an investigation in Puerto Blanco. Her accomplices were released and a dead drop arrangement agreed so she could keep in touch.

Od Sarnai agrees to go and tend what will become the Winter Garden. A herald arrived from the tribe as arranged. Sir Henry, Kat and Jack agree to take part but Henry backs out when he sees the horses.

Wind. The Hadanosani Confederacy were composed of horse tribes Jack realised. The first trial was a horse race therefore, three times around the long course that had been laid out with gayly fluttering pennants around the great bowl in the ground. You had to tap them as you went past.
Most seem to be floundering a little, some of them had blown their nags straight away, or had missed pennants in their haste; it was all a bit chaotic. Kat on the other hand was bringing up the rear. Jack coaxed a last burst out of his mount to win it. Kat overhauled the rest of the field to finish a creditable second, while the one tribal contender remaining came in a close third. So it was that those three were to go on to the next trial.

Cunning. There were three boxes, one with a gold plate, one silver and one lead. One of the boxes had to be chosen from this clue:
Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart or in the head? How begot, how nourish-ed?

He chose lead, but with little confidence. Kat chose silver. Jack’s guess was the right one. As was the Tribal competitors, so three became two.
Patience. There was a door above which was a spiral of numbers, one to twenty. A pedestal stood marked with a dozen symbols which could be rotated and in the centre there was a button.

A countdown started, a voice proclaiming each number solemnly. Illuminated letters turned red went it reached ten. The countdown got to eight before his rival cracked and pressed the button. The countdown reset. Jack worked out that pressing when the right symbol was aligned with the arrow should open the door, but which symbol was it? He recognised the symbology. In this set of symbols, the snake was evil, the owl night, the dolphin represented water, the baby the Future. The chameleon was a creature that hunted by blending in with the background until its prey came into range, waiting until then before striking. It represented patience. He turned the symbols until the Chameleon was aligned and then pressed the button.

The countdown went all the way to zero, the door opened with a click. Jack made it to the door first.
“You have won Jack of the Hythe.,” said the herald. “The Mask of Kuman is our highest honour and it is now yours.”

82 Phoenix
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14th October 2023

Jack made a nice and short speech accepting the Mask. The wearer of the helm inspired much respect with the Horse Tribes and so after a bit of discussion he ascertained that seven hundred of the Confederacy had sworn to follower the wearer of the Mask.  They followed the helmet, not the man, and if the deeds of the one bearing the helmet were mighty then more would join the cause.

He saw the Duchess with Henry and presented her with the helmet.

“Your Grace, this is yours, won on your behalf. Whoever wears it directly commands seven hundred saddles. I know you will put it to good use.” He bowed formerly and handed her the helmet.
Morven was in a good mood and Jack enjoyed her teasing of Henry on the matter of the trials.
He agreed to Morven’s request that his engineers who had completed the telegram wire to Vlach be utilised in assisting her in further work, there was doubtless plenty of endeavours they could lend their expertise to.

Then it was time for the celebration and a good time was had by all as minstrels played and the great fire in the hall crackled and the flames danced. The festivities began to wind down, there were one or two fellows well into their cups but Jack was sober as a judge. He stared into the fire as he began to consider turning in, a little tired from the events of the day, when he saw a shimmering growing in the air by the fire, a shimmering that became a shape.

Just her shape was enough for him. He stood up in amazement, as stepping out of the fire came the spectral image of Tyche, her hair blowing as if in a wind, wild and ethereal as it had when she had haunted him. He moved towards her, oblivious to all around him but her, daring to reach out, touch her.

He found he could touch her. She was flesh. He pulled her into a tight embrace. She could remember little and then she could not remember Hydrassa at all. Like a dream it was all fading from her. There is a happy reunion and her exile in the city beneath forgotten.

The next morning, they considered the matter of the Twilight Order. To contact them required they enter Port Royal and that they couldn’t do, they were known and the approaches were watched.  Jack recollected something that might just address that, one of the very first things that he had discovered upon joining the band. There had been a ring and a map. A map that showed a vast network of otherworldly tunnels that crisscrossed Grimnest. It had belonged to Nineveh’s father and he asked if she still had it. She did, and began scouting out possible safe routes to the city.
After some intensive forge work Jack had the pleasure of being able to lift Fliss off the table without straining his back in the process. Fliss was just a touch sore but she was a light as her lithe frame warranted. She would doubtless be faster and more agile in consequence with the added benefit of not wearing out the furniture so quickly.

After studying the map, Miles showed them part of the route meant they exited in Lord Emsworth’s estates, outside the ward around Port Royal.