At the end of the ritual. The Torenthi priest Paulos feigned being fatigued as the others. Even though he wasn't. He had used their energy to complete the task at hand instead of his own. Dispelling the spells within the ruby were child's play really. It cost him nothing since he was the one that set them in the first place. But restoring Washburn's memories. That was the hard task. Fortunately they were well preserved and hidden.
There was a moment he thought the deception might be detected by Lady Aliset. She was indeed the most skilled Deryni of the group, and that made her dangerous to his overall plans. Fortunately she didn't fully understand the working. It was looped back on itself enough times to make it confusing to follow.
Returning to his room, he had quietly packed the things he needed to take with him and waited for the village to be deeply asleep before he made his way out. He has penned the note for Father Michael to explain his absence in the morning. He knew Father Michael well enough that it would be believable to him.
Fortune smiled as Father Paulos made his quiet journey to the stables. He woke the stable boy who wasn't fully asleep, gave him the note and had him saddle his horse. The boy watched as Father Paulos rode out of the village and out of sight.
At that point Father Paulos unsaddled the horse and let it go, hiding the saddle where it wouldn't be found without someone actually looking for it. One of the Order's agents would retrieve it at a latter time. He then made his way back toward the village and old well.
He didn't know that he had been spotted briefly by a waking Washburn. Even if he was spotted there was nothing anyone could have done. He would disappear down the old well and be gone before the village could summon anyone to help search for him.
Father Paulos climbed down the hidden ladder of the old well and reached the bottom, standing in the silt as he reached out his mind to touch the Portal. He made an adjustment to it so it would be open also to Washburn's mind. And left him a message as well. Something to entice him and make him wonder more about the Order.
And then with a brief exhale and a shake of his head the image of Father Paulos was gone and the man standing on the Portal was Feyd, master of assassins. He balanced the energies of the Portal with another and vanished from the old well.
Ah ha! I knew Father Paulos was Feyd. I do hope he takes a nice puddle of muddy silt with him to his next portal jump and they tell him to clean it up. Of course he will order a minion to do it. but one could hope. LOL
So Paulos was Feyd. Always sorta thought so but he was very slippery. So he escaped via the portal in the well but where did he go? Did he return to the Order's HQ. And what is his overall nefarious plan. He may still be pursuing Wash to get him to join the Order but I don't see that happening. And what about his revenge? Don't suppose he has given up on that. Hmmmm more questions.
Feyd, a master at using Portals, blinks into existence at one of the Order's safe houses. The city wasn't yet awake as it was early in the morning. Here Feyd took inventory of the provisions of the safe house. He traded his priestly clothes for something less noticeable in a crowd. More along the lines of a prosperous merchant. His boots needed to be cleaned as well as the Portal floor having both covered in a bit of the silt from the old well.
He took his time. As he would not be traced this time. No one was in a rush looking for him this time. Even so the Portal was closed to all but members of the Order. Even if they figured out that he was in the city by the river. Right under the nose of the Haldanes. But the Earl of Carthane wasn't looking for Feyd or Father Paulos. And like many of Gwynedd's lords he was probably away attending to war.
And here Feyd stays for a few days. Tending to restocking the safe house of the provisions that he is taking with him. Getting news from the war in Meara. And seeing to the business of the Order and its agents in Gwynedd.
Now what will our dear Master Feyd be up to next? And under the nose of the Haldanes. Very interesting....
Some of those lines are a clue to where he is located.
Oh my goodness, I think he is in Nyford. That can't be a good thing but probably a good location for one of the Order's safe houses and a good place to hatch another plot.
DerynifanK, I do think that you have the right location. A couple days of peace and then I foresee some trouble brewing. What is Feyd up to?
I don't know but nothing good I am sure. I am very suspicious.
Well since this is technically still at the same time as GotP. We will just have to wait until that catches up some more before I add information here.
It was several days later. Feyd had time to refresh and gather his thoughts before leaving the Nyford safe house. And now he sat at the head of the oblong table in the dimly lit room, some papers in front of him and in front of others that were around the table.
"We need to step up our program to free Gwynedd" he was saying to others. "They still have few Deryni priests so we can begin there. Get a few more Deryni ordained who would be sympathetic to our cause, and then there is the Schola in Rhemuth. It is still young and in need of many things including skilled Deryni instructors. Many are coming from Torenth or the Connait as it is since Gwynedd has a dearth, of skilled Deryni."
Feyd cuts through several objections and arguments. "We have long known that the Corwyn line had healer blood in it. And since Alaric Morgan, that healing power has returned to Gwynedd. And the youngest son, Washburn, can block Deryni powers. Something we long believed was done during the aftermath of the Haldane Restoration."
Again Feyd has cut through objections over the plans being laid before the others. Now he stands at his place at the table. "Enough! Now is the time we take action. For more than 200 years we have quietly watched from the shadows, taken little action save something here or there. Now is when we will begin to free Gwynedd and the rest of the Deryni of the Eleven Kingdoms from the yoke. And we will give his majesty King Kelson a gift."
He sits back down at the table. "Before the year is out. My best bloodhounds are already moving through the Mearan highlands. They will find that human fool Brioc who dared to cheat the Order. Even Lord Iain with his skills won't be able to find him, but my hounds will. The Order will end the Mearan question for all time. And King Kelson will be in our debt."
WHOA! Ho Ho! My oh my, What indeed is Feyd's ultimate plan. and he sure wants to stir trouble into Gywnedd.
Good one, Bynw. Love it.
Just when we thought it was safe to breathe freely...
I still like Feyd & think he is not really a villain, although he has a darker side to him than most of the characters we like. Still want to see more of him, please.
I'm happy that Feyd has at least one fan out there.
Oh dear! If Brioc's elimination ends the Mearan question forever, what of Sidana?
Quote from: Jerusha on March 30, 2021, 03:31:26 PM
Oh dear! If Brioc's elimination ends the Mearan question forever, what of Sidana?
Sidana's powers are blocked. The only known blocker in 11 kingdoms is Washburn in order to restore her powers. Kelson will see to it that she doesn't have a chance to wreck havoc. He has ordered the execution of others to prevent a Mearian uprising in the past. That would be the extreme option but there would be others all within his character.
It is safe to assume that she wont be an issue or have issue that would be a challenge to the throne. That only leaves Brioc since any other is getting too far removed from the Mearian line to be a legitimate claim.
I'm happy to see more of him, just nowhere near Gwynedd. In Balance of Power Evie suggested there was a southern island not discovered for many centuries after Kelson's time, complete with venomous animals. Maybe Feyd could be an early explorer.
Oh my, what is Feyd up to now? Just how does he plan to "free" the Deryni? Although I have no sympathy for Brioc, I hope whatever Feyd has planned does not undo all the work Kelson has done to improve human-Deryni relations. Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this. I have never been really sure about Feyd but his Order is made up of assassins, medieval hit men. I can't feel that Brioc is the main target of Feyd's revenge.
I knew it was too quiet.
Quote from: Bynw on March 30, 2021, 01:28:43 PM
It was several days later. Feyd had time to refresh and gather his thoughts before leaving the Nyford safe house. And now he sat at the head of the oblong table in the dimly lit room, some papers in front of him and in front of others that were around the table.
"We need to step up our program to free Gwynedd" he was saying to others. "They still have few Deryni priests so we can begin there. Get a few more Deryni ordained who would be sympathetic to our cause, and then there is the Schola in Rhemuth. It is still young and in need of many things including skilled Deryni instructors. Many are coming from Torenth or the Connait as it is since Gwynedd has a dearth, of skilled Deryni."
Feyd cuts through several objections and arguments. "We have long known that the Corwyn line had healer blood in it. And since Alaric Morgan, that healing power has returned to Gwynedd. And the youngest son, Washburn, can block Deryni powers. Something we long believed was done during the aftermath of the Haldane Restoration."
Again Feyd has cut through objections over the plans being laid before the others. Now he stands at his place at the table. "Enough! Now is the time we take action. For more than 200 years we have quietly watched from the shadows, taken little action save something here or there. Now is when we will begin to free Gwynedd and the rest of the Deryni of the Eleven Kingdoms from the yoke. And we will give his majesty King Kelson a gift."
He sits back down at the table. "Before the year is out. My best bloodhounds are already moving through the Mearan highlands. They will find that human fool Brioc who dared to cheat the Order. Even Lord Iain with his skills won't be able to find him, but my hounds will. The Order will end the Mearan question for all time. And King Kelson will be in our debt."
I wish we had some idea of what Feyd's plan is. What does he mean by "freeing the Dryni in the Eleven Kingdoms"? Sounds like he may send some of his order to serve as instructors in the Schola. Not sure how that would affect the instruction given. Is he planning for Deryni but not Festils to again rule Gwynedd?
Quote from: DerynifanK on March 31, 2021, 10:07:50 AM
I wish we had some idea of what Feyd's plan is. What does he mean by "freeing the Dryni in the Eleven Kingdoms"? Sounds like he may send some of his order to serve as instructors in the Schola. Not sure how that would affect the instruction given. Is he planning for Deryni but not Festils to again rule Gwynedd?
Feyd's plan is outside the overall scope of Ghosts of the Past. Maybe another game session/campaign that I run will answer more of that question.
He means just that ... freeing the Deryni in the Eleven Kingdoms.
They are very talented Deryni and will serve the Schola well. Gwynedd hasn't had any formal Deryni instructional institution in centuries. It will be good. Teach the Deryni children their full potential.
Well the Deryni DO rule Gwynedd currently. Kelson Haldane is Deryni after all through his mother and and some past ancestors too. Deryni blood has been in the Haldane line for a long long time after all. But in the direct context related to Feyd. That would be telling.
Nothing like a gripping trailer for what is to come....