Revelations

As the inhabitants of Sapience glanced up at the familiar constellations on the night of the 11th of Lanosian before returning to their toil or their rest, none could possibly foretell the peculiar and extraordinary happenings the morrow would bring....

The 12th of Lanosian, year 105 of the Midnight Age, dawned much like every other day. Tasks both important and frivolous were undertaken as the sun rode across the sky, and both weapons and flagons were raised as the night sky reclaimed the land. But unnoticed by most, the symbolic hourglass neglected to turn at the moment of midnight. While lives continued unheeding of the portentous omission, the sun rose a second time on the 12th of Lanosian.

Again the cycle of day and night turned, and again the calendar paid no heed. Restless, querying shouts began to ring out across the land as the day stretched to twice, thrice, four times its usual duration and more. Nearly a dozen sets of sunrises and sunsets passed, the date stubbornly, unprecedentedly remaining inert. Then, the voice of Apollonia, the beautiful but enigmatic Oracle, shouted to the continent her profound despair at the loss of her second sight, caused by the failure of the heavens to continue in their usual motions.

A group quickly clustered at Apollonia's small hut in the deep Mannaseh Swamp, attempting to console her and probing without success her knowledge of the troubling events of the ever-lengthening date. Unexpectedly, the astrologer Elenina arrived on the scene, having interrupted her stargazing atop the watchtower in the Valley of Kalebb and hastened to the Oracle's side. She spoke of the signs she had seen in the sky - the stars reversing their courses midway through the night, tracing anew their already-travelled paths when the next darkening of the prolonged 12th of Lanosian came.

Combining her interpretation of the auguries with Apollonia's desperate need for news of any omens, Elenina sent the assembled people to various sites of power. While she remained behind to care for the distraught young girl, the men and women of Aetolia scattered to seek the most significant landmarks of the realm and await whatever signs might be revealed. And revealed they were, as for four sunsets and four sunrises, a quintet of locales in Shastaan, the Putoran Hills, the Mhojave Desert, the Isle of Polyargos, and the Aalen forest produced vision upon vision that slowly, through the efforts of many, combined into a cohesive interpretation of the strange events.

The tenacity of many Aetolians was in evidence on this long day, many of whom showed exemplary devotion to unravelling the mystery presented. Winger stood watch at the Tenebrous Glass as it displayed images of a rope-cleaving sword in its misty glass and a bowl-shaped altar in its falling sand. Seeing such an image himself, Lamar journeyed to a Fulgent Prototype and witnessed the orrery repeating its motions in resonance with the stars and susurrating words of truth and mystery. Thalian saw these and the Ruby Sphinx too, who spoke similar words and whose side flashed a view of the sealed Inner Gate of Spinesreach. Prompted by similar experiences, Alsai travelled to the Demon Mirror to find its turbulent waters frothing into symbols of Lanos, Lord of Truth, and a likeness of the fortified Citadel. And Nevle journeyed from the desert to the Garden of Midnight, where ever-changing ghosts of butterflies and owls were spotted bearing markings of Lord Lanos, of Niuri the Evenstar, and of a dozen longswords. Through it all Zorn, who had heard the Sphinx speak in person when he investigated the rumour that the vanished Elenina had been consumed by her, waited in sympathy with Apollonia, reporting all the omens to her and pondering their import with those who gathered there.

In time, the visions compelled several to seek the dormant Temple of Lanos in Shallam, where they gathered around the Altar of Truth which had been seen in the sands of the hourglass. Drawing on the experiences of Lamar and Thalian who were present, as well as descriptions of the other omens, Ahel came to place twelve longswords in the altar's marble bowl, whereupon the entire structure evanesced, gone in a swirl of light and a sourceless exclamation of words in an unknown tongue. Apollonia, who had been strengthening considerably as she was informed of the continuing visions, sensed the altar's disappearance and hastened with Zorn to Shallam, where a score of people waited in wonderment. She ascertained that the omens had stopped occurring at the sites of power and concluded Ahel had completed the Offering of the Longswords. The Altar of Truth, she explained, had stored within it the Twelve Words of Revelation, a message of power left behind by Lord Lanos.

She instructed the assemblage to sing the words etched onto the golden plaque from the Temple's wall, and when they did, the swords reappeared unsupported in the air and clattered to the ground. This perplexed Apollonia, who had expected the Altar of Truth itself to return with the Words. As one the onlookers raced away to search for the Altar in every corner of Sapience, and Apollonia returned to her hut to rest and seek answers in her own way. But the Altar's location was not immediately forthcoming, and another two anxious sunrises and two fretful sunsets passed on the 12th of Lanosian.

As the evening descended yet again, Ahel, who had kept vigil at the location of the Offering, heard a melody emanating from the golden plaque. At this sign, he sung again the words of summoning, and the Altar of Truth returned as suddenly as it had disappeared, this time harbouring two notes written on plain parchment. There was a brief uncertainty as to the proper course of action, but after Apollonia shouted her intention to travel to the Mhojave Murad, who too had stayed with her through much of the ordeal, grabbed the notes decisively and headed for the desert. At this moment, the Ruby Sphinx awoke with great questioning shouts and summoned Murad to her side. In the view of a huge crowd, Murad surrendered the notes, which contained riddles for the Sphinx to announce. The first, answered correctly by Malhavoc, revealed that the note itself contained enough of the Temple of Truth's power to enable the Ruby Sphinx to repair the cycle of the days; and at the instant of her announcement, midnight struck and - for the first time in over half a month of normal days - the symbolic hourglass turned. A chorus of cheers greeted the long-delayed 13th of Lanosian.

The second riddle, answered by Gracie, confirmed that the dozen offered longswords had released the Twelve Words of Revelation from the Altar of Truth. Brandishing a scroll of blue and silver parchment tied with a knotted rope, the Sphinx avowed that the Words were to be delivered into the custody of Lady Niuri. With a thought she brought Sekhtet, Aakhut of Niuri, to her presence and placed the scroll into her care. Then, as a reward for those who had made possible the deliverance of the Altar's riddles, she offered to answer any single question posed by each of Ahel, Murad, Gracie, and Malhavoc. In this way it was revealed that Spinesreach was destined to take its place among the great cities of Sapience, its impact to be shaped by Mortal hands. However, the Sphinx grew angry at the discontent with which her truths were received, and with a tremendous bellow banished the throng from her station.

Thus was the passage of days returned to its proper rhythm and the Words of Revelation brought into the awareness of the realm. The ultimate function of the Words, however, has yet to be witnessed. And the portcullis of the Citadel of Spinesreach remains steadfastly sealed, its mysteries unrelinquished yet tantalizingly close....