User:Meyvn/TNOTW
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The First Foreshadow
...
The Waystone Inn
Setting:
- The Waystone Inn is a full service inn which has been in business since the arrival of its owner, Kote, about a year ago (CH1). It has an exterior sign hanging sign on hooks, wooden floors, a black stone hearth, barrels behind a mahogany bar (CH0). Kote's room is on the second floor, with a black stone fireplace in the center of the room, two chairs, a small desk, a narrow bed, no decor, and a large, dark chest. The chest is incredibly valuable, made of a rare wood which has been well worked, with two visible locks and one hidden. It has a mild aroma of citrus and iron.
- It is Felling, early on an autumn night.
- The consistently small crowd and low spirits speak to it being a time of fear and uncertainty. Something happened on Shep's farm last Cendling which no one will mention or inquire about.
Present:
Events:
- Old Cob tells a story about Taborlin the Great.
- When he awoke, Taborlin the Great found himself locked in a high tower. They had taken his sword and stripped him of his tools: key, coin, and candle were all gone. But that weren't even the worst of it, you see...cause the lamps on the wall were burning blue! Now Taborlin needed to escape, but when he looked around, he saw his cell had no door. No windows. All around him was nothing but smooth, hard stone. It was a cell no man had ever escaped. But Taborlin knew the names of all things, and so all things were his to command. He said to the stone: 'Break!' and the stone broke. The wall tore like a piece of paper, and through that hole Taborlin could see the sky and breathe the sweet spring air. He stepped to the edge, looked down, and without a second thought he stepped out into the open air. So Taborlin fell, but he did not despair. For he knew the name of the wind, and so the wind obeyed him. He spoke to the wind and it cradled and caressed him. It bore him to the ground as gently as a puff of thistledown and set him on his feet softly as a mother's kiss. And when he got to the ground and felt his side where they'd stabbed him, he saw that it weren't hardly a scratch. Now maybe it was just a piece of luck, or maybe it had something to do with the amulet he was wearing under his shirt. A few days earlier, Taborlin had met a tinker on the road. And even though Taborlin didn't have much to eat, he shared his dinner with the old man. Now this amulet was worth a whole bucket of gold nobles, but on account of Taborlin's kindness, the tinker sold it to him for nothing but an iron penny, a copper penny, and a silver penny. It was black as a winter night and cold as ice to touch, but so long as it was round his neck, Taborlin would be safe from the harm of evil things. Demons and such.
- The crowd argues over details of the story.
- According to Cob, everyone knows that blue fire is one of the Chandrian's signs (CH1), and that it is a mystery where they come from, where they go after they've done their bloody deeds, and whether they are men who sold their souls, demons, spirits, or something else (CH1).
- According to Jake, the Chandrian are not demons, but the first six people to refuse Tehlu's choice of the path, and he cursed them to wander the corners— (CH1)
- Carter arrives, wounded by a spider-like creature which killed his horse. The innkeeper recognizes it as a Scraeling, seemingly surprised to see them "this far west" and that he'd thought the mountains would stymie their movement. When the others are confused by his recognition, he quickly weaves a story about discussing them with a passing trader he did not believe until now.
- A debate ensues about whether the scraeling is a demon. Grahm points out that demons fear only three things, "cold on, clean fire, and the holy name of God" (CH1). Kote presses an iron drab against the creature, resulting in sharp, cracking sound and an acrid smell compared to rotting flowers and burning hair.
- In an unseen scene, Kote accompanies Carter as he brings the scraeling to a priest, where he secretly ensures that it is dealt with properly.
- Later that night, Kote and Bast discuss the situation; Kote crafts a fiction explaining where he learned to treat wounds that Bast can tell the others. Kvothe says he let the townsfolk believe the scraeling was a demon - it might as well be. Kvothe hints that Bast may want to leave if the blacksmith is doing extra business, but playfully dismisses him with pieces of spells for banishing demons and disenchanting glamours (the latter of which is only nonthreatening due to the use of cider).
- The next night, Reaving, the group returns to the Waystone and shares news of distant wars and rumours of upcoming taxes, but - despite having commissioned iron batons from the smith - they avoid the scraeling.
Running Tally
Characters
=Newarre
- Kvothe
- Owner of the Waystone Inn; hair red like true flame; silent hands; long, graceful hands; patient, cut-flower sound of a man waiting to die; can at times look not yet thirty, or covered with tired lines
- Bast
- A young man, dark and charming, quick smile and cunning eyes. Considered Kvothe's pupil. It is hinted early that a busy blacksmith is not a good sign for Bast.
- Old Cob
- Newarre's storyteller and advice dispensary
- Jake
- Full name Jacob Walker
- Smith's Prentice
- A tall man who moved from Rannish when he was 11, still known as "Boy" in town.
- The Bentleys
- On hard times
- The Orissons
- Frequently losing sheep
- Crazy Martin
Myths and Legends
- Taborlin the Great
- Powerful mage; hunted by the Chandrian; knew the names of all things; possessed a sword, key, coin, candle and protective magic amulet (black and cold); called upon fire and lightning to destroy demons
Locations
- Newarre A small farming town of several dozen; poorly defended
- Rannish Less than 30 miles from Newarre
- Melcombe Inferred to be somewhere east of Newarre
- Baedn-Bryt Baedn for short; near to Newarre
- Resavek A long way off; a rebellion against the Penitent King is in progress there, and the taxes levied to fight it affect Newarre.
Names
- Kvothe
Kote, Reshi
Chandrian Lore
Origins
- They were the first six people to refuse Tehlu's choice of the path, cursed to wander the corners
Signs
- Blue flame
Religious Lore
- Tehlu
- A god figure who offers "the choice of the path", kills demons with his hands, has angels which kill demons
- Demons
- Cast into the nameless void by Tehlu, fear cold iron, clean fire, the holy name of God.
Creatures
- Scrael
- A spider-like creature about large as a pig or wagon wheel. It's body is black, smooth, and hard - likened to stone both to the touch and the sound it makes when it falls on the table. It has no eyes or mouth and its feet are compared to blades. When wounded, the creatures body fractured with many small cracks. Its insides contain no blood or organs, just a gray, mushroom-like material. They are almost never seen alone. If defeated, it should be buried in a deep pit, burned with rowan wood, and buried. Keeping a piece of one will attract others to it (CH1).
Things that Smell Like Flowers and Hair
- Scraeling
The Moon
- Absent on the night Carter kills the Scraeling
Books
- Celum Tinture
Other Languages
Temic
- Tehus antausa eha! Said to drive away a demon
???
- Aroi te denna-leyan! Obscene and insulting
Jargon
- Threebleeder Year
- A year where taxes are levied three times
