In the Hall of the Mountain King

[Brian]

"If only we knew what it did more clearly ... and if removing the crystal from this place would have an effect on the thread."  Mirallia looks surprised at this suggestion, and Ekim crosses his arms over his chest, sinking to sit on the floor, where he can look into the room more easily.

[Dracos]

"I could try to keep looking but it gives me a hell of a headache and I can't really see much."

Dracos shrugs, somewhat apologetically.

Dracos

[Brian]

"Well," Radagast says, shaking his head, "what's important is that we've verified the connection.  How we act on that remains to be seen.  I'll mention it at the next meeting.  Which I expect to be next morning."  Radagast frowns, then looks around the room.  "We should re-seal this place," he adds.  "No sense leaving it open and vulnerable."

Ekim nods his agreement, and Mirallia steps outside the room, to stand next to Parthipan, who's only peeked in, not actually crossing the threshold.

[Dracos]

Dracos steps outside the room.  "Agreed."

Dracos

[Brian]

Once everyone is outside, Ekim replaces the seal, but not before everyone can get a glimpse of the images of men and dwarves fighting side-by-side again.

[Dracos]

Dracos glances curiously over at Ekim, risking it.  "Lord Ekim, did you make this?"  Dracos gestured at the art on the inner door.

Dracos

[Brian]

Ekim shakes his head slowly.  "No, no.  That was made by a cousin, but not myself.  And long ago," he replies moodily.

[Dracos]

Dracos nodded, moving away from the door a bit.  "Whatever happened to the other dwarves?  It looks more like a telling of history then artful fancy."

Dracos

[Brian]

Ekim sighs moodily, and looks at the door, as though he could see the images through the seal.  "There ... are three tribes of dwarves," he says in his rumbling voice.  "There were."

Radagast and Mirallia look at Ekim curiously, and the dwarf scratches his chin, his beard making tinny noises as the wires pull apart from where they've tangled through one-another.

"In the beginning, we were three.  The Younger Brothers, smallest and surest of the dwarves, with their skill at craftsmanship.  The Older Brothers, then, were our defenders and warriors, and craftsmen as well ... but to a lesser degree.  We could not fight as well as they, but we were together.  And then...."  He sighs, and drops his stone arms to his sides.  "There were the Oldest Brothers.  They had little skill at all in crafting, but great strength and love for the Earth."  He shakes his head.  "They were turned from us and became the Jotun.  Very few of the Oldest Brothers remain as they were ... most of them have long ago succumbed to the Dreadmarch."

He pauses thoughtfully, and gazes at the door.  "There were five hundred dwarves, once.  But each Dwarf is three brothers.  I am saddened ... when an Oldest Brother, or an Older Brother, or a Younger Brother dies, then one hundred years and a day later, he will be reborn.  But only if his other brothers still live.

"Because of Estin, when the Jotun all fall, then there will be no Oldest Brother, only a Youngest Brother.  He has fallen from our wheel, and will never again tread upon it."  He turns sad eyes on everyone, and then shrugs helplessly.  "But such is the cost of a fall."

[Dracos]

"How...cruel a fate."  Dracos shook his head, not knowing what else to say.

Dracos

[Ginrai]

Turning to Radagast, Ginrai says, "Before I forget, Devin asked if he could meet with you and Lord Kevin about a possible strategy for tomorrow's battle."

[Brian]

Ekim nods gravely at Phil's words.

Somewhat distracted from the discussion by Parthipan's comments, Radagast frowns.  "This is something we can discuss, certainly.  But, I suspect it would be more beneficial to discuss it at the meeting tomorrow anyway," he opines.

[Ginrai]

"We might need to talk about it tonight only because his plan involves combining the powers of multiple lorekeepers."

[Dracos]

Dracos shakes his head a bit, starting to slowly lead the way out, for once not concerning himself with the conversation and more silently paying attention to Ekim.

Dracos

[Brian]

Ekim plods on silently behind everyone else.  Now that everyone has passed them, he can't easily step past everyone, as he's nearly as wide as the corridor, and has to hunch over a bit to fit.

Radagast frowns at this.  "It will need to wait until tomorrow," he says after a moment.  "We can't risk that plan until Devin's finished assessing the wall, to see if Mattias has sabotaged it."