The Mystery of Oisar — A Journey through Mystara’s Past and Future
by Jim RGF from Threshold Magazine issue 34-Part One: A Stranger in Mirros-
The Karameikan School of Magecraft was unusually empty for Yarthmont. The familiar commotion of student activity was nowhere to be seen. In a quiet corner of the library, Tredzis, a young apprentice at the school, looked up from his book as the sound of a ringing bell echoed throughout the building. He looked around quickly, upset that he had lost track of time. He hastily closed the book he was reading as well as three others that sprawled open on the table. He gathered them up and hurried to the library desk. He knew Maiika would be on time and he didn’t want to be late. He dropped his books on the counter and thanked the librarian who was sitting there.
Tredzis
http://pandius.com/Tredzis.jpg
Tredzis left the library and hurried down the stairs that led to the courtyard. He opened the large, oak door to the library and the bright, spring sunlight made him squint. The courtyard stretched before him, ringed by the high towers of the school. His eyes fell on Maiika, who was standing a short distance away. Like him, she was an apprentice at the school. Her brown hair was tied up with a black ribbon and she was wearing a green robe. She was looking up at the sky. Tredzis swallowed nervously and walked up to her. He had only talked to her a handful of times and was still unsure why she had asked him to meet with her today.
“Hi,” he said casually as he brushed his bushy hair from his eyes.
“Hello,” she answered. “Thanks for coming to talk with me.”
Maika
“Oh, yeah. Of course. What can I do for you?” he asked.
“Your master is Saphrax, right?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Well, I have Master Choniat,” she began as she started slowly walking into the courtyard. “Now… he’s great and all, but… I’m having trouble with a spell and I was wondering if maybe you learned a different way of casting it?”
“Um… maybe. Which spell is it?”
“Wizard lock,” she said as she looked down in embarrassment.
“Sure. I could definitely help you with it.”
“Would you?” she said with relief. “That would be great! My aunt and uncle are merchants. They asked me to go on a journey with them this summer and I just want to master this one so I can lock myself in a wagon in case of trouble.”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble are you expecting?”
“I don’t really know, but I’ve never left Karameikos before. I want to be cautious.”
“You’re leaving the kingdom? Where are you going?”
“To Selenica in Darokin!” she exclaimed with a wide grin. “I’m so excited, but nervous. I don’t want to be in the way. I want to be useful.”
“Shouldn’t you learn something… I don’t know, more dangerous?”
“Master Choniat hasn’t let me learn anything dangerous. I really need help with wizard lock though. Can you help me?”
“Sure,” he answered nervously. “Let me memorize it tomorrow and we can practice on that door over…”
He trailed off in mid-sentence as there was a man standing in front of the door to the school. Maiika looked at the man suspiciously.
“Who is that?” she asked.
“I’ve never seen him before,” Tredzis replied. The man was tall and muscular. He was wearing a dark-red tunic and a brown cloak. He had short brown hair and was clean-shaven. He looked like he was in his late thirties or early forties. The stranger looked around for a quick moment and then started to approach the two teenagers. Tredzis began to say something but stopped himself.
Oisar
“Excuse me, young Masters,” the man began with a slight bow of his head. He spoke Traladaran with an accent that Tredzis had not heard before. “Are there sages here?”
“Sages?” Tredzis asked. He glanced at Maiika with a confused look.
“This is a mage school, is it not?” the man asked.
“It is,” Maiika responded, “but we don’t really know of any sages.”
“The architecture here,” the man noted as he pointed at the nearby towers, “appears to be Alphatian. Are there any Alphatian nobles here?”
“A few,” Tredzis answered, “Master Terari is Alphatian, but I think he’s gone for the summer.”
“Is there someone here who has knowledge of history?” the man asked.
“Well… all students here learn history,” Tredzis answered cautiously. “What do you need to know?”
“I have some specific questions about Alphatians,” the man replied. The two students looked at each other in silence. The stranger noted their confusion. “It’s quite important to me. Dost thou know someone who may be able to assist me?”
“My master, Master Saphrax, studied in Alphatia. She may know about those things,” Tredzis volunteered. “You could talk to her but she’s gone until Loshdain.”
“Pardon?”
“Loshdain. Three days from now.”
“Ah,” the man acknowledged. “Very well. Can I seek her here?”
“You can ask for her at the guardhouse.”
“Where?”
“The guardhouse. It’s at the entrance to the school. You must have come through there.”
“Yes, of course,” the man agreed. “I thank both of thee. I shall return on Loshdain.” He gave another slight bow of his head and then turned to leave. Tredzis and Maiika watched him go in silence.
“How odd was that?” Maiika asked.
“Quite odd,” Tredzis agreed. “Should we tell someone about him?”
“I’m not sure. I can tell Master Choniat, but I wouldn’t expect him to do anything, honestly.”
“I guess I’ll go see Master Saphrax early on Loshdain and tell her about him.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Maiika agreed.
“Well, I’ll still meet you here in the morning to practice wizard lock.”
“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow, Tredzis.”
Courtyard
http://pandius.com/TheCourtyard.jpg
Tredzis was up early the next morning. He ate a small breakfast, left his bedroom and headed down to the courtyard. There were a handful of people crisscrossing its green grass. Among these, Tredzis quickly recognized Maiika. She was talking to an older woman and to Master Saphrax. Tredzis was stunned to see Saphrax. He hesitated for a moment and then, remembering the stranger from yesterday, he hurried to speak with the three women. His mentor noticed him first.
“Good morning, Tredzis,” she offered. She was wearing her travel clothes: a rugged, heavy robe and sturdy boots. She was holding a short, wooden wand.
“Hello, Master. Hi, Maiika and…”
“This is my Aunt Dukaina,” Maiika said.
“Pleasure,” he continued.
“Likewise,” Dukaina returned. She resembled Maiika but was shorter. She was in her late thirties, had short, dark hair, and was dressed in a leather and cloth tunic.
“Do you know each other, Master?”
“Yes,” she replied with a chuckle.”We knew each other back in Kelvin.”
“Seems like a lifetime ago,” Dukaina nodded. “Maiika, is this the boy you wanted to come with us this summer?” Tredzis looked surprised. Maiika’s face flushed in embarrassment.
“Um…we haven’t really talked about that,” Maiika admitted.
“Oh. Well, cat’s out of the bag, I guess. I’ll leave you guys alone. I have work to do. Nice to see you again, Saphrax. Farewell, niece.” Dukaina hugged the two of them. “It was nice to meet you, Tredzis.”
“Very nice to meet you,” he responded. Dukaina then went on her way. Several questions went racing through his mind. “You’re home early, Master.”
“Well that’s how things go sometimes. You’ve been practicing, I trust?”
“Yes. Of course. But, um, Master, I wanted to tell you about something that happened yesterday. A man was here asking about sages and about the history of Alphatia…”
“Oh, you mean Oisar?” Saphrax interjected.
“Who?”
“Oisar. A tall man. He is a little older than me. He was wearing reds and browns.”
“Yes,” Tredzis answered in disbelief. He looked at Maiika who also looked surprised.
“I ran into him last night as I was returning to the school. He was looking for information about an ancient Alphatian kingdom.”
“Yes, that was him,” Maiika confirmed.
“Were you able to answer his questions?” Tredzis asked.
“No,” Saprax admitted. “I told him Master Terari would know more. He definitely seemed troubled by something. Polite man, though. Not hard on the eyes either.”
“So… we were going to study this morning,” Maiika said, in an awkward attempt to change the subject. “By your leave.”
“Of course,” Saphrax consented. “And Tredzis, you have my blessing to go.”
“Go where?” Tredzis asked. Saphrax didn’t answer him and simply walked away. Tredzis watched her leave and turned to Maiika.
“Come on, let’s work on that spell,” she said as she hurried away across the courtyard.
“What a strange morning,” Tredzis said out loud.
For the next several hours, the two apprentices worked on the minutiae of casting spells. Tredzis taught Maiika his particular techniques and she showed him hers. They were both pleased to see how quickly they were able to implement each other’s casting mannerisms. Wizard lock led to web and web led to hold person. As they bounced ideas off of each other they became more and more excited about helping each other.
“Alright,” Tredzis started with a grin, “what is the most dangerous spell you know?”
“Um… sleep, I guess,” she whispered with embarrassment. “You?”
“Definitely fireball. Although I’m trying to learn polymorph self.”
“Fireball? Polymorph? Saphrax let you learn those?”
“Not really let me,” he admitted.
“You copied them when she wasn’t looking?”
“Don’t make it sound so devious,” he countered.
“Can you cast polymorph?” she asked, full of excitement.
“I’m too scared to try. I mean, what if I turn into a horse and can’t change myself back?”
“By the Immortals, that would be hilarious!” Maiika laughed.
“Not for me!” he protested.
“Don’t worry. I’ll copy it too and I can save you if it doesn’t work.” She laughed again.
“That’s not very reassuring,” he said. He paused and suddenly recalled the conversation from that morning. “What did your aunt mean about me coming with you?” Maiika smiled.
“I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with us to Selenica. It’s going to be an amazing trip.”
“Wow. That would be incredible.”
“You live with your grandfather, right? Do you need to ask him?” she asked. He scoffed.
“I’m sixteen. I don’t need to get his permission. Besides, Master Saphrax gave me her blessing.” His stomach growled. “Ooh. Do you want to get some lunch?”
“I could eat some lunch. Sure.” The two of them gathered their books and headed back into the school courtyard. They both froze at what they saw there.
Standing near the school’s entrance were Saphrax, Dukaina, Master Terari, and Oisar. The two apprentices looked at each other in shock and then looked back across the courtyard. Oisar bowed his head in Terari’s direction. Master Terari responded in kind. Oisar turned to Dukaina and flashed a smile that seemed very grateful and genuine. Dukaina smiled back. Oisar gracefully turned and headed towards the gatehouse. Dukaina began to say her farewells also. Maiika suddenly took off and ran towards her. Tredzis ran after Maiika.
“Aunt Dukaina! What was that all about?” Maiika asked.
“Well, it seems as though we’ll have a patron on our travels.”
“That man? Oisar?”
“Yes. Master Terari was speaking with him and vouched for his integrity.” Terari nodded as he reflexively stroked his long, gray beard.
“Do you know him, Master?” Maiika asked. Terari smiled at her.
“I just met him today, but there’s something about him that speaks of greatness. Greatness and goodness but… perhaps something melancholy as well. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Nonetheless, I detected no lies or ill will in his words.”
“Forgive me Master,” Tredzis interjected, “but what did he say about himself?”
“Not very much. I suspect he has lived through a lot, though. I know what that is like.”
“Are you sure about this?” Maiika asked Dukaina. “We don’t know anything about him.”
“He offered to fund the entire trip. I couldn’t pass that up.”
“For what price, though?” Maiika protested.
“He wanted nothing from me. He just wanted to travel with someone.”
Three weeks passed. The school officially closed down for summer break and many apprentices left. As the day of their journey drew near, Dukaina and her husband Khosu gathered three wagons, ten horses, five bodyguards, and all the supplies needed for their five-week trek at a spot outside the city walls called Trader’s Corridor. Tredzis arrived the night before they were to depart. He approached the assembly feeling like a stranger at a party. He nervously nodded a greeting to men he assumed were hired guards. He headed towards a campfire that seemed to be the center of the gathering. Maiika was sitting next to her aunt and uncle in front of the fire.
“Tredzis!” she shouted when she saw him. He smiled and took a seat next to her. She introduced him to her uncle Khosu and the two exchanged greetings. “I can’t believe we’re doing this!” she exclaimed. “We’re actually traveling to another nation.”
“Yeah,” Tredzis agreed. “I’ve never left Karameikos before. This is weird.”
“Ah, the world is a large place,” Khosu added. “Karameikos is just one small part of it.”
“I never thought of it as small,” Tredzis admitted, “but the maps I’ve seen show otherwise. Where’s the farthest you two have traveled?”
“Darokin City,” Dukaina answered. “That was twelve or thirteen years ago, near the end of the war. We could’ve continued from there but it was still very dangerous.”
“I’ve heard Master Choniat talk of the winters in Alphatia, before it was destroyed,” Maiika added. “He said there was so much snow that the roads were impassable.”
“Really?” Tredzis asked in disbelief. He had only seen snow once in his life.
“The mountains to the north get a lot of snow as well,” Khosu confirmed.
“Enough to block a road?” Tredzis asked.
“There are places where the snow never melts,” a voice interjected from the shadows. Everyone turned around. Standing just beyond the firelight was Oisar. Tredzis felt a sudden shiver of nervousness run through him. He quickly regained his composure and took a breath.
“Oisar! Welcome!” Khosu offered. It sounded kind of forced to Tredzis. “Will you take a seat and join us?”
“Alas, I can not. I merely wished to let thee know I was here. I unfortunately have to meet with someone tonight. I will join up with thee in the morning on the road.”
“As you wish. You are welcome to join us if your plans change.”
“I do thank thee, sir, but I don’t expect they will.” Oisar smiled in gratitude. “We shall have many days together ahead.” With that he bowed his head and headed away from the group. Dukaina was the first to speak after he had left.
“Such a serious fellow.”
“So he seems,” Khosu agreed. “Who knows what his life has been like? He may be a complicated man.” Tredzis was going to say something but didn’t. Oisar made him uneasy but he didn’t want to speak ill of him. He just stared into the fire and hoped the journey would be fun.
Wagon
http://pandius.com/TheWagon.jpg
The following morning was a beautiful late spring morning in the city of Mirros. The group was up before the sun and made final preparations to depart. By the time the first rays of sunlight illuminated the wagons, they were ready to go. Tredzis climbed into the back of an open wagon with Maiika. Khosu and Dukaina sat together as Khosu drove. With a snap of the reins and a shout from Khosu, the caravan headed for the road. Tredzis turned to look at it. It headed north along the Highreach River and disappeared into the fields beyond. Maiika reached into a sack and took out a parchment. She eagerly opened it. It was a map of the kingdom.
“This is going to be great,” she said as she studied the map. She looked up at Tredzis. “I’m glad you decided to come with us.”
“So am I,” he responded. He turned around in his seat in order to get a better look at the map when he caught a glimpse of a man on a horse trotting towards them. It was Oisar. He quickly came up alongside the wagon and waved hello. The four of them waved back. Tredzis noticed that Oisar was wearing pieces of plate armor and a sword. He seemed to be traveling light, as his horse carried only a single pack of supplies as well as a bow and a quiver of arrows. Tredzis looked at the road and then back at the walls of the city. He suddenly felt worried and wondered what he had gotten himself into.