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Aubrey and Ainsel regrouped with their companions at their home within the ancient Thassilonian fortress known as Thistletop. At Ton’s suggestion, the spryte performed a Harrowing to see what might come to pass once they’d launched their planned attack on Jorgenfist. Pulling his grandfather’s deck from his stocking cap, Aubrey began with the Choosing, drawing cards from the suit of Strength to bolster them during the challenges ahead.

Elshbeth first drew the Keep, a favorable card reflecting her need to stand strong in defence of her friends in the trials ahead. Ton drew the Cyclone, a spirited card reflecting the monk’s primarily martial role in leading the assault against the giants. Treana drew the Forge; an astute card hinting that the ranger would need a variety of skills to overcome the many challenges and obstacles that lay ahead. The Fiend was drawn on Shiloah’s behalf; a forbidding card which revealed that the wolf would surely find herself surrounded by death and destruction in the times ahead. Kivu drew the Beating, an ominous card that suggested she’d best remain vigilant lest she find herself under attack from all sides while in Jorgenfist. Ainsel next drew the Paladin, indicating that she would do well if she remained strong in the face of the dangers ahead. Finally, Aubrey drew the Big Sky; showing that he would play a pivotal role in bringing about momentous change and possibly an altogether new beginning following the group’s assault on the giants’ citadel. And with that, the Choosing was at an end.

An ominous Harrowing.

That done, Aubrey reshuffled the deck and began the Harrowing in earnest. In the left-hand column, reflecting the set and unalterable past, he drew the Twin in the positive position, the Dance (in partial alignment) in the neutral position and the Brass Dwarf (also in partial alignment) in the negative position. The Dance indicated that the Sihedron had prevailed against their elusive enemies (the Twin) in the past due to their having remained in harmony with their ideals and, like The Brass Dwarf, had survived great hardships relatively unscathed; though not without some sacrifices.

In the center column, reflecting the evolving present, the spryte drew the Waxworks in the positive position, the Idiot (in partial alignment) in the neutral position and the Midwife (misaligned) in the negative position. Aubrey believed The Fool to be Mokmurian who, through his grave foolishness and greed, had embodied the role of the misaligned Midwife by endeavoring to create his army of giants and monstrous horrors. Luckily he and his army remained, as the Waxworks, immobile.

In the right-hand column, representing the malleable future, Aubrey drew the Theatre in the positive position, the Vision (truly aligned) in the neutral position and the Marriage in the negative position. According to the spryte, the Vision showed that eldritch secrets of great importance would be revealed once events at Jorgenfist, symbolized by the Theatre, had played themselves out. Seeing no cards from the suit of Strength in the Harrowing, Aubrey posited that the hardships that lay ahead for the Sihedron would prove particularly arduous. And with that, the Harrowing was ended.

Adapted from Races of the Dragon, page 101.

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