On why we had to leave home

Kuthona 31, 4710

The Riverbottom family lives in the hamlet of Novensia, a day's east of Xer in Razmiran. The matriarch of the family, Gertrude Riverbottom, owns a pleasant fifty acres farm on the bank of the West Sellen River. The harvest has been collected, and it is time to celebrate as the Night of the Pale makes way to another year.

The Riverbottom siblings are excited at the prospect of the feast Mother has made for them. At 25, Roscoe is the oldest and is looking forward to inheriting the farm in the spring, as Gertrude retreats from management and begins enjoying the fruits of retirement. Gerald, Daryle, and Darelle are triplets, with the two girls Daryle, and Darelle identical while Gerald, the oldest of the three bears a close resemblance to his sisters. At 17, the triplets are looking forward to beginning their adult lives, but so far their prospects are dim. At 15, Thorne is the youngest of the Riverbottoms, and is named appropriately as the rest of his family are often the victims of his sweet talk and roguish ways.

At noon time, as the roast goes into the pot, five riders came up from the main road and arrived at the farm. The captain's pennant flies the colors of the Living God, and he is accompanied by three constables and, more worrisome, a priest. Roscoe does not recognize any of the soldiers, indicating that none of them are local.

The captain reveals that by an edict of Razmir, the Living God, the triplets are to accompany him forthwith to First Step, the indoctrination monastery of the Living God's faith, and they will be escorted there. At first Roscoe is inclined to let them go, but Gertrude advises him there are rumors that circulate on how triplets are sacrificed to the ravenous craving for power of the Living God.

Meanwhile Thorne sets up a game of chance with the constables and discovers that they are indeed not from here, and that they are to accompany the triplets to Xer, and sail to Thronestep with them. After their arrival there, there are no further travel plans. Thorne reports his findings to Roscoe, who convinces the captain and the priest to stay for dinner instead of departing immediately. In the ensuing conversation, Roscoe comes to the realization that the priest, rather than the captain, is in charge of this group.

As the preparations for the Night of the Pale proceeds, Darrelle prepares a mixture of herbs that she then uses to poison the roast. Daryle and Gerald make preparations to leave the farm, while Gertrude organizes passage on a ship, the Aigle Soleil, so that her children can flee the farm and escape the clutches of the priest.

At the appointed hour the witnessing of the dead takes place, and is immediately followed by the extravagant yearly dinner. The captain and the constables are quickly taken sick along with Gertrude, but the poison appears to have no effect on the priest. Resorting to violence, Thorne stabs him, while Daryle hits him with a frying pan, causing his mask to fall. Surprised, the siblings realize that this is not a priest of the Living God, but a tattooed impostor from southern lands. Gerald pushes him into the fire place. The horrible death screams are enough to send the siblings out with their meager belongings and on board the ship heading upriver towards Fort Inevitable, Gertrude having provided them with a letter of introduction to her first cousin who resides there.

On board the ship, they meet Captain Rémi, who informs the siblings that they will now need to pay 50 crowns each for their safe passage, and that he will come collect in a year's time.

After an uneventful journey, the siblings finally arrive in Fort Inevitable ...