The Heroes of Sapience

High Consultant Beya Storm says, "Let us open with the first act."

High Consultant Beya Storm says, "Thank you all for joining us."

Drawing his arm before himself, Beya takes a bow.

The lights dim and darken, and the stage fades dark.

Beya stamps his foot twice, and creaking cogs herald the appearance of a desert
backdrop, which crashes down to the stage.

Scarlatti reaches into the ether and pulls out a painted backdrop.

A spotlight opens on stage left to reveal a thin wooden backdrop painted with a
road passing the Mhojave desert. A tacky prop of the Erisian pyramid shines in
the distance, shrouded in golden glitter with an apple perched on top.

Beya enters the spotlight. He is dressed as Tilbraid, a young jester; his hands
woven anxiously.

Sillias enters the scene, his arms folded behind his back and his pose slouched.
He is dressed as Maus, another young jester.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "Will nobody stop for our play?"

Sillias, playing Maus, says, "Let us begin without them."

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "A performance without an audience?"

Sillias, playing Maus, says, "If it is your play, Tilbraid, they are fleeing
rather than flocking."

Beya rolls up his sleeves.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "This is a story of love and remorse. Of greed and
power!"

Sillias shoots Tilbraid a long, sideways glance.

Sillias, playing Maus, says, "This isn't going to be another butterfly skit, is
it?"

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "This is going to be another butterfly skit."

The lights fade to black, and a spotlight opens on wooden tiles on the far right
of the stage.

There is a quiet bustle of movement on stage as the actors move about.

Beya stamps his foot once and a backdrop crashes into place, displaying a
constructed underground.

You look on in astonishment as a painted backdrop fades away into the ether.
Scarlatti reaches into the ether and pulls out a painted backdrop.

The light rises on a constructed underground. Wooden tiles pave the stage here,
and it feels unnaturally dank and dark.

With large strides, Sillias arrives, dressed as Tanris, and Beya, wearing a
convincing Mathonwy costume, enter from stage left.

Sillias taps the floor with his foot and the trapdoor in the boards resounds
hollowly.

Sillias, playing Tanris, says, "This is the place."

Sheetaa walks on stage dressed as a lowly Shallamese initiate. In one continuous
movement, he sees Tanris and turns on his heel, walking off stage again.

Galia, a postal clerk raises her hand to her mouth and titters girlishly.

A group of Occultists step forward from the shadows, their faces concealed by
hoods.

Isis snickers softly to herself.

Bowing their heads, the Occultists enter a trance. Beya and Sillias circle the
stage, scowling and pushing at Sheetaa as he tries to portray a wide variety of
Shallam's defence forces.

Sheetaa quickly removes a long blonde wig and dons a white robe.

Sillias pushes Sheetaa back into the shadows.

A flash of white catches the spotlight as Sheetaa removes the robe and appears
from stage right with a shield.

Beya waves his hand at Sheetaa who falls backwards clutching his neck.

Sillias prowls within the spotlight menacingly, his robes flowing out behind him
like a miasma.

On the rim of the spotlight, the Occultists' eyes widen and they look up in
unison.

Beya lights a firecracker, and the fuse begins to burn merrily.

                   *          *          *
                     *        *        *
                       *      *      *
                         *    *    *
                         -----------
                          | BOOM! |
                         -----------
                         *    *    *
                       *      *      *
                     *        *        *
                   *          *          *

Caught glowing and bright within the limelight cast down on the stage, a pile of
red confetti falls from above in a dizzying column.

A wooden tile flips to reveal the darkness beneath the stage, briefly revealing
the hand which pushed it.

Sillias peers down the hole, beckoning his army to his side.

The light fades and the actors rush off stage in the dimming light.

Beya stamps his foot twice, and creaking cogs herald the appearance of a desert
backdrop, which crashes down to the stage.

You look on in astonishment as a painted backdrop fades away into the ether.
Scarlatti reaches into the ether and pulls out a painted backdrop.

The twittering sound of birds at rest precedes a spotlight on stage left which
shines down upon the two jesters on the highway.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "Would you cut that out, Maus? I'm trying to
perform."

Sillias scuffs his foot and his repetitive tweeting ceases.

Scarlatti chuckles long and heartily.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "So Merador had this plan, see. He'd collect all
the butterflies, then slay them all to win the Great Hunt."

Sillias rolls his eyes.

Sillias, playing Maus, says, "You know, we could do the one about the lady from
Hashan-."

Entirely ignorant to Maus, Beya starts waxing lyrical about the variety of ways
one might catch a butterfly. His voice turns into a low murmuring drone which
fades to quiet.

The light switches across again to the other side of the stage. The actors move
about in the dark, their heavy boots marching from one side to the other.

Beya stamps his foot once and a backdrop crashes into place, displaying a
constructed underground.

You look on in astonishment as a painted backdrop fades away into the ether.
Scarlatti reaches into the ether and pulls out a painted backdrop.

Heavy wood scrapes the stage noisily. The lights come on, revealing a short set
of steps upon wooden tiles. Motes of dust drift through the air in a cloud and
settle upon a metal box at the fore of the stage.

Sillias as Tanris, Beya as Mathonwy, and the Occultists march up the steps from
the darkness, descending into the pool of light.

Sillias, playing Tanris, says, "This is where Dunamis locked away the
Marvinogian, a great creature of terrible power."

Sillias steps forwards, reflected light touching his features from below.

Beya lights a firecracker, and the fuse begins to burn merrily.

                   *          *          *
                     *        *        *
                       *      *      *
                         *    *    *
                         -----------
                          | BOOM! |
                         -----------
                         *    *    *
                       *      *      *
                     *        *        *
                   *          *          *

A cloud of smoke appears from stage right and Sheetaa steps forward, dressed in
the robes of the Shallamese guard.

Sheetaa extends his finger warningly.

Sheetaa, playing the Shallamese guard, says, "Do not open that box. Inside
contains remarkable horror, and death for those who open it."

Sillias, playing Tanris, says, "Try and stop us."

Sheetaa and Sillias grapple, exchanging blows. The Shallamese guard flies back
as Sillias points at him and mutters arcane words of power.

The Occultists step into the shadows, fighting with imaginary foes, leaving Beya
at center stage.

Sillias and Sheetaa's fight continues and they walk off stage, exchanging blows.

Beya stabs into the darkness, casting the flat of his hand against imaginary
foes.

Turning smoothly, Beya dons the golden band of the Archprelate, the gold
glinting and gleaming in the light.

With no more than a few steps, Beya's hands rest upon the box upon the Dais, his
lips moving rapidly but silently.

The sounds of battle continue in the darkness, a mingle of dying screams and
triumphant yells.

A wooden sword is driven by a hand from behind Beya and tucks neatly under his
arm. He stutters but does not stop.

In bloodied Shallamese robes, Sheetaa appears from the darkness behind Mathonwy,
his face a cloud of shadows. He reaches out and grabs Mathonwy, laying his back
across his knee in one smooth action.

Beya, playing Mathonwy, says, "Aaaaargh!"

The Occultists and Sillias return to the edges of the spotlight. Sheetaa begins
a relieved laugh.

The light cuts out.

The actors scuffle around quietly in the dark, whispering across the stage.

A bassy drum thumps noisily.

A bassy drum thumps noisily.

Sillias, playing Tanris, says, "Freedom is yours, Marvinogian!"

The final thump strikes and the lights flash up on Sheetaa , dressed in leathers
and papier mache dragon heads.

You see Sheetaa, playing the Marvinogian, yell, "ROARRRRRR!!!!!"

Stifled laughs echo from onstage.

Supported by strings from above the stage, the many heads bob up and down
fearsomely.

Sheetaa stomps his foot at the crowded Occultists and they fall back into the
shadows.

He knocks over thin wooden silhouettes of the Shallamese guard and spins,
knocking Sillias , as Tanris, to the ground.

Sheetaa stomps off stage roaring and flapping his arms.

As Sheetaa's puppeteers come plummeting to the ground, Sheetaa skyrockets,
hoisted by his strings.

A spotlight pivots from behind the audience, highlighting Beya standing upon the
balcony, his clothes are plain and efficient and his face drawn in a grey
grimace.

Beya clears his throat.

Beya, playing Mathonwy, says, "Trust in me, Universe, I will deliver."

Beya clears his throat.

Beya, playing Greyface says, "Trust in me, Universe, I will deliver."

Beya, playing Greyface says, "The promise that no-one shall ever."

Beya, playing Greyface says, "Set their mind to games or play."

Beya, playing Greyface says, "For Serious Order is the way."

Beya casts a cool gaze out into the middle distance, regarding Sapience with a
bold, confident air.

Beya, playing Greyface says, "I will not rest until it is done."

Beya, playing Greyface says, "Rules will be made for everyone."

Beya, playing Greyface says, "And they will know Order and its graces."

Beya, playing Greyface says, "And just like me, all shall be Greyfaces."

Beya covers his face with his cloak and recedes into the darkness of the balcony.

The scene on stage has changed. The fallen actors have been carted away and
replaced once more with the two Jesters.

Beya stamps his foot twice, and creaking cogs herald the appearance of a desert
backdrop, which crashes down to the stage.

You look on in astonishment as a painted backdrop fades away into the ether.
Scarlatti reaches into the ether and pulls out a painted backdrop.

Sillias, playing Tanris, says, "Why do we keep doing this? Nobody ever stops to
listen."

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "We do it to conquer Greyface in all his forms.
Even if one person takes a smile with them, our job will have been done!"

Beya points out into the audience.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "Look, there's one!"

Sillias, playing Maus says, "I think she's just trying to keep her absinthe down.
"

Eilethil's eyes sparkle with amusement.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "Shh. This is the best part of my play. This is
where Lord Vastar creates the fanged butterfly to chase off Merador!"

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "The giant butterfly that blotted out the sun!"

A hand passes over the spotlight, causing a temporary darkness on the stage as
the shadow passes over.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says to Sillias, "Wow, that was good. How'd you do
that?"

Sillias shrugs helplessly at Beya.

A fishing rod dangles in from stage right, waving a wobbly black shape which
flaps over the heads of the Jesters towards the Erisian pyramid.

Beya and Sillias gape in disbelief.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "You should do more special effects in the future.
"

Sillias, playing Maus says, "I think this might actually be happening."

The shoddy prop flaps closer to the pyramid, bashing against it haphazardly.

With a large plume of confetti, a golden apple vanishes from the top of the
pyrimid. Faint crunching and swallowing can be heard from behind the set.

With a smug look on his face, Beya brushes his nails across his tunic.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says, "I told you performance was the way to defeat
Greyface."

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says to Sillias, "Maus. I think..."

Confetti falls all around you.

Beya, playing Tilbraid, says to Sillias, "I think we might be heroes."

The light fades upon the stage, lingering on the glowing confetti before being
snuffed entirely.
The ruby-red curtain flutters down from above, shrouding all behind it.

The curtains part and the actors step to the fore of the stage.

Drawing his arm before himself, Beya takes a bow.

Galia, a postal clerk claps her hands together merrily.

Beya nods his head at Sillias.

Beya nods his head at Sheetaa.

Sillias steps forward into a low, gracious bow. A little too low perhaps, as he
tumbles head-over-heals off the stage.

Roaring applause fills the theatre with a great booming sound.