◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Sethys's Backstory
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
DISCLAIMER: Although the following information draws on lore and dialogue taken directly from the games, it is not in any way intended to reflect actual Ultima canon. The dates and story details presented here are canon only for this AU ("Alternate Universe") fanfiction series. Please read this as nothing more than a new take on an old and forgotten character, done just for the simple (if self-indulgent) joy of storytelling.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Sethys Esshalshamesh was born in Ophidian Year (O.Y.) 3133, into a family of prominent Chaotic scholars and acolytes. At the time of his birth, the Serpent Isles was a realm of burgeoning technology. The recent development of long-distance mass communication via tapping into the ethereal waves (colloquially referred to as "the wireless", this also includes private/person-to-person devices called "taps") had proven most influential, while their subterranean cities now cultivated complex networks of pipes, harnessing lava-powered steam for powering various machines at work and home.
In childhood, Sethys lived with his parents in the Free City of Thiriastith (now called Furnace), located on the southern part of the isles. He had an older sister and a younger sister, both of whom eventually became invested acolytes of Chaos—Enthusiasm and Emotion, respectively. Likewise, his parents had hoped he would follow Tolerance, but Sethys's calling was for Harmony instead.
Historically Balance always had few acolytes, but their numbers began to drop dramatically after the mysterious disappearance of the Great Earth Serpent in O.Y. 3122. This year would herald the first cracks between the once relatively cordial societies of Order and Chaos, cracks that could only spread and deepen into irreconcilable chasms. By 3125, the two factions were officially at war, albeit one that rarely progressed beyond local skirmishes. During these early stages both sides were evenly matched and most clashes ended without a clear victor.
Nevertheless, at age 13 Sethys became a novitiate of Harmony, much to his parents' enduring chagrin. However, they did not outright express their desire for him to change his path until a few months later in O.Y. 3147, following the assassination of Great Hierophant Ssithnos. On that night, his murderers stormed the Office of the Hierophant in downtown Thiriastith, dressed in deep red robes and veils, on a mission to kill not only the hierophant but anyone else who stood in their way. Sethys happened to be studying in the library that evening, but he managed to elude the invaders by hiding beneath a tabletop. Unfortunately he was not able to get a good look at any part of the assassins besides their shoes, which he recalled as being:
"Distinctive, for sure. They all had metal toe caps, steel or something. I mean, they were silvery, almost white in color. Maybe platinum? I don't know—it—it's not important. Or maybe it is. B-but the more important thing, I think, is they had a little design stamped into them on top. It looked like an eye, perhaps. Like an open eye. Is that helpful?"
Ssithnos died without naming a successor. To make matters worse, his previous Champion of Balance also recently died under similarly suspicious circumstances. The Hierophant of Order—Calithiss the Steadfast—immediately blamed Chaos for the deed. Other witnesses noticed the red robes worn by the assassins; as red was the traditional color of the Forces of Chaos, this detail gave the Chaos Hierophant—Isskevahash the Discordant—an awful lot to answer for. Public opinion rapidly soured towards the Chaosites, even within their own ranks.
Note: What they did not know was that the game had been rigged against Chaos from the start, and that there was another player on the field known only to Calithiss. Check out the Timeline for more information on this mysterious advantage…
In 3148, Sethys became fully invested as an acolyte of Harmony and left Thiriastith to live in its temple, located just southeast of the Skullcrusher mountains. He became estranged from his parents as they perceived his actions as the ultimate betrayal of their ideals. Unfortunately, Balance now counted itself as the most despised enemy of both Chaos and Order—pretty much the one thing left upon which the two factions could agree. While still fighting with each other, the multitasking Chaos and Order managed to spare some ire for Balance and ransacked the three lesser temples of Harmony, Dedication, and Rationality, with Harmony being the last to fall in 3152.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
Now 19, Sethys hesitates to follow his fellow acolytes to the last refuge left to them—the Hierophant's Necropolis at the Isle of Crypts. Rather, he chooses to stay on the isles and undergo his Plenary, the requisite pilgrimage to all major holy temples. This undertaking will be easier said than done nowadays. First of all, due to widespread civic unrest, entry to the isles' Northlands (where all of the remaining temples are actually located) is prohibited to anyone who is not officially registered with the factions of Order or Chaos. Second, the woman who forged his travelling papers also accidentally made him a 78 year-old engineer named "Ssymphik". Third, Sethys has already misplaced his reading spectacles and will not notice this typographical error until much, much later in his life...
That aside, his journey commences at a promising clip, thanks to the winning combination of his manuped (a common three-wheeled vehicle of the day, beloved by old ladies and powered by naught but human locomotion) and the as-of-late lax staffing on the Ophidian Turnpike. However, his attempt to cross the border fails when he makes the mistake of trying to cross at Seriss, a small outpost staffed by some of Order's finest (or at least most eagle-eyed) soldiers; alas, the gate guard instantly recognizes his visa as counterfeit. After spending a cold and lonely night in the outpost's "drunk tank", Sethys is summoned into Captain Ardiniss's office for a stern talking-to. But just when he thinks he is about to be given the boot, he is then referred to the outpost's mage-inspector for further questioning.
She is Inspector Elissa Sshriyevak, Order Mage of the First Rank, and she recognizes Sethys's name from a list of witness accounts that she'd assembled several years prior. While (to her, anyway) it was a foregone conclusion that Chaos was responsible for the assassination of the Great Hierophant, she also suspects the involvement of a third party. Over the years, the focus of her personal investigation has shifted towards the so-called Dark Monks, a strange cult that has been proliferating around the isles since the turn of the century.
Not every resident of the isles follows the Ophidian teachings; while discouraged, the formation of a new religious movement is nothing extraordinary or (necessarily) illegal. However, the Dark Monks are secretive—such that nobody even really knows what they call themselves. They do not recruit openly, nor do they proselytize. The only meaningful information anyone has about them at all is that they worship some entity called "the Guide", and although they are not normally violent folk, lately they've taken to performing inexplicable rituals around monuments of blackrock they have recently constructed about the isles.
Sethys cannot determine whether Elissa actually has tangible evidence that implicates this group in the hierophant's assassination or if her suspicions arise from simple prejudice. However, in return for entrance into the Northlands, he agrees to "remain vigilant" for "evidence of rot" (whatever that means) and report any "potentially relevant irregularities" he might come across while travelling from temple to temple. Elissa escorts him across the border herself and leaves him with a personal wireless tap and her calling code, to be used if he should ever find aught of interest.
In an uncharacteristic display of compassion, she also returns his impounded manuped before it can be hauled away and melted down for automatons.
While in the Northlands, Sethys spends the next four years visiting each of the six temples dedicated to the virtues of Order and Chaos, and learning more about the unique challenges faced by each faction. He witnesses the consequences of nearly forty years of warring as he travels from temple to temple and town to town. The Northlands are an especially volatile region; as a somewhat skilled field medic, Sethys frequently finds himself tapped to help with the constant local uprisings—always on the side of Chaos, who tolerate his position as a Balance follower. But during these clashes, Sethys cannot help but notice how the followers of Chaos are especially disorganized (even for Chaos) and antagonistic towards each other, as if Chaos itself is becoming fractured from within. To contrast, Order operates as a well-oiled machine, united in their singular rancor towards all who oppose them. At first, Sethys chalks it up to a difference in philosophy engendering a clear advantage for one side, at least in the art of war. But as time goes on, something about the conflict begins to feel…
…well, just a little awry. Askew.
Amiss, even.
He doesn't start to piece together his puzzle until midsummer 3155, when he visits the Temple of Tolerance and meets an actual Dark Monk sheltering there, a man named Ajalsarthis. While unsociable at first, he gradually befriends Sethys and begins dropping crumbs of information about his religion and the deity he worships. One day, the man returns to the temple after a trip to the Chaotic capital of Essyamar (now Skullcrusher) and Sethys happens to notice—and remember—the distinctive metal-capped boots that he wore for the journey.
With that particular cat out of the bag, Sethys tries very gently bringing up the topic of Ssithnos's assassination—no accusations or condemnations, but a simple probe for any information at all. However, when he confides his role as a witness to the crime, Ajalsarthis reacts violently and bolts from the temple, eventually setting off by velocipede in the direction of the nearest village. A bewildered Sethys tries to pursue, but his own manuped is terribly worn from so much travel over the past few years; he lags behind and eventually loses sight of the fellow. At a loss, he alights and continues his search in that village, thinking it might be Ajalsarthis's destination.
Sethys has arrived in the small, unremarkable hamlet of Ossill-Rem. A free town, beholden to neither Order nor Chaos, but accommodating to all sides. In many such villages and cities (Ossill-Rem included), the Ordered and Chaotic populations maintain their own neighborhoods, shops, facilities, temples, even guard commands. Needless to say, these once-harmonious places are now fraught with tension and quick to ignite. Sethys considers this grimly as he wanders the streets, eventually wending his down a narrow alley situated between one the town's taverns and what appears to be an appliance shop.
Sethys can't believe his luck when he espies Ajalsarthis, but relief sublimates into panic when he realizes that the man has company—another Dark Monk! Thinking quickly, Sethys squares himself away between the stacks of delivery crates, creating a vantage point from which he can continue observing Ajalsarthis without being seen himself. The two Dark Monks converse for a few minutes, their voices hushed and urgent. Sethys cannot quite make out exactly what they are saying, though the topic of the day is definitely Essyamar, and whatever Ajalsarthis had been doing there. Something to do with… Lords… Guide… Gate…
But is it meaningful intelligence or merely inscrutable spiritual banter?
The two head towards the tavern's cellar door, now chatting about a meeting being held down there that very evening. When the coast is clear, Sethys follows as silently as possible in their wake. Alas, he's hardly James Bond so he manages to alert every local alley cat, vacated tin can and glass bottle to his presence. Fortunately, Ajalsarthis and company have already ventured down into the cellar and do not hear the enusing racket. Unfortunately, they have already closed and locked the door behind them.
Sethys weighs his options for his next move and decides the best one would be to look for a window or maybe a grate through which he can attempt a spot of eavesdropping, reassuring himself that he'll leave as soon as he works out whether or not anyone or anything is actually in any danger. After poking around the perimeter (and meeting more alley cats), he strikes buttinsky gold: A murky and partially busted hopper window that needs nothing more than a little elbow grease to afford a fly-near-the-ceiling view of the tavern basement. He wipes out a clean spot just big enough to peek through.
The first thing that catches his eye is the solid brass wireless setup that takes up nearly an entire wall; it's antiquated and massive, a veritable dinosaur compared to today's pocket-friendly taps. Although Sethys fails to recognize the voice coming out of its speaker, he can tell that the woman on the other end is the one directing the meeting, and that (through the magic of Ethereal Waves) she is addressing more than one group at the same time. These Dark Monks—a small local sect—huddle around the wireless, listening in rapt silence, with some of their number jotting down notes.
What follows is not entirely dissimilar to other temple meetings that Sethys has thus far attended. The woman's rambling makes it clear that the Dark Monks do not worship the Triptych of Serpents. Rather, they have put their faith in some entity called The Guide, who may or may not be the woman speaking; the speaker horn's age and condition aren't helping to improve the device's reception. Either way, this information aligns with what Sethys already knows about their group. However, he does manage to glean a few previously unknown things about the Dark Monks' belief system, mostly that it involves a heavy emphasis on things like "sobriety", "punctuality", "conformity", "efficiency", et cetera.
The whole thing strikes the lad as an even stricter take on the principles of Order, but nothing more. It is strange and a bit overzealous perhaps, but probably harmless, especially when one considers how the Dark Monks keep their business to themselves. With a sigh, Sethys prepares to write off Elissa's, as well as his own suspicions as a flawed exercise in prejudice. In fact, he is already thinking of his own apology to Ajalsarthis when his ears catch something that he recognizes at last: The name Calithiss.
Furthermore, you are to continue reporting all progress to Calithiss the Steadfast, says the woman. She is still second to me. Her eyes are my eyes. Her hands are my hands. However, her mind is yet her own. Ease its troubles and continue sharing your movements with her. I have heard your concerns. I understand you feel that you have yet to reap the discord you have sown among the followers of Chaos, but you must know that your efforts have been a far greater help to her cause than even those of her own automatons…"
Only now does Sethys notice the pounding in his head, throbbing behind his eyes. His struggling to hear the woman's voice has produced a raging headache, and what's this she's saying about the Order Hierophant? But that can't be right, he thinks. Isn't Order investigating the Dark Monks for Ssithnos's murder? Surely he misheard something. Surely the woman over the wireless said some other name that merely sounded like "Calithiss the Steadfast". Surely he will have to speak to Mage-Inspector Sshriyevak about this later. Surely she will have a rational explanation for all of this. Surely.
Doubt yields to a dizziness strong enough to overwhelm him; he breaks away from the scene at the window for a gasp of that (relatively) fresh back alley air. From there, Sethys can still catch the minutes of the meeting in bits and pieces, though something now transpires in the streets beyond. He can hear a rising ruckus, cries and shouts, bells and whistles, tinkling glass. His nose catches a whiff of smoke.
Then, from the cellar, someone interrupts the meeting: "The Lords have entered Essyamar! It has begun!"
A swell of voices, including woman's over the wireless urging a return to order is the last thing Sethys hears from the Dark Monks. Sensing he is now ensconced within a tinder box of civic unrest, he returns to the avenues of Ossill-Rem, which are growing livelier with distraught residents who have no doubt just heard the same news over the wireless. Hoping to avoid getting caught up in yet another riot, he swiftly slips down the streets and ducks into a tavern—"The Cob & Pen", and a Chaos joint, by the looks of its bunting. The mood within is only marginally less tense, with most of its patrons crowding around the bar, listening to the tin-pan drone of its wireless receiver. They too have just received the news and are dumbfounded.
The Chaotic Capital of Essyamar has been invaded by the Martial Forces of Order, led by a hitherto unseen contingent of powerful, sentient, and sapient automatons. Further information is scant as one by one, Chaotic broadcasters within the city are removed from the ethereal waves, while those stationed outside of the city see fewer and fewer escapees. It is, at the very least, a siege; casualties unknown but the reports from those lucky souls who did manage to escape are unpromising.
Sethys is now seated and squeezed up against the bar counter while the other patrons continue to encroach and eschew the notion of personal space. He thinks of his own family living in the city—his grandparents, and possibly his parents by now, for he knows that they always had plans to move back there after little Shriash left home for the Temple of Emotion. It is a long, sleepless night spent quietly comiserating with complete strangers, while protesters and town peacekeepers clash in the streets outside.
The cold comfort of dawn prevails through the shattered glass-glittering aftermath of that exercise in surrealism. Any gladness that Sethys feels over his (and miraculously, his manuped's) survival is quickly snuffed by the dreadful realization that he promised to report any such findings about the Dark Monks to Elissa.
After finding a suitably remote spot along the road outside of the village, Sethys contacts her with the tap she'd given him years before. Over the wireless, they have the following masterpiece of a conversation:
Elissa: Elissa Sshriyevak, Order Mage First Rank speaking.
Sethys: Uhh. You may not remember me, my name is Sethys Esshalshamesh.
E: What?
S: S-Sethys, Esshalshamesh.
E: Who? (A man's voice can be heard in the distance; his words are unclear) You're going to have to speak up, soldier, I can hardly hear a word you're saying.
S: I'm not a soldier, I'm a Balance acolyte. You let me into the Northlands after stopping me at the border, at Seriss.
E: At Seriss?
S: At Seriss.
E: I did no such thing.
S: You did.
E: I did no such thing, I assure you.
S: You did! You said I could enter the Northlands for my plenary if I promised to investigate the Dark Monks. Well, I did. That's why I'm calling.
E: (There is a long pause; more talking in the background, with someone asking who's on the line—Elissa lowers her voice) How did you get this number? Sethys, was it…? I'll have you know this is a classified line.
S: You… You gave it to me! You handed me the tap yourself. I know this happened a few years ago, but—
E: Are you not aware that there is a political emergency happening right now, as you blither into my ear and tie up the line that I need to keep open for more important people? Hm?
S: But I have information for you! Or perhaps just a question. Either way—i-it's very important. I met one of them, a Dark Monk, living at the Temple of Tolerance.
E: …go on.
S: Yesterday, he returned from a trip to Essyamar and I noticed the shoes he was wearing. Elissa, it was the same kind I remember seeing on the night of the assassination. The same metal caps on the toes, the very same! With the open eyes!
E: Did you confront him about it?
S: I tried. He raised his hackles and ran off. I followed him to a town near the temple, and I saw him go into a cellar with another Dark Monk. There was a little broken window I could look through… They had a meeting down there, with some woman leading it over the wireless.
E: Over the wireless, eh? Probably a matter of convenience for their scattered lot, handling these things remotely. And no doubt you, a most resourceful fellow, overheard something of use.
S: I did. Listen, I think they might be working with Calithiss, your hierophant. To what end, I don't know, but they mentioned something about—
E: (She coughs and clears her throat) Calithiss? You said?
S: Yes. But I may have possibly misheard the name, which is why I—
E: No possibly about it. How dare you suggest such a thing! To my face, nonetheless! Or is this some half-baked idea of a prank? Eh? Wasting our time on purpose, are you? Or are you simply that exceptionally dense?
S: Uh.
E: Do you know what the punishment is for falsely accusing a hierophant of illegal collusion? Hm? Do you?
S: No, madam.
E: Well! You can be certain it's not a very nice one. Hmmph. Indeed. (She pauses.) Zounds, are you still in the Northlands? I suggest you leave at once. I shall not be held responsible for what happens if you get arrested again! 'tis an officially declared state of crisis and I guarantee our patrols will not be nearly as forgiving as I was back then. Now, get off this line and do not try to contact me again with your foolishness! (Clunk.)
Sethys returns to the temple of Tolerance dazed and drained, but finds the place in a minor uproar. Eszuth, the aged temple master, expresses mild relief upon seeing the lost acolyte. He parrots the news that Sethys already knows—that the Forces of Order commenced a surprise attack on Essyamar overnight and have killed hundreds of people within, while displacing hundreds more. Moreover, news of the attack sparked riots in nearby villages, turning Chaosites against their Ordered neighbors. Although the two factions have been warring for two hands of years by now, this time Order's armies are being led by "hyper-intelligent automatons", invincible machines with the minds of men. It is the debut of the Lords of Discipline and a turning point in this stalemate of a war—alas, it turns towards Order's assured victory.
After Sethys relates his harrowing experience in Ossill-Rem and what he heard about the Dark Monks and Calithiss, Eszuth admits that the report sounds fairly far-fetched, especially coming from someone who is not a proper Chaosite and thus (probably) a little "touched in the ol' grey matter". Even though he is an enemy of Order, he too believes that Sethys simply misunderstood what the Dark Monk woman was saying about their hierophant. The severe headache Sethys reportedly experienced while listening to her only supports the notion that he was not in the right frame of mind at the time.
Although Eszuth expresses such doubts, he still asks Sethys to follow him into the temple basement for a look at something of potential interest. What he shows him is the Web of Fate, a classic example of early Chaotic dweomercraft made especially for the Temple of Tolerance. Eszuth explains that it was used to commune with the myriad Powers of the Void, including the Great Serpents. However, in recent years these cosmos-spanning channels have stopped working.
He openly wonders why this might be the case, while Sethys notices that some of the web's gilded strands appear to be unraveling, even breaking free from its frame. Eszuth acknowledges this as well, though he does not answer any questions on whether this is a bad omen. Instead he urges Sethys to try and forget all about his ordeal, to get some rest and think about his future—namely to consider leaving the temple soon to go join his fellow acolytes on the Isle of Crypts.
But alas, the more Sethys thinks on the matter, the more he is bothered by this strange business with that woman on the wireless and her mention of "Calithiss", and the more he begins to believe that Order must've had a hand in Ssithnos's assasination. While sitting in the bath (a great place to think), he gets it into his head that he should at least try to consult the Chaos Hierophant about what he heard, far-fetched or not. Later that day, he returns to Eszuth and asks how he might best go about doing this.
Eszuth tries his best to discourage the lad, but he does reveal that the hierophant managed to avoid the trouble in Essyamar because he was visiting the Temple of Enthusiasm, though he will be leaving tonight for "parts unknown to all but him". Sethys doubts he will be able to catch up with the hierophant there as Enthusiasm is too far away, practically across the entire isle. However, the opportunity to rid the temple of an unintentionally troublesome nitwit inspires Eszuth and he gladly offers to open the way to the Dark Path for him.
As they head towards the temple foyer, another bolt of inspiration stops Eszuth cold, causing the man to suddenly beg a boon of Sethys—to look after the key to the altar of Tolerance in secret, with the claim that he has "a fierce feeling in his bones" about the days to come. Shocked, Sethys asks Eszuth if he really trusts him that much, but Eszuth clarifies that this is not a matter of trust but survival. He argues that the key would be better off hidden in the pockets of "someone Order would never suspect", who also happens to be going far away from the temple. Sethys hesitates, but understands the temple master's reasoning and accepts the task, promising to return the key to the temple in better times.
While putting his boots back on, Sethys—perhaps also sensing that the worst of this has yet to pass—very surreptitiously secures the key around his ankle with a length of red yarn and hides it well under his stocking. Shortly thereafter he completely forgets about doing this, because on the way to the gate he gets the jolt of his life when he espies his good old friend Ajalsarthis, back at his menial temple chores as if nothing had transpired the night before. They lock eyes for a moment, but neither one says a word.
At last Eszuth bids Sethys farewell as the latter enters the Dark Path and travels to the Temple of Enthusiasm. Once there, he runs into his older sister Svenjaja, an acolyte and artist whom he missed on his last visit to the temple. They speak of the recent horror in Essyamar; Svenjaja informs him that their parents moved there a year prior but they narrowly missed the massacre as they left town that morning for the Temple of Emotion. She is also very curious about his travels and grills him for a good story that she can jot down in her inspirational journal. Sethys is happy to summarize his plenary and how his experiences have been altogether enlightening but lonely. However, he keeps mum about anything pertaining to his actual reasons for visiting and continues searching for the hierophant by himself.
He eventually comes across the room in which the man is staying, easily identifiable by the heavily armed guards loitering out front. Sethys begins to rethink the whole thing after the guards make it clear that nobody—especially not some wretched acolyte of a forsaken virtue—is getting to the hierophant. Sethys is desperate enough to bring up the names of his parents as people they might recognize and trust. To his surprise, this seems to do the trick; Isskevahash himself calls from his chamber, ordering his guards to let Sethys into the room for a chat.
Sethys is greeted by a holy man mired in grief and fatigue, his unearthly green eyes wild and searching. However he speaks lucidly even as he neatly identifies Sethys Esshalshamesh by last and first name, as a "disciple of the Shining Path", a "practitioner of despised Balance" and the "harbinger of my doom". Isskevahash lurches towards him with outstretched hands, frightening Sethys quite a bit as he thinks the hierophant intends to strike or strangle him.
None of those things happen, and you still have like 2000 words to go in this summary. Sorry! Rather, Isskevahash simply clutches the lad's shoulders and tells Sethys to not to look so terrified—a tall order, considering. Sethys apologizes for being a harbinger of doom, wondering if he actually already knows why he has come. Isskevahash answers in the affirmative, revealing that Sethys's former temple master was once a dear friend of his and an augur of incomparable power, such that she had divined these events years ago through communion with the Great Earth Serpent himself, shortly before his disappearance. Still, he praises Sethys's faith and tenacity in trying to get word of the Guide to him, even though they are philosophical enemies.
Isskevahash reveals that the Void has whispered of one Sethys Esshalshamesh since time out of mind, someone whose fortune has been woven into a complex cosmic tapestry that will ultimately herald the defeat of "a bigger fish" and the salvation of the universe.
He must also grimly inform Sethys that his arrival also heralds the imminent death of the Chaos Hierophant.
Sethys cannot believe his ears; his exasperated reaction suggests that he does not fully appreciate the implication that he is but a pawn of prophecy, or worse, a gaudy bit of fringe dangling off the corner of the Great Earth Serpent's parlor rug. Though as embarrassing as all that may sound, he's far more rattled by the hierophant's apparent surrender to a destiny envisioned by minds that are not his own. He begs the man to reconsider his stance on free will (or lack thereof), if only for the sake of his people, the devotees of Chaos who need him now more than ever.
Isskevahash tells him to save his breath; although he has accepted his foretold defeat as inescapable, he remains amply prepared to fight for whatever time he has left. And fight he shall, for the Forces of Order are already marching towards the Chaos temples, led by the indomitable Lords of Discipline. It is too late to try to stop them and now it may even be too late for Sethys to flee to the Isle of Crypts. He gives Sethys the choice to stay and fight by his side, or if he prefers, to go to another Chaos temple via the Dark Path. Although Sethys knows it won't make much difference in the end, he asks to visit the temple of Emotion so he can at least try to see his parents and younger sister.
He gives Sethys his Serpent's Tooth to the Temple of Emotion, but this procession of cracked-up holy men distributing key items isn't quite over yet; Isskevahash has one more McGuffin he must see safely into Sethys's possession. Seemingly out of thin air, he produces a blue moonstone orb in his palm. He then presses his thumb to Sethys's forehead for several seconds and orders the lad to "take the orb and hide it as I did". When Sethys tries this, he finds he too is able to produce and reproduce the orb in his hand at will, using the same kind of legerdemain without any conscious knowledge as to how or why or what the orb even is.
He begins to ask, but Isskevahash silences him immediately. The existence of this orb must be kept a secret, even from himself, from a consciousness too easily probed by those who would seek to abuse its power.
But what is it? Sethys wonders.
You'll know what it is, when the time is right, says the hierophant. You'll know when it happens.
You can't just tell somebody that and expect them to go on with a normal life, Sethys expostulates.
I'm afraid your life was never going to be normal, Sethys. Normal people don't use the word "expostulate" as a dialogue tag.
With that cheerful little earful, the Chaos Hierophant sees Sethys to the Serpent Gate and bids him farewell. Sethys is beginning to feel like he is stuck in a locked groove on an orchestrion disk, and not on a particularly nice song either. Although his stupefaction of mind has seemingly extended all the way into his toes, he does as Isskevahash requests and travels to the Temple of Emotion via the Dark Path.
When he arrives, he finds the place a bit unsettled. Emotion is the closest temple to Essyamar and it is crowded with refugees from the city. After quite a bit of poking around, Sethys eventually locates his parents and his younger sister Shriash. The latter is happy to see him again, but sadly the same cannot be said about the former. Even after eight years, they still strongly disapprove of their son's "boneheaded" decision to walk in Balance instead Chaos. Likewise, Sethys still maintains that even after losing his temple (and just about everything else to his name), he has no regrets.
Though what transpires next would certainly put that attitude to the test: Just as the Chaos Hierophant portended, the Temple of Emotion is invaded overnight by the Forces of Order. This time the battle is led by the Master of Ethicality, whose powerful sorcery all but demolishes the sacred structure of temple itself. He is accompanied by a fearsome company of elite human and automaton soldiers led by Isstanar, a newly minted Lord of Discipline who orders the live capture of all remaining acolytes, including Sethys. His parents are slain during the attack, while the fate of his sister will remain unknown for several millennia…
Sethys, along with the other prisoners, is bound and blindfolded and packed into a caravan. Destination unknown, but only by virtue of the blindfold. In fact, the caravan is headed to a place Sethys knows quite well. It is the place where this all started: That rinky-dink Order outpost at Seriss, now a massively expanded subterranean stronghold called Serpent's Fang. Like the other prisoners, he is booked and searched upon arrival, stripped of his bindings and blindfold (and alas, his overcoat) and marched into a cramped cell in the stronghold's gaol.
At least he is not alone; his cellmates are all acolytes whom he met on his plenary, though nobody has any idea why they are being detained or what is to become of them. However, the outlook is grave; all of them believe that regardless of whatever trial Order has planned for them, they are not destined to survive it. There is nothing left to do but wait, while the stronghold guards start taking prisoners away one by one, down a dark corridor, never to return.
As the cell has no windows, it is impossible to determine the precise passage of time that passes before Sethys sees another familiar face, this time on the other side of the bars. It's Elissa, conducting a routine inspection of the premises with her cohort and senior file leader Tsandar. Sethys calls to her and she reacts with incredulity that proves contagious—after introducing him to Tsandar, he returns several questions of his own. What's a Balance acolyte still doing on the Isles? How did he get mixed in with the Chaos prisoners? How did he even get across the border in the first place? Inspector?
Sethys tries to explain but Tsandar concedes that the particulars of the story don't really matter, for a follower of Balance is still an enemy of Order. Elissa shares her partner's sentiment, but questions whether Sethys should still be subject to the same "questioning" as the other prisoners; she doubts that he will have any useful information regarding access to the altars of Chaos (meaning, how one might destroy them if they so wished).
Ah, Sethys realizes. So that's what they want. Now remembering the key entrusted to him, he subtly slips his hands into his skirt pockets. A cold wave of dread washes over him as he feels the emptiness of one pocket, and the substantial hole at the bottom of the other.
Serpent's garters! That key could be anywhere…!!
Note: Unlike the protagonist, you probably haven't forgotten that he actually tied the blasted thing around his foot.
Then again, considering what Order intends to do with the key, perhaps its loss isn't necessarily a bad thing…
Meanwhile, Tsandar informs his colleague that the decision will ultimately be up to Ardiniss, the garrison commander; it's not likely, but nevertheless possible that he will simply deem the lad a waste of time and ship him back to the Isle of Crypts. Before they mosey away, Sethys asks Elissa how her own "personal investigation" is faring, and if she has found anything else of interest. She responds with naught but a dirty look.
Over time, his cellmates continue to diminish in number, each one dragged away without warning or answer. The gaol corridors become still and quiet, to the point where Sethys suspects there are very few prisoners—if any—remaining in the entire fort. He soon has nobody to talk to and little to do besides pace around an emptied cell, at least until the day the guards at last come for him. He is led down that dark hallway and into a small interrogation chamber where he is sat down before Commander Ardiniss himself. As the man is flanked by Elissa and Tsandar, along with several steel-clad automatons, escape will not be a possibility this time.
Sethys Esshalshamesh… Oh no, not you again, groans Ardiniss, shaking his head in patriarchal disapproval. He gets right down to business and flat out informs Sethys that they already know he holds some knowledge as to the whereabouts of the key to the altar of Tolerance. Before Sethys can even begin to contest the charges, Ardiniss says the information came from the Order Hierophant herself, whose word is considered legally indisputable under Ordered law. In light of this, Elissa urges Sethys to come clean and tell them where it is; should he cooperate, they would be more than willing to send him to the Isle of Crypts with life and limb intact.
And if not, well…
But Sethys cannot lie. When asked where the key is, all he can bring himself to say is "I don't know"—the sad truth. This infuriates his interrogators, who begin leveling all sorts of threats and slurs in his direction. They tell him that Eszuth is dead, along with all of the other acolytes of Tolerance. The temple is as good as defunct and there is no use in keeping its altar protected. They also note that that several days ago he was witnessed accepting something from Eszuth before leaving the temple through the Serpent Gate, and that this same witness overheard them speaking of the key shortly before that.
But I swear I don't know where it is! Sethys pleads. That key could be anywhere!
…true or not, it's really not the most convincing defense, is it?
Tsandar asks what they are to do with him if he so refuses to speak—shall he be extracted like the others?
Not this time. Ardiniss coldly reports that the hierophant herself prescribed a different mode of punishment for this one, something novel and untested: He shall be remanded in temporal stasis and consigned to the Flames of Ethicality until he feels more willing to talk…
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
…and so in a rather generously worded nutshell, that's how Sethys Esshalshamesh became "That Guy trapped in the ring of fire in the Test of Ethicality". After being delivered to the Temple of Ethicality, Elissa handled the "temporal stasis" portion of his punishment, casting him into a time prism (with the lost ninth circle spell An Tym Ex) which insured he would remain sufficiently deathless for as long as necessary. Then, he would wile away his indefinite sentence within a spectral prison in the Void (similar to what the Guardian did to the Time Lord in Black Gate), only to be summoned back to reality and tormented in flames every time some would-be acolyte of Ethicality came along to test their bravery.
- Note: Even after destroying the time prism itself, the effects of An Tym Ex are in fact irreversible for its target, though the Ophidians had yet to discover this. The spell was deemed Illegal Canon by the Unified Council of Time Lords, who have since made many (unsuccessful) attempts to erase it from all existence. They have determined that its usage is "cruel, or at least highly unusual punishment", and can also confer a destabilizing effect on the fabric of time and space as anyone or anything falling victim to it may no longer be considered truly alive, but not truly dead either—just, something else.
They become something else. A temporal anomaly. A malfunction of entropy. A glitch in the calculus of quantum states. Sethys was never very good at math so he tries not to think about this too much.
In any case, Sethys's punishment did not happen exactly the way Calithiss had envisaged, for shortly after they placed him in his time prism, the War Forces of Chaos stormed the temple of Ethicality and wrecked the place as retribution for what Order had done to them. There would be no more attempts at the test of Ethicality for another 8,759 years, when a certain Avatar came along and rediscovered the temple—and the test—on her search for the legendary Ophidian fountains…
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆