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Then Mordenkainen looks directly at Tarva with a much more serious stare than she has ever encountered from him before.  "You do realize that this adventure of yours was absolutely impossible, don't you?"

Tarva is taken completely aback.  His comment comes totally out of the blue, and she hasn't the faintest idea what he is talking about. A stammering "W-w-what?" is the best she can do by way of a reply.

Mordenkainen turns to the other two Circle members, and says, "I think Tarva would prefer to not have anyone else hear this, until she's had time to think over how much she wants known by other people.  And for myself I'll have an easier time if I'm talking to just her.  If you don't mind, that is."  Upon which both of them get up, wish Tarva good fortunes, and leave the room.

"I've gone over your description of the events in your actual encounter with Darinthalus and Issaqua; and I've supplemented that with some other information gathering techniques we have; and the odds against your succeeding in this quest, let alone coming through it alive, are astronomical.  From my analysis, all of these events had to happen in the way they did: if any of them had gone differently, you would not be here talking with me."  And then he produced a list he'd written down:

A. Ranger Rowan successfully shooting an arrow into some foe almost every second;
B. Cleric Ninalyn casting additional protection spells on various people, including Tarva;
C. Rogue Velia knowing the Abyssmal language, and being close enough to hear Yeronllith talk to the Nalfeshnee;
D. Tarva pulling Zeln back from Issaqua before Issaqua had time to issue full instructions to its new minion;
E. Mage Zeln retaining enough 'selfness' to interpret those incomplete instructions, and their loopholes, as Zeln wanted:
E-1. Zeln not feeling compelled to hurt group members while not with Issaqua;
E-2. Zeln, when back with Issaqua, finding a loophole to remove himself from any encounter before the rest of the group arrived;
E-3. Possibly other Dagger-defying actions -- have to wait for Granthis to restore Zeln and ask him;
F. Heart's Reach learning how to destroy Issaqua through interaction with - hitting at - an Issaqua-controlled minion (Zeln);
G. Fighter Surune hurrying the group into an assault on the Cathedral before Issaqua could adequately recover and respond;
H. Ninalyn, Fighter Axe, and Velia speeding the assault by flying;
I. Ninalyn and Axe staying out of range of the Waves of Exhaustion;
J. Axe charging Darinthalus immediately afterwards, thus distracting Issaqua from taking advantage of the group's drastic disablement;
K. Ninalyn using Restoration, first on Tarva then on Rowan, to remove that disablement;
L. Surune taking out one Nalfeshnee with a single blow;
M. Rowan's arrows and Velia's Rogue attack distracting the other Nalefshnee;
N. Tarva's singing Inspire Greatness onto Heart's Reach;
O. The Nalefshnee's Rainbow Burst taking out the minion-Axe before he could interfere with Tarva;
P. Heart's Reach exceptional strike at Issaqua;
Q. Darinthalus still, after all this long time of being controlled, retaining enough of his 'selfness' to make Issaqua's strike at Tarva, and its counter-strike at Heart's Reach, both immensly ineffectual in comparison to Issaqua's usual combat effectiveness.

"Not that these were all conscious or deliberate decisions on each person's part," Mordenkainen breaks into Tarva's study of the list.  She has to agree: presented in this manner, it does seem highly unlikely.  'Impossible', however, is a bit extreme: after all, it did happen.  "And it goes beyond that," Mordenkainen continues.  "Why was exactly this group of adventurers in Greyhawk, precisely when you needed them, and all willing to run off on a desparate quest with you?  It is clear to me that if any one of your companions had not been available, or had not agreed to go, the remaining six of you would not have succeeded."

Suddenly he slaps the tabletop, sharply, startling Tarva.  "I believe in the Balance," Mordenkainen continues, almost belligerently.  Tarva is really surprised at this.  "I believe that there is no greater purpose for our existence than to strive to maintain the Balance.  I do not belive in a Grand Design.  I do not believe in some Cosmic Weaver, directing our life-threads where She chooses, to create a pattern pleasing to Her.  I do believe in free will, and in both the ability and the need for each of us to make our own decisions.  And you, young lady, are making it very hard to continue in those beliefs."  He is staring directly at Tarva, almost glaring.  She doesn't know what to say, so wisely stays silent.  Her hand sneaks down to grasp HR's hilt, for the reassurance that the contact will give her.

"I have a second list," he continues, after a moment, and in a much calmer tone, "one I have carefully not written down.  It is inexcusably superstitious of me, but I almost feel that doing so would make it more 'real', would turn my speculations into fact."  His gaze is no longer a glare, or even a stare, but still is fully concentrated on Tarva.  "You seem like such a reasonable person," he resumes in a seeming non sequitur.  "Upon first meeting you there are the obvious ways you differ: your skin color, your exceptional voice.  But when one looks beyond that, you don't present as being a shaker of worlds.  You are infallably polite; your instincts are to protect and help others; you accept responsibility but don't go looking for power.  By all logic and rules, you should be a minor actor on our world stage, of almost no consequence.  And yet..."  

His demeanor shifts again, slightly.  His tone of voice is almost a dare, or perhaps a lack of knowledge as to what answer he really wants to hear: "Would you like me to tell you my second list?"

Tarva feels like she is so far out of her depth that she'll never surface again.  She so wishes that Taizu were here with her.  Or that HR was speaking again already.  But, "Yes, please," she responds.

Mordenkainen begins to count off on his fingers.  
"One: you are born on Albion -- the same world on which Heart's Reach was forged -- but of a Celestial birth mother and a father with Fey ancestry.
"Two: On your family mother's Deity's GodDay, a sacred animal of her Deity saves you from both pirates and drowning.
"Three: As a long-term consequence of that rescue, you become a singer, and a fighter, and a faith healer; and also grow up far from the dangers of your overrun home country.
"Four: Almost as soon as you're competent at caring for yourself outside of a sheltered major city, and at an age almost twice that of most adventurers, you suddenly decide to return to your home country, and cannot be persuaded away from this fixation to find the rest of your family.
"Five: While wandering safely through war-ravagened towns and countrysides, you come across a Cleric of your Deity and her group, join it, and within hours are successfully fighting a Demon and its minions.
"Six: The Demon, reacting in large part to your sudden and unanticipated interference with its plans, throws the entire group into another plane.
"Seven: Which just happens to be Feyland, where you discover and develope your Fey heritage, and are reunited with the Fey side of your family: your Aunt Millicent.
"Eight: Who gives you an amulet of her creation and construction which is a most powerful if limited portable Gate.
"Nine: And who helps you return to Albion to find other members of your, and her, family; in the course of which quest you meet a remarkable sword named Heart's Reach.
"Ten: And the two of you form a bond which, if not unprecedented, is certainly highly unusual."

He has run out of fingers.  He looks perplexed for a moment, then curls both hands up into loose fists again.  "And then it gets very strange," he continues.
"Eleven: The Flanaess Continental War from 582 through 584, and its escalation to include Avatars and Deities, caused massive waves of Deity-level energy to flux across not only Oerth but also other planes; and at what must have been almost the last possible moment for such a transfer, you and Heart's Reach are pulled out of Feyland and deposited unhurt on our world.
"Twelve: Because you have your Aunt Millicent's Amulet -- and see all the earlier coincidences for how likely that was -- Heart's Reach is able to maintain his 'selfness' despite the incompatibility of his needs and Oerth's natural laws.
"Thirteen: You join up with a Bard who supports your desire to find a way back to Feyland, abandons all of his musical aspirations in order to help you, and later encourages you to develop your own Bardic abilities.
"Fourteen: Through Taizu's skills you all join up with a group of adventurers that eventually lead you to encounter a wandering Gate.
"Fifteen: Which throw you and Heart's Reach to the direct attention of the Lord God Aastrjud.
"Sixteen: Which, in turn, causes Lord God Aastrjud to foster the two of you off on me; whom you would otherwise have never have had any opportunity to meet.
"Seventeen: And as a direct result of that, I teach Heart's Reach everything I know about Gates -- knowledge you were seeking for him but which you would otherwise have had a difficult, perhaps impossible, effort trying to find.
"Eighteen: Also I construct for you a special Amulet.
"Nineteen: And by another coincidence, Elakiel is here, meets you, and reports back to the Celestial plane that an unknown half-Celestial is wandering around on Oerth.
"Twenty: Resulting in your traveling to the Celestial plane, and unlocking and learning to use all of your Celestial heritage abilities."

Once again all of his fingers are splayed out.  He takes a deep breath.  "I hadn't counted them before," he says.  "This just seems more improbable now that I have.  So, we are up to a month ago.  You have contacts on the Celestial Plane; you have contacts - me - here; you have contacts throughout the Temple of Pelor; and you clearly have a reputation among adventures.  Which leads us to a final set."  He closes his hands yet again.

"You and Taizu build a music conservatory and settle down in Greyhawk. So, when Issaqua takes over Darinthalus, and percipitates this crisis, and our Circle detects the serious unBalance, who do I contact?  You, because you're on Oerth already, and because I do know who you are.  And when you then contact the Celestial Plane, they come out of their panic to realize that you're better situated than anyone else to try and deal with the problem; and because they also know you, they know that you will accept the quest.  And the Pelor hierarchy also know you, and thus don't waste any time with anything except helping you prepare.  Then just the right and necessary set of adventurers are in Greyhawk, and are willing to let you lead them into this danger.  After which we have all the additional coincidences based on who those adventurers are, as I did write down."

He sighs, and stretches his fingers, rotates his wrists as if they were bothering him. "Defeating Issaqua required exactly getting Heart's Reach -- and a bardicly enhanced Heart's Reach at that -- into combat with the Dagger, while in full possession of his abilities, plus the knowledge I gave him.  And I think it is fair to say that no-one else could have been wielding him."  He sighs again, and shrugs his shoulders.  "Young lady, if I had any inclination to believe in a Grand Design, I would look at all this and be ready to swear that the two of you were predestined -- had your lives, from conception onwards, carefully sculpted -- to prepare you for this one quest.  That every one of those events or coincidences had a purpose of preparing the two of you for this one task.    And I would much, much rather not believe that."

Tarva doesn't know what to say.

"Oh," he continues, "it isn't as if you could give me any answers.  I've considered the possibility that this is some Deity's carefully finessed means of manipulating world events without leaving a betraying trace of Deity-power. I'd much rather accept the idea that someone less than the entire multiverse was at work here.  And of course, if that were true, the last thing such a Deity would do would be to allow you to know anything about the manipulations.  It also allows me to speculate that they might have had also prepared fallback methods of obtaining this goal -- or that some of your events actually were second choices, after more beneficial coincidences didn't materialize.  I wonder, for example, just why it did take you so long to start adventuring: was there a planned-for event which didn't happen, which would have started you on this path years earlier?  But all the many individual and independent pieces: it seems hard to believe that any other life path would have gotten you together with Heart's Reach, and with your Aunt Millicent.  And with me."  He throws his arms up, momentarily, exasperated.  "Or maybe I'm just annoyed at the thought that I was also being manipulated."

For the first time, he seems to take in how nervous Tarva is.   Her golden skin doesn't do pale very well, but her body language is unmistakable, now that he bothers to notice.  "Oh, child, I'm not blaming you for any of this.  And perhaps I shouldn't have burdened you with it either.  But who else was I going to talk about it with?  This is your life story: for you to share by your choice with people of your choice; not for me to tell anyone just because they're a colleague of mine."  He suddenly smiles at Tarva, which is almost as startling as everything else has been.  "And I don't want to make you feel like your entire life has been attached to some puppeteer's strings.  No matter how many coincidences are involved; no matter how unlikely the two of you are, sitting there after defeating Issaqua; that doesn't mean that coincidences don't happen.  And I still don't believe in a Grand Design."

He pauses again, rests his chin on a fist, elbow on table.  "Actually, there is one definitive way for you to prove that my speculations are all just conspiracy-theory fantasies.  If you had been 'aimed' at Issaqua, then your purpose would be finished, and your puppeteer -- Deity or Weaver or whatever -- would now let you fade into obscurity.  So the next time you get involved in some important task, that will show that you were not just intended, predestined, to deal with this one crisis.  And somehow I do not doubt that you will continue to get involved with solving problems -- and nobody, not even I, would ever suggest that dealing with Issaqua was somehow merely a step towards preparing you for any other task."

<< needs to be finished >>