The Naming of Things

"The Naming of Things" is episode 2 in The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One, released on March 14, 2023. "The world of Spirit shows its teeth. Not all the chickens make it. Pack your bags and travel light. There's ogres on the road."

Part 1
As the figure on the road moves toward the cottage, Suvi sees that he is well dressed, but in simple black, absent the usual metal buttons and colorful embellishments. It is now fully night, which is jarring as it was early afternoon just a few minutes earlier. With Grandmother Wren's passing, and the arrival of this stranger, the usual sounds of the house and grounds are muted or silenced.

The visitor knocks three times, but before Ame answers the door, she performs a funeral rite for Grandmother Wren. Moving downstairs, Ame notices that a magic candle isn't lighting the way it should. Ame asks the visitor his business before she would let him in, and asks his name three times. He refuses to give one, but instead offers three titles: the Pilgrim Under the Stars, the King of Night, and The Man in Black. Though he is courteous, his voice is "cold beyond imagining". He claims to be an old friend of Wren's, come to pay his respects, and admonishes Ame for her lack of hospitality. Ame apologizes for her slip, and requests that the Man return another day, one year from now. Through the door, the Man agrees, and then it is suddenly daytime again.

As the two women converse about the strangeness of what just happened, Suvi recalls knowledge learned from her lessons at the Citadel. The Man in Black was most likely a spirit of immense power, able to bring night with him where he went. His mere presence at the cottage caused time to slip, making the milk go bad and withering the fruit trees. He also seemed to have caused a beadwork eye to smoke, and Suvi's speaking mirror to shatter.

As they attempt to get back on track, Suvi remembers to gift Ame some items from Steel: a couple of scrolls, and a book about the Stars of the Southern Skies. Ame skims through the book, unable to glean much information amidst the wizard jargon. Suvi searches the cottage, noting the changes from last she had been there many years ago. The two of them enter Ame's room, also now different in their time apart. Suvi notices the patch of her blue cloak she had left with Ame is still in her bed as a piece of the comforter. She mends it, knowing it won't last forever. As she does so, a confused fox exits the chicken coop with a dead hen in its mouth. Suvi realizes it probably entered while it was still night, and was now perplexed at the sudden change in time. She cackles at this, scaring the fox back into the woods.

Ame returns, and the two women look at the scrolls, which depict occult anatomical drawings of strange beasts. Suvi recognizes the bestial forms adopted by certain wizards in Galthmei, such as Eoighorain. Ame notes that the Empire is supposed to be at war with Galthmei, but Suvi shrugs it off -- wizards aren't supposed to get along with witches, either, but here they are.

The pair head up the hill to the shrine honoring the local stream spirit. Ame makes a few ritualistic gestures to honor the spirit before asking its assistance in finding her familiar. Suvi curtsies, addressing the spirit as Mr. Soup, as the statue on the shrine is holding a stone bowl. The garrulous spirit appears instantly, and greets the women. After Ame makes a small offering, the spirit seems to sense Wren's demise, and offers his condolences. He introduces himself as Daomai, and commisserates for a while before offering his help in caring for the cottage. Ame takes him up on it, and with another small offering, he also offers to help Ame find a familiar. As Daomai works his magic, Ame quietly prays that her spirit won't be "a butthole" like Grandmother Wren's familiar.

Suvi spies a fox emerging from the trees, its eyes on some crackers in Ame's pocket. Amused, Suvi tries to help it steal the crackers, but Ame is too quick. When she grabs the fox, it panics and begins speaking, much to his surprise. The fox immediately uses his newfound ability to claim he had nothing to do with what happened to the chickens, but that quickly moves to a conversation about what's happened to him, and if he's interested in that sort of thing. The fox is clever and charming, despite his self-serving nature, and soon they're all fast friends. Ame and Suvi take the fox inside and allow him one more chicken.

Ame tidies the house, then steadies herself and puts Grandmother Wren to rest. Ame puts her ashes in an urn with a rooster on it, and places the urn at the shrine. She then packs a bag for the journey ahead. Suvi takes Grandmother Wren's threadbare lilac shawl, and tries to stop Ame from packing far, far too much. When they're ready, the fox follows Eursulon's scent, leading them far from Toma. They travel for a long time, learning that Eursulon sometimes passed through the same village several times. At last, they arrive one evening in the large port city of Joras, at the southern tip of the island of Akham.

As they approach the city, Ame and Suvi see a play being staged on a wagon for the common folk. A bombastic fellow calling himself Professor J.B. Adelaide offers the crowd the tale of Sir Gallant and the Princess of Bryony.

Part 2
On the simple painted stage, an awkward actress bemoans her fate as the captive of an ogre. When Sir Gallant and the ogre emerge, Ame and Suvi find their old friend in his beautiful natural form, wearing fake warts and a cloth hood, playing the monster of the tale. Even in the context of a play, Eursulon's appearance provokes a panic in some of the audience, but a few plants in the audience encourage the right response -- to boo him.

Ame and Suvi are immediately incensed, and shout back at the crowd. When Eursulon hears this, he is deeply shaken, and leaves the stage. Behind the scenes, Adelaide shouts at Eursulon (who he calls "Bear"), telling him to get back to his job -- that the carnival makes money off selling kids tomatoes to throw at Eursulon at the end. Eursulon refuses, moving toward the costume tent. He asks Adelaide to return his music box, intending to leave the city. Adelaide refuses, then belatedly asks if Eursulon is in danger. When Eursulon confirms he is not, Adelaide flares again. Eursulon is angered in return, shouting at him that there will be no show.

As the Princess of Bryony slowly breaks down on stage, the actor playing Sir Gallant (Oscar) finds Eursulon and asks what's wrong. When Eursulon explains, Oscar bravely offers to stall the people chasing him. When Oscar tries to direct Ame and Suvi away from the costume tent, Suvi dismisses the glamour disguising her staff, revealing herself to be a wizard. Oscar is smart enough to immediately fold. In the tent, Eursulon has resumed his human glamour and is thinking about fleeing, even without the music box. He can't bring himself to do it.

When Ame and Suvi find him, Ame tries to hug Eursulon, but he shies away. He explains that the world has been unkind to him; he's had to give up a lot. When he says the music box is gone, Suvi immediately leaves to find Adelaide. She demands the music box, and in his panic, Adelaide claims to be a hedge mage, fumbling a few playing cards. This does not impress Suvi, and she intimidates him until he flees.

(Brennan: And that's the last we'll ever see of Professor Adelaide...")

As Ame and Eursulon talk, Eursulon explains that he felt he couldn't return to the cottage because he was too ashamed for his friends to see him so low. Suvi returns with the music box, and Ame asks him about Wavebreaker. Eursulon, miserable, explains that he traded it for shelter during a hard winter. Ame is incensed, knowing that hospitality should have been freely extended to him. Suvi hugs him, and Ame observes that Eursulon now has a quest.

Main Player characters

 * Suvi
 * Ame
 * Eursulon

Returning

 * Grandmother Wren

New

 * The Man in Black
 * Daomai
 * The Fox
 * J.B. Adelaide
 * Oscar

Mentioned

 * Steel
 * Eoighorain