Green tourmaline ring

Located in the East Exhibit Room of the River's Rest Museum, this green tourmaline ring has a loresong that sheds a bit of light upon the tale of Estamil and Tandrik.

Description

This is a simple ring, just a round-cut green tourmaline inset in a modest band of silver.  The band is scuffed on one side.

A tag attached to the tourmaline ring states, "According to local lore, this was intended to be the wedding band of the legendary Estamil of the Bridges.  Contemporaneous historical records confirm the existence of Estamil, who was undeniably the designer of several bridges in and around River's Rest (two of which still exist).  The legends which have grown around her, however, cannot be authenticated.

Loresong

As you focus your thoughts and song on the small ring, you experience a moment of dizziness.  When it passes, you find yourself beside a fast-flowing river leading out into a wide bay.  A young human dressed in a recently-patched uniform of the old Turamzzyrian Empire hobbles along the river's side with the aid of a makeshift crutch.  He searches the water's edge as he walks.

A look of delight passes over the young man's face as he spots something in the shallow water.  He reaches down awkwardly, favoring his injured leg, and plucks a small green stone from the water.  Holding the wet stone up to the light, the young man says to himself, "This is the exact color of her eyes."


You hear the gentle tapping of metal on metal as you continue your song.  As you bring your song and thoughts into focus, you realize you're in a small metalsmith's shop.  The morning sun slants through the shop windows.  The young soldier with the injured leg is using a pair of tin snips to remove the silver buttons from his Turamzzyrian uniform.  With a shy smile, he hands the buttons to the metalsmith, along with two green tourmalines.

Everything seems to blur and suddenly it's the afternoon sun that's blazing through the metalsmith's shop window.  The young soldier enters the shop and looks at the smith with unalloyed eagerness.  The metalsmith smiles and lays a green velvet cloth on the counter.  With a dramatic gesture, he opens the cloth, revealing a pair of silver rings inset with green tourmalines.

"Tandrik, lad, she'll love 'em," the metalsmith says.  "They're not fancy, but our Estamil was never one for fancy things  You're a lucky lad, you are."


Darkness enfolds you as you continue your song.  Bright spots of color float before your eyes.  Slowly those spots of color resolve themselves into paper lanterns hung on poles arranged across a drawbridge.  The rhythm of your song conforms to the rhythm of a small group of musicians on the bridge.

A party is being held on the bridge.  Couples of all races dance to the music, or gather in small conversational groups.  Children peek over the side of the bridge and drop small stones into the river below.  Young Tandrik dances slowly and awkwardly on his injured leg.  In his arms, a smiling elven woman with bright green eyes lays her head on his shoulder.

Every few minutes the young couple is interrupted by people congratulating the elven woman on the design and construction of the bridge.  She leans close to Tandrik and whispers in his ear, "Would you think it terrible of me if I suggested we slip away from the party?  This is all wonderful, but it's just a bit too much."  Tandrik's eyes light up.  "Estamil," he says, "you never fail to delight me.  Let's go."


As you continue to sing to the tourmaline ring, you find yourself on a narrow lane, softly lit by silvery moonlight filtering through the trees.  Ahead of you, walking hand in hand slowly along the lane, are young Tandrik and Estamil.  A gentle breeze riffles through her hair and carries their conversation to you.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she asks.  He smiles and nods.  "I'm glad we snuck away from the party," she says.  "It was wonderful of them to throw it, but that bridge has occupied my mind for so long that it's a relief not to have to think about it.  Now I'd like to think about...well, more important things."  Tandrik leans forward and kisses her softly.  "There's something I'd like you to think about," he says.  He reaches into the pocket of his military blouse and pulls out the two tourmaline rings.  "I'd like you to think about spending the rest of your life with me," he says.

Estamil's green eyes go wide and, if possible, even brighter.  Before she can speak, however, several shadowy figures leap out from behind the trees and seize them, dragging them off into the darkness.


A dark shape rushes overhead as you extend your song.  An owl glides rapidly over the moonlit lane in search of its evening meal.  The lane is silent.  The moonlight reflects off a pair of silver rings lying in the dirt.  In the pale light, the green tourmalines look almost black.