The Abbey of Montglane

The action of the "past" narrative begins here - the home of Mireille, Valentine and the Abbess, the place where the Montglane Service has been hidden, and the place from which its various components are distributed.

The Montglane Service

The Service is a chess set (board, pieces, and cloth cover), the possession of which serves as the focus of conflict in both "past" and "present" narratives. It was originally presented to King Charlemagne, believed to be cursed and therefore hidden, and also believed to be the source of great power and therefore pursued by many (in both past and present) who would use that power for good or evil. It is constructed of gold and silver, its pieces thickly inlaid with precious jewels, and ultimately proves to be the source of a secret formula for "the philosopher's stone" (see below).

The Figure "8"