Previously, the heroes had just discovered that the binding circle they had been designing was an unintentional copy of the ramparts around Kingsport, which they found to have copper running all along the base, ostensibly turning the ramparts, gates, and bastions into an enormous binding circle. This revelation sparked questions on the Senhadrim, the vaults, the ramparts, and the defences of Kingsport, whose answers the heroes felt could only be found with those who had lived through the Age of Fear.
Ninth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262
(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)It was at forth bell after noon that Quentin, Emrys, Luca, and Astrid departed the Careless Wanderer and set out to find prior Benedict. Their instinct was to talk to crier Goodman to see if any of the rumours about the prior being sighted around Kingsport were true. They found Goodman in his usual spot at the eastern end of Queensbridge. He had taken refuge from the bad weather in a szygani vardo underneath the wheels of which a small family of feral dogs had made their home. Smoke rose up from a small chimney pipe, and when the heroes came closer they could smell the scent of sausages being cooked on a small stove. The scent explained the dogs. Goodman emerged from the wagon and spoke with the heroes.
Ultimately, Goodman was able to confirm that prior Benedict was indeed somewhere in or around Kingsport, but he could not say where. He had heard that the prior had been turned away at the cathedral, and reitterated that the prior had been excommunicated after his firebrand sermon at the Cathedral of the Platinum Father, and coming very close to be declared a heretic in the eyes of the church because of his challenge to the doctrine. Goodman believed that there was only one group fanatical enough to support prior Benedict; the Custodians.
When Quentin recognised that the heroes had exhausted Goodman’s knowledge, or his willingness to share it, he paid the crier with a gold crown, and asked him to make sure to pay some of the children he used as informants. Goodman assured him that they were all well taken care of, especially since their friend Brandomiir had started concerning himself with the safety of the children at the orphanage in Grimsdown. He was also able to share that Ramona, the Lady of the Raft, had been making donations to the orphanage, despite her banishment from the city. Before departure, Goodman tried to get the heroes to share what they knew of the gravekeeper, but Quentin prevented Luca from sharing any information, but inadvertently let slip more than they should during their bickering.
The heroes headed towards the Tomb of Saint Catherine, but lost Astrid along the way as she got distracted by something and saying goodbye to the others to head into Lewisham. The Quentin, Emrys, and Luca arrived at the gates of the monastary and smoothly talked their way past the two custodians who stood guard. This was mostly achieved by Quentin becoming “Lord Morvrayne” and striding past the two, barely acknowledging them and assuming their compliance. Quentin ultimately got one of them to escort the heroes to a small chapel where Jan was sitting in communion.
The church was warm and only lit by dozens of candles. Luca had spoken to Jan here before, and found that the custodian’s health had not improved since then. Afflicted by a terrible fever, the burly man was lost in prayer at the main altar, while his wife was praying in a different part of the church, hidden from view in an alcove dedicated to a particular saint. It was clear to all that the curse of Epidemius was taking a heavy toll on Jan and prevented him from healing from the wounds of his recently lost limb.
The conversation with Jan was confused at times. He claimed that the black fog that surrounded him was almost blocking out his sight and the accompanying voice was almost impossible to ignore. When Jan learned that the heroes were looking for prior Benedict he explained that the living saint was not with the custodians, but instead had made camp in the woods just east of the city. He was surprised that the heroes had not come to him for the celebration, but could not explain what he meant by that. He also offered that he had been able to convince the custodian justices to provide temporary amnesty to Neamhan for her witchcraft.
When the heroes departed the chapel, they noticed that Jan’s wife had been eavesdropping on their conversation, but Quentin decided it was not the right time to confront the woman.
A few hours later and four leagues east of Kingsport, Neamhan and Chakuq arrived at the Seat of Friendship. Despite the blizzard, they were surprised to see that there were quite a few travellers in the clearing underneath the canopy of Geolgothis, the enormous oak tree. Ciarán, Aiden, and Darragh, the three druids who were the caretakers of the tree, had welcomed almost a dozen travellers, who sit in three groups around campfires. Ciarán, the barrel-chested Kaedwyni who was the leader of the druids, came to greet Neamhan and Chakuq. Neamhan had recently been to the Seat of Friendship with Quentin, and had gotten to know Ciarán. Chakuq had stopped by the Seat of Friendship on his way to Kingsport but had not gotten a chance to get to know the druids well.
They were offered a place to rest at a fire next to a Daerlanian jongleur named Lukas, a young man with frost-covered, curly, brown hair playing the lute, and a Lyrian soldier named Hal who was part of the recently created royal army, coming back from Farcorner. Nearby, a Kaedwyni woman with a scarred face named Brukka was sitting near the edge of the shelter the tree provided, occasionally brushing snow from her shoulders. And there was Kael, a half-elven ranger who looked like he was very capable of surviving the storm by himself but decided to stop at the Seat of Friendship anyway.
Ciarán had taken an interest in Walor, and had given him a spot near a horse that belonged to Hal. Neamhan, who had connected to Walor so that she may speak with him, asked him how the ride had been. Walor seemed quite invigorated, and was concerned for Chakuq; while the Silesian was a good rider, the travel had likely taken a toll on him.
After some conversation with the jongleur and soldier, Chakuq convinced Neamhan to go and see Geolgothis, and thought it a good idea to climb the tree to get closer to it. Despite the enormous trunk of the tree, they were able to find a way into its lower branches. Neamhan felt elated as they climbed higher and higher, probably because the increasing strength in the wind the higher they went reminded her of home.
Eventually the two of them found a secured place among the branches to sit and connect to the tree. Neamhan managed to convey and resonate some of the trees intention to him and thus communicate what Geolgothis was saying to Neamhan.
As before, it was difficult to motivate Geolgothis; it neither cared about Kingsport, nor its inhabitants, and did not seem overly concerned about Epidemius or his diseases. Neamhan got he feeling that if the impact of an event could not be felt from one aeon to another, that the tree simply did not fully registered the event at all. Chakuq’s suggestion to plant part of Geolgothis so that it might spread its influence to Kingsport also seemed not to interest the ancient tree.
After some back and forth with Geolgothis the tree offered a compromise; Neamhan and Chakuq would be allowed to pick one of its fruits, a perfect acorn of enormous proportion, which they could take to fuel their ritual, after which they would plant it “in the heart of summer.” It was not immediately clear what Geolgothis meant by that, but after some back and forth between Chakuq and Neamhan they understood it to mean somewhere in the Feywild. Geolgothis said it would allow it to open a crossing that they could use to travel back and forth. Neamhan, excited by the prospect, explains that she had met flowers that were connected to the realm of faerie, and that she had named them all. Halfway through her story the tree seemed to have fallen asleep.
Chakuq and Neamhan climbed down from the tree and got ready to depart. Ciarán was keen to understand what they had done up in the branches of Geolgothis, and did not seem pleased when Chakuq explained, but made no move to reprimand them. They got ready to head back to Kingsport.
