Category: RPG

Remembrance and Reward

Previously, the heroes discovered a fierce orc scout who had been keeping an eye on the Sheridan estate. Having captured and incapacitated her, the heroes spoke to Lord Marcus, remembering well his fondness for the Kaedwyni orcs and hoping he would react in a less volatile way than the Sheridan house guard would. He recommended taking her to an abandoned windmill nearby to interrogate her. There, the heroes found that their old friend Korath had sent her to keep an eye on the catacombs. The scout believed that he might want to go back into the catacombs to seek out a stone eye. The heroes decided to let her go after she gave her word that she would only observe and otherwise not get closer to the estate.

Third Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262

(Silvermoon in high sanction. Bloodmoon in high sanction. Darkmoon is waning.)

While the sun had gone down and the wind started to pick up, the heroes made their way through the rain from the abandoned windmill to the Sheridan estate. The conversation was focused on whether or not they would inform Lord Marcus about what the orc scout had told them. Quentin reminded the others that Lady Commander Miranda had requested for him to go to the Tiverton Glades to assist her house in any way in the protection of the region against the orc invasion. James once again focused everyone at the task at hand; finding Kalina, but he couldn’t help but consider an expedition into the catacombs.

When the heroes arrived they found that many of the house Grey and Sheridan guards that were bivouacking in the courtyard had started to eat and drink together, huddled around fires, underneath tarpaulins. Despite the weather it was a good spirited affair.

Inside, the heroes were greeted by the guests at the celebration, having taken place in the dining room of the manor. Lord John was seated at the head of the table, with Lord Destan and Marcus on one side, and Lord Jonathan and Ser Benten on his other side. Across the table, sat Lord Lothar Grey, an elderly gentleman who was the brother and twin to the late Lady Gwynn Sheridan. Lord Lothar was flanked by Ser Ademar of Woodbury, a member in the Order of the Lance who Luca remembered was the signatory to a message on the notice board the heroes had seen earlier which was a call to arms, attempting to recruit people to fight against the orc invasion to the north. On Lord Lothar’s other side sat Dame Madeline of Ashenvale, the tall, comely knight that the heroes had met in the catacombs underneath the Sheridan estate all those months ago. Both knights were dressed in simple tunic, decorated with silver thread to denote their order.

A second table had been set up that would seat the five heroes which was to one side of the hearth, while on the other side of the hearth three musicians had taken their place, playing the lute, fiddle and flute. They accompanied a singer, a curiously androgynous elf with long, pale coloured hair, wearing an elaborate, silk kimono. Their name was Elerethe, and she sang in a strange language, reminiscent of elven.

To the front of the room, in front of the window, was a long table with a bench, where several Sheridan guards, including captain Hallis Mollen and sergeant Rhalek of Darkhollow had taken seat, together with some guards of house Grey to enjoy dinner.

Lord Destan introduced the Heroes of the White Eye and the evening commenced with socialisation. Lord John did not really speak, save for a few words he whispered into his eldest son’s ear from time to time. It became clear to the heroes that while the man was old, he was certainly not feeble of mind.

When the first courses of food were brought out everyone took their seat. The food was rich and plentiful and the wine, spirits and ales flowed, all enjoyed while Elerethe and the musicians entertained the party. The main course was a combination of river trout baked in clay and an enormous boar roasted over an open fire, thinly sliced and seasoned with rosemary and crushed peppercorns. Afterwards the tables were cleared and prepared for dessert and this was the moment that Lord Lothar stood to toast to his late sister. He touched on her history; on how she had been known as Gwynn the Twice-Wed, being unlucky in love with her first two husbands dying before their time. They had renamed her Gwynn the Giant Slayer after her meeting Lord John and capturing his heart. He spoke of his younger brother Royce, not being present due to his capture by the rebels in Farcorner while he was there to negotiate on behalf of the crown. Lastly, he spoke of the Sheridan family and how he was so fond of how far they had come in the time that he had known them.

When the table was laden with sweetbreads, cheeses, baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon and Carcarian lemon cakes frosted in sugar, it was time for Lord Lothar and Lord John to speak in private in the library. They took a bottle of Beauclair wine and two cups with them. With their departure, James took a moment to relieve himself of a full bladder and made sure to see if he could listen in on the men’s conversation. Unfortunately he was not successful in overhearing anything useful.

During James’ absence, Luca took Marcus aside for a private conversation about what they had learned from the orc scout and Marcus confirmed that he did not see the need to get rid of the orc as long as the host in the north wasn’t making their way towards Northshire. When James returned he joined the conversation and the conversation was shifted to the message that Falka had received during their time at the Bournemouth Academy, supposedly sent from Lord John. Marcus knew he was out of his depth and called over his brother Destan who took a look at the letter, which Luca had been saving in his mysterious book for all this time.

To the lecturer Falka of Dunagore at Bournemouth academy. Five people will arrive at the academy trying to find out information about Lord Destan Sheridan’s recent stay in the city and any results from his research. They will claim they are working on orders of House Sheridan, but I assure you that they are not. Anything you can do to throw them off Lord Destan’s trail will be well rewarded.

John Sheridan, Baron of Lynnecombe and Darkhollow

After examining the letter, Destan concluded it a forgery. The broken seal was not quite right, nor was the language used. His lord father also had nothing to gain from thwarting the heroes from his rescue. Destan asked if he could keep the letter and Luca didn’t feel right refusing him, but did make sure to be able to recall the exact words of the letter.

The four rejoined the rest of the party and at that point Lord Lothar and Lord John returned from the library, their moods somewhat giddier and their lips and teeth stained red from the exquisite Beauclair vintage they had enjoyed together.

The celebration was coming to an end and an army of servants came to clear the table. To his surprise, James noticed a familiar face among the servants; a man named Harrick who he knew to be a confidence trickster and fellow guild member from Kingsport.

James excused himself and slipped into the kitchen to confront Harrick. The two men stepped away for a private conversation and Harrick told him that he had infiltrated the staff soon after James’ departure from Kingsport, on the orders of the day master, together with another woman who worked in another part of the household. Their mission was to investigate the catacombs, any items retrieved from it, and to further pilfer the library of any ancient, esoteric books.

When asked whether they had been successful so far, Harrick said that they had managed to liberate a couple of books and passed them on to an agent of the guild that was in the area, posing as a travelling salesman. They had not been able to get inside the catacombs, nor had they found anything that was retrieved from it. He could, however, tell James that a stone statue had been retrieved from there, which was the size of a hand, shaped like an eye.

After dinner the heroes were given a place to sleep in the dépendance. Luca and James spent a short while sneaking around the ground floor of the building until they had found a locked, reinforced door which had marks of heavy items having been dragged through it. They concluded that behind that door must lay the new entrance to the catacombs, but they decided not to try and force the lock.

Fourth Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262

(Silvermoon in high sanction. Bloodmoon in high sanction. Darkmoon in low sanction.)

The next morning James, who had been injured in the fight with the orc scout, felt much better. Some of the sweet rolls which he had liberated from the dessert table the previous night served to be a grand breakfast. After breakfast, the heroes were asked to join the family in the study above the library.

The Sheridan lords were accompanied by Lord Lothar and Ser Benten, and Lord Jonathan lead the meeting. He thanked the Heroes of the White Eye for their service in bringing Lord Destan home. He recognised their valiance and the debt that the house owed them. He also recognised that while no agreements of reward had been established between the house and Ser Quentin, that it would be in poor taste not to reward him with a token of the house’s gratitude for his service.

Since some of the heroes were keen on acquiring a mount in order for them to continue their trek to the Avondale woods, the rewards became as follows;

Astrid accepted her reward for one thousand gold crowns in the form of a bonded writ, exchangeable at the Cyprian Insurance Company in all major ports in the Verdant Kingdoms.

Emrys was rewarded one thousand gold crowns in the form of a beautiful Lyrian, black and white pinto mare from the Sheridan stables worth seventy-five gold crowns and the rest in an assortment of gemstones.

James decided to accept his reward of one thousand gold crowns in the form of a powerful black Lyrian courser from the Sheridan stables worth one hundred gold crowns, and the rest in an assortment of gemstones.

Luca accepted his one thousand gold crown reward in the shape of Tipper, a Lyrian chestnut mare from the Sheridan stables worth seventy-five gold crowns, a cart worth another twenty-five gold crowns, four pearls caught off the coast of Southernhay worth one hundred gold crowns each, and the remaining five hundred gold in the form of a bonded writ, exchangeable at the Silver Bank of Lyria in all major cities in Lyria.

Quentin was rewarded with a small pouch of nine platinum dragons and ten gold crowns, as well as a Silesian golden stallion named Walor, specially procured by the Sheridan family to honour Quentin’s contribution.

Each of the horses came with a suitable saddle, blanket, stirrups and reigns. James, promptly renamed his courser from “Scout” to “Shane” for reasons only he understood.

After receiving their reward they were ready to depart for the Avondale woods; the Scatterfoot farm that lay close by in particular. The lords Destan, Marcus and Lothar came to wave them off. “May the Paladine light your path,” Lord Lothar said. “May Mask soften your step,” Lord Marcus said.

The weather was miserable, with dark rain clouds overhead, but the horses helped hasten the heroes’ travel. When they got closer to their destination they decided to hide their horses and have Quentin and Emrys guard them while Astrid, James and Luca made their way closer to the abandoned farm on foot.

They found the two small buildings of the farm were situated on the other side of a small brook, with a bridge leading across it. James decided to scout ahead and accidentally tripped a simple trap across the bridge; a rope had been tied to two buckets of rocks, which promptly splashed into the water, alerting whoever was inside the farm buildings.

They found that one man was hiding in the farmhouse, while another was hiding in the stables. They both drew bows and started firing on the heroes. The man in the farmhouse came to a very “pleasant” end as he was hit by several bolts of eldritch energy, shot from the tip of Blackstar by Luca, leaving the man’s eye sockets burned out and smouldering.

When James crept closer to the stables in order to confront the other bandit he found himself eye to eye with his childhood friend Dick. A man as baffled to see James as he was enormous; “Jimmy, is that you!?”

A Fierce Reminder of Old Friends

Previously, the heroes made their way from Lynnecombe-upon-Lyn towards the Sheridan estate. They met some teamsters and masons that were on their way to the estate to perform some work, and later they ran into some heavily armed Sheridan house guards on the bridge across Raven’s Craig Glen. When James spotted a hidden observer in the forest overlooking the bridge, the heroes decided to try and sneak up on them only to discover it was a fierce orc. After a scuffle she dashed off deeper into the woods and the heroes went to pursue her.

Third Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262

(Silvermoon in high sanction. Bloodmoon in high sanction. Darkmoon is waning.)

After a mad chase through the woods the heroes managed to catch up with the orc and were able to restrain her and knock her unconscious. After tying her up, James, Emrys and Quentin decided that they would continue to the Sheridan estate and try to talk to some friendly faces there, while Astrid and Luca would keep an eye on their captive.

The loss of Emrys’ voice was quickly remedied as the surge of magic faded from his body. It took a little while longer before the same

When the three arrived at the Sheridan estate, they found that at least a dozen guards in grey uniforms carrying the wolf’s head heraldry of House Grey had taken up residence in the lower garden of the estate. They were mingling and on friendly terms with the Sheridan guards and seemed to have been invited.

It was clear to the heroes that the Sheridans were undertaking some reconstructions to the dépendance and they saw piles of earth, stones and rubble close to the building. In front of the dépendance, around well, which had also seen its fair share of remodelling, the staff of the estate were running back and for to the manor, hard at work preparing for the celebrations.

The courtyard, once the home of fragrant bushes and flowers, had now become the location where crates, barrels and sacks of provisions were stored which would help the estate make it through the coming winter. The vibrant greens of the trees had made way to the yellow, orange and reds of the autumn.

While the trio was standing around trying to see a familiar face they saw the manor’s door open and the tall form of a Sheridan stepping through and onto the landing at the top of the steps leading up to the entrance. His tall, athletic frame and red brown hair identified him as Lord Marcus.

When they spoke, Lord Marcus explained that the Sheridans were in the preparation for the remembrance celebration of Lady Gwynn, the late lady of the house. Lord Lothar Grey, the twin brother to the late Lady Gwyn, made it a point to come and celebrate with the Sheridans every year, which explained the presence of the House Grey guard.

Lord Marcus also explained that the catacombs had been explored and the entrance to the catacombs had been reinforced and it was the plan of house Sheridan to start making use of the underground space, which explained all of the work that had been done and was still to come.

When the three explained that they had captured an orc scout outside of the estate, Marcus immediately confirmed that if they brought her to the estate it would likely mean she would meet a deadly fate. This proved once again that Lord Marcus also had a soft spot for the Kaedwyni orcs they had rescued from the catacombs all those months before. James asked whether there was a place they could take her to interrogate her, and Marcus directed them to an abandoned windmill nearby.

Before they departed Marcus assured them they would be granted a seat at a table for the celebration and he’d make sure to find a place for them to spend the night. As the trio left the estate to return back to Astrid, Luca and their captive they bumped into the caravan of masons that had finally arrived at the estate.

After returning to their companions, who were still guarding the captive, who had since regained consciousness, the heroes made their way deeper into the woods and back towards the glen, following it upstream for a ways before crossing through the water and past the other side of the Sheridan estate. It didn’t take long before the heroes found the large, abandoned windmill.

Inside, they started to interrogate the orc but for a long time she refused to say a word. This changed when the heroes brought up the names of their Kaedwyni friends; Korath, Kaedan, Summi and Garr. It was clear that she recognised the names. When leaning on this spark of recognition, she finally started to speak.

It turned out she was asked by Korath, whom she referred to as “Korath the Wise” and was her warchief (not warlord, which she was quick to correct), had asked her to travel to the estate in order to keep an eye on it. While she didn’t know exactly why, she believed that he was interested in going back underground. She believed that he may be looking for an “eye,” though the heroes did not feel like they had the time or inclination to get distracted by this. They had bigger fish to fry if they wanted to save James’ mother from her dangerous predicament.

The heroes decided to let her go, but not before Luca, who had been observing her with that strange sight of his, asked her about the pendant she wore on a leather string around her neck. It was a polished stone in the shape of two crossed spears and she explained that it was given to her by a shaman from her tribe and allowed her to send messages to her warchief. She explained that she had already explained that she had been captured, but also calmed the heroes’ worry that her warchief was many days away and was not likely to come to her rescue.

When it became clear that the heroes were about to let her go, she said she would continue to only observe the estate and send another update to Korath explaining that she had been released. And with that, she was let go. After a few minutes, the heroes returned to the estate, as it was getting late in the day.

Hot Pursuit!

Previously, the heroes finalised their plan to go and find Kalina, who was supposedly robbing and stealing around the Avondale woods with her crew of bandits. They decided to pass by the Sheridan estate first to pick up their reward, as it was close to their area of destination. Astrid found the heroes passage upriver on a barge, belonging to Aram, a boatsman they had travelled with before. When they arrived in Lynnecombe they found a crude map of the trails and paths around Avondale wood accompanying several warnings to steer clear.

Third Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262

(Silvermoon in high sanction. Bloodmoon in high sanction. Darkmoon is waning.)

Arriving in the little rivertown of Lynnecombe-upon-Lyn, having just discovered the notice board and the troubling messages regarding bandits around the Avondale woods, the heroes travelled up the path leading from the village to the road that would take them to the Sheridan estate. It was in the early afternoon and the air was wet and fresh with autumn.

As they entered the forest that surrounded the estate, the trees ranging from bright yellow to red so dark as to border on purple, they saw a large caravan of six ox-drawn carts on the road ahead of them. When they got closer they could see that a few of the carts were laden with masonry tools covered in tarps, while the rest were carrying large limestones.

The carts were driven by teamsters of all stripes; Lyrians, Beauclairois, dwarves and a half-elf. The people who accompanied them were all humans, strong of limbs and dressed like masons. The one to lead them was an exceptional specimen by the name of Barnes, who sported a thick head of brown hair and a large bushy moustache. He explained he was on his way to the Sheridan estate to finish up some work to the dépendance. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, which the heroes wrote up to the large numbers of bandits that had been reported in the area.

After squeezing their way past the carts that were taking up the road, the heroes said goodbye to the masons and teamsters and travelled ahead. Soon, they came upon the stone, tall-pillared bridge across Raven’s Craig glen, a small valley that ran along the southern end of the Sheridan estate which sported a small tributary that lead to the river Lyn in the east. This was the bridge that was the scene of the conflict between them and the Sheridan house guard as the heroes tried to save the Kaedwyni orcs from being hung just for being orcs.

On the far end of the bridge the heroes saw a squad of well-armed Sheridan guards. They recognised them as such by their house colours (purple and black) and the strange sidearm they carried. They were greeted as they walked across the bridge and spoke to sergeant Rhalek of Darkhollow. He asked the heroes to state their business, and was delighted to hear that they came to visit the estate to pick up the reward that was promised to them for saving Lord Destan. He went on to explain that there was a celebration planned to commemorate Lady Gwynn, Lord John’s late wife.

The heroes continued on and noticed a travelling merchant carrying a stuffed pack of goods on his back further up the road who, upon seeing them, turned around and returned from where he came. Just at that moment, James noticed an observer in the treeline upstream along the bank of the tributary, but decided to continue walking.

Once out of earshot of the guards he informed the rest of the group, and they decided to go back and investigate. They felt it important not to alert the guards just yet, so James decided to sneak past the guards along the bottom of the glen, through the river and up the bank. At the same time Emrys used some of his newfound arcane gifts to turn the rest of the group invisible.

With some difficulty the rest of the group managed to get used to being invisible and managed to sneak past the guards and get across the bridge to the opposite bank of the tributary. As a result of different people travelling with different ease, the group was quite spread out, with Astrid and James taking up the front, while Luca and Quentin (who was forced to remove his armour in order to keep from making too much noise) were squarely in the back.

As the group came closer, despite all their precaution, they managed to alert the observer, who they had now confirmed was a tall female orc who had been observing the Sheridan estate; being able to watch a large part of the manor and front as well as backyard and everything that went on there. She became suspicious and despite the attempts the heroes made to deceive her, she wanted to depart.

That’s when a chase started. Astrid ran up to her, breaking cover and dropping the invisibility spell, and attempted to grab hold of her and wrestle her to the ground. Unfortunately the powerful orc shrugged her off. James came up and successfully managed to disarm her of one of her weapons, at which point she started running. Surprisingly fleet of foot, the heroes set in pursuit.

Emrys called upon his ever increasing array of arcane abilities and attempted to hypnotise the orc. She unfortunately shrugged off the scintillating effects of the spell while both Astrid and James were caught in it. To add insult to injury, Emrys felt a surge of arcane energy well up inside of him which he couldn’t contain. He found himself unable to speak as the arcane energy streamed out of his eyes and mouth; the same that happened to him when they were in Bournemouth.

The orc got a head start but the heroes continued in pursuit anyway. She was surprisingly swift and it took everything in the heroes to keep up with her. She warned James to back off as she slashed at him with her remaining weapon in fluent Lyrian. The heroes ignored her warning and continued pursuit.

In Preparation for Departure

Previously, the heroes spent the day in Kingsport trying to find a trace of Kalina, the rogue who had driven James’ mother to attempt to assassinate the day master, a powerful guild member of the Steady Hand, by letting her believe that he was responsible for James’ death. They managed to find out that Kalina had lost her precious, jewelled dagger in a game of demon dice to none other than Bran; the dwarf they had rescued from the clutches of the skaven underneath the Sheridan estate. They also managed to catch rumours that Kalina and her crew were stealing horses around the Powderham estate, north of Kingsport.

Second Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262

(Silvermoon in high sanction. Bloodmoon is waxing. Darkmoon is waning.)

It was the late on a rainy afternoon when the Heroes were at the Careless Wanderer, talking about the possibility that it was an impostor who duped Jeanne, James’ mother, into making an attempt on the life of the day master. The heroes were unable to reconcile Kalina having lost the dagger in a game of demon dice with the fact that she had also given it to Jeanne. They knew that there were many more such daggers being used by shadowy assassins, but there was something not quite right about the way that Kalina had behaved that they couldn’t ignore.

James decided to pay another visit to the butcher shop where the day master could be found. He was hoping to convince the day master to allow him another few minutes to talk to his mother so that he could learn something from his mother that could confirm or dispel his suspicions about Kalina. Having learned that Luca could be trusted on expeditions to the Fleet Street butcher shop, he asked him along. Emrys tagged along party-way so that he could visit with Lyandra Windrunner, the renowned leatherworker who had a workshop outside of the city walls.

After Emrys went his separate way, James and Luca found themselves on Fleet Street, in front of the butcher shop. It was softly raining and Luca took shelter across the street, under an awning of a closed shop while James went inside. L’eau Célestes, the wine shop that Luca had entered the previous evening was closed, leaving him without a dry place to stay. Luca held on to Blackstar and used the staff to extend his senses outward, detecting a multitude of different people around him, all observing him and the comings and goings on the street.

Meanwhile, James sat opposite the still injured day master amongst pigs carcasses hanging from hooks and chains. James informed the day master about acquiring the dagger that Kalina lost and showed both it and his own. The day master pulled the dagger that Jeanne had used from a hidden sheath and put it down on the table next to the other two; all three of them looked almost identical to one another.

James laid out the theory that Kalina may well be innocent and that it was an impostor that duped his mother. It became quite clear that the day master was unforgiving in his anger towards Jeanne when he refused to let James speak to her again, saying that it took all of his discipline not to have her murdered. Perhaps realising that he should not count on too much help from the day master if he wanted to keep his mother safe, James decided not to press his luck.

Just north of the Brown Gate, amidst the huts of tanners, trappers and hunters, Emrys found Lyandra Windrunner’s workshop; a small shack surrounded by workbenches, stacks of prepared leather and boxes of tools. Lyandra turned out to be pleasantly surprised at Emrys’ visit and invited him in. They shook hands and Emrys noticed the many scars on Lyandra’s forearms; burn marks from working with hot tools and oils all day. Emrys explained that he had admired Lyandra’s work on the scabbard that now held Toruviel, and that he was eager to have her decorate the scabbard further, commemorating some of the adventures that he had been on in the recent past.

The work that Emrys commissioned was to adorn the already spectacular scabbard with silver filigree, with a gemstone embedded in the centre of it. When Lyandra asked him what gemstone he had in mind, Emrys wasn’t certain yet. Lyandra suggested that it should be a moonstone because it would be appropriate for a moonblade. Emrys liked the idea, since it also symbolised Sehanine, the Moonmaiden. Perhaps it also reminded him of Lauriel, the founder of his people in the Riverlands, who he was engaged to have married in an alternate reality.

Lyandra asked Emrys whether he had named his blade yet. He intimated to her that the blade already had a name; Toruviel. Emrys saw a look cross her face that he did not recognise. He let it slide and agreed upon thirty crowns for the commission, with a down payment of ten crowns for materials. She had to gather and prepare the materials she would need, and in turn Emrys promised he would return to her with a suitable moonstone. They agreed that the execution of the work would happen when he would return to Kingsport.

On his way back to the Careless Wanderer, Emrys managed to talk his way into a few stores that had technically already closed. He picked up a few components that he would need to fuel his spells. Some of the more crucial ones he missed and hoped to collect the next day.

As Luca and James made their way back to the Careless Wanderer, James confided everything that he had seen, heard and learned when talking to the day master, further strengthening the bond between the two. When they arrived at the inn around the same time that Emrys returned, they found that Quentin was chatting with some travellers from Beauclair, while Astrid was enjoying a friendly game of arm wrestling.

During dinner the plan was formed to head to the Powderham estate, by way of Lynnecombe to pay a visit to House Sheridan and see about the reward that was promised them. A conversation was had regarding the purchase of mounts, possibly through Mirek, but when Quentin shared the likely cost of mounts, the heroes decided to hold off until after they had been paid. Instead, they would finish off their shopping by going by the Circle of Mages for the last spell components that Emrys was in need of, while Astrid arranged for a barge to take the heroes up-river to Lynnecombe-upon-Lyn.

Third Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262

(Silvermoon in high sanction. Bloodmoon in high sanction. Darkmoon is waning.)

Early in the morning, Astrid went out to the docks to arrange for transport, while the rest of the heroes went to visit Emma at the Sacred Baths of Sedna to ask her whether she would like to join them on their trip to the Sheridan estate. They found that Emma was reluctant to join them, saying that she would prefer to spend her time in leading the followers of Sedna in the difficult time ahead and that she intended to forego claiming her reward; knowing that they had saved Lord Destan was enough of a reward for her. Was asked about her intentions to care for the queen, she said that she would visit with the queen later that day.

The heroes made their way from the Sacred Baths to Ravensbourne where the Circle of Mages had their college. There they found that a large crowd of protesters had gathered in front of the main gate. Shakeslock, the demagogue who had been preaching on Steward Square the day before, was leading the crowd together with a handful of red-robed monks, and was demanding that they be allowed entry to investigate the college for dangerous artifacts and corruption among the staff and students.

The man standing in opposition of the crowd was a broad shouldered man with a grizzly beard wearing fur-trimmed robes. The man had an unconcerned expression on his face as he addressed Shakeslock, explaining that as an alumnus of the college, he could be given entry, but not with his angry mob in tow.

The heroes pushed their way past the protesters and Emrys couldn’t help but release the stench of rotten eggs again, like he had done the previous day. Luca was identified as an obvious threat and Shakeslock used him as an example why he and his monks should confiscate the dangerous artifacts and root out the demonic corruption that he claimed was rife inside the college.

After a short conversation with the grizzled man, they learned his name was Olafur, and he was from Miðgarður. He was the custodian of the college and, among other things, made sure that there was a healthy supply of curious components, ingredients and materials. He explained that in his position, he would be interested in the more obscure components that were not as easily found; hydra scales, wyvern stingers and the like. James, ever the entrepreneur said that he would keep his eyes open.

When Emrys explained why he had come to the circle, Olafur invited the heroes into the building to take a seat in the hallway while he went to look for the components that Emrys was looking for. While searching, he asked what magical education Luca and Emrys had enjoyed. Luca explained that he had been educated by crones, witches and pellars, while Emrys said that he was self-educated. The different backgrounds became apparent, when Olafur asked Emrys which circle of magic he needed the obsidian for, indicating that it mattered to which samples of obsidian he would give him. Emrys was a bit lost for words, since he did not quite understand what was meant by “circle.” James noticed Emrys’ confusion and jumped in to play the layman, asking all the questions Emrys probably had, saving Emrys from embarrassment. The “circle” that Olafur referred to was the college’s term for the school (or type) of magic, and Emrys explained that it was meant for a transmutation spell. Olafur supplied Emrys with three pieces of obsidian and a handful of caterpillar chrysalises Emrys was after for another spell.

A last stop at the Temple of Light was made in order for James to speak to father Devon, and elderly cleric who James was very close with. The heroes got to see the modest temple from inside, as well as the clinic where they took care of many of Kingsport’s less fortunate. James gifted father Devon the holy symbol that brother Connal had carried into battle against Atilesceon; a golden caduceus. Father Devon was astonished at the gift and very thankful. While he couldn’t provide the heroes with any healing potions, he did gift them three ceramic jars with a buttery ointment which would help in the healing process.

When the heroes returned to the Careless Wanderer, they settled their outstanding debt and Emrys made sure that in six days time they would claim one of the more spacious and luxurious rooms as their own. Astrid had gotten reacquainted with Aram, the boatsman who had brought the heroes upriver the first time they went to the Sheridan estate, and said he would be willing to do so again for a small fee.

The trip to Lynnecombe-upon-Lyn took several hours with the weather being considerably more miserable than it was the first time around. Luca and Emrys entertained themselves by investigating a new ability that Luca had discovered about Blackstar; the ability for spells to be stored inside the staff for later use; even if they were cast by another arcanist, like Emrys! The rest of the travel was uneventful, as they past by the many small estates of Northshire on Aram’s boat, with his son riding the ox that dragged the boat along the bank of the river Lyn.

When they arrived in Lynnecombe-upon-Lyn, they each paid a silver stag to Aram for the journey and James, ever generous with children, gave Aram’s son three copper pennies for his trouble. The village was much less hospitable now that the summer had come and gone. No more fruit vendors; no more curious children. The heroes decided to make their way west, towards the road that lead through the woods towards the Sheridan estate when they came upon a notice board. There, they found several messages that proved insightful;

Warning!

If you plan on traversing Avondale Wood, the one near the abandoned Scatterfoot farm – forget about it. Best add on half a league and go around. It’s for your own good, for nor you nor no man else’ll meet anything good in that place.

(A crude drawing of the area, including the public footpaths and trails leading through and around the Avondale woods.)

Beware of Robbers with Black Masks!

A plague’s descended on our lands of late, an infestation more vile than that of any vermin. Horse rustling robbers have chosen to make our fair terrain their devilish stomping grounds. Now no man can feel safe here. These are common highway bandits. They steal men’s cattle and mounts and befoul any lasses worth their trouble. We’ve sent writs of complaint to the crownsguard, but til they comes with an army to clear off these mongrels, best avoid these parts if at all possible.

Death to the Invaders!

Hark, fair folk of Northshire. If you’re yearning for freedom, if you’re prepared to take up arms, if you’re prepared to help the kingdom and rescue its inhabitants in besieged Elder Foothills and Tiverton Glades, come and find me at the magisterium on Independence Square in Kingsport. Pay will depend on your experience and skill at arms.

– Ser Ademar of Woodbury, Knight-Errant, former Knight Commander in the Order of the Lance, Vassal of House Grey, Veteran of the Battle against the Eighth Daerlan Brigade on the Plains of Strife

Travelers, Beware!

If you aim to travel, avoid the road through Avondale. The Reaverhaunt Caves have become infested with crooks led by a shady individual known as Glasya. Bypassing that area is strongly advised, unless accompanied by a well-armed escort.

Meeting an Old Friend While Tracking Down an Enemy

Previously, the heroes each went about trying to find out more about the person who had duped James’ mother into an assassination attempt on the day master, an influential leader for the Steady Hand, the guild that James was a member of. The person in question, Kalina, was a Silesian, just like James’ mother, and a successful horse thief. Each of the heroes did their best to find out about her whereabouts before the patience of the day master ran out and James’ mother would have to pay for her actions with her life.

Second Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262

(Silvermoon in high sanction. Bloodmoon is waxing. Darkmoon is waning.)

After having visited different acquaintances in Kingsport to find out more about Kalina, the heroes came back to the Careless Wanderer, unsure on how to proceed. In a moment of kindness, albeit one inspired by the desire for some privacy, Luca decided that the group should gather at one of the tables outside of the inn. The benches and table were still moist from previous night’s storm, but it would be away from the angling visitors and it would allow Astrid to sit under the open sky; something Luca knew she preferred.

After Durham brought cups of mulled wine filled with spices and berries, the conversation turned to how Kalina’s jewelled dagger got to be in Jeanne’s possession if Kalina had lost it in a game of dice. James had verified that the dagger with which his mother had attacked the day master was indeed the spitting image of his own; a dagger he had started wearing out of sight ever since it caused such a problem in Blackbridge. The possibility was raised that Kalina had made a big spectacle out of losing the dagger so that she could deny having given it to Jeanne.

Not being familiar with the situation in Kingsport, Quentin wondered aloud who might benefit from the day master’s death. James mused that it was likely a great number of people and groups that could benefit from destabilising existing power structures, and immediately the question was raised whether the illness of the queen might be tied to the attempt on the day master’s life. The queen fell ill about a ride ago; around the same time as Jeanne’s failed assassination attempt. Was someone trying to sow chaos in both the upper- and under-classes of Kingsport society?

The conversation fell flat and it was at that time that James discovered that an elderly, veiled woman was observing the group through a window from the inside of the inn. He let Luca know, using the Lauriel’s Earing of Whispers, which both of them still wore an equal part of. Despite that, it was Emrys who made a move to go inside, order more drinks and approach the woman, asking if she would be interested in joining the group.

Magda, for that was her name, was delighted and join the heroes at the table outside. She was the owner of the Careless Wanderer and despite her being blind and wearing a blindfold underneath her veil said that she had observed that each one of the heroes was touched by the seidhe and that she herself had been exposed to the fey in her younger years. Overall, she had fond memories of those times, but she did give the heroes a casual warning that the customs, expectations and etiquette of the realm of the seidhe were curious and that it was easy to run afoul of them.

James decided he would look for Wojciech, the Silesian stable master at the Careless Wanderer he understood to have regularly met his mother and Kalina at the bend in the river outside the Brown Gate. He found the man tending to the horses at the stables behind the inn. He introduced himself to Wojciech and explained he was looking for Kalina. Wojciech told James many of the same things that Mirek had also shared with him; Kalina had an unpleasant temperament and that he would occasionally meet her together with other Silesians. He could also tell James that he had tended to her horse only half a ride ago and that she was on her way out of Kingsport. When James confirmed that he knew about Kalina’s occupation as a horse rustler, Wojciech told him that recently she had run afoul of the House Courtenay guards around the Powderham estate. He heard they had been seen at the ruins of the Scatterfoot farm near the Avondale woods.

The next stop for the heroes was The Hoxton, the well known tavern at the bottom of the Serrated Street in the middle of Lewisham. As they made their way there, they crossed over Steward Square and saw a familiar face proselytising in front of an audience of two dozen people; Prementhine Shakeslock. He was once again warning people of the danger of corruption and doom spread by warlocks and those that consort with demons. He was wearing a red tabard, and was surrounded by several people dressed in red robes. He also referred to himself as “Brother Prementhine” and said that he would demand the Circle of Mages submit themselves to an inquisition to weed out corruption and hand over dangerous artifacts.

The heroes didn’t linger and made their way to The Hoxton. They found the taproom crowded and the second floor balconies filled with people of all ilk. Several tables held card and dice games with people gambling on the outcome. After some investigations, a gambler by the name of Edna, an older woman with crooked fingers filled with silver rings, recounted the story of Kalina’s demon dice game against a dwarf called Bran who lived in a shack in the Grimsdown ward. Kalina had lost her dagger and had to be tossed out of The Hoxton by Lenny, the proprietor of the establishment and the Kingsport bare-knuckle boxing champion.

On the way back to the Careless Wanderer the heroes crossed Steward Square again and saw that the crowd listening to Brother Prementhine had swelled even further. The heroes decided to play a prank and simultaneously try to get the crowd to disperse by displaying a little magic and making the area smell of rotten eggs. Luca was the one who came up with the idea, but he couldn’t make it work without being noticed, but Emrys, with a wealth of stage trickery had learned how to hide his sorcery and picked up where Luca’s idea left off. It was a small success and they managed to divert some of the crowd due to the bad smell that they conjured up.

When they got back to the inn, the heroes came to the conclusion that with dwarves being a rare sight in Kingsport it might be worth talking to Durham about where Bran was staying in Grimsdown. As luck would have it, the two were acquainted and he could give directions to his shack. But before their visit to Grimsdown, Luca decided that it was high time he visted Eustace the gemcutter and get his Lyrium crystal back. Quentin decided to join him.

The pair made their way to the Southside ward and quickly found Eustace’s little workshop. Upon entering the portly man set down his tools and took off the strange spectacles he wore while working and upon recognising Luca his face turned frightful. He began apologising profusely and explained that in Luca’s long absence the custodian from the Circle of Mages had been by as he often does to purchase materials for the college. He had also bought the crystal and paid 45 gold crowns for it. Luca quickly turned the disappointment into an opportunity to acquire more pearls for his divination spells. The pearl that Luca wanted was worth over 100 crowns and the gemcutter would not be browbeaten into giving that much of a discount, so Quentin put down a writ to cover the remaining value that Eustace could recover at the Sheridan Trading Company. The gemcutter relented and a deal was struck.

On the way back to the Careless Wanderer Luca decided to explain in detail just how valuable the Lyrium crystals were and why it was important that they recover the crystal which now was in the possession of the Circle of Mages.

Eventually, the heroes walked to Grimsdown, the unremarkable ward in the north-east of Kingsport known only for the falconry set up in the shadows of the Bastion of Restraint and the falconers who took their birds onto the bastion in order to train them. When the arrived in the right area James once again showed how effective an agent he was inside the city by paying a group of street urchins a silver piece to let them know which shack was the dwarf’s. A few knocks on a warped wooden door and they stood face to face with Brandomiir; the mohawked, foul-mouthed rogue who was in the employ of the Sheridans and helped the heroes free the Kaedwyni orcs.

He was happy to see the heroes and invited them into his small abode. He had been at work at the Sheridan estate, not just to restore the water supply, but later also to explore and secure the underground catacombs that the Sheridan were looking to exploit. He left the employ as soon as he was able, since Hallis, the captain of the Sheridan house guards, never trusted the dwarf after she suspected his involvement in the orc escape. He took his coin and acquired the shack in order to ride out the winter. The various tools around the shack showed that he was in the process of fixing it up. Quentin also noticed a rare arquebus hanging above the mantle in the shack.

When the conversation turned to Kalina and her dagger, he recounted the story on how he won it from her in a game of demon dice. When James asked if he still had the dagger he produced it from a chest and said that he had not found anyone to sell it to. After a bit of haggling Bran agreed to sell the dagger for the small fortune of 350 gold crowns, which Bran claimed would cover the cost of the individual gemstones and craftsmanship. He seemed happy with the trade. After the sale, the group stayed on a little longer to talk and reminisce about the orcs, after which the heroes departed back to the Careless Wanderer.