A Beauclair Delegation

Previously, the heroes regrouped after a fruitless meeting with High Priest Selwyn and arranged for Goodman to carry messages to James, Emma, and Réonan, warning them of Epidemius’ plans, and Esmeralda to give her the go-ahead to construct the binding circle. They then dressed for the occasion and rode to the Black Alder Farm, where Quentin’s betrothal celebration had just started, with noble houses, troubadours, peacocks, and pageantry filling the yard and fields. Inside, they were welcomed by Lord Dorian, who pressed Quentin for details about Epidemius and revealed that Highlord Gauthier’s condition had worsened severely, leaving House Morvrayne in need of the political support that finalising the betrothal would bring. When Lord Dorian asked whether Quentin’s feelings about the betrothal had changed, Quentin’s reply was telling: “I will do what I must.”

First Day, Third Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

Lord Dorian instructed Quentin that he should go and find Villem Landsdowne, the appraiser that Highlord Gauthier had invited to authenticate the Lys ancestral sword. It would give House Morvrayne an early indication of any possible consequences of the official appraisal. Quentin took a principled stance on relinquishing the blade to anyone, including the appraiser. Eventually he relented, in part because Villem Landsdowne owned and operated an auction house in Bournemouth that some of the other heroes had visited for an auction several rides before Quentin met the rest of the heroes.

Once that was settled, Lord Dorian encouraged the heroes to enjoy the day, mingle with the celebrants, and he urged them all to drink the wine that was available, as he assured them that it was from the delegation’s stock, and much better than the wine that could still be found in Kingsport. Between the stock in L’eau Celeste’s wine cellar being destroyed, and the royal wine cellars also being the target of destruction, as well as the delegation’s aggressive pursuit of any cask, barrel, or bottle of wine left for sale, Kingsport had quite simply dried up. Neamhan was the only one that decided to politely decline the wine that was offered.

Before departure, Neamhan raised a concern that she would say the wrong thing to the wrong person, and asked what she could do to avoid the embarrassment to Quentin. Lord Dorian assured her that presence at the celebration would be treated as a delightful novelty, considering she would be one of the few elves, and likely the only aen gwynt. She would be forgiven a lot of social mistakes because of that. Lord Dorian likened it to a Beauclairois political tool he referred to as “le roi mal informé”, which suggested that any bad decision or mistake made by a monarch was the result of bad advice, allowing the monarch public immunity from mistakes. Neamhan’s novelty would work much the same way.

On his way out, Quentin mentioned that Dame Pauline had taken it upon herself to arrange for a guest list. Lord Dorian was glad to hear that Pauline had done so in support of Quentin, but was disappointed in Quentin for not having realised to do so himself. Neamhan made sure to tell Dame Pauline that Lord Dorian had expressed his pride in her assertiveness, which delighted the chevalière to hear.

Dame Pauline took the heroes on a tour of the Black Alder Farm, in particular along the pond where the tents of the delegation were erected, commenting on different heraldry, noble houses, and prominent people. The farm was host to many people not part of the official delegation; people who were hired as servants, teamsters, and help while the delegation travelled to Kingsport, many of them Lyrians. Then there were people who had joined  the delegation on their trip, hoping to find opportunities for employment, which were referred to as camp followers. Neamhan noticed there were a large number of peacocks at the farm, walking around, seated on roofs, and sometimes flying short distances. She also noted that all of them were male, with beautiful coloured feathers. She asked Dame Pauline why there were so many, and Pauline said that it was because they were a favourite of Highlord Gauthier.

Chakuq inquired with Dame Pauline whether there was a Beauclairois analog to a tradition practiced by his people, the takipa runakuna, of a game where bards collaborate to share tales and songs, building and expanding upon each other’s work. Dame Pauline said that no such game or competition existed, but that she liked the notion. Chakuq suggested that the competition would be a good way for bards to sing Quentin’s praises, and again Pauline agreed. She suggested to Chakuq that the introduction of the guests later that day was the Beauclairois equivalent.

After the tour of the farm, Astrid decided to break away from the group and wander the camp and the game grounds. Falka wanted to speak with and interview some of the members of the different noble houses among the delegation to establish their motives for joining, their expectations for the negotiations with the Lyrian throne, and the sentiment among them. Luca thought that a worthwhile endeavour and helped her out with the research.

Before going to find Villem Landsdowne, Quentin inquired with Dame Pauline whether she knew if there was a troubadour named Rigoletta in the employ of House Lys, and she was certain there was not. Satisfied, he bade Dame Pauline to find Master Villem.

Master Villem Landsdowne was a well-groomed and well-tailored man past his middle years, with brown, wavy hair and a moustache and beard. He was dressed in many bold colours and wore a feathered cap, and wore expensive rings on each of his fingers. It was clear from his appearance that he had made quite a fortune with his trade, which had vaulted him into the upper echelons of society, while he simultaneously held no illusions about his station, making it easy for him to traverse the social ladder and speak comfortably with people from different stations.

Emrys took the opportunity to remind Master Villem of their previous acquaintance at his auction house when they witnessed the sale of a crystal after bidding war between the dwarves of Ard Thoradun and the elves of the Worthwild. Master Villem said business had become rather dull in the wake of that auction, not because there were not plenty of antiquities and curiosities to auction, but nothing quite as rare as the crystal.

Master Villem had the habit of noticing small details of people’s attire, a brooch, an earring, a talisman, and he couldn’t help but share his admiration, or notes on the art history of the item that caught his attention. Eventually his attention focused on Róisín and Quentin unsheathed the sword from the rose-and-thorn filled scabbard. Quentin made sure to warn Master Villem to wear adequate gloves so as not to get pricked, but also made a point to show how he was handling the blade bare-handed without injury.

Master Villem inspected the blade and its scabbard, using a special monocle to check for minute details. For a moment he fell silent, before he started softly listing all the details of the blade he was expecting and hoping to find. One important element he looked for was the maker’s mark, a special symbol that the craftsman who forged the sword punched into the blade, just below where the blade was set in its hilt. The name of the swordsmith was long forgotten, but the mark was well-known.

Master Villem concluded with a high degree of certainty that the blade is of the right age, and carries many of the expected marks of the Fleur de Lys, the ancestral blade of House Lys. He could only be more certain if they could separate the blade from the hilt to uncover the maker’s mark fully, but that was not something Quentin would allow. Master Villem shared a bit about the legend of the sword, that contrary to tradition, the blade did not pass from father to son, but rather that it passed down from the line of the most capable swordsmen in the family; from champion to champion, down the generations. It was at that point that it passed down to Ser Estienne d’Epines, the Knight of Thorns. He joined the Silver Crusade after becoming disillusioned by the lack of action from the knights in Celticia, modern day Beauclair.

The story of how Quentin came into the possession of the sword had reached Master Villem, and he asked a few questions about Ser Estienne. The last question seemed like a test; which instrument did Ser Estienne play? Quentin told him that the legendary knight played a beautiful, gilded harp. This seemed to satisfy Master Villem.

After the appraisal, Neamhan was keen to find one of the peacocks to talk to. She found a regal looking bird that beneficently displayed its beautiful feathers while it sat upon a moss-covered dry brick wall. When she asked him what his name was, he said he did not have one. Together with Neamhan, they settled on the name Rí. He turned out to be quite arrogant and full of self-importance, but he appreciated being named, and offered Neamhan a boon of service or information that she could collect in the next twenty-four hours. She asked him to warn her if “the one dressed in grey”, to which she meant Monsieur Beauregard, was overheard mentioning Quentin.

On the bank of the pond, opposite to the tent village, surrounded by trees, Chakuq and Emrys went to practice a recital of the Battle at Steward’s Square. It was a combination of dance and song in the tradition of the takipa runakuna. Emrys would translate the performance in his own tradition, adding his own creative interpretation to it. Together, it would form a more complete narrative of the battle and Quentin’s role in it.

Quentin, who had joined Chakuq and Emrys, noticed a man observing them from a short distance. The man was broad of shoulder and strong of chest and limb, with jet black hair atop a square head and thick neck. He was not handsome, but had a simple charm to him. His name was Rook Ashenhand, and he was a bard in the employ of House Lys. He used to be a mercenary, which explained why he was wearing padded armour with pieces of chain mail, but he took to song and story, and found he could make better coin doing that with the added benefit of not risking his life as much. Rook said that he was a connoisseur of songs of battle and glory, which is why his interest was piqued when he saw Chakuq and Emrys’ rehearsal.

Quentin asked Rook what he had heard of him, and Rook recounted that he had heard of Quentin’s quest, of Quentin’s departure from Beauclair, of Quentin going to hell and back, that Quentin had returned with some legendary figures in his wake, and that Quentin had not fought once, but twice against evil that beset Kingsport. When Rook asked Quentin if all of it was true, Quentin put humility forward, and said that no song about him would be complete without mentioning his companions.

In light of Quentin’s modesty, Rook decided to give him his thoughts; he did not quite understand why Highlord Gauthier would align his house with House Morvrayne, and why Quentin was so important to the highlord. The rumours about Quentin had grown with every telling, and had reached ridiculous proportions, but that the truth was more modest and real. Quentin asked Rook if he was disappointed, and he said he was quite the opposite. It would provide Rook with a welcome challenge; he knew quite well how to take a common soldier’s tale and turn it into legend. When Quentin suggested that the unvarnished story deserved to be heard, Rook chose not to respond.

Before departure, Rook decided to add some advice to his thoughts, and he warned Quentin not to put too much trust in the bards and troubadours. Each of them was being paid to paint Quentin in a certain light, and Rook had decided he did not want to be a part of that, but also warned that, like the other bards, Quentin should not trust him either. Quentin subtly suggested that House Morvrayne would welcome Rook, should he decide to change tabards.

When Quentin paid attention to Chakuq and Emrys, he found them arguing over the importance of showing how the hamatula’s innards were spilled as Chakuq slew it. Emrys refused to incorporate that, and the two argued over creative differences.

Previously, the heroes visited the Temple of Light to speak with High Priest Selwyn, hoping to learn more about the Liber Bubonicus and how it might be used against Epidemius. The high priest, however, proved an unhelpful ally; he believed the book held no further value and, upon learning the heroes possessed it, became convinced they were already corrupted by it, insisting it be returned to the Monastic Order of Apothecaries immediately. The meeting ended badly, with Selwyn rescinding his welcome and asking the heroes to leave, though they did learn that the head of the apothecaries, Prior Arturian, was expected to arrive in Kingsport imminently. Before all of this, the morning had begun quietly at the Careless Wanderer, with Astrid returning battered but resolute after a night out, and the heroes preparing themselves for the busy day ahead.

First Day, Third Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

It was just after eighth bell when the heroes departed the Temple of Light after having had an audience with High Priest Selwyn regarding the Book of Woe and its ability to influence or even trap Epidemius. Ultimately, the conversation did not go as hoped, as the high priest was adamant that the book be returned the Monastic Order of Apothecaries, who had held and protected the book for centuries before it disappeared from their vault. The book, he reasoned, was the reason why so many in the city were suffering, and the reluctance of the heroes to give it up was a sign of its corrupting influence.

Virulencia had appeared to Neamhan, sitting among the congregration of the devout who were praying to the Platinum Father in front of his cathedral, hoping for salvation from Epidemius. Her presence there, holding her fiendish baby, seemed a mockery. When Neamhan sat next to Virulencia and looked at the others around them, she got the distinct impression that she was the only one that could see her. At first, Neamhan attempted to try to get Virulencia to talk elsewhere, but she refused, claiming that she wanted to be with the devotees. Paladine was her father, she explained, as if her reasons were self-evident. Neamhan asked her directly whether she could tell her more about the possibility of being pregnant. Virulencia coyly remarked that she had the impatience of an expectant mother. When Neamhan persisted, Virulencia proposed striking a deal, but that did not sit right with Neamhan, nor did she think she would have anything valuable to offer. Neamhan decided to rejoin the others.

The heroes discussed their options, including reaching out to Prior Arturian, the first abbot of the Apothecaries who was imminently arriving in Kingsport. They felt that finding the prior Arturian would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, so they decided to seek the help of James and the Steady Hand by talking to Goodman and asking him to reach out to James. Besides James, they also asked him whether he could reach out to Emma and Réonan to warn them about the subliectes that Epidemius was targetting at the River Gate and the Circle of Magi, respectively. Lastly, they asked him to reach out to Esmeralda to let her know that she can proceed to create the circle on Steward’s Square. Expecting a difficult negotiation with the big town crier, he surprised them by agreeing, not asking for recompense, and not offering a backhanded insult.

When the heroes returned to the Careless Wanderer they got ready to head to the Black Alder Farm. They all dressed up, while Wojciech readied their horses. Walor, Quentin’s golden stallion was brushed to perfection, and outfitted with barding and banners signifying House Morvrayne.  Luca’s horse, a chestnut mare named Tipper, and his cart were also brought around, as was Emrys’ Lyrian pinto named Enbarr. Three other horses had been arranged and saddled for Neamhan, Chakuq, and Astrid. Neamhan spoke with her horse and found it was a young, nameless thoroughbred who wanted to be called Crossbow.

Astrid came down, dressed in a fine woolen gown dyed a deep red, covered with a blue apron fastened at the shoulders with a pair of bronze brooches in an eagle motif. Around her shoulders she carried a fur pelt mantle, and she wore decorative bronze bracers around her wrists. Her hair was elaborately braided, with metal rings woven through it and beads tied at the end of some braids which seemed to signify some sort of rank. White clay had been applied to her hair to frame her face, and blue warpaint had been applied to her face. She had been creative in minimising the signs of fight she had gotten into the previous night.

Falka dressed up in her finest clothes, which were largely made up of the travelling scholar clothes she came to Kingsport with a few rides ago. After a conversation with Luca it was decided she would ride together with him on his horse, leaving the cart behind.

The ride to the farm was uneventful but for the teamsters travelling the same road from Kingsport to the farm to supply the celebrations. When the heroes arrived, they saw the yard in front of the mansion had been transformed into a place for the feast, complete with long tables where people could dine, a raised dais upon which tall chairs were placed, and several tarps suspended above the yard to keep any possible rain or snow off the guests. The mansion itself was a hive of activity with servants running to and fro making preparations. The camp around the pond was equally active, and it was clear to even those with the least amount of knowledge of heraldry that there were different wards within the camp, showing different coloured tents and banners signifying the different noble houses represented in the delegation. The fields around the farm were used either for storage, preparation, or as stages for one of the many games that the guests were invited to play. Bonfires and casks of wine were strategically placed all around to keep the guests of the celebration happy. There were a surprising number of peacocks walking around the yard, the camp, and even the fields saw some of them that had wandered off. Their wails could be heard from time to time throughout the farm.

Ser Croy and Dame Pauline awaited the arrival of the heroes and explained that their arrival was inconspicuous. The ceremonial arrival would have all theatrical pomp and pageantry that was expected, Ser Croy assured. The old knight was dressed in ceremonial armour, complete with two curved wooden frames attached to his armour that were decorated with white feathers, giving him the appearance of an angelic knight. Dame Pauline was also in ceremonial dress, but it was understated compared to Ser Croy. Compared to some of the outrageous ceremonial plumage that could be seen by other knights from other houses, Ser Croy’s outfit was understated as well.

The horses were handed off to a stablehand named François, and he promised to care for them well. Crossbow was insistent on disobedience, and after being told off by Neamhan, who told him that his attitude was why Walor, whom Crossbow resented, was better liked, he reluctantly obeyed.

Inside the mansion the heroes were confronted with endless numbers of servants who were busy like bees. They went upstairs and were brought to Lord Dorian’s chambers. On the way there, they briefly passed an open door to a chamber where Monsieur Beauregard was addressing a group of troubadours, but the Neamhan, who looked inside, was unable to pick up anything useful.

When the heroes were introduced to Lord Dorian in his quarters, they found the handsome man hard at work dealing with the logistics of the delegation, his desk a neat array of official papers and reports. He embraced Quentin warmly, like he had done their previous meeting at the farm, and Quentin was wary that it was performative. He went around greeting all the others, making a point to thank them for coming, even going so far as to thank Neamhan for the advice she had given him to help speed up the recovery of the burn wounds he had suffered in the attack on the delegation on the way to Kingsport. Food and drinks were made available as Lord Dorian spoke with the heroes.

Lord Dorian asked his son to explain the situation with Epidemius in more detail to him. He said that he would like to understand how things could escalate and further impact his house, citing the death of two of the Morvrayne riders, and the impact the diminished number of Morvrayne forces had on his standing in the delegation. Quentin proceeded to explain in more detail what kind of opposition Epidemius was providing, and what kind of effect his siege had on Kingsport. When Lord Dorian learned about the diminished capacity for people to heal from wounds and injuries, he probed deeper. It became clear that the condition of Highlord Gauthier, who had been injured in an attack on the delegation by the Cult of the Dark Queen, had worsened; he was unable to walk, his burn wounds were not healing, were infected, and that the infection had spread from his torso, to his neck and face, and had caused blinding rot.

This left House Morvrayne in a precarious position of providing leadership to the delegation, and that finalising the betrothal would go a long way to position House Lys behind House Morvrayne. When Lord Dorian noticed Quentin tense up at the suggestion that the betrothal would be finalised, he asked whether Quentin had a change of heart, to which Quentin said; “I will do what I must.”

Previously, Quentin and Emrys found Prior Benedict camped outside Kingsport, who agreed to bless the heroes before their confrontation with Epidemius but declined to serve as a power source for the binding circle. Meanwhile, Neamhan confided in Esmeralda her fear that Virulencia’s claim she was a mother might be true, though Esmeralda found no evidence of altered memories and urged caution in trusting the devil. The group then visited Father Devon, who arranged an audience with High Priest Selwyn, and Emma at the Sacred Baths, who offered the power of the river Lyn in place of the inexperienced Bláthnaid, leaving the question of a power source within the palace unresolved.

Tenth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

After having spoken to Emma at the Sacred Baths of Sedna, the heroes decide to head back to the Careless Wanderer. It was just after fourth bell, and Chakuq was curious to see if he could gain some benefit from the baths and steam rooms, and decided to stay to enjoy Sedna’s waters. On his return to the inn he passed by Steward’s Square and saw that the crownsguard were enforcing the curfew by breaking up the crowd which had gathered in front of the cathedral to pray for salvation ahead of Epidemius’ arrival.

The others had arrived back at the inn and discovered that besides Falka, and the handful of guests that seemed to have hunkered down at the inn for the winter, as well as the occasional guest passing through, Ser Croy and Dame Pauline were at the inn looking to speak to Quentin. Ser Croy was warm as ever, and Dame Pauline was reserved as ever. Quentin tried to get Pauline to relax and drop the honorifics, but she continued to find it difficult. Quentin queried why he had found Beauclairois wine in the hands of an important person, referring to Prior Benedict, though not by name. Dame Pauline revealed that she had worried that Quentin had forgotten that it was expected of him to present guests at the celebration the following day to lend credibility to his character, and so she had arranged a guest list on his behalf. She mentioned that this may have been the reason why some of the delegation’s wine had ended up in people’s possession.

The reason for the two to pay a visit to the Careless Wanderer was to share the itinerary for the celebration. At tenth bell, Quentin was to arrive at the Black Alder Farm to brief his lord father about Epidemius. His father was worried at having lost two of the Morvrayne riders in the previous incursion of the fiend and was eager to find out how his house would be impacted upon Epidemius’ return. The losses had further put the Morvrayne family at a disadvantage among the delegation, despite the riders having fought valiantly.

At noon the celebration would begin. Then at first bell a ceremonial arrival of Quentin and his delegation would be held at the gate to Black Alder Farm. At third bell the games would start. At fifth bell the guests were formally introduced, and at sixth bell the banquet would start. At eighth bell the betrothal would be finalised.

“Your father is a shrewd man,” Ser Croy started, “and I think he’s quite pleased. He was astonished that you had set out on the quest, then astonished when word reached Albancourt that you had surfaced in Kingsport, successful. All the flabbers were gasted. Your father is very proud of you,” the old knight continued, “and amazed at how you lived up to the name ‘Quentin’, your father’s older brother.”
“I don’t want to do this,” Quentin said stubbornly.
“Everybody gets cold feet sometimes. Even when they are to marry a beautiful woman from a good house,” the old knight placated.
“How can I even think about marrying one who was so sorely disappointed that I had succeeded”, Quentin lamented,”Have I actually succeeded? I am not the same person I was when I left. I found people, purpose, power. Now this?”
“Do I need to be locked back inside my family’s legacy, and the expectation people have of me?”, Quentin asked. “I broke free. I don’t want to do this,” his voice trailing off.
“I’m just a simple man. I accidentally achieved the rank I hold,” the old knight said softly, trying to excuse himself, “I cannot fathom what it must be like for you. Unfortunately, I cannot advise you on this matter,” he said while putting a comforting hand on Quentin’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
Quentin returned the warm gesture. “You hide behind being a simple man. You’ve known me ever since I could hold a practice sword. You must have thoughts?”
“Carrément!” Ser Croy said firmly, “I have thoughts, of course I do, but I reserve the right to hide behind the fact that I am a simple man. You are the future, m’boy.”

The games had piqued the interest of several people and both Croy and Pauline shared that there would be games of strength, agility, daring, and endurance.

Le Grand Jet was a game where a decorative, iron cannon ball was hurled as far as possible, with competitors using flamboyant forms of showmanship as much as they used raw power. La Colonne was a tug-of-war organised over a pool of water or mud, so that the loser of the competition would get drenched. This could either be organised as a one-on-one competition or a group competition. La Course des Échasses was a footrace on stilts through a winding course of logs and hay bales. Le Vole de la Flèche was a theatrical archery contest where targets were suspended from kites, making them sway and drift on the wind.

Le Défi du Duelliste was a fencing display where competitors were not just judged on points scored, but also on style, aggression, and crowd reaction.  Some discussions followed on duelling as a way to settle scores and to adjudicate feuds, which seemed by what the Beauclairois were telling them quite common to the other heroes. According to Croy it was leading to friction within the delegation.

La Tour Téméraire was a free climbing race up against the exterior of a tower or scaffolding structure. La Marche du Chevalier was a race across an obstacle course where the competitors were wearing heavy suits of cumbersome armour. And lastly, Le Banquet du Brave was an eating competition which saw competitors eat copious amounts of increasingly richer food. At that, Luca suggested that Astrid should enter that competition, and as if he conjured her by mentioning her name, she walked through the front door of the inn, coming in from the cold accompanied by Wulf, one of the children she had earlier that day set out to return to his carer.

After coming in and assessing the tavern room, Astrid walked up to Emrys and demanded his room key, which the jovial sorceror gave. She marched Wulf upstairs and disappeared. Some of the heroes were joking that Astrid had spent much of their stay at the Careless Wanderer in the common room, then once she acquired her own room promptly gave it up to an angry goose. Now that her room was occupied, she need another room.

When Astrid returned she explained the situation. After dropping off the two other children at the orphanage in Grimsdown she was on her way to Lewisham to bring Wulf back to his mother. Suddenly, Wulf started to speak to her in a curious fashion and demand to be brought to Luca, as he had a proposition for the heroes. Everyone decided to go up to Emrys’ room where Astrid had left Wulf. When they arrived the boy sat calmly at the small salon table in front of the lavish, four-poster bed.

After some back and forth, it became clear that Wulf had been possessed by Sadwick, the imp they had recently banished from Céleste’s wine cellar who at one time was the familiar to Atilesceon the Artificer before the heroes defeated him in his realm. After Atilesceon’s defeat he was finally free to explore the realms, but then got caught up in a plot to destroy the stock at Céleste’s wine cellar and was banished back to the Nine Hells in a confrontation with the heroes. He wanted to trade information on Epidemius’ attack which he had discovered for lifting his banishment.

The heroes were divided; Quentin was against it on principled grounds, and Chakuq did not like the idea of accepting the imp’s largely unverifiable intelligence. Luca like the idea of getting more information, and Neamhan believed that dealing with the imp while gaining an advantage over Epidemius was the lesser of the two evils. In order to whet the appetite, Sadwick asked if the heroes knew what a Subliex was. Most of them had not heard of a Subliex, and Sadwick’s attempt at manipulation almost failed, until Neamhan recalled an old story from grandmother Morrí; a Subliex, she remembered, was a gargantuan fiend.

A deal was struck, and Sadwick shared that Epidemius had changed and escalated his approach; he had discovered that a binding circle was in the making, and would continue to create a portal onto Steward’s Square as before, but at the same time he would create rifts at the River Gate, the Circle of Magi, and at the Careless Wanderer, sending through a Subliex through each rift, capable of transporting dozens of fiends. Wulf turned his head to Chakuq and Sadwick said that a very particular barbed devil had developed an unhealthy interest in the hunter, and would come for him. Epidemius would try to take out the three sources of power, and thus diminish the power funneled into the binding circle.

The heroes needed a moment to digest what had been shared, and they had a lot of questions on how Epidemius had found out about the binding circle. Sadwick could only share that Takhisis, the Dark Queen that ruled over the Nine Hells, had agents and cultists all over the Verdant Kingdoms, including Kingsport. The information must have come through the Dark Queen’s network of spies.

The bargain was upheld and Sadwick was released from his banishment. The fiend departed, leaving Wulf confused and sad after the possession for a second time that day.

When Quentin came down the stairs he was frustrated and annoyed. He sat down at the table with Ser Croy and Dame Pauline and demanded to know what they knew about the wine. Pauline was caught between her loyalty to Lord Dorian and her loyalty to Lord Quentin, and asked Quentin to be specific about what he wanted to know. When Quentin did she shared that she had been ordered to go into Kingsport and buy up all the stores of wine she could. It was an order that came from Lord Dorian, but it was by Monsieur Beauregard’s design. She confessed that she did not understand the reason for the order.

Quentin shot back that despite depriving the city of its wine stores that just outside of Kingsport a saint was found with wine brought by the delegation. He demanded to know whether has father was trying to curry favour with important figures, and Pauline admitted that this had been her decision, without Lord Dorian’s knowledge. Dame Pauline explained that perhaps Lord Quentin had forgotten some Beauclair ways in his absence from home. He was expected to present guests at the celebration which would be stand in support of him as a suitable match to Lady Gwenaëlle. In absence of Quentin compiling the guest list she had done so on his behalf, using the wine of the delegation as gifts of thank you for their support. When asked who, she rattled off a dozen names of important people Quentin had met and befriended since his departure from Beauclair.

Quentin interrupted her cascade of names, realising that she had acted, as always, in his best interest, and thanked her. She made a point to inform Quentin of one more name; Durand de Palmerin, the écuyer to the legendary Ser Estienne d’Epines, whom Quentin shared a body with in Old Llygad. Quentin was grateful for her help. The more dignitaries stood by Quentin’s side, the better the position he would be in to negotiate the retention of Róisín.

The conversation drifted, and Chakuq and Ser Croy spoke about the duels that would be held at the games, while others spent time understanding the social intricacies of Beauclair nobility. It turned out that one of Lady Gwenaëlle’s friends, Madam Séverine de Châtillon-Sarlovèze, a chevalière and youngest daughter of a prominent noble house, was causing unrest in the camp with her ongoing feud with Monsieur Pierre Dupont de l’Étang, chevalier in service to House Montbéliard. They further learned that the Black Alder mansion was used for preparations, and that the yard would be used for the celebration, while the fields and the camp were designated for celebrations and games. A dozen troubadours are rumoured to be among the revellers to entertain.

Previously, the heroes returned to the Newport Vault for the first time since the defeat of Xarrombus. For some it was an eerie return, for others a sad and emotional one. And for Neamhan and Chakuq it was their first time inside. They found Brandomiir and Garvan excavating the vault, and Falka researching the library, and turned to the library to find the Liber Bubonicus, the Book of Woe.

Sixth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is in low sanction, Darkmoon is waxing)

The presence of Xarrombus lay over the vault like a cloud. This was most evident by the enormous, calcified tentacles which lay wrapped around the underground structure, and sometimes punched through a ceilings, floors, and walls to make it clear just how large Xarrombus was.

The heroes headed towards the reliquary. Garvan and Brandomiir were hard at work at destroying the tentacles that held the vault in its grip. They used blasting powder and thunder sticks, which were a speciality of Brando, and then large blocks of masonry and mortar to secure the holes left in the walls.

Neamhan asked about Xarrombus; neither her, nor Chakuq, had been present during the defeat of the aberration, yet both their lives had been unpleasantly impacted by it. Luca tapped into his obedience to Aurion and conjured up an image of Xarrombus during the fight with the heroes, complete with floating eyes in its orbit, and giant tentacles tipped with a maw of razor sharp teeth. Luca recounted how Astrid had been swallowed by one of the giant tentacles only to carve her way out of its stomach and burst out through its side.

Falka mentioned that Xarrombus also had agents called the aberrant lords who were tentacle-faced humanoids with terrifying power. Chakuq asked whether these agents were still around, but Luca thought it impossible. Emrys claimed that as Xarrombus was defeated, all of its agents and people under its influence died.

Though he tried to hide it, this topic caused Luca anguish. When Neamhan tried to offer some support, in the form of words, and a conjured black lily, he turned away and went back to the library, claiming he was fine. Neamhan, confused, turned to Emrys and asked him why Luca was lying to her. Emrys explained that the death of Hamish caused him a lot of pain.

Luca and Falk went back to the library to continue their research. Luca was eager to identify the magical nature of the books they had found, and Falka went to assist. It would mean performing a ritual and making a careful selection of the available books to perform it on. Luca’s obedience to Aurion meant he would have to triage which books to inspect. He decided on the bookwheel, the wand retrieved from Sadwick, and two books, which would be the extent.

Before starting, Luca convinced Falka to write down her real name in his grimoire, which she does, so that he may help revive her if anything were to happen to her. It was clear that the warlock was determined not lose another friend again.

In the reliquary, Chakuq managed to convince Garvan and Brando to take a break so that the heroes could climb through one of the holes in the wall left by the tentacles and explore the spaces behind it. There was a foul smell emanating from one of them that lead Chakuq to wonder whether they could be coming from the Book of Woe.

The space behind the wall seemed to serve a ventilation purpose, and went straight down. Chakuq climbed down careful, and Neamhan followed. Unfortunately, she was not as careful, slipped and almost plummeted to her death but managed to transfigure into a fly at the last second. Chakuq, having missed her transfiguration, thought that Neamhan displayed a spectacular feat of acrobatics. Emrys, ever the gentleman, decided to use Toruviel to slowly descend down the shaft.

Once the three of them started to explore the corridors at the bottom of the shaft, they recognised that they appeared to be private quarters that were part of a dormitory of sorts. Emrys recognised that these were likely the Halls of the Senhadrim, the living quarters that seemed to always accompany a vault. The foul smell seemed to come from stale air and rotting matter of old roots and other natural decay. They decided not to proceed much further and return back to the vault’s reliquary.

In his ritual, Luca identified that the bookwheel was enchanted to magically aid any research done at it. Sadwick’s wand was a broken Wondrous Wand which could produce a multitude of different effects when used. The two books he had picked out were Archeros’ Manuscripts, a book which provided the ability to learn certain martial polearm techniques at an accelerated rate, and the Demonic Articles of Golnaz, which caused all nearby magical items to cease functioning when opened.

Somewhat disappointed that he did not find the Book of Woe, Luca turned to the book of spells he had found, which contained several spells of the dark school of Necromancy. Luca tried and failed to convince Blackstar to help him understand the spells within but despite the staff’s reluctance, it was clear that it was interested in the book. Blackstar claimed that it would brim him closer to him, but it was unclear who he was. It was clear that there was something here that required further investigation.

Previously, the heroes visited the Baths of Sedna on their way back from the wine shop, where they took Muirgheal into custody, making good on their promise to Emma. They decided to go and find their way back to the Newport Vault in the afternoon and found that Falka was using an entrance to the ancient waterways at the Silver Cross, a house of pleasure in the Lace. From there, they gained access to the waterways and followed Falka’s until they reached a landing at the dead end of a canal.

Sixth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is in low sanction, Darkmoon is waxing)

Just after fourth bell, the heroes found a small rowboat moored at the landing at the top of the canal which belonged to the Silver Cross. Falka had used it to keep her feet dry, and her boots clean. The landing ended at a large, bricked-up archway. Some of the veteran members of the Heroes of the White Eye were convinced that this archway could be turned into a portal if they could only find the keyhole. Finding miniscule lyrian crystals all over the wall strengthened their conviction and it did not take long before a subtle keyhole could be found which accepted one of the crystals that Luca had brought with him for just that occasion.

While the other sought for a sign of a keyhole, Neamhan reverted back to her trueshape and asked how thick the walls would be. When nobody could give her a satisfying answer, she attempted a connection to the wall in order to open it up so she could pass through. To her surprise the connection was rather rudely rejected, as if the wall itself was an unwilling partner.

The number of the original one hundred lyrium crystals the heroes had found in the Senhadrim halls underneath Lynnecombe were dwindling; through loss, trade, or by using the magic stored inside of them to power spells… or to open the gates to the Senhadrim vaults. This lead Luca to speculate and consider whether there was a way to recharge the crystals. He stored that idea away for later consideration.

Once inserted, the lyrium crystal was drained of its magic and turned dull. At the same time a dark gate opened in the archway; a perfect, black void whose pull was so irresistible that air audibly rushed in, and even light was sucked in around the edges, causing a fiery corona. Knowing that Emrys would collapse the gate behind him, it was decided he would go through last.

Before stepping through, Chakuq made sure that this void portal would not take him directly to hell. He had seen into that desolate wasteland and the very thought of it filled him with despair. Quentin took comfort in the people he had surrounded himself with and stepped through while joking to Chakuq that if it did take him to hell, he could always sacrifice Luca to generate the power to get back. Following Chakuq, Neamhan stepped into the portal while every instinct told her not to. Luca went next, and as agreed, Emrys went last, predictably closing the portal behind him.

In a blink, the heroes woke up at the entrance to the vault; a large circular room with a dome so high they could barely make it out in the gloom. The only light came from a handful of small lanterns, as well as from three crystals atop pillars set in alcoves. There were five other crystal-topped pillars, each in an alcove of their own, which seemed to be dormant. Quentin, Emrys, and Luca recognised this to be the entrance to Xarrombus’ hideout, and also remembered that the three pillars that were lit were by their doing.

Both Neamhan and Chakuq instinctively ducked their heads as they came to terms with being deep underground. Neamhan’s instinct told her that there were tons of rocks and earth above her head, only kept from crushing her by the virtue of the vaulted dome. That thought unnerved her, and she wondered how the dwarves of Ard Thoradun could live inside their mountain kingdom.

In the centre of the room was a circular shaft leading down. Chakuq took a look and found that there were ropes leading down to a landing far below. From that landing other ropes lead to an even deeper landing, and so forth. Emrys offered to provide flight to everyone through his magic, but Chakuq decided to climb down instead. As he did so, he found that the landings were the tops of large, stone faces set into the wall of the shaft. As Emrys descended and past the faces he was reminded of Jan the Custodian reciting the names of the faces;

“Raphael; Elohim.
Michael; Malakim.
Uriel; Seraphim.
Gabriel; Cherubim.”
– Jan

Neamhan took to the magical flight very naturally, and as she descended deeper the pressure on her ears increased and she was reminded of the first time she shaped into a bird and got overconfident and flew too high, too fast, and almost lost consciousness due to a lack of oxygen. For Chakuq, the memory was of a treeless, rocky landscape, sitting around a campfire with other boys. An old man came up and barked a command, and the boys began to run up the slope, racing to the top. The higher the boys climbed, the thinner the air, and the test was to see at what point he would pass out. The others shared in their memories, the same way that Chakuq and Neamhan shared in theirs.

As Quentin descended he was surprised to find that he recognised the style of armour that one of the stone celestials was wearing, as it matched some of the magical pieces of armour the heroes had recovered and he had in his possession. He concluded that there are different types of celestials, each with their own distinct styles.

At the bottom of the shaft the heroes found themselves on a crossroads with a corridor leading to each of the cardinal directions. With the exception of Chakuq and Neamhan, the heroes knew that the corridors lead to the armoury, the reliquary, the gallery, and the library. The heroes headed to the library where they found Falka standing at a book wheel doing research. It took her a moment to realise the heroes had come in because she had stuffed her ears with wax. It was to keep the noise of the excavation out; Garvan, one of the Steady Hand, and Brandomiir, an acquaintance of the heroes, were in another room performing work.

Falka explained that her research had not made a lot of progress due to a confusing filing system. She felt as if the library had been maintained by different librarians over the centuries, and that each had insisted on changing the filing system without ever being able to finish the task, leaving the library in disarray and unnecessarily complex to navigate.

The goal was to find the Liber Bubonicus, and so Chakuq and Neamhan started sifting through the rows and rows of books, hoping to find it. In the meantime, Luca drew a magic circle which would help him perform a ritual that would allow him to sense the presence of magic. Neamhan looked for anything that was written in Sylvan, or druidic. While Chakuq looked for leatherbound books.

Much to Neamhan’s surprise, she found a piece of old bark which was inscribed with burnt symbols that was an even more archaic version of druidic. It was not immediately clear to hear what it said, but she sensed that the text held within it a connection, but one that she had not yet established.

Chakuq’s attention was caught by a book of white leather which he reckoned was fashioned from horse hide. The pages were of a thin velum whose edges were painted in gold. Even though Chakuq could not read the text, there was something about the book which told him that it was important to his people, despite his people favouring the oral tradition over writing. When Chakuq asked Emrys if he recognised the language, the sorcerer could tell him that it was similar to Primordial, but that he did not immediately recognise it.

In the meantime, Quentin went to the armoury in order to store Muirgheal only to find it completely empty.

When Luca finalised his ritual he could see the weave of magic all around him, and he quickly identified twelve books that were magical in nature. He also recognised that the book wheel that Falka was using was imbued with divination magic, that the piece of bark which Neamhan had retrieved held necromantic magic, and that the white, leather book that Chakuq had found was mundane.