Recap

Previously, the heroes were plagued by dreams of summer, which turned into nightmares. The handsome lieutenant William of Eastwarren visited the Careless Wanderer incognito in order to explain the darkening situation inside the palace.

Ninth Day, First Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

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

When Emrys awoke, he found himself on the bank of a river which snaked its way below the canopy of a grand forest. He must have dozed off. It was a warm day, but the rush of the water, and the shade from the trees made his stay at the river a pleasant one. Though he could not quite remember its location, he recognised the spot to be not too far from his home in the Riverlands.

Emrys got up and started looking around, trying to orient himself. He found that Toruviel was not by his side, and as if struck by wild inspiration, he decided to check whether the petrified rose was still among his belongings. While he found that the wooden plate upon which the rose normally set fixed, as well as the glass dome which protected it, were still both there, the rose itself was gone.

Curious and unconcerned, Emrys started to walk. He quickly found a hillock that seemed somewhat familiar to him. Struck by déjà vu, he walked around the hillock to explore. The hillock was steep and covered in all manner of fragrant plants. A ring of thick trees stood sentinel on the hill’s brow. Water cascaded down a small fall and into a clear pool on one side of the hill, and close by a pathway started which lead up. Marble flagstones were hidden beneath centuries of growth, and remnants of marble arches stood along the path leading up.

The path ended near the top of the hill where the trees parted to reveal a beautiful but haggard looking garden. Marble columns, in various states of collapse stood around the garden, circling a dried up fountain, topped with a statue of two elves in a romantic embrace. The entire affair was covered with the most marvellously blooming rose bush. There is a reverence to the site that is unmistakable. It’s not quite religious, but Emrys got the sense that it was a site of remembrance.

For an instant, the warmth turned to chill, the dappled sunlight piercing through the canopy turned into a bleak grey sky looming behind barren, snow-covered trees. As fast as the sight of winter came, it is once again replaced by the warm summer’s afternoon.

Emrys’ sense of déjà vu grew stronger, and then he remembered; this was where he and his companions battled the Procyon, outside of Allenham. That triggered a flood of memories, not quite Emrys’ own, and he recognised the woman to be Deithwyn, the Lady Without Ending, ruler of the Palace of White Flame at the heart of the Worthwilde and leader of the Aen Canell. The man in the embrace was Mindaran Chillwind, her lover, who, according to legend, mysteriously disappeared. Emrys noticed that Deithwyn was holding a beautifully carved rose in her hands.

And without warning, winter had returned, the trees were bare and the sky grey. A cold wind blew through the forest and chilled Emrys. Suddenly, he saw a tall, slender figure, with long, spindly arms and legs climb over the brow of the hill. Wearing a red shroud to cover skin as pale as the winter sky, the woman carried horns upon her head that looked like a glaive. In an eerie and unnerving manner she crawled over the brow of the hill and with an inhuman speed she reached the statue of the lovers in front of Emrys and snatched away the rose that Deithwyn held. With the same, inhuman speed, she retraced her path back over the brow of the hill, but in reverse.

When Emrys had recovered from the shock he heard wolves coming from all sides. Before he could get his bearing, the wolves were upon him, tearing him apart. Startled, he sat upright in bed, panting and sweating, just in time to hear a knock on the door announcing the arrival of his companions, together with lieutenant William.

When lieutenant William had departed, the heroes turned their attention to Hamish’s funeral. Luca decided that he wanted to do it sooner rather than later. Several options are discussed, including keeping Hamish’s body in state for a while, organising a wake (before or after the funeral), and discussing who would (and would not) be welcome at the funeral.

The decision was made to head to the Church of the Raven Queen and upon departure Neamhan uses her innate abilities to prevent cold air from rushing inside the warm tavern. She had been doing that from inside the tavern whenever someone would enter, much to the appreciation of the fishermen inside. This time, however, she was doing it while walking outside and exposing herself to the scrutiny of the custodians. Luca warned her that the custodians were distrustful of magic and condemned any public display of it.

The heroes walked the short distance from the Careless Wanderer to the church and found that the thick, carved doors were open. Two silent sisters stood inside, on either side of the door, welcoming people in. Quentin asked the heroes to wait while he made arrangements, and went inside. While the others waited, several people joined the line waiting to go inside, including Ólafur. Mistress Esmeralda d’Ortega, the archmage for the Circle of Abjuration was there, accompanied by a tall, bald man deep in his middle years, with a high, pointed collar and long robes. An older, plain faced man with a beard and a skull cap also stood in line.

Quentin found cardinal Roark at the altar and explained his intentions. The cardinal told him he could use his chambers to change. There, Quentin found a plain, black robe, which he donned. A small bowl of ash was set up, which he used to turns his face pale like he had seen the cardinal do before. Quentin washed his hands in a bowl of clear water, before displaying the raven’s feather prominently around his neck.

The heroes and the rest of the attendees outside were lead inside by the silent sisters and met by Quentin in the central isle. Quentin lead the attendees down the isle to the transept and headed left in front of the altar, towards an area of the church devoid of pews. The area was the home of large slabs of pale stone, set up underneath a window overlooking the western horizon. The setting sun fell through the red windows, casting long shadows across the church.

Quentin asked the heroes to present Hamish’s body and directed them behind a black lacquered privacy screen set up in front of one of the stone slabs. Luca brought forth James’ bag and hesitated in opening it. He felt Astrid’s hand on his shoulder and she helped him to retrieve Hamish’s body. Overcome with emotions, Luca felt the need to tidy Hamish up, but Quentin stopped him, telling him that there is no shame in death.

Quentin took over. One of the silent sister presented him with a knife, which Quentin held aloft before using it to cut away Hamish’s clothing, leaving him as naked as the day he was born. Another silent sister presented a bowl of water and vinegar, and together with a sponge, Quentin cleaned Hamish’s body.

A bronze bowl filled with the fine ash of an oak tree were presented and, again, Quentin lifted it aloft before setting it down to rub the ashes onto Hamish’s skin. Cardinal Roark, who had been standing to the side, stepped up and handed Quentin a heavy bronze censer which emitted a strong incense. Quentin walked around the stone slab upon which Hamish rested in a cloud of fragrant smoke. Twelve times deosil, and twelve times widdershins, representing the cycle of day and night.

One has come to cross the Threshold, o Majesty. Hear my plea, hear you’re servant’s words.

I wash him with the water, to cleanse them of its earthly impurities. I anoint him with the ash, to remind the soul of the transience of its body. I walk him through the smoke, to ease his passage into the realm of the spirits.

I ask you to grant him mercy, and I deliver him to the Halls of Judgment, where you shall weigh him and guide him to his final destination.

O Faceless Guise, o Raven’s Claw, beat your fierce wings in the deep chasms of Latherna, spread your scent, your power burning to the West. As the sun rests, so shall this soul.

I bid him farewell.

Quentin dipped his fingers in oil and touched Hamish’s forehead, drawing a stylised shape of two spread wings in the ash. Then the silent sisters came to wrap the body in a white shroud, standing in stark contrast to their black robes. For a moment, all of the colours seemed to be sucked from the world, leaving everything in greyscale.

The body was carried to the rear of the church and out into a courtyard where a funeral pyre was waiting. The shroud was soaked in myrrh-scented oil and a torch was passed to Quentin by cardinal Roark. Quentin called for any tributes to be placed on the pyre, and Ólafur stepped forward to place some hand-carved toy figures on the pyre. The plain-faced man placed several flat stones on the pyre, and Luca followed by tearing out several pages from his prized book and placing them with the rest of the items.

The fire, once lit, spread fast. The smoke veiled the ugly part of the process away from sensitive eyes. The smell of myrrh filled the air. As the smoke ascended, the sound of a large bird could be heard and Astrid eagerly looked to the skies.

Lady Miranda stood in the doorway to the courtyard moments later, dressed in full regalia, her helmet resting under her arm. Not long after she went back inside, followed quickly by mistress Esmeralda and her bald companion. The plain-faced man followed, and Ólafur lingered a few moments longer. Luca was last to leave.

Inside, as the heroes passed through the church to head out of the front entrance, they passed lady Miranda talking to cardinal Roark near the privacy screen in the western chapel. She ordered the bones of her brother John to be delivered to lady Olivia at Hungerford, saying that he deserved to be interred with the rest of his family.

Outside the front entrance two crownsguard stood watch over Frostfeather. When lady Miranda came out she remarked that it was a very dignified farewell and conveyed her condolences before setting to the skies on her mount.

The plain faced man came to talk to Luca, introducing himself as Cornelius Black, Hamish’s uncle. He admitted not being in touch with Hamish much, but having given him a home when he had first arrived in Kingsport. He was working at the Magisterium and offered his help in case Luca or any of the other heroes needed anything. Shortly after he departed.

Neamhan decided to ask Astrid whether Frostfeather was a giant eagle, which Astrid found preposterous, saying that it was a griffon. When pressed on the size, Astrid said that it was simply big, but certainly not giant. Perhaps northeners had a different idea of what “giant” meant.

Back at the Careless Wanderer, Neamhan, who had felt the urge to shift into the shape of a goat, which she knew to be Luca’s favourite animal, in order to make him feel better. She crept up the staircase and waited for a moment where she felt she was unobserved and shifted. Before she could respond to the sound of a tingling bell, she felt something jump on her back, grabbing a hold of her mane and yell “Death to summer! I have found my mount!” Neamhan decided to charge down the staircase and into the tavern, which made Wyn scatter and hide behind the bar.

Luca and Emrys are fascinated by Neamhan’s ability to transfigure her shape and ask her whether it hurts, which it does not according to her. They hypothesise that perhaps her magic is different, or there’s another element that sets her ability apart from others that had the rare ability to transfigure themselves or others.

The conversation turned to deciding on the next steps. A long topic of conversation was on ways in which Quentin could prevent having to relinquish Róisín when the Beauclair delegation arrived in Kingsport. Ideas about creating forgeries were shared, but that was made all the more precarious when a courier came to deliver another letter from Falka to Luca:

Luca,

I often feel that while I am busy studying history, you are busy writing it.

Yes, I am quite familiar with Epidemius as well as the Liber Bubonicus, due to my connection to the Order of the Shield and having grown up in Dunagore. I literally wrote a book about it. I will start work on a summary right away, which I will send before I set sail for Kingsport. Please make arrangements for my stay.

Also, you should know that my friend Corinne – Do you remember her, she works at the Landsdowne auction house? – has informed me that Villem Landsdowne is currently in Kingsport, awaiting a delegation from Beauclair. He is on retainer in order to authenticate an ancient sword when they arrive. If rumours about you and your companions are to be believed it will be of interest to you to know that.

Speak to you soon.

Falka

More ideas on deception were raised, to the point of Luca using his magic to impersonate Villem Landsdowne, until Quentin explained that his goal was to transcend his position as being “merely an heir in a line of succession”, which would be jeopardised if he was caught in deceit. The discussion was tabled. There was still time before the delegation would arrive, which at the earliest would be the Fourth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262.

It was decided that with the remainder of the day, the heroes would visit both Emma at the Baths of Sedna, and Dagran at his forge, both of which were relatively close to one another. Then tomorrow, the heroes would attend the closing ceremony for the fishing competition where they would hopefully get a better understanding for the queen’s state of mind.

Previously, the heroes had received a letter from lady Ulrikke, indicating that she was in Kingsport for the winter and was keen to reconnect. James also visited the Careless Wanderer to provide the heroes with Hamish’s body, some items her recovered from the skaven in the waterways, and he even gave his magical bag to the heroes on a loan. Neamhan visited Quentin in order to communicate with Róisín.

Ninth Day, First Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

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

Quentin and Neamhan came downstairs into the tavern and found that it was early enough for most fishermen to still be asleep. They found a table near one of the two hearths and put some logs on the smouldering embers that remained from the night before. Soon after Lauryn came stumbling down the stairs, not quite ready to take on the day. She went into the kitchen where Ramsey was kneading dough and baking loafs of bread in the large oven, and made herself a hot drink. She called it a hot, brown morning potion, and she offered some to Quentin and Neamhan, explaining that it was made from ground beans and hot water. Soon after trying that hot, brown morning potion, Ramsey came out of the kitchen with some food he had been working on. Rationing some of the ingredients in preparation for the winter, he had developed some round pastries made from dough, some topped with sugar, others had a jam filling. He was unsure what to call them; hole cakes, circle sweets or perhaps sugar wheels. It was a good start of the morning.

Ser Liam of the Cloakwoods, still injured from his confrontation with Dame Morena of Hittesleigh where he tried to keep Grimnir Bouldertoe from being taken by House Dunkeswell, briefly joined the heroes as Luca came downstairs and tried some of the sugar wheels. Neamhan, ever inquisitive, asked about the way in which a large city like Kingsport gets their food, claiming that her tribe could find everything it needed within an hour of their home. Ser Liam explained that the lands of Northshire were too coveted to support enough farmland to feed a city of Kingsport’s size. Instead, the region of Fairfields, in the east of Lyria, had very fertile lands that were worked by some of the most experienced farmers. The food produced there was transported by ship to feed all the major cities around the Lyrian gulf.

Luca looked a bit haggard, and when Astrid finally joined she also looked as if she had not had a good night’s sleep. Both had been afflicted by vivid dreams. Astrid had been walking the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Teeth close to Hammerstrand, enjoying the mild weather when suddenly an enormous glacier loomed over the horizon and ruthlessly pushed onto land, crushing everything in its way. The ice was dark and even darker shapes slithered inside of it. Astrid said she could not outrun the ice and ended up being crushed by it.

Luca dreamt of a warm, late summer evening inside a small church, where he had been reading through the modest collection of books the church had in its library. Warm light fell through the stained glass windows. In front of Luca lay a journal and he read the three short entries on the open pages;

Given the opportunity, the sisters will approach you in order to strike a bargain. You just have to will it to happen and they will reveal themselves.

I have seen them drink in the blood of the first born and stretch the skins of the virgins. I have seen them dance naked in the blood soaked soil at the base of the tree. I have seen their dark pendants soak up the sanguine life spilling from their mouths after they drank their fill. The glee. The glee!

[Poor handwriting] They have promised me a reward for my sacrifice. They have promised they will let me sleep a dreamless sleep again, and release the dead in our graveyard from their control, and they will let the villagers make their own choice in who they want to follow. They promise me that the pain will soon subside. I can still pray with one hand. I can still carry the Book of St. Catherine with me as I go and talk to the villagers. This time they will hear me and they might finally trust me, for I have sacrificed part of myself for them. Just like St. Catherine sacrificed herself for Ser William.

There were more entries, but these were the last three. Luca suddenly recognised the church he was in as the church of Paladine just outside of Blackbough. When he had been there the church had been abandoned and in ruin. He suddenly wondered whether what he was seeing was real or an elaborate illusion and quickly the truth came crashing into reality, revealing the broken church he remembered. It was dark outside and window was blowing through the broken windows, snow started falling through the broken roof.

Luca walked to the entrance and saw that necrophages were stalking through the snow-covered graveyard outside. He retreated back inside the church and suddenly heard a chattering. Snow start falling harder; thicker snowflakes quickly covering everything around. Long, wiry arms and hands gripped the doorframe of the broken front door, first one pair of hands, but more and more. The head that pulled itself through the door was that of Gryza, with her regal jawline, tight mouth and a veil of flesh covering her forehead and eyes. As she moved through the door the extra sets of hands fell down around her hips like a skirt of arms and hands.

As she advanced on Luca he tried to reason with her, asking why she had brought him to Blackbough. With the voice of her and her sisters she claimed she was there to retrieve that which did not belong to Luca. He responded that there was little for him to give, that most of him was already claimed by others. In response she snatched his scarab brooch from where it held his cloak in place and retreated by outside, walking in reverse. As she faded from sight, the necrophages rushed in and pounced on Luca, tearing him apart. With that sudden death he had sat upright in his bed, panting and sweating and his heart pounding.

Back at the breakfast table the conversation turned to times where things seemed simpler, when the heroes were getting paid good coin for their efforts by house Sheridan. Neamhan asked Astrid whether she missed home, to which Astrid responded that her goal was to gather enough coin for a ship. Neamhan asked her how much it would take, and Astrid confidently answered that it would take ten thousand gold crowns. Astrid said she missed her family and Neamhan asked Astrid to tell her something about them. Astrid did not know who was still left, but only knew that those that mattered the most were not there anymore.

When Neamhan asked whether Quentin missed his family and he responded that he did not. He felt no strong tie to his family, but he did feel as if there was someone he should miss, and once again he reached to one of the leather bracers around his wrist.

Luca shared that he came from a family of pig farmers, living in a hamlet in the Elder Foothills which was so small that it had no name. One of the things he was fond of was that his father used to make Applejack, a home-made liquor made from apples, like a light brandy. This caught Astrid’s attention; she loved fruit and explained that they had very little of it where she lived.

It was at that time that lieutenant William entered the Careless Wanderer, dressed in common clothing but still wearing his sword at his side. He was wearing a heavy, hooded cloak which was laden with snow. It hid his handsome features from the fishermen in the tavern, but they were too busy with their breakfast to look up from their plates to notice.

It was quickly decided that it would be best to talk to lieutenant William in Emrys’ room, which was the only room big enough to host them all. Emrys had not yet come downstairs and when everyone entered his room it became clear why; he too had been dealing with dreams which had frustrated his rest.

When the group had found some privacy in Emrys’ luxurious room, and Quentin had vouched for Neamhan’s discretion, William explained that queen Isabella had not been herself since her recovery from her illness. She had mood swings, was more forceful, ruthless and harsh. She had initiated the assembly of a royal army to send them to subjugate the rebel houses in Farcorner. She had also been ignoring the opinions of the Queen’s Council and demanding they raise taxes and had invited members of the houses on the Queen’s Council to become guests at court as wards, which was tantamount to being hostages to the throne.

Quentin managed to urge William on to share more. With great difficulty, he shared that the queen had dismissed all of her handmaidens – all except lady Annabella. He said that the queen was keeping all servants and guards at a distance, and yelling could be heard from the queen’s chamber at all hours of the day and night. Whenever the queen engaged with servants, including William, she was abusive, even going so far as lashing him herself.

The queen had commanded that some people were found; a Mazurian man by the name of Fedor, a Lyrian called Melchior, a dwarf named Dagnamiir, an elf named Lathorael, and someone named Lash. The heroes recognised them to be the the many names of Xamael the Defiler, an agent of the Dark Queen, Takhisis, who had  been responsible for the queen falling ill. None could imagine how the queen had found out who had been responsible for her malady.

Luca mentioned that it was likely the heroes would need to see the queen in the near future, and William explained that they might no longer be as welcome as they once may have been. “She’s not the person you met in the watergardens all those months ago.”

When William was about to leave, after explaining how the heroes could get in touch with him, Neamhan noticed how handsome he was and she offered him a handful of berries. He was quite delighted by them and said that his parents used to grow gooseberries in the garden patch behind their hut in Eastwarren. When Neamhan called him a pretty human, he was caught off guard but thanked her for the compliment.

When the lieutenant had left Emrys asked whether it would be a good day to arrange for Hamish’s funeral, which everyone agreed with.

Previously, the heroes spoke to Réonan at the Circle of Magi, while Quentin reconnected with cardinal Roark in order to return the Plumes of the Duskmaven, an important relic that was thought to be lost.

Eighth Day, First Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

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

The heroes had all returned to the Careless Wanderer for some much needed rest and downtime. While Emrys went to arrange drinks for the table he was handed a letter by Lauryn which had been delivered in their absence. The letter read:

To my fellow students,

It has been months since we exchanged notes in the library. I was ever so thankful for your help, and in return I did as you suggested and spoke to several people I thought could help with our work. I regret to say that it has not been met with a lot of enthusiasm. I really enjoyed our collaboration, but others did not share in our optimism. My quest continues, but I have had to change my approach, which means patience is necessary.

For the first time, I have joined my father in Kingsport for the winter. I have heard wonderful stories of how beautiful the city is during the Feast of the Moon and Midinváerne. During my stay, I would love to continue to collaborate with you and am looking forward to hearing what you have learned since we last saw one another.

Cordially,

The Margravine

When Emrys returned to the table that the heroes had claimed and shared the letter, everyone concluded that it was lady Ulrikke von Rosenberg, the Daerlan noble they had met at the library of the Bournemouth Academy that was the source of the letter. Neamhan once again was a bit at a loss and was struggling with the explanation of yet another acquaintance the heroes had established.

Lady Ulrikke was likely related to Count Ardel von Rosenberg, the Daerlan ambassador to Lyria. It was remarked that the Daerlan empire, despite their ongoing border skirmishes with Lyria in the north, were still afforded an embassy in Kingsport. This was underscored in light of the mission to petition the crown to allow for the establishment of a Beauclair embassy, which was the mission of the delegation to which Quentin’s father belonged, which was on its way to Kingsport.

When the heroes resumed their conversation on what to do next, it was quickly decided that Emma would be able to help them talk to Kasia, the Silesian girl who had witnessed and survived the appearance of Epidemius on Steward Square. The priestess would be able to keep the child from getting too worked up, and hopefully from reliving a lot of the painful memories. When Quentin suggested first waiting on Falka’s reply to see whether it even made sense to talk to Kasia, Luca got heated and angry. Luca’s stance was that, while unfortunate, Kasia’s well-being was of secondary importance to the safety of all of the people of Kingsport. At this, Neamhan called him heartless. Eventually, Lauryn tells Luca to keep his voice down, at which point the heroes drop the subject.

A decision was made to first visit Emma, then make for the Daerlan embassy, and perhaps swing by the Forgewright smithy to check on Astrid’s new weapon. Quentin decided to retire to his room with a plate of food, but before he did so, Neamhan asked him whether she could speak to Róisín in the morning. Quentin said he was looking forward.

When Quentin had departed, Astrid turned to Neamhan and asked her whether she had any children, to which she said that at the age of 374 she was much too young to have children. This lead to a conversation about the difference between age, maturity and age of procreation between humans and elves, and how it affected the way in which the two races acted and behaved.

During that conversation, Neamhan shared that the should of an elf gets reincarnated into a newborn after death. Astrid claimed that after death, people go to the great halls of the Æsir, like Valhalla, with it’s five-hundred doors. Luca refuted that, saying that souls go to the afterlife where they are judged and serve to bolster the armies of good and evil. The clash of cultures between Neamhan and Luca became apparent once again, with Neamhan standing fast against Luca’s repeated claims that it “simply did not work that way.” Despite his strong claims, he also did not offer any further explanations. Luckily, this time, the conversation stalled without Lauryn’s intervention.

Another thing that was revealed was that Luca turned 18 a couple of rides ago, something Emrys thought should have been marked by a celebration.

Astrid asked Neamhan whether the number of elves were dwindling because it took them so long to have children. Before Neamhan could answer, Luca interjected that he believed it was because fertility rates of humans was much higher, which lead to more half-elves being born than normal elves, leading to fewer and fewer true elves. Emrys offered that with elves taking several hundred years to mature to adulthood it meant that cataclysmic events had a much more severe impact on a generation’s ability to procreate. One war would have tremendous consequences, he argued, to which Neamhan retorted that humans cause wars, but it was clear to all others that Emrys was referring to a Conjunction of Planes.

It was Neamhan’s turn to ask a question and she turned to Emrys, wanting to know whether he considers himself an elf or a human. He said that he identified more as a human because he could never reconcile himself with the thoughts and beliefs of his rather dogmatic elven father. Neamhan asked whether Lauryn considered Emrys half-elf or half-human, and she felt it mattered through which lens the question was asked; from a human or human society’s point of view Emrys would be half-elf, while from an elf or elven society’s point of view he would be a half-human.

It was at that point that another half-elf entered the Careless Wanderer. James carelessly wandered in, wearing a heavy cloak to keep him warm. He was eating an apple and as he reached the table he handed the other half of the apple to Astrid without a glance. She took it and began devouring it.

James had come after getting the message from Goodman, and he agreed with the heroes that Goodman would be a good way to reach out to him. An alternative would be the butcher. He returned the earring he had still been wearing, which was the twin to the one that Luca had in his ear. He also offered his magical bag for the heroes to use. The bag held some of the items he had carried for the group, including the tablets that were recovered from the Newport vault as well as Hamish’s body.

James told the others that he and some members of the Steady Hand had searched the waterways for the skaven, and noticed that their activity had died down. He had also gone back to the scene of the battle between the skaven and the Steady Hand to retrieve some more evidence; a banner, which he hoped could be used to learn more about the skaven, a pouch filled with items that looked like they might be used by arcanists, as well as a letter that was written in a script that James believed Luca could read. The letter, which was written in the infernal script, read:

Your reports confirmed my initial assumption; the plague maidens were drawn towards the pestilent potential. This was, in part, due to Xamael’s interference into local politics, but there are indicators that one called the Upright Man has come into the possession of the Liber Bubonicus, the Book of Woe!

Find it while I continue to gather more resources to open another gate through the seal and resupply you with a tide to aid you in its retrieval. If an opportunity presents itself to retrieve it before the resupply, do not hesitate to act. Make sure to use the accompanying scrolls in order to contain it. Distribute them, and these instructions, among the other plague priests.

– Epidemius the Cataloguer, Lord of Decay, One of the Seven Proctors of Pestilence. Devoted Underling of Baalzebul the Calabite, Ruler of the Seventh, Lord of Maladomini

At the mention of the book being in the Upright Man’s possession, Luca asked whether Falka could be given access to the library in the vault, to which James said that it could be arranged, provided he was given some time to get settled in as the new night master, and given an opportunity to clear out the mess.

After a short conversation he agreed that he would have the body of the night master delivered to the House of the Raven Queen for funeral rites, and he also agreed that the vault to which he had access could be used to store the tablets. Neamhan, still with her mind on the age of humans and half-humans, was shocked to find that James was only 16 years old. On his way out he stopped to talk to Durham to buy a couple of bottles of booze.

The heroes retired, with Neamhan taking the room that James just had vacated. Astrid had been sleeping there in the interim, so she would catch a bunk in the common room, whenever it was that she was ready to go to bed, which judging by her eagerness to play another round of demon dice with some fishermen, wasn’t any time soon.

Ninth Day, First Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

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

As agreed, Neamhan came to Quentin’s room at the first sign of light over the horizon. Quentin was awake, since he retired early, and Neamhan relied on her elven heritage to not need more than a few hours of rest, and so, only shortly after the hour of the wolf, Neamhan knocked on Quentin’s door.

Quentin handed Neamhan his sword, sheathed in the everblooming scabbard. She unsheathed the blade and admired the decorative etchings along the steel, after which she performed a short ritual which ended with her casting her mistletoe talisman onto the blade. The thing Neamhan heard was the gentle sobbing of a woman somewhere in the distance, which was later joined by the voice of a man. The woman was gentle and sad, while the man was angry and bitter.

When Neamhan explained that Quentin wanted to know how Róisín was doing, she said, both voices speaking in unison, that she did not feel fully awake, that things were difficult for her to verbalise and that she had only just awoken, and that she had trouble remembering, feeling like she was running through water, like she was navigating through mist. One thing she was clear on; she did not want to be separated from Quentin.

Quentin, in the meantime, could only hear Neamhan’s side of the conversation, and needed Neamhan as the interlocutor. On the other side of the conversation, Róisín did not need Neamhan as she was attuned to Quentin and knew what he was saying. Quentin promised that he would not be separated from Róisín, and in turn, Neamhan promised to help him achieve that.

Quentin and Neamhan heard the light sound of small bells from up in the rafters of the room. Quentin knew it to be Wynn, which he shared with Neamhan, including that he was a mischievous fae that they had picked up in their travels. Neamhan tried to startle Wynn by casting a gust of bellowing wind among the beams of the ceiling, but he managed to get away, but not before reciting a curious poem about the naming of cats.

 

Previously, the heroes had visited and spoken to a lot of people in order to come to terms with the consequences of their defeat of Xarrombus, as well as prepare themselves for the road ahead and potentially deal with the threat that Epidemius posed.

Eighth Day, First Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

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

It was nearing the evening when the heroes entered Ólafur’s chamber, a small room with dark, wooden panelling on the wall, an elaborate rug on the floor, decorated with red and white details. In the back an oddly placed, red, velvet curtain covered parts of the wall as well as a suit of armour that seemed out of place in the room. There was a mahogany desk with a heavy chair with a large back rest. The desk had many small compartments and drawers and the top held many different writing implements.

The grizzled Miðgarðurian asked the heroes to wait as he went to see whether Réonan, the enigmatic grand archmage of the Circle of Mages, would see them. He had made the same inquiry for them in the past, but it never seemed to get easier for him. He returned, but this time the grand archmage was not with him. Instead, he invited the heroes to follow him deeper into the college.

At the end of the lobby stood an arched door that Ólafur unlocked with a key from an impressive keychain. The door lead to a circular staircase winding up a tower. Along the wall there were paintings of mage alumni, tapestries depicting scenes of the arcane, and paintings of legendary figures. These figured were marked with unique symbols that some of the heroes recognised as identifying them as Senhadrim arcanists.

The top of the stairs gave way to a jetty corridor with windows overlooking the city. The heroes could not recall ever seeing a tower reaching this high above Ravensbourne, which, coupled with the impossibly long corridor of the student dormitory, told them the Circle was larger than the outside of the building lead to believe.

All along the jetty corridor there were items of interest; a marble statue of a robed person carrying a bird of prey, a suit of armour made for an exceptionally tall person, a regal display of arms, a midnight blue banner displaying an octagram connecting a constellation of eight stars, a large drum made from wood and hide, a large, ironbound chest, an enormous, ceramic pot with a small tree growing from it, and a series of two dozen kite shields with banners of various noble houses.

Ólafur lead the hero down the jetty corridor to a doorway leading to the tower’s interior. This revealed an impressive room with more items on display. There was an incomplete skeleton of a large bird, hanging from the ceiling by near invisible wires, an grand triptych with strange, possibly fey iconography, and a pedestal with a large book, covered by a glass dome. These were but a small number of the object d’importance.

Ólafur lead the heroes across the room to another arched doorway behind which stood a large statue of a hunting cat with the head of a woman standing in a circular, vaulted alcove. There were no other ways out of that room, and there was nowhere left to go, but Ólafur patiently waited for the heroes to step into the circular room with him. He then turned his attention to the statue, addressed it as “Prayanti, Guardian of the Scarab Temple of the Great Sand See of Noth”, and beseeched it to grant them access. The entire room then turned 180 degrees to reveal another part of the tower through the same entrance they entered the alcove.

The room was circular, with a deep, blue carpet on the ground. The ceiling was high and domed, with a beautiful painted depiction of the night’s sky, complete stars connected in constellations, colourful nebulae and the three moons. Neahman immediately recognised that the depiction of the sky was in accordance to the current location of the moons and stars.

The windows around the outside of the chamber were slender and tall, again showing Kingsport below. At the opposite side of the chamber were a set of steps leading to a raised section of the room lined with pillars behind which was a cordoned off personal library with a lectern carrying an open book facing away from the room. On the right stood a heavy desk, and on the left stood a comfortable looking seating arrangement with padded sofas surrounding a low table. Réonan was seated on one of the sofas, their long hair combed to silver sheen, their slender frame and milky skin covered by a set of flowing silk robes.

The heroes spoke with Réonan about Epidemius, which they suggested had a role in the Battle of Dunagore, a fierce battle between the Silver Crusade and fiendish forces which was often overlooked when compared to the much more significant Battle of Blue Harbour. When the Book of Woe came up, they said; “It’s not a book, it’s a weapon.” Réonan also suggested the heroes could look into using the Newport Vault to store and protect the Tablets of the Elemental Eye they had recovered so far.

Neamhan had kept a low profile during most of the conversation, but eventually Réonan turned their attention to her. With her already legendary directness, she asked how she could prove that her magic did not originate from the gods. After a few questions she revealed that an elder named Oisín had recently awoken from a long slumber and had captivated her tribe. Oisín claimed magic, including Neamhan’s, was granted by the gods, and that the gods deserved their devotion. Neamhan knew in her heart of hearts that this was not true, and felt that Oisín was taking advantage of her tribe. She needed to disprove his claims.

The conversation came to a dissatisfying ending. Emrys had a growing suspicion that while Réonan wanted to provide the answers to the questions the heroes were fielding, that they simply couldn’t, as if afflicted by a kind of amnesia that they were trying to hide from the heroes. The heroes had already stayed past the city’s curfew and had to depart in order to make it back to the Careless Wanderer without harassment from the crownsguard and red custodians.

While the heroes were visiting the Circle of Mages, one of them went his own way and visited the House of the Raven Queen instead. When Quentin arrived he found the holy place empty of visitors. A silent sister, with her face painted white like porcelain, lead Quentin to cardinal Roark when he asked to see the man who had initiated him into the Order of Grave Knights. The cardinal invited Quentin to come and talk with him in his private chamber, which to Quentin looked very similar to father Devon’s chambers; gloomy and spartan.

The two shared some pleasantries; the cardinal explained that some of the important rituals of the Raven Queen were moved to the dawn in order to accommodate the curfew on the city. But soon, Quentin explained that his involvement in the demise of Xarrombus had lead to many deaths throughout the city, for which he felt responsible. In defending the principles of the Raven Queen, by defeating something from beyond the threshold, he had caused so many casualties. Was it an unfair trade?

Cardinal Roark said that despite the outcome, his actions were guided by the Raven Queen with a purpose, which went contrary to his belief that he must be held accountable for his actions. The cardinal invited Quentin to deepen his understanding of the teachings of the Raven Queen. In return, Quentin revealed that he had brought the feathered cloak that he had found in the Newport Vault, to which the cardinal gasped;

“And so it was foretold that the One who would oppose the Necromancer would recover the Plumes of the Duskmaven.”

The cardinal was filled with rapture at the sight of the cloak and being gifted it by Quentin. When the cardinal showed the cloak to the Silent Sisters they all, collectively, started wailing, something they were said to have done at the appearance of Epidemius as well. Quentin left to head back to the Careless Wanderer

Previously, the heroes followed their new friend Neamhan to the Cathedral of the Platinum father where she attempted to understand the nature of her own magic. Quentin received a letter from his lord father explaining more about the Highlord Gaulthier’s intent for his visit to Kingsport. The heroes visited Miranda Ravensbourne at the crownsguard garrison to deliver the bad news of her brother’s death. Neamhan, while using her magic to commune with Kingsport and its environs, made a shocking discovery that Kingsport was under the influence of a great evil, prompting lady Miranda to fly for the palace on the back of her griffon so that she may protect the queen.

Eighth Day, First Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

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

The heroes were quickly ushered from the crownsguard garrison after the lady commander had taken off for the palace. They noticed that the weather had turned a bit milder and that some of the snow which had blanketed Steward Square was slowly melting. Luca suggested finding James so that they may retrieve Hamish and the night master so their bodies can both be handed over to the Silent Sisters of the Church of the Raven Queen.

A little frustrated, Neamhan asked whether the heroes were just going to ignore the undead and continue their errands. The heroes, in turn, explained that they thought they knew the identity of the undead threat. Neamhan correctly guesses that the undead presence was that of the queen and asks the others what will happen to lady Miranda. According to them, lady Miranda will likely investigate and not find any threat to the queen, which means that Neamhan might take a reputational hit. She finds it very unfair, but realises that she does not have a lot of options but to accept the situation.

The crownsguard and custodians on the square were eyeing the heroes with growing suspicion, so the remainder of the conversation took place on the way to find Goodman, the town crier. In order to get in touch with James, it was decided to go through Goodman, or perhaps get close enough to James to use Lauriel’s Earrings of Whispers from the butcher shop on Fleet Street.

Emrys thought it a good idea to find out more about Epidemius and Luca thought that this task could be deferred to Falka, who had previously offered her assistance. Emrys thought it a good idea to talk to lady Annabella and explained to Neamhan that she was a dear friend who happened to be the handmaid to the queen.

The heroes found Goodman standing on Queensbridge, warming his hands on one of the many cast iron braziers that the crownsguard placed around prominent parts of the city. Relying on his preternatural ability to remain informed, he gave his condolences to Luca for the loss of his friend Hamish. Luca told him that he wanted to get a message to James about the funeral and wondered whether Goodman could reach him. He was willing to convey a message to James, but not without payment. He drove a hard bargain, which rubbed Neamhan the wrong way, but eventually agreed on a price of eight gold crowns.

At that point, the group went into different directions. Emrys decided to climb Garamond hill along Palace Road to see if he could get an audience with lady Annabella. Luca decided to climb the hill on the other side the river, Quayhill, and send a letter from Faster Feather Rookery. In the meantime, Quentin and Neamhan decided to return to the Careless Wanderer to discuss the sword Róisín.

Upon arrival at the top of Garamond hill, Emrys found that the palace had been placed in a lockdown; the gates were barred, and the guards at the top told him to turn back. Pleas for an audience with lieutenant William, the charismatic captain of the palace guard, were denied. When Emrys turned back, one of the guards recognised him and offered to relay a message, out of respect for Emrys’ service to the crown. Emrys asked whether the lieutenant could come and find him at the Careless Wanderer at his earliest convenience. The sorcerer then walked back to the inn.

After an arduous climb of Quayhill, Luca found himself in the courtyard of the modest manse of Fast Feathers Rookery. The tower from which the ravens were sent all over the kingdom (and sometimes beyond) were manned by raven keepers and rookery masters, whistling and clapping at the birds to direct them to come in. Ravens were flying to and from the tower, and were seated around the courtyard freely.

A scribe with hands in ink came to talk to Luca when he entered the building attached to the tower and confirmed that they had plenty of birds that could fly to Bournemouth. It would cost five silver stags, and Luca insisted on writing the letter himself. He wrote it in the abyssal language of demons, trusting Falka to be able to decipher, and in it he asked her to find out what she could about Epidemius and the Liber Bubonicus, the Book of Woe.

Quentin and Neamhan spoke about Róisín when they were in the Careless Wanderer. Quentin explained the nature of the blade, and was hoping that Neamhan, considering her rare gift, would be able to commune with Róisín to find out what her wishes were regarding being returned to House Lys. Neamhan was excited to try, but would need to take some time to prepare a ritual like that. The two agreed that Neamhan would prepare when she could, and make an attempt to commune the following day.

Soon after, all had gathered back at the Careless Wanderer and it was decided to go and visit Dr. Arkenward to see how he was recovering, to check how Vydia was doing and whether she was adversely affected by Xarrombus’ death, and to see whether Arkenward knew anything about Epidemius. And so, the heroes went back out into the cold again.

When the arrived at Arkenward’s manse, they knocked on the side door. Vydia’s friendly halfling servant opened the door and lead them into the scullery where they could take off their cloaks and kick off any snow from their shoes. Vydia came to greet them and invited them into the kitchen. She was a short and slim elf, wearing Lyrian-style clothing, with flowing blonde hair and a sun-touched face. She had a rather prominent black and blood-shot eye with swelling all around. The mark looked like it was older and had been healing for a while.

Luca dispensed with any pleasantries and immediately asked to see Vydia’s husband. Vydia would not let Luca’s brusqueness move her, but only a few soothing words from Quentin and Emrys helped convince Vydia.

Dr. Arkenward was looking a lot better than he did the last time the heroes saw him, but certainly had a long way to go to return to the man the heroes had met in the royal watergardens in the summer. He was able to sit up in a bed a bit, have a conversation, and answer some questions. After the heroes informed Arkenward of the situation in the city and the threat from Epidemius, he said that they would be best served to find out more about the fiend. He found it likely that the fiend was infernal rather than abyssal, something which the title Epidemius carried in the message that Luca had recovered from one of the skaven in the ancient waterways confirmed.

The heroes contemplated confronted Epidemius, and Arkenward claimed that it would simply send Epidemius back to the Ba’ator. Only defeating the devil on its own plane would kill it permanently. Neamhan asked what would happen if the heroes managed to defeat Epidemius while it was bound to this plane, and Arkenward was confident it would still return to Ba’ator.

Luca thought it would be good idea to ward Steward Square at the time of Epidemius’ return, and Arkenward slyly suggested “If only had a disruptor that could collapse a portal.” That drew a sharp look from Vydia.

It was time for the heroes to depart and allow Arkenward the rest he needed. Before leaving, Luca asked whether the heroes could gain access to Arkenward’s laboratory, why he denied; they were, however, welcome to use the library in his study. Also, Emrys said that he would return to speak with Vydia on a private matter, the details of which she seemed to understand.

The next destination was the Temple of Light, which was both a place of worship to Pholtus, as well as a clinic where people could get medical treatment. They were looking for father Devon with the hope of being able to speak to the girl that had witnessed the attack on Steward Square by Epidemius.

Inside the clinic it seemed as busy as it had been during the queen’s illness. They approached a nun who was tending to the patients and she brought them deeper into the hospital, past many beds and patients, until they were asked to wait in a room with benches with even more patients. Behind several doors monks and nuns were tending to patients in peace and privacy.

After several minutes father Devon appeared from behind a door and he said goodbye to his patient. Father Devon lead them into his chamber and the heroes asked after the girl. Father Devon explained that Kasia was a young, Silesian girl who had recently arrived in Lyria as a refugee together with her father who went to work for House Brightmantle as a cattle driver. The clergy at the Temple of Light were establishing contact with the noble house, which had been difficult since the head of the house, lord Jerod Brightmantle, had been killed in the attack.

The attack she lived through, coupled with what must have been a difficult time fleeing her homeland, had left her in a fragile state and the father feared that she would not be able to live through much more. To the father it was too dangerous to question her about Epidemius, unless the heroes were able to guarantee her safety. The heroes had some ideas and said they would return at a later time and bid the father goodbye.

Finally, the heroes wanted to visit the Circle of Magi in order to talk to grand archmage Réonan. Quentin had no interest in talking to Réonan and decided to return to the Careless Wanderer to spend some time with Astrid. The light of the day was fading, and curfew was upon the heroes when they arrived in front of the beautiful herb garden out in front of the main entrance to the Circle of Mages. When they knocked on the door, Ólafur the Miðgarðurian quartermaster of the Circle opened up and invited them inside.

The lobby of the Circle, with its polished wooden panelling on the wall and rich, plush carpets on the floor, was warm and pleasant. Ólafur mentioned to Emrys that he had recently come across a new batch of obsidian and that he had a few he could sell before the heroes left. When the heroes said they were hoping for an audience with Réonan his face turned grave and he invited them to come into his private chambers to wait. Once the heroes were seated in the small chamber, the bearded man reluctantly stalked off to find the grand archmage.