Tag: Recap

Emma, Session 12

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8th day of the 3rd ride, month 6 , 1262

Following the confrontation with the unfaithful mercenaries we made good time to the Inn at the Crossroads. The traders Trent and Oliver were happy to accept our hospitality and to return to the Inn. We arrived in time for supper, which the traders offered to pay for us in recompense for our charity and hospitality. I think we are all a little too embarrassed to let them, since they had just lost a lot of money, while we are sitting on an ungodly amount of it. We didn’t tell them that though.

After some confusion it was decided that Luca will look after the accounting instead of Emrys. Neither I nor Emrys has the disposition to appreciate the wealth for its true value (albeit in very different ways), James might well get sticky fingers, or account in a way that is perhaps a little too favorable for him. And to be fair, those riches must be unfairly tempting to him, like a Siren’s call.
Luca is a man of letters and numbers, so surely he should be able to manage the accounting. I also feel that, the hints of darkness in him notwithstanding, we can expect him to do it fairly for all. The treasury has been put in the room I share with Astrid, since that would mean that two of us will be guarding it.

The Inn at the crossroads is a small but bustling community centered around the inn. The inn has two main buildings, one for people with a limited budget, and one for the more well of, which at the present includes us. We were put up in the second building. Each of the men took their own room, while Astrid and I took a double on the ground floor.

We spent the evening lounging with an abundance of food in the central square of the town, basking in the lingering warmth. Trent and Oliver later joined us. After some pleasantries Luca suggested to them that they would be welcome to come with us to Bournemouthe and take a boat from there if they would fail to find a replacement escort. I was pleasantly surprised by Luca’s kindness to these strangers and agreed. Suddenly James objected, pointing out that there was nothing to gain from this charity. The force with which he made the objections stifled the conversation and scared of  the traders. They went to find us replacement drinks and the option of coming along to Bournemouthe was no longer raised for the rest of the evening. I retired shortly after, urging Astrid and Emrys to show some restraint.

Not that I expected them to take much heed of my urgings.

9th day of the 3rd ride, month 6, 1262

I awaken, certain that there is someone else in the room. I grasp a few crumbs of moss and produce a bluish-green light to help me see. I inspect the room, heart pacing, but find no-one other than Astrid, and nothings seems to be amiss. I calm myself and go back to bed.

I awaken, certain that there is someone else in the room. I grasp a few crumbs of moss and produce a bluish-green light to help me see. I inspect the room, heart pacing, and find a eerie floating hand fumbling at the latches of the shutters. I rush at it and call upon Sedna to draw all life-giving water from it.
The hand vanished.
A few moments later I hear someone rushing from the room through the door. I wasn’t quick enough to see who or what it was. I rouse Astrid and rush after the intruder by ear.

I follow the intruder to the lobby, where I became woefully disoriented.

Curses!

Unfamiliar surroundings and a terrible hurry got the better of me, better head back to my room. Astrid was still hot on the trail though, for I saw her rush by.

Once back in my room I heard someone drop on the ground close to my window, and I figured I would do the same. It was James, who was awakened by all the commotion. The two of us went in pursuit.

At the main gate of the town we found Astrid looking around frantically, but with no trace of the intruder. After a little while James and I noticed footsteps appearing on the dusty trail without feet or a body being perceivable. We pointed it out to Astrid and a furious chase ensued.
I managed to outline the figure by marking it for death, but unfortunately this was insufficient to end the chase. After a few more frantic moments James managed to bring our opponent down.

It was Vadoma. When she went down, the bag with red gemstones spilled from her hands and onto the path.

I collected the stones and saved her life, allowing the guards of the Inn at the Crossroads to collect her and lock her up. We asked the Cpt. of the Guard for permission to interrogate her before she would be placed at the Lord’s disposal for justice. Given her background, that ‘justice’ was expected to be cruel and swift.

I couldn’t rest much more that night. I was quite upset. When I first met Vadoma and her brothers I likened them to kindred spirits. Where I follow the streams, they follow the earthen paths of this world. I liked to think that Vadoma and I had made a good connection and created some mutual respect. I assumed that they were a lot like me, helpful in nature.

I was wrong.

In fact, she disparaged me and decided to steal the stones from us. That was her mistake however, for my compatriots softened my mistake and prevented her success. It left her locked up and headed for the gallows.

I was greatly saddened by her breaking of faith, but failed to properly express this disappointment to her the next day during the interrogation. I barely managed to throw the trinket she had given to me in exchange for the stone at her feet.
I introduced her to Luca and saw him extract information from her with ruthless efficiency. But he also made her a promise: to try and have her released from custody. My anger at Vadoma notwithstanding, I was very grateful that Luca promised to try and spare her life.

She told us that the red stones are Lyrium crystals. Powerful objects that can be used to enhance magical effects of all kinds. Together with Lyrium ore, it can be used to craft powerful magical items … like Muirgheal.
Vadoma wanted to acquire the crystals to buy refuge at the Elven realm of the ‘The Lady without End’.
Occurrences throughout Lyria as well as the appearance of these Lyrium crystals all point to one thing: the Age of Fear is returning.
The crystals themselves have lent their name to this kingdom. Lyrium crystals were the source of power for the Knights of the Silver Crusade, the precursor to the Lyrian knights.
I don’t fully understand how, but there appears to be a connection between ‘rifts’ between the planes and the occurrence of these crystals. It seems these stones are like a boulder in a stream, water can flow on either side of it. The darker side or the lighter side.

After the interrogation Luca spun a story that the night’s events were the result of a fundamental misunderstanding between Vadoma and me, and that it was essentially a ’deal gone wrong’ that need not end in further tragedy. The Cpt. of the Guard was sympathetic to the situation and promised to release Vadoma, although he expected her and her people to banished from the Lord’s lands for the foreseeable future.
James then forcefully interjected to prevent Vadoma’s release, which thankfully failed.

Eventually I learned that he expects Vadoma and her kin to chase us to the ends of the earth in order to acquire the stones. Although I must admit that to be a possibility, I don’t think she’ll be stupid enough to challenge us again. My gullibility notwithstanding, she nearly died, twice, and has nothing to show for it.
Our mercy may on the long run prove more fruitful. The Szygani have proven themselves knowledgeable and powerful in their own way. I don’t see how getting one of theirs killed will help us. When the Age of Fear returns, we may well need them as allies.

What I have learnt is that I should have confided in my allies earlier. My instinct to speak to the Szygani to gain information was right, but I handled it poorly. Blinded as I was by the prospect of finally meeting kindred spirits. I projected my own demeanor onto them, where they were considerably more devious and calculating. I should have brought my allies along.
In my thirst to seek belonging and kinship with other humans I was too eager to trust Vadoma and her brothers. She took advantage of this. I can’t even fault her for it, given the degree of hostility people generally seem to generate towards her and her kin. But it still hurts. It cut deep and laid bare a simple fact: I shouldn’t be looking for people to trust, I should learn to trust the people I’m with. I shouldn’t look for people to belong to, I should start building the community to which I will belong.

We packed up and left the Inn at the Crossroads., burdened with new terrifying revelations about the troubles ahead. I feel in my bones that Destin’s endeavors are related to the returning Age of Fear, I have no proof, I just feel that this is the case.

We made good time and around midday we were in sight of Eastbourne. We didn’t enter and rested in the shade by the road instead. We then continued on to Bournemouthe, which we reached in the early evening. For the next couple of days we will stay here to make find out as much as we can about Destin and his endeavors.

Broken Faith

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Previously, the adventurers departed from Kingsport and headed for Bournemouth. The goal of the first day way to reach the Inn at the Crossroads, halfway to Bournemouth where the Silesian Road split off north to White Fork. They had lunch at the Seat of Friendship, a glade formed by a primordial oak tree, protected by a group of druids who promoted the glade as a communal place. Many different people took their rest there, including a group of three szygani.

Emma decided to approach the szygani and talk about esoteric matters. Vadoma, the defacto leader of the group engaged Emma in a friendly manner. Emma felt confident enough to ask the szygani about the strange gems the group had found in the Lynnecombe catacombs. The szygani said they looked like ordinary crystals and proposed a trade for a silver necklace and pendant, which Emma agreed to.

After continuing their journey, about an hour away from their destination, the group changed upon two merchants who were beset upon by their traitorous guard. The adventurers decided to intervene on the merchants behalf and defeated four of the guards and drove off the remaining two. Trent and Oliver were merchants on their way back to Kingsport but agreed to return to the Inn at the Crossroads with the adventurers, as they were convinced it would be safer than travelling on to Kingsport without protection at night.

Eight Day, Third Ride, Summer Light, 1262

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

The ride from the site of the combat to the Inn at the Crossroads was a quiet one. Trent and Oliver sat on the back of the cart, dangling their legs off the end while Emrys laid in the back of the car, uncharacteristically silent after being seriously wounded in the battle with the traitorous guards. Despite Emma channelling Sedna’s healing graces into Emrys’ wounded frame, he needed a moment to compose himself.

James decided to drive the cart so that Emma could take a look at the flesh wound he had incurred during the fight. She cleaned and bandaged it and was confident it would not lead to infection.

They arrived at the inn around supper time, finding it the size of a small village, surrounded by a wooden palisade, complete with their own guards keeping the peace. Two gates, one looking out over the Silesian Road, the other looking out over the road leading north to White Fork, allowed entrance onto a wide open space surrounded by a stonemason tavern building, large stables with an overhead hayloft, two large buildings with rooms of different sizes and qualities, as well as host of log cabins and bungalows for staff as well as guests.

Outside of the palisade there were several small houses, huts, carts, carriages and tents set up by travellers and more permanent residents. The adventurers noticed another, colourful szygani carriage standing on the opposite side of the junction than the inn.

Inside the palisade the adventurers found a liveliness of different visitors, all sitting on wooden tables and benches outside of the tavern enjoying food and drink in the early evening sunlight. The horses were put up, three single rooms and one double room for Astrid and Emma were rented, and equipment was stored away. Luca found a notice board with some random messages pinned to it from some of the locals.

The adventurers met a guard named Bram, a foreign stable master by the name of Nica, the innkeeper Selma, and a one-armed bartender by the name of Tom.

A table was found outside the tavern and the adventurers ordered food and drinks while discussing who among them would be the treasurer of their coin. It was decided that Luca would be the one to mind the coffers.

Later the adventurers were joined by Trent and Oliver, who had talked to the head of the guard about securing passage back to Kingsport the following day. They told a little bit about themselves until James was bored enough to find entertainment in a game of dice, elsewhere.

An agreement was made that they would continue onward to Bournemouth at daybreak, and all retired for the night.

Ninth Day, Third Ride, Summer Light, 1262

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

In the middle of the night Emma awakens from something stirring in her room. She instinctively reached for the material foci she needed to conjure a magical light to illuminate the room and found the room empty and Astrid vast asleep. She spent a few minutes looking around the room and when she found the door locked and the inside and outside shutters fastened, she decided to go back to sleep.

When she jerked awake some time later, she was certain something was wrong and she repeated the action of conjuring a light. She found the room empty as before, except for a strange, spectral hand hovering in front of the shutters, trying to open them. She reached out and grabbed the hand and unleashed a shock of malicious energy and the hand disappeared. In that instant, the door to her room opened and she could hear the footsteps of someone running down the hallway.

Emma quickly woke up Astrid and ran down the hall after the intruder, yelling for the guards as she went. When Emma turned the corner towards the exit of the building her room was in, she found the way blocked by a wall. She stood there for a moment, confused. Astrid came running in after her and seemingly disappeared straight through the wall. The confusion grew, but Emma put it aside in favour of finding a different way of pursuing the intruder and she returned to her room.

James had woken up from Emma’s shouting and immediately deducted what was going on. Instead of taking the regular route down, he decided to open the shutters to his the window of his room on the first floor and climb out. While he was doing so, Emma had returned to her room, locked the door behind her and climbed out of her window on the ground floor, too. Both of them set off in pursuit of the intruder who was being chased towards the main gate by Astrid.

After cornering the intruder in front of the closed gate, the adventurers realised that the intruder was invisible and they could only follow their footsteps on the dirt ground, dusty from backing for days in the summer sun. The intruder slipped past the adventurers and headed in the opposite direction, towards the other gate. Emma cast a holy prayer towards the intruder, outlining them in a faint, divine glow. Astrid set off in pursuit while James manoeuvred himself on an intercept course cutting off the pursuer’s route.

When the intruder found their route blocked off by James, they grabbed a hand of dust off the ground and blew it into James face, trying to set off an arcane spell to lull him to sleep. The invisibility spell immediately broke and quickly Vadoma, the szygani shimmered into view. She clearly misjudged James’ heritage or perhaps wasn’t aware of their natural resistance against sleep enchantments, but James wasn’t affected at all.

Eventually, as Vadoma was struggling to make it to the other gate, Astrid and James injuring her severely as they pursued her and eventually she fell and a bag full of red gemstones spilled from her grasp.

Emma gathered the gemstones while James and Astrid made sure that Vadoma didn’t escape. The head of the guard, Milton of Green Orchard, eventually took her into custody and locked her up in a make shift jail cell and put two guards to watch over her. He said he would bind her hands and the adventurers made sure that she would also be gagged so that she’d be hard-pressed to make sure of her arcanist abilities.

The adventurers went back to their rooms and try to get back to sleep. The following morning it was decided that Astrid and Emrys would get the cart ready for departure while Emma, Luca and James went to see if they could talk to Vadoma before she was taken away by the local lord’s guard. Milton explained that the lord’s punishment could be rough, anywhere from lashing, to losing a limb, to hanging. The managed to convince Milton to allow them to talk to Vadoma.

It didn’t take long before Vadoma was willing to talk, provided that the adventurers would make sure that she would be freed before they departed that day. Luca promised to do so. Breaking faith, Vadoma promised, would incur the wrath of the szygani.

She explained that the gemstones she had tried to steal were Lyrium crystals. The crystals were one of two expressions of the powerful reagent Lyrium – the other being Lyrium ore – that could be found around powerful fissures, rifts and portals in the fabric of reality between the planes. These rifts haven’t been seen for thousands of years, since the Age of Fear, and therefore, Lyrium was incredibly rare and incredibly powerful.

Vadoma shared that she would have taken the crystals to Duén Gwyndeith, the Palace of the White Flame in the Worthwilde, and offer them to Hlaith N’Deireadh, the Lady Without Ending, in exchange for protection during the next Age of Fear.

The adventurers reapplied Vadoma’s gag and went to talk to Milton. While Emma and Luca were trying to convince Milton to let Vadoma go, James got frustrated that his companions were actually going through with it and went to help Astrid and Emrys get ready, but not before trying to sabotage his companion’s attempts to have Vadoma freed.

Despite James’ attempts, Luca and Emma managed to convince Milton to go easy on Vadoma by appealing to his sense of sympathy for Vadoma being part of a misunderstood and persecuted group of people, something that Milton could sympathise with. He himself grew up in Green Orchard, but was born in Fulham and as such had to deal with many negative stereotypes about his heritage – inbred, sheep fuckers, dumb, etc. – throughout his childhood in Green Orchard.

The adventurers departed and had a fairly quiet day on the Silesian Road. Their journey took them further and further away from the coast and the road became less maintained and the villages and hamlets fewer and fewer. More and more trees dotted the landscape, casting a blessed shade over the path, shielding the adventurers from the punishing heat.

Eventually, they took some rest outside of the small, hillside town of Eastwarren, just before they were to turn towards the south, towards Bournemouth, the second largest city in Lyria.

Just before the end of the afternoon, as the sounds of the gulls and the sea of the Lyrian Gulf started to wash over them again, they descended down into the valley of the river Bourne and the city came into view.

Departing Kingsport

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Previously, James awoke from his days-long unconsciousness in the servant’s quarters of the Sheridan estate, tended to by an old friend, a priest of Pholtus. He remembered nothing after snooping around the library in the Sheridan manor and vaguely remembers something happening to him there. Benten was there for his wake up as well, who shared a few details of what had happened during his unconsciousness. James found a strange, arcane burn mark on the inside of his right hand which Benten claimed belonged to the lost Lord Destan. Benten suggested he make his way to Kingsport to catch up with the others before they departed for Pinefall to find Lord Destan.

When James returned to Kingsport he quickly found the rest of the adventurers who were trying to wrap up some loose ends in the capital and find out some more information which might be useful to their mission to find Lord Destan. They visited the docks to speak to a Sheridan Trading Co. representative, visited the Bromley estate in Ravensbourne to speak to their majordomo, and visited the College of Bards to find out a bit more about the Crimson Tower.

Seventh Day, Third Ride, Summer Light, 1262

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

In the late afternoon, James arrived at the butcher shop at Fleet Street run by the Daymaster. He was sitting out front, at a small table, trying to escape the stench and heat of the shop. Men with fast, knife hands and cold, dead eyes were standing guard at a distance. They spoke about what happened at the Sheridan estate, and the Sheridans specifically. The Daymaster seemed very interested in hearing about the supposed portal that was found in the catacombs underneath Lynnecombe and seemed quite concerned with artefacts and antiquities which may have been recovered.

Eventually, the Daymaster instructed James to continue travelling with the other adventurers to recover Lord Destan. His interest in the Sheridans seemed to be more than a passing one, and he explained that there was an upset in the balance of the underworld, caused by a mysterious grouped which called themselves The Penumbra, and the Daymaster implied that he thought that House Sheridan might be behind the group.

He told James to be mindful of artefacts, ancient books and antiquities and gave him an enchanted bag which would help him gather and hide some of the things he might find along the way. James, in return, paid the Daymaster the kickback that he was owed on all the work he did. He then proceeded to continue to the Wanderer to catch up with the others, but not before loading up the bag he was given with enough food to last him a month.

The rest of the night was spent at a table in front of the Careless Wanderer. James was paying for chilled drinks, which Astrid eagerly downed to the point where she became quite intoxicated. All the while, James was asking the others about the details of what happened in the Lynnecombe catacombs.

Emma had picked up the new platinum rings she required to place divine wards on any who wore such a ring. She gave one to each of the others in the group, but she was one short because of James’ reemergence. Astrid parted with hers and gave it to James, feeling confident that he would benefit more from it than she would.

An agreement was made to meet in front of the Wanderer at sunrise so that they could start travelling before the punishment of the midsummer’s heat would become too much. Lauryn and Durham suggested staying at the Inn at the Crossroads, which they could make before supper, and they recommended taking rest at the Seat of Friendship, a glade halfway between Kingsport and the Inn at the Crossroads.

James departed to his abode in Kingsport, Emma and Astrid both took up a bed in the common room, with Astrid being quite drunk at that point. Emrys went back to his room and concluded that he had forgotten to give the large chest of valuables to Luca, like the adventurers had agreed upon over drinks, seeing as how it was likely that Emrys would be visited that evening. He decided to take a few handfuls of coins and put them in his own pouches and hide the chest underneath his bed instead.

Luca visited the House of the Raven Queen across the small square from the Wanderer. He entered the large building only to find it accessible but empty on the inside. He walked up towards the altar, rows of pews and unadorned, grey pillars, and sat down in one of the pews. He was soon joined by an elderly man with a neatly trimmed, steely grey beard. He was wearing a dark robe ruffled around the shoulders by hundreds of dark feathers. The man politely asked Luca to depart. While he was welcome, the staff he carried was not. Luca left without resisting.

Lady Annabella of House Waxley showed up by the time that Emrys had already settled down for the night. She was wearing what she probably understood to be understated, commoner’s clothing, the quality of which had probably drawn a lot of gazes on her way to the Wanderer. Emrys hoped that she had not gone without a guard.

She was carrying a bucket with a bottle of wine in it, together with two delicate, elven crystal glasses. She told Emrys to chill the wine, which he did using a minor cantrip. Lady Annabella didn’t waste any time and proceeded to undress and instructed Emrys to do the same.

Later, when the were laying together in bliss, sipping on the wine, enjoying the cool evening air, they spoke about Lady Annabella’s position at court and the pressures that come along with representing her house while serving as the queen’s handmaiden. Suddenly, they heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the room directly below theirs; Luca’s room.

While Emrys and Lady Annabella were entertaining themselves upstairs, Luca was reading in his small room. As the temperature outside slowly dropped, the wind coming in over the gulf was picking up. The breeze was playing with the candles that Luca was using to read by, casting strange shadows on the wall. Just as his eyelids started to droop and sleep was about to take him, he noticed a large figure in the shadows of his small room

The figure explained that they were the one to give Luca his arcane powers, but that they would come at the cost of his obedience. It also became clear to Luca that this figure had been following and manipulating his life for a long while. Their instructions to Luca were to make sure to remain Blackstar’s master, and continuing the search for artefacts and books from the Age of Fear, ominously stating that it would help in “the wars to come.”

Eventually, mildly frustrated by Luca’s lack of knowledge, reached out his hand and told Luca to take it, so that they could show Luca all that he needed to know. Luca did and with the touch the knowledge of ages was revealed to him in a violent way which left him screaming a primal scream.

When Emrys reached Luca’s room he used a canister of water and a simple cantrip to freeze the lock on his door in order to break it open. Luca was alright, but very shaken. He told Emrys he was having night terrors. When Emrys went back to his room, he found that Lady Annabella had departed.

Eight Day, Third Ride, Summer Light, 1262

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

The following day Emma and James were very punctual. James found Emma taking care of the cart and horses outside of the Wanderer together with Wojciech, the Silesian stable master. It took a while for the others to get ready. Emrys mended the damage he caused to the door to Luca’s room with a simple cantrip. Astrid was trying to wake up through the fog of her hangover, and Emma and James went up to Emrys’ room to pick up the chest of values.

Astrid laid her great sword down in the cart and laid down underneath a blanket to shield her from the sun. James and Emma sat up front and Luca and Emrys were in the cart together with Astrid. An hour past sunrise the group finally departed going out of the Eastern Gate.

The adventurers travelled east on the Silesian road, running close enough to the coast to hear the waves, hear the gulls and occasionally see the cliffs. The route was dotted with small villages and farmsteads.

Around the time that everyone’s stomachs started rumbling a signpost indicated toward a small path leading north which read “Seat of Friendship”. A few minutes up the forested path it opened up into a large, beautiful glade with a humongous oak tree in the middle providing shade to the entire glade. The oak was a hundred feet tall and twenty feet in circumference with a thick canopy of green, orange and red trees.

The glade was the host to two score of people who were taking shelter from the midsummer heat. Families, travellers and small groups of people. Mostly human, some elves and halflings. A notable figure in the glade was Ciarán, the Kaedwyni hierophant who, together with several other druids, took care of the glade and the oak tree, which they call Gheolgothis. A barrel-chested man with a red and black chequered skirt on, a sweat stained shirt and a black mitre adorned with bits of deer antler. He made sure to talk to each and every group of visitors to the glade.

There was a lone knight by the name of Ser Hammond of Dunashire, whose horse carried a bundle of Vermillion gilded armour. A nobleman by the name of Lord Fabian Fetterling was travelling from Farcorner to Kingsport together with a group of guards. A group of three szygani, two men Danior and Manfri, and a woman named Vadoma, were sitting together, away from the rest, sharing a bottle of cheap wine, playing music while speaking together in a strange language.

Lastly, atop a wooden stump stood a learned looking man by the name of Prementhine Shakeslock. He wore high quality, but sober clothing, with an embroidered, silken doublet of black with a purple pattern, a leather double belt and a simple blue pair of breeches. His boots were worn but well cared for. He had a neatly trimmed beard, streaked with grey and he was wearing a brown cap, covering a balding head. His belt held many pouches and a large quiver filled with several scrolls. He was addressing the people of the glade;

Verily, there is nothing so hideous as the monsters, so contrary to nature, known as the warlock, for they are the offspring of foul sorcery and devilry. They are rogues without virtue, conscience or scruple, true diabolical creations, fit only for killing and corruption. There is no place amidst honest men for such as they. You need look no further than the subversive way in which they masquerade as mages. But they are not mages, for the source of their powers is evil and corrupt. The magic the mages wield is a tool, evil only in evil hands, while the very source of the warlock’s magic is itself evil. This is why the warlock is now masquerading as a mage! Even going so far as to carry hefty tomes along from which they pretend to study. They have no need of magical formulae like the mage does, this is simply a prop in their disguise.

So I say unto thee, good fellows, to be wary and mindful of witches, fortune tellers (he makes a quick glance to the szygani), pellars and unusual wise women, for their abilities, if not a preposterous sham, might elsewise be bestowed on them by a dark and fiendish patron! Report them to the proper authorities so that we might be swift in culling the threat that they pose to all of our mortal souls. The Time of Fear will surely come again if we do not stay vigilant.

Ciaran: “How are we to recognise the warlock from the mage, good sir? What prevents us from making false accusations?”

Shakeslock: “First and foremost it lies in their actions and demeanour. If they use their magic for good purposes, then you may rest easy. If not, then further investigation is required.”

Fetterling: “There are plenty of mages and sorcerers who wield their magic for selfish and nefarious goals. What’s to prevent people from mistaking them for warlocks and burning them at the stake? It’s a dangerous message you are spreading.”

Shakeslock: “Warlock or not, evil must be brought to justice, no matter the shape it takes.”

Vadoma: “But that is not what people take away from your warning. You are further deepening the already existing suspicions that people have of those they deem contemptible.”

Shakeslock: “Poppycock!”

Hammond: “Not so. If the Time of Fear is to come again, surely we must be vigilant, but was also must stand united.”

Shakeslock: “People merely need to turn to the crownsguard and report their suspicions. Those who are innocent will be acquitted.”

Vadoma: “Those who are born into a group burdened with collective guilt sprung forth from misunderstanding, superstition and suspicion…”

Fetterling: “…you are already defending yourself even before accusations have been made against you. That doesn’t seem becoming of an innocent person.”

The two szygani men stand up, menacingly and Lord Fabian’s guards do the same. Ciaran steps front and centre and with a booming voice says; “None shall defy the peace this hallowed glade,” while holding up his hands. “Geolgothis will not abide it. Sit back down and enjoy the shade as friends. We will need one another when the real war comes.”

Luca decided to talk to Shakeslock and learned that he was a lecturer at the Bournemouth Academy specialising in Black Magic, specifically the research in its nature and the defence against it. He himself was not an arcanist. When learning that Luca was on his way to Bournemouth Academy, he warned Luca that the academy was a nest of vipers because of the influential Faculty of Statescraft drawing many of Daerlan’s nobility. Shakeslock suggested that Luca find a library by the name of Faulkner when he arrives, citing the person to be an excellent researcher. When the man excused himself and decided to continue on his trip to Kingsport, Luca decided to follow him but eventually couldn’t catch up and decided to turn back to the glade.

In the meantime, Emma decided to take one of the ruby-like crystals and approached the group of szygani. Vadoma was the one to talk to Emma and they talked a little bit about religion. Emma described Sedna, while Vadoma explained that they were followers of Maškar, the Bloodmoon and paid reverence to its siblings Lačhi, the Silvermoon, and Nasul, the Darkmoon.

Emma asked the szygani to take a look at the ruby-like crystal and asked for them to appraise it. The gem exchanged hands and all three of the szygani spoke to one another briefly. They concluded that it was likely a beautiful piece of crystal. Vadoma said she would make jewellery out of it. Emma and Vadoma decided to barter for the gem and offered a simple silver chain with a pendant with the Bloodmoon on it. Emma asked whether the pendant would hold some sway with other szygani and Vadoma confirmed that it would. The made the trade. James briefly joined in the conversation to verify that the szygani really didn’t have any extra knowledge about the gem, which they seemingly didn’t have.

Before that, James and Emrys had stayed with Astrid and had been visited by the druid Ciarán for a quick chat, during which it became clear that the irises of Astrid’s eyes, had turned a bright golden yellow. She didn’t seem to have any idea as to how or why that had happened.

Eventually, the group got the horses together and put them before the cart and started travelling further up the Silesian road. After several hours of travel, the adventurers heard the pleas for help from two merchants who were beset upon by half a dozen armed guards.

The adventurers didn’t hesitate and decided to get involved and save the two merchants from the armed guards. Astrid drew her great sword and dashed into action with little regard of her own safety. James sneaked around the battlefield and frustrated two of the armed guards who were at a distance firing arrows into the group of adventurers — and wounding Emrys rather grievously. Luca used his arcane powers to devastating effect and Emma also engaged and also made sure that Emrys and Astrid were healed when four of the armed guards were cut down and the remaining two had retreated from the conflict.

The two merchants, Oliver and Trent were incredibly grateful. They explained that they had come from Bournemouth and had a rendez-vous with a buyer at the Inn at the Crossroads who was running late. This meant that the deal was done much later in the day, but they insisted on travelling to Kingsport, where they have their business, the Càrcerian Trading  Company. About an hour into their journey the guards they had hired decided to renegotiate their contract due to having to travel at night. The negotiations had broken down and the guards had decided to simply take the merchants’ earnings of the sale they made.

It was their intention to continue travelling to Kingsport, but the adventurers managed to convince them to come back to the inn with them because there were still two guards out there who got away. And so the entire group went towards the Inn at the Crossroads.

Emma, Session 11

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7th day of the 3rd ride, month 6 , 1262

After the ritual at the Royal Water-gardens I retired to the Sacred Baths of Sedna to recuperate, while my compatriots pursued more errands. Along the way we ran into James strutting about as if nothing had happened. I missed much of the details, but it seems the scoundrel has rejoined our group and will assist in our endeavor to find Lord Dustin.
James himself is uncertain about what had occurred at the estate and the ancient crypts beneath. All he remembers is slinking of in the dead of night in order to ‘investigate’ some private areas of the estate, before blacking out entirely. I can’t say this inspires much confidence, nor does the sinister arcane marking that has since appeared on the palm of his hand. I have no idea what it is, but it can’t be right, can it?
Best be careful around this one. If not for his own endeavors, then for the potentially sinister outside influences.

I picked up the platinum rings on the way back to the Careless Wanderer, where I hoped to rejoin my compatriots for dinner. Reunited with my friends we found James eager to placate us with fancy chilled drinks. Soon after he started to ask the details about the accursed portal in the ancient tunnels. I recalled the horrid thing with a shudder, but we were all willing to indulge our returned friend.
I doled out the rings and Astrid handed hers to James instead, who wears it on his thumb. Well, at least I can assist most of my fellows. Perhaps Astrid needs it the least anyway.

We agreed to depart around sunrise the next day, so as to make good time in the cooler part of the day before the sweltering heat of summer would strike at us in full force, as it was now at the Careless Wanderer.
I also suggested that we take our spending money to Luca’s room since Emrys was expecting guests for the night,. I later learned that this suggestion was only accepted out of politeness but not acted upon.
After dinner I retired to the common room and James departed to his own abode elsewhere in the city. The others made merry.

8th day of the 3rd ride, month 6, 1262

I started the day early and helped the stable-hand to prepare the cart and the horses. James was punctual. The others not so much. Astrid needed a few minutes to shake off the worst of her cups from the night before. We found Luca near catatonic on his bed with his door broken. He admitted to sleeping poorly and night-terrors, which supposedly awoke much of the Careless Wanderer, including Emrys, who was responsible for demolishing the door.

This is why one shouldn’t drink to excess.

We had to knock rather hard to wake Emrys, but awaken he did. He was in quite a bewildered state. He indeed entertained guests the night before, judging by the half-finished bottle of wine. Luckily, our treasury was still here. James and I promptly brought it to the cart.
After needless delays we departed a little after sunrise. We made our way out of the Eastern Gate and onto the Silesian Road. James procured some snacks for the two of us at a bakery he was familiar with, which I appreciated.

Upon the recommendations of Lorynn and Durham we would aim to make it to the Inn at the Crossroads, a place with a fine reputation. It is located approximately halfway between Kingsport and Bournemouth at a junction with the northerly road to Whitefork. Despite our delay, we should make it there without trouble.
We also planned for a longer break during the hottest part of the day, which we were planning to do at the Seat of Friendship, which we were expected to find half the way towards the Inn on the Crossroads.

James and I shared the reins, for James explained that he was interested to learn how to control a cart and horses. I patiently instructed him and hoped to explain that rapport with the animals is key. I think he is picking it up well enough. Luckily our team of horses is well-mannered and docile enough.

We found the sacred grove called the Seat of Friendship without trouble a little after noon. The grove was pleasantly cool and there were all manner of folk there. A number of druids tended the primordial oak that grew there, one of which joined our group for a pleasant conversation. A conversation that Emrys took the lead in. Luca showed interest in a weedy looking man who was openly peddling in fear. I paid them little to no heed.

There were also Szygani here. Much like me they travel the lands, but following the roads and tracks of the world instead of the streams. They are poorly understood and mistrusted by most people. I have had little interactions with them before, but have heard that they can have insights and understanding that most common folk would not value. For that reason I approached them and brought one of the mysterious ruby-like crystals with me. Their leader, Vadema, examined the stone with great interest and discussed it in an unfamiliar tongue with one of her impressively mustachioed companions. After a while she offered the same appraisal as Eryka.
She wanted to trade with me for the stone. I offered to simply gift it, but she refused. I admitted a poor interest and skill in the art of barter to Vadema and explained that I live a life of service instead. This led to an unexpected theological detour. She was interested to know which of the ‘New’ Gods I serve and I happily explained about Sedna. In return I inquired about the ‘Old’ Gods and she explained that the Szygani worship the moons and Mashkar, the Bloodmoon, in particular. I am intrigued, perhaps even envious of their seemingly ancient customs and their close link to nature.

Ultimately Vadema offered a small silver pendant for the stone with the symbol of Mashkar. I inquired if the pendant would secure a certain rapport with other Szygani I might meet, and she assured me it would. I considered this a fair trade and accepted.
At this point James rudely interrupted and demanded from Vadema what she ‘truly’ knew about the stone. She stayed calm and declined to know anything more than she shared with me. James is certainly truthful about one thing: he is a Kingsport native and a real city-slicker. I don’t think that Vadema and I were merely ‘trading commodities’ but a little more than that. Friendship and respect perhaps? Not all things are purely transactional my dear James.

Admittedly, I could be wrong about this and I was cheated by Vadema. But somehow the ‘transaction’ feels right. That must be worth something, mustn’t it?

Also, we all noted that Astrid’s eyes have taken a rather … lupine … character. We didn’t press the matter too hard.

After a good deal of leisure time I prepared the cart and signaled our departure. We left the Seat of  Friendship in fairly good spirits. We are bound to arrive at the Inn at the Crossroads rather late.

While on the road James and I were alerted by a panicked scream in the forest. James immediately dashed for cover in the thicket while I roused the others of our company.
We soon discovered a couple of gentlemen beset by well-armed and armored louts. I approached them and demanded that they stand down, but to no avail. Violence would follow.

The struggle was quick and brutal and we were victorious. Despite my bold approach I came out of it unscathed! Astrid drew much attention with her enormous sword, a price she paid in blood many times over. James was swift and lethal, running all over the place, being nearly everywhere at once. Emrys covered one flank fairly effectively until the poor soul was struck by two arrows in the back. He dropped like a sack of bricks.

I performed a grand prayer to Sedna that restored much vitality to both Emrys and Astrid.

Luca … Luca’s talents appear to expand and become ever more terrifying.  The dark blasts of raw magical power he conjures seem to grow in lethality and feel ever more grim and disturbing. In addition he now wields deadly fire.

I fear for the young man.

Two of the armed assailants fled after our display of power, while four of the assailants perished. The two gentlemen were most grateful. They explained that they were merchants on their way to Kingsport, when their guard turned on them with demands for gold. When the guard found the offers insufficient they turned to violence.

I offered the merchants to join us on the road to the Inn at the Crossroads but they were still contemplating to press on to Kingsport. They relented however when James painted a rather bleak picture for them and their survival should they continue.
This was perhaps a bit excessive, but thankfully it serves a benign purpose. Oliver and Trent now join our merry little gang until we reach the Inn at the Crossroads.

It will probably be dark before we get there.

Running Errands, Making Friends and Gaining Information in Kingsport

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Previously, the adventurers returned to Kingsport and spent the night at the Careless Wanderer where they spoke with other travellers and gained some sense of what’s going on the kingdom. The next day they ran some errands in preparation for their departure to Bournemouth and discovered that the rubies they retrieved from the catacombs underneath Lynnecombe were in fact highly unusual crystals. When paying a visit to the Sacred Baths, Emma was informed that a noble house wanted to have a well on their new property in Kingsport blessed, and it turned out to be a ruse by the Queen Isabella Valois of Lyria, who wanted the priestess to bless the watergardens behind the royal palace. Emma made a powerful friend, Emrys met an influential lover, and Luca met a mysterious abjurer.

Seventh Day, Third Ride, Summer Light, 1262

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

After the visit to the royal watergardens the adventurers were once again dropped off at the Sacred Baths. Emma decided to stay there to reflect on the afternoon while Emrys and Luca decided to pay a visit to the College of Bards in Sevenoaks. Astrid was bored so she decided to join them.

Making their way across the Knightsbirdge into the Northside ward they were surprised to bump into James on the corner of Tiverton street right in front of the Silver Cross tavern. Shocked at his reappearance, the four of them popped into the tavern for a drink and a discussion. It seemed that James was quite familiar with the place, which Emrys soon discovered, by the subtle way men and women came up to proposition Astrid, to be a brothel.

James explained that the night he disappeared he had gotten up and sneaked into the Sheridan library to snoop around. He doesn’t quite remember what happened, but he knows that something happened to him in the library. He doesn’t know how he came to be in the catacombs, nor does he remember how he got a strange burn mark on the inside of his right hand, spanning both the palm of his hand as well as several fingers. The others said that they had not noticed the mark on his hand when they found James in the catacombs, even though they examined him for injuries.

Luca examined the arcane mark on James’ hand and concluded that there was both an element of abjuration as well as necromancy involved in the magic which created the mark. James indicated that it was his intention to join the others in finding Lord Destan and he seemed eager to help gather information.

It was decided upon James’ suggestion to find the Sheridan representative in Kingsport who managed their mercantile enterprises might have talked to Lord Destan when he was on his way to Bournemouth. They found the harbour master and James bribed one of the assistants to direct him to the Sheridan representative who kept a small office on the docks near The Salt.

The man they found in the office, together with a handful of clerks and associates, was Caius of Lynnecombe, a neat and soberly dressed gentleman of middle years. He told the group that Lord Destan had come through the port with three guards on the day of the Greengrass festival and had departed at the end of the day on the Squall-Eater a ship that regularly sailed between the capital and Bournemouth.

An idea was formed that Lord Destan may have stopped by the Library of Ioun in the Ravensbourne ward. It was a part of the Bromley estate and run by Lord Caedmon, the head of House Bromley himself. The adventurers decided to pay the library a visit. They made their way north from the Docks, across the Lynbridge, across Steward square, and down the Elysian street to Ravensbourne. They passed the Daerlan Embassy and found the entrance to the library where they were confronted with a care-taker who had no interest in allowing them access to the library. He referred them to the Bromley manor, which was close by.

Once there, they noticed that the Ravensbourne district had a lot of patrolling crownsguard, which meant they had to result to subtle intimidation of the Bromley house guard to allow them to speak to the majordomo of the house hold. Luca was allowed onto the estate grounds and spoke to Hendrik of Grimsdown, the majordomo, who could inform him that Lord Destan had not called to visit in quite a few months. Another dead end.

The next stop was going to be the College of Bards where Emrys had a friend, Lord Andrew of House Selkirk, who was attending. It was Emrys’ hope that he could find out more about the Crimson Tower and its history and any other information relevant to their quest of finding Lord Destan. The adventurers made their way down North Street, towards the North Gate. Right before the gate, they turned left along the ramparts and quickly found the entrance to an amphitheatre that served as the college’s stage and, when not in use for performances, a place for students to sit, write, practice and debate.

After having spoken to a small group of people and aided one of the students in improving the poem she had been working on, Emrys was reunited with his friend Andrew who seemed equally jovial, frivolous and flamboyant as the sorcerer. Andrew admitted he had no knowledge that could aid them, but quickly got Emrys in touch with a slender, sullen looking man in dark clothing. He preferred the shade over the punishing afternoon sun and spoke in a thick Beauclair accent but was able to give Emrys some background information on the legend of the Crimson Tower.

By this point Luca, James and Astrid had departed. Luca went to find a bookshop while James had some personal errands to run. Astrid decided to go back to the Careless Wanderer.

The sullen Beauclair man told Emrys that the reason why the tale of the Crimson Tower was not well known in bard circles is because there was not hero, no positive outcome, no catharsis and no moral of the story that people could draw inspiration from. It was bleak, defeatist and ultimately a very tragic tale.

What Emrys did learn was that the member of the Silver Crusade which had betrayed the knights and lured them into defeat was a member of the Senhadrim, the mysterious council of scholars, mages, priests and elders who fought struggled side by side with the knights and against the fiends. He also learned that the devil prince who had orchestrated it all was called Mammon.

Before Emrys departed to make his way towards the Careless Wanderer, the sullen Beauclais was Adrien de Rouleau, better known as Le Papillon, the headmaster of the college.

Meanwhile, Luca had found a small bookstore called Adria’s Novel Idea, which was filled with stacks of books. It was run by an elderly gentleman by the name of Calford who had to disappoint Luca, who was looking for a small fortune in exquisite paper and ink which he wanted to use in his magecraft. They spoke a while and Luca decided to come back another day to go through Calford’s collection of books.