Cabella (Freehold of Dunstrand)
Lord Hollingsworth’s chamberlain, Gregor Smythens, is actually a worshiper of Everdark (devout). He has spread his credo and enlisted Chandrel, one of the lord’s scribes and social calendar-keeper (social director). Chandrel has gone through his lords papers to find that he and the Dame Mother were talking in private and Gregor was able to spy on a meeting hearing that Horace had created a symphony that would mesmerize an audience in rapture. Gregor has told him to steal the music sheets so that they can take it to the priesthood who will twist it into a tool to be used by them. Chandrel planted one of his lord’s cuff links to cast the blame on him in order to drive a wedge between his master and Horace.
Now Gregor has sent Chandrel to an ancient Jordain Lodge, where one of his ancestors (Malek worshipers) had secreted materials to transform victims into “grey ones” – those of the grey path, like the ‘drowned ones’ of Elancil who have experienced death, are not totally alive, but not undead either. Chandrel is, with the help of a Goblin shaman and his motley band, to enter the lodge, open the crypt using a key Gregor has worn around his neck forever. The guardians will obey whoever has the key. From there, they will make ‘grey ones’ with the orrish shaman and send them into an ancient castle of Redgate to bypass the undead and hide the music within its confines while Chandrel searches for the old spy master’s notes to decode the work of Horace.
Gregor is getting revenge for the Hollingsworth’s forcing his ancestors to leave Jordain Lodge, and benefiting his faith – something that has made him favored by Everdark. Chandrel does not know about this personal hatred.
She wants to hire them and believes they should go to Hollingsworth manor. A man in red was seen leaving the area, and there is someone amongst Hollingsworth staff that the church members remember wearing red and black. She will explain about the well known falling out as well and how she thinks its connected. She will also say that the goddess herself has protected it in a way – her enemies cannot hope to decipher it.
The town watch, some 15 men + a couple dozen volunteers, is located near their favorite watering hole ‘The Moor Witch’. Neither of these can provide new meaningful details other than to scare the PC’s with olden tales of trying to fight with the elves of the Chauvelah clan in the forest and the peace the first Lord Hollingsworth made about 100 years ago – the last time any ‘glory’ was to be had in these parts.