Belim: Unless the party feels otherwise, I think we should stay away from prying eyes: no insignia, no group name, no confirm/deny on our activities. That said, confirming rumors about a nameless party of unknowns, and exaggerating their exploits somewhat, can’t hurt (for now at least.) The completely unknown is a hell of a lot scarier than everyone knowing it’s just us schlubs. We’ll stick to our mundane cover stories for now.
Not claiming credit for the freeing of Serdof – its a big deal… it means the group may go without the means to recoup some losses, but its better for accomplishing their mission – everyone agrees.
Hayden mentions that we would rather take a longer way – the priestess mentioned that to get to know the people, the best way was to go through the heartlands and through Pellan and Spanlet rather than direct to Zerburre City. This also coincides with Belim’s plan – as they will not arrive on the road from Serdof then. On their march, they hear about possible troubles between 2 religious factions. In Pellan, they notice there seem to be more women and children then there should be – but there have been no wars to decimate the population of men.
One of the first things you notice is the strong Lightbringer presence. A well wishing from Aerna stands above a gatehouse to the city. It is also the first walled city you have seen. It was obviously once a majestic city… and although it would be highly defensible, only 2 guards stand at the gate and none seem to man the walls themselves. They stop you and asked the business of armed strangers. Seeking the Burren clan family, you are pointed to the obvious castle at the highest point in the city. The soldiers pay proper respects to those proper followers of faith – even those not their own. The guards make sure you understand that there is a rule of law. Keep your bows unstrung and weapons sheathed at all times – no bare blades under order of the marshall except to defend your life under similar attack. Violence is unwelcome here.
The guards at the gate tense as you draw near and form up. You are asked to present some sort of credentials – official notice as to who you are and your business – commoners dont just get to demand audiences with the lord’s family!
“I am Sir Anthony Zerburre, Lord Marshall here, under my brother Lord Julian Zerburre. The affairs of state keep my family quite busy, especially these days as we chaff under the yoke of the Twin River powers. If you are seeking a business arrangement, perhaps it is something i may be able to arrange more readily – i can provide escorts, i know the land and areas better than brother… ”
After discovering what the party is about…
“Ahhhh, i see. Well, i have some good news and bad news. My family has no qualms about the information you seek. In fact, we take great pride in being able to trace our lineage back to such days as the settle of Dunstrand Vale. However, our records are merely paper records – as you are well aware, the river did much damage when it changed course. To truly get verification… you would need to seek the ancient family crypts in the ruins of Barclayne. Those ruins are covered now by the Grebell forest and guarded by the Saivelaugh elves… it would be suicide and folley to attempt to gain entry there.
“There is a small matter i would like you to consider doing for my family. You seem as though you are quite capable – and so i ask that you consider this matter in detail. Two religious factions are on the brink of violence in one of our most prosperous towns. We cannot step in to settle because our family has clear affiliations with one faction – the majority in this town, but the minority in our fiefdom and it may start a wholsale revolt if things were to go the wrong way. There can be no bias here – it must be a third party who settles this dispute. It began is one over religious matters, now… it simply is men and power. Settle this, and you will be rewarded with money, fine leather armor, fine arrows.”
The party is wounded still, not being able to heal much on the road.
– Samedi has half his reserves depleted.
Samedi has spent the last couple days on the road healing the group as much as he could. He excuses himself to think while the group makes plan for securing an audience and stowing gear in preparation for entering the castle grounds ahead. Belim gathers the group outside of the castle to make sure everyone is one the same page. Samedi announces that he feels it is time that he make a sojourn to the woodlands – he is not sure when he will return. He must commune with the beast lord to make sure the path he is on is the right one. given the open hostility between his Wyld faith and that of the Lightbringers growing in this area, he thinks it best to seek out his path before the party is seen to take sides ahead of time. He wishes Belim and his crew the best, and hopes to see them again. “Who knows that the best lord has in store for me!?” he says. “But for you, i see strange things… unnatural things. Where you go, the best lord’s gaze is hazy… just know that the moon is your friend while you are there – her light does more than illuminate!”
One of the first things you notice is the strong Lightbringer presence – totally out of the normal for the Riverdans. A well wishing from Aerna stands inscribed above a gatehouse to the city. It is also the first walled city you have seen in the Riverdans. It was obviously once a majestic city… and although it would be highly defensible, only 2 guards now stand at the gate and none seem to man the walls themselves. They stop you and asked the business of armed strangers.
You state you are seeking the Burren clan family, you are pointed to the obvious castle at the highest point in the city – what seems to be a man-made hill upon which an old but solid keep stands. The soldiers pay proper respects to those proper followers of Lightbringers faith – even a nod to those not their own. The guards make sure you understand that there is a iron rule of law. Keep your bows unstrung and weapons sheathed at all times – no bare blades under order of the marshal except to defend your life under similar attack. Violence is unwelcome here. Prayer time for those following The Light is at the cathedral in the morning (as they tell you this, as if on cue, bells ring faintly).
From the courtyard, the town seems overly quiet. There is not the normal bustle you would associate with a town that can hold a few thousand. The people look at you and make little eye contact. Its obvious that sanitation is a low priority – probably for a few years now.
Scanning around, you spot the pair of Ace and Vraxen. Both appear to be in good spirits, and are gaming with some off-duty guards in the courtyard, outside the stables. Even from this distance, you can see Vraxen drop a card behind his back and Ace steps on it – out of site from the guardsmen. It seems the antics of those who once traveled with you have not changed… you sigh heavily and shout their names. Ace drops to “tie his laces”, picking up the card, and Vraxen claims a win! Alas, as you draw closer, you discover that even cheating was not enough – Vraxen has lost again. Smiling and with arms outstretched you reacquaint yourselves. Seems that fortune has brought you together again.
Oh boy was this one a wild trip. Mr toad’s wild ride. Did time pass right?
9142, Month 9, Day 18; Though your sojourn in the Feywild took no time in this world, it did not leave you without effect. Some may have tried to get a couple more hours sleep after your wee-early-hours return to this plane, but largely failed. Shortly after dawn you’ve all given up on sleep and repair to the Ponce for breakfast. You feel battered physically and mentally; waves of nausea wash past throughout the day, as do headaches and dizziness. You mull events, trying to get a grip on the strangeness of your adventure, which is already taking on a dreamlike quality. Looking down a street you experience a double-vision effect and see the landscape of the Feywild overlaying it – or is it just a hallucination? In the dining room of the inn all the patrons briefly flicker into visions of fey creatures – don’t they? It’s a day for rest, healing, repair, and perhaps even a moment of relaxation if possible. By evening the effects have mostly passed. It’s autumn in Dunstrand vale and you’re able to enjoy a ‘dinner in’ at the lodge Sir Anthony and the lord have provided, and somewhat come to grips with what’s real and what might have been imagined (or what you might want to tell yourself you only imagined). Fresh venison from the fall hunt with late season vegetables give you a sense of being grounded in a more normal world again. Leaves rattle around the courtyard in the gusting wind, but the skies are clear and the duchy is a good place to be in the harvest season.
THE COMING OF TAZIA – The Witch
RABAT: You are surrounded in your dream by a circle of your friends at first, but it splits. A strange, beautiful woman clad in a gown nearly translucent walks through the broken circle to you. Sparkles of all colors drop off of her as she moves to you, creating a shimmering effect that transfixes you. She reaches and and caresses your face. “My servants have done well with you”, she murmurs. “They were right to extend the path of power to you, and your friends. I will guide you along that path human-child. In return you swore service to me. You cannot refuse me now when I say to you that you must go as you were going, seeking what you were. Among the faerie folk you will meet one known as Syree S’pree. Her you must ultimately remove her from her position for she works against your purposes and mine. However you choose to accomplish this is irrelevant. Remember this, you OWE me. I giveth, and i taketh away. You will be rewarded well. I give you this (she waves her hand and a bag appears floating in midair, which you take). Place in it a token of her so that i know you have done the deed – her head, or whatever you think will appease me and when you close it, it will return to me” (she laughs a little too boisterously for your tastes, you visibly cringe) – “Ohoh I am sorry, I did not mean to make you fear me. I wish your service out of love!” She takes your hand and begins to dance. You spin and spin and time passes. She and you laugh with joy and scream in delight. She makes you promise your service to her and she promises power to you. You wake up feeling supremely serene, but with an incredible hangover. Standing around you are your friends, you appear to have broken several mugs and furnishings around you… embarrassed you stand up. They tell you they all had the same dream, then you were dancing for hours through the night – keeping everyone awake, and no one had the strength to stop you. They only heard one side of the conversation while you are dancing (in describing the shouts you were making), and it makes them visibly suspicious.
You decide there is no harm in telling them about your new found powers and how they came to be, since they basically already know anyway. “The Summer Queen of Faerie” is your patron”, says Tazia. “And now we are all embroiled in the politics of that fey land. For a long while i have stayed clear of the Unseelie politics, focusing on my mission to help women. But now it seems we are to be drawn in. We must tread lightly, these maneuverings can easily get us killed.”