Praise to the Vathyd

The Vathyd cult makes its move on Caerle'On.

The Dreamers deal with the repercussions of the battle.  A horrible revelation forces everyone to examine their priorities.

## Plot:

The session begins at dawn of the next day.  In a flashback Doc works frantically over the prone form of Sir Robar, removing fragments of armor from his chest cavity, including a hook of twisted chainmail from his liver.  Ten hours later the older knight opens his unusually youthful eyes and starts talking.  Doc has saved him.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Dreamers awaken within the Keep.  Réalta wanders the destroyed battlefield, searching for the Greatsword of Sharpness.  She fails to locate it, but manages to scrounge up some medical ointments, a suit of damaged half plate, and some ornate handaxes.

Doc is approached by some of Sir Robar’s servants, who offer him a wealth of gold in order to repay sir Robar’s life price.  Doc quizzes them about the practice, and makes sure the money is not so much as to ruin the man’s finances.  Then reluctantly accepts it.

Gwendolyn and Haze spent the night in the keep, so that Haze could keep an eye on Dhlangos Carrion.

Saoirse spots a group of men around the Sky Chariot.  Recognizing Mance among them, she walks up to talk to him.  He’s under orders to keep people away from the craft until it can be properly examined, and Saoirse heads off to find Lord Bheatha.  Seeing that he is busy, she starts drafting a letter.  Partway through, Gwendolyn checks in on her, and then helps her format the letter and draft it properly.  Lord Bheatha says that she might be allowed to be part of the team inspecting the craft, under supervision, but that his inspectors have not yet arrived.  He says that he would like to find a time to meet with her and her compatriots within the next three days, when he is not busy.

The Dreamers meet up in the keep’s sitting room.  Gwendolyn properly introduces Haze, and Réalta shares the items she recovered from the battlefield.  Haze then breaks the news that Dhlangos and Grimm have killed most of Gwendolyn’s Caravan.  Distraught, Gwendolyn lays her heart out to the group, and the Dreamers discuss their options.  Haze suggests warning Lord Bheatha about them, but Saoirse suggests that they keep their thoughts to themselves to avoid tipping the Vathyd off too much.

Just then, a gathering bell is rung in the city square and an announcement that a “Royal Decree” will soon be made.  The Dreamers make their way down to the gathering point, where Dhlangos, Lord of the Vathyd, is introduced.  He proclaims Mordred to be the god of the land, and the leader of the Vathydian Empire.  Horrified, the Dreamers begin a hasty retreat, trying to convince Sir John and his men to accompany them as they get out of town.  Warbler, distraught, realizes that his Wife and Child are among the crowd chanting “Praise to the Vathyd” and seems conflicted.

Before anyone can speak with him, War and Famine appear to confront the group.  They start off trying to be civil, but the words and demeanor of the Dreamers soon turns them hostile, with both making threats against the safety of the party.  War offers Gwendolyn some of his bloodline, stating that it is willed by Mordred.  She reluctantly accepts a bottle of the stuff, and the Dreamers make a hasty exit.  Sir John is now on board with the plan to leave.

A heartfelt moment passes as Warbler is given leave by Sir John to stay and take care of his family as best he can.  Réalta hands Warbler her cracked longsword, her first possession, and asks that he return it the next time they meet.  Tearful farewells are spoken and then the group heads towards the keep to pick up their own possessions as well as Sir John’s accoutrement.

Before the Dreamers enter the keep; however, a messenger runs up and informs Sir John that he needs to go meet with Bheatha immediately.  Fearing Vathyd intervention, but also concerned that Sir John’s absence would draw suspicion to their flight, it is decided that John will go to the meeting with Gwendolyn invisible and supervising.  Réalta volunteers to accompany Mance into the Keep to gather their things and Sir John’s money.  Doc rushes off to see to his patient and ensure that the healers in the city will be able to manage without him.  Saoirse leads the rest out to the battlefield to scrounge for supplies for the trip.

As soon as Gwendolyn and Sir John walk into the meeting chamber, Bheatha drops a net on her from behind the door and her invisibility is forcibly dropped.  He shouts at her, angry at the intrusion.  She tries to talk her way out of this mess with Sir John’s help, but Bheatha is righteously angry and orders her taken to the dungeons.  She is escorted out of the building by two guards, leaving Sir John behind with Bheatha and the other knights.

Réalta and Mance enter into the keep, but the lights in the room suddenly extinguish themselves and Réalta senses a humanoid presence in front of them.  Thinking it is War, here to make good on his threat to eventually fight and kill her, she shouts for Mance to run.  Mance doesn’t even manage to take a step before he drops dead to the floor.  A lone candle at the end of the room lights to illuminate Mordred.

Back at the other end of town, Gwendolyn uses her Fey Presence to charm the two guards escorting her, and convinces the two smitten men to let her go.  She quickly rushes away and makes her way back towards the meeting point to regroup with everyone else.

With a cry of rage, Réalta tries to tackle Mordred, but passes straight through him.  Flames begin to emerge from her exhaust vents as she draws a weapon and turns to face him once more, demanding to know why he had killed her friend.  Mordred threatens to kill her as well if she doesn’t calm down, and she reluctantly sheathes the blade.  Mordred explains that the only reason that he killed Mance was because he was told to run.  Réalta, still hostile, does her best to find out what he wants.  Eventually, he offers to return Mance to life in exchange for Réalta delivering a message to Gwendolyn and Haze for him, whom he refers to as his Aunt and Uncle.  Mordred vanishes and with a gasp Mance begins to breathe again, sitting up on the floor.  He doesn’t seem to remember any of the interaction at all, and Réalta hurries him up the stairs so they can get what they came for.

The party regroups at the horses, hitching the wagon as each group relates what they saw.  Gwendolyn tries several times to reach Sir John by Sending Stone, but runs out of charges before she gets the answer she wants, so she attempts to overchannel magic in order to send to him once more, but gets no reply and then collapses from exhaustion as she is overwhelmed.

The Group begins to bicker about how to handle the situation, but Mance steps forward and puts his foot down that none of them will be leaving without Sir John.  The Dreamers begin to deliberate what to do as the Episode comes to a close.