Brave New World • Chapter 02

## Far From Home

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### Myriad Tunnels*(24th of Waehn, 4E 776)*

After speaking with Lawrence Brooks and settling their business with him, the group sets about picking up the pieces of their battle with the creature that was being kept beneath Stillwater. Lionel heads down into the shattered alchemical apparatus at the bottom of the pit, and retrieves from there the rusted broken blade that had been embedded in the creature's side, as well as a small blue crystal, that seems to vibrate slightly at the touch. He identifies both to have some magical traces, the crystal in particular seeming to resonate with the same strange magical energy he had previously sensed around Yuli. He hands her the crystal, believing her having it to be more worthwhile.

In the meantime, Evendur wrestles with the shock of what he had read on the parchment that Lawrence had handed him, and very quickly comes to the realisation that he must share it with the group. As they gather once again to discuss their next steps, making plans to head towards Rotherton and resolve the issue of Evendur's family, he reveals to them that this is no longer possible, and shows them the parchment.

   Coming to grips with the meaning of this, the party determines that they can no longer travel safely through Commonwealth lands where the House of Hollows holds sway. Lawrence Brooks, after coming out of the observation room having finished whatever it was he was doing inside, confirms their belief.

"*The House of Hollows don’t play around. If they declare you worth killin’, there’s always gonna be someone willin’ to try their luck... You want my advice? Get the hell outta dodge. The commonwealth ain’t safe for you and your friends anymore Mr. Dundragon.*"
 ― Lawrence Brooks

After Lawrence has left, the group sets about making a plan to get Evendur safely out of town. They decide to fake his death, burning the corpse of one of the Myriad fighters they had killed previously, and spreading word at the Sunset Stride that he had been killed. In the meantime, they gather their wagon and purchase new supplies, then reconvene at Ravenpole Lighthouse, where they meet Evendur, now masquerading as Kalahan's squire, a Varesian by the name of Pierre Dubois, having shaved his hair and tattered his clothing. In the cover of twilight, they begin their journey south, taking the road towards Anderrow, a small village directly south of Stillwater.

### Lustrewood*(25th of Waehn, 4E 776)*

The next day, their journey takes them further southward. They travel deeper into the Lustrewood, following the road into a narrow gorge covered in fresh snow from the previous night, until they come to a fallen oak tree across the road that blocks further passage. Both Kalahan and Jendora recognise the tell-tale signs of an ambush, and react fast enough to warn the rest, just before a band of goblins and ogres spring their trap.

Cutting down the ogres, and finally hunting down most of the wily goblins in between the tangled overgrowth, the party manages to fend off the assault, though the chaos of the fighting leads to a tense stand-off between an enraged Gaeldrim and Kalahan, until the former is calmed down by Yuli. Some of the goblins manage to escape, making both Jendora and Kalahan apprehensive of possible pursuit.

The time they have to recover is short. They quickly move the fallen tree off the road and mend the cart as best they can, and then press on towards Anderrow. They only make it a few hours before the sounds of pursuing goblin riders atop feral worgs barrelling through the trees behind them reaches their ears, getting ever closer. Realising they could not outrun them, the group mounts a stalwart defence. They attempt to fend off the pack, and seem to be succeeding well enough, until a pair of infantile purple wyverns comes crashing from the sky, mounted by goblins strapped to their backs, and join the fray.

In the desperate battle that follows, the group finds themselves on the very edge of defeat. Aspen falls to a pack of riderless worgs while defending Gaeldrim's unconscious body, and Evendur bravely tries to draw away one of the wyverns from his beleaguered allies, but succumbs to his wounds by the end. Amidst the scattered bodies, Kalahan attempts to heal their wounds, but both are already gone.

Pushing aside their grief, realising that the goblins would undoubtedly return again, the group continues their journey south, pushing through the twilight to reach Anderrow just after last light. They find the village in dire straits, the roads blockaded by impromptu walls of furniture and wood, and the townsfolk fearful of goblin attacks. The lead guardsman, Henry Wickett, informs them that this particular band of goblins had been plaguing the area for some time, attacking travellers on all the roads in the region. He is empathetic to the groups losses, and offers them refuge in a barn on the far side of the village belonging to William Tanner, or Bill as he calls himself, a horse breeder that resides in town.

The group has a very subdued dinner at the stable house, aside from Lionel who wanders the hamlet and spends the night in drunken mourning, praying for any entity, divine or otherwise, to come to his assistance. Nothing responds, though for the briefest moment the rain clouds part to reveal a bright moon, an omen perhaps, but one that Lionel does not care to understand or listen to.

### Anderrow*(26th of Waehn, 4E 776)*

The following morning, they make some much-needed purchases from the village general store, belonging to a half-orc by the name of Zathra. While leaving the barn, Kalahan is near assaulted by one of William's prize stallions, a massive black bay destrier by the name of Rhaegír, though the horse only seems to be posturing aggressively and makes no move to actually attack Kalahan. Bill, though he apologises profusely, notes that perhaps the horse, bred for war, had seen a kindred spirit in Kalahan. The two come to a deal, if Kalahan rids the forest near Anderrow of goblins, the horse was his.

"*I don’t think Rhaegír here’s too cut out for farm life. Might be he sees the same fire in your blood. Horse chooses the rider, that’s what my Da always used to say, and I’ve never known him to be wrong.*"
 ― William Tanner

Later that day, the group reconvenes at the barn, and has a very terse discussion about next steps. Lionel makes the decision of cremating Evendur's body, in Athelian fashion, and then returning to Silverthorne to carve his name into the Halls of the Dead. The rest decide it would be appropriate to return Aspen to the Everglades and bury him near his mother tree, but in both cases the lingering possibility of resurrection remains, however small.

Once the discussion finishes, the group scatters once more through the village to complete some other small tasks. While leaving the barn, Kalahan and Gaeldrim spot two figures running into the village from the treeline. They seem bedraggled and worn, wearing travellers' clothing and carrying very few things. The two strangers, introducing themselves as Katrin Vermillion and Oondak, explain that they had been travelling north towards Anderrow and had been beset by goblins that had killed their horses and driven them into the forest. Gaeldrim and Kalahan explain their end of the story, and upon hearing that the party was bent on exacting revenge on the goblins, the two newcomers quickly offer to lend their services.

In the meanwhile, Lionel and Yuli set about gathering wood for a pyre for Evendur. While doing so in the outskirts of the Lustrewood, Lionel receives a message via a sending spell from a voice he does not recognise. It informs him, in no uncertain terms, that Evendur's death had to be remedied, and that they could help.

"*The line of Dundragon cannot end in Anderrow. We can help him. Come to the Torre degli Angeli in Lavente. Bring the seal. Do not linger.*"
 ― Message by Sending Spell

Lionel hurriedly returns to the barn to search through Evendur's pack. He finds inside a small ivory token, tinted an ashen grey, with a sigil on it he does not recognise. He presumes that this is the seal which the voice instructed him to deliver, and informs the group that they had to continue their travel into Edraxis, albeit for a different reason.

Absorbing the news and the possibility of this mysterious new benefactor, the group spends the rest of the day resting and making preparations for the next morning. Kalahan, Gaeldrim, and Oondak go hunting in the nearby woods, returning with an ample supply of meat having brought down a doe, several hares, and a young bear. Kalahan spends some time in the clearing offering sacrifice from the bear's remains to his gods, seeking omens and signs that he had not forsaken his oaths in allowing Evendur to die. He hears the sound of drumbeats on a warm breeze, and accepts that it was all a part of his destiny.

That night, over dinner, Katrin demonstrates her skill with instruments by playing a sad ballad on the violin, titled *"Oyedeng, Beratni Mi"* in a heart-wrenching performance that brings up old memories and feelings of nostalgia for everyone in the barn. The group goes to sleep well-fed and rested, prepared for the inevitable fighting and bloodshed of the following morning.

### Goblin Camp*(27th of Waehn, 4E 776)*

Leaving Anderrow at first light, the group ventures northwest, looking for the goblin camp. Around noon, they spot traces of smoke above the treeline, and travel closer to eventually come upon a guarded cave entrance leading into the base of a hill. While the rest of the group sets up positions on the nearby ridge, Kalahan and Gaeldrim sneak around to the hilltop and block off ventilation into the cave, hoping to smoke out the goblins or suffocate them inside their own camp.

The plan comes together very quickly, though not without hiccups. Soon enough, smoke is belching from the cave entrance and coughing goblins and ogres begin to rush out. They are met by a veritable firing squad that mows through the fleeing goblins, the bodies piling up by the mouth of the cave and in the grass beyond. In his rage, Gaeldrim rushes into the cave itself, getting surrounded and cut down, and has to be rescued by Kalahan and Katrin. This leads to some bitter fighting in the entryway, but ultimately most of the goblins are defeated easily, with Lionel finally exacting revenge and executing the leader of the goblin group himself.

However, things do not end there. Some complications unfold when a still enraged Gaeldrim, believing Jendora has taken some of his rightful kills, attacks her and has to be restrained by the rest of the group. Paralysing him with a spell, Kalahan takes him away from the cave to give him a talking to. By the time they return, Gaeldrim has come out of his rage, and tries to apologise to Jendora, though she is less receptive than he had hoped.

Inside the cave, the party finds a small hoard of stolen loot, as well as living quarters and a kitchen (both of which are disgustingly dirty). The living quarters smell strongly of sweat and piss, while the kitchen is splattered with blood and gore, and reeks of decay. In the kitchen are also a few human remains and a cleaver, indicating that the goblins might have been making use of any prisoners they took alive for more macabre purposes.

Further down into the cave, they pass by the shattered remains of several wyvern eggs in an underground pool, presumably what was once a nest that the goblins claimed as their own. At the end of this tunnel, they come to what was presumably once a prison of sorts. Two cages are inside, occupied by the corpses of a man, as well as a mother and child, all three dead from asphyxiation. Jendora and Gaeldrim carry them back to the cave entrance and give them a quick cremation with the supplies they have at hand. They leave the bodies of the goblins for the wolves.

Satisfied that the camp has been cleared out, they make their way back to Anderrow, reporting the good news to Henry Wickett who is very pleased with their efforts. Celebrating, they crack open the remaining ale they had acquired from the Blackrock Gang's camp, and have a few tankards in the barn, where Katrin regals Bill with a dramatized retelling of their attack on the goblin camp.

They spend the evening relaxing and conversing between themselves for the most part. Lionel spends some time identifying the magical items they had acquired back in Stillwater, finding out more about the Amplifying Crystal and the Broken Blade, and handing them to Yuli and Jendora respectively. Gaeldrim also has a chat with Yuli, making the decision to lay down his weapons and try not to fight, in the hopes that he would not be a danger to anyone else in the group again.

Towards the end of the night, Katrin and Oondak ask to travel with the rest to Lavente, mostly because Katrin is intrigued by the stories she would be able to tell of the group, and because she had hoped to visit Lavente previously anyway. The party agrees, and they make plans to head off as soon as possible the next day.

### Lustrewood*(28th of Waehn, 4E 776)*

Early the next morning, Kalahan collects Rhaegír from Bill, as well as some equipment necessary to his care. In the meantime, the rest pack everything onto the cart and make ready to set off. At the last moment, Katrin also purchases a horse, a blue roan mare by the name of Stiorra who Bill professes to be one of the fastest horses he's ever bred.

With everything packed, the group sets off, taking the road east towards the border with Edraxis. The day is sunny, uneventful, and quiet; and the group takes the opportunity to rest and recover, an opportunity for which they are very grateful. They make camp that evening by the side of the road, eating more of Gaeldrim's cooking, which seems to be improving despite the lack of quality ingredients.

In the night, while Kalahan and Lionel are on first watch, they are suddenly startled by Katrin, who has left her bedroll quietly and is acting very strange. Her expression is borderline maniacal, with wide-eyes that stare entirely too long in a single direction, and a feral grin from ear to ear. Not answering their questions at first, she skips and traipses around the camp and stops to curiously inspect flowers and clumps of grass. A quick pulse of Kalahan's divine sense shows a flicker of celestial presence hovering a few feet behind Katrin, and when he presses her further to talk, she whips around and rambles a few phrases about fiery castles in the sky, punctuated by high-pitched giggles and a perpetual broad grin.

"*Have you been? Have you been to the castle in the sky? It's on fire! Hahahahaha..it's on fire...*"
 ― Katrin Vermillion

Moments later, Katrin collapses, and cursory inspection shows her to be dead asleep. Lionel and Kalahan promptly tie her up, to ensure she is not of a danger to anyone else. They then wake up Gaeldrim and Jendora for their watch, inform them of what had happened, and instruct them to not untie Katrin or wake up Oondak under any circumstance.

During their watch, Jendora and Gaeldrim get into a lengthy argument about what had happened the previous day at the goblin camp, an argument which ends up being loud enough to wake up Oondak, who is more perceptive than most. Though Gaeldrim and Jendora try to cover it up, Oondak notices the tied up form of Katrin. He tells them that she has a sleepwalking problem which can sometimes happen at the most random times, and says that she wouldn't cause them any harm. He unties her, taking her back to her bedroll and proceeds to go gather some herbs to make tea, while Jendora and Gaeldrim wake up Yuli for her watch.

The rest of the night passes uneventfully, with Yuli and Oondak having a conversation over a couple cups of tea about how some people can lose themselves to anger or emotion, and how it can harm those around them. Oondak reveals that someone close to him suffers from problems similar to Gaeldrim, and assures Yuli that a solution could be found that would bring an end to Gaeldrim's troubles.

### Lustrewood*(29th of Waehn, 4E 776)*

At dawn, the group has a wary talk with Katrin, asking her to explain the events of the previous nights. She claims the same thing that Oondak had explained. She has sleepwalking issues and often rambles during such times. As far as she knew, those issues were harmless. When questioned about the celestial presence that had been following her the night before, she also reveals that she has a companion of sorts who had been with her for a long time. That companion had protected her and showed her how to survive, and liked to stay close for her company and her musical talent.

Not entirely convinced, but abated for now, the group packs up camp and makes ready to continue their journey east. It's a nice day, the chill of winter fading slightly under the light of the two suns, and a cool breeze blowing from the southeast whispering through the trees, sending the leafless or evergreen branches rustling. Their passage goes undisturbed, except by the occasional squirrel crossing the road.

By the early afternoon, they come to a fast-moving stream with steep banks, across which the road once passed over a stone bridge, which has seemingly long-since collapsed. Across the way are the ruins of an open-air shrine, also abandoned a long time ago. The party sets about chopping down a few trees to make a haphazard bridge across the water, but in doing so draw the attention of a group of gargoyles lying dormant in the ruins. A drawn out struggle ensues, by the end of which the gargoyles are reduced to rubble, and the party crosses the stream to continue their journey east.

That night, they make camp by the side of the road, finishing the last of their hunted meat and sharing some conversation about their differing perspectives on faith and deities, and having a brief discussion about castles in the sky, before going to sleep for the night.

### Edraxis Countryside*(30th of Waehn, 4E 776)*

By mid-morning of the next day, underneath a beautiful blue sky dotted with scattered clouds heralding the coming end of winter, they come to a border outpost manned by several Edraxian guards. They are promptly stopped by the guards, who inform them that they need a travel license to move across the border on account of the dormant hostility between Atheldael and Edraxis. The party scrounges together their money to purchase temporary licenses for the group, managing to do so thanks to an expensive sapphire necklace they had found previously at Broken Hill Manor.

Satisfied, having searched their carts and found nothing untoward, the guards let them through, and they carry on down the road towards the coast. A few hours in, they come to the sight of a burning at the stake, by the side of the road. The remains of a burnt corpse are still tied to the charred tree, and the word "Ateo", meaning "godless" or "heretic", is carved crudely into the bark.

"*You follow the road on a slow, winding curve between sparse trees and open grassland; the sunlight beginning to dim into the early evening. You see up ahead a strange sight: a cluster of burnt wood and ash, piled up high at the bottom of a small tree that has been stripped of its leaves and branches, leaving only a trunk, against which is tied what you presume to be a body, or rather, what remains of it. All that is left now of this pyre is the blackened trunk, still smouldering from the embers inside, and the shrunken remnants of the burnt body slumped against the tarred ropes that bind it. Carved into the bark of the tree further above, crudely scraped into the tree with a knife or an ax, you see a four-lettered word in Edraxan. “Ateo”. Those of you who speak Varesian would recognise it as similar to a word that means “impious” or, more accurately, “godless” or “heretic”.*"
 ― The Storyteller

The group comments on the increasingly apparent dangers of being outsiders in a land of zealots, and Oondak nonetheless takes the time to bury the corpse as best he can, leaving a rock cairn by the side of the road. With the grim sight of the burning still fresh in their minds, they carry on, eventually stopping to make camp by the side of the road. Gaeldrim sets about preparing a meal for the rest, and with night falling they set up watches and go to bed. During the second watch, Katrin (with some guidance from her otherworldly friend), gives Lionel a gentle push in the right direction about his experiments with Planar, helping him along his way. The rest of the night passes largely uneventfully, and morning comes untroubled.

### Alverese*(31st of Waehn, 4E 776)*

The first half of the next day, the second day of Wintersfal, passes much as the rest. The party follows the road east through budding grassland and sprouting trees, as life slowly but surely begins to return to the barren wastes of winter. In the late afternoon, they see their first signs of civilisation on this side of the border, coming to a small village along the roadway.

Curiously, the village seems at first glance to be empty. No smoke rises from chimneys, nobody walks the fields or the streets, and there is not a soul in sight. Kalahan and Jendora, scouting ahead of the group as they usually do, ride into the village square to the sound of chanting coming from a large stone building on the far side, which they assume to be a religious structure of some sort, a chantry of the Church of the Vigil.

Before they investigate further, they catch sight of two figures by the side of the chantry, one piling wood and kindling against the wooden supports, and the other painting something onto the wall. When confronted, the two figures, both hooded and cloaked in purple-tinted leather, immediately attempt to flee. On horseback, Kalahan quickly catches up, and when the two draw weapons he promptly dispatches them. Searching the corpses, they discover them to be agents of the Myriad, both bearing the same seared brand on their left forearms.

By this point, the remainder of the party trundle their way into the village and reconvene with Kalahan and Jendora. From inside the chantry, the chanting has stopped, disturbed by the sounds of the scuffle outside. Before they can investigate what the Myriad agents had been painting, they are approached by a person from inside the chantry, a priest, Don Matteo. He greets them calmly, and asks if they mean to kill him, to which they respond no. Instead they inform him of what they had seen and done, showing him the writing on the chantry wall, which reads: "Un Popolo Sotto un Unico Dio". He translates the phrase with a worried expression: "One Nation Under One God", but declines to immediately explain its meaning.

"*You are welcome to join the feast tonight. It is not good to be travelling alone on such a day. Fin’inverno is a time for community and celebration. Winter is over and the year can begin anew. Will you come celebrate with us? There will be food and drink. It is the least we could offer for your assistance.*"
 ― Don Matteo

He invites them to join the town's feast that night for Fin'inverno, the Edraxian version of Wintersfal, as a means of thanks, to which they agree after some hesitation. By this time, the congregation has begun to emerge from the church and set up a number of tables in the main square. A roaring bonfire is swiftly underway, and food and drink aplenty is brought out from all directions. The feast is not an opulent one by any means, but the food is plentiful and hearthy, and the sense of community is welcomed by much of the group.

While they eat, Don Matteo gives them more context for the writing they had found. Though he has never heard of the Myriad, the phrase they had painted on the wall of the chantry was one used by a theological rebellion that had begun to sweep through Edraxis. He is reluctant to share many details about said rebellion, though he informs them that the direction they are headed, Lavente, was very much at the heart of this conflict.

"*There is a belief...I do not know where it began, but it has claimed the hearts of some. The belief is that what we previously believed to be four gods, are in fact one. One that can take many forms, fulfil many tasks. The church has decried this as heresy, and they are closest to the gods so how can we say they are wrong? But there is something to be believed. The followers of this..."Riforma"...this Reformation, they are granted some form of power by their faith. That cannot be denied. The fear of course is that this power comes from, darker sources. That is what the church insists, and I am not one to deny their word.*"
 ― Don Matteo

When pressed about his own beliefs, Matteo insists that he holds faith with the Church of the Vigil, though he admits that their ways are not always just or correct. Regardless, he maintains that they bring more good than harm, and that without them Edraxis would fall into chaos. Satisfied, though still curious, the party disperses to enjoy the feast. Katrin stirs the village folk into dancing with an entrancing performance of *"Myriad Faces, Countless Places"*, another of her own compositions. Gaeldrim and Oondak also join the dancing, drawing the attention of many of the younger children of the village, much to their delight.

Lionel and Kalahan, in the meantime, step away from the festivities and take a walk around the outskirts of the village. Taking the chance of some peace and quiet, Lionel puts into practice the suggestions Katrin had given him the previous night, finally finding some success and managing to project a sentence in Planar into Kalahan's head, much to the latter's confusion. Unable to contain his excitement at the sudden leap of progress, Lionel also reveals to Kalahan his lofty goals of manipulating fate and bending reality to his will. Kalahan, a firm believer in his own rigid fate is distressed by the notion, particularly when Lionel tells him that he had already manipulated time to assist him on occasion, and that fate was as flexible as matter and space. Unable to contest the verity of the statement, having just been spoken to by Lionel in a language supposedly only spoken by gods and higher beings, Kalahan falls into a pensive mood, his view of the world sorely tested.

They return to the feast some time later; Lionel jubilant at his own success, and Kalahan lost in thought. By this time the celebrations have begun to die down, and Don Matteo shows them to the village hostel, an inn owned by an elderly woman who doesn't speak a word of Common. Nonetheless, Nonna Tonina as she is lovingly called by the village folk, spends the remainder of the evening fussing over them, stuffing them with more food and desserts, and putting them all comfortably to bed.

### Edraxis Countryside*(1st of Thawne, 4E 776)*

Bellies full with a hefty breakfast pressed upon them by Nonna Tonina, the party continues their journey come the next morning, bidding a friendly farewell to Don Matteo, who wishes them success on the journeys ahead. Kalahan rides some ways ahead of the group, still contemplating his talk with Lionel the previous night, and not offering much conversation.

"*The road heads eastward, arching towards the coast. Gone are the dense woods and bramble of the Lustrewood, and you pass now through lush grassland turning green with the oncoming spring weather, dotted with trees that have begun to sprout leaves again, and patches of flowers that have started to spread their petals to the sunlight once more. Though the day is slightly overcast, it doesn’t rain, and it gets warmer as you travel further into Edraxis and the day progresses. You shed the cloaks and heavy clothing that kept you warm in winter, and bask in the cool breeze blowing from the east, coming in from the ocean and bringing with it the faintest smell of salt and brine.*"
 ― The Storyteller

Partway into the morning, they come to a crossroads across which passes a caravan of six wagons, guarded by a dozen armed men on horseback, headed south by southwest. The wagons are not loaded with crates and supplies as one would expect, but rather by large metal cages, inside of which are huddled a number of captured slaves of various races, largely women and children. A sleazy, bald merchant, likely the owner of the caravan, stops to chat with Kalahan while the group waits at the crossroads for the wagons to pass. He tells them the slaves are headed to market in Sieri, a town just south of here, and inquires if "the big one" (meaning Gaeldrim) was for sale.

Gaeldrim, tethering on the edge of a senseless rage at the sight of the slaver train, has to be held back by the rest of the group, who do not wish to get into the trouble with the law for the slaughter of civilians. A quick spell from Oondak calms him long enough for the caravan to pass by, though he remains distraught and furious for the rest of the day.

It begins to rain that night, the first of spring, but the darker hours pass quietly. Gaeldrim approaches Kalahan to talk about his ancestors, who he claims to see when enraged in combat. Though Kalahan cannot give him any definitive assistance, it is clear that Gaeldrim has found new purpose and believes himself guided by his bloodline. He swears to return and find the merchant they had met that morning after their task in Lavente was done, to free the slaves, and to put an end to him. When the time came, he would return to Ravnmark to have a reckoning with the man who took him from his home, and in doing so make his ancestors proud.

### Edraxis Countryside*(2nd of Thawne, 4E 776)*

"*The morning comes with a pouring drizzle of rain from a layer of grey clouds that carpet the sky. A warm breeze from the southwest, sweeping in from the distant desert, makes the air feel thick with damp, though not as bad as it was when you walked through the swamps outside Stillwater. Raindrops patter around you on wet grass and newly sprouting leaves, giving off the smell of rich earth and soil. It’s oddly reassuring, after the bleak rains of winter and the grey days of previous months. You pack up camp, wrap your cloaks around you to fend off the rain, and set off, splashing through the muddy puddles beginning to build up on the dirt-paved road.*"
 ― The Storyteller

The day's journey is largely uneventful, for which most of the party are grateful. They come by a farmhouse some time after noon, where an extended farmer's family is hard at work tending to their fields. Communicating in broken Common with the people there, they refill their waterskins at the well, watched on by a gaggle of curious children. One of the younger boys is fascinated by Kalahan and even shyly tries to touch the hilt of his claymore, which Kalahan is happy to allow for a few moments.

They carry on eastward, and make camp in the cover of a small rocky outcrop, where they spend a restful night of uninterrupted sleep under cloudy skies.

### Edraxis Countryside*(3rd of Thawne, 4E 776)*

"*The early hours before dawn bring with them a curtain of fog that grows thicker into first light. The larger sun is a mere low orange haze in the east that promptly disappears beneath the cloud cover, and visibility on the ground is severely limited. You can see maybe forty to fifty feet in any one direction, and beyond that it is a milky grey mist through which looms the occasional silhouette of a tree or rocky crag. Huddled closer together, you press on, and as the day goes by and the temperature warms, the fog begins to lessen. Before noon, a stiff wind from the north picks up, and the cloud layer up above shifts and parts, letting through radiant sunlight that promptly scatters the mist, just in time for you to make out a small hamlet up ahead built around the road, little more than a cluster of ten or so houses.*"
 ― The Storyteller

Continuing to follow the road straight ahead, they come to the small village of Albero, a dreary and uninviting place. Most of the people they see are out in the fields, and those that aren't cast wary glances at the group passing by. The party decides to carry on, not stopping in the hamlet.

The fog returns that night, along with a damp cold wind blowing in from the east, bringing with it the frigid chill of the ocean. They make camp in a clearing by the side of the road, and Gaeldrim, still pent up with some of the previous days' frustrations, goes off alone some distance outside of camp and takes some time for himself. He falls asleep against one of the nearby trees, as the rest of the party rests around the fire.

The low carpet of mist that hangs in thick curtains around the camp makes everything feel claustrophobic, every flicker of firelight magnified tenfold into shimmering shadows in the cloud, every sound dampened so that the clearing is eerily still except for the distant howls of wind passing through hollows and crags. Time crawls closer to midnight, and the second watch takes up their posts draw their blankets and cloaks near, and huddle closer to the fire for warmth, trying to ignore the unease that claws at the pit of their stomachs. It is around this time, that a figure stumbles into the edge of the firelight, emerging through the fog.

"*Lopsided, one shoulder hunched forward, the other raised at an unnatural angle, overgrown with a large cluster of coral and limpets. Hair, like dark seaweed, hanging limply in patches from a shorn scalp, dripping water into the dirt. Dressed in tattered rags, and with mottled blue-white skin, that you realise to your horror, is decayed and rotten, falling away with every step. Behind it, leaving a line in the dirt, it drags a cutlass, jagged-edged and rusty, overgrown with the same limpets and crusted stone. There is a crack of bone, and the creature raises it’s face, broken jaw and empty eye sockets, towards you, and from its mouth dribbles out a gush of water and a low moan, as it stumbles forward toward you, raising the cutlass and bringing it in a swing towards your head. And from the shadows at every edge of camp, more of these figures appear, some bearing rusted axes, others bearing swords and daggers, but all, very much, long since dead.*"
 ― The Storyteller

Leaping into action, Lionel and Oondak try their best to wake up the other party members before they are butchered in their sleep. They are partially successful, and many of the group suffer grievous wounds scrambling for their weapons. Gaeldrim, isolated outside of camp, is nearly killed by one of the undead creatures that assaults him with boarding axes where he lay. Still, they rally, and begin pushing back the attackers, only for things to very suddenly take a turn for the worse.

"*There’s another surge of cold wind, and you, Yuli, watch as the low mist that hangs around your ankles begins to coalesce into water, converging rapidly to a central point and building up into legs, then a torso, then a head and arms, as a humanoid shape begins to take shape right beside you. A form, you realise, is startlingly familiar. Clothes and body dripping in water, dark skin mottled and wrinkled, face overgrown with clusters of stony barnacles, and a large protruding coral growth bursting out of the left side of the face and curling behind her head, you see a face you had first seen before on a bounty poster on Stillwater, and yet again, diving desperately into a river outside a bandit camp at the base of a mountain. Something that was once Abbie Walker takes form right beside you, a face once cold and calculating now twisted into an undead facsimile of rage, claimed by the sea, and her hand lashes out supernaturally fast, clammy cold skin latching around your throat.*"
 ― The Storyteller

Abbie Walker, resurrected by some strange power to serve its twisted ends, seems intent on capturing Yuli alive, claiming that her master "demanded her presence". The fight that follows is fierce and desperate, and the party narrowly escapes with their lives, defeating the creature that was once Abbie Walker and watching her form melt away into saltwater. Despite the victory, they are not left unscathed. Both Gaeldrim and Yuli, touched by Abbie Walker, are left with a black mark on their chests, and a feeling of dread in the pits of their stomachs.

"*You feel a cold pang of pain on your chest, and pull back your clothes slightly to see this small patch of blue-black discolouration on the skin, like a swollen bruise, but one that seems to warp the skin around it into this curdled boil-like knot. It is cold to the touch, and feels damp almost, like skin that’s been in the water too long. And in your mind you get a brief flash of memory. A dull card of rust brown and mottled grey, a figure of a woman with snakes for hair, and the words of Granny Myrtle echoing in your skull...a miserable fate, a cursed existence. An irrepressible sense of lingering despair clutches at your chest, gripping your lungs in a vice, making it momentarily difficult to breath, and the memory of the card flickers away into ash.*"
 ― The Storyteller

Unable to sleep for the remaining hours until dawn, the group keeps a wary watch on their foggy surroundings. Gaeldrim and Yuli have a hushed conversation about fate, and what else the cards could reveal about their futures. Gaeldrim especially is none too optimistic about his own, but Yuli insists that fate is not fixed, and could be changed by those with a strong enough will to do so.

### Adrean Coast*(4th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

Eager to put the ordeal of the previous night behind them, the party carries on eastward, coming to a steep hill early into the morning, and finally catching a view of the ocean when they reach the peak.

"*There, stretching out before you into the distant haze, as far as the eye could see, is the Vastenean Ocean. A never-ending carpet of greys and greens and azure-blue, dotted with barest specks of white wave peaks cresting and tumbling and disappearing into the depths, extending out to a horizon stitched with golden thread, glistening under the sunlight. At this distant, it seems almost still, like a painting, if it weren’t for the soft rustle of grass, and the gentle breeze that blows up the hill, you would think yourself frozen in time. The distant cawing of gulls reaches your ears, the unfamiliar, for most of you, scent of brine reaches your nostrils. You breathe it in, your lungs swelling with the biting air. Some of you have seen it before, of course. Katrin, you lived by it all your life, and for you it is a sight laced with nostalgia and a tinge of homesickness. Gaeldrim, Yuli, you spent a lot of time by the sea, though this is an expanse beyond any you can remember. The rest, you’ve never seen anything quite like it.*"
 ― The Storyteller

The road at the opposite base of the hill turns sharply south, and they take it. In the afternoon, they cross the first of the three distributaries of the Siriso river, over a sturdy and well-maintained bridge. They make camp in the flatlands beyond that night, and fortunately enough get some much needed rest without interruption.

### Adrean Coast*(5th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

"*In the flatlands of the Siriso delta there’s very little in the way of cover from the sun. Luckily, it is a cool morning, with wind rolling in with the tide and sweeping over you cooling you down as you walk. But, as the suns climb higher into the sky, so too does the heat. By noon, it is teetering on uncomfortably warm, especially so for those of you who are particularly unaccustomed to the heat.*"
 ― The Storyteller

The party continues along the coastal road towards Lavente, pressing on through the climbing spring heat. Around midday, they come to the second distributary, crossed over by a similar bridge to the first. About halfway across, Lionel spots a faint glint of glass half-buried in one of the spits of gravel and sand some eighty or so feet downriver, which upon further inspection seems to have a roll of parchment inside. Gaeldrim offers to retrieve it, and does so with some difficulty, nearly being carried away by the river in the process.

While they carry on, Lionel carefully removes the wax seal from the bottle and retrieves the contents. There are actually two rolls of parchment inside, one little more than a rough slip of paper, the other larger and sealed with worn wax. Translating the text with a quick spell, Lionel discovers that the smaller parchment was a message written by a Varesian landowner from the colonies in Almeras, who had seemingly gotten marooned on an island over a hundred years prior, and had sent out a desperate message to his significant other with the deed of the land they had acquired.

"*Mon Couer,

I pray, by some miracle, this letter will find you. All other avenues of fate have forsaken me. I find myself alone and abandoned, on an island far from home. It was with joy in my heart that I returned to you, having done what I had promised and found a home for both of us.

I wish you could see it. A quiet bay where gulls fly and seals gather, a forest of pine and fir bursting with life, soil rich with substance, and our home on the hill by a crooked tree through which the last rays of sunlight glitter like gold, looking west onto the ocean.

Alas that it has all turned to ash in my mouth, for I fear I will never see it again. But I have hope, hope still that you may find this and live the life alone that we could not together. The land is yours, mon couer, as is my heart.

Always and forever. L.F.
Signed the 9th of Selethen, 4E 647*"
 ― Message in a Bottle

The second parchment, once translated, details the specifics of the land mentioned in the message, though it is partially damaged and is missing certain details, such as the exact name and location of the land. Curiously, the deed is signed over only to an "L.F", which matches Lionel's initials.

"*You carefully unravel the parchment, and see, in pristine handwriting, a detailed listing of lands and domain, marked by rivers and wickets and trees, of a homestead and the surrounding area, somewhere on the western coast of Valenroux. The lettering is faded in parts, occasionally hazy, the exact details of location are illegible and whatever name this place has is also not readable, but all in all you can tell it is a decent amount of land, all of it signed to an "L.F", with a seal marking it legitimate still intact at the bottom. As you read, in your mind flashes, for the briefest moment, a card glimmering red and brown, showing a large golden throne lit by two braziers...and the card withers into dust and disappears on the wind.*"
 ― The Storyteller

Having retrieved the bottle and satisfied Lionel's curiosity, the party continues their journey and eventually makes camp in the flatlands, hunting and cooking a hearty meal before turning in for the night.

### Adrean Coast*(6th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

Early in the morning of the next day, the party comes to the third and final river crossing they have to take before leaving behind the Siriso. Before they can cross, they hear distant gunshots and yelling some ways downriver, which Kalahan promptly gallops away to investigate, followed closely by the rest.

"*You burst through the treeline and see a skirmish unfolding before you. A number of human soldiers, wearing armour similar to that of the guards you talked to back at the border. Two of their number lie still on the beach, blood seeping into the sand, another two are further back, shakily reloading long firearms, and another two still are side by side, using spear and shield to fend off these large hulking amphibious creatures with slimy skin, eel-like necks, and a mouth of razor sharp teeth. You’re familiar with their kind, sahuagin, but these ones have a slightly different skin tone, darker green with brown patches, whereas the ones you’ve met before all had paler, more blue-tinted green skin. Three of the sahuagin, screaming war cries, are charging forward up the beach towards the soldiers, a fourth is wrenching its club from the cracked skull of one of the corpses. Behind them is a much larger sahuagin, this one with four arms, dressed in more finely made armour of coral and bone, holding in one of its hands a steel trident. It is the first to see you, and lifts the trident in your direction with a piercing screech into the sky, as two other sahuagin further out to sea raise fists drenched in black fire in your direction...*"
 ― The Storyteller

Caught in the middle of the skirmish, the party joins the fight against the sahuagin, who promptly also call in reinforcements in the form of a trio of chuul, monstrous lobster-like creatures that storm up the beach and tear through several of the group. The fighting is fierce, and both Yuli and Gaeldrim find themselves being dragged, unconscious or paralyzed by poison from chuul tentacles, into the water. Kalahan, thanks to a mixture of Oondak's subtle divine magic, and a blast of roaring radiant power from The Bannerlord, brings down the sahuagin baron, and charges into the water to rescue his companions. He is felled by one of the sahuagin warlocks, and sinks to the bottom teetering on the brink of death, but is rescued by Gaeldrim and Oondak, the former of which overcomes his fear of water to dive into the sea and try to drag Kalahan's weighty form towards the surface.

Despite their victory, several party members find their travel licenses ruined by the water, and begin to contemplate how they can resolve the problem without being arrested. Lionel suggests that it might be possible to make passable forgeries that could get them through routine inspection. In the meantime however, they trundle on down the road.

### Portovere*(6th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

They spot up ahead black smoke silhouetted against the sunset, seemingly coming from multiple fires down the road. They catch the first glimpses of a town a few minutes later, a palisade from within which the pillars of smoke seem to be rising, though the palisade itself seems undamaged.

Warily, four of the group led by Kalahan, venture inside the town. They find it relatively undisturbed, with no sign of fighting or conflict aside from the haze of smoke and a light dusting of ash on the road. They do however hear an uproar from deeper inside the town: the sounds of a crowd of people cheering, punctuated by a single voice and faint screams of pain. They get closer, and can eventually make out more distinct words from the single voice echoing around the streets.

"*...no more shall they lead us into heresy with their sinful ways! No more shall we be slaves of avarice and greed! Long have they lorded over us, claiming it must be so, to guide us into heaven. Long have they asked us to live under the same sky, to accept our fate, determined by their hand. But I say no longer! Their sky is not the same as ours! Their heaven is paved with gold, where ours is paved with sweat and blood. I say there cannot be two skies! I say the old ways must burn to make way for the new! The fires we begin here today will spread, and people will flock to our cause and it will not be so difficult to bear. We will be one people! United! One Nation, under One God!*"
 ― Fra Pavel

When they come to the plaza where the crowd is gathered, they finally see the source of the fires: the burning, collapsing remains of a chantry, clearly having been alight for some time already. In front of it, tied to a number of lit wooden pyres, are several people in the robes of vigilants, being burnt alive. One in particular, of a higher rank, seems to have been tortured as well. They also spot the source of the impassioned speech they have been hearing while riding through town: a tall, spindly man frantically rallying the crowd with a loud, booming voice that's stirring the people into a frenzy.

They barely have time to absorb all of this before the man on the platform locks eyes on Kalahan, who towers above the crowd. His eyes widen, and he raises a shaking finger at the bewildered Kalahan, before he once again bursts into another of his passionate proclamations, each word punctuated by a shower of spittle.

"*Witness, brothers and sisters! Did I not say it would be so?! God has sent warriors to aid in our crusade! Where some have come, others will follow! Soldiers of God! swords of the Lord! They have come to us, just us God came to our blessed brothers across Edraxia in their time of tribulation! These are signs from the Divine! So it was foretold and so it must be! Step forward, champion of heaven! Reveal yourself to the people of God!*"
 ― Fra Pavel

Somewhat bewildered, Kalahan walks through the crowd up to the platform, and tries to talk his way through the situation, claiming that he was indeed a champion of *a* god. The speaker, who introduces himself as Fra Pavel, a brother of the "New Church", quickly sniffs out that Kalahan and the rest were not believers in their faith, and accuses them of having come to sabotage their efforts. He begins to loudly proclaim to the crowd that God had given them the opportunity to rid themselves of yet more enemies, and Katrin shoots him.

Things very quickly turn ugly. Trying to avoid being swarmed by the angry crowd, the group scatters. All of them manage to escape, by the skin of their teeth, but have to abandon the cart and all the goods they had piled there, including Evendur's and Aspen's bodies.

During his escape on horseback, Kalahan starts several fires in town, and after having escaped, begins setting fire to the fields outside as well, both as revenge and as a means of starting enough chaos and destruction to retrieve their belongings. However, in doing so, he would be killing countless civilians in town, as well as destroying their livelihood. Katrin, Gaeldrim, and Oondak ride after him to try and steer him away from this approach, and after words fail they come to blows, during which both Gaeldrim and Kalahan are brought down.

Katrin, determining that she would rather not continue to travel with someone who would resort to such tactics, decides to leave the group and travel alone. Oondak, torn, decides instead to stay and help, because he believes the group needed someone like him to guide them on the right path. The two part ways, and Katrin rides off into the night.

### Portovere*(7th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

The next morning, ash still falling from the sky, Jendora wakes up early and sneaks into the half-ruined town to try and scope out what happened to their cart. She finds the cart on its side, broken, with most of the contents stolen. Fortunately, however, she finds the two corpses abandoned in the nearby ditch, and manages to drag both of them out without being stopped.

The atmosphere still tense, the party mounts on their two remaining horses, Rhaegír and Lionsbane, and rides around town to continue south along the road. They are tired, down a member, dejected at the loss of most of their belongings, and otherwise thoroughly disgruntled, but they continue on nonetheless.

The rest of the day's travel passes by uneventfully, though matters are still clearly unresolved between Kalahan, Gaeldrim, and Oondak. They make camp in a roadside clearing that night, and have some brief conversations about the events of the previous day, but ultimately spend a quiet night in their own thoughts, resting from the ordeal.

### Edraxis Countryside*(8th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

Their travel continues at first light, now better rested and eager to be nearing their destination. The further south they travel, the more urban the land gets, going from wild untamed grassland to tilled fields, vineyards, and orchards. Everything is in neat little rows, separated by neat little walls, which is a stark contrast to the harsher lands some of the group had grown up in.

At around noon, they come to a stretch of orchard which is unlike the rest, and seems to be withering and dying instead of sprouting as it would normally do in spring. The change is gradual, but the group also begins to notice that many of the withering trees are littered with cobwebs, and a strange gloom hangs over the entire area. A short while later, they come across a monstrous creature in the road, that seems to be feeding on a pile of corpses.

"*Up ahead, in the middle of the road, you see a hunched-over creature. Eight long legs, bloated abdomen, grey-black carapace. At first, you think it to be a massive spider feeding on what seems to be a couple of corpses, but very quickly you realise it is something more. Something about its proportions is off, wrong on a base level, and it is only when the front of it lifts up to look at you that you realise what. In place of the head and jaws is instead a humanoid torso, almost elven in shape, except that it merges crudely with the body of the spider. Pale, lifeless skin merging with the black. The torso seems alive, and it lifts from its meal, its face warped and mutated: eight black eyes bursting through the skull, locked on you, blood and ichor dribbling down its chin to drip into the dirt. It sees you, and it snarls, baring a mouth where teeth and tongue have been replaced with the sprouting fangs of a venomous spider, and the fangs let out this low, guttural, chittering sound, and from the orchard, in every direction, it is echoed back.* "
 ― The Storyteller

The party is beset by a swarm of giant spiders, called by the monstrosity they had startled, and a struggle ensues. In the chaos, Lionel blows up a swathe of the orchard with arcane fire, setting the web-drenched road and trees aflame. The fire quickly begins to spread, and in the middle of the fighting Lionsbane is caught in the flames, along with Aspen's body. The group is assisted for a short while by a lone traveller, who they never have much chance to meet, as he goes down in a hail of spider corpses, though he manages to dispatch several of them before succumbing to his wounds. Ultimately, the wildfire still spreading through the orchard, the party manages to defeat the spiders attacking them, and escape down the road relatively intact, though heavily wounded.

They set up a weary camp by the road that evening, and pass an uneventful night without much chatter, all of them too weary to really do much talking.

### Edraxis Countryside*(9th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

They spend the next day travelling, with no interruptions. The further the party goes, the more signs of urban life they begin to see: busy fields and farmhouses, people travelling down the road, the occasional cart or herd of animals passing by. Most people don't pay them any mind, largely intent on their own business and having little mind for a group of mercenaries on the road walking by. They camp by the road again that night, with nothing out of the ordinary cropping up during their watches.

### Edraxis Countryside*(10th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

Continuing south, they cross from fields into a section of woodland. Unlike the tangled overgrowth of the Lustrewood, the forest here is mostly deciduous, with massive sprawling oaks, chestnut, and ash trees, a stark contrast to the dense pine forests of the north. While walking, Jendora and Kalahan break off to hunt for some food, and manage to bring down a stag to bolster their dwindling food supplies.

The road remains relatively busy, as business has decidedly picked up now the further the days get into spring. They pass by merchant caravans carrying bales of hay and feed, assorted supplies, and a even a load of freshly-cut timber. Likewise, travellers pass by in the opposite direction every now and then, going about their business. The day passes uneventfully again, and they camp in the shadow of a low hill.

### Lavente*(11th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

The day's travel passes quickly, and it is clear that they are now very close to the city, as the landscape continues to grow decidedly more urban. By sunset, they finally catch sight of Lavente, nestled in its maze of idle rivers and canals, encircled in the arms of the ocean. The city is bustling with activity, even in the evening, and they can see crowds of people still going about their business, underneath flocks of screeching seagulls circling the docks. Boats and gondolas of all sizes weave through the canals, and hundreds of ships are moored at the piers and docks that make up large swathes of the city. Through the clouds come descending and circling sky ships to take their place at their berths, and on the horizon more ships sail in and out by the hour.

From their vantage point, they also get their first sight of the Torre degli Angeli, their destination. It is a massive lighthouse, built into an equally massive statue of an angel with wings outstretched, a spectacular marvel of architecture and wealth. Resolving to not waste anymore time, they make their way down to the main gate into the city, and manage to get by thanks to their forged travel licenses, courtesy of Lionel.

Entering the city proper, they begin making their way through the cramped side streets and alleyways, over high arching bridges crossing the multitude of canals. The plethora of sights and smells and sounds bombards them every step of the way, and is somewhat overwhelming for those that have not grown up in such places.

Finally, they come to the Di Angeli estate, which makes up a sizeable cut of the city at large and is situated at the farthest point out into the sea, at the tip of a more upper class district. It is built on a cluster of three islands at the base of the Torre degli Angeli and is effectively a self-sufficient town in its own right, a number of outbuildings for guests and staff, surrounded by a fortified wall. After a brief confrontation with the guards at the gate, Lionel shows the seal he had taken from Evendur, and they are promptly let inside.

"*Welcome to the Torre Degli Angeli. I am Giacomo Allesi, steward of this house. Regrettably, Signore di Angeli is currently out of town. I am not certain when he will return, but I have been tasked with ensuring you are made welcome until he does.*"
 ― Giacomo Allesi

Upon entering the tower, they are met by Giacomo Allesi, who introduces himself as the steward of the house, and informs them that Signore Di Angeli had made the necessary arrangements already for a resurrection ritual to take place, overseen by Cardinal Paradisi. Lionel notes that Cardinal was not an actual rank in the Church of the Vigil, but does not comment on this out loud.

Under the guidance of the steward, they place Evendur's body in a small chapel inside, and are then shown to their rooms, which are extremely comfortable and well-furnished with arcane and physical comforts. After bathing and getting dressed in fresh clothes, they go down to a dining hall and are presented with a wide selection of courses for dinner, for which they are very eager. The dining hall is as well-decorated and furnished as the rest of the tower, but has one wall dominated by a tall painting, depicting a complex tapestry of events.

"*The upper third is a depiction of an angelic figure, manifold wings furling away into radiant sunlight. Other figures of similar shape can be seen silhouetted against the light in various poses, all with a plethora of radiant wings merging into a single fiery background. All the forms are indistinct, only vaguely humanoid, disappearing into the glow of their own radiance, but you can clearly see that the central figure is hovering and reaching down towards a more simple, human, male form in the very centre.

The man, naked and seemingly falling through the air, is in turn straining to reach upward towards the angelic being's fingertips, surrounded by a number of other men and women plummeting downward into a sunset oceanscape, where countless other silhouetted human shapes are already drowning, now surrounded by other winged figures almost identical to those above, but this time painted in a darker palette, reaching and tearing at the drowning humanoid figures.

The background shifts from the bright blue of the ocean, well-lit by the radiant sky, into a pale blue-grey gradient, that darkens and darkens into black. Only the man in the very centre has distinct features, the rest almost blend into the background, and those furthest down disappear entirely into the dark.

In a marble plaque beneath the painting is a single phrase: “Deo, non Fortuna”.*"
 ― The Storyteller

After dinner, they return to their rooms and get some much needed rest behind well-protected walls, in broad comfortable beds instead of bedrolls on hard ground.

### Lavente*(12th of Thawne, 4E 776)*

At first light of the following morning, the party gathers outside the chapel where they took Evendur's body. All except Kalahan, who leaves to begin business around the city, never one to waste time. They are told to wait outside the chapel for a few hours until preparations are finished, and when they enter they find the small room awash in a haze of incense smoke, with several acolytes incanting prayers, and Cardinal Paradisi in the centre intoning the ritual.

"*Sic mundus creatus est, in nomine auctoritatem.*"
 ― Cardinal Paradisi

Eventually, the cardinal asks three of the group to step forward and offer contributions to the ritual, to call back the soul from where it is taken. Lionel, Jendora, and Gaeldrim do so, and the ritual completes successfully with Evendur being brought back to life, though dazed, exhausted, and soul-weary for the moment. Those in the chapel help Evendur back to his room to rest, and catch him up on some of the events since his passing. He is, obviously, thrilled to have been given a second chance, and is also buzzing with the sights of what he saw in the afterlife.

Kalahan in the meantime, sets out to find a blacksmith, but is near immediately distracted by a notion of searching for goliaths within the city. Through some investigation and asking for directions, he manages to find a tinkerer by the name of Viktor Kowalczyk, who owns a workshop in Lavente Centrale. The two share some conversation, and Kalahan asks about his father, Arlak the Cliff. Viktor, who vaguely recognises the name, tells him that Arlak had been apparently exiled from Kavavhik some two decades prior. Before that, he was an Iron Lord of the Krosvanir Tribe. Viktor cannot remember the exact reason for his exile.

"*Arlak is exile. Like me. He was sent away some time before me. I do not remember exact date, or why, but I remember it happening. To exile Iron Lord is no small thing.*"
 ― Viktor Kowalczyk

Aside from helping Kalahan with his journey, Viktor also strikes a bargain with him to enchant his armour in exchange for Kalahan retrieving arcane goods and parts of magical creatures as barter. Kalahan agrees, and sells him his Clockwork Amulet as well as the head of the drider he had killed some days earlier.

After this, Kalahan begins to search around for a means of income, since the entire party is running desperately low on funds. He meets a pretty half-tiefling by the name of Marcella, who owns a tavern in Lavente Centrale. In between flirting, she tells him that the church did not allow job and bounty boards to be placed in public places, and instead handled all such tasks itself. His best bet would be to find someone rich to sponsor him, such as the head of the Di Angeli Family. Determining that he would have to wait for Signore Di Angeli to return, Kalahan returns to the Torre degli Angeli and talks with the newly resurrected Evendur and the others about next steps.

### Downtime

Over the next four days, while they wait for Signore Di Angeli to return, the party has some downtime to spend as they will. They each go about their own tasks, together or alone, exploring various parts of the city and preparing for future journeys as they do so.

Lionel and Evendur spend most of their time in the library at the Torre degli Angeli, researching and transcribing new spells, as well as doing some homework on Daemancy and practicing some new abilities with renewed fervor.

Yuli also spends some time with the wizards, doing some research on her own abilities. She visits Viktor at some point as well, to inquire about whether or not he could help her embed the Amplifying Crystal, which he says he can do. Unfortunately, she does not yet have the money to purchase his services.

Jendora visits Viktor as well, to see if he could help her repair the Broken Blade. He directs her instead to a blacksmith, where she discovers that the sword is made out of Menethil, which is a very rare metal and requires a more skilled blacksmith to work. While venturing around the city, Jendora also runs into a familiar figure from her past, Admiral Alastair Stirling, a friend of her father's. He is pleased to see her again, and offers her the chance to request his aid should she need it. He also informs her that her father and his infantry regiment had been sent north to the border with Urskaya, due to trouble in the region.

"*Your father has done me many good turns over our years in service. I am in his debt, in more ways than one. I will be in the city for a few weeks, after that I return to Silverthorne. If you need anything...anything at all, you can find me at La Signoria for now. It’s an establishment by the docks of the Grand Canal, in the Nobiliare district. Ask for me personally.*"
 ― Alastair Sterling

Gaeldrim attempts to purchase some new equipment and supplies, but comes to the quick realisation that he is nearly broke and cannot afford anything. In an effort to remedy this, he goes around town participating in underground bareknuckle fight clubs, and makes some money on the side.

Oondak spends a lot of his time in the same library as the wizards and Yuli, trying to find research about diseases and plagues in an effort to help his kinsmen with the strange ailment that had been plaguing them. He finds a considerable amount of information of diseases that share one or more symptoms with the disease he is looking for, though nothing that matches exactly.

Kalahan, ever pragmatic, spends his days working at the docks to make some additional coin through honest labour. He rarely sleeps back at the Torre degli Angeli, instead spending his nights with Marcella at the room she had promised to keep free especially for him.

Towards the end of the four days, Gaeldrim and Yuli are both awakened in the middle of the night by pangs of pain in their chest. Yuli gets out of bed to close the open window and block out the cold night air, and through the haze of sleep sees a cluster of barnacles growing on the windowsill, five storeys up from the sea. Gaeldrim is hit by waves of nausea, and throws up bile that tastes suspiciously of seawater. The next morning, both realise that the cursed mark on their chest had spread further.

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