Bounty Hunter Blues Part 4

## Episode 10 - The FeyWild West

After breakfast in the Old City, District 3. The Old City is bustling with those afflicted with Legacy who are up and about going on with their day. Brother Martin still has to get a horse which he decides to do now. Seline spots one of the women from the caravan. Her deck says six of cups (memories, innocence, joy). Selvikia heard Seline was in the Old City and asks Seline to walk with her. Seline is led to a ruin not far away that has been divided into smaller rooms and is now inhabited by those with Legacy. Selvikia takes Seline to Menara the older woman from the caravan. To them, their death god is a sentry that stands the night and comes for those whose time has approached. Menara is close to the end. Seline feels a familiar presence close and does her best to make Menara comfortable before she passes. Selvikia asks about Brother Martin and his god. Seline describes the Mother as a goddess of healing and protection who is tall, thin, and pale, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Selvikia says that she's had a dream about a woman in the desert calling her name. She says these dreams feel different than her normal dreams because she feels much more aware but she still can't reach the woman. Selvika says that the woman's eyes are like pools of starlight. It doesn't sound like any fey lord Seline has heard of. There are not many temples in District 3 except the ones to the lawmakers. She says that there are many deities that they worship or beings that they recognize that have power but she doesn't go to them. The familiar presence is gone now. Meanwhile, after Seline calls back to say she's going on a walk, Grave’s Silence speaks to Talia. At Grave’s Silence’s request, Talia returns to the Old City. In this frozen moment in the ethereal plane, it is not morning. There are many more stars in this sky and no familiar constellations. As Grave’s Silence guides Talia through the city, she sees a figure on a large dune overlooking the city. She eventually reaches Menara, Selvikia, and Seline. Talia takes Menara's hand and instead of guiding her to the door, they find themselves outside the town at the base of a dune. They climb the dune and Menara takes the cloaked figure’s hand. Even though his hood is down his face is obscured. He gives Talia a familiar smile and has eyes that flash yellow like a wolf. The figure guides Menara up. As she rises her body glows and reforms into a luminescent jackal who continues on until she takes her place amongst the stars. With a familiar voice, Rucker says to Talia...

> We come in many forms in many places.
>
> Rucker/The Undertaker

He also turns and walks into the sky. His cloak reshapes into a jackal made of pure night sky and flows into the spaces between stars. Talia returns to her body before Brother Martin returns at the head of a crowd with a horse. Many in the crowd are begging him not to go and they are all referring to him as “Father” Martin. Seline remembers that it is blasphemy to the Mother for Martin to give himself the honorific “Father” and seemingly put himself on the same level as the Mother. They start their journey out into the desert. However, five of the crowd (two human males, one dwarf male, one 16 year old kid, and the woman that is staying close to the dwarf male) are tagging along. One of them claims they were instructed by the Mother to follow Brother Martin, the prophet, down to the desert and help him and end the affliction of Legacy. At a pointed look from Talia, Brother Martin claims that he tried to get them to stay. Seline tries to convince these people to return to Old Town but Talia thoroughly annoyed at this situation bluntly explains her feelings about it. The five decide not to argue any further and return to town. She tells Brother Martin these people are an unnecessary complication on a mission that he tricked them into in the first place. He claims that the people called him Father Martin. He felt that the inherent authority in father as opposed to brother made it easier to lead the people and decided not to dissuade them. Eventually, they come to an expanse of hard-packed ground and Brother Martin welcomes them to the Barrens. Before they go to bed, they send Lenore to Elder Franya asking to stop by and ask about Emperor Anthonius. In the morning, Seline asked her cards about their situation. She interprets the Undertaker's response as “chill out don't you trust me?” They continue for 2 more days. Brother Martin says the people appreciated a divine alternative to the lawmakers and would defend him against the guards. In the evening at some point during Talia's training, she stops the spiders with human eyes and mouths from chasing her anymore. She is instead trampled by a stampede of squirrel-o-pillars. Later when Seline goes to bed, she dreams about walking around the Old City near Kal-Undar at night. Walking around the city she comes to an open area but there are a lot of people. They are beings made of purple energy. Even though they have no discernible eyes they all feel like they're staring at her. All at once, they speak to her saying “free us, let us rest.” She wakes at 2:00 in the morning, but she goes back to sleep. In the morning, Talia wishes Seline Happy Birthday. Talden stops by for a visit. They want to talk about some things that they've noticed about Adrienne. In Adrienne's art room there have been breezes seemingly out of nowhere. Some of the paintings’ images move when Talden is not looking at them. Adrienne has also been seen walking into one room and out of another. She has also been able to get the things that were not even within her reach. Talden says that there have been some stories about people being in the fey wild for so long that they become fey. Talden pales when Seline and Talia tell them Nicnevin said that Adrienne was a fey lord and all but title. Talden wants to enroll Adrienne in a class at the academy so that she can socialize. Talden would be there with her to help if need be. The classes for once a week to start. In Seline's Realm of Pale Shadows, Reginald is supervising a cadre of mice in full suits of armor patrolling a carpet in Seline’s cabin. She asks Bartholomew to invite the River King to her realm for dueling practice and adds that it's her name day today. Seline asks Reginald about a starry-eyed fey lord. Reginald says there are several, the Master of Starlit Pools, the queen of Sparkling Depths, the Lord and Ruler of Deep and Dark Skies, the Mistress of Starlight and Brilliance,… Back on the road, Seline sends Cortez to scout ahead. The Barrens seem to go on forever. To the northeast, there is a rock moving out of the ground that appears to be getting closer. As they stopped to check it out, The rock dips below the surface of the ground and comes back up closer.

## Location

* Old City, District 3

## Characters

### Players

* Seline Argent-Grey
* Talia Argent-Grey

### NPCs

* Selvikia
* Menara
* Brother Martin
* Grave’s Silence
* Rucker/The Undertaker
* Talden
* Adrienne Argent-Grey
* Reginald
* Bartholomew