Episode 7: Don't Praise the Day Before the Evening

**Act I.**

Desmond and Tatyana have a moment alone to talk while the Falkovnians prepare to depart Morfenzi for Lekar. Tatyana tells Desmond she doesn’t like the way the werebeasts are being kept in cages. Desmond doesn’t either, but he’s torn, because if they chose this life, he wants to respect their choice. Tatyana says here choosing is different, as they’ve learned Falkovnians have two choices: serve the military or death. Tatyana notes that the two of them have not had time to talk since the terrible night of Armand’s wedding. She asks how Desmond is doing. He says it’s been rough. He doesn’t know if Armand is okay, and doesn’t remember seeing his mother at all. There’s so much he doesn’t know about what happened. Lord Soth may have killed his family, but Desmond doesn’t even know who he is.

Tatyana says Soth is coming for her, but when he does, he’ll pay. She tells Desmond that Soth visited her in the Mists as they were leaving the Carnival. He used magic to take her to another place and show Tatyana pieces of his memory in exchange for seeing some of hers. She’s not sure what he wants, but Soth told her she would get the opportunity to fight him and die when the time is right. Desmond says he doubts Soth could kill Tatyana. He thinks Soth had another motive in branding her than just being able to find her. Tatyana says Soth branded Desmond when he killed Nika.

But now Desmond thinks about it, there were people covered in blood that night, but Soth wasn’t one of them. Desmond realizes it wouldn’t have made sense for Soth to clean up after killing Voronika and then ride into town to attack everyone. Now he wonders if Armand killed Nika. Either way, he’s going to find out. They agree to have one another’s backs. Tatyana says for now she just wants to free the lycanthropes. Desmond does, too. But he wonders if they would even leave if they were freed. As they watch, the werebeasts inside their cages are loaded into a cart for transit to Lekar.

**Act II.**

The arcane scientists and all of the soldiers prepare to leave the laboratory, readying three carts: one for Vjorn and his guests, one for the lycanthropes, and one for everyone else. The soldiers all have red talon tattoos. The arcanists all wear red robes like Horstman’s. Tatyana sizes up the soldiers, looking for the woman with the most scars. She finds one with salt and pepper braids who is not much older than Tatyana but looks like she’s led a hard life. Tatyana introduces herself. The woman’s name is Freyja. Tatyana asks her if it’s always been this way in Falkovnia. Freyja says Vladeska Drakov brought order to Falkovnia. It was good for a time, but then the undead came, and it’s gotten worse since they lost the river quadrant six months ago. Tatyana asks if they can avoid becoming undead by falling on their swords, and Freyja says no, but she would not die a coward’s death even if that worked.

Freyja says she was very young when Vladeska came to Falkovnia; she doesn’t remember a time without her. She was just a girl when she became a trueborn of Falkovnia, an honor that is earned by deed and merit. Freyja proudly wears her talon tattoo on her neck. She says few remain of those who originally came to Falkovnia with Vladeska, and Horstman is one of them. Freyja says some question if Vladeska has the right idea, still insisting they fight the undead. But saying so openly would mean execution. Tatyana promises to keep Freyja’s secret.

Freyja notes that Desmond, Fen, and Tatyana are all fighters, but she’s confused and unimpressed by Nahara, Uriah, and Valentine. Freyja and Tatyana exchange battle stories for a time. She tells them that when they arrive in Lekar, after they speak with Vladeska, Uriah may want to speak with another faction in the city, one that might work better with Darkon. Tatyana asks if Freyja will coordinate an introduction for them. They have been talking for too long, so Freyja draws her sword and pushes Tatyana hard, as if they’re going to fight. The talons and the party draw their swords and ready their spells. Uriah tries to calm everyone down to prevent violence. Valentine messages Tatyana to ask if her conversation went well. Tatyana says they’re dear friends, so Valentine sits back down. Horstman appears and asks if there’s a problem. Freyja claims Tatyana insulted her, but Tatyana says it was just a test, and they passed it. They all agree it was just a misunderstanding and stand down. Freyja tells Tatyana they will settle this in Leskar. Tatyana promises to kill her if Freyja is still alive. Vjorn invites the party to ride with him in his wagon. Tatyana complains that the pillows are too soft.

Desmond tells Fen the fight was all for show. She says he owes her a fight later. Desmond confesses right now he’s just doing his best not to reveal that he’s a lycanthrope. Fen says she has his back. He says it’s not normal that the were soldiers are only half-changed. Fen thinks maybe Horstman has used wolfsbane on them.

Having become accustomed to the ambient hum of his undead companions to his cleric senses, Uriah suddenly notices Nahara and Stewart are absent. (This is when BDS Adventure Journal 2: Nahara takes place.) Almost as soon as he notices, Nahara is back. Uriah asks if she’s alright. She says she thinks so, but isn’t sure if she can speak about what just happened. Nahara shows him a fresh brand on her wrist that looks like the imprint of a Darkonian coin. Uriah asks her what it means, and she says she was transported through the Mists and met “him.” When Uriah figures out “him” is Azalin Rex, he panics, asking what he wanted. Nahara says she can’t go into details, but they came to an understanding. She tells him Azalin knew about the portrait from her past life that she was given aboard the Mourning Rail. Uriah is not surprised, but warns that Azalin sees his allies more like pawns. Nahara says she couldn’t refuse, and Uriah understands. He says he’ll try to help her if he can. Nahara admits that part of the reason she put her faith in the bargain was because Azalin made her think of Uriah. He says he’s flattered.

**Act III.**

Valentine eavesdrops on Nahara and Uriah, trying her best to hear over Tregrum’s loud meowing. It switches to Deep Speech, letting her know it has two important bits of news to share. The first is that “we” made a pact with a powerful ally to guarantee Valentine’s safety. She asks again who “we” is, and Tregrum says if she has to ask, she’s not ready to know. On further questioning, it says the collective formed a partnership with a king because Valentine was meant to rule. Tregrum says rulers must be able to form alliances. When Valentine asks to meet the person they’ve just allied with, Tregrum changes the subject, telling her that Nahara and Uriah are being watched. Tregrum points out a man in red robes and tells Valentine he’s not Falkovnian. She casts Mind Sliver on the man, making him stumble and his nose bleed. Valentine asks him telepathically who he is, and the man’s eyes change to the same bright yellow as the cloaked figure they saw in their dream of the House of Lament.

Valentine tells the party they should go. As they climb into the wagon, Tatyana pushes aside her pillow, claiming it will make her soft to sit on a pillow. Fen warns Tatyana she’ll just be uncomfortable, not turn soft. Uriah asks for her extra pillow; he says he could use it because of his bony bottom. Tatyana slaps him on the bum as he climbs into the wagon. Valentine points out to everyone that they’re being watched. The party is immediately ready to fight, but Uriah begs them to restrain their violent urges. Desmond and Fen can tell the man isn’t human. Valentine tells them about his eyes. Telepathically, she threatens the man, asking why he’s watching them. He says because he thinks they are all important, that many are watching them, but he exists to oppose evil. He makes an excuse to come over to their wagon and bumps into Uriah, slipping something into his coat. The man whispers to them that he’s not their enemy, and reminds them that the Weathermay-Foxgrove twins are still trapped in the House of Lament, where the party left them. Uriah insights the man is telling the truth. Tatyana asks how they can get back and save the sisters, and the man tells Uriah to check his pocket. Inside is the Amulet of Ravenkind, which the man says will allow Nahara to Mist Walk them back to Borca.

Seeing they are running out of time, the man apologizes to Tatyana for distracting her in the tree in Delmunster. She realizes he is the wereraven she saw. He asks Fen if there was a way to get Isolde out of the Carnival, would she do it? She says yes. He tells her Isolde is not evil in her heart, she can still be saved. He asks Fen to consider who the true ruler of the Carnival is if it’s not Isolde. He congratulates Valentine on spotting him, and introduces himself as Voron, one of the Keepers of the Feather. Uriah promises to help the twins, but says the new moon is a more pressing concern right now. Voron says he will be watching over them. Seeing Horstman approaching, Voron quickly leaves.

**Act IV.**

Horstman tells the party he’s gone back and forth about whether to burn everything in Morfenzi to the ground or just secure it for after the next wave. In the end, he casts a spell to hide the laboratory doors in a mound of earth. Then he tells the talons to “bring out the beasts.” Large animals that look like a cross between Clydesdales and bears are led out and hitched to the wagons. He asks if the party is impressed; he made these creatures himself.  The party immediately tries to come up with names for the creatures, suggesting bear-horses, borses, and fourses.  Tatyana wants her own to ride, and Horstman says maybe they can experiment with that after the battle. Uriah says the animals are impressive. Valentine telepathically asks Desmond if he thinks these are the product of experimentation on humans, too. He doesn’t think so.

Horstman says they should reach Lekar before nightfall, thanks to the superior speed and strength of his inventions. Uriah asks if they can speak to the constabulary when they arrive to see if the people they’re searching for have been taken prisoner. Horstman tells Uriah not to worry, if they’ve been taken prisoner, they won’t be impaled until dawn. He explains that those who break the law in Falkovnia are executed by being impaled on the city walls. Tatyana doesn’t understand why they don’t send the condemned to the fighting pits instead. She asks if impaling people doesn’t just add to the armies of undead, and Horstman says they burn all of the bodies before the new moon. Tatyana points out that they are reducing the numbers of their army when they do this, and Horstman answers that cowards are no use to Falkovnia anyway. He claims that Vladeska is no more of a harsh ruler than Uriah’s king; she only impales those who deserve it. Falkovnia is an open and welcoming society because criminals from all domains are offered military service over impalement.

Uriah asks what would have become of persons fleeing Darkon, and Horstman wonders if the people he’s seeking are spies. Fen asks if they would have been turned into lycanthropes, but Horstman says that is a blessing afforded only a few. Fen asks why, if it’s a blessing, do they keep the lycans in cages. Horstman explains that the serum is a double-edged sword, it makes them strong but difficult to control. He promises her they will be released from their cages to fight the undead tomorrow night. Fen shows her fangs and hisses at him, and Horstman is intrigued, assuming that Darkon has been experimenting with vampire soldiers. Tatyana asks Vjorn not to insult Fen any further. He doesn’t realize he’s given offense, and offers to make it up to her. Fen offers to bite him, and Horstman says he could find a volunteer for her so he could study how she operates. He asks if her condition is transferable, and Fen says that’s her secret.

Valentine asks Uriah telepathically if they’re going to have to fight an entire army over four people in cages. After he panics, realizing she’s in his head, Uriah says he hopes not. Valentine says she doesn’t like it, but she’s not willing to die over it. Uriah says they must do their best to keep calm until they find Isolde’s scouts. Valentine finds the inside of Uriah’s head unpleasant and severs the connection.

As they travel, Horstman points out all the ruins that will be rebuilt when Falkovnia wins the war against the undead. It’s obvious to everyone but him that they are losing the war. Desmond asks Horstman how he creates lycanthropes, and he explains it’s a very involved alchemical process. Desmond asks why not just have a lycanthrope bite volunteers, and Horstman says that would get out of hand quickly, and an army of lycanthropes would be impossible to control. Desmond asks how the lycanthrope volunteers are rewarded for their service, and Horstman says they and their families receive extra rations and better housing. He asks how long before the city’s inner walls are breached, and Horstman says never. Desmond says anything created by man is fallible, and Horstman answers that as long as Vladeska Drakov lives, the city will stand.

After some hours, they see the stone spires and high walls of Lekar in the distance. The walls are littered with impaled bodies.

**Act V.**

As they get closer, Fen searches the faces of those impaled on the walls for the Carnival scouts and doesn’t see them. The stench of the bodies and the wails of the dying are unbearable. Uriah is surprised to learn Falkovnia performs executions up until the morning of the new moon. Tatyana asks to look over the soldiers in the bastion ward and see if they’re ready for the battle, saying they are a party of champions, not regular soldiers. Horstman looks at Valentine and wonders what service she performs. When she says she’s a socialite, he assumes she’s a spy and tells her there are no galas in Falkovnia. Horstman says the party will have access to any ward in the city, but not Vladeska’s mansion at the center until she calls for them.

Desmond suggests an alternate solution to Falkovnia’s coward problem: he suggests they take a finger for every time a citizen refuses to fight. He says making more dead people seems counterproductive when fighting an army of undead. Horstman doesn’t think it will be as effective a motivator as impalement, but in the spirit of friendship between Falkovnia and Darkon, he says he’ll add it to the list of future experiments after the battle. Inside the walls, they find many more soldiers, but also commonfolk, who look beaten down and malnourished. Every adult and child is armed, even as the commoners stand in line for rations. They are all encouraged to cheer as Horstman’s party returns. Valentine asks Horstman what they’re fighting for, and Nahara asks how they expect to have a kingdom without people, if they keep killing their own. Horstman says they fight for glory, and only cowards and traitors get impaled. Valentine doesn’t see their quality of life as worth it. Horstman says they have no choice, either they defend their home or die. Valentine says sometimes death is better. Tatyana asks if they’ve considered another option to fighting. Horstman says he’s had no success negotiating with zombies, the undead don’t come to talk.

Nahara loses her temper, and says she’s undead, and she didn’t come here to kill outright. Horstman assumes she’s making a joke, and Uriah tries to play it off. But Fen demands Horstman apologize to Nahara. Horstman apologizes, though he doesn’t understand why. Fen asks Nahara if she’s alright. Nahara nods in thanks, and she speaks telepathically with Stewart about their desire to kill Horstman. She’s tempted, in spite of the consequences. Uriah asks if Falkovnia has any clerics to help them fight the undead, and Horstman says they do, many from the church of Ezra; they position them at key points along the walls during battle. After ordering the soldiers to place the were cages with one along each wall of the city, Horstman bids the party goodnight and goes to report to Vladeska.

Freyja makes eye contact with the party as she follows Horstman to the palace. Tatyana asks if they should follow her. Uriah apologizes to Nahara for what Horstman said about undead. He wishes he could have stood up for her the way Fen did, but he’s trying to maintain their cover. He thanks Fen for speaking up. Nahara apologizes for blurting out that she was undead, but it’s important to her for Uriah to know she’s not a mindless zombie. Tatyana points out that it may be difficult for them to leave Falkovnia if everyone who tries to leave gets impaled. Nahara says they can always Mist Walk out, but B. Dave points out they have to reach the Mist first in order to Mist Walk. Tatyana encourages Nahara to throw away the zombie flesh they used to get here, but she keeps it just in case.

Desmond, Tatyana, and Valentine follow the soldiers, hoping to get a moment alone with Freyja. Fen sees that a child in line for rations has a red Carnival ticket in her back pocket. She goes to speak with her. The little girl tells Fen she is so pretty. Her name is Hildi, and she shows Fen her boneless doll that matches the one Valentine gave Uriah. Hildi tells Fen she got it from the people who came to the square and did tumbling. They also gave her the Carnival ticket, and her papa said maybe in a few days, after the battle, they can go visit. Hildi warns that the hills are full of stinky undead things, and Fen says she’s not scared. Hildi tells her not to be, because Hildi will protect her. She draws her slingshot to show Fen her prowess and accidentally fires a rock straight into the air. It comes down on a vendor close by and knocks him out. When the soldiers look for the source, Hildi quickly hides her slingshot. Fen offers to keep her secret if Hildi gives her the red ticket. She offers Hildi a golden ticket in exchange, which will let Hildi ride any ride at the Carnival. Hildi says now she and papa have to survive the siege so that they can go to the Carnival. Fen looks at the old man standing next to Hildi and asks if her papa is alright. Hildi says he’s conserving his strength, but he can move fast when he has to.

She tells Fen a secret: maybe if she can find the tumblers, they’ll give Fen a stuffed toy as well. Fen asks where they went, and Hildi says the talons took them away, perhaps to perform a special show for Vladeska. Fen asks when that was, and Hildi said this morning, after the executions. Fen is surprised that Hildi watches the executions, but she says everyone does. She wishes Fen good luck in the siege, saying if she lives, maybe they can go to the Carnival together. Fen says to ask for her when she gets to the Carnival, and Hildi says she’s guaranteed to survive now.

Following Horstman, Tregrum asks Valentine if she heard that. It overheard Horstman telling the soldiers that the diplomat must be protected, but if it seems they’re going to speak ill of Falkovnia, they will not be allowed to leave. Tregrum suggests Nahara might become a liability if she speaks out of turn again the way she did just now. Valentine doesn’t like what it’s suggesting and tells Tregrum to just keep listening for now. She shoos Cat-Tregrum toward the soldiers, and Tatyana sees the cat for the first time. When they reach the inner sanctum, Desmond and Tatyana try to get past the guards by saying they are new hired help. Valentine messages Freyja and asks her to help them, as the guards are not buying Tatyana’s story. Freyja tells Valentine they can bribe the guards, but they have no bribes. She tells them to volunteer to become trueborn of Falkovnia. The guards laugh, as this is something which must be earned. But Freyja steps forward and says she will test their mettle, taking all three of them beyond the gate.

Two guards escort Fen, Uriah, and Nahara into the bastion ward of the city. The diplomat’s quarters are nice but have clearly not been used for some time. Fen convinces the talons not to stand guard, saying she can take care of Uriah and Nahara.

As the sun sets over Falkovnia, one night before the new moon, B. Dave tells us it’s a good place for us to stop.

**Previous Episode:** 6 - Weapons of Last Resort

**Next Episode:** 8 - For Here the Lover and Killer Are Mingled

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