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Session 2, The Baron, the Vine, and another murder

Paldegora 

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Session 2 – 2022-12-17

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So…that was a nice breakfast. Quail eggs with bacon on simple white bread, buttered and toasted. Two such sandwiches followed by a biscuit with butter and honey on it will really get your day off to a good start. Let’s get back to the story. Where were we now…ah yes, we were in the center of Munvale. 

After the two men that had been seen with Jade when she passed through town a couple of weeks back, fled on horseback, north in the direction of Udenvale, the Company Clandestine returned to the Inn and had breakfast. There was more speculation, but it only served to point out what they didn't know more than what they did know. They gathered their stuff and struck out on their way to Udenvale. The weather wasn't too bad this day. As they travelled, they noticed that the land became more wild as the farms lessened and eventually disappeared. They traveled this whole day, only stopping for lunch, and as the evening closed in, picked a spot a little further off the road, and settled in for the night. Though the weather had been nice this day, there were signs that rain may be coming their way soon. It was decided that their watches should consist of two people instead of just one. It was also suggested, and agreed, that each watch should include one of the two elves so each pairing could benefit from their exceptional vision in the dark. Xor and Eryn took the first watch while Angelique and Cal-El took the second watch. Nothing happened on the first watch but on the second watch, Angelique had that feeling she was being watched again. She got with Cal-El and let him know about it. They looked around carefully but didn’t find anything. The next morning the group set out for another day of travel. They had hoped to make it to Udenvale this evening.

The weather started off okay at first but clouds rolled in and the air grew colder and later in the morning, rain began to fall. Everyone broke out their foul weather gear but kept on walking. When lunchtime came, everyone opted to keep moving and just eat as they walked. Just before evening, they reached the town of Udenvale. This village was smaller than Munvale, quieter, and obviously older. The group made their way to the center of town where they found the inn, “Ye Old Slaughtered Goblin”. They looked for, but didn't find, stables. There were no horses about, no sign of the two men that left Munvale ahead of them. Eryn pointed out that by horseback, the two would likely be well ahead of us. We entered the inn. Eryn and Angelique spotted a fire place With a nice fire going and moved to sit near it. Removing their wet cloaks and such, to let them dry near the fire as they sat near it to absorb the warmth. The men took places around a table. There were only a few people in here, mostly farmers and general town folk. A serving girl came over to the girls first and Angelique ordered a hot drink and was offered Mulled Wine. She asked for a hot soup as well. Eryn said she wanted the same thing along with some bread. The server moved over to the men and took their orders as well, mostly consisting of stew and ale.

Eryn began asking Angelique more about her father's death. She learned that he had been doing some research and had found something of importance and was returning with it when he died. When he was found, his horse was nearby and everything seemed to indicate that his death was probably a result of falling from his horse. Her grandfather didn’t believe that and thought his son had been murdered. He based that off of the fact that there was no special item, as he had suggested he was returning with, and he was missing a ring that was very important to him. Eryn ask Angelique to draw the ring, which she did. It had a large ruby in the center and it was surrounded by 7 gems of different colors.

They food came out and they began eating. Eryn took the drawing to the guys to explain what Angelique had told her, and showed them the drawing. "We must be on the lookout for this as we travel.", she told them. This peaked Symon's curiosity and he went over to talk to Angelique some more about it. As Eryn was about to return to her chair by the fire, she spied a man seated by himself, a few tables over. As she glanced in his direction, he made a few minor hand gestures that only someone of her kind would recognize. It indicated that he wished to talk to her. She gave a subtle nod, moved back to her chair to collect her drink, and then she moved around the room toward him trying to do so without attracting attention. She arrived at his table and waited to hear what he had to say. He mentioned that he recognized that she was of certain profession and that he was of the same profession but had retired some years back. He said, he had something that he thought he needed to say to her. ”Obviously you are not from around here?”, he asked, to which Eryn affirmed. He ask, “You are from back east, right?”. Eryn answered, “Yes!”.

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//I’d say you have already been marked the very first village you entered when ye came West of the Azure. An see-in as to how you carry yourself about, I’d pretty much bet me life on it. The Broke Lance mob don’t like guilds or thieves from back east movin into this territory. They keep a keen eye out for such. I even bet no one’s talked the Cant to ya at all have they… till now?
//

She indicated that he was correct. That she had tied to find others of her kind along the way but no one had answered the Cant yet.

//I’ve looked you all over, and seems to me somethin about all this ruckus jus’ don’t fit. So I decided to see for myself an then I decided to tell ya.
//

//Them two you’re lookin fer came through here earlier in a wild rush. Only stopped long enough to send word about your group to the vine. I didn’t see the message me-self but me contacts filled me in rightly enough. Seems they are saying yer gang gutted some new recruit like a fish, a young girl they say, (that ain’t good, whether you did it or no) and now yer hot after them. They don’t know yer names but they seem ta think the deed was done by an outsider guild (that would be you) or that big fucker that’s with you. Them kind is known for goin off their nut at times. Either way, your team is marked now. Within a fortnight every crew in Western Philanahn will have your whole team pegged and probably your names to boot. Even mores the worst I’d say… The Baron will know about you even sooner. I’d watch me-self if’n I were you. That one you don’t want to fuck with. 
//

//No one knows too much about him, other than within five years he has every thieving guild west of the Azure Deeping under his bloody thumb. Baron Beckmole is his name I heard. Has his Lieutenants too, either runnin the guilds or setup as advisors. Sounds like just a fancy way of keepin a knife at the throat to me.. Anyways.
//

//After they’s done, them two tore off again riding to the north in a blaze. Don’t know a lot about the crew they are from, except I’m pretty sure they are part of one that is usually out east of Frosthaven.
//

//Those northern crews all work out of Frosthaven though. Don’t know much about the leader there. I do know he is one of the Broke Lance Mob Lieutenants.. name is Theo I think? Never seen him afore. He took over a long time after I retired. What brings em all down this far south I have no idea. I can bet their up to no good. Anyway, I just wanted to warn you. You don’t seem like the type that would gut a young girl. I would watch me back if I were you.
//

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Eryn affirmed that they had not killed the girl and thanked him for the information. She mentioned that she had been trying to make contact with someone about the Vine but as he had mentioned, no one would respond to her. He indicated that she should probably stop trying as they will not talk to her. She thanked him again, tried to get his name but he wouldn't part with that or any moniker that she could use should she every gain access to the Vine and want to talk to him again. He told her that if she ever managed to send a message across the Vine, that would only serve to let them know where she and her group were. He gave her money to by a round for the group and quietly left as Eryn returned to her chair by the fire. She let everyone know what she found out. Symon asked how she came about this information and she told them a man that just left, had motioned her over and told her all of this stuff.

Symon was talking with Angelique at this time, attempting to find out more about her father. He learned that her grandfather is well known and his name is Silverstein Blazecaller. She said she doesn’t like to spread around that name and doesn’t want anyone to mention it out loud. Symon recognized Blazecaller as the name of a well known thaumaturgic family. He asked her if she had the arcane gift. She said that she felt her calling was to the priesthood. He thought about where Silverstein might live and though it could be anywhere, he seemed to focus his thoughts on an island off the east coast. It is a place where the great wizards of Paldegora gather for counsel. He remember that this place is called the Forbidden Isle, home to the Ancient Order of Arcana. If you aren’t invited, you’d better not go there. Anyone who has ever tried to go there without being invited, never came back. He asked Angelique if she carried anything that belonged to her father or grandfather. She indicated that she didn't. She told us her father was an academic. As he asked about her fathers ring, he found out that her grandfather had the same ring. That made Symon think that maybe the ring indicated that he was more than an academic. Maybe he was a powerful wizard but he wished to hide that part of his life from his daughter. Angelique asked if the colored stones could represent the different schools of magic. Symon indicated that they very well could represent that. Since her grandfather was so high up and so powerful, her father, having the same ring, may have been equally powerful.

Until now, Eryn had thought his death occurred very recently but it actually happened when Angelique was 8 years old. All of this happened in the Naalake area. It is the center of the Naa religion. A religion that her mother was a priest of and that Angelique had also joined. There was more talk but in the end, combined with what Eryn told them that she had been told by the stranger she met with, it was decided that Angelique might be a person of interest to some other group and that maybe we should concealing her true identity. We asked her to come up with a new name by which she would be called, for the time being, as we tried to figure out what was going on. She opted for the name Francesca Han. The party began referring to her by that name. After finishing dinner, they acquired the last available room, entered, set up a simple alarm system, and turned in. Xor opted to sleep against the door as an extra precaution. They had a good night's sleep and woke up to more cold and rainy weather. They had breakfast and took off north. They travelled for a good part of the day when they came to a point in the road where they could see someone sitting on a horse, beside the road, looking off to the northeast, away from them. This person hadn't appeared to see them yet so Cal-El used the rain and shadows to make his way closer. The person was hooded and seemed to be looking off northeast but at what, Cal-El could not see. He moved back to Xor and indicated that the horse was one of the ones carrying the men out of Munvale. He was going to try and unseat the person but if he failed, the person might flee and Xor should be ready to try and knock him off his horse. Xor passed this information back and the rest of the group prepared. 

Cal-El snuck up behind the individual and rushed forward, pushing off of a rock sticking out of the ground. He hit the man sweeping him from the horse. As they landed, Cal-El leaped to his feet, drew his swords, and crossed the blades around the persons neck. It only took a few seconds for him to realize that something was terribly wrong here. The man lying on the ground wasn't moving. Actually, the man appeared frozen in the seated position. He looked a little closer and realized the man appeared to be dead and in rigor mortice. More inspection indicated that he had a needle in his neck, one you would expect to come from a blow gun. It appeared that he had been hit by the needle and a poison on the needle killed him. Angelique(Francesca) came over to look but knew of no poison that would do what had been done here. She also agreed that he was dead. This was the man with the scar. Speculation was that his partner probably did him in but after Cal-El studied the tracks, he could tell that the two road up together but the one horse basically stopped here and the other horse tore out of here. It was likely that his friend saw him get hit and die and in fear, fled as quickly as he could, north. They discussed what to do next. Do they leave the body and let the horse go, do they take his gold and his nice dagger and stuff, or do they leave it. Cal-El didn't like the idea of leaving the horse. After a little discussion, everyone agreed that they should take the body and the horse. They should leave his belongings intact, save the dagger which Eryn would hold, only to return it if someone should really seem to be missing it and want it back. Then she would simply say, "Oh yes, we were holding that to keep it safe.". They discussed identifying it but thought that if they couldn't keep it, it would be a waste of a pearl, so they didn't identify it. They placed the man on the horse and tied him to it and continued on our way.

That evening, we came to a small area that made a good camp. It took about 40 - 45 minutes, but Francesca did get a fire going in this miserable weather. They ate by the fire and turned in. Francesca and Eryn took the first watch, again opting to separate the Elves to make the most of their improved dark vision. Francesca moved around collecting more wood for the fire which she placed near it to help dry it out. Eryn circled the camp, at a distance, and tried to spy someone, if they were out there, but found now one. Angelique realized, on one of her trips back to the fire, that the body of the man tied onto the horse, was missing. She alerted Eryn who quickly alerted the rest of the camp. In checking the horse, they saw where the rope had been cut. Cal-El found a single set of foot prints leading off south. They followed them but the rain quickly made that impossible. They determined that someone must have been invisible and maybe even silenced as they entered the camp, cut the rope and carried off the body. Since the man was dead, his body was nothing more than an object that was absorbed into the invisibility spell. There was nothing more to be done. They spent the rest of the night resting in camp and set out again in the morning. They had travelled some distance when they came to a long stretch of road, and on it, another rider. From this distance, they couldn't tell anything about the rider yet.

Don't forget to turn on the recorder.