Resigned to being unable to gain entry to the Grove, the party turned back, picking a trail through the heavy growth while trying to maintain a mostly southwesterly direction, but after several hours of tough, unfamiliar terrain, Viktor became unsure of their progress. The party came into a small clearing as the evening began, and in the light of a setting sun, Malva noted movement in the tall grasses. Alerting the others, Malva dropped from her horse, all but disappearing into the tall grasses herself. Branon uttered a short prayer of protection, drawing the attention of a horde of angry fey - small blue-skinned monsters, a host of tiny, thorny fey-plants, and a shrieking mass of flying icy fey popped up from the grasses, and one of the blue-skinned ones barked at the others in Sylvan to "tear the life from the spellcaster." Converging on Branon, the cleric found himself nearly overwhelmed by the thorny ones, whizzing sling bullets, and a mass of blue-skinned teeth and daggers, but managed to pull back, called down holy light to drive back the beasts. Malva was wrapped up by one of the thorn beasts as others spat needles at her; Vondal moved to help free the rogue from its clinging vines. Others descended on Viktor, including the icy fey swarmlings, but Cephandrius called down a spray of dazzling, hypnotic lights, allowing the warrior to escape unscathed. As sling-bullets continued to rain down on the party, and the vines tightening on Malva, Viktor rode his elk into the center of the grove and invoked his authority as a servant of the Old Gods, commanding the fey beasts to flee. All but two were shaken by the command, and the party quickly dispatched those who stood their ground. Picking through the bodies of the fallen monsters, the party found a surprising collection of black gems: obsidian, opals, agates, onyx, moonstone, and a beautiful black pearl.
Continuing onward, the party finally made camp still in the woods. On the third and fourth watches, Cephandrius and Vitkor noticed something odd about the stars - they appear to be moving much faster in the sky than they should be. The two men discussed what it might possibly mean, but did not come to a conclusion. Breaking camp in the morning, the party managed to find the road not far into their day's travel, but the weather quickly deteriorated as they rode on, crossing the border into the province of Skara in the afternoon. As the group came into the town of Haversham near the Western Crossroads that evening, Viktor noticed something else very odd - the moon was much further in its phases than he remembered before they entered the forests surrounding the Grove of the Green Mother and the Ancient One. With this information, the truthed dawned on Cephandrius - stories tell of how time can move differently in the lands of the Fey, and the Grove is supposedly very hard to find... because it must actually exist in the lands of the Fey.
The second thing the group noticed were the wanted posters: Arvind, wanted for sedition and murder. Stopping a person on the street as they worked their way towards the inn, Viktor inquired as to the day - 22 Alor... a week later than they thought it was. Dismounting in the driving rain, Cephandrius paid the stable boy for livery on they horses as Vondal gruffly blustered into the inn, hoping to finally dry off. The party put in orders for drinks while Cephandrius negotiated performing for the evening, which the tavern-keep was happy to have. As the night wound on, while Branon took several locals to the cleaners at a "friendly" game of dice, the group heard rumors surrounding Arvind - some said he was still at large, while others said he had already been captured. They also heard rumors of troop numbers increasing in northern Einmanudr, in the provinces just south of the Throat.
As the entertainment wrapped up and others headed to bed, Viktor took a moment to step out to a large tree set in a small square near the western gate of Haversham to say a quiet prayer to his Gods... but all he felt in response was frustration... anger...
"Free me."
"Soon." Viktor whispered.
The morning of 23 Alor broke still rainy and miserable, but the group needed to be in the city of Skara by nightfall so they pressed on. At least the weather seemed to keep the roads quiet, as the party made it to the city by late afternoon. As they crossed Alder Bridge into the Guild Borough, Malva noted that the group had grown a tail. She slipped into an alley as they walked, but did not notice the second shadow... nor did the first shadow notice her peel off from the group. This first rogue walked headlong into Viktor as he turned around to speak to Malva, while Malva was momentarily caught in the alley by the second rogue.
"Master Fredegar would like to speak to you and your associates."
No violence, no force - Fredegar had been waiting to speak to Malva after she had promised to return before leaving Steinbjorn over a week ago; his associates were here to bring the group to speak with him. Cephandrius and Malva ask if they can conduct a few tasks in the Guild Borough: trade a bar at the bank, pay Vondal's guild dues, and then they'd be happy to follow the pair. The two rogues agree to wait for the five at the Guild Hall.
Currency exchange went well - the banker drove a hard bargain over the Imperial bar, but in the end Cephandrius was able to talk the old dwarf down on his fees. A quick stop to pay dues at the hall for Vondal, and the party met up with Fredegar's men. The two informed the group they will need blindfolds to be led to the safe-house, but Cephandrius suggested otherwise. A brief argument between the two men ended with them agreeing to lead the five to Fredegar without the need for the blindfolds. When they arrive at the house, they knock a code on the door and then enter into a foyer with several other armed men, all who look vaguely surprised (and slightly annoyed) that the party is not blindfolded, but no one became loud or violent. Malva is asked to head upstairs first, and the rest of the group are led into a sitting room with a nice warm fire and drinks.
Fredegar was waiting, drink in hand, in a well-appointed study. Pleasantries aside, Fredegar asked Malva what her mother had told her about her father's work with Fredegar, to which Malva responded that she did not really know much. Fredegar then laid out realities - Malva's father was a spy, a member of Thoka - The Mist. Formed at the time of the Last War, The Mist served (and still served) as the information gathering apparatus of the Hrim Resistance. Malva's family had been a party of the resistance for many years - it was why her father had been taken so many years ago - and now, given her skills and the fact she had already found one of their secret way-stations, Fredegar felt it was time to offer her to join as well. Malva agreed; after a few moments discussing the possible issues with her companions, Fredegar signaled for the others with a series of raps on the floor with his cane.
After Fredegar repeated the nature of his business and operation to the others, Viktor did something seemingly rash - he starts talking the papers Branon translated from the old murdered halfling, about what had happened with Branon and Alvin from Framenturn, and then pulled out the crystal the party found. Initially confused, Fredegar's expression changed once presented with the crystal. While he did not know what the character in the crystal said, he did know the language - Supernal. He then told the party a story about another halfling - the mad apothecary who lives on the outskirts of Steinbjorn - and how Frode had once long ago stumbled back into town stammering in a strange language, covered in strange markings, but had somehow managed to cure himself after locking himself in his shack for a week. Frode had asked Fredegar to look into details about character, and The Mist had found some details - an Eladrin's abandoned tower, old books about the nature of angels and demons... and their masters, who spoke the language of creation. He also mentioned something about Frode having had a daughter once who disappeared... and after that was when the halfling had gone mad.
Unsure what else he could offer them about the crystal, Fredegar suggested they speak with Frode, if they could get him to speak at all... He then also offered them what assistance he could as it related to Arvind. Currently held in an oubliette in the basement of the courthouse, the half-Eladrin had been apprehended trying to stow away on a ship headed for Varheim to the south; four Wolf Hunt Brothers, led by Ylva herself, had cornered Arvind on the docks and brought him in after a violent exchange involving sorcery, tranquilizers, and sword-play. The body of Dómari Draumspak, the missing Council investigator, had been discovered the day after Arvind was captured; The Mist had not found out where the body was found yet, but they did know it had been returned to his family.
With no further questions for Fredegar, the party retired for the evening - Thoka's safe house had plenty of rooms for them for the night. In the morning, the group divided in four directions: Branon set off to speak with the clerics at the temple of Arvoreen in the Halfling Borough, Vondal set off to the temple of Moradin, Viktor to the Temple of the Old Gods, and Cephandrius and Malva to the courthouse.
Vondal trudged through steadily rainy streets, across Alder Bridge, and into the heart of the Dwarven Borough where the temple lay, a massive stone edifice alight with forge fire and braziers even in the dismal weather. Within, he met with a Forgesmith of Moradin, Veit the Tempered, to seek guidance - why had he been afflicted with such rage? How could he ever be a good Dwarf fighting against a force so destructive? The Forgesmith listened intently, and then told Vondal something he hadn't considered previously - maybe this rage, despite its hardships, was a gift from Moradin, not a curse. Perhaps, if Vondal stayed truth to the forge, true to his craft, and used his rage to protect those who could not protect themselves, then he would be doing as the Allfather had intended. Vondal thanked the priest, then spent some time in contemplation within the temple before returning to the safe house.
While Vondal sought guidance, Viktor sought assistance. Arriving at the Temple of the Old Gods on the edge of Skara, he spoke with a young acolyte who brought him to Druid Talbot. As Viktor told his tale of his past, of Austmer, of the Crone, and of what had transpired at the Grove of the Green Mother and the Ancient One, Druid Talbot slowly moved from incredulous to troubled. He told Viktor that if his stories were indeed true, they would be dreadful and grave tidings. Druid Talbot set off to call a moot of the other elders to discuss the matters and investigate - Viktor told the elder that he would return if the party intended to leave Skara before the moot had been called, then headed off into the city to find Cephandrius and Malva.
Meanwhile, Cephandrius and Malva made their way to the courthouse to try and gain access to Arvind. An imposing building of stone and living wood, the Skaran courthouse was built during the time when the Eladrin had controlled the region, as had much of the city. A helpful clerk at the front directed the pair back through the winding hallways to Constable Folkvar's office. After a few minutes of back and forth about Arvind's charges, where the body of Investigator Draumspak had been found, Arvind's capture, and how it was possibly illegal to keep Arvind from any council or visitors, Folkvar led them down into the bowels of the courthouse, past the more standard cells in the dungeon, to a large room with eight oubliettes. Gesturing to one of the pits, the constable stepped back to the entryway, leaving Cephandrius and Malva to speak with Arvind. Bound in a special heavy collar and connected manacles known as Nidaran chains, Arvind looked terrible - he had been stripped of all his possessions, including his jeweled eye, and still bore burns, cuts, and scrapes from his capture at the docks. Also, where the blackwood, silver, and iron braids touched his flesh, odd black veins pulsed in his flesh, his breathing was labored, and his voice raspy. Arvind told the pair of his arrival in Skara - somehow, Birel must have been him there by days, as there were already posters for his capture when he arrived in the city. He had laid low for several days in the Halfling Borough, then attempted to make his way onto a boat for Haloga when he had been captured on the docks. He suggested they speak with the Halogan embassy, and answered some questions about details Fredegar had given the party such as Draumspak, whom he'd never met. Cephandrius and Malva promised to do what they could to help Arvind, and then followed the constable back out of the courthouse.
Vondal had headed into town after waiting for some time for the others to return and found Viktor in the square outside the courthouse. The group discussed their mornings as they made their way to the chambers of the Grand Council which reside in what was the old provincial Eladrin palace. There, they made their way to the Office of Arcane Registration, where Cephandrius had a brief conversation with a clerk to file for a two-week license for the use of his bardic magics. The clerk had never heard of Cephandrius, but the bard was able to talk the price down a few coins. License in hand, the group set off back across the Journeyman's Bridge and into the docks so they could follow up on Draumspak - first to the scene of his murder, and then second to see his widow and pay their respects.
Arriving at the The Longhouse, Vondal and Malva made their way over to a heavy stone table with some of the most ancient dwarves either had ever seen playing a game known as Brickwork while Cephandrius and Viktor went over to the bar. Vondal greeted those assembled with a popular battle greeting invoking the name of Enialis, the Eladrin emperor who fell at the time of the Last War, garnering approving grunts from the old dwarves. As they played (and Malva watched), Vondal spoke with another dwarf there called Dain; he told Vondal what he had seen in the days surrounding the murder, and also gave him some less-than-savory details about the Dwarven supposed eye-witness Thorin. Malva also shared a moment with one of the old dwarves as he made a bad move at the game, and the two then returned to join Cephandrius and a drinking Viktor at the innkeeper's desk at the far end of the establishment. The woman at the desk seemed almost too relieved that someone had come to look the room over - she handed over the keys, saying she intended to clear the room after the party had finished their investigation.
Up the stairs and down to the end of the hall, the room where Draumspak's body had been found was still locked and, other than the removal of the body, appeared largely undisturbed. Other than a bed, a now blood-soaked rug, a small desk, and a window looking out into the borough behind the docks, the room was very plain. Searching the scene, Cephandrius and Viktor found several odd items under the rug - a scalpel and some cuttings of rope. Without the body, however, the four were unable to fully formulate what might have happened in the room. Dropping the keys back at the desk and casting a wary eye for suspicious gawkers, the group headed off to the Draumspak residence.
Knocking on the door of one of the nicer homes on the block, the party was greeted by a puffy-cheeked woman dressed in black. Widow Draumspak invited the party in and answered a few questions about what she knew about her husband's work, before leading them to his study. She also explained that the Council had attempted to revive him, but the magicks had strangely failed. Refusing to accompany them in, she warned them to be prepared for the state of his body once they opened the casket, then left them to complete their examination.
Investigator Draumspak's eyes had been removed, his jaw muscles cut and tongue cut out; Branon and Cephandrius worked together on the examination, coming to the conclusion that the injuries had been inflicted postmortem and by a surgical implement - hence the scalpel found at The Longhouse. Cephandrius whispered some words over the body, the scalpel, and the fragments of rope - while the scalpel did not indicate any presence of magic, both the rope and the body still retained auras of witchcraft. Cephandrius recalled an abjuration that involved rope that could be used to craft a hidden trap, but the aura of necromancy on the investigator's body was unfamiliar to him. Both he and Viktor attempted to drive the magicks from the body, but were unsuccessful.
While the spellcasters worked on examining Draumspak, Vondal and Malva searched through the study, finding a ledger stowed in a drop-compartment in one of the desk drawers - Draumspak's notes. Nowhere in the text could they find any mention of Arvind, but there were mentions of several dwarves working in the Redsmith Guild who Draumspak suspected were working for the Eladrin. He had a meeting for more information on these individuals... and that was where his noted ended.
Leaving the widow Draumspak, the party discussed their best course of action, settling on finding the Dwarven eyewitness - the longshoreman Thorin. Unsure of his whereabouts or physical description, however, the party decided to leverage one of their new connections - Thoka. Returning to the Halfling borough, Malva headed into the safe house while the others kept watch for possible watchful eyes outside. Reporting their findings to Fredegar, Malva asked for assistance in locating Thorin and possibly running to ground anyone who could vouch for Arvind being elsewhere, as Arvind had indicated he was initially hiding out in this borough prior to trying to stow away to Haloga. Fredegar seemed certain that Thoka could locate Thorin within a day, but was uncertain how long finding Arvind's hiding place might take. As she was leaving, Fredegar also informed Malva that he would be returning to Steinbjorn shortly, so when the party returned, they would likely be dealing with the agents here in Skara instead of directly with him.
Now early afternoon, the party discussed returning to The Longhouse or traveling several hours north of the city to Hnigalimar, the estate of the Skaldic Runlimors. Cephandrius had been to the estate once before many years ago, so he was passingly familiar with how long it would take them; leaving now, they would arrive just around twilight. Only Malva was initially interested in returning to The Longhouse, still stricken by Brickwork, but she decided to ride with the others to Hnigalimar. As they rode, the rain slowed a bit but did not stop, however the growing tree-cover helped shield the group from the worst of the continuing Alor rainfall. Approaching the manor as dusk began to fall, Cephandrius noted that the grounds were very quiet... likely too quiet. When he had visited previously, there was almost always a Skald in the tower for a leisurely smoke and others milling about the grounds, but today - no one. The five dismounted and took a more cautious survey around the grounds, Cephandrius consulting his text for his rituals to sense magic as Viktor reached out with his otherworldly senses as well. Finding the stables completely empty and no other signs of struggle outside the manor, the party made their way towards the entry. While Cephandrius could not sense anything amiss, Viktor's senses told him something unnatural lay behind the sizable oak doors.
As Viktor pushed the doors open, Vondal charged through headlong, prepared to attack whatever horror might lay in the entryway... and nearly charged headlong into a rip in reality - a black, inky night sky canvas twinkling with stars. Unable to slow his own momentum, Viktor summoned the forces of nature, entangling the raging dwarf in a bramble of vines that sprang through the manor floor. Surveying the Tear, Branon grabbed a stone from the ground outside and tossed it; as it crossed the boundary of the Tear, it began to float away into the black as if gravity no longer held it, floating away until the five could not longer make out its shape against the twinkling stars. Unlike the other Tears the group had so far encountered, this one was not spewing forth any violent energies or hungrily trying to drag people in... but it was large enough to block entry to the rest of the manor. Opening his hymnal, Cephandrius was able to close the Tear with the Sealing Song, but not before... something... touched the mind of Viktor - something powerful, speaking of worlds upon worlds, of the edge of infinity... to all things It controlled. As the Tear closed and the connection severed, Cephandrius drew in a heavy breath from the effort required to right reality... but other noises could also then be heard from deeper in the manor - a thick, sticky dripping like sound and the scuttering noise of shuffling claws against wood and stone.
Approaching the inner hallways more carefully, Viktor and Vondal led the way into the stairway antechamber beyond the foyer and then into the main hallway leading around the manor. In this hallway, the sickly wet sound could be distinctly heard coming from the direction of the main hall. Malva and Vondal tiptoed up the hall to check a side-room to ensure the group wouldn't be ambushed from behind as Branon took the lead on opening the door into the main hall; he paid for his bravado as a pulse of evil swept through the doorway, tearing at his very life-force. Within, the truth of Hnigalimar was laid bare: whatever Skalds had been at the estate had been rounded up, dragged to this room, and tortured in the main hall; the collective evils of their slow, violent deaths had torn a Tear into the floor of the room wherein writhed a pool of viscous oily blackness - raw negative energy. Several of the ruined bodies had been reanimated as the tendrils of negative energy reached hungrily from the Tear, seeking whatever life or flesh they could find. These misshapen monstrosities turned on the cleric, lunging for him with sinewy arms graced with long talons, but their hatred could not find purchase through his breastplate. Calling aloud to Gatris, Branon drove the beasts back from the door, allowing his companions to quickly surround the undead and send them back to their rest. As Vondal, Cephandrius, and Viktor finished with the husks, Branon again invoked Gatris' might, attempting to beat back the Tear into the Negative Energy Plane, but the thirsty rip simply drank up the positive energy as it flowed from the cleric. Cephandrius, already gravely exhausted from closing the first Tear, wearily started to retrieve his book again when Viktor stepped forward, cut his hand, and shook his bleeding fist at the Tear, which greedily reached out for the offering of blood. The connection made, the Tear began to wrench the very heart's blood from the seemingly naive paladin, but then the earth shook as gnarled, kindling-dry twisted brambles erupted around the Tear, squeezing it slowly closed. As the brambles tightened, the Tear writhed, drawing more and more lifeblood from the weakening Viktor; Cephandrius spoke ancient words of healing as Branon called upon Gatris' mercy to keep the paladin alive until whatever sorcery Viktor had invoked was able to seal the Tear.
Weakened, wounded, but alive, the five took stock of the fallen Skalds. Cephandrius remembered that a secret library was kept on the grounds; his suspicions were that whoever did this was trying to get into that library. Judging from the state of the bodies, it would appear they were tortured to the man, suggesting that no one gave up the desired information. As Malva and Cephandrius began searching through the back halls of the manor for the secret stairs up to the library, Viktor and Vondal began to bring the dead out into the yard so they could be buried. After about twenty minutes of searching, the bard and the rogue managed to locate a secret door in a small room off the back hall leading up into the library. Within, they found many rows of books lining the inner and outer walls of the space, and a locked door to a central vault in the middle of the library.
Cephandrius used his rituals to check the door for magical defenses, and indeed found considerably strong abjurations cast upon it. Even in his weakened state, the bard was able to dispel the wards on the door, allowing Malva to handily open the lock and let the group inside the inner vault; within, they found several magical items of interest. As the five worked their way through the room for several hours, they found a number of interesting volumes within the Skaldic library...
One of the more interesting books found was another copy of Khak Mocroz; the party had found a copy of it in the cottage near Roc Mountain as well. As the night ran on, Branon consulted his ritual book, sorting through the books and items that had been found in the vault - a tin filled with dust of disappearance, a mithral chain shirt, an immovable rod, and a potion of necrotic resistance. There were also two spellbooks - one specially-locked libram bound in bronze plates set with pieces of jet, and a lynx-fur lined leather book filled with linen pages. Several of the spells in the second book were of interest to Branon, as he would be able copy them into his ritual book over the next few days - floating disc, find familiar, and unseen servant. Within the stacks of the library, the party found a trove of interesting and useful books to work their way through over the next few weeks, including volumes on Eladrin etiquette, mundane and magic items, foraging in several locales, and informative tomes on several manner of creatures both mundane and fantastic. Both Cephandrius and Viktor were thoroughly exhausted from their efforts against the Tears, but after a sad but successful day, the party all turned in for the night within the halls of Hnigalimar.
Such rest was short-lived however, as in the morning, riders approached as the party made ready to return to the city - armed riders, on heavy horse, led by a white-haired woman the party recognized: Ylva, leader of Ulfveiðr. Demanding the party dismount and explain their presence here, the White Wolf stated she was also on official business, sent by the Skaran authorities to investigate reports of a disturbance at the estate. Cooler heads prevailed, as Cephandrius and Viktor calmly diffused the situation, showing them the fresh graves of the fallen Skalds and explaining what they had discovered the day before when they arrived. Aggravated but relieved, Ylva offered some details about the suspected source of frustration - Undersecretary Greaves. Offering to ride back to town with the group, the now eleven strong caravan headed back into Skara, making further travel talk.
Ylva and Cephandrius discussed the capture of Arvind in more detail; as the details unfolded, Ylva's disdain for half-bloods became more and more clear, as did her propensity for profanity. She also talked with Vondal, both suggesting he should consider signing up with Wolf Hunt and also revealing some knowledge of one of Vondal's brothers who had long been thought dead. Ylva had personally ridden with Travok Strongjaw long ago, but had also seen him as recently as twenty years ago... when his family had believed him dead, a casualty of the Last War. Suddenly awkward and flustered at having delivered such unexpected news, Ylva apologized, and also offered to ride with the party to see Constable Folkvar to vouch for them as they reported the massacre at Hnigalimar.
At the courthouse, Folkvar was upset by the news of the dead at the estate, but also troubled by the findings the party had gathered so far pertaining to Arvind. Noticeably moved from his earlier hard stance on the prisoner, he suggested that the evidence they had was likely sufficiently to prove Arvind's innocence on the sedition and murder charges, but it was still simply evidence - Folkvar could not simply release Arvind. If the five could find the others that Investigator Draumspak had been searching for prior to his murder, that would likely be enough to secure Arvind's immediate release. Leading the party down to see Arvind in the dungeons, Constable Folkvar said he will see to having Arvind brought up out of the oubliette and put in a proper cell then actually left the five alone with Arvind unlike their previous visit. Arvind, still visibly injured and weak, was grateful to hear all the party had discovered thus far towards getting him released but devastated by the news of the massacre. Almost certain he had registrations filed by the Embassy, he suggested that the group meet with the Halogan ambassador and look into that detail.
Before making a call at the embassy, Malva led the group back to Thoka's safehouse in the Halfling borough. While Fredegar had already departed, the agents still at the safehouse knew exactly what Malva was looking for... and it was hanging from the joists by its ankles sniveling in the basement. Already terrified from having been black-bagged and dragged into a basement, all that was required to get Thorin to spill his guts were a few growls from Viktor and some pointed questions from Malva. Thorin admitted that he was paid by Greaves, but he had already been working with Greaves on some other smuggling in the prior months... but this time, Greaves had backup - scary backup: a half-Eladrin woman and her lackeys.
Armed with this new information, the party made their way to the Halogan embassy. They were led into Ambassador Ove's office once they mentioned Arvind, and he received them warmly. Delighted to hear that the charges against Arvind were quickly being dealt with, he was still concerned that Arvind's enemies apparently could so strongly hamper his ability to serve King Alrek II's court at Varheim. His secretary was able to locate their copy of Arvind's registration paperwork, and also added that she had been visited by several men with green-stained fingertips several days prior asking about Arvind...
After their meeting the Ambassador, Viktor took a moment to check in with Druid Talbot while the rest of the party went off to the guild district to sell off some armor they had acquired over the weeks. Viktor sought guidance from the druid about the voice he had heard from the Tear at Hnigalimar, but unfortunately the druid was unable to provide him much in the way of council. They further discussed the coming moot to discuss the Hierophant as other initiates and ovates worked to ready the temple for the holiday festivities; they also discussed the Crone and the darkness surrounding the Green Mother, the Ancient One, and the blade. Viktor left with some advice, but not much more in the way of concrete answers.
The evening brought a trip to The Jaded Pelican, a bar known to be frequented by guildsmen after a hard days' work; members of the Mist suggested it when asked where the party might find more information on the Redsmiths. A lively establishment, run by a salty old dwarf "pirate" known as Admiral Nov, the party seemed largely out of place in the largely-Dwarven establishment, but did manage to catch a few interest rumors floating around the tavern - a tall tale about a gelatinous sea monster off the coast of the Shattered Isles told by the Admiral himself to entertain his patrons, the ravings of an old dwarf about a secret necropolis hidden beneath the city, and the tale of a dwarf named Vonbin who had recently disappeared with a recipe from one of the master brewers. Viktor went to inquire about this rumor in particular, and the scene rapidly devolved into a bar-room brawl that ended with a blast from a rusty old blunderbuss off the hip of Admiral Nov to bring the unruly patrons back into line. Drinks and apologies from the Admiral still ended the party's night at The Jaded Pelican as their prospects had dried up. Cephandrius took leave to find better performing grounds for the night, and the party retired with no other real new leads.
The following morning was quiet, as most of Skara made their way to the temples to celebrate Ostara. In the early afternoon, just after most patrons had returned home from the temples to prepare for the evening festivities, a bruised and ragged halfling burst into the Thoka safehouse, shouting that they needed to head out quickly - he had seen gangs of men, barely escaped them himself, roaming through the town with large carts, meaning to set fires in the residential boroughs. The party headed out quickly on foot for the Dwarven borough as the agents of the Mist gathered to search the Halfling borough. As they headed up the main road towards Alder Bridge, they spotted two groups - farther ahead, a horse-drawn cart with two hogsheads being ferried by several men, and a second group of shady individuals trailing about forty yards behind the cart. The party quickly made their way up to the latter group, engaging them in conversation while Malva managed to slip past them and get closer to the cart group. Fast talking by Cephandrius quickly befuddled the lead thug, who seemed to take a liking to the group as they joined up, trailing behind the cart. As the thug tried to convince the party (unsuccessfully) of benign "surprise" they were bringing for the festivities in the Dwarven borough, he also tried to talk them out of going to the party. Malva attempted to disable the cart with a shot to the axle, but was unsuccessful; worse still... she was seen.
Quick thinking on Cephandrius' part with a minor illusion tricked the group they were conversing with into fleeing, as he made a fake call from an approaching constable, but even as the first thugs scattered, the others on the cart were starting to turn for Malva. A well-placed bolt of radiant energy from Branon shattered the cart's wheel, stopping it just across Alder Bridge. With some sneaky work by Malva and the combination of mind-altering spells from Cephandrius and Branon, the thugs escorting the cart where quickly subdued. Cephandrius headed off towards the courthouse to summon the real constable this time, Branon set about calming the horses and mending the cartwheel, Viktor and Vondal tied up the thugs and dragged them into an alley off the main thoroughfare, while Malva set about inspecting the contents of the hogsheads. Prying one open, she found it filled with irregular, dusky red rocks; calling Vondal over, the normally-boisterous dwarf cautiously backed away from the near-ton of Forgestone in the barrels - enough to burn a hole into the very Plane of Fire.
Viktor took the opportunity to make friends with the leader of the cart gang, learning key details of the plan before the spell wore off. As the others debated their next move and waited for Cephandrius' return with the constable, the air around the four and their prisoners suddenly went cold, frost rapidly forming on the cobblestones as they themselves also began to resonate in an eerily-familiar chant. As they caught sight of the approaching danger, the air around them also went deathly silent as some fell magic deadened the movement of sound. A tall armored ice-rimed Aen Elle, halberd at the ready and flanked by a vicious Hound, and another masked, black-cloaked figure with skeletons in tow, strode confidently towards the four...
While Malva could hear the cloaked and masked figure shout orders, he did so in the Imperial tongue of the Eladrin, so unfortunately she was unsure as to his commands, but as the corsair advanced, the leader let fly a dark spell that ripped the blood violently from everyone near the well caught in the silence. Malva threw her weight into the lead barrel on the cart, sending both barrels careening down the streets into the corsair and the leader, but both managed to keep their feet. One of the captives, already wounded, was struck dead instantly by the spell, and one of the green-eyed skeletons clattering unnaturally quickly towards to the corpse, tearing a flailing skeleton from the dead man's body. Viktor and Vondal engaged the Aen Elle soldier, quickly dispatching him while also holding his hound at bay, quenching the area of silence the corsair had maintained. As her companions advanced on and dealt with the skeletons, Malva made a gambit - she lit and arrow and aimed at the barrel near the lead, threatening to light the forgestone within and blow them all up, but the zealot simply laughed. Malva shot him instead, catching his robes on fire... and with his companions and minions dead, the leader also made a desperate move, throwing himself at the barrel. Viktor suffocated the fire with a wave of his hand and held a blade on the surrounded, burned, and beaten Speaker, who finally surrendered.
Cephandrius and Constable Folkvar arrived with another guard a few moments later; the guard helped Viktor, Vondal, and Branon start rounding up the captives and securing them to the wagon, as Malva, Cephandrius, and Folkvar began formulating a plan. Branon also mended one of the barrels that had been damaged rolling down the street, and while the stronger men started loaded the barrels back into the wagon, two Thoka agents came hurriedly up the street, looking worse for wear, trying to find Malva. They quickly relied the bad news - other thugs, presumably with the Eladrin spies, had closed in on the safehouse, which had prevented the Mist from fanning out into the Halfling borough to locate the reported cart and barrels. To save the agents, and hopefully the borough, abandoning the safehouse was the only choice that made sense; Malva recommended taking what could be salvaged, burning the house, and scattering before spies could lock everyone down in the safehouse. The two agents nodded, heading back into the Halfling Borough. By the end of the day, the only fire that burned in the Borough was the abandoned safehouse, thanks to the Mist.
Folkvar sent his guardsman off to collect as many other guards back to duty as he could find, and then he and the party led the captives and the cart back to the courthouse. About ten minutes later, as the cart arrived, so did ten guards. Fanning out in groups of two, the party and the guards began scouring the alleys of the Dwarven Borough, looking for another group supposedly moving barrels; about thirty minutes later, one pair of guards reported back, leading the party and Folkvar to an odd little alleyway where they had seen similar barrels guarded by some suspicious Dwarves. A quick scout by rooftop by Malva confirmed the report - three Dwarves waiting in a small residential alleyway with a well, guarding two barrels similar to those from earlier. Instead of a direct assault, the party set up a pincer - Vondal and Viktor set a trip line on the far alleyway exit while Branon and Cephandrius prepared some trickery. Branon spoke a calming prayer to Gatris, seeking to dull the senses of the guards as Cephandrius strode into the alleyway, pretending to be another member of their group with a message. Two of the three were caught by Branon's prayer, and while one of the guards was suspicious of Cephandrius, the leader of three was fully taken in by the ruse. As Cephandrius told the three that the plan had been called off, the leader seemed sad, but then asked if Cephandrius could help them move the barrels back into the safehouse. While the three talked about the plan and moved the barrels, the leader gave vital information about the plans of the spy network here in Skara. He likely would have continued... except panicked screams rang out from deeper into the city near the Grand Council Hall as a swirling, kaleidoscopic Tear opened in the sky, raining all manner of chaos down onto the city. The three spies quickly started down the back alley exit into the waiting arms of Constable Folkvar and the rest of the party, led by Cephandrius. Turning the spies over to the guards, Folkvar and the party made their way quickly towards the Grand Council Hall.
The group made their way through waves of chaos emanating from the Tear, watching skeletal hands erupt from the ground to hassle citizens, others running from unrecognizable creatures, but much worse awaited them at the council hall. In the courtyard, the party found Birel, another speaker, and a much more ornately armored Aen Elle with an ornate staff topped with a glowing white orb. Birel instructed her followers to find the Councilors and bring them to the gates to be executed, but Branon, invoking his god, blanketed the back of the courtyard in silence. Vondal and Viktor advanced, weapons in hand - Viktor on Birel, Vondal on the Aen Elle. Branon exchanged spells with Birel and the other speaker, trading silences and dispels in an effort to control the battlefield. Cephandrius resorted to an old but effective tactic, trapping the Aen Elle in his armor with heat metal, but this was no mere corsair; he nearly froze Vondal in place with a cone of blistering frost, then crossed the battlefield in the blink of an eye to protect his mistress. Cephandrius further clouded this elf's senses with a cacophony of whispers, forcing him to retreat for a moment, as Viktor and Malva continued to harry Birel; cornered, Birel shouted to her Tear, calling forth the Destroyer, a beast forged of pure chaos from the swirling madness beyond. As it viscous form slammed into the ground from the sky, small motes of raw chaos dragged several of the dead from the ground, erupting as skeletons in the courtyard to serve the beast. The constable advanced on the Destroyer, holding stalwart against the beast as the rest of the party moved to deal with its minions while still trying to keep Birel pinned down. Her protector regained his senses, managing to reach her as Viktor landed a powerful blow, nearly knocking the woman unconscious where she stood; even as his armor glowed from Cephandrius' spell, he was able to whisk the two of them away, leaving the other speaker to his fate.
With the elf and Birel quitting the field, the party was able to turn their attention to the Destroyer; mighty blows from Vondal, Folkvar, and Viktor, with spells from Branon, brought the monster to its knees. As it died, the Destroyer dissolved into acrid mist and roiling, oily slime, evaporating into nothing. Unfortunately, its death did not close the Tear - that task still remained. Folkvar, Cephandrius, and Viktor rushed through the council hall up the stairs to a tower that could get them close enough for the skald to work his song. Viktor reached out again as he had at the manner, but his mistress could not aid him this time - Cephandrius battled with the Tear, and though it tore at his mind, he succeeded in closing it before it wreck more havoc on the city.
The events of Ostara, along with evidence the party had collected over the several days prior, led to Arvind's quick release the following morning, granted with the Council's deepest apologies. On the first day of Cercis, instead of the trial that had been planned, the Councilors instead held a ceremony at the gates of the Grand Council Hall to honor the party for their efforts in protecting the city, after which Cephandrius presented the deed to Hnigalimar to make a claim to the now-abandoned manor. Good to her word, Ylva vouched for the skald's telling of events that led to the demise of the former owners, the Runlimor Skalds. As the ruling authority in the region was amenable to establishing another skald as the owner of the manor, especially considering the party's recent heroism - the idea of having a stronghold so close to city sitting empty, possibly attracting some unsavory element, also did not really sit well with the Council.
The following day, the party headed back into town to question the conspirators and speakers captured on Ostara. Constable Folkvar first pulled them into an office in his department to show them materials his officers had recovered from Greaves' office and from the spies' safehouse - falsified guild papers and letters Greaves had intercepted from the spies, and notes and a handful of scrolls from the safehouse. He also explained that the two speakers had been thrown into the oubliettes in the dungeons, but Greaves and the dwarves were being held as dignitaries: Greaves due to his connections within the city, and the spies as political prisoners. Folkvar suggested questioning the speaker they had captured in the courtyard first, as he seemed much quieter and more stable than the other speaker; once processed, they had discovered the zealot speaker was covered in scars nearly from head to toe.
As the constable led the party into a room with a holding cell, two of his guards led in the first speaker, a younger looking man with mousy brown hair. Secured in Nidaran chains for everyone's protection, the young man was hoarse and decidedly uncomfortable, but he did not put up much of a fight, trying to answer questions as best he could. When he spoke about Kveðarok's motives, however, the party could not remember or understand his words, which Musa recognized. He explained that this knowledge was somehow hidden by the Eladrin, but he had paid a price - in torture - to learn it such that he could remember it. He assured them that if they persisted, even they might learn it and remember it in time. Musa told them how to came to join Kveðarok, how he had been run out by his skaldic sponsor and evicted from the Moonrider estate in Heyannir for daring to ask questions about how the Eladrin came to rule and for researching Eladrin history. Homeless and penniless, the Mistress had found him, given him purpose, and showed him secrets he had sought... but the price had been steep. Musa said he wasn't sure about where his partner was from, or if he was even from this sphere - a phrase that did not make any sense to Cephandrius. When pressed, Musa smiled, but refused to explain any further, saying he did not have sufficient time to teach about the "nature of reality" before his execution. When asked about the structure of Kveðarok, he said they were everywhere, but worked in small groups independently; he had only met his partner Inrauði about two weeks before Ostara. He did warn the others about his partner, though, saying that Inrauði was a true believer and a blood sorcerer - a dangerous man.
Given the warnings and their previous encounter with Inrauði, the party decided to attempt a different approach for the sorcerer. Fetching the garments taken from the speakers when they were captured, Malva and Cephandrius made up the latter to look like Birel with a combination of illusion magicks and their skill in disguises. Dragging Vitkor into the dungeon with him, Cephandrius-Birel tossed the paladin roughly into the oubliette at Inrauði's feet, demanding the speaker reveal what he had told the authorities. Fooled, Inrauði gave up some details previously unknown - something about an entity called the Spectral King that was not understandable entirely (again hidden by the magicks Musa had discussed), and the name of Kveðarok's base: the Eighth Estate. Unsure what other questions to ask while the ruse continued, Cephandrius threw a rope down to Viktor and revealed his identity; Inrauði was enraged, but did not reveal anything else of substance.
For their last interrogation, Cephandrius and Malva stood watch while Viktor and Vondal took point. Folkvar led the group to Greaves' room in the upper levels of the courthouse, then took the posted guard with him for a walk. The dwarf and the paladin entered to find Greaves at a desk in the suite; initially confused as to who they were, his attitude changed from defiant to compliant as Vondal made very effective suggestions of what might befall people close to Greaves if he decided not to cooperate. Greaves explained how he discovered the spies in the city from their questionable paperwork they had presented when they arrived, and how he had intercepted their communications and subverted their operation. Kveðarok, however, he had joined with out of necessity - after hearing their plans, he decided to be "on the winning side," as he put it; knowing when and how things would go down would allow him to protect his family and gain power, or so he had hoped. When Arvind had arrived, Birel had gotten into town first with the help of her protector, whom Greaves called the Navigator, and had Greaves leverage his connections to frame Arvind; the parties involvement had thrown things into chaos, forced the spies to accelerate their plans, and had put Kveðarok in the position to take advantage of all of it. He also knew about Birel's seeking of the book; he had told her that her best chances to find it in the city, since she had failed to locate it at Hnigalimar, was either the library within the Grand Council Hall or at the Ulfveiðr chapter-house, as it had once been an Eladrin chantry-house before the Last War.
Information in hand, the party headed into the Guild District to procure the book Greaves had discussed. Setting up on a busy corner near the shop, Cephandrius started an impromptu busking session to draw a crowd... and provide a distraction. Malva slipped quietly into the back alley, deftly opened the lock on the shop, and slipped inside unnoticed. Based on Greaves description, Malva quickly located the secret compartment in his desk and retrieved the notebook and the quill inside. She also nicked some of his legitimate ledgers on Redsmith operations, then just as quietly as she had slipped in, she returned to the crowd.
Once Cephandrius finished and picked up the hat, the group slipped into a nearby tavern and gave Branon a few moments to consult his ritual book to reveal the magicks within the notebook. Together, the pen and the notebook allow the passage of messages - whatever is written in one disappears and appears in another, connected notebook. Unsure what to write, the party decided to wait until something appeared in their book, hopefully once Greaves' trial was completed.
Following up on Greave's second lead, the party headed off to the Grand Council Library and spoke with the librarian, a spritely older woman named Sela Tareðor. After a few questions, she surmised that the party had come to investigate another rumor - the necropolis under the city. While she explained she had never seen any evidence of old tunnels or a 'city of the dead', she did know that some of the rumor was true - before the coming of the Eladrin, Skara had been an insignificant human fishing village, and that the Eladrin (according to what the former librarian had told her) were incredibly secretive about their history. When the Eladrin had fled the city at the end of the Last War, they had taken much of the books and documents pertaining to such details; she was kind enough to show them what documents had been left behind, but they were little more than some census records and mundane manifests. She also gathered up what interesting historical books she had in the collection - books pertaining to the War Under the Mountain, some interesting volumes detailing parts of Cirean history, but she also noted some concerns about her inability to recall what she was certain she had heard about other parts of Eladrin history. Cephandrius also commented on this phenomena, and asked if Sela discovered anything in her readings to please contact them, to which she agreed. She also offered to set up a tour of the proceedings records kept in the Grand Hall.
As to the library's copy of Khak Mocroz, Sela was certain she had read the title before - it was unusual, and she remembered it because she was unsure what the phrase meant exactly: it was unfamiliar to her in any of the languages she knew. Searching the library, however, she could not locate the volume, nor could she find any record of someone taking the book in her records...
During the two weeks after Ostara, besides the awards ceremony on the first of Cercis and the following day's interrogations, the party managed a number of important activities in the city individually prior to attending the Druid Moot on 12 Cercis. Branon identified the potion and the scroll retrieved from the Doomspeakers and those recovered from the Eladrin spies' safehouse by the Constable, and discovered they possessed a potion of hill giant's strength and scrolls of zone of truth, soul cage, snare, contagion, and resurrection. Considering these scrolls, Cephandrius realized why Domari Draumspak could not be raised by the temple - his soul must be trapped somewhere.
Branon also spent time reading Khak Mocroz and using Hnigalimar's library to research the location of Hul Keghrim, coming to the conclusion that lost city lay somewhere in the mountains of northern Einmanudr - in the Eladrin Empire. He also met two interesting fellows while pounding the pavement in search of a bag of holding and commissioning something new: Spirie Finneson, a retiring rogue looking to settle down in Skara, and Asyn Caebrak, an enterprising female Dwarven blacksmith/engineer who took Branon's notes for an unusual weapon and ran with them. Beyond that, Branon spent the remainder of his time working in the clinics and poorhouses of Skara - while he was unable to gain the favor of any of the clergy, he did restore some of his own faith in the power of being helpful.
Viktor spent the night of 01 Cercis - the night of the new moon - communing with his Patron in the dark of the forest. While communing was painful, Viktor did learn some new details about how the Spriggan Mother came to be imprisoned, what her plans for him were, and at least one entity she fears - Her. Viktor also spent a few days running down leads on powerful gauntlets and a private seller to procure a magical cloak, and then spent the remainder of his days in service at the Temple of the Old Gods, gaining some favor with the local clergy.
Malva spent much of her time working with Thoka to re-establish their safehouse in the city after they were forced to abandon their location in the Halfling Borough. They moved their operation to the Human Borough, an overall larger part of the city.
After resting for the better part of two weeks, Arvind departed on a ship for Varheim on 08 Cercis, to finally make his report to Jarl Alrek II about what transpired in the Tomb of Eirick Jokullmon at the foot of Roc Mountain.
Over the course of the two weeks, Cephandrius made some time for reading as he started setting up operations at Hnigalimar. Word of the new owners spread quickly, and soon the keep was bustling with men-at-arms looking to pledge service. Cephandrius also managed to spend a few nights in the city's taverns turning up some interesting rumors from around Skara and other parts of Hrim as well as drumming up some leads on private sellers with a magical lute and an intriguing stone they were looking to part with.
After the ceremonies, Vondal spent two days working with the Wolf Hunt, meeting with Ylva to discuss how the organization operates. To that end, the White Wolf of the Hunt sent Vondal on a simple mission with Brother Berti; a local cartwright had commissioned the Hunt to locate a branding she was sure had been stolen by a new competitor to hurt her business. Conducting some interviews of the local color, Vondal and Berti narrowed down where to search for the branding iron, executed a tense late-night search, and successfully located the missing maker's mark without having to seriously injure anyone. Vondal was able to ask a lot of questions and get a feel for how the Hunt operates as a result.
The morning of the moot dawned cool, clear and crisp as the elder druids of the Old Gods arrived at the temple in Skara: Dyne and Thogi, a pair of old dwarves from northern Biarmia; Aullaudg and Thorga, two women of the wilds who looked happy to see one another; Ljorni, an old halfling with a great golden eagle; and Unig, an old stout man that both Cephandrius and Malva recognized from their travels. The archdruid, whom the pair had met in Stormholm Pass several months ago, recognized them as well and greeted them in kind, obviously wishing this meeting were under better circumstances.
Once seated, Druid Talbot called Viktor forward to tell the assembled druids of Austmer, the presence in his Grove, his visions, and what had happened on the outskirts of the Green Mother's grove. Once Viktor finished, Unig addressed the assembly, saying he too had noticed a change in the Hierophant's memory and recall as of late. Ljorni discussed some old tales of other oddness in Steinbjorn from years ago, which prompted Dyne and Thogi to speak about similar afflictions having been seen in the north recently. The assembled druids decided to send the party to attempt to penetrate the Grove of the Green Mother itself, while Ljorni and Unig would visit Austmer's grove in Steinbjorn to see if they too could find the evil the party had encountered.
Viktor's statements about voices from beyond and She prompted Unig to ask to speak to the party before they left as the assembly broke up. He asked if they had encountered any long, black feathers, to which Branon produced his ritual book and quill. He warned the party that some entities existed beyond even the Old Gods, and while he was not entirely certain the nature of this raven-feathered She, he feared she may be one of these entities. The party should be very wary in whatever dealings they might have with Her, as her motives were unknowable to even the elders of the Old Gods. Viktor showed Unig the crystal as well, but the archdruid was not familiar; he suggested Viktor show the artifact to Ljorni.
Showing the old halfling the crystal, Ljorni pondered it, saying he himself was unfamiliar with the script, but it was like a symbol that Frode had drawn once he recovered from his madness many years ago. Calling over Thogi and Dyne, they too said the script was familiar, but those afflicted in the north had drawn a different symbol, which they scrawled in the dirt on the ground. Viktor could also read this symbol - "Fail." Unfortunately, beyond that, none of the druids could provide much more insight on the crystal or the affliction.
The party left immediately once the moot was concluded that morning, heading east along the old Imperial road, under quiet skies and calm roads. Arriving into Haversham that evening, the party spent a comfortable evening at the inn and awoke fresh the next morning. The weather held and the roads where even less traveled as the party continued east in the thickening forests of western Biarmia, crossing into the wilds surrounding the Green Mother's Grove that afternoon. As evening approached, the party arrived at the Arbor Gate, overgrown with brambles and thick boughs, a mist emanating from the depths of the Grove. As they dismounted, seven dryads appeared from the woods, blocking their path - the Primal Sisters. The Sister who the party had protected on their previous visit stepped forward and asked they had returned, despite her previous warnings. Viktor explained their journey from the moot, and the sisters conferred. Their concerns rested largely on Viktor - in the Grove, the Sisters were not sure he would be able to resist the call of the Mother... but the majority of them acquiesced, allowing the party entrance. Chanting together, the Sisters opened their Vale over the Grove of the Green Mother.
Within the canopy was thick, cloaking the Grove in perpetual twilight. Malva, Cephandrius, and Vondal found themselves stricken by malaise within mists; although Branon and Viktor were able to push onwards without issues, the other three found their limbs heavy and slow. Unsure how long they walked within this twilight, the group was keenly aware that danger lurked in the trees, as they could hear the skittering of the thorny assailants from their last visit two weeks prior. Their wanderings finally led them to a hill within the center of the Grove upon which sat a great tree, long dead, with a great beast - the Blackroot - pinned to it through the chest by a wicked sword - the sword that had haunted Viktor's dreams since childhood: the Ironheart Blade - forged of cold wrought iron, flecked with specks of a silvery metal, and at its fuller, instead of a guard, a wicked cage of iron barbs wrapped around and threw a glowing green vegetal heart.
Branon approached cautiously to inspect the tree, making a horrific discovery: wedged within a hollow in the heart of the tree rested the long-dead body of what appeared to be a small child. With the position of the Blackroot and the blade that pinned it to the tree, the only way to retrieve the child's remains would be to dislodge the blade. Viktor began to approach the tree, the voice of his Patron pounding in his skull, begging to be freed. Cephandrius and Branon attempted to reason with the paladin as he stumbled forward, driven by her ravings, his hand reaching for the blade... before he came to his senses. Assessing the tree, the remains of the poor child, and their likely demise at the hands of a monster than had murdered many Eladrin soldiers, Viktor refused his Patron's demand to free the blade and her twisted beloved... and drew her immediate ire.
The beasts in the trees, who until now had stayed in the shadows at their Mother's insistence, now drew forth at her anger to devour the party whole. Cephandrius took to the air with the aid of his lute, while Malva and Vondal tore off on foot back towards the Arbor Gate. Viktor grabbed Branon and took off behind the others, as the thorn blights and sluagh swarmed from the trees behind them. Jumping over rifts that tore into the ground, careening through blights that attempted to bar their way. A little bruised and battered, the party managed to make it to the Gate; the Sisters opened the way for them, as Viktor threw down veins to block any blight's passage as they again closed the Vale.
Confronted by Viktor with the reality behind their Vale, the Sisters explained that they could not have stopped the girl's death - that was the work of the Crone. Her death had brought about the corruption of the Ancient One, transforming him into the Blackroot. When the Sisters could not quell the raving Mother as she too fell to the corruption, they had the Hierophant's aid in sealing her away. Stealing away the Mother's heartroot, they had given it to Austmer, and he had returned with the Blade, called forth the Blackroot, and pinned them both to the tree. Contained, the Sisters were able to work their magics and seal the Grove behind their Vale. When asked about Her, the lead Sister was the first person they party had heard give this entity a name: the lady of memories, the Queen of Ravens.
Exhausted from their escape, the party rested at the Arbor Gate, and the Sisters led them from the Grove the next morning such that they would not be lost in between the worlds as they had been the last time they had journeyed from the Grove. A light rain began to fall as they traveled west, continuing all the way to Haversham and into the night. As the rain drummed a steady beat, Cephandrius awoke to a flash of light and the appearance of five figures in his room - four armed Eladrin guards and their leader, dressed in the robes of a spellcaster, holding an apparatus Cephandrius had never seen before. As the skald surveyed his options, the leader, Azaki, here on the duty of Paelias I, Emperor of Einmanudr, Heyannir, and the Isles, began asking questions - had he been in the Tomb of the Frozen King, what had happened there, had anyone entered 'the deep', and had anything been taken from the Tomb. Cephandrius told the Eladrin of Birel and their encounter in the Tomb and of what he knew about her plans thus far - that she sought a book to find the location of Hul Keghrim, the lost Dwarven city , which Cephandrius believed was located in the mountains in northern Einmanudr based the party's research. Azaki referred to the song as the Winter Chorus, and also spoke of something referred to the Melodies of the Seasons, but did not explain more. He also stated that the Emperor was gravely concerned about the happenings in the Tomb - so much so that invasion of Hrim was being considered to put an end to it. Azaki said he would rely Cephandrius' information to the Emperor and depending on his lord's decisions, may return with means to communicate more regularly. Their business concluded, Azaki retrieved the apparatus from his robes again, and the five Eladrin vanished. Cephandrius quickly rounded up the others and told them of the Eladrin visitation. Malva and Vondal were very against the idea of any dealings with the Empire, despite their possible common enemy as Cephandrius pointed out. Unable to really come to much more consensus so late, the five did manage to rest some more before morning, and then continued on in the rain to Skara.
Returning to Skara, the party immediately sought out Druid Talbot at the temple, informing him of their discoveries in the Grove of the Green Mother and the Ancient One. As Unig and Ljorni had not returned from Steinbjorn, Talbot suggested the other assembled druids and the party depart for the Hierophant's grove in the morning. After a fitful night's rest, the assembled eleven started east along the old Imperial roads, stopping outside of Haversham to camp for the night, then continuing onward the next day through occasional bouts of spring rain.
A day outside of Steinbjorn, the druids and the party met Alvilda at the head of an armed company of soldiers headed westward. She explained they were on a mission of solidarity on behalf of Freythor, to discuss old alliances with Jarl Alrek II in Varheim. As the soldiers passed on, Druid Talbot wondered aloud why such a meeting would require such a large group of armed soldiers... but more pressing matters lay a day ahead.
Arriving in Steinbjorn, the druids and the party found Ljorni and Unig in the Grove, attempting to draw Austmer from his shack. They had found the dark stains Viktor and Cephandrius had sensed when they were last in the Grove, but Austmer had refused to answer their questions, instead retreating to his hut. Hearing the others arrive and begin to discuss their options given all that had been found thus far, Druid Talbot called out the Hierophant to stand to questions... and he finally came before them, unarmed. If they had expected a pious man, those assembled were greatly disappointed; even as Viktor screamed Austmer's crimes, barely able to contain himself, the old druid simply nodded, admitting his guilt - his involvement with the Crone, that he had given the halfling girl to her for the purposes of forcing the Green Mother and the Ancient One to help their people - they had disowned the old laws, he said. His actions were justified, and he refused to feel sorry for the death of one halfling girl considering how many lives it had saved in the end. The Spriggan Mother, on the other hand, he had not foreseen... and as the Crone had already gotten what she wanted from him, she had refused to appear again to aid him with the consequences. So he had called on another power - the Raven Queen - to aid him in sealing the Spriggan Mother away at the request of the Primal Sisters... and now, given the shadows of war brewing once again, Austmer steadfastly refused to admit his decisions so long ago had been wrong... and that perhaps even now, the Blackroot might prove necessary again.
As those assembled stood aghast, Austmer proclaimed he had left the badges of his office in his shack, and that it would be foolish for them to attempt to stop him in leaving - the title of Hierophant was not simply one of respect, he reminded them. Before any there could move to stop him, the old druid retrieved a fork of reddish metal from his robes and, intoning ancient words of power, vanished in a flash of fire and heat.
Several moments of stunned silence gave way to the curses and smashing clangs of sword against menhir as Viktor raged against the stained standing stone of the Grove. Unig and Ljorni finally moved first, entering the shack as Druid Talbot began speaking with the others on what their next move should be. Returning with the staff and vestments of the Hierophant, Branon asked how the group selected a new leader, which drew several sheepish looks from the assembled druids - normally, a moot of the ranking druids and archdruids would select a new Hierophant when the old one passed away; no real rules existed for a situation such as this one. It was Unig who suggested that Austmer's statement of having left his badges of office and his heinous deeds amounted to abdication of his office, and the others nodded. Druid Talbot suggested that the new Hierophant should be either Ljorni or Unig, as they were the eldest amongst the assembled druids, but Vondal quietly suggested that Talbot should be the new Hierophant - he had called the moot and directed the proceedings thus far. Surprisingly, Unig agreed with the dwarf - Talbot was also the head of one of the largest temples in the north, so he was definitely well qualified and respected. With Unig's support, the other druids quickly agreed, marking the beginning of the era of Talbot the Hierophant... and also that of Austmer the Renegade.
Talbot would return to Skara immediately - Unig asked if the party would be able to accompany him, but Cephandrius informed them that there were urgent matters to attend to in the east. The druids were disappointed, but understood, and thanked the party for their assistance thus far. Druid Dyne would stay in the grove here in Steinbjorn to help return it to nature and protect it should Austmer return, while the other druids would make haste to the Grove of the Green Mother and the Ancient One to further seal it from Austmer should he attempt to retrieve the Ironheart Blade and awaken the Blackroot anew.
While the business with Austmer was concluded for the time being, another related matter still remained - telling Frode of his daughter. Making their way to the old halfling's shack on the eastern edge of town, a knock on the door drew a bulbous nose, bristly whiskers, and half-crazed eyes peering out the crack of a barely-opened door demanding to know their business... and then recognizing Malva and Cephandrius as someone he'd pushed potions out to only a few months passed. After a few strained exchanges, Branon and Viktor managed to talk Frode into allowing them inside with the promise of bad news. Inside the small shack, the true chaos of Frode's madness was made readily apparent - all manner of smoking vials, steaming concoctions, and foul sulfurous smells could be found alongside mad scribblings and great loops of strings, as though someone had been trying to map out their ravings for decades... but within those scribblings, Viktor recognized the symbol in the crystal. With all the expected bedside manner of a battlefield medic, Branon told Frode the bitter truth - his daughter was dead, and had been for nearly all the years he'd looked for her. Frode's wildness blunted, he flopped into a chair. Asking if she had suffered, Viktor tried to lie to the old apothecary... but Frode saw through it. Asking why his daughter... all the paladin could muster was she had "died in service of Hrim;" Frode was not well comforted by that, but also suspected that this news was not the only reason the group had visited. Viktor asked about the story Ljorni had told them, and Frode did what he could to fill in some details, but he had been delirious at the time when he encountered the crystal so many years ago; he could not remember where the cave had been he had found it, but he could remember the six-armed beings he had seen in the shadows, and the number 10, even though he never knew what it meant in relation to the crystal. Unable to help them more, he asked them to leave him to ponder his daughter, and the party graciously left the apothecary's cramped shack.
Initially stopped at the gates of Steinbjorn Keep by a guard with orders that no one was to disturb Master Freythor, chance would have it that the magistrate, the elder dwarf Egil, was just on his way from meeting with the master of the keep and, recognizing the party, ushered them past the weakly protesting guard. Directed by many through the bustling halls and into the audience chamber, the party found Freythor surveying a map of Hrim with several advisors, whom he dismissed to speak with the five. Having already heard tell of the sedition in Skara and Cephandrius' good fortune at being named the lord of Hnigalimar, Freythor put the young bard on the spot as to where his loyalties lay when war came to the North... and also suggested that perhaps this time, instead of waiting for the Empire to cross the Throat, the people of the North should finish the job they left unfinished fifty years ago. He asked the party to travel to Meadoros and make contact with the ruling factions there, in an attempt to solidify the fractured city-states of Hrim towards a single purpose once again - defending their homeland from the Eladrin and breaking the back of the Empire once and for all. Cephandrius agreed to assist as he could with what troops he might muster, and the five agreed to head to Meadoros and see what allies they might find there.
Before taking to the inn, as they were already under the mountain, the party also decided to speak with Calder and let him know they would be currently unable to search for the lost Dwarven outpost west of Trombak. He understood - he had also heard the news from Skara - and said he would seek the party out in the fall if tensions had eased sufficiently to allow for an expedition. The party also sold the wizard the two spellbooks they had found in the hidden library in Hnigalimar; Calder drove a very hard bargain, but was definitely pleased with the acquisitions, saying he'd be happy to help instruct anyone in the Art if they were so inclined, but to remember the stigma that wizards often faced in the North.
After a trying day, the party decided to relax at the Pick and the Keg. Eira was happy for Cephandrius to play the inn that night, and he gave a rousing evening of music and musings. Branon and Malva ran several games of chance, while Viktor and Vondal made sport with the local miners in feats of strength... all in all, it was a well-needed, long awaited night of fun, given the long days on the road and the hard conversation of the afternoon. The party slept well, and awoke to a fine late spring morning, ready to head north for Meadoros.
As they made camp on their first night on the road, a small group of travelers - a merchant named Ormr and his young guards - pulled alongside the party looking to see if they could park their wagon and share camp and stories for the night. A quiet evening of good company was only marred by another odd fallen star sighting in the night, but was otherwise quiet and clear. In the morning, the merchant group asked if they could ride along with the party (safety in numbers) and although the cart would slow down progress slightly, all agreed.
As the group made their way through the mountains, looking for caves that might serve for where Frode had encountered the crystal so many years ago, the party came across an odd sight - a druid working with a group of owlbears in their den up off the side of the road in the passes. He introduced himself as Brennu, and explained that there were 'poachers' in the region from local settlements who hunted down the fauna of the region; he had lost a group of owlbears a few weeks back, and now had decided to stay with this group until their young were old enough to fend for themselves. While a bit scratched and scarred for his kindness to the monsters, he did seem to be otherwise unharmed. As they talked, Viktor and Cephandrius asked about the depths of the cavern den; Brennu said he had noted the caves did open up into a network of some sort further back, but he had not had time to investigate it further lest harm befall the owlbears in his absence. Considering the presence of young, the party thought it wiser not to attempt to pass the beasts in case they felt threatened and attacked to defend their cubs, but marked the cave on their map to return to at a later date.
About a half day out of Meadoros, the party found a family dragging a rickety cart with their possessions out of a small community. The father explained they were seeking to try their luck in the city as they had run into hard times - crops had been poor the past year, other avenues had dried up, so he and his family were going to try learning and plying a trade. They had some meager goods for sale, and were looking to make a few coins to aid in their journey; instead, the party helped hitch their cart to the merchant's wagon and loaded them up for an easier ride to Meadoros. Malva tried to slip some money into their belongings quietly, but was seen... though no one mentioned seeing her, and by late afternoon, the merchant, the family, and the party found themselves on the outskirts of the former provincial capital of Biarmia - Meadoros.
Arriving late in the afternoon, the party made their way into the city to the Ulfveiðr chapterhouse. Making their through the streets and byways, slowly everyone made note of the marks of the Mist hidden throughout the city, but were unable to pin down where the safehouse might lie. Although much smaller than Skara's, the scene was much the same in the courtyard - Brothers and Sisters practicing sword play and grappling, boisterous chatter, and general camaraderie. Vondal asked around to speak with whomever oversaw this chapterhouse, and the party was introduced to Clas - a mountain of a man, head shaven, several prominent facial piercings and scars, with a solid oaken peg leg. Despite his general rough appearance, Brother Clas was more than happy to meet the party and help get them up to speed on events in recent months; native, semi-nomadic tribes-people of Hrim known as the Keldons had stepped up what had previously been nuisance raids on grain and livestock against outlying communities, and in recent weeks had even razed one of the farthest communities from the city to the ground. This unrest had stressed the relationship between Meadoros, Kilingi, and Hul Lodir as well as between these smaller communities and the rulers of these larger city-states. The Brothers and Sisters of Ulfveiðr had in many ways borne the brunt of these increasingly violent raids; while the local lord had sizable cavalry and had committed them to the field, the tactics of the Keld and the rough terrain in the foothills of the Northsea Mountains made them incredibly difficult to pin down. Also, Meadoros still needed to use a large portion of its cavalry to protect commerce on the Bearded Way, as the Keld had taken to increasing their raids on caravans between Kilingi and Meadoros as well. Brother Clas suggested that party speak with Halver Floshem, the self-titled Overseer of Meadoros, but that they should attempt to make arrangements for an audience sooner rather than later, as depending on their reputation, it might take some time to get onto the calendar.
Leaving the chapterhouse, Cephandrius stopped into a courier's shop nearby to send word to Bjartrsteinn, the Skaldic estate of the Maxtori family east of Kilingi, detailing the events surrounding Hnigalimar and the fate of the Rünlimor Skalds. The courier said the round-trip would take just over a week to complete, but set off immediately once Cephandrius had finished the missive. Cephandrius then proceeded to the Citadel, the edifice that served as the old Eladrin provincial capital and also the current lord's, and spoke with the seneschal; fortunately for the group, the Overseer had a space in his calendar the following morning where he could discuss their mission. Meanwhile, the others secured lodgings for the night at a lovely inn called the Crossed Staves situated on a byway between the Grove of the Old Gods and Forest Park in the city's First District.
Their meeting secured, Cephandrius gave a wonderful performance that evening at the inn, and the party made some local acquaintances; notably, Viktor struck up a conversation with a young aspirant having a night of reprieve named Katrina. They spoke of the Old Gods and the tragic events that had led Katrina to recently join the clergy here in Meadoros; she had been rescued by the ovate overseeing her small village when her parents had fallen ill, died, and then risen again as restless dead. None were quite sure what illness had befallen her parents, but her rescue by a follower of the Old Gods had convinced her to leave the village and travel here to the Grove to commit her life to their worship and teachings.
The next morning, as the group arrived for their audience with the Overseer, they first met the group that had preceded them in the schedule - a group of bickering, salty dwarves were exiting the Overseer's office as they arrived. Talking with the leader of this group, Cephandrius and Vondal were able to get some additional details on the Keld, how these raids have been impacting Hul Lodir, and a brief expression of interest from the Dwarves that, should the Keld problem be dealt with, Hul Lodir would likely stand ready to assist defending the North or defeating the Empire - Freythor's choice. Parting ways, the seneschal ferried the party into their meeting with Overseer Floshem.
Seated behind a desk smoking a pipe when the party entered the office, Halver Floshem was briefly aware of some of the goings-on in Skara and had heard some of the rumors of troops massing in northern Einmanudr, so he was amenable to discussing Freythor's concerns, but not at the current time - not with the Kelds raiding his territories. If the party assisted by either suppressing the rebels or bringing them to the table for talks, Meadoros' cavalry would be freed up for possible commitment in the south. Given the current state of affairs, he also apologized for not being able to offer much in the way of resources upfront for the party besides maps and information; if the uprising was put down or defused, Floshem said the city would be able to reward the party for their service. Agreeing to look into the Kelds, the party stopped on their way out from their meeting to speak with the seneschal about a map of the surrounding area; he promised to have one drafted for them and would have it ready by morning.
With the remainder of the day to plan their journey into the surrounding areas north, the party took time to visit the Guild District to resupply. Viktor also commissioned upgrades on an Aen Elle plate suit the party recovered in Skara: refurbishing, burnishing, and fastening of the heraldic symbol of Hnigalimar to the breastplate. The party also sought out Ormr, the merchant they had traveled with into Meadoros; they found him selling exquisite carvings of animals in the market place, and he gave Vondal and Viktor carvings from his cart - a raven and a wolf. They also found Ivar and Ervid in the market, selling fabrics from the south and garments of their own tailoring; they had recently received a new shipment from the south to replace their losses from the attack, and Cephandrius commissioned their services to tailor him a suit of clothing suitable for meeting with Eladrin nobles. Ivar agreed, and even hinted he might be so persuaded to move his operation to Hnigalimar if the circumstances were suitable.
In the early afternoon, the party headed to the Grove of the Old Gods in the center of Meadoros. This Grove had served the inhabitants of the region since the time of the Cireans, and thus the city had grown up around this holy site. Speaking briefly with the ovates and exchanging greetings with Katrina, the party was ushered to the Forum of Reflection at the center of the Grove to meet with High Initiate Finnan. Left in charge while the Druids Thogi and Dyne were called away for the Moot, Finnan sat quietly and contemplatively at the pool in the Forum, breaking his meditation to speak with the party. His calm, quiet demeanor belied the tenor of his responses anfd his answers to their questions, however; he spoke of things in cryptic ways, insinuating knowledge of details he could not possibly know, and his talk of balance and the necessity of both good and evil set the party ill at ease. Vondal reached within for insight, but could sense no evil or malice from the High Initiate - at least none of a supernatural nature. The group left the Grove with more questions and worries than they had prior to arriving...