Session 3: The High Road Report

The party left Squall's End the same afternoon, heading into the interior of the island. After a few hours of traveling they arrived at the small village of Willowdale, ruled by Alderman Atkins. He told the party that they were more than welcome to stay, but that accommodations would be potentially less than perfect. They accepted, and the stayed in the village. They also came up with the idea of helping Carter, who was a cooper by trade, to start a business in the village. It lacked a shoemaker at that time, and it would be beneficial for both parties for him to open up shop. Having dealt with him, the party sat down and focused on their next practical step: Where would they go next? They decided to ignore Lucius's demand for them to return to Baymouth landing and headed west into the interior of the island.

The western roads of the island took the party through a region of hilly forests, poorly developed and much different from the coast lands they had experienced in Squall's End. For much of their journey they encountered nothing of note, save a few travelers moving up and down the road to reach one side or the other through the least dangerous path. Along this road they came upon the village of Garrian's Vault, no more than a small transit town with an inn and some small shops as the primary sources of income. It seemed like a better place than any to stop for the night than any. They unsaddle the horse, stored the cart for the night, and set themselves into personal rooms for the night. It was an ordinary for all but Kane, who was visited by an agent of Lucius. The man wore a full black outfit and a face mask, and he held a knife to Kane's throat, but the strangest thing is that he was able to communicate to him through telepathy. He told Kane that Lucius was expecting them, and knew that they were heading in the opposite direction. He bid they return to Baymouth Landing within a week to talk, then he disappeared into the night as mysteriously as he had arrived. The next morning, Kane told the party about what had happened over breakfast. It was no doubt a surprise that Lucius had found them so quickly, but there had been no doubt that there would be repercussions for their betrayal. They decided two things: One, they would sleep in the same room to avoid the danger of any unwanted visitors, and they decided that they'd risk Lucius' wrath and continue to head west, possibly getting help from the Empire.

They moved with haste away from Garrian's Vault in the early morning, wishing to use their free week to get as far away from Baymouth Landing as possible. This took them further west through the wooded terrain of the hills, north of a particularly evil looking swamp and dominated a large patch of land on the islands interior. About mid-afternoon the party heard a strange song coming from deep within the woods alongside the road. It sounded like a bird's song, but more sweet, as if a harp was in tune with vocals in creating a melodious masterpiece. It caught everyone's attention, but no more so than Meriele, who was entranced by the music and wandered off into the forest to find the source. Drayton followed closely after her, with Michael and Kane trailing a few yards behind. At the end of her walk, Meriele stood before a great oak in the heart of the woods, grander than all those around it. She embraced it, and was entirely inseparable from it, as a grieving woman might embrace a long lost lover. At first it was simply strange, no more, that was until Michael cast his gaze up the tree and discovered the source of the sweet song: A harpy, a mix between a bird and a woman, just preached up on a branch.

It immediately began to attack, swooping with its sharp talons right into the face of a bewildered Kane. The blow it landed was once glancing, but it immediately took off into the air again to make another pass. As it descended back down to attack again, Kane hurled a dart at it, causing it to come off balance and miss the hit. Drayton then attempted to hit the harpy with a javelin, but missed and tossed it straight into a tree beside Michael and Kane. The beast took a swipe at Michael and landed a bleeding blow, but was caught in combat hovering a foot or two before them. Kane used that moment of weakness to vault off the tree and javelin and land on the beast's back, bringing it down right onto Michael's waiting blades. It gave out a shriek as the steel punctured its chest and out its back, blood coursing down Michael's arms. It died quickly, and Michael slipped it off his swords.

To fight a creature so rare as a harpy was a unique experience, but the experience of the fight didn't compare to the loot they found in the harpy's nest: two short swords, golden and expertly crafted of gleaming steel and bearing a hilt reminiscent of a dragon's wings. Michael took them as his prize, as he was the best trained to use them properly. Leaving the forest and reconnecting with the road, the party continued westward toward the city of Papan along the western coast of the island. The rest of the trip was without conflict, though Drayton was visited by a messenger bearing a letter from Commander Fergen. It seemed that word had reached him about the torching of the Golden Pony, which upset him greatly. The potential for an international conflict between the Empire of Corgastor and the Confederation of Nevan was a real threat. The last thing the Empire needed was war to open up on another front after the unexpected outbreak of the Drakarian War. Drayton dictated a letter during the ride to the effect of you need not worry, I have things under control. Harsh situations require harsh methods. He decided to not share the information with the rest of the party.

After a few more hours the party arrived in the outskirts of Papan, and were greeted by the stone walls and keep of a castle, just a few miles from the main city. Drayton, more so than anybody else, was greatly excited by this apparent bastion of civilization in what he perceived to be an otherwise barbaric and backwater region. They approached its front gates and were stopped by the guards, who promptly inquired about their business. The party explained that they were just travelers, but were interested to know who was lord of the castle and from what family did he hail. The guard scoffed and explained that this place is what is known as the Lentis Commune, where they are their own masters. There are no leaders among them, and all matters are settled during meetings that take place every Sunday.

Now it was Drayton's turn to scoff, as he found the mere concept of rule by the people to be utterly ridiculous. The rest of the party was more receptive, no less found the idea borderline anarchical. After that short exchange the party continued to the city of Papan proper, its smooth stone walls hanging before them, gates open. Inside the city the party began their search for lodging from which to further plan their adventure. They indeed found an inn, and the biggest in town no less: The Steel Steed. Odd, they thought, that there should be another inn with a metallic horse theme on the same island. Perhaps, they also thought, it may be linked to Lucius's operation. It would certainly be worth investigating. They paid for their room, this time choosing to lodge themselves into a single suite as to prevent the same sort of late night visitations that had befallen Kane in Garrian's Vault.

The next day, the party split itself up to complete various errands. Michael and Kane went to the merchants to sell some of the goods they had acquired during the trips, the most extravagant among them being the happy feathers they had plucked off the beast's corpse before leaving. Drayton and Meriele went to visit the Imperial outpost in the city to inquire if it were possible to get Imperial help in eliminating the threat of Lucius. He arrived and spoke to the captain there of the developing situation with Lucius's drug operation. He also handed over the letter he had written in reply to Commander Fergen, to be delivered with the utmost haste and returned in kind.