Session 13: Upon the Gilded Doorstep Report
General Summary
The Caputred dwarven rifflemen were quickly bound with real shackles and drug over towards the caravan. Wagon drivers and uninjured guards moved about finding the wounded from among their own, getting them aide while pulling the dead together away from their slain foes. A'lar would speak up first in his usual cheery voice "Now why dont you tell me why you were all so rude to attack us like that?" Indelell would sigh as the dwarves remained stoicly silent, "You are fare to nice, let me torture one of them to loosen the others tongues," his glare moving over them/ Tily would push past Ismaril who was looking on at the prisoners. The gnome with a sour look made her way to where the three dwarves were. "Who was on the left," her icey tone would ask. A'lar and Indalell would look to her, a make shift bandage soved over her shoulder stained with blood, Indalell would point to the riffleman on the left flank. With a single motion tilly would level her double barreled musket and fire both in one shot thru the dwarves skull, before he had slumped over she would have shouldered her weapon and started back to the wagon, "No one puts bullets thru me." A'lar would nod a bit and turn to the remaining two "Right, well....you can answer some questions or perhaps we tell her we mixed up who was on which flank?" The prisoners would confess to being raiders from Clan Frostblood to the west, pushing further into Aureate territory as their defense along the river lands has increased. They would offer that they had a few more men at camp, but this was their first raid since returning to the region and had nothing else to offer. Master Copperpot would keep the prisoners to turn over for political favors when they arrived. It took several hours to police the dead, help the injured and get the road clear for the caravan to continue. The next two nights, Adalon would suffer and wake from night terrors showing him alternate fates of his demise. These would subside for the next several days, but would still concern Ayrien. The nightmars would return just before arriving at Auretus, prompting the Scales to take not and offer advice, Ismaril curious if she could watch his mind as the terror gripped him, finding the way fear played upon others most fascinating, "Remember Adalon, Fear isnt real, Danger is Real, but fear is just your imagination playing tricks on you."
Glimwhick bid the company farewell thankful for their assistance and saving his caravan, offering a favor whenever they should need it. The group next struck out across the city in search of the Blue Falcon, from the information A'varia had and what Glimwhick could offer this seemed to be the best place to start. Renting the entire top floor of the establishment as a base camp for the Scales, Idalell would order his fathers favorite wine, a specific vintange used as a code of identification. Upon the delivery of the wine, A'lar would notice something in the punt of the bottle. Asking Indalell for the bottle he would pour his own glass and remove the small coin there in, resembling very much the coin Indalell presented him when looking for his father in the first place. Sliding it to Indalell he would enjoy the wine. After cleaning up and enjoying some early dinner, Indalell would make a pass at Mirael, one of the Blue Falcons hostesses and aquire a private study to collect his notes and wait for contact from the coin giver. The others would all head out into the city to take in the local scene. A'lar, Ismaril, and her guardsman Idrial would go to seek out a performance. Adalon and Ayrien decided to walk the streets and see what could be found, while Longwei remained to keep an eye on their rooms and the tavern itself.
Finding the entertainment district easily enough the treo would stroll the path of playwrites and decided upon a show. Ismaril and Idrial would go to see "The Ghosts of Ravenswood Manor" while A'lar was intrigued by "Infinite Dreams" having never heard of it before and finding himself very in the know of most such performances. The Ghosts of Ravenswood Manor would be a suspesnful horror story, made to fright and give a warning for those who seek power thru dark necromancy. While others would scream in fear, Ismaril would laugh finding the whole experience amusing. A'lars show would tell the tale of a group of characters who are trapped in a dreamlike world that seems to go on forever. As they struggled to find a way out, they were forced to confront their deepest fears and desires, and in so doing discover hidden truths about themselves and each other. Intrigued by the layers of messaging in the play he would cast a spell allowing him to fade from view and would make his way backstage after the performance. Once doing so he would move over towards a stage hand cleaning up, "Yes excuse me?" to which the stage hand would shout in surprise as A'lar seemed to materialize out of no where. "By the gods where did...what..." A'lar would smile "yes where can I find the writer and director the play id like to convey my appreciation. The flustered stage hand would point him towards a backroom where A'lar would find snacks and the main cast, director, and writer discussing the performance. A'lar would make an entrance as usual applauding and complimenting them, but also adding subtle advice. A dark haired elven woman of a slight frame, even by elf standards would smile a bit and nod, "Well thank you, and who are you exactly?" As A'lar introduced himself the others would excuse themselves to make their way homes for the evening. After a brief exchange and pleasnatries A'lar would ask for an autograph in his book. Conjuring a writing feather Gaelira would sign his book and as she handed it back maker her exit. A'lar would look to the signature and grin as it was signed, "Serendipities Cartographer." "Well, another Fate Scribe, it seems we are in the right place," and with that he would go to meet up with Ismaril and Idrial.
Adalon and Ayrien would find the city very pleasing, not having to climb the great mountain as they walked like at home was a pleasant change. The streets were imaculate with carefully manicured foliage all along it. They would come upon a halfling troupe of street performers giving some sort of political satire of a puppet show. It painted Queen Thalindra in a poor light, being far to concerned with her toy boat instead of taking care of the threats against the realm, and gave a very noble visage to a rival, Caelion Aelindon. Ayrien would take note of the surname, as it was given by the Frostblood prisoners as the regular aggressor against them, burning their food stores, leaving them suposidly little other option but to raid Aureate for supplies. Adalon would drop a full gold piece into the hat as it came around and would ask the Halflings if they could tell him more of the situation to which their story was about. They would eagerly share that Thalindra has stolen territory from friendly Clan Summit to build a port to the West and seems unconcrned with the regular fighting with Clan Frostblood. Thanking them Adalon would also ask somewhere enjoyble to spend the evening, and the Halflings would direct him to festival row, a side street near the play houses where up and comers would put on street shows trying to catch the eye of one of the main performing houses.
Back at the Tavern Longwei would be staving off his drinks with Garr who was getting quite blitzed while Indalell would finally be met with the coin giver. Kaelen the half elf owner of the Blue Falcon would enter the small study with drinks and a small chartreuse board. "So you knew Elharik?" he would ask bluntly as he closed the door behind him. "Yes, he was a mentor you could say, I was sent to find him, have you seen him?" Kaelen would shake his head sitting down, "Not since his last message I sent along before the spring festival, he was a little rushed at the time but I didnt think much of it, and then he seemed to vanish." Indalell would nod, "And what exactly is your part in this?" Kaelen would smile, "Ah well, I am a dealer in Informatoin, and Elharik was highly placed among Aelindons guard and so was able to hear quite a bit, and so we both profited." Indalell would nod, "Well somewhere to start I suppose." Kaelen would bite his lip a little, "He was frequently seeing Lady Seraphina Tathariel, a curiosity since her politics and lord Aelindons are quite opposite, you may have more luck starting with her." Indalell would nod and thank Kaelen who would make his way out. Satisfied with that, Idalell would returne to Mirael and try his luck again as her shift was ending. She agreed to show him around town, the evening was pleasant but she seemed immune to most of his advances, wishing him a good night near 11.
The Next morning, Adalon would set out to make connections with local merantile guilds to try and further his families reach with little success, while Indalell went about to find what he could about this Lady Seraphina before trying to make contact. The rest, having spent two week on the road decided to remain in and relax for the day.