General Summary
At Gurd Keep
Thoradin and Cita rebuild the lock on the keep. And we have keys for the keep.
Stormy shows the group the Holy Symbol she carved.
She says, to her
Arabeth is many things and honored Arabeth with things in the number Arabeth considers perfect--3.
A new start for the world (sprouts -> tree)
The light in the world, bringing us from night to day and hope.
The protector for the new and innocent
The goddess of nature and balance
From there, we head downhill into the valley. We emerge into a beautiful lush valley with cultivated spots. As we go south it'll be increasing civilization.
Guardpost. We ask if they are aware of any news. On guard, clams up a bit. Mutters under his breath. The other, "We should tell them."
"It's always the wizards..." (The guards haven't cycled through in months.)
From here it takes 6 days. For cost of
6gp we dine like kings and get good beds. People look at the dragon a bit odd. (She knows she's special.)
Sunset seems kind of dull. On the road, everything seems kind of dull, even though it's late harvest. Up close the color is there in the fall trees. Maybe a mist or
miasma in the air. Growing.
1 day from Alador. It's dark. No sunlight hitting the ground.
Rumors:
Inkeeper's kid says: King Alphonse is king and has the darkness and quarantine walls. 3 months ago. No one knows what happened. The queen is still there.
Gentleman: been dark for months. Guess it's the best for all of us. It fights the plague. Not gonna go down there.
Anyone from Aladore? 2 gents. Went to edge of N gate. New market there. Sold stuff to Cormal Group/Guild. Happy to get back to the farm. The old section is quarantined.
Daytime is like nighttime w/ a full moon. No stars.
Old King was Jean.
Big carriage - protected. Turning to go down the captain's road. "Make Way!"
Aladore
We head to the stables. We don't recognize the man who says "NO!" to us taking our horses to another person. The guy is talking to Sterling the horse. He knew his sire. He gives Stirling the green apple. Talks to Bridger. To Stormy. He wants to arrange siring for the horses. Braxton- the "King of Horses". No charge beyond that for stabling and feeding.
Heading to the gate. We see the new market.
Guard on the gate: ragarding The Shades and Southward - NO ENTRY, to protect from the bone plague. Anyone caught will be killed/burned.
No enthusiasm from the crowd.
5gp each to enter. (Dragon is not paying.)
We ask are there any hospitals or clinics where they are treating people? Answer: Those in those areas are lost.
Cita's family is in the SHADES.
In Aladore
Heading to the Thirsty Hen tavern, in Midward.
Clerics of Amanita in the mushroom hats are talking to the crowd. "Be renewed." Not a familiar voice. Garment and hat are. "Take the oath."
Rashid sends a message to the guy, "Amanita is dead."
Stormy uses silence on the guy who was starting to go on a diatribe.
Rashid uses predidigtation to soil the guy.
The crowd was listening intently.
Rashid - light cantrip on Cernan's drawn sword. "Behold the true light of Arabeth." Goes down on one knee.
Stormy silences the next one to to start spewing stupidity.
Cernan goes to a mom with kids. He asks her, "Are you really interested in learning about what it is to be rewnewed."
Mom isn't that what we need to do to protect us from the plague.
The bad guys stepped out of the silence.
Cernan orders him to take off his hat and show us the back of his neck. Twit calls for guards. Cernan sheathes his sword. The guards will be friendly the Amanita cause. (Stormy is praying.) There is only one way to cure this plague and these men are not it.
The lady takes her daughter but she is thinking.
When the sword was alight - there were colors.
In the Inn
In the Inn - the colors are normal.
Cernan senses for spores - no one there.
"We were all a bit hangry!" — Mark
New patron walks in. The most beautiful woman we've seen. White hair and tats. Every move she makes is perfect. She just IS. She puts a hand on Cernan's shoulder.
She says "Please tell me you are from out of town."
We just came from the NE. She joins us.
She leans in. Cathryn. I represent some interests from Brin. (Trading town across the lake.) She's been here 4 days. My proposal. Comfortable talking to us. 3rd room upstairs. A finder's fee for information. She trades metals for Aladore steel. (just under dwarven steel.) They have a lot of ships. Cormo Epron Fermat and Havra familes - trade.
Cita introduces self as Velo.
K: Can see quarantine wall.
K: Alphonse king as of 45ish days.
K: Lady Cathryn has the trade concerns. To make trade with Lord Epron himself. Has been hard to find Lord Epron. (She has other things she has to do first.)
Cernan thinks we are being manipulated. He gets the feeling she is naive.
C: leaves us a pouch of 12 gp for future reference. Wants us to report anything on trade interests for her.
Cita thinks it's a tracking device.
We use the 12gp for the room for a week. Includes breakfast and dinner/soup.
Cita is looking for people she recognizes and for theives sign language.
There is. 2 young men. Too obvious. On one of their first outings. Cita buys them a drink of the best. Cita is gonna sit with them. Pick pockets them. Takes his dagger and flips it through her fingers. Freaks them out.
Cita asks about the city, the theives school, and guild.
They answer - the bone plague. Across from the guildhouse. We hear screams from there. Built wall - 2 months ago. Shimmer walks over to see if there's goodies. They don't think anyone living there. No screams for a week. Pile of bones on the ground - that's what they say.
Is Corbin still grand master? Sort of? Shhh! There's this assistant guy - General Kronin. Huge and appears out of no where. Lives at the guild hall. Fewer people at school, because of the plague. The King figured out how to bring the dark. He's than them by a few. Something to do with the Eleves. Reopened the embassy for a few weeks and closed up again. Elven Ambassador is at the castle.
One of the guys asks for his dagger back and Cita had already given it. And they want to know who it is - Velocita. The boys: Frank and Salvo--4th years.
There's Elves now? Astonished!
Stormy prays and no flowers. No sunlight. Emptyness. She's totally bummed.
We head to the riverbank to the bridge. Now that we've seent he guards. Some of them have red laquered pauldrons. Stormy - Red Brands?
Cernan tries to sense - not "spored".
Guard with red pauldrons (Aladore Livery - Red Guards) says "I have taken the oath." Extreme loyalty to Alphonse and Amanita. "We will be renewed as soon as possible."
The Colosseum - is barracaded/boarded up. And guards walking on outside.
10 ft baracades of sharp spikes on top.
The Elven Embassy is mostly rubble.
Dwarven Embassy. Ambassador Aeden Mitgarn II. Been here for ever.
Shimmer acts as pointer dog. Mushrooms on the ground. Dark and dank - as soon as it got worse. Everywhere.
To the Embassy
Dwarf greets us, once sees we have a dwarf int he party.
Not Mitgarn. Grunthum - the secretary to him. "What brings you to Aladore?"
"News of our lost brethern." Thoradin.
"No further news, but we still seek." "Ale still flowing for a short time.
"Why for a short time?", asks Thoradin.
"Perhaps Ambassador should tell you himself."
Aidan Mitgarn II - not wearing red. Enters with pomp, with daughter (Felga Mitgarn) and attendants.
Felga is goo-goo eyed over Thoradin.
"What has brought you to cursed Alador?"
We tell him about Wave Echo Cave. Looking for people there. "We" are contemplating removing ourselves from Aladore.
"What is going on?"
"Elven witch shows up out of nowhere." He saw lights, but never fix anything up. One elf w/ some attendants.
Balheim there were some of the renewed creeps there as well. "We have thrown them off the cliff. That won't be the end of it, though."
They (the humans) buried the old king in the cemetary. Casket was right size.
Feast! Welcome to our table.
No sense of Amanita here inside.
Timetable
112 days ago the elf showed up
98 days heard about the plague
82 days ago built wall then right on to build next
The elf claimed to have an answer for the plague. The plague came about. She told the old king about the plague. Moves into castle. Shortly after that king dies. New king.
Old king started building the walls.
What do you know about how the kign brought the darkness? Mitgarn says follow me.
He takes us to the roof to see over the wall.
It's all dark. Even darker - can see a line dark pillar. Appeared - 64 days ago first wrote it down.
Cernan - is totally talking Thoradin up to Felga.
Alphonse is one of the twins (the first).
Rupert - king's brother not been seen since the coronation.
The princess. An odd duck - maybe playing some kind of game.
Word is she's not at the castle. Rumor ONLY princess has joined the guild of thieves and assassins. Sometimes does things to cause a stir.
People with the elf - human like but taller - like 2 feet taller than a normal human. Some had armor. Had red in it? Yes. One had an iron mask - he could disapper like nothin! (General Kronin)
Mitgard - he noticed Cita's longing.
Population of the Shades - 1283. Perhaps that many again in the Southward.
Cernan tells Mitgarn that we need to make our way in to the Shades. The Cemetary may be the way in.
"Do you trust these people?" Mitgarn can get us beyond the wall. He has tunnels to get outside.
About Wave Echo Cave. Mitgarn wants to know if Gundrun is interested in shares. A dozen people needed. Mitgarn will send dwarves and craftsmen.
Should M leave for the Forge? Ready to go. Thoradin is the last in town. Let Mitgarn know - they are packed to go. Will head to Wave Echo Cave.
Cita doesn't want to wait to go into the Shades.
Cernan wandered to the roof with Cita and Stormy. He takes in the city, he doubles over and wretches. The black pillar is the source of the blackness. Had visions of rot and mushrooms. Claws ripping into flesh.
M: other tunnels - the ground isn't strong enough to bear great tunnels. Took a lot of stone masonry. Ground's too wet.
Rashid - looking to have a golem construct made. Contact for artisan? He wants the best. Sketch - to send it with the group going to the mine. Rashid makes a great sketch. A few thousand gold pieces. Send 2000 gp with. 2000 gp when we get it.We use the Gems - 40 Carnelians.
Mitgar writes down what we know and signs/seals. Will send it to Ballheim.
Shimmer tells Felga about the dragon story - that she chased off a dragon and Thoradin helped.
NEXT UP - entering the shades
TODO
get map of Aladore
Scan the journal from Gurd
Amy update her treasure file
Get Mitgarn image
Treasure Notes
We all likely have:
27 cp
232 sp
1451 gp
Group treasure (before coming to Aladore)
1700 cp
343 sp
1200 gp
75 pp
~12-15K in gems
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