Chapter 39 - The Wonders of Fellsmar

General Summary

After the guests have gotten over the previous night's enjoyments, they appear before before King Schweigder and his advisors. They present Brimir's request of the of the gem Blue, which he sees as his people's salvation in Wunschau. The dwarf king says that though he appreciates Brimir's plight, he cannot grant the request, as Blue is his people's most prized possession. On top of that, it can put all dwarfs in danger, as using the gem can lead to Humans declaring war against all dwarfs , and destroying Fellsmar. The guests are welcome to stay for a while and behold Fellsmar's wonders, but unfortunately, they will have to leave with nothing. 
The meeting does have two positive, or at least unexpected outcomes. First, Franz poses a question Dietmar of Hauswald (who has been indisposed since their arrival in the underground realm) wanted to aks Schweigder - what was the origin of the previous plague that had such a deleterious impact on the dwarfs? The king replies that he is not sure what the origin was - whether it was dwarf or human - but he does know that one of the consequences was the severe curtailing of dwarf reproduction, as female dwarfs became very rare. The curse is carried on by the dwarf bloodline, and plagues Schweigder's people to this day. It may have something to do with the quest of Alberich, the Fee king, for power over the world. Each species was effected differently - the dwarfs become mostly childless, the humans became power-hungry and intolerant, and the elves were driven mad.
The second outcome was revealed during a private conversation with Franz. Schweigder whispers that he would be willing to reconsider his rejection if Franz convinces his companion Ingrid, who appeared at the audience sans helmet, to marry his son Laurin. Franz promises that he will broach the matter with her. 
After the end of the audience, the companions confer. Ingrid insists that she is married to her religious mission, but agrees that it may be politic to give Schweigder and his son some hope, as they learn more about Fellsmar, and what the dwarfs have to offer. Franz, for his part, is upset that Brimir seems to have sent them on a fool's errand, because he did not indicate that Blue is Fellsmar's most important treasure, and gave them no leverage to work with. In any event, acquiring the gem should be worth more than just some silvered weapons and armor already partially paid for. 
Given free rein, Nit decides to pursue her passion, and inspect the kitchens. She is accompanied by Dmitrei, who has been chronicling their stay, and Ingrid. The head chef, named Dvalinn, gives them some candied sweets, and then takes them to an edible paradise, where a syrupy brown river expands the travelers' palate. The name of this edible river, made from a special bean, is 'food of the goods'. Ingrid presses Dvalinn about the king, but he has only positive things to say about him - he allows him to experiment and come up with new dishes all the time. Nit fills her bag with goodies - including a spongy cake which was made to look like a sandy beach.
Next, Dmitrei takes the lead, and goes off looking for a smith. They find a dwarf named Andvarri, who is busy manufacturing some large metal pipes. Dmitrei presses Andvarri about weapon-smithing, but the dwarf says that it's not his specialty. Like Dvalinn, he is, nevertheless, an artiste. The pipes he makes are for a huge musical instrument that overwhelms its audience with volume and harmony. Andvarri takes the guests to an amphitheater, where he demonstrates the sounds. He also relates the story of the automata - mechanical beings that the guests saw assisting in his smithy. Those, he indicates, were pretty basic prototypes, but there are also other, more complex automata - ones that write poetry, and play chess. Andvarri tells Dmitrei, who is intrigued by the latter prospect, to ask King Schweigder to set up a match with one of the automata. He also indicates that the automata are powered by gems, which, because some of the most potent of which can raise the dead - contain the power of immortality. Their power is, in fact, wasted on raising the dead, because once transferred into a fleshy vessel, it dissipates. Powering automata is much more effective, because of their durability. In Andvarri's telling, the powering of automata through gems is what the most skillful dwarfs devote their lives to, because this allows them to overcome the curse of childlessness. But it is their enormous power that makes the gems so dangerous in the wrong hands. Toward the end of the tour, he shows them Blue - a star sapphire displayed under glass. This gem, he says, can power the most sophisticated automata.
After the group returns to waken Franz, they discuss dealing with the Fellsmar dwarfs directly, or requesting a much bigger reward from Brimir. As they make their plans, a herald named Austri calls on them, and indicates that Prince Laurin would like to take them on another tour. The prince soon appears. He is rather comely for a dwarf. He leads the group to a chamber which appears to be a large relief map of Fellsmar and the surrounding areas. Laurin passes his hands over different locations, and shows woods, mountains and settlements to the guests. Wunschau lights up, and they recognize its walls, cathedral, and Rathaus. From there, he takes the group into an even larger chamber, which serves as the representation of the World Tree. Mittelheim is the orb in which they appear, but they can also see Alfheim, Niflheim, Jotunheim, and other realms. He also shows the eagle up in the branches, the writhing serpent at the roots, and the naughty red beast Ratatosk, which retains the ability to run from one orb to the next. Passage from the orbs has become difficult, as a disease has spread, due to Alberich's doings. When asked what can be done to set the world aright, he says only two things, as far as he knows. Either the ring made by Alberich needs to be recovered from the serpent, or, if one is a Gaalite, the magical grail can restore those who imbibe from it to eternal life, and fix the riven world. Though the group is intrigued by Laurin's telling, he intrigues them more by presenting Ingrid with a silver necklace, bearing one small blue stone.

Rewards Granted

• A silver necklace for Ingrid
• Some sweet snacks for Nit and others

Character(s) interacted with

• King Schweigder and his advisors
• Prince Laurin
• Dvalinn the chef
• Andvarri the smith
• Austri the herald

Report Date

20 Jul 2021