Session 10 - Securing Relationships, Securing the Realm
General Summary
There is a discussion among the group about whether or not to leave Fallsmar immediately or to rest a week. Eventually, they come to the conclusion they won’t be overstaying their welcome, so they elect to stay. A dwarf healer, Galar is procured for Winifred. He examined her and came up with a regime that should restore her memory, which includes using spring water from Fallsmar, underground mushroom tea, bed rest, and little talking. Winifred indicated didn’t wish to be called Winifred any longer. Several in the party tried grapes which were overly sweet, and seemed to have hallucinogenic properties.
The party members followed their own counsel during their rest. Narcissa continued to spend time with Prince Laurin. He took her to a workshop and showed her the assembly of automatons and the gems that power them. Manfred studied the World Tree with Galar, who warned him of its mind- destroying properties, but a nihilistic Manfred was unfazed by these warnings. He also spent time watching Kaleb and ministering to Winifred. Winifred stole various bits of food. She slowly regained her memory from the treatment, but voluntarily chose to stay in fox form. Sigisar prayed and also ministered to Winifred. Edmon stood guard over her while the others were away. In his free time, he practiced fighting, and tried to cajole dwarf blacksmiths into making him armor of a fine craft. The blacksmiths seemed somewhat incredulous, and scoffed at his request for plate rather than chain armor, but took his measurements nonetheless. Kaleb, for his part, didn’t believe the fox creature was Winifred, and looked for her. He gave Winifred the new temporary name of “Snoot’. At the end of their resting time, Galar led the group out of the city, The group emerged under the stars. Galar gave some additional mushrooms for Winifred's treatment (but no spring water) for Winifred’s continued medication.
On the way back to Brillig, Narcissa summoned a suspicious black carriage that made travel much easier and quicker. The group passed through several small villages in this carriage. A group of wary bystanders yelled out and questioned Kaleb, riding on top of the carriage. The small man revealed that the carriage was created by Narcissa. Once the group was only a short walk from the city, the carriage was dispelled.
Once the group arrived back in the citadel, the fox Winifred was carried up to a room by Sigisar, and shut up there. Edmon and Manfred took turns watching over her, and Manfred continued with the medication. Sigisar met with his uncle Lothar, and expressed his intent to now take over the realm. He rejected his uncle’s offer to marry off Winifred, and told him his assistance was no longer needed. He rebuffed Lothar's request to see Winifred, saying she was ill and not taking visitors. His uncle seemed irked. He told the young man that many dangerous factions ran amok in the city, and that Sigisar lacked the aptitude, military or money to handle it. Still, he left on seemingly peaceful terms.
Manfred spoke to Sigisar, apologized for inducing Winifred’s amnesia, and confirmed his continued services to the Margrave as an aide. Meanwhile, Winifred revealed she was no longer ill to Narcissa, and Narcissa in turn revealed her new impish familiar Baeleb. Winifred expressed her desire to flee the city. On Manfred’s way back from his talk with Sigisar, Kaleb paid an old debt and put Manfred to sleep after learning this magic, and Manfred, albeit with some vitriol, stated he was proud of him after he awoke.
Edmon met with his cousin Gernot and learned Jakob Böse, leader of the Flagellants, was on his way to Brillig. Two dwarfs, named Regin and Schweir of Brillig came to visit Sigisar, and ask for his assistance to their beleaguered people. They wanted him to fulfill his promises given to Laurin. Narcissa was also in the receiving room. Regin was the more talkative of the two. Sigisar promised to offer some protections, but also tried to stall for time on some demands. Both he and Narcissa promised to visit the Zwerghof - the dwarf quarter, as a show of good faith. The dwarfs expressed appreciation and gave Sigisar a letter. The letter had a strange symbol of a door on its seal unlike any he had ever seen before, suggesting that the author was either a foreigner or a fake. The letter said an H wanted to meet in the Zwerghof.
While alone with Kaleb and fox Winifred, and not anticipating she understood him, Manfred expressed regret for attacking her, and how he wished she had fled while they were leaving the castle. Winifred revealed herself to Manfred, and expressed frustration regarding various things including his attack and failing to care properly for Kaleb. Eventually, the conversation circled the question of whether Manfred still wished Winifred to leave. Believing Sigisar to be a good man, and hoping he might be able to save many lives as a benevolent leader, Manfred said he was conflicted, expressing that he hoped a marriage alliance between the two of them might help the greatest number of people. This angered Winifred further, and Manfred left the room. Sigisar came to check on Winifred, and, now in human form, she expressed her desire to depart. Sigisar said he would not hold her against her will, though he then went to take out his frustrations with the situation on a training dummy. Winifred talked to Narcissa about her plans to go to her uncle’s bandit camp. Narcissa was at first supportive, but then upon learning the details regarding her uncle, suggested instead to have him come here.
Winifred went to Sigisar during his frustrated training and told him of her desire to stay, and her plans to summon her uncle. Sigisar was informed at the same time by a servant that fights had begun to break out all over Brillig, and the town guardsmen were absent. Perhaps now in need more than ever of a stabilizing force in the city, Narcissa sent a letter summoning Winifred’s uncle and his bandits.
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