Session 12 -The Questing Knight, the Free Spirit, and the Bandit Uncle
General Summary
Sigisar went to the Zwerghof to look for the mysterious H. He found a group of people nearby to the gate around a fire, who, after cajoling, redirected him to the gate. The prejudiced guards at the gate warned Sigisar of “diseased, well-poisoning” dwarfs inside, but he shrugged off these warnings. Inside the Dwarf Quarter, he met the dwarf Regin again, who told him H would appear in half an hour. As expected, he did. Sigisar and H had a chat about the Tungrisch Knights, and a philosophical debate about duties to God vs duties to family. H told Sigisar that he represents a secret order which tries to carry out the will of God while attending to other duties. Sigisar expressed a candid and committed desire to join this order. H then asked Sigisar to come riding with him the next day, 1 hour after morning prayers, that they might discuss the intricacies of his order further. He also gives Sigisar some advice - that the demands of different factions should be balanced, and that the open spellcasting of his entourage was noticed by the populace in the conflict with the Flagellants. On the way back to the Citadel, Sigisar met Winifred in the street, and the two discussed Winifred’s fears about her uncle.
Meanwhile, Kaleb arrived at the manor and fixed shovels per the rescue of the man who asked for his help. The pair meet a mysterious man at the manor carrying chicken soup with a twinkle in his eye. After confusion from Kaleb about what a chicken is, the man showed Kaleb some chickens and twisted off a head on one of these chickens. Kaleb expressed joy and a desire to see a chicken regrow its head. The man tries to enlist Kaleb as a Heinzelmännchen, but Kaleb said he needed to go home to Manfred. The man was enamored with Kaleb, and told him to come back tomorrow. He also gives him gifts of soup and pie. In Kaleb's retelling, his name was Boss Reinhard. A servant put Kaleb’s gifts of food into a haversack, and carried them back to the Citadel for him. When Kaleb arrives back in the ditadel, Edmon tells Kaleb Sigisar will have first pick of the good food. Kaleb and Edmon have an altercation, and the food is strewn on the castle floor. When Sigisar arrives, he says he wants none of it. Kaleb takes his food, greedily trying to eat it quickly.
Narcissa told Winifred her uncle will arrive in about a day. Baeleb, who was supposed to kill the Flagellant Preacher, returns to say the building he was sent to was burned down. Baeleb demanded payment, but Narcissa once again refused.
The party attended morning prayers. Kaleb, wearing his baptismal gown, was baptized once again. This entertained the normally bored churchgoers. Kaleb was also given some holy water, and a hard candy by the priest. Kaleb began sucking on the hard candy, which rendered him unable to speak. After church, Kaleb went to go see Boss Reinhardt again, and Manfred, Winifred and Narcissa, concerned for his well-being, followed. Sigisar and Edmon stayed in the church, praying. Edmon felt especially holy. Sigisar left to ride out and meet H.
On the ride, H and Sigisar talked more about H’s order. H detailed that his secret order had possessed the Grail of the Last Supper, which has holy powers. They hid the Grail after some time, because they were persecuted by the Ecumenical Church. However, they were now considering revealing the Grail again, as the world had become quite tumultuous between the Plague, wandering people doing whatever they please, and strange cults forming. The order needs a champion to get the Grail from its current guardians. Their previous champion, a woman named Ingrid, disappeared around a city to the northeast called Einhorn. The order wants Sigisar to first attempt to find this woman, and, if she is lost, then go to find the guardians himself.
The group of four headed to Boss Reinhardt’s manor, passing through a market where hawkers were selling grain and flour for exorbitant prices along the way. Narcissa told Baeleb he should listen in on these people, and also steal something for himself. The group then arrived at Boss Reinhardt’s manor and met the man. What followed was a mutual interrogation. Reinhard told the group he received his wealth from inheritance, that those that bequeathed this wealth to him were powerful administrators in a foreign land. Reinhard then interrogated the group about Manfred’s medical ambitions, Narcissa’s dwarf lover, and Winifred’s background. He seemed unimpressed with any pursuits that involved the current structures of civilization. When asked what he planned to do, he said that he planned to gather a great many people up and desert civilization for the wilderness. Narcissa and Manfred rejected this proposal, while Kaleb and Winifred seemed enticed. Winifred also seemed smitten with Boss Reinhard. The group took their leave. On the way back to the citadel, Manfred told Winifred he thought that Winifred should leave with Reinhard for the woods once the business with her uncle was sorted. When Kaleb was asked if he wanted to go with Boss Reinhard, he said he was going to stay and “burn this city to the ground.”
When the full group reassembled at the citadel, Sigisar told his companions of his plan to go and find Ingrid. Manfred expressed a desire to not leave the city when it was so volatile, and stated his intent to stay in the city with the prospective regent, Johann. Winifred then took Sigisar aside and explained her fears about her transformation, and how it might bring an inquisition on all of the parties’ royal houses. Sigisar told Winifred he did not fear the Tungrisch Knights or any inquisition.
Winifred’s uncle Wigand arrived at the gate of the citadel with a small army. Wigand’s army tried to march into the citadel, but Sigisar refused, requesting only a few people follow inside for talks. Wigand refused this offer, digging in his heels. Sigisar had a servant go and fetch the rest of the party. Wigand wished to leave with Winifred as soon as he saw her. Both Sigisar and Winifred tried to get Wigand to come to speak with them in the citadel amicably, but the only thing that melted his resolve was the mention of the witch Helga’s possible involvement in many of the strange events which had afflicted the party. Wigand agreed to come into the castle for one hour, but told his men that if he did not return in that time, “to begin”. As the party walked with the warlord uncle, Baeleb returned to Narcissa. He told her the people in the market were trying to take over the city now the flagellants had been dispelled, and that they had fey alignment. Baeleb again requested payment, now asking for a forbidden book Manfred had once had to be given back to the Vagant.
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