Episode 5 - The Wolf and the Hare

General Summary

TWELVE YEARS AGO

Having unintentionally murdered a minor noble during a mugging, Kain races to escape with his fellow street urchin Drosta, who has the nobleman's purse. Kain cannot escape the guards of Risevar Town, and watches helplessly as Drosta escapes with their ill-gotten gains. Later, after a stint in jail and mere moments before he's due for the headsman's block, Kain is spirited away from the jail to a nearby pub and brought before Pendros Ildrafn. The nobleman was an informant working for Pendros, and he'd like to offer Kain employment as an agent of House Ildrafn, under the tutelage of Eirwyn of Calleire. Kain accepts a hot bowl of stew offered by Pendros, and as he digs in we jump ahead to...

26 SKYREST, 1442

Present day, where Kain has excelled as an agent of House Ildrafn, sailing aboard the ships of the Ildrafn Navy as the family heads to Redehall City. The convoy is briefly delayed when a nearby ship flying the colours of Khinar Antyre returns captured spy Emil Moody by dumping him overboard in a travelling trunk. After the ships get back on track, Ruskin Ventro's daughter Liaseppa Ventro finds Iryval Ayvir and requests a song, which she graciously obliges. Martoth Ventro fills Ruskin in on Iryval's background; a bastard daughter of Kuron Ildrafn, who has been providing comfort and education for her since her mother's death and pushing for her legitimization. The ships put in for the night at the Barony of Curvel, held by Zura Luneste. He has commissioned the building of a Dreaminghouse in the coastal town, which catches the attention of several of the party, including Jarvin Cadwalader. The settlement sits underneath the great Cliffs of Curvel, upon which are carved the faces of great Antari chieftains of old, which fascinates Liaseppa and leads to no end of questions for her father. As Jarvin unpacks in the guest wing of Zura's estate, he encounters an old friend Roan Cordelaine, who is eager to drink and exchange tales since they haven't seen each other since the start of The Tambar Rebellion three years ago. At the feast that night, grilled fish perfumed with herbs and vegetables are served in Dunefalli style for the guests. Jarvin and Kain receiv instructions from Pendros to conduct "visits" on his behalf while in Redehall tomorrow, distributing bribes to Ildrafn contacts within the city. Zura Luneste approaches Ruskin with an offer: he will happily sponsor his entry fees for the tournament in Redehall City if he will take on Ishan Luneste as a squire. Ishan, born about Zura's ship back in his reaving days fifteen years ago, was deafened by cannonfire but is still capable of communicating with signed language and can read lips, and Ruskin accepts Ishan as his squire. Meanwhile, Iryval notes that her brother Halren Ildrafn is bristling at the presence of Dunefalli customs here, and he is unnerved by the talk of a Dreamsmoke ceremony being performed later that night by Sarischa Ravana. Iryval also notes a few spots of blood on the back of Halren's tunic, which he brushes off and makes a hasty excuse to leave. After the dinner concludes, Jarvin goes to the Dreamsmoke ceremony with Roan, and Kain begrudgingly accompanies them. As the ceremony proceeds, Kain, Jarvin and Roan all find themselves within the same shared dream, but Jarvin gets terribly lost and has a traumatizing experience. Meanwhile, Kain finds himself crossing paths with a man in women's clothing riding away from a burning inn on a wounded horse, and hears the sound of a baby crying from somewhere within the flames. When they all resurface from the dream, Jarvin is struggling to return to reality, and Kain approaches Sarischa to learn more about what he just experienced.

27 SKYREST, 1442

The following morning, the ships leave early to sail to Redehall, arriving at the docks shortly after the noon bell. Taking carriages up to Redehall Castle, the members of House Ildrafn are received not by King Eadvard III, but by his brother Artigan Dillestone. Pendros feels snubbed, but brushes past it as the members of the House find their way to the royal apartments and prepare for the day's festivities. Ruskin takes an extra hour to head down to the training yard, where he begins to work with Ishan on the basics of becoming his squire. Meanwhile, Iryval has a long-awaited reunion with her father Kuron, who seems to be moving slower these days as his injuries sustained during the Tambar Rebellion continue to plague him despite the medical ministrations of his wife Meera Ildrafn. He tells Iryval how proud he is of her, and plans on petitioning Pendros publically at the grand feast tomorrow night to legitimize Iryval as a full member of House Ildrafn. He tells her to get out into the courts of Redehall, meet new people comport herself with eloquence and dignity. With the great courts of Redehall Castle, Iryval and Ruskin jump into the deep end of the pool of chattering courtiers, minor nobles and foreign emissaries. Iryval is dragged into conversation with Sophira Sandoreale and Markham Dillestone, who try to invite her along to an illicit Dreamsmoke ceremony later that evening, which she graciously declines. Ruskin reports to Zura that his son will make a fine squire, but he'll need plenty of dedicated training to ensure that "he's not shit." It becomes clear that Ruskin's bluntness sets him apart in court scenarios, but his husband Martoth encourages him to keep at it. Meanwhile, Kain and Jarvin descend down into the city laden with bribes for Pendros' contacts. The first is Dunman, a lieutenant in the city guard who reports that "the wagging tongue that was plaguing Pendros has been silenced." The second is Briella, the keeper of a local orphanage, who complains that the contact Pendros had arranged for her to meet never showed. The last is Yael, the owner of a tawdry brothel called The Glade, who has been collecting secrets via her employees. She hands them a scroll of useful information to be returned to Pendros, and Kain makes an appointment to visit the Glade again later this evening. As they depart into the night, a nondescript figure slips out of the alley and begins tailing them... That night, amidst the revelry, Ruskin and Iryval find themselves at the same dance. Iryval is singled out for a dance by Soren Sandoreale, a dashing knight and lauded war hero who sweeps her onto the dance floor. As they spin together, he offers her a piece of advice, from one bastard to another: "Make yourself indispensable and unignorable. You've already got the second part down. And be ready to go through anyone who gets in your way." Meanwhile, Ruskin is invited to dance by Khinar Antyre as the players strike up a rendition of The Wolf and the Hare, an Antari folk song that's half-dance, half-hunt. Khinar implies that despite his differences with Pendros, he's still a good and respectful neighbour... they just find themselves both at odds. He remarks that Ildrafn is not known for the quality of their warriors, and hopes that they don't have to test Ruskin's reputation on the battlefield. Ruskin handily rebuffs Khinar, and the two part ways as the dance concludes. Iryval, meanwhile, has noted her brothers absence at the dance and seeks him out. She finds him in his chambers, praying to The Six Saints and flagellating himself as he beseeches Galbraith the Burned for forgiveness. As Iryval confronts him, he confesses that he still carries guilt about events during the first night of The Tambar Rebellion; in his mind, he should have stayed behind at the mansion and died protecting as many people as possible. Iryval tries to convince him that he acted nobly in defending his family, and just barely manages to get through to her half-brother. He crumples, weeping in her arms. Meanwhile, down in the city, Kain realizes that he and Jarvin are being followed by several individuals. He takes the scroll tube from Jarvin and slips away moments before Jarvin is ambushed by thirteen assailants... lead by none other than Drosta, now fully grown into an intimidating pugilist. Working for an unknown antagonist, she demands Jarvin hand over the scroll tube and threatens having her thugs torture him until he gives it up... and at that moment, Kain swoops in from above to try and stop the assault. Drosta is briefly stunned at the revelation that Kain is still alive, and Jarvin takes advantage of that moment to break away from the thugs and scramble up onto the rooftops to make an escape. Drosta sends her thugs after him as she and Kain square off, both rattled by each others presence. She doesn't want to hurt him, but she's got a job to do and if he or Jarvin have that scroll, she's going to take it from him. She winds up for the first punch-- --cut to black.