Being Responsible and Having No Fun
While Quintus Bartholomew Marion and Ajax the Bear-barian are off.... doing... stuff??? Joey the Sorcadin stayed at home and made sure the numbers added up, that all the ledgers were current, and that all the epaulets were polished.
With the aid of the unusual faceted stone and numerous sleepless nights you discover the patterns within Dulcinea's Tome . Unfortunately your discovery is barred behind more mystery, but with your experience in spycraft you swiftly identify that they must be ciphers, though of what type you will need to figure out with trial and error.
Andacia Reveille disappears for weeks at a time without warning, but then just as suddenly she will be there - in your room, by the tree, in the farms, along the water - always with the felt black mask she found in the Neven Lycenture wrapped around her head, the characteristic undulations of its ancient power dizzying but never sufficient to harm you. Always she asks 'can you hear?' before she resumes your awkward camraderie. 'The spirits are silent - an indrawn breath, a gasp, of surprise, shock. I feel guilt, and shame.' She invites you to come with her on one of her trips in the future, if you have the time that is.
Captain Arenna Handt works tirelessly as steward, aware very well of the many threads running through her hands at this very moment. She works out of the Inn now, reluctant at first to sully her authority with the appearance of impropiety but the practlality of the location and its size are undeniable. You find her there, exhausted as usual, lights burning low. Her guard, always raised since her possession by an esper, seems lowered for once. You discover that she is plagued by the same voices as Ajax, and she dreams every night of her time in the kobold's mines, or with the esper's touch. She dreams of an endless void, frozen castles lifted into the sky, endless paths of dead life, and a cold dread pressing down upon her. She worries about what other horrors this world might have and reflects on the manner on which the esper was defeated.
Captain Tork seems bored, much as the Admiral of a fleet with but one ship in it might feel. After a spirited night of discussion where many backs are clapped and much drink is drunk, Tork and the Leviathan are gone - you dimly remember the Captain saying something about a 'recruitment drive.'
You come upon Praetor Aelia Nacii watching a group of men drill with spears and quarterstaffs. She raises a gauntled fist in a partial salute, mocking or respectful you can't quite be sure. 'You know this is all coming to an end, don't you?' she sighs, looking out over the ocean. 'You did it, you really did - the settlement is a success, maybe even enough of one to breathe some life back into our Home.... but now you'll pay the price of your victory, any day now they'll look to us, our old masters, jealous of what we've done, come then to claim it." she shakes her head ruefully 'They won't want you operating independently, they'll be no guardians then mark my words...' she looks at you again 'and they won't let you keep those mysteries you've been cherishing.'
Letter from Hippolita : "Dearest Joey, I had heard your name since landing, but you'll forgive me for not visiting - by responsibilities are to my people now and, after all, could I see another fallen friend through the ash? They tell stories about you and the other guardians, not all of them good, but I suppose the ash darkens us all, only the dead now rest without sin. Enough of my maudlin writings, I haven't put pen to paper in some time so you must forgive my musings. You wanted me to visit, and perhaps I will, but there is much to be done here and so little time. Write me, not of our struggles, but remind me of our better days"
Tayala Benzare is overjoyed at your interest in the gardens, but it is Tennebelt you find most eager to prove the value of this most unnatural world. You see proof of numerous chemical reactions and minor potions - he assures you that with proper support, funding, equipment that the world around us will 'grow gold as surely as corn.' It's hard for you, or anyone, to evaluate the worth of their statements - it all seems very unfocused. It may be possible to throw money and labor at the problem and get the results they suggest, or perhaps with a more practical focus something more limited but productive can be generated. NOTICE - You notice many of the gatherers, researchers, and rangers that work within the garden seem to follow this new cult of the Blessed Lead
Captain Arenna Handt expresses her deep appreciation for your work creating and expanding the Iron Federation, she fears that without it the settlement would be entirely unfunded and impotent in the face of the massive swarm of settlers. She visits you more often to discuss the affairs of the settlement and grows to trust your opinion. She shares more of her past with you, and you grow closer.
On the night appointed you wait near the dead drop spot - in time a slight figure approaches, laying a slim packet between the wooden planks beneath the marked post, it then quickly slinks away into the shadow. See Dulcinea's Tome
Your good friend Nefeli seeks you out. No doubt her knowledge of the Sigil of Mane's inner workings will be of use to you. Her information has been updated.
Albina Prax Vaius visits you, laying a slip of paper on the desk. It lists several mid level positions in the militia, army, and local governance. 'Quid pro quo clarice?"
Salinger sends you a message "Joey, You need to do something about these Grovekeepers, it's driving people here nuts. It's a pretty fragile alliance here right now and we need a little help to show that we have some friends in Hampsterdam that makes us the people to listen to. Sorry to only write with bad news, I swear I'll send something better soon."
Fabia Ludus looks at first confused by your discussion of Dulcinea Guivel but then understands. Unfortunately she has no idea how the laws work in Van Myr, or how one would even go about securing that kind of inheritance. She guesses that the Leaders would have to vote for that, so possibly if you have sufficient friends?
Andacia stands with you in the small work room Omen Felle has made to try and understan the strangely refined tools you recovered. "We are crafted by the world, and now we make the tools to craft the world in return. I wonder what tools the world used to craft us." She seems modestly intrigued by them, and Omen Felle says he'll try to put the madwoman to productive work. He mentions some of the orcs have said they have seen tools like this in their land, or carried by traitors.
The Diplomatic Mission to Meggido returns bearing gifts and an odd messages from The Lords of Meggido : "Kings of Hampsterdam, We welcome the trade and friendship of our brothers in Hampsterdam. Know that the old bonds of the dying world need no longer constrain us from embracing the kinship which we all share. We regret that we are unable to visit your marvelous city but tales of your magnificent gardens and grove thrill us. You are in our hearts, Kings of Hampsterdam. The Lords of Meggido" The message is written in a crude hand. The gifts are.... puzzling A taxidermied owl, very high quality Two silver caraffes made in the style of the Eastern Islands the eye of a lizard, perhaps? Two fencing daggers from the Windmere islands A wooden leg carved with dirty words A golden flute with two of its holes melted over A potion made of bubbling orange liquid The diplomats report that the legends of the The Lords of Meggido are true, saying that they saw them, always at a distance, several times - bizarre masked forms floating through the city with the masks in the shape of various animals. They also saw the earth spirits that guard the town, flowing in and out of the earth - terrifying and occasionally huge. They note that the city is doing very well, filled with fisherman and traders but also unsavory types like mercenaries. There appears to be absolutely no taxation or real centralized authority, a small group of seeming volunteers work for the Lords but the rest of the settlement manages its own affairs. Your diplomat notes that their is a hefty problem of homelessness and beggars there occupying the docks, and they learned that apparently one of the nearby islands has become home to some pirates who come to Meggido to sell their goods - they appear very "pleased" with some kind of ruse they are pulling.
Your two new sellsword friends nervously setup a meet with Castor Garan . You arrive to find your friends collapsed, dead. RUH ROH????????
Message from Hippolita : " Joey the Sorcadin , I know we agreed to talk of better times but I have a favor to ask, one that I know you cannot give but I pray you are able. Some of the outlying farms in my community have been raided, we don't know by who or what but it is merciless and absolute in its carnage. Can you please send some men who know the area, soldiers or rangers or.... warriors - people who can handle the dangers of this world. What mercies this world can offer I will shower upon you if you can save my people, who have suffered so much of late. Yours in Friendship, Hippolita "
A message from Tatius Silica asking to meet in the Qwinn Resort. Intrigued and absurdly fearless you agree. In a smokey room in the back of the Inn, beneath the roar of laughter and sound of dance you wait for the Captain to arrive. You take in the smells of the inn, allowing yourself a moment of relaxation before tensing as he arrives, heavily draped in thick woolen cloth. "Ay, i'm glad we had this chance to talk. I heard what you've been saying to the council members, and I understand." He takes a seat. "Your a man of high morals, a noble sort, a hero men say, and I can believe it, with what you and yours have done." He stretches his hand up, brushing the scars on his face. "Men don't call me a hero, they call me a monster." His hand lowers. "but they say it in shadows, they say it into their cups when they're five tankards deep, they say it and look about, t'see who's listening." He takes a deep drink from his flagon, his good eye never leaving yours. "and while they fear, good men sleep safe." "The ash made men dark ya see. It made the world hard, and men hard with it. The ones that were weak, got sorted out, never made it, became fodder, a feast for the strong. Men who feast on others, they're not men. They're monsters. Maybe, in time, they can be men again, ah don't know. But I tell you I've seen the world they want to make, it's not a world fit for good men." He watches you a moment, taking another drink. "You think a few broken bones and busted heads are cruelty but I'm holding back the barbarian horde with a thin line, a thin line of men who know that all that is good in their life could be taken from them if just one were to falter. My men don't murder, my men don't rape, my men don't loot - I know you've heard the stories coming in from the harvest, what the militia has done. Think on that, think on the cost to this city to champion these monsters." He stands, finishing his drink. "I thank you for your time, I won't ask you to respond now. Just wanted you to hear another perspective."
Albina Prax Vaius visits you days after you have made your agreement and guaranteed the appointments. She bows, gracious, with a slim smile you have not seen on her face before. "You're an honest man - I wondered at first, a man with your reputation taking to the shadows to scheme. That simply makes you a realist, a man whose ideals are more than lofty rhetoric, a man who wants to accomplish great things." "My promises were vague, but I regret having to maintain that a bit longer. Instead let us just.... talk. Tell me what troubles you, I want to make those issues... go away."
Albina Prax Vaius comes back to you a month after your last discussion. "I regret there is nothing I can do to help you with your missing... friends..." she inclines a curious eyebrow. "A consolation prize, perhaps" she extends her hand, offering you a sealed proclamation from the High Dukes of Van Myr. It certifies the legality of your settlements process in assigning the estate of Dulcinea Guivel to Fabia Ludus , but also makes the proclamation dependent upon a vindication of bloodline. "This will certify your maneuver and this" she points at the vindication "will give you... leverage, as it were, to ensure your friend is malleable to your needs." She smiles and makes to leave. "One last thing, I would not look into the men of Sigrun any further."
Dendara Cammise waits, heavily cloaked as usual, in her workroom. She seems immune to your charms and not particularly amenable to your discussions. She denies knowing Castor Garan and is evasive on your attempts to pin down their association. She asks you to leave after a short time, claiming fatigue and a need to return to work.
A coded message arrives from Nefeli
Two weeks later another coded message :
You receive no further messages.
You have Tennebelt and Tayala Benzare gather up some of the afflicted individuals, wandering about their day in a deep malaise. Fabia Ludus brings Dane as well, who she has been taking care of since the unfortunate events of her arrival. They try a variety of herbs to see what, if any, effects they will exhibit but most of the tests are exactly as expected - stimulants mildly stimulate them, depressants put them to sleep. No matter their energy level they exhibit the same lack of interest in the world around them. Frustrated, you take out the mirror gaze at them in the reflection. What you see is something far different from the strange glows that you saw prior, or the total absence of what you presumed to be some kind of illusion - instead the faces, the skull, the entire head, of the afflicted are warped in a shell-like spiral, endlessly twisting into the center. No matter the angle it is always perfectly pointed towards you, a blurred black hole obscuring all features of the patient.
With the aid of the unusual faceted stone and numerous sleepless nights you discover the patterns within Dulcinea's Tome . Unfortunately your discovery is barred behind more mystery, but with your experience in spycraft you swiftly identify that they must be ciphers, though of what type you will need to figure out with trial and error.
Andacia Reveille disappears for weeks at a time without warning, but then just as suddenly she will be there - in your room, by the tree, in the farms, along the water - always with the felt black mask she found in the Neven Lycenture wrapped around her head, the characteristic undulations of its ancient power dizzying but never sufficient to harm you. Always she asks 'can you hear?' before she resumes your awkward camraderie. 'The spirits are silent - an indrawn breath, a gasp, of surprise, shock. I feel guilt, and shame.' She invites you to come with her on one of her trips in the future, if you have the time that is.
Captain Arenna Handt works tirelessly as steward, aware very well of the many threads running through her hands at this very moment. She works out of the Inn now, reluctant at first to sully her authority with the appearance of impropiety but the practlality of the location and its size are undeniable. You find her there, exhausted as usual, lights burning low. Her guard, always raised since her possession by an esper, seems lowered for once. You discover that she is plagued by the same voices as Ajax, and she dreams every night of her time in the kobold's mines, or with the esper's touch. She dreams of an endless void, frozen castles lifted into the sky, endless paths of dead life, and a cold dread pressing down upon her. She worries about what other horrors this world might have and reflects on the manner on which the esper was defeated.
Captain Tork seems bored, much as the Admiral of a fleet with but one ship in it might feel. After a spirited night of discussion where many backs are clapped and much drink is drunk, Tork and the Leviathan are gone - you dimly remember the Captain saying something about a 'recruitment drive.'
You come upon Praetor Aelia Nacii watching a group of men drill with spears and quarterstaffs. She raises a gauntled fist in a partial salute, mocking or respectful you can't quite be sure. 'You know this is all coming to an end, don't you?' she sighs, looking out over the ocean. 'You did it, you really did - the settlement is a success, maybe even enough of one to breathe some life back into our Home.... but now you'll pay the price of your victory, any day now they'll look to us, our old masters, jealous of what we've done, come then to claim it." she shakes her head ruefully 'They won't want you operating independently, they'll be no guardians then mark my words...' she looks at you again 'and they won't let you keep those mysteries you've been cherishing.'
Letter from Hippolita : "Dearest Joey, I had heard your name since landing, but you'll forgive me for not visiting - by responsibilities are to my people now and, after all, could I see another fallen friend through the ash? They tell stories about you and the other guardians, not all of them good, but I suppose the ash darkens us all, only the dead now rest without sin. Enough of my maudlin writings, I haven't put pen to paper in some time so you must forgive my musings. You wanted me to visit, and perhaps I will, but there is much to be done here and so little time. Write me, not of our struggles, but remind me of our better days"
SNEAKY SNEAKY DETECTIVE REPORT
It's hard to estimate total strength, the population of the settlement is wildly fluctuating and you lack any census abilities. The Van Myr loyalists and certain segments of the refugee population are the most keen for violence, and you'd estimate that the refugees in general have about 10 times the population of Van Myr citizens. Mireen Lusara - Local Craftsmen, seems to command respect amongst the merchants and craftsman, wants support for establishing a guild Julia Herelia Marion - Treasurer and has strong control over the Militia. Appears to be sending out various letters of mark from her family, meeting with questionable individuals, strong support amongst the Van Myr Gok Haruk - Orc Enclave representative, has decent control over the local orcs. Is already pretty friendly with you Albina Prax Vaius - Van Myr merchant, seems to have a smaller group of Van citizens who are more organized. Playing it cool Tatius Silica - Captain of the Guard, strongly allied with Julia Herelia Marion , men seem loyal Captain Arenna Handt - As Warden she has influence but appears to not be building up much of a following - most original settlers are very loyal but not organized Praetor Aelia Nacii - As Commander she has gained some loyalty with her troops, but does nothing to maintain it and may in fact be somewhat pushing some away with her demeanor Irina Waylak - Seems to. be influential or control villages near the major farm plots, unknown agenda. Amenable to bribery Rickard Beltrand - Refugee who attracts the more extreme elements who are anti-Van Myr, stockpiling weapons, fanatic Shrike - Sailor buying up a lot of loyalty with laborers around the dock Octavia Sebennes - Former priest and now figurehead of a large group of followers, low wealth but used their numbers to acquire significant plots of land inside the city limits Cenac Boule - The former Seeker has now ingratied himself with the Sigil loyalists and is mustering up a sizeable following. Very bribable Saficus Anuluii - Reasonable group of mercenaries supporting him Venevia Sil Galachus - the blessed of the leaf continue to grow, gathering support from all groups. Fanatic Jotal Erugbrast - Unofficial spokesman of the sailors and pirates that linger near the docks Kat Vilyivitskin - Mercenary leader with professional backing, not receptive to meeting Lars Skellrich - Lars Skellrich represents both a hardcore subset of Seekers and new refugees desperate for a place to belong. Due to their early presence the Seekers control now valuable real estate near the city center. Leandra Kelles - Leandra has the loyalty of a large group of religious folk but her kind do not seem particularly motivated to get involved in the strife of the settlement Despite the numerous contacts you have made you can't help but feel that there are other elements at work either in the settlement or in the villages nearby. It will take time to subvert members of a faction, you will need to focus.Diplomatic Mission : Ravenwood
The first thing you notice is the roads, while Ravenwood covers a much smaller area than Hampsterdam they have begun to construct timber and gravel roads dotted with small wooden towers. Almost every man and woman you encounter is carrying a bow, crossbow, or even in some desperate circumstances a sling - their eyes flicker incessentanly from ground to sky. Quality mass-produced armors like leather and chain shirts are abundant and many of the people hold themselves with the confidence to wield their weapons. Salinger greets you outside the front gate, apologizing for the lack of formalities and not having visited prior. He acknowledges the debt Ravenwood owes you, and is more than surprised to hear such a fair deal. With a laugh he shakes your hand. "We have more expertise than weapons, so consider this a done deal. By the Fathers you are a bringer of good news. Ravenwood will always be a shelter for you, friend" The banners of the various battalions and mercenary companies fly about the city, moreso than any distinguisher of the settlement's government. Elgin Parvo, the Blind Man and Croaker are nowhere to be seen but Salinger makes sure to offer you their best hospitality. You meet Polestaff , Commander of the Pack Rats, and the menacing Mievane the Knife . Salinger is free with his words, and intimates that they are confident they soon will be finding valuable ores in the region of the Looming Mount. He shares rumors of strange creatures lurking in the woods far to the north, lingering at the edge of vision - he fears it might be some of the monsters you have mentioned. In addition there appears to be some frequent contact between the sailors here and in Hampsterdam and Meggido, but it's all rumors and trade talk for now. Relations improved between Hampsterdam and Ravenwood Gained information on Ravenwood leadersTayala Benzare is overjoyed at your interest in the gardens, but it is Tennebelt you find most eager to prove the value of this most unnatural world. You see proof of numerous chemical reactions and minor potions - he assures you that with proper support, funding, equipment that the world around us will 'grow gold as surely as corn.' It's hard for you, or anyone, to evaluate the worth of their statements - it all seems very unfocused. It may be possible to throw money and labor at the problem and get the results they suggest, or perhaps with a more practical focus something more limited but productive can be generated. NOTICE - You notice many of the gatherers, researchers, and rangers that work within the garden seem to follow this new cult of the Blessed Lead
Captain Arenna Handt expresses her deep appreciation for your work creating and expanding the Iron Federation, she fears that without it the settlement would be entirely unfunded and impotent in the face of the massive swarm of settlers. She visits you more often to discuss the affairs of the settlement and grows to trust your opinion. She shares more of her past with you, and you grow closer.
On the night appointed you wait near the dead drop spot - in time a slight figure approaches, laying a slim packet between the wooden planks beneath the marked post, it then quickly slinks away into the shadow. See Dulcinea's Tome
Your good friend Nefeli seeks you out. No doubt her knowledge of the Sigil of Mane's inner workings will be of use to you. Her information has been updated.
Albina Prax Vaius visits you, laying a slip of paper on the desk. It lists several mid level positions in the militia, army, and local governance. 'Quid pro quo clarice?"
Salinger sends you a message "Joey, You need to do something about these Grovekeepers, it's driving people here nuts. It's a pretty fragile alliance here right now and we need a little help to show that we have some friends in Hampsterdam that makes us the people to listen to. Sorry to only write with bad news, I swear I'll send something better soon."
Fabia Ludus looks at first confused by your discussion of Dulcinea Guivel but then understands. Unfortunately she has no idea how the laws work in Van Myr, or how one would even go about securing that kind of inheritance. She guesses that the Leaders would have to vote for that, so possibly if you have sufficient friends?
Andacia stands with you in the small work room Omen Felle has made to try and understan the strangely refined tools you recovered. "We are crafted by the world, and now we make the tools to craft the world in return. I wonder what tools the world used to craft us." She seems modestly intrigued by them, and Omen Felle says he'll try to put the madwoman to productive work. He mentions some of the orcs have said they have seen tools like this in their land, or carried by traitors.
The Diplomatic Mission to Meggido returns bearing gifts and an odd messages from The Lords of Meggido : "Kings of Hampsterdam, We welcome the trade and friendship of our brothers in Hampsterdam. Know that the old bonds of the dying world need no longer constrain us from embracing the kinship which we all share. We regret that we are unable to visit your marvelous city but tales of your magnificent gardens and grove thrill us. You are in our hearts, Kings of Hampsterdam. The Lords of Meggido" The message is written in a crude hand. The gifts are.... puzzling A taxidermied owl, very high quality Two silver caraffes made in the style of the Eastern Islands the eye of a lizard, perhaps? Two fencing daggers from the Windmere islands A wooden leg carved with dirty words A golden flute with two of its holes melted over A potion made of bubbling orange liquid The diplomats report that the legends of the The Lords of Meggido are true, saying that they saw them, always at a distance, several times - bizarre masked forms floating through the city with the masks in the shape of various animals. They also saw the earth spirits that guard the town, flowing in and out of the earth - terrifying and occasionally huge. They note that the city is doing very well, filled with fisherman and traders but also unsavory types like mercenaries. There appears to be absolutely no taxation or real centralized authority, a small group of seeming volunteers work for the Lords but the rest of the settlement manages its own affairs. Your diplomat notes that their is a hefty problem of homelessness and beggars there occupying the docks, and they learned that apparently one of the nearby islands has become home to some pirates who come to Meggido to sell their goods - they appear very "pleased" with some kind of ruse they are pulling.
Your two new sellsword friends nervously setup a meet with Castor Garan . You arrive to find your friends collapsed, dead. RUH ROH????????
Message from Hippolita : " Joey the Sorcadin , I know we agreed to talk of better times but I have a favor to ask, one that I know you cannot give but I pray you are able. Some of the outlying farms in my community have been raided, we don't know by who or what but it is merciless and absolute in its carnage. Can you please send some men who know the area, soldiers or rangers or.... warriors - people who can handle the dangers of this world. What mercies this world can offer I will shower upon you if you can save my people, who have suffered so much of late. Yours in Friendship, Hippolita "
A message from Tatius Silica asking to meet in the Qwinn Resort. Intrigued and absurdly fearless you agree. In a smokey room in the back of the Inn, beneath the roar of laughter and sound of dance you wait for the Captain to arrive. You take in the smells of the inn, allowing yourself a moment of relaxation before tensing as he arrives, heavily draped in thick woolen cloth. "Ay, i'm glad we had this chance to talk. I heard what you've been saying to the council members, and I understand." He takes a seat. "Your a man of high morals, a noble sort, a hero men say, and I can believe it, with what you and yours have done." He stretches his hand up, brushing the scars on his face. "Men don't call me a hero, they call me a monster." His hand lowers. "but they say it in shadows, they say it into their cups when they're five tankards deep, they say it and look about, t'see who's listening." He takes a deep drink from his flagon, his good eye never leaving yours. "and while they fear, good men sleep safe." "The ash made men dark ya see. It made the world hard, and men hard with it. The ones that were weak, got sorted out, never made it, became fodder, a feast for the strong. Men who feast on others, they're not men. They're monsters. Maybe, in time, they can be men again, ah don't know. But I tell you I've seen the world they want to make, it's not a world fit for good men." He watches you a moment, taking another drink. "You think a few broken bones and busted heads are cruelty but I'm holding back the barbarian horde with a thin line, a thin line of men who know that all that is good in their life could be taken from them if just one were to falter. My men don't murder, my men don't rape, my men don't loot - I know you've heard the stories coming in from the harvest, what the militia has done. Think on that, think on the cost to this city to champion these monsters." He stands, finishing his drink. "I thank you for your time, I won't ask you to respond now. Just wanted you to hear another perspective."
Albina Prax Vaius visits you days after you have made your agreement and guaranteed the appointments. She bows, gracious, with a slim smile you have not seen on her face before. "You're an honest man - I wondered at first, a man with your reputation taking to the shadows to scheme. That simply makes you a realist, a man whose ideals are more than lofty rhetoric, a man who wants to accomplish great things." "My promises were vague, but I regret having to maintain that a bit longer. Instead let us just.... talk. Tell me what troubles you, I want to make those issues... go away."
Albina Prax Vaius comes back to you a month after your last discussion. "I regret there is nothing I can do to help you with your missing... friends..." she inclines a curious eyebrow. "A consolation prize, perhaps" she extends her hand, offering you a sealed proclamation from the High Dukes of Van Myr. It certifies the legality of your settlements process in assigning the estate of Dulcinea Guivel to Fabia Ludus , but also makes the proclamation dependent upon a vindication of bloodline. "This will certify your maneuver and this" she points at the vindication "will give you... leverage, as it were, to ensure your friend is malleable to your needs." She smiles and makes to leave. "One last thing, I would not look into the men of Sigrun any further."
Dendara Cammise waits, heavily cloaked as usual, in her workroom. She seems immune to your charms and not particularly amenable to your discussions. She denies knowing Castor Garan and is evasive on your attempts to pin down their association. She asks you to leave after a short time, claiming fatigue and a need to return to work.
A coded message arrives from Nefeli
" Joey the Sorcadin , I took passage on the Sea Badger under the guise of a local merchant, it appears trade is frequent enough between the cities that last minute passage is not uncommon. The captain assumed my anonymity was desired - I did not present myself as such so I can only assume the unscrupulous and underhanded make the trip often. The voyage was swift and the seas calm, I saw many vessels of all nations along the way. The ships flying the standard of Meggido are of greater variety, what we have heard of their 'permissive' licensing seems accurate though I do not know exactly what they gain from it. The city itself has an impressive harbor for such a recent colony, the earthenworks that shelter the harbor are obviously unnatural and support the claims of some kind of earth spirits making the city home. Their were no warships at dock when I arrived, nor in my time since, though I counted dozens of smaller merchant vessels coming in and out of the docks daily, a number rivaling our number at least in Hampsterdam itself though many doubtless share ports on their travel. Of note were several obvious pirate vessels, which seems not to deter the local merchants. Meggido has many similarities to Hampsterdam, it is poorly staffed by town guard and militia with local groups claiming governance of their neighborhoods, and it also has an abundance of adventurers and profiteers - what law there is comes from Atokas Beroklas , who acts as the representative of The Lords of Meggido . Merchants and small businessmen are common, hawking talismans and supposed relics - I did note that their is a very large trade quarters specializing in local wares coming in from all across the New World but also exotic crafts from the Old World, some very advanced. The town lacks any semblance of heavy industry, neither ironworks nor shipwrights though the latter seems to be in development, which may make their port more appealing than Hampsterdam. The Blessed Leaf has no presence here that I could see, I did not yet have the time to investigate why but their are several interesting religious figures that seem to make this city home. The cult of the Penitent, lead by Lasila Vianova , seems to be prominent here and they are excited she will soon be visiting. I will report more soon as my investigation begins."
Two weeks later another coded message :
" Joey the Sorcadin, I saw The Lords of Meggido , at least a few of them. Figures in varying masks of animals and monsters, always at a distance - they glide as if by some magic, and their is something odd about their motions, but I cannot quite express what it is that unnerves me about them. Far more impressive is the Earth Spirits that they can control, they rise from the ground where they will, sometimes the size of a small dog, other times rivaling a hill or castle - it is this, these displays, that I think keeps the chaos from boiling over here. Spectacle more than anything else rules Meggido. I saw three members of the Blessed Leaf hung at the gates, I'm not sure by who but the writing beneath was distinctly Saggran. More than one man has told me Sapienta, the Jewelled Serpent rules the docks and wards of Meggido since her arrival, but I again have not looked into this. Lasila Vianova arrived, the city is swarmed with homeless and poor refugees and they have taken to the message of the Penitents. She almost glows with a divine vitality, of course now we know the illusion that is power, so I mention it to you letting you ponder the implication. Her message was mixed, but passionate, extolling the virtues of aiding those who suffer but with an edge to the demand that bordered on violent. Enough of that, on to the task at hand. I have spent weeks now investigating Kaireck Lousange with as much discretion as possible, the shadows here are giving with information if you have the coin but I cannot tell how many whispers ripple with my inquiries. From what I can gather he was known to be a fisherman with associates at a waterfront tavern called the Whiskey Fish, known to be a haunt of the pirates. I also discovered he patronized Beggar's Alley, a poor area near the mud wharves where many of the homeless lurked. I'll be investigating these areas in the coming weeks, and I will send you more information when I have it. HUGZ N KIZZEZ, Nefeli "
You receive no further messages.
You have Tennebelt and Tayala Benzare gather up some of the afflicted individuals, wandering about their day in a deep malaise. Fabia Ludus brings Dane as well, who she has been taking care of since the unfortunate events of her arrival. They try a variety of herbs to see what, if any, effects they will exhibit but most of the tests are exactly as expected - stimulants mildly stimulate them, depressants put them to sleep. No matter their energy level they exhibit the same lack of interest in the world around them. Frustrated, you take out the mirror gaze at them in the reflection. What you see is something far different from the strange glows that you saw prior, or the total absence of what you presumed to be some kind of illusion - instead the faces, the skull, the entire head, of the afflicted are warped in a shell-like spiral, endlessly twisting into the center. No matter the angle it is always perfectly pointed towards you, a blurred black hole obscuring all features of the patient.
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