I need a book on you know, the moon and stuff

General Summary

“One last thing,” Lili asked Croneberg, “Since we’re about to travel up to the far reaches of civilization, it would be helpful to talk to a guard or soldier who’s been there. Would you know such a person?” “Yes, yes,” Croneberg said waving his hand. “Talk to Gustav Schmidt, if he’s not on duty you’ll find him in one of the dives by the docks. If he is on duty, you’ll find him outside one of the dives on the docks.” We say our goodbyes and head off towards the docks. “Before we go, I do be wantin’ to talk to the local church to find out more about my shield and its relationship to the moon,” Cap said. “I’ll meet back up with you at our rooms.”

HOW CAP’S VISIT TO THE CHURCH WENT

Now, I wasn’t there for it, so I’m mainly relaying what he told me, but Cap went in with his full plate armor, his giant shield, and his mace, rested them on the floor and said, “Do ye be havin’ a book on the moon and stuff?” he asked the first priest he ran into. “I’m sorry, but you want a book about the moon?” “Yes. I need to learn more about the moon and all that,” Cap answered. “I’m sorry sir, but we’re the church, we don’t really study the sky, down the road a bit is a place that is more geared for men dressed such as you, perhaps you could ask there?” the priest tried. “No, no. I be needin’ to know what the church says about the moon, and the man in the moon.” “The man in the moon? Did I hear you right?” “Ok, let me try again. I have this nice bell here I got from the Holy Isles while I was visiting there, and I heard there are stories about a Power called the Man in the Moon,” Cap tried again talking louder like you would with a child. Side note, we don’t have that many bells, and they were to grease our way into the legions not to bribe random priests who have no clue what you’re talking about. The priest really liked Cap’ better after that, “Sir, thank you, this is lovely, but I really don’t know what to tell you. We don’t have much information on things like that. Perhaps you could try the Order of the Smudged Hand, they keep the records.” “I’ll do that,” Cap said and headed off. I’ve been told he then spent the afternoon in the common room of our inn regaling the poor guests with his vocal talents. This continued until the innkeeper asked him to leave, so he wandered the streets singing and gathering children to follow him.

DOWN BY THE DOCKS

“We’re looking for Gustav Schmidt,” Lili said to the guards next to the dock we approached. “We’re traveling up North soon and wanted news of what it might be like.” The guards relaxed as Lili talk to them, “He’d be the person to talk to. He has some real stories, and he’s always happy to tell them for a pint or two. You can find him over by the Sea Witch Shanty over there.” We look in the direction he’s pointed and can see a rambleshack building, I use the term loosely, and some drunk sailors outside. “I tell you, I heerd there were two outpost destroyed by the Scourge,” shouted the slightly less drunk sailor. “No it was three destroyed, and I think the 12th should march up to them right now and burn the whole lot of ‘em out,” his friend yelled in return. The lingering guards' attention narrowed in on the sailors for a moment, and their eyes turned towards, Lili, Milli, and me as we walked in. “We’re looking for Gustav Schmidt,” Lili said. “Croneberg says he’s the guy to talk to for news about the Northern forts.” The guards relaxed and jerked their heads towards a burly man sitting and drinking. “Barkeep, a round of drinks for these helpful guards, and a drink for myself and my friend back here.” Schmidt sat in the back watching as we approached, “That’s might social of you to get me a drink, what do ya want?” “We’re traveling up to Murkeep soon, and wanted news of what it’s like.” “Well, unless you get permission from the Duke or the Tribune, you’ll be in Tradetown,” he answered as he took a pull of his drink. “That’s a hard place to stay. If orcs come calling, the fort just locks itself up and leaves Tradetown to rot. There’s a bit of a rivalry goin’ on between the guy in charge of Tradetown and Tribune Prebus. Why you be goin’ up there?” “A couple of reasons,” I answered, “we’ve got a merchant who wants a fair amount of leaf mold oil, and it’s supposed to grow up there. We also recently gave news to the Duke of the Cantor sending orders to the Legions.” “She’s not supposed to do that,” Schmidt grumbled, “Tribune Prebus is enough of a choirboy that’d he’d do what she said, even if the Duke didn’t give the orders. You do need to take care o’ that fer sure. If you’re able to get up there you talk to the supply sergeant, Proctor Simulus and say Schidty sent ya. He’ll take good care of you.” “Thank you for that advice,” Lili said standing up, “Have another round on us.” Schmidt tipped his cup to us as we left.
As we walk back to the inn we hear the most bizarre racket of singing going on, and head towards it. There’s Cap’n singing and leading a growing crowd of apprentices and young children through the streets. “Cap,” I yell, “We’re heading back to the inn to wait for any news. Stop caterwauling and come get cleaned up.” In the shadows a puff of sulfur and a flash of claws, “Someone is calling your master’s servants to a task he did not set them.” “I will investigate it,” Lili answered. “See that you do,” Sarthus growled.
As we arrive at the inn a slight man walks in and asks to see us, the innkeeper gestures to us and the man asks for a private room with refreshments. “I am Russ Feinhold, I had been sent to find a respected alchemist to help the Duke with his ailment, but I’m being kept from seeing him since I got back. I fear, if Franz Alldeberg isn’t allowed to see the Duke soon he’ll go back to his normal location.” “How do we know you were really sent by the Duke?” Lili asked, “After al,l he is being treated by the head of the Alchemists guild currently.” “Yes, you would want proof,” and he began to unbutton his shirt. I raised my eyebrow at that, I hadn’t noticed before how handsome he was. His movements were quite refined now that I think about it. He pulled his shirt aside and showed the gear tattoo on his left shoulder. “The Duke may not agree with all we do, but in the short term our goals align, and so he asked me to help him. I suspect, he is being poisoned and it may have been by one of my orders, so I need to confirm my suspicions.” “Who do you suspect?” Milli asked as she smiled at him and put her hand on his strong muscular arm. I can’t believe she’s flirting so openly. “Lady Cassandra. She is the person who sent me to find Franz, but I suspect she has been compromised. Possibly she’s been mind-controlled or something else odd.” “We’ve run into that before,” Lili said pulling one of our broken chain potions out of her bag. “Here’s a potion we found that is useful in breaking the control. Maybe you can give it to her.” “I don’t be trusting this man,” Cap’s voice sounded in my mind. “He be wrong.” I tilted my head and cocked an eyebrow at Cap. He didn’t really explain better why the handsome man was suspicious. ‘Thank you,” Russ said, “I must be going now, but if there’s any way you can get me in to see the Lady Cassandra, maybe we can figure out what happened to her. I must be going now, thank you for listening to me.” Russ bowed and saw himself out of the inn. “I’m going to follow him,” I announced as I shifted into a cat. I darted out the door and followed him through a maze of streets to Franz Aldeberg’s storefront. The house smelled of sulfur, and the curtains on the windows were firmly drawn shut. I jumped on a few ledges but wasn’t able to find any way to get into the store. “Oh well,” I thought to myself, “at least we know he came from Franz for sure.”
“We have an invitation to see the Duke in one hour,” Milli said as I jumped in through our window. “Better get cleaned up. The invitation smelled of very expensive flowers.”
DUKE BRANDENBURG All of us but Cap are in our very best clothing. Cap insisted on wearing his armor to see the Duke. Lili wore her fancy armor over her dress. Not too surprisingly the guards made both of them remove their armor. Cap insisted on putting his armor, shield, and mace into our bag of holding. Once we are all properly disarmed, the guard leads us past the meeting hall to a small side-room. It is way too warm in there, and the fire is roaring hot. In the corner next to the fire, a man sat wrapped up in many blankets, his eyes watch us alertly as we walked in, his hand shook as he offered us chairs. “Thank you for seeing us Your Grace,” I said as I handed him the letter of introduction from Father Rentell, “We were originally coming to aid Father Rentell in a problem up North, then more urgent news needed to be shared with you.” I briefly sketched out the news we heard of the Cantor’s plans. “That is disturbing, Milady will you put arrangements in order for the legion in Ruskeep and for Don Jon to ensure the Tribune remembers his duty,” Duke Brandenburg turned back to us, “You have done me a great favor, is there anything else you wish to tell me about?” “Aye there be more,” Cap said. “We been travelin’ much and we ran into the remains of a group called the Cormani, and another group called the Mani where we found a journal for Roan de Carville.” The Duke’s eyes lit up and his eyebrow rose to his hairline. “Milli show him your bracers.” She took them off her arms, and she gasped, there was a faint brand of the Cormani mark on her arms from the bracers. “We found these in a mine near the town many of us are from. They allowed us to use a portal that took us to another location.” Duke Brandenburg eagerly looked over the bracers, muttering at the designs on it. “We traveled to a dig site and found Roan’s journal there, and an armor that lights up,” Lili said, “If you like, I left the armor with your guards, but I can retrieve it and show you how it works.” The Duke gestured and a guard came to accompany Lili. It took a few minutes, but Lili got hte armor set up on a dummy and the Duke was amazed as he tapped the symbol and the armor lit up with a blue glow. “You said you had Roan’s journal?” the Duke looked over us, “If you’ve read it, then you know I funded her last journey, and I would very much love to have it.” “Yes, of course, you may,” I said. “Give me a moment to find it in the bag and you can have it. She had a run-in with a group bearing a tattoo, if you have some parchment I could sketch it for you?” I paused and a quill and parchment were put before me. I quickly sketched out the strange cog wheel tattoo we’d seen on so many people. “We ran into them a second time while exploring the ruins Roan had set up a dig at. We found Roan’s body and her journal. We buried her inside of the ruins, and brought the journal with us figuring it should be recovered.” I watched the Duke and Lady Cassandra as I told the story, she showed no reaction to the group, but the Duke started when I mentioned them.” “I am familiar with the group,” he said, “It’s one of many secret societies that form up among rich young men with too much time and too little responsibility. They intrigued me, but it worries me they are so involved with this. If you are heading North you will need a letter of introduction to Don Jon at Murkeep. He will be able to help you with whatever you need.” “Than you, your Grace,” I said curtsying slightly. I do have some social graces, not many. I glanced at Lili. “Your Grace,” Lili said. “I fear we have to report an indiscretion we may have committed. This afternoon a young man came to our inn and told us he’d been tasked with getting another alchemist to see you, but was not being allowed access to you. He cast aspersion on Lady Cassandra and suggested she was being controlled. He showed us a tattoo from this group and said you were temporarily aligned in your goals. We gave him a potion that could cure mind control, but in the hands of a master alchemist could be used to reverse engineer and create a mind control potion.” Lady Cassandra started as she listened to this, and her eyes flew to the Duke. “Relax my dear,” Duke Brandenburg said, “I have complete faith in you. There is no need to fear.” He looked at us, “It sounds like you have a mess to clean up, and I regret to say that I am feeling in need of more rest. Lady Cassandra will see you get the necessary papers tomorrow morning.” We said our goodbyes and headed out of the palace, or fort really. “We’re being followed,” Milli hissed under her breath. “Sarthus,” Lili called quietly. A poof of sulfur and the creature appeared in the shadows, claws, and eyes flashing. “I need you to discover who is following us.” The road squealed as the stones scraped, the chill was gone and back before we could relax, “Trouble comes soon,” and another poof of sulfur, and it was gone.
“You disappoint me,” Russ pouted his handsome face. “You did not get me an audience with the Duke. Oh well,” and he disappeared into the shadows as a giant bone creature stepped forward. It reached into the bag at its side and threw out two small objects and skeleton minotaurs step forward. The nearest one hits Captain and the other lunges towards Lili. “This is trouble,” I yelled as I shifted into a wolf. The creature slams into the ground and I dodge it, barely. Lili blasts the creatures with several spells and Milli draws arrow after arrow from her quiver. Cap curses and calls forth a storm to deal with the creature, his armor, and weapons being stowed away in the bag for the next day. A flurry of blows are exchanged as we charge back and forth. At one point I think almost everyone was out from the poisons the skeletons had in their weapons. Cap kept throwing heals and spells at the creatures as I charge into the fray over and over again as a wolf. At the end, they crumpled and Milli picked up the bag the skeleton creature had, inside were four more teeth. “Dragon’s teeth,” I muttered, “troublesome things.”
That was when I realized the City Watch was here and had been fighting alongside us for this fight. Which is a bit of good news and a bit of bad news.

Report Date

21 Dec 2021