Present Party: Keviks, Lupan, Nana, and Wren.
Setting: The capital city of Kystad, Midtia. Very briefly: the library of the lich guildmaster, Hugo DeMarco.
We started the session where we left off last week after our technical difficulties. While Lupan and Wren took Fang out for his first date, Nana and Keviks went to go and visit Hugo. We pick up during that latter conversation.
~~~~~
Upon further questioning about Hugo, his past, and his motivations, he admitted his investment in the safety of the royal family: "I say that I am nearly a lich because a lich would have control of his phylactery. I do not. It is part of my arrangement with the royals. My phylactery is in a place and only two people in all of Farrowyn know where it is. I am not one of them. The king is. At any moment, for any reason, the king could have me killed if he wanted."
Nana asked if he knew anything about the Riot Guard, about the death of Juliana Rowin (the previous captain before Eli Hawks) that she thought seemed slightly suspicious. "Sudden health complications" was her written cause of death. Hugo claimed that he didn't much keep up with the Riot Guard. If she had concerns though, because of his interest in the royal family's safety (since their safety guaranteed the safety of his phylactery), he agreed to look into it. He would "put out some eyes and ears."
Keviks asked if he was able to see different events in time that he didn't necessarily experience. Nana's raven familiar, Mond, was shot down in the dead of night about two nights ago. They both wanted to know if he could find out who did it. Hugo explained that he could, but he'd need his library. He created a shadowy doorway on the wall of his office, and stepped through. Keviks and Nana followed, and they found themselves in the most beautiful library they'd ever seen. There were rows and rows of shelves, shelves in the wall that went from floor to ceiling, two stair cases that led up to a second floor, tables, armchairs, maps, globes, art, busts, statues... pieces of history. There were large windows on the left wall that looked out into a black void. In the distance, there was the sound of rolling thunder and pouring rain.
Hugo offered to do as he said, but asked what they had to offer him in return for such a favor. Nana offered herself as an assistant, and her position in the Royal Court. Hugo declined immediately; he claimed to have no interest in such things. At least for now.
"You and I both, dear girl, we live forever. Who knows? Perhaps I may take you up on that offer in the future. Instead, I am interested in that flute that you have... I don't want it. I just want to know what happens. I want regular updates on whatever you find out about the metallic dragons, should you... find out anything more."
"Do you perhaps have sending stones? So that we may communicate with you?"
Hugo scoffed, "Dear girl, just write me a letter."
They struck a deal. Hugo brought them further into the library to a blue crystal ball with rings spinning around it. Nana summoned Mond, and Hugo was able to use this crystal ball and completely restructure that area from that night as Mond recalled it. They watched Mond get shot with an arrow, and they followed it to a rooftop. Nobody was there, but Hugo seemed to see something.
He told them, "Because you cannot see what I see. Magic is a tricky thing."
He touched both of their shoulders. The scene was tinted red, and a figure appeared: a medium humanoid in dark adventuring gear. They were lithe, and carried a longbow with two daggers at their hip. They had something covering the lower half of their face, and since everything was tinted red, no skin or eye color could be made out.
Before they left, Nana asked about certain magical items that she was searching for. She was interested in several tomes and items that were tailored to Wizards.* Hugo said that he had some in his possession, but he would have to think about a price before he let her have them. He'd be in touch.
*Out of game note: these items are the Wizard tomes from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.*
When Keviks and Nana left, a young changeling man was seated at Hugo's desk with his feet on it and his ankles crossed. He claimed that he wished to speak to Hugo. Hugo asked Nana and Keviks if they required anything else, and then teleported them back to the front of the guild hall.
~~~~~
The party all met up again and decided that they wanted to go out that night. Wren and Lupan desperately wanted to bring Fang with them, and Fang seemed very excited about the idea. They would have to check with the king though, and the whole party would need to be debriefed on the meeting with Hugo.
Fang went about his studies for the day while the party took some time for themselves and talked about Hugo and the metallic dragons. Nana also shared the information that she recovered from Spymaster Ego about Alaion and Akig, the two Riot Guard informants.
- "Akig" is an alias. Her real name is Luri Bronzehide. She lives with her brother, in the city.
- Alaion Eleneth is the legally changed name of Terrowin Haelon. He lives in town with others, though Ego didn't specify who they were. He claimed that the situation was delicate. He also said that Alaion had been dishonorably discharged from the Erdian Army.
Keviks decided that he was going to ask Alaion some questions while the party took Fang out.
Nana left to speak to the king quickly while Lupan and Wren went looking for Fang again. When Nana found the king, he was in his room, and she overheard a brief conversation between him and Queen Wisps: his wife, a gray tabby-looking tabaxi. He seemed worried about Fang, worried about the Selection, and he claimed that the only good thing that came of his Selection had been her.
After this conversation seemed to have wrapped up, Nana was invited inside. She spoke to them both about Fang being able to go out that night and potentially bringing along his friend - Charlie Valentoise, given that Fang wanted to see him again soon. The king, with encouragement from his wife and reassurance from Nana that she and the rest of her party would be there, agreed to let him go.
After that, the conversation shifted again to Hugo, and Wisps promptly left the room, claiming that the ultimately, it had been River's decision. River explained to Nana that only he and one other person know the location of Hugo's phylactery. She presumed it was Spymaster Ego, but River shook his head.
"It's a young man. He works for Hugo. A changeling. He... He's the one who... feeds the phylactery. Souls that will not be missed. He goes by Veers."
River did admit that he was unsure of where the souls are coming from exactly. This did seem to worry Nana, and she advised River to be careful. She also spoke to him about some tomes that Hugo had that she was interested in and that he hadn't been too willing to part with. River said that he'd ask about them.
Wren and Lupan had successfully caught up with Fang and they met up with Nana and River. River told his son to have fun, but to be safe and careful.
They picked up Charlie Valentoise on the way, who was very excited to be joining them. The party ended up at the adventurer's pub - The Old Fashioned Teacup Bar. Wren and Lupan were given permission to, once again, perform for their meals. Lupan had even wrangled Charlie onto the stage to sing, and although his performance had been decent, it wasn't anything grand.
In her mind, Wren received accompaniment from the Copper Dragon's Pan Flute in her possession. She also received a heartwarming vision of Quest, performing at this very tavern, playing the same song to his adventuring party and to a raucous audience.
~~~~~
Keviks went to the address that Nana had received from Ego for Alaion. When he arrived, a pregnant human woman opened the door. She called for Alaion, who came to see Keviks and insisted that they talk outside.
When Keviks addressed Alaion as "Terrowin," he seemed both surprised and angry. Keviks showed him his own insignia - the insignia of the Erdian Army. The same one that Alaion had on his person.
"You were dishonorably discharged?" Keviks asked.
"Yes. Did they kill your family too?"
"They killed your family? Why? Why were you discharged? What did you do?"
"It wasn't anything I did," Alaion claimed. "My parents ran a publishing house. They published some... not so favorable things. It just worked its way down to me. I was arrested. I managed to escape with my wife, Rosa. She was pregnant at the time, with our daughter, Katrina."
"Who did you serve under? Where were you stationed?"
"General Grisdain. I served on the west coast. We were stationed there, almost like a military guard. Searching for contraband on incoming ships, searching for stowaways... uninteresting for the most part."
"Why do you keep it? The insignia?"
Alaion sighed. "I don't know... Maybe... Maybe because in a way, I still want to feel like I'm part of something."
"Aren't you part of the Riot Guard?"
"I'm an adventurer," he remarked. "Nothing more, nothing less."
Alaion reached for the door, but Keviks stopped him. "Burn it."
Alaion looked at him. "Why do you keep yours, if you're so keen to see me destroy mine?"
"A reminder. A reminder of what not to become."
Keviks let Alaion go. Not long after, Mond was sent looking for him, and he joined his companions at the Old Fashioned Teacup.
~~~~~
Once Keviks arrived at the bar, the party noticed some of the stranger folks there. That same changeling from Hugo's office, who Nana presumed to be Veers, was at a table with two other people: a woman in chainmail and someone who looked to be an inventor-type. Through Detect Thoughts, Nana noticed that Veers was at ease until she probed deeper. There was something about a satisfying talk with Hugo, and there was some thought about "souls." Once he realized she was in his mind, he panicked for a moment, but then grew serious and frustrated.
Off at the corner of the bar was a large man, broad shouldered, with long red hair and a bushy beard. He was dressed very casually, compared to the adventurers that made up the patrons of this tavern. He had what looked like a brown, woolen bracelet around his wrist. Keviks noticed him first, and brought Nana's attention to him. The second Keviks looked away, the man's eyes settled on Lupan. They were fixated on him. They wouldn't leave.
Lupan turned to look at him, and he and Wren approached this gentleman to have a conversation. The stranger's eyes changed colors: green, to purple, to pink, and back. Upon closer inspection, Lupan realized that the bracelet around his wrist wasn't wool at all
It was a lock of his hair. He'd given it to a dryad.
At first, they thought it was the dryad playing tricks, but this gentleman said, "Oh no, we made a trade. Quite a good one too. I believe, Lupan... You met a good friend of mine, did you not?"
Lupan's eyes hardened, and he asked if Wren would give them a moment alone. She obliged, and the stranger offered to speak to Lupan outside. When they left the tavern, everything went quiet. Too quiet. There was no sound coming from the tavern. The streets were empty. Everything was still.
"Freyr?" Lupan asked.
"No. A friend of Freyr's though. Also, if it's any consolation, that dryad girl really did fancy you."
"You're wrong if you think that's why I'm angry." He grabbed the stranger by the collar of his shirt. "What do you want with me? Why are you here?"
"I am here because the souls of the men that you killed are writhing. And that is not what they deserve. Your tribe... it's no secret that they have a strong connection to Alfheim. I have a vested interest in your redemption."
Lupan let him go. "And how do you expect to do that?"
"It's not time yet," the stranger told him. "It's not yet Spring. When it's time, I'll see you again."
"Who are you?"
The man laughed. "Oh Lupan... you should know that fey don't give their names so freely. But... you may call me The Spring Lord."
And with that, he disappeared, leaving a small white daisy where he'd been standing.
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