Hi, we picked up where Petecon left off- you'd raised the Tower of Goode Menne and set about exploring it. The Baronet learned of discontent among his peasantry and called them together to try to motivate them, which had some positive effects especially once he added financial incentive to help clean up the tower's interior. A few folk who were not engaged in the harvest lended a hand, along with some of the Captain's sailors who heard that there were naughty frescoes to be seen. You also inspected the small ruin on the east side of the manor territory and learned that there was growing evidence of a larger construction inside. The Vadeli were nowhere to be seen.
Oomsh and mother Shaven had withdrawn from much contact with the Baronet in mourning of the loss of Lynistor, and some of the peasantry too missed his courtly flourishes and lordly demeanor.
With some cleaning you discovered signs that the lower level of the tower's staircase was decorated with frescoes not of Vadeli atrocities but of Godlearner/Middle Sea Empire sorceries, some of which seemed atrocious or disturbing, but not out of the ordinary for Second Age Seshnelan ruins along the coast.
You set off for St Thosos and visited the Baron. You were pleased to see him sparring with the Young Baron Lorenz in the yard, and he welcomed you with some of his old vigor. His face darkened with the news of the library, but he confessed that the showdown with the Church had been a long time coming anyway, and you all had time to prepare for their retribution, which surely would be harsh as they would take the loss of their Wizard and Knights to be an excuse for severe action. He declared it was time to unite his coastal villages more, and set the Baronet to visit the closest one to his manor soon- Oyesteria Major, where an “interesting” religious figure was the lord/Baronet.
Suddenly, when speaking with the Baronet inside, the Baron doubled over and grabbed his forehead in pain, exclaiming “Not again!” and he retired to his chambers- the Heretic curse must have re-activated. You then chatted with the Young Baron who had enjoyed his double-team sparring with Boamund and Ahappi, and wondered when he might have to take over his father's duties. He insisted he was ready, but you convinced him that his parents needed his brave support and now was no time for a shift in the balance of power. The Baronet left some iron with Gothrim of Peelo at the market to try to get fashioned into a helmet, but could find no news of Gertrude's location.
At the Chapel of St Thosos-In-The-Mire you found a very frightened priest who was reduced to tearful prayer in supplication to Rokar and Makan at the dire news you brought, artfully delivered by the Captain. But you had heard from the Baronet that the Evracian Monks had come upon new wealth and prosperity of late, although Ron did not think they posed a concern and said he would monitor the situation.
Back at the Manor you learned that the fog had shifted or reduced away from your night-channel, possibly opening the way for The Shadow to return to the seas. Then you hiked through the saltmarshes to Oyesteria Major, which had no good trails leading to it and was quite a slog as a result. The village had some outlying farms and hovels, then a central raised earthen hill that supported a ring of maybe two dozen huts, mostly simple constructions of local reed thatching and rough mangrove timbers, with no stonework or metals. A Pithdaran guard (more like a huntsman) hailed you and brought you to the local leader (of sorts), the middle-aged and greying Loskalmi man Embulian the Clean.
Embulian welcomed you graciously with many a knowing twinkle in his eye and meaningful glances over your group. He explained he was a Perfecti; a heretic outcast from Loskalm who believed that all people were of all four castes with no hierarchy, and each person must seek their own relationship with Makan to find innocence of body and heart and thereby the joy of Solace. His liberal attitudes shocked most of you as extremely heretical; it was no wonder he was hiding so far from his homeland! And in a strange community, you found, of simple folk who worked the land and kept to themselves. But he had a problem that had just arisen over the past day or so- the fog that had shifted north from your lands had come to his, and with it a strange tide carrying bits of misshapen iron nuggets. He showed you one and it made the Baronet and Boamund's senses go wild with alarm- it was as you feared chaos-tainted. You decided that these abominations must be collected and cast into the depths of the Fosnoir.
Since these bits arrived on their shores, the folk of the village had taken to strange behaviour, which he was vague about but explained that one woman who had a piece of iron was raped by a local man who then took the iron away. Nothing had yet been done about it, as other villagers seemed more concerned with collecting iron, and the community was paralyzed with selfishness and suspicion.
You learned a bit more of the community- while “Baronet” Embulian was respected as a wise elder, there was no true leadership. The folk seemed poor and maybe desperate, but Embulian claimed they had been content. There were perhaps 50 people in the main settlement with a scattering of more in the outlying farms and lodges. Most were Loskalmi, some maybe Seshnelan, with a few Pithdaran hunters/guards at most. They seemed to be pacifists, with almost no weapons (except a few hunting/fishing implements) or imported goods and no signs of armor. They had little skill in fishing; being more men of the land skilled at farming (lettuces, turnips, aubergines etc). A quite strange place!
You wandered the shores and found more tiny flakes or clouds of iron washing up, seeming to be coming from the northeast (either Asparagus Isle or the sunken ruins of fabled Arvonesse) then some villagers accosted you and told you to leave. You convinced them to wait and show you some of their iron which they were willing to consider selling for 500 silvers apiece. As you did not have the funds you retired to Embulian's hut, where he had fallen ill with a sweating fever, which seemed to have been caused by him clutching his nugget of iron (you tossed this aside). As night fell you stood watch in his doorway. The fog rolled further inland and the first cry of rage came from a nearby hut– “Aaaagh! Thieves! I'll kill them all!”
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