Hi everyone,
Orsattus returned with his surly band not long after Fraud Shaven did, and he headed directly to welcome back the “New Froalar, True Talar”. Clearly now, he felt free to make himself scarce when his lord was away, melting into the wilderness or wherever. Meanwhile, Maugis and Captain Ahappi recovered from their sorcery-dampening and blinding curses by the next night. You set to discussing what to do next. A strike against the Rokari church was agreed, with the goal of slaughtering them and burning down the chapel at St Thosos.
Jett came knocking, with Orsattus, and joined the discussion, with news that Baron Ron was away on the mainland but back soon. He also confided that he too was convinced that the Giranois were key to the “salvation” of Giraine and must be allied. Something, too, had changed with them- they had gained some “trick” rumoured to be called Granno's Finger, and this reminded you of the finger you'd thrown into the Underworld at Mudlark to start your quest to bring back the dead Fraud Shaven. That finger-magic helped the Giranois evade/stop the wall-men's cavalry, including the demon-horses from the Underworld. Interesting. But Jett also speculated that there was more to the Giranois, that they were still a ways from peace between their clans, and maybe Quick Sister's rift with Fraud Shaven (and Toadhaven's with Aria's Well) needed to be resolved to help this along in some way- an indirect connection between Froalar and the Giranois, maybe? (But Froalar was 1st age and the Giranois late 2nd age at best, murkily in both cases) Orsattus and Maugis mentioned rumours they'd heard of some snake-related power in New Arvonesse- could this be a hidden Froalar link?
Your leaders went back to the manor for a dinner chat, which mostly was lighter issues, but with a little more talk of heavier things. Jett said that Baron Ron was more convinced now that the Giranois were important, and peace with them was important, and maybe even Fort Mudlark could be reined in. Boamund had another terse conversation with Cyroosta, managing to get her to show a spark of interest in the Froalar-Quick Sister mystery/conflict but still wallowed in (self-)doubt that this could be solved.
By the next night, invitation had come to meet with the Baron in St Thosos, so you went there and spoke with him atop the walls of his keep, where he'd been contemplating the distant ocean. He brought discussion quickly to the matter of the Rokari, who were out “proselytizing” in the countryside. He repeated his stance that peace with them must be maintained for now, that he lacked enough allies and strength to confront them now, and it would not take much to bring a Crusade here from Seshnela, which would truly crush you all. But he'd had new visions, and information, on his visit to Pithdaros. These made him sure that the Giranois were important and must not be slaughtered. He wanted your insights there.
Next he moved on to revisiting a plan he'd been cooking up for several seasons now: a mission to sunken Arvonesse, where the last saint seemed to be interred and more lost powers surely remained, hidden by the might of the sea trolls that now ruled the ruins and kelp-beds there. Baron Ron was completing agreements with the Wizard-Engineers Guild of Nolos, to form a joint mission to these ruins- those famed wizards could get you information, even scry a map of the ruins, so that you could get to the dark depths and get out once you had what you wanted. Ron thought that the time for this mission would be in early Dark season, just weeks away. This was part of his plan to gather strength and allies to eventually confront the Rokari with, when the time was right- he was sure that events on the mainland would distract them in due time, too. War (with Nolos/the Quinpolic League) had gone from boiling back to simmering, but that was only temporary.
Discussion turned to your latest exploits and news. Ron quickly urged that the Mostali were left alone and kept watch on, that this was no one's business and Giraine needed no more trouble, which Mostali risked posing. In regards to the pirates/poets/prophets that had troubled you lately, he left this to Jett and you to manage. He had no insights but saw the danger they posed. As for the Vadeli and the Yellowskin, there too he confessed his ignorance but thought his Zzaburi, Evakranem, might know more.
Once again you found Evakranem poring over documents in his study. He said he'd read of the Yellowskin curse before, that its power would fade if left alone (or endured, or mocked) but strengthen if resisted, “like the crushing coils of the python”. Ahappi had realized that the sinister feeling of the curse had gone away after his week spent on the Aeropod in its dark meditative chamber- maybe he'd been cleansed? But if so, had the curse just moved on? You were not sure. Evakranem was curious about the Yellowskin but said it was not to be messed with. His curiosity also extended to your news about the little mechanical man you'd seen, and he wanted it captured and studied then sold, or else “dissected” and documented. This disturbed you and his request for Maugis to be his pen pal wasn't met with much sympathy. You left that uncomfortable conversation and St Thosos.
A few days passed. Boamund visited Dividd the hunter in his cell, finding him still in despair and expecting (hoping) to be put to death soon. On a second visit, pressing him for more information on who had cursed him and when, Dividd screamed, swelled up as he grew more yellowish in tint, and exploded very messily just after Boamund hurled the cell door shut and threw himself to the ground. Worse yet, the jail had become contaminated, as Maugis's sorcery-sight could detect, and this only faded slowly but might have only gone underground and into the air… This Yellowskin was proving to live up to its ancient reputation as a dire threat, making hapless slaves out of men or killing them horribly, rather than making a lordly caste– or was some Yellow/Golden Vadeli orchestrating these things? You shuddered to think. And was this curse the one that had seemed to abandon Ahappi, or a remnant of Dividd's curse, or something else? No one knew. Like the Mostali site, Boamund had this place put under guard and fenced off.
Soon, news came that altered your plans. The merchant “Grab” found you at Aria's Rest tavern and eagerly gave news that he'd heard in St Thosos about dodgy-looking strangers asking about the demise of the Dripping Beards gang of pirates. Pressing him more for information, you learned that the strangers had then left town, hiring a local fisherman named Oazif to take them to New Arvonesse. Aha! You knew it was time to go there. Threads seemed to be converging on that shanty town, and looming over it all was the powerful Captain Gulos.
On your overland journey you heard more about goings-on in the wilderness. Things had gotten strange, and more dangerous, especially further north. There were monstrous things out there, and rotting or corrupt remains. You indeed heard unsettling things in the night when you camped out there, but nothing came to you. The people had been blaming all this on the Giranois “frog fuckers” and that was not at all good for the fragile peace, nor plausible to you.
Finally you came to the gates of New Arv and the guards let you through with a wary check, one of them dashing into town surely bringing news of your arrival. You paid visit to the local Baronet at his fine manor and found him and his brother both there, enjoying their strange music and odd foods from all around the ocean's coasts, and marveling at the comforts there amidst the squalor and nefariousness of the rest of the port town. Maugis had learned from chatty local sailors in the harbor that the fisherman Oazif might be found spending his evenings at a local tavern, especially the Ophidi Inn, a den of less savoury types. So soon enough Ahappi and Orsattus ventured there, finding the toothless old Pithdaran spinning tales to a few younger patrons of the ramshackle tavern. With a few words from the intimidating Ahappi, those patrons made themselves scarce. Oazif made it clear, though, that he did not want to talk in the tavern, and led Ahappi and Orsattus toward the night market's crowds and alleyways, down one of the latter of which he took them. After some more gruff encouragement, he spilled out what he knew: he had taken seven strangers here a few nights ago, they were not talkative to him but had odd Western accents and looked dangerous, claiming to be merchants' guards. One was a woman, Oazif thought, judging from her pretty face, but she was garbed heavily as if to conceal that. The strangers asked him and others for information about Giraine and were searching especially for any clues about how the Dripping Beards had met whatever end befell them. Finally, after some final reminders that Oazif would get no prizes but his own continued existence for information, he coughed up that the strangers had spoken with Captain Gulos at the Excelsiinn (the nice tavern/spa in town) before they vanished.
And so the Captain sighed, knowing that he'd need another tense meeting with this de facto ruler of New Arvonesse, and off he and Orsattus went to find him. We'll pick up there on this Friday night- who can't make it?
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