Adventure Summaries (2007)

Run by Ellie & Tony on 13th January 2007 (Saturday 0th week, Hilary term)

Azuma (Matt H), Orpheus du Valle (Dom), Arabella Dawn (Lucy), Brother Jara (xan), ??? (Julian), ??? (Alex), ??? (Ann)

Within the past couple of months the trogs have been causing more trouble than usual in the near east (Crossroads and the like as oposed to the far east). Merchant caravans to crossroads and beyond have been having increased trouble getting through and the villages between Crossroads and the White city have been asking for help. The Guild of Free Traders is employing a group to deal with the problem.

pending.

The fighting between the two trog factions has stopped and King Streng is now on the throne in a buried, ruined city in the south east.

The caravan routes are no longer under attack.

The Stone of Streng has been commended to Ash.

The writing on the stone was translated from oldest tongues to mean 'Our city shall stand forever' - the scholar reports that this language was last seen in use over 900 years ago and is probably older again. (Although being very keen to see the original inscription, Azuma informs the scholar that this will probably not be possible.)

The two Priests of the Lady of battle and brother Jara now have a scar of a sword on thier chest marking them as owing a *big* favour to the Lady.

Orpheus has started trading certain herbs to 'Ma', one of the drug lords in Crossroads from the north.

The secret of Streng has been revealed and the stone of Streng will never be seen again since it has now been commended to ash.

There is a big *very* old city out there with lots of unexplored bits in it and that is also full of trogs.

Run by Tony on 27th January 2007 (Saturday 2nd Week, Hilary Term)

A sequel to “Among the Sands”.

Ulf (James F), Lucia du Bois (Lucy), Henry de Courci (Chris N), Teresa de Courci (Helen W), Neara Therapainas (Helen L), Morgock Sarm (Rich), Enrico Cristofori (Fed), Lucius Cristofori (James W).

Among those to die at the New Tribals arena was Gallo-Speaks-Like-Thunder, prodigal son of the Hung Boar Tribe. His remains are currently in the custody of the White City, and returning his posessions to the Tribe has been seen by Rebecca De Courci as a fine opporunity to cement new diplomatic relationships with the Tribals after it seems to have, once again, split politically.

Henry De Courci has been charged with gaining allies among the 13 tribes of the East. In particular, they are looking to ally with the strongest tribe – the Hung Boar, against the Nge, who abused the White City's trust, and presented a serious threat at the Gladiator pits of the New Tribals.

pending.

8 of the 13 tribes have now been contacted in some fashion.

Eagle, Grey Dragon, Glittering Eye and Hung Boar have agreed to ally with the white city against the Nge, along with opening talks for further trade and treaty. Particularly in the case of Grey Dragon, this is impressive.

Cold Water, Raven and Jaguar are unimpressed with the White City. It is likely that in a committed conflict, Raven and Jaguar would side with Nge against the white city, the former through insult, the latter through tradition. Cold Water are predicted to remain as neutral and impotent as always, though it is a severe blow not to have them on side.

Nonetheless, the Tribal lands are as open as a hotile desert can be to trade, and the White City prospers. A good number of caravans fall victim to raiders, monsters or the harsh climes, however, and are in need of support.

Run by Andrew C on 3rd February 2007 (Saturday 3rd week, Hilary term)

Simon (Tom), Nuwayrah Velasquez (Ann), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky), Brother Jara (Xan), Bairoth (Peter), Raph (Joff), Dominic (Tony).

You are awoken very early one morning while the city is still in darkness by an unfamiliar figure knocking at your door. Unless you're a low guardsman, in which case you're awoken by a familiar figure knocking at your door, but it comes to much the same thing. Nobles and people with Wealth are instead awoken by one of their (very apologetic) servants, with a message from said unfamiliar figure.

In any case your presence is requested (though not required, again, unless you're a member of the low guard, in which case it's An Order.), at a stated and not terribly exciting address. You are informed that you will be well paid for a piece of work for the Low Guard, but that it could take some time. Secrecy is required.

pending.

The Low Guard are extremely pleased with the party and reward them with the full 100 Hexa promised. They take Nails in for questioning, but it soon becomes obvious that he knew very little about the incident, and he is charged merely with burglary and soon released.

Brother Jara is informed by his superiors in the Cloistered Brethren (assuming he tells them something of what happened) that they believe the Rattle Prince was in the city briefly prior to the robbery.

The party have acquired a strange rod from Inskuldraes. It is still not quite clear what it is, or what it does, but it is inscribed with writing related to some of the Oldest Tongues, but which no one in the college is able to fully decipher. It seems to have something to do with the powers of Blood and Wind, and to the concept of a human, explained in elaborate detail. It appears to be wooden, though virtually impossible to damage or destroy. About a foot and a half long, it inflicts Subduing Triples if used as a weapon (as Raph selflessly volunteered to help discover).

Some days after returning to the White City, Dominic begins to remember some of the details of what happened to him when the giant wolf stuck him down and he was last-rited by Simon (it was Simon, yes?)

A pillar of Black Flame, a sense of being held in utter contempt, and a voice telling him that he had no will of his own. He was flung back from the flame, and awoke again feeling decidedly rejected (not to be confused with feeling dejected, though he may have been that as well).

From time to time a voice in Dominic's head will tell him to “Do What Thou Wilt”, particularly when he is about blindly to follow orders. As these times he sees a vision of the Black Flame.

Run by Matt H on 10th February 2007 (Saturday 4th Week, Hilary Term)

The De Courci Party- Teresa De Courci (Helen W), Lord Sebastian de Fideli (Joff) & Tarich (Tom); The Velasquez Party- Jenevieve Velasquez (Jenni), Adi (Jessie) & Ulf (James F); Carmina Curiana (Vicky)

Ever since it was supposedly ‘set free’ by Toquell Velasquez, the heart of the Black Flame has burned next to the Heart of the Great Forest. Whatever the Flame’s advocates may claim, the agonised ravings of the Verdant Lord’s priests suggest that the forest suffers from the unnatural union. Deep within the woods, travellers and weavers report twisted growth and strange behaviour in plants and animals. With the supposedly more dangerous taint of glass driven from Redbridge and elsewhere, the attention of the Forest’s guardians turns to the Flame. Various parties receive signs and portents that a solution may lie with the Lord of Sand and Stone, and travel to Crossroads to seek out Sacha Vereiss, most public of the Lord’s followers…

pending.

The Black Flame has been expelled from the Heart of the Great Forest, and the Forest itself is now well on the way to recovery from the sicknesses of the last couple of years. There is no longer any central Heart of the Black Flame; like the Light, it is everywhere and nowhere.

Toquell Velasquez has also been expelled from the Heart of the Forest. He is presumably still bound, but the current site of that binding is a mystery…

The Verdant Lord is well pleased with the party. Teresa De Courci now has flowers growing wherever she walks. For a very brief period, the pubs of the White City are filled with jokes about 'plucking Teresa's flower'. Then the jokes abruptly stop. Teresa De Courci is a 4th level Blood Sorcerer. Carmina Curiana has also received a blessing and may use Blood of the Soil as an unordained caster from now on.

Prince Roderigo Mor is also well pleased with the party, and grants steelsilk trading rights to Sebastian de Fideli, Carmina Curiana (who trades via Edwin Lunn, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong), Ulf, the De Courci family, and the Velasquez family. The trading and harvesting rights these families have come at the expense of the De Almedia family; Prince Roderigo bribes weaver tribes, diverts spider colonies, and has gathering stations taken over to divert resources to the Velasquez, the De Courci, and the other parties. De Almedia trade suffers a precipitous decline (although the De Almedia special is unaffected). As agreed at The Ambassadors, quantities of steelsilk increasingly find their way far, far into the east…

Carmina Curiana has been Blood Vengeanced by minions of Duchess Lucilla De Almedia (in return for the death of Alessandro). Any children that she bears or claims as her own will surely perish (and the spirit of the Vengeance is that this will be a young death). Various groups have expressed a desire to get revenge on the Duchess for this. (OOC these should wait for LARP0 ruling and/or future larps).

Selena Curiana has butchered a Cloistered Bretheren survey team and attempted to use the First Hammer to free the Eater of Wings (as a test for freeing Toquell). The Cloistered Bretheren get various reports on recent events and are very, very angry indeed. They have offered considerable support to the Temple of Ashes in any future missions to destroy Selena.

The First Hammer has been sacrificed to the Black Flame and the skull of the Eater of Wings has been Refined.

Nerino Velasquez has a chat with a few of his cousins (particularly Jenevieve, Nuwayrah and Carlos), buys a great big pile of steelsilk, and then Goes East. Duchess Chiara is not unappreciative to have him out of the city, but suspects he is up to something. Which, of course, he is.

Run by Joff & Jessie on 17th February 2007 (Saturday 5th Week, Hilary Term)

Cpt. Ambriel Chermes (Helen W), Lt. Tristram Silke (RIP) (James), Kratos (Rich), Pvt. B. Wheldon (Fed), Lord Vitale de Verlay (Peter)

The party are sent by Ambassador Waldo to investigate the progress of a diplomatic mission sent to Crossroads some six months ago and not heard from since. Hilarity ensues.

pending.

pending.

Run by James W on 24th February 2007 (Saturday 6th Week, Hilary Term)

Lord Sebastian de Fideli (Joff), Carmina Curiana (Vicky), Dart (Andrew C) (RIP), Bairoth (Peter M), Marcos (Gareth), Tommy Truebreath (Matt H), Sir Carlos de Mamushi (Joe W), Adi (Jessie)

TBC.

Original Plot Document (.rtf file)

pending.

The Princess of Tempests is recaptured and trapped in the House of the Gods. Those priests who follow her have the choice between ordination to the Wind powers in general, ordination to a specific wind power, or losing ordination all together. Surprisingly many stick for losing their ordination all together, and go rogue, fleeing the White City, harassing travellers and generally getting their revenge on everybody and everyone, exactly the kind of extra mayhem that adventurers are always required to go and sort out.

The Temple of Ashes make it publically known that Bairoth, Sebastian, Carmina, Marcus, Tommy, Adi, Carlos and (posthumously) Dart were responsible for this, and their names are feted throughout the White City. Except by aformentioned former priests, who start sharpening their knives from within the shadows.

Carmina completes the ritual, and Lady D'Almedia is afflicted with a curse causing her to see visions of the Scourge whenever she looks at light. She is forced to walk around outside while wearing a veil and avoid candles. There's no direct evidence connecting Carmina with this, except for D'Almedia raving angrily about “that Curiana bitch”. Doubtless some of her loyal servants will take her seriously and some will start to wonder if it isn't time their family had a new head.

(GMs might want to note that Carmina has not obtained the Light's blessing in doing this, because the Light did not want to be associated with any sort of vengeance which wasn't done in full view of everyone. The Light is willing to allow it, but will not allow the vengeance to be blessed in his name.)

Nothing remains of Bill McKenzie except for a medium-sized cloud of ash long since blown away on the wind. It is made publically known that he betrayed his companions for the Princess of Tempests. His name is cursed as a traitor.

Run by Peter M & Ellie on 3rd March 2007 (Saturday 7th Week, Hilary Term)

Abelard Velasquez (Rich), Paulo (Tom), Stephano de Courci (Julian), Za'Thul (Matt H?), ??? (Formerly 'Tibs') (Joe W)

In the very quietest of corners, in the darkest of alleyways and with the greatest of care word is being got out that well paid work may be got for those willing to travel south. Those who delve more deeply hear rumours that it is the de Velland who is asking and in getting that far they have proved their competence enough that they are considered for contact. Contact is initiated and then it is up to the person to make his own way South. At least one Low Guardsman follows these rumours to an early grave (though there is no body to be turned to ash) and two ex-High Guardsmen are deemed threats to the security of the White City and quietly sent on their way to the Burned Realm.

Abelard Velazquez, the Burning Captain, receives orders by word of mouth to attend the Lord Protector. Stephano di Courci finds amongst his voluminous correspondance the Ducal Seal and orders to make arrangements for a prolonged absence from his post. Paulo is informed by Selena, during one of her more stable periods, that he is to get himself to the Port and obey such orders as Belor should give him. Oh, and to bring her back something shiny.

Finally, word is put out in the Obsidian Guard that volunteers are needed for a special assignment, but that only the quickest, the strongest and the most driven will be accepted. Some few step forward and even fewer are accepted.

Belor de Velland wants something. He wants it badly, and when he sets his will to something, he very rarely fails to get it.

pending.

The Party brought with them the Tender of the Flame which was under the control of Paulo and Stephano. Together they publicly gave up control of it to Belor, although Stephano has secretly retained a degree of control over it which he may call upon at a later date. Who has more control over it is not entirely clear, and will not be until the time comes when a Stephano tries to do something opposing Belor's will (or vice versa)… In other words, no decision here, let the GMs decide when it comes up.

It should be noted that in accepting the fight against the Tender of the Flame, both Stephano and Paulo have sacrificed some small measure of what loyalty they have towards Belor (even if that loyalty was based upon something else like a Debt of Gratitude or a “because Selena told me to”). Paulo and Stephano may interpret this as they see fit.

Stephano sacrificed the hilt of Vengeance to the Tender of the Flame in order to remove the curse placed upon him by the Burned Lords. Stephano is no longer Condemned by Ash, his blessing from the Rose Princess of the East (I think) has opened up and he is no longer immortal… For now the gaze of the Burned Lords is not on Stephano, though how long the Lord of the Faithful can have his gaze turned aside is anyone's guess. (Stephano has bought himself some respite, further acts of blatant Necromancy will call it back again as will time, unless he should somehow redeem himself).

It is unclear what happens to the Tender of the Flame once it is recieved by the Lord Protector, but it is not seen again, at least not in its original form… Rumours abound, running from the notion that Belor has reinstated a modified version of the Shard Pits, but only for initiates of the Flame, to the possibility that Belor tried to consume it himself only to be consumed himself and left an empty automoton going through the motions but lacking any internal life. (I have a couple of ideas, but I think it might be better to leave it up to future GMs).

Belor has found some new family. Members of the erstwhile cult, Dreams as Emptiness, who fell to Northern Lights, but through the vagaries of Dream were not killed by them, now form a closely knit group around the Lord Protector. It is an open secret amongst the Port that they hunger as Belor does and more criminals are personally executed by the Lord Protector than ever before. Rumours abound as to the precise nature of their relationship to Belor, at least some of which seem to be spread by the Velvet Guard. Rumours that the Perfidious Tower is unhappy at Belor's having found more family are quashed with brutal force.

Run by Tom & Jessie on 10th March 2007 (Saturday 8th Week, Hilary Term)

Lord Sebastian de Fideli (Joff), Carmina Curiana (Vicky), Tommy Truebreath (Matt H), Yana (Ellie), Bairoth (Peter), Markos (Gareth)

Around the city, people are having their sleep disturbed. In their troubled dreams, a man in robes is sitting on a cold plateau at the summit of one of the mountains. He is concentrating hard on something and chanting. Around his head floats an ethereal circle of glowing golden chain.

The view pulls back, showing this to be the Peak of Memory, and continues south, down the River Echoes, past the Palace at Three Rivers, until we see, outside the walls of the White City, the resting place of He Who Walks Wilderness. As we watch, the giant chains are corroding and crumbling. Suddenly a huge hand bursts from the ground, grabbing the chain, and with a swift pull, snapping it.

As the enormous links fall to the ground, the earth trembles and cracks as the Namer emerges from his tomb with a titanic roar…

pending.

Following the last minute intervention from Selena, He Who Walks Wilderness is finally defeated… again. Kit Fisable, barely conscious, starts convulsing and the giant chains burst forth from her mouth, binding the god beneath the earth. With everyone else distracted, a mostly incorporeal Markos searches his unconscious companions for the gem given to them by Xathrus. Finding it on Sebastian, he shatters the gem, releasing the dream.

A while later, the rest of the party come round to find themselves back on the summit of Memory. Xathrus is still there, now looking considerably more relaxed. He informs the adventurers that the job has been done, and they have done it well. In a voice that seems as old as the world he imparts his blessing upon them. A look of great sadness crosses his face as he says that he must leave now, so that such power may never be misused again. Turning North, Xathrus starts walking deep into Dream, seemingly growing both larger and smaller as he does so, until he disappears into a point of light, and expands to fill the whole of Dream.

The party's journey back to the White City is surprisingly uneventful.

Bairoth has consecrated some of Carmina's memories to the Hushed Princess, causing Carmina to lose the memories and Bairoth to lose the memory of having been told… These were mostly to do with Carmina's actions during the Marius campaigns. Carmina now remembers what happened, and still has a sense of guilt about the whole affair, but does not remember her own involvement or actions and doesn't know why she has the guilt.

As a result of his actions, people occasionally find themselves thinking they recognise Markos out of the corner of their eyes or across a crowded bar, thinking he's a great guy, but not knowing where it is they remember him from. Similarly, in general people around the city find themselves with a subconsciously higher view of Sebastian.

The memories of those present at the binding of He Who Walks are a little confused, but then it was a chaotic moment…

And in the Far East, where the maps have long since run out, Kit Fisable wakes up from a hideous nightmare about the Binding War with a headache.

Run by Vicky & Matt on 17th March 2007 (Saturday 8th Week, Hilary Term)

Marco de Falconi (Joff), James Coin (Andrew C), Miranda (Jessie), Ambriel de Verlay (Helen), Dr Edward Holtz (Joe), Gex (Richard)

Rumour abound that Belor de Velland has made contact with the nations from the far south and seeking an alliance with them in order to consolidate his position as ruler of the Port, has invited an number of ambassadors to meet with him. Sources in the White City are uncertain as to whether this is genuine or whether Belor has staged the arrival of aforementioned ambassadors in order to appear less weak in front of the White City. Many are agreed, however, that further investigation of this matter is required and word is put out for those who know where to look that the Low Guard are looking to hire a group of advertures for a mission to the Port of Glass and Flame. It is said that the Low Guard may be willing to pay substatial bonuses to anyone bringing back useful information on the matter.

On a seemingly unrelated note another rumour is heard in the taverns of the White City: last night one of the funeral pyres in the Temple of Ash turned black and a voice was heard to come from it. Only those present at the time seem to know the precise details of what it said but there are occassionally mumurings about something to do with a oath.

pending.

The Low Guard and the Broken Moon Embassy both receive full reports of events. The Ambassadors have embarked on their ship home after having being taken to a guardhouse by the Obsidian Guard. The official line in the Port is that it was an attempt by White City infiltrators to sabotage the proceedings, especially given the presence of a Chain Sorceror. In the very least though Belor has been made to appear incompetent and no official treaty has been signed. As plot hooks both the Broken Moon and the Low Guard have received recommendations that the send individuals to make contact with the City of Stone and this seems to be under consideration and should probably be dealt with in future LARPs and/or freeforms.

As a result of their investigation the party have discovered that the ambassadors come from a coastal city called the City of Stone. They are primarily practicioners of blood and wind magic and seemed beforehand to have been unawares of the existence of glass or chain magic. They also uncovered that their leader, a Lady Kanika, was a priestess of the Lady of Battles and interested in a “test of strength” between the White City and the Port. This information has been divulged to the Low Guard.

Dr Holtz is currently in hiding in the Port, after evading attempts to root out “that bloody chain sorceror who attacked me”. The Low Guard have received reports that he is a necromancer, although they have not divulged this to the High Guard. He currently is “under suspicion by the Low Guard” if he was not already. Furthermore, Gex has suggested that this may be used as blackmail material and that his services may be of future use to the Low Guard, and they seem to be seriously considering this option (again this can be handled as part of future LARPs).

“Lady Lydia de Courci” has allegedly stormed out of the Port once again, although no one is quite sure how long her bad mood will last this time. Marco has been released from his geas to Lucien D'Artois, having finished off Andreas..

Run by Tony & Gareth on 31st March 2007 (Weekend in the Easter Holidays)

Sasha De Courci (Vicky), Nuwayrah Velasquez (Ann),Tarich (Tom)

During Henry De Courci's journey east, the beginnings of an alliance were forged with Tribe Glittering Eye.

After much discussion the details of this arrangement have been finalised. The Glittering Eye promise an alliance with the White City in any Tribal conflict, and the services of their sages, seers and trackers, to be used as Rebecca sees fit. In exchange, Glittering Eye have asked for a supply of steel and water, to be delivered by men of the white city to hidden locations in the desert.

Now that caravan is being prepared, and The De Courcis require a trustworthy group to guard its passage through the harsh desert, headed by a suitably ranked noble. Scouts and Warriors will be essential, but scholars, merchants and diplomats are also requested, as this is another chance to study secrets and influence the power of the 13 Tribes.

The Party manages to achieve some diplomatic success and avoids sorcerous disaster befalling the White City at the hands of Tribe Jaguar.

Tribe Glittering Eye are greatly satisfied with the results of the mission. They have promised to aide the White City however needed, and for now are keeping Rebecca well informed of developments out East.

Tribe Jaguar's most powerful shaman has been cut down, leaving the tribe vulnerable, and listless. It is likely that a new high shaman will be sought and appointed. No further hostilities have come from the tribe, making their current position unclear.

The N'ge are as hostile as ever, though tribe Raven and Jaguar have clearly shown where their loyalties lie. Sides are being taken.

Tribe Red Moon have raised angry voices at the white city for cutting a swathe through their sunflower fields, and seek compensation. This hasn't prevented increased contact with certain organizations in the white city…

A cache of superior weapons (and one healing potion) have been buried in the desert. The site was marked with coiling flowers resembling serpents. Why, precisely, has yet to be seen.

Run by Joe & Ellie on 21rd April 2007 (Saturday 0th Week, Trinity Term)

Simon Tyvek (Tom), Lucius Cristofori (James), Brother Dieter (Andrew C), Leonardo Velasquez (Gareth), Dominic du Cesare (Tony), Azuma (Matt H)

A call has gone out to the adventuring for a group to come forward in assistance of the Gubernatorial Astronomer, Mario Stazalli. Word is that Mr Stazelli requires a group to journey into the wilds to collect some information for his records, and is putting forward the modest reward of 20 hexa per adventurer should the mission be a success.

pending.

Having successfully returned the astrologer, Roberto De Courci, to the White City the party are thanked by Mario Stazelli and paid the promised reward.

Leonardo signs on as Roberto's new apprentice and sneaks a look at his notes about the meanings of the stars' positions: The Host Arrayed in the South almost certainly refers to the threat posed by either the Port or the Broken Moon. The Wheel in the West Roberto has interpreted as denoting the increasing imposition of civilisation on the Western Forest (though he notes this is an optimistic reading) In the North the Mountain refers to arduous challenges that one may choose to face in exchange for great reward, and the Harlequin Roberto assumes to refer to Dream. He notes his personal opinion that no sane ruler would tackle Dream. To the East the Coronation came into conjunction with the King of the River. This represents the inauspicious rise of a new power and the Astrologer recommends increased vigilance. Over the White City itself the Merciless star blazed brightly, whilst the Dead knight positioned itself between that star and the Constellation of the Tryst. Roberto links the Tryst to Rebecca and her mysterious paramour- the Merciless Star represents the threats that will face the child as a result of the circumstances of her conception. The meaning of the Dead Knight is unclear, but Roberto hazards that De Courci line will have selfless protectors who will pay a high price for their loyalty.

Run by Matt & Vicky on 28th April 2007 (Saturday 1st Week, Trinity Term)

Phineas Crabbe (Joe W), Thalia (Laura), Lucius Cristofori (James), Enrico Cristofori (Fed), Nuwayrah Velasquez (Ann), Brian (Rob)

In the last few days Peg Leg Anne, the retired adventurer and regular at the Black Gryphon, hasn’t been seen around much. The full significance of this becomes apparent when men in livery start putting up posters. Peg Leg Anne is Anna Cristofori, Duke Ario’s cousin, and she has gone missing. A considerable reward is offered for her return. Interested parties should report to the Duke’s townhouse with all haste.

pending.

Badly wounded, the party stumble home from Winterborne. On the way, Anna Cristofori explains the situation she had found herself in; several years previously, she had worked with the adventuring group the Golden Arrow Gang. In their last mission together, her leg was bitten off by a troll. Apparently the gang were wracked with guilt about this, and kidnapped her in order to have her healed necromantically.

More importantly, the party deliver their grave news to the city as a whole; The Necromancer at Three Rivers has set up a necromantic healing centre at Winterborne, to which the poor and needy are flocking for powerful healing. In payment, they are returning to the south to act as the agents of Three Rivers, or are travelling north to serve him in unspecified ways. He also seems to be gathering mortals into some sort of army, ostensibly to fight against Selena Curiana. The party have trashed the operation at Winterborne temporarily, but it how long it will stay down is a matter of doubt. How many agents Three River has already recruited in the South is unknown.

The Low Guard spring into action, and a few agents of Three Rivers are indeed captured; the search for more such agents goes on. Meanwhile the High Guard, the Temple of Ashes and the Shining Order begin hasty preparations for a campaign north of the Watchtowers…

Run by Fed & Ellie on 05th May 2007 (Saturday 2th Week, Trinity Term)

Raph (Joff), Edwin Lunn (Andrew C), Lilly (Jessie), Marcus (Gareth), Ulf (James F)

“The mysterious City of Streng has been discovered by lies unexplored, Basil Cristofori, a wealthy collector based in the City of Crossroads, has called for adventurers to explore the underground tunnels of the city and bring him back items of wonder. He has promised significant rewards in cash for any worthwhile artefact brought back.”

pending.

Pending.

Run by Matt & Andrew C on 19th May 2007 (Saturday 3rd Week, Trinity Term)

Part A: Phineas Crabbe (Joe W), Lucius Cristofori (James), Brian (Rob), Jane (Jenni), Andreas Garric (Fergus)

Part B: Enrico Cristofori (Fed), Nuwayragh Velasquez (Ann), Leonardo Velasquez (Gareth), Jenevieve Velasquez (Jenni), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky)

Part C: Sir Carlos de Mamushi (Joe W), Yana (Ellie), Bairoth (Peter), Marcus

Part A - 'Homecoming'.

The High Guard have been gathering in troops from the quieter watchtowers in preparation for an offensive to the north. No response has been received from the watchtower garrison at Bowvale, in the north-east. A party of adventurers is hired to investigate.

Part B - 'The Lords of Misrule'

Nerino Velasquez has sent messengers to his more adventurous young relatives, gently requesting (in other words, ordering) them to put together a group of adventurers to undertake an extremely important mission, with all haste. The group is to meet him at the city’s south gate as soon as possible.

A low-mid level mini-larp for Velasquez PCs and their retainers.

Part C - 'Rebecca'

Sir Carlos de Mamushi, head of the Low Guard, has been asked to put together a team of adventurers to escort Rebecca De Courci herself on a mission of a personal and private nature.

pending.

Part one - Homecoming

The PCs are able to report that a powerful chain mage, Jeremiah Tacinth, has returned from the Burned Realm in the service of Three Rivers, and seems to have destroyed the corrupt High Guard garrison at the Bowvale watchtower in an act of personal vengeance. He is now at large in the world. Another returnee from the Burned Realm, Sir Justin Falkridge, a hero of the second Naming and Binding war, seems to be a decent sort, but also got away (because Phineas Crabb let him, not that the PCs report that bit).

The captain of the Bowvale garrison, Jacob Riskolette, gets court-martialled for corruption. Following a personal appeal by Andreas Garric, he is not executed but rather sentenced to indentured servitude at Belor's Folly.

Part two - The Lords of Misrule

It turns out that large parts of the Velasquez family structure had been corrupted and taken over by the old Duke, Chrecenzo Velasquez, returned from the Burned Realm. He has attempted to kill both Chiara and Nerino, but has been thwarted, 'killed' and returned to the Burned Realm. In the ensuing confusion, Nerino, Jenevieve and Leonardo Velasquez also killed Duchess Chiara. Nerino is now Duke Velasquez, his sons Piera and Nazzareno are the heirs. News that Chiara was a glass sorcerer, and positive spin by Jenevieve, ensure that the city swallows all this quietly, at least on the surface. However, Arashi Moriyama and (on the sly) Enrico Cristofori spread their view of events on the quiet; and the reputation of Nerino, and the Velasquez in general, falls even further than before. In particular, the Cristofori have become hostile to them.

Further complications arise from the fact that Tarquin Vealsquez, the High Captain, seems to have been working for Chrecenzo. There is now near-open hostility between him and Duke Nerino.

Part three - Rebecca

Sirius Panastra and a number of other dead with reason to hate Rebecca De Courci had been released from the Burned Realm by the Necromancer at Three Rivers, kidnapping Francis De Courci as they left. Francis De Courci has now been rescued and returned to the Burned Realm, and Sirius Panastra was (narrowly) defeated and 'slain'. His angry ghost, however, still walks the earth…

Belor de Velland has made his first open assassination attempt against Rebecca De Courci, as have a faction of pro-Marius Knights of the Shining Order (the 'Incarnationists'), both having been manipulated by Three Rivers' minions.

A few days later, Rebecca walks into the council chamber of the Exalted Church of the Light, wordlessly throws down the death warrant against her (signed by several important Incarnationists), and strides out. Behind her, the sound of a furious argument rises up…

Rumours begin to spread throughout the White City, like wildfire: the dead are being returned from the Burned Realm. And they are here with a purpose. Within a couple of weeks, it becomes apparent that this is more than just rumour. Familiar faces and old friends begin to appear around every corner, even on the streets of the city.

The Exalted Church of the Light declares that the strongest measures will be taken against the Returned Dead, and those that give them succour. Many citizens, remembering the Marius Coup, consider this to be a worse threat than all the dead that the Burned Realm can throw at them. Armies continue to gather in the north; and knives are sharpened in the White City. A siege mentality descends…

Run by James & Tony on 19th May 2007 (Saturday 4th Week, Trinity Term)

Carmina Curiana (Vicky), Sir Carlos de Mamushi (Joe W), Bairoth (Peter), Marco de Falconi (Joff),Tarich (Tom)

Carmina Curiana leads a jaunt east into the land of the Thirteen Tribes on a research mission for the Cloistered Brethren

pending.

Pending.

Run by Xan & Laura on 26th May 2007 (Saturday 5th Week, Trinity Term)

Dominic du Cesare (Tony), Orpheus du Valle (Dom), Canting (James F), Lucia du Bois (Lucie),Brother Dieter (Andrew C)

Involving a rich art-collecting Dream sorceror in the Whistful City who has asked the PCs to investigate a mysterious disappearance

Original Plot Document (.rtf file)

pending.

Thanks to the efforts of the adventurers, Gala du Valle is freed from the paintings and reunited with her family. The Shape, the nightmare creature that had been haunting her dreams for years, is destroyed. Gala's feelings about this are mixed, however, as her son Orpheus rejects her and, after taking a few things from his old room, leaves within a couple of hours of her release.

Run by Matt & Ellie on 2nd June 2007 (Saturday 6th Week, Trinity Term)

Carmina Curiana (Vicky), Bottle (Joe W), Edwin Lunn (Andrew C), Tarich (Tom),Bairoth (Peter)

One day, a cowled figure mounts a soapbox in the square before the De Courci palace. Throwing back her cowl, she declares: ‘People of the White City, take heed! I am the emissary of the Lord of Three Rivers. I have led the Returned Dead here, to your city and theirs, to reclaim their rights. I challenge the Exalted Church of the Light to stop us, if they can. My name is Katherine Sloughberne.’ And with that, the figure calls forth an Ashen Cloud, and somehow manages to escape.

The first riots start twenty-four hours later. The ordinary people are scared of the Dead and the Exalted Church; the Dead and their supporters are scared of everybody; and the Exalted Church are hell-bent on capturing the apostate Sloughberne, who was once one of their best missionaries.

Two days later, as the city totters into anarchy, a select group of adventurers are called to High Guard barracks, to undertake a mission vital to the survival of the city.

pending.

The head of Katherine Sloughberne is delivered up to the High Guard, who in turn present it to Rebecca De Courci. She visits the council of the Exalted Church of the Light and throws the head down, demanding that they cease their strife. By this time, however, the fighting has already stopped. The Light Itself has manifested in the middle of the White City, and ordered the factions in the Church to stop fighting. It has also condemned Marius for falling into the snare of pride. The High Priest of the Exalted Church, Enoch Lazaray, has disappeared; those who were present when the Light manifested claim that it censured him for worsening the strife in the Church through his anti-heresy policies, and that it then Refined him, at his request. The Light has also granted Ascension to Bassano D'Artois, one of its priests, so that it might learn more of humanity, specifically of 'forgivness'. Those who commune regularly with the Light will note changes in its instructions and guidance over the next few weeks….

Run by Joe W & Peter on 9th June 2007 (Saturday 7th Week, Trinity Term)

Tarich (Tom), Federico Velasquez (Joff), Enrico Cristofori (Fed), Tommy Truebreath (Matt),Adanemoay (Xan)

In the depths of the ruined City of Chains something stirs and an anguished howl rings out across the Eastern Plains.

In the cloisters of the Brethren of Chain, the leaders of that secretive order meet behind closed doors.

In the White City those few independent sorcerers who have mastered the magic of the Chain without the Brethren's instruction find their heavy Iron talismans pulling to the East, as though caught in a strong wind. And as they examine the intricately carved links, they see tiny fracture lines start to spread across the metal.

A few days later, a coalition of influential sorcerers, headed by Duke Nerino Velasquez, announce a reward of 20 hexa to the adventurers who journey to the City of Chains and return with an explanation of this phenomenon, and a promise of substantially more if the matter is 'satisfactorily resolved'.

The party meets with Betramo Velasquez who explains the mission and agrees to provide them each with an Anti-chain potion in return for a reduction in their reward. Both Federico and Enrico are disguised, not wanting Duke Nerino to find out about their involvement.

The party head East towards the City of Chains; en route they are attacked by a group of ogres which swoop down in the form of birds of prey. The party easily dispatches the brutes and continues on their way. Next they are halted by a group of mercenary's who attack them upon spying Tarich's chains. Roland and Federico note that the leader has been possessed by a chainwraith and exorcise him before dealing with the rest of the soldiers. Interrogating their captives afterwards they learn that the group has been attacking parties traveling towards the City of Chains. The evidence of this is soon apparent as the party come across the bodies of a group of inexperienced adventurers. Assaulted by the spirits of the fallen, the party drive them off before providing Last Rites.

Continuing towards their goal the adventurers are confronted by a well armed group of Cloistered Brethren who ask their business and deny them passage on towards the city. Confident in Tarich's ability to navigate the Eastern plains, the group moves north before taking a smaller trail in towards the ruined city. They come across a small caravan under attack by Nge tribesmen and rush to the rescue, driving off the savages and then slaying a large scorpion that burst forth from under the earth to attack them. The merchant and his fellows offer the party food and water as a show of gratitude and they part on amiable terms.

Approaching the City proper the party find themselves challenged once more, this time by another group of adventurers hired by Nerino. Both groups are cagey about their goals and the meeting quickly descends into violence. The party make short work of their rivals and begin the final leg into the City itself.

On the outskirts of the City of Chains the party are challenged by the undead knights of the Shining Order that patrol the ruins. Tarich Shatters the Silver chain and the unliving sentinels crumble to the floor, whereupon the adventurers rip the silver chains from their bones and dump the links outside the city limits. The dangers of such shattering become clear moments later when the party is attacked by a horde of escaped monstrosities that pour out of the city's depths. A tough battle ensues, during which Tarich is struck down by some of the smaller creatures; a Rejuvenating Fire from Roland gets him back on his feet, and eventually the group stands triumphant.

Following the pull of their chains, the party descend into the tunnels beneath the City, Tarich and Enrico holding torches aloft to drive back the dark. Federico and Tarich are discomforted to witness their Iron chains completely shatter as they move onwards, and their silk chains begin to snap apart. Proceeding down the corridors the adventuring band are set upon by a veritable wave of chains that crawl across the floor and try to drag them away from their fellows. Keeping a tight formation the party is able to destroy the swarming chains, greatly aided by Adanemoay's searing Purges.

The group is next psychically assailed as two factions of chainwraiths fight within their minds for control of their bodies. Deftly keeping the wraiths at each others throats the adventurers manage to fight them off. Unbeknownst to the others, Federico negotiates with his attacker and agrees to work with the wraith in exchange for aid towards his own goals.

Finally the tug of their remaining chains leads the group to an enormous chamber deep beneath the city, where great metal chains span the gulf of the room. At each end of the chamber hangs a large cocoon of chains and by each of these a figure is visible. One is recognised by several of the party as Toquell Velasquez, while the other appears to be a dribbling madman. Walking into the chamber itself, the adventurers hear the voices of the bound, a constant cacophony of pleas and ranting. Federico attempts to communicate with the voices, whilst the rest of the band speak with Toquell.

The bound Velasquez sorcerer explains that he is attempting to assume control of the chains from the Namer who first created them. Hoping to win the group's assistance Toquell claims that the man has gone mad as a result of his long imprisonment and that when his mind fails, so will the power of chains. He asks the group to seek out an artifact elsewhere within the ruins, and use it to slay the old Namer so that he may assume responsibility for the chains himself. The party is not comfortable with doing Toquell's task, but decide to retrieve the artifact, a spear, anyway so that they can strike down the sorcerer himself.

Led by their chains once more, they move through the darkness in search of the spear. A further group of unbound monstrosities attack, but once again the party defend themselves handily. Tarich and Federico are distressed to see their silk chains finally break entirely, leaving only their chains of silver intact.

Eventually they reach their goal, finding a huge bronze spear lodged through the chest of some ancient armoured warrior, pinning him to the wall. Tarich warns the others that the warrior was likely left this in this state because no way had been found to kill him. Attempts to disarm him prove futile as sword and shield simply rematerialise in his hand and eventually the party take up positions around the warrior, standing ready to strike even as the spear is tugged from his chest. As the spearpoint, which proves to be a harnessed bolt of lightning, is pulled out the warrior awakes, and seeing a sword at his throat immediately splits into five duplicates and assaults the party. Trying to withdraw with the spear, the adventurers find that the duplicates simply disappear on death, and more slide out of the original warrior. Eventually as two sides draw up into lines, the warrior demands to know why he has been attacked, and with some quick talking the group defuses the conflict, allowing the soldier, who calls himself the Equal Army, to depart the city. Federico tails him for a time, questioning the warrior on his past and his future intentions.

The party returns with the spear to the central chamber of chains, where Toquell once again exhorts them to slay the old namer. Tarich plunges the spear deep into the cocoon of chains around Toquell, and his spirit disappears as great gouts of his flaming blood spill through the metal bonds, badly burning his slayer.

The adventurers speak to the old Namer once more, to see if Toquell's defeat has put him aright. However the man is clearly still addled, complaining bitterly about the ever-present voices of the bound. Tommy claims that his magic may be able to help heal the man, and calls up a tempest, the raging winds quickly blowing out the torches and leaving only the glow of lightning to illuminate the room. As Tommy ends the Tempest and invokes the Air after Storms lightning strikes out from the spearhead to strike both of the chain cocoons. The old namer screams and vanishes, and the chains surrounding him begin to unravel, meanwhile the lightning continues to dance over Toquell's prison and he begins to scream. The voices that previously echoed about the chamber are now silent.

With the chains around the chamber beginning to collapse around the group, Tarich attempts to bind the spirit of the Namer with his magic; this seems to draw the chains attention to him and a coil of chain loops around his neck and hoists him towards the ceiling. Tommy flies up after him, even as chains begin to wrap themselves around Tarich's form. Struggling for air, Tarich finally manages to cast Shatter chains and plummets only to be caught be Tommy. The party flee the chamber, Federico pausing just long enough to hurl an Anti-Chain magic potion against the bonds holding Toquell.

As they flee the group are accosted by a pair of trogs who plead for their protection. Enrico hurries the small creatures on ahead of the group, and they are torn apart by the grasping chains of the City before the party can batter their way past. Emerging to the surface once more, the exorcists note that a great many spirits have pulled themselves out of the depths and now mill around the ruins. Speaking to one of the spirits, they are informed that the ghosts hope to rebuild their home to its former glory. Federico's 'friendly' wraith subtly indicates to him that if he returns to the City late he will have ample help in uncovering the ancient lore he seeks.

Heading back Westwards, the party encounter a group of Obsidian Guard soldiers sent by the Port to investigate the troubles in the City. A fight soon breaks out and Tarich is blasted into unconsciousness by a sorcerer's glass magic. Tommy quickly incapacitates the mage with his wind sorcery and the rest of the enemy are brought down with little trouble. The party interrogate some of their captives to determine the soldier's purpose in the area before sending them back to the Lord Protector with a less than polite message.

A day out from the city the party once again encounter the Cloistered Brethren watchers, who demand to know what they have been up to. When the group offer up a fabrication, the leader orders his men to attack. A few minutes later, with his magic bound and his forces decimated, the Brother orders his troops to surrender and the party disarm them and send them on their way.

The rest of the journey back to the White City is pleasantly without incident, though both Tarich and Federico note an unpleasant tingling sensation when they touch their silver chain.

The City of Chains has become even more dangerous than it was before: packs of freed Name-forged beasts lurk within the depths of the ruins and the undead sentinels that guarded the City for the past thousand years have been destroyed. Scores of those wraiths previously bound within the tunnels below have freed themselves, and their spirits now haunt the devastated upper city.

The being Named as the Equal Army has wondered away Westwards, his passage marked by the destruction of a number of groups brigands who thought to assail a lone traveller.

In the great central chamber, buried deep below the City, a single massive cocoon of chain remains. Sparks of lightning continue to dance across the iron bonds, and muffled screams of agony break the silence of the chamber. A small rent has been torn in the prison of chains, out of which hangs a single black-clad arm, its fist clenching with every scream.

Following Adanemoay's warning, the Cloistered Brethren have stepped up their presence around the City and are preventing travellers from approaching too close to the ruins. Since they are also preventing anything from venturing out of the city, few people see reason to complain about this.

Chain Sorcerers tutored outside the traditions of the Cloistered Brethren find their chains tingle to the touch, as though charged with static electricity. More importantly however, these independent sorcerer's find themselves in pain as they attempt to use their magic; from a simple shock as they use the iron chain, to spasms of agony for those capable of using the chain of gold.

Run by Matt & Andrew C on 16th June 2007 (Saturday 8th Week, Trinity Term)

Tarich (Tom),Bottle (Joe W), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky), Harriet Pinter (Ellie)

“Even as the White City is still reeling from the recent strife, a smattering of refugees arrive from the south, telling tales of terrible battles in the streets of the Port of Glass and Flame, of the dead returning to express their disapproval of the Lord Protector. Whatever the plans of the Necromancer, they seem to be vast in scope. Concern mounts day after day over the supposed army of the Necromancer that has disappeared from the north.

Then word comes from the Cloistered Bretheren of Chains; while attempting to track down Jeremiah Tacinth, their former Master and current abscondee from the Burned Realm, they have located him and a great force of undead both, some days travel to the south of the City. Their scouting expedtion was all but destroyed in the gathering of this information, it seems. Now the call has gone out, from the Temples and Great Families of the White City, for a party of heroes to travel south and discover the plans of the Necromancer and his chain mage henchman and, perhaps, to stop him.”

pending.

An army of undead led by a powerful apprentice of the Necromancer at Three Rivers, the Daughter of Silence, has torn its way into the Broken Garden and assailed the Perfidious Tower. In the process, the Daughter and the chain mage Jeremiah Tacinth used a magical artifact forged from the boned of the First Returned to sacrifice 3,333 willing souls and make a 'chain of spirit' that was able to exclude the Burned Lords themselves. Their plan seems to have been to sacrifice the bound Lord of Grey Roses in a ritual that would have utterly obliterated the Broken Garden, and Selena Curiana. Fortunately, the PCs have prevented this, destroying the Daughter and the last of her army with a Black Wind.

The party have retrieved the Ivory Chain, a powerful chain/ash artifact forged from the bones of the First Returned, and subsequently commended it to ash. They have also retrieved a curious glass sword from the Perfidious Tower, which surely cannot be at all sinister.

Selena Curiana has survived, and soon reinhabits the Perfidious Tower.

The presence of certain dream creatures guarding the Daughter suggests that the Necromancer has gained access to some source of Dream magic. Perhaps this will be significant in the not-too-distant-future…

For now, the Necromancer's plans appear to have been foiled - if 'foiled' is really the word for the White City and the Port of Glass and Flame lying in states of bloody disruption, infiltrated by an unknown number of agents, while the Broken Garden remains a shadow of its former glory. For now, the world sighs in relief. But thoughts soon turn to what further horrors the Necromancer will be capable of unleashing, if he is left to fester for another few years, as he has these four years past. And some thoughts turn to ending that threat, once and for all…

Run by Andrew C & Peter on 23th June 2007 (Holiday larp after Trinity Term)

Dominic du Cesare (Tony), Harriet Pinter (Ellie), Marcus (Gareth), Adanemoay (Xan)

The Temple of Ashes are looking for a small group of competent (or presenting a reasonable appearance of such) adventurers to investigate the mysterious lack of communication for several months from the Temple of Four Roses, located some weeks to the south-west of the city and formerly worshipping the Lord of the Gardens. They are willing to pay some money up-front, with promise of substantially more or favours owed should there turn out to be a serious problem there and the PCs capably deal with it.

pending.

The Temple of Four Roses has been purified of its glass corruption by Adanemoay. A substantial number of its priests did in fact survive, and hearing that the glass horrors have been removed, have gradually returned to the temple. A new high priest has been chosen, as Demetrius has no desire to return to the temple. He has returned with the PCs to the Temple of Ashes in the White City and spends much of his time now in solitary meditation. The glass tower on the Isle of Souls has been destroyed and the Lord of the Faithful has taken unspecified steps to ensure that the Lord of the Isle of Souls is unable to re-create it. Another source of glassy corruption in the Burned Realm has thus been removed. Whether this has any positive effect on the Lord's sanity remains to be seen.

Harriet has used her boon from the Lord of the Faithful to escape the Shattered Plain. This was probably wise.

The Temple of Ashes is concerned about the existence of a tower in the Burned Realm, and are attempting to discover how long it existed for before it was closed. It appears that none of the Burned Lords (other than the Isle of Souls) were aware of it. Many of the temple's scholars have started to study the Lord of the Isle of Souls, as very little is currently known about it. br>

Run by Vicky and Matt on 30th June 2007

Ambriel de Verlay (Helen), Serafine D'Artois (Laura), Brother Dieter (Andrew C), Phineas Crabbe (Joe W)

Following the mixed success of her ventures in the Port of Glass and Flame, Ambassador Miguel Santos has asked Captain Ambriel de Verlay to help put together a party for an important mission in the far south. News have been received that Belor de Velland has been continuing in his efforts to make an alliance with the City of Stone, a city state in the far south, somewhat hampered by the embarassment caused at the ambassadors visit to the Port of Glass and Flame. Duke Karl's spies in the south have managed to get their hands on a set of rough maps of the southern lands and the Duke has requested a party of brave adventurers travel there in person to follow up on this information. Getting in contact with the City of Stone and trying to sow the seeds of an allianceon behalf of the Broken Moon should be a priority but sabotaging any endeavours Belor has made at alliance would also be considered useful.

pending.

Petiri Ani, the Southern Ambassador and important Priest of the Lord of Sand and Stone has returned with the party to the Broken Moon. The party seem to have suitably impressed Princess Shaliq by rescuing her fiance and by Ambriel's impressive duel with the court champion. The party have handed over the “evidence” that the Port of Glass and Flame were responsible for the kidnapping, although the Princess seems more than a little bemused by this.

Karl talks at some length with Petiri Ani about forging an alliance with the City of Stone, which they certainly seem interested in. He sets up an embassy on the Isle, with explicit instruction to kill any Vitriarch worshippers who may cause trouble for the Ambassadors. What more comes of this will be the subject of further LARPs/Plotting. For now at least it does seem that the concern of Belor allying with them has been lifted.

The party have all to some extent annoyed the Lord of Sand and Stone by their unintentional desicration of his temple. Whether he will actually be sober enough to remember this the next time they run across him, is a matter for some debate. As a result of this they have something of the history of the ruined temple projected into their minds and something of a mass sacrifice that helped drive out the Namers 1000 years ago.

After the end of the festival a great monsoon pours down over the City of Stone. The Princess retires to her chambers with her new husband but before doing so thank the party again for their aid. The party are granted lodgings in the City for several nights before they return homeward. Phineas takes his new “wife” back with him.

Captain de Verlay discusses with Duke Karl and it is agreed that a temple on the Isle of the Broken Moon will be erected to the Princess of Monsoons. The Vitriarch worshippers on the Isle are not best pleased by this. However, the temple is built and through the efforts of the Duke a number of attempted arons by hardcore glass worshippers are averted. There is even a small but dedicated cult to the Princess emerging on the Isle. In return for this a great torm cloud appears over the island and from it a mythic downpoar burt forth, which lasts for three days. During this time the islands residents are mostly confined indoors. However, afterwards the island seems refreashed and renewed, areas of previously barren land become ripe for crop farming and crops which were diseased or withered seem refreshed by the storm. There is also something of a noticeable change in Karl's demeanour, as he seems renewed in his determination to regain the Port and in some way more focused in his endeavours.

Run by Laura and Matt on July 6th-8th 2007

Carmina Curiana (Vicky), Bairoth (Peter), Adi (Jessie), Tarich (Tom), Dominic du Cesare (Tony), Carlos de Mamushi (Joe W)

A brave group of Adventurers set out to finally slay the Necromancer at Three Rivers.

The party meet in the Black Griffin on the night before they are due to head out. They are bought drinks by numerous members of the adventuring community and given the opportunity to make the most of what might be their last night. They are met by representatives of the Temple of Ash, namely Harriet Pinter and Julia van de Meer. Julia reveals to them that there is evidence to suggest that the Necromancer has been working with dream sorcery and she hands them an artefact, a lantern that will somehow help them combat its effects. During the evening Carmina also has a vision of a woman surrounded by dragonflies, who pleads with her to release her.

Part 1:

The following morning the adventurers set out. They elect to take the more surreptitious route though the forest, rather than the quicker but more obvious route down the river. It is not long before they come across a pretty girl tied up on the path. As they rush over to help her bandits ambush them and the young girl turns on Tarich and attacks him. Such powerful adventurers, however, easily dispatch the bandits. Later the party come across a family of bears. They are attacked by them and the party cut down one of their number. However, in seeing that they have young cubs with them, Adi resolves to try and reason with them and assumes their form using her Blood Magic. After making it clear that they do not mean any harm to their offspring the bears allow the travellers past without further bloodshed. A few days later spirits of the western forest, known as the Quiet Ones, attacks them. Adi informs the party that from her knowledge of Blood lore she is aware that the only way to permanently put them down is to sing to them. The party slay the spirits, whilst bursting into bouts of song. Deeper into the forest the party are confronted by a number of trolls, which they make reasonably quick work of finishing off.

As the approach the Palace of Three Rivers, the PCs are attacked by a number of his undead border guards. Further down the path a woman surrounded by a swarm of dragonflies confronts them. Remembering her vision, Carmina declares that they must help her. The young woman, however, warns them that the dragonflies are a curse from her former lover, the Rose Prince of the North, and will kill anyone who tries to come near her. She informs them that if one of them can take her hand the curse will be lifted. Tarich runs through the swarm and grabs hold of her hand and at that moment the dragonflies vanish. She reveals herself to be Delia Blackwood, daughter of Stephen Blackwood the former guardian of Three Rivers, and a Dream Sorceress of some power. She grants Tarich a blessing and gives the party a scarf to pass to her father if they should find him when they reach the Palace. She heads to the Whistful City to await news from the party, or failing that start a new life for herself.

The party fight down a pack of undead hounds and their huntsman and a number of Shadows, which have been taken into the service of Three Rivers. Finally they arrive at a village, where they stop to rest and have armour repaired. Carlos, however, suspects there is something amiss here. He proves right when the villagers turn out to be ghouls. The party after taking a little bit of a battering manage to destroy the villagers. They elect to burn down the butcher’s shop and Tarich binds the smoke from the fire into his golden chain.

As the adventurers journey on they see a pair of bloodied Ash Priest running towards them. They reveal that they were in the area seeking a powerful servant of the Necromancer, who is known as the Penitent Lord Incarnadine. Just then a huge skeletal figure dressed in armour, blood dripping from his visor, appears, surrounded by undead minions. After a furious and bloody fight, the party battle him down but one of the Ash Priests is killed in the process.

Deeper into the Necromancer’s territory the party come across another village. They are more wary this time and are careful to avoid mentioning the specifics of their mission. There is an undead Gate Guard, who unnerves the party, particularly Carmina, who is convinced by Bairoth not to act lest it jeopardise the mission. Bairoth decides that whilst they are resting to take a travel potion and scout out the area around the palace. Whilst the party are in the basement of one of the houses waiting for Bairoth to come round, the village is attacked. It comes to light that a messenger must have made its way to one of the Necromancers servants and they have sent troops to deal with the adventurers. The party manage to fight off the Necromancer’s minions and after mending their armour make a hasty retreat from the village.

Upon at last reaching the Palace, the party debate how best to approach it. Using a combination of the information gathered by Bairoth and intelligence brought back from Bartholemew, Sirius and Vincenzi’s earlier mission; they decide to enter through what is marked on the map as “the empty wing”. Adi uses her blood magic to weaken the frames of the windows so they can climb in through there relatively quietly. As they make their attempt to break in they are assaulted by waves of undead weavers which scuttle down from the Palace's walls.

Finally making their way inside the Palace the party stop to rest, whilst Tarich scouts ahead. On his wanderings a spirit of place, who calls herself the Palace at Three Rivers, confronts him. She appears as a gothically dressed woman and appears to hold a candle for the Necromancer. Returning to discuss it with the others, it is decided that Carlos should try and reason with the spirit. This however, does not go as well as planned. Upon telling her that they are here to see the Master, she rushes off to fetch him and the party are forced to run for it. An alarm is raised and the party dash through the palace looking for a safe hiding place.

After a run in with a huge force of particularly tough skeletons the group runs into the Palace's Library where they encounter the Necromancer's human minion including a powerful Chain Sorcerer and a Dream Sorcerer. These are cut down thanks to Tarich's chain magic and precise archery, however one of their minions is kept alive to be questioned. They find out from her that the Master has most likely escaped into the vaults, the only entrance to which is a staircase in the Great Hall. The party hastily make their way there. Stone Men and Gargoyles assail the party, called up by the angry spirit of the Palace.

The staircase in the Great Hall is guarded by a number of chained Griffins, three of which have the nametags Bartholomew, Sirius and Vincenzi. The party battle their way through them and run down the staircase. Upon reaching the bottom they are confronted by the Dead-Of-Dreams, strange creatures that entrance anyone who is stuck on the flesh by their blows. Tarich is struck down in the fight but revived by the intervention of Delia Blackwood. Tending to their wounds the party notes the chamber before them has three doors. As a result of the blessing given to him by Delia Blackwood, Tarich sees something of what lies behind each door. One of them is labelled Torment and behind that he does indeed see a man being tortured. The second is labelled Doubt and he glimpses in that a ruined city. The last has no label but Tarich can see behind that a door labelled Falling, behind which lies a subtly different version of the party. Even beyond that is a door labelled forgetting, behind which lies a Burned Gate. Upon revealing this to the party it sparks some debate. Tarich and Adi want to rescue the man being tortured but Carlos and Carmina, who feel the mission is more important, argue them down and if the chance allows itself they can come back for him once the Necromancer is destroyed. Eventually they agree to open the blank door. The party are then each attacked by Dream versions of themselves, having fallen from grace. Carmina’s counterpart is a more powerful Chain Sorcerer, who having had her eyes restored has turned her back on the Light. Dominic’s is more trollish and barbaric. having surrendered to the monster within. Tarich is a masked assassin, who will use poisons happily against his enemies. Bairoth’s opposite is the malicious High Priest of the Hushed Princess and Adi’s is a purple-eyed Name Sorceress. Lastly Carlos’s is the High Priest of the Bride of Brittle Tears, who taunts him about how he seduced Carmina and then discarded her.

As they reach the second door Carmina collapses, seemingly in a trance. Bairoth uses a combination of his sleep and travel potions to enter her mind, where he sees her form being stood over by her dream counterpart. He fights off her opposite and drags Carmina’s spiritual form into his Dream Palace. In the waking world Carmina comes round but Bairoth is still trapped in his dream, until his sleeping potion wears off. The party decide they have no time to wait for Bairoth to come around and so they open the second door. Here they find themselves coming across a group of strangers sitting around a campfire under a starlit sky.

Part 2: The Dream of Forgetting

The party approach the campfire and as they do so the figures assembled around it beckon them to join them. They begin chatting to them and as they do one of the reveals himself to be Stephen Blackwood. The give him the scarf, which he immediately recognises as his daughter’s, and explain what has become of her. He tells them that this is the Dream of Forgetting, where those who have opposed the Necromancer are imprisoned. He himself is a powerful Dream Mage and he is forced in some way by the Necromancer to become this dream. He informs the party that they are now trapped here too. During this time the lantern given to them by Julia van de Meer, which is now hanging on Carlos’s belt, alights and upon seeing this Stephen recognises that once it has burned down the party will be freed from the Dream. The party try to convince him that when this happens they will attempt to kill Three Rivers and free them from this Dream, but even so he does not hold out much hope. During their conversation he explains that he was once the Guardian of Three Rivers and defender against the powers of Dream. He was tricked into handing over his charge to Mattheo di Calvo, the man who would become the Necromancer at Three Rivers. He tells them that if they do succeed in killing him he will be freed and will be able to turn di Calvo’s soul into a new Dream of Forgetting, thus imprisoning him forever.

The party also mingle with a number of the other trapped souls. They meet a man named Leon Theoroux, who was once a friend of Mattheo before he went bad and came to the Palace to try and convince him of the error of his ways. He also tells them that the Necromancer has created his own versions of the Burned Lords as an ends to replacing them and that since he has tied a part of his soul into each of them they will need to destroy them before they can kill him. He also declares that if the Necromancer is imprisoned here he will remain with him to keep company his old friend. Adi in the meantime flirts with a priestess of the Lord of the Lake of Suicides, who is despairing that she was imprisoned here before she could take her own life. They also chat to a woman named Miss Jessel who was hired as a governess for the Necromancer’s young son and then tried to get word back to the White City when she saw the boy had been raised from the dead, in the same condition as he died, having died in a fire. They also discover that it is impossible to cause harm to one another in this dream, despite Carmina’s frequent attempts to assault Gerard Vane, a dedicated servant of her sister, the Dread Necromancer Selena Curiana. Others amongst them number the Necromancer’s former guard captain, who failed him in not keeping Bartholomew, Sirius and Vincenzi out, and an adventuring party who attempted to infiltrate the Palace.

In the dying light they share stories and sing songs around the campfire. Carmina and Carlos share a tender moment reminiscing about old times. During this Carmina has a vision of seven black stars (presumably each representing one of the pseudo- Burned Lords). She sees a man who taints everything he touches and removes it lustre. She also sees a man running a gauntlet, where every Priest in the world, including herself and Adi, is raining blows down on him to no avail. He touches Adi and turns her to ash and then turns to Carmina and she feels a terrible pain in both her side and her hand. There is a man walking towards her holding a spear and as she looks to the palm of her hand she sees four roses. As she comes round she relates what she has seen to Carlos. Then the candle burns out.

Part 3:

The party find themselves back standing in front of a burning gate. Bairoth is still unconscious from the sleeping potion he took earlier but the party conclude from the noises in the background that waiting for him to wake up would be a bad idea. They step through the gateway into the Burned Realm. They decide that in order to avoid pursuit they will close off the gate and with their combined efforts they manage to push over the structure supporting it. Tarich scouts ahead as the rest of the party wait for Bairoth to awaken. He comes back revealing that there is woodland located ahead. Disconcertingly they also note the sky overhead and the clouds, which are out of place here in the Burned Realm.

Another group approaches the party, which as they come nearer are revealed to be Belric Luxfrey leading a group of deceased Light worshippers. Upon seeing Carmina he berates her for being an Incarnationist but she retorts by declaring in the Voice of the Light that they are warriors sent on a mission by her god and that Belric must not stand in their way. Reluctantly Belric recognises the voice of his god and leads off his followers to seek heresy elsewhere.

Harpies, who attempt to entrance them with their music, then attack the party. Adi, however, recognises this ploy from her knowledge of ash magic and uses her blood magic to temporarily deafen the others. They successfully fight off the Harpies. After recuperating from the fight Carmina elects to take a short rest to help recover from the battle with their dream-selves earlier. She instructs the party to rouse her if there should be trouble.

The party are approached by a second group of figures, one of which Carlos recognises as the late Duchess Chiara Velasquez. They wake Carmina, who has been plagued by dreams of Chiara and Carlos kissing and upon seeing him talking with the Duchess is overcome with jealousy. At this point Bairoth also comes round. Chiara begs Carlos to avenge her murder at the hands of Nerino, Jenevive and Leonardo and is more than a little flirtatious with him. Carmina watches angrily but just about manages to restrain herself. Carlos meanwhile assures the Duchess that he will take what measures his position allows against her murderers, secure in the knowledge that his resignation will have reached the Governer by now. The Duchess eventually moves on along with her entourage. Shortly afterwards the party are assailed by three-headed ash hounds. They manage to slay the creatures, despite their immunity to Carmina and Tarich’s chain magic.

On approaching the woodland a sickly black rain falls on the adventurers. Tarich gathers a sample of this in an empty potion bottle. They fight off a man dressed in black, who is accompanied by a horde of corrupted Ashen Guardians that rise up to assault the party.

Upon reaching the forest they meet the first of their targets, a pair of the Necromancer’s pseudo- Burned Lords, surrounded by their servants. Carmina has a brief flash of her earlier vision, where she sees two dark stars on a night sky and once again the man who sullied everything he touched. These two are the Common Man and the Benevolent General, counterparts to the Lord of the Tower of Heroes and the Lord of the Field of Battle respectively. During the fight the Common Man is cut down and Carlos discovers that he has a token on him that must be removed before he dies permanently. Carmina, however, refines the General, before this can be revealed to the rest of the party. As a result Adi and Carlos, the party’s exorcists, must fight down what remains of his spirit. Dominic and Bairoth’s swords are also tarnished from striking the Common Man. The party are badly battered by this fight but at least two of the seven have been destroyed. The party agree with Tarich that if all goes awry that he should be the one to deliver their messages back to the White City and tell the authorities what has happened, given he is the one with greatest chance of escaping. They each hand him notes for their loved ones in the city.

Bairoth talks quietly with Carlos and tells him that he believes the Necromancer to be in possession of the spear that originally pierced the side of the Lord of the Gardens. He claims that if someone were to offer himself or herself in penitence for the Lord’s wound, the Necromancer would not be able to use the spear against them

Further into the forest they encounter a woman dressed in red, who styles herself the Woman Who Chose to Live, antithesis to the Lord of the Lake of Suicides. With her is the Man Who Chose to Act, counterpart to the Sinister Lord, and a number of their acolytes. Carmina has a second flash of her vision. The party talk with them briefly, the Man Who Chose to Act is even somewhat impressed by the dynamism of the group and Carlos steals the Necromancer's tokens while they are distracted. However, a fight does eventually break out and it is long and bloody, especially given that the Woman’s acolytes will not dies permanently until she does.

Outside the wood they come across a cottage. Here they find a pleasant, elderly woman, who calls herself the Good Mother. She is surrounded by children who have lost their own mothers. Notably, although these children are dead, they have continued to grow since entering the Mother’s care. Carmina sees another flash of her vision, this time a single black star. They recognise her as the counterpart to the Lord of Silent Voices but seeing her concern for her children are reluctant to destroy her, even though they know it must be done. Carmina is almost reduced to a sobbing wreck by the sight, not helped by the Mother’s endeavours to comfort her, and Adi and Tarich are uneasy to say the very least with the idea of killing her. Even despite his simplicity, Dominic also seems moved by the scene. Only Carlos is willing in the end to kill her. Bairoth almost turns on his brother at this point but through use of his chain sorcery Tarich convinces him to walk away from the scene. Eventually the party walk off, whilst Carlos sneaks back and snaps the Mother’s neck, taking at the same time her token. As they leave the cottage they hear the cries of her children on discovering their dead Mother and not one of them is unmoved by the sound.

Subdued by their last encounter the party reach a temple upon which are painted murals of the overthrow of the gods. Amongst these are ones of Adi, Carmina, Bairoth and Carlos as part of the group that slew the Princess of Tempests and another of Kit, Selena and Belor committing the Never Queen to the Black Flame. Any depiction of the death of the Lord of the Gardens is mysteriously missing, however. Within there they find the Man of his Own Wisdom, the Necromancer’s take on the Lord of the Faithful, and a number of his acolytes. Bairoth has a shouting match with the Pseudo- Burned Lord, during which they violently agree with each other. Eventually after having enough of listening to this Carlos signals the party to turn on the Wise Man and his servants. Carmina attempts to use her magic upon the Wise Man but this appears to have no effect. Once again after killing both him and his servants the party take his token.

Venturing deeper the party find themselves in a rose garden. They suspect the last of the Defiers will be a version of the Lord of the Gardens and perhaps even the Necromancer, himself. When they find him, however, the Necromancer is standing over the unfinished mannequin of the Lord of the Gardens, clutching a spear. Carlos steps forth and offers himself in penitence for the Lord of the Garden’s wound, not knowing exactly what will happen. He collapses in pain as a gaping wound opens in his side but the spear is rendered useless to the Necromancer. A fight kicks off. Carmina attempts to raise the Light but is cut down by the Necromancer’s minions before she can do much of any affect. Upon seeing this Bairoth calls upon his former goddess, the Hushed Princess, and strikes a deal with her. If she will use her magic to save Carmina’s life then he will return to her service. In the meantime both Adi and Dominic are cut down. Adi is almost commended to ash by the Necromancer as she tries to heal a bleeding Carlos but luckily only part of her clothes is destroyed. Carmina manages to crawl over to where Carlos lies, both his legs and one of his arms having been severed but is once again cut down by the Necromancer’s hordes of minions. Tarich in seeing his fallen comrades gives up the cause for lost and remembering their earlier request flees the scene. As Bairoth too falls to the unrelenting waves of undead his goddess possesses him and he becomes empowered with her magic. He heals his companions and eventually the Necromancer is cut down. Carmina lies holding her shield over Carlos’s broken form, whilst he begs her to take the final token from the Necromancer. She, however, refuses to leave his side. The Necromancer gets up from where he lay, partially healed. He walks over to where Carmina and Carlos lie and turns their weapons to ash. Dominic and Adi, however, manage to knock him down again and with the final bit of her strength Adi destroys the final token,touching it to the Necromancer even as she falls to the ground bleeding. With the Necromancer dead a Burned Gate opens, from which emerges the Hushed Princess, who takes away Bairoth to make good on his promise. Badly wounded himself, Dominic rushes over and heals the bleeding form of Adi. Dominic helps both Carmina and Carlos out of the ditch of ash where they lay and the remaining four adventurers gather round lamenting what has just happened. Out of the landscape Stephen Blackwood appears. He informs them that he and the others have been freed from the Dream of Forgetting and he will now take care of the Necromancer’s soul. He heads off to take his eternal rest in the Burned Realm, leaving behind the remainder of the party, broken and dejected.

Immediately after the Necromancer dies:

Carmina raises the Light as a beacon to attract Tarich back. Adi, Carmina and Tarich, with Dom carrying Carlos, stumble around the Burned Realm for a while, until coming to the realm of the Lord of the Faithful, where they are greeted by the Servant. Carlos calls in his favour, and the Servant Forestalls the Pyre on Carlos, restoring his limbs, and opens a Burned Gate. The party return to the world of the living, back at the palace at Three Rivers. The palace is deserted, and only a few piles of bones and ash remain of the undead hordes. The sound of distant, heartbroken sobbing can be heard through the corridors.

Afterwards:

Returning to the White City, the party claim a bounty of 1000 Hexa each for killing the Necromancer. Carlos does not return to the White City with them, but goes away to the Whistful City instead, and vanishes. A lawyer from the Whistful City claims his share for the de Mamushi estate, and the money is sent away to the North.

Adi and Tarich spend their money on setting up the Bairoth de Mamushi Memorial School, affiliated to the College of the Thousand Arts but independent of all other associations, for poor children in the White City.

Carmina sets up a memorial to Bairoth in the temple of the Light, where a candle always burns for him, and prepares to retire in favour of Amelia de Sallis.

Dominic spends some of his money on new equipment, and is left with a large sum of money and no idea what to do with it.

Bairoth is lost to the world, although his voice can sometimes be heard on the breeze, bearing messages to his old friends.

Adi asks the Ashen Temple (probably Harriet Pinter, although Julia van der Meer might help if she is unavailable) to Speak to Silence and find out what happened to Petra. She finds Petra's spirit in the Burned Place, where she is still sitting by a campfire with Stephen and the others, but at least now other people come and join them sometimes, bringing new songs and stories, and it's possible to walk away for a while. She's glad to hear that the Necromancer has been taken down, and touched that Adi thought to look for her.

In the long term:

A new, minor Burned Lord has arisen in the Burned Place; The Lord of the Lonely Road, patron of those who died far from home. His realm appears as a campfire in an eternal night, surrounded by the spirits of those who died travelling or in exile.

The Palace at Three Rivers is taken over by a new mistress, a Dream Sorceror by the name of Delia Blackwood, and her major-domo, a mysterious and wealthy individual from the Whistful City. It appears that it is he who provided the funding to restore the Palace to its former glory.

The taint on the land around Three Rivers fades, and the crops begin to grow as normal again.

Run by Joff & Ellie on 28th July 2007

Bottle (Joe W), Lucius Cristofori (James), Tarich (Tom)

Adventurers needed to locate and then relocate an artifact which may be of some magical significance on behalf of an 'independent individual'.

The party can clearly remember everything about their mission except the location of the Absent Lord's temple and the nature of what they hid there; the location of the cave, incidentally is one of the things that they can remember now.

Absolutely nothing, positive or negative, happened to Belor.

One of the Fragments is now presumably hidden from Kratos.

The High Guard are investigating the brutal murders of a family of four in a middle-class district of the city.

Run by Andrew C & Joe on 22nd Sept 2007

Avity (Ellie), Azuma (Matt), Sasha Di Courci (Vicky)

Anyone frequenting any of the slightly less salubrious drinking establishments within the white city in the last week or so, will have heard rumours that a certain individual is willing to pay a substantial sum to any person or group of persons willing to “recover” a certain item of little value to those in whose possession it currently resides. Those wishing further information can find said individual at an address and time that can be discovered without too much difficulty.

The Namer cults have been disposed of. The Cloistered Brethren have taken the mysterious box of Wibble into their custody; likely it will never be seen again.

Avity is now no longer a nobody-knows-I'm-a-glass-sorceror but now a some-people-know-I'm-a-glass-sorceror-but-fortuntately-I-have-Reflection.

A certain merchant is seen to be in a slightly bad mood. He is also complaining of a headache.

Someone had a dream in the Wistful City.

Run by James W & Tony on 29nd Sept 2007

Jake Anvil (Joe), Clare Sheldon (Emma), Lorenzo De Almedia RIP (Tom), Dr Joanna Smith (Laura)

It's Trollberry season again, and all over the White City nobles are holding Trollberry juice parties. The merchant Bilious Cardew, meanwhile, is looking for some people who can help him with an investigative quest.

The party are hired by Bilious Cardew to investigate an establishment named Baker's Corner, which is somehow selling trollberry juice at a tiny fraction of the cost, with a view to discovering the source of the cheaper juice.

Baker's corner turns out to be rather more upmarket than the party expected; in particular, the patrons are put off by Jake's trollish nature, and a Scene takes place between the bouncer and the party. Lorenzo is eventually able to calm matters, and the party obtain some of Baker's Corner's “trollberry juice”. Investigation using Dr. Smith's alchemy and Jake's trollish inclination for the juice reveals the drink to actually be a beverage named “Green and Soil” known to be manufactured from vine sap in a village named Eightvines in the Western Forest. It's known that Green and Soil can be flavoured depending on the particular soil that the vines are planted in, but the party are at a loss as to how it could be made to taste this much like Trollberry juice and so they travel to Eightvines to find out.

On their way out of the city, they are approached by large men working for an organisation calling itself “Goons R Us” who explain that they have been paid by the patrons of Baker's corner to give them a beating for disturbing their evening. The party take exception to this, call the High Guard, and give the hired goons a sound thrashing into the bargain.

The party head into the depths of the Western Forest, stopping to assist a man named Willard Roy who is inexplicably being pursued by skeletons which, when they catch him, take up a defensive position around him. He explains that he isn't controlling them, doesn't know how to stop them doing this, and can't convince anybody that he isn't a necromancer. The party help him out by defeating the skeletons, which valiantly defend Willard to the last despite his efforts to evade his bony bodyguards.

Further into the forest, the party meet two spirits of Breath named Thunder and Storm, who are competing in endless battles of wits, strength, and skill. Thunder and Storm choose the party to referee their competition; cunningly, Jake tells them that they must keep a close eye on him, and the next time he shouts “Lightning!” and points, they are to strike the location he pointed at. Thunder and Storm seem satisfied by this, and fly away.

Pausing only to explain things to a part of the Swarm which is trying to understand the human phenomenon known as “banditry” by accosting travelers, the party continue into the forest and come across a White City diplomat from Belor's Folly who is being attacked by slavers; two of the diplomat's guards lie dead, and it is only thanks to the party's intervention that the man (whose name turns out to be Giuseppe de Courci) survives. Too wounded to return to the White City with any speed, Giuseppe passes on his message to Lorenzo: that the governor of Belor's Folly, Will Wayhew, is having pretentions of independence from the White City. While he's not actually declared independence, it's Giuseppe's opinion that it's on the way. The soldiers stationed there are becoming loyal to Belor's Folly above the White City and Wayhew has arranged for the protection of some sort of gang of highly-trained weapon masters. Worst of all, the Empire of the Unbound have set up an embassy there. Lorenzo agrees to carry this news to the White City for Giuseppe, and advises the diplomat to return to Belor's Folly and do what he can to slow the march of independence.

The party now reach Eightvines, to discover the village turned into a labour camp. Slaves tend the fields, growing crops, while guards patrol the area. Most prominent is a walled enclosure in the centre of the village.

Deciding to use subterfuge, the party pose as potential Trollberry juice buyers and speak with the captain of the guard in his office. At this point Claire uses her magic to Bind his Tongue while Jake knocks him out. They quickly realise that this leaves them with few options, and so – having searched his office and found little of use – they bring him round to interrogate him. Unfortunately, the man's strength proves too much and the noise of struggle brings guards running in. In the ensuing melee, the party are not quite able to defeat all the guards and flee, scattered, into the woods, dodging patrols. They regroup and plan a second assault which proves to be more successful thanks to the guards' fright and reduced numbers. The party free the slaves, kill the remaining guards, and capture the captain alive to interrogate him.

The captain reveals that the occupation of Eightvines is revealed to be the work of Name Sorcerors working for the Empire of the Unbound; that the new flavour of Green and Soil is achieved by feeding the vines, mutated with Name Sorcery, human flesh; and that Allesandro, the mage in charge of the occupation, has determined that by drinking a beverage made from people the nobles of the White City will, in the eyes of the Burned Lords, be committing cannibalism and thus be transformed into Ghouls.

The party kill the loathsome man and storm the walled compound in the centre of the village, Jake using his favour from Thunder and Storm to have the walls struck by lightning. Inside, Lorenzo pursues the Name Sorceror Allesandro while the rest of the party battle the fanged, tentacled monstrostity which Allesandro has transformed the vines of Eightvines into. The beast is eventually destroyed, but Lorenzo is struck down by Allesandro after the sorceror uses his magic to name himself “Allesandro the Mighty” and bleeds to death.

As the party mourn their fallen comrade, the Breath spirits Thunder and Storm approach, demanding a judgement on which of them was victorious. The party are unwilling to judge one to be better than the other, and Thunder and Storm, incensed by this, curse them with chronic rainclouds. Bitter for their loss, the party return to the White City in time to bring the news about Green and Soil to the relevant authorities and prevent an outbreak of Ghoulism amongst the nobility.

Original Plot Document (.rtf file)

Dr. Smith, Jake Anvil and Claire Shelton have been cursed with chronic rain. From time to time a small personalised raincloud appears over their head and drenches them. (This effect can be cured with the help of a Blessing from an Ordained Prince of Breath.)

It's been revealed that the cheap bootleg Trollberry juice being sold by Baker's Corner (as well as various other establishments) is actually a drink named Green and Soil made from man-eating Name-created vines, which turns those who drink it into Ghouls. The combined efforts of the Temples of the Light and Ashes get the stuff off the streets, although there are still some disreputable types trying to pass the stuff off as the geniune article in back alleys.

The Green and Soil trade is stopped in time to prevent a large-scale plague of Ghoulery amongst White City nobility. There is, however, a brief fashion for rare steak amongst the upper classes. Rumours briefly surface that some of the noble families are keeping a degenerating uncle chained up in the attic with a supply of fresh meat… and in the forgotten back alleys and sewers of the White City, if one is not lucky one can run into slavering cannibals wearing the tattered remains of fine steelsilk clothing.

News has reached Rebecca de Courci that the city of Belor's Folly has opened diplomatic relations with a huge empire of Namers to its west (though, to its credit, it did throw out the mad one who was making fake Trollberry juice from man-eating plants), and intends to deal with them and the White City on equal terms. The Governor, Will Wayhew, appears to be contemplating independence: he is calling himself Mayor to anybody he thinks will let him get away with it, and has obtained the military protection of a large group of heavily-armed weaponmasters.

For now, however, the White City has few resources to spare on such matters, as tensions start to rise in the South…

Run by Matt & Vicky on 6th Oct 2007

Lord Sebastian de Fideli (Joff), Ratrina De Almedia (Andrea), Ambriel de Verlay (Helen), Lt. Welldon (Fed), Markos (Gareth)

A joint White City and Broken Moon party set out to find the fabled Gloaming isle

The legendary Gloaming Isle has been found, and is now known to be homr to a tribe of Weavers and their spiders, who spin a distinctive form of steelsilk.

The Broken Moon group get back home on board the Quick Wit and Ready Repartee. They hand over Elgeck's star chart to the Gloaming Isle, and Markos is accepted into the Broken Guard (for administrative purposes he is registered as 'ordanance'). The three of them are paid 35Hx each. They also hand over the steelsilk samples from the Gloaming Isle that Ratrina had stored in the hold.

Ratrina and Sebastian take over the Crippled Raven and what's left of its crew. Sebastian is sporting a nice fresh T-shaped scar on his chest. They discover Jamesh, the half-troll, cowering in the hold; he also has a star-chart to the Gloaming Isle. Anyway, they go back to the Gloaming Isle, pick up fresh steelsilk samples, and use their massive Blather and Scandalmonger to convince the weavers that the Broken Moon are really all evil. Eventually they get back to the White City, and are heartily congratulated by the Duke and Duchess, who pay them the promised 40Hx. Ratrina is made Lord High Admiral of the White City navy. She is granted an enormous silly hat, for ceremonial occasions. She is also made Governor of the Gloaming Isle.

Sebastian and Ratrina vigorously blacken Ambriel's name in the White City as a filthy liar and traitor. Diplomatic communiques fly back and forth demanding her dismissal from the Broken Guard. In response, Ambriel challenges Sebastian to a duel, in order to 'clear her name'. Until this matter is resolved, Ambriel is suspended from the Broken Guard.

Thanks to Sebastian and Ratrina, the weavers on the Gloaming Isle won't have anything to do with the Isle of the Broken Moon, and the place becomes (very loosely) part of the White City's sphere of influence.

Belor de Velland gets completely screwed on the whole deal. Thanks to Torden, and Sebastian's speech at the Port of Bones, every pirate in the south now hates the Port of Glass and Flame, and Torden himself has disappeared - Missing, Presumed Up To No Good. Along with the party thwarting the attack on the Broken Moon naval base, the balance of pwoer in the South Seas is tipping decidely in the Broken Moon's favour….

Run by Andrea & Tony on 13th Oct 2007

Jake Anvil (Joe W), Beornwulf (Dominic), Brother Dieter (Andrew C), Stafos (Fed), ??? (Dennis), Di Marco (Silva), Kendall (Jacqui), ??? (KT)

A group of adventurers are hired by a Thousand Arts Professor to track down a reclusive Artist

TBA

Run by Peter & Andrew C on 20th Oct 2007

Lee (Ellie), Bjornwulf (Dominic), Alessandro (Tom), Leonardo Velasquez (Gareth), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), Di Marco (Silva), Kendall (Jacqui), Theodore Fletcher (Dave), Echo D'Almedia (Lousia), Michael Raes (Dan), Brian Smith (Rob)

“It is a little over a year since Belor de Velland and Selena Curiana took control of the Port of Glass and Flame, a little over a year since Belor “married” Lydia De Courci and claimed to be the rightful ruler of the White City and a little over a year since the Port's Government in Exile set itself up on the Ilse of the Broken Moon.

Since then diplomatic relations between the Port and the White City have been… fraught, but no overt action has been taken by either side. Rumours of spies, of Selena's cultists, of Belorite loyalists, of murders and kidnappings abound, but nothing is ever proven and nothing is ever found.

Currently a large part of the High Guard is on manoeuvres near the Southern Watchtowers. A show of strength, to remind Belor that even were he able to push through the Garden Lands, he would face the finest troops the world has ever seen. At least that is the idea.

However, the North, were so recently an army of undead seemed to threaten, has not been forgotten. The De Courci High Captain, Gerhard De Courci, has gone North to inspect the Watchtowers, to ensure that the defences are solid.

Only, he never arrived at the Watchtowers. And with most of the High Guard occupied to the South, a more informal search party will have to be organised.

By word of mouth and by public proclamation, a request for brave souls seeking to earn the Goodwill of the City and, more importantly, the comforting weight of the hexa in hand, is put out. Those seeking employment should report to Captain Felicia Adams at the Barracks at the Northern Gate at Sun-down this evening.”

One Day After the Imposter's Unmasking:

There is naked steel in the streets. The High Guard are patrolling nearly constantly. Confusion reigns. People die.

One Week After the Unmasking:

There has been no public panic, no screaming crowds in the streets crushing others to death in blind fear. Which is not to say that there are no deaths.

It is insidious. There were too many people who saw, who knew, to keep this quiet. People know that they are walking amongst us, even if who they are is not known.

Only three of them, of the Infiltrators have been definitively unmasked. A High Guard Lieutenant, a Acolyte of the Lord of Silent Voices and a Free Trader. Only three.

Then there are the disappearances. Were they spies? Were they assassains? Were they simply people who got in the way (and if so, of whom)?

Where are the Low Guard? Can the High Guard be trusted?

People die. Not many, but people die.

One Month after the Unmasking:

The entire… the Entire Inner Council of the Guild of Free Traders, the so-called Seven Links (one for each part of a hexa and one for… who knows), are gone. Dead, or fleeing for their lives or Port spies near unmasking they are gone. The mercantile free-for-all is messy, but the Cristoforis do well.

So far only four confirmed infiltrators have been caught. Four. The last just a coachman. A no one, a small catch indeed.

And there are rumours of a group, a group calling themselves “The Watchmen” who are taking the matter of the infiltrators into their own hands. Loyalists they call themselves. Murderers others whisper darkly.

The High Guard is poised to overthrow the city some say. The Low Guard is infiltrated others whisper yet more quietly. The Silverleaf junkie in the corner claims the Temples serve Selena and people listen.

People die.

But, the De Courci High Captain is not a Port Spy, is not working to undermine the High Guard.

And, people know enough to be suspicious now. It is inconceivable that anything more than a trickle of such infiltrators could exist. There are too many ways to catch them out for more than a few to survive.

Of course, one in the wrong place at the wrong time…

People have been dying. People continue to die. Whether the Low Guard is purging anyone they consider a threat; whether the infiltrators are murdering those they fear might uncover them; whether vigilantes are taking the safety of City into their own hands; or whether people are simply using this as a cover for settling scores… people are dying.

Run by Vicky & Matt on 27th Oct 2007

Ambriel de Verlay (Helen), Phineas Crabbe (Joe), Avity (Ellie), Lt. B Welldon (Fed), Edwin Lunn (Andrew C), Adi (Jessi), Jenevive Velasquez (Jenni)

Duke Karl D'Artois is planning a celebration of the anniversery of the recovery of the ducal signet rings and his coronation. He has invited a number of White City dignitries and as such wishes to ensure the passage is safe. He has asked a group of his most loyal subjects, led by Captain Ambriel de Verlay, to make the way for the White City diplomats and to act as a welcoming comittee.

A considerable amount of time is spent dredging the ocean floor for what mortal remains of the casualties and salvageable remains of the vessels can be recovered. Help from a small number of blood and wind sorcerers from the breathing isles is drafted in for this purpose. A local ash sorcerer is also drafted in to aid with the difficult process of consecrating the ocean floor.

Ambriel manages to recover her father's earthly remains before it is placed onto the communal pyres where most of the bodies end up. She conducts a sombre and private ceremony for him.

Whilst Ambriel and Phineas lay their loved ones to rest, Edwin Lunn attends to more joyous matters and with all due decorum promptly becomes Edwin de Caius. The marriage is as to be expected a pleasant affair attended by a number of dignitaries from the White City's nobility.

Adi now has Purple eyes and has been named “Namer”. The main consequence of this is- never when convenient or helpful- she will occassionally know someones name and her tongue will be bound or the last noun she said will come into being and she will be blinded. Karl has offered his services in covering up her eyes.

Shortly after this a announcement from the Broken Moon Embassy comes that once the harbour has been cleared the planned celebrations for the anniversery of Karl D'Artois's coronation will go ahead as intended.

Run by Helen & Tom on 3rd Nov 2007

Brian Smith (Rob), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), Theodore Fletcher (Dave), Daniel Kelson (Dominic), ??? (Robert C)

“In the Whistful City, affairs are disturbed - more disturbed than normal. The White City's ambassador has sent a communique reporting violent brawls in the streets - unusual for the Northern state - and a higher-than-normal instance of mad prophets, oracles and sibyls reporting strange portents in Dream. Last week, two suns seemed to shine in the sky and there was a terrible noise as of the glaciers themselves cracking apart…

In amongst the nonsense and drug-fuelled prophecies of the Temples, the priests of the White City have managed to pick out a few grains of truth - or possible truth. To whit, the Temple of the Light believe that one of the furthest Northern temples, which vanished into Dream some twenty years ago along with all its congregation, may have returned.

Therefore, the High Priestess of the Light in the White City is offering rewards to any adventurers willing to go North and investigate the truth of these prophecies; and to bring back concrete evidence of whatever they find.”

Kore Luxfrey, an apparently bona-fide member of an obscure branch of the Luxfrey family, has returned to the White City with her new husband, Theodore Luxfrey (ne Fletcher). She will remain in the lands south of Dream for half the year, but must return to her father's temple on the glaciers at the Peak of Hope for six months during the summer.

There is a Temple of the Light high in the Northern Mountains which seems to shift in and out of Dream. It can reliably be found in the waking world twice a year, at the Autumnal and Vernal equinoctes, and may perhaps be accessed by brave adventurers at other times. The Priest of the temple, Sarastras Luxfrey, is a strange and possibly mad Light Priest and Sorcerer who believes that he can access the true purity of the Light through Dreams.

Groups of White City-authorised toll collectors can occasionally be found on the road north to the Whistful City, gathering small and reasonable tolls from travellers to pay for mercenaries to keep the bandit problem down following the disappearance of the Necromancer at Three Rivers.

Run by Fed & Jessie on 10th Nov 2007

Jake Anvil (Joe), Sasha Di Courci (Vicky), Proyas De Almedia (Peter), Alessandro (RIP) (Tom N), Theodore Luxfrey (Dave), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), ??? (Rob), ??? Tom, ??? (???)

A notice has been up about the White City by an entirely unknown noble, Sercico de Palla, presumed to be connected with the Cristofori… or maybe the Velasquez… look, nobody is really quite sure. He is, however, a noble (it seems) and is promising money (in large quantities) as well as treasures (untold) and adventure (aplenty). He is therefore hiring a party of bold adventurers who are willing to help him out on a treasure hunt to recover, er, treasure! All those interested should inquire at the sign of the Black Gryphon and seek the man in de Palla livery. That's blue and red by the way.

The party is able to recover some of the artifacts that Marisca had hoarded and eventually sell them for a tidy profit (280Hx total, split in some clever way by the party). The 'Diamond Bee' is taken in by the Thousand Arts because it is in fact a hugely gribbly glass artifact of certain madness (maybe) that may well never be seen again. Until things go wrong. The Thousand Arts Professor is particularly thankful to the party for recovering it and bringing it somewhere safe but thanfully doesn't ask too many pointed questions about 'how did you get it?'

At least both Sercico and Marisca are now dead and can be forgotten. One rather hopes that there aren't any more vitriarch worshippers hidden within the White City nobility. That would be quite optimistic.

Run by Tony & Joe on 17th Nov 2007

Brian Smith (Rob W), Samual Fletcher (Robert C), Proyas De Almedia (Peter), Enrico 'Flash' Cristofori (Fed), Dieter (Andrew C),

Many months ago, Sasha de Courci headed a diplomatic mission into the desert of the 13 Tribes. Her path crossed that of Tribe Jaguar, a hostile, matriarchal tribe, known for their blood sorcery. Whatever they were attempting with their ritual, Sasha's team stopped it.

Though the ritual was reported to fail, everyone in the White City with the De Courci blood, or with an affinity for blood magic felt the culmination like a tremor in the hills. Something Happened.

Court scryers have confirmed little: Only that it targeted Rebecca de Courci's child, and that an element of the ritual is sill active somewhere East of the White City. Any potential threat to Rebecca or her babe is unacceptable and will be dealt with.

You have received a request from the De Courci family to assist in investigative mission. You are to travel into the desert, learn the details of the ritual, find the active element and, if it cannot be returned for study, destroy it. Tribe Jaguar committed an outright act of war, and are presumed to be backed by other tribes. The investigators are encouraged to be cautious and… diplomatic in all their dealings.

The Slave girl Cabrece, her child, and the ritual components are housed on the De Coursi estates. There is much debate over what to do with her, though thanks to Flash and Proyas' efforts to make her existence public, no scorpion pits or dungeons are involved. Her existence, however, is public. Eventually they decide to train the girl as an 'ambassador'. Dressing her up and carting her out at public functions, much to the delight of the real guests who ask lots of numpty question about life in the East.

Cabrece proves to have a sharp mind though. With tutelage, her confidence and wit grows, and her noble blood shines through. She claws her way up the social ladder with ferocity, quickly going from 'conversation piece' to 'minor nobility'. There is even talk of adopting her as an honourary de Courci.

Any such thoughts are snuffed when it becomes clear that Lady Rebecca cannot stand her. The two simply cannot coexist in the same room without getting on each others nerves. After a very smashing, teeth baring (and very public) firestorm of a row between the two, Cabrece simply disappears.

Meanwhile, a shanty town forms around the Eastern Wall of the White City. Despite donations from kind hearted nobles, the 'Freemen' don't prosper. They lack knowledge of concepts as basic as 'getting a job' and 'paying the rent'. King Eric's men are surprisingly efficient in parting them from their money, and bonding them into a different form of servitude. The Freemen Shanty is a filthy, lawless place. It also still appears to be growing.

House Christopre are reaping the rewards of a number of lucrative trade routes with the tribals. In particular links have been strengthened between Cold Water, and Grey Dragon. Negotiations with Jaguar were briefly amicable, but fell through. Something or other about a desecrated burial ground. In a surprise twist, an emissary from Dry Sands appeared, requesting to ally and trade with 'Most dishonest Tribe White City'. It is quickly explained that what they mean is 'Most dishonest Tribe Christophre'.

The main trade is iron and steelsilk for gems, furs and narcotics. The trafficking of slaves is a very minor venture, and remains a closely guarded secret.

A moon later, tribal raiders make a series of abortive attacks on the Eastern edge of the White City. The new shanty town is the main target and, though the attacks are largely unsuccessful, some homes are burned and freemen are carried off into the desert.

Soon after this, trade in the coveted cactus juice all but dries up.

Run by Peter & Dominic on 24th Nov 2007

Bottle (Joe), Dominic du Cesare (Tony), Tommy Truebreath (Matt), Sister Yana (Ellie), Paulo (Tom), Ambriel de Verlay (Helen W)

Following the Burning Flames licking at the Chains which Bind He Who Walks Wilderness, a number of powerful individuals are asked to attend the Cloistered Brethren in order to provide their services in aid to the White City.

The Phoney War, that period of about two months after the declaration of War is over. The fine uniforms, the cock-sure stride of inumerable young men and women dressed in finest raiment and “ready” for all that the Port might throw at them, all of that is gone.

Belor's Forces have stepped upon White City Land and are slowly driving arrow-straight towards the City itself. The Long Road, as it is becoming known, grows ever longer as more land comes under the control of the Lord-Protector.

Within the first day of the Long Road passing Itkovian's Watchtower, the White City mounts a counter-attack with troops in the surrounding area. In itself, not a tactically unsound idea, for the bulk of the Obsidian Guard had not yet arrived and such a strike might have forced an inital retreat and in the confusion much breathing time might have been bought.

Lead by Georg de Sinechi, The Wylder Dozen, so-named after the Twelve men and women who founded the Regiment to face the invasion from Dream in the North 100 years ago, who have distinguished themselves upon countless fields of battle in their history, charged the Obsidian Guard on the Long Road.

To say they fought valiantly, that their famed battle-cry of The City's Rage Awakened split the very air around them is understatement beyond compare. To say evey single one of them died is cold hard truth.

In the days following that slaughter, rather than panic and confusion, rather than further doomed assaults upon the Long Road a strategy is evolved. One of containment, of interlocking defensive fortifications (such as can be built and dug in such a short time) which undermine Belor's attempts to capture land and therefore extend his road. The whispers are that a high-ranking prisoner was taken, that he told them much of what was planned and how it was to be carried out, but official acknowledgement of any such individual is completely lacking.

In the week following the Wylder Sacrifice such “experts” on the Black Flame as there are in the White City postulate that the Long Road is a Place of Power for the Lord-Protector, and that part of the effects of the magicks which created it mean that to step upon it is to place oneself, somewhat, in Belor's power. It is enough that he can set his Will for or Against you. There are endless debates about the details, about whether the Lord-Protector knows whether one is friend or foe, knows when one of the latter steps upon his Place of Power and about how he is able to keep the Magicks flowing through the Road after the initial Sacrifice.

At least one scholar suggests that there must be some fragment of Black Flame (or some similar) which creates a permanent Link between Belor and his Place of Power.

What is certain is this:

The forces of the Port of Glass and Flame, somewhat supported by Selena, have invaded White City Territory.

Belor de Velland has left his stronghold in the Port of Glass and Flame and is leading the invasion. Some reports say a babe-in-arms accompanies him.

Whilst the containment strategy is slowing the advance down, until such time as the effects of the Long Road are negated, it will be all but impossible to force Belor out by direct assault. And until Belor can be forced back and defeated, he will keep advancing, albeit slower than he might otherwise have done.

The White City has Two Months (or thereabouts) to do something. After that time, the Road will be at the Southern Gates and if Belor gets that far, he will all but have won.

In other news: Cordol Lome, one-time Cloistered Brother of Chains, fourth-in-rank and master of the Golden Chain; also member of the governing council of Crossroads and head of the Chapterhouse there… disappears.

There are whispers that the Cloistered Brethren had him murdered for some unspecified disloyalty, that the Broken Moon embassy thought he “knew too much”, even that the Rattle Prince took a personal and eventually aftal interest in him. Perhaps the most worrying rumour is that he was a secret name worshipper and has fled to go serve his masters.

Also, Itkovian's Watchtower, unlike all other objects in the path of the Long Road, was not consumed, was not destroyed, but stands still, the road flowing around, but not under it. Some powerful blessing must surely have protected it from the Long Road and its continued existence provides a symbol of resistence and hope for those fighting Belor. Indeed a newly raised De Courci regminent is soon renamed “Itkovian's Watch” and all its members have sworn oaths to the Rose Princes to re-take it or die trying.

Run by Joe W & Matt H on 1st Dec 2007

Vitale de Verlay (Peters), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), Sasha di Courci (Vicky), Daniel Kelson (Dominic), Calith (Rob)

The Mysterious Warden at the the Palace of Three Rivers is apparently hiring adventurers for some sort of mission to clear up the Undead still roaming those lands. Interested parties should travel to the Palace to learn more.

The party return from the Dream Bridge to the Palace at Three Rivers where they are congratulated upon their success and given their rewards.

Calith and Daniel both elect to take the hexa for their services.

Sasha has the Warden create a good dream of her to deliver to her kin, upon her return to the White City she is warmly recieved by her De Courcis superiors who congratulate her for forming good ties with their mysterious neighbour to the North. Additionally upon return to her home she finds the place overrun with serpents which slither placidly around her feet.

Kyre has received mystical instruction from the Warden on the nature of the mind.

Vitale asked that she bless those who dream of returning the Port to its rightful masters; the Warden agreed that she would speaking to what Powers she knew in Dream and see what could be fashioned on such a scale.

Calith has the Warden's blessing when in the lands controlled by Three Rivers, but is plagued by vivid dreams of falling and occasional visions of the walking dead.

As a result of the successful completion of the ritual, a dream has been fashioned that clls to the aimless dead wandering the lands of Three Rivers. Now those corpses shamble North to the Dream Bridge, either to join the combatants there in their eternal struggle, or else to plummet over the edge of the chasm to find oblivion.

Some of the dead continue to move with purpose however and these ignore the faint call of Dream. In the White City the De Courci's quietly put out a call for information on a being known as the Templar.

The Spirit of the Three Rivers is said to have fallen once more into deep despair, which is marked by a brief flooding all three rivers and a swelling in the number of the violent spirits that spill from their waters.

Vitale de Verlay is soundly slandered on his return to the White City, and word is that he is far more of a desk jockey than a warrior. Others smugly gossip that he cheats on the Lady de Verlay with the Embassy chaplain. The Broken Moon ambassador appears to take the rumours about his staff with surprisingly good humour.

Run by Jessie & Tom on 8th Dec 2007

Ryn (Ellie), Dart (Andrew C), Sirius Panastra (Rich), Kalipet (Helen)

Over the last few days, the Temple of Ash has been receiving strange reports: spirits of babies and young children given the last rites do not appear to be going to the Burned Realm. It is unkown whether this is linked to the war and the plans of the Necromancer, or an unrelated problem. Since these reports started coming, the High Priestess of the Lord of Silent Voices has disappeared.

In the Burned Realm, several notable deceased adventurers receive a summons to attend the Lord of the Faithful for an important and urgent mission.

TBA

The remaining members of the party excort the Lord of Silent Voices acorss the short stretch of Shattered Plain to the Glass Tower, at the entrance of which she opens a Burned Gate, which leads back to the centre of the Realm of Silent Voices. The Lord herself speaks little to her rescuers, instead gathering those of her charges who are there and nursing them. The party return to the Lord of the Faithful, who congratulates them on a mission well accomplished. He is a bit miffed that seemingly the entirity of the White City know what has heppened, but is willing to overlook this given that the Lord has been returned uharmed and there seems to be no long term effect on the Burned Realm or any of its denizens.

Ryn Coth is given permission to wander the Burned Realm where she will. She is still under the care of the Lord of the Field of Battles, but is not obliged to stay within his domain.

At the eternal campfire of the Lonely Road, a drifting cloud of ash forms together into the body of Kalipet. After petitioning the Lord of the Lonely Road, she is assured that never again will she be required to leave the safety and warmth of the fire.

Sirius returns to the Tower, taking his familiar seat at the gateway. Some days later, an Ash Guard arrives bearing his Son. The Lord of the Tower tells Sirius that the curse on his family's name can not be broken, however he can allow him this: his son may dwell with him at the gateway to the tower, and once a year, on the anniversery of the Battle for the White City, they may both enter the Tower for a day, where they will be welcomed as heroes.

Back in the world of the living, things are returning to normal. The spirits of the young are moving on as they should. After a week or so, the High Priestess of Silent Voices returns to the Temple of Ash, acting considerably saner than she had been. She refuses to go near any of the priests of Suicides.