Adventure Summaries (2008)

Run by Peter & Chaos on 12th Jan 2008

Harriet Pinter (Ellie), Bottle (Joe W), Tarich (Tom), Carmina Curiana (Vicky), Adi (Jessie)

A bunch of Bairoth's old friends try to save him from his horrible fate.

TBA

Bairoth is Freed from his oath to the Hushed Princess. His essence, though, is weakened and his existence is now tied to another, to Carmina, who threw off the shackles of mere corporeal existence to take on the Nature of a Being of Light.

Now the two of them Belong to the Light, embody some part of it.

But they are not equal in this. Carmina is integral to the Light now. To harm her is, in some sense to strike out at the Sun itself. The Light is integral to Bairoth, to strike out at Carmina is to strike out at him. Where she leads, he follows. Where Carmina is whole, Bairoth is reduced. Bairoth is now an Aspect of the Light, though he is given some independence by his dependence on Carmina and the Aspect he represents is Love of the Friend, the Comrade, the Companion. As the two become more entrenched within the structure of the Light (if it has a structure) there are Scholars who begin to suggest he may also represent Love Unrequited.

Harriet returns to her duties at the Temple of Ashes, though she is even quieter than she once was. There is, for those who know her, a lingering sadness in her eyes and she has taken to wearing a White Rose, which does not wilt and retains all the sorrow of those who die for love. She refuses to speak of her pain, and after receiving a letter from the Exalted Church of the Light bearing Carmina Curiana's personal Seal, she speaks even less.

Adi is now bearing within her a Named entity bearing the Moniker (for those who can tell) “Soon to be Born”. Jessie knows about its precise nature and may wish to tell GMs about it on games in which Adi is playing.

Bottle and Tarich, well they are much as they were before. (Editor's Note: Awesome).

Run by Vicky & Andrew C on 19th Jan 2008

Tommy Truebreath (Matt H), Bottle (Joe W), Paulo (Tom), Lt. B Welldon (Fed), Ambriel de Verlay (Helen), Dominic du Cesare (Tony)

Belor's road slowly but surely advances on the White City and his army will be at the gates within a matter of weeks. It must either be stopped or taken under the control of the White City, otherwise when the attack begins he will have the advantage. Rumours head back to the High Guard's headquarters that the road is being driven forward by a powerful spirit of the Black Flame, and therein lies a chance. If something of enough significance can be offered it may be possible to hault the road's progress. Legend tells of a mystical artifact linked to roads and travel, a potent token of the Prince of Trade Winds. A party of brave adventurers is hired to go and retrieve the token and take it and proffer it to the demon of the Black Flame in the hope it will be enough to stop the road. The mission will be incredibly dangerous, as it will entail travelling into the very seat of Belor's power.

TBA

Bottle is dead, both body and spirit given utterly to the flame. However, some small part of his being remains. The road is now driven by his will and his intention. His hopes and dreams have become part of the very obsidian that lines the Long Road. The road now aids the White City in the war against Belor. Rumour also suggests that judging from some of Bottle's drunked comments in the Black Griffin it might also aid any opportunistic individuals who might see fit to use the road to take the Port for the White City.

Gossip continues to circulate that perhaps Captain de Verlay is spending an unusual amount of time cementing ties between the White City and the Broken Moon.

Shortly after the road is taken Itkovians Watch mount an assault on the Watchtower of the same time. Whilst the tower is successfully retaken, each one of them later dies in a series of bizarre coincidences. Mysterious knifings in dark alleyways, ironic accidents and unfortunate mixups betweens healing potions and vials of poison.

The party have all earned the emnity of the Prince of Trade Winds. Tommy, in particular, is disliked by the Merchant.

With the road retaken, the 500 High Guardsmen posted beside it are ordered to mount an intial assault on an number of Belor's troops. Despite a long and hard fight not a single one sustains anything beyond minor injuries.

Late one evening a young tribesman heads out to the road and sets himself down there. The folds in the road seem to elevate him out of harm's way and he is protected by a circle of Black Flame. A few High Guard soldiers attempt to bring him food, including an eastern-looking woman, but are swiftly shouted away.

Run by Joff & Joe on 26th Jan 2008

Theodore Luxfrey (Dave), Lee (Ellie), Kumar (Tony), Sir Lucas De Almedia (Dominic), Echo De Almedia (Lousia)

Commoners are being drafted into the High Guard to boost its numbers for the war, Less useful offspring are likewise being sent from the noble families to get them out of the house for a while. You will become soldiers and lay down your lives for your city.

TBA

The squad are reintegrated with the rest of their regiment, but allowed to keep the plain black and white uniforms, which are seen by many of their peers now as a badge of honour rather than a mark of underfunding and expendability, the regiment are put on normal patrols, but seem to be being kept very close to the city, as if someone wants to be able to get hold of them quickly if need be.

There are reports that Chesh has moved his camp to the very walls of the palace at Three Rivers, and others that hint at more permanent structures being erected there.

Run by Vicky & Dominic on 2nd Feb 2008

Paulo (Tom), Adi (Jessie), Lady Ambriel de Verlay (Helen), ??? (Joe), Tommy Truebreath (Matt), Harriet Pinter (Ellie), Edwin de Caius (Andrew C)

Paulo and a group of his friends head to the northern mountains to forge an artefact capable of killing the dread necromancer, Selena Curiana.

TBA

The party have successfully forged an artefact capable of killing Selena. They have the blessing of the Burned Lords but neglected to acquire the aid of the Lord of Grey Roses in cleansing the Broken Garden. Likely the help of the great river and her tributaries will suffice but it will probably mean that she is not as cut off from her glass magic as they would have hoped. The spear has been variously blessed by the Light, the Frost Prince, the Lord of the Tower of Heroes and the Lord of Grey Roses.

Paulo awakes a little over a day after his duel with the Lord of Blood Fury in a field safely away from the front lines. He hurts everywhere. He still has in his grip Blood Fury's bloodied genitalia and so consumes them.

Various deals are made with Experience. Ambriel exchanges the memory of killing the Lord of the Gardens for a memory of commiting suicide with the shards of Lemuel D'Artois and the associated trauma. Adi inherits the memory of an easterner named Seichirou, who knows something of the first naming and binding war (and may buy lore: naming and binding war if she doesn't already have it).

As soon as he gets back to the White City, Edwin de Caius starts selling any property he has near to the river and buying up elsewhere. Oh, and investing in anti-flood supplies.

A rumor also makes it way around the city, although no one seems to know the source. It is said that Lord de Caius heroically led an attack upon the middle of the Obsidian Guard's lines, killing vast numbers of them, and was struck down, but is still alive to tell the tale. Just saying.

There is indeed a flood in the White City and a number of residences in the noble district are badly damaged (not any owned by PCs, fortunately). De Caius manages to profit quite well out of this. A cleansing flood flows through the Broken Garden and there are small signs of the fertility returning to the ground. Selena's stronghold, however, is left intact.

Faint rumors are still heard now and then of the impending threat from the north but for now they are no more than that.

Run by Dominic & Fed on 9th Feb 2008

Proyas de Almedia (Peter), Samuel Fletcher (Rob), Meredith d’Artois (Vicky), Echo de Almedia (Louisa), Sra’em Yar (Trevor), Dr Johanna Smith (Laura), Sereth (Dave)

Rumours have reached the White City of a disturbance on the road to the City of Silk, with even a few outlandish mentions of running battles between bandits. This is disrupting the De Almedia family’s trade, and they are not best pleased about this. The De Almedia Family have put out a call for adventurers to join an expedition to assess and to sort out the situation.

Original Plot Document (.rtf file)

The party are welcomed to an office of the De Almedia family. Proyas De Almedia is waiting there, and explains the mission: “I’m certain you’ve all heard the rumours. There is some form of disturbance to the west, and some of our caravans from the City of Silk are not making the journey intact. Less than normal that is, despite increased guard units assigned to protect them. Our best guess is that this is due to increased bandit activity, and this is impacting on our steelsilk profits. So, I’m going to lead an expedition west to put a stop to this. My family is offering 10Hx apiece in advance, and more when we return, having successfully dealt with the… issue.”

The party then go their separate ways to prepare for the mission, and reconvene at the west gate of the White City at noon. They travel uneventfully until they are just outside the Watchtowers, when they are beset by wolves. The wolves are easily dispatched, and the party travel on. They then realize that there is a group of bandits tailing them, and they are soon ambushed. Despite the two archers, the bandits are quickly slain, after proclaiming that the party have entered “their territory” and must turn back. Having administered last rites to the deceased, they travel further along the road, encountering a de Almedia caravan with a broken wheel and a somewhat depleted complement of armed guards. Proyas talks to the merchant, and agrees to assist them some of the way towards the White City. They are ambushed by a small party of bandits, who again are quickly dispatched or chased off.

Once the caravan has been escorted some way to safety, the party return to the trade route, and come across the scene of a battle between bandits. Proyas and Meredith see that there are several restless spirits hanging around, and caution the party to stay back. Several of the spirits seem willing to talk, and explain that they worked for Sir Thomas Wollesley, and had been ambushed and defeated by a new group of bandits who had moved into the area. The few spirits of the ambushers remain silent, scared to speak. Sam Fletcher, not knowing what is going on, starts to root through the corpses. He is subsequently attacked by a somewhat irate spirit, and keels over unconscious. Meredith swiftly exorcises the spirit, and proceeds to grant last rites to the deceased – giving two final cigarettes to speed them on their way, and preventing two others from spectrally urinating upon her companions.

Despite seeking the trail of the bandits who had left the battlefield, the party are unsuccessful, so return towards the road. On the way, however, they happened across a group of ghouls, attracted by the violence in the area. Eager for fresh meat, the cannibal humans attack, but are beaten off. Shortly thereafter, they encounter an aged hermit, who (although obviously scared of this armed band) when assured that the party were there to end the strife and the disturbance to his home points them in the direction of a well organised camp. The party heads immediately off towards it.

On the way, however, they come across another adventuring party, led by a Cristofori merchant, and accompanied by a group of ordinary mercenaries. Despite the party being rather coy about their mission, the Cristofori guessed it, and ordered the assault. After a hard fight, involving an ashen cloud, an ambush, and a berserking blood sorcerer, the party won, though several of them were looking somewhat more battered. They captured the thief hired by the Cristofori, and interrogated him. He didn’t know much, but was able to tell them that he had been hired in the City of Silk by a “Mr. Cristofori” to guard him as he attempted to “explore possible trade in the area”. Having determined that he is merely a mercenary, not a bandit, the party set him free with a dagger, and rest overnight. The party then approach a well-organised, palisaded encampment, guarded by a group of armoured bandits wearing mock-military uniforms. They are wary, and demand that the party to identify themselves. The party having already experienced Proyas’ conversational skills, he is kept at the back, and Samuel Fletcher is sent forward to talk to the corporal. He is however unable to talk their way in, but is able to obtain the location of Sir Thomas’ camp, and instructions to kill them, take their money and weapons etc, and return to use it as trade goods.

The party pull back away from the camp, realizing that in order to end the disruption this camp needs to be taken. They resolve to make contact with Sir Thomas, and recruit his aid to take the fortification. They travel to his camp, and meet with the Gentleman Bandit. They have an extended bitching session about the encampment of “utter bastards”, and then Samuel (again the spokesperson) suggests the use of a “Trojan wagon”, i.e. hiding Sir Thomas and his men in a covered cart, and turning up to the other encampment claiming to have the armour and weapons from Sir Thomas’ men, and offering trade.

The plan works like a dream – the cart makes it through the gates before the armed bandits leap out and attack the defenders. In the chaos and confusion, the party slips into the centre of the fort, and find the group’s leader – one Charles Glaucus. They are taken aback when they saw him however, as he and several of his companions are wearing Red Gryphon uniforms, and Glaucus himself has glowing purple eyes. The party run in and attack, with Proyas’ arms being bound by the second in command. During the assault, Sra’em’s leg is badly wounded, and Sereth’s arm is completely torn to shreds. Glaucus, badly hurt, uses his name magic to make is chest anew, and runs for it, his arms bound in chains of iron. The party, searching the corpses, realise this, and give chase. They slaughter his rearguard, and then hack his head off, and return it to Sir Thomas Wollesley.

Charles Glaucus, runaway sergeant of the Red Gryphon, is dead, and his followers dead or scattered. His fortified encampment is now under the control of Sir Thomas Wollesley, who has payed the party 20Hx each for their part in its capture and his rival's death. The party are treated to a feast in the main hall before they depart, and a side building is converted into a makeshift surgery for Sra’em's leg and for cauterizing Sereth's stump of a shoulder.

Upon departing, Proyas heads for the city of silk, and informs the de Almedia representative there of the exact location of Sir Thomas' new encampment. The party then return to the White City, where the de Almedia family awards them each an extra 10Hx for calming the situtation somewhat. Various members of the party send their own reports, of differing levels of fullness and frankness, to their own superiors.

Run by Peter & Ellie on 16th Feb 2008

Lt. B Welldon (Fed), Serafine D'Artois (Laura), Lucius Cristofori (James W), Jake Anvil (Joe), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), Brother Dieter (Andrew C), Beornwulf (Dominic), Abelard Velasquez (Rich G)

Those individuals interested in aiding the Allied forces in retaking the Port of Glass and Flame should present themselves to the Recruiting Officers located outside the Gubnatorial Palace or the Embassy of the Broken Moon. Adventure and fun for all!

TBA

The losses of the Port, of two of his most senior military commanders and the defeat of his fleet, have meant that his position in the north is much weakened. There have been enough desertions amongst his forces that he has had to retire from a number of his more significant outlying fortifications and draw his army in around him. He is far from de-clawed however. He can still do significant damage to his enemies and might still hope to survive if they are less than wholly resolute in their prosecution of the war against him. What comes next cannot be thought to be easy in any sense.

The Port is badly damaged by the battle in its streets, but everywhere Belor's Forces are in the process of retreating, surrendering or dying. The only fly in the ointment is that it appears that a number of the Black Flame Priests worshipping Belor's Cult of Personality are unaccounted for. They may well have gone to ground and may be capable of carrying out some limited resistance against the allied forces. In the scale of things, however, this is not likely to destabilise the Allied forces. Even if Belor were to march his whole force against the Port in the near future, it seems likely that with a little steel in their hearts, the Allied forces should be able to hold the City against him. And every day he delays is a day of preparation. The City belongs to the Allied forces.

The White City hold a few areas of the City in everything but name. Laughing Hill is strongly invested by the Velasquez, the Avenue of Faiths appears to contain a contingent of members of the Exalted Church who are already re-building and proselytising. The Ducal Palace belongs now to one called The Soldier of the White City, and Ambassador to the Port and has become, in some sense, The White City Embassy. Nonetheless, the groups are separated geographically, and it is clear that they are not entirely comfortable working together. Any concerted push against one group by the Broken Moon would likely cause them to band together, but with careful play, the Broken Moon could hope to set one faction against another.

In all but a very few areas, the Broken Moon has taken complete control of the City. The militias, the gangs, and the mercenaries have almost all been disarmed. The only exception is in the Poor Quarter, currently something of a burnt-out ruin, quickly becoming known as The Embers to the people living there. It is becoming a soup of warring criminal groups where even a well-armed Broken Moon unit would hesitate to step. Nonetheless, no one really needs to care about The Embers apart from those who live there, as it is full of the socially powerless. In most other matters, it will prove quite easy to marshal the forces and resources of the Port in to a working, unified whole in a matter of weeks. The only other areas where control is less than total is in the few places where the White City are invested. As neither side is willing to open any sort of hostilities, yet, a stalemate develops and diplomatic communiqués between the two sides multiply and become more and more pointedly polite.

The Ducal Palace has undergone a significant metaphysical change and is now firmly ensconced as the White City's Embassy. On the one hand this is a massive coup for the White City. On the other hand, it is something of an empty Victory in direct practical terms. The Embassy is not located in a tactically ideal position, and is separated from the two other areas of White City influence, meaning that it is, in some ways, quite vulnerable. There are also parts of the building which very clearly do not belong to the White City, though these tend to be in the cellars and the places which have been directly twisted by glass for centuries. All that said, the centre of Ducal Power in the Port for 300 years, is now an embassy for a foreign power.

Abelard Velasquez is no more. The precise metaphysical ramifications of this are sending scholars of the Black Flame wild with excitement. There are requests to examine this new Soldier of the White City and Ambassador to the Port, and debates over the creative/destructive ratio of the Flame.

Belor's flagship, the one bravely scuttled by the Resistance and the heroes of the Liberation (nookie for all!), appears to have been more badly damaged in the assault than initially thouht, and repairs will take longer than expected. Finally, there continue to be rumours of things in the sewers, of the King-Crowned-With-Glass and of sacrifices in the dark.

Run by James W & Rob W on 23rd Feb 2008

Keldon Mortis (Tom), Samuel Fletcher (Rob), Lazarus (Rich G), Daniel Kelson (Dominic), Sra’em (Trevor), Sereth (Dave)

In your local there is a silver-haired man who has drunk there for as long as anybody knows. He's a quiet sort – keeps himself to himself, doesn't talk much, but has a way of looking after people when they're in trouble, when they're down on their luck.

You are approached by him one evening. He tells you that he has need of a group of adventurers to bring birthday gifts to his three brothers: one of whom is in the West near the City of Silk, one of whom can be found in the Northern Mountains, and one of whom is somewhere southeast of the City of Crossroads. He says that he'd be willing to pay 15 Hexa apiece for the difficulty (five now and ten later), that he'll look about for other adventurers to join, or that if you know some folks who you'd like to bring along then they'd be welcome too, and to meet him in the Black Griffin the following morning if you're interested.

The party meet the man who hired them in the Black Griffin, where he introduces himself as the Man In The Pub and explains that the three brothers whose presents he will want delivered are named the Man By The Fire, the Man On The Road and the Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain In The Pouring Rain. The party's suspicions are raised by these unusual names, and under further questioning the Man In The Pub admits that he and his brothers are “some sort of spirity things”.

He passes the party a map, marking his brothers' locations: the Man By The Fire is in the wastelands southeast of the City of Chains, the Man on the Road is on the road between the White City and the City of Silk, and the Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain In The Pouring Rain is on a mountain in the north named Laine's Peak. He elaborates further than his three brothers are complicated to contact. To speak to one, one must be within about a day's travel of their location and read a particular poem while in the appropriate circumstance (for example, the Man on the Road's poem needs to be read while walking on a road.) Finally, he passes the party the presents themselves: a letter for the Man on the Road, a cloak for the Man By The Fire, and a packet of tobacco for a Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain In The Pouring Rain.

The party decide to head first to find the Man on the Road. In the depths of the Great Forest, they find the path is blocked by a knight in heavy armour which has been entwined with brambles. The knight issues a challenge to the party, demanding single combat. Undaunted, Brother Lazarus Commends his sword to Ash and the brambles around him rise in anger at this slight. The party fight off the Knight and the increasingly hostile undergrowth, eventually resorting to knocking him unconscious in order to thwart his Blood Magic.

Stopping at an inn to gather information, the party learn that there is indeed a mysterious man who is known to wander the road, never stopping at an inn. They surmise that this is the Man on the Road; while there, they also learn of a local boy, Simon Roth, who has gone missing and the kind-natured Brother Lazarus agrees to help look for him, much to the consternation of some of the less altruistic members of the party.

The party set out on their way to Simon Roth's his last known location, a ruined house known as Mender's Manse. Sra'Em, the party's tracker, realises that Roth was accompanied by another person – another person whose footprints changed as she walked, sometimes being too heavy and sometimes being too light. He warns the rest of the party of this. They arrive at the Manse to find the door locked, Roth inside gibbering with fear, and a young woman trying to persuade him to let her in.

The party batter down the door and the young woman enters. Roth, now visibly terrified, tries to crawl away from her. The party respond with violence, trying to knock her unconscious, only to discover that she is not a woman but an entity of the Swarm. A panicked melee ensues, in which the party beat the swarms of stinging insects. This does not help the sanity of poor Simon Roth, who remains unconsolable, so the party bludgeon him into unconsciousness too and return him to his grateful mother.

Continuing on their journey, the party finally find success with their daily reading of the Man on the Road's poem. An old man with long, white, dreadlocked hair comes ambling down the road to them and introduces himself as the man on the road. Before they can hand him his present, though, he seems to hear something further down the path and hurries away from them, calling for them to follow.

It transpires that some travellers have been captured by trolls, who are arguing about how best to cook them. The party heroically defeat the trolls and save the travellers, and are finally able to deliver their first gift to a grateful Man On The Road.

The party return to the White City and elect to head north. In the Whistful City they encounter a flamboyantly dressed man describing himself as the city's militia, who offers them ten hexa each if they agree to help the Whistful City kill a necromancer living to the west named Lazek Rhyne. Lazarus, in his capacity as a Priest of Ash, is happy to assist.

It turns out that Lazek Rhyne is running a farm, and is using a book stolen from one of Three Rivers' lieutenants to control a group of zombies and force them to work his land for him. The party kill the unrepentant Lazek and his domesticated undead, return to the Whistful City for their bounty, and head for Laine's Peak, stopping only briefly to save some helpless bandits from almost certain temptation at the hands of a Rosemary Maiden.

The weather at Laine's Peak is grey and drizzly, but not the pouring rain that they need in order to summon their target. The party hike up the mountain for some time, eventually reaching a convenient overhang to shelter under just as the skies open and rain pelts down on them. The storm intensifies, and the party are forced to fight off spirits of the downpour, which come close to killing Sra'Em before Sereth uses his Wind Magic to save him. The rain spirits vanquished, the party read the Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain's poem and summon him.

The Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain In The Pouring Rain is not pleased to meet them, and resents the Man In A Pub for his cushy job, but the party are able to talk him into accepting his present, and suggest that he finds other mountains to sit on. The Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain is eventually mollified by the attention being paid to him, and leaves in a good mood, offering the party his scarf as some form of recompense. The scarf, it transpires, protects its wearer from feeling the ill-effects of harsh weather conditions – though not from the weather conditions themselves. With Lazarus wearing the scarf, the party head down the mountain into the wasteland for their final delivery point.

As they skirt by the City of Chains, they encounter a woman with bright purple robes, who claims to be looking for her lost pets. As the party are debating how to kill this obvious Namer, a group of grey, metallic-skinned men approach and attack both the party and the old woman, who summons an Ogre to defend herself. Her Namer status confirmed, the party turn on the old lady and are able to defeat both her and the grey men. The situation becomes complicated when she rapidly recovers from her wounds, and though the party kill her as thoroughly as they can, Lazarus learns through his priestly rites that she is still not dead. As a stopgap, the party decide to put what is left of her into a bag, bind it up with chains, and deliver her to the Cloistered Bretheren upon their return to the city. Searching the grey-skinned men reveals nothing except uniforms which resemble those of prison warders and a chain emblem in the shape of the Velasquez serpent.

Continuing onwards, the party manage to track the Man By The Fire through the wastelands and summon him to their fire, but as they hand him the final present they are approached by deserters from the Obsidian Guard, now turned to banditry. They fight them off and return to the White City, stopping briefly to deal with a group of Light-worshipping bandits who insist that all money is impure and should be destroyed. During the inevitable fight, Kelson chooses to cut loose with his Glass magic, knocking out two bandits, cutting another down with shards of Glass, and outing himself as a Glass Mage to the entire party, who decide to take him prisoner and hand him over to the Broken Moon Embassy before collecting their reward from the Man In The Pub.

Sans Kelson, the party return to the Black Griffin and meet the Man in the Pub, alongside the Man on the Road and a third man who they don't recognise. The Man on the Road explains that his gift, the letter, was news that someone else had been found to shoulder his burden and become the new Man on the Road. He takes a small amulet from around his neck and passes it to the newcomer, who wears it and heads off out of the bar. The Man on the Road continues to say that the party deserve a reward for their work, takes a knife, cuts off his dreadlocks, and hands them to the party saying that if they lace their boots with them, they will never tire of walking on the road. After some discussion, the party decide to deliver Kelson's dreadlock bootlaces to him but not to explain their magical properties. Kelson, in his own inimical way, decides to bless the dreadlocks to the Faceless Lord and eat them. The consequences of this are not immediately obvious.

Original Plot Document (.rtf file)

The friendship between the Man in the Pub and his brother, the Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain In The Pouring Rain, is on its way to recovery.

The Man on the Road has found another to take on his burden, and has retired from his job.

The Man Stuck Halfway Up A Mountain In The Pouring Rain is considering relocating to a volcanic mountain in the Breathing Isles.

Rebecca Haverly, the rogue namer, is handed over to the Cloistered Brethren. After researching potential methods for permanently destroying her, they eventually simply decide to return her to the City of Chains. The party of Brethren operatives return badly wounded, and the Cloistered Brethren begin some frantic and worried research into the origins of the grey, metallic-skinned men encountered near there.

On that topic, the party will notice, on having time to more closely examine them, that the chain-serpent emblems found on said metallic-skinned men bear a strong resemblance to the serpent on the Velasquez coat of arms.

Run by Vicky & Peter on 1st March 2008

Part 1:

Paulo (Tom), Adi (Jessie), ??? (Joe), Tommy Truebreath (Matt), Harriet Pinter (Ellie), Edwin de Caius (Andrew C), Ulf (James F)

Part 2:

Lt. B Welldon (Fed), Ambriel de Verlay (RIP) (Helen), Dominic du Cesare (Tony), Yana (Ellie), Diego (Joe W), Gex (Rich), Marcos (Gareth)

Part 1: No one Mourns the Wicked

Paulo and friends, having forged a magical artifact capable of killing the dread necromancer Selena Curiana, head into the Broken Garden to finish the bitch.

Part 2: Pro More Suo Mori

“The Port is lost to Belor. The Long Road is lost to Belor. His army is collapsing quietly. Now is the time to attack. Now is the time to act.”

Belor must die. Certain individuals are gathering to ensure that this becomes the actual state of affairs as opposed to the merely desired state of affairs.

TBA

Consequences Part I:

Selena is dead and her soul delivered to the Burned Realm. If it is even possible for her to escape it will take many millenia.

Paulo has rescued his son and given him over to the care of his grandmother, Maria Curiana. He does, however, visit frequently. Harriet Pinter also takes a special interest in the child. From time to time there will manifest Black Flame effects around the boy, although these do not seem to emulate from him. Otherwise, save his Ashen Blood, the child is perfectly ordinary.

Adi has given birth to her baby, which for now appears perfectly ordinary.

Where the Perfidious tower once stood is a Great Oak.

The party are paid their share of 5000 Hexa. Paulo waives his right to his in exchange for his pardon and TAFKAT does the same in exchange for a pardon made out to 'Timothy'.

Consequences Part II:

Belor de Velland is dead, what remains of his soul is probably in the Burned Realm, probably in the Tower of Heores. It is beyond certain that the world will not see his face again. And in their hiding places, in the dark places of the woods and the cities, there are some few who sigh and say with that tinge of regret “We shall not see his like again”. Then they sharpen their knives and look for revenge.

Belor's Army engaged across the entire front breaks and breaks hard within hours of his death, the fight seemingly gone out of them. Many are slaughtered, many are captured. Many of those who escape try to return to the Port and the lives they had before. Some are caught attempting to enter the city, others simply go to ground and thereafter lead entirely blameless lives.

But some escape. And some remember what it was like when the Strong Ruled. And they sharpen their knives and look for revenge.

As Belor died, his Family died too. Bound by prior sacrifice to his life, they were given to the Flame. And in the conflagration of their death they burned in to the world Belor's Revenge. Kit de Velland, babe in cradle, became something much less and much more than human.

Three days after Belor's death, a contingent of Ash Temple Guard were found slaughtered, their bodies bearing hideous wounds. The sole survivor spoke of a six year old girl, and of her command of the Flame.

A week later a patrol of High Guardsmen were wiped out only a few hundred paces from their camp. This time the sole survivor spoke of a young woman in her mid-teens, of how the flesh she ripped from bone was consumed in Flame even as it was torn away.

Finally, three weeks after the defeat of Belor, a young woman in her late teens or early twenties presented herself to the assembled High Captains in the middle of their camp. To them she said “You killed my father. You killed my mother. I am Kit de Velland and I will have vengeance upon you all.”

Campaign Consequences:

With both Belor and Selena dead the armies of the Port of Glass and Flame are swiftly defeated. The war has not been without its casualties, however, and there are severe losses both from the White City and the Broken Moon. Even so there is a distinct feeling that it might have been a whole lot worse. In particular 500 High Guardsmen make it back to the city with no more than minor injuries.

What is now once more the Port of Glass is primarily in control of Duke Karl D'Artois and the former Broken Moon have the most powerful presence there. There are, however, factions from the White City that have managed with the aid of some inside force to gain a noticeable presence in the City. In particular the Velasquez seem to have some status on Laughing Hill, whilst the Exalted Church of the Light has a powerful temple on the Avenue of Faiths (and some believe that the Cloistered Brethren are using this as a secret base of operations). None of these factions are powerful enough to take the Port from Karl's control, nor are they particularly ameniable to each other. Nevertheless should Karl simply try to drive them out they may well band together.

Rogue ex-Obsidian Guardsmen have turned to banditry and there are various stories of cults of Belor and Selena.

Run by Matt & Helen on 8th March 2008

Harriet Pinter (Ellie), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky), Beornwulf (Dominic), Brian Smith (Rob W), Proyas D'Almedia (Peter), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos)

The Temple of Ashes seeks a party of adventurers to travel into the northern mountains and confront a powerful servant of the departed Necromancer of Three Rivers. Known as the Grey Templar, the creature is thought to be a powerful living dead warrior, and has been sighted numerous times in recent months. It appears to be gathering a powerful force of the Necromancer’s former undead thralls; and worse, rumour suggests that the Templar carries Three Rivers’ last orders, a set of written instructions holding who-knows-what terrible secrets… pay is to be thirty hexa in the first instance.

TBA

The Grey Templar has had her name, Galina Shaw, returned to her, and the condemnation of the Burned Lords removed. She has chosen to pass on to the Burned Realm. The last of Three Rivers’ armies have moved on and been lost in Dream. In a sense, the world is a safer place.

n the weeks and months that follow, two curious facts emerge and circulate among the theologists of the White City’s scholarly community. Firstly, two new Gardeners of White Roses have emerged in the Burned Realm, the first since Selena Curiana killed the old Gardeners, years ago when the Lord of Gardens fell (the Gardeners are spirits of the dead who have been raised in status to watch over one of the rose gardens of the Burned Realm).

Their names are Galina and Sallus Shaw. These names are meaningless to all but a very few…

Secondly, it is said that some unspecified payment recently passed from the Lord of Grey Roses to the Princess of Stories, in return for… something. Who can say?

But is the world a safer place? The party report, and Brian Smith’s travels in the north soon confirm, that the being known as the Watcher in Black, aka the Fifth Sleeper, is moving increasing numbers of Dream-based horrors south, with obviously violent intent. Further, the curious madman who identifies himself as the Third Sleeper, the Bard of Rainbows, is building up some sort of activity, provoking disturbing dreams and calling down the Aurora wherever he travels. The Smiling Strangers, for one, seem to be of his making…

Beornwolf delivers a box to the Palace at Three Rivers on behalf of the Bard. Its opening provokes an epic Oneirophobia in the Warden; she beats it off fairly quickly, and Beornwolf’s heartfelt apologies are accepted. But the atmosphere is not exactly lightened…

Run by Fed & Joe W on 15th March 2008

Morgock Sarm (Rich G), Azuma (Matt H)

Basilus Cristofori, a merchant and conoisseur of all things exotic based in the City of Crossroads is getting some returns on the Cristofori investment in the whole 'Take back the Port of Glass' malarkey. He intends to mount an expedition into the East to have a go at trading in the Port of Sands for Eastern valuables. He is on the lookout for any historic or otherwise valuable artefacts that may be gathered, both through trade, and if necessary unorthodox means. He requires those of excellent ability for both protection of his agent and the modest caravan and to 'procure' whatever items they might require.

TBA

Azuma and Morgok have returned to Basilus Cristofori with a live friend and relative and a partially incomplete, though it seems magical, set of Jade figurines. It seems they are part of a game, though the precise nature is still being determined in the depths of Basil's collections. This latest increase has necessitated an increase of the guard at Basil's estate in Crossroads and rumours about of the many artefacts hidden in his cellars.

Shiny figurines were no the only things brought from the East. Along with some information brought by Azuma and Morgok, other travellers from the Port of Sands have brought worrying news. Duke Zanbek, recently dispossessed of his holdings, fortress, but not his sizeable army, now camps outside of the Port of Sands. Some have begun calling it a siege, though no direct attack has been forthcoming. The many mercenaries within the Port are suspected of already being in the pay of Zanbek, but the collective resident merchants are doing their best to ensure the loyalty of those who will take their gold. If the Duke indeed has enough resources, then the Port of Sands is unlikely to withstand an attack from without and within.

Several White City nobles have speculated that if Duke Zanbek was to be removed as a threat then the Port of Sands can be nothing but thankful for their deliverance. The Cristofori would love to strengthen their meagre presence and the other families see some sense in the growth of influence. The ears of Duke Carl of the Port of Glass have neither been idle and many are aware that his navy could probably reach the Port of Sands well before an army travelling overland.

And Azuma and Morgok are being followed, shadows they are sure they can spot for just a second that are darker than they should be. But only in the White City and Crossroads, beyond there… not a whiff.

Run by Dominic & Ellie on 5th April 2008

Marcos (Gareth), Diego (Joe), Keldon Mortis (Tom), Enrico Cristofori (Fed)

Several known warriors of the White City have been sent anonymous, cryptic messages reading: “We have heard of you, and would like to make your acquaintance. If you are interested in adventure, excitement and wealth, travel south to the blasted oak two days south-east of the White City. If you are valiant, the rewards will be wondrous.”

TBA

The impostor, Temloc Mordos, is dead. His head was brought by Flash to the King’s daughter, and they proceeded to free the true Pirate King from the cells. She was very grateful, and gave the party 20Hx each on top of their earnings from the tournament, though Flash declined his. She also offered them a favour each. Markos requested to escort the various slaves who were natives of the Port to their home. Keldon simply requested passage home. Diego attempted to give the Exalted Church a foothold in the Breathing Isle, but was bargained down to a house for a single priest, with room for a couple more if funded entirely by the Church. He was heard muttering something about “stormtroopers” as he left. Flash, however, elected to stay on the Isle for a time, to foster trade. In this time he seduced the King’s daughter, Esmerelda.

Later, once the others have left, he spoke to the King about trying to develop trade links between the Cristofori and the Pirates, offering a certain amount of intervention to stop the Exalted Church encroaching too much. He also requested Esmerelda’s hand in marriage, which he received.

Run by James W & Joe on 12th April 2008

Tommy Truebreath (Matt H), Brother Dieter (Andrew C), Tarich (Tom)

This morning the Cloistered Brethren within the City of Crossroads sent out several messengers on an urgent mission. Of the dozen they sent, one was sent to you.

You were awoken at an uncivilized hour by a worried-looking young man wearing Cloistered Brethren insignia. His message was simple: the Brethren need a party of talented adventurers at extremely short notice for an urgent mission. Full details are not yet available, but upon arriving at the Brethren's HQ you will be briefed by Alonzo Babbitt, their commander within the City of Crossroads. Due to the urgent nature of the work, fees are negotiable.

Of the dozen messengers sent out to various adventurers about town, about half of them were sent away – either with polite refusals or a bellowed stream of abuse. You, for whatever reason, accepted.

TBA

Original Plot Document (.rtf file)

The Merchant has been killed and put to rest. The Prince of the Trade Winds is without a High Priest.

The crisis within Crossroads has been averted. Nobody is invading anybody any time soon. Individuals within the Crossroads branch of the Cloistered Brethren have been told – though they lack concrete proof that:

- Brother Dieter is probably a Glass Sorceror

- Tommy Truebreath probably worships the Rattle-Prince.

- Oliviero Cristofori was harbouring and working alongside a known Namer worshipper (though how much about this, and what spin is put on it, depend entirely on what Dieter told them)

PCs within the Brethren are likely to know these merely as unsubstantiated rumours.

The Brethren have also gotten hold of two of the four Name creations who threatened the city: the Architect Without Keys (who can join two doors) and the Equal Army (who replicates so that there are as many of him as there are people fighting him). Both of these are securely bound in the deepest, darkest dungeons of the Brethren's HQ. Or perhaps within the City of Chains. Or perhaps somewhere else entirely…

Run by Joe W & Ellie on 19th April 2008

Proyas De Almedia (Peter), Sir Lucas de Almedia (Dominic), Sasha Di Courci (Vicky), S'raem Yar (Trevor), Samual Fletcher (Rob C), Stophos (Fed)

Raphael LaCosta, the scion of a minor noble family, has put up discrete notices around town asking for adventurers willing to travel deep into the Western Forest and recover the body of his late father so that it may be cremated and the last rites performed. He is willing to pay 20 Hx for their assistance. Anyone interested should attend the family home for further details.

TBA

All but one of the young children are successfully escorted from the Swamp and returned to their families. The Witch, Baya's hold over the youngsters seems to fade not long after her death, and from what the party can tell the children have escaped any permanent effect from their occasionally cannibalistic diet.

Silvio returns to the White City and has a tearful reunion with his son, Raphael. Not too long after the LaCosta household is once more on the up, the aged adventurer having re-established his ties with many of the City's most prominent notables. The party each have an outstanding invitation to visit the LaCosta household whenever they are in the area.

Everyone in the party abides by the Oaths they gave Inskuldraes. Sir Lucas and Samuel both pass on what little information their word permits to their respective organisations and ensure those in the right places are keeping their eyes and ears open. Sasha meanwhile is active in ensuring that Inskuldraes will be entertained upon his visit and with the thanks of Silvio she has gained sufficient standing in her family to secure an audience with the Governor.

Over the next few weeks a number of nobles arrive from the City of Silk, some on business, some visiting friends, others just visiting a foreign city for the first time; amongst them is the Lord Damascus Di Forme, who enters the City with a small entourage and effortlessly integrates himself with the City's bright and beautiful.

Baya's hut remains mired in the swamp; its magics gone dormant with the death of its mistress. It would likely take a powerful Blood Sorceror to reawaken the structure and win its obedience.

Run by Vicky & Tom on 26th April 2008

Anvil (Joe), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), Sir Theodore Luxfrey (Dave), Echo D'Almedia (Louisa), Brian Smith (Rob W)

Alphonse du Marchant, merchant trader from the city of crossroads, has not received word from his daughter Eliza in several weeks. She was based in an agricultural village in the south east. He offers a party of adventurers 10 Hx a piece to go investigate the situation there.

TBA

The party receive in total forty hexa (twenty from the village and twenty from Alphonse). Little Crossroads continues to prosper, in part because it no longer seems to be being exploited by wealthy merchants and in part because of the supernatural influence of its patron, Lady Christina. Anvil attempts to do some evangelising around the neighbouring villages but is met with mixed success. Whilst some see the Lord of the Forge as a viable alternative, many others flock to the banner of Christina, seeing the prosperity of Little Crossroads. The very occassional mysterious crop failures and deaths in the villages surrounding Little Crossroads are often attributed to divine punishment for those who doubt Lady Christina's power, although these seem to become more rare after Kyre's blessings. Indeed it is quite remarkable how it grows from a small agricultural village to a still small but rather more industrious town. There are some who remark on its convenient location for the purposes of making use of trade routes from the East. Rumours of the mysterious Priestess are met equally with intrigue and concern.

Other than his attempt to free something from the City of Chains Cordol Lome's motivations remain relatively obscure.

Run by Dominic & James F on 3rd May 2008

Avity (Ellie), Keldon Mortis (Tom), Sereth (Dave), Tristan (Chaos), Magnus (Tony), Finch (James I)

A rumour goes out in the White City that adventurers interested in carrying out unspecified “diplomatic work” to the west – particularly those who have no reason to love the de Almedia family – should meet at the Rotting Badger inn.

TBA

The party escape the City of Silk without mishap, except when Tristan tries to start a fire, but is promptly coshed unconscious by Avity. They bear with them the signet ring of Lady Helena de Almedia, and forge a letter to Duke Vitaliano de Almedia reading:

“Your Grace

I have located the sources of the disruption to our trade routes. Contrary to our predictions, it was not a group of organised bandits, who are responsible. Hasselti Mor has been corrupted by the influence of glass which once permeated the forest. He seeks to overthrow Queen Marianna and take control of the City of Silk, and has been intercepting our caravans under the guise of bandits in order to equip his personal army. There is no time for massed action against him, he is growing too powerful. I have a chance to deal with him at a gathering tonight.

My love to the family

Helena de Almedia.”

This letter appears to go without question.

Sir Thomas awards each adventurer 30Hx for their deeds, and the party return to the White City. The cloistered Brethren receive a full report of the proceedings [and therefore will know about the deceptions and that the Mor family aren’t really corrupted by Glass]. Finch did of course play up his own mitigating influence on the party, and explained that with a necromancer and two glass mages in the group, the carnage would naturally have been a lot worse…

In the Mor mansion, the bodies of Lady Helena de Almedia and Lord Hasselti Mor are later found, both with cracked, glassy eyes, daggers, and numerous stab wounds.

Any Ash Guard who meet Sereth, or Ash Priests who Know the Mind, will want to reclaim his necromantically restored arm.

Run by Andrew & Ellie on 10th May 2008

Arashi (Vicky), Azumas (Matt), Beornwulf (Dominic), Diego (Joe W), Sam Fletcher (Rob C), Leonardo Velasquez (Gareth)

Two entirely separate and completely-unrelated-in-any-way-whatsoever events occur during the next few weeks in the White City.

Firstly, the following advertisement appears in many of the city's drinking establishments and other places frequented by adventurers: “Experienced adventurers required for a simple, safe, well-paid, entirely legal and not unreasonably-time-consuming task. Should apply to Ms Dimity Plene, secretary to the du Licci family within the next few days.”

Secondly, minor nobles of the city will recieve invitations to a party at the du Licci estate, some distance to the west of the Whistful City, in three weeks time. Those wishing to attend are invited to join Lord Jules du Licci in his journey from the White City (where he currently resides) to said estate, and he hopes to entertain them as they travel.

TBA

A pair of Dream Powers calling themselves Dignity and Betrayal have been causing trouble in the north. The former claims to be working for an entity called the Sleepless Sleeper, or the Eighth Sleeper, but this could be a fabrication. They don't seem to get on very well with one another, perhaps fortunately. Dignity appears capable of existing a very long way outside of Dream (in the White City, no less), while Betrayal appears to be able to call Nightmare Horrors out of the air. Both of them seem very difficult to despatch.

A large number of people in the Whistful City have been having dreams that have persuaded them to leave their homes behind and venture into Dream. Those that have come back have been somewhat altered, in that they appear to be dreaming while awake and entirely deluded about their surroundings. Not everyone in the City is at all happy about this.

* There is an enormous skeletal child buried under a hill some distance north of Three Rivers. Its identity is unclear, but it appears strongly connected to Dream

On top of said hill is what appears to be a petrified Bound One. The Cloistered Brethren have identified it as The Seraph Unasker, but either they know nothing more about it, or aren't saying.

Lord Damascus de Forme has left the White City with his entourage.

A sword blessed with potent Dream Magic has been recovered from the tomb (if such it be) of the skeletal child. It is currently in the possession of Leonardo Velasquez. It appears capable of matching power with power, and granting its wielder the cababilities of their foes. It is at its most powerful in Dream.

Lord Jules du Licci is mildly annoyed with most of the party, but nobody cares what he thinks anyway. He also seems to be missing a housekeeper.

Run by Matt H & Vicky on 17th May 2008

Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), Adi (Jessie), Beornwulf (Dominic), Proyas De Almedia (Peter), Stophos (Fed)

“In recent days, the borders of Dream have been unusually active, bringing strange storms to the mountains and disturbed dreams to the people of the south. The Aurora Borealis has been seen from as far south as the White City’s northernmost watchtowers. Noted scholar and dream sorcerer Gilliano de Riaga has advertised around the city for adventurers to travel north and investigate these unsettling phenomena, but rumours abound in the adventuring community of a mysterious and wealthy sponsor for de Riaga’s expedition.

Meanwhile, the Red Tower burns bright in the northern sky, and Professor Carter of the faculty of the arcane has received a peculiar letter…”

TBA

Nazarreno does indeed get back to his body safely, and on their return to the city the party are duly paid by Nerino (and Gilliano).

The Third Sleeper's attempt to cast the Palace at Three Rivers into Dream has been defeated, and the Bard himself laid low… for the time being. His 'body' melts away from the roof of the Palace within minutes of his defeat by the party, and although the Aurora fades from the skies (at least to a great extent) and the storms stop, it seems that the Bard of Rainbows is far from finished.

The Spirit of the Palace at Three Rivers has been rejuvenated but also strongly linked to the King of the Eagles. The Spirit now manifests as a Northern warrior-maid in a feathered headress. She also has something of a crush on Adi.

Adi has acquired a Blood Bond to the Palace of Three Rivers, the annoyance of the Palace's Seneschal, and a glass sphere that seems to contain a dream of the City of Chains before it fell. At least, that's certainly what Tommy Truebreath thought when he stole it from the Bard of Rainbows.

Tommy Truebreath has disappeared, last seen falling screaming from the battlements of the Palace, afflicted by Oneirophobia, following either an unsuccessful attempt to betray the Palace to the Third Sleeper or an *almost* entirely successful attempt to betray the Third Sleeper to the PCs, depending on how you interpret events. However, no body has been retrieved. Tommy may now be considered retired.

The Black Sword of Hope wish people wouldn't send each other cryptic messages by poisoning and stabbing their men.

The Enigmatic Heron is enigmatic.

Run by Joff & Joe on 24th May 2008

Sir Lucas De Almedia (Dominic), Theodore Luxfrey (Dave), Sam Fletcher (Rob C), ??? Di Courci (James F), ??? (Helen)

The Black and Whites are called upon to assist the barbarian warlord Chesh once again…

TBA

TBA

Run by James W & Ellie on 31st May 2008

Dominic du Cesare (Tony), Anvil (Joe), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky), Sam Fletcher (Rob C), Ulf (James F), Lady Serafine D'Artois (Laura), Captain B Welldon (Fed)

Dominic Du Cesare and his Chosen Men go into the Forest in search of Dominic's roots

Dominic du Cesare and party head into the Great Forest, following the map provided to him by the Merchant which was said to lead him to his father. This leads to a cave in which an enormous troll is resting. At first the troll appears to recognise him, muttering “Son?” but quickly comes to the conclusion that “Human! Not son! Dinner!” and attacks. Dominic holds off the troll for a while, before Serafine blasts it into unconsciousness with her magic.

While the party consider the implications of this, they are approached by a large, bearded and clearly troll-blooded man wearing heavy steel armour and bearing a resemblance to Dominic. He introduces himself as Dominic's father, and claims that he is needed in the family estate in the Silken Valley. Claiming that he has little time to explain more, he gives directions and heads off himself.

The party eventually decide to investigate this man's claims. The Silken Valley, Ulf explains, is an area of land settled by people but claimed by a Spider-Queen named Arribadaxtli. As the party pass through the Valley, it rapidly becomes apparent that it is under attack. Hostile giant spiders are everywhere, and corpses are slung from trees by webs.

Reaching the capital of the Valley, a small town built around a mansion and barricaded about, the party meet the Lord of the land: Lady Sacharissa Kess (now attended by the armoured man the family previously met, who introduces himself as Sir Balin the Bloodthirsty.) Sacharissa tells Dominic that he is her bastard son; that she is his true mother, and that Lily du Cesare, the woman who had raised him, was a foster mother he had been sent to for his own safety. She continues to say that humans are permitted to inhabit the valley by Arribadaxtli on the condition that a tribute is paid every thirty years, of the blood of a mother and her son. With no other sons, Sacharissa was unable to pay the most recent tribute, and Arribadaxtli has cursed the valley. Meanwhile, Ulf is approached by a man calling himself Jack-Of-The-Wheel, representing a shadowy group interested in Binding Arribadaxtli using Chain magic and requesting Ulf's help in obtaining them a sample of her web. Ulf refuses.

If the party are dubious of Sacharissa's motives, they are incensed by especially Sir Balin's treatment of his servants, as he forces one to juggle knives for his amusement and kills another in cold blood for “being too old”. They decide, however, to do what is necessary to lift the curse on the valley – and then to free it from Sacharissa's dominion. They take a vial of Sacharissa's blood and journey to Arribadaxtli's lair, further north of the Valley in the depths of the forest.

After defeating various hazards, including a party of Glass sorcerors, a group of horrible half-human spiders using Blood Magic to heal their wounds and a copse of living (and angry) trees the party finally reach Arribadaxtli's cave. There, after sufficient grovelling, they persuade the Spider-Queen to accept the blood. As she is tasting the two samples of blood, a rather battered-looking Sir Balin enters, having clearly followed the party through the woods. As the party are insisting that he is nothing to do with them, Arribadaxtli announces that the blood is not of Dominic's mother but his grandmother. Sir Balin calls the god a liar, and the party offer to kill him in order to mollify the Spider-Queen.

After a long battle between Dominic and Balin both find themselves heavily wounded. Sir Balin has lost the use of his legs, but Dominic the use of his arms. At this point Sam Fletcher intervenes and attacks Sir Balin from behind, while Serafine Vitrifies him. This incenses Arashi, who accuses Serafine of killing Balin dishonourably and challenges her to a duel. Welldon steps in as Serafine's champion. The two eventually agree to settle this after the present danger is taken care of. Meanwhile Arribadaxtli confirms that although Sacharissa is indeed Dominic's grandmother, she's willing to withhold the curse anyway given the entertaining duel, and puts the Silken Valley in the hands of Dominic and Sacharissa.

The party return to the Silken Valley only to find thugs working for Sacharissa rounding up the surviving villagers, to put them into work camps. Freeing the villagers, they meet an individual named Swift Jim, claiming to be from a group of adventurers named the Du Cesare Gang. When introduced to Dominic, he fills the party in on his version of events: that Sacharissa is indeed his grandmother (and that Balin was merely a hired mercenary); that his mother was a woman named Bella Kess who gave him as a child to the adventurers to look after following controversy over the father's identity; that Renaldo du Cesare left him with Lily du Cesare, the woman Dominic had thought of to be his mother, to be raised; and that Renaldo really is the hero that his mother had told him his father was. He adds that the du Cesares are still loyal to Bella, and that they are currently trying to form a resistance against Sacharissa's rule. Jim leads the party to the du Cesare's camp, to meet Dominic's *third* father-figure.

After an emotional reunion with Renaldo, the party learn that Bella is still alive, but magically imprisoned within a tree by Sacharissa so that she cannot interfere in Sacharissa's plot to rule the Valley, and that the prison can only be opened with Sacharissa's blood. The party hatch a plot to ambush Sacharissa while she is bathing in a particular sacred spring, so that she will not have a weapon to draw her own blood (and thus be unable to use her magic) while the du Cesare gang mount a diversionary attack on the Kess mansion.

Sacharissa is attacked in the spring guarded only by a small force of Weavers. The party fight their way through and manage to knock Sacharissa out, tie and gag (and clothe) her, and bring her to the tree where Bella is held.

Smearing Sacharissa's blood on the tree causes it to open and disgorge a middle-aged woman, who collapses to the floor. This is Bella, who is finally able to –shamefacedly – identify Dominic's father as the troll they encountered all that time ago (implying, as she does so, that the act was in fact consensual – if regrettable.)

With Sacharissa and Balin out of the picture, their hired thugs are scattered and Bella is reinstated as ruler of what is left of the Silken Valley. Sacharissa herself is subjected to the closest one can get to a fair trial given that the two ultimate instruments of justice in the Silken Valley are now Bella and Dominic. Unsurprisingly, she is found guilty and hanged. Dominic is reunited with his mother and his spiritual (if not biological) father, and finds himself with a ruined valley to bring back to working order…

Potentially plot-related points that were revealed as canonical:

There is an area of the Great Forest called the Silken Valley which is inhabited by a family called the Kesses but claimed by a Spider-Queen called Arribadaxtli. Recently the family failed to provide tribute and the land came under a curse. Although it is no longer in danger of destruction, the place still needs a lot of work to be made habitable and profitable. It is currently being ruled by Bella Kess and her son, Dominic du Cesare.

Dominic's father is an enormous troll living in the Great Forest who has developed a… preference for human women after fathering Dominic to Bella. He was raised by a foster mother, a woman named Lily du Cesare, who is the wife of the leader of a group of adventurers called the du Cesare Gang.

There is a group of people within the Great Forest trying to use Chain Magic to bind Old Powers. One of their agents is called Jack-Of-The-Wheel and tried to persuade a party of adventurers to help him bind Arribadaxtli the Spider-Queen.

PC-related consequences:

Dominic is now the heir apparent to an area called the Silken Valley, ruled by the Kess family. This used to be a very profitable land for farming steelsilk. Then it got widely ravaged by a curse from a Spider-Queen. It will need a considerable amount of work before anybody will take the land seriously enough for the Kesses to be considered a noble family again.

Lady Serafine d'Artois has been challenged to a duel by Arashi Moriyama. The details of the duel are yet to be arranged, but it is expected that she will field Welldon as her champion.

Sam Fletcher has been reported to his superiors in the High Guard as a thieving little toad. Members of the High Guard are keeping a very close eye on him, and should he be caught again it is likely he will lose his position. On the other hand, both the Low Guard and King Eric's Men are considering him for recruitment.

Run by Laura & Dom on 14th June 2008

Sereth (Dave), Magnus (Tony), Finch (James I), ??? (Matt H), ??? (Andrew C), ??? (Rob W)

“Following certain unpleasant incidents involving Bound Ones, Oliviero Christofori is away from the White City in order to spend more time with his angst. However, he doesn't see why exile should necessarily be uncomfortable. To that end, certain individuals within the White City have been discreetly contacted by Oliviero's servants, with the offer of a lovely holiday in the country and 20 hexa each towards their expenses. All they have to do is spend 5 days preparing Oliviero's hunting lodge in the Western Forest according to his exacting instructions, and coping with the drug dealers, poachers, relatives and other hazards of lovely holidays in the country…”

TBA

Oliviero Cristofori is alive and well, and holed up in an obscure corner of the Western Forest, missing a door and four bottles of fine wine but well supplied with food, confectionary, and recreational plant matter. Daniel Rabelais, apothecary to the rich and famous, is on the loose with a grudge and a lot less heavies than he used to have. Eliza and Elaine Christofori are both dead, apparently killed by robbers in a raid on their town house in the City of Silk.

Benedict de Meliere now has a terrible fear of little old ladies, and smells faintly of rosemary and garlic for weeks.

Run by Matt H on 21st June 2008

Harriet Pinter Retires (Ellie), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky), Adi (Jessie), Tarich (Tom), Proyas D'Almedia (Peter).

Beornwulf (Dominic), Sam Fletcher (Rob C), Julia Vandermeer (Laura), Phineas Crabbe (Joe)

“Harriet Pinter, high priestess of the Temple of Ashes, has been found unconscious in her quarters, and can by no means by roused. A similar fate seems to have befallen Professor Carter of the Faculty of the Arcane and Captain Arashi Moriyama of the High Guard. The three organisations concerned have consulted various experts, and Gilliano de Riaga, expert on Dream magic, has come up with an answer: their minds are trapped, somewhere, in a Dream. The call goes out to the adventuring community for brave souls to travel north and rescue these lost dignitaries.”

TBA

After the candle goes out, the rescue party find themselves returned to the 'real' Wistful City, from where they have an uneventful trip home. The rescued party (except for Harriet) find themselves returned to their sleeping bodies, and awake. The resuce party are duly paid the remainder of their 40Hx (although the Temple of Ashes refuses payment since Harriet was not returned, Gilliano de Riaga makes up the rest of the fee himself for the latest news on the Sleepers).

Harriet Pinter does not awaken. Over the next week or so, her body slowly fades out of existence. Around this time those who were with her in Utopia, and the resue party, dream of great chains before the Palace at Three Rivers, crumbling into ash while two figures watch.

The Queen of the Lost Road (the Fourth Sleeper) and the Lost Road itself have, for now, disappeared again.

The 'real' Timmy has been enrolled in the Bairoth de Mamushi memorial school.

Beornwulf has memorised Bairoth's notes on the murder of the Burned Lords, and a potion to reverse living death.

Run by Joe W on 28th June 2008

Stophos (Fed), Sra'em Yar (Trevor), James Warver (Dave), Thier Cristofori (James G), Crispin (Andrew C)

Professor Maximilian Grant of the College of a Thousand Arts' Alchemy department requires the assistance of the brave and the bold to seek out alchemical components, sample the resulting concoction and then report back on the results.

TBA

Sipping from the antidote solution the party return to their usual size and are swiftly hurried off for medical treatment. Professor Grant checks in regularly to ensure that there have been no long term side effects from the potion, but aside from perhaps holding a little more respect for the common labrat, the party seem to have emerged from the experiment unscathed.

The Party recieves 20 hexa for testing the potion, and a further 15 hexa in thanks for their successfully saving the patient and rescuing most of the surgical team.

Sra'em is invited to join the Faculty of Botany at some point in the future and the Faculty of Cartography have also expressed an interest in speaking to him.

Thier returns to Scabulous' sickhouse and lends several of the purification potions from his reward to the sicker patients. He receives a mild warning from a relative in the High Guard to the effect that he shouldn't trade on Silvio's name too often, but is otherwise patted on the back for putting a jumped up commoner in his place (though the family do wonder about the profit margins in assisting plaguehouses).

Professor Grant is very busy writing up his research over the next few weeks with the assistance of master Warver. There is however continued discreet interest from the Low Guard, and the research never quite finds itself ready for publication. In the meantime Stophos publishes his own paper through the Faculty of Experimental Theology; it is ritually interred in the filing cabinet of obscurity.

Run by Dom on 5th July 2008

Phineas Crabbe (Joe W), Thier Cristofori (James G), Lee (Ellie)

“The Department of Historical Art and the Department of Comparative Mythology of the College of a Thousand Arts would like to make it known that funding has been released for a group of hardy types to travel south, to investigate the veracity of a legend regarding ancient treasure. Interested parties should report to the College for a briefing. Note: those with experience of curses are particularly encouraged to apply.”

TBA

Run by Helen and Peter on 11th - 13th July 2008

Beornwulf (Dominic), Sam Fletcher (Rob C), Sasha Di Courci (Vicky), Azuma (Matt), Kyre Wordsmith (Chaos), Sir Theodore Luxfrey (Dave), Brian Smith (Rob W)

“Across the White City, astrologers, priests and scholars are reporting strange signs and portents. Rituals go awry, or work spectacularly well; herb-gardens and climbing vines across the city are springing up to twice their normal height within days, or withering and rotting with no sign of disease. The stars themselves take on strange new alignments and mystify curious gazers into the night sky. The Temple of the Verdant Lord has so far released no official word on the matter, but minor acolytes whisper that something is happening in the West which has not occurred for centuries…

In the wake of these strange events, Professor Fairfax at the College of the Thousand Arts has put out a call for scholars, philosophers, sorcerers, trackers and mercenaries for an investigative mission into the Western Forest. Payment will be “by results” but is rumoured to be generous, and interested parties are asked to apply to the Faculty of Botany to present their credentials.”

TBA

On a more prosaic level, the Verdant Lord emerges from the ritual sacrifice renewed and strengthened. He is young once more, vibrant and alive, and so are the green things, the growing things.

His priests are flush with power, his blessings overflowing and uncontrollable. The green places fast become masses of vegetation and whilst farmers require half the work to make their crops grow, they must spend twice as much time destroying the weeds and unwanted growth which threatens to drown the crops out. In some places there is talk of plants become too alive, too strong to be bound in one place; tales of vines grown fat on cow's blood, or more darkly, on other fare; stories of bluebells the size of hunting lions and twice as deadly, and travellers swearing blind to the trees moving in the night, whispering arcane secrets of Stars and Soil to one another.

Man Oak, Man Willow however, is driven aside by this new growth, at least, his priests and worshippers are. In the City of Silk there are deaths, and blood runs as free as sap in spring. Ancient oak copses are defaced, willows drowned, priests bound in to saplings, doomed to grow the one in to the other.

Still Man Oak, Man Willow's priests assert that his existence and nature are not fundamentally weakened, and few are the priests of the Verdant Lord who openly dispute this. Whatever spiritual and metaphysical changes the Verdant Lord's rebirth have wrought, they have not directly affected Man Oak, Man Willow.

The Seedlings

The Seedlings made their choices between Man Oak, Man Willow and the Verdant Lord. The Greenling Man and Meadowgrass sided with their father, the Verdant Lord, and Leaf-Biter with Twilight Clearing sided with Man Oak, Man Willow, whilst Canopy's End chose both and neither at first, until events, circumstances, truths and pressures brought it to its father's side, knife in hand.

But after the events at the Heart of the Forest the Seedlings have returned to their ways, to their places and to their natures. But that is not to say that their choices before the Heart of the Forest have not gone un-noted.

The Greenling Man: With the rebirth of the Verdant Lord, the Greenling Man returned in to the forest, never staying long, but often returning to where he has been before. His name soon becomes well known amongst the humans and Weavers of the Western Forest, as his presence in an area soon becomes reason to leave for the duration of his stay as his nightly mien, with its associated tricks and pranks prove fatal on more than a few occasions. There are those who talk of “doing something about him”, and those who see him as similar to a natural disaster.

Meadowgrass: The events at the Heart of the Forest satisfactorily concluded (at least for Meadowgrass), she has returned to her meadow, there to reside in sunlight and peace, perhaps until the end of all time. Reports suggest that the forest around her Meadow suffers from some unknown malady, a certain darkness and an imbalance. And woe to anything that might invade the meadow uninvited, woe indeed. Nonetheless there remains talk (and well you might ask “Where does this 'talk' come from?”) of ways through and ways in to the meadow, of gifts and appeasements and of great treasure hidden away within the soft grass.

Leafbiter: Dark and bitter over the rebirth of the Verdant Lord, Leafbiter retreats to his lair, to his rot infested tree there to abide and lord over the mouldering decay that makes up his domain. And yet, for all that his visage disgusts and his nature destroys, there slowly begins to emerge a community of worshippers around him. The old and decrepit, the young and weakening, all decaying, all dying, and yet from this putrefaction an ascetic order comes. There are those who say the Verdant Lord will not again allow a child of his to be worshipped so, perhaps he will not.

Twilight Clearing: Youngest of the Seedlings, he too supported another over his father, and he too returned to his place of power with a shadow hanging. Still, his is a peaceful clearing, and should you stumble upon it, safe rest and sound sleep are guaranteed. Perhaps it is his nature, but little is heard of Twilight Clearing, he gathers no worshippers, disturbs no others and resides hidden from sight. But the whispers remain, “someone knows how to find him”, “he holds the keys to the West, through him all trade can flow… if only we could find him”.

Canopy's End: Oldest of the New Seedlings, and also most alien, nonetheless, in the end it was brought to support its father's rebirth, if not wholehearted in its initial support. Its nature is to exist outside the experience of most human denizens, up where the canopy meets the sky. But the Weavers know, know the point of transition where Canopy's End exists, the moment where the leaves part and the sun bursts in to view. It begins to be said that within the Western Forest, the wisest member of a community can, if they receive the appropriate blessings, make a pilgrimage to its domain and receive the gift of insight. What exactly this entails is unclear.

The Twilight Peace

Upon the return of the party to the White City there is a flurry of activity of a slightly odd sort. The Committee for the Provision of Green Spaces gains a revised budget of an undisclosed size and then disappears from all public records. The Committee members themselves retire from other public activities “in order to spend time with their families” or “for reason of ill health” and yet seem to have rather less free time than they did previously.

For the White City itself the effects are subtle, and yet deep reaching. The green spaces grow, both in size and number. Trees are planted and grow tall. And for the hours of twilight, for the time when the light of the sun still shines across the horizon, there is peace in the city. Muggers, murderers, mauraders and general miscreants find themselves strangely opposed in their activities. The knife turns in the hand, the cut purse turns out to be full of rotting bluebells. The darkest hours of the night remain open to criminal activity, but the late evening, the hours of twilight become safe, safer even than the broad daylight. The city thrives with its extra hours of safety and security, especially the poorest quarters which were most in thrall to the criminal elements of the city.

Meanwhile there are whispers, for a brief while, that the High Guard is hiring gardeners. Sometime later the first rumours begin of an elite unit known as the Twilight Guard (which is soon shortened to Twig), whose precise duties are never made entirely clear.

Shortly after those rumours die down, an opposing set of reports begin filtering through from the underworld, of a hard core of killers being given advanced anti-arboreal training under direct orders from King Eric. The Hatchetmen becomes a name that is feared in the underworld, without anyone ever really coming to understand why. In the dark times of the night, amongst the greenery a desperate, secret war is fought. Twigs and Hatchetmen locked in a deadly struggle, knives in the shadows, blades piercing flesh, the muffled grunt of pain, then boots running as bodies hit the ground, wounds vomiting blood to the rhythm of a fading heart-beat. More sacrifices to the Twilight Peace, the only signs of which are the trees growing tall, fed on blood willing surrendered, or flora brought low and smashed to kindling.

Run by Vicky and Matt on 16th August 2008

Beornwulf (Dominic), Stophos (Fed), Diego (Joe W), Sir Robert (Racheet)

“The Temple of Ash is hiring adventurers to investigate an incident in the Tower of Heroes. Interested parties should contact the Temple.”

TBA

The party return to the White City, stopping briefly at a Temple of the Burned Lords in the Whistful City to return Robert to his rest. Both Raphaella and Robert return as they were to the Tower of Heroes.

Stophos publishes a selection of notes on the Thirteenth and supposedly Last Sleeper, along with a number of appendices he has added from his own experiences. There is some murmured hope that this Thirteenth might prove an ally against the more malign sleepers.

Run by Ellie and Andrew C on 23rd August 2008

Azuma (Matt), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky), Proyas D'Almedia (Peter), Enrico 'Flash' Cristofori (Fed), Tarich (Tom)

“The Temple of Ash is hiring adventurers to investigate an incident in the Tower of Heroes. Interested parties should contact the Temple.”

TBA

A new Black Rose Gardener has appeared in the burnt realm and has begun to regrow the garden.

Arashi and friends have gained much of what they need to perform an empowering ritual on the gardeners of the white, red and black gardens but were last seen heading east…

Rumours of an escaped spirit from the burnt realm abound - some time later the spirit is recaptured by agents of the temple of Ash. Upon questioning the spirit appears to have been a priest of the Rattle Prince and although returned to the burnt realm it is unclear what he did while free in the living world.

Somewhere in the burnt realm, an old man hobbles happily to freedom in search of valuable treasure!

Dominic on 13th September 2008

Dr Johanna Smith (Laura), Stophos (Fed), ??? (Helen) and others…

The College of a Thousand Arts has circulated a notice announcing the death of the Head of the Faculty of History, with an addendum requesting adventuring types to convene to help fullfil his last will and testament. It is fairly well known that Said academic was also a high-ranking Priest [if not in fact the High Priest] of the Princess of Stories.

TBA

The Ashes of Darius Feltz have been disposed of as he wished, and the Princess of Stories is grateful. The party's return to the White City is uneventful, and upon their return they receive the remaining 25 Hx of their payment. Various reports of varying degrees of truth go to various places, and a Youth with spikey hair and a really big sword is seen at the temple of the Light and that of the Prince of Storms, seeking his destiny…

Dr Johanna has eight doses of her special herbs left, and also has an offer open for the Princess of Stories to visit her…

Marcus, James and Dr Johanna are all owed a favour by the Princess of Stories

James W on 27th September 2008

Falcon Bravo (Joe W), Eduardo (Fed), Sir Samual Asbodan , Leonardo Velasquez (Gareth), Sereth (Dave), James Warver (Dave H), Michael (Dan), Tristan (Chaos)

A notice has appeared around the White City:

“WANTED: Talented and resourceful individuals willing to take responsibility for their own success on behalf of a legitimate mercantile enterprise. Applicants should be talented in small-group fighting tactics, be willing to use their own initiative and capable of adopting a pragmatic approach to diplomatic relations with a diverse variety of individuals. Interested parties should apply to Gilliam Cake in the Black Griffin at 5pm on Sunday Night.”

TBA

Original Plot Document (.rtf file)

With the help of the PCs and the lingering aftereffects of the Verdant Lord's rebirth, a group called the Rice Consortium for the Development and Settlement of the Northern Territories have established several farming villages in the area between the Palace at Three Rivers and the Whistful City which until recently suffered from the blight of the Necromancer's curse. The villages have yet to start reaping serious profits. Given time, however, they could well flourish, turning the area into a second Garden Lands.

Rumours about the backers of the Consortium abound. Members of several noble families are suspected. It's possible that de Caius has his fingers in there somewhere, given the number of other places where he has them. Some believe that the remaining followers of the Lord of the Gardens are behind it in an attempt to revive their fallen god. One thing that does appear to be the case is that King Eric has some influence in the Consortium – as rumourmongers fond of wordplay are keen on pointing out, Rice is an anagram of Eric, right, so they must be the same person, right? Others point out that just because “Eleanor de Courci” is an anagram of “A Couriered Clone” doesn't mean that the Governess' daughter is actually a replica smuggled in from the East.

Whatever the case, it rapidly becomes apparent that the Consortium are taking a very liberal attitude to their newly-claimed land being used to grow the kind of highly profitable herbs and spices that are illegal in the White City. This is not, in and of itself, illegal; the farms aren't within the jurisdiction of anybody save perhaps the Whistful City (and they're not growing weasels, so Whistful aren't interfering.) The High Guard could probably be mustered and sent north to wipe them out, but it would be an extended and costly campaign that would take troops a long way from home, so for the moment nothing is being done. Should it be revealed that the Consortium's land is being used for more malign purposes, of course, this might change…

The beings known as Snow-Riders seem to have become less aggressive towards certain individuals. Specifically, Snow-Riders will now favour other targets over King Eric's Men, or people working on behalf of the Rice Consortium. The more directly said person is working on behalf of King Eric or the Consortium at the time, the less likely a Snow Rider is to attack them. Of course, this varies with how far north you are, how deep into winter it is, how angry the Frost Prince is that day, and a whole host of other things.

Orange trees are planted along the road to the North, and begin to grow.

Run by Fed on 4th October 2008

Daniel Kelson (Dominic), Meredith D'Artois (Vicky), Thier Cristofori (James G), Morgock Sarm (Rich G), Lee (Ellie)

Word has filtered down the usual channels in the White City and the City of Crossroads requiring brave adventurers to head off into the East in the interest of securing the White City's interests. Rumours would suggest that the White City is intending to arrange for a group of trusted individuals to help resolve the recent 'invasion' problems the Port of Sands may have been experiencing.

TBA

With assisstance of the mercenaries, the Port of Sands is quickly safeguarded from danger, Duke Zanbek's forces are scattered and his head is displayed on a pike outside the Palace of Merchants. His army is no more, and what is left of his minions scatters back into the Thousand Dukedoms and a life of banditry (and maybe even adventuring).

The Council of Merchants is entirely satisfied by the conduct of the White City representatives and, though troubled by the infiltration of their number by a madman, are content to consider further relations with the Port of Glass thanks to the actions of Meredith and Daniel.

Soon after the return of the party to the White City and Port of Glass, and reports delivered, the White City sends out an embassy and a number of Light and Ash priests to establish temples in the Port of Sands; a Port of Glass delegation is said to accompany them. A number of Cristofori and related nobles, as well as the other nobles of the White City, appear to be commissioning ships, possibly for the purpose of increased trade with the Port of Sands.

Investigations by Port of Glass authorities affirm the continued threat of Lemuel Loyalists operating around the place, but go little further than that and do not publically assign blame to anybody officially connected to the Port of Glass. Any trace of the de Ras family disappears from the Port.

Morgock is still followed around the White City by faceless and almost invisible watchers. Perhaps even more so after the 215 Hx Basilus Cristofori pays him for the remainder of the magical chess set.

Dancing Glass Spiders abound.

Run by Laura on 11th October 2008

Avity (Ellie), Leonardo Velasquez (Gareth), Keldon Mortice (Tom), Finch (James I), Rufus (James W), Jack (Kit), Michael (Dan), Stophos (Fed)

A notice has been circulated by Professor Cornelia Vanderdecker, head of the Faculty of Astrology at the College of a Thousand Arts. It reads “The Moon has gone wrong in the North. Adventurers needed. Go into Dream. Fix it.

TBA

Run by Dominic on 18th October 2008

Thier Cristofori (James G), Orlando (Vicky), Ulrych von Rauschpfeife (Peter), Finch (James I), Falcon Bravo (Joe W)

A notice is posted in the various taverns and similar locales frequented by the adventuring community: “New to adventuring? Interested in protecting the free and waking world, as well as making some money? Opportunities available for both those interested in a career and in casual work. Those interested should apply to the Headquarters of the Northern Defence League, Artisans’ Street. Bonuses available for successful missions.”

The party successfully organised a general troop movement towards the north, particularly from the Hung Boar tribe. The northern border of the Eastern Desert seems safe for now.

All members of the party receive an invitation to full membership [active or inactive] of the Northern Defence League, along with a badge wrought of Black Steel, with a White Sword on it.

Run by Rob on 25th October 2008

Sareth (Dave Harper), Michael (Dan), James Warver (Dave H), Rowatt (Jonathan), Medea Mor (Amy), Sir Samual Asmodan (Chris), Olaf (Dominic)

Word has come from the City of Lights embassy in the white city, and circulated out to the other cities, that the King Who Waits requires a group of outsiders to deal with a situation developing in the East. If the party can deal with his little problem, he is willing to offer negotiable rewards, including trade privileges with the east, or one off payments. Those interested should come to the embassy in the white city.

With the rightful Duke back in place in the dukedom of Barforl returns to its position of obscurity in the 100 Dukedoms, the tensions that had been rising in the East have again returned to the acceptable level. On the return to the City of Lights, they pick up the Elephant they have subdued, and manage to negotiate a discount for it transport back to the Port of Glass through the King who waits. The King rewards the party with negotiable requests. Those who choose a monetary reward are paid in Eastern Bands, which are traded for Hexa in the embassy back in the white city.

Michael and Medea negotiate for monopoly on trade with the City of Lights for the families they represent. The Velasquez make the most of this, and the high ups in the family have opened the Trade routes into the east, and the merchant who work for them are bringing back many exotic goods from the East. Michael, having secured this deal has become much more important in the eyes of the Velasquez, and the family now talk to him when Leonardo invites him to the dinner parties.

The Mor family also appreciate the semi-monopoly, although the vast distance between the city of Silk and the City of Light is prohibitive to trade, a few merchants trading in the name of the Mor’s have reached the city, but the flow of goods is much smaller than through the hands of the Velasquez.

The Department of the Zoology has a “Hairless Eastern Mongoose” (Is that right), and are currently undecided what to do with it. The scholars who investigate the potion which woke the duke find that in small diluted doses it will allow one to keep awake, similar to caffeine, however in the concentrated form, which was used on the duke, it will cause Insomnia for an extended period of time. (It has similar effect of being addicted to Dream potions.) They theorise in this form, it is capable of driving of sleep, enchanted or otherwise.

Run by Joe W on 1st November 2008

Maximilian (James G), Rowatt (Jonathan), Cpt. Tristor Ashil (Fed), James Coin (Andrew C), Olaf (RIP) (Dominic)

A small note goes up in the Black Griffin Pub- “Robert Chadwick, trader in second-hand luxury items, seeks adventurous sorts to recover an exotic item from the South, outside the Legal Jurisdiction of the White City.”

Those in the know will be aware that Mr Chadwick is a fence for King Erik, and word is that the King is looking out for some fresh faces to do some work against competition in the Port of Glass.

The smuggling ring of Giscard D'Artois lies in ruins. Giscard is dead as is his chief enforcer 'Stiletto' Rodriguez; the remaining henchmen in the mansion flee soon after, not wanting to answer the pressing questions the Broken Guard are likely to ask about their patron's demise.

The D'Artois loudly mourn the death of one of their scions and privately tighten their guards as they wonder which of his siblings decided to bump off a potential rival.

In the White City King Erik is pleased by the demise of one of his foreign rivals and quietly spreads the word that the surviving PCs are 'good men' and not to be hassled. They also walk away with a cool 35 hexa in their pocket after Chadwick returns the proceeds of their fenced loot.

The D'Artois family on the Broken Moon suffer a spate of haunting incidents, though they are unable to hunt down the responsible spirit, much to the frustration of their temples' demented exorcists. Eventually a chill wind blows in from the North, leaving a thin layer of frost over the normally humid isle; with this Olaf's unquiet spirit passes on to the Burned Realm.

Run by Fed and Jessie on 8th November 2008

Falcon Bravo (Joe W), Rowatt (Jonathan), Orlando Cristofori (Vicky), Brandon (Rob C), Stuart (Rob W), Gustav (James I), James Blackthorn (Thibault)

“Routine information gathering in the Port of Glass is quickest way to advance in rank of the Low Guard! Flexible hours, good pay, opportunities abound!”

Duke Karl is safe from Lemulist inssurection and will not be having shards of the King in Fragments being stuck in him. This is largely due to the fact that the shard in question is in a deal of metaphysical flux after Falcon Bravo attempted to commend it to Ash.

The adventurers are taken in by the Duke's undercover agents, the Shattered Guard, and briefly treated to hospitality in cells before being released and thanked for their assistance in the Port of Glass' problems. Only Falcon Bravo is nowhere to be seen and it is rumoured he has had a very long talk with Duke Karl. He is released later, met by Orlando and Sir Ulrich outside the Port.

(For Falcon, the chat with Duke Karl is unpleasant. He is made to understand that the effect of the shard of the King in Fragments on him has made Falcon of great interest to Karl - he makes it very clear that Falcon is working for him, and he will be keeping a keen watch on him. As for metaphysical effect, Falcon is occasionally plagued by dreams of a fragmented and glassy nature.)

After reports are made, the Low Guard allow the adventurers entry into the Guard and the shields that go with the job (Orlando's service is noted and he is in continued favour). Rowatt is the only one not welcomed by the Low Guard and it is made known that he is disliked by them.

Unknown to the adventurers, and the Low Guard, the whole event was a test of sorts, by Duke Karl, to test both the efficiency of his newly-reformed Shattered Guard, and the presence and efficiency of the Low Guard within the Port… what games will the Duke be up to next?

Run by Vicky and Joe on 15th November 2008

Sir Lucas D'Almedia (Dom), Naomi (Ellie), Ulrych von Rauschpfeife (Peter), Thier Cristofori (James G), Gustav (James I), James Blackthorn (Thibault)

A Cristofori caravan has gone missing on the trade route through the tribal lands. The family puts out a notice for some nice expendable trustworthy adventurers to investigate.

The PCs return with the rescued children a receive the remainder of their twenty hexa (that's fifteen after the advance).

Various reports are given the various organisations (the Low Guard, the Cristofori, the Exalted Church) and general agreement is that although there is a certain amount of concern about this Christina, that the party probably did the right thing in allowing the sacrifice of a creature that had destroyed a White City caravan. Sir Lucas receives a mild slap on the wrist for making oaths too lightly but his duel with Ulrych seems to be considered enough by the Light to have not technically broken it.

The Lord of the Empty Eye has been sacrificed to the flame and Lady Christina has perhaps gained some power from it.

Run by Dominic on 22nd November 2008

Sariel/a> (Jessie), John (Gareth), Gregor (Dave H), James Warver (Dave Holley), Brandon (Rob C), Falcon Bravo (Joe W)

Amid rumours of trouble on the northern border of the Western Forest, a notice is posted in the usual spots:

THE NORTHERN DEFENCE LEAGUE NEEDS YOU!

A mission of vital importance to the Waking World is departing in three days, bound for the Western Forest. Interested parties should contact the headquarters of the NDL on Artisans’ Street, by midnight two days hence. People with knowledge of Dream or of the Forest or travel in general are particularly desired, as well as those skilled in martial pursuits.

TBA

Run by Ellie on 29th November 2008

Enrico 'Flash' Cristofori (Fed), Proyas De Almedia (Peter), Theodore Luxfrey (Dave H), Azuma (Matt), Sam Fletcher (Rob C), Arashi Moriyama (Vicky)

Arashi and friends head east to fulfill a quest for the senechal of the Palace at Three Rivers to cast his dreams into the sun, before heading back west and into the burnt realm to complete the ritual to empower three new 'garden lords' to join the Lord of Grey Roses in tending the old domain of the Lord of the Gardens.

A new set of burnt lords has arisen in the Burnt realm known as the Garden Lords tending to the realm of love, folly, treachery and old age. Each has been imbued with the power and essence of the old Lord of the Gardens and has a sympathetic wound in their side which gently bleeds ash. Individually they are less powerful than the older gods however the link between them means that they can cooperate to achieve things of greater power than individually they would be able to.

In the east: It is clear that someone is trying to gather together an army within the hundred dukedoms but for what purpose is uncertain, however with Momiji dead whoever was behind him needs a new lieutenant.

The Shengzi appear to be gathering in far eastern plains in the largest gathering of their kind in living memory.

A scholar from the west has returned to the eastern kingdoms from her journey to where the sun rises.

Run by Gareth on 6th December 2008

Michael (Dan), James Warver (Dave H), Gregor (Dave H), Gustav (James I), Marianna 'Crossroads' Flint - RIP (Helen W)

In the past few weeks the price of recreational herbs in the White City has rocketed, and news has spread by word of mouth around the Black Griffin and beyond: Horace DeWitt, a factor for a variety of interests in the White City, is looking for a party of adventurers to travel north to the Whistful City to investigate the situation.

Michael has Johann Tiberius locked up in a Velasquez “Rehabilitation Facility”, where he is undergoing “Treatment”. Johann had imbued his alchemical equipment with a certain amount of his Dream magic in such a way that the magic was unavailable to him. It was this that allowed him to create such a potent effect in the Angel's Tears.

Michael believes Johann's alchemical equipment is far to dangerous to be in the hands of anyone else. If re-aquired, he believes he can engineer a similar drug with less disastrous properties, the profits from the sale of these new drugs would be shared equally among those who reacquired the equipment.

With the magical effects of the Angel's Tears dissipating, the residents of the Whistful City find themselves no longer so dependent (and somewhat confused about why they found Angel's Tears so interesting in the first place). Firecap seems to fill the same need that Angel's Tears once did, and as the last supplies of Angel's Tears majority of the population are hooked on it.

Drug shipments to the White City have resumed their previous frequency and are down to more reasonable prices, although it will be some time before the drug trade fully stabilises. Julius van Delf has weathered the drop in prices surprisingly well and is now dealing almost exclusively with the Velasquez family.

After a few weeks the Whistful City returns somewhat to normal (or at least normal for the Whistful City), except for the massive prevalence of Firecap addiction.

Michael, James Warver, Gregor and Gustav are now definitely Persona Non Grata in the Whistful City after their assault and murder of many powerful gang leaders. Being seen in the city would probably be somewhat terminal for them..

Run by Rob C on 20th December 2008

Anvil (Joe W), Thier Cristofori (James G)

Black Flame has begun to burn in a forest in the East. No one is sure why or how the flame has arisen, but the City of Ash and Iron is concerned about the implications it could have. It has also come to their attention 2 sects seem to be fighting a guerrilla war over control of the flame.

This is a mid level Larp, particularly suitable for Black Flame Sorcerers, and others with knowledge of Black Flame. A note, glass magic is forbidden throughout the Eastern Kingdoms, while this doesn't stop glass mages from playing, the practice of your magic will be illegal.

Maurice sacrifices his magic to the aspect of the Flame, the colour of his eyes change from the vivid purple of a Namer to hazel brown. At the same time Anvil and Thier both become empowered by the flame.

In the East the Blackthorn are building a powerbase, this seems to be some sort of peasant revolt, but better trained and more organised, with some sort of powerful magical creatures supporting them, in time they may pose a threat to the city of Ash and Iron, if not dealt with.

The Kindled Flame has disbanded, with their treacherous leader dead, they have headed back to their villages and farms, and through good, hard labour hope to make their lives better.

The City of Ash and Iron is very unhappy, their spies in the Blackthorn have been executed, and the movement has gone underground, they are eagerly searching for where they have moved and what threat they pose to the city. They are particularly displeased with the party, as through their various contacts, they have decided that the party “DID IT WRONG”. This has further supported their conviction the western barbarians are not to be trusted.

There are rumours that an aspect of the flame, associated with the giving and removing of magical power has moved into the wastes of the Rose, and those that seek it out can become empowered by the flame by sacrificing their magical powers.

Maurice, the Namer who named the aspect into existence, and subsequently sacrificed his magic, travels to the White city with the party, currently he is in temporary accommodation, while looks for a job with either the college of 1000 Arts, or the cloistered brethren, acting as an authority on name magic, as well as the inner workings of the City of Ash and Iron.