Run by David & Ellie W on 5th February 2011

Orlando Christifori (Vicky), Sir Falcon Bravo (Joe), Dr. Brian Smith (Rob), Theodore Luxfrey (Dave), Nathniel De Almedia (James), Prof. Sra'em Yar (Trevor)

Rumours abound of The Garden States, and the supposed advances of The Hakardi, what were once The Bodach, flittering between mouth-fulls of ale, talk of the Golden City, and rude jokes about Neurino Velasquez.

That they control The Eastern Trade Route. That they have attacked The Port Of Glass. That Crossroads is next to fall. That the Bodach Diplomat Shada is a brain-eating spy. All rumours and heresay, fuelled by hunger and spite.

Chairs scrape and silence falls as the herald, clad in crimson and triple-crowns, nails the note to the wall, and exits. Thick Vellum, the red and diadem-three also upon the crest of the page - the De Courci seal.

“Hakardi Sighted. Port Of Glass Under Attack. Investigators Needed. De Courci Residences. Immiediately. - Shada”

The Nobles & College luminaries meet up as they walk from the Merchant District to the De Courci Grounds. Turmoil breaks out as they notice that the De Courci guards are overwhelmed - by Splintermen? Smashing and forcing them back, the Heroes are able to clear the grounds, when they are met by Shada. The Bodach Scholar and Political Prisoner explains why she has summonned them - she has leads to believe that both The Port Of Glass and Crossroads are under attack from Hakardi soldiers. She knows this because a dead Broken Guard fell through her mirror with a note attached to his back by a knife. Okay…

In Shada's cottage, Shada introduces the adventurers to another adventuring party led by young Horatio De Courci, determined to explore behind Shada's strangely-portal like mirror. Falcon examines the mirror, and notes that the mirror, as well as being shattered and floating, is leaking ash, and shows a garden like image. Falcon hypothesizes that there is a link to The Broken Gardener, and possibly the Garden States beyond the mirror. Unable to convince Horatio otherwise, he leads his men into the mirror…

Determined to save his own city, Falcon leads the heroes to Crossroads, Shada traveling with them. Escorted by coaches, the party are taken to the Eastern Watchtower, and deposited in time to aid a bickering High Guard and (Sra's Unwelcome Admirer) Gretchen Vault against a horde of Eagles and Sand Spirits. Turns out Gretchen's annoyed the desert spirits by stealing a herb sacred to The Eagle tribe. With Theodore duplicating it, the party offer to take it back, and Gretchen attempts to hit on her love, with him disappearing into the bush around the tower.

Noting warriors on the road, the party keep on the plains, eventually noticing a campfire. Brian spying closer, he notes a single Serpentman surrounded by giant snakes, murmuring to himself and cooking a big chunk of not-pork on a fire, clad in a fancy necklace. The party investigates, able to get some strange mentions of names and numbers from the Serpentman. Nathaniel is able to steal the necklace from the fire, and the party leave. Unsure what to do about the possible cannibal, Orlando flies back and sickens his ass off, sending the snakes berserk enough for them to cheese it. And these snakes certainly won't turn up to cause our heroes trouble ever again…

Theodore spots Eagles circling them, attracted by the sacred herb, and notes they are in Eagle Tribe lands. Approached by the Matriarchal Tribe, Orlando (disguised as a woman) is able to diplome the herb back to them in exchange for their passage… but Falcon garners the interests of the women, who want him fora slave. Fighting their champion for his friend, Sra wins against harsh odds, and flees himself & the party of heroes towards Crossroads. Nathaniel finds ample time to steal jewels from their trade tent.

Getting closer, they can see that Crossroads is partially surrounded by a Hakardi camp, their connection to the trade road separated. Using flight & stealth to get to the city gates, the party charges into the Hakardi soldiers. Orlando, Nathaniel & Shada are grievously wounded, but the others are able to get them back on their feet, ready to defend against the second wave as the gates open. Falcon & Brian notice that Shada's wounds are more than enough to render her immediately dead, yet she seems only wounded. The Hakardi body boils away into black sparks and purple letters, and they notice that some of the Hakardi look exactly like the Hakardi they killed before.

The party are met by some over the hills guards, who escort them to The Graveyard On Four Roads, considered Sacred Ground and protected. The Guards tell Falcon that the Hakardi have entered the city, and appear to be doing some kind of ritual in two locations - the Burnt College, and (Shock!) The Bravo Mansion ruins!

At the Graveyard, the party have food. Falcon is plagued by his “third cousin” Jackdaw, who may or may not be an Ogre. Nathaniel finds an incredibly rich older woman talking to her dead husband… wearing an identical necklace to the one he stole. Hmm. Wearing the necklace, she mistakes him for her dead husband, and takes Nathaniel home. Brian is able to provide monetary coverage for a young blacksmith, and gets their armour repaired.

Theodore notices an ancient statue among the graves, and recognizes it as an idol to The Lord of Sand & Stone. Offering it blood & consuming a Stone Cap, Theodore communes with the Lord, who asks him to protect his city of Crossroads. Suddenly interrupted, Theodore hallucinates a glass rose warning him that time is short and De Courci has fallen. In turn that is interrupted by the image breaking and something trying to escape from the crack…

Sleeping, Nathaniel (after stealing Lady Gram's necklace & carriage clock) meets up with Theodore in dream, and investigates the Hakardi dreams… instead finding an absence of dream, seeing a two-dozen or so individual Hakardi, reflected and multiplied to greater numbers. Beneath, Theodore sees something great and terrible, bound in chains of purple letters, made entirely of green numbers, and it makes eye contact. They rush back as quickly as possible.

Brian investigates as well, using a Travel Potion to astrally project into the Hakardi camp. There he finds maps and books unmarked, beds unslept in, and dozens of Hakardi soldiers standing, sleeping in a trance, almost in stasis. Brian finds a single active person, a nine-foot tall slender inhuman (or inbodach) monstrosity looking over the only marked map, a pair of nasty-looking scimitars by it's side, a crystal staff propped against the desk. And then the figure stops, noticing it is being watched, and turns. Aptly, Brian jumps back to his body.

Awake, the party progresses, Falcon leading them to his mansion. Spirits of the deceased servants attack, as well as some conglomerate memory creature based on every Bravo to have lived in the house, attacking Falcon. Avenging the fallen spirits, the party finds a Hakardi Ash Sorceror (Shouting about a “Fourth Node”) attempting to plague the ashes with Black Wind, but instead summons a robed, broken figure that turns him to glass. Recognizing the creature as The Broken Gardener, Falcon asks him to leave, but not before The Gardener admits he is their mysterious benefactor, enchanting Shada's mirror and gaining them passage to the Garden States.

He tells them that The Hakardi “Should Not Be”, a race he declined existence of, gifted to him by the Lord Of The Tower Of Heroes, as he chose to look after The Bodach instead. Nothing left to say, the Gardener shatters, leaving SplinterLords in his wake. The glass creatures destroyed, Falcon vows to protect his house better, gathering the Gardener's ashes (Orlando stealing a large leaf-like shard of glass from the ashes).

Investigating the Burnt College, the party encounter the same Black Flame Sorcerer Hakardi, surrounded by Lamplighters, the black flame spirits that serve The Hakardi, and a single giant Dark Lantern. The Sorcerer once again brags that the Fourth Node is Active, and challenges the party to a duel of honour. Theodore attacks, but not after the Hakardi rejects Birth's Shackles and becomes a monstrous black-flame wreathed giant. Theodore tears it apart, but it flees, setting his spirits against them, Luxfrey charging after him. The party struggle against the spirits, but Shada finishes her notes on Lamplighters, and her strategies allow them to fight back.

Theodore catches up with the beast, but it sacrifices itself to unleash a colossal pyre of flame. Determined to stop it, Theodore intercepts the flame with his Eagle body, crushing the pyre into the Ash. When found, he is alive, but his plumage is seared away, covered in black arrow-and-flame-like markings, similar to The Hakardi.

Commotion is heard beyond the city walls. Rushing to help, they meet up with the mayor and guard, ready to defend the city against the final attack. Three waves of Hakardi and Black Flame spirits later, and the city is met with the same giant inbodach monstrosity that Brian saw - Youshe, Pride of The Autocrat & Champion of the Hakardi. Youshe wants to diplome his army's escape, but Falcon won't stand for it - Youshe instead brags that the Node is Active, De Courci has fallen, and that Bravo's attempts are useless. In the fight that breaks out, the adventurers are victorious, but Theodore loses his eye defeating a Chain mage. Nathaniel steals the Champion's staff, and all the Hakardi burn away.

The Merchant-Governor thanks the heroes, especially Falcon, and the guards sing their praises. Amidst the rewarding, The Lord of Sand & Stone and The Rose Princess Of The East. They are super pleased that the Heroes have defended their ancient city - The Princess awarding Orlando and The Lord gifting Theodore a new eye. Falcon speaks to silence to contact Horatio De Courci's spirit… but can't locate it.

The wind guiding them back, the heroes encounter the enraged snakes again. Cutting through them, Sra and Brian skin the largest Python, keeping it's head for Falcon.

Getting to the Eastern watchtower, the same guard they met before warns them that Horatio De Courci has returned to the city with his party… but is on a rampage, attacking guard and temples, and making towards the Noble houses. Rushing in via coach, the party intercepts Horatio at the De Courci grounds. With ghostly chains around their necks, wrists, eyes and mouth, the party are obviously controlled by some variety of Chain ritual. Amidst the compound, wounded and dead High Guard lie, the front gates torn from their wall. De Courci brags that the Fifth Node is “Activated”, and it becomes obvious the entire party is controlled by the Hakardi. Falcon declares that they should be taken alive and the heroes charge…

As the clashing steel of combat fades, it becomes apparent to the adventurers that they have successfully felled De Courci's party. Most are merely bloodied, wounded and unconscious. Some are limbless, at least two are dead. Guards, Cloistered Bretheren and Priests rush in to help aid the wounded, lay the dead to rest and survey the chaotic situation.

Nathaniel gets the Bretheren to remove the Chain ritual, as well as giving them the Champion's Crystalline Staff, Oldest Tongue runes written across it's surface. They promise to look into it and return any findings, as long as they can bind the artifact where it will never hurt anyone again.

Shada retires to her Cottage, tired and weary, but ready to decrypt her findings - she believes the Hakardi are scrawling a colossal Old Tongue Rune across the face of the world, the “nodes” acting as corners in a figure. Shada promises to work out what the answer is, once she does enough research. All they know for certain, is that The Hakardi Should Not Be, The Broken Gardener hates them for not being his precious Bodach, and they are attempting some colossal Name ritual. The party retrieve their reward, a handsome 150Hx.

Upon leaving Shada's home, it is obvious something strange is a foot. A smokey mist covers the grounds, the sky a white grey, the front gate replaced by an ancient stone arch. Through the arch, dozens of ashen faced, stoic white armoured figures come through and line up - Ashen Guardians. Behind them come four figures, visibly humans wearing ashen robes, each emblazoned in roses. One White, one Grey, one Black, and one Red. The Garden Lords.

The party drop to their knees in worship, and The Lord of Grey Roses thanks them for their efforts, but their time of involvement is over. It is time for the Garden Lords to accept the responsibility of their Predecessor - if even a sliver of The Broken Gardener, a Vitriarch of Self-Loathing will side with The White City against the Warrior Race that usurped his darling Bodach, then it is the least they can do to stand against the Hakardi also. Champions will be chosen - fresh young faces to wear their colours and remind the White City of the importance of those who die by foolishness, treachery, romance, and (looking at Nathaniel) old age. With that, the Lords leave, as does their guard, and the mist clears. No-one else has noticed bar the party, continuing to heal and reprimand the wounded. Somewhere in the city, bells ring in every Ashen Temple, some sort of sign ringing in the air…

Nathaniel sells the two Gram necklaces, a handful of uncut gems and a fancy carriage clock to a fence of curio jewelery for an impressive 250 Hx. Subtly in bars, he spreads rumours of Great War Heroes Nathaniel De Almedia & Champion of Crossroads Falcon Bravo. Similarly, Orlando spreads a jaunty pub song of Great Hero Falcon Bravo (& his trusty sidekicks) saving Crossroads singlehandedly (although it also pokes light fun at him). Orlando also tips off The Low Guard into the Hakardi's plot.

Falcon is confused by the sudden attention he has gathered, not only in The White City but also Crossroads. Declared Champion of Crossroads, he has appeared to become the world's Funniest Man, both Nobles & Proles laughing & cheering at his presence, pointing & slapping him on the back. Rumours abound that he is the most popular man in Crossroads, and could easily take the Governor-ship for his own. Falcon is somewhat perturbed by this, not wanting to look like he is poaching for the mayorship, he apologises to the Merchant-Governor, but he'll have nothing of it, still dashingly pleased by Falcon's heroics, endorsing his title of Champion. Determined to avoid the events with the spirits of his family again, Falcon pays for his Family Mansion to be rebuilt. Reports from the masons working the quarries near Crossroads say that the stone was exceedingly easy to cut, almost as if the Desert wanted them to have the stone…

Sra sells his unique Python skin to one of the College's many “Insert-Term-Here” Zoology departments for a considerable 30Hx. Gathering his herbs together, Sra hears a tiny, whispery voice from within his Dreamchild rose. Too quiet to make out, he waits patiently for it to grow…

Theodore's actions have gained him even more respect from the King of The Eagles. Particularly moved by his negotiating with his winged bretheren, and his Eagle-form's defiance against the Black Flame, Theodore climbs higher in The Eagle King's eyes…