In Garland Proper

Synopsis

Annisele has a run-in with a desperate soldier; Fred rejoins his team at Garland; A disturbance at the tavern brings everyone together; Vartis is terrorized by foul magics

Story

Act One

Kevin drives the wagon to town with Annisele and Sascha; halfway there they trade places and Kevin unfolds his folio and begins reading it aloud. The folio is an epic poem told from the point of view of a young boy who struggles to assert his freedom in the face of an oppressive warlord -- in the segment that Kevin reads, the hero dreams that he is encircled by various demigods who question his individuality. The arrive in town and split up; Sascha wanders off, Kevin parks at the livery and leaves his order, Annisele finds her way to the old man book trader, but in her mind she is still aware of the evil presence lurking in the town.

Annisele reaches the book trader's home; he is a wizened, squat physician named Ordath. He bids her to sit while he mixes medicines. He appraises her with some curiosity and tells her, "Your kind has no business on this side." She recognizes immense magical power in him. She delivers Tev's books and he scurries to the back of his room.

The door swings open and a wounded man staggers into the building; he sits and clutches at a gash on his chest. He is obviously a soldier and he is terse with her. For a brief moment he shakes away something around his head and then composes himself again. Ordath returns with books and then attends to the soldier. "I have money this time," the soldier says. Ordath replies: "You'd better this time; money and information."

The soldier claims he and his cohorts left the fort and were attacked by strangers in the woods and he escaped. Ordath notices something else about the soldier and orders him to describe the magic used on him. The soldier describes Antagur as his attacker. Ordath shakes his head and mutters, "So soon." The soldier is ushered to the back of the room and Anniselle relates that she and Tev have seen Antagur in a mirror at Garland Brook.

Ordath tells Anniselle, "If you regard Tev as a friend, you will stay close to him." Anniselle asks Ordath about the evil presence visiting Garland Brook and the other strange occurrences; Ordath asks her to bring the strand of hair the next time she visits town. He dismisses Kevin's "fancy poem about freedom" as rabble-rousing tripe. and he cautions her about the region and that there are a lot of "men who hide in shadow in this part of the valley". He calls Tev a sweet young boy who is surrounded by people who are dangerously ignorant, because they think they can protect him. Ordath finally claims, "there is something about that lad that has doom written all over him." He wishes Anniselle a safe journey and sees her off. She meets up with Sascha and Kevin to eat at the tavern.

Act Two

Captain Fred, Voren and Jesswick ride hard and arrive at the scene of the skirmish. Jesswick tracks the scene and recognizes the cheek guard to Vartis's helmet; he discovers their temporary encampment and notes the group sent two riders back and continued on. Voren parts ways from the group to deliver the news to Duke Owen; he has learned from the documents taken from the fort that the crossbows are coming from Larkos and that they are being supplied by the House Talionis, a powerful Malkostian family who hold high seats in the Mages' Guild. They part ways with a handshake and wish each other safe travels.

Antagur, Vartis and the soldiers arrive in Garland in the afternoon. Antagur turns his horse over to Vartis' soldiers and walks to the Moloth temple in the town square, and there he is met by an Ashakre woman priest who receives him and sets out food for him. Verlain also pays his respects at the temple. Antagur sits to meditate and receives a faint vision: fragments of the last 24 hours, a brief reminder of the two mirrored visions, and the evil voice. An hour later Antagur exits the temple and sees Verlain waiting outside; the two walk together to the tavern in silence.

Anniselle, Kevin and Sascha are sitting together at a table eating supper. Anniselle is keeping her eye on the mysterious rider from Garland Brook manor, who is sitting next to the fire with his back to the room and calmly smoking a pipe. Kevin turns her attention to Vartis, who struts into the tavern in his military finery. Chagrined, Kevin slowly folds his folio and hides it under his cloak. Because the tavern is dimly lit, Anniselle does not immediately recognize Vartis from her vision. The tavern keep rushes to greet Vartis, who arranges for room and board in the tavern.

Antagur, Tasker, Verlain and Dela enter the tavern; immediately they recognize each other from the reflection. Anniselle reads their auras: Vartis is ambitious, Antagur is powerful and haunted by his past, Tasker reeks of despair and they're all surrounded by the wraiths of the men they recently killed.

Act Three

Captain Fred and Jesswick ride into town; Fred dismounts and leaves Jesswick with the horses as he strides into the tavern. His men stand at attention and Fred notices his lieutenant's damaged helmet and shouts, "Vartis, what the hell happened to you?" He pulls aside Vartis, Antagur, Jesswick and Tasker into the suite Vartis commandeered, and there the parties discuss what has occurred in the others absence. Antagur relays his premonitions and predicts trouble at the Citadel and he mentions seeing Anniselle.

Anniselle firmly urges her companions to finish eating and hurries them towards the door. When she opens the door she is faced by the soldier from Ordath's office, who peers beyond her at Dela and Verlain in the tavern; he immediately puts her in an arm lock and puts a knife to her throat. Verlain and Dela draw their weapons and shout for Captain Fred and the others. The men rush into the tavern and confront the soldier. "Is this a friend of yours?" Captain Fred asks Vartis.

Antagur runs back into the suite, casts Wallwalker and climbs out the window and up over the side of the tavern. Captain Fred orders the soldier to let Anniselle go, but the enemy refuses and slowly backs up the stairs towards the exit. Verlain orders the peasants Kevin and Sascha off the steps, while Fred successfully fights his urge to rush the enemy; he calmly orders his men to hold their position. Vartis casts Spidersilk at the enemy from above and encases him in webbing -- Anniselle quickly steps away from her captor. Jesswick shoots the enemy in the hand as Antagur lands astride him and presses his staff to the enemy's throat. Kevin ascends the stairs, kicks the enemy's dagger away and rears to kick him in the face but Antagur commands him to refrain. He then asks Verlain and Dela to secure him as a prisoner.

The group encircles the prisoner and meanwhile Anniselle pushes Kevin and Sascha towards the wagon; Antagur orders them to stop and gives his word that he means them no harm. Sascha urges Anniselle to trust the priest. Tasker follows the peasants as they attempt to sneak off; he commands them to return to the group and he walks along with them -- he discovers they're from Garland Brook and reports it to Fred. Captain Fred orders the group to collect their kit, secure the peasants' wagon and make their way to Garland Brook manor. Antagur attempts to again reassure Anniselle about their non-hostile intentions. Fred approaches the peasants and instructs them that they will be accompanied by his soldiers -- Anniselle speaks up, but Fred walks off.

Vartis's curiosity is piqued by the mysterious traveler in the inn, who hasn't stirred once during the commotion. He tells Fred, "There's someone suspicious and I'm going to check it out". He slowly makes his way to the fireplace and stands in front of the man to face him. Where the stranger's face should be Vartis sees only a sky choked with stars, spiraling slowly into blackness. He lets out a blood-curdling scream and falls dazed to the floor. Tasker runs inside and sees only Vartis lying near the hearth; he awakens minutes later, as shaken as he has ever been, mumbling "My gods…the stars…so cold...he is not of this world". None of the tavern occupants know who the mysterious traveler was. The group mounts up and rides the north road out of town towards Garland Brook manor.

Meta

Notes

• party united as a group
• played on Thursday 10.09.08

Points Awarded

• 1 point

Season Pool

• 5 points