Current date: Early Spring, 1451
Ragnar, the seneschal, tragically burned to death after the Baron returned. It seemed that he was murdered.
The draaken have gone.
Hints began to turn up that evil plotting was going on. Later it was discovered that evil plotting was indeed going on. Ornis' brother Pharos seems to have:
Currently Pharos and Clifford are leading a large army towards Ornis' fort.
Various strategems were used to weaken the treacherous army before it threatened the fortress. These had varying levels of success and usefulness, the most amusing being the demon summoned by Sydrin that got lost and poisoned the wrong soldiers (a small group coming to aid the Baron).
On the day of battle, Go's strategic talents won the day, despite the Baron's forces being outnumbered and also a bit demoralised (due largely to lack of pay).
After the attackers conceded the field, the mercenaries were exiled and the leaders of the rebellion executed. Scame was knighted and awarded Clifford's lands. Morn has taken command of the Baron's bodyguard. No evidence was found of either the Invoker who sent an assassin after the Baron or of the stolen treasure.
For various reasons our Inspired all travelled to Lorgol. While there, Jensa was asked by the Cipher-sorcerer to investigate the death of a local mage.
This involved quite a bit of confusion, various illegalities as far as the Order is concerned and three members of the group owing favours to various dodgy sorts in the end.
It seemed that the mage's dancer had done him in, but nobody worked out how or why. Oh well.
Everyone went to Mean-mist for the discussion re: tree buying. Kaldinh, a Keshian merchant needed to buy wood from the disputed land between Andride and Lodinag, and the discussion was to take place at Lord Manansome's capital of Mean-mist.
Arriving at the town, the Inspired noticed that things were a bit odd, few people in the streets and children working. They were shown their rooms and then explored the town a bit. They found more oddness, Sydrin especially. They were particularly concerned by the abandoned church of a Flamboyant hero.
That evening they had dinner with the Lord and family, which was rather odd. The satyr Kaldinh was the only animated diner and Lord Manansome left early. The Inspired discussed the town at length afterwards.
Sydrin, Go and Jensa decided to have a sneak around at night. They saw a small person, probably a spriggan, giving orders to Lord Manansome in the courtyard and then discovered the body of the town's schoolmistress in her classroom. She had been murdered. They then realised that they were being watched but the watcher (a small figure) ducked into a secret passageway. Jensa used magic to try and work out what to do and was warned that the library was important.
The next day, the negotiations began. Neither Lord would consider budging in their claim to the land. Kaldinh tried his best to make some kind of arrangement to allow him to purchase the wood irrespective of the title but that was pretty much ignored too. The negotiations ended abruptly after Kaldinh asked the women and noisy children to leave the room. Lord Manansome left and later claimed to have a fever.
Sydrin tried to investigate the library but was told to leave by the librarian. A second attempt, with Ornis, was also unsuccessful.
That night, the Inspired decided to sort out the library (by violence if necessary). On the way, Go realised they were being followed by a small figure. She grabbed him and questioned him. This spriggan was Prodigal, previously tutor to Lord Manansome's two sons. He explained that a fire that killed a child had brought on the change in the town's children and that they had convinced the militia to kill Dalanna, the schoolmistress. He then went into hiding in the secret parts of the mansion. He claimed that Adelph, the clothmaker's son was the leader and the Inspired had Prodigal lead them to the library via the secret passages.
There they surprised Adelph as he instructed several youths to murder the Inspired. Go and Ornis made short work of them and Sydrin blinded Adelp, ensuring his capture. Baron Ornis' party then rapidly left Mean-mist and now wonder what to do with this boy, who turns out to have a very bright flame...
The festival of the River-Lady went much as normal. Notable events in the festival this year included:
Following these events, further exploration of the tunnels resulted in several skimishes with draaken, but discovered neither other camps nor the full extent of the caves. Two more men were killed in fighting, but four draaken were slain.
A new group of Inspired are now ready to be told of their Flame and the duties that it entails. Although a mismatched group, they have all taken some part in the governance of this domain in recent years. The Baron has called upon many to help deal with events following the recent blight and his council of advisers includes all the Inspired.
A representative of the Decan Council has now visited the Inspired and told them of their mission. They were warned of the Masque's current plot, with the bandits in the south of the domain. They rapidly sprang into action and set out the next day for the most recent sites of attacks.
Reports were in the main rather fanciful. The Inspired (accompanied by the Baron's guard) followed the trail south from the most recent and brutal of the attacks. They found the campsite but the medusa Sydrin was caught while scouting. She soon escaped, using Obscurantist magic, but the time as a captive has resulted in the death of her snakes. I do not recall another case where this has happened - perhaps it is a corruption of the Masque? She appears rather traumatised by the event. She also claims to have slain a draaken in this time.
The Baron's next move was to muster his troops to break up the bandits camp. They marched with 45 men, and attacked the bandit camp just before dawn. The bandits were taken by surprise and the attack was a success. None of the Baron's men were badly injured or killed, and they captured 33 of the bandits. The leader - an invoker - escaped with demonic aid. My investigations have revealed no perfidious or darken corruption amongst the other captives (who are all likely to hang in any case).
A demon amongst the captives was summarily executed. After this, the Baron returned to Blackrock. The captives were taken into the medusae's estate as servants. The next morning, trials were held for the bandits. The Baron's justice had three ogres flogged to death, seven humans beheaded and the remainder to be sold as slaves in Keshe.
Sydrin had discovered that a local farmer (Merrin) was in league with another group of bandits, and this man was arrested. He confessed that he had helped supply the bandits, as his cousin was one of them. The Baron sent out a scouting expedition to find this camp, which succeeded. Watch was placed on the approaches to Merrin's farm while troops were mustered.
Two days later some bandits are spotted. They are ambushed by the Baron's troops and captured. In another two days four more are observed, apparently scouts. They are also attacked, two captured and two killed. One horse escapes. The Baron decides that the horse will warn the bandits so the trooops march on the camp.
The Baron's men attempt to outflank the camp but sentries on the eastern approach raise the alarm. The troops move up a defile while rocks and arrows are rained upon them. Itaren is wounded by an arrow as he rides with the soldiery.
To prevent further losses due to missile fire, the Baron orders a charge. The patrol are all wounded as they charge, so only Ornis and Go carry the fight to the bandits. At first they dismay their opposition, until the bandit leader - a minotaur - closes with the Baron. The Baron is wounded several times before breaking free. Go then closes with the minotaur and they trade blows, sword against axe. Parrying the minotaur's blows smashes both Go's swords but by this point the minotaur is also suffering many wounds. Ornis returns to the fray but is smashed from his horse and then apparently mortally wounded - he later is found to still live. Ornis calls to the minotaur that he may have a position in the Baron's army. The minotaur agrees and brings also six of his men. The other bandits go free - travelling to the Mercenary Republic, according to Charrock (the minotaur).
The remainder of Nymph-tide was passed by the Inspired looking after their normal duties.