__NOTOC__[[Category:Bowcourt]][[Category:Western Kingdom]][[Image:Bowcourt.gif|right|Arms of Bowcourt]]

<div style="background-color: #ffff99; font-weight: bolder;">
NOTE: This area of Alusia may be out of date, given the campaign events - [[The Drow Invasion]].
</div>
 

Large and prosperous ancient Marquisate predating the Old Western Kingdom by over 400 years; part of the Old and New [[Western Kingdom]]s.
==History==

Bowcourt was initially established as a "March" of [[Alfheim]] around 200 years after [[Panjari]]; a human population under elven nobility and governorship, created to protect the borders of Alfheim.

From 700 AP onwards the elven rulers were slowly and deliberately replaced with human nobility as the elves gradually withdrew back to Alfheim. The area became the "Marquisate of Bowcourt" as a distinct entity in title and lands around 800 AP, with the last of the elven nobility withdrawing from the area by 1100 AP. The population of the area has always been mainly human, but the ruling nobles were initially elven, this giving way to human nobility with a gradual withdrawl of elves from the area around 1100 AP.

When the northern migrations / invasions began around 1000 AP Bowcourt was a major source of resistance, largely limiting the earlier migrations to the west of the [[Baratary River]].

After [[Ulric the Wolf]] founded the Western Kingdom around 1200 AP he married the Marquessa of Bowcourt and the kingdom's borders were redrawn to encompass the Marquisate. Part of the marriage agreement stated that Bowcourt, and the title of Marquessa would be granted to their eldest daughter, and that the area would continue to be passed in a matrialinear succession.

The area shows a strong elven influence even today in customs and [[Lalange|language]], and like Alfheim is traditionally matrialinear, although some areas, most notable [[Foxcourt]], follow a predominantly patrialinear model of inheritance.
[[Image:Bowcourt820.jpg|right|thumb|Borders & Towns]]
Over the years of the Old Kingdom the line of Kings married into Bowcourt a number of times. The noble women of Bowcourt are said by many to have "elven blood" despite the apparent impossibility of such a cross-breeding, and it is known that the daughters of many of the noble families possess notable beauty and appear to age significantly slower than most humans (their lifespans appear little altered but their apparent age is usually much less than their chronological age).

Two of the Marquessas have also borne the title "Queen of the West": [[Isabel_de_Bowcourt|Isabel the Good]], and her daughter [[Yolanda_de_Bowcourt|Yolanda]].

===Drow Invasion===
The main thrust of the Drow Invasion of 813WK was focused up the Baratary River, the western border of Bowcourt. The potential damage to Bowcourt from the Drow's Ice River and associated magic was reduced through the ritual creation of magical wardings and barriers along the border, completed in late Thaw of Spring 813WK. (See scribe notes: [[Kill Them All]].)

Despite this mitigation a number of settlements situated directly on the river were damaged or destroyed including (from South to North): [[Valliere]], [[Vannes]], Beaumont, Montsoreau, and Bragelonne. While both Valliere and Vannes have seen significant recovery and rebuilding in the years since, the three more northern settlements remain ruined, and magical ''contaminants'' have had adverse effects on even Bowcourt's magically protected land.

==Geography==
* 63,340 square miles (excluding high mountain areas).
** GM Note: For real world comparison; about the size of Wisconsin or Tunisia.
* Fertile arable lands in north, west, and central areas.
* Forested highlands and mountains in east.
* Highly fertile lowlands in the south becoming bog in the south-west and forested hills in the south-east.
===Major Areas & Settlements (820WK) ===
====Counties====
* Bowcourt (direct holdings)
** Bowcourt, Captial City of (40,200)
** ''Montsoreau (Ruins)'' previously (8,700)
*** Tuquant (~3,500)
** Lafère (7,600)
* [[Chagny]]
** Saint-Michel (23,700)
** Rochefort (8,600)
** Vallon (7,400)
** Carrefour (~5,000)
* [[Foxcourt]]
** Foxcourt, City of (18,900)
** Alençon (6,500)
* [[Remy]]
** Treville, City of (18,500)
** ''Bragelonne (Ruins)'' previously (8,700)
** Deville (~4,500)

==== Viscounties ====
* [[Nevers]]
** Lencré, City of (14,500)
** [[Valliere | Vallière]] (~3,000)
* [[Vole]]
** Campagnol, City of (9,500)
* [[Faircourt]]
** Coeur-de-Fer (7,900)
* [[Newcourt]]
** Newcourt, City of (8,800)
==== Baronies (Coronet) ====
The Barons who hold "Coronet" Baronies are direct vassals of the Marquessa and rank higher in precedence than Barons who hold their lands from one of her Counts or Viscounts. The [[College of Heralds]] affords them the courtesy and precedence equal to a Viscount from outside of Bowcourt.
* [[Chartres]]
** Tenarèze (7,100)
* [[Lotharia]]
** [[Vannes]], City of (~7,000)
* [[Mulberry|Mûre]]
** Armagnac (8,500)
* [[Sylvanwold]]
** Bar-sur-Loup (5,100)

==People==
===Population===
The total population of Bowcourt as at the 800 WK census was 6,357,000:
*5,725,000 Humans (approx. 90%)
*200,000 Halflings
*150,000 Elves
*135,000 Dwarves
*64,000 Orcs
*48,000 Giants (mostly Hill Giants)
*20,000 Shapechangers (estimated)
*15,000 various other races

Livestock also recorded at the time of the census:
* 9509772 fowls (including chickens, geese, and ducks)
* 4475188 dairy and meat animals (including cows, goats, pigs, and sheep)

===Languages===
* [[Lalange]], [[Common]] (30% mostly urban)
* Literacy 7-8% (predominately urban)

===Government===
* Feudal Aristocracy
** Current Marquessa (since 782) is [[Dulciena de Bowcourt]] (b. 757), second wife of the late Duke Frederick of [[Aquila]], and mother of [[Ulric Schwarzrotgold]] (b. 793), the Western King.
* The Heads of the incorporated areas exercise considerable autonomy regarding matters internal to their area.
====Social====
The Marquisate of Bowcourt is a very large, reasonably wealthy, and well populated area. The current ruler is a strong leader, and shrewd politician. There are no particularly unusual social conditions in Bowcourt. Courtesy is highly regarded. Troublemakers will not be tolerated, and will be swiftly dealt with by the well trained and equipped city guards or rural militia. If the troublemakers prove too difficult for the local constabulary, a request for help will be sent to the nearest [[Michaelines|Michaeline]] chapter house or other Powers of Light enclave.
=====Note on Noble Titles=====
Although Bowcourt has at least the power and influence of any of the western duchies, the rulers of Bowcourt have steadfastly refused to alter the ruling title of "Marquessa".

Part of the reason appears to stem from the area's long and prestigious history dating back to being an elven march, and continuing ''special relationship'' with [[Alfheim]], part is based on the original documents of enoblement, and part is bloody minded traditionalism.

But whatever the reason, the highest title in Bowcourt remains "Marquessa", and this has caused considerable congestion in noble titles and comparative ranks within the Marquisate. The Count of [[Chagny]] holds lands that would make him a Marquis in any of the Duchies, or even a Duke in his own right. Several of the Viscounts and Barons hold lands that would make them Counts in other areas. They in turn command hereditary knights (Lalange: "Chevalier-héréditaires"), who are styled as knights but hold lands fully equivalent to Baronies in other lands.

This mismatch between given titles and practical possessions and power is something of a headache for the [[College of Heralds]] when determining [[Western Kingdom Nobility|exact precedence]] for formal events involving Bowcourt and foreign nobility.

=== Religion ===
Official religion is [[Powers of Light]], and all of the major chapters have substantial holdings in Bowcourt. Urielites have official status as Justices of the Peace, and serve in many functions throughout the judiciary. The religion is well respected by the general population with about 80% being actively religious (most of these being [[Raphaelites|Raphaelite]] in tendency).

== Other Factions of Note ==

* [[Royal Wizardry Squadron]]

Foxcourt

2026-04-17T21:13:38Z

Martin: /* Governance */ broken link. Tidying text

Bowcourt

2026-04-17T21:12:53Z

Martin: /* History */ typo

__NOTOC__[[Category:Bowcourt]][[Category:Western Kingdom]][[Image:Bowcourt.gif|right|Arms of Bowcourt]]

<div style="background-color: #ffff99; font-weight: bolder;">
NOTE: This area of Alusia may be out of date, given the campaign events - [[The Drow Invasion]].
</div>
 

Large and prosperous ancient Marquisate predating the Old Western Kingdom by over 400 years; part of the Old and New [[Western Kingdom]]s.
==History==

Bowcourt was initially established as a "March" of [[Alfheim]] around 200 years after [[Panjari]]; a human population under elven nobility and governorship, created to protect the borders of Alfheim.

From 700 AP onwards the elven rulers were slowly and deliberately replaced with human nobility as the elves gradually withdrew back to Alfheim. The area became the "Marquisate of Bowcourt" as a distinct entity in title and lands around 800 AP, with the last of the elven nobility withdrawing from the area by 1100 AP. The population of the area has always been mainly human, but the ruling nobles were initially elven, this giving way to human nobility with a gradual withdrawl of elves from the area around 1100 AP.

When the northern migrations / invasions began around 1000 AP Bowcourt was a major source of resistance, largely limiting the earlier migrations to the west of the [[Baratary River]].

After [[Ulric the Wolf]] founded the Western Kingdom around 1200 AP he married the Marquessa of Bowcourt and the kingdom's borders were redrawn to encompass the Marquisate. Part of the marriage agreement stated that Bowcourt, and the title of Marquessa would be granted to their eldest daughter, and that the area would continue to be passed in a matrialinear succession.

The area shows a strong elven influence even today in customs and [[Lalange|language]], and like Alfheim is traditionally matrialinear, although some areas, most notable [[Foxcourt]], follow a predominantly patrialinear model of inheritance.
[[Image:Bowcourt820.jpg|right|thumb|Borders & Towns]]
Over the years of the Old Kingdom the line of Kings married into Bowcourt a number of times. The noble women of Bowcourt are said by many to have "elven blood" despite the apparent impossibility of such a cross-breeding, and it is known that the daughters of many of the noble families possess notable beauty and appear to age significantly slower than most humans (their lifespans appear little altered but their apparent age is usually much less than their chronological age).

Two of the Marquessas have also borne the title "Queen of the West": [[Isabel_de_Bowcourt|Isabel the Good]], and her daughter [[Yolanda_de_Bowcourt|Yolanda]].

===Drow Invasion===
The main thrust of the Drow Invasion of 813WK was focused up the Baratary River, the western border of Bowcourt. The potential damage to Bowcourt from the Drow's Ice River and associated magic was reduced through the ritual creation of magical wardings and barriers along the border, completed in late Thaw of Spring 813WK. (See scribe notes: [[Kill Them All]].)

Despite this mitigation a number of settlements situated directly on the river were damaged or destroyed including (from South to North): [[Valliere]], [[Vannes]], Beaumont, Montsoreau, and Bragelonne. While both Valliere and Vannes have seen significant recovery and rebuilding in the years since, the three more northern settlements remain ruined, and magical ''contaminants'' have had adverse effects on even Bowcourt's magically protected land.

==Geography==
* 63,340 square miles (excluding high mountain areas).
** GM Note: For real world comparison; about the size of Wisconsin or Tunisia.
* Fertile arable lands in north, west, and central areas.
* Forested highlands and mountains in east.
* Highly fertile lowlands in the south becoming bog in the south-west and forested hills in the south-east.
===Major Areas & Settlements (820WK) ===
====Counties====
* Bowcourt (direct holdings)
** Bowcourt, Captial City of (40,200)
** ''Montsoreau (Ruins)'' previously (8,700)
*** Tuquant (~3,500)
** Lafère (7,600)
* [[Chagny]]
** Saint-Michel (23,700)
** Rochefort (8,600)
** Vallon (7,400)
** Carrefour (~5,000)
* [[Foxcourt]]
** Foxcourt, City of (18,900)
* [[Remy]]
** Treville, City of (18,500)
** ''Bragelonne (Ruins)'' previously (8,700)
** Deville (~4,500)

==== Viscounties ====
* [[Nevers]]
** Lencré, City of (14,500)
** [[Valliere | Vallière]] (~3,000)
* [[Vole]]
** Campagnol, City of (9,500)
* [[Faircourt]]
** Coeur-de-Fer (7,900)
* [[Newcourt]]
** Newcourt, City of (8,800)
==== Baronies (Coronet) ====
The Barons who hold "Coronet" Baronies are direct vassals of the Marquessa and rank higher in precedence than Barons who hold their lands from one of her Counts or Viscounts. The [[College of Heralds]] affords them the courtesy and precedence equal to a Viscount from outside of Bowcourt.
* [[Chartres]]
** Tenarèze (7,100)
* [[Lotharia]]
** [[Vannes]], City of (~7,000)
* [[Maumains]]
** Alençon (6,500)
* [[Mulberry|Mûre]]
** Armagnac (8,500)
* [[Sylvanwold]]
** Bar-sur-Loup (5,100)

==People==
===Population===
The total population of Bowcourt as at the 800 WK census was 6,357,000:
*5,725,000 Humans (approx. 90%)
*200,000 Halflings
*150,000 Elves
*135,000 Dwarves
*64,000 Orcs
*48,000 Giants (mostly Hill Giants)
*20,000 Shapechangers (estimated)
*15,000 various other races

Livestock also recorded at the time of the census:
* 9509772 fowls (including chickens, geese, and ducks)
* 4475188 dairy and meat animals (including cows, goats, pigs, and sheep)

===Languages===
* [[Lalange]], [[Common]] (30% mostly urban)
* Literacy 7-8% (predominately urban)

===Government===
* Feudal Aristocracy
** Current Marquessa (since 782) is [[Dulciena de Bowcourt]] (b. 757), second wife of the late Duke Frederick of [[Aquila]], and mother of [[Ulric Schwarzrotgold]] (b. 793), the Western King.
* The Heads of the incorporated areas exercise considerable autonomy regarding matters internal to their area.
====Social====
The Marquisate of Bowcourt is a very large, reasonably wealthy, and well populated area. The current ruler is a strong leader, and shrewd politician. There are no particularly unusual social conditions in Bowcourt. Courtesy is highly regarded. Troublemakers will not be tolerated, and will be swiftly dealt with by the well trained and equipped city guards or rural militia. If the troublemakers prove too difficult for the local constabulary, a request for help will be sent to the nearest [[Michaelines|Michaeline]] chapter house or other Powers of Light enclave.
=====Note on Noble Titles=====
Although Bowcourt has at least the power and influence of any of the western duchies, the rulers of Bowcourt have steadfastly refused to alter the ruling title of "Marquessa".

Part of the reason appears to stem from the area's long and prestigious history dating back to being an elven march, and continuing ''special relationship'' with [[Alfheim]], part is based on the original documents of enoblement, and part is bloody minded traditionalism.

But whatever the reason, the highest title in Bowcourt remains "Marquessa", and this has caused considerable congestion in noble titles and comparative ranks within the Marquisate. The Count of [[Chagny]] holds lands that would make him a Marquis in any of the Duchies, or even a Duke in his own right. Several of the Viscounts and Barons hold lands that would make them Counts in other areas. They in turn command hereditary knights (Lalange: "Chevalier-héréditaires"), who are styled as knights but hold lands fully equivalent to Baronies in other lands.

This mismatch between given titles and practical possessions and power is something of a headache for the [[College of Heralds]] when determining [[Western Kingdom Nobility|exact precedence]] for formal events involving Bowcourt and foreign nobility.

=== Religion ===
Official religion is [[Powers of Light]], and all of the major chapters have substantial holdings in Bowcourt. Urielites have official status as Justices of the Peace, and serve in many functions throughout the judiciary. The religion is well respected by the general population with about 80% being actively religious (most of these being [[Raphaelites|Raphaelite]] in tendency).

== Other Factions of Note ==

* [[Royal Wizardry Squadron]]

Harvest Moon

2026-04-17T10:34:06Z

Martin: /* Briefing and Knowledge */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">{{TOC limit|3}}</div>
[[Category:Martin Dickson]][[Category:Scribe Notes]]

Return to [[Scribe_Notes#Autumn 811 WK| Scribe notes]] 
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==Summary==
'''Adventure:''' Harvest Moon 
'''GM:''' Martin Dickson 
'''Session:''' Autumn 811 
'''Night:''' Tuesdays 
'''Location''' Stephen's 
'''Level:''' Medium+ 

'''Party:''' 

* [[Amelia]]
* [[Aryan]]
* [[Father Broc|Broc]]
* [[Cher]]
* {{:Gerald/Glass Signup Info}}
* [[Hagan]]
* [[Tari]]

'''Employer:''' Justine D'Amberville & Henri de Malvallet

'''Mission:''' Some trouble among their people, details to come. They have requested Father Broc, Spiritual Advisor to Justine's father, Baron Newcourt, to bring some friends to help. The request arriving after the Autumnal Equinox.

'''Pay:''' To be discussed. Broc will guarantee 5,000sp each

===Briefing and Knowledge===

Some referential material can be found in other wiki pages as detailed below

* [[Newcourt_Tower_Investigations]]

* [[Newcastle_Jottings]]

* [[White_Wedding]]

* [[The Mystery of Missing Suitors]]

== Diary ==

=== Mauvoisin Murder ===
; Sunday 18th Harvest
Gerald and I are meeting with Amelia in Gracht to discuss Trade. Broc arrives and interrupts, he needs a party urgently to help investigate an issue in Newcourt and asks Amelia to help, Amelia agrees and drags Hagen out of his workshop to assist. Gerald has interests in Newcourt and offers to help. And naturally my obligation to my comrades in arms takes precedence over my tedious Kingly duties so I must assist too.

Portalling back to the guild we find Tari and Cher on a break from their training and recruit them.

In a guild meeting room we introduce ourselves and Broc lectures us on the background in [[Newcourt]] and [[Faircourt]], then tells us of Justine's request for help and says we need to leave urgently by portal to Newcourt, then ride for a couple of days to ''Bois de Cerf''.
I suggest we fly there in my ship so we can be there this afternoon, Broc evidentially has an aversion to flying but we talk him round.
I'll be military leader and apparently I stuck my hand up for scribe, I thought we were still talking about military stuff, and Broc is responsible for us all.
The King (of the Western Kingdom) is visiting [[Bowcourt#Chagny|Shagknee]] which could lead to Monarchical confusion so I'll go incognito as the adventurer Trono!

An hour later we've gathered the bare essentials (beer, whisky, anvils, and leather) and taken off for a secret location where I enhance the magic for Broc, Tari, and Gerald to cast some spells.

Two and a half hours later we drop out of the clouds near Bois de Cerf and land near a copse of trees about a mile from town.
Jogging in we are greeted at the gates with some suspicion but Broc is recognised by their Captain and we are permitted to see Justine.

Her brother François has been squiring with Gerard de Mauvoisin, he raced in the other day saying that Gerard had murdered his page (a minor from an important family in Shagknee) but Gerard didn't do it and he doesn't know what to do.
Justine promptly sent a message to Broc at Newcourt which led us here.
Justine would appreciate it if her father's advisor would discretely investigate and resolve the issue before Michaelmas when it will need to become more official.

Justine only has second hand info as François rode back to Mauvoisin, we clarify some stuff about local politics and potential enemies.
We're considering settling in for dinner and drinks when Amelia states that if we hurry she can probably still heal the boy.

Back through town at a jog, out the gates and to the Air Ship, then down river for half an hour we spot what should be Mauvoisin.
We leave the ship tethered to trees about 20' up and Gerald arranges some mist to conceal it, then we double time to the gates arriving just on sunset.
The guards don't recognise Broc and things start to look interesting when François and his dog turn up to vouch for us.

François leads us to a cool cellar where the corpse is stored, the stab wounds match Gerard's bloody dagger, François found Gerard standing over the page with dagger in hand and had to disarm and restrain him. But he insists he couldn't have done it.

Hagen and Tari DA the corpse and say there's nothing to resurrect, Broc starts Divining.

=== Swordplay Sans Sang ===
To distract François while we're waiting for the Divination, I take him outside to test his swordsmanship.
While his technique has room for improvement, he is stronger and faster than he appears and shows incredible stamina.
Broc gets ritual happy and starts Divining something else, Amelia tries to resurrect the page but can't, Cher gets in on the action by turning the page to stone, François and I continue our bout while Gerald and Tari watch.
There was some sort of magic on the page but it's very good at hiding itself, he can't be resurrected because something ate most of his soul (there's bite marks on the remnant).

François gets a clean shirt and we head down to the dungeons.

Gerard is quiet when we arrive, the guards report he has been raging during the day but quieted down recently. Peering through the hatch we see he is standing in the far corner with his back to us, DA's fail to reveal any sort of possession.
Gerald distracts Gerard with an illusion which he berserkly attacks, Hagen and I charge in and restrain him.
We both have to keep hold while he shouts and thrashes (foaming at the mouth, completely black eyes) until Amelia soothes him into a Healer's doze.
Then Broc starts Divining and Amelia does a more in-depth healer look.
Gerard has some of the bad hiding magic too and has had it for a few weeks, Amelia detects it as some kind of disease.

Amelia cures the disease and Gerard seems to relax into the normal sleep of a man who has been screaming for days, his eyes are no longer black.

Checking François, he has the same disease, but it's in remission. Amelia cures him anyway.
All of us are clear, the guard captain is clear, 4 of the guards are infected. The two who accompanied Gerard and François to the tourney have one 'strain' and the two who dragged Gerard down to his cell have a different strain.

We have dinner with Lady Yseult, Gerard's wife, Amelia reports she is clear.
François has the hots for her which is no surprise as she's young and hot, but a bit dull and lifeless though that may be 'cos her husband's a loony. But François is too inexperienced or too noble to act on it so he probably didn't poison Gerard to snag his wife.

Now that Tari and Hagen know how to look for the infection, we split up and check all of the guards and anyone else we run into, all clear - except for the 4 guards.

We sleep.

; Moonday 19th Harvest
Before dawn the guards wake us to let us know that Gerard has started screaming again.

Practised at it now, Hagen and I charge in and pin Gerard to the ground, Amelia checks him and he's reinfected, she cures him again and he comes too and is able to talk to us.
He doesn't remember any of his loony time, he remembers sending the page to town to pick up something for his wife, he returned with it and then everything gets hazy.
The item was a bracelet of charms for his wife, one charm from each tourney he attends, a local pewterer attached them to the bracelet for him.

Amelia tells us the disease is back, and it's back in François too though in remission.
She could cure it again but it looks like it will just keep coming back.

Must be time for a cold iron solution, I draw my sword and start cutting at Gerard, the others protest a bit but I eventually feel something catch and cut. Broc checks and the 'dark cloud' is gone, Amelia cures the disease and this time it doesn't come back.

We leave Gerard locked up as a precaution and go to check out his study.

The study is undisturbed since the incident, the debris and tracks match up with what François told us.
The page walked in, gave Gerard the box, Gerard grabbed the page by the throat and knifed him several times before dropping his corpse, François came in, Gerard attacked, François clubbed him unconscious with one of the trophies.

The bracelet is magic, it looks like the same bad, self-hiding magic.

=== Going to Town ===
<div class="divin">
'''Charm Magic'''

''Hiding Magic'' - Similar to the Binder Modify Aura, trying to hide the magic there.

''Containment'' - storing something like a Pestilence Curse

''Infection'' - Infects those who contact the charm and those they touch while possessing it (Healers can identify a difference between the 'Primary' infections from direct contact and 'Secondary' from contact with someone holding the charm.

''Syphon/Channel'' - siphons something away to a remote location - somewhere west or north and up to 500 miles away. The charms on the bracelet may not be all siphoning to the same place.
</div>
The Bracelet has 6 charms from 6 different fairs/tourneys:
* Grue - Eostre 810wk - '''NM'''
* Mauvoisin - Floralia 810wk - '''NM'''
* Montresor - Harvest 811wk
* Bastion - Lammas 811wk
* Carrefour - Lammas 811wk
* Rochefort - Mid-Summer 811wk
* Coeur-de-Fer - Beltane 811wk

Broc's Divination of the bracelet shows there are 4 or 5 magic bits combined into this one item, the bits don't go together nicely and are causing some interference with each other.
Each of the bits has similar effects, some of these effects do combine to create a more powerful result.

While he's doing his ritual, the rest of us purify, watch or doze.

Cher puts a Binder Counterspell on the bracelet which makes the aura easier to see, Tari is then able to DA it for (rough) current distance to the other end of the syphon, and Cher is able to identify two of the charms (Grue & Mauvoisin) that aren't magical.

We poke around the study a little more then grab some breakfast and head to town to check out Françoise's girlfriend Madeline Ruche and the charm from Montresor that he gave her.

On our way through town a blood splattered man wielding a cleaver charges out of a building towards François, the butcher (M. Boudin) wants to know what's being done about Mme. Cuiller, she cut him and stole one of his knives 3 days ago, he complained to the Beadle but nothing has been done about it.

We talk him down, Amelia checks him, finds a secondary infection, then cures him while he is distracted chatting up Cher.

Moving on we get to Mme. Bonpain's Bakery, Hagen starts chatting her up while we hustle Madeline outside to be checked over.
She has the primary strain and her charm has the bad magic, she reluctantly gives it up to Amelia who hands it to Gerald who puts it in a bag.
Amelia then cures Madeline but she has picked up the secondary strain and Gerald the primary.
Mme. Bonpain has the secondary strain.

We move on to check out the Cuiller residence, carefully ensuring nobody bumps into Gerald.
Their house is closed up, but the back door is unlockable. Inside we find M. Cuiller in his workshop, stabbed multiple times in the back about 3 days ago. Upstairs in the bedroom we find Mme. Cuiller on the bed, it looks like she cut her own throat.

Amelia confirms they both have had their soul eaten in the same way, she preserves them so they don't get any worse.
Broc Divines the Charm and learns a bit more, Gerald then gives the charm to an Illusionary animal to carry, Amelia cures Gerald and herself, Gerald makes the corpses look sick but not dead, Tari and François visit the Beadle to warn him of the disease and instruct him to send suspected sick people up to the keep to be checked.
Then we load the 'sick people' into a hand cart and walk them up to the keep, eating our picnic lunch from the bakery on the way.

From there Broc portals us to his chambers in Newcastle where we meet his daughter Kasmira then seek audience with and brief the Baron. Our Healers check and clear the Baron and his advisers, and the Baron grants Broc authority to investigate the issue.

From there we walk down to the amber mines to check Gilbert who had attended at least one of the fairs.
: ''Side conversations about the White Tower, Evil Aunt Justine, dangers of using magic in the Amber mine...''

=== Foxes ===
Gilbert (''Gillberr''!) has obviously been cast aside by his former (rumoured) mistress, eating and drinking too much and burying himself in his work.
He did purchase tokens at the Foxcourt and Faircourt festivals, he doesn't know why as her wouldn't normally.
He is infected but his curse has been altered, not having done enough damage today we split up.
Broc stays to Divine Gilbert while Hagan stands guard, the rest of us head to Gilbert's room to retrieve his fair tokens.

A conservatively dressed beautiful woman is waiting for us outside his door, she asks us to remind Broc of his truce with her mistress, gives us a small pouch for him then departs.
There's no answer to knocking and no sign of Gilbert's valet, I unlock the door, Cher making me transparent doesn't help.
Amelia and Gerald head off to find the valet and get his key while we start searching.
By the time they get back from the wine cellar with the key, we've finished searching the room, no sign of any tokens.
We open the pouch to find two blackened fair tokens that are no longer magical.
A&G return, we check out one last thing then leave.<footnote>Not mentioning to anyone outside the party the magical tapestry concealing the door to the passage upstairs, presumably to the Baroness' rooms.</footnote>
Amelia locks the door and returns the key, catching up to us on the way back down to the mines.

Gilberts curse has been inverted so that he is no longer infectious, this was done a while ago, we presume by Aunt Justine when Gilbert returned from the fairs.
Gilbert mentions the upcoming Michaelmas fair at Newcourt, we head off to track down the token supplier.

Back at the castle, [[#Jubert|Jubert]] directs us to the master smith in town.
Cher, Amelia, and Gerald fly down to town to meet with a Domani seer, Broc and Tari use the road, while Hagan and I race each other to town by the most direct route - straight down the escarpment.
Failing to break any limbs we have time for a couple of rounds at the pub waiting for the Elves, then back them up while they question the smiths.

The low rank smith who was delegated the task was approached by a smith from Foxcourt with an offer too good to refuse, at a bargain price, the tokens will be delivered a week before the fair.

The seer revealed that some of their number have been working for a group that is up to no good over a wide area.
Amelia has an itchy neck like a small apocalypse is coming.

Broc slashes open the air and portals us back to Mauvoisin, from there we fly to Foxcourt.

Enquiring after the token merchant, nobody has heard of him. Asking where they got their tokens from leads to a similar story of an unbeatably cheap offer from a merchant from Faircourt. We get a description of the merchant this time and it looks like a young Richard of Foxcourt.
We buy their leftover tokens.

Our enquires have gained us a fairly proficient tail, we trap him, ask questions, go through the cloak and dagger routine for a while to find out he's part of a group working for Richard. Presumably this is nothing to do with our investigation.

We walk out of town back to the barn where we hid the ship, Amelia cooks dinner and we discuss where next. Main options:
* Wait for the token delivery to Newcourt, grab the merchant and make him talk.
* Discretely replace the Newcourt tokens with non-magical ones.
* Head over to Gracht, Aladar, or Aquila to see how far the fair token tampering has spread.
* Fly around with the chest full of tokens trying to refine down where they're siphoning too.

=== Control Issues ===
; Duesday 20th Harvest
In the morning, we fly west to Tenarèze to check if their tokens are tainted.
We find the smith who made the last lot, he cast them himself in Bronze, he has a few left so we buy one - not a bit of magic in it.

Next stop is south to Campagnol, they made their own wooden tokens for their summer mushroom festival.

Flying further east to Coeur-de-Fer (Faircourt) we ask after M. Loyal, as expected nobody has heard of him.
Asking about their fair tokens, we find out they were supplied by M. Rire of Foxcourt.
We get a description of Rire, it doesn't match the description of Loyal, Rire is shorter, older, and going to fat.
They don't have any tokens left, the remainder was stolen.

Flying back west to Bastion, we enquire about their supplier, it was M. Rire and the description matches.
We happen to ask about delivery and find out that was done by a known merchant (Remy) from Château Villain, they never saw Rire again after the initial deal was made.

Down to Carrefour, their tokens were made by the local leather-worker. They're not magical.

Next we decide to check on the merchant and set off for the short flight to Château Villain.
As we hit 40,000 feet, something goes wrong with the controls, we keep going up. I delay our ascent by putting us in a spiral but something is fighting me for control and Amelia claims it's not her.
Hagan heads forward to help Amelia, Broc starts knifing Tari so Gerald knocks him out.
Tari checks Broc and can feel some sort of magical infection which then goes away.
Just then the vertical control Hagan was trying to move comes loose and we go into full free-fall and none of the controls will respond.

Cher spots a small doll crawling out of Broc's gear and pounces on it, it jabs her hand and the Spec. takes out her Rune Shield. Cher continues to crush the life out of it, two insects emerge and try to bite her hands so she crushes them, tiny cogs and silvery liquid metal spill out.

Hagan DAs a spirit within the controls that is exerting control but he can't affect it.
Gerald comes forward and manages to put the spirit in a Maze then sends a Nightmare in after it. The controls free up and I start slowing our descent, we level out about 10,000 feet up.

Now that I can open the door without killing everyone, I make my way inside.
The Maze ends, the Nightmare is killed by the spirit, the spirit tries to flee but Tari kills it with one final blow to its insubstantial head.

Searching our gear and the ship we find no more stowaways but Broc does find a small spell container in his pack.
As I set us back on course for Château Villain, Broc Divines the spell container which turns out to be a spirit container and Cher Divines the Puppet Golem.
Amelia heals Tari.
:''NB'' Sometime in the past day or so, an enemy of Broc or someone opposed to our investigation planted the golem and spirit trap in Broc's gear. Foxcourt or Newcourt seem most likely but there are too many possibilities to try to trace it back.

In Château Villain we find the merchant Remy at home, Rire approached him about a week before the Bastion fair and asked him to deliver the tokens and collect payment, offering 25% of the collected amount as payment. Rire never returned to collect his money.

We decide our final stop for the day will be Saint-Michel, they are also having a Michaelmas fair and we want to check who is supplying their tokens.

A search for stowaways before we leave and a few nervous passengers, otherwise a smooth flight and then a bit of a wait until Broc finishes his Divination of Cher.
Leaving the ship Rune-Warded and concealed, we walk into town.

Saint-Michel is bustling, work continues on the fair stalls and stands even after dark, streets and houses are being cleaned, lots of buzz about the visit of the Western King, and a lot of guards actively patrolling.
Broc's credentials and half answers satisfy the guards, we track down the silver-smith that won the contract for the tokens.
Neither Rire not Loyal have come knocking, they are proudly making the tokens (silver swords) themselves.

Broc heads off to the cathedral to stir up the local Michaelines, the rest of us settle in to an Inn.
Beer, food, song and women - a good evening.

; W'ansday 21st Harvest
After Broc's visit, a Michaeline now accompanies every patrol around town.

Assuming Rire follows his standard plan, he'll be off-loading the tokens to a merchant in Deaux, Grue, or Draché, Deaux seems the most likely, we may be in time to intercept him there.
The ship appears undisturbed, a search of bags and ship don't reveal any stowaways, we fly north heading towards Deaux.

=== Assassin ===
We land outside Deaux, Tari seals the ship with her magic chain & lock then we walk into town.

Asking around, nobody has seen M. Rire, but they did have a fair at Lammas, their tainted tokens were supplied by M. Loyal (from Rochefort).

While we are standing in the street deciding our next move, Broc is injured by a ranged attack.
I step to shield him, Gerald takes the high ground, Tari prepares healing.
The next round of attacks hits me and Gerald spots where they came from, a balcony on the second floor of a warehouse about 60 yards away.
Cher prepares to disintegrate the assassin's cover, Gerald puts a couple of arrows into the assassin, Amelia and Hagan charge, I Windwalk to the balcony, the assassin is stunned and being dragged back through a magical trapdoor, I grab at them a little too late and only come away with a cloak and something else, left behind is a metal square that was the outline of the trapdoor and a Mechanician-trap-grenado that is ticking down.
I jump off the balcony as the trap explodes, destroys the balcony and sends greek-fire everywhere.

Most of us spend the next half hour putting the fire out before it engulfs the whole town, Tari checks out the 3 items, Gerald keeps watch. Less than a minute after the encounter, the portal-square blackens and loses its magic. Gerald spots a halfling sized golem watching from another roof, his spy rat gets eaten by something guarding the golem.

Once the fire is out, the others act interesting in plain view while Amelia and I sneak around to where the golem is spying, we find drained rat corpses where the guardian (5' tall feathered humanoid - Harpy?) has been waiting but it looks to have departed.
Gerald mazes the golem, Amelia climbs up ready to grab it when it emerges, while it is mazed Gerald sees it remove the top of its head, remove a red gem and crush it, the golem seems to lose some intelligence at that point.
The maze ends, the golem open its chest to expose the blades there and tries to impale Amelia on them, she overpowers and restrains it.

Two hours and a couple of Divinations later, we know the golem is a relatively normal Rag & String made by a master Mechanician, up until it was in the maze it was possessed by someone, presumably the Binder.

Cher looks back in time at the assassin, the golem planted the portal square about 10 minutes before the attack, the square opened like a trap door and the assassin crept out, leaving its feet dangling through the open portal. It fired on us with a mechanised slug thrower (some of us have seen the like on other worlds) then was dragged back through the portal by a gloved pair of hands, the assassin had long blonde hair, wore dull grey clothes, is probably human and may be female, one of Gerald's arrows was still in it.
: ''NB Never trust a Lizard to sex a human.''
Gerald uses Broc's bowl to locate his arrow, it's east. Gerald sets off in pursuit, Cher flies after him with Amelia, the rest of us run for the ship.
The locate leads to a small camp in the forest about 5 miles from town and 100 yards from the road. Tracks indicate about 5 people, they had been here about a day, they packed up in a hurry, 3 of them walked to the road about 2 hours ago and headed east, the others left by some other means.
One of the campers was female, another wore strong perfume, Aquilan and MMHS style boots.
Something else watched their camp, it arrived and left by flight, wore town shoes, didn't move while watching, and smelled of infection - flesh golem?

The tracks on the road start normally then start skipping increasingly larger sections of the road (25',50', 100', 200'...).

We fly on to Newcourt, stash the ship in a barn, tip the farmer. On route, Gerald disguised Broc and I as each other so if the bad guys continue to target Broc they'll get me instead.

At the town gates Gerald's illusionary Beagle can smell that the heavily perfumed man has been through here recently, the guards identify him as an Altgraf from Aquila who has been staying at the ''Poisson Jaune'' (Yellow Fish) Inn. We decide to pay him a visit. [GM note: The upmarket inn is named ''Dauphin D'Or''... the guards were being, well, guards].

=== Generating Sparks ===

We have our plan and we need to talk with '''de Altgraf von Gainzmeir Voustenhagen''' so killing everyone isn't a great idea.
We split up to cover all exits, Hagan and Cher to the stables, Gerald and Amelia to kitchen door, Broc (as me), Tari (as herself), and me (as Broc) enter the front door. 

There are well dressed doormen at the front door, we ignore them, they protest, inside we run into the manager and a couple of waiters, I try to deal with them like a priest, lots of reference to the angels, the Baron, and some threats of throwing Michaelines at them, it doesn't work very well, they call for guards and protest a lot, Broc tries to bully them but he's not very good at being me, I try not to hit them, it's hard! Knocking them out would probably be taken badly and it's not like they're dangerous so I just lift them up and move them aside so we can head up the stairs without any bloodshed.

Meanwhile they've delayed us and made enough fuss for the Altgraf to be alerted. Gerald and Amelia are already upstairs and Gerald has identified the correct rooms, the Altgraf and the woman with him appear in the stables near Cher, she engages the other woman and Hagan goes for the Altgraf. Gerald, Amelia, and Tari make their way down to the stables.
Broc charges the door down - on his second attempt, steps into the corridor beyond and gets stunned by lightning thrown from the sword of the lightning covered guy in jousting plate - Broc's really not very good at being me. 

I slip past him into the room trying to look priestly and ineffectual while tactically positioning myself.
Seizing initiative and tactical surprise I charge the knight, Broc assists with a shove then falls over stunned again, the knight and I go through the window crashing down into the alley next to the stables, just missing Gerald.

Hagan nearly kills the Altgraf without even trying and then frantically stabilises him.
Cher has been thumping the duellist and almost lost a hand (saved by Rune Armour) and an eye (saved by Amelia) in return, Tari throws her sword into the melee and Amelia vaults over Cher to join the fight, the duellist surrenders.

Broc comes out of stun and starts searching the room, the jouster is twitching and sparking ineffectively, his lightning generating backpack is faulty, I help him out of his armour but he doesn't want to fight any more.

There is a runeportal in a wardrobe and another in the stables but otherwise our searching reveals nothing suspicious.

We haul our 3 prisoners to the guard house and put them in separate cells, the Altgraf has a pet weasel in town (calls himself a barrister) that insists on coming along, he confesses to working for the Altgraf then tries to weasel out of it.

I start by questioning the knight (formerly in jousting armour), he isn't a knight just a faithful family retainer who didn't ask questions, willingly puts on experimental armour and won't tell tales.

Next is Cher's opponent, she's an Aquilan Landed-Knight, her services have been retained by the Altgraf and she will not breach that agreement by talking of her employer's business. She declares she is guilty of no crime and has a ransom lodged with the Duellists Guild if we are claiming she has been taken in fair battle.

Amelia has healed the Altgraf enough to talk, Gerald and Broc arrive, I remove the disguises so we can be ourselves again and hand over the interrogation of the Altgraf to Gerald.

It goes slowly, painfully - and not in a good way, the Altgraf denies everything and the weasel twists every answer, they both need a good bashing, eventually Gerald gets them to sell out the assassin and the other at the camp, former employees of his that acted without his knowledge, it was nothing to do with our investigation, just an attempt to kill Broc to inconvenience Broc's ally.

Gerald then talks to the other two, the Frau is outraged that the Altgraf has turned on his own men and declares her agreement with him broken.
In return for her freedom she tells us that the Altgraf ordered the assassination attempt on Broc to create an opening in the ''[[White Lodge]]'' (a secret exclusive club/cabal for powerful evil mages, links to [[Newcourt Tower Investigations|The White Tower]] and with a limited number of members), the Altgraf believes that Broc and Dramus are either full members or acolytes of a full member (Aunt Justine).
This was the only attempt to kill Broc that she knows of, the Altgraf isn't part of the current event we're investigating but he is here looking to exploit any opportunities it creates and to attempt to gain membership in the White Lodge.

Once we're fished we let her go as agreed and leave the Altgraf locked up.

=== White Tower ===
Apart from revealing the White Lodge this hasn't helped us much with the big curse magic disease thingie.

I'm keen to return to the plan and try to intercept Rire in his hand-off at one of the towns but Amelia is concerned about local politics and Broc decides we're going to report to the Baron, at least that'll give me a chance to interrogate the evil Aunt about her White Tower involvement.

It's after dusk when we get to my ship so we can fly up to the castle without causing a stir, we fit nicely in the courtyard outside Broc's temple.
The guards inform us the Baron is dining in the great hall, some of us get changed and we head to dinner.
There are a couple of snooty-type high Elves visiting and keeping to themselves, they look like long-serving military but probably not regular army.
Aunt Justine is absent, as is one of the cousins, both are reported as sick and keeping to their rooms.

After dinner we report to the Baron, who gives us a brief audience and minimal attention as he is more interested in seeing to the needs of his subjects (specifically the hot blonde wench serving him at dinner). He's slightly annoyed at our news as the Algraf had been a reliable buyer for the MMHS mechanicians, he'll banish the Altgraf and increase the Amber price with the mechanicians.
The Baron also mentions that the Elves are here to check the seals and want to talk to Broc.

Back at the great hall we have a chat with the Elves, who only talk to Broc and Tari - definitely High Elves!
She's a celestial, he's an Air Mage, they report to the Queen, they checked the seals this morning and all is well.
Broc and Tari are being Elvish so I ask them about the White Lodge which they ignore but tell our Elves that it couldn't be The White Lodge as that ended when they sealed the tower, they imply anyone calling themselves white lodge are just human wannabes so not a real threat.

Time to visit the old witch, the others come along but most of them hang back at the end of the corridor while I knock.
The succubus maid answers and refuses entry, I'm keen to rumble on through her but Broc overrules me.

The mages want to check out the White Tower so we cross the bridge from the great tower, climb the ladder and then hang out in the icy wind for a couple of hours while Broc and Cher divine the seals and Gargoyles.

Nobody falls to their death, nothing dodgy about the seals, the power within the tower does seems to be swelling towards a peak but within the containment capabilities of the recently reinforced seals.

Everyone settles down to sleep in Broc's guest rooms, I find a warm bed near the kitchens.

; Th'rsday 22nd Harvest
We fly to checkout Draché and Grue, no sign of Rire, we re-check Deaux but no sign there either.
Broc tries asking Gabriel for guidance, I try using my crystal ball to see where I'll fine Rire and see a tent with a purple pennant.
That's got to be one of the fairs and most likely the Newcourt one, so we fly back there.

First we check on Hercule and find he has company, mechants from Montesor who are delivering his tokens. They seem to be the usual innocents used for the delivery, Broc terrorises them a bit, Tari distracts Hercule and Cher swaps out the tokens for our non-magical ones.

Walking through town to check out the town-square and the fair grounds the streets are crowded and noisy, a circus has arrived early for the fair, they seem legitimate then the crowd starts calling out Loyal which turns out to be the local equivalent of ring-master.

I come up with a new plan... 'Kick the Hive'!

=== Just One Bee ===
The Plan - the White Lodge want to remain secret, so we give them publicity until they reveal themselves or give up and flee. With luck they'll come swarming out of their secret hive to sting me into silence then we can swat them.

We acquire the use of a house outside the walls within sight of the fair ground where the circus is setting up. The owners are Domani who are leaving town for a couple of weeks (forewarned of pending doom).
We stash the box of enchanted fair tokens in the basement and lay down a few wards, they may draw someone trying to recover them once they discover we've switched them out.

Gerald helps me get into character and appropriate accessories then I sneak out of town.

Late in the afternoon, ''Prior Needles to the Unclean'', Michaeline Witch-sniffer enters town, enquiring of guards, merchants, and cornered locals for anything they know of the Evil Witches of the [[White Lodge]].

The party is split into two shifts, one shift trailing me waiting to see if anyone takes the honey, the other resting at the house, watching the fair ground and guarding the tokens.

Apart from causing a few scenes nothing much happens until I sniff around the circus, they don't smell of the White Lodge but they obviously have something to hide from the Light of Michael as they try to get rid of me.
My relentless pressure and their fear of the wroth of Michael lead them to confess that their wagons were ransacked by thieves on their way to town.

Departing the circus, a mist rises around me and a pretty girl who obviously sees through my layers of disguise starts being enigmatic.
''A conversation ensues with the layers, depth, and beauty of the sea crashing upon a barren winters shore, and Aryan's half of it which involves running along kicking the spume.''
[[Frau Holly]] is a member of the White Lodge, she is not amused at my antics but will not act against me, she says some of the others are not so restrained. She claims to have nothing to do with the fair tokens but she won't tell us who is behind it.
Nobody dies, Frau Holly and her mist fade away.
The several minute conversation in the mist only appeared to last a few seconds to those outside.

I make my way to a cheap tavern within range of our house, we chat and change shifts. I settle in for the night here, as good a place as any to lure bad guys to.
Amelia, Hagan and Cher spot someone else watching the Inn, they think it's the bird-man/harpy creature but they can't get close enough to confirm before it departs.

; Frysday 23nd Harvest
Trying to target my beehive-kicking a bit more and up the ante, I mention Marlo and Udo Udet by name and destroy a few of the enchanted tokens that I find on merchants and townsfolk.

Broc spots a lost spirit and questions it, following his lead I take my pursuit of evil to the smelly quarter of town, investigation reveals the spirit is of a dead man who worked in a tannery. He was young and disappeared a couple of days ago but his spirit appears old.
Broc tracks his corpse to a pauper's grave and pays the grave digger to unearth him. The body is of a man who appears to have died of old age. Broc takes the corpse home while I lead Amelia and Cher through the dock-side of town where the corpse was found, we don't find anything unusual and the locals don't report anything odd, but we find out there was another unidentified corpse of an old man found in the area a couple of weeks ago that we assume was life-drained in a similar way.

=== The Death of Needles ===

We have dinner together then I head out to find a nicer Inn and a young woman in need of a blessing from Michael's Sword.
Nobody attacks during the night.

; Reapsday 24th Harvest
Broc opens his Silver-for-Cursed-Tokens stall and manages to acquire and destroy a few tokens but not many.

I wander town and nothing much happens until nearly lunch time the some guards approach warily to take me to the guard house.
I tag along to see where this leads, we're followed by a group of 3 cloaked figures (as well as the party members tailing us).
I let them finesse me into a cell but jemmy the lock then wait to see if the captain or the cloaked assassins are the next through the door.
Amelia, Hagan, and Cher infiltrate the gathering crowd outside, and prepare contingency plans, Gerald, Broc, and Tari are on their way.

The captain comes in and wants me to confess to murdering some local woman last night, he's almost as good at interrogation as I am and almost traps me into a confession when I fall back on church doctrine and demand Urielites to be summoned.
The Captain agrees and beckons in the cloaked assassins, their leader pulls back her hood and reveals she and her sisters are Urielite Justicars.
I send the captain away, check nobody else is within earshot and then tell the sisters who I really am and what's going on, they're a bit dubious so I tell them who I really-really am and get some nodding acceptance.

Meanwhile, outside the crowd is turning into a lynch mob, Cher tries to defuse them, Hagan goes into deep cover as one of them and starts organising the siege, Amelia plays the innocent. Bardic Voice can sway some of the crowd back to normalcy but our guess is they're affected by some sort of mass-charm-curse, Hagan gets a sample for later study.
[[File:HarvestMoonLetter2.png|200px|thumb|right|Letter on dead courier]]
It looks like Prior Needles useful days are numbered so we come up with a plan.
I escape to the roof pursued by the Urielites who keep the guard from chasing close enough to get hurt.
From the rooftop I deny the murder, blame the witches, and call on Michael to strike me down if I am not a true Michaeline, then wreathed in flames (immolation) and struck by lightning from on high (Gerald), I disappear in a flash of light. When the flash-blindness wears off, all that is left of Prior Needles are his bandolier of needles and his lightning struck sword.
A few in the crowd were injured in the flash-blind panic but they disperse now the mass charm no longer has a target.

We have a private chat with the Urielites, they're a bit pissed that Broc didn't keep them informed, Broc and their lead sister arrange for the local Michaelines to be on alert and talk for ages but one of the other sisters is cute and we flirt for a while.

Finally the talking is done and they have to go, we check the murder scene and body for clues. We confirm that the witnesses really did see Needles confront and kill the old woman (a socialite-seer from a good family), but she died from some sort of life-stealing shortly before the needle was plunged into her heart, she's not resurrectable.
The family are satisfied that justice has been served and that the Duke's chaplain has personally consoled them in their loss.

Cher, Gerald and I look after Broc's token stall while the others get cosy with Hagan back at our house.
Broc divines Hagan to confirm the crowd was affected by a mass-charm-infectious-curse-disease type magic, and finds out that Hagan is infected with something that might be affecting him, Amelia confirms there is something there that hides itself, she can now see the absence and it has spread quite far. Broc sends Hagan to prepare dinner while they discuss him and check each other for the same, Tari is also infected but not as badly.

Broc tells us when we return from the stall, Amelia feeds Tari a potion to clear out parasites, we eat dinner, Hagan poisons me, Amelia cures it, we tell Hagan he's infected and come up with a few ways to try curing him.

Gerald makes Hagan invisible so we can almost see the things crawling inside him, Tari visits the privy, Gerald mazes it but find he only has one of hundreds of maggots (Blood Worms) which we keep in a jar for later study. Tari visits the privy, Broc binds their spirit but finds he is only holding the tip of something much bigger which notices him, Broc puts the spirit on notice that he's coming for it, the spirit tags him with some sort of locate and kills the maggot we captured.
Amelia and I take Hagan downstairs and I use some of my abilities as a former Air Mage to protect him from lightning and then blast us all with it several times. Amelia and Hagan are immune, I hurt, the bugs die, Tari visits the privy, then Amelia keeps Hagan from death and drains him of the dead maggot goo.

Hagan feels much more clear headed and no longer feels the urge to kill me, but he and Tari can't agree who had the worst cure.

That night while Gerald and I are on watch, something crashes into the back door, we wake the others and investigate, it's a dead body that [[Koth Darkclaw|a big cat]] has killed and left at our door, it has a note on it in a messenger pouch.

=== Circe du la Loon ===
The note is all spy talk and indirect references but a couple of things are clear, the bad guys have someone local who is warning off the group that are bringing something critical for the big event.
Assuming the dead guy at our door is the messenger then the incoming group should still be coming.

; Sunday 25th Harvest
Broc and Hagan portal to Broc's rooms at the castle to get some heraldry books to see if C.d.l.l. refers to a Count or local Chevalier.
Then Broc pours through his books at the stall while the rest of us man the stall and watch the main roads for likely looking bad guys.

People, drinks, people, lunch, people... a new Circus!
This one arrives in the afternoon with less fanfare than the earlier one and is a bit more adult themed. We follow it on the road around town to the fair grounds and watch them set up, we're all suspicious but no solid leads until dusk when a pair of more important looking women and a bodyguard emerge, Amelia recognises the more senior dark haired woman as the bad girl that locked her party in a cage 20 years ago and was killed and dragged off by the revenant of her husband. She looks exactly the same as she did then but her aura is almost certainly fake and she's wearing layers of magic and concealments.
She doesn't hang around to be studied for long before she returns to the wagons.

We close up the stall and confab in our house, on our way home we hear the name of the Circus, ''Circe De La Luna'' - not a noble or even a person after all. Broc thinks this [[White Lodge#Lillian|woman (Lilianne)]] has used several other aliases including the wife of Robert d'Amberville who was the previous Baron and was the current Baron of Newcourt, Hugh d'Amberville's older brother.
She's a bad guy, I vote we go kill her, the others want to wait and gather proof.
I point out the local bad guy will probably realise his message didn't get through and try to warn her again then they'll all flee and hide again.
We compromise by preparing for combat and keeping watch for the local bad guy, Gerald sets up his table and we observe.

The 'Harpy' is also watching from a rooftop, the Tiger is prowling beyond the fair grounds, two others are also watching. The one of those that we can see is badly scarred or a flesh golem.

A couple of hours later we spot someone skulking through the streets towards the Circus, that's good enough for us so we prepare to ambush him as he nears our house.
The ambush would have gone flawlessly, if he was mortal. He turns out to be one of the mechanical-golem-things disguised as a person, a lot stronger and tougher than we were expecting. It's a good fight and going well, Amelia draws first blood which turns out to be Starsilver, it releases a swarm of the golem poison insect things which I have to use a Thunderclap to clear - not so discrete any more, we're winning the fight and Broc is about to bind the spirit of the Binder we presume is possessing it when Cher slays it with Unfastening.

We gather the bits and haul them inside, adding to our pile in the basement, Cher summons the puddle of Starsilver to follow us.

We stopped the messenger but now the local bad guy is warned, the others finally agree we can attack the witch.
Re-arming the Smites we fly out over the circus, Cher uses her crystal ball to identify two wagons that the witch went out of and into at dusk, we descend and attack.

=== Playing Both Sides ===
I rip open the door of wagon 1, a quick look finds it empty.
Amelia breaks the lock of wagon 2 and comes face to face with the big gimp, she steps in to engage it and Broc charges to join in.
The fight entirely blocks the door and the gimp is not human nor a quick take down.
Cher starts trying Binder magics on the gimp but it turns out not to be a golem.
Hagan takes to the roof of the wagon and starts tearing it open, inside he sees the dark woman (Lilianne) who promptly charms him with her voice.
I leap to join Hagan on the roof and he attacks me, I remove the charm so we can both concentrate on the witch.
She looks up at us and explains how we are mistaken to attack her and asks for our protection which Hagan and I are happy to provide.
Hagan opens the roof up large enough for m'lady to safely exit then drops in to levitate her out.
Meanwhile I go to deal to the brigands assaulting our lady, two of them are assaulting our lady's loyal bodyguard so I help him out first striking his assailants stunning blows, one is staggered but the other shrugs it off, they may not be human but both are magic wielders and are trying to perform their arcane evil.
I strike hard and fast to disrupt their casting, one of them yields then flees, the others flee soon after.
Hagan and my lady have vanished in a puff of mist leaving nothing but her dress drifting to the ground.
There is no further need for me here, I fly to the brigand's lair to make it clear to them the error of their ways, I get there before them so settle in to wait, Hagan soon turns up to join me.

Nearly half an hour later a wagon pulls up outside our house, delivered by Tiger.
Gerald, Amelia, and Cher discuss what to do about it then move it round to the back of the house.
Hagan and I discuss the misunderstandings at the circus and what went wrong, we work out that some or all of the others must have been charmed while we partially resisted so were only confused. We carefully check each of the others but it seems the charm has ended and everyone is themselves again, we may need to ensure we are deafened when we next encounter his dark lady.

The wagon turns out to be a magical artefact, presumably one of the collectors for the amulets.
Broc returns from settling the Michaelines into interrogating the circus folk then he and Cher start their Divination which confirms our guess and identifies there are probably two others to the south and south-west.

We are discussing plans when something crashes into the roof of our house.
The War Golem here to kill us is tougher than Iron or Stone Golems and equipped with nasty alchemical and mechanical weapons, going toe-to-toe with it will be a slow and bloody process, I drop it through the floor to buy us a few seconds to organise a more effective strategy.

=== Failure to Apprehend ===
Tari casts Tunnelling to bury the golem until we're ready to deal with it but the golem starts flying.
I heal up and prepare myself to go toe-to-toe with it again.

Outside a couple of horses in wagon harness arrive, driven by a couple of golems.
Gerald shoots the puppet golem and spooks the horses into bolting, he then lands to engage the other which he identifies as some sort of tar-baby-mud-golem after it captures the Main-Gauche he attacked with.

Broc keeps watch on the Wagon and tries to find out more about it, a magical mist makes that harder, then he hears someone moving through the mist and getting inside. A crossbow bolt through the back of the wagon scares the intruder, Gerald teleports in just in time to see a child teleport out carrying something.

I engage the golem and try cutting its flying off but it must be a ritual or shaped in, it blasts me again and my arm is saved by the Rune Armour. I try knocking it back into the hole with my Runed Mattock and succeed in damaging its blasting arm but it doesn't budge. Amelia is whittling away at it from behind and manages to slow it. Cher manoeuvres to its rear and makes part of it transparent, Hagan tries to tear through to the revealed inner workings but can't punch through the armour. I hack it from the front and it hacks me back, I immolate, it releases a pool of Greek fire-oil, the house catches alight and things get painfully hot for all but the golem. Cher manages to disintegrate one of the inside bits which disables the spinning blade that has been carving me up, the golem pauses as we continue to pound on it then something inside starts spinning at high speed, Cher advises running.
As we step back Tari fails to encase the golem in a ring of stone, we all dive for cover as it goes boom.

The house is cut in half, Amelia is trapped in the cellar by a pile of rubble. The neighbouring houses are also cut in half and start collapsing, Hagan is pleasantly surprised to report that nobody died. The wagon is also cut in two, the web of wires in the back is now a disorganised tangle. The tar-baby-golem is killed and Gerald's blade drops to the ground.

Clean-up time, I put the fire out, Amelia, Hagan and Cher rescue the neighbours, Gerald and Broc checkout the small workshop in the back of the wagon, identifying the token making apparatus. Once they've finished I trash the rest of the artefact which releases a burst of magic then is completely mundane.

We apply some healing and get combat ready again then Broc sends invisible Amelia through the dress that Lilian used to escape, we fly to the empty house that Amelia has emerged into and carefully search it.
We find a couple of other dresses in the wardrobe that are also rune portal destinations and a couple of anchor points for doorways to something that isn't there right now. Broc can't re-open these portals.

We check the other portals in the circus wagons but none of them lead to anywhere we don't already know about.

No more immediate leads so we sleep.

; Moonday 26th - W'ansday 28th Harvest
The Michaelines and Urielites have been busy interrogating Circus folk, most of them are innocent of any involvement in the witchcraft. Rire and Loyal were actively complicit but don't know anything important, they'll be executed as public scapegoats.
Richard Foxcourt is there with and under the protection of a Lunar Inquisitor (Vibius Moriabus Scipio), they've been tracking Lilian/Lileth.

Richard -- who has been in exile in the Lunar Empire -- happened to run across her and was shocked to recognize the late Baron Robert D'Amberville's wife Lillian de L'Isle. Shocked because he'd had some minor role at their wedding when he was just a boy and she still looked exactly the same. Richard began looking into matters, one thing led to another, and Lillian -- who had been going by the name Gaia Laelia Corvina -- shut up shop and disappeared back to the Baronies, leaving behind a decent body count.

The big bodyguard guy was in the Lunar Empire with her, where he was known simply as "Mola" (millstone). The blonde woman wasn't one of L's known Lunar associates, and no-one seems to know who she is.

Mola or M. Boulet or M. Meule or whatever his name is, was dragged out of L's wagon last night and willing walked with the guard to a cell until he left this morning.
A witness who saw the breakout (from outside the gaol) heard rather than saw the cell wall blow out and when they looked to the source of the noise saw the leather clad man standing in the aperture. As he stepped out of the hole, fell a story and landed as though it was a step his clothing seemed to change so that the was wearing a suit of ornate but rather old fashioned plate armour. He then began walking in the direction of the circus -- they didn't follow. Tracking M. Boulet his prints met with those of a horse -- although backtracking the horse prints they were donkey tracks made by a donkey from the circus. He mounted the horse and the pair rode off. Within a dozen steps the hoof prints lighten and then vanish.

We study maps and the list of fairs that cursed tokens were sold at and identify a short list of towns where we think the other two collector-wagon-artefacts could be.
Heading to the ship to fly there we discover the Udet's have miniaturised my ship. Broc Divines the magic to find out the only way to break it before the 6 weeks are up is with a Dark Binder Counterspell.

The Urielites will send for a Namer to learn the counterspell and apply it, meanwhile we resort to using the portals Broc had established as we flew around, horses, and regular flying to get around for the next few days.

We find the other two wagons also with Circuses, the Circus owners are innocent, the wagons were bought in by independent performers that recently joined them. We destroy the artefacts then return to Newcastle arriving on Michaelmass Eve.

; Michaelmass, Th'rsday 29th Harvest - Sunday 2nd Vintage
About mid-morning, our mana-sensitive mages can see waves of magic start flowing out from the White Tower, tracking them we can see them reflect back off the Mountains and be diminished by the larger rivers.
Broc's Divination shows this is an overflow from an intrusion from another plane or another dimension that is capped by the White Tower.
The snooty Elves tell us this happens occasionally and unpredictably, this time they were tipped off that it was going to happen.
At midnight on the night of the new moon, it stops and the magic fades.

The house in town belongs to a merchant (now re-located in MMHS as of 3 years ago) and has been a rental for that period.
It was rented out approx six months back -- rental period to run Beltane until Samhain -- to another merchant, a tall thin older man (sort of matches the description of the golem body we ambushed and destroyed on the way to the circus).
The only other person seen at the house was a young good looking blond lad. The young man didn't have much to do with the neighbours beyond a friendly greeting -- impression was of a wealthy, educated lad around 20... dressed like a well to do merchant's son.

With the wagons destroyed, the souls of those killed while under the curse are reachable again, Amelia <s>resurrects</s> aids the Cuilliers and young Phillippe Rochefort in recovering from their period of illness.

We make a door-less cold iron cage about the size of a wardrobe and hang L's rune-dresses in it. She's unlikely to use them but one day she may forget or be desperate enough then we get to catch a witch.

We distribute sketches of L, the blonde binder, and the young boy to church and secular authorities in Bowcourt. We don't expect much to come of it but it might make life harder for them in this region.

== Footnotes ==

==SGT Snippets & Gossip==
=== Quotes ===
: After Cher backfired ''Transparency'' on him: Cher: "Aryan is totally transparent" Gerald: "And he goes both ways after all"
---
:Broc (on getting Cher and her tail through a small door): "It's like moving a ''chaise-lounge''".

==Buffs==
{| class="buffs"
!width="200px" align="Left"| Magic
!width="25px" align="Left" | Rk
!width="250px" align="Left"| Effects
!width="60px" align="center" | Dur
!width="30px" align="Left" | Amelia
!width="30px" align="Left" | Aryan
!width="30px" align="Left" | Broc
!width="30px" align="Left" | Cher
!width="30px" align="Left" | Gerald
!width="30px" align="Left" | Hagan
!width="30px" align="Left" | Tari
|-
| class="text"| Rune Armour (Broc)
| 16
| class="text"| +21% Def +4 AP
| 17 Hrs
| 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
|-
| class="text"| Heart Rune (Broc)
| 6
| class="text"| Heal 6EN when next you take EN Damage
| 7 Days
| 
| 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
|-
| class="text"| Willow Healing (Broc)
| 6
| class="text"| B. activate to Heal 3EN/pulse for 8 pulses
| 12 Hrs
| 
| 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
|-
| class="text"| Disguise (Gerald)
| 15
| class="text"| Change race, gender, etc.
| 16 Hrs 1
| 
| 
| 
| Y 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| class="text"| Disguise Mind (Gerald)
| 15
| class="text"| Conceal mind from Telepathy
| 16 Hrs 1
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
|-
| class="text"| Strength of Stone (Tari)
| 16
| class="text"| +16 EN
| 17 Hrs
| 
| Y 
| Y 
| 
| Y 
| Y 
| Y 
|-
|colspan="11" |1 Duration can be 7 days with an additional ritual
|}

; Aryan Mil Sci
: Melee Only: +10IV +10SC +10Def +1 Pass Action at End of Pulse
: Raise Morale +5 WP
; Amelia's Highlands Bonus
: for the whole party only in effect when in a highlands terrain type
: +10Def & +10IV vs melee or missiles; +10SC with melee weapons; +10 Perception
; Amelia's Cooking
: Hot meals +4 FT; Rose Hip Tea +5 FT

; Transport
* Aryan: Aeir Ship ~46 mph. Ballistic: effectively 260 mph.
* Amelia: [[Aeir Scooter]] 13 mph (& can take magic to go faster or be towed by other flyers). Carrying capacity: Amelia + 150lbs (which can be another entity). NB Amelia has Airmanship skill so she can pilot/crew Aryan's Aeir Ship.
* Broc: Rune Portals
* Cher: Instill Flight (Cher +1 (+2 in a pinch) at 44mph)
* Glass: Maze Walking up to 800 miles at 100mph (Ritual + Hex FT, upto 14 hexes)

; Other
: Preservation (Cher) - Anything up to 12 pounds in weight and lasts 125 days.
: Itemisation (Cher) - Anything up to 12 cubic feet in size and lasts 7 days.

=== Mil Sci ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations
!align="center"| Watches
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
Hagan Aryan Amelia 
Broc Tari 
Cher Gerald
|align="center"| ''Double File''
Aryan Amelia 
Broc Hagan 
Tari Gerald 
Cher
|align="center"| ''Single File''
Aryan Hagan Amelia Broc Tari Gerald Cher
|align="center"| ''3-4 Hrs per Watch''
Amelia & Tari 
Aryan & Gerald 
Hagan & Cher 
Sub: Broc
|}

==Places==

==People and Creatures==

=== Persons of Interest ===
==== Aunt Justine ====
The Aunt of Baron Hugh d'amberville, Baron of Newcourt. She has a maidservant (succubus) who is either a mind mage or some variant

==== A big Cat ====
This is suspected to be [[Koth Darkclaw]] or [[Koth Darkclaw|Claude Darkclaw]]

==== Colette ====
Colette du Bois, Lady in waiting to Justine, Chamberlain of Château Reynard (Bois de Cerf).

==== Cuillier ====
Mme. & M. Cuillier, pewterers/jewelers in Mauvoisin. She was directly infected from contact with bracelet, went aggro 16th Harvest, cut the butcher, killed her husband and herself.

==== François ====
François D'Amberville, son of Baron Hugh, squire to Gerard.

==== Gerard ====
Sir Gerard, Lord of Mauvoisin.
Married to Yseult de Bellmont.

==== Gilbert ====
Newcastle Amber Merchant, primary infection from tokens he purchased at fairs. He doesn't know why he bought them, he wouldn't normally. His curse has been modified to stop further infection, we presume by A. Justine.
Tokens from Rochefort and Foxcourt were removed from his rooms, had their magic blasted out then were given to us by A. Justine's ''maid''.

==== Hercule ====
Newcourt guild master for the Smith's Guild. Assigned smithing of fair tokens to ____?

==== Hugh ====
[[Newcastle#Baron's Family|Hugh D'Amberville]], Baron Newcourt.

==== Jubert ====
Newcastle Chamberlain. Responsible for the upcoming Newcourt Michaelmas Fair. Delegated fair tokens to M. Hercule.

==== Justine ====
Justine D'Amberville, Lady of Bois de Cerf, eldest daughter of Baron Hugh D'Amberville, heir to Newcourt.

==== Lilianne ====
Lilianne de la Lorge. The wife of the Lord of Lorge. She was supposed to be dead many years ago.

==== Madeline ====
Madeline Ruche, apprentice backer in Mauvoisin. Girlfriend of François.

==== Odo ====
Chamberlain at Mauvoison.

==== Phillipe ====
Phillipe Rochefort, page to Gerard.
Killed about 2pm 15th Harvest 811wk.

==== Richard ====
Exiled former Count of Foxcourt. Still has loyal spies/agents active in Foxcourt.

==== The Token Dealer ====
Supplier of the magically tainted tokens.
M.O. Offers to supply fair tokens to locals at an unbeatably cheap price. Delivery about a week prior.
; AKA
: M. Rire, a smith from Foxcourt
: M. Loyal, a smith from Coeur-de-Fer (Faircourt) - description resembles a young Richard of Foxcourt

==== Yseult ====
Yseult de Bellmont, wife of Gerard.

=== Guards ===
; Dreux
: Captain of the guard at Mauvoisin.
; Jean and Ettiene
: Guards at Mauvoisin. Presumably infected when restraining Gerard.
; Adrian and Klaude
: Guards at Mauvoisin. Attended the Tourney/Fair, presumably infected from contact with Gerard or François.

==Treasure Distribution==
<css>
#Treasure th { text-align: center; width: 50px; }
#Treasure td { text-align: center; width: 50px; }
#Treasure .Item { text-align: left; width: 300px; }
</css>
{| id="Treasure" |
! class="Item" | Item
! #
! Weight
! Amelia
! Aryan
! Broc
! Cher
! Gerald
! Hagan
! Tari
|-
| class="Item" | Chameleon Cloak
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| class="Item" | Assassin's Alchemical Box
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| class="Item" | Charred Portal Squares
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| class="Item" | R&S Golem with Chest Blades
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| class="Item" | 200' Bead Curtain
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| class="Item" | Matched Pair of Rune-Dresses
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|}
Bits of golems and wagon artefacts.

3 Destination Rune-Dresses in a Cold Iron Cage.

==Calendar==
{| cellspacing=1 border=1 class="Season" id="Autumn"
|-
! colspan=15 | '''Autumn 811wk''': [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| class="calMoon" |
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 2 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 3 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 4 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 6 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 7 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 8 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 9 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 10 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 11 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 13 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"|
| class=day | 14 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"| G.,F.+2 Return from Fair
| class=day | 15 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"| Equinox
2pm G kills P 
F => Bois de Cerf
| class=day | 16 ||style="background: #FAD7C6"| Cuilliers Die. F. arrives at BdC
| class=day | 17 || Request sent to Newcourt F. => Mauvoisin.
| class=day | 18 || Broc seeks help
Fly to Bois de Cerf, Mauvoisin.
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
Mauvoisin, portal to Newcastle. Fly to Foxcourt.
| class=day | 20 || Tenarèze, Campagnol, Coeur-de-Fer, Bastion, Carrefour, Château Villain, Saint-Michel
| class=day | 21 || Deaux, Newcourt
| class=day | 22 ||
| class=day | 23 ||
| class=day | 24 ||
| class=day | 25 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||
| class=day | 27 ||
| class=day | 28 ||
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas. '''Newcastle Fair'''
| class=day | 30 ||
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | '''Autumn 811wk''': [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| class="calMoon" |
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||
| class=day | 2 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||
| class=day | 4 ||
| class=day | 5 ||
| class=day | 6 ||
| class=day | 7 ||
| class=day | 8 ||
| class=day | 9 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 ||
| class=day | 11 ||
| class=day | 12 ||
| class=day | 13 ||
| class=day | 14 ||
| class=day | 15 ||
| class=day | 16 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]''
| class=day | 18 ||
| class=day | 19 ||
| class=day | 20 ||
| class=day | 21 ||
| class=day | 22 ||
| class=day | 23 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||
| class=day | 25 ||
| class=day | 26 ||
| class=day | 27 ||
| class=day | 28 ||
| class=day | 29 ||
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|-
|}

Newcourt

2026-04-17T10:25:36Z

Martin: /* Related missions or guild adventures */

[[Category:Newcourt]][[Category:Bowcourt]][[Category:Martin Dickson]][[Category:Mandos]]
{| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
|colspan=2|[[Image:Newcourt.gif|center|The Arms of Newcourt]]
|-
| '''Vassal of'''
| [[Bowcourt]], (formerly a vassal of [[Foxcourt]])
|-
| '''Status'''
| Viscounty (as of 810WK)
|-
| '''Location'''
| East & North-east of [[Foxcourt]], North of [[Faircourt]]
|-
| '''Area'''
|
|-
| '''Geography'''
| Rolling hills, rugged highlands, and forested foothills of the [[Alfheim]] Mountains.
|-
| '''Population'''
|
|-
| '''Urbanisation''' 
|9%
|-
| '''Major Towns''' 
|Newcourt, Town of (8,800)
|-
| '''Languages''' 
–Lalange 
–Common 
–Elvish 
–Domari 
–Dwarvish 
–Others 
 
–Literacy
| 
90% 
30% 
10% 
10% 
5% 
5% 
 
4% (mostly urban) 
|-
| '''Exports''' 
| Meat, Wool, Timber, Metals 
|-
| '''Imports''' 
| Grain, Cloth 
|-
|}
<div >__NOTOC__</div>
==Overview==
The name is a common corruption of the [[Lalange]] ''Nuit Coeur'' (loosely tr. as ''Heart of Darkness''). The area has a very poor reputation; many strange beasts are said to inhabit the mountainous areas.

Much of the population is more backwoods than other areas of the baronies and tend to be suspicious of strangers. While many people from Newcourt are cosmopoliton and accepting of magic and other oddities, the further into the hill country you get the less accepting people become, until in the high valleys the people will be naturally distrustfull of strangers and have a good solid dislike of magic. The furthest of these villages is that of [[D'arbres]], hidden in a high valley (even the local Vicomte (then ''Baron'') of Newcourt was unaware it existed). It has since been [[Deed of D'arbres|deeded]] to Sir Christopher Reynard.

In 810WK the Barony was raised to a Viscounty, in part as recognition of its growing power and prosperity and (it is rumoured) to further balance the uneasy relationship of the Marquessa with Newcourt's former liege lord [[Foxcourt]].

==Places of Interest==
Newcourt boasts one major town (of the same name) with a population a bit under 9,000, and several towns. The Vicomte's seat is at [[Newcastle]], a few miles NE of Newcourt (Town).

As with the neighbouring (and sometimes unfriendly) Viscounty of [[Faircourt]], Newcourt is unusually large and powerful for an area of its status, being closer in power to a county in much of Western Alusia.

==Unified Church of the Western Kingdom presence==
* The Dragon of St Michael branch of the Michaeline order have a chapter house a few miles from [[Newcastle]]. The members of this chapter house call it the Abbey of the Clerics Regular of the Sword of St Michael. They are led by the capable Abbot Boniface, a hard man used to the local politics and devoted to the Michaeline way of life and humility.

== Ruler ==
* Hugh De'Amberville. The Baron of Newcourt

==Related missions or guild adventures==

* [[Harvest_Moon]] Autumn 811WK

* [[White_Wedding]] Autumn 806WK

* [[The Mystery of Missing Suitors]] Winter 804WK

=== Additional Material ===

* [[Newcourt_Tower_Investigations]]

* [[Newcastle_Jottings]]

One Man's Justice

2026-04-17T06:17:57Z

Martin: /* Session 4 - The Proposition */

[[Category:Scribe Notes]][[Category:Stephen]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn 826 WK|Scribe Notes]]
<div class="TOC">__TOC__</div>
== Summary ==
'''Adventure''' One Man's Justice 
'''GM''' [[User:Stephen|Stephen]] 
'''Season''' Autumn 826 WK 
'''Night''' Monday 
'''Location''' New Windsor 
'''Area''' [[Thropshire]], Southern [[Ranke]] 
'''Level''' [[Experience#Quest_Level|Medium-ish]] 

; Party
# [[Tharlin]] - Conal '''Scribe'''
# [[Mavric]] - Lisa '''Main MS'''
# [[Gnash]] - Chris '''Backup MS'''
# [[Peter Smith]] - Mandos
# [[Quentin Ulysses Ash|Quentin]] - Sean
# [[Zardoz]] - Martin
# [[D'Artagnan|Dart]] - Alex '''PL and engaged MS'''

; Time on adventure
: 1st Fruit 826 WK to ?

; Employer
: Jordon Herder
: Charitably supplemented by SAG

; Mission
: Save my son Jordie

; Payment
: 5 gs (60 sp)
: 200sp per week each for up to 5 weeks

; Letter to the guild, received Duesday 1 Fruit 826
: ''To the adventuring heroes of the Seagate Guild of Adventures''
: ''I seek your services in a matter of injustice. Without your aid, my innocent son will be hung on the last Reapsday before Harvest by our lord.''
: ''I enclose 5 shillings to engage your services. Please come with all haste to save his life.''
: ''Yours sincerely,'' John Herder.
: Merino Station, Thropshire, Ranke.
: ''Scribed and witnessed by Alan Talespinner, registered Troubadour.''

D'Artagnan: "That doesn't seem right!"
Zardoz: "Yes, totally wrong... it's ''hanged'' not ''hung''."
D'Artagnan: "Zardoz!?"

== Scribe Notes ==

=== Session 1 - The Path Not Taken (Correctly) ===
'''Duesday 1st of Fruit'''

We arrive at what Zardoz deems a B-grade meeting room around midday for the general briefing on our employment, as outlined in the letter above.

Gnash: So, who is your wife?
Quentin: Lady Chakra, she is away fighting in the drow lands.
Zardoz: On which side?

The Astrology readings indicate that there is no demonic influence or major powers involved, but it may not necessarily be a simple issue.

After some questioning and research, we learn some history about Ranke and that the person responsible for Jordie's hanging is Sir Fulch Fitzwarren, a knight of Thropshire and of minor nobility. He married well above his standing to a lady of very good family in Bowcourt.

Our Troubadours recall that in this area, other troubadours are pushed to guilds and organizations, and those not in said groups are denied work and forced out of service. They deduce that the scribe who wrote to us (Alan Talespinner) is part of a local guild. Mavric also recalls watching a play of his and informs us he is very charismatic.

To add to that, Peter recalls from his tailoring work that Merino Station may be referring to Merino wool, which is more commonly considered Elven wool.

Dart feels his pocket and finds a note with the following: ''"My services are available if you need a scapegoat - ask around about a goat guy on temple street." -Adventuring Patron''.
According to Zardoz, the note is in Dart's handwriting but we figure if it is important and this goat guy is persistent he will contact again so for now, disregard it.
A suspicion is voiced that the "Adventuring Patron" may well be a certain ''Prince'' who is ofttimes ''Willing''.
Before we leave, we stock up on potions and Lyric very kindly offered us her Greater Enchantment services at material cost only.

After much deliberating, we travel by cloud to avoid bandits on land, pirates at sea and move much quicker, as time is of the essence. In theory, it should only take us 4 hours to get there. Because that would be far too easy, our navigator Zardoz, mistakenly takes us too far, but we land and are advised to go East. Another hour or so goes by on cloud and we touch down outside a larger city which has unnatural winds pushing its fumes outwards.

This city turns out to be Alcazar, and a local "Lord" U (Ubiqunoname) approaches on horseback, and advises us to head South-West to get there. He wasn't very fond of Gnash, something about dumb orcs.

Z: He did however appreciate obsequious forelock-tugging. ''Prat''.

We finally land in late afternoon and Quentin randomly picked a hamlet out of six for us to land in. This turns out to be Abcott. We find a pub and speak to the Reeve and barkeep, Leon, who tells us to pitch a tent, and order drinks. A couple pints down and we already have our band of Gnash, Peter, Mavric and Dart on their assorted instruments entertaining the crowd.

'''W'ansday 2nd of Fruit'''

In the morning before we leave for Clun, Peter wanders around helping out where he can, to boost the image of church knights in the area. We get more precise directions and walk for half a day through the wholesome hamlet into the small town of Clun.

=== Session 2 - The Scandal at Fitzwarren Manor ===
As we approach the village from the Southern Bridge, Zardoz changes his form into Grimshore, our human servant, to blend in.

We stop in for first lunch at the Harp of Clun - Clun inn - there seems to be a rise of inns labelled Harp of... in Ranke.

We learn that to reach Merino Station, we must head west up the road for 2 miles. Then at the fork, turn left up to the valley.

Coming into the farm, we are met with some odd/rare sheep, and Jordon.

Jordon recites the story for us, and we find that his son (a peasant) was allegedly found in the Lord's stables with Miss Mabel, the lord's daughter. The whole town saw as the barn doors flew open during a show hosted by Talespinner at Lord Fitzwarren's Manor.

Peter lends me his holy sword so that I can look like a Michaeline while Zardoz changes his clothes to be more Raphaelite, and Mavric is our scribe. We aim to use this guise to question Miss Mabel personally.

We enter through the front doors and speak to Lord Fitzwarren, who claims our services are not needed. We leave, but Dart seems to remember something about the Lord that he can't recall. Mavric promptly hypnotizes Dart to extract the information, which gives Dart the memory of some story about an archer who helped take down an enemy baron/count, while Gnash senses 1 lesser undead to our North.

Gnash, Quentin and I go back to the manor to divinate the stable doors. Gnash laid a minion to divinate the doors from the inside of the stable, who discovered that there was a stored telekinesis, casted by a Mind Mage. Lady Maude le Vavasour - Lady of the Manor, comes and asks us to leave just as Quentin discovers Telekinesis was the last magic to impact the stable doors. He also discovered the Lady to be actively resisting his magic and a short-lived sentient from Bowcourt. She is likely a Mind Mage.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party goes to question Jordie. A warden at the barracks doesn't let them in, so Zardoz sneaks around to DA and speaks with Jordie, who unconvincingly tells Zardoz it was all his fault, while his aura reveals he was last affected by a love philtre.

Mavric (quoting) "Will no-one rid me of this turbulent priest?"
Peter: Hey?!

We finish the day off in the Harp of Clun, overpaying for dinner, when two men come in requesting my aid (thinking I was a Urielite) in deciding who the owner of the chicken is. I redirected to Peter.

The story is: a man whose rooster gave another man's hen a golden egg, and they wish for us to decide who gets ownership of it. Currently, Lord Fitzwarren is holding it until they decide who is given ownership. As they don't like our form of justice, Peter tells them to come back when they do.

In the morning, we will eat and track down the Troubadour Alan Talespinner to question on the event of the night.

=== Session 3 - The Talespinner Affair ===

'''Th'rsday 3rd of Fruit'''

We head east, flying in the morning, with Mavric taking Peter on her carpet.

Mavric, Dart and Peter touch down in a smaller village than Clun to get an update and make sure we are going the right way. He left early this morning, so we aren't far behind.

Finding him below, Dart glides down in front of him to ask about his saga in Clun. He gathers no extra information after 30 minutes of walking, while we circle overhead.

Eventually, we crash/land, as Dart has probably told him everything anyway.

Coming to a more rural town than Clun with no inn... we sit for a picnic with Alan, and Mavric very eloquently questions him, gleaming that his guild had been sent a request to perform at the manor on that day, and to do the full saga. Normally, he will only perform the shorter 1-hour version at the Harp of Clun.

Dart: No love potions! We've all heard the cautionary tales about love potions... I'm the result of a cautionary tale!
<Mavric and Zardoz make eye contact and very carefully practice their ''Simulate Emotions''>.
Alan let us know he enjoys visiting a "friend" who lives just outside the village, and we suspect he may have a sheep in every barn..

After staring at him, Quentin learns that the last magic to affect him was magical healing, his greatest magic in effect is a lesser enchantment and he has no college. Potentially done by a caster to hide their influence on him.

We stop bothering him and fly to Alcazar to investigate some more. 

Z: I did offer to render him unconscious for a divination but the party is a goody-eight-shoes.

Zardoz seeks the Royal College of Heralds and sends a message to the Chapter House for Father Peter, the Ureilite, to let us know he will be staying with the Heralds. 

Z: It was terrible. There were a mere six courses at dinner, the tawny port was only 10 years old, and the feather bed was too soft.

The Herald's information was a bit interesting. It appears that about 150 years back the Fitzwarren lands were briefly escheated but later the act was undone, not just reversed but more made to have never happened. <Weird> Nothing useful here on Herder's land as there was no grant of arms, nor anything on the Vavasour family; those records would be up in Bowcourt.

Meanwhile, Peter, Gnash, and I check in at said Western Church Chapter House. We look into contacting the Ureilite bishop, and the party is accommodated in lodgings there. Our appointment is this evening. 
Dart and Quentin visit the Troubadour's guild, finding the messenger's office, who mistakes Dart for a lord due to his haughty demeanour. He manages to arrange a morning tea with the guild masters tomorrow at 10. 
Mavric went to watch a play. 

We still have some questions that need to be answered, and hope that Alcazar will be able to help: 
*Why the delay in the judgment?
*Who planned the whole situation/Who stands to gain?
*Where could a love philtre be bought in Alcazar? - Closest place to Clun to get one
*Who would the Herder's land go to if Jordie were killed?
** How did he get it in the first place?

=== Session 4 - The Proposition ===

Peter brings Gnash to his meeting with the "aged by the world" bishop, who denies Peter's request to investigate.

Mavric learned that any visiting troubadours must pay big money to the guild, and the guild is creatively stifled - less risqué and more sanctioned.

'''Frysday 4th of Fruit'''

We all (-Zardoz) head to tea in the morning at the Troubadours guild, with Quentin staying at the entryway to guard our weapons, then meet an elegant, old lady, Tamsin Whisperwind, who is the master that owns the guild. Despite Dart's poor manners, she was convinced by Mavric to disclose that one of her associates from the Weaver's guild had made the request for Talespinner to perform. 

With that information, we think potentially the Weaver's guild may not be too keen on the special sheep the Herders are nurturing. 

We have religious discussions over lunch while Zardoz seeks more information with the <s>Heralds</s> ''Hobbits''.
 
Z: ''Dwarves'' <sigh> The information on Thropshire came from reliable local sources who are also tea and cake suppliers.

He finds that Count of Thropshire (Gilbear Declaire) has certain wants - Men, Women, gambling, drinking, gluttony and some gladiatorial fights that are run to please both him and Countess [[Sanctuary_Nobles#Chenaya|Chenaya]]. 

Dart and Zardoz talk up the new fighter from Erewhon behind the "talent scout", and Gnash displays his talents in a decisive victory. 

We are escorted to the Count's estate, and... a werebear, an orc, and a playwright walk into a manor. A proposition is made, and Mavric discloses that we need a writ allowing us to investigate in Clun. 

After some negotiation, the Count agrees that if Gnash can win an elite-level fight, we will get what we want. 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 41%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long Term (assumed always on) ===
{| class="buffs" | 
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Dart" | Da
!Title="Gnash" | Gn
!Title="Mavric" | Ma
!Title="Peter" | Pe
!Title="Quentin" | Qu
!Title="Tharlin" | Th
!Title="Zardoz" | Za
|-
|class="mg" | Vapour Breathing (Th)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" |
|class="du" | 7 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Spell (?)
|class="rk" | ?
|class="ef" | ?
|class="du" | ?
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|}

; Quentin's Allies
: +4% SC, +2 Damage, +2 Damage Reduction, +6% Defence Bonus, +11% Bonus to reaction and fear rolls

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Dur
!Title="Dart" | Da
!Title="Gnash" | Gn
!Title="Mavric" | Ma
!Title="Peter" | Pe
!Title="Quentin" | Qu
!Title="Tharlin" | Th
!Title="Zardoz" | Za
|-
|class="mg" | Flying (Th)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | 38 mph
|class="du" | 4.5 hrs
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Feather Fall (Th)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" |
|class="du" | 3.5 hrs
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Shadowform (Za)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32% Def / +16% in Close
|class="du" | 8 hrs
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Za)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" | See 150' in dark / see invis
|class="du" | 3.5 hrs
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Blending (Za)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" | Invis when not moving
|class="du" | 7 hours
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Walking Unseen (Za)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" | Not noticed, generally
|class="du" | 7 hrs
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Shadow Wings (Za)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" | Flying 36mph
|class="du" | 3.5 hrs
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Inspirational Song (Da)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" | Dice Mod 2, 3 Targets
|class="du" | 90 seconds
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Spectral Weapon (Gn)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | +11% SC and +4 DMG
|class="du" | 15 Mins
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Wraithcloak (Gn)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | +17%Def, +11% Stealth and -3Dmg from non magical/silvered weapons
|class="du" | ?
| 
|  Y
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Spell (?)
|class="rk" | ?
|class="ef" | ?
|class="du" | ?
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Spell (?)
|class="rk" | ?
|class="ef" | ?
|class="du" | ?
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|}

{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Self Only Buffs'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Dur
!Title="Dart" | Da
!Title="Gnash" | Gn
!Title="Mavric" | Ma
!Title="Peter" | Pe
!Title="Quentin" | Qu
!Title="Tharlin" | Th
!Title="Zardoz" | Za
|-
|class="mg" | Mind Cloak
|class="rk" |
|class="ef" | +_% vs mental Attack
|class="du" | _ hrs
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|  10
| 
|-
|class="mg" | Comprehending Tongues (Da)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" | Language rank +3
|class="du" | 70 mins
|  X
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|}

{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Support / Non-Combat Buffs'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Dur
!Title="Dart" | Da
!Title="Gnash" | Gn
!Title="Mavric" | Ma
!Title="Peter" | Pe
!Title="Quentin" | Qu
!Title="Tharlin" | Th
!Title="Zardoz" | Za
|-
|class="mg" | Slumber Song (Da)
|class="rk" | 5
|class="ef" | Extra 2 EN & 3 FT per hour asleep, 3 Targets
|class="du" | Special
|  X
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
|}

=== Misc ===

;Tharlin
: Herbalist: Rank 4 for Meal - 3, and Broth - 3

; Quentin
: Military Scientist: Rank: 5 Raise Morale: 2wp Unengaged Initiative: 25 + D10
: Healer: Rank: 6
: Stealth: Rank: 5 (95%)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! Hour: !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
||
| colspan="4" | Mavric
| colspan="4" | Dart
| colspan="4" | Zardoz
|-
||
| colspan="3" | Tharlin
| colspan="3" | Gnash
| colspan="3" | Quentin
| colspan="3" | Peter
|}

=== Marching Order ===
{| width="90%"
!colspan="2" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
|align="center"| ''Single File''
|-
| X x X
| A B C D E F 
|}

== Loot ==
??

== Calendar ==
{| width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
|-
! colspan="15" | Autumn 826 WK: [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| class="calMoon" |
! colspan="2" | Moonday
! colspan="2" | Duesday
! colspan="2" | W'ansday
! colspan="2" | Th'rsday
! colspan="2" | Frysday
! colspan="2" | Reapsday
! colspan="2" | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan="2" | [[Lugnasad]]
| class="day" | 1 || ''Guild Meeting''
| class="day" | 2 ||
| class="day" | 3 ||
| class="day" | 4 ||
| class="day" | 5 ||
| class="day" | 6 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class="day" | 7 ||
| class="day" | 8 ||
| class="day" | 9 ||
| class="day" | 10 ||
| class="day" | 11 ||
| class="day" | 12 ||
| class="day" | 13 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class="day" | 14 ||
| class="day" | 15 ||
| class="day" | 16 ||
| class="day" | 17 ||
| class="day" | 18 ||
| class="day" | 19 ||
| class="day" | 20 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class="day" | 21 ||
| class="day" | 22 ||
| class="day" | 23 ||
| class="day" | 24 ||
| class="day" | 25 ||
| class="day" | 26 || ''The Hanging of Jordie''
| class="day" | 27 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class="day" | 28 ||
| class="day" | 29 ||
| class="day" | 30 ||
| class="day" | 1 ||
| class="day" | 2 ||
| class="day" | 3 ||
| class="day" | 4 ||
|-
! colspan=15 | Autumn 826 WK: [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class="day" | 5 ||
| class="day" | 6 ||
| class="day" | 7 ||
| class="day" | 8 ||
| class="day" | 9 ||
| class="day" | 10 ||
| class="day" | 11 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class="day" | 12 ||
| class="day" | 13 ||
| class="day" | 14 ||
| class="day" | 15 || Equinox
| class="day" | 16 ||
| class="day" | 17 ||
| class="day" | 18 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class="day" | 19 || Harvest Moon ..
| class="day" | 20 ||
| class="day" | 21 ||
| class="day" | 22 ||
| class="day" | 23 ||
| class="day" | 24 ||
| class="day" | 25 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class="day" | 26 ||
| class="day" | 27 ||
| class="day" | 28 ||
| class="day" | 29 ||
| class="day" | 30 ||
| class="day" | 1 ||
| class="day" | 2 ||
|-
! colspan=15 | Autumn 826 WK: [[Vintage]] (6)
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class="day" | 3 ||
| class="day" | 4 ||
| class="day" | 5 ||
| class="day" | 6 ||
| class="day" | 7 ||
| class="day" | 8 ||
| class="day" | 9 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class="day" | 10 ||
| class="day" | 11 ||
| class="day" | 12 ||
| class="day" | 13 ||
| class="day" | 14 ||
| class="day" | 15 ||
| class="day" | 16 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class="day" | 17 || Blood Moon
| class="day" | 18 ||
| class="day" | 19 ||
| class="day" | 20 ||
| class="day" | 21 ||
| class="day" | 22 ||
| class="day" | 23 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class="day" | 24 ||
| class="day" | 25 ||
| class="day" | 26 ||
| class="day" | 27 ||
| class="day" | 28 ||
| class="day" | 29 ||
| class="day" | 30 || Beerfest
|}

Ailusia

2026-04-15T23:05:06Z

Martin:

[[Category:Planes]]Alusia-2 (sometimes called Ailusia) is a mirror-plane of Alusia.

Physically Alusia-2 is the same as Alusia-1. Same continents, same weather. The seasons are six months out, i.e. it's winter there when it's summer here. The politics, however, are vastly different.

In Alusia-2 the Church of the Holy Elohimic Empire rules the entire plane, and has done so for about 50 years. It has ruled the Western Kingdoms for about 400 years. The Church has eradicated the Drow and subjugated the Orcs, and has never heard of the Calamar. The head of the church is Pope Louis IV.

There are four main arms of the Church: the Michaelines, the Raphaelites, the Urielites, and the Gabrielites. The Church recognises and worships many Gods, all Elohim. The heraldic symbol of the church is a black four pointed star on a white background. The four points stand for the four arms of the church, and also for the four virtues Hope, Valour, Peace and Happiness.

On Alusia-2 the language, dress and customs are similar to Alusia-1. The coinage is similar enough to pass a casual inspection.

The equivalent of the Seagate Adventurers Guild is the Seagate Chapter of Adventurers, in Segate, Karzala. It was created by the Cardinal (the ruler of Karzala) as an arm of the Church of the Western Kingdoms. He used the Chapter to unite various warring mercenary groups, and once he had them united he used them to annihilate all enemies of the church and to conquer the entire plane.

Over the last two or three years the Chapter has been looking at other planes. The Chapter is run similarly to the Guild. Chapter members are not required to belong to the Church, as long as they
swear loyalty to the Chapter. All Guild members have a duplicate in the Chapter, with the same skills, talents, experience and tactical ability. The only exception is that there is no Flamis-2. We guess this has something to do with her being the Eternal Consort.

Members from either organisation can physically pass as the members of the other. Ignorance of people and events will, however, quickly show up the deception.

The Chapter hires out as mercenaries, but most of its work is done for the Church - rescuing people, eradicating evil, and generally behaving as the SWAT enforcement arm of the Church. The Chapter seems stricter and more professional than the Guild. For example, the Chapter has no Stupidest Adventurer award, they prefer to "teach by instruction rather than reward stupidity."

The Chapter headquarters is a large cathedral complex. The current Cardinal is Phaeton-2 (just like Phaeton-1, except with a beard and a spine). He is very charismatic, well-liked man, and is very driven and hard-working.

There has been only one recorded account of contact between Alusia-2 and Alusia-1. A person from the Chapter encountered a Guild party about six months ago. The party concerned were quite loose-mouthed, and the individual learned a lot about us. The Guild believes this individual was Liessa-2, our client for the mission described below.

How did the Church gain supremacy? The current Cardinal used a device to travel back in time, and took a group of Chapter members with him to do over the Drow. While they were in the past Engalton killed the then King of the Western Kingdoms. The resulting power vacuum allowed the Church to take power. Was this an accident? Engalton only knows, and he's never told. The King's body was never found.

Taken from: [[The Alternate Adventure]]

Alusia-2 can probably be considered one of the [[Alternate Alusias]], although it may no longer be easily accessed from other planes in the cluster.

Draconia

2026-04-15T23:03:06Z

Martin:

[[Category:Planes]][[Category:Martin Dickson]][[Category:Alternate Alusias]]
A world, resembling [[Alusia|Alusia Prime]] in the days of its youth, and created by the [[Ancient Dragons]] as a place of rest and solace at the end of their long exodus. It was an ideal land, green and fertile, peopled with elves who saw the dragons as gods, and at its centre was [[Kadath|Kadath-that-was]].

It was built beyond the shattered world of [[Dislusia]], in a place of chaos and made real by the combined will and might of the dragons. There was but a single portal into Draconia, created and guarded by [[Dumuzi]], and before that only a single path from [[Elusavia]]; guarded by [[Nin-gizhida]] -- the two having sworn to protect the dragon's haven.

Some of the exiles stayed only a while in Draconia before leaving for destinations unknown, others gave themselves to their animal minds and their descendants were beasts similar to modern Alusian dragons.

By the time the guild party seeking the lost dragons came upon Draconia there were only 14 ancient dragons remaining; 12 in the [[spirit graal]], its keeper and guardian [[Inanna]], and the eternally mourning [[Eriskigal]].

When the remaining ancient ones left Draconia to oppose Baal it is thought that the plane dissolved back into the chaos from which it had come. The dragons transported the elven population to the Terranova reborn in the cataclysmic end of [[Apollyon|Apollyon's]] attempt on Kadath, and the beastial dragons were sent to an unknown destination.

Dumuzi

2026-04-15T22:59:32Z

Martin:

[[Category:Martin Dickson]][[Category:Ancient Dragon]] [[Category: Dragons]]
An [[Ancient Dragons|ancient dragon]] of the second generation, son of [[Ea]] and [[Damkina]], former husband of [[Inanna]] and current husband of [[Ninlu]].

His powers lie in paths and portals, opening ways within and between planes, places and states of being.

After the fall of [[Baal]] Dumuzi left Alusia along with the other ancient dragons, and when they reached the end of their long exodus in [[Dislusia]] it was he who opened a safe path into the chaos for them to begin the creation of [[Draconia]]. He and Ninlu remained behind as guardians of the one portal into Draconia.

After the guild party seeking the lost dragons entered Draconia his task was ended and he and Ninlu left that shattered plane. Along with [[Nin-gizhida]] they briefly visited Alusia when Baal's tomb was opened and then departed for places unknown, but he has said that he will return.

===Summer 826 WK===
As of Summer 826 Dumuzi, Ninlu, and Nin-gizhida are known to be working with [[Jade Dragon]] and gathering intelligence about the possible return of Eiru. See [[Celestial Pioneers]] for additional details.

2026-04-12T23:44:38Z

[[Category: Dwarves]][[Category:Language]]

(Common: ''Dwarven'')

In the legends and history of the dwarves, Khuzdul was created for them by Krunor, Lord of the Forge, and Elamic, Mother of All, with each rune shaped and pulled glowing from the forge of worlds by Father Krunor, and quenched in the life giving breath of Mother Elamic.

Khuzdul changes extremely slowly, like the gradual weathering of hard rock, where human languages are the melting of snow in Spring and even Elven changes like the growing of trees. [Attrib]

As the dwarven clans have become far flung there have been minor dialectal changes, though more as a matter of word choice and some pronunciation; dwarves are proud that their language is as steadfast and unchanging as the mountains.

Even among the most distant clans the written form of Khuzdul remains as it ever was, and should accents interfere with communication a written missive will be understood by all parties.

Created for the dwarves by their gods, Khuzdul was unrelated to the languages of any of the other races, but over the millennia since many words from Khuzdul have been borrowed by other languages, though they may be changed and unrecognizable except to linguistic philosophers.

In Western Alusia the languages most influenced by Dwarven are Reichspiel and Folksprach, with such a large number of Dwarven loan-words gained over the centuries that there is a widespread though incorrect belief that these languages are derived directly from Dwarven.

;Dwarven Phrases

One of the major phrases well known to outsiders is the traditional dwarven battle-cry: Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! (Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!)

A dwarven phrase for 'We delved too deep' is 'Ut berrag carkna barzÃ»l' but this is often shortened to 'Berrag barzÃ»l'

===GM Note===
In DQ dwarven has been based heavily on Tolkien's '''Khuzdul''' and later extensions to it plus elements of '''Kad'k''', Pratchett's dwarf language, and '''Khazalid''', the dwarf language created for Warhammer.

Khuzdul

2026-04-12T20:56:53Z

Martin:

[[Category: Dwarves]][[Category:Language]]
In the legends and history of the dwarves, Khuzdul was created for them by Krunor, Lord of the Forge, and Elamic, Mother of All, with each rune shaped and pulled glowing from the forge of worlds by Father Krunor, and quenched in the life giving breath of Mother Elamic.

Khuzdul changes extremely slowly, like the gradual weathering of hard rock, where human languages are the melting of snow in Spring and even Elven changes like the growing of trees. [Attrib]

As the dwarven clans have become far flung there have been minor dialectal changes, though more as a matter of word choice and some pronunciation; dwarves are proud that their language is as steadfast and unchanging as the mountains.

Even among the most distant clans the written form of Khuzdul remains as it ever was, and should accents interfere with communication a written missive will be understood by all parties.

Created for the dwarves by their gods, Khuzdul was unrelated to the languages of any of the other races, but over the millennia since many words from Khuzdul have been borrowed by other languages, though they may be changed and unrecognizable except to linguistic philosophers.

In Western Alusia the languages most influenced by Dwarven are Reichspiel and Folksprach, with such a large number of Dwarven loan-words gained over the centuries that there is a widespread though incorrect belief that these languages are derived directly from Dwarven.

;Dwarven Phrases

One of the major phrases well known to outsiders is the traditional dwarven battle-cry: Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! (Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!)

A dwarven phrase for 'We delved too deep' is 'Ut berrag carkna barzÃ»l' but this is often shortened to 'Berrag barzÃ»l'

===GM Note===
In DQ dwarven has been based heavily on Tolkien's '''Khuzdul''' and later extensions to it plus elements of '''Kad'k''', Pratchett's dwarf language, and '''Khazalid''', the dwarf language created for Warhammer.