Black Watch Chronicles II: The Absent Physician

The second in a series of adventures involving the Black Watch.
Scribe Notes

Summary

Adventure: The Absent Physician
GM: Ben Taberner
Session: Spring 807 wk
Night: Wednesday at Chez Ellis
Level: Low

Party

1. Lyric - Young Female Dwarven Enchantress played by Michelle Ellis
2. Kirgoth - A male Orc played by Noel.
3. Ibrihim - An Air Mage played by Andrew W
4. Teeanna - A Fae Princess and Mind Mage played by Hannah
5. Jules - A new E&E played by Barnaby.

Peter Smith (GM Info), A Paladin of Uriel played by Mandos Adventure Full

Employer

Senior Sergeant Antaeus Albrecht.

Mission

To recover the missing Healer Milo.

Pay

Guild rates.

Adventure notes

Lyric Scribe Notes

Official Record

Day of Guild meeting - 1st Thaw 807

Peter, Kirgoth and some new people I hadn't met before have been hired by a guy called Albrecht. They have lost a guard called Milo, about two months ago. He just didn't return for duty one day. They don't want to tell anybody because he would be counted as AWOL but because he is a nice guy and a healer and stuff they wanted to use us so he isn't "officially" missing as we are outsiders. We went to the castle in Seagate in Teeanna's carriage which was really nice and much more comfortable than riding or walking and Albrecht was very chatty and told me lots about his family and life and things so that passed the time really well. Well we arrived at the castle and met Lief Pike who knew about Milo but he is a paperpusher now that he is injured and to fix bone is to expensive he said and cause Kirgorth can't fix it either he had to walk with a walking stick. He took us to look at where Milo lived and other than Ibrihim wanting to dig up the floor talking about hidden churches inside churches and stuff??? we didn't find much in Milo's stuff other than a couple of letters that he received from family but nothing exciting or anything like that. So we went to visit the Father Tanner at the castle church. He said Milo came to church sometimes and that Milo was better than he was. Don't know what he meant by that but I thought senior religious people like a Father should be good so him thinking Milo was better was confusing, is Milo a bishop or whatever they are called to be better than a father? Oh well, he said that Milo would go around the slum areas of Old Seagate fixing prostitutes and crazy people and people who cannot afford healing and things and was liked and nobody would want to hurt him but didn't know why he hadn't come back. So we decided that we had spent enough time at the castle and that we should go down to Old Seagate because Kirgoth knew some really good places we might be able to find people that know Milo. On the way there Ibrihim was talking about how you pay with camels in his country and you get change of wives and children? I think Ibrihim is strange because family should be more important than camels, if Mavric was given as change for purchasing grain or something it would be very strange but funny and I could tease her about it but if you are going to get wives as change I don't think I want to go there and he also talks about washing with sand and why would you want to use water and stuff. He is very strange. Well we went and talked to some guys that hang around entry to buildings and they know Milo, haven't seen him for a while but remembered he would visit once a week or so and that he doesn't take payment in kind for services which I am not sure I understand that but I am sure the others do. Peter asked if we could help anybody who was sick cause Milo hadn't been around and one of the guards told us that we should talk to a girl called Molly because she needed help. We then went to a pub where we were told Molly would be and the beer was really really awful, mum would not be impressed at all, and we found Molly and she was really weird, Peter said she was sick and he prayed with her and she seemed better after. But the praying went for so long it gave time to Kirgoth to meet some girls and make weird noises with them and for us to pass the time drinking yucky beer! Peter needs to warn us before praying so we can be better organised so we aren't bored sitting around next time.

Well we went out into the street and discussed our next course of action. Do we use Peter as bait? Do we think cultists have captured Milo or is it mob related or tricked him or has he run off to help brothers in arms? We don't know but talking in the street may not be the best idea. Even though there is only a pie seller around you can never be too sure.

We decided that we should find somewhere to get some lunch, as Teenna was complaining that we had been doing so much this morning that we really must sit down and eat but then she buys all the Pie Man's pies and the cart and everything and we have so much food we need to give it away. Lucky we are in Old Seagate cause there are lots and lots of hungry people but there is much more walking to do now as Peter wants to be sure that we give the pies to the really hungry people and they don't seem to be able to come to us. I don't think Teenna is happy about the extra walking and missing out on the weird green drink that she drinks but hey she brought them. During handing out the pies Ibrihim and Kirgoth disappeared. When they came back Ibrihim said that he followed a guy that was holding a pie like it was an idol from a church, however you do that! He thought that obviously he was part of a pie cult and was delivering the pie to the Pie Devil. Ibrihim is a very odd human, I am glad he isn't the party leader because I think he would be having us chase every hungry person looking for some sort of demon or digging up every church looking for hidden rooms or caves and stuff. We talked him out of tearing up the city and Kirgoth explained he thought the guy was probably taking the pie to a mob boss or something like that. While we were talking a boy was watching us and giving us way to much attention. I decided to check out what he was doing and make sure he wasn't dodgy or something. He was there to make sure we weren't dodgy. It works out that he is a message runner for a senior healer and he wanted to make sure weren't causing problems. He seemed to be happy that we were guild members and not causing trouble but the boy was very sneaky with what he would say about who he worked for but Ibrihim guessed it was Phaeton, whoever that is, and the boy was surprised we guessed but was OK with that.

The Pie Man left and Peter followed. When Peter came back he said the pie man was a bit odd like Molly was, and was confused as he said he was returning to the barracks but went to a bakery. Since when is a bakery a barracks, oh I don't know.

Well, Teenna and Ibrihim were both complaining they were hungry now that we had given away all the pies and they wanted somewhere to sit down. So we found a tavern called Hogs End which is near the meat works so it was a bit stinky around the outside but OK on the inside. The bar tender was really weird, he made us sit by height which was unfair as I was obviously the shortest and he must be a heightest person. Teeanna didn't like it either because she would have to sit next to Kirgoth and he has lots of armour. Peter held the guys hand which the bar tender wasn't very keen on but Peter was only checking him out and he found that the bar tender was OK but Ibrihim wasn't convinced so he decided to check to and he said that the guys soul seemed like it was being poked with a stick. That doesn't sound pleasant. But talking about unpleasant, we discussed what prostitutes do, they get paid for sex!!! Ekk and no only that they are having sex without making babies. Teenna says it is for fun and a job to make money but I don't know, you are supposed to make babies to extend the family line and there are lots of other jobs you can do rather than that. No wonder Bodric and Henric don't like me hanging around elves if they think sex is supposed to be fun and not to make babies. Jazmyn doesn't always go on about sex, I will have to chat to her about it when I next see her, maybe because she is from Ice Fall it is different? They kept talking about herbs to stop making babies or if a baby is made other herbs to stop it. I can't understand why Peter is OK with this, I thought all religious people like babies so if these girls that we are helping are killing babies he can't be to happy, nor can his lady see this as righteous or whatever Peter is saying he is looking for. Peter does seem a little flustered and red during our discussion so obviously he isn't too sure as to his ladies ideas on this so I will have to ask he more later and maybe he needs to research what she thinks if he doesn't know but I am sure she wouldn't be happy. I wonder if this is why mum and dad don't like magic nor us being away from home much because it isn't something she talked to me about. I will have to talk to Mavric as she is older maybe she knows?

We started this discussion in the pub but continued it when we were out and about. We decided to go outside the gates to see if anybody out there seem to be weird. Peter and Kirgoth and Ibrihim checked over some of the people and other than being unwell there was no weirdness here. We found that none of the people outside were any weirder than normal homeless people and because it was getting late we decided to go back to some of the brothels (which by the way is where prostitutes work!!) because this is when they are busy and more of the prostitutes that Milo used to help would be around. It seems like fun, non-baby making sex only happens at night. Unless... Oh gross, that might have been what Kirgoth was up to earlier today, that is disgusting. Obviously it isn't only at night ! We went back to the Soiled Dove which is the brothel that we got some help from earlier. All the girls were in and Peter and Kirgoth and Ibrihim check them out to see if they were weird, and none where. So we went along the route the guard on the door thought Milo used to follow. At the next place, when the guys were looking at the girls and Teeanna said that she noticed a mind that was crazy, like it was sparking all over the place. Teeanna had some mind reading thingy on and she had noticed this mind run past so we ran out to follow it and it was Molly again. She was weird again.

After calming her down she so we could talk she remembers Milo and that he was nice and looked after her and he meant her no harm, unlike birds that hurt her when she was younger and she seemed really upset about birds. Kirgoth calms her down so that she isn't so crazy. Cause we can't do much more we need to go to the guild and get her checked out. The guild DA's her and it isn't a curse and whatever is causing the problem isn't here. Does that mean not here as in location or as in this world!!! So a divination is ordered. Divinations take so long so Molly is put to sleep by Kirgoth. The others go off and pray or go home or go to sleep but Kirgoth and I stay and talk and talk while the guy is doing the divination. At one stage he stops the divination and shhhs us so we are quiet and I notice Kirgoth is asleep so we are quiet for a while. Once he finishes the divination it is found that she is living near or with a presence that perverts the healthy mind but minds that are already broken are more suscepible. So Molly's bird dreams are obviously the problem. The divinator thinks it is an artifact and that she has been infected for around a year and it gets worse and worse over time. And oh my goodness, Molly woke up and she screamed and screamed and screamed. Gee she is really loud, so I cast charm and tell her that I am her friend and goes on about crows and rooks and hering building nests in her dreams !!! It is very strange, I think Kirgoth is going to have to help calm her too as she sees me as a friend and everything is alright but I don't think she will believe that for too long. I really should have gotten some sleep instead of watching the divination, maybe I will get some now or I will just to wait until we catch up with the others in the morning.

2nd Thaw

In the morning the group except for Teeanna catch up for breakfast and guild security visits us and palms off a newby to us called Jules. He is 5 sisters trader (later we find out he is also an E&E... wonder what he can do). Ibrihim seems very excited about Jules joining don't know why but I assume it is something to do with his 5 sisters??? Kirgoth and I explain what happened to Molly and what the divination said and I explained that Molly woke up screaming and screaming about birds in her dreams and stuff so Peter organises a room for Molly to stay with at the Guild but we have to go to her house which is near Bluegate near where she works. We decide its time to go and get Teeanna from her house. Teeanna's house is very strange. You go through the front door in to a little room then into another door and wow it is a really big house, much bigger than the outside. I even went outside to check. Peter went outside too and didn't return I am not sure why. But a goblin thing let us in to the big part of the house and I know I should be suspicious but he said Lady Teeanna would be with us soon and if he looks after Teeanna he can't be a bad goblin or anything but I should have know Teeanna wouldn't be with us "soon" she took ages but I got to have a bit of a look around the house, I think it would take me ages to find my way around and there are sooooo many doors and rooms to check out and I didn't get a chance to check any of them really so hopefully we can come back and she can show us around cause I would like to know how they hide the rooms from the outside.

We start to head down to Molly's house but Teeanna has to change money so that she doesn't buy more pie carts so Ibrihim gets the money changed and Teeanna gets Ibrihim to carry it for her as it is too heavy for her, I would carry if for her as well but obviously she prefers Ibrihim as her servant, hehehehe. And at Molly's house we meet an old lady who seems to be in charge of the building if you can say it is a building that Molly lives in and she says that Molly arrived about a year ago and has always had bad dreams and was really incoherent there for a while but she has been better of lately. Better, geez I would hate to have seen bad. And the old lady said a girl called Susie liked Milo but Milo hadn't liked her and maybe we might want to talk to her too. So we go up to Molly's room but Ibrihim was already up there. The room seems like somebody has robbed it but Ibrihim says it was like this before he got here but I'm not so sure, maybe he is looking for another demon or something. Maybe a ribbon demon because Molly has all these ribbons all pinned up in a different order that doesn't make sense. Ibrihim decides he is going to cast some air magics. See he is an air mage rather than a storm mage, now I understand why Ibrihim is so weird.

Because Ibrihim's magics is going to take a while and he is going to be sitting on the roof, we leave Jules to take care of him and Peter and Kirgoth goes and talks to people in the street and Teeanna and I go and talk to Susie. Susie is a nice girl but I think she is a prostitute too. She is very chatty and talks about how she did like Milo but he didn't like her even though she would have if he wanted too which I think she was talking about sex but I am not sure. Poor thing she seems very upset he didn't like her, but oh well, she seems to like Teeanna and me so she tells us that the last time she saw Milo he was wearing a flowy ring which she new was magically because she has seen others wear similar things before they explode... Don't know if I want a ring that will explode, glad we have the guild to confirm what the things we have are... I suppose paying some taxes are OK, only OK though.

We find that Ibrihim has had problems with his magics, the air isn't right today, he says that he should have realised it before starting but I think he just wanted to have a rest while checking out the view from the top of the building while the rest of us work, either that or he failed and needs to practice more, just like the rest of us mages I suppose. Jules collects up all of Molly's valuables or things she might need while staying at the guild so we can give her when we go back next but we are going back to the pub with the weird guy to see which order he puts us in this time. On the way to the pub we talk to the town guard about the problems the abattoir and find that some kids had been killed but the story didn't match the timings for what we were doing so we don't need to look into that being related to the artifact . The town guard man says the bar tenders name is Mitch and that he has always liked putting things in order but got really bad but has gotten better. Mitch seems to be part of the entertainment at the pub, either that or he turns you off going there. Bad for business but when we get back to the pub Mitch isn't so bossy today about what order to put us in. He doesn't seem to like Peter that much I don't know why because Peter is nice enough even if a bit of a nutter when it comes to religion but nothing that a crazy bar tender should have a problem with.

Kirgoth talks about Molly's dreams again and he said that she said that men with birds heads where building nests in her dreams, I thought it was just birds. This seems to interest Peter greatly and starts going on about demons and how he needs to go to his church library to find out about them. I think Ibrihim is happy we might actually have something to do with demons after all. As long as we don't find out that there really is a Pie Demon because then he might not be as weird as I think he is, nah he is just as weird.

Peter goes off to see the library and Kirgoth and I go off to the docks to see if Milo tried to leave. Not sure what the others are up to but we will look for them later. Kirgoth and I talk to the Harbour Master and find that he remembers Milo asking about a boat to Noverdom around 6th snow and that he needed to go fast and that there wasn't any boats at the time so he didn't go on a boat and Kirgoth asked if he remembered him wearing a ring and he said no. I cast locate so that we can try and find the others which we do find them and the others have been looking into the wavy ring and found that Mr Haverstone of New Seagate makes them and they are celestial magics, normally wings and Peter said he researched the demons and found some possibilities because people could get herons mixed up with cranes and stuff so we might have something. He talks about Marquis demons or Marquis of Discord. He thinks the best option is Andras as he has a head of a raven so could be making Molly have nightmares. But he also found out about other Marquis which might be of interest of them Agares, Decarabia, Naberius, Raum and Stolas but with Peter finding out all these demons and Ibrihim

We go and visit Mr Haverstone and he sold a Rank 6, 120 odd miles wings for Milo on the morning of 7th snow. He said that Milo seemed nervous looking over his shoulder and that he had now pack but was dressed for travel. He paid with a big bag of coins, mainly silver. The others question Mr Haverstone on how come he didn't think it was strange that somebody would pay with so much silver but I think if that is all he's got that is all he can pay with but then the real question is if Milo didn't have a ring on 6th Snow but did early 7th snow, when did Susie see him so we go and find Susie and find out that she saw him on the street heading down towards the fishing dock so we thought that we should talk to the fishing fleet. At the docks the fisherman were not very nice when asked questions about Milo and getting a boat so Ibrihim tried to listen into conversations without getting into trouble... he heard things like "that lot" and rags and stuff and they sounded like they didn't like "that lot" and felt that they were better than them so we had to figure out what is lower than a fishermen??? Ibrihim thought it might be the people who eat fish guts??? so he decided to talk to seagulls and find out who eats fish guts and he flapped his wings and talked strangely and running down the street, luckily Jules is fast and followed him. Ibrihim said that the seagull said that the fish gut humans would eat birds too if they weren't fast and that they live down alleys and something about lots of birds to come back and attack them because they eat the fish guts that the seagulls want to eat.... Ekkk. But I think we will need to talk to them because they might have helped Milo.

Ibrihim organises for Peter to take Teeanna and I for dinner. He goes on about things being culturally sensitive , how is he culturally aware he isn't from around Seagate either.... Anyways Ibrihim, Kirgoth and Jules go down the alleyway while we wait for them in a inn and thankfully Peter didn't hold hands with anybody here to see if they were OK because I don't think these people would take well to it. But Jules come back later to collect us with an old guy in rags called Tom. They say that he is taking us to see an important man so they take us down some alleyways. Can't be too important if you live in alleys piled high with rubbish and it looks like people live in the rubbish. Geez don't they know that caves are so much nicer to live in, yes take longer to build but much sturdier and provides good protection from the weather but I suppose it is a little far away from their workplaces but maybe they don't work so they will have lots of time to dig out caves. But somewhere along the way we lost Jules, but it seems that he has hung back because he thought some people were following us and Peter said it was OK. When we arrived we got taken into an upside down boat and there was lots of people in there all sitting around the edges, it was very strange and the guy that seem to be in charge "Lord" of the docks seems to have been expecting us and thought we were very kind that we had given out food and seemed to specifically want to talk to Teeanna but first he talked to Peter about Milo. It seems that Milo had been visiting the docks helping people for quite a while and that he helped lots of people that would otherwise not have gotten help so they are worried that he is missing too. He said that Milo was looking for a cure to what was making people sick, crazy in the head. Milo and the Lord had talked about it quite a while ago but he thinks that some vandalism that happened near the Bluegate caused Milo to leave. A inn sign called Mothers Lement was stolen and a guy named Claude found it in a side street and gave it back and the Town Keeper had him flogged. People fought and there was lots of town disturbance over nothing in particular. Milo was really worried about this and as Milo had told the Lord that he thought he had a solution to the problem and that it was something to do with the Dark Circle. Ekkkkk I thought that was all gone now. And even worse the Lord thinks that Milo walked to the Dark Circle or maybe his mum and dads near Brastor but WALK!!! He was sesen walking over the bridge with his pack and travel gear and late in the day not the time of day for a long walk... But we know different with his ring !!!

But then the Lord said that he wanted to thank Teeanna for all the food she gave out and that she has to be careful because people were worried that she was moving in by pimping the dwarf boy... I was shocked and I want this for the record... I AM NOT A PROSTITUTE, TEEANNA IS NOT MY PIMP AND I AM A GIRL DWARF NOT A BOY. I am not a prostitute, I was very upset that people thought I would have sex for money, nor do I think Teeanna is keen in taking up that sort of business. So as we left, Jules arrived and told us that he thought people were gathering and it looked like trouble so Peter put his plate armour on, when the party leader and military scientist is doing that I think we are in for a fight and we were. We were running along the alleyway to get back into the walls of Seagate, I don't know if anybody knew where we were but all of a sudden while running Kirgoth stopped and it looks like somebody stood in his way with a weapon so he hit them and hit them well and the guy was really injured and somebody else was yelling for people to come to us so they were looking for us which wasn't good. When Kirgoth started off again Peter held back to pray over him, I don't think we really had time for that but as he is fast he was back with us quickly which was lucky because there were lots of people who were there to hurt us and they had clubs and swords and even people with bows but we fought well with a number of deaths which Peter seems upset about but hey they were aiming to hurt us and Teeanna seems to be casting something that makes people scream and run away and lighting bolts and stuff so I will have to ask her about that and see if Henric can do it too as it seems very effective. Teeanna yelled out about people screaming about a bear and that she can sense a bear but we are in Seagate and there aren't bears here so I thought I must have heard wrong and as we were winning the fight, some people started running away as we fought awesomely and then there really was a bear so more people ran away too but I am not sure what we are going to do as the bear is on the side that we had basically cleared of the bad people but the otherside still has people there so we are in the middle.

And then Peter ran at the bear and so I thought I should follow him and make sure he is alright as the guy I was fighting fell down but I thought Peter must of frightened the bear because it put down the person it was hugging and then sat down... Geez it sat down! so I figured it must be a werebear! So I kept asking it if it is a werebear, hey are you a werebear, hello talk to me are you a werebear. The others didn't seem to believe me as I was the only person asking even though Kirgoth and I have met a werebear before and yes he didn't talk either as he had been in a bear form to long but he was a werebear and guess what, I was right he was a werebear it turned into Kilroy. I hadn't seen Kilroy since we went and saved Cob and Peter and Kilroy says he isn't a werebear but has a spell that can change him into a bear, wow I want to learn that but I think that is more of a Bodric spell and all. And so I talked and talked to Kilroy telling him about all the exciting things I have been doing and he seemed impressed and I asked about where his big bird was and since when can he be a bear and why didn't he show us before and then the town guard turned up and I noticed that Peter, Jules and Teeanna had all left and it was only Kirgoth and Ibrihim left. I don't understand why they left because we were only safe because we had fought some of the bad guys and the bear had scared off the others, I didn't think it was safe to leave in small groups yet but as the Town Guard turned up to arrest the people that Ibrihim and Kirgoth were holding and Kirgoth was wanting to making sure they got charged with all sorts of things and stuff that we should go. So as we were heading off I said thanks and good bye to Kilroy and said thanks for everybody else too as they hadn't said much to Kilroy but then we had so much to catch up on so maybe they didn't want to interrupt our conversation I don't know. I was told that we were to meet at Teeanna's house for breakfast at 9 am so that is were we met the next day.

3rd Thaw

We all met at Teeanna's and have a lovely breakfast but then Teeanna frightens me, she is in armour. Oh my goodness this makes me very worried as I don't know what we are doing today that is expected to be more dangerous than the fight from yesterday so after breakfast we go to see the arrested baddies from last night and Ibrihim keeps going on about torture not being allowed around these parts and I am not sure what he means by that but Kirgoth and Ibrihim talk to the baddies and they give us lots of useful information about why they were fighting us. The baddies either work for Sloakam or Mr Ketch or Mad Abbey and they were sent out because they were worried that an Elf was moving into prostitution in the area and they wanted to frighten us off, and Kirgoth doesn't seem to think that they were only trying to frighten us as they had bowman and stuff trying to get us and that is a bit more serious than frighten and I just don't get it why do they think that a dwarf GIRL walking around with a WAR HAMMER is a PROSTITUTE!! I AM NOT A PROSTITUTE. I think they know that now and will hopefully leave us alone. We hand over all sorts of information to the town guards that the baddies gave us and hope that they will arrest Sloakam, Mr Ketch and Mad Abbey for attempted murder amongst other things too.

The next thing the others want to do is talk to money lenders about if they would have given the money to Milo for his ring and they say no but talked strangely which sounded like some of them might have as he was nice and part of the army and stuff but were very strange way of talking to say that.

Now we are talking about going to Brastor or So-so-east to see Milo's family. Peter seems to want to go to Brastor but we want to make sure if Milo went to see his parents for help or not. So it is So-so-east and Ibrihim talks to his sorceress who is going to cast a spell to let us fly. Peter says he is staying here but I don't care, I am going to fly, fly outside the lessons at the guild about landing and stuff, this is why I joined the guild after Bodric was captured and the guild saved him and brought them back and he flew and stuff and it sounded all very cool and here now is the first time I can really fly and even better Ibrihim is casting something called feather fall which makes landing much softer so we summoned the wind which sounds very strange but when it arrives we are flying WE ARE FLYING, flying flying flying this is so amazingly cool and I yell to the others about how exciting it is and I can't tell if they can hear me as it is so noisy and everybody is flying apart but I don't care I am so excited that I talk and talk and talk about how exciting it is and fun and stuff and then we arrive and it didn't seem long enough, I could have flown for hours and hours but it seems that we only have the wind for 9 hours !!! 9 hours I could fly for that long no problem so why are we here again, oh that's right we are here to see Milo's family. So while walking in the fields we come across a boy and a girl rolling around in the grass playing wrestling and they tell us that Milo's family is in town and we move on but I don't know why the others didn't ask them which house they lived in and stuff, maybe not having Peter here has made Kirgoth forget his interviewing techniques, I don't know but we find their house OK with a man's help who said that he had seen Milo a couple of months ago in town so we know he has been here and Ibrihim and Kirgoth decide that Teeanna and I should go in a talk to Milo's mum! Not sure why but something about the girly chat but I don't know if she is going to be scared of an Elf and a dwarf going to her house rather than men if we sent Jules and Ibrihim we definitely couldn't send Kirgoth though, not sure how she would be with an Ork turning up but then she used to live in the dark circle so as long as we are alive I suppose we are all less scary than what she has seen before.

Mrs Milo's mum is very nice and makes Teeanna and I tea as we are looking for Milo and we talk then Teeanna asks Mrs Milo's mum if she can cast some magic on her, Teeanna says it isn't going to hurt but Mrs Milo's mum looks like Teeanna has asked could she practice brain surgery on her but she says yes in the end as Teeanna explains it is to make Mrs Milo's mum remember exactly what happened when Milo was here and Teeanna cast her spell and asks her to remember Milo's visit and we get much more information than what Mrs Milo's mum hadn't told us before. Milo had arrived from a strange direction for walking from Seagate and that he wasn't expected so was surprised that he arrived and then talked about going off to Brastor and Milo was acting like he was being hunted !!!! Then there was lots of talk about how Milo and Mr Milo's dad argue a lot about Milo joining the army and his dad thinking he wasn't a real man by not work on the farm, I don't know what she means by this because any man or woman worthy should be in the army or of course a guild member but Milo wants to help people and stuff and they don't understand that. Milo stayed for about a week and tried helping his dad on the farm but they just argued more and she said that Milo thought that this time he was going to help everybody and that he seemed like he was saying goodbye like it was a final farewell which seems strange that she forgot this bit while not under Teeannas magics and then she said Milo left on his errand in Brastor one morning and that was it.

We thanked Mrs Milo's mum for tea and go out and tell the others what was told and Ibrihim decides he is going to talk to the wind and see where Milo went and it seems that each night in the snow somebody, probably Milo, would come out to a bunch of trees and stay there for a while but not too long that he would be too cold but the wind didn't tell Ibrihim where Milo went to as it seems the wind gets a bit forgetful so we searched the trees to see if anything was hidden but nothing was but there were lots of hidey holes that could hide stuff in it and it looks like stuff had been hidden but not anymore.

Then we fly back to the guild before the wind won't help us anymore... Yay, more flying, flying flying flying, I don't think I could ever get bored of flying it is so much fun to be up so high and to travel with friends that can enjoy it too and yell out to each other about what is happening and stuff and see everything and everybody looking so small that it makes me feel like I am big and you get a good idea of the area from up high and it would be great in battle to be up high and see what is going on below and if you could communicate with the forces on the ground it would be a great advantage and looking at Seagate you can see all the areas better and the bridge and stuff and the Guild and we land at the guild using feather fall again so landing is easier but I will still practice more at the Guild when we finish adventuring as I can't rely on always adventuring with Ibrihim to cast feather fall. Peter is there and he looks happy to see us, we even get a little smile from him but then he seems embarrassed and the smile goes away. Kirgoth has decided that if we are going to Brastor Jules needs a silvered weapon so they go off to get one.

We got give some really weird astro reading or whatever they are called. It is like some strange poem or song and it talks about looking through the dark with red fingers fluttering by. What that means I have no idea but Jules being a nice guy gives Molly all her stuff back that he got from her room and he asked her about her coloured ribbons and she said they help her find her way back but she doesn't know where she has been to find her way back from. Yes she is still very weird and Jules showed her the poem and she really liked it from what Jules said and Jules asked her if she knew people from the Mothers Lement and a she knew Mr Perkins who is funny so when Jules tells us this we decide to go to the pub and have a look and find out that Mr Perkins has been at the pub with his mum for the last 2 years and he has been doing it up. The sign that was stolen looks nicely painted and you can see where the tear is missing from it and there is an indent showing where it was and I don't know how they got the sign down to steal the tear as it would be really heavy and whoever would have done it must have been seen or something. Maybe somebody used some magics to get it to levitate or something, I don't know but it would be pretty impressive to get it down by yourself but the pub is nice enough, nicer than others around but it isn't busy and it is small too but Mr Perkins is a bit weird but nice enough but keeps calling out to his mum in the kitchen but we can't hear anybody so she must be really really quiet. He mentioned that the painting was done by an elf called Ronaldo Grnatts or something like that and he comes and visits sometimes but hasn't been in since the painting was stolen so doesn't know it is missing or anything. Ibrihim decides to question the bar tender but is actually checking to see how crazy he is, he is getting better at this as the barman doesn't seem to be worried about him touching him unlike when Peter checks them out. Ibrihim says that he seems happy enough on the surface but is worried and keeps looking back for something, he isn't as crazy as Molly but he is crazy enough but not like poking with a stick. Then Jules makes it obvious that he is going to the toilet, geez Jules we really don't need to know these things but when he comes back it seems that he has checked out the kitchen and thinks nobody is in there so Mr Perkins is just talking to himself so yes he is crazy. So we head back to the Guild as it is now time to head to Brastor. We aren't leaving until tomorrow so I thought I would go and see Mavric and tell her I have been flying and I am pretty sure I will be flying again, flying flying flying tomorrow I am so excited.

4th Thaw

We aren't flying... I can't believe it we are NOT FLYING. This is so unfair, I know Peter is the party leader but he does know he is party of the Seagate Adventurer's guild and that means magic, flying and fighting? I can't believe that he is such a wimp when it comes to flying it is so unfair and he mustn't know what he is missing out on as it is so much fun and I could do it for hours and hours and I know I haven't flown for hours and hours before but I am sure I would enjoy it. I do well to not seem too disappointed so instead of flying we go and pick up Teeanna and visit Father Broc. Didn't know we were going to visit Father Broc and I haven't seen him since we saved Peter but Peter had organised with Father Broc to get us to travel with him so we sit in a small room for a while chatting then when we come out of the room we are in a different building, right near Westgate. I have to remember that Father Broc is a Rune mage like Bodric and Kilroy but I am sure Bodric can't make a room move and I don't think Kilroy needs to as he has that big bird thingy to ride on, oh and if can be a bear maybe he can be a bird and fly then who needs a room that can move? So we walk into Westgate and talk to the guards at the gate. They seem very strange and for some reason Teeanna asks them about himself and it seems he is from the Lunar Empire, he used to be a gladiator, that sounds impressive and isn't the Lunar Empire where the Lunar Games were? I suppose that is why they were called the Lunar Games? But the Guard seemed to not like Teeanna, not sure why but something about drugs? I don't know why the guard would be unhappy about Teeanna's need for medicine but this is a strange place so we go straight to the hospital as the guards weren't sure if they had ever seen Milo and at the hospital they said that Milo definitely hasn't been there either and looking around the hospital their isn't really a lot of injured mainly training accidents with weapons and stuff so no really hard done by people which is what Milo seems to go for when it comes to helping so we decide that we should head off to Hugler's Ferry which is about 15 miles away but Peter said it is a nicer place with people being a bit more welcoming.

We rode the 15 miles to Hugler's Ferry, I am sure we could have flown if somebody knew how to cast flying but we had to ride, I wish I could cast flying it would be so much easier just like Jazmyn who rides her broom but along the way it got really really windy which seems to be strange for this time of the year, so windy that I had to shout to talk to anybody but luckily it had stopped by the time we got to the ferry as that would be a pretty worrying for people to cross the ferry with such unexpected winds. Peter went and talked to the Blacksmith as he had to make some copper stirrups for Teeanna as she really shouldn't touch iron and seems worried about "exploding" is what Peter said and I would have know this was a problem if the winds wasn't so high, I am sure we could have helped her along the way to Hugler's Ferry by putting padding or something on her stirrups, stupid wind. But people do remember seeing somebody fitting Milo's description and that he was strange and looked at people and girls and stuff.

5th Thaw - 8th Thaw

We stay at in a room in Hugler's Ferry but as it is coming up to the full moon, Teeanna has to go off to her kingdom by a portal to another plain. She will be gone for 3 days so Ibrihim and Jules go out of town with her so that she can cast her ritual and go off plain. Peter and Kirgoth decide to go to the "secret" temple that Peter goes to - not so secret cause I know where it is, huh, to do some training so I am left in town by myself to bring food out to Ibrihim while he guards the portal hole as Jules decided to go to the fairy plain too to check it out. I have a great time meeting so many new humans, no dwarfs unfortunately, and they are all so interested in telling me all about the town and about the dark circle and all sorts of interesting stuff. I do have to make sure that every day I go out and keep Ibrihim company though because he must get lonely out there all by himself so I aim to be out there for at least 2 hours but I manage about 4 hours each day and we practice magic which is great fun, I learnt after the first day to bring my travelling gear though because he always made it rain or winding or something.

9th Thaw

We head out early heading to Lewiston and why we are riding Kirgoth tells me about all the fun he has had with the Church Knights, he hit them hard but they didn't hurt him which is very impressive because those Church Knights have been practicing for centuries in they sleepy state so they are great warriors so I will have to watch Kirgoth in the next fight to see if he has learnt anything new. Just before lunch time were can see the tower in Lewiston, it is really broken and doesn't really have many real walls anymore but from within the tower Peter thinks there is a single person in there watching and hiding he says that the person is afraid of us rather than getting ready to ambush so we are fine but as we think it might be Milo we ride past the tower into Lewiston town itself and get off our horses and start to prepare lunch. We have to do this loud because I have to cast unseen on Ibrihim and Jules as they are going to go and check it out but as neither of them have witchsight nor can see unseen they are going to have to make sure they don't walk into each other so they devise a plan to ensure they stay across the road from each other and look out for each others shadows and stuff so we continue to setup camp and prepare lunch and stuff then all of a sudden were hear Ibrihim yelling Milo is going to jump! How he knows it is Milo or that he is going to jump I don't know but we all grab weapons and run towards the tower, Kirgoth takes up his cross bow to shot however it is down if they try and fly, Peter grabs his hammock and tries to find some place to attach it, Teeanna gets nearby and I finally arrive as some of the building collapses. It works out that Teeanna cast some sort of control spell and got Milo (yes it works out to be Milo) to hold on and not jump and stuff. Ibrihim has cast feather fall and him and Milo are floating down into a hole in the floor which has broken since the wall fell down. I see Jules throwing his grappling hook around his head trying to get it to Ibrihim so he can pull them out of the way of the hole in the floor as there is some really strange noises down there, sounds like whatever it is it is hungry and then the next thing I know Peter has run across the room and pushed Ibrihim and Milo against the other wall but because he did this he lost all his momentum he ended up in the hole. Kirgoth runs over to the hole had has a swipe at one of the things in the hole and yells out they are undead and I wonder how we are now going to stop Ibrihim from wanting to dig up the floor everywhere we go again now that we finally got him to stop doing this as I am sure he is going to feel that he has been right all along about underfloor evil and up till now it has mainly been in churchs and stuff but now it is going to be everywhere, geez but then Peter is just standing in the middle of them trying to help them, how silly is that so I run and jump into the hole as well to help Peter as the undead are to low in the hole for me to have a go. I hit one really well as I go in which is good so I can fit because there isn't much room down here and there is so many undead, hundreds and hundreds I reckon so I start hitting them with my war hammer and they start going down and Peter seems to be going really well multi striking and they start to fall around him as well then all of a sudden part of the roof caves in and Kirgoth is into the fray to and then Ibrihim floats into the hole so there is four of us against these hundreds and hundreds of undead but we do well and kill them all if you can say undead die twice which I suppose they do but we aren't really injured which is good, our armour and superior weapon skills makes all the difference but once it is over I hope that Teeanna and Jules and Milo are alright as none of them joined into on the fun but it seems that they have been ensuring that Milo is safe and that they have his stuff with the tear drop thingy and that he doesn't run away. Milo seems really crazy, very dirty and scruffy, he goes on and on about "I knew this would happen, no you are some of them aren't you oh know, etc, etc" but he is settle by empathy and Ibrihim does some cleaning magics and Peter gives him some clean clothes and Kirgoth heals him and feeds him then he asks if we are from the guild and he is distressed because we are some of them as he didn't want the tear drop thingy near the guild as he thinks it would just make us crazier and prod it and want to keep it rather than destroy it. This seems strange because I haven't met anybody at the guild yet that seems as crazy as Molly so why he thinks that people within the guild would be "broken" like Molly but he was really worried about guild people getting hold of it so we discuss what has happened. Milo had notices that there was lots of strange people like Molly around and it seemed to be centred around Mr Perkin's pub as he had noticed people like Molly stopping and staring at the pub then Milo found he was losing time, where he couldn't remember what had happened but he realised it was the tear drop and that he had to get it away so he climbed up a ladder and stole the sign. How he had the strength to do that I don't know and how nobody didn't seem him I also don 't know but that is how he said he did it, no magics involved, oh well. He thought that if he took it to the Guild we would put it in a trophy cabinet where it would slowly make us crazy! He obviously doesn't know about the special rooms that can protect from magics how else do we learn new spells without blowing up the guild or ourselves or Seagate? But he thought he would drop it into the Gatar Depression where other magical stuff is dropped and left.

We tell Milo that his quest is now ours and that we will help him. However, we really need to have this artefact divinated but as Milo doesn't want to take it back to the Guild we have two options, go to one of the churches in Noverdom who might want to keep the artefact or go to Peter's church who won't want to keep it but maybe able to help so Milo says off to Peter's church we go.

But oh man, that means we have to ride our horse and then walk all the way up to the temple, why can't we fly, it would be so much faster and so less tiring and stuff. Peter is carrying the artefact in his helmet in the hope the iron will protect his mind from it. We travel till dusk and we make it to the foothills so still got ages to walk tomorrow. At least there is a river so I can go and have a swim, but there isn't much sunlight for a sunbath so I am glad Jazmyn isn't here because she would complain for sure but then Peter is talking to Milo about joining the church but I think as a healer and a traveller he should join the guild but he might have some problems with the army when he gets back so we will have to wait and see.

10th Thaw

After a lovely nights sleep under the stars we have to WALK... Not fly Doh, walk all the way to Peter's church. When we get there I see they have built a new compound since I have been here last, it looks much more used rather than a couple of tents that were there before when the bad guys were living there and we see Sir Harold and he is excited to see me again which is great, he is nice enough guy but after being away for a long time he is not sure of the world around him as it is now so we have much in common but I think I have overtaken him now I have been away with the guild rather than staying the Mountains with mum and dad. Peter and Sir Harold talk about the item and Sir Ross is keen to have a look, and figure out how to destroy it and Lady Celeste takes Milo away to have a look at him as well so the rest of us have time so Peter shows us around the temple and wow somebody has been doing some dusting, probably Peter I would say, he seems to be the trainee in all this church stuff. On the way out we ran into Sir Ross who wanted to check if the helmet was the thing we wanted him to look at and when he was told no he said that the only other thing was a horseshoe nail wrapped in cloth... NO SHELL, holy crap (I didn't say this as we were in church) but holy crap, we have been carrying something else, no wonder Peter wasn't going crazy carrying the helmet. Sir Ross said the cloth was slightly holy, heading towards divine! Whatever that means. How Sir Ross explained it was that it was at the same level that holy water would have in the holy stakes and it is probably been in contact with something holy but the aura of it is very faint and he is not sure of which plain it is from either so we wait for Milo because damn he lost it, he lost the artefact no wonder the others thought he was OK. While waiting Ibrihim is looking at the name on the end of a string??? Then Kirgoth grabs it from the end of the string and determined it was brass then he hits it with his great axe to break it in half, it seems he thinks that if it was an artefact it wouldn't break in half, well it did and so did the table - oops.

Lady Celeste says that Milo isn't well, she divinated him but it was very traumatic for Milo and he needs lots of rest and piece. The artefact has no specific name, it had a name but it was taken from it but the shell is only a fragment of something larger that had been destroyed and something wronged it that it is now getting its own back!!! An angry artefact. She doesn't know what plain it is from either and what Milo was getting is dreams of prophecy and that he was dreaming of flying into a featureless waste and fly into the ground to destroy the artefact but that would be suicide for him to. She said that it appears that the influence has been waning for the last two weeks maybe up to four weeks and she doesn't know what you can do to protect yourself against the issue other than leave and that we need the object to know how to break it.

Ibrihim says that we need to it to break it break or banish it but we have to be careful because Milo's impulse was to commit suicide and anybody else would have different thoughts but we need to talk to Milo so we wait until he is well enough for us to talk to him and he is really sleepy and we show him the nail, well two halves of the nail and he says that isn't what he put there. He was sure it was there wrapped in his cloth but he can't remember when he last looked for it, he just knew it was there. He remembers wrapping it after his mum and dads but hasn't looked since he thinks so we ask him did he meet anybody between 2 to 4 weeks ago and he said he had met a farrier family called Tobiase and Milly Saddler and they have 3 children, 1 girl and 2 boys. He helped them in the Sweet Riding because Milly was really sick. Teeanna asks and gets permission to hypnotise Milo so that he will remember properly. His memory is very confused, not like his mums, he seems to be missing time but he knew there was a problem with going near people but he couldn't help himself as after he tracked them for a while because even though they had a horse and cart they were going really really slowly he realised the mother was really ill and being a healer he had to help so he did during the day and he said the mother wasn't mad or anything just ill but he couldn't figure out how come she wasn't getting better at all but he made sure he slept away from them but he did say some nights he didn't sleep far enough away. He gave good descriptions of the family and the wagon He left them at Tobintown with them looking for work. They were heading through Brastor looking for work so could have moved on if no work found.

We decide that it is a good idea to go and find these people as it seems they might have the tear and Milo says we can go without him as he really isn't up to it so we head off after lunch to ensure we get to Tobintown as soon as possible and we make it to the road by dusk and stay there overnight and it was a lovely night again under the stars but still walking but tomorrow we can ride - still no flying though.

11th Thaw

We ride into Brastor Landing and swap horses at Father Broc's place which is nice but that means we can ride longer tomorrow, if we were flying we would have been there before last night, bloody riding makes my bum numb if I do it to long. Kirgoth asks about the family we are looking for and they don't know them so they haven't come through here. So we stay overnight at an inn which is a nice change, a warm bath, ahhhh.

12th Thaw

Kirgoth, Peter and I get up early to go to the market because I needed to buy some stuff that Henric wanted and this is a pretty good place to send it from so once that is done I see the others for breakfast and head off to Tobintown and after almost all day of riding, yes I said riding, doh, we get to Tobintown, man why can't we fly I don't know it is so unfair, bags Peter not being party leader next time cause then we can make him fly. We ask the guards about the farrier family and he knows them as they are staying out in the camp near the saw mill which is causing issues beating people and not working and stuff they have been throwing things at people who come out to see them and stuff. It sounds like we have found the right place, crazy people everywhere. We go to the see the Town Elders about helping out because we are from the guild and obviously that is what we do. As the Town Hall we get to go to a conference room which looks like they have been working for a long time as there is food scraps and mess everywhere and the Town Elders look tired and confused by what is happening as the people in the camp think anybody who isn't in the camp is an alien!!! The Town Elders need them to get to work so offer us 2,000 silver pennies each to fix it. Jules and Ibrihim have an argument about giving away to much information as maybe we could have earned more money or something?: I don't know 2,000 silver pennies can by a lots of build supplies for the inn so I am happy and I am sure Henric and Bodric are too and the Town Elders are a bit silly because they didn't realise that the camp was stashing food for days until they stopped letting people in so it was to late to do anything, oh well we get more money.

We get a rough sketch of the area where the horses are and stuff and we get given a room to stay in so we can talk about plans but Kirgoth goes out and about to do some further fact finding so when he comes back we find out that people go out to see people in the camp and don't come back and some people are seen again with the others and the one's that they don't see they think they are eating them. Kirgoth thinks that this is being alarmist but sounds interesting, I haven't heard of humans eating other humans before, sounds yucky but I wonder what it tastes like? Chicken?

We decide it is best to go out at night when everybody is asleep so at 2 am Ibrihim organises a storm so that it is wet and noisy to cover our noise, and we break up into two groups one for inside the camp and the other for outside, inside Teeanna is going as she can see crazy sparkly minds, Peter because he can search for evil things and Ibrihim for no real reason but to make up the numbers. Teeanna and Ibrihim are under invis but Peter doesn't want it as he thinks he can pass as a worker and it would mean having magics cast on him which he doesn't like. Outside Kirgoth is under his tarp with his weapons at ready, I am invis and Jules is unseen and we are all spread out. I am in the path of our escape route so I can defend people as they are coming at us if need be but also move as fast as I can so the others can overtake me.

The inside team head in.

As I am part of the outside team, I don't know what exactly happened with the inside team but the others advised me that Teeanna had sensed that there was a whole lot of sparkly bits in the middle so they decided to walk that way. Peter with his armful of wood to pass as a "crazy" got into the camp with the others invisible so they couldn't be seen anyway. When walking in Peter had nodded at one of the guards who assumed he was crazy too and let him through but Teeanna said all these sparkles joined into the guard and he turned and tried to spear Peter with his pike but Ibrihim told Peter who got out of the way and Ibrihim hit him instead so everybody was ok but the sparkles were going all weird so they decided to run to the middle where Teeanna said that there was a bunch of people sitting waiting around the main sparkles but now Ibrihim could be seen too. But as I was outside, I heard lots of people getting up and started to worry that there was a problem, then on the other side of the camp I could hear some screams, it works out that Kirgoth shot some people with his cross bow to cause panic and Jules and I started causing problems by collapsing tents and setting fire to rubbish and stuff to try and give Peter, Ibrihim and Teeanna some time to find the artefact so there was havoc everywhere because we were causing havoc and it was fun, just like being at home without the fires or the tents or the crazies but otherwise just like at home and while we were causing this havoc the inside team raced to the centre where it works out that Ibrihim is also a crazy, but anyone of us could have told you he was crazy but not this sort of crazy and I think we all have to be careful not sure how Peter and Teeanna didn't go crazy at this time either considering you can't really count them as completely normal either but hey we are all part of the guild oh, I suppose this is what Milo was worried about, if us newly trained guild members are having some issues and you imagine what other guild members have seen that the whole guild could go crazy straight away, hmmm, that is a worry but it was OK because even though Ibrihim went crazier the others were fine for now but when the inside team got to the middle tent all these people were waiting for them in there around the main sparkles and Teeanna sent in a phantom thingy and it seems that it was really bad because it allowed them to cut a hole in the side of the tent and grab the centre of the sparkles which was a woman that was ill before anybody else got to them but then Teeanna did another phantom thingy and that helped them get away. By this time it was starting to get a little quieter so I thought I would travel around to the others, when I got there Kirgoth had just shot a monster which was shining really really bright and Teeanna was cutting at the ladies eye that they had captured and I was just about to tell Teeanna that she needs to learn to be a better healer because those cuts weren't really neat nor medical looking but then she had the shell thing in her hand and she froze in mid movement, well I thought that we can't have our mind mage and a Princess frozen because her Necromancer husband may not like that and may take it out on us so I took it straight from her and she became unfrozen and I was fine.... I win, I am stronger than a mind mage, wow I am excited wait until I tell Henric what I did. We decided we needed to leave but Ibrihim was missing but we figured we could locate him later but we really needed to leave now because the locals are becoming a mob and we need to go so they won't be so crazy and we can get our money and get rid of it while we aren't crazy. So we wrap the artefact and put it in Peter's helmet and get away from the crazies and the town so that people aren't affected.

13th - 16th Thaw

In the morning Kirgoth and Jules head back to town to get our saying we have stopped the crazies but they were hanging around the town in mobs saying that people from a neighbouring town attacked them, While they were gone I cast locate to try and find Ibrihim but he was at the city gates too, he was part of the mob, then I saw he went back to the camp with the other crazies. Teeanna and Jules went to the town later when it was a little quieter and could get inside later in the afternoon to talk to the town elders they didn't think things were better so they wouldn't pay us but we can come back and collect if the crazies have calmed down, they also gave us a note to that fact too so we can come back and get it later. Jules went into the camp unseen to get Ibrihim. He said he had just been tagging along learning about stuff by talking and listening and going through people's belongings, I am not sure what that means but he said he needs practice and then Teeanna says Lyric has a mind finally... How rude is that but she was talking about the artefact I was carrying and she is just jealous that my mind is stronger than hers and I can carry it. Huh!

So we head off back to Peter's temple and other than Jules going on and on and on and on and on and on about lack of sleep, man he can talk, we get there safety except for more talk about sex. See Teeanna thinks that Jules complaining of lack of sleep is that sleep equals sex but I don't know how it is but she says sex is exercise??? And that exercise helps you sleep and that sex well good sex can be tiring??? She is one strange Elf, I think she is the type of elf the boys are worried about me hanging around with! And man, I have some weird dreams over these nights but I think it is from all the sex discussions, I don't know.

Late on the 3rd day of travelling we arrive back at the temple and Sir Ross takes the artefact from me to divinate it. While we are waiting Ibrihim goes off and talks to the church accountant to learn about temple accounting... See, I said he was weird and this is without the craziness affecting him!

When Sir Ross comes back he talks to the other Knights in a huddle until we ask them what is going on. The have found that the artefact is piece of a god, actually a piece of a murdered or destroyed god and it was destroyed while it was in power by what was counted as a "justly cause". The god is called Opheldal and it is some sort of dream and prophecy god and his symbol is that of a snake. This is all that is left and it is a bit crazy and it becomes a stronger crazier dead god if exposed to people more susceptible to being crazy! Its plain is Takaran.

Now we have a hard decision, do we take it to the guild and see if we can get somebody to destroy it, send it back to its plain, etc but where we have a high chance of making everybody crazy or do we leave it here and we go back to the guild to find out what we need to? Peter wants to look at the libraries and do some research, Ibrihim wants to talk to some beaver or badger or something as his church is obligated to destroy snake gods??? Ah, it is so hard because we need to ride and not fly and that there are crazy people here at the church and lots at the guild and lots of people between hear and the guild... AHHHHHHHHHHH

Sir Ross piped up and gave us an option that they had an incense burner for drugs!!! Teeanna is really excited and keeps asking about the drugs that go in it but Sir Ross finally said they don't have any but anyway he said that the burner is from King Sigismund time and as it is tainted they would like to get rid of it, see it has 4 chains which represents the archangels and he said that it is used to direct the effects of the drugs within but it has shutters and he believes it can be used contain the effects of the artefact. It is made of tainted metal, just like the blades on the arms of the monster in the lake at Noverdom. They said that it is useful to magics relating to mind and cohesion and stuff so this would be really helpful to my charm spells but it seems that Jules and especially Teeanna is interested in knowing more but Ibrihim is going on and on about the mind mage and E&E's shouldn't carry it or have access to it. Don't know what he is going on about because it sounds useful but it isn't our to keep so not sure. So we discussed if we are going to get rid of it in a weird temple that Peter knows or in the volcano where a balrog lives. Well considering the weird temple is currently surrounded by undead we can't really go there so I really don't know why Peter mentioned it so the volcano is the only place we can really get rid of it as we discuss taking it off plain but that would mean having to go back to Seagate and the Guild and that could be really bad, something that amplifies people who are susceptible, susceptible who have magic capability!!! Sir Ross did mention that the tainted alloy will get heavier as it gets closer to heat and it won't melt, so being in a volcano maybe it will follow the lava to the centre of the plain!

So off to the volcano we go and Sir Ross gives us some sketches of the area so that we can stay away from the balrog and find a good place to throw the artefact into it and guess what, the Templars can cast FLYING!!!! and Peter says it is a good use of magic so that we can get there quick and not infect anymore people. Yay, Peter has subverted to his dark side, I am sure as soon as he flies he will find that it is a fantastic way to travel and will want to fly everywhere just like I want to fly to everywhere. I am so excited we are going to fly but we aren't going to go until tomorrow as it is to late to go today but they can cast flying, I am soooo excited, wow how am I going to sleep.

17th Thaw

While waiting for Teeanna get ready to leave, we take a leisurely breakfast and Ibrihim and Peter talk about black hats and white hats and how black hats are evil and white hats aren't and I don't really understand because what happens if you don't wear a hat and then they confused me even more by saying the hats are on the inside! Well if the hat they are wearing is on the inside how can you tell between good and evil then they were linking them to people who are linked to demons being black hats and white hats to gods or archangels then Peter goes on about not having to be linked to gods and stuff and man my head hurt and I was so confused so I just will forget about the black hats versus the white hats for the time been until I can talk to somebody who makes sense about this stuff.

So we fly to the volcano but Peter's flying was really strange, I don't think he has been practicing flying and he definitely doesn't know how to land properly, when he was told where to land he was almost suicidal! We all land except for Jules who is keeping an eye out on what is happening. Teeanna said that there were a number of minds around the vents that we couldn't see and then we saw them, weird looking snake human things, not much taller than me but they don't seem happy that we are here. Peter puts the artefact on the ground so that he can grab his shield for extra defence so Teeanna picked it up and Ibrihim was not happy with this at all but I don't know what his problem was as she reactivated her wings to try and get to the volcano as soon as she could and he went after her but they didn't do to well with Ibrihim up on a ledge above the volcanos entrance and Teeanna on the splat into ash below him all alone and unprotected so Peter runs off to help and Kirgoth goes and attacks the one's to the left with Jules coming down to help and I am left to the one that Peter has run away from to help the others. But Teeanna gets up and is heading to the entrance of the volcano with Ibrihim flying down to help her but the featherfall takes a while to get him to the ground and I think Jules got in the way too so Teeanna is off with Ibrihim a bit behind her defending her back and Peter gets hurt really really badly and I think he is in real trouble so as I knock my snake man down I reactivate my wings and do a flying charge with my hammer into the snake thing that was hurting Peter and it works really well so I think the flying practice I have been doing at the guild has been helping, especially the jumping off high things to land better obviously is helping but as I land on the ground knocking over the snake thing one of them breaths out fire so lucky we missed that but then Teeanna throws the artefact and the now very heavy container into the volcano and was flying back out again so I made sure Peter flew off and hope that Teeanna or somebody looks after him because I think he is really in trouble so Kirgoth and I wait until everybody else is gone and because it seems like Kirgoth is trying to keep up with me on making these snake things die he wants to make sure I am not left behind to finish them off, I don't know it isn't a competition it is about helping out your party members oh well, we all got out of there OK except for Peter.

Lucky the others had caught up with Peter and we all landed about a bow range outside the forest. Peter is really bad so Kirgoth tries to do some healing but he isn't quite as experienced yet to fix bones and stuff so we have to carry Peter so we build a contraption to carry him on and head off to Westgate.

18th -21st Thaw

Get to Westgate were we get a room and organise for a healer to come and see Peter and heal him so that bones are better. As it is going to be a while Ibrihim, Jules and I decide to head off to Tobintown to pick up our pay for fixing the local problem out there. Teeanna and Kirgoth are staying behind to look after Peter. So we head off to Tobintown and it takes us two days and it is an uneventful trip but if only somebody in the air college would teach Ibrihim flying it would have been so much quicker and I think that in the future when we organise to help out a town like Tobintown we need to make sure we put in a provision for medical costs because I am sure that Peter's money is going to go on the medical expenses rather than giving it to his church! While we are out at Tobintown Ibrihim checks on his mates from the camp to see if all is OK and we get given the money which I make sure I keep so that Ibrihim doesn't spend it or something, and we stay in town and head off the next day and arrive back in Westgate the day after. I gave everybody else their monies to make sure they can spend it themselves because Ibrihim is really good at spending other people's money and I wasn't going to be responsible for that and I am really good with money so I looked after it really well.

22nd - 23rd Thaw

Head up to the temple because we need to collect Milo and take him back to Seagate as this was our main job and that getting rid of the artefact wasn't really what we were paid for, well we were but that was Tobintown paying for that bit but now we need to bring Milo back so that the Albrecht pays us too. And guess what, Peter admitted that magic saved his life and magic made him OK so I am sure from now on he is going to be less worried about magic, well I think he will and the templars give us a gift each for getting rid of their tainted container thingy so that was nice of them hopefully it does cool stuff.

24th - 25th Thaw

Head off to Westgate to give back horses and stuff and use Father Broc's portals to get back to Seagate. We use Father Broc's cupboard and arrive back into Seagate in the afternoon so we head off to the guild sending a message to Sergeant Albrecht that we have got Milo at the guild and to come and see us.

Sergeant Albrecht arrived at the guild with Lieutenant Pike to see Milo and seem happy to see that Milo is OK and also want to make sure he has some monies and we tell them we have the equivalent of the money ie the ring with wings that he had brought but not used. Lucky he didn't use it because if they have the money they might be able to cover Milo being missing but they aren't sure so we told them about the fact that Milo was doing something that would help them and that Seagate would have been really really crazy if he hadn't done it and that he was being heroic and stuff and that they really need to cover the fact he had gone AWOL and that they could say we were brought in to help him and stuff and that we could cover and they said they would try and that so that Milo will be OK.

So I think it is a good idea to give Milo some options as he is coming up to the end of his army life and I don't really think it is right for him anyway so I tell him he can always join the guild because they are always looking for healers and stuff and he seems to like travel so that is a bonus too or maybe he wants to join the templars but he says that they are a bit too marshal probably not what he is after so maybe we have a new guild member?? But Ibrihim thinks he should go and help orphanages and stuff because they always need help but I think Milo can make up his own mind I just hope he doesn't go back home and be a farmer because he really doesn't want to do that and I know what it is like to be expected to take up the family business when you really don't want to so he could always run away and join the guild, it seems to be how most people joined the guild.

Milo thanked us for helping him and for stopping him from committing suicide because he didn't really want to it was the artefact that was making him do it.

We also got a letter from Slokam and co saying sorry about the misunderstanding and that they had made a mistake and that they are looking for the artist elf for us. Well I am glad they understand that I am not a prostitute and that girl dwarfs carrying a war hammer around is not a prostitute and if they get confused again they might get the war hammer where it hurts but as they were mistaken and hopefully they learn by those mistakes because I really don't want to hurt somebody because they were mistaken!

Well, the adventure is over and I think we should all go and have a drink at a local pub to celebrate because we have ages until the next guild meeting and we may not see each other for a long time but when I look around everybody is gone. Oh well I will go and look for Mavric because I would really like a beer...

Kirgoths Notes

Finding Milo

Interviews

• Watchmen

Senior Sergeant Antaeus Albrecht, Milo is the last member of his company, the very few survivors have been retired in Brastor. He is a poor soldier, possibly life aspected. He healed the poor in old seagate. Has a hunch it may be slavers but has no real evidence. Later questioning showed he had not slept in the barracks on the 6th Snow and was officially missing on the 7th.

Priest in the barracks, Milo is a very good person, possibly holy. He spent his free time helping the poor and working girls in old seagate. Occasionally worked in the soup kitchen and spent time talking to crazy people.

Kirgoth, I have seen Milo previously, he is a human in early twenties.

• Working Girls

Molly, Milo doesn't take payment in kind, is well liked by the people in the area. He visisted most ladies. Molly is insane, divination reveals this has been enhanced by her being near an artifact of some sort for the last year, she should recover to her normal levels of insanity. Searching of her rooms revealed many things arranged in ordered layout. She said "men with the heads of birds are building nests in my mind", further questioning revealed they had the heads of herons and crows.

Suzy, Molly has been getting saner for the last 5 or so weeks, appears to be last person to have seen Milo on the morning of the 7th snow and was wearing a ring with unusual sigil which she recognised as an invested, like the ones the watch wear. He seemed frightened of something and was wearing travelling clothes.

• Crazies

Barkeep, at the pub to north of old seagate by the slaughterhouses, he is insane, obsessed with order of things, ordering people by height and such.

Pub patrons, the barkeep has been getting saner for last few weeks, seemed saner even a day after we last saw him.

Pie salesman, Seemed to think he was going to the barracks when actually returning to his bakery

Chap followed with pie, Seemed to be having a religious experience with a "mostly meat" pie, managed to evade the party.

Norman, inkeep and the mothers lament, His sign is a piece of elven art of a crying woman and had the shell in the eye nicked. It was made by some elf called Renado Grenalt who is allegedly also guilty of being an artist and was run out of seagate.

• The poor

Old people in the common, none seemed paticularly insane, mostly poorly fed and ill due to this.

One of Phaetons children, phaeton not involved, knows Milo, hasn't seen him for some time.

Beggar Lord Abrim, Milo was seen leaving seagate crossing the bridge late in the day on the 7th. He had confided in him that something was causing agression in town, that the dark circle was the key or answer to the problem. The problems seemed to be centred on the tavern "mothers lament" near blue gate (northern gate of old seagate), the tavernkeeper he admitted to having ill feelings towards as he had a beggar flogged when he returned the tavern sign he found in an alley. Milo's parents used to live in a town called 'so so' which is to the east between cazala and brastor. Since Milo has left abrim has noticed less trouble.

Thomas, elderly beggar who led us to Abrim.

• Guildsmen

Harbourmaster, a human fitting description of Milo asked if there were ships departing to the Novadon region on the morning of the 6th, there wern't any so he left

Dockworkers, none remember seeing anyone fitting the description of Milo.

• Merchants

Human celestial mage in seagate, Sold Milo invested shadow wings on the morning of the 7th, which fits the description of the ring from Suzy. Gut feeling says this guy deserves a good beating. This was worth several years income for a watchman.

• Criminals (crimes include: premeditated assault of a member of the guard, attempted murder of a member of the guard, armed insurrection against the civil authority, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to the above crimes, and resisting arrest)

Interrogation of the prisoners gained sworn, signed and witnessed statements saying that a Mr Sloakam, a Mr Ketch and a female by the name of Mad Abbey, all of whom are criminals whom the guard hasn't been able to arrest previously due to lack of evidence hired them to do these crimes. Their arrest; and the trial, punishment and fining of them and their thugs has been left with the civic authorities of Seagate and the Duke to deal with. I have brought a civil case against them for damages, pressed charges against them and made sure all the legal stuff is in order. They appear to have attacked the party after thinking that Lyric was a hooker and Teeanna was her pimp and competing with them.

• Family

His mum, She is in so-so east. He arrived unexpectedly around the 9th, stayed for a week and then left. He then left for Brastor after saying he was doing something that would "save everyone".... He argued with his father as he didn't wish to be a farmer, had no women he was doing locally. His regiment was eaten at the keep near Lousiston, which is near their old farm.

• Brastor

Westagate, Full of people with foreign ideas. ex slaves, no hookers, don't like worshippers of archangel-elves. Spoke to locals and none remember Milo. This place has the feel of a military camp pretending to be a town.

Huglars ferry, People remember seeing someone matching the description of Milo about two weeks ago, acting strangely, looking at people.

Evidence

• Papers

Letters from family, These do not indicate any reason for him to have left in a hurry

Divination thingie of Molly, Written notes on weird artefact thingie causing madness

Copies of statements from thugs

• Research

Church library, Sir Peter's research has shortlisted a handful of demons with associations with birds, one of which has the head of a bird and is the demon of strife and discord.

Guild library, The magic thingie could have been made by a demon but not show up as demonic, but then again might not be.

Ibrihim and the air, He nightly walked into a copse of trees from his mothers house in so-so, by himself and got cold.

Temple of Templars, We are taking Milo to this tragic place as some of the followers of the elfangels may be able to find out more about the artifact and how to destroy it.

Known associates

Working girls,Crazy people, Soup kitchen workers, Retired members of previous company (Brastor), Other members of the watch and his Family in the western kingdom.

Timeline

• About a year ago, the elfartist Renado Grenalt sells the sign to the mothers lament, hiding an evil madness causing artifact within it as the tear of a woman. This artifact seems associated with the deamon of strife and discord.
• The last year, Madness hits seagate more than is usual and is eventually noticed by Milo
• 6th Snow, Milo left the barracks and went to the dockmaster that morning asking about travel by ship to the Novadon region, was told none were leaving. He didn't sleep in the barracks that night.
• 7th Show, Milo stole the dukes money set aside to pay the seagate guard and purchased an expensive, invested shadow wings in the morning. Later that day he stole the tear from the sign of the 'mothers lament' tavern in old seagate, being seen looking frightened and wearning travelling clothes. Later in the day he was seen crossing the bridge.
• 9th Snow, He arrived in so-so to visit his mother and father
• 16th Snow, He departed so-so for Brastor, estimated time of travel being a week
• 16th Snow-1st Thaw, Milo claims to have spent these six weeks with a family of farriers looking after a sick female, sanity begins to return to seagate.
• 1st Thaw or abouts, Artifact taken from Milo and madness begins to spread in Tobintown
• 1st Thaw, Milo arrives in Huglers ferry
• 14th Thaw, Milo found at home town of Lewiston, preparing to travel into the gatar depression.

Milo Located in his hometown of Lewistown

Tracing the Artifact

Interviews

Milo, Found him in Brastor within the ruined town of Lewistown. Living in a tower with undead in the basement. Has claimed to have some artifact which is a magical tear and seems to think dropping it in the gatar depression would help. He is Mad, deeply under the influence of some madness causing artifact magic and has indicated that he looses periods of time where he cannot remember what he did. He admitted stealing the pay for the seagate guard to fund his escape and purchase of invested items. A couple of days later we checked out the artifact and found it had gone so questioned him further. He was delayed getting to Brastor as he helped out a family of farriers, the mother of whom was quite ill. Their names were Tobias and Milli Saddler and they have three children (2male,1female) aged 6-10. They were travelling in a beatup cart with a very tired horse. Last time he looked at it was a couple of weeks ago before he left them. They were heading to Tobintown

Guards at westgate, Have not seen the family.

Civic leaders at Tobintown, 70 families have gone insane, are refusing to work and have been for the last couple of weeks, they live in a tent town outside of tobintown and have a few animals. They beat up the cpt of the guard when he tried to reason with them. The money savvy in the party have arranged a decent pile of silver for fixing up the problem.

Hookers and others in town, The saddlers are one of the families in the tent town.

Getting the tear from westgate, The sneaky types went in and got the tear as the rest provided distraction. They ran out with a sick unconcious old lady, Teeanna cut the tear out of her head. A glowing figure appeared in the camp of the mad people and I shot it making it go away.

Evidence

Divinations at the temple of the elfangels, The tear was wrapped in a cloth which is very holy (nearly artifact level). The tear appears to have been something to do with a wronged evil which is trying to do evil stuff. It causes madness and could be used by someone not as good as Milo for ill, destroying it would be good. Some mind protect magic stuff might help as will a strong will and lack of imagination. Milo has been getting less mad for the last couple of weeks.

Divination of the tear, The tear is the last bit of a dead god thing which makes people go mad and feeds off the madness. Destroying it is probably not possible, nor is healing it to restore the god. Keeping it away from people will stop the madness. The chruchy types think they might be able to work out a way to destroy it. Ibrihim, Teeanna and Jules wish to take it back to the guild. This seems like a very elf idea, cause won't it make all the guild people go crazy ?, After shouting loudly and many more elf ideas we get rid of it somewhere, where im not going to say, but pretty hard for people to get back.

Peronal observation, when ive been sleeping near the thing for the three days it took to get back to the churchy temple i have had weird ass, vision things, these may be what the humans call dreams.

We got the artifact and got rid of it pretty damn well (problem solved)

Renado Grenalt

Criminal who put the tear into seagate and caused the whole business to start in the first place

Crimes, Placing a magical item which caused civil disorder within seagate, disguised within a sign. Responsibility for driving several people insane (molly, milo, barkeep, etc). Responsibility for the civil disorder resulting from this items placement.

Art, this has been decriminalised in Seagate, which has lead to a huge amount of art within the city.

The insanity defence, It is likely he was insane at the time of doing this, however he will still be responsible for placing it in seagate unless it actually controlled him to do so. There is no evidence that this control is in the tears powers and the insanity it seemed to produce was more a desire to order things and get into fights.

After arriving back in seagate several of the "business" people who sent their thugs after us turned up and appologised for the misunderstanding, but they might have been a bit mad at the time. They said they would help the town watch by helping to look for Renado.

Renado is going to get a kicking

Peters Journals

A meeting in the Guild

The Lady's grace was bestowed upon me once again and I felt compelled to head to the Guild after purchasing my horse as commanded by Sir Samuel. Once there the I felt no compulsion until advised on a young missing healer whom the watch had been charged with recovering and so after a short prayer for guidance I joined others in the briefing room.

Once again my comrades were not the most depraved individuals but the taint of strong drink was upon the lips of some. They seemed confident and well equipped for the task at hand and come from a wide range of interesting cultures.

After discussions on the dynamics the Lady works through me and I am placed in command of the group asked by Senior Sergeant Antaeus Albrecht of Phoenix Company to locate a young healer names Milo.

The young man is of a healthy and pious disposition and he is renowned for his assistance of the poor and unwell within Old Seagate, yet he has gone AWOL over two months ago. It is to the credit of his nature that those who could investigate his disappearance are choosing not to investigate in order for his absence to continue unofficially, as official notice would cause hardship for him when he is recovered. We are requested to investigate unofficially.

A trip to town

We choose to head to the barracks first to see if his personal effects will present any leads. While it seems wrong to intrude upon his personal effects it is for the best of reasons. We remove his artefacts as carefully as possible but the only things of interest are some letters. While reviewing the moral position on reading private correspondence Lyric grabs the letters and begins reading, it turns out they are letters from home and so we spread out our search and speak to the local priest.

The priest is a man of Rafael and has a high regard for Milo. He tells us that Milo would spend his free time assisting the ladies of ill-repute in Old Seagate curing their infections, and so with glee in the eyes of our goblinoid companion we head to the older part of town. The term 'Old Seagate' causes some dissension and discussion as the Elven Princess does not believe that anything as recent as the town should have the designation of 'Old'. This spreads into a greater discussion of cultural differences that is most enlightening.

Kirgoth is a regular visitor to these locations and knows his way around well, his lewd comments do not sit well with me but I am assured it is 'cultural'.

We quickly find friends and acquaintances of Milo by finding a Brothel where he regularly healed the young women. We learn that he does not take payment in kind and my regard for him goes up.

We locate a young lady called Molly who is in need of Healing and I take her to a corner to pray hard for her soul, Uriel works through me and Molly is healed of her afflictions, he also seems sounder of reason and I advise her to speak to the priests at the Temple who will help her out of her current situation. She seems filled with the hope of Uriel and I believe she will improve her situation. While we were praying it appears Kirgoth has 'assisted' a number of young ladies, both with their afflictions and their financial situation.

Departing the brothel we head out to the street to discuss our next steps.

Our discussions on the streets led us the conclusion we should leave the brothel district and head to a tavern to quietly discuss our findings. Due to a series of misunderstandings, possibly cultural or language based, the quiet discussion in a tavern became a philosophical debate in the street accompanied by the ownership of a pie cart. In the confusion of this new approach to the mission the party were swayed by moral arguments and so we headed off to donate the pies to the poor and needy. Which in turn led to a series of clues and more philosophical debate.

Clues

• The pieman has a similar effect in his mind to Molly.
• The pieman said he was returning to the barracks when we bid him farewell yet his path took him to the bakery.
• A man left holding a pie reverently.

Philosophical debate

• What coins exist of lesser value than a true-silver guinea and the deleterious effects of high value coinage on local business.
• The reverence of Pie's and accompanying Demonic/Criminal/Inlaw related influences.

The result of which is that we try once more to locate a tavern in which to sit quietly and discuss our next steps.

Finding a quiet in near the abattoir just outside the gates of Old Seagate we quench our thirst in a variety of ways from River water to Absinthe dependant on taste and cultural upbringing after much discussion on where we should sit. The barkeep keen on enforcing a by height seating order and Lady Teeaana refusing to sit next to Cold Iron in the form of Master Kirgoth and his plate mail.

From here we elected to head back to our first port of call, the brothels, to check for further signs for the illness affecting Molly in the hope of the Healers at the guild divining more of its nature. In order to save time we also checked the bartender (Mad but an unrelated madness to Molly) and a number of people outside the walls who were in need of assistance and healing.

We also engaged in further philosophical debates on the nature of procreation and the enforcement of a defined moral law over the allowance of free will and personal moral choice. Particularly in regards to the healing of those choosing to partake in acts of moral turpitude. It appears Miss Lyric has the right precepts, by my own definitions but is unwilling to accept that others may have different interpretations. I feel some time with the monks would be good for her understanding.

After healing a few more of the chronically sick healed we head back to the brothels to begin the search for more people with the same illness as Molly. After healing a few more ladies we are alerted by Lady Teeanna exclaiming that there is a madwoman outside. We chase down the hurrying figure only to realise it is Molly, perhaps Lady Teeanna forgot her name when she saw her passing in the street.

We take Molly back to the guild and leave her to the tender care of the Healers for the night.

Ale, Brothels and Cogitation

The second day dawned bright and clear and the spring breeze made prayer outside the Guild a most invigorating experience. Refreshed in mind, body and spirit I met with the others to discuss what the Healers had discovered about Molly.

The first discovery was that under the guidance of Sir Kirgoth and Miss Lyric they had summoned mages to perform their foul rituals upon her in the night, the misguided fools. The result of all this intrusion into Molly's psyche is that an item is believed to be causing the madness and that Molly must have spent significant amounts of time in the items presence.

To avoid further contamination with the item I arranged for Molly to reside at the guild and suggested employment in the Guild kitchens might be gainful and useful activity that will aid in cleansing the soul. Hopefully, clean living and some honest toil will save her soul and restore her health.

And so armed with knowledge and secure in the fact that Molly is out of harms way we set off to Seagate to gather the Lady Teeanna and investigate the lodgings of Molly.

The residence of Molly was somewhat ramshackle but seemed pleasant enough. I was wary of the stairs and unkeen to leave my pack alone and so headed outside to watch the street. After some time I observed a basket weaver whose establishment overlooked the street and afforded the man a good view of the comings and goings within the street. Unfortunately he was unaware of people who had moved onto or off the street in the past few months, although I suspected that he may simply be unkeen to divulge such information to a stranger in case he implicated an associate. While the lie is morally flawed the actions of protecting ones friends and community is upstanding and understandable. Such communities are often highly protective of each other and the likelihood of him knowing the comings and goings is very slim, it is hoped that when news of the nature of our search becomes known he may search me out and provide his information.

After some time the others had concluded their search of the room and made friends with other residents, and a few belongings had been gathered to make Molly feel more at home at the Guild.

Sir Kirgoth then went to investigate the docks, while I headed to the library to research demons that may have resemblances or powers over birds which Lady Lyric believes are haunting the dreams of Molly.

I assembled a list of possible Demons, Andras is the most likely suspect as he closly matches the description given by Miss Lyric however Agares, Decarabia, Naberius, Raum and Stolas also have similar connections with birds.

We then headed to a purveyor of magical trinkets who in addition to encouraging larceny with his high prices, encourages people to sloth by allowing them to use magic. I did not enter the den of iniquity. The others spoke with him and determined that he had indeed purchased magical abilities in the form of a ring. How appropriate that something that leads people down the path of sloth is in the form of a ring a symbol of binding, how blatant can these peddlers be in their lures.

From here Sir Kirgoth informs us that Milo had been seen at the docks seeking passage to Novadom but left dissatisfied when no boats were available immediately. We headed to the docks in Old Seagate to see if he had tried to book passage up the Sweetwater to Brastor but like the Weaver near Molly's they were typically close lipped.

Sirs Kirgoth, Jules and Ibrahim headed off for some further investigations while I escorted the ladies for an afternoon tea. Apparently the reasoning for this separation was once again cultural.

At this point Justice and the Moral imperative prevailed and Jules returned with a guide to take us to an influential person in Seagate. The reason he was willing to see us was the distribution of Pies and alms to the poor thus proving the benefits of good works. On the assumption we will be visiting parts of town frequented by the poor we organise to take additional food.

Our thoughts prove correct and we are taken to an abandoned building on the edge of town, the room is covered in refuse and is home to many of Seagates poorest. It is a pity we only have so much food but we distribute what we have and I make a note to return sometime more aid.

We are escorted into a room beneath an upturned boat and we meet with the leader of this band of beggers. As my studies into classical literature indicate he is indeed wearing scraps of velvet in his cloak. He is found to be a most reasonable man and indicates that Milo has probably headed to Brastor which matches our thoughts on the matter. He also warns us that Cultural misunderstandings mean we are likely to be attacked in the coming days. We thank him for his aid and retire to find Sir Julius reporting a massing of thugs in a nearby tavern. It appears we were warned just in time. I don my armour and pray quickly in preparation for the defence of my companions.

Since it is almost certain that direct conflict between armoured adventurers and the 'concerned businessmen' we have been warned about may result in unnecessary suffering on their part we elect to try and avoid the mob and return as quickly as possible to the Guild. Unfortunately we are surrounded and Sir Kirgoth is surprised as he leads the way, he unfortunately reacts with the automatic reactions of the highly trained and eviscerates the poor unfortunate before he has time to pull the blow. I quickly try to aid the man but Uriel takes him for judgement.

The cries of the dying man alert the mob to our location and soon we are trapped in an alley with a mob between us and freedom. Calls for the mob to surrender are ignored and the mob is soon falling to our blades as they persist in their attack. Sir Kirgoth in an attempt to avoid further death is too lenient and goes down under the mob before being valiantly rescued by Sir Julius. I do my best to quickly wound my opponents encouraging them to flee although I am outnumbered and unable to control my blows as well as I would like and one poor soul loses a hand.

The mob summons one more charge but are quickly encouraged into other pastimes, Kirgoth pretends to fall unconsious to give them a chance to escape.

From around a corner a large Bear appears and hugs one of the people fleeing, by the time I manage to get to there the bear has already let him go and sat down. The fight is over.

I confirm the streets are clear and my blade is clean. The other seem to have the scene in order and have met with a somewhat scruffy man apparently from the Guild known as Kilroy, and leaving things in their capable hands I head to a local priest to organise transport to Brastor.

A short trip

It appear my colleagues are committed to the folly of flying, apparently deluded by the majesty of birds into forgetting the unnatural nature of such. I am most confused by Lyric who seems particularly enthused by something that will leave her unable to talk without shouting for many hours while doing nothing more than concentrating on going forwards in the cold.

Accepting this folly, yet seeking alternatives I speak with a friend to portal down to Brastor. While this goes against my better judgement it will be much safer for the party and is faster than flying which will keep the impatience to a minimum. Good honest toil seems anathema to these people and riding to Brastor will not be accepted.

Once my negotiations for the portals use are completed I return to the guild for a night spent in prayer and cleaning my armour and weapons.

In the morning the trip to Brastor is once again postponed in favour of a trip a few miles south of Seagate to Visit Milo's parents. I doubt anything will be discovered other than a more accurate date for when Milo headed off to Brastor and so decline to fly, instead remaining in Seagate to make restitution to those injured in the previous days fracas.

The party return a few hours later with a date that Milo left for Brastor and a few injuries from mishaps while flying. It is hard not to feel smug, such feelings being inappropriate I spend an extra hour in prayer and contemplation to remove such unworthy thoughts.

In the evening the party went to an inn 'The Mothers Lament' for supper. On the way we stopped at the astrologers as a reading had been performed. The reading triggered some memories of Scribe Notes I had read involving the Church. I went back to the Library to research these to see if they have any bearing on the matter.

Upon reading them and recalling a few of the details discussed with Father Broc, I think there are some remarkably similar features between the Astrology Reading and the Scribe notes but neither really matches the information we have divined from other sources so the information is stored as a final lead in case out primary investigations turn up blank.

The next day we finally head to see Father Broc and ask him to use his Rune Magics to transport us to Brastor. It transpires that most of the Party know of Father Broc ans so it is something of a reunion.

He transports us to Brastor and we arrive in a small house close to the town of Westgate. We bid farewell and start our journey to Lewiston.

Brastor

Our first stop is the town of Westgate, a strange and unwelcoming town. The locals are freindly but it seems more like an army encampment than a town. We check with the local healers and physicians for traces of Milo without success and head onwards to the more friendly town of Hugler's Ferry where I have spent much time assisting with the rebuilding.

On the route it is realised that the Lady Teeanna affected as she is by Cold Iron will require some bronze stirrups made when we reach Hugler's Ferry and so it is the the Smith I head when the town is reached. I have assisted him often in the past and he is happy for me to borrow some Bronze and time on the forge. It appears that the party are ill used to manual labour as they check in frequently to see if I have finished the work, forging however takes many hours to ensure the strength of the work, and it is late into the night before the work is finished. I awake early to polish and finish to work before adding my makers mark. Tired but reinvigorated by the good honest toil I head to breakfast and the continuation of the trip.

It is at this point we are reminded the the Lady Teeanna has subjects that require attention and she departs for three days to attend to her duties. I take Kirgoth to the temple for Martial Training in case it is required in the near future.

Lewiston or Bust

Once regrouped we head to Lewiston. Upon arrival we spy someone watching us from the ruins of an old tower. In order to gain information we employ subterfuge and appear to set up camp while Masters Ibrahim and Julius sneak back to see who the watcher is. Unfortunately they elect to use magic to do this and as a result we are blessed with chaos and misfortune. Suffice it to say that Milo almost commits suicide, the tower collapses and we find ourselves fighting a zombie horde that had escaped our detection. Thus are the perils of magic.

Failing to sence the inherent Evil of the Zombie horde has made it apparent that I have left the path the lady has assigned me and I realise I have left a debt unpaid when I had the chance to repay it. It is that of the Smith in Hugler's Ferry, I resolve to return at the earliest possible opportunity to make amends.

Milo is somewhat baffling in his logic and we discover that he has been heading to the Gatar Depression in order to remove the tear from Carzala, and he has been travelling as secretly as possible in order that the Guild should not find out about it. He believes members of the guild would simply mistake the item for a trinket and display it causing harm to Guild members and those they interact with. After several adventures I cannot say I disagree with his beliefs in this regard.

After offering a number of possible plans, we head to the temple for the wisdom of the Knights.

The Madness Spreads

The knights spend some time in Prayer and Divination to determine that the artefact is in fact no longer with Master Milo but is powerful enough to turn a rough cloth into a holy artefact. Speaking with Master Milo we determine that the item has most likely been stolen by a Farrier or his family and we set off immediately for Tobintown before the madness spreads.

We are too late.

Arriving in Tobintown we are appraised of a situation a few miles out of town where a group of 70 families are acting strangely, refusing to work and beating up the town guard.

We volunteer to assist, but not before the more mercenary elements within the party coerce additional payment out of the townsfolk.

That night with the blessing of the Lady upon us we head into the camp, however the madness is directed towards us and people are alerted to our presence. Running through the camp we realise the source of the affliction is within a large tent at the centre of the camp. Master Ibrahim believes that by scattering coals about the ground we can scare the occupants into leaving without harm. Unfortunately while carrying a heavy brazier Master Ibrahim abruptly wanders off, we later find he had been afflicted by the madness. Such is the weakness that magic encourages within the body.

The lady Teaana and I continued upon our journey to the centre of the camp and without worrying about the locals we tear a hole in the side of the tent and carry out the unconscious form that lay within.

Fleeing the encampment we escape to the riverbank with relatively little pursuit. Fearing a mob I prepare my armour, only to find that the mob remains within the walls. The body we had recovered had passed beyond assistance but the evil relic had been recovered and was in the safe hands of Miss Lyric.

After putting some distance between us and the camp we bury the old lady we recovered from the tent and after prayers some sleep and some scouting around the town we head off to the temple.

Ibrihim's Notes

Not so much a record of the adventure, as a series of insights and aphorisms.

• Never be in earshot when an elven princess explains sex to a dwarf

• Never reason with a beggar when you can apply leverage instead

• Never send a man to do a woman's work

• Do not try to blend in with the downtrodden if you are :
  • an elven princess wearing silk & jewels
  • an orc with heavy plate mail & glaive
  • naive and god-touched, with an aura of holy beautific sanctity
  • with a dwarf who cannot shut up. ever.

• In the local Cult of the Wingéd Ones
  • There are no devils concerned with sustenance
  • There are two major devils looking after camels (although most people do not know what a camel is)
  • There are six or seven major devils looking after bird life
  • They do not appear to engage in human sacrifice
  • They do not seem to have layers of temples beneath their sacrificial altars

Guild Security Information

Third Party Divinations

Guild Namers have not had an opportunity to examine these items directly, but the information recorded in the Templar's documents are consistent with the parties observations and the usual practise of divinating such items.

Clearly editorial commentary and advice has been retained, but have been indicated by italics .

The "Tear"

Aura Strength: Avatar (Fading?)
Generic True Name: Orphealdhal, Patron of Prophesy and Dreams
Plane of Origin: Tarkaran
Banishment Status: Not summoned/Unbanishable (may be connected to other objects)

This translucent scale came from the face of a murdered god called Orphealdhal. It retains a rudimentary awareness of its surroundings, a tiny sliver of its former wisdom and powers, and almost none of the judgement and sanity of its previous self.

The original godhead was sundered in the region of a thousand years ago and the agents of its destruction were entities Named as "The Comfort of a Justly Held Cause" and "Savage Joy at the Shattered Despot" but the nature of these entities is not made clear.

For the past two years it has been sequestering power from the minds of those most receptive (the emotionally wounded and mentally unstable) to it's silent call, and has in turn used their dreams to spread it's influence in an attempt to recover it's former power. However, while it once granted insight and foreknowledge it is now only capable of deepening the disturbance in the unfortunates it draws to itself.

In the last three months it has regained enough strength to affect those not apparently mad, and within the last month it bonded with a mortal (human) creature and started to form a new Avatar. This process was interrupted by the death of the bonded entity.

It still has the ability to influence those who touch and or are within a short distance of it, although more weakly, and could quickly rebuild to dangerous level of power. While I do not believe that the original Deity was actively malevolent, its remains are very dangerous and should be destroyed or placed somewhere far from centres of population.

Sir Ross ui Kearne
Templar of the Order of the Temple of Light
Knight of the Sword of Light
Thaw WK807

The Thurible of Beguiling

Aura Strength: Magical
Generic True Name: N/A
Plane of Origin: Alusia
Nature of Magic: Containing and Elevating Rapture, Communion

Description: This elaborately decorated censer is suspended by four chains, fastened by representation of the four traditional Elohim in winged form, and has a shuttered compartment for the charcoal and the incense that produces the scent smoke. It is shaped from Tainted Alloy, a certain admixture of Strange Metal and Mithral whose primary effect is if that it is contact with a non-Mage they resist magic as if they had a (Thaumaturgy) college. It also reacts to heat oddly, altering its normal weight from about 5lbs at 20°C down to less than 1lb in near freezing and increasing it more than 30lbs when the charcoal is lit and the inner crucible reaches near 200°C.

The Thurible's primary magical purpose is to contain and focus the effects of an intoxicating incense to heighten the effect of rituals that it is used during, merging the experience of the participants together. It also increases the Ranks of spells of subtle influence cast when holding by three. This was regarded as being borderline heretical when it was created some 600 years ago, and had been place in the vaults of Order of the Knights Templar for much of that time.

With the shutters closed it is hoped that the effect of the fragment of the murdered god, Orphealdhal will be deadened sufficiently to allow the members of the Guild of Adventures to convey it to place where it can be destroyed or contained.

The return of the Thurible is not required if it necessarily destroyed or lost in process of removing the threat of the fragment.

Sir Ross ui Kearne
Templar of the Order of the Temple of Light
Knight of the Sword of Light
Thaw WK807

Guild Divinations

presented to Julius

Bracer of the Steady Grasp

Wearing this leather bracer provides a +1 DM (and the status of magical damage) to weapons wielded or thrown by the arm it's worn on. However, the bonus does not persist or stack with any other magical DM bonus, spell or intrinsic, on the character or weapon. Weapon-smithing, Rank, and overstrength bonuses do not override the bonus. The wearer may also elect to re-roll a single Fumble table result per day, taking the second result. Thrown weapons also start incurring the -3 per hex range penalties after 5 hexes rather than at the first hex.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Reinforcement Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Teeanna

Silver Hoop Ear-ring

This ear-ring allows a mage to cast a spell without requiring preparation in their first or second pulse (which includes a surprise pulse) of a combat. If they choose to do so, the next magical preparation (either spell preparation or Triggering) they undertake during that combat will require that they complete an additional Magical Pass Action before they can initiate it. This item has no effect outside of pulse time.

Aura Strength: Magic Nature of Magic: Foresight Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Ibrihim

God-touched Bandage

This ordinary looking strip of cotton cloth once briefly concealed the fragment of a dead, insanity causing deity, as it attempted to escape complete destruction. The lingering effects on the cloth mean that a small object, less than an inch in any dimension, may wrapped in the cloth and rendered completely undetectable to Gods, Angels, Demons, Dragons and other creatures of power. The cloth is still detectable and has a mildly Holy aura.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Deific (Concealment) Plane of Origin: Alusia (Mostly) Value: Gift GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Kirgoth

Lava-newt Skin Bandages

These strips of the rough, chalky hide from the underbelly of humanoid reptiles know as Lava-newts. Properly preserved, the it can be used a wound dressing that increases the wounded characters resistance and chance to recover from infection by doubling their effective EN. The dressings also prevent further environmental contamination of Specific Grievous wounds and can be reused once thoroughly cleaned and dried.

There are enough dressings for three Specific Grievous wounds or six general wounds.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Resilience Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Peter

Reliquary of Magnus the Strong

This slender wooden box (2/3"x 4" x 2/3") is said to contain the bone of the right index finger of one of the first Templar Knights. If a Templar uses the Reliquary as a focus for prayer and carries it on their person they can draw on Magnus' fabled strength of will to fuel Templar abilities.

The Templar may invoke Magnus's name and draw a single fatigue point to power an ability, which additionally has a +10% chance of succeeding if it requires a base chance to be rolled against. The reliquary stores one point for each of previous three days that the Templar has engaged in morning, noon, and evening prayers, and has not transgressed their code of conduct. The point generated the previous day's pious conduct becomes available for use once the first prayers of current day have been completed; however oldest point becomes unavailable upon preceding midnight.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Strength of Will Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Lyric

Casket of Enchanted Murmurs

This compact wooden box is constructed of a richly-grained reddish wood, probably cherry, and has brass hinges and fittings. It has a simple, effective latch but no lock, and can contain about 2" cu of contents.

Additionally, if a Adept of the College Enchantments and Ensorcelments minute casts an single targeted Entity spell (if the spell can optionally target single entities, it qualifies) they can direct it into the box for later use. It is triggered by opening the lid of the box (a Pass action) and will target the entity opening the box, unless they are an Adept of the E&E College who may direct the spell as though they were the caster.

However, if the target resists, the spell bounces back, and if was directed by an adept they must also resist or be effected. At this point the spell is expended if it was successfully resisted or not.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Utterance Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift GM: Ben Taberner

Optional Blessing

If the players wish, they may elect take on a "blessing" from their contact with "the Tear" - this is a draft form and discussion is welcomed. Those who are not interested by be assumed to have paused near the Mind Mage college for long enough to have their id straightened.

Touched by Divine Madness

During the course of this adventure <name here> encountered the victims of a divine madness, spoke with them, investigated their symptoms via Healer/Mind Mage/Divinatory abilities, and came in close proximity of it's origin, a scale from the face of the murdered, mad alien deity of Prophesy and Dreams, Orphealdhal. They were also present at it's probable destruction.

Due to this experience, <name here> may elect to, once an adventure, seek the deeper mysteries hidden in a divinatinatory poem, puzzle, vision, or dream. Choosing one element of the experience (a line or couplet from a poem or the current scene of a dream or vision) and attempt to intuit whether holds a element of literal or figurative truth.

For example, if they were to witness a vision that showed them a demon standing in a lake of blood, they may try to determine whether the demon or the lake are actually real, were alluding something, or merely hallucinations, as determined by the GM.

If the attempt succeeds or fails, they will project the least favourite aspect of their personality more strongly during the following three hours.