Session Sixty - October 11, 2008

[Matt]

Halane 17, 731

As evening descends Kaelyn attempts her near nightly scrying of the Earl of Neph. As her bowl begins to form a picture, she sees a large room with its walls made of wood and a statue of a wingéd lion to one side. There is also a long table with many chairs around it. The servants, dressed in white knee-length tunics with red hose, are clearing the remains of what was a rather large meal. At the end of the table sits Neph and a man Kaelyn does not recognize. The man is younger than the Earl, perhaps in his 40’s; he has a gray-streaked moustache. On the table next to the stranger is an axe, which looks very pretty to Kaelyn’s eye. The man sips slowly from his goblet, looking at Neph as if expecting an answer. Neph looks back at the man and says, “I’m not sure that this was the right time to leave.”
“My lord, he is a dangerous man. If we are not to kill him, then it was prudent to remove your person.”

“It smacks of running, Dregald,” Neph replies, naming his companion.

“My lord, if you had let me kill him as I had first recommended, then this would not have happened.”

At this response, Neph pounds on the table, startling and scattering the servants. Dregald orders the servants out before continuing, “My lord, you yourself said this ‘Ewen was dangerous and unpredictable to your plans but to let Kryste handle it.’”

Neph’s face takes on a sour expression, “You may have been with me a long time, but do not forget my rank.”

“Better than to have forgotten you at all, my lord,” Dregald replies.

Neph chuckles. “Perhaps. When we return to Gardiren, you will return to Tashal. If Kryste has not completed her task…you will.”

“And Kryste?”

“Kill her.”

As the image in the bowl fades away Kaelyn hears Dregald agree with a certain satisfactory tone.

Halane 18, 731

At the normal breakfast meeting, with the party attempting to make do without a cook and limited food in the pantry, Kaelyn shares the results of her scrying and other plans of the day are made. The first and foremost issue is what to do about Neph and Kryste. A lengthy discussion ensues and before a conclusive plan is made, the urchins arrive for their breakfast; they receive coins to purchase as the kitchen is bare. They inform Imarë that the fat man has left at some point late morning yesterday on horseback, much to the amusement of the children. Imarë then sends the urchins with various messages to Halime and Arnys, the latter also causing amusement to the urchins who had encountered him before.

Burial plans, or lack of plans, for the servants are decided; into the dead cart then a burial in the Peonian graveyard. Baris decides that the simple burial for Quinn just wouldn’t do for his young loyal squire and decides that he should be buried in the Laranian mausoleum. Imarë agrees to accompany him to the mausoleum.

When they arive, Imarë and Baris enter the courtyard and approach the two story building (three if they count the cellar) where knights and a handful of higher ranking persons are entombed. A Laranian priest greets them as they enter the building.

“Welcome, do come in. Are you here to pray amongst the bones?” The priest asks. Baris replies they are not, and sadly have come to see about burying his squire. The priest nods and asks the squire’s name. Baris tells him, but the priest, for obvious reasons, does not recognize the name. Baris replies that he was not born in Kaldor. The priest goes on to say “It is very peaceful here…except for when Father Varotta comes up form the catacombs, but that is neither here nor there. I am terribly sorry…um…”

“Sir Baris!”

“Sir Baris,” the priest continues. “But there is limited space here and I am afraid we cannot accommodate a foreign born squire. There is, however, a cemetery just north of the city.”

Baris, dejected, storms off; leaving Imarë to thank the priest for his time and to catch up to the stomping knight.

Later that morning, Arnys arrives at Gray House, in answer to Ewen’s summons. He takes in the damage still visible and thanks Ewen for allowing him to take lodging in that sewer hole of a tenement house. Ewen looks surprised and asks Arnys why. Arnys responds simply that he is still alive. Ewen talks with Arnys about the developments with Neph and Kryste and now, Dregald. Arnys asks for a description of Dregald, and Ewen reads Kaelyn to get the images from her scrying and then attempts to give the picture of Dregald to Arnys; Arnys receives a fuzzy mental picture of Dregald, but it should be good enough for now. Before Arnys leaves to set up watch on the gate Neph’s man is most likely to come through, two delivery boys arrive with a meal of pork and venison pies. The boys say it is compliments of Eleere. Ewen asks that the boys deliver a message of thanks to the good woman and the two delivery boys leave. As they are setting down to their meal another messenger comes. This message is from a litigant, Marhet of Lake by name. He is the agent in charge of the sale of the former home of Astarock Cranelson. The message says ‘pleased to receive you in his cambers in the morning on Ibuthine way, across from the wall south of Querina gate.’ Ewen sends a reply that the time is acceptable to him.

Baris, after calming down somewhat, decides that if the temple of Larani will not take Quinn, then he will go to his god’s temple, the temple of Sarajin. Imarë and Baris enter through an open gate and stop at a closed door of a smaller out building and ring the bell next to the door. As they wait for someone to answer, Baris takes a look around and is in awe of the Ivinian architecture of the temple. Soon the door opens and a young lad in his late teens peeks out and says ‘Hail!’

Baris responds “Good day my young man. My squire is dead, died in battle, and in need of burial in the proper way.”

This seems to confuse the boy and he asks Baris if he is a follower of Ljarl. Baris responds in the affirmative and the boy bids them to enter. Once inside the small out building the boy says ‘Come this way,’ and leads the duo down a long corridor with doors to the right and statues of the eleven shield maidens along the corridor walls. The boy tells Baris and Imarë that they have exceptional statues of the Elkyries. At the end of the corridor there is a larger ornate door that the boy opens and leads them into a hall with a long table with benches. There is a dais with curtains around it along with two more statues. These two statuses are of large masculine warriors. The boy tells them to wait here while he tells his father of their visit and to help them selves to food and drink. As the boy departs, young women come out carrying trenchers of food and ale. Soon the boy returns with an older man.

“Hail! I am Horveal Endjan,”

“Hail! I am Sir Baris Tyrestal.”

“I serve the lord of the icy wind of this place, in my fashion. You are a follower of the gray slayer?” The man asks.

Baris responds yes, and informs Horveal that he is not of this land but has a squire to bury. Horveal motions for Baris and Imarë to sit and they discuss food for a bit before Baris continues. “It has been a while and I do not remember the rites, and I want to send my squire on properly.”

Horveal nods, “The rites depend on the warrior’s status. You said your squire, so a lad? Yet he died with a sword in his hand? Tell me the story over more food and ale” Baris readily complies, carefully editing the story of course. When Baris is done, Horveal looks over at Imarë and offers to take her in marriage, and makes a comment that he normally likes women with a little meat on their bones, but he could fix that in a month or so. Imarë politely refuses and Horveal shrugs and goes on to discuss the rites. He says that they will build a pyre, quietly telling Baris that they will have it on Peoni land, but they are too polite to object too much. He continues, telling Baris to bring the poor lad to the temple and they will prepare him for the pyre, which should take place in two days. Baris agrees and pays him 10 shillings (slightly more than the 96 pence asked for). Horveal thanks him and tells Baris that he will send one of his sons with Baris back to retrieve the body.

Halane 19, 731

In the morning after another miserly breakfast, Cekiya decides to go to Hag Hall to get some food for her date this evening. Ewen and Baris go to the lawyer’s office, which is conveniently not far from Hag Hall. Imarë goes to talk with her urchins, and Kaelyn is left alone in a very quiet Gray house.

At Hag Court, Ewen and Baris walk up to a two story stone building with the guild sign of a golden fleece hanging outside. Facing the building there are double doors to the left and shuttered and barred windows to the right, and more shuttered and barred windows on the second floor. Ewen rings the bell and the door creaks open to reveal a young lad with no shoes on. “Yes?”

“Sir Ewen to see Marhet of Lake.”

The boy nods and tells Ewen that he is expected and to come in. They enter into a small courtyard with a single horse stall in the back that is currently empty. There is another door to the right and the boy leads them through. He takes them upstairs to a nice parlor with a fireplace on the far wall, a table with large chairs, an expensive looking rug, and a side table with chairs off to the side. The boy tells them to make themselves comfortable as they wait here for Master Lake to join them.

As the boy leaves an older woman comes in with a tray. She asks if they will be wanting a small beer. She sets out a jug with two tankards, leaving the third on the tray. As they sit, a man in his late 30’s comes in. He is finely dressed in a half cape/robe and is a hunchback. Under one arm he carries a sheaf of papers. He looks at the two knights and asks for Sir Ewen. Ewen inclines his head.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Ewen. When the mistress of Hag Hall makes a request it is best to meet it, and as it happens this time it also falls to me to settle the late Master Astarock’s possessions.”

Ewen smiles and tells Marhet that he does need a new home. Marhet asks if Ewen had ever been inside the house, Ewen responds in the negative and informs Marhet that he will need a tour before all is said and done.

“I have the keys, if this meeting proves fruitful - he was an unusual man - an eccentric,” Marhet says as he sits at the table with Ewen and Baris. “The actual terms of the whole will need not concern you, of course. The house is partially furnished; there is currently a caretaker that once the house is sold will be pensioned off. There was a steward who did leave with most of Astarock’s possessions as indicated in the will. It was most fair.”

Ewen nods and asks for the price of the house, getting straight to the important matters. Marhet says the house is for sale only, no renting as Marhet does not own the house and portion of the proceeds will go to the caretaker. He goes on for a while explaining the little conditions of the sale of the house and finally tells Ewen that the price is non-negotiable and the property is a 6,600 square feet house that includes four stories above ground, one small cellar, and a lot that is 1,600 feet squared (inclusive of foundation). The lot abuts two other properties, one to the east and the one to the south, in which Marhet believes the Baroness of Kolorn currently resides. The price is £190 and he continues that he is willing to trade items i.e. jewelry, the lease for Gray House in lieu of cash payment and has worked with Pesera (Ewen’s money man) in the past. Ewen tells Marhet that the price is not unreasonable, but would like to see the house first.

The trio head out to Astarock’s house, stopping briefly at Gray House to pick up Kaelyn, as she has a special interest in the late Odivshe’s house. At the house they notice that there is a side door down an alley, which Marhet tells them, is the kitchen door. He opens the double doors at the front of the house. He calls out to the caretaker to let him know he is showing the house. Inside there is a hall that is open to the second floor. There is a staircase in the northwest corner. They first inspect the kitchen. There are some basic supplies in the kitchen, consistent with the idea that one man lives here alone. Behind a curtain at the end of the kitchen is a large wooden tub. They inspect the storeroom and find it and the cellar empty. In the storeroom they see that the house has an indoor well.

The party continues its inspection on the second floor. At the top of the stairs, just in front of a set of stairs leading up there is a winch that controls the two chandeliers that hang over the entrance hall. Under the staircase leading up is a garde-robe. Marhet produces another key and opens the door at the far end of the balcony. Inside they see what was once Astarock’s private study, a room Kaelyn had visited before. The room is now stripped of Astarock’s little possessions and experiments and papers. There are four bookcases, two on the northeast wall near the door and two on the southeast wall next to the fireplace. There is a desk and chair in the corner and a work table along the northwest wall. There are two comfortable looking chairs in front of the fireplace. Next to the fireplace there is a globe, which depicts the entire known world. Next to the worktable is a large font, which could hold approximately 20 gallons of water when filled. The rim is divided into six angles and when Kaelyn touches the rim she senses the familiar tingle of an Odivshe focus about the font. The party also notices a peephole in the lower left corner of the room that looks into the front hall at the door. Marhet produces yet another key and shows the party Astarock’s former bedroom in the south west area of the study. It is a large bedroom with a four poster bed, chests, a stuffed sack of flour at the foot of a large chair, and two braziers hang on either side of the bed. On the southeast wall there is a tapestry showing a very pretty seascape.

The party continues their inspection up a set of steep steps to the third floor. There a large open room with a fireplace, large table and chairs and a smaller side table with several chairs surrounding it. It is a very comfortable area. There are five doors off the large room, four leading to bed chambers and the fifth to another garde-robe, which is located under another set of stairs leading to the fourth floor. The party first looks in the room closest to the stairs along the northeast corner of the room. Inside they find one bed, one bunk bed, a table and chairs and two open empty chests. Continuing down the western wall they look into the next room which is slightly more private with a four poster bed, chest and a desk with a chair. The room in the southwest corner boasts another four poster bed, chest, a fireplace in lieu of a desk, and a rather comfortable looking chair. The final room in the southeast corner holds yet another four poster bed, desk and chair, chest and is lighted by a brazier. Up the staircase to the fourth floor finds a large open room with pallets stacked in the corner, a table and a fireplace. There is another room to the west of the large room that is empty but looks like it could be used as storage. Ewen attempts to read Marhet and he finds that the litigant is playing them straight and is not hiding anything as Ewen and Marhet discuss Ewen’s options of buying the house. Marhet does tell Ewen that a house in that area is a good investment as the price of the property only appreciates. Marhet tells Ewen and company a bit about the house’s neighbors. Behind the house there is a short little man who primarily keeps to himself, although Marhet has heard whispers of Khuzan. Beyond that is Aethal Atan, a man of court.

In the late afternoon Pesera arrives at Marhet’s office and greets Ewen. Pesera tells Ewen he is a little sad that he was not consulted, but Ewen merely mentions the expediency of Rahel and the matter is dropped. Pesera and Marhet soon work out a deal with the lease of Gray house and the £129 from Varayne, leaving Ewen to cover the deficit of £57. Ewen graciously hands over the jewelry he picked up after dropping off the rest of the party off at Gray House. Marhet inspects the jewelry and tells Ewen that it is worth about £59 and 10 shillings and would it be acceptable if he puts the excess two pounds and 10 shillings on an account with him. Ewen agrees to this idea.

Back at Gray House in the early evening Arnys returns. He tells Ewen that he had been begging the whole day.

“I am sorry to hear that. I bought a house today, Arnys.”

Arnys looks momentarily stunned before continuing, “Have I told you how much you remind me of the man who fell into a cesspit and came up with a diamond ring?” Ewen laughs and says that in fact Arnys had mentioned that before. Arnys shakes his head and continues, “I patronized the Coin and Broom on my way here, a place that Sir Rohn frequents from time to time, and there was some talk of an odd happening at the Tower Inn, a place you frequent from time to time. The Tower suffered a minor calamity this evening. Some of the patrons were making fun of another for being a foreigner. One of the imbeciles doing the name calling suddenly started to sweat a lot; started to sweat blood in fact. The fellow that was being insulted just stood up to leave and as he left they said he said he ‘would not pass the door of the Tower Inn again ere it was ash.’” Arnys paused and looked at Ewen, “Just thought you’d want to know.” Ewen nods and tells Arnys that he’s glad of the information.

Meanwhile, Cekiya is off on her date with the cook from the Seven Stars. The play is boring to Cekiya and she only had to swat the cook’s hand once; telling him that ‘touching is bad.’ The cook seemed saddened to hear this, but does ask Cekiya out again at the end of the evening.