Session Six - February 15, 2003

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Session Six - February 15, 2003

Postby Matt » Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:42 pm

Peonu 23, 730

We start in Noron’s keep. Ardeth, Arlen and Rakir are wounded. We decide to stay a few days to recover, and go to talk to Noron about Gedan. He says Gedan is difficult to find, and the people there are not friendly. He doesn’t know Malbere the Gray Mage – oh, wait, he does. The Melderyni representative at the incident was a woman - a Deryni. She’s also a twin. Both women are still alive, though quite old, about 100. She disappeared about 30 or 40 years ago; her sister is still in Melderyn. They are granddaughters of King Lodros, who died in 639. The current king is his great-great-grandson. Dyalne was the name of the representative and Eilyn the name of her sister. There was a falling-out between Dyalne and her family.

On a different tack, he thinks the Jarin don’t stand a chance. They no longer make beautiful jewelry because they have no joy. They lack military skills and organization. The three remaining Jarin lords are accommodating to the invaders. (The three remaining lords are: the Prince of Leriel; the Lord of Gwaeryn; the Lord of Pethwys.)

There is a rumor – just a rumor – that the Prince of Leriel was recently murdered. His grandson Eagan will succeed him. Further rumor has it that at the end of Navek last year, the prince was found decapitated. But Noron thinks that is just a tale. King Alegar is not secure on his throne. The Ivinians quarrel among themselves. Alegar’s seat is Geldeheim. He has the biggest fleet and army, but the other lords also have good forces. His throne is also propped by the Agrikans, followers of the evil god Agrik. The order at Quimen is that of the Crimson Dancers, which got kicked out of Rethem. At the time, Quimen had a Jarin lord, but Alegar allowed the Dancers to replace him, which they did in a most brutal fashion.

The country is not horse-friendly.

Noron speaks of two more Ivinian lords: Taarbri Geldestaar, Lord of Lorkin and Galbert, Lord of Keiren These two are powerful, and the most likely to try to take the throne if there was an opportunity. Lorkin is supportive of Alegar, but Keiren isn’t.

The village is mainly small farmers, with a few artisans. Ardeth casts healing spells on us the three days we are there. On the third day he misfires and his aura is damaged. On the fourth morning we heal and then leave.

Peonu 26, 730

We leave Noron’s Keep. As we get into the foothills, we look south and see a large, winged lizard in the air. Bevan doesn’t know what it is. Could it be an ivashu? We can see it for some time. Then it dives out of sight. In the afternoon, Arlen and Imäre sense we are not alone. The party accelerates to a trot for a few miles. We enter the marshy area. The trail is not well-used and become coarser. We camp and the night passes uneventfully.

Peonu 27, 730

We break camp. Around mid-afternoon, we arrive at the Anoth River Delta. We can see Shese in the distance. There is a hut and a small compound. Golmund is the ferryman. He charges 5d a head, with the horses and dog counting as a head. On the way across the Anoth, Imäre sees a karune. This is an advanced ship, not common. An Ivinian warship is closing on it. The karune is big, 3-masted and under full sail. Fiery balls are launched from the karune, from catapults, and hit the warship. The warship continues, and rams the karune. A melee starts. The Ivinians board, but are beaten back. The men aboard the karune are wearing black surcoats. The Ivinians get the worst of it. The karune’s men invade the warship and capture it. We see prisoners being put to death. They then commandeer the warship. Imäre says the soldiers on the karune are clearly being led by one knight. She doesn’t see any crew. There were 30-40 Ivinians and they seemed to be outnumbered. Golmund has never seen anything like this. He seems surprised the warship was so easily defeated. The karune was running a pennant on every mast: two black on the foremast and mizzen, and one with alternating red, black, and blue stripes on the main. Dwilith notes it would be very difficult to navigate the delta with a sailing ship. The karune was a mixed rig, not just square-sailed. (Square sails on the fore and main with square topsails and venyn rig on the mizzen.)

We make quite a sight when we arrive. We are directed to Sparn’s Hollow. The innkeeper is Fynre Gelemaar, an Ivinian. It’s small, but vacant. 4d a night per room and 1d per horse.

Bevan thinks the ethnic trouble between Jarin and Ivinians is important. Tharda wouldn’t think about this if it couldn’t profit.

The crowd in the common room at supper is mainly Ivinians. They are not talking about the battle. They are talking about the fact that an outlying village, Melys, on Shese, was attacked and all Ivinians there killed. The women complained to the lord. Some think she is lying, but some think the lord should complain to Samfrin, Lord of Shese. This woman is apparently being lodged in the castle.

We settle on this cover story: I am on a quest to Geldeheim, and everyone is traveling with me.

We overhear one conversation about how the king needs to deal with ‘that situation’ once and for all. “That raping son of a bitch needs to be disinherited.”

The night passes uneventfully.

Peonu 28, 730

The next day the party separates. Imäre and Bevan scout around the boonies. Dwilith goes to talk to the sailors. The shipwright here is Jaus Geldestaar, an uncle of the current lord. Jaus is a big rape fan, much to everyone’s disgust. Esubren (sp?), the previous lord, was killed during ‘the time of which we do not speak.’ Arlen talks to the innkeeper. He says the prince of Leriel really is dead, and King Alegar has not consented to the prince’s son (the raping son of a bitch previously mentioned) inheriting the principality. It will therefore be forfeit to the crown. (Some confusion here: was it the heir or the heir’s son who was the rapist?) We regroup. No one has heard any word about the battle in the river. Imäre and Ardeth go to see if they can talk to Jarin servants from the keep. They follow some servants to a plain house. Arlen, Dwilith and Bevan stick around in the common room. Conversation there is similar to the previous evening, but there is a new rumor: that the town of Arone has not been heard from recently. Ardeth and Imäre meet Gwahneyr, the Jarin trehaen (mayor). He approaches them and they talk. He says if they can get some info on the naval battle, he can help them. They mention Lodros. They come back and we turn in for the night.

Peonu 29-30, 730

We hire a ship and crew, and get underway on the river, down to Arone. At the end of the day we seek shelter in a cove and drop anchor. The next day we reach Arone. It is gone. Smoking ruins greet us. Many corpses, of both ethnic groups, lie around. 200-250 dead. Most Jarin, and most butchered, not just killed. It does not look like the keep was taken, just burned. It looks like the troops were landed to the north. Arlen remembers that red, black, and blue are the colors of Tharda.

The crew goes back to the ship for the night. The next day we scout north. We find another village; it, too, has been wiped out. We find two more manors the same way. The fields have been burned, too. Arlen wants to warn Lorkin; Bevan does not. There is an argument. Arlen demands they go. We row through the night. Lorkin is still there. Ardeth and Imäre go to find Gwahneyr. The others go to see if Shese is still there.

Gwahneyr weeps at the news. They ask about Lodros. He says long ago he promised to drive out the Ivinians. Gwahneyr now thinks he has betrayed them. Gwahneyr suspects he is from Melderyn. Gwahneyr thought death followed in his footsteps. We are watching ‘the final act of the Jarin people.’ They will be destroyed. He says we should go home and leave them to their fate. Lodros came open-handed, promising nothing. Gwahneyr didn’t trust him, but others did. He wanted the help of the Aenghysa, a group that resists the Ivinians. He fears Lodros gained power over the Aenghysa. The old man dismisses Ardeth and Imäre.

We find Shese besieged. The karune is anchored offshore. We go ashore and are quickly taken captive. Arlen is taken to the knight in charge by a brunette woman. The knight wears black gloves and a ring, a gold ring set with a large purple cabochon (Jankorez). They talk. The woman addresses him as ‘Your Grace.’ Arlen tries to inquire about his duchy; he says he is no longer that. (Perhaps he is a bishop or similar?) The conversation is frustrating. The knight refuses to give much information, and is more interested in Arlen’s attitude toward helping the Kingdom of Tharda. Arlen of course wishes to support his king, but disapproves of atrocities. Arlen is careful not to lie, although he skirts around certain things and keeps his rhetoric submissive. The knight sends Arlen away and orders Bevan to come to him. Arlen is locked in a small hut. When Bevan comes back, she is greatly disturbed. The party talks among themselves. They come to several conclusions. One, the knight is both Lodros and the fabled Morgan. Two, he’s the father of Trilime, Bevan’s daughter. Three, he is actually Arren the Conqueror, King of Tharda, (commonly known as Arren of Melderyn) who disappeared on the field of single combat years ago and was presumed dead. In her daze, Bevan appears to confirm these things (referring to him as Arren Carrollton Dakarion Parkhurst). Stunned, the party is released back to the shore.
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Matt
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