Episode 3 - The Spark

General Summary

15th of Sunfall, 1439

In Risevar Town, a salon is taking place in honour of Iryval Ayvir at a manor belonging to Gethin Sandoreale. In attendance are many courtiers and low nobility, among them Jarvin Cadwalader, a minor Count from the Barony of Ninevalon accompanied by his tutor Eirwyn of Calleire . Eirwyn is encouraging Jarvin to shape up and meet his peers to help secure his future prospects. Jarvin is too distracted by the other courtiers and their antics, including Roslyn, who tries to get him in on a scheme to import Dunefalli wine.   Another guest, however, has a far greater focus on duty; Kain, the Hound of Pendros Ildrafn, arrives alongside fellow spy Emil Moody at the salon. Their task; retrieve an artefact stolen by Count Harrudin's son Isak, which he pilfered while travelling through the Barony of Rhythavn from a treasured ruin there. As they infiltrate the party, Halren Ildrafn visits Iryval to wish her luck before her performance. This is the first time she is being presented to a noble crowd, and Halren is there to give her debut added weight. Though the circumstances of her birth have tarnished her social prospects, her father Kuron Ildrafn , who gifted her her first harp all those years ago, wants her to find her place in Banteavan noble society, and has paid for her schooling in the ways of music.   As the salon is about to begin, however, Iryval runs afoul of Sophira Sandoreale , who is staying at the manor her uncle owns. Sophira insults Iryval's attempts to gain a toehold among Banteavan aristocracy and tears her dress "accidentally" moments before Iryval has to go onstage. Nevertheless, she puts on an admirable performance, captivating the audience... which gives Kain the perfect opportunity to slip upstairs. Picking the lock on Isak's room, Kain slips in and shuts the door behind him, searching the room until he finds a stone tablet wrapped in cloth, hidden away in Isak's dresser. He's about to leave when he notes the smoke wafting from the church a few blocks away....   Down in the great hall, a drunken Sophira calls Iryval out for playing a slow, haunting melody; she wants to dance, damnit! Iryval counters with a jab of her own, challenging Sophira to come up and show the rest of the crowd how a proper Banteavan dance is done. Sophira grits her teeth and accepts the challenge, dragging Jarvin up onstage as Iryval changes tempo and brings the other players in for a rousing dance song. As the other guests join in the dance, Isak and a beefy merchant slip away to head upstairs. Isak lets himself into his bedroom to fetch the tablet...and fails to see the hidden Kain until it's too late. A brutal melee ensues, with both men fighting for their lives against the intruder.   Downstairs, the dance comes to an end. Jarvin offers a glass of wine to Sophira, who takes him with her outside to complain about Iryval. However, the burning church quickly catches their eye, as does the throng of angry peasants heading towards the estate. The Tambar Rebellion has begun in Risevar Town, and a horde of rebels are about to crash into the estate looking to spill aristocratic blood. Sophira panicks and races inside, slamming the door shut and leaving Jarvin outside to fend for himself. Thinking fast, he scales the walls of the estate and, with Tambarists close behind, hurls himself through a glass window...   ...and right into the room where Kain has just finished killing Isak and disarming his merchant friend. With the situation outside growing worse by the second and an improvised battering ram being brought in to break down the front door, Kain rallies the crew to head for the back exit. Iryval manages to convince Halren to leave with her rather than stand and fight the Tambarists, and she joins Kain and Jarvin as they head for the kitchen exit. In the chaos within, Kain loses track of Emil, but Jarvin manages to locate Eirwyn and Roselyn before they escape out into the back gardens. As the front doors of the house come crashing down and the salon descends into slaughter, Jarvin manages to misdirect a pack of Tambarists in the stables, leaving them the horses to use for a quick getaway. Just as they're about to leave, Jarvin hears Sophira's panicked scream from the fountain around the side of the house. The rest of the group departs for a safehouse, but Jarvin leaps off his horse and races to Sophira's side before she can be killed by a gang of six Tambarists. Jarvin is brave, but he lacks any notable fighting skill and suffers several wounds. Things are looking grim, but then Eirwyn is there, brandishing a pair of carving knives, taking on the Tambarists and ensuring his student and Sophira have an opening to escape. Jarvin is forced to flee the compound, and he and Sophira flee through a city in the midst of a violent convulsion as the Tambarists seize entire districts, looting the homes of the nobles and putting both them and the clergy to the sword.   An hour later, at a nondescript Brewery in the south of Risevar Town, Kain has followed Eirwyn's instructions and lead the group to a safehouse maintained by Pendros Ildrafn. Halren, Iryval, Roselyn and Kain are about to leave when Emil arrives, bloodied but alive. Moments later, Sophira and Jarvin make it to the safehouse... but it's clear that Eirwyn isn't coming. The group descends into the escape tunnel that leads outside of the city, emerging near a farmers field. Behind them, Risevar is in flames.    

26 Skyrest 1442

Years later, Iryval, Kain and Jarvin are all once again together at Rhythavn Castle. During the Rebellion, Iryval sheltered in Rhythavn alongside the rest of the Ildrafn family, and learned a bit about fighting from her father Kuron. Kain was sent to infiltrate Tambarist groups, and helped Pendros get the upper hand against them by passing intelligence. Jarvin was contacted by Eirwyn, who survived Risevar with some scars and missing fingers, and recruited Jarvin into the ranks of Pendros' spies. Now, they are accompanying the Ildrafn family to Redehall City for The Midsummer Festival. House Ildrafn must appear before the king to petition him to settle their dispute with House Antyre, all while maintaining appearances as one of the Great Houses of Banteave.   The sails unfurl. The ships depart.   All of our tales wind and wend towards Redehall.

Missions/Quests Completed

The PCs escaped the Tambar Rebellion in Risevar Town.

Notes

• Sophira Sandoreale was saved by Jarvin. Does she remember? Will she care?
• Emil Moody, later known as The Spur, worked with Kain before.
• Halren Ildrafn was forced to abandon the other guests at the party to protect his half-sister Iryval Ayvir. This may weigh heavy on his conscience. 
• Kuron Ildrafn gave Iryval Ayvir her harp when she was little. She still uses it today, and he is now petitioning Pendros Ildrafn to legitimize Iryval as a full member of House Ildrafn.