Episode 2 - The Road to Rhyver Bay

General Summary

21 Skyrest, 1442 - 26 Skyrest, 1442

After a brief flashback to her conquest of The Reach, Iseabail McCloughhaven awoke on the road to Rhythavn Castle, accompanied by Sarischa Ravana and Elnor Portrain alongside her retinue of house guards and marshall Brennan Lochaber. Their journey through the Warblewise forest has been unremarkable so far, save that they are being followed close behind by the travelling retinue of Khinar Antyre , who is also making his way to Redehall. The Countess approached Elnor by the fire, ostensibly to learn more about him but in reality trying to probe his dedication to his foreign god Resshe, but the Countess was met with Elnor's strong resilience to her influence and she backed off.   A short distance south, a challenge of a different kind was taking place as Ruskin Ventro lead his noble sponsor Altheia Ildrafn on a hunt for a nearby deer. He was accompanied by his husband Martoth on the trail, as well as his trained Khasir Cougar named Cufflink. When their quarry was found, Altheia and Ruskin took off in pursuit... and tracked the deer until they stumbled upon a defaced shrine to The Red Sisters. The offering altar had been carved with a symbol of The Six Saints, and the three druids that should have been present were nowhere to be found. Altheia killed the deer and brought the game back to their camp, promising to bring the matter of the ruined shrine up with her father.   The following morning, Iseabail's caravan halted when they came across another grove dedicated to the Sisters, though this one had not met a similar fate. There, she sought the blessing of the druids who tended to the grove, and wrote upon the red strand "Strength in negotiation, for my people deserve a long and peaceful reign." Her offerings were accepted by the druids, and Elnor and Sarischa watched the strange ritual take place before returning to the road. It would not be long before they reached Rhythavn Castle, towering on the craggy shores of Rhyver Bay and surrounded by the coastal town of Stormsrest. There, Ruskin was presented by Altheia to the head of House Ildrafn, Duke Pendros, who commended him for his valour and service during The Tambar Rebellion . Sarischa and Elnor reported their findings on the matter of MacCloughhaven Reach to Pendros, who shortly thereafter brought in Iseabail to discuss the matter of the border dispute her allegiances had fostered. He assigned Sarischa and Elnor to accompany Iseabail on their journey to Redehall, to ensure she was prepared to bring their case before King Eadvard III . He also mentioned that Khinar had taken the Eastern wing of the castle for himself and his retinue; though there may be animosity between their Houses, he is still of noble blood and should be respected while under Ildrafn's roof.   Outside in the training yard, Elnor came across the warriors of House Ildrafn sparring for sport, and was recognized by Halren Ildrafn as the one the guards were talking about. Goaded by Halren into picking up a sword for a bout in the ring, Elnor feigned ineptitude until Halren went on the offensive and did his best to match the knight blow-for-blow. By the time the match was over, Elnor had been forced to yield, but marked Halren as a cocky, overconfident knight...potentially one to watch out for. Ruskin, however, was invited to spar and drink with the knights in a more sociable manner and took them up on their offer.   Later that evening, Ruskin found himself drinking with Halren and Tahir Ildrafn in the great hall, long after the other warriors had retired for the night, swapping war stories from the Rebellion. Things took a sour note when Halren chastised Ruskin for not following the Six Saints, but Tahir stepped in to defend Ruskin. The company parted ways soon after, and Ruskin remained to finish his drink in the hall. Meanwhile, the Countess and Elnor met on an open-air walkway looking out upon the bay, shared a wineskin and discussed the trials to come and what might be done about Khinar Antyre. When she returned inside, she found Ruskin with his husband in the great hall, and introduced herself, seeking to build connections that might aid her in the days ahead.   As the night drew to a close, Sarischa met with one of his spies, Emil Moody , nicknamed The Spur, with whom he conspired to set plans in motion to end Khinar Antyre's political career. He first worked to paint Khinar as a potential Tambarist sympathizer, posing questions about Khinar's movements and activities in and around the Reach while he was purportedly hunting the surviving rebels in the woods. He brought up the strangeness of Bharan's death, hung over the village well, and suggested that none of the people of the Reach would have risked fouling their own water supply. He then asked The Spur to find a way into the Eastern wing of the castle to steal an item belonging to one of Khinar's advisors for a ritual... but in this, Sarischa may have finally overstepped. While rumours had begun circulating the next morning about Khinar's motivations, Sarischa awoke to find The Spur's severed finger carefully lain outside his door... a chilling warning from Khinar. The fate of the Spur remained unknown, but Khinar's glare at Sarischa as they boarded their respective boats that morning to set sail to Redehall spoke volumes.  

Matt's Notes

  Iseabail dreams of a time not long ago, drenched in the blood of her enemies, with her comrades in arms surrounding her, putting down the Tambarist Rebellion with her own two hands. The only thing left to breach is the manor at the top of the hill - now known as McCloughaven Reach. With her own force of personality and strength of arms, she riled the folk around her to reclaim the church, and then took a huge, fallen crossbeam in the hands of multitudes, and used this giant crossbeam to batter down the door to the Manor. Brennan Lochaber, her Marshal, was there beside her, heaving and bashing the door, and when the door gives way, Iseabail leads the charge. When at last the red mist fades, Iseabail stands, battered and weary, victorious. Though the cost was great, she now has a home to call her own.   And then she feels the blade of a dagger pressed into the back of her neck - the Tambarist leader is bloodied, but not beaten. He pulls it back and drives it down into her thro- She wakes with a start.   She is in her own carriage, surrounded by her friends and compatriots, with McCloughaven Reach a few days journey behind her. Removed from that, Khinar Antyre has struck a blow against Iseabail's authority, and rather than remaining to address it, she finds herself now forced to attend to respoinsibilities at court.   Elnor makes nice with the guards, introducing himself with the customary Dunefalle gesticulations of greeting, while attempting to get to know them a little bit better. This serves only to remind the Ildrafn and Antari that we are foreigners, and they allow their xenophobia to get the better of them.   The Countess rises to head out to meet with Elnor, needing to get some air after her unfortunate dream.   Ruskin is a chunk of iron in the shape of a man, creeping through the forest, quickly and efficiently. He has axes at his waist, and a larger axe strapped across his back. He's decently muscled, and adept at moving through the woods. A few paces behind him, he's shadowed by a cougar the size of a large horse. There are a few straps on it in the vague semblance of a saddle, but not a saddle proper. He is accompanied by his husband, Martoth, on one side, and Althea Ildrafn on the other - his noble sponsor. The trio stalk through the forest some ways away from the camp they'd set up for themselves. They are on the hunt for a larger beast - the chunting party is on the trail of venison, and the camp, including Althea Ildrafn's retinue, are anxious for their successful return.   As they press on, the trail begins to grow thin, and the group nearly loses it. Ruskin is no novice, though, and though his hunting methods aren't pretty or conventional, they are effective. Althea Ildrafn found Ruskin during the Tambar Rebellion, and has since elevated him to Hedge Knight. She is the first daughter of Pendros Ildrafn, and heir to Ninetaver. Althea sets off to catch the deer. From the woods comes a shout of "Fuck!" and the deer runs off. Ruskin mounts the cougar, Cufflink, and they set off in pursuit. Following the trail, they come to a Druid's Grove to the Red Sisters, sashes of red cloth hanging from the trees. Within the clearing, he can see the altar to The Red Sisters, though the shrine has been defaced. The altar has been carved over with The Six Saints, offerings dashed, and the scent of human urine in the air. Ruskin removes his shoes, as is respectful, before moving to inspect the grove.   There are no druids present, though there should be. There are signs of a struggle. Althea finishes off the deer, letting it bleed out on the sacred ground. It is her judgment that they not bring up the Desecrated Grove just yet.   Sarischa is growing tired of being cooped up in his carriage, Elnor takes every opportunity to get away from his complaining, and Iseabail views Sarischa as representative of everything she hates about court and politics, and has been poor company.   The caravan stops, signs of red cloth hanging from a tree. A Druid's Grove to the Red Sisters is nearby. Within the grove, there are three figures in robes. One without eyes, one with their ears gummed up with wax, and one who doesn't speak. They greet the small group. Iseabail beseeches the words of Weaver, as she steps forward to practice her religion. She presents three cleaned and prepared rabbits at the altar - one for each of the sisters. She writes her words on the cloth for Weaver, entreating "Strength in negotiation, for her people deserve a long and peaceful reign." And adds it to the Tapestry of The Grove.   The caravan resumes its journey, and continues on to Castle Rhythavn. Looming over all, they see Eld Fyr, the great, ancient lighthouse. The defenses of Rhythavn are more imposing, but very much put function before form, unlike the aesthetically superior architecture of Dunefalle.   Less than 30 minutes behind us, Althea's crew arrives at Rhythavn as well. Ruskin sighs - Rhythavn is kind of a shitthole. No matter where you are in the castle, you can hear the pounding of waves on the rocks.   Ruskin is the first to be presented to The Duke of Whitecliff, and he arrives late. His clothes have already been laid out. They are fine fabric, and much, much too tight for Ruskin's liking. Ruskin complains through the entirety of the dressing, and then is shuffled on to a boat, heading for a meeting at Redehall.   Althea mentions an incident at a grove shortly after introducing herself and Ruskin. Pendros wishes for us to protect her, and counsel her well for the coming presentation at Redehall, wherein she will assert her claim for McCloughhaven's Reach to remain under the dominion of House Ildrafn.   As The Countess works to clear her name, and explain away the social strain of their encounter with Khinar, she also learns that Khinar will be granted lodging in the Castle before heading on to Redehall. Sarischa arrives to gather The Countess to answer Pendros's summons.   In the courtyard, near a training dummy, Elnar and Ruskin hear the cry of "Dunefalli!" One of the knights asks for a demonstration of Dunefalli dueling techniques, mentioning that "Elnor works for my uncle, right?" He wants to go a round, and Elnor creates a show of ineptitude. He finds himself facing off against Halren Ildrafn, a Calistan Knight, son of Kuron Ildrafn, and heir to the Barony of Catena. Halren looks to embarass Elnor, as he initiates the duel.   Elnor quickly alerts Halren that he is a skilled fighter in his own right, and seeing that, Halren's demeanor changes quickly. Halren's training wins out and wears Elnor down. Elnor concedes the duel, and promises to remember Halren's name.   The group shifts their attention to Ruskin, recognizing him as the woodsman Althea has brought into things.   At the Raven's Throne, Iseabail requests a new advisor, as she is less than pleased with her encounters with Sarischa. She doesn't like him, and she doesn't trust the Dunefalli.   Khinar will spin a web, and we will need to perforate all of his arguments. The Eastern Wing of The Keep will be set aside for Khinar and his retinue.   Ruskin finds himself facing the interrogations of the knights later in the eve with the mean girls who sought to embarrass Elnor. They want to know about his history, his connections with Althea, and how he helped her. Tahir Ildrafn, Master of Sail, is thinner, and less full of bluster. As Halren advises Ruskin to "Get in good with The Order", Tahir speaks up to note that "Not all knights have to swear to The Order." Tahir and Halren are cousins, but, in Ruskin's words, Halren "Can be an asshole."   The Countess sees Elnor on the wall, and approaches to talk to him about the situation with Khinar, alluding to "making the problem go away" Elnor advises that, with any problem, you can go around, under, or through. Iseabail isn't particularly pleased with the fact that she's going to need to deal with political machinations and negotiations. She remains uncertain about Sarischa, and asks Elnor about him. The two bond over wine, and as the conversation dwindles and the wind grows chill, Iseabail heads inside to warm by the fire, and Elnor sets off to stretch his legs.   At the fireside, Ruskin is warming his hands, and Iseabail enters. They bond over axes.   Sarischa meets with Emil Moody - The Spur, to share the story as he heard it - painting Iseabail in a more cunning light, and shedding some doubts about Khinar's loyalties. Bahran was meant to be bait, and his murder served to protect whatever Tambarists Bahran would have led us to.   Than, pushing his luck, he asked The Spur to bring him a personal effect from Khinar's confidant or advisor. The next morning, Sarischa wakes to find The Spur's finger outside his door. The message clear. At breakfast, Khinar and Sarischa lock eyes, a clear and unspoken conversation.   The group boards the ship for Redehall.

Missions/Quests Completed

Sarischa and Elnor successfully accompanied the Countess McCloughhaven back to Rhythavn.

Notes

Khinar Antyre ended the session suffering from a d12 Social Stress after Sarischa launched a series of rumours about his loyalties. This will have greater ramifications next episode.   Elnor Portrain was bested in a duel by Halren Ildrafn .   Iseabail McCloughhaven was blessed by Druids of the Red Sisters.   Elnor Portrain has attracted the attentions of House McCloughhaven's guards for his foreign ways.   Sarischa Ravana has lost a spy in their dance with Khinar Antyre. The loss seems to be hitting them rather hard.