A Question of Honour

Our journey to Whitestone was not pleasant. We encountered a group of villagers, led by a selfish and dangerous zealot who was preparing to burn his own daughter at the stake, for the accusation of witchcraft. I am not familiar with Corellon, the Arch Heart, but this fool wrapped his own insignificance up in the Arch Heart’s name. I’ve experienced this poison of belief many times before, at the home , and occasionally in Vasselheim. Those in power who corrupt whatever source of authority they can use to oppress others. We saved the young woman, and brought her with us to Whitestone to seek refuge. The 'preacher' is being judged for his sins.
 
When we arrived in Whitestone, we know we had found what I was lookin’ for as right outside the gate, were the Whitestone riflemen. They didn't notice Bayou, but when we stopped by a friendly vendor (and self-appointed town historian) who advised it would be best to keep Bayou discreetly away from the eyes of the riflemen.
 
Myself, Lady Ceridwen, Lady Enessa and Lord Raphael visited the castle Whitestone, and by the fates we bumped into Lord Percival de Rolo himself outside the castle, calculatin' some engineerin' work. We were invited inside, and whilst there was gilded finery, the atmosphere felt austere. The tragedies that befell Whitestone a couple decades ago, still haunt those gilded halls.
 
Lord de Rolo granted us an audience, I introduced my compatriots and relayed the backstory of how I encountered Dr Ripley some 20 odd years ago in Vasselheim as an apprentice tinkerer. Meetin’ Sprocksmith, and learnin’ about Lord de Rolo and Whitestone. That I was here to learn more about these weapons, and how I could use these at their fullest potential responsibly.
 
The Lord thanked me for bringin’ Bayou to his attention, although he seemed deturbed that it had made its way back, as if some consequence had reared its ugly head at his door step. He offered to buy Bayou back, first a 100 gold, then 200g, and then a 1000g, I knew he would keep goin’. A lord usually gets what he wants.
 
I pointedly raised how much did he think his sin was worth? The man was hard to read, but even I know when someone is tryin’ to hide their shame. I've worn that same face.
 
Lord de Rolo asked to have the room to just us two, and I nodded to the others that this would be fine. Lord de Rolo saw that I wasn't gonna entertain his biddin' for Bayou, and he asked me an equally pointed question in return. Am I an honourable man?
 
The silence with my pause felt an eternity. It was a question I asked myself before and had hoped to come here to find an answer. What kind of man am I?
 
I'm not an honourable man, especially in the terms of what a Lord would consider as honour, but lately I've trynna be an honest one. I've realised that I've been selfish with this gun, I kept it at first for profit and grew a successful powder business till that blew up literally in my face. Then I kept it secret durin' my time in the bastion, to protect the power it gave me as a muse for my tinkerin's for the militia.
 
I come to realise that in the last few months with the Unbroken, I had done more good with this gun then I had for all the previous decades I've had it. Lord de Rolo wasn't the only one who was wonderin' if Bayou was in the right hands.
 
I may not be as articulate as Lady Ceridwen, or logical as Mr Veris, but my self-reflection had struck a chord with the Lord. We could while away the hours debatin’ the responsibilities of creation, whether his weapons were evil and if he was doomed to joined the legacy of those that created weapons before him. But he was a tinkerer just like me, and we both needed to put our question to the test.
 
He revealed that his wife, Lady De Rolo, and the Grey Hunt had not returned from their hunt in the Parchwood forest. If myself and the Unbroken were to search and rescue Lady de Rolo and the Grey Hunt, then he would know that I was the right man to hold his invention.
 
As I turned to leave, some advice one of the fellow merchants in Vasselheim came back to me. "People buy not because they want or need what you're sellin', they're buyin' coz they chose to buy from you. So if you want to sell somethin’, then give them a choice, or at least make them think they've got one!"
 
If I wanted Lord de Rolo to start trustin’ me, then I should give him the choice to do so. I turned and placed Bayou on the table in front of him. If he wanted to make sure this was in the right hands, then he could choose to put it in them himself the next mornin’.
 
That night felt never ending. Lord Raphael was equally uncomfortable with my gamble, especially when I had been previously offered a 1000g for somethin’ that I had just given up for free. But eventually we were graced with a visit from Jaret, Commander of the Pale Guard. He confirmed details for the search and rescue for tomorrow, and that we would receive a 4000g bounty if successful. Also, that Lord de Rolo had tinkered with Bayou and that I could pick it up in the mornin’. Raphael was soon treated to the smuggest grin I think my face has ever pulled!
 
Even though it seemed my gamble could payoff, that question of who I am kept me up for most the night, along with that sound of metal clangin' that's followed me from Westruun.
 
Mornin' came, and I picked up Bayou from Whitestone castle. Lord de Rolo had personally given over Bayou to me, and had honoured me with his tinkerin' talents by addin’ a mechanism that prevented her from misfirin’ on me again- well for at least one instance. With the Lord's confidence initially entrusted in me, I began to feel my own confidence stir from its current malaise and sort out to 'do good'.