City of Strife and Secrets

With the death of the winter wolf, it did not take too long for the weather to shift one last time in order to once more have the feeling of spring being in the air. Which was a good thing, as it made sure that we had a perfect view of the first major destination in our journey towards Keralon. Namely the city of Hillfield. Now while I attempted not to admit it at the time, currently with the benefit of age, I can freely admit that when I first laid eyes on it, I was rather awestruck. You must understand that I had never seen a city like this before. I had heard stories of course and thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, but as always there was a difference between knowing a thing and seeing it for the first time. And my imagination of it being just a slightly larger village like Tarn, hardly did it justice. But despite its splendour, a little voice couldn’t help but speak up in the back of my mind. If Hillfield was already this big, then what was Keralon like?
 
When Onvyr joined up with us, he explained the plan to everyone. Namely we would remain in Hillfield for a small week. During which we were basically free to do as we wish, while he would make sure that we were resupplied for the next leg of our journey. Which would sadly be with fewer people as some would not be venturing with us beyond Hillfield. He had also taken the initiative to rent out some rooms in a local inn called the Iron Shield Inn. Though Alistan was quick to offer up room and board for all of us in his parents home. It seemed that not only did he and his sister grew up here, they also belonged to the noble family that was in charge of Hillfield. But despite his kind offer, I decided that I would prefer the inn instead. Something that sadly irked him the wrong way. Now you might be wondering why I chose a room in an inn over a room in a noble’s house. And the reason is quite simple. It is an Inn. It is the holy grail of adventurers. A place where stories begin and mystery hangs in the air. Even the tale of the ascended gods started in an inn. So there was no way that my young self was going to miss out on this opportunity. A notion that was obviously shared by Hayley as she also turned down his kind offer.

Fortunately his good mood quickly returned as we made our way towards the city. As he was quick to regale us with stories on the various sights that the town had to offer. And quickly volunteered to be our guide during our stay there. Sadly his enthusiastic explanation was interrupted by a most curious sight. For several groups of people, consisting mostly of both guards and labourers, were stalking about in the distance. And just when we were wondering as to what they were doing, we noticed some of them toppling one of the menhirs that dotted the land. A dangerous notion as those had obvious sylvan markings. Something that was clear even at a distance. And as you might know, Fey can be quick to anger and slow to forgive and forget. But despite this, Alistan wasn’t worried and assured us that there must be a good reason for this. A reason that he would be sure to ask his parents about.
 
When we finally reached the gate, It quickly became apparent just how busy a city really was. For we even had to wait a while in a queue before we could even enter it. This was due to the fact that the guards diligently inspected anyone that wanted to enter the city. As for the reason for that, sadly became clear to us when we had entered ourselves. For when guards moved towards the Coline carriage in order to welcome the noble visitors, several Satyrs and blink dogs rushed from the alleys and started attacking anyone that came to close to them. Fortunately, we were quick to respond, as Alistan took charge of the situation and rushed in to defend the people. Flanked by his sister whose sword radiated in holy light. Meanwhile Hayley and Luke launched several spells in order to turn the tide by either putting them to sleep, or blasting them to oblivion. And when one of the Satyrs launched himself towards Hayley, Ileas bravely intercepted the blow and protected her. Which caused the satyr’s face to twist as he venomously shouted the word traitor to him in Sylvan. But while the battle was fierce, we quickly managed to turn the tide and capture most of them.
 
Now naturally, there was a huge panic amongst the people following this. But Alistan once more showed his prowess as a natural leader by calming the crowd down with only a few words. Which was further helped by Liliana who used her abilities to heal as many people as possible. So while the guards made their way back to the gate as quickly as they could, most of the commotion had already passed by that point. That didn’t stop them of course from taking the statements of all those involved and the witnesses. Which went easy enough, safe of course for one exception. And that being the presence of Ileas. The guards were a bit less then eager to place their trust in the lone satyr that remained standing. Fortunately, Alistan was able to stand on rank and persuade the guards not to arrest the ward of the De La Roost family.
 
That leaves us of course with the question as to why this happened in the first place. And sadly this was a story with more ugly turns I’m afraid. For you see down southeast of Hillfield, there lies a stretch of land that has been shall we say claimed. Land that used to belong to Hillfield. Some merchant who had struck it rich, proclaimed himself as the rightful baron of the region. And no longer accepts Hillfield authority. This came to a head of course when the tax collectors came round and were quickly convinced to leave post haste. Naturally Hillfield could not led this stand and the head of the De La Roost family took a small army and marched towards the baron. Who in turn had gathered his own forces. A mercenary army, the majority consisting of the satyr tribes of the area. One of which even being Ileas his own tribe. It seems that they had been beaten by Hillfield in the past so this most likely seemed as a good opportunity to not only earn a lot of coin, but also get even. And to make matters worse, these mercenaries not only engaged the army but also frequently raided the surrounding area. And if I am completely honest, at the time the fact that they were able and willing to launch such a brazen attack in broad daylight in the heart of their enemies stronghold, made me think that Hillfield’s position might not be as secure as some might hope.
 
But that is enough about these dark thoughts. For now, the splendour of Hillfield awaited us, with the first stop of course being the Iron Shield Inn. And I can safely say that it was exactly what I always pictured when I heard the stories of old. From the atmosphere and the décor, all the way up the barkeep, a woman by the name of Mathilda and being of orcish descent. With most likely a dark and sad past, as hinted by the burns that marred one side of her face. And who of course could forget the mysterious stranger sitting in a corner. Nursing his drink as he awaits for someone to approach him in order to set off the events that would lead to grand adventures that would be sung about for centuries. As you no doubt guess, I was rather excited though I tried not to be too obvious about it. Hayley and I quickly deposited our gear in our room. Which was rather luxurious if I’m honest. It was located just under the roof, meaning that we had a wide view of the city and the De La Roost manor that was conveniently located just across the street. And seeing as it was actually a room for four, it meant that it was quiet spacious.
 
Following this, we rejoined the rest in order to visit the De La Roost manor. Strangely when we got there instead of a servant, we were greeted by Sophia De La Roost herself, the mother of Alistan and Liliana. Which was when we realised that it was already rather late and she simple did not want to wake the servants at this hour. Fortunately for her Ileas quickly took up that role as he served tea and proceeded to prepare the rooms for the rest. Which was a bit awkward, especially when Alistan started to argue with his mother that he shouldn’t need to do that. But she reassured him that as a servant, this was technically his job. So reluctantly he accepted this and started catching up. It was during this that we asked her what the deal was with the Menhirs. She explained that as a scholar of all things Fey, she learned that the Menhirs were part of an ancient ritual that was used in an attempt to launch a powerful curse during a war with two Fey Kingdoms. The struggle between Immerglade and Neverhold. So out of security concerns, she ordered for their removal. Fascinated by this, Hayley asked for permission to read some of her books and was later able to confirm that these Menhirs had some relation with the old kingdom. Namely that they were border markers, that were used in order to contain the Fey magics of Immerglade. And while she found no evidence of a curse in the few hours she had to read, seeing as the magic had long since passed, it should have no real harm to remove them.
 
As time passed, the Coline siblings also joined at the manor. They had spend their day taking care of some errands for their family. Keeping up appearances and making sure that the proper people were greeted. But as the hour passed, Hayley and I excused ourselves and made our way back to the inn. Where we spend the remainder of the evening enjoying a few drinks and talking with Mathilda. Who was even kind enough to tell us her story. Of how she used to be a mercenary with shall we say a less then legal reputation. Finally she decided to leave this life behind and settle in Keralon. But sadly the past has a way to catch up with us all. For when the people around her learned of her past, the subjected her to mob justice. Which resulted in the mark on her face. It was a rather eye opening account. For until that point I had imagined Keralon as a perfect place where chivalry and fairness ruled. It made me wonder just how things would differ from what I had been told. After this, she moved once more. This time to Hillfield. Where she was met by an old couple that ran that very inn. They hired both her and her brother and when they retired, Mathilda bought the inn from them. And has been living a happy life ever since. I was thankful of her story as it taught me an important lesson. For while we cannot change the past and undo the mistakes we made. When one is truly trying to better themselves and they have paid the price for their mistakes, we must not be afraid to offer our hand and give them that chance. Something to ponder for the future.
Just as we were about to lay our heads down, Hayley was contacted through the Tarnstone. It seems that while strolling through the garden of the manor, our friends had found another Menhir. Only this one was active. So with a heavy sigh we made our way back to the manor. Only leaving Hayley’s raven, which I later learned was her familiar, behind in order to open the door for us.
 
When we got there, Hayley lost no time and quickly started to inspect it. She deduced that these runes were not from Immerglade and instead belonged to Neverhold. Not a really welcoming thought. Especially when Luke deduced that this was a conduit in order to channel magical power from the Feywild. Seeking advice and clarification, Alistan quickly rushed towards his mother’s room. Even breaking the door straight off its hinges in the process as we later learned. For when he shouted that his mother was gone, we quickly rushed forwards to join him. In the room, we found him arguing with a servant in front of a passageway. The passageway had clearly been hidden by a mirror that stood next to it. And the servant was doing his very best to convince Alistan not to go down there. Now this might be due to certain novels that I had read concerning nobles. But considering the implications of a hidden doorway in a noblewoman her bedroom, with a husband who was currently away fighting in a war, that might not have been the worst suggestion. Though I would not suggest this to Alistan as he was far to agitated and when his patience reached its breaking point, simple pushed the servant aside and went down the tunnel.
 
We followed it down, eventually going deeper then the basement. And as we guessed, going towards the garden, when we found a door. This one too was quickly disposed of by Alistan, leading into a large circular room containing an altar. With lady De La Roost, while wearing a fanged mask, performing some kind of prayer. Which caused the runes to pulsate in the same light as the Menhir. A prayer in Sylvan that seemed to be addressed to Ulther, the king of Neverhold, asking for protection. She was more then a little startled when she noticed our presence. Though this quickly made way for irritation when Alistan started to demand an explanation. But seeing as this was a rather long discussion, we made our way to the sitting room.
 
Following a dressing down for both Alistan and Liliana, the likes of which only a mother can give, she began to explain her tale. For you see, during the Leper revolt that almost brought Keralon to its knees centuries ago. The De La Roost family made a deal with King Ulther of Neverhold. In exchange for his assistance in dealing with the revolt, as well as wealth and fortune for the De La Roost family, the family would perform this prayer as well as small request for the king when needed. This was also the real reason for toppling the menhirs of Immerglade. It was something he requested. Now this already sounded like a bad idea, but sadly it got worse. For besides this, it was also demanded that every second child of the family must go to the king and serve. Which meant that Liliana had to serve when her time came. This lead to a whole different discussion all together, with lines being quickly drawn in the sand. Luke and Hayley were very vocal about their opinion that this was effectively selling their children into slavery and that dealing with a Fey like King Ulther would only lead to heartache in the end. Lady De La Roost and Liliana on the other hand argued that this was their duty as nobles. And this deal has served to keep them safe for generations. However Ileas was the most vocal in his defence of that standpoint. Though I will admit that I was not sure on his motivations in regards to this. A part of me thought that this had to do with him thinking that we arguing from a racist standpoint towards Fey. Simple distrusting the deal because it came from a Fey. I have no doubt that that never came up with anyone, but considering his earlier dealings with the guards, I can understand why he might have been a bit more sensitive towards this. Another notion came that it was simple loyalty towards the family. Or maybe it was simple because he was in a similar position, serving as a ward to keep his tribe from attacking Hillfield. And if he argued against the deal then he would simple be arguing against his own position in life. The Colline siblings in the meanwhile were in silent agreement with lady De La Roost. Though most likely like me, they figured that one extra shouting voice wouldn’t really help in this situation. Alistan in the meanwhile also stayed quiet. Most likely due to the fact that he obviously had no idea about this deal. And was most likely reconsidering his life at that point.
 
As for my own opinion, it is a bit complicated. I will freely admit that with the benefit of hindsight, it has evolved a little. So while I attempt to recollect my feelings at the time, due forgive me if it is not 100% accurate. In short, I agreed with Hayley and Luke. A magical contract, regardless off which entity it is made with, is never a good idea. These deals are often very tempting and often offered only in times of desperation. And unlike a normal contract, breaking one of these often invokes a heavy price. For you see, there is one general rule of thumb that I would like give to you. And should you ever find yourself in a position where you might need it, I hope you will remember it. The rule is that the more powerful an individual is, the less straightforward he is in what he says or does. This is not necessarily out of malicious intent mind you. It simple that the more power you have, the less you generally want to be bound in how you can use it. Especially when you have given your word in how you will act. It is for this reason that they tend to say a great many things while saying as little as possible. Also known as politicking.
 
Another thing that influenced my opinion at the time, was my perception of King Ulther. I only knew him from what I had been told about Immerglade and his role in its destruction. So I kind of imagined him as a power hungry tyrant at the time. As for the idea of making a deal with an entity like that, well I knew of easier ways of self-destruction.
 
And lastly of course, there was the fate of poor Liliana herself. I was concerned and doubtful of how much of this was truly what she wanted to do. She naturally stated that this was completely what she wanted and needed to do of course. But I also figured that she had been raised her entire life learning that this was what was expected of her and what was what she needed to do for her family. It was why I couldn’t even really blame her family for this, as they had the same education. So naturally, they saw nothing wrong with it as up to that point it had served them well. And yes I know, nobles have a great deal of responsibilities and duties in exchange for the luxuries they enjoy. And that this seems similar. But the difference lies in the fact that this isn’t an oath that has been sworn, but is rather a magic contract. A noble who does not wish to serve can choose to leave the family and those responsibilities. Leaving them to the next in line. It is why once someone claims the title as head of a family, one of the first things they do is swear an oath to their liege. But Liliana does not have that choice. It also explained to me why she was so keen to seek out adventure and take risks. She simple wished to experience as much of life as possible before she had to complete her role in the deal. As a means of escape or even with a darker motivation.
 
Seeing that there was no end to this discussion, Lady De La Roost decided to end the discussion then and there. And had Luke not decided that he wished to join Hayley and me in the inn, I’m quite certain that the lady might have thrown him out. We would discuss this more in the morning off course. Resolving ourselves along with Alistan to look for more information about King Ulther as a means of helping Liliana. But at that point, all I wished to do was lay my head down, as I hoped that despite our differences of opinion this would not break our group.