S2E2 - The Baron

The road before them was well traveled the stones worn smooth. The many rains spread the tan and red soil flt between the stones allowing the sun to bake it into a clay. The trees and grasses on the sides of the road allowed some shade from the late summer sun.
Cordelia walked her head looking into the trees at the light bouncing from the leaves. It had been several days since Zorin and these newest members of the party joined the rest of them. Given the urgency of the mission she was thankful there were more people there to assist in their cause.
“Hey Cordelia, What are you thinking about?”
“Something I read at the library. “ This wasn’t entirely untrue. She had a copy of the book with her she had been reading. The one-eyes librarian had handed it to her to read when she left claiming it reflected her theory of what the great treasure could be.
That night they setup camp in a small clearing in the trees away from the road by 50 yards. Keldor and Cordelia cooked together some venison and potatoes for everyone as they all shared stories with smiles on their faces. The savory smell of the potatoes and lightly spiced meat on the fire mixed with the smoke making them all smile in anticipation.
After the dinner they setup watches for the evening. Cordelia opted to take last watch. Giving her time to review the book more thoroughly.
Illuminated in the campfire light the leather book tome creaked as it opened to her anxious hands. The arcane transcription springing to life...

The War of Champions as told by Vindalas the Golden, Commander of the Veridian Dragoons recorded by his squire Folas Belam
The following is as written by his bedside testimony during the First moon in Spring of the year 937.
In days that only us elves can remember and man had forgotten were times of great despair and death. Dragons, giants, dwarves, elves and men were engaged in battle slaughtering many across the landscape both good and evil alike. The western continent became a focal point for this warring, and an ancient Mesa known only as “The First Stone”.
Standing hundreds of feet high with a perfectly flat top and a large smooth horn jutting from one side pointing to the east it was a sight to see. Standing in the middle of the continent upon one of the many hills of the central forest. A forest I am sad to say met its end during this time, but wait. I get ahead of myself.
This “First Stone” was black like the night itself but flaked with peacock colored flecks of multiple colors. It was impossible to break and emitted a strange power all about it. An ancient power. My lord at the time looked at it with a reverence I had never seen before. He saw something both great and terrible in this monolith.
So did the rest of the world. Some wished to use it for good or evil claiming it could do great things. Some refused to let anyone control it for fear of the good or evil it could do. It became known as the god’s forge supposedly a way for a mortal to ascend into godhood. Regardless war would be waged to determine its end. And end it did.
See noone knows what truly caused it, and those that saw it are gone now. Some say there came a great flash from the heavens as a smoking flaming fist of the gods struck. Some say it looked like a great ancient giant’s hammer others say it was created by man as a weapon known only as “the destroyer of worlds” and others say someone tried to ascend and lost thier challenge to the gods themselves.
The result was the same. In that flash the First Stone detonated and spread outward pushing man, giant, elf and dwarf along with rivers and mountains outward. Along with those beautiful trees. Rippling from the center to form the Great Glen valley we know today.
The remains of the First Stone ended up in 5 places. We made a truce with man and a promise. We would never let anyone gain control of the “First Stone” again. It would be guarded in its pieces by erecting 5 citidels on top of its remains. Each named for the color of its foundational stone.
The Celestine Tower in the center was the tallest so it could oversee all of the Glen all at the same time. Towering thousands of feet in the sky one of the few things taller than the ancient giants., The Ivory Library, where the worlds chronicles and science were collected and stored. The Jade Temple where ones spiritual journey could find an epicenter also guarded the way to and from the now Shattered Lands to the north. Garnet Keep guarding the bloody lands of the south and The Obsidian Fortress guarding the wild and unknown northwest.
This ended the war and began our current calendar we know today.
Soon following this the countries of the west began forming outside the Glen. The rich aristocracy of Darkovnia formed with the baronies and being the primary trade route linking the east and the west through the port city of Bellz and Ellington respectively. The Trolls, orcs and bandits populated the south in Trull. The reserved martial artists for peace far to the west. One of the lost northern peoples only known as wolflings settled outside the gates of the Obsidian Tower naming the land after them, remaining reclusive behind that great dark bastion.

Closing the book she still felt lost. It does explain Bellz and Ellington once were a part of Darkovnia but is it the giant stone she should be thinking of finding? Should they be looking at the 5 sacred towers? “This is so frustrating.” she exclaimed as she got up to take a quick pace around the campfire while her friends were fast asleep.
All but one. Vix heard her words behind his silence and closed eyes and something inside him burned like the long thought dead coals of a forgotten flame.

They had travelled into the early afternoon despite an attempted raid by a small party of bandits was relatively uneventful. They had paused to make preparations to complete the last 3 miles posing as nobles to enter the baron’s dinner party this evening. Benedict had remarked following the battle. “You truly are a master of the greatsword, Keldor. I hope to learn much from you.” Keldor smiled briefly rebuckling a loose line for the vambraces on his left wrist., “there is not much more to learn from what I saw. *small grunt* *sigh* you are a skilled and promising warrior Benedict.”
Benedict smiled and nodded. Despite the praise he internally vowed to ask again in time.
“Oh this is ridiculous” Zorin stepped out from behind the bush he was using for modesty to change behind. The outfit was made of alternating colors of bright pink and mint green in hard contrast.
Zane and Sophie were laughing. “I think you kind of rock that look.” He stood up and modeled for Sophie “How do I look? Stunning as ever?”
Sophie laughed and squeezed his hand “Simply dashing! We shall be the toast of the night.”
“Yeah ha ha ha. By toast you mean we will be burned at the stake like the fashion disasters we are, sure.”
“Calm down. You look terrible but no worse than normal.” Vix chimed in sneering. “Besides we should all appear comfortable or else it will become obvious we do not belong, am I correct?”
The group sighed, Vix was curt and to the point but was right about at least one thing. They had to blend in at the ball tonight or else the entire mission could fail.
Zorin grunted and stormed off to collect and stow his pile of gear while Sophie and Zane giggled returning to gathering theirs as well.

Zane and Sophie leaned with one shoulder to the smooth granite wall of the ballroom. From here they could see their friends and watch safely away from the crowd to not draw too much attention to their spying. They spoke to each other softly over each others shoulders.
“Seems Benedict can’t loosen up wherever he goes. He’s at my 10 oclock standing like a statue at the edge of the dance floor. If he denies the cocktail waitress one more time they may ask him to leave on general principle.”
Sophie chuckled “well we chose the wrong time to visit Darkovnia. Noone serves milk apparently. Poor guy.” Her gaze scanned to the right gently “Keldor seems to have made a friend.” She smiled as Keldor was speaking to a woman with silver streaking cutting through her jet black hair at the temples. She wore the curly trusses pulled back under the hood of a blue and black outfit. Her face was a deep rich umber with clear matching eyes that smiled warmly as she spoke to the powerful and wise old warrior. He smiled and bowed taking her hand. He led them out to the dance floor where they began a slow and gentle cadence. “Keldor is quite the gentleman. I wonder where he learned how to dance like that.”
“Like how?”
She studied their movements. They stood side by side but facing opposite directions. Thier hands were the only thing that touched gently back to back with the palms facing back towards themselves. The fingers gently arched and curled back towards their faces. Keldor’s other hand was behind his back as he smiled over his right shoulder to his partner. She smiled back as they stepped forward and back swaying together like a child’s swing in the wind.
Sophie knew this dance to be one that only those of noble birth practiced.
“They are performing a dance of the Glen.”
“The Glen?” Zane paused “I guess there is more to Benedict Senior than meets the eye.” Sophie chuckled while Zane smiled proud of his joke. He took a sip from the tart and sour wine in his pewter cup. “Well at least Skotmir did the smart thing and not dance.” They passed Skotmir off as one of their servants, at his request. He was back at the guest room sleeping soundly after the great feast they partook in. The taste of the turkey and pies probably still lingering in his dreams like the drool from his wide mouth.
Sophie’s hand went to rest on his shoulder snapping him back to the task at hand.
“Cordelia is enjoying herself. She’s at your 8 enjoying the the fruit at the table and talking with a few scholars it appears.
“Seems we are the ones standing out.” Zane said briskly. “We should move.”
He looked over his shoulder slightly paniced.
“Not yet.” Sophie said calmly. She gently turned his bearded chin back towards her blue eyes with her fingertips. “Not yet.”
Zane sighed with a smile and nodded.
Yes not yet.

Keldor looked down and saw their feet on the moonlit path of the garden. The crickets gently chirped and though the dance was over people still were up talking and drinking into the night. It was nice to talk to someone. Someone like Shae.
“Tell me Keldor.” She said. “Tell me of your story. I feel I do not know you as well as you know me tonight.”

He stopped and looked into her dark eyes. They reflected and amplified the dim lights of the night. She had told him she was a Baroness and a Widow. 3 Children the eldest being a Colonel in the local guard and the youngest a priest. Her lands lie to the east and she had come here to maintain the uneasy truce of herself and the others.
“Can you hear them?” Sophie whispered to Zane as they perched in the darkness from the nearby rooftop.
“Yeah, you?” He put his arm around her. She smiled and leaned into his soft embrace.
“Yeah”
Keldor sighed and smiled.
“Dear Shae. Thank you for this evening. It has been wonderful, truly.”
He sighed. Why did he feel so disarmed with her. He felt so calm, so at peace. He smiled and began their walk again she again taking his elbow and smiling.
“I was once pledged to a great lord many miles away. I served him and 4 others pledging my life to them, their lands and my faith. I cared deeply for them all, they were everything, especially one…” He grew serious “I hope at our age you did not take me to lead you on in a romantic fashion.”
She chuckled with an honest smile. “Nay, gentle Keldor. What I gained this night was a friend. That means so much more to me than another gentleman.” she squeezed his muscular arm gently “Besides it sounds like we both have our hearts pledged to another regardless of what’s considered polite or not.” They chuckled “What was she like?”
He smiled and patted her arm gently before continuing.
“She was the gentlest of breezes, yet the strongest heart I ever met. Her smile could melt the ice on a northern pond and her eyes could see through the hearts of anyone. She knew truth and valor as her siblings and she…” He stopped thinking. “…She believed in me.” He smiled.
She smiled back at him. “So tell me. Should I call you Sir Keldor?” She could feel slight tremble in his arm at the mention. “What makes you think…”
“Keldor. You can’t fool this old woman. You are a Knight of the Glen.” She stopped and looked into his eyes. “And a handsome one at that.” He blushed and looked away embarrassed from the crumbling facade. “Your secret is safe with me brave Sir Knight.” She straightened up. “Well, may I trouble you to walk me back to the gallery. I suppose I should say say hello to the old crooked nose himself.” They chuckled together. “Yes of course mi lady” Walking mostly in silence back passing by the smaller braziers and torches lining the garden path. As they approached the door they smelled the sweet elderflowers at the doorway and he smiled in memory before walking inside.
They did not notice the 2 spectators above them on the roof as they passed by. Silent now sharing a soft kiss under that same moon.

Hmmm”

Vix walked the hallway beneath the main floor. He had no need for the party and instead cloaked himself in the arcane shadows to get headstart on the exploration. He had only been successful in finding a few guestrooms, the servant quarters and the kitchen for most of the night while dodging the frantic servers from the kitchen or cellar and stoic guards patrolling.
He felt the air growing colder as he proceeded coming to a seemingly dead end. “No moss, or cobwebs…” He remarked. It was ancient and completely barren. The musty smell of the hall like an underground spring had faded and was replaced with a dry dusty smell.
“SHEE-FA-TEF-SHLAK” He hissed as the edges of a glowing doorframe appeared in the wall. He pushed gently and the wall responded sliding to the left to allow entry. He entered the pitchblack room. A moment that seemed like forever. before one by one Blue flames erupted from torches descending down an endless staircase.
Vix smiled. “Well hello… time for us to go.”

CAST | BARONESS Shae Silverbrand – Aicila Lewis – The BiCurean Podcast – https://www.bicurean.com/
| Vix the Chaotic – Daniel Nichols – The Happy Go Lukky Podcast – https://happygolukky.com/
| Folas Belam – Sam Weigel – The World Forge Podcast – https://open.spotify.com/show/5CqKFlbuBlzSMh388n16zf
| Sophie – Sarah Jenkins
| Cordelia Shieldheart – Joleen Fresquez
| Benedict Shieldheart – Brian Dowling
| Zorin – Cody Miller
| Keldor Ironfist / NARRATOR – Mike Atchley