City on the Edge of the Wilderness
General Summary
"We need to talk about how you're always witholding information from me! "
"I love witholding information, it's my favorite!!"
Two days after leaving behind the ruins of Becklinberg the heroes finally spot the city of Frial in the distance on this cold, sunny morning. Spreading out ahead of them are the trade paths to the south and west both of which are crowded with traffic. They see merchants heading into and leaving Frial while others have set up vendor booths along the road to the city in order to cater to travelers.
On the way along the road to the city the heroes stop briefly to get a warm breakfast offered by some of the vendors. Riken stops by a vendor selling hot buttered corn and cider and ends up acting as a performer for him to draw in the crowd. He juggles corn and earns a free meal and a few gold coins for his trouble. Caellana takes notice of an elven wagon group with very sick oxen. She offers her services with Cordelia's assistance. They remove several wriggling, grub-like, creatures from infected cysts on the animals' bodies. Cord keeps one specimen in a jar and incinerates the rest. Caellana learns the parasites were contracted by the oxen after feeding on strange fungal blooms near the Rylan Woods.
Once inside the city the heroes split up to explore the area, take care of personal business and indulge in a bit of civilization compared to the rural wilderness they've suffered through. Caellana and Cordelia head off to the markets. Berenger, Aelfric , Erik and the Frostmerite scouts head toward the center of the city looking for the barracks of the Grand Order of the Lion to tell them about the traitor lions they encountered at the Calloway Inn months earlier. Riken and his sister McKenna head into the crowd to look for opportunity and talk openenly with each other about their future with the caravan.
Cordelia and Caellana's Story
Caellana and Cord begin looking around the market for anything of value. For Cord that's armor, potions and Balmoran Steel. For Caellana that's bread. Lots and lots of bread. Tryxanna makes a brief appearance to Cord to lay out a request she has. She tells her about a bracelet in the reliquary of the Grand Order of the Lion that she wants. Reluctantly, Cord agrees.
The two eventually find an alchemist and hope to make some potion purchases but despite the early hour the shop says closed. They can see someone inside and signal to them. A woman comes to the door, a human in her early 30's maybe. She says she's the shop's owner but that she's closed for the day. They press her a bit more and she says she's off to do an experiment on one of the hilltops outside of Frial. Her Great Grandfather was a famous astromancer and she's using some of his equipment to look at the moon and map it. She believes it's possible to travel there and that her Great Grandfather might actually still be alive and living there. She introduces herself as Bianca Loame, Great Granddaughter of Wexil Loame.
The pair makes a quick few purchases and then Cord reveals the strange grub they found in the oxen earlier. Bianca goes about examing the creature and determines that it is a larval Dyzoat. They also accidentally demonstrate their ability to use magic and Bianca quickly pleads with them to come help her with her experiment. Cord continues on to the market while Caellana agrees to help with the experiment later that evening. Bianca buys several pies and pastries for Caellana and shortly after that they load up her wagon and head out.
Cordelia continues on to the tailor to have a custom suit of studded leather made. Based on the requests she's making and the extra pay for secrecy the shop own assumes she's part of the local branch of the Black Thorn Society which he seems to be a member of as well. He slides her a special gold coin with the symbol of The Three Crowns on it and tells her that the project will be done as soon as possible.
Cordelia then goes about fulfilling her promise to Tryxanna and scouts out the headquarters of the Grand Order of the Lion. It looks like a place that is part fortress and part cathedral; occupied by countless members of the mercenary organization. She finds the building to be nearly impenetrable with only its cemetery being largely unguarded. She then finds a bench and beckons Tryxanna to appear. She confesses that she doesn't know exactly where inside the bracelet is, just that it's in the basement somewhere. Cord chastises his patron for not revealing the whole story and how difficult this would actually be and Tryxanna confesses that she loves withholding information. Cord then goes to the shadiest part of Frial she can find to make contact with anyone that might know the sewer system well enough to come at this problem from below. Her search leads her to a tavern known as the Defiant Dove where she finds the contacts she's looking for and the information she needs.
Riken and McKenna's Story
The Moondall siblings speed off to the markets as well looking for somewhere to spend the few coins they have to their name. They also talk amongst themselves, discussing their feelings for the rest of the heroes and the caravan. McKenna says she's nervous about the Frostmerites and their obsession with combat (and bears). Yet, she likes Caellana, Erik and Cordelia. And she's rather happy with her demon pact with Tryxanna so far. She says they're all worth traveling with, for now at least. Riken agrees, his only concern being her reckless agreement with a demon.
They walk the market while talking and their conversation soon shifts to what their most familiar and comfortable with... crime. They see all the Balmoran Steel weapons and armors here and start scheming different ways to steal a few crates for themselves. The plan briefly consists of using their contact at the Buttered Corn stall outside of town to place an order that they could then steal but their interest in that soon wanes in favor of simply scouting the blacksmithery later that night and possibly just breaking in. Before they can get particularly far though they spot Caellana on Loame's wagon heading out of town. Their fixation on robbery quickly shifts to assessing the value of Bianca's lunar equipment and the possibility of treasure on the moon.
Erik and Aelfric's Story
Berenger tries to temper the ire of the Frostmerites as they approach the fortress-monastery of the Grand Order of the Lion. They boldly walk up the steps to Lion Home, the ancient Balmoran redoubt that serves as their gathering place. Once inside they are quickly met by several armed guards who are alerted by the arrival of over a dozen armed men. They demand to speak with whomever is in charge and the guards quickly retrieve one of the company's commanders, Claudius Xavier Bastion.
Bastion presents himself and a very measured and dutiful man who hears out Aelfric's condemnations and even offers to compensate them for any injury or trouble they may have endured while dealing with the rogue Lions. Aelfric refuses but he does mention they are part of a larger caravan that is soon to arrive and that they'd like to get supplies, trade and sanctuary for their people. Bastion sympathizes but says that is not his place. They'll have to speak with the Kreastos of Frial . He writes them a letter of sponsorship that grants them the right to speak before the Kreastos and wishes them well.
The group quickly exits, some of them spitting on the outside steps much to Berenger's dismay, and begin toward the center of Frial and the council chambers. They find this grand structure in a state of reconstruction. It seems to be made out of the remains of several temples to the New Gods but it's Sandor's regalia that is most prominent. Using the writ from Commander Bastion they are able to access the building and proceed to the forum. It's there that they see a great room filled with prominent city leaders, community representatives and foreign dignitaries who occupy the main floor. Before them, a raised marble dais where the seven members of the Kreastos are positioned. Most of them come from varied walks of life and luxury though one member is clearly part of the Grand Order of the Lion. They are currently occupied by a declaration of war that has been sent to them. One that doesn't bring concern but laughter throughout the chamber.
As the heroes listen they learn of a figure named "King Fellhammer" who has been something of a thorn in the side of Frial's political sphere for a while. It seems he is a dwarven lord from Ghal Ankhar who believes one of the city's outposts actually belongs to him. He took it by force, expelled the small garrison and has walled himself in along with his allies for over two months now. The Grand Order of the Lion has been trying to peacefully resolve the situation since. This dwarf, King Fellhammer, has now declared war on Frial due to the level of amusement this brought to the chamber it seems none of them consider this a credible threat.
Once the Kreastos agrees that the Lions should handle this matter swiftly but with as little violence as possible it is the heroes' turn to address the council. Berenger urges Erik to speak rather than Aelfric. At first the young soldier rejects the responsibility but eventually he relents and steps up to address the leaders of Frial. At first, he nervously speaks to them with a clumsy attempt at proper diplomatic speech but one of the Kreastos tells him it's alright to speak plainly and Erik breathes a sigh of relief. From that point on he very innocently and passionately announces the impending arrival of the caravan, their desire for trade and to establish good relations with the people of Frial. After listening to his genuine and kind plea the Kreastos agrees to supply the caravan with what little they can as well as to explore potential partnerships between their city and the Westbound Star Company .
While mingling with the crowd of leaders during the recess Aelfric soon comes to learn that a great deal of tension in the city exists between the Grand Order of the Lion and many elements of the civilian population. While many of the civilians are happy to have the Order in their city and protecting it, an equally sizable group resent the control they exert of Frial and feel they have been conquered by benevolent yet strict mercenaries obsessed with Frial's connection to Old Balmoral.
Missions/Quests Completed
Reaching Frial and peacefully securing permission for the caravan to pass through here and even potentially establish trade relations
Character(s) interacted with
Bianca Loame
Commander Claudius Xavier Bastion
Lion Lord Markus Goddard
The Buttered Corn Vendor Mr. Fennic Gil
Commander Claudius Xavier Bastion
Lion Lord Markus Goddard
The Buttered Corn Vendor Mr. Fennic Gil
Notes
Plot Hooks Discovered
Expel Fellhammer- Lion Lord Markus Goddard poses the opportunity to Aelfric and Erik. Help expel the rebellious Dwarf from their fortress in exchange for reward and positive relations.
To the Moon- Bianca Loame is extremely interested in mapping the moon and perhaps even traveling there to look for her Grandfather Wexil Loame.
The Hangman- Cord learns that the civilian constabulary has brought in outside help to try and reestablish themselves as law. To that end they've outsourced the tracking down of some of their most heinous criminal elements to a bounty hunter named Killian. His first order of business upon arriving was to build a gallows and begin public executions.
The Black Thorn- Cord also learns that their is a sizable presence for the criminal organization known as the Black Thorn Society operating in Frial and mostly around the docks near Lake Bask.
Tryxanna's Request- Tryxanna has a request of Cordelia that needs accomplishing. Steal a bracelet from the Lion's fortress
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