5. The Fate of Berkard Weller
General Summary
With spells being cast and stalls being toppled the party almost reached the fleeing Berkard Weller, before he downed an invisibility potion and disappeared.
Not to be deterred, the group tracked the now invisible ex-guard to a precipice over The Gulch, beyond the residential area. There he reappeared and confronted the group. Berkard claimed he had done wrongs that only death could repent and that his crime, compared to the petty thieves he punished for "treason" was far worse.
He revealed he had been shown by The Confidante through the archives what The Sovereign really was, and if the party wished to remain alive they should cease pursuing it. Despite some convincing notions from Sam, Jenny and Leopold, Berkard tried to throw himself into the Gulch, but not before Lacey paralysed him with a well timed Hold Person spell. The group decided to do the moral thing; they tied him up, knocked him out, stripped him of his possessions and dragged his disguised body back to his sister on the surface.
Once back at the surface, the party realised that they didn’t actually know where Marielle lived, and decided the best course of action was to wake the sleeping man and talk to him once more. This time the group and Berkard came to an agreement, he would leave to meet his sister, and should he still wish to carry out his final wish after speaking to her, they would escort him back to the Gulch themselves.
The group discussed what to do next, deciding the best course of action was to separate and do whatever they each need to do until the Sending Stone in Jenny’s possession was called upon. Before separating, Leopold asked Iris for the letter from the mysterious corpse they found in the caverns of the Gulch. She handed over the letter, but not before Lacey made a copy for her. 
Just before the group went their somewhat separate ways, Marielle found them. She was grateful to have her brother returned, but informed the group that his mind could not be changed and he would "follow through" in the morning. She paid the party for their service and departed, advising they lay low until the fallout from her brother's death had blown over.
As the dark haired man finishes his cup, a loud knock echoes from the wooden door. The storm has grown worse and immense waves cascade in the darkness outside. He approaches the door.
Sam, Iris and Jenny all took up odd jobs in the Gulch, giving them some profit and providing Iris and Jenny with some information. Sam found a Spell Scroll mysteriously in his notebook one morning. Sam also decided to explore Garrigill and the religious locations there, specifically The Church of the Dawn and the Temple of The Lore Keepers. Whatever magic resides within Sam felt no utility in the divinity of these locations.
During Lacey’s time away, she dreamt of waking up in her home at the Church. She found a trail of candles leading out the door. While following the trail, the candles snuffed out, leading her somewhere very deep, and very dark before waking. Lacey decided to follow her dream, leading her to find Ragmas but decided not to venture any deeper.
As for Leopold, the business of the Bishop in Extraordinary was somewhat revealed. He received some memos and a request to perform a last rite for a wealthy man, deciding to invite Iris along, as Sam’s proclivity for skulduggery seemed lacking and wishing to learn more about his fellow party member. Upon arrival, they greeted the family and set up the ritualistic articles seemingly honestly. However once the door closed on the room, so did the guise as the two began to learn more about each other.
Leopold asked why Iris did not wish to have her fortune read by Lyra at The Cornerstone, to which Iris responded that her fiance believed everyone makes their own destiny. Iris enquired on the nature of Leopold's position, asking if he knew anything about The Order of Immolation. Leopold confirmed some surface level knowledge, stating he knew that they followed a Demonlord and that their presence had faded in recent years. Iris shared her intent on ensuring they do not come back, referencing the Infernal tattooed on her arm.
Once the ritual was complete, the two left the house, not before receiving a generous amount of money from the grieving family, which Leopold left with Iris. Once the two separated, Iris gave the money away out of shame. After Iris’s venture with Leopold, she asked Lacey to write her a letter to a Kaylee Lunaward in A'mondyll.
At the end of the Tenday, the next Dry Season began and once again the bell at Garrigill Gate tolled. The party all gathered together and congregated at the square. There stood Commander Bren with a sombre announcement that within the ranks of Garrigill's very own guard, a traitor had had to be executed. Hanging from the gallows, the body of Berkard Weller and staring from the crowd, Marielle Weller, with a look not of sadness, loss or mourning - but confusion.
Report Date
15 Oct 2024
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