26. The Faenrul Festival

At last returning to Curieux, the party stood in line to enter the city, as masses of travelers waited to enter and experience the ongoing festival. They headed straight for the Grand Arcaneum to submit the phylacteries to the Grand Magister. However, once there, the adventurers were informed that Alexandre and one of the receptionists, his pseudo-secretary Sylv, had already left the tower to attend the Aizur Convention. When attempts to find a Sending spell sputtered, the group followed the trail to the Convention where presentations had gone underway. With a stroke of luck, Jester ran into Angramax, who provided the party a means to contacting the Grand Magister as well as a scolding for Kent’s recent perils. Shortly after, they received instruction to visit the Grand Magister’s office after midnight.
With some hours to burn, the adventurers decided to indulge in a few drinks. Meanwhile, Andraste snuck away to provide medical assistance at one of stalls set up to provide relief for the destitute around the Commons. Nearing of the stroke of midnight, they located the cleric and returned once more to the Grand Arcaneum, encountering Sylv on the bridge there before subsequently being led to the office by him. The Grand Magister still out of sight, the party, with Tycus still tagging along, continued their relaxation and chatter. Around one hour later, Alexandre reappeared, looking haggard, but still about his wits. The party at last gave him the phylacteries to which he provided his thanks, a reward for their services, and a request for further aid from Kent and, eventually, Andraste. Now way late into the night, the group and company retreated to the Adjective Noun and garnered a well-earned rest.
The following day, the party enjoyed their downtime in their own splintered groups after a breakfast of accounting their loot. Andraste continued to provide aid, in the form of conjured sustenance and healing, at the charity stalls, for which he began to amass a congregation of curious spectators. Jester, true to her word, guided Tycus around the city and through the Faenrul Festival. They indulged in the festivities, and Jester managed to reunite with Terryflump’s Travelling Troupe, including the eponymous master of ceremonies and most of the child bandits that she and the party had saved months prior. The duo then spent most of the day seeing the other sights of the festival and partaking in discussions about their families. Industrious as ever, Kent and Varris went about trading their wares and other spoils of adventuring for currency. Afterwards, they dedicated their efforts to finding Edna’s fiancé, Philip Roffheld, and trailing him for the day, even going as far as to dress in noble garb for a ruse at the bank. However, despite expecting a fulfilment to the rumors of his deplorable attitude, Philip’s behavior seemed to indicate to the contrary, at least in those moments.
As the sun set, the adventurers and Tycus convened once more at their inn of choice. They discussed the day’s happenings before Kent eventually excused himself to answer the Grand Magister’s request at the Arcaneum. Once there, Kent used his spare hours to study. Alexandre appeared after midnight, providing Kent a briefing of their agenda for the night before they dove into their work. The two then spent the next hours successfully transferring the souls located in the acquired phylacteries to a separate container. With this one project completed, Alexandre thanked Kent as well as informed him of their next endeavor, for which Andraste would be needed: to remove the curse from the mutated corpse’s body and at last receive some answers regarding the recent occurrences with the Scourge. However, the archmage also hinted at a further pursuit of removing the Corruption from a creature that had yet to become a Scourge.

"She speaks true and kind, even with the prowess and ferocity I have seen her apply in battle. I have the utmost respect for her, and I intend my best for our—similarities, to not color my perspective...Oh. Of course, her companions have also proven themselves to the same level of effect. One could not expect less of her judgment."

— —Tycus

Related Historical Events

• 5498
  Aizur Convention
• 5498
  Return to Curieux