The Party gets their stuff back from the impound lot, and talks with many important people. Plans are discussed for making a lot of gold quickly; it is suggested that they participate in the tournament. Tula rides Bugfood in the joust, and doesn't do well.
Today we are reminded that Salris has a spoon that grants a 1d4 inspiration die once per day, so long as he talks to it.
Retrieving things from the jail
Now that we are freed from our jailing, and have been sentenced, we return to the jail. The captain of the guard watches us get our stuff back; he stands there holding two pieces of parchment.
Ryltar approaches the guard captain and apologizes for the party's part in the deaths of the captain's subordinates. The guard captain brushes him off. Ryltar says that the group will try to do better in resolving disputes amicably. Tula makes no promises.
The captain says, "Seems that you have friends in high places," rolling the parchments.
Ryltar asks, "Do we?"
The parchments are handed over: One is for Bugfood; one is to Jerry and Salris.
Jerry and Salris are summoned by Magistrate Andraste, to his office.
Bugfood's letter is from Thalia, the leader of the Woven Council. She summons him to the council chambers where the trial was held.
Jerry and Salris go to Andraste; Bugfood and Ryltar to the council chambers; Tula and Vurguron back to the Forest Floor.
Salris' Friend
On the way over to Andraste, Salris sees his friend. He says to Jerry, "Meet you there," and ducks off after his friend. He follows the friend around a corner, another corner, another corner. Jerry follows stealthily. The trace ends in a dead alley. Salris looks around and examines the wall, and finds a loose brick with 20 gold.
Jerry follows Salris past the first corner, but the second corner is a three-way split.
Salris turns around and finds another flash of his friend, and follows. Jerry follows Salris' tracks.
The friend is standing at the corner of a T intersection, and as Salris comes around the corner, the friend goes invisible. "I followed you to talk to you," says Salris. He hears a rapping noise, and follows the rapping noise. Eventually he comes to another T where there's equal sounds from each direction, so he turns left. "I just wish to talk," he says. "The contract was unfulfilled, you at least owe me a conversation." As he walks past an open building, he feels strong arms pull him into it.
Jerry loses the trail.
In Salris' room there is a dwarf with greasy black hair, streaked in gray, with split black beard and a faint scar under one eye. The room is 10 feet square, with bed, chair, and bottles covering the floor.
"Salris, getting yourself arrested?"
"'m better at not getting arrested when I'm on my own."
"So how'd you come across them?"
"Ran across them when I came to Grash, because I wasn't paid on my contract. Found a human who worships a god who's probably false. So why'd you come here? I haven't been paid."
The dwarf asks if the contract was complete; Salris says yes. "Captain of the Grey Mist?" "Captain Dereshar." "They didn't give that name." "Everyone knew him. And I was his son after all." "You were his son?" "The money was good. You didn't know?" "I didn't. That's diabolical. I have good news and bad news." "You don't have the money." "I have to go back to the Grey Harbor to fulfill the contract. But I do have other contracts that you could take." "I don't know you that well, but I do know your organization."Headhunters don't usually work in groups." "That's not what I heard." "I'm a number man. I find people to take the contracts." And all he needs is proof of death.
The list of names within the city:
Boris Highhelm, the Mounted Combatant, 2000 gold
The High Mother of the Woven Council, 10000 gold (The moniker for those Woven Council leaders, like Thalia)
Salris mentions that he may be heading to the Academy soon; the dwarf offers Guy Pennet a 500 gold death.
Salris mentions that he's thin on cash at the moment, and was hoping his friend had that four thousand Salris was owed. The dwarf says he'll find Salris when he can.
The dwarf asks if Salris wears scale mail. He does have a contract for enchanted scale mail, which has hooks. That contract could be fulfilled at Grey Harbor, under Glent Taurus, a stonecarver. "I don't get all the nitty-and-gritty. It helps with the alibi."
And that's the end of the conversation, pretty much. The dwarf says, "It's best that these conversations take place one on one." And then they have a conversation where the dwarf tells Salris that he was followed, and the dwarf offers to kill Jerry. Salris says that he still has uses for Jerry. The dwarf has a crossbow with a brass eagle across the front.
During this conversation, Salris feels a sense of burning rage growing in him, pressing him to attack. he suppresses it. So he turns to leave, and as he leaves, he sees a momentary glimpse of a shadowy figure that resembles his father. "Until we see each other again," he says, and walks our the door. A whisper crosses his mind, saying, "You will," but Salris shrugs it off.
Salris walks off towards the temple, talking to his spoon.
Jerry falls in beside him when she sees him. He talks about the weather and how wonderful Jerry is, and compliments Jerry on her daughter.
Jerry and Salris in Andraste's office
So together they head to the high magistrate's office, in the temple. It's the same as the last time we saw it. There's two guard standing at the entrance to the temple, to whom Jerry hands over the scroll, and says, "The magistrate summoned us." So they are let in, and encounter an acolyte, who gives them directions to the Magistrate's office.
The door is open, Jerry knocks on the door frame, the magistrate invites them in. He's surprised that they were able to come so quickly. He says that he had spoken to the beastmaster, who complimented them, and who said that the services of Salris and Jerry were no longer required because the beastmaster's apprentices had captured three wargs. Andraste says that Jerry and Salris have upheld their end of the bargain, and they should talk to Bother Raynar when he has finished his sermon. Andraste continues, "You have been lucky on the trial," smiling.
Salris says, "Well, we have our work cut out for us in the next month." "Oh? What sort of work?" "Looking for contract work, item retrieval, finding people, that sort of things. Are you hiring?" "After you found Vicar, we retrieved the Moon Blade, and have given it to a new acolyte on his journey to the Grey Havens."
"For my part," says Jerry, "I hope to attend the festival with my daughter, and then perhaps continue with my recent companions on their quest. But to attend, not to participate."
Salris speaks roughly but eloquently about the possibility of making money from winning competitions. The magister says that he would have said the same thing, and that they'd need to sign up as soon as possible, because the competition starts tomorrow.
Jerry thanks Andraste for his advice, and asks where Brother Raynar can be found. Andraste says that he's across the temple, finishing a sermon.
Andraste asks after our paladin friend. "Tula?" says Salris. "It's fine to run headlong into battle. But it's not fine to leave your friends behind," and we see him tense, and turn to stare out the window. "I'll pass that on," says Salris.
Jerry notices that this feeling is familiar. It's not that Andraste left his friends behind. It's that he walked from battle, leaving his friends behind. "Do you know the Forest Floor?" asks Jerry. "Owned by Fenross," asks Andraste? "Yes." "He was your former CO." "Which is why I suggest you talk to him." "I will consider that," he says, and writes down a note.
Jerry and Salris make their goodbyes, and go to find Raynar, who they find across the big T of the church, where a service has just ended. The emptying pews are filed with elves and a smattering of other races, since Corellon Larethian is an Elvish deity. We see Brother Raynar tidying up after the service. Jerry approaches, and introduces her and Salris. He asks us to kneel; the two kneel and he says a prayer in a room with excellent acoustics. He touches Jerry's head and she feels warmth course through her, coalescing in the bite mark, which dissipates. The same thing happens for Salris. "May Corellon Larethian guide you." "Thank you, Brother."
And so they head back to the forest floor.
The Trial Room
Bugfood and Ryltar return to the trial chambers. Vurguron tags along.
Bugfood wants to show up in cat form. Ryltar tries to discourage him. Ryltar knows that she's a wood elf, not a high elf, victorious in battle. But he doesn't know whether she's a mage. He knows that the other two on the council are powerful casters, one a wizard and one a druid, but he doesn't know about Thalia. She has affinity with wilderness but he doesn't know how powerful she is.
So they go to the chambers, where Bugfood greets the guard, saying he has a letter of recommendation ("Summons," says Ryltar) from Thalia. The guards say that he may enter, not Bugfood or Vurguron. Bugfood convinces them to let him bring a plus-one, which is Ryltar. Vurguron says he'll head to the Forest Floor.
They enter; there's a hallway that's the antechamber of the courtroom. Bugfood enters the courtroom; the room is bare save for guards in each corner and two behind Thalia, who sits on the pedestal. It's about noon. He greets her: "Good evening!" She turns and whispers to the guard nearest her; all six leave. He says, "I can't hear you."
Ryltar bows to her, from the door. Bugfood walks straight across the room to her, across the trial dais.
"Greetings," says she. "Hi! Yes! Hello!" says he.
"It was interesting standing trial for you."
"Interesting was a word to describe it. Not pleasant, though."
"You had an unpleasant encounter, it seems. What happened?"
"I disagree with the concept of a jail cell. I don't think I'll stay in one again." Ryltar chuckles, Thalia smiles. They talk about metal and squares for a bit. "But why have you summoned me?"
"To talk."
"I was born some time, a while ago. But I don't remember that part. I grew up—" "Bugfood, interrupts Ryltar, she probably has questions to ask you.
"No, it's fine. I do enjoy conversations about people's life. During the trial, I was able to see within your live, as per the enchantments of the room."
"Ooh, my favorite topic, me. What else is there to say? I don't much about myself, what more can you tell me?"
"You tell such stories of your self. I don't want to spoil the ending."
"Oh, don't worry yourself."
"The beginning has happened. The middle part is now, but the ending I don't know."
"You left the fae realms. How was that?"
"It's like when you jump out of bed, like you're asleep but you're falling."
Thalia invites him around the table with a gesture. Ryltar stays standing where he is; Bugfood has forgotten him. Thalia offers a hand, Bugfood tries to shake it; she holds it. "Most people travel life filled with dreams and desires. People get lost, and sometimes people find themselves within their dreams, but their journey is still there." He feels warmth travel from her up his body. His jitteriness and weariness fades. "I understand, he says."
"Dreams do come true," she says. "As well as nightmares."
"That's concerning."
"It always is." She releases his hand, and leans back. "So the two of you have made quite a stir here in West Haven," she says. "3750 gold."
"That seems like a lot of gold," Bugfood days.
"It is," says Ryltar, who explains common methods of making money.
"I have a plan," says Bugfood. "I may need Vurguron's help. Some people will probably pay money to see a tamed crocodile." Ryltar is down on the idea. "I may have a bad idea," says Ryltar.
Thalia turns to Ryltar. "So what's your story here? I have met with delegates of the Underdark."
"I myself am not a fan of those delegates," he says. He explains that he doesn't wish to live in the dankness and backstabbing and lawlessness of the Underdark.
"There may come a time when I may need a delegate such as yourself in the Underdark" "As a token who has seen both worlds?" "Someone who has seen the truth of what the Underdark has become." "Shed light, literally? There are probably some who need that." Bugfood interjects laughter, she says it's what she does.
Ryltar mentions the dream he had, of the Taj Mahal in a great desert that was a library. He asks about the place.
"There have been stories about the Lost Library. It's within the desert north of here. But people who have ventured there haven't come back, or been seen since. It's said to hold lifetimes worth of knowledge, which you can read for days and only get through weeks. If you succeed in getting there, it would be a feat beyond most people."
"That is my intention."
Bugfood mentions what Thalia said about dreams and nightmares coming true. He likes onions. "Bugfood may be there as well," says Ryltar.
"Why would you travel there?"
"I have found that I do enjoy the stories of old."
"The Age of Heroes. I've heard some stories secondhand from my ancestors. But as the diversions fell, with the land, most of that knowledge has been scattered amongst tombs and ruins. The library would hold such information."
"If it still exists. It was an interesting dream, like if there was a choice to be made."
Bug food says: "It was like my dream where there was a choice between light and dark," and Bugfood disjointedly explains the vision he had, with the six stars all white in the constellation, with none missing and none red.
"You chose to walk towards the twilight. What would you say if you hadn't chosen to walk?"
"The world would have fallen apart or something. It feels bad, like a foreboding darkness."
"You spoke to Ren?" yes. "I've come to hear his doom-and-gloom prophecies."
"I feel that doom and gloom is still the right term to use." He explains that he came here to find fighters, financiers, etc. She asks where he came from; he starts describing the last week's travels. Where does he come from, she asks again. "It's a tree that's east southwest of there, three weeks, from the treadstone it's the fiftieth tree. If you look for it, you won't find it, because there's so many trees."
"Southwest of here, then?"
Bugfood spends a lot of time describing how he got here. "it's very nice talking with you, but I want to fix the sky." "Do you have any insight on that?" asks Ryltar. "We were planning on heading to Sky diamond academy," says Bugfood.
"The SDA houses many knowledgeable people to talk to," Thulai says. "Ryltar, is it? Are you aware of a society called the Umbral Reach?" Bugfood isn't, Ryltar might be. "They are a society within the dark elf community that is promoting the idea of seeking knowledge from before the Divergence." Bugfood asks what an umbra is. Is it a type of bear? "They seek knowledge form the age of heroes." Ryltar knows that they scour tunes and books. "If you find them, they may have some information. Personally, I wouldn't, but if you absolutely need it, and the end of the world seems lie dire straits, you may seek them." Ryltar says he wouldn't be the worst at talking to them, as he's a dark elf.
"Do they like cats?" asks Bugfood. Ryltar explains that they have giant spiders instead of cats.
"Well, it seems to my lunchtime," says Thalia, and she thanks them fro their stories as they say their goodbyes. She adds to Bugfood, "Oh, be careful. She can be deceptive." She didn't say who 'she' was.
Bugfood replies, "Don't worry, I don't know how to say — bye." And walks out.
On the way out, Bugfood asks Ryltar if he should have tipped her.
They see Vurguron outside; he's been waiting for two hours.
They go to the Forest floor.
In the Forest Floor.
Salris knocks on Tula's door and relays Andraste's message to her. She sighs and closes the door, and requests food.
We get food; Salris orders stew for many and wine for himself. Fenross makes a wine recommendation.
The party discusses what they saw.
Bugfood takes Salris' bowl of food up to her, knocks at the door, and takes Form of Giant Frog. She opens the door, is surprised by the frog, and punts the frog before seizing the food. There's a hint of frog to the stew. She puts the stew aside and eats rations before going back to meditating.
As Tula meditates, one of the softly-glowing floating lights in the tree turns green. She notices and thinks it odd. She taps it. She feels that her god is with her.
Bugfood discusses the tamed crocodile scheme with Vurguron, because he wanted to discuss it with a simpleton.
Salris and Jerry talk about the competition with the Ryltar and Vurguron and Bugfood. As Salris is talking, Tula comes downstairs. Ryltar thinks that we should all go to sign up together. The party spends some time discussing the names they would enter under.
The Guard Slayers - 2
The Kuthrik Wrestlers - 1
Bugfood and the Pussycats - 1
The Hillthorpe Six - 0
The Beast Catchers - 0
The Long Death Longshots (Fenrooss suggests) - 0
The Longshots - 2
The Starry Six - 1
The Missing Sixth Star - 0
Baby Dragon - 0
Whisper of the Sad - 0
Don't call me Shamus - 4
We're in it for the money - 1
I can't believe it's not Shamus - 1
Dream Warriors - 1
The Knights of the Summer Court - 5
The Summer Courtesans - 1
The Dreamliners - 0
Balm of the Summer Court - 1
Dreams of the Night Court - 1
Night Knights - 3
Since only Vurguron opposed the Knights of the Summer Court, that's our title.
We book rooms in Fenross' Forest Floor for the next five days, so that we can attend the festival.
It's about 2 p.m., so we go to sign up.
Signing up
The arena has a signups booth, with separate items for the joust, the Battle of the Beasts, the Might of the Magus (spell-slinger duel), and the Spell-Slinger Spectacle. We give our names and the group name "Knights of the Summer Court", and pay the entrance fee for the Battle of the Beasts. The prize is 1000gp and a Bag of Tricks.
Ryltar asks for more information about the Might of the Magus, and Ryltar and Salris buy in. The reward is a Pearl of Power and a bunch of gold.
Tula enters in the joust with Bugfood as her mount, for another 1000gp and the Scroll of Plant Growth.
Bugfood has a lot of visually impressive spells; he wants to enter his own after describing his plan.
As we're dallying, a person comes up and reads the sign talking about a prohibition on dragon imagery in the Spell-Slinger Spectacle. He's very upset over this; Jerry notices he's a half-elf with green and gold clothes.
Jerry pays Bugfood's entry fee for the Spectacle; Salris also enters.
Preparation
Bugfood finds a florist's and buys a crate of various flowers that haven't bloomed yet. He pays 50 feet of hempen rope and 9 gold for a crate of budded flowers.
Fenross gives Jerry 9 slightly-rusted throwing darts, since he's not gonna use them in the bar.
Tula buys a riding shield for use in her joust.
Everyone returns to the Forest Floor. At the end of the day, there's a few more patrons present, and Fenross says it's fully booked now.
The competitions
It is now Quat, the first day of the sixth week of Tarsakh. It is five days until the solstice.
The Joust
Tula asks the joust master whether it's permissible to cast during the fight; it's okay for her to Smite. And she puts 100 gold on herself to win.
Other competitors are Tom, Dick, Harry, etc, and Highhelm. Vurguron bets 69 gold on Tula.
Jerry and Majorie attend, and Ryltar and Salris. Salris tells Ryltar that there's a lot of money on Highhelm's head. Highhelm is the crowd favorite.
There are eight contenders.
Tula's first joust is against a person in blue, riding a riding horse. She's unhorsed.
So it's a disappointing day.
We stick around to watch Highhelm's joust. He's riding a warg That is, the wargs seen in The Lord of the Rings films. and he's slightly taller than the average person. His warg is very tame and very well-handled, which is incredible for such a monstrosity. He easily defeats a man in orange riding a mule.
An elven figure in greens and blues, riding an elk, faces off against a person with red desert armor riding a Bactrian camel. The camel spits. They ride towards each other, the elk dips its horns, and the camel takes fright. The elf lands a solid blow on the camel-rider, but doesn't unhorse him. They tilt again, with glancing blows on both shields. Third tilt, the camel-rider hits and the elk-rider whiffs. Tie so far. And now the animals are restless, backing away from the lists, and in the final run, the camel wins.
A warhorse against a pony. In the first tilt they both hit solidly, but remain ahorse. The second tilt has the animals restless; the riders hit but the war-horse rider is unhorsed.
Pony versus camel, the animals collide and the riders are unhorsed. The riders remount, and the pony-rider lands a solid hit on the camel-rider, unhorsing him.
Between the blue riding-horse one and highhelm on his warg, they land glancing blows in the first tilt. Solid hits in the second tilt. THird tilt, Highhelm hits and the riding horse does not. Highhelm knocks the riding-horse rider off.
Pony vs Highhelm: both hit solidly and remain mounted. Highhelm's warg starts nipping at people in the ring, squiers and such. Highhelm clubs the warg until it comes back into manners. Second tilt, warg hits and pony hits, but pony-rider is unhorsed.
Salris rambles off to find Bugfood and Tula. Bugfood greets him in horse. Salris muses about stealing the winnings from Highhelm. He gets a wreath and gold and a scroll. Bugfood detransforms, and looks to congratulate him. He shakes Highhelm's hand and congratulates him, explaining that he was the horse. Salris follows as well, Disguised Self as Tula. Fake-Tula congratulates Highhelm, complimenting him on his steed. Highhelm says that it's easy if you know how; he uses force and brutality. Fake-Tula commends him on using starvation, beating, brutality, and so on. She walks away, Bugfood follows. Bugfood is upset by the beating of the warg, and says so to fake-Tula. Bugfood thinks we should mug him. Salris explains that there's a bunch of gold on Highhelm's head. He's trying to persuade Bugfood. It would free the warg. Bugfood says that the warg could be freed without killing. He isn't convinced that Highhelm should be killed, and can tell that Salris wants to kill him.
They walk away, to a point where fake-Tula can relapse into Salris, back to the Forest Floor.
Tula lost 50 in the joust's entry fee and 100 on her bet, and Vurguron lost 69 gold on his betting.
Bugfood suggests to Salris that they leave town, because someone probably overheard their conversation.
Jerry buys a 10-foot length of metal chain.
Next session
It is now Suon, the second day of the sixth week of Tarsakh. It is four days until the solstice.