As you might have read, we went through a long pause... but only because I decided to link this campaign with a Blue Rose campaign (yeah, two stories, different systems!). I decided that, far beyond the oceans, rose the empire of the Blue Rose, but I won't write down anything on detail here, just telling you that sometimes you might find special sections explaining how the two stories overlap.
Having said that...
Wake up...
Our heroes wake up from the inner travel caused by the Fateweaver's potions. They saw the desert, the nights before the final battles against Xanne, the travel of a group of spies... And the Sphynx with the Celemor's face.
Lanathiel Greystone, Elowen/Alowar's mother, guildmasters of the Tradeport's Spies
Celemor, Lanathiel, Morgane and Silda are right there, waiting for them to wake up. No one seems able to explain what they said, outside a single concept: Celemor's probably a key character in the canvas.
They chill out a bit, especially when Silda explains that they slept for more than one day.
They lurk around the academy while the "adults" seem to plan something.
Once near the woods outside the academy, hoping to find some hints about their dreams, ac couple of shadowy figures come out from the trees... they are Arthur Harrow (Cirice's brother and Gillian's colleague in the Witch Hunters) and Alowar Greystone (Elowen's twin sister)! They traveled from Tradeport to bring excinting news: if you remember the very beginning (Hleib murder) and the following investigations, you should be as surprised as the characters if I say that it was Diane Garret (a member of the blueberry family and Liam's cousin) to steal the gold from the bank (she is actually employed there) and that she has the God Map stolen from the Harrow's collection!!!
If she's not THE culprit, she knows something! They were on the right trail after all...
Someone has to go back to Tradeport. As soon as they tell this to Celemor, she decides to leave but confesses that she wants to go back alone, leaving the group with Silda and Lanathiel... She just doesn't trust her sister anymore.
The group listens and leave Celemor and Morgane fly back to Tradeport thanks to an Academy's Griffon, hoping to reach them the following morning.
Mother
By the way, Gillian casts a detect evil on Alowar (since he doesn't trust Elowen's sister) and discovers she's moved by evil-ish istincts... So he politely commands her to stay in the academy with them, leaving Arthur to fly back to the city along with Celemor and Mr. Harrow. She politely accepts. But why?
Something weird happens next and that's only the beginning of a tragedy.
Alowar wants to go in her mother's chambers to confess (she stabbed her and Silda deleted Lanathiel's mind, do you remember?) her "crime".
Elowen and the others come into the room before Alowar could speak.
Too bad Lanathiel seems to know the truth already. Probably the "forget" spell miserably failed. Whatever.
She doesn't say anything: she wants hear them to admit their faults and feel guilty. After a long verbal duel, she produces a giant fireball in the center of the room and threats them: if they don't speak in 300 seconds, they are all dead. But they can ask her for a secret (she is the guildmaster of the Tradeport's spies guild, remember?) regarding the city, demonstrating she knows everything and forcing them to ask something about their families, so that some secrets regarding them are unveiled.
No one gets her purposes.
Paralysed by Lady Greyston's charm, they try to face her at the best of their abilities and no one asks a single question. They know that little trick probably involved some kinda trap. They just try to gain some time and help the lady change her mind.
When the time is almost over, Gillian tries to say something to distract her, but Elowen speaks first, shocking everyone: "I did", she lies.
Lanathiel smiles. "I know the truth already, Elowen. Thanks for trying" she says, before releasing the immense power of her fireball against Alowar, who starts burning and screaming. As soon as the group bends over her to save her from the flames, Lanathiel casts "silence" thanks to her necklace and sits down in front of the fireplace, as if nothing happened.
Silda kicks in with the guards. With them comes Master Jansen, but before he says a word, Lanathiel says: "You owe me a favor. Nothing happened here."
He seems paralysed. "Ok" he says, shocking again everyone, while the flames are put to an end and Alowar is quickly brought downstairs in the infirmary), "but you are not welcomed anymore here, Lanathiel."
Lady Greystone doesn't add anything. She gets some robes, her small umbrella and leaves the room, telling Elowen "I hope you understood the lesson, at least". No one knows what the lession should have been, but still...
They chill out a bit, especially when Silda explains that they slept for more than one day.
They lurk around the academy while the "adults" seem to plan something.
Once near the woods outside the academy, hoping to find some hints about their dreams, ac couple of shadowy figures come out from the trees... they are Arthur Harrow (Cirice's brother and Gillian's colleague in the Witch Hunters) and Alowar Greystone (Elowen's twin sister)! They traveled from Tradeport to bring excinting news: if you remember the very beginning (Hleib murder) and the following investigations, you should be as surprised as the characters if I say that it was Diane Garret (a member of the blueberry family and Liam's cousin) to steal the gold from the bank (she is actually employed there) and that she has the God Map stolen from the Harrow's collection!!!
If she's not THE culprit, she knows something! They were on the right trail after all...
Someone has to go back to Tradeport. As soon as they tell this to Celemor, she decides to leave but confesses that she wants to go back alone, leaving the group with Silda and Lanathiel... She just doesn't trust her sister anymore.
The group listens and leave Celemor and Morgane fly back to Tradeport thanks to an Academy's Griffon, hoping to reach them the following morning.
Mother
By the way, Gillian casts a detect evil on Alowar (since he doesn't trust Elowen's sister) and discovers she's moved by evil-ish istincts... So he politely commands her to stay in the academy with them, leaving Arthur to fly back to the city along with Celemor and Mr. Harrow. She politely accepts. But why?
Something weird happens next and that's only the beginning of a tragedy.
Alowar wants to go in her mother's chambers to confess (she stabbed her and Silda deleted Lanathiel's mind, do you remember?) her "crime".
Elowen and the others come into the room before Alowar could speak.
Too bad Lanathiel seems to know the truth already. Probably the "forget" spell miserably failed. Whatever.
She doesn't say anything: she wants hear them to admit their faults and feel guilty. After a long verbal duel, she produces a giant fireball in the center of the room and threats them: if they don't speak in 300 seconds, they are all dead. But they can ask her for a secret (she is the guildmaster of the Tradeport's spies guild, remember?) regarding the city, demonstrating she knows everything and forcing them to ask something about their families, so that some secrets regarding them are unveiled.
No one gets her purposes.
Paralysed by Lady Greyston's charm, they try to face her at the best of their abilities and no one asks a single question. They know that little trick probably involved some kinda trap. They just try to gain some time and help the lady change her mind.
When the time is almost over, Gillian tries to say something to distract her, but Elowen speaks first, shocking everyone: "I did", she lies.
Lanathiel smiles. "I know the truth already, Elowen. Thanks for trying" she says, before releasing the immense power of her fireball against Alowar, who starts burning and screaming. As soon as the group bends over her to save her from the flames, Lanathiel casts "silence" thanks to her necklace and sits down in front of the fireplace, as if nothing happened.
Silda kicks in with the guards. With them comes Master Jansen, but before he says a word, Lanathiel says: "You owe me a favor. Nothing happened here."
He seems paralysed. "Ok" he says, shocking again everyone, while the flames are put to an end and Alowar is quickly brought downstairs in the infirmary), "but you are not welcomed anymore here, Lanathiel."
Lady Greystone doesn't add anything. She gets some robes, her small umbrella and leaves the room, telling Elowen "I hope you understood the lesson, at least". No one knows what the lession should have been, but still...
Once outside, they decide to leave immediately instead of waiting for the morning, leaving Silda with Alowar.
Lanathiel sits near the lake.
Before leaving, Gillian sits near Lanathiel and privately asks her: "Do you know something about my family?" (he's an orphan...)
"Yes, I know tons of things" she answers, quietly, like she wasn't the one burning her child less than one hour before. "Now you wanna know secrets, Gillian?"
"Yes, I want to know."
She smiles. "Everyone bend to secrets."
"Speak, if you know."
She takes a deep breath. "Winfried is your father. Ask him for more" (note: Winfried is the Rangeth priest in Tradeport, father of Beatryce - the cleric died during the Matroni's fight, remember? - and the character Gillian felt to live in during the mysterious dream).
Gillian cannot speak. She smiles again. "Truth hurts, most of the time. That's the reason why I exist. I can handle it. Go home, find your way and tell my daughter that women need to make difficult choices."
Gillian finally leaves, while Elowen thinks about finishing the job Alowar started some days before and the other still trying to forget Alowar's screams in the fire, asking themselves about those "secrets" and why that crazy woman wanted to reveal them in exchange of their lives.
Two more griffons leave the academy.
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