After the last session The Five had finished their original goals. They’d found a Lorebook, and discovered it does not have the answers to “What caused the Awakening?” They did discover a cause, within a clandestine group of Scholars, that Chorl had something to do with the release of the minor magic. There was the discovery that the Obsunites captured the New West Gate. More close to their hearts was the conflict with Parun. The human that is hunting Mansaray.

This session had the following attendees: Behn, Saffron and Samul.
Maurice and Aamar have small roles as DM run PCs.
Mansaray is still out in the Wildes, maybe.
Shonie returned to her family in Telse.

It is now Spring 75, just three days before Summer.

Bishop Ollium has offered the non-Telsians (Behn, Saffron and Samul) a place to stay as there are no visiting priests in the House of Quar at this time. They eat down in the tavern that the Quarites run while Aamar is in the temple library trying to learn more from the Lorebook. As those three and Mo dine Piyu enters the room, he has a single one of his guard with him. He is massive, but does not fill the room. The temple is built for goliaths, as is most of Telse.

“Hello, I will need to see you in my office when you are done with your morning meal. We will discuss the incident yesterday with Parun. He is waiting for us.”

Behn asks, “Should we hurry?”

“No. There isn’t a need. He can wait.”

The group take a reasonable amount of time to finish their meal and leave Aamar in the library. Their canine companions stay in the stable and yard connected to the House of Quar. Bernier, the bear cub, stays with Aamar.

When they enter Piyu’s office Parun is waiting, visibly frustrated at the delay. He has two dogs with him, a reminder that three of his dogs passed in the battle. Piyu’s heron is standing on the desk behind him. As the door closes it unfurls its extensive wings.

“We are here to discuss the incident,” Piyu starts. He describes how Parun is the new ambassador from Azsel. Being new to Telse, he did not understand the laws as regards to slaves. He has now been informed and though he is an ambassador, with all of those rights, he pay a fine to the city for the violence he laid on the local heroes. His netthrower will no longer be allowed inside the inner wall of Telse, nor at Fort Ooshar. Lastly, he will be followed when in Telse. Piyu asks Maurice to lead this effort. Maurice, having a certain hatred for Parun’s profession, agrees.

“But you, you five, damaged that netthrower and killed five dogs from the embassy. Though in self-defense, these sorts of crimes are not welcome in Telse.”

Behn argues that it was really just accidental magic. Piyu points out that it was a fire bolt that set the netthrower on fire. Behn is humbled, but not for long.

“So how much is the fine?” all four ask at nearly the same time.

“150”

“What?!” Behn, eager to pay back since he was the one that caused the damage was about to pay out of his pocket, but now needs help.

“There may be another solution if you do not have these funds readily available.” Parun tries to interrupt and is told to hold his voice. “Telse needs help. Half the Guard and a third of the Militia is monitoring the West Gate and the neighborhoods near where the Obsunites gained control. But there are many other issues you’ve brought forth to the Mayor. Will you help us?”

Parun again interrupts. “These, four? They committed crimes.”

“Leave, now. Mo will follow you,” Piyu commands. “If you help your fine to the city will be on probation.”

“What should we do?”

“What ever is needed.”

It’s open ended. They do not have instructions, unless they choose to address the silly apocalyptic cult blocking the New West Gate and the refugee ghettos on that side of town. But they are connected to the city, a bit more.

Samul goes to a mailer to send a pigeon to a friend back in Gate. That friend will then need to get a note to his betrothed. It should take about two days for that message to get to her ears. Saffron sends a pigeon to Kirtin-in-the-Sky to then get the note carried to Korlot where her older friend Teegan lives.

There’s also some shopping. Most of it is administrative. Behn replaces his missing bolts and buys more, and then buys a pack and harness for his dog Mitzie. Samul requests a dagger-glove for his off hand. (The mechanics for this are just that he always has a dagger ready on that hand, he already did a d4 damage). It will be done in a couple days.

The three then return to Aamar. The priest tell them that he’s learned a few things from his study.

• There’s more than one Lorebook
• They are likely where more Scholars are
• Within the Lorebook are the type of spells that could remove the Stench of Sheljar

The Stench of Sheljar is because the former empire fell to pieces when the Awakening happened. Many people perished as those with powers of violence acted. The area rapidly fell to ruins. Some fled to Brodton, many more came to the northern parts of Telse, but most died. There is now a general uneasiness in the air, the odor of decay and a light fog. A number barely larger than zero enter those lands.

Now the group splits up. They’re learning about the area and have some clues to follow.

Samul heads out to the dockside. He’s worked the sea before and knows he’ll find some info among those that work the river. His target is a group of sailors from Daoud. He discovers that their ship is in Qin and they’ll be taking several barrels of the Everflow and other goods down river soon. Asking about areas they know he learns;

• Qin has something like cannon guarding the harbor
• In general the sailors think that Qin is a bizarre, but huge city
• Kirtin-on-the-Lake has a huge library

Behn and Saffron head to the embassy for Mira, approaching the ambassador there. The idea is that since Mira was a fringe, semi-independent part of Sheljar they may learn more about the Stench and Sheljar.

• Brodton is a no man’s land
• Mira’s merchants avoid the roads rather than risk going through the town
• Even the river traders up their alertness when on river, though it is several miles from the town
• The government of Mira avoids the Stench of Sheljar

Session 10 was heavy social session, with a tiny bit of exploration, as the players started to fill out spaces within the town with the mailer and the dockside tavern.

Depending on the hooks they are looking to chase they can pursue heading off to Kirtin-on-the-Lake’s library (Lorebooks?), to the exotic city of Qin (Scholars?), to Brodton (Sheljar), or back out west to investigate Chorl/Cortez.