Chapter 15: Session 05

The PCs spend some time pursuing various interests in the city at Mount Wind, waiting for the Council to end its meeting. The bladesmen, Thelius and Hovirith are the first to find the party, arriving in the company of Krius and an unnamed female. Unfortunately, Soreiss and Slip need a member of the Voice -- preferably Olarus -- to enter the Library's closed section.

Mitu, who has been walking about town running errands with Bodan, sees Olarus seemingly walking alone, though engaged in conversation. However, Mitu begins to suspect that someone invisible is walking with the older man. The mysterious conversation ends when Olarus greets Mitu, and informs him that he is already planning a visit to the other Bearers where they are staying. Mitu waves him on, but lingers. Indeed, the Ogren's suspicions are confirmed when he hears a voice address him. First met years prior, Mitu recognized the voice of Domaorin, the thief responsible for stealing the gem of Doxinaru and revealing the Warpstone. And Domaorin's invisibility lends credence to the notion that the man still bears the Gem.

Domaorin greets Mitu, but the Ogren is somewhat defensive. He accuses the theif of spying for the order, but Domaorin responds that such is not the case. While he is certainly giving information to the Voice through Olarus, he claims he is not working for them. Further clarifying, he states that he works only for the being who seems somehow able to see him, and then says nothing more. This sets Mitu's mind racing. Does Domaorin work for Minulex? Or perhaps for Cabot?

After Olarus arrives to greet the rest of the party, he agrees to their request about accessing the voice's portion of the library. Thus, the better part of the next two days are spent researching assorted subjects.

Lugh finds volumes of journals and historical records documenting various rites of the Druidim, many written by famous members of that order. He focuses on the rite to summon the World Wolf, and then turns his attention on how the Druidim cleansed and restored balance to a corrupted Node.

Slip spends a while learning about how elementalism and magic relate, and learns that that some users of either, or both, have used one set of powers to augment the other.

Soreiss turns to history, and finds no shortage of volumes about the past era's of prophecy. His finds a wealth of information specifically about the Mirror Black, including how it has been defeated in the past. Once more it is confirmed, the mirror must be twarted twice -- in the physical world, the otherworld of the spirits, or in the Ymorphus, the realm of dreams. Soreiss also begins studying the circle of Shadowwall and their accomplishments and mostly tragic fates.

Soreiss and most of the party follow Soreiss to the Darkweaver's transit tower in the northern Hegemony when they want a safe, secure place to talk. Mitu tells them all about Domaorin -- when the thief himself chimes in. It seems he has been following them. He speaks with them a short time, confirming that he does, indeed, work for Minulex and is sharing information with the Order at the request of the Phoenixes. He also makes a comment about Adder not having yet returned from the desert -- which the PCs assume means that he travelled back to the Cradle of Life for more guidance and the hope for another vision. Domaorin insists that he is on the same side as they are, then leaves -- hopefully.

Mitu's continuing errands had included asking about any regionally famous smiths -- he still hopes to find more Eog crafters. Everyone told him much the same thing. Speak to Naris, an old smith to the north, in the little village of Harestown. And the following day, the party follows Mitu's lead and travels there.

Harestown is a cluster of a couple dozen wooden homes and small buildings along a road running north from Mount Wind. Harestown's resident Sherriff is a Sheildsman named Loril Manus who tries to be at once both helpful and authoritative, but fails at both.

In short order, they find Naris's smithy in one of the larger homes, where he and most of his family live. Naris turns out to be a retired Shieldsman himself, with a slight limp and a cranky disposition. He yells at Mitu for interfering on one of his grandchildren's chores, and then has his sons bring out some morning coffee so all may sit and discuss whatever it is the odd folks of the party came to discuss.

Naris's sons, Lornius and Velis, both in their forties, join the conversation. Neither are members of the Order itself, although Velis reveals that he spent many years as a merchant sailor in northern Kesh. Lornius has never ventured beyond the bounds of the Protectorate. When the PCs reveal that their main reason for coming is to see if they can work Eog, the trio of smiths set to work immediately. Each, it seems, is indeed capable of shaping the Eog, and each seems well versed in the theory and metallurgy involved in their craft as well as the practical aspects.

Naris says that in no uncertain terms is he willing to leave his home, regardless of however noble the end may be. He is just too old, he claims, with too many responsibilities at home. Velis, the youngest son, jumps at the chance to leave for the glass continent, volunteering immediately. Lornius, although somewhat reluctant, agrees to come as well when his father says he'll be fine handling the business alone for a while. As they prepare to leave, Naris adds one final comment -- He knows an old smith in the Ganthur town of Drathmorton. If anyone else can craft that stuff, Naris is sure that old Durin can do so. Lugh recognizes the name immediately. He has had business with Durin in the past, back when he was travelling with the likes of Rymar, Ebu, and the others.

Arriving in Turwinton with a pair of new smiths, the party is greeted by Krosbye, who takes the two newcomers to introduce them to the other smiths. Although he does pause to complain about one of the smith's (Smithy) eccentric behavior and how it is made worse by the man's companion (Cardinal).

Travel to Drathmorton is a quick affair as well. However, the town looks like a place of illness. The people seem listless, their skintone sallow and their eyes yellowed. Many of them seem too thin for Ganthur, although life indeed continues in the city. Lugh explains a bit about this towns recent, and tragic, past and adds that he is not well liked here. Conversation turns to the warrior Bartlebye who was one of only two survivors of Wilgoth's tragic attack on Muros at he ruins of Harbinton nearly ten years prior. Lugh and the man hashed out some of their differences the last time Lugh passed through here, but he still worries. Mitu decides that he should try and heal the man, with luck wiping the slate clean, when he is told that Bartlebye owns the local inn.

Bartlebye is still a densely muscled Luma, although some of his mass hs gone to pudge. All of his hair is long burned away, and his skin is a patchwork of burn scars. He seems reluctant to take Mitu's offer at first, wondering at the motivation of an armored Ogren suddenly coming into the bar and offering healing services. However incredulous he may have been, he agrees to let Mitu try and heal him... with great success on the Ogren's part. In less than a minute's time, Bartlebye's scars begin to thin and fade, leaving little sign of his past injuries. The Luma is shocked, stammering a thank you, but seeming now quite confused. Bartlebye's wife comforts him, even as Mitu eases himself away.

After healing Bartlebye and giving the Luma some time to come to terms with his sudden life-change, the party crosses the road to Durin's Smithy. Unfortunatly, all they find are a man and a woman, undressed, in bed, and seemingly addled. The party gets enough information from the woman (Durin's daughter, herself once a glass-crafter) to determine that Durin himself has business with the town's fletcher, across town. Lugh knows the place.

Durin, a man even older than Naris, is bickering with the hawknosed fletcher about certain crafting costs. When the party arrives and asks for Durin, Durin breaks off and speaks only to the PCs. He agrees with almost no hesitation to leaving Drathmorton, and when Mitu pulls forth the Eog chunk, Durin comments that he has actually worked Eog before. Returning to Durin's forge, the old man proves his ability to work the metal. Another of the line of Greymalken has been found. He agrees to go to Turwinton under one condition -- they buy him a meal at a certain resturant in Port Arlin, Kesh. Durin's request is intriguing enough to Soreiss that he agrees to it.

Mitu and Lugh also hit upon the idea of taking Bartlebye, his wife, and his child, from Drathmorton and taking them anywhere else they might want to go. Bartlebye agrees, saying he would like to be someplace small and rustic, where he can see the ocean. Considering Bartlebye's heritage, the party recommends the town of Ghostrock. The Luma is fine with leaving for Ghostrock, but requires a day or so to prepare his belongings.

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[Jolt Code: 3C,1CB,7R,1S]