Here & There Again - What Now?

The Myste-Hass Calender

20/06/24

99922

Bertilac and Orvine watch as the ship, The Trespasser, heads eastwards.

Huey speaks to Bert, and the cook is unconvinced that Bert can actually talk to animals. But, he does admit their stew has been made with grass.

Bert talks with Ulysses who is obsessed with being a big, strong horse. But, Bert convinces him to move the caravan back towards Krookhold.

Lycidias asks for a priest and a child points them in the direction of a temple, the sole building made of stone in Krookhold. It's a square building with a dome on top. A lean individual opens the door, almost elf looking. Master Yiban breaks into the temple, past the priest.

There is a dwarf, gagged and tied up against one of the walls. The priest is interrogating them. He questions them about whether sending someone to Garr is okay.

Bertilac gets back to the centre of town and asks where Risses lived.

The supposed priest, Hennex, and Alcott arrive. The taller of the two asks very strange questions, and boasts a lot. He asks for consent more than once. Then his healing is more like a plea, a wish, then channels power into him. He is very sketchy about which god bestows the individual with his powers.

Hennex is wearing a long green coat and a yellow shirt. He's fascinated with other people's power.

Hennex refers to everyone as ne'er-do-wells, learning about the town of Krookhold.

Bertilac searches Risses house, finding little of value.

Hennex asks Bertilac to consider all the power that Alaie has ever granted, then consider the power that the priest can impart. "Do you accept this great power?"

Bertilac uses a divine sense on Hennex. He is a celestial.

Lycidius heads to the tavern, The Lucky Crayfish. The bar keep, Valviun, seems keen to make a deal and claims to dislike Risses.

Bertilac says that they will use Risses money to resupply, then return the rest to Hennex. Hennex claims to be moved.

Bert carries Offir's body to the cart and wraps him in a bedroll.

For 25gp, they provide 150 potions of rations for the group. They allow all the barrels to be filled with water, then two barrels of ale are bought - each covering 318 pints.

A negotiation takes place to feed the horses properly, on top of the supplies.

Valviun says they get a special spice in from Khazara called Dire Balrog.

Hellex says vows are very important. He claims that if Master Yiban breaks his vow, he'd have no choice but to strike him down until he was just a spec of dust on the earth.

Bertilac goes into the blacksmiths and gets six wagon wheels. The horses are also re-shoed, but the deaf blacksmith doesn't have any tall shoes which Ulysses demands. Bert agrees to get him taller shoes the next time their shoes are replaced, and Ulysses specifies that is as soon as their shoes are damaged.

The people of the caravan settle in The Lucky Crayfish for recuperation and rest. Sek heads over as well, claiming he is a great dancer - he knows all the kobold moves.

One of the letter, found in Risses house points out that the sample of Oraclin was better than expected. The information about the slate quarry is clearly working. The stone masks the Genai Stones. The sign off is from Ravaran.

Bertilac makes a copy of the letter, ready to send off with Sitis and the information on Offir's death. He has Jodicus make a copy of the map of the quarry, sending one off in the bundle and the other to keep.

Alcott asks Hellex why he is so interested in the god which Alcott follows. Hallex claims that every single bit of worship sends power and that is significant. For all he knew, the power could have been taken from a demon.

He claims to have reaped the field of Krookhold. He praises Alcott for planning to move on with the caravan, they are a great team, but there is also a slither of greed that flows through them.

He lays a hand on Alscott's shoulder and says he believes in him.

In the morning, Alscott has heard of the rare material Oriclin, it is a material that can bend the properties of magic.

Hallex is forcing the mantle of leader onto Hylvard, a small man with wire-framed glasses who is a bookkeeper.

Alcott goes back into town to speak with Hallex about the quarry. He asks what has been quarried, then Hallex claims that they spoke about it all the time. He tries to find out what Alcott found out. He says Genai Stones are very dangerous to Alcott.

He uses the word destiny three times in the conversation.

Lycidius returns the gold found in Risses home, minus expenditure from the town, to the new bookkeeper - Hylvard. They talk of Myste-Hass, forming a link, getting an envoy and allowing people to move between the two freely.

He warns the group of a settlement to the east, in between two of the rivers. They are dangerous and violent. Risses traded heavily with them. There are twenty-thirty people with good equipment, who are killing the more primitive tribes in the near areas.

The group decide to travel 3-4 hours north east, following the map, to find the quarry. They move towards mountains, seeing smoke form a volcano drifting towards the north.

A mild tremor is felt in the ground.

The group bury Offir in a grove of trees, with words spoken by Alcott.

Moving on, the quarry takes the group by surprise. The quarrying hasn't been happening for a very long time. Water fills the basin. There is a cave with a entrance covered in a slate canopy. There is also a large structure on the other side of the quarry, a black tower with turrets. It is gothic, churchlike, but clearly defensive. It is old, the windows broken.

Four horses come into the entrance of the quarry, fast. The lead rider is Rissen.

The group plan to set up a trap, lying in wait along the track secretly on the way into the quarry. Lycidius stays up high, watching the area. The carts and caravan are hidden in a copse of trees. Bertilac, Master Yiban and Alcott wait at the sides of the entrance, hidden and waiting.

They intend to send Bert in the form of a rat with a bowl cut in to scout the quarry.

If Rissen hasn't emerged by night, the group will go in and bring justice to Rissen for Offir's death.