IC II

[thirdkingdom]

Zellar

To Newton: "War? War with whom? Do they speak of the eternal war against chaos?"

Zellar goes to visit the drunken priest called Fledles, stopping to purchase a bottle of wine first. (She also purchases two weeks of rations and a flask of oil, and stores them in Jepeto's saddlebags.)

Fledles, she soon learns, is a jolly middle-age man with sparse hair and a pronounced gut. He's dressed in simple, homespun cloth and, when Zellar enters the small temple, is currently mopping the laid stone floor with a bucket of water and a handful of rags. It's difficult to tell if he is actually making it cleaner, or simply spreading mud in a more even layer. The back wall of the temple has a wood altar -- almost a shelf, really, whith bundles of wheat arranged in sheafs across the length. "Welcome to the shrine of Maraelwe," he says, in a wheezy voice, "have you come to make an offering?"

[shaidar]

Newton

"While out and about looking for rumours, Newton will ask around if anyone has seen Goshawk"

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

Feargus joins Newton in a search of the local establishments looking for Goshawk. After they re-unite, he begins looking for a local shop where he can purchase an antidote for the poisonous breath of a green dragon.

[VonAlric]

Gardo

As the group reconvenes for the evening, Gardo gets their attention. "Hey, Mariusz just reminded me earlier that we still need to go to Rhea's Ford. Kirra Lec gave us two letters in that pouch that need to get back to the Senesh... Sinesh.. Sushsi... the guy who reports back to the Prince. We don't get paid unless we give the letters. Anyway, I would think that our guest Kzerzo needs to be in a place where she can meet others of her station. And when I say I, I mean Mariusz. He felt that Alice is nice but the power is in Rhea's Ford."

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

Zellar explains that she is a dervish of the Mnencir from Kimrid, journeying across the land in an effort to rebuild civilization in the wake of the days of chaos. She places the bottle of wine and 10 gold pieces from her coin purse on the altar.

"What could you tell me about this city of Alice, good Fledles? Are the people a godly sort? Of what do they hope? What do they fear? Who is Maraelwe, and who are her worshippers?"

[thirdkingdom]

Gardo

As the group reconvenes for the evening, Gardo gets their attention. "Hey, Mariusz just reminded me earlier that we still need to go to Rhea's Ford. Kirra Lec gave us two letters in that pouch that need to get back to the Senesh... Sinesh.. Sushsi... the guy who reports back to the Prince. We don't get paid unless we give the letters. Anyway, I would think that our guest Kzerzo needs to be in a place where she can meet others of her station. And when I say I, I mean Mariusz. He felt that Alice is nice but the power is in Rhea's Ford."

This is correct, btw!

[thirdkingdom]

Zellar

Zellar explains that she is a dervish of the Mnencir from Kimrid, journeying across the land in an effort to rebuild civilization in the wake of the days of chaos. She places the bottle of wine and 10 gold pieces from her coin purse on the altar.

"What could you tell me about this city of Alice, good Fledles? Are the people a godly sort? Of what do they hope? What do they fear? Who is Maraelwe, and who are her worshippers?"

Fledles

"Oof," he says, sucking on his cheeks as he examines the bottle of wine with what looks to be a critical eye. "Where to start. Well, I guess with me and mine. Maraelwe is the goddess of the harvest, and as such I tend to the more pastoral needs of the city. Manifest cares for the growth of the city, Maraelwe for crops. The people here aren't especially godly, no, not more than any other I have experienced." He looks sideways at Zellar. "Although you're not from these parts, are you? Perhaps it is different in your land, or even in a town more civilized, but here I am sad to say that for the most part people pay more lip service than tithes, if you get my meaning."

He pops open the bottle and begins to look around. "I know I have some glasses here, somewhere. Anyway, Alice used to be about half, maybe even a quarter this size no more than a generation or two ago, but when the orcs started raiding up north a number of settlers -- those that survived -- fled south. Most of them have stayed. Their tents have turned into shacks, those shacks have traded mud and wattle and thatch for stone and plank and slate. It's the way of Manifest, is it not?" Zellar thinks she can detect a trace of bitterness in his answer.

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

"In Kimrid, the Mnencir is the centre of life and of worship. It is only the gods who can protect us from the enshrouding darkness of chaos.

"But tell me more. The people do not care for Maraelwe? Are the harvests adequate? Are the people happy? Those refugees that have come here... have they arrived in Alice only to live in squalor? Are they satisfied with their adoptive home?"

[thirdkingdom]

Zellar

"In Kimrid, the Mnencir is the centre of life and of worship. It is only the gods who can protect us from the enshrouding darkness of chaos.

"But tell me more. The people do not care for Maraelwe? Are the harvests adequate? Are the people happy? Those refugees that have come here... have they arrived in Alice only to live in squalor? Are they satisfied with their adoptive home?"

Fledles

"Oh, they care for Maraelwe, when it suits. When the time for reaping comes, or when a loved one dies and they are brought here to me to be seen off to the Dry Lands. And . . . I don't know how to put this. The streets here are muddy, it is true, and many of the dwellings ramshackle." He gestures at the temple itself. "But Alice took them in when their homes were burned, and many of them have found new lives here. They have work, they have had children here, they've lost loved ones here. They have opportunity that they might not elsewhere. Yes, life is hard here, but it is hard everywhere." Zellar recalls that, while the dwellings on the outskirts of town were little more than shacks, further towards the center they became larger, better built, and cleaner. There is wealth here, there is no doubt. The contrast to Kimrid -- buildings of stone and ancient timbers, streets of cobbles, but empty, with one in four houses unoccupied, the victim of the previous Nadir -- could not be more stark. Perhaps in a few generations the roads of Alice would be paved with flat stones, the foundations brick instead of wood.

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

Zellar thanks Fledles for his time, offers a prayer to Maraelwe, and goes to visit the temple of Manifest in the centre of town.

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

Zellar thanks Fledles for his time, offers a prayer to Maraelwe, and goes to visit the temple of Manifest in the centre of town.

Not sure exactly what the timeline is, but Zellar will continue on to Rhea's Ford with the rest of the party, so if she doesn't have time, she'll skip the visit to the temple.

[thirdkingdom]

Zellar

Zellar thanks Fledles for his time, offers a prayer to Maraelwe, and goes to visit the temple of Manifest in the centre of town.

Not sure exactly what the timeline is, but Zellar will continue on to Rhea's Ford with the rest of the party, so if she doesn't have time, she'll skip the visit to the temple.

Is anyone staying in Alice or do you want to all go south?

[shaidar]

Newton and Ribar will go

[The_Wanderer]

I had originally said my crew would stay but don't really see a strong need for it either. I do need you to establish if we've found Goshawk. Also Feargus was going to dig around in the markets in Alice for anything to help fight against the poison gas of a green dragon

[thirdkingdom]

I had originally said my crew would stay but don't really see a strong need for it either. I do need you to establish if we've found Goshawk. Also Feargus was going to dig around in the markets in Alice for anything to help fight against the poison gas of a green dragon

Oh, yeah, you've found Goshawk. Sorry I didn't make that clearer.

After reuniting with Goshawk, Feargus spends the rest of the day combing the markets and stalls of Alice, looking for something that may be of use against the legendary poison gas of a green dragon. He is greeted with dubious shrugs. "If it's potions you're looking for," says one vendor, "there's a magic-user that lives just out of town. Jadas, I think his name is. He may be able to help you there. Anything more puissant than that and you'll have better luck going to a bigger town."

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus wastes no time then trying to track down this Jadas. In addition to looking for anything that could be of help against a green dragon, he will also ask the wizard if he can make use of any of the body parts of a green dragon...for wizardy stuff.

[thirdkingdom]

Feargus wastes no time then trying to track down this Jadas. In addition to looking for anything that could be of help against a green dragon, he will also ask the wizard if he can make use of any of the body parts of a green dragon...for wizardy stuff.

The Tower of Jadas the Magnificent

Feargus is able to get directions to Jadas's domicile easily; it is a three-story tower of stone to the east of Alice. There are few other houses around, and the tower sticks out of the surrounding land like a spear thrust into the ground. Knocking on the door, it is soon answered by a tall, incredibly thin man with fingers like spider-legs and a face rouged in the fashion of the Men from the Violet Principality. He speaks with a thick, almost absurd accent. "A green dragon, you say?" His eyebrows dance across his forehead. "I may be able to provide you with potions that lessen the effect of their poisonous breath, which I have heard of but have never encountered. If you have longer -- say two or three months -- I can try and fashion something along the lines of an amulet, or talisman." He steeples his long, skeletal fingers. "And I would certainly be interested in purchasing any body parts you are able to harvest . . . assuming you are successful in your task." He peers dubiously at Feargus over his steepled fingers.

[The_Wanderer]

The Tower of Jadas the Magnificent

Feargus is able to get directions to Jadas's domicile easily; it is a three-story tower of stone to the east of Alice. There are few other houses around, and the tower sticks out of the surrounding land like a spear thrust into the ground. Knocking on the door, it is soon answered by a tall, incredibly thin man with fingers like spider-legs and a face rouged in the fashion of the Men from the Violet Principality. He speaks with a thick, almost absurd accent. "A green dragon, you say?" His eyebrows dance across his forehead. "I may be able to provide you with potions that lessen the effect of their poisonous breath, which I have heard of but have never encountered. If you have longer -- say two or three months -- I can try and fashion something along the lines of an amulet, or talisman." He steeples his long, skeletal fingers. "And I would certainly be interested in purchasing any body parts you are able to harvest . . . assuming you are successful in your task." He peers dubiously at Feargus over his steepled fingers.

Feargus
"I will certainly take you up on your offer of any immediate potions that you can supply. As for more substantial defenses, what exactly could we use such an amulet for? Likewise how much would this cost us? I am a firm believer in doing what I can to win such a fight before it begins...as for assuming I am, or am not successful in this task...I dare say that if I am not, it won't matter much as I won't be knocking on your door anymore. Ha!"

[thirdkingdom]

The Tower of Jadas the Magnificent

Feargus is able to get directions to Jadas's domicile easily; it is a three-story tower of stone to the east of Alice. There are few other houses around, and the tower sticks out of the surrounding land like a spear thrust into the ground. Knocking on the door, it is soon answered by a tall, incredibly thin man with fingers like spider-legs and a face rouged in the fashion of the Men from the Violet Principality. He speaks with a thick, almost absurd accent. "A green dragon, you say?" His eyebrows dance across his forehead. "I may be able to provide you with potions that lessen the effect of their poisonous breath, which I have heard of but have never encountered. If you have longer -- say two or three months -- I can try and fashion something along the lines of an amulet, or talisman." He steeples his long, skeletal fingers. "And I would certainly be interested in purchasing any body parts you are able to harvest . . . assuming you are successful in your task." He peers dubiously at Feargus over his steepled fingers.

Feargus
"I will certainly take you up on your offer of any immediate potions that you can supply. As for more substantial defenses, what exactly could we use such an amulet for? Likewise how much would this cost us? I am a firm believer in doing what I can to win such a fight before it begins...as for assuming I am, or am not successful in this task...I dare say that if I am not, it won't matter much as I won't be knocking on your door anymore. Ha!"

Jadas

The mage scribbles some numbers on a sheet of vellum with a stylus. "I can provide you with potions that help resist the effect of its poisonous breath. I don't have any right now, and it will be at least a week before the first one is ready. They will be 750 gold each. They won't provide complete immunity, but should lessen the effects and provide the imbiber with greater resistance. An amulet or talisman could potentially be more potent, absorbing all or most of the poison. But that would be more expensive, and take more time. I probably couldn't have anything finished in less than, say, two months."

[thirdkingdom]

The Wanderer, if there's anything else you want to do with Jadas go ahead and post and we'll retcon it in.

Fifthmonth, Thirteenthday
The Road South

The adventurers head south, and before too long enter the Ironshard mountains, the road winding back and forth until the pass is reached. Travel slows down considerably due to the elevation, even though the road is well-maintained. Kzerzo's head looks to be mounted on a swivel, taking in the mountains, though she is obviously trying to remain cool and aloof. The companions spend the night in a barn, half hewn into the mountainside, that a shepherd allows them to use.

Fifthmonth, Fourteenthday
The Road South

The adventurers rise in the morning and continue south, passing through the mountain fastness of Bastion around midday. Kzerzo looks around with approval, and to Zellar's eyes this settlement is more of what she is used to; the streets are clean and cobbled, the citizens well-dressed, even if their clothes are darned and mended, and they move about with a quiet purpose. "Good," says Kzerzo, "it is well that all of your settlements are not like that pigsty you call Alice. It is hard to believe that humans dwell willingly in such squalor and disorder."

The adventurers leave the mountains in the late afternoon, the sprawling city of Rhea's Ford spread out on the plains beyond. Kzerzo cannot help but gasp in amazement, for it is quite a sight. The city is five, no ten, times, at least, the size of Kimrid or Draea. At least. And sprawling. Kimrid and Draea both are bound by walls. So is the Ford, but it is clear from the head of the pass that it has outgrown its walls once, twice, three times, in a series of concentric rings.

The adventurers descend into the valley and enter the city of Rhea's Ford as dusk is falling. Meeting the Seneschal will have to take place the next day, although they will likely be able to meet with Tolniel Fer, their factor in this city.