Amidst the constant drizzle of rain, the PCs arrived by boat
back at Galethspyre. When they were identified by the people at the docks,
small pockets of crowd gathered to watch them. Not only were the known from the
Korrangberg Chronicle, they’d earned a reputation from both the Carnival of
Shadows and the elemental battle at
the warehouse. Children continued to follow Clarion, for he alone had earned a
reputation as a dispenser of sweets.
Cypher’s confused condition as “Claviger” seemed to fade
away as they arrived as well. It was a matter of continued discussion,
especially for Cypher himself. He seemed to retain some memories that were not
his own. Notably, he cited the object of Claviger’s quest: a byeshk scimitar of
great renown, at least from long ago. Known as Vaarza’Gresh (“Razor of Giants” in Goblin), it once wielded by
Governor Trazzen, the greatest ruler of the Dhakaani city of Palurr Draal. It
was said to be able to deliver devastating wounds to both aberrations and giant-kind.
The PCs had only a short time before the special dinner
event with Three, the King’s Protector. Concerned about Cypher’s state, they
inquired at the Brelish garrison. Lieutenant Terrek listened to their concerns
but said he could only request that the artificer who’d examined him come speak
with them again. He was not to be found at this time.
Then the PCs brought their tickets to the Carnival and were
escorted by the elves, invisibly, around the city to the outdoor Arcadium, the
temple of the Host and apparently the venue for the dinner event. A wide
courtyard encircled the primary chapel, a nonagon-shaped building with shrines
to each of the nine gods of the Sovereign Host. This is where Clarion, Aleae,
and Kard had visited before. The rain had stopped and now the clear night
played host to countless stars and several moons.
Tables were arrayed with food. Servants came and went.
Phiarlan minstrels played music. Many guards of the King’s Citadel stood
watchful. A House Vadalis handler was there with a massive, white-flecked dire
bear, presumably some form of entertainment. Various and unusual guests, many
of whom who’d clearly won enough shadow pieces, were in attendance. There was a
quartet of hobgoblins—three males and one female—in Darguun armor, a lone
Silver Flame knight, a table of Brelish veterans, and a pair of
unusually-clothed foreigners who some guessed came from the continent of
Sarlona.
Eventually, the PCs approached the head table, where Three,
the King’s Protector, sat beside his charge and the other special guest of
honor: the young Princess Haydith, sister of King Kaius III. She was part of
the foreign exchange of royals. While she now lived in King Boranel’s court in
Breland, two of Boranel’s children now lived in Kaius’s court. She was dressed
darkly in aristocratic Karrnathi styles but also wore a scarf of Brelish blue.
She looked and was a brooding teenager, but she seemed fond of her Brelish
hosts. Also sitting with Three and Haydith were Mussfinch and Lady Amaryllis,
Master and Mistress of the Carnival of Shadows.
 |
| Three, the King's Protector |
Introductions were made, and Three—himself a paladin of Dol
Arrah, like Clarion—was both polite and only mildly authoritative in his role
as the King’s Protector. Cypher mentioned his having been part of the Battle of
Brey’s Crossing, the event that cemented Three’s role as personal protector and
friend of King Boranel. Three remembered that a unit of artificers and
trapsmiths had been especially helpful that day, in 976 YK, and it was their
cunning traps that made manageable the Thrane forces that King Boranel and his
warforged guards staved off at the bridge. Three thanked Cypher for his
service, though he downplayed his own military role, and also thanked the rest
of the PCs for their involvement in the earth elemental attack. He said he
might have a job for them, given their great skill, their spiritual
affiliations, and their growing reputation for opposing malicious agencies.
Three asked if they would be interested, but provided this
caveat: The mission involves imparting a state secret of sorts, and he would
have to have their agreement in advance that they would accept it—or else he
would say no more of it. The only thing he could offer before the decision was made
was that it concerned the Dragon Wood—the sizable forest up the river northeast
of Galethspyre.
Meanwhile, Magnus asked Lady Amaryllis about his dragonbone
mace, since they had talked about this before and the red-eyed eladrin had told him to find her again later. She said there were principally two ways to "unlock" the hidden powers of this weapon—which Magnus himself had recently admitted to his companions was named the Defiler's Dread: (1) She could give him a map to one of two manifest zones where Risia, the Plane of Ice, overlaps with Eberron. One site was in the Graywall Mountains, while the other was in the Starpeaks in Aundair. Alternatively, (2) she could have the weapon sent to her cousin, Lord Syraen of the Winter Citadel—the eladrin feyspire that is stuck within the north woods of Karrnath. A powerful spellcaster and the lord of the feyspire, if anyone on Eberron could coax the magic from the weapon, it would be him. However, Amaryllis warned Magnust that this would require him to agree in advance to pay Lord Syraen whatever it was he required in turn. "It will not," she said, "be gold. It will likely be a service of some kind, and it will not be an option to refuse it." (Aleae shook her head, understanding more than anyone just how risky it is to owe a fey lord any debt.) Even so, Magnus agreed to this and he gave the Defiler's Dread over into the lady's care.
During their conversations, Princess Haydith asked the PCs challenging questions that strayed into uncomfortable political grounds. Three tried to quiet her, but she persisted. In order to distract her from this, Aleae offered to show the young human a glimpse of her homeland in Thelanis. Intrigued, the young princess followed her.
 |
| Green dragons typically lair in woodlands. |
"The Brelish Crown has an agreement with a
dragon named Sorethyress the Viridescent. She is an old green wyrm who has laired in
the Dragon Wood since well before the Last War. In the early days, she fed on
livestock, and sometimes even farmers and explorers when they crossed paths with her. But
Queen Wroann—the first ruler of Breland and King Boranel’s own great-grandmother—negotiated with the green dragon and the two formed a pact.
"The conditions were:
- Sorethyress was not harm the Brelish people. Invaders, of course, were fair game—and during the course of the Last War, various Brelish military leaders were able to lure enemies into her domain where she presumably slew and devoured them.
- In turn, loggers were not to cull from the forest any more than was necessary. They could not cut down more trees than they planted. In addition, tribute was given to her once each year: a sum of gold or a magical treasure—often both—which were delivered to the mouth of her cave.
“But Sorethyress has not been heard from in over a year.
Last year's tribute remains where it was placed, untouched. The King
has become concerned. He asked me to send a small company to investigate
the matter. This I did more than a week ago. They have not returned. I am...concerned.
Before I request a larger military force approach—which if all is well, the dragon
will not respond well to—I am more inclined to send a smaller, professional
reconnaissance team."
"The mission is merely one of information. Find out why Sorethyress has not been heard from, why she did not collect her tribute. It is possible she is merely sleeping and all is well, but King Boranel feels uneasy about it. He wishes to investigate the matter."
The pseudodragon that the PCs had spotted more than once also made an appearance at the table. Perching like a cat on the furniture, he appeared and disappeared on a whim. The Carnival Mistress introduced him as Matheurixivilum. Matheu for short. He was known to them and often came and went when the Carnival of Shadows traveled.Matheu spoke telepathically—and with appropriate arrogance, given his nature—to the PCs. He said he was a sage and a scholar from Argonnessen, and that he insisted on accompanying the PCs on their journey to the Dragon Wood. At this, the Carnival Master and Mistress only shrugged. Matheu was a mysterious friend of theirs, but also a free agent. In truth, no one would know more about dragons than one who is kin to dragons—though it also seemed like he might be a selective sort of sage.
Finally, Lady Amaryllis made an offer to Aleae concerning her own quest. She said that after the 7th of Zaranytr (two days hence), the Carnival would be moving on and would travel next to Wroat, the capital of Breland. There, on behalf of her cousin, the aforementioned Lord Syraen, she would be meeting with emmisaries from Pylas Pyrial (the feyspire in Zilargo) and Shae Jordial (the feyspire under siege in Darguun). It was Amaryllis's understanding that the two feyspires have a plan to test their theories concerning the nature of the grounding of all the feyspires. Amaryllis told Aleae that she would be willing to sponsor her attendance at this meeting—and thereby represent the Rose Queen of Shae Loralyndar—if indeed the PCs carried out the task Three had asked of them.
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