Mists Over the Musarde, Chapter Three

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain :" I'm game if every one is healthy , and prepared for our further excursions through the portal or if anyone want's to explore the area around the portal so we don't run into any thing else when we come back from are expedition through the portal . I would not want to have our party as banged up as we were after our run in with the doctor and his minions . The group running into someone's or somethings attacking us in such a sorry state coming back through the portal in such circumstances as that . As we haven't come across any were creatures as yet . " Looking around the room for any comments from the group about his statements .

[Le Noir Faineant]

The door is pushed open, and Cirdan storms into the room , in full armor, but the vizor of his helt open.

"SIR DENYS! We got to talk!"

After a moment, he realizes he and Denys have company.

"In private, Sir! And immediately, I beg you!"

[Adam]

"Indeed, Herr Sancerre, I am more than ready to proceed. The sooner we know what's on the other side of that portal, the sooner we can perhaps put the last vestiges of this conspiracy behind us." And the sooner I can put this entire incident behind me, and move on to a client who is a bit less hazardous to my survival.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio can feel the weather in his newly-healed ribs as he makes his way to the Sancerre manor, watching his cigarillo smolder before him. After having seen to Cirdan and Jon, the priest had spent most of the interim poring over scrolls and medical accounts. His pet cray Szoritas had nipped at the cleric's neglected meals as Dorgio had searched the scriptures in vain for any clue to Jon's malady. How did the boy heal so quickly, move so quickly, yet exhibit no signs of lycanthropy? The silver had shown him nothing, and yet Dorgio could not shake the feeling that something sinister had taken hold of the boy. If not silver, could not some other substance prove caustic? He had no wish to test that diagnostic if it could be avoided.

Once arrived, he listens to the others' planning. "I agree with Alain; the whole structure, it may be too large to cover completely, but we should scour around it, and leave barricades, perhaps traps or wards as well, to lessen our chances of being surprised."

[steveflam]

"I's juss wanna go an take care 'o' our nasty pals fer good."

[ewancummins]

Denys doesn't seem at all surprised by Sir Cirdan's dramatic entry and subsequent outburst.

''Well then, it sounds as if all are in agreement that we should further investigate the portal and its surroundings. I see no reason not to begin today.''

Denys turns to Cirdan and quite calmly he says-

'' Sir Cirdan, of course I have a moment for you. Friends, if you will excuse me. ''

Denys rises from his seat and takes the knight gently by the arm, directing him towards the foyer.

''The garden is quite nice just now- the hardier blooms are yet out, and the leaves of the trees have begun to turn red and gold . Why don't we go for a little walk,eh?''


Once Denys and the knight leave, Buckman says-

''So- this, uh, enchanted portal- what's on the other side? I mean, have we got any notion where it leads? ''

[ewancummins]

Shortly after Sir Cirdan and Denys depart for the garden, Charlotte enters the room. The pretty brunnette serving girl has brought out a cart with additional food and drink for the guests: bread and butter, jars of preserved fruit, and mulled wine.

Charlotte spares a smile for Benn, and lingers near him a minute or so before departing.

Jon watches Charlotte with fixed attention. His face remains blank, but his eyes never leave her for a moment.

Buckman also watches Charlotte- but the expression on his face is rather easier to read. He smiles broadly at her when she serves him. Whenever she turns her back in his direction, he leans forward and leers at her backside.

[Adam]

"It's impossible to know, of course," Bennedict says, deciding to pull out his pipe and have a smoke while everyone is waiting. He stuffs the bowl and continues, switching into his lecturing voice. "It's technically just as likely to teleport us into Herr Sancerre's basement as anywhere interesting. However, I have some possibilities that I think may be a bit more likely. Much of the lore I've uncovered regarding Incabulos ties to Darkon, specifically the region of Herr Norzak's origins in the northern mountains. I wouldn't be surprised in the least to find that it may connect to there, though I would be puzzled as to how the connection could have been created, given that the period of the plague god's worship was well before the appearance of Richemulot from the mists."

He puts the pipe in his mouth, taking a thoughtful puff before continuing. "A slightly more concerning possibility, which I've arrived upon due to the importance of the items Herr Sancerre recovered in activating this portal, leads me to suspect that it may connect in some way to the homeland of this witch, Wolutha, who went mad trying to defy Incabulos. Whether it leads to the area where her kingdom once was, or whether it connects to some...place where a piece of her still lingers on, we would of course have to find out after arrival." He gives a sort of half-hearted chuckle. "As I said, there's only one way to find out for sure."

[steveflam]

Norzak turns to Buckman. "I think the name 'o' tha place is Broceliande. Mens peoples calls it the Wood that Waits. I learnt it in a dream once. AN it's queens name is Violette, I thinks." the dwarf shrugs.

[ewancummins]

Buckman speaks, and it is certainly the most he's said to any of you in one stretch up to this point:

''Appeared out of the Mists? That's just a fairy tale. The settlers just got turned around and wandered through the Mists for a while before they came out into this stretch of the valley. They found the cities already built, and fallen into ruin. Look at the buildings 'round here- stone takes a long time to wear like that. Leaving aside the towns, look at the valley itself. Land don't hold still like some pretty painting- it is shaped, real slow, by the hand of nature. If you look with your eyes wide open, you can see this all around you. The river must have taken thousands of years to carve her way through the earth and stone of the valley. You ever seen the bluffs south of town? Those weren't made in ten lifetimes' of men, I'll warrant. ''

[Adam]

Bennedict rolls his eyes at the clearly naive trapper. "Yes, well, it would seem particularly odd if a completely flat, featureless land appeared out of nowhere. Do you honestly believe, Herr Buckman, that a fully constructed city surrounded by lush, airable farm land simply sat next to the Core, unnoticed, for decades? That stretches credibility, even for people who intentionally wish to keep the wool over their eyes. If nothing else, the Falkovnians would have found and conquered it almost immediately."

[ewancummins]

Bennedict rolls his eyes at the clearly naive trapper. "Yes, well, it would seem particularly odd if a completely flat, featureless land appeared out of nowhere. Do you honestly believe, Herr Buckman, that a fully constructed city surrounded by lush, airable farm land simply sat next to the Core, unnoticed, for decades? That stretches credibility, even for people who intentionally with to keep the wool over their eyes. If nothing else, the Falkovnians would have found and conquered it almost immediately."

''I'll grant you it's odd that no one discovered the cities sooner. Still, the Musarde Valley was wild country for a long time. Our old maps back home show the nearly the whole valley as having been wilderness a hundred years ago. Maybe the cities and fields were just too overgrown for folks to notice? As for the Falkovnians, I'll warrant they were too busy killing each other to do much exploration, back in those days.''

[Adam]

The archivist blows a thin stream of smoke out of the corner of his mouth. "And yet," he says, "The city, upon discovery, appeared to have sat here undisturbed during those hundreds of years, unnoticed and unsettled until suddenly, miraculously, the mist managed to clear enough that settlers could find it." He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it. I don't pretend to know all the answers, but I simply can't accept a conclusion that the body of evidence does not support. In my homelands, archives show no records of the Musarde Valley even existing prior to one hundred years ago."

"In any case," he continues, "Greater minds than ours have debated this and gotten nowhere. As to your question, Herr Norzak, I believe Viollette would be the Mordentish modernization of the name Wolutha. So we could be speaking about the same land."

[ewancummins]

Buckman chuckles amiably in response to Benn's comments,

''Ha! That's a real Lamordian for you, always looking for the strangest possible explanation. ''

[ewancummins]

Denys reenters the house and makes his way into the parlor where the group is gathered. He takes his seat,drains a tall goblet of wine and announces:



''Well, friends, it seems as if we are all in agreement that further exploration is called for, and soon. I can provide wagons, coaches, animals, basic supplies etc as you need them. ''

Denys calls for Ambrose and Klaus, his serving men. The lackeys bring in a long chest and set it on the floor.


''I realize you aren't doing this for pay- but consider this to be a gift from me as a freind who appreciates all you have done on his behalf of him and his family. ''

Denys nods to Ambrose, who opens the chest and distributes its contents among the party. Each of you receives a bolt of colored silk, a small purse full of silver coins, and one more personal gift.

Benn: a blank notebook with watermarked pages of very fine quailty paper and a sturdy leather cover- brass bound for withstanding heavy wear and with a buckle clasp to close it. The book comes with an oilskin carrying case, the interior of which is lined with felt.

Cirdan: a beautiful ivory hunting horn inlaid with silver, and carved to show scenes of hunters and riders

Alain: a wooden case containing a brace of flintlock duellists' pistols and a small supply of powder and shot

Dorgio: a finely crafted short spear. The shaft appears to be ash, and the head is a leaf shaped affair, made from pattern-welded iron. The balance is perfect, and the weapon feels light, but not too light.


Norzak: a heavy duty leather tool kit/case- there are a variety of chisels, saws, picks, wires,etc inside. This would be good for fine repair work or for B&E. All the tools are simple in appearance but noticeably well crafted, and there's quite a variety of implements in the small case.


Jon: a suit of reinforced leather armor, supple and tough at the same time, with metal strips or plates sewn into the lining at key spots

Buckman - a letter in a sealed envelope. Buckman opens it, reads it with a smile, and stuffs it in his coat.