**Session 9 Recap** *Hartdas 20th – Freedas 21st Maerch* ## Journey from Beren-on-Lake Having left [[NPC - Scavus]] and his newly wedded wife, [[Party - Elvensong]] settled in for the night in the golden carriage, as the inn had been uncomfortable. It was around 1am on the 21st of Maerch. During the quiet journey, the companions shared lore regarding the celestial bodies of their respective realms. [[PC - Trinxis Staciadour|Trinxis]] spoke of **Millith**, the elven goddess and mother of his lady **Queen Lana**, who is represented by the great white moon of the Feywild. [[PC - Balok Feth|Balok]] described the grim reality of the Shadowfell, where three moons hang in the sky: the smaller blue moon called **Terill**, a tiny red moon named **Nastari**, and a white moon — together casting a bloody light over a world of eternal war and survival. The only celebrations in Balok's world are when there is an ascension, like his Raven Queen; Balok's great-grandfather ascended (and has not been seen since). In this world, large celebrations occur when all three moons are full. Balok also shared that when he first arrived on Gryth, he landed near a magic school on [[Continent - Iros]], where he spent time reading books and learning about magic, this world, and the local language. He has always been magical, but has learnt magic here he never thought was possible. ## Mannfred's True Identity The conversation eventually led to a significant revelation. [[PC - Balok Feth|Balok]] had been persistently questioning [[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]] about his habits — why he never eats, never sleeps. Mannfred claimed he consumed energy from stories and tales, but after an insight check, the party suspected he was not being truthful. Mannfred stared out the window and said he needed to trust people before revealing himself. He reached up and pulled his face away — his **mask turned into a wooden face**, and beneath it, his bald head disappeared to reveal **wood and rusted metal**, with **dim olive-green light** in place of eyes. White oak-coloured wood, with metal plates around the head. His neck was thin, metal and wooden. Beneath the gloves he always wore: the same mechanical construction. Shedding his human mask, he stood revealed as **Swans**, an intricate construct of wood and rusted metal plates, originally designated as **Support Unit 111 (SU-111)**. Created by dwarves as part of the **Forged War**, some units were bred for battle, others for entertainment. He woke up alongside many of his brothers and sisters. At the end of the war — roughly **100 years ago** — everything fell apart, and they escaped from [[Region - Gizanth|Ganath]]. He was given his free will at that point. Swans recounted his history as a pirate aboard the **Hammerhead**, captained by **Boshare**. The crew was essentially pirates — not part of any group. His run-in with [[Faction - Evereach Trading Company|Evereach]] left the ship's captain dead and the entire crew **hanged**, though Swans escaped. They knew him as the **"Steel Songbird."** [[NPC - Louis Dubois]] knows about Mannfred and there is an active hunt for him. It takes energy from Swans to maintain his human appearance. His violin **folds into his arm** — part of his constructed body. Away from the ports, the party can use his real name, but around the public they must be careful. [[PC - Trinxis Staciadour|Trinxis]] asked if Mannfred's prophetic dream was about this moment — he had dreamed of someone playing a fiddle and their head coming clean off. Initially Trinxis thought Mannfred was in danger, but the dream now made sense. ## Arrival at Silverwall [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar]] had sent his armour ahead to be prepared for the occasion, and a fancy letter had been sent in advance. **[[NPC - King Thomas Garrik|King Garrik]]** is known to be obsessed with elves and building alliances with them — he has sent many letters to [[NPC - Aelar's Father|Eldrin Thaelond]], all of which were ignored. Aelar suggested everyone needed impressive titles for their entrance, as maintaining an image of nobility was important. The party passed through **Skinnert's Pass** — a well-protected trade route with guards posted at regular intervals. There is a truce with the local dwarves of [[Location - Gundrak's Forgehold]]. Upon approaching [[City - Silverwall]], the party was met with an extravagant welcome. The city's silver gates, engraved with glowing arcane runes, swung open to reveal thousands of cheering citizens. Flower petals and black salt were strewn before the party as a mark of respect for the diverse members of the group. **[[NPC - Saint Anton]]**, the scarred half-orc leader of the [[Faction - Order of the Silver Scale]], escorted the heroes through the city's levels — **the Roots**, **Hillswood**, and finally **the Silver Towers** — to the palace. ## The Royal Celebration Inside the grand courtroom, [[Party - Elvensong]] were formally presented to [[NPC - King Thomas Garrik|King Garrick]], who hosted a lavish celebration in their honour. - [[PC - Trinxis Staciadour|Trinxis]] and [[PC - Balok Feth|Balok]] were swept into the festivities by wood elf dancers - **Swans** ([[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]]) joined the hired band to escalate the party's atmosphere - [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar]] maintained a stoic distance, eventually finding common ground with the eccentric **[[NPC - Chef Martin]]** and his magically infused cuisine (gaining **+4 HP** from the experience) ## Qyburn's Approach The atmosphere shifted when **[[NPC - Qyburn]]**, the king's slender, green-veined advisor, approached [[PC - Balok Feth|Balok]] with cryptic knowledge of the Shadowfell and the Raven Queen. Qyburn hinted at private ways to reach the shadowy plane, leaving Balok with a **prismatic business card** and a sense of unease. ## The King's Private Audience This tension culminated in [[NPC - King Thomas Garrik|King Garrik]] requesting a private audience with [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar]] in a **"quiet room"** — an enchanted chamber where all magic is deadened. The king offered elvish wine from Aelar's homeland, having researched each party member's preferences. Inside, the king revealed that he had been monitoring [[Party - Elvensong]]'s exploits and claimed to possess vital information regarding a mysterious figure who had travelled across the continent a year prior. However, this information came with a price: a **sizable donation to the crown**, leaving Aelar to navigate a delicate negotiation for secrets of his family's past. **Aelar refused**, and the king stormed off angrily. ## Saint Anton & The Roots After exiting the palace, [[Party - Elvensong]] spoke with [[NPC - Saint Anton]] for a while. Swans ([[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]]) bonded with him over his striving to better the world. Anton spoke of noble battles he'd won and his devotion to the [[Faction - Order of the Silver Scale]]. The Order comprises around **20 warriors** (each said to be the equal of 10 men). He is no-nonsense, straight to the point, deeply committed to protecting the kingdom — but very fair and kind, unless you threaten [[City - Silverwall|Silverwall]]. A paladin was assigned to escort the party to **the Roots**, where [[PC - Balok Feth|Balok]] had heard rumour of a **Shadar-Kai** having recently passed through. There, they confirmed the tale and were told of a **farm just outside the town** that might know more. [[PC - Balok Feth|Balok]] and [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar]] managed to convince the half-orc paladin to reveal which inn the Shadar-Kai had been kicked out of — **the Brown Cup Inn** — but he was tight-lipped about any information regarding **Caelum** (Aelar's missing brother). The party emerged from the Brown Cup Inn and asked the paladin to escort them back to the palace. --- *End of Session 9*