Chapter 0: The Sins of the Pater

"ummm... I suppose since everyone who lives here in the covenant knows about us I never really considered what its like out of the covenant - I just assumed people would be like the coven folk here.... Silly now I think about it in more depth, but I've not really had to consider it before"

"I will see what I can find, I don't really have much in the way of clothes now, but maybe I can ask one of the kitchen maids if I can swap one of my sets of clothing or if I can get some help from them making up something from some cloth, you really think a hood to hide my eyes is that important - when I was young I remember a lot of the other children wanted to have eyes like mine, they thought they were pretty and special."

assuming that the answer is going to be something along the lines of 'how naive are you?' but put slightly more diplomatically Iris will set about trying to get some traveling clothes that match Brynn's specifications whilst they wait for the redcap to arrive

Brynn looks at her levelly but doesn't comment on her childhood, simply saying, "Yes, a hood will help. Perhaps a veil? You might pass off as a grieving widow while on the road, going to join relatives in Saxony. Wouldn't want you to be mistaken for a witch and burned at a stake. But with you wearing that and with me at your side to attract most of the attention, we should be able to avoid that."

Only five days before the limit, the redcap arrives at Burnham. After delivering his messages, he comes to see Iris. "I hear that you wanted to see me?" His tone is neutral.

"Yes"

Iris will be rather nervous

"I need to travel to the Covenant of Fengheld in the Rhine Tribunal - I understand that you may be able to assist me in that ... are you able to help me. I understand that you usually need to be paid a fee?"

The redcap begins by shaking his head, "I don't travel that far, maga Iris. This is too far outside of my delivery routes and would make it impossible for me to return in time to perform my duties. Are you willing to spend vis for magical transportation or were you looking for mundane means of travel?"

"For mundane means of travel... I have no Vis to spend.

Are you able to guide me to somewhere else where I might be able to try and convince another redcap to take me on from there, of do you know of how I might find Fengheld another way?"

(Brynn introduces himself to the redcap -- who is named Jocelin -- and asks a few questions throughout the discussion. That yields the following information.)

"Well," says Jocelin, "if you're looking for mundane transportation to the Rhine tribunal, then the nearest place you can catch a ship would be Newcastle. That's about sixty miles south of here, so two or three days of walking. From there, you may be able to catch a ship to the mainland directly, but that would be a lucky break if you did. It's probably easier to catch a shorter ride to a larger port city down south, like Grimsby, Lynn or even London. From there, it should be relatively easy to find a ship to Saxony or Flanders. I don't know the mainland much, so I'm not sure exactly where it is you need to go in order to travel to Fengheld."

He looks at Iris for a moment and adds, "Considering your appearance, I would advise against going too far south to the larger ports. There would be too much risk of you being noticed. Unless you have magic to change your appearance?"

"In any case, I can guide you to Newcastle if you want, though I would imagine that your grogs shouolod know how to get there. As to where Fengheld is and how to get there, I would need to consult some maps in Mercer House to give you that information. I can have that for you in two months on my next visit."

"If you allow me to say this, maga," he adds finally, "House Mercere is always willing to accept services from Verditius magi. So should you need magical transportation or raw vis, it might be possible to arrange a contract for you. Again, I would need to discuss this with my superiors at Mercer House."

"Ah... I unfortunately must leave this covenant soon, my welcome will expire shortly.

I do not have any magic to change my apearance either I'm afraid, instead I will be wearing a hood, maybe a veil... I think that was the plan

Perhaps if you know the location of a Mercer house in one of the European ports - I might catch a ship from Newcastle and enquire there?

Alternatively, and probably the best for myself, I can accompany you back to Mercer house and look to make my way from there once we know the location of Fehngeld? Or maybe once at Mercer house we can arrange for an exchange of my services for magical transportation?"

"There are two Mercer House in the Rhine, but they are both inland. Those would be at Fengheld and Durenmar. So those wouldn't do you any good as far as travelling by ship go. I think we have a redcap living in Oculus Septentrionalis. That's in the city of Lübeck, near Denmark. This is probably the easiest way to reach Fengheld by mundane means."

"If you want to come back with me to the Mercer House to negociate a contract and arrange for magical transportation, we can do that. We have a portal to Harco. From there, getting to Fengheld should be easy, even though that covenant does not have a portal."

"I usually travel back to Mercer House using magical means, but I can guide you there if that is your choice."

Returning with you and trying to arrange a contract would be the best in my mind - I can only thank you for suggesting such a course of action or else I would never have thought of it. I can be ready to leave very shortly, when do you intend to depart?

"As soon as you are ready. Normally I would just go out of the Aegis and return to Mercer House immediately, so my horse is already saddled. It's about a week's travel on horseback."

Brynn replies, "Most of our things are packed already. Given an hour or two we can be ready. It's just me and the mistress, no mounts," he adds, anticipating the redcap's next question.

Jocelin nods, "Very well, then. Let's say we leave right after lunch. No in wasting any sunlight, even if it means we only get half a day's travel before we stop at an inn."


So it is that Iris departs from Burnham, accompanied by only her single gorg Brynn and the redcap Jocelin acting as a guide. Their trip starts easily enough, but only an hour out thunderclouds start to gather on the horizon, and the wind starts picking up. The sudden drop in temperature confirms that a summer storm will soon be upon them.

Iris looks up, smiling at the sky as she feels the weather changing

"We're going to have some rain soon, looks like a bit of a storm oncoming... do we need to find any cover or should we press on?"

"We probably should," says Jocelin, "but I don't see solid shelter nearby. I hoped you packed your things well so that they don't get too wet." With that, he directs you to a small stand of trees that should give you at least a bit of protection from the wind as well as the worst of the rain.

The storm reaches you quickly, catching you as you enter the wooded area. String gusts of wind batter your faces with rain, and you feel the sting of it. Small icy pellets are mixed into the rain. Jocelin's horse is a bit spooked by the hail, so he unmounts as your group get under the cover of the trees. The storm lasts less than an hour, thankfully, but leaves you wet and cold.

Iris is shivering from the cold rain,

"I'm going to try to dry myself off - do either of you need warming up too? - It will tire me out but I can give it a try"

Iris will be spont. casting comfort of the drowned Traveller (lvl 5 PeAq) on myself, if the others want me to I can cast it on them also, though this will tire me out significantly - but I feel she would still offer to dry out the others

Casting total = Pe0 + Aq7 + Sta +2 + Aura 0?

9/2 (fatiguring casting) = roll +2?

I think thats correct

(The die roll gets divided too, so if your die roll was 2 then it's (Pe 0 + Aq 7 + Sta 2 + die 2)/2 = 5.)

Brynn looks as soaked as Iris herself is, and gladfully accepts the maga's proposal. Jocelin, on the other hand, seems quite dry. The rain seems to have simply rolled off of his cloak.

(If you cast the same spell on Brynn, remember that fatiguing spontaneous spells use a stress die.)

Yes, that's fine
It's something Iris would try to help with

(Make the roll, then.)

On the road ATM on my mobile so i don't have a die. Could you?

(Rolled an 8, so no problem casting the spell.)

The party now dry, they resume their trip south. The rest of the afternoon passes as they walk the roads, the sun melting the hailstones and eventually drying the landscape around them. Eventually, several hours later, they look to stop for the night. Jocelin directs them to a farmstead. After asking his charges to remain behind, he does to see the farmer about shelter and some food. You can see him dismount and speak to the farmer, then he returns.

"I've arranged for us to spend the night in the stables, as well as a bowl of stew and some fresh bread for our evening's meal. If we're lucky and keep our peace, we should have some porridge in the morning before we take the road. SSimple food, all of it, but sustaining enough if we supplement it with some of the supplies we packed. Please wait until we are inside before uncovering, milady, so as not to spook the man."

"Simple foods are more than acceptable to me. I will, as ever, abide by your sage advice."

Iris will follow them into the barn before unmasking.

There is agitation from the animals in the barn when Iris enters -- mooing from the cows and pigs hustling up to move as far away as they can. The building isn't very large, so some move outside into their pen. The farmer's dog come running, growling a bit at the group from a distance before he leaves. Thankfully, things settle down before the disturbance can bring the farmer to investigate it.

The evening passes quietly, with Brynn and Jocelin going to the farmer's house to fetch their food while Iris tries to get comfortable. The barn isn't exactly the cleanest place she's even been, to say the least. Her travelling gown is soon soiled in a few places, though at least she gets used to the smell after a while.

The food is pretty much as promised -- simple and somewhat greasy, but edible. After eating, the group finds as much comfort as they can for the night.

The next morning is similar. Iris feels a bit grimy, having had trouble sleeping, and wishing she could bathe. The men, for their part, simply wash up their face at the water barrel before fetching the bowls of porridge and chunk of bread.