Fearing the return of the red orcs, Mar ‘Khabazza packs Kyle into the back of his cart while the stranger rescues the woman that Kyle calls “the heretic” from her prison crate. Once everyone is bundled into the cart, Feldspar pulls the wagon eastwards to the edge of the forest.
May 5, 7761
The day starts early with the early arctic sun rising over a crisp, cold, clear day. The troupe continue to travel through the unknown forest.
The entire day, Kyle begs mar’Khabazza and the stranger to give the woman “her medicine” – a foul-smelling brew stored in a sloshing wineskin. Initially concerned for her health, Mar’Khabazza initially agrees but when the woman resists he presses Kyle for an explanation.
“This is a powerful draught that temporarily removes the ability to touch the essence from a heretic,” he says. “Combine it with a strong sedative and it renders them completely helpless. It is the standard way heretics are transported to Judgement.”
Judgment apparently being some kind of tribunal overseen by a man named Elder Sarpohas who is the head judicar of something called the Rose. Elder Sarophas hands down judgement on those who can touch the essence: execution or “silencing”.
May 6, 7761
The troupe reaches the edge of the Unnamed Forest midway through the day as storm clouds gather in the distance.
In a break in the clouds, Mar’Khabazza and the stranger for the first time see the Malpara Barrier mountain range looming to the east. Above them, further in the distance, the peaks of the Upheaval tower tens of thousands of feet up.
The woman, introducing herself as Ravenna, continues to recover and regain her senses as the effects of Kyles draught wear off. Slurring her words, she reveals that she was kidnapped, her home burned, and “the old man” who was her caretaker was murdered as a heretic by Kyle and his two accomplices.
Mar’Khabazza deems Kyle a slaver for imprisoning her. “Are you a slaver, Kyle?” he asks.
Wincing from the pain of his broken leg, Kyle responds, “I am protecting her from herself. I am protecting all of us from her and those like her.”
“Do explain.”
“Hundreds of years ago there was the Upheaval which caused users of the essence to go mad, laying waste to hundreds of miles before destroying themselves. Since then those of my Order have hunted down essence users to prevent more destruction. We destroyed the old man and his secrets, but I would spare Ravenna’s life. I will bring her to Elder Sarophas for judgement.”
“It seems like slavery to me.”
May 7, 7761
The weather turns freezing, grey, and fretful as the troupe begin to climb into the Mulpara Barrier. By now Ravenna has recovered from the effects of the drug and as soon as she is able, she grabs a piece of lumber from mar’Khabazza’s trade goods and threatens harm to Kyle but Mar’Khabazza intervenes. “Now, now. There is no violence in my wagon.”
The stranger speaks, “What do we do with him? Or her? Opal draws nearer and we should decide what to do.” Probably the most he has spoken since they met for the first time over a month ago.
Mar’Khabazza speaks to Kyle, “Well slaver? What do we do with you? You have an issue with this woman here but I have no truck with slavery.”
Ravenna chimes in. “This man murdered the old man and kidnapped and drugged me. We should kill him right now!”
“Now now, my dear Ravenna,” Mar’Khabazza replies, turning back to Kyle. “Well? What do we do with you?”
Kyle answers in a monotone, “If you take me back to Opal I can be healed at the clinic. If you return me back there I will not mention the heretic’s… affliction… to anyone. I swear on my honor.”
“Your honor…” Ravenna scoffs but she is mollified for now.
They climb up into the mountains, the road narrowing and becoming rougher. It clearly shows the impact of the elements and the troupe could very well be the first travelers on this segment of road since winter broke. Progress is difficult over the broken road and often the stranger helps Feldspar struggle up the ascent by pushing the wagon from the back.
Kyle continues to plead his case against Ravenna, but falls into a brooding silence as he continues to be ignored.
Mar’Khabazza questions Ravenna about her past and she reveals that Kyle, his brother and a friend came to their home in the unnamed forest, murdered the old man who had taken care of her since he was young, and kidnapped her. The trio had kept her drugged and imprisoned while they took her to someone named Elder Sarophas. Velbi, Kyle’s friend, and Keir, Kyle’s brother were apparently killed during the attack of the Sudaar – red orcs – on the merchant caravan with whom they had joined.
May 9, 7761
After two days of struggling up the mountain pass, the troupe reaches the summit of the great road’s ascent through the Mulpara Barrier. The spring weather here is blustery and the thin air dips below freezing, draining the energy of the group and threatening physical debility. Overhead the craggy peaks of the mountain range tower and the rumble and crash of avalanches is frequently heard.
In the distance to the east, the indomitable mass of the Upheaval looms overhead with white plumes of ice vapor streaming away on the jetstream from knife-edged peaks.
May 10, 7761
Descending from the mountain pass into the relative shelter of the rift valley, the troupe reaches a crossroad. Northwards lies the road to the icy mining town of Beryl, to the west lies the Great Road that leads to the heart of the Empire. To the south is a relatively intact wagon road that should lead to the mining town of Opal.
To the side of the crossroad is a small shelter of stone and hide. Tending to a watch fire are three hardy men in cold weather gear of leather and brightly woven cloth. They are:
Sentinel Velene Starstrike
Sentinel Stillbough
Ranger Lethvalin
As Feldspar pulls the wagon to the crossroads they are hailed by Ranger Lethvalin who asks into Merchant Salanar’s caravan. “For the last ten years Merchant Salanar has prided himself on bring the first caravan to pull into Opal after the winder freeze breaks. His is always the first to arrive.”
Mar’Khabazza explains the attack of the red orcs and the destruction of the merchant’s caravan. Ranger Lethvalin nods grimly and as he peers into the back of the wagon, spots Kyle lying injured in the back. “Kyle? I am surprised to see you! What are you doing here?”
Under the intense gaze of Mar’Khabazza, Kyle responds, “My brother and Vulbi are dead, slain by the same orcs that butchered Salanar’s convoy. These folks rescued me from certain death and have been tending to me ever since.”
As the two sentinels wave them though Ranger Lethvalin wishes them well and to Kyle wishes a quick recovery under the hands of the healers.”
The troupe heads south following the road that runs parallel to a great lake of snowmelt, camping next to the lake for the short, short night.
May 11, 7761
In the morning, Mar’Khabazza decides to celebrate the conclusion of their journey. He pulls out a rug and “some of the good stuff” and they pass a bottle around after unloading Kyle form the cart.
After a bit, Mar’Khabazza says, “Kyle, here we will take our leave of you. You will be warm in that rug and these blankets until you are rescued. I will make sure that I spread the news of your existence here so that you will be rescued. Until then farewell!”
Ignoring Kyle’s shouts of protest and frustration, the troupe continues to head south towards Opal, camping once more for the night after making extremely slow progress over the broken and eroded road.
May 12, 7761
The next day dawns bright, crisp and early: the northern latitudes creating an ever-shrinking night that wakes the travelers earlier and earlier each morning. They unhobble Feldspar and head south.
By midday the valley begins to get hazy from the smoke of various fires and after a few more hours of slow travel the city of Opal appears as they crest a ridge that slopes away into a bowl at the end of the rift canyon.
Opal is a city under repair from the winter storm. Immediately visible is the flurry of activity in the streets as people gather and transport supplies for repairs. The first cluster of buildings visible are varied in appearance, height and design: some are single-floored, some are multi-storied, some are stilted, some have foundations, some are made of stone, some entirely of skins stretched over frames, some are made of wood. Prominent among the buildings is a well-worn chapel to Culcordia the Spinner.
As Feldspar pulls the wagon towards them, Mar’Khabazza calls out to a group of people milling about in front of the chapel. “You there! There was an attack on the merchant caravan by orcs! We found one survivor and he is over a day’s journey back. Please! Send for help!”
One of the men goes running off down the road into town and one of the other men says, “You left him there?”
“We were fleeing for our lives. The faster we could get here, the faster we could send for help and the faster rescue could be organized.”
The remaining townsfolk are clearly not happy with that news, and their sullen muttering can be heard as Feldspar and the troupe continue along the road into town. Opal exists in a pinched valley, where the towering heights of the Upheaval to the east meet the mountains of the Mulpara Barrier to the west. The road they follow travels along a large rift to their left with the huddled clusters of buildings, huts and yurts sprawling away to the right. They ride along the ridge, passing townsfolk walking purposefully hither and yon, or working on repairs on the various buildings.
They approach the Merchant’s Guild, a resplendent three-story building of adobe with a wide open archway that leads into darkness. The troupe heads inside looking for the master trader and instead are met by a stout and sturdy woman sitting behind an impressive desk in the foyer. At their arrival, she closes a bound ledger and pushes it deliberately to one side.
“May I help you?”
Mar’Khabazza is in his element. “We are looking for Merchant Felgunne, the head merchant?”
“He is indisposed. May I help you?”
“I’m not sure. My name is Mar’Khabazza and I am a merchant from the Jarizza Commonwealth. I have goods to sell and hope there are deals to be made.”
The woman come from around the desk and motions for the group to sit around one of the low tables strategically placed throughout the foyer. “My name is Anastasia Hartwell and I am one of the dealers in Opal.”
Quickly, Mar’Khabazza negotiates a locked stable for his wagon, care for Feldspar for a percentage of the sales value of his goods.
“The deal is the deal?” she asks.
“The deal is the deal.”
Business complete, she tells the troupe that there are three inns in the city: The High Court Lodge “A respectable and upscale establishment for the occasional merchant prince or imperial dignitary passing through”, the Captain’s Landing “a reputable place for the common traveler, merchant or tradesman” and the Tempest “another good house of quality if simple food, honest employees and a lively common room”. With directions given to the Tempest, the troupe bids Hartwell farewell and walk into town.
As they walk Mar’Khabazza turns to Ravenna, “I find myself strangely protective of you, Revanna.” He continues, “We should probably find you a place to hide as we have two days until Kyle returns with his rescuers, at which point we can probably expect trouble.”
Ravenna, “I don’t want to hide.”
The stranger chimes in, doubling the amount of words he has spoken to date. ” She’s right. This town is too small to hide in. We should meet whatever comes head-on.”
They quickly come across a series of towers with massive pipes impressive diameter, built of some kind of stone running east-west. Even the most simple mind can see that no ordinary stone pipe could run the distance these run as unsupported as they are.
Ravenna regards the overhead plumbing “These pipes are made of stone and are unsupported for hundreds of feet but I am the monster.”
Flanking the pipes on either side are fancy villas- clearly the residences of the wealthy of Opal. They walk on, ignoring the frank stares and sometimes open hostility of the townsfolk on the streets. They pass a large pool, hundreds of feet in diameter, at the terminus of the plumbing. The outfall from the towers supporting the end of the pipes and the surface of the pool steams in the cool air of the evening, surrounding the area in a blanket of fog.
The Tempest is a two story stone structure adjacent to a paddock and stables. It is a sturdy, well-worn building with several men working on repairs to the façade. The front door is closed and is surprisingly heavy to push open. Within is a wide common room stacked with tables, with a bar along one wall, a stairway next to the bar leading up to a balcony and rooms, and a hallway extending to the back and more rooms.
The troupe sits down for a fresh, warm meal. The first time in weeks, in months and in memory. The only other denizens of the place besides the waitstaff, the barman and the cooks are a trio of silent men in travel-stained leathers and four boisterous men, common laborers, well into their cups.