The gnome discretely made himself occupied and out of sight of the tallfolk starting their argument, and instead slid in alongside questions of the area's mage.

"Yes, a most helpful person with whom to speak.  Especially if he is disposed to share his learnings to advance the practice of magic in the region.  Excellent, excellent.

"I must admit that exploring for exploring's sake isn't my need - the next horizon is what it is, as it goes.  Now, if there was intriguing magical developments in the next valley, well, then that would certainly be something more than a need to wander, hmm?"

"This one is a wizard who doesn't know it yet," Fuffleberry decides, "and that one is a very large Fairy who doesn't know it yet."

"I suspect that he suspects," Petunia says.  "But if he is not a Fairy, then we should declare him an honorary Fairy."

"We can't have people running about not knowing what they truly are," Firefern says. "Especially if one of them is one of us."

"Oh yes, things would become higgledy piggledy for sure," Petunia said.  "Perhaps even more higgedly than usual.  I propose that we help them."

The Fairy looks quizzically at Leysa.  "You know who you are, I hope, because I have no idea."

"We should return to the Guesthouse," Firefern suggests.  "They can speak to Arctos, or if he is not available, Zynobia and perhaps Mia, who also know of Arcane things and where to find who and what.  After that, everyone can decide what they are going to do."

"And who they want to be," Petunia says.

"Yes, that too."

Atraxus raises an eyebrow at the standoff between the stiff-lipped Alison and the lyrically-liberal Lysander. He looks ready to intervene when the latter raises a mug asking for gold. The Half-Orc grins.

"I'll say this," he chuckles, "the man is persistent."

The Half-Orc nods when Firefern suggests returning to the Guesthouse.

"A reasonable suggestion," he replies. "I'm interested in seeing what this land has to offer, but I'd rather travel with those who share that curiosity."

Be it the rocks of mountain heights, or sand upon the shore
The land is very interesting I'd say, 't'would never be a bore,
But it's not land that I would crave or crops to be my fare,
It is the people I would meet with joyful word to share.

Leysa's face pulled tight at the stand-off and she looked at both of the people, "Lysander, perhaps it is a matter of wisdom to know when you are antagonizing someone? Antagonizing people is not nice. Not everyone enjoys your manner of communication. I didn't at first, after all." Then she shifted her gaze to her new comrade, "I have found it best to be polite at all times. Except when blasting living thing that should not be living. Rather unpleasant that."

She then looked at the fairies, "I am not overly fond of lots of manners of communication. I know quite well what I am. Or, as well as anyone can know themselves. I am a curious person. Curious but prefers answers that adhere to logic. Yes, let's go speak to these wizards. I expect the gnome might enjoy such a conversation as well?" She raised an eye at Abadon.

She then turned and began moving back toward the Guest House.

Alison's eyes narrowed as the man held out a cup. Audacious to ask to be paid to shut up and she unconsciously let her hand fall to her weapon. Realizing where it had gone she shifted it and it's twin to clasp behind her back. Leysa gave sound advice. She nodded, "Yes, you are correct. I will endeavor to be more cautious with me antagonism. A failing I'm afraid, as I am unused to life as a civilian."

There is one last sight for the fairies to show, here.  That is the Deluzion Break itself.
They've all seen the canyon where it splits the cliff face.  Now, from a high point, they can see that this canyon extends for miles inland (you have learned by now not to ask Faeries things like "how many miles?") towards a distant mountain.

It's much wider towards the inland side, narrower towards the sea, which, since the sea is downstream, is the reverse of the typical canyon.  Close to the Guesthouse, a bridge crosses it.  Looks like Dwarven stonework.

The bottom of the canyon, the Faeries say, is most easily accessed from the seacoast, where the stairs reach the bottom...  (stairs which have been quickly repaired since they sustained damage in the storm.)  That is the best place to kick off any exploration of the canyon itself.

Sometime later, back at the Guesthouse, after they have finished the tour...

The Montebon patrol ship captained by the Baroness Nina Arcour is back, dropping off, among other things, letters.  Montebon has a very simple mail system:  you can send a letter to a port, where the captain will see to its delivery to a chosen harbor side guesthouse- at most stops, only one per port has this privilege.  If you are expecting a letter, you stop in from time to time and check.  There are shelves in the Guesthouse where Fairies are placing letters to the Dwarves, and to Stonebell.

A few have arrived for Arcto himself, and he is reading through him.

"How do they always know where I am?" the old man grumbles.  He takes a letter, reading:  "Dear Sir Arcto, you are my last hope... this is from Fidelis!  They've got a whole Order full of Paladins, if I am the last hope someone is in big trouble.  And this is from the Queen..."

"I think the Queen knows where you are, dear," Cornelia, his wife, notes.

"Well, yes, she does. She's reminding me that the Baron of Sanzi would like support for another trek to his favorite mountain pass."

"Yes, because you didn't respond to the Baron," Cornelia says.

"He should leave that pass alone, for now.  It was very costly.  And it's got Windrazers," Arcto says.

Zynobia, in her shop, joins in.  "I recall you considered them more of an annoyance than a hazard."

"That was then," Arcto says.  "Now, getting dressed is an annoyance."

The old man turns to the Guesthouse guests present.  "If you will pardon my demeanor... and pardon our esteemed Queen as well... she has the peculiar idea that if she keeps sending us what she calls the young and bold and restless, sooner or later I am going to conjure up the people who will do things the way we used to here.  Her offer of free lodging, you see, is not out of simple generosity.  Don't get me wrong, there are no obligations on your part.  But the queen holds out hope.  I do not."

Alison stood there in Parade Rest ("at ease") listening to the conversation between Sir Arcto and his wife. Upon being addressed she assumed a very military "eyes forward but looking at nothing" demeanor. "Lord Arcto, Lieutenant Alison Romtree of the third Expeditionary Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Light Armor Infantry Division, reporting in as requested. I could not help but overhear, sir, that you have had word from an order of Paladins in need of assistance. May I be so bold as to volunteer, Sir?"

Arcto looks up from his letters.

"It's not from the Order of Paladins... I was saying that Fidelis has an Order of Paladins so why bother sending a request for aid to me?  It's from a person in Fidelis.  And it involves a missing paladin.  Now one would think, you have the Order of Paladins handy, and a Paladin is missing, so who do you trouble, the Order, or some unfortunate guesthouse keeper hundreds of miles away?  And they say the Faeries are illogical?  Here..."

He hands over a letter.

It is written in a very neat script, as if from a skilled calligrapher.  It is from someone  named "Thaller of Dimeste House" and says that a very dear friend, a paladin, did not return from a recent expedition that was only supposed to be a simple, nearby thing. Thaller has not been able to obtain any information locally, and lacks the skills needed to mount a search, but does have (and offers) "reasonable and rational monetary payment, as my family is one of considerable means".

"Please-help-me Letters," Arcto says.  "It's odd, how many still arrive.  It's strange to see one from Fidelis, though.  Fidelis is in some ways an opposite to here.  Here we have a strong influence from Chaos.  There, Order rules, and strong touch of Good as well they say.  Only natural that our Order of Paladins would set up shop there, and a dozen other orders, societies, leagues, associations and what-have-you.  It's quite a dangerous place to be a villain, just place a hand on someone and you face half a score of heroes desperate to receive their next medal.  I would think Please-help-me Letters should be going TO Fidelis, not FROM."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:01, Tue 08 Dec 2020.

"Perhaps a rigidity of thinking - a failing of many peoples, and even moreso of certain professions," the gnome wizard?/warrior?/sage? opined from a couple feet below Alison's face, though the gnome did straighten to something close to four feet.  If you counted boots.  With thick heels.

"Or it simply could be the respect for a sharp and insightful mind, an observant eye, and the incredible power and flexibility that magic brings to the world, and the lay person's awe of that power and learning."

The gnome politely introduced himself, and recounted an abbreviated version of the faerie's praise for Arcto's wizarding skills.

"I am exploring and studying, and working on magical studies as well.  The Bestower of Magic has blessed me, as he has my kind since time eternal, and I wish to learn further of his great Gift, and have begun my initial studies.  If you require aught, tasks of need but time away which would interfere with your studies, perhaps I or my companions might be of assistance.  The opportunity to assist one with knowledge and connections to many places is surely of assistance to their varied interests, and the potential to learn in studies or of activity in the area such as would be of interest to my people is, of course, of interest to both us as a community, and myself, individually.

"Ah - well met, they say, above surface?  I apologize, but I was not given the name of your mating partner, or I would greet her in the proper custom as well."

Daladain had been quiet since the tour. Upon returning to the guesthouse he freshened up before returning to the common room for a drink. “I like this place,” he declared. “I want to explore further, see some more of what the chaos brings. Who’s up for some exploring?”

"Of course, we came here to be of service," Qui-Lin commented.  "Am I to understand we're being asked to rescue a paladin that's gone missing?"

I would love travel forth
to see more of this land,
Better still to see if we
can lend a helping hand.

"If people need rescuing, I'm game," Atraxus says. "However, I'll go wherever I can earn some coin. I spent the last of my savings making this journey."

"I'm not exactly rich, either," Qui-Lin said aside to Atraxus, under her breath. Her tone had nothing serene or monk-like in its demeanor.

"If magic is a blessing for you, then you're talking about Azuth, the Lord of Spells," Arcto says to the Gnome.  Not many temples... a few.  You see, the Southlands is sparsely inhabited..."

"Parsley inhabited?" one of the fairies asks.  "What does parsley have to do with it?"

Arcto ignores that.  He gives Abadon some background, which is found in the General Information thread, msg 4.

Arcto's wife, the matriarch of the establishment, introduces herself:  Cornelia.

"Originally this was going to be a private refuge," she says.  "Then one thing led to another, the family moved back, and here we are now."

After talking to Abadon about magic and Azuth, Arcto mentions another odd detail.

"You're from across the sea, like me.  We learned wizardry our way, and that is still the way of Azuth.  But here... you've probably already seen how magic infuses the land.  Sometimes its not just land.  Sometimes, people born here come into magic in a different way, and it's... well, sometimes its the same, sometimes its different.  It can be very focused.  The magic users called Windcallers, for example, are very attuned to the air, and effects connected with Elemental Air, but are very weak in other areas.  As you can imagine they are popular with ship captains.  There are others, for the other elements.  I think its related to the natural magic of the land."

"But it looks to me like your companions might be looking to go in two separate ways.  Exploring locally, or maybe a bit further, and looking into this Paladin in Fidelis. When you become a wizard, you're going to get requests like this.  People with ordinary problems go to clerics.  People with strange problems go to us.  Somehow we're supposed to fix things.  It's a routine event, I get at least one of these a month.  You'll know you've made a name for yourself as a wizard when they start coming in."

He looks over at Atraxus.  "This person in Fidelis did promise payment.  Exploring, on the other hand... you never know what you'll find.  Especially here.  But you recovered a few things from that airship of possible value.  There is a guild of people called the Mage Mongers.  They go out and collect all kinds of strange and rare things  that they then sell as spell components, to wizards, alchemists, artificers, whomever.  There's a shop in Montebon City and one in Fidelis, where you might get some money for Odd Things that no one else would buy."

LEysa chewed on the conversation going on and finally weighed in, "I've no interest in paladins or saving them when there are... other paladins to do so. And payment is no great attraction for me. Least of all, do I want to spend time in population centers. However..." She eyes her erstwhile companion as well s the new acquaintance, "The chance to earn some favors and see more of the wilderness intrigues me. Tell me. What's a Razorwing? How annoying are they exactly?"

She was still mulling over the information on wizardry in the Southlands and had not made up her mind to seek out any sources on the matter. She had her own curiosities to follow up on."

Abadon brightened as Arcto explained re Azuth. "It is pleasing to hear His name here.  Different peoples have different names for him, but it is always pleasant to hear as I have learned him.

"My kind also have the innate magics, so I quite appreciate the situation, although the elemental involvement here is unknown - the presence of chaos magics and influence in such spillover is intriguing as to causation.

"I cannot say that attending the schooling would assist with what brings me here, so I shall have to explore and learn along the way, much as I enjoy working with folk to learn.  Perhaps there will be other tomes to discover, and other folk along the way who find satisfaction in teachings."

---

OOC: do we have any other plot hooks in the region?
- help find word of the missing paladin
- pick random direction and wander?

DM, is intention 1/2/3 parties?

Alison passed the letter on to anyone else interested in saving a Paladin.

OOC:  With the number of active players here two parties is probably best.  The available plots here now are:

A paladin is missing in Fidelis, home of paladins.

The Fairies would like to explore the badlands nearby, including the canyon called Deluzion Break.  (They've done it before, but it has a habit of changing with Chaos Storms)

The Baron of Sanzi wants to do some exploring of his own, to fulfill his dream of securing an overland pass through the northwest part of the kingdom.

It might be feasible to link 2 and 3, due to location and distance.


The characters will no doubt inquire about these places.

Sanzi is on the northwest edge of the Kingdom of Montabon.  The Barony includes the Breaks, but the Baron rarely has the ability to exercise direct control here.  It's more of a legal thing. Arbov, the Baron of Sanzi, is a Dwarf.  By old treaty one of the Barons of Montebon is a Dwarf, it is a mixed Dwarf-Human kingdom.  He is a young Dwarf- still a teenager, who lost his father in a battle in the region he wishes to explore.  It is the same battle that claimed the life of the Baron of the Oceanfront, leaving Nina Arcour as Montebon's other "child baron".

The Northern Barony, which includes Sanzi and the Breaks and the Chaos Farm villages in between, is cut off from the rest of Montabon by extremely difficult, dangerous mountains.  People go around the mountains by sea.  That's okay by some people, but Arbov would like an overland route.  Here at Deluzion Break you are already past the mountain obstacle, it's the rest of Montebon you cannot reach by land.  Going by the road, Sanzi is about five or six days away.  Faster by boat.

Also on the local calendar:

St Mol's Day is coming up. St. Mol, a historic half Dwarf Half Human who is the patron saint of Montabon is an important figure here.  Among the events of a typical St Mols Day are the Craft Competitions and the Declarations of Apprenticeship.  So, one could also opt to be in one of the towns for St Mols day and see what connections develop- St Mols day is pretty low key here at the Guesthouse due to a lack of people.

Fidelis is the little nation south of Montebon.  It is not a kingdom. The Old World is obsessed with monarchies but the people of the Southlands got creative with a few governments.  Fidelis was established by the Order of Paladins to be "theirs" but they quickly realized they were too few.  Other groups moved in, attracted by the uncanny sense of law and "rightness" here, and now a council of Order Masters rules, with each order choosing its Master in its own way.  The Order Of Paladins is a "first among equals".  Most people belong to an order, guild, association or other official group, and that is how the tiny nation is organized.  The crime rate is near zero- a cry for help will generally bring a swarm of people eager to be recognized as heroes for their Order.  Of course people can't all be Paladins, and some of the Orders are purely economic.  Thanks to the demand for distinctive official uniforms, the Guild of Embroiderers was created here.

There is no overland route here.  Unless the characters want to traverse difficult mountain terrain they would take a ship.

Daladain looked over at the Dragonborn and nodded. “I have no interest in Paladins, they can ask their Order for help, or their gods.” He chugged bag a large gulp of sweet tea. “But exploring here, now that does sound interesting. Count me in.”

From forest depths to desert sand,
I am in favor of viewing the land,
So like our new friend Daledain,
You can also 'count me in'.

Atraxus grins at Qui-Lin's aside.

"Coin and the lack of it almost seems to be the one condition constant between here and home," he replies to her as he takes the letter from Alison. He looks over the details of the letter before passing it along to anyone else interested in reading it.

"I've had a paladin or two help me out of a jam before," Atraxus says. "I might as well pay their good deed forward."

Abadon nodded at the point raised by Atraxus.  "Paladins are uncommon in my homeland, but I familiar with them and doing generally goodly deeds.  They do not have the best history with wizarding, but that they have reached out to Arcto for assistance is an opportunity to help restore that connection.  If it also assists in lightening missives on his desk, that seems a third benefit.

"Exploring the region would be quite interesting, but I can also do that by our airship travel, and a place of such order may well hold word of my missing peoples.

"Atraxus, it seems a longer time of travel together, and more tea with the delightful lady- though not with Daladain; perhaps we can rectify that anon.  And Lt Romell - no, Romtree, was it?  An interesting gathering of skills and hands."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:10, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

Daladain looked at Lysander and smiled. He raised his hand and held up three fingers. “Anyone else?