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Chapter 64

A Lot of Laidir 

9:30 Dragon, 30th day of Bloomingtide - Summer

      In addition, we had gotten four Potent Lyrium Potions from the mages.

One each to Gray, Landon and Alpheus, and one on the wagon for ... Sextus?

      We continued along our journey to Southreach. Various groups of refugees were met -- they were heading west, though mostly planning on heading north. The Templars were also apparently headed east.

     Our party consisted of:

• Eornan:  an elven scout and rogue
  

• Alpheus:  a Warden and Circle mage
  

• Landon:  a Warden and mage
  

• Gray:  an arcane warrior and Shepherd of Mercy
  

• Adeline:  young apostate mage girl from Montsimmard

• Rogasha:  a Dalish girl, about 5 or 6 years old, and now a laidir

• Monkey:   Bran's pet

9:30 Dragon, 1st day of Justinian - Summer

     The weather this day was partly cloudy, a bit windy, with a low temperature of 59 F and a high temperature of 64 F.

     In the afternoon, we came to the edge of a large area of cleared forest around Southreach -- about four or five miles out of town.

      There was clearly a lot of industry and activity at Southreach -- new palisades stood all around the formerly unfortified town. There were archery ranges and drill grounds, and various groups of people were out using them -- preparing for battle or siege. No camps or tents were seen outside the palisade. There were no signs of any attacks or damage; the arl's flag was flying over the citadel.

      A man in dark leather armor was waiting amid the cleared land; when he saw the wagon approaching, he jumped up and waved at us from a distance. He was wearing a shortsword.

"Ah ha, clearly a rogue."

     He came close, and we hailed him.  His name was Carl, and he'd been sent to meet us by Bann Bronnic. He warned us that the regent had more than 80 men in the town, looking for traitors (and quite possibly us, too) -- and giving trouble to anyone not aligned with the regency. There had been three hangings of traitors in the last week.

     Gray asked angrily, "Is your arl complicit in this?" Carl replied, "Arl Bryland has been keeping a low profile -- he is a linchpin of the resistance. The regent's men have demanded that one-fifth of the local soldiers be transferred to his control -- so far, that hasn't happened. Sir Colter is the commander of the regency troops."

     We decided to have Gray take the wagon, with Adeline and Rogasha, south around the town, and head towards Woevill; the rest of us would go into the town to pick up supplies, help at the hospital, and talk with Enchanter Turpin.  We would catch up with the wagon the next morning.

     With some faint efforts given to disguise, Eornan (not wearing armor), Alpheus (hooded), and Landon ("Just a random archer") entered the town with Carl.

     It was apparent that the people of Southreach had been gathering in anything that might be of use during the Blight -- including harvesting anything that could possibly be eaten by man or beast. Sheep were penned up in buildings, stables were stuffed to the rafters with hay and fodder, and every shed held masses of unripe vegetables, fruit, etc.

     Despite the quantities of food, prices were high -- about four times normal.  We purchased some rye bread, meat, oatmeal, and oats for almost a week; and eight master injury kits from Eirik the apothecary (he had once been offering a bounty for werewolf claws). This cost 6 gold and 50 silver (mostly the injury kits).

     At the hospital, Landon and Alpheus set to work healing the injured, while Eornan prowled the town a bit. He realized that four-fifths of the soldiers were volunteers, bann's and arl's men, etc. ... the other fifth were mercenaries. Among the rumors our rogue learned:   Arl Bryland was out of town, visiting villages and keeps to the south in an attempt to bring them into Southreach.

     Enchanter Turpin, along with four aides, found us at the hospital in the evening. He told us the town needed mages. There were six patrols sent out every day, mostly to the south; they traveled away from Southreach for a day or so, keeping the darkspawn at bay.

     We spent the night sleeping in a corner of the hospital -- there were no beds or other quarters available in the town.

9:30 Dragon, 2nd day of Justinian - Summer

     Nice weather this day, although very windy.

     Landon, Eornan and Alpheus set out around dawn, on the road to Woevill. By mid-day we caught up with Gray, Adeline, Rogasha and Monkey, on the wagon.

     We camped along the road that night.

9:30 Dragon, 3rd day of Justinian - Summer

     Another nice day. We arrived at the village of Plumbrook. It seemed undamaged, but there were a half-dozen gray hide tents pitched in the village. Some villagers were seen.

      We pulled up near the tavern, wondering about the tents. Dalish? No. Korcarian? No. Strange.

      Within the tavern were a dozen casteless Carta dwarves, drinking and eating. They stared at us suspiciously.

      After buying ourselves drinks and food (the former excellent chef had left weeks ago) we spoke with one of the more "senior" Carta members, Drexil. "What brings the people of the Stone here?"

      Drexil replied, "Waiting for payment." They were in fact present to obtain payment from the Bann of Woevill, the current possessor of the Machine. The total debt was enormous -- hundreds of sovereigns -- and even getting this group to leave would cost over a hundred sovereigns. They didn't seem likely to cause any immediate trouble, though, and had been staying peacefully (well, within reason) at Plumbrook for at least several weeks.

From Wintermarch:   "a statement showing scheduled payments to someone in Orzammar for a mining device or piece of equipment; total of all the payments when done would be 8 or 10 thousand sovereigns! The Black Hounds know that the Bann purchased a furnace for melting and extracting lead from ore about nine years ago -- this is a more recent purchase, in the last two years."

The Bann of Woevill at the time of the debt had beren Pyne Amril.

      We left the tavern and took the wagon the few miles to Woevill. The bann's secret home was as gaudy and un-Fereldan as we remembered; a number of laidir were inhabiting it, and three of them emerged from the woods to confront us as we approached -- one of them, Alfred, led us to the house (and stables).

      The only non-laidir at Woevill was Daniella, the current bann. Rogasha was very pleased and amazed to be among other laidir again. Landon, Alpheus and Eornan greeted their former adventuring companion with pleasure.

     Bann Daniella told us that she was the leader of about 600 humans (at High Creek House and Plumbrook) and several dozen laidir at Woevill; the hidden nature of Woevill had been preserved, and if any humans knew about the werewolves present, they hadn't spread the news.

     A dwarf named Alaric had taken a part of the Machine a few months ago, holding the part in expectation of payment of the vast monies owed. The outstanding debt amounted to 1200 sovereigns; she certainly didn't have that much money (though she did have a few samples of the Machine's output). Gray took some convincing that the Machine was as amazing and valuable as described.

     The Carta dwarves had made their demands clear to Daniella, but weren't willing to confront her (even without the laidir, she was quite an impressive archer). She regularly visited Southreach and the other remaining communities in the area, buying food and supplies for Woevill and Mythalvhenan.

     We had a pleasant dinner and spent the night in nice (if musty and somewhat laidir-ruffled) beds.

9:30 Dragon, 4th day of Justinian - Summer

     We set out from Woevill, accompanied by a few laidir, into the Brecilian Forest. The road had been improved -- trees cut back, a few streams spanned by logs, etc. so that Daniella could move carts of supplies to Mythalvhenan.

9:30 Dragon, 5th day of Justinian - Summer

     By the middle of the day we arrived at the base entrance of the Temple. We dragged the wagon inside, and set up the eluvian. Sextus and a few other elves were in residence there, including Kiera and Shivanna -- kept busy with architectural magics, and being the thumbs for all the werewolves present.

     As we finished raising the eluvian, with the help of the laidir, Sextus, Shivanna and Kiera (carried by a werewolf) had come down the 800 feet of spiral stairs to see us. We introduced Gray, Adeline, Rogasha and Monkey to the inhabitants of the Temple. Also present was the dwarf Warden, Bartreg.

"Traveled with Jayce, left for dead under Mythalvhenan and captured by the Architect. Freed by Tienan."

     We told Sextus that the new eluvian led to a location in the Emerald Graves; along with a lot of other recent news. Sextus had heard of Knight-Lieutenant Peyton, the Templar who'd recently led an attack on Our Heroes; "She'd do whatever Merrill told her to."

     A party of laidir helped us carry supplies up the stairs.

     Up at the Temple itself, we drank some of the unblighted water, and admired the work that Sextus and Shivanna had done with architectural magics.

     Eornan and Gray were going to travel through the eluvian for the night.

     Sextus told us his knowledge of the Blight and the Architect. The Architect had two dragons in his thrall; they used Spirit damage -- we decided to send a dream to Bran asking for lots of Greater Spirit Balm (along with Andraste's Ashes, if available).

     The plan, in general:

• travel to the coast

• light a beacon to guide our friends to the hidden harbor

• travel on the ship to Gwaren

• enter the Deep Roads near Gwaren

• travel north to find the Architect (Bartreg sort-of knows the way)

• defeat the Architect; some things he has:

• a staff which magically heals him almost instantly; it can't be held by a Warden

• two dragons, which breathe a purple flame or gas -- Spirit damage

• Tienan and Malick

• hordes of every other sort of darkspawn

     Gray was upset that Sextus considered this a "Wardens only" mission. When Gray pointed out that we expected to bring Eornan and Bran, Sextus said, "Bran Helwyr is from a family with ancient ties to the Wardens ... he and Eornan were both present at Ostagar, and selected by Duncan for important tasks. Plus, we need Eornan's dexterity (to hold the Architect's staff) and archery (to shoot at dragons)." After a lot of further disagreement, Sextus agreed to at least consider taking Gray along.

     We also needed to do some scouting and look into the old lair underground near Mythalvhenan.

     Sextus was intent on grilling Landon and Alpheus about what they'd seen and done ... in private, Landon confessed that, "I trust Gray with my life, but he still has ties to ... well, a lot of things. And he's a bit rash. Plus, if we don't come back, he'd be better than most at supporting the laidir and Dalish in the Brecilian Forest."

Experience point totals for Our Heroes:  41,000

On to Chapter 65:  Sea Wolves