Session 5

Elle
The Scarlet Harlot! Why, why, why? Osmund, my mother will kill you if she ever finds out!

Closer to home we had encountered a small village where a young boy called Hansel was missing. A 340 year old sorcerer trapped in a gem for 50 years had led the boy to his collapsed (but warded) tower so we would come and help him. Eden promised to teach us if we took him with us. We were a little concerned about his motives but were uncomfortable leaving him there, because it was a cruel fate and the village would be at his mercy if he did intend harm. Travis will tell you he was the voice of reason against helping.



We stayed in the village for a couple of days and helped out a little since all the men had been conscripted five years ago for the war over the sea. Eden went silent and we wondered if he had escaped.



We travelled down to the town where familiar guards blocked the gate but did not recognise us. Lord Rasmis had taken over the town, and while currently absent from town had taken up residence in the (probably deceased) mayor’s house. Eden took over the captain of the guard’s body (who would have recognised us) and took his glowing crystal back from us. He acquired horses for us and we travelled to the coast where we caught a ship to the capital. Eden taught me the basics of combat magic, he is not overly burdened with moral judgement but I do not sense malice from him, I think he’s lonely from being locked away for so long. The banehound and Rasmis have have taught us that there are dark forces in the world and while Eden may not be one of the good guys, he might be able to fight the bad guys or at least teach us to.



In the capital: The king is dead, the queen rules as regent for his unborn son, the first advisor and maybe his assassin are missing, the colleges of magic operate openly but under some kind of rules. Eden took over a spice merchant’s body and we are currently residing at his house. We have a fortunes worth of black lotus and alchemy reagents for transforming items into gold, Holt and I spent time copying Eden’s grimoire.



I worry for Osmund. Eventually I may look back and laugh at the “bar” he dragged us to… after casting a cleanse spell on myself a few times… (I wonder if a cleanse images from mind spell exists). He nearly started a fight with two huge men that had knives and he resisted Travis’ help. I would have had his back, but casting obvious magic seems like a good way to find yourself noticed or dead in this scary part of town.

 From Osmund's Journal

Well, I'm not dead. Which I suppose should be heralded as good news, but then again, what if when I actually die it's very slow and painful? Bah! Fear is for the weak, and i'm not afraid of anything!

The journey was relatively uneventful other the company of our interesting new friend, Eden. He's some sort of ethically challenged wizard as far as I can tell. He'd probably like to turn me into a worm or something if he got the chance. We found him trapped in a glowing gem down in the ruins of his tower. I had to kill a big beetle that looked pretty ferocious to get to him, but it was not match for the sheer strength of Osmund Winterkissed! My parents would be proud of me, protecting the others and felling such a fearsome beast.

Eden saved our skin when we finally reached the town where we were headed by comandeering the Captain of the Guard's body and getting us and some horses out of there quickly. He also managed to get us passage on a ship to the capital. I don't like how much time Elle and Holt are spending with him, I don't want Elle to be as much of an ass as Eden is just because she has magical powers - Holt may already be beyond saving though, ha!

I don't know what came over me when I invited the others to the Scarlet Harlot, which is a rather grotty pub by the docks - Travis did looked like he was enjoying himself though. I do know that something inside changed in me while I was in there though. I meant to find an assassin or someone who knows how not to feel bad after killing someone else, but instead found some trouble in the form of a little weasel of a man and his two big thugs.

When I realised that they were about to fight me... and I wouldn't admit it out loud... I felt really alive. It was like the anticipation of violence just burst into my skull and sent me somewhere I liked. Lucky for me Travis and Elle were there to pull me away, or I might have accidentally hurt someone. I... like fighting? If I kill enough people, i'll be able to protect people I like and not feel bad. Urgh, what is coming over me?

I have made myself an agenda, because Hilda always said lists were key to her success.

1) Talk to Eden and see if he is friends with any unsavoury assassins. "Bad people" generally seem to know other "bad people".

2) Talk to that young disciple in the temple again. Apologise for inviting him to the Harlot and find out some more about him.

3) Find somewhere or someone where/from who I can learn to kill things. Assassins, warriors, mercenaries, brawlers. Then learn.

4) Get Elle and Holt some more books so they don't turn me into a worm.