Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Session 8

 Night of the 3rd Armsday of Bales, Eldermass

Karpat Fortress

The Knights are taken to their quarters, narrow rooms with high ceilings and strange angles. There arrival may have been foretold - or maybe the rooms know which Knights they will accommodate – as traditional pagan icons (or small paintings) of their respective Seers hang on the wall. Sir Andrasz peruses a strangely spiky iron bookcase of spiritual texts and sheet music, while Perilake's room is dominated by a rusty suit of armour with a notable hole at the back of the ancient helmet. Heldris marvels at the misty abyss outside the arrow slit windows.

After they are refreshed they are taken by servants to the Great Hall where the court of Lady Lamberta of Karpat is sitting at a long banquet table. The room is filled with candlelight. Hushed conversations and a lone eerie flute playing sacred music are the only sounds. The Lady, a short woman with greying hair under a simple iron crown, sits next to her equally unassuming husband. She laments the lack of spirituality in the realm that is exemplified by the rise of heretic cults and she congratulates the Knights for making an end to sect of the Eye. She warns them about another cult, the followers of the Child who are gaining popularity among her vassals. Nothing else of importance is said as soon the Lady invites the Knights to a meeting of her Council where such matters belong.

The Grand Hall (shown here before the banquet)

Lamberta bows to the altar of the throne room and gestures the Knights of the Council and her guests to take a seat at the round table. Tonda kneels next to her with a bucket of leeches in order to conduct a blood letting of the ailing ruler. In the case of the bandits it is decided that the Sheriff will aid the Knights to get rid of the threat to the law. Soon after Lamberta excuses herself due to deteriorating health. She waves with her ringed hand – the one placed upon her under oath to not remove it by King Andrasz the Ring Knight – and the Knights of the Brotherhood conclude that matters are discussed that the King shouldn't hear.

Indeed it is explained that Mateusz will only be accompanied by a few spearmen as the warband is needed to be ready to protect Karpat's claim over the peat bog when the tax collectors arrive for the Tithe. Tonda returns and exchanges nervous glances with the Envoy, Adalgunde of Kranach as Perilake demurs that the decision of the King should be respected but the Steward, Dorota of Masur, an older haggard looking woman, sharply disagrees.

After the meeting Anastasz takes Tonda aside to a small turret where they sit in the cushioned window sill. He mentions the Beekeepers and shows her the letter they found on Sir Grigori's body. Tonda turns pale before she composes herself. Her flirty demeanour is gone and she leans in to say.”If such a group exists what would you want to tell them?” She talks about certain opportunities that would arise from a change of leadership, maybe a Holding for those who aid the new ruler. Anastasz suggests a meeting and Tonda promises an answer within a couple of days never confirming that the Beekeepers even exist or that she might be associated with them in any way.

It is midnight when the Knights return to their rooms. Heldris finds two chestnuts, one dead and crumbling, one containing no fruit but an entangled ball of string. Many theories are suggested: A message from the Seers on such a holy day perhaps? Zoltan who had been on watch at the stable arrives and reports that a masked figure has left the castle at midnight and the Knights suspect them to beTonda. And indeed when they break into her room it is empty and nobody had slept in her bed.

Mateusz alarmed by the noise confronts the Knights, but Perilake assures him that their fear for the safety of the Leech is justified: Maybe the bandits have taken her prisoner. Mateusz and his men search the castle. Long after midnight the noise of the search subsides and the Knights finally find some sleep.

A mountain cave

Morning of the 3rd Riverday of Bales

The leave at dawn with Mateusz and his men and ride down the mountain pass until at noon they arrive at a hollow way in a mountainous forest. Above them on a plateau they see the walls of a hexagonal building. They leave the horses with Mateusz and his men and climb up the cliff where they enter the ruined temple. Seven stone seats are the only furnishings left. Each has a skull placed on it, the crest of a Knight roughly scratched into each seat. A flame weasel gnaws the skull that is placed on the seat that bears Perilake's crest. Perilake feeds it and is bitten playfully by the strange creature. A rush of clarity and purpose pulses through the Gilded Knight's body. They search the plateau and find some footprints, a path leading north and behind some shrubs the entrance to a cave that they follow for a long time until it ends in a fortified door that is barred from the other side. They return and follow the path to a clearing where four soldiers guard the entrance to another cave. They climb above them and prepare to attack.

Tuesday, 18 March 2025

The Eye VII / Session 7

3rd Stonesday of Bales


In a swamp south of Kozamost

They wake up before dawn to the smell of roasted bread and a constant light rain. The knights peel themselves out of the damp bedrolls while Zoltan is serving breakfast. The Prey Seer is massaging her bandaged hand at the campfire. The sun is still a mere suggestion in the sky as they make their way south-east along the track of the parade wagon deeper into the swamp

All morning the rain continues. Only the croaking of toads in the sloughs break the silence as they follow the Prey Seer. The landscape turns even more desolate, until at noon the company arrives at the badlands. The parade wagon is lying on its side in the mud. Nearby the acolytes of the Eye kneel before the boulder standing under a dead tree. The earth begins to tremble ...

“This is the place.” Her voice trembles with fear or excitement, “Drive your steeds between it and the acolytes, they will be too scared to intervene. Let the Eye come for me. Attack it from all sides.” She turns towards you and whispers so that only you can hear her: ”Remember the relic. Break the symmetry and the Eye won't return.” She starts walking towards the epicentre of the quake, the branch of the elder tree raised over her head.

The Eye rises

A hulking stone eye on four squat legs erupts. The Knights charge. Perilake hits it from the side with his great mace, stopping its forward momentum towards the Seer. Anastas, Heldris and Zoltan struggle to find purchase in its stony hide. The creature attempts to crush Perilake but the Gilded Knight deflect its attack on him. Heldris armour absorbs the blow, as does Anastasz. But the Eye opens into an obscene maw. The Knights attack from all sides trying to chip away at the stone creature. Perilake smashing the eye square in the pupil as its maw closes. It reels, and then shrugs off the attacks and moves towards the Seer.

Anastasz and Heldris try to repel it away from the Seer whose face is in rapture at meeting her fate. The great Maw descends upon her. Before Heldris can leap between the Eye and Seer Anastasz stays his hand. The Seer is consumed and terribly mauled by the Eye’s crunching maw. She screeches in pain and ecstasy. The ground below the Eye opens and it tries to flee back in to the earth. Perilake smashes it in the side and prevents it from escaping. Zoltan leaps atop it, his dagger blows bolstering the slaying blow that is struck by Anastasz, who heaves his bastard sword into the obsidian pupil, exploding black ichor. It falls to the ground, it’s animated features turning into dead stone, Zoltan wheeling from its back and nearly being crushed before Perilake snatches his squire away. Perilake picks up the Seer’s fallen branch and buries it in the earth where she fell. Strangely the branch takes root and grows into an Elder Tree. The knights kneel and respect the fallen, Janka, the elderly tanner who was among the acolytes, joins them in reverence.

Karpat Fortress

3rd Woodsday of Bales

They travel North to the sanctum of the Prey Seer with her relic. Janka swears to watch over this place of power until a new Seer is called forth.

The Knights decide to follow up on the mysterious warband. Bartek had shown them the secret hideout of the mercenaries in a region just east of Karpat Fortress. How is this taking place under the nose of Karpat? They were well informed, well resourced, well paid. Could Lady Lamberta aid them? Could she be the mysterious Queen of the Beekeepers? And what about Lady Dagmar the Marshall of Karpat who was blackmailed by Bianka Altenburg, the Iron Knight. Is this even related to the mystery of the beekeepers? The Brootherhood of the black Fleece decide to travel to the Fortress in the hope of finding some answers. They make camp at the banks of the Hleb,

3rd Armsday of Bales

When they cross the river they come upon a maze of stony crags. A message carved in the rock reads All the knights will feel the Axe. They follow a winding path up a low sandstone mountain range until they reach an ornate bridge carved with traditional shapes and stylized animals. Before them lies Karpat Fortress a labyrinth of towers and dark spires connected with steep stairs. Lady Hedwig leads them to the throne room where the ruler Lady Lamberta prays before an altar. She invites the knights to refresh after the travel and join her in the evening for a meal with her Court.  

Monday, 17 March 2025

Interlude: Stories of Knighthood

2nd Stillday of Bales

In a swamp south of Kozamost

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"Sir Perilake, the story of your ascension to knighthood is one told up and down the land. But I've never heard it from the horse's mouth, if you'll forgive the expression. I do know that it is a story of pious joy, concerning a hateful mentor and a desire for security, driven by a sense of duty. Also, a mighty mustelid!"

Perilake the Gilded Knight
Perilake smiles, but there is a sadness in his eyes. "I squired under my mentor, Sir Cyrion. A harsh man to be true. Hateful is not the word I would have used; though I know the smallfolk who suffered the lash of his tongue - and indeed, all too frequently his hand, would differ. Yet I owe so much to his lessons and his wisdom, bitter though it often was." He takes a seat by the fire, and bids Zoltan to sit by him "He wore this armour before me, and he had me polish it so brightly that he could shave by its reflection each morning. In truth, it oft felt as though his reflection was the only thing that truly existed to Sir Cyrion. But what Knight does not seek glory? I was his squire, and it was my duty to serve. We spent many seasons on the tourney field or in the halls of friendly lords, Sir Cyrion always cutting a fine figure amongst the nobility. Prestige was more his calling than a life of the trails, but he certainly earned it - no challenge was beyond the Gilded Sir Cyrion. If danger and death was the price of glory, he would pay it in full."

"In my final year as a youth sworn into his service, Sir Cyrion undertook a quest to slay a great beast of the forests. A huge and terrible mustelid as Sir Ludmer says - a great and dire badger, larger even than Blacwyn in his full span - was seen in the Lord's woods. It made no secret of its passing, driven mad by some dark plague, yet though we often caught glimpses of it through the bracken, it seemed impossible to find, to corner."

"In frustration, my lord sent our followers - a few canny woodsmen from the local village, bound by the Baron into our service - to search the woods. None came back but one, who refused to go further. My lord whipped him, and me when I stood between them." Perilake stirs the fire with sudden vigour "But such was oft the nature of my lessons as a youth, and not all were earned by virtue." "Left without guides, we wandered the forests looking for the beast and in our search came across a wonderful and terrible figure; the Enthrowned Seer." He glances towards the Prey Seer, who sits silently by the flames.

 "Within a sheltered clearing deep within the woods, a man sat. Or so I thought at first. Yet his throne was he, and he his throne; silver and steel and gold, entwined with flesh and wood and more, in a place of silence and power." "He bade us approach - on our knees. Sir Cyrion refused, and pushed me forward in his stead. I pleaded with the Seer for guidance, and he saw favour. With a strange smile, he spoke loudly. I will never forget his words." "He leaned forward and placed one hand upon my shoulder from atop his twisted chair and spoke: 'To find the beast, not one gilded knight will suffice. The only way this hunt shall succeed is if it is pursued twice - by knight, not squire, or you shall both suffer the beast's sickened ire. And so I say your service is at end. No longer a steward's son or a servant, today a Knight - to this land sworn forever to defend'." "He bid me rise, and Sir Cyrion glowered from the edge of the clearing, yet even in his high standing he respected the wisdom of the Seers. From that point on, we were no longer lord and master - but knights. When next we came across the beast's trail, Sir Cyrion did not bid me to stand back but asked for me to lead the charge whilst he encircled it." "Together, we pinned it between us, though the chase and the battle was fierce, working as equals we were its match and put it to rest."

A vile creature of the forest

Perilake looks up and smiles at the others. "I could not do justice to the battle, but it was the fiercest I had ever faced in my service. And when it was over, Sir Cyrion pulled me to my feet and clasped my shoulder, and greeted me as his brother knight." "We travelled together for some time afterwards... until we undertook a voyage to distant shores. An ill-fated voyage, brought short by another great beast. It was then that Sir Cyrion passed from this world - and passed his armour to me..." Perilake's hands brush the shining metal of his namesake. "But that is a story for another time."

Referee
It is afternoon. The multiplied sun has dipped on the horizon during Perilake's story. Large peaceful dragonflies are hovering over the grass while Zoltan gathers more dry wood for the fire. From time to time he glances over at the Guilded Knight with newfound admiration.

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"An inspiring story masterfully told, Sir Perilake. You truly are the most noble among us. As skillful with your words as you are with your arm." Ludmer breaks a few eggs into a pan, into another he puts some bread to roast. Looking at Sir Anastaz, he asks: "I wonder if Sir Anastaz is worth his salt as a storyteller the same way Sir Perilake is. What is the story behind the flask you're bearing, Sir Anastaz? Did it ever prove a boon in your adventures?"

Anastaz the Salt Knight
"I am not a man of many words, but I can try: I, too, was a squire, under Sir Kolosz. He was well past his prime, but a kind man and a virtuous knight. He taught me much of chivalry and protecting the weak. He had had one squire before me, a man by the name of Krisztof. Krisztof was a charming young fellow and a talented swordsman, but Sir Kolosz told me that his ambition, his desire to be famed and adored, had poisoned his heart. I, on the other hand, was totally committed to the Knight's Code: a complete idealist... naïve even. Nevertheless, Krisztof had quickly found tutelage under another Knight and completed his training."

"One day, Sir Kolosz and I came to a village suffering from drought, where we encountered Krisztof, now called the Hive Knight. Armored in wood and leaves, he smelled sickly sweet. We discovered he had given up hope that anything could be done for the villagers, hoping only to raise their spirits by keeping them in the tavern playing music all through the night. Sir Kolosz was appalled at the Hive Knight's cowardice and sloth, and we embarked across the barren land to the Bright Seer, a kingly figure clad in gold and orange raiments, whose sanctum shone with brilliant fires."

"He showed us a vision of a relic with the solution to the villagers' problem, an unending flask of fresh water, which could be found in a remote cave. We trekked toward the cave, but before we entered, Sir Kolosz was overcome by a fit and had to rest. We stayed there for a time, but his condition showed no sign of improving, so I offered to retrieve the relic myself. I crept through the cave, dispatching or bypassing the few creatures and natural hazards which protected the flask, and finally came to a glowing basin of water, with a flask of mottled stone at the bottom. I retrieved it, but when I returned to the mouth of the cave, I found the Hive Knight waiting for me."

Sir Krisztof, The Hive Knight

"He had followed us and waited for me to collect the flask so he could claim it for himself. He demanded the flask, but I refused, shocked that a Knight could be so corrupt. We dueled: he surely thought that with him a Knight and me a squire that his victory was assured, but his overconfidence was a weakness I could exploit. In the end, I feinted, but I wounded him far more gravely than I had intended, nearly separating his torso from his legs. His blood was dark and thick, like sap. I watched in terror and amazement as he feebly crawled into the corner of the cavern and set himself alight."

"I returned to Sir Kolosz, and we returned to the village. The villagers, no longer dying of starvation and thirst, had reason for dancing and singing. It was important to Sir Kolosz that I be knighted before he passed from this world, and we went back to the Bright Seer. The Bright Seer saw fit to knight me, but in his wisdom, he showed me one last vision. He held a piece of coal to my lips, and I saw the suffering of all the peasants in the village, the grief of those who had lost friends or family members. It was a... challenging revelation. I have heard rumors of the Hive Knight since then, so I presume he still, somehow, lives. Sir Kolosz died not long after, in his bed. His last words were a request for water. I have not unsealed the flask since then."

"Does that answer your question, Trail Knight?"


Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"It does, Sir Anastaz, it does. More importantly, it shows the depth this salty stillness of yours conceals. You are truly a noble soul and a storyteller to put all of us to shame." Ludmer collects the dishes, cleaning them with sand and ashes, before stowing them away "What about your wings, Brother Heldris? I've been meaning to ask. Am I correct in recognizing these beautiful feathers as hawk feathers? Your harness and its wings are very well crafted and maintained so I assume they tell a story of wealth and pride, do they not?"

Heldris the Dove Knight
Heldris looks musingly at the Salt Knight, wondering how many stories hide behind his calm appearance, and happy to have been deemed worthy of hearing his story as well as those of their friends. He turns to Ludmer. "You know your fauna well my friend, but between these hawks feathers, some gentle dove ones hide as well, let me tell you how my wings came to be..."
"I grew up in a castle on a Western land beyond the Sea. Steep rocky cliffs, before a jagged shoreline, sweetened from time to time by a quiet inlet. Where white seabirds lay their nest, between delicate shrubs. Inland, green pastures under a constant drizzle. We keep the Sun in high regard there, for when She shows her blissful rays and chases the rain away, we rejoice our green land even more. I am the second son, and as soon as I was old enough, I started following my dear brother Cadwr as a squire. We set out for the Great Forest in the north, where a horrid winged beast was rumoured to dwell. After days of travelling through the dark woods, we finally stumbled upon its lair. Before us, distorted by the elongated shadows of the trees, stood a horrid beast. The head of a hawk, the body of a serpent, the wings of a bat. I handed the spear to my brother who charged without fear. As soon as he reached the monster, his spear broke against its awful scales. He was quickly unhorsed, the blow sent him against a rock where he lay dead, his last breath leaving through the tall dark trees. I turned tail and stumbling and tripping I reached a clearance, where I finally fell on the ground and stopped. “Enough running,” I said to myself, “I’ll have my revenge dear brother of mine, or I’ll die trying and be with you again."

"I drew my sword and as I turned to face the horrid beast, through the clearing I saw the Sun shine as bright as ever She did. I stupidly looked up, away from my enemy, and I swear I saw the face of the Sun smiling down at me. As I lowered my gaze, before me a white dove was pecking calmly on the ground. The horrid beast lying slain before me, my sword covered in thick dark blood. An eerie calmness throughout the woods. I looked at the dove, and it was a bird no more. A strange woman, her skin as if burnt from the Sun, but as if beautifully carved, was standing before me. I was made a Knight that day. I’ve been carrying the freedom of wings and the constraint of revenge with me ever since."

The Sundlit Seer (artist's impression)
Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz has been staring solemnly at the ground since he finished his story. As Heldris's story concludes, the Salt Knight reaches out a hand and squeezes Heldris' shoulder.

"And you, Trail Knight? From whence came your unwavering principles? Your revulsion at Mira and that knight Cormorant surely has a tale behind it?"


Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"Of course, my brother. Let me gather my thoughts, so as to not miss any pertinent details."

Referee
The Suns - now low on the horizon - are throwing strange shadows around the Knights and the hunched Seer. The evening is approaching and with it mist rises over the tall grass. A day of stories has almost come to an end

Ludmer, the Trail Knight  
Ludmer pours himself another cup of tea, inhaling the familiar, bitter aroma. He leans back, his eyes on the rising mist beyond the firelight. For a moment, his face is unreadable, etched in shadows and flame. He swirls the tea in his cup, watching the ripples settle before finally speaking. “I’ve been told a story gains meaning by the way it’s told. But mine...” His voice trails off as he stares into his cup, the red-tinted liquid catching the light like blood. “Mine is not one of valor or honor. It’s one of fire and smoke. Of ashes.” He sips his tea, letting the bitterness linger on his tongue before continuing. “I was born to wealth. Not earned—never earned—but taken. My father was called Slavomír, and he ruled our land with an iron hand. ‘Glory of the People,’ he called himself, as though their suffering crowned him.” Ludmer sets the cup down, fingers lingering on the handle. “His people were his cattle. His fields were their burden. They toiled, bled, and starved, all to feed his endless hunger for comfort. The finest silks, spices from distant lands, teas that danced on the tongue... all paid for by the backs of men and women who had nothing but callouses to call their own.” His eyes flick to the others, lingering for a moment on Sir Anastaz, before returning to the fire. “He saw himself as a father to his subjects, a shepherd to his flock. But he was the wolf in their midst, cloaked in finery, his teeth hidden behind honeyed words. He called it his ‘duty’—his right by birth. And the smallfolk suffered beneath him, bound by blood to his service.” Ludmer’s fingers tighten around the cup until his knuckles turn white. “I was to inherit it all. That throne of lies. That legacy of pain.”
Sitting on a Throne of Lies: King Slavomir

He lets out a breath, slow and measured, the steam from his tea curling like smoke. “I hid from him, in his library, surrounded by gilded tomes filled with self-flattery and delusion. But behind those books, in the dust and shadow, I found the truth. Words written by ancestors who ruled differently—who saw stewardship, not tyranny.” His voice drops, almost a whisper. “They knew what he would not—that power was not to be taken, but earned. That to rule was to serve. And in those pages, I learned of the price paid for his luxuries... of famine and sickness. Of broken backs and hollow faces. Of children who died so he could sip tea from the farthest corners of the world.” He picks up his cup and takes a long drink, his eyes hardening. “I could not unsee it. Could not unread the truth. The words burned in me, hotter than any flame. They would not let me rest.”

His gaze lifts, fixed somewhere beyond the firelight, lost in memory. “I confronted him. Told him what I knew. He laughed. Called me a fool. A child. Told me I did not understand the burden of power. The burden of rule.” His voice hardens, iron beneath the calm. “He was wrong.”

Ludmer’s eyes snap back to the fire, the flames reflected in his gaze. “I stood before his throne—his throne of bone and blood, built on the suffering of my people—and I renounced it. Called him a thief. A despot. He called me ungrateful. Traitorous. A son who had forgotten his duty. He tried to strike me, as he always did. But this time, I stood firm.”
His hand drifts to his side, fingers brushing the worn gambeson. “He always wore his armor. Polished to a mirror’s gleam, as if he could hide his cruelty behind that golden sheen. But he never expected to be struck by his own blood. With his own steel.”
His fingers tighten around the fabric, his voice low. “I killed him. There, on that cold stone floor, surrounded by the wealth he had stolen. I killed him, and I burned that castle to the ground. Burned every last remnant of his reign. Watched it fall into ashes.”
He lifts his head, looking at the others, his face a mask of resolve and grief. “I rode away with nothing but this gambeson meant to be worn beneath gilded plate, my brother’s crow-beak axe, and my horse, Věrný. Faithful when all else was ashes.”

His voice softens, fingers brushing the crow-beak axe. “I rode for weeks, the smoke never leaving my nostrils. I caught this cough... a bitter reminder of the poison he spread. This tea...” He lifts the cup “...it helps. I suppose that’s why I drink it so often. To wash out the taste of his ashes.”

He finishes his tea, letting the silence hang, the only sound the crackling of the fire and the soft whisper of the rising mist. “I fled. Rode until I had nothing left. Until I was nothing. That’s when The Welcomed Seer found me. Half-dead, my soul burned to cinders. They called me a knight. Told me I had a duty to the land. To protect it. To atone.”
He places the cup down with a hollow clink, his eyes fixed on the dregs at the bottom. “Perhaps they saw something worth saving. Or perhaps they knew... a burnt forest is only fertile when the ashes settle.” He looks up, his gaze meeting each of his brothers, calm and steady. “So that’s my tale. Not of honor, nor glory. But of a throne I would not take, and a fire I would not put out.” He leans back, his shoulders relaxing, the tension finally leaving his face.

“Right then. Tea, anyone?”


Referee

And with Ludmer's last words the cursed suns in the sky are replaced by the pale harvest moon. The Knights of the Black Fleece are sitting in silence for a while, sipping their tea and listening to the sounds of the swamp: Crickets chirping and fat toads croaking in the dark.

Zoltan
Across the fire, Zoltan pulls his cloak around him, his eyes bright with more than the glow of the fire. It lingers longest on the Trail Knight....

Sunday, 16 March 2025

The Eye VI

 Afternoon of the 2nd Rainsday of Bales  

Kozamost

Referee
You exchange stories about Bartek, the soldier of fortune, the strange jars, the ambush and the grotesque procession before returning to the village. Mira is leaving her house with a candle and approaches you: "The Prey Seer would like to speak to you, my Lords" The short woman looks up at you with a worried expression, "something is not right with her." Inside the house, the tabels and chairs are moved to the side. It is dark apart from a lone candle. The Prey Seer sits on the ground, with her back to you scribbling with a piece of charcoal her stick figures onto the wall. You see her right hand is bandaged and there is a trickle of blood running down her arm

Perilake the Gilded Knight
"My lady Seer.... What happened?"

Referee
Her whispers are barely audible over the scratching of charcoal on the wall: "The dreams ... they show me the way ... but something needs to remain." She turns her head to the side, where a wooden box lies on the table." I know where the Eye hides, and I know what it wants ... and it is ...". She trails off.

Heldris the Dove Knight
The Dove Knight looks at the Prey Seer with honest concern. “What did you see in your dreams?” And as drawn by some invisible force, he turns to the wooden box and steps towards it. With the utmost reverence, Heldris slowly opens the box and peers inside.

Referee
"I see a great eye growing out of the earth. It sprouts legs and hunts me and I run and run ... but I will run no more!" On the lid of the simple box there is the symbol of a tree burned into the wood. Inside is a severed ring finger. She turns around, her expression is ecstatic: "Together we will peer into the eye: we will face the beast and It will be beautiful!"

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz, arms folded, leaning against a wall, speaks up. "What can we do to fight this threat?"
The Prey Seer
Referee
"It is cunning and strong and it knows we are coming. But it is not invincible." She looks from one Knight to the other."I will lead you and if it is time I will distract it so that you can strike it down".

Anastaz the Salt Knight
"Where does it reside? Does it even have a body that can be wounded?"

Referee
"It has a body and it can be hurt but ...", she shakes her head slowly, " ... it will be like carving stone. The acolytes of the Eye sing: 'My god is like a web of a thousand roots that drink in silence,' Her eyes shine brightly in the dark, "It lives underground until the time comes.” There is a strange excitement in her voice. “It will emerge from the ground or we will pull it out into the light.” She turns back to her scribbling and the figures start dancing in the flickering of the candlelight. “Go to sleep my holy warriors and rest: Tomorrow we will go into battle!"

Heldris the Dove Knight
“Whose finger is this?" Heldris asks the Seer, in a distressed tone.

Referee
"It is mine. It is that which will remain even if I am gone. When the Eye is banished ..."she corrects herself "IF it is banished, we will live happily ever after." She turns around to face you, "Or if it prevails others will pick up the mantle and fight it." Her eyes are reflective like cats eyes and there is this strange feeling of excitement again."But if we both vanish, something has to remain to break the symmetry. Promise me, young Knight, to take the relic back to my sanctuary if I'm gone."

Heldris the Dove Knight
The Dove Knight suppresses a sudden feeling of discouragement, and straightens his back. "On my honour, I'll do so, if the future demands it." He then closes the lid of the box, and inquires about the charcoal drawings the Seer has been making.

Referee
"I am the Prey Seer." She only says, turns around again and returns to her drawings. The stick figures depict tiny people bowing and hunching. In the shadows in between there are giant shapes, ugly worms and monsters devouring the figures.

Morning of the 2nd Stillday of Bales

Referee
Before dawn Mira has brought you a simple meal of bread and cheese and left remaining silent the whole time. When you finished the breakfast you see the Prey Seer walking slowly towards the southern entrance to the village. A group of peasants parts, letting her pass between them. The sun is low in the cloudless sky and everything is quiet.

Perilake the Gilded Knight
Zoltan mumbles something that sounds like a question and points towards the Seer, a look of confusion on his face. Perilake follows his gaze, and then exchanges glances with his companions before springing to his feet. "The ways of the Seers are strange my young Squire, and we knights are often left-" he grabs a slice of bread and some cheese as he stands "- hurrying to follow the footsteps of fate. Gather our gear and the horses, and meet us down the trail. I will make sure the Prey Seer does not meet any predators. And don't worry about polishing my plate, it still shines from your previous ministrations."
Perilake strides through the village until he walks closely by the Prey Seer, nodding at the villagers between bites of his rushed breakfast. A few warm smiles from those who worked in the fields alongside the two knights warm his heart as much as the rising sun

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz stands outside in the crisp air of the early morning, silently grooming Tibor, his gear cleaned and polished for the trials ahead.

Heldris the Dove Knight
Heldris proceeds to slowly saddle his horse and gather his provisions with one hand, painfully trying to rewrite in his head what used to be ordinary routine gestures and movements. From time to time, his fellow knights step in to help tighten a knot, to roll up a cloth, and as fast as they appear they soon go back to work on their stuff, silently and mindfully letting the Dove Knight do by himself what they know he can manage to do.

Referee
You travel along the banks of the river for some time, mist swirling over the water, until you reach the place where you met the acolytes. “You know, kind Janka was among the acolytes”, the Prey Seer says to no one in particular before following the track the wagon ploughed through the tall grass southwards. At noon the Prey Seer stops and turns around looking confused. There are three identical tracks leading away in all directions and FOUR SUNS IN THE SKY. "An old curse on the land." she whispers, "This is not the Eye's work!"

Heldris the Dove Knight
"What else could ail the land besides the Eye?" Heldris asks in a whisper, confused "What is this old curse you speak of?"
There are FOUR Suns

Referee
With a sigh the Prey Seer sits down on a dry patch of land at this strange cross road and rummages in her knapsack for the waterskin. ”The Realm is old and it remembers. There are places that hold the memory of Myths long forgotten and others that once were claimed by nameless gods. As much as the Realm shows beauty and wonder ... " She looks at the mirage of the four suns, " ... don't mistake it for a garden. We could travel in any direction and try our luck but we would be travelling blind.”

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz stares in wonder at the four suns till his eyes begin to water. "Shall we decide at random, or split up?"

Ludmer, the Trail Knight  
Without much hesitation, Ludmer begins to gather together wood and build a fire "All four directions look exactly alike to me. I am not in the habit of venturing out into the dark with so much as a torch to light my way." Having built the fire, he prepares his kettle "This is as good a time as any to rest and make plans and wait for this nonsense to be over. Tea anyone?"

Saturday, 15 March 2025

The Eye V

Evening of the 2nd Skyday of Bales

In a forest South-East of Kozamost


Referee
Anastaz and Ludmer, you travel east through the underbrush until at nightfall you hear several voices singing and you make out the flickering light of fire under a rock overhang. You can make out five figures in robes sitting around the campfire.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz signals to Ludmer to proceed carefully, and looks for a vantage point from which to appraise the robed figures.

Acolytes of the Eye (artist's impression)

Referee
You can hear boisterous singing from the campfire as you sneak up a nearby hill. You hide behind trees to have a good look at the camp. The campfire reflects off mirrors on the robes of the figures, their faces are painted with one eye blacked out by charcoal. They are singing about walls falling before the might of The Eye.
After the last verse echoes through the woods the robed figures calm down. They are sitting around the fire talking loudly with each other although from your position you can't make out what they say only that they seem to be in a good mood. Their weapons - clubs with vicious spikes - lean against the wall of the rock.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz unsheaths Zuraw and glances at Ludmer as he prepares to pounce on the assembled revelers.
After a hectic exchange of hand signals, Anastaz creeps through the woods around to the overhang above the cultists' camp. He glances across at Ludmer, waiting for his body language to signal the time to strike.

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
Ludmer, meanwhile, slowly and methodically makes his way to the heart of the camp. A prayer to the seers on his lips he throws a drinking horn one of the cultists left on a tree stump into the smouldering campfire. An explosion of embers and stinking smoke surprises and rattles the cultists. Using this distraction, Ludmer does his best to smite as many of them as he can with all his might before they gain their senses.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
As Ludmer advances on the group, Anastaz leaps down from the overhang and brings his ornate bastard sword to bear.

Referee
Ludmer is standing over the campfire and deals a flurry of blows all around him, bones cracking where his beaked axe connects. The robed figures are flying like ragdolls away from the fire while Anastaz lands like a cat beside him. The cultists lie dying in their blood.

Ludmer, you move quickly from body to body to tend to the wounded, staunching the flow of blood, putting limbs in makeshift splints. Two of the cultists will be disfigured, deep wounds where flesh was rendered from the bone, an older man who will never use his arm again, a younger woman's face marked for life: But they all will live! When you search their belongings you are appalled by the lack of personal items as if they had given their life to the cause completely.

Anastaz, one of the wounded, a man of maybe 60, sits up against a tree, a deep cut in his shoulder bandaged by the Trail Knight. He looks at you with cold eyes: "Will you torture me Knight to do your overlord's bidding?" Every word spit out in disgust.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz' dispassionate gaze is cooler than a glare, but not by much. "We serve no overlord, only the Seers. And we do not wish you to suffer, hence you are still alive. Who are you and why do you follow the Eye?"

Referee
The man stares at you for a second, then throws his head back and laughs hysterically: "Only ... the ... Seers"! His laughter turns into a cough and when he recovers he says without emotion:' So you do serve darkness and pain, for the Seers are your overlords and they stand for everything I despise. I follow the Eye for IT is the light in the darkness and before ITS might all walls will fall. AWAY WITH THE DARKNESS!", he suddenly screams.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz subtly flinches when the man screams. He kneels down to look the man in the eyes. "How did you come to revere the Eye? Explain that I might understand."

Referee
"Before I saw the light I was a goat herder in the mountains, a few of my kin with me. One day I had a dream: I dreamed I was in the Lord's castle and I saw him walking down a corridor and when he entered a room it wasn't his own nor his wifes. The old goat slept with one of the Courtiers! "The old man looks at you probingly" The Seers know! Ah, they know but they never tell! All they mumble are riddles and dark whispers. If we can't trust the Seers and the Lords who can we trust? But THE EYE sees all and tells all, no secrets and no riddles."

Anastaz the Salt Knight
How did you meet these others?"

Referee
"We all have the same dreams and they tell us the time and the place." He leans forward conspiratorially: "And more will come.", he whispers.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
"Have you considered your visions may be deceiving you?

Referee
"All the visions of the EYE have been true so far whenever I followed ITS wisdom. I have no doubt IT always speaks the truth!"

Anastaz the Salt Knight
"And do you and your cohorts simply come out here and revel, or do you plan to do anything about the Seers?"

Referee
He looks at the broken bodies all around him: "You mean kill them?" He laughs bitterly: "No, we are acolytes, we won't use violence against the Seers. But their reign has to end and if the EYE commands it they will be dealt with."

Ludmer, it is some time before midnight. Anastaz is talking to the old men who might be the leader of the group. In the twilight of the last embers of the campfire the bedrolls and sacks of the cultists are scattered. You return from searching their belongings and find the two severely wounded lying on the ground sleeping. They will be out of it at least until morning. The other three that you have treated however are regaining consciousness. They are weak but will be able to act soon. You see a torchlight dancing between the trees. Somebody is approaching.

A flickering torchlight 

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
I tap Anastaz on the shoulder, alerting him to the torch light. I motion for him to take cover.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz looks back, sees the torchlight, and nods to Ludmer, before seeking shelter in the shadows.

Referee
Over the rasping breath of the wounded and the old man humming a tune you hear the muffled sound of hooves on the forest ground. Zoltan staggers into the dim light of the dying campfire, barely able to stay on his feet: “By the gods, what happened here?”

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
Ludmer steps out of the shadows outside Zoltan's immediate field of vision, causing the boy to startle "Zoltan! Never was I more happy to see you than tonight. Still though, you should thank the Seers that it was us you happened upon and not someone who bears you Ill will. A brigand could have stabbed you like a little piggy before you had seen them coming with that dumb torch of yours. What have you found?"

Zoltan
Zoltan looks at Ludmer wearily with bloodshot eyes: ”I found the spot in the … mumbles ... where the smaller … mumbles …. mumbles ...”, he says weakly slurring his words, “... and followed them north to a … mumbles … it was almost … mumbles … decided to turn back, when I found the yellow petals that Sirs left. It was really hard to … mumbles … in total darkness so I lit a torch.” He looks around, sways slightly and steadies himself against his pony: "Those aren't the mercenaries we have been following", he mumbles half to himself.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
The Salt Knight sighs. "Indeed they are not." Anastaz glances at Ludmer, then looks down at the mass of bellicose cultists and frowns for a moment, before retrieving some rope from his saddlebags. "Come, boy, help us bind them."

Referee
Zoltan helps the Salt Knight restraining the prisoners. He stumbles around like a child way past bedtime from one to the next but his knots are precise and tight. He flinches when he sees the face of the young women but says nothing. Pensively he tends to the campfire before crushing out on his bedroll.

Friday, 14 March 2025

The Eye IV

2nd Skyday of Bales

Kozamost


Referee
Perilake, when you leave the barn you see Timea and Heldris standing at the pier.

Perilake the Gilded Knight
Sir Perilake approaches Timea. "Good lady, I fear the Realm demands our presence here to root out whatever hand guides these bandits. We must abandon our original mission south, but I hope that your journey onwards will be safe. I have another favour to ask of you however; will you transport our captive, the mercenary Bartek, with you to Kranach Castle with my message to the Lord? We ask that he give this brigand a chance to repay the realm in service, and that the Lord marshalls a band of men to help us guard the riverbanks and route out their remaining strength."

Referee
Timea shakes her head sceptically but takes your letter: "I will take the brigand to the Castle along with your message and if you vow for him, Ser Perilake, he will be treated like a free man and won't be restrained. I trust your wisdom, hopefully I won't regret it." She smiles again and turns to Hedris, "Well then my dear friends, I will depart, may fate bring us together in good health." Soon after the barge disappers behind the bend of the river.

Perilake the Gilded Knight
Perilake watches the barge leaves, then looks to Heldris. "One more thing to do I think, whilst we await our brothers. And perhaps best done with some discretion.... and so before our trail knight returns. I fear he already has his suspicions." Once the funeral for the brigand knight has been finished, Perilake approaches Mira at a point when there are no villagers nearby. "My lady, I have a question I must ask you. Your villagers fought well at our side, and do you credit. But this letter from Gregor, the fallen knight, has given us some concern." He shows Mira the letter. "I am glad your village was spared their predations. Perhaps it is as simple as a rogue knight having some twisted form of honour. But why would these villains seek to form a warband to protect the peat farms of Kozamost?
The rural charm of Kozamost

Referee
Mira reads the letter and frowns: "The peat provides heat for all of Mas... "she corrects herself quickly" ... all of Barowia. It has been the source of what little prosperity our village enjoys. And as you probably know the region itself is contested and I wouldn't be suprised at all if a war breaks out between those who want to lay claim to it." She looks you over as if to decide whether or not to trust you. "Whoever has written the letter doesn't care about us or the peat farmers who break their backs working in the bog. They care about power."

"Now if you excuse me, I need to break MY back in the oat fields" She mock bows, smiling: "My mother always said Knights are only useful in war times. Unless you prove me wrong and help in the field I worry we have to part ways."


Perilake the Gilded Knight
Perilake smiles back at Mira "Thank you for your honesty. I find much wisdom in your words, and I apologise that I was compelled to seek them." He looks around the village, and at the sky. Your village offered us aid in our duty. What sort of knight would I be if I didn't offer aid in yours? Particularly when I am but waiting for my fellows to return. Lead on my lady, and please be patient with your squire - it has been quite some time since I helped in the fields."

Referee
Perilake, you work all day in the persistent rain. As you join the villagers they first are at awe of a Knight making his hands dirty but soon they start singing their harvest songs and during the breaks they share canaster with you and at noon a hearty meal under an apple tree as if you were one of them.

Heldris the Dove Knight
Right after the Knight's funeral, Heldris finds himself walking around the village market. Behind a stall he notices two children playing knights with two wooden sticks. He stops to watch them fencing. “Good lounge!” He exclaims. “But you'll have to watch your side as well…” he adds, “here, let me show you.” The Dove Knight picks up a stick from the ground, and starts showing the kids how to place their feet, how to turn their shoulders as they strike. “Here, try and hit me!” He feigns to have received a mighty blow. "Ah! 'Tis no fair fight! Two knights against a poor squire!” He lowers the stick but keeps up his new game persona, and adds “So, brave knights, what rumours travel the land? What strange mysteries lurk in the shadows?

Referee
One of the kids puts a finger on her lips: "They say the Eye sees all and always listens. They say the Eye spoke to aunt Janka in her dreams and when she told the others they made her go away". "But she now lives with a smith in a fancy castle town." the other kid adds brightly and claps his hands

Heldris the Dove Knight
A worried expression appears on Heldris the Squire. “And what two brave knights can do against this evil Eye?” he leans towards them and covers his right eye with his hand, his left eye watches the kids intensely “Who can help them fight back and save the day?” The Dove Squire gasps, “A mysterious object? Perhaps, something that was hidden in their fathers’ storeroom for but one night, and now travels on downriver…” the left eye closes shut “but perhaps, when no one watched, it was left behind…

Referee
"Only the Seers know" the girls says, "and they only speak to us Knights and NOT to squires." She touches both your shoulders and your head with her stick. "Rise, Sir Knight, and go and ask the Seers!" The boy is unimpressed: "Pffft, you can't make a Knight, only the Seers can." He walks around you: "My father's storeroom? Daddy is away in the bog, he comes back in ... " he counts with both hands and finally gives up saying, "...winter and we have nothing to store anyway. But uncle Pawel has a big barn and it is all empty ... except yesterday, it was full of sacks and crates. But soon it will be full of oats!"

Heldris, the boy leads you to an oat field just outside the village where the farmers take a short break under a tree sheltered from the rain. The boy runs up to a haggard looking man in a bright red tunic smoking a long stem pipe."Uncle Pawel, uncle Pawel!" he screams hugging the man. Pawel lifts the boy onto his lap and musters you frowning: "Well, what a strange day, one Knight working harder than a peasant and another taking care of the children. What will be next, Knights working as midwifes and cooks?" He talks hesitantly weighing every word before uttering it but when the others chuckle Pawel finally smiles.

Heldris the Dove Knight
Heldris smiles at uncle Pawel and nods to the kid. “Today I have much to learn from a far better knight than me,” he says jokingly, “and a more perceptive one for sure.” The Dove Knight turns serious for a while. Looking around the field, he adds, “I’ve heard that the goods I’ve lost an arm protecting had been stored in your barn. It was most kind of you. I wanted to make sure that you had been compensated for your trouble.” Heldris pauses and unties a small coin pouch from his belt, observing the old man's reaction. “Valuable wares they were, for sure, to warrant hiring mercenaries to go after it. I’m sure you’ve taken the time to inspect the contents, just to make sure that nothing was out of place of course…" He gives him a handful of silver coins. "For your trouble, protecting the... What were we protecting again? My mind is still foggy from the injury you know...” He nods with complicity.
Working the oat fields
Referee
Upon seeing the coins the peasants grow suddenly quiet until Mira claps her hands and calls for them to return to work. Pawel puts down the boy and tells him to look for his sister. Only the two Knights and Pawel remain under the tree. He laboriously rekindles his pipe: "To be honest I'm not sure, there were ingots and pelts for sure and sacks of spices but that wouldn't explain the precautions they took. For example we were forbidden to bring any lights inside the barn, they asked for buckets of water to be at hand and the guardsmen watched over the place in total darkness. I've seen them check the crates and take out the jars to inspect them one by one. Those jars were sealed but had some kind of short rope attached to the wax. I couldn't make head nor tail of it."

Heldris the Dove Knight
“Well, I’m sure it’s nothing. Old merchants’ superstitions about their wares.” Heldris smiles to the old man. "Thank you for indulging me." The Dove Knight takes Perilake aside and they walk away from the tree, out of earshot. "Sealed jars, no light, and I assume no fire. Regularly checked. This sounds like something made for war..."

Perilake the Gilded Knight
Perilake looks pensively at the river as it flows past the village, the barges long out of sight. "So soon... The fires of the last war have barely cooled, yet the Realm may so swiftly rush to another. It seems madness to me."

Heldris the Dove Knight
The Dove Knight sighs. "I hope our friends will soon be back, that we might press forward on the matter." He then finds his cheerfulness again. "In the meantime, let me follow your exemple and alleviate these good people's labour." The Dove Knight rolls up his sleeves and follows Perilake to the fields.

Thursday, 13 March 2025

The Eye III

2nd Skyday of Bales

Ludmer and Anastaz it is still raining as you leave the village, Zoltan is trailing behind you. At the river the barge is about to embark. You hear a sad melody you immediately recognize: Bente, the acolyte of the Entombed Seer played it at his tomb. You pass a group of villagers in a small graveyard. Mira, dressed in a grey tunic and with a crown of wild flowers, plays the flute while a body is lowered into the grave. Before you is the swamp where the battle took place and you can see the forest that Anastaz scouted to the east.


Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz mutters, "Safe travels, Knight," as he goads his horse east. When he arrives at the edge of the forest he holds up and waits for Ludmer and Zoltan.

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
Without wasting a word or a glance on Zoltan, Ludmer rides after Anastaz, taking in the environment. At the edge of the forest, he dismounts, takes out his red tinted looking glass and says: "Wait, Sir Anastaz. From here on out, we should move slowly and with forethought. Keep an eye on our environment and try not to destroy the trail." As he stoops down, the light falls through his looking glass, illuminating streaks of bright red in the mud. "One of them was already loosing blood on the way here. That is peculiar. But it should allow us to find their encampment by following the trail"

Anastaz the Salt Knight
"Lead the way, Trail Knight."

The spoors lead north, east and south

Referee
You enter the dense forest, old trees covered in moss standing in stagnant water. In the distant you hear shrieking birds and the growling of a lynx. The blood drops lead to a clearing, where the warband had split into smaller groups. There is more blood on the ground and there are signs that the fighters had rested for a moment probably tending to the wounded for the blood trail ends. But there are other traces: Snapped twigs, boots sunken into the deep ground, moss missing on the bark where a shoulder rubbed against it. The spoors lead north, east and south east.

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"Sir Anastaz, Zoltan!", Ludmer calls out as he points towards where the three trails diverge. "What do you think? Which one of those three trails is the most likely to be the one that leads to the encampment? Which ones can we rule out and why? Consider the normal movements of a warband. People will step out to relieve themselves. People will scout ahead and return to the main body later to report. I ask you: where do you see the movement of a warband and which trails will likely lead to a turd in the woods?"

Kozamost

Heldris the Dove Knight
Still puzzled by the soldier’s account, Sir Heldris leaves the barn to find Timea. As he approaches the healer, he bows slightly. “Dear Timea, I wish to thank you for your cares. Without your expert medicine, I wouldn’t make it out alive from our bloody endeavour. I’m in your debt and my services are yours if the need should arise.”

Referee
Timea seems even more fragile between the tall porters loading crates and sacks back onto the barge. She grabs your right hand and looks at you intensely with her big browless eyes: "No my dearest Lord, I wish to thank you, without your bravery we would have lost all. If you find a smith to make you the most delicate silver arm to replace the one you sacrificed it would be my honour to pay for it." While she speaks there are shouts of warning as one of the porters drops a crate which cracks and spills straw on the ground. A single earthen jar rolls over the pier and is quickly grabbed by a guard who returns it, scolding the man. Timea had not taken her eyes of you and she hands you a jewell studded coin with the symbol of a gold fish: "Promise me Dove Knight that you take care of your arm as soon as possible."

Heldris the Dove Knight
"I will take good care of my arm, I promise. And as long as my right hand can wield a sword, I'll live to my oaths and defend the realm.” The Dove Knight holds the golden fish coin in his hand. “Thank you dear Timea, for you generosity and kind spirit.” He eyes the embossed golden fish on the coin. “Does this symbol represent the Merchant Guild? I will treasure it as a token of dearest friendship.” He adds, “before wishing you all safe travel, may I bother with another symbol? It seems that pulling the strings behind these thefts there was a masked figure, a Beekeeper. Are you familiar with it?” Before she can answers, Heldris eyes the earthen jar being secured behind her back. “Forgive my asking, but are you carrying something more valuable than mare wares? As to attract such bizarre attention.”

Referee
Timea lets go of your hand and bows formally: “I represent the Merchant Guildry of Szolnok and Mohacs from the Barowian Crown Lands, and yes: The Goldfish as a symbol of fortune and prosperity is our emblem. Unfortunately I am obliged by our rules to maintain confidentiality about our trade goods.” Her intense stare doesn't falter but she smiles slightly: ”A masked figure you say? That sounds terribly mysterious and a secret worthy to be uncovered by such a dapper Knight as yourself. The village of Bohut is famous for its honey and I have seen beekeepers there, but ..." her smile broadens "... I would be surprised if they turn out to be bandits."

In a forest east of Kozamost


Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz rubs his chin, amused by this game. "The warband would likely make camp deep in the woods, so east could lead toward their camp. Southeast is more bog, perhaps a diversion. And north would be near Kozamost. How am I doing, Trail Knight?"

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"You are a credit to the realm, Sir Anastaz", Ludmer says, pointedly ignoring Zoltan, who preferred to not engage in this learning experience. "I concur with your deduction. The way north would lead us back to whence we came. The trail leading southeast is the trail I would lay for horsemen dimmer than you or I..." piercing glance at Zoltan "...to get caught in the muddy bog, an easy target for an ambush. The way due east seems the most promising."

Zoltan
The boy returns Ludmer's piercing glance with a slightly bemused but sullen look. "My apologies, from what Sir Perilake told me of your skills on the trail, I presumed you had already seen the obvious." No sooner have the words left his mouth, than he breaks eye contact and looks down. "I apologise my lord. I will be quicker in my responses to your question and presume less." he mumbles

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"There is no such thing as 'the obvious', squire. The obvious is the blade you parry. What kills you is the leg that trips you and sends you on your ass, defenseless to the next strike, while you smugly assume you have seen and parried 'the obvious'." Ludmer kneels down and plucks a yellow cat's mouth flower from the mud "Where have you seen that flower before? Was it on the lapel of the slain brigant knight? Was it in the medicine pouch the company's barber-surgeon has dropped as she fled, or have we seen patches of them wherever we found wet soil and brackish water? What is the 'obvious' you're seeing here, boy?"

Zoltan
Zoltan blinks slowly, and looks to Anastasz, then back to Ludmer. "Other than the trail that must lead back to the camp, given it is neither bog or back towards the village, I would say... it is obvious I have much to learn, my lord knight." He spares another pleading look at Anastasz, then bows his head nervously.

Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"Let's go and take the obvious path then", Ludmer mutters and starts walking, feeding the flower to his horse that had been watching the scene serenely.

Anastaz the Salt Knight
Anastaz follows behind Ludmer, placing a gauntleted hand on Zoltan's shoulder as he passes him.

Referee
You lead the horses east through the swampy forest to the other side where the trees make way to tall grass and sturdy sedges. The rain is a faint drizzle but persisting and once in a while one member of the party will sink deep into the mud so that at noon when you reach another forest everyone is wet to the bone. Ludmer is in the lead, methodically searching for clues, Anastaz and Zoltan behind him. Under the tall trees the ground is dry and the thick canopy protects you from the rain. Ludmer, the trail gets fainter, you suspect single members must have split up as they crossed the swamp. You assume not more than half a dozen are left in the group you are following.

On the branches of a tree nearby large grey birds are startled by the noise you make and when they take flight they flutter about in a strange spiralling circle before dispersing.


Ludmer, the Trail Knight
"There is fate at work here, my brothers knight. Let's proceed as quiet and carefully as we can. Notice how the trail has gotten thinner. Either they were lost by the main group, who pressed on, not thinking that they could feasibly turn around and abort their cause, or they broke off willingly, perhaps to scout ahead or perhaps to scout behind, constructing an ambush.

Zoltan, this is your chance to prove your mettle as a scout. Take one of the smaller trails and follow it, see where it leads. Once you've found something, report back to us as we follow the main trail. Be careful though. I'd much rather report to Sir Perilake that you've proven yourself capable by finding information and - above all else - surviving than having to report that you've been the failure you secretly fear your father takes you for after you've stupidly gotten yourself killed in the swamp by taking unnecessary risks and trying to be a hero. If you don't find anything in time to return to us by nightfall, please do abort and return in time to meet up with us further east along the bigger trail. I know that good Sir Perilake would never forgive himself if his squire got lost in the swamp.

Be swift, young squire. Be brave. And above all else, be careful."

Back into the swamp
Zoltan
The young Squire's face flushes, for a second, and then he composes himself. "Yes, Sir Ludmer." Zoltan checks the dagger at his belt, the cloth of his tunic still red with the blood of the men he fought yesterday."I will try not to let you, Sir Perilake or my father - rest his soul - down any further." He then carefully picks his way through the woods following the smaller trail with painstaking care. His hands grip the reins of his pony tightly however, the knuckles white with tension.

Referee
You ride back into the swamp eventually dismounting to lead your pony over the treacherous ground. After a while you find signs of a single traveller moving north, a faint trail between the tall grass. The stars come out as you arrive on a lush heath, a group of foxes hunting meerkats in the dimming light. You find traces of a campfire, the ashes scatterd but still visible to the trained eye. The trail leads further north but it is too dark to follow it.

Zoltan
Zoltan sighs, and wheels his pony to rejoin the others "A fool's errand. But for or from one..." He looks up at the sky. "I can only hope Sir Ludmer is in a better mood, for I fear night will have fallen before we rejoin them on the main path"