Session 23

Morning of the 1^st Kinsday of Sprouts

The Knights follow the trail between the Southern Hills into a thick fog. It feels like Spring although they left Barowia in Harvest and they suspect Ashling or the Steward of the Seasons to be responsible. They lay out their crumbling map of the Realm, recognize the hills where Anastaz duelled the Elf many many years ago and decide to travel East to visit Swanstone, the holding of House Kranach. In the afternoon they are dazzled by a golden haze that blinds them and they hold on to their horned steeds and trust the Pigeon Knight's instincts. When night falls they make camp, and hunt rabbits while father and son talk about Avert's future. During the night they spot a large bonfire to the South and wild singing and the beating of a drum. The fire spreads and is only extinguished by a steady rainfall at dawn and they find masked cultists dancing and behind the mask a women with bloody teeth mocking the Seers. Disgusted they leave and at noon they arrive at Kranach Castle - but the place has changed: New battlements and towers have been built, a vast construction that would have needed years to complete. The bridge around the moat is drawn and when the Knights announce themselves, they hear that Perilake has died a log time ago in a foreign land in the search for the City. Only when a grey bearded guard recognizes Zoltan, the heir of Kranach, are they let in and brought before the throne. 

Swanstone

Lady Zdenka, once tall and imposing, has changed as well: She is an old woman now, sleeping most of the time and slow to answer their questions. An Age passed while they were away and Barowia is in a state of chaos: The Queen of Masur has taken Szalai Keep and its former ruler had fled to the Seat of Power to become King Andrasz' Steward. But many whisper that Adalbert is a fool and that a stranger has the King's ear, who calls himself Aslan of Waldoch and Perilake believes it must be the sorcerer Ashling. Heldris hears about the passing of his wife and that his daughter, now a grown woman, serves in Queen Anastasia's court. They learn that Farkash Citadel is ruled by House Urban and that the Church of the Child is recognized by the King. A monastery has been built in the mountains east of Bohat where the Order of the Seekers serve Mother Inga. She still waits for the return of her son and the birth of the Child.

They spend the night in Zoltan's chambers and leave at dawn to visit the Queen.

1^st Skyday of Sprouts

A boat takes them north. When the rowers take a short break under a withered tree, a heap of misshapen bones sprouts from the ground and when Anastaz breaks them with his Goldfalx, warm puss seeps into the ground. They arrive at Kozamost after noon and visit mayor Mira, an ancient woman with shaking hands. She is shocked at first but soon delighted to see Heldris and the Company of the Black Fleece return to Barowia after famine and war has ravaged the Realm.

The Realm has changed