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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Plane Sailing" data-source="post: 480513" data-attributes="member: 114">The company spend a week in the Long Bottle convalescing. Anne-Marie’s strength gradually returns to her, and although they are running out of silver marks, they all agree that there could not be a more pleasant place to spend their funds. Many merchants and entertainers pass by, often stopping for a night at the tavern. They are all heading for the spring tournament down at Bridlerest. Trajan is distracted from his books about politics and some spider cult (gathered in Ossington) and gets involved with a conversation with a poet up from the sword coast - and is tricked into revealing more of his background than he would have liked. The poet rightly guessed that a southlander in the garb of a Jazumai must have a bit of a story about it. When the man leaves Trajan sighs, sure that no good can come of that slip. Many evenings they enjoy conversations with Galladin Longbottle or his daughter. Although he doesn’t speak much about his own past, he was clearly at one time an important figure in Bridlerest and he familiarises them with the names of some of the major nobles in the town. It is obviously larger than Knightsbridge, being ruled by a Count and Countess, with several Barons too. The Spring Tournament is one of the major events in the Southlands, with competitors arriving from all over the country to compete in martial and magical duels, before the Grand Ball at the end of the week - an opportunity for nobles and ambassadors to mingle, entertain and deal with one another.When Anne-Marie is fully recovered they prepare to set off for Bridlerest themselves. They should be able to get there just before the week-long tournament and fair starts. Galladin Longbottle presents them with a letter of introduction to Baron Kagiro. Arilyn decides to wait a little longer until her friend, foil and the butt of jokes, Dala arrives. She misses the chance to cross wits with a man “as half-witted as he is charming”.After a couple of hours on horseback, Trajan and Anne-Marie reach the broad gates of Bridlerest. The city beyond the walls is replete with towers, banners and glowing shapes, but even this pales into insignificance compared to the sea of brightly coloured tents which surround the southern part of the town and the games fields. There must be thousands of visitors, and as they joined the main thoroughfare towards the gates the blend of voices in all manner of languages and with all kinds of faces is exhilarating.At the gate, the guards welcome them as “my Lord and Lady”, mistaking them for a married couple. Anne-Marie decides to play up to this a little (perhaps drawn by Trajan’s startling charisma). They haven’t gone far when a young man wearing bright livery hails them, and asks if they need a guide or a message sent. Trajan asks for a good inn near the town centre, so they are led to the “New Bolt” a four storey building facing into a large decorative square. They then give the messenger a note to deliver to Baron Kagiro’s household. The inn proves to have excellent food and good company - but at a high price. They are entertained by a series of musicians, dancers and storytellers. One particularly entertaining bard told of a story near the barrier peaks where two barbarian chieftains worked together with a mighty wizard to slay a white dragon which had been terrorising local villages. “Just last winter too, it’s all true M’Lords!”. Trajan allows himself a wry smile at how repetition and retelling has blurred the details - his memories of the event was one of bloodied survivors who just escaped alive rather than the triumphant gleaming heroes spoken of in tales. Ah well.That afternoon they set off to visit some of the high spots in the town, and to attempt to sell on some of the spoils they have been carrying around with them. A trip to Dwergs, a very exclusive weaponsmith is enlightening. They actually complete commissions in mithril and adamantite here, and each weapon is a work of art. Charley, one of the crafters there, is interested in the magical weapons which they want to sell on. He explains that they don’t have the marks to purchase those particular items, but they do lots of business with the Guild of Four, the arcane guild in the town. Would a credit note for their services be acceptable?  Most certainly!Meanwhile, Dala and Arilyn arrive in town. A messenger who was on a small retainer from Trajan notices them and introduces himself. He will lead them to the New Bolt, where their friends are staying. On the way, a freak swirl of wind fetches a sheet of paper up against Arilyn. Plucking it up, she finds that it is an entry form for the magical tournaments, and they both decide to sign up. At the New Bolt they are just in the process of checking in when the other two arrive back for lunch. Information is shared, and they decide to visit the Guild of Four to find out what kind of enchantments might be possible.The Guild of Four have a large and very tall tower on the east side of town. There is no door, just an archway leading into the main hall, but Arilyn and Dala both sense the presence of protective magics there. Negotiations at the Guild go smoothly once their relationship with Dwergs is known. Arilyn is interested in membership of the guild, and so she goes off for a separate audience with Ravi, one of the masters. The others find out that the guild is prepared to set enchantments upon weapons or perform other work, but are a little alarmed when they are told that their participation will be required in such work, in order to provide the necessary portion of their soul...</blockquote>

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