War of the Burning Sky (updated 24th May)

[amethal]

2 of 2

Scene 3 – Bresk
February 11th, 2 pm

The party arrive at the walled city of Bresk, population 10,000 – but going down rapidly. There are long queues of anxious looking citizens trying to get out of the city, but the queue to enter is much shorter. All foreigners are being subjected to intense questioning by the gate guards, but Balan’s diplomatic papers ensure the party are let in with few problems.

Balan leads them to the Golden Griffon, an inn conveniently close to the Royal Castle. The party have been booked in to a suite of bedrooms with a common living area between them. Balan sends word to the castle, and confirms that he has an audience arranged for the next morning.

“I am going to prepare my presentation for tomorrow,” says Balan. “I hope that you will all accompany me to court in the morning, in case the Ragesians try anything. In the meantime, I suggest that you all try and find out as much as you can about the current political situation, as our information is clearly completely out of date. I don’t want to make any embarrassing mistakes tomorrow if I can help it.”

The party head out into the city, and question everybody they can. The task is complicated by the fact that everyone is afraid of the Talon, and no one wants to say too much to them in case they get accused of being a spy or an assassin.

However, they do find out that of the eight lords who are members of the Council of Nine (the king is the ninth), Gallo, Dashgoban and Timor are opposed to Ragesia and so against the non-aggression pact. Megadon, Rigo and Namin are hostile to Seaquen and are in favour of allowing the Ragesians free passage through Dassen so they can crush the town. Iz and Dene are undecided.

They also find out that there is a problem in delivering the letter from Jineer to his father. Lord Gallo’s proxy has been arrested for treason, and is currently languishing in the King’s dungeons.

“Caged by madness,” says Solsus. “Another of Cristin’s visions has come true.”

“I’ll draft a release order,” says Gribron. “It shouldn’t pose any difficulty for a man of my artistic talents. The question is, who should it come from?”

“Why not have it come from that gnome, Glibglammer. She’s head of the Talons, so is probably in charge of prisoners,” says Jonathan.

Solsus decides to head back out and see if he can find anything useful about Glibglammer. As a wizard, she could be expected to be favourably disposed towards Seaquen, home of the famous Lyceum, and Balan mentions that he counts her among the town’s allies. However, Solsus soon finds out that recently she has started seeing Seaquen as a threat to Dassen.

This unusual change of heart that reminds Solsus of the Seela opposition leader in the Fire Forest, who apparently woke up one morning determined to end the Song of Forms. There was a report that the Seela turned into some kind of strange, tentacled entity and flew away when his plans were thwarted by our heroes.

Balan appreciates the new information about Glibglammer. “I had been planning to rely on her to support our cause,” he says ruefully. “That would have been a less than successful approach to take. I wonder what else we don’t know …”

Gribron prepares a cunning warrant, ostensibly from Glibglammer. It authorises the bearer to interrogate the accused traitor Jinis Bremman. If the prisoner proves uncooperative, the bearer is to remove the prisoner from the dungeon and take him to a place of seclusion in order to “Put him to the Question”.

Gribron, Agatha and an invisible Solsus head for the King’s dungeon. The guards are suitably impressed by Gribron’s forged warrant, and escort them in to see Jinis. They then tactfully leave the cell and lock the door.

“I have a letter from your son,” says Gribron.

Jinis reads the letter, and looks at Gribron in wonder. “ Jineer thinks very highly of you. Alas, I am already caged.”

“I suggest you become uncooperative,” says Gribron.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You know. Uncooperative. Shout. Scream. Stamp your feet. Improvise!”

Jinis obliges, and the guards return to see what the problem is.

“The prisoner is uncooperative,” says Gribron. “In accordance with my warrant, I shall remove him from this place and take him to a place of seclusion so he may be Put to the Question.”

The guards shrug, and escort Gribron, Agatha and Jinis down the corridor to another room, which is clearly a torture chamber. The room has seen recent use, and is in a good state of repair.

“You can Put him to the Question in here,” says one of the guards.

“My orders are quite clear,” says Gribron. “I must take him from this place.”

“Nobody leaves this dungeon without a release order from the King,” replies the guard. “And we haven’t had one of those in a long time.”

Gribron waves his hands in a complicated arcane gesture, and tries to magically bring them round to his way of thinking. Unfortunately, he’s wasting his time – the guards in the King’s dungeon are regularly bolstered against magical persuasion by the prison’s duty chaplain.

“Are you defying Nina Glibglammer, head of the Talons?” says Gribron. “She is not a person to cross. My associate and I will be in serious trouble if we fail to follow our orders to the letter, and you may rest assured we will draw her attention to your role in this incident at the earliest opportunity.”

The guard shrugs. “You do that. In the meantime I’ve got my orders and I intend to follow them, and gnomes be damned.”

A disgruntled Gribron heads back to the inn. “Can you believe the attitude of that guard,” he complains. “That was a perfect warrant, perfect. But no, he’s got his orders and he won’t use his common sense. It would serve him right if we really were Talons, and he ended up accused of treason himself.”

However, once back in the company of the others he throws himself enthusiastically into formulating a new plan.

Soon he is heading back to the dungeon, apparently accompanied by Agatha. In fact “Agatha” is really Solsus, wearing Agatha’s hat of disguise (which she took from the body of the erinyes in the Auyang warehouse in Seaquen).

“We don’t want to report back our failure,” says Gribron to the dungeon guards. “We are going to give the prisoner one more chance to co-operate.”

“Knock yourself out.”

Once more the guards lock our heroes in the cell with Jinis. Gribron quickly explains the plan. Jinis takes the hat of disguise, and disguises himself as Agatha. Solsus uses his fey powers to appear to be Jinis for a short time.

Gribron calls for the guard, and he and “Agatha” leave with hangdog expressions. “We are in so much trouble,” says Gribron on his way out, but the guards don’t care. “Did I say we?” mutters Gribron under his breath. “I meant you …”

Solsus can’t maintain Jinis’s appearance for very long, but when the glamour wears off he simply turns invisible. It is a while before the guards realise Jinis’s cell is “empty”, but when they do they panic. Solsus is able to slip out of the cell in the ensuing confusion, and escapes from the dungeon when the guard is changed.

Gribron takes Jinis back to the Golden Griffon. Lord Gallo’s proxy is very grateful to be rescued.

“I am going to sneak out of the city and head north to my Lord’s lands,” he says. “I’ll tell my Lord of your heroism, and if you wear out your welcome in Bresk you can always find sanctuary at Gallo’s Fend.”

“It was our pleasure,” says Balan, who hadn’t lifted so much as a finger in the rescue attempt. “We have an audience with the King tomorrow. Is there any information you can give us which might make this audience pass more smoothly?”

Jinis thinks for a moment. “King Steppengard gets more unpredictable with each passing day. The loss of his family hit him hard. However, are you familiar with the Book of Eight Lands?”

The party shake their heads.

“The Book is an artefact tied in to this region. Its name refers to the time when there were eight kingdoms in Dassen, before King Steppengard united us and carved out a ninth land for himself. It records the lineages of all the rulers of the lands of Dassen, and is seen as a symbol of stability, all the more important in times of chaos such as we are now experiencing.

“You should mention the Book in your speech tomorrow, or risk demonstrating a lack of understanding of the past and present of Dassen. It doesn’t really matter what you say about it, just show the audience that you are aware of its significance.”

Scene 4 – Audience with the King
February 12th, 12 pm

The party are ushered into the throne room at noon, two hours after they were supposed to have an audience with King Steppengard. There are dozens of people already present in the throne room – proxies, assistants, ambassadors and one noble in person, Lady Namin.

King Steppengard is sat on his throne. His beard is unkempt, his clothes are crumpled and he looks like he hasn’t slept for days. In front of him, a slim man in manacles is being harangued by a curly haired female gnome dressed in black.

It turns out that the man is Relder, clerk to Lord Gallo’s recently rescued proxy Jinis. The gnome, of course, is Nina Glibglammer.

She leans close to Relder and says, “The King is offering you a chance to confess and ask for mercy. It is no secret that Gallo has …”

“That’s Duke Gallo,” he interrupts. “His family has defended our nation for centuries.”

“Gallo,” repeats Glibglammer. “He had the most to gain if the assassination attempt on our King had succeeded. There has undeniably been an attempt to frame the Ragesians.” She gestures to a dark corner of the room, and for the first time our heroes identify the Ragesian ambassador, dressed in a red robe inscribed with torch symbols. He is guarded by a hulking figure in a heavy cloak, who wears the bear skull mask of an inquisitor.

“The Ragesians,” continues Glibglammer, “have offered to protect us in this time of trouble. But Gallo can’t accept that. He wants his war. Admit it!”

Relder tries to reply, but he is clearly confused. A rumour spreads through the audience that he is under a mind-influencing spell of some kind. Eventually, Glibglammer gives up and turns to the king.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I think this man’s memory has been altered by magic.”

The King nods sadly. “I wish for nothing other than to execute this man for his part in,” he draws a breath, “my family’s murder, but justice must be served. This man may yet prove to be an innocent pawn in this atrocity. Take him back to prison.

“I tire of trials. I will take audiences now.”

This is Balan’s cue. He steps forward and gives his presentation. Thanks to the party’s efforts, he knows Glibglammer is no longer a friend, and he makes sure to mention the Book of the Eight Lands. He also knows which nobles are indifferent, unfriendly and hostile and addressed their proxies accordingly. He has also made a shrewd guess as to why the unmarried Lady Namin might be here in person to comfort the recently widowed king.

His speech is a tour de force. His arguments are compelling, and the non-hostile proxies are completely convinced. Even the previously hostile proxies look very favourably on his case. It is clear to everybody that the non-aggression pact has everything to do with serving Ragesian interests and does nothing but weaken Dassen. The crowd start to roar their approval.

“Silence!” says Steppengard, and the noise dies away.

“You!” he says, pointing at Agatha. “You don’t seem to have the silver, honeyed tongue of your associate. We can speak plainly. How many friends and family have you lost in this war?”

Agatha is nonplussed to be singled out from the crowd in this fashion. “Um, none,” she says. “Your Majesty,” she adds as an afterthought.

The king barely listens to her answer. “I have lost nineteen,” he says. “My wife. My children. I have suffered. This is known. Yet what I cannot make people understand is that Dassen must not suffer war. None of my subjects will lose their family because of a fight which is NOT ours.

“You of Seaquen, you nest of vipers, you will get no aid here.

“Who next wishes to address their king?”

 

[amethal]

Scene 5 – Golden Griffon and North Gate
February 12th, 7 pm

The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully.

The party pick up a few items in the city’s market. Jonathan is able to find a craftsman willing to paint his skull mask, and decides on he’d like it red, with one black tear falling from an eye socket.

Now they are enjoying a meal at the inn when a tall, gangly man approaches. Solsus remembers seeing him amongst the crows during their audience with the king, but he’s clearly no noble.

The man seems nervous as he approaches, and whispers to the party, “You must leave! You are in danger!”

“Who are you?” asks Solsus.

“My name is Humbrand. I’m one of the king’s minstrels. I saw you at the audience, but the king wasn’t in the mood for my music. I can’t answer any questions. It is dangerous to be seen with you.”

“If that’s what you are worried about,” says Gribron, “head for the latrine. I’ll follow in a minute.”

Humbrand does not seem keen on this plan, but heads for the latrine. A few moments later Gribron follows him in. When he is satisfied only the two of them are present, he casts a spell and Humbrand vanishes from sight.

“There you go,” he says. “You can come back and give us some more information, and nobody will see you.”

Once they make it back to the table, Humbrand provides more forthcoming. “The king has sworn out an arrest warrant for you. The guards will be coming to arrest you later on tonight. Your only chance is to flee north to Duke Gallo’s lands. I have arranged for you to be let out the north gate.”

“Arrest us?” says Caryk. “We have broken no laws. I’m sure once we explain that to the lawful authority, we can quickly clear up this misunderstanding. Maybe we should turn ourselves in, to try and speed up the process?”

“No, no,” says Humbrand. “In these days of fear and suspicion, an arrest warrant is tantamount to a death sentence. The king is insane; he sees spies and assassins everywhere.”

“I see,” says Caryk. “If he is insane, then he is no longer competent to hold office, and the arrest warrant is illegal. I think we are lawfully entitled to oppose this injustice.”

“Why are you helping us?” says Solsus to Humbrand.

“I can’t tell you that. Head for the gate if you want to live. Now I must go.” Humbrand moves towards the door of the inn, watched by Agatha, who is able to see the unseen. She informs Gribron when Humbrand has left, and he dismisses the spell of concealment.

“There was something strange about his manner,” says Gribron. “I think he was under an enchantment of some sort. I think someone ought to follow him and see what he gets up to.”

Solsus volunteers and, flying invisibly, is easily able to follow Humbrand. The man returns to the castle, where he is promptly arrested by the guards. Solsus returns to the others to report his findings, and the party retire to their rooms to plan their next move.

“The north gate could be a trap,” says Gribron. “I think we should go and investigate.”

“I’ll stay here,” says Balan. “The inn should be safe enough, and I’m confident I can slip past any guards if they do come to arrest us.

The rest of them head out of the inn, and decide to wait for a while in a nearby alley, to see if anybody seems to be following them. At one point a skinny man emerges for the common room and urinates in the alley. Its not clear whether he spotted the party or not – and it’s a mystery why he didn’t use the inn’s latrine – but he soon heads back into the inn. Solsus sneaks in after him, and spots him sitting at a corner table, nursing a mug of ale which he seems in no hurry to drink. The man appears to be unarmed and unarmoured, and might be a simple commoner after all.

Pondering this somewhat odd behaviour, our heroes set out in search of the north gate, which proves to be easy enough to find. The party finds a convenient spot from which to study the guards. It is difficult to tell, but they do seem to be somewhat on edge. Solsus creeps closer and eavesdrops on their conversation, but doesn’t find out anything useful.

Gribron creates an illusion of the party and sends it towards the gate. The guards snap into alertness. “Do you wish to leave the city?” asks one.

“Yes,” says Solsus, flying invisibly in roughly the same location as his illusionary double. “Will that be a problem?”

“Not at all. Open the gates!” the gates creak open, and the illusion marches out of the city, accompanied by the real Solsus. The gates close again, and the illusion winks out as Gribron can no longer see it to maintain it. Solsus looks around, but doesn’t spot anyone lurking in ambush.

Solsus returns to the party, and they continue to watch the gate. The guards have visibly relaxed following the party’s “exit”. Soon afterwards a pair of merchant types, having watched the illusionary party leave, head over to the guards and ask if they too can leave. Their request is refused.

“Seems safe enough after all,” says Gribron. “I’ll wait here and keep an eye on things. The rest of you head back to the inn and get Balan, the sleigh and our gear.”

“Who put you in charge?” says Agatha. “Still, any plan which gets me away from you is a good plan!”

They head back to the inn, and lurk once more in the alley. Solsus decides to scout out the upstairs windows, and almost immediately spots a hole in one of them. “That wasn’t there before,” he thinks. The hole is just big enough to allow a human or similar sized creature to reach in and unlock the window.

He decides to investigate, and reaches in and opens the window. Judging by its sparseness, this must be Caryk’s room. He looks around, but sees nothing else out of place, and heads over to the door. He can’t remember if Caryk locked his door when he left – Caryk will later confirm that he did – but the door is not locked now.

Solsus eases open the door as quietly as he can, and sneaks into the communal living room which links all their bedrooms. Again, all seems to be as they left it. Solsus heads over to Balan’s room, and tries the door. It is unlocked. Solsus opens it carefully. The room is unlit, but some light comes in through the window and Solsus’s fey heritage enables him to see quite well in conditions of low light.

Balan is sitting in a chair, apparently asleep. Solsus scans the room, and can see no threats. He calls out softly, but Balan does not stir. Solsus moves closer, and sees that Balan’s nose has been smashed in by a blunt instrument of some sort, possibly a fist. He is dead, and Jonathan will later speculate that the blow he suffered could have caused a splinter of bone to break off from the nose and penetrate the brain, with fatal results.

Once again the room seems undisturbed, although Solsus does note that the purse of gold Balan had been carrying to cover the group’s expenses seems to be missing.

Solsus returns to the others and explains the situation. He then heads into the stables to secure their transport. He rouses the sleepy stable boy and gets him to ready the sleigh. He also warns the boy that there is trouble coming, and advises him to keep his head down.

Meanwhile, out in the alley, the others hear the tramp of marching feet heading for the inn. A patrol of guards is approaching. It sounds as if they have some large creatures with them – horses perhaps, but the noise doesn’t really sound like hooves.

The party shrink back into the alleyway as the guards arrive at the inn. There are twelve soldiers, two sergeants and one officer – and two, winged, horse sized creatures with lion-like bodies and the heads of rams.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” thinks Jonathan. “What the heck are those things? Some kind of sphinx perhaps? Not what you’d expect in a city.”

The officer is met at the door of the inn by the apparent commoner who attracted the party’s attention earlier. He leads all but two of the soldiers inside, with much bluster and fanfare. The sphinxes, if that is what they are, decide against squeezing through the door and remain outside with the two sentries, snorting and steaming in the cold weather.

One of the creatures glances towards the alleyway, and the party shrink back into the shadows. Caryk is conscious that his shell is hard to hide. It seems to Jonathan that one of the creatures winks at him, before ostentatiously looking in the opposite direction.

Solsus rejoins them, and explains that he has arranged for the sleigh to be brought out the back door of the stables. The party are able to get in the sleigh and head off along the snow covered streets to the north gate without having to confront the soldiers sent to arrest them.

However, there is no avoiding the guards at the north gate, and their arrival is met with consternation.

“We’d like to go through the gate please,” says Gribron.

“But you left an hour ago…,” splutters one of the guards.

“Obviously we didn’t, otherwise we wouldn’t be here now, would we?” says Gribron patiently.

The bemused guards have no answer for this, so do what comes naturally in such situations – they pass the problem up the chain of command. One of them goes off in search of the sergeant, who is none too pleased at being roused from his comfortable office and sent out into the chill night air.

The sergeant takes in the situation before him, and his mood gets even worse.

“What were you orders, private?” he bellows.

“To let the foreign party out of the north gate, sergeant,” replies the guard.

“And were those orders somehow unclear? Or were they too difficult? WHY IS THE GATE SHUT WHEN YOU HAVE ORDERS TO OPEN IT !?!”

“Opening the gate now, sergeant,” says the subdued private. “Sorry sergeant.”

Once more the gates creak open, and the party head off into the night. “Good luck,” the sergeant calls out as they pass through.

Act Two – Gallo’s Fend
Introduction – Gallo’s lands
February 17th, 1 pm

It takes about two days to reach Lord Gallo’s lands. Our heroes discuss the strange things that happened in Bresk, but are pretty much baffled by the whole thing.

They have various theories about their easy escape. Possibly the regular soldiers are opposed to the Talon secret police, and so helped the party evade their arrest warrant. Alternatively, the party’s presence in the lands of Gallo might be intended as a pretext for the king turning against the northern lord he suspects of orchestrating the assassination of his family.

When the party do arrive at the border of Lord Gallo’s lands, they find their reputation has preceded them. Jinis, Lord Gallo’s proxy, arrived the previous day and told everyone he met the story of how the party rescued him from the king’s dungeon. They are lauded as heroes, and escorted by Lord Gallo’s men to his capital, Gallo’s Fend.

Gallo’s Fend is a heavily fortified city beside the Nasham River. It is built on imposing cliffs, and has never fallen to assault or siege. Gallo’s troops are some of the finest in the land, battle hardened from skirmishes with their Ragesian neighbours across the Alydi Gap and from expeditions against various savage tribes within Dassen itself.

The party are met by one of Duke Gallo’s menservants, Rodger, who invites them to an audience with the Duke Gallo the next day. In the meantime he places himself at their disposal.

Having some free time, they busy themselves selling those items of their loot, such as Talon armour, which it would have been imprudent to offer for sale in Bresk. The city is on a war footing, and they get good prices for the weapons and armour they sell.

Scene 1 – An audience with Duke Gallo
February 18th, 10 am

Rodger leads the party to Duke Gallo’s castle. To their surprise, they are met at the gates by the Duke himself. He is a tall man, with blond hair that is starting to turn grey. He steps forward and offers his hand. He is accompanied by his retinue, which includes his proxy, Jinis.

“I am Michael Gallo,” he says. “If what I’ve heard about you is true, then you are most welcome in my city. Please follow me inside.”

Everyone assembles in a small conference chamber, and Duke Gallo sets out the situation as he sees it.

“Its hard to get word out of Bresk right now, but all the signs are that King Steppengard is preparing to march his army here to attack me. He has accused me of assassinating his family, and trying to assassinate him, as a means to putting myself on the throne of Dassen. He has also accused me of harbouring fugitives from his justice – namely yourselves.

“I am no doubt biased, but I think that in attacking me he is making a serious strategic mistake. The Ragesians are the real threat. The late Emperor Coaltongue was very reliable; he only had two approaches to his neighbours. If he wanted your lands, he’d send in an army and take them by force. On the other hand, he was an honourable man. If he signed a treaty, he’d stick to it.

“This Leska, who styles herself as Empress, she’s a tricky one. The entire Ragesian Third Army is sitting on the other side of the mountains, waiting for the snow to melt so they can march down the Alydi Gap into my lands and wave their non-aggression and free passage treaty in my face.

“Are they really going to all this trouble just so they can destroy your little swamp town of Seaquen? I think not. It’s Dassen they want, and I’m the only thing in their way – and my own king is marching against me …

“Will you help me defend this land against the Ragesians?”

The party agrees to help the Duke.

“Excellent,” says Duke Gallo. “For your services thus far, and in expectation of your services in the future, please accept this promissory note for 2,000 gold pieces.”

At this point Proxy Jinis moves forward, and there is a brief whispered conversation between him and the Duke. “My apologies,” says Duke Gallo. “In the light of Proxy Jinis’s most compelling arguments, I must withdraw this promissory note, and replace it with one which more befits heroes such as yourselves; I award you with a promissory note for 4,000 gold pieces.”

“Is that 4,000 gold pieces each?” asks Gribron.

“Alas no,” says the Duke with a smile. “The amount is to be shared among you. There is, after all, a war on.

“I will spend the rest of the day in discussions with my advisors, in order to determine how best to proceed. Please enjoy the amenities of Gallo’s Fend, and return here tomorrow at the tenth hour when I shall have a task for you.”

February 19th, 10 am

The next day, the party have another meeting with the Duke.

“I have had further intelligence,” says the Duke, “which estimates that King Steppengard is bringing north an army of ten thousand along the frozen Nasham River. Frankly that is a laughable amount; I command nearly as many men, although admittedly they are not all at Gallo’s Fend – some are spread out amongst my various outposts. Gallo’s Fend has never fallen to an enemy assault, and Steppengard’s ten thousand men will fare no better.

“However, the forty thousand men of the Ragesian third army are a different matter. We can’t afford to have our fortifications weakened by the king, or even worse be under siege when the Ragesians get here.

“So I have resolved to meet King Steppengard’s army in open battle, in the hope that we can win a quick victory before the snow melts in the passes. I know that the late envoy Balan did a wonderful job of convincing the nobles of the rightness of Seaquen’s cause and the need to hold of the Ragesians. I calculate that victory over Steppengard will be the final impetus they need to throw in their lot with me. The Ragesian third army cannot take Gallo’s Fend if the combined might of Dassen is defends the city.

“In order to defeat King Steppengard in the field, I really need the support of my neighbours, Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor. They are friends and allies, but will be understandably reluctant to defy the King and start a civil war. What I need to sway them is evidence of Ragesian treachery. On the other hand, if I have wronged Leska and the Ragesians are no threat to Dassen, then I can safely sit behind the walls of Gallo’s Fend and let my King’s army carry out its futile assaults.

“This is where you come in. I have six watch towers along the Alydi Gap. If the Ragesians are planning to invade, the obvious first move is for them to take the towers. Please could you ride north through the Gap as quickly as possible, inspect the towers and either confirm they are intact or bring back evidence of Ragesian treachery.”

The party agree to undertake the mission, and set off immediately.

Scene 2 – Alydi Gap
February 18th, 6 pm

It is cold and dark in the Alydi Gap. Our heroes have been supplied with horses by Duke Gallo, and they have ridden them hard. Were it not for liberal use of the healing wands also supplied by the Duke, one or more of the horses would have died under the strain.

The watch towers are cunningly concealed. Our heroes have a map, but still struggle to locate them. However, the first five towers prove to be safely in Gallo hands. Their remote garrisons are pleased to be receive winter visitors, and express surprise that the political situation has grown so fraught.

All that remains is to visit outpost six. It is situated on a rocky spur over a hundred feet tall, only accessible by a narrow path which laboriously winds its way up at a forty five degree angle.

As they have done on five previous occasions, the party approach the fort cautiously. Solsus turns invisible and flies ahead to investigate.

There are two humanoid sentries on the roof of the tower, huddled up against the cold. They could be Ragesians, Dasseni or scarecrows – it is impossible to tell under these conditions. However, they are accompanied by a two legged, dragon-like creature with wings and a long tail ending in a wicked stinger. This is a wyvern, and there are none in Duke Gallo’s army. The Ragesians, on the other hand, use them frequently.

Solsus returns and informs the others of what he has seen. The Ragesians have taken outpost six. Nobody suggests returning to Gallo’s Fend with the news. Instead, it is agreed that Solsus and Agatha will fly up and take on the troops on the roof, whilst the rest move up the path and try and go in via the front door.

The invisible Solsus fires a sling bullet at the wyvern, and strikes it in the left eye. The beast bellow in pain. Agatha blasts the beast and really gives it something to complain about.

The rest make it up to the tower’s door without being seen. Unsurprisingly, it is locked. Gribron pulls out his lock picks, but to no avail. Caryk waits patiently for Gribron to come up with an alternative plan, but Jonathan doesn’t feel like hanging around. He pulls out a potion from his belt pouch, drinks it down and then effortlessly scales the side of the watch tower. He climbs onto the roof and blasts the unsuspecting wyvern with a ray of fire.

Solsus makes an arcane gesture and a ball of flame appears in his hand. He hurls it at the wyvern.

Meanwhile, Gribron puts away his lock picks, pulls out a wand and calls out, “Open!” There is a loud click as the door unlocks itself.

The battered wyvern, delighted to finally have a target, moves towards Jonathan and strikes at him with its tail stinger. However, the blow misses. The two sentries on the roof fire arrows at Jonathan which likewise fail to connect. Agatha hits the wyvern with another blast.

Jonathan sees his chance to finish off the badly wounded wyvern. He carefully makes sure he does not lower his guard, despite the proximity of the beast, and engulfs the wyvern and both sentries in flames. The beast dies, as does one of the guards. The other, however, is made of sterner stuff and strides towards Jonathan, shrugging off a blow from Solsus’s sling as he does so.

He wrong foots Jonathan with a cunning feint. Unfortunately, he also fooled himself, and the follow up attack goes wide. Jonathan scrambles across the roof, and manages to stay out of trouble long enough for Agatha to bring down his assailant with a couple of well timed eldritch blasts.

Meanwhile, back on the ground floor, Gribron and Caryk have entered a large room with one exit and no apparent enemies. However, there are a number of arrow slits in the far wall which Gribron considers are likely to have archers behind them. He proves to be correct, but fortunately most of the volley is aimed at the elusive Caryk and they fly go wide.

Gribron has no wish to be a target for further arrows, and rushes for the door out of the room. He is not surprised to find that it too is locked, but a quick tap from his trusty wand solves that problem. He hangs back slightly to let Caryk lead the way, and both of them confront the six figures in the corridor beyond.

A confused melee follows, with Caryk engaging in hand to hand whilst Gribron provides magical support. It is touch and go for a while, but the tide of the battle turns once Jonathan, Agatha and Solsus emerge from a staircase behind the Ragesians. Soon the enemies are dead, and our heroes are in possession of the watch tower.

Jonathan ends up with another inquisitor mask to add to his collection, but this one was clearly a novice so he wonders whether to bother. He also finds a book of Ragesian propaganda, denouncing the various other nations and aggrandising the destiny of Ragesia. It has some interesting comments about Dassen, and Jonathan thinks it may come in handy when trying to persuade the other lords to unite against the Empire.

Gribron, on the other hand, has found something much more interesting - the written orders for the Ragesian infiltrators.

“Take the first outpost, then stay put, receiving supply drops every other day. When we learn of the success or failure of Madness, our weather mages will break the winter over Alydi Gap. When the thaw begins, prepare to take additional outposts.”

The party ponder the meaning of these orders. It reminds them that Cristin’s vision was that Jinis would be caged by madness.

“The king is clearly insane,” says Solsus, “so I guess the madness has succeeded. The Ragesian invasion must be imminent.”

The party discuss whether they should defend the tower against the Ragesians. Flushed with their successful re-capture of the tower, they seem convinced that they can prevail over the forty thousand soldiers apparently heading their way. However, in the end they decide to compete their original mission and return to Gallo’s Fend; the captured Ragesian orders will surely be enough to persuade Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor to aid Lord Gallo.

 

[RangerWickett]

Hehe. Well, it took 300 Spartans against a million Persians. Forty-thousand Ragesians are 1/25 of that, so I think you'd need a 12-person party for them to prevail.

They'd still all die, of course.

Nicely written. I'm pleased by the party's confusion.

 

[amethal]

Scene 3 – Dashgoban
February 19th, 10 am

Lord Gallo holds another meeting with our heroes.

“Now you’ve brought back the evidence I need,” he says, “it is time to activate the mutual defence pacts I have with Dashgoban and Timor. I will be sending Jinis to meet with each of them, and I would like you to accompany him as his escort, in case he gets into any more trouble!

“The Talon are no doubt watching my borders by now. The best way to avoid them en route to Lord Dashgoban is to head through the Pitchwood. Of course, you’d have to get by the pitchlings, but its probably easier than taking on the Talon.”

Jonathan consults his memory. “Pitchlings are a type of fey,” he says. “They are apparently immune to fire based attacks. According to legend, if you hold an unlit torch in your hand it will spontaneously ignite if there is a pitchling within one hundred feet.”

“I will not be able to accompany you,” says Solsus. “The pitchlings are part of the unseelie court, whilst I am a seelie fey. By ancient treaty we are barred from each other’s lands.”

“After you have met with Lord Dashgoban, head to Lady Timor’s lands via the town of Pitchwood Burg. The town is on the edge of the forest, situated by the River Nashan. My spies tell me that King Steppengard is using the frozen river to move his army quickly northwards. If the citizens of Pitchwood Burg can be persuaded to spread their pitch harvest across the ice and ignite it, it will melt the river and force the King to move the rest of the way along the snow-bound roads.”

“Why don’t you offer them compensation for their harvest?” says Gribron. “It’ll be hard for them to survive the winter otherwise, whoever wins this war.”

Lord Gallo agrees, and authorises Jinis to offer a thousand gold pieces in compensation to the townsfolk.

“After Pitchwood Burgh,” continues the lord, “you can simply follow the road to Lady Timor’s capital. However, I’m sure the king will have it blockaded. Alternatively, you could scale the Glaskeel Cliffs, but that route is not for the faint hearted. They are over half a mile high.”

There being no further business, the party set off on the road to Dashgoban.

The Pitchwood is a dense forest of pitch pines. The road through it is about fifteen miles long and no one knows who built it. What is sure is that no one risks entering the forest to maintain it, so it is now little more than a narrow, muddy, overgrown track. The forest is alive with eerie noises, a bizarre mixture of giggles and thick, greasy dripping sounds. Anything could be hiding in the undergrowth.

Jonathan holds an unlit torch in his hand as he rides through the forest, in the hope that it will help him detect a pitchling ambush. They have travelled about five miles into the forest when his torch suddenly blazes into light.

The party halt their horses, and scan the terrain ahead. However, nobody can spot any pitchlings, or any other threats. They cast what defensive magics they can, and press on grimly.

Suddenly a voice calls out from the forest, in broken Common. “Leave money and stuff.! You go or we burn you!”

Gribron and Jonathan call out various things in reply, but it becomes clear the pitchlings speak very little of the Common tongue. The party try various other languages, but with even less success.

Suddenly the sound of chanting emerges from all sides. The party start to feel sleepy, but all except Ambar manage to shrug off the enchantment. The horses, however, are not so lucky, and begin to slump to the ground. Gribron is the first to react. He kicks his horse, which jerks awake with a start. However, there is another chanted spell and suddenly the undergrowth reaches round and grabs the horse, holding it fast.

“Got you!” says Gribron. He has spotted the creature which cast the last spell. It is a slender, spiny humanoid figure, completely naked but covered in a coating of black pitch. It has a spiky longbow, but no arrows. “There’s one over there,” he says, doing his best to point out the fey to his companions, then casts a spell. There is a loud trumpet blast, and Ambar and her horse start to wake up.

“Where is it?” says Caryk. “I can’t see anyone.”

“I can,” says Jonathan with a smile. A blast of cold flies from his fingers, and engulfs the pitchling. The creature’s flesh turns to ice, then shatters into a thousand pieces.

Five large gourds fly out from the forest, and strike home against the party. The fragile casings shatter, and the projectiles explode into flame. Agatha is struck; Gribron and Caryk are both struck twice. However, all the party can now see the fey who threw them, standing in a rough semicircle in front of out heroes.

Ambar retaliates with missiles of force. Agatha uses her eldritch blast, but it does reduced damage. It appears that, like Solsus, these fey are resistant to damage from attacks unless silver weapons are used.

Gribron’s horse tries to break free from the entangling vegetation, but to no avail. As is his wont these days, he creates a cloud of noxious black fumes. Three of the fey are caught within it. Two of them are overcome, and can only retreat, coughing and spluttering.

Jonathan tries to explode the mind of the fey who resisted the cloud, but the creature is too strong willed to succumb.

Caryk moves his horse over to the fey, skilfully guiding it past the clutching branches and brambles. He tries to leap off his mount and attack, but his foot catches in the stirrup and all he can manage is an undignified hop.

Gribron is starting to find his situation, atop a burning horse which is entangled by burning vegetation, to be uncomfortable hot. He concentrates for a second, vanishes and re-appears half way up a nearby tree.

The three surviving, (non-vomiting) fey continue to rain down fire on the party. Caryk nimbly side steps the missile aimed at him, but cannot avoid being splashed. Agatha and Ambar are both struck. They retaliate with more magic missiles and eldritch blasts. Jonathan finishes off one of their victims with another attack of cold.

Caryk, his intended target having been killed by Jonathan, heads over to another one. That particular fey aims a projectile at Gribron, but the mage quickly casts a mind-influencing spell and the fey decides to go for the nearby Caryk instead. However, his indecision costs him dear, and he fluffs the throw badly. Demoralised, the fey turns to run but Caryk quickly cuts him down.

The other two fey, presumably still vomiting, have melted back into the forest. The party briefly consider trying to track them by the sound, but decide venturing off the road into the depths of the forest would be foolhardy. They heal their wounds as best they can and carry on towards Lord Dashgoban’s castle. Fortunately, the rest of their journey through the Pitchwood passes without incident.

Lord Dashgoban’s castle is situated twenty miles from the Pitchwood, on a stone outcropping. Unusually, no town has grown up alongside the castle. Dashgoban’s cavalry are practising manoeuvres in the surrounding fields, but when the party arrive they stop, and greet them enthusiastically. It is clear they are eager for battle.

The party are shown into the castle, and Lord Dashgoban greets them warmly. Somewhat to the party’s surprise, he turns out to be a dwarf.

“My proxy was very impressed by the extremely articulate and convincing speech Balan gave at the audience with the King,” he says. “His words have spread among my men, and all of them are eager to foil the evil schemes of the Rasgesians. They’d ride off now if they could.

“I, on the other hand, must be a touch more pragmatic. Do you have any actual evidence that the Ragesians intend to do us harm?”

The party show him the documents they retrieved from Outpost Six. “Evidence I need and evidence I have!” bellows Lord Dashgoban. “I can lend Lord Gallo one thousand horse and two thousand foot. Join me in a toast to victory, and please accept my hospitality for the night.

Scene 4 – Timor
February 20th, 8 am

The party set off early towards Timor. As they leave they see signs that Lord Dashgoban’s army is preparing to break camp and head for Gallo.

Soon afterwards, they arrive at Pitchwood Burg. They ask to see the head of the town, and are brought before Father Albert, an old priest. Jinis, as the only trained diplomat in the group, does the talking.

Father Albert is initially unreceptive to the idea of sacrificing the pitch harvest. However, the promise of compensation from Lord Gallo of a thousand pieces of gold, coupled with the party’s assurances that Lord Dashgoban also favours the plan – something of a white lie, although they are sure the dwarf would have approved of the plan had they thought to mention it to him – soon brings him round.

Then it is time to head on to Timor, and the party have to decide on a route. It turns out that some of them are less than keen on the idea of a long climb up the steep Glaskeel cliffs, so they decide to take the road. If King Steppengard’s forces have indeed set up a blockade, then they’ll simply smash their way through it.

This is a situation in which Solsus would have proved very useful, but Agatha offers to take over the scouting duties in his absence. Her abilities are growing, and now include the power of flight. Gribron uses his invisibility spell to make her disappear from view, and she flies off ahead of the group.

The road to Lady Timor winds its way ever upwards. In many places, stone bridges cross deep gorges. At one such bridge, Agatha spots a group of horsemen hiding in a copse of trees at the far end. She returns to the party, and tells them what she has seen.

Gribron comes up with a plan. He casts a spell enabling him to levitate, and Caryk ropes him to his horse, which can then pull him along whilst he is up in the air. Gribron then makes himself and Jonathan invisible, and creates an illusion of himself and the two other invisible party members. He sets the illusion marching along the road. The real Caryk and Ambar walk alongside their illusionary companions.

Once the illusion rounds the bend before the bridge they are spotted by the horsemen. Seven men wearing the uniforms of King Steppengard’s army ride out from the copse of trees and confront the group.

“Stop and identify yourselves!” demands the leader.

“No thanks,” replies Jonathan, and unleashes a blast of fire far greater in area than anything the party have seen before. The hapless soldiers are caught completely unprepared, and all seven perish in the flames. The dying screams of men and horses echo through the hills.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” says Jonathan. “Usually at least one of you would be within the area of effect, and I’ve had to do my best to resist the temptation.”

The party head across the bridge, eager to see if the bodies have anything worth looting. Suddenly a large, long limbed creature clambers up from underneath the bridge. It is sinuous, but very strong, and its hands end in razor sharp claws. It aims a lazy blow at Caryk which would have done serious damage had it connected, but the tortle manages to duck out of the way in the nick of time.

“Troll!” screams Jonathan. “Use fire and acid!”

“Okay,” replies Gribron, and two beams of flame erupt from his hand. One misses, but the other strikes true – and has no effect whatsoever. “Fire didn’t work,” says Gribron in dismay.

Jonathan hits the troll with a bolt of cold, and Agatha follows up with an eldritch blast. Meanwhile Ambar and Caryk take on the troll in hand to hand. They all do damage, but the troll’s wounds start to close again of their own accord. The beast tries to rip of Jonathan’s head, but misses.

Gribron uses his nauseating cloud, but trolls have strong stomachs and the creature is unaffected.

However, the combined efforts of the rest of the party manage to inflict wounds faster than the troll can heal them, and the creature collapses to the ground. “Quick,” says Jonathan. “Roll it off the bridge into the gorge before it recovers.”

“Wait!” says Gribron. “It has a couple of potion bottles in its belt. They might be worth something.” Whilst Agatha keeps blasting the prone troll, Gribron nimbly takes the potions. Then he, Jonathan and Caryk roll the troll off the bridge and into the gorge below.

“Do you think that will kill it?” asks Caryk.

“Who cares!” says Gribron. “Let’s get out of here.”

Soon afterwards, the party arrive at Lady Timor’s castle, and are granted an audience.

“I have heard of you,” she says by way of introduction. “Rumour has it you were responsible for putting out the fire in the Forest of Innenotdar.”

“That is correct,” says Jonathan. “The forest was possessed by a powerful fire spirit, and it seemed to us that the only way to save the fey of the forest was to defeat the spirit. This had the effect of putting out the fire.”

“We did what we thought was right,” says Caryk. “None of us were sure what the consequences would be, but it had to be attempted.”

“I won’t pretend to be pleased,” said Lady Timor. “The Ragesians are making slow and steady inroads into Gate Pass, and if the city was to fall they will have a clear run through the forest into my lands.

“However, I appreciate your honesty, and Balan’s speech has convinced me that the Ragesians must be opposed. I will commit the following forces to Lord Gallo’s cause – fifty mages, eight hundred infantry, two hundred cavalry and one of my elemental allies.”

The party’s mission has been a resounding success.

 

[amethal]

Finally up to date!

 

[JonathanFarrier]

(Impromptu happy dance...err "disturbingly frantic dance")

Fire, fire burning higher,
Bright my enemies flaming pyre

Bones to ash and flesh to dust
Bodies burn and life is lost

Ahem...yes...quite. I shall, of course, endeavour to restrain myself around my allies when manifesting...pretty...damaging...pyrotechnic...(drools)

 

[Toby Underfoot]

Agatha's wise words

Ah Jonathan Jonathan Jonathan

I remember clearly Agatha's wise words..."We're all the same height lying down"....no sorry...that was...something else...I forget what it was to do with. Can't have been terribly important. Anyway...yes Agatha's (other) wise words, "You have to sleep sometime!". Of course, she said them to me. But I suppose the concept could be more generally applied. Hmm?

Gribron
Ultimate Magus

 

[RangerWickett]

*bump*

I know keeping up a storyhour is tough, but I'm curious where things stand now.

 

[amethal]

*bump*

I know keeping up a storyhour is tough, but I'm curious where things stand now.

Yeah, I've got really behind on it. I'll cut down on the detail in an effort to get up to date.

 

[amethal]

Scene 5 – Commando Raid (Interlude)
February 25th, 7 am

Message from Adar Stonechisel, Captain of Engineers, to Lord Gallo.

My Lord,

Greetings and salutations. I beg to report the successful completion against the enemy catapults.

As ordered, my engineers extended the ancient tunnels under the Otharil Vale, so that they emerged within one hundred feet of the enemy position. We were able to confirm that there were ten heavy catapults, protected by a ditch, a wooden palisade and an estimated fifty soldiers and forty engineers. The engineers were readying the catapults to begin bombarding our defences at first light.

In addition to the forces our scouts had reported, there was also a dragon providing aerial cover. I am not an expert in such matters, but I am reliably informed it was a red dragon, and was later privileged to witness its fiery breath.

Our elite commando force took up positions at the edge of the tunnel. The mage, Gribron, was able to use his arcane powers to provide himself and the rest of the team with some protection from fire. He then cast another spell, and the team disappeared from view, apart from the scholar, Jonathan, who remained with us.

We attempted to spot their progress across the snowy ground. I think I saw some footprints, but it may have been a trick of the moonlight. In any event, King Steppengard’s forces did not raise the alarm.

The force managed to climb over the ditch and fence without being seen, but someone amongst the enemy must have heard them, because the soldiers started firing crossbow bolts. However, with no visible targets their efforts were futile. This attracted the attention of the dragon, which made a clumsy turn in mid air and started heading towards the soldiers.

A force of Steppengard cavalry also noticed the disturbance, and headed towards the catapults. Their starting position was a fair distance away, and in the event they arrived too late to influence the battle.

As per the plan, our invisible strike team began covering the catapults in oil. This put the soldiers on full alert, and their commanders attempted to coordinate their actions to find their invisible foes. They were aided in this by the appearance of the dragon, which seemed able to identify at least the rough area its enemies were in. It attempted to bite the targets it found, but with little success – and when it did manage to bite Solsus, the pixie’s fey heritage protected him from the worst of the damage. Eventually, in sheer frustration, the dragon let loose a blast of fiery breath. Gribron’s magic protected his allies from the worst of the damage – but the nearest, oil soaked catapult was not so lucky, and started burning merrily.

Once all the catapults were soaked, our team started throwing vials of alchemists fire at them, and soon they were burning merrily. This was Jonathan’s cue, and he emerged from the tunnel and let loose a massive sheet of flame which had the catapults burning even more furiously.

Jonathan then somehow transformed himself into a wyvern, beloved of Ragesia’s military, and headed towards the dragon. The beast responded to the challenge, abandoning the catapults. However, in a ferocious battle of tooth and claw the dragon proved no match for the wyvern, and perished.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team started harassing the soldiers and engineers who were trying to put out the fires. This cancelled their invisibility, but their superior mobility was enough to keep them out of the worst of the harm.

Then the dragon fell, and the morale of the soldiers broke. They abandoned the fight and routed. The team, their job done, withdrew back to the tunnel. As per our orders, once the last member had passed into the tunnel we collapsed it to prevent any pursuit.

Adar Stonechisel, Captain of Engineers.

Scene 6 – The Battle of Gallo’s Fend
February 26th, 7 am

Duke Gallo addresses our heroes.

“Greetings, my friends. Many thanks for your sterling efforts on behalf of this land. You have proven yourselves to be heroes time and time again. If you are willing, I have one last task for you.

“I had hoped that the destruction of his siege engines would drive King Steppengard to the negotiating table. However, a day of talks has proved fruitless. The enemy general, Konigsmarshall Malken, is clearly under strict instruction to accept nothing less than our surrender. Only victory on the battlefield can end this crisis, but every soldier who dies on either side is a victory for the real enemy, Ragesia.

“What I need is a decisive victory, with minimum loss of life. I am therefore proposing to attack the King’s forces in the Otharil Vale. I have split my army into two wings, and we will attempt to envelop the King’s army from either side. With both his flanks turned, Konigsmarshall Malken will have to concede defeat.

“However, while this is happening, our centre is under-manned, and Malken can escape the envelopment by bursting through our line. All of our troops are needed elsewhere; I am hoping that you heroes will agree to defend the centre and give my troops the time they need to win the battle.

“This is a very dangerous task, but you will not be completely unsupported. I can spare you two of my chaplains. They will try and keep out of the fight, but will be able to heal your wounds. Also, Lady Timor has offered the services of one of her elemental allies.”

Lord Gallo produces a small, vaguely rabbit shaped device. “This is called a Thumper. Thrust it into the ground to activate it. It will attract the attention of the elemental, which will come to your aid. It only works once, so use it wisely.”

Our heroes accept the challenge, and soon find themselves in the centre of the Gallo line. For some of them it is a particularly lonely place, as some of the others turn invisible.

The first wave consists of thirty two soldiers, one commander, one cleric, two of the ram headed criosphinxes and a minotaur. There is also brief aerial support in the form of a male headed androsphinx, which flies in behind the party, roars at our heroes and flies off again.

Agatha panics at the noise, and flees away from its source – towards the onrushing Steppengard army. Fortunately, she is invisible and escapes detection. The rest of the party are able to deal with the first wave in her absence.

The second wave consists of sixteen mounted knights and three armoured trolls. (Unbeknownst to our heroes, these are brothers of the troll they killed en route to Lady Timor’s.)

Jonathan, low on energy after the first wave, pulls another transformation, taking the form of a remorhaz. More despite this than because of it, the party manage to defeat the second wave.

There are also occasional incoming fireballs from an enemy wizard. Once the party have defeated both waves, they head after the wizard and bring down the wizard, his escort of eight knights, and a female headed gynosphinx. Our heroes identify that the sphinx is under some sort of charm effect, but find it easier to kill her than to remove the spell.

Jonathan has a hypothesis that the gynosphinx is the reason the randy criosphinxes have accompanied the army.

The party’s resounding success is mirrored elsewhere on the battlefield, and the Steppengard army surrenders to Duke Gallo.

Act Three – Served Cold

Scene 1 – Victory Parade in Bresk
March 1st, 1 pm

Duke Gallo’s army enters Bresk in triumph. The people of Bresk are unsure of how best to respond, but in the end opt for lining the streets in curiosity and giving the occasional half hearted cheer.

After an hour, the Duke’s army arrives at the courtyard of Castle Steppengard.

King Steppengard himself awaits them. He looks healthier than when the party last saw him. He offers a handshake of reconciliation to Duke Gallo, then addresses the crowd.

“My people, recent times have been dark for our country. But I am here to tell you that better days lie ahead. All of Dassen’s lords and ladies have arrived here in Bresk, to forge together a new, better future.

“Duke Gallo, I commend you for your brave and steady heart. Though we disagreed, and crossed swords because if it, I know now that you acted only with love for your homeland.”

“Huh,” snorts Agatha. “Crossed swords? I didn’t see His Majesty anywhere near that battlefield. He must have a very long sword to reach Gallo’s Fend from here!”

“I welcome you all into my house,” continues King Steppengard, “and offer you all a chance to compete in the Tournament of Unity. Tomorrow there will be games and celebrations, and in the evening there will be a banquet for myself and the lords and ladies. There we shall speak of unpleasant but necessary matters. Thieves and scoundrels lurk on our borders, but as one united nation we shall defeat them.”

“You are talking of the Ragesians, right?” says Duke Gallo, but the King merely smiles.

Scene 2 – Tournament
March 2nd, 9 am

Our heroes are staying at the home of a minor noble who owes Duke Gallo a favour.

The Duke himself is tied up in ceremonial duties, but he has asked our heroes to keep their eyes and ears open for treachery. King Steppengard’s change of heart seems too good to be true, but with the Ragesians on the border Duke Gallo cannot afford to turn down the chance for unity. The party agree to liase with proxy Jinis as necessary.

None of the games interest our heroes. They even turn down the opportunity to perform in the festivities.