Sapphire:Sessions:20170701

At the "flue", Stonemover suggests shaping a spiral stairway out of stone, but Shawna says not until the caverns below have been thoroughly explored and analyzed. The trap is disarmed. Stonemover notes that the cavern with the glowing crystals was "swapped" with another location.

The group passes through the gate to Sapphire, where Trace and Rory await. Rory and some of his more responsible kids are waiting to transport their goods. Shawna takes Stonemover to meet Ironsinger; the dwarves hit it off very well. Chalker gives Ambassador Frederick 50 gold.

Trace places the crystals for the new destination, and fourteen people pass through the gate to Dolyena. (Ahn-Lee and Branamin remain in Sapphire for now.) Chalker had purchased the property some two-and-a-half months ago, and a good bit of construction has been done on what once were ruins. This is located in the dukedom of Sanoram, fifteen miles from the capital, Frill, a city of 10,000. Awaiting the group is a delegation headed by Crown Prince Melcro and his son and heir, Seman. They have brought carriages and horses for their guests.

That evening they are guests at the manor of elderly Duke Sanoram. That night, Chalker dreams of walking into swirling waters, which his subconscious interprets as political shifts. In the morning Shawna takes him aside and warns him of external threats. She is suspicious of one of the royal couriers, a 30-year-old man named Tam. Chalker reads Tam's aura: Intense, strong-willed and disciplined, but jealous and vengeful. There are no influences from demons or the First Chosen.

In Tam's belt pouch is a stone that enhances his aura. Writing in his journey book, Chalker asks Shawna to remove that stone; she visualizes it, then teleports it into her hand. In appearance it is a polished river rock. It has been enchanted by a master archmage; so strong is the impression he has left that Shawna knows he is human, about 100 years old, powerful, and malicious.

Separated from the stone, Tam's aura has changed. His strong will is reduced. His jealousy definitely feeds his vengeance. The 'organized chaos' in his soul would make him a good candidate to be an acolyte of Asseraah.

Chalker chats up Relinda, asking her how she's doing. She expresses curiosity about the world. Chalker: "I have to watch you because you're 'more'." Relinda: "I understand. I'm a master mage from a previous age. I have done much research into spells, even created new ones. My specialties are mind and body improvement." Chalker: "I might have an opening, something mutually beneficial.... Does it bother you, not being 'nobility' here?" Relinda: "No, it doesn't. I know I can make my own living, perhaps by training mages." Chalker: "Dolyena is not a big enough playground for you."

Chalker approaches Tam and another courier, Sal, and makes conversation. Casually he says, "As a courier, you have to worry about people casting spells on you." Tam becomes visibly nervous; there's a facial tic and a bead of sweat on his lip. His replies to Chalker are either outright lies or shaded truth.

Shawna's Seeker spell reveals that the archmage is 1400 miles to the east. A quick journey book exchange with Rory confirms that this is in a bay south of the Calventine Empire, 200 miles SSE of Ridell, so the archmage is probably aboard a ship.

Chalker brings up two entities that have been pursuing him, Rinaldo Canana and Pandemonium Dagger Guild [PDG]. Regarding the latter, Shawna remarks dryly, "They hold grudges a long time." Chalker reminds Shawna that the first four jasper icons had been in the possession of a ship captain who belonged to PDG.

The next day is a Temple Day; after brief observances in the morning, the travelers set out again. After lunch Chalker approaches the four couriers, Tam, Sal, Finn, and Clay. Tam reacts strongly to Chalker's mention of PDG, but he tries to cover up his nervousness by saying he only knows of them through overhearing tavern talk. Chalker says casually, "There's a 1000g price on my head." Tam: "But you'd have to be an idiot to try to claim it." Chalker: "Idiots are a dime a dozen."

Around midnight, Chalker wakes suddenly, not sure why. Perhaps he'd heard a sound, but all is quiet now. He hooks onto something metal and gently wakes Shawna in the next room. With a quick search, they determine that Tam is missing. Shawna finds some fresh hoof marks; she mounts bareback and gallops off in pursuit.

Chalker wakes Melcro and tells him that Tam has made a run for it. "The contract is not just on me, it's on the entire royal family."

Shawna overtakes Tam; leaping from her warhorse, she tackles the fugitive to the ground. He lands badly, breaking an arm and a leg. Searching him quickly, she jerks a pendant from his neck. Understanding her gestures, the warhorse retrieves the courier horse, which had continued riderless for another quarter-mile. Shawna ties up the unconscious Tam, slings him over his horse's back, and rides back.

Grimly, Shawna shows Chalker the PDG identification disk she had removed from around Tam's neck, and four poisoned needles in a leather pouch. Under Chalker's questioning, Tam confesses that he has been 'observing' in Dolyena for quite some time. Three months ago PDG had increased its activity in the area; there had been "a change in certain dispatches from Zondell and Greater Bicarn." Tam was supposed to have used a needle to kill one of the guests, then planted the rest on the guards "to engender chaos." But he had gotten nervous and run away.

Chalker gives instructions to get everyone up and on the road. Tam confesses he was headed to Bistol to meet with his PDG contact, Merle Farrell, a merchant mage (trained in Moedia) at a tavern called the Rusted Hook in Fishhook Wharf. There are at least a dozen other PDG operatives in Bistol. "Operations in the Coastal Kingdoms are ramping up." Tam has belonged to PDG since his teens; he hated and envied Chalker because "I couldn't get where I needed to be, with you there." Tam's rantings demonstrate that he is a "true believer" -- "The Guild is all.... I serve the Guild.... It is all I need and more!" Chalker: "Asseraah both loves and hates me. I am the son that he loves, and the son that he hates."

Chalker and Shawna take Prince Seman and two Idrians, Relinda and Nick, and ride on ahead. Relinda casts spells to disguise Chalker as Tam and Seman as another courier.

Chalker goes to the Rusted Hook and in a hoarse voice asks the bartender for Merle. Merle is a few inches shorter than Chalker, wiry but strong, with the look of a trained fighter. He shows Chalker into his office. Chalker says quickly, "I've been made!" Merle utters an exclamation, and he turns and closes and magelocks the door. As he starts to turn around, Chalker punches Merle in the jaw, knocking him out cold. Chalker binds, gags, and blindfolds Merle, then searches the room. Two secret compartments in the desk contain documents related to ships with names consistent with PDG, including two ships Chalker had destroyed by burning. Merle has a PDG disk in a false bootheel, and a magic stone in his pouch.

After exchanging messages with Shawna via journey book, Chalker finds a hidden hallway leading to a back alley. The others soon arrive. Chalker gives the magic stone to Shawna. Relinda disguises Merle as a sack, and the group rides to Chalker's house in the city. The house has been kept up, but the caretaker seems to have stepped out to go shopping.

Relinda casts Foolishness on Merle, then moves out of sight and casts a mind-reading spell. Chalker awakens Merle by tapping him on his sore jaw, then gets a fork from the kitchen. Merle possesses Magery 3, gives observance to Asseraah, has an organized mind, has had contact with demons, and is not a nice man. Merle admits he is from Moedia, but claims he is persona non grata there; he claims to have left because "they wouldn't take action." PDG has been trying to align with Moedia, but the latter so far refuses. There is a "kill order" out for Chalker, but not in Dolyena. Merle does not know where PDG's headquarters is located.

Chalker obtains several names:

• Captain Ash Holman, commander of the ship Crimson Shard (home port: Lesmallin in Zondell; current location on the Saracene Coast near Wicera)
• Dante Daniels, part of the ambassadorial staff from Bicarn
• Jeff Harab and Galen Wall, Dolyenan royal guards
• Ren and Viva, new apprentices to the Dolyenan court mage, Jarak

Merle: "Chaos moves and purifies!" Chalker: "No, it just fucks up shit." Merle: "You're a chaos force!"

Shawna has taken the stone out back. Studying it, she gets a mental image of its archmage creator -- human male, 6' tall, with long white hair, gray eyes, leathery skin; wears large rings; appears to be age 40-60. Shawna smashes the stone.

As he is being interrogated, Merle becomes more and more frantic as he mentally reaches out for the stone. Shawna opens her hand and shows him the shards. Chalker signals Relinda to put Merle to sleep.

Shawna and Seman find Viva in an alchemy lab. She nervously claims that Jarek is away training Ren. Shawna realizes that Viva is using dangerous ingredients and mixing a Death Vision gas. Viva is knocked out and tied up.