Sapphire:Sessions:20140802
With a simple experiment, Rory confirms the manor's gate combination. He figures that they are locked out of the gates closer than 200 miles to Sapphire. He puts up a gate that he thinks is close to the center of Sapphire, and gets Trace to try his new spell. Trace feels a "different" mana flow and reports there were no crystals to pull, but there was something there.
Chalker asks whether Trace knows Seeker, then whether he could Seek a person who owned one of their journals.
Chalker then expresses curiosity about Malprin. Rory opens a gate into a bedroom (with an attached bathroom) which he says is located beneath Malprin's capital city. Chalker sees that the entire room is buried 9' beneath the foundation of a building. He has Trace come in and make a hole about a yard in diameter from the ceiling of the bedroom to the foundation. Climbing up and looking through the foundation, Chalker finds a well-stocked wine cellar, by which he judges that the owner must be very wealthy. Chalker remarks that he may need to go to Malprin in the near future.
At Chalker's request, Rory opens a gate to Dolyena. They step through and Rory stumbles a bit as they step out onto a rough slope. Overhead the stars are shining, and around them are the sounds and scents of a forest. They stand on a rocky hillside dotted with vine-tangled ruins. They determine that they are in the lands of a duke whom Chalker has met at court; the duke's capital city is less than 15 miles from the ruins.
Later, back at the manor with Trace, the three discuss their next move. Rory: "You could give your message to someone and have them take it." Chalker: "I'm working on a plan like that. Are we leaving the manor tomorrow, or is there something else to do?" Rory: "Is Sapphire a friendly place?" Chalker: "I've never been there."
Chalker: "Tomorrow after breakfast, we'll pack up and leave. If Malcolm doesn't come to the gate, we won't tell him."
The next morning they open the gate that leads to the deserted dwarven valley. It takes a good bit of work to get their horses through the gate and out into the valley. The valley leads to good roads that are well-traveled and patrolled. After twenty miles they arrive at a village called Talvery Meadows and take rooms at the inn. Rory hires people to groom all the riding horses and Nancy the donkey. He searches out the village blacksmith and asks him to come to the inn after dinner. Around town Chalker notes the presence of members of a mercenary guild, some constables, and some wandering tinkers and merchants.
The blacksmith arrives and Rory negotiates to sell him scrap weapons and armor "for repurposing or melting down." The agreed-upon price is one gold piece, plus the blacksmith will check all their mounts' shoes.
Early next morning Rory meets the blacksmith's apprentice and tips him a silver piece. The blacksmith and two apprentices set right to work on the horses.
Chalker wakes up early and holds a conference with the King and Queen of Dolyena, basically telling them he's still alive, giving his current location, and telling them where he's going. The "where" surprises and shocks Their Highnesses. Chalker: "Is Duke Santaram still alive?" Queen: "He has been very sickly." Chalker: "I am sorry to hear that." Chalker describes the piece of property he wants to purchase. King: "Those old, worthless ruins?" Chalker: "I should get quite a reasonable price. Please send someone to the broken room with the large archway; clean it up and secure it. My liege, that is a doorway into our kingdom." The King agrees to purchase the entire parcel of land on which the ruins are located and secure the area. King: "Do you intend to settle there and make it your barony?" Chalker doesn't answer that, slyly directing the conversation to more neutral topics.
Chalker: "Did you get visited last night?" Rory: "Yeah, by the blacksmith." Chalker: "I figure the county seat is around forty miles from here. If we swap out horses regularly, we can keep up a fast pace and get there a little after sundown."
When they reach the county seat, Winslow, they find a walled town with the gates open. A guard waves them to stop, and collects a gate tax. Rory asks for the name of the best inn, and the guard replies, "The Golden Hobgoblin. Tell 'em Travis sent you."
Rory decides to retain one spare horse for each of them. He keeps the best-tempered ones as well as the warhorse that once belonged to the orc chieftain Oak Thief. That still leaves sixteen horses to be sold.
Chalker takes out his journal, records the date (Change Time 4), and writes, "Where are you? Tell me so we can come get you. PS: Not you, Rory or Trace!"