Session+of+October+12

=Sterngate, Breland -- 18-22 Olarune 998 YK=

Evening, 18 Olarune

 * Golandar, Crest, Ariel and Nediar d'Lyrandar return to Sterngate with the survivors of the House Orien caravan that tried to travel the trade route between Sterngate and Matshuc Zaal. They are quickly debriefed by the Citadel agents, who have commandeered one of the watchtowers overlooking the pass and the Lightning Rail station. Their attackers were confirmed to be mercenaries from the Manifest Legion, spellcasters who use summoned monsters to do their fighting for them. The caravan spotted no Bugears prior to the attack.
 * Marcus Meldrum, a scholarly priest of the Sovereign Host with a gift for healing, arrives at Sterngate on the Lightning Rail from Zilargo. He is immediately put to work healing the injured members of the caravan. He is a Cyran.

19 Olarune

 * Orpik, the Orc Druid captured at the outpost on the north end of the Marguul Pass, demands to speak with a House Deneith representative. The scion who arranged with Colden d'Orien for the Blademarks squad that helped defend the caravan speaks with the Orc, with only Ullracht as backup. Orpik claims his band had a Deneith-issued mercenary charter, and that by the **Thronehold Treaty** he and the other Orc captive must be repatriated to the Mror Holds. He also refuses to say who hired him, but implies it was a Bugbear. The Deneith rep decides not to make a ruling until the crisis has passed, and in the meantime the Druid is locked into a metal breastplate, denying him his spells and supernatural powers. The two are placed in holding cells, along with two Bugbear soldiers captured in the initial airship assault several days ago.
 * The //Cloud's Destiny//, one of the smaller Lyrandar owned-and-operated airships that came from Wroat, returns from a patrol of the north side of the pass. Captain Narcy ir'Kemble, commanding the detachment, reports that no one tried to force or sneak their way through last night, despite what the captured Orcs claimed would happen.
 * Activity within the Bugbears' //kraal// (reinforced camp) continues, including what appears to be a crude stockade.
 * The Bugbears send word that they want to talk. A small detachment from each side will meet between the //kraal// and the edge of Sterngate's defenses. The Captain of Sterngate deputizes Crest, Ariel and Captain ir'Kemble to represent Breland; Golandar and Marcus go with them. The party travels to the meet on //Cloud's Destiny//, then land on a soarwood skiff. The Bugbears are led by Matusho, war chief of the //Gul Dalan// tribe.
 * The deal is this: Matusho's tribe and the other Marguul clans have many Human and Gnome slaves, most of them first captured when Darguun was created 28 years ago out of what was then southern Cyre and parts of Zilargo. This month Lhesh Haruuc ordered the clans to start freeing their Cyran and Zil slaves, as part of a deal between Darguun, King Boranel, Prince Oargev ir'Wynarn of New Cyre and the Zil government. The Marguul clans have brought some 250 Humans and 100 Gnomes with them, holding up the letter of Haruuc's order while completely ignoring the spirit by massing for a siege of Sterngate.
 * And asking for ransom...Matusho offers to order the Bugbears to withdraw and march the slaves to Sterngate...in exchange for 4**0,000 galifars** (plus **10,000** for the Gnomes). "A small price for peace," he says. Oh, and payable by the 22nd. And one more thing; all captives held at Sterngate are to be released to him. The party negotiators agree to take the chief's offer back.

20 Olarune

 * **Sir Rhye ir'Dorn**, Baron Curzon's nephew and Castellan at the Dorn estates outside Mistmarsh, arrives at Sterngate leading a force of 70 horse archers and badly-needed supplies. Baron Curzon is the first and only noble in the region to send troops after the urgent call put out when the crisis started. Sir Rhye tells Crest and the other senior officers that he passed a half-dozen estates along the way: While they were not denied lodging, food and water, none of the nobles Sir Rhye spoke with would send soldiers. Most said that they needed their troops in case the Bugbears broke through, to protect their vassals; but two asked specifically if **Prince Bortan** had agreed with the call from **Regent Kor**.
 * In Wroat, Regent Kor ir'Wynarn brings the ten-day period of mourning for the late King Boranel to a close with a stunning pronouncement: **"After consulting with senior loyalist members of Parliament and other top officials, we decree that Boranel ir'Wynarn, King of Breland, bringer of peace to Khorvaire and the Five Kingdoms, will be interred in the city of Thronehold, there to rest in honor alongside the Kings of Galifar."** Apparently, the King's body will be loaded onto a special Lightning Rail and transported to Vathirond, on the border with Thrane and the Mournland, and transferred from there to the airship Golden Dragon to be flown to Thronehold Island.
 * Another airship arrives from Wroat, bringing a handful of additional soldiers -- and Matron Soorghaas of Darguun, with part of the Darguul delegation that had paid respects to King Boranel.

21 Olarune

 * The authorities in Sterngate try to raise funds even though word comes from Wroat that Breland itself will not pay ransom. Prince Oargev sends a small fortune in freshly-mined Eberron Shards to Marcus. Colden gets permission to draw down the funds he was granted by House Orien, since peace in the Pass is good for future caravans. Zilargo somehow manages to deliver 10,000 gp worth of gems via a House Sivis rep, without a word of protest. Party members kick in some, and the proverbial hat is passed to the garrison and citizens staying in the fort. By day's end, a mere 14,300 gp is raised.
 * Dashiell Kaplan spends all his time creating food and water and tending the sick -- and does not notice the absence of the Kobold Chok'ma.
 * A second meeting with Matusho takes place; this time, however, Soorghaas is aboard a second skiff. Negotiations are tense, despite the presence of the elderly (but powerful) Hobgoblin Bard...but eventually the Bugbear agrees to accept 14,300. Soorghaas' presence shows that the Lhesh Haruuc will know what happened, and the Bugbears clearly don't want a fight with the Hobgoblins. In any event, Matusho angrily denies having hired any mercenaries (the Manifest Legion and Jhorash'tar Orcs)...a claim Soorghaas says is truthful. The party turns over the two Bugbears and two Orcs; Matusho orders the Bugbears killed on the spot, but takes Orpik and the other into custody ("gotta start replacing the slaves" is his response).

22 Olarune

 * The exchange takes place; all four airships are brought in from Sterngate, and the Bugbears bring Arcane Ballistas and Warforged Titans. Tensions are high as the shackled, malnourished Cyrans and Zil Gnomes are brought in and flown to the airships in small groups. Matusho almost causes a fight when he demands a personal bribe for himself and his inner circle -- but is satisfied with 300 gp to go with the other 14,300. Face saved, the Bugbear chief and the others withdraw.
 * Leaving a vast debris field in their wake, which is quickly swarmed by Kobolds under the apparent leadership of Chok'ma. Later, the party finds an Orc corpse next to a Brelish-issue breastplate and a few broken rivets -- signs that the Orc Druid (who'd been encased in metal armor to limit his power) had been freed.