20060817
The Mirror Man
01.22.1562 Founder's Reckoning
Reild's study is an eclectic conglomeration of cultural artifacts and detritus from many distant lands. There is a prominent chess set (though nobody in the group knows what it is), numerous books and papers, a shrunken head on a stick, various stuffed, pickled, and otherwise preserved foreign beasts, armor apparently constructed of knotted reeds, a feathered headdress, and exotic weapons made of bone, stone, and metal.
In his study is a book with the symbol of Ysaeniver. Lord Arum Reild identifies it as the Caryadis "Book of Law", a collection of religious rules and observances of the southern empire. The group gets a primer on Caryadis history and culture.
A servant arrives to announce an arrival of one of King Deimaros' councillers. Reild opens a secret vault behind a bookshelf by manipulating the figures on a pedestal basin in the corner of the room which is formed of black basalt and is carved with intricate human and animal forms. This basin bears some resemblance to the basin that the Bloodkin had in Freeport.
The group hides in the vault just in time. Lord Shaid arrives to accuse Reild of everything from blasphemy to treason. He insists that Jackal is one of Reild's "creatures" and that the truth will be revealed shortly. Shaid leaves.
Meanwhile, inside the vault, the group has discovered a stash of minor magical items. The items include: A cracked pair of wire spectacles, a life-like bird carved from smooth yellow stone that moves gently as if roosting, a small clay amphora, a well used whetstone, a beaten gold bracelet, and a thick rectangular object covered with a velvet cloth. The group elects not to disturb the items.
Reild lets the group out of the vault. They confront him as to his true purpose. He reveals that he is a member of an underground group known as the Fell Brotherhood, which believes that magic is not antithetical to the teachings of Ormryd. Jackal is also a member of the order, which is why he contacted Horace initially.
Jackal has been captured by the Witch-hunters and is currently undergoing some severe interrogation. Oddly, Reild is not worried that Jackal will betray the Brotherhood's secrets, but he is concerned that Shaid might be able to get some information by proscribed means. Reild himself insists that he is no direct danger either way, since Jackal does not know him as Reild. (Reild is a man of many faces).
Horace immediately offers to help rescue Jackal and the rest of the group is amenable. After some preliminary planning, Horace decides that he can craft a sufficiently powerful explosive to destroy Shaid's home to provide a distraction for an assault on the headquarters of the Witch-hunters.
Reild provides a few witch-hunter outfits from a hidden chest to equip the party for sneaking into the headquarters. Unfortunately, nothing will fit Sedge. Reild comments that the only person he knows of Sedge's size is a gravedigger. Sedge decides that this is an omen and that he's got to meet the gravedigger.