Those in command are not those that lead

See Also: Bardic Knowledge

Gia Sojourner begins searching for the source of the fires that have plagued the city. It takes her much of the day, but she arrives at the same neighborhood where she barely defeated the Demon of Fear just a few days ago. The aura of the creature still lingers over Old Town. It is not a place to enter lightly.

Brizanthimus is with the Lord Marshal bringing him the news of the city. The food brought by the elves is diminishing quickly and already they have tightened the rationing. After the one of their warships was sunk beyond the harbor they have not been able to bring in additional supply ships. The karashites tell the Lord Marshal they have two Stormships arriving, but it will be a few more days until they arrive. A boy sent by Xarth arrives at the outer gates with a message from Xarth. He is waiting at the north gate with news.

The Lord Marshal gives some messages to Gloria Hölzer, who wants to go with Briz to the north gate, to deliver to Jalo. The most important of the messages elevates Sergeant Jalo to the rank of Captain. This puts Captain Jalo in charge of the defense of the north gate. His instructions are to hold the gate with whatever forces and supplies he can acquire.

Belenus learns there was an attempt on the Pretender King Ælfric during the night. It was easily beat back and Lord Koén Brandr suggests that he try and find out who is behind the attacks while they bunker in. The young king is not happy about not leading a counter-attack against his adversaries, but he accepts Bel’s help in this matter as a kinsman. Belenus makes contact with Gerald, the former owner of the Shining Blade Tavern and learns that Xarth has returned to the city – strangely enough on a horse made of darkness and fire.

The troubles in Old Town draw two different people for different reasons. Gia enters it knowing the mark the demon left behind when she helped defeat it. Belenus knows the people of Steelward need more hands and the people in Old Town should be doing more to help. He tries to rally the people of Old Town to help the city’s defenses. Even those that have little to offer on the wall can help move supplies and bring food. Gia is working to bring the crowd together in mutual defense against an ancient enemy and those doing their bidding in fire.

They find themselves together in a small market square speaking to different crowds with neither of them finding people willing to help them. More of the people begin to side with Gia as she appeals to their baser natures – they are downtrodden because those above them take from them and demand their labor to save them. They should not work for those that are hording food from them.

Gia motions forward a man in a cloak – clearly maimed – that was standing apart from the others. It is nearly too late when she recognizes the danger as a nearby man who touched the newcomer screams as his arm burns away. The man’s cloak falls back revealing a disfigured and dead face, his jaw unhinged. The zombie immediately attacks the crowd – tearing their bodies apart trying to reach Gia. Belenus comes to defend the woman that ridiculed him moments before and fights back the creature. As the body falls, the cloak suddenly tears away and dances around, trying to envelope somebody else. Before the demonic cloak can take over somebody else Belenus destroys it.

Briz and Gloria arrive at the north gate where Xarth is waiting to speak with Sergeant Jalo. Carrying papers from the Lord Marshal the guard ushers Gloria in immediately – with Briz and Xarth following behind her. While “newly minted” Captain Jalo is reading over the papers Marrik Stonearm kicks open the door and with the guard attempting to pull him back stomps into the room. He gets into a shouting match with Captain Jalo concerning the supplies needed by his men on the wall. When Jalo says he will speak with Xarth first and Marrik can wait, the dwarf stomps his way out of the room.

Xarth tells Jalo and Briz what he discovered about a cult_of_the_black_tower. They were using some sort of necromancy in the Kernwerk Tower. He managed to kill the spellcaster, but he does not know how widespread is the cult. Captain Jalo tells him that former-Captain Pippen Ruud was a member of the cult as they found a black tower scar on his arm. When they put some paper against it to trace the outside the scar bled into a perfect tower-shape on the paper.

Briz offers the help of the mladovians. They are not part of the cult and so should be able to help track down the cult without sabotage from the inside. Jalo deputizes both Briz and Xarth into the nightwatch and then writes order for them to uncover this Black Tower Cult. He then writes orders to mobilize the Nightwatch to man the north wall. This gives Briz and Xarth the ability to be members of the Nightwatch, but not be mobilized to the wall because of an active investigation.

He writes a message for Euriel that he requests two-hundred elves to help defend the north wall under the city charter that grants them the autonomous land inside the walls. He then asks Xarth not to summon the horse where others can see it. The people are reaching the boiling point. The fires, starvation, and crowds of panicked families has already made the city ready to turn on itself. He gives Gloria papers to carry back to the Lord Marshal, so she kisses Briz good-bye and returns to the palace.

Papers that Captain Jalo found in Pippen’s desk drawer indicate that most of the demon attacks have occurred in and around Old Town. It is a densely populated collection of neighborhoods that has become even more so with the influx of refugees. Near Old Town is an area of ground upon which no plants will grow. The earth blackened from a fire decades ago. The Lord Marshal at the time ordered the construction of a prison to contain the sorcerer that started the blaze. It is currently used to hold the city’s most dangerous people. Captain Pippen was sent there.

Briz suggests that Bel take him to speak with the elves. He has some official business to discuss in regards to the charter and their obligation to provide for the defense of the city. Gia says they should all go together as their strength as one is stronger that apart. Before seeing the elves they want to speak with Captain Pippen, perhaps he can shed some light on what the city is facing.

The prison is a stout two-story keep surrounded by stone wall. The only entrance is through a gatehouse. Several guards stand guard. The blackened land upon which it sits is normally free of structures, but hundreds of refugees have encamped around the wall begging for shelter against the bitter cold. Writs from the Lord Marshal and Captain Jalo get them an audience with the warden, Sir Hugo. A knight well past his prime, but still reasonably fit for his age.

Sir Hugo refuses to let them speak to former-Captain Pippen. Command of the prison rests with Lady Hapsteng and while he respects the Lord Marshal his writ holds no weight in regards to the prisoners. A lengthy, and oft-times heated, argument ensues with Gia strangely stepping in to support Sir Hugo. Briz, betrayed by the old woman, storms out of the keep into the huddling refugees waiting outside. His nerves frazzled and visibly angry he summons his power and sends waves of sound and blinding light out from this hands. The refugees scatter from the terrifying wizard that just stepped out of the prison.

Mirwen meets them at the outer barrier and escorts them to the Elven Quarter. Bel speaks with Mirwen concerning his training. Given the danger the city faces he inquires about his training. Mirwen agrees to increase his training as long as he is willing to accept the potentially deadly consequences. His mind and spirit simply are not strong enough to accept an awakening, but Belenus understands the risks.

Over a score of elves in long white robes are standing around the large tree chanting. The pressure of spiritual power is deafening to those opened to the magic of the world. It builds to a terrible crescendo as a pair of elves cuts through the stem connecting the pods to the tree. Once the stem is cut the pressure disappears completely – in fact for a short time it feels like all magic has fled the world. The pair of elves then take the pod away in a small woven basket while the chanting begins building anew.

She then escorts them to The Shining Blade tavern where the elven War-Leader has settled his command. They see a blind-folded women weaving a spell that bends and shifts sand upon a large table. Small animals constantly come in the tavern crawling all over her. Mirwen explains that she is scouting the area and displaying her knowledge upon the sand table. Its a very ancient art of the elves that has served them well over the years in their war against the demons.

Mirwen points out that most of the elves inside the tavern came aboard the warships or live in the Elven Quarter. Those elves that lived alongside the Bornheimers are already helping in their neighborhoods. War-Leader Aranion is not just well-respected in Ellendar for his warcraft, but is a follower of the Old Ways of the Elves. He believes that elves should not involve themselves in the affairs of the others. She cautions that they should watch their tongues and maintain a high standard of politeness when speaking to him.