Overview
Tiffanie was the key player in convincing her recently discovered great uncle Aurryn Silverleaf, a grim scout first hired by the group to bear witness to her and Emmeline’s actions at the Cairns, to make an agreement with the Baron d’Uzec. It also turns out the ‘Sister’ Jos likes being a woman, unlike Tiffanie. Now named Sister Jocelyn, she is determined to stay a woman, so has made an agreement to continue to try to remove Tiffanie’s curse in the off-chance it will transfer to Jocelyn permanently. Her hiding this fact has gotten her in trouble with the Temple (and to a lesser degree to the Baron) and Tiffanie and Jocelyn have departed for Derrien to see the Aarithine Bishop of County Derrien for advice and judgement. Tiffanie carries with her a ring of mind shielding with the entrapped soul of Martin, an Aarithine priest and former colleague of the outlaw Rurrick. Tiffanie also witnessed the dwarven spirits reseal the Cairn, one or more passing around, through, and by her as they went to their rest. Briefly at the end of the Cairn mission, the dwarven runes, including those on Tiffanie’s axe, became clear and in good repair. They then faded to their previous state as the Cairn’s mouth collapsed as Tiffanie left the sword, the ghosts, and the ruin behind.
Emmeline found the mother’s bones, planted the Mother Tree, and was given the long lost journal of her mother Lara by Mara, included in the book were three new pages, each a vignette about moment in an ancestor’s life. The first is about Emmé, whom was long ago a bard in the early days of Thalassa (Message), the second was about Elianor, who was a wizard of the Transmutation school on Thalassa long ago (Message), and the third was Kyrie, a sylvan elf druid (Shillelagh). Through these ancestors she can channel these new abilities. The rest of the book are stories of Lara’s love for her husband, songs and poems she wrote, notes about family, and visions she saw similar to Emmeline’s.
The high bluffs and rocky areas near and including the Cairns has been granted as a fief of Uzec to the Silverleaf tribe of elves. In exchange, they will help protect the Upper Calder Valley and Uzec in general from hostile outsiders. Aurryn Silverleaf has found a new purpose and a change of heart. This place, with a new Mother Tree, will now be the winter holt of the Silverleaf. The wandering elves now can have at least one place they can call home – though 96% of them don’t know that yet. The yet-unnamed Glade is rejuvenated and rapidly being covered in vegetation and small trees.
A miles or so south of the bluffs is a small valley and fiefhold of a few hundred acres, home to a very small group of farmers and freeholders clustered primarily around a makeshift village called Cerisey where the stream, a few paths, a few farms, a few cottages, and the small manor building all vaguely come together. A new spring, originating from the bluffs above has turned the L’esque Run, a stream bed that is usually dry in the summer, in a small constantly running stream. The hundred or so villeins are quite surprised by the change in events but in time the regular water supply may slowly help the valley. This small valley (~100 acres of decent land, plus some hill country around it to either side) is given in fief by the Baron d’Uzec to Mademoiselle Emmeline in exchange for two weeks of service per year. Riok, the fief’s steward, is renewed with purpose and vigor.
On the way to Derrien, a day or two ahead of Emmeline, the bounty hunters catch up to Tiffanie and Sister Jocelyn. Tiffanie is quickly taken down. After a futile attempt by Jocelyn to convince the attackers to desist, Tiffanie suggests the use of Jocelyn’s Remove Curse spell, which predictably fails to reverse the curse, sending everyone into agony. Prepared for it, Jocelyn and Tiffanie render the attackers unconscious and flee together into the wild…
At the exact same time Elemix should already be heading north to Uzec, assuming he gets to Derrien’s mercenary guild, says adieu to Renée his guide, checks on Emmeline’s troupe, and gets out of town in the first place.
Location
Cerisey – Small hamlet of 113 persons, 56 in the village itself with the rest spread out in farms. 34 of the population are children and 15 elderly. In total they have 174 chickens, 35 goats, 14 sheep, 8 cows, and 6 pigs. Most of the village are either farmers or cottagers who help the farmers. They exceptions are Riok (ree-oak) the current reeve, Riok’s wife Rhozenn (a maidservant), a mendicant deacon, a cooper, a chicken butcher, a watchman (sent by the Baron), a plasterer, a cobbler, a woodsman, and a mercer.
NPCs
Aurryn (Remi) Silverleaf – former scout and self-exiled member of the Silverleaf tribe of sylvan elves who have lived as nomads in the White Mountains since the death of their chief and burning of their old holt at the hands of Snowmorian raiders during the Fell Winter over 25 years ago. Full of disgust at humans, he is willing to at the very least give the Uzec people a chance to live peacefully.
Riok the Reeve – former steward of a bachelor knight who recently died, Riok accepted a job with Emmeline to maintain her acres and funnel the village’s earnings to a degree into rebuilding. The planting of the Mother Tree has given him a new lease on life.
The Mother Tree – a remnant of a fey tree from long ago, planted as an acorn in the Cairn hills, and already growing. Only Emmeline knows that Mara, her patron, can project from the Otherworld to here directly. Aurryn does not know the name Mara, simply the Mother.
Baron Roland d’Uzec – Leader of Uzec. Both happy for Emmeline and broken hearted about her need to leave and follow the mission that brought her here as well as being a mentor for his daughter Rivanon, currently on Thalassa.
Rurrick the Hunter – An adventurer fighter who is on the run after one of allies was killed and another hung by the Baron for killing a guard. Rurrick is likely to attempt revenge some day against Tiffanie and Emmeline.
Morgan – The esoteric woman who Emmeline characterizes as an ‘active historian’, Morgan is only mentioned briefly by Aurryn as a name used in the past by at least a couple of similar persons he has met. Often on her arrival, trouble follows. The vision Emmeline had of Morgan attacking someone (whom Emmeline assumed was Mara), cascades in vivid detail from another point of view, that of an unknown man. The man screams revenge and the vision ended.
Rahthain, Cole, and Druud – A group of bounty hunters who upon their return to Uzec, were deflected to the west while the party went East. Eventually they tracked down Tiffanie, and after a painful reversal find themselves saddled with Tiffanie’s curse. Before they were greedy and annoyed. Now they are pissed.