This session took place on November 5
Four years after the destruction of Hameltown and ascension of the newest generation of Icons, Hameltown has been rebuilt. So substantial is this revitalization that Sir Roland, who has overseen this transformation, is in contention for the Lord Regent while Brachus of Norgrain comes of age. Key to this transformation has been the Refugee Aid Center run by Auntie Elma who has provided refugees of the war to the south to get on their feet. The R.A.C. is where we find two new refugees: Freyja, a road-weary 8-foot tall angelic woman and Tessera, a malformed human tiefling. Freyja is on a mission and must talk to the Icon of Order and so goes to the training grounds where she finds the half-orc Sir Roland his halfling squire, Bargain Bearer of the Hammer as well as Sir Various and Dame Mae formerly of Norgrain (now of the Ready Rangers) with Selscior, the Magnate of Time entering from a meeting with Barry Bartelsbee, director of the Ready Rangers.
Sir Various informs us the Seven Lords should be arriving shortly for the festival and talks on the war to the south between Altafaier and the Rosencrest Empire. It is suggested that we go to a quieter place to speak and so make our way to the Bailiffs Quarter where we see Jessick Merryweather, Rose, Tristram and Barry Bartelsbee talking.Tristram say we should visit his shop, Silks & Spellcrafts to pickup some goods with Barry saying we should make sure to make it to the tavern to watch the Rattling Bones perform. We then head into a hidden basement where Barry hands us a letter saying it is from the elves of the Bleakwoods.
Freyja than informs us that she has been tasked by Lord Moore of the Faltenlands to find the Icons with Roland readily admitting she has found them. Freyja informs us that Sir Novascoshek is working with Altafaier and brought his old-faith sect with him.
On our way out we run into Lord Brachus and his spy master Oswald and exchange brief pleasantries; shortly there after, Lady Leighla of Ledenfowl, Lady Mynerva of Erbana, Lady Tatiana of Wartachester, Lord Jedd of Barkashia, Lord Hammon of Pillswine and Lord Justee of Ratheious arrive. We then assemble with three major agenda items to discuss: the mobilization of Altafaierian forces on our border; whether Pinochle's Garden should be privately maintained or open to the public; and how to handle the growing rift between followers of the new faith (led symbolically by Sir Roland) and those of the old faith.
Lord Brachus proposes that he and Oswald make a diplomatic mission to Altafaier with this immediately finding support from many of the Lords with those opposed seeing conflict as an inevitability. It is suggested that the garden be made open for special events and protected by the Ready Rangers. There is no easily resolution to the religious schism with Sir Roland emphasizing his government's open neutrality and pluralist approach.
After the meeting Oswald pulls Selscior to the side to discuss with Selscior sharing the contents of the letter from the Bleakwoods.
The party the discussed how to best achieve support for an active military stance, a vision for the Garden in line with Dawns Bloom's and avoid a religious rift.
Selscior and Roland catch up with Lord Jedd with him agreeing that if we can secure support for Barkashia from Mynerva that he will back our moves on the council.
We talk to Tessera and find out he was spat out in a forest after being in the Other-Side, a different veil. Something is happening with the cosmology.
Dawns Bloom and Mynerva go on a nature walk while the rest go to talk to Sir Various, Dame Mae and Guntz introducing Tessera to them properly and discuss a fire drake to the south. They suggest that we talk to the Drake Warden over at the Adventures Guild that would help out with it.
At the Adventures' Guild we talk to Guild-master Crest with a drunk Lord Brachus chanting for Roland to tell a story, he decides to tell the story of crazy mineshaft dwarves... he promptly gets upstaged by Barry. While at the guildhall we pin point the drake to being near Simpletis and headed west. Furthermore, Barry suggests the only real leverage we have with Mynerva is in terms of privatizing and protecting the garden.
We help the quite drunk Lord Brachus to the tavern and then head to talk to Mynerva offering privatization of the gardens for her aid to Barkashia.
Bargain than has a spooky a** conversation with his patron.