Session 50 - Back at Stonetop, Midsummer approaches

After the journey and the commotion with Corradin the party falls back into the routine of Stonetop.  Esme marshalls the resources of the village and calls in some favours to prepare for the Midsummer festival and the traders that will be in town so they can acquire the crystals necessary for Ferocides.  However, while the village has enough for themselves there is not such an abundance of resources that they can afford to barter away right now.  Esme decides to contact her friend in Gordin's Delve, ..., and says that they are close to restoring a method for creating Aetherium and with an investment of copper would be able to share some of the excess production.  She acknowledges the risk, but is looking for an investment from Smiling Fransis specifically.

Kiva and Rua get together to plan the restoration of the house the Kiva has picked out.  Eliam will be assisting with his knowledge of woodworking and Rua also ropes Stephan into the work.  He tells him about Kiva's curiosity and love for knowledge, channeling his inner Esme hoping to spark some interest between the two of them.  They also ask the village orphans to help out with small tasks like fetching tools and supplies with Stella watching over them to make sure they don't get hurt.  With Eliam's supervision they move quickly, getting everything put together a few days before the fair starts.  As soon as it is ready Kiva starts to move her stuff into the new house, but is finding that she has much more to move than she thought and it takes right up to the day before the fair.

Soren builds the casks out of the cherry wood that Smiling Fransis sent, filling them with some distilled whisky he prepared in a couple different spiced blends.  Chatting with Esme he asks her to include in the letter to Gordin's Delve that the first samplings will be ready before the onset of winter, and the rest can be aged as requested.  He also consults with Garnuss on the proper way to prepare the mushrooms they gathered so they can be sold during the fair to try to barter for the amethysts and quartz they need.  Garnuss is mildly offended that Soren wants to sell them, but after he explains that it is to fulfill the deal with the Maker ghost he relents and guides him through the process and selecting the right dose.  Soren works it into a batch of whisky creating a "Special Drink" that will send one on a journey to behold the world of spirits that surrounds us.  

Before the festival Esme invites Rua down to the chronicle for dinner.  At first he is worried that she figured out his plans to propose to Betta and is about to meddle, but the conversation turns to the sword they got from Ferocides.

"You have to know you are a special person to this village, and a special person to me.  I somewhat jested about a hero of legend, but if you allow me to it would be no exaggeration to call you a Hero of Stonetop."

"I worry Esme though, I try to do what is best.  You know me, I am more than willing to throw myself into whatever trouble there may be, but I'm just me.  I'm just Rua."

"Heroes are stories, and being a hero is about empowering others and leading the way.  There are various ways to lead.  With an Iron fist like Mael, gathering power more and more to yourself.  Or you can lead by example, clearing the path for others to follow which I know you will do if you are wearing this sword or not."

"Thank you Esme, your confidence in me means a lot.  How is this going to work, are you just gonna tell people I am a hero?"

"I am going to say that the Chronicle has held onto this sword for generations, and it is written that there will come a time of need and in that time it will be given to someone who can wear the mantle of Hero of Stonetop."

Rua agrees to have the announcement held during the fair after some convincing.  He tells Betta ahead of time, letting her in on the news.  But unknown to everyone else they have their own announcement to make.  Before the fair starts Rua gathers his closest friends together and stands before them holding Betta's hand.  They announce that they are getting married!  Everyone starts cheering and congratulating them on the news.  Soren asks if they would allow him to announce it to the whole village during the fair.  

During the religious ceremonies Esme unveils the sword and tells the story of it waiting in the Chronicle for a time of need.  Soren tells stories of Rua's exploits, how he drove out the bandits to the north, rescued Bedwyr from the Crinwin to the east, dove into the mines below Gordin's Delve to contact the Ustrina in the west, and supported out Hillfolk friends and allies to the south, bringing the light of civilization order and justice to all points of the map.  Esme calls Rua up to present him the sword and declares him Hero of Stonetop.  People are mostly accepting, but there are some odd looks at the choice of her in Rua.  Once the ceremony is over Soren lifts his mug in a toast.  He calls forward Rua and Betta and announces their proposal, putting them forward as great examples of the surety of future generations.

As the day begins visitors start to pour into the village.  Many of the usual traders and merchants arrive, including a small group from the Badger Paw tribe carrying woven baskets of what goods they have to spare.  During the fair Mad Gethin has been causing a disturbance.  His visions have always been more intense during the solstices, and right now they are stealing his grasp upon reality.  He is calling out to people who are not there, screaming erratically and generally being a nuisance.  Kiva sees this and it piques her curiosity and she wants to know how to help him out.  She takes some time to go to her new house and pulls out the mind gem.  It pulses warmly in her hand as she explains his situation then asks "Is there a way to alleviate this man's visions?  Can we cure him?"  The mind gem is silent for some time until it says "CONSIDERING.  RETRIEVING.  RETURN LATER."  Kiva feels it detach from her mind and withdraw back into the gem and she is left standing in her room alone with the gem in her hands.  As she goes to put the gem back she is overcome with a wave of dizziness and is barely able to stagger down the stairs back to the fair.  Everything is slightly off as she has trouble keeping her balance.  

Soren has setup an area for people to sample the whisky he made from the trippy mushrooms.  He is giving small samples and has prepared an area for them to relax and ride out the experience.  He is hoping to entice another trader or someone with more money than sense to enjoy the experience and buy the whole barrel for some decent money.  However, he is confronted by a group of three Hillfolk from the visiting Badger Paw tribe who are offended that he is selling a drink made from a process that they consider their culture and exposing them to the spirits without a spirit talker to guide them.  He can't really bring out Garnuss and explain this is sanctioned, so he tries to explain that he found the mushrooms within the broken tower, which they would not have gathered anyways so he wasn't taking anything away from them.  And they wouldn't want these mushrooms since the tower is obviously cursed.  He is able to cool the worst of their anger, but they still call him out as peddling dangerous wares to the unwary and taking advantage of them.  They stalk off and will surely spread the story to their kinsfolk.

With the announcement of Rua as the Hero of Stonetop and his engagement to Betta he is approached throughout the night with people congratulating them both and asking Rua if those stories that Soren told are true while offering him drinks.  Rua is embarrassed by all the attention and accepts the drinks readily to cover his awkwardness, but he happily confirms the stories and shows off the scars he has accumulated.  He doesn't even recognize some of the people, there are complete strangers and people not from stonetop congratulating them.  To those people he says "Thanks buddy!"  Over time he gets more and more drunk.

Soren is unable to drum up any interest in his special whisky, people are not really interested in indulging then having to travel all the way back home.  It doesn't help that the hillfolk have been talking to everyone they know about the argument they had.  Since he is unable to sell his brew he goes back to his house and pulls up a loose floorboard to reveal a purse of silvers he has hidden away for a rainy day.  He uses this to make a deal with a trader from Gordin's delve, they don't have large quantities on hand but they will deliver a load of quartz in a few weeks.  Soren pays for half upfront and agrees to pay the remainder upon delivery.  He has a handful of coins leftover so he wanders around the various stalls and buying a few trinkets for his friends and others in the village.  He finds a hillfolk craftsperson who has created a beautiful headdress made of small beads entwined with grasses.  It is beautiful but also functional, it instantly makes him think of Fio so he buys it with the remains of his silver.  At the end of the night during a quiet moment he gifts it to her.  He is very experienced with telling stories, embellishing their adventures and grandstanding in front of a crowd, but he has never tried to pursue a serious relationship.  His usual silver tongue fails him so he just says "I saw this and it made me think of you, so I want you to have it and keep it with you, I guess."  Fio is touched by this, accepts the gift and starts to undo her braid to wear the headdress.  Once she has it in place she stands up on her tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek.  Soren has a huge smile on his face for the rest of the night.

A messenger comes from Gordin's Delve, a clerk who introduces himself as working for Smiling Fransis.  Esme makes some time for him and he says that she is most certainly interested in a method of obtaining Aetherium but such an incredible claim needs incredible proof.  Esme takes him aside and shows him the Aetherium they have gathered so far.  She takes a portion, a tenth of a pound, and gives it to the man to bring back to Fransis, and brings in Kiva to give the technical explanation of how they will build a crucible to refine it using the lightning that regularly strikes the Stone in stonetop.  The messenger listens carefully and at the end stands up and says "I think it is likely that some sort of deal can be arranged.  I will return and talk to my mistress, you will hear from us."

Rua finds Kiva during the night.  He is still very drunk as he approaches her and asks what she thought about Stefan.  "uhhh, who?"  She asks.  "You know, Stefan.  He helped us fix up your house last week."  "Oh him!  He was a little bit of a weird guy, awkward and such.  Why?"  Rua explains that he invited Stefan to see how him and Kiva would get along.  Kiva kinda stutters and kinda walks back what she said, saying that awkwardness isn't bad necessarily...Rua says its fine, he got his answer considering she couldn't even remember his name.  Kiva explains that when people talk about attraction, both romantic and sexual, she has never really understood what they meant.  She doesn't really feel that kind of love or attraction.  Rua is flummoxed by this, he doesn't understand at all.  He thinks about Betta and how he loves her.  Kiva explains it like she is married to science, and if she met someone else who was also married to science they could have a lifelong friendship, but nothing romantic.  Rua nods, his drunkenness impeding his understanding but he says "I love you anyways bro" and gives her a biiiig hug.  

At the end of the fair once it quiets down and people have danced and drank themselves to exhaustion Kiva goes back home and pulls out the Mind Gem.  "THERE ARE TWO HYPOTHESIS.  ONE: THE SUBJECT IS BEING TORMENTED BY SPIRITS.  IF THIS IS THE CASE IT IS OUT OF MY REMIT, I RECOMMEND THE SUBJECT CONSULT AND EXPERT ON THE SPIRITUAL REALM.  TWO: THE SUBJECT IS ENCHANTED BY FAE MAGIC.  THIS CAN BE TESTED BY GIVING THE SUBJECT SOME BLACK IRON AND OBSERVING THE REACTION."  Kiva knows that black iron is a rare metal theorized to come from falling stars that is completely and utterly immune to magic.  It is hated by Fae creatures.  Kiva immediately rustles through her stuff until she finds the small sample of black iron she has and runs out to find Mad Gethin.  She finds him sitting on the low stone wall.  He seems calm, but she can see in his eyes that he isn't all there right now.  

Kiva slows down seeing him and approaches him slowly, making sure to stay within his sight so she doesn't spook him.  She sits next to him on the wall and says "Hey Gethin.  How are you today?"  He nods as she sits.  He says "I am a little better than last night.  Having all those people around made it worse.  Too much noise in my head.  I figured I would come out here and watch the sun come up.  It helps a little...Sorry for all of the, you know, the yelling.  I heard it wasn't great."  Kiva waves him off "You don't owe anyone an apology.  Its funny, when I am around people I get overstimulated and I like to go and look at the sky.  I think there is something reassuring about the constant of it.  The sun always comes up, its always there and always the same."  "You are lucky" Gethin replies "You just have to deal with whats in your head."  Kiva nods and says "I couldn't imaging dealing with what you are going through.  It sounds overwhelming and scary."  "Its better out here.  Its harder nearer the stone, its been weird lately."

Kiva asks "If you had the opportunity to make it all stop, would you take it?"  Gethin eyes her and starts edging away from her "Are you offering to kill me?!" he says.  "No!  No no no, not at all.  I like to experiment and learn about things and with your permission I would like to look into helping alleviate your symptoms.  I can't make any promises but this is my area of expertise."  Gethin is doubtful, even the chosen of Helior couldn't help him but he agrees.  Kiva explains that she has a simple test right now to see if his condition is Fae related.  He agrees and holds out his hand.  Kiva gently places the black iron in his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.  He holds it in his hand for a moment, the suddenly drops it and his body falls limply to the ground.  

Kiva starts to panic, thinking she might have killed him for a moment.  Then he rolls over and is breathing hard.  Kiva kneels next to him and if fussing over him, asking if he is okay and to explain what he felt.  "It was like having something peeled off my skin.  That doesn't sound right, but like if you get candle wax on your skin and you rip it off, but like my whole body.  Can I try it again?"  Kiva nods and gives it back to him.  He takes it and clutches it with both hands.  He leans back and says this time its not nearly as bad, then he looks at her and says "You don't have the patterns on your face." He looks around and says "They are gone!  Lets see..." he drops the black iron and looks around and the patterns are back.  He picks it back up and asks if he can keep the stone.  Kiva hesitates for a moment, but feels guilty about putting him through that and agrees to let him keep it.  He clutches it to his chest in thanks.  

After leaving him Kiva is mildly panicking about what happened so she goes to see Esme for reassurance.  After explaining what happened Esme nods sagely and says "Yep, it sounds like you fucked up a bit.  You didn't kill him but it was very hasty."  Esme is speaking in a motherly tone, not scolding her but making sure to get her point across.  "The best think to do now is to acknowledge you made a mistake, and rededicate yourself to doing better.  But I want to be clear here, you did a good thing today.  You assisted one of the most troubled of our community."  Kiva nods and says "Thanks a lot mom, uh I mean Esme."  Esme squeezes her shoulder warmly and makes her some soup.  

End of Session!