Chapter Four

Last chapter, our heroes found themselves in the middle of a chaotic battle in the Main Street of Robellia, trying to beat back a horde of iron puppets!

The Greenbriars grit their teeth and stand their ground against the onslaught of puppets. You and your newfound friends dive into the melee, providing some backup to the Royal Honorary Guard. Greenbriars and Recruits stand back to back, and the tide of the battle begins to turn.

The Greenbriars regain their formation, and with expert proficiency they begin to neutralize the enemy. A knight to your left sees two puppets launching through the air towards you. She deftly casts a sign with her fingers and the two puppets freeze midair for a moment. Her partner cleaves through them with a huge deadly looking sword, and the metal bodies clatter to the cobblestoned pavement.

Suddenly, an ear splitting sound fills the air - like unoiled metal gears screeching against each other. The group looks around wildly for the source. Bolts of black lightning fizzle and arc in a circle through the air next to the puppet float. A swirling vortex of magic appears, like a dark doorway. A portal!

The puppets jerk into action; scuttling, leaping and scrambling towards it.

Stop those puppets!

The Greenbriars rush forward, trying to stop the retreat, but the little metal buggers are slippery, and incredibly swift. They dash from all corners of the street and launch themselves into the swirling mass. And as quickly as it arrived, the portal begins to shrink.

As you all rush toward it, you catch a glimpse through the portal. You see a red and orange forest carpeted with a bed of crunchy leaves. The puppets wait on the other side, gathered around a dark figure. You see a horrible blank metal face with pale, staring eyes, before the portal closes in on itself and a blast of energy throws you all back.

There is a pause, the street completely silent for a moment.

A deep voice breaks the silence. “I seem to have missed all the fun.”

You turn to see the imposing figure of a man with sharp eyes that pierce through you. He has a wild beard and even wilder eyebrows framing a sharp face, and as you look him up and down you spot the huge talons poking out from the bottom of his tunic. You realize the ruffled cloak draped around his arms is actually a set of massive wings. A male harpy!

He surveys the scene solemnly.

“My name is Guildmaster Sparrow. We have much to discuss.”

Bruised, weary and a little charred, you all trek towards the Spring Court Castle. Sparrow leads the party, walking beside a senior Greenbriar Knight and talking in a low voice.

As you make your way up the battered and quiet cobblestone streets, citizens warily duck out from behind doors and closed window shutters. A Greenbriar walking next to you holds a bundle wrapped in a thick woolen cloth - the remains of a fallen iron puppet that was cut down in the retreat.

The road becomes steep, and the castle comes into view. Set high up in the mountains, nestled into the clouds, is a huge white sandstone castle. Ivy and flowers crawl all over its stone facade, like green tentacles trying to pull the palace back into the mountain. Towers rise into the sky with blue tiled roofing barely visible at your ground height. You come to an immense set of stairs that ascend to the portcullis of the castle, and with a weary glance up to the tower, your party begins their upward trek.

A little while later, you finally broach the top of the stairway and look back down over the city of Robellia, its winding cobblestone lanes and homely brick and wood townhouses still wreathed in flowers and lanterns from the night before. Thick plumes of black smoke rise from the direction of the main street.

But there is no time to appreciate the view, as the immense castle doors creak open very slightly, and a face peers out at your party. A chanterelle mushroom in a page’s outfit with a magnificent mustache and a gold monocle regards you. He seems satisfied, and steps out to address the group.

With this astonishing statement, Jacques throws open the castle doors and you step into a scene of disarray.

You stand in a vast castle courtyard. Flowers and white mushrooms the size of wagons adorn the garden, with immense twisting cherry trees dropping petals that swirl through the late afternoon air. Fireflies and glowing butterflies dart about. A breathtaking fountain lies in the centre of the courtyard - depicting the Duchess Langley (quite naked) holding a Satyr aloft as it spits water into the fountain pool. Fairies and pixies dart around too - one of them almost careening into your head as it rushes past. “Out of my way!” It squeaks.

Other Spring Courtiers turn to face your group as you enter. They huddle in groups around the perimeter, talking nervously amongst themselves. You spy a few courtiers slumped against the stone walls, pale and quiet, with bandages wrapped around them. A high fae in the corner is receiving magical aid from a gnome woman. A gigantic snail is having his head bandaged by a couple of fairies. There are greenbriars around - different from those you aided in the town square - battered, bloodied and beaten. One is rushed past you on a stretcher made from gigantic rose leaves. Some of the magnificent flowers are still smoldering with a strange black fire. The inner courtyard doors have been blown off their hinges.

Jacques voice enters your mind once again. “Zey obviously planned for ze Royal Guard and Duke and Duchess to be down at ze flower parade. Indeed no sooner had it started than we received messages zat ze castle was beset by strange metal men. Portalling in out of nowhere - how zey got through our glamour field and arcane barriers, I have no idea-“

He stops your group in the center of the courtyard.

“You will wait here until ze Duchess is ready for you. I will be back soon.”

Jacques returns about an hour later, and announces solemnly. "Zey will see you now. I will take you to ze throne room."

He takes you through the ruined inner doors and into the castle. You reach an ornate, exquisitely detailed set of oak doors. The reliefs carved into the wood depict whimsical scenes of unicorns casting magic spells - sparks flying out of their horns, satyrs drinking and dancing merrily, brownies playing chess on toadstools, and other such scenes of merriment. The two Greenbriars guarding either side of the door are bandaged but stalwart.

The doors open and you again are beset by wonder. You seem to have stepped into another dimension entirely. You are in a lush forest carpeted with thick, soft moss beneath your feet. The lighting is dim, but lanterns and glowing butterflies provide soft light to see by. There are more gigantic flowers and toadstools blooming in clusters around the bases of immense trees that seem to reach into the sky without end. You hear the sound of gently rushing water and spot an idyllic looking waterfall with a pond. A serene, white swan glides across the surface. In the distance, a giant white rabbit scratches the back of its ear and hops away.

The Duke and Duchess sit astride thrones of gnarled wood decorated with flowers. They are even more resplendent close-up! Jacques takes his place beside them, looking proud and self important. He pulls out a golden trumpet, but a long graceful hand waves it away.

“No need, master Jacques. This is a private meeting among friends.” Fridenot smiles at you all.

Sparrow steps forward. “Thank you for meeting us, your graces. I trust you have been receiving my letters? We must discuss the aim of these-“

“Their aim” interrupts the Duchess, putting her nose in the air. “Was Rhiannon’s sacred bow; White Harvest. Entrusted to the spring court to protect, which we have done successfully for eons I might add. And yet they accomplished their aim, cutting down half of my court in the process.”

“Our court magician, as well as some senior courtiers and the captain of the Royal Guard, is also missing.” Says Fridenot solemnly. “We have to assume they have been kidnapped. Or, they were accomplices and have gone into hiding.”

Sparrow frowns. “I believe they have been taken. That seems the likeliest possibility, seeing as I was almost taken myself by a pair of machine fellows on my way to the spring duchy. It seems they did not want me getting here.”

“It’s clear who the perpetrator is!” The Duchess cuts in shrilly. “Only the Autumn Duchy has this kind of technology! And we have witness reports that the puppet creatures portalled into the autumn duchy during their escape. I should have a war party marching on Aoife right this moment!”

Fridenot pats his lover's arm gently. “Those cursed monkeys you just mailed her were a nice touch, dear.”

“This is not the style of the autumn court, nor would any fae I know willingly work with iron.” Sparrow starts. “I fear this is a new enemy, one unknown to us-“

“Ridiculous.” The Duchesses tone is blunt. “It’s clearly the Autumn Court - the evidence is damnable! Sparrow, I will give you and your guild a chance to apprehend Aoife peacefully. In fact-“ Her eyes light up. “Yes… go and infiltrate her court. Plead her help, pretend to be naive, and then find the workshop where she crafts these damnable beasts and arrest her! She will answer to our court for her crimes!”

“Your Grace-“

“Enough! You will do this, or I will consider you aiding and abetting an enemy of the Spring Court.”

Sparrow bows his head.

Fridenot rises and offers his arm to his wife, and they sail from the room. Jacques follows closely behind. He casts a backward glance at your group, and there is something almost apologetic in his gaze.

Sparrow turns to you and the others. “We must alight to the Autumn Court right away. I do not believe Aoife to be behind this attack, but perhaps she will be able to assist us in learning more about these machines. Indeed, I fear the trail leads to the Autumn Court next, regardless of who is behind the attack on the Spring Court.”

His serious face looks out over you all. “Friends, you have seen a little of what we are up against. I hear strange tidings from all over the land of dark magic and strange disappearances. I fear this is just the beginning of some evil plot to threaten all of Folkland.” He pauses. “This quest will not be an easy one. We will investigate the Autumn Court and try to pick up the trail of these creatures. However, the purpose of this guild is to protect not one duchy or court, but all of them.” He pauses again, looking around at the group. At the faces looking back at him - Fae beings from all over Folkland that have gathered together with nothing but scrawled notes and signet rings to guide them.

“Are you still with me?” Sparrow says.

An important looking gnome ushers you and a few others into one of the many fairy rings in the castle courtyard. “Please keep all hands and feet inside the fairy ring at all times.” He pauses. “As well as ears and tails. Right - off you go.”

Sparrow calls out as the wind starts to rise around you and the mushrooms glow brighter.

“We will have to trek to reach the capital of the Autumn Court. I will tell you more about the Guild on the way.”

You feel a surge of magical energy, and feel your body and mind slipping away, as if you were diving headlong into a fast moving current.

Autumn duchy, here we come.

As these quests are part of the main campaign, there is no due date to complete them. Quests also do not need to be completed in order.

Stay tuned for Chapter Five!