Peldirion's 'library' is more of an extensive private collection in the Elf's study. It's impressive, but not on the scale that Seid has seen in sanctums of the Mabinogi's loremasters. Nevertheless, with a specific topic in mind it's much easier for the wizards to identify where to look, and after pouring through several books on ancient history, Seid finally finds what he has been looking for.

It seems that Erik of House Spangelhelm was Lord of Karaz Kadrin close to 1500 cycles ago. At the time, his family were the royal clan of the hold, as opposed to the modern House Drakebeard. Unfortunately, Elven authors wrote only a little about their Dwarven neighbours, and what remains from that era is scant. The period is described as the Morohta, an Elven name that roughly translates as the 'shadow war'. As far as Seid can tell, it seems that Lord Erik was an ally of the Elves in this conflict, his closest ally among them being one of their own great champions of the time. A Lord Kyne Stormchaser.

The books describing this period of history also mention the Petty King of nearby Quenlan, who went by the name of Math Mathonwy. He was clearly considered to be a powerful wizard of his time, and there are several legends describing his life and exploits.

Math's nephew Gilfaethwy had become obsessed with Goewin, Math's footholder. The magician Gwydion (Gilfaethwy's brother) devised a plan to make Goewin available. Gwydion told his uncle about an animal that was new to Breanne, called pigs, and how he could get them from their owner, Pryderi of Aethelyard. He took a band of men, including his brother, to Ceredigion, where they disguised themselves as bards to gain audience with King Pryderi.

Gwydion was a skilled storyteller and regaled the court with his tales. Having charmed the king, he offered to trade the pigs for some horses and dogs, which he had conjured through magic. Pryderi agreed to the trade and Gwydion and his men took the pigs back home to Quenlan, but his trickery was revealed and Pryderi waged war against Quenlan. While Math went to battle, Gilfaethwy raped Goewin.

The war ended when Gwydion killed Pryderi in single combat. Upon his return to his castle, King Math went to rest his feet in Goewin's lap, but could not, as she was no longer a virgin. He took her as his wife to save her honour, and then as punishment, banished his nephews, turning them into a breeding pair of deer for a year. He then turned them into wild boars for the next year and wolves the year after that. They had three children over the three years: Hyddwn, Hychddwn, and Bleiddwn.

After their punishment was over, Math asked their advice as to who should be his next virgin footholder. Gwydion suggested his sister, Arianrhod. However, Arianrhod was not a virgin, and when asked to step over Math's rod in order to prove her virginity she immediately gave birth to a son. Abandoning the child she fled in shame, letting drop a "lump of flesh" which was borne away by Gwydion and concealed in a chest. When Gwydion later opens the chest he discovered the lump of flesh to be a second child.

Meanwhile, the firstborn son of Arianrhod was acknowledged by his great uncle Math and given the name Dylan upon baptism. However, as soon as Dylan came in contact with the water of the Lady, he plunged into the sea and took on characteristics of a sea creature, moving through the seawater as perfectly as any fish, thus earning his new name, Dylan ail Don, "Dylan second wave".

The unnamed second child grew precociously and he and Gwydion grew very attached to one another. After four years Gwydion took the boy to see his mother, who refused to recognise him out of shame and anger that Gwydion should have nurtured the boy, and placed a tynged on him that he should have no name unless she gave it to him. To trick her into naming him, Gwydion disguised himself and the boy as shoemakers and as they were making shoes for her, the boy threw a stone at a bird and killed it. Arianrhod declared "The fair one struck with a deft hand", and thus he was named Lleu Llaw Gyffes, "Fair-Haired One of the Skillful Hand".

His trick revealed, Arianrhod placed a tynged on the boy again that he would not take up arms until she gave them to him. Time passed and Lleu grew big and strong. Again, Gwydion disguised his nephew and himself, this time as bards, and like he did to King Pryderi, entertained Arianrhod's court with stories. In the morning, Gwydion deceived Arianrhod to believe that her estate was under attack. When she asked for his advice, he bade her gird a sword on Lleu Llaw Gyffes, who he said was a skilful fighter. No sooner had she done so than Gwydion revealed the truth.

Furious at being tricked again, Arianrhod placed a tynged on her son once more, that he would never have a human wife. By this time, Math had come to sympathize with Gwydion. Together, they created a woman from the flowers of the oak, broom and meadowsweet and brought her to life, giving her the name Blodeuwedd "Flower-Faced".

One day, when Lleu was away from home visiting Math, Blodeuwedd saw a nobleman, named Gronw Pebr, passing and invited him to stay (for it would be rude not do so). They fell in love and concocted a plot to kill Lleu. Blodeuwedd elicited from Lleu how he could be killed — with one foot on the back of a goat and the other on the rim of a bath of water, underneath a canopy, using a spear that had been made over the course of a year only on days of worship. She told this to Gronw and he set out to make the spear.

A year later, she persuaded Lleu to demonstrate this odd position where he might be killed. Suspecting nothing, he did so. Gronw, who had been waiting in ambush, threw the spear he had made at him. However, rather than dying outright Lleu turned into an eagle and flew away wounded. Gronw then took Blodeuedd and Lleu's land. Gwydion went searching for his nephew and, by following a pig, found him (still an eagle) in a very bad state at the top of an oak tree by a lake. He called him down from the tree with three stanzas of poetry called the englynion Gwydion, transformed him back into a man and with Math nursed him back to health. Then Lleu sought revenge on Gronw and his wife.

Blodeuedd heard of this and fled, taking her maidens with her, but they were so frightened, that they ended up walking backwards to make sure nobody attacked them from behind. Unfortunately, they ended up falling into a lake, with only Blodeuedd surviving. Gwydion captured her and instead of killing her, turned her into an owl and cursed her with this form permanently through giving her the name Blodeuwedd, reflecting the owl's appearance.

Gronw offered Lleu land or money as payment, but Lleu would only accept one resolution: that he throw a spear at Gronw in the same way that he had been attacked. Gronw accepted, but asked that a large stone be placed between him and Lleu. Nevertheless, Lleu threw the spear right through the stone and killed Gronw. After this he took back his lands and later succeeded Math as king of Quenlan.

Vark sits alongside the two wizards, letting them lead the research. He is taken back to many afternoons spent with Aureaonus in his immense study, where he would listen as the sage recounted ancient tales. Once they’ve found all they can find on this Math figure, Vark finally chimes in. “That... that could be Matthew. He did tell me he had been a king a long time ago. Also uhm... when he came last night he had a pet snake, and a wolf. I don’t know... there were... a lot of animals in those stories. Maybe these animals were people once too?”

Seid spends much of the morning discussing the specifics of their findings with Peldirion as the elven wizard sifts through his collection to best find what he can. Seid constantly consults with Vark about his dream and any or all names, details that he can recall during their research. When he uncovers the myths about King Math Mathonwy, Seid stops and frowns as he seems to recall hearing these stories as a child and is flustered about the fact that he'd been unable to recall them sooner. "It's pretty clear to me, that this Matthew must be this King Math, but... how does he go from being the source of these tales to..." he gestures towards the card. "This. Did he make a pact with a demon or some sort of mysterious force? How does a mortal obtain this much power that a secret society wants to unleash for their own purposes. Gwydion... my surname... this cannot be a coincidence." He rubs his hands over his face as he ponders the implications of these things. "I think I understand the source of the Mabinogi more than I have in a very long time. Three illegitimate children born of two shapeshifted brothers, three beings of immense power, four prisons... One for Matthew, but why these other three? These symbols were elemental, each one representing a part of the wheel. Matthew... elemental..." Seid snaps his fingers suddenly. "Vark! The card!" He spends a good while examining it and looking into the indications of it. "...earth..." He flips the card over and over absently several times while pondering aloud "...earth, fire, water, wind... Nine points of the star... Owl... Morrigan? No, she was a raven... Matthew is the earth? Blodeuwedd is the wind? Dylan is the water? ...but then who is fire? ...who is the father of the Dylan and Lleu? Too many riddles..." He passes the card back to Vark and decides to shift directions.

"Peldirion, tell me... what do you know of about a being by the name of Morgale?" No sooner did those words leave his lips than suddenly all the lights in the room went dark and a coldness seeped over his being as a shiver crept up his spine. 'Careful, boy, there's power in names.' His old master used to tell him.

With a flick of his hand Peldirion reignites the lights with an astonished, slightly frightened look upon his face. "...what have you all uncovered? What are you involved with?"

Seid glances at Vark and then back to Peldirion, looking a little paler than he had a moment before. "...I don't know... This is all so much. Kings from a millennia ago? Shapeshifting? Ancient wizards? How did we get involved in this?" 'Get control of yourself, son! The Gwydion line does not breed weakness.' He could almost hear his father's condescension even this far away. 'Father... is this the secret you wished to bring me into? How disappointed you must be of your son.' Seid takes a deep breath. "Vark, might I see that card again please?" He takes the card and opens his spell book, begins to recite the ritual for detecting magics upon the token... Soon his suspicions are confirmed. He smiles wryly as he spends more time ritually casting a spell to identify the purpose of the item and frowns a bit when completed. He passes it back to Vark. "This... this is not what I expected it to be. I assumed Matthew would be using this as a scrying anchor, but... it will allow you and likely only you to cast a scrying spell once. This is a great boon, Vark, guard it well."

He thinks back to feeling the crept over him when the mentioned that name. "Vark, is that what it felt like when Matthew was part of you?" He listens intently to Vark's explanation. "Different... how strange... These entities must be tied somehow, but... what?!"

As Jex leaves the armoury, his deals concluded he overhears a conversation between two nearby elves recovering from partying too hard the night before. It appears one of them had lost their purse the night before, lost a bet and woken up to discover he had stepped in excrement the night before and trodden it all through his abode on his attival home, earning the scorn of his mate. "Such terrible luck." He was complaining. Jex grins at first, finding amusement in the misfortune, but it suddenly triggers memories of conversations the night before. People winning money, having accidents. The trader, Druindar, who Jex had sought out had obviously had the incredible fortune of making a deal with him, and furthermore Jex had decided not to kill him and keep the goods and the bonds. Highly coincidental luck indeed. He turns to Thurston at his side.

"Have you noticed all the polarised fortunes here? Very strange." He pauses for a second. "I know a professor here who might be able to help us. He will have need of your skills though, would you meet him in the Silver Tower? I must look this up in a book I think I have in the wagon. I will send him to meet you at the Silver Tower, his name is Sylfarion."

About 30 minutes later, an elf in high quality, but functional clothing, ink stained fingers, long hair scruffily tied back and clutching a notebook enters The Silver Tower in a bit of a rush. His voice cracks with the sense of urgency as he begins to ask anybody around him, "Tell me, have you been lucky today? Think! Its important, even a small thing could be significant!" He scribbles down notes from anyone who gives the time to answer. Frowning with a look of growing worry. He calls out. "Where is the one they call Thurston? There may be a danger we need to avert!" 

“Professor Sylfarion I presume” says Thurston. “My friend Jex told me that you may need help. It always surprise me how fast Jex can make a quitances. Come good professor sit with me and tell me about this danger and how we can fight the misfortune of the good people of Hyrandar” Thurston offers one fo the empty spots at his table. 

The professor smiles and takes the offered seat. He speaks quickly though, an edge of panic and urgency to his voice. 

"Ah. Jex, Yes! Fine fellow. Good heart. Very devout. Offered to help me, said you were the best person to look into these goings on. Now what do you know about Devils?" Without waiting he continues. Terrible creatures, twist fate and fortune with their dealings. But what most don't know is their very presence does the same on a smaller scale. Luck!" He almost shouts the word, waving a finger in the air towards Thurston. "Both good and bad, follows them around. Have you seen much luck here Thurston? Because I am seeing too much! And that is what we are looking for, these instances of luck to track who is harbouring this devil!" 

Thurston is about to answer the elf on his first question but the elf continues speaking. That happens every time the professor does a question and he tries to speak. Finally he says.

”By Thor’s beard professor!!” the voice of the paladin makes some elves with hangover close their eyes “Do you think there are devils around? We were witnesses of a great devil, or at least something devilry, being unleashed some days ago. Do you think this could be? What we should be looking?” He seems a little bit confused “ devils or luck? Thor allows me to sense those foul creatures. Just give me a second my good professor.” 
He closes his eyes and concentrates trying to sense any devil influence around the Silver Tower. 
Not feeling nothing he assures the professor.

”We should look in another place. Other place where the luck were twisted for this place seems clean. At least for now.” 

The professor grips the table in anticipation. "There may well be" He hisses in an exaggerated whisper. "What do you see?" He fixes him with a stare full of anticipation as Thurston senses for devilish presences in the room.

On hearing that there are none he gives a disappointed sigh. "That would have been too big a coincidence for it to be here now. We would have had to be very lucky..." He breaks off with a slight gasp. "We must be careful, for if we are not lucky in this we may be cursed as ones to receive ill fortune." His eyes widen, but he takes a deep breath. "No, we must not believe it so yet, or we will never succeed. We must question the people here and see when and where they experienced the luck. Help us narrow it down."

“Not trouble your head with that kind of thoughts dear professor. Thor will protect us for any bad ill or curse that devils could cast upon us. [he cast protection from evil on the professor] And my friend here could take care of any devil or demon that we find. “ the Norscan taps the head of his warhammer with confidence.

”Let’s see” he says at the professor suggestion and he heads towards one of the patrons that seems blue. 

“Good day my friend” he says in elvish practicing what  he has learned last night with a strong accent. 
Due to the volume of his voice not o Lu the one he was addressing but two more elves rise their heads thinking he was talking to them. 
“Are you feeling well?” He asks. If the elf says that he has hangover he gently offers his palm and says “if you allow me, maybe Thor can help with that. He has great experience with hangovers you see..”

[he spends 5 HP of Lay of Hands to “heal” the disease]

“You see... the good professor and I” he continues in common “wonder if you had suffered a rush of good luck yesterday and then it changed abruptly into bad luck, making you losing your coins... “ he says smiling. 

The professor nods in affirmation, standing behind Thurston eagerly, notebook and ink dipped pen in hand ready to furiously scribble down notes on anything they have to say.

"Or anything at all really. Any injury or argument. Good fortune too, a large win perhaps?" He adds. 

Vark takes the card back with newfound wonder. He’d assumed the object was a coded message, or a warning, but instead it was a gift. “If... if I can use this to scry... do you think I could use it to scry on Matthew? Or maybe...” his eyes light up and a grin spreads across his face. “I can use it to find Aury!” Immediately he holds the card tight with both hands and closes his eyes as he attempts to access the magic within it.

For as much as everyone came with their own missions and goals, Bründir was a bit of a layabout. This wasn't to say he was entirely idle, though. His mind was reeling with everything that needed to be done in Sheercleft. He wrestled with conflicts over what needed to be done, what was able to be done, and things stuck between can and can't. The temple and town hall were priorities; the town needed something for everyone to rally around. Then there was the mine...the tunnels were reclaimed, but supplies were needed, and who knows what was caved in or dismantled in the invasion? Homes were also a concern. Even in summer, no one should be put out. And what about businesses that didn't work directly with the mines? Tailors and tanners, farmers and shepherds, bakers and butchers. Many people were fed and kept by fruits of the mountain, but many others were needed to keep the town running.

At least half a dozen times everyday, Bründir's mind would spin through these needs of Sheercleft. Every time, he would start making little connections, like bringing in craftsmen from nearby Khazes, or sending shepherds to markets east of the mountains for livestock. Right when things began to click into place, something got messy. What happens if the shepherds get attacked by goblins in the mountains? Can we spare escorts? What if we don't have money for carpenters and masons? We bring in so much food from other places, we probably need to spend more to get re-supplied. These problems made the dwarf's head throb, and he would find a lonely place to yell at a wall if he could, or search for the bottom of a tall drink if he couldn't.

During the festival night, Bründir was wracked with mixed guilt and frustration. The elven mead helped a little, but eventually couldn't drown the questions. It didn't stop the dwarf from trying, though. In the morning, he looked for any of his companions in hopes of a distraction. He found Jex and Thurston, going on about some contact of Jex's. Without anything better to do but wallow in years of work ahead, Bründir followed close to The Silver Tower. Thurston's initial attempts at sensing for fiends made the dwarf roll his eyes.

"Do ye think it's stupid enough t'be strollin' about? Even hidden, it's pro'ly lurkin' in a hole." Bründir pulls his scabbard forward and pulls a few inches of his blade out. The gleaming metal showed no traces of its tell-tale glow, though. "I don' think ye can keep those fancy eyes peekin' all day, an' people would'na want ye to anyway. Let's start where we think it's at, an' Dumdrengi'll tell us if we're close," Bründir returns the blade and pats the hilt, "Won't ye, ye angry lil' bastard?"

The card grows warm in Vark's hand as he concentrates on it, and begins to glow a dull orange around the edges. However, the young sorcerer himself doesn't notice. Instead he experiences a sudden sensation of vertigo as his perspective rushes up and out of his body. Vark's viewpoint soars above the canopy of the forest until he is left suspended high in the sky, His gaze is drawn south along the mountains, past the great towers of Karaz Kadrin and towards the Jötnar Wastes. The landscape feels like it is racing towards him, so quickly that he will collide with it. However, as suddenly as the movement began, it is over once more.

Before Vark lies the great mountain of Endelfjell. It looms over the southern tip of the Ice Cap Peaks. High winds and rain ravage the surrounding landscape, and, despite the oncoming spring, the ground is lined with deep drifts of snow. Lightning flashes in the sky, followed by booming peals of thunder that almost sound like the moans of a great giant echoing about the mountainside. Again Vark's perspective is drawn higher into the air, as though sucked up by some irresistible force. He looks down upon the mountain and sees the great cyclone of the storm swirl about its peak in an eternal circle.

When Vark awakes from his vision, flicking red flames have consumed the card and it crumbles to ash between his fingertips.

"Oh, you showed up just in time," the elf tells Thurston gratefully, removing his fingers from where, until just now, they had been massaging his temples. "What a stroke of good luck! Now you come to mention it, that has been going around. My son tells me I'm to be a grandfather, you know!" He tells Thurston, his face beaming with pride. "Hanali be praised!"

"Praise Hanali indeed." The professor mumbles a step behind Thurston. "This is a lucky one." He furiously scribbles notes in his book.

Free hangover cure. Location: Silver Tower.

Becoming Grandfather. Location:

Looking up he gives a grin. "Oh, what wonderful news, when did he tell you that?" 

"Oh, just last night, at the festival!" The elf declares, happily. "He said they hadn't known long. Not much more than a week."

“May Freya look upon your new family my friend!” Wishes Thurston with a smile to the elf. 

"Perplexing indeed." The professor muses as they leave the group. "The devil could have been amongst us a week ago. Or perhaps this is an isolated incidence of regular good fortune! We need more evidence!" 

Val listens quietly to this talk of devils and deal making and luck... not sure what she thinks about all this, but she is mostly suspicious of this "acquaintance" of Jex's. Something about him makes her hackles rise and she doesn't trust him, making it very clear to the elven man as such. "Yes, amongst 'us'. Sure... 'professor'." Despite her suspicions she cannot pick up anything from the man, he seems to truly be who he claims to be, but still... she just cannot get around something about him... "Well, shall we carry on then? See what else we can track down?"

“Where to now dear professor? All the burst of good luck seem to have happened during the festival. I think that is not related to the bad smoke that Matthew liberated...”

"Yes. Right. Glad to have you with us. Umm... You are all friends of Jex's? My, he's a popular fellow. Hardly surprising. Very good then. Let's see who else has a story to tell us!" Rallying his enthusiasm, the professor indicates the other patrons in the inn.