The Wildemount Irregulars (2020)

OOC: history check: 18

Balassar, there's a famous Red Company in the histories of the Empire, over a hundred years ago.  It features in the stories that Empire kids learn from their elders.  You've met two 'Red Companies' already in your time - amateurs, kids who thought it was a cool name, barely able to hold a weapon the right way round.  Those that lived long enough to meet real mercs and learn to fight soon changed the name to avoid getting laughed at mercilessly.  Your guess is that this 'Red Company' is probably as green as they come.

Silent, Krista Harpin takes a deep breath before answering.  It started a couple of months ago.  She said... she was having strange dreams. Strange, because it was the same dream but not the same.  Like different chapters, but all from the same story.  In the dream she was an... elf.  A dark elf, she said.  A warrior.  Some of the dreams were of fighting, others of family.  Then about a month ago, she said she started having the dreams when she wasn't asleep.  Like they were memories.  I gave her some herbs to help her rest without dreams but it didn't help.  And then... she just stopped talking about it.  Like everything was fine again.  But she was always spending time talking to Carri and Seo, and they stopped talking to everyone else.  I didn't think much about it - she didn't seem unhappy, just distracted.  And then, they left.  All three of them, at the same time.  

Ema left me a note.  Krista goes into the house, and returns with a piece of paper that she offers to Silent.  In common, it says:

I'm sorry, ma.  I love you, but I have to find out what's happening to me.  I will come home when I can.  Please don't worry about me.  Love, Ema.

Krista takes the letter back as soon as you've finished reading.  I think...  I don't know what to think, but with the war and everything, and something about dark elves, I reckon this might be some kind of magic.  I was afraid to tell them in Bladegarden in case they accuse my poor Ema of something.  She's just a child.  But I couldn't think of anything else to do.

(OOC: Again just to make sure I'm not metagaming here - would Silent's "spidey sense" for consecution-related stuff be going off now? For what it's worth I don't remember much about the consecution and Luxon lore from CR, so I think Silent and I might actually have a similar level of understanding here. But let me know if that's off base or if any dice rolls would be needed.) 

OOC:  Silent can make another Investigation check or History check, to put the bits of the puzzle together in his mind.  I think you've heard enough to make the check with advantage this time.

Alton sips at his cup of tea, "This is some nice tea." He takes the time to listen to what Krista has to say and waits for her to finish, "Do you know if anyone saw which way they went?"

North-east, Krista replies.  But not on the road.  Off into the hills.  They used to walk those paths - they know their way through.  Davv Post saw them leave; thought they were just off to hunt or something.

History 19 

Silent, you've had a few moments to think about it.  The age seems about right.  Memories of being a drow, slowly resurfacing?  That would happen to a consecuted soul, if they died near here.  But it would require that a Luxon beacon was nearby when it happened, and that seems a very unlikely circumstance, given how far from the Dynasty this is.

Silent appears to be lost in thought for a few moments, brow deeply furrowed while he studies Ema's note. He eventually says, I reckon you're right on the money, Krista. Have you seen any dark elves in the area? Or heard tell of any... folk from Xhorhas coming through this town? 

Dark elves?  No, and I hope never to see such a creature.  We've patrols from the Righteous Brand come through every two or three days now, and I'm glad of it.

Of course, of course. Last question from me then - the Red Company. Fellow out in the fields mentioned you'd spoken to some folk by that name. Can you tell us anything about them? If we go on the hunt now we might well run into them. 

They said they'd try to track Ema and the others, Krista says.  I mostly spoke to the two brothers, Jules and Adrin.  They were younger than you, but they seemed eager to help.  I don't know much about them - they asked a few questions, and then they left the same way.

That's enough, I think, the niece pipes up.  Thanks for coming and looking into this; we're grateful.  The younger woman escorts you out politely but firmly, and you are left to yourselves in the village square.

Right lads - no easy way to put this but I reckon there's Kryn magic afoot here. Silent has dropped his voice to a whisper and will try to find a secluded location to explain his understanding of the events to the others. 

It's possible for certain drow of the Kryn Dynasty to... get reborn, I guess, in new bodies. Their memories transfer over, there's a sort of... awakening, I guess you could call it? Back home I'd seen it happen to orcs and half-orc kids, they go all funny and start remembering bits of their past lives. 

Thing is, this shouldn't be happening out here. There's these widgets called Luxon beacons that, uh, trap the souls of dead Kryn? Not too sure of the details myself, you need to be close to one to actually make the magic happen. But the details fit too well... which makes me wonder if there's a beacon that is somehow hanging out here in the middle o' nowhere. Crazy, but unless there's another explanation I'm not sure what else could have caused these disappearances.  

Alton takes a look around the village square, "So, what is our next move? Should we follow up with the others that were mentioned? Um... Davv Post, and those that knew Carri and Seo. Or should we just barrel on in and follow the trail?"

Longer we wait the more distance grows between us and them. I say we hit the road now. If what I think is happening is actually happening, they'll be heading for the Kryn border. And if they get past it... well, I guess wandering into a warzone is all in a day's work for us. 

Balassar just remains silent as he reflects on the fact that inexperienced mercenaries may be in the area. He just looks to his companions as they finish up and begin to contemplate what to do next "Say we head to the border then."

"Lets go talk with Davv Post then to get the trail they headed off on." Alton pipes up with, "At least it will be better than picking a random trail into the woods."

(OOC: Didn't the guy we first met indicate the way the Red Company went, and isn't that the same road that everybody else was seen heading down according to Krista? Not sure if that first guy was Davv Post.) 

(OOC:  From Krista and the first man you met, you do know the direction that the kids, and the Red Company, both took.  There won't be much more you can learn from the Posts - it will be survival checks to see how well you can track your quarry.)

Silent is ready to hit the road.