Baron Erodan of Iradel
Nade City, Nade. And on Iradel: the Traverton, Baronite Valley, and Mehu village of Abarel.
Five days pass before the Gate opening from Nade to Iradel. The party prepares to cross to that high snowy Island and approach an Iradeli Baron about giving up secrets on which he has a deep reputation. Orosh in particular chats up local Angbol recruiters for rumors, and finds that indeed a Brightstar higher-up called Borlu came through about 4 years ago, causing a ruckus and then blowing out to Iradel.
The Gate plaza on Nade is crowded with people dressed for cooler weather, and on the other side of the Gate the party enters the Traverton of Iradel under the dome of the Gatehouse. They pass through the town quickly, finding the local Anvardi Hotelier Clan folk to take them to their own Alshekal House on Iradel, about a half mile from the Traverton on the edges of the Baronite Valley, where most Barons of Iradel have their manors and estates. There is a blanket of snow on the ground, and intermittent squalls are the norm on Iradel.
Approaching the house, the Anvardi pause to cart away two blackened human forms from near a side window. They say that most houses of means on Iradel have such protections against thieves, and every so often they remove the bodies. The house itself is a small two story manor. A front gallery contains what appear to be portraits of previous residents. Akissi promptly finds a secret door to a small cellar in which the party finds another Spirit of Intellect vessel, this one for a younger Enelach. He is invoked, appears, and doesn't recognize Ramach - he was distilled into this vessel almost 20 years prior. He says he contains memories of a drop that a younger Enelach wanted to forget, as well as information about the house and young Enelach's obsession with the Barons of Iradel.
About the house: It has protections that can be invoked by anyone with a coin, is by itself permanently immune to scrying or divination, has some kind of arcane circle under the floorboards in an upstairs room, has a large collection of formalwear in an attic space, and because of its location the Arcanist's powers do not work here.
About young Enelach's obsession with the Barons: indeed the entire Baronite Valley seems to dampen or suppress Arcanist's powers, and the Barons grew rich and locally powerful on this fact. Young Enelach wanted to know why and how, and spent much time in the company of the Barons and their entourages. He eventually gave it up for other pursuits, and left his memories of it here in the SOI.
He is happy to talk about the Barons, but most of his knowledge is very out of date. He helps the party dress in the more formal style of the nobility of Iradel before they approach one of their contacts (given by the older Enelach SOI), the Baron Bredini.
At the Bredini manor, the name Enelach is recognized by an older armsman and the party is invited in and given some time with the current Baroness, a middle-aged woman who says her father the previous Baron passed away of old age last year. She confirms the family's interest in magic items and retrieving their old collection, but avers that some bad business dealings of her late father have left them rather cash poor. She would gladly extend credit or trade favors, if need be. The pary asks after the Baron Erodan, and offers to trade a magic item for a formal introduction. The Barness agrees, and takes a cloak of endure elements in exchange. She says she was to be betrothed to the current Baron Erodan many years ago, but in the tradition of his family he took a random bride from among the people of Iradel. Although it has been awkward since, she is certain she can gain an audience for the party.
While they wait for her word of introduction, Koros and Orosh investigate the Traverton for news of either RInsluk or Borlu. The Angbol recruiters on Iradel do remember Borlu coming through, but have not heard of him in years. Otherwise no one knows much. The Baroness's letter arrives 5 days later, saying she has arranged a meeting with Erodan in 3 days time. Things evidently work slowly among the Barons of Iradel.
Erodan's manor is larger and better appointed than the Bredini's, and the party is treated to finer foods and libations before their meeting. In the room are Erodan, three trusted Armsmen, and his assistant Trinik, a small bespectacled man, whim the Baron confers with at many points with whispered side conversations. The Baron assures the party that all of them are inner circle and can be trusted. Koros speaks for the party, and directly tells the Baron that they seek a man named Rinsluk that the Baron made disappear. Not to harm him, but to ask him questions. The Baron at first puts up a haughty and indignant air, but after an aside with Trinik the Baron turns around and is just as direct with the party. He says that his rarified services are accompanied by an ability to acutely see into other's affairs, but the party, strangely, is as opaque to him as if each of them had partook of the Baron's services already. He says he would be willing to trade information if the party would be willing to tell him how they accomplish such a feat.
Koros at first begins to weave a tale of an artifact on a distant Island, but soon Ramach slips his coin to Koros and asks Erodan if he can be "seen" now. Erodan sends an Armsman to retrieve a young redheaded woman, evidently the Baroness, who after a whispered conversation with Erodan closes her eyes in concentration and then says aloud, "Yes, I can see him now." Ramach takes back the coin and asks again, and the woman then replies, "No, he is gone."
After another quick aside with Trinik, the Baron lays an offer on the table. He says he will give a physical location for the man the party calls Rinsluk if the party will let him study the artifact. He will also offer his own service to cover the party from prying eyes during this time, which will cover them for up to a year. After a party-only conversation, the party says they will need more time to consider, and they leave the meeting without resolution.
The party figures that since RInsluk was here about four years ago, the Baron's effect may have worn off, and they'd like to try the vision potion they received from Chull before making a deal with the Baron. That evening Ramach brews and swallows the potion.
He immediately vomits up the day's nourishment and curls up on the floor in delirious agony for 8 hours. When he is well again, he can distinctly remember a series of visions:
A rangy man with a large beard and a wide grin on his face in a rented room, looking at a table with not one but TWO objects matching the description of the Gate Compass.
The same man, running from amorphous threats through cities and Gates and Islands, sometimes from men with Brightstar platinum coins for eyes, sometimes from Arcanists, sometimes from monsters.
The same man, trudging up a snowy path to Erodan's manor.
And then the last scene repeated 3 more times, an older and more wooly-bearded version of the same man in each.
Ramach is convinced that he knows this man, but cannot place from where. From the visions the party infers that RInsluk has renewed his year-long protection form divination every year. Ramach attempts to figure if he is due for another soon by mulling over Gate schedules and timelines, but the variances are just too large and Rinsluk could have come early. While the party ponders a message arrives from Erodan. He can promise to have the object back to the party by the time the Iradel-Nade Gate closes. Th party decides to take his deal.
Their second meeting with Erodan and his confidants is longer - the Baron's hoo-doo needs to happen at midnight and he hosts the party for an evening of stories and revelry. Orosh and Trinik in particular have a few long side conversations. Koros takes the plunge, and offers his coin. He is taken away for an hour, and comes back saying only that, "It was really fucking weird." The Baron calls a younger Armsman to the room, and after some convincing the man explains that Rinsluk bought a tavern near the Mehujaeli dropper village of Abarel here on Iradel. Ramach now remembers where he has seen that face - the man served him many drinks before Ramach made his nighttime plunge from Iradel to Mehujael to earn his Alshekal coin form Enelach.
In the morning the party sets out for Abarel, a two day walk across the Island. As they approach, the celebration in the air is apparent - it is the eve of a rare three-Island convergence (Irade, Vaaris, Nade) and the daredevils among the high dropper community are preparing for a wildly dangerous drop.
The tavern sits on a snowy ridge above the village. The party steps in at dusk, snow blowing sideways outside. The place is cozy, lit and warmed by many fires, but is mostly empty as many revelers are in Abarel itself. Rinsluk is behind the bar polishing glassware next to a young Mehuljaeli woman. Koros approaches the bar and calls Rinsluk by name. The man looks surprised, then calmly whispers to the woman, who walks to a side booth and picks up a toddler and heads for a side door....Akissi gently stops her. Rinsluk raises his hands, says, "No violence please," and then tells the few remaining patrons to clear out. They do, and at the last slam of the door shutting out the coming storm, Rinsluk asks, "How did you find me?" He then tilts his head sideways and says, "And were you followed?"
The door slams open again, and Trinik enters, now dressed in fancier livery and accompanied by two hulking armored soldiers. He takes off his glasses, wipes them, and says, "Rinsluk! Greetings from the Brightstar Guild!"