Session Notes for 2005-06-16

August 14th

We decide to ask the Dragon Matriarch about the Lost Flock. We head to her manor. She welcomes us. We explain that we're researching a group of half-mortal, half-fairies who headed south into the mortal realm thousands of years ago. We're hoping some dragons might remember those days. The Matron explains that the dragons from that area fled after a rash of mortal attacks. The dragons living there now are a new generation. She doesn't know where the older dragons from that area are. She will look into the matter for us; it will take several days. We thank her and take our leave.

We head to King's Court to research the Bloody Queen some more. We head to the library.

Lyle learns that there is one bloody queen who always get proper capitalization: the Bloody Queen. Her head was put on a pick 2,000 years ago. It doesn't specify her name. Morn learns that she died in a major battle near the Dragon Matriarch's house now stands. A significant amount of land was destroys and thousands died. The land has since recovered. The Faerie King slew her, beheaded her, and put her head on a pike. Her generals either died in battle or were exiled out of Faerie.

We ask a servant for rooms. We're given our old rooms. We eat. The rest of the group changes into provided clothes.

Lyle and I chat up bards in the court and hear stories about the battle between the King and the Bloody Queen. We don't learn much of value. Asking about the rise of the Queen, we learn she was low ranking. She originally lived on the mountain that the Grey King now lives on. She was manipulative and convinced many to support her and raised and army. She rode into battle in silver armor with a blood-red cloak. Legends say that she was blood thirsty, drinking virgins blood and relishing death.

Morn and Dorian ask the King about the battle. He is lounging out on the steps to his throne. It was a long battle and the first time he saw the Bloody Queen. The Bloody Queen was beautiful and a skilled warrior. The King met her in single combat and defeated her. He brought her head and body back. The body has single been "disposed of" to ensure that she couldn't return. He mentions that Robin was in the battle. Robin is the fellow who has been hanging around the King. He's always in the background making out with a red-headed woman.

Dorian and Morn speak with Robin and the red-headed woman he hangs out with. The were both present for the battle. Robin remembers the Queen as being "not fun"; apparently she didn't fall for his tricks. The woman thinks one of the generals escaped and is frustrated that the King didn't believe her. Robin thinks the Bloody Queen's name was Tarena, but he doesn't remember. Some of her soldiers called her the Red Queen. The Bloody Queen's parents died when she was little.

After a while two women enter. The King moves to his throne. The room quiets down. One woman is dressed entirely in white. She is introduced as the White Lady. Another wears more typical colorful clothing. She is introduced as Juliana. Juliana pleads that she had been seeing a mortal man. Juliana claims that the White Lady kidnapped and slew him. The White Lady admits to slaying the man. She insults men, both fairy and mortal. She says he was easily seduced and thus didn't desire the love of a fairy. The King and Robin retires to consider this.

Lyle wanders off with Ariana. Dorian speaks with a General who has made a study of older battles.

After a bit the King returns and stands before his throne. The room hushes again. He speaks against random killings. He promises a funeral for the Juliana's fiance. The King sentences the White Lady to stay in her mansion for ten years and to pay for the funeral. The sentence is apparently particularly harsh because she has been charged with murder so frequently.

August 15th

We do some more research, this time on the Red Queen. I find a few books written by sympathizers of the Bloody Queen.

We head back to Queen's court to check her library. Lyle finds a reference to a Red Queen being immortalized and copies of the statue being made by dwarves under Faerie. The dwarves are famed for making chess sets.

Lyle finds a brief reference to a water nymph named Tarena who lived with a great Lord. They disappeared.

We learn that Margot is back in court. We seek her out. She is in the throne room. She is wearing a severe, high-necked, black, beaded, embroidered dress. I ask her about her child. She doesn't seem happy about it. She ignores me and only responds when Morn addresses her.

We learn that Margot had a daughter. She was more mortal than fae. Margot was disappointed in her. The daughter took up with other half-fairies around her 100th birthday. They left and Margot doesn't know where. Margot is uninterested in her daughter's fate. Margot's daughter's name is Illat.

We chat with various fairies to learn about Margot and her sisters. They are all a bit disreputable, but in different ways. They are constantly at odds. They live in the same manor house. It's suggested that women are more welcome at the house than men.

Morn learns that several gods who have fallen have taken refuge in Faerie. These include an Earth god (replaced by a set of goddesses) and a god of love who was replaced with a goddess.

Wandering into the library, I stumble across the oldest looking faerie I've ever seen. I chat with him. He's reading a book of legends and grumbling about the inaccuracies. He says he stopped counting the years somewhere around his 10,000th birthday. We chat about the prophecy and other topics.

I learn that the old man's theory is that the Grey King might be the son of a couple that lived in the area and were power hungry. That would have been about 6,000 years ago; the Faerie King had them killed.

August 16th

We head to the Dragon Matriarch's. Over tea she tells us what she has learned. Most of the dragons from the area have moved far away, much too far for us to see. However, Hardig moved back. He's not fond of visitors. He's a big fan of pits, apparently. The Matriarch gives us directions to Hardig's lair in the mortal realm. The Matriarch also found a book discussing some half-fae entering the mortal realm and being taught magic by the dragons, confirming what we knew.

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