Reinald Vulperian | Early Evening 19th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

Our story continues as Reinald has arrived in his assigned guest room at Lucien's mansion.
He has about an hour before dinner and had permission to explore the estate freely. Röka, his whimsical spirit companion bound to the LegendKeeper tome, materializes on the bed, pretending to enjoy its comfort despite being incorporeal. They discuss whether Röka once had a mortal body, though Röka claims to remember little of such a life...

The conversation turns to their mission: investigating a criminal conspiracy involving a drug called "The Good Stuff." The substance is somehow harvested from living mushroom people dwelling in The Depths beneath the city, a disturbing practice that raises questions about how such harvesting occurs. An attendant of Lucien arrives with a document—a contacts list.

Three names on the list match the attackers from his prophetic dream: Douglas, Baeur’gard, and Celica. Two other contacts have already gone missing. Reinald secures the document, allowing Röka to archive it into the tome.

Reinald ventures into the mansion's hallways, eventually finding Victoria's lavish room decorated with Concordian furnishings. She reveals that Lucien preserved her workspace exactly as she left it years ago, even down to the wood splinters on her desk.

They discuss the troubling developments in Allura's Haven: the mayor has vanished and been replaced by Lewys, a deer-folk noble, with suspicious speed. Lewys was supposedly in Costa Del Rigido on business, yet managed to return and assume the mayorship within days of Reinald & Victoria's departure for the city... Victoria suspects Lewys is involved in the conspiracy, either willingly or through blackmail. The drug operation likely originates in The Depths, possibly connected to enemies of Rhazeth...

She has contacted an expert on The Depths who will arrive next tenday. Victoria reminds Reinald that their immediate priorities are meeting Rhazeth and contacting the people on Lucien's list. Reinald's relative anonymity in the city makes him ideal for some discreet investigation.

Their conversation shifts to Henry, The Ragnarthane and Ragnarveil family recently attempted to claim jurisdiction over him despite denying any connection, even bringing the matter to a council-vote. When Henry learned of this, he panicked completely. Victoria suspects Henry knows something critical but is bound by a spell too powerful to break—similar in nature to the magic that stripped Victoria of her spellcasting years ago.

She hints that Lucien knows more than he shares about the situation, and mentions an incident nine years ago involving three Howlbreakers who found Henry. She scratches absently at the scarred spot on her arm where her magic immunity manifests, a nervous habit when discussing her condition. The mystery of Henry's magical binding and its potential connection to Victoria's own curse weighs heavily on both their minds.

After their discussion, Reinald explores the library, where he encounters Aveline. She's friendly and eager to know more about him, Reinald tells that he's a scholar from Eureka's Gem and currently an interim professor. When she mentions her family's extensive business holdings in Allura's Haven such as bookshops, metalwork, spices, weaponry, and fine goods, Reinald realizes she's a significant figure in the city's commerce, essentially competing with the Hershkowitz-Weinberg family for trade dominance.

Aveline notices Reinald carries a rapier, one of Victoria's old blades. She reveals that Victoria learned fencing from Aveline's father, and the De Ragnaisse family maintains an ancient fencing tradition. Aveline expresses limited magical aptitude herself, preferring diplomacy and business to arcane spellcraft, though her brother excels at magic. She offers to spar with Reinald later to assess his fencing skills.

In the library, Reinald discovers an ancient tome called the Tome of Verdant Secrets, its cover adorned with dried leaves and intricate star patterns. The book contains nature magic spells, but one stands out as oddly placed: Feign Death, a necromantic spell that induces a death-like state indistinguishable from true death. Röka eagerly scribbles notes about the spell into Reinald's LegendKeeper. Aveline mentions the tome likely came from the wolffolk of Timberheart, connected to the idol Dragonlord Sylvirix and the World Tree Theory.

Brigitte Yrsdottir | Early Evening 19th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

Meanwhile in Allura's Haven, Brigitte prepares for practice in "The Bright Lye," the family's cover establishment. The Bright Lye operates as a small tavern with a modest fighting pit—a deliberate front designed to attract attention and satisfy the curious while keeping unwelcome eyes away from the true operation below. The real fighting happens in "The Cage," the underground arena accessed through hidden entrances that connect to the family's tunnel network.

Gurak rushes in, visibly worried—an unusual state for him. He needs Brigitte to handle distraction duty upstairs tonight instead of fighting below in The Cage. There's been suspicious activity on the streets following their morning investigation. Gurak was in the Trader District earlier, when a noble-like deerfolk arrived and thunderwaved the Mayor's Office' door open, and the city guards simply allowed it to happen! Gurak suspects this might be a Hershkowitz, possibly the son Lewys, who was supposed to be in Concordia, arriving on a ship with a golden lion emblem.

The Gator Brothers, Salt and Pepper, barge into the fighting pit and immediately head downstairs to prepare for their cage fight. Gurak and Brigitte realize that they need to get them out before any potential guard raids, as they would not be able to... be persuaded to stand down. Brigitte jumps down to the lower level and confronts the two lizards who are already stretching and warming up, eager to fight.

Brigitte plants herself between them and firmly declares there will be no fight tonight—but tomorrow she'll take them both on in a one-versus-two match. The promise of an even more exciting fight persuades Salt and Pepper to leave, though they make sure to leave scratches on the floor as a parting message before departing.

Reinald Vulperian | Evening 19th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

At dinner, Reinald dines with Victoria, Lucien, Aveline, her brother Luke, Brianna and Aveline's attendant Ervin. The meal passes pleasantly, though Reinald notices Henry's absence. Afterward, Reinald witnesses Brianna departing in an ornate carriage bearing the Weinberg family-crest. Luke escorts her with a lingering farewell that suggests deeper connection.

Aveline heads to the mansion gardens for an evening walk, shadowed protectively by Irvin. Reinald follows, intending to take her up on the sparring offer. Irvin initially challenges Reinald's intentions in following Aveline into the gardens alone at night, but Aveline dismisses his overprotectiveness. She accepts Reinald's sparring challenge, and they move to an open field.

The duel is fierce and closely matched. Aveline demonstrates superior technique, using weapon mastery to impose disadvantage on Reinald's attacks and maneuvering strategically. Reinald lands solid hits but struggles against her refined form. Röka briefly tempts Reinald to use magic for an advantage, but Reinald honors the agreement for swordplay only.

Aveline wins narrowly, Aveline and Ervin offer some advice about Reinald's rapier grip, showing him a better hand position for more effective strikes. They share tea afterward, and Aveline mentions she or her father could help refine his techniques further in the future.

Brigitte Yrsdottir | Evening 19th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

As part of the "distraction plan", Brigitte participates in a friendly fight against Coldrock in "The Bright Lye's small fighting area. The match is intense and evenly contested, with both warriors trading devastating blows. Brigitte struggles to maintain control as the beast within her grows restless with each exchange.

When Coldrock lands a powerful combination that nearly defeats Brigitte, The Beast Within suddenly seizes control. Brigitte's form shifts partially, her arm transforming into something more bestial and reptilian. She viciously bites into Coldrock's shoulder with far more force than appropriate for sparring, drawing a lot of blood and causing Coldrock to screech in pain. The crowd's cheers turn to uncertain murmurs as the bite continues, clearly exceeding the bounds of sport.

Brigitte fights internally to regain control, eventually forcing the beast back enough to release Coldrock. Sonia rushes into the pit to heal Coldrock's wound while Brigitte, still in beast form but calming, retreats to the bar. She grabs a drink from a patron without asking and tries to center herself as the transformation slowly reverses, yet the Beast within remains in control.

Sloane and Beastie approach Brigitte with news: City guards are coming. Moments later, six guards burst into the establishment, led by a large ram-horned commander in golden armor. They investigate the place and claim the mayor has enacted new laws banning betting on fights. The guards noticed Coldrock and Sonya someone leaving a nearby establishment with a serious bite wound, giving them justification to search the premises.

Brigitte and the others work to deflect the guards' investigation. When one guard finds betting tickets on a bear-folk patron, the commander uses this as evidence to shut down the establishment. The guards arrest the bearfolk and escort him out. Brigitte challenges the guards about the supposed new laws, and the commander claims Mayor Hershkowitz enacted them that very day. The guards attempt to search for the underground cage entrances.

Brigitte keeps the commander occupied through tense conversation while Beastie creates a distraction, bolting from the building causing three guards chase after him, reducing the search party. Brigitte and Sloane work to conceal the hidden entrances, and through a combination of persuasion and subtle distractions manage to keep the remaining guards busy, as they fail to discover the underground levels.

The guards depart after finding nothing conclusive, though the commander spits on the ground before leaving, clearly frustrated. The family has successfully protected their secrets, but the scrutiny has intensified dangerously.

After the guards leave, Brigitte heads to the mayor's office in the trader district. She observes workers repairing the entrance door, which was blasted apart by powerful magic. One of the workers explains the new mayor, Lewys Herskowitz, destroyed the door upon arrival. Brigitte finds this suspicious, the door was barricaded from inside, so how did Lewys know this without inside information? The dramatic entrance suggests Lewys arrived with predetermined plans.

Brigitte returns to the family hideout, meeting the enigmatic Branded attempting to unlock his own room's door. He claims his hand is injured, explaining his difficulty. Brigitte notes his discomfort but doesn't press. She checks on Coldrock, finding her being tended by Sonia. Coldrock glares murderously at Brigitte, clearly upset about the excessive bite.

Exhausted and conflicted, Brigitte retreats to her room, and she falls into troubled sleep, the day's events weighing heavily on her conscience...

Reinald Vulperian | Very Early Morning 20th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

The next day, Before Reinald, Victoria, Aveline and Ervin travel to Allura's Haven, Lucien privately gives Reinald a mysterious ticking clockwork device, suggesting it might prove useful. Reinald cannot identify its purpose immediately. The device ticks rhythmically, hinting at magical properties yet to be revealed.

Brigitte Yrsdottir | Early Morning 20th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

The next morning, Brigitte wakes still in control of herself rather than The Beast Within. She skips her morning exercises, feeling regretful about the previous night. In the common area, she finds Gurak waiting for her. He gently acknowledges what happened without judgment, offering understanding rather than condemnation. He heard about both the fight incident and the guard raid.

Brigitte admits she didn't mean to bite Coldrock so viciously. Gurak accepts this, and blames himself for throwing her into covering for others without better preparation. He suggests arranging a family meeting, but invites her to meditation on the beach first.

Branded, who happened to be in the room at the time, almost got invited along by Gurak. When Brigitte asks Gurak if he was about to invite Branded, Gurak observes that Branded seems equally broken as her.

Brigitte reluctantly agrees to bring Branded along. The three head to the beach, though Branded seems uncomfortable passing through the wealthier trader district in his conspicuous hood and mask. Gurak encourages him to keep his head high and ignore others' attention...

Reinald Vulperian | Morning 20th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

Upon arriving at Allura's Haven's city edge, Aveline gives Reinald a brief tour, pointing out her family's various holdings: the clothing shop Haven's Reach, a bookshop, the general store for supplies and weaponry, and the House of Trade. She mentions the mayor's office is located nearby, before departing to check on her warehouse. Victoria prepares to meet with the new mayor while Reinald sets out to investigate. Victoria reminds him to be discreet and avoid announcing his connection to her if possible. The reunion with his old Academy rival Lewys could wait.

In the trader district, he immediately notices tension in the air as merchants argue about Mayor Lewys's sudden policy changes. Two deer-folk women debate the new tariffs. They mention nasty business in Crow Street, a fire two nights ago, and troubling rumors about a potential curfew being enacted to control "those crows," their disparaging term for the district's poorer residents.

Reinald approaches and meets Ira Wildthorne, a spice merchant who also sells arcane spell components. She explains apologetically that new tariffs enacted just yesterday have forced her to raise prices, expressing frustration at the unexpected situation at hand.

Reinald & Brigitte | Morning 20th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

While traveling through the Trader's District, Brigitte spots a familiar fox-folk walking through the district—the same person from her prophetic dream. Acting on pure instinct, she rushes forward with supernatural speed and physically grabs him, dragging him into an alley and demanding to know why he was in her dream. Reinald is utterly bewildered, having no idea who this aggressive woman is or why she's grabbing him! But at the moment they look each other in the eyes, they realize the know each other's name!

Gurak and Branded catch up, and Gurak demands Brigitte to release Reinald and apologize for the assault. Brigitte reluctantly complies, though she's burning with questions about the shared dream. Reinald, trying to maintain composure despite being (wo)man-handled, suggests they talk somewhere more private and public simultaneously. Gurak proposes a lunch meeting at the The Barnacled Barrel tavern at noon. Brigitte, complying with Gurak's demands rushes off to the beach, while Gurak apologizes once more to Reinald before departing...

Brigitte Yrsdottir | Morning 20th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

At the beach, Gurak strips down to his loincloth and sits in his meditation position, a ritual Brigitte has witnessed many times before. Branded hesitates awkwardly, uncertain whether he should follow suit. Gurak tells him to do whatever makes him comfortable. Branded keeps his robes on and attempts to mimic Gurak's posture. Brigitte settles into her starting position, though her breathing comes loud and agitated, her mind racing with thoughts about the fox-folk from her dream now walking the streets.

Gurak begins his mantra: "You can keep it inside. It does not control you. You can control it." The words are meant for Brigitte, but they apply equally to Branded. A few minutes pass in relative silence, though Branded fidgets restlessly, unable to settle. Gurak makes no comment, allowing the disruption without judgment. Brigitte hears every shift and movement, and gets frustrated with him. "Branded, sit still! Eyes closed."

Branded complies, though his eyes remain wide open at first, staring at the waves. Gradually he closes them, matching the breathing rhythm of the others.

Another five minutes pass. Another five after that. Gurak keeps his eyes closed throughout. Then he speaks, asking Brigitte a pointed question: "Who did that just a moment ago? You or the other?" Brigitte admits it was her, not The Beast Within. Gurak asks if seeing the foxfolk again is truly so important. Brigitte hopes it's less important than she fears...

Gurak then turns his attention to Branded....

Gurak keeps his eyes closed for a long moment, then speaks. "Branded."

Silence.

"Why do you fight?"

Branded shifts uncomfortably. "Why do I fight?"

"You don't need to repeat the question. Just give me an answer."

More silence stretches between them, as the waves continue their rhythmic crash against the shore.

"I don't know," Branded finally says.

"Do you not know, or do you not want to share?"

Gurak waits. When no response comes, he adds,
"It's the second, isn't it? You don't have to share if you don't want to."

The pause grows longer. Brigitte can feel the tension even with her eyes closed.

"I... I fight to remember," Branded says quietly. "This is going to sound strange, but... I get flashes of things when I get hit in the face."

"Do you wish to share what you see?"

Branded exhales slowly. "Sometimes I'm on a plateau. Sometimes I see a lot of fire, and it hurts. And sometimes..." He hesitates. "Sometimes I'm with a strange tree."

"What do you mean by strange?"

"During the last fight with... Pepper, I think... I saw a tree with small little green diamonds."

Brigitte opens her eyes slightly...

"I can't exactly remember," Branded continues, "but when I fight, sometimes it flashes into my head. And I want to know what it is and what it means."

Gurak finally opens his eyes. "Do you hear that, Branded?"

"I hear the ocean."

"Exactly. Now try to listen to the waves go back and forth, and just let it wash away. In this moment of meditation, focus on yourself, not everything in your mind going on."

"I'll try," Branded whispers.

Another five to ten minutes pass. This time, Brigitte finds true rest, her mind finally clear and focused. When Gurak announces the meditation is complete, all three open their eyes. He asks if Branded feels better. A little, Branded admits. Good, Gurak responds, then suggests they get him some actual breakfast. Gurak suggests that Branded and Brigitte return together, He'll be following them soon, with Branded noticing that Gurak's breathing matches the movements of the waves.

After meditation, Brigitte and Branded walk back together, sharing surprisingly pleasant conversation about favorite foods and colors. Branded demonstrates a simple spell that makes a plain cracker taste like it's covered in cheese, a practical spell that impresses Brigitte a little bit. They discuss the noise problems in their underground quarters caused by Wilt, and Branded offers to create a magical sound barrier if Brigitte can gather the necessary materials for him.

During their conversation, Brigitte notices Branded's eyes briefly glow with otherworldly light. She receives a sudden vision: a young red-haired man entering old castle ruins. The vision snaps away as quickly as it came, leaving Brigitte with more questions about Branded's mysterious nature.

The family convenes for an emergency meeting. Rhazeth, clearly agitated, demands to know what happened the previous night. Brigitte explains she lost control and bit Coldrock, which drew guard attention to someone leaving a nearby establishment with a shoulder wound. The guards raided claiming new mayoral laws against betting on fights.

Kaelis, the family's information gatherer, provides some intelligence on the new mayor: Lewys Herskowitz, who prefers not to use the Weinberg surname suffix, despite being part of that family. He recently arrived from Concordia, but here's the critical detail—Lewys was traveling for atleast five days to reach Allura's Haven. Yet he somehow knew the previous mayor would be gone and arrived precisely when needed. The timing is impossibly convenient.

Brigitte adds that Lewys blasted open his own office door despite it being barricaded from inside, suggesting prior knowledge of the building's condition. Sonya points out the logical contradiction: why would Lewys destroy the door unless he already knew it was barricaded? Someone must have informed him, right? Or was it just a display?

The family also learns about new citywide tariffs enacted immediately upon Lewys's arrival. This affects everyone, including Sonya's potion shop.The sudden economic pressure seems designed to destabilize existing operations.

Branded and Brigitte come to the same crucial observation: the bearfolk patron who was arrested had betting tickets for The Cage fight below, but was found upstairs. Why would someone with tickets for the secret cage fights be in the public area...?

The guards focused exclusively on this one patron, took him into custody, and sent everyone else away. It's too convenient... The whole scenario was likely a setup to give guards an additional justification to search the premises.

Sloane and Beastie, who already had their own suspicions prior reveal, that Beastie pickpocketed a bag of white powder from the bearfolk before his arrest, preventing it from being discovered during that custody. Rhazeth orders it disposed of immediately, maintaining his strict prohibition against "The Good Stuff" within the family operations. He doesn't want anyone getting addicted to the substance.

The pieces seem to connect: the planted patron, the conveniently timed raid, the new mayor's impossible foreknowledge, the immediate policy changes. Someone seems to be targeting the family's operations, while destabilizing Allura's Haven's economy... Rhazeth orders everyone to investigate the new mayor's movements, connections, and beneficiaries of the new tariffs.

He also mentions a mysterious "high interest" visitor arriving tomorrow.
A harefolk who must be kept satisfied despite being potentially dangerous...

Reinald Vulperian | Before Noon 20th of Leaffall 248 A.T.C

At Haven's Reach clothing shop, Reinald encounters not Katrien but a large dragonfolk standing in for her. He recognizes him as Felix Fabulous, a former famous performer and Voidbreaker warrior, but now just a fancy clothier.

After dropping a subtle hint to his connection to Lucien, Felix mentions that Katrien was last seen in the Crow Streets and has been missing for days, which contradicts the story that she's simply out of town. The dragonfolk cryptically suggests Reinald return "just after closing if you need particular goods."

Reinald decides to investigate further, the bookshop owned by Hoocrates is closed. Outside, Reinald meets Serafina, a scholar attempting to return a borrowed book. She's concerned about Hoocrates's unexplained absence, as she regularly exchanges books with him. Serafina reveals she's from Howstead, which Reinald knows is currently closed off from the public following the Moonhowl Bloodbath incident three years ago.

Röka interjects, and offers Reinald a bargain: offer to return the book to Hoocrates so they can... examine it together... and he'll receive a new spell. Reinald agrees, introducing himself as Reinald Novelington, claiming distant relation to Professor Novelington. Serafina, who knows that professor and his wife through scholarly circles, trusts Reinald with the book and departs gratefully...

In a secluded area, Reinald opens the attached letter, finding personal correspondence between Serafina and Hoocrates discussing dragonfolk history and daily life. The book itself is remarkable: a tome with dragon-scale pages containing a story about dragonfolk learning the importance of shared bonds. More significantly, it includes instructions for a unique magical spell that allow sharing magic to others...

Reinald eventually stops reading as he realizes that the letter goes into more personal affairs, but Röka gets enthousiastic reading about Serafina's 'trouble in paradise'. As a reward, Röka grants Reinald the spell Dimensional Shove, Reinald carefully reseals the letter and secures the book, planning to investigate Hoocrates's disappearance further when opportunity allows...

As noon approaches, two strangers are drawn together by a mysterious dream they both shared. Neither understands how they know each other's names, nor why they fought side by side. Yet the conspiracy tightens around Allura's Haven...