Home ownership not in mind when I left Illanon, but companions seem set on refurbishing, occupying keep. Do seem to have the money for it, at least for plaster-and-cheap-stone sort of repairs. Not that it was a masterpiece of building to begin with... talk of fixing it up just makes me miss the Mountain. Bet old Magnus Ironchin's finally finished his ten-span bridge.Money for keep, and otherwise, from Garhad stash found in cellar - near fifty thousands in gold and gems. Figured out trap and reset so is not entirely unguarded. Also fought those suits of armor - quite a disappointment as were magic rather than true mechanicals. And stupid zappy trap on door. Barg did get a good chop on one of them though. Spent a while trying to kill icky thing in well, but only managed to send it sulking to bottom of well. Barg has asked a priest to come turn it out or whatever they do.
Spent a while running around Telperest trying to figure stuff out. Telperest still not in flames - good. People joining cults - not so good. Cults fighting each other - bad. The main cults seem to be these guys in white who hate the Illendi and guys in red who like them, or maybe it's the other way around. They all think guys with four arms are big and scary and important, basically. Also doors to Other Places possibly opening in Feydark, also Lorcan asked us to look for his stupid son - thieving sort of loser who ran away from Shirondo, has a magic brooch that can disguise him. Hardly seemed like a priority given general unrest, but Lorcan said Grendels - mask-wearing humans that Kanton might be hanging around with, that Lorcan said were like some other guys from their country who hate Illendi - might be looking for his son, and of course if a four-armed guy turned up it could light off the whole Telperest blasting-keg, and who knows if the brooch would work on a dead guy, and the mayor thought it was really important too.
So we ended up splitting up, with Lucan and Barg wandering around lawless Telperest looking for rumors of suspiciously talented new gamblers, or something, and Ide sneaking into the main white-cloak compound to see if they knew anything, and me sitting on a roof nearby in case Ide got caught. Although he cheats and uses shadow-hoodoo to sneak... just as well I guess because I tried to explain how to tuck when he jumped and not hit these windchimes, but why would he listen to good old Cor. So, sat on a roof, became no-mind with the sounds of the city around me. Did see some Grendels pass by, but didn't want to hare off. Ide eventually came back and said the White-Cloaks were apparently interested in someone who looked a lot like Lucan. Went back to inn to meet up with Lucan and Barg, who had come back... with someone who looked a lot like Lucan.
Was, of course, Lorcan's stupid son in disguise (had gotten bezoar from Marius to help see through illusions - turned out to need to be in potions, which turned out to make you sick when you got near illusions. Typical stupid magic.). Pretty uncooperative given Lucan and Barg had just saved his life from Grendels. While I was sitting on a roof. Sounded like a pretty good fight - Barg took down a giant wolf in addition to a few of them. Would like to see their fighting style.
Anyways, Lorcan not around to immediately deliver son, so stripped him down of weapons and magic stuff. Possibly more daggers than Kanton, yeesh. Parna struggling and yelling so Ide had to put the whammy on him, and still had to convince innkeeper we weren't up to no good. Innkeeper wasn't convinced. Probably time to move to the keep - can only overpay so much, and Lucan told White Cloak guy they'd meet him at Sweaty Pig after Parna sorted things out with family, so not a bad time to get out of town.
Going through Parna's gear good thing, as turned out to have a big magic tag on his armor, probably how the Grendels were tracking him through the disguise. Unknown who put it there; Barg and Ide ended up having to go get Marius to take it off. By that time had all headed back to the keep, Lorcan having showed up and convinced us to untie his son, give him back his stuff. Parna pretty upset about having to part with armor; I offered personal pledge I'd get armor returned to him if in my power, but he seemed more persuaded by Ide's offer of a ring in pledge. Figures honor wouldn't mean much to a thief, I suppose. Was pretty nervous about having him in the keep but got reassurance from Lorcan that he wouldn't harm us or steal from us as long as Lorcan was around.
Not much of a promise if we're going to be stuck with him... but if we *could* get some kind of binding vow, then, well, was watching him fight. Nice dodgey style, if a bit dishonorably twisty; decent compliment to my own, really. Barg is a powerhouse, but a little hard to fight *with*, especially given the tendency to bellow and froth and go wild in the big fights. Could be good to have someone to flank with if Lucan's heading back to Illanon.
Anyways, with Parna found and not about to be revealed, triggering mass uprising, Marius poking us again on this "Heaven and Hell opening on to Feydark Forest" problem (Heaven and Hell human spirit-world Other Places). Am... not eager to get any closer to gates to Other Places, given this... thing... watching me. But, taking a couple days to prepare, find out if those daggers do anything useful, wait to hear if Feheley knows anything useful. Good training for me... meditating much. Can feel the stone in me cooperating with the monk.