Welcome back, dear reader! We left Essryd in Nurien after returning from Tormau and now, after 7 days we join her when she receives a strange note from her stewart. In this part, I was finally able to make use of the conspiracy rules in HMK and started investigating further for who exactly the instigators of her family’s assassination were.
Let’s jump back to Nurien Keep in the year TR 720 …
Scene #10 – A sister is a friend you don’t have to avoid the truth with
24 Núzyæl TR 720
Edryd Swavely approaches Essryd with an unusual report: guards have encountered a woman seeking information about the location where her sister, Rodgardæ, had perished.
Confusion momentarily clouds Essryd’s expression as she contemplates this unexpected inquiry. Promptly, she exits the keep and makes her way through the village. Upon passing through the gate, she slows her pace, eyes keenly scanning for unfamiliar faces.
She observes a young woman, likely around eighteen, engaged in conversation with Gwenallt Bloyd, who gestures towards an alleyway—a grim reminder of Rodgardæ’s fate just weeks prior.
Essryd discreetly positions herself behind cover and follows the grieving sister. The girl, carrying a small bouquet of flowers, appears deeply sorrowful and absorbed in her thoughts. Unaware of Essryd’s presence, she kneels at the specified spot, placing the flowers on the ground with a murmured sob.
Choosing a moment to reveal herself, Essryd casually walks by the mourning girl. In an astute approach to offer solace, Essryd gently inquires if she can assist, noting the evident distress on the young woman’s face.
The girl, with red-rimmed eyes reflecting her grief, explains that her sister met her end in this very place. Demonstrating practiced empathy, Essryd feigns shock and extends heartfelt condolences.
Introducing herself as Galieviana—a local persona she adopts for the interaction—Essryd politely requests the girl’s name. Upon learning that she is called Linena, she probes further, asking what might have brought her’s sister to Nurien at such a fateful juncture.
Linena elucidates their profession as courtesans from the guild house in Techen, expressing bewilderment over Rodgardæ’s activities in Nurien, which remain undisclosed to her. She recounts her sister’s departure with an anticipated return after four days—a promise that never materialized.
Overcome by concern and fear upon her sister’s non-return, Linena undertook a search that ultimately led her to the tragic confirmation of Rodgardæ’s demise. In response, Essryd expresses pretended sadness, corroborating the sorrowful news with an acknowledgment she had heard about a girl’s recent end in Nurien.
Essryd probes further on the frequency of Rodgardæ’s unexplained absences, eliciting confirmation from Linena that her sister had been departing Techen periodically over recent months for unspecified business outside the city.
Linena reveals an escalating pattern: after a man began frequenting their guild house to meet with Rodgardæ, her behavior grew increasingly enigmatic. This detail piques Essryd’s curiosity. She queries the nature of this man—his potential involvement in the dire outcome now before them.
Through tearful recounts, Linena describes Sigeric: a tall figure in his forties, dark-haired, and attired finely—a man whose intentions might have cast an ominous shadow over Rodgardæ’s fate.
Having imparted necessary reassurances, Essryd politely informs Linena that pressing duties require her immediate attention and bids a well-wishing farewell. She inquires about Linena’s future plans, learning that the guild mistress has granted her leave to investigate Rodgardæ’s circumstances and visit their parents.
With swiftness, Essryd retreats around the corner and, once out of sight, breaks into a run towards Nurien Keep. There, she conveys an urgent directive to Edryd Swavely: arrange for her prompt departure to Techen. She briefs him on her discoveries regarding Sigeric and emphasizes the need for discreet inquiries in Techen while entrusting daily affairs within the Keep to his capable stewardship.
Preparing for her secret endeavor, Essryd hastily packs essentials. Her plan includes a disguise as a humble girl, leading her to seek out Moire, the Kath slave girl. With a mixture of perplexity and shyness, Moire acquiesces to lending her garments. Armed with this attire, Essryd swiftly moves towards the stables where her horse awaits—a steed now geared for the clandestine journey to Techen.
Scene #11 – Tricks and treachery …
24 Núzyæl TR 720
The journey to Techen transpires smoothly and without incident, covering the distance in a brief span.
Upon entering the city gates just before midday, Essryd secures lodgings at an inconspicuous inn, where she stables her horse and dons Moire’s modest attire. Despite feeling oddly out of place in these garments, Essryd cannot pinpoint the exact source of this unfamiliarity but remains focused on the mission ahead.
Navigating the streets for the location of the Courtesan Guild House, Essryd encounters skepticism from passersby regarding her attire and presumed employment prospects. Frustrated by the unhelpful responses, she demands directions more forcefully.
Armed with the guild’s address, Essryd pauses to review her plan hatched en route. Her strategy requires a child—a resource not immediately apparent. Spotting a weary woman struggling with a toddler, she approaches with an offer of aid. Essryd identifies herself as a fostress and proposes temporary care for the child, granting the exhausted mother some precious rest.
The woman, though hesitant, gazes into Essryd’s eyes and relents, entrusting her child temporarily. She mentions a brief nap and expects the return of her son shortly thereafter. To ease any lingering doubts, Essryd offers to leave a pawn as collateral, reinforcing her commitment to the arrangement.
With strategic agility and a toddler in tow, Essryd procures an onion from a nearby stall, performs a theatrical bit by biting into it, spitting out the pungent mouthful, and squeezing tears to her eyes. The child, distressed by the acrid scent, mirrors her with sobs.
This unlikely duo enters the Courtesan Guild House, drawing immediate attention. A stern woman behind the counter approaches, impatiently inquiring about their business.
Essryd recounts a fabricated tale of abandonment—claiming Sigeric as the child’s father who vanished after one night, leaving her alone with the infant. She meticulously describes Sigeric to the guild employee, whose expression shifts from irritation to contemplation. The woman, adhering to the guild’s strict confidentiality regarding patrons, softens her tone yet conveys that discussing customers is strictly prohibited.
However, she hints that a figure matching Essryd’s description might indeed frequent the establishment and suggests waiting for several hours in hopes of a potential sighting.
An hour into her wait at the guild house, increasingly irritated by the persistent infant, Essryd dutifully returns the child to his grateful mother.
Back in her modest inn room, she swiftly transforms her appearance. Donning a silk dress and applying vermilion to enhance her allure, Essryd is now ready for her vigilant wait outside the Courtesan Guild House. With patient anticipation, she positions herself strategically, hoping for a glimpse or approach from the enigmatic Sigeric.
Scene #12 – Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it
24 Núzyæl TR 720
Upon returning the child and ensuring its safe return home, Essryd retreats to her inn room and opts for a less conspicuous attire suitable for blending into the evening’s shadows. She folds Moire’s garments with care, preparing them for future use.
Positioned discreetly near the guild house as dusk deepens, Essryd’s vigilance pays off when a man fitting Sigeric’s description approaches. The door opens, and she distinctly hears the name Sigeric called out in greeting.
A sly grin forms on her face; her resolve hardened. She decides to monitor Sigeric’s exit and follow him to uncover his residence.
Trailing Sigeric through dimly lit alleys and across the small river twice, Essryd’s pursuit leads her to an expansive house in a quieter part of Techen.
In the shadowed anonymity of the town square, she observes him unlocking the door—an action suggesting either ownership or significant access. Mentally noting the route for future reference, Essryd slips back into the safety of the alleys.
Back in her inn room, Essryd devises a plan for the coming days: to discreetly gather detailed intelligence about Sigeric’s household, his habits, and any connections that might shed light on his involvement in her family’s demise. Her strategy includes cautious inquiries and potential reconnaissance missions during daytime when Techen is more lively with activity.
29 Núzyæl TR 720
Over the ensuing days, Essryd employs her investigative acumen meticulously. Through discreet inquiries and subtle networking, she uncovers Sigeric Carucenus’s full identity—confirming he belongs to Techen’s higher middle class, with substantial ties to influential merchant families and nobility.
A revelation strikes as Essryd learns the name of his wife: Lenesque. This connection, more than any other detail, sends a shiver through her spine. She continues to delve deeper into Sigeric’s personal sphere, and gathers additional intriguing insights: a 19-year-old son named Chinot and a daughter, Philiberthe, married to a local minor noble at age 24.
With her thorough understanding of the household’s daily routines and patterns firmly in hand, Essryd allows herself a satisfied smile. The accumulation of knowledge suffices for the next phase—one involving retribution. With her objective clear, she determines it is time to return to Nurien, ready to act upon the gathered intelligence with strategic precision.
To be continued …
I don’t know what to do with those informations! Uhm … no, no, I know exactly what to do but we promised the Earl of Tormau and our uncle Ynyr to keep cool and not do something stupid. But is it that stupid, when Essryd spend so much time on gathering the information and has everything planned and laid out? I don’t know.
I think we find out in the next part of the campaign. I hope to see you soon!
Sources used:
– HârnMaster Kèthîra (Keléstia Productions Ltd.)
– Kingdom of Rethem (Columbia Games Inc.)
– Hârn Occupations: Courtesans (Columbia Games Inc.)
– Mythic GME 2nd Edition (Word Mill Games)
