The Theriak enables Alari to finally heal Ardo.
I have the remedy. [Give the theriac to Alari]
Today the sun shines on us! Let all your friends gather. As is the eternal custom of the
fey'e, their thoughts shall help to heal Ardo.
Note: these Elven words spoken by Alari are bastardized in human language as Balsam Salambunde, i.e. the healing spell.
Reawakened and reinvigorated, a thankful Ardo will now finally spill all the beans.
I don't see the problem. There it is. Everything's alright!
Nothing is alright, woman!
Appearances are deceptive. It was to
me that Phex whispered the truth. This crown is... a glorious fake.
A fake! That's how you knew Mora beat you to it!
It seems I have missed rather a lot.
Ardo, you need to know something: That scoundrel with the magic dagger. It was he who got Mora to steal the crown... and Cano.
She
didn't act alone? If she was working for somebody else, that means...
So Mora was influenced by somebody unhappy with the regency of Emperor Hal and who wishes to sow discontent. We must think of the consequences. They are...
I suppose Angela is a patriot? Well, at least civic unrest is not good for one of the Phex trade.
Now you know what's at stake... will you join us in our quest?
You can count on my help, my friends.
Your answer does you honor. I was right about you.
Excellent, then let us find Mora! ... and the crown, of course. Now we know where the pirates are hiding...
What are we doing? What are we waiting for?
Forgrimm, show me the way to the ship! Or do you still need me here?
Yes, please join me.
We will remove Cano from the party for now.
Angela’s companions will now have a lot more to say.
How do you assess the situation?
The situation is extremely critical. If the crown falls into the wrong hands, then the Emperor can be discredited. That’s why it’s so important that we find out where Mora disappeared to with the crown.
Tell me something about yourself, Ardo.
I was born 34 divine cycles ago as the son of Hlûthar of Boarstock. Our family is one of the most established, storied ones in the Middenrealm. And my estate, Imperial Oxblood, lies in the Imperial Marches of Garethia.
I actually found some extremely detailed information on Ardo, all the way onto the names of his squires… Ardo’s wife is named Godelind von Luring and 8 years his senior.
It seems Ardo married young as at the time of the game (1009 BF) he has a 17-year-old daughter Alara (his heiress), a 12-year-old son called Raulbrin and a 8-year-old son called Halwart.
Also note that Ardo is cousin to Prince Blasius of Boarstock, the Kosh ruler at the time of the game.
That's also the where our family seat, Castle Rudo’s Shield, is located. The Middenrealm emperor’s imperial insignias are kept there for safekeeping. No fortification in Gareth’s vicinity is as strong as Rudo’s Shield.
However ... oh, but I digress, you wanted to hear some personal information ...
... I take the duty of protecting the imperial insignias very seriously, but I don’t think much of any of the trappings of court life: Eating with knife and fork, bathing three times a day or spraying myself with every type of Horasian perfume.
Better a proper hunt or a couple of tankards of pale ale with Forgrimm in our beer ... uh, guard room next to the insignias chamber.
Tell me about Rudo’s Shield.
Castle Rudo’s Shield is one of the oldest castles in the realm. It was expanded after Raul the Great’s triumph over Bosparan, so that the Empire’s insignias could be stored there safely.
Note: Raul the Great, first Emperor of Middenrealm, was actually a Tulamide.
But the stronghold wasn't finished until Emperor Rudo's regency. That's also why its name is Rudo’s Shield.
Tell me something about Raul’s Crown.
It is said that after Bosparan fell, a griffin crowned Raul the Great with twelve golden feathers, which were transformed into a crown overnight. He had large gemstones set into it, to symbolize the Empire’s provinces.
Note: the Gods themselves actually interfered during the decisive battle between Raul the Great and Hela-Horas, because the latter had summoned so many demons that she lost control over them. The city of Bosparan was leveled by the Gods.
The
genuine Raul’s Crown has the power to sow courage, recognize duplicity and to give the ruler insight into the concerns of the people. But that only happens if it is worn by the
rightful emperor. Otherwise it will call down the wrath of the gods!
About sixty divine cycles ago, Emperor Bardo had a copy of the crown made for his twin sister Cella, in order to rule jointly with her. After Reto of Gareth seized power, the object ended up in the secret chambers ... or so we thought.
How was it even possible for the theft to take place?
Hm, that evening we received an unexpected delivery of Ferdok Pale Ale. Forgrimm and I were extremely busy with telling stories. Cano must have managed to sneak past us then.
But we caught him red-handed, in the end. He was sitting in front of the crown, crying his eyes out and with chattering teeth, struggling with himself and his god. Ha ha ... that was a sight to behold! Forgrimm was ready to take off his head on the spot ...
... but I first wanted to hear why he wanted to commit such a brazen burglary. Cano explained the forgery to us and that only a woman called Mora could be behind the scheme. It was clear to me that I ...
... could only regain the crown with the help of this rascal. Forgrimm didn’t want to hear of it, but the three of us set off together the next morning to find the woman and the crown.
Who would stand to gain anything if Mora stole the crown?
The crown is the most important precious object symbolizing the Emperor's rule. If it became public that it is no longer in safekeeping at Rudo's Shield, then surely voices would be raised to challenge the Emperor’s legitimacy.
And then if the crown turns up in the wrong hands, these people could attempt to lay claim to the throne. Altogether a rather tricky situation. At worst it could even lead to civil war.
How did you know how to begin the search for Mora?
We were able to meet a friend of Mora’s in Elvenhus through Cano’s contacts, a certain Gideon. He was able to tell us that Mora had gone missing following a pirate attack on the Great River.
Since then we’ve been going up and down the river. Hm ... I admit that we were pretty unimaginative at the beginning of our search.
What do you know about Mora?
What can I say? The woman stole from me. But if I pay attention to Scallywag's words, I gather she must be something special. I‘m pretty interested in seeing what will happen when this ‘Master and Mistress Scallywag' meet one another.
What do you think about Cano?
Fortune favors fools, I say. And even if he is a scoundrel, he’s the key to finding Mora. And ... somehow I just like the fellow. But don’t tell Forgrimm I said that.
How did you actually meet Forgrimm?
Forgrimm entered my service when he was looking for a job to earn a few ducats for a return trip to his clan. Heh heh, he had spent all his money on pale ale.
Well now, nothing came of his return trip, and Forgrimm and I have been comrades in arms and very good friends since then.
What’s your opinion of Fayris?
An amazing woman with a great deal of sensitivity. Exactly the right person for this task. She’ll go far. I hope she’ll be able to get over the loss of her good friend Jaakon.
Next, Angela speaks to Fayris.
We should support Ardo’s quest with all our power. The consequences if we should fail can hardly be imagined. But I fear that it could cost many lives.
What do you think about Forgrimm now?
Have you noticed that Forgrimm and Cano are working together really well now? Apparently the common goal is having a positive effect on those two. The cruel words that they used to fling at each other’s heads now sound more like harmless teasing to my ears.
What do you think about Cano now?
Yes, he’s obviously still harboring a few secrets. Let’s wait and see if he has already told us everything. Yet we can trust him in general, he would never put us into a dangerous situation.
Next, Angela talks to Forgrimm.
Yeah ... ehm, you’ll be able to manage it, I would say. After all, it was your doing that Ardo is in good health again.
Ardo is healthy again. Are you pleased about it?
Haha ... well, what do you think? If it hadn't been for you, then Scallywag and I would have botched it royally. But no matter ... now we have to get the crown back so that Ardo can smile again!
What do you think about Cano now?
Hm ... I think that the thing with Ardo did teach him a lesson. The fellow must have something like a conscience after all. Hm, and I even like a couple of his tricks.
And finally, a chat with Cano.
It could get a little hairy with the pirates. Keep in mind that the end never justifies the means! But now we simply have to do everything possible to find Mora ... and the crown, of course.
What do you think about Forgrimm now?
He really seems to have calmed down a bit since Ardo was healed. He even has an occasional useful idea now and then. In some ways he can be quite funny, that little guy.
In any case, Ardo now officially becomes a party member. Like Forgrimm, he’s a fighter with some actually good skill too, as a nobleman.
Ardo specializes in one-handed swords but it’s a good idea to train him in two-handed swords as well; after all, we still have an Andergaster lying around unused.
Ardo also has in his possession two unique pieces of equipment.
Before leaving the Elven woods, Alari has a task for Angela.
What are you getting at, Alari?
One of my little sisters recently left the tribe and no longer sends me thought pictures. When I sing the song of disquiet, I get only confusing answers to my questions.
Would I know her if I met her?
Oh, Sanraya is beautiful-dangerous and soft-wild! She feels healthy and safe, but surrounded by stench and disharmony. What can it mean?
I will keep my eyes open, I promise!
Linwen Owlwing will now also have a new task.
Although I already wield an excellent weapon, I do not wish to decline such an honor.
Before we start work on the weapons, you must first attune yourself to the task. Only when you are more familiar with the location of the weapon forming, can you complete your work properly.
Makes sense. How can I do this?
Join me while I work on arrows. Even though our methods may differ, we can learn from one another.
I will learn exactly how you work.
Linwen Owlwing basically wants us to craft some Elven arrows, this is something Fayris will take care of.
At this point the highest level of the Elven tree will also be accessible, but there’s nothing interesting there for now. Just one Elf we haven’t talked to yet.
Can you tell me something about magic?
Of course, but that does not mean you will understand it.
How is Elven magic different from that of other peoples?
We Elves learn to use our
mandra in the same way that we learn to walk. Nature teaches us to trust in the fact that we can run faster when we are in danger.
We learn and use our magic intuitively. We hear whether the melody of a spell can be introduced in harmony to the surrounding environment, which we call the
iamanda. This harmony is obviously unimportant to many magicians.
Or maybe they simply cannot hear it and therefore cannot really feel the magic. Otherwise, why would they learn magic from lifeless books and use it without consideration for the consequences?
What can you tell me about the magic protecting the ruins?
This was an act of magic that the
Storm Sentinels were only able to perform in
unison. But we were guided by Isaliel.
We gathered every spring to replenish the magic with our renewed powers. Anyone who could breach it, must have incredible power.
I would like to hear about how Elves work their magic together.
In
Salasandra, we combine our knowledge and our powers and are able to weave magic more powerful than we can individually.
It is not easy to explain complete unity of thoughts and feelings to somebody who has not experienced it. I feel so sorry for you.
Last thing to do in the area is craft that cure for the mirebeast.
Unfortunately, though, the mirebeast turns into a hostile ogre.
After killing the ogre Archon Megalon pops up a final time.
Well, you're not the only researcher on Ethra.
Ah, you call yourselves researchers, do you? Shall we reiterate your research methodology? What was your hypothesis?
The mire beast wasn't a mire beast and no longer wished to be one.
That was
two hypotheses. An assumed falsification of the first hypothesis made the second a premise of philosophical importance: 'Are animals self-aware?'
Do you want to talk about my experiment or would you rather philosophize?
I just wanted to remind you that every experimental process must be framed within a theoretical context. Now let's talk about the tools and variables involved in the implementation.
The tool was the remedy and the variable was the mire beast.
The dependent variable reacted as planned, despite the fact that the tool was not verified. The observer - that's you - then interrupted the experiment by prematurely killing the object under observation.
I thought it might be a transformed Human or Elf.
You base your arguments on speculation, rather than reliable causal statements. You still have much to learn if you wish to discover the true nature of the world.
Hammerberg is marked on the world map, but for now the Thalaria returns to Nadoret.
