Back at the Gungeaug Mine
After leaving Feth in the last blog, our heroes continue north from Selbingen today. Their destination is the Nztrv mine ‘Gungeaug’ owned by their very best friend, Monsieur Chiraque. They set off early in the morning on horses borrowed from Bibiane, but it’s slowly time for a break. The midday sun is now high in the sky, making for a beautiful and mild autumn day. While Löwenzahn basks in the sun in the grass next to the Helenau trade route, his three friends unpack some of their provisions and then sit down with their half-orc.
‘How do we want to approach the issue with Nina today?’ Aldric asks the group. ‘I reckon she won’t just wait for us, but will be out and about in the residence,’ he continues. After a little brainstorming, Theo finally comes up with a good idea: “There are bound to be plenty of servants walking around in the garden or something. We could bribe one of them and have them pass on a meeting place to Nina for later.
Late in the afternoon, long after sunset, our heroes finally reach the small turnoff that leads to the Chiraque residence in the dark. A few hundred metres further on, they tie their horses to some trees and cover the rest of the way on foot. Slowly, the lights of the residence begin to flicker through the trees of the Telzer Moor. They slow their pace and peer out from the protection of the shadows at the forecourt of the residence. Indeed, there are still a few employees on their way, running back and forth between the storage barns, the extensive gardens and the residence. ‘It’s all pretty well lit here. I think we should try another place,’ Aldric suggests, and together they carefully circle the residence until they reach the stables on the other side. Here they notice less traffic, and since the buildings are a little way from the main house, they are pleased to find that it is also a little darker. ‘I’ll see if I can find a stable boy,’ Aldric whispers and sneaks out from behind their cover. He quietly scurries to the large entrance gate and peeks into the large hall. Then he pulls the gate open a little and disappears from her view.
The stables are dimly lit, and apart from a few horses and a young man, Aldric cannot see anyone else. He approaches the boy and clears his throat. ‘Good day, I’m looking for an employee who recently started working here. Can you perhaps help me?’ Aldric asks loudly into the room. The stable boy spins around and looks at Aldric in alarm. ‘You gave me quite a fright. What are you doing here? You’ll probably have more luck at the main entrance,’ the man replies in surprise, pointing vaguely in the direction of the main house. ‘Yes, of course, but we’d rather not cause a stir,’ Aldric replies calmly and flips a silver coin towards the stable boy. The stable boy understands Aldric immediately. ‘Who should I tell?’ he asks matter-of-factly. Aldric explains his mission and then quickly takes his leave before leaving the stables.
‘Well, did everything work out?’ Dandelion asks him as he returns to his friends in the bushes. ‘I think so,’ Aldric grins, “Nina and we’ll meet tomorrow on the small path that leads to the Helenau trade route. We’ll hide in the moor during the conversation and set up a dead letter box that we can use to communicate in the future.” Satisfied with Aldric’s plan, they nod to him before sneaking back to their horses together. Find out in two weeks in the next Arkanthia Pen and Paper blog whether the plan actually works out the way our heroes imagined.
