Session Three: The Miller's Tale

A Barge Tale

Garnier secures passage for the company on Our Lady's Soul, a sturdy, if malodorous, barge that ferries livestock across the Bay of Brionne. The nominal fee is further reduced when Henri the Innkeeper offers to cook a good meal for all and sundry. The company spends a pleasant evening gambling and drinking. Frieda does not participate in the latter, instead writing furiously in a small journal.

The next morning, Our Lady's Soul pulls into an inlet on the far side of the bay. The company says their farewells, complains bitterly of their hangovers, and sets off for Annecy. 

To Annecy

Henri the Innkeeper proves to be quite the chatterbox and font of local knowledge. He once again thanks the company for limiting the violence caused by Dame Marie’s bizarre love triangle. He goes on to say that the knightly houses control various districts in Brionne and, had the duel between Sir Charles and Sir Gerlaine continued unchecked, various old grudges and alliances would have forced the houses to rise up against one another, plunging the city into open conflict.

The company asks Henri about their destination, and he relates the tale of the Miracle of the Howling Cliffs of Annecy. The story goes that a terrible storm bore down on the coast some three hundred years prior. It would have devastated the coastal villages and caused untold loss of life and property, had not the cliffs let out a mighty wail when the storm was about to make landfall. Legend has it that this howling noise quieted the storm and turned it aside, sparing the Bretonnian coast. In gratitude, the people of Annecy built a shrine to Manann and the Lady for sending them this miracle.

Jurgen

As the company travels, Pierre discovers that his bladder has grown weighty with the previous night’s wine. He separates himself from the company to relieve himself in a stand of trees. Just as he has finished his business, a rotund gentleman pops out of the underbrush and begins speaking to him in broken Bretonnia. The man, Jurgen Spandau, seems quite intense and earnest, and it becomes clear to Pierre that he requires some assistance.

Jurgen

Pierre brings Jurgen to the rest of the company, where he pleads his case. Fortunately, Sir Jean-Marc speaks a bit of Reikspiel. Jurgen tells the knight that his wagon, carrying supplies from the University of Altdorf to a student living in Annecy, has be come thoroughly stuck in the mud and cannot be moved. 

Several of the company, including Sir Jean-Marc, are dubious about the man’s claims. The company is also split on whether to stop and help Jurgen or to continue on to Annecy to meet up with the pilgrims and their salary.

Jurgen, noticing their hesitation, produces a large sheaf of documents from inside his shirt and presents them to the company. They consist of two letters written in Reikspeil, as well as two copies written in Bretonnian. Pierre reads the Bretonnian copies, which confirms Jurgen’s story that a student, Albrecht von Juntz, is currently in Annecy and has requested several astronomical items to complete his research. These items have been sent under the seal of Herr Doktor Professor Kadavaross, of the University of Altdorf.

Letter from Albrecht to the University

And the Response

Jurgen says that he has very little in the way of money, but that he will happily visit the Bursar’s Office once he returns to Altdorf and have them send a small reward. Those in the company who were already willing to help deem this acceptable, and Jurgen is soon provided with a list of names. He tucks that, along with all of his other documents, back into his shirt.

The company eventually splits up. Henri the Innkeeper, Garnier, Renee, Maurice, Magnus, and Bartholomule continue on their way to Annecy. Frieda, who has been out of sorts ever since Jurgen mentioned he is from the University of Altdorf, joins them. Pierre, Sir Jean-Marc, Squire Henri, and Sabina follow Jurgen to a wagon whose back wheels are half submerged in mud. The wagon is heavily laden with six crates covered by tarps and tied down with rope.

With some planning from Squire Henri and the combine strength of his own, Sabina's, and Sir Jean-Marc's horses, the wagon is soon freed. Jurgen says that he will check the contents of his delivery but, knowing that the company is in a hurry, tells them to go on ahead to Annecy. 

Arrival

Sir Jean-Marc’s party soon catches up with the rest of the company. Together, they travel for another hour or so to Annecy.

Immediately upon cresting the little hill that provides the southern boundary of the village, the company notes some odd things. For one, the air has become quite hot, the grass in the village is sere and dead, and the earth looks unusually dry. Squire Henri plucks a few almost ripe pears off of a tree that he passes, only for Sabina to point out that, as it is early spring, the tree should have no fruit on it at all. Others notice that several of the houses are in states of light disrepair, featuring broken fences, leaning shutters, missing tiles, and the like.

The affair of the pear causes significant consternation amongst the company. So much so that Sir Jean-Marc suspects that they are either enchanted or poisoned. He casts around to find a local animal to feed one of the pears to and sees a heavily pregnant goat ambling up to him. This is also very unusual, considering the time of year. Sir Jean-Marc, undaunted, feeds the pear to the pregnant goat, but there is no obvious ill effect.

At about this time, a woman (who the company later learned is named Annette), steps out of a nearby house. The company asks about the strange goings on in town, which causes Annette to regard them with some bemusement. She informs them that everything is fine and normal, and she seems to think that it is actually nearly midsummer, not spring.

Confused, the company inquires about the pilgrims that they are following. Annette says that summer is not the season for pilgrims, but that they did have some people on pilgrimage pass through town several months ago, in the early spring. After further questioning, the company learns that these are the pilgrims led by Gascon Gascoigne and that, somehow, they have misplaced several months of time on their journey along the coast.

The company also learns that the disrepair in Annecy is the result of Jean--the village’s only carpenter--shirking his duties. He has apparently befriended a student from Altdorf named Albrecht, and has become so fascinated with astronomy that he no longer practices his trade.

Most of the company decide to visit the Shrine of the Howling Cliffs. Pierre chooses to help Henri the Innkeeper bring his cart over to the Whelm, Annecy’s only inn.

Annecy

The Shrine of the Miracle of the Howling Cliffs

The shrine is built on a tall outcropping of rock that juts out over the sea. A mostly natural staircase allows access to the top of the rock and the shrine built upon it. The company also notes that there is a work area near the shrine that is covered by a tarp. On either side of the shrine, two sea cliffs of limestone rise up to provide a bulwark against the waters of the bay. It is high tide.

They also note that there is a man on the shore in the process of building a large boat. The company hails him, and he walks over and introduces himself as Jean le Bois, the carpenter of Annecy. He is friendly enough, but he also seems distracted and eager to return to his work. He also  looks nervously at the sky several times. The company confirms that Jean also thinks that it is midsummer and that he is, indeed, friends with Albrecht, who Jean describes as a very clever man and an astronomer.

Jean takes his abrupt leave of the company and returns to his work. Maurice decides to stay behind, offering the carpenter an extra pair of hands to help him build his boat. Jean gratefully accepts the help. As the two men work, Maurice tries to get more information from the carpenter. He learns that Jean thinks that “a storm is coming,” and that he is building the boat in preparation for it. He also secures a promise from Jean that the carpenter will introduce him to Albrecht.

The rest of the company proceeds to the top of the shrine, where they hear the tale of the blessed miracle from the devotees of Manann and the Lady who tend to the shrine. They also purchase some of the “blessed” water from the bay, which is purported to be able to cure gout, palsy, the pox, the bloody flux, and numerous other ailments. They also purchase pilgrims’ badges, all of which are cast in the shape of vulvas.

The shape of the pilgrims’ badges becomes more evident when they survey the coastline. The cliff face to the west has a large, dark patch of rock that splits it down the middle and looks rather like a vulva if one squints. As it is now low tide, the company also notes that there seems to be a tidepool or a hollow at the base, which may allow access to a cavern or grotto inside.

The company then realizes that the tide has gone from high to low in less than a quarter hour and worriedly discuss what that means. The attendants of the shrine, unsurprisingly, do not notice anything strange and also think that it is midsummer.

Curious about the work site, the company pulls back a corner of the tarp and investigates what lies beneath. They see an intricate design carved on the rock beneath, but they lack the knowledge to determine what, exactly, it is. They ask the attendants, only to be told that the attendants have no idea what it is either. They do know that the carvings were made by Albrecht, the Imperial Scholar, as part of his research. The attendants also mention that there is quite a bit of contention in town because Albrecht has chosen to deface an area so close to the shrine.

From their vantage, the company can see the village of Annecy, which still looks as quiet and untroubled as when they had entered. Sabina notices that a mud-covered wagon, with Jurgen on the seat, has just crested the low hill at the entrance to Annecy.

She also notices that the sun is setting, though, by her and the company’s accounting it should be no later than noon.

Gravely concerned, the company bids farewell to the attendants and descends. They meet up with Maurice and Jean, and note that Jean has done an inhuman amount of work on his boat in a very brief amount of time. Maurice informs them that Jean is only too happy to introduce the company to Albrecht, and so they return to Annecy to meet him.

Jean le Bois, Carpenter of Annecy

Pierre, Allison, and Albrecht

Pierre rests in the Whelm and observes the locals. All of them seem to be unaware of the odd way time seems to be passing except for one—a young woman who keeps peering out a window and staring up at the rapidly darkening sky.

While Pierre ponders what this means, Jurgen pulls up in his wagon outside the Whelm and loudly greets the villagers in his broken Bretonnia. He again pulls out his sheaf of letters and passes them around, trying to get the villagers to point him in the direction of Albrecht von Juntz.

As Pierre goes outside to investigate, a young man emerges from a nearby building and strides angrily up to Jurgen. The two men engage in a rather loud argument in Reikspiel, with Jurgen bowing and scraping and Albrecht shouting in an apoplectic rage. Pierre notes that the young woman he saw in the Whelm is now standing just outside the inn’s door, regarding the argument with growing worry.

A crowd begins to gather as the argument continues. Fortunately for Pierre, he is soon joined by his companions who have returned from the shrine and are curious as to what is going on. Jean le Bois is with them, and his presence starts a second argument between himself and several of the townsfolk about all the carpentry work he should be doing, but isn’t.

Those in the company that can speak Reikspeil quickly understand the nature of Albrecht’s verbal abuse of Jurgen. He was expecting his equipment at the beginning of spring, but it is now midsummer and he has “lost so much time.” A perplexed Jurgen keeps trying to tell Albrecht that it is Rachexen and that he is on time. He attempts to show Albrecht is letters, only to be repeatedly rebuffed.

Pierre points out the young woman to the company and several members, including Jean-Marc, Squire Henri, and Sabina go over to speak with her. They learn that the woman is Allison le Bois, the daughter of Jean the carpenter.  They also learn that she is apparently the only person in Annecy who is aware that time is spiraling out of control. She is visibly relieved when the company says that they are also aware of the strange time changes.

Allison le Bois

Allison says that, from her perspective, the pilgrims left early that morning. She says that she remembers Gascon, that he made unwanted  advances on her, and that she doesn’t like him. A suspicious Sabina asks if any monks came through with the pilgrims or shortly before or after them. Allison says that there were several religious people amongst the pilgrims, including one or two people in monk robes.

The company asks Allison what is going on in the village. She says that Albrecht arrived shortly before the previous winter, that he is very brilliant, and that there is suspicion amongst the villagers (including someone named Absalome), that he is a sorcerer. Albrecht has been staying at her house and has been doing certain astronomical/astrological research in the area. She states that he has become obsessed with his research, and that he has started to behave and act very strangely. She thinks that the carvings near the shrine are meant to be used to measure the paths of stars in the sky, but she doesn’t quite know how. The company notices that she either is or may have been sweet on Albrecht, and that she is very worried about him.

Allison mentions that Albrecht has some notes in his garret room at her and her father’s house. She says that, if the company distracts Albrecht, she can let in their literate members to study his notes and see if they can learn more. The company considers this plan.

Pierre's Investigation

In the meantime, Albrecht finishes yelling at Jurgen. He informs the waggoneer that he should bring his equipment to the worksite, so that he can get a fresh start in the morning. Several people, including Jean, protest that this may not be a bad idea, as attempting to climb up to the worksite in the dark is very unsafe. Albrecht scoffs at this, and orders Jurgen to do it anyway.

Seeing their chance, the company volunteers their services to help Jurgen bring up the equipment while there is still enough light to see. Jurgen is profusely grateful.

Albrecht and Jean lead Jurgen and most of the company back to the shrine and the worksite. Meanwhile Pierre accompanies Allison to her house to search Albrecht’s room.

The room is a hastily converted loft in the back of the carpenter’s house. It is rather messy, with an unmade bed, plates of half-eaten food, and books and papers strewn all over the place. The room is equipped with a small, portable, metal stove, which is currently cold.

Pierre searches through the papers and finds that they are scrawled with various shapes, numbers, and symbols, all of which are meaningless to him. He also notes, to his consternation, that, of the two books on the table, one is written in Classical and the other is written in Reikspiel. The Reikspiel book at least has pictures—mostly of star signs—and so Pierre can at least guess at its contents.

Stymied, Pierre scratches his head and studies the room. He happens to notice a partially burned slip of yellowed parchment laying in the ashes of the small stove. Fishing it out, he discovers that the parchment is almost identical to the one that the company found in Brionne. It features another curious symbol and the words, “Great Lady, Albrecht of Altdorf wishes to make such a discovery that he becomes famed among scholars.”