Every year Acryn plays host to its neighbours. An opportunity to discuss trade, politics, and other matters of state. This year, with the growing threat of Serradic aggression, the meeting has become somewhat more tense. No-one is calling this a war council, but the invitations to the event have been sent more widely than usual and include more than a few from Acryn’s military. Perhaps even more tellingly, a number of invitations have been sent out to Acryn’s adventuring community, especially to those who have had experience with the Serradic Empire.

Even more than usual, it is expected that this meeting will determine Acryn’s approach to dealing with its neighbours and the Serradic Empire.

In the immediate aftermath of the meeting, very little changes. Those who know the details of the Watch and Acryn’s private armies will notice an increase in drilling and movement, but this is carefully obfuscated to prevent panic. A number of “Fishing Accidents” result in vessels being dry-docked and refitted. Again, those who know what to look for will notice every ship involved is an ex-navy vessel and much of the refitting looks suspiciously like cannons. Unfortunately these refits will take some time, and plans are afoot to delay any Serradic Navel aggressions (Vincent/Harlon/Alisdair - Hoe Mission - coming next term!).

In the weeks that follow the meeting, a number of scouting parties leave the city heading towards the Serradic empire. Rumour has it that this is the beginnings of an intelligence gathering operation to defeat the ascendant one directly and in a single strike cripple their war efforts. Both colleges are known to be looking into any evidence that it is possible to kill a god, with the College of the Stars seeking adventurer help to unseal “The Vault” - a trove of potent artifacts ordered sealed by Melinda Salic, Acryn’s first monarch.

At the church of the founders Vincent and -to his surprise- Kjell, find an advert recruiting adventurers to help with a matter of utmost religious importance: one of the candle’s of the founders burns low and refuses to light anew. Vincent investigates the artefact and discovers that the candles look exactly the same as those he saw in his vision. Kjell meanwhile heads to reprimand Elior, the acolyte charged with keeping the flames alight, for going behind his back in this matter. Elior refuses to back down and, again to Kjell’s surprise, exudes a confident authority that he did not posses back when first assigned this duty. After some time an agreement is reached that action is required and that Kjell will oversee that action; however, there is a friction there which did not exist before.

Following his visit to the Church of the Founders, Vincent spends some time looking into the Consumption Heresy: the belief that Dragon’s consume a soul upon death. This theory seems to be much in the vogue in adventuring circles, however it appears to be principally Kjell who is pushing it in religious circles. Worse, it seems to be gaining traction, with many pointing out that the gods have been undeniably quite on the subject of a person’s fate after death.

A few days after the meeting, Francesco throws another party. By all accounts mixing debauchery and experimental magic to a hitherto never seen extent. Many participants leave with hangovers take several days to finally clear and only the groggiest recollection of what they did. Although everyone remembers Colin Fletcher being a particular stick-in-the-mud in his refusal to allow Paige the opportunity to do ANY experimentation, magical or otherwise. More confusingly, almost everyone remembers a four-armed lizard man streaking through the party, although no-one remembers inviting anyone who matched the description.

Rowan visits Kjell to have his brain examined. After a significant amount of study, Kjell reports that there is little sign of anything different about Rowan’s brain. It is healthy and not missing anything, let alone missing the amount Kjell would expect from a heroic (even godly) entity.

Samuel busies himself with revising the rules of the postal service and attempting to secure legal protection for the same. He continues to push for the provisional trip to Valydd to be given priority. Initially, this meets much resistance as it is clearly a waste of resources in a time of war. However, when news of several visions of Valydd featuring a stone circle is linked to a mage’s account of Valydd’s transportation “magic” the trip begins to gather momentum.

Colin Fletcher is seen involving himself with magical experimentation at both the People’s College and the College of the Stars, something which has earned himself more than a few enemies among more militant members of both colleges. However, his aid with several ill-thought out experiments involving ritualised calamities has ensured that he has had access to some powerful people in both colleges, both of which are keen to support (and have their name associated with) an attempt on the life of the Ascendant One.

Francesco is seen being chased away from both the Rosemile estate and Colin Fletcher’s home. His help with the ritualised calamity research has earned him a reputation as a bit of a go-getter among the College of the Stars (despite the complete failure of said research). He is also seen attending the Leader Church’s sermons and asking about the Salic Prophecy, something which has gained him a few friends wanting to share what they know as well as a large number who are now watching him with suspicion. Discussion with those who believe in the Prophecy does reveal one notable point, many disagree that the Serradic Empire is Acryn’s greatest threat. Other threats put forward include: the Dragons, Arcus Blackthorne, Caulish immigrants, the Upheaval, Republicanism, a monarchist underground, and Harlon Quirk.

Vanessa is contacted by Lukas Vedetti, who is acting as both the Council and Wayfinder’s guild representative for dealing with operation “Descent”. She is given a certain amount of authority to act on behalf of both in preparation for operation “Descent” and required to find a way of ensuring it can be completed successfully..

A few days after the meeting, a man who is definitely not Harlon Quirk in a clever disguise stakes out the offices of the Department of Sewers and Public Holidays, a building located conveniently close to the main council building and with a freshly painted sign above its door. Five minutes after beginning the stakeout, he is seen following Felip Caulson along Acryn’s streets, and eventually into a warehouse in the docks district. Only Harlon knows what happened next, that the warehouse was filled with powerful binding mages who were waiting for him. That Felip Caulson offered him the opportunity to be leashed or be put down. That he has been handed a string bracelet which hums with mana, and that he has just a few days to make his decision.

Behind closed doors, the Brotherhood of the Closed Eye perform numerous and invasive tests upon Alistair in an attempt to get the anti-wayfinder properties of the banner to materialise in his blood. Unfortunately they fail to find any way to achieve this. They theories that the dissolved banner provides only part of the effect, and that the training members of the Brotherhood endure provides shape to the effect. It is possible that someone with appropriate anti-wayfinder training could undergo the process and might acquire a similar anti-wayfinder effect, but nothing is certain.

After seeing the medium of Silent Expectation off, Kjell begins to search his medical books for details of a neurological basis for Amnesia. Comparing his notes to what he remembers of the examination he reaches a startling conclusion, while he can remember all his conclusions from the investigation he cannot remember Vincent’s brain at all. It is like something has wipe the memory straight from his mind.