Before the Upheaval, this was the time of year when the nobility headed off to their country retreats to hunt wildlife, tell tales at the fireside and plot the political machinations of the coming winter. That’s why nobody thought it odd when Lord Clovis Graves, a respected priest in the church of the Leader, announced that he and his retinue were going to travel to his manor deep in the forest. Two weeks have passed since he was meant to return, however, and the Graves family is worried that Lord Clovis may not be safe. Family aides have discreetly put out the word that persons of means and enterprise should contact Lord Rupert Graves for more details.

An adventure for Starting to Low/Mid level characters.

• Joe W - Alastair Fitzgrave
• Matthew A - Harlon Quirk
• James G - Cyril
• Vicky H - Vincent Barma
• Oliver S - Arcus Blackthorn

Adventuring into the forest, the adventurers brave winter floods, ravenous river reptiles and incompetent servants before finally arriving at the forest mansion of Lord Clovis Graves. When they reach there it becomes clear that something is amiss; the servants are holed up in outbuildings, and say that some magic ritual has sealed up the mansion. The PCs discover the truth of this when attempting to break a window instead summons a group of angry flux-creatures which the PCs have to fend off. Searching for clues about what happened, the PCs head off to find the manor's huntsman. After saving him from a ferocious flux-boar they hear about Lord Clovis' more unorthodox guests; a Wayfinder, a Binder mage and various nobles, one of whom was from the exiled House Cargan.

As the PCs take the woodsman back to the mansion a pulse of energy ripples out, and wayfinders can tell its interior has become flux. Another wave of the flux-creatures comes out of the mansion's wards, more aggressive this time, but the PCs receive unexpected help from Captain Gray of the Circle of the Broken Wing who appears on the scene. After fighting off the creatures Gray is cagey about why he is here, but says that he can use his Fracturing magic to break through the wards on the house. The party feels something odd coming from the mansion, a mystical power probing their loyalties, and as Gray assesses the mansion for fault lines the party see another strange thing; the servants from before, now moving with martial precision with a glowing heraldic symbol of a crowned horse on their chest. They deal with them, and Gray breaks the bonds holding the shards of the enchantment together. The party defeat the chaotic magical entities spawned, and the mansion is opened.

Inside the PCs find several challenges - floors that twist underneath them, leader priests stirring branded followers to great feats and so on. Eventually they find their way to the grand dining room, where Lord Graves is waiting for them. He's not immediately hostile, so Count Blackthorn is able to convince Clovis to let him go see the source of all this trouble - a flux-entity called the King. As he is taken away to talk to the King the party exchange tense, hostile words with Clovis, but eventually Blackthorn returns, unbranded. At his word, the party assault Lord Graves and his men, eventually taking Graves unconscious. Pressing on, the party encounter a standoff between Captain Grey and a Wayfinder; the Wayfinder claims he was fooled into summoning the entity, and it is now a dangerous anomaly that must be destroyed. Grey, on the other hand, says that the unstable fusion of magic, flux and miracles that made the King would make destroying him highly dangerous, and the party should give Grey the King so he can slowly Fracture him apart. The party side with the Wayfinder, and so Grey and his associates depart.

The party charge in and confront the King who turns out to be incredibly powerful, knocking people back with a wave of his hand and filling people's hearts with fear. Still the party's skill at arms prevails, and the King falls. As he's dissipating, Blackthorn steals the crown, but nobody sees in the chaos. As the mansion rumbles around them the party flee, fearing Grey was right, but the flux soon earths itself and the mansion returns to Consensus. The party pick through the ruined rooms but can find little of note; only a few scraps of paper in ransacked rooms contain any clues about the ritual.

Back in Acryn, Lord Clovis is delivered to the care of Duke Corlo Graves' manservant, who promises Clovis will regret the matter and not do it again. They pay the party 80 Acra each, on strict orders that nobody hear about the matter. Then, the party disperses. Vincent returns to the Church of the Tender and gives them a full report, as does Harlon at the People's College. Their organisations are very interested in the matter, and soon word starts leaking out of the People's College that a noble family tried to make a new King out of the flux. Lord Blackthorn spreads multiple other contradictory rumours to try and hide the truth, but certainly the Graves family notices. Back at home, Blackthorn places the flux-crown on his mantelpiece and studies it, trying to unlock its secrets.

• Vincent and Harlon: The Graves family acts in subtle ways to drive business away from you, as retaliation for spreading word about what happened. -15 Acra income for this LARP, to a minimum of 0.
• Harlon: Once in your next LARP while fighting nobles you can give yourself a FEAR and a WEAKEN to HEAL 4 and gain a DODGE. Tell me if you use this.
• Arcus: You can buy the first skill of the Favour Transcending Death Epic Tree. In addition, once per LARP while using the Diplomacy skill you can invoke the power of the King to convince someone you are their superior.