Recap

Spending some time in Solamnus, the party began to root around for evildoers. Annabelle spoke with Brother Theolus at the Chapterhouse and High Clerist Aelanius at the High Temple of St. Cuthbert. They both agreed to help however necessary - Theolus said that he would put in a good word with Ser Branden, a Knight of the Rose. Aelanius arranged a meeting with Ser Branden - here, he agreed to help however necessary and gave them his protege, a level 1 fighter-archer named Felicity. He also implied that he suspects Haraald, the Lorknan social advisor to the Queen.

Meanwhile, Gunter was approached by a mercenary who believed him to be crooked. He offered Gunter gold if he would inform on Annabelle, and told him to meet him at the Cutthroat Inn in the Great Sprawl (the slums of Solamnus). Gunter went there and spoke with the mercenary, who was not impressed by the information he gave him.

As this was going on, Thelen was ardently trying to gain admission to the University of Solamnus in order to take advantage of its library and resources, but found that he had nothing to trade them for admission. While he was attempting to get in, he found that one of the guards at the gate was very interested in his plans to become a court wizard and deal with nobles in the Queen's court.

Gunter went to visit the mercenary again, telling him that Annabelle planned to do some "cleaning up" in the Queen's Court and saw her self as a St. Cuthbert-like figure. The mercenary paid well and was VERY interested in this, and told Gunter he would pay well for any information on who specifically Annabelle intended to "clean up". He also let slip through his own words that the client he was collecting info for is a member of the Queen's Court and does not want Annabelle stirring up trouble. He also implied that he has people watching the Road of Mysteries, as he knew Gunter was lying when he said Annabelle was investigating alchemists.

Still seeking evidence, Gunter remembered the name of knight who lead the Forsworn against the elves - Ser Albrecht Hospitalier. He did some investigation around the Great Barracks, but learned nothing. Accompanying Thelen to the Road of Mysteries, the two of them entered a bookshop. There they pooled their resources to buy a book for Thelen to use to get into the resources. While they were there, Gunter learned that an elf by the name of Ormund was responsible for capturing him and bringing him in. He also learned that Ormund was a pupil of Al-Hazath from Lionsgate and that it was entirely possible that Ormund was still in Solamnus.

While Thelen got himself accepted to the University, Gunter wandered the Road of Mysteries looking for Ormund. At nightfall he found Ormund and his half-ogre fighter friend, Grelund. They were fairly receptive about their victory, confessing that they would not have found him if Al-Hazath had not told them exactly how to find Ser Albrecht. Grelund spoke of tracks leading to the river from the site they captured Albrecht, but Ormund dismissed these as silliness.

Spurred on by this information and knowing the Accolade was tomorrow, Gunter rode his horse as fast as possible to the site where Ormund found Albrecht. He went to the river, where he found a small cave. Inside this cave, he smelled the stench of alchemical reagants and found a half-rubbed out circle of power, the purpose of which he is not sure - nevertheless, it is clear the capture of Ser Albrecht is not as it seemed. As he rested outside the cave, he was woken by his mercenary contact, who had tracked him there and attacked him. Gunter defeated and interrogated him, taking his sword of dancing and learning several interesting things. He learned that the mercenary was working for the Chosen of Vashidin, but also that the Chosen of Vashidin were not the ones who cared about Annabelle - they were working WITH someone, who was pulling the strings. Whoever they were working with wanted to know how dangerous Annabelle was, and is now planning to assassinate her. He also told Gunter where he met his contact in the Chosen - in the Wood of Brothers in the north side of Solamnus, near the Lurkmoor embassy. Gunter made him promise to leave Vingaard and let him go free.

Gunter rode back just in time for the Accolade and joined the rest of the party. The party was on their guard for assassination, and was prepared to help stop the assassin if he showed himself. The assassin revealed himself as one of the contingent of guards escorting the Initiates to Huma Palace, and tried to kill Annabelle. He was turned to stone by a nearby member of the Iron Crown, however, and the party continued to the Palace for the Accolade as he was dragged away for interrogation.