SESSION ONE

The stoic and hardy warriors and woodsmen of House Fulcairn have long presided over Wilder's Gorge, a lush and beautiful but dangerous province bordered by the previously hostile land of Boeruine to the north, and Rhuobhe Manslayer's genocidal elves to the northeast. A mysterious illness has recently claimed Corrac Fulcairn, the house's beloved golden warrior heir. Corrac's younger brother Cathal (played by Ryan) is summoned from the remote northern land of the Rjurik, where he's being fostered, to take his place as the house's heir.

Wilder's Gorge and the Elfwash River

In Fulcairn Keep, Lord Cullan Fulcairn (father of Corrac and Cathal) summons Corrac's widow Reynhild (played by Trez). The grief of Corrac's death has devastated both of them; the elderly Cullan's health has deteriorated consequently, leaving Reynhild with most of the day-to-day operations of the keep. Cullan gives Reynhild a letter from Corrac, which she declines to read at the moment, as she needs full command of her faculties for the difficult days ahead. Then Cullan tells her he knows her secret-- she has never been who she claims to be (and he is correct; she is a common brigand who murdered the Rjurik noblewoman Reynhild Andersdottir enroute to marry Corrac three years earlier, acquired her noble bloodline's mystic power, and stole her identity) but he loves her, considers her his daughter and a Fulcairn, and in fact he made efforts to aid her deception. The usual aloof and inscrutable Reynhild is moved to tears.

The Cradle, fertile heartlands of Wilder's Gorge

Elsewhere, Count Harald Khorien, wizard ruler of Taeghas (the land in which Wilder's Gorge is situated) takes his young apprentice, the disturbingly powerful Mara (played by Thuy Linh Tran) to meet Darien Avan, lord of the neighbouring country of Avanil, the real power behind Taeghas, and soon-to-be emperor of the entire realm. Darien assesses Mara, trying to determine her allegiance and true objectives. She tries to deflect, but eventually reveals her obsession with the pursuit of arcane knowledge, particularly elven-- her previous mentor's dying gift to her was a mysterious message written in Elvish. She is sent to Wilder's Gorge at Khorien and Avan's behest, ostensibly to pay respects to the passing of Corrac Fulcairn, but her true motives are unknown.

Cathal arrives at Fulcairn Keep and is greeted by Reynhild and Cullan; Reynhild is disturbed by his resemblance to her late husband. Later, Reynhild and Cullan greet Mara on her arrival with the proper ceremony due a prestigious wizard's apprentice, but Cathal, brash from his time with the barbarian Rjurik and resentful of the foreign influence on Taeghas, refers to her as one of "Khorien's weasels". Reynhild and Cullan attempt to smooth things over, but Mara subtly bespells Cathal, rather than the servant, into fetching her water. Reynhild and Cullan both politely inquire as to how they can assist her, trying to determine why she was sent to Wilder's Gorge; she responds only that her master wished to assist the region in the days to come. Reynhild later takes Cathal aside and tries to tell him that if he is to rule Fulcairn, he must learn to dance with the many hostile powers at their doorstep, rather than antagonize them.

Our forest is awesome AF

Corrac's funeral proceeds the next day. Cathal leads the assembled guests in the song of House Fulcairn, and Reynhild delivers a speech, reminding the guests of Corrac's profound love for the land and its people, vowing to defend it to her dying breath, and swearing her support and allegiance to Cathal as rightful heir. A feast is held in Corrac's honour. Wine is poured, and Cathal, Cullan, Reynhild and Mara toast to Corrac. Moments later, they fall to the floor in the grips of a powerful poison. Cathal has only a few moments to bid farewell to his dying father before blackness descends on everyone.