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After asking around about the Opal Pavillion on the docks, the group was finally contacted by a man who worked loading and unloading cargo for their packages. A lot of information was conveyed, and Rathimund noted that it had the smell of Fey about it. They maintained a camp to the south near the edges of the Wyld, and asked for very non-standard things in payment (“a ship full of rose petals”). We were given a second person as contact, one who often worked as a guide to the encampment.

They group met with him and were able to make an arrangement, and set out (after Az spoke to the king in reassuring nonsensities) two days later.

The trek was hot and miserable and Isha had brought supplies to hammer out a cold-forged sword of sorts along the way “just in case”. Az gave her disdainful, disapproving looks but she ignored them and went with what seemed the right thing to do.

They caravan ran across a host of hobgolins along the way and made a slight detour to dispatch them. Then they had to pass some difficult terrain, which Isha had a lot of trouble with.

Finally, the group came within sight of it.

It was just as impressive as described. Opalescent tents surrounded by some kind of crystal fence. The surprising thing was the shanty town outside of it. People just sat around and stared off into space. It was weird, creepy.

Isha was in favor of going up and banging on the door, so she did just that. A Fey answered and Isha inquired about the Princess.

Without coming out and saying it, it appeared the Princess was within. Also, the fey seemed to be exchanging in a currency of memories. Because Grant was not willing to give up any of his especially potent memories, Isha grudgingly agreed to. At that point they were allowed inside to go meet with the Princess. Az chose to remain out.

Those who chose to enter with Isha were taken inside the main pavillion and offered a seat. A moment later another Fey brought the Princess in. She had a collar and a leash.

From questioning the girl and Fey, it became clear that she was brought here at her father's behest, and that the girl had no idea her father had done this to her. Apparently she was to remain for a year and a day, with the intent that the girl's memories of whatever she saw in the letter delivered by emissaries from the Scarlet Empress would be wiped from her mind. Which meant that her father definitely did see what was in the letter intended for him but that got intercepted by his daughter.

It was also clear that the girl's mind was too befuddled to get anything concrete out of her. She did seem to still have vague ideas about what she should be doing, about her friend, Song, about the incident in question, but the atmosphere of this place, the Wyld pocket inside of this crystal fence where she was kept, was preventing her from distinguishing reality from fantasy. And furthermore, who knew how many memories she'd already lost in the couple of weeks she'd been here. It was clear we needed to get her out of here. And that was bound to be a tall order.

The Fey, when questioned about the girl's release, would only accept a replacement as payment for the girl. Namely, Grantaire. They also said they didn't want to anger the King. What wasn't said in that statement was that the king was keeping these Fey on retainer by feeding them people from whom they could leech memories. The zombified shanty-town outside? Yeah, that was people who'd already been drained of all their interesting memories. No wonder they acted as shells of people; they were shells of people.

The king's number was up, with this evidence. Sure, Az had been right all along, but this type of dickery was such that Isha would not abide. She would slay him herself, snake guardians or no.

In the meantime, she had to see about a girl. A girl that it was becoming more and more obvious that they Fey were not going to let go easily, with any reasonable agreements for both parties. Not that the situation warranted reason, given that she was being held against her will.

Pasiap came to life within her, a glint of a gemstone within her eye. Isha stood, and in a dramatic motion flipped the table and pulled her sword.