Mariala was able to “diagnose” Erol’s complaint of headaches and strange phenomena as an emerging psionic talent: amplification. She explained that this allowed him to increase the power of any existing arcane or holy energies within his range (about 20’). It doesn’t increase the chance of a spell, ritual or psi-talent being successful, but it does make the results of a success (or a failure, for that matter) more powerful. For example, a fireball might be twice as explosive as normal, or a healing touch doubly effective; or a misfire that might have just caused a crack in the wall might blow out the whole side of the room.

Erol has an awareness of his ability now, but still very little control – he can make an effort to use it, but it can also manifest on its own, as it’s been doing since he joined the group. Devrik and Vulk both realized why their portal openings have sometimes been “wider” and longer-lasting than they should have been, and why Devrik’s flaming sword was especially effective recently.

Mariala also divined that Erol possesses another psionic ability, one he has been controlling better, if only half-consciously: extratemporality. This gives him the ability to sometimes “slow down” the world in a crisis situation, allowing him to take two actions where others could only take one. It can also grant a special clarity in other situations, a moment of epiphany, where he suddenly grasps the gestalt of the moment.

After settling the matter of Erol’s new abilities, the Hand of Fortune agreed to take up the Earl of Kinen’s request to seek out his renegade, murderous brother-in-law. Doing a tarot reading, boosted by Erol’s newly manifested psionic talent, Mariala was able to determine that Ser Andro was most likely looking to escape by sea, from Shalara, not only the capital of the realm, but its only major port.

The portal map captured earlier in the month was carefully studied, and it was determined that the group could portal from the nearby Rivona Abbey, where Lady Lania was recuperating, directly to Shalara. Although Andro had a several day head start, it was felt this might just give them a jump on him. The Earl provided them with letters of introduction and authority to act in his name in seeking the outlaw knight, and the Abbess granted them access to the abbey’s vortex.

This is located in a special chamber beneath one of the abbey buildings, and she informed them that the vortex at Shalara is actually in a grove of trees outside the village of Lyndon, northeast of the city, near the Amphitheater. The companions decided not to take the horses, and Cris was left behind to care for them as the Progress continues on it’s way. The Earl expected to arrive in the capital on the 30th of the month, about 6 days away. Raven and Black Hawk will also stay with the entourage and under its protection.

Vulk tried to open the portal, but fails; Devrik then tried his hand at it, and succeeded. It’s mid-afternoon when the group steps through, arriving in a moss-covered stone circle set in a small wooded clearing. Before they took more than a few steps, they were confronted by four men of the City Watch, who questioned them as to their identity and purposes. Satisfied that none of them are the fugitive knight they’ve been warned to watch for, they direct the group to the nearest city gate, about a half mile southwest.

Once in the city, they make there way to the Earl’s town estate, where they are given temporary rooms by his steward. They’ll have to vacate when the Earl arrives, of course, but until then they may make free with the nearly empty mansion.

After some discussion on how best to proceed, the group visited the Harbor Master, or more accurately the Assistant Harbor Master (who actually does the day-to-day business). He had already been warned to watch for the runaway knight, but when pressed named three local ships whose captains might turn their hand to smuggling out an illicit passenger. But he felt that the foreign ships anchored across the river in the South Harbor Alienage would make a more attractive option for such a person.

Mariala again turned to the tarot deck, and the results lead the group to a dark, smoky dive in the Alienage called the Wretched Seagull. In an amazingly elaborate and strange plan, Mariala cast her Wallflower spell and entered the dive unobserved, while Devrik and Vulk watched the front and back entrances. She was followed shortly by Drake and Erol, who pretend to be drunken sailors having an argument, to draw attention to themselves, while Mariala stealthily searches for any sign of Andro or where he might be hidden.

Possessed by who-knows-what, Drake slammed a GOLD coin down on the bar, after Erol tossed a drink in his face, and said it was for anyone who would take out his “friend.” In the ensuing riot they barely escaped, bruised and abraded, before the local constabulary arrived to calm things down.

Once the Watch was in control, Vulk, Devrik and Mariala reentered the tavern to interrogate the barkeep, using the Earl’s warrant as their authority. The captain of the Guards accepted this, and hauled off a few miscreants. Mariala used her ability to detect lies while Vulk asked about Ser Andro.

Lies were forthcoming, until money was offered – despite having been the one to grab Drake’s gold piece, the greedy barman was eager for more. He admitted that a man such as they describe, clearly trying to fit in, but clearly too good for this place, met a Sydoran ship captain there the day before. They took a private booth in back, and he knows nothing of what they discussed. But he did provide an adequate description of the captain.

Outside, Erol was certain he noted someone lurking in the shadows and watching the tavern. Night had fallen by this time, and as Erol moved forward in full stealth mode to confront the fellow, he suddenly tripped, hitting a lamp outside the tavern, and barely escaped being burned as the flaming oil made a bright river of light along the dock. Whoever the shadowy figure might have been, foe or innocent bystander, he or she slipped away into the shadows as people rushed to douse the flames. Ah, critical failure rolls…

It was decided to try and find the ship belonging to the captain Andro met with, that very evening, in case they planned to sail with the morning tide. While this was being debated three bells rang out over the Alienage, and although the group wondered why, they shrugged it off and carried out their plan. It wasn’t hard to determine that three vessels from the Sydoran League were currently docked in the city: the Dark Tide, Verdik’s Pride, and the Swift Wind.

Unfortunately, it was too late to expect any of them to be receiving visitors, so the friends decided to retire to the comfort of the Earls manse, and return before tomorrows tide. Even more unfortunately, they hadn’t been told that the gates to the bridge that connects the Alienage to the main city are locked each night… hence the warning bells. Forced to take accommodations in this less fancy part of town, they ended up in a dormitory room at the Khandar’s Rest, a middling establishment next to the Khundari Gate. Mariala didn’t sleep well…

The next morning the group split up to check out the three possible ships Ser Andor might be booking passage on. Vulk and Mariala posed as gentlefolk wanting passage to Sydora at the Dark Tide, but were turned away by a captain who didn’t at all resemble the description they’d been given. Meanwhile, Drake and Erol pretended to be able-bodied seamen, seeking work on Verdik’s Pride, but failed to realize they lacked the proper guild tattoos; they were summarily tossed overboard