(If any players who have played Carnival of Swords made their appointment with the Horned King, read or paraphrase the following. Note that other PCs are welcome to attend the debate, but they will not be taken aside by the Horned King afterwords.)
The next afternoon you arrive in the Forum to hear a rousing debate between Sabeta Corsi, the Plebeian Advocate of Old Coryan, and Titus Eladrus, the Minister of Imperial Sciences. Titus Eladrus is attempting to gather support for a new study on ancient Triduae ruins around, and even under Grand Coryan, under the auspices of his Imperial Sciences Guild. Sabeta Corsi maintains that such an undertaking would be too taxing on Imperial coffers, resulting in added taxes which would be felt most harshly by the plebeians of Old Coryan, the city in which the Imperial Sciences Guild holds its main offices. Both raise good points, and the debate ends with a conflict of ideologies, questioning whether or not learning more about history and the ancient way of the Triduae is worth the cost.
It is easy to find the Horned King and his Swords during the debate, as they are given a place of honor. Prior to his election the Horned King was a man named Celestus who was known as one of the few fair merchants of the famous Midnight Market. The Horned King watches with rapt attention, following every word, and often nodding his head in agreement with one argument or another.
After the debate, the Horned King and the Swords treat you to a good, if not luxurious supper in the Forum, and after this, the Swords rise and surround you, blocking you and the Horned King from view. The Horned King looks at you earnestly, and says quietly, “You have served my office before, and in doing so served Old Coryan and saved it from a madman. For that, I am in your debt. Please accept this as a repayment.”
He slides to you an armband of wolf fur. It is of similar design to the band of wolf fur worn by the Avenger, one of the Horned King’s Swords. “In the ancient days of Triduae this band was worn by those who served the Horned King. I regret that its magical power is all but gone now, but there are still things in the Triduae hills that remember its old call. Take this as a token of my gratitude.”
He sighs softly. “And now, I fear I must ask you to earn more of my gratitude. There are things moving in Old Coryan. I do not know what, I cannot know what, for I am no watchman, no priest, I am merely a servant of the people in what far too many regard as an outdated, ceremonial position. But this position does have a purpose, and it is to dispense justice. I would be grateful beyond my means to express if you could help me, if you could be a pair of eyes and ears. The hills speak of a coming darkness, not the darkness that may come to all of Onara, but of a specific darkness, a dark blade that will come to Old Coryan. If I am to help my people fend off this darkness, I will need allies and friends. I hope you will be both. If you search for me in this city, you will always find me.”
With that the Horned King rises and departs.