In order to show thanks for all the hard work of the Mercies, as well as the blessing Lagoma has provided to those of Arx over the past year, Verity is organizing a pilgrimage from Arx to Blancbier for any Mercy that wants to travel to the city famed for its Mercy training in the arts of healing and Lagomic Theology. The pilgrimage will need guards, lodging along the way, food and supplies, and things to keep the people entertained and their souls in good health during the journey, so Verity is pulling together help in all the ways she can for this.

At Laric's suggestion, Verity will ensure the route of the pilgrimage goes through Fen De Lay with a stop to build fires, sing, and celebrate Lagoma in her former festival area.

Pharamond Ashford is not one necessarily known to take part in religious events, but he is known to come to the help of friends when they ask. He will gladly serve in assisting Verity on the trip with both his blade and his personality, glad to participate in drinking contests, drinking events...well, drinking. But that's just at night. During the day he will also continue to help serve as a skilled fighter and guardian wherever he's pointed to assist.

No matter the intention, even something as good and noble as a pilgrimage to Blancbier on behalf of Lagoma, and so Colonel Harlex Valtyr of the Crimson Blades has been hired to help escort the pilgrims to their destination. He'll be doing what he does best; staying out of the way, hurting things if they need hurting, and otherwise being as much a dissuading force for any highwaymen or other kinds of trouble.

Invited along, Evaristo's presence changes depending whom asks. Sometimes he's a guard (he has armor and two swords, and can act very guardy), but next time he's along to entertain, bringing out his lute and playing and singing, or doing little 'magic' tricks with coins to entertain the crowd. The next? He is a merchant on a pilgrimage too, so thankful for all the tender care of the Mercies he's gotten over the years... (he often shows a dubious scar on his arm that could be a shot from an arrow, maybe a knife wound.)

Either or, he is entertaining, mostly helpful and if something attacks, he might even be half useful.

Enyo has been invited in to helping with this. While not Valardin, nor herself a sellsword like some, she has been known to venture out on random adventures to random places, for random reasons. So she has decided to chip in as a guard, when needed, but also as a great talker should people get bored on the trip. And who doesn't like cheerful talkers?

Honored to be asked along and jumping at the chance to assist her fellow Mercies in service to Lagoma, Estelle will do everything she can to help assist the caravan while learning more about how such pilgrimages are undertaken as well as the others making the trip. She plans on then using that knowledge to help keep everyone on task and their spirits up, as the potential travails of the road are many.

The trip is not entirely without incident- as they move into the Oathlands, they are stopped at least once by an Oathlands patrol of knights not far from Blanchard lands hunting Abandoned, and they ask pointed questions about whether any of the pilgrims are prodigals, but ultimately let the pilgrimage pass umolested. And at least once during the trip, an Abandoned scouting party spots the pilgrims, but after seeing Pharamond, Harlex, Evaristo and Enyo decide to opt not to attack (pilgrims to Blancbier tend not to be the wealthiest of targets, after all). There's the very strong sense things could have gone very differently and very messily if it wasn't so well guarded, poor or no.

In Blancbier, the pilgrims start training to become mercies, and some of the senior mercies are extraordinarily impressed by Estelle's talents, saying they've never seen such a gifted intuitive grasp for medicine. The mother mercy of Blancbier even says she might be touched by Lagoma and has an ounce of her grace. The new Mercies are extremely eager to start their training, and some are rather close friends to Verity and deeply appreciative of the work she's done, and promise to stay in touch and write often, as thanks for all that she's done. ((fame/legend update for all))