Book One – Chapter 15

Yu had never met a member of the Crimson Circle Core in person, but he had known about the Crimson Baerras since childhood. Not because he had any particular interest in them, but because it was impossible not to know of Captain Herdin O’Rourke and Chepter Terralin if you grew up along the Barnstreams. Yu did not care for politics, geography, history, or much of anything, really, but there was not a day where the riverfolk would not let you hear it. There was always some reason to bring up one or the other wizard, always someone proudly declaring them “children of the streams”, as those born among the settlements were called.

O’Rourke and his crew were practically legends in the region. Living legends, actually. They were frequent patrons of the Barnstream Harbour Guild near Yu’s hometown and also, from what he had heard, of the Albweiss Mountain Guild as well. The Crimson Baerras were seafarers through and through. When they were not manning their ship at the Barnstream Harbour Guild or navigating the river networks south-east of the Albweiss, they could generally be found among the north-eastern settlements or in the Northern Midlands. Their influence stretched far beyond these hubs, though, with resting spots and outposts scattered across riverside settlements and deep into the Midlands, past the swamplands and the rivers that framed the Albweiss Mountain Range.

More than sailors, they were strategic artefact hunters. And unlike solitary seekers, the Baerras had the numbers to claim whatever they wanted. Their name carried equal weight in whispered dread and open reverence, spoken with both awe and unease by professional competitors and commoners alike. Key members often remained behind at the guilds, while subordinates managed the ship. These were the Baerras’ eyes and ears, maintaining contacts in the Midlands, securing high-profile assignments, and handling specialised operations in groups of selected individuals.

None of them, however, had been at the Albweiss Mountain Guild when Yu arrived the previous night.