Alira, Elvira, Mom

Type: Side Quest
Region/Scope: Onadbyr – Tower influence within the city

Overview

After receiving a letter note from his mother, a Tower magistrate, Voss suspects something is wrong.
Though written in her usual official tone, the message feels cold and detached—unlike her past correspondence.
A small, hidden “M” beneath the word gardens matches her private seal, suggesting she may be under observation or attempting to send a coded warning.

Voss is determined to uncover whether the letter truly came from his mother, or if it was altered—or even sent under duress.

Objectives

1. Decode the meaning behind the “M” beneath gardens.
2. Determine whether the letter was intercepted, rewritten, or forged.
3. Learn what danger his mother might be in and how the Tower is involved.

Role in the Story

• A personal investigation centered on Voss’s family and their ties to the Tower.
• Adds tension between the party and Tower authority while intertwining with the main quest Secure the Royal Architect.
• Reveals the possibility of hidden communication or surveillance within the Tower hierarchy.

Source

• Voss – Received the letter directly.
• Lord Signmonder – Provided the mission that led to its discovery.
• Ricio Tane – Present when the letter was discussed and decoded during the search for the Architect.

Notable Moments

Session 9 - Acquired

• During the journey through Onadbyr, Voss rereads his mother’s letter and realizes the tone does not match her usual warmth.
• The group notes the presence of a small “M” under gardens, resembling her personal seal, possibly hidden to avoid detection.
• The discovery leaves Voss concerned that his mother may be communicating under duress—or that someone else has taken control of her correspondence.
  Session 12 - Ongoing
• Voss contracts Jorban Twill to investigate his mother, giving him 5 gp to “check up on a lady by the name of… Eldra… Alira—sorry, Alira.”
  • This confirms her name: Alira, a magistrate.
  • Twill agrees to return information within 24 hours.
• The earlier reference to “Elvira” in the Discord notes is revealed to have been a misremembered or misheard name.
• Voss spends downtime at the Bastion analyzing the letter again, looking for signs of forgery or hidden meaning.
  • No new leads or definitive evidence emerge.
• Voss’s dream—though not providing factual clues—reinforces his emotional urgency and sense that something is wrong at home.
• The quest now includes a new active lead:
  • Awaiting Twill’s report on Alira’s status, whereabouts, and wellbeing.
    Session 13 - Ongoing
• Twill is brought into the Bastion by a guard and gives a direct update:
  • He has found Voss’s mother.
  • She is being held by the Tower, not in a cell but as a “guest”—a phrasing the party immediately understands as Tower-style imprisonment.
  • She is alive.
  • She is under the oversight of Tower personnel, which Twill refers to as “unblinking guards” (potentially literal or figurative).
• Twill warns the party to “keep Eldvarr on a leash,” likely referencing Tower awareness or vigilance following this discovery.
• No opportunity arises (yet) for Voss to send a message back or attempt rescue, but the quest now has a confirmed location and new urgency.