Session 38

Date: 29 December 2020

Prev: Session 37

Next: Session 39

In the immediate aftermath, M: have ro try and track them down?

The guard talks to corrin; when leaves barracks, heads to southeast dead guards. Polar bear follows mino. They regroup in the square. M: you okay Q? Q: need new clothes. Presto: you can mend things… C: but the gross? Presto: prestidigitation! Mino boops Q on the nose to clean him off a few times.

Group debates tracking them down. (they’re in the northern end of 4) C/Ro/R go to track: Ro picks up a scent. They debate following the trail – longer they wait, harder to track. Perhaps over the roofs as well? They’re very athletic. “would a polar bear be useful to you?”

M&N go to investigate the commoner. Late30s/early40s human woman, no open wounds but bruising and neck at a weird angle. M: “I’m sorry that this happened to you and I’m sorry that I couldn’t have stopped it. But I want you to know I’m swearing by my god that I will avenge you and those two are going to pay for what they did. And I expect you to hold me to that, Winnehild.” M to N: do you know anything about the magic? N: no, summoning and fey shit, but that’s it. M: for a long time I was a guy who solved his problems with violence, done things I regret, trying to be more considerate about when I hurt somebody, and maybe that was a mistake. Maybe I shouldn’t have been holding back.

At this point, there’s the “do you need the polar bear? We’ll meet you back at stange house”. Nergil joins them and the polar bear disappears.

During all this, quill is talking to presto. P: so nice to be out of that book. Q: okay but… trying to wrap my head around this. P: But my name is my name! Q: uhhhh presto? I’m tired. We can change it later. P: it was one of my favorite spells! That works. “Ah, you’re struggling to intuit my arcane nature.” Q: more of you in there? P: more of a manifestation, not a ghost. You have an inquiring mind, couldn’t manifest without you subconsciously seeking me out. Can be dismissed, but need to regain arcane energy to summon again. Shakes hand then dismisses the ghost.

Guard: what… happened? Q: heard a commotion, came over, ears like tabaxi and talons like aarakocra. Guard: there were… more animals? Where’s the bodies? M comes over. Guard was in the barracks off duty. M: anything like this happen before? Guard: I’m new, and low on the ranks? M: anything you know let us know at our place. Do you know next of kinf or this woman? Guard: think she lives a couple of blocks away? can pass this along. M: other guards? G: well… they’re dead… my captain is probably around here somewhere? M: he’s probably dead. G (Sark): shit. I am the acting captain now. Q: we can go get other guards? G: uhhhhhhh. M: you can get through this. 3 knights walking up: half orc, human, air genasi;

(Baborah, “a middle-aged private tutor and social climber who was on her way to a singles meet dinner party, hoping to find her match.”)

The trackers follow the scent pretty well through alleys, through the gate to peliquo; Ro keeps up the trail, which continues to go through alleys and stay off the major streets. They see some shiftiness, as a contrast between the main streets and the alleys. They move through the gate to Ayver, ro keeps going. Are they trying to shake a tail, or just preemptively being shady? Ro finds it hard to track through the dye house in Ayver by the gate to Pithi, which is sort of a noble district. Raen looks around aided by everyone, doesn’t see much besides small animals and a couple of servants helping people out carriages. There is no gate from 3 to 2. They’re going to go back through 6 on the main streets. (light cantrip globes at side streets, continual flame lampposts at major streets)

The 3 knights: “Acting captain Bernard sark”. Genasi inspects the woman, Human: at ease. Who are you? To M&Q. Q: our friends are trying to track down who caused this commotion. Orc: fey? In the city? H: yeah, suspicious. Guardsman wouldn’t lie, but you? Q: explains the creatures dissipating. Knights: come with us please to make a formal statement. M agrees to go with, because bigger picture. Human: acting captain? Sark: my detail is all dead. Genasi stays behind to help clean up with Sark.

They pass to Rorgerry, which is more fortified. Human in front, 1/2orc in the back. M can’t tell if he’s being marched to jail or not, the h1/2orc is keeping an eye on them, but Q notices they’re stoic b ut not on edge. Duke’s palace and grounds behind the old keep, but they’re going into the knight’s tower. M: when we spoke to – human interrupts to correct Mino’s addressing of sark. “would you care to wait until we’re… in private?” they go into a conference room: Human is Boden half orc is Lebaj. “Knight Captain Boden, representing the duke.” “we don’t need your life story.” M: miscellaneous? Q: “from fishmouth”, shows the KCB the temporary guild. KCB passes to scribe, will follow up with mage’s guild. Q: we just came into ownership of the house. what questions do you have?

KCB: we were just passing by to drop in on the guardhouse. We only got involved because guard deaths.

M: passing by, heard noise, saw a lot of giant animals. Q: Jumanji? M: on the statue were 2 individuals were clearly claiming responsibility, made a comment about the city being corrupt and returning to nature, tried to follow them (“please stick to the facts”), we turned back and took down the remaining animals. Q: they were fey, so they disappeared. M: you can question other people in the area. KCB: how did you know they were fey? Q: I don’t typically summon creatures, but my knowledge of the arcane. KCB: yeah, as a probationary member we know. Q: I’m a journeyman, so I know these things. You could look in my spellbook? KCB: not necessary. what is your specialization? Q: magical theory (and a long explanation). KCB: and yours? (to M). M: prestidigitation (Lebaj draws sword, Boden puts out a hand to calm him down). KCB: if you could refrain from any more magic… describe these two? M: elaborate feather cloaks with some kind of magical control. They could throw like knives. (points to) Elfish ears? Bird feet? Fey because no one race and weird magical energy. They’ll stand out in a crowd. KCB: two guys? M: one male, one female. Q: they seemed like a couple? M: yeah, some kidn of connection – related, or dating. Feeding off each other’s magic. KCB: anything else? M: no? they hate society, they want to bring back nature, Q: “we deserve what they got”. M: tried to intimidate them, but they just ran. KCB: not many minotaur’s. shava’s – bar in Maerquel. M: No? never heard of it? Ngl, want to take them down for what they did. Do you know Astrid, Childe of Elfield? We’ve been working with her on an interplanar issue, and we have xperience. So I’m pissed and want to take them down. KCB: I appreciate you want to bring to justice, but we don’t love vigilantes, so please refrain from taking any action and leave it to the duke’s guards. Q: has anything like this ever happened? KCB: this is not the first time we’ve heard stories of these characters. M: so what happened? KCB: two unconnected reports, not announced, we would appreciate. 1, from gate guard, attack on the road at dusk, 2, warehouse of food in cauls deliberately spoiled, 2 feathers found on the scene. M: I want to work and not against. KCB: please don’t do anything. Q: but you’re not doing anything! Without us you wouldn’t know anything and more people died! KCB: whatever. Pls stay, we’ll bring food and you can leave after our report is finished.

Q: can cast sending? Maybe corrin? Maybe astrid to warn her? But only 1ce.

The trackers find Dam and Des in front of the house with Pasky. “we ran into your pet” N: it’s our home! You noticed. Des: we need… Dam: YOUR HELP BRO. In common, N: let’s go up to the room… Pasky is following like “I fucked up”. Sophia opens the door: astrid is in the sitting room. As corrin enters, he hears the sending: “duke’s knight captain questioning us about fight. We are in rorgerry and will be late. How was the search?” reply: “Followed them to Pithi, then lost the scent. What happened? Are you being held? Astrid is here if you need help.” Corrin relays the message. Astrid: so that’s why they’re not with you. Sophia brings veggie food in. A: how was the mages guild? C+R: there was… spells? And magic? R: N+Q are members now. C: 2 fey people? A: I just paid social calls, but I didn hear rumors. C: badly relays the story. A: confused by the story? R: left guild, were gonna go shopping, then animals. C: did you know raen is farmer? C continues to explain X+R, and the summoned fey beasts; had cloaks and ran away, mino got mad; someone died and mino got broken up about it, other people died. Point is, the guards might think we had anything to do with it? But they’re being held there.

Nergil, upstairs: hairbrush. “Dad said you’re doing something with portals, we need ap ortal.” Dam: TO THE FIRE PLANE!” N: not in the business of opening them. why? Des: classified. Part of the deal. Dam is jazzed about the guild membership, Des is like “I just want to go home. Don’t want to involve mages guild.” Des: whatever, if you don’t want to help, just say so. Dam: let’s meet for dinner tomorrow (goat shop in Nicolaus). N escorts them out. To Pasky: P: she’s mean. Dam wanted to call me a groupie? They were interested in where you were.

R: astrid, do you have any questions? A: so many. N joins, “I was upstairs with my siblings.” “Is that a breed of dog?” Astrid paid social calls. 2 pieces of information: powerful mage attempted to kill the duke about 4 days. C: explains the edginess N: mages guild wouldn’t let us in until we were sponsored. A: also, a noble was killed with blood magic about 2 days ago. N: jesus, what? Who was it? Raen freezes up and astrid notices. A: not sure who, minor noble. N: maybe not have to do with this? A: blood magic is rare, inflict wounds is a specific skillset.

M&Q are let out by Lebaj and they head back to the house. M: a, what kind of finding magic? Q: let’s rest please? M: what spells do you have? A: scrying? But harder since I didn’t meet them. Q: we can also look into the 2 other incidents (cart and warehouse). C: trail went cold at Pithi, we came back. A: the assassination and the blood murder; assassination was in broad daylight but aborted quickly, put in jail by duke’s guard; rumors but no official announcement. M: wasn’t allowed to help the guard. So mad. N: you could… investigate on your own and give that help? Q: I want to stop them, but we need to prepare; R: maybe we don’t get on the wrong side of the enforcement. M: wants bear traps from the artificers? Lis: WHAT????

N: so maybe tomorrow we should do our own investigating. C: so are you gonna meet up with your siblings? M: yeah ask them if they want ot help kll these people. Q: uhhhhhh but why bring them up? C: oh they were here. Q attempts to figure out if N is telling the truth about his siblings; Q is probably catching that N is leaving out details.

What is the plan?

N: wants to try and get a portal open for his siblings, going to the mages guild. A spell scroll is risky and expensive. He knows how to open a portal, but it would take time and knowledge to put the portal, and needs a beacon. Says he has family dinner, gonna spend the day with Damian.

M: put an order in for bear traps/traps in general. Wants to help her with scrying by describing them thoroughly. A magic shop or two to visit to ask for “scry” (not searching per se, but need Mino’s description). M + A also visit KCB b/c he has feather that could help her scry. Don’t want to go to minotaur bar b/c too single minded. [Can A go to KCB with M so she can vouch, and offer scrying to help? He wants her to offer but withhold it until he gets jurisdiction.]

R: wants to go back to the mages guild for medicine. Errands; magic weapon materials, things other people want (bear traps???? No bear traps????). Raen wants a normal day. (Maybe some convenient eavesdropping or a sidequest?)

C: kind of interested in the heist? Go with the flow.

Q: wants to talk to Yorn about this blood magic and about the assassination and maybe the people summoning things. Kind of wants to help with the heist, but doesn’t really agree with harassing the guard about it. Also, about the spellbook and presto? [can quill do both? If it happens in the afternoon.]