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[Spoilers Episode 18]
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Episode 18: A Toast to Trouble
You began face-to-face with Iago preparing to do battle in the card room of the Tipsy Scholar. Iago initiated combat with a mist of blood that filled the room and incapacitatetd Raidion and I (tCntM). The rest of you leapt into battle. Kelnys with magically sharpened teeth and claws bared as Ellowyn slashed with her sword and dagger whilst Dolly attempted unsuccessfully to curse your tiefling adversary. Soon the battle swung in favor of your opponent as Dolly and then Kelnys fell to Iago's blood whip. Dolly was revived with a 'Kel-berry' but after a few failed castings of chromatic orb, Iago's ire was turned towards Raidion. More blood mist filed the room around the elf and (Raidion having failed a CON saving throw) fell to the ground, dead. With his last moments of consciousness, he called on the Deck of Many Friends, summoning Erastus Gracie, a skeletal human with a penchant for death and decay. Erastus offered no reprieve for Raidion, so Dolly drew from the deck one final time, bringing forth Jaxxi Flaxseed, the tabaxi taxi, who saved Raidion. Jaxxi bested Erastus Gracie and turned the tide of battle in your favor. Iago was killed by Ellowen and a grateful panic that the Reeve was able to push through a vote in the right of the common voice. That night, as I slept wedged beneath a bunk that housed a slumbering Kelnys (having speed-cleaned the entire lower third of the card room) Raidion, Dolly, and Ellowyn talked and drank in the Tipsy Scholar. They debated pulling a card at random from the Deck to try and reason with whoever was drawn, but eventually decided against it and headed to bed. The next morning you met with Eris the Reeve and spoke of Iago's death. She introduced to the concept of salted caramel, agreed to gift Kelnys a diamond, and prepared to invoke the Rite of Common Voice. Raidion and Kelnys destroyed a flower bed and were gifted a bunch of flowers by Elwin (Eris' husband) which they in turn gave to I (tCntM) who was headed to see Quincy to collect his high-chair diagram. Armed with his bunch of flowers, some encouraging words, an armful of coins, and a truly disgusting series of sketches, he made for Quincy's home. Once inside, the kobold and gnome spoke about tribes, friendship, and faith. It was revealed that, while kobolds were raised to consider Ristren and the Gnomes as untrustworthy traitors, no such teachings existed in gnome culture. Caught between all he had thought to be true and the friend stood before him, I accepted the high-chair diagram as well as a token from Quincy symbolizing the potential for their peoples to find peace. Meanwhile the rest of you had set about purchasing enough healing potions that the Deck of Many Friends wouldn't become your primary mode of evading death. That done, you reunited with I and headed to Oratory Square (where the assembled populace prepared to take part in the Rite). After Eris called for the vote, the crowd waited to see whether the Learned Friends would block its passage. As Penick ascended to the top of the fountain, Dolly briefly appeared as Iago to ensure that the elf would uphold his end of the bargain. Sure enough, he did, and to the shock of many of those assembled, the vote passed swiftly. As the crowd dispersed to prepare for the journey to Mouse, you spoke with Eris in the Square, who promised to pass Ellowyn's love on to her family. So the Reeve is before you. She's stepped forward with her husband leaving the Watch (security) behind to have this conversation (tryin to maintain the secrecy of your true identities) and having spoken to Ellowyn, her eyes turn to Kelnys, saying, "I believe this will be sufficient." She pulls a ring from her finger. It looks to be an engagement or wedding ring with a large diamond set at the center of it. She pulls off the ring and she hands it to you.
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Previous Episode: A Date with Death
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[Spoilers Episode 8]
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Episode 8: The Bodies and the Book
Last time you began at the Whispering Walker, Casper informing you that the Spider Prince had arrived in Baruun and was demanding an audience.
Clearly shaken, he led you through the streets of The Deal as night began to fall. Ascending a stairway to The Crest and arriving at a large building on a quiet plaza. He escorted you into a room in which two figures were waiting. The Spinner (lieutenant of The Web who you first met on the night you fought the basilisk) and The Spider Prince himself.
Clad in black robes with silver thread, his face obscured by a mask made of innumerable black gems.
He questioned you on the events at the top of Mount Atria, toying with a silk bag on the table as you spoke. Apparently satisfied with your answers, the Prince moved his attention towards Raidion Thornbear, demanding to know of his family. When Raidian told him that he remembered, the Prince turned towards The Spinner telling him:
"I think you're right, but I don't understand how."
I (the character not the me) told the Prince of the orbs, the words "The Shadow Will Flood", and the blight that you found at the peak of the mountain. Kelnys spoke of the child mentioned by the voices in the orbs. With all your reports made, The Spinner took the floor and told you of a new mission. You were to burn down the five buildings that share a plaza with Grawnoth's residence. The Web has been financing the expansion of the city of Baruun and debts are owed.
At this point, Raidion stepped forward telling the Spider Prince of Barabask's betrayal and stating his desire to kill the Elven Antiqua, should the opportunity ever present itself. He wished to speak privately with the Prince and the Spinner, but was summarily dismissed in this request. Dolly turned to leave before The Spinner called her back. She alone was to remain. The others shuffled out and could hear nothing before Dolly emerged, discussions having taken place.
You headed towards the plaza in order to stake out the five buildings, passing a few drunk workers who you overheard speaking of a colleague, Vim, who was as yet unaccounted for. You split up and began to investigate. Raidion casting Disguise Self to take on the appearance of one of the drunk workers and happening to stumble upon Vim. A tiefling trying to sleep off a hangover in a pile of insulating fleece. A moving one act play followed and Vim eventually stumbled off with a belly full of booze and a heart full of hope, leaving Raidion with a set of keys he had pilfered from the tiefling's pockets.
As Kelnys overheard some of the commotion, he tripped over a pile of building materials, setting off a series of unfortunate stealth checks suffered by the party, which gradually increased the attention of Grawnoth's guards. I (tCntM) managed to throw them off the scent with a feline use of Silent Image and a little persuasion. But Brunhilda and the guards were beginning to pay attention to the growing commotion in the plaza.
After a few failed attempts to climb some trellis, Dolly started a fire at the base of one of the buildings and Kelnys summoned his Wildfire Spirit (in the form of a pine marten called Hank) to begin a blaze in another.
Raidion Misty Stepped into an unoccupied building. I (tCntM) fell foul of a magical door knocker and Endellion enjoyed a less than ideal time in the darkness as she attempted to get to the farthest building and prepare it for ignition.
Her fire started, Dolly feigned insouciance as she headed towards Grawnoth's estate. Brunhilda and the guards emerging as one of the buildings succumbed to the flames and collapsed. Dolly cast Suggestion on Brunhilda and told the captain of Grawnoth's guard to head to the building at the farthest end of the plaza where Endellion had succeeded in starting a fire.
Meanwhile, Dolly began to plant seeds of fear into the mind of a guard, causing him to develop an aversion to a slightly larger than average black cat, which I (tCntM) had caused to appear earlier in the encounter.
By now Raidion had set another building ablaze and he dashed out to see Brunhilda, telling her that Vim had gone crazy and had been declaring his desire to burn the buildings to the ground. By this point it was only the building nearest Grawnoth's estate that was free from flames. Kelnys soon saw to this and the whole plaza was engulfed in fire and smoke.
As Brunhilda arrived at the final building, she spotted Endellion in the shadows and (flummoxed and flustered) the fighter could not give a convincing reason why she was there. Soon I (tCntM) interceded and managed to convince her to head back towards Grawnoth's estate with Endellion in tow. As they approached, Endellion and I (tCntM) saw a figure next to the gates. that led to Grawnoth's residence. I (tCntM) realized that it was Grawnoth himself emerging to inspect the blazing plaza where multiple buildings had now fallen to their foundations. As I (tCntM) looked on, a figure emerged from the shadows and plunged a knife into the Antiqua before disappearing in a whirl of smoke.
As far as the rest of you are concerned, nothing has yet changed. Endellion, you have seen this figure slump to the ground against the gate post. You've seen an assailant disappear in a curl of smoke. I, you know who it was, you know this was Grawnoth. The flames are flicking higher, licking up the sides of the walls. The three remaining burning buildings are on the verge of collapse.
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