Session 8: The Queen's Cup Report

General Summary

3 Avrer 1000 AWD

After spending the night in the ruins of Tykus Stormborn's tower, the party makes their way to register for the The Queen's Cup, which is the culminating event at the The Queen's Fair.
They arrived and registered themselves to compete under the name The Anointed Piecemakers and prepared for the upcoming competition.
Upon arriving into the square after registering, the party noticed Sophia Whitestone, the young Queen of Grayhaven, speaking with what appeared to be a Drow princess. They were quickly ushered to the starting area where they began to prepare for the competition.
There they met the other contestants. Thaddeus, a priest. Till Duskbane a heavily clad combatant, and a familiar and unfriendly face of Karloff, a thug they had captured and lost during their battles under the city.
The tournament began with all the competitors arranged at the stairs at the top of the plaza and the Queen announced that the tournament has begun, all competitors were allowed to enter the plaza. The pennant this year was flying from the top of the Hero’s Pillar in the center of the square. The pennant is firmly tied to the top of the statue’s helm. Elijah Silversunmade great haste and began climbing the statue while the other contestants locked into battle below him. He was soon joined by his friends and Echo Aella launched Blossom Nimblekip onto the statue before she began investigating writing that she saw along the statue. The carved words wrap around the pillar on all four sides, and were written in four different languages. All together, they read:

“Make haste slowly / the pennant will be yours / if you wish her well / kindly and nobly.” The first section is written in common, the other sections are written in dwarven, elven and halfling.

Echo was only able to discern the first and third leg of the message leaving them without any idea as to what it meant. Eli was close to making it to the top before he slipped and fell all the way down to the ground. Luckily, Blossom was able to make her way to the top while Tiber Alighieri and Echo held off the other competitors on the ground.
Eli was able to notice banners nearby with writing on them and was able to see that in four different languages, two of which he could read, the same message was written. It also matched up to the writing on the statue. They decipered the message but not before Blossom attempted to remove the flag from the top of the statue. Upon touching the flag, a magical trap was sprung and the pennent multiplied to 100 and fell down to the ground, along with Blossom.
Once they communicated the message around the party, Blossom got the idea to wish the Queen well in a very noble and kind fashion. Upon doing so, the real pennant flew into her hand and she made a break for the finish line.
Upon reaching it, the Anointed Piecemakers were declared the winners of the Queen's cup and they are mobbed by the wildly cheering crowd, who bear them on their shoulders and foist wine and fair food upon them.Then they were invited by a royal servant to attend the reward ceremony that evening at the private chapel of the royal family, where they will receive the platinum cup and be blessed by the Queen.
They made their way to the chapel and received healing from the local priestess and while awaiting the arrival of the Queen, darkness descended upon the chapel.
A group of drow extremist - known as The Shroud - have been keeping watch over the city for signs of the Orb of Dragon Souls. Their advance scouts in Grayhaven, Vartus and Stilk, had been relaying updates of their hunt for the artifact back to the group.
Two ghasts began attacking the party, followed by several drow. While the Shroud was attacking, an unusual casket is brought into the church by a scuttling host of a dozen crawling claws, entering through the front door. Inspection of the claws revealed they are all from drow hands. The crawling claws deposited the casket in the darkest part of the chapel. The casket has a strange make - constructed from interlocking red-and-black lacquered wooden slats that interlock in a complex shape.
The drow of the Shroud fight to the death. One of the Drow as she is close to being defeated ran to the casket, the casket majestically opens like a dark blossom.
The inside of the casket is taken up by an old, dead, thorn-covered stump about four feet high, its roots still embedded in a large clod of earth. The stump has numerous iron spikes pounded into it on all sides, and from each spike hangs silver and gold jewelry. Only one spike is unadorned, and it has been driven through the back of an old, weathered skull near the middle of the stump.
Laying upon the stump, as if in a state of suspended animation, is Aviculara, an undead drow priestess of the Shroud.
After the casket opened, Aviculara rose to her feet and grandly addressed the party. She praised the dead drow, as if they had achieved something glorious. She expounded to the party about her mistress, and explained that they’ve come to Grayhaven from the Blazing Isles in response to prophecy, knowing that the Orb of Dragon Souls would be found. She demanded that the party gives her the Orb, promising that she will make them the rulers of Grayhaven after she has taken over the world.
When the party refused, she promised the the Great Lady of the Shroud will strike them all dead with a single word. Upon this being said, the banshee made herself known and began attacking the party.

Missions/Quests Completed

Won the Queen's Cup

Character(s) interacted with

Till Duskbane Thaddeus Karloff

Campaign

Secrets of the Greenwold

Protagonists

Blossom Nimblekip

()

8 / 8 HP

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

Tiber Alighieri

Echo Aella

Chaotic Neutral? Air Genasi (Courtier)
Rogue 3

21 / 21 HP

STR
13

DEX
18

CON
13

INT
16

WIS
16

CHA
13

Elijah Silversun

Neutral Good Custom Lineage (Human) (Noble)
Way of the Kensei Monk 4

27 / 35 HP

STR
13

DEX
20

CON
16

INT
9

WIS
16

CHA
14

The Watcher

Report Date

02 Feb 2022

Primary Location

Grayhaven