Session 10: Turning Up the Heat

General Summary

The session begins with the party making preparations to go to the dinner.

Madame H decides she wants to sneak her way into the villa alone, which she manages to do thanks to 'Pass Without Trace'.
She explores part of the first floor, where she sees a room with portaits of House Cassalanter, depicting them from a few years ago.
She infiltrates the kitchen where she disguises herself as a servant and sneaks upstairs.
Unfortunately she reaches a dead end as the doors to the rest of villa are locked when the banquet kitchen is not in use.
While figuring out a plan, she stays put.

Arriving at the villa, the party are greeted by two young children; Elzerina Cassalanter and Terenzio Cassalanter who brings them to the private library.
They're also greeted by a friendly dog who is extra friendly to Gaerreak Facan.

Maisie also Wildshapes into a spider! For reasons!
She uses this to explore more stealthily.
Exploring the library, she sees numerous books and tomes...and an interesting display shelf with jars full of swirling mist.
Upon closer inspection, one of these jars is labled as "Your Beardy Face" (a vault key!). So SpiderMaisie spins a web around it to mark it for later.
She then sneaks into a room that appears to be a study (while still a spider).
She sees Victoro Cassalanterdeep in thought at his desk. All around him are different contracts outling different loans.
Looking at his desk, she sees that it’s built in an odd way that indicates that the locked drawer may have a secret compartment inside.
She also sees a suit of armour, which upon closer inspection could be a security measure (either Animated Armour or a Helmed Horror).
Victoro is called away from his desk by his son, who informs him the people he invited are here.
Masie takes this as an oppurtunity to fuck around and find out, dropping her Wildshape to try and open the desk...
Yeah so that was a Helmed Horror. Luckily she manages to revert back to her Wildshape and escape!

Sitting with Gaerreak Facan and Kerberos in the Smoking Room, Victoro Cassalanter offers the following in exchange for the Stone;
A 10% cut of the horde (50,000 out of 500,000 gp worth) to split amoung the party (about 10,000 gp each).
Gaerreak's debt would be forgiven, and the collateral returned to him.
They would free Gwen, thus saving her life and the party would not have her blood on their hands.
Gaereak says that he would need to discuss this with the others, and asks some questions of his own. He learns;
That there definitely is 500,000gp worth of embezzlemed funds in the Vault of the Dragons.
House Cassalanter wants the money to "secure their future" without bankrupting themselves.
Kerberos investigates the kitchen.
Madame H has now disguised herself as a servant and is evesdropping.
Gaereak and Masie sit at the table

Everyone (expect Madame H because she's eavesdroping while disguised) enjoys a tense meal.
The food is delicious, and there are multiple courses.
Nothing new is really learnt, however, the party is told they will be escorted down to where Gwen is and to wait in the Libary for a servant.

The party is escorted to the Libary by two maids (one is Madame H in disguise).
Left alone with the imposter maid, they steal the marked jar and begin to discuss plans.
These revolve around rescuing Gwen, breaking into the desk and maybe having to kill people to cover their tracks.
The party also believes that maybe this maid isn't quite right, not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Tensions break as Kerberos tries to grapple the maid who is revealed to be Madame H.
She then hides in the cloakroom, ecountering what might be a divine sign of Tymora.
The party decides that they'll deal with her later, and sneaks into the cellar.
They look around and at first notice nothing too out of the ordinary. Then they noticed a cold draft coming from a wall.
Suprise its a secret door!
They decend down the stairs and arrive at the Temple of Asmodeus.

The session ended with Gaerreak Facan, Kerberos and Maisiearriving at what appears to be a dungeon; Madame Hallelujah having an existential crisis and Gwen Olsen doing something...

Session ended 20/6/1492 at 9pm; 20th of Kythorn (The Time of Flowers) 1492 DR, the Year of Three Ships Sailing