Session 100-101: Is That Cloak Really Sassy

General Summary

27th Proviso

• Xue joined us as Serlina and explained what happened:
• She and her mother were renting a place in Shepherd's Rest while she nursed her mother to health when they were found.
• She doesn't believe the Shadows are tracking Changelings exactly but they are good at keeping tabs.
• They broke in one night and captured them, covering their heads - no idea where they were taken. Using them as bait for Xun.
• The Shadows know we're back in the city, and our arrival allowed Elirith the chance to escape. (She did nothing with fire; possibly the Shadows trying to cover their tracks).
• Aware that Xun won't be leaving Haven anytime soon and will follow Otho's judgement on that point.
• Asks that we don't get involved or Scry her (unless she fails to reply to 3 sendings).
• "I have things I need to do; in time I will be able to explain why."
• Only one thing she would ask of us; when the election comes up, support Felicity Miller, if we can get her in it'll benefit all of us. Feels the Shadows are behind a lot of things in the city and hopes with Felicity's aid on the inside they can find that out.
• Warforged Echo has been upgraded since last time - seems to be able to disappear at will.
• Xue will get in touch when she has more info - in the meantime we can tell the Council that Elirith died.
• Robyn goes to see Stormwalkers before they ship out in the morning; they're taking inventory and getting recquisitions from Quinn.
• Captain Stoneshield ignores Robyn entirely.
• Robyn leaves notes on fiends encountered previously with Madoc.

28th Proviso

• In the morning we all report to Leith Hanar/Council and are taking to Councilmember Stoneshield.
• Robyn reiterates that her injuries meant they were unable to continue - Councilmember asks if there's any scars and she shows them.
• They just wanted to make sure everything was above board as we've been missing/quiet for some time.
• No other freelancer parties are unaccounted for but there's new processes in place - checking in every 7 days, paperwork, etc.
• Reports Elirith as dead, give Peni's human name as a replacement.

• Further shopping with Khajid; put 150gold order for blackpowder
• Discuss Robe of Stars; wonderous item, Khajid is very interested, offers trad of 2k gold, sending stone and sending stone network (5) in exchange.
• Rel and Peni want to try it out first

• Go to the Garden District; Liv buys a box for the Caberet on 30th
• Box she wanted was taken by Archmage Aelor but one close to it available.
• Apparently Caberet Arcadium has magical elements (with Council permission) and a performer from the Academy.
• Leader didn't give his name, exuberant human with blonde hair, big smile and big blue eyes.

• Go and see Mdm Chatte for Rel's appointment.
• She locks the doors and shuts window to her luxurious apartment room.
• Rel asks how she knew her parents; Mdm Chatte used to be part of the Crook.
• Rel's father was the only one who knew Abigail's (as she was known then) occupation.
• She was the first one at the house after the attack - found Rel passed out in her hiding place and brought her here.
• Someone was looking for Rel, a guard, the morning after. Mother was assumed missing, presumed dead.
• Rel asked why she was taken to Haven: the Faithful were not unknown to the Crook and they are underground as much as the Crook were. The Crook as it was died with her father; other's may claim their interests but they are not the Crook.
• How did she know the attack happened: The Crook received word that the attack was due but warnings from the sources were too late. Abigail arrived as the wreckage was still settling and after the attackers left. She never knew for sure if it was the Council but feels they had their hand in it, or at least their will.
• Rel tells of her memory she discovered and the people she saw; Mdm Chatte counsels that going after them will achieve nothing, it will not have been their decision to make.
• She knows of the Shadows through hearsay pieced together information; they're exceptionally talented at not being discovered.
• Mdm Chatte doesn't think Toloy will be an issue anymore, he's not been seen in days. Knows Chancer was arrested, she heard it was from illegitimate purchases through his shop that he should have noticed.
• She hopes Rel finds answers and that they're the ones she wants but if not, she needs to be ready.
• She explains that her father didn't want to take power but wanted to be a good enough opposition to make the Council do better. Wanted a party to represent freedom and the disenfranchised. He incited rage productively.
• She knew he had a brother but didn't know his name. Most of the Crook and any remaining family were exiled with at most 5 days of rations. It was a death sentence without striking the blow themselves, no weapons, shelter, food.
• Rel looked to Robyn on if they should say more about Purgatory and she shook her head.

• Outside Mdm Chatte's Rel sits on a bench and asks Robyn and Peni if they should have said anything about Purgatory - that she doesn't know if her friends are alive.
• Robyn reminds her that a lot died before Purgatory was founded; best to stay secret, safer that way, also gives those in Purgatory the choice. Not much to be achieved by that knowledge being out there.

• Library still closed
• Couple less warforged than previously; date of speeches and election pasted over the posters.
• Rel and Peni discuss his stick - Peni not fighting Otho on it, no point arguing with an ageless god.
• Head through Shepherd's Rest via the free clinic; Ezra on a day off, normally there every other day. Rel gets underfoot and underskin.
• Robyn heads to Sentinel's Rest via Bradkirk to scout it; damage to building is extensive, roof is gone, walls are blackened; not something that happens in Bastion often, no fire-fighting teams.
• Seems to have slightly affected the warehouse next to it where there's scaffold and dwarves repairing the Craghammer Warehouse.
• Interior is pretty much rubble, mezzanine and walkway collapsed, derelict ruin.
• Entrances are the same, none of the walls low enough to be additional entrances.
• Scaffold is potential access point but it's purely to get to roof level, no where to stand except on the roof (dwarves are balancing on it).

• Robyn goes to see Shatterstar who is free (Atherton still scared).
• Freelancer experiment is easing some room for Skirmishers to focus - he admits he was wrong about it.
• Atherton gets standard training pamphlet with notes on fiends, aberrations and Wastes generally.
• Shatterstar mentions he heard she was injured, hence not being out there - Robyn confirms.
• Also that she's got it out for a particular devil - also confirms.
• Says she needs to get back out there, he needs a good marksman in the wastes.
• Robyn asks if he wants to know something but that he won't be able to unknow it - he says no, wants plausible deniability.
• Head back to Haven via Hamish's flat to check it out properly, nothing out of the ordinary or out of place, newest thing i a home anvil set up. Cleans it up and finds a letter addressed to her (birthday note), and a necklace in two parts, one is an arrow, where the fletching becomes a hammer and anvil.

• In Haven, Rel trying to attune to the cloak.
• Dhaer returns and sits with Peni and Liv; Rel too focused to notice.
• Peni wanting to make it as difficult as possible; uses minor illusion to pretend to be a talking cloak.
• Liv almost gives the game away by laughing.
• Peni tricks Rel into dancing as part of attuning; Rel clocks it and pulls Peni into a dance and drops him, then goes to her room.
• Once attuned, turns out the cloak does talk; Yler is sentient but only knows what its wearer knows and sees. Made by a mage named Deralaer.
• Rel goes to speak to Xun to confirm; he assumes the mage that made it was quite lonely and used it as an extra voice to talk to and bounce ideas off. It's not unintelligent but it's not independent; like the voice in the back of your head.
• Rel and Peni go to the arena to practice
• Rel freaking plane shifts to the astral sea despite being told about the scary things in it, like the dreadnoughts, which she freaking saw.
• Rel talks to Mes about going to the trap at Bradkirk; Mesh says if you're going to go, go with a plan and go with your friends, don't do anything stupid.
• Mesh says to get rid of the cloak, talking magic items are dangerous.

• Liv communes with Ogrim
• Is my mother in pain? Hear a rumble of thunder, quiet, seems to indicate no
  Could you free her from this link The sky is quiet, again seeming to indicate no
  Will freeing you help return the world to how it used to be? Hear a clap of thunder close by, seeming to indicate a tentative yes, followed by more claps of lightning striking you

Previous: Session 99: Evenings and Weekends Only

Next: Session 102-3: Until proven otherwise everyone is Elirith 

Bastion Date: 27th-28th Proviso

• Xue (as Serlina) visits in Haven and gives summary: Shadows found her and her mother when they were hiding and were using them as bait for Xun.
• Our return to Haven allowed Xue the change to escape.
• Asks that we don't get involved or Scry her (unless she fails to reply to 3 sendings).
• Asks us to support Felicity Miller in upcoming elections.
• Report to Council, tell them we were recovering, report Elirith as dead and that Peni is joining us.
• Liv buys box for the Caberet.
• Rel meets with Mdm Chatte; she reveals she used to be part of the Crook and took Rel to Otho.
• Robyn scouts Bradkirk damange and Craghammer warehouse; undergoing repairs.
• Robyn also visits Shatterstar and checks out Hamish's flag, finds a birthday note and gift.
• Rel attunes to Robe of Stars and visits Astral Plane; sell cloak to Khajid after cloak uses Rel's real name.
• Liv communes with Ogrim.

Report Date

02 Oct 2021