Session 10

This One Was Suppose To Be Session 4...

Date: Wednesday, 26th of February, 2020
Attending Players: Ashara, Embra, Ish'Mael, Victalyassa
Time 3.25 Hours (Total: 29.25 Hours)

Game Time 4th of Sowmeadow, 6:30 PM
To
5th of Sowmeadow, 8:00 AM
Game Locations:
Enderfaso and Valtaska

Shield Alwar and Shield Talvi stood outside the meeting hall, shifting uncomfortably in their armor as they waited. Their's was to guard, not to participate in the meetings. It was dull painfully dull.

"I saw you making eyes at that half-elf this morning," Alwar said, smirking over at his partner. Talvi only huffed in response, but her face flushed lightly.

"I was not 'making eyes'. I simply admire all of Yurona's work."

"Hmmmm," Alwar smiled, "Looks aside, he had a bit of an ozone scent. Can't say that'd be nice."

"It matters not. Besides, even if I were interested, he clearly makes friends with the bad sort."

"Aye," Alwar nodded, his face twisting as he recalled the group coming out to meet them at their wagon. "That fire-touched one seemed ready to start a fight before we even met up with them."

"Plus the filth on that Marleek," Talvi almost spit.

"Uh, and the other half-elf woman. She had the walk of high-born, but to debase herself with mercenary sorts like that. Speaks ill of her character."

Silence fell betweent the two. Murmurs from the meeting room could be heard as the people debated. The quite steps of servants in other parts of the building could be heard, mingling with the dim hum of the eternal fire's burning in the candles that illuminated the windowless hall.

"But yes, he was quite gorgeous," Talvi muttered, her face staying composed as Alwar smirked.

Session Start

The only pre-session notes that were addressed were the introduction and formalization of the drinking rules. They will eventually be added to this site, but for now, the rule is located in the VTT system used for this campaign.
Due to work requirements, the player for Ish'Mael had to come into the session a little later.

Travel to Valtaska

The group woke up in the Cobalt Shield Hall in Enderfaso early in the morning. Ashara, as usual, rose suddenly, pivoting upward only at the hips. She immediately gets up and stands over Embra until the half-elf wakes up and goes to rouse Ish'Bear. Victalyassa, needing no sleep that night, simply got up and walked downstairs. The group convenes downstairs for breakfast, eating to their fill. Before 8, a clerical member of the guild arrives to whisk the party to the Cobalt Shield delegation headed to Valtaska. The group gets up, heading out, though not without talking Ashara down first.
In short order, the group head to the Glyph District, get into the teleportation chamber of the Magirium Transportation, and are teleported in an instant to Valtaska. The group steps out, Ashara pausing to ask the operator if any of their coworkers have happened to pass away, intrigued that they have not. The Cobalt Shield delegation offers them any assistance if they wish, but depart for their own duties.
Expecting to see Drosko at the Crazy Boat Inn, the tavern they first went to in the Low Market, they start to head that way. As they approach the Parade Route, the most direct road to the Low Market, Ashara decides that she doesn't want to walk through such a heavily protected road, opting to take a longer route. The group is annoyed but otherwise indifferent to it, following Ashara in the longer trek. As they start to approach the tavern, Wish'n'Feel's player arrives, getting caught up fast.

Drosko and the Apothecary

As the group walks in, Drosko becomes excited, asking the group to join them and ordering drinks for all. The group give him the brief on everything they had seen, all the evidence they had collected about the cult and their activities, and top it with the Inquisitors Badge that Victalyassa slaps down on the table. A runner boy is sent to arrange a meeting with General Threev as they brief each other, Drosko takes his turn to inform the group of what he has discovered so far with the shrine, and a symbol resembling it.
Drosko says he found a symbol that matches that of the shrine, leading to royal families from the previous age, the lost Enrith nobility specifically. While he doesn't know much more than that yet, he knows where to look for information, telling the group he'll let them know in the days following.
Pausing, then reaching into his bag, Drosko proceeds to give a letter to Embra, one bearing her family symbol. As Embra reads the letter, the group begins to argue with one another about what they have and have not divulged about their past. Embra looks distraught and slightly tears up as she sits quietly among the group, but nothing more is raised about the issue.
With time to wait, Ashara requests directions, and some pocket change, to find a shop that can offer a poison for her needles. Drosko tells her where the nearest apothecary is then hands her 5 High Marks (the equivalent of 50 marks) to Ashara, who turns to head out. When he rejoins the group, Victalyassa and Embra take the moment to address a sensitive issued with Drosko.
On their first day of this mission, while back in Enderfaso, they had come across a shrine the cultist use. The group believes this to be an important clue, but Ashara found the shrines to be such blasphemy that it sent her into a rage. They chose to take the pieces of the shrine that were left after Ashara's destruction of it, and kept it hidden from her this entire time. Drosko takes the shrine from the group, as they agree that it is all Oops'Meal's fault if the shrine is discovered.
Ashara, on her own, finds the Apothecary easily enough, heading inside. An older woman there is quick to help Ashara find the poisons she wants, but is charging 12 marks per vial for the basic poison. Ashara, mistakenly believing the exchange rate is 1 High Mark to 2 marks, thinks she only has 10 marks total. She tries to seductively drop the price to 8 marks. When it fails, she tries to offer an exchange of part of a vial for a reduced rate. This too fails to convince the shop keeper. Choosing one last strategy, Ashara stabs the woman in the neck with a needle that was already dipped in the poison.
Freaking out, the shop keeper falls back, trying to get away. Ashara jumps over and grasps her, but the woman is able to kick her off momentarily, crawling away on her hands and knees. She makes it to a shelf, searching for an antidote, when Ashara grabs her leg, and rolls a Nat 20 on a Strength check to pull the woman back. In a single motion, Ashara pulled the shop keep straight onto her sword. As she cleans up, she grabs 2 of the Poison Vials and heads back to the Crazy Boat.
As Ashara walks back into the tavern, she returns the coins to Drosko and explains that she was able to get the poison for free. She then continues on to say that the woman was so kind, that she provided the group a new guildhall. Drosko, suspicious of the story, begins questioning Ashara, who slowly, but honestly, explains what happened. As frustration builds in Drosko over what this may mean, the group begins talking among each other about what has happened. The runner boy shows up, just in time to relieve the situation, telling them that General Threev is available now if they wish to see him.
Moving quickly, the group heads up toward the Shimmer Castle, stopping at the same front area that they had met before to be escorted to their reception room. They are seen within moments, as a tired General Threev walks into the room to talk with everyone. He begins asking the group about the Inquisitor, to which the group say he is dead, but they have his Badge and Journal, turning them over to him as the proof of the Inquisitors death. Saddened by this news, he continues the meeting by requesting what information they had discovered about the Cult. The pary gives the following information:

• The cult seem to be creating Sand Abominations, turning people into this creation.
• A person named Iosha created the potions used to do so; Iosha's Potion Shop was destroyed
• A cell existed in Enderfaso, specifically in The Shatters of the city, but it was destroyed
• They have seen the shrine of this cult's god. Drosko is researching it
• Embra felt some sort of entity behind the shrines, though it was short lived
• The Rann family was involved in Skad in some way, offering aid to the city and a priest.

General Threev contemplates what the group told him, calling in for the reward that was promised. He then considered everything and requests the group continue, under the High Kings orders, to delve into this cult. Speficially, he requests that the group look into the following:

• Find this Iosha, arrest or kill her, and ensure no more potions are being made
• Look into this entity, discover what it is, whether it's a greater being, demi-god, or a new deity all together

After those orders are given, General Threev lowers his voice and says that he would like to make an unofficial request. The Rann family, being involved in Skad in some way, may be tied to this cult. They are a powerful and wealthy family, and that would have major implications. Though the orders are unofficial, General Threev would like the group to look into the family. He promises that he can reward them, but that he needs them to be subtle about it.
He offers them two options. In two days, Chavala Rann, the matriarch of the Rann family, is hosing a party at her Valtaska Mansion. General Threev can get tickets for the group, but they will need to be on their best behavior and act the part. In the party, they can do their best to uncover any information that may point to what the Rann family is doing. Afterwards, they can report to the General what they have found.
If this didn't appeal to them, or as an option later, the son Thorikar has basically secluded himself at the families winery to the east, near Norva. The PCs are encouraged to go there and see if the son can point them in any useful directions.
Regardless, General Threev will pay for the PCs to look into this out of his own pocket.
Needing to leave, General Threev pays the group 50 High-Marks plus an additional 30 High-Marks for the information obtained about the cult. He thanks them, saying that the state of the Alliance is seemingly fraying and he has been extremely busy. He slips that Benira may be looking to start a civil war before leaving. Drosko takes the money and divides the 80 High-Marks evenly, saying that, though the guild needs money, as they are on an active mission, they can use this cash to further their cause.
As the session is closing, the final questions by Drosko are to see what the group has planned, and they seem enticed by the prospects of attending the party. Drosko nods, saying he will set the arrangments. The session closes with Ashara requesting that everyone now heads to their new guild hall.