Session 00 - Wayward Winds
The winds of change blow across the kingdom of Valderia...ancient secrets are about to be stirred loose and retribution falls upon those who dare to shed light upon the face of darkness.
General Summary
In the Kingdom of Valderia , grown decadent and prosperous as history recedes from the Godsgate Calamity and its terrors, a motley band of wanderers are drawn together by design or fate.The nocturnal massacre of his noble family and apparent extinction of their entire Household drives spoiled Half-Elf nobleman Osborn de Lis to flee for his life into the night, and into the path of terrors and adventures he could never have imagined... ...whilst across town, the city's criminal underbelly stirs with talk of a mysterious artifact being unloaded by the South Wind Trade Company, and with covetous eyes the Goblin rogue Alzo Knifehand decides that he will be the one to claim the prize... ...little knowing that it is already promised to House Caravielle, a rival of House de Lis, for whom the Gnome wizard Alston Folkor Doublelock has been employed as a tutor, until an unexpected change of circumstance and a letter from an old nemesis drives him to revive his dream, of utilizing his marvelous mechanical invention and sparking thirst for magical learning to become an adventurer... As these disparate souls converge, a ship from far-off lands bears the curious stranger, the Firbolg druid Dealan-De, to this city of strange sights, sounds and smells, in search of the dangerous artifact she was tasked to protect and failed.... A path of adventure awaits these four wanderers and their future companions, as the City of Tourelle begins its lavish and joyous celebrations for the coronation of the new young Queen Jalenna of Valderia... It's going to be a night to remember.
Character(s) interacted with
Tarius Belve
Hadrio Markonne
Herg Snubfoot
Sven Stan Stihl
Outcome
Osborn, disguised and furtive, entered the city and sought out the Singing Spider Inn and Tavern in the Textiles District. He had received a letter from Hadrio Markonne, a retainer of his family he had believed slain in the Massacre of House de Lis who claimed to have news of his father. Despite his trepidation and suspicion, Osborn met with Hadrio at the inn, discovering that the old dwarf had hired the Striking Gull adventuring guild to protect himself and lock down the inn so they could speak privately. Hadrio warned Osborn that his father had been declared a traitor to the crown on the same day the massacre had taken place, and that, whilst Hadrio had no clues as to the identities of the family's killers, all signs pointed to very powerful forces moving against House de Lis in the hours leading up to their destruction. He told Osborn that his father Stragran de Lis had seemed deeply agitated in the days before the event, and had passed the key to a locked box in Estegarde into Hadrio's keeping, making him swear to pass it on to his children should anything happen. Hadrio believed that the box might contain some clue or secret that Stragran feared would be discovered, for the eyes of his family only. With that, Osborn and Hadrio agreed to part ways, and Hadrio told Osborn he'd secured a room for him for the evening, upstairs at the inn. Hadrio finally warned Osborn as he departed for the room that, whilst his investigations since the terrible night had turned up very little evidence, he feared the involvement of House Caravielle, old rivals of the de Lis family... Across town, in the Summerleaf Estate owned by House Caravielle, Alston, working as a tutor to the household, found himself called upon by Tarius Belve, the head servant of the Household and Alston's immediate employer. To his surprise, Alston learned that he was being 'released from service', after having taught generations of Caravielle scions, as the House no longer had any children of age to be taught and the last two young adults, Fabienne Caravielle and Bartimeus Caravielle had departed Valderia on a mercantile expedition to the West. Tarius promised adequate recompense for his long tenure and left him with a parting gift; a package addressed to him, apparently from an old rival back in Wulvaral, Phineas Bertholdt Cloggstomp. Returning with some dejection to his private study and laboratory, Alston was startled to discover that Phineas, allegedly dying, had a change of heart about their bitter rivalry and wished to clear the air by admitting to sabotaging Alston's masterwork, the Mechanical Marvel, and returning its finished core to his old nemesis so that Alston could finally complete his creation. With the Marvel's heart finally in place, the machine became active, and Alston took his first steps on the road to becoming a wizarding adventurer....down the stairwell and out the front door of House Caravielle, taking some of the expensive furnishings and several off-duty guards with him for a trip to the Rare Chant Alehouse in the Arcane Enclave district. At the docks of Tourelle, a merchant ship moored to disgorge its passengers, including a tall, wide-eyed figure; the firbolg druid Dealan-Dé, traveling in makeshift disguise from a distant shore. The first person she bumped into on the docks was an old, battle-scarred orc in simple clothing, who offered friendly advice to be cautious in a big dangerous city like this, especially for those who look different. As she moved along the harbour, Dealan observed a symbol on some of the ships resembling that on the ships that came to her homeland to steal the dangerous and sinister Mask she had been tasked to - and failed to - protect. Following the old orc's advice, Dealan used her natural abilities to disguise-shift her appearance into a tall, regal-looking woman she saw striding purposefully past. In this new appearance she approached the offices near the dockyard that bore the same symbol. Inside, she attempted to talk to the desk clerk of the South Wind Trading Company and query her about the mask, only for the initially disinterested clerk to freeze up when she recognised "Dealan" as Shalara Boulva, the form she had by chance taken. Sensing the woman's apprehension about this appearance, Dealan played along, demanding to know where the Mask had been taken, only for the clerk to admit that it had been released to the care of the Akademia Arcanum for study on the orders of House Caravielle... Dealan, resolving to find the Mask at any costs and trusting that her new form would open doors for her, made her way deeper into the unfamiliar city... Across town, the goblin Alzo Knifehand, a rogue and burglar of some renown in the back streets of Tourelle, sat down for a clandestine meeting with Herg Snubfoot, a shady and notorious halfling fence and underworld informant, learning that South Wind Trading Company had unloaded something of great value from their last expedition, that the underworld of Tourelle was abuzz with curiosity and theories about what it might be, who might want it, and most importantly how it might be valued. It was rumoured that House Caravielle had ordered the expedition and might be moving the goods soon. Many thieves were interested, but none so far had the confidence to make a move, and Herg wanted to know if Alzo was up for it. Alzo, trusting Herg's intentions very little but curiosity piqued, stated after Herg asked for a cut that he had no interest in going ahead with it...before immediately leaving the tavern to go meet with his more trusted contact, the smuggler and fence Sven Stan Stihl. Sven confirmed that it was rumoured that the House was having it examined by the mages of the Arcane Enclave across town, and that a skilled thief might be able to grab it before it was transported, but that once the mages had it there was little chance of stealing it, as certain arcane wards on the entrances and exits of the Enclave were impassible without magical amulets worn by the students of the Tower of Beltharius. Alzo, undeterred, resolved to simply steal one of those amulets, and made his way to the Singing Spider Inn and Tavern for study on the orders of House Caravielle... Dealan, resolving to find the Mask at any costs and trusting that her new form would open doors for her, made her way deeper into the unfamiliar city... Across town, the goblin Alzo Knifehand, a rogue and burglar of some renown in the back streets of Tourelle, sat down for a clandestine meeting with Herg Snubfoot, a shady and notorious halfling fence and underworld informant, learning that South Wind Trading Company had unloaded something of great value from their last expedition, that the underworld of Tourelle was abuzz with curiosity and theories about what it might be, who might want it, and most importantly how it might be valued. It was rumoured that House Caravielle had ordered the expedition and might be moving the goods soon. Many thieves were interested, but none so far had the confidence to make a move, and Herg wanted to know if Alzo was up for it. Alzo, trusting Herg's intentions very little but curiosity piqued, stated after Herg asked for a cut that he had no interest in going ahead with it...before immediately leaving the tavern to go meet with his more trusted contact, the smuggler and fence Sven Stan Stihl. Sven confirmed that it was rumoured that the House was having it examined by the mages of the Arcane Enclave across town, and that a skilled thief might be able to grab it before it was transported, but that once the mages had it there was little chance of stealing it, as certain arcane wards on the entrances and exits of the Enclave were impassible without magical amulets worn by the students of the Tower of Beltharius. Alzo, undeterred, resolved to simply steal one of those amulets, and after purchasing a sleeping draught from Sven and marking a passing Halfling wizard on his way to the Singing Spider Inn and Tavern, followed the fellow brazenly in, drawing the interest and ire of the Striking Gull guild who had hired out the inn for private purposes, in particular the elf-warrior Tela, who was openly hostile to goblins. Alzo ignored the bad air and ordered a drink, chatting to Gery, one of the more amiable members of the guild, and inviting him to a booth to discuss something further...unaware that the dark elf Jorella had observed him slip something into Gery's drink. As Gery succumbed and dozed in the booth, Alzo effortlessly slipped his pendant off and headed for the door - only to find Jorella waiting for him outside. A tingle of magery passed over him as she smiled at him, and in a friendly, winning fashion asked him to come back inside and explain why her friend was asleep on the table. Though Alzo failed to resist the charm, and followed Jorella upstairs to an interrogation by the guild members, the natural wariness of his raised-in-the-streets personality and his glibly evasive replies frustrated the guild members, until the exasperated Jorella gave up and let Tela 'have her turn'... But as the elven fighter smirked and raised her fist for some violent persuasion, Alzo reacted by simply stabbing her in the gut. In the chaos that followed, Alzo was knocked out. Hours later, he woke up hogtied in absolute darkness... ...as, flashing forward, Osborn, paranoid and alone with his thoughts, barricaded his inn room against potential intruders, his hackles suddenly raising at the thumping and muffled vocal sounds coming from a large trunk at the end of the bed...Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments