Session 14: Recon and Regret

Family Dinner

Winter 37, 6840 CA

The group finish getting dressed up and head over to the Douglas house for a family meal. Roph cooks dinner and enlists Ursa's help. The group get to know Nazsnag. It becomes apparent that Nazsnag isn't aware of the situation with the Swordrunners and manage to avoid the topic.

There is an arm wrestling competition. Valia manages a surprising victory against Nazsnag. Ursa is able to beat Yuri, even though Zed tries to help him cheat. Percy wrestles Wally and promptly flips him over despite Roph trying to provide Wally with some subtle aid..

After dinner, the group volunteers to clean up the dishes. Roph is pleased by this and decides this is a good time to come clean before she finds out from the group. This goes poorly. Nazsnag asks for some privacy. Ursa wants to stay, but Nazsnag insists she leaves. Zed spies on the conversation while Wally gets stuck in one of the cabinets.

Nazsnag is furious about Roph getting involved with criminals all for the sake of protecting them against the archmage from the west. She clearly no longer considers Invaldor to be a threat or interested in them anymore. She removes the amulet and storms out of the house. Once outside, sherequests that she get to spend the night at the Bracemark Manor while she's in town. Zed offers up her room. Meanwhile, Wally needs Roph's help to get out. He admits to overhearing things and when he leaves, he can hear Roph crying.

They head home and get their room plans figured out. Percy confirms with Zed that Cora will meet her at noon tomorrow! Ursa and Zed have a conversation. Zed wants someone to know she's going to see Cora, but is concerned she might just get tossed in prison. She wants Ursa to come check on her a little later to make sure all is well.

Operation: Invisible

Winter 38, 6840 CA

The next morning, the group decide to investigate the warehouse and find out what they can. The group had considered going in and getting jobs, but they are worried that it could tie themselves to yet another crime, especially since they're planning to do that crime. Yuri reveals that he can actually cast a spell to make himself and another person invisible! It's a spectacular power that he just remembered he had.

Yuri and Zed are the sneakiest, so they go invisible. Wally transforms into a spider so he can ride along and explore with them. Valia and Ursa remain outside to be on lookout. The two disaster siblings are able to get inside the warehouse and can see that the first floor is a busy factory. There's an elevator and some stairs that go down. The group decide to try their luck with the elevator first. The third and fourth floor is filled with boring office worker cubicles and offices, but the fourth floor is where the important people work. They spy the names of some of the people who work along the top floor:

• Bilmin Pebbledust, President and CEO
• Saria Pillwinter, Vice President of R&D
• Hesna Dazzlebranch, COO
• Gimble Pebbledust, CFO
• Gaylen Paelwind, Vice President of Living Resources

They can spy in the windows of the smaller offices, but Bilmin's office has a secure double-barreled lock without windows or any space for Spider-Wally to slip under. The trio take stock of the area and head back to the first floor. They decide to take the elevator, but wait until someone goes inside. An important gnome woman steps inside and it gives the trio the chance to slip in with her. This takes them to the basement. Wally slips underneat some doors to do some scouting and confirms what they were warned about - mechanical automatons guard this area! The Invisibility spell is close to running out and Wally is concerned about pressing his luck.

They take the elevator back up, but are left with a problem: this elevator is about to open for no reason in a busy factory floor. The two immediately bolt and one of them bumps into a factory worker in their haste. This causes a bit of a fuss and before long some of the factory security are searching around for an explanation on what has happened. In the chaos, Zed remembers her appointment with Cora and makes towards the Watch Hall.

Yuri reveals himself to Valia and Ursa and reports on what happened. Valia wants to know what happened to Zed, but Yuri doesn't know. Was she captured!? Yuri is confident that Zed is way too cool and cunning to ever be caught, despite being caught like two days ago for damaging public property. Ursa realizes that Zed probably went to go see Cora, but she knows that this is supposed to be a secet so she keeps it to herself. Valia is beside herself with worry and decides to stick around the factory and wait for Zed to show.

Menacing Mama

Zed arrives early at the Watch Hall, so she decides to head inside and look for Sgt. Angelica. She finds the sergeant in a briefing with Lt. Booth, who is updating other officers about the ongoing Norwind Manor case. The two Warforged at the site confirm Ursa's story that there was some other thief involved in the crime. Zed slips back out to meet with Cora.

Cora Maralys arrives armored up and bearing her glaive. Their conversation is tense. Zed is seeking answers on what might possibly be done to help Yuriel be remembered by Ava, but Cora has no hopeful answers to provide. The subject of Valia does emerge, but Cora is adamant that Valia remaining with the group is only going to lead to disaster. Ultimately Zed doesn't get the answers she's looking for, but is given terse instructions that should Zed wish to speak with Cora again, she sould do it at the Maralys home.

Ursa arrives afterward and is relieved that Zed isn't dead or imprisoned. The two head inside the Watch Hall to talk to Lt. Booth but are intercepted by Sgt. Angelica instead. She informs Ursa that the theft of the sword and Ursa's presence on the second floor is still a matter of interest, but she's no longer the primary suspect in the theft of the nobles. It's an improvement at least! Unfortunately the testimony of two Warforged isn't admissable evidence, so things aren't entirely cut and dry. Lt. Booth at least believes Ursa.

Zed goes to find Valia, who has grown nervous and went out into the streets to see if she found spot any sign of Zed. A halforc guard from the factory spots her and asks her if she's seen anything suspicious. Valia answers that she just recently got dumped by her boyfriend and is out for a walk. The halforc awkwardly tries to comfort/woo her, but doesn't get very far. Valia rushes away, but the guard hastily introduces himself as Thok.

Valia and Zed reunite and Valia is both livid and relieved. They have a serious talk about what happened and Zed reveals that she went to talk to Cora. Valia isn't happy about it, but Zed explains that she just wanted answers about Yuri without family tension being involved. It's fine.

They end the evening back at the Bracemark Manor where Wally offers up a strange white liquid that he's been making in the basement. Everyone is extremely concerned about this, but it turns out to be an alcoholic beverage called saké. The group bravely consume this strange new beverage. It's well needed after the day they had.

Ursa goes to check up on her mom first and finds her drinking with Mirabelle. She decides to leave them be so that she can go meet up with Zed.