Session 36: Dancing with as Unstudied an Air as Possible

General Summary

With the start of the music, the first dance began.
Bolvaic sat to talk to Marithienne, who expressed frustration at her mother's insistence that she dance with at least one person as she wants her to find a match. However, in the course of conversation with Bolvaic, she devised that she might mortify her mother instead so that she would not pester her to dance. She took to the dancefloor with Bolvaic, but intentionally miscounted to throw his steps off, giving him a poorer show and performance on the dance floor. After the dance, Bolvaic escorted her to her mother, Frangag, and stated that the young lady's dancing was not well trained and that he could teach her more. Frangag chastised her daughter for not taking her lessons seriously and her intentions to mortify her mother were foiled.
Ilbryen danced with Daihl, who spent the entire dance gushing over his deceased wife, talking about the time that they danced in a tavern in town and otherwise focusing on her instead of on Ilbryen. 
Illevaere danced with Morgen, who while flirty, seemed to be looking more to "feel Illevaere out rather than to feel them up". Illevaere reciprocated Morgen's flirtations lightly and the pair danced well on the dance floor, gaining attention of the onlookers. Seeing how well-received their dancing was (and his flirting was), Morgen asked for another dance. When Illevaere stated the dances that they had free, Morgen made a quick scratching on his card and stated he was free as well, disappointing Illevaere in his behavior. 
Levi and Tertius danced together with Tertius assisting Levi in his first formal dance. Tertius told Levi that his father never speaks of love or romance, but his mother would. His mother described it as finding someone who makes you feel safe. Tertius admits that he feels dangerous around Levi, not safe, but it isn't a bad feeling. With Tertius' assistance, Levi made a good showing on the dance floor, raising some opinions of his abilities. 
Despite the good dancing on the part of some, none outshined Lysandrea and Maximillian in their first dance, keeping the group safe from a faux pas.
During the second dance, Bolvaic took a wine bottle and balanced it upon his head and danced alone before the fountain, pulling off an impressive solo dance that was well received.
Daihl released by the second dance that he was speaking of his passed wife too much and spent the second dance asking Ilbryen about themself instead, taking a favorable opinion of Ilbryen's accomplishments of educating and unionizing those they encountered.
Levi danced with Tiarjead in a serviceable, if not extraordinary showing of the pair.
Illevaere danced with Brady, who seemed a little awkward and bashful, seeming to misread a few things as more flirty than intended. At one point, Illevaere leaned in to say something quietly to Brady, but Brady thought it was meant to be something else and began to lean in as well until they realized and pulled back. Illevaere asked Brady about the rumors of their family's curse. Brady tried to brush it off as gossip, but said that one of their ancestors apparently killed a Fey that was on his land. The dying Fey cursed the family and it supposedly affects the first born during times of change--marriage, having children, coming of age--and supposedly a number of them have died. Although Brady tried to pass it off as coincidence that reinforces gossip, Illevaere detected that Brady was trying to hide more than what they were saying. During their dance, Illevaere caught sight of an antlered person hiding behind a tree, watching the dancers from a distance.
The third dance saw Bolvaic with Aralmeni, who said that she remembered where she knew the name Boradrak from--she had seen it on an item at one of the temples of Ctenmillar. She talked of how the early dwarves first came out of the mountain and saw how open and frightening the sky was until they saw the fires of Ctenmillar's forge--the sun--above and basked in the warmth and light of it. Since then, some shrines to Ctenmillar have been made in the high mountaintops where craftsmen lay out their creeations to display to Ctenmillar, leaving them there until they are needed. Bolvaic asked if Aralmeni would take him to the shrine and she agreed.
Thalgion stood up Levi in his third dance as he was nowhere to be seen, but Doiranne approached and asked Levi for a dance. As they danced, she asked about his intentions toward her nephew. When Levi suggested they were romantic, she warned him that a nobleman's life offers certain challenges in love, but they are not something that cannot be overcome. She talked about her marriage to Niklas, stating that they share a marriage bed, but each has their own room that they retire to and that she stays with her lady's maid to attend to her needs, and Niklas stays with his valet for similar reasons. Despite the warning, she also gave Levi her blessing for their relationship.
Illevaere excused themself from the dance to follow the antlered person that they had saw. Fleeing at first, they eventually halted and Illevaere saw that they were a fey creature, though not before passing Rograf who was taking samples of soil and placing them in a case he had in his jacket. She has coppery skin though it is dotted with freckles and a feminine frame and features, despite the masculine antlers. She has doe ears and hooves, almost like a faun, and red-brown curls that topple down to her shoulders. She said that she was Dewspark of the Court of Leaves and Whispers. She said that Roslinda had told her master, Stag King, about the wedding and she had come to see if it the land would still be protected with the change in hands. Illevaere mentioned the curse and Maximillian's potential death from it, and Dewspark said that the matter seemed that it would resolve if the groom died before the wedding, though Illevaere mentioned further complications. Dewspark implied that the Stag King was very protective of the Moonwell and the lands and would take action if it was perceived that it would not be protected. Illevaere convinced Dewspark to wait and watch and Illevaere would try to find out more about Maximillian for her. Dewspark said that she would watch and would be there for Illevaere to report to.
Illevaere returned to the dance and let the Bolvaic and Ilbryen know about Dewspark and their concerns that the fey could invade to protect this land. Lysandrea appeared looking a bit concerned and asked the group if they had seen Maximillian. He was missing and they were supposed to go over details before the dinner. Fearing that he might be out bedding someone, the group decided to look for him on her behalf. 
Levi called his pups and they began to follow Maximillian's trail into the Lodge. Illevaere, Bolvaic, and Ilbryen, meanwhile, took the path behind the Lodge to look for Wistari to ask him about Dewspark.
Maximillian's trail first led to the library where they found a book open to a passage that he apparently researched about cloacas, the cavity that lizards use for excretory and genital uses--apparently doing due diligence before meeting with Tiarjead later. The trail led out of the library to the second floor of the Lodge. There they saw Maximillian's body, apparently fallen from the back balcony into the lower ground below, appearing dead. Illevaere, Bolvaic, and Ilbryen also found the body, though from their vantage, they saw a bit more. The body was bruised and cut with a broken neck, all likely from the fall. However, the lips were puffy and Illevaere recognized signs of poisoning, along with the faint smell of mulberry and wine. Bolvaic found a yellow velvet pouch embroidered with cross-hatches meant to resemble a butterfly near the body.
Levi and Teritus were the first to find Lysandrea, though they did not have all of the information that the others had found and they informed him of Maximillian's demise. She was shocked and asked if they thought it was the curse or if it was foul-play. Levi and Tertius could not rule out either and Lysandrea worried that if it was murder, and the death were announced, everyone would leave and there would be no way of bringing the murderer to justice. She asked if they could try to find what they could while she stalled the dinner, but if the dinner were to start and Maximillian was not present, it would bring too many questions.
They agreed to keep the death quiet and investigate.

Campaign

The Gentlemen's League of Explorers and Adventurers

Protagonists

Levi Obadiah Kilgore

Chaotic Good Human, Northlander (Marked by the Beast)
Barbarian 11

115 / 115 HP

STR
17

DEX
14

CON
16

INT
14

WIS
12

CHA
9

Rivariin

Lawful Good Metallic Dragonborn (Hermit)
Paladin 6

64 / 64 HP

STR
20

DEX
8

CON
18

INT
13

WIS
13

CHA
16

Ilbryen Dorydark

Neutral Good Half-Elf (Sage)
Cleric 10

63 / 63 HP

STR
10

DEX
10

CON
12

INT
14

WIS
20

CHA
15

Tiarjead Faefyire

Neutral Good Dragonborn (Outlander)
Ranger 10

74 / 74 HP

STR
16

DEX
13

CON
13

INT
9

WIS
15

CHA
14

Illevaere Solandra

Chaotic Good Wood Elf (Outlander)
Druid 10

83 / 83 HP

STR
11

DEX
18

CON
16

INT
14

WIS
20

CHA
12

Bronwyn

Chaotic Neutral Human, Daoine (Criminal / Spy)
Rogue 8

59 / 59 HP

STR
15

DEX
20

CON
15

INT
11

WIS
12

CHA
19

Bolvaic Boradrak

Chaotic Good Mountain Dwarf (Outlander)
Barbarian 10

115 / 115 HP

STR
18

DEX
12

CON
18

INT
9

WIS
10

CHA
10

Tertius Greyhall

Neutral Good Human, Daoine (Noble)
Fighter 6
Warlock 2

50 / 50 HP

STR
8

DEX
16

CON
11

INT
15

WIS
8

CHA
18

Report Date

26 Oct 2022

Primary Location

Silver Lodge

Related Plots

• The Wedding Crashers

Related Characters

• Aralmeni Caskhood
• Brady D'arlington
• Calim MacMhorgain
• Daihl MacGregor
• Dewspark
• Doiranne Ohlan-McGowan
• Eliza Hope
• Frangag Isillionthë-McGowan
• Galianne FitzGilbert-Isillionthë
• Keavy MacAteer
• Lillian D'arlington
• Lysandrea Isillionthë
• Marithienne Isillionthë
• Maximillian D'arlington
• Meabh McGowan-Glenns
• Morgen Lavendar
• Niklas Ohlan
• Patrick Braydon
• Rochelle D'arlington
• Rograf Goodfaith
• Roslinda Brynborn
• Saevel Isillothe
• Sirbastien D'arlington
• Thalgion Isillionthë
• Vilithyss Arlin
• Wistari Enydark