Havenbrook Election, Pt1
General Summary
The group find themselves in a small airless room, sitting in a semi circle with two other people, who introduce themselves as Laura Finsbury (a dwarf) and Bimp (an orc). Laura is leading the session, and, after welcoming the group to the internship scheme, begins with some ice breaking activities. However, before the activities can properly begin, after only a short bit of introductions and each of the six interns discussing a ‘fun fact’, Laura’s plans are quickly derailed by none other than Ed Davey himself.
Ed Davey swings into the room, and states that a good bit of canvassing is really what they group needs, whispering to Laura that they’re low on campaigner numbers and really need some backup.
The interns are given a list of addresses to visit to spread the good word of the Radical Centrist Party (RCP) and to get some much needed commitments to voting.
En route to their first address, the group have a long, in-depth conversation about immigration policy from the fae wilds, concluding generally that portal crossing surely cannot be unrestricted, and that high-skilled workers should be the priority.
The group first visit Bethany Crockley, an Elf and a One Havenbrook voter who lives in the upper part of the city. She quickly explains that she usually votes in the way her husband tells her to, and that she likes the general order of rich families remaining in charge. After some effective canvassing from Darllen, she reconsiders her position a little, and agrees to take a flyer away to think on it more, saying that anyone other than the People’s Party, led by Harold Smeeth, would be better.
On the way to a second address, Miriat narrowly avoid being knocked to the ground by a very grumpy halfling, who barely registers the group at all, distracted by his own mutterings to himself. He does however eventually acknowledge them, and after establishing that they are RCP campaigners, begins to rant that “all politicians are the same”, before storming off out of sight.
The group move on to another address, the Fishy Fishmongers, where their notes say that the inhabitant above the shop, a Tabaxi by the name of Jim Oakley, is very dissatisfied with the noises and (especially) the smells coming from the fishmongers. First, the group meet with the fishmongers, who defends his shop’s integral role in the community, pointing especially to his midnight bass events. They assure him that they will ‘deal’ with the upstairs inhabitant for his and his friends’ votes.
Miriat advocates for a violent resolution to the issue, potentially killing, maiming or perhaps just rendering them unable to smell, with Mog and Ainsworth backing these ideas enthusiastically. Darllen however is able to calm the group, and approaches the inhabitant with the intention of finding a peaceful solution, backed by Son who ‘helpfully’ puts his foot in the way of the door, preventing Jim from being able to close it.
Jim, a frail and exhausted Tabaxi, timidly opens the door, and explains his difficulties in finding somewhere else to move to. After some persuasive long-term policies surrounding housing, put to Jim by Darllen, he comes around to the RCP’s way of thinking, and agrees to vote for the party in the hopes that it will open up some options to move to.
Suddenly, the group hear crowds of screaming people coming from the centre of town, near to where Ed Davey had gone to for his own campaigning activities. The group rush forward towards the shouting, with Miriat at the front, who arrives just in time to see an unconscious Ed Davey being teleported away by a hooded figure.
The rest of the group catch up to, what is now, quite an empty courtyard. Laura Finsbury rushes onto the scene and begins to scream and cry about Ed Davey’s kidnapping. After being slapped twice in the face by Miriat, she is able to calm herself and get a plan together. She asserts that it is almost certainly the actions of one of the other political parties - the three main rivals being the People’s Party (based in Everbrave), One Havenbrook (Stryder’s Stead) and the Naturalists (in Keendream). She recommends starting off with the People’s Party who are both the most likely culprits and the closest of the three.
After being given access to the RCP’s gold tier expenses and five of their mighty ponies, Bimp arrives to teleport the group to their first choice of location, Everbrave, home base of the People’s Party.
Once the group arrive at the PP’s HQ, they find a large congregation of campaigners coming and going, being led by a half-elf, Derek Whistleblow, Head of Campaigns. They overhear him muttering to himself that their leader Harold Smeeth is already doing poorly in the polls, and that “developing a stutter is now just what we need” sarcastically. Miriat wastes no time in pinning Derek to the wall, and demanding he tell the group who is in charge. Panicked, Derek mentions that there are three people inside, Felicia Holt, Head of Communications, Verity Ruggles, Lead Organiser and a third who is new to the party, which Miriat says is not interested in hearing about.
The group head inside, and quickly spot Verity (a tiefling) and Felicia (a human). Darllen also identifies a third person, a drow, Digby Frostbitten, who is the new Courier and Telepathic Messaging Manager.
The group also quickly identifies that there is a cellar at the far end of the room, with a single guard. Miriat approaches the guard, and establishes that they are an agency worker and work a zero-hours contract with insecure hours, with a whole family to feed. Miriat attempts (and fails) to charm the guard into moving, but as he quite enjoyed discussing his circumstances and opinions with Miriat, he laughs it off. Miriat then bribes him with two diamonds, and the guard scarpers.
The group begin speaking to Felicia, who is clearly overworked and responds to their questions in an exasperated way. After a quick biscuit, she does reveal that she’s been feeling negative about the election (specifically Harold Smeeth), before getting tired of the questions and directing the group to Verity.
Ainsworth, Mog and Clouded Daggers approach Verity, who is wearing an obnoxious hat with the People’s Party on it. She exclaims how excited she is about the election, and that Harold Smeeth himself may be visiting later that day. She then asks the group if they have been asked by Derek to go into the basement (again) to pick up some leaflets, because “we keep telling him we’re not supposed to do that anymore”. Mog insists that the group are allowed downstairs, as Derek and Harold Smeeth (himself!) allowed them to, Verity doesn’t believe them.
Darrllen and Son choose to go up to Digby, who is wearing an identical hat to Verity. He also expresses great satisfaction with the campaign and the party. Darrllen suggests that the room clear out for a picture, and after a bit of persuasion Digby is convinced that this is an excellent idea, ordering everyone to clear the room.
While this is happening, Ainsworth sneaks down the (now) unguarded stairs into the cellar, to find the office of Harold Smeeth, oddly hidden away downstairs. Quickly, and for reasons known only to Ainsbury and the Gods, he decides to throw a fireball into the room, with the various wooded and flammable objects quickly catching fire.
Back upstairs, the room is now cleared, and Miriat takes the opportunity to grab and bind a very surprised Verity. Despite Darrllen’s protests, the group tackle Verity to the floor, with Mog putting a cupcake into her mouth to gag her.
Who should walk back into the room however, but Digby, who locks the door behind him before saying “why couldn’t you have just done what you were supposed to” before removing his hat and transforming into a hag.
The group fight off the two hags (as Verity also reveals herself as one), with Ainsbury quickly racing back upstairs to join the fight. After a bit of a scuffle, and some tricky ice spells, the team are able to kill the two imposters.
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