2025-05-02 Ships and Laurels
General Summary
Discussing how to proceed with the investigation.
Two of the 5 flying ships are located in Kamthahar
Some of the information collected by Talonmaster Adelon offers contradictory events regarding a fishing trip. Namely, three people claim to have been in command of the ship while the visitors were there.
Scene: Inspecting the Wyldstone ship
This is the flagship of Prasad’s flying forces.
Citizens can purchase tickets to tour the ship.
There’s actual Orichalcum wire on the rails of the ship and jade on the figurehead.
As a First Age Artifact, this is a pretty well-maintained one. Not at the level of Little Cloud, but, in fairness, they didn’t have Celestial Exalts.
The second-in-command to Haizei Thousand-blows Sumiko, Manzhen Shodan meets us and offers help.
Dreamflower explains we plan to use sorcery to investigate and will need the crew to not interfere.
Dreamflower attempts to use Shadows of the Forgotten Past to view the fishing trip. We have sworn statements about when the event occurred with Ambassador Wisdom’s Shining Promise.
The spell fails to show us the event, which suggests the captains’ memories were implanted.
The Captain was present on the deck of the ship at that time, but the ambassadors are no where to be seen.
We speak to Shodan, who initially recalls receiving the ambassadors, but as we press him on details, the implanted memories chip away and he recalls that their ship was in Y’danna scouting for the invasion.
Mentions that Beautiful Eyes has been trying to get his own ship for his own flying legion.
The Fecund Court already has his own legion, The Legion of Watered Fields.
The Crimson-Tailed Legion commands Wyldfire and Wyldwind.
We investigate the mechanisms of the sorcerous memory shaping and determine that someone entered the dream of the captain, incepted the memories and then to spread the memory out to the rest of the crew.
We glimpse a vision of the Lover herself weaving a formidable spell, surrounded by scores of Ghosts helping her, from far away in the underworld fortress. She works carefully, over the course of multiple days of sorcery, to craft a very convincing and resilient false memory.
Fortifier assesses the readiness of this ship.
The ship seems battle-ready, able to carry the Rani-Satrap herself at a moment’s notice.
Rohen asks about when the Wyldstone last left port.
It has actually been on standby since that mission to scout Y’danna.
Scene: Wyldwave
The ship is not as well-kept up as the Wyldstone. The crew uniforms seem less ceremonial.
Isaken Numiro greets us and we ask to have the top deck to ourselves.
Dreamflower and Rohen notice that this crew actually doesn’t have any Exalts. Even their sorcerors and officers aren’t Dragon-blooded.
Dreamflower casts Shadows of the Forgotten Past. The same implanted memories seem to be afoot here.
Dreamflower is perplexed by the Lover’s dedication to this effort and asks Chalai about what she knows.
Chalai explains that the Lover takes risks though, none-the-less, is highly rational in her methods.
Chalai points out that if we found 2 fake memories described in 3 accounts, would that mean the 3rd one is the correct one. Or are all 3 fake?
Dreamflower contemplates that we set out to find a traitor, but what we are finding is that they are all compromised but against their will.
Stelsor rejoins the group after his shopping trip
Scene: Updating Burano Rohavin
The Rani-Satrap isn’t thrilled by this news and worries about who she can trust.
Dreamflower is quick to point out that these officers are both victims and unwitting collaborators.
Stelsor remarks that this qualifies as evidence to take action to release the captives.
Rohavin asks what else she should do.
Stelsor and Dreamflower consider providing talismans to guard the dreams of her officers.
Rohavin extends our powers and remit to stop this Deathlord, but it won’t be official until next week.
Scene: Preparations
With Underling Promoting Practice, Stelsor, Dreamflower, and Rohen work to train the Rani-Satrap’s people to protect their dreams from the Lover’s influence.
We discern that there is a triggered behavior that was implanted when she put in the false memories.
We instruct some of Rohavin’s sorcerers on how to cleanse each other of this.
We earn 20 talents of silver for our good works and 10 talents-worth of precious goods.
We also receive trading privileges for our organizations in Prasad.
We secure a pardon for Repatriator of Souls.
Stelsor asks Rohavin again about trying to get the princess of Y’danna reinstalled on the throne.
This somewhat tips our hand by showing that we know the princess is still alive. Rohavin was aware herself, but knew this was not common knowledge.
Scene: back in Nexus for the opening for the Golden Laurels
One of Fortifier’s cultists sends to bring him to Nightnail to see a giant cog that has been brought there.
Fortifier inspects it with All-Encompassing Sorcerors Sight and finds no sorcerous influence, but it carries the residue of having been part of many rituals.
Fortifier directs the followers to invite "Solid" Eressanada Purrio to come view it and to send word to Sees-your-soul to let him know about it.
Turns out Sees-Your-Soul sent it to commemorate that our cult is growing faster than his own in Great Forks. He does expect a smaller version in return.
Rohen meets up with Forever Young Events for his job that’s also the same evening.
Rohen had thought this might be the same event as the casino opening, but they’re headed to a different venue.
A bit before the opening, there’s a hubbub as the guards change shifts before the party.
A bunch of muscular people show up with TZs on their chests and they fan out ahead of Combative Matresses and his adopted daughters.
Only-looks-shy-when-asleep accompanies them, glowing the sickly green of Ligier.
Stelsor’s Unwoven Coadjudicator points out that the green aura is unusual.
Apollonia Sophia Mana-V'neef-Grimaldi pulls Stelsor aside to speak with him.
She’s been exhibiting a strange purple glow since she last travelled through Malfeas.
In the reflection of one of Stelsor’s knives, he catches a glimpse of her Devil-Body Incarnation.
Stelsor offers to enter her dreams to inspect them.
Apollonia recalls a dream where a tiny voice said “Stelsor knows”.
Rohen and Malka show up to their gig with Forever Young Events
After a bit, the Forever Young crew goes to the Golden Laurels opening.
Galla "Great forker" Djahili does something to the door that Rohen doesn’t quite see, but they’re never even stopped by the security.
Like the door and people guarding the door were covered in a nebula for a minute and by the end of it Rohen and company are on the other side of the entrance.
Once inside the casino event, these gatecrashers are a little uneasy that there are people wearing gunzosha armor here.
Experience spots plenty of other plain-clothes security about as well.
They spot many TZs, which indicates the Tang-Zen Crime Syndicate are here in force.
Generally, the size of the TZ insignia seems to indicate their rank.
There’s one person here with a TZ that extends across the entire back of his jacket, quite probably this is the big boss(Venatori "Combative Mattresses" Grimaldi).
Rohen spots the other Carnelian Peaches exalts and they’re talking to that fellow with the TZ jacket.
There’s also a Gandalf-looking person with them, who only has a small TZ on his shoulder (Windblown Snow).
They don’t seem to be expecting trouble, but, as one of the key heavy hitters in the Nexus, they don’t really go anywhere without being prepared for trouble.
Rohen also recognizes some faces
Bright yellow (Navarone Zahre)
Bright blue (Narel Pritaire)
Rohen doesn’t recognize these auras specifically, but they resemble Exalt animas.
Someone brings him a glass of wine that’s being served. It’s pretty good wine, but it’s supposedly from the mythical floating mountain of Metagalapa. Can you imagine?
Rohen explains that it’s not a myth because he’s been there himself and begins to recount the tale.
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