Session 31-42: The 185th Carolinian Ball

General Summary

Prelude: Session 31

Lumiere Eternelle, months after the expedition to Discovery, has been cordially invited to the 185th Carolinian Ball as honored guests of the occasion, but it seems that M.V. and Ylladi have other plans. They are informed to expect to work during the Ball, as the annual Carolinian Ball fosters an environment of secrecy and under-the-table deals being common. Still, the party is measured for proper formal wear, and they are given a 2-week crash course on etiquette. They are ready for the Ball's proceedings.

The Palace of Moradin's Brilliance.

No sooner than they enter the Ball are they greeted with the potential issues that face the Ball.

• Talks of a secret Auction, guarded by strange Black Knights, with K'aamni's mom, Akamih Déon, reportedly being involved with such an event.
• Urigaya Urkaris, the gnomish co-host of the Ball, and his paranoia surrounding his own life has him shut off from his duties as provider of food and drink, believing that an Assassin is after him.
• The two eternal rival families, the Condorcets and the Mersennes, and especially the matriarch Camilla Condorcet and patriarch Mandel Mersenne, have been at their throats from the get-go, threatening to disrupt the Ball's proceedings.

Because of this, the overall host of the Ball, Camille Rochefort, hires the party as her personal investigators, promising them gold or favors in return for ensuring the Ball goes as smoothly as possible.

Camille Rochefort, host of the night.

---

The Auction: Session 32-36

As part of their duties, they decide to investigate all sides of the Ball, finding themselves participating and mingling with the crowd of a small fight pit organized by Gracchus, the dragonborn co-host and member of Clan Flavius. Here, Stephanie notices a pair of nobles by the name of Lord Gazu and Karann Prelthan, who she stalked before to gain insight on the Council Candidates. She gleans information on the Auction, most notably that these two are to be in attendance. While she and Tandi sneaks off to confirm this lead, the rest of the party investigates the family drama with Quico's two disparate families.
Trouble immediately begins to arise, as Gala is physically and emotionally scarred due to Mandel's words and actions due to his belief that she had stolen his blueprints and documents regarding an as-of-yet unresolved land deal. He is humiliated by Camilla's words and acting, causing the general populace to shame him. Foul play is discovered, however, when Fardir Brotgeren, architect of the Grand Ballroom they stand within, is found fleeing the scene and moving a box underground with the help of a secret lift, opened by knocking twice. Trouble also meets Stephanie and Tandi, as they investigate a servant's room. They find a note speaking of underground passages that catches their attention, but before they could follow it, they were ambushed by mysterious Black Knights and knocked out.

Knights clad in black armor, hired to supplant the guard shortage.

Eris and her party, unaware that Stephanie and Tandi had been captured, search the upstairs guest rooms, and notice that not only is their signs that Mandel's room had been broken into, but there was a secret window into Fardir's room using the previously-learned knocking twice method. A commotion breaks out in the connecting room, however, and the party finds a fox taliyan servant named Kaden, who was caught stealing gems from Fardir's room. In exchange for his help and his information as an employee (mostly offered by Kaden himself), the party decided not to turn him into the guard, investigaing the room themselves.

Kaden, underpaid servant of the Ball.

They discover that within Fardir's room, there was another window similar to within Mandel's room, and combined with drafts of possible hidden passageways and windows written by Mandel himself in his room, they surmise that their next destination, if they were to locate Fardir's lockbox, is underneath the Palace of Moradin's Brilliance. Investigating this lead, both parties are led to the same place: the underground sewers running below the Palace.

• Eris and the others, while debating how they can get past the guards on the surface, are approached by a mysterious halfling ally named Eonys Favreau, who represents a group of "allies" who wish to see the adventuring party succeed. Gettng underground using her advice, they discover signs that a secret network of doors, windows, and elevators may have been built into the Grand Ballroom itself. An incriminating note found in a hidden storage shows that Camilla used her own daughter in an attempt to shame Mandel.
• Stephanie and Tandi wake up alongside Aletha of the Indomitable, a leader of the Zhur-Taa Clans. She had come to rescue one of her own people, a leonin by the name of Amon, but ended up captured herself. They break themselves out, fighting their way through knights clad in black armor, before they happen on a torture room and free a taliyan servant and a noble lady named Alycia de Jardin.

Aletha of the Indomitable and Alycia de Jardin.

The underground prison where Aletha, Stephanie, and Tandi were held in.

The two parties reconvene within a sewer junction, where Faessi's face triggers something within Alycia de Jardin, declaring him a spitting image of one of her mortal enemies. Before more information can be gathered, the party and Aletha are ambushed by a mysterious assassin, forcing Lady de Jardin, Aletha and Amon, and Lumiere Eternelle to split, with the duo contending not only with the assassin but also one of the sewer's denizens. While they are unable to apprehend the assassin, they do manage to slay the sewer denizen. They return topside, resolving to dismantle this Auction, now revealed to be a slave Auction.

The sewer's Shambling Mound.

The dinner service and the dance occur as they return to the Ball, during which, the party is acquainted with K'aamni's mother and sister, the elder of whom shows signs of sadness. The dance itself proves to be promising as well, as allies to Lumiere Eternelle, Gwendolyn Gail and the two brothers Sylvestre, get more well acquainted with each other and the party. After the Ball dance, the party manages to snag an Auction pass from Lord Gazu and fashions some masks to infiltrate the Ball.
At a wine outlet, they discover that not only is K'aamni's mother and sister involved in the Auction as a buyer, but that Aletha has managed to infiltrate as well. During the proceedings, a mysterious Ringleader, dressed as a jester, speaks and sings of the physical features of the prisoners as if they were products, even bringing out a scarred and abused moth taliyan to show for it. The sight enrages Aletha, who interrupts the Auction with a tossed axe, and chaos breaks loose. In the resulting chaos, Stephanie, herself aghast due to Lord Gazu's callousness in buying slaves, decides to take matters into her own hands and bring him to justice with a flash of her daggers. Below the Auction floor, Kalevi was convined to hold the guests in order to bring justice to them, sickened by the fact that she was brought here.

The Ringleader of the Auction.

Tailing the fleeing Ringleader, they meet Akamih below ground, who seems to be trying to locate someone herself. They make both Aletha and Akamih promise not to get in their way, before they infiltrate the prison where the slaves are being held. Here, the Ringleader is found holding Alycia de Jardin hostage, proposing a bargain to the party: let them and Alycia go away, and they won't harm the prisoners. Don't, and they can't promise their safety. The party is uncompromising, taking their chances, managing to successfully stop the Ringleader as well as capture Alycia de Jardin and one of the Black Knights in the process. The Auction has been successfully dismantled.
However, not all ends happily. The Ringleader, after having been successfully stopped, decides to commit suicide than risk capture, using his own dancing scimitar¹ to do so. Akamih, in the aftermath of the party's success, is unable to locate her target: K'aamni's father. When confronted, she has a bitter argument with her daughter and leaves her on a sour note, causing K'aamni's Mana Vessel to shimmer softly with power:

"Everything I do, I do for you. One day you will realize this."

— Akamih Déon

Broke K'aamni's heart.

Aletha, thankful for their efforts in aiding her people, provides them with her favor: Lumiere Eternelle will be allowed to visit the Zhur-Taa District and meet with her for a discussion, a privilege she doesn't readily give out. In addition, one of the captives, a young boy by the name of Emil, finds himself clinging to Faessi thanks to his saving the boy. After Akamih and Kalevi separate, the party contacts Pierre Sylvestre, entreating him to shelter them for the night. After setting some ground rules, he agrees, sending his carriages to pick the party and their captives up to bring them to the Sylvestre Estate.

The young moth taliyan captive, Emil.

That night:

• K'aamni has a breakdown, concerning her mom and the pressures she's suffered during the course of the first day of the Ball. Harrison is the one to stay with her and calm her down.
• The Black Knight they captured dies midway through travel, having swallowed something that enabled a quiet death. Eris contacts Camille Rochefort at the Sylvestre Estate to pick up the body via letter.
• Harrison, Quico, and especially Faessi are the ones to interrogate the captured Alycia de Jardin. During the course of the interrogation, they discover the following:
  • She knew Faessi's father, named Vano, from him sabotaging her operations and stealing a trusted Lieutenant from him.
  • Her involvement in the Auction was not for owning slaves, but rather for the "entertainment" and "nourishment" torturing them provided her. Furthermore, she spoke of the creed of "Saccageur de Sang", which was a bloodthirsty clan of doctors, medics, and chirurgeons known more for spilling blood than keeping it in, back in the days of Gaul.
  • Faessi, as a farewell to Alycia de Jardin, threatened to scoop her eyeballs out and feed her them, showing a dangerous side no one had seen before.

The next day, the party is treated to a series of pleasantries. Emil, as a sign of his gratitude, cleaned and organized all of the party's items by himself, pledging himself to Faessi and his family. In addition, Pierre and Faessi's siblings prepared a nice breakfast for everyone, allowing them a measure of peace after the previous day's events. A surprise visit from Ylladi rounds out the occasion, promising to take Alycia de Jardin off their hands and to ensure justice is served. However, their work is not yet done, as Ylladi brings grave news: Lord Urkaris was found to have been poisoned and is in a coma...

---

The Assassination: Session 37-40

Returning quickly to the Grand Ballroom, they find out that Lord Urkaris is currently recovering within his room to prevent distress from spreading all throughout the Ball, being attended to by only a single guard, a doctor, and his assistant. The circumstances around his poisoning were that he had just concluded his wine-tasting session with the various sommeliers of Verdane, and was poisoned after that event had concluded. In order to gain a clearer picture of what happened, the party investigated the function room where he was last seen.

Lord Urkaris, proven right with an attempt on his life.

Investigating the scene where he was poisoned, several facts were established through a combination of forensics and investigation:

• The poison that was found in his secret wine reserve was not intended to kill but to incapacitate, professionally crafted to serve such a purpose. The doctor's assistant was sent to synthesize a cure from the poison sample.
• Signs of a struggle were found, with clothing strips and vomit stains all around.
• The guard keeping watch outside had mentioned that three suspects were detained due to being the only three to witness the ordeal. In order, the party interrogated them:
  • Madalina, revealed to be the tortured taliyan serving girl in the servers, arrived the latest of the witnesses, only there to clean up the aftermath of the wine tasting. She had seen Urkaris attack the butler before falling unconscious. She believed she had been cursed with bad luck, but Faessi restored her faith in the gods (specifically Tu'er Shen).
  • Panry Cherrywillow, the halfling butler turned personal assistant to Lord Urkaris, served the bottle that contained the poison to his Lord, unaware that it had been poisoned. He had been attacked by the poisoned Lord, accusing him of trying to poison him, before passing out. He himself has only worked with Lord Urkaris for two years, but characterizes him as a fine man with strong morals and a fair attitude towards his employees.
  • Lord Barineau, a human lord and friend of Lord Urkaris, corroborated Panry's account for the most part. However, he revealed some extraneous details as well: the wine that was poisoned was no common wine, he was invited by Lord Urkaris to remain after the wine tasting, and, most importantly, that Lord Urkaris is Council Candidate, with a rival named J.W..
• In Lord Urkaris' journal, he states that he believes someone named Theven, the Subtle Blade has been hired to assassinate him. He would've had his robotic manservant assist him, but it was somehow lost.

After gathering the information from the crime scene and witnesses, they seemed to have no choice but to investigate the cellar, but a new lead came in the form of a note passed on to Lumiere Eternelle:

Interested in a deal. Meet outside the Ball.

The party, deciding to weigh their options first, visits the kitchen. There, they see Zylleth Vaeldahaal interrogating the servants and chefs on where they were on the night of the wine tasting, with his subordinate Jora and a civilian assistant in Mavil Novelli, the famous cookbook author, to confirm the veracity of their alibis. Zylleth, annoyed at the party's investigating, gets on their case for trying to bite off more than they can chew as guests, only to back off when it's revealed that they're under the employ of Ms. Rochefort. Seeing that the guards have a suspect of their own, the party decides to head outside of the Ball into the gardens...

The gardens in front of the Grand Ballroom.

There, they meet Gwendolyn Gail once more, who had earlier decided to aid Lumiere Eternelle. Here, she brings forward a note addressed to the party, having tailed the person that left the prior note as well. The note reads:

Meet outside Carolinian. Tavern in Wellspring of Life close to Aristocrat's Wall. Lake's Bounty.

Seeing as this was their most concrete lead, the party, alongside Gwendolyn Gail, travel to the Wellspring of Life District, a District known for providing fresh water to most of Verdane. At the Lake's Bounty Tavern, they spot a cigar-smoking tabaxi in a corner stall, who signals to them to meet him. There, he introduces himself as Prime, a representative to J.W., who is very interested in Lord Urkaris' current state. As a sign of goodwill, they have told their agents to halt operations while the party meets with their representative.

Prime, J.W.'s representative.

There, they propose a partnership with Lumiere Eternelle: help their agent assassinate Lord Urkaris, and they get paid a thousand gold pieces each. They have spies that tell them things, such as the fact that Lumiere Eternelle was found carting around Alycia de Jardin during last night's events. They know how dangerous an enemy they can be, so they've decided to try and get the party out of the way. As for motive, the simple matter is that the election is coming soon, and Lord Urkaris is posing a threat to J.W.'s election as Councilor.
Standing strong to their morals, the party refuses. Gwendolyn, nervous, takes stock of the crowd of civilians as they make their decision. Prime laughs, stating that it was a shame, before whistling a signal and taking out a peculiar dagger² and a concealable crossbow, attacking the party. The signal was heard by various civilians, some of whom immediately dropped all pretenses and attacked the party with a combination of daggers and bolts, as well as magic and dark power.

Spies and Shadow Priests, under J.W.'s employ.

The party was forced to adapt to their surroundings, commanding the civilians to escape while focusing on quickly dispatching each major threat, who themselves were capable of turning the scene bloody with a combination of stealth attacks, dark magic, and civilian hostages. Gwendolyn herself served as a commanding presence, helping the party with targeted help while herself disarming and knocking out foes without a weapon. With a bit of effort, the party was able to incapacitate Prime and slay all but one. But before they could escape, they had been apprehended by the Gendarmerie responding to the calls of a terror attack.
At the gendarmerie station, they find that the guards of this district treat their suspects well, giving them free healing from their wounds to ensure they are fit for interrogation. As the party and Prime are being lined up, they spot a notable figure in these halls, who seems to have stopped by to ensure that the gendarme within were in fighting shape: one of the most powerful women in Verdane, Commandant Echidna. Even Lumiere Eternelle has registered in her radar, as she remembers hearing about them in the report of Discovery. When hearing of Lumiere Eternelle's plight, she tells them in no uncertain terms that they're being treated fairly according to the law and to have a healthy respect for due process, as it's the guiding hand that ensures no innocents are harmed in vigilanteism.

Commandant Echidna, visiting Wellspring of Life.

The party is led to their interrogaton cells with Prime being led to a different one. On the way, they overhear gossip between gendarme about vigilante groups running rampant as of late, a notable one being Serpent's Bite, and the force being stretched thin as a result. At their cells, they are thoroughly interrogated by an elven investigator and tiefling guard duo. Thanks to their passionate pleas and forthrightness with information, they are let go early. However, they notice that outside of the station, Prime walks free as well, having been somehow cleared of wrongdoing. There, he taunts the party, telling them:

"The Clock is ticking, Lumiere Eternelle. Tick tock. Tick. Tock."

— Prime

The party rushes back to the Grand Ballroom, just in time for the lunch break. There, they spot Zylleth and Jora, having apprehended a taliyan suspect who they had discovered possessed the poison that incapacitated Lord Urkaris. There, they tell the party that the investigation is over and that they can go back to Ms. Rochefort. Going further in to the vestibule, they notice an odd sight: the doctor looking over Lord Urkaris arguing with a guard, having been denied access due to "a doctor already being on scene". Alarmed, the party rushes in towards Lord Urkaris' room.
There, they spot the "doctor" just about to inject something in Lord Urkaris' veins, with the guard from before l. As they try to interrupt him, the doctor sheds his disguise by ripping it open, revealing him to be the mysterious assassin that intercepted them in the sewers! Now, however, he was augmented with gear that had inlaid black gems, somehow granting him speed that far surpasses what mortals are capable of, dodging every single attack. He escapes through the window, crashing through it. Before the party could chase him out, the substance injected into Lord Urkaris causes him to convulse, forcing the party to split up between saving Urkaris and chasing after the assassin.

The Subtle Blade, Theven.

The party left behind, consisting of Eris, Faessi, Harrison, and Quico, work together to save Lord Urkaris, rescuing the real doctor from being denied access, as well as performing various first aid measures to ensure Lord Urkaris would last. As the doctor synthesized a cure thanks to his assistant's efforts, Eris was the one to feed Lord Urkaris the cure, saving his life. Meanwhile, K'aamni, Stephanie, and Tandi chased after the assassin, who led them through a significant portion of the Carolinian District, even upending a small procession of horse-drawn carriages on the way. The assassin stops at a park in the center of Carolinian, where he attempts to drive the trio away with a draw of a fan of daggers. Before he could even throw them, however, Stephanie experiences a prophetic vision, where she sees exactly where and when the daggers strike. Turning back, she sweeps Tandi off her feet and calls for K'aamni to raise a shield. K'aamni, for her part, feels a spring of power from her Vessel, somehow able to raise a Shield without thinking. The attack is avoided, and the trio must hold out against Theven. The battle begins.
Theven proves to be a tough opponent, able to dash at high speeds and act more times than the trio can. They can only weather the assault until the rest of their party arrives. When things start to look dire, the cavalry arrives, and Eris, Faessi, Harrison, and Quico arrive, ready to put Theven down. Theven himself recognizes the mismatch and tries to flee, but finds himself unable to- the black gems in his daggers and bangles exerting some kind of hold and power over him, imbuing him with dark energy. There, the party sees him corrupt before their very eyes, gaining dark edges, a dark ichor roiling in his mouth, and his weapons fused to his body. The fight continues with a more vicious opponent.

The Corrupted Blade, Theven.

The battle rages on. Theven's ichor denies portions of the park with a cloying, damaging field of darkness, while his own weapons leave marks of dark vapor festering from the wounds it causes, leaving such a mark on Eris and K'aamni. Finally, a vicious trick from his bangles left even Tandi and Eris stunned from the mind spikes it caused, stunning them for crucial moments. Seeing the direness of the battle, Eris draws upon the power of her demon to unleash a flurry of strikes that gravely injures this new Theven. When it seems like Theven had been subdued and his black gems suppressed, a sudden rush of energy from the now bursting black gems consumed his body entirely, turning him into a shade of his former self.

The Corrupted Specter, Theven.

The party finds themselves unable to harm this specter, his form too intermittent for weapons and magic to strike true. However, each time he strikes one of the party, whether in his previous form or current, they find that while they cannot see the specter anymore, they can certainly hear him. Faessi, suffering from a mark himself, puts it to the test: he aims where everyone else is aiming, and finds his bolt of frost strikes where everyone else's misses. Relaying this information to everyone, Lumiere Eternelle pivots to a new plan, with those unmarked serving as scouts for those marked to strike. Eris, herself feeling the battle fury, summons her Echo once more, but realizes that in the chaos of the fight, her Echo had turned on her, gaining a will of its own. As the specter was whittled down to near death, her Echo landed the final blow, turning to Eris with a grin, thanking her for the power she gave it.
The specter finally defeated, Theven is released from the gems' grasp, having lost the simic hybrid features that once defined him. He leans against the fountain, bloody and broken. He looks up to the sky, uttering his final words...

Death... the ultimate redeemer...

The party retrivies his armaments³ and a note addressing him. The instructions on the note state that the assassination attempt was to ensure that Lord Urkaris had looked like he had died from natural causes, and that the person who hired him provided him the black gem armaments to deal with Lumiere Eternelle, which would ultimately consume and corrupt him. As the party processes this information, they are surrounded by Chalons d'Guerriere guardsmen and Gendarmerie, who are not there to arrest them, but to secure the scene and Theven. Out of the perimeter, Gracchus and Commandant Echidna appear, telling the that Ylladi had secured a transport back to the Grand Ballroom, and that they're cleared from suspicion, respectively.
Returning to the Ball, they find that it has been emptied due to the preparations for the final dinner service and the end-of-event celebrations. At Ms. Rochefort's office, they find the host worrying over their safety, and Ylladi there to support the party. More importantly, they see the recovering Lord Urkaris, awake and alive thanks to Lumiere Eternelle. Grateful for their support, he grants them all one favor of their choice⁴, for them to ruminate and claim when they are ready. He also secures medics to treat their wounds, and tells them that for few hours, they have the Grand Ballroom to themselves...

---

The Land Deal: Session 41-42

After taking a well-deserved rest for the afternoon, the party prepares for the final events of the night, as they have their eyes on the Condorcet and Mersenne families as well as Theoden Cade. Gwendolyn Gail bows out of the Ball, having been asked to make a testimony regarding the assassination attempt, and Eris decides to follow her to speak for a moment. Waiting at the Vestibule, they are surprised to see Theoden Cade make an announcement to the rest of the crowd: a deal has been in the works between him and the Condorcet and Mersenne Families for a bit, and they are inviting everyone to participate in a meeting that discusses what this entails for everyone. Suspicious, the party decides to attend the meeting, but Tandi bows out, deciding to clear her head for a bit.

Theoden Cade, shrewd and ruthless Golden Merchant and businessman.

At the meeting, the family heads of Camilla Condorcet and Mandel Mersenne are found cooperating, a shocking sight to everyone, especially Quico. There, Theoden lays bare the details of the deal: the land that the two families have been disputing over is to be divided between the both of them, with some free space being reserved for those who wish to invest in the future of Verdane. In addition, a new development has occurred, where Theoden announces the decision to involve a new business partner: a Traveler from afar, whom Harrison is familiar with.

The Interplanar Traveler, thief of the Time Pocket.

Harrison takes this opportunity to call them out while Quico ingratiates himself with Theoden and the two families. Whilst both family heads have shared their suspicions to Quico already, Mandel with the deal and Camilla with Mandel, Theoden decries Harrison's words as falsehoods and interruptions, having him and Stephanie, who was skulking about, thrown out of the room. Outside of the Grand Ballroom, Gala Condorcet stumbles upon Tandi, asking her to bring her to Quico, as she has concerns she wants to voice out. Tandi braces herself for the chance she could see Theoden again, but luckily, they meet the rest of the party outside of function room.
Gala takes everyone to the greenhouse, where she voices out her concerns regarding the deal: she bemoans the fact that she was used as a tool to humiliate Mandel, and now her mom is going to get away with it. She is also suspicious of Theoden, which Tandi then takes the opportunity to reveal that her real name is actually Typhel Cade, daughter of Theoden Cade. The party resolves to keep calling Tandi by the name she prefers as well as to investigate the deal thoroughly. However, before they leave to investigate, Quico and Tandi notice a light buzzing in the greenhouse, stemming from a ruined robot found underneath rows of planters. Investigating, they find that this robot matches the description of Lord Urkaris' manservant, and several vital pieces, including its recording tape, are missing. Now having a lead, they set off to meet with Lord Urkaris, who tells them that spare parts that can be used to repair the robot can be found in an old storage room.
As they exit the office, they spot the trio of Kaden and the two Sylvestre brothers splitting up to pursue different leads: Kaden towards the guest quarters, Jules to the chapel, and Montblanc towards the wing with the old storage room. They follow Montblanc first, leading them to an old storeroom that Montblanc had spotted earlier, finding it suspcious. Breaking in, they find evidence that suggests that the robot was busted here with a large piece of rebar, as well as various parts and internals that have been ripped out of the robot itself. Repairing the robot with the efforts of K'aamni and Harrison, they discover that the voice recorded shortly before its forced destruction belongs to Fardir Brotgeren, the architect of the Palace. In the recorded message, Fardir speaks of a sabotaging the deal between the two families with a fake signature. Before they could do anything with this information, however, Montblanc informs them that the three of them were investigating various leads throughout the night on the deal, and Jules went to pursue the Interplanar Traveler, who was seen heading to the chapel. Faessi, worried, tells the party that they should pursue Jules before he does something dangerous.

The Chapel, with status of the central deities of Creation.

At the chapel, they find Jules fiddling around with the wall behind the Apathe statue, stating that he observed the Traveler disappear through here. Interestingly, they felt a depression in the wall, but pushing on it did not appear to do anything. Looking around the chapel and noting the words of guests in the chapel, they notice the following:

• An inscription underneath the plaques of each deity, in Thieves' Cant and language for the blind, reads: "One coin for the worship, two for the bounty."
  • For the plaques themselves, Mila, Ponos, Apathe, Hephaestus, and Regnum Astra have silver plaques, while Adaia, Labrys Joybringer, Nerevar, and Erzulie Frieda have wooden plaques.
• Each time they push on the panel, the offerings in the offertory bowls disappear.
• When the correct amount of coins is slotted in the bowls, they hear several clicks in the wall.

Examining each plaque, they manage to figure out that one coin should be slotted in the bowls of those deities with wooden plaques, and two should be slotted in those bowls with silver plaques. Pushing the panel one more time, they reveal a path to a lift, which they all take, revealing a secret underground path towards a hidden study belonging to Fardir.

Fardir's hidden study.

In this study, they find incriminating evidence upon his desk: scouting documents on the Mersennes' sabotage of the Condorcet's attempts to observe the land fairly, and Camilla's large payment to Fardir for ruining the reputation of Mandel. Before they can gather it, an illusion, noticed by Faessi's detect magic spell, apparates from the brazier in the middle of the room in the form of the Traveler. There, the Traveler congratulates them on finding the room, before leaving them with a warning.

"I will make a warning unto you all: do not try to stop me or Theoden Cade. The machinations of our plans extend beyond your grasp, and the ramifications of your interference will be severe."

— The Interplanar Traveler

Jules notes that the magic used to create this programmed illusion is an advanced spell, very rarely seen in Verdane. Not only that, but as K'aamni cracks the dwarven puzzle lock on an innocuous drawer, she finds a mysterious signet ring and a pen. When Jules observes both items, he discovers through an experiment with both that they are a Signet Ring of Lies⁵ and a Half-Scribe's Pen⁶. This discovery represented a turning point, with damning evidence in the robot's recording as well as a signet ring that was known for being used to get away with contract fraud. Now ready to confront Fardir, the party exits the study.
On the surface, Theoden announces to the Ball that the final signing of the deal is to take place within the Ballroom to end the evening. Eris returns not long after this announcement, chancing upon Kaden, who tells her that he found a lead on the deal with one of the servants in the bar. After reuniting with the party, they split in three groups to finalize their plans:

• Quico gets Gala, promising to her that they'll fix things.
• Eris, Harrison, and Tandi, along with Kaden, move to the Bar, where they find Panry carrying a tube that Kaden claims is filled with documents. When pressed on the matter, the halfling states that he could lose his job if he gave them the tube, but the trio promises to him that they'll protect him, with Kaden taking him behind the bar and to the staff room to lay low.
• Faessi, K'aamni, and Tandi take the ring to Ms. Rochefort, who after proper identification, confirms it is as Jules says. She gives them a brief history in this kind of magic ring's use in contract fraud throughout the years.

Once the party returns with all their evidence, the tube is opened to reveal not only the stolen blueprints that Mandel was trying to find, but also the original contract papers that was signed behind closed doors. Faessi, already casting the identify spell, finds out that Fardir's signature as overseer of the contract is missing from the original papers, proving the claims from the recorded message. There, in the office, they hatch a plan, where Quico and Gala will confront the masterminds of the deal, especially Fardir, with the evidence they have found. Confident, they walk towards the ballrooom...

The Ballroom, where the Carolinian Ball's troubles come to an end.

At the ballroom, the parties involved in the signing have all but signed the contract when Lumiere Eternelle rushes in, Quico and Gala Condorcet leading the charge. There, they levy the accusation towards Fardir: he is sabotaging the deal's integrity with a false signature and ill intent, and provide the requisite evidence when pressed on the matter. Theoden turns on Fardir as well, even with Fardir's assertion that the businessman set him. Mandel's suspicions seem to have been confirmed, but Camilla butts in, throwing her own accusation of sabotage towards Mandel as well. Threatening to turn the effort into a failure, Lumiere Eternelle calms the crowd down while Quico tosses some well-earned words towards Camilla and Mandel, pacifying them. While things are not over between them, they agree to cooperate, laying into Fardir and all but deposing him as overseer of the contract, arresting him via the guards in the room.
Theoden, however, has others plans. When the two family heads try to declare the contract null and void, Theoden cites an obscure part of contract law that allows the overseer to be replaced by an agreed-upon overseer. Quico, wracking his brain on contract law, thinks of an even more obscure clause: the Flavius Clause, where all parties of a contract, in the case of a disagreement, may elect a champion to serve in a duel, the winner of which will decide the direction of the contract. This is supported by Eonys and Gracchus, confirming its validity and offering himself as a referee, respectively. Theoden is about to decline participation, when the Traveler interjects, expecting this to happen. They offer themselves as Theoden's champion. Camilla and Mandel are about to look about Lumiere Eternelle for a champion, when Tandi steels herself, offering herself up as their champion, staring down her father all the while. The duel commences.
The Traveler employs an agile, predictive style of attack, having the uncanny ability to predict where Tandi moves. Tandi, on the other hand, employs a more grounded, evasive style, choosing to let the Traveler attack and let herself react to each blow. The crowd going wild and loud, supporting the Traveler more than Tandi, threatens to turn the tide against the monk, but Lumiere Eternelle provides their best support for their fellow party member. When a final blow seems nigh, Tandi centers herself, watching the Traveler turn into a spinning bladestorm of death from above. She finds an opening, thrusts her palm forward...

"This didn't happen last time..."

— The Interplanar Traveler

And catches the Traveler mid-spin. They concede the duel, earning a victory not only for Lumiere Eternelle, but also for Quico's families. Immediately, they declare Fardir, Theoden, and the Traveler exempt from their deal, as they will deliberate upon the contract themselves. Theoden is disappointed, but as he stares at Tandi (and the Traveler at Harrison), they state that not all was lost in this outcome. They exit the Ball.
Immediately, Camilla and Mandel go to celebrate the victory with Quico, who is stunned by the result. While they still hold contempt for each other, it is obvious that something has changed in their dynamic. Gala goes to hug her cousin as well. She's glad for her cousin's help and unrelenting effort. She cries with him, declaring him her family alongside Alberto. The magnitude of this outcome is apparent to Lumiere Eternelle, especially Quico.
This was the first step to reconciliation between two families.

---

The Aftermath

When the dust settled, Lumiere Eternelle was found victorious, being the stabilizing force that kept the two-day event from falling apart at the seams. Camille Rochefort invited the party to her office to discuss payment, having also invited all the allies that had helped Lumiere Eternelle during the whole ordeal. Here, she offered everyone one of two rewards: either a gold sum, which amounted 70 platinum pieces for all of Lumiere Eternelle, or favors, amounting to 3 tokens' worth of favors for the party. The others chose their rewards:

• Montblanc and Kaden chose to keep some money for themselves.
• Jules wanted a gift be brought to their mother, who is in Firinax.
• Gwen wants poorer Dojos to be renovated.
• Lord Barineau refuses all of them, simply glad that his friend in Lord Urkaris is safe.

After enough deliberation, the party chose the favors⁷. Before the night ended, the party was free to enjoy a meal specifically ordered by Lord Urkaris, crafted from the finest ingredients possible, to be enjoyed by the party and their friends. Lumiere Eternelle had done it again.
Behind the scenes however, some secrets would be revealed...

The host's room.

During the aftermath of the party, Camille Rochefort was sitting on her desk, finalizing a successful report on the days' events, when knocks came from her door. Instead of asking the visitor to come in, she goes and opens the door herself, revealing her guest to be none other than Lumiere Eternelle's ally throughout the event: Eonys Favreau. The two aristocrats chat over tea, where Camille praises her ally for their efficiency, especially with regards to the auction business, stating that from then on, she'll feel less guilty becoming host for these events.
However, Eonys answers back, stating that the host only felt guilty because she had known these issues for years, and only deigned to get something done after she had brought forward Lumiere Eternelle, ending with a grievous insult to her pride, stating that she was just a noblesse de robe pretending to be a contributing noblesse d'epee. Offended, Camille justifies herself by listing all the additional problems that plagued the Ball and her fellow hosts. Then, with one final statement, she points to Eonys as a sham as well. She wasn't "Eonys Favreau". She was Mirabella Valois, Lumiere Eternelle's sponsor and benefactor.

Mirabella Valois, the woman behind M.V..

Setting down her tea, Mirabella speaks her peace:

"I'm tired of pretending that nothing is wrong with Verdane. Me and Lumiere Eternelle are going to change that, one District at a time."

— Mirabella Valois

---

Elsewhere, in a cellar underneath somewhere in Verdane, a pair of figures in cloaks search the walls, the shelves, and the floor for secrets, eventually landing upon a loose brick on the wall and pushing it in, causing it to slide open. In the secret chamber, a group of people and their leader welcome the figures in cloaks as new recruits, inviting them to gather around a map of Verdane with various locations pinned.

A cellar with a secret...

A fan is heard splaying out. A leader in blue robes appears, addressing all the people of different sizes, shapes, and species all around them. The view eventually shows their face: a pink axolotl taliyan with half of their face obscured by a fan.

With one grin, he addresses all of his followers.

"Serpent's Bite. Begin operation. Let's shake things up."

— Vano

---

Rewards Granted

• 1. Dancing Scimitar. This magic scimitar was found in the hands of the Ringleader of the Auction. Upon speaking the command word of "Dance", it would fly towards a target of the wielder's choosing and striking them, before returning to their side.
• 2. Rondell Dagger. This dagger was wielded by Prime, retrieved from his party after he was knocked unconscious by a sleep spell. This dagger slips in between the gaps of heavy armor quite easily, but doesn't do so well against constructs of any nature due to its unique shape.
• 3. Black Gem Armaments. A pair of daggers and bangles wielded and worn by Theven. The dark gems inlaid in the hilts and bangles held a corrupting power, turning Theven into a powerful shade during the climactic confrontation with the assassin.
• 4. Urkaris' Favor. After saving Lord Urkaris' life, the beleaguered Council Candidate granted the party his favor, allowing them one desire or favor that he would try in his utmost capability to meet. Some of the favors granted were as follows:
  • Eris wanted Ophelia to have a path into the Circle Mages.
  • K'aamni wishes to have some way into the kingdom of Sreng Desert, to try and look for her father.
  • Stephanie wished to bring her mother out of Augusta and into a new, refurbished home.
  • Tandi seeks a whisper campaign against Theoden Cade.
• 5. Signet Ring of Lies. Belonging to Fardir Brotgeren, this ring was found in his private study underneath the Palace of Moradin's Brilliance, locked behind a tough Dwarven Lock. Notably, this signet ring was used to fabricate Fardir's signature on a contract between Theoden Cade and the Condorcet and Mersenne families.

• 6. Half-Scribe Pen. Found within the same drawer as the Signet Ring of Lies, this pen had the ability to write any type of ink upon any type of surface.
• 7. Rochefort's Tokens (3). Following the completion of Lumiere Eternelle's contract, Camille Rochefort offered a reward of either 70 platinum pieces or 3 tokens that would represent favors she would owe to the party. The party chose the tokens.

---

Missions/Quests Completed

The Three Arcs of the Ball

• 1. The Carolinian Ball had a secret yearly Auction where "exotic" taliyans and Aquitani were smuggled and bought by wealthy patrons, as if they were products on a catalog. Thanks to the careless words of Lord Gazu and Karann Prelthan, as well as the capture of Aletha of the Indomitable and Amon, the party located the shop the Auction was being held out of, and dismantled it with the death of its Ringleader and the arrest of benefactor Alycia de Jardin. In the process, they freed the imprisoned captives and earned a favor from Aletha in the process, as well as earning the eternal gratitude of one of the captives: a moth taliyan named Emil.
• 2. Lord Urkaris, one of the constant guests (and current co-host) of the Carolinian Ball, constantly held fears that he would be assassinated during this event. This year, his fears were proven true, as he was placed into a coma following an attempted poisoning, perpetrated by one J.W., who had hired Theven, the Subtle Blade as their weapon of choice. After being led around by J.W., the party caught Theven in an attempt to quietly finish the job, and after chasing him all the way to the park, engaged in a battle that showed just how ruthless J.W. was to their own assassin, who was corrupted by four black gems provided to them. The party triumphed in the end, saving Lord Urkaris and earning his favor.
• 3. Arriving fashionably late at the Carolinian Ball, Theoden Cade made a loud and noteworthy announcement on the second day that a deal had been completed between the perennial enemies of the Condorcet and Mersenne families. Having already witnessed foul play as well as the deal being a scam for everyone except Theoden and his partners, Fardir Brotgeren and a sudden new arrival of an Interplanar Traveler, Gala Condorcet entreats Lumiere Eternelle to look into this deal. It is during this investigation where they discover contract fraud and subterfuge by Fardir. When confronted with this fact, Theoden cites an obscure rule which allows the deal to continue, but an even more obscure clause allows a duel between the Traveler and Tandi to take place, to decide the fate of the contract. Tandi wins, and the contract is voided, with Cade and the Traveler forced out, and Fardir arrested for fraud.

---

Character(s) interacted with

Hosts

• Camille Rochefort: The human host of the 185th Carolinian Ball. Hired the party as extra security for the Carolinian Ball, due to the lack of Chalons D'Guerriere elves as a result of a succession crisis within the clan. After the completion of their duties, she would reward them with tokens signifying her favor.

• Zylleth Vaeldahaal: Elven host of the 185th Carolinian Ball. Responsible for providing what little security the clan could afford for the Ball.
• Guard Captain Jora: Elven captain and subordinate of Zylleth, who served as his close confidant in security matters.
• Fardir Brotgeren: Dwarven host of the 185th Carolinian Ball and architect of the Palace of Moradin's Brilliance. Was revealed to have committed fraud in the deal between Theoden Cade and the Condorcet and Mersenne families.

• Urigaya Urkaris: Gnomish host of the 185th Carolinian Ball. Provider of food and drink for the Ball. Paranoia led him to believe he was the target of an assassination attempt. Lumiere Eternelle saved him from an assassination attempt, where he then rewarded them with his favor.

• Urkaris' Manservant: Robotic manservant to Lord Urkaris. Was following him until it was disabled by Fardir. Held important vocal evidence of Fardir's maneuvering.
• Flavius Gracchus: Dragonborn host of the 185th Carolinian Ball and older brother of Scout Galbania. Runs the "fight pit" of the Carolinian Ball, where nobles can settle scores in a combative, nonlethal manner. Later officiated the duel between Tandi and the Interplanar Traveler.
• Ashes: Tiefling host of the Carolinian Ball 185th Carolinian Ball. Performer of the night, who has provided the musicians and other entertainers.

Aristocrats

• Akamih Déon: Mother of K'aamni and Enchanter of Conjuration for the Inquisitors to the Arcane. Attended the ball to infiltrate the Auction, in an attempt to locate K'aamni's father. Left her heartbroken.

• Kalevi Déon: Eldest daughter of Akamih and older sister to K'aamni. Accompanied her mother to the Auction, but ultimately sided with Lumiere Eternelle and helped dismantle the Auction.
• Alycia de Jardin: Noble who posed as a victim of the Auction, only to be revealed to be one of its main suppliers. Enemies with Vano, Faessi's father. Secretly a member of the cabal known as the "Saccageur de Sang" (or Bloodreavers), old Gaulish chirurgeons and doctors known more for spilling blood rather than curing patients.

• Camilla Condorcet: Matriarch of the Condorcet Family. Mortal enemies with Mandel Mersenne. Humiliated Mandel at the ball with the paid help of Fardir. Cade convinced her and Mandel to make a deal on a disputed piece of land, but the deal was sabotaged by Fardir, and voided with the intention of remaking it thanks to the efforts of Lumiere Eternelle.

• Gala Condorcet: Daughter of Camilla. Was used as part of a plot to humiliate Mandel. Later helped Lumiere Eternelle expose the land deal as a fraud.
• Mandel Mersenne: Patriarch of the Mersenne Family. Mortal enemies with Camilla Condorcet. In the past, he prevented the Condorcets from observing and entering an open piece of land, with the intention of claiming it for his family. Cade convinced him and Camilla to make a deal on a disputed piece of land, but the deal was sabotaged by Fardir, and voided with the intention of remaking it thanks to the efforts of Lumiere Eternelle.

• Eonys Favreau: A halfling noble who approached Lumiere Eternelle, claiming to be part of a group of "allies" who wish to see the adventuring party succeed. Later, her true identity was revealed in secret to be of Mirabella Valois, the benefactor and Council Candidate Lumiere Eternelle is sponsored by.

• Gwendolyn Gail: Elven Honed Blades strategist and friend of Eris. Struck up an odd friendship with Montblanc Sylvestre. Aided the party in preventing the assassination of Lord Urkaris.
• The Sylvestre Family: Pierre Sylvestre and his sons, Jules and Montblanc. Attended the Ball alongside Faessi. Pierre aided in calming the paranoid Urkaris down and sheltered the party after the events of the Auction. Jules and Montblanc helped the party investigate the land deal between the Condorcets, Mersennes, and Theoden Cade.
• Lord Gazu and Karann Prelthan: Duo of nobles who are analysts of the Council Candidate race. Participants in the Auction. Lord Gazu was slain by Stephanie during their dismantling of the operation, but Karann escaped.

• Lord Barineau: Friend and business to Lord Urkaris. Was a suspect in the poisoning of Lord Urkaris, but was cleared. Told Lumiere Eternelle that Lord Urkaris is a Council Candidate.
• Theoden Cade: Prolific businessman of the Golden Merchant Conglomerate and secret father to Tandi. Orchestrated a deal between the Condorcets and Mersennes that would benefit him and his new business partner, but was foiled by Lumiere Eternelle.

Basers and Others

• Aletha of the Indomitable: Leonin leader of the Zhur-Taa Clans. Found captured below the Grand Ballroom, trying to rescue her fellow countrymen. After escaping with Stephanie and Tandi, she was found later at the Auction, with the intention of freeing the captured slaves on her own. When saved from death, she granted the party an invitation into the Zhur-Taa District, to speak with her and without harassment from her enforcers.

• Amon: Leonin prisoner underneath the Grand Ballroom. Wandered topside within the halls, before being recaptured. Rescued by Stephanie, Tandi, and Aletha.
• Commandant Echidna: Half-orc Commandant of the Gendarmerie as an entire organization. Was met by coincidence within the Wellspring of Life District's Gendarmerie Precinct. She tried to dissuade them from vigilantism, but was later convinced by Ylladi to look the other way.

• Emil: A moth taliyan, among those captured for the Auction. After being rescued by Faessi, chose to stay with his family out of a sense of gratitude and due to having no home for himself.

• Hui: A human opponent in Gracchus' fight pit, who faced off against K'aamni with a flurry of martial arts. Later danced on the danced floor alongside some of the party members.
• Kaden: Fox taliyan servant who was caught stealing from Fardir's room. Later served as a valuable information gatherer for Lumiere Eternelle.

• Madalina: Rabbit taliyan servant found being tortured in the sewers, to serve as one of the prisoners in the Auction. Rescued by Lumiere Eternelle. Was a suspect in the poisoning of Lord Urkaris, but was cleared.
• Mavil Novelli: Famous tiefling author of various cookbooks, such as "The Soul of Poverty". Made contact with Lumiere Eternelle and aided in the investigation into Lord Urkaris' poisoning.
• Panry Cherrywillow: Halfling butler who was contracted by Lord Urkaris and the hosts of the 185th Carolinian Ball. Was a suspect in the poisoning of Lord Urkaris, but was cleared. His job was later threatened due to a "tube delivery" that should've been kept under wraps, but Lumiere Eternelle promised to protect him from losing his livelihood.
• The Interplanar Traveler: An interplanar traveler encountered by Harrison after he breached into the Plane of Gateways, who then threatened him into giving them the Time Pocket. Partnered with Theoden Cade for an unknown purpose. Later dueled with Tandi for the sake of the Land Deal, but failed to defeat her.

• The Ringleader: A tielfing jester who served as the host of the auction, listing the features of captured and imprisoned taliyans and Aquitani like they were products. Defeated by Lumiere Eternelle, but slain by his own hand to prevent capture, traumatizing K'aamni in the process.

• The Subtle Blade, Theven: Simic hybrid assassin hired by J.W. to assassinate Lord Urkaris in a manner that would suggest death by natural causes. Encountered Lumiere Eternelle in the sewers and tried to stop them from serving as future obstacles to his goal. Later caught trying to complete the mission, and engaged in a vicious melee with the party. Eventually corrupted by the black gems into a shade, and once defeated, cleansed of his simic hybrid features.

To see all the Battle Maps used in this arc, see the following link: https://imgur.com/a/Nsyy6UW

Report Date

03 Nov 2022

Related Historical Events

• 1085
  The 185th Carolinian Ball