Session 12: The Graduation Ball Report

General Summary

The session begins as the group and their +1s travel to castle Brokenblade via lightning train. Everyone is dressed to their best, with Eavan and Twig dressed to impress, while the others were in their fantasy version of their Sunday's best. Upon arrival, the group stopped at the coat check, some leaving some of their goods there and giving their names to register in and confirm with the guest list. Some understood this nobility practice, some did not.   The one at a time, they were presented to the court in front of the king, to walk down the middle isle to reach a special seating area dedicated to the honor students and their guests. Poor Nina had panicked and made up a last name, and is now known in court as "Nina Many".   The group was able to split and enjoy some of what the court had to offer. Some people danced (Twig and his date), Trajan enjoyed some food, Nina and Eavaan mingled and Astara went to meet the King, who did warn gently about being appropriate, but was otherwise kind and accepting (unlike his son, next to him showcasing condescension and judgement, a much ignored behavior). Trajan went to the upper level to talk with Zane (his +1) and met an attendee there, Hector, or the Hall of prophecies in Arcanix (country of Aundair) who had an excited moment seeing, and explaining that he hadn't seen a dragon seer in so many years, since old Cyre. Not fully understanding, Trajan sat for a discussion to learn more (agreed to be had in private IC chat, as this would be a lengthy one:one discussion).   Eavaan, while mingling discovered that prominent members in the crowd were in a fewd: House Lairian (makers of Airships) and House Orien (makers of land travel, including the lightning train). Nina spotted a shifty conversation with House Orien and a curly mustache man, which Astara went to investigate. The shifty detail was about the bag he was carrying around. The man turned out to be the Yvon Dubley, Head editor of the Breland Ledger (major country-wide newspaper), who there interviewed her a bit right there.   There was a regrouping as the scepter was brought in for the ceremony, and each student was called to the front, receiving a royal speech and boon: a death ward that would be in effect until used (once), to grant the new generation of promising individual, a chance to take risk and make a mistake, without their story ending there. The scepter was then placed in a glass case in the center of the main ballroom, for all to view and enjoy.   GAME BREAK   On return, the check of the scepter was in full force. Nina, rolling well on perception, spotted a few things happening near the scepter:  

1. The press (all 3 individuals, including Yvon) were standing close for a long time. Yvon's bag, was nowhere to be seen.
2. One of the guards was having a weird patrol back and forth while other guards avoided the floor and stuck to guarding doors.
3. A group of 3 nobles, overheard as Boromar folks, stood close to the scepter.

  Twig danced with his date while keeping an eye directly on the scepter, while Eavaan mingled and Nina kept an eye at a distance. Astara went in to check and noted that the case was locked by a 4 digit code... and one of the numbers, the last one was damaged - cut. She used the sending stone to try and send a coded message (as others, including the press) were nearby. No one really understood the hint based on the last digit of her address being forgotten, but Eavaan came to the summon). Eavaan was able to convince Yvon (making the naming error hear obvious as Eavan and Yvon... that is TOO similar) to walk away from the scepter, while a waiter offered champaign to Astara and others nearby. Nina tailed the guard. Twig and date had tried but failed. During their talk, Eavaan learned that Yvon did all he could to avoid being touched.   To expedite the end of the mission, the group was (OOCly) introduced to the concept of skill challenges. Which is a non combat event (a chase, a mission peak, an escape, travel, etc.) where each has a set numbers of rolls and uses their creativity to detail how they would use their particular talents (can only use proficiencies) to assist the group in moving things along. Each got 2 rolls. Astara used survival to tail the person if they got away, and insight to spot a flaw (I think, memory is blurry here) - both rolls failed. Eavaan used survival and insight to spot suspicious activity and trailed IN the ballroom. (both failed, one with a nat 1), and instead of the thief, followed an elder elven lady that they thought looked suspicious, as this lady had been mentioned to stare at Twig earlier in a weird way, mouthing something along the lines of "What ... eee". Nina used her skills to keep an eyes on the scepter and investigate the glass case and once again, both rolls were low. Trajan wanted to find a perch of choice for a good view and .. hiding (stealth) and use sleight of hand to yank the scepter back from any that would take it. He found perch in the rafter... but both rolls were badly low. Twig chose to use perception to spot the scepter if it was taken and keep eyes on it, and acrobatics to chase if need be. Both rolls, were low. The odds were all defied. However, a convinving arguments that +1s were involved, and could give aid, so rerolls happens with just enough success to spot things.   The scene played as follow: Things felt mostly uneventful at first, with a slow progression and ball as planed. After 30 or so minutes though, Trajan's perch found slippery ground and the dragonborn came crashing down, right on top of the glass case, promising for a sore and painful next few days... but moreso, the scepter had snapped in half, revealing it as a fake! Twig, with Quamara's help, spotted a champaign waiter putting the scepter in a familiar looking bag and yelled to Trajan before trying to gain. Looking up, Trajan spotted the pointed out scepter and tried to take it, but the sleigh of hand roll had been just short, so he touched it.. but didn't hold on to it. The waiter got away and they failed to catch him. Nina also spotted that the weird guard was taken by the situation and bolted, indicating that more than one group were after the scepter. Still, they were able to point to the guilty party in lead quickly, and when the guards grabbed Yvon Dubley... his disguise self spell faded, and revealed an imposter. Eavan, busy tailing the old elven woman, saw just in time that she took advantage of the theft's distraction to attempt a coup on the Prince, raising a dagger above him. Eavaan tried to Vicious mockery her, but it failed, and she plunged the dagger in the heart of the Prince. Guards on the spot, alerted by Eavaan's spell, were fast enough to catch before she fled. Eavaan and Astara rushed to the Prince and stabilized him with healing spells. Looking up, Astara caught the end of the old lady, a blueish/purpleish mark to her neck revealed... and the lady gasped "Istera... it can't be..." right before an immediate beheading, no trial needed for such a crime.   Though the mission to protect the scepter had failed, the failures ended up able to end and circumvent a worst and hidden plot, not to mention, the theft had the lead of the event arrested and something to follow, the group still received full payment. As a thank you, for saving the Prince's life. It was revealed that the old lady was a noble herself, by the name of Lady Enora d'Phiarlan. The group licked their losses, and returned home. The game, ended, closing the chapter on pre-level 1 adventures.

Rewards Granted

• 25g each
• Death Ward Boon from the King's Royal Scepter

Missions/Quests Completed

• The Royal Scepter
• Growing Up

Character(s) interacted with

• King Boranel ir'Wynarn
• Royal Advisor: Kor ir'Wynarn
• Prince Bortan
• Hector Somarian
• Lady Enora Phiarlan
• Yvon Dubley*