Session Sixty: Clarity in the moonlight

General Summary

Don't Run With Spears

  After a lengthy discussion, the group decide to do the concert at Pavo's house. They'll make apributts to go around in napkins printed with 'Lucy was here'. They also plan on handing out dummy feathers.   First it's time to split the party though. Griff and Chantilly visit the safe havens and houses to make sure everyone is fine. They hear some rumours that Greensong may have been in town. They also cover up the drums again and make sure Chantilly's family is safe. To her knowledge, they're all accounted for. Griff gives Chad his spear. As Griff heads out, Chantilly warns Chad to be responsible with it as she doesn't want him getting hurt again. He's got the family to protect.  

Darling Tessie, Be The Key

  Meanwhile, the rest of the party head to the Pavo's residence. Brix sent the crowd away but has retained the “creepy” girl. He wants her out of the house as she only draws creepy eyes. Everyone other than Tristan head to the room where the girl’s scribbling eyes on paper and muttering in Elvish.   She repeats: “Darling Tessie, be the key. Bring the moon indoors. Shift once and all is yours.”   What she keeps writing: UFTTJF TJDLMF   They've seen the cypher "TJDLMF" before on the portal in Windshire. It reads "SICKLE"   The group decipher the other and finds it reads "TESSIE".   Malak sits next to Tessie and asks how she is. She’s worried she’s in trouble. Malak says in jest that it’s Emir’s fault and that he’ll fix it. Tessie jumps in surprise when she sees Emir. He smiles at her kindly and tells her all is forgiven.   After some prodding by Malak it turns out her mum (Anis) and dad (Jackson) made her memorize those words and find her way back to the house.   Her house isn’t far away. The Gloss Ripple scared her and she sought shelter. The promise of Emir cemented her decision to come here. She reveals the girls wrecked Emir’s room because Malak told them to. Malak denies it. Tessie says she hid in the closet and then her bear ate people. The bear was also supposed to love her. So who would lover he now? Bear loves her. But bear and parents are gone. Who loves her now?   Tessie no longer has any other family. Her parents used to be travelling merchants, most recently returning from a trip to Karrnath. They were in Korth, picking up supplies.   Malak reveals they know someone from Karrnath that is a vampire. She asks if he's ever blushed and reveals he can't be one after Malak says he has.   The conversation goes back to her parents. They were attacked at home and they're currently still lying on the floor. She wants to go back “because [she's] the key". She shifts into her Changeling form (much to everyone's surprise). They agree to take her there, wanting to give her parents a proper burial. She wants someone to send them to the Traveler.   Malak says Griff is the Traveler's best friend. At the mention of Griff, the girl starts to cry. He killed the bear and the hag said it would love her. As they travelled a lot, she never got to make friends and her parents were always busy. The hag found her in a sad state and gave her the bear.  

“Can I Get Some DNA?”

  Back with Brix, it's revealed the damage o the house mostly came from the fan girls. It's not the first time this has happened though. Tristan says he understands, coming from a house of bards. He wonders if there's something they could smash. Brix likes the idea. Better yet, they'll use their barbarian rages to destroy the furniture. Brix uses his flaming claws while Tristan turns into a scorpion and stabs things with his tail.   They take turns and fist bump when they're done. Brix reveals he got his skills from being in the Cyran army. Tristan wonders if can get some of his DNA...but backtracks after asking it.  

Fairy Bunmother

  Griff and Chantilly enter. Griff asks if they need help. Malak peaks out and closes the door behind them. He asks if Griff can be somewhere else for a few minutes as the girl doesn’t like him after what he did to the bear. Chantilly makes some suggestions, saying they can go the opposite direction and meet up. But if it's about finding Tessie's house, she could just take them.   During this conversation, Giff quickly sneaks away to see Tessie. He explains that his griffon got scared and that's why he lashed out at the bear. Monsters can sometimes be good. He also has a friend that can fix said bear.   Emir starts collecting the papers and the bear as they head out.   In the foyer, Tristan suggests Emir not go as he's Barracus. The situation feels dangerous to him. Chantilly suggest he enters last so he can get out quickly. Emir isn't happy at this exchange.   Chantilly fixes Tessie's bear reluctantly like a fairy godmother.  

When You Have Too Many “Moon” Options

  Malak, Griff, Tristan and Chantilly go into house, with Silmer, Tessie and Emir waiting outside.   Tessie wonders why no one is angry at her. Emir says that it's not her fault. She wonders why he sounds so grumpy. Emir reveals people keep telling him what to do.   Inside, they make light to reveal the room is filled with blood. Chantilly goes to close the eyes of the parents on the floor, feeling bad as she knew these people. Malak cleans the place up while Tristan takes a look at their wounds. Griff goes to the bedroom to find something to wrap their bodies in. He comes down with bedding. As he starts wrapping, he finds some daggers, a pouch and money in their pockets. Tristan puts these on a table.   When everything is child friendly, Chantilly opens the door and ushers them in. Emir places a hand on Tessie's shoulders to steady her. Nothing happens when Emir walks in. Sil closes the door behind them.   She wonders around, saying that she's the key. Nothing happens. Moonbeam, cast by Emir, doesn't help. Griff taking his shirt off doesn't help either. Tessie wonders the room and sees the stuff they collected. She picks up a dagger and hands it to Malak as thanks. As he unsheathes it, it glows... and so do some prints on the walls and floors. There are footprints on the floor leading upstairs. The group follows.   It leads to the library. After some searching, they realise that one of the bookcases can move to reveal a safe. It requires letters to open. Her name is the key.   Inside are documents. The pages are blank but as Malak holds the dagger nearby, words appear.   There's a document granting Tessie access to something.   It reveals they were merchants and scouts for Vallenar elves. They found locations where veterans felt disrespected. They would then alert General Len, who would take over the town. They gave marks that could be removed and put back again. The elves would then control if they would sleep and never wake. They threatened to take Tessie away multiple times. They made a small enough fortune trading to give Tessie a little to live off.   There were also two travel documents with fake names for Tessie and a cypher list containing city names:

• Ring briar
• Shavalant
• Mossmantel
• Havenglen
• Windshire
• Athandra
• Vurgenslye
• Loomkeep

  Silmer wonders if these places would all have portals.   Griff kneels next to Tessie and asks if she saw another griffon rider. She indeed has. The lady also threatened her mum and dad.  

We're Now Family

  They take the parents upstairs. Malak performs a service to send them on their way properly. Emir also does a service with the Traveller in mind. They let Tessie say her goodbyes.   The group discuss what to do with Tessie. Chantilly reveals that she knows a place with kids her age she can go to. The name needs to be hidden just in case though. After it turns out she's a shifter, Emir also says his parents can take her in.   Tessie chooses to go with Emir's parents, but makes a sign people from “The Knot” know when thanking Chantilly for the offer. This worries Chantilly.   Emir shifts into his parents to show Tessie what they look like. It's revealed that Emir’s dad is human (who looks a lot like Vence) and his mum is a changeling. Tessie would also have grandparents, two older brothers and a sister who is around her age.   Tristan asks Tessie if they can keep the papers and “talking crystal” they found in the pouch. She says yes.   Several messages are sent. It's asked that Elijah come pick up Tessie at the Orion station the next day. Malak also sends a message to Cissa through his book, saying Emir misses her and wondering whether she could contact the parents in VETT's stead.   In the background, Griff and Tristan say what they would say to the crystal in anger.   Chantilly goes to tell her family about outside knowledge of the knot increasing and that security should ramp up.  

Apributt Left Behind

  The next morning, Tessie and Elijah head out. Not before Chantilly hands over a knitted bear outfit and a message from Emir. Elijah gives Sil a message from April.   Emir writes 'Lucy was here’ on the bottom corner of a statue (some general) in one of the squares and on top of Pavos’ roof.   They buy the rest of the supplies for the apributts, buy quills and raise spell stores of their feathers and get napkins printed with 'Lucy was here'. These are all passed around at the concert in Pavos’ house.   The last song played is upbeat and fast pace. Half way through major image is cast, hiding the crew from view. Emir draws a teleportation circle. As the last crescendo plays, the group disappears, leaving feathers and 1 apributt behind.