Session 69: Chase Report

General Summary

Between the 26th and 30th, Virion and Shan'tie have been chilling out, including cooking with Delmirev and uh, "Hanging out with Fireborn". Virion has been giving Eliander the nice food, Shan'tie the burnt remains. Delmirev has been the taste tester.

Due to thoughts of Lillian, Shan'tie is kinda going through it and swinging between emotions. It's mid-day on the 30th, Virion speaks to Shan'tie in confidence after a long silence.

"You know I, I don't feel bad about what I've done for so many years. Not really."

"I mean, what are you referring to... exactly?"

"Faithful service to the empire. Helping them."

Shan'tie puts a pot down a little too forcefully, while Virion stares into the flame.

"Virion, can we please not talk about this? I need to just, pretend this is all normal, at least until your parents get here."

Virion expresses that he feels bad for not regretting anything, and Shan'tie inquires a little further, seeing he's not gonna drop it. Virion admits what he said to the Silverstand was half truth, as always.

"You could... try to be honest, if you want to. Though I understand that honesty can hurt a lot, sometimes. I suppose that, I think you ultimately have to do what's best for you. And keep going."

Virion nods slightly. "It just, um, it came so easily it felt like the appropriate thing to say. I guess I- I know how to speak manipulatevly more than how to speak truthfully."

"I.. understand that perfectly. If you want, you can tell the truth to me. I'll tell you something and you can tell me something and if someone spills the beans the other one can say the other truth. It might make it easier to tell the truth to someone. I think I might need that too, to be honest."

"I've just, I've done a lot of things I've questioned now, I guess. I guess it's just a matter of whether that was truthfully felt at the time or... I still believe the world is a bit more on the manipulative side, so... I just don't know if um, if parts of me are clashing, I guess?"

"I understand that. When my life left it felt like my life was over. I sold everything I had, and all I did was drink."

"Including some stuff I gave you," Virion says with a chuckle.

"I'll pay you back, eventually."

"I know I said to her we're done, with that. She's lost herself but... truth be told if she asked me to, I'd go running back to her. And I don't know how to reconcile the fact that she wanted to kill a lot of people with the fact I still want a life with her, that she might be a good mother. And the fact she might be right, that that's what we need to survive. There are nights I think she might be right, that I'm too soft. That the only reason I'm keeping Fireborn alive is because he has a daughter."

Shan'tie stands there, holding back tears, staring into the distance.

"If it's any consolation, I wouldn't let you kill him."

"Ability and intent are two different questions."

Virion dismisses that concern and says "I suppose in truth we're both struggling with what it means to be us."

"I suppose so."

Virion grabs a wineskin and takes a swig, and Shan'tie asks for Virion to hold her. She starts to cry softly, and Virion says "of course," and wraps an arm around Shan'tie.

Back to the chase with the scent of buring food, and then burning people! Marcia cast fucking fly!!!

Mystan casts Silence and flees while Faeryn is throwing fire everywhere. Faeryn shrugs off a Cone of Cold, but not another dart.

Faeryn draws their weapon and starts to run.

Mystan, now beyond the gates, drops Silence and casts another spell as a distraction. Specifically, Summon Celestial, right on top of the enemy. The Celestial Summon (defender) uses Healing Touch on Menace.

The shield occupies guards and Rodrigo, while Marcia flies around and uses Fire Shield, challenging Faeryn to a duel. Menace jumps to the side and tackles Rodrigo, still on fire. They then begin to negotiate.

Mystan holds an action to cast Dispell Magic if Marcia makes a move against Faeryn. Marcia also reaslizes Menace is Faeryn.

Mystan dismisses the celestial and just, summons a new one. It picks Faeryn up and flies away, but Marcia upcasts Lighting Bolt at 8th level, and the celestial dies, dropping Faeryn on a roof. Marcia walks up and says "Surrender."

Faeryn says "No", extenguishes their Flametongue and casts Darkness as a Drow. They begin to climb up the tower, but slip.

Mystan casts Command at 5th level, ordering the guards to flee. They do so, but in the process open the gate. Rodrigo convenes with Marcia, but Marcia disappears.

Menace tries to climb the wall again with their pegleg. Again, they fail. Instead, they take a leap of faith and grab the edge of the shorter wall, hoisting themself up. With nothing to secure a rope to, they hang off the wall and drop down, taking a little bit of falling damage.

Menace runs, barely alive. Marcia attacks, dropping Invisibility, but misses. Marcia shrugs off Mystan's cantrip, and he moves to protect Menace. He casts Life Transference, healing Menace for twice the damage he inflicts on himself.

Rodrigo sprints forward and tosses a pair of spears, but Metallic Wings deflect them away. Marcia flings a Magic Missle at Menace, but their extra health tanks it. Menace and Mystan flee, getting away.

Mystan and Menace find somewhere to hide out and sleep, waiting for a Word of Recall

Back in the church, Virion, Shan'tie, Black Axe, and Delmirev are growing concerned. All the food has gone cold, and there's been no word from Mystan and Menace. Right before they set out with weapons to do a prison break, Mystan gets a Sending out to Virion.

"Unfortunately they weren't very cooperative, we weren't able to get them with us. It almost ended badly."

"Understood, get here safe."

Virion is already picking up the pack he had been making, ready for 10 days of travel, and he plans to just... go into the city. Shan'tie offers to cast Dream instead, arranging a meeting on neutral ground.

They talk, and Shan'tie says that she will go with him; he needn't go alone, even with the plan he has.

Shan'tie does reason with Virion to wait for the others to return, much to Virion's dissapointment.

The next day on the rainy morning of the 31st, the away party teleports home via Word of Recall.

The party is reunited, and immediately Shan'tie announces that they are going to go back to Seaton, Menace says "Virion, somehow I think your parents are going to be just fine in the attack."

"Oh... did you guys fight Mom?" Black Axe says.

"SHE NEARLY KILLED ME!"

"Did she cast Time Stop?"

"YES. Virion, why didn't you tell us she was an Archmage."

"I DID!"

Shan'tie and Menace exchange anger management, and Black Axe offers to return to Seaton with them, while Delmirev watches Eliander Fireborn.

Menace lays down the fact that Virion's parents are incredibly powerful, and that Seaton is on high alert. Virion is going to get the rest of the party killed if they return to Seaton.

"I understand you want to save your family, I understand the importance of family. But you need to think about your priorities."

"I'm saving the only thing I have left."

"They will be fine! They can take care of themselves!"

"I want a certainly, not a probably."

"You're going to get us all killed!"

"I didn't ask you to come!"

"They might not be as safe," Shan'tie says, "Lillian knows they're there, and she has a grudge."

There's a lot of back and forth, and Menace explains that his parents wanted to imprison him anyways. Virion points out that when he first went on the run, they were willing to let him go; they're politicians and merchants--they may have been lying to the sellsword persona.

Menace points out they're also Loyalists, and that the party's mission right now is taking down the empire. They can't afford to have Virion get captured and rot in a cell; there's no way the party is pulling off another prison break from Castle Feldren.

Faeryn pleads with Virion once more, and he says "Normally I would be smarter about this, yes. But this is more important."

"It's not more important, Virion. The bigger picture is more important."

Black Axe steps in, and points out Faeryn would do the same for Ciaran, as Ciaran did for Faeryn. Faeryn doesn't understand why, but relents. And Virion agrees to Shan'tie's idea of meeting with his parents outside the city. Black Axe agrees to stay send a message but stay behind.