Session 6: For the People Report
General Summary
During the next morning after the previous session, while the squad was eating in the mess hall, they found a goblin sitting next to Chancer Fate. After some conversation, they discovered that this was to be the contact assigned by the Empress, Numirtirasti Patortisumastamir'dorad, the leader of the Aignathean Precept. After eating and trading information, the goblin agreed to work with the squad to ensure the Empress's safety.
On the day of the speech, Heinrich Von Kleist discovered a Mandate cultist, Borsh Noma, during his duties for processing the refugees. From here, he sent his raven, Krell, to fetch Loric . After the Seeker of Tales arrived, he took Borsh Noma for "secondary processing" due to "missing information." This eventually resulted in Loric taking the cultist to Dreadcrusher , who had been in conversation with Qaraia once again. After trusting his post to the persistant woman, the two squadmates and Krell went into an abandoned home, quietly followed by Numirtirasti Patortisumastamir'dorad.
Inside, the two questioned Borsh Noma thoroughly before finally dropping all pretenses. Loric began to threaten the man to get him to divulge information. After several minutes of interrogation, they left the man with the goblin to try to get more information out of him. From there, they resumed their posts.
More time passed, when the goblin found Heinrich Von Kleist, where he explained that he was able to get another name from the cultist: Beyasi. With this in mind, everyone resumed their duties, before the goblin came again and gathered the squad to aid in security measures shortly before the speech. After travelling to the drawbridge to the castle, they found a stage being built right in front. The team then split up to search multiple avenues for attack.
Chancer Fate and Dreadcrusher went off to search the alleys, Dewglow and Qaraia --who had been allowed to come with the party earlier--made their way to the roof tops, Loric went down into the moat, and Heinrich Von Kleist went to investigate the various areas of the main avenue. Each member of the squad found various lines of attack: Chancer Fate and Dreadcrusher found a pile of rubble that someone could use to hide, Dewglow and Qaraia found several balconies and multiple roofs for easy access to the Empress, Loric found a water pipe, and Heinrich Von Kleist elected to have a drink (without actually drinking) with a nearby civilian named Vinny while he watched the main approach.
In the moat, Loric subdued an assassin named Thurium Daros. Despite the assassin nearly being drowned, an odd form of companionship budded between the two. In the alleyways, Dreadcrusher spotted movement beneath the pile of rubble. Electing a different approach from Loric , the warforged brought down his maul and smashed the man while he was inside.
On the roof tops, Dewglow spotted a third assassin. While she was approaching quietly, an unknown assailant suddenly came out of nowhere and murdered the assassin that Dewglow was stalking. Making a choice, she sprang forward and tripped the unknown entity. Bringing her knife to his throat, she was able to retrieve some information from the man, and that he was named Stormfall. Briefly after this, another man showed up, holding Qaraia at crossbow-point. Stormfall told the man to cease and introduced him as Portcall. Shortly after, the two assassins left Dewglow and her companion on the rooftop unharmed, leaving them with the knowledge that The Mandate was actually protecting the Empress.
While Heinrich Von Kleist was with Vinny, he spotted a robed figure in the crowd, moving towards the platform. Upon the platform, the Empress stood with her escort around her. Beneath the stage, he had also seen a cobble being lifted to reveal a manhole, of which another assassin began to crawl out. Rather suddenly, however, he was forcefully pulled back down into the dark without a sound after a jarring crack of his jaw against the cobbles. After this, Heinrich Von Kleist elected to bid Vinny adieu and jumped down into the crowd with Feather Fall.
While Heinrich Von Kleist was making his way through the crowd after the robed figure, the Empress had begun her speech. Only two words in, she was shot in the shoulder by a man near the front row with a hand-crossbow. He was quickly subdued as the Empress suddenly faded into nothing. With a thundercrack from the walls, the Empress began walking in the air for her speech.
Declaration of Imperial Rights
Our world has ended. Everything we know has ceased, and for what, I ask of all of you. Less than a percent of our once-glorious people remains. A god has perished and her people has only been able to save so few of us. We weathered unnatural phenomena as the land sank, the rivers dried, the forests withered, and storms of ash drowned us all. We came together, then, and built a fleet the likes of which this world has never seen. We crossed a sea that the gods never intended us to cross. We’ve performed impossible tasks that none have ever done before.
So, you may ask, what now? We’re in an unknown land, one that we just came and seized while we don’t even deserve it. She looks to those who are native. We are invaders, and there is nothing that can change this. As our own home was taken, so too did we commit the same act of atrocity upon those that were merely living their lives! Yet, what now must we do? As your Empress, I cannot allow my people to die away in front of my very eyes! As do I command you, so too do you command me! Nay, not with words do you command, but with your actions. Either willingly or otherwise, you have become one with the Empire, you have given yourselves to me to establish your security as well as your livelihoods, and so too must I give myself to all of you! I give to you in form of my leadership, your lives are my charges and I will see that I will save as many of you as possible, and while we have made it this far, we are still in danger.
There is not enough sustenance for those who have crossed. Even as we sailed the sea we were starving, and now this is no different. We have food and fresh water, but there is still not enough! Our friends perish as sickness takes them, and healing can only be done so quickly with so few! We will, as we must, reach out to those around us, not as friends, but as conquerors! The gods have forced us into such a state that we cannot afford to wait for handouts from those that may try to prey on our current weakness! There are more than a million loved ones, children, elderly, and dying in this city and its surrounds that have suffered innumerable grievances, for upon all of us did the gods turn!
Friends who were teachers, companions that were fellow warriors, friends that would stand behind us while others would not, acquaintances that would never be able to become more, and siblings that we may never see again! However, we are the Aignathead Empire! No matter one’s morals, ethics, backgrounds, race, color, we are all together as Empire! We shall march on the new world not for the sake of greed, but for the sake of survival! Alone we shall all falter, but as Empire we shall strive to live, for we are not creatures to be crushed into the dirt beneath the boot heels of others! We will march upon the New World and take what we need so that we too may live, for these are our Imperial Rights!
Right after the speech, Heinrich Von Kleist finally caught up to the robed figure and see she was a woman with silver hair, grey eyes, and pale complexion. She would then begin evading most of his questions, in turn discovering information on who he was and what his activities might be. After bringing her to the rest of the group, the frustration did not ease as she continued the same dance of words. It wasn't until the last two people began to leave when she introduced herself as Adyada Beyasi before taking her leave.
Some time after this, the squadron was informed that in three days' time, they would be heading out for a four-week expedition into the world beyond to search for resources and a possible location for a stronghold.
Missions/Quests Completed
A Declaration to Behold
