Episode 86: The Twisting of Truths
Previously...
On the sixth day after their arrival, the Wayfinders found themselves meeting with a contingent of soldiers that had arrived upon the request of Sir Reginald as he had wrote to House Lehavor of the grave importance of the party's mission. Meeting with the house, the group was able to explain their goals and implore for aid, and while their entreaty seemed all but assured-- another presence was noted in their midst. Spotting an assassin before it was too late, the group leapt into action in order to keep the noble family alive as the assassins were focused solely on them. Eventually, after destroying the constructs and killing the one living assassin, Speak with Dead revealed that there was an open contract on three great houses of the Court: Arnaís, Lehavor, and Revanon.General Summary
Before leaving the Lehavor manor, Vasya found herself a recipient of two letters, snuck onto her person by the eldest daughter, Vellana. Once in the carriage, she read the unsealed letter that thanked her and the party for everything they had done and within the letter there was one small request: that Vasya give the other letter to Lord Jacen Revanon upon their visit. Much to the disapproval of the rather insightful Sir Reginald and with Reylan unable to stop her despite her curiousity, Vasya read the letter and learned of Vellana's crush on the Lord, deciding to reseal it and deliver it as instructed.
After a few hours of travel and upon their arrival, the group was met by the castellan of House Revanon, a friendly, elderly man by the name Fallenys who seemed rather familiar with Reginald even though the latter remained as formal as ever. Leading them through what was revealed to be a magical tower formed from Magnificent Mansion, Fallenys introduced the group to Sir Luscion Revanon.
After learning more of their cause and of their plans, Luscion made it clear that he was a very pragmatic and straightforward person and bluntly pointed out that every fifty years there seemed to be an issue in the world adding that sadly House Revanon would not be able to handle any more than what they had already prepared. In an effort to try and persuade the Lord to change his mind by invoking a similar sense of patriotism, Reylan inadvertently drew some unwanted scrutiny to herself.
Changing subjects rather quickly, Vasya guided the talks to a line of questioning in regard to the excursion that resulted in Lix, Reylan, and Vasya recovering a nearly dead group of hired scouts in Darthin hired by House Revanon. Though initially hesitant about revealing plans to an adventuring group, with some persuasion from Reylan of an exchange of information, Luscion revealed that the group of scouts were sent into Darthin to search for the black flower in order to locate a weapon that would destroy the world of the Rasa for good. He explained that amongst the Court of Vellaria while some were in disagreement, ultimately, the decision was made to pursue the destructive weapon-- unknowing if the weapon would be indiscriminate or not.
Before their discussion could continue, it was interrupted by the appearance of Lord Jacen Revanon, the nephew of Luscion and the son of the Lady Aurora Revanon and the Lord General Hallon. Though trying to avoid the meeting, the younger Revanon ended up being seated and briefed upon the Wayfinders' visit. At the end of it, instead of agreeing with his uncle, he held the opposite view, believing that perhaps some resources could be spared for those of the Unified Realm. Not wanting to explain further and as a Court meeting would be held in a matter of days, Luscion dismissed the group.
Escorted away by the younger warrior, Vasya siezed her chance to slip the letter into the spellbook, trying to give hints that there was something there written for him.
On the way back to the Staff and Sword, Reginald departed from the carriage in order to pursue something of import leaving the group to travel back to the city. However, instead of traveling straight on, they stopped the carriage upon hearing wailing and stumbled onto what Lix determined to be oni having abducted children.
Urging the people to let them deal with things, the group set off with Terra eventually able to find the cave where the tracks led. Faced with diverging paths, the party split up, Nyx investigating an open and unshrouded path, Lix and Gideon (eventually Vasya and Valentine) venturing down the right most, and Reylan experimenting with dispelling the darkness. However, no sooner had they split did almost all find themselves face to face with regenerating oni and eventually a Night Hag.
In a bloody battle in which almost half of the party fell to the magics of the lair's creatures, while Gideon was unconscious and while recovering from an attack, Lix attempted to bargain with the night hag, her soul in exchange for something else. More focused on destroying her, the rest of the group turned their attention to the hag, the rangers piercing her with arrows, Gideon utilizing both his spear and star, and Reylan ultimately taking her blade and cleaving the hag in two-- unwittingly destroying something that Lix had been searching for.
After recovering the girl and while looting the area, the group had a discussion with Lix's belief in the hag's words and efforts clashing with the beliefs of the party. While both conceded to different beliefs, especially in regard to deities and the complications of magical sources, all members settled on clearing what they could and resolved to removing the curse off the surviving girl after a long rest.
Returning with the search party to the village, they found that Sir Reginald was waiting having returned to the road only to find them gone. Hearing of their small detour and of the girl's condition, he was able to provide a Scroll of Greater Restoration allowing for Reylan to rid the girl of her impending hag transformation.
While Lix focused on offering financial aid to the mother and Gideon on consoling her for lost her son, Reylan approached Reginald and asked why Luscion dismissed the meeting without asking what it was that they knew about Arvanoc and revealing the nature of the Court's goal without an equal exchange. Reginald hazarded a guess that Luscion was most likely looking for a way for the information to leak to public knowledge without outright opposing the reluctant decision of the Court, but also, proposed that he had done it purposefully.
Curious, as the party was to head to Arvanoc soon, Reylan revealed to the mage knight that she had been holding on to a ring from the beginning of her travels as it had been a gift from a friend of hers before she left. She had assumed it important enough to keep it hidden in a lead bead and explained that it was also a gift given to her friend long ago when asked.
After studying it and realizing what it was, Reginald hurried the others to return to the carriage as if something was now terribly wrong.
After a few hours of travel and upon their arrival, the group was met by the castellan of House Revanon, a friendly, elderly man by the name Fallenys who seemed rather familiar with Reginald even though the latter remained as formal as ever. Leading them through what was revealed to be a magical tower formed from Magnificent Mansion, Fallenys introduced the group to Sir Luscion Revanon.
After learning more of their cause and of their plans, Luscion made it clear that he was a very pragmatic and straightforward person and bluntly pointed out that every fifty years there seemed to be an issue in the world adding that sadly House Revanon would not be able to handle any more than what they had already prepared. In an effort to try and persuade the Lord to change his mind by invoking a similar sense of patriotism, Reylan inadvertently drew some unwanted scrutiny to herself.
Changing subjects rather quickly, Vasya guided the talks to a line of questioning in regard to the excursion that resulted in Lix, Reylan, and Vasya recovering a nearly dead group of hired scouts in Darthin hired by House Revanon. Though initially hesitant about revealing plans to an adventuring group, with some persuasion from Reylan of an exchange of information, Luscion revealed that the group of scouts were sent into Darthin to search for the black flower in order to locate a weapon that would destroy the world of the Rasa for good. He explained that amongst the Court of Vellaria while some were in disagreement, ultimately, the decision was made to pursue the destructive weapon-- unknowing if the weapon would be indiscriminate or not.
Before their discussion could continue, it was interrupted by the appearance of Lord Jacen Revanon, the nephew of Luscion and the son of the Lady Aurora Revanon and the Lord General Hallon. Though trying to avoid the meeting, the younger Revanon ended up being seated and briefed upon the Wayfinders' visit. At the end of it, instead of agreeing with his uncle, he held the opposite view, believing that perhaps some resources could be spared for those of the Unified Realm. Not wanting to explain further and as a Court meeting would be held in a matter of days, Luscion dismissed the group.
Escorted away by the younger warrior, Vasya siezed her chance to slip the letter into the spellbook, trying to give hints that there was something there written for him.
On the way back to the Staff and Sword, Reginald departed from the carriage in order to pursue something of import leaving the group to travel back to the city. However, instead of traveling straight on, they stopped the carriage upon hearing wailing and stumbled onto what Lix determined to be oni having abducted children.
Urging the people to let them deal with things, the group set off with Terra eventually able to find the cave where the tracks led. Faced with diverging paths, the party split up, Nyx investigating an open and unshrouded path, Lix and Gideon (eventually Vasya and Valentine) venturing down the right most, and Reylan experimenting with dispelling the darkness. However, no sooner had they split did almost all find themselves face to face with regenerating oni and eventually a Night Hag.
In a bloody battle in which almost half of the party fell to the magics of the lair's creatures, while Gideon was unconscious and while recovering from an attack, Lix attempted to bargain with the night hag, her soul in exchange for something else. More focused on destroying her, the rest of the group turned their attention to the hag, the rangers piercing her with arrows, Gideon utilizing both his spear and star, and Reylan ultimately taking her blade and cleaving the hag in two-- unwittingly destroying something that Lix had been searching for.
After recovering the girl and while looting the area, the group had a discussion with Lix's belief in the hag's words and efforts clashing with the beliefs of the party. While both conceded to different beliefs, especially in regard to deities and the complications of magical sources, all members settled on clearing what they could and resolved to removing the curse off the surviving girl after a long rest.
Returning with the search party to the village, they found that Sir Reginald was waiting having returned to the road only to find them gone. Hearing of their small detour and of the girl's condition, he was able to provide a Scroll of Greater Restoration allowing for Reylan to rid the girl of her impending hag transformation.
While Lix focused on offering financial aid to the mother and Gideon on consoling her for lost her son, Reylan approached Reginald and asked why Luscion dismissed the meeting without asking what it was that they knew about Arvanoc and revealing the nature of the Court's goal without an equal exchange. Reginald hazarded a guess that Luscion was most likely looking for a way for the information to leak to public knowledge without outright opposing the reluctant decision of the Court, but also, proposed that he had done it purposefully.
Curious, as the party was to head to Arvanoc soon, Reylan revealed to the mage knight that she had been holding on to a ring from the beginning of her travels as it had been a gift from a friend of hers before she left. She had assumed it important enough to keep it hidden in a lead bead and explained that it was also a gift given to her friend long ago when asked.
After studying it and realizing what it was, Reginald hurried the others to return to the carriage as if something was now terribly wrong.
Report Date
23 Oct 2021
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