A Fox in the Hen house

Criminal Activity

Bobushio has a meeting with Redla Grimhelm about the future of Rockshire. A new pirate comes into town on a Casino ship called The Diamond Leviathan. Gilly has a date in the gardens of The Talisman with Grildor Grimhelm. Caia meets another Changeling and suspects there may be more trying to infiltrate Ivy Hill.

While Alcath and Caia sell out everyone, Gilly mopes in her room, and Moz and Thuniel gamble, Bobushio waits for Redla at the bar. She is flanked by six attendants. Bobushio sits in a private area with empty tables all around.   Redla asked earlier about OniKuru - Pirate Kings Empire, so Bobushio opens with that and says it’ll be important in current events. He tells what Ukaru did and the mechanical men that eradicated his people. All he conceals is the details about the airship, just calling it a project. There are things happening now in the world that will draw us all in. No matter what our local power is, we have to form alliances, or these world powers will roll right over us.   Redla asks what he is proposing. Bob says the thing that happened a few days ago was caused by Reginard. He was so focused on his own power and wasn’t thinking about Rockshire and the good of his people and family. He suggests that changing and uniting Ivy Hill is necessary for survival. He proposes a city council for Rockshire, but it will have to come from the family heads with one of them as the monarch of the constitutional monarch.   Redla asks who he thinks the monarch should be, and he immediately says that Gilandre will need to be that because otherwise Ivy Hill will collapse. Gilly will be able to put lieutenants in charge who will work with the city council.   The servers bring out a feast while Redla questions why Bobushio is talking to her instead of her husband. Bobushio says her husband should run her family and Redla should be on the city council. Redla is impressed that she hasn’t felt any deception from him, in spite of his reputation. She isn’t sure she can trust herself because he’s no handsome.   Redla confides that they have turmoil in their own ranks, so Bobushio will have to convince her husband. That said, Ivy Hill might be desperate for Gilandre, so she’s not sure she can release her. Bobushio says that selling her back will undermine the whole prospect and reduce profits. Bobushio offers to return the 5000GP, but she says that doesn’t matter. She will give her husband counsel, but it will depend on his decision. Bobushio gets the impression that she is hiding something about her husband.   They bring out a dessert that was common on Oni Island. At the end of the meeting, while they’re having fun at the tables, she does let Bobushio know she’s in an open marriage. Bobushio doesn’t bite...yet. Her interest is peaked.   The next morning, as Alcath and Caia are exiting the casino, Biff and Buff (Trolls) stop them and say Wildcard wants to see them again. She tells her she has someone she needs Caia to meet. Wildcard takes her to a dungeon where a changeling is sitting in a cell with Moonbeam on them (basically being tortured).   Wildcard says, “Meet Poppet. This is the person that sold me Trigger. What can you tell me about this?”   Caia says that she’s not sure if Poppet would be willing to cooperate, and she doesn’t know about this. Wildcard says that she decided to cast Moonbeam on everyone with whom she does business, and Poppet popped.   Wildcard says that all she was able to get out of Poppet is that she was sent to betray Trigger under the guise that Ivy Hill was selling him. Wildcard asks if she thinks she can get more information out of her. Caia lets slip that she thinks there’s an organization that will come kill Caia because she let the secret slip.   Wildcard reveals that Poppet had a Changeling coin on her. Wildcard thinks they’re friends now. She says that the cost for Trigger was low, almost too good to be true. She thinks she needs to protect her assets given the state of the city. Wildcard wants them to find out if there’s a Changeling Trigger at Ivy Hill right now.   Caia also offers to tell Ivy Hill that Wildcard wants a bounty, if she wants them too. Wildcard tells them to set up a password to make sure they are them when they come back. The passphrase is “What’s your least favorite spell?” “Moonbeam is for suckers.”   Gilly wakes up in the morning and is feeling sorry for all the rash actions she has taken for a long time. She gets a delicious breakfast with a little note “From G²”.   Thuniel asks for a servant to go get the pirate. "She asks which one? The one staying with us or the one in the bay?" A ship called The Diamond Leviathan Casino in the bay showed up last week. Thuniel asks Bobushio what he found out, and he lays out all the details. Thuniel is very interested by the revelation that Skordan is not doing great in some way. She puts Moz on the case of trying to find details from the regulars.   Moz overhears grumblings that a lot of the regulars are gone right now. The employees are grumbling about the lack of customers, and she realizes it’s probably about the casino ship. People might feel safer on the water because the city just got transported, but it’s also a novelty.   Meanwhile, Thuniel informs Bobushio about the pirate ship, captained by Benedict Greatfellow. He was always small potatoes, so Bobushio wasn’t worried about him. He did invite him to become an ally, but he didn’t want to join. He did steal that ship from a non-pirate. They are screening people at the dock and they’re only allowing in really rich or importamt people on the vessel.   Bobushio is familiar with Skordan and has had dealings before. Thuniel, Bobushio and Moz approach and say we have an appointment. Red comes back and says that Skordan cannot meet today. Bobushio does Detect Thoughts, then says he hopes his friend is okay. He does pick up the thought, “Why does it have to be today of all days? Why did it have to be today that it happens?”   She says out loud that he’s just under the weather, but rejects Thuniel’s offer of healers. She says we could reschedule, but she’s thinking that she wishes that would be the case, but who knows.   Bobushio asks if Redla would be willing to set things in motion now because it’s time sensitive. She says she’ll talk to some people and get back to us in an hour. Bobushio says, “Take your time. I need to go see about The Diamond Leviathan.” All of her attention is on Skordan.   Meanwhile, Gilly has been chilling in her room, when there’s a knock at the door. Through the door, she hears Red say, “Just go talk to her,” Grildor says he doesn’t want to. Redla says, “If we want to keep in good standing with Ivy Hill, you need to create a good relationship with Gilandre because she is the future of Ivy Hill.”   Grildor enters in all his foppish finery. He makes bumbling attempts to connect with her and asks what he could do to entertain her. She complains that she’s been stuck in the room with nothing to do for two days. Grildor says he’s important and could probably take her on a tour. She convinces him that she wants to go and he says he’ll make arrangements. He returns in ten minutes with a full entourage. Gilly picks up Redla watching from afar, and she can tell it’s not just the people with them, but other people around are keeping an eye on her too.   Grildor gives her a detailed family history, and she realizes that Gerrig and he share a great grandfather. He takes her anywhere she asks to go. She even sees her friends. She asks to go outside and he takes her. The gardens are beautiful.   Gilly decides to be honest with him and tells him she thinks one of her friends was taken here. She asks about Trigger, and he says they only have one halfling they are holding and she’s no longer a prisoner. He says he’s important and would have that information. Gilly knows that he knows nothing. Then he’s shady about his dad. He tells her how Helm’s Ferry is in control of all the ships and shipping lanes. He thinks it’s funny the Storm Clan can’t get their ships through and is a jerk about it.   Moz turns into a fly and follows Gilly. Gilly telepathically tells Moz what she’s been doing. Moz tells her all we’ve learned. Gilly asks if we’re going back to the room, and he says she’s no longer a prisoner. Grildor then confesses that it’s all been a subterfuge, and that he’s not interested in her. He had to try so that Mommy wouldn’t be mad. He just wants to be her friend, if she wants. He whispers all of this.   He gives her a handkerchief with his initials and the Helm’s Ferry symbol as a gift.   Then he has her belongings brought back to her.   Thuniel kinda demands to speak with Gilandre. The dwarf messenger asks if Grildor can spare her and Grildor happily relinquishes her. He asks if next time they hang out, they can gossip about significant others. Gilly is surprised.   The entourage follows Grildor into The Talisman and Thuniel is able to chat with Gilly. Moz spots Red catching up to Grildor.   Thuniel catches Gilly up, and we decide to go back to Ivy Hill.   Bobushio sends a message to “My friend Dic,” on The Diamond Leviathan to let him know he’s in town.   As Gilly, Thuniel and Bobushio return to Ivy Hill, Thuniel clocks a shadow following us, a calico Tabaxi. She spreads it around and we talk about what to do. Bobushio tries to Vortex Warp the Tabaxi to us, but they resists, then disappears.   Meanwhile, Alcath and Caia arrive in Ivy Hill. They look for Big Tuna to ask if Trigger is back. He says that Trigger is back and they tell him, that’s not Trigger. Caia shows him and explains that it’s a changeling. Alcath explains that the spell Moon Beam will reveal that.   Big Tuna says that this is a big accusation. How does he know they haven’t switched sides or something? He doesn’t know if he wants to trust them. They explain what happened in The Storm Peak Clan, and Caia gives him a demonstration of what changelings are.   Big Tuna says he won’t let Trigger go anywhere and they need to stay here too. Caia sets invisible Ebony to watch who leaves the house. She finds Trigger just long enough to see him enter his chambers. She sneaks in behind him, but isn’t very stealthy and Trigger realizes that he’s likely being watched and doesn’t do anything susipcous.   He leaves the room, and he alerts multiple guards that he’s being watched. Someone clocks Ebony and tries to hit her, so Caia bampfs her her out.   Gilly and company return. The entire estate starts freaking out and gathering. Zips comes out of the stables, and reassures Thuniel that Meera’s fine.   Alcath immediately tells us all that “The Trigger here is a changeling, trust no one.” Gilly runs up and hugs Trigger and tries to read him. She feels like he says “Little Shit” a bit differently. But Big Tuna feels okay.