Session 23 Report
General Summary
The hour has arrived and Lady Anna's banquet begins. Valqinor follows Brennon to a courtyard area where many of the noblemen and wealthy guests are carousing before entering the dining hall. There, Valqinor meets a number of pompous rich folk, and his false persona as a new merchant in town holds up as none there are very interested in any conversation deeper than small talk. Brennon helps Valqinor with information to keep up his facade but is mostly concerned with drinking the free refreshments as he finds himself avoiding interacting with his old social circle.
Throughout his mingling, Valqinor notices that while there are a number of Genosians in attendance-- notable by their tendency for full face masks compared to the half or simple party masquerade masks that the Cressan guests wear-- they all keep to themselves or away from the courtyard area. An exception makes itself known, as a woman in a golden skull-faced mask approaches Valqinor and recognizes him under his hooded mask-- the Genosian revealer that the group had previously met in Northhope, Sciarra. Sciarra is surprised to see Valqinor at such a function but is glad to know that he and his friends made it safely to the city. She explains that she was invited for her recent work on behalf of Cressen. She expresses appreciation for Valqinor's choice of mask, as he is one of the few who has a unique look tonight among the many who seem to have bought mass-produced masks from the Wall Market-- in her culture, the mask is an expression of individuality, and the only ones who are known for wearing identical masks are soldiers in uniform.
Meanwhile, Big Richard and Lephnut follow Darmody's group through the hallways of the massive and labyrinthine Hall of Plenty, where they check in with other guard groups, eventually meeting one of the Temple Wardens, the Knight of Unicorns, who gives them orders on where to post themselves in the dining hall. The intimidating knight questions the number of recruits Darmody has brought with him but manages to have his curiosity sated by the Commander's explanations. Big Richard releases Lil D, in the form of a tiny budgie bird, into the courtyard to try to spy for information during the night.
Eventually, both groups find their way to the massive dining hall where all guests have congregated for the main event of the evening. The Lady Anna is supposed to speak, with the rumor of important announcements to come. Darmody's group convenes with Commander Rosser, who as promised before, is hanging out at the hors d'oeuvre table. Unlike the tense Darmody, Rosser seems to maintain a cool and suave demeanor at all times.
Valqinor, continuing in his guise as a merchant, is approached by a well-dressed man in a skull mask, who Valqinor has seen as the only Genosian really going around and conversing with non-Genosians at this banquet. The man introduces himself as Aceto, Controller of the state of Isola in Genos. Aceto is very interested in learning about the various high-ranking members of Cressen society and when Valqinor presses for more information on Aceto himself, the man seems miffed at the difference in culture. As Aceto says, in Genos, he is not used to people asking anything of him.
Big Richard, chafing at keeping up his disguise as a guard and forced to stay at his post, excuses himself to use the restroom with the intent of eavesdropping on some conversations. In the restroom, he notices a familiar group pass by-- that of Keldon Margrave, his guard, and mysterious noblewoman that were previously at the Innocent Doe a few nights prior. Judging by the lack of masks on their faces, they are either uninvited or purposely defying the banquet's dresscode.
As the banquet continues on, the guests begin to murmur at themselves at how long it is taking for Anna to appear. From a curtained balcony, the First Bishop Severin appears to reassure the guests that not only will the Lady be appearing soon, but also the Archbishop himself, and that the announcements to come will have been worth the wait. On cue, the Lady Anna does appear, in a full silver helmet that causes some consternation at the seeming embracing of the Genosian's mask culture. Her mask is eerily similar to that of the Archbishop Vrana's, who comes out on a wheelchair due to an apparent illness.
The shock at Anna's appearance quickly becomes the least of anyone's worries as Anna launches into a torrent of world-changing announcements. Addressing the strife that has wracked the region in the past weeks between the king's death, the division between Osten's duchies, and Cressen's territory assaulted by goblins with no help from the rest of the country, Anna announces that Cressen is becoming independent as they were once hundreds of years ago. Before the guests can really process what this will mean for them or Cressen, Anna adds that the only ones who have offered help of late have been the Genosians. Recognizing that most probably have a poor opinion of the Genosian guests due to past conflicts, Anna pleads for everyone to make peace with them, as they have done more than their now former allies in Ostren. In order to repay Genos for their aid, Anna announces that at the approval of the Archbishop, the Church of Plenty would be adding Genos' God of Serenity to it's pantheon, an unheard of act for the Church, which has worshipped the same gods for centuries, and there is much unknown about the God of Serenity.
As the crowd becomes more restless at these announcements, Anna caps it off with another-- that in order to keep the peace, the Church was reinstating an old institution-- the Inquistion, whose mission is to root out heresy and threats to the Church. This is visually punctuated as throughout these announcements, soldiers in unrecognizable uniforms have been silently entering and lining the hall-- the aforementioned Inquisition, comprised of recently returned Cressen soldiers that have been indoctrinated and select Genosian soldiers. Anna declares that the first act of the Inquisition is to apprehend a threat within the banquet hall itself-- Keldon Margrave. Keldon is accused of having murdered a Genosian a few nights ago-- which the party recognizes as a bold-faced lie as that supposed night Keldon was occupying the Innocent Doe for hours drinking with his men. The fact that Anna produces the jester that Big Richard recognizes as the one that killed Lil D for spying on him as a witness to this supposed murder produces more suspicion at the motives for this arrest.
Knowing that something foul is afoot, added by the fact that Anna mentions the situation in the sewers-- which he has not reported to anyone yet-- Commander Darmody holds the party back from acting in haste or anger. Cressen has changed forever and the party's next move is unclear...
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